A Meeting to Remember

The old one stood silently in the shadows as she watched the two fledglings. They stalked a handsome young man, and she smiled as they took only what they needed and set the man free again.

"Very good." She murmured to herself. "Just the type I am looking for."

Her emerald eyes, keen even in the darkness of the night, noticed the elder of the pair sniff the air, and took up a cautious stance. The woman took off at a run before she was spotted however, returning to her hotel room.
She had been in Kaitown for almost a month now. She had seen their battle with their sire. She admired the men in black that wandered the streets of this unusual town. Each one devoted to whatever cause they bore, be it love, a job, or to help others of their kind. Their life's blood unfortunately was of no good to the ancient one. She returned to her chamber well before dawn kissed the sky and reclined on her sofa. Her ever present butler, a trusted friend and confidante, helped prepare her for her day's sleep.

"Welcome back madam. Were you correct in your beliefs?" He knew of her plans, making small talk as he helped her.

"Yes my old friend. The two I sought out are perfect. Tomorrow they will know just how special they are." She smiled, and retired to her blackened room, where she rested as she waited for nightfall.

Jule watched on with great patience as Felicity drank from the young woman in her grasp. The eagerness of the younger vampire made her smile slightly. Flick was taking to her new existence like a duck to water, and took to allowing her victims to live after a feed with equal ease. This should make Jule happy, and the golden haired female was, and yet... it felt as if she and Felicity were being watched. She had felt it on and off for awhile now, but last night it had been more... direct. As if the observer were not far off, where before a distance had been maintained.

Felicity released the living woman in her arms, and the unconscious figure nearly hit the pavement, only to be caught up by Jule who raised an eyebrow at her protege. "Just keepin' ya on yer toes. Ya seem... I dunno... distracted."

"I'm just peachy keen." Jule leaned over the woman she now held, and whispered softly, "You never saw us. This never happened." Then she lay her gently onto the ground and moved away with Felicity at her side like a dog at heel.

"Never... hap'nd..." the woman murmured.

"How do ya *do* that?" she asked, glancing back at her former dinner.

"Practice," Jule answered. "You'll learn, if you're patient, and pay attention." A shiver ran the length of her spine, and she felt, once again, as if she were under surveillance. Given recent events, it was not a feeling that set well with her at all.

Just as Jule and Felicity watched the woman walk away, and Jule had uttered the last syllables to her sentence, she stood in front of them. "It also takes a bit of talent children, never underestimate that."

Jule bristled at the woman in front of her, her nose easily picking up the scent of age and both of them feeling the essence of power emanating from this one. She had appeared almost out of nowhere, and smiled at them both.

"Who are you." Jule's voice lowered a little, trying to convey the message that many before her had tried, that they were hunter, not the prey.

"Ach my lassie." The woman's formerly unaccented voice took on a Scottish burr and she chuckled. "Quite the reaction I thought I would receive actually, and given your past experiences it is well warranted. Come children, follow me."

Jule fought against the command, while Felicity, in her youth and inexperience, simply obeyed. Jule stood ramrod straight for a long moment while the other two walked, before the beautiful, ageless woman beckoned her and she followed. She led them to a huge mansion on the outskirts of town, where she left them in the living room.
They explored the room, finding the windows blacked out completely, and extra security measures. Jule guessed they were to keep hunters out, and when the woman returned, she nodded.

"Yes, even at my age, there are those who still hunt me, as they do you. But that is not why you are here. You are here because I wish to offer you some aid in your unlife."

Jule's eyes narrowed, and she looked at the woman before her with obvious mistrust. "Aide? Uh huh, I have heard quite enough, thank you. Felicity, we're leaving."

"We jus' got here," the younger vampire protested, but followed her mentor towards the door.

"Aren't you even curious?"

Hesitating, the golden haired woman turned back to the stranger, and shook her head. "Go ahead, talk, but if I find out that you're a member of the Blood, looking to take over what's left of the Clan or fill the Sire's shoes, forget it. That is *over*. The Blood is finished."

"I agree," the woman said. "This has nothing to do with your... Clan."

Jule considered this, and then nodded. "All right... we're listening."

