Tiamat
"Elysium?" Jasper asked confused.
"Yes," I whispered expressionless. "According to Bella it was once a great metropolis that was decimated thousands of years ago. However, the ruins still exist." Jasper seemed troubled.
"Impossible. Such a noteworthy achievement must have been preserved in some form or way by our kind." Jasper's golden eyes traveled over the holographic image the mirror projected. I viewed it too, marveling at the fact that there were apparently no vampires in Africa.
"Bella said that any record that could prove the existence of the city was exterminated from living history. However, the legend continued to survive for the purpose of prompting vampires to seek it out; those that sought enlightenment anyway." Jasper watched me intently, and listened carefully. It almost appeared as though he already knew.
"Bella proclaims that since its destruction it has become a religious center and holy site for all those that wish to engulf themselves in deep concentrated mediation for thousands of years in order to shed themselves of their physical being and rise to a higher plane of existence."
I examined Jasper face and noticed the hardness that appeared in his features. He began bobbing his head possibly agreeing silently.
"That would be something worthy of protection. If humanity ever discovered the ruins they would undoubtedly exploit them."
"I agree," I said quietly. It was still strange however. I still couldn't fathom the fact to how Bella obtained such an advanced piece of technology. Maybe they built it? Vampires?
"What do we do now?" Jasper asked fazed. I sighed heavily through my lips a bit tired with all of these new theories crashing down upon me. What was there to do now?
"Hello boys…"
A cold chill even chillier than my own body temperature ran down the length of my spine. My entire being froze with anticipation. Jasper who stood right next to me didn't aid my nervousness. His emotions impacted hard and fast on my own. They seemed pressurizing and piercing.
I risked a quick look at the clock on the white wall and was shocked to see that not fifteen to twenty minutes but rather an hour and a half had gone by. Pathetically I smiled thinking 'time flies while one is having fun.'
I heard the soft and low "tock" like sound Bella's low heels made as she approached me and my brother. Not even Jasper had yet dared to turn around. We both had seen Bella's temperament in action and feared it accordingly. Besides, in the grand scheme of things it was wrong of us to riffle through her private belongings.
I heard Alice and Rosalie just dancing through the front entrance of the mansion when I heard the lock and seal of the door to this room shut!
My breathing became irregular. Although I wasn't scared of Bella anymore I was still distained by the fact that this invasion of privacy wouldn't be very generous to our relationship.
Her approach was slow and patient. Jasper and I continued to stare at the hologram and at all the little red lights. Suddenly she stood in-between us. I didn't summon the courage to look at her. I had tried and done so much to earn even an ounce of trust from her, and now I had obliterated it for sure.
"Look at them," she said quietly. My eyes catapulted immediately towards her face, as did Jaspers. Surprisingly I didn't see any anger or loathing on her lovely face.
"They are blind to the fact that we stand here now and can see their every move." Bella said. This was utterly wrong. This scenario I had not envisioned at all. She seemed so calm and collected and not furious at all.
Bella narrowed her eyes and the hologram changed abruptly. It retook the form of the entire globe before zooming in on Washington State. It deepened its search and displayed a perfect image of Seattle.
Beep.
The beeping, I had completely forgotten about why we had come in here in the first place. Instead of only hearing it I saw it this time. A small red flash appeared somewhere from down town Seattle that blinked intermittently, and changed colors from orange to red repeatedly.
Bella narrowed her eyes again and the hologram zoomed in onto the flash. At first glance the blue prints would suggest some sort of warehouse. There were two red signals there already, vampires, and the one that flashed between red and orange.
"Watch...," she instructed. The blinking became ravenous. It signaled from orange to red, red to orange, and back and forth in a seemingly endless loop. All of a sudden it became worse and grew quicker and more common. It seemed to be reaching its climax.
Just about when I thought the uncontrollable flashing couldn't become any swifter it slowed down. It's descend was even faster than it's rising. It flashed several times before it came to an absolute halt.
The small dot blinked orange one last time before it morphed to a deep red.
"You have just witnessed a human turning into one of us."
