Prince of House Vladd

THE PRINCE OF HOUSE VLADD

CHAPTER 14

BOOK 2

BY ARTHUR

The rescue crew arrived back at the stone city just as the first rays of the rising sun could been seen as a thin yellow line over the distant mountains, those with little tolerance of the sun were already yawning in the first throws of their death sleep, of the others, only the three rescued boys were still alert and taken in by the grandeur of the city.

Peter had explained to them that now they were known to the authorities, it would be safer for them to return to the city with him and his crew, after a quick discussion among themselves, the boys agreed as long as they could stay together as well as being of some use to Peter in some way, to show their appreciation of their rescue, Peter had agreed to their request and taken them aboard the jet in the knowledge that they would have some valuable information for their eventual return to the U.S.

The three rescued boys were still looking around even as Reece was tiring and now needed the help of his two friends to walk as the sun rose higher, he was the first to spot the two young teens standing on top of the central pyramid to which they were now very close, to the three friends, the two boys looked like opposites of each other, one was dark and swarthy the other was pale and slim but there was a power around them that belied their youth, the three rescuees were immediately taken by the young teens as they continued to look down on the new arrivals.

What was to happen next stunned the three newcomers, while the rest of the folk were used to the two teens and their way of travel, the three boys had never seen anything like it and were overawed by their first look at the mode of transport used by the two god boys, they had never seen such a talent before and were stunned by the result.

Quetz and Tezca both had eyes for only two people however and those two were bringing up the rear of the rescue party, as Peter and Swiftwing walked out of the surrounding jungle, the two teens seemed to visibly shimmer and the next second they were wrapping their arms around each of their fathers, their smiles so wide and their hugs so tight that both Peter and Swiftwing, for all their strength, found it hard to take breath, Peter said.

"Well I guess you're happy to see us back then?"

The only reply he got was some mumbled words that were hidden from even his sharp hearing by the boy's mouths being so tightly pressed into his chest, Peter kissed the top of Quetz head just as Swiftwing did the same for Tezca, they then both pushed the boy's back a little to get a good look at their relieved faces, it was at times like this that the two boys looked far younger than they showed to the rest of the world, it was hard at times to remember that only a short time ago these two teens were still only prepubescent boys and that, while their bodies had grown, deep inside were still two small boys, even allowing for their great knowledge given by the Creator and other gods of the stone city.

The three new comers were amazed at the depth of feeling given by the two teens to others who seemed no older than themselves, even with the knowledge that Peter was the Prince of Vladd and was older than he looked, still the cameo before them seemed strange, their perception would change shortly when the eventually found out who the two odd boys really were, by this time, Reece was really wilting and was now being held in Dani's arms as his eyes closed and everything around him went dark, Dani was quick to look for a safe place for his Vampire friend.

Peter quickly noticed the Vampire Vaga in the arms of a boy who showed the aura of a Wolf, with a quick gesture he indicated where they should go to get the Vampire boy out of the strengthening sunlight, Dani need no second thought, with the use of his Wolf speed he soon had Reece in the shadow of a long dark passage, Leo was close behind him as they worked their way deeper into the base of the pyramid, ahead of Dani and leading the way was another of the rescue crew who was showing them where they could make a new home for themselves until they could return North to the States, the three friends felt truly safe for the first time since the pogroms of the Government had started and especially at their latest close call.

Half an hour later and Peter, Swiftwing and the two boys were sitting in their temporary lounge room, Peter and Swiftwing were in each others arms as they sat on a sofa while the two boys had selected a separate chair each, it was time they got down to the business that they wanted to discuss with their two fathers, while the rescue was underway, Quetz and Tezca had come up with their own plan to finish off what they had promised to the new President of the North, the kidnapping of the three folk had raised a new anger in the two boys, the price to be paid for the lies of the President were going to be dire as far as the two god boys were concerned.

Peter and Swiftwing listened to their new sons, while they had not been perfect citizens themselves, the plan of the two boys was even more terrible than either of the fathers could have imagined two young boys could come up with, it was planned as only young boys could plan, it also looked much like a total apocalypse for the leaders and followers of the North, if the boys were allowed to carry it out there would be little left of any form of administration in the U.S. and the means of the wealthy would be severely curtailed.

For the religious sects that were now in power it was going to be their worst nightmare, everything they had ever feared was going to be visited upon them if the boys were allowed to continue, Peter, along with Swiftwing, began to try to persuade the two god boys onto another line of thought, the sheer devastation the boys had planned would have made the rest of the world stand up and form a line of attack in fear of the boys results.

No matter how long they talked and discussed the plan, Peter and Swiftwing could not seem to get through to the two boys how dangerous their plan was when looked at by over seas interests, to the two god boys, both of whom had little to fear from outside forces, it almost appeared that their two new fathers were also afraid of them but it was far from the truth.

