1

Grandfather lays at the bottom on the stairs. Next to him is the family bible. His blood still fresh on the faded cover, where his hands were when the monsters attacked.

Julian lifts one of the pieces of wood from the fire place and swings wildly, hoping the flames will drive back these creatures from his home. They attacked as soon as the sun set upon the hills. Before anything could be done they were inside the house, ripping away at Julian's family.

The youngest of the family, Renee age seven was tied to the table where food was being placed for supper. Julian tries to make his way to her , hoping he can free her. Before he can reach her, he is stopped by what seems to be the leader of the monsters. A pale man dressed in a dark red robe. The markings were hard to make out in all the blood.

“Now we cannot have you spoiling our meal this evening.” The man says as he throws Julian across the room.

Crashing against the stairs Julian slumps down to the ground. The sounds of Renee screaming begins to drown out the pain inside of Julian. As he fights and begins to make it back to his feet. The oldest of the children, he always looked after them when Mother and Father were not around. Now these monsters have killed everyone, Mother and Father are hanging from the old Oak tree outside. They stopped struggling soon after they were set on fire.

Julian reaches over the shoulders of the decaying humans that were circling the table. Zombies were the only thing his mind could call them, but they were much faster and their hunger for blood was greater than any story ever told. He is able to place his hand on Renee's for a moment.

“Renee I will get you out of here!”

Renee tries to scream but her voice is lost to the gush of blood coming from her mouth. Spewing over Julian's hand before he is ripped away once again by the man in robes.

“You must wait for your turn to die.” The man says , throwing Julian across the room one again. Julian hits once again a long the stair case. His head making contact and breaking one of the planks of wood.

Disoriented and fighting to remain conscious can feel a warm liquid flowing down the back of his neck. Reaching back he pulls forth a hand full of his own blood. Trying to make it to his feet once again, Julian places his other hand on what ever he can. His hand makes contact with the family bible, instead of being supported by it, he falls laying on his side now. Shoulder deep, his arm passed through the cover of the bible.

In his hand that was inside the book, he feels a handle of something placed within. Julian's head clears some , he is able to make it to his feet once again. Looking at his hand , he sees the handle of a whip. Engraved with the markings of a forgotten holy order. Strange that he is holding this, but at the same time Julian feels that it is right that he is holding his. Instinctively his arm pulls back to draw forth the whip from the bible. Instead of leather the mass of the whip is made up of links of chain. Each chain that comes forth from the book, another page within shreds itself from within. When finally the full length of the chain whip comes from the bible, all that is left is the bindings of the Bible. The cover lays open with a word written in what looks like blood on the inside cover.

Before Julian can speak the word, one of the zombies had taken notice of the blood covering his other hand. The zombie places it's mouth on Julian's hand and bites down. Growling in pain, Julian brings the handle of the whip to the Zombie's face. The Engraving of Jesus on the cross glows a soft white, the zombie backs away with it's eyes smoking from being burned. Within moments it is engulfed in flames.

Julian brings back the whip once again and snaps it forward. Cracking as the chains make contact a long the sides of the zombies that held his sister down. Bringing his arm back again for another attack, the zombies that were struck became engulfed in flames as well. With every passing moment another zombie is destroyed, until soon it is only Julian and the robed man remain.

Rage fills Julian when he looks over to where his sister was. Her dismembered remains scatter the table top and along the floor. He was unable to save her.

“Now this is a surprise. I was not planning on meeting one of the Sacred Ones.”

Julian does not reply with words, instead he reaches back and starts to strike at the man. The man quickly closes the distance between them.

“I will not be as easy to kill as my companions were.” The man says, lifting Julian and throwing him once again. As Julian is within the air, he continues his attack, the chain lashes out and wraps itself around the man's leg. Unable to break free the man is pulled off his feet, hurled into the fireplace. Julian tumbles as he lands and is soon back onto his feet.

Screaming the man rushes out of the fireplace, the flames burning his flesh as he runs towards the doorway.

“Now it is your turn to die.”

Julian strikes the whip forth, the chain reaches it's extended limit and the tip pierces the burning man from behind. Pushing through and breaking out from the other side, the chain recoils and the burning man falls to the ground, motionless.

With everyone dealt with, Julian returns his attention back to Renee. No words come from his mouth, none could be said to bring his little sister back. Julian reaches up and closes her eyes with his fingertips.

“You have done well my grandson. Worthy of your name.”

Grandfather says , he is sitting against the wall now. Bleeding from his mouth.

“Come here Julian, you have much to learn.”

Exhausted Julian sets himself down next to his grandfather, the bleeding from the back of his head has stopped. The headache has not, he does his best to listen

“Our family name has been asked to live a double life for centuries. In the early years Vampires and monsters rules the night. Our ancestor Simon was the brave soul that helped the mortals win back the darkness. With each generation that past one of our family became God's champion against the Masters of Evil. One by one they fell to our bloodline, until the night was safe.”

Coughing up more blood, the old man continues.

“My time is not long on this world but you must know who you really are. My grandson the church made us change our last name. So the world would not be reminded of the evil it once held. It seems the evil just went to the new world with us. I prayed that my family would not need to find out who they were. It is obvious that God has chosen you to be his champion. Your gift and duty to the world is self sacrifice. I am proud of you and love you.”

Julian holds onto his grandfather as he breathes his last breath. Resting his grandfather's head on the floor, Julian walks over to the cover of the family bible that lay on the floor. Breathing in deeply, Julian speaks the name that was written on the inside of the cover.

“Belmont.”