Chapter 1

The hoof beats of horses could be heard first before the large group of mounted Sanguinarians appeared following a disappearing wagon trail.

"Commander Draco" called a young long red haired vampire in a soldier's uniform, stopping the lead mounted Vampire's horse. The soldier appeared before the commander's horse kneeling with his black helmet already in hand.

The young vampire's red hair was left loosely down his back and shoulders, allowing the commander to see the sharp points of the young vampire's ears. The whole attire of the vampire was black, from the tassents that formed his chest armor to the shin guards. Even the soldier's helmet was black save the golden unicorn etched into it's surface.

The unicorn was a symbol of the Empire and as such Commander Draco knew this scout had been the one sent by General Dalor to help him in the investigation. He scoffed. This kid could not have been in the military longer than a few months, and from the lack of scratches upon his armor he was sure his assumptions were right. Help, what complete bullshit.

"What is it, scout?"

"Commander, the trail ends a little farther ahead."

Commander Draco sighed "No other signs of a struggle?"

The young vampire nodded and the commander looked at his black mountstud's neck, this is getting to be too much, he thought to himself. "Dian." he called.

A vampire with long dark blond hair and red eyes urged his horse forward until he stood beside the commander, "Yes Commander?"

"Scout out the area ahead."

Dian touched his forehead with his index and pointer finger before motioning for the others to follow him into the forest.

Once alone the red haired vampire boy kneeling looked at the commander "Sir?"

Commander Draco turned his violet eyes upon the young vampire before he nodded. The commander turned his gaze to look around the path ignoring the young vampire as he stood, when suddenly the Commander saw something black covering a few leaves of a bush. Slowly he urged his horse to the bush before dismounting.

"Is that?…" mumbled the scout as he looked at the Commander only to have his eyes drawn to the raven black hair that was loose around the commander's shoulders. It almost seemed to gleam under the dawn's light.

"Lycan blood" muttered the Commander.

The scout stared dumbfounded "This close to the border?"

The commander nodded "It's not unusual for a rogue but this—" he took a dab at the blood before feeling it between his two fingers "-Is stronger blood than a rogue."

"You can tell just by touching it?"

"Of course. All blood feels different not only in consistency but in the color." stated the Commander

The scout blushed as he said smartly "Do you think it was the Somarian Pack?"

The Commander looked at the blood intently "Which one would be the better question."

The young scout looked at the Commander in confusion as he felt his knowledge fall short "Which…one?"

"The Somarian Pack is just a title for the packs that reside on Somar Mountain ranges." stated a speaker from behind them. The scout looked over his shoulder quickly to see the speaker was in fact Dian.

"I didn't-" faltered the scout.

But Dian shook his head as he said forgivingly "It's not common knowledge to the army, because it's not necessary knowledge. Soldiers are not meant to determine their enemy, they are to kill the enemy regardless of who they are facing."

"So why do we have to know?" Asked the scout nervously.

Dian sighed "We don't have over two hundred brothers in arms to help if the situation is larger than we can handle."

"Oh." Said the scout in embarrassment as he shifted to a more comfortable position.

Dian nodded before saying "Different packs mean different sizes, morals and rules." He knelt down beside the young scout as he looked at the blood on the commander's fingers. He sighed "Just knowing which pack you're facing can also tell you if you are going to be fighting two to three, or if you are going to be fighting the whole pack."

The scout stared wide eyed at the blood between the vampire's two fingers "So which one are we going against?"

The commander turned his violet eyes upon the young scout "I think it's Petra Lupi."

"Petra Lupi?" Asked the scout curiously.

The commander nodded "Rock Wolves. They are the strongest pack at the moment"

"At the moment? Who was the strongest before them?" asked the young scout.

The commander looked at the scout for a moment before he stated matter of factly, "That title would go to the Alba Lupi."

"The Alba Lupi? Could they be the ones we're going against if it's not the Rock wolves?" asked the scout.

Dian sighed "Not likely. It would more than likely be the Petra Lupi than the Alba Lupi."

"Why not?" asked the scout.

