Chapter 1: The Rising

The fall of the King and Queen of the vampires at the hands of the hybrids had the vampire society in an uproar over who would lead them. They were all at war with each other and turning armies rapidly. Many witches fell at their violence and feeding frenzies. There was also a rumor that was cautiously whispered about throughout the whole supernatural works that a lone wolf was on a rampage trying to tear down the vampires ranks.

The witches were waiting for such an opportunity to restore to order and balance back to the supernaturals. To bring order to all, but with themselves on top instead of being on bottom and continuously being used for their magic. In theory, they assumed that combining forces with the supernatural hunters they would be able to level the playing field slightly. With the witch's premonitions about the locations of specific wolf clans that are becoming overly confident and larger vampire covens that are getting carried away with their feedings, the hunters would be able to minimize the threats of more wars and violence between the two. The witches were growing exceedingly concerned for their own safety.

Both vampires and wolves repeatedly threatened and used the witches and their powers for their own gain. So, when the oldest crone of the last decendants of Merlin himself, found a badly wounded werewolf hunter on the border of the hybrid's territory, she took the opportunity to save all supernaturals from complete annihilation. She bandaged his wounds and used her magic to heal his deeper injuries. After a week in her care, she tried to strike a deal.

"So, you give me the names and locations of vampires and werewolves to kill and I give you and your coven immunity from the hunters?" the man had slowly questioned.

She had pointed on this deliberation for a time before coming to discuss her thoughts with the hunter and now with the disbelief in his voice, she was uncertain. She also wanted to make things clearer so to secure her position in the deal.

"You help me build a new order and then we shall help each other grow with power over them all." she clarified.

"How do you propose we do that, might I ask?" he said lifting an eyebrow at the woman.

"By creating a secret counsel. Team up with the higher ranks to make decisions on the who's and when's of the future. Deciding the fate and balance of all." she spoke as if it were obvious as she stirred her pot of stew bubbling over her open fire.

"Then how will that help me? I am not of high ranking among the other hunters." he said, sitting on the stump across from her

"You and I, my friend, will be over the counsil. So you just leave that minor detail to me." she passed him a bowl full of the rabbit stew.

"And you will have to break your blood bone from your vampire master." she added, holding his bowl so he would look her in her wisdom filled eyes.

"How do you know I'm bound to a vampire?" he said, jerking his bowl from the old woman's surprisingly strong grip causing some stew to spill into his lap.

"You've been in my care for a week now and I tended your wounds. I know vampire bites when I see them. And don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking off to meet your master to slake his thirst. I may be old, young man, but I am far from being stupid." she spoke with the strength of her ancestors and the winds howled through the trees with her powers.

"I can't just break the blood bond. I would have to kill the one I serve."

"Yet another obstacle to overcome, my dear. Why else would you have stayed here if not to find a solution to escape your ultimate fate of being nothing more than a meal for the cold bloods you serve?" she said, turning her back on the hunter to grab her clay cup of jasmine tea.

Before the woman had time to turn back towards her guest, he was too quick to strike. Plunging his sword deep within the crone's frail body to the hilt, he had one last thing to tell her.

"So I could come up with a plan to eliminate all wolves for my master. Thank you so much for helping me secure the vampire race amongst the supernaturals." he whispered into her ear before ripping his blade from her body and letting her lifeless body fall into her own fire.

The flames grew as it ate up the new fuel and turned colors with the burning of her flesh and clothes. A blast of blue and purple flames flared into the night. The stench burned his nose as he turned away and trodded off into the trees to find his master. His loyalty proven and his position saved for the time.

"So, how did our gracious host fair?" a voice echoed off the trunks of trees surrounding the hunter.

"She's dead, as ordered." he declared.

"And what did you learn?" the wispy sound slithered over the hunter's flesh, causing goosebumps to rise on his arms, though he refused to let it show.

"She proposed we create a high counsil to mediate the violence between species." he confessed before an icy hand crept around his shoulder and slid over his chest, bile rose up his throat but he managed to swallow it down.

"So we create a high counsil ourselves then. My precious slave, you will be head of the hunters. Gather as many as will follow you and bring them to me on the cliffs, for initiation." his master said against the nape of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

"And those who refuse to follow me?" the hunter asked, having to swallow the lump forming in his throat at the answer he knew was coming.

"Kill them all." the vampire said scraping his fangs along the length of his neck before sinking them deep into the soft spot where the neck meets the shoulder.