A/N: Looks like the Collector has taken off with one of the Lycan pups and now its up to our Vampire Prince and his friends to rescue him .
Disclaimer: I do not own the Naturals in anyway . I do own Karliah , the name Blood Harvest and Awakening , the research on vampires and werewolves , the Coven , Valor , and Undead Vampires , the Collector , and the story itself .
Chapter 9 : Ancestor ' s Stone
Following Morning - The Wilderness
Early the next morning Andy , Chase , Karliah , and Seth woke up in what appeared to be an abandoned shack that they bunkered down in for the night not to far from the trail with the Collector ' s tracks .
" What are you doing ? " Chase asked Seth after they had breakfast and Andy and Karliah went off to scope out the area and tracks before they continued their hunt for the Collector and Shay .
Seth was working with some wood , some type of rock or metal , and feathers doing something that Chase had never seen done before and was very confused at what the young Lycan was doing with the items .
" The proper term is called fletching , but you can call it arrow making , I ' m making arrows to go along with the bow that I already made in order to be prepared for the fight ahead of us if the stories are true about the nature of Collectors and other evil of the hidden world . " Seth explained .
" Where did you learn how to do this at ? " Chase asked as Andy and Karliah came back .
" My father taught me , " Seth said looking at the finished arrow he made looking at it .
" Not to be disrespectful or anything , but don ' t Lycans have powers and can fight as werewolves ? " Chase asked making the other two look at them chatting .
" We can and do at times , but just like with hunting prey we tend to do so as both humans and werewolves and its usually determined by what area we are in and who maybe around us at the time . As humans we tend to take on the traditions of Native Americans , frontiersmen , hunters , tribesmen , and others that make the wild their homes which can keep humans off of our trial or other people from finding us where wolves may not be accepted around certain societies . At other times when we are close to our breeding grounds , in our territories , away from prying people , migrating , and on reservations where its common to see wolves hunting we keep to our Lycan form hunting and fighting as wolves do . " Seth further explained .
" Would that explain the fur and leather , animal hide type clothing ? " Chase was curious to all of this new supernatural stuff he was being introduced to now .
" Yes and Lycans tend to be less wasteful as well using everything on the animals we hunt , even the bones are used for tools and weapons , some of my kinsmen even uses bones to make arrows out of as well . " Seth looking at the vampires wondering what they had found .
" Is the trail close ? " Chase asked .
" It is , but we are fearing he may have crossed the river at some point meaning we may have a great deal of trouble finding his tracks unless he got out on the other side and left more tracks . " Karliah explained .
" You said this guy uses a scent concealer ? " Seth asked .
" Yes , why ? " Andy asked the pup .
" Would he just use that on himself or Shay , too ? " Seth asked .
" More than likely the Collector is using it on both of them to keep anyone else from tracking them . " Karliah explained .
" No track and no scent will take away a physical trail then , but according to my father you can track someone in more ways than just a physical approach . " Seth thought outloud .
" What other ways do we track them then ? " Chase asked confused .
" By using a spiritual approach , there ' s a sacred shrine nearby that is connected to the spiritual world known as the Ancestor ' s Shrine , it should be able to help us . " Seth finally said to them .
" Its definitely a start and a lead , but first lets see if the tracks will help us . " Karliah said .
" Fine , then we will go with plan B if that doesn ' t work . " Andy agreed .
" Then lets get ready to move out . " Karliah said as Seth put out the fire and picked up the bow and arrows he had made placing them on his back for later use .
" Are you expecting a fight ? " Chase asked Seth looking at him as he transformed into a werewolf .
" You live in our world long enough , you quickly learn to be prepared for anything , that includes danger and fighting if you must . Plus , this Collector isn ' t going to be stopped by just talking to him or by any type of magic or close range combat as it seems that more physical attacks from long range will take him down . " Seth explained .
" Seth has a point here as the hidden world is a lot more dangerous when you become apart of it and live in it than the human world you and Andy have been accustomed to in the past . " Karliah explained pulling out the weapons she brought from the house handing them to Andy and Chase while making sure her own were where she could get to them easier .
" Karliah ? " Andy looked at her confused holding one of the weapons that Karliah gave him and Chase .
