Clem sat back on his office chair rubbing the sides of his temples. Telling the horrific tales of nearly forgotten wars of our kind seemed to take its toll on him. The attributes of the wars signified everything that he was against and repulsed by. It disgusted me as well. I never knew that our kind could be responsible for such evil deeds. The acts that Sekhmet committed against Odin and the other children of Midgard were unforgivable and hopefully, she was burning in the vast blazes of hell now. I wondered though how she finally met her end. Was her rival Athena successful in killing her or was Sekhmet victorious and she met her doom some other way? She would have to be dead by now otherwise. I'm sure humans would be well aware of the existence of vampires since she lived her life in the open.

I was hoping that the gruesome stories of the age old wars still might hold information pertaining to her. I, for one was convinced that she was older than the Empire although I couldn't begin to guess how old she truly was. In addition, Venenum Memoria. If it was truly what she had used against me, then it would prove that she was indeed of advanced age. Clem was still torn on the subject. He was inquiring to know how such an ancient could have stayed in the shadows for so long. His mind also invoked other questions such as: if she was truly from a world that no one remembers, then perhaps there were more of her kind as well. But it was strange indeed. If the ancients were as powerful as Clem claimed, then why hide? The entire elite guard of the Empire would be no match against them if Clem's descriptions were correct. Were they hiding from the Empire or something else entirely?

"Raven, these stories really upset me and my nature rejects them completely. I know it sounds somewhat strange, but my being simply cannot handle the intense emotions they ignite within me. I will tell you about Athena, and leave the story of the meeting between her and Sekhmet for later."

I grimaced. I was actually looking forward to hearing about the incredible power struggle of the wars and the history that glorified the evil that emerged from the darkness that both vampires spread. But I could see the weariness in Clem's eyes. His nature was completely positive and was repulsed by destruction, murder, and torture. I guess he also had the right to compromise. I nodded agreeing. He seemed relaxed by my posture.

"Athena. Humans have immortalized her in Greek mythology as the goddess of wisdom, civilization, strength, strategy, craft, justice, and skill. Every single one of her attributes very much roars war. She, in fact was a warmonger. Athena was very cunning and enjoyed watching her enemies to die a slow and painful death. It was because of her that werewolves rose to power during the fourth and third millennium B.C.E."

"How so?" This was the first time I ever heard that werewolves had any sort of power during some time in the world. They were wanderers, much like vampires and were very few in number even before Draven and Duncan began hunting them to the brink of extinction. They were far too uncontrolled to form any sort of alliances or armies consisting of themselves.

"She bred them."

"What!" Unbelievable! Athena actually bred werewolves? For what sick and sadistic reason would any vampire wish to associate with them let alone breed them.

"I don't believe I ever covered this specific topic in my lectures about werewolves. However, as I have said, Athena very much enjoyed seeing her enemies suffer to a point where they would beg for death. This was the reason why she captured a werewolf and allowed it to infect other humans. You need to understand, my son, that werewolves have been described as the mortal enemy of vampires since the dawn of time. The feud between our two species isn't just disgust for one another, but it even travels beneath our skins. Our species also seemed to be at war at the cellular level. The venom of vampires if injected into a werewolf has devastating effects. It will break down the werewolf's DNA and causes the destruction of the integrity of their cells. This process also works vise versa. The deadly venom of a werewolf causes a very slow and immensely painful death to a vampire. It has been described as the most gruesome and cruel way to torture and eventually murder our kind. The pain the werewolf venom can cause in our systems is said to be just as dreadful as the transformation procedure. It was for this very reason why Athena bred them."

I think I was able to draw out the difference between Athena and Sekhmet. Sekhmet was forward and repugnant while Athena seemed to be more cunning and sneaky. It was monstrous to think that she actually used werewolves to murder vampires in such a way.