Jasper and I gasped. I think that, subconsciously, I knew. Of course I couldn't have even guessed what the rapid beeping meant if I had not seen the image being projected from the mirror.
Bella turned to Jasper who was petrified. "We will have a discussion later, a much needed discussion concerning your reservations and new found abilities."
Jasper nodded innocently, "Okay," he replied. Bella smiled and gestured her hand towards the exit. Without a moment of hesitation Jasper strutted towards the door and quickly left leaving behind emotions of nervousness, and surprise.
Great, I thought. Leave me here to fend for myself.
Bella lifted her hand upright and pointed the surface of her palm towards the holographic image and mirror. The illustration flashed and disappeared. The blue reflection radiating of the mirror vanquished as it magically rose from the ground and levitated perfectly into Bella's hand.
Bella moved along to the bed and snatched her coat and buried the mirror inside the coat pocket. I stood behind her, watching like a baboon and contemplating a sincere way of apologizing to her. Why oh why did I have to be so curious? As soon as I realized that the noise was coming from in here, from Bella's room, I should have made a u-turn.
"Have you ever heard of Tiamat?" I blinked astonished when she asked. Bella flung her coat back over the bed post and gracefully sat on the golden comforter leaning herself up against the wall. She intertwined her fingers and sat them on her lap while raising her eyebrows and smiling.
"Ti-Tiamat?" I asked. Bella nodded and replied with a quick "Yes."
"Well, ah, hmm," I tried to remember some old texts I read at Dartmouth years ago since the name did sound familiar. "I think she was mentioned in the Enuma Elish as some sort of chaos monster or sea dragon in Babylonian myth."
Bella chuckled and shook her head looking at the ceiling. "Humans…" she laughed.
"Why do you ask?" What sort of connection was she trying to make?
"Well, I positively believe that the resemblances in character are far too uncanny. There might be a hereditary passage of emotion that was passed down in her genetic pool of venom. I do believe that Carlisle and all of you with the exception of Alice and Jasper are distant descendants of Tiamat."
"We're descendants of a sea serpent?" I asked stupidly. Bella puffed shaking her head again.
"Sweet, do pay attention. Humanity finds their own interpretation for certain events throughout history however many are false and utterly ridiculous. Tiamat was once a great vampire thousands of years ago. As you know the knowledge of vampires can be passed forth through venenum memoria or even a simple change however that is a conscious effort most of the time.
Yet, not only knowledge is given but also emotions and memories can be passed on. Tiamat was one of the most passionate vampires that ever graced the earth with her magnificent presence. So, take it as a great compliment when I say that she might be a one of your vampiric ancestors." Bella gave me a strict school teacher sort of glare.
"Why are you mentioning this?" I asked confused. Bella smiled gently and patted the seat next to her on the bed. Excitement spurred to life inside of me and I immediately obliged. I leaned up against the wall sitting close next to her, our shoulders touching.
Her eyes traveled over my face and she chuckled lightly. She patted her lap. My breathing hitched. Really, I thought taken.
I tried to hide my enjoyment and wide grin when I turned on the bed and crossed my feet over the bed post and lay my head in her soft lap. I looked up and marveled at her illuminating and gorgeous eyes.
She bent down and blessed my forehead with a kiss of her tender lips. Her hair, like vines, tickled my face and I bathed in her glory.
"Curiosity is not a sin Edward but do recall what I have told you of it," her lips whispered against my head.
I laughed quietly, "It's a malignant thing, and could cause fatality." Bella's hand cupped my cheek and her fingers stroked my eye lids.
"In the old word, yes but remember that even though it is gone those that originate from there still remain and heave these ancient states of mind. They would not be as forgiving as I."
"I'm sorry for going through your things," I whispered. Bella kissed my head again. "No matter…"
Bella traced my face down the center with her finger until she drew along the lines of my lips. She leaned back up against the wall and gazed into my eyes. I felt immeasurably comfortable with my head in her lap. Who would have thought that we would ever reach this sort of stage?
"It all began in 20,000 B.C.E."
"What did?" I asked. She smiled playfully raising her eyebrow.
