FicWad

Chapter 19



In Romania, Mina was staying in a manor on the outskirts of Bucharest of which only she and a few others knew. When it came into her hands, she had it altered to accommodate her needs. She now sat there holding court for Romulus and Remus with their nine charges. Miriam bowed before her as did the others. Mina smiled and said, "It is so good to know you have been rescued. Tell me all that happened."

As they relayed their story, Mina and Vera both built in anger at how things were going with the world with the night. However, when she heard of the vicious strike of Die Kaiserenhand and how they had no mercy on the abominable creatures that had the audacity to call themselves vampires, and knew that she would have done the same, or maybe even worse if it was possible. However, Miriam then said, "Yet, your highness, I do have aconnection to you."

This gained a raised eyebrow from Mina as she leaned back in her large Victorian chair, elbows on the arm rests, all her fingers pressed together. She then asked, "How so?"

"Your mother equaled you in kindness to us," Miriam answered, "She was seeking to protect us as you, and I loved her dearly. However, when they murdered her, I could not let this go. Before she slipped away, I absorbed her soul, and I hold it, awaiting the right place to deposit that soul in hopes that she may live again. Now Mina's eyes went wide as she slowly lowered her hands. She looked stern and said, "I hope for your sake that this is not some kind of a twisted joke!"

"Your highness," Miriam answered, "I would never joke about that. If I somehow manage to lose her soul, may the worst punishment you can devise fall upon me."

Mina slowly sat up and then said, "These eight will go to Bran and be placed in safety with the others. In the meantime, Miriam, you shall stay with me and Vera completely. You are too precious to me now to risk."

The Beowulf bowed and escorted the eight out, and Mina stood up as they left. She then walked up to her and hugged her warmly. She then said,"How long can you hold her?"

"I've held her for centuries already," Miriam answered, "And I can hold her indefinitely."

"How long shall it be before you can release her?"

"The problem is to find a vampire into which to put her. You know what happens when we face final death. She will have to be put into apure blood, and she would have to be there not too long after conception."

Mina then contemplated what things would be like when she was finally ready to reproduce, when she was able to find a noble that was of her line that was not greedy for power. If she could hold out long enough, she could end up being the mother of her own mother, being able to repay her for all her decades of kindness. Mina then said, "Pray then it would be soon that this could happen to whatever you call a higher power. You have made me exceedingly joyful tonight."

Mina hugged her again, and Miriam returned the embrace. Miriam knew well that she was only a few decades older, but she now felt like amother embracing her child. As she did, the Lucretia that was inside her somehow joined her and somehow, to Mina, it felt like her mother. Mina started to tear up, feeling the peace. Vera also started to have tears, considering that the whole reason why she was turned was because of the love for Mina's mother she had. Despite being a human, Lucretia treated her well, and they became deep friends and confidants. However, Vera knew that there would be a day when she could not be with her anymore and explained this to the queen. She was in tears, explaining how she would have no peace knowing that such hung over her head like the sword of Damocles, knowing that they would be separated forever. She wanted to be around forever. This was the kind of people that Lucretia always looked for to be the one to turn, for Vera's reasons were noble and pure. Lucretia offered that to Vera, explaining the risks, but the love for Lucretia Vera had made it all seem like such a small thing knowing that nothing outside of final death could ever separate them. With that, Lucretia turned her. Vera was devastated for decades when she lost her dearest friend, but gave her life to giving the same love and care to Mina, feeling she owed that to Lucretia. Yet, hearing now that there was a possibility that Lucretia could come back made her shed tears of joy. The only obstacle at that moment was Vlad, and she hoped that this dhampir had what it took to make it possible to right an ancient wrong.



The next night, the hit team was ready to go, awaiting the others. Chiyuki came down, with Keelin sitting on her shoulders. Ryuu was behind her, befuddled that Chiyuki was actually going through with letting Keelin come. "Okay," said Jean-Claude, "The main goal is to keep Keelin out of the action. For now, all she is, is the barometer, so to speak. She can let us know when trouble is coming, but above anything else is the princess' safety. GOT IT?"

His crew cried, "Achtung, baby!"

