The pages under the weight of his fingers threatened to crumble into oblivion. Some of the pages hadn't seen the light of day since the fall of Carthage. The slightest breath could turn the entire manuscript into dust. Devon knew what was written on the pages, he was there when the ink was still wet. He could still see the winding coastline, the bustling bazaars and shops selling their wares. The smell of salt wafting though the air was a long since memory. Now his life was full of halogen lights and recycled air. Following the trail of rare books from the back roads of Japanese streets to places like the Vatican.
"Times up mister M." Stated the guard at the 57th division of RND corp. Devon had been employed by the RND corp. for a little over three years now looking over manuscripts that had been thought lost during the crusades. With a long drawn out sigh he got up, and walked away knowing now he would never see this book again. Another part of his past hidden away in a hermetically sealed tomb like a corpse.
"Night bill, see you in about a week."
With that Devon walked out the air locked glass room and into the brightly lit room of Dimitrious Etah, CEO, and president of RND corp. and collector of antiquities.
"I pray everything went well Devon?" Asked Dimitrious with a grin. He didn’t need him to verify the authenticity; he too was there on those dusty Middle Eastern streets trying to make a living. Dimitrious was about 5'11", Jet black hair framed his soft angled face. His skin seemed to always be on the verge of getting a tan. Gold flex peppered his dark blue eyes, giving an illusion of green.
"Yes Mr. Etah sir. The manuscript was as expected and proved authentic." Sneered Devon. He looked to be in his late thirties, about 5'7" and medium build, a small scar crisscross his right arm drew your eye to his face. A week old beard cradled his jaw line leading up to his light brown eyes and soft red hair. He hated working for Dimitrious but if it weren’t for him he would have been dusted years ago. Devon had been working in the market as a scribe back when Christianity was still new. No wonder he would be doing that now. In a world full of technology you still need someone to do all the grunt work. The text he was translating was Greek. Dimitrious could have gone to any other translator but still chose Devon.
"Now now, Devon how many times must I tell you, don't call me Mr." with intense speed Dimitrious was at Devon’s throat. With a thought a blade was placed to his back.
"Do we still have to play this game brother?" gasped Devon trying not to move.
"Your not leaving like last time, you know brother needs us and you said if I let you read it you would help him…so go!" with a shove Devon went flying towards the door with Dimitrious not too far behind him
"Night bill, lock up behind you when your done." that was the last things bill heard as the two whisked off past him and to the elevator. They had the choice of taking either Devon's old beat up 92 Ford P.O.S or take Dimitrious car of the week…with reluctance Devon got into Dimitrious's car, a 1967 roadster convertible British edition. Overhead Devon could see the full face of the moon like one giant galactic mirror lighting their path to the Etah estate. He had not seen his older brother in what seemed ages. He had grown weak with time but in his heyday he was a sight to be seen.

Dimitrious's house was as grand as you could imagine, both wings of the estate were lavished with the newest technology matched with art spanning styles from romantic to abstract. The outside was just as extravagant as the in. Fountains peppered the property like connect the dots. A figure appeared in the front entrance way. Fairly tall, thin, straight black hair hung over part of his face.
"Is everything ready K?" asked Dimitrious, with a slight bow the man led Devon to where his brother was. K had been Dimitrious’s butler for years now and seemed more like family then a servant. Dimitrious had hated the idea of servants and told K that he could leave whenever he wanted and he had as much free reign of the house as Dimitrious had. The room Devon's brother was in looked as if at one point royalty had furnished the space. Stained glass windows framed by thick hearty curtains, blazing fireplace garnished with large flagstone that seemed to say that the room should be in a cabin rather a mansion. Lying in the middle of the bed looking more like a doll then a real person was Raziel. Over the years he had collected some impressive battle scars but all in all he didn’t look too worse for ware. Devon could remember stories his brother would spin about fights with knights and journeys to strange lands, magic in every word. To see him in his current state made both Dimitrious and Devon sick. This once great warrior reduced to this lath form. Pulling himself together Devon broke the silence
"What…..how…..how did this happen…how do you want me to help?"
"We can't figure it out. One moment he was talking to us, then like this the next."
Raziel stirred in his sleep. A look of pain washed over his face as a spot of red grew on the white linen sheets.
"Crap, not again. K, get some more bandages." Bolting out of the room K showed a speed that truly revealed how fast he could be. Blood continued to seep from a wound in Raziel’s side close to his ribs. As if on cue the sleeves on Devon’s shirt were rolled up to his elbow
"Does K know yet? About our family?" with a scan of the hall outside, Dimitrious gave a hushed answer.