"All these countless millennia ago and long before the dawn of modern human civilization great vampires walked this earth. To these ancient titans nothing mattered but the taste of sweet, sweet blood. They were by any other definition the most powerful beings to have ever witnessed the sun rise.
Understand that these vampires were the first to have ever created a solid form of government. Laws of justice and places of tribunal events were created. They also formed a ruling class of government with many vampires representing various regions throughout the earth.
They might appear to be true and just but they were quite the opposite. Much like many vampires that came after them, they also sought the need to be worshipped by humanity. For them the need to be worshipped filled some form of empty void they all sensed within their own souls. However, by doing so they discarded any chance of redemption and valor. For the ascended that occupy a higher dimensional plane did not see this to be welcoming.
Forcing another creature to worship one like a supreme being is but one of many sins that they frown upon. Much must be done then in order to redeem yourself and show the glorious purity in your heart if you ever wish to journey on the path of enlightenment."
Understandable, I thought.
"There were but four that sat above all others. Four vampires that sprung from their respected regions as the most powerful and strategic, and it was them that became much like a high council of the Valar.
The south was watched over by Cronus who was most influential and vicious. It was he who united all of Greece under one banner and brought the so called other gods beneath his rule.
The east was guarded by Borr who was an extremely intellectual vampire that used his wit and cunning to gain much of the power vacuum left behind by the vampires before him. He was also an ancestor of Odin.
The west and its unexplored lands belonged to Tiamat. Tiamat unlike her other associates did not unite vampires with fear or intimidation but rather with promise of joy and merriment. She was but the only vampire of that age to have ever shown compassion to humanity whom where in turn treated like cattle by the rest of the vampire domain.
Finally, to the clear northern skies and ruling over the vastest of territories was Ra. In his time and many years after his death he was the most notorious and mightiest vampire of all time. It was he who instated the laws of justice that merely ever applied to vampires but not humans.
Ra's power originated from the ability to draw and demand the fear of all intelligent creatures. He was even more influential than Cronus and had the capability to turn all vampires to see things the way he did. He warred with various others for dominion and position like Osiris, Atlas, Hyperion, Tyr, and even Mazu.
He commanded incredible legions of experienced vampires and even newborns that he tamed for the sole purpose of his bidding. His superior intellect worked well with the combined strengths of the other three especially Cronus. Together they destroyed countless foes some of who were on the brink of ascension. Ra however felt that they were weak and undeserving and therefore did not grant them the eternal pleasure of bliss.
As intelligent, adamant, warmongering, and fearsome as he was he did have one flaw. The trust he granted to some of his lieutenants was gravely misplaced. If he had known what actions and intentions Tiamat possessed he would have never gifted her with ruling the western regions of the vampire province."
Ra was an ancestor of Sekhmet I remembered. In human myth concerning Egypt he was the one that sent her to earth to punish humanity for their insolence and drain the blood from all the deserts. If this is so then that would make Bella also a descendant of Ra. Maybe she even contained his genetic memory?
"Tiamat was bestowed with great theatric gifts. She fooled the entire court of Ra into believing that she was as they were. They believed her to be a terrible woman filled with chaos that loathed humanity and wanted nothing more than to drain them of ever single iota of blood. They never realized that her intentions were quite the opposite of what she made apparent.
Tiamat held a great favor towards humanity and all other growing things. She had strong reasons for her believes as well. She believed that the ways of vampires were corrupt and treacherous. It inflicted her great pain to witness human beings treated as rats and beings of no interest.
It drained her energy to watch them suffer at the hands of those that once belonged to their species. What however finally breached her walls and caused her to unleash open war was when human's especially young women and children were murdered for the mere pleasure of it.
However, Tiamat knew that if she were to declare war on Ra and his allies it would result in her immediate death. No vampire of that eon would stand by her side especially knowing that no one would challenge Ra's sovereign position.
Instead, she decided to bide her time. She already had the perfect subterfuge. Ra had promoted her to watch over his western territories and she knew that Ra only ever elected those he deemed worthy of trust. Her position was perfect in order to infiltrate."
"Why was she the way she was? According to you all vampires felt the way Ra and his followers did so why was she so different?" I asked interested. Bella sighed grinning.