The talking went on for most of the daylight hours, first one side was given then the other and neither could meet in the middle, finally it was Peter who had the last word, agreeing that the North had to have a serious lesson but, also enforcing his opinion that not all of the country was bad and, allowing that the main reason for most of the anger against the folk was directed from the pulpit of the religious sect known as the Destiny Church, Peter began to relent on some of the plan, he also realised that he really didn't have the means to stop the boys if they truly wanted to go ahead and destroy the U.S. all he could do was try to temper their youthful exuberance and slow down the destructive force of the two boys combined.

As the full moon rose over the pyramid, an agreement was finally settled on, the two boys could go North to keep the promise they had made on their last trip to the President, they could also carry out a number of selected attacks on the last of the religious leaders and the wealthy that had kept the honest people of the North in a state of paid slavery and suppression.

Finally, when Peter asked when they wanted to go, the two boys simply said in unison.

"Now"

And promptly shimmered and disappeared.

Unseen by prying eyes, in what was left of Central Park in New York, now drying rapidly from the inundations of the waves, the two boys shimmered into existence amid the last few living trees in the park, the ground around them was barren from the scouring of the sea water and the retreating waves, around the park collapsed buildings were evident where ever one looked, the once proud and vital city was now no more than a memory of its former self, only those who had taken to high towers were now seen, most of them had had no way of escape and had tried to eek out a living in the most basic of ways.

The two boys looked small and vulnerable as they stepped from the cover of the trees; the once alive and fully lit city was now only a mass of dark powerless buildings and ruins with the occasional dark shape of a human searching for food or shelter, the once great city was dead and mostly deserted by all those who used to call it home, very little stirred on the empty streets and boulevards, Quetz and Tezca looked around at the results of their own efforts, none of what they saw even brought a modicum of regret to the god boys, those that had infested this once great city had received only what the boys thought they deserved, to them it was a just result.

Again the boys looked around, but this time they used their ability to see beyond what was in front of their eyes, slowly they turned in a circle seeing in their minds the furtherest parts of the dead city, at last they spied what they had been looking for, in the hills on the outside of the city stood the last remaining centre of the administration, beside the modest building, and in a place that could not be mistaken for anything else, stood a newly built Church, over the door hung the symbol of the Destiny Church, the boys had found their new target.

Another shimmer and the two boys were standing outside the doors of the church, from inside came the raised voices of the congregation and the even louder voice of the Minister, his strident voice rose above those of the congregation as he exhorted them to greater effort as they sang, the strong beat of the music filled the building with ever increasing sound until, with a sudden rush of wind, the two large wooden doors were thrown open with an unseen power, the sudden silence was almost deafening as two small figures strode hand in hand through the open doors and down the centre aisle towards the astounded minister standing in all his glory on the wide stage at the front.

The congregation was totally silent as the two young teens strode forward, about them was an aura of power and an underlying feeling of danger, it was the holding of hands that most upset those filling the great hall, as they neared the minister he suddenly felt the power of the young teens, grasping his thick white bible in his right hand he raised it and held it towards the two teens, his own fear rapidly receding as he looked down at the two below him, in a strident voice that carried to every part of the building, he made his demands.

"What right have you to enter these halls of Christian sanctuary, who's devil spawn are you, be gone from this sacred place you defilers of humanity and buggerers of boys, we won't have your sort defiling our young, take your sinful ways and leave now before the wrath of God descends on your perverted ways."

The answer he got was the last one he expected from the two young teens but it took no time at all for him to take a step back as the pale boy kissed his companion fully on the lips before giggling like a little boy.

"Do you think he means us, lover?" Quetz asked Tezca.

"I don't know, love, what is, buggery?"

"You know, its sticking your thingy in my butt."

"Oh really, well would you like it now, I could really do with a bit of buggery right now."

The Minister could not believe his ears, the boys were mocking him for all the congregation to hear, the teens were not yelling out loud but their voices seemed to have no trouble reaching every nook and cranny of the great hall and the silence still held sway as the two boys kissed again much to the distaste and ire of the Minister, his face began to take on the look of apoplexy and anger as he watched impotently at the performance of the two strange teens, finally he found his voice and it was not a happy and joyful sound, looking down at the line of black coated men standing along the front of the stage, the Minister opened his mouth and, with a twisted sneer on his face, gave his orders to the line of brothers, to an outsider, they looked more like a line of tough security guards, there to protect the Minister more than the brothers of the Church.

"Remove these disgusting faggots from God's house; the almighty does not want their sort defiling his house with their devils ways."

