Nightfall

Colt followed Runi and Samson as they moved deeper into the house, then down a set of stairs. Runi reached the bottom of the stairs just as Colt was about to descend. He turned around and looked back at Colt, then sighed and motioned for Colt to join him. "I do not believe you really want to watch this," Runi said softly.

Colt marched down the steps and stopped in front of Runi. "What are you going to do to him?" Looking over Runi's shoulder, he saw Samson duck his head and move into the back room, silently closing the door behind him. Colt spun around and for a moment was actually afraid as the door to the main level seemed to close on its own.

"You do not have to worry. I did not shut the door so that I can hurt you without anyone knowing, I simply do not think this is something that others need to be privy to." Runi sighed, then motioned for Colt to follow him. Together, they moved into another part of the basement which was set up almost like a sitting room.

When they both sat down, Runi turned and looked at Colt. "You have questions. Please feel free to ask what you will, and I will answer as much as I can. However, before you do, I must ask you this: Would you allow me to link our minds so that you can see that all I speak is the truth?"

Colt looked at Runi puzzled. That was nowhere near what he had expected when he came down here. Silently Colt nodded, and Runi smiled. Colt's eyes got heavy, and as he shut them, he found himself in a room similar to the one they were in, sitting on the same type of sofa. Colt could tell that this was different, even though everything looked exactly the same. Runi smiled as he placed his hand on top of Colt's. "Welcome to my mind."

Colt stood up and started to walk around looking at things in wonder. "This all looks so real."

"That's because to you it is real. This is all in your mind. You have a very strong mind for a normal mortal, which makes things all the more real for you in here. If you were to get hurt in here, it would hurt. When you leave my mind, you would have no physical marks showing an injury, but you would still 'feel' it. However, the opposite is also true: if you were to learn something, like martial arts, that you have to train your body for just as much as your mind, when you left, your body would not have had the training it needs. This is a very good way to learn, and to have conversations, especially those that are lengthy, as not much time will pass in the real world. However, this is not a good way to train physically, because this does not impact your physical self at all, only your mind."

Colt smiled as he sat back down. "So this is your mind?" Runi nodded as Colt looked around. "It's not exactly what I thought it would look like."

Runi barked out a short laugh. "This is my mind. I can make it look like anything I wanted to. I thought this would be the best place to put us as it would be less traumatic for you. However, if you would like, think of a place that you really liked. Someplace that holds special meaning for you, and I will take you there, in just as much detail as you remember."

Colt thought for a few moments, then nodded. Runi looked into the bigger boy's thoughts and smiled. Even now, Colt was trying to do something nice for Runi. Suddenly both boys found themselves sitting in a grassy meadow on a mountain slope in the half-light just before dawn. Stretched out as far as the eye could see were other mountains and treetops. It was a cool morning, but neither boy really felt the cold because Runi didn't want them to. However, both stood there for many moments without speaking as they watched the horizon. Colt slowly reached his hand out and took Runi's in his own, just as the first rays of a beautiful sunrise fell on them. He tried to stop them, but he just couldn't. As they stood there watching the sun crest above the tree line, Runi felt tears start running down his face.

Colt did notice Runi's tears, so instead of saying anything, he simply gave Runi's hand a squeeze and together they stood there letting the sunshine warm their faces. After a few moments of silence, Colt started to speak softly. "My grandfather brought me here when I was only seven years old. It was my first and only camping trip." He slowly turned and pointed over to where a small two-person tent was sitting on the lush green grass. In front of it, ringed with rocks, was a small fire that had some sort of animal roasting over it. "We camped over there, and during the day we would go hiking through the woods." He pointed off into another direction, down a small trail deeper into the woods. "Down that way there's a small stream that we cleaned our stuff in, and one time actually went swimming in the only place that was deep enough."

