Chapter 19

EDEN (FORMERLY JUNCTION CITY UTAH)

Aihola bounded up the hilltop where she had seen Tarifa disappear with Martin a short time ago. Their Raptor was standing idle on the tarmac below waiting to return them to Salina. She walked confidently through the trees, safe in the knowledge that nothing dangerous could get this close to Eden without Martin knowing about it.

He was everything that Tarifa had told her he would be. He was tall, very handsome in a rugged down to earth way, exceptionally powerful; he had a commanding presence when in the room with people, and he was a man who was very divisive in his thinking and his actions. Aihola felt something vaguely familiar about him when she first saw him and even the times since. She had kept trying to place it in her head, but it was always just out of reach on the edges of her mind.

She stepped into the small clearing, "Udos inbal ulu sevir Tarifa ussta ssinssrigg, nind ph' feithin." She called out, her amber eyes searching around the expanse of knee high grass. (We have to leave Tarifa my love, they are waiting.)

Aihola stopped in the middle of the clearing, confusion on her face. Her mind suddenly had a terrible thought ... what if Tarifa came up here to be with Martin. That single image, of them entwined within each other, sent a terrible stabbing sensation through her gut. She loved Tarifa, without question, and though she knew the relationship Tarifa had shared with Martin was intense, she thought it was over. Tarifa had told her it was different now, that while they may still love each other in a way, it would wasn't physical anymore. What if that wasn't the case?

Her eyes spotted the small bundle, half buried in the grass and she moved forward closer, squatting down and reaching out to push aside the grass. It was a genome uniform that had been removed and folded neatly, and then placed on the ground. Her heart began to race as she twisted it around to look at the name tag.

HUNTER

Aihola cast aside the uniform as if it scalded her and she staggered back on her legs, stumbling to her ass and cursing as she whirled around, her mind suddenly coming alive with the reason that Martin felt so familiar to her.

He knew! How could he know!

Aihola froze as she completed her turn to escape for she came face to muzzle with the largest, most dominating and frightening black wolf her eyes had ever set upon. The wolf's eyes were yellow gold in color, its lips curled back to reveal the razor like teeth in a vicious snarl. Teeth that could easily rend her flesh from her bones with no effort. It stood easily four feet at the shoulder with rippling muscles and fur as black as any night she had seen. She could feel its hot breath on her face, not foul as she expected, but mint smelling. And then Aihola's mind opened wide in realization of why he was so familiar to her. And her blood turned icy cold in fear.

Xun dos treemma elghinn sanguine? Martin's voice filled her mind, cold calculating and totally devoid of any emotion. Whol dos ph' veirs ulu ol nin taga dos rin'ov inbal tlus. (Do you fear death vampire? For you are closer to it now than you have ever been.)

Aihola's amber eyes were wide as he spoke to her in the ancient Drow language. How could that be ... no one knew...

Dos hass'l l' ze'zhuanth sanguine ooble' xuat dos Aihola? Ol ann'ishen Usstan tlun al versused wun nindel. Vel'bol xun dos treemma sanguine? Telanth queelas. (You mean the ancient vampire tongue don't you Aihola? It appears I am well versused in that. What do you fear vampire? Speak quickly.)

Martin stepped closer on padded paws almost as large as both her hands together, with steel like black claws of razor sharp death, pushing his muzzle up against Aihola's forehead. He saw her eyes close as if accepting her death, her breath coming in short gasps.

You apparently know who I am Aihola, even if I do not entirely. I know you can hear my thoughts within yours vampire. Do not test me, for you will lose. I will tear your face from your body before you have the chance to take a breath. Speak to me!

"I ... I know you are the descendent of ... of the Spartan King." Her voice quaked as she spoke, her throat dry and her lips suddenly without any moisture in them, "The descendant of King Leonidas; the ... the eternal enemy of the vampires, the slayer of thousands of vampires. The man most feared in all their history; the King that the Spartans have waited three thousand years for. And I know I could never defeat you."

Do you enjoy feeding on the blood of others Aihola? On Tarifa's blood? The rage in his words was an almost palpable thing and it shook Aihola to her core.

Aihola's head came up. "I have never done this!" She snapped. "It is..."

