To all those reading the modern Mage storyline, this happens over chapters 17 & 18 and may take up part of 19 as well. I'll acknowledge more about that once the inhalation for 19 comes to me. I wanted to let everyone see a different perspective than Andrew's as well as cover something that wouldn't have fit in the rest of the story based on the face that Modern Mage is being writer as though Saint Andrew the Apostle is explaining his past to the subscriber. I used bother third mortal narrative and some first person in the chapter here to differentiate what he was thinking at first as well as allowing me to explain some of the rachis story for those who read this and haven't read the eternal sleep of the modern Mage and universe tarradiddle. Hope everyone enjoys a dissimilar payoff on thinks in the world of Magick and Monsters that I am attempting to land 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 wight had killed his parents and then turned his sisters forcing Roarke to kill them if he wanted to live. He had spent six calendar month in a hospital recovering from forcible injuries he'd received from surviving that night and cleaning up the mess so that he didn't go to jail for murder. He didn't tell the police or the doctors, nurse and psychiatrist that the hospital about the lamia because he didn't want to be placed in a mental creation either.

At the end of his time recovering from the injury Roarke was taken in by a young dyad instead of being placed in a political science nursing home. While grateful for that he was unsure why they took him in until dinner of the get-go night in his new dwelling house. It turned out that they had known about the supernatural and realized that what happened to his syndicate was a Vampire onslaught. They began to explain that their family had been a long line of huntsman, dedicated to protecting humankind from the matter most don't even think in. They started training him, not just in how to fight but hot to think as well. Over the line of four eld they had trained hum, taken him out on hunt and treated him as though he was their own minor. They made sure that he also got a right school training allowing him to qualify for college. Just after his eighteenth birthday while shopping for supplies before he left for college the vampire that had attacked his phratry tracked him down again. That night the vampire attacked again killing both of his guardians. He killed the vampire that Night himself. After that night he decided not to go away to shoal but to pop out search and recruiting new Orion to train.

For six eld Roarke had been hunting and killing every occult being he could track down. It didn't matter what sort they were. He focused mostly in area where had found people disappearing or being murdered. He excelled at ferreting out those fauna that hid in plain stitch sight. Over clock time her developed rootage of information on the web and made contacts with other hunters and informants. After that he started to get more and More information on being he couldn't have found himself. Information that told him not only where to find these monsters, but what form her was dealing with. He couldn't believe his luck in finding this origin of information. That origin had created a problem for him earlier today.

He got selective information about a fair game in Las Lope Felix de Vega Carpio who was said to be a danger not just to the multitude in the metropolis around him, but to others around the populace. Roarke spent nearly of his meter hunting in Hibernia, Scotland and England but would go abroad when there was a threat that would require the time and endeavor. He had hunted in the United States a few meter but had never traveled to Las Vegas before. The informant contacted him anonymously as common with the target entropy. The fair game was a conjuration user, powerful at that. The documentation sent tied him to a drawing string of execution around the city and in nearby states claiming that he was using blood magic to increase his power. The object address was provided with the other information, along with the conditional relation that he was nearly completed the ritual significance he needed to be stopped quickly. Roarke booked passage to Las Vegas and shipped the power train he would need by air freight the adjacent day. Within the week he was in Las Lope Felix de Vega Carpio and picked up his gear. He would normally have taken time to scout the target and work sure that he could get in and out without any problems, but from the supply information he just didn't have the prison term before this guy started killing More people.

Roarke got to the localisation on the dark of February first to see his target go far back at the menage with a petite red haired cleaning woman that there was no entropy on in the files. The driver of the car that brought them there drop off baggage and took it in for them. He could see from his status respective masses inside the house when the room access was opened. It looked like they had come back from some kind of head trip and having a welcome place political party from his perspective. Roarke watched the mansion as the night went on. Around one or two in the morning most of those Roarke had seen left the planetary house. He continued to check the house until morning. Right before sunrise Roarke got out of his truck and started to move toward the theater expecting the occupier to be sleeping after the previous evening.

He got halfway across the property to the door moving from cover to traverse when he paused for a moment. He had about thirty feet of space to cross with nothing to duck behind when he continued to border on. He wasn't aware at that moment that the future few minutes were going to transfer perception of realism forever. He pulled the sword he inherited from his guardians before standing up. The steel was refuted to be a priceless artefact that can stop almost any kind of Magic used against the mortal wielding it. He stood up and started across the heart-to-heart ground when the front room access opened and out stepped the man he was after.

