Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ 'Do You Want to Live Forever?' ❯ The Way of The Fang ( Chapter 14 )

Lilith: Known as the Queen of Demons. Lilith is fabled to be the first wife of Adam. Like Adam, she had been created from the dust of the earth. From their union issued the demons of Shdium, who rode about in the world as wicked spirits, persecuted and plagued men, and brought upon them illness, disease, and other sufferings. She was of a wild, heroic, passionate nature and as soon as she joined her 'new' husband, they began to quarrel. Each refused to be subservient and submissive to the other. Adam demanded Lilith give in as he was her Lord and Master, she refused saying became they were both made from the dust they were equal. When neither would relent, she spoke the Ineffable Name of the Creator (The Name of God) and soared up into the air the name having given her great power. Adam begged God to retrieve his disobedient wife, and three angels were sent at once. Senoi, Sansenoi, and Sammangelof were odered to bring Lilith home and if she disobeyed then 100 of her offspring were to die each day. The Angels found Lilith in the middle of the sea. She refused to return to her husband. They threatened to drown her in the sea. To this she said, "Know ye not that I have been created for the purpose of weakening and punishing little children, infants, and babes. I have power over them from the day they are born until they are eight days old if they are boys, and until the twentieth day if they are girls." After the speech the angels tried to drown her but she begged them to let her live and they finally relented. She swore to them in the name of the living God that whenever she came and saw the names of images or faces of these three angels, Senoi, Sansenoi, and Sammangelof, upon an amulet or cameo in the room where there was a child or infant, she would not touch it. But because she did not return to Adam, ever day a hundred of her own children die.

A/N: There are several small references throughout history claiming Lilith to be the 'Mother of Vampires'. During my research into the subject I found two. The general consensus was that she is the 'Howling One' who visits in the nice and feeds on the souls and life's blood of the innocent, meaning small children and babies. She is much like the character of 'Lucy' in Bram Stokers 'Dracula' in that she is wild, passionate, beautiful and often sings and croons to the children she steals. There was no direct reference to her being a vampire but there was no direct description as to just exactly how she drank the blood and souls of her little victims either. There are many gothic portraits painted of her as a voluptuous vampiress wearing the fabled 'Bloodstone' ruby as she emerges from her coffin. Beautiful portrait. This is how I see her, of course, and the reason I chose her to become the Mate of my Pythagoras. Again, this Lilith is purely my own creation and only very loosely based on any theory.

Chapter Thirteen

The Way of The Fang: Part One

The Gift of First Blood

Glossary:Houou=The Phoenix (The Mythical Bird of Resurrection),

Houou, The One God swept his hand across the shimmering halo of flaming hair that adorned the woman's head, and then gently laid his palm along the delicate line of her cheek. "I have made her from the hopes and desires of men and she is yours, My Son."

"Mine?" The great golden eyes stared in wonder at the amazing creature. "How can such a glorious being be mine, Father?"

"Because I have made her for you, Pythagoras. She is your Mate."

"My Mate?" The towering Archangel looked confused. "She is the one you spoke of before? The one who is to help me create offspring?"

"Hai, my son. She is the one."

Pythagoras blushed and the sound of tinkling laughter filled the sunshine laced air as the beautiful female turned toward the One God and giggled. "He is very handsome, Father." She said shyly, "but not very smart."

"Woman," Pythagoras growled as he warily eyed the green-eyed female from behind his wounded pride. "I am the mightiest of the Archangels, and you will..."

"Yes, yes, of course you." Lilith waved her hand through the air brushing his ego aside as easily as she would an annoying insect. "And I am your Mate. If I must help you guard an entire world and create an army of offspring like us, I will not be Lorded over as if I were nothing more than one of Father's minions beneath your boot. My position is just as imperative to the safety of The Mother's children as is yours. Don't think for even a moment you can tell me what to do."

"Father!"

"Now, now Pythagoras. Lilith is right. If the two of you are going to achieve this goal, you must do it together as partners. You will need her strength beside you not behind you cowering in the shadows. She, and her blood, will be a great deal of what make's you strong. You must accept this, my son. She is your mate, not your servant."

"Then she must give as well, Father. I cannot be the only one to accept the position of equality. She must accept also that we are the same and need each other in order to become what is meant of us. She cannot treat me like a fledgling boy to be toyed with."