"Tiamat had a special connection or bond with humanity. She was able to see their valiance and vulnerability. But that wasn't all. Tiamat's reservations or her change into a vampire was different than most.
When she was human she traveled along the sands of the Mediterranean one evening when she was visited by a special person. The blackness of their shape caused her great fear and she attempted to run from the fiend she was able to identify as a Valar. Of course he caught up with her immediately.
As he took her and was about to quench his thirst he looked into the eyes of his victim. In that moment, when all hope seemed faded for Tiamat and she was about to become a banquet something happened that never did before. The vampire that wished to take her fell in love with her."
I coughed surprised.
"As he watched her emerald eyes he could not bring himself to extinguish their shine and not even replace them with the glimmer of rubies. The same happened with Tiamat. She looked into the crimson eyes of her consort as he gripped her in his cold diamond stronghold and saw a beauty she had never witnessed.
With her weak human eyes she awed at the refinement of the vampire. His light brown hair, wavy and out of place, and his delicate and youthful features surprised and delighted her. This was beyond doubt the first time in our recorded history that a human was able to see the pulchritude within us whilst knowing what we truly are.
The one she fell in love with was named Abzu who ruled over the desserts in Egypt under the jurisdiction of Mazu before her demise.
Abzu realized that he loved Tiamat but was troubled knowing that he could not keep her. He knew that if the others found out about his affairs with a lowly human they would kill Tiamat to strengthen Abzu again, and sever his strands to humanity.
Tiamat though realized too that she was in love with Abzu and wanted to keep him. Yet, she was educated enough to understand that she would throw herself into great danger by joining his side. The serpents of old would not be able to contain their lust for her elixir and would surely kill her and perhaps Abzu too for conspiring with a human.
There was but one option and Tiamat realized such. She asked Abzu to change her and turn her into a vampire. Abzu in turn was disgusted and offended by the mere idea of turning his bright emerald star cold and stale. He did not wish the fate of eternity upon Tiamat. She implored him to see reason and spoke of wishing to spend immortality with him but Abzu could not compel.
As it turned out he did not have too. Though Abzu realized that Tiamat would not last forever and would eventually succumb to the slow decay of time or would fall to the strain of disease he had to act. When Abzu had made it final to Tiamat that he did not wish to turn her and was in favor of her staying human Tiamat was saddened.
But the relationship that two lovers share especially when the feelings are deep and enormous can conquer any obstacle. Abzu promised Tiamat that he would stay with her until the end of her days even when old age made her appear like his mother or even grandmother.
As I said, Abzu did not have to fret turning Tiamat, someone else had done it for him. One night, a long, long time ago Abzu and Tiamat's love reached a critical height and they shared the pleasure of each other's company through intimate means. As difficult as it sounds, Abzu actually refrained from hurting his beloved and was capable of showing her tenderness and warmth.
Their union however was a mistake for it materialized Abzu's worst fear of Tiamat joining the ranks of the Valar. She became pregnant."
I sat up quickly shocked and unbelieving. I stared into the eyes of my own beloved while millions of thoughts raced through my insignificant mind. "Impossible…" I whispered to her.
"The union between two immortals is impossible, as is the coming together of an immortal female and a mortal man however, a female human and male vampire are quite capable of breeding."
Very well, let us pretend that were possible. It would take an instrumental amount of control on the male's part not to murder his female human mate with such close proximity. I suppose that a human's reproductive system is still capable at the time and male vampires do produce sperm so…
"Abzu was terrified. He had never once encountered such a miracle. Of course I believe that something such as the two of them never existed before. Abzu had no way of knowing what such unisons would bring forth. He however did know one thing. The others of his kind would not accept the child. They would see it as a dirty thing and abomination and would want it executed. In addition they might as well also kill Tiamat for birthing such a child.
Half vampire and half human but neither and no possible way of knowing what the true result would be until the day of labor threw Abzu into a state of disarray.
One thing was certain to him; he had to hide Tiamat away. He abandoned his position as ruler over the deserts for no reason without question from Mazu. Tiamat and Abzu ran away, literally. However, every single landmass was inhabited by vampires so hiding completely might be impossible. Rumors and whispers of a human accompanied by a vampire who is also guarded by such would raise many suspicions.
