The dark figures surrounded me, guiding me forwards to my destiny, to the figure ahead of me. Repulsive it was, and yet it drew me in. The rot of it's body disturbed me in ways I cannot recount, the open wounds, dribbling a substance other than blood, but which held the same dark appeal. Yellow pustules adorned it's face and hands, and yet the disgust I felt was matched by an admiration for a creature of such strength it could survive with such a handicap. The eyes, though, disturbed me the most. One was a mere ball of pus, held together by the maggots crawling within it. The other, a deeply attractive orb of a deep, rich, bloody red. It was the only attractive feature on that body, yet it drew me closer and closer to it, unable to resist the dark love I felt for it ...

... the force which flung me downwards from above. I shook, on the damp, yielding dirt, as I caught a glimpse of what had hit me as it landed in front of the abomination. dressed in white robes, with black hair streaming out behind the figure, it was an angel from above. Indeed, a pair of wings stood proud from the heavenly creature's back. With a movement as fluid as time itself, it drew a rapier from it's belt, and pieced the abomination through its one good eye.

When the figure was gone, I felt the tip of the blade touch my forehead. A voice like a thousand swords rippled past my ear. "Stay still, little one. We'll get you out."

The rapier cut with surprising ease through the stuff surrounding me, destroying that which was fogging my actions and perceptions. It fell away, to reveal a pleasant, smiling young man, twenty or more, perhaps. He was clad in a white robe, but it swept just above the ground. He held a sharp rapier in his hand, and behind him, a pair of feathered wings lay folded against his back. His smile widened as he saw my face, then froze. "Kid, open your mouth." I did so, and he whistled. "OK, errm, kid, just feel your teeth"

I did so, running my hands along my gums. They felt fine, but the man in front of me shook his head, and pulled my hand down to my canines. Then I understood what he meant. They were long and pointed!

"I'm a .... I'm a ...."

"That's right kid. You're a vampire. Or at least, you were." He paused, his lilting voice suddenly absent. "You see, no matter what you were, now we're all the same. Dead."

I couldn't believe it. Dead? I looked around, at the landscape I found myself in, and I sighed. The tree's, instead of being strong and proud, were bent almost double to the ground. Maggots and spiders crawled from the dying trunks, scurrying to the layer of decomposing leaves, which rustled occasionally as some large creature passed through it. The trees were brown, trunks and leaves. The decaying matter on the floor glistened an oily black, a strange, sweet smell rising from any disturbance in the fetid decay. Purple clouds raced across the sky, and shapes danced amongst them, shapes that were both impossible and deadly.

The angel followed my gaze. "We call them Spectres. They're like us, dead, but they serve out enemy. Oblivion"

This statement, for no appreciable reason, brought a groan to my lips. Was there a place without fighting? I'd. apparently, died, but still I had to fight. The angel smiled.

"We don't fight them all the time, just occasionally, when we need to." He beckoned me to sit on a bench, which I did. He followed with the same easy grace. "The names Craig, kid. People who get to know me call me the Fencing Angel." He nodded at his rapier, which was coated with the fluid of that body "It was a hobby of mine while I was alive. You?"

I paused. My name? I knew I had one. Everyone had a name. It was one of the things they held most dear. And my name was important to me. It ... had been. But I couldn't remember it. At all. I didn't know who I was.

The angel calling himself Craig smiled. "Don't worry about it. I couldn't remember my name at first. Until you find out, we'll call you kid. For once, we've got someone who looks the part." He extended his hand, and I shook it gratefully. "But there are a few hints. One, you were a vampire, and they don't die much. Two, you're a kid, and so in a minority amongst them. It should be easy to find out." He smiled reassuringly at me, as I leaned back against the bench.

"I was a vampire?" I felt the two jutting canines. "Must have been, I suppose. But - "

" - but right now, we got to get you somewhere safe. Like the cemetery." He grabbed my hand and stood up. "Come on, kid. Come fly." With that, he launched himself into the air, dragging me after him.

The air buffeted me from side to side, until Craig pulled me in to him, holding me tightly. I could still feel the rushing wind, but the lights below me made me gasp in astonishment. Thousands of lights, the streets, houses, cars, all moving in patterns, connected through threads of tenuous coincidences and by feelings of love and hate, fear and attraction. "It's ... beautiful" My voice was a whisper, one I could hardly hear above the wind, but Craig nodded.

"It's the flip side to death. Life. It's all around us, though we aren't a part of it anymore. We can slip into it for a time, but not for long." He seemed sad. "Never for long."

