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.”

  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.”

  Upon his arrival home, Richard came to the stable to take his horse for him. The stable boy had gone to the well for water. The small boy grinned widely at him, and began telling him of his small trip down to the nearby creek. Catching frogs had always been Richard’s favorite past time.
  Mathias interrupted him when the boy repeated the word frog for the eighth time, “Richard, pack some of my things that I will need on a long journey.” He handed the boy the white cloth covered stone, “Put this in my belongings as well.” He turned towards the horse for a moment to drop the reigns.
  “What is this?” Richard held up the red stone.
  He turned to look at the large ruby shaped stone. “It’s a weapon of great power that I must hide for eternity. Do not tell anyone that you have seen it, understand? It would be dangerous for both your grandmother and yourself.”
  Richard gave a nod and a frown, “Are you going away for a while, then?”
  Mathias rubbed the little boy’s hair. “Where is your grandmother?”
  “She is upstairs in her room mending some of your clothing.”
  “Make sure everything is ready by the time I get back.” Mathias ordered before leaving the young vampire in the stable. Entering his manor, there was a stairway to his right which he began up, skipping every other stair. When he came to Madeline’s door, he tapped lightly, and she told him to enter.
  “Yes?” Madeline asked, as she bit off some string from a pair of his pants. She held them up to look over her handy work, “Good, now try not to rip these again. I do hate seeing them in my mending pile.”
  Mathias ignored her. “Madeline, I need to see you in my study right away.” He had chosen the study because it was the only room in the manor with a lockable door.
  “Whatever for?” She questioned as she slowly stood up, placing the pants in her finished pile.
  “I’ll explain when we get there.”
  “What is so important that you can’t tell me here?” She began searching through the mending pile, trying to decide which she would repair next.
  “I do not have time to argue with you, woman. Just come to my study.”
  She heard the door slam, and turned slowly to see that he had left. With a sigh, she stuck her needle into the bed and hoped she wouldn’t forget it was there, least she sit on it.
  Heading down the hall, she made it to the end of the stairs where the study door was. She tapped on the door, before entering the room. No matter how hard she tried, the room always smelt of pipe smoke. Mathias sat behind the desk, digging through the drawers. He was not his usual calm self in those moments, which caused Madeline slight panic. She hid it well, as she came to take a seat in front of his desk.
  He said nothing, and so Madeline began to look around the room. She would need to dust the book shelves, they were filthy. The rug under his desk needed to be replaced, it had several rips in it. She would also need to put more candelabras in the room, it was far too dark for her liking.
  “Madeline,” Mathias began, pulling her out of her thoughts, “you have worked for me since you were a little girl, you have moved with me every time I have left a country. I entrust my darkest of secrets to you. You are really the only human I see as my equal and as my friend.”
  “Milord, have I done something wrong?” She asked, her heart began to speed. It had always been her fear that Mathias would eventually fire her. “If it’s about letting Richard wear your hats, I didn’t think it would hurt anything. He admires you so much, and….”
  “No, Madeline, you have done nothing wrong. I have to leave again.”
  “We will begin to pack right away.” She stood up.
  He shook his head, “Please sit back down, and allow me to finish.” She sat back down slowly, her heart still throbbing. “I have to leave on my own this time, and you won’t see me for a very long time.”
  She grinned nervously, “I am old, Mathias, a very long time isn’t good for me.”
  His anxiety showed through as he began to tap his index finger on the desk. He tried to think of a way to put this nicely to her, but there was nothing. Only the forward truth would mean anything to her. “Madeline, I have been ordered to turn you.”
  “Turn me?”
  He nodded, “The Ancients, who run my clan of vampires, have ordered me to turn you into one.”
