This Chapter is almost purely an informational chapter. After this I will continue with the plot. I had some people tell me some things were vague so I am explaining some things.

-Chapter 10-

September 19th 2012

Kari and Kain approached the Vampire Metropolis. Light started growing behind the mountains behind them. Dawn was approaching.

"Is it hot to you?" Kain asked. He wiped sweat from his brow.

"No, you feel the effects from the sun." Kari put her hand on his forehead. "The ultraviolet rays aren't blocked out here. We aren't inside the enchantments yet."

Kain sighed, "Why aren't you affected?"

Kari shrugged and adjusted her tank top, "I am more powerful than you. Because of my age and power I can resist the effects from the sun longer. When the sun reached the peak of it's cycle, it will start to hurt me. As soon as the sun peeks over the mountains, it will hurt you."

"That isn't fair."

"That's the way of things." They continued on toward the city. Kari rubbed her temples.

"Are you alright?" Kain wrapped his left arm around her waist.

"I'm alright, I just have a headache."

"I'm sorry. Is it my fault?" Kain apologized to her.

"No, it isn't you. Since I had to teach you how to feed, we only had time for one victim. I haven't fed since you disappeared. I'm starting to feel the effects from it." Kari leaned on Kain and they stopped walking.

"You should be proud." Kari suddenly said.

"What should I be proud of?"

Kari smiled, "I chose you as a lover. No one has been able to get me to do that. You are also extraordinarily strong for a Newborn. No Newborn has ever made it as long as you did without feeding. You made it further than me. I didn't make it three days before I had to feed. Not only that, but you didn't need much prodding to release your first victim. Most vampires kill their first victim, that is why I wanted you to feed from a prostitute."

"Ah, so you didn't do it to spite me?" Kain smiled for the first time that night.

"No, I didn't, I was protecting you." Kari nudged him with her elbow, "You also have fought Vampires far older than you and won. That's really hard for a Newborn to do. You even endured several serious injuries that could have incapacitated any normal Newborn. You have been through far more than any other Newborn your age."

Kain smiled and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Explain to me, again, the year system please."

"We need to keep walking before the sun decides to appear and find us in the open." They separated and kept walking

"When a human is changed they are immediately called a Newborn, and their years "reset". That means they start at zero years old again, just as if you are a Human baby. You are only a few weeks old in the eyes of the Vampire society, but you are eighteen in Human eyes. That is why I took you to the brothel. I am one hundred fifty years old by our society, but I am one hundred sixty nine by Human reckoning. I am old enough to be my own great-great grandmother." Kari laughed at her jest. "I was nineteen when I was turned. Once a Vampire reaches fifty years old, they are no longer considered a Newborn. Newborns are given very little respect, but Newborns are the most plentiful beings in our society. It is not uncommon for Vampires like me to take lovers like you. There are so few Elders and even less Ancients that Newborns are usually the only ones available. Once a Vampire reaches one hundred fifty years old they go through a ceremony and become an Elder. The Council of Elders are elected representatives for each Clan. There are nine Elders in our Clan."

Kain's jaw clenched and he looked away, "I'm sorry you weren't able to become an Elder."

Kari smiled and touched the back of his hand, "I would rather not be an Elder yet. I'm not quite ready for that responsibility. You gave me seventy more years to prepare. Besides, I would rather have this punishment than not have you. No, thank you for prolonging my advancement, and for helping me through things, I had fun over the past year."

Kain gave her a small smile.

"We are now inside the enchantments if you want to stop and continue our talk." Kari pointed to a small mountain of boulders near the trail. "We can go over there."

As they approached the rocks, Kain felt like his normal self again. The sun was no longer trying to kill him.

They walked into the rocks and climbed to a relatively high ledge. Kain had to help Kari up the last ten feet because her arms were tired. Kain wanted to continue, but he didn't press Kari.

"Right here is fine." Kain stopped Kari, "You cant go much farther anyway."

Just before she sat down, Kain wrapped the bloodstone belt around her waist.

"There's some energy left. You need it more than I do as of now."

Kari sighed, "I'll be fine. I'll go feed in a couple days. Now where were we?"

"The Council?"

"Ah, yes we are. Elders are elected into the council, and they hold high ranks in the Clan armies. Each Clan has an Ancient, or is supposed to have one. Charles is our Ancient. The Lieutenant you met after we rescued you isn't just a Lieutenant. He is a Lieutenant General of the Dragonwing Army. Each Clan has an Army, Air Force and Navy, just like the U.S.A. did before we started playing a major role in events. As you know, they called home the National Forces to contain the creatures of the supernatural. The National Guard is all that is left. I am a General in Charles' forces, but only because he loves me."

Kain tensed, "What?"

Kari laughed, "Not like that! You could use some competition though." She giggled. Her new favorite thing to do was bother Kain. "He loves me as if I was a daughter, in fact that's exactly how he thinks of me. His love is a fatherly love. He knows I will never accept your kind of love from him."

Kain relaxed, "Can we move on please?"

