The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Foreword





It has been written in many ways, from many different people. Poems and stories of gratitude for that special person that you can only feel as friend, though, if times were different or circumstance changed, it might have been a better version of that possible relationship, maybe one that was gifted by the heavens. But, sometimes, life isn’t that kind and one goes on with a love or passion for a friend, and can only wish or dream and sometimes become a better person through that desire.

The following is just a drop of an example of how the power of friendship can help make a person whole.







“To A Friend”

By Grace Stricker Dawson (1935)



You entered my life in a casual way,

And saw at a glance what I needed;

There were others who passed me or met me each day,

But never a one of them heeded.

Perhaps you were thinking of other folks more,

Or chance simply seemed to decree it;

I know there were many such chances before,

But the others – well, they didn’t see it.



You said just the thing that I wished you would say,

And you made me believe that you meant it;

I held up my head in the old gallant way,

And resolved you should never repent it.

There are times when encouragement means such a lot,

And a word is enough to convey it;

There were others who could have, as easy as not-

But, just the same, they didn’t say it.



There may have been someone who could have done more

To help me along, though I doubt it;

What I needed was cheering, and always before

They had let me plod onward without it.

You helped to refashion the dream of my heart,

And made me turn eagerly to it;

There were others who might have (I question that part) –

But, after all, they didn’t do it!





Dedication





This story is dedicated to a person who literally saved my life. She gave me hope and believed in me when I didn’t have any faith within my self. I thank god for her existence and that she touched my life, brief as it may be. Her beauty, both inside and out, enchanted me. This story is merely a small token of my gratitude for her kindness and for awakening the want and the desire to succeed. Only those who know me know who I am speaking of. Her name is everywhere in this book, “and I won’t tell your name.”



Thank you and God bless you…

May we meet again in the next life.

Always,

Ruben F.







‘Her’

Her name is like a knife,

just to hear it or speak it,

cuts me deep within my heart.

When I look into her eyes,

it hurts my soul, it brings tears to my eyes,

and I know why God cried when he made her.

Her smile can melt the sun,

Her hair can hold the stars.

Her laughter is like a melody,

She is beauty - defined.



Ruben F.



































The Knight

By Ruben Feliciano





Chapter I



“The Beginning of the End”





The rave club was pack tonight as it was every Friday night in this big city that resembles any big city in the world. The music was loud as usual. The crowd on the dance floor in the center of the place was typical and massive, dancing with the beat of the music. At the far side of the club was a long bar. There at his usual spot was Theodor Knight. Dressed in his usual attire that goes with the theme of the club, black button long sleeve shirt, black dress pants and a long black trench coat, his hair was thick, dark brown, short and neatly styled, parted to the right, his eyes a bright copper brown, almost golden. He was enjoying the music, sipping his drink, smoking his cigarette and watching the dancing crowd through the reflection of a large mirror behind the bar.

Just as the dj started to play “Dark Angel” by VNV Nation, he noticed through the mirror, that some of the crowd threw their attention towards the entrance. He glanced at the door through the reflection and couldn’t see what the attention was, so he went back to his drink. A few seconds followed and he heard the music and the crowd behind him getting lower, almost to a whisper. Looking up at the mirror, he saw the crowd looking in his direction and behind him was a dark shadow, he turned to see why and there, just three feet in front of him stood a vision of beauty he hasn’t seen in this lifetime.

Her hair was the second thing he noticed, it was jet black and long, almost endless. She wore a long black leather cloak that seemed to flow behind her. Underneath she had on a black outfit made of some form of leather that was very gothic and sexy revealing a cleavage that went almost down to her navel. But mostly he was stunned by the first thing he saw, her eyes. They were haunting, one blue, and one green. He was lost in the contrast of those eyes.

She had an alluring smile that showed perfect bright upper teeth. Her cheek bones were high and rotund giving her face a perfect famine shape down to her chin that had a curiously shaped clef in the center. When she blinked he noticed her eye lids were painted black that narrowed to a long straight line towards each temple that curled up when she smiled, they looked like they were smiling too.

Her eyebrows were very thin and they too narrowed at the ends and also looked like they were smiling. Her nose was small and perfect making her mouth look bigger. He thought to himself that she looked like the title of the song that was still faintly playing as the crowd was still watching quietly.

She pulled out a long cigarette and asked “got a light?” her voice was soft and had a gentle tone that was pleasant to his ears. Right at once three lighters appeared out of nowhere. She let out a smile having been used to this and ignored them and held the cigarette towards Theodor. He fumbled for a while for his lighter, then flicked it on and held it up. She put the cigarette between her perfect thick, red lips and with both hands gently took his hand and drew it to her cigarette.

He glanced away from her eyes when she looked to the flame and he looked at her fingers. They were slender and well manicured, the nails were clear almost to the tip were they were painted pure white. He looked up at her and noticed her eyes were watching him. Embarrassed, he drew back his light slowly as she pulled back and with those fingers she gently took the cigarette from her lips and blew out a long bellow of smoke which seemed to mysteriously hover in from of them. With a single wave of her hand, the smoke almost with thought blew up and away. Taking the seat directly to the right of him she asked, “So, what’s your name?”

Braking from his trance, he finally spoke and said, “Theo”, as he liked to be called. Just as she started to speak again the music blared and the crowd went back to their dance, as if nothing happened. She had to lean in a bit for him to hear her, as he did the same he was inches from her hair which smelled like a garden, it intoxicated him, as he felt himself drawing in a deep breath, she said “my name is…”, just then the song hit a loud chorus and in his moment lost in her hair he didn’t hear her name but somehow he knew it, she continued to speak “but you can call me Beloved.”

Theo snapped out of his daze and looked at her eyes again, that wasn’t the name in his head but somehow he knew that too. With a smile on her face and the cigarette in her left hand held up high, he reached out his right hand to shake hers and said speaking over the loud music, “I am very glad to meet you.” She shook his hand for quite awhile and then held it a bit longer, “same here” she replied with those haunting eyes and a soothing smile from those thick red lips also speaking over the music.

“I come here a lot; I’ve never seen you here before.” He said, trying to start a conversation. “I’ve been traveling for a long time, looking for someone.” She said taking a drag from her cigarette, this time she turned her head towards the dancing people when she blew out the smoke, again the smoke lingered, she wiggled a finger at it and again as if with thought it blew up and away. Theo, for a moment, found it odd but his thought went back to her eyes, “who are you looking for?” he asked leaning in a bit not wanting to yell. Keeping her eyes on his, she leaned forward again so he can hear; as he leaned in some more he felt a strong sensation of daja vu. She leaned in to where her lips were within inches of his left ear. He closed his eyes as her cheek was almost touching his. Her scent was both familiar and breathtaking. His heart started to beat very fast, and the sounds of the club almost went silent, as she softly said “you.”

Theo opened is eyes and turned his head slightly to look at her. She did the same. Now they were face to face within inches. When their eyes locked, he could feel her piercing into him, touching him deep inside, it felt so very familiar. They stared at each other for a moment as he struggled to get the word out, “why?” She smiled that heavenly smile at him. The sounds of the club were off to him now, all he could hear was her voice “Why don’t we go somewhere we can talk?” it sounded more of a suggestion than a question. Unconsciously, Theo nodded his head. Still within inches of each other, he asked “Where?” For a moment he thought she was going to kiss him or maybe it was something in him that wanted her to. She said with a solemn tone, “your place.”

Theodor Knight felt like he was under a very strange but well known trace, he has felt this before, but when? Just then she raised her right eyebrow, which was slightly curled at the end, like a tiny smile, and she drew back from his face. She took another drag and this time blew the smoke almost at him. The smoke, again like with thought, lingered just in front of them. She winked at him thought the smoke; he felt his heart beating like never in this lifetime. Her beauty was overwhelming, but why, for the love of God did he feel such a sense of recognition? As they looked at each other through the smoke, he felt his mind drift. An image entered his thoughts. It was another place, another time, but she was there too.

Seeing that his eyes were closed as he was lost in his thoughts, she blew what looked like a kiss towards him, just then the smoke that was still hovering in front of him, blew not up and away, but slowly around his face coming together behind his head, then up and away.

He opened his eyes and saw that she was looking at him with a large smile that almost brought tears to his eyes. She gestured with her hand with the cigarette, pointing the cigarette towards his drink at the bar. He turned and as if he heard her say ‘finish up, let’s go.’ He took his drink and shot it down. As the drink started to take affect, he was coming out of the spell.

The music blared suddenly in his ears. He held a finger up at the bartender for him to cash out his tab. Catching his reflection in the mirror, he noticed the dark shadow again this time to his right where she was. Turning to his right he saw her standing there, she was watching the crowd and moving to the beat of the music. Bewildered, he watched her for a bit, as he was about to turn back to the mirror, she turned her head and gave him a big toothy smile as she kept on moving to the beat of the music. Once again her beauty captivated him, as his mind forgot what he was wondering.

As he gathered up his cigarettes and paid the bill, he turned to her again. She looked at him with a closed smile and with her left hand took his right hand to guide him. She started to walk towards the packed crowd on the dance floor. Remarkably, the crowd parted as they danced with out missing a beat around them. They walked straight to the entrance without a single stop or even a bump. Theo, while behind her saw that her hair, black as the night and her long black cloak, seemed almost as one. When they reached the entrance doors, he turned back to see the crowd wasn’t even fazed or even knew that they walked straight through.

Once outside, when the doors closed behind them, the sounds of the club were muffled. The cold September night air gave him a sense of reality. “Which way?” she asked, as she still held his hand, which gave him a deep feeling of comfort. He turned down the right side of the building and started to walk down the street with her on the inside. He looked up silently to see a very oddly large and very strangely bright full moon almost guiding their way. Theo started to wonder all sorts of things, “Who is this beauty? Why was she looking for me?” a bit of alarm entered his thoughts. She squeezed his hand gently, he turned to look at her and saw that smile again.

The light from the moon shined on her face, his heart filled with something so strong, he couldn’t help but stare in awe at her radiant beauty, like looking at a work of art for the first time. His fears went quickly away. He felt again, that this was way too familiar. They walked quietly down the street hand in hand, towards his place. For what, he wondered briefly.

“You’ll find out.” She whispered. Theo turned his head and stared at her again for a moment, her eyes where looking straight ahead. She squeezed his hand a bit more and again he felt a sense of euphoria. He watched her for a bit as they continued down the street. He noticed something very peculiar.

As they passed some store windows, all he could see was his reflection and that dark shadow along side of him, as he opened his mouth to say something about it, she turned and stopped, looked straight into his eyes and asked, “How much further?” His thought was broken and lost in those piercing eyes as he pointed down the street and said, “Not much, just around the corner.”

When they rounded the corner, his thoughts went to another interest. A few yards from the entrance of his loft apartment building he stopped to present to this beauty another beauty, his car. “This is my baby, I call her ‘Onyx’. Theo said with so much pride of his new model Cruiser.

“Nice color” the onyx haired beauty replied. He stood a while, admiring his alter ego. The car was completely black, no chrome at all. He liked to appear in ‘stealth mode’ as he would say. The windows were tinted very dark. All one could see is their own reflection as Theo saw now but once again noticed only a shadow by his side.

He turned to look at her and when he saw those eyes again, he lost his train of thought. “Is this your place?” she asked pointing to the building behind them. Theo looked up at the building a bit dazed and said, “Huh? Oh, yes.” He gestured for her toward the main entrance. Taking his hand once again they started into the building.



Chapter II



“The dream before the nightmare”





The lobby of the building was small and empty, with all the mailboxes lined up on the wall. Only 2 elevators and a staircase door were seen. Theo walked her to one of the elevators, he pushed the button and almost instantly the door slid open. “Hmmm…” a bit confused, “I’ve lived here a while and that’s never happened.” The ‘dark angel started towards the open elevator and said without looking at him, “First time for everything.” He followed behind and muttered, “I guess so.”

Once inside, he turned to push the button for the 11th floor. The three sides of the elevator were solid brown panel with a wooden handrail. The door was not, she noticed with her back against the opposite wall. Her eyebrows both went up in wonder to see that the sliding door was brass and polished to a mirrored shine. “What to do?” she thought to herself. Just as Theo stepped back from the row of buttons he turned to her as she turned to the right and stared completely into his eyes. He stopped directly in from of her. As her right hand slowly came up, the elevator door slid shut.

Theo hadn’t noticed that the door closed or that the elevator started upward, all he felt was her soft tender hand and those fingers on his left cheek and her beautiful mixed colored eyes were deep into his. The elevator crept up too slowly for her, she knew she couldn’t hold him for too long, she finally inched her face towards his. Theo’s eyes filled with tears almost instantly as her lips came within an inch of his.

Her lips, naturally deep red and thick, were slightly parsed. He could feel her breath on his lips. He closed his eyes and breathed in her breath. His mind went almost wild with thousands of images of that different place and different time with her, just as he had imagined early that night. As he was about to close in on that last inch, the elevator made a loud ‘bing’ and door slid open.

