08-24-2015, 12:10 PM
Mathias took a plane to Italy, and found his way to the mansion that housed the vampire files. It was a relatively knew tradition for monitoring vampires, it was devised by Tzion for his own personal use in the prophecies. From what Mathias understood there were far more vampires who influenced the prophecies then those that were directly involved. He felt however it was just a way for the vampires in power to keep track of all vampires and keep their numbers down. Most files were Hallowed, but there were some of other breeds. Ones that had earned their way into the prophecies, like Gabrielle.
The mansion was closed to anyone who was not a special guest, and Tzion had called ahead of forward of his coming. If there was a piece missing from his life it would be shown in his files. There would be a time period where nothing seemed to happen to him, or so he hoped that was what Eva was hinting at. He introduced himself to the file keeper, Jedrek, and explained what he was here for.
Jedrek was an old vampire who had guarded these files since they were nothing but a single file of names. Mathias could tell that he was much older then him, which made him wonder if the filing system was that much older then he had originally thought.
"Why haven't the files been put onto disks for computers?" He asked Jedrek as they walked towards the area that Jedrek said his files were kept.
The entire mansion was filled with book cases with files and tomes from all sorts of vampires. Jedrek seemed to know where every file was and didn't have to look up where Mathias' files were. "These files are private, and only a small amount of elders are allowed to view them. I know these files inside and out, however, so it would be me that would have to upload all these files. There are far too many folders here for me to do it."
Mathias looked at the middle aged looked vampire, his hair was salt and pepper. "Well, it's not like you have anything else to do."
Jedrek glared up at him, "I do a lot more work then you think."
Stopping at a long row of book cases, Mathias looked down the narrow passage way.
"It will take you a great deal of time to find what you are looking for. Your life is almost as long as mine, but never the less I hope you find it." Jedrek pointed down the isle.
"Where are mine?"
He grinned, "This entire isle is you."
Mathias eyes widened, as he looked at the two thousand or so files, "How many pages per folder?"
"As many as they could hold, around four hundred."
He sighed loudly, "I guess I should get started."
"Your files aren't as impressive, though you have lived a very long time. I just had a two hundred year old vampire's files removed several months ago. She had thousand files already at two hundred."
"Caitlin Bramwell?"
"Yes." He grinned, "Good luck." He said as he walked away leaving Mathias to his work.
The files began to bring back memories, he had long forgotten. It took him a month to read the first hundred of them. He would need help he decided, there was no time to waste on reading these. He called Tzion and asked for Nathaniel and another to be sent to him. Two days later, Lucas and Nathaniel were brought to the mansion and Mathias couldn't help but laugh when they saw the isle of his files.
"All these are yours?" Lucas asked.
He nodded, "Lucas you start at the end of the isle. Nathaniel you grab from the middle, and I'll start where I left off."
"What are we looking for?" he asked.
"A time period where nothing seems to happen to me, where I don't even feed or have any interaction with other vampires."
Lucas picked up a folder and began to read, "This sure is personal stuff, Mathias, you sure you want us to read this?"
He looked up rather annoyed, "I could care less what you know about me, human." Both Nathaniel and Lucas were startled by the venom in his voice. "We have more important matters at hand, this is about Kailin. Besides you will be dead and gone within a blink of an eye."
Lucas looked up at Nathaniel who was staring in shock at Mathias, he wasn't sure what to say to him.
"No reason to snap at him, Mathias. He was only making sure you were ok with him reading about your personal life." Nathaniel finally said.
"We don't have time to waste on pleasantries, just start reading." Mathias returned his eyes to the file on his lap.
Lucas read slower then the other two did, but it was still of great use to have him starting from the end. After another month they had completed a little over five hundred files. Hope was beginning to be the only resort they had to keep trying, and even that was running dry. They all sat on the floor reading a file, it was a trip down memory lane for Mathias. But for his two companions it was a dark journey into the mind of someone they never knew existed.
He could see in their faces how they looked differently upon him, and though he wish he had never let them open the files, he knew it was the only way. There had been a time where he had been very dark, and very hateful of all humans. He was sure Lucas had read that part by now, as he kept his distance from him. He looked at them as they read, each looking tired and hopeless, and yet they kept reading. They could only hope they would find the answers before Marekio found Kailin.
They tried to mostly scan pages for numbers, and Lucas had begun to write dates down on paper so he could look them over later. Nathaniel and Mathias were able to keep track, but they were beginning to worry that scanning might force them to miss something.
Mathias grinned as he looked up at his files, and the two tired beings in front of them. Lucas had a pen in his mouth, and Nathaniel leaned against the book shelf. He was pleased with how well they were working to find a means to an end.
Lucas looked up at him, "I think I found something."
Both Nathaniel and Mathias placed their files on the ground beside him, and came to stand at his side, looking over his shoulder.
"What?" Nathaniel asked.
