It was the final dawn of the lingering spring and the clouds embraced the sky in red passion.
"We're nearly there Doctor", a voice said over the sound of hooves rumpling white gravel.
"Buenos Dias, Connor."
"Top O the morning to ya doctor. Say, how come yer not using the shade?"
"Haven't had too in some time, amigo."
"Yer cured?"
"Me gustaría que lo fuese asi, Connor".
"Ya know I don't speak any of that spanish stuff, Doctor."
"Of course. My mission is to educate, as well as heal."
"I ain't smart enough to be pickin up no Spanish ser."
"You are as smart as you like to be. However--- let's simply say a certain witch, on a certain day was in a giving mood."
"It's ungodly ya know? Seein witches and stuff."
Dr. Coldero grinned. "You are an odd but interesting fellow senor."
"Look, I know yer all aboot sorcery and stuff but yer doin the Lord's work. And God blesses good men, Doctor."
"I was never a good man. As for God or should I say your God", he gestured with his hands,"we haven't been compadres for quite some time. "
"Think one day ye'll come around ser."
"Once he kneels before me I may consider."
Connor paused with his lip pursed. "Aint' gonna be takin ya the rest of the way if ye speak blasphemy in me carriage. Good man or not."
"Apologies. I did not mean to offend."
"I forgive ya Doctor. But let me give ya fair warnin. I don care if yer a doctor, I'll punch ya in the face and knock that goatee clean off."
"Noted my friend."
Dr. Gabriel Coldero entered the hospital on the main floor and through one mechanical lift he reached the highest level of the west wing before being greeted by two brooding orderlies.
"Hey Doc", Braxus and Surley put in.
"Buenos Dias gentlemen. How is our patient today?"
"That sorry sack punched me right in the throat. It took everythin I had not ta smash his face in", Surley replied.
"First, allow me to say gracias for not killing our patient. Secondly, save your strength for the real enemy."
"Tried to tell em but does he listen to his big bro? Nope."
"Yes, well I'm glad you are the voice of reason, Braxus. Please keep up the good work. I'll speak with Minerva about extra compensation for you both. "
"Thanks Doc", both orderlies sounded.
"OH and Gentlemen..."
"Yeah Doc?"
"Please, put your shirts back on and stop fighting in the hallway."
"We was bored is all. Sorry Doc."
"Todo es bien."
Dr. Coldero continued down the long hallway until he came to a set of double doors fashioned out of onyx and patterned with strange turquoise writings. The scent of them filled the nostrils of any one near enough. Might have been some type of ward?
On the other side he strode his way down a white hall and golden harmonies sung from it's translucent silver floors to it's ceiling. When one looked up they could see the story of creation and it ended with Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
The harmonies were small looking cherubs. Some with harps and others with guitars made of fine craftsmanship. They appeared to keep elation in the area high. A few of them looked at Dr. Coldero and strummed their instruments towards him and erased whatever vagrant negativity arose off of his persona. It stung him for a moment but afterward he was cleansed.
"Hmm, like washing one's hands prior to surgery. Gracias mis amigos."
One of them gleefully replied "De nada vampiro. Ten cuidado caminando en esta lugar de Angeles. Por que dios es siempre mirando te."
Dr. Coldero's words were stuck deep in the relaxing nature of angelic sophistry. So he didn't reply but she did.
"Gabriel? Is that you or am I dreaming? "
"Minevra, by the gods you are as beautiful as ever."
Her eyes were like pools of silver and skin honey brown.
"Good to see you haven't lost your flattering tongue. As I remember, it flattered well."
Dr. Coldero pleasantly laughed and said "You would know best Minevra."
"Hmm, words you've wasted on many a lady I'm sure", she placed her hands on her hips and wings sprouted from her shoulder blades.
"And none of them could ever compare to you querida."
"And is this why you haven't been around in quite a while?"
"My dear I go where..." She was fast and her wings over took him. Not to hurt him but to embrace in a tiny amount of passion.
All the cherubs watched as she kissed him deeply and then released her grip. But not before smacking him. He took it and wore it like some love stamp across the cheek.
"So the night took you away from me? Is that it?"
"Si, es la verdad."
"Truth? I think you are craven."
"That may be true as well quierda."
"The taste of you is full of lies."
"Was it not you who said that you enjoyed that the most?"
She thought on it for a moment, when a muscular gentleman glided like an eagle, from the highest point of the dome. He seemed to separate the two, out of whatever trance they had over each other.
"Ah, Rah-el, it is good to see you amigo."
"No soy tu amigo pendejo."
"Now, now. Don't be that way."
"You're lucky I don't rip you limb from limb."
"Well first, I think you should put a shirt on. Then... "
Instantly his wing was at Dr. Coldero's throat and the blade in Rah-el's right hand shimmered in crystalline blue.
"That went well for you last time remember", Dr. Coldero said as the space around him grew dark.
"Enough! You two fools are disrupting the flow of energy. We're here to cure the sick."
"Perdon Minevra. I did not mean to step out of line."
"And Rah-el, what the hell are you doing? I invited him here."
"He's a damn vampire! A vampire!"
"It's his patient. He came to us and he didn't have to."
"How interesting, I never thought I would live to see the day...Rah-el with a gun", Dr. Coldero said.
"Never thought I'd see you healing the sick. Figured you'd be eating em."
"Boy's seriously", Minevra interjected again,"now I'll have to cleanse the whole floor and it will take hours."
"Forgive me quierda. It probably would be best for me to retire to my room."
"Sorry Gabriel but I haven't seen you in a century. You'll have to rommie up with Gan-ju.
"Que es un Gan-ju?"
"Oh Belvidere!", Minerva said.
"Yesh, Minevra", Belvidere replied.
"Please escort this gentlemen to Gan-ju's room. And inform Gan-ju he is our esteemed guest."
"Oh certainlysh."
"It isn't customary to see a bellboy at a Hospital", Dr. Coldero said.
"Oh seesh I'm not actually a bellboy. No, I'm a patientsh. It feels good to help out soooh Minerva lets me do itsh."
"An intelligent therapy."
"Yesh, Minerva is smart, beautiful and kind. I likes her."
"I do not blame you, good Belvidere."
"It is good to see that things have not changed much in one hundred years", Dr. Coldero said as he noted the Greek influences in the pillars of the long hall.
The distance of the hall from one side to the other was at least half a mile long. It's doors bordered on every side to the left and right. Each one appeared to have more strange writing on it and some with geometric patterns.
"A few more doorshs and well be here's."
"I dare say, a few more doors and we shall be upon my old room."
"It was was yoursh?"
"That it was. Of course I am most certainly glad that my querida has found good use for it.
"What? So you's didn't come back here with the expectation of a shrine or nuthin", a voice said from the other side of the double doors.
"Ganju I presume?"
"Maybsh I should goes in firstsh and let him know. You knowsh what Minerva said."
"No. I already knows what hottie Minerva said. He can come in and stay with the Ganman."
"Good lucks. I'm goingsh to go now", Belvidere replied.
"Luck? What? Hmm, Ok. As you wish."
Belvidere disappeared as fast as he appeared at Minerva's call.
"I can not seem to read that one", Dr. Coldero said to himself.
"Are you gonna talk to yourself outside my door or come in?"
Dr. Coldero pushed open the old set of double doors fashioned out of fine mahogany. On the surface was a brass knocker in the image of a bull. It was a gift given to him from Diego Vega. He was the greatest matador in all of Spain and a legendary Huntsmen. When ever Gabriel saw it, he remembered why he became, who he was.
Inside a bright light came pulsing through and after the glow was a large Cherub in a field. He sat down relaxing among a bed of roses.
"Glad to see you put my spatial displacement sphere to good use."
"The Ganman knows how to use the good stuff. But come on in just and chill for a bit."
"How were you..."
"I'm a psychic cherub dude. It's what I do."
"Yes, well no longer invade my mind or my privacy", Dr. Coldero said before putting up a mental fog.