"Yes, you are right also." Houou turned to the wide eyed woman next to him and placed a hand on her slender shoulder. "Lilith, my dear, you must listen to Pythagoras' words and heed their wisdom for he is right. If you wish for him to treat you as an equal in this matter, then you must treat him with the same amount of respect you want to be shown. You mustn't mock him, darling, it's unkind."

"I understand, Father, and I will try not to be difficult." But the mischievous twinkle in her emerald eyes told a far different story and The One God frowned slightly. "I don't want to be too complacent," she said with a toss of her glorious flaming mane. "He might get bored."

The One God chuckled despite himself and cast a wicked glance toward his gaping son. "She does have a point there, my son." He said as he turned to approach the stunned Archangel. "You wouldn't want her so docile and agreeable with you that nothing interesting ever happened, now would you."

"I-I don't understand what you mean, Father." Pythagoras stuttered as his gaze drifted from The One God over to the coyly smiling woman. "What could possibly happen?"

"Hmmmm," Houou scratched his chin thoughtfully as he watched the exchange of glances. It was obvious Pythagoras understood the mental and physical mechanics of what a Mate was for, but the emotional and psychological dynamics seemed to be beyond him. "I think, my son, that it is time the two of you bonded and then perhaps things will become more clear to you after that."

"Bonded?" The couple turned as one and voiced the question in complete bewilderment.

"Yes, bonded. How do you think this process is supposed to begin if not by the bonding of 'First Blood'? Or had either one of you even considered that?" By the looks on their faces he could see that neither had not. "I see," Heaving a deep sigh of frustration, Houou clasped his hands behind his back and walked back to Lilith. "Pythagoras, you must take Lilith by the throat and bite her."

"Bite her?!" The exclamation was horrified. "But I will kill her if I do that."

"No, no. Don't you remember what I told you about the Blood?" Houou spun around and locked gazes with the shocked Archangel. "You never drink to the point of death... never."

"But, I..." Pythagoras spread his hands in confusion. "I don't understand. You said to 'create' another I had to all but drain the individual and then let them drink my blood in order to be restored. Must I do this with her as well?"

"No, Lilith is already what you are; she is already of the Pure Blood and does not require 'creating'."

"Then why must I bite her?"

"To bond, my son. You must share your blood with each other and in that way become part of each other. The process will leave your souls forever linked and bound to one another in ways you cannot imagine. Only through this process will Lilith become your true Mate, and then she will belong to you and you alone. None other will ever be able to claim her."

"I-I think I understand, but will it not hurt her?" Golden orbs of liquid fire suddenly turned gentle with concern as the towering Archangel gazed tenderly down upon the fragile looking woman. "I do not wish to harm her, Father."

"It will hurt, yes, but there is no harm in it and she is not so delicate that you will break her, my son." Houou smiled. The worry and concern reflected on the Angels features were a good sign. "She is going to bear your children after all so she must be able to stand up under a great deal more pain that you simply biting her. Yes?"

"Yes." Slowly, placing one foot in front of the other, Pythagorus approached the wide-eyed Lilith and softly placed his hands on her shoulders. Her head reached the middle of his chest and he had to bend down to look into her beautiful face. "Do you accept me?" He asked her in a quiet, solemn voice, and then fell silent waiting for her to answer.

Lilith trembled beneath the foreign touch of those massive hands. He could crush her by simply flexing his fingers and a tingling of excited fear twisted through her as she considered the implications of mating with such a powerful being. The mere size of him was almost overwhelming and it took every measure of her courage to lift her eyes and meet his golden gaze, but as she did, Lilith caught her breath and stared. Twin pools of liquid amber looked down on her with such tender humility that it made her heart race inside her chest and a lump began forming in the back of her throat.

"You... you are beautful." She whispered as she lifted a hand and touched his face. "I can see your soul through your eyes, and you are beautiful." Raising up on tip-toe, Lilith dug her free hand into the fall of white hair hanging over his shoulder and pulled him down to meet her. The smooth flesh of their foreheads touched and then pressed firmly together as she slipped both hands around his neck holding him against her so she could rub her face upon his. "My beautiful, beautiful man."

