The Vampire Huntress Legend by L. A.

Banks
After the Fall After the fall of the dark angel, after man and woman were deceived and ousted from Paradise, the legions of evil beset humanity with all manner of strife and hardship to sway their choice. Earth became The Gray Zone of choice, where free will could manifest for good or evil, and a soul could be compromised in this fragile environment that cast shadows of darkness amid the light. The angels on High wept as they watched the fate of humankind struggle against demonic forces, mere flesh and bones and the hope of earthbound spirits crushed by plagues, pestilence, famines, disasters, violence no mercy. The cry for help that went up to Heaven from the peoples of the earth was heard. From the twelve scattered tribes, twelve Guardian Councils were mission-anointed and made up of honorable, courageous men and women of all positive faiths and all races, working as a united front, quietly moving behind the scenes, each battling evil in their own corner of the globe. The balance could not be easily tipped; their fight was vigilant. But just as the forces of evil had human helpers to reinforce the negative spheres of soul-killing influence, the forces of good had The Guardians those that held the line no matter what challenges befell them. They would not allow The Light to be extinguished. And from those twelve armies came The Covenantone from each Guardian Council, twelve members in all, the bravest of the brave, the wisest of the wise, the keepers of the faith and the knowledge between worlds. Only The Covenant could foretell the coming of The Neteru, although they would never know whether this super-being mortal would come as male or female. All they could do was to prepare a special Neteru Guardian Team as they searched for the prophesied infant. Such an assignment is the highest honor bestowed upon a Guardian Council, whose mighty task was to ensure that the once every thousand year visitation of a Balance Swaying Force of Light, a Neteru, would be secreted away from evil until old enough to fight but first, before they could protect this mortal, they would have to find the babybefore evil could destroy it. The Covenant Twelve Holy, seasoned, individuals from the original twelve tribes of the land, from every corner of the earth, representing the widespread positive faiths, are called within a human lifetime to take up the torch, to hold the light, to stand watch and keep vigil in wait for the coming of The Neteruthe huntress or hunter. They have been standing watch from the beginning of time, and in this era, a Neteru has come, a

young woman, who spans two millennia and her womb can host either good or evil, but the choice is ultimately hers. As her ripening to faith and flesh dawns, she must be guided, protected, and then must learn to stand on her own. Free Will, The Choice, is mission critical to all The Warriors of Light. Characters: Father Patrick Asula Monk Lin Father Lopez The Neteru Guardians Anointed with the Divine mission to protect The Neteru, this elite category of spiritual warriors were chosen to surround their charge with heightened extrasensory awareness, superior physical and inner strength, unmatched courage, keen battle strategy, and unparalleled skill. These strengths not only protect, but also reinforce, The Neterus learning curve and developmental life preparation for his/her own perilous mission. Each Guardians mastery was a lone, hard-won trial by fire and a baptism of struggles until their faith was made impervious to doubt. They come from the ranks of the unwashed, huddled masses, the tired, the poor, the down-trodden, the nameless, the faceless, the obscurebut they are mighty for in the last days, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. These warriors uphold a code of honor; at their hands no innocent may be killedonly those entities from The Dark Realms may be annihilated, as the Highest Court in The Universe, the real Supreme Court beyond the courts of man, has already passed sentence on the legions of enemies. The Guardians walk a delicate line, where the end is not enough to justify the means. The way they go about their course must be that of the straight and narrow, so they must be prudent and be sure that they have not violated any spiritual laws of light in their quest to protect The Neteru. As such, each member of a Warriors of Light squad has a special capacity in the five sensory areas, plus the sixth sense: Tactical Guardian Sensors: feel the onset of spiritual danger, and are particularly sensitive to Levels One and Two of The Dark Realms where ether-based manifestations dwell. Characters: Nafes Shabazz, a.k.a. Shabazz Joseph Leung, a.k.a. J. L. Daniel Weinstein, a.k.a. Dan Olfactory Guardian Sensors: smell and taste the onset of danger, and are especially sensitive to sulfur trailing entities that are more prevalent in Levels Three, Four and Five of The Dark Realms. These are they most coveted Tracker Guardians.

