《The Last Death Mage》


 Chapter Zero: Prologue

    Prologue


    In a secret compound far beneath the earth, in a dark room sat multiple men and women seated evenly around a circular table, they were holding a meeting. The largest seat held and equally large man, who while rather heavy, held the markings of one whose strength was still there, The man spoke in a deep rumbling voice that echoed across the room. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, you all know why we are here, to discuss the growing issue of Rogue and Feral mages.¡± He paused letting it sink into the others present before continuing ¡°Through much research it has come to our attention that this particular problem was caused by our own complacency. In the haste to eradicate the Necromancers that violate the peace of the dead and the Demon worshipping Warlocks, it appears that we as a whole have further destroyed the subtle balance of magic.¡± As his words echoed, the other people present started to murmur and raise their voices in dissent. The woman next to the large man surveyed the others with a cold indifferent look as the squabbled amongst themselves. ¡°ENOUGH.¡± The large man spoke in a near whisper, his voice carried though, soon enough the room became silent. ¡°I realize that this is difficult to swallow for some of you, but this is a reality now.¡±


    He looked at each of the other men and women as he spoke. ¡°Unfortunately since all the Mages with inherent connections to Death and to a lesser extent Black magic have been neutralized by the Order headed by our overzealous counterparts in Europe, this is an irreparable truth, we cannot remedy this matter.. For now all we can do is become stricter and set our Seers and oracles to keep watch to keep ahead of these incidents.¡± He paused to continue when a shy timid sounding voice interrupted. ¡°U-uh, Sir? Excuse me, but that isn¡¯t entirely accurate.¡± The speaker was a younger woman, by far the youngest of those in the room, but no less influential among them. ¡°There is one who may fit what we need, In fact he was the nephew of one of us.¡± She glanced at the woman whose atmosphere made one feel chills for a moment before continuing to speak. ¡°I am sure all of you recall the raid conducted on the Coven headed by the last vampiric descendant of the being known as Dracula. ¡°


    A click and a whirring sound could be heard as a projection appeared on the wall opposite them. She waited for the assembled to reorient themselves before she continued. ¡°We know that they had been kidnapping children and that the Order interrupted some sort of ritual sacrifice. There were two children involved in that case: Tristan Carver and Kandace Martin.¡± On the screen two teens were shown, one an attractive redheaded girl with a spattering of freckles across her nose, the other was a tall athletically built teen with dark, dark, black hair that contrasted with his paleness. ¡°They were on their way home from an engagement at their school when the both of them were grabbed. Afterwards the girl Kandace was sacrificed to summon something, we are still not sure what, we think it was the firstborn of Dracula, anyways, that is what we know from our own sources.¡± She paused as a few of the others started to grumble as that was information they all knew previously, and they didn¡¯t like their time to be wasted. ¡°I was able to obtain Order Footage of the event. As you will see, it paints a different picture form what we had heard.¡± Another click could be heard as a video started playing on the screen. It portrayed a large cavernous room full of people, at first glance they appeared to be human, but the feral twisted look on the faces of some gave them away for what they were, Vampires.


    Some of them wore ornate hoods and cloaks, others were in other modes of dress, and others still were lacking clothes at all, feasting on the blood and bodies of the unfortunate ones who were sacrificed beforehand. In the center of the room, there were two teens, the only living non-thrall humans among those present. The boy, Tristan was tied to a stake, while the girl, Kandace was secured to a stone altar, her clothes torn, revealing much of her skin. After several moments of silence a tall figure draped in heavy robes entered, and the mass of vampires parted as the figure moved towards the altar. When he reached the altar he took his hood down revealing a familiar face to the two teens, he was a teacher at their school. The man turned around and addressed the assembled vampires. ¡°Today my brethren we shall finally succeed, these two are the sacrifices we have been looking for. One is a human descendant of our lord Dracula, the other will serve as the flesh sacrifice to bring our Mother, Our Goddess to this Plane, to us!!¡± as his speech ended, his eyes lit up with a frantic and fanatic gleam. The assembled vampires cheered and screamed at his words and got equally worked up.


    He reached into his robes and pulled out a large ornate dagger, that had the emblem of Vlad Tepes Dracula, the son of the Dragon. At the moment he did so, the already cheering Vampires erupted into even louder noise. He moved swiftly not giving any present the time to react he plunged the dagger into Kandace¡¯s chest, painting her clothes crimson. The blood was present for but a moment before it was absorbed into the dagger. A crimson glow arose from the dagger and settled over her trembling and shuddering form. Seeing this, Tristan¡¯s eyes blanked out and for a moment his struggles against his bonds that had been near constant, stopped. Then shortly afterwards his struggles intensified, and his eyes turned black. A Dark aura rose around him and then expanded; causing those it hit to feel chills. The robed man looked and a look of surprise crossed his face as a sinister smile took its place. ¡°I never expected that you would Awaken now, let alone to Awaken to Death, regardless you shall be a tasty .¡± It was at that moment that the constraints on him began to decay. The robed man advanced as Tristan escaped his confines and rushed at the vampire.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The vampire smirked and backhanded Tristan away, he flew back and collided with the constraining horde of vampires, but that did little to stop his momentum. All in his way scattered, either using their unnatural speed or they were knocked about like bowling pins when he impacted with them. He hit the stone wall and a crater was formed, with cracks leading from it due to the force of the impact. He spat out a massive amount of blood and much of the crater formed was painted with blood from his body. His body fell to the ground, with a sickening splat, his body lay there for but a moment before the Aura around him intensified. His wounds closed and his skin shifted as the bones rearranged and took their proper places in his body, those that were shattered by the impact reformed. Tristan arose and for a moment he floated, the sheer density of his magical aura keeping him afloat. He rushed towards the vampire, who disappeared in a blur and Tristan¡¯s momentum stopped cold. The robed vampire held Tristan still with one hand at his throat, his arm that was in contact with the Aura visibly decayed and reformed at an astonishing rate.


    ¡°You are astonishingly strong for one to just have awoken but that matters little, your added strength will merely make you a more delicious meal.¡± The vampire then pulled Tristan in close and sank his fangs into the teen¡¯s neck. Soon enough the vampire finished and opened and held it to Tristan¡¯s mouth forcing him to ingest some of his blood. ¡°With this we shall have another Vampire from the line of Dracula, and a mage at that, you shall be powerful.¡± As he spoke he dropped Tristan¡¯s body and turned to address the vampires that had reassembled. ¡°With this, Brethren, We have gotten stronger and soon enough our Queen will be here, aGHH, Ahem.¡± The Robed vampire broke out into a series of coughs and started gagging. The veins on his body could be seen turning black and his coughing started to expel dark colored things along with blood. He looked at Tristan, who was unconscious still though his form shook as the change began, a look of horror crossed the vampires face as he began to fall apart and decompose and the aura around Tristan, which had dimmed, grew stronger.


    At that moment the mass of vampires was shaken by something. Blood spurted out, as a bullet impacted against the head of a vampire, the creature crumpled to the ground. Soon enough the same scene could be seen around the cavern, as heavily armed people entered and started engaging the previously distracted vampires. Soon enough the battle became evenly matched as the Vampires turned more attention to the intruders. During the chaos enfolding around him, Tristan regained consciousness for a moment. He crawled slowly towards the Altar, where Kandace still lay with the dagger embedded in her chest and a crimson glow around her. He reached the Altar and grasped the stone lip at the top staining it with his blood as he shakily rose. He grasped the dagger and pulled it out of her chest. The lack of blood in her body showed when no blood flowed out of the large wound in her chest. The crimson glow around her shook for a moment and dimmed before disappearing into her. Tristan pulled at her body and he staggered back and fell down next to the altar. He settled next to it with Kandaces body lying across him, he checked her pulse, and there was none. Engrossed as he was in this, he didn¡¯t notice the chaos around them dying down, as he extended a hand to cup her pale face, his action was interrupted by an arrogant mocking voice.


    ¡°Well will you look at this touching sight, really it is lovely and sweet.¡± The speaker was a tall handsome man dressed in gaudy white robes. Hope appeared in Tristan¡¯s eyes for a moment before they dimmed as he saw the look in the other man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Normally we have ways to stop the Change, but here is different. You see kid, you are different you Awakened, so with help could fight off the Change, but unfortunately you Awoke to a taboo magic. Sorry about this kid, but you gotta go.¡± As that was sinking in the man pulled a gun and shot Tristan between the eyes. He then turned around and yelled to the others ¡°Ok, that¡¯s a wrap folks, lets burn the bodies and collapse this place for clean up, then have the Government stooges mop up any loose ends.¡± As they left and the footage moved with them, the rearmost people tossed silver spheres behind them, which erupted into flame, and the room started to shake and crumble as it collapsed on top of itself. No one noticed when one of the prone forms near the altar rose. There was a click as the image disappeared and the footage ended.


    ¡°As you can see Ladies and Gentlemen, they did not tell us the entire truth about the incident.¡± The lady spoke briefly before pausing for a moment to let what they had seen settle in. ¡°After I obtained this footage I had some investigations done and had found traces of the boy. For around a few months after this incident there were reports of a being fitting his description that took care of troublesome beings. He also got into altercations with some of the Agents of the SSD and a few members of the Order, each altercation ended with his death, but he did not stay dead. From what our researchers have been able to determine, because of the lake of Inherent Death mages, when it Awoke in him the magic sought to create an anchor, simply put, His magic will not let him die. As for the girl, we have not seen her so we think she is dead, we are not aware of anything concerning what they tried to summon.¡± She looked at the other men and women and awaited a response. The large man spoke and said ¡°We shall put plans into motion for this, until something better can be thought of, agreed?¡± The assembled nodded or gave their assent in some other way.

