Prologue - Fatemare I

Romania – 1546

What had Maximus done? How could we have trusted him? He sealed our fate and damned our souls, damned them for eternity. Anger was starting to build inside me, the fresh blood coursing through my veins, began to boil. I am a monster because of him.

As my hunger began to subside, the anger just kept growing. I examined my blood soaked clothes and wounds there were tears in my sleeves and gashes in my abdomen area but beneath I could see my battle wounds already healing at a rapid pace. I turned to look at the mess we made, the faces of our victims still reflecting a final look of horror. Every person from the Church's secret order was here, including the king. Their bodies were strewn across the floor and through the dim torch lights I could see each drop of blood, each entrail, each rip, each tear and each broken bone, it was all made clear with my new predatory vision. This is not natural, I thought.

We were good men committed to the kingdom, our home, and had been loyal to our King and the Church. We followed their orders and committed acts that were morally wrong on their behalf. All the while being told it was for the good of the kingdom and that others outside of it were evil and needed to be eradicated. We realized that this was not the case and questioned it. When we did not get the answers we deserved we refused to do their bidding no more. As a repercussion for our refusal they banished us from our homes and families. We were shamed and branded villains in a conspiracy led by the Church and its King. In our absence our families and loved ones suffered with us, they were accused of treason, tortured and even killed. I should have known that whatever we did to get back at them would be an act of evil as well. Were we right or were they? No, I decided, no one was right and now it had gone too far. I don't think anyone will ever be able make this right.

I looked around the room, trying to avoid the scene that lay before me, guilt and shame starting to set in. My eyes settled back to the altar where Maximus stood in a black hooded long flowing robe with the Church's emblem emblazoned on the front. He pushed back the hood to reveal a tall, brown haired, man with the face of a demon. Maximus was our leader he was a charismatic man with a manipulative nature and a commanding presence, which made him the perfect leading general of the kingdom's army. Even after the banishment he was still able to convince a third of the kingdoms army to follow him. Not enough to take back the kingdom, but enough to make a difference. With his demon still reflected on his face, he stood over the altar holding a cup high above his head. "Together we have taken down the Church and its self-righteous King," he boasted. "No longer will we be banished from our home or our families, we will take back this kingdom and rule the land together." He drank the last of the blood from the cup and gave a satisfying laugh. His laugh was annoying me and I started breathing heavily even though I did not need the air anymore it still felt like the thing to do. My hands were shaking with anger and I was poising myself to strike.

"Whoa, I can see what this guy ate!" a tall long haired lanky blonde exclaimed. I could see others did not share in my displeasure of the situation, but the distraction was welcomed, "smells like….. goat and moussaka, haha!"

"Paul, this guy smells like sauerkraut and mici," Gabriel crinkled his nose and examined his victim further. He squinted his eyes to get a closer look, "but damn it looks like…..." Ok, maybe David would agree with me.

"I want to see," in one swift movement Paul was beside Gabriel checking out the contents of the guys stomach. Our powers were growing. Paul gave a big whiff, "it doesn't smell like sauerkraut, it smells like donkey dung," they both laughed. I couldn't help but laugh too.

"Hey let's put them all in a row and play guess who ate what for lunch? I'll bet you my portion of the Kingdom." Paul suggested.

"Great idea, why don't you go ahead and give me your portion now, cause you can't tell a pile of sarma from a pile of crap!" The stubby, brown haired, boy teased. Nice to know that with the change Paul and Gabriel, still retained their childlike sense of wonder and inappropriate humor during times of crises. Thank god, I don't think I could stand to be around self-indulgent, overemotional, drama king asses for the rest of eternity. This gave me a moment of calm, but only a moment. Both of the boys started gathering the bodies and lining them up joking and laughing as they went.

I went to find David, with my emotions going everywhere I was trying hard to keep it together, to accept my fate. "Dav…." Wait a minute… I could have sworn I heard someone call my name. Suddenly I caught a whiff of honey suckle flowers. Memories started to play in my head of a smiling face with beautiful brown eyes, Guinevere. A welcome distraction, she was my closest friend, my wife, the love of my life. I had known her and David since we were kids, so many memories. We were always together and the thought of living without her was not going to be easy. I kept reassuring myself I did this for her, the other family members we lost and for the ones who still survive. I can only hope she could somehow forgive me. Can a man who sold his soul still ask forgiveness from the ones that suffered the wrath of his poor decisions? Can I still do right by her and others till the moment the demon comes to collect, or will it be all in vain?

I came across David staring intently at his victim with a blank and emotionless face. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. Was he as upset as I was about this? As if reading my mind he looked up at me with blood all over his face, and then I noticed a flicker of emotion in his crystal clear blue eyes. He gave me a slight grin as he licked his lips clean and picked himself up off the floor. Towering over his victim he showed no signs of remorse, only a grin of satisfaction. He can't be buying into this I thought, not David. He walked over to Maximus keeping his stare on him and about five feet between them, David then dropped to one knee.

"I am with you till the end, your loyal and humble servant, my Sire," he said David slowly bowing his head as he spoke. I couldn't believe what I was hearing were we really going to do this. Paul and Gabriel quickly chimed in both bowing at the site of their Sire, which left me to pledge my undying loyalty to a cause that I no longer believed in. I was truly alone in this decision. I paused looking again from face to face, all of them slowly looking in my direction, but I could not bring myself to say the words.

"Marko?," I heard my name and looked into the eyes of the man I felt betrayed me the most, I could see him intently staring back at me eager to hear my words. "I …..,"