"Do you accept me... Lilith?" He choked as his hands slid from her shoulders to cradle her upper torso.

"Yesssss," She breathed huskily as she massaged his sensitive nape with her fingers and nuzzled her nose along his cheeks and jaw. "I do... Pythagoras." And then, with a passionate gleam in her glorious eyes, Lilith let her head fall back and to the side exposing her throat to her Mate's heated gaze.

The Way of The Fang

Part II: Cel's Rage

The steel doors parted before him like they were made of limp noodles, the heavy metal wrinkling and folding as if crushed by a massive fist of unbelievable power. A billowing rush of cold air blew past him whipping his hair in a dancing swirl of red and gold ropes. The sound of more than a thousand cried of fear surged outward with it assailing his sensitive hearing like fingernails scratching the surface of a chalkboard, and Cel cringed mildly at the unexpected irritation.

'Your paltry fears are not going to save you from my anger, little people.' He growled deep inside of his fury filled mind. 'Too long have you lived in the darkness believing you are omnipotent and above the laws of the living. Too long have you considered your souls more pure, more valuable, and more supreme than those you were meant to protect. Have you forgotten your purpose in this world?!'

The fury of his wrath slammed through the jagged opening of what was once the impenetrable North Gate. The level of terror inhabiting the compound increased a thousand fold as the heat of his presence seared their conscious minds with visions of unspeakable carnage.

'This is what you will suffer if you continue along the pathway of indiscretion you have chosen. The Holy War will descend upon you and the Mother will abandon you to the merciless hands of The Made, and you will perish because you have no true Leader among you. You follow a man who holds only the lives of the Pure Bloods as sacred. To him no other life is worth saving... including my own.'

Cel stepped through the doorway and strode across the debris laden floor. The wild, flaming orbs of his liquid gold eyes quickly surveyed his surroundings and a wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Everywhere he looked there were huddled figures trying to hide in small masses, Slayers standing with weapons drawn in trembling hands, and dozens of other terrified souls running hither and yon searching for a sanctuary. It was pathetic.

"Where are you going to hide?!" He shouted as he threw his arms out, hands open and claw-tipped fingers spread. "Where can you go that you believe I will not find you, eh?!" The sound of his voice was like hollow thunder as it boomed through the complex and echoed of the steel reinforced walls and ceilings. "There is no where to run, little people of the night. No where to hide, no where to find freedom or solace from my judgement and wrath. I am bound to you by the right of the blood that flows through my veins, and I will see justice served upon you all for the sins committed against the innocent. You will be punished and then you will understand what it means to truly value Life. I swear it!"

"Who are you to stand it judgement upon us, Abomination?!" The disembodied voice rumbled through the complex as it shouted its challenge from the loud speakers located along the ceiling and support girders. "You are nothing! You are a weakling, a half-breed daywalker with no claim to this people or any other. So I say stand down and remove yourself from this compound. You are not welcome among us."

"Dear God, Papa," Kaoru turned and stared at her father in abject horror. "What are you doing?"

"Proving to you that this demon's spawn cannot be trusted, Kaoru."

"How is defying him and attempting to cast him out going to prove his is untrustworthy? All you are doing is bringing his wrath down upon your head."

"I know." Hiko looked intently at the figure on the monitor waiting to see what its response would be. "If he is the man you believe him to be, he will leave."

"No, he won't." Kaoru reached out and grabbed her father by the arm and yanked him around until he faced her. "He is an honorable man, Papa. He will not back down from what he believes is right."

"Do you believe his is right, Kaoru? Do you believe we have sinned against the humans all these centuries by not trying to put a stop to Uriel's kind and their spread? Do you?"

"I- I don't know, but I do know that The Made out number us by more than 10 to one, and if we were to go to war now, we would lose. They would wipe us out utterly and completely and there would be no defense between them and the humans at all. Is that what you want?" Her silver-blue eyes bore hard into the glittering emerald jewels and Kaoru thought she saw a flicker of indecision for a moment, but then it was gone.

"You don't know that for a certainty, daughter." Hiko could feel his resolve slipping a fraction and he scrambled frantically within himself to regroup. "I will not abandon this people to the whims of a being whose blood is impure."