Martin stepped closer, growling deep in his chest, his fangs now touching the skin of her forehead. Aihola's eyes closed slowly in acceptance of her fate. Her only thoughts here at the end were that she would never see the one person who she loved more than her own life. And they would never raise children as her love wanted.

"Before ... before you kill me ... would you please tell ... tell my love I will always hold her in my soul. I would have ... I would have been nothing without her." Aihola felt the tears rolling down her cheeks.

There was a long moment of silence when all Aihola could feel was the warmth of his breath on her forehead and the savage pounding of her heart. There was a flash of white/blue lightning and then Martin was in front of her naked and squatting easily on the ground. There was no flicker of desire in her eyes at what she saw; and she saw everything, in its entire splendor, for she could barely breathe due to the fear that gripped her tight. She huddled before the direct descendant of the one man in history that had killed more vampires than all others combined. Fighting him never entered her mind, for she would not even reach her weapons before he shifted again and those jaws of steel razors shred her to bits in seconds.

"Why would I tell her this?" He asked.

"I ... I love her Martin." Aihola spoke softly. "Take my life if you must, but please ... I beg you not to tell her what I am."

"Vampires do not love." Martin snapped.

Aihola looked up at him slowly. "I am not completely vampire. I am still elf." She spoke softly. "And I ... I do love. With every breath I take I love. All of it for one you know as well as I now do."

"Yes ... I know. You lack the stench of Matarn, who was turned. You smell of warm blood and a beating heart ... and I am curious as to how that is and also how you are able to mask your unique scent." Martin spoke.

"It was the vampire wench Yuri my High King." Aihola spoke.

"I am not your King." Martin growled.

"But you are." Aihola said quickly. "I ... I suspected who you were after questioning the Holy One on our trip to Salina. He hesitated when speaking of the DNA he used, but he did tell me where the DNA came from. I am still elf my King and I do not wish to die. I would not lie to you now, it would serve no purpose."

"Leave Aihola ... leave and go back to your masters and never return here again. Never contact Tarifa, never see her again." Martin spoke

"Then I ask that you kill me now my King, for without Tarifa in my life I am nothing." Aihola spoke softly. "I do not wish to be away from her, it causes an ache in my heart that would never heal."

Martin cocked his head to the side slightly and looked at her. "You truly love her." He said softly.

"With all that I am. As you once did, and as you still do in a different fashion even now." Aihola answered.

"Tell me how you came to be like this." Martin said.

"My parents were captured when the Alliance destroyed my people." Aihola spoke. "The vampire witch turned my father into a vampire! A monster! She had drugs injected into him, forced my mother to mate with him in the hopes of breeding soldiers. She did this to all the surviving Drow. I was born only half vampire, my King. As was Tari, and all those with him. We have their strengths, but none of their weaknesses."

"If that was the case ... why are you here?" Martin asked.

"She had hoped to breed killers." Aihola spoke. "Instead she bred us. We do not drink blood, our hearts still beat. The sun is not our enemy. We eat normal food, and we don't thirst as vampires do."

"I would think that is what she would want." Martin spoke, "All the strengths of her kind and none of the weaknesses. Why are you different?"

"She ... she wanted killing machines my King, heartless beasts that drank the blood of their enemies. My ... my people have always been strong willed ... wanton slaughter has never been part of our history. It was against the code of honor we lived by as Drow. The survivors of the Alliance genocide retained that will and determination. It is why I was scheduled to die ... I would not slaughter a human family to prove I was truly a vampire."

"So you don't need blood to survive?" Martin asked. "You can't turn someone from your bite?"

Aihola shook her head quickly. "If ... if I am injured ... blood will sustain me ... heal my wounds ... but I do not need it to survive. I hate the taste of it ... it makes me sick! And our bite can not make someone a vampire. That part ... that part of the vampire gene was lost during the experiments on us. When she discovered this she flew into a rage and ordered additional experiments on us to be done. Many of my kind died ... they did terrible things to us. They forced me..."

"I know what they have done Aihola. I can see it in your mind, which leads to my next question. Why aren't you attempting to shield your thoughts from me?" Martin asked her.