"No not yet and I like to keep it that way. Just feed him and get it over with."
Scars down Devon's arm had nearly looked like scales. With a deep breath Devon moved his arm over Raziel's face and winced in anticipation of the pain. Raziel had locked on to Devon's arm like a child to a mother's hand. Blood slowly crept from around the sides of his moth adding new stains to the fabric. Prying Raziel from his arm was now the problem at hand. With one strong tug Devon pulled free with only minor tearing. Quickly pulling his sleeve down, he gathered up his strength and envisioned the wound closing up and healing as fast as possible.
'Hurry up with those wraps K or you're thrown out!" yelled Dimitrious still trying to keep his calm. Raziel's color returned and the writhing subsided, blood still staining his lips. With haste K returned with the wraps.
"Dimitrious will this do, this was the last of the bandages I could find."
"Good, now bind the wound, Raziel had attacked Devon so I'll take care of him. Inform me of how things go." As Dimitrious helped Devon out of the room, the wound on Devon’s arm had healed to a small scar.
"I've got other shirts in one of the guest rooms. I don't think you want to be wearing a blood stained and ripped one…"
"Is that all you can think about in a time like this? Brother is dieing and you care right now about my shirt? We need to find a way to stabilize him."
"Don't you think I know that, damn it?! I tried to stabilize him with my blood but it failed." Anger and frustration filled Dimitrious's face
"It seems only your blood calms the son of a bitch down." Dimitrious walked closer to Devon jabbing his finger into his chest and slowly pushing him closer to the wall.
"After I brought him out of the cold, and into my house. After I did everything to help him, you end up looking like the savior." Dimitrious started to walk away towards one of the many random rooms.
"There are some cloths in here. I shouldn't even care anymore."
With that last phrase the door to Raziel's room burst open. Seventy five year old wood splintered into shrapnel. Running towards the sound, Devon hoped for the best but knew he wouldn’t like what he would see if he entered the room. The door had only shattered out and the room had looked like it had been hit by a hurricane. Furniture tossed around like it was made of cheap plastic. Scanning the carnage K was cowering in a corner holding on to one of the side tables as if for dear life. Dimitrious entered in soon after. A genuine look of confusion replaced his dower demeanor.
"K, are you ok? What happened? Where's Raziel?" came a blur of questions.
K staggered to his feet. His left leg from mid-shin down drenched with blood.
"I….I….what the hell…" with a thud K dropped to the ground like a rag doll. Dimitrious scanned the room for any idea of what happened.
"Aren't you going to help him?" asked Devon slowly walking towards K. Dimitrious took his time answering which to Devon meant no. Finding some of the bandages K was going to use on Raziel, Devon wrapped up K's leg, but not before adding some of his own blood to speed up the healing process.
"You really shouldn't play with your food like that." Came a voice from everywhere in the room. The voice was older the either Dimitrious's or Devon's. It had a sense honor and experience that gave away who the voice belonged to. The sound wasn't coming from the room but from inside their heads.
"Where the hell are you Raziel?! We try to heal your injuries and this is what I get in return?"
"You were always the whiner Dimitri. Things haven’t really changed."
"We just wanted to help you. Why are you treating us like this?"
"You fools, I've been using you both and you can't even see it, fools”"
A figure started to form from the side of the wall close to them. The smell of sulfur and baked bread permeated the room. The hair on the back of Devon's neck started to feel on end. In an instant everything stopped. The smile on Raziel’s face as he preformed the finishing attack to the two confused brothers showed pure exuberant joy. Devon frowned; he had seen this carnage over thirty times now as the computer simulation wined down to its seemingly expected end.
"Computer, end program." The sound of the holographic projectors powering down filled him with such anger.
"Again he ends up as my demise…but why?" Devon had tried everything from joining Raziel earlier to not helping at all. Raziel had drempt of mixing the right combination of magic and science with the right combination of blood so he wouldn't have to feed anymore.
"Devon?" Delthos walked into the room, a look of concern washed over her face. Devon had been drenched in sweat from the simulation.
"You know I worry about you, stop the simulations for a wile, for me?" Devon looked past Delthos. It had been years since anyone had heard anything from Raziel and he knew Dimitri wouldn't be a problem. He held her in his arms,"something real” " Devon thought to himself drawing her into the embrace.
"I'll stop, I'm sorry I made you worry it's just that you of all people would want to see the theory proved." His hand found hers and all his stress melted away.
