Born or Made

Chapter 9: Maggots and Tendrils

Athanatos sat in his car drinking a Boba tea. He had to hand it to humans, they had good treats. Even if they had strange names for them. He was about to reach out to Capry for a status check when she finally came into view.

He rolled his window down as she approached his car. She looked incredibly tired but her mood seemed lighter than it had been when she left.

“Things went well?” Athanatos asked.

“I think so,” Capry said with a small smile. “My mother had a lot of questions. I’m not entirely sure how well she’s processing it but I did what I could to show her I wasn’t just making it up.”

Athanatos noticed Capry’s eyes had gone dark again and she was looking a bit pale.

“Do you need another bag?” he asked. It seemed a bit too soon for her to already need to drink. He wasn’t sure what she had shown her mother but it couldn’t have depleted her this quickly.

“I think so,” Capry said. She went around to the passengers seat and climbed into the car.

“I know she’s stressed. Her and my little brother laid back down to take a nap. I should probably do the same,” Capry added. She rustled around for a moment, struggling to take her sweatshirt off. Athanatos watched as she winced, inhaling sharply when she lifted her arms.

“How are your wounds?” he asked, concerned. Capry shrugged.

“I’m sore. They still looked pretty awful this morning,” she began. “I feel like even the smallest things are draining me rather quickly.”

“If you feel comfortable, I could have a look,” Athanatos offered. He put his Boba tea in the cup holder and held out his hand. Capry shyly lifted her shirt slightly so he could see her ribs. Athanatos had to stop a hiss from escaping his lips when he saw the state of her battered body. Some of the quarter sized holes had gone from being puffy and red to an awful putrid blackish-green. There were strange spindly, black, vein-like lines coming from the holes that were spreading across Capry’s pale skin.

“That looks worse than it did this morning,” Capry began, transfixed by how much her condition had worsened in a matter of hours.

“This isn’t right,” Athanatos began, confused. “You should be healing. Not getting worse.” He was wondering how high Capry’s pain tolerance was because it had to be excruciatingly uncomfortable. “You need to see our Healers. This is very concerning.”

“Right now?” Capry asked anxiously. “I can’t disappear again so soon.”

“Preferably right now. Yes,” Athanatos insisted. “We have a base here for our warriors. The Healers there are some of the best. We can go there. Should we go inform your mother first?”

Capry chewed her lip as she worked it out.

“I don’t want to wake her. I know she’s probably exhausted. But I should tell her something,” she began hesitantly.

“This is an emergency,” Athanatos said firmly. “I need you to understand the severity of your injuries. I think you're still in shock. Please let me do my job and care for you. If we leave now I can probably have you back within a few hours.”

“Would it be quicker to transport?” Capry asked.

“It would. But I don’t know if your body can handle the stress of transportation in your condition,” Athanatos said bluntly.

“Is it always that rough?” Capry asked. Transportation was intense. Every part of her had felt like it was being pulled and stretched through a tight tube. “Like does it always hurt? Or is it just because I’m injured?”

“It gets smoother with practice. But it definitely takes some getting used to. However, it shouldn’t be painful. I would rather drive you to the base. I think it would be more beneficial for your wounds.” Athanatos stated.

“I can take it,” Capry pushed stubbornly. “Please?”

Athanatos sighed clearly going against his better judgment. He took his keys out of the ignition and placed them inside his pocket, zipping it shut. He then locked the car doors and reached out, wrapping his large hand around Capry’s upper arm.

“Hold on,” he said. Capry felt the familiar pull of transportation as the car vanished around them. Athanatos pulled her against his bulky body, squeezing her small form. Capry gritted her teeth but kept her grip around his waste as tight as she could as her hair whipped around her face. By the end of it her body was screaming in agony. When their feet landed on solid ground she promptly bent over and threw up on Athanatos’ shoes. He cringed, patting her back awkwardly.

“Am I dying?” she gasped after she was finished. She looked up at him, tears from her violent retching dripping down her cheeks. The puddle on Athanatos’ shoes came into view. He understood the question when he realized there were maggots writhing on and around his feet. He frowned, inwardly horrified that she may indeed be dying.

“Let’s get you inside,” he said quickly, evidently avoiding her question. He briskly picked her up and carried her into an unmarked building that was surrounded by a large heavy chain linked fence and nothing but dirt for miles. He kicked the maggots away, squishing some of them as he went.

“Athanatos? I think I’m ok to walk,” Capry said bashfully, her voice muffled in his coat as she dangled over his shoulder. There was a lot of chatter going on around them. Capry kept catching glimpses of combat boots and sword tips. She felt Athanatos stiffen up awkwardly as he set her down lightly in front of him.