His voice was strong and full of righteous indignation as he called for the expulsion, suddenly Quetz raised his small hand and held it up towards the Ministers face, the response was immediate and a silence descended up on the large stage, following his action and, as the line of black clothed men made a move towards the two teens, Tezca swung his right arm out along the line of the ten advancing men, they all halted as one and stood as though made of black marble, not a single movement or word came from any of them, although it was obvious they could still hear and see, the two teens looked at their handiwork, satisfied they were not going to be interrupted, the boys turned back to the congregation and smiled their young innocent smile.

"I am Quetzalli, carrier of the Creators light." Quetz told the assembly.

"I am Tezcatlipoca, carrier of the Creators darkness." Tezca called after Quetz, they then combined their voices and they echoed around the stunned and silent hall.

"We are the bringers of truth and the destroyers of evil."

Quetz then began to talk alone as Tezca watched the gathering closely.

"We will ask you only once, if your decisions are wrong you will pay the price of your unfounded beliefs. The god you follow is a false god, he was created by men of greed and power for their own ends, the Creator was here long before your man made god and so, we ask you to renounce the falsehoods you have followed for near two millennia and return to the way of the Creator, those who wish to see the true light may leave now and no harm will come to you, those who wish to continue to follow the lies of greedy and power hungry men will never leave here, the decision is now yours."

Quetz and Tezca waited quietly as the congregation murmured among themselves, slowly a few began to rise and take hold of their few children, with small and sometimes sad smiles, the few who could see that they had been mislead, left the hall amid low grumbles from those who remained and, as the last couple left the hall, a loud shout came from the centre of the congregation.

"You will all die; God will not let you follow the way of heathen faggots, Gods will is great, he will make you pay for your sins with fire and brimstone, your souls will be damned forever in His eyes, sinners, defilers of truth, you are all going to Burn in hell."

Tezca's voice rang out loud and clear in the large hall.

"Silence, they have the right to make their own decision, it's a pity you do not have the same sense."

With those words, Tezca lifted his arm and, with a wide ranging gesture, he swept the arm over the crowded hall, everyone in the hall fell to their knees and, as though lit by a hot burning sun, all except the very young, began to wilt and their skin dried until there was little left but small piles of ashes where once people had stood, even the black suited guards were now just ashes, only the tall angry figure of the Minister still stood transfixed to the stage, his eyes almost glowing with anger and now fear as he watched his congregation fall into ashes, the only humans still alive apart from the Minister were the young, those under ten years of age had been unaffected by the show of power.

Quetz looked up at the fear filled face of the Minister.

"Now you can see the power of the Creator, for hundreds of years you have worshipped false idols in the form of a man and a woman, does it not say in your own book, "thou shalt not worship false idols" yet you create figures and crosses to worship and then let the true Creator of all fade into the darkness of your own greed and lust for power. Where is your God now, why doesn't he come to strike us down or is it only when you want to frighten the weak that you call on him."

Quetz and Tezca watched the Minister trying to speak, with a small gesture, Tezca released the man's ability to speak but maintained his hold on the mans body actions.

"You are all spawn of the devil, God; Will come and he Will, strike you down, you are only children of the devil, you can not stand against the Will of God."

Tezca silenced him once again with a gesture as Quetz continued.

"Well we would like to wait for him to do so but I am afraid we will have a long wait, so that you don't go to "Your Reward in Heaven" without knowing the truth, I will tell you who is truth, There is only one Creator, from him came the four winds, the four seasons and the four who attend his wishes, Mother Earth, Father Sky, Guardian of the Forests and Guardian of the Seas and Lakes, these are the truths, your God was man made for the use of man, you have made him rule the lives of others with fear and hate, look around you, in these times of difficulty you live a life of luxury while those not in the power of the church live in hunger and poverty, you spread fear and loathing for those who are different and yet you, in your privacy, commit the very sins you decry in others, your leaders hunger for power and yet they let the people around you starve in the streets just as long as you maintain your own positions and life styles at their expense, let this be the last thought you have, you and your religious beliefs are nothing but the desire to rule over others so that your own actions can not be judged by those who believe in your ramblings."

It was with a final look of disgust that Quetz raised his hand and caused a thin bolt of lightening to strike the Minister, leaving behind only the same pile of ashes as his congregation, in the hall were now only the very young, with a sense of relief that the first strike had been made, Quetz sent a mind message to all the young ones showing them how to find shelter and safety, as one the youngsters all turned towards the door and left quietly, the youngest holding the hand of an older child, they could all see clearly in their minds what they had to do.

Quetz and Tezca shimmered into nothingness and then reappeared in front of another of the Destiny Churches, and so the night went on, one Church after another was visited and cleansed in the same way until the boys had finally made their point, it was then time to look into the halls of power, President Simmons had been warned and had ignored the boys advice, it was time for a final visit.