" Having these may help better than when we faced the Collector the other day as weapons bring a much more subtle approach than pouncing on him and using our abilities . " Karliah explained .
" Oh , " Andy said .
" I ' ve never swung a sword in my life , " Chase said trying the sword out giving it a few swings making Seth back up .
" Watch the wolf while swinging that thing . " Seth said .
" Seth being here with us may have a second advantage that I didn ' t think of until now . " Karliah said .
" And that would be what exactly ? " Andy asked .
" Seth could help us further Chase ' s training to fight to where he can have similar strengths of the vampires and fight on the level of the Collector and others that will have similar abilities and strengths to our current problem . " Karliah said .
" So , how will having Seth here help out with this ? " Chase asked .
" In human form , Lycans fight like humans and outside of eyesight , hearing , and smell only have enhanced abilities in werewolf form . " Karliah said .
" Meaning I can help you train more so on your level than on Karliah and Andy ' s where you are getting your butt kicked , Chase . Of course , as soon as you are on my level the quicker you can move up to theirs , the Collector , undead vampires , and any other evil we may come across . " Seth also said .
" Then we will further Chase ' s training while on the road , let ' s get going before we lose time and the Collector gets to far ahead of us . " Andy said .
" Alright then , " Karliah said as the Naturals finally placed the weapons on their bodies and then continued to follow the tire mark trail of the Collector ' s truck .
Karliah , Andy , and Seth had to keep to a human pace so Chase could keep up with them until they got to the river where the tracks end .
" So , he did cross the river , " Andy said .
" In a truck ? " Karliah asked confused .
" It could be an off road vehicle as those wouldn ' t have any trouble dealing with the rough terrain or crossing this part of the river . " Chase said making Karliah and Seth look at him .
" He drives a jeep , " Andy said .
" Its an all-terrain vehicle meaning it can go through anything as long as its not completely vertical , the ocean , or thin ice . " Chase explained further .
" Maybe he came out on the other side and if they did get wet and Shay was with him then the smell of wet dog should be around . " Seth said .
After they crossed to the other side of the river there were not any tracks found making the four look at each other as Seth began to sniff around the ground using his wolf nose to try and find a scent or sign of his brother of some kind .
" Seth , if he ' s using a scent concealer then even your nose won ' t be able to help us . " Karliah said .
" I ' m looking for more than just a scent . " Seth said .
" What else are you looking for ? " Chase asked .
" A sign of my brother being here , even if the Collector and Shay thought I was dead when I fell into the hole . Shay would still think that the pack would come to rescue him , so , he would have left some sort of sign behind to follow him . " Seth explained his reasons .
" So , you are hoping he left something behind ? " Andy asked .
" Yes , " Seth spotting claw marks on a tree running to it making the others follow him as the Lycan measured his own claw marks with the ones on the tree .
" Seth ? " Karliah asked .
" These claw marks are Shay ' s , " Seth said .
" How do you know ? " Chase asked .
" These claw marks are from werewolf paws and they are about the size of mine . " Seth showing them the size similarities of his claws with marks on the tree .
" Meaning that at least the Collector still has Shay alive , but . . . " Andy said as he tried to get a scent himself from the claw marks using his vampiric enhancement .
" But ? " Karliah and Chase asked making Seth look at Andy concerned for his brother ' s well being .
" . . . but , it ' s the only claw marks we have in a few miles of being out in the wilderness from the Cowboy ' s place and where Elizah and the pack stopped and there still isn ' t a scent to follow . " Andy finished .
" But , there is other markings here . " Seth tranforming back into a human looking at another symbol that looked oddly like the crescent moon on a chain .
" The moon , but only half of it in crescent form . " Andy said .
" And on a chain at that , does this mean anything to you , Seth ? " Chase asked .
" It ' s half of a pendant that represents the moonstones , Shay has one half of the pendant and I have the other half . " Seth pulling the pendant from around his neck showing them the other half .
" What is a moonstone ? " Chase asked making Andy look at the werewolf .
