Hassan-i Sabbah promised a great deal to those of us who followed him. He promised wealth, power, and paradise. He promised the establishment of our state, of a place for Us, for our own. And we, his servants and followers, followed him willingly. The training was grueling and how the Old Man of the mountain came to know the secrets he learned was something I learned much later after part of my youth had been given over to him.

Then came the assignment:
Kill Alawari ibn Kamuul.

But the target proved to be my better, and I failed. As I lay dying I heard someone speak, a voice I had never heard before, and then Kamuul flew over me. My vision was darkening, but I can remember his expression: triumph turned to terror. I heard his bones crack, felt warm blood splatter me, and then I heard a voice speaking in my ear. The voice spoke about the improbability of paