Nicolae

(Leonard's Point of View)

I opened my eyes to the sound of the shower running, Graceona had already woken up. I sat up, walking to the foot of the bed to see Kourtney who was laughing staring up at me, I picked her up stroking her hair as she grabbed my hair, tugging at it with another laugh.

"I love all my girl's I promise to protect you." I kissed her hair as she lay her head on my chest.

"Leonard, I'm sorry for crying last night," Graceona said from behind me, I turned around to face her.

"No need to apologize, my love, I can't even begin to imagine what you have been through."

She looked at me with a smile, "I'm over the crying, now I want to protect my family."

I smiled, "Okay, good to have you back, beloved."

I focused my attention back on the infant in my arms, "I don't know where Kourtney and Kyra get their laughter attitudes from when they are around you, Kyra knows that you are a warrior as for Kourtney I don't think she cares at this age." Graceona stroked Kourtney's hair and then kissed it.

"I use to laugh about everything, just like Kourtney, but once I got older and my responsibilities kicked in, I never had the time, when I did have the time it just never really came out until I just stopped completely."

"You laughed at Kourtney's age, I never would have imagined that."

"No, Leonard was my happy child, until the start of the wars, it was Nicolae that was my serious child, so much difference in them both, now since the wars. I pray they can find true happiness again." Came a voice all too familiar to me, my mother, Rosalyn.

I looked and smiled, "Mother, why are you here? You never approach me, does father need me for battle plans?"

"No, I wanted to meet the family you've talked so much about," she smiled walking over to us, "I'm not disappointed in your choice Leonard, you have a lovely wife, beautiful children," she extended her arms, "May I hold young Kourtney?"

I handed Kourtney to her as the laughter stopped, and groans of dissatisfaction came from the child, for once, she looked and sounded like she was going to burst into tears at any moment.

"Mother, what did you do before you came in here? I've not seen this child so close to breaking out into a crying spell, and she has been with me, what's wrong with her?"

Mother was silent, but a soft smile crossed her lips, "Well, for one thing, Leonard, she's hungry, and second she is a seeker, she sees things about us that we would rather forget about ourselves, she laughs at happy memories, and in this case, she doesn't enjoy what she sees."

"A Seeker, are you sure, mother?"

"I'm certain, Leonard. You know what this means?"

I looked at Graceona, who looked at me, "What does this mean, Leonard?"

"Seekers are born towards the end of days. They are a sure way of dictating the end is near." I smiled as Kourtney chewed on my mother's large pendant, "Maybe we should get her something to eat." My mother kissed Kourtney's hair, reaching her to me as I got her.

We made our way downstairs. On the way downstairs, Graceona and I held hands while talking. Once downstairs, I showed her the way to the kitchen stopping at the window, ordering a bottle of milk for Kourtney, and ordered a Cream Cheese Pie for Graceona.

Walking over to one of the large tables in the massive size dining room, I scooted her chair out as she sat down, I pushed her chair back in, placing Kourtney in a baby seat then I sat down beside Graceona as the infant looked at the room. I looked at Graceona, "You still enjoy Dream Cheese Pie, right, my love?"

She smiled, "I do."

Soon a cook brought our order and placed the tray on the table, "Well enjoy your food, Barry is an excellent cook, I don't think you will be disappointed."

I got the bottle for Kourtney, who drank from it, still looking at her surroundings. As we sat there, Graceona cut a piece of the pie, "This is delicious, taste this."

She got some feeding it to me, "It is delicious."

We were interrupted by Barry, the chief chef. He stood beside me with a dish in his hands, a recipe I knew and loved too well, "My lord, I know you didn't order anything, but I cooked this for you, you're favorite. Grand Mango and Pine, don't tell anyone else but I added more pine and extra Grand mango sauce," I looked to see he was truthful he also added more meat to the dish, "also my lord, your father says today is your birthday."

"Thank you, Barry, you do know how to take care of someone," I looked at Graceona, "But do try to keep my birthday at a low key, I really don't need any special treatment."

The older man laughed a heartfelt laugh, "Sorry lord Shepherd, but that's a promise I can't keep. Rosalinda and your father have already informed the kingdom, and your parents already have something planned for the event, prepare to get fattened up young Prince."

I sighed as Graceona smiled, hiding a laugh, "Don't worry, he'll enjoy it, he tries this on me every year, I just ignore him." Barry smiled as he left the two of us alone.

I looked at Kourtney, who finished her bottle, looking at me with a look of sadness, she then looked at the entrance. I looked at the door as well to see Nicolae staggering into the room, covered in blood, I quickly got to my feet rushing to him he fell only for me to catch him mid-fall, I looked at him helping him get to his feet, "Nicolae, what happened? Who done this?" I examined his wounds, "Tell me Nicolae did Ammon do this to you?"

Nicolae looked at me, "Leonard? Am I dead?"

