"So now you know," John said to the Senators. "I have not lied. I give you one hour to decide the fate of the Regnum. I a.s.sure you I don't say this out of arrogance. You have no choice but to realize what I am saying is true and that what I am going to do for everyone will ensure our survival against the vampires and our return to Earth." Total silence ensued and John walked out with Richard. The crowd followed him to his limo. The car drove off to the Howe Estate, leaving behind the people who were filled with rage, pride, courage and a new energy to fight.

Now, John knew, it was all up to the Senate to vote and decide.

It had been a long time since Alex had last seen the Earth. He sighed, anxious and nostalgic. He thought of the people back in the Regnum. He thought of Angel and the baby once again and basked in the light of the truth that he was to be a father. A shaky and cold chill crept up his spine when he remembered the encounter with Anaxagoras. In his heart, he knew it was to be the first of many.

The ship slowed down as it left the t.i.tanic stratoc.u.muli and approached CCC 1, ready to land in the main hangar. An air-transporter awaited their return and Alex, still bound by the wrists, felt afraid and alone. This hangar represented the potential for war, filled with thousands of battle planes, s.p.a.ce fighters, tanks and cruisers. Vampire personnel moved about busily as Nikolas held Alex by his right arm and they walked inside the air-transport. The transport was like a bus from the Regnum but older and less comfortable. There were rows of seats all along the length of the transport and poles to hold on to for those that stood. Nikolas stood near Alex, with his hand on his left shoulder, rea.s.suring him everything would be fine.

Awaiting Nikolas, Alex and the rest of the Rebels and soldiers, were Daniel and Erik. Nikolas kept Alex by his side as they walked out of the transport on the outdoor platform of CCC 1. He whispered into Alex's ear, "Don't say anything unless spoken to and don't say anything unnecessary; keep your answers short and curt." Alex nodded.

"Father!" Daniel walked towards them. He gave a small smile, almost unnoticeable and shook Nick's hand. "So," he scrutinized Alex, "this is him, is it?" Alex looked back at Daniel without any malice.

"Yes," Nikolas said, "This is the Falsifier."

Daniel extended his hand. "Welcome."

Alex shook his hand with a firm grip. Erik sighed, flippantly blowing out a large puff of smoke from his cigarette. Nikolas knew he would be rough towards Alex, but only because Daniel had acted so formally. "Can we get this over with and get the guy inside?" Erik said.

"If you are in such a hurry, why don't you kill him yourself?" asked Daniel. "Oh wait!" he said, "You're not in charge, are you?"

Alex, amused by the two vampires, hid his smile, afraid to trigger any conflict. As they bickered, he scanned the area around him to get a better look. From the platform, he noticed the raging blue sea reflecting the light of the sun. A violent wind blew in their faces and hair. He breathed in, thankful to savor the breeze and oxygen of the Earth. It felt good and he smiled, closing his eyes. The sea was something he had never seen and it seemed to him like a mythical ent.i.ty. No wonder the first travelers were so mystified by it and told stories about its majesty.

Daniel broke Alex's reflection, "By the way, don't be fooled by all of this, please. Erik is always upset about something or other. Come." He walked past Erik, their shoulders brushing. "I'll show you to your room."

John was surprised by his own behavior in the Senate. What had made him speak and act like that? It was pure luck; at least half of it was. There was a lot of calculation on his part, but that too was based on chance. He had had the feeling that Ha.s.san had been behind the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt, ever since he had been in the elevator with Richard. The thought had struck him, when the previous coups were mentioned. He thought that perhaps there was someone outside the political system helping out Jarad, and he figured it would have to be Ha.s.san as he was trained in the Army and was a Lieutenant. There was no crime as such in Regnum as there was a very strict weapons control. The only access to guns would have to have been provided to someone from the army and that's how he made the connection. The entire idea of a coup wasn't planned in detail but John always thought of eradicating the disloyal Councilors. Lylock was a n.o.body. John thought of him as an informer, a man looking for power just like everyone else. The main reason John hated him was because of the Vatican Mission. It cost many lives in the end and was one of the most, if not the most, major turning points of the entire war.

