Chapter 3

"I still don't get why he couldn't even say goodbye," Father Leon growled under his breath as the AX members gathered around the screen in Cardinal Sforza's debriefing room. The AX functioned as a unit of peacekeepers and enforcers for the Vatican. Founded by Caterina Sforza herself, as well as a certain silver-haired priest, it existed ultimately to form peace between the humans and Methuselah. The task force's current members had all been told to meet the cardinal in her debriefing room so that they could watch the inauguration of the new ruler of the Methuselah empire. Granted, it was a 'big thing' for the empire, but what did the AX have to do with it? It was just a new vampire in power, and as long as they kept to the agreement the Vatican had forged with the empire, everything would remain the same. Even though the new leader was said to be some lost emperor who was now nine centuries old, that was just a legend. And, despite them supposedly being priests and nuns, the AX found it hard to believe certain things without seeing cold, hard evidence.

As of this moment, all the members had arrived and they were waiting on Cardinal Sforza so, in an attempt to fill the silence, Father Leon had begun whining about Abel's sudden departure and him not having the decency to say goodbye. Although the other people in the room felt the same way, they were at least more reasonable than Leon and had considered the fact that it may simply have been too hard for the goofy Father to leave his friends and colleagues as it was when he had left for, wherever it was he had retired to. The dark-haired Spaniard still muttered under his breath in spite of these reasonable suggestions. Professor William Wordsworth attempted to change the topic, "You do know, Leon, that the new emperor is said to be the Nightlord of legend?"

Leon scowled half-heartedly, but took the bait, "You mean the one who went crazy and killed seven million people?"

Wordsworth grinned from behind his pipe, "Precisely. Although, it is said that as punishment for his own crimes, he swore allegiance to the papacy and served to protect humans for seven centuries. And now, he is returned a kind and noble ruler…we hope." William smiled wickedly as he said these last two words, only to receive groans from the other AX members gathered in the room; well, all except for Father Tres, of course.

"Really, Professor?" Leon began, "You expect me to believe that load of bull-,"

Father Leon was interrupted by the double doors opening to reveal cardinal Sforza.

"I really wish you would refrain from those profanities, Father Leon," the red-clad woman frowned, "We are on sacred ground."

Leon rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and flushed a deep scarlet, one that rivalled the colour of the cardinal's robes, before muttering a quick apology. While she greeted the other AX members and prepared for the empress' broadcast, Leon scooted over to where Wordsworth was sitting cross-legged in a plush arm chair.

"Hey! Professor!" he hissed as quietly as he could.

"Yes, Father Leon?" he had an amused twinkle in his dark, chocolate eyes.

"I have another problem with your story," Leon continued with sarcasm dripping from his voice, "If the emperor guy really did exist, and served the Vatican, then why didn't we see him, huh?" The muscular priest folded his arms over his chest and sat back in his own chair, smugly. He clearly felt as if he had won this particular argument.

The Professor only sat back and placed the end of his pipe back into his mouth contemplatively, "Indeed."

At that moment, the hologram flickered to life on the projection screen and almost everyone in the room gasped. They had tuned in to the broadcast a little late, and the empress was addressing the camera, but she wasn't wearing her veil! And, what was even more odd, she appeared to be a child.

What convinced the AX that this really was the empress however, was the manner in which she addressed her 'children' and the immense wisdom behind those intelligent, green eyes. They followed the subtitles on the screen as she spoke in the language of her people:

"My dear children. As you all recently became aware, my name is not Augusta Vradica. It is Seth Nightlord…"

At this, if the nuns in the room had been regular nuns, they would have fainted in shock. No one could believe that this young girl was claiming to be one of the legendary Nightlord siblings. Even if they did have a sister, legends were fantasy. They were not real. And yet, there was a look in the child's eyes as she spoke that gave off the sense that she had seen many years come and go, as well as many normal human, and Methuselah, lifespans. Almost as one, the occupants of the room shuddered as they looked into those knowledgeable, jewel eyes. She went on:

"…and I must repeat news of an even better calibre to you today. Once again, as you have all been made aware, my dear brother has finally returned to us, and to his rightful place as emperor. I must tell you though, my dear children, that in his nobleness, he denied the throne several times for my sake, as he thought I was a better ruler than he…"

The sound of protesting came from off the camera. Clearly the Methuselah wanted their 'destined' leader to rule. As much as they loved Augusta, or rather, Seth, they had apparently been ruled by her gentle will for centuries; they must have felt that it was time for a change, especially if the person changing things was the legendary 'lord of the Night'. The reactions of her 'children' did not seem to bother the empress in the least, however:

"…I know, my children, I was appalled as well. I could not understand the reason he would pass up such an opportunity, until I realised it was out of love of me, his sister, his family. And so, now that he has agreed to finally return to his rightful throne – as a result of my continued insistence – I implore you all to welcome him as your new ruler. Why? Because he considers you all his family, and every decision he has ever made has been driven by the love he has for his family. Therefore, without further ado, I must welcome my brother, your new leader, Emperor Abel Nightlord..."

The similarity of the name the AX had just heard to the one of their own, absent friend had clearly not dawned on them…somehow. Perhaps they were merely too transfixed on the elegant figure that had appeared in the corner of the room and whom the camera was now trained on.

He was clearly the new emperor. Everything about him exuded royalty, and not just the clothes he wore. The way he held himself indicated that he, and Seth, were the highest on the food chain in that room. His neck was inclined, his posture faultless and his steps placed perfectly. And he still managed to make it look natural, and not forced. When he reached Seth, a brotherly smile flitted across his features, before he looked at the camera with a face that strictly meant business:

"My people. I am sorry it took me so long to come to you, but I must tell you that every day I was away, it was another stab to my heart. Although I had served my penance for all of the inexcusable wrongs I committed all those years ago, I still felt unworthy to be one of you. I worked with the Vatican yes, and those years have instilled in me a renewed desire for peace for all of the Earth, Methuselah – and human – alike. And so, before I carry on, I wish to show my respect for all of you by blessing those who have fallen in my absence, in the way the humans have taught me…"

By now, the AX had found something disturbingly familiar about the new emperor, the dreaded Abel Nightlord. And yet, they still could not place it exactly. There was just something in the way his long, silver hair framed his face, and in his piercing, but somehow still kind, icy blue gaze. Caterina smiled a bittersweet smile to herself, thinking, I guess that goofball act worked better than you thought it would Abel, as she watched the man she had recognised all too easily from the moment of his entrance, in the hologram. Solemnly, he raised his right hand and made the sign of the cross, saying a phrase that the AX needed no subtitles to understand:

'Requiesce in pace.'

There was a collective intake of breath and the debriefing room was suddenly deathly quiet as everyone inside suddenly recognised the new emperor for who he was, their very own Father Abel Nightroad. That single Latin phrase that held so much meaning in the emperor's eyes had echoed the odd volunteer-work that Father Nightroad had always done whenever there had been a funeral in the Vatican. He had conducted every service, and had seemed to find immense peace in pleading for the souls of the deceased. And now, the reason for that would seem to be because he himself had massacred millions of the human-race centuries ago. That particular bizarre obsession with the afterlife could be well-founded in that light, it could be argued. But once more, the ironically disbelieving nature of the AX had dominated the room and each member burst into their own individual justifications at the same time.

"Four eyes?! That's where he went?! You have got to be kidding me! Caterina, this is a kooky scheme cooked up by you and the goof, right?" Leon's eyes held an odd mixture of confidence in his theory and fear that he may be wrong as he addressed the blond woman, who had her hands folded in her lap and had merely been watching quietly. The cardinal fixed him with her steely gaze, but did not answer his question. She would debrief them on their mission soon enough; she had known that if she had simply told the AX who the new emperor was, they would laugh her out of the room.

But this revelation didn't seem to have the desired effect, anyway. The other members were still buzzing and snapping at one another, even though they were all saying the same thing; that it must be a plot by the Vatican, that empress Seth must be in on it, and that they didn't know how a room filled to the brim with vampires couldn't smell a human amongst them. Caterina sighed, this may still turn out be harder than she had thought it would at first. She turned her eyes back to the screen, and brightened slightly. There may still be hope yet.

