The Immortalized Heart (Book 2 Original version)
The Book of the Moon

Before they knew it they were under attack. The One-Eyed Reaper had come, alone, she assaulted the Association's Library. Inthe furthest section, hidden by a false shelf lies the Association's mostvalued and oldest records, some dating back to the organization's founding.Single-handed-ly she over-threw the entire security force and yet there was nota single casualty.

This demon who strikes fear into the hearts of even thestrongest and cruelest of vampires, has become famous for not killing humanseven among the Syndicate. The reaper stood before the pedestal, within itslight sat the book, perfectly preserved, the reaper felt an aura hum from itsbindings...it was just as the anti-vampire weapons. She lifted the book fromits resting place, instantly catching a glimpse of a woman in a dress and cloakholding the book--a human? Speaking of them, more appeared each wieldingweapons that could do no harm to her; she would not harm to Kira.

The humanssaw the immortal walk from the room, holding the wrapped book in her palm shecontinued as if they didn't exist. The humans charged, but their weapons eitherwould not fire or became dull. The Reaper threw them against the wall with easeand walked casually to the main foyer finally faced against the library'scommander.

"I have guarded that book for years and will notallow some low-life to claim it." He holds an ax against her.

The immortal said when cracking her hand,"This book belonged to vampires, to the Nightraven family, you have noright to posses it."

Flames swirled around, engulfing the area around thecommander and the reaper. This book has long since been away from an immortal'shands for far too long and the humans use it as a trophy, unable to see what itis meant for. The aged man brought out an ax, but the reaper did not flinchrather she raised a brow, believing if the others had no luck in touching her,why would he? Scholars are no warriors after all. The man jumped at thewhite-haired immortal, swinging his ax it hit the reaper's arm, but it simplysat in place. He was in shock--a vampire that was immune to Anti-VampireWeapons?!

"She will not hurt me, i'm not a vampirenor human."

The hunter was thrown across the floor, his weapon lieon the opposite side of his location. They never learn.

"She?" The hunter said horrified, "That's not possible, you can't knowthat!"

The reaper's crimson eye returns to its sky bluecolor. No Vampires can know that truth, those who did were killed eons ago!Even then 'that woman' has not been conscious since that day--ten thousandyears, the prophecy was unraveling before his eyes. It made sense--'In 9000years one who stands on the boundary will fully awaken. In 900 years they willregain their mind. In 90 years they will regain their power. In 9 years theywill regain their heart.'

The immortal glared, wicked-eyed, "She has beenan irritation for me for the past two years and now I replace myself looking forher. You..."

The reaper's eye shaded again--what do the huntersknow? Clearly they know more than even Kira and now that she realizes it, thelibrary's commander undoubtedly possess extensive knowledge about the weaponsand their origin. Kira grabs the hunter, "Seem to know quite a bit--Tell me everything you knowabout the Anti-Vampire Weapons and her."

No one dared to ask where the one-eyed lived nor tomake an attempt to search for it. They feared her as thy feared deaths and keptaway, giving her the undisturbed time to have a 'talk' with her captive.First-Class Hunter David Roy, the commander of the Hunter's Association'sLibrary as records keeper. Kira kept him fed with food of her own making, gavehim drink, clothes and a bed. He was more a guest than a prisoner and certainlyhad the best captivator that one could hope for among the Syndicate.

TheReaper did not torment him, did not offer an exchange, she was waiting forsomething, for 'someone'. That someone arrived in the form of a man, a man noneother than the turncoat himself. Adam, David, and the Reaper sat together,while the book lied on the immortal's lap she began the reason for theirmeeting. The woman in the Reaper's mind every time she touches an AVW--who,what, and why.

The second part would come later, rather it would be more of ahistorical debate than an interrogation. Though there was no confirmed name therecords keep long thought that the same name mentioned in the book was the samewoman who saved humanity. Sierra, the 'Mother of the Damned', one of the fivemembers of the First Reign--a family.

The book began where all things must in the beginningof one, a lone wanderer who set out away from his father's grave shortly afterthe Great White has passed. He was the sole survivor of his clan--unaffected bystarvation, by exhaustion; even the Great White could not so much as slow himdown; he was different than the rest of his fallen clan.

In search of otherslike him the nameless man wondered the known world for years, soon discoveringthat while the people and places he visited changed, he did not. The no namesoon learned that aside from obtaining the power to control the seas there wassomething he required to maintain his life force: taking the life force ofanother thru their blood. He no longer considered himself one of them, thosewho died of hunger, disease, battle wounds--he outlived all of those 'humans'.

Decades past and no one like him could be found--the future in his ageless bodywould be in dark isolation wishing death would come upon him. In the emptinessof the cold mountain a woman came to him, she hung over unafraid of his crimsoneyes that held a great thirst. He had not the energy or will to move andthought that the woman before him was an illusion. She lifted him up andbrought him to a cave where she cut her palm, dropping her thick blood into hismouth. In an instant all his energy had been restored and the demon within tookover, grabbing her arm his sank his fangs into her hand and drank the thickcrimson. The woman did not resist.

"It must have been hard, to be alone for solong." She whispered when stroking his thick silver hair as tears droppedfrom his eyes when releasing her hand. After a time the woman brought thenameless man to her village, a place where humans and their kin livedpeacefully with one another.