"Because they were mostly wiped out before you were born" said Dian, making the boy's face fall.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing. During the wars they were quite a formidable enemy" said the Commander as he looked at the scout's disappointment .

"What was formidable about them? I mean all wolves are the same." the scout stated.

"Not all wolves are the same!" Dian cuffed the back of the boy's head and the scout groaned as he rubbed it.

"The Alba wolves were the largest wolves among the packs and not only that, they were the most intelligent." commented the Commander as he looked at the scout.

The kid nodded and decided to move the subject in case of another smack to the head asked a normal question "What does Alba Lupi mean?"

"It means White Wolves" said Dian to the scout with a scowl, who responded with his lips forming the shape of a O.

Pressing the scout asked, "Why would it be the rock wolves and not the white wolves? I mean you did say mostly wiped out. That means there would still be some left. Right?"

The commander this time was the one to respond "They haven't been seen since the Valley Wars. But yes it is possible."

"The people would be more willing to believe it to be the Petra pack than the Alba." Said Dian in a very mellow tone.

"Why?! If it's the Alba Pack then we have a serious problem!" Objected the scout as though the two vampires before him were to blame for the lack of effort in controlling the situation.

"Yes, but if it were to come out that members of the Alba Pack survived, then their false sense of security would fall to pieces." Said the Commander and the scout just looked at the ground, as though it was hard to believe the vampires of the Empire would rather die from a lie than live with the truth.

"People are dumb." Commented the scout to which Dian said "Very."

"Well if that's not what you believe in… then what do you believe in?" the scout asked as he looked at Commander Draco.

The commander looked back at the scout with a smile as he stood "The Truth. The absolute truth is that there are still Alba wolves and I believe they are simply waiting for us to let our guard down. They must be wiped out before they destroy us."

The boy stared at the commander in disbelief but the commander had already begun to walk away looking intently upon the ground. He quickly followed the commander deeper into the forest, as they followed the blood trail that slowly began to disappear under the snow that had begun to fall hours before.

"So why is the Alba Lupi called the Alba Lupi?" Asked the scout.

Dian scoffed but the commander explained "The Alba Lupi pack may mean White Wolves, but it does not necessarily mean that the whole pack transforms into a white wolf."

The boy looked at the back of the commander as he walked along the blood trail "Then why would the pack be called Alba Lupi if they don't all turn into a White Wolf?"

Dian interjected at this point allowing the commander to take a closer look at a puddle of red blood that had splattered across a bush, turning the snow on the leaves pink as it began to absorb the blood "Because when our empire first came to this land they named the packs simply by their domains."

Dian was cut off again as Commander Draco said "Hence Petra Lupi. They reside in the mountain's rocky terrain and have small stature compared to their neighboring pack Rivus Lupi, which reside next to the Avian River."

The Commander ignored Dian's glare as he stepped over a random bush that lay in the path of blood.

"So then why was that pack named after a color?" pressed the scout.

"Well the Albas Lupi was a pack that roamed all over the Somarian mountains, calling no domain their home but the whole of the mountains." Said Dian, as he too stepped over the bush.

"Wouldn't that cause turf wars?" Asked the scout as he attempted to step over the bush only to trip and fall into the snow.

"Interestingly enough, the packs seemed to see the Alba pack as their guardians or even leaders in times of war." Said Dian not noticing the scout fall but had continued to follow the commander.

"Oh. So they were like the Royals over the other packs?" The scout stood quickly as he asked the question.

Dian and the Commander glanced back as they heard the boy's changing octave, only to see the boy smiling innocently. Dian seemed to believe the boy's innocence, but the commander just smiled as he saw some snow on the scout's pants.

Dian began to follow the commander as they once again continued on the trail, he shrugged at the reason he glanced back but the young scout only sighed in relief. Dian breathed in deeply before continuing the history lesson as he said "Not quite. They held absolute law but they never seemed to intervene in turf wars between packs."

"Huh?" asked the scout as he quickly brushed the snow off his tunic.

Dian glanced back smiling, "Confused yet?"

The young Vampire nodded, making Dian chuckle. "So were we, until we attacked them."