She released her touch and started out, not wanting to give the door a chance to close again. Theo was still reeling from his little mental voyage, he felt a bit disoriented. When he opened his eyes, she was standing outside the elevator smiling at him. Bending his head and turning it slowly to look out the door, he gave her an embarrassing glance, “Hmmm… Sorry, I was lost in the moment.” He said with a blush on his face.

The beautiful black haired angel just looked at him with a large accomplished grin and said, “It’s quite alright, shall we move on?” she gestured with both her hands for him to exit the elevator. Just then the door started to slide shut again, and he jumped out before it could finish. She gave a sort of giggle that truly melted his heart. ‘Where have I heard that giggle before?’ he thought very hard to himself. Glancing at her slightly embarrassed and a bit reminiscent, he saw that she put her left hand over her mouth nails up, to stop her giggle.

Theo started down the hall towards his apartment. She, with a little smirk on her lips, eyes and eyebrows, walked quietly behind him. Pulling out his keys to open the door to apartment 109, he turned to let her in first. He saw she was staring at the apartment number a bit, and then she walked in. He followed right behind, and closed the door. He flipped a light switch by the hall entrance and it lit up a large room, typical for the big city type apartment.

It was a corner apartment that overlooked half the city. The curtain was drawn opened at the far right corner windows, and the view was elegant, with the night-lights, some blinking, some steady, and many different colors. The place was lightly furnished but only by the right corner windows with one long black leather couch, a matching love seat, a glass coffee table and two bookshelves with a few various books mostly of sci-fi and such. Between the bookshelves to the right of the corner was a huge fireplace that was not lit.

Theo noticed that the long black hair beauty was standing in front of the unlit fireplace, looking deep into the pit seeming a bit remorse about something. To the right of the fireplace was a short narrow hall that led to his bedroom and to the bathroom, to the right again was the kitchen where Theo was already making himself a drink.

“Would you like a drink?” Theo asked, playing host as he likes to do on occasion. Turning her head just slightly to her right, she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He saw they were extremely bright colored and very haunting, the fears and familiarity filled his heart. “Not yet.” She spoke with almost a tone that was not her.

As he poured himself a very stiff captain and coke, no ice, he watched as she stood in front of the marble fireplace looking as if there was a fire. For the first time tonight he saw she had no smile, but she seemed instead sorrowful. This time she was the one in thought and lost in another time, another place. Theo watched a bit as he sipped his drink. He couldn’t help but to see her beauty and feel a want to hold her and help her with whatever bad she was feeling.

“You can’t … now.” She said, her tone was still not what he was used to. Theo stared in wonder as her eyes, still only looking at him by the corners, where he noticed that the lines were straight as daggers pointing at him. Fighting the urge to ask how she does that, he removed his long black trench coat and walked it over to the long couch where he likes to keep it draped neatly on the arm. “Can I take your coat?” he tried again to be the host.

With her head still slightly turned to the right, her body still facing the unlit fireplace, she raised her arms slowly from her sides, then tilted her head back a bit as her long black leather cloak began to slide off her shoulders. Theo jumped as he saw the cloak was about to drop to the floor. Catching it by the shoulders, he held it there a bit and slowly helped it slide down her arms, which were still stretched down to her sides and back a bit, with her head still tilted back.

Once the coat passed her hands, he thought she was wearing another jacket when he realized it was her hair. It was very long about a foot passed her hips and thick, really thick all around her. Theo draped the cloak over his left arm and was about to touch her exquisitely breathtaking mane. Just then she turn abruptly around, which made him quickly put down his hand.

Taking her cloak from his arm, she tossed it to one of the loveseats, and remained standing in front of him. He didn’t move, he couldn’t… not that he was paralyzed but more mesmerized. Having such a vision of loveliness and beauty that close made him awestruck and nervous.

“Why are you nervous?” she said looking up at him, her eyes were bright like stars, putting both her hands gently upon his chest, which she now felt the beating, the pounding of his heart. Theo wanted so much to step back fighting the want to put his arms around her, to hold her and never let her go. He’s never felt like this before, or has he? There was still that feeling of daja vu, a sense of belonging, but why? Where? When? He raised his right hand slowly and placed it gently on her left hand that was still lying comfortably on his chest.

“I’ve never felt like this before, you are so beautiful I feel I don’t deserve to even look at you.” He whispered, feeling self-conscious about his looks.

The beauty standing before him looked at his face and smiled a toothy smile again, flattered and glad that he felt the same after all these years. Her big bright smile made her eyes shine. Theo became more relaxed, more comfortable. It was soothing to his soul. Their eyes looked deep into each other’s for quit a long time. He began to lose himself in those bright, wonderful eyes. Falling deeper in the pools of green and blue, he went back to another place, another time, this time she was there to guide him.

Forcing himself to focus, Theo found himself in the middle of a clearing. He looked up and saw a very oddly large and very strangely bright full moon, the same he saw just a while ago leaving the club. From the corner of his eye he noticed a large shadow looming just under and to the right of the moon.

Using his hand to block the brilliant gleam of the moon, he saw to his amazement a huge dark ancient castle just a hundred yards away. Oil lamps and torches could be seen flickering through large openings over many parts of this massive masonry structure. At the foot was what appeared to be a large wooden door that was opened and just inside was a torch sparkling on the wall. The moonbeam showed a path leading from the door to the very clearing where Theo was standing. Turning from left to right and back to left, he saw he was alone. Looking up at the looming structure again, he wondered if this was a dream or a nightmare.

“Both.” Said a voice from behind him, a very familiar voice. Theo turned around, and there just three feet in front of him was, to his eyes, a vision of an angel, dressed in a deep bright purple satin gown that flowed gently behind her. Her, long and onyx black hair accentuated the gown. The light from the moon showed her radiant beauty. Placing her hands gently upon his chest, she beamed a big happy smile. Theo placed his hands gently on her arms just below the shoulders.

“What do you mean, ‘both’?” he asked, the first of many questions whirling through his mind. Placing her right slender index finger gently over his lips she whispered, “hush...first the dream.”

Never taking her eyes from his, she moved her right hand slowly from his lips to the back of his head. Keeping her left hand gently on his chest, she could feel his heart pounding. Theo watched her eyes, as they slowly got nearer. As their lips were about to touch, he saw something in her eyes - he saw himself as another person, another time and this very place and her. They were standing, holding each other in the clearing in the middle of the day, the castle looking new and clean; it had to have been hundreds of years ago.

He saw, as they gazed upon the land that was green and full of life. He saw, as they held each other and kissed with a love that was real and pure and full of passion. He saw, as it was just them kissing and then them and the castle, and then them and the castle and the land, then the country, then the world, and then a sword shaped with a large cross handle with an inscription that read ‘Beloved’ which got larger and larger, then he saw her blue eye…

Focusing once again he found himself in his apartment in front of the fireplace, which now had a roaring fire. They were still kissing as he realized who he was and her eyes were closed still giving the love and the passion. Tears rolled from his eyes feeling the love he remembered they once had. When one of his tears rolled down his cheek and reached their lips, she opened her eyes and saw the eyes of the heart she was looking for all these years… and tears began in her eyes as she broke from his lips and held him tight, placing her right cheek gently upon his right shoulder, feeling him put his arms around her in the familiar way he had done so long ago…

“I’ve missed you.” She said through her tears…

“How long has it been?” Theo asked.

Sniffing a few times, she finally said, “five hundred and fifty five years.”





Chapter III



"The nightmare begins”





“What?” Theo said loudly, pulling her back gently by the arms to see her face. It was lined with tears, but still her painted eyes were never smudged. The look on her face was that of sorrow. Those once beautiful eyes are now haunting. Staring deep and cold into his, she gave a final kiss on his lips and held him one last time. Theo had a lot of questions still running wild, but all he wanted was to hold her. Slowly his beloved put her hands gently on each side of his face, it made him feel blissful. Putting her thick red lips close to his right ear, she whispered “I’ll have that drink now.”

Taking hold of Theo’s head, she tilted it a bit to her right, to better expose his neck. Theo heard the words but didn’t know what they meant, he didn’t care, as he was enjoying the moment in her arms, with his eyes wide shut, thinking it was her passion, as he felt her warm soothing breath on his neck then her soft gentle lips then the slight tingle of her tongue as just the tip licked a spot. For a moment, he started to feel a bit of ecstasy which quickly turned to a horrifying pain.

Trying desperately to move, Theo discovered that her strength was unusually overpowering. Now with his eyes wide open, he tried to let out a yell from the pain but couldn’t. Through his eyes all he could see was her hair, it was everywhere. All around them both, like a black satin blanket. The scent from her hair started to sooth his pain, as the pain began to drift from his neck to his chest. Just at that moment, his beloved released her hold on him letting him fall to his knees as she slowly backed up to the fireplace and stopped within a foot of the now blazing flames in the pit. Her hair flowed all around her by the heat of the fire, as she stood facing down at him. Theo managed to look up through his pain to see his love in a different way.

Standing there in front of the fire, he could see a bright glow around her with her hair flowing wildly about, those eyes he once found mesmerizing, were now gleaming with a vibrant green glow that was both blood chilling and beautiful, her face had a look of pain as tears rolled down her cheeks to her mouth which was opened and showing a set of two little teeth on the top row center two teeth apart that were extended a bit and pointed at the tip, still dripping with blood, his blood.

He watched a second longer then lowered his head grabbing his chest and wondering what is happening and why is his chest was in so much pain? Closing her blood stained lips and wiping the tears from her eyes with her black sleeve, she drew back a long deep breath and regained her composer and remembered what she was there for.

“The pain you are feeling is due to what is happening to you.” She sounded cold again. Her eyes and mouth now back to the vision of beauty that haunted him.

Still on his knees holding his chest in pain, Theo tried to speak but the pain was too much, so instead he thought it hard in his mind.

“Why are you doing this?” As if he had spoken it very clearly through his lips.

She responded out loud, “It is the only way you can find me; I had to make you like me, immortal.”

She sensed the confusion in his mind as he thought, “Find you? What do you mean? Like you? Immortal?”

She placed her long left index finger over his lips. “Hush your mind, my darling, allow the change to happen, I will now tell you of your legacy.”

Pacing in front of the fire, she began to tell him everything.

“It was the year 1450, the time when all types of evil roamed the earth. The place was in the land where wizards and demons ruled. You were a great warrior, your name was Tober Knight, and you saw the castle we lived in. Life was grand. All was good and we were very happy. Then a very dark and mysterious stranger, at that time he went by the name Liam Tej, came to our village, he was very wealthy and had purchased the Widham estate, a large dark castle a few miles south of our village.

At a social gathering, one evening, he approached me and stared at me with hollow eyes and said that he felt sorrow that such a creature of magnificent beauty will one day grow old and die.”

Pausing for a moment, she saw that Theo was almost at the end of his transformation. Still on his knees, holding his chest, he was able to bear through the excruciating pain as he listened in remembrance. She watched for a moment, feeling his pain, wanting to help him but knew she couldn’t so she continued.

“Tober, you, saw Liam’s admiration for me and got very jealous, he, you, has always proclaimed my beauty. He even won battles in his love for me. Tober once said ‘god cried when he made me, and when he looks into my eyes…” just as she was speaking, Theo, recited verbatim the last words, “I know why.”

With a huge smile, she was elated that he remembered and that he still felt the same. Then she dropped her smile quickly to continue the story.

“Do you remember the battle?” she asked as she watched his eyes as they changed. Raising his head slightly he shook his head and asked “what battle?”

Returning to her pace in front of the fireplace, she continued, “Liam’s desire for me and his arrogance, combined with his wealth and power, challenged Tober’s jealousy. One night, on a full moon like tonight, the dark evil man launched an attack on Tober’s castle. Tober, of course responded, calling out all his knights. Once at the battlefield, which was a few miles west of our castle, Tober saw in to his horror what he had to battle, they were creatures of the night, vampires.”

She stopped again to see Theo’s reaction. His eyes now glowing red, stared at hers. As she stared back into his red flaming eyes, she knew he was starting to understand what he’s becoming. Keeping her distance, she knelt down to meet his eye level.

Theo was full of hate, anger and pain as he stared into her eyes and grunted “I remember…” she could see his recollection of the battle in his mind. Seeing himself as Tober and his devastation at watching his loyal and brave men attacked by these beasts of the night, stunned for a moment then realizing what was happening.

Theo’s eyes went wide and brighter as he looked deeper into his beloved’s haunting eyes. Filled with tears, she felt the sorrow as her eyes watched the image in his mind, his face showed the painful epiphany as he relived a long forgotten nightmare.

Sitting on his stead, Tober watched the battle for a moment then realized that Liam Tej was not there. To his horror he spun his horse around and rode hard and fast to his castle. Reaching the very same door that Theo had seen earlier when he was in the clearing with his beloved, he dismounted his horse and raced thru the winding stairwell up to his chamber, hearing his heart beat in his chest with fear and anticipation, Theo’s heart was pounding as he watched his beloved’s eyes and remembered what happened next.

