Lunar Vampire Chronicles: The Fall of James

Copyright © 2016 by H.S. Darke.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Rev. date: 03/31/2023

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Contents

Chapter 1 Beggars in the Night

Chapter 2 At the Shrine of the Temple to the Moon

Chapter 3 James Goes to London

Chapter 4 More of James’ Education

Chapter 5 Darella in the Sacred Lands

Chapter 6 Of Things That Were, Are, and Will Be

Chapter 7 James Returns to London

Chapter 8 James Leaves for the Colonies

Chapter 9 The Order Finds Another

Chapter 10 Making Friends

Chapter 11 Things to Do

Appendix A Shamans: A Brief History

Appendix B Barons Baltimore

Appendix C Vane’s Prayer

Vampires

Dictionary of the Dark Tongue

Note from the author

Chapter 1

Beggars in the Night

The year was 1670 AD. As a young child, James was always drawn to the abandoned well deep in his back yard.

He’d wonder to himself, What’s at the bottom? If I dove in, would I die? Would I be jumping into a magical world?

Now, at six years old, he wondered if there was something magical at the bottom of the well that could make his mother better. He would throw pebbles into it to see if he could hear them hit the bottom, also thinking that he was somehow adding to its power. Sometimes he did hear something, and sometimes he didn’t hear anything at all. Later, he would begin to throw in small dead birds he would find.

No one knew about his fascination with the well but himself, because he felt strangely compelled to keep the well and the things he did there a secret. Sometimes when he stood next to the well, it sang to him; it was a song with no analogue in the world that he knew of with which to compare it to. The well was a magical place for him, a place where things that were wished for were possible. It was certainly beautiful to him, and it seemed to call to him when it sang. It was most certainly a friendly feeling that he perceived from the well, and he never feared it.

His father, Jacob, was a good man. He was very much loved and trusted in their burgeoning community. An accomplished lawyer, he was given a lot of autonomy to run the day-to-day operations of the local governor, despite the fact that he was Jewish. He was educated in Europe and was a master of English Common Law, and he was recognized by the Crown, as a matter of fact. Though Jacob was Jewish, he was not a particularly pious man, and neither was James. James’ mother, however, was somewhat.

One morning, after awakening from a strange dream, James went outside and began to walk along the path into the woods. While he was walking, his father saw him, went to him, put his hand on his shoulder to stop him for a moment, waited for James to turn around to look at him, and told him that his mother had died the night before. At first, James didn’t react.

Despite being dead, his mother’s body still lay in the bed where she passed away, a common practice of the time. James went to her and laid his head upon her breast, and he wept. He loved his mother, and he knew she had been sick. Later, his father would tell him that she died of influenza.

There was a period of mourning, as was to be expected. It wasn’t long after, however, that James saw strange men coming to visit his father. They always came at night. Every time after they left, his father always seemed despondent. James loved his father greatly, and since his mother was now dead, he loved his father even more. James asked his father who the men were.

Father, who were they that came upon the door to speak with you?

This is none of your concern, for you shall be apprised of the situation when I deem the time to be appropriate.

But, Father, they came all hooded and cloaked. Is it not said that we should be wary of such persons?

Worry not about such things. The time may come when you must play the part of a man and supplant my jurisdiction upon your life, but that time has not yet arrived.

It was a small community where Jacob and James lived. Everyone knew everyone. There was the local school, church, and several stores. This was a new town: New York. Despite the fact that Jacob lived outside the main town, James had many friends. He played all the games that the other kids played. He loved most of all playing hide and go seek. All the little girls and boys would play. James was a master at hiding. He hid so well that he would begin to grow bored waiting to be found. He started to develop a strange habit of finding just the right place where he could observe the others while still remaining hidden. His attentions were mostly focused on a little girl of his same age named Miriel. She was quite pretty.

In his eyes, there was no one prettier than Miriel, but he was also very shy. He would talk to her during the normal course of social interactions that all the children had with one another (in groups), but he never dared to approach her when she would eventually walk away, alone, heading toward her home. But whenever possible, he followed her with his eyes, absorbing her image. This was the compensation that he learned to make do with in place of his inability to actually talk to her.

Miriel had no brothers or sisters. Her parents were quite religious. As could be expected for the time, Miriel’s parents were a little wary of James and his father, since they did not attend church regularly, but of course, there were no local synagogues yet. Nonetheless, everyone was quite sociable otherwise.

