Balance of Forces

Chapter One
Egypt in the year 1482 BC

“Our enemy is anxious for battle,” Asra, Captain of the Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s elite forces, told her second in command as they headed toward her tent. “They should wait until sunrise, but post extra men along the ridge of the dunes in case they want to start their journey to the realm of Anubis early.”

“As you command.” The man bowed slightly with his fist to his chest.

“Report if you detect any movement. If not, leave me to a few candlemarks of peace.”

“It shall be so.”

Asra’s tent fluttered as the wind picked up and drowned out the quiet conversations, and as soon as she was alone, she stripped off her gear and placed it on the trunk near her pallet. She had craved solitude all day, but had wanted to be sure everything was ready for the impending battle. The encampment was quiet now, only a few fires ensuring safe passage through the maze of men and equipment but not producing enough light for enemy scouts to detect them.

Asra had learned that lesson by age four from her father, Raad, the leader of the pharaoh’s great troops. His name meant “thunder,” and many of the men he had faced and crushed found it to be no boast.

In the morning they would face an enemy from the east that outnumbered them three to one, but Asra wasn’t worried. Her confident demeanor spurred those who served under her to live up to their reputation as the pharaoh’s elite warriors. At first the soldiers at her command had not welcomed their assignment, but none of them had hesitated to follow her into battle, because of her father. After that, her skill on the battlefield had made them want to follow her.

That night Asra had sat by one of the campfires to eat with some of her new recruits, listening to their stories of home and the families who waited for their return. She’d laughed at their jokes and added a few, but now she was grateful for the time alone to study her maps and mentally review the next day.

She planned to conquer the fools camped not far from their position as quickly as possible, returning a few survivors to their ruler to prove Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s strength. Surrounding rulers who thought to gain new lands at Hatshepsut’s expense had sent forces before. Most of them quickly learned, though, that Hatshepsut’s gender didn’t blunt her willingness to send people like Asra to kill anyone who opposed her, and tomorrow would be no different. Asra intended to carry out her orders swiftly, and those lucky few left alive would carry back the tale of their comrades who lay dead under the Egyptian sun with only vultures to tend to them.

A fast, decisive victory would also allow Asra to head home to care for her ill father. The desire to sit and share a few more conversations with him made her want to run into the night and slice the chest of every enemy who kept her bound to her duty.

But Asra would carry out orders before she indulged in any personal matter, as had her father, and his father before him. Her family had served the ruling dynasty in battle for generations, and Asra would continue the tradition.

She poured herself a cup of wine and recalled the day her father had put his own future at jeopardy by asking the pharaoh for something unheard of. Hatshepsut had gazed silently down at her from the throne for so long she felt a chill in her heart. Then the pharaoh called her closer.

“The gods have blessed you with Raad’s height and eyes,” Hatshepsut said, studying Asra’s dark-brown irises with a slight smile. “Have the gods also blessed you with his skill with the sword?”

“With time, My King, I will be as proficient as he.”

“Honest as well as confident, Raad. You have done well.” Hatshepsut motioned for one of the servants to pour wine for the three of them. “What plans do you have for young Asra?” Her father laid out his goals for her training. She would begin by working closely with him and eventually become a captain. “And if we grant you this wish, Asra, how will you serve us?”

“With honor, obedience, and courage. As long as I have life in me, I will fight to keep you safe.”

Hatshepsut had kept an eye on her progress, gifting her with the rank of captain seasons before she or her father thought possible. The pharaoh had come to trust her as much as she did Raad and often had her as a palace guest when she was in Thebes. Hatshepsut apparently saw much of herself in Asra and wanted her to succeed so those who opposed her rule would realize how capable females could be.

Asra’s boast to become as skilled as her father with the sword came in time and was one reason she rose so quickly in rank. Raad always remained her greatest advisor and teacher, happy to see at least one of his children carry on their family’s traditions. Asra was Raad’s greatest pride, but her brother Abez was his greatest disappointment.

“Abez, I pray you eventually find your way home before it’s too late to make amends with Father,” she said as her eyes lost focus on the maps. “His time grows short; may the gods grant him that comfort before his spirit soars to join our mother.” She thought of Abez only at times like this.

He was four seasons older than she, but always different from her in every way possible. He seemed to have inexplicably hated her from birth, and that hatred had deepened when their mother died in Asra’s third season. No matter how much Raad encouraged Abez to begin his training, he refused and pulled away, blaming the perfect little soldier who’d followed him.

Now a man, Abez spent his time in the gambling dens of Thebes ridiculing Asra and her growing favor with the pharaoh and the city’s elite. He had nothing to do with them until he exhausted his fund of coin for his women, wine, and games. Only then would he come home and play the perfect son, making Raad happy for a few days. Once their father’s purse was lighter, Abez returned to the sewer that was his life.