 Chapter One: Discovery

    In a long concrete Hallway a tall pale redheaded boy with more freckles than unmarked skin was running looking behind his shoulder on occasion. As the redhead ran down the hallway a voice echoed around him ¡°Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Why are you running, it isn¡¯t like I am going to hurt you¡­Probably.¡± That was followed by a chuckle, which much like the voice echoed. The redheaded youth sped up as the chuckles cascaded over and around him. He took a left turn from the corridor he had been in and stopped abruptly. In front of him stood a darkly dressed figure, the one who had been chasing him throughout this place. The figure spoke in a light voice ¡°Jerry come on we had a deal, I would let you roam around and in exchange you had to stop causing disturbances in Women¡¯s shower rooms and the like.¡± He extended his arms gesturing to the area behind and around him. ¡°This to me looks rather like an area where women get undressed for various activities. Which certainly counts towards violating your end of the deal, this mea-¡± His reprisal was interrupted when Jerry turned partially transparent, and his form changed slightly to reveal what he actually was, a Ghoul, a form of undead and a sub-type of ghost, he impacted against the young man, for a moment. The young man hit the wall with a cough and as he fell down Jerry ran down another hallway hoping to lose his pursuer in the maze of corridors.


    Tristan picked himself up off the floor and shook himself off, and reached an arm behind him to remove some shards of glass and metal. When he hit the wall he smacked into a case with a fire extinguisher, He pulled the shards out with a grimace before looking around at the fresh blood adorning the hallway. He sighed and shook his head while thinking ¡®Why must he run, they all do, but why, ahh, so troublesome.¡¯ He shook his head once before he took off down the hallway after Jerry. The redheaded Ghoul was running down one of the hallways when a mass of black flew over his shoulder, but it dissipated in the air. He paused and halted for a moment before he looked over his shoulder at Tristan. The young man paused as his quarry did as well and launched a mass of darkness at the Ghoul, similar to what he had cast before, but this one turned into a net-like form and settled around the Ghoul. Jerry hissed as the magical bonds bit into and burned his flesh where they made contact. ¡°Jerry I wish it didn¡¯t have to come to this, especially since we knew each other before you became this, but you didn¡¯t hold up your end, and you also ended up attacking one of the women you were watching.¡±


    He paused for a moment to cast another spell, this time one for summoning a weapon. He closed his eyes as he did so and focused, concentrating on the things bound to him. He could see them in his mind, there were two of them, one was black, dark as night, the other was red, the dark crimson red of blood, it was the paler of the two, but no less vibrant. Within his mind he reached towards the black bond, though for a moment felt tug towards the Crimson bond. It always drew him, though he had learned to resist its call. He extended his right arm forward, and grasped with his hand, within a dark shadow took form. It extended and took the shape of a long, dark metal baton, at the head a protrusion form, which eventually took the shape of a blade. Tristan opened his eyes and waved the scythe down, before he twirled it around in his hand a bit. The Ghoul¡¯s eyes widened in fear and his mouth opened, though he could not cry out due to the net silencing him. Tristan saw the look and chuckled slightly before he responded while brandishing his scythe with a twirl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Jerry, this is to send you on your way, at least I am not like the Rogue and Feral Mages who have been corrupted by Death, they would seek to enslave you. I am merely going to send you from this Plane, where to I don¡¯t know. You might go to Heaven, you might go to Hell, hell, I don¡¯t even know if either of those places exists, anyways if there is a next life; try not to repeat the same mistakes you made here.¡± Tristan then swung the scythe, the blade cutting cleanly through the net, which dissipated around the blade, it cut into Jerry, his mouth formed into a soundless scream. It didn¡¯t actually cut into him, the Ghouls form faded around the blade and disappeared much like that net did when the blade came into contact with it. As Ghoul started to fade Tristan withdrew the Scythe as a light shrouded Jerry¡¯s form as it fully vanished. He walked around briefly and cast some magic to clean up the more suspicious signs of what happened here. Blood would draw more attentions than a broken emergency case and damaged wall alone would. He looked around to make sure he got everything, when an alarm sound came from his pocket; he retrieved his phone and looked to see what it was.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He swiftly unlocked his phone and glanced at it, his eyes widened as he did so. It was a warning alarm telling him he was about to be late, he dropped his phone back in his pack and ran opposite of where he had been facing. As he ran franticly he thought ¡®Damn, hope I make it in time, don¡¯t want to be late again, that teacher will get onto me again.¡¯ Running and lost in his thoughts as he was he didn¡¯t notice the being shimmer into place near where he had been moments ago. The figure looked towards him before it reached a hand towards its own ear. It then spoke aloud in an enchanting voice ¡°Yes, Sir? I found him¡­ no, from what I have seen the SSD hasn¡¯t made their move yet. Should I trail him further? Ok, I will just assemble the team.¡± The figure gave one last glance towards the direction Tristan vanished in before shimmering out of view. Many miles away, in a dimly lit office sat a gaudily robed man; he sat down in a plush chair as he sat the phone on his desk. He chuckled and thought ¡®it has been many years boy, but you can¡¯t run from me any longer, you almost cost me my job, you will pay for that.¡¯


    Elsewhere in the city in a high end club a rather attractive redheaded woman in her early twenties glanced towards the East. That happened to be where Tristan had been not long ago, the woman gave an offhand remark to the man she had been conversing with. She then stood up, the dress she was wearing clinging to her curves like a second skin, her mane of titian locks cascaded behind her. The greasy looking man she had been dining with looked at her greedily as she left the table. He was actually lucky she left, as he was to be her sustenance for the night, it would have proven an experience one of his ilk didn¡¯t deserve. She only fed on those who had committed certain atrocities, when she was first summoned to this plane after so long; some of her initial actions displeased her master, which led to her banishment. When she summoned herself again she went a long way towards rectifying her past mistakes to please her master. The woman walked out of the club, the crowd gyrating on the dance floor parted as she passed through them, all of them entranced by her. The ancient being in the body of the one known as Kandace looked towards the East once more as she thought ¡®Found you, my Master, I hope you will be pleased with my actions.¡¯ She giggled giddily at the thought of his reaction when he saw her next.


    In the college Tristan was attending he sat in an office being berated by the teacher in charge of his morning class. He rolled his eyes internally as the gruff voiced older man spoke ¡° Mr. Carver, how many times have I told you that you must be to class on time if you wish to succeed here, I do not care if your job as you call it was why you were--.¡° Tristan tuned out the teachers reprimands, this was not the first time he had heard it, the content of these lectures was mostly the same each time. After the teacher prattled on for a good while he stood up as the older man finally finished and sent him on his way. He left the teacher¡¯s office and walked down the hallway a short ways before reaching and entering one of the restrooms. He stood by the sink for a moment before wetting his face a bit and glancing up at the mirror. It portrayed a pale black haired youth, who many here would consider attractive if not for his overly aloof and carefree nature. On his neck there were two pale marks, near imperceptible against his skin, a marking from that incident so many years ago and from Her.


    He closed his eyes and when he opened them again they were different from the normally sea green orbs that lay within his eyes. One eye was crimson, with a slitted pupil; the other was a black lightless orb that seemed to extinguish all that entered it. His hair also changed slightly becoming silver in color and much longer, though the change reverted when he closed his eyes, He gave his appearance one last glance before he sighed and left the restroom to make his way towards the lecture hall. He did not exactly like attending school especially as he had less than fond memories it mostly due to the incident in the past. He exited the building through a corridor off the hallway he had been in; he crossed the courtyard that lay in the middle of the College. It was beautiful or could be considered so at least, there were many flowerbeds and trees along with several benches scattered periodically. If it wasn¡¯t for the concrete paths that were marring the beauty of the grass and the giant buildings surrounding it one would almost think they were at a nature park of some sort. He swiftly crossed through the courtyard making his way to the building opposite and the lecture hall which it contained.

 Chapter Two: Planning (Part One)

    Tristan sighed after leaving his first class, well it would normally be the second class of his day, but due to his tardiness he missed his usual first class entirely. He turned down a hallway heading to his next class, soon enough after traversing the hallways for a while he made his way there. Inside there was a standard classroom set up, at the front of the room, there was a tall glasses clad man, with short gray hair, taking attendance. The teacher looked up from his clipboard and raised an eyebrow at Tristan and marked him down. He spoke in a dry monotonous voice with thinly veiled sarcasm ¡°Well Mr. Carver, I see that you have so Graciously Deigned us with your presence, take a seat.¡± As Tristan did so a few of his classmates started conversing amongst them about the rather unexpected presence of Tristan. As soon as everyone had been seated and grew quiet the Teacher spoke again. ¡°Today class, unlike the usual discussions of History that we have, we will be focusing on a different, less realistic and proven aspect of History. We will be talking about Mythology and the historical relevance and impact in past civiizations.¡± Upon hearing the topic Tristan chuckled as the Teacher started his lecture in earnest, a few students already falling unconscious.


    In a secret office below the FBI HQ in New York City, a meeting of sorts was happening; it would be closer to call it a briefing. In the room there were around 20 or so men and women assembled, many were wearing the standard FBI back suits or field-wear others were in more casual modes of dress. They were waiting for someone; this was evidenced by the fact that one of the people gathered there was spinning in an office chair. He was not using anything to gain momentum, but rather he was a Wind mage and was using that to spin the chair at a constant speed. The man was dressed in a way most people would associate with the punk sub-culture, needless to say he did not look like someone that would be associated with the FBI. He actually wasn¡¯t an official FBI agent, but was an operative for the top secret Supernatural Investigation and Subjugation Division, or SISD, though the investigation part mostly was left out so it was called the SSD by many. Officially it didn¡¯t exist though many of the operatives did work for the FBI in some capacity. The mage stopped the chair as the door leading to the room opened and a man dressed in a suit walked in.