Runi smiled at the obvious excitement that Colt was showing. It felt strange to the small boy that he would be this intent on making someone feel good, especially someone who was still mortal, but he was. Slowly, he allowed Colt to pull him over to the tent, and to the logs that were set there for people to sit on. He made sure that Colt would feel the heat from the fire, as it were really there. For some reason that Runi had not taken the time to figure out yet, it was really important to him that Colt be happy in his memory. They both sat down, and Runi smiled for a moment before two cups appeared in front of each boy. One was filled with a hot dark liquid covered in whipped cream, and the other was a small cup full of milk. Colt's grin threatened to break his jaw, as he picked up the hot cup, gently blew on the top, then took a tentative sip.

He sighed contentedly, but then looked at Runi with a puzzled expression. "How... how did you know how I liked hot cocoa?"

Runi smiled. "I didn't, but you did. Remember, this was all taken from your mind, and you have a very powerful mind for one so young."

Colt smiled, shook his head, and took another sip. He sighed contentedly, then looked at Runi. "Are all Vampires this powerful with their minds?"

"No, which is a good thing. No, I am a bit different from your normal Vampire." Runi paused and took a tentative sip of his own hot cocoa, then smiled brightly. "As you know, I cannot drink this normally, but in here, I can. It's not the same really, but it is nice."

Colt smiled back at him, and then started to ask the questions that were burning in his mind. "Why are you different; is it because of how old you are?"

"Partially, a vampire of my age is of course, going to be more powerful then a fledgling vampire. However, I spent over a hundred years training my mind with a man that is still the most powerful mind master I have ever ran across. If you think I can do some impressive things, what I can do pales in comparison to him."

"Is he still around?" Colt asked in a quiet awe-inspired voice.

"Yes he is," Runi said with a smile, "And you met him, just last night."

"The man that told us about Duncan?"

"That's the one," Runi said with a giggle.

"So that's how he knew what to do with Duncan?" Runi nodded still smiling as he took another sip of the hot drink. "So if you're this powerful with your mind, then what are you doing with that guy?" Runi sighed as he put his drink down, as Colt rushed on. "Can't you just pull what information you need from his mind and then let him go?"

"Yes, I could, and that would be just as effective for one of my goals as what I am going to do. However, it would not have any impact on my other goals."

"Which are?" Colt asked, trying not to be argumentative.

"Would you be opposed if I played a little game of 'what if'?" Colt nodded, and Runi took a deep breath. He held his hand out, and suddenly in his hand sat a large pipe, and some leafy plant. Slowly he started to work the leaf into the bottom of the pipe. "This is not the tobacco that you know of, not that it would do any harm to me anyways, as I am already dead. But this is something that I can only get now in my mind, as this plant no longer exists." He pulled a piece of wood from the fire and lit the end of his pipe, drawing the smoke deep into his lungs. Runi closed his eyes and relished the exhale. When he opened his eyes, he looked deep into Colt's and began to speak. "Understand, please, that I truly do not like violence. However, I am no longer human, and no longer have the luxury to not participate in it. Vampires live by the way of violence. It's how they survive, and how they flourish."

"I know you do not like it, but you must understand, vampires live by different laws than humans. By doing what I am going to do to this man, I am going to be sending a message to all the vampires in the area that it is no longer safe to participate in some of the activities that they have been. Now understand not all vampires are participating in these sorts of activities, but the ones that are need to understand in no uncertain terms that, if they continue to act in the manner in which they are, I will not hesitate to make them suffer for their transgressions."

"But... but surely there's a better way! Isn't there?" Colt said almost sounding desperate.

"Colt. I so wish there was another way, but trust me when I say I know Vampires and how they think. What is going on here, is not something that is an isolated incident. What these people are doing goes so far beyond evil that they truly deserve no less than our very worst. I think the issue is that to you, our very worst is simply death. But it's not. There are so many things worse than death to a vampire, and these people deserve to suffer."

"You know, I once read where a wise man said that 'the harm you do to others becomes harm you do to yourself'." Colt said, very much now getting into this discussion. He really was worried about Runi's soul. He wasn't much for religion any more, but he knew that everyone had a soul, and that Runi's soul seemed to be so dark from everything he had done.