Demanding everyone's attention to return to the broadcast, the debriefing room in the Vatican was once more returned to a disgruntled silence as its inhabitants focussed on the new, and whom they believed to be 'phony', emperor. Emperor Nightlord had been speaking through their spat, and they tuned into what seemed to be the end of an extensive 'thank you' speech:

"…And thus I would like to say a massive "thank you" once more. You have all been so immensely gracious and understanding towards my sister and myself, and for that I am eternally grateful. I can only hope to live up to your expectations as a good, and worthy leader in the time to come. In conclusion, I would like to make a promise to you all, good Methuselah of the New Human Empire…"

At these words, and to the AX's bewilderment, they saw Seth Nightlord's fangs extend over her darkening lips. Her eyes had also begun to turn a glowing, somewhat terrifying, crimson. It did not appear to be a threat in anyway however, only an action that served to emphasise her "brother's" next words:

"…I swear to protect and serve you, my people, to the best of my ability. And, should anything threaten the peace we have achieved in our beloved empire, or any of my sister's children, I will not hesitate to put a stop to the opposing force swiftly, and without pity."

As he was saying this, Abel Nightlord's words had begun to grow ever so slightly muffled, and when the AX saw why, they thought they would either scream, faint, throw up, or do all three at the same time; in spite of their strong dispositions. Long, dangerous-looking fangs also extended slowly over his blackening lips, and the wintery blue eyes they had all known so well began to change hue to a fiery red that matched that of the ex-empress sitting beside him.

This display of power, along with its accompanying statement however, had caused the Methuselah to erupt into wild cheers and, in something akin to a Mexican wave, all of those in the room knelt on one knee before their new emperor. They remained in that position until the camera zoomed in once more on the pair of royal siblings, now looking every bit as normal as they had before, as they rose and turned to leave. The emperor had a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder, and she in turn wrapped a short arm around his waist as they exited the tall double doors of the hall; their actions a total contrast to the beings that the audience, both present and watching the holograms, had been given the briefest glimpse of only moments before.

Wordlessly, Caterina switched off the hologram, and stood in front of her floored task force. She gave them a warm, almost amused smile, as she looked around the room at their disbelieving faces – all with the exception of Tres once more, who merely held the only expression he ever wore.

"So," she began, maintaining her knowing grin, "Any questions?"

"Did I really have to say that last line?" the newly inaugurated Emperor said softly as he flopped onto the luxurious bed in what had become his chambers at the time of his arrival only a few days earlier.

"It made me sound like a tyrant," he shuddered, "Like when the crusnik was in control." His words were muffled, as they had been spoken into the down bed clothes Abel now had his face pressed into. Seth sat down beside her brother and stroked his long hair comfortingly. She was glad Abel was becoming more relaxed in the empire, and more used to the fact that he was royalty; but the thing she was the gladdest for (although she'd never say it to her brother's face) was the fact that he had dropped the goofy priest act he had been maintaining for the last decade or so. It had been surprisingly easy to wean him off of, but then he had only been using it for a decade of his total nine hundred and fifty years of living. So, perhaps it was a relief for him to be able to end the act as well. Seth spoke calmly, in an attempt to comfort her concerned brother.

"Abel, you know that is not what you sounded like. You were merely showing your people whose side you have chosen," Abel turned his head and looked up at her with a forlorn gaze when she said this.

She giggled at her brother's puppy dog eyes and continued, "You have been working with the Vatican for seven centuries after all. And, while we are striving for peace with the humans, your people need to know that you will defend them over anyone else should the need arise."

Abel nodded reluctantly and shifted to a sitting position, "I suppose you are right, sister. I should just be grateful that the Methuselah were so accepting of me as their new leader. To be honest, I was expecting a little more opposition." He grinned sheepishly, but his eyes were solemn, betraying the guilt he still felt at Seth handing the throne over to him like she did.

The raven-haired girl only laughed heartily, "You do remember how superstitious the Methuselah are, don't you brother? The moment they heard that you were the first emperor of the New Human Empire, the Nightlord of legend, I knew they would accept you back wholeheartedly." She gave him a beaming grin and Abel could not help but relax. His shoulders loosened and he gave his sister a small, but this time genuine, smile and ruffled her short hair.