Asra sighed and dropped to the small bench next to her map table, then rested her head in her hands. Regardless of how far back her thoughts had pulled her, Asra heard someone pull the flap back and approach with almost silent steps. “What is it? I left orders not to disturb me unless the enemy is approaching,” she said, standing and reaching for her sword. “Has their position changed?”

The person before her bowed low enough that she couldn’t see their face. “Forgive my intrusion, Captain, but I bring news of your father.”

Any melancholy over Abez’s behavior disappeared, and she wanted to shake the messenger. “Speak.”

When the woman stood straight Asra became momentarily lost in the beautiful eyes and equally beautiful face. She shook her head to clear her mind and focus on the woman’s words. “I’m sorry that you must find out this way, and for my bluntness, but your father is dead.”

She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands again to hide her despair. “Did he suffer?”

“He suffered very little, Warrior, because his end was swift and before his time. Again, I do not know any way to make this easier to hear. Your brother killed him.”

Before the mystery woman could continue, Asra quickly drew her blade. Her father had used this sword in combat and given it to her when she was promoted. “A filthy lie you will bleed for, woman.”

“Please, Captain, let me speak. Then I will submit to whatever punishment you wish.” The woman bowed again. “That is all I ask.”

The messenger gave a history of the forces at work within the realm and in places not yet known to Egypt. As in every battle, good and evil were at odds, and she sought those worthy of fighting for those who could not fight for themselves. Evil, the woman told her, if left unchecked, would plunge the world into darkness forever.

“You’re speaking in riddles and wasting my time. What does this have to do with my father?” Asra stood in the middle of the tent curling her fingers tight around her sword. This beauty was perhaps more crazy than dangerous.

“The evil I speak of has seduced your brother, and he took your father’s life as revenge for what he feels was denied him.”

“You’re lying,” Asra said. The words fell easily from her lips, but in the pit of her stomach she felt sick. What this woman was saying was possible. “Abez was seduced away from a noble life a long time ago, but he’s never been violent. My father may not agree with his choices, but he’s never denied him the coins or attention he craves.” This news about her brother and losing her father, the only person she trusted completely, made the strength drain from her legs, and she dropped to the bench behind her.

“Blood is now the only craving he will have for eternity. He craves it like we need air to breathe. Abez could have chosen anyone to satisfy his thirst, but he chose your father. That was the best way to draw you out. Then his revenge will be complete.”

“We disagree on almost everything, but I cannot believe he hates me so much.”

The woman slowly moved closer and knelt next to her, then laid a comforting hand on her knee, waiting until she lifted her head. “He’s no longer the brother you knew, Warrior. Accepting this gift destroyed all the good in him. Now he desires only blood and death. It will be so until the end of time, or until he is destroyed.”

“Only the gods live forever, and Abez is no god.” Asra studied the woman’s light skin and hair. This beauty was like finding a rare jewel in the sand.

“What will it take to convince you?”

“I need no proof since I plan no revenge. My brother is not perfect, but he is no killer. That would take effort, which he has very little patience for.” She stood and wiped away her tears. “Leave me to mourn my father, and thank you for bringing me the news of his passing. If I can, I will repay the debt.”

The woman left as quietly as she had come, and Asra lay on her pallet to give in to her grief. She would have to set her emotions aside in the morning. If what her visitor had said was true, she was truly alone in the world.

*

Asra headed into battle like a woman possessed. Not an enemy soldier was alive by the time the sun reached its peak. Leaving orders with her second to send word of the victory to the pharaoh, as well as the ruler whom the dead men served, she galloped toward the city. She arrived at her father’s home candlemarks before sunrise and again fell to her knees. The atrocity she found made her throw up.

It appeared as if a beast had ripped out the throat of every servant, leaving the bodies for the flies. The lack of blood amazed Asra. The wounds should have painted the walls and tiled floors red, but the bodies, faces frozen in a grimace of terror, were like dry husks of grain.

The stench of death overwhelmed her, and she breathed through her mouth to keep from becoming ill again. As her chest expanded she heard Abez laugh before she saw him. As in her camp, only a few torches were lit throughout the house, and it was difficult to see past a few feet.

“How it pleases me to see the mighty warrior brought to her knees.”

“Abez, what have you done?”

“What is my right to do, Captain. You’ve looked down on me for so long, but that will soon change. I fed on these pathetic fools but now I thirst for you, sister. I am invincible.” When he moved out of the shadows, she shrank at the sight.

Seasons of drink and abuse had hardened Abez’s features, but he had never been this hideous. His deathly pale skin and his face resembled a nightmare. He kept stroking his new elongated canines with his tongue as if he couldn’t stop himself.