"Athena was a very intelligent vampire. Not only does she use the venom of werewolves to kill her enemy. She also used them as a front line during battle. She viewed them very much like pawns on a chess board. She would send them out against her enemies and weaken them and waited for the right time until her own followers could move in, and finish the job. She was very strategic in that sense. Now, there was a very powerful difference between Athena and Sekhmet. Sekhmet who despised love and fellowship would not allow attachment for herself or her followers. However, Athena did have one thing that bound her to love. It was her son, Daedalus. It was he who bore the idea of using werewolves as pawns. The legends described him to be a mixture of Sekhmet and Athena personality wise. He was as cruel as Sekhmet and deceitfully cunning like his mother. It was he who created the labyrinth of Fenrir on Crete. Human myth describes that it was a Minotaur that inhabited the labyrinth but it was in fact a very powerful werewolf. For a very long time, vampires have searched for the maze, but were unable to ever discover it. However, with the unearthing of Fenrir, the Empire believed that the maze might have existed or better yet, still exists. Their hunt however, always turned out empty."

Interesting! So the mythological labyrinth of Daedalus was real? Since there was a werewolf present in the maze, I was sure that it was a place of punishment for vampires. I couldn't see any alternative reason for creating such a place. In myth, Daedalus was described to be quite the engineer. Clem seemed to be nearly at the end of his strength.

"Athena was described as a very expressionless vampire with no emotions. She only smiled when she saw her enemies beg for mercy. Even towards her son, she showed no affection whatsoever. She was hollow. However, this did not stop her from nearly burning Greece and sinking it beneath the earth. Like Sekhmet, Athena had no respect for life and murdered humans in a way that made Sekhmet's attrocities seemed to be way decent. She would literally create a buffet. In her temple, she housed a fairly long bronze table that could hold at least fifty vampires. The trays of the table consisted of a variety of different humans. There were men and women with young children including infants. Their dinners were described as true acts of Satanism. Screaming, slashing, tearing, biting, eating sounds."

Clem shivered and buried his face in his hands. I was sure that this was the end for tonight. If I wanted more, then I would have to either read it in the index or ask him some other time.

It was a shame, however. Even though these stories sounded like they came straight from hell, they were still fascinating in certain aspects. It was quite disturbing to think that monsters such as vampire's inspired mythological gods and heroes in human mythology. Who knew how many more rose to such a status.

Clem unburied his face and took a deep and cleansing breath before allowing a pleasant smile to reappear on his features. He sat back up in his chair and was prepared to hear why I was intrigued by the age old stories. I guess I would have to hold up my end of the bargain, but there was still something I wanted to know before I'd let Clem in on the meeting with her.

"Tell me one more thing Clem. What happened to the ancients? You continuously claimed that they died out or even faded from memory, but I think that's ludicrous. We are immortals. How could such powerful entities evaporate from time?"

Clem narrowed his eyes and glared at me amused. He thought that I was trying to draw out more time so I wouldn't have to honor the end of my bargain, but I think he knew that I would. He began to suspect more and more that I knew information that he did not. However, his amused glaring suddenly fell and a sad expression started to travel across his complexion. It was like he hoped that I would never ask this question. He did! He breathed agonized by his thoughts that he hid well behind a wall of stone.

"They disappeared for the very reason why I always worry about you so much, son. Not all vampires possess the stamina for immortality."

"Why?"

"We live forever, but sometimes, some of us have nothing to live for. Many vampires lost their mates during the wars, Raven. The relationships that we formed between the ones that we loveed are more powerful than humans could ever imagine. When we love, we love hard. It was a bond that can be sustained throughout endless millennia. When that reason gets lost or dies, then it would feel like there was nothing left to live for. I know through my observations of Acheron. I told you how Acheron's ancient brother Duncan lost his wife, Velvet. He has been a hollow man ever since her death, and there was no life left within him. Our kind generally had a better understanding with the dealings of their reservations and the emotional distress that emanates from it when they have someone by their side. Since you never had someone that you could share a deeper bond with than us, it must still be more difficult for you to accept these terms. Even more so than Luna, although you do an excellent job of hiding your feelings for the majority of the time."

Oh enough already. Clem always held the ability to see right through me to my very annoyance, but his worry although with the best attentions in mind was completely unnecessary. I couldn't even picture myself with someone in that way. I was never able to.

"After the wars were over, many ancients sought out others of their kind and provoked them in order to summon violent results that led to their deaths. I don't believe that there was a single vampire coven that was not affected by the wars. Many lost a great deal during those times and gave up on immortality after their stamina's were depleted. I, myself cannot imagine living for thousands of years. Although I very much could, knowing that my family will forever be by my side."