There was but one option; the legendary lands of Nedeen. The legend followed as that there was an isle in the center of the world's ocean that grew ever green and was infested with numerous forms of plant life. It was by any other definition an untouched paradise. A paradise with a terrible curse however. According to legend it was covered in some enigmatic spell that caused all those who traveled there to go insane.
Many vampires in the distant past wished to journey there and have done so but none ever returned but a few that lost their minds. In the future Ra even forbade anybody from traveling there at the risk of losing one of his precious soldiers or lieutenants.
Tiamat and Abzu traveled many miles already knowing exactly where the isle was. It took them twenty days to cover the harsh terrain and the crashing waves of the ocean but eventually they reached Nedeen.
On first sight Abzu was stunned by the natural beauty that the land held but it only severed for a short pause in his current terror. Tiamat progressed much faster in her pregnancy than any human woman ever would. Only twenty days had gone by and she was already as pregnant as a human would be after six months. He knew the time would be soon.
He carried her in his arms as she lay there unconscious and weary from the long journey. There were no hints of threat so he proceeded through the beautiful green garden and lovely willows. Suddenly though the trees began to move and their leaves rustled and sounded as if though they were whispering. He froze where he stood.
He held his Tiamat close to him and feared that whatever it was that caused the others to vanish would now befall him as well and he and his beloved would fade into memory. He only wished that he could have seen his child before he met his final doom.
As quickly as the trees began to whisper amongst each other it stopped and stillness flooded the forest. Hesitantly Abzu looked up and saw the dancing rays of the sun and the cloudless day. He didn't know what happened. But it was of no concern to him.
Personally, I believe that the trees recognized why Abzu came with Tiamat and therefore granted him passage onto their lands.
Abzu traveled deep into the island of Nedeen and situated Tiamat trying to make her as comfortable as possible. He was blind to why her pregnancy was moving along so fast but then again he was puzzled to why Tiamat only craved the blood of animals and their meat. He speculated that the child within her was truly vampiric and that she was feeding its dietary needs instead of her own.
Six more days passed with Tiamat's pregnancy growing worse until…"
I laid back down in Bella's lap focused on nothing but the story she was unfolding before me.
"Tiamat screamed in agonizing pain as Abzu soothed her and whispered gentle words of encouragement to her. Her water had broken but it was not water but rather blood. Abzu parted her legs and was prepared to catch the child while Tiamat trashed in pain. He controlled himself bravely as more and more blood spilled from her birth canal.
Eventually he heard a crack and watched Tiamat's legs go limb and Abzu feared the worst. In this moment he saw the head of the child appearing fast and bloody. He put his hand to its head while Tiamat pushed it out. The head completely showed from her birth canal and Abzu carefully removed the baby from her completely.
A son, Tiamat gave birth to baby boy. Abzu held his son while being put under a spell by the charm the child radiated. Tiamat then beseeched him to allow her to hold her child. Abzu complied and gave Tiamat her son. Thick tears rolled from her tired eyes as she stared into the emerald eyes of her newborn.
Timaeus she whispered. She named him Timaeus. Abruptly Tiamat yelled out in pain and Abzu reached for the child before noticing that Timaeus had bit his mother. Abzu examined the bite and found small traces of venom on the wound and to his shock he realized that his son was venomous.
However this was not all. Suddenly Tiamat trashed again only able to move her arms while heavy breaths and drops of blood dripped through her mouth. Abzu wondered but then saw that her birth canal was moving and something else was clawing its way through. They not only had one son but two; twins.
While holding Timaeus in one arm he reached for the second head that was trying to escape Tiamat's womb. The baby appeared just as fast as Timaeus had. Carefully Abzu wove his second son in his arms next to his first born and marveled at him too. As he looked at his son he whispered, Critias.
Suddenly Tiamat began to groan and grunt while her eyes fell into the back of her head. Abzu panicked but remembered that Timaeus bit her and though he never imagined he'd support such a scenario he prayed that Tiamat would become one of them."