News traveled fast in the area, so when an older lady of fifty- four was found dead, two weeks after she went missing, everyone knew of it shortly after her discovery. She was not robbed, and no wounds were visible on her body. It was assumed that she died of natural causes. The fact that her body was quite pale did not seem strange; dead bodies are often pale. This older woman’s name was Mary. She was a widow and had no family.

When she was buried, only her neighbors showed up to pay their last respects. The local sheriff, Brandeis, went around asking questions, but they had more to do with Mary’s surviving relatives, who they were and where they lived, than with the circumstances surrounding her death. Since it was ultimately discovered that she had no relatives, her home and property were absorbed by the local government, commanded, of course, by the Crown.

Everything in the community seemed to go on normally afterward, and several months passed. It had been some time since James had seen these strange people. Then another body was found outside the town. This body was like the first, Mary’s, in that there was no visible sign of foul play or struggle. The victim was simply rather pale and fully clothed, like the first victim was. She had been dead for only a few days. Her name was Bethany. Like Mary before, she was not robbed and was found near the side of the road. For the sheriff, this was rather odd.

He went to question the locals, but most hadn’t seen anything. However, one man claimed to have seen several people fleeing in haste from the area into the woods during the presumed time of Bethany’s death. The sheriff investigated the area and did notice that the tall grass appeared tamped down, as if several people had recently run through it. He was not sure of the number, but it definitely seemed to be more than one. It appeared that they ran toward the trees, away from the open road. That seemed counterintuitive, because the forest was typically more dangerous than the open road. Since a storm was moving in, however, he decided to investigate further when the weather cleared up, and the ground would not be so muddy.

Some days after Bethany’s body was found, Jacob got another visit. It was from the same cloaked and hooded men who had visited previously, but this time a woman was with them. When they came, as he had previously done, Jacob told James to go to his room, and shut the door. James went to his room, closed the door, and pressed his ear to it to better hear what he could. As before, the men seemed to speak to his father as if they were somewhat acquainted and friendly with him. In any case, Jacob did not fear for his or his son’s safety. For that matter, James also never felt threatened when he saw these men. Jacob talked with the men.

Ephisiostecles, the leader and the oldest, spoke.

Thank you for letting us into your home once again, though we come as beggars in the night.

Jacob responded, I knew from the moment we first met that you were not as you appeared, and yet I never feared for my life.

Menster said, And that was wisdom indeed, for you are only confirming the esteem which we have for you.

Jacob glanced at the female with them, and it was noticed and reciprocated. Though she too was hooded and cloaked, Jacob could tell that she was incredibly beautiful.

Ephisiostecles spoke again.

We told you that we would give you time, and now we wish to know whether or not you accept our offer.

Jacob hesitated.

I am not alone, and I have no family in the Colonies. I am unsure as to how to care for my son, should I accept.

It is as it has been many times before, Ephisiostecles replied. There are many endings when we come upon situations such as yours. Many things may happen in this way or that which open new doors . . . new possibilities. Some have the power to abandon utterly those whom they love. Some have the power only because there was no one to abandon.

Or love. My son is the world to me. I cannot abandon him. Menster added, "Even if you are out of his life, you will have the means to help him financially for the rest of his life . . .

anonymously. He will have a very comfortable life. Darella added, Which you could observe from afar. Jacob furrowed his brow and asked, From afar?"

Ephisiostecles answered, By necessity. You will be ageless to him.

On hearing the word abandon, James became quite upset. It sounded to him as if his father could leave him. Actually, it sounded more like he would abandon him. He had just lost his mother not long before, so he was feeling desperate. He ran to his bed and cried himself to sleep.

Menster continued, Know this, mortal, that in your area there are such as like to us, but of a lesser race, that may look to harm you and your son. We know they are here, though they flee from our presence. They are the enemy, your enemy. They are forgeries.

Ephisiostecles added, Dark forgeries.

All of this they spoke while standing, and perhaps to gather his composure, Jacob insisted that they all sit down. Though he already knew the answer to this question, he asked only so that he could hear them talk while he seriously pondered on what they said with respect to his son. It was implied that this would be the last time that they would come to make this offer.

Jacob said, Please explain to me one more time, that I may hear again more clearly that which cannot be written on paper for my further study. For I shall say what I understand thus far. You have been here in this land thousands of years before, saw some things, altars built by others, I recall, but then you left. Now you are here again, but this time to create a haven of sorts for someone very special. What have I missed?

Menster explained, "As has been said before, we are an ancient order. We are immortal, and we have a Goddess whom we serve. She is the Lady, and she has a name: Lue’lla. It is the colonization of this new world by the Europeans that has caused us to reconsider a home here for those like us, living off the moonlight and off the blood of humans, for we are vampires."

