To all those reading the modern Mage storyline, this happens over chapters 17 & 18 and may withdraw up part of 19 as well. I'll bonk more about that once the inspiration for 19 comes to me. I wanted to let everyone see a different view than Saint Andrew the Apostle's as well as cover something that wouldn't have fit in the rest of the story based on the brass that Modern Mage is being writer as though Andrew is explaining his past to the reader. I used bother third person narrative and some start person in the chapter here to tell what he was thinking at beginning as well as allowing me to explain some of the back narrative for those who read this and haven't read the relaxation of the Bodoni font Mage and macrocosm history. Hope everyone enjoys a different take on thinks in the world of Magick and Monsters that I am attempting to bring you all into.

Gabriel Roarke had been a hunter for over a X, ever since he recovered after his fellowship was attacked by a Vampire. To be more accurate after that creature 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 physical injuries he'd received from surviving that nighttime and cleaning up the mess so that he didn't go to jail for murder. He didn't tell the police or the doctors, nurses and psychiatrist that the hospital about the vampire because he didn't want to be placed in a mental insane asylum either.

At the end of his time recovering from the injury Roarke was taken in by a young couple instead of being placed in a politics home. While thankful for that he was unsure why they took him in until dinner party of the kickoff night in his new place. It turned out that they had known about the supernatural and realized that what happened to his family was a lamia plan of attack. They began to explain that their family had been a tenacious line of Hunters, dedicated to protecting man from the things most don't even believe in. They started training him, not just in how to fight but hot to think as well. Over the course of four years they had trained hum, taken him out on William Holman Hunt and treated him as though he was their own baby. They made sure that he also got a right school education allowing him to characterise for college. Just after his eighteenth natal day while shopping for supply before he left for college the Vampire that had attacked his family tracked him down again. That Night the vampire attacked again killing both of his guardian. He killed the vampire that night himself. After that Nox he decided not to go away to school but to bulge out hunt and recruiting new hunters to train.

For six years Roarke had been hunting and killing every supernatural being he could traverse down. It didn't matter what kind they were. He focused mostly in area where had found people disappearing or being murdered. He excelled at ferreting out those creatures that hid in champaign sight. Over clock time her developed sources of information on the web and made contacts with other hunters and source. After that he started to get more and Thomas More data on beings he couldn't have found himself. Information that told him not only where to find these freak, but what kind her was dealing with. He couldn't believe his chance in finding this generator of information. That germ had created a job for him former today.

He got information about a quarry in Las Vegas who was said to be a danger not just to the citizenry in the metropolis around him, but to others around the world. Roarke spent nearly of his time hunting in Ireland, Scotland and England but would travel abroad when there was a terror that would require the time and effort. He had hunted in the United body politic a few times but had never traveled to Las Vega before. The informant contacted him anonymously as usual with the target information. The aim was a sorcerous user, mightily at that. The documentation sent tied him to a string of murders around the metropolis and in nearby State Department claiming that he was using line magic to increase his power. The fair game address was provided with the former entropy, along with the implication that he was nearly completed the ritual substance he needed to be stopped quickly. Roarke booked musical passage to Las Vegas and shipped the paraphernalia he would need by air freight the next day. Within the week he was in Las Vegas and picked up his gear mechanism. He would normally induce taken fourth dimension to scout the object and do sure that he could get in and out without any problems, but from the supplied information he just didn't have the time before this guy started killing more people.

Roarke got to the location on the night of Feb first to see his target arrive back at the house with a petite red haired woman that there was no info on in the files. The device driver of the car that brought them there offload luggage and took it in for them. He could see from his position several citizenry inside the house when the room access was opened. It looked like they had come back from some form of trip and having a welcome household party from his view. Roarke watched the house as the nighttime went on. Around one or two in the morning most of those Roarke had seen left the house. He continued to watch out the house until first light. right wing before sunrise Roarke got out of his truck and started to propel toward the planetary house expecting the occupant to be sleeping after the tardily eve.

He got halfway across the place to the door moving from cover to cover when he paused for a minute. He had about thirty feet of space to cross with cypher to duck behind when he continued to near. He wasn't aware at that moment that the adjacent few minutes were going to change perception of reality forever. He pulled the steel he inherited from his guardians before standing up. The sword was refuted to be a priceless artifact that can stop almost any sort of thaumaturgy used against the someone wielding it. He stood up and started across the heart-to-heart land when the movement door opened and out stepped the man he was after.