“Hey Athanatos!” a towering vampire boomed pleasantly from behind Capry. She jumped and spun around, gently bumping into Athanatos in surprise. He was brawny like all the warriors seemed to be. He reminded Capry of a buff wizard. His hair was pearly white, falling well past his shoulders, and his eyes were magically green. He smiled, revealing a set of even white teeth. It was the kind of smile that reminded Capry of a shark. Pleasant but sharp, paired with a set of bright but dead eyes.

“Greetings,” Athanatos said politely, in a way you would greet someone you have to work with but don’t particularly care for. The two saluted each other formerly before Athanatos addressed the reason why he’d come. “Arch, I need to use the medical facilities. You know there’s been a situation at the Academy?”

“Yes we heard. How is that going?” Arch asked, the tone in his voice changing from friendly to serious abruptly. His emotions were almost over animated and his concern seemed false. “Does Acara need more warriors?”

“Probably soon,” Athanatos replied. “I’ll send word when the time comes. This is Capry Ramos,” he said motioning to Capry.

“The fledgling?” Arch asked peering down his incredibly sharp nose at her. He referred to her as though he’d finally found the person responsible for all the trouble. His eyes trailed over the strange markings on her face thoughtfully. It was unsettling. Capry momentarily felt like hiding behind Athanatos’ legs like a child. She could probably fit inside his trench coat with him if she tried. She even thought he might let her.

“Yes,” Athanatos said. “My fledgling. She was injured quite seriously.”

“So what are you doing here?” Arch asked curiously, glancing at Capry again. He was giving off some suspicious vibes. Almost as though there was an opportunity in front of him but he wasn’t sure if he should take it. Athanatos could sense his intentions and immediately closed his mind. “Shouldn’t she still be at the Academy?” More fake concern.

“Her situation is temporary,” Athanatos said vaguely. It wasn’t Arch's place to ask such questions. “She needed to be seen now and this was the closest facility to us. Her wounds aren’t healing properly. I need someone skilled. An Elder preferably.”

Arch nodded, finally taking his attention off of Capry. “Well of course, Athanatos. Anything you need.”

They followed him down a hallway lit by bright fluorescent lights. Capry could see that there were also UV lights that weren’t on. She wondered what they were for. The floor was polished concrete. The whole place had a very impersonal feel to it. Warriors passed by dressed in their black uniforms going about their official business. It was an intimidating environment.

“This way,” Arch said as he made a sharp right, his long strides keeping him several paces ahead of Athanatos and Capry. They passed through a secure door labeled Medical. “This is where I leave you. Best of luck to you, Athanatos,” Arch said ominously. The tone wasn’t lost on Capry. She stared after Arch, her brow furrowed slightly. Arch peered over his shoulder as though he felt her eyes on him, all traces of friendliness gone from his face. He turned the corner and was gone.

Athanatos approached the little front desk in the waiting room and spoke to a pretty female vampire. She was dainty but wore the same uniform as the men. Capry guessed she had to be powerful to work here with all the huge male warriors that lumbered about. He motioned for Capry to follow him as they were admitted into Medical. The pretty vampire took them to a room and told them the wait wouldn’t be long. She then exited, closing the door behind her.

“Who is Arch?” Capry asked into the silence. This place was sterile and cold. There were no comforting crawling vines on the wall or anything remotely welcoming. There was just a hard examination table, typical medical equipment, and two spare chairs.

“He’s responsible for this base,” Athanatos said shortly. Capry noticed Athanatos’ jaw clenched as he spoke. His facial expression remained neutral.

“Is he nice?” Capry asked. Athanatos stayed silent. “He doesn't seem nice.”

“Good to see you’re not easily fooled by a smile,” was Athanatos’ clipped response. Capry got the feeling she wasn’t supposed to continue asking questions while they were here so she ceased talking.

Somebody knocked lightly. Capry had been expecting a friendly nurturing person like Healer Ivy to enter the room. Instead a large bulky warrior with rippling muscles and facial piercings came through the door. His hair was black and braided intricately in a strangely masculine way.

“Miss Ramos?” he asked politely.

“Yes,” Capry said, glancing nervously at Athanatos.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Apollo Cannavalie. I’ll be your Healer today. What’s going on?” he asked, sitting down on one of the spare chairs.

“I threw up maggots outside,” Capry said simply. Healer Apollo raised his eyebrows disconcertedly.

“That isn’t a typical occurrence,” he replied casually, keeping his tone light.

“Capry is my fledgling,” Athanatos interceded. “She was injured during the incident at Vhladèvara. With the hidden portal.”