" It ' s a semiprecious stone in bluish - white color that the Lycan community uses as a symbol of our dedication to the Lunar Children or Children of the Moon , my father gave Shay and myself each a crescent of the same moonstone as a pendant and said we would forever be connected to the pack as long as we follow the ways of our ancestors . I feel like we should go to the Ancestor ' s Stone its our next lead and the moonstone pieces that Shay and I have are like a conduit to the Ancestor ' s Stone and to each other , a lot of other stones and objects are like these in the world , most of them work off of the inner spirit and are connected to each other . If one is harmed all of us can be harm and its up to us to make sure that we take of the world in order to not lose one of the species on earth or else it could be us that disappears next . Everything and everyone is connected , so , was built the Ancestor ' s Stone to remind us all to take care of each other and to be one in the spirit . " Seth explained some more .
" You are referring to some of the ancient stories , Seth , you know some of them are myth right . " Karliah said .
" Say that to the vampire community and Lycans , we are suppose to be myth Karliah , if everything about our world was suppose to be myth and legend then one of the greatest legends is the Prince and another one would be the Alphas , so , am I really so crazy as to believe in the stories that have been passed down for generations since the days of the Ancestor Vampires and the Firstblood . " Seth said .
" Firstblood ? " Andy and Chase asked .
" The first of the Lycans to exist , a lot like the Ancestor Vampires . " Karliah said .
" So , what ' s the plan ? " Chase asked .
" There maybe a connection to the Ancestor Stone and the moonstones , but I don ' t know how it could help us find Shay or the Collector , " Karliah said .
" We have lost any other lead that could be viable and help us to find them , so , this is all we have at the moment , plus Shay must believe in this thing just as much as Seth does to leave a symbol of the moonstone . " Andy said .
" So , you want to go to the Ancestor ' s Stone ? " Karliah asked .
" It ' s the best we have to go on right now especially if there is any connection between the stones , " Chase agreed .
" Alright , then we go to the Ancestor Stone and see what it can do to help us , maybe some vampires or someone has taken shelter around the stones that could lead us in a direction . " Karliah said .
" Just as long as they are not trouble . " Seth said transforming back into a wolf .
" Let ' s go then , but let ' s also be cautious of danger . " Andy agreed .
" I like Andy ' s approach about that caution thing , " Chase said as they moved out from the river towards the Ancestor ' s Stone .
Ancestor ' s Stone
Within a couple of days traveling the four made it to the Ancestor ' s Stone slowly moving up to the stone itself as to not draw attention to themselves just in case danger was around .
" I don ' t smell anything , " Andy said .
" I don ' t hear or sense anything either . " Seth added .
" Then we are alone here . " Karliah said .
" So , where is this Ancestor ' s Stone ? " Chase asked .
" The inner part of the ruins , at the other end of the staircase leading up to the Stone itself , we are in the first established site that marked the Lycans and vampires coming to the western world . Of course they found this here and didn ' t bring it with them to this part of the world , but since it was close to what our world was ; sacred , hidden , and spiritual in nature they marked the Ancestor ' s Stone as the first discovered place as well . There use to be camps all around here , but when more came the ones that were here moved on to other places to settle down . " Seth explained .
" You have learned much from the pack since you were little haven ' t you ? " Karliah asked .
" I have , " Seth said as they found the staircase and began to follow it up to the stone .
" Are these nature made stairs or human ? " Chase asked .
" A little of both , I think nature gave us a way to make the stairs and someone later just added the stone work of the stairs which means time has weathered most of them as well . " Seth said .
" Hmm , its getting late so we will use this place as our stopping point for the night as the vantage point up here will give us a good viewpoint to make sure no one sneaks up on us during the night . " Andy said looking out as they got to a high up point .
" Sounds good giving that outside of the obvious with Chase as far as not being able to see as clearly in the dark as we can , then it would make the best option we have at the moment . " Karliah said .
" Just because Chase can ' t see in the dark like you three can doesn ' t mean I ' m any less observant . " Chase said .
" Being observant is one of the first things we learn in the wrestling business , the second is that we have to be night owls as wrestlers work at night instead of during the day , so , you don ' t have to worry about Chase as this guy can pull all nighters with the best of them . " Andy said making Chase smile nodding his head .
" Well , then we can surely put the night owl to use then , but we can also start his work out after we see to the stone . " Seth said as they finally got to the Ancestor ' s Stone .