Runi grinned back at him, making Colt wonder. "That sounds very much like what the man I spoke to you about earlier said to me once. 'Each time you harm someone else, you are harming your own self in the process.' However, he also said that 'there are times you must act.' This is one of those times."

"I don't doubt that," Colt said leaning forward, "but you have choices in the actions you take. Death and destruction are not the only choices you have." As soon as the words were said he knew he'd said the wrong thing. Runi's easy smile disappeared to be replaced with almost a snarl.

"Destruction IS all I have left! It is who I am now." With that Runi stood and suddenly Colt found himself back in his own body. The transition was so sudden that it took him a few moments to orient himself to being in his body, and not at the campsite anymore. By the time he fully came back to himself, he was just able to see Runi disappear into the back room. He heard the door bang shut, and a bolt slid, locking the door form the inside.

Colt sat there breathing heavily, still reeling from the effects of being shoved back into his body almost violently. Slowly the tears started to fall. He didn't really understand it, but he felt the need to help Runi. The help that Colt thought Runi really needed, was saving his soul from falling into the depths of hatred and death, but he wasn't sure if it was anything he could do.

Silently he dried his eyes, and made his way out of the basement. He was about to shut the door when the screams of pain from the man Samson had brought in reached his ears. Colt couldn't handle it any more, and he fled to his new bedroom. Falling onto his bed, he cried himself to sleep.

---

Runi hadn't felt this upset for who knows how long, and what pissed him off even more was he didn't know where it came from. Colt was just a normal human, someone below him. 'I am almost a god!' Runi thought to himself, and his fist once again crashed into the side of the man's head.

He was losing control, and that in and of itself pissed him off even more. He was not one to lose control, and to do so just because someone said something that was true.... "ARRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHH" He screamed in total frustration as he hit the bound man again and again. It was too late for Runi to stop, the man was already dead, and he had lost total control.

Who knows how much later Runi came out of it, only to find a broken and bloodied body lying in the remains of the chair he had been tied to. Runi had hit him so hard at some point that he broke the chair the man was sitting in. So much for his plans. He looked at the clock and sighed deeply. It was almost sunrise.

He walked over to the attached bathroom, stripped out and crawled into the shower. For many moments he just stood under the water, letting it wash away the blood that was coating him, as well as the tears that fell from his eyes. One thing he could not understand was simply this. Why was Colt having this kind of effect on him? That's when it hit him... 'His' Pharaoh.

When Runi first met him, he was only a few short years older then Colt, but they had the same deep expression-filled eyes. In all his years, Runi had never met anyone with eyes that could convey as much as those. Runi's memories flowed back to a time before he was a Vampire. It was hard to do these days, but every once in a while, something would take him back to that time.

---

**Flashback**

The young boy was brought before the most powerful man-child in the known world, and knet. He only looked up, when he was told to, and the first thing he saw were the man's eyes. They were the darkest, richest brown that the boy had ever seen. But what surprised him the most were the way the man's eyes were able to draw the young boy into them, and show so much of what the man was feeling... and at that point, the man was happy, and the boy was the reason.

**End Flashback**

---

The water turned off, and Runi looked up to see who had done it. It was the very grandmotherly like woman. She had a surprisingly compassionate look on her face. "Come, young master, the sun is almost up, and you are falling asleep right here."

Without a word, she helped Runi past the gore that was in the outer room, up the steps to the main floor, then up the steps to the upper floor. Somewhere between the steps and the room, Runi fell asleep.

Runi's awoke, his eyes opened, and he immediately had to fight back panic. He instantly knew where he was, simply by the smell and the light. He was back in the tomb that his Pharaoh had been buried in, and into which he had also been placed, with the intent that he would slowly stave to death.