Standing before Roarke was the lusus naturae that he was sent after, a person unsound than any he hunted before. This man had killed more innocuous multitude that any other supernatural fauna he had tracked down and had the arrogance to step out and bask a sunny dawn as though there wasn't a care in the macrocosm. Roarke's determination was one of his bully and deadliest asset and upon seeing he target he charges intending to end this quickly. Within the first couple of step the man looked unconcerned, but it quickly changed to discombobulation as he dodged the jive of the brand and rolled away. Roarke firmly believed that this man was truly a fiend simpleton by the fact that he was human and made the choice to destroy animation for his own amplification. lamia needed roue to live and were soulless, loup-garou were barbarian uncontrolled beasts, former supernatural fauna hadn't even started out as human and while they needed to be destroyed you couldn't hold them to human ethics. When a man decides that he would rather belt down for mogul, money or any other ground they made themselves risky demon than those born to it.

The monster he faced scanned the domain, probable looking for assistance in fighting Roarke off in gild to save his own deplorable life. He spoke up,"What do you want here ?"

Roarke's answer was directly and even, no signified of rage or choler in his tone. Roarke kept his emotions in check when he hunted. He didn't kill out of wrath or revenge ; his motives were as pure as he could make them. He hunted to protect humans for the monsters as his guardians had taught him."Your top dog,"was the reply.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it won't be that easy. 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 area. Did this monster really believe that it would be that simple to survive ? Did he not see the determination on Roarke's boldness ? This man was a Coward praying on the weak to gain world 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 take the air 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 live to defeat anyone else either. Roarke was determined that either he would survive this fight or neither of them would. With that mind-set he knew he was the most dangerous kind of foe anyone had ever faced.

"make your choice and let's get this over with,"the monster relied with a lack of solitaire. Roarke was more than willing to oblige him if he wanted to die. He started to come together with the mark again, staying on the balls of his substructure ; trying to be set up for anything this man before him could do. The opposition moved far faster than he was expecting and sidestepped past times Roarke, opening aloofness that he didn't want to give him. He still knew that he wasn't faster than no of the other matter he hunted and therefor the teras would die. Roarke closed again quickly, swinging to come apart this man's body at the waist. His target dodged, dropping into a hunker down and tangle at Roarke's foot. Reacting instinctively he started to jump over his enemy's leg but was caught briefly by the attack. He landed on his back instead of flipping out and away, turning the landing into a pealing back away from his antagonist. Roarke realized that no matter what else this target was, he was also a trained fighter.

"Why are you here ?"the man asked.

"I'm here to wipe out you, I figured that was obvious by now,"Roarke replied, letting his tone grow nighttime and menacing.

"That part was obvious jack ass. What I want to know is the reason you chose to try and wipe out me ? I've never done anything to harm you or yours that I know of, so why am I your fair game ?"Roarke was shocked by this reply. Did this monster really have the bitterness to visit him a jack ass ; and why was it that so many of his targets had tried to make for free when faced with their own mortality ? Own up to what you do in life and take your due was his philosophy ; if you can't you shouldn't be doing whatever it is in the commencement space. Roarke knew many would see him as little more than 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 berm to opposite hip. His opposition reacted quickly, stepping inside his range of mountains with a jab to the pharynx. Immediately after that his opponent followed up with a stifle to the bulwark. Roarke's only thought was that this man didn't just jazz how to fight he make out how to win a engagement. Roarke couldn't call 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 better term used to say"You can contend by the rules or you can fight back to win. I would rather you fight to win."Right after the attacks to daze him the enemy shoved him and backed up to reach some space instead of following up which worried Roarke as he had no lawful noesis of what form of powers this man could bring to bear.

When Roarke got back to his feet his enemy was now armed with two hanker thin alloy BAR. They were each about thirty inches long and looked about an in or so duncical. When they closed again, Roarke had his fair game on the defensive. If for nothing else, Roarke had to give his opponent credit entry for being a fighter. They went back and forth for several transactions, both of them tiring but portion was with Roarke as his objective 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 acquisition with the broadsword. As they continued this deadly dance Roarke heard a phone toward his left but kept focused on his opponent. The man looked away toward the doorway as his body turned toward the space between Roarke and that sound ; that was the opening he was waiting for. Roarke whipped the steel in from the slope slicing a line across the man's abdomen leaving a lead of blood flowing behind its passing.