The Naturals were in awe of the strange smooth stone that seemed like it was meant to be there , but still not something of the physical world . Nothing happened at first , then all of a sudden Andy felt burning in his arm almost like the night when he first became a vampire .
" Ahh , ow , " Andy hissed as he pulled the cover from his arm to see the marking that appeared on his arm before the transformation , but he began using the cover on his arm since he first met Elizah and his tribe realizing that it could be used by enemies to identify him as the Prince .
" Andy , " Chase checking on his partner looking at Karliah for answers to what was going on as Seth looked on also not understanding the situation .
" More than just the Ancestor ' s Stone is here , looks like more to the Vampire Prince ' s heritage maybe locked up here as well . " Karliah said looking at the inner part of the opened ruins seeing a strange light inside .
" What is that ? " Andy asked looking at the light .
" One way to find out , " Seth said .
They entered the area seeing symbols on the wall that were similar to the one that was on Andy ' s arm and the one he saw that night he transformed . Then just like that night , the symbols carved themselves into his skin once again like the original mark he got at the beginning of his new vampiric lifestyle , sealing itself over after the mark was finished .
" Tattoos are awesome and an all that , but they don ' t normally happen on their own , so , what is this all about with the symbols and them marking themselves into Andy ' s skin ? " Chase asked as the lights stopped .
" Andy , let me see the markings , " Karliah said .
" Sure , " Andy said pulling off his shirt so Karliah could see the other symbols much clearer .
" I am going to have to research these , but they seem to be in the Ancestor Vampire hieroglyphs that are similar to the Egyptians and Asian cultures that used symbols and pictures instead of letters as their form of writing . " Karliah looking over the symbols on Andy ' s arm and shoulder .
" Do you have any ideas to why he is getting them ? " Chase asked .
" Valor vampires are identified by their tattoos and markings , it ' s unique to not only the Valor community of the vampires , but within each clan and even with individuals of Valor , the symbols are different as long as its not family . The Fairheart marks we ' ve seen would of had similar or the same markings throughout the family due to them being from the same bloodline , but they would still have markings that would identify them as individuals . So , it could be that these symbols on the wall are the ones that identify Andy as the Vampire Prince and with each mark that ' s found it adds to Andy ' s power and abilities as the Vampire Prince , but I ' m not sure how it ' s apart of Andy ' s heritage or the Blood Harvest itself . " Karliah said .
" They ' re still things that even we don ' t know about the world . " Seth said going back to the Ancestor ' s Stone wondering if it could help them find Shay tranforming back into a human taking out his half of the crescent-shaped moonstone pendant holding it close to the Ancestor ' s Stone hoping it would work , but nothing happened .
" Seth ? " Chase asked .
" I know they are connected , but I ' m not exactly sure how it would work or what it does , yet . " Seth said .
" Hmm , the moonstone symbolizes the night and the connection that the Lycan community has with the moon which shines brightest at night when its full . " Karliah said .
" The full moon is in two days , " Seth said .
" We may lose ground on the Collector and Shay in two days , but if the stories about the stones are true then it will lead us directly to Shay through the bloodline connection of Seth and Shay . Furthermore , it could also help us give Chase a chance to get ready for the possible fight ahead with the Collector and the possibility to get magical protection as it is said that the Ancestor ' s Stone can shield non-magical species if we can activate its powers . " Karliah remembering other stories she has read while figuring out how the markings on Andy were actually connected to the Vampire Prince , the Awakening , and the Blood Harvest .
" Non magical species ? " Chase asked .
" Meaning you , Chase , Lycans and vampires are considered supernatural and magical in nature while humans are not , but this does make it easier to turn a human magical like with the vampire hunters , the Collector , and human priests . Humans use to get powers in the old days when they were still in much communication with vampires and werewolves as it benefitted them to keep up with the other species at the time . " Seth said .
" So , you think this stone could also help , Chase ? " Andy asked .
" If the stories are true it can , " Karliah said .
" Then let ' s set up camp and try to find prey , I need a boost after get this tattoo thing . " Andy said feeling a little drained of energy .
" We can definitely deal with it , " Karliah agreed looking at Andy a little worried about the toll this new development was taking on him .