The woman's cold green eyes looked over them both, motioning them to sit. "My tale is a long one dear children, so do bless me with some of your patience. You both are special in your dealings with the mortals. Oh, don't get me wrong, there are those who feed as you do, but it is rare for one of our kind to befriend and care about mortals as you do. Your two feline friends are perfect examples of this, fighting your own sire for their lives. Though, allow me to say he was right about one thing, those two are very strong and very valuable allies. I know of your type, for I have been searching for one of your humanity for a long time. You see, I have been a collector of sorts for many years, and I need to choose someone to pass my "collection" on to. I can not choose the typical of our kind, for they could easily destroy the human race with the misuse of it, thus why I sit before you, ready to tell all."

The butler walked in bearing three glasses of what looked to be red wine, handing Jule and Felicity both a glass, before attending to his mistress and leaving. The woman sipped her glass with the elegance of the ages, and nodded to them.

"Drink, the night will be long. You will not be leaving here this day, if you choose to remain to hear the rest of what I have to say."

Looking down into her glass, Jule contemplated what their hostess had said. "So you appreciate my humanity, " she asked, and then smiled. "Funny, that is the very thing that nearly gets me killed so very often around here."

"Retaining that quality is a rare, and truly admirable trait," the other woman assured her.

Jule's smile faded, and her look was stony and serious. "Okay," she said. "We'll stay here the day, and hear your story, and then you can tell us what this 'collection' of yours is all about, but if you try anything funny..."

"I promise you I will not."

Nodding, the golden haired vampire relaxed a fraction. "All right then, talk... we're listening."

The old one smiled to herself, she expected this. Those like Jule, their intelligence was great, and the chance to learn was not something to pass up. She slowly looked them over, nodding slightly.

"Good, now as you will soon find out, my collection is not one of objects or possessions, but one of experiences, and memories. These offer you the history of our kind, and so much more. I have gathered these for longer than you could possibly imagine, and from time to time I pass my garnered knowledge to ones such as yourself and your...sister there, in the hopes that the old days will be revived somehow. You see, our kind was not always the bloodthirsty beasts that you know a lot of us as. We had a great city once, many many centuries ago. We lived in harmony with the mortals, taking only what we needed, maintaining the precarious balance of nature."
Jule's eyes widened a little, not sure whether to believe the story this woman told her. The elder continued, understanding her disbelief.

"Oh, I know it is hard to believe, given the monsters out there. I probably would feel the same if I had not lived in that city before. You see dear Jule, I am the oldest of our kind you will ever see, for my sire is dead, and he was the very first of our kind."

She paused there, refreshing her drink, and giving them the chance to respond.

A shiver ran the length of Jule's body. She was not so young that she had not heard tales of those who had come before her, but, also, was not yet old enough to know if the tales were true. "You sire was..." Her voice trailed off, and she sat in silence, trying to figure out what all of this meant.

Felicity, however, had no difficulty in expressing herself. "That is sooooo bitchin'!" she exclaimed. "Are you really that old?"

"Flick!" Jule snapped, then looked at the ancient one. It was hard to believe that someone looking as she did was as old as she claimed to be... "I'm sorry... she's young, both by vampire and human standards."

"She speaks what is on her mind," the vampire said, smiling at Felicity. "And yes... I am truly that old."

The fledgling vampire leaned closer, eager to hear more. "Too cool."

Jule rolled her eyes, offering a second apology. "Please, continue."

She chuckled a little at Felicity's enthusiasm.

"It is quite all right Jule, I enjoy seeing the energy of youth. I was like that once. I know, there are thoughts that with age the body desiccates, even with the life preserving qualities of our kind, but it is not necessarily true. It depends on the clan. I am not absolutely sure which bloodline you belong to, but given the beauty of those your sire claimed, you do have Toreador blood somewhere. There are advantages you will gain as you age, though I will not tell you all of them, since you will soon know for yourself, I will say with enough time you will be able to walk in the sun again."

She chuckled again at the shocked look on their faces, and nodded, assuring them she was being totally honest. Then she turned her head and looked at two huge books sitting on a shelf, which floated in the air, landing one on each of their laps. The volumes appeared to be in part as old as the woman before them claimed to be, though other parts appearing as new as the two sitting there were themselves.

