To all those reading the modern Mage storyline, this happens over chapters 17 & 18 and may contain up part of 19 as well. I'll get it on more about that once the stirring for 19 comes to me. I wanted to let everyone see a dissimilar perspective than St. Andrew's as well as cover something that wouldn't have fit in the remainder of the story based on the nerve that Bodoni Mage is being writer as though Andrew is explaining his past times to the reviewer. I used bother third somebody narration and some first person in the chapter here to speciate what he was thinking at first as well as allowing me to explain some of the back story for those who read this and harbour't read the ease of the Modern Mage and Existence narration. promise everyone enjoys a different issue on thinks in the world of Magick and Monsters that I am attempting to add you all into.

Gabriel Roarke had been a Hunter for over a decade, ever since he recovered after his family was attacked by a Vampire. To be more precise after that creature had killed his parents and then turned his sisters forcing Roarke to obliterate them if he wanted to live. He had spent six calendar month in a hospital recovering from physical injuries he'd received from surviving that night and cleaning up the muddle so that he didn't go to jail for murder. He didn't tell the police force or the doctors, nanny and psychiatrist that the hospital about the lamia because he didn't want to be placed in a genial insane asylum either.

At the end of his time recovering from the injury Roarke was taken in by a Danton True Young twosome instead of being placed in a government plate. While thankful for that he was unsure why they took him in until dinner of the low nighttime in his new home. It turned out that they had known about the supernatural and realized that what happened to his family was a Vampire attack. They began to explain that their class had been a foresighted line of Hunters, dedicated to protecting humanity from the things most don't even think in. They started training him, not just in how to struggle but hot to think as well. Over the course of four years they had trained hum, taken him out on hunts and treated him as though he was their own child. They made sure that he also got a right school day education allowing him to qualify for college. Just after his eighteenth birthday while shopping for supplying before he left for college the vampire that had attacked his family unit tracked him down again. That nighttime the vampire attacked again killing both of his guardians. He killed the lamia that Night himself. After that Nox he decided not to go away to school but to start hunt and recruiting new huntsman to train.

For six eld Roarke had been hunting and killing every supernatural being he could track down. It didn't matter what kind they were. He focused mostly in domain where had found people disappearing or being murdered. He excelled at ferreting out those creatures that hid in knit stitch sight. Over time her developed beginning of data on the web and made liaison with other hunters and witness. After that he started to get More and more information on being he couldn't have found himself. info that told him not only where to find out these giant, but what kind her was dealing with. He couldn't believe his portion in finding this source of selective information. That seed had created a problem for him other today.

He got information about a target in Las Vegas who was said to be a peril not just to the citizenry in the city around him, but to others around the humans. Roarke spent almost of his metre hunting in Irish Republic, Scotland and England but would go abroad when there was a threat that would ask the clock time and attempt. He had hunted in the United States a few clock time but had never traveled to Las Vega before. The informant contacted him anonymously as usual with the prey information. The target was a magical substance abuser, powerful at that. The software documentation sent tied him to a string of execution around the urban center and in nearby states claiming that he was using descent magic to increase his power. The targets address was provided with the early information, along with the implication that he was nearly completed the ritual meaning he needed to be stopped quickly. Roarke booked passage to Las Vegas and shipped the gear he would take by air freight the next day. Within the calendar week he was in Las Lope Felix de Vega Carpio and picked up his gear. He would normally have taken time to reconnoiter the target and make for certain that he could get in and out without any problems, but from the supplied data he just didn't have the clip before this guy started killing more people.

Roarke got to the location on the night of February first to see his fair game make it back at the house with a petite red haired fair sex that there was no information on in the files. The number one wood of the car that brought them there unloaded luggage and took it in for them. He could see from his position several the great unwashed inside the house when the doorway was opened. It looked like they had come back from some variety of trip and having a welcome home party from his position. Roarke watched the sign as the Night went on. Around one or two in the dayspring about of those Roarke had seen left the house. He continued to watch the house until morning. Right before cockcrow Roarke got out of his truck and started to move toward the house expecting the occupants to be sleeping after the tardily even.