Once camp was set up the vampires went out to hunt their way while Chase and Seth settled for normal means of hunting and fishing .
" So , they drink blood , what do werewolves prefer ? " Chase asked .
" It doesn ' t really matter to us , if we are in a hurry we act like normal wolves and eat what we have right there , but if we have time to eat or if we are in the company of humans we will cook our meal and eat like humans . " Seth said .
" So , about those workout lessons ? " Chase asked once they were done with food .
" Not workout lessons , fighting lessons , so , do you know how to fight at all ? " Seth asked standing up .
" I wrestle for a living , fighting is apart of it , " Chase said .
" For sport right , fighting , real fighting is different , not like it is during a competition . " Seth said .
" Meaning ? " Chase asked .
" Let ' s see how well you are at fighting . " Seth standing up and backing away from the camp challenging Chase to show the Lycan what Chase can do .
" You sure about this ? " Chase not afraid of a challenge , but not wanting to piss off Andy and Karliah .
" It ' s the only way I will know if we can shape you into a fighter capable of dealing with the Collector , undead , or any other enemy we may face . So , come on , show me what you can do as a fighter or are you afraid ? " Seth asked .
" Fine , we train , " Chase stood up ready to except Seth ' s challenge .
They soon started working out and sparring with each other , for Seth it was a good work out and a chance to get out frustrations of watching the Collector take Shay , and the training for Chase to be able to fight like vampires and werewolves are able to was now on his level where Chase could keep up with Seth . Andy and Karliah got back not long after to see them working out and at first Karliah moved to stop them , but Andy stopped her .
" You tell me to be careful with not hurting Chase , but you are going to let Seth spar with him instead ? " Karliah asked confused .
" Both of them are on an even playing field like this and it seems to be helping both of them at the moment . Seth , needs to let off frustration from Shay being taken by the Collector and Chase gets someone that he can train against that ' s more on his level in order to be ready for the Collector and anyone else we come across that may want to hurt us . " Andy said .
" Then we will let them continue . " Karliah agreed .
" Sounds about right , " Andy watching from the trees before catching the scent of something as Karliah looked at him .
" Smells like one of the Coven vampires . " Karliah answered his concerned .
" Is it friendly ? " Andy asked .
" Should be , " Karliah said .
" What about Chase ? Would they attack him if they know that he is human ? Or what about Seth being a werewolf ? " Andy continued to question Karliah as the smell got closer to them .
" Neither , but he may avoid us if this one realizes Chase is with us do to some thinking it is best to avoid humans altogether . " Karliah explained .
" Chase , Seth , stand down , " Andy finally breaking them apart .
" We were just . . . " Chase started .
" . . . sparring , I know . But , there is a Coven vampire in the area , so , stand down . " Andy said .
" Smells , like just one of them , why would he travel alone ? " Seth transforming back into a wolf .
" Everyone relax , Coven are only known to be aggressive if they feel threatened or when hunting . " Karliah said .
" Still , let ' s be cautious either way . " Andy warned them .
" Maybe , you should talk to them being the Prince , they may listen to you since you are suppose to be the leader of the living vampire community . " Seth suggested .
" Let ' s not be so quick to pass me off as a spokesperson for the vampires or to let everyone know that I am the Prince . Let us first make sure that this Coven is on our side before revealing me as the Prince as not everyone even if they appear or should be a friend is actually who they say they are , Seth . " Andy make sure the markings were covered up .
" You are taking precautions with who you are ? " Chase asked .
" Just for now until I know I can trust each new person we meet and if they just so happen to be someone that could take information back to the Collector , I don ' t want them knowing about me . " Andy said .
" Fine , then we make sure that this Coven is on our side and then we decide what to do from there , " Karliah letting Andy take the lead on this one as the Coven finally arrived looking at the four .
" Two vampires , a Lycan , and a human at the Ancestor ' s Stone together , a strange meeting to be sure , but I wonder why I would encounter this here of all places ? " The Coven vampire asked .
" We are tracking a vampire hunter , that has taken a young Lycan hostage and chose here to stop for the next two nights do to thinking that the hunter may have passed this way with the Lycan . " Karliah explained .