He knew this was a dream, as he'd had it before, but still he had to spend a few moments controlling his fear. He was intrigued because he had only had this dream a few times in the past, and every time, it was profound. But every time, he had had to conquer his fear of this place.

Once he had full control of his fear, he sat up, and looked over towards the light, where he knew that He would be sitting, and Runi was not disappointed. Slowly rising to his feet, he walked over, and fell to his knees in front of the Jackal-headed figure sitting in the chair. Speaking in a language that Runi had not uttered since the last time he was here, he spoke. "Master Anubis, Thank you for calling me once again." Never once did his eyes come off the floor as the figure stood and slowly walked in a circle around the kneeling boy.

"I am pleased," Anubis said once he made a full circuit. "It only took you a few minutes to conquer your fear this time. I am well pleased."

"Thank you, Master," Runi said in a voice that was full of reverence.

"You may stand now." When Runi did, he saw that they were no longer in the same place, but now they were standing in a great hall in some enormous palace. "I am sure this is more to your liking then that tomb where I first taught you."

"Yes Master, this is. Thank you." Anubis met Runi's eyes and held them. Runi knew that his God was weighing him at this very moment. Weighting his heart against the feather of Ma'at.

"Close... very close indeed, however, your heart is still pure enough that I may continue to allow you to live." Anubis turned and started walking down the hall.

Runi quickly moved so that he was walking exactly three paces behind his master. "Thank you, Master. My heart sings with your words."

Anubis stopped and slowly turned around. "Your heart has not done much singing lately, it would seem." Runi's eyes feel and he slowly nodded. The Jackal-headed God grunted, turned around and continued walking. "So, tell me why a human is causing my greatest priest so much distress."

"Yes, Master, may I spend a few moments to organize my thoughts?" Runi asked, showing the deference that one shows when confronted with their God.

"Of course you may. As you know, time here means nothing to the world you reside in." In silence they walked on, passing through many corridors till they reached an outer walkway. Anubis turned, and led Runi down several walkways until they reached a garden. Leading them into it, Anubis stopped next to a fountain, and with a gesture offered Runi some of the water.

Runi smiled as he lifted the rough-made ladle and dipped it into the clear cool water. He lifted it up to his mouth, and after saying a prayer of thanks, he drank the water. Once he had finished drinking, he once again dipped the ladle into the pool, and offered it to Anubis, who smiled and took it. "It is good to see you still remember our ways. I would have been most displeased had you forgotten." Anubis drank fully from the ladle, then sat it back down. Together the two of them then moved off to the side and sat on one of the benches.

"I am not sure what it is about Colt that affects me so. The first time I met him, I knew I had to protect him. There was something about him that called to me, and I have not yet been able to place my finger on it."

"I do believe, my servant, that you have spent too much time away from your people, and have forgotten how to trust your inner self. There is a reason that Colt affects you so much. He is supposed to; he was sent to you."

Runi's head snapped around, and his eyes were wide when they met Anubis's. "Of course; why didn't I see it? His soul is very old..."

"Yes indeed, Priest... he is very old. He was sent to you as a child of both Ma'at and Thoth. Both Justice and Wisdom believe that you need someone to help you through these times, as these times will be the most difficult test you have had to face to date."

Runi's eyes hardened and his voice took on the quality of steel. "I will not fail you, Master."

Runi saw something he had never seen before in Anubis: his eyes softened as he reached a hand out and placed it on top of Runi's. "Times are changing my son. The Old Ones' powers are starting to wane. We can no longer interfere in the ways that we were able to before. You are the last true Priest I have left on your world. There are others that claim to worship me, but they do not remember me the way that you do. Do not remember WHY I was worshiped. We have all pooled what power we are able to and brought Colt to you."

"Why, Master, why have you done so?" Runi asked, trying hard to fight back his emotions. He might be close to six thousand years old, but in many respects he was still a fourteen-year-old boy.