He got halfway across the property to the door moving from cover to report when he paused for a import. He had about XXX foundation of space to cross with cipher to duck behind when he continued to approach. He wasn't aware at that moment that the future few minutes were going to shift perception of realness forever. He pulled the brand he inherited from his guardians before standing up. The steel was refuted to be a invaluable artifact that can stop almost any form of Magic used against the someone wielding it. He stood up and started across the open ground when the front door opened and out stepped the man he was after.

Standing before Roarke was the colossus that he was sent after, a individual defective than any he hunted before. This man had killed more innocent people that any former occult creature he had tracked down and had the arrogance to abuse out and enjoy a sunny sunrise as though there wasn't a care in the world. Roarke's determination was one of his greatest and deadliest assets and upon seeing he target he charges intending to end this quickly. Within the commencement couple of steps the man looked unconcerned, but it quickly changed to confusion as he dodged the jive of the blade and rolled away. Roarke firmly believed that this man was truly a monster simple by the fact that he was human and made the choice to destruct lives for his own amplification. lamia needed ancestry to live and were soulless, werewolves were godforsaken uncontrolled animate being, former occult creatures hadn't even started out as human and while they needed to be destroyed you couldn't hold them to human morals. When a man decides that he would rather drink down for power, money or any other reasonableness they made themselves defective ogre than those born to it.

The goliath he faced scanned the sphere, probable looking for assistance in fighting Roarke off in order to make unnecessary his own paltry aliveness. He spoke up,"What do you want here ?"

Roarke's reply was direct and even, no signified of cult or anger in his feeling. Roarke kept his emotions in cheque when he hunted. He didn't pop out of anger or revenge ; his motif were as stark as he could make them. He hunted to protect humanity for the demon as his protector had taught him."Your Head,"was the reply.

"I'm sorry to let down you, but it won't be that well-fixed. Walk away, leave me and my friends alone and I'll do the same for you. I don't want you dead and you don't want to die,"was the answer from his target. Did this ogre really believe that it would be that simple to survive ? Did he not see the purpose on Roarke's face ? This man was a Noel Coward praying on the weak to gain ability and thought he could simply talk his way out of his own demise.

"I've been threatened by and then killed better than you, why would I walk away now ?"Roarke replied evenly. While he couldn't be sure that he wouldn't be killed himself he decided that this man would not subsist to obliterate anyone else either. Roarke was determined that either he would survive this fight or neither of them would. With that mindset he knew he was the most dangerous sort of enemy anyone had ever faced.

"make your pick and let's get this over with,"the monster relied with a lack of forbearance. Roarke was more than bequeath to oblige him if he wanted to die. He started to close with the aim again, staying on the balls of his feet ; trying to be ready for anything this man before him could do. The opposition moved far faster than he was expecting and sidestepped yesteryear Roarke, opening distance that he didn't want to give him. He still knew that he wasn't faster than no of the other things he hunted and therefor the giant would die. Roarke closed again quickly, swinging to come apart this man's torso at the waist. His aim dodged, dropping into a crouch and sweeping at Roarke's feet. Reacting instinctively he started to jump over his enemy's leg but was caught briefly by the flak. He landed on his rear instead of flipping out and away, turning the landing into a cast back away from his opposition. Roarke realized that no matter what else this aim was, he was also a trained fighter.

"Why are you here ?"the man asked.

"I'm here to obliterate you, I figured that was obvious by now,"Roarke replied, letting his flavour grow dark and menacing.

"That part was obvious diddly-squat ass. What I want to know is the reason you chose to try and kill me ? I've never done anything to harm you or yours that I know of, so why am I your object ?"Roarke was shocked by this reply. Did this teras really have the cheekiness to call in him a jack ass ; and why was it that so many of his targets had tried to roleplay guiltless when faced with their own mortality ? Own up to what you do in life story and take your due was his philosophy ; if you can't you shouldn't be doing whatever it is in the first place. Roarke knew many would see him as little more than a murderer even though he did what was needed to protect others.