"General, sir... if I may." Aoshi somehow found his voice and, although it was a tremendous struggle, he knew he had to do something to help diffuse this situation before it became anymore explosive. "You continue to spout the same rhetoric without any basis for it."

"Rhetoric, Major?" The fury in the larger man's voice was tangible but the slender, blue eyed Slayer did not flinch or waver beneath it.

"Yes, Sir. Rhetoric."

"You best explain yourself very quickly, Major, or I am liable to tear your head off and wait for explanations until later."

"Of course, I understand. I meant no disrespect, Sir, only that you seem to be so set against this man you are unwilling to see him for what he is despite the facts and the prophecy which have been shown to you time and time again. It is not logical for you to behave this way and it is clearly out of character for you. I have known you my entire life, General Seijuro, and I have never known you to behave in such an irrational manner before."

"I do not believe I am behaving irrationally, Major."

"But you are, Sir." Aoshi turned to face the monitor and pointed to the figure that stood calmly waiting, his hands once more clasped behind his back. "You, yourself, were punished by his shield aura around your daughter when you threatened her. You have felt the magnitude of his power. We all saw him destroy the North Gate with nothing but the touch of his hand, and he is the blood decedent of King Maxmillion... the only one."

"That means nothing..."

"It means everything, my stubborn vampire general." The voice of Cel suddenly appeared inside of Hiko's mind and the large man stumbled backward as the shock of hearing it turned his knees to water. "Why are you so set against me, Leader? Why does the weave of my blood cause you such pain?"

"You are unclean!" Hiko cried as his hands rose to grab the sides of his head. "You are not one of us... you are a halfling!"

"Am I?" The voice grew soft and almost soothing for a moment and then Hiko screamed as it tore a pathway of fire through his skull. "For One will come whose blood will be thick with the Power of the Old Ways. His fangs will be long as shining swords and he shall wreck death and mayhem among the unclean that infest our world, and he will bring The Blood of Justice to the Pure of Heart. He will bring the Holy War and with it Vengeance for the blasphemies and treasonous murders. Look for The One where the Dark World and the World of The Living cross over into the light of the darkness. Look for him far to the future in a time where mortal men fly like ravens' and paintings speak with the voices of the living."

The wall around the control room exploded and the four vampires inside were suddenly exposed to the rest of the compound. Aoshi and Kaoru were kneeling beside the writhing body of their General while the operations officer sat cowering in the corner. None knew what had happened to the big man to cause such a sound of pain and terror, but they all knew only too well what had ruptured the structure. Cel stood almost majestically on the other side looking down at them with pity filled eyes.

"Simpatie?" Kaoru's voice was tremulous as she met the powerful golden eyes. "Why...."

"Move away from him, Lubit." Again the deep almost hollow voice spoke and both Kaoru and Aoshi moved, their faces clouded with concern.

"My Lord," The humble tones of Aoshi's deep tenor captured Cel's attention and the golden haired vampire turned to look at the dark-haired man. "Do not be harsh with this man, I beg of you. He has been a fair minded and courageous leader these 600 years while we have waited for you. He just does not understand..."

"He understands, Aoshi Shinomori." Cel spoke in an honorable voice as he placed a clawed hand on the stunned vampires shoulder. "But he refuses to accept that which is set before him because it is not of the design he believed it would be. Do not fear for his life, my friend, he is far too useful to me for me to do anything so foolish as to kill him."

"I-thank-you, My Lord." Aoshi bowed in respectful deference still shocked that the being before him had spoken his full name without ever having heard it before. 'He must be able to hear every thought we have, or at the very least glean the information from us that he desires as he needs it. Astonishing.'

Cel knelt down beside the writhing body of Hiko Seijruo and laid a hand upon the white-haired vampires chest. Immediately the writhing stopped.

'Know you those words I spake to you, Gallion, Master of The Horse?'

'Desigur, I know them.'

'You were there that day, weren't you? The day Nadia Corban stood dying among the dead on the battlefield and The One God used her as his tool of prophecy? You heard her speak the words that foretold the coming of 'The One'?'

'Desigur, I was there. I heard her voice speak them with my own ears.'

'Understand you the words of the Prophecy, Master of The Horse?'

'I-'

'Understand you?!'

'I believed I did.'