    He carried folders in one arm, the other was free, and he looked less like a director in the FBI and more like a soldier, which he once was. He had a look in his eyes that only experienced soldiers would have, his looks could not be considered handsome, though they drew the opposite sex regardless. He had a veritable mane of hair of burnt gold; his eyes were a dark brown, almost black, those features contributed to his rugged and wild aura. When he entered the room, all eyes turned to him and waited for him to speak. He sat the folders on the end of the table and the person sitting there took one and passed the others down as the Director moved to his seat at the other end of the table. He sat in the largest of the chairs, which was located at the end of the long table most of them were sitting at. When everyone had grabbed one of the folders he folded his hands together and sat them on the table before speaking. ¡°Today you have all been gathered for this.¡± He gestured to the folder in front of which, the folders the others held were complete copies of his.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°We are to search for and apprehend this young man, Tristan Carver. 5 years ago he was involved in an Order raid on a Rogue Vampire Coven and was listed to have been a casualty, a result of a failed Change. Recently it has been discovered he somehow survived and even Awoke in the process. Each of you is to use your sources to track him down, the Conclave has decreed this, he is to be brought in unharmed. Violation of this will bring certain punishments to happen to you. That is all, dismissed.¡± He then stood up and left, leaving the others to look over the folders and discuss amongst themselves. A few of the operatives that worked alone left soon after the Director did, among them the punk looking Wind Mage. As he left a less than kind smirk crossed his face as he thought ¡®This should be rather rewarding.¡¯ As soon as the others left a tall lanky blond man spoke up. ¡°Since the others have left let¡¯s get down to business, so what thoughts do you all have on this subject?¡± Soon after the question was voiced most of the others left gave their opinions and thoughts on the matter.


    In the corner of the room separate from the others sat a young lady who held the last picture of Tristan, it also had Kandace in it, same picture the men and women of the Conclave had looked at before. She gently caressed the picture, before standing to leave the auburn haired girl left ignoring the call of one of her colleagues, ¡°Krystal Wait!¡± After she left the other men and women simply shrugged or other gestures before they continued with their discussion. There were around 12 of them left at this point, they each agreed that they would call the others should they discover a concrete location for their target. This was how most of those present worked the majority of the time, though on occasion there were those who sought personal glory above cooperation. Those types would usually either find the target and obtain them alone or would actively sabotage the others, though the latter hadn¡¯t happened since the Director took over. Soon enough they finished ironing out everything and they all stood to leave. They all vacated the room until only 2 of them were left, the lanky blond man who spoke first earlier and an equally leggy blond woman.


    The lanky man was still standing seemingly only tidying up the papers he had moved during the discussion they had had. A thought not his own came into his mind, ¡®So brother you still desire that girl, huh?¡¯ He glanced over at the woman who was his sister and spoke aloud saying ¡°Kind of,but that is not entirely accurate, I certainly find her attractive, any man with still functioning genitalia would. However I was worried about some of what she felt while looking at that picture.¡± His countenance frowned slightly before he thought a message back to her. ¡®From her I felt many troubling emotions chief among them were Rage, Despair, and strangely enough Hope.¡¯ The Woman, his Sister scrunched her eyebrows in thought, it made her look cute, though usually such a mild word would not be used to describe her beauty. She was roused from her musings by another thought. ¡®The strangest thing though, was the fact that those emotions were so intense, but lasted for but a moment, before a strange calm took over. I have never seen some like this naturally happen, we should keep an eye on her, though we should not act unless things get dire.¡¯ The Woman nodded and looked at where Krystal had sat not long before.

 Chapter Three: Planning (Part Two)

    Downtown in a penthouse located above one of the most popular clubs in the City a large muscular man stood looking out through some glass at the dance floor below. He was clad in a suit; just by looking at him you could tell that the suit was barely able to contain his large frame and muscles. He stood with his feet apart and his hands clasped behind his back. He was gazing out at the mass of bodies, which had reformed after a rather enchanting redhead left the club. A loud knock on the door broke him from his reminiscence. He yelled behind him, temporarily drowning out the dull beat of the music below. ¡°Enter.¡± His response was brief, as he was a man of few words, though his deep rumbling voice, akin to an earthquake, allowed such. The door to his left opened up, and a short curly haired man in a pair of dress pants and a Hawaiian print shirt entered, with him, the music from the club bled in with greater intensity. It was cut off soon enough as the ornate door closed, forming a near sound proof barrier once more.


    The shorter man, Alex, gazed about the lavishly decorated room, directly behind the large man there was a desk befitting of his stature. Across from the desk there were a few chairs, and littered throughout the room other pieces of furniture could be seen here and there. Among them was a red plush sofa of sorts, set against the back wall opposite the desk. Along the walls, some paintings were displayed, an art expert would probably be able to recognize a few of them, history expert even more. All of the items in this room were once stolen, and the man who owned them was the leader of one of the largest criminal organizations in the city, if not elsewhere. Alex approached the desk and paused to speak. ¡°Apologies for the interruption Sir, but I have some news concerning the Vampire Fighter that is a favorite of yours. Brandon, I think he goes by here.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Responded the much taller man. ¡°According to our sources Several people affiliated with both the Order and the SISD have been searching for someone that meets his description and abilities.¡± At the statement, the larger man turned around, revealing a rather fierce countenance, his nose was broken and he had a series of scars in a pattern akin to claw marks running across his face.


    He released his hands from behind him and gestured for Alex to sit, before taking his own large seat. He spoke softly questioning the other man. ¡°How much have they discovered?¡± ¡°From our sources that they asked? Not much, but they probably have contacts within other organizations apart from ours and those connected to it. So unfortunately we do not know how much they truly know, but our own inquiries have revealed that they know he is somewhere in this city, most likely, they know he has been sighted here a few time in the past.¡± The large man across from him, Giovanni Nicoletti, nodded and spoke once more. ¡°Do what we can for now, but in his next fight, pit him against Sparky, that will help in determining his skills. The result of his fight and perhaps what happens afterwards will determine how far we will go.¡± Alex nodded briefly before he stood up and left the room swiftly. Giovanni pushed away from the desk before standing slowly, his body and clothes creaking and groaning from the strain of containing his massive form. He stood up and turned towards the window and spoke softly. ¡°Little Death Mage, I Hope you don¡¯t disappoint this old Bear.¡±


    In the New York base of the SSD, in a dimly lit office sat three people, The Director and the blond Twins. ¡°So you two, what did you want to talk about?¡± The Director ask as he clasped his hands in front of him on the desk while he sat back in his chair. The male of the Twins spoke saying. ¡°We are worried about Krystal and what will happen should she encounter Tristan. Her feelings were deep, to say the least, and strong. What concerns me the most however is that something removed the emotions soon after they surfaced, she may be the mole, unless she has either Awakened to some version of Mind magic or obtained a Mind clearing Artefact, that is the most likely scenario.¡± The Director Spoke up as the other man finished. ¡°That is entirely possible, but doubtful, she pasted the recent checks with flying colors. However I do have some idea about who the Order Stooge amidst our ranks is.¡± He pushed away from the desk before standing and facing the wall behind him before he continued. ¡°That is one of the reasons that I am having you go about this as I have. I hope that It will be to draw out the Mole.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The Director turned around to face the elfin twins. ¡°I trust you two much more than any of the other personnel here, especially so when it concerns matters of the Order. After all they are among the ones responsible for you two being the last remaining of your kind in North America. Well the last of those native to North America.¡± The Director then sat down shortly after he finished that statement. ¡°I will need you two to do a few things when the time comes to it. You will most likely know what time I am talking about by what happens. This will most likely go down when or if we are ¡®escorting¡¯ Mr. Carver here.¡± The Director then opened a drawer in his desk and removed a folder much like those used during the meeting earlier in the day to hold Tristan¡¯s information. He opened it and distributed its contents onto the desk in between the three of them. There were several dossiers of sorts that went with photos attached to their fronts with paperclips. He spread the Dossiers and photos between them evenly and spoke. ¡° These are the ones we will have to look out for, I have my suspicions about who it is, but I would rather we cover all our bases.¡±


    Elsewhere yet another meeting was taking place in the City of Cross Timber, this one was of a decidedly less beneficial nature to many of those involved. Beneath a large catholic church hewn from stone the Order was gathering its agents to act on their current mission. Almost all the members there were obscured and clad in all sorts of robes and similar manners of dress. At the head of the rectangular room, opposite the entrance and the assembled patrons there was a podium of sorts where a robed and cloaked figure stood. The Figure spoke with an enchanting voice "Thank you Brothers and Sisters for showing up today for our meeting here, with the topic of the recent orders from our Bishop.¡± During her pause, many of the figures could be seen nodding their assent, others mumbled audibly in agreement. The Figure continued saying. ¡°His Excellency has decreed that we are to end the blight that is a Death mage. He is in fact the survivor of the Cleansing of a Coven many years ago. His Excellency himself was present and was unable to save the poor soul. He now holds a grudge and in the past has targeted our Brothers and Sisters. In the pews in front of you, you will find all the information you need.¡±


    Many of the assembled reached in front of them to grab the referenced information, contained within Hymn books of sorts. For a moment they all looked through the information, before most of the gathered stood up and left through the arched doorway that led into the room one of the few figures still left approached the one who had been speaking. The figure spoke in a lazy and carefree masculine voice. ¡°So when I will I get paid for my services Sister?¡± The last word of the question being laced with barely disguised sarcasm and contempt. ¡°You shall get your reward once we obtain the Heretic, or once it is confirmed that said Heretic has been Cleansed, no sooner, no later, than that. Your services up to this point have been satisfactory, exceedingly so. Nonetheless we would rather not have to search for you should the information provided be less than accurate. You as well as I know what happened to the last person in your position that disappointed His Excellency. I am sur-¡° The figure extensive response was interrupted as their seemingly male counterpart waved their hands and said ¡°Yeah, Yeah I get it, I¡¯lll be back later.¡± They then swiftly left brushing past the other remaining people. The figure by the podium simply staring where the other person had left, not saying or doing anything.