The country was in a state of collapse, both financially and internationally, only the followers of the Creator, mainly the Native Americans and a few of the non Native followers, along with the few Vaga that remained, were still unaffected by the events of the Presidents greed for power, wide spread hunger rampaged over the country, unemployment was rife and only those who worked for the President or were inside followers of the Destiny Church still lived the high life at the expense of the rest of the country, even the Church had raised its tithe to new heights in its hunger for every last dollar they could squeeze from those who still had a little saved.

For anyone contemplating a revolution, the military were soon onto them and they disappeared in the dark of night, never to be seen again, all they owned or possessed was confiscated by the government or the Church, the one underlying feeling throughout the country was one of fear, the once mighty nation was now reduced to nothing more than a dictatorship for those who had delusions of grandeur.

The boys shimmered into existence outside the remains of the once mighty White House, the grounds were still patrolled by a horde of armed guards, on seeing the shimmering vision of two teens appear in their midst, the guards immediately went into alert mode but, that was as far as they got, with a small gesture from Tezca, they were now no more than flesh and blood statues as the two boys walked casually towards the large doors of the seat of power.

As they approached the main doors, six more guards appeared armed and ready for the intruders, another small gesture and six more flesh statues joined the others, Quetz and Tezca walked into the large hallway and looked around for any more opposition, they were not disappointed, the building became a hive of activity as they moved forward towards where they could feel the President to be hiding, the hallway behind the boys became littered with the statuesque figures of the security details as they moved on until they finally stood outside the closed and locked doors of the underground bunker that held their objective.

Tezca looked over at Quetz and smiled, without words they knew what each other was thinking so it was easy for Quetz to take the lead, lifting his hand, he laid it against the thick steel panel of the door, closing his eyes he sent a force through his hand and into the door, with a loud grating sound, the door buckled and bent until, with a very loud creaking and grating, the door bent inwards until it finally shattered and the pieces of steel fell with a loud ringing sound to the floor.

The eight guards behind the door opened fire with their automatic weapons, they were the last line of defence for the President, it was already to late to try for one of the escape tunnels that honeycombed the underground complex, added to the fact that there was nowhere for the President to go that would be safe outside the country, while Quetz held back the barrage of bullets that had sped towards the two boys, Tezca decided he had had enough of being a nice guy and turned the last guards to dust piles.

The two boys moved to the locked door where they could feel the presence of the President, Tezca smashed his hands into the door and turned it to small splinters as his brother and lover walked passed him to see the once proud President sitting at his desk with fear in his eyes as he looked at the two young teens, they had told him they would return if he did not listen and they had kept their word, Simmons knew without asking that his time had come and he would not be able to talk or bribe his way out of this one, all his dreams of power had finally come down to this one meeting, it was not the failure he felt bad about, it was that two homo teens had caused it, that and the fact that they had way more power than he would ever have dreamed of and yet they refused to use it to their own advantage, had he had the same power as the two homo's he could have taken over the world and been the ultimate ruler of everything.

The two boys watched the thought process of the once proud and powerful President, the evident pity in their eyes obvious for anyone to see, Quetz sent a thought to Tezca, both boys looked at the man before them, the resignation written all over the mans face as they stared at him, Tezca decided to speak first.

"We warned you that we would return if you did not follow our instructions, you will now do as you are told, you will use your office communications to send out a message to all those not involved in Government or the Church, you will instruct them that they have exactly three hours to leave the city and disperse into the country, any person who is involved in the Government or the Church will not leave, if they try they will die when they reach the boundary of the city, all others will be allowed to pass, you will also inform all other major cities of the same orders, we will wait here with you until the time for evacuation is over, remember to stress that all employees of the Government or Church are to stay at their posts and in their cities, they will not be allowed to evacuate with the ordinary people."

Quetz and Tezca watched as the terrified man began to follow their instructions, what else could he do but follow what the boys wanted, he was left with no options, slowly the message was sent out as the three people in the deep bunker watched and waited, occasionally there would be a report of some Church or Government employee trying to make it away only to die as he stepped over the boundary.

As the three hour mark approached, the lines of evacuees began to recede into the distance, now only those who were told to stay remained in the cities and in the seats of power.

"We are going to show you what your greed and lust for power has created for your people."

With those words from Quetz, the once proud and powerful President found himself suspended in the air high over Washington, he seemed to be held in some type of bubble of air by the blonde boy while the dark one looked down at the once proud centre of power, closing his eyes and seemingly pulling power from the very air around him, Tezca began the destruction of Washington and everything that remained in the city, from high above came the darkness of thick black clouds, they swirled and turned until they formed into a massive vortex.