"To what end?" Aihola questioned him. "You have only just discovered who you truly are, but your powers are already beyond what any of us possess. I have no wish to die as I said. We hate the Alliance with every fiber of our beings. It is why Tari brought my kin to you; he knew our only hope for acceptance was with the humans and elves of Eden. It is why I decided to help Tarifa at first."

"At first?" Martin asked. "Why do you say that?"

"I am no fool my King. I know you can see my thoughts. I love her with all that I am. I would give my life in her defense without a moment's hesitation, no matter the odds." Aihola told him. "You can see this."

"She ... she speaks the truth my King." The male voice spoke softly. Martin had not turned his head as he had smelled Tari moving up slowly several minutes ago. Aihola's eyes darted to either side of his naked form, realizing that Dysea must also be out there somewhere in the shadows.

Aihola's brother held out his hands to show he was unarmed, his amber eyes never leaving Martin, as he slowly made his way to where his sister knelt. Slowly he lowered himself to the ground beside her. That they were brother and sister was obvious, they had the same angular shaped faces and lips, and while all Drow had the amber color eyes, those who were related had the same tint to them. "I offer you ... I offer you my life for my sister's. She is younger than I ... and has been away from the Alliance butchers and their influence far longer."

"Tari no... !" Aihola hissed.

Tari looked at her. "You have found something ... you have found something I will never have Aihola. You have someone who loves you. That you love in return. You must be allowed to pursue that. It is not something I will ever have ... no matter what I wish."

"Both of you shut up and let me think!" Martin snapped. They watched him move to where his clothes were and quickly pull them on. As he was speed lacing his boots he looked at them and saw that neither of them had moved an iota from their positions on the ground. "I'm not going to kill you, now get up." He said. "If I had wanted you dead I would have killed you in the first ten seconds Aihola. And Dysea would have torn your throat out before you were half way up this hill Tari."

Aihola looked at him. "I do not wish Dysea to rip my heart from my chest Martin." Aihola spoke softly. "I can feel her watching me because of what we shared once. I have no more wish to feel her fangs upon me than I do yours. Even less ... for that night we shared with my love."

Martin smiled almost gently. "I think we both know they are no danger Melda Min."

Aihola and Tari turned at the movement to their right and they saw the brilliant platinum colored wolf walk purposefully from the shadows of the trees. The shiny platinum hair covered her entire body in a thick silky coat, and Aihola stifled a gasp as she realized that Dysea was just as beautiful in the form of a wolf as she was as an elf. Emerald eyes gazed upon her, as she saw the ripple of muscle under her fur, the smaller but just as lethal teeth and claws. The flash of white/blue didn't startle Aihola and then Dysea was naked in front of her, emerald eyes boring into her. Aihola let her eyes linger for a moment on the Wood Elf Queen's luscious tattooed body and then she looked into her eyes.

"And Anja? Does she wait to tear our lungs from within?" Aihola asked.

"Melyanna is occupied with her duties as medical officer." Dysea replied softly. "It is only Nauta Melme and I. We thought it best this way."

Aihola met her eyes bravely. "I ... I hope in time ... you can find it in your heart to forgive me Dysea." Aihola said softly.

"Time will tell." Dysea spoke in almost a whisper. "But ... you must tell ... you must tell Tarifa. She has a right to know Aihola. She loves you as completely as you love her."

"Will ... will you allow me to ... to tell her when I feel the time is right?" Aihola spoke. "I do not wish to lose her Dysea. She is all that is beautiful and good in my world right now. I can not lose that."

Dysea looked at Martin and saw him nod after only a moment's hesitation. She held out her hand for Aihola to take and waited until she had pulled her to her feet. "Then we will keep your secret Aihola, and yours Tari." She met Aihola's eyes, reaching up to caress her face. "Do not fear losing her Aihola ... she is stronger than you might think."

"It has always been my intention to reveal what I am to her." Aihola said softly. "And I will. I give you my word."

Dysea nodded. "Tell us what you know." She spoke with no malice or anger in her voice.

"I will tell you everything I can." Aihola replied.

