Author notes

I am going to 'dial down' the paranormal here. Vampires and preternatural are going to be strange, myths and legends come to life, and scary to see. Most people faced with a burglar in their own home feel either invaded or violated and can go to extreme lengths to protect themselves. This has an effect on their psyche. The preternatural should be even scarier and larger than life.

Chapter 1 - Prologue

My name is Mark Sabat, although I wasn't always known by that name. For those of you that don't' know this I am an Immortal. I wasn't born on Earth though, oh no; I came here quite by accident, through a Witchgate, which is like a Stargate, except it drains magical energy allowing travel between worlds and dimensions. I'll give you a very brief recap of my early life, but won't spend too much time on it.

The captain of a ship and his wife were marooned when their ship capsized after a huge storm. It was in this strange land of even stranger customs where my parents settled down and I was born into an Iga village. This village taught the arts of war, the arts of Ninjutsu, kuji kiri & magic. The name I was born with was Quintius Maximus, although my village name was Shinji Akamura. My parents wanted me to understand I was different from everybody, and told me to keep my second name secret. They taught me customs and language from their homeland, while I learned language, etiquette and so much more here.

I was taught all their arts, and undertook many assignments. It was at twenty five that my world changed and my parents became very ill.

They had travelled through some swampy terrain, and became very sick, infected with some contagion from very small flies, it was called 'the fever'. The ill were not allowed back into the village, but I went to them in a nearby settlement. I stayed with them till they passed away, unable to do anything but weep and mourn their passing.

I grew tired of study and training, & eventually I decided to take a 'pilgrimage' of sorts to a temple many weeks journey away. This was granted & so off I went. This is where I experienced my first death at the hands of a bully and his gang. I was a master ninja at this time, but you don't take on twenty swordsman unless you have a deathwish or are on the battlefield. I was winning too, they weren't very well trained, till someone (a cheat, you can't always fight fair) shot an arrow through my heart. When I woke up in a shallow grave I decided on a brave course of action, run away. Lets face it on large island full of orientals, a dead white man walking and breathing is suspicious and fairly obvious.

It was at this point I came across a master Koga Ninja, who told me what I was, and he suggested that I change my name again; so I became Yukio Takamoto. Like that was going to help, but I did as instructed. Strangely people took to me, and never encountered anyone from the opposite side of the Island.

He agreed to teach me. If you want to know the difference between the two, the latter (Koga) is more geared for espionage, the former (Iga Ninjutsu) pure fighting. After a few years with him, he recommended I travel further and learn the secrets of various different sword schools from another Immortal (a friend of his) Miyamoto Musashi.

We spent many years, Miyamoto & I; talking philosophy, religion and tactics. He taught me how to use Quickening in conjunction with various sword arts.

In short I kept travelling learning something new as I went. I found a Shaolin monastery, and was taught their martial art. In addition they taught me Mudras (hand postures), chi energy building exercises and chi magic Shaolin style.

This type of magic (chi) is really no different to western magic, and no less powerful, mostly pure willpower & more mysticism than anything else. It has just been given a different name. There is very little verbal component in chi magic. The person expends internal energy and visualises the effect.

Just in case you think all I did was train, well your wrong. Boy did I party and meet some lovely ladies in the east. I had had enough of the Orient at this point and wanted to go westward. I managed to persuade a Corsair, fresh from sea, in a local bar to take me there by boat in exchange for gold. Is there any other way?

Almost a month the journey took. I discovered I would never make a pirate or a corsair, or any other sea based occupation. I can ride a horse at full gallop and either shoot or fight, on uneven ground too, but as soon as we hit some waves I turned mold green. Sick everywhere, thought the captain was going to throw me overboard. Although one of his crew did teach me some of the more of the language, I was a little rusty not having practised with my parents much prior to their passing. In between lucidity and my stomach doing belly flops, it was really hard going.

When I arrived, they all thought that I dressed funny. I got some really strange looks, not many warriors here dress in fine clothes. But I did, it was the custom in the east. Oh well. While out travelling I came across a bandit raid. I managed with the help of several other mercenaries and a female mage to stop the rampaging idiots. It here I first came across western spell magic. I was told various things about their kind of magic.

Now western magic has certain pre requisites, wizards use a wand followed by verbal components; sorcerers use only incantation (verbal) from one or many languages. Both types of magic require the expenditure of energy and to visualise the effect desired. The energy used can be gained from ley lines or artefacts, mages learn to store this energy internally.

The entire idea of western magic seemed strange to me. Too much goes on during a fight usually, and should the words come out wrong or if the practitioner is not fast enough then death the very likely result. But in this case the mage seemed very competent. We did spend some time together after this, and became lovers. She sadly died five years later in my arms.