"Look here, there is a two year period, where you seem to just disappear between 1534 and 1536, then you all of a sudden just reappear." Lucas looked up at him, "What were you doing then?"
Mathias thought back, he was in England and had been nobility. He read the last day recorded in 1534, and remembered he had been called to the Ancients. After that his mind was empty until the summer of 1436.
"I don't remember, I think we've found it." He ran to his other folder and put it back on the shelf. "Come on, we have to find out what I was doing."
The two of them walked closely behind him, as he walked quickly out of the mansion. When the cool of the air hit him as he stepped outside, he threw his black trench coat over him.
"Wait, Mathias, how are we going to figure out what you did almost six hundred years ago?" Lucas asked.
"I was nobility in England, there has to be a record of me somewhere. Maybe if I can retrace my steps I can find my way."
"Even the trees are different." He commented as they looked around.
"It's been a while." Nathaniel smirked towards Lucas. "Maybe your old age is getting to you."
Mathias turned his face towards the grinning men, and frowned, "I don't think there is anything here, let's try to find the…" In the distance another Hallowed appeared, it was a small boy. Although, Mathias didn't know his name, he knew the boy's face.
The small red headed boy walked out and held his hand up to Mathias, "Follow me." He said in a thick British accent.
They followed the boy down a dirt path and towards an old small cottage. The little boy flung his arms from side to side as he skipped down the path with them hurrying to catch up, behind him. Nathaniel could sense that this young boy was older then him. Who would make a vampire so young, though?
Inside the cottage they found themselves in a room that was both the living room, dining room, and kitchen in one. Mathias thought it was like stepping back into the medieval ages. A fire was burning in the fireplace directly to the right of the large wooden table. An old woman with gray hair, her eyes seemed to be barely opened from the wrinkles weighing down her face. She was a vampire, a Hallowed.
She smiled at Mathias when he entered the room, she had been cutting up some meat on the table, for who he was unsure. There were several vegetables that had been chopped up, it all appeared to be a meal for one person. She laid the knife down, wiped her hands on her apron.
"Lord Osrick, you have finally returned." Her voice shook as she spoke.
"I am sorry, but do I know you?" He looked down at the short woman.
She gave a slight nod, "I didn't expect that you would. You told us when you left that you wouldn't remember us when you returned." She looked at the other two and grinned, "Please have a seat and I will explain everything to you." Her thin finger pointed at the chairs sitting around the dinner table.
Everyone took their seat and waited for her to pull up a rocking chair as they ran short on seats. The little red headed boy took his seat next to Mathias grinning up at him with a great deal of pride. His small hands folded on the table in front of him, while he kneeled on the chair.
"My name is Madeline Donathan, and this young man is my grandson, Richard. From 1471 until 1534, I was a part of your household, a trusted friend, and loyal servant. March 12th, 1534 you returned from a meeting, and told me that someday you would need my services. You turned both me into Hallowed One to wait for your return. You left that night, and I didn't see you again until today." She reached out and took Richard's hand to stop him from pounding his fist against the table, just to hear the noise.
"What about the boy?" Mathias pointed at Richard.
"You turned him several months before me. He was in an accident in the stables, and was about to die. I begged you to turn him because he was the only family I had left. It was a selfish reason, and I still regret it to this day."
Mathias gave a slight frown, "Yes, I remember something like that happening. And I slightly remember you, but what services do I need from a servant woman?"
"My ability to recall, I had the slight showing of this ability, but you didn't want to turn me because of my age. However, when you realized it was your only chance, you knew that it had to be done."
"Your ability to recall?" He rose an eyebrow, a little disgusted with himself for turning such a young child.
She gave a slight nod, "You told me that you were going on a long journey, and that you had to hide an artifact that was sacred to your clan of vampires. You said that once it was hidden it would have to remain hidden for the rest of eternity. You said that after you hid it, the Ancients would hide the knowledge deep within your mind, and only you would truly know the location. However, if something went wrong in the future when the battle of good and evil began, if the hero, the chosen one, fell to the powers or to sickness, you would then return and need to reclaim your memories."
He looked at both Nathaniel and Lucas for a moment, "Did I tell you what this artifact was?"
She shook her head, "No, you were very vague. On purpose I suppose, it was a strong artifact, and had already fallen into the wrong hands once."
"I saw it though." Richard chirped in, causing his grandmother to glare at him for interrupting, "I found it when I was packing your things, it was a red ruby like stone, and when I put it in the light it turned clear. You told me that it was a weapon of great power."
"A weapon?" He questioned the boy.
"Yes, milord. You said that I must never tell a soul that I saw it, and I promised I wouldn't. Grandma didn't even know I saw it until now." He grinned, Mathias couldn't help but grin back. His two front teeth were still gone from when he lost them over six hundred years ago.
"How will you pull my memories back?" He returned his eyes to Madeline.
