The Sentinels The First and the Second (second edition) Smashwords edition.doc

by The Sentinels- The First

  However, he needed information from Mr. Kumasegawa before he went to visit Amarantos. Grayson needed to know what Mr. Kumasegawa knew and how the situation had been at that moment, he couldn't rely on Yoshihiro's memories for that type of information; Alexi had altered his mind to protect his secrets.

  He needed to know what was going on before he passed judgment on Alexi; he wanted to end him for the right reason. Although he had more than enough to do so, he wanted no arguments from anyone else that he acted without proper cause. Therefore, he was going to do things properly instead of just react like he wanted to, but there was no doubt that Alexi was going to be dealt with, in the most severe way possible.

  He knew he looked calm, but in reality, he was so angry, that if he saw Alexi he would not wait, he'd simply rip him to shreds. However, he needed to know why the most powerful Vampire would fear one that was not only 7,000 years younger than him, but much less powerful as well.

  Grayson retrieved what he could from Mr. Kumasegawa and thanked him then turned to the rest.

  "Ok, time to go; Harry, you remember Amarantos don't you? Let's go pay him a visit, shall we?" Grayson said with a grin, Harry studied him for a moment then nodded.

  "Why don't we drop your Mom off at home first, I don't know about you but from what I remember, he liked admiring pretty things. I doubt he would pass up your Mom if he has the chance," Harry said.

  Grayson nodded, Harry was right, Amarantos had always admired beauty, and his Mom was definitely beautiful. Knowing Amarantos, he would try to bargain to keep his Mom for a little while in exchange for the information Grayson asked of him; it was wiser to leave her safe at home.

  "You're right, he might try to bargain to keep her; it's safer to take her home, sorry Mom," Grayson said, turning to look at her with an apologetic look on his face.

  Isabel nodded but didn't look happy about it. Grayson, Harry, and Isabel turned to Mr. Kumasegawa and bowed low then Grayson spoke, letting some of the anger that raged inside of him seep through.

  "Thank you for your assistance Kumasegawa-sama, and though I know you hate Alexi, do not speak of what has happened here to anyone," Grayson warned; Mr. Kumasegawa's eyes widened slightly in fear and he shook his head.

  "I swear I will say nothing," Mr. Kumasegawa said, shaking his head. Grayson nodded and turned to Harry, Isabel, and Yoshihiro.

  "Ok, Harry why don't you grab Yoshihiro's hand, Mom I'm going to be sending you home. Let them know what is going on," Grayson said.

  Isabel nodded and smiled at Grayson then closed her eyes and waited. He copied his Mom and closed his eyes, concentrating as he sent his Mother home and Harry, Yoshihiro, and himself to the Vampire King's home.

  When they arrived, they arrived just inside of the King's grand foyer. The King's sentry that guarded the large entrance greeted them; their arrival caused a ruckus as it wasn't just anyone who could appear inside of the heavy magic barrier the King had around his large castle he called his home.

  Grayson just slid his hands into his dress pants nonchalantly and smiled at the Vampire that glared at the three of them as Yoshihiro hid behind both Harry and Grayson. A few looked from Harry to Grayson in awe, but Grayson said nothing, waiting for all the yells and commotion to settle before he spoke.

  When the noise finally died down, one of the sentry's pointed his thick steel spear at Grayson's throat and growled out his demand. He stood as tall as Harry did but he did not cower to Grayson's extra inches.

  "Who are you and how did you get in here?!" the Sentry asked.

  Grayson looked steadily into the Vampire's eyes and read him like a book. Nulo was his name; he was the General of the entire sentry, and 2028 years old. He was a very good soldier and warrior and he was also the son of the King. He was his first child with Amarantos' fourth wife, but he was young in his Father's eyes and had to work to earn his position not just because of his birthright.

  "Well, why don't we start by you kindly removing that spear from my throat before I lose my patience with you Nulo?" Grayson said his smile not as big as it had been a moment before.

  "Then I would very much appreciate if someone would lead me to King Amarantos, I have a few things I need to discuss with him," Grayson said, not giving any of his anger away.

  He knew he hadn't introduced himself, and the proper thing would be to introduce themselves, but if they did things the proper way, they would never get in to see Amarantos, and that was not acceptable.