'What does it mean then to 'Look for The One where the Dark World and the World of The Living cross over into the light of the darkness.'?'

'I- I do not know. I-'

'If a man of the Pure Blood were to stand within the light of the morning sun, what would happen to him?'

'He would wither into ashes.'

'Desigur, as would any man of The Made. There is not one vampire among the two existing species that may cross over into the world of the light or stand within the cross-section of the dawn or the dusk without dying. Is this not true?'

'Desigur. It is true. No one of us may stand in the new or failing light without death.'

'Then how may you look for The One where the world of the light crosses over into the world of the darkness unless he is able to stand inside of both? Answer me this, and if you can, I will leave and trouble you and yours no more. But, if you cannot answer, then as the man of honor your heart and soul show you to be, you must withdraw and accept what is before you as the truth.'

'I-'

'Is this not a fair agreement, Master of The Horse?'

'Desigur, it is fair.'

'Very well then, explain to me how The One can appear within the world of flying machines, and talking pictures and not be a man of the future?'

'I- I cannot. He would have to be a man of this time if he is to follow accordingly with the prophecy. This is the only place we could find him. In this future where all of those things are possible."

'Agreed. And if The One's blood is to be thick with the power of the old ways and he is to bring the Blood of Justice to the Pure of Heart as he leads his people into the Holy War against those who have blasphemed against the innocent, then he must be of the old blood. The blood of the Corban's. Desigur?'

'D-desigur. I cannot dispute that. The Corban's are the oldest clan among us. They are the direct descendants of the God of Darkness himself, Pythagoras, and his bride, Lilith. They have the purest blood. The One would almost have to be one of their progeny. It is the most logical answer.'

'Agreed. If a man is born to lead does he follow his destiny or does he turn away and hide his head because he cannot face what he is? Does he stand up and embrace the gifts that have been harbored for him, or does he shirk his position and ignore the call of fate? How does he accept that there is not one other being in the universe who is the same as he? How does he accept that despite being the sum of two separate peoples he is an outcast to both because he is neither? How does this man lead if those he is sent to lead refuse to believe he is the one they have been looking for?'

'I-I do not understand. What...'

'Only a child born of the light and the dark combined can stand in the cross-section and survive. Only a child contrived of both species can hope to achieve the strength and flexibility required to cross over between the two worlds and live as one or the other. And only this child has the ability to understand both the future and the past, and only he can bring the peoples together to form the army necessary to rid the world of the pestilence YOUR kind created in the first place. Is there one among you now who can do any of those things, Master of the Horse? Can YOU do any of those things, Hiko Seijuro, General of The Pure Blood Armed Forces? Can you lead your people into the Holy War and survive against an army of two-hundred million?'

'Two-hundred million?' Hiko shuddered as Cel fed his stunned mind a horrifying vision of the millions upon millions of Made that infested the Earth, and he rolled onto his side vomiting on the floor. 'By the Mother, I did not know there were so many.'

'And more every day.'

'Inconceivable. We are like mice hiding in a field beneath the Eagles eyes.'

'Perhaps, but it does not have to be so.'

'How do we fight so many?'

'Together, my friend. We fight them together.'

'Tell me how,' Pain filled green eyes opened and gazed in humbled acquiescence at the incredible being leaning over them. 'Forgive me...'

A gentle smile curved the be-fanged mouth and the raging inferno within the golden eyes dimmed as Cel slipped his hand beneath Hiko's neck. "There is nothing to forgive, my friend." He whispered quietly as he lifted the large man up towards his chest. "There is only trust and faith now for us to share and I will be the first."

"What?"

"Drink, Master Gallion." Cel brushed the flaming silken tresses off his own throat and bared it to the astonished vampire. "Drink from me and know what I know."

"But, I can't. I- you're not..."

"Desigur, you can." One of the needle sharp talons punctured the flesh over his jugular and the blood welled outward, pouring down his throat. "Drink and learn. It is the only way."

The scent of Cel's blood was unlike anything Hiko had ever known. It was sweet, seductive, and smelt of an ancient flavor than no one had tasted in centuries. It was intoxicating and his senses swam in a dizzying spiral as the thirst rose to consume his rational mind and the fangs inside his mouth grew in response to the natural need.