Bella paused and a sad expression moved along her face. I reached up and ran my fingers along her cheek. Undoubtedly speaking of child birth made her think about her own son Calahan even more. Bella leaned into my touch and smiled at me with her crooked grin.
"Now do you understand why she had such reverence for humanity? Because of the children she bore with her vampire lover Abzu Tiamat's humanity stayed intact almost indefinitely. It gave her a just cause to fight for."
"I understand," I said quietly. "I can't even comprehend what it would be like to be a father." But in this moment I wished I could. I wished that Bella and I could be human and that somehow I could give Calahan back to her in some way and some form.
"The next few centuries became quite interesting. Timaeus and Critias grew at a monumental rate. The only thing that exceeded their fast growth was their ability to learn. Tiamat taught them all about humanity and embedded into their minds that humans were their equals and not their slaves. She taught them about love, passion, fellowship, and the appreciation of each new day.
Abzu taught his sons about history, language, geography, and mathematics. They were both described as the most beautiful young men ever to walk the earth. Their development was completed after the seventh year at which time they matched our present age Edward.
They were twins indeed but there was one notable difference. Timaeus inherited his mother's fair hair while Critias received his father's hazelnut brown. Tiamat and Abzu hid them away. They made them stay on Nedeen and only allowed them passage to the rest of the world on special occasion.
In the mean time, Tiamat trained severely. Abzu taught her all the fighting style moves that he knew so she could become an honorable and skilled vampire. Tiamat pursued it even further making friends across the lands especially Kemet and Greece where she furthered her studies. She had but one goal, and that was the overthrow of Ra.
Tiamat was very sneaky. She planted many seeds of doubt and false information in the empire of the Valar so it would cause them to fight each other. After which she would collect her spoils of war and rise to become a dominant power that Ra could no longer ignore.
Eventually as you already know he came to accept Tiamat into the fold and granted her the guardianship and rule of the western hemisphere. This was his last mistake.
The other over lords including Ra who ruled over their territory thought that for centuries much had been moving along in serene. However, they did not suspect for even one moment that something was conspiring on their own table.
Tiamat used her stature and political influence to whisper words of distress to Cronus and voiced her concern for Ra's failing rule. She told him she was concerned about how Ra isolated them in a particular region of the world while many other shores remained unexplored. Cronus listened and was gullible enough to fall beneath Tiamat's spell.
She made the small voices in Cronus' head even worse. Why does Ra not wish to explore other continents she asked him? Why must we follow his rule? He is but only one vampire and surely all of us combined would ensure our victory over him.
It was a very risky move on Tiamat's part. Who was to say that Cronus would not go to Ra and report? Surprisingly though he didn't. He believed that Tiamat's words had merit. Borr on the other hand Tiamat stayed far away from. She knew that he would not fall to her as easily as Cronus had. Borr was a loyal servant of Ra and had been one of his servants for a long time. But that did not mean she couldn't interfere in his affairs.
She began to bombard his territory with lies. The vampires that served under her and believed in her cause supplied false information to Borr's forces. They told them how he wished to plan a rebellion against Ra, and that he already confronted Tiamat whom he attempted to turn to his side.
Timaeus and Critias became involved too. Their scents were mesmerizing but human of nature. Only an old and powerful vampire could ever detect the hints of venom in their blood. They were all but happy to aid their parents. Abzu himself had been infiltrating Ra's own forces and spreading rumors of how Cronus planned to overthrow him.
Timaeus and Critias infested the human population under their control with the idea that their gods were no gods. If their gods are all knowing and so powerful then why can they not swoop down and kill the two brothers where they stand for speaking such lies? It took Timaeus and Critias nearly two hundred years to spread enough doubt in the humans and their offspring to mount a rebellion.
In those two centuries Tiamat and Abzu were also successful in creating great misdoubt between Ra and his followers.
To make it short Edward, civil war broke out."
Why am I not surprised? Yet another war although this one was much more ancient than the one that Bella was involved in thousands of years ago.
"Cronus was able to ally himself with many more vampires and created many newborns in order to fight Ra. Their forces were matched in size and strength. Borr had already fallen. The followers of Tiamat were successful in convincing his followers that Borr was no longer loyal to Ra and betrayed him. Even though Borr objected Ra killed him anyway. Especially after Tiamat agreed and spoke of how Borr had wanted to sway her to his side.