At this, Jacob glanced yet again at Darella. It seemed odd that what he was hearing seemed to describe monsters, and yet here was one before him who looked just as human as himself. In fact, they all looked human, except that he experienced a very strange sensation when sitting next to them, like James felt the few times he saw them in person. Though Jacob knew not how old they were, he perceived them to be ancient.

Ephisiostecles observed, You look upon this female, a fair form, and wonder to yourself how can it be? Nay, we are not monsters. We are a Holy Order, but we do not serve humanity. One may liken us to parasites, but it would be a word used by a mind too small to comprehend. Make no mistake, Jacob, we are quite powerful and dangerous.

And we wish to make you as one of us . . . added Darella. Ephisiostecles and Menster seemed somewhat shocked that she spoke at all, for she was usually quite reserved, a departure from her character for those who knew her as a child. In truth, she had not intended to speak at all, for she was with her brothers for other reasons.

Up until this point, Jacob was going to deny their request, though he was unsure what would have happened to him if he had. But upon hearing her voice, something inside of him stirred. It was a source of conflict, of course. His wife had just died, and yet here he was becoming smitten with another female, a female vampire at that. She was the undead, the existence of which he had never before been aware.

Menster added, Let me remind you that this New World is set to have many upheavals. As one of us, you will have the resources to weather what may be, and you will have our strength to help you during times of duress. We must establish a foothold in this infant nation with its laws, laws which seem to be written all the time, the language of power.

Ephisiostecles added, And you have been selected by one of our own as being without peer in your field, and we wish for you to be the instrument by which we may establish a foothold in this area.

With some desperation, Darella spoke.

And, Jacob, you must fear for your safety. Our travels have not gone unmarked. When she expressed concern for his safety, something inside of him broke, and he acquiesced. He accepted their offer. Now he had to know details.

Jacob asked, I know that much has to be done to prepare for this ritual you have mentioned. What of my son? Where will we go?

Menster answered, It is better that you be free from worry for your son’s well-being, but this option you should consider. As he may not accompany us to the ritual, find neighbors whom you trust to watch him. Say you are going away on a business venture for the Crown.

Ephisiostecles added, When you arrive back home after the ritual, there will be a transition period. By then, we can make plans more certain of what to do with him.

Darella attempted to add hope.

It may be that, in time, an offer of invitation will be extended to him.

Menster interjected to present a more likely scenario, which he felt he had to do thanks to Darella’s somewhat optimistic presumption.

Or just as likely, he will be sent to live with relatives under the premise that you have died.

Ephisiostecles added, We do not have to decide any of this, with respect to your son, just this moment. All agreed, though Jacob did so halfheartedly.

After they spoke for a while, they inquired about Jacob’s wife, asking what had been done with her body.

Menster asked Jacob, Know you the manner in which her body was destroyed?

Jacob looked at him oddly and asked, Destroyed? Yes. Was she cremated or buried?

She was given a common burial. The site is not too far away.

A Body Exhumed

Ephisiostecles knew this was a sensitive situation. It was also extraordinarily precarious. Rogues in and of themselves were not a major concern, but there was a corpse to contend with and what it might portend.

The three Faithful knew of this risk, but they preferred not to tell Jacob of the reason for his task, only that it had to be done.

Ephisiostecles said, You must go now to her burial site. And Jacob . . ., he paused to prepare himself, you must exhume her body, and burn it to ashes.

Jacob took on a look of utter horror.

Menster added, Fear not for your safety, for we shall follow you at a distance.

Darella knew he wasn’t worried about his safety so much as coming to grips with the idea of digging up his recently deceased wife and burning her. Therefore, she thought to interject a feminine perspective.

It is likely, wherever her soul is, that she would want this . . . that she would not want her body to be used against you. Jacob noted that her statement was nebulous, but it comforted him somewhat to hear her say it . . . to hear her voice.

Jacob asked, So if I understand you, I am to take a shovel, dig up my recently deceased wife, and at some point, burn her to ashes?

Menster answered, Yes, but you must burn her then and there. He continued as if to answer a question unasked. There are many perils the living must face that we do not. The Faithful hold no fear of the dead. You are not yet of the Order, though we now treat you as one. That said, you have not yet the power to avail yourself against the fears we speak of and yet speak not.

Darella added, It is better that you seek not all answers to all questions at once, until your mind is ready to understand the answers.

Ephisiostecles further added, Your mind will be made ready when Lue’lla reveals herself to you. But before that happens, it would be useless to try to explain.

Jacob answered, I understand, I think. Or, I understand what I must do, though it grieves me terribly.