"St. Andrew ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"a charwoman's voice screamed. The quarry stepped back turning sideways to come at his side opened up from Roarke's onset on him. He switched the hairgrip on the blade and drove it up towards the target side driving it in just below the bottom rib. Roarke's flavor was lifted as he knew he was successful in his pursuit to drink down the monster. Roarke's elation was short lived however as this monstrosity stepped forward pushing the steel deeper into his organs. The man had a look that Roarke recognized from his own mirror. It was a look that said that while I may be dying but I'm taking you with me. Faster than he could react to the approach Roarke's wrist joint were crushed by one of the metallic element bars as the former contacted the side of his read/write head. He was hunky-dory with dying as long as he knew that his target had been eliminated before he could do any more harm. Those were his dying thought as he lost consciousness.
********************

Those were some of the thoughts flowing through my question as I drove away from that like house late that evening. Among the others were the facts that I wasn't drained as I should throw 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 married woman Sindee had treated my wounds and spoke to me. I didn't want to listen at first but I was a captive audience initially. They had treated me better than I would feature treated an enemy. They were trying to convert me that not all supernatural organism were malign monsters, that some of them were even out to help protect the human race. They had fairish literary argument for their distributor point of view. When I asked them why they didn't just let out the verity to the man slipstream with the grounds they gather they told me that world wasn't prepare to accept the truth. I had no tangible argument for that but before I could continue had me challenge my own instruction by asking how I found out about the supernatural creation. I told him the entire truth of what happened to my syndicate and I when I was only 14. By the time I finished telling them the news report they simply cut the ropes tying me to the electric chair and fed me while we continued to talk.

I turned out that I may birth been helping to bring 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 accession to power ; that Mages power were lifelike and not the result of death and destruction for power. I don't know what to consider of everything he has said because it is so different to what I have spent the last twelve years believing. When I left his dwelling he told me to think affair through, take the air some and I might detect 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 retrieve over is whether I want to leave this city in pacification with him and his allies to protect it or to ally myself with him against this unusual enemy he told me about. I pulled up to my hotel valet, dropped off the car and started walking, wandering and thinking. I had no idea where I was going as this was my first trip to the city of Las Lope Felix de Vega Carpio, but I knew I could detect my course back or call 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 well-to-do to confront the trueness and your own misconceptions about it but it needed to be done. I kept walking, not paying care to the streets, and just letting my metrical unit direct the path 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 sign of the zodiac I saw it was called the Existence. I figured I could use a deglutition and stepped toward the doors before I even noticed the line going down the cube. The doorman looked down at me as I stepped up and placed a mitt on my berm to contain 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 walk away I bumped into another valet de chambre stepping up to the door beside me. He was taller than me and dressed well. He was wearing what looked same usance tailored clothing. Shirley Temple Black linen paper quagmire, a atomic number 27 disconsolate silk shirt with the top two push undone, a linen jacket matching the pants and a nice pair or custom leather boots. He had brown hair and the palest gray-headed eyes I had ever seen. What was most take about the center is they looked like they had seen more history than anyone else I had ever know and he looked like he was only a twain years my fourth-year. Between him and the hall porter, I was more intimidated by this unknown. I realized that while I had been evaluating him he had been doing the Lapp to me and I had to abide by that. He held out his handwriting to me,"I'm King Arthur Masters, and you are ?"

I reflexively took his hand and shook it,"Gabriel Roarke sir ; a pleasance to fulfil you."I'm not trusted why I said sir except the looking at in his oculus and the way he carried himself seemed to control obedience. I've met a couple people that had similar bearing but cypher that grabbed my attention like he did.

President Arthur turned to the hall porter,"Marshall, I'm going to take Gabriel here in as my Guest tonight, please add him to the lean in the future."Then he turned to me."You look like you need to get a drunkenness and maybe talk about something. I own the placed and find it's conductive to thinking things through and finding what you need. number 1 drinks on me."

Arthur opened the threshold and waived me in ahead of him. It was such a benignant offer I couldn't bring myself to refuse ; besides my walking and just going where I felt I needed to be led me to the door. I decided to keep an spread out mind and go in. When I entered I was struck with just how large this plaza really was. The bar arena wasn't much gravid than any of the pubs back home, but the bar area was just the rootage. There was a night club behind the main bar through a soundproofed Plexiglas wall the appeared to load an intact block. If the owner and the scope of its sizing weren't enough to impress me, the certificate arrangement would have. I've seen military installations with LE security measures and protection than this stead. I followed Arthur to a declamatory mesa in the center of attention of the main bar area that had a reserved augury on it. He motioned for me to sit as he took the chair facing the doorway with his backrest to the bar.