"It is a slow process that will take the rest of the evening, and long into the morning. However, you will sleep through this. The memory is hidden deep within your mind, and I must channel through many lost memories, before I find the correct one." She looked at Nathaniel and Lucas giving them another grin, "When you are ready I will be preparing in the bedroom, come and lay down on the bed and we will begin."
She gathered up all the meat and vegetables onto her chopping block, and walked them over to the pot cooking over the fire. Dumping them into the water, her old legs slowly made their way into the back room, calling Richard to follow her.
"You aren't going to let her mess with your mind are you?" Nathaniel asked stunned, when Mathias stood up.
"I am her master she can't kill me, besides I believe her. There has to be a reason I turned an old woman."
"And what are we to do?"
He shrugged, "Wait, watch, ." He pointed at pot cooking over the fire, "Looks like she is cooking something for Lucas, he can finish that up. You go find yourself something to play with, I don't care just let her do her job. She's been waiting a long time." He turned his back to them, and calmed his mind, before setting out to join her in the back room.
"Take off your shirt, and lay down." She told him as she placed a bowl of water on the night table.
"My shirt?"
She nodded, as she reached out for Richard's hand and pulled him off the bed. "My searching will raise your temperature a great deal, it's better to have you already undressed, then to have to stop to undress you. If I stop or you get too uncomfortable, then you will wake up and we will have to start all over again."
He felt a wave of modesty come over him, and was certain that he was blushing. There was a handful of times when Mathias not been fully dressed in front of others.
"Take it off, please." She said it again, when she realized he was staring down at her with an unbelieving glint in his eye.
Mathias took off his jacket and laid it on the end of the bed, then pulled his shirt from his body. Several scars from his days as a warrior were still engraved into his skin, and one that slid across his abdomen was welted up. It had been this scar that had forced him to stop fighting in battles, and become an advisor.
"Still a muscular and handsome fellow, I see."
He remembered her now, she was the perverted old woman who had often made unladylike comments to him during her life in his manor. She haunted his dreams, and mostly the dreams an old woman shouldn't be in. Why he didn't remember that before he was uncertain, but the years had changed her face in his mind's eye.
"Well, lay down." She was ripping up pieces of cloth to use in the water.
Slowly, he laid himself down on his back. The bed squeaked loudly under his weight.
"Don't break it. That's the only one we have." Madeline jested.
Richard came to stand over the bed, and put his hand over the scar on his stomach. "Where'd you get that?"
Mathias wasn't pleased with the boy's question, and turned his eyes to Madeline, "What now?"
"Relax yourself, and allow your mind to be free."
He did as he was told, and the old woman's thin frail fingers rested on his temples. She began to rub them, until his mind left the conscious world.
"Thank you for bringing this note to me, go outside and play with the other children now." Mathias told him.
"But, I want to help you." Richard whined.
He grinned down at the boy, "Alright, you can help me by telling your grandmother that I am leaving now, and I won't be home until later tonight."
The little red headed boy grinned showing his missing front teeth, Mathias smiled at them. He had just lost them the week before his accident in the stables and it made him laugh harder then he had ever before when he saw them missing for the first time. Richard made it a point to smile at him everyday to show him the gap, and he thought subconsciously the boy just wanted Mathias to smile. It was something that was rather unknown upon his face.
Richard ran off shutting the door behind him, but giving one last grin before he disappeared behind the solid oak. Mathias got dressed in his finest attire, after all, it wasn't every day that the Ancients called for an audience. He found his way down to the stable, where Richard had already told the stable boy to ready his horse.
He took off toward the Hallowed Temple, it would not be a long ride. He was lucky enough to get his home close to one of the temples. He rather enjoyed bragging about it to the other Elders. As he rode into town he looked at the merchants selling their wares, he nodded a greeting to everyone as he rode by. Being in such a high place in society, he didn't want to cause suspicion as to what he truly was.
A couple knights on horseback rode past him towards the castle. It seemed there was a great deal of those around lately. He rode up to the temple, they held church services here for the humans. Little did they know that underneath the great structure was a temple for those so Ancient that they could remember creation.
He stepped from his horse, tied him up to the horse post. Walking up the temple stairs, he entered through the opened doors. The priest, Hagley, was standing near the door, and greeted him with a smile. Hagley was also a Hallowed vampire, but enjoyed spreading faith to those that wanted it. He also found it easier to pick which people to feed from, as they all told him of their sins.
"Lord Osrick, it is a pleasure to have you here. Please, they wait for you." He waved for him to follow him into his study. Mathias looked around waiting for what had to be a trap door, and he proved himself correct. Hagley pulled down the candelabra stuck to the wall, and the bookcase opened.
"When you are ready to come up there is a lever on the other side, just pull it and it will open. Don't pull it if the candelabra is lit, that means someone who isn't a Hallowed is in here."
He gave a nod to Hagley then began his dark journey down the stairs. The room at the end of the stairway was marble, several holes poured watered into a small pond below. He followed the marble path to where he was certain the Ancients would be. When he came to a white door, he took a deep sigh preparing himself for whatever news they had for him.