Ephisiostecles, Menster, and Darella were of the Order. They were Faithful vampires to the Goddess Lue’lla. When they spoke to Jacob, they left out a great many details with respect to the dangers that he was facing, for in their minds, it was for his own good. They had already made him aware of the fact that there were rogue vampires in the area . . . dark forgeries. The three Faithful felt confident that they could protect him from these rogues, but there may have been other complications, especially since his wife was not cremated.

It was known that at least one rogue vampire came with the very first ships to the New World. When that rogue arrived, he or she had two pools of potentials at his or her disposal: the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. It was suspected by the Order that both had been used.

Before he left to perform his task, Jacob went to his son. It was clear that James had been crying to the point that he had fallen asleep in his bed.

James awoke only enough to tell his father, Please don’t ever leave me, Father.

I never will, my son.

Jacob put the blanket over James, left the room, and closed the door behind him. James slept peacefully.

Jacob went to Ephisiostecles, Menster, and Darella.

Jacob said, I go now to my task. Let me find my lantern and a shovel, and I will go.

It was 11:30 at night when Jacob put on his heavy boots and prepared to trudge through the recently wetted dirt. Ephisiostecles and Menster left with him, but went by other routes. They did so in order to ascertain whether Jacob was being followed by rogues, confident that they could kill them quickly and with ease. Darella stayed as she promised. She sat down on a chair and began to meditate.

In her possession, she had a moon rock that she had recovered long ago. There were many ways that a moon rock could make it to the earth, but for those of the Faithful, there was no mistaking them. When they were found by the Faithful, they were highly coveted. When the Faithful held them, they felt closer to their Moon Goddess Lue’lla.

Darella closed her eyes and thought back on all that had brought her to this point. She had ascended many times already, and she was of the warrior class of vampires, though she was female. She had proven herself fierce in battle. Though not with her at the moment, she had nearby a mail, shield, and katana blade from the 14th century, made during Japan’s Kamakura period by Masamune in 1305, the sister sword of the Honjo Masamune.

She was so unarmed, because she didn’t want to present herself to Jacob as a warrior. Likewise, Ephisiostecles and Menster had also presented themselves unarmed, as ambassadors. She had fought against Ascended Humans long ago. Ascended Humans, in addition to being fierce warriors when necessary, had access to a special magic that was deadly to all life, and especially to the undead. In her mind, she recalled ancient battles.

She had been meditating for perhaps two hours and was deep in thought when she was disturbed by a small hand touching her knee. Startled, she opened her eyes. Perhaps due to the moon rock or to her deep meditation, her eyes took on a subtle red glow. James noticed it immediately and was scared. Quickly, Darella tried to convince him that he had only imagined what he saw and that he was perhaps still dreaming. So comforting did she seem that he believed her and sat upon her lap, and he fell asleep once more without saying another word.

By this point, Jacob had made it near the spot where his wife was buried. The whole way there, he had heard wolves howling. This was not uncommon, but in the howling, he heard howls of another kind. It was this other kind that scared him. He was somewhat comforted, however, by the knowledge that Ephisiostecles and Menster were nearby, though he wasn’t quite sure just how helpful they would be. Indeed, they would be less threatening than they normally would be, for they did not have with them their weapons. For all their talk, they never displayed openly to Jacob any such power as they claimed to wield, which seemed wise until they discovered that they had to visit a grave isolated in the wilderness with wolves on the prowl.

This is the world that Jacob knew, when, for others, magic was the darkness beyond a lit candle. But for him, prior to meeting the vampires, there existed no greater power than what he saw every day. His lantern was the only light that shone, for the moon was not full and was waning. As he drew closer to the burial site, he heard the howling much more loudly. But now it seemed to change. The howling morphed into growling. It was extremely frightening, because it seemed as if an assault would be imminent. With his poor human sight, he was at the mercy of whatever animals may have been stalking him. He knew his mission to be urgent, however, so he proceeded apace.

When he arrived at the site, he knew instantly that someone had already been there before him; he had even suspected this from a distance. The grave was empty! Someone had exhumed the body of his dead wife! He became angry at the thought of his wife’s grave being violated. This was unexpected, and he knew not what to do. He waited around thinking that his guardians would come to him with advice. Instead, all of a sudden, all he heard were the distant cries of wolves or dogs, and they appeared to be in great pain and panic, the darkness outside of his lantern’s reach manifesting into a terrible, dark menace, magic indeed. Some of the animal sounds he heard nearby were of the sort that implied that something was giving battle, and as a result, the animals were taking great injury, cries of pain. He was sure that that night the Faithful were, in fact, defending him.