 Chapter Four: Planning (Part Three)

    Below the Church being used by the Order, a largely built figure dressed differently from most of the other robe clad figures, being clad in leather like armor approached the figure still by the Podium. He spoke in a deep yet strangely lyrical voice. ¡°Mistress should I deal with that foolish and disrespectful Mortal?¡± The figure responded by shaking it¡¯s no, her head, she extended her arms, the robe sleeves sliding back, revealing creamy white skin covering elegant arms, she then gracefully reached up and removed the hood that had been obscuring her face. Had her face been revealed in public, everyone present would have gasped in awe and respect. She had elfin features with slightly pointed ears, but her eyes were slitted like a cats and her iris¡¯s sparkled and were specked with the colors of the rainbow, her enchanting face was highlighted by her short spiky hair. ¡°No, leave him for now, we may yet have use of him.¡± She shed her robe, revealing a slender toned figure, not busty or voluptuous by any means, but still capable of turning heads where she went. She started walking,her long graceful legs carrying her forward swiftly as she spoke ¡°Human greed is a wonderful thing, especially useful for us.¡±


    She paused for a moment to let her companion take up a position behind her right shoulder as she walked. ¡°For now we shall keep our deal with their ¡®Bishop¡¯ who seeks to deceive one of the Fae. Later though, should it come to it, we shall deal with him in a befitting manner, and let the humans realize once more that the Fae are not to be trifled with lightly.¡± She paused as they reached a door deep in the bowels of the system of hallways and rooms beneath the Church. She opened the door first with her companion entering behind her and closing it. As he did so blue runes flashed into life on the door, sealing this room from prying eyes, the Fae woman extended her arms and spun in a circle giggling in delight. Behind her, on her back insect-like wings shimmered into existence, a buzzing sound could be slightly heard as they moved at high speeds while she spun. ¡°Haaah¡± she sighed for a moment in delight and relief before she continued speaking, her wings still present behind her. ¡°What I am most curious about is this boy, which the foolish clergyman has a grudge against.¡±


    She fell backwards onto the bed behind her, and then continued speaking. ¡°He is intriguing, and curious to say the least, He has much magical power, perhaps even more so than the Queen. Though he doesn¡¯t use it, nor does he use his other inherent abilities.¡± She paused in her reminiscence before she looked at her companion. ¡°Go back to Mother, would you, and inform her of our progress so far.¡± After she spoke, he nodded and then shimmered out of being as he left the plane. She sighed again and reclined into the bed once more and luxuriated in the feel of it against her. She spoke aloud to herself. ¡°That boy is interesting; I have never seen such a strong connection to a particular field of magic, or to Death itself. Hah, rather than him being unable to die, it is rather that Death cannot bring itself to claim him. ¡° She finished speaking and sighed again before she stretched her arms for a moment. ¡°Hmm, he would make a nice Pet, or perhaps a Champion, if the oaf currently with me dies.¡± As she hummed to herself, picturing what she would do to him in either of those situations, one of her arms travelled downward across her body until coming to rest at its destination.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Back at his college Tristan gave a sigh of relief as he left his final class for the day. He gave a loud yawn, drawing the attention of the surrounding people to him. He walked out from underneath the overhang in the courtyard; his movements were swift, yet seemingly graceful and filled with power. Though many of those that knew of him practically despised him, he was still quite a sight drawing the gaze of many. He walked by many people on his way to the entrance, some were walking, others sitting at the numerous benches dotting the courtyard. He passed by a student confessing clumsily to a tall dark-haired girl clad in red. ¡°-Your attractiveness is to such an extent that the air around you seems to combust at your beauty. You-¡± The girl held up a hand and responded ¡°So you think I¡¯m hot?¡± Her bland tone of voice couldn¡¯t hide the amusement in her eyes. Tristan had the urge to face palm as he walked by, and a thought surfaced in his mind. ¡®Of course you say that, you tell that, to the only bloody Fire Elemental on Campus.¡¯


    While shaking his head Tristan swiftly left the Courtyard, and made his way through the small building that covered the front of the College, enclosing the Courtyard fully. He took a left once he reached the main road, heading to the place serving as his home here. Soon enough he reached downtown and stopped for a moment in front of his destination. He looked up at the brightly lit neon sign of the club, Sphere, it read it lit most of the area, now that the sun had begun to drop, many such signs and lights lit the area around the street. He continued looking at it for a moment before he put his head down and walked forward, bypassing the line as the bouncer let him pass without a word, recognizing him. Tristan took a path most did not even know was there. Soon enough he arrived at an elevator that opened as he took a step in front of it. He stepped into the metal square, as the doors closed the music of the club was muted, and replaced with a softer music that most would call muzak. He waited silently until the elevator gave a dull ding as he arrived, and the doors opened. He took a step out and the elevator closed behind him. The club in front of was a world apart from the club up Above.


    Down here it was more like a club that catered to a certain type of entertainment; the scantily clad women in caged highlighted the point. On the stage that many of the male patrons, human or otherwise, were crowded around, held a prime example. The lyrics to the Nickleback song playing in the background described her near perfectly, besides possibly being a bit cheap with her worth ¡®I Got to Meet the Hottie With the Million Dollar Body.¡¯ The easiest way to describe the women up on the stage would be a Raven Haired Goddess; she had curves in all the correct places, with nearly no excess flesh except where more than a handful was preferred. She was nearly naked up on the stage, though if she were naked most of the cheering, catcalls and wolf whistles would cease as everyone man or women gawked in awe at her magnificence. Her black hair stood out against her pale skin that glowed with a thin sheen of sweat, evidence of her exertion. She jumped down from the stage as her act ended and the cheering and similar noises reached a crescendo. She was slowly walking away from the stage, with the crowd parting around her, until she saw him, Tristan, her eyes widened and she ran towards him. The crowd behind her eyeing her running form appreciatively.

 Info Post: Glossary

    Awoke/Awakened/etc: Term used to refer to when one, usually a human, gained their magic. Does not refer to any magic gained through a Pact or Contract, or a Magical Artefact.


    Artefact: A name for powerful magical items, usually of ancient and mythical origins.


    Bond: Refers to a powerful and inherent connection of the Soul to other things be they people or items.


    Change: Term used to reference the process of a human, or rarely another being, into a Vampire, or possibly a Werebeing or Undead.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Contract: One of the terms that applies to aggreements with powerful magical beings. Usually only applies to agreements with Demons or certain Elementals. These are often full of loopholes and rarely end well for the more mortal counterpart.


    Death: The end of Life, can also apply to one of the Branches of Magic and a type of Black Magic., may or may not be permanent.


    Life: Most often used concerning a branch of Magic, is a type of White Magic.


    Mind: A term that usually applies to the magical consciousness or one of the branches of Magic.


    Pact: A term used to describe a magical agreement between a mage, or other magical being, and another magical being, usually of a decisively less humanoid nature. These are more balanced, as usually the beings involved are far less powerful than those that are forced into Contracts.

 Chapter Five: Reunions and the Past

    Moments before the raven haired beauty embraced him her loud shout reached his ears. ¡°TRISTAN!!!! I MISSED YOU!!¡± She hugged him tightly and her soft curves pressed against him. He hesitated for a moment, upon seeing the rather unsightly of the surrounding men who until he arrived had been ogling her with a reverence reserved for the truly beautiful. He sighed in resignation before returning the embrace with one arm; he bent his head down and kissed the top of her head before saying. ¡°Heya Gorgeous, while I don¡¯t dislike your attentions, deal with your admirers first.¡± He then swiftly disengaged himself, a rather difficult thing, to escape from the embrace of a Succubus. The crowd of admirers swarmed her as he left; she pouted for a moment before she turned to them and answered their flurry of questions, about him and their connection. Tristan looked back and chuckled at the nearly imperceptible frustration deeply hidden in her eyes. He then turned back around and continued on towards his destination, one of the backstage rooms. Neither of them noticed the intense rage coming from a waifish figure in one of the dimly lit corners.


    Tristan was waiting in one of the more private back rooms, usually meant for one on one meetings of the private sort. He looked around the red and purple room, taking in the hedonistic and decadent furnishings of it. It like the other rooms of its kind was made to inflame the passions and lust of its occupants. There were even several spells set up from the branches of Body and Mind magic, to further the effects. Luckily for Tristan however he was nearly immune to such things due to being mostly Undead, though his Vampire side made him a very primal being as well. There was a round table with a plush cushioned bench curving around it on the left side of the room. He was still looking around the room when a soft body plastered itself to his back. He was adjusting to that when a sensuous, familiar voice whispered to him. ¡°Hello my Master, it has been a while.¡± At those words, he turned around and caught only a flash of red hair, and a playful chuckle reverberating about the room. He felt a fleeting touch caressing his back and he swung that way with one arm hoping to catch her. Her voice came teasingly ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t believe you were this eager to touch me when I first became yours.¡±


    ¡°Silence!!¡± he practically roared, his face a far cry from his usual indifference, she inspired strong feelings in him, that was certain, just not the ones she wanted. It was then that he Changed, assuming a more battle ready form, his hair became longer and silver colored, forming a veritable mane, reaching nearly down to his waist. His eyes became crimson with slitted black pupils, the largest change however was his face, it became more angled, sharper, and his canines grew and became more prominent. His senses also became sharper and more sensitive, especially to blood, which was what he needed right now. He inhaled sharply and detected nothing but a faint scent, he frowned and then realization flashed across his face when he saw the spell Runes scattered about the room, lit. His Change regressed, making him look normal once more, and then his hair started to become gray and then crumble into ash. Within moments his appearance had drastically changed, he was no longer something even remotely recognizable as human. He looked like a cross between the two undead beings known as the Revenant and the Lich. He opened his eyes and the Runes that dimmed as they lost their influence on him. She sighed in disappointment before speaking. ¡°Awww, so you figured it out, no matter my Master, soon enough our bond shall be consummated.¡±


    The faint presence that he had felt faded, and he reverted to his normal form once more, the stench of rotting flesh and Death fade as he did so. It was at that moment that Erica, the woman from the stage entered the room. Her flashed a dark purple as she near instantly determined that something had happened, something similar to what one of her kind could do. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked, her voice laced with worry though no less sensual. ¡°Nothing you can help with.¡± He responded in a weary and tired voice. ¡°Come on Tristan, I might tease you, but I do care about you.¡± She responded, worry still evident in her voice as she hugged him. Tristan smiled softly at her as he responded. ¡°Yeah I know, the strange relationship we have isn¡¯t exactly the typical one of a magical human and a succubus, now is it.¡± Erica giggled daintily at that moment before her tone turned serious. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re certainly right; normally one of my kind would try to drain a delicious morsel like you. Was this incident connected to THAT?¡± Tristan responded faintly. ¡°Yeah, it is, this like that is because of my Bond.¡± His last words were tinged with slight bitterness. As Tristan returned her embrace he thought back to that day so many years ago.