"Hey!" she protested, "Do you not know how long I had to sit in order to get my hair to stay in one place?!" she gave her brother a mock scowl and bowled him over on the bed, pummelling his chest with her small fists. Abel burst out laughing at her childish reaction and, hearing his laughter, Seth began to giggle too. It wasn't long before both siblings were crippled with mirth and the former empress rolled off of her older brother, clutching her sides. They both lay comfortably, as their laughter died down to a happy silence, and they stared at the ceiling in contentment once more; something they seemed to be making a habit of.

A fair distance away and a couple hundred feet above sea level, a fuming Father Leon was glaring through one of the Iron Maiden's small hatch windows, much like the object of his annoyance had done only a few days prior. The large airship's interior was buzzing with barely contained excitement and nervousness as the AX made their way towards their next mission. Unusual for agents well-versed in the arts of combat, stealth and assassination, they were positively squealing like schoolchildren in anticipation. This was a mission unlike anything they had been given before.

They had been tasked with the protection of the Methuselah within the Empire, in particular the two members of the 'royal family' – of course. Instead of being sent to exterminate rogue vampires, or to fight against a rebel group who was against the peace between the two nations, they were instead helping the vampires in dealing with any possible dangers or problems that may arise following the "retirement" of their previous ruler.

Leon, although also secretly attempting to calm the nervousness settling in the pit of his stomach, refused to outwardly show anything other than his stubborn glare for the duration of the journey. He was angry, no – he was furious at Father Nightroad. Or, as it turned out, Emperor Nightlord. He had thought they had been close enough for Leon to deserve knowing the truth. The one where his AX buddy was actually a whole different species. And a vampire king no less.

Clearly he had been mistaken, the thought popped into his head and only deepened the crinkles between his angry eyebrows. The silver-haired man that everyone thought they had known was going to have a lot to answer for when the AX arrived at his…palace.

Leon shook his head in disbelief. Glancing around the cabin again, he scowled at the fact that everyone else seemed to be taking the news that their Abel Nightroad was actually a nine century old vampire emperor with a pinch of salt. Someone (who the idiot was, Leon was too irate to care) even had the nerve to say that he had "known all along."

Seriously?

The dark-haired Spaniard decided it would be safer for the other humans if he looked back out of the window again, to prevent any potential outbursts. He saw the tell-tale shimmer of the anti-UV barrier just below the aircraft and took a deep breath in an attempt to subside the seething indignance he had housed for the duration of the flight. He would have to be on his best behaviour in a few moments; he was soon to be in the presence of royalty, after all.

The priest's 'deep-breathing' technique didn't work.

"The terrans from the Vatican have arrived, your Grace," Leon scowled as the Yenceri guard spoke into his regulation earpiece. He hated the term almost as much as the Methuselah hated being called vampires. His dark eyes looked as if they were ready to set the guard on fire, while the stiff Methuselah nodded as he received a reply from the person on the other end. The emperor had asked to be able to speak directly to each of the Yenceri through the espionage-esque network the royal guard had access to. Rumour had it, Emperor Nightlord himself now sported a similar earpiece to keep in contact with his guards, Baybars the Head of the Yenceri, in particular.

Turning back to the humans with a look of barely disguised disgust, the guard relayed his instructions, "His Imperial Majesty says that you are to meet him in the throne room."

The vampire couldn't keep his upper lip from lifting up into a sneer, but the AX would have had it much worse if they were not the special guests of the Emperor. In spite of the tentative peace between the two nations of the world, the sad truth was that prejudice still ruled the minds of both humans and Methuselah alike.

The first AX agent to enter the massive, intricately designed double doors of the palace shoved past the guard rudely, as if only for the purpose of reinforcing this fact. Not hearing the low hiss that was the response, the other members followed their comrade in a less hostile manner. Father Leon's face was still twisted into an unhappy grimace, but it now seemed to be directed at the poor, unassuming slate floor, rather than anyone in particular.