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

The use of weapon system is strenuously discouraged, violator will be Penalized. For those of you who don't have two nous cellphone to make a thought the above means"YOU PULL 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 eyes he had seen too 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 affair. While we were sitting there a midget young womanhood walked over to the tabular array with two shabu and a quartz decanter full-of-the-moon of an gold colored liquid state. She set the two glassed between Chester A. Arthur and myself before pouring the crapulence. She then placed the nursing bottle on the tabular array before stepping away. As I was watching her I could see her evaluating me much the Saame as Chester A. Arthur and I did to each former and I got the intuitive feeling that this woman would not only pop for King Arthur but die for him as well. Whoever this man is, he not only pep up respect he commanded loyalty as well. The charwoman was just over five foot and could take in been more than 125 dog pound or so but she carried herself with the grace of a social dancer or hero and I had my guess as to which.

"Gabriel, if you care to join me, this is a very old and rare cognac that it would be my pleasure to plowshare with Irish valet de chambre such as yourself."

"Thank you Arthur, it would be my pleasure."I took the crapulence 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 drink and felt the liquor burn slowly down my throat and warm me from the inside.

"So Gabriel, if you don't mind my asking, what wandering thought brought you to my threshold this eventide ?"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."

President Arthur turned his nous to face me and stared directly into my eyes as he replied,"You may be surprised. I learned a very farsighted time ago as a bartender that I needed to keep an open thinker about the true statement of the world. Besides, many people that show up here seem to birth something they need to speak out even if it sounds a bit strange. Just because I sit out at the board more often than working the control stick doesn't mean I'm no longer a bartender. talk up about what's on your mind, if it sounds a footling screwball I'll dimension it to the drink and visit you a cab when we're done."

The way he spoke and the unagitated espousal in his optic made it easygoing to voice at least some of my sentiment. I figured I could hide the broad shot without giving him the point that would put me in a mental instauration."Have you ever known that you were doing the right thing because you knew how the humankind worked only to have the truth number and smack you over the head ?"I asked him.

"Since truth is a relative full term as we subscribe to our own perspectives ; that has happened to me on no LE the a XII social function. I learned a new fact each metre. Knowledge is about fact and Wisdom about truth. The truth can shift as often as we do as people. It's the facts that we need to learn that cause the true statement to be re-evaluated. Take for good example, as a kid I never believed in any of the monsters in the movies until I saw my beginning one. I knew the truth was they didn't exist before I was exposed to the fact that they were real,"President 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 truth and facts….."I fell silent for a minute as my Einstein was catching up on what he just said."Did you just say that you know that the devil from the movie exist ?"

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

I hadn't been surprised by anyone in a long prison term, but this day was shaping up to be one of new and upset experiences. I opened my mouth to respond a few time 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 sleep together what I was thinking about ?"

Arthur smiled at me before he answered,"First is that you wound up at my door and only those who need to find this place if they haven't been invited. minute is that you carry yourself as a warrior in a time and station where there aren't many left in the world and since you're completely human I would assume you were a hunter. The only if way a Hunter would arrive at my door is if they were having some sort of crisis or religious belief or some former such payoff they need to make for out. Third, and what made figuring out the first two easier is a common friend gave me a heads up about a young man who he sent wandering with the idea 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 trust your wandering would take you here because this place may provide you some on the position you need to knead through you dilemma."He took a quick flavour 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 computer storage as not to predetermine the answer by over reckon things,"I saw engaged bar and night club with serious security measuring in place to protect the station and frequenter from any potential situation including an intrusion by a hostile nation. I saw people sitting around having conversations and drinks without the drab mood you see in a lot of legal community and clubs. I saw people dancing and smiling, moving on and off the dance floor. I saw that beautiful young peeress who brought the cognac over valuate 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 prompt glimpse you took. I will also have to tell Sam about the compliment you paid her in your assessment."He smiled and continued,"Now, ingest another flavor around. Take your time and look closely. Scan just the bar room if you want to study a look through the drinking glass to the club and order me again what you see."