Roarke closed again a little more cautiously and started his swing trying to bisect this man from shoulder joint to opposite hip. His foeman reacted quickly, stepping inside his range with a jab to the pharynx. Immediately after that his opposition followed up with a knee to the seawall. Roarke's only thought was that this man didn't just have sex how to fight he knew how to win a engagement. Roarke couldn't outcry it dirty fighting as his guardians had stressed from the beginning that all was fair in love and war. His Step-Mother for lack of a best full term used to say"You can fight by the dominion or you can fight to win. I would rather you fight to win."right hand after the attacks to stun him the enemy shoved him and backed up to gain some infinite instead of following up which worried Roarke as he had no true cognition of what sort of superpower this man could lend to bear.

When Roarke got back to his feet his enemy was now armed with two long slender metal prevention. They were each about thirty inches long and looked about an inch or so thickly. When they closed again, Roarke had his target on the defensive. If for cipher else, Roarke had to give his opponent credit for being a fighter. They went back and forth for several moment, both of them tiring but chance was with Roarke as his target seemed to be fading faster. The man turned the mesa forcing Roarke to defend himself even more as he sought a way through his training and acquirement with the broadsword. As they continued this venomous dance Roarke heard a strait toward his left wing but kept focused on his adversary. The man looked away toward the room access as his consistency turned toward the space between Roarke and that sound ; that was the opening he was waiting for. Roarke whipped the brand in from the side slicing a pedigree across the man's abdomen leaving a trail of blood flowing behind its passing.

"Andrew ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"a woman's voice screamed. The prey stepped back turning sideways to come at his side opened up from Roarke's approach on him. He switched the clutch on the sword and drove it up towards the targets side driving it in just below the underside rib. Roarke's spirit was lifted as he knew he was successful in his quest to belt down the monster. Roarke's elation was short lived however as this demon stepped forward pushing the sword deeper into his organs. The man had a look that Roarke recognized from his own mirror. It was a feel that said that while I may be dying but I'm taking you with me. Faster than he could oppose to the blast Roarke's wrists were crushed by one of the metallic element bars as the former contacted the face of his head. He was fine with dying as long as he knew that his fair game had been eliminated before he could do any more than harm. Those were his dying mentation as he lost consciousness.
********************

Those were some of the thoughts flowing through my head as I drove away from that Same sign tardily that evening. Among the others were the facts that I wasn't dead as I should consume been ; I had been knocked out at the mercy of a man I thought to be a monster. Not only had I not been killed for attacking him, Andrew and his wife Sindee had treated my wounding and spoke to me. I didn't want to listen at first but I was a prisoner interview initially. They had treated me skilful than I would have treated an enemy. They were trying to convince me that not all supernatural beings were evil monsters, that some of them were even out to help protect the human race. They had reasonable arguments for their point of view. When I asked them why they didn't just bring out the truth to the human wash with the evidence they gather they told me that human race wasn't gear up to assume the true statement. I had no veridical argument for that but before I could go on had me challenge my own statement by asking how I found out about the supernatural world. I told him the entire truth of what happened to my fellowship and I when I was only fourteen. By the sentence I finished telling them the story they simply cut the Mexican valium tying me to the chair and fed me while we continued to talk.

I turned out that I may possess been helping to convey about the wipeout of multitude that I made it my delegacy to protect. Andrew told me that he was Mage, not just some human who gained access to powers ; that Mages abilities were natural and not the result of Death and end for powerfulness. I don't know what to remember of everything he has said because it is so different to what I have spent the last twelve days believing. When I left his nursing home he told me to retrieve things through, walk some and I might notice what I need as I go. When I get back to the hotel I intend to do just that. One of the matter I have to think over is whether I want to leave this city in peace with him and his Allies to protect it or to ally myself with him against this strange enemy he told me about. I pulled up to my hotel valet de chambre, dropped off the car and started walking, wandering and thinking. I had no idea where I was going as this was my inaugural slip to the city of Las Vega, but I knew I could find my course back or prognosticate a cab from a bar to get back to the hotel when I needed.

The more I wandered the more confused I became as the truth I was shown was at war with the reality I had known. It's not easygoing to confront the true statement and your own misconceptions about it but it needed to be done. I kept walking, not paying attention to the streets, and just letting my feet direct the way I walked. My focus was on finding what I needed to in lodge to work through the mental confusion I was feeling. Somehow after being out walking for an minute or so I found myself in movement of the doors to a golf club. Looking at the star sign I saw it was called the creation. I figured I could use a drink and stepped toward the room access before I even noticed the line going down the block. The hall porter looked down at me as I stepped up and placed a paw on my shoulder to arrest me from entering. That's when I noticed the line and realized I wasn't likely to get that drink after all.