"The blood," He chocked as his tongue flickered across the wound and lapped up a fraction of the hot, smoldering liquid. "It's alive..." The 'zing' of electricity that flashed through his system jolted Hiko into a world where nothing existed except a fog of red haze and the scent of Cel's blood. A groan of hunger that came from the deepest reaches of his soul climbed free of his throat as his hand fisted itself deep into the fiery golden locks that brushed against his cheek, and then he was pulling the exposed wound down to his open mouth and sinking his fangs into the pliant tissues as deeply as his gums would allow. The blood surged over his tongue and down his throat like a hot river of pure molten sensation and with it came something he didn't expect. With it came the knowledge.

'Know what I know, see what I see... and believe.'

Around the two huddled bodies were gathered the members of the Clan. Men, women, children, and every slayer that had stood a post. Murmurs of confusion and worry filtered through the mass of vampires as they watched the scene unfolding before them. None had been privy to the mental conversation between Cel and their Leader, and none understood the significance of what was happening now. None but Kaoru.

"What is happening, Slayer?" Aoshi's face was a mask of confusion as he laid a hand on her arm. "What is he doing?"

"Offering his knowledge, Major." She replied in a humble and respectful tone as she turned liquid silver eyes to face her bewildered friend. "He is sharing his knowledge about the past, the future, The Made, and himself... everything. It is the only way to be sure the General truly understands what must be, and why."

"You... you did this, didn't you?"

"Desigur, I did. But with us, as Mates, it was different. A different kind of knowledge, but the premise is the same. We shared pieces of our souls as well as knowledge. I do not believe this joining will go quite that deep." Aoshi nodded his understanding though his face remained one of concern.

Inside of Hiko's mind the universe was splintering into a kaleidoscope of fragmented pieces, and as the blood filled the empty core of his soul, he saw for the first time the future that held the promise of The Holy War. He saw the legions of The Made's Army stretching so far into the horizon that their end could not be discerned, and he saw his own forces marching bravely out to face them. Their own vast numbers shrinking into insignificance by the sheer magnitude of The Made. And then he was whiplashed back into another reality where the world was bathed in a sea of blood and Gustov Uriel sat upon a throne made of human skulls.

Death, disease, famine and near genocide ruled the once beautiful green planet, and the only emotions left to feel were misery and despair. Humans were caged and corralled like animals. Fed and grown solely for the purpose of feeding their ravenous masters and providing progeny when and if the time called for it. They were disgusting and putrid creatures with less than half the intelligence of the cows they were replacing, and the world was a ruin of itself.

And then before him appeared the face of a man that could only be called glorious. His eyes were the color of gold the same as Cel's, but his hair was the purest of white Hiko could ever remember seeing. Behind him two great wings of blackest-red beat the air until it thundered with the tremendous force. He was magnificent, and as he opened his mouth to speak, the twin daggers of his fangs winked like the shimmering blades of the sharpest swords.

'You must learn The Way of The Fang, my son, and with it learn the reason for the downfall of our people for you wallow in the evil of Lucifer's own sin and what is wrong must be set aright.'

'Whoo...'

'You know who I am, Gallion, son of Stevros. I am the All Father and I have come to teach you the ways that have been lost.'

'Pythagorasss... Holy Mother!'

'The Way of The Fang was passed to me by The One God, Houou, My Father, and it was passed from me to my children, but during the age of the Crusades a deviation occurred in the process of The Way and blaspheme entered our world tainting our bloodlines forever.'

'The Made.'

'Desigur, my son. One named Milos, my very own son, was the first to commit the sin of drinking to the point of death and then offering his blood as means to set right the wrong he had done. Thus began our decent into Hell."

'I do not understand. What does it mean, 'the sin of drinking to the point of death?' I have never heard this before, Great One.'

'It is the Law of The Pure Bloods given to me by The One God the day he made me God and Guardian of the Dark World.'

'Guardian? What is this? There is no reference to this in the Holy Archives.'

'Desigur. I and my kind are sworn to guard the Gates of Hell and protect the Mother and her children. That is our purpose, why we exist, why we live in the darkness so we can defend against the creatures that lurk there. But Milos' sin tainted our oath and opened the gates of Hell leaving the Mother and her humans vulnerable to all manner of evil, and only one who can cross the barrier of Hell into the Mother's world of the living can cleanse the way and restore our honor and our oath again.'