"As will I," Tari spoke quickly. "It is my wish that you will allow us to continue in this operation my King, even knowing what ... what we are. Daniel has chosen many in my group to accompany him and General Vengal. It has made us proud. And it will help us ... it will help us to burn away the hate we all hold for the Alliance."

"All of the other Drow are like you?" Martin asked.

Aihola and Tari both nodded, "Lynwe, Anari, all of us yes."

"How are you able to block your vampire smell from overpowering everything else?" He spoke moving to sit down on the ground in front of her. They took this as a sign to do so as well and Tari joined Aihola as she settled to the ground in front of him while Dysea went to retrieve her uniform. She rejoined them in moments fully dressed and Aihola answered.

"I do not know the technical terms," She answered. "It has to do with a small chip that was placed in our bodies. It masks the vampire genes almost completely, allowing our natural scent to be dominant."

"The only reason to do that is because they knew you would be fighting wolves." Martin spoke.

Tari nodded. "My education in the vampire history was more extensive than Aihola's my King. I was able to study much more before they realized we did not turn out like they had wanted us too. The books and data pads were not so much history, but how to fight werewolves; how to defeat your sense of smell, and your claws and teeth. No lone vampire who is not at least five hundred years old stands a chance against a single wolf let alone many. Your natural strength is far superior to a new vampire's, and while your kind is born with it, vampires must grow into it."

"This school ... where is it?" Martin asked.

"It is one of the new cities near the ocean my King. I do not know which as they never allowed us to leave the building we were in. I only knew this because on quiet nights I could hear the ocean waves crashing onto the beach and smell the salt in the air." Tari replied.

"These vampires in my capital, will they have this ability to block their scent?" Dysea asked.

Aihola nodded quickly, "Without a doubt." She replied. "I don't know how many experiments she conducted after we were deemed failures, but if Matarn is any indication, then the experiments are continuing and she is succeeding. There could be several dozen ... there could be hundreds. I don't know."

"Do you know how we can detect them?" Martin asked.

"Do you ... as wolves do you have the ability to see in grayscale?" Tari asked.

Martin nodded. "We can switch to it if needed. We tend to stick with the color receptors though, as they provide more visual acuity and depth perception."

"Grayscale is most often the best way to detect a masked vampire. Their bodies do not radiate heat, but they do appear denser and the flow of blood within their veins appears white in color." Tari replied. "However they can also hunt by infra-red, which makes them especially deadly at night. I know she was working on attempting to develop vampires who could walk during the day, and bear the sun ... but I don't know if she succeeded. Once Aihola escaped I made the decision to take what was left of my people and flee at the earliest opportunity. Your arrival gave us that opportunity."

"Will you be able to protect Tarifa?" Martin asked. "Do not boast Aihola. Give me an honest answer for Tarifa must survive if what we have begun is to continue."

Aihola nodded without hesitation. "I will die for her Martin. And yes ... Lynwe and I can protect her, even if the two agents we have not identified are vampires. Lynwe ... Lynwe is particularly hateful of them. The witch ... the witch had horrible things done to Lynwe and Anari." Aihola paused, looking at them and trying to decide if they needed to know Lynwe's secret. They needed to know ... to understand the hatred Lynwe carried in her for vampires.

"Tarifa has told me ... my love has told me how well ... how well endowed you are Martin, and I have ... I have seen it this day."

Dysea glanced at Martin with a seductive grin as he turned red in embarrassment. You are very well endowed Nauta Melme ... a fact that leaves Melyanna and I gasping for air more often than not and feeling exquisitely full.

Martin looked at her and shook his head. You have turned into a little vixen Melda Min. He told her with a smile.

Only for you my love. Only for you.

Martin looked back to Aihola. "Why is this important Aihola?"

"Lynwe ... Lynwe was changed somehow. She ... she is now like you in that way." Aihola spoke seeing their looks of astonishment. "She is not able to have children, and that is the wish of any female Drow warrior. It has left Lynwe with an intense hatred of vampires."

"Jesus ... I can see why." Martin replied.

"My love Tarifa, she will be safe Martin Hunter." Aihola spoke confidently. "Of that you can be assured. I will allow no harm come to the woman who holds my soul."

"Martin ... Danny is fixing to load out." Julie's voice came through on his implant COM. "Tari was going with him but he can't be found."