The rest of the trip took place in silence, apart from the winds

The graveyard was in a further state of decay. Crumbling stone, covered in moss, predominated. In the distance, I could see a mansion, made of a dark stone. Ivy almost covered the bricks, leaving brightly polished brass rails on the windows. The doors were made of heavy oak, the same dark colour as the stone. It seemed unaffected by the decay around it, almost as if it were in a different world.

"The old Seville House." Craig had followed my gaze "We avoid it now. It has a reputation for being haunted, and that attracts ghost hunters. We avoid them." He smiled suddenly, picking me up and holding me close to him. "It's not all gloom and despair, you know. I - We all work together now. We're like a family." I felt my face flicker at that word, and he nodded. "An orphan, huh? We can learn a lot about you, kid."

I nodded, wanting to know about myself as well. Looking around, I could see a group of figures in the distance, clustered together. Some of them dressed in almost contemporary clothes, while others appeared far more archaic. Reds and blues, though faded, mixed with dusty blacks and off-whites. The only constant amongst them, as far as I could see, was their eyes. A resolute look lay in them all, from the small figure laughing on a tombstone to the woman stood slightly back, her head inclined away from the group. Her lips moved, and the figures stopped in their animated movements, turning to look at Craig ... and then at me.

I felt Craig push me forwards and I stumbled towards them. They began walking towards us, smiling at me. One of them, dressed in a long black cloak, reached out a pale hand. His voice was deep and resonant as he spoke.

"Greetings, child. May I ask your business in the Necropolis of this fine city?" A low chuckle ran through the group, obviously finding humour in something he said. Craig stepped forwards, placing his hands on my shoulders defensively.

"Before we make a judgement on this kid, if any of you want to raise issue about it, you'll be fighting me." He removed one of his hands and placed it on his rapier. "Okay, kid. Smile."

I did as I was told, and gasps of shock ran about the group. Except for one of them, a dark figure stood a little back, who growled at me, putting his hand on a sword of his own, then settling for a dirty look.

"A good decision, Magic. A very good decision." Craig stepped so that he was on one side of me, his left hand on my shoulder, the other holding his rapier. "I reaped the boy, not long ago. He's mine, but I think we'll make a Wraith of him yet, once we find out his name."

Young and confused as I was, I could sense the hostility between these two. It was in more than the voices, it was in their whole stances to each other. The figure who had welcomed me coughed genteelly, breaking the tension. "Not to deny the chance for a fight, but could we get on with the business at hand? Namely, our young charge." He nodded at me.

My angelic friend nodded. "Sorry. But like I said, the kid is gonna be protected. By us all. We know what happened last time something like this happened."

They nodded, hair tumbling about their faces. As Craig took my hand, they began to move back to their previous spot, and Craig and I followed then. He squeezed my hand, and I smiled at him, trying to relax.

Once we were inside the clearing in the graves, they all took up odd positions. The youngish one sat on top of a gravestone, swinging one leg forwards, then the other. The woman who had seen us, dressed in stylish, but dated clothes, stood a little way off, a preoccupied expression on her face. The man dressed solely in black leaned casually against a mausoleum, his cape fluttering in the wind, wrapping itself about his slim body. Craig, the only one who's name I knew, leapt on top of a low tomb, crouching there, an alert look on his face. The one referred to as 'Magic' just stood in the shadows, staring at me.

I took a step inside, and squatted on the ground, my back against a mound of earth. Without thinking, I pulled a knife out of my sleeve, flicking it from hand to hand, playing with it, running my finger along the blade.

I might not have noticed, but the others did. The dark figure looked at me, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, we have an armed one here. Ooooh. And he comes peacefully?"

"Grow up, Black Magic. You're armed. Craig's armed. Hell, Lilly's got her wooden shaft. Leave the kid his toy." The small figure looked down at me. "The names Rose. I help keep these people from killing each other again. Know who you are?" I shook my head, but she didn't stop talking "I mean, you're pretty unique, so it shouldn't take long to find out. We got plenty of time to teach you about the good and the bad stuff about death, you see." She hadn't paused to breathe - not much point really. "Some of them think I get really long winded, but I just like to get things off my chest. It can be kinda useful when people are screaming, the Shadows on the up and up, and -"

"That's enough, Rose." The caped figure cut her off lazily. "I think I should introduce us. They call me John. I'm a member of the Proctors guild. Ex-guild to tell the truth, but I still tend to get maudlin about the old days." The others all grinned, though I couldn't see the joke, as he looked around. "Well? Tell the kid your names."