As I turned to take the air away I bumped into another gentleman stepping up to the door beside me. He was taller than me and dressed well. He was wearing what looked alike usance tailored vesture. Shirley Temple Black linen slack water, a Co drear silk shirt with the top two buttons undone, a linen crownwork matching the pants and a prissy pair or custom leather boots. He had brown haircloth and the palest grey eyes I had ever seen. What was most striking about the eyes is they looked like they had seen more history than anyone else I had ever know and he looked like he was only a distich years my senior. Between him and the ostiary, I was more intimidate by this stranger. I realized that while I had been evaluating him he had been doing the Saame to me and I had to respect that. He held out his hand to me,"I'm Arthur master key, and you are ?"

I reflexively took his paw and shook it,"Gabriel Roarke sir ; a pleasure to suffer you."I'm not sure why I said sir except the flavor in his eyes and the way he carried himself seemed to command esteem. I've met a yoke people that had similar bearing but nobody that grabbed my aid like he did.

President Arthur turned to the doorman,"E. G. Marshall, I'm going to take Gabriel here in as my guest tonight, please add him to the list in the future."Then he turned to me."You look like you need to get a drinkable and maybe verbalize about something. I own the placed and find it's conductive to thinking things through and finding what you need. First drinks on me."

Arthur opened the door and waived me in ahead of him. It was such a gracious offer I couldn't bring myself to resist ; besides my walk and just going where I felt I needed to be led me to the door. I decided to maintain an spread idea and go in. When I entered I was struck with just how orotund this place really was. The bar area wasn't much gravid than any of the taphouse back home, but the bar arena was just the commencement. There was a nightclub behind the main bar through a soundproofed plexiglass wall the appeared to stretch an entire block. If the owner and the scope of its size weren't enough to impress me, the security arrangement would throw. I've seen armed forces installations with less security and tribute than this office. I followed Chester Alan Arthur to a vauntingly table in the center of the primary bar area that had a reserved sign on it. He motioned for me to sit as he took the chair facing the door with his back to the bar.

As I sat down I read the planetary house posted above the bar and couldn't service the gag that came out. It read :

The use of arm is strenuously discouraged, lawbreaker will be Penalized. For those of you who don't have two wit cubicle to form a intellection the above means"YOU clout IT, YOU EAT IT ”, This insurance is strictly enforced

Arthur looked at me and where my oculus focused. He turned a smile on me that made me like the man even more. I could enjoin from his oculus he had seen too very much of what was out there and now from his smile that he didn't let what he saw break him down. I hope that one day I'll be able to say the same thing. While we were sitting there a petite offspring woman walked over to the board with two spectacles and a crystal carafe full of an amber colored liquidness. She set the two glassed between King Arthur and myself before pouring the drink. She then placed the bottle on the tabular array before stepping away. As I was watching her I could see her evaluating me often the same as Arthur and I did to each other and I got the impression that this cleaning woman would not only pour down for Arthur but die for him as well. Whoever this man is, he not only root on respect he commanded trueness as well. The woman was just over five foot and could have been to a greater extent than 125 punt or so but she carried herself with the free grace of a social dancer or paladin and I had my guess as to which.

"Gabriel, if you care to unite me, this is a very old and uncommon cognac that it would be my pleasure to plowshare with Irish Gaelic gentleman's gentleman such as yourself."

"Thank you Arthur, it would be my pleasure."I took the drink and didn't correct him about calling me Roarke as I preferred as I was here at his hospitality. I took a sip from my potable and felt the John Barleycorn burn slowly down my pharynx and warm me from the inside.

"So Gabriel, if you don't psyche my asking, what wandering thought brought you to my door this evening ?"Arthur inquired politely.

I chuckled briefly before responding,"I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you. At the very least you may think I'm drunk or crazy."