Anubis broke eye contact and looked away out over the immense desert that surrounded the palace. "You have done far more good for this world than anyone ever believed you would be able to. You have made me prouder than words can express. But there comes a time, that no matter how good one is, when they have to live the life that you have lived, their heart gets weighed down with the actions forced upon them. Please do not take offense at this. It is a testament to your purity that you have been able to last this long without it happening. But it is time that you need help, and Colt is that help. Let him be your conscience." Runi was about to interject, but Anubis held up a hand and stopped him. "I am not meaning that you must follow everything that he says, but you must at least listen to his words. Give them the weight that they are due, and make your decisions accordingly. He is very much like a young Priest in training I once met." Anubis was smiling, and Runi couldn't help but smile right along with him.

"So what is it that I am supposed to do?" Runi asked

"That, my young Priest, is as it has always been. Follow your heart, for your heart has never led you wrong. Do not worry about the future, as it will worry about itself, and be prepared to accept aid when offered." Runi had not expected anything less then a cryptic answer from his God, so he simply nodded, knowing that he would figure it out when the time came.

Anubis stood, and Runi jumped to follow, turning to him., Anubis opened his arms. Runi fell into the arms, and could not help but weep at the embrace that was being given to him. "It is time for you to go back to your world, my power wanes, and I must see to many other tasks before I may rest."

Runi squeezed his arms tight around the figure in front of him and softly nodded. The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes, back in the bed that Ms. Collins had laid him down in earlier in the day.

---

Colt woke but he knew he wasn't in the place he had gone to sleep. First off, the bed he was sleeping in was soft, this one was not. It was not uncomfortable, but it was not nearly as soft as the one he had fallen asleep in. He quickly sat up and looked around, yet saw not much of anything. The only light was around him, so he couldn't see anything anywhere. He slowly stood up, and took a few tentative steps away from the bed. "Hello?" he asked, yet heard nothing in return. It was as if the sound didn't even travel outside of his small lit area.

He turned around and now the bed was gone. There was nothing there but a white light that seemed to surround him. Strangely enough, though, he wasn't really worried. Part of his mind knew he should have been freaking out, but for some reason, he wasn't; at least not yet.

Colt cocked his head; he thought he heard something. Faintly he started to hear something. He was not sure what it was, but it was starting to get louder. The sound grew louder, until after about a minute, he could start to make out what the sound was. Battle.

Not battle like he would really think about it, but that is what it was. Suddenly it was as if someone started to slowly turn up the lights, and he could start to make out shapes and images around him. That's when he realized exactly what was going on, he was in the middle of a battle. Well, not really in the middle of it. The battle was a little ways away, but they had been fighting here. All around him lay bodies, most dead, but some not dead yet.

Looking around, he almost wretched at what he saw. The ground was literally red with blood. He heard the saying before about the ground running red with blood, but never, in his wildest dreams, did he believe it would actually be like this.

He watched in horror as some soldiers were going around and looking at the wounded, most of them they would simply run through with their swords. Even their own wounded they would put to the sword. The sheer carnage that surrounded Colt made tears spring to his eyes.

He looked down and saw a man trying to crawl towards him. Colt bent down to try and help him, but his hand passed right through the man's outstretched hand. Colt screamed but couldn't stop the soldier that came up and plunged his sword through the crawling man's back. He watched, tears pouring from his eyes, as the soldier cruelly twisted the sword, effectively killing the crawling man.

Then the scene shifted; now he was standing right in the middle of the battle itself. He screamed in horror as a sword passed harmlessly though him, and impacted into the midsection of someone right behind him. He couldn't believe the amount of sound that the battle was creating around him. The crash of swords onto shields, the screams of men dying, the sounds of horses hooves stomping the ground as they moved this way, then that.

The scene shifted again. This time he was facing a line of soldiers, shield at the ready, pikes held out in front of them. He was close enough to see the fear in their faces, but also the determination that was there. The ground shook beneath his feet, as he turned and was shocked at the sight of a huge line of horses galloping right at the line of soldiers. Behind him he heard one man scream, not in fear or pain, but in utter defiance. Soon his voice was joined by thousands of others. For a time the shouts drowned out the sounds of the horses. That is until the line of horsemen slammed into the line of foot soldiers.