    They first truly met years ago quite by accident, well for the most part, before that they had only seen each other once or twice. It had been many months after he and what inhabited Kandace¡¯s body, uh parted ways. Back then he didn¡¯t know much about the world he was thrust into, but he didn¡¯t particularly care. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he had ran after Order agents tracked him down and almost killed those he had been staying with. When he met her he had been working part for some rather unsavory fellows, he would kill their enemies for a price, though he wouldn¡¯t harm innocents. He reveled in their deaths it took his mind off losing Kandace, though due to his nature and relationship with Death he couldn¡¯t truly lose himself, like many Rogue and Feral mages did. After a successful bounty collection he had been walking through the seediest part of the city he was in at the time. He had been heading to his other place of work, a club, one of the very few respectable establishments in this part of the city. It had a powerful backer, but they still had to give protection money to the Alpha of a Werewolf pack that ran most of the cities underworld.


    Tristan had been walking down the street with his head down counting his steps when he heard the music from the club as a patron left. He looked up at it for a brief moment, the neon sign was lit up but some of the sign was out while others flickered. He walked forward and pushed open the door, as he entered the club, a large muscular figure in tight black clothing typical of most bouncers, rose up for a moment, but upon seeing it was Tristan let him pass through the foyer and into the club. Unlike many clubs in this part of the town, it wasn¡¯t what some would call a gentlemen¡¯s club, if anything it was reminiscent of an early 1900¡¯s era jazz club. There was a band on the stage against the back wall and in front of that there was a beautiful raven haired woman who was singing to the tune the band was playing. She was wearing a strapless dress, Dark Cobalt in color, which contrasted well with her hair. Her enchanting voice wove its spell across the patrons of the club as Tristan took a seat at one of the round tables around the room.


    Just as soon as the spell was woven it ended, her enchanting voice faded from the room and the music joined it. A deafening applause rose and there were several catcalls and the like as she descended the stage. After that the band started playing a pleasant and mellow tune, most of the patrons of the club conversed amongst themselves, at the tables and at the bar. Erica was talking to one of the clubs regulars when she was interrupted by a trio of rowdy men. They were Werewolves, representatives of the Pack that ran things, that was the only reason Dante; the Bouncer hadn¡¯t ejected them already. ¡°Come on, babe, we know what you are, and we know what you want, come with us.¡± Spoke the tallest of the trio. Erica just shook her head and ignored them; this happened to her often, she continued speaking to the patrons at the table. One of the trio, the smallest and least patient of them grabbed her hand and pulled her away. She spoke softly, but the venom was evident in her voice, now devoid of the lust inflaming lilt it usually carried. ¡°I said no; now leave before I tell your Alpha.¡± The trio ignored her and approached with malicious and lustful intent.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    One of the trio reached towards her, but frowned when he felt a resistance as he tried to move his arm forward. ¡°I believe the Lady said no, so please drop this.¡± Said a chilling and cold voice, it was Tristan. While he wasn¡¯t all that familiar with the lady, one of his jobs was to keep this place safe. ¡°This isn¡¯t any of your business Bat.¡± The tallest practically growled at Tristan. Tristan just shook his head before saying. ¡°This is your last chance, I know your Alpha, and I really don¡¯t want us to part on bad terms.¡± The trio snorted in unison, and pushed Erica back as they advanced towards Tristan. They all shifted in unison, to their bipedal wolf-man forms inherent to Werewolves. The middle one of the trio rushed towards Tristan swinging heavily furred arms tipped with gleaming claws at him. Tristan dodged for a while before he stumbled as he hit a table behind him, this let the Were clip him in the shoulder, nearly taking the arm off, while one of the others rushed forward and took him head off with a sickening squelch. Blood went everywhere, painting the wall and part of the ceiling. They turned back towards Erica whose eyes were heavy with pity and sadness


    The trio reverted to their human forms, their faces alight with triumph, the fight and victory brought other primal urges to the surface. Erica went along with them for a moment, if only to prevent them from harming the few patrons left. Most of them had left once the incident started, the patrons were no strangers to the supernatural, but that didn¡¯t mean they would stay in harm¡¯s way. The trio all grinned at each other as they started to follow the Succubus as she walked towards the back. They paused as a heavy sigh reverberated around the room. Following that sound the Trio froze and in Erica¡¯s eye confusion and incredulity could be seen. ¡°So it seems you have chosen Death over Life, I don¡¯t blame you, I, myself have enjoyed the embrace of death many a time, but she doesn¡¯t let me stay for long.¡± At the end Tristan¡¯s voice took on a dark edge and he chuckled. They all turned back and saw Tristan¡¯s body standing, the head still missing, but the arm had reattached itself. Most of the blood that had splattered had travelled back to his body, all except the splatter that had covered the Trio.


    As Tristan¡¯s head rose up and his flesh knitted itself back together, the Were¡¯s rushed towards him Changing forms as they went. The farthest away of the Were¡¯s paused upon seeing the dark and malicious grin on Tristan¡¯s face, his worries were well founded. As the two front most Were¡¯s rushed towards him, Tristan¡¯s grin deepened and he snapped his fingers. The two Were¡¯s continued running before they frowned and paused just short of Tristan. The frowns turned to looks of horror at the areas that were flecked with Tristan¡¯s blood, they had started to decompose. They both fell to their knees in unison as they started howling at the pain. Tristan had perfect control over his body and all it contained, even if it wasn¡¯t connected to him anymore. He had turned his blood into a substance that induced necrosis; it took him a while to actively master this ability. He looked up from the still howling and decomposing Were¡¯s to the last of the Trio, who was shaking and shivering, and spoke. ¡°Go back to your Alpha and tell him what you did and how you caused your own deaths, Dante here will take their remains and make sure you tell the truth.¡± The Large bouncer had entered the room long ago, though no one noticed, he waited for everything to end before acting.


    He then turned around and left the few Patrons and other people staring after him. As Erica gazed upon him she felt something she hadn¡¯t felt in so long since she first came to this Plane, fear, and true hunger. That boy had power, true power; it was a miracle that he was mostly sane. She turned away as a plane formed in her mind, one that would reward Tristan for his actions and assuage the sudden hunger. It was in the night when she came to his room, it had been a simple matter to find out from the Barkeep where he stayed. She wove some magic to keep him asleep and approached him, as she approached the bed she felt his consciousness rise and try to break the chains the magic had woven on him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± she said, and paused while she removed Tristan¡¯s clothes revealing his lightly muscled form. ¡°I mean you no harm, these people have been kind to me, and I am going to thank you for your help today.¡± She then stripped; removing the White nightgown she wore revealing her in all her naked succulent glory. As her flesh met the cool air, Tristan¡¯s body reacted to it, despite his lack of consciousness.


    She climbed astride the bed with an unnatural gracefulness, her body exuding the aura of a predator with its prey. She climbed up onto his body and ran her hands up his form, marveling at the state of his body despite what exactly he was. She positioned herself astride him and lifted herself up a bit, the room was came, though that changed as she started to impale herself on him. A red glow crept from Tristan¡¯s chest and surrounded him; it took the form of a beautiful woman. A deadly and enchanting voice came from the figure. ¡°Who dares to try to claim my Master?¡± Erica¡¯s eyes were wide as she stayed frozen. She stammered ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know my-¡°A fog of crimson enveloped her, interrupting her response, it forced her against the wall, and then the pain began. The Pain was overwhelming, but it wasn¡¯t great enough to make her body numb, or to force her into unconsciousness, but it was close, bordering on that threshold. Even if she was capable of coherent thought she would not be able to describe how it felt, the closest would be if her blood and bodily fluids were replaced with gasoline and then lit on fire.


    It was at this point that Tristan fully awoke; the red mist had broken Erica¡¯s magic, but it still took him a while to fight of the mantle of sleep. Upon seeing what was happening to Erica he went into motion rolling off the mattress still naked. ¡±ENOUGH!!¡± He roared and the crimson figure and the fog enveloping Erica dimmed for a moment. The figure turned towards him and a nearly human face took shape, it was sad, but then it turned around and the pain Erica felt intensified and rage could be felt from the Crimson figure. ¡°By the power granted to me by our Bond and the Bloodline Pact, I banish-¡°his words stopped as the Crimson figure vanished before he could finish. She left a message in his mind that only he could hear. ¡®I will leave Master, for now, but I won¡¯t let you banish me again, not yet. Don¡¯t worry I will find you once I am fully back on this Plane.¡¯ He looked over at Erica, who had fallen to the floor when the Crimson figure vanished. He went over to her and checked, making sure she was ok. He then got down on the floor next to her and waited for her to get properly oriented again. He held up a hand to stop her when she started to speak. ¡±First¡± he began ¡°We should be properly introduced. I Am Tristan Carver, Undead Death Mage and the Inheritor of Vlad Tepes Dracula. You are?¡± As he spoke he extended one hand towards her, she grasped it and started to speak.


    (AN:It is now back into the Present time)


    Tristan was pulled from his reminiscence by Erica speaking. ¡°Tristan you alright?¡± He nodded in reply before speaking ¡°Yeah, sorry, just thinking of the past.¡± Erica smirked and was about to respond when a loud knock sounded on the door. ¡°Mr. Carver, the Boss would like to see you.¡± Tristan opened the door, and standing there was one of the higher ups of the club, just under Giovanni in authority. Erica released Tristan and walked out speaking over her shoulder as she did so. ¡°I will talk to you when you are finished, maybe we will be able to properly talk soon.¡± Tristan merely nodded in response as the other man stepped into the room and spoke. ¡°As I said The Boss would like to see you, it is about your next Fight in the Pit.¡±

 Info Post: Beings of Power

    Beings of Power


    In this world of Monsters and Magic there are many powerful nigh transcendant beings. The majority of them have inherent connections with a type of magic, having near total control and mastery over it. Others still are personifications of concepts and ideals. The beings are grouped below.


    The Archon: There has only been one being refered to by this title, he was monstrously powerful, and could create other sentient beings, one of his other names was Dracula.


    The Primordials: beings that have existed since the beginning of time, and all embody and control certain things, they do have mortal descendants. Some things that they embody are: Chaos, Order, Magic, Time, Life, among others, it is often suspected that one or more of the Horsemen are or were Primordials.


    The Dragon Lords: The Rulers of dragonkind, each of them has mastery of a type of magic. Their numbers have been reduced over time, some speculate it was the death of these beings that caused magic to start to dwindle.


