When the Olde Appear

By: Sheiado

Summary: (Moonlight: Mick/Beth). Two ancient vampires come to Los Angeles, one a mysterious hunter of innocents and the other, a rogue who hunts the other ancient for retribution.

Prologue: An Unexpected Visitor

Ripples of glimmering hues peeked through vast skylines, bathing the room in rich swirls of light that reflected heavily through the glass chambers of windows. The colors of day shifted into thin measureless outlines of a fading sun amongst the piling layers of heavily formulating clouds.

Sunset was at its peak.

The great beacon which splayed its brilliance of light and heat onto the Earth made its routine descent downward, where it no longer lingered in a well-loved mortal sky. Darkness and shadows now approached, as well as the impending globe of a beautiful, glistening moon.

Within the shimmering encasement of windows, a figure stood looking out, his dilated eyes no longer fighting against the lightness that surrounded him. His body only strengthened with each ticking minute that passed and with each blistering ray that fell into nothingness toward the Earth below.

Josef Konstantin, despite his utter joy and relief with an imminent approach of a night sky, creased his lips into a narrow frown of displeasure.

He had been awakened earlier, far earlier than usual by a servant who had informed him rather gruffly, "A woman named Alice DeWaranne is here to see you, Sir. She insists on speaking with you immediately."

Alice DeWaranne.

The name, even spoken aloud in his presence, invoked nothing except a strong sense of foreboding in his gut. And, to be frankly honest, it pushed him to a point that went 'far' beyond a mortal's irritation. She was, after all, an impossible and very difficult woman. So difficult, in fact, that she was an absolute nuisance, to him and his city, if she so stubbornly chose to remain here.

He hadn't seen her in nearly a century and, despite her many years living amongst mortals, the woman still hadn't changed in the least; she was headstrong, willful, temperamental, unpredictable, and an outright rogue among their own kind. One of her least admirable qualities was the fact that, alike to Mick St. John, she valued mortal life and protected it like it was her sole duty and purpose for existing.

Be that as it may, no one, not even those as old or younger than he, would ever dare defy or rise against her.

She was 1200 years old and one of the most powerful elders walking among them. Not to mention, she was a hardened warrior with abilities and strengths that could easily rival ten of them put together.

He would be an absolute idiot if he refused an audience with her. No doubt, if he did, she'd walk right in, after breaching his office through the five men guarding it, with her sword set firmly against his throat… and probably wouldn't hesitate to do the deed of taking his head cleanly off his shoulders.

Josef Konstantin was both annoyed and angry by her intrusion into 'his' territory, but was 'far' from being dim-witted enough to give reason to initiating her rage upon him.

The door clicked open and light, familiar footfalls drummed rhythmically against his marble floor tiles.

Turning himself around in acknowledgement and inclining his head respectfully, Josef greeted, "Lady DeWaranne."

Her hair was longer, now tumbling down her back in dark waves like a rippling waterfall and her eyes, a flashing mix of emerald and gold, gazed at him with a stern, penetrating stare.

She had the acute ability to unnerve people.

She had the aristocratic look of a dark and beautiful avenging angel… but Josef knew from experience that she was anything but such a glorious mythological figure of mortal literature. She was stunning and gorgeous, unaffected by time, but had the temperament of a Scottish banshee.

Despite his misgivings and personal feelings, he knew that her presence here had to be of a grave nature, just as he knew that whatever she came here to speak to him about was far from being a trivial matter.

It was serious, and mayhap beyond that.

"Took you long enough," she muttered, stepping with lithe ease further into his office.

Her manner of dress depicted her well; a black tank that crisscrossed along her slender but muscular shoulders, slacks that molded against shapely legs, black boots, and a sheathed Katana holstered against her back.

She looked every bit the picture of a modern, female warrior and was obviously not at unease in displaying it in front of him or his staff outside.

He highly doubted that the young ones among them knew of her real identity and prowess in action and hoped that none that worked under him had been hurt, or worse, killed in her breach of his home headquarters.

Seeming to sense his thoughts and unease, Alice, once known as "Ailios", smiled at him darkly. "Your people are quite alright, Josef. I didn't deprive you of any members of your staff… as stupid and brainless as they appear to be."

Deciding to cut to the chase and avoid "pleasantries", Josef asked in a mocking tone, "What do you require of me, 'My Lady'?"

Ailios quirked her lips in wry amusement. She knew 'just' how to get under his skin. "Finally gotten to realize me better have you, Josef…? Very well, I'll skip the small talk and get right to the point of why I'm here."

'Wonderful!' He thought with relief, but only nodded in silence and gestured for her to continue.

"I'm hunting down an ancient that has recently come to your city. His name is Koffat."

"Koffat?"

The name didn't ring a bell to him and in all four centuries of his life, Josef had never heard of such a name… or of such a vampire ancient worthy of earning Ailios' disdain.

"He's before your time," Ailios snapped with impatience, "His abilities range far beyond yours as well as any of your people or connections. He's highly dangerous as well as reckless."

Josef's eyes darkened.

Ailios was here to warn him. Despite his transgressions with the woman, he knew for certain that what didn't bode well for Ailios… well, meant that it didn't bode well for him or any other vampire vacating this city.

A large threat had just entered his territory. It was a problem, obviously a very 'big' problem judging from the look on the ancient's face.

Not bothering to question or spar with her further, Josef demanded in a deadly voice, "tell me about him."