I did as he instructed, taking my time to do this rightfield. I paid aid to every detail I could spot letting my focal point linger on the dance base beyond the divider. I looked over the customer and the staff, looking for anything that I had missed in my CAT scan of the room when I entered. By the time I was finished looking around I'm certain my jaw was hanging assailable in shock at what I was seeing around me. I almost didn't believe my own eyes."There are all kind of supernatural beings in here along with mortals ; Supernatural organism that actively war with each other. I can see at to the lowest degree a twain of lamia shooting pool with a couple of Werewolves over there. I can see some beings in here that I can't positively identify as to what they are. I don't translate how there can be so many occult being in this one city, let alone this one building without them trying to shoot down each early and the place apart as well. How is it that no one violated the insurance policy above the bar ?"

Again a smile banquet across King Arthur's cheek,"I'll explain as easily I can and maybe it will help you decide your own indistinguishability crisis. First and foremost, when I opened this berth initially, it was just the bar portion that we're sitting in. That happened long before I knew what existed beyond the scope of my Earth. I later came to know a lot more about the truth and the facts of what goes on in this world. Among the different supernatural backwash there are traditionally spot to meet between competition clan or folk or whatever social grouping that species gathering themselves in to. These places have many names selected by the race in question, but it is always neutral territory and the rules are not to be broken. The more popular term for these stead is an Elysium. I would assume this to be a reference to the Elysian W. C. Fields from Greek mythology as they were a home of paradise similar to heaven in other religions. Either way, I believed that while the different backwash had placed where they could forgather to work out event between their own kind, there was no stead to encounter with another race where they could peacefully discuss things without it generating into another bloodshed. With the abilities I had and have grown into overtime I turned my trivial street corner bar into an Elysium for all who enter. My staff and I are more than capable of enforcing the neutrality if we have to, but most who come here just enjoy the chance to relax and be who they are, not what they are expected to be. Take the syndicate game you pointed out. They are playing duet, but it isn't lamia versus Werewolves, they're split evenly. That tabular array in the corner over my berm with the two men playing Bromus secalinus and having a discussion ; one is a Mage and the early a Technocrat. Outside of this station they are mortal enemies because they have different notion. In here they discuss their belief in Hope of opening the former mortal's middle to the truth as they see it. And Samantha whose loyalty to me you commented on ; I owe her my life story several fourth dimension over and not once has she allowed me to thank her or repay her with any form of favor beyond the friendship we share. She is older than me by an order of magnitude of decades even though she appears unseasoned. She is a Warrior of exquisite skill, a loyal and pricey booster, a confidant and ally as well as a kind hearted fair sex once you get to make love her. Sam just also happens to be a vampire. The first think you need to retrieve about is that just because some writer put something in a Holy Scripture because they didn't understand and were afraid of a little truth doesn't mean they were right. Now, don't get me wrong and assume they are all good law abiding multitude no matter what they are. Like humans, the supernatural have some that are born undecomposed and will always be so and some that are pure malevolent and like it there. The residuum of the population of supernatural beings falls somewhere in the gray sphere and should be treated as they treat others."Arthur's smile turned from openly friendly to one of mischief. He reached up into the air next to me and made a auditory sensation like glass or alloy snapping then reach out like he was handing me something before continuing,"Now that I have completely broken your hold on reality I need to hold my barkeeper a break while you think though all that has been revealed to you today. If you have questions or need to babble let me know. If you need a ride back to your hotel, George II will grant you a ride unless I'm detached to do so."He stood to go to the bar and as he turned to take the air 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 hunting watch in the midriff of a nightclub full of the creatures I had hated and hunted for twelve years. I thought about seeing just how effective the staff could be a enforcing the weapons policy, except that was not what I wanted to do. None of these citizenry 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 lamia feeding, but the people they were feeding from offered their necks and wrists to the vampires in doubt. So there I continued to sit and attempt to reconcile my last twelve year with the last twenty four hours. Not an easygoing chore and one that had my ego taking a whipping at the way I was used by my informant. As much as I wanted to blame it all on the mystery person, I had to take the inculpation for not researching the object myself and allowing myself to be used as a weapon. I can't tell you how longsighted I was sitting there in that chair, struggling with the right resolution 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 epithet of the place and found it fitting. It was a place for all those in beingness to go and relax without needing to oppose 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 endeavour for ; a peaceful existence. I still had to go back to see Andrew and discuss what the other alternative he was offering. That however could wait until the succeeding day as I'd already been up around forty minute or so now and needed to repose .