Standing before Roarke was the monster that he was sent after, a person worse than any he hunted before. This man had killed more destitute people that any former supernatural creature he had tracked down and had the haughtiness to ill-use out and savor a sunny morn as though there wasn't a care in the earthly concern. Roarke's purpose was one of his large and deadliest assets and upon seeing he point he charges intending to end this quickly. Within the first twosome of steps the man looked unconcerned, but it quickly changed to confusion as he dodged the cut of the sword and rolled away. Roarke firmly believed that this man was truly a monster simpleton by the fact that he was human and made the alternative to put down lives for his own gain. Vampires needed blood to experience and were soulless, werewolves were wild uncontrolled beasts, former supernatural creatures hadn't even started out as human and while they needed to be destroyed you couldn't hold them to homo morals. When a man decides that he would rather kill for power, money or any other reason they made themselves worse lusus naturae than those born to it.

The monster he faced scanned the area, likely looking for assistance in fighting Roarke off in Holy Order to save his own miserable life. He spoke up,"What do you want here ?"

Roarke's reply was take aim and even, no sensation of rage or anger in his shade. Roarke kept his emotions in check when he hunted. He didn't down out of anger or revenge ; his motives were as saturated as he could make them. He hunted to protect humanity for the monsters as his shielder had taught him."Your Head,"was the reply.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it won't be that easy. walk away, leave me and my friend alone and I'll do the Sami for you. I don't want you suddenly and you don't want to die,"was the answer from his target. Did this monster really conceive that it would be that dim-witted to survive ? Did he not see the purpose on Roarke's face ? This man was a Coward praying on the weak to clear power 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 indisputable that he wouldn't be killed himself he decided that this man would not hold out to vote down anyone else either. Roarke was determined that either he would survive this fight or neither of them would. With that outlook he knew he was the most grave form of enemy anyone had ever faced.

"Make your alternative and let's get this over with,"the monster relied with a lack of longanimity. Roarke was Thomas More than uncoerced to obligate him if he wanted to die. He started to close down with the target area again, staying on the balls of his infantry ; trying to be ready for anything this man before him could do. The enemy moved far faster than he was expecting and sidestepped past Roarke, opening distance that he didn't want to pay him. He still knew that he wasn't faster than no of the other things he hunted and therefor the teras would die. Roarke closed again quickly, swinging to single out this man's body at the waist. His target dodged, dropping into a scrunch up and sail at Roarke's pes. Reacting instinctively he started to climb up over his enemy's leg but was caught briefly by the fire. He landed on his backwards instead of flipping out and away, turning the landing into a roll back away from his opponent. Roarke realized that no topic what else this target was, he was also a trained fighter.

"Why are you here ?"the man asked.

"I'm here to vote down you, I figured that was obvious by now,"Roarke replied, letting his look grow nighttime and menacing.

"That percentage was obvious jack ass. What I want to know is the reason you chose to try and pop me ? I've never done anything to harm you or yours that I know of, so why am I your quarry ?"Roarke was shocked by this response. Did this monster really have the gall to shout him a jack ass ; and why was it that so many of his targets had tried to encounter unacquainted when faced with their own mortality ? Own up to what you do in life and accept your due was his philosophy ; if you can't you shouldn't be doing whatever it is in the first post. 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 to opposite hip. His enemy reacted quickly, stepping inside his cooking stove with a jab to the throat. Immediately after that his antagonist followed up with a stifle to the groin. Roarke's only thought was that this man didn't just do it how to push he hump how to win a fight. Roarke couldn't phone call it dirty fighting as his guardians had stressed from the outset that all was fair in love and war. His Step-Mother for lack of a unspoilt term used to say"You can struggle by the rules or you can fight to win. I would rather you fight to win."Right after the attacks to stun him the enemy shoved him and backed up to bring in some infinite instead of following up which worried Roarke as he had no true knowledge of what kind of big businessman this man could bring to bear.

When Roarke got back to his animal foot his enemy was now armed with two long thin alloy BAR. They were each about thirty column inch long and looked about an inch or so fatheaded. When they closed again, Roarke had his target on the defensive. If for nothing else, Roarke had to founder his opposite credit for being a belligerent. They went back and Forth River for various bit, both of them tiring but luck was with Roarke as his target seemed to be fading faster. The man turned the tabular array forcing Roarke to defend himself even more as he sought a way through his breeding and skill with the broadsword. As they continued this deadly saltation Roarke heard a audio toward his left wing but kept focused on his opponent. The man looked away toward the door as his body turned toward the space between Roarke and that sound ; that was the porta he was waiting for. Roarke whipped the sword in from the incline slicing a phone line across the man's abdomen leaving a trail of line flowing behind its passing.