He withdrew his sword upon reaching his chamber door and burst through. There in the center of the chamber he could see by the unusually bright light of the full moon, Liam holding his beloved fallen angel. Theo remembered the rage he had when he saw Liam’s bright yellow eyes glaring at him, his mouth open wide showing a long set of sharp teeth on the top row and two ting little fangs on the bottom row. With his left hand, Liam pulled a red satin cloth from his jacket lapel and gently wiped the blood from his lips. Tober looked down at his beloved, as she was draped over Liam’s right arm, her long black hair hanging down just barley sweeping the floor, her head was back, and her eyes were closed. He could see two little red dots on her neck. There was a blood stain on her gown, the same gown she wore at the clearing Theo saw earlier.

Tober cried out in full rage! As did Theo remembering attacking Liam with his sword plunging it deep in his chest but only to see that it did not harm him. With Tober’s sword sticking out of his chest, Liam looked more annoyed than hurt.

“You mortals are all alike” he spoke in a calm and low voice. “Not knowing the right tool for the right job.” He said still holding the fallen dark angel in his right arm and using his left hand as he pulled out the sword from his chest and let it drop with a loud clang on the floor.

He sneered at the hole in his white satin shirt from the sword, and then looked up with his bright yellow eyes at Tober.

With a low deep tone in his throat he said “She is mine now, Knight! I saved her beauty and her youth forever.” Liam turned slowly towards a large opened terrace and slowly walked towards it, still holding his new trophy in his arms.

Tober leaped towards him. Liam turned just slightly to his left and within an instance had Tober’s throat in his left hand, gripping it tightly.

“I will spare your life only for her sake, but know this, Knight, I will kill you if you persist.” His eyes were a bright yellow with a glow of red this time as he looked deep into Tober’s eyes and squeezed a little harder, cutting off all the air. He released his hold on Tober’s throat, and watched as he fell to his knees gasping for air. He then continued his walk to the large opened terrace. Tober’s head was spinning a bit, trying to breath, he watched as he saw Liam and his beautiful bride vanish into the bright moon light.

Theo stood straight up holding the raven haired beauty by the hands. The dark angel looked deep into his eyes with those blue green haunting eyes of hers. She gave him a smile but the lines and her eyebrows where curled downward, as she stood with him she felt the pain of having to tell him what happened next.

Releasing her hands from his, she placed her left hand gently upon his chest feeling no heart beat and placed her right hand gently upon his lips as he was about to speak. She knew exactly what he was thinking and it filled her with sorrow. Theo was so happy that she had found him after all these years and that she had made him immortal like her so that they can spend eternity together. But then he noticed a tear fall from her blue eye which made him sad as he gave her a look of wonder.

Theo went to put his arms around her to hold her but her left hand on his chest held him still.

“No.” she whispered with a tone of remorse, “I don’t have much time left.” she pushed him back a bit as she stepped back in front of the roaring fire. Theo watched as her long onyx hair flowed about again, this time appearing like black wings.

“I’m not really here.” She said waiting for the look of response on his face. Theo gave her a confused look and she continued.

“After some time with Liam, I was able to learn how to send my spirit places using the power of the full moon. It was one of the powers Liam had. My body is still with him. For centuries I sent my spirit searching for you. I managed to do so with out Liam’s knowledge, although I think he knows.” She paced slowly in front of the fire, trying to figure out how to tell Theo of what’s next. “I don’t have much time, the moon is starting to wane and my powers will start to fade. I must leave you with this, your legacy, to find me and to release us of the curse…”

She reached behind her, through her thick black hair, and pulled what appeared to be a sword. Holding it out with both hands, she looked deep into Theo’s yellow eyes…

“To kill Liam Tej!!”





Chapter IV



“The Sworded Legacy”





Theo stared at the sword awhile and recognized it. It was the sword he saw when she showed him the clearing and after. Then he remembered it was the sword he, as Tober, had a wizard make for him after Liam Tej took his beloved that fateful night.

Tober searched for the 30 years till his death and was buried with the sword. It was forged from the blackest metal of that time. The handle was a large cross about 7” long, and about 12” wide with the three ends sharpened. The blade itself was black about 30” long. Across the hand guard was a flattened area 2” wide with an engraved cryptic inscription, “BELOVED”.

Theo was lost in thought of his recollection when, with a quick thrust, his raven haired beauty swung the sword cutting the back of his left hand and then stuck the swords tip into the wood floor in front of him.

Pain shot thru his entire left arm, as he gripped the back of his left hand. He noticed there was an open cut with a single drip of blood, and then the wound slowly closed.

“I wanted you to know the power of the sword,” said the dark angel. “Once through the heart or beheading are the best ways to kill a vampire.” She stood with her back now inches from the roaring fire, her hair wildly flailing about, her eyes deep, blue green and piercing, “When Liam learned of your death he took me to see you and to gloat over his victory. That was when I got the sword. I’ve had it with me since hoping to find you. Please be careful, learn how to use the sword. You must be ready before you find Liam, he is very powerful. I have faith in you to find me and kill him, so we can be together forever my love.”

Theo stepped towards her for one last kiss and to hold her one last time. As he put his hands gently upon her soft beautiful face he noticed a single tear fall slowly down her smooth white cheek from her blue eye. With his thumb he slowly caressed her cheek and wiped the tear away. He moved in slowly to kiss her but she vanished inches from his lips.

Feeling completely overwhelmed and lost, Theo stood alone in front of the roaring fire for a moment. He began to feel himself fill with rage, realizing everything, reliving the pain and the anger. He turned quickly to the sword stuck in the wood floor. Gripping firmly with his right hand, he pulled it from the floor and held it out in front of him. Remembering the feel and the weight of the sword, he began to feel numb inside.

Turning towards the big windows at the corner of his living room, he looked out with a different view. He was eager to test the sword, once again. Looking down on the street, he saw his onyx cruiser gleaming in the waning moonlight. A crooked smile spread across his face, he looks up at the waning moon and sees a thick black thunder cloud appear.

Theodor Knight spins quickly about as a clap of thunder is heard.

{The song: Bloodletting by Concrete Blonde – extended version}

Like any knight preparing for battle, Theo is in his bedroom preparing for his first flight into the night. Putting on his blackest satin collarless shirt buttoned to the top, with black slacks and using a pair of black boots for balance. He rigs up some black belts for his sword to hang properly on his left hip. He slides on a pair of black sunglasses to hide his new telltale eyes.

Theo looks at himself in the mirror thru the sunglasses and likes what he sees than slowly lowers the glasses a bit to reveal two bright red glowing eyes. The mirror cracks!





There’s a crack in the mirror and a blood stain on the bed,

There’s a crack in the mirror and a blood stain on the bed,

Oh, you we’re a vampire, oh baby I’m a walking dead,

Oh, you we’re a vampire, oh baby I’m a walking dead,



Now ready, he reaches for his long black trench coat when he noticed his beloved’s black cloak still where she threw it. He takes it gently holding it up to his chest as though she was still in it. Her intoxicating aroma still held within it. Theo whipped the cloak around and donned it instantly. Since he’s a bit taller than her, the cloak didn’t quite reach the floor and the sleeves just reached his wrists. Grabbing his keys, he heads for the door.

Inside the elevator he noticed once the doors closed his reflection was obscured, like a dark shadow. He realized that’s what his beloved didn’t want him to see. For a moment he looked down to where she stood and felt happy, then a wave of loneliness, then he heard the ding for the door, as it opened, his eyes shifted up and out the door, now feeling a rush of rage, determination, and hunger. That crooked smile appeared again.

Walking toward his onyx cruiser he has a sense of will, a sense of desire, a want, a burning thirst within him.



I’ve got the ways and means to New Orleans

I’m going down by the river were its warm and green

I’m gonna have a drink and walk around,

I’ve got a lot to think about – oh yeah!!!



Theo puts his sword through the inside door handle of his cruiser and gets in. Adjusting his mirrors to view all around him, he starts the engine and revs it a bit. Without putting on the lights he speeds off into the night. A loud crack of thunder fills the night air followed by a brilliant flash of lighting that strikes just a few yards in front of the speeding black cruiser creating a large explosion and a cloud of thick smoke. The cruiser pierced through the smoke without thought.



{Instrumental portion of the song}



Throughout the centuries, many vampires have different powers. Most can fly, but others don’t have those kinds of powers. Some like Theo have limited power and need time to learn them. Theo drove down a very winding narrow road using his newly acquired skills. All his senses have become more acute, he has become one with the machine. The road was wet from the snow, and he drove very fast keeping the car from sliding. He drove on the very edge of the road. The slightest deviation and the black car could plunge down a very deep rocky cliff.

But Theodor Knight was not a normal person this night, he was a vampire with rage and determination. He wanted to see just how far his powers were. He drove the machine as though he was flying himself. He drove for miles into town very fast with the beat of the song.

Just as another clap of thunder sounded and a streak of lighting flash through out the sky, the onyx cruiser appeared into the darkness. Theo slowed to a glide into the dark city. Lowering the power window of the driver’s side about half way, he listened. His new found senses allowed him to hear most everything. The cruisers engine was quiet as he heard a cry of help far off into the distance, as he jolted the car to a stop, then turning the vehicle slowing towards the sound and shutting off the headlights.

About a mile ahead was a park where people should not be after midnight, but on this night was a young lady who happened to go through this very park on her way home after a night out. She was attacked by the hoodlums that frequent the park after dark.

One of the three boys had her down on the pavement for another to do his demand, as the third watched with an evil grin waiting his turn. The third notice a sparkle in the dark and heard muffled music and cautioned his buddies.

“Hey, there’s someone out there.” He spoke with a low grated voice.

The three stood and looked as they saw a black car slowly creep towards them. One of the three hoodlums had the girl standing and in front of him, using her as a shield as he watched the vehicle approach.

The ominous cruiser crept slowly towards them with the music getting a bit louder. The car finally came to a stop that seemed like time itself had stopped about 20 feet from them. They stood for a moment motionless hearing the music through the enclosed vehicle.

The one punk holding the girl tightened his grip and put his hand over her mouth to stop her cries for help. The other two punks started to get pissed and walked slowly towards the black mystery car. Trying desperately to see inside the front windshield they approached it now with antagonism. When they got within a few feet of the front of the car they stopped suddenly almost with shock when they both saw a small red glow behind the driver side. The red glow would go dim a bit then very bright for a few seconds. The two boys turned and looked at each for a second, then one of them became so in raged at the fact that someone dares to invade their territory and calmly sit, listening to music and smoke a cigarette.

He started shouting at the car, “You asshole! Get the fuck out! You pissed in the wrong park!” as he approached the driver side door and was about ready to smash the window with the butt of his nickel plated pearl handle 9mm handgun, the door swung opened so fast and with so much force it broke his arm that was raised to smash the window, dropping the weapon and launched him 30 feet back as he landed motionless.

With the music now blaring as the door remained opened but oddly no interior light inside the black machine. The thug that stayed in front of the vehicle had moved back to the other side of the car when he saw his buddy get thrown. He had his weapon drawn and aimed at the door. The one holding the girl had his weapon drawn also trained on the door.

Finally, a shadow slowly stepped out and stood by the door. The two hoodlums straight up a bit as a flash of fear passed through them. Theo slowly raised his left hand as he kept his right hand hidden behind the door and pulled his shades down just a bit to show his bit yellow eyes at the one holding the girl.

With a deep low tone, he demanded, “Let her go.”

The boy heard the demanded as if it was spoken in his ear, he raised the gun at Theo and shouted back, “Fuck you!”

Theo’s eyes went from yellow to red, with that crooked smile again he replied, “Is that your final answer?”

The thug didn’t see the humor in that and pulled the trigger twice. Theo waved his left hand so fast the two boys didn’t see it. Still staring at the one holding the girl he raised his left hand slowly and showed the two slugs then dropped them.

As the music was coming to its final few seconds, Theo looked dead into the assailant’s eyes, dropped his grin and instantly pulled out the sword from the inside panel of the driver side door. He leaped at the guy on the other side of the cruiser and swung his sword once cross his chest, then leaped towards the one holding the girl and landed directly behind him.

The punk looked left at his buddy and watched him drop from the waist up. He then looked around and didn’t see the stranger. Theo, now standing directly behind him whispered “Looking for me?”

As the thug turned around Theo drove his sword through his chest. The girl dropped from his grip and landed on her knees sobbing as she watched her would be attacker die a slow bloody painful death.



Chapter V



“First Feast”





Theodore Knight stood for a moment and held the thug up by the sword and felt his heart beat through the metal. He could feel himself wanting, yearning for the taste of blood. As quick as he thrust the sword in he pulled it out and grabbed his victim by the head with his left hand and held him up while he licked the blood off the sword, then slid it into the makeshift belts on his left hip.

The girl watched in fear and horror as Theo pulled the dying man close to his lips and watched as he turned into a vicious beast and tore into his throat and drank his gushing blood.