I looked at him, "No, brother, you're safe. Now answer me, who done this?"

"We were attacked, Aria and I, Aria was taken to Infernias." His breathing became shallow, his voice weaker, "They left me for dead, it was Ammon's armies, seeking vengeance for the death of Felix."

I looked at him picking him up taking him from the dining hall I felt my healing magik flow through his body, as he lay his head back losing consciousness, I quickened my steps to the infirmary, once inside, "We have an emergency!"

The doctors surrounded me as I lay Nicolae on the bed, with his blood on my shirt. The nurse checked me, "I'm fine; it's his blood, tend to him."

I stepped outside.

-Nicolae's Point of View-

(An hour later)

I slowly opened my eyes looking around the room, lights were on my face, but no one was around except for a tall blond-haired woman, in a nurse's outfit, "Who are you? Where am I?"

The woman turned around with a smile, "My name is Annette, I'm a servant of your brothers, he's concerned about you."

"Leonard? He's alive? Where is he?"

"He's in the waiting room, you can see him soon we need to get you stable you've lost too much blood, try to rest you're safe here."

I watched as she faded into yellow light and the sounds of voices surrounded me, I looked around as the doctors wiped the sweat from their brows, some scratching their heads in confusion, looking at the source of my pain, the dull shocking pain felt as if it was rising from not one but several sources on my torso and a massive source that sent heat radiating from my back, such as beach sands but my body was sweating my skin no longer cold, I felt a weight in my chest, a beating pressure and the need for air. The annoying sounds of beeping rang out loudly in the air.

The doctors looked down from their current activity, and one placed a hand on my forehead, that I pictured was covered in sweat. He breathed a sigh of relief a hint of a smile of satisfaction showed in the dimples that weren't hidden underneath the surgeons mask, "Now my friends, we can rest, the injuries are closing, and the young prince is now one of us, the book of the prophecy's are slowly coming to a close."

Many cheers filled the room the elderly doctor whose gazes never left my confused gaze took his mask from his lips, he helped me to set up. "Young Prince, you are now a warrior of your true people, the Afflicted Ones, we have awaited this glorious day for thousands of years."

I looked at him, "My people?, the Afflicted Ones? My people are the creatures of Halcyon, I'm a vampyre not a warrior of the forgotten ones, I think you are confused with someone else."

"Not so, young Prince. The Afflicted Marks have chosen you. Your body now bears the marks of your origins, your birthright. You and Prince Leonard are the twin warriors who are birthed by the creatures of the afflicted. The ones who are destined to put an end to this idiotic separate realm and create a new chapter in a new world, a world as one where all creatures can exist, and war will never take place, the Eternal Calm, is now upon us, come, my Prince, you need to eat. Build your strength up, if you feel you need to come back, this is a very unpredictable procedure, after you've eaten, you need a couple of days rest."

I looked at him as he handed me a black button-up shirt, I put it on buttoned it as I followed the gentleman from the room, only to see Leonard his head in his hands sitting behind a glass wall, I walked through the door as he looked at me.

(Leonard's Point of View)

The two of us looked at one another after two years. I looked at the brother that I had fought the war to see that his daughter was safe. I extended my hand as Nicolae looked at me, "I need your assistance in this war, brother. In return, I vow Aria will be brought back to you safely, and Ammon's head delivered to you both on a silver platter."

Nicolae took my hand, getting me into a hug, "You have a deal, brother, let's show Infernias the outcome one gets when you mess with the Shepherd Brother's."

I smiled as the hug broke, "Sounds like a plan, good to have you back, come, brother, we need to eat, and unfortunately celebrate our birthday." I sighed then laughed, "I have some people I wish for you to meet."

He let go of my hand, and we left the infirmary. "Leonard, did I go from the undead to living in just a short time?"

I looked at him, "Yes, you are no longer a vampire, so eating, sleeping, and, all that is a necessity, you can grow sick from hunger and grow weak without something to drink. My suggestion for both is Grand Mango Pine with some red wine, though I wouldn't go over the limit with the wine, we can't have a drunken Prince it's not good for the body." Nicolae sighed, I continued, " Nicolae, you do need some meat on you, you look sickly, I mean we rocked the looks as a vampire, but that's no longer an option."

"Wouldn't being human put us at a disadvantage against Ammon's Army, I was no match for them, and I was a vampyre, to me it would seem like we would be weaker now."

I laughed, "Nicolae, we may function as humans but, we are more cunning, ruthless, and to put it into better words, we are designed to be killing machines, not many people, know the secret to destroy us. We can have limbs severed and survive, while other creatures would bleed to death,. However, we have an enhanced power of regeneration. Our only downfall is the affliction marks when one is punctured, there is no getting up from it. The death is brutal, more painful than any poison that exists in these realms. Just remember that. Now enough depressing talk, we have so much to catch up on."