At the centre of the vortex flashed huge bolts of lightening, they looked large enough to power ten cities, slowly the twisting mass of cloud and power descended onto the city far below, Simmons could only stare in shock and horror at the exhibition of sheer power from the slim dark boy, he truly had underestimated the first warning from the young teens and now, he realised, it was to late, he had lost everything, not only had he lost everything but now he had brought total destruction on the city of Washington, the seat of Power for the U.S., he would be forever remembered as the man who destroyed the strongest nation on Earth.

The massive vortex remained over the city for only a few minutes and then dissipated into nothing, below him all he could see were clouds of dust and piles of unusable rubble that littered the space where once stood a mighty city, Simmons had no idea how many of his followers he had condemned with this last act but he did know that the loss of life would have been huge, Church, Government and Military, all had been decimated until nothing remained but dust and memories.

Ex President Simmons was brought out of his musings when he was taken lower by the hand of the blonde boy until they were no more than a few feet off the ground, he was then somehow shown other picture of other cities, all of them were major cities of the nation and all of them were now no more than piles of rubble, the rampant life of the cities had all be silenced by two young teens with the very power of the Gods, now only the small towns and small country cities still stood, untouched and unharmed by the destruction of the centres of all power.

By the time the short show was over, the once most powerful man in the Nation was reduced to a broken man, even his own large ego could not save him from the carnage he had been the cause of, every centre of power and wealth was now no more than broken stones and dust, the very men who held the nation by the neck were also now no more, Tezca's wrath had encompassed them all until now, there were only the ordinary and the honest that remained as well as the true owners of the land, they alone held the secrets of the Creator and would need to teach those who had fled the destruction that there was only one Creator and he was not made by man in mans image nor was he for man too use for gain or power.

The two boys had, in no more than a few hours, reduced the most powerful nation on earth to a fourth world country, never again would it rise to the once heady heights it had enjoyed for so long, they would have to start again and the boys hoped that they would see the mistakes of the past and learn from it, to the true people of the country, the Native American Tribes, Quetz sent a special sign to those who would eventually be able to reclaim their lands, if not fully then at least they would be increased to be able to sustain their way of life and be able to return to their real purpose, for the next three years, each birth would be twins and for every fourth set there would be a boy born of two spirits so that the truth of the Creator would be carried forward by those generations to come.

As a final act, the two boys looked at the once proud President, with little effort, Tezca, the avenging hand of the Creator, sent Simmons high into the air, so high in fact that in his final fall to his death, Simmons would have the time to see all he had been responsible for destroying, his last seconds would be filled with horror and fear, when the man was no more than a speck far up in the sky, Tezca dropped his hand and the two boys shimmered out of sight as the screaming man plummeted towards his death on the land far below him, his shrieks could be heard for miles around as he fell towards his final judgement, of the two boys there was no sign, the end of the man and the end of a country as it had been known was now only seconds away, for Simmons, the man who would be king of all he surveyed, the end rushed at him in a spinning and whirling roar of wind as it whistled passed his ears, the tears in his eyes not dimming the fast approaching ground, and then there was only blackness.

Out and away from the once proud cities, the people looked around, most had no idea of what to do or where to go, slowly they continued on a journey with no destination until the rubble of the cities disappeared from their sight, even those who knew only the city environment could not bare to turn their eyes back to look at what had once been, there was no going back for any of them, there was only a slow road ahead, most now realised that even their once solid faith had now deserted them, the apocalypse had found them and they had not been saved as had been promised, everything they valued or held dear was now gone forever, they had only a deep seated need to escape from the centres that had once stood strong and proud, their symbols of superiority were now just piles of rubble and dust.

Quetz and Tezca reappeared at the foot of the pyramid, they felt nothing for their acts up North, it was now time to tell their two dads that it was time to return home, the country would now need new leaders, leaders that would not hold power for the sake of power but to use that power for the good of all, even with the needs of the folk being what they were, they were still the best hope for those that remained leaderless in the North.

The two teens arrived in the common room just as Peter, Swiftwing and others, were watching the destruction of the cities, amid all of the ruin, there were a few buildings that went totally untouched by the devastation, it was as though the solitary buildings were blessed by some unknown hand, it took the watchers a few minutes before they recognised that all of the untouched buildings were in fact homes of the Vaga, it was an eerie feeling to see these solitary buildings standing among all the piles of dust and debris of once mighty cities of wealth and power.

Peter and the others watched as the two teens walked into the room, it was a difficult time for everyone present, while deep in their souls, Peter and the others knew that the boys had to take drastic action, the sheer scale still surprised them, a country of 250 million was no reduced to a country of roaming nomads, the numbers were now reduced to less than 100 million, of those, the largest number were young, under twenty years of age, those that were older were now well versed in what had to be done, there would have to be a new order if their lives were to be improved.