Keelin blinked and leaned her chin on the top of Chiyuki's head. Chiyuki walked over to Jean-Claude, "Ryuu said that he knew me too well, and said that he would be Keelin's bodyguard. His comment got him a few bruises, but I think he would be better at being a bodyguard then me..." she said, sheepishly and quiet, so that only Jean-Claude heard. He chuckled and said, "Believe me, you're a mom-the she bear in you will come out at the right time. Besides, we are all committed to her safety. So, are we going by airline, or the Chiyuki special?"

"Chiyuki special?" she asked, curiously.

"Well, you know how fast you like to move, and you know how you don't like flying..." he said, letting the statement dangle.

"There is Ryuu and I, who all will we be transporting?"

"Well, with everyone included, there would be about nine in all, ten if you include Aurelius."

"How do you expect Ryuu and me to transport all of them?"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I dunno...Haven't thought about it much."

"We're going to have to fly, then," said Jean-Claude. He then got on the phone and said to have the special Lear Jet ready for them, which was specially equipped to handle everyone in case the sun came out during flight. He then got on the horn of an elder in nearby Poland to have them ready to receive them, and they could then go into Romania from that point. Chiyuki yawned in her usual way, (indicating that she was actually trying to keep calm in a tense situation,) and said, "Does Keelin have to show off her power anytime other than the fight?"

Jean-Claude thought for a moment and said, "I would have to say that the reason for her being there is to give us a chance to see something coming ahead of time. After that, I would not want to see her directly in the conflict itself unless it got that ugly. Then she might step in."

Chiyuki nodded, and smiled, "Good."

"Besides, the twins can handle any harsh stuff-I trained them, you know."

"Keelin is trained as well, but I don't want her to have to prove her abilities just yet."

"Then I'll have the twins stick close to you."

Chiyuki shook her head, "No, put them were they will be useful, Ryuu is a lot like me in his fighting style, it's hard to synchronize my attacks with someone I don't know on a battle field. Plus, if she has too many guards, people will want to capture her as a bargaining point."

"Good point," he said, "We don't just want to /draw/attention to us."

With that, he said, "Then be prepared to head to the jet now, and sleep on the plane, because, to time it right, we will have to fly in the daytime. However, remember that the jet is equipped to keep you safe during that time. Can you be ready in about 45 minutes?"

"I'm pretty much ready now, minus a few packing minutes."

"Then, in 45 minutes, we are leaving," said Jean-Claude.

With that, they all went to the armory, and they armed themselves with the AK-103, and garlic rounds, while Jean-Claude got the AA-12 with a few 30-round drum clips. Chiyuki went upstairs and prepared herself to leave, sharpening her blade, then Ryuu's, then Aurelius, who was with them because it would be most wise to have him near Keelin, least he misbehave or something of the sort.



They arrived at the airport one hour before sunrise where the Lear Jet sat, with windows tinted in the same way as the windows of Clan Tower, but they also had shades that could be drawn. "Get your rest everyone," he said, "It should be nightfall by the time we arrive, but we may have to wait an hour or two on the tarmac for it to get dark enough for certain of us."

Chiyuki yawned, and curled up as much as she could and fell asleep. Everyone slept, but Jean-Claude spent some time in his Bible and in prayer before he did, wanting to have the right mindset when they arrived. Keelin also wasn't sleeping; she was in the row across from Jean-Claude, watching him curiously as he prayed. When he finished, he noticed Keelin, smiled, and said, "Hello, little one! Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I'm not tired," Keelin said, "I don't sleep much."

Knowing of her unique nature, he then said, "Is it that you have a lot on your mind, or that you really don't need it?"

"Both," Keelin said, spacing out slightly.

"Would you like to talk about it?" he said, in his best, calming "Mr. Rogers" kind of voice that children are normally comfortable with, and with which they can well connect, "Sometimes, when you talk about it, you can understand what you're thinking better, and then it doesn't seem like as much of a problem anymore."

"The question is not if I want to talk about it, it's if Ican. If I can, can you comprehend it?" Keelin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I can always try," he said, "Even if I cannot understand, at least I can try to understand what I can, and say that I tried. It's better than not trying. It also seems you were trying to understand what Iwas doing. If I try to understand, would you like to try to understand me?"