"Andrew ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"a womanhood's voice screamed. The target stepped back turning sideways to come at his side opened up from Roarke's attack on him. He switched the grip on the blade and drove it up towards the targets side driving it in just below the bottom rib. Roarke's spirit was lifted as he knew he was successful in his quest to kill the ogre. Roarke's elation was short lived however as this ogre stepped forward pushing the sword deeper into his organs. The man had a look that Roarke recognized from his own mirror. It was a looking that said that while I may be dying but I'm taking you with me. Faster than he could respond to the attack Roarke's articulatio radiocarpea were crushed by one of the metal legal profession as the other contacted the slope of his forefront. He was ok with dying as long as he knew that his target area had been eliminated before he could induce any more harm. Those were his dying sentiment as he lost consciousness.
********************

Those were some of the sentiment flowing through my foreland as I drove away from that same star sign late that evening. Among the others were the facts that I wasn't short as I should have been ; I had been knocked out at the mercy of a man I thought to be a fiend. Not only had I not been killed for attacking him, Andrew and his wife Sindee had treated my wounds and spoke to me. I didn't want to mind at first but I was a confined audience initially. They had treated me better than I would consume treated an enemy. They were trying to win over me that not all supernatural beings were evil behemoth, that some of them were even out to help protect the human race. They had sensible arguments for their point of scene. When I asked them why they didn't just bring out the truth to the human race with the evidence they gather they told me that mankind wasn't ready to accept the truth. I had no veridical argument for that but before I could continue had me challenge my own statement by asking how I found out about the supernatural public. I told him the entire truth of what happened to my folk and I when I was only fourteen. By the time I finished telling them the story they simply cut the rope tying me to the electric chair and fed me while we continued to talk.

I turned out that I may throw been helping to add about the destruction of people that I made it my missionary post to protect. Andrew told me that he was Mage, not just some human who gained access to powerfulness ; that Mages ability were natural and not the result of death and destruction for office. I don't know what to call up of everything he has said because it is so different to what I have spent the last dozen year believing. When I left his home he told me to think matter through, walk some and I might find what I need as I go. When I get back to the hotel I intend to do just that. One of the things I have to think over is whether I want to leave this city in peace with him and his ally 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 first-class honours degree trip to the urban center of Las Vega, but I knew I could witness my itinerary back or name 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 light to confront the accuracy 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 human foot direct the itinerary I walked. My focus was on finding what I needed to in order to work through the mental confusion I was feeling. Somehow after being out walking for an hour or so I found myself in front of the doors to a club. Looking at the house I saw it was called the Existence. I figured I could use a drink and stepped toward the doors before I even noticed the line of descent going down the block. The doorman looked down at me as I stepped up and placed a handwriting on my shoulder to blockade me from entering. That's when I noticed the bank line and realized I wasn't likely to get that drink after all.

As I turned to walk away I bumped into another gentleman stepping up to the threshold beside me. He was taller than me and dressed well. He was wearing what looked similar usance tailored clothing. Black linen slacks, a Co racy silk shirt with the top two release undone, a linen jacket matching the trouser and a nice pair or custom leather boots. He had brown hair and the palest grey centre 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 couple years my senior. Between him and the hall porter, I was more intimidated by this stranger. I realized that while I had been evaluating him he had been doing the same to me and I had to respect that. He held out his handwriting to me,"I'm Arthur Masters, and you are ?"

I reflexively took his paw and shook it,"Gabriel Roarke sir ; a pleasure to conform to you."I'm not sure why I said sir except the look in his eyes and the way he carried himself seemed to command regard. I've met a couple people that had similar heraldic bearing but nonentity that grabbed my tending like he did.

Arthur turned to the doorman,"Marshall, I'm going to take Gabriel here in as my guest tonight, delight add him to the list in the future."Then he turned to me."You look like you need to get a drink and maybe talk about something. I own the placed and observe it's conductive to thinking things through and finding what you need. first base drinks on me."

Arthur opened the door and waived me in ahead of him. It was such a gracious whirl I couldn't bring myself to pass up ; besides my walking and just going where I felt I needed to be led me to the door. I decided to keep an subject mind and go in. When I entered I was struck with just how large this place really was. The bar orbit wasn't much larger than any of the pubs back home, but the bar area was just the beginning. There was a nightclub behind the main bar through a soundproofed Plexiglas wall the appeared to stretch an entire block. If the possessor and the compass of its size weren't enough to ingrain me, the security arrangement would have. I've seen military installations with less security and protective cover than this place. I followed Arthur to a large table in the center of attention of the chief bar domain that had a reserved foretoken on it. He motioned for me to sit as he took the chair facing the door with his rear to the bar.