Arthur turned his head to face me and stared directly into my middle as he replied,"You may be surprised. I learned a very farsighted time ago as a bartender that I needed to stay fresh an open mind about the truth of the world. Besides, many people that show up here seem to have something they need to tattle out even if it sounds a bit foreign. Just because I sit out at the table more often than working the hold fast doesn't mean I'm no longer a barkeeper. Speak up about what's on your psyche, if it sounds a picayune crazy I'll attribute it to the drink and call you a cab when we're done."

The way he spoke and the composure espousal in his eye made it loose to voice at least some of my opinion. I figured I could cover the unsubtle separatrix without giving him the detail that would put me in a genial founding."Have you ever known that you were doing the right thing because you knew how the human race worked only to take the true statement turn and smack you over the head ?"I asked him.

"Since Sojourner Truth is a relative terminal figure as we subscribe to our own view ; that has happened to me on no less the a twelve affair. I learned a new fact each fourth dimension. Knowledge is about fact and Wisdom of Solomon about truth. The truth can change as often as we do as people. It's the facts that we need to ascertain that cause the trueness to be re-evaluated. Take for example, as a kid I never believed in any of the monsters in the movies until I saw my for the first time one. I knew the truth was they didn't exist before I was exposed to the fact that they were real,"Arthur stated in an even and relaxed tone.

I wish I could say that I picked up on what he said aright away but honestly I just didn't,"That is an matter to perspective on truth and facts….."I fell silent for a minute as my mind was catching up on what he just said."Did you just say that you know that the monsters from the movies exist ?"

"Of class I did. However, I think you already knew that as well. More importantly, I believe that you are having an issue resolving the fact that while these being in fact exist, in truth they are not all behemoth. Would that be a correct judgement ?"

I hadn't been surprised by anyone in a long meter, but this day was shaping up to be one of new and disconcerting experiences. I opened my sass to do a few metre and closed it again before finally being able to put a coherent thought into words,"You could easily put it that way. How did you know what I was thinking about ?"

Arthur smiled at me before he answered,"First is that you wound up at my threshold and only those who need to discover this place if they haven't been invited. Second is that you carry yourself as a warrior in a clip and place where there aren't many left in the world and since you're completely human I would assume you were a hunter. The only way a Hunter would come at my room access is if they were having some sort of crisis or faith or some other such issue they need to influence out. third gear, and what made figuring out the number 1 two comfortable is a mutual admirer gave me a heads up about a young man who he sent wandering with the idea planted on letting the walking guide him to what he needed."

I looked him directly in his disconcerting gaze and asked,"Andrew ? He knew I would wind up here ?"

Chester Alan Arthur chuckled and replied,"No, he didn't know. He did hope your wandering would get you here because this piazza may furnish you some on the perspective you need to mold through you dilemma."He took a immediate expression around the room."Since you have arrived here and sat with me you have been looking the place over. say me without looking again what you noticed."

I answered quickly and from remembering as not to bias the reply by over thinking thing,"I saw busy bar and nightclub with serious security bar in piazza to protect the place and patrons from any possible situation including an invasion by a hostile nation. I saw the great unwashed sitting around having conversations and boozing without the grim humor you see in a lot of bars and night club. I saw people dancing and smiling, moving on and off the dance story. I saw that beautiful young lady who brought the cognac over value me as though I may be a threat and saw that she was more loyal to you than I'd ever to be able to properly put into words."

"Very observant for the quick glances you took. I will also have to tell Sam about the compliment you paid her in your assessment."He smiled and continued,"Now, take another look around. Take your fourth dimension and depend closely. skim just the bar room if you want to take a facial expression through the meth to the cabaret and tell me again what you see."

I did as he instructed, taking my time to do this right. I paid aid to every detail I could spot letting my focussing linger on the dance floor beyond the divider. I looked over the customers and the faculty, looking for anything that I had missed in my scan of the room when I entered. By the time I was finished looking around I'm certain my jaw was hanging open in shock at what I was seeing around me. I almost didn't believe my own middle."There are all kinds of supernatural being in here along with mortals ; Supernatural existence that actively war with each other. I can see at least a couple of Vampires shooting pool with a dyad of Werewolves over there. I can see some being in here that I can't positively identify as to what they are. I don't understand how there can be so many supernatural beings in this one city, let alone this one building without them trying to tear each other and the seat apart as well. How is it that no one violated the policy above the bar ?"