    The Four Horsemen: ancient primordial beings that have existed as long as life has, only War, the oldest of them, still lives, the others died long ago fighting the Order.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Seven Elemental Lords: they each are at the pinnacle of power amongst those tied to theirs respective elements. Each of them are tied inherently to an element.


    The Fae Court: not much is known about this organization as they left this plane when the Order was formed. It is suspected that they have a monarchy like governing structure. What is known is that every powerful and influential member of the Court has an appointed Champion, a bodyguard and companion, many of them choose their own, but that is not the case always. Many Champions were once Mortal, many heroes in myth and legend were in fact Champions of the Fae.


    The 7 Deadly Sins: Beings, usually of a demonic nature, that embody one of the classical 7 deadly sins, they control other beings that are similarly embodiments of that sin, though their control is not absolute. They have counterparts in the form of the 7 Virtues.


    Arch-Demons: THere are only four known Arch demons, with only two demonic beings above them in strength. They cannot willingly appear in this Planbe, not anymore atleast, and there are few who are powerful enough, as well as foolish enough to try to summon them. They have Celestial counterparts.


    Lillith: This is the only being that has a name, that is also a title. They were the first demonic being to have been born and is only talked about and mentioned in ancient manuscripts.

 Chapter 6: What Some do For Money Others Do for Fun. (Part One: For Fun)

    Tristan left the room with the other man walking beside him. Tristan looked over at the other man for a moment as they walked. He directed a question towards the other man. ¡°Is there anything that you can tell me, or must I wait until we get to Mr. Nicolleti?¡± The other man sighed for a moment before replying. ¡°As I said Sir, You will know when we reach the Boss, I was instructed not to tell you anything yet.¡± At that response, Tristan nodded and remained silent. After traversing the hallways behind the main area of the club, they came upon an elevator. It was very similar to the one that lead down from the main club, but this was private. It lead to a hidden chamber just of the Bosses office, it was to enable easy travelling between the upper and lower levels of the club for the Boss and his associates. They entered the office, The Boss, Giovanni Nicoletti was seated behind his desk. He looked at the man who had accompanied Tristan up and said ¡°Thank you, you may leave now.¡± The other man nodded and left, as he did so Tristan took a seat.


    ¡°Now Tristan,¡± began the larger man. ¡°I know that you do not like tying yourself to any of the authorities and organization here, but you just may have to. Recently the SSD has been inquiring about you, My associates and I have been deflecting and misleading past investigations concerning you, but we may not be able to any longer.¡± He paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°They are in the City, or their agents are anyways, they are not our main problem however. The Order has been making their own inquiries as well, they know you are in the city and are searching for you. My associates and I have been covering for you, for the minor things, as your fights have netted us some nice money, and your services at certain times have been indispensible.¡± He paused for a moment to take a deep breath before he continued. ¡±Unfortunately, my associates have become worried that you may not be worth going against the order, no matter how much we dislike those self-righteous robed bastards. To that end tonight¡¯s fight will determine whether you will get our continued support. I have no doubt you can protect yourself well enough, but a storm is coming, you should make sure you are ready to receive it.¡±


    For a moment Tristan did think of responding in some way, but the other man¡¯s thoughts were correct, at least in a somewhat different context. If the Order caused problems for him here, he would break away and move to another city, as he had done in the past. No, the thing that worried him the most was Her, Kandace, no Kandy, the name he gave her, before they parted, before that happened. He did not fear her herself, as she was incapable of harming him, just as he was incapable of harming her. What he feared was that this time others, perhaps innocents would get hurt due to her desire to keep him, her Master, safe. That was not taking into account her effect on those around her, him included, and although he could become relatively immune to such things, that would take its own toll on him. So in response Tristan merely nodded and then asked a question. ¡°May I know what my opponent for tonight is, Or are you going to leave me in suspense?¡± Giovanni inclined his head for a moment before he responded in his deep voice. ¡°I cannot tell you much about the fight, all I can tell you is that it is not a being that can die, not easily at least.¡±


    Tristan smirked as he listened; he had an inkling of what it was or could be. Most likely one of the Immortal races, those who could not die natural deaths, Fae are among them, though the Fae were a peculiar lot for the most part. Another possibility would be a type of Elemental or Golem, perhaps even a Genii, all beings that are of nature, in one way or another. They were so inherently connected due to their creation that they could not die as mortals did. Most of those types resided in a Plane other than our own, though there were exceptions, elementals and the like that have a Pact with an Elemental Mage, could appear normally as could those that had been manifested with a certain type of Pact or Contract with the one who summoned them dying giving them near free reign concerning travel between their home Plane and this one, one of the reasons Warlocks are hunted and hated. Tristan shook his head slightly to clear it before standing. ¡°Thanks for the Info, what little you could give anyways. You will see me at the fight, probably.¡± Tristan left soon after, with Giovanni looking at him as he left.


    Tristan left via the private elevator in the Office, as he reached the lower level he took a corridor that was decorated differently from the rest. Soon enough Tristan made his way to one of the Preparation Chambers near the Pit, the underground fighting arena used here. The room looked like some sort of strange amalgamation of a Gym, a Sparring Room, a Locker Room, and an Armory, the floor of the room was layered with blue mats. Some of them held designs, others didn¡¯t, parts of the room were more heavily padded than the rest, and the walls were a dull grey color and unpadded. There were two doors in the room, the one he entered through and then another leading to the Pit. On one of the walls there were various weapons displayed, most of them were melee, with a few ranged weapons, though only one or two of them were guns. For some reason, magic could not be channeled through guns efficiently, unless they were made from magical metals which are rare and expensive. To circumvent that enchanted bullets were created. One rather rich Enchanter created a gun that had near unlimited ammunition, though they was banned soon after and are still heavily regulated.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    In front of the wall there were various racks and stands holding more weapons. Similar equipment in the forms of shields and the like as well as suits of armor, both medieval and modern was present as well. Against another wall there were a series of small blue and white lockers, in front of them sat a few benches spaced apart. Tristan entered the room and turned back for a moment to gaze at the door; he extended one arm and rested his hand on the door. He closed his eyes to concentrate, a dark aura flared around him as several runes formed on the door. They would keep most unwanted entities out of the room for a time, if something ied t bring them down, he would feel it. Most runes and wards were powered by the mages, or whatever magical being they were, magical energy. Thus most runes and wards could be over powered, the only exceptions were if the being had a monstrous pool of energy or if there was an artifact acting as a power source. He left the door and moved to the weapons wall and looked at what he had at his disposal.


    While Tristan was beginning his preparations Erica was doing something a bit less serious. She was uh dancing, though most probably would not classify what she was doing as dancing, though it had dancing in its name. She was in a large round room, full of people, both men and women, it was decorated to give a middle eastern vibe. She was not the only one belly-dancing, there were others dancing with her, but she was unquestionably the focus of the other occupants. During her previous act, she had a more sensual aura, and the dance was meant to rile people up. This time, while her aura was no less sensual, it was more of a soothing and relaxing act. Most of the people here were of certain importance to the boss and his associates. Some of them were possible investors into the club, and perhaps other venues, others were associates of the higher-ups in the clubs hierarchy, here to sample the pleasures of the club. A thunderous applause rose up as Erica and the others stopped dancing. She then left as the others scattered around the room and continued dancing. She stopped by her dressing room for a moment to change before heading off to find Tristan.


    She made her way through the hallways heading to the room he usually used to prep before a fight. She touched the door to the Preparation Chamber on the club side of it. The runes flared for a moment before they dissipated, and she entered. Tristan was in a partial state of undress, though neither of them minded it. He was practicing with a weapon, he was relatively proficient with a few types of weapons, leftover skills from before he Awakened. He turned around when she entered and sat the weapon down before tossing on a sleeveless shirt to make things easier and less awkward. As Tristan sat down Erica spoke with a sighing tone saying ¡°You know If things were different I would jump on you in a heartbeat, probably forceful make a contract too. I probably wouldn¡¯t be the only one to attempt that either, that is how alluring your magic power is.¡± Tristan chuckled as she sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. ¡°I hate to break it to you, but that would probably not happen.¡± He paused for a moment as his voice took on a said and reminiscing tone. ¡°If things were different, and I never found out about this world, things would be very different from how they are.¡±


    He paused and put an arm around Erica for a moment before he continued once more. ¡°If things were different I would probably be with my High School Girlfriend, or her sister, or both if they felt like it. Or the younger of the twins could have broken of things entirely, due to the plans she thought Kandace and I had for that night. We made no secret that that was the night we were to give ourselves to each other. The only reason we had left early that night, was because Krystal had thrown a fit when we told her about what we were to do that night.¡± Tristan stood up and sighed, he ran a hand through his dark hair for a moment before continuing. ¡°Haaaaah, She should have known better, Her and Kandace had always shared everything when they were growing up. When we started to all have feelings for each other that then went on to extend to us, as well. Back then I, being the typical adolescent teenager I was, had no problems with it, at all.¡± He paused for a moment before he sat down again. ¡±Well, now that I am done being so sentimental and crap about my shitty life, how have you been?¡±


    They continued talking about things, though they were of a more jovial and less serious nature. They talked about the incident with Jerry, as well as his other jobs. Erica talked to him about what all had happened with her at the club while he had been away.

 Interlude: Thrift Shop of Wonders

    Several months Ago


    Located in one of the older parts of Tristan''s city there was a rather peculiar shop. The shop itself was located in a secluded alleyway, many of the bricks around it were dusty and crumbled and eroded. The shop''s doorway was obscured by vines and was showing signs of disrepair and decay. The sign located above the door way was in no better of a state, much of it was caked in dust and other grime, as well as being covered with some of the same vines obscuring the door below. What little that could be read of the ancient sign said ''Shop of-'', the rest of the sign was unreadable. The alley itself was mostly silent, though closer to the street and farther from the shop some noises, such as music and revelry could be heard. The silence was broken as footsteps impacted against the roughly paved walkway. Dust rose with each of the beings steps, sending motes cascading lazily throughout the air, they glinted in the air as they danced through the dying rays of the suns light. The figure coughed as they breathed in a large mouthful of dust as they passed through a cloud of it. As they coughed violently the hood they were wearing fell off their face revealing an astonishing amount of freckles and a head of red hair.