He knew the Ancients would never call on him personally unless they had extremely dreadful or fantastic news, like a promotion amongst the ranks or the reason for one's death. He was prepared for anything that they had to tell him. Placing his hand on the door, he slowly pushed it open. There they sat in their albino beauty, all knowing and all power beings. Marble thrones with velvet cushions were at the end of the room, where the Ancients sat awaiting him. A narrow marble passage lead up to them, and the rest of the room was water. He walked up the path until he reached the three marble stairs, kneeling to the ground on one knee, he awaited for them to speak.
"Mathias, we thank you for your quick response." Eva voice echoed inside his mind, then she stood from her position, and motioned for the others to leave the room.
He watched the Bowery and Pyrrhonian Ancients leave the way he had entered. Their exit made him nervous of what was to come. His eyes went back down to the ground to listen to what Eva had to say. "Milady, is there something wrong?" He finally asked when Eva did not speak.
She shook her head, "I need you to make something right, dear Mathias."
"Something right, milady?"
"Many eons ago a stone was made to help us fight the coming evil, it helped us read the deepest thoughts of any vampire or human. However, most recently a Bowery named Mihail stole the stone. He used this stone on Fantor, Adon, and myself."
"I don't understand, milady."
She nodded, "Mihail now has the knowledge of the three ancients. He knows everything we know, and could very well use it against us or against the guardian."
"What do you ask of me, then?"
"I have retrieved the stone, and I ask three things from you. Kill Mihail, he does not have the wisdom for such knowledge."
"And when he is dead?"
"Hide the stone, this stone must never again be used by any being for selfishness. It must be hidden and forgotten."
"Why can't I destroy it, milady?"
"The guardian may need it someday either for sickness or for destruction or perhaps we may be forced to use it to destroy the guardian. The prophet was unclear when he created it."
"And the third thing?" He said with a heavy swallow.
She smiled well aware of his fear, "After you have hidden the stone, you will forget everything. You will not remember killing Mihail, or hiding it. As the stone has to remain a secret, so that no one will have the powers to steal the location from you."
He stood up, still confused, "If I forget how will I retrieve it when it is time?"
"Your servant shows promise of the ability of recall. Turn her, for it will be many centuries before the guardian needs this weapon."
"Madeline is far to old to be turned, she may not even survive the transformation."
Eva grinned, "So much you do not understand, and so much you will someday. Turn her, and do not question me."
He nodded, "Yes, milady, forgive me."
"Dear, Mathias, only you can I trust." She laid her hand on his cheek.
"Why only me, milady?"
She began to walk towards the door the others had disappeared behind, "Someday, you will discover the truth of all this. The prophecies will make sense to everyone."
"Doesn't Lord Tzion write them? He understands them."
She turned her head and grinned, "There is only so much you can see in words." She vanished behind the door.
Mathias waited for sometime trying to understand the life changing moment that had just occurred. He made his way to the stairway as he thought on Eva's words, but he was left with no answers, only instructions. Reaching his hand up, he pulled the lever, and the wall opened. Hagley and a human man stood in the room, and both looked upon him with shock. He realized then he had forgotten to check to see if that candelabra was lit. Hagley reached out his hands and snapped the man's neck before he could look away from the opening secret passage.
"I told you to check the candelabra." Hagley grunted, as he picked up the man's limp body, "I had to kill a perfectly good lamb because of you."
"It's only a human." He snorted, leaving the priest to dispose of the body.
"Wait I have something for you." Hagley caught him at the doors.
He looked to find him holding out something wrapped in a small white piece of cloth.
"What is it?"
He shrugged, "Eva gave me direct instructions not to look inside, and I have done as she has asked." He took Mathias's hand and placed the object in his palm. "Eva tells me you will not be returning after today, I will miss you. I wish you only the best of luck, old friend."
He gave a slight nod, then placed his hand on Hagley's shoulder, "Do me a favor?"
"Of course, anything."
"I have been ordered to turn Madeline."
His eyes opened widely, "Turn her?"
"Do not ask me why, just watch over her and help her build her skills, since I will not be around to do so."
"I will protect her until I am unable to."
He grinned, "Thank you, Hagley. May the Higher Being watch over you."
"May his eyes rest on you more often then I."
"I will miss our discussions."
He grinned, remembering how they would argue on spirituality, "Yes, but it is the life we have chosen. Leaving those we love behind, take care of yourself. I hope to someday see you again."
"I promise you will."
The mansion was closed to anyone who was not a special guest, and Tzion had called ahead of forward of his coming. If there was a piece missing from his life it would be shown in his files. There would be a time period where nothing seemed to happen to him, or so he hoped that was what Eva was hinting at. He introduced himself to the file keeper, Jedrek, and explained what he was here for.
Jedrek was an old vampire who had guarded these files since they were nothing but a single file of names. Mathias could tell that he was much older then him, which made him wonder if the filing system was that much older then he had originally thought.