The shades were low enough to see his red flamed eyes roll up as he quenched his insatiable hunger. He could feel his body surge with an ecstasy he has never felt before. He drank for a minute, and then released his victim. He stood and watched as his lifeless body fell.

Theo looked up and at the night sky and watched as the lighting crackled and felt his body change more. The music from onyx blared and brought him back to down as he turned and looked at the girl. His eyes were still red with the taste of the blood. The girl flinched back a bit when she saw Theo look at her with those eyes and his teeth showing fangs and the blood drip from his lips.

When Theo saw the girl’s reaction, he realized what he must have looked to her and quickly turned away. He took a long deep breath, removed the sun glasses and concentrated on his image. He slowly turned back to the girl as she saw his face was now normal. Theo slowly reached down with his right hand to help her on her feet.

“I won’t hurt you.” He said with a tone that was soothing and calm. The girl appeared mesmerized and slowly took his hand as he helped her to her feet. They stood for a bit looking into each others eyes, Theo’s copper brown eyes began to turn a bit yellow as he asked, “Are you ok?”

The girl whispered, “Yes” as she stared into his yellow eyes. Theo looked deeper into her eyes and in a hollow tone said, “Forget.”

Then he slowly turned back to Onyx. He stopped by the door of the cruiser and picked up the nickel plated pearl handle 9mm pistol dropped by the first thug. “This could come in handy” he thought to himself as he put it in his right cloak pocket.

After he shut the driver side door and slowly backed up the same way he came, the girl shook her head and looked around and saw the three men that were attacking her on the ground motionless.

She looked around scared and ran quickly away.

Theodor drove the onyx cruiser around town for a bit until he heard music coming from a night club a couple of blocks away. The music was that of rave, his siren call. He decided to take a break and have a drink and think a bit, so he turned the wheel towards the sound.

Parking the cruiser down a side alley a block away from the club, he placed the sword in the door and put the gun in his belt behind him. He lowered the visor and looked at himself in the mirror. Theo looked startled when he saw that his reflection was shadowed, for a moment he had forgotten, and then he released a crooked smile and a short laugh and put on his sun glasses, his eyes have become even more sensitive. After he got out of the car and locked it, Theo noticed a group of thugs at the far end of the alley. He focused his eyes over the rim of his shades and could see that they were smoking and doing drugs and didn’t see him.

Pulling the cloak around to stop the chill of the September night air, he then turned and walked away toward the club entrance.

As Theo reached the main entrance, he noticed a very large, no neck brute standing at the door. Theo thought this could be trouble getting in, he may not have enough cash. He got within 3 feet of the 6 ft broad bouncer and watched for a response.

The big brute ignored Theo at first, then turned and asked his business. Theo said in a confident tone, “I’m on the list.” The bouncer sneered and looked down at his clipboard and asks his name in a gruff voice. With total concentration, Theo spoke almost in a whisper, “Theodor Knight, with a K” as it echoed in the no neck mans muscle head.

Theo watched as the man unconsciously wrote down the name in the next open spot on the list. The man said as if it were all natural, “go right in sir.” Theo walked passed the brute and through the big double wooden doors under a big purple and green neon sign that read ‘Club Haven’ with a smirk on his face now realizing the benefits of such influence.

The brute shook his head after the door closed behind Theo, snapping out of his trance he looked down to the list and noticed what was written in his hand the name “The Knight” not knowing that the ‘o’ had been omitted under his influence.

Once inside the club, Theo looked around from right to left. The placed looked small due to the darkness and the crowd of people on the dance floor on the far right. The music was one of his favorites from VNV Nations entitled “Saviour”. It was very loud, upbeat and bouncy with the strobe and laser lights flickering very quickly.

He watched a few of the people as they danced and noticed that some had on sunglasses too, most seemed oblivious to the rest of the world, lost in the feel of the music and probably to some form of new designer drug. To the left of the dance floor was a long bar with a green and purple neon light along the edge of the bar. To the left of the bar was the DJ booth also had light very low with some purple and blue neon lights. Theo noticed towards the very back of the club was the only white but very soft light hanging over a pool table with a few people shooting a game. He walked over to the far end of the bar nearest the pool table where there was an open space. The bartender looked over and made a gesture of what he wanted, Theo whispers the words “I’ll have a beer, please” and it sounded in the bartenders head. The bartender shook his head a bit and proceeded to get the beer.

While waiting for his drink Theo pulled out his cigarettes and looked around again. The crowd was still intense with the rhythm and the few people were still playing pool behind him. Putting a cigarette between his lips he searched his pockets for his lighter and realized he had left it back at his flat. Just at that instance a match flared in front of him. As he leaned in to light his cigarette he looked to his right and saw an intriguing looking person holding a match stick. The flame burned down to the fingers which had the nails all painted black. The man to Theo’s right slowly took the match and crushed it between his thumb and index finger without even a flinch and dropped it in the ashtray near him and slid it towards Theo.

The man stood about 5 ft even and had long black hair fallen past his shoulders and arms which were bare from a black sleeveless shirt showing an abundance of black tattoos. He had on a very small pair of dark granny style sunglasses covering his eyes, and a smirk that wrinkled his unshaved face but showed that he wore a dashing mustache with a bit of a goatee and piercings on his lip and his eyebrows.

“Thank you”, Theo said with curiosity as to the strangers smirk.

“You are very welcome”, he replied with a heavy Spanish accent.

Theo suddenly felt that strange familiarity, “Do I know you?” he asked the stranger.

The grinning man looked at Theo through the sunglasses for quite a bit and said, “Would you like to play a game of pool?” He turned without waiting for a response and walked towards the table. With a single snap of his fingers, the few people around the table stepped back. He started to set up the table for a game.

Theo watched as the people on the dance floor still lost in the music, and the grinning stranger setting up the pool table, ‘why was he grinning’ thought Theo, There was a sense of knowing, but what? ‘Does he know what I am?’ Theo got his beer and chugged it hoping the answer would hit him. After it didn’t, he figured the best way to get any answers was to play a game, so he sucked down the rest of the beer and ordered another one, once he drank that one he ordered another removed his cloak and put it neatly around a bar chair, then walked over to the table.

“Your break.” Said the grinning man as he walked back to the bar where his drink was. Theo watched him as he walked to the bar and then went to get a pool cue, then back to the table to break. He noticed that the light over the table was very dim but he had no problem seeing the balls. He lined up his shot for the break then crack!

Theo always knew that he was a very good pool player, but now with his new enhancements, he has a better player’s edge. He sunk 3 balls on the break. After shooting 3 more balls in he started to realize that his new enhancement can come in handy. He was about to shoot his next shot when he felt an image flash across his mind forcing him to miss his shot.

The grinning man said in very broken English and with obvious sarcasm, “Ohhh, too bad.” Then he got up and grabbing his personal pool cue, which was made of an unusual metal, went to the table and began shooting each ball with exact precision while still wearing his sunglasses.

As he was about to shot the eight ball, he stopped and looked at Theo through his sunglasses and said, “Let’s make this interesting.” he spoke with that Spanish accent and chalked his cue very gently. Theo looked at him very intently and asked, “How?”

“If I make this, you buy me a drink.” Theo felt confident of his new found powers, and saw that the shot was very difficult even for a pro.

“And if you don’t make it?” Theo asked.

The grinning man’s grin got even bigger as he responded, “then I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

Theo’s curiosity got the better of him as he thought, ‘what can he tell me?’ “Ok, you’re on.” Theo said finally as the grinning man got ready for his shot.

While still wearing his sunglasses, the grinning man aimed the cue ball and slowly turned his head towards Theo and said, “I’ll have a captain and coke, no ice.” then struck the cue without looking. The white ball banked three rails then hit the eight ball perfectly into the side pocket.

Theo’s limited blood almost chilled as he wondered how this stranger knew his favorite drink. The grinning man walked over to him and handed him his pool cue and signaled the bartender for the drink. Theo, still a bit confused, lowered his shades a bit and looked at the stick and saw to his surprised that it was made from the same metal as his sword! Then he looked down to the bottom of the stick and saw the symbol of the sword! Theo whipped around to question the stranger and saw that he was gone.

The bartender stood there holding his tab and asked for the amount he owed. Theo asked where the grinning stranger went and the bartender just shrugged and asked for the amount of the tab.

Throwing money at the bartender, Theo untwisted the pool stick and put it inside the case. He saw the rest rooms were just behind the pool table and noticed an exit right after them. “Damn!” Theo thought to himself, he grabbed his cloak and ran towards the exit.

Once through the exit, he donned his cloak. Theo noticed he was at the alley where his cruiser was parked. He looked around and didn’t see the stranger but did see the gang now by his cruiser. He walked over to the car with the pool stick case in his hand. As one of the thugs approached him, he sighed, “not again.”



Chapter VI



“The Tutor”



This time he reached around to the pistol in his back belt.

One thug asked, “Is this your car?” and pulled out a switchblade. “Where are the keys?” the bad man demanded.

Theo, while still holding the weapon behind him, said with annoyance “Come and get them.” Just as the hood with the knife was about to step towards him, a sound was heard above them. It sounded like a lion. Everyone looked up. With awe and surprise they saw a red eyed creature wearing a black leather jacket flying at them.

Before anyone knew it, the creature was at the one with knife in front of Theo. It had grabbed him by the head and dug his fangs into his neck and drank very sloppily. Theo was a bit stunned to see not only another one like him but to see it was the stranger from the club.

After a minute, the stranger dropped the thug and turned to the others wiping his lips and said in his Spanish accent, “I’m still hungry, anybody else?”

Just then the rest of the gang screamed and fumbled into each other as they ran down the alley. The stranger turned and looked at Theo as his eyes turned back to black then he pulled out his sunglasses from his jacket pocket and put them on. He reached for the pool stick case and said “Thanks” and walked over to the cruiser. “Nice car” he said as he leaned up against it waiting for Theo to respond.

Still a bit confused, Theo walked over to him and said, “Your welcome and thanks.”

The stranger looked at Theo with that grin again and said, “I bet your have a lot of questions.”

Leaning against the driver side door next to the stranger, Theo pulled out a cigarette and searched for a light when the grinning man snapped his fingers and from his black finger nails appeared a flame. Theo leaned in showing no emotion and lit his cigarette and drew in a deep drag, then released it with a sigh and said, “Oh, about a million.”

Lighting himself a cigarette, the stranger said, “Well, ask away, we have all the time in the world.”

Theo turned his head a bit and looked at the stranger from the corner of his eyes seeing that grin again. “How about, we start with your name?” he said.

The stranger looked at Theo and stepped in front of him and said in a gallant tone, “Oh, where are my manners, I was Eduardo the III, now they call me Shorty, can you guess why?” he said it with a bit of sarcasm.

Theo looked at him and chuckled and said, “Nice to meet you Shorty, my name is…” and the grinning man jumped in and said, “Tober Knight, or you used to be.”

Confused, Theo looked at him a bit and corrected him, “I’m Theodor Knight, now.”

The grin on the stranger grew from ear to ear as he said with jubilation, “So, She found you!?”

Lowering his sunglasses to look right at him Theo asked, “But, how…?” Then stopped with complete mystification and dropped his cigarette.

Shorty then asked, “Did she give it to you?”

Theo knew what he meant but asked anyway, “Gave me what?”

The grinning stranger read his mind and knew that he did have it, and then he pulled out the bottom of his pool stick and showed him the symbol of the sword.

Pushing his sunglasses with one finger closer to his head, Theo let out a huge sigh and began to unlock the driver side door of his cruiser. He reached in and pulled out the sword and with a very quick swing pointed it at Shorty’s head and asked, “So, what can you tell me about all this?”

Shorty’s grin grew and even faster pulled out a thin sword from the bottom of the pool stick and was able to hold it to Theo’s neck, “Everything.”

Surprised at being caught off guard, Theo put his sword down. Shorty did the same, and then asked, “Can I see it?” Holding the sword sideways, Shorty put his back in its case and took Theo’s with great care as if it were a treasure from the gods. “Wow!” he gasped, “It’s been so long.”

Theo’s eyes widened in total confusion. “Ok! What is going on? Who are you?!” Theo insisted.

Shorty handed back the sword with care and said, “Let’s go for a ride, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Then he walked around to the passenger side and looked at Theo waiting for him to unlock the door. With uncertain suspicion, Theo finally put the sword back in the door and unlocked the passenger side.

Once inside the car, Shorty played with the radio. He saw that it played cd’s and pulled one out of a zippered pockets from the leather jacket and slid it in, pressed play then turned up the volume.

Theo thought how rude of him, “So, are you going to tell me who you are?” he asked raising his voice over the music.

Shorty put a finger in his left ear to clear the sting of his voice then turned to him and with out moving his lips lowered his sunglasses and said, “You don’t have to yell.”

Hearing what Shorty had said in his head made Theo wonder even more and was about to ask how, “it’s just one of our many powers.” Shorty said, reading Theo’s mind. “Turn here and take this road all the way to the end.” Shorty continued with out moving his lips.

