Ch 1: The Path

Prologue: The world held it’s breath on that faithful day. You’ve read about it in the history books. Names, dates, and whispered legend spoken in every human home, every vampire nest, and every fae garden. There have been many versions of the story in the millennium since the world was perpetually changed. But today, I will share with you the truth. The secrets, the mystery, and the revelations that will change your life forever, and make you realize that good things do happen, regular people can be heroes, and impossible chaos can turn into happy ever afters. Everyone of you have heard about the morning the ancient 2000 year old vampire met the sun on the infamous rooftop in Dallas. Sookie Stackhouse stood along side him as company while the shining star rose in the East, Godric looking to the horizon in joyous relief as his never ending existence was inescapably brought to its legendary finale. Nothing was left of him except his ancient ash on the wind. Godric’s last wish to Sookie was that she take care of his progeny Eric. He had sensed their connection, but Sookie had grown wary of the Viking vampire. She didn’t know what the source of those leery and suspicious feelings were that she harbored for Eric. He may be a mischievously infuriating vampire at times but every time she allowed herself to chuckle at his antics or speak of him fondly she found she felt guilty. The distrustful feelings she felt for Eric originated from Bill, her vampire boyfriend. He had been influencing Sookie over the blood-tie. Bill was a young vampire who felt inferior and inadequate to the 1000 year old Viking. He was insistent that she not comfort Godric in his last moments on the Earth, and was angered that she did not abide by his wishes. She didn’t know Godric well, but what she did know was that he was the kindest most selfless vampire she had ever met. He was even more considerate and polite than most humans too. This is the truth, the real story. The one that the powers that be, who controlled the population of Earth for so many centuries didn’t want us to know. What they were so careful to hide from us. The adventurous tale that began that day, after Godric met the sun. The truth was suppressed, manipulated, and twisted until it was completely stomped out of existence. That is the story that I am going to share with you, because people have a right to know what really happened that day. The actions that were taken by Sookie in the final minutes and hours after Godric’s death changed mankind and civilization forever. “She is a true hero and we all owe her for her bravery and self-less acts in the face of overwhelming odds.” The dark skinned woman said, telling the story she had told a hundred times over. It never got old. She stood in front of the children who were sitting cross legged on the balcony classroom. She smoothed out her long white dress as a warm breeze blew over the class. A young girl raised her hand. “Yes Arianna?” “Is it really true? It all happened a long time ago before we were even born?” Arianna asked with wonder. The teacher smiled. “Yes, it was a very long time before you were born. In fact, it was over 1000 years ago when Sookie found herself plunging into a treacherous abyss the likes of which she never imagined.” A boy spoke out of turn with skepticism. “If it was so long ago, how is Sookie still alive? Isn’t she human just like us?” “Ah,” the teacher said. “That is the interesting part indeed.” After Godric met the sun, Sookie descended the stairs on the roof that led back into the hotel. She found herself standing in the hallway as two paths lay before her. One path led back to her life with Bill, the young vampire who had shown he could be manipulative and self-serving when it suited him, or another path. That path was Eric. Little did she know that making such a small choice would forever change the fate of so many. But like a cascading chain reaction, that choice reached through time like no other action ever has. Sookie sighed to herself and chose her path as she approached the door of Eric’s hotel room. She would fulfill a dying vampires last wish and see to the Vikings well-being. Even as she stepped closer to the door, she found that she wanted to be there for Eric in his most distressed moment. A shy girl raised her hand and the teacher nodded. “Was Eric sad that Godric died?” She asked in a shaky little voice. “Yes, he was very sad.” The teacher smiled and continued her story. When Sookie found herself outside his door it was cracked. She let herself in and found the Viking hunched over on the edge of his bed. Tears were streaking down his face as he sobbed in agony with the weight of a nameless void that overwhelmed him. That void was once occupied by a millennium old connection, a kindred connection that every vampire feels with their maker, as he felt it with Godric. Sookie approached the Viking vampire cautiously. “Eric,” Sookie mumbled sadly, as she realized the vampire before her felt emotions more deeply than anything she had ever witnessed. She sat beside him on the bed. “I’m so sorry about Godric.” Eric didn’t look up. He sobbed into his pale hands as he covered his face. She just wanted to comfort him through this nightmare. Her heart broke as she longed to ease his misery and give him some sort of solace. Reaching out she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned into him. He raised his tear stained face to look at the girl who had been the target of his roguery and relentless trickery for over a year. Here she was comforting him. She was truly an amazing creature. He thought of that even during his blinding pain. He leaned into her putting his head on her shoulder; wrapping his