Colt had nothing that he could even compare the sound to. Nothing in his short life could have prepared him for what he was seeing. The absolute worst part for him, though, was when he got a look at some of the foot soldiers who were fighting. Many of them could have been no older than he was.

Why?

That is all he could think about. That is the only thought that really stuck in his mind. Why was this happening?

The scene shifted again. This time, though, there was no war around him. He was simply in the middle of a town. There was a huge crowd pressing in around him, yet everyone passed right through his form. He heard the crowd cheer, and turned around, only to see a raised platform, and several people being led up it, hands tied behind their backs. One by one, they were made to stand there as a man put a rope around their necks. His eyes fell on one of the figures and he couldn't help but gasp. The person was maybe eleven or twelve years old. He was barely tall enough for the rope to reach him.

The boy was looking straight ahead as one by one, the men next to him were pushed off the blocks they were standing on, and slowly swung back and forth, their feet kicking as they tried in vain to get precious air into their lungs. As the hangman got to the boy, the boy's eyes suddenly moved, zeroing in on Colts.

Colt could not tear his eyes away form the boys as the hangman kicked the box out from under the lad. As the boy started to swing, he never let his eyes waver from Colt's. Colt stood there transfixed as the boy's eyes slowly started to close. No matter how much he tried, he could not even blink, he could not turn his head, he could do nothing but watch as the boy died. Suddenly, right before the boy's eyes fully closed, he mouthed two words to Colt, which he was able to hear clearly in his mind. 'Carpe Noctem.'

Again the scene shifted.

This time, he was standing high on the wall of a castle somewhere. Below him a huge army was battering at the gate with a huge ram made out of felled trees. Beside him, people were frantically pouring boiling oil and pitch down on the battering ram, while others were shooting arrows at the men protected underneath their shields.

The entire wall shook as the battering ram was ran into the gate, but the gate held. Slowly the men under the ram pulled it back a way, only to turn it around and start to get up the speed needed to ram again. This time, though, when the ram hit, it splintered the gate and broke it apart. With a huge cry, several thousand people started to charge the gate. Colt spun and looked behind him, inside the castle. Swarms of people ran to the broken gate, and started to fight for their lives. Somehow Colt knew it was much more than that. He knew that deeper into the castle were the woman and young children. The men and boys that were fighting in the breech of the gate were fighting, not for their lives, but for the lives of their loved ones.

From somewhere deep in Colt's memories, he heard a saying that he, until this time, did not really understand. "Once more into the breach, dear friend."

He watched, riveted to the battle that raged below, for what seemed like hours. He watched as many of the men fell, only to be replaced by others. He watched as the aggressors pulled back to re-group. He watched as the wounded were pulled back from the breach. Some were killed outright, some were taken deeper into the castle, presumably to find healers.

He watched as the defenders fought off a second, than a third and finally a fourth wave. Slowly throughout the battle, he saw that those that fell were replaced, first by other men, then some of them by boys his age and some even younger.

Finally it was over. The aggressors pulled way back to regroup, and a great cheer went up inside the castle. The scene changed again.

This time Colt seemed to be floating above a huge plain. On both sides of him, he saw armies marching forward. He couldn't, as of yet, make out any details save for the huge mass of people. "I don't know how much more of this I can handle,' Colt thought o himself as he steeled for yet another vision of carnage and destruction.

"Had enough, have you?" A voice said from behind him. Spinning quickly, Colt found a woman floating there next to him. For a moment he almost was worried about the fact that he was floating, but that thought seemed to vanish as quick as it came. Now of course, he was wondering about this woman who was floating there next to him.

"Who...Who are you?" Colt stammered now, almost forgetting about the battle that was looming on the ground beneath them.