John was in his study while Richard kept Mrs. Howe company in the living room over a cup of tea. He took another gander at both the scroll and the canister. There was something Nick was trying to say by all this, but what was it? In the old days, Nick, Aidan, John, Jarad, and a few others invented their own secret language and became fluent in it. It was a sort of club of a chosen few who knew the secret code. It was a great way to give away vampiric secrets and the like. But there was no distinguishable sign or code, except for the emblem. As his eyes hovered over the cross, he saw it shining in the light. He circled it with his index finger.

Nothing happened for a few moments until finally a small crack appeared on the cross. Out of the crack a white light shone in his face like a flashlight and vertically projected an image. It was a video hologram of Nikolas. "John, my dear friend," he said, "it has been a long time. I am sure you must have read my letter. As you can see, this video is actually from a long time ago. It was filmed during the mission at Washington. Remember?" he smiled warmly. That really was a long time ago. It took place about ten years prior to the Last Battle. It was a mission in which they were fighting for the West Coast of North America. After three weeks of fighting in California, they had won the battle and continued up towards Washington, working their way through British Columbia. From there, another group had gone further north and reached Alaska. Finally three legions were sent into Russia to attack the vampiric front from the East.

"I know you may be wondering how I was able to foresee this," Nikolas continued. "It may be that I have some of the same gifts as Aidan, yet still less developed. What I do know is that Alexander, your nephew, will be the Falsifier. I knew this because Aidan told me a hundred years before this battle. Whatever else is to happen, will happen according to the Ardemic Prophecies. The time for your own initiation will be close, once Alex is initiated. Sorry to be so vague, but if information gets into the wrong hands it may be advantageous to Anaxagoras.

"This message is just to let you know that your initiation is at hand. When we meet again, the first thing we will do is the initiation. Then, you will learn the secrets of the Knighthood and vampiric history. That is all I wanted to tell you. I suppose it will fire up your antic.i.p.ation." Nikolas smiled and bowed and the hologram shut down. The light faded and dissolved into the crack in the cross.

This was special for John. Once they had been together at a secret camp in the Himalaya Mountains, thirty kilometers north of Uttarkashi, in the Uttarkhand state of India. They had been getting ready for the next day's attack and were trying to push the vampiric bases up north to the frigid regions, like the source of the Ganges River, Gomukh. Aidan had told John many things that night. The prophet Aidan had been very popular amongst the Rebels, not only for his bravery and candid remarks against the king, but also for his good nature. Whenever they camped out he would regale the group with stories and myths. That particular night John had spoken to Aidan: "Well, it's been a hard day," John said.

"Yes." Aidan offered John a hot cup of coffee as they sat near the fire, "Here, take this. I can feel your chill. Don't worry."

John hadn't known whether he meant the real cold or the fear that was in him. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I mean." Aidan said, "Tell me how you're feeling. I know something's troubling you. Do you want me to teach you how to hide your mind?"

"Is it possible for a human?" John asked, sipping and savoring the hot coffee.

Aidan chuckled, "It doesn't matter whether you're human, vampire, or whatever it is. It all has to do with this," he had pointed to his head; "this," to his heart, "and that," he had pointed to the sky, signifying the universe.

"It's really that simple?"

Nikolas, Varenkoff, Richard, and Liam had joined them, all holding their cups of coffee. Nick said, "What's all this talk, Aidan? Trying to teach John something spiritual, huh?"

Aidan laughed, "No. I think it might be time, that's all."

Nick and the other two Rebels were shocked by this, "What!"

Liam added, "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Are you really sure about this?" Varenkoff asked. "It could be dangerous."

John's nerves tensed. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Aidan said, "Well, I'm sure you know about the Knights of the Elders. You're still writing the book?"

"Of course." John said.

"What book is this?" Nikolas asked.

"It's just a history of the Vampiric Race. Aidan suggested that I start it."

"So, what have you written so far?" Aidan asked.

"Just about the Ardemic Prophecies. I was making some detailed commentaries."

"Well, that would help." Aidan turned to the other four. "Looks like everyone's waiting for a story," he smiled, "So let me start." He paused for dramatic effect, then began, "Long ago, before the reign of Argos, before the Markian Empire, even before the Republic that lasted for hundreds of thousands of years before that, the very first society was nomadic. There were many tribes on Migra, about a hundred and forty four thousand."

"Interesting; this sounds like something from the Bible," said John.

