Book I: The Three Dynasties
Chapter XVII
"Ever since we elders first began to leapfrog through time, one awake, two asleep that's the way of things." Elder Lord Viktor, Old world Coven: 2002
The Chain
Northern Hungarian Territory: Ördögház: 582 AD
Warlords. That is what they were, for decades three families had shaped the destiny of these lands. Entire armies had fallen for these three families, these three dynasties, The Corvinus, The Teleki and The Vorenus. History had seen dynasties like this before, families locked in a seemingly never ending blood feud; however with all the other dynasties there was a fail safe, as if nature had created a balance… mortality. That universal constant, the one certainty every powerful man had to accept, one day everybody has to die. However this law no longer applied to the three dynasties of the savage lands, for hidden away in their blood lies the secret to Immortality… now they are faced with a choice, are they to continue being the Warlords they have been for so many decades, are they to curse their lands, kingdoms and subjects to an eternity of war, or are they to move on… are they to be something else?
In a secluded chamber of Viktor's ancestral home three people sit in the plainest of rooms. No tapestries, no statues, just a humble round table and three wooden chairs. For the first time in a long time they are alone, no body guards, no servants or courtiers, what is to be said now, is for their ears only. Markus Corvinus, Viktor Teleki and Amelia Vorenus. The three Immortal leaders of the Vampires, each with an army, each with an agenda, each one fully aware that a continued war would be the destruction of them all. They had been at Viktor's house for weeks, hammering out every conceivable detail, they no longer wore their armor, Viktor and Markus were dressed in their traditional robes, long flowing garments adorned with jewels, Amelia wore a Romanesque toga, with Persian veils, they did not look like the fiercest warriors in the world.
"So we are in agreement." Amelia sighed as she took a sip of wine.
"We are." Viktor nodded "It has become apparent that there is no way the three of us can share power… war would be inevitable."
"It would appear then, that the only way we can achieve peace is for two of us to relinquish our rights to power." Markus scoffed slightly "And none of us are willing to do that."
"Which leaves us only one option." Viktor exclaimed
"We must take it in turns." Amelia answered him.
"But how will we do that Viktor?" Markus demanded "Can any of us really stay silent and wait if we do not agree with the other."
"We would have to go into voluntary exile." Amelia suggested "Leave our lands, and return when summoned."
"No." Viktor snapped immediately "The temptation to raise an army and return would be too great."
"Then what?" Amelia shrugged "Imprisonment until it is our turn."
"That will not work either." Markus intervened, shaking his head "Our subjects, our armies would not follow the orders of another as long as we remain active, imprisoned or not."
"Well then what do you suggest?" Amelia demanded "It seems the only way we are going to able to share power is if two of us go into hibernation."
Viktor and Markus paused for a moment and shared a moment of eye contact "Could this be possible?" Viktor asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh please!" Amelia exclaimed as she began to laugh a little "I was joking!"
"Is it possible?!" Viktor demanded.
"I do not know?" Markus spoke distantly "But I know a man who might."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
A cloaked figure stands before the three leaders of the Vampires, his entire life, both immortal and mortal are wrapped in mystery. A man whose knowledge of the natural and unnatural world has seen him sought after by mortal kings and emperors, a man whose talents earned the attention of Markus Corvinus, a man… a vampire known only as Holtz. "Hibernation?" The mysterious alchemist nodded from beneath his cloak. "An interesting concept, to be sure."
"Can it be done?" Markus demanded.
"It is true that our bodies are capable of near miraculous feats of healing. Yet to deny the body of blood for… how long were you planning on ruling for?"
"We are undecided." Amelia answered him.
"A century." Markus answered.
"A century?" Amelia spat "One hundred years?"
"I agree." Viktor nodded "It seems an appropriate length of time for an Immortal."
"But that means that for every one hundred years we rule, we have to hibernate for two hundred."
"Eternity is a long time Amelia." Markus reassured her "Do you really want to be awake for all of it?"
"What about those we leave behind… what of my Viceroy?" She mumbled, in a rare showing of vulnerability.
"Our forces, our subjects will live for centuries… maybe millennia." Markus spoke softly "But this world is fraught with dangers even for our kind. Eventually time will catch up with all of our subjects, but they will be replaced, the blood line will endure… we will endure."
"We will endure?" Amelia nodded before turning to Viktor "And I suppose when the new generation begins to replace this one, we will rewrite history as we see fit."
"That is a discussion for another time." Viktor spoke coldly "Continue Holtz, Hibernation?"
"Although I can not be sure what two hundred years without blood will do to a body… there are rumors."
"What kind of rumors?" He demanded.