It was as the long lines of refugees wound their way through the plains and valleys that the realisation began to dawn on them, they no longer had leaders either in politics or finance, their whole world and life style as they once knew it was now at an end, it would take decades for them to recover from the power of the destruction, slowly the rumours began, firstly only as thoughts and then as something more solid, it was a need to find shelter and food for the young that started the first exodus towards the long repressed lands of the Native American reservations, most knew that they had been untouched by the earlier troubles and so, they hoped that this time was the same, after all, they had nowhere else to go, it was their last remaining hope of salvation, it was now time for the once proud colonists to go cap in hand like they had done three hundred years ago when they first landed in the new world, their very existence now depended on the benevolence of a people who had been subjugated for more than a hundred years.

From their satellite coverage, Peter and the folk watched the long lines of shuffling people steadily move towards the centre of the vast country, many would be lost if they had no ideas of how to survive in the open but those who had a certain knowledge and the means would slowly wend their way towards the reservations, for those who tried to take command, there was a sudden outcry, the people had had enough of rulers and their ideas, it was time for the people to be the instruments of their own futures.

Small caravans were formed for mutual aid and to help those less prepared but it soon became apparent that all decisions were made only when everyone agreed to a type of action, already the results of the devastation were taking hold as group after group came together for mutual protection and help, the moving populace was returning to the ways of old, it would still be many days before the first of the internal refugees would make sight of the reservation lands and they did not know yet if they would be received in good faith by the very people they had kept isolated for more than a century.

Peter turned from the screen as the slow moving lines receded away from the destroyed cities and looked at the two boys.

"Was it really necessary to cause so much destruction?"

"Yes Father." Quetz relied for both of them. "It was the only way that things could be put right, those that held power over the population had to be destroyed and all they stood for as well, we have left all the home of the Vaga and the folks estates untouched, it's time for you all to return home, they need leaders now, Father Swiftwing will have to make contact with his people so that those that have survived will be accepted onto their lands, we have set in motion the ability for the land to provide more food and the Native People will also have an increase in their ability to produce more children, this is their payment for long years of subjugation, they can now reclaim their lands of old."

"It sounds as though you are not planning to return with us?"

"We won't be going back Father, this city is our home now, we will be watching over the North from here, we want you and the folk to return now and carry out what needs to be done, we know you don't want the mantle of leadership but we would like you to help in selecting those who can lead with honesty, it's going to take decades for the country to recover, as long as the international community can see that there is a reason for the actions then they will take more notice if they see a steady hand at the wheel and not try to take advantage of the situation, we also will not allow that to happen."

Peter looked at the two boys who had grown so fast, he could still feel deep inside that there were still two little boys deep inside, it was only the two reincarnations within the temple of the pyramid that gave them their older visage but Peter understood the need to move on, with a nod of his head to some of the gathered folk, he set in motion the orders for their return to the North, he and everyone else would miss the antics of the two boys but he also knew it had to be, it was time to move on, there was a country that needed to rebuild, there were still going to be problems but now those, who would want to gain power for themselves would have a memory of what could happen if they lusted too much.

The two boys went forward and tightly hugged their two Fathers, it would be the last time for along time, they knew that by the following morning all their friends as well as their two fathers would be gone North, during this time the two boys would be in their temple far under the pyramid, they would now return to their core and only reappear when they were needed, the native villagers

were now permanently ensconced in the stone city and would be protected by the sleeping presence of their god boys.

During the night and early on the following morning, the continuous stream of folk leaving the stone city brought sorrow to the eyes of the locals, they had been protected and helped by the large number of folk and would miss their presence even though they had needs and habits that were not normal to human eyes, they had however been nothing but protective of the local natives and had willingly restored their old city to its former glory, it would now become one of the places to visit for peoples from all over the world.

The return to Peters estate took less time than the escape, this time there were no enemies trying to hold them at bay, on arrival at the estate, Peter could see that the main building was still intact although there was a large amount of damage to the interior, much of what had been left behind was now broken or had been pillaged by looters but the main house was still sturdy and sound, it would take weeks for the house to be put back into its former glory as well as having to wait for the return of the folk who had the skills to do the work.

The underground units were still locked and untouched, all of the equipment was still workable and it took only the restart of the generator to get power back into the system, guards were set out in the grounds and the two boys in charge of security were soon at work in their small office deep in the bowels of the house, the kitchen was soon at work and even old Tranter was back to his normal self, the house was full of hustle and bustle as everyone went about their own business, the house was soon humming with the noise of resurgent life, Peter and Swiftwing sat upstairs in their living quarters, the security of the lift system had kept this part of the house untouched by raiders, the two were soon hooked into the Vamp net and the orders were going out to get the full council back together and to start with the reformation.

It was a unanimous decision that none of the folk would take any governing rolls when the country started to get back on its feet but they would stay in the background and keep watch more closely, their fear of being revealed was now dead, just like those who wanted to destroy them and their long held way of life, their existence for now was again secret and only those they knew could be trusted were in the know.