"Why haven't the files been put onto disks for computers?" He asked Jedrek as they walked towards the area that Jedrek said his files were kept.
The entire mansion was filled with book cases with files and tomes from all sorts of vampires. Jedrek seemed to know where every file was and didn't have to look up where Mathias' files were. "These files are private, and only a small amount of elders are allowed to view them. I know these files inside and out, however, so it would be me that would have to upload all these files. There are far too many folders here for me to do it."
Mathias looked at the middle aged looked vampire, his hair was salt and pepper. "Well, it's not like you have anything else to do."
Jedrek glared up at him, "I do a lot more work then you think."
Stopping at a long row of book cases, Mathias looked down the narrow passage way.
"It will take you a great deal of time to find what you are looking for. Your life is almost as long as mine, but never the less I hope you find it." Jedrek pointed down the isle.
"Where are mine?"
He grinned, "This entire isle is you."
Mathias eyes widened, as he looked at the two thousand or so files, "How many pages per folder?"
"As many as they could hold, around four hundred."
He sighed loudly, "I guess I should get started."
"Your files aren't as impressive, though you have lived a very long time. I just had a two hundred year old vampire's files removed several months ago. She had thousand files already at two hundred."
"Caitlin Bramwell?"
"Yes." He grinned, "Good luck." He said as he walked away leaving Mathias to his work.
The files began to bring back memories, he had long forgotten. It took him a month to read the first hundred of them. He would need help he decided, there was no time to waste on reading these. He called Tzion and asked for Nathaniel and another to be sent to him. Two days later, Lucas and Nathaniel were brought to the mansion and Mathias couldn't help but laugh when they saw the isle of his files.
"All these are yours?" Lucas asked.
He nodded, "Lucas you start at the end of the isle. Nathaniel you grab from the middle, and I'll start where I left off."
"What are we looking for?" he asked.
"A time period where nothing seems to happen to me, where I don't even feed or have any interaction with other vampires."
Lucas picked up a folder and began to read, "This sure is personal stuff, Mathias, you sure you want us to read this?"
He looked up rather annoyed, "I could care less what you know about me, human." Both Nathaniel and Lucas were startled by the venom in his voice. "We have more important matters at hand, this is about Kailin. Besides you will be dead and gone within a blink of an eye."
Lucas looked up at Nathaniel who was staring in shock at Mathias, he wasn't sure what to say to him.
"No reason to snap at him, Mathias. He was only making sure you were ok with him reading about your personal life." Nathaniel finally said.
"We don't have time to waste on pleasantries, just start reading." Mathias returned his eyes to the file on his lap.
Lucas read slower then the other two did, but it was still of great use to have him starting from the end. After another month they had completed a little over five hundred files. Hope was beginning to be the only resort they had to keep trying, and even that was running dry. They all sat on the floor reading a file, it was a trip down memory lane for Mathias. But for his two companions it was a dark journey into the mind of someone they never knew existed.
He could see in their faces how they looked differently upon him, and though he wish he had never let them open the files, he knew it was the only way. There had been a time where he had been very dark, and very hateful of all humans. He was sure Lucas had read that part by now, as he kept his distance from him. He looked at them as they read, each looking tired and hopeless, and yet they kept reading. They could only hope they would find the answers before Marekio found Kailin.
They tried to mostly scan pages for numbers, and Lucas had begun to write dates down on paper so he could look them over later. Nathaniel and Mathias were able to keep track, but they were beginning to worry that scanning might force them to miss something.
Mathias grinned as he looked up at his files, and the two tired beings in front of them. Lucas had a pen in his mouth, and Nathaniel leaned against the book shelf. He was pleased with how well they were working to find a means to an end.
Lucas looked up at him, "I think I found something."
Both Nathaniel and Mathias placed their files on the ground beside him, and came to stand at his side, looking over his shoulder.
"What?" Nathaniel asked.
"Look here, there is a two year period, where you seem to just disappear between 1534 and 1536, then you all of a sudden just reappear." Lucas looked up at him, "What were you doing then?"
Mathias thought back, he was in England and had been nobility. He read the last day recorded in 1534, and remembered he had been called to the Ancients. After that his mind was empty until the summer of 1436.
"I don't remember, I think we've found it." He ran to his other folder and put it back on the shelf. "Come on, we have to find out what I was doing."
The two of them walked closely behind him, as he walked quickly out of the mansion. When the cool of the air hit him as he stepped outside, he threw his black trench coat over him.
"Wait, Mathias, how are we going to figure out what you did almost six hundred years ago?" Lucas asked.
"I was nobility in England, there has to be a record of me somewhere. Maybe if I can retrace my steps I can find my way."