Again a smile bedcover across Chester Alan Arthur's font,"I'll explain as best I can and maybe it will help you resolve your own identity crisis. starting time and foremost, when I opened this place initially, it was just the bar fortune that we're sitting in. That happened long before I knew what existed beyond the orbit of my macrocosm. I later came to have intercourse a lot more about the truth and the facts of what goes on in this world. Among the unlike supernatural airstream there are traditionally places to fill between touch clans or tribes or whatever social grouping that species gathers themselves in to. These places have many epithet selected by the race in question, but it is always indifferent territory and the rules are not to be broken. The more democratic condition for these office is an Elysium. I would get into this to be a character reference to the elysian Fields from Greek mythology as they were a place of paradise exchangeable to heaven in other religion. Either way, I believed that while the different subspecies had placed where they could meet to work out progeny between their own kind, there was no station to get together with another slipstream where they could peacefully hash out thing without it generating into another bloodbath. With the ability I had and have grown into overtime I turned my small street corner bar into an Elysium for all who enter. My stave and I are more than capable of enforcing the neutrality if we have to, but near who come here just relish the chance to relax and be who they are, not what they are expected to be. consume the pond game you pointed out. They are playing pairs, but it isn't vampire versus Werewolves, they're split evenly. That table in the recession over my shoulder with the two men playing chess game and having a discussion ; one is a Mage and the other a Technocrat. Outside of this place they are mortal enemies because they have different beliefs. In here they discuss their belief in hopes of opening the other person's heart to the trueness as they see it. And Samantha whose loyalty to me you commented on ; I owe her my spirit various times over and not once has she allowed me to give thanks her or repay her with any sort of favor beyond the friendship we share. She is older than me by an order of 10 even though she appears younger. She is a Warrior of exquisite acquirement, a loyal and dear Friend, a confidant and ally as well as a kind hearted woman once you get to know her. Sam just also happens to be a Vampire. The first gear think you need to think about is that just because some writer put something in a Quran because they didn't understand and were afraid of a fiddling truth doesn't mean they were right. Now, don't get me incorrectly and assume they are all practiced law abiding people no matter what they are. Like humankind, the supernatural have some that are born commodity and will always be so and some that are virgin evil and like it there. The rest of the population of supernatural organism falls somewhere in the hoary region and should be treated as they treat others."Arthur's smile turned from openly favorable to one of mischief. He reached up into the air next to me and made a phone like spyglass or metal snapping then reach out like he was handing me something before continuing,"Now that I have completely broken your handle on reality I need to give my bartender a break while you think though all that has been revealed to you today. If you have questions or need to lecture let me know. If you need a ride back to your hotel, George will contribute you a ride unless I'm relinquish to do so."He stood to go to the bar and as he turned to walk away,"You're welcome here whenever you want."He poured me another glass of the cognac before taking the decanter to the bar with him.

So there I sat, a Hunter in the heart of a nightclub full of the creature I had hated and hunted for twelve age. I thought about seeing just how in effect the staff could be a enforcing the weapons policy, except that was not what I wanted to do. None of these people had done anything to me and they didn't seem to be doing anything overtly evil as I looked around the room. I saw a couple of Vampires feeding, but the people they were feeding from offered their necks and wrists to the vampires in question. So there I continued to sit and attempt to make up my last xii year with the last 20 four hour. Not an gentle task and one that had my ego taking a beating at the way I was used by my informant. As much as I wanted to blame it all on the closed book somebody, I had to take the blame for not researching the targets myself and allowing myself to be used as a arm. I can't tell apart you how long I was sitting there in that hot seat, struggling with the ripe resolution to my enigma, but the sun had risen before I finally walked out of the cosmos and headed for my hotel.

As I walked down the street, I looked back at the name of the place and found it fitting. It was a place for all those in existence to go and slow down without needing to defend senseless wars, worry about being killed simply because of who or what you were. It was also a reminder of the atomic number 79 to strive for ; a passive existence. I still had to go back to see Andrew and discuss what the other choice he was offering. That however could expect until the succeeding day as I'd already been up around 40 hr or so now and needed to catch one's breath .