Ephisiostecles and Menster had been following Jacob at a distance, hoping to identify and rout what enemies were around. Instead, they discovered wolves that were unnatural. They quickly descended upon them, gave battle, and won the night. The wolves were fierce, but they were young and had clearly not expected to meet such foes. If any other enemies waited nearby, they fled upon seeing the Faithful’s onslaught, but the two vampires also noticed something else.

Both vampires ran to Jacob, who was now knelt down beside his dead wife’s empty grave. He was nearly in tears.

Menster said, It is as we feared, Jacob. If you see your wife again, know that you will be dreaming.

See her again? She is dead. What is it I shall see? asked Jacob in severe anxiety and grief.

She will be a succubus. And let us speak no more of it, answered Ephisiostecles, as he looked at Menster disapprovingly. Jacob was in no mood to be left without a further explanation.

Menster spoke his mind aloud and revealed to Jacob that which they were attempting to withhold from him, until they could be more certain. Now they had little choice. Jacob went on the offensive.

I did even as you asked. I trudged through the mud in the night with a lantern and a shovel ready to exhume my dead wife and burn her. She is not here . . . was taken by grave robbers perhaps. You say I am as one already in the Order, and if that is true, then I demand that you tell me what perils I face . . . from what fears you attempt to shield me!

They were rather shocked by his demand, but his anger was understandable. Ephisiostecles saw wisdom in Jacob’s presumption and also felt sure that the three Faithful could likewise protect Jacob from the horrible creature he was about to describe. Now he had to speak of the possible complications.

Ephisiostecles said, If this is not the work of mere grave robbers, then yes, you may encounter a succubus, as Menster has already mentioned. While you sleep, she will—

She? My wife? Jacob asked, his voice colored with trepidation.

Yes, your dead wife. But not her being . . . only her body, possessed by some dark magic. She will look to trick you and lure you away so that you may be dispatched in the wilderness, if possible, to the profit of our enemies. For they know that we will keep a vigilant watch on your house and everything within it.

Jacob looked horrified.

She will come upon me as if she were living? What kind of sick, dark magic can make such a thing happen? What kind of dark, demented person would make use of the deceased in that way?

The powers we are dealing with we had hoped to shield you from for a while yet until we were sure of their intentions. Still, we are not, but it would seem as though they have made a possible move against you before our plans were full wrought. Much will be explained later, but for now, you must trust us and do as we say. Your life, and the life of your son, may be in danger, lest we act quickly. Ephisiostecles strategically mentioned Jacob’s son in order to mitigate Jacob’s anger—lest it fall upon them—by redirecting it to concern for James’ safety.

At this, Ephisiostecles and Menster became greatly comforted knowing that Darella was with James. For despite the fact that she was unarmed, she was still quite deadly. Though the Order had no plans for James, they nevertheless knew that no harm should be allowed to come to him while Jacob was not yet a vampire of the Order. They assumed the possibility that the Order’s enemies would also look to strike at that which Jacob loved most, and James was all that he had left.

Jacob, along with the two vampires, left the burial site to return home. As they had done on the way to the grave, the vampires followed Jacob from a distance. It was just better not to arouse any suspicion, should any mark that more than one man had made a nighttime visit to a grave. Such rumors could spark off witch hunts.

The walk back to Jacob’s home was rather quiet and uneventful. When they all walked in, they saw James asleep on Darella’s lap, even though they were only gone for two or three hours. Jacob lifted James up and put him back in his bed. When Jacob returned to the three vampires, he saw that they were assembled as if discussing amongst themselves what had just happened. He wanted to know more, but he could not ignore the fear and trepidation in his heart. As he neared them, they motioned to one another to pause so that they could apprise Jacob of what they knew in a way that would not frighten him. It would be an attempt in vain, because Jacob was quite frightened already. Ephisiostecles spoke first.

It is not known that what we told you at the grave will come to pass, but it seemed the only conclusion to which we could arrive. The Natives here are strong in their knowledge of the spirit world. In this era and in this part of the world, there are among the Natives ones called Shamans. They are similar to what are also known in other parts of the world as Witch Doctors or voodoo doctors. We know something of their origins, for they were made by those called the Ascendeds. How exactly this all came to pass is just a guess. While these Ascendeds were our enemies, we knew that they were not inherently evil, or better put, they wouldn’t willingly or knowingly create something that could harm humanity. In point of fact, they saw us as harmers of humanity, the reason they sought to destroy us. The hows and whys of how this all came to pass are theories, really. We hold that the Ascendeds must have originally offered something, knowledge perhaps, to the tribesmen in what is now called Africa. For whatever reason, the Ascendeds’ intentions were disrupted, perhaps by us. But all that aside, Jacob, that is not what worries me so much, because perhaps something not seen in many years—

Something? More than frightening wolves? Jacob asked, his voice laced with fear.