"When was the last time you fed?" Delthos's mothering kicked in. "you know how hard it hits you when you don't feed." Devon had been using a synthetic blend of blood that only helped for so long. Devon's eyes traced down Delthos. Soft purple hair cut shot in the back parted in the center framed a face that hinted at an Asian ancestry, a simple tunic fell over her shoulders, the crest in the shape of a dragon and phoenix twisted by the tail on her shoulder showed she was one of the crew members of the madcap, Devon's old ship.
"Where did you find that old thing?"
"Don't change the subject, when was the last time you fed?" Delthos's hand worked its way to the dagger at her side
"But I'm not…”."
"Drink, no ifs, ands or buts your drinking.” A line of crimson traced down her arm looking unnatural on her very fair skin. Flavor flooded Devon's mouth; he hadn't tasted real blood in over 6 months. Energy and hemoglobin flowed past his lips. a quick flash of iron hit his taste buds first, followed by a feeling of comfort and peace.the feeling was short lived. for guilt and fear crept into his mind. making sure not to damage her arm he pulled away tentatively.
"I can't do this anymore, I'm afraid you'll get hurt like her." his eye sight fell upon a portrait of a women in her mid thirty's dressed in a Victorian style gown with Devon at her side. Delthos knew he had another wife before her but he hardly ever talked about her, she had other husbands before him so they respected each others pasts and left them there, in the past. the problem with vampires is that there whole life is the past.
"I told you the same won't happen to me. that was another time and place." bringing Devon closer, her head in his chest, she stood there feeling the rhythm of his breathing and the slight weak pounding of what was left of his heart. she felt that over the years she was the one that brought that little bit back. When Devon first met Delthos he was like a walking corpse. no emotion and no humanity. she had been ordered to study him and understand how he worked (axewood had very little experience with vampires and to protect their city wanted to know as much as possible) by that time Devon had been stalking her just as much as she was stalking him. Like all things life changing it happened in a flash. she was sleeping one morning when she had that un-nerving feeling that someone was in her room. she had informed the inn that she was not to be disturbed turing the day due to her "nightlife". reaching for the dagger under her pillow, she opened her eyes to see Devon floating over her head with a truely unnerving smile on his face
"normalily I'm the one who hunts but with you I'll make an exception, you "catch" me, but I want something in return." stated the vampire as his hand snapped out at hers nearly breaking it at the wrist.
"I could just leave you here for the innkeeper to find." the smile faded into a look of pure unadulterated animosity. Just before his fangs were about to tear into her neck he stopped and kissed her.
"tag, your it." the look on Delthos's face changed from fear to anger. she did not like being toyed with and that is what this ghoul was doing. memories of that night were brought up from devon's reaction to trying to feed him. he had been acting fairly childish lately, whenever he would leave his study he would always treat her as if she didn't understand what was going on and as if there was some grand scheme that she wasn't a part of.

Delthos stepped away and gave Devon some room, he passed back and forth nearly wearing a spot on the floor, every once and awile looking back over at the portrait on the wall.
"when are we going to talk about...."Delthos was cut off by the look on his face. Tears were starting to well up in his eyes, a red tint slowly painted his brown eyes making them look fiery.
"tell me about her, please?" her voice was soft and comforting. the room exploded with emotion, in a flash the painting on the wall was shattered and parts of it still clasped in Devon's hands. his words masked his feelings, a calm filled his voice, nearly down to a whisper.
"you'll never imagine how much she meant to me." the skin on his knuckles started to nearly tare from the force of his grip, the wood splintered under his grasp. "the only one who ever came close to her was you, do you truly wish to know?" he paused for what seemed a lifetime "She was the mother to my child, she was my night and day, she was my LIFE!" with that last word the remains of the wooden frame exploded from the pressure. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I DON'T WANT TO FEED?" he fell to the floor his hands already healing around the open cuts from the wood but large shards still remained. He spoke again this time nearly in a mumble. "I killed her." the words were too quiet for her to hear. they slowly started to run into a mantra like passe. "I killed her, I killed herIkilledherIkilledher." nearly crying he continued. "Her and my daughter died by my hands, and every time I look at you I see their faces."
"I....I had no idea..." she walked up to devon, slowly reaching to his face. in less then an instant her hand was smacked away.
" YOU STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND." his hand swung and smacked her in the face. the force of the frustrated vampire sent her flying through the air landing in the rubble that was a table and chair. the room shimmered again, the floors wooden panels giving way to a soft carpet. the walls smoothed from stone to a soft metal sheen. the features of the room reminded him he was in the madcap. looking out the window of the room the sky was dark and filled with stars as far as the eye could see. Fae'run floating in the blackness of space below them. the sound of a chime broke his stare into the abyss. a panel on the wall blinked, crying out for his attention.


churning through my block new stuff in about a month