"Sure." Kari smiled. She moved closer to him and leaned on him again. She started playing with her hands and looking at her nails. "Ancients elect their own leader. Once someone is elected, they keep the throne until they die. Doc has had the throne for one hundred years now. Vampires become Ancients at five hundred years old. There aren't many of them. There are five Clans who don't have Ancients."

"Does the Council decide the way everything goes? Why did Doc change our punishments?"

Kari shrugged, "I don't exactly know. Doc is always changing things. He likes to play both sides of something. He pleased the Council by playing them into believing we would be put to death. Then he pleased me and several others by changing the punishments on the Council. He satisfied the Council with the charges and sentences, but he succeeded in keeping us alive. He lost some favor with the Council, but he is still in control. The Council of Elders decides most things, but when it concerns the whole Vampire Nation, the Ancients decide. They meet together, which is called the Gathering of Ancients, and decide the best course of things. If that ever happens, Doc is no longer the Ancient in charge, all of them are equal in those situations."

"How many Ancients are there?" Kain leaned against the rock behind him and started playing with Kari's hair, her head still rested on him. She closed her eyes in both thought and happiness.

"There are supposed to be one Ancient per Clan, but two Clans have more than one and five Clans don't have one at all. If a Gathering is called the Clans with more than one Ancient have to decide the votes and decisions as one. The Clans without Ancients use their Elders. All of the Elders for that Clan must be present and they decide for one vote or decision."

"Okay that helps a lot. What about the personal changes? How can you tell when you need to feed, so I know later in the future." Kari couldn't see the worry in Kain's eyes, but she felt the emotion through his hands.

"I'm okay, I promise you. It starts with headaches. The stronger the headache, the more you need to feed. Its kind of like torture in a way, it doesn't stop hurting until you get a source of blood, then it takes a minute to determine if it was not enough. When you need to feed, your energy drops rather quickly. I can climb all the way to the top of this mountain without any trouble at all if I fed last night, but as you could see, I needed help just to reach the first ledge. Also, as you experienced, you barely bleed if you are injured. Whe I pulled the arrow out there wasn't a lot of blood bleeding from the wound. There was blood on the arrow, but not from you. Pain is also amplified. I've seen a Newborn yell and scream about a papercut, and then I found out he hadn't fed for a week."

Kain nodded, "That sounds a little harsh. Why didn't I experience some of those if I had to feed so badly?"

Kari shrugged again, "That, I wouldn't know. You are very strong so there is a good probability that you reflexively shrugged off the symptoms. You already know how to tell if someone hasn't fed."

Kain laughed, "Yep, I already learned that. You tend to be happier when you had just fed."

The sun finally reached the top of the mountains. It blinded the couple on the rocks.

Kari moaned, "Stupid sun."

"Do you want to move?" Kain offered.

"Nope." Kari closed her eyes. "Is there anything else you want me to talk about?"

"What about the Werewolves? Could you tell me about them? Everything I seem to know about lore is being proven wrong." Kain kissed the top of her head and massaged her shoulders.

Kari moaned, her shoulders were extremely tense and the attention he gave her was relaxing. "Werewolves are about as close to Feudal Europe as you can in recent governments. They remain loyal to their own Alphas, but if in need they have a King who can call in support. Like Vampires, both males and females are warriors. The lead female usually doesn't fight, unless they like to. They are usually pampered prostitutes who watch their man rip people to shreds." Anger crept into Kari's voice. "they generally don't use weapons. Their claws and teeth are enough for them." Kari relaxed once again.

Kain's hands worked her shoulders harder to help her relief the sudden tension. "How about the Zombies, what is their problem?"

Kari laughed, "They don't have a problem. Zombies are about the most retarded supernatural monster in any lore. They walk around moan and eat people. They have no sense or preservation and don't flinch under fire. They don't have emotion. Pain is unknown to them, they can be shot all day and not slow down at all. They can only be killed by destroying the brain. And axe through the head would do the job, but they are usually in large hordes, so a bullet or arrow through the eye would probably be best. With our bows, you don't need to worry about exact shot placement." she turned her head to look into Kain's eyes, "Vampires have venom, like a snake. Werewolves have bacteria like monitor lizards, and Zombies has a virus. The venom, bacteria, and the virus cannot change each other, only destroy one another. If a zombie bit you, you would eventually die. Your venom would fight off the virus for quite a while if it is a high concentrate, but the virus would eventually win over. Same with the bacteria of a Werewolf, but that too depends on the concentration of it."

Kari yawned and snuggled closer to her chosen companion. "Anymore questions you want to ask?"

Kain smiled, "Yes, but they can wait. Get some sleep."

Kain made sure she was comfortable and let her drift off to sleep. Eventually, the sun's warmth took effect on him and he was soon dozing off.

I put a reference in this one. Review and message me, let's see how many of you caught it. So this was (again) an informational chapter, if there is any other questions, I left it open for ideas and questions, so feel free to let me know. The next chapter might continue on with the storyline if I don't get enough questions from everyone. Reviews are nice, even if they aren't kind. I want to hear what you have to say about my story.