"I go by many names, child, but the one you would most likely know me as is Isis,." she said with a smirk.

Colt couldn't help but feel his jaw fall in astonishment. He was talking to a Goddess! He couldn't believe it! "Well, believe it, child, because you are,." she said with a smirk, and Colt couldn't help but stutter.

He looked down at the two armies that were bearing down on each other, and then back to her. "But why? Why am I here?"

She glided over to him, her long dark hair floating behind her as she moved. She held up her hands, palm up. Without really thinking about it, Colt reached out and laid his hands on top of hers. With a smile she slowly closed her hands around his and gently squeezed them. "Because, child, there are things that you must know."

"Like, like what?" He asked stuttering. He wasn't really sure he wanted to know, if it meant having to watch all this death.

"It's not the death that will teach you what you need to learn." She interrupted his thoughts, and Colt's eyes snapped open wide in surprise.

"You, you can read my thoughts? Like Runi can?" He shouldn't have been surprised, much, but he was starting to get sick of everyone knowing what he was thinking before even he did.

She softly chuckled before nodding. "This... all of this is meant to teach you something. It is not all the death that is what you are to learn, but something else."

"Something like what?" Colt asked now confused.

"I can not tell you that. It would impact what you learn if I give you the answers. You must walk that path alone, and take what you can from it." Isis spoke in such a soothing voice that Colt couldn't help but feel calm. He looked back out over the field and noticed that the two armies were now about to meet.

As he watched, the two armies broke into a run right towards the other. "Who are they?" Colt asked, not looking away from the battle about to start.

"The ones to the north are what you would call the Germanic tribes of Europe. The ones they are about to war with are known to you as the Celts."

Colt didn't bother responding, as the two groups met in that instant with a huge clash of metal and flesh. Almost at once, figures with wings appeared above the battle. Looking closely, Colt could see that they were all women... beautiful women at that. He watched as they swooped down right into the battle, careless of the fighting going on all around them. He watched as one of them helped a man to his feet. He saw the tears running down the man's face, as she embraced him, then with a huge flap of her wings, took them both into the air, before vanishing. "What... who are they?" Colt asked as he pointed to yet another female, who took to the air, again with a man in her arms, and then vanished.

"Depending on how much you know of mythology, you may know of them as the Valkyries. They were known as the 'Choosers of the Slain' to the Germanic people."

"You mean they're Angels?" Colt asked, still a bit confused.

"No... they are Valkyries." Isis stated emphatically, then sighed at his look of confusion. "One thing very few mortals really understand is that the Valkyries and all the other mythological beings are real, if that's what you believe. But, and I am sorry to say this, you are going on the wrong track here. I do not say that because it's unimportant, just not important for what you are here for."

Colt nodded, then looked back down to watch the battle. He watched for several minutes before a thought struck him. He turned and looked at Isis who was still floating there next to him. "Why are they fighting?"

She raised an eyebrow at his question. "Does it matter?" she asked curiously.

"Well..." Colt hesitated, then pushed on. "Yeah, it kinda does. To me anyways. I mean, if one of them is fighting to protect their families and stuff, then that's important to know. If they're fighting just 'cause they want to, then that's important too."

She gave him a half smile, then totally changed the topic on him. "What does Runi fight for?"

"I... I don't know." Colt said hesitantly.

"What do you think he fights for, then?" She asked, trying to gently push the young boy.

"Well, I would imagine he fights for his survival," Colt said softly, not at all comfortable with where this conversation was going.

"Have you ever seen him fight for himself?" she asked on a probing tone.

"Well... no," Colt admitted.

"What have you seen him fight for, then?"

"Well.... mostly to protect others; I guess," Colt said, as realization was beginning to dawn on him.

"So now you know the answer of why Runi fights, but there is more that you must know. You see, many of us have invested a lot of time and energy into your friend Runi. He has not let us down even once in the last six thousand years. However, there comes a time where even the purest of hearts start to get weighted by what they have been forced to do."