'Cel? You speak of 'Cel'.'

'Desigur, The One is among you and with him comes all the power of my heart and soul. He is the Savior who will cleanse the stain from our spirits, but only if The Way of The Fang is restored. Do you understand, Gallion, son of Stevros?'

'I am trying, Great One, but how did we descend into Hell? I do not feel as though I have been existing in Hell. Please explain this to me that I might explain to others.'

'As it was told to me I will speak it to you. Listen and learn well, my son, for I will not be with you again.'

'I understand, Great One. I will remember.'

'The One God spoke to me and said, 'You must never allow, under any cause or reason, the spilling of innocent blood. All life is sacred and the living blood that flows through a body's veins carries the energy of the innocent soul. If it is taken unto the point of death for no other reason than food or sport, the being who has tasted of it will become tainted with the evil of Lucifer's own sin.'

'Blaspheme! We have all killed humans at one time or another in our lives, but we did not know it was a sin. What is this 'Lucifer's sin' you speak of, Great One?'

'When I asked that question of The One God this is what he spake to me, 'Envy, jealousy, greed... lasciviousness. One sin rides upon the back of the other until the purity of a soul becomes black and heavy with the burden. Murder and betrayal are the greatest sins in the universe, my son. Do not allow your people to fall prey to the pathway that leads to them. For upon the day that you or any of yours forget the value of a soul, Hell will rise up and consume your progeny completely.'

'Holy Mother...'

'You will be consumed with arrogance, self-pride, and omnipotence and the world around you will become nothing more than a means to take from and survive. This and these are the sins that Lucifer, my own brother, has bequeathed to my progeny because of the broken Oath.'

'We are all guilty in the eyes of The One God. The sanctity of a human has never been something that was even discussed during our teaching lessons with our young. We have taught that we do not need the blood to live and we would rather find another way to sustain our existence, but we have never spoke against the killing of humans. My daughter's Mate is right. A great wrong has been committed against these people and we must set it aright, Great One. The rift must be mended.'

'Learn The Way of The Fang, Gallion, son of Stevros. Learn and know what I know.'

'Teach me, Great One. What is The Way of The Fang?'

'Any living being may become a pure blood, my foolish minded son, it takes only the sharing of the blood to illicit the change.'

'But...'

'LISTEN! A true vampire has the essence within them, within their bite to change a human creature's blood. That is The Way. Never drink to the point of death, for if the entire spirit must be altered then an abomination will be born. A dead body with a half spirit requiring the blood of the living to continue its own existence. WE do not require blood to exist. We crave it because of our nature, but we do not need it.'

'You mean, we are all born of... of humans?'

'Desigur. You are born of humans turned Pure Blood by the bite alone. Do you not see that it would have been impossible for my bride and I to populate an entire species of soldiers to guard the Mother alone? We had to have an alternate way to assist us.'

'But, but humans?'

'All life is sacred, Gallion, son of Stevros. All life especially that which is the most innocent. Those who are weak and unable to defend themselves are the purest and the most innocent... our children. The Mother's children. We are the Guardian's of The Mother's children. Do you understand now?'

'God help me, I do.'

'Is there shame in who you are, my son, or where your blood comes from?'

'I- where does my blood come from, Great One?'

'A human named Atilla the Hun. A great Hun from the long forgotten eastern world. You are the progeny of one of his unnamed sons but whose mother called him... Stevros.'

'My own father?!'

'Desigur. Your father.'

'I never knew. I - I never knew.'

'Is there shame in your blood, son of Stevros?'

'Nu. There is no shame in my blood.'

'Do you find shame in my progenies blood, son of Stevros? Do you look at my son, Cel, and see shame?'

'Oh God... What have I done?'

'Nothing, Gallion, my beloved. You have done nothing, but now you must go back and take your place... at his side.'

'Desigur, Great One. He is meant to be First Leader, not I. He is The Mighty Fang. He is The One. I have been wrong, may God and the Mother forgive me.'

'There is nothing to forgive, Hiko Seiguro. Just learn and remember, my son. Remember what we know and hold all life sacred as it was meant to be. The time of The Blood Born is upon you and The Fang of Pythagoras walks among you. Serve him well.'