"I thought they attacked us!?" said the scout in disbelief.

Dian shrugged "No one has a definitive answer as to who was the first to kill, and if you were to ask each side they would accuse the other to be at fault"

"Well what happened?" pressed the boy.

"We attacked the Donmar pack first, as they had been the strongest at the time. The Generals assumed the packs would scatter to the winds." The commander spoke before Dian could, to which he heard a soft hiss.

"But they were wrong. You see the Alba Pack was the glue that held the packs together. Their neutrality was seen as a status in their resolve to take no sides unless the packs would all be in danger." said Dian as he looked at a bush with a slight splatter of blood for a moment before turning to the scout "The Alba Lupi waged a war against the colonies and the packs of Somar followed."

The scout stared at the Commander "Oh my god."

The commander nodded as the young Vampire imagined the fall of the colonies. It was bloody and though the commander had not been there for the Colonial War, he had been present in the Valley War. These wars were not just filled with the clatter of steel against steel, it was the vampire race against the Somar beasts. It was brutal and visceral.

"Well what's bound to happen to a small army of two hundred vampires against packs numbering around fifty each?" Dian interjected quickly, making Commander Draco smirk.

"They were slaughtered." said the scout.

Both older Vampires nodded sadly as they turned back to the trail letting the commander once more take point and the scout to take rear.

"Yes. The remaining colonies quickly rushed back to the Motherland and reported of the man beasts of Somar." said Dian to affirm the young scouts assumptions.

"But how does that explain how the Alba Lupi got their name?" pressed the scout.

Dian smiled "Well you see the only surviving soldier of the colonial army went crazy after the battle, and the only thing they could get out of him was the 'White Wolves'."

They trailed in silence for a moment when the scout asked "So why is the Alba Lupi still called the White Wolves? I mean you did say they were not all white and even after the Empire came again years later they would have seen that."

The commander looked back at the young scout and smirked "To be honest, the name kind of stuck."

The scout scoffed when he glanced past the Commander's shoulder to see a pink circle outlined by the falling snow before being covered by the snow, but in the middle of this pink puddle an object laid. His already pale face turned white "What's that?"

Seeing the boys gaze the commander looked to the pink puddle and the object in the middle. They all calmly walked to the pink outline to see the object in the middle was a half eaten arm of a legionnaire, the scout gasped in horror.

"What did that?" The young vampire asked, covering his mouth as he tried to stop himself from gagging.

The commander shook his head as he sighed, "A Lupin."

The young red haired vampire kneeled next to the half eaten arm and curled his lip in disgust "Did they eat the rest of him?"

Dian shook his head "You'd expect that from a rogue. Not a pack."

"Why not a Pack?" Asked the scout.

"Lupins as a general rule detest the taste of our blood and are not likely to attack a caravan of vampires to eat." Said Dian.

"Okay but if that's true why would you say you can expect that from a rogue?" asked the scout.

"Packs have each other to hunt with and can be selective with their meals. Rogues however…" the Commander paused as he inspected the arm closely.

"Will take anything they can get." finished the young scout as he stood as he looked around. "Then where's the rest of him?"

The commander narrowed his eyes as he too looked around the underbrush and trees for any sign of the legionnaires corpse, when a Sangiun soldier came before the Commander. He touched his two fingers to his forehead, "Commander Draco"

Commander Draco stood "Speak."

The brown haired vampire let his hand drop as he said "A corpse has been found."

Dian and the scout looked at each other in surprise as the Commander nodded as he ordered "Lead on."

The soldier nodded and the trio followed him for a short distance around trees and underbrush when they arrived in a small clearing. They could see the snow had fallen enough only to leave a silhouette of a corpse surrounded by a puddle of blood.

Commander Draco motioned for the soldier who led them and the soldier came forward to receive a command "Continue your search until you find the wagons."

The soldier saluted with his two fingers to his forehead before once more departing into the forest, leaving the trio once more to inspect the corpse.

The commander stepped over to the legionnaires body to see the meat hanging from the arm. This man was indeed the owner of the arm found earlier. Thought the Commander as he touched it with his black riding boot.