“Arch did tell me she’d arrived,” Apollo stated. “Tell me about what you’re experiencing, Miss Ramos.”

Capry was baffled how nobody seemed to bat an eye when they were told what happened. Like it was normal for kids to get sucked into portals. She sighed and lifted her shirt. Apollo immediately looked troubled and approached her to get a better look.

“May I?” he asked gently motioning towards Capry’s weeping wounds. Apollo took one gloved hand and prodded around one of the holes. He collected some of the strange puss-like fluid on his glove and examined it. Capry crinkled her nose when he sniffed it. He then pulled a flashlight from his front pocket and used it to look inside one of her puncture wounds.

“You actually came into contact with him?” Apollo asked, unable to hide his shock. “How is that even possible?”

“I didn't mean to,” Capry murmured. “Trust me, if I had known what would happen, I wouldn’t have gone near that place at all.”

Apollo nodded sympathetically.

“We’re starting to believe it was more his doing than hers,” Athanatos said. “She’s barely begun her transformation.”

“So you’re just a newborn?” he asked addressing Capry. “I would congratulate you but it sounds like it’s been quite an ordeal for you. Please lay down,” Apollo said soothingly. Capry complied. “This may hurt a bit,” he warned. Capry tensed up as she felt him probing at one of her puncture wounds with something pointy and cold.

“Come here,” Apollo said, beckoning Athanatos. Athanatos approached the table. Apollo murmured an incantation under his breath and then inserted a long pair of medical forceps into Capry’s wound.

“Can you feel that?” Apollo asked Capry as he probed.

“Only a little,” she murmured. There was only mild pressure and a bit of stinging. She seemed calm as Apollo used the forceps to stretch the wound open so Athanatos could see inside.

“There is something lodged inside the wound,” Apollo said puzzled. “Can you see it?”

Athanatos wasn’t a squeamish being but he felt his skin crawl as he peered into the dark festering hole in Capry’s ribcage. There was something swollen and engorged inside of the puncture wound that was visibly throbbing. It was a sickly shade of gray and had black fluid seeping out around it.

“Do you know what you were stabbed with, Miss Ramos?” Apollo asked. Capry’s breathing had quickened and she had beads of sweat standing out on her forehead.

“There were a lot of them,” she hissed as he withdrew his forceps. “I think they were part of him,” she said, rolling onto her back to address Apollo. “I couldn’t see him when it happened. But I could feel these long chord like things wrapping around my body and I think he used them to feed from me. They were sharp. They dug into my skin and in between my bones…” Capry seemed to lose focus for a moment before she blinked and shook her head. “I don’t really think I should talk about it anymore,” she said tonelessly. Athanatos could feel the air stirring around her. Apollo seemed to sense it too.

“You definitely have some dark magic clinging to you,” Apollo stated, frowning as the strange draft in the room lightly caressed his skin. “Athanatos, I think the best course of action is to put your fledgling to sleep while I attempt to remove these things. They’re barbed so it will likely be very painful for her if I do it while she’s conscious. The Great Destroyer can use these to continue to feed from her,” Apollo said. “Which is likely why she isn’t healing. He’s still draining her.”

“How do you plan to dispose of his remnants?” Athanatos asked.

“We’ll burn them,” Apollo said firmly. “If burning them doesn’t work, we’ll destroy them magically.”

“I must insist that I be present for that,” Athanatos said firmly. Apollo turned and looked Athanatos dead in the eyes, his face serious. His voice filled Athanatos’ mind.

“I am an ally,” his voice echoed. “I am not Archer.”

“Archer can’t know more than he already does,” Athanatos responded, his words filling Apollo's mind curtly. Apollo nodded and put his fingers to his lips.

“He will not,” Apollo replied shaking his head. The two of them broke their mental connection and returned their attention to Capry.

“Do I have your consent to continue, Miss Ramos?” Apollo asked.

“Will this cut off his access to me?” Capry asked. “If you remove whatever he left behind?”

“It will make it so he can no longer continue to make a meal of you,” Apollo said gently. “Some creatures are parasitic. You will still need a good cleansing after this is done.”

Capry nodded. “You have my consent,” she replied. Apollo smiled and placed his hand on her sweaty forehead. A gentle beam of light traveled down his arm and through his fingers, meeting Capry’s clammy skin. It passed into her with a soft flash that lit up her eyes. Her face and muscles relaxed as she peacefully fell asleep. She looked relieved.