‘Where is he taking me?’ Theo again wondered.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be there in a few minutes and then I’ll be able to tell you everything,” Shorty said, then, folding his arms in his heavy leather jacket, he leaned back to enjoy his music.

Theo was getting a bit annoyed with his reading his mind and him speaking in his head with that accent.



“Stand before the gates and watch Necropolis

Empires come and go, we’ll live forever.

And eternity is in your head tonight,

Take my broken wings, teach me to fly again.

I stand alone, we stand alone.”



After a few minutes, Theo decided to test his powers and speak in Shorty’s head, “Are we there yet?”

Finding the humor, Shorty let out a laugh and replied with his mouth over the music, “Almost.” Still laughing, and listening to the music he said, with his lips again, “Turn left down the next street.”

Theo let out a short grin and then turned down the next street. The lights from the car broke the black of the night and showed he was along side a cemetery.

Pull up there and park.” Shorty said turning off the radio and pointing to the entrance of the cemetery.

Theo did and then asked after turning off the engine, “Where are we?”

Pulling down his shades a bit to expose his black eyes, Shorty responded, “Home.” Then he gave a quick wink and got out.

Speaking to himself, Theo repeated, “Home? What?” then looked out the windshield and read the name over a huge gated archway, ‘NECROPOLIS’, also known as ‘the city of the dead’.

Seeing Shorty standing by the gate waiting for him, Theo finally got out of the cruiser. He thought for a bit if he should take the sword, still having the pistol in his back belt, but decided to leave it in the car, locked it and walked over to where Shorty was waiting.

“You don’t need it or the gun either.” Shorty said, opening the unlocked gate. It creaked loudly in the quite of the night. They walked down a long row of headstones, and then came to a row of large crypts. Shorty went straight a very old crypt with the name ‘VALDERON’ etched over the door. He pulled on a latch that appeared very heavy and pushed the crypt door open. It made a very loud creak like the gate but more prominent and echoed. “Welcome to my home.” He said to Theo as he walked in and snapped his fingers and pointed to an oil lamp by a large marble table adjacent to an ancient tomb and lit it. Closing the crypt door behind him with a loud boom that echoed Theo felt very uneasy.

Shorty felt his anxiety and pulled out a large flask from the inside of his leather jacket and offered it to him. Without any concern of its contents, Theo took it and drank a very large gulp. Shorty gave him a comfortable grin and took the flask and drank some.

“Now,” he began. “What has She told you so far?” he asked as he jumped up and sat on his tomb also his sleeping area.

Theo felt a bit weird as he jumped up and sat on the table next to the tomb and took the flask back and drank another gulp. “Whew, what’s in this?” he asked feeling almost intoxicated.

“I’ll tell ya later.” Shorty replied with that familiar grin, then, again, without moving his lips, he said, “Well?” Theo then shook his head to clear his thoughts and began to tell of his encounter with the dark angel.

Moments and half the flask later, Theo finished up his story and the liquid that he had drank was taking full affect, as he began to remember his loss and the pain returned within him. Losing control, perhaps due to whatever it was he was drinking, he broke down and let out a cry from deep within, removing his sunglasses and covering his eyes with both hands, seeing her face in his mind. Shorty could feel his agony and got down from the tomb and went over and held him for a bit.

Moving his sunglasses to the top of his head he wiped the tears from his eyes Shorty composed himself, “I went by the name Eduardo Valderon III” he began, “I was one of your knights. After Liam had taken your queen and after the battle, there were a few of us that sort of survived, becoming one of them.”

He paused for a moment, and then continued while pacing in front of him. “Sir Daniel also is one of us now; I met up with him a few years ago. I managed to get back to the castle after the battle, but not until you had gone on your quest to save your queen. I found the wizard that had made your sword. I had asked him to make me one too, but he didn’t have enough metal left so he made me a thinner version of yours, which came in handy for today’s standards and easy to conceal. Even though I was, by all means a vampire, my loyalty still was with you, my king.”

Shorty stopped for a moment and took a shot from the flask in a toast to his king, then continued. “I gave up searching for you after I found your grave in 1475. Then about 3 weeks ago, I was having a drink at the ‘Club Haven’, and in walked a vision of beauty I haven’t seen in over five hundred years. It was your queen. She hadn’t recognized me, but I remembered her. We reminisced for a few hours, until the moon began to fade, and her spirit had to return. Of course we spoke of you. She insisted that your soul had reincarnated, and she hadn’t given up finding you. When I saw you walk into the club, I thought it was you, that’s her cloak you’re wearing.”





Chapter VII



“Vampire 101”



Theo leaped at the chance and asked, “Did she tell you where she is?”

Shaking his head no, he solemnly replied, “She couldn’t.”

Shorty stopped again, and took another swallow of his drink. “Good stuff, huh?” he asked Theo as he past the flask back to him.

“Yeah, what is it?” Theo asked still a bit inebriated.

The familiar grin filled Shorty’s face again as he spoke in a tone that was very spooky, “It is the blood of one of Liam Tej’s creatures!”

Seeing the look on Theo’s face made him explain. “A few years ago, I had the good fortune to find one of the beasts that was at the battle. I had the pleasure of beheading it and I saved the last drop of its blood. When a vampire drinks another vampire’s blood, it gives us the affect of alcohol. I saved this last flask for a special occasion. What do ya think?” He watched as Theo held the flask then drank another swallow.

“1450? That was a good year.” He said with a chuckle and a sense of getting even.

Shorty laughed his Latin laugh and got serious right away. “We have a lot of work to do, sire. Do you have any questions before we begin, my king?” Getting down from the table, and adjusting his attitude, realizing the seriousness of the work that’s ahead.

Theo stood upright in front of his colleague with anger and with a tone of determination said, “I’m ready.”

Opening the crypt door with a loud creak, Shorty stepped out followed by Theo. They breathed in the September night air, and they both adjusted their sunglasses and stood out in front of the crypt. Theo pulled his cloak around to fight the chill. Shorty began with his lesson. “First thing, there are many different types of vampires. And not all vampires are evil and no vampire is immortal, know that.”

He pulled out his thin sword from the bottom of the pool stick and held the point at Theo’s chest. “Remove the heart,” he then swung the sword’s point an inch away across Theo’s throat and continued, “or beheading will kill any vampire.”

Theo let out a gulp, remembering that was the same thing his beloved had told him and said, “Or any mortal man, for that matter.”

Grinning that familiar grin, Shorty put his thin sword back in its pool stick sheath, and continued. “That pistol you carry can also do the job, but it would have to be at point blank range in the head or through the heart. We all have different types of powers, too. Let’s see what you have. Let’s try speed. Go to your car and get your sword…Now!”

Within a flash and without thought, Theo was back in front of his teacher with sword in hand. “Not bad. How about flight?”

That was something Theo wasn’t sure of. “A lot of vampires wear cloaks or long coats to help them with flight. I learned the hard way about three hundred years ago, when I was thrown off a very high cliff.”

Theo looked inquisitively at Shorty as he put his sword in its sheath on his left hip side. “Don’t ask it’s a long story.” Shorty replied to Theo’s look.

“Flight,” he continued. “is mostly from within. When in beast form, we bring out the passion, the lust. Our powers are at our strongest then. You must feel it inside.” Just then Theo’s teacher turned creature before him. Lowering his shades to expose his now bright red eyes and showing his fangs, Shorty hissed at Theo and lunged at him.

Reacting without thought, Theo leaped into the air and flew to the top of the crypt now as the creature himself.

“Very good, sire.” Shorty yelled up, “Your reflexes are very sharp. You’re going to need that.”

Feeling an anxiety, Theo realized he was on top of the crypt then looked around with his bright red eyes and smiled with his protruding fangs then flew to another crypt then up, up and around the cemetery. Looking down and seeing the city of the dead from his view, he felt an enormous sensation.

“Breathtaking, isn’t it?” a voice to his left broke Theo’s concentration as he saw it was Shorty flying next to him. A bit flustered, Theo lost his balance of flight and began to fall. “Uh oh.” Remarked Shorty as he watched his king fall.

Theo hit the ground with a large thud; it was enough to wake the dead. “Ouch! That’s gonna leave a mark.” Said Shorty, landing next to his fallen pupil. He walked over to where Theo landing and leaned over him. “We got a lot of work still. Come on, shake it off.” Then he walked over to the front of his crypt, sat down on the steps and waited.

Groaning from the fall, Theo staggered to his feet adjusted his cloak and sword then walked towards his Latin tutor.

“Where’s that flask?” He asked holding his head.

Pulling it out of his leather jacket, Shorty opened it then took a slug, then handed it to Theo. He took a large swallow then closed it and tossed it back to Shorty, and then he sat down next to him in front of the crypt.

They both looked up and noticed the sunrise was about to happen. Both put there sunglasses on and watched a bit. Theo looked at Shorty with concern and asked, “Should we be worried about the sun?”

Taking another swallow from his flask he snickered, then said, “You have a lot to learn about yourself. “ He looked at Theo and then at the sky and explained, “Only the blackest heart can be killed by the sun.”

Pulling out a cigarette and snapping his fingers on his right hand, a flame appeared from his two fingers. Shorty held it up in front of him for a bit then said, “Just like fire. It can be good or it can be very bad. You have to know how to control it.” He then lit his cigarette and put out the flame. As the sun cleared the horizon, Theo could feel an itching sensation.

“That’s normal for your first few times. You’ll grow accustomed to it after a while.” Said Shorty seeing Theo’s irritation.

Pulling his cloak around him tighter both from sun and the September chill, Theo pulled out a cigarette for himself and tried to snap his fingers for a flame. Shorty laughed and snapped his fingers and passed the flame, “Don’t even. Controlling fire takes years of practice.”

Theo lit his cigarette from Shorty’s fingers and waited. He could see that his teacher was in deep thought but didn’t know why. Shorty spoke with a tone of despair, “I’m worried for you, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Still unable to read his mind, Theo asked, “Why?”

Getting up with out answering, Shorty went to a tree on the side of the crypt and took a piss. He returned and stood in front of Theo with a total serious attitude. Still not answering Theo’s question, Shorty began to lecture, “Like I said before, there are many type of vampires. Vampires and people have many things in common; we are all living creatures in one form or another, we still have our bodily functions and we do have feelings. We can hate and we can love. I buried two wives in the past two hundred years, there will not be a third. We can have all the sex we desire. But be very careful, to have sex with a none vampire can be bad. Sometimes we can become too intense and we can lose control of ourselves and the creature within us can kill our lover.”

Shorty stopped and saw that Theo looked away and felt that he had no desire for sex, only to be with his beloved. He stepped in and placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him with compassion, “You’ll find her.” Theo looked up at him and nodded hopefully.

Taking his leather jacket off and tossing it on the steps, he takes a few steps back then withdrawing his sword once again and said, “Now, let’s see how you are with that sword.” He signaled at Theo pointing the tip at him.

Taking in a deep breath, Theo got up, removed his cloak and gently placed it on the steps and unsheathed his sword. He felt he had an unfair advantage due to the differences in weapon size.

Shorty smiled, “Don’t get too cocky, sire, it’s not the size but how you use it.” He then winked and with that all too familiar grin yelled, “Un guard!!”

The sound of clashing metal echoed across the cemetery. They spared and fenced for a good while. Theo remarkably held his own. Shorty lunged at him with the point of his sword as Theo swept his upwards and blocked it. They stood face to face about a foot away. Theo gave his tutor a smug look and Shorty responded with his knee to Theo’s groin. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees holding his crotch as Shorty gently placed his sword across the back of Theo’s neck and said, “There is nothing fair in a fight to the death. Remember that.”

After putting his sword in its sheath, Shorty picked up Theo with one hand and his sword with the other with unusual strength. He carried him into the crypt and placed him on the marble slab. Between the sunlight and the groin pain, Theo felt very weak.

Shorty placed Theo’s sword on the slab next to him, retrieved his cloak and covered him.

“Rest,” he said with a calming tone, “you have a long journey ahead.”

With that Theo began to fall asleep. The sound of the crypt door closing echoed in his head as he started to drift into a dream.

The song from VNV Nation ”Beloved” slowly starts playing in his head as he falls deeper into his dream.

“It’s colder than before, the seasons took all they had come for,

Now winter dances here, seems so fitting don’t you think,

To dress the ground in white… and gray.”

He dreamed of himself as a knight back at his castle, recollecting the pleasant times with his lovely bride.

The many walks along the mountains side under the full moon light, and the many times they gazed into each others eyes. He can still see her beautiful blue green eyes vividly as they reflected his bright cooper ones.

Theo remembers how he and his fellow knights would fence and spar in the large courtyard. How Shorty and Daniel, his two best knights would laugh and drink and had many jocular moments toasting to their good fortune.

Then to be suddenly broken by the scream of his beloved, as she was taken away by a vicious creature. His torment was overwhelming as he watched again and again as his beautiful raven haired bride was removed from his life.