Colt nodded his understanding as he squeezed his eyes shut. He was right to be worried about Runi; this was confirmation of that. "But.. but what can I do? He won't listen to me."

"But he does listen to you, and that is why he got so upset, because you were right... and he was right. What you have to understand is that he does know what he is doing, the problem is this: He has gotten so used to what he has to do, that he has become accustomed to it. Killing has become almost easy for him."

Colt wasn't sure why this raised his ire, but it did. "Of course killing has become easy for him; look at what he has to do to survive." He replied hotly.

"You are, of course, right, child. What I meant to say was that he has always had such a high regard for life, and that is slipping. Right now his heart is being weighted by Anubis. He will pass, but it is getting close. That is where you come in."

"Me?" Colt asked in shock. "What can I do?"

"You must be his conscience. You must be the one to help keep his heart as pure as possible through these upcoming trials, because what is coming will be more difficult for him than anything he has done up till now. We have expended much energy into making sure things are set up for him to prevail as we possibly can. However, the rest is up to the two of you."

"But.. but again.. what can I do?" Colt asked, totally confused.

"Do you love him?" She asked, and Colt's eyes snapped open wide

"What?!?!"

She floated over to him again, and took his hands, in a very soft voice she asked again. "Do you love him?"

His eyes met hers, and for some reason he couldn't lie. He had known since he first met Runi that he loved him, but he had yet to be able to admit it to himself. Now in the place that was a dream, or at least he thought it was a dream, he could no longer hide the truth from himself or anyone else. "Yes... yes, I love him. I don't know why, or understand how, but yes."

"Then fight for him. You do not understand the Darkness, nor will you, but he does. Between the two of you, you can merge the two worlds together. But it will not be easy. You must learn to understand him, you must learn to let him do what he needs to do. The world you have entered is not a nice one. He has lived in that world and thrived in it for many years. But now that world is threatening to consume him. You must help him keep his purity, while allowing him to do as he must."

"But why would he want me? I'm a liability to him. If he falls in love with me, then I am his weakness."

"No, you are not. Your love will give him more strength than you can imagine. Perhaps I shouldn't tell you this, but I am going to. You have heard him speak of his first love... his Pharaoh?" she said, sitting down next to him and patting his thigh. Colt only nodded as he didn't trust his voice at the moment. "When he died, he had lived a good life. Egyptians do not believe in reincarnation, so when he died, he went on to his reward. However, the All Father asked him if he would be willing to go back to Earth and help out his love. Without hesitation, the man agreed. He was looking at the paradise that he had earned, yet his love for Runi was strong enough to make him give all that up, so he could come back and help him."

Her voice trailed off, and Colt couldn't help but breathe out, "That's beautiful. But... what does that have to do with me?" He was afraid he already knew the answer.

"Look deep inside yourself, and I think you will understand." Isis said, and Colt did. He was the Pharaoh, and then he remembered. . Suddenly, as if emerging from under the water, memories flooded into his mind. His knees buckled and suddenly he was sitting... in mid air. His mind didn't even register that fact, and he struggled to contain the flood of memories. Then he saw it. He saw his own death. He was trying to protect his young lover, even though he knew that Runi was more powerful than he could ever hope to be, it was simply a reaction of love. That triggered something deep in Colt's mind that had been bothering him.

"But how...? He's going to be fighting other vampires. If they come after me, what am I going to do?"

"There is nothing that I can do about that. However, if you are willing, I think I know someone who can."

"I... You're not going to make me into a vampire, are you?" Colt said with a bit of fright in his voice.

She laughed softly as she rose to her feet. "No, child, I am not. You are not meant to become one with the darkness. There are other things though that will help protect you from that sort of thing." She reached her hand down to lift Colt to his feet. "Come with me, and I will bring you to some people who can help you with that."

Colt allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, then followed her to the door. When she opened it, there was nothing beyond the door but white light. Swallowing his fear, Colt allowed himself to be pulled into the light behind her.