No one spoke as the two vampires anticipated Solm's awakening. "Are you sure this will work? I mean that guy has been dead for-" Emelia snapped at Michael in a fit of rage nearly throwing him across the floor. "He has never died, and never will!" Her emerald green eyes burned into him just in case he didn't notice she was angry.

At seemingly random to Michael she promptly left to check on Solm. She returned a few minutes later, grinning. "You can deal with him in his bad mood. I got to catch my cab." She walked off into the dark hall way, disappearing and leaving Micheal and Selene with a elder vampire whom had awakened from a thousand year sleep.

"Um... He's alive?" Selene rolled her eyes and walked into the operation room leaving her dumb struck. Solm's clothing were gone and he wasn't anywhere to be seen or smelled.

Before she could look around, a dark and primitive gloved hand shoved her against the wall, the individual staring at her with feverish light blue eyes and speaking in ancient Hungarian. "I am told, you required my presence... My lady."

He spoke in a soft voice, maintaining monotones at all times. A shiver went down Selene's spine as this vampire was looking even more menacing awake. He was dressed in a leather attire that was made from primitive yet black dyed leather armor. A chain mail poked out from his sleeves all the way down his upper arm. His turban was wrapped around his head leaving his hair out of view.

He now turned to Micheal, taking in his scent looking at him curiously. "Interesting that they are now our trouble." He stared again at Michael, his eyes still light blue for no reason.

"Um... My lord?" He tilted his head.

"Solm Ashtair will do. And as for you... My lady," He turned back to her. "I will have to search your blood in order to find your reasoning. This better be worth it."

She sighed. "It won't be, I can guarantee it." He bared his fangs but in a discreet manner and bit into Selene's throat. Whilst she uttered a sharp gasp. Michael took a step forward but realized that he was no match for the Vampire.

As Solm searched her mind, Selene could see part of his. She could see him fighting Werewolves long before he was bitten. With silver weaponry but at vampire sides. She could see he had ten men with him. All died to the change. Yet Solm lived on, she could see a young girl. In a dungeon being built running around with two other girls. She could feel pity for them in Solm's mind but right then she was wrenched back to the present as Solm finished rather abruptly. He still searched her eyes, as if he could see through her.

He quietly speaks to Michael. "'Michael'. She needs to replenish. Or she'll pass out." He guided her to the stone chair and sat her down Selene still bewildered what she just saw. Did she just see what she thought she saw? In thought she hadn't noticed Michael offering her a blood bag. Muttering she took it and bit down draining it. Solm walked out, grabbing Michael by the arm with him. There was no room for protest, his unnatural strength made it impossible to struggle free.

Back in the operations room and away from a half unconscious Selene he let go of his arm and silently stared at the wall, sliding his hand along everything he saw. As a child tasting the world. "Emelia was busy... So then, how do humans think about vampires lately?" Michael could barely understand his Hungarian, luckily he knew enough to understand him but he wasn't sure he could respond... In the right terms.

"Well, There... Myth.. And erm, fiction" He replied in normal Hungarian. The ancient vampire merely nodded. There was no alpha expression or aura that expressed his dominance. He was just, somehow, creeping him out. Probably the fact he saw a dead rise from the grave after more sleep then the elders and simply walk and talk.

"Were we ever more?" He sighed as stumbling in the other room caught Michael's ear. Solm didn't respond further to it, only asked his next question. "How long have you been aware of this war?" He expressed some rare concern. Michael was about to walk out when Solm suddenly stood in front of him, catching him completely off guard. "I rarely repeat myself." Both stood silenced. One astonished by the other whom merely waited for his answer.

"I've been aware of this war for two nights, now can I check on Selene? I'm a doctor." Solm took a side step and made Michael roll his eyes at his remark to himself.

"What is a doctor?" Walking back to the interrogation room he saw Selene grumbling while she played with a few throwing stars. Looking up she fell silent a moment before she again bottled her feelings putting the cork back on it as her face became expressionless.

"Had a nice chat?" Her voice full of sarcasm. He looked at her confused, his eyes furrowed.

"What? Oh, he just wanted to know how long I knew of this war."

Victoria's mansion same time

"I cannot believe it! You let that dog live?!" Viktor was furious despite the admiral leaning in the doorway enjoying his mockery. Emelia stood eye to eye with him, her emerald gaze staring him down. His own cobalt gaze was shifted elsewhere. 'Soon Solm will return, Marcus sired him. But with what elder is he truly aligned with?' Gritting his anger in the presence of the lady of the house.

"I recall the warlord's patience to run deeper in his human years, I recall his patience to be the undoing of many of his impatient foes. Yet here he stands fourteen centuries later enraged about a single dog and a stray vampire. Please Viktor, calm yourself." She paced around the room in a slow manner taking in the scent of Emelia and Viktor, reading the emotions of him and trying to read the princess.

She stopped pacing with her arms folded on her back displaying some arrogant dominance. Emelia sighed, she knew Solm wouldn't kill the lycan sooner then Viktor's (adopted) Daughter. She had seen the thing Viktor feared most, despite him trying to hide it, when he awakened her for her turn to rule, she could see it in his memories. Sonja's burning, Lucien's escape with the pendant and all of Viktor's unhappy memories. Yet she was there, insisting to be awake as Solm, the oldest and deadliest of the Dealers, announced his slumber. Only to be awakened when the need was true and dire.