" I see , have you encountered a hunting party of Coven in your travels ? " The Coven asked .
" Which hunting party ? " Karliah asked .
" The Aleutian Clan , why ? " The Coven asked .
" We need to speak alone , " Karliah said taking something from her bag and went off to speak with the other vampire showing him the banner and explaining what she found back at the Fishing Hole .
When they came back the Coven vampire looked at Seth and Chase first , then at Andy now knowing the truth of what happened to the hunting party .
" My name is Dimitri , I am one of the Aleutian Clan ' s scouts , we are usually sent out when one of our clan members goes missing , so , I was sent out to check on our hunting party when they didn ' t report in . " Dimitri said .
" I see , so , Karliah told you about the Collector that we are hunting and why we are after him ? " Andy asked .
" She did and I understand the reasons , I also hope you catch him as a menace like that shouldn ' t be out in the world . " Dimitri said .
" How much did Karliah actually say about me ? " Andy asked .
" Not much , but knowing what Collectors are after and the fact that he kidnapped a Lycan pup , means both you and the werewolf pup with you along with his family must be important in the world . " Dimitri said .
" Alright , before I answer who I am ? I want to know who do you think I am ? " Andy asked .
" Determined by the time frame and what ' s quickly approaching you must be the Vampire Prince of legend , meaning that the Lycan and the one that was taken must be apart of the Alpha ' s pack . " Dimitri said .
" I am the Prince , " Andy said .
" And I am the son to the Alphas of the Lycan community , my brother is the one that was taken by the Collector . " Seth added .
" Then I trust that you two would take this Collector down for the good of all of us including the murder of my clan ? " Dimitri asked .
" We can add it to the list of things he ' s done that the Collector needs to answer for . " Andy agreed .
" I hate to ask this , but seeing as you are out in the world , where I haven ' t been since being called to the Prince ' s side . Do you know anything about how this place is connected to the Prince or how it could help us in anyway ? " Karliah asked .
" Not exactly , except for stories , but much of the knowledge of these places have been loss over time , but if you are looking for information on the Prince himself , Karliah , you should know to go to the archives , many of them are still standing and have information on the Prince . " Dimitri answered .
" The closest archive is ten miles away , meaning it would take less than a day to get there . " Karliah said .
" Exactly , but now I must take my leave as I need to take the information on the loss of my family to the leader of my clan . Keep the weapons as they will be more of a use to you than me , but please understand that I will need to take the banner to my leader and to honor the memory of the clan members that were lost to the Collector . " Dimitri said to the Prince and Karliah .
" Then take it , as we don ' t need the banner nor would we want to cause your family any more grief by keep the banner . " Andy said as Karliah gave the banner back to Dimitri .
" Thank you , Honored Prince , " Dimitri bowed .
" And thank you for the weapons and the aid . " Karliah returning the gratitude towards Dimitri before the vampire from the Aleutian Clan said his goodbyes and left the four going back to the clan .
" Will all meetings be this easy or will they be a bit tense , too ? " Chase asked .
" According to whom we may meet on the road , but at least we have a lead on at least the markings and how this place is connected to Andy , " Karliah said .
" Could it also tell us how the stone works ? " Seth asked .
" The information could tell us that as well , " Karliah said .
" How far away did you say that the closest archive is , Karliah ? " Andy asked .
" Not even a full day ' s walk , " Karliah said .
" Chase do you think you can make it there with how dark it ' s getting and be alright traveling out here in the dark ? " Andy asked making sure that everyone of them could make it to the archives .
" I can make it and I would take it that the archive would have someone there , right ? " Chase asked .
" Yes , and it should be more civilized if we wish to stay the night , " Karliah answered .
" It will be better than trying to figure out how this Ancestor ' s Stone works without much to go on . " Seth said .
" Alright , then we will move out to the archive tonight . " Andy finally said with everyone agreeing to the idea .
After it was decided the four packed up their camp and then moved out towards the archive that could help them find out what connections the Ancestor ' s Stone could have with Andy , how the Ancestor ' s Stone may help them to find the Collector and rescue Shay , and what exactly the Ancestor ' s Stone is and how it is connected to the moonstone .