'I will, Great One. I swear it on the blood of my father. I will.'

TBC

A/N: Atilla the Hun's descendants invaded Romania in the ninth century and the Tartars invaded in the thriteenth. There is no clear Monarchy named until the year 1415 when a European Royal family came to rule at Brandenburg, Prussia. Fredrick I is the first documented ruler of this highly fragmented country after the middle ages. From the 7th century to the 13th there is no clear establishment of hierarchy. Although it appears that the country underwent a series of rather devastating invasions including raids from the Vikings, the Arabs, and the Turks. No wonder these poor people are so repressed these days. What a violent and despairing history.

Review Response:

MediaMiner

Elisa ang: Thank you, my friend, for the compliment on what you call talent and I call hard work. I hope you are still out there reading and enjoying this story. God Bless.

Nguardian: Once more you follow me across the webb, dear friend. And once more you speak words that bring warmth and encouragement to this old lady's heart. Thank you for all you are and all you do for me. You are a treasure.

Sarcastic Sympathy: Thank you for the encouragement and kind words. I have posted this on Fanfiction and the response has been fair. It is such a detailed and in depth type story to read that is just doesn't appeal to that large of a crowd. I'm fairly satisfied with the response I have gotten. The reviews are positive and solid. Thank you for your support.

Shatteredjade: You made me blush and I had to set at the computer for at least a full 3 minutes before I could think of anything to say back to your review. Thank you for what you said about my work. As for the happenings with the Archangels, everything about them is my own creation except their names and their gifts. Those I gleaned from one of my favorite books: Spirit Guides and Angel Guardians by Richard Webster. The story of Lucifer's fall is only very loosely based on the Biblical discussion of the Fall of Heaven when the Devil was cast out with his host. As for him being an Archangel, that is my own imagination as are the gifts I gave him. Pythagoras, too, is purely of my own creation, but the other 7 Archangels are real and do inhabit a brotherhood called 'The Presence'.

Dana: Hey, I'm flattered you like my Vamp story! And I'm soooo happy you liked it enough to stop and tell me so since you don't usually like fanfiction vampire stories. That is sooo kewl! I hope you're still out there reading it. God Bless.

Thank you to all of the other readers who stop by and enjoy what I have written here. Maybe a few of you will stop long enough to drop me a couple of words and let me know what you think. God Bless, Minna-san.

Adult Fanfiction

Tease Me: So sorry it took me so long. Writers block from hell, you know. I hope you're still out there waiting and reading.

Girl from Ipanema: There's my girl. You know, I don't know if I ever said thank-you for all your help in promoting me on 'Guilty Pleasure's'... but, thank you. And thanks for the grammar advice. I'll try to keep it mind, but I'm such a ditz, heaven knows I'll probably forget. :)

Lere: I hope this answered all your questions, dearest. Cel was having a bit of a breakdown trying to deal with the fact that he murdered an innocent man, even if it was in defense of his Mate. Moral issues are always the hardest to come to terms with. Love you, sweet friend.

Kao-girl: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm glad you think my Kenshin/Cel is cool. And how long is this story going to be?? VERY LONG...

Cattidono: Catti-love, you sweet woman. Have I told you lately how wonderful you are and how much I love you? You and Lere are my anchors in this world. Sorry, no update for the Black Hawke yet, but I did update the Bad Kid and this story. That has to count for something. :)

De Lazy Lime: Aloha! Are you from Hawaii you cute thing?? I have some very, very special Hawaiian friends who live in Utah, and Hawaii is one of my fav places. Went there once about 20 years ago. It probably looks a lot different now. LOL It is so good to see and HEAR from you, love. God Bless and hope you liked the chappy.

Nguardian: My sweet, sweet friend. I see you everywhere I go. You are like a ray of sunshine to me... did you know that? I feed on the things you say to me, and you always have something to say that helps me get through. God Bless and much love.

Kaoru-chan: My sweet tweety girl. You are one of my little lights also. You bring me so much joy when I need it the most. God Bless sweet friend. Hope you liked the story.

And for all of those readers and fans who come back to partake of my humble offerings without leaving a review, I still extend my deepest appreciations and heartfelt thanks to you. You guys are what keeps me writing. Arigato.