  Nulo stared at him in both shock and anger.

  "How do you know my name?!" Nulo yelled, pressing the spear point into Grayson's throat.

  However, the one that responded was not Grayson but Harry; he really didn't like it when someone threatened Grayson, despite the fact that Grayson did not need defending. Grayson wasn't stupid enough to argue with Harry and piss him off though.

  Harry grabbed the spear point and pushed back with ease, making Nulo fly back and slam against the banister of the grand, wide, white granite staircase.

  "What is all the commotion in here?!" Amarantos yelled from the top of the staircase, looking down at them with an angry expression.

  Amarantos was a medium height man, though tall for his original time; he stood roughly at 5'9". He had dark brown hair, piercing green eyes much like Harry's, light olive skin, and a slender body frame. He was an attractive man, and though he was not pretty like Grayson or Harry he was nonetheless very desired, and not only for his position. Grayson smiled up at him and held up his hand in greeting.

  "Long time no see Amarantos, how are you?" Grayson said with the same smile on his face.

  Nulo got up quickly and rushed at Harry but Grayson reacted faster than Nulo and stretched out his left hand as Nulo almost reached Harry, grabbing him by the throat and stopping him in his tracks. He raised his right hand and shook his head and his index finger at him.

  "Now, now, I wouldn't recommend doing that, you really don't want to make me mad right now," Grayson said, his smile all but gone, and the stoic mask slowly sliding over his face.

  "Nulo, stand down. Who, may I ask, are you, that you know my name of old?" Amarantos asked, looking from Harry to Grayson to Yoshihiro then back to Grayson as he descended the stairs.

  Grayson released Nulo and turned to Amarantos once again smiling; the King studied them intently as he reached the bottom and walked toward them.

  "Your Majesty, please stay back," Nulo pleaded, stretching out his arm to Amarantos and taking a step to block him from Grayson's reach.

  Grayson sighed and gave Nulo a withering look, Nulo simply glared at him and busied himself with protecting the King.

  "Had I wanted to attack the King there would be nothing you could do to stop me Nulo. Besides, do you really think I would have appeared in front of you instead of inside of the King's quarters if that was my purpose here today?" Grayson asked him with arched eyebrows as he crossed his arms across his chest.

  "I do not know you therefore I could not know if you have ulterior motives or not," Nulo retorted defensively.

  "Enough! We have not come to speak with you; our business is with Amarantos. Amarantos, if you do not recognize us, then think back to where you were 5,500 years ago, and who helped you escape your assassination attempt," Harry snapped.

  Harry had had enough it appeared. Grayson turned to him and winked then rubbed his back soothingly, but Harry's words had registered with Amarantos, and he looked from Grayson to Harry, a wide grin spread across his face as he realized who they were.

  "Thoth, Maat?" Amarantos said with an incredulous smile.

  Grayson uncrossed his arms and slid his hands back into his pockets, giving Amarantos a half smile.

  "This is marvelous! Come; join me in my quarters please." Amarantos said with a jovial laugh and clap of his hands.

  All three of them followed Amarantos to his large sitting room and had a seat as he called for a maid and his midday meal. He ordered some food for Harry, Grayson, and Yoshihiro and sat back, crossing his le
gs and linking his fingers together on his lap.

  "So this time you came back as a man Maat, I have to say you are breathtaking, whether in female or male form, but please, tell me what brings you to visit me today my old friends," Amarantos asked with a smile, still admiring Harry's beauty.

  Grayson couldn't help himself; he chuckled at Amarantos' words and agreed with them in his head, Harry was always beautiful, regardless of the incarnation or the sex. Yet now was not the time for contemplation of Harry's beauty; Grayson focused and spoke to Yoshihiro.

  "Yoshihiro, please sit next to Amarantos. Amarantos, please be so kind as to read him, and tell me what you see?" Grayson asked.

  Yoshihiro did as Grayson asked and sat next to Amarantos nervously, but Amarantos smiled at Yoshihiro kindly and pat his hand soothingly.

  "Don't worry youngling, I will not harm you, please relax, this will not hurt," Amarantos said soothingly and raised his left hand to Yoshihiro's face, cupping it almost in a caress and looked into his eyes.

  After a second Amarantos gasped and released Yoshihiro, clamping a hand over his mouth.