As the time past and Peter was able to re-establish the council back in the North, the refugees of the destroyed cities were slowly being assimilated into the smaller communities well outside the city boundaries, it took months for the country folk and farmers to begin to accept the city people as there was still the suspicion held by country people for the city cousins but slowly the city folk began to settle into a new way of life.

On the reservations, the Native Americans saw there land come alive once again as it had been long ago, the huge damn systems were now no more and the backed up rivers were able to flow freely, those that were once muddy toxic waterways were now becoming clean fast flowing rivers again, the lands natural ability to irrigate took over from the man made systems and most of the once dry lands were now blossoming with new growth, growth that had not been seen for decades.

The large corporate farms became a thing of the past as large tracts of land were split up into smaller units as the city folk started a new way of life, Peter could see clearly now that as long as there was no interference from outside, the people had a good chance of remaking their country into something better than it had been, for himself and the other folk, they had made an agreement with both Canada and those in South America, to send the worst of their criminals on night flights to the North, while Peter's Folk had a great desire to rebuild their land, they still needed to feed and, now that the worst of the corrupt officials and the despot cities had been levelled, they had very few places to get their sustenance, there were still the prisons but they had to be careful about their selection from them.

The Vaga houses were Peter's primary concern, they had been the hidden backbone of the Folks invasion, even though most of the damage had been done by the two godlings, they had still played a vital and important part in the downfall and so Peter had made it his personal mission to get them onto and more even footing with the rest of the Folk, to this end, Peter called for a vote at the first Council meeting, it was a unanimous decision that the Vaga Houses have a full representation on the council, all of the Folk agreed that without the intelligence supplied by the Vaga, then a lot of the missions into the North would not have succeeded.

Through the International Council Peter's local council was able to stave off offers of assistance from other countries, after all the North had been through, he had no intention of allowing large overseas companies to set rules or take over old companies, he also felt it was time for the country to stand on its own two feet and either grow or fall on their own merits without international interference, it was a hard choice but those who remained after the destruction had to be made to see what damage they had done when greed ruled their lives.

As the country began to settle back into some form of order, it was apparent that Peter's shadow council had more influence than was first realised, slowly the reigns of government began to change, it was through surreptitious use of his influence that he was able to get the small town banks to take over most financial matters but was also able to stop them from trying to form the huge conglomerates that had previously ruled the financial world, local governments took control of local problems, the states now began to look at the possibility of working together under the same set of laws and rules instead of the Hodge-podge that had been the way before.

Canada was convinced to allow the pipe line from Alaska to reopen and supply the much needed oil and only four of the refineries were allowed to operate but their pricing was under strict guidelines and the fuel was used only for farm equipment, the use of private vehicles was tightly controlled, most people now found that the use of their own legs or those of horses were much more beneficial for their health.

The once large and powerful oil companies were now no more and, over the next twelve months, a new form of central government was formed, there was no longer the huge bureaucracy of the bygone system, there was now only one central place, no more Congress or Senate, no more multitudes of security agencies, all of the elected members to the new form Government were purely unpaid members, each had their own farm or business to run outside the decision making times, they would gather once a month to listen to reports and make vital decisions and then return to their daily occupations, each state had only one member as a representative and the old system of corrupt advisors and spin doctors was now a thing of the past.

Slowly the country began to settle down, there were still problems but they were now looked at with fresh and understanding eyes of those who lived in a real world of reality, the times now dictated that mans survival and harmony were more important than any one mans desire for power, the lesson of the two godlings was well taken and none wished to awaken the terrors of the past again.

It was a slow process to rebuild a standard of living for the survivors, men who had once been clerks were now farm hands, people who had run businesses were now operating machinery or repairing fences and homes, the sudden shock of having to return to a form of subsistence living had brought a new awakening to everyone and those, who would like to return to the search for power were quickly found out and tempered with talk of the past terrors.

Peter and some of his agents had to now and again visit one or another of the banks in the dark of night to realign the thinking of a banker who thought he saw an opportunity to take advantage of some situation but most times he and his Folk kept to themselves as they always had and, while there were rumours of them that ran through communities, they managed to stay out of the lime light.

The only explanation of the night of terror and destruction was left to the humans to fill out, none knew the exact nature of the event but, due to their ingrained religious beliefs, most put it down to the wrath of God and tried to turn their lives around, those few who had at some time seen or heard of the Folk, were again labelled as a little simple and the stories of the night creatures were again used to quieten unruly children.

It was a sign of the new times that, when the Native Americans first asked, then had to demand most of their original lands under old treaties, be returned to them, the newly formed central Government had little trouble doing so, they set out to show that they would not govern like the old days and that their word was good, age old grievances were soon beginning to be dealt with and common sense decisions were being made by people whom understood what honour and reality truly were.