“It’s so quiet I can hear

my thoughts touching every second that I spend

waiting for you

circumstance afford me

no second chance to tell you

how much I’ve missed you.”

A loud crash of thunder fill the cemetery, as it echoed into the crypt, Theo’s dream shifted. He found himself fencing with Shorty but with conviction as Shorty was not holding back.

“You have a journey ahead of you!” yelled Shorty while trying to hit him with his sword.

Theo’s heart filled with rage as he knew what Shorty was leading to.

“Who are you?!” asked Shorty with a deep tone.

“I am Tober Knight!” replied Theo as he returned the sword play.





Chapter VIII



“The Journey begins”







“What must you do?!” Shorty asked with that tone again.

“To kill Liam Tej!” Theo said with fervor.

Just then another clap of thunder echoed in the crypt as Theo sat up on the slab. He looked around and saw it was night and Shorty’s sleeping place was empty. Next to him was a piece of paper, a note from his comrade.

“My King,” the note began “Sorry I was not here when you awoke, it’s my night to go out. Wine, women and song, ya know. You have a very long journey and a difficult task ahead. Learn as you go. I’ll be around to help you from time to time. But you will not find her here. After five hundred years he won’t be using the same name. Be careful who you trust. Your adversary may know you are looking for him, so he maybe looking for you. Keep alert, knight.” It was signed, “Your friend, Shorty. GB.” The ‘GB’ served a duel message of separation for vampires or those of none religion to wish each other well, {Good Bye, God Bless}.

After donning his cloak and sword, he opened the crypt door to see that the entire cemetery was covered in a thick layer of snow. There was a blizzard passing. Thunder and lighting was all around. Theo pulled his cloak closed but was amazed he was not cold.

He stepped out in front of the crypt and looked up into the sky as he watched the falling snow. There was something else in the night sky he couldn’t make out. It looked like two large birds flying overhead. Theo watched for a second until one of the creatures dove and attacked him. Lying on the ground a bit stunned, he looked up and saw two vampires standing over him.

“What are you doing in my cemetery?” asked one of the creatures in a very gruntal voice.

Theo composed himself and replied, “I was just leaving.”

The other vampire knelt over him and asked, “Is that your car parked out front?” he said it with a sort of sadistic tone.

Theo nodded and looked at him with a sort of intense stare that he was now able to read his mind. They were going to take what they wanted and kill him. “You’re going to need the keys.” Theo said yielding. He started to reach inside his cloak pocket, but without their knowledge he moved his hand around to find his pistol. As fast as he could move his hand while the two vampires were looking at each other laughing, Theo put the pistol up against the chest of the one knelling over him and waited one second to see his reaction go from a smile to a surprise look, then he pulled the trigger blowing his chest out and hurling him ten feet away.

The other vampire reacted by leaping into the air. Theo put the pistol away, then reached for his sword and chased him in the snow filled sky. The creature within Theo raged heavy inside him. He chased him around the city of the dead for a bit then caught up to him and stuck the back end of the sword into the vampires back to force him down.

Theo watched as he plunged to the ground hitting one of the big marble headstones. “That’s gonna leave a mark.” Theo said to himself. He softly landed next to him. Placing the swords tip at the vampire’s throat, still the creature himself.

Theo asked, “Who sent you?”

With a confused look, he replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sliding the edge of the sword along his neck, the vampire could feel the black blade cutting into him. “OK, ok!!” he begged him to stop. “He never told us his name, just that he had something you wanted, something he had taken from you a long time ago.”

Pushing the blade deeper, Theo asked, “Where?”

Letting out another yell, he said in pain, “I don’t know! He found us. Please! That’s the truth.”

Watching his prey squirm under the sword, Theo then asked, “Are you to meet him again?”

Shaking his head no, hoping he wouldn’t kill him he said, “The man said that he would know when you were dead.”

Standing over his victim, hold the sword inches from his neck, Theo wondered a bit then quickly before his victim could yell, he sliced his head off. Theo didn’t want Liam or whatever his name is now, to know his whereabouts. He knew there’d be more.

After sheathing his sword, he felt something in his left cloak pocket. It was the flask that Shorty had, he smiled that familiar smile and said to himself, “Thanks, Shorty.” Theo looked down at the beheaded body of the slowly decaying corpse and saw the black thick blood oozing out of his neck. He bent over and filled the flask with the blood. He then took a small sip for taste and toxicity. Feeling a sense of pacification, he went to his black onyx cruiser and headed off into the heavy blizzard.

Lightning crackled across the snow filled night sky. Theodor searched his pockets for a cigarette, then for a light. He tried the finger flame that he saw Shorty do, but chuckled when he couldn’t do it. Feeling around his cloak pockets, he found a book of matches from the club that he met Shorty. The book was all black with just the dark purple letters: ‘Club Haven’.

‘It a good place as any to start’, he thought to himself and turn Onyx toward the club.

The song on the radio is that of the same song when he woke from his dream, ironically enough, where it left off.

“My beloved do you know

when the warm wind comes again

another year will start to pass

and please don’t ask me why I’m here

something deeper brought me that I need to remember”



Theo was a bit stunned to see that he knew where the club was just having been there once. He pulled down the same alley as last time. The snow covered the alley and everything in it like a clean white blanket. After pulling up to the back door of the club, he started to get an odd feeling that he was being watched. He looked around before shutting off the engine, and then saw something in the rear view mirror on the driver’s door. He saw a shadow standing at the opening of the alley behind him. He turned quickly and saw it was a female. She was slender and tall with long dark hair. At first, Theo thought it might have been his beloved. He turned quickly back again at the mirror, and there was nothing there but the reflection of falling snow. He looked back again to see who it was, but the person was not there.

The faint song played on the radio:



“My beloved do you know

How many times I’ve stared at clouds

Thinking that I saw you there

These are feelings that do not pass so easily

I can’t forget what we claimed was ours”



“Maybe it was wishful thinking.” he thought to himself and then turned off the car. He decided to be careful and checked his pearl handled pistol. He stopped to admire the style of the weapon, 9mm, the clip held 20 rounds, he remembered using one, the handle was white pearl, and it fit well in his hand. After setting the safety, he stuck it in its usual place in his belt behind him. He thought about bringing ‘beloved’ but its length of 40” long and the cross blades at 12”, it made it difficult to conceal, so he decided to leave it and locked the cruiser. The sign on the metal black door said ‘Haven’. He could hear the music through it a wondered if he should use it. He decided to use the main entrance for now, and once inside, stay close to this door.

He walked towards the opening of the alley where he thought he saw someone. It was the street side of the main entrance to the club. Walking to the door, he noticed that people were showing signs of cold weather. It is snowing, but he didn’t feel the cold, but he pulled his cloak tight around him to blend in. When he reached the main entrance, the same door man was there and saw Theo approaching, “Welcome back, Mr. Knight” he greeted Theo with a smile and held out his left arm to show the way. Theo smirked and thought, “I could get used to this.”

Once inside, the song that was playing was that of the song in the car exactly were he left off, which was very loud and fast. He noticed that it was darker than last time since they have only the strobe light going with the beat of the song. He was able to make out the back area where he had met Shorty. The light was on but very low and the area was empty. Picking the same spot as last time and opened his cloak and ordered his usual and looked around. He saw the people on the dance floor look almost identical as the last time, and then he got that eerie feeling again of being watched. The bartender was directly in front of him with his drink but that wasn’t it. As he picked up his glass and looked straight as the bartender moved out of the way, there at the far end of the bar was that girl again! from the alley!

She had and oval shaped face with a prominent chin and a piercing above her top lip center and below her bottom lip center, each was a small silver bead. Her hair was dark and long, with some streaks of purple and red, most of it was straight and flowed past her shoulder and just below her full-size breasts. Hanging from each ear were strands of chains of about 3” long with a small teardrop shaped pearl at the ends. She had on a black sleeveless sweater that was snug and showed her slender figure. The sweater had a thick turtle neck that hugged her throat, the rest was behind the bar he couldn’t see. Theo did noticed something else, as she was leaning on the bar with both elbows, with her head tilt forward, he saw there were two strands of hair that curled down over each eye, which he saw were black, all black! and staring right at him.

Lowering his glass, he thought, “Now what?” then he looked down at his drink hoping she’d go away, but he knew better. He looked up and she was still there!

Her eyes were looking right at his and he saw they were bright blue now, then she tilted just her head a few degrees to the right as the strands pivoted like a pendulum, then her eyes changed to bright green! Tilting her head now a few degrees to the left, the strands pivoting again, her eyes now yellow!

Theo gave himself a long blink and took a deep breath. It’s been a long 24 hours for him. Maybe it’s the stuff in Shorty’s flask that’s making him see things, he thought to himself. He looked behind him and saw the back door to the alley near the restrooms on the other side of the pool table. Theo decided this would be a good time to visit the restroom.

Returning from the john, he walked back to his spot and saw her there! Now he could see the rest of her. Leaning her back against the bar, she stood about 5’ 10” tall, sleek and a bit athletic. Her legs were long and slender, and she wore a very tight black cotton pants that also hugged. She wore boots that went up to her knees with 3” heels that gave her that excess height. But Theo wasn’t interested in that, he was mostly concerned at what she had strapped to the right thigh. It looked like a holster, a very large holster, with a very large metallic weapon in it.

Theo walked right up to her within 4 feet and watched as she remained still with her elbows on the bar her body leaning just a bit back and her head still tilted forward with those strands dangling in front of her face. Her eyes are now a bright green.





Chapter IX



“A Long F’n Storee”







“You’re in my way.” Theo said, hoping she’d move, but somehow knew better.

Without moving a muscle she replied with a low raspish voice, “You’re in my way.” She spoke with conviction and emphasis on ‘my’. Not knowing what she meant, Theo sighed and walked next to her on her left and reached over, sliding his drink to his new spot. He saw that all she moved was her head a few inches to her left and now her eyes all black and looking at him from the very corner.

Becoming very irritated by this, Theo pulled out a cigarette and lit it using the matches he had in his cloak pocket. He took a deep drag and blew out the smoke slowly at her to back her off. All she did was turn her head to the far right for a bit then turned back to the left at him again, but this time it was followed by her right hand holding what appeared to be a weapon, a very large weapon, she was holding it sideways to his chest. Theo looked at her, a bit confused, and saw her head tilted forward and her eyes still black, those strands dangling in front of her face, her left elbow still on the bar and her right arm perfectly toned and stretched with a sliver metal gun of some sort with a 1” diameter bore in her hand horizontal pointing it a few inches from his chest. “Can I help you?” asked Theo very confused.

This sort of thing must happen here quite a bit, since the crowd in the club didn’t even pay any attention to any thing around them, except the bartender, “Storee! Not in here, please!” he shouted at her from the other side of the bar. Her eyes turned red as she was annoyed by the bartenders’ request and lowered her weapon and placed it back in its holster without once looking away from Theo. “WHAT?!” Theo yelled out at her. Finally moving her body, she turned toward him and stood straight in front of him. Her right hand rested on the butt of that large weapon, and placed her left hand on the bar just a few inches away from Theo. He saw she had long slender fingers with long deep black nails. Leaning her head very forward, those strands dangling in front of her eyes, now very black, she spoke with a tone very low and with no emotion, “you killed two of my guys.”

‘Those guys at the cemetery worked for her? Who is she?’ Theo wondered as he stared back at those cold black eyes. He turned his eyes red and showed his fangs to scare her off a bit, but all she did was move in closer and said with a harsh tone, “What’s your point?” Theo changed back quickly and asked, “What’s your deal with me, why did you send those guys to kill me?” She tilted her head a bit to the right and said, “I’m a bounty hunter. If it weren’t for my friend Joe the bartender, I’d blow your head off right now and collect.” Theo figured it was time to end this now as he move his head inches from her and slowly reached behind him for his weapon. They were both startled by the sound of a hand slammed on the bar near them. It was the bartender Joe, he said with total conviction, “Take it outside!” They turned and looked at each other and each raised their right eyebrow and slowly backed off. Theo pointed the way to the back door that lead to the alley where his black cruiser waited, “Lady’s first.” She gave him a smug look for the remark and headed to the door. Theo walked behind her as he noticed her right hand still rested on the butt of that large weapon. She walked straight and steady through the door and disappeared.

Once outside, he looked around and didn’t see her, it was snowing very hard now, and the cruiser was covered with a white blanket. He saw to right a large green trash dumpster also covered in snow. The back door to the club closed and muffled the music inside. The ground had at least 3” of snow. He looked around again, and then he heard a loud click behind him. She pressed the barrel of the large weapon to the back of his head and pushed it forward. He turned and saw she had the weapon horizontal and a few inches from his nose, her head tilted forward again and the strands dangled in front of her eyes. That’s when Theo noticed she was using those strands as a guide for her eyes. “So are you one of us?” he asked biding his time.

Her eyes turned from red to yellow and then she smiled and showed her front two fangs and replied, “You tell me.”

Theo then asked, “And you hunt your own kind?”