"You hold in your hands the full history of our people. What I have seen over the ages, as well as what others of our kind have seen. That is the collection that bears so much value. Contained in that book are the roots of vampires, our weaknesses and strengths. It contains the locations of ancient relics that could destroy our kind, or destroy the world as we know it now. You are now owners of the only other copies in existence, with the exception of the original, which is my own."

She paused once more, allowing them a short amount of time to peruse it before speaking up again.
"You are entrusted with recording your lives in the books, as well as guarding them against those like your sire. There is more I wish to tell you, but first, is there anything you wish to ask of me before I continue?"

"Recording my life?" Felicity asked. "Wha, like ALL of it?" She looked at the old one with doubt etched along her young features. "Harsh..."

"I would like to ask you a question," Jule said. "How many out there know of these volumes? Are we at risk possessing these, and, more importantly, are our loved ones at risk?"

She nodded understandingly.
"Felicity, think of it as a journal, recording when you feel like writing, or if something of note happens in your life. As for others who would know of it, those who owned previous copies are dead. Destroyed by my own hand when they changed, and allowed their bloodlust to win out over them. Those copies, after recording their additions, were all destroyed. Currently, we are the only ones who know of theses records. We can not lose our history to time, like so many other things, so I created these books. I will not say that it is impossible that in the future someone might not learn of them and seek them out, but currently, they pose no danger to you or your families. Now, for the other reason I called you here. Jule, I am glad you are teaching Felicity your ways, for it proves even better that I chose well for my.....mission so to speak. And I do hope you take it on as yours as well. It is something I have been doing for well over 3000 years now, since the destruction of the first city, and the birth of Cain."

Relief flooded through Jule, knowing that, at the moment, she was putting her friends and family in no unnecessary danger by being here, or by accepting the volumes in front of her and Felicity. That relief, however was soon tainted with the mention of the ancient one's mission.

If it was for her humanity that she was seen as a good candidate to carry on this mission, it would stand to reason that it was not a bad thing, nor a harmful one... However, she refused to commit herself to anything, regardless of who was asking her, until she had heard all of the details. Walking into things blindly was not a habit Jule had ever carried... while alive, or now that she was not. "And what mission would that be?" she asked.

She nodded a little.

"I understand your wariness childe, and do not blame you. My mission is to help the newborns like Felicity here grow in their knowledge of what we are capable of. Teach them to be more like yourself, perhaps to bring about a new golden age for our kind. Perhaps if there are more like you out there, each teaching others this way of unlife, things can change."

She shook her head a little, draining her glass one more time.

"I have tried many times over the years, but I have succeeded nowhere near as often as I wish I would have. And with only myself, I can not reach anywhere near as many. Those who have learned this lesson are also out there teaching others. Felicity stands a great chance of learning this lesson well, between her eagerness and intelligence, and her youth. She had not had his way of unlife pounded into her skull before you destroyed him. If you can find others with her qualities, you can teach them as well. You will not have to take them into your home, as I am more than willing to provide a place for them, a sort of halfway house. That is my mission in this world, what keeps me going from one endless night to another, knowing that maybe I can make a difference, and tip the scales within our kind."

Jule was almost surprised to hear such words from the mouth of another vampire. This kind of attitude was, in her experience, rare indeed, but was also most welcome. "And this is all that you expect of us? To train others in ways that aren't as bloodthirsty as the ways that they have come to know?"
Looking between Jule and the other vampire, Felicity shook her head. "Boy, is *that* not gonna be easy!"

"No," the elder agreed, "it is not."

Taking into consideration all that had been said, Jule nodded. "Okay," she said slowly. "On the assumption that I might just be interested in helping you with this mission of yours, I'd like to hear a little more about you. Mainly, after all that has happened recently, how can we be sure that we can trust you?"

The woman sat there, staring into her wine glass for a long moment. She swirled the burgundy liquid around slowly, gathering her thoughts before looking back to the fledglings before her.