  "I think I'm going to be sick," he mumbled and closed his eyes as he took deep breaths. Grayson was no longer smiling; his face was hard and cold.

  "Am I to infer from your reaction that you didn't know Alexi was doing these atrocities? You knew nothing of this?" Grayson asked. Amarantos looked at Grayson with an angry glint in his eyes.

  "Of course I knew nothing of this or I would have dealt with it immediately! I assume this is why you have come to visit me today. I assure you he will be dealt with, his behavior and actions are unforgivable!" Amarantos said angrily as he slammed his fist down on the armrest of his love seat.

  He was speaking the truth and Grayson knew it, but he had to make sure, before he made a decision without making sure Amarantos was not involved in this Alexi problem.

  "Oh, I guarantee he will be dealt with, I plan on handling it myself, but you are mistaken if you think we have brought Yoshihiro to you just so you could handle this despicable bastard. Our reason for coming here is to ask you what favor he has with you; as you saw, Yoshihiro's Father gave him to Alexi in exchange for his protection and favor with you. Also, why would Yoshihiro's uncle be under the impression you are afraid of Alexi?" Grayson asked.

  "It is not a false impression, though I wouldn't say I am afraid of him per se, I am more wary than afraid, and it is not of him that I am wary. The company he keeps are your own Sentinels; Sentinels that have threatened me and told me if I do not do as he asks, I will pay the ultimate price. However, seeing as you have been gone for so long, I do not hold you accountable for their actions. But now that you are back, maybe you can deal with this fascist Sentinel group that has risen in your absence," Amarantos suggested.

  Grayson's hard expression seemed to become more hard and his anger began to seep through his controlled expression. Because of his already angry mood, thinking of the Void only made his anger increase.

  "That is something we are already dealing with, unfortunately it is not as simple as it seems, but at the moment Alexi is at the foremost in our minds. I refuse to let this disgrace continue, so please tell me all you know," Grayson requested.

  The King told him of the Sentinels that had come to visit him, how they had destroyed his home, and killed one of his wives to prove they were serious. They had threatened his other three wives and told Amarantos that if he didn't do as they said, they would kill his wives and children and burn the whole of the Vampire kingdom to the ground.

  By the end of Amarantos' explanation both Grayson and Harry looked about ready to flay someone alive. Amarantos had been a very close friend, more like a brother, and though at that time Harry had been a female Sentinel, they had remained close for quite some time. Yet their friendship was irrelevant in the face of the fascist Sentinels threat to kill innocents for their own gain.

  What deal could they have with Alexi that would cause them to threaten vampires, especially the Vampire King?

  "I've heard enough Gray, it's time to pass judgment on Alexi, and find out whom these Sentinels are that threatened all vampires; thank you Amarantos, for your help and information. Yoshihiro, come, it's time to go," Harry said standing and holding out his hand to Yoshihiro.

  Amarantos held a finger up and stopped Grayson and Yoshihiro as they were about to stand.

  "Please wait a moment, I wish to accompany you, I to wish to see this matter with Alexi resolved, and I would greatly enjoy seeing his punishment in person," Amarantos said darkly.

  He dashed to his room and was back in less than a minute, fully dressed and ready to go.

  "Give me one moment please, I must let Nulo know I will be going or he will rush off half-cocked looking for me, and likely cause a commotion again. He is very good at his job, but he can be a bit excitable, even for one his age," Amarantos explained.

  He pressed his finger to a small oval pendant hanging around his neck and in a second's time, Nulo stood beside them.

  "You called Your Majesty?" Nulo asked, as he regarded Grayson warily, his disrespect was starting to wear on Grayson's already agitated nerves.

  "Nulo, you seem to have a problem with me, generally I would let this slide seeing as you are Amarantos' son, but at the moment I am not really in the mood to suffer disrespect. Therefore I will give you this last chance to change your attitude and act in a respectful manner to Harry, Yoshihiro, and I."

  Grayson spoke in a commanding voice that left no doubt that he was completely serious and expected an apology from Nulo. Nulo gave Grayson a scathing look and spoke as he sneered in Grayson's face.

  "I owe you no apology; you disrespected my King and attacked me, by rights I should spear that pretty one that threw me, but out of respect for my King I have not. If you ever attack me again I shall not hold back!" Nulo snapped.

