Author's Note

These days, most teenagers are in love with stories about vampires and werewolves. In order to please these readers, perhaps a story of vampires will suffice.

Now, before we begin, we should lay down a few ground rules about vampires. Strange creatures, they are. In one story they are completely evil, wanting nothing more than the divine taste of human blood. In others, they are irresponsible teenagers who appear to be of no deadly significance, minus their doubled hormone rate.

However, in this story, the vampires are just about average humans, only smarter and more adapt. They hide themselves as best they can from humans, though. These vampires feast on the blood of all mammals. Though they prefer human blood, they manage to weary out suspicion by controlling their desire for humans.

These vampires, being immortal, began using their advantage on life by shaping the world as they saw fit. A council was formed, one known as the Fraternitas, meaning the Brotherhood. With this, a selected number of vampires were chosen to lead the Fraternitas, gradually building an essential list of targets for the council to assassinate. The assassins were called Prowlers.

And so, vampires have lived amongst the humans for as long as anyone can remember. They have been working on shaping the world for only a fraction of that time. After all, the Fraternitas first assignment wasn't issued until the year 1307, and the Prowlers weren't given their first assignments until 1314.

So besides the council, and besides the Prowlers, most all vampires live among the humans. How? Well it's not like the Sun burns their skin, or makes their bodies sparkle in glitter. The myth that the Sun burns a vampire's skin comes from the fact that vampires are seen as monsters. So I suppose that myth can be understandable, but I assure you that vampires do not sparkle.

Another thing to know is that even though only a handful of vampires have anything to do with the Fraternitas, or the Prowlers, all vampires are born with the instinct of a perfect assassin. It takes years for their brains to finally finish comprehending all of that information, though. That's why you don't see little vampires eating the kids in their kindergarten class.

In order for their brains to fully process the instinct of an assassin, a large enough biological growth has to be taking place in the vampire's body, naturally. In other words, it's not until a vampire hits puberty that their instinct finally kicks in. Until that point, it is the responsibility of their parents to prepare the teenager for this point in their life, so that they can control their instinct. Respect and responsibility are the major points that parents need to press down on their children.

Also, the genes within a male instinct and a female instinct are very different. Remember how I said vampires live among us? Well some of them get real jobs, to learn how humans live.

So, knowing that, scientists and medical professionals (vampires) did extensive research as to what exactly was the difference between g-1 (male assassin instinct) and g-2 (female assassin instinct) instincts in vampires. They came to the conclusion that, because of puberty, g-1 mutates into a more competitive gene. On the other hand, g-2 adapts to the attractive body of it's female host and thus mutates into a more seductive gene. So if you've ever wondered why female vampires are always portrayed as sexy, this is why. If you've ever wondered why vampire guys are always trying to prove who is better than who, now you know that it's a genetic thing, not just because they're jerks.

I think I have given you enough knowledge about vampires to finally get you started on reading this story. Oh, actually you should know that Fraternitas is a word in ancient Latin, the language that most spoke at the time of the formation of the council. Council members still primarily speak it. Prowlers usually speak it as a second language, as most vampires do.

I gave you that it's in Latin, so don't come crying to me about how you cant find a way to translate it.

That concludes my note to you readers.

Enjoy.

Introduction

Fraternitas Stronghold (Rome, Italy); 1314

"They have become too powerful, master."

"Those two are worse than the original problem, my lord."

"There is no more that we can endure, grand master."

The room was slowly beginning to fill with the voices of seventy vampires, all councilmen of the Fraternitas. One never over spoke the other. Though as soon as one finished, another would begin. Like a symphony, almost.

All of the vampires in the council were discussing a serious matter, a matter that they were beginning to lose control of.

Templar headmaster Jacques de Molay was burned at the stake. Not only that, but his last words allegedly placed a curse on Pope Clement V and King Philip IV. The matter of argument was if the Fraternitas should order the Prowlers to kill both the king and pope, or if they should allow the superstition of the Knights Templar fade down.

"No," spoke the lead councilman. "If we leave Clement and Philip alive," he took a sip of his red wine, "then we are not doing our job of shaping the world."

"But my lord, why should we help the Christians?"

The head councilman smiled.

"If we do not kill the pope and the Frenchman, then and only then will we be helping the Christians."

"My lord?"

"A Christian believes that the only one whom is divine is God. No man on Earth can do what God can do. If Jacques de Molay can curse mortals, then there are two possible outcomes." He stood up from his throne. "One: Jacques de Molay was the second coming of Christ and we should wage war upon the French until all of them are dead. But wait a second, didn't our own pope approve of this Christ's death?" He stood now at the center of the council room. "Two: if Man can do as God can do…" he walked back to his seat.

A whisper, "Then there is no God."