Before Borr could speak out against Tiamat Ra killed him. Tiamat had done much over the many years to earn Ra's undeniable trust and was as if though his right hand. Tiamat though did not aid Ra in the battle against Cronus. She conveyed to him that if his armies fall but would still emerged victorious over Cronus single handedly that he should have territory to return too and glorify himself once more as the supreme ruler.
Eventually though Tiamat had to make a mistake. Even though she did not, something did not go according o plan that eventually caused her a great price that she had to pay in the end.
Ra defeated Cronus' forces and Cronus became enraged. He had so adamantly tried to defeat Ra and obtain the rule that Ra held but he was defeated. In a last attempt before Ra killed Cronus he decided to get revenge on the one person that caused his downfall; Tiamat. He instructed the last vampire loyal to him, Ea, to seek out and destroy Tiamat's mate Abzu.
She was successful. Abzu never even saw it coming. He was on his way back to Asgard in Midgard to seek out other vampires to aid them in their struggle when Ea used the element of surprise and attacked him. She was able to grip him around his body and trap him.
She sunk her teeth into his neck and tore him open and severed his head from his body. She performed the rest of the necessities in order to vanquish a vampire then.
Before whispers of his death even reached Tiamat, she already knew. Call it the connection shared between soul mates. When one wick is unlit of ifs flame it will only be a matter of time before the other fades into the stillness of the night."
I sighed disappointed that this story had to take a tragic turn but seemingly so did all vampire tales.
"Tiamat was crushed. She could not handle the pain and sorrow it brought to her heart to feel and hear of the death of her loved one. It devastated her. She had been with him already for 3,000 years.
Even though she lost Abzu she still had her children whom she ordered away and told them to return to Nedeen. They obliged with doubts in their hearts.
Borr was dead, and so was Cronus. Many other vampires had fallen in the struggle for power as well such as Ra's mate Hathor, and also Cronus' mate Rhea. She knew that the dynasty in which they lived was hanging by thin threads. Much of Ra's armies were diminished and he had but only Tiamat's lands left.
Tiamat decided to unleash the decisive final blow and dispersed her territory and ordered the humans to flee into all the lands of the world. She commanded the vampires loyal to her to escape and seek refuge elsewhere and promised that Ra would never come looking for them.
It was done then. Ra had nothing left but himself, a handful of followers, and his last lieutenant Marduk. Ra approached Tiamat to why she had released his last legion to the west which left him with nothing. Emotionless and empty Tiamat told him everything she had conspired. How she was the cause for Cronus' attack and how she orchestrated the death of Borr, and that it was she that planned the downfall of the vampire dynasty lead by Ra. She had destroyed everything he built.
Ra was infuriated. It was catastrophic to find that his entire empire was destroyed right underneath his nose. Mad and filled with hatred he ordered Marduk to engage Tiamat and to kill her.
Tiamat did not resist her assassination. She accepted her fate and smiled into the face of death. But before Marduk decapitated her she had but one thing left to say:
Hear this vile one, your empire is all but spent and humanity no longer sings you songs of hymn and joy. The skies illuminate with the golden light of the future as the moon awaits the arrival of your metal bones and your exposed heart of ice. The old kingdom has fallen and much like the vampires and humans you have slaughtered, you too will become obsolete.
Your reign of terror and bloody claws will be remembered by our children's children but fear this; they will have no reason to tremble by the mere mention of your unholy name but rather laugh at your stupidity.
This world belongs to humanity. We have no place here. One day we will turn to nothing but statues of a long forgotten past. We are what we are… broken hearts.
Tiamat smiled then, one last time.
I'll await your arrival in the underworld.
Marduk killed her and Tiamat's legend ended."
"That's sad," I said, "after all she did it had to end like that? She didn't even succeed in killing Ra." I was disappointed that Tiamat did not complete her destiny but was still proud. If Bella was right and we were distant descendants of Tiamat's venom than there was greatness flowing in us.