"Yes, I know. It was the same on Earth, I guess, but the first incidence was on Migra. Now, during this time there was war amongst the divided tribes. The warring factions had divided from the original twelve tribes. That was trillions of years before. At that time, according to legend, a group of twelve beings came to Migra and created us. Like you, we are humanoids. They created our DNA and what we once were. Three and a half trillion years later, the Twelve Tribes went to war with their creators. This is all recorded in the Stones of Revelation."

"The what?" John asked.

"The Stones of Revelation. They were recorded in a very archaic language, possibly in the language of the Twelve Beings."

"Have you seen these Stones?"

"A long time ago, yes. When I was once in my father's study room, I saw them. They were recorded on a hundred and forty four stone tablets. They contained the Legends of the Twelve, the Creation Process, the wisdom and knowledge of the Twelve, their secrets, and of course the War that occurred. After that, the Twelve Tribes were ruled by twelve leaders."

John was amazed by how much Aidan's story and the Biblical stories of the Twelve Tribes and the Judges had in common. He wondered if Aidan was just borrowing stories from the Bible.

Aidan laughed, "I told you, old friend, you need to learn to veil your mind. Don't worry about the reliability of my story. It's true. Ask any other vampire, and they will tell you the same. Should I continue?"

"Sure," John said. "This is definitely going to spice things up for my book."

"John, you don't need to add this in your book. The second part of my story that I'm going to tell you, is what you need to know, not anyone else who will read your book."

"But the book's going to be a secret, Aidan; you told me that."

"For now. But there'll be a time when people will need to know about it."

"What?"

Aidan shook his head. "No more of this talk; let me tell you what you need to know now." John remained quiet. "You have been with us since the beginning. We were against Anaxagoras for many millennia. You joined us only recently. But, you have proved loyal to our cause, all of you," he said, referring to the human race, "and of course you are fighting for your own reasons as well. That's why we want you, especially you, John, to be initiated into the Knights of the Elders."

"We?" Varenkoff, Nikolas and Liam said at once.

Nikolas said, "Aidan, what are you talking about? You know only vampires can be a part of the Knighthood."

"You really don't know, do you?" Aidan said.

"Wait a minute. How did the brotherhood originate?"

"Well, it was introduced first by my ancestor, Argos I. He learned about the Stones only after he joined the Rebellion against Markos. Fabian told him about them. They were excavated in some caves in a wild desert on Migra. After learning about the History, he decided to pay homage to his ancestors by creating the brotherhood based on the Twelve Creators, and hence those who were firm in the Rebellion were initiated into it. Now, I have reintroduced it. With this initiation comes the knowledge of prophecy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, and many other abilities. So I think it's time."

John said, "I'm honored. But are you sure?"

"Of course."

"But we need twelve members to do it," Liam said.

"John will need some time, don't you think?" Dante asked, "I mean his body will not be able to take all that energy."

"Yes, you're right, Dante." Aidan said. "Liam, we already have more than twelve members and this camp is filled with potential initiates."

"But, will they agree to it?" Nikolas asked.

"That's something we have to wait for," Aidan said.

"So then, will I be initiated?"

"Can I be a part of it?" Richard asked reluctantly.

"Yes, you can," Aidan said, smiling.

"This is madness," Nikolas said, "You really think they can go for this?"

"Yes, but only if the rest agree."

So the reason that John and Richard were not initiated was that the Rebels didn't agree to it. It was not out of hostility, but because they thought they weren't ready. When the right time came, they would do it.

That right time was now.

"Unbelievable!" said Alex.

"Well, you better believe it." Nikolas stood across from him.

They were in Alex's designated room, where he was monitored by security and cameras. Nikolas had just explained to Alex the story of the Twelve Elders, and the twelve tribes splitting into one hundred and forty four. He told him about the initiation, the story Aidan had told John and about the coming of the humans' initiations. Nikolas was allowed free entry in and out of the Central Command Center, as he was now trusted, or rather Daniel had given him that trust. Daniel was up to something, Nick knew, because he had never seen his son so uneasy.

The story was told an hour after they landed and refreshed themselves. By the time it finished, the sun was setting. "Now I need to know more. What happened out?"

"Wait, Alex. Not now. I'll explain everything to you when we are alone...completely alone. For now, get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." He patted him on the shoulder and left.

