Fear

"It's OK John, we're safe." Brittany said softly, kissing his cheek.

John nodded slowly, sliding his sword back into its scabbard, "where are we?"

"Kosciuszko National Park, we have a safe house here," Janet smiled, "only myself and Maree know about this place, the humans that built it decades ago are long gone."

John simply nodded, his shoulder throbbed uncomfortably, but he leaned into Brittany for the comfort of her touch, "who was he Janet?"

"What do you mean John?"

"He called himself the King, I need to know who he is."

Janet gripped her husbands hand tightly, Grace just looked confused, "mother, what is he talking about?"

Janet suddenly looked a lot older, "Jonah... He is your predecessor, like you he found his mistress through a troubling story, like you he quickly bonded, like you he had power, like you he defended his Queen from many threats."

"What happened to him Janet?" Brittany asked, steel in her voice.

"Esmeralda, she was poisoned, a toxin we now have a cure for mind you, but 400 years ago, there was no such luxury. We had procedures in place to contain him, but we didn't know they had completed the prophecy in private, you are the Yin to the Queen's Yang, John. When one soul is destroyed, it takes the other with it, this is what Brittany felt when your heart stopped during the attack.

"Without a soul, his grief turned to madness and he became obsessed with ruling in his mistresses place, we tried to stop him, but he escaped, time and time again, taking many lives in the process, both vampire and human. It was then we realised the truth, as a sentinel, he was capable of greatness, but without his Queen, he was merely a weapon, we have been fighting him ever since, trying desperately to find the next King or Queen before he did, which is why I was living as your neighbour, I had no idea that Brittany would be Queen, but I knew you were a sentinel."

"... So that is my fate if Brittany shall die? To be a monster?"

"You won't fail John." Grace snapped, before realising she had spoken up and clasped her hands to her mouth.

"I'm not one to hold onto hope, but you faced him once already and lived, that hasn't happened before." Janet said with a sad smile.

John frowned at the grim memory, while could admit to himself that he was outmatched in his ability to manipulate the planes, he was the better swordsman.

"He's not dead, injured, but not dead."

"I had hoped otherwise," Janet sighed, "he won't underestimate you next time."

John nodded slowly, "neither will I."

The rest of the drive was silent, there was nothing more to discuss at the time. John was left deep in thought, a slow understanding of Jonah crawled into his mind. Jonah wasn't always a monster, he was a product of madness, a being so totally destroyed he fell back on his anger for the world, blaming those around him for the death of his Queen. John knew deep down how much Jonah hurt, but he could only barely comprehend the feeling of losing Brittany. Jonah wasn't a monster by choice... But he still had to be stopped, Brittany would never be safe while he lived.

The limousine pulled up, John felt the motion stop, he waited, listening to the driver open his door, moving around to open theirs, instinctively, he grasped one of the knives he had kept hidden in his sleeve, but as the door opened, there was the security chief.

"Your majesty," he bowed, offering his hand.

"Has the building been secured?" John snapped, stepping out of the vehicle first.

The security chief stood tall, "No my Lord, though it has been on lock-down, nobody in or out for the last six years."

"Open the door, wait here with the Queen, I want to double check."

The chief wasn't going to argue, turning towards the front entrance, a large metal door, and unlocked it, swinging it open for John. John however took the area in, the large building looked more like a fallout shelter, little more than a concrete entrance that buried itself into the side of a mountain, he hoped the facility wasn't too large, because the sky was lightening, and there didn't seem any way to get everyone inside if the sun was already up, and there was several vehicles to empty.

John nodded at the chief as he walked in, pulling the door closed behind him to break his line of sight, that's all he needed. Tearing through the facility, it only went back a few hundred meters, but there was four stories, the top looked like meeting rooms, the second, kitchens and storage, the third had a war room and an armoury large enough to supply a small military for several months, the lowest level was the barracks and a few private rooms. John returned to the front door, opening it up the chief was still standing there.

"Is there a problem Lord Smith?"

"The facility is empty, thank you...?"

"Gregory my Lord."

"Thank you Gregory."

John himself offered his hand to Brittany, helping her from the vehicle, quickly ushering her inside while Gregory helped in the others. John sat, watching the sunrise, worry plastered across his face, the feeling of warm light on his cheeks didn't bring him comfort, but it did tell him he was still alive. Brittany had been escorted to their room, Maree was being cared for in a medical suite on the lowest level, the name of the young man killed by the cloaked vampire in the tunnel was Darrel. He was a close friend of Graces, John hoped not too close. The sound of footsteps halting half way up the stairs signalled the return of Gregory.

"My Lord, please close the door and join us downstairs."

"Gregory, how long have you been a vampire?" Ignoring his request.

"Almost two-hundred years my Lord"

"Seeing as you are far older, and I would assume wiser, please stop calling me Lord, I didn't ask for this title and I did nothing to deserve it." John grumbled.

"May I speak freely... John?"

"I would expect nothing less."

"I was turned, after my wife was killed. A casualty of Jonah's rebellion, a six-man strike team failed to assassinate him, but between them, all they did was injure him severely enough he fled. My wife was pregnant at the time he stumbled across her walking home from the store, she had a good heart, wanting to help him, but he used her instead for a meal. I lost everything that night, I found her, drained and broken on the steps of our home, already cold when I came home from work." he sucked in a deep breath, trying to control his breathing.

"Janet found me wondering the streets, she had tracked me down, gave me the opportunity to protect the future monarchs, to give me a chance to feel justice. In two-hundred years, I have felt that justice slip through my fingers three more times, as three more potential monarchs fell to blade or bullet. Then you came along, we knew all about you, we feared you for your hatred of our kind, there was even discussions of having you killed, but Janet refused, she could see what the others could not, the power, the hunger for balance in this world, the capability of love and the makings of a leader. Then you found the Queen, and I feared once again that my chance at justice would be swept away... You are the first, in four-hundred years, to face Jonah alone and live. As far as I am concerned, you have already proved yourself more worthy of the title Lord than any other, and I will follow you and the Queen until the end of days."

John sat, pondering his words, "...What if I fail Gregory? What if I become the very thing we seek to destroy?"

"... The prophecy states that you will bring great change, guided by the Queen, for good or ill. I have no doubt you will change the world John, one way or another."

End Part One...