  He watched her old lips press together, and then swallow, “Why?”
  “I have to hide a sacred artifact from an evil breed, and destroy the one who used this artifact. After I kill him, and hide this artifact, I will forget everything about this. I will not remember you or Richard, this part of my life will be gone.”
  “I still don’t understand why you have to turn me, Mathias.” Her wrinkled hands were folded atop of her lap, and he could see the fear building in her eyes.
  “I have always tried to get you to use your ability to recall others thoughts more often. You thought it was silly of me and that I was just teasing you, but I wasn’t. You have a rare gift given by the Higher Being. Most of the time people like you are turned into a vampire, but I refused to let them. I knew how much you wanted a family, and I protected you from those who tried.” He picked up a glass of water from his desk that he was drinking from earlier that day, and took a small drink.
  “However, I can’t protect you when I am gone. The Ancients believe that someday I will need your gift to relocate this artifact. The odds of someone like you being reborn anytime soon is simply not possible. This gift is only given to those who truly deserve it, and not many do.” He was rambling and repeating himself, out of nervousness. “If I do not turn you myself, someone else will be sent to do it. Because someday I will return and I will need you to find this lost memory for me. You will have to train yourself until my return to break into my mind, but when…”
  She stood up, “I understand, and I am willing to give of myself. This someday you will return is for the chosen one you have told me about, the one who will save all the world from the Devil’s greatest creation?”
  He nodded, “Most likely.”
  “Then I will gladly help you to do God’s work. I trust you not to lie to me. You have been nothing but good to me, saving me on countless occasions. You taught me things, no woman should ever be taught. I am far more educated then any woman I know, and for this I owe it all to you. If you ask this of me, I know that it is only because you have to.”
  He stood from his chair and walked over to her, he grabbed her hand, kissing her knuckles, “Madeline, although I will forget you, you will always remain my greatest and truest friend. What you have taught me in the ways of respect and kindness to human kind, I will always carry with me. Because only my mind will forget, my heart will not.”
  She smiled, “Mathias, before this happens, I want to tell you that I truly regret not allowing you to change me when I was young. I have always been in love with you.”
  “And I you, dear Madeline.” He kissed her cheek and continued his kisses to her neck, then bit down, drawing upon her blood.
  She made a small whimper but he held her firmly to his chest, until she could not stand any longer. He lowered her to the ground, as her heart began to slow. Kneeled beside her, he held her hand as she died. Her age had made her body weak, and he wondered if it would be possible for it to accept the change. He did not want to hold her as she died in his arms, the thought was unthinkable, but he continued to hold on. It then began, her screams were so loud they echoed through every room in his home. She twisted and flopped from side to side, blood ran from her mouth and nose. He knew her change would be more painful then most, because of her age. It was the change of souls that made this so painful, having the human soul ripped from the grasp of the aura. The tortured and evil demonic soul stealing the person’s essence away from them, as only part of them died, and a new part was reborn. Her screams became louder until she stopped moving all together.
  Kissing her forehead, he knew that the change had been successful. He could feel the newly created Hallowed’s aura. “Madeline, are you alright?”
  Her eyes opened, “Yes, I feel weak.”
  “It shall pass.” He said as he began to lifted her up.
  “Grandma?” Richard’s voice cried, as he stood in the doorway.
  Mathias cursed himself mentally for forgetting to lock the door. The young boy ran towards him and tried to shove Mathias aside, but the large man barely flinched.
  “You hurt my grandma!” Richard screamed.
  “It’s alright, Richard. Grandma is fine.” She coughed, before her eyes went to Mathias. “Go now, I shall be fine.”
  Mathias gave a nod and kissed her forehead again, “Goodbye, Madeline.”