Characters: Jacob Rider, a.k.a. Rider a.k.a. The Nose Jose Cipointe, a.k.a. Wizard Audio Guardian Sensors: hear the whispers of spirits, and are particularly tuned-in to the slightest sound coming from the embodied manifestations of were-creatures from Level Five, and the nearly soundless passage of Vampires on Level Six. Characters: Michael Roberts, a.k.a. Big Mike Seer Guardian Sensors: see between worlds with their third eye, and are invaluable to any Guardian team. They are the vision of the group; they are able to utilize information from dream states, the consciousness, and through honed telepathy. These are the most sensitive of all Guardians, and they are also blessed with The Fruits of The Spirit heightened discernment, wisdom, knowing. Characters: Marlene Stone The Neteru: is also a sensor one blessed with all of the above-mentioned spiritual gifts, but yet stronger, more naturally skilled, and thus considered omnivoyant (in possession of all extrasensory capacities.) But this special being is also different physically than the other Guardians. Although mortal like his/her Guardian brethren, The Neterus bone structure and muscle mass is denser, his/her skin is more elastic, vital organs are more shielded by extra layers of ligament and tissueto enable The Neteru to sustain injuries during battles that might be life -threatening to the normal human The Neterus metabolism burns faster and his/her antibodies along with an unbreakable spiritual will, are designed to converge upon a demon or vampire bite and purge the system of the viral infection to ward off a possession or vampiric turn. The Neteru has a natural immunity to a demonic or vampire bite. Characters: Damali Richards, a.k.a. The Millennium Neteru, a.k.a. The Vampire Huntress

Neteru Council of Queens Symbology Eve Sankofa (return and fetch it). Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi. It is no taboo to return and fetch it when you forget. You can always undo your mistakes. Aset Mmra krado (Seal of the law). Symbolizing supreme authority.

Aset Nsoroma (A child of the heavens). Obu Nyankon soroma te Nyame na onte neho so. A child of the Supreme Being I do not depend on myself. My illumination is only a reflection of his. Nzinga

Akoko nan tiaba na enkum ba (The foot of the hen). The hen treads upon its chicks, but it does not kill them. Nefertitti Ntesie matemasie (I have heard and kept it). Nyansa bun mu nne mate masie. A symbol of wisdom and knowledge. Asian Nyame biribi wo soro na ma embeka mensa (God is in the heavens, let it reach me). A symbol of hope. Aztec Aya (the firn). Also means 'I am not afraid of you'. A symbol of defiance. Joan Nyame nwu na mawu. If Nyame -- God -- dies, then I may die. Perpetual existence.

Amazon Akoben (The war horn). The sound of Akoben is a battle cry, hence it symbolizes a call to arms. With the dawn of a new male Neteru, so has this Akhan symbol been burned into Carlos Rivera's skin--over the left jugular vein--in supernatural silver to annoint and seal off his previous vampiric bite markings. Carlos Nkyin kyin (ohema nkyinkyin). Changing one's self. Playing many roles. The Dark Realms Upon the death of the body, the soul can either ascend or descend this soul weight is determined by choice. Once all hope is lost and unspeakable evil has been donethose sins committed without remorse, without a cry for redemption, The Dark Realms become its home. As above, so below six realms of darkness mirror the six realms of light, with the seventh depth hosting the power source of all that is evil just as the seventh level Above hosts the Ultimate Power Source of The UniverseThe Almighty. Sins create soul weight, dragging it down the multiple caverns within The Pit. Hope, Faith, Love, forgiveness, a fervent request for redemption, remove the weight, uplifts the spirit, and allows the soul to soar to blend in with other spirits of The Light. This is why the choices made in The Gray Zone are so critical. No angel in Heaven, not one Warrior of Light, or one spirit of lightness ever wants to lose a soul to the weight of unredeemed sin. Thus, the battle that is waged, one soul at a time, is mighty. But, The Dark Realms have claimed many Level One Realm of Lost Souls Ruling Body: Pain Gangs

Confused, disembodied spirits filled with guilt and negative energy manifest as shades, ghosts, haints of etheric nature, mists, that bring a cloud of sadness, despair, coldness to the places where they last breathed life, and they cause minor disturbances to the natural world. Level Two Poltergeist Realm Ruling Body: Splinter Cells Level two is denser, where the disembodied spirits have more negative energy, more kinetic strength, and where poltergeist activity can be found. Jealousy, rage, brutal lies, and avarice live here. Level Three Demon Realm Ruling Body: Serpent Congress (reports to the Supreme Council) Level Three is denser still, is where the ether-like spirits begin to take twisted, demonic forms, compressed from evil ether by the weight of the deeper caverns, this is the outer region of the world of vengeance. Level Four Realm of the Amanraths (revenge demons) Ruling Body: Supreme Council Solid forms of actual revenge demons dwell-hatred is their fuel, acts of violence and hideous acts of revenge are their earthly manifestation. These forms have a shape, a body made monstrosities of The Pit. Level Five Realm of the Were-Demons. Ruling body: The Were-Senate Level Five is a dangerous, insidious realm of the were-demons, where twisted human forms are fused with primal, animal natures unchecked by the human spirit, devoid of remorse, impulse their single catalyst-these are the creatures of the night that visit in human form only to shapeshift into things unspeakable. Level Six Realm of Vampiri Ruling Body: The Vampire Council Level Six is the source of all treachery, highly evolved, but twisted, intellect, possessing all the capabilities and evil in the realms before it this is the realm of vampiri. This, most dangerous of The Dark Realms, is where evil politics shift world power amongst humans, money, levy nations to war, spoil environments where true predators exist, where this shrewd entity is so highly evolved of the evil species that it can walk amongst men, conduct business, cut deals, and slither into the darkness without a trace-feeding on the innocent, "turning" and seducing even the most faithful. The Vampire Council rules this realm from the black, five-pointed pentagram of power table, one star point for every continent, one Council Level master vampire for every landmass where the CEO of all darkness-who will remain nameless, crowns the center of their boardroom table. This is why The Neteru comes as a vampire huntress or hunter. Characters: Carlos Rivera Yonnie Fallon Nuit

The Chairman Level Seven Realm of The Fallen Angel Ruling Body: The Fallen Angel Cannot be spoken of it is the ruling province of one entity, The Fallen Angel.

The Vampire Huntress Legend Frequently Asked Questions Q: How does The Covenant know which Guardian Team will be the one to guard The Neteru? A: The Covenants seer is led by faith visions to Guardian Teams throughout the world. Based upon the planetary alignment that foretells the coming of The Neteru, they are guided to a specific region where the obscure team is sensed. Upon passing the tests of faith, The Seer Guardian of the chosen group is given The Neteru Temt Tchaas as a final test. If there has been an error made, that seer will not be able to decipher the sacred text, and The Covenant will continue their search. Q: If The Neteru is only created every thousand years, then several lifetimes of humans would have occurred between Neteru visitationsso how does The Covenant even know if one of these special beings will manifest during their watch? A: They dont. It is a question of faith. Their job is to hold the line, pass the wisdom, and keep watch until the signs prevail. Each child that is born unto the world could potentially hold this gift of potential within them. Therefore, each birth, each child, every baby born is considered sacred and of limitless value to the Heavens. A child is the essence of innocence, so The Covenant keeps watch, tries to stem the tide of reckless endangerment to all life, especially that of the young. Q: What happens once a Neteru dies or is killed (or even a Guardian dies)? A: That spirit essence, that life force ascends and conjoins with all the forces of The Light to serve the Higher good from the unseen positive realms. ^ Back to Top Q: But the Guardians come from the dregs of societyhow can that be, and why would such an unsavory crew be raised for such an important mission from that element? A: The soul weight of one redeemed sinner is worth that of 100 holy men. One person who has lived in the world, but then chooses a selfless path to be not of the worldafter having tasted temptation is extremely valuable energy for The Light. This is also why The Dark Realms prey so heavily on the seemingly least able to resist their mission is to banish hope, increase and spread violence and despair, to make raising a Guardian Team next to impossible. However, like in Judo, The Light uses the destruction of The Dark to leverage against itself, to make even stronger warriorspeople who have seen The Valley of The Shadow of Death, but who fear no evil.