---***---
It took him sometime to remember exactly where he had lived. He remembered that he had been outside of London, but couldn't remember exactly where his home had been. He wasn't sure that he would find anything of value among a house that stood six hundred years ago, and was sure it would be long gone by now. After several days of searching, he became familiar with the land around him. Even though six centuries had past, some things looked vaguely familiar. How that was possible, none of them were certain, but they eventually stumbled onto some property that Mathias claimed had once been his own. The land was green, but not built upon. In the distance several houses had been built where he had once had his stable. Stones from previous homes that had been built on the ruins of his home had been over grown with moss. Nothing familiar stood out to him, and he was left confused. Doubt entered his mind that he had even come to the right place at all."Even the trees are different." He commented as they looked around.
"It's been a while." Nathaniel smirked towards Lucas. "Maybe your old age is getting to you."
Mathias turned his face towards the grinning men, and frowned, "I don't think there is anything here, let's try to find the…" In the distance another Hallowed appeared, it was a small boy. Although, Mathias didn't know his name, he knew the boy's face.
The small red headed boy walked out and held his hand up to Mathias, "Follow me." He said in a thick British accent.
They followed the boy down a dirt path and towards an old small cottage. The little boy flung his arms from side to side as he skipped down the path with them hurrying to catch up, behind him. Nathaniel could sense that this young boy was older then him. Who would make a vampire so young, though?
Inside the cottage they found themselves in a room that was both the living room, dining room, and kitchen in one. Mathias thought it was like stepping back into the medieval ages. A fire was burning in the fireplace directly to the right of the large wooden table. An old woman with gray hair, her eyes seemed to be barely opened from the wrinkles weighing down her face. She was a vampire, a Hallowed.
She smiled at Mathias when he entered the room, she had been cutting up some meat on the table, for who he was unsure. There were several vegetables that had been chopped up, it all appeared to be a meal for one person. She laid the knife down, wiped her hands on her apron.
"Lord Osrick, you have finally returned." Her voice shook as she spoke.
"I am sorry, but do I know you?" He looked down at the short woman.
She gave a slight nod, "I didn't expect that you would. You told us when you left that you wouldn't remember us when you returned." She looked at the other two and grinned, "Please have a seat and I will explain everything to you." Her thin finger pointed at the chairs sitting around the dinner table.
Everyone took their seat and waited for her to pull up a rocking chair as they ran short on seats. The little red headed boy took his seat next to Mathias grinning up at him with a great deal of pride. His small hands folded on the table in front of him, while he kneeled on the chair.
"My name is Madeline Donathan, and this young man is my grandson, Richard. From 1471 until 1534, I was a part of your household, a trusted friend, and loyal servant. March 12th, 1534 you returned from a meeting, and told me that someday you would need my services. You turned both me into Hallowed One to wait for your return. You left that night, and I didn't see you again until today." She reached out and took Richard's hand to stop him from pounding his fist against the table, just to hear the noise.
"What about the boy?" Mathias pointed at Richard.
"You turned him several months before me. He was in an accident in the stables, and was about to die. I begged you to turn him because he was the only family I had left. It was a selfish reason, and I still regret it to this day."
Mathias gave a slight frown, "Yes, I remember something like that happening. And I slightly remember you, but what services do I need from a servant woman?"
"My ability to recall, I had the slight showing of this ability, but you didn't want to turn me because of my age. However, when you realized it was your only chance, you knew that it had to be done."
"Your ability to recall?" He rose an eyebrow, a little disgusted with himself for turning such a young child.
She gave a slight nod, "You told me that you were going on a long journey, and that you had to hide an artifact that was sacred to your clan of vampires. You said that once it was hidden it would have to remain hidden for the rest of eternity. You said that after you hid it, the Ancients would hide the knowledge deep within your mind, and only you would truly know the location. However, if something went wrong in the future when the battle of good and evil began, if the hero, the chosen one, fell to the powers or to sickness, you would then return and need to reclaim your memories."
He looked at both Nathaniel and Lucas for a moment, "Did I tell you what this artifact was?"
She shook her head, "No, you were very vague. On purpose I suppose, it was a strong artifact, and had already fallen into the wrong hands once."
"I saw it though." Richard chirped in, causing his grandmother to glare at him for interrupting, "I found it when I was packing your things, it was a red ruby like stone, and when I put it in the light it turned clear. You told me that it was a weapon of great power."
"A weapon?" He questioned the boy.
"Yes, milord. You said that I must never tell a soul that I saw it, and I promised I wouldn't. Grandma didn't even know I saw it until now." He grinned, Mathias couldn't help but grin back. His two front teeth were still gone from when he lost them over six hundred years ago.
"How will you pull my memories back?" He returned his eyes to Madeline.
"It is a slow process that will take the rest of the evening, and long into the morning. However, you will sleep through this. The memory is hidden deep within your mind, and I must channel through many lost memories, before I find the correct one." She looked at Nathaniel and Lucas giving them another grin, "When you are ready I will be preparing in the bedroom, come and lay down on the bed and we will begin."