  The sun was just setting as he rode away, watching his home disappear over the horizon. It wasn’t the first time that he had to give up everything and it wouldn’t be the last. He was a vampire, something he chose to be many years ago. He knew that this was the way of life for one. As he began his journey to Greece, where he knew Mihail was, the same imaged appeared in his mind, both Madeline and Richard being changed into the evil undead that he was. There was guilt and hatred for himself burning within his soul. He knew then that he was a monster, and it would be the only thing he would think of himself as from that day onward.
  No one would be allowed to love or care for him ever again, because he wouldn’t allow it. Madeline had, and now her and her grandson were paying the price for it. The only glimpse of hope he had was that someday soon, he would forget all this. He would not remember that he had turned an old woman and her young grandson. He would live his life without the memory, but the sorrow would never leave his heart. He hoped that he would never have to return and find the truth out about what he had done.

  It took almost three months to get to Greece, he left the English shore by boat and arrived in France. He could of taken the boat all the way to Greece, but he did hate the open water. He felt safer riding the rest of the way then sailing. When he arrived two Halloweds had been sent to greet him, they would be his companions and guides in finding Mihail, and from there he would be alone when it came to hiding the stone. Risto and Baris they had called themselves. Both had come from direct orders of the Ancients. They had been following Mihail for almost a year, and the third of their party still waited in Greece. Keeping an ever watchful eye on the powerful Bowery.
  They explained that the reason they hadn’t been sent to kill Mihail themselves, was they were all three fresh vampires. Neither felt older then three hundred years to Mathias. They traveled for several months, dealing with several bowery attacks that left Baris’ right arm burned badly. However, Mathias did not allow them to stop so that the fresh could heal, and told them that he would heal with time. When they arrived in Greece, they made their way to a large circular building. He was told this was where Mihail enjoyed spending his evenings, it apparently was where many feedings of both human and vampire were held.
  Their first task, now that they were finally within the great city, was to find the fourth member of their party. It would not be an easy task, and they moved everyday to a different hiding area, so that Mihail could never attack them. His companions explained that with the stolen power, the Bowery had been able to discover that Halloweds were after him. They had already lost a companion to the Bowery, and Mathias could see the hate burn in their eyes when they spoke of it.
  They had a rather odd system of narrowing down the places he could be hiding. There were three human merchants in the area, and each were told a different location. Only one location was correct, and none of the merchants new about the other’s involvement. All three places had to be checked, which was the difficult part, but it was worth the extra time spent for obvious safety reasons. And as luck would have it, the first place they checked held the fourth and final companion.
  Giorgos was a native of Greece, and his knowledge of the area was vast. Mathias realized why he had been left behind, if anyone could escape the attack of the Bowery alone, it would be him. He knew every inch of road, and every alley.
  Unlike Halloweds, Bowery hunt and live in packs for a few reasons, but mostly to protect themselves from the stronger vampires. Although a Hallowed could fight and win a battle with one or two Bowery, the odds of a Hallowed fighting a winning against six or more Bowery was doubtful. Which was why the three Hallowed lived together, they were all fresh so being near each other had to be nauseating. Now that Mathias was here he could calm the urge for them to flee from each other.
  Giorgos pulled out a map which he had drawn himself, showing Mihail’s nightly routine around the city.
  “Mihail is normally never alone, his horde keeps close enough to hear each other at all times. Except when he feeds, he likes to be away from all ears and eyes. He enjoys teasing and torturing his prey, normally a female.” Giorgos explained, “He takes her far out of hearing distance, so the others can not hear her cries or smell the blood. He doesn’t like to share with them.” His finger slid along the map from the feeding grounds to a far off alley just east of it.
  “Why does he torture them?” Mathias questioned.
  He shrugged, “No other Bowery seems to do that, they just kill and move on. There is something about him, something that is completely different then most Bowery. He seems more intelligent, and I think he can read thoughts.”
  “Why do you say that?” Mathias looked down at the map, tracing over the area with his own finger.
  “There is no way possible that he could know that we are stalking him at night, but he has bowery looking for us the moment he steps out into the city. Whenever one of us gets close enough to him, he’ll look right up at us, doesn’t even look around, just directly at us.”
  “That doesn’t mean he can read your thoughts.”
  Giorgos looked down at the map, “I know, milord, but call it a hunch.”
  “I won’t be risking my life on your hunches, Giorgos.” Mathias snapped.
  They had no idea about the stone or about the knowledge and abilities Mihail had stolen from the ancients. Only that Mihail was obviously a very powerful Bowery for unknown reasons. Therefore, he would not indulge them in any theories as to why the Bowery would be capable of such things. All he knew was he had to kill Mihail before he hid the stone, if he could read his thoughts then he would be able to discover the location of the stone, and keep using it on all vampires to further his ‘education.’
  It was more then stealing just thoughts it was stealing abilities and knowledge far too powerful for most to have. The Ancients were old, and with this age came the wisdom in using their powers that time had granted them with great care and skill. Mihail with these powers was nothing but a destructive force. He didn’t have the wisdom needed to control the powers he came to own.
  If Mihail had the power to read thoughts then what other powers did he have. He had obviously taken to the Pyrrhonian habit of playing with one’s food. Though Bowery did use a form of pleasure to pull their prey away, they never played with it after they got it alone. The Pyrrhonians on the other hand, enjoyed torturing, pleasing, and teasing their prey before they partook in their blood. It was what gave Pyrrhonians their playful stereotype.
  So, Mihail had not only taken on the powers, but the personality traits of other vampires. If that were true, then what traits did he have of Hallowed? It was a question that needed an answer, Mathias knew now that he was fighting more then just an intelligent Bowery. He was fighting a Bowery with the intelligence and personalities of all three of the great breeds of vampire. He would need an immense amount of information on Mihail’s habits, and routines before he could confront the beast.
  “What other traits is he exhibiting that are unlike a bowery?” Mathias asked, then immediately wished he had been more coy about it.
  The three of them looked around at each other, seeming to wait for the others to answer.
  “He seems a great deal smarter, and stronger then most Bowery. He fought a Hallowed one a couple months ago by himself.” Risto told him.
  “And what came of that?”
  They all looked rather upset, “It was Lord Wintor, he was killed in the battle.”
  “Wintor, the elder?”
  Risto gave a slight nod, “He was the one assigned here before you.”
  Wintor had just become an elder a little over a century ago, Mathias was baffled that Eva would send such an young elder to fight someone she knew could easily over power Mathias, let alone a new elder. Wintor had just begun learning his new powers and skills. He died because Eva underestimated her enemy, and Mathias prayed she hadn’t done so again by sending him.
  “We just don’t understand how a fresh Bowery could of killed a Hallowed Elder it doesn’t make any sense, milord.” Baris told him as he rewrapped his burnt arm.
  “No, it doesn’t. Which is why I am here, we have to destroy Mihail, I want tight records kept of everything he does while he is out. And I mean tight if he picks his nose, I want it to be in the report. Understand?”
  They all gave nods, and immediately went to complete their duties before sun down. It would soon be time for Mihail to awaken and feed.

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Book Cover is done by a great artist Luis Royo. He didn't do this work for me, and it's his copywritted material.

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