    Jerry swore under his breath as he wiped the tears from his eyes and put the hood back up and then continued forward while covering his mouth with a baggy sleeve. He brushed the vines aside with his unhindered arm, he then grasped the handle and opened the door, as he did so the vines that he had let fall slithered against him for moment. He pushed on it with more force as the door stalled for a moment, due to disuse, after a time he finally got it open and enteres the shop. As he entered the door shut closed behind him and the vines lengthened before they pierced into the pavement below and shimmered for a moment. What took their place was a brick wall, no different or crumbled than the surrounding aley walls, the doorway also dissapeared and took a similar appearance. Inside the shop the red headed youth was looking around at everything displayed around him. He moved forward as he saw an elaborate gold and silver sword, it was displayed in an open area off of the foyer of the shop.


    As he reached out to grasp it a sharp and ancient voice flowed over to him, freezing his actions for a moment. "I do hope that you are not attempting to steal something from shop, boy." Jerry dropped his arm from where it had been reaching out towards the sword. He turned around shortly afterwards revealing a tall elderly man, wearing clothes that looked like something akin to a tunic of sorts. Jeremy made a gesture of apology and as he did so the old man spoke once more. "Thank you. Now what did you come to my little shop for and how did you find it? This place can be rather hard to find, as you could guess i don''t get many customers here." Jerry nodded for a moment before saying "I, uh heard about it from a friend. As for what I am here for I am here to look for a Gift." A light flashed through the old mans eyes as he looked at Jerry. "Another one huh, well come along then." The old man turned away after speaking and dissapeared withing the cluttered maze-like shop.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Jerry rushed after him, but got lost for a time among the walls of merchandise. When he found the man he was sitting in a game room of sorts. He raised his arms and looked around as he spoke. "What am i supposed to choose my Gift from in here then?" The old man stood up before lowering his head into his hand for a moment before he answered Jerry. "No, just-- Ahhh. Anyways, before i choose whether you can peruse my shop in earnest, we will have a little contest of sorts. We shall play a game of my own creation, it is much like most rpg games currently in existence, mine is a bit more unique than most, though i will not bore you with the details." Jerry nodded and took a seat, as the old man returned to his. The old man explained the rules to him as well as the specifics and such. The old man left the room for a moment to do some final preparations, it gave time for Jerry to take a better look around the room.


    The room was square, but each was was lined with shelves and cabinets lined with games and affiliated items. Only one was was mostly bare from such things, that was only because one wall was practically dominated by a massive entertainment center. The center was filled with an equally massive tv, as well as a sound system and an assortment of consoles and game systems. The tv was a flatscreen, at least 75" wide, currently the large screen only displayed a status screen of sorts. The old man returned soon carrying a strange looking controller, that was black and dark blue in color. Jerry started playing and it seemed that just as soon as he began playing and configuring himself it was over. As Jerry left he turned around for a moment and asked the old man for his name. "Ah, my name is Cha- Chance, you can call me Chance, good luck with your Gift."

 Chapter 7: What Some do For Money Others Do for Fun. (Part Two: For Money)

    For a while after they spoke, both of them simply held each other in silence. Tristan looked over at the at the door sharply as the runes flared, signifying that someone was trying to enter. The way the runes were made him realize that the person was not trying to break in, but was merely alerting him to their presence. He disentagled himself from Erica, who whined gently from being disturbed. "Sorry beautiful, but we got guests." In response Erica just made a noise of disgruntlement and stood before stretching much like a cat would do after a nap. Tristan then stood up fully as well, he extended an arm towards the door and the runes faded for a moment and he spoke gently. "Enter." The door opened revealing a young shy looking man, barely out of his teens. The youth spoke with his eyes on the ground. "Your fight will be starting momentarily sir." Tristan nodded and chuckled as he noticed the man''s eyes glancing over at Erica occassionally during her stretching routine. Tristan looked over to her and spoke softly saying "Ok Beautiful, your distracting the boy. You will have to leave for now, see you later after the match, or at it."


    Erica pouted slightly before hugging him and kissing his cheek before leaving. Because Erica turned and left after that wnd the boy followed after her like a puppy, neither of them saw the faint blush that overtook Tristan''s pale skin. He shook himself out of the stupor he had been in and a serious look emerged in his eyes. He put the weapon he had taken earlier back on the wall, he would have no need of it, but it still never hurt to practice his stances with a weapon of some weight. What he had been using was specifically a modified Quarter staff of sorts, It was weighted on either end that could be adjusted through magic, Tristan used that to practice when here, as he could emulate the feel and weight of his Scythe. After finishing up his preparations he went to the other door to leave the Chamber. He opened the door and entered into the barren corridor leading to the Pit, the corridor itself consisted of dull grey walls, floor, and ceiling. The corridor itself was left unadorned for a reason, probably to shake the mentality for the weaker and less mentally secure of fighters.


    After walking down the corridor for what seemed like forever Tristan finally came to the end. The door there was akin to a metal gate, similar to what is seen in gladiator pits. As Tristan approached the door he could hear the muted roar of the crowd of the Pit. The door opened in front of him and the smells of the arena hit him, first and foremost was the smell of blood and death, if the latter had an applicable smell. The next smell hit him like a wave, and it was one that would make most wretch in disgust, the stench of sweat and dirt had mixed with the smells of other bodily fluids to create a revolting concoction. A team was cleaning the field of the remnants of the last match, it was littered with corpses and the ground was marked with craters and blood. It had been a match with many people involved, that in itself was a rarity as most fights were one on one. There were only two types of matches that involved mutliple combatants, Free-for-Alls and Team matches, most of these matches do not garner much patronage due to the high level of violence often found in them. While the Patrons of the Pit do go there to revel in the violence and savagery inherent to the place, there is a limit to what they will witness, due to this the vast majority of such matches are before or after the main event matches.


    After they finished clearing the field of the bodies, an Earth mage smoothed it over making the ground flat once more. Soon after that happened a woman walked towards the center of dirt arena that was the Pit. She was tall and svelte and had long blonde hair that fell down to her waist. While she was rather different from Erica and Kandace, her attractiveness was no less than theirs and was perhaps even more enchanting in a way, regardless she was obviously no mere mortal. Her graceful walking stopped as she reached the center of the Pit, she extended her arms as she spoke. "Ladies and Gentlemen, The match you all have been waiting for has finally arrived. This fight will feature the mysterious Vampire Mage, known as Brandon and his opponent, Sparky, the Storm Elemental." As she finished speaking Tristan fully entered the Pit, he had Changed into his Vampire form before he left the corridor leading to the Pit. This form gave him a more angular visage, making his face harsher and more predatory, but also more beautiful in a sense. His eyes were a Crimson color, a vast difference from their usual sea green.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    He looked over towards the opposite side of the arena where his opponent emerged. He was a large man, nearly seven feet in height, he was also heavily muscled, and many could compare his musculature to that of many sculptures such as the Thinker or similar statues. He had electric blue hair that seemed to crackle with electricitity though it could have been a trick of the light as well. He was wearing a tight fitting blue combat suit, though it may not have been real as most Elementals can form things that look real but are actually of their element. That is one difficulty many have when fighting Elementals, most physical or magical attacks against them could be negated or had no effect outright due to their elemental nature. While Tristan and his opponent were staring each other down the Host spoke in her elegant voice. "The betting for this match will now close. since the fight will start after i explain the rules to these gentlemen." She paused for a moment before addressing the two combatants. "As cliche what i am about to say will sound please pay attention. The both of you already know the rules, But i will repeat them anyways, just in case there are any spectators in the audience that arent familiar with them."


    She sighed for a moment before she spoke in a more serious and commanding tone. "Though you can kill each other here and you will be protected while here, we will not offer anymore protection, though there are certainly exceptions. Once you leave the premises even if you are still within the sphere of influence we will not do anything so think over your actions here. Should you intentionally aim at the viewing areas and/or injure spectators you will face consequences. Any magic is allowed, as long as its usage will not violate the previous rule, same with magically Bound weapons, the only other weapons allowed are those from the Chambers. The Fight will continue until Death, surrender, or incapacitation." She paused and backed up a fair distance before she yelled "BEGIN!!" as the words left her mouth, she vanished and reappeared above in the viewing areas. Tristan extended and arm in front of hm and a mass of what could only be described as Blackness formed, as he did so the Elemental rushed at him.


    Tristan responded by sending the ball of inky Blackness at his opponent, the ball splashed against the Elementals shield, it ate away at the shield as it flashed blue, but it stopped and the shield started reforming. The Elemental responed by projecting a series of small lightning bolts at Tristan forcing him to dodge. This bought enough time for the Elemental to give himself a home field advantage so to speak. He stopped as the bolts kept Tristan busy, he raised both of his arms into the air, gathering the magic in the air to tke the shape he wanted. As he did so dark clouds formed above the arena, a barrier around the arena flashed into life containing the storm clouds. The clouds swiftly grew in size as they were fed more magic and soon enough bolts of lightning could be seen and heard within the clouds. Tristan launched another mass of black magic at the Elemental after he dodged the last of the pesky bolts that had been after him. The Elemental was distracted due to his feat of magic, it took a lot to create a force of nature from scratch even for a skilled mage or Elemental. The magic hit Sparky''s shield and ate away at it once more, but this time it forced its way through and impacted against the Elemental. Tristan smirked at his opponents inattentiveness, the expression froze as he felt the mass of magic and Lightning moving towards him. He hastily manifested his Scythed and swung at the lightning bolt, but it wasnt sfast enough, the two halves impacted against his feet sending Tristan flying.

