Chapter 1

The town of Summors was busily moving about. Summors was home to the Hunters Guild, the sole defense against the human predators, this was where they lived and trained to protect the human race from creatures of night. It was here that I spent my childhood and lived happily as anyone could in this time where we were the prey. The town was more lively than usual. A group was returning from a job of freeing a small town from the clutches of werewolves. Among these men and women is my most beloved, James. In the past he has been there more than once to save me and I owe my life to him but I also adore and love him. For some reason he also returns my affection. I am nothing special, but common like all women, dark hair and dark eyes. What he sees in me I'll never know.

I am Rebecca Fields, the daughter of the Lead guild member, Steven Fields. My sister, Rachael is married with a baby boy. The elder women of our town continue to tell me I should be like her, with a husband and child. Maybe in due time with James I will find this happiness but I am constantly reminded by the Caller that this happiness may not last.

There he was, the Caller, in the center of town calling out the deaths caused by nightly creatures and forewarning us of the "night of feeding."

"All is well in the neighboring villages and towns. There has been no abnormal behavior but a distance away there have been bites but only single victims. The hunter's guild believes it may be a traveling Ancient so caution towns people. Warning to all ears that hear me! The night of Feeding lands on the New moon of the month. All be prepared and ready your souls."

I always listened no matter what the circumstances but this was news that we always heard, the nomad Vampire and the night of feeding approaching. That night was established as a night when the ancients could feed freely and until their thirst satisfied.

"Rebecca!" I turned to see my older sister running to me.

"Rachael!" I called back to her. Rachael was a beauty to say the least. Her glowing red hair and bright green eyes made her an abnormal beauty in our town. However, she as well as I were not frail like most women. We were both of a strong build but just as feminine as nobility.

"Rebecca, I need you to do something for me."

I nodded my head to her and smiled.

"Can you to go to the neighboring town and tell their lead Guild member that father will be coming to visit in a week's time? Jack is sick and he needs all of my attention."

"I'll do it but James should be returning soon. I'd like to say hello to him before I leave."

"Of course, just leave at least 2 hours before sunset. That way you are not traveling at night." She waved me good bye and ran off in the direction of her small home not far from my father's.

I found my way to the single entrance and exit in the town and took a seat on the inviting green grass just outside the walls. Every so often a group of Hunters returned home and with each group there was always a new widow wailing to hear she had lost her husband or a Mother mourning her son. This was the time we lived in, a time of sorrow and fear. I never doubted James would not return but when I saw these women cry and mourn their loss I could not help but feel anxious and worried that I may be that woman crying and wailing one day. I unlike those women had a little more security. James was a captain of a squad which meant he had to be the best of the best. So I never truly doubted his return.

If I had it my way women would also be allowed to join squads and hunt with their husbands but a law had been passed that woman stay in the towns to ensure the continuation of our race. This did not stop my father from training me and my sister. I think it gave him a sense of security when he left us to go on missions. We were by far the most skilled women in the art of Hunting in all of Summors, for this we were admired.

A soft hand touched my shoulder and I turned to meet a pair of kind deep blue eyes. "James." I said breathlessly and wrapped my arms around his strong build. Inside I laughed at all those doubts I had in my heart of his safety. I stayed like that with him for what seemed like seconds and at the same time hours. We would have stayed like that forever but the cries of a woman near by prevented that.

"You! You authorized his murder! MURDERER!" The woman was now restrained by other officers her eyes full of tears.

James turned to the woman and spoke in a low claming tone. "I'm sorry ma'am but your son was infected by the werewolves. I had no choice but to order his extermination. I am sorry. He was a good man. He will find peace in the after life."

The woman spat at him and was carried off screaming all known curses and profanities. It was now that those once suppressed doubts came swelling up again. One day, I thought, James would not return and he would one day do his duty and sacrifice his life for the safety of the human race.

I reached out to him rested my head on his shoulders. "One day I will be her."

He turned to me trying to console my fears but I knew that look in his eyes. He knew as well as I that this was an inevitable truth. His strong sun-kissed hands cupped my face and he kissed my forehead. "I will fight with all my soul to prevent that."

I could stare into his eyes for all eternity. They were so full of courage, compassion and strength. In the sunset they even seemed to be like pools of molten gold.

"Damn it! James I need to leave." I said to him running to the road outside of town. I hadn't realized until now, the sun was setting.

"Rebecca! Where do you think you're going?" He yelled as he caught up to me.