"Fear not Edward. Tiamat was avenged indeed.
Word spread to Timaeus and Critias that her mother had fallen. The news affected them gravely. First their father, and now their mother who never practiced nothing but peace and compassion was dead too. Overcome with grief over her passing the brothers decided to turn their sorrow into anger and use it against Ra. They did not obey her request see. They did not travel to Nedeen but stayed on the current continent.
Whilst Ra attempted to rebuild his domain from scratch which proved unsuccessful Timaeus and Critias used the cover at night and the gifts that their parents had bestowed. They were able to move through the city without fear of detection since their bodies produced no evident scent of venom. They were able to move, cloaked, right by the vampires guarding the gates and infiltrate the city. The guards proceeded them as nothing but pitiful mortals.
It was a gift that their mother must have passed on to them. Once inside Ra's pyramid they used the tactical skill they had been taught and were able to quite easily take out the remainder of his guard, Marduk included. When all but Ra was left they quietly slithered to his private chambers and invaded him.
He was startled and surprised and had not even witnessed the end of his final forces and allies when Timaeus encircled his body and brought him to his knees while his brother reached for Ra's neck.
Ra menacingly glared at them. Humans he asked them. Timaeus and Critias smiled and simply replied:
Neither human nor Valar but more powerful than both, Timaeus said.
You bind our mother to her earthly grave but now it is time for you to die so her name may be free and her spirit along with that of our fathers can find rest, above, with the stars.
Ra died and the twins avenged their mother. Much chaos ensued afterwards which truly was nothing. The old kingdoms had fallen and humanity was free of their enslavement. Vampires were free too then, and were allowed to go their separate ways even though the worship did not end there. But it was lessened."
"What happened to the brothers?" I asked curiously.
"They did not feel welcome amongst vampires and chose to hide their identity and existence from them. They did not feel warmth from humanity either. For a time humanity remembered the sins vampires had committed against them and would surely not accept them since part of them was vampiric.
So they set out to distant shores, and returned to Nedeen. Although they did not return alone," Bella grinned playfully.
"Apparently they had found love themselves and brought their new wives whom belonged to the human race with them to Nedeen along with very few other humans that could not overcome the grief that vampires had caused them. They decided to rebuilt and father a new civilization away from all the others.
This civilization became known as Atlantis."
I gasped. "But then… Did Timaeus and Critias father children?" I asked her stunned.
"Yes they did, and so did their children and on and on. This is why Lanteans like me had longevity, perfect health, and mental abilities because we were all descendants of Timaeus and Critias. It is true that these two were immortal but the breeding and introduction of other humans who fled to Atlantis which they saw as a safe haven deteriorated that line.
Eventually over the course of the next 7,000 years we had developed into a stage in which I was before I became a vampire. We had nothing left but a small venom like protein marker in our immune system that was responsible for our long life and perfect health.
So you see? Being a vampire was in my blood since birth."
I was shocked, abashed, and, and… well… I couldn't think of any other words to describe my emotional state.
"So you lied to me when you said you didn't know why Lanteans were so different from humans?" I questioned her. Bella smiled mischievously.
"Surprised?" she asked. I shook my head vigorously.
"NO, not at all."
Bella giggled and leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.
"You know, there is a small prayer that was taught to all Lantean children since the dawn of our great city. Would you like to hear it?" she asked.
"Of course," I answered quickly.
Submerged in shadow and dark a world on the brink of falling,
Ruled by terror, chaos and fear beneath a black sun,
A light emerged from within the night luminous and glorious,
The coils of ancient war phased and were blown away,
Sacrifice of husband and foe freed the soul of the weeping maiden,
Spread her wings and flew away towards crimson horizons,
But fret not dear children,
The white city stands strong and tall,
Love yourselves for she lives in you,
She has freed you and given you new wings,
Rejoice under the new born sun made of light,
And sleep tightly tonight,
Her breath became a wind that sails through our hearts,
For we,
Are her,
Legacy.
(Authors Note) – Sorry for the late update but you know how it is with Christmas and especially New Years ;-)! Please review and let me know what you think. Before I forget, Cronus and Cronos are two different vampires.