Yes, something. Something may walk the earth again . . . or perhaps never left.

Darella interjected, All just guesses thus far. Nevertheless, Ephisiostecles continued, we must discover it. I myself and Menster must leave to pursue our fears, but we will leave Darella, who seems to have made some connection with your son.

Already thinking of what was before them and what they had to do, Menster decided to end the conversation that they were having with Jacob.

If you will, we must discuss now, in private, our plans. Please, it is for your own sanity that we spare you of the concerns that we have. Go to your room, and get what rest you can, and know that you are safe tonight.

Jacob was exhausted with grief, anxiety, and fear. Whereas at first he thought there was no possible way he could sleep, the minute he laid his head down on his pillow, he fell into a deep slumber. Perhaps it was because he felt safer with such ancient lords in his house.

The Dark Stench

These three vampires, Ephisiostecles, Menster, and Darella were alive and had fought in that last war called the Third Ascended War, which occurred around 14,000 BCE. Ephisiostecles and Menster were especially familiar with the African Shamans and Witch Doctors, and Darella was more familiar with their South American counterparts. All of this culminated in the fear the three representatives of the Order now had: the fear that, despite their best efforts, they might yet fail. They feared the consequences of such a failure. This all hinged on the fear that Jacob’s very recently deceased wife was a good candidate to be used as a succubus, which could then be used to cause injury to Jacob, to say nothing of what this all portended.

This, however, would only be possible if the wielder of such dark magic was in league with an otherworldly power. And right now, the only other actors they knew of were rogues, seemingly unlikely candidates, and possibly a Shaman. In any event, for the sake of caution, the body had to have been exhumed and burned to ashes. That was no longer an option at this point.

Now in what privacy Jacob’s house provided, the three vampires discussed what was to be done. An additional complication had been introduced. Going to the grave, however, was not without profit. Had Jacob gone alone, he would’ve most certainly been killed. At the very least, he would’ve been waylaid and taken captive. What evil would have befallen him they could not say with any great certainty. Ephisiostecles and Menster informed Darella that they encountered wolves that were unnatural. She knew this to mean that, though they appeared as normal wolves, they were under some type of spell and were doing another’s bidding.

The question was: whose? Perhaps the Native Americans of the region had the knowledge to do such things, but would they have the motive? The rogues in the area likely did not know such magic among themselves, but they would’ve had the motive. And what about a turned Native American Shaman? It was a formidable combination. Those wolves were, without a doubt, unnatural, as they did not flee in the face of the vampires’ attack. They fought till the last one was killed, and they fought ferociously. The only way the vampires were able to kill them was to break their necks. Ephisiostecles and Menster suffered horrible wounds, though they would heal; they would, however, require a feeding soon. Despite this, however, rogues and Shamans still were not their greatest concern.

Ephisiostecles and Menster also noticed a subtle stench, a dark stench. It was as if it had been lingering from before. Though the air carried much of it away, the stench could not be missed. It was like the smell of the decay of a rotting corpse. The dark stench was usually the sign of a demon. It could never be confirmed, of course, without visual confirmation, having been discovered so close to where a rotting corpse had actually been, but when taken in the context of the unnatural wolves, it was a distinct possibility.

Ephisiostecles and Menster informed Darella that they were going to have to leave her alone so that they may go about and find what answers they could. They would leave in one day, enough time for Darella to get her mail, shield, and katana from a cave nearby. She left immediately.

Like most vampires, Darella preferred to walk at night. What moonlight shone in the night was always a refreshing feeling upon the skin of a Faithful vampire. She made haste to the cave. When she arrived, she looked for evidence that someone had found their hidden spot, but their camp seemed undisturbed. She saw Ephisiostecles’ and Menster’s armor and weapons as well. She grabbed only her own. The katana she had now was not used in the Third Ascended War, but it had seen many battles since.

She was a true warrior and quite fell, despite being female. By herself, she could defeat any battalion fighting under its own banner that the Old World could manage to get to New York by ship; she could defeat the British, Swedes, French, Dutch, and even Spanish battalions.