"Dude you totally blocked me!"
"Que crees usted? Que yo soy tonto?"
"Ok, I get it man. And no I don't think you're dumb or something. In fact you're pretty damn strong to lock me out like that. Most of the guys in here are posers but you're the real deal."
"Gracias I think?"
"Yeah, uhm lets be buddies, friends."
"Very well, amigo. So tell me about yourself. What is your role here?"
"Well I like Minerva, so I stick around and help jump into the minds of the patients coming in."
"Yes, every one apparently does."
"Yeah but you hit that dog. I mean you the man."
"Tell me, have you had the opportunity to probe the mind of the Patient escorted by Fey?"
"That was a weird one. I kept getting bits and pieces of stuff. It was all meshed and then it wasn't. Like some one put a seal on her. A powerful one. You know I scan the mind and the heart, right. See they aren't the same thing and I can usually get one or the other. Who ever it was completely locked me out, kinda like you did. "
"Pero Que es eso? Something's not right here."
"Don't know whatcha mean Doc but you should chill before you mess up the vibes in my room."
"No you are not right amigo."
Dr. Coldero's aura changed to black and his eyes lit up with blue rage.
"I can feel your presence demon. Show yourself!"
"Man there ain't no demon here! This is angel's ground homie."
"Reveal yourself or I will do it for you!"
"What did I say Doc, chill!"
"Very well."
Dr. Coldero reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden chain with a circular watch attached. He froze the spatial dimension turning the world gray and lifeless.
"You should've listened to me dock. We could've been good friends", Gan-ju said.
"The whole time a devil's been in their midst and they did not realize it."
"You're too good for your own good but we're gonna change that."
Gan-ju rose from the bed of roses like an old fat man sitting on a couch. He stretched and then speed toward Gabriel but not before Gabriel wrapped the chain around his leg. It burned the large cherub to the touch and began to melt the skin away at his ankle.
"Bastard! YOU dare burn me with a relic! I'll rip apart you flesh and feed it to the diadem of hell hounds!"
"Now, the demon reveals itself. Show me what you are made of."
"I am the Grand Duke of the 5th circle and this day will be your last vampire!"
Gan-ju's angelic body began to shiver, sweat and then tare. First the legs and all it's sinews were removed and what followed last what the head of the chubby Gan-ju cherub. In it's wake was a large blackened goat with three pairs of eyes and jagged teeth. Whatever muck saturated it's body was licked clean or swiped to the ground.
"Now you shall see how a Grand Duke does battle, vampire."
He leaped high into air and ponced down on the gray ground cracking it. It sent a small tremor towards Gabriel but he leaped also and disappeared mid-air.
"Where are you Vampire? You can't hide from me", the Grand Duke said as he searched the room,"I have your relic and it doesn't sting any more."
"Estoy aqui", Gabriel yelled before his fist smashed an eye out.
The creature fell to it's knees and blood splattered like acid to the ground.
"Insect! You dare! YOU dare!"
"Hand the watch over and I will let you leave alive; however, if you do not then something else will take your place demonio."
"How about I do this", the Grand Duke said before crushing it in the palm of his hand.
The watch exploded and time began to remove what was once gray to color again.
The Grand Duke got up off of his knees and with dark swiftness glided to the door. When it punched through there was nothing but a vacuum of space sucking the demon through to the other side. It held on to the brass door handle growling and clawing until Gabriel appeared.
He stood there unmoved by the vacuum around him and said, "Did you think that I would allow you to slip past me? You are part of the reason why I'm here. I fiddled with the spatial sphere while you were looking for me."
"Do you think this is the end of me or my kind? We're here and we're coming for you and everything in creation!"
"I am well aware. I am simply waiting for the rest to show their ugly heads. I also know there is probably a trader in our midst."
"You have no idea."
Dr. Coldero pulled a cross bow from around his back aimed and fired straight into the skull of the 5th circle demon. The black leathery beast released it's grip and flew on into oblivion.
Chapter One