She tilted her head slightly to the left and said with a soft feminine tone, “A girl’s gotta make a living.”

Theo looked at her a bit then asked, “So how about earning you money?”

She stood very still and asked, “What did you have in mind?”

Theo raised his hands slowly to show he had no weapon but a set of keys and for her not to shoot as he walked to his car. The barrel of the weapon followed him perfectly. He opened the driver side door and slowly pulled out the sword then closed the car door. He held the sword low and in front of him and stood ready to fight.

The tall slender hunter watched his eyes for a bit then looked at the sword and read the word inscribed. Her eyes turned gray then green. Theo was surprised to see her lower her weapon and put it back into its large holster.

She raised her head up, the strands fell back to the sides of her head. She looked at him a bit, her eyes still green. She kept her right hand resting on the butt of her weapon and placed her left hand on her hip and shifted her weight to her right leg. Theo watched still in wonder, as she suddenly went from serious hunter to a cute girl with a smile. She finally spoke with that feminine voice and asked, “You must be the knight?”

Theo’s eyes widened as he asked, “Who are you?”

She walked up to him with her right hand extended and said with a sweet smile, “My name is Storee. I met her. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize the cloak. It was hers, right?”

To Theo she seemed nice and pleasant now, which made him a bit uneasy. He shifted the sword to his left hand so he could shake her hand. “Yes.” He answered hesitantly.

“You look lost.” She said, then looking at the sword she asked, “May I?”

Theo reluctantly handed her the sword and watched as she held it as though she was holding a holy relic. “Wow, I haven’t seen this in a long time.” she said now swinging it and spinning about and walking around, admiring the craftsmanship.

“How long?” Theo asked inquisitively.

She paused a bit in thought and then said, “It was about a hundred years ago.”

As the snow drifted around them, Theo watched as she played with the sword like a child.

He became a bit impatient wanting more information. He walked over to where she was playing in front of the cruiser. As she swung it, he caught her by the wrist and said, “Do you mind, this is not a toy.”

As she gave the sword back to him, she sarcastically replied, “Sorry.”

He sheathed it then asked, “Tell me more of my beloved.”

Standing between Theo and the cruiser, she gave him a sweet smile and said, “Let’s go back inside, you can buy me a drink and I’ll tell you a tale.”

As she turned towards the door, she stopped suddenly. Theo stopped beside her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

She raised her long left, nail painted black index finger, and whispered, “Shhhh.”

Storee slowly went back to hunter mode, as she stood straight and rigid; with her smile gone, her eyes went from green to red to white. Tilting her head forward, and dropping the strands, she listened and looked slowly around. Looking down the far end of the alley, she watched through the falling snow as she waited. Theo stood beside her to her left and tried to see what she saw, but all he could see was the big white flakes of the blizzard falling slightly diagonal. Then in the distance, he saw some of the snow stop falling, it began to form a figure. Storee watched the figure, her eyes still white. She placed her right hand on the butt of that large weapon as the figure began to get closer. With a split second, she had the weapon out and horizontally pointed at the figure.

Theo placed his right hand on his sword thinking, “Here we go again.”

The figure got within a few feet and was able to be seen. Storee lowered her weapon once she saw who it was and asked, “What are you doing here?”

Theo looked strangely at Storee and asked, “Do you know him?”

She stood stiff and didn’t take her white eyes off the figure as she replied, “Yes, he’s a bounty hunter. His name is Michael Ashe.”

The figure looked deep into Theo’s eyes and added, “Yes, and I’m here to collect.”

Theo looked a bit puzzled at Storee. She could sense his concern as she stated with soft feminine tone of sarcasm, “Oh yeah, by the way, there’s a contract out on you.”

The figure got closer as Theo saw it was a man about 5’7” with what seemed to be a shaved head and a neat mustache with a neatly trimmed goatee. His eyes were a dark brown. He appeared very elegant, with a long stylish leather jacket. His hands were in his pocket as he stepped closer to Theo. Storee quickly raised her weapon to stop him.

“Don’t even.” She said, her head tilted, eyes red, she meant business.

Michael Ache stopped in his tracks and slowly pulled out his hands from his pocket, “Whoa! Relax, Storee. I just wanted to introduce myself.” He had a slight smirk as he said it.

Storee stood firm, with weapon still trained on Michael Ashe’s head, “ok,” she began as she stared deep into his eyes and with a deep low tone said, “Michael Ashe, bounty hunter , meet Theodor Knight, my friend.” She watched as his smirk drop. “There, introduction over, sorry, but you’re not invited.”

Michael Ashe slowly put his hands back in his pockets as he watched Storee lower her weapon again, and said “Did you forget the first rule of being a bounty hunter?”

Storee’s eyes went from red to black and said as she put her weapon in its holster, “There are exceptions.”

Theo leaned over to her and asked, “Is he one of us or one of you?”

Storee glanced with her black eyes at Theo insulted by the question.

“I’m neither.” Michael answered before she had a chance to reply. “I’m not a vampire, if that’s what you want to know, but I am an exceptional bounty hunter. You see,” Michael then raised is right hand to his goatee and began stoking it from chin to end as he continued, “being immortal has its advantages and disadvantages, and as for me the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. So,” he continued, still stroking his goatee with all fingers, “while doing business in the underworld is taking a chance of being someone’s lunch, I am very resourceful, and I manage to accommodate the undead. One example, a vampire walks this earth for many years without being noticed, I help lose them in society. Another example, your contract,” Michael paused a moment and shifted his eyes to Storee.

“As far as I’m concerned, there is no contract.” Storee said with a stern tone, still watching Michael Ashe with her eyes still black. Her right dangle of hair moved slightly and her eyes turned slowly white and focused behind Michael’s head. One of the advantages of being able to change the color of your eyes is that no one can see what you are focusing on. Michael saw her eyes change and knew she may have seen something. He quickly shifted his eyes to Theo, completely ignoring Storee’s statement.

Theo needed information and asked, “What about my contract?”

Michael simply replied, “Just that it’s ‘dead not alive’.”

Theo wondered who would want him dead. Then he realized that it had to have been his beloved’s captor, Liam Tej. “He knows.” he thought to himself as a chill went through his body at the thought of his beloved harmed due to his love for her. It enraged him. Just has he was about to try and get the name from Michael, Storee saw a figure at the end of the alley moving through the heavy falling snow.







Chapter X



“To be continued”







With a split second she pulled out the large weapon and said calmly but loudly, “Tranqs!” as she leaped to her left and fired a shot.

The sound from her weapon echoed through out the empty factories and abandoned buildings. Michael Ashe slowly moved to the shadows of the alley and watched as his minions did his dirty work. Without any emotion, he raised a menthol cigarette to his lips and lit it with a wooden match stick. Taking a deep drag, he blew out the smoke, broke the match in half with his thumb and pulled up his collar to help with the chill of the falling snow.

KRA-BOOM!! Another shot rang out from the large weapon, then with full force she hit Theo in the chest with her body, and they both hit the snowy ground and rolled behind a huge dumpster. They landed with Storee directly on top of Theo with both feet firmly near his shoulders,

“Change now!” she said again, with a loud but clam tone. Theo watched as she showed her fangs and her nails grew longer. Still holding the large weapon in her right hand, she slowly crept from off Theo’s chest and leaned against the dumpster. Sparks flared near her head as she tried to look around the corner, and the sounds of tiny pings hitting the metallic shield.

“They use tranquilizer guns against us. It gives them time to capture or kill.” She spoke like a military person giving a play by play of an attack. With her eyes still white, she looked all around them, and saw three creatures flying high in the snow storm.

“Does that sword work?” Storee said with a calm and mellow tone.

Theo laid flat on his back a bit stunned, and then he saw the three flying creatures circling above. Kra-Boom! Correction, make that two flying creatures. As a headless bloody body with bat-like wings splattered a few feet from them, Storee said, still calm, “I could use a little help.”

Theodor Knight glanced at the black blood oozing from the quickly decaying body. He stood straight and searched his cloak pocket and pulled out Shorty’s flask. As he unscrewed the cap he calmly walked to the dead creature and knelt near a pool of black liquid dipping the flask in and filled the container. Then he stood straight and firm and took a long sip, re-capping the flask and placed it back in his left cloak pocket.

After feeling the affect of the liquid, and allowing the creature within him to surface, he drew his sword from its sheath and looked up at one of the creatures and whispered with a hiss, “In the name of my beloved.”

With sword extended, he leaped into the air towards one of the flying demons.

Storee watched and without any expression said to herself, “It’s about time.” She then flinched from a ping close to her head and focused her attention towards its origin. Kra-boom!

Theodor Knight flew at one of the winged creatures as it rolled out of the way. He missed stabbing it with his sword by inches. He turned to his right and the creature coming right at him. Swinging the sword toward it – he managed to slice it across the chest, enough to make it fly off in a different direction. Another flew passed Theo’s head. He swings his sword left as the creature got within range and stabs it in right through the chest. The speed of the creature made its body slide all the way up the blade. Theo held the body up for a bit and watched it die, then slowly lowered the sword to let the gravity slide the body off the blade.

Theo watched the body fall just a few meters behind Storee landing directly on top of a creature creeping up behind her. Storee pivots her weapon and her body a perfect 180 degrees and stops to see a bloody mess. She then looks up and sees Theo a half mile above, with catlike reflexes she quickly and perfectly raised her massive weapon and aimed it at him.

Before Theo could react, Kra-boom! He opened his eyes to the sound of a splat behind him. Turning around he saw the falling pieces of meat and blood. A ping ricochet off the metal dumpster and Storee pivoted back her weapon and body a perfect 180 degrees. Kra-boom! She turned her head up at Theo and said in a normal and calm tone, “I have these assholes, Go now! Ash has the information you need.” Another ping and Kra-boom!



As Theodor was about to fly off to find Michael Ash, Storee added, “And if you have to, try not to kill him, I’ve got a score to settle.” Theo grunted at that for a bit, but knew why. Their profession has a code, when betrayed. Theo respected her professional honor of revenge.

He hesitated for a second, not wanting to leave Storee fight it out alone, but saw that she looked like a special op’s military commando fighting an easy attack. Kra-boom! And splat goes another.

Theo looked out into the midnight blizzard. He looked around the vast city of abandoned warehouses and empty factories. To find Michael Ash would be a task but the heavy snow and cold air makes it easy for an animal to hunt prey, as was in Theo’s case now.

Flying high above the city he felt a strong sense of angry and hate. It fueled his blackened blood and fired his cold heart. His love for his beloved had no boundaries. Centuries have gone by and she finds him. Only to have her taken from him again. Theo’s rage made him become more vicious and his senses becoming more acute.

He focused on his prey, the one man now who could give him the name of his employer. The name of beloved’s captor, and the one wanting him dead.

Theo looked down. The city was covered in white and gray.

Long ago this city lived. There were factories, steel mills, warehouses, homes and plaza’s. One of the steel mills had a machine that pumped heat for the steel. It was always on and it sounded like the heartbeat of some beast. Many factories ran none stop, so they had to keep their lights on all the time. It kept the city always bright, even at night. This city now shrouded in darkness and sorrow, once thrived in the glow of vibrant light. This city, that once helped shaped the nation, now lays in quiet slumber.

At the far west end of the city was the largest of all the mills. It had two large cranes that once moved north and south and east and west. On the city’s final hour, when it drew its last breath and all fell silent, the two cranes slowed a stop. One crane stopped at a diagonal position pointing north, the other stepped just in front with its steel arm pointing south. When the sun sets on the horizon each night, the two cranes form a sort of slanted cross. Like that of an old grave.

Theodor Knight looked intently through the darkness and through the falling heavy snow. Using his newly sharpened senses he focused on the footprints in the thick snow, which led from the back alley of the Haven westward towards the massive steel grave marker.

He followed them for a few blocks then saw as they became more visible, fresh! He paused above a warehouse and scouted ahead following the fresh tracks as they lead down a few more blocks and then down another dark alley. This city’s filled with alleys, like the emptied veins of a great mammoth beast. Theo knew to be cautious and fly above the buildings and above the alley flying toward the other end to beat his prey.

Just then, a brilliant flash of lighting startled Theo in his flight. The bright light cast shadows across the alley, giving shape to demons and creatures that weren’t there. Except for one, he saw down the far end of the alley. Quickly he flew towards the figure. His slow beating heart was filled with rage as he closed in on his target.

Michael Ash stood at the end of the alley with his back turned toward Theo, his jacket collar pulled up close around his neck. With his hand deep in his pocket, Michael stood still and motionless. As Theo got within a few feet of him, he stopped sharply behind him.

Theo hesitated for a moment allowing all his rage to surface. Slowly Michael turned, still with his hand in his pockets. Upon seeing Theo’s anger, Michael showed no real fear but a concern.

Pulling his left hand out slowly and raising it to his chin, he slowly stroked his goatee and quietly said, “Easy. You don’t want to kill me.”