Keelin nodded, "Ever since I...well...bit Aurelius, I swear I'm hearing a thousand voices in my head screaming for my help, help I know I can offer yet I don't know exactly how to offer it, nor do I know how to find them to offer said help. I feel bound to many lives, like steel cables that tie me as loyally to them as they are to me."

"Ah!" said Jean-Claude, "You sound like a man in this book,"and he held up his Bible.

"His name was Paul. He had done all he could to try and kill the Church in the ancient times, and many innocent people died as a result. Even then, God was willing to use him. He actually met God on the road who gave him an option: realize the error of his ways, stop killing innocent people, try to reach people for him, or become a Post Toasty! He changed his ways, and ended up writing half the New Testament himself. He became the greatest preacher that ever lived next to Jesus Himself. I said all that to say this: there were certain places he wanted to go, but he was continually hindered. Then one night, in a dream, he heard the voices of thousands in Macedonia crying, 'Come over here and help us.' He felt a real burden for them, and did all he could. The only way to silence those voices was to go help. Now you, you have a unique nature. Did your mother ever tell you that she became a vampire and was once human? We have the ability to make people vampires, which was strictly forbidden, and now only happens in limited cases, because of you royal kids. Since you can temporarily become founts of Psyche, you can convert the undead into true vampires. The undead out there now are being created by undead, and are become worse off than those that came because of true vampires. However, they want release-they want help. You have the power to help them, just like you did Aurelius. This is not a bad thing-it's a very good thing. Maybe those voices will quiet down the more you can help? You are special. Yet, don't think that you can't do it. You can do anything to which you set your mind. Never let anyone tell you that you can't-YOU CAN. You have friends all around you that will help you if they can. No one thought that adhampir like me could wield such power, but here I am, and it's all because someone told me to dream big. You are a good, good girl, and don't ever forget that. They will follow you, but you must always remember to have a mind to love and help people."

"I know about Paul," she said, "Mom made sure I was well educated in all major religions, said it was one choice I should make completely by myself. But I guess the best way to explain it, is that I cannot answer all these voices, even if I were to try, not all at once, and not by myself. I know I need a guardian, but I don't know who."

"Let me share this story for you: once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived by a beach. One day, a harsh storm hit the area, and the little boy was up early, before the sun, to see what the storm had done. When he arrived on the beach, he saw that the storm had washed up a huge group of starfish, all along the beach. There had to be thousands. He knew the sun would soon rise, and then those starfish would dry up and die in the sun. He then hurriedly began to toss starfish, one by one, into the water. He worked feverishly, but he was determined. Soon, and old man saw what he was doing, and then asked why he rushed. When the little boy told him he had to before the sun rose, the old man laughed at him. He said, 'Little boy, there is no way you could ever get all these starfish back into the water. It's useless. What kind of a difference would it make?'

He looked at the man, and then the starfish in his hand, he threw it into the water and said, 'I made a difference for that one,' threw another in, 'I made a difference for that one,' and so forth. The moral of the story is this: you cannot answer them all, but you answer what you can, one by one, the best that you can. The more you help, the more that can help you, and the more you can get done. I would not know where you need guidance to, but know that I will help you the best that I can. I don't know if I could be that guardian, but I could sure try."

"It's not you, trust me. I'm supposed to know the instant Itouch them. Or so I'm being told," she said, blinking and massaging her temple.

Knowing he could do this due to his abilities, he extended his hand and said, "Would you be willing to link minds with me, and let me hear that person now talking to you?"

"There are two," Keelin said, "One is evil, but she knows alot about what I am. One is good, but doesn't tell me much."

"Can I listen in, then?"

Keelin stuck out her palm in as an invitation. "Okay," she said.

He gently took her hand into his and began to concentrate.



It didn't take much before he was in. Keelin went into a meditation state, as was Jean-Claude, being his mind was no longer with his body. He now began to try to become one with this state, looking to hear these voices which spoke to Keelin. In Keelin's head were two familiar faces: Ai and Teresa. Jean-Claude focused on Teresa, saying, "Well, well, well...how's Hell treatin' ya?"

Teresa smiled, "Not as bad as it would be for you."