"On the dark continent of Africa, there was an empire older than time, whose rulers… Pharos had knowledge of the dark arts that was so powerful, so mystical that it is said they had found a way to make their Pharos body last forever. In Egypt temples were built to honor their Gods, rituals were designed and perfected to guarantee entry into the after life."
"Heathen nonsense." Viktor sneered.
"Perhaps my Lord." Holtz nodded "But while traveling that most ancient Kingdom, I became acquainted with a group of thieves, they robbed the tombs of ancient nobility, stealing anything of value… we opened a sarcophagus once and inside the body was… well it was masterfully preserved, it had been there for a thousand years and it was still recognizable. The point is my lord that the priests that practiced this art had beliefs so strong, that they still endure to this day. Even today there are acolytes, men with the dark knowledge."
"Can you summon them?" Markus asked.
"Of course My Lord."
"Do it."
Amelia waited for Holtz to leave before she continued to talk "So… if this does work. Who is to rule first?"
"I am." Viktor stated emphatically "That is not up for discussion, I have the biggest army, I control the most land. It is only fair."
"Very well." Amelia nodded "But I will instruct my Viceroy to burn Ördögház to the ground if I am not awakened two hundred years to the day. Is that understood?"
"I will instruct Lestat to do the same." Markus warned him.
"Of course" Viktor nodded.
"There is one more thing." Amelia spoke up "Something I must insist upon."
"Anything my dear." Viktor agreed
"There is to be a council, selected from noblemen… and women, we each get to choose two members, although no one too close to any of us."
"What ever do you mean?" Viktor grinned
"She means that bastard Kraven will never have a seat on the Council." Markus spat
"But of course." He smiled "Of course I would have to insist that Eli, and your Merovingian are also left out. Just how powerful is this Council to be?"
"They will of course be our servants." Amelia nodded "However they will also act as a balance… to ensure that none of us ever try to hang on to power."
"We will select your Council." Viktor nodded "We should get to work quickly."
"Viktor it could take years to get this done?" Markus reminded him
"Then we should not waste anymore time."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Northern Hungarian Territory: Ördögház: 602 AD
The Crypt, that is what they were calling it now. The room that had once been Viktor's dungeon had now been converted into a living mausoleum. Built into the stone cold floor three deep graves rest in a triangle formation, a heavy wooden door separates the crypt from the rest of the dungeon, and a single throne rests at the rear of the room. Two open coffins lay ready by two of the graves, all that is missing is their occupants. There are many people scurrying about, mortals in Egyptian dress, the men and women that made up the newly formed Council, the former Merovingian Lestat, the Viceroy of the Vorenus family Eli, and the Princess Sonja. All of them wait eagerly.
Finally the doors to the chamber swung open, three figures entered the room, Amelia, Markus and Viktor. Viktor stood by the one closed grave, dressed in his usual traditional robes. Markus and Amelia however were dressed very differently, they wore black Egyptian style burial skirts, adorned with ancient Talismans, although their was one familiar thing about them, on Markus's head rested a solid gold ring, his fathers crown, on Amelia's head rested the golden laurel reef that had been her families symbol of power since her grandfather arrived in these lands, and on Viktor's head rested a band of solid silver, his crown. "To business." Viktor spoke coldly "Bring it."
At their masters command two soldiers brought forth a blacksmiths mold, its contents molten metal, boiling and simmering as they put it down. Viktor was the first to step forward, he removed his crown from his head and dropped it into the molten liquid, as his symbol of power began to melt away into the boiling mold, Markus stepped forward and dropped his own crown into the mix. Finally Amelia stepped forward, placing a lingering kiss on her fathers laurel reef she finally let it go, and cast her crown into the mix. As the molten cocktail consumed the three crowns Viktor was the first to break the silence "Our Three Dynasties are no more… Corvinus… Teleki… Vorenus. These names mean nothing anymore, now there is only the bloodline, … now there is only the covenant."
"We should say our goodbyes now." Markus told Amelia "The longer this goes on the harder it will be."
Amelia did not acknowledge him, "Sonja." She smiled with open arms
"Do we have to this father?" Sonja pleaded as she returned Amelia's embrace.
"It is for the best Sonja." Amelia reassured her placing a kiss on her forehead "I will see you in a hundred years."
"You are a good friend Amelia." Sonja nearly wept "A good friend."
Amelia gently pulled away from Sonja's embrace "You will make me cry." She smiled slightly "Eli…"
"Do not do this My Princess." Eli pleaded with her "Let us go back to the South… or to Constantinople, anywhere…"
"My sweet Viceroy." She moaned as she rested her head on his frail chest "I will miss you."