Apollo began to remove the first piece of tendril. He dug around inside Capry’s wound with his forceps, wiggling and pulling until he extracted a pointy gray tip that had little barbs covering it. It throbbed momentarily as black liquid poured from it, dripping thickly down his forceps. It then began to shrivel and dry out, all signs of movement ceasing.

“Like a parasite, it can’t survive without its' host,” Apollo said as he conjured the rest of his medical equipment and placed the tip of Zagreus' tendril on a sterile tray next to Capry’s bed. He then cleaned out her wound, flushing it several times. He stuffed the hole with a medicinal gauze and covered it before moving on to the next puncture.

“I believe these were ripped off of him as your fledgling escaped,” Apollo muttered as he worked. “He didn’t have time to withdraw before she traveled back to our realm. There was definitely a violent altercation.”

“What are they?” Athanatos asked, unable to hide his disgust.

“Something he definitely didn’t pass down to his offspring. Or else we might all have them. These are straight out of a horror movie,” Apollo said holding up a limp tendril as it dried up and died.

Athanatos watched as he retrieved six other fragments from Capry’s body. Some were almost six inches in length. He worked quickly and efficiently. When he was finally finished he held his hand over the shriveled up tendrils, flames shooting from his palm. He burned them until they were only a pile of ash on the tray.

“Would you like to dispose of this?” he asked Athanatos. “They can no longer do any harm.”

“I would prefer it,” Athanatos said. “I appreciate this, Apollo. I have to make sure I’m thorough. I’m sure if the wrong being knew what this was they could find some awful use for it.”

Apollo nodded and put the ashes in a small plastic bag, handing them over to Athanatos. Athanatos placed the ashes into a secret pocket inside of his trench coat.

“I’ll just send in a Host and you two can be on your way. When my incantation wears off and she wakes, remove the gauze from her wounds. They should start to heal. If the holes don’t close by tomorrow, bring her to see me. Or take her to the Elders in Vhladèvara. Which ever is more convenient,” Apollo said. He held out his hand to Athanatos. Athanatos shook, feeling Apollo’s intentions. With one simple touch he warned Athanatos to be careful.

“Something is coming on the horizon,” his voice whispered in Athanatos’ mind. “Can you not feel it? Keep your fledgling close.”

He abruptly broke contact.

“Once the host has fed her, you’re free to go. It was nice to see you Athanatos,” Apollo said with a smile. He then left the room.

**************************

Athanatos sighed as he approached Capry’s front door. He had listened to Kathy pacing inside her house for a half an hour, as he waited for Capry to wake. The sun was beginning to set and he knew Kathy was on the verge of calling the police again. He adjusted Capry’s body in his arms so he could try to reach the door to knock.

Kathy had heard him rustling around on the porch and had thrown open the door, hoping to find Capry standing there. When she saw her unconscious daughter in Athanatos’ arms her mouth fell open in pure horror.

“Please don’t scream, ma'am,” Athanatos said calmly. “I was hoping we would meet under better circumstances but that just doesn’t seem likely at this point.”

“Who are you?” Kathy asked, her voice quivering. “And what have you done to my daughter?!”

“I’m Athanatos, Capry’s Guardian. If you’ll let me come in, I’ll explain everything to you,” he began, trying to sound reassuring. And knowing he just looked scary.

“Is that like a vampire thing? Do I have to invite you in?!” Kathy asked semi-hysterically. “What happened to her?!”

“It’s just polite to ask before you enter someone’s residence,” Athanatos said plainly. “I’m only here to help. I promise.”

Kathy seemed to weigh her options and then stepped aside, allowing Athanatos to enter the house with her daughter. As the two of them waited for Capry to wake, they had a conversation. Athanatos explained everything to the best if his ability. He showed Kathy Capry’s healing wounds. As Capry had said, honesty was the best policy.

She watched as Athanatos tended to Capry’s wounds and was shocked as they became visibly smaller right in front of her eyes.

“It’s beginning to make sense,” Kathy whispered. “As much as I want to deny it.”

“She needs support that you cannot provide,” Athanatos said as they left Capry to rest. “But I believe she still needs you. And doesn’t want you to abandon her.”

Athanatos handed Kathy the backpack with the remaining blood bags.

“Give her one of these when she wakes. I have a room at a hotel nearby,” he said “I should go. But if she needs me, she can reach me at this number,” Athanatos said handing her a piece of paper. “Or if you do you can call at any time. I believe she needs a few days to recuperate in the comfort of her own home. But I will be around. You can tell me your decision once you’ve had time to think about it.”

Athanatos left Kathy, confident he wouldn’t have to erase her memory later. She watched him walk down the street until he was out of sight. It felt like a nightmare but she would have to see it through. It was the only option she had.