Don't get the idea that magic is the 'all-powerful' force here because it is not true. It, magic, has its' limits; pro's and cons. A wizard can never truly replace a good warrior, but the best are trained in both. All good warriors have some magic knowledge, or all good wizards are capable fighters. It is the same for the best in all the professions, you need to have more than one string to your bow.

As I travelled further around my home world, I forgot to tell you it was called Pallatia; earning money as a mercenary for hire, bounty hunter, killer of the wicked, destroyer of evil mages.

I continued & travelled to the Great Forests where the Elves reside, confident in my Immortality and skills to protect me. Legend has it that Elves are Immortal, buldookey. They just live a long time, up to 1000 years in some cases.

Although I did come across an Immortal elf called Maglor Mithrandir, he claimed to be about 600 years old. He is not particularly ancient although older than my mere 100 years, but his skills were most impressive. He was accomplished in the Elven warrior arts, and their assassin or killing art forms. He was quite a powerful sorcerer to boot. If some of you have ever travelled to Japan to see the Kyudo (long bow) masters, these had nothing on this wise old warrior. It is here that he taught me their ways and languages, martial arts knowing how young to 'the Immortal game' I truly was. How similar their ways to the orient, where I was born.

I did come across one other Immortal Elf, a sorceress by the name of Galadriel, she was absolutely stunning. Some of their 'fields' of magic had not reached the human world and remained secret.

In addition to living over ten times the normal human lifespan, I discovered that many of older and more powerful Elves were not only capable of magic, but psychic powers too. Sometimes it just wasn't fair. It is times like this that make you question the sanity of the cosmos, or if there is any reason to it all. In total I spent almost two decades here.

I came across a great portal, set in a mountain with runes all over it, known as a Witchgate. I accidentally activated it. Unfortunately the draining of energy killed me, temporarily, I awoke an indeterminate amount of time later to a new world. Hence my arrival to Earth was complete. I would in later time learn how to go back, but that was much later.

I travelled to a land called Europe first and settle in England for fifty years. It was there that I met the very beautiful Immortal thief known as Amanda, under a my new name of Iain Galad. I went briefly across the orient, finding little of interest having spent many a time in an identical land. Russia and the Middle East were interesting. Their myths and beliefs and I spent some time learning them, always perfecting my skills.

It is while in Greece I first met Ramirez, and Methos, both very powerful Quickening mages, the later especially; spending almost a decade in both their respective companies. Learning much from both, mainly in aspects of Earth history.

From Russia I went to Australia, and according to a aboriginal Immortal, I had been on 'walkabout' for many years obviously searching for something, as yet undefined. I did not stay here long, the heat being a little bit too much.

My next stop was the USA, as yet virtually undiscovered. I met the local Indian tribes and I loved the buffalos. It is here I made a home for a couple of centuries, practicing my arts and teaching no others.

I travelled back to Europe for a change of scene, and came across a Shih Master by the name of Ryoku (real name Lin Tao).

I spent quite a few more years talking and Ryoku showed me a little known and mythical martial art; translated as 'Mind / soul & body way'. It included many other arts I already knew. Ryoku had been taught this long ago, he had also lived in the Iga Village; which sparked off another discussion. Eventually Ryoku took me back to the W-gate instructing me in its safe use. Along the way my travels brought me into contact with other Immortals, Vampires etc, and other preternatural associations.

It was in England during the 1900 I met Methos again. We both had different names by this time, and I learned that Methos was a Justicar of the PTB's.

That about covers a majority of my relevant history.

Now I guess you need to know what I do here on earth. I work for both the American and British governments, and clean up messes that they don't want associated with. I know this makes me sound callous, but I do turn down assignments, frequently.

I won't kill innocents, although I have done my fair share of killing, no that's not right! Let's tell how it really was, murder. Plain and simple. I'm not proud of it, but we've all had our bad times.

Usually it's a terrorist group they need dealing with, or drug cartels; that not even the SAS can get near. Short of a direct air strike, that's where I come in, get in & do the business and get out before they bury the bodies. How do I do that avoid being seen or heard, why magic of course!

This is part of my job I HATE the most, but I deal with a conspiratorial global entity called the Syndicate, who are there to help with the colonisation by aliens of our planet in 2020. Well, I help to clear up alien crap, infiltrate them and use the information to take them down from inside. I'm not about to stand around and let billions of people die.

The final part I don't get paid for, but I ran across an 'old friend' in LA once, a ensouled 'soulless' vampire called Angel. Well, he told me about his helping the helpless and it seemed a worthwhile thing to take up.