Darella picked up her sword, always light in her hand. She made a few motions with it as if fighting an invisible foe, reminding her inner sinews of their skill; she was keeping the movements of battle fresh within. She knew what it was that Ephisiostecles and Menster suspected, and all three of them could be killed. She put on her leather armor, girt herself with her sword, and left. She also took with her three books that she had brought with her. One of them was really a diary, her 290th diary. As it was, vampires seldom wrote in their diaries. They wrote only the most important things that happened, since they were alive indefinitely.

Not all vampires kept diaries, however. But since a vampire could fall in battle, it was seen as a glimpse of wisdom to keep one, as they could subsequently aid the Order with the knowledge contained therein. Vampires like Ephisiostecles could have made one entry a month and still have filled a library on his own.

Dawn was upon them when Darella returned.

She said, I did not bother to bring your armor and swords back, as I was not yet sure of your intent.

Menster responded, And we are unsure ourselves. But in my heart, I feel that they will be used in the near future, or my faculties escape me.

Ephisiostecles added, Nay, your faculties are ever sharp. And I too perceive that we should proceed with caution. We came too few to this New World in our endeavor, but now we have no choice. Our mission was to bring Jacob into the Order, and for that, normally only one would be sent. We have come as three, though we are three among the mightiest of the Order.

Darella blushed somewhat to hear herself referred to as such. She was young compared to the likes of Menster, Nathaniel, Etl, Ephisiostecles, and Roch. She was more a contemporary of someone like Styre or Vane. Kudl, Kendra, and Andrew were as adolescents to her, though adolescents with respect to years in the Order only.

Because demons of the previous eras instinctively avoided the Order vampires, Darella never got a chance to fight one. Ephisiostecles, Rubidicus, and others, however, had fought against them. She only knew of them as rumors, and what the others had reported; demons were very powerful, dark, and deadly when they possessed humans. Perhaps one day she would meet one, but she did not fear it.

Ephisiostecles said, Darella, we must leave you now. Take what steps you must. When you meditate, as you are wont to do, endeavor to concentrate on the possible movements of our foes and try to discover something of the dark stench that we mentioned earlier.

Menster added, I myself and Ephisiostecles will go to learn what we can. It is perilous. The two of us must separate, for Ephisiostecles and I will be able to cover much more ground that way. Our triumvirate will be weakened, though, Darella, your task is now the most urgent before us.

Ephisiostecles nodded in agreement and said, It is, for you must guard Jacob as if he were already one of us. His son is less to me, but we leave it to your discretion as to how to proceed with respect to him. But understand, he is not your ward. And they left.

Widow’s Bane

When James and Jacob awoke the next morning, they saw that the two men had left. James assumed that most of what he experienced the previous night was a dream; he woke up in his own bed, after all. James put on his clothes, ate some food, and went outside to his calming place, the abandoned well. It was through many trees about a hundred yards from the back of his door. It was quite isolated from the rest of the world.

Of all things, James felt mostly curious about the well. The idea of doing a thing over and over again never got old. Every visit was a first visit. What did he expect to happen? Nothing had ever happened in the past, except for the odd singing that he thought he heard but assumed was just ambient forest noise. So with that in mind, he expected nothing.

When he got to the well, he looked at it from the outside. It always seemed so pretty and old looking, three feet high with randomly shaped stones that fit together so perfectly that no mortar was needed. It wasn’t dug and built by his father. Actually, no one knew who built it. That always made the well more magical to James. He came upon its ledge and peered down into the blackness.

This day, he wouldn’t be throwing anything down the well. He had done enough of that without profit. He was content to gaze into its blackness to see if something would finally notice him. He was still, just like that, for perhaps two or three minutes. Then, all of a sudden, he heard a very faint sound.

He bent down toward the opening, peering more intently inside. Nothing. How he wished that nature around him would quiet itself for just a few moments; he needed more silence. When he was just about to give up, he finally heard something again that seemed to be emanating from the well. It was a very long sound, faint and airy.

Jamessssss.

He was both scared and elated at the same time. Something finally happened! But mostly, he was scared. He turned immediately and ran home, not looking back. He had no intention, however, of telling anyone of his experience.

Back at the house, Jacob was questioning Darella further. He probed her for answers. He wished to know if everything was still on schedule. He also wished to know things about the past, present, and future of the Order. He had questions about the Lady, Lue’lla. Many of these questions Darella was willing to answer. Some, however, were beyond her purview, or she was unwilling to divulge such intimate details with one not yet officially in the Order . . . one not yet turned.

In truth, we linger here longer than we wish, Darella told Jacob. Had you no son, we would have left immediately, or perhaps we would have moved farther south for a while. But you have a son who must be managed. He cannot come with us, so we must leave him in relative safety, for your peace of mind.