Could I live forever? Would I one day look back to this moment once three or four thousand years have passed? The thought of living for countless eras was... displeasing. Two hundred and nine years were bad enough, but to go through it for so many more years? Maybe Clem had a reason to worry after all. Besides my family, there was nothing for me here, only death. It was nauseating to think about it. Countless sunrises, lunar eclipses, and the eternal thought that one will be forever immortal. The mood in the office became quite unpleasant. The thought of how hard Chalice and Clem would take if I wouldn't be here about five hundred years from now was harassing. Sometimes it seemed like I was already at the end of my strength.
I was already dead so all that remained of me for the moment was my mind. Perhaps one day it would fade away as well.

"So. Might I now know why you asked me to tell you all of this? I'm curious what sprung your sudden interest for vampire history." Clem crossed his arms expectantly. He seemed like a child who did a job well done and was now waiting for his reward.

How should I start? I promised I would tell him so there was no way out of it. I was a man of my word. Maybe it would be best just to show him. My wounded hand which was covered by other hadn't moved ever since he began speaking about the old tales. I exhaled sharply and was somewhat nervous but, here went nothing.

I freed my hand and pointed the surface of my thumb directly at him. His expression was beyond anything I imagined. Clem's smile immediately disappeared as he took notice of my scar. His arms uncrossed instantaneously and gripped the sides of his chair, and his eyes seemed prepared to pop out at any moment.

The mark of the gods!

The what?

In what seemed like not even a fraction of a second, Clem had literally jumped over his desk and stood next to me encircling my hand in his. I got to my feet to allow him a better look at my wound. Both of his thumbs lined the sides of my own as his index finger slowly and carefully examined the surface and traced the lines of my crescent shaped scar. His expression was almost that of someone who had just seen a ghost. I saw the pupils of his eyes move in synchronization with the movements of his finger. Clem began shaking his head slowly and kept thinking to himself the mark of the gods, the mark of the gods. He exhaled with whimpering lips continuing shaking his head.

"Raven, what happened to you?" I frowned when half way through his question. I could hear four distinct pairs of feet making their way upstairs and one rounding the corners from Scar's room.

Is there any privacy in this house? Suddenly, there was a constant knock on Clem's office door that wouldn't stop until Clem finally told them to come in. Scar was the first to enter followed by Chalice, my brothers, and then Luna marching in annoyed.

Scar joined Clem's side and saw my defect at which point her jaw dropped. Chalice looked in-between Clem and Scar while Gnash and Garnet looked at it over my shoulder. I felt like an artifact at the museum of natural history.

"Well, Clem, it's only my opinion anyway, a long story."

"Start from the beginning."

So I told them. I told them how I was on a routine mission to collect Chalice' books when a most soothing and calming perfume caught my attention and my feet on their own accord started to follow it. They all seemed amused by the fact that I couldn't help myself, but to follow the scent, like a dog unwillingly trying to find the dog whistle that's been blown. The thought of that alone infuriated me. The amusement faded though when I finally described how she appeared from out of nowhere. Her scent had come to a complete stop and not one of my superior senses could preemptively alert me to her presence until finally she just stood behind me. The mood in the room grew grimmer when I spoke of how I was absolutely paralyzed and was unable to move even one inch during the entire confrontation.

Clem thought it to be impossible. The others were astounded by my lack of defense and the ease in which she took what she wanted. When I began to talk about the process that I now knew was known as venenum memoria, Clem's thoughts were finally illuminated to why I was interested in the ancient wars and the ancients themselves. I tried with the best of my abilities to describe the feeling of having drops of our venom slowly leaving the body and the violated feeling that accompanied those emotions.

Scar was in distress. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown of how she was unable to detect any of these events. The thing that disturbed her the most was the fact that she stayed almost completely off her radar.

Gnash was disgusted. The wars that he had to endure were nothing compared to the millennia raging war of the ancients yet still he was repulsed by the idea of drinking another vampire's venom. Chalice had no thoughts to give. She didn't know what to think except that it was her fault. If she hadn't asked me to run to Port Angeles for her to obtain her books, then there would be no scar on my thumb now. Luna tried to ignore our circle, and was still angry with me. Although, she was just as bad as me when it came to the element of curiosity, and had an array of questions herself concerning the vampire that I believed to be an ancient.

Garnet. Garnet. Sometimes I believed that his name said it all. There was only one thing he thought about the whole thing.