"Lilly." The figure stood a little way didn't turn, staring straight ahead into whatever she was seeing. "Nothing else. Just Lilly"

"They call me Black Magic." The figure spat the words at me. "I'm a Helldiver, which means I take down those who are corrupt and tainted. So watch yourself, kid."

I took the hint, putting the knife away, and pulling my arms and legs in. Trouble was something I wanted to avoid ... and there was something about what the Helldiver had said ... Something that was important. Hunting down the corrupt ... I shook my head, snapping myself out of it.

The cemetery was empty. I couldn't believe it! Had I fallen asleep or something? ... No, they just don't want to look after me ... The rogue thought came from nowhere. They obviously cared! If they hadn't, why wouldn't they ... have looked after me, not left ...? I shook my head, not wanting to think these thoughts.

... Why not? They're true ...

"No!" I didn't care I was speaking out loud. "They wouldn't just leave!"

... But they did. And be quiet, little child. You make a fool of yourself ...

"Who are you?" I whispered, not knowing what was happening.

... I'm part of you. I want to look after you. Not like them. Ask them what happens to those who disobey the rules ...

"What happens?" But the voice was silent.

I got to my feet, unsure of what had just happened. Already the memory of the voice was fading. Had I really thought those things? Apart from Black Magic, they had treated me with perfect respect. And even he had helped in his own rough way. He had tried to keep me grounded, calm. Hadn't he?

Without realising it, I had come to the gates of the cemetery. I reached out to open them, and watched as my hand went straight though the metal. I tried again, and the same thing happened. And again. I stopped, thinking. Then walked straight through them.

I looked around, walking quietly through the half visible figures that plodded along the sidewalks. Smiling, I danced through the crowds, across the street, safe, knowing they couldn't touch or see me. My dance led me through streets, through parks, across bridges, to a lake.

Abruptly, I stopped. Why had I come here? The night sky shimmered on the surface of the water, the moon and stars shining gently, both above and below. Apart from the woods, I could only go back to the city from here. I saw a low building, almost invisible against the trees behind it and the sky above it. I stood, watching it, fascinated by it, suddenly wanting to go inside.

"Is that you again?" The comment was whispered, but the voice inside was still silent. That dark, serious tone it had struck before disturbed me, and I didn’t know why. I didn’t know anything about it.

I began to walk towards the building, skirting the lake. I glanced at the cars. Almost all of them were expensive, with tinted windows. Hmmm.

The door swung open as I got to it, and I jumped out of the way, throwing myself to the ground. Two men, dressed in dark suits walked out, heading for the car park. I didn’t see their faces, but somehow I knew they were trouble. I got to my feet, and slipped through the quickly closing door.

The room was long and dark, the ceiling low. It was obviously a bar - tables were scattered around, people were sat drinking. I wandered around, looking at the faces. Most meant nothing to me, though a few seemed familiar.

I turned towards the bar itself, then froze. The woman working there, I knew her! Blood trickled down her face from her eyes, and she was talking to a waiter.

"- could have waited a few days before slandering him!" The other figure nodded, mixing someone a cocktail in a way that seemed so familiar. "He was just a kid, for God’s sake! Okay, his sire went to the bad, but Svan never would have. I knew him better ..."

Her voice trailed away as I sat in a daze. I knew, with certainty, that they were talking about me. I don’t know how I knew, just that they where. Svan? Was that my name? I turned towards them, listening further.

The man spoke, a scar on his face twitching. "The Justicar is missing. You can’t ignore that. When he said he was going to find Svan, he just - disappeared. I know the kid couldn’t hurt him" He put an arm around the woman "But you have to think. Maybe someone used Svan as a cover, but he must have been involved."

"Not Svanuri! He was a good kid, he’d never have gone to the Sabbat. And he wasn’t already one when he came."

"Ayla, Ayla." The man sighed, and hugged her for a second. "Take the night off, that’s my advice. Go and sort his room out, clean it up a bit. Svan’d be grateful."

The woman - Ayla? - sniffed and walked upstairs. Curious about her, I followed. I had to know, both about myself and her.

The woman produced a key, and unlocked a door. When I’d walked upstairs, I’d gone straight to that room. I knew this place, I was sure. If only I could remember ... Quickly, not wanting to have to walk through a wall, I followed her inside.