 Interlude: Foolishness of Youth

    While Tristan was fighting, possibly for his life, in the Pit there were events happening elsewhere in the City. A tall blonde youth in his late teens was running, his chest heaved with his labored breathing as he ran. He turned off of the road he had been running along and went onto what was little more than a dirt path, thuogh remnants of gravel could be seen here and there. He started to slow down as he approached his destination, a crumbling stone wall laden with green vines. This wasnt just one of the older parts of the city, it was also one of the less frequent and least inhabited parts as well. He slowed down entirely to a slow walk as he passed by the stone wall and headed towards and old log cabin that stood near a small copse of trees. He stopped and tensed as he looked around, he walked closer to the log cabin, he was about to enter it when he heard the cracking of a twig coming from the forest. He tensed again and turned swiftly towards where the sound had come from, he trees. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he saw the familiar figure leaving the trees.


    He spoke to the figure with amusement evidenced in his voice. "So you made it here safely then?" The figure replied in a delicate and feminine voice. "Yes, though i didtn like it, I hate nature." At her response the teen chuckled, nearly breakin into full blown laughter as he responded. "Hey, your the one who say we can''t meet around the College and you also had your people prepare and scout this place. I am not responsible this time, so shall we go in then?" As he spoke the last words he gestured towards the cabin with one arm and his face took on a wicked smile that gave him a rakish look. The young woman blushed and nodded before she started walking towards the cabin. He walked in front of her swiftly to the front door and opened it for her. He put his head into the cabin and looked around for a moment before he pulled back and let her enter. He turned around for a moment to look outside before he reached for the door to shut it, suddenly a cold breeze blew across the place and he shivered for a moment before he rushed into the cabin and closed the door.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    After closing the door he turned around and was embraced by his girfriend Mari. She raised her head towards him and he lowered his head to hers and their lips met in a kiss. He gently teased her lips with his before he gently bit her lips, she whimpered at the sensation before she lowered her head and just snuggled into him as he moved forward while holding her. When they reached what served as the cabin''s living room she broke away from him and sat on a loveseat near the fireplace while he moved forward to get it started. Soon enough a roaring fire was created in the fireplace and the inside of the room became cosy and took on a pleast ambience. He walked over to the loveseat and joined her, he took er into his arms and held her, though one of his arms started wandering over her petite, but luscious form. She pushed him away from ehr for a momen and shivered despite the warmth before she spoke. "I do need this Jon, more than you perhaps, but are you sure we are alone, I just have this feeling."


    He chuckled lightly, though he was frowning as well before he responded to her. "Come on baby. What do you think this is a hoor movie or a horror novel. Listen i took a look before we entered and didnt see anything, and you had sent your people to check this out before we arrived and they said it was ok right?" She didnt say anything but nodded lightly. He chuckled again saying "See? then there is nothing to worry about." He paused as he moved towards here as she relaxed at his statments, but there was still a wariness in her eyes. "Haah, fine. How about i take a look around, while you stay here with your phone ready in case something does happen, not that it will, ok?" She nodded again as she reached into her jacket to pull the phone out as he left. She stood up and stretched with her arms out, then something grabbed her and she screamed, though it was muffled because whatever it was put a hand over her mouth. Jon came running back and dropped his phone, before he too screamed at what had his girlfriend.

 Foolishness of Youth: Alternate version

    In one of the less frequented parts of the city, a tall lithely built teen wearing a hoodie was walking along the dimly lit street on the cracked sidewalk path. As he walked he hugged the faded hoodie tightly to himself as a chilly breeze blew past him. He paused for a moment to regain his footing as the breeze pushed him slightly causing him to stumble over a crack in the sidewalk. As he straightened himself he looked around at the surrounding area, this part of town was nearly entirely abandoned and maintenence to it was rare, the few working street lamps and the condition of the pavement and sidewalks was a testament to that.


    Hecontinued his journey forward after regaining his bearings. Though it may ssem rather strange for a lone teen to be walking in a mostly abandoned part of the city, for him, it was a necessity as his house was located on the other side of this section, and it was faster to go through it than to go around. he looked up once more before he took a left at one of the few intersections with street lights that fully worked. He walked forward a distance, passing by many crumbling buildings along with a few desolate story fronts.


    He paused as he stepped into the hazy glow cast by one of the neon signs belonging to a storefront that still operated, he was close to his destination. Now he just needed to go past the Old Hanover House, it was an old house that was mostly stone and wood, and it nearly predated the creation of the City. Once, a long time ago it was used as a rendevous place for teens and for parties, but then an accident happened over a decade ago and part of the house was scorched and several of the surrounding buildings were damaged as well. The origin of the blaze were unkown, and much mystery surrounded it and the events around the house in general.


    He continued past the Store, leaving the light it provied soon enough. As he walked forward he once more gazed at his surroundings taking in the sights. This part of town had an almost desolate apocalyptic feel to it, much like towns shown in zombie movies and the like. In most Cities parts of the town wouldnt bee abandoned like this, though there are always exceptions. The strange thing is that few remember or know about this section unless they are told by others or they are in frequent contact with it. The teen paused as he centered his gaze upon the House.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Hanover house itself could be considered quite beautiful in a rustic and vintage sort of way. That is until you see the burn marks sand other signs of destruction still marring its once pristine surface. Over the windows and the doorways large haphazardly made signs marked in black paint were the large words Stay Out, as well as other similar variations. He grasped an item in his pocket as he sped up to hurry his passage past the House. As he was about to pass it a breeze that made him shiver manifested, unlike the previous breeze which was merely chilly this one was truly cold, nearly bone-chilling cold.


    He paused for a moment before continuing, his steps picked up a hurried nearly desperate pace. He stopped completely as he heard a cracking and splintering sound behind him. He turned around swiftly, gazing intently at the area, but not seeing anything. He started to turn back around, until he heard the sound again, as he returned to his position he say part of the fencing surrounding the house was damaged. He took in a deep breath as he used is free hand to remove his hood revealing his newly unobscured visage. He had short blond hair, and had a face that at first glance would appear to be average, though it had a certain allure to it that made you looke at it again.


    He spoke saying ¡°Who¡¯s out there?¡± He waited for a few breaths of time before speaking again. ¡°If this were a horror movie or some Novel or Manga, then I would approach the creepy as shit building and possibly be attacked by some serial killer or mauled by some monster or mutated animal. However because e I am not a total dumbass I will not do such a foolish thing and will instead calmly walk away.¡± While he did seem to speak calmly and have a calm look, one would be able to see the nervousness hidden beneath the surface if they looked closely.


    He turned away and started to walk back towards hi house, which in truth was only a few dozen meters from his current position. He turned back once more as he heard the strange sound, this time he pulled a small caliber pistol out of his pocket, or something that looked like it. He started backing up slowly while staying on alert. He turned slightly to the left as he thought he saw something, he started to relax as he didn¡¯t see anything. That is when it happened, something, dark and shadowy burst out of the darkness nearby and grabbed him, and as it did so he let out a piercing scream, that could be heard a great distance away before it was abruptly silenced.

 update and pending rewrite

    So, This was my first real story here and was one of my better concepts.


    I have been planning on a rewrite of this for a while, but have not been able to. I will be rewriting this, changing some things around and fit it into a similar universe.


    The First story in the series is still unnamed but i have it planned out and developed to the end, it will be a supernatural noir themed story.


    Premise for that below.


    Spoiler: Spoiler<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    This seemingly mundane world we live in is full of strange and wondrous things, from magic to mystical creatures. Once these things were as common as leaves in the wind but many centuries ago they disappeared entirely from this earth when Vlad Tepes Dracula was killed. The truth is that they only disappeared on the surface, beneath it however, magic is alive and well, just hidden from the mundane world.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The hidden world of the Supernatural is a ruthless and lawless place known of by criminals, those they exploit, and few others. Supernatural beings cannot be found everywhere, most stay in their nations of birth, but the US is a bit on an exception. It is and always has been a melting pot a place immigrants from all over come to make a new life, this even applies to those of the supernatural world.


    The major cities of the US each have a population of supernatural tenants, some are large in size, others small. The City of Cross Timber, located along the shores of Lake Eyrie squarely on the border between Pennsylvania and Ohio, is a bit of an exception. It has always had a larger criminal presence than most cities its size, and has a large population of supernatural beings as well.


    The other two stories in the same verse are Primal Thing (Name pending) and The Rewrite of the Last Death Mage (title undetermined). They will take place on the West coast, in California and characters will be hinted at or introduced in the first story, with side stories to transition into the actual story.


    I am unsure of when i will begin the rewrite or such, but thought to make you guys aware since i know some preferred this story to my other, Fate of the Summoned/Godly protector.

 Rewrite update

    The Rewrite now has a name and once i review what notes i have from The Last Death mage, i will finish the first chapter/prologue.


    The Last Son of the Dragon


    Once magic ran rampant through the world, unchecked and barely challenged by any but those born from it. That changed when humanity began to spread and war with the supernatural and those who stood with them. Humanity was not the only threat to the supernatural which led to the First Shadow War. Following that war, slowly but surely magic began to die, from the Fall of the Roman Empire onwards.


    It was not until the death of the being known as Vlad Tepes Dracula that it seemingly disappeared entirely. The Son of the Dragon was quite an intriguing being, being so much more than just one of the most powerful Vampires to ever exist. Within him much power rested, the Power of the First Prime, one of the most powerful mystical beings created. The bloodline of a Dragon rested within his blood as well, but that was not all which rested within him.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Some have inherited his blood, being descendants of him through his wife and others. Some of them have inherited his vampiric power, others still inherited the power of the First Prime or Dracula''s unique magic. However very few have inherited the power of his own father, the Last Dragon King, whom fell during one of many conflicts after the Shadow War. Dragons are powerful beings to begin with, but due to their inherent nature many hunted them despite the risk.


    Those who inherit Dracula''s blood and perhaps even his power are all called as he was titles, the Son of the Dragon. Once there was a group, the Sons of the Dragon, all formed of Dracula''s descendants who search for and enlisted those they found. The Sons all died during the Great War, World War one, or were thought to have been killed. They were hunted down one by one during the chaos that swept the world during WW 1, by those who feared the power they might possess.


    There is one a human whom inherited of all things, Dracula''s humanity, you could say, despite being human he still holds great power. Once he was a normal human, but a certain incident years ago changed things. It was his Awakening as a mage which caused some things to change concerning magic. He faked his death and has been hiding in L.A., the few that do know of him just think of him as a reclusive Chaos Mage. Things will soon change however as powerful people have a way of running into trouble.