She pulled her sword free and held it out in front of her. “It’s true, then, you killed Father?”

He laughed so hard he braced his hands against his knees. “He wasted his last breaths calling for you to protect him instead of being in awe of the god he sired.” Abez pointed to her sword and shook his head. “You are no match for my strength, Asra, so put your toys away. Face your end showing the same pride with which you serve the mighty pharaoh.” He kicked the sword out of her hand and pounced on it before she could move. “This is just one more thing that should have been mine. You stole it from me.”

“Father would have given you anything. Don’t twist history or blame him for your failures,” she said, her anger fueling her courage. “Be a man for once. Admit that you gave away every privilege you were born to because you were too lazy to work for anything. You would have been a lazy, drunken parasite with ten siblings, or as an only child.”

“Enough talk, Captain. It’s time to pay me in blood for your lack of respect.”

“Leave now and I won’t turn you to dust, Abez.” The threat came from the shadows, and she and Abez turned in the direction from which it came. The speaker was nearby. “Your master warned you of your limitations. Do you wish to see how invincible you are?”

Asra recognized the voice as that of her visitor from the night before. Her messenger stepped into view holding a sword with an intricate design along the length, but from her stance Asra could tell the pretty blade wasn’t for show. Abez stepped back as if in fear, and his face morphed back to the monstrous features. The woman only stepped closer, and rather than fight, Abez fled with a speed Asra had witnessed only in horses.

“Are you all right?”

Asra dropped her hands from their defensive posture, but didn’t totally relax. “Who are you?”

“I am Morgaine, a member of the Genesis Clan, and I have come to offer you a gift, Asra.” Morgaine returned her sword to the sheath strapped to her back and held her hand out. “I am sorry this was the only way to prove that Abez is as lost to you forever as your father is. You may not fully understand what has happened here, but after last night I stayed near and watched you in battle. You possess great skill with the sword.”

Asra searched the floor where Abez had stood, but her brother had taken her father’s most precious gift. “Thank you, but did my skill help them?” She gestured to everyone who lay slaughtered.

“It won’t erase the pain Abez has caused here, but if you accept my offer to join us, you could change the fate of many.”

“Who is us?”

As Morgaine had done the night before, she explained how and why she existed. Those who understood and fought the unexplainable had formed the Genesis Clan. “Ages before your birth, a great sickness swept through a mountain village in a land leagues to the north. The weaker villagers died after weeks of suffering pains that contorted their bodies enough to break bones. Only a few survived, and a new breed of human was born who possessed incredible strength and longevity. But their new powers had limitations that rendered them to dust. Those weaknesses killed the majority of the survivors, leaving only one: Ora.”

“Why does Abez fear you?” She knelt before her father’s body, his wounds grotesque in the soft light.

“Of the little we know of her, Ora is highly intelligent, despite springing from an unevolved society, and was the powerful witch or medicine woman of her village. She was apparently more interested in the dark arts than in the healing part of her craft.”

“What do you call her if she’s a monster like Abez?” she asked, looking up at Morgaine. The woman’s vigor and beauty momentarily blocked out the gore around her.

“The Elders at first called her a succubus, but your brother didn’t inflict the wounds you see here to satisfy demon lust. Eventually, like Ora, your brother will learn finesse to get what he needs—the warm blood from a living being.” Morgaine stopped in front of a servant girl who had died close to Raad. “See how gaunt her face appears,” she said, pointing to the girl’s eyes and mouth. “Was she like this in life?”

“No, my father used to tease her about her plump cheeks.”

“Abez is now a child of Ora, and, like hers, his body will survive only on blood. Because of this the Elders call her and her kind vampires.”

“Why have I never seen or heard of anything like this?” Her voice sounded calm to her ears, but something seemed to be ripping her chest apart.

“We know of Ora, but she is elusive.” Morgaine knelt beside her. “I followed her trail here, but she had turned Abez before I could narrow my search. Ora is smart, but she will gladly kill and sacrifice others to learn more about her power. She has acquired the ability to turn others into what she is by taking their life, then giving it back to them.”

“What did my brother have to do?”

“She drained him to the point of death, then he drank from her like a baby at his mother’s teat. Mingling his blood with hers made him a vampire, and he will find release from the darkness only in death.”

“Then when I find him again I’ll free him from this curse. I’ll kill him even if I must sacrifice myself.”

“You’ve listened to why this happened, Asra, so will you give equal measure to the gift I mentioned? At least listen to the rest of my tale.”

She searched Morgaine’s face for any sign of what she’d just seen in Abez. If a monster lay dormant under the beautiful façade, it was well hidden behind the eyes that reminded her of sunshine. “Please, finish your story.”