She gathered up all the meat and vegetables onto her chopping block, and walked them over to the pot cooking over the fire. Dumping them into the water, her old legs slowly made their way into the back room, calling Richard to follow her.
"You aren't going to let her mess with your mind are you?" Nathaniel asked stunned, when Mathias stood up.
"I am her master she can't kill me, besides I believe her. There has to be a reason I turned an old woman."
"And what are we to do?"
He shrugged, "Wait, watch, ." He pointed at pot cooking over the fire, "Looks like she is cooking something for Lucas, he can finish that up. You go find yourself something to play with, I don't care just let her do her job. She's been waiting a long time." He turned his back to them, and calmed his mind, before setting out to join her in the back room.
---***---
The room was small with an old squeaky bed that was pushed up against the wall. Richard played with the bed as if it was an instrument for his rear end, as he bounced up and down. Using his feet to propel him, and smiling at Mathias as he entered the room. Beside the bed, there was a small night table."Take off your shirt, and lay down." She told him as she placed a bowl of water on the night table.
"My shirt?"
She nodded, as she reached out for Richard's hand and pulled him off the bed. "My searching will raise your temperature a great deal, it's better to have you already undressed, then to have to stop to undress you. If I stop or you get too uncomfortable, then you will wake up and we will have to start all over again."
He felt a wave of modesty come over him, and was certain that he was blushing. There was a handful of times when Mathias not been fully dressed in front of others.
"Take it off, please." She said it again, when she realized he was staring down at her with an unbelieving glint in his eye.
Mathias took off his jacket and laid it on the end of the bed, then pulled his shirt from his body. Several scars from his days as a warrior were still engraved into his skin, and one that slid across his abdomen was welted up. It had been this scar that had forced him to stop fighting in battles, and become an advisor.
"Still a muscular and handsome fellow, I see."
He remembered her now, she was the perverted old woman who had often made unladylike comments to him during her life in his manor. She haunted his dreams, and mostly the dreams an old woman shouldn't be in. Why he didn't remember that before he was uncertain, but the years had changed her face in his mind's eye.
"Well, lay down." She was ripping up pieces of cloth to use in the water.
Slowly, he laid himself down on his back. The bed squeaked loudly under his weight.
"Don't break it. That's the only one we have." Madeline jested.
Richard came to stand over the bed, and put his hand over the scar on his stomach. "Where'd you get that?"
Mathias wasn't pleased with the boy's question, and turned his eyes to Madeline, "What now?"
"Relax yourself, and allow your mind to be free."
He did as he was told, and the old woman's thin frail fingers rested on his temples. She began to rub them, until his mind left the conscious world.
---***---
Mathias Osrick, your audience has been summoned to the Ancients Chamber of London. Bring only yourself. The note had read, Mathias stood up and looked around his library, Richard sat grinning across the desk at him. His feet kicking beneath him. The boy had been turned several months prior, and he still felt guilty for allowing his feelings for his grandmother to cloud his judgment. Yet, the boy seemed happy enough, and had never attacked any of the other children. He wondered if it had been his right to deprive the child of his death."Thank you for bringing this note to me, go outside and play with the other children now." Mathias told him.
"But, I want to help you." Richard whined.
He grinned down at the boy, "Alright, you can help me by telling your grandmother that I am leaving now, and I won't be home until later tonight."
The little red headed boy grinned showing his missing front teeth, Mathias smiled at them. He had just lost them the week before his accident in the stables and it made him laugh harder then he had ever before when he saw them missing for the first time. Richard made it a point to smile at him everyday to show him the gap, and he thought subconsciously the boy just wanted Mathias to smile. It was something that was rather unknown upon his face.
Richard ran off shutting the door behind him, but giving one last grin before he disappeared behind the solid oak. Mathias got dressed in his finest attire, after all, it wasn't every day that the Ancients called for an audience. He found his way down to the stable, where Richard had already told the stable boy to ready his horse.
He took off toward the Hallowed Temple, it would not be a long ride. He was lucky enough to get his home close to one of the temples. He rather enjoyed bragging about it to the other Elders. As he rode into town he looked at the merchants selling their wares, he nodded a greeting to everyone as he rode by. Being in such a high place in society, he didn't want to cause suspicion as to what he truly was.
A couple knights on horseback rode past him towards the castle. It seemed there was a great deal of those around lately. He rode up to the temple, they held church services here for the humans. Little did they know that underneath the great structure was a temple for those so Ancient that they could remember creation.
He stepped from his horse, tied him up to the horse post. Walking up the temple stairs, he entered through the opened doors. The priest, Hagley, was standing near the door, and greeted him with a smile. Hagley was also a Hallowed vampire, but enjoyed spreading faith to those that wanted it. He also found it easier to pick which people to feed from, as they all told him of their sins.
"Lord Osrick, it is a pleasure to have you here. Please, they wait for you." He waved for him to follow him into his study. Mathias looked around waiting for what had to be a trap door, and he proved himself correct. Hagley pulled down the candelabra stuck to the wall, and the bookcase opened.