Nikolas walked to the end of the corridor. There were twenty guards posted outside, ten against each wall three meters apart, to make sure every part of the corridor was protected. He left the corridor and entered a small hall where he waited for the elevator. They were five kilometers under the Earth's crust. The elevator beamed down and opened. It was desolate or at least that's how Nick felt when he left the place. He thought about this day and what had happened. Hopefully, by now, John had gotten the message encrypted in the canister. It was precious because this was one way they could defeat Anaxagoras's army. After the Last Battle and the Treaty of New York, everything the Rebels owned was to be destroyed. The only way Nikolas could ensure the safety of the canister was to keep it where no vampire could ever find it and the only place he could think of was Antarctica. He kept it with Aidan, whose body was buried there. How he managed to get it out was another story, and a very dangerous one at that.

The elevator stopped. He was now on the surface level of the Command Center. He was to meet with Daniel for something very important. Everything was done so quickly and efficiently that Nikolas was as free as could be. The other Rebels faced the same restrictions, but they rested for some time before their next set of lab tests.

Nikolas knew that there was some ulterior reason Daniel had made sure it was this way. There was something he wanted out of it. He remembered before he left, his son had wanted to talk to him but Erik had refused. Now he would hear him out.

The surface was extremely busy. Scientists were scattered all over the place, discussing projects that had been commissioned by the Council of Twelve. This level was circular in shape with elevators at four points. Ten meters from the elevators were doorways, which led to the offices of the administrators who were responsible for the welfare of the vampires in their designated areas (in this case North and South America, Africa and Europe). There were the offices of Erik and Daniel and the Conference Hall. Then there was a smaller Boardroom, where the more important decisions and ideas were brought forth by senior officials.

He turned to his left and walked on, following his son's instructions. He entered the small hallway, lit by bright florescent lights. There was a gla.s.s door, which was locked by a numeric code. Nikolas typed the code Daniel told him into a keypad on the right side of the entrance. 35842. The door opened and Nikolas walked into what seemed like a small foyer. There were two doors there, one to Daniel's office, and the other to Erik's. At one side was Mikhail's desk, and at the other was Sirach's desk, the latter being Erik's secretary. Both secretaries smiled at him, and Nikolas smiled back. "Mikhail," he said, "I was to see Daniel at 6:30."

"Yes," Mikhail said, "That's right; you may go in."

Nikolas opened the door and saw Daniel sitting in his chair, deep in thought. He didn't even notice his father when he came in and sat down. Nikolas kept silent, observing his son, wondering what he was thinking. He was tempted to psychically scan his mind but he knew better than that. Nick cleared his throat. Daniel jumped. "Are you alright, Daniel?" asked Nick.

"Father." He kept silent for about ten seconds, trying to recollect his thoughts and what he wanted to say to his father. "How is he?" he asked.

"Fine," Nikolas said, "Although I can sense fear in him."

"Yes, so can I," Daniel sighed. "Okay, let's just get down to it." He rearranged himself in the chair and said, "I want to know more about the Falsifier. There's clearly something no one knows about him except you. Who is he really?"

"You think," Nikolas smiled, "I would tell you that? How do I know you aren't asking me so that you can tell the Council? How can I trust you?"

"I'm your son," Daniel said, a tinge of anger rising from his throat.

"But you are also President of the Vampiric Regime. Your allegiance is to the king, and mine is to Aidan."

"You know you're not allowed to speak his name."

"It's not the first time, is it?"

"Ah," Daniel smiled wickedly, "That's something I will never understand, father. Why did you go to Antarctica? Why did you really really go?" go?"

"You know I had to see my comrade, I had to receive his blessings before the mission. That's what I told the Council, and they agreed, as long as I was accompanied"

"But you weren't, were you?"

"Yes I was."

Daniel laughed, "You don't expect me to believe that, do you? That the four soldiers died there? It's obvious you killed them."

"Even if I did," Nikolas smiled, baring his fangs, "what difference does it make?"

"Unless there was something that happened there, something you wanted hidden, you wouldn't have killed them."

"Look," Nikolas's eyes pierced through Daniel's as he spoke, "I have a proposal for you. You want me, you need me. You know that. And I'm willing to work for you, willing to tell you everything if you allow me this: let me talk to the boy privately, and I'll get all I can from him; let him tell me all the secrets of the Regnum, of Howe, and the humans. We will use their weakness against them. Let me get him to talk alone, without any cameras and without guards."