Theo thought quickly of what Storee asked but felt so enraged he wanted nothing more than to tear Michael’s head off and eat his heart out. But, he knew Michael was right. Theo needed him alive for the information he held would help him find his beloved.

With his throat dry from anger, he asked with a harsh tone, “Who hired you?”

Michael gave Theo a sinister smirk, and lowered his left hand back in his jacket pocket to warm it up again from the cold blizzard air. The alley gave a little cover from the snow that was falling diagonally. He took out a pack of cigarettes from is right pocket and replied with a nonchalant tone, “Right down to business huh?” He slowly pulled out a cigarette from its box then slowly put the cigarette between his lips and slowly put the box back in its right pocket.

Theo watched in total fury as Michael delayed in giving him an answer. He watched as Michael now pulled both hands out slowly with the left hand holding a small metal object. Michael held it up to the end of the cigarette and pushed some secret button and a blue flame lit his cigarette.

With a more intense rage and a deeper more guttural tone, Theo repeats, “WHO HIRED YOU!!!”

Michael ash took a long drag from his cigarette and waited a good second or two, then lowered the metal object with his left hand and using his thumb and index finger, took the cigarette from his lips and exhaled the smoke.

“What will you do if I tell you the name?” asked Michael taking in another drag. Theo’s eyes turned red with anticipation and wrath as he slowly pulled out the sword from its sheath, holding it point down and toward Michael. He stared deep into Michael’s eyes and tried fiercely to read his mind.

Michael felt his mind being probed and while playing with the metal object in his left hand, pushed another button and ‘thwip!’

Theo felt something sharp stick in his neck below his right ear. With his left hand he quickly covered his neck and felt a tiny needle sticking out. Dropping the sword into the deep snow, he quickly began to lose control of his functions. “You son of a b…!” Theo gurgled, as he slowly fell to his knees.

Michael Ash put the metal object back in his left jacket pocket, and slowly smoked his menthol cigarette, as he watched Theo slowly become sedated.

“I’m doing this for your own good.” Michael said with total conviction in his voice, giving the tranquillizer time for its full affect. He walked around Theo smoking his cigarette. Then stopped in front of him and knelt down to see his face.

Theo looked up, his eyes a bright yellow. He tried with all his rage to stand and reach out to grab Michael but the drug was coursing through is blackened veins.

Michael said in a solemn tone, “I have something to tell you but I need to know you won’t try to kill me.” He backed up a bit and took a long drag. He watched as Theo fell on his left side and laid motionless for a while in the deep snow. Michael knew that the drug is now at its full potential, and could now talk to him without any worries of attack.

Sitting near Theo now, Michael made himself comfortable and lit up another cigarette. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a silver flask. As he unscrewed it he said to Theo, “I’d offer you some, but I think you had enough.” Then he took a gulp to help warm him in the cold blizzard.

“I like you.” He continued. “Any friend of Storee’s is a friend of mine. Sorry bout the whole ‘trying to kill you’ thing. It’s just business.” He took another drag and another gulp.

Theo laid there helpless and full of rage but couldn’t move. He was annoyed that he had no choice but to listen to this jerk. He felt himself slowly losing consciousness and fought it with all his wrath.





Chapter XI



“Message in a locket”





“What I have to tell you will, no doubt, piss you off.” Michael finally said. “So, listen carefully, because I don’t want to repeat it.” He took a long drag and a long gulp for courage. Then he leaned in close to Theo’s head and whispered, “Your beloved is dead.”

Theo managed to yell out a grunt when he heard the words from Michael Ash. He wanted so much to kill him now. Michael saw this and said, “Hey, don’t blame the messenger.” He took another drag and continued, “The man you knew as Liam Tej found out about you and felt betrayed that she searched for you all these years. He cut her heart out.” He said it with no feeling at all. “So, I think you should give up this romantic quest and come work for me.” He took another chug from the flask and asked, “So, whatya think?”

Michael saw that Theo was trying to say something so he moved in closer to his head. Theo said with a faint whisper, “You better kill me now, cause if I live through this, I’ll be drinking your blood from that flask.”

Pulling himself to his feet, Michael Ash took a large swallow and took a last long drag from his cigarette and flicked it away, then capped his flask and placed it back in his jacket. Pulling the collar tight around his neck, he watched awhile as Theo fell unconscious. Reaching into another inside pocket, he pulled out a necklace and placed it in Theo’s right hand.

As he turned to walk away he whispered in sympathy, “A knight without a cause.” Then he walked into the blizzard and disappeared.

Theo dreamed he was in another place, another time. There was a large stone casket on a large marble altar a few feet in front of him. As he slowly walked toward the casket he felt his whole body sting with anticipating horror. Three steps led up the altar. He looked into the casket that had a crystal lid. There she laid motionless. Dressed in a radiant purple dress, her face was emotionless, even in death he could still see her infinite beauty. A silver locket rested on her chest just above her cleavage. Filled with sorrow and fury, he collapsed onto the casket and cried.

“Knight! Wake up, Knight!” a voice called out in a faint distance. It was Storee. She was knelling over him now shaking and trying to revive him. “You’ve been tranq’d.” she said with that calm tone of hers. “I’m surprised he didn’t kill you.”

The blizzard had gotten worse. Theo rolled on his back feeling his body fill with an unusual sensation. His body ached, but his head was in more pain than he could fathom. Tears rolled from his eyes. The dream still burned in his mind.

“Get up Knight. We have work to do.” Storee said, still sounding like a military commando. As she was about to pick him up, she stepped on something metal and picked up the sword instead. As if nothing was wrong, she began to play with in again, swinging it and feeling its craftsmanship.

“You can keep it.” Theo finally managed to grunt the words. Storee swung around in total surprise.

“What did you say?” it was the first time he had heard emotion in her tone.

“I said, keep it. I have no use for it anymore.” He laid in the thick snow hoping the blizzard will bury him there along with the rest of the dead town. Storee walked over to him holding the sword in her left hand and reached down with her right and picked him up off his feet and pulled him to her face and once again with a gentle tone asked, “What is wrong with you? Are you still dreaming?”

With his eyes wide open he looked down into Storee’s eyes which were now green and said, “She’s dead.” He hung there waiting for her reaction. Storee looked into his eyes and saw he was serious. Her eyes turned blue, as she slowly lowered him to his feet.

With no words or emotion she waited a bit and looked up at the falling snow as it hit her face. Then with a sudden jolt of reality, she looked at Theo and smiled the turned around and walked away still holding the sword. “I need a drink.” She said with a slight lilt in her tone this time.

Theo watched as she walked towards a familiar dark object a few yards away. It was Onyx, his lovely cruiser. He had left the keys in it. As Storee reached the driver side door she turned and looked at Theo still with a smirk and asked, “Are you coming? I’ll drive. I think you’re in no condition.” Then she placed the sword in its place in the door and got in the car.

Theo stood for a moment and looked at his right hand that was closed into a fist the whole time. When he opened his hand he saw the silver necklace. He found himself reluctantly walking towards the vehicle and opened the passenger door and got in. Once inside, the warmth of the car gave him a sense of peace. He turned and saw the smile on Storee’s face and fumed. “Why….” He barley got the word out before she interpreted him. “Why am I smiling?” she asked with a girlish tone.

Theo waited for her to answer the question. He tried to read her mind, but instead heard her singing along with the song on the radio as she drove wildly and furiously through the harsh blizzard to the cliffs that over look the dead city.

As they rounded a tight left curve high above the city, Theo became more agitated. The song played on and Storee kept singing with a smile. Theo heard the words but it didn’t seem fit. He griped the necklace tight in his right hand and finally yelled, “What?!!” and stared at her. She spun the wheel sharp to the left then hard to the right make the cruiser slide left towards the edge of the cliff and stop just a few feet from the edge.

Storee put the car in neutral and pulled the emergency brake up hard. Shifting her slender body in the seat towards Theo, still with a grin, slowly felt around his cloak for the flask, reached in and pull it out. Theo was completely confused, “is this the way she handles bad news?” he thought to him self.

Unscrewing the flask, she whisper “No.” just before taking a drink. She took a long swallow then passed it to Theo. He took it with his left hand and looked at her face for a bit. Still with a smile, her eyes were now normal green. Her hair was back, the 2 tangles were tucked back behind her ears. Theo noticed her piercings were silver and shined with the glow of the light of the dash board. She watched him a bit, waiting for him to drink. He slowly raised the flask to his lips then took a slow sip, as he she spoke softly and clearly, “She’s alive.”

Choking from the liquid and the words he heard, Storee took the flask back from him before he spilled it all. “Wha, what did you say?” he choked out the words.

“I said she’s alive.” She took another swallow.

“What makes you think so?” he said still trying to clear his throat.

Storee took a long swallow from the flask and started to feel the affects and stared out the windshield to the city covered in a gray and white blanket of snow. The blizzard got harder and thicker. A flash of lighting filled the sky. “It’s simple,” she said with total conviction. “Michael Ash lied.”

“Why would he lie about that?” Theo asked with his temper flaring.

Taking another sip, she licked her lips, passed the flask back to him and calmly said, “To save your life.”

Theodor Knight knew nothing of this man, ‘Why would he want to save me, he doesn’t even know me. What would he want from me?’ His mind filled with many questions. Storee turned and raised her right hand up in gesture to stop. “I’ll explain.”

She took the flask back from him not waiting for him to take a sip. She spoke softly and analytically, “If you continue on your hunt for her, things could get messy for him. He could lose business, not to mention his own life in the process. So, he figured that if you think she’s dead, your give up and maybe he can hire you to do his bidding.”

Theo remembered Michael making that suggestion.

“Ah ha! See?” Storee smiled at him again.

Theo pondered what she said a moment then opened his right hand and held it to her. Storee slowly reached with her long thin fingers and picked up the necklace by the chain with her long nails. She then placed the silver locket in her left hand and admired the artistry. It was that of an angel’s head with wings behind it.

“I gave that to her when we were once together, many years ago.” Theo said with a reminiscing tone.

She opened the locket, admiring and feeling its age and power of many centuries, Storee said with no doubt, “This proves she’s alive.”

“How?” Theo asked in total confusion.

Storee slowly turned the locket towards Theo to let him see inside.

Theodor’s eyes widened and a smile spread across his face, as he took the locket back and leaped out of the vehicle. Storee opened her side and got out leaving the doors open for them to still hear the music from the radio inside. She walked in front of the cruiser standing in front of the headlights and watched as he walked to her. They both stood directly in front of the idling car, as he re-read what was in the locket. “She’s alive.” Theo said with a grateful whisper.

A brilliant flash of lightening seemed to fill the world, followed by a crack of thunder that felt like it split the earth. Storee and Theo looked down at the city as the blizzard became fierce. Taking another sip from the flask, Storee leaned against the cruiser and watched as Theo’s face grew stronger and full of life and confidence. Snapping the locket shut and looped it around his neck, he walked over to the drivers side of Onyx and pulled out the sword.

With the wind of the blizzard whipping his cloak opened and about, he walked strong and steady with sword in his right hand to the very edge of the cliff. Another flash of lightened flared across the sky just above the city. Theo looked down and saw the city that was dead, but knew somewhere, there amongst the dead ruins of factories and warehouse, somewhere amongst the dimly lit clubs of darkness and evil, there was hope.

Standing there on top of the highest cliff above the city he felt strange, different, he felt reborn. His beloved was alive! His love for her grew even stronger. His want for her grew more every second. Theo’s rage filled with every crackle of thunder. The beast was now unleashed, this time with more fury. His eyes glowed red at the sky above him. Another flash of lightening crisscrossed above him. With all his rage he lifted his sword pointing it to the heavens and yelled out his beloved’s true name! At the instant a loud clap of thunder deafened the city.

Storee watched as she stayed leaning against the black cruiser. She took another swallow from the flask and saw as the lightened threw Theo’s silhouette across the sky, as he stood with sword point up and the wind whipping his cloak and hallowed her true name each time with a clap of thunder to quench his words.

Her head filled with the intoxicating liquid, allowing herself to feel a sense of triumph. Listening to the words now playing on the radio, a tear fell from her eye as she watched in wonder, knowing the hazards to come of the journey of the Knight.





















You gave me this

Made me give

Your silver grin

still sticking it in

You have some machine soul machine

Soul of Machine



The longest kiss

Feeling furniture days

Drift madly to you

Pollute my heart; Drain



You have stolen me

broken me

stolen me

broken me



All your mental armor drags me down

nothing hurts like your mouth



Your loaded smiles and pretty just deserts

Wish it all for you

So much it never hurts



You have soul machine

Stolen me



all your mental armor drags me down

We can't breathe when we come around

All your mental armor drags me down

nothing hurts like your mouth



We'd been missing long before

never found our way home

We'd been missing long before

we will found our way



You gave me this

made give



you have soul machine

broken free



all your mental armor drags me down

we can't breathe when we come around

all your mental armor drags me down

nothing hurts like your mouth



all your mental armor

all your mental armor

and your mouth...



End: Book 1