"Commander?"

Both Dian and Commander Draco looked up to see the young vampire scout standing over a lump of snow "I think I found another appendage."

Both vampires glanced at one another before they walked over to the young scout, to see in fact it was a hand. But as the commander leaned over the hand he could see it wasn't the legionnaire's.

"It's too old, let alone too small to be the legionnaires," observed Dian as the commander nodded in agreement.

"Then whose hand is it?" Asked the young scout.

Dian looked from the hand to the commander, "It could have belonged to one of the suppliers."

The commander picked up the severed hand making the scout turn white again, "It couldn't be."

The young scout looked at the commander in horror as the commander rubbed the palm of the hand with his thumb "There's no calluses"

Dian didn't seem to believe it until he too rubbed the hand "You're right."

Dian took the hand from the commander and offered it to the young scout to inspect who recoiled a step with his hands up, "I'll take your word for it."

Dian shrugged as he looked at the hand closely when suddenly the Commander said "It must be someone rich."

Dian nodded "Very true. Yet which rich soul decided to come by mountain instead of within the walls?"

The scout shook his head "Who would be stupid enough to do that?"

Dian sighed "Sadly many."

The scout stared at Dian incredulously "Really?"

Dian nodded "It happens more often than not. They assume because there are no big signs of a full out war they are safe to travel as they wish. However the Lupin kind are far from being peaceable especially to our kind going on on their land."

Dian ending the explanation, and noted the commander had returned to the legionnaires body. Dian followed the commander to which led the young scout to the body once more.

"It's odd. I feel there is more to this than what we are seeing" said Commander Draco as he glared at the legionnaire's corpse.

Dian sighed in exasperation " I feel this too, but there is no evidence."

The commander didn't stop glaring even when suddenly the same soldier who had led them to the body came through the forest "Commander."

"Yes?"

"We have found the wagons."

"Take me there" said Dian as he walked up to the soldier but the vampire shook his head.

"There is nothing to look at, sir"

"What?" Demanded the Commander and the soldier quickly turned to the commander.

"The wagons and corpses are nothing but ash." Stated the soldier.

"Damn" muttered Dian as he looked back at the legionnaires' body.

The commander growled in irritation "How is this possible?"

"I do not know Commander." said the soldier without emotion.

The commander began to pace as he looked at the legionnaires body as he growled at the soldier "Then why is this one here?"

The soldiers of armies would have recoiled from the commander's tone but as a soldier under the command of Commander Draco, it would not bode well if he did. So having no answer the soldier stood silently waiting for a command.

When the commander finally turned to the soldier his aura had calmed "Gather the unit."

"Yes, Commander" said the vampire as he saluted and disappeared into the forest.

Dian looked at the commander as the anger laced through his words, "Again no proof."

The scout who had remained silent through the report finally asked "Why do we need proof?"

Dian sighed as he turned his red gaze upon the young scout "The royals don't believe that the Somar packs are a danger, but only a small irritance of the local lords. But if we get proof of their true potential we can wage a war on them and completely wipe them out."

The scout nodded as he looked at the legionnaires corpse, "To avoid this needless bloodshed."

Dian nodded and the Commander growled quietly, "All we have to do is wait for a mistake. Just-"

The sudden pause in sentence made both vampires look at the commander. "What is it Commander?" Asked the young scout.

The commander walked past the body a few feet when he bent down and plucked something from the snow "Like this."

The two vampires looked at each other and walked to the commander's side to look at the object, when the commander enclosed the object into his hand.

"Let us be off." He spun upon his heel and headed once more in the direction they had come, making the two quickly race after him.

"Commander?" Asked Dian as he tried to keep up with the commander's fast pace as they left the clearing, but the commander never replied to Dian as they walked. Dian wasn't sure whether this sudden pace was a good thing or bad.

"Where…?" Asked the young scout as he raced after the two vampires.

"The Palace," said the commander confidently.

They reached the horses before the other soldiers of their unit had mounted, but upon their commander's arrival they bowed their heads before they mounted. The young scout's horse was brought forward and he mounted along with the rest leaving only the commander and Dian on the ground.