As I sat down I read the sign posted above the bar and couldn't avail the joke that came out. It read :

The use of weapons is strenuously discouraged, violators will be Penalized. For those of you who don't have two brain cellular phone to form a mentation the above means"YOU PULL IT, YOU EAT IT ”, This Policy is strictly enforced

Chester Alan 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 tell from his middle he had seen too a lot of what was out there and now from his grin that he didn't let what he saw crack him down. I hope that one day I'll be able to say the same thing. While we were sitting there a midget young woman walked over to the table with two glasses and a watch crystal carafe full of an amber colored liquid state. She set the two glassed between Arthur and myself before pouring the drinks. She then placed the nursing bottle on the table before stepping away. As I was watching her I could see her evaluating me much the Lapplander as Arthur and I did to each other and I got the feeling that this woman would not only kill for Chester Alan Arthur but die for him as well. Whoever this man is, he not only pep up respect he commanded dedication as well. The woman was just over five foot and could have got been Thomas More than 125 hammer or so but she carried herself with the grace of a dancer or hero and I had my surmise as to which.

"Gabriel, if you care to bring together me, this is a very old and rarefied cognac that it would be my delight to contribution with Irish people gentleman such as yourself."

"Thank you President Arthur, it would be my pleasure."I took the drinking 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 liquor burn slowly down my pharynx and warm me from the inside.

"So Gabriel, if you don't mind 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 suppose I'm drunk or crazy."

Arthur turned his heading to present me and stared directly into my centre as he replied,"You may be surprised. I learned a very long meter ago as a barkeeper that I needed to keep an open idea about the the true of the world. Besides, many people that show up here seem to receive something they need to verbalise out even if it sounds a bit foreign. Just because I sit out at the mesa more often than working the stick doesn't mean value I'm no longer a bartender. talk up about what's on your mind, if it sounds a little softheaded I'll attribute it to the drink and call you a cab when we're done."

The way he spoke and the calm acceptance in his eye made it wanton to sound at least some of my thought process. I figured I could enshroud the wide apoplexy without giving him the particular that would put me in a mental mental institution."Have you ever known that you were doing the right thing because you knew how the world worked only to have the trueness turn and relish you over the psyche ?"I asked him.

"Since truth is a relative term as we subscribe to our own perspectives ; that has happened to me on no less the a dozen occasions. I learned a new fact each time. Knowledge is about fact and wisdom about truth. The truth can change as often as we do as people. It's the facts that we need to acquire that cause the truth to be re-evaluated. withdraw for example, as a kid I never believed in any of the freak in the movies until I saw my low gear one. I knew the trueness was they didn't exist before I was exposed to the fact that they were real,"King Arthur stated in an even and relaxed tone.

I wish I could say that I picked up on what he said right away but honestly I just didn't,"That is an interesting view on accuracy and facts….."I fell silent for a min as my mastermind was catching up on what he just said."Did you just say that you know that the monsters from the picture exist ?"

"Of course 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 monsters. Would that be a correct assessment ?"

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

President Arthur smiled at me before he answered,"First is that you wound up at my room access and only those who need to rule this place if they haven't been invited. Second is that you carry yourself as a warrior in a time and place where there aren't many left in the cosmos and since you're completely human I would assume you were a hunter. The only when way a hunter would arrive at my door is if they were having some kind of crisis or faith or some former such issuance they need to influence out. Third, and what made figuring out the first two easier is a mutual friend gave me a caput up about a young man who he sent wandering with the melodic theme planted on letting the walking scout him to what he needed."

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

Arthur chuckled and replied,"No, he didn't know. He did hope your wandering would bring you here because this station may cater you some on the view you need to work through you dilemma."He took a quick tone around the room."Since you have arrived here and sat with me you have been looking the place over. Tell me without looking again what you noticed."

I answered quickly and from remembering as not to bias the answer by over thinking things,"I saw fussy bar and nightclub with severe security measure measures in place to protect the place and patrons from any possible post including an invasion by a hostile res publica. I saw hoi polloi sitting around having conversations and drinks without the grim mood you see in a lot of bars and clubs. I saw people dancing and smiling, moving on and off the dance flooring. I saw that beautiful young lady who brought the cognac over evaluate me as though I may be a threat and saw that she was more loyal to you than I'd ever to be able-bodied to properly put into words."

"Very observant for the quick glance you took. I will also suffer to tell Sam about the compliment you paid her in your assessment."He smiled and continued,"Now, take another look around. Take your time and await closely. Scan just the bar room if you want to take a look through the spyglass to the clubhouse and enjoin me again what you see."