Q: Was there always a Vampire Council? A: No. In the old days, there was only feudal law, thus anarchy. But this proved unwise for the survival of the race, as it made human townsfolk nervous, and it encouraged them to cling to their religious icons and to seek redemption and hallowed ground. People believed in vampires, then, so hunters adept at the ways of vampire slaying were plentiful and skilled. What was required was to shift the human perspective, to make humans think that demons and ghosts and goblins and werewolves and vampires were all superstition, myth, legend until few people would remain savvy to the intricacies of how to eradicate the vampire race. Therefore, The Vampire Council was formed to stem the tide of the hunts, to lull humans into a false malaise and spiritual apathy so that the vampires could feed at will. And although they feed, they have created policies that limit their growth within each territory, as to not deplete the natural, but limited, food supply of human beings. Policy states that the human, generally, is to be killed before bled out (so they wont turn.)

Q: Vampires have a societal strataexplain? A: At The Vampire Council Level are seated the oldest, wisest, most cunning of this evil species. They are stronger in telepathy and intellect, and their powers are legendary. Only a Council Level Vampire can make a Master Vampire. The members of The Vampire Council dwell subterranean, the increasing age of their bodies makes them vulnerable topside. Only upon a brutal power takeover (a violent coup), or the death of a Council Level Vampire at the hands of a slayer, or through a unanimous Council Level vote (by way of swift assassination), do these thrones of power change hands. However, the topside-dwelling Master Vampires are their arms and legs, the doers of their bidding on earth above The Pit. Each Master Vampire has a feeding territory, segregated in the same manner that wolf packs mark hunting grounds. Once The Vampire Council assigns these predators a territory, every bite they deliver upon a human creates a second generation vampirea sire beholden to the Master, albeit with less strength and diluted skills. Every Master Vampire is given, and therefore knows, the assigned number allowable for his/her territorybased upon population density. These lieutenants are tracked in the black tomb held by The Vampire Council; each birth of a new vampire is registered, just as each death runs black blood in the book. If a second-generation vampire bites a human, they will create a weaker straina third generation and so forth, with vampiric powers diminishing as the virus gets passed and further away from the original host source. But this sets up a dangerous variable many generations down the line, it is possible for there to be humans with strange, inexplicable proclivities stemming from the first bite delivered to their lineage.

Q: But how is it possible for a human being to be, say, eight generations removed from a vampire biteif the person bitten dies in order to turn? A: If a bite were delivered to a human being by a lower generation vampire someone who either carried the virus in their semen, or transferred it to an unborn baby before they died, this would create

the outreaches of generations hidden within humanity. The only saving grace is choicea human being always has free will, and can decide to succumb to the dark side of their nature, or not, since they were not directly bitten (just a carrier). Q: Can vampires reproduce in any other way than through a bite? A: Technically, no. Once theyve died as a human being and turn, their sperm is dead, just like their womb and eggs are dead. Their aging process slows to a crawl, and they remain relatively the same age they had been upon their human death (prior to the unholy resurrection three nights later.) After thousands of years, their age begins to tell on themhence why members of The Vampire Council have reduced physical stamina. But do not be fooled; what they lose in physical vitality is well made up for in the increase in mental and telepathic capacity, with the ability to utilize seized host bodies down to the cellular level. It is this small caveat that makes them anxiously await the most coveted vessel a female Neteru. This is the only womb that can sustain a vampire fetus. When fully fertile (the ripening), The Neteru has antibodies in her system that will protect their evil seed at all costseven igniting life within it, but will not harm the fetus despite its viral vampiric infection, allowing it to take root within her and grow and all the old vampires need is an infected (but not yet dead) male with a glimmer of a soul to be their host. The outcome of this deadly combination is Daywalkersvampires that are impervious to sunlight and therefore stronger than The Council Level Vampires.