I continued to walk as fast as I could. "I needed to deliver a message before nightfall."

"Why didn't you leave hours ago!"

"I was waiting to see you return safely!"

"Fine! You there! Hunter, give me your horse!" One of his comrades lent his ride. In moments I was swept up and on the back of a strong horse with James at the reins. "I will take you there myself. I would never let you travel alone near nightfall!"

I wrapped my arms around him as the horse took off. We rode off into the darkening forest. I could see our town lit up below us we climbed over a nearby mountain. After some time passed I noticed something was different, James had been very quiet from the beginning of the ride. That was very unlike him. It must be that Hunter in his squad that had been infected that was bothering him. My mind wondered on the subject for some time. What happened? How did the boy get infected? Was James the one that "exterminated" him?

"James, what happened on your mission? Why was that boy…"

"He was reckless."

"Did you…were you the one that 'exterminated' him?"

"Yes. I had to make the decision and follow through with it. Rebecca, he asked me to. I would have never done it but he asked me to."

We stayed silent for another measurable period. I looked out into the forest that surrounded the road. It was eerily quiet. The normal creatures of the night were nowhere to be seen. Something was wrong nothing was moving and the only sound was the beating of the horse's hooves.

"James, something is wrong."

"I know it's been like this for a while." He quickened the horse.

Suddenly a figure came from the forest knocking us from the horse. We could hear the Horse moaning out in pain as we lay were we had fallen. Then up from the horse's body we saw the bloody face of a man or what was at one time. Its movements were erratic and it groaned out bearing its teeth. That is when I saw it's fangs I followed down its neck to see a gapping wound bleeding everywhere. Its skin had changed already to a grayish green and its face was contorted in a screaming position. It was a fresh victim of a vampire. I had never seen one before but I knew the characteristics. It rose from the Horse's now limp body and moved toward us.

James pushed me behind him his weapon in hand. "It's a fresh one. If its maker finds us we're done." He grabbed my arm and started running. "We need to get some distance from it. They are slow and clumsy when first bitten."

We ran as fast as we could until another figure came at us. This time a woman however she had not yet fed. She lunged for me but James intercepted her. The last I saw of them they were tumbling down the cliff like edge of the road.

My heart leapt into my throat. I tried to scream out His name but all that came from my mouth was a screech. It was responded by a loud and painful moan in the distance. I crawled to the edge and look over only to see green ferns. My body was shaking and my breathing erratic. Where was the other one? My eyes darted from one object to another. Then I heard shallow breathing and feel the trickling of warm fluid on my leg. I looked over my shoulder to see the bloody dead man drooling over me and the horse's blood all over my legs.

It grabbed me by my hair pulling me close to his face. His putrid breath made me want to vomit. But as these events passed I began to feel my mind go numb and my body began to warm up. The creature screamed and dropped me. Then a wailing came from down the cliff. He jumped into the ferns following the sound.

It wasn't James that I heard rather the dead woman. I had heard of reports of victims remembering their loved ones and wanting to protect them. That dead woman must have been his wife or sister. The ancient must have attacked them while they traveled. That's right! These creatures were not the ones to be feared rather their maker.

I made an effort to get up but my body refused to move. I laid there immobile on the road. James, was he alright? Then something told me inside I needed to get out of here. I felt as though I was being watched by a predator. I pushed up from the ground my body feeling heavy. As I lifted my head I met a pair of abnormal crystal blue eyes that looked like two small balls of ice. They were surrounded by dark smoky rings that almost appeared bruised by their color. My eyes began to come into focus and I saw I was starring into the face of a pale, ancient Vampire.

I stepped back slowly but each step was met by this gorgeously dangerous creature in front of me. His mouth opened slightly as he moved closer. I could now see his pearly malevolent attributes dropping down. I quickly darted my eyes to the ground. Of our little understanding of Vampires we knew never to look them in the eye. As to why this is so I don't know. Even with my best efforts it felt as though he was calling to me, like he was telling my mind to look him in his exquisite eyes. My head seemed to move on it own accord. Moving slowly over his torso and chest I saw some of the most expensive articles of clothing I had ever seen. My eyes trailed over his lips they seemed to be the only part of his body that had any color to speak of. Then I looked into his icy eyes and as I did so all of my fears began to fade and my body slowly became numb. I could see my breath as though it were winter which was impossible it was the middle of summer. My body started to go limp and then darkness flooded over me. As I began to swim in a black abyss I heard my name faintly in the distance.