"Why are we going to the palace?" Asked Dian as he grabbed a hold of his horse's reins.

"We have a case to put before the Emperor." Said Commander Draco as he mounted his horse.

Dian stared the commander in surprise, "I thought you said there wasn't any evidence."

"There wasn't-" The commander tossed the object to Dian who caught it mid air "-until now"

Dian opened his hand to see it was a silver ring with a serpent etched into its surface, and though this was a common dragon, it was the blue sapphire eyes that made him gasp "It's—"

The Commander nodded "Perfect. The massacre and that." he looked at Dian's hand and smiled "Are perfect."

That's what he had thought over fifty years ago but now as he stood before the massacre before him, he knew it was something else. This was not the vengeance of the dwindling wolf packs of the Somar mountains, this was something else. This reeked of a plot and he was sure he knew who was behind it, and it made his gut twist.

Corpses of soldiers and servants were sprawled all along the path, and though the slaughter had taken place hours before the air was still heavy with blood. He could see wounds delivered by weaponry and though there were a few lopped off legs and arms, they were not chewed off. They had been severed by a sword.

"Lord Draco!" called a long red haired vampire as he came up beside the Imperial General's horse. The red haired vampire's face was marred by three long scars that crossed over his face, where an Alba wolf had clawed at his eyes during the Purge.

"What is it, Commander Gion?" He asked the red haired vampire.

Gion had been a mere scout fifty years ago however at the start of the ten year war the young vampire quickly rose through the ranks, under the tutelage of Dian and himself. Though Dian was never able to see the young vampire's rise to glory, Lord Draco knew Dian would have been proud.

"My lord….I found this" Commander Gion held out his hand and Lord Draco lowered his own, allowing Commander Gion to drop the object into his hand without prying eyes to see.

Lord Draco lifted his hand up comfortably as he slowly opened it and he twitched. There it was again. That silver ring was once again in his hand but this time it didn't bring him hope. It only raised the feelings of hate.

"My Lord, he cannot be recognized" whispered Commander Gion before he turned to look at the demolished wooden carriage that had once held the owner of the ring.

"Good." Lord Draco said as he turned his horse away only to stop short "Burn it"

Commander Gion saluted "My Lord, it will be done."

Lord Draco suddenly felt he was being watched and looked to the forest around him. It took him a moment to notice anything odd in the forest when his eyes settled on a pair of green eyes. He stared at it for a long time until he began to see the silhouette of a large white wolf.

He was slightly startled to see the wolf as the wolves of Somar had slowly receded into only historical fact after the Purge, and to be quite frank it had probably been the only reason the clans remained hidden from the Royal family's murderous eyes. He looked at the wolf for a long time with his violet eyes wondering if he should honor his pledge he had made over a century and a half ago, when he began to see even at a distance a black scar that carved across the wolf's white chest and right shoulder.

"Mors Alba" He whispered the words but the wolf perked its ears at his whisper, and he had to stop himself from cocking his head curiously. Mors Alba had been a blue eyed white wolf so he wasn't quite sure why is perked up but perhaps even the wolves of Somar told tales of their heroes.

He stared long and hard into those gleaming green eyes as he remembered the tears that flowed from blue eyes that hatefully glared at him. He half expected to see an hateful gleam as they looked upon him but to his surprise he found none.

These green eyes were hard from the things that they had seen. To which he could clearly see there was no vengeance in those green eyes, only curiosity.

No, he would not kill that wolf. Like him it was a breed of a warrior that no longer had its place in society and just like him it would more than likely be the first to die. Or at least the last to live if a war were to start once again.

He knew he wasn't sparing the wolf for its sake but his own. He was lonely enough. To have another just like him around made him feel a little less lonely on this land of Angmar. Even if it meant sparing the enemy.

He nodded to the wolf who in turn nodded slowly, never taking its eyes off him. He smiled as he spurred his horse in the direction of the palace. Though the wolf would be more relatable to him than most, it would be too much to call it a companion as that wolf was the most likely to kill him if given the chance.

"Good bye my enemy" he mumbled to himself.