FicWad

Chapter 17



Jean-Claude got on the phone, trying to place his call at a time when he knew his mentors would be there to receive the call. They still lived primitive enough, but still they had enough technological comforts to sty in touch with the outside world. There were seven of them, but they were very old and powerful. They were a mix of Native Americans and Caucasians from America's earliest frontiersmen's era. The three Caucasians were from the same purge from which Eldaand James had fled. They encountered four natives who had to hide from their own tribes, and all four had their own families killed. The seven formed a band and taught the three explorers how to survive in the wilderness. Many pioneers and settlers had either been protected from ambush coming from either highwaymen or opportunistic warrior packs. Others would have no memory of how some had been fed upon as they went. Of course, human life had not been a frequent commodity, so they were forced to feed on animals when the local tribes were not handy. When the tribes were moved out, they sank into the woods, living off nature form that point forward. They lived that way for decades, until civilization began to somewhat encroach. Even then, they still kept to themselves. All that changed one horrible night ten years before.



They had watched the Madores move in watched them build their house in their area of the woods. They found it strange how they were constructing the house. By the construction, one would have thought that vampires had moved in. The seven had nothing to do with the council, however, considering their location, and their separation from everything else. They essentially the council and chiefs in that region, but they could not necessarily protest what was happening. Though they were on their own, the council was still not too friendly with them, and so they wanted to continue to conceal themselves. Yet, because of their ersatz rulership of that area, they made it their business to find out who these strangers were. After some observation and investigation, not only was one a vampire, she was married to a human, and they had a child. There were four in all, and all this gained the interest of the seven. Because of their isolation, they did not approach things as normal. Yet, despite that isolation, they were not like other vampires, in that; they had not taken their fingers off the pulse of the human world. They were quite impressed by the progress of the humans, and the United States as well. Sure, they were not perfect, and they did their share of atrocities, as any human civilization has done. Yet, despite all that, there were much more good things they did for the world than bad, and they more or less lived up to their noble ideals, shining as the great example to the rest of the world. As they did grow, they eventually lived up to all of them, seeing the blood, sweat, and tears that it took to see freedom of all and equality for all. It was only idiots in the minority that sought to sully all of that. The seven began to realize that there might be a time that vampires and humans could mesh, especially in America. Even though the white man had wronged the natives, they eventually did what they could to make things right. The seven eventually wanted to do what they could to merge worlds, but they needed an engine. They wondered if the people they watched would be the ones. Sadly, things changed radically.



Although they had progressed, the vampire of America had not. Not three months before the tragedy, a decision had been made. If the boy turned out human or pure blood, all was well. If he was a dhampir, he was to die, as well as all others involved. These elders were militant, and cared for no mixing whatsoever. By their influence, the immediate deaths of that family were ordered. However, strategically placed bats caught wind of this, and sent word back to the seven. Sadly, the word came the same night of the attack. They moved swiftly, but they were able to save none but the boy. When they had returned to the house, nothing was left but his father's officer dress blade. The boy had just started to awaken, and they were able to tell that he indeed was adhampir. He was also showing the first signs of hunger, and they were excited to find his taste was for evil. They brought the boy back to their cave, and took him to one of his attackers they had captured. He sensed the evil, and it was then they detected his taste. They were extracting information from this foot soldier, and then latched Jean-Claude on him before executing him, adding insult to injury. Justice had to be done, and they asked what the boy wanted. Obviously, revenge was the only thing on his mind. They then told him that they would train him to be the equal, if not the superior to, all other vampires. For five years, they ran the boy ragged. They taught him how to do all that a vampire can do, and better than most. They turned him into a physical specimen, and taught him to endure extremes much like what elite troops face. They also taught him to think, doing all they could to educate him, teaching him strategy, logic, philosophy, and the arts. His parents already made him godly, and his closeness to God only grew closer. They took advantage of this, and turned him form an angry youth into an avenging angel. BY the time he was 15, he was ready.



With some good subterfuge, they were able to discover that there was a schism in the council, due to the elders involved. The seven began to work the faction who did not approve the actions against the Madores, and they began to work out a way to eliminate those elders involved. When asked how, they then introduced them to Jean-Claude D'amphile. When the fatal day struck, they found out what kind of an efficient killer they had created. However, in the chaos, several of the elders escaped. Many were of the same oppressors against Chiyuki and her friends. These same ones were killed three years before. The home council was elated when the news reached them, and they were even more excited when Jean-Claude became a father. When they heard of the movement that was taking place in Japan, they then began to keep close tabs on things in Japanas a testing ground. If it went well there, they had a model by which to do, and they could bring the badly needed changed. Now, all this was in jeopardy.



After about four or five rings, an answer came through. "Hello" came from afamiliar voice, to which Jean-Claude said, "Greetings, Chief War Bat!"

"Black Knife?" he asked, "My heart soars! It does my soul much good to hear your voice again!"

"My heart soars as well, Chief," said Jean-Claude, "However, I wish this call were more of a pleasant nature."

"What is wrong, my son?" asked the chief.

"Much is threatening to destroy all that has been done here," said Jean-Claude, "Some lunatic bokor sorcerers have come to try to stop a crucial wedding."