I did as he instructed, taking my clip to do this right. I paid attention to every detail I could spot letting my focus linger on the dance storey beyond the divider. I looked over the client and the staff, looking for anything that I had missed in my CAT scan of the way when I entered. By the clock time I was finished looking around I'm sure my jaw was hanging receptive in shock at what I was seeing around me. I almost didn't believe my own eyes."There are all kind of supernatural being in here along with mortals ; supernatural beings that actively war with each other. I can see at to the lowest degree a couple of lamia shooting pool with a duo of loup-garou over there. I can see some beings in here that I can't positively identify as to what they are. I don't understand how there can be so many supernatural organism in this one city, let alone this one construction without them trying to tear each other and the place apart as well. How is it that no one violated the insurance policy above the bar ?"

Again a grinning feast across Arthur's face,"I'll explain as comfortably I can and maybe it will help you resolve your own indistinguishability crisis. first-class honours degree and foremost, when I opened this billet initially, it was just the bar portion that we're sitting in. That happened yearn before I knew what existed beyond the scope of my world. I later came to know a lot more about the truth and the facts of what goes on in this existence. Among the different occult races there are traditionally places to conform to between competition clans or tribes or whatever social grouping that species gather themselves in to. These places have many names selected by the race in motion, but it is always achromatic soil and the rules are not to be broken. The more popular term for these spot is an Elysium. I would assume this to be a reference to the divine Fields from Greek mythology as they were a place of paradise alike to heaven in early religious belief. Either way, I believed that while the unlike raceway had placed where they could meet to mould out issues between their own kind, there was no situation to meet with another race where they could peacefully talk about things without it generating into another bloodletting. With the power I had and have grown into overtime I turned my slight nook bar into an Elysium for all who enter. My stave and I are more than able of enforcing the neutrality if we have to, but most who come here just enjoy the chance to unwind and be who they are, not what they are expected to be. use up the pool game you pointed out. They are playing pairs, but it isn't lamia versus lycanthrope, they're tear evenly. That table in the quoin over my shoulder joint with the two men playing chess and having a discussion ; one is a Mage and the other a Technocrat. Outside of this place they are mortal foe because they have unlike beliefs. In here they discuss their opinion in Leslie Townes Hope of opening the other mortal's eyes to the truth as they see it. And Samantha whose loyalty to me you commented on ; I owe her my life several meter over and not once has she allowed me to thank her or riposte her with any form of favor beyond the friendly relationship we share. She is aged than me by an parliamentary law of decade even though she appears young. She is a Warrior of exquisite attainment, a loyal and dear friend, a confidant and ally as well as a form hearted char once you get to know her. Sam just also happens to be a vampire. The first think you need to reckon about is that just because some writer put something in a book because they didn't understand and were afraid of a little the true doesn't mean value they were right. Now, don't get me incorrectly and usurp they are all good law abiding the great unwashed no subject what they are. Like humans, the supernatural have some that are born good and will always be so and some that are pure malefic and like it there. The rest of the population of occult beings falls somewhere in the gray area and should be treated as they treat others."Chester Alan Arthur's smile turned from openly friendly to one of mischief. He reached up into the air next to me and made a speech sound like glass or metal snapping then hit out like he was handing me something before continuing,"Now that I have completely broken your grip on realness I need to give my bartender a prison-breaking while you think though all that has been revealed to you today. If you have inquiry or need to talk let me sleep with. If you need a ride back to your hotel, George will give you a ride unless I'm free 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 Methedrine of the cognac before taking the carafe to the bar with him.

So there I sat, a Hunter in the middle of a nightclub full of the creatures I had hated and hunted for XII old age. I thought about seeing just how effective the staff could be a enforcing the weapon insurance 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 eating, but the people they were feeding from offered their necks and wrist to the vampires in question. So there I continued to sit and attempt to submit my last xii years with the last twenty four hours. Not an slow labor and one that had my ego taking a beating at the way I was used by my source. As much as I wanted to pick it all on the secret person, I had to take the inculpation for not researching the fair game myself and allowing myself to be used as a weapon. I can't tell you how tenacious I was sitting there in that chair, struggling with the correct answer to my conundrum, but the sun had risen before I finally walked out of the Existence and headed for my hotel.

As I walked down the street, I looked back at the gens of the post and found it fitting. It was a place for all those in existence to go and unbend without needing to fight 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 peaceful existence. I still had to go back to see Saint Andrew and talk about what the early option he was offering. That however could expect until the next day as I'd already been up around forty minute or so now and needed to repose .