"I feared I was the only one." Said the man in tears.

For the first time in his long life a sliver of lighthad broken through the darkness. There were other like him; they did not age;grow sick; immortals. At last this long endless journey had ended. The namelessimmortal was then given a name, one that would echo throughout the ages withfear and a commodity of respect: Dracula. Their small village grew over the decadesinto a country in the mountains of Transylvania. There Dracula, Sierra, and hispeople ruled in the open over a utopia for humans and immortals alike. Theyraised a family together and each of their three children possessed a gift:their only daughter Amelia commanded wind, the youngest Natas brought to lifeflames, and the eldest Alucard broke earth. They were happy.

The family was all power and yet toward the weaker, toward humans, they did not abuse their giftsgranted to them. They were gods and yet as gods there were those who saw themas demons; monsters disguising themselves. Immortals and humans alike who sawthe other as an enemy, deeming each 'evil'. Humans were becoming slaves totheir new masters and armies of un-volunteered rose up against the Reign. Oneneighbor soon turned against the next and in the furry of war the family wasdivided. Amelia, Natas and Sierra continued to see the humans as fragile, theywere frightened who acted in defense of their own families.

It was their dutyas gods to protect them, showing them the light even if it meant keepingthemselves in the dark. In the end Dracula and his son did not see eye to shewith the rest of their family. Humans were selfish, power-hungry animals whobite the hand that feeds them. They did not deserve the protect they cast awayand should be taught a lesson never forgotten. This became the start of a longwar, one that continues to this day. Despite the difference in opinion Draculaloved his woman no less and when he heard humans, calling themselves 'Hunters',had captured his wife there was not a single hesitation.

Dracula laid siege tohis own castle however he was too late to save her. Sierra's body lied on theground, a hole was in her chest where her heart once beat; gone. The immortal'scries were heard throughout the valley as ice and water poured into thecourtyard causing death on an unprecedented scale. Nothing remained of theirbodies. Fueled by rage over his familys' deaths, Alucard, the eldest of thethree, took his father's place as king with the plan to turn mankind into theslaves they ought to be. Any who stood against him, immortal or human; familyor friend would not be granted mercy. Those who betray their family for thesake of humans were traitorous scum that deserve a fate worse than death!Amelia and Natas stood against their brother, but after a time the youngestfell in battle for the sake of his sister, giving her the chance to flee fromAlucard's grasp.

The one-eyed immortal continued to read the old-scriptto its conclusion. Most of it was riddles and old-speech, but she understood agreat deal of it. It was not only the history of the First Reign, but tales andforth comings, only about them; myths and what David referred to as a prophecy.He was one of the few who believed in it--someone of human world and immortalwould be born and they would make one of two choices: doom humanity or protectit. Their choice could dictate the future of the world, depending on their choices.

The Reaper shut the book--it was written by ahuman who had the gift of foresight; who they were however was of no importanceto Kira at the moment. What became of the mother had been torn out and thefirst few pages, no doubt by the hunters to protect the secret of theirweapons, but Kira had already made the assumption of their origin.

"That woman tore her own heart out and threw itinto a furnace, after doing so she continued to walk around, giving her bloodto the humans who became the first hunters."

David was not telling this to a vampire, but theperson he believed to be the child of prophecy.

He continued, "Its a secret only a few of us know among theAssociation and now three of you are aware of that truth."

"You mentioned a third?" Adam tilted hishead quizzically, "What vampire-"

"The son of course, the one whose been gatheringAnti-Vampire Weapons." Kira knew for a fact, the Alucard in the book andthe present one are one in the same.

"Alucard, an Ancestor? You cease to fascinate mewith your presumptions my blue-eyed friend." Adam laughed writing in hisbook. Her comprehension of this knowledge is beyond any other he had metbefore, but with this knowledge comes a heavy price--whichever side she choosesshe will lose something precious.

Whoever wrote the Book of the Moon clearlyhad no conscious of how their 'child of prophecy' would feel. That is what shestill is, a child who has undergone this adult world's most cruelest experiences.One after the next and from Adam's point-of-view, if you looked at Kira's life,it certainly is a tragedy. Suddenly the Reaper smiled, then a small giggleturned into a hysterical laugh!

All this time, Sierra has been communicatingwith Kira to appeal to her human self--she wants Kira to choose humanity overvampires, of her own kind. What she wants is not peace! The annihilation of anentire species! I am not some puppet. The Reaper stared atDavid's ax that lie silently against the wall. Death, that's all the FirstReign brought, their past continues to define the present and future--the Curse of the Nightraven.

"Reaper..." David breathed, "If youfollow the Pureblood King why do you care about the past?"

It was an honest question.

"You have nothing to fear from me, I will followyou because I want to see where your choices will lead." Adam would ratherpledge himself to a half-human rather than an arrogant Ancestor, "Honestly...if you asked of me I would follow you anywhere because I want to see how your story ends."

Kira cracked her wrist. "My dream is to create a world where no one has to fight anymore. For her, I will create that world."

"You can't know everything, and to behonest I can't even tell whose good or bad anymore." David sighed, is hesympathizing now? Yes this person is a vampire, but she hasn't let her definewho she is. To himself he thought, I wonder if she noticed that the book was altered.