Chapter 76

The library was far beyond imposing and made the ancient Library of Alexandria seem new. As I walked alongside Igor up the steps to the massive entrance, I ask, 'How old is this library?'

'No one truly knows, we are all children in comparison to it. Carbon dating puts it at the time of the first age, 400,000 years.'

My eyes widen as I look at him. His emotionless face showed no awe, no incling of how beautiful and devestatingly huge this library was as he continues, 'It is believed that Fideus the Great had this built before any of the other buildings came into existence. Kotowa owes its gradure to this building.'

That's when I notice a slight lift to his lips that lasts only a nanosecond. We walk through the door and I'm surprised to see giant trees lining the inner circle of this building, ancient and gnarled trees in full bloom. I look around and see above shelves upon shelves, pillars with shelves, a waterfall and stream with bridges. Vampire meandering through doorways ahead that lead to more I knew. It was as if nature and knowledge had melded and somehow this place made me think of Furlow.

A tear pricks my eye as I think about the many times, on cool nights he would read by a stream under a tree. Sometimes he would read to me for hours and Igor asks, 'Is there something wrong?'

'No, no, I was just remembering my mentor. If he were alive and had not been clanless he would have loved this place. He loved to read under a tree,' I say with a smile as a small slow motion movie ran through my head. Furlow sitting there, then looking up with that smile I could never figure. It wasn't smug, no, it was a knowing smile, as he motioned me to come and sit with him awhile.

The smile fades as he says, 'Follow me, the book you seek is deep in the bowels of this place.'

He was right, down a spiral staircase, through large halls, and long lined shelves with tomes that seemed older the further we went, until not a single soul was there. It was so quiet and I ask, 'No one comes here?'

'This is mostly ancient history, old family lines that no longer exist, history that has been forgotten. Our kind doesn't always enjoy the past and lives in the moment.'

'Do you live in the moment Igor?'

His black eyes cut down to me, as he says, 'No, I tend to live my life in the past.'

His eyes didn't leave me for a long minute and I feel as if he is asking me, so I answer though not prompted, 'I love history, but I have a healthy respect for the present. Every step you take becomes a path and you can look back to see what it looks like years later, see if taking the high road had been the best plan.'

'Has it?'

I was startled by his sudden softness, and no longer mechanical words. My eyes flash to his, who's hadn't left me and I say sobered, 'Yes, I think it was. But then again, I am young.'

'Yes... you are,' he says, eyes finally averting from me, mechanical tone returning.

After what seemed an eternity, we come to the center of a massive room. There in its center stood a book on a pedestal and Igor stops, points, and says, 'The History of Fideus the Great.'

My eyes widen as I look at the tome, large and ancient as I step up to it. It looked midaevel, but beautiful as I brush my hands over its rich brown leather cover. Carely I open to it, listening to the crackling protest of the cover and see it is in ancient Vampure. Once again I found myself silently thanking Furlow for teaching me Vampure.

I read:

My name is Fideus, though it wasn't always thus. My name before this Piru, and my life started simply. I lived with few cares, only to eat, sleep, and protect my people. I was from a nomadic group of hunters and gatherers and lived sleeping under the starry sky. The day I met her my life changed. I feared her, felt she was a predator but looked like me. She was born a creature who could only live at night and I. I had met her by chance, taking shelter in a cave.

Her name was Vama, she was a creature of the night and I would come to call her by a different name many years later after her death, Vampire.

My eyes widen as I look up at Igor. He stood there, back to me, a sentinal and protector and I ask, 'Fideus, he was the first bitten vampire?'

'Yes.'

My eyes look down at the page and I whisper, 'Vama... she was born a vampire?'

'So it seems, her history is vague in Fideus's story.'

I nod, though he can't see me and I look back down at the page and continue:

Vama was kind and taught me how to do many things. I was so simple before her, with her help I learned to create nets to garner more fish. We talked for hours and she taught me the stars, planets, and about the earth under my feet. My clan feared her with good reason, but I began to love her. She was everything I wanted in a mate, she however denied me.

When I learned of her need for blood I begged her to take mine, and eventually she did. But with that I too became like her. The sun burned me, food became bland and unfulfilling. With that I was removed as leader of my nomadic clan and ran to her for help.

Thus my life as a vampire, began.

My mind was silent, the first. He was the first, they were the first. Slowly I look up and ask, 'How old is Fideus?'

'We do not know,' Igor says looking over his shoulder at me, then turning back. I wad stunned, this was a revelation. Vama was the first female of our species, born to it, and Fideus, no Piru was the first male, bitten to it. Vama, Piru... Vampire.

I almost wanted to laugh, their names became the name we knew ourselves by and all I can do is chuckle. A new revelation as I continue to read.

-D-

The hours past and Igor found me a chair so I could sit and read. At moments tears pricked my eyes as I read the death of Vama and how Fideus almost lost himself, but he helped newly bitten create a culture all their own. It was beautiful, but also so depressing. His life had many difficulties, and I could sympathise with him.

Finally I sigh, when I see the last page come into view, his words having become more profunctory history then beautifully written as the beginning. But to my surprise, there was only three words after the date:

July 23, 1803

There is Hope...

I flip through the last pages, empty of scrawling words and look up at Igor saying, 'His last words, that is all?'

'Yes.'

'Do you think he is talking about the Phantasma?'

'Do you?'

I look down at those last words and murmur, 'No, I don't think so. The Silent Phantasma doesn't inspire hope, but dread.'

When I look up Igor is right there in front of me on the other side of the podium looking down at the tome. It makes me jump, even my senses hadn't noticed him move closer to me, as he says, 'But his writing style had changed from a love letter to lifeless news articles. He could have simply, in the end, had a warped mind and thought this Phantasma would be a better fit to this world.'

Shaking my head, I whisper, 'I don't think so.'

Igor looks at me and I say, 'Well, now I have a complete picture of the Vampire world history, now I need it's lineage.'