Hehehehe. Kinky.

I turned around and threw him a dark look. He raised his brows innocently.

Just wait, I thought, just wait until one day when I'll get you.

Clem's thoughts were complied of a plethora amount of theories that began to form as soon as I began telling the story. He examined my thumb carefully and began thinking purposely about his earlier thoughts. I think he didn't want anybody else to hear this part.

"The mark of the gods was a scar that very few vampires possessed throughout the vast span of millennia. The scar was a symbol of the past and represented the age old wars. It revealed the presence, and the power of the ancients. Vampires used to believe that those who walked with the scar were under the protection of the faded ones themselves. At a later point, it was discovered that, that particular thought wasn't all too untrue. Cerberus himself marked Acheron with this scar and took his memories in the process. Unfortunately, it was not early enough to detect Acheron's betrayal if Raven was right on that account. He marked Acheron in order to establish protection over the entire coven he created. It was very much like branding a seal on an animal and claiming lordship over it. Though I don't believe that intend is meant in that particular respect."

The ancients used venenum memoria to establish protection over covens? But there weren't any other vampires in these parts. Furthermore, I could see how the symbol could have been used millennia ago, but in this day and age? The wars ended over four thousand years ago and the ancient ways of the old ones were, but forgotten. I planned to ignore this small bit of information regarding the protection of a coven. Her response after taking my venom to me indicated that she thanked me for my memories. I would kill to know why she took them in the first place.

Clem released my hand and walked over to the window overseeing the river and folded his hands behind his back, deep in thought.

"If you ask me, I think the next time we meet her if we even do, we should perceive her as a threat. She already attacked Raven. Who is to say that she won't do it again? In addition, because of Raven's telepathy, she doesn't just know everything about him, but also about the rest of us. Who's to say she wasn't gathering facts about us for some unknown reason and plans." Gnash ramble was interrupted by Clem's almost angry voice.

"Enough!"

None of us had ever heard him take such a tone. He was marveling at the dark blue river in the darkness of the night. His mind was already made up, and came to a decision concerning the unintentional relationship to our foreign guest. He turned around with a hard face, and his golden eyes were almost as piercing as her dark rubies were.

"All of you listen to me now. If ever any amount of time should you meet our guest again, I want you to back out of the environment and run. If you see her from a distance, run. If you detect her scent then, turn the other way."

"But Clem..." I tried to protest. If I couldn't commune with her, then I would never get the answers I so desperately sought.

"No! You have no idea what you are dealing with. None of you have seen the fear in Acheron's eyes when he described those that came long before they did. The things we do know about the ancient's gave us reason for concern, while the things that remain to be unknown frightened us even more. The last thing we want to do, is invoke the wrath of one of them. If she truly is one of them, then she comes to us from a very dark place in time. We are dealing with a thousand of years old instinct that cannot be swayed and in most cases, not even reasoned with. We do not want to provoke nor offend her. It might just be the last thing we ever do."

Garnet and Gnash were doubtful about Clem's order. Seven against one, she wouldn't last very long. They were being immensely ignorant. We didn't know how powerful vampires became after the years and in addition, we were blind to how old she truly was. Who knew what else she was capable of? I didn't want to follow Clem's advice. I wanted to meet her again and shed light upon my confusion.

"I will only say this once more. I forbid you to associate with her in any way. We are dealing with a creature that was way beyond our understanding." Clem was persistent and wanted to get his point across.

Garnet began to argue his point however.

"Oh come on, Clem. There were seven of us and one of her. What could she possibly do or try to accomplish here?" He was by far way to overconfident. Clem furrowed his brows and was now almost angry.

"It took Acheron, Duncan, Draven, their wives, and three of the elite guards to bring down their ancient maker, Cerberus. They were also much more skilled than we are. You don't seem to understand the seriousness of this situation, Garnet."

Garnet remained silent. He wasn't going to argue much more. He said what he needed and was turned down easily by Clem. The lack of visions Scar received concerning her was troublesome as well. How much longer would I have to wait until I got what I wanted? Why couldn't I go out and meet her. Why not let me search every single field, climb every tree, and look beneath every rock to look for her. My curiosity was overflowing. I needed cups of answers that could lessen the amount.

"Once more, I advice caution to us all." And with that, Clem ended the discussion.

Although this, was far from over.