  Once again, it was not Grayson that reacted, and it was not Harry either, this time it was Amarantos that had heard enough. He raised his hand and slapped Nulo across the face in a backwards motion sending him sailing across the room and into the King's quarters.

  Nulo looked at Amarantos with wide shocked eyes.

  "Nulo, I have never raised you to be disrespectful! What has gotten into you?! Apologize right now and ask for forgiveness. You have no idea who you are speaking to, think before you use words to get yourself into trouble I would never be able to get you out of!" Amarantos yelled.

  He was seething and Grayson could feel and scent just how angry he really was. Rarely had he seen Amarantos this angry in the past, but his anger from what he had just discovered about Alexi was probably affecting him. Nulo got to his feet looking upset, but that did not stop him from bowing in both his Father's direction or Grayson's, Harry's, and Yoshihiro's.

  "I apologize for my previous disrespect; I will not let it happen again. Please forgive my impudence thus far," Nulo requested, speaking to Grayson.

  "See that it doesn't," Grayson said then turned to Amarantos.

  "Ready to go?" he asked him.

  Amarantos nodded in response to Grayson's question, but held up his index finger once again and turned to Nulo.

  "Nulo, I will be accompanying Grayson, Harry, and Yoshihiro on a visit to Alexi. They plan on passing judgment on him, and I for one plan on being part of it."

  Grayson could feel the anger in Amarantos' words; Yoshihiro looked from Nulo to Harry and Grayson and finally spoke.

  "How did you know their names?" Yoshihiro asked Amarantos.

  Grayson frowned at Yoshihiro's question, how had he not figured it out? However, Amarantos showed only kindness to Yoshihiro, as if he were only a tiny child. Well, in his eyes, Yoshihiro would be nothing more than a newborn. Seeing as he was only two months old as a Vampire and 21 years old as a human, compared to Amarantos age, he was nothing but a baby.

  "I saw it in your memories youngling," Amarantos said kindly with a smile.

  Yoshihiro nodded smiling back at the King shyly. Grayson chuckled,
Yoshihiro was most definitely, not shy, but it appeared he was with the King. If only he knew what and who Grayson and Harry were, Grayson wondered what he would act like when he finally found out. Would he act shy with them as well? Grayson doubted that highly; after all he would be feeding off of him for the rest of his life.

  Everyone turned to look at Grayson as when he chuckled, Harry looking confused, Grayson winked at him and smiled then explained himself.

  "I was only laughing at a thought I had, nothing important," Grayson said, not wanting to embarrass Yoshihiro. Harry gave him a funny look and Grayson winked at him once again.

  "I'll tell you when we get home," Grayson said with a smile.

  Nulo walked over to them and spoke quietly toward Amarantos, interrupting them.

  "Your Majesty, please allow me to accompany you on your visit to Alexi?" Nulo asked his face worried.

  Grayson understood only too well Nulo's desire to protect his Father. He could not fault him for asking, and if it were up to him, he would take him. Maybe he should extend the olive branch since the reason that Nulo had acted the way he had was simple; he had been worried for his Father's life.

  Amarantos on the other hand seemed to have a different opinion on the matter because he seemed about to refuse when Harry spoke up.

  "Amarantos, it might be wise to have him there, if for no other reason than to be a witness. Plus I think he would be an asset at the moment, especially since he appears to know of this situation with Alexi," Harry said quietly and calmly.

  His voice was soothing and quite convincing, and it seemed to do the trick, because Amarantos sighed and nodded then turned to Nulo.

  "Please go let your sentry know you will be accompanying us and to keep guard," Amarantos told Nulo who nodded and turned, walking briskly out the double doors.

  After a minute, he returned in a pair of normal jeans and T-shirt with a sword strapped to his back. Grayson inspected him and tried to see the sword, but he had it safely tucked into his back.

  "May I see your sword Nulo?" Grayson asked with a smile.

  Nulo studied him for a moment then nodded, sliding his sword out of its holster, scabbard and all. Grayson took the sword, slid it out of its sheath, and inspected it; it was a very well made sword, but it lacked any type of protection on it, if he were to go up against anyone magically stronger than him he would lose almost instantly. Nevertheless, Grayson couldn't just put a protection on it without Nulo's permission.