Jacob said, I thank you greatly for doing this. You are correct to assume that I would have been distracted and my decisions made under duress.

"You ask about the Lady—our Goddess, Lue’lla. The gods you know of are but fabrications. Some of them were born of the Order, and some were not. There is real power around you, some benevolent and some malevolent. There is also power around you that is quite neutral.

In truth, the two gods that are most relevant to us are the Sun and Moon. The Order follows the Moon; that is Lue’lla. She is very powerful in her own right, and she also has the power to unlock great powers and strengths within you, though it may take thousands of years. The blood we drink is for our own nourishment, yes, but through us she gains knowledge that she could not otherwise obtain. The Sun in and of itself is not our enemy per se, but it is dangerous in terms of what it can give birth to, Ascended Humans.

The builders of the altars you use? Yes.

Are there any Ascended Humans now? asked Jacob.

Just then, James came back inside the house.

Jacob turned to him.

Was your trip profitable, my son?

Father, tell me again what you know of the well?

At the mention of the word well, Darella grew curious. She did not interrupt, however.

Jacob said, As I told you before, it was here when we arrived around sixteen years ago. We assumed that the Native Americans had built it, and by the time we arrived, it had run dry. Or rather, we feared to drink from it. Why?

No reason. I may go back there again in a few days . . . or maybe sooner.

With little else to learn from his father that he hadn’t already heard before, James went to his room to play. Later, he might venture outside to find Miriel, he thought to himself.

Darella was curious about the well. She wanted to go see it, but it would have to be from a distance, because it was unwise to leave the house too far behind her. She knew that a well could be more than a hole in the ground from which to draw water. Actually, she knew that any hole dug deep enough into the ground was a potential danger . . . as a portal, portals into something much older than even her, a place where anything from indifference to malice dwelt.

For vampires, pilgrimages often took them to places that appeared as mere wells, and they were never taken for granted. Some, in the past, were sealed up. upon others, great shrines and even temples were built, but not by the Order. Wells were not idle fancies to be trifled with. James’ well could have been just that: a simple well. But Darella had to be certain, so she told herself that, while Jacob and James were having their dinner, she would get a closer look.

Around two hours after his conversation with his father, James went to see Miriel. When he went to the spot where the other children congregated, he did not see her. He asked his friends where she was, but none had seen her that day. He decided to go to her house to ask her parents. When he got there, they told him that she wasn’t feeling well and was resting in bed. He was dismayed by this news and wondered if she could die. His own mother had been sick and rested in her bed a lot, and she succumbed to death within a week. She had, by now, only been dead for nearly two weeks.

The pain of loss and fear of one succumbing to sickness was too fresh on his mind not to ask questions, though they probably seemed intrusive to Miriel’s parents. They understood, however, the pain that James was feeling and tried to assuage him with answers they felt fitting for a six-year-old.

Miriel’s mother said, She has only a mild fever. And we are sure that in a few days she will be better. We do not think that she has the same sickness that took your mother’s life.

The conversation ended as any would with a six-year-old. James said, Okay, and turned around and left.

As he made it to the gate and Miriel’s mother closed the door and returned inside, James noticed a small toy animal in the yard that Miriel would hold when she came out to play at times. It came into his mind to take it, take it to the well, throw it in, and see if somehow he could be given some reassurance of her eventual recovery. Though he was only six years old, he had a crush on Miriel, though he did not understand it as such. He picked up the toy and ran home.

When James arrived home, Jacob began to prepare dinner. James thought it odd that Darella hadn’t eaten with them previously. He would be sure to ask her about it when he got back. But first, he had to run to the well to throw the toy in. There was still plenty of daylight. This task would be quick. He made no effort to loiter around, waiting for something to happen at the well. He simply threw Miriel’s toy in and left. He quickly ran back to the house and questioned Darella.

Why won’t you eat with us?

It is not the kind of food I wish to eat. And I have not the hunger pangs that you may be feeling at present.

Won’t you die if you don’t eat?

Darella began to formulate an answer, but Jacob interceded, James, please leave this woman to her own devices. It is my will that you do not question her again about such things. The conversation was ended.

Jacob had prepared dinner, and he and James sat down to eat. It was at this time that Darella decided to go outside and investigate the well. She planned to do this only from a distance. She put on her cloak, hood, and proceeded outside. There were many trees obscuring both the path to the well and the well itself, and the back yard seemed to slope down. It seemed that she was going to have to get closer to the well than she had originally intended and, at the same time, farther from the house.

She walked down to it. When she was about