The bedroom was simply decorated, with the desk, chair, wardrobe and bed all in black. A briefcase lay on top of the desk, the lock snapped off. The woman headed straight for it and started looking through the letters in there.

They were all addressed to Luke Svanuri. Was this the ‘Svan’ they talked about? I heard a gasp of shock from the woman, and looked the page over again, desperate to see what was so important. I couldn’t see anything I understood - I might have done one, some of the words were familiar, but I couldn’t remember! In anger and frustration, I put my hands to my head, and dropped to my knees, whispering to that voice inside.

"Please, please, whoever you are, listen to me. I need to know. Who I am. Please?" There was silence. "Please?"

... You know who you are. If you insist, however, you are Luke Svanuri ...

"This is - was - my room?"

... Of course it was, fool. That woman, Ayla, is going through your private papers. The ones you never let anyone see. The ones that told the rest of the world what an evil childe you were ...

"I was evil?" I couldn’t keep the fear from my voice.

... Childe, I won’t tell anyone. Why would I want to tell people what a bad type of person you were? I’m part of you, and I’m going to look after you, Luke. Just trust me, and listen to me, and everything will be fine ....

"Promise?" Tears stained my face a bloody red as I listened to this revelation from this voice inside me. I needed to believe it, but I also needed to know what those evil things were!

... I can’t control everything, Luke. But I’ll do what I can to stop those nasty Hierarchs from forging you. I promise ...

Again, the voice faded like smoke in the wind. Hierarchs? Forging? This voice was laying on more questions than answers. For a second I was tempted to go back to the cemetery, ask the people there what they meant, but I decided against it. Right now, I needed to know about myself, and the best place to do that was here.

Frantically I scanned the papers, hoping they might make more sense now. I still didn’t understand a lot of it - it was all about being careful and not telling people. They were all signed the same - "Your loving Sire, Chalandraia". They’d said my sire had gone to the bad. Did they mean her? The letters to me were so warm, though. I couldn’t believe the person who’d written these would try to hurt people. Yet, I instinctively trusted the people here. I knew them, I was sure of that. The woman most of all. A glimmer of light caught my eye from the side of the letter, and I looked at it directly.

A simple necklace, a cross on a silver chain hung from one of the briefcases pockets. Weren’t vampires bothered by crosses? Unthinking, I reached out to touch the delicate thing, and shivered as I felt the cold metal under my - skin? I suddenly realised what had happened, and tried again to touch it, but it seemed as insubstantial as the rest of the world.

Suddenly I didn’t want to look around anymore. That fleeting touch had felt so good, but it had brought home what had happened to me. I walked out of my room, through the bar, and out, back into the city.

My memories were returning, slowly, though there were still gaps. The woman, Ayla, she’d been close to me. The man at the bar, the one she’d been talking to, I think he was Steve. They’d both known me. I’d worked there.

Ayla was a vampire, like I’d been. It felt good to be able to hold on to one thought. I walked to the cemetery, trying to ignore the sense of loss growing inside me. And the laughter of that voice.

Passing through the gates, I saw the figures stood there, arguing. I could only hear snatches of their conversation as I approached them slowly, but what I heard didn’t sound promising. The one called Rose, in particular, sounded worried.

" ...We need to watch him, carefully, make sure it doesn’t grow, or we’ll have the Hierarchy down here faster than -" She broke off suddenly and looked right at me. "And speaking of Shadows .... Kid, get over here. Now."

I shrank back, pulling out one of my knives. They looked at me, unsure, almost as though they were ... afraid? Had they found out about my past? What did they mean?

Rose continued. "Listen to me, kid. I - we need to sort a few things out. Like you staying put for a while, and learnin’ a bit about us. Specifically, about a little voice in here." She tapped the side of my head, and winced. My face must have shown something. "Already, huh? Boy, that one moved fast. Kid, put the knives away and come over here. Please?"

I dropped my arm, but kept a firm grip on my knife as I walked up to them slowly.

"My name’s not ‘kid’. It’s Luke."

It was Craig who answered, walking up to me with his hands spread, stopping a few metres away. "Luke, huh? Okay. Luke, we need to talk. Partly about us, partly about yourself, and partly about that voice in your head. You coming?"

I didn’t know what to think, but I could see the looks on their faces. All of them.

They were afraid of me. I didn’t like that. I was just over half their height, for Pete's sake! What could I do to them?

I slipped my knife back into my sleeve, trying to reassure myself as much as them.