"When you are ready to come up there is a lever on the other side, just pull it and it will open. Don't pull it if the candelabra is lit, that means someone who isn't a Hallowed is in here."
He gave a nod to Hagley then began his dark journey down the stairs. The room at the end of the stairway was marble, several holes poured watered into a small pond below. He followed the marble path to where he was certain the Ancients would be. When he came to a white door, he took a deep sigh preparing himself for whatever news they had for him.
He knew the Ancients would never call on him personally unless they had extremely dreadful or fantastic news, like a promotion amongst the ranks or the reason for one's death. He was prepared for anything that they had to tell him. Placing his hand on the door, he slowly pushed it open. There they sat in their albino beauty, all knowing and all power beings. Marble thrones with velvet cushions were at the end of the room, where the Ancients sat awaiting him. A narrow marble passage lead up to them, and the rest of the room was water. He walked up the path until he reached the three marble stairs, kneeling to the ground on one knee, he awaited for them to speak.
"Mathias, we thank you for your quick response." Eva voice echoed inside his mind, then she stood from her position, and motioned for the others to leave the room.
He watched the Bowery and Pyrrhonian Ancients leave the way he had entered. Their exit made him nervous of what was to come. His eyes went back down to the ground to listen to what Eva had to say. "Milady, is there something wrong?" He finally asked when Eva did not speak.
She shook her head, "I need you to make something right, dear Mathias."
"Something right, milady?"
"Many eons ago a stone was made to help us fight the coming evil, it helped us read the deepest thoughts of any vampire or human. However, most recently a Bowery named Mihail stole the stone. He used this stone on Fantor, Adon, and myself."
"I don't understand, milady."
She nodded, "Mihail now has the knowledge of the three ancients. He knows everything we know, and could very well use it against us or against the guardian."
"What do you ask of me, then?"
"I have retrieved the stone, and I ask three things from you. Kill Mihail, he does not have the wisdom for such knowledge."
"And when he is dead?"
"Hide the stone, this stone must never again be used by any being for selfishness. It must be hidden and forgotten."
"Why can't I destroy it, milady?"
"The guardian may need it someday either for sickness or for destruction or perhaps we may be forced to use it to destroy the guardian. The prophet was unclear when he created it."
"And the third thing?" He said with a heavy swallow.
She smiled well aware of his fear, "After you have hidden the stone, you will forget everything. You will not remember killing Mihail, or hiding it. As the stone has to remain a secret, so that no one will have the powers to steal the location from you."
He stood up, still confused, "If I forget how will I retrieve it when it is time?"
"Your servant shows promise of the ability of recall. Turn her, for it will be many centuries before the guardian needs this weapon."
"Madeline is far to old to be turned, she may not even survive the transformation."
Eva grinned, "So much you do not understand, and so much you will someday. Turn her, and do not question me."
He nodded, "Yes, milady, forgive me."
"Dear, Mathias, only you can I trust." She laid her hand on his cheek.
"Why only me, milady?"
She began to walk towards the door the others had disappeared behind, "Someday, you will discover the truth of all this. The prophecies will make sense to everyone."
"Doesn't Lord Tzion write them? He understands them."
She turned her head and grinned, "There is only so much you can see in words." She vanished behind the door.
Mathias waited for sometime trying to understand the life changing moment that had just occurred. He made his way to the stairway as he thought on Eva's words, but he was left with no answers, only instructions. Reaching his hand up, he pulled the lever, and the wall opened. Hagley and a human man stood in the room, and both looked upon him with shock. He realized then he had forgotten to check to see if that candelabra was lit. Hagley reached out his hands and snapped the man's neck before he could look away from the opening secret passage.
"I told you to check the candelabra." Hagley grunted, as he picked up the man's limp body, "I had to kill a perfectly good lamb because of you."
"It's only a human." He snorted, leaving the priest to dispose of the body.
"Wait I have something for you." Hagley caught him at the doors.
He looked to find him holding out something wrapped in a small white piece of cloth.
"What is it?"
He shrugged, "Eva gave me direct instructions not to look inside, and I have done as she has asked." He took Mathias's hand and placed the object in his palm. "Eva tells me you will not be returning after today, I will miss you. I wish you only the best of luck, old friend."
He gave a slight nod, then placed his hand on Hagley's shoulder, "Do me a favor?"
"Of course, anything."
"I have been ordered to turn Madeline."
His eyes opened widely, "Turn her?"
"Do not ask me why, just watch over her and help her build her skills, since I will not be around to do so."
"I will protect her until I am unable to."
He grinned, "Thank you, Hagley. May the Higher Being watch over you."
"May his eyes rest on you more often then I."
"I will miss our discussions."
He grinned, remembering how they would argue on spirituality, "Yes, but it is the life we have chosen. Leaving those we love behind, take care of yourself. I hope to someday see you again."
"I promise you will."