“The legend of what happened in Ora’s village was fodder for storytellers’ tales for many seasons, but as with most old stories few facts of what really happened remained. Talk didn’t begin again until Ora discovered that she could share her gift. As she started to increase her family, as she refers to them, strange deaths occurred, mounting until fear swept the northern territories.”

“Where were your Elders then?” Asra focused her anger now on Morgaine because if what she said was true, she and her Elders had done nothing to save her father and the rest of their household. Actually, she thought Morgaine mad, but Abez’s monstrous features were hard to explain.

“Ora is even older than the Genesis Clan,” Morgaine said, leaning closer. “The villagers that Ora and her cursed followers preyed on tried to fight back but failed until a great shaman had a vision. His foresight told of a force that would restore balance to nature. As a young man he started searching for the secret to life, but his grandson perfected the elixir of the sun, bringing to fruition the old man’s prophecy. We cannot completely destroy evil, but we can maintain a balance.”

Her father’s body was cold under her fingers when she closed his eyes, but her gesture did little to erase the terror frozen on his face. “Are you a freak like Abez has become?”

“I’m young compared to some of the others, but I have dedicated my life to fight creatures like the one you saw tonight. Very little of who Abez was still exists. Our numbers need no blood to survive, and we find strength and healing in the sunlight instead of from the misery of others.” Morgaine rested her hands on her thighs. “We are the balance to the darkness Abez has given himself over to, and we do not extend the invitation to join our ranks often, but we have found you worthy.”

“If I agree, what do you expect of me?”

“I will train you to fight the darkness that has stolen Abez’s spirit. With that knowledge also comes a gift.”

“What, you want my spirit as well?”

“No, I want to give you life—one that will outlast the great pyramids and temples of Egypt. We ask in return only that you serve when called.” Morgaine held out her hand, palm up.

Asra laughed and took the hand. “No one can live forever, woman.”

Morgaine smiled as she pulled Asra to her feet. “Then time will be my proof. Will you commit?”

Asra nodded and placed her fist over her chest, willing to take any risk to avenge her father and the others who lay dead at her feet. Fear of death held no sway over her if she could take her brother with her to the land of the dead. The life she had worked so hard for meant nothing to her now. Thoughts of vengeance replaced everything she had ever believed in.

Together they rode into the desert to a camp. Morgaine had set up a large tent next to the watering hole and under the trees of the oasis. When sunset came, Morgaine stripped Asra’s bloody uniform, stained from battle and from burying her father and the others. Asra sat placidly as Morgaine bathed her and washed her hair. The attention threatened to make her forget the almost overwhelming sadness.

“Your brother has chosen the darkness, and he will dwell in darkness for the rest of his days because his thirst will blind him to any remaining humanity. But you, warrior mine, will walk a different path. The sun will bring you life, strength, and wisdom. For Abez it will bring only death.” Morgaine spoke in soft tones as she cleansed Asra’s skin. When she was done she led Asra to a blanket under the stars.

With fascination Asra watched Morgaine mix numerous strange ingredients with clean, fresh water. Morgaine told her the purpose of each item that went into the cup, how much she used as well as the incantations that she had to say in order for it to work. When she finished, the cup appeared to contain only the fresh water she had begun with, but it emitted yellow smoke that glowed as bright as the sun and seemed to boil.

“Drink and live forever,” Morgaine said, holding up the cup out to her with both hands.

Asra took the first sip tentatively, thinking it would be hot. It was, in truth, extremely cold, but she felt like she was consuming the strength of a hundred men with each sip, and the feeling of power intoxicated her.

As she drank, her muscles twitched and jumped as they were infused with the power of the sun. Finally, she roused and Morgaine led her to the watering hole. Asra’s eyes were now the same pale blue as Morgaine’s, and a slight rim of yellow flakes around her irises made them resemble the daytime sky almost as a tribute. The elixir had worked. The Genesis Clan’s newest warrior was immortal.

“You are one of us now, Asra. You cannot turn back, but for as long as you walk the earth I will be here to help you. Are you ready to begin?”

“Soon,” she said.

Morgaine showed no reluctance when Asra pulled her forward and kissed her. Despite their difference in age and strength, Asra held Morgaine still against her.

“Do you feel it?” Morgaine tried to break free but failed. “Your strength and purity will make you the greatest slayer we have ever produced. No one will ever be able to seduce you as they have Abez.”

Asra lowered Morgaine and ran her hand down the length of her beautiful body. Soon she would learn how to destroy not only Abez, but the bitch who had turned him. And if Morgaine was right, she would have an infinite number of tomorrows to make them pay for the life of her father.