Martin got to his feet and looked at Tari. "I am speaking with Tari right now, getting some last minute information that only he was able to provide. He will be down shortly. Let Danny know Jules."

"Copy that ... my King!" Julie spoke with a chuckle.

Martin shook his head in disgust. Since discovering who and what they were, and who Martin was, his team had been teasing him mercilessly, ignoring Walter's repeated attempts to stop them. Dysea smiled at his reaction.

Martin looked at Tari and Aihola. "Your secret will forever be safe with us, until the time you choose to reveal it."

"To my love yes ... to others I can not. I fear what they would do to me. Especially your people, once they discover we exist." Aihola said rising to her feet. "That aside ... you have my loyalty ... never question that, on my love for Tarifa I swear to you my King."

"And mine as well." Tari spoke.

Martin nodded slowly. "Tarifa is waiting for you." He said. "We will see you after all this is over." Aihola was shocked when he stepped up to her and embraced her with warmth and gentleness. He placed a soft kiss on her head. "Be safe Aihola ... and know that because of your love for Tarifa you have my trust. Do not betray that trust." Aihola shuddered inwardly, for she understood the veiled threat he had just given her. Any betrayal on her part, Aihola knew would end in an extremely painful death.

Aihola nodded slowly, her amber eyes bright. "And you my King." She looked at Dysea, bowing her head slightly, "My Queen."

Dysea smiled at her as she moved off quickly through the trees. When she was gone, Martin looked at Tari. "I find myself wanting to trust you and the others Tari. You have fought with us now ... lived among us if only these last few weeks. And all of you have shown that you want nothing more than to live free and in peace. That says quite a bit."

Tari smiled sadly. "The Alliance considers us failures." He spoke softly.

Martin stepped up to him. "I do not. I consider you allies and friends. Breaking away from them as you did took more courage than you know. Do not discount that, or what you mean to your troops. I will do everything that I am able to keep you from having to experience that again, though as I think you have already discovered, the humans and elves of Eden are far more accepting of those not like themselves."

Tari nodded. "And that has given many of my people hope and the will to live on." He replied.

"Then it should give you that same hope." Martin told him. "And you should not resign yourself to never feeling love Tari. I know for a fact it is out there, waiting for you. Now get going ... Danny is waiting."

Tari's eyes looked puzzled for a moment but he nodded his head and bowed slightly before moving off in the direction of the airfield.

We can trust them Nauta Melme. Regardless of what the Holy One will say. They are our friends and allies now. She said.

I believe we can too. Anja's thoughts joined theirs. I had one of those Drow carry a child three blocks into the east clinic today because she had gotten separated from her mother. Martin the man waited with her, played cards with her until we contacted her mother and when her mother did come, he volunteered to walk them home. That does not show me a desire to do anything but be normal.

Martin nodded slowly. I have no doubt Aihola and Lynwe can protect Tarifa. And I do not question Tari and the others, or their desire to find peace. The question we have to figure out is how do we protect them and the others? Namely from men and women like us.

SPARTAN TRANSPORT CRAFT

2000 FEET OVER THE MEDITERRANEAN OCEAN

Theron watched as the pilot of the transport set the crafts flight controls to automatic and turn back to face him. The moon was just coming up and casting a long glow across the water.

"I have established a course that will take us around the major human and Alliance radar concentrations of either coast Holy One. We must maintain this height and speed to avoid being detected until we reach the Atlantic Ocean Basin." The Spartan pilot explained. "Once over the Atlantic we can increase to cruising speed. Do we know where we are going?"

Theron shook his head. "Not yet, but we will soon." He replied. "Patience Commander."

The pilot nodded. "We have waited three thousand years Holy One, we can wait another few hours. It is true?"

Theron smiled. "It is indeed." He replied. "I will be in the back with the others if you need me."