"You just couldn't stay away, could you?" he asked rhetorically, "You know, it was more than just us that stopped you. On at least two occasions during that battle, someone could have blown your succubus behind away. We have the Mage society on our sides now, as well as the American Lycanthrope Society, with Uncle Sam, and you would be foolish to stick your burning nose in."

"Actually I couldn't stay away, I'm more of a help to this girl then you could ever be," Teresa said, "I'm not trying to use her to dominate the world for me. I'm just here as a necessary evil."

"Not so necessary for me!" he snapped back, "I swear by Christ if you so much as try to..."

"No need to invoke Christ in a matter he allowed completely," Teresa said, rolling her eyes.

"Highly doubtful," said Jean-Claude, "I hardly would believe anything that came from your lying mouth! What do you want?"

"Nothing that I can tell you," Teresa said, with an odd satisfaction.

"How, in the name of common sense, can you help this girl without some kind of ulterior motive?" Jean-Claude shot back.

"I have none," Teresa replied nonchalantly, "Here, I am simply me, with no plans, just the demon I am."

He tried something else. "Ai," he asked, "What are you doing with the likes of her? You know that for which she was responsible!"

"I'm here to balance out Teresa as the voice of reason," was her response, all logical and matter-of-fact.

It was then dawning on him, and he said, "Ah, you two represent her Yin and Yang, so to speak."

Teresa rolled her eyes and said, "Duh! Hard to believe you're closely related to Ryuu."

"Actually, you're more like the Id and the Superego, but anyway..." said Jean-Claude, trailing off the quote, "What I want to know is, what is all this about? I know what her potential is. I just want to know how you two play into this!"

"We cannot tell you Jean-Claude," Ai said, smiling, "It's not your need to know right now."

He then said to Ai, "You must understand, this girl is scared. This is one whale of a responsibility to put onto the shoulders of aseven-year-old girl. Girls her age should only be concerned about school, dolls, and other things that make them happy. Yes, I know I had her come along, but only because she could help calm many situations by just her being there. Nonetheless, I feel a personal responsibility to her safety and happiness now because of it. Please, help her not to feel torment, that's all I ask Ai."

"I only do what I can," Ai confided.

"Can you help me help her, Ai," he asked, "I ask you, because I feel you are the only one I could trust. I am sure Chiyuki would love to know that you are here still, and guiding her daughter."

"I'm helping her," she said, happily, but with a tinge of,"You know that!" in it and she then said, "You'll learn this knowledge soon enough, just not right now."

He let it go for the moment, he thought, and then said, "Then I will try to be like a big uncle to her as much as I can...you know: the kind that a kid can confide in when he or she feels they can't confide in mom or dad at that moment."

Ai smiled and said, "It's all you can do for her, really."

Teresa rolled her eyes and said, "Ai is much too sweet sometimes."

"Hey, that's why we love her," he said, "Besides, what would you prefer: roasting, or her?"

She rolled her eyes again, letting it go, wondering which hell was worse. Jean-Claude then said, "Ai, then, can you lead her to those she needs to help, but one at a time? This is a big burden for a little girl."

"Of course I will," she responded happily, "Bye-bye now!"and she vanished, as did the image. He broke the link and he said, "Now Iunderstand. Honey, those two are representing one of the greatest goods I have ever met, and one of the greatest evils. I could only assume that they are there to help balance you out. However, I know that you are a big, strong girl, and you have all these friends around to help you. Maybe if you tried to catch some sleep, you could feel better about things."

With that, he proceeded to try to tuck her in as best he could. Keelin blinked and tried to go to sleep, and luckily, she passed out within five minutes. Jean-Claude began to ponder this, and he began to faintly remember something about Selibri and soul preservation. He wondered if all the Golconda were like this. It was late, and he had to save that for another time. With that, he finally settled in himself.



Mina hung up the phone and told them, "The councilman there informed me that they are airborne and headed our way. They are stopping in Poland first, and then they will make their way here. We shall meet them along the way and insure their safety."

Everyone nodded and was getting into place. She would use her pull to ensure they all got through customs and such successfully. The one thing she was grateful to know was that her grandfather only knew that they were coming, but did not have any details. She looked at the photos of Karin and Jean-Claude from the dossiers and said, "Fear not, day walker, your dream shall be a reality."