"Amelia." A voice interrupted her, she turned away from her viceroy to see the man that used to be her fiancé standing before her. "You are the only one here I will miss… I only wish that things could have ended differently."
Amelia reluctantly held her hand up and stepped towards him, Markus entwined his fingers in hers and closed his eyes "So do I." She whispered back.
"There is someone else you may want to say goodbye to." Viktor called out.
"Who?" Markus demanded. Viktor said nothing, he merely nodded to the door "Brother." Markus whispered as he rushed to hug the frail form of Henry Corvinus. "What are you doing here?"
"You are going to sleep for two hundred years brother." Henry spoke wearily "I will be dead by then, I am not immortal."
"This will be the last time we see each other." Markus sighed "I love you brother."
"And I you." Henry nodded "Eternity is yours brother, do some good with it."
"I will, I promise."
"We really should get on." Viktor interrupted
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Markus was silent as the lid to his coffin was closed shut; there was no fear, no anticipation and no feeling. The cut did not hurt, he almost felt euphoric as the blood rushed from his body. His eyes fluttered shut, as the last feelings of sensation left him… two hundred years… it was nothing.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Amelia's whole body shook has the coffin was lowered into the grave below, she seemed to fight the inevitable unconsciousness as the blood slowly drained from her body, a fight she could not win. Her eyes finally closed, as her immortal sleep took hold… one hundred years… it seemed unimaginable.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Viktor stood alone in his crypt, standing over the graves of his fellow rulers gave him a feeling he had never had before, more power than ever before. Still there was a feeling he could not shake… that in one hundred years time he would be in the ground.
"Father." A delicate voice interrupted him "Is everything okay?"
"Of course my dear." He smiled as he enveloped his daughter in a deep embrace "Come, we have an empire to build."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
"Ah." Viktor exclaimed as Henry Corvinus entered his chambers. The leader was flanked by the Alchemist Holtz and two of his men "Welcome Henry."
"Viktor." Henry replied
"You do not trust me Henry?" Viktor grinned "You have men with you. And Holtz."
"Holtz is loyal to my brother Viktor, loyalty is something…" Henry froze as he heard a snapping sound, followed by a choking sound. Henry turned to see one of his men lying on the floor with a broken neck, and another with a gaping neck wound, only Holtz remained standing, clutching a blood stained dagger. "Holtz… why?" The Alchemist said nothing as he plunged the dagger into Henry's sternum, the old abstract collapsed to the floor, Holtz quickly bent down clutching a stone jar, he held it to Henry's wound and allowed the blood to flow into it until the small vessel was filled.
"There." Holtz exclaimed as he placed the stone jar on a table next to two identical vessels "The blood of Henry Corvinus, the mortal strain of the Corvinus clan, along with William's blood, and the blood we took from Markus today we are almost complete."
"You have chose the right side Holtz." Viktor grinned "Under my patronage you will learn the secret to our immortality, the mysteries of nature will be yours to solve."
"But we still need the original strain… Alexander's blood."
"Do not worry about that." Viktor smiled as he heard footsteps approaching "Ah… as if on queue."
The door to Viktor's chamber opened as a bloodied and battered Vampire staggered into view "My Lord." He spat as he placed a small stone jar on Viktor's table, alongside the other three. "It is done."
"Excellent." Viktor laughed heartily as he slapped the vampire on the back causing him to flinch in pain "Holtz, this is Kraven of Moldova… he keeps secrets for me… cleans up the mess, and does favors for me. And he has just brought us the blood of Alexander Corvinus."
"How?" Holtz demanded
"We found him at the docks." Kraven choked "He's been watching us for some time… My Lord he killed twenty of our men."
"There sacrifice was not in vain." Viktor spoke gravely "How long before you can unlock the secrets of the blood?"
"Medicine is like a stream My Lord." Holtz reported "Every century we flow a little further, the river must flow for several centuries more before I will be able to unlock the secrets."
"I will keep the blood in a safe place." Viktor nodded. "Send the translator in."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
"You wished to see me My Lord?" A nervous Andreas Tannis asked.
"I have a job for you." Viktor spoke sternly "I want you to write a book, charting the origins of our blood line."
"I would be honored My Lord." Tannies nodded "I shall call it The Birth of the Covenant."
"I want you to write it in this." Viktor demanded pointing to the four stone jars on his table "It is blood before you ask. Who's is not important right now."
"I will get to work immediately, starting with the day Markus was bitten." Tannis began eagerly.
"No you will not." Viktor spat "You will write exactly what I tell you to write… for we are going to rewrite history."