arms around her he found comfort in their embrace. Comfort was something he knew very little about in the millennium he had been a vampire. It was truly wondrous and glorious in every sense of the word. He tightened his hold on her and pulled her closer. “Sookie,” he whispered into her shoulder between ragged sobs. “Thank you for staying with Godric.” “You’re welcome Eric,” she whispered back. Sookie was startled when the door crashed open, and Eric was soon on his feet ready for whatever danger presented itself. “Darling!” Bill screamed. “Why are you in here with Eric? Is he forcing himself on you?” He snarled furiously. She was on her feet outraged that he had the audacity to burst in with accusations. Eric’s maker had just died. Did Bill truly care for no one but himself? “Bill, I think it’s pretty obvious why I came here. I don’t think I need to explain myself to you. Eric needs friends with him right now.” Bill snorted. “Friends? Now he’s your friend?” Sookie looked over at Eric who was gazing back at her. “Yes,” she said with determination. “He is my friend. And I’m sorry that makes you so uncomfortable, but I’m tired of walking on egg shells for your sake.” “I forbid you to have anything to do with Eric! He’s a monster Sookie. He’s only interested in one thing…” She put her hand up to stop him from talking further. “You will not forbid me from anything Bill Compton!” He crossed the short distance across the room and roughly grabbed her by the arm. “Come on. We’re going back to our room.” “Excuse me Bill. You aren’t the boss of me!” She tried to yank her arm away but he had her held so tightly she was in pain. “We’re leaving. You aren’t to talk to this monster again,” he said dragging her toward the door. She looked back at Eric pleadingly but he was already making his way toward them. She fell to the ground as a tornado of a brawl began in the small space. Quickly scooting herself against a wall she stood to her feet and screamed. “Stop! Both of you! Right now.” But they didn’t listen. They crashed into walls, knocked over furniture, they nearly crashed into her at one point. Eric was obviously winning, he was over 800 years older than Bill. But one of Bill’s vampire gifts was his strength so he was putting up a decent fight. “Oh for fruits sake!” Sookie screamed as she stomped out of the room before she became a casualty of war. “This is ridiculous.” True, Bill deserved it. She didn’t blame Eric for his reaction. He had just lost his maker and he didn’t deserve to deal with this right now. She had hoped to console him, not to bring this headache down on him to deal with. She stomped her way down the hall and soon found herself riding down the elevator and walking right outside the hotel onto the street. She breathed in the fresh morning air and tried to push all the problems she faced out of her mind. She didn’t know how she was going to handle Bill but she didn’t want to think about that right now. She would talk to him after he rose from his day time slumber. If truth be told, she was fed up with his childish behavior. She had found out enough about him the last few days that gave her pause and reason enough to reconsider their relationship. She felt sadness in her heart for Eric. She couldn’t even imagine what he was going through, what it was like to loose a loved one that shared a 1000 years of faith and love. His suffering must be unbearable. “Sookie,” a female voice called to her from the sidewalk. She turned to see who it was but didn’t recognize the woman. “Who are you?” She asked. “I’m Claudine, your fairy god mother.” Sookie’s lips parted. She had a fairy god mother? When would the bizarreness of her new reality ever end? “Okay,” she said skeptically. “Why are you here?” “I saw what happened. I too believe that Godric was a good vampire. I have never seen such a thing in my long life.” The fairy tried to explain. “The fae harbored hope that he would change things on Earth. We hoped he would make it safe again for our kind to rejoin the supernatural world. The ripples of his true death were felt in every realm across the universe. Even now the fae mourn his loss. He had the capacity within him to reshape the world into something grand.” Sookie cast her eyes downward. “Yes, but he’s dead now. There’s not a lot I can do about it.” “What if I told you there was something you could do about it?” Her head snapped back up. “Like what?” “You can save him. You can bring him back, but there is very little time. You must come with me to the fae realm.” She held her hand out to Sookie. “Are you serious?” Sookie asked astonished. She would do anything to change this nightmare. “How can I save him by going to fairy land?” “You are part fairy dear. You have the ability to come to our world. There are wonders you can’t imagine there, but the portal is only open for a few minutes a day. If we’re going to go we must leave now. Take my hand.” Sookie searched Claudine’s mind and found only honesty there. She knew the woman spoke the truth. She reached out and put her palm in Claudine’s. Little did she know she was about to embark on an epic adventure that would change the history of everything. The journey would be wrought with danger and unimaginable wonders that would test her very resolve. Even after her adventure in the fairy realm the only thing that would await her was a perilous journey that would reach across the very fabric of space and time. She could not even conceive the unthinkable trials and burdens that awaited her. But in the end all of the hardships she would endure would be worth it. This historic adventure would make her grow into one of the most influential women of our age. And Sookie would eventually get her happy ever after.