Q: If a female Neteru can be impregnated to carry a Daywalker fetus, then isnt she weaker and more vulnerable than a male Neteru? Why would The Light make a female version of this important warrior? A: A female Neteru can only be compromised during a small window of opportunity every seven years during a warrior ripeningwhen her entire metabolism lowers its defenses to purge the build-up of toxins induced by adrenaline in an effort to save the human body for longevity. The Light makes this being because the female Neteru can also host the most evolved Guardians. The human product of these wombs have led empires and created dynasties.In addition, the potential progeny of a male Neteru is actually more at risk, because he would have to guard and protect a normal human female through her entire gestation period. One slip, one moment of lowered defense, and The Dark realms would eliminate the potential infant threat. Conversely, the female Neterus body is designed to be a fighting machine, and when impregnated, her body naturally reinforces its protective barriers against any and all harm that might come to her unborn child. Q: Ghosts, demons, were-creatures, and vampires how does each Guardian Team, or The Neteru, know whats coming at them? A: This is why The Guardians possess extrasensory perceptions that are aligned with each level of The Dark Realms. Guardian teams are normally made up of twelve individuals, and only as few as seven, in any configuration. On twelve member teams, there would be two Guardians with capacities to sense a threat from each of the six levels. Seven member teams are at a slight disadvantage, but the numerology of their configuration provides for providence. However, one should note that, each of the levels within The Dark Realms function like separate, warring countriesalliances are rarely forged, and cooperation is nearly non-existent.

Therefore, once a team is being stalked by dark forces, that insidious level marks them for their territory within The Dark realm. Any perceived poaching would create a violent struggle between the uncooperative dark forces. Legions would be sent up to beset the marked human team to wrest it away from any other encroaching demonic or vampiric force. But that struggle would also absorb the dark sides resources as they fought a war on both fronts (subduing their human targets and fending off violators to the mark), which would have the consequence of opening them to direct attacks from The Light. Thus, The Dark Realms (for their own self interests), tend to try to mitigate topside feuds before too much collateral damage occurs.

Q: Vampires reside or have aegis over Level Six of The Dark Realmsbut have the capabilities of all levels above them (and are considered the most evolved.) Explain? A: As a souls weight is driven further subterranean based on the weight of sin affixed to it, the more form and shape it manifests. Ghosts have a mist or vapor quality; Poltergeists have more kinetic charge; revenge demons become twisted, slithering things and grow more gruesome in the realm beneath them. The were-creatures are human-appearing one moment, but then transform into hideous aberrations upon the full phase of the moon the longer the entity can hold the human form at will, the more sophisticated and deadly it is. Vampires are truly snobs because of their hierarchy and evolutionary status within the evil food chain. They dont consort with the likes of demons and other lesser entities, by in large. Vampires can turn into a mist in the night, rivaling ghosts. They can possess a body, twist a mind, hypnotize, move things with their minds, cast illusion, and erotically seduce a victim like a succubus. Vampires have the cunning linguistic dexterity of the serpentthe green-eyed monster from the province of revenge. They can become bat, or wolf, or panther, like the were-creatures, and yet this shapeshift is their decision, not a fate decided by the moon. They have the freedom of night flight, projection to appear and disappear at will, like a silent ghost. But what makes them The Dark Realms envy, is that they are seductive, smooth, controlled, shrewd, and rarely given to commit any action without a serious strategy behind it. They do not act on impulse like the demons, the were-creatures, or have to remain contained to a location like the haints. They have the freedom of motion, except for the time marker delineated by the sun. They are The Dark Realms most deadly and hard to kill predator.

Q: Then, with all of these forces of darkness afoot does humanity stand a chance? A: Yes. The battle is not one fought with conventional weapons of the material world, it is a spiritual battle to the last man and woman standsone positive soul can sway the final outcome; we cannot afford to lose even one individual. Thats why we must all be thankful and keep the faith. There are twelve obscure teams of twelve Guardians, a battalion of Warrior Angels, positive ancestral spirits, normal, fragile humans also joining in the ever-present fight to keep hope alive and The Light just sent us a Millennium Neteru.