She had whispered him goodbye and good luck in his dreams. Images from that brief time awake during Marcus' reign. She had witnessed Solm's brutal tactics against the first werewolves. Even as a human he could take on a wolf, sure. Only with several elements in his favor like surprise and disorientation. But he could do it. Surprising even her, the arrogant princess. Watching Viktor's assassin ride out with one task, bring back the head of a wolf as testimony.

1297 Ördögház

Viktor and Emelia were discussing Lucien and his lycans when the doors of the long hall opened. The only servants that may have talked sure didn't talk now when Solm walked in, unannounced and without even knocking. He had specified before to Emelia, 'not to depend upon him in this reign.' His foot steps not making a sound as he walked over the red carpet towards the richly decorated throne. He stopped before the small steps to the heightened platform on which the throne rested to make a short bow.

"Princess, my lord." His voice sounded calm and wise as his monotones bared his decision. Emelia rose from her throne and Viktor standing already looked bothered by his sudden appearance.

Though Solm did have the nasty habit of entering through windows or being present in the room long before anyone entered to seemingly scare everyone with his short messages to Viktor and, just before him, Marcus. This particular entrance was, out of itself a rarity.

Emelia spoke with her head held high, the queen she was. "Rise and speak, Solm." He stood there, his height advantage he normally held above elders was minimized by the platform. He was tall, slender build and always preferred speed to strength. What set him apart was his turban, the material well worn and well kept. Habit from his years in the dessert of the east before Viktor recruited him to deal with his adversaries in his human years.

"I have seen the world, princess. I have seen it as human and as immortal. I believe it is time for me to go." Viktor frowned. His fellow elder held the same wordless expression.

"Go? Where? When?" Emelia's voice was demanding. Solm stood in front of his superiors yet equals, he was one of the first. An elite and as old as Viktor. "My time is over, this... War against your former lapdog not my own, I shall slumber. Until My presence is required yet again. But, only if the situation is true and dire." His voice stern but friendly.

Emelia's first reaction was to gasp. 'He wished to slumber like an elder? Did he just say that?' Despite his usual feverish expressionless looks he maintained. He and her somehow managed to make a connection, they both lost brothers and sisters to the first war. They both sacrificed their humanity to stop them, they both started to enjoy putting them down.

At first she saw him as just another death dealer. Then it became 'He was a death dealer like no other.' Then Viktor had transferred Solm over to her command, for planning William's capture. At first he listened to her orders. Then he retaliated, saying you would have to ensure he couldn't climb the trees to escape. He had even grabbed her around the waist. (And she had come closer to him through his frustrations then she ever liked.) And jumped with her in his arm up a tree to prove the point he was making.

When Emelia had heard of his wish the room about her crumbled. She had never imagined a reign without him for some reason. It was only know she came to her conclusion that she admired him. Not for his courage or his amount of kills or even his skills of torture and acquiring vital information. Those were his more boring and daily activities. What he was less known for was his skill at sneaking. She picked out of Viktor's memory that he had tasked Solm to witness a certain meeting at the end of his reign.

Solm was nowhere to be seen in the entire meeting. At first she'd thought he had defied Viktor's orders like Sonja and her regular absence on counsel meetings. Yet as the last Vampire and human left the hall he emerged from the shadows asking for satisfaction.

Emelia envied his skill. She was nearly in love with it. Not the man but what he could do. It was only later in her chambers after the ceremony in which they coffined Solm and drained his blood that she felt coldness along her cheeks in the winds on her balcony. She was crying. She was alone.

Victoria's Mansion 2000

A sports car came up the drive way. Selene's vehicle since she trashed the other one. Emelia felt a spring of joy come to life, as if her heart missed a beat. Even though it was little concern for a vampire. She saw two individuals get out. The one she knew as Michael, and a woman clad in black leathers and a new trench coat. Solm was nowhere to be found. As the two were seen entering the doors a soldier emerge from the opening of the door where the admiral had leaned not a few minutes before. "She requests you immediate presence in her office down the hall right."

Selene was nervous, she felt this for she knew Viktor would not approve of this request. Non of the death dealers would. She needed Solm, she needed a neutral vote for herself that counted. Her face maintained it's usual calm looks as she walked after her escort that met them in the main hall. The location of the mansion was given by the death dealers inside the safe house control room on, presumably, Emelia's orders.

As they entered the red carpeted and well decorated office of Victoria she immediately stood up from her chair. "Selene, and.. Michael Corvin I presume?" She had put on her superiors mask, expressionless and cold. Selene bowed to Viktor and Emelia.

"My lady...My lord." She swallowed at his silent gaze at Michael. As everyone greeted each other a third guest appeared from a shadow behind Emelia and slowly slid a finger down her hair sending a shiver up her spine. She turned around to face the feverish eyes and cold face of the first death dealer.

"Nice to see you still have that unnerving way of yours Solm.." He bowed his head in submission.

"Princess... Just a habit." He then bowed to Viktor who instantly lost sight of Michael as he immediately flared up. "My lord.." Solm added a certain sarcasm to his words.

"Hello old friend." He turned to face the matter at hand. Victoria pondered a moment before nodding at the silence.