The pilot nodded and faced back forward as Theron turned and moved to the rear of the craft. He stopped just inside the personnel area and looked across the wide expanse of the interior. Their transport was designed to carry almost three hundred, and yet only thirty-eight were now aboard. The Spartan Centurions had spread out towards the back of the craft closest to the doors. All of them wore the matte black armor that covered their entire bodies, with the exception of their major joints. The body armor was designed to stop most small arms weapons fire, which was usually all the human settlements around Sparta had. Though the heavier calibers of weapons did often times penetrate the armor, the armor's ability to change its basic configuration at the molecular level allowed the wearer to Shift to his or her alternate form to heal, while conforming to their wolf or bear shapes. When in wolf or bear form, the armor covered the major portions of the animal's body, even the head and neck, making these Shifters far more deadly than those of his time who had no protection except their wits and speed.

Each Spartan wore the signature crimson floor length cape and cowl over their shoulders. When each Spartan shifted, the cape would change it's configuration as well. It blended into the armor on the back of the wolf or bear who wore it at the molecular level. No one knows where this armor came from, or how it came to be in existence, and as far as Theron knew, only a Spartan Centurion of Pure Blood could wear it. The many other additional Spartan units, Hoplites and pilots all wore standard gray uniforms and body armor.

Aside from the Shi Viska that each Spartan wore, each carried an unbreakable but collapsible Titanium alloy spear that rested in the long sheath on their legs. The spear when extended was six foot in length and with the press of a button a pointed razor sharp tip would extend from one end, while the other end was weighted with an ornately carved knob. Strapped to the opposite leg was a long bladed ritual Spartan knife that could easily cleave a man in two in powerful hands. The bladed weapon and the spear were remnants of a time long ago, but the Spartans were unwilling to part with that part of their history. A fact that made many of the first generation purebloods walk with pride. Strapped securely across the back of each Centurion was their primary weapon.

The Spartan P190 light infantry weapon was a cut down version of the main weapon carried by Spartan Hoplites. A sub machine gun that fired an explosive tipped caseless round of ammunition. Very accurate and extremely deadly, and in the hands of a Spartan Centurion ... devastating to almost any enemy.

Theron would never detract from the training of today's Spartan Centurions. All of them, men and now even the females, were taken from their families at age ten and inducted into the Spartan military in the Ceremony of Agoge. Though no where near as brutal or traumatizing as his Agoge almost three thousand years ago, it was still as far as he knew the most rigid and brutal training to exist to this day. They served for twenty wolf years in the Spartan military, and then if they chose, they could move on to other purposes in life. Many of the younger men stayed on, while many of the females such as Aricia decided to enter different vocations. The only exceptions to this rule were the children of the Senate members, and as he thought about that his eyes fell on Aricia.

Aricia was the youngest of five children born to Arion and Macaria. Arion was a first generation Pureblood, his father dying at Thermopylae beside his King. Macaria was descended from the line of Hercules and Deianara, and Theron had no doubt that was where the young Aricia got her strength. Arion had pledged his life to Sparta after his father's death, and served with great honor in the battles that followed. When he became too old to take the field of battle he became a member of the senate. It was here that he proved himself to be forward thinking and open minded, and the staunchest supporter of changing with the times while anchoring their people in the rich culture of their past. Arion was the reason that there were so many museums and higher Universities within the confines of Sparta. He believed, as did his dead King, that one could change with the future, but still remain tied to the past. He served on the Spartan Senate for nearly two thousand years, until his oldest son Laertes, a senior Spartan Centurion officer was convicted of raping a young female wolf who had supposedly turned aside his attentions. Laertes had been banished from Sparta, his father stripped of his Senate seat and all wealth. It was all Theron could do to keep his other three sons within the Spartan military, as they had proven to be fine officers. Now ... no Pureblood Alpha wolf would consider taking Aricia as a mate and many if not all of the beta wolves would see her as beneath them as and only mate with her for pleasure. None would grant her what every female wolf wanted, and that was children. No non Pureblood would take her as their primary mate either, again seeing her as dishonored and only capable of giving them pleasure. The only male who had shown interest in Aricia was Midlan. His father was a senior Senate member, and as Thr'won had said, Midlan considered himself to be a superior Alpha male. He had pursued Aricia for almost a decade now, always sniffing around, waiting for her to reach the age where she could mate. Now that she had passed that milestone, he was becoming more and more insistent that she mate with him. To her credit, Aricia had refused all his advances, which only seemed to incite and enrage him more.