The new Central Government had also made seats available for a representative of the Indian Nations, the new America was not going to be laughed at or decried by other nations for their lack of humanity for a second time, the old days of large industry were gone, now there were smaller factories set up for local needs, the majority of the old huge power damns were gone, now each town had to look to its own needs, this time they would do it properly, small versions of wind power began to spring up on farms and around towns, the solar technology was reawakened and slowly it also began to take hold, there was no attempt to restart the old coal powered generators or to try and rebuild the massive damns for hydro power, each small community decided for itself what was best for them.

Much to the dismay of many, some of the Southern deserts began to spring to life, previously unknown water sources suddenly appeared, old dried river beds came to life and clean clear water flowed where none had been seen for centuries, parched and arid lands were beginning to become fertile and productive, the once great buffalo herds and the large concentrations of deer were again starting to be seen, dusty barren land was now starting to show the first signs of green growth as the new herds of animals slowly grew, somehow the land had begun to regenerate from the dust bowls of the past hundred years, none knew that the two godlings were still watching over them from the temple deep in their pyramid.

Had the humans been able to see the two boys they would have been shocked, the bodies of the boys were now no more than faint shimmering golden lights that sparkled and ran like miniature stars in the body of the stone alter at the centre of the gold encrusted deep temple, on the surface above the temple, the descendants of the Maya and Toltec, kept watch over the stone city, never once did they try to venture into the golden depths of the pyramid, now did they ever disclose to the newly arriving tourists and scientists, what truly laid under the massive stones at the centre of the city, only the native guardians knew of the temple and miniature city within the pyramid and they were not about to disclose it to anyone, after all, their two godlings still lived there and they knew if the time came when they would be needed again then they would awaken and correct the wrongs of man, the quiet and unassuming native population continued with their day to day work but also kept alert for any who wanted to disturb the godling boys from their sleep.

Peter and Swiftwing sat together on a sofa and watched as the reports came in, slowly the country was being reshaped into a country where a hard working man could receive true justice based on truth and not the rambling lies and twisted words of professional lawyers, all justice was now handled by the town concerned and instead of one single judge they now had five members of the working community hear a case and set the result according to commonsense and truth, the new feeling of harmony in the small communities became a refreshing turn after the decades of deceit and lies dished out by others with no interest in the result apart from what they themselves would gain from it.

Always, at the a time when things looked as though they might get out of hand, Peter or his hidden council would intervene, it was often in the late hours of the night that those who wanted to return to the old days of greed and power, would receive a visit from some very scary people and the next day they would change their minds or somehow disappear into the night, this was the only interference Peter and his Folk had on the new growth of America, it was still going to be decades before the country would be strong enough to rejoin the international community, but for the moment, the new hard working people decided it was better that way, they now began to see that they had better things to occupy their time than trying to make a big name for themselves on the international scene.

For Peter and the Folk, it was for the first time in years, a chance to rest, they had centuries before them to watch the new nation rise and, even though they would have to intervene at times, the chance of a quieter life was more than welcome, the two Vampires had only one regret and that was that their two adopted sons were not with them anymore, while they were both unsure what had happened to the two boys, they somehow felt deep in their duel souls, that the boys were somehow keeping an eye on things and that they still held a love for their two adopted dads.

What had made Swiftwing positive the two sons were watching over them was the number of times a large rattle snake would be seen lying in the sun in a corner of the grounds while both the Folk and the human retainers of Peter and Swiftwing were moving around, none were ever harmed by the huge snake even though at times some people moved rather close to him, he would just lift his head and his tongue would taste the air and he would settle back unafraid, Swiftwing would always go close to his totem and sit a while and let his mind wander to the good times with the two boys, it gave him a good feeling deep inside, almost as good as having the boys running around the estate causing laughter and chaos wherever they went.

It was on such a day that Swiftwing settled onto the grass beside the snake, in an unusual move, the snake unwound its long thick body and revealed to Swiftwing in the centre of its coils, a small black stone, it was oval much like an egg but what caught Swiftwing's eye was the golden flecks of shimmering light that the stone was shot through with, it al most appeared as though the miniature stars were moving throughout the solid black stone, as if in a trance, Swiftwing reached forward and the snake allowed him to pick up the stone from within its coils, as soon as the stone was in his hands, Swiftwing got a picture of his two adopted sons and felt a new warmth run through his body, with a bow to the snake and not feeling the tear falling from his own eye, Swiftwing went to find Peter, he just knew the stone was for them both, he also knew it held a part of the two boys, it was their way of being with the two Vampires that had saved them and cared for them in the hour of need, Swiftwing continued to loose tears as he made his way to the house, it was a good day to begin again.

END.

Artcart65@vodafone.co.nz