"Just when I thought I heard it all!" said the chief, "Bokor sorcerers, eh; that is very bad medicine indeed!"

"It gets worse," said Jean-Claude, "Do the names Teresa and Ryuu mean anything to you?"

There was silence for about ten seconds, and then he said, "She's involved?"

That told him enough. "Ryuu has turned against her, so that helps us. However, already, Karin had been altered, there is a new Fountain of Psyche, and we've already had some hard skirmishes."

"How has Karin changed?" he asked, not sure what that meant. Jean-Claude relayed to him all that had transpired, and then the chief said, "This is only the beginning."

"I think I know what you are going to say,"said Jean-Claude, "What are we looking at?"

"If Teresa gets involved with the bokor,"answered the chief, "then prepare for all out war."

Jean-Claude's heart dropped, and then he said, "It was suggested that I call you and ask for you seven to come here."

"My son, we are as good as there!" said the chief, "It will be good to stand by my old friend and fellow warrior once again. In the meantime, you have strong medicine. Work it well."

"What about my twins?" asked Jean-Claude, "She seems to think them a threat to her."

"They may well be, son," said the chief, "Offspring from two dhampir is unheard of. They may well end up being something like no one has ever seen. They may possess power far beyond what any of our kind has ever wielded. Furthermore, they could well be the two that unites all sentient creatures as one. If this new fount lives to see them to be adults, then vampires and dhampirs could well become two new sub-races in the human race, and finally, there can be peace between the tribes, with your children leading the way."

"I'll tell Dad you're coming," said Jean-Claude, "What do we do for now?"

"Kill as many of the bokor as you can,"said the chief, "Cut off the head of the snake, and the body, is useless. Do as much damage as you can, Black Knife, and the rest we shall set in order when we arrive. Be brave, Black Knife, the Devil sisters can help you. Seek Ryuu's wisdom. The eagle and the bear shall be with you!"

"And may the Great Spirit be with you,"said Jean-Claude as he hung up. Jean-Claude then decided that, whenever possible, his twins, nor anyone living on the hill, should leave it without Clan escort.



Jean-Claude then found Henry, and told him, "I needed to inform you that there is more help coming."

"Who would this be?" asked Henry.

"The seven vampires that mentored me are coming," said Jean-Claude, "They can give us some advice on how to handle this quickly and discreetly."

"What did they say about this Teresa?"asked Henry.

"They said that if she empowered them, it could be all out war," said Jean-Claude, grimly.

"Indeed, not only would that threaten everything," said Henry, "but that could cause a modern-day witch hunt!"

"Of course," said Jean-Claude, "It would not be like the past. They'll find some political reason or excuse, come up with some strange way to say how it should be dealt with, and things will happen. However, and oddly enough, more than vampires would suffer."

"What do you mean?" asked Elda, who had been listening in, and was keenly interested in the conversation when "witch hunt" was mentioned.

"In these modern times," said Jean-Claude,"Even if the Clan did not exist, there would yet be hoards of humans that would scream at the outrage of such, and then begin to protest and resist the actions. They would actually line up with us, and then die beside us when it came to it. Thus, not only would there be a slaughter of vampires, but also it would be made far worse by the deaths of droves of humans that would die in defense of us. It would make the inquisition look like a TV show court. Add to that the war with the enemy, and we are talking carnage as not seen in ages."

"What if she does empower them?" asked Elda.

"Then we must absolutely counterattack in a preemptive strike," said Jean-Claude, "It is as a famous writer from England once said, 'If you find out that a man wants to put a bomb in your mother's house, you put one in his mother's house first.' We would have to remove them before things got to that point."

"What can your friends do?" asked Henry.

"They can absolutely prepare our Clan for the fight in ways I have not even touched as yet. I have not done so, because I have been watching for an elite group to work with, but now all of them may need the training that I received. It would be acrash course, but there it is."



As they were pondering this, things were not looking good. Later that night, bokor rituals were taking place. At least four bokor had arrived to join Mimoun, and they awaited the fighting force they would need. Mimoun was considering making more zombies, and he was pondering the very things when she showed up. When Teresa materialized, the five total bokor fell on their faces. "Oh great mother," declared Mimoun, "Now we know our cause is right!"

"Zombies, Mimoun?" exclaimed Teresa, "You could bother with such useless chaff? There are far better ways!"

She pointed to one of the new bokor that had arrived, and said to him, "Stand up!"

He obeyed as she beckoned him to her. She then extended a set of fangs. She may have been a demon, but that did not bean she did not lack the ability to do this. In fact, because she was a demon, she had the supernatural power to do just about what she wanted. She fastened herself to the man's neck, stayed there for some time, and then bit her own hand, stuffing it into his mouth. When this was done, she instilled full knowledge of what he had become, and what he could do. He was now an undead who wielded voodoo power. Teresa said, "I shall also lend all of you power to embrace what you do. When your soldiers come, vamp them out. The nonsense shall stop, and the four abominations shall be dead, if you listen to me!"

She then turned her attention to the one she just vamped, and said, "For now, you need to get their attention. Find someone close to them, and kill them brutally! Time to stop playing games!"