"I can not tell you everything, please understand that. The reason for that is simple, I have not survived this long by telling everything about myself to everyone. I was a typical woman of my time. I had a family, and we lived quite happily, until he came along. Like all vampires he was quite handsome and charming. No one suspected his inactivity in the day, at the time of course nobody had time to socialize until after nightfall because of farming and hunting. Everyone assumed that he was working in his own fields, or off gathering his own food. After a while, people started getting sick, and weak. The fields started to die, and so did the people. One day," She paused, and closed her eyes. "The men went out hunting, there were rumors of a wolf, or a bear in the area, livestock had been found mutilated. My oldest daughter disappeared that night. Her body was found in the trees, torn to shreds. There was no blood though."

Pain flashed across her face as she talked, her hand crushing the crystal glass, the shards embedding in her flesh. She paid it no attention, the blood dripping for only a second before the shards fell from her open hand, the wound healed and without a scar.

"Three nights later, he came to my door. I watched stunned, screaming while he shredded my family before my eyes. He ripped out my husband's throat first, throwing his body aside like it was nothing. I was forced to watch in a trance as he ripped the stomach out of my only son. He slowly and cruelly strangled the baby. I cried and begged him not to, trying to trade my life for hers, but he ignored me." Blood tears streamed down her face as she told them everything.

"He left me there, unable to move while he dragged the torn bodies out into the woods, feeding the remains to the wolves he had summoned there. When he returned his eyes looked me over. I looked then as you see me tonight, minus the aura all of our kind bear. He turned me then and there, taking me back to the cave he slept in during the day, and hiding me there. All of the people of our small village thought that a pack of wolves had somehow gotten into our home and killed us all. I fed off of them, trying to fight his control over me, but couldn't always do it. I killed a lot of people then, and when I broke free of him, I swore I would never do it again."
Her head hung, her eyes looking at the floor as she finished, merely telling that had emotionally drained the woman, and slowly she looked back up, directly at Jule.

"Please, come here." She whispered softly.

Jule hesitated. She understood now why it was so important to this vampire to promote her teachings, and why it was important for her to have help, however, she was not certain that she was the vampire for the job. She was a rude, arrogant creature, and she knew this. Those were not the traits of a good teacher, but she also knew that she had patience. She was, after all, doing quite well with Felicity, so far.

"I don't know what to say. I'm sorry for all that you lost, and I understand your mission, but I'm not sure I'm really the right girl for this job. Surely there are other, older vampires you would prefer to carry on with this? You don't even know me, or Felicity. How do you know that you can trust either one of us with this information?" she asked, motioning to the text volumes between them.

"Come here," the older vampire repeated, her voice soft and almost reassuring. Before she could stop herself, Jule found that she had risen from her seat, and crossed the short space between herself and the ancient one.

The woman looked up at Jule as she stood before her, her eyes filling with a soft purple glow. Her hand reached out and rested across the underside of her arm, squeezing gently. Her hand started glowing the same soft color of her eyes, then it turned to a deep blue before she pulled her hand back. The scar was gone, leaving unmarred, perfect flesh in it's place. She smiled a little. "There, that should help, wouldn't want such a nasty reminder of such a petty, cruel woman. I am lucky that way, being born before Christianity, I am unaffected by such religious tokens."

She motioned slightly, and the empty wine glasses floated over to her and landed on the table beside her. She sliced a long, sharp nail across her wrist, filling each glass halfway with her own blood.
"Felicity sitting there now is proof enough that you are up for the challenge Jule. I have known others like you in my life, and have seen them grow in ways they never would have thought possible. You are more than capable of it. Now, this is a strange request I well know, but I request you to partake of my blood. I assure you it will not harm you, I do have a good reason for it. By drinking what is in those glasses, should the need arise, you can summon me by merely a thought, and I will come immediately."

She motioned once more, her wounded hand healed, and the glasses floated to them, one to each, and hovered mid air in front of them.

"But as in everything I offered you, this remains your choice."

This was not an easy decision to make. Trusting others had become sort of an issue with Jule since her family had disowned her, and Conner's leaving... but she felt nothing hostile in what this woman was offering. She sensed no sinister agenda... no desire to control her... Jule believed that what she said was true. She believed that the blood would bring her to no harm.

Considering the choice before her, Jule rubbed the underside of her arm where she had been scarred, staring at the now smooth white flesh. Then she looked at the wine glass before her, hovering as if it waited for her to make her decision as patiently as the vampire herself. If her heart could beat, it would have been pounding as she plucked the offering gently from the air, staring at the liquid within. It occurred to her that she had never really had any decision to make. Somewhere, deep inside, she had known all along that she would accept everything that the vampire put forward. She knew this because she knew the old vampire was telling them nothing but truth.

Jule held the glass, closing her eyes, and drank the contents down. After only a slight hesitation, Felicity did the same. After all, if Jule thought it was safe, then it must be.

The woman watched silently, motioning for Jule to sit back down.

"There are two other thing you gain by having drunk that. Though my main reason still remains unchanged. First, you should have some defenses against any mental control anyone attempts to use on you. Second, what I did to your arm, you now can do the same, to a lesser degree. You will not be able to heal scars, but you can heal fresh wounds, though the more severe they are, the more draining it will be on you. This mansion you are sitting in now, once I leave it is yours to use how you see fit, both your names will be on the title, I just ask you keep my room as it is for me. I will also be leaving a large sum of money, this visit, and every three months from here on, I can afford it. Goodness knows that."

The butler walked in, handing a set of keys to each of the younger vampires.
"Madams, the sun is starting to rise." With a bow he left the room.

She smiled once more, and led them through the house to the bedrooms, opening a door and showing them an elaborately decorated room with two beds.

"Sleep here for the day, it is safe, Mykael will protect you and the windows do not allow any sunlight through. I will likely not be here when you awaken, but remember, I am just a thought away."

She turned for a second, then looked back over her shoulder. "Oh, for the times you will need me, and when you see me again, which I guarantee you will, my name is Na'Amah. Do not use it until our next meeting, unless you need me."

"This is cooool!" Felicity collapsed onto one of the beds once she and Jule were alone. "Can we live here?"

"One thing at a time," Jule told her, sitting on the other bed. This had been some night, that was for sure. First the connection with the oldest of their kind, and this new power she was told that they have... that was something she wasn't hoping she would have cause to test anytime in the near future.

"What are we gonna do with a mansion? Ooh, and money!" Felicity bounced up to look at Jule, excitement building in her young eyes.

"We are going to do what we have always done. We're going to go home tonight, and talk to our family about it, and then we will decide what to do."

"I think we should live here."

"We'll see, Flick. Get some sleep now." Jule lay down, staring up at the ceiling. There was a lot for her to think about, and a lot to talk over with her friends and family when they got home. She thought of the oldest vampire, somewhere in this house, and replayed every moment of their encounter. The ancient one made sense, and there was a lot that she could learn from her, she was sure. Jule decided right there that she would do as she had been asked to do. She would help others like Felicity to find themselves, and to come to terms with what they were. She smiled and closed her eyes. Jule felt good. She had a purpose.

She looked in the room at the sleeping youngsters as her butler prepared everything for them to leave. She smiled, and sighed softly. The older was so like herself, and others she had seen over the years. She sincerely hoped what she had said that night would live in her for the rest of her unlife.

Silently she closed the door and walked out to her car, the sun weakening her, but otherwise doing her no real harm. Perhaps one day those two would see the sun once more themselves. But that would only come with time, a lot of time.

"Madam, your suitcases are ready." He bowed as he walked past her and started the car, preparing for their departure.

"Thank you Mykael. I will be there shortly." She went back inside briefly, and set the envelope on the table. Within it was contained the deed to the property, and the first sum of money, well over 1.5 million dollars, for their usage as they saw fit. She would return, probably quite often, she liked this town, but for now she had others she would visit.

'Of course,' She thought to herself as she locked the house up and walked back out to the darkened limousine, 'They need not know yet that they would be the only ones this journey to have earned those tomes of knowledge. That information will wait till another time.'

With a slight smile she whispered into the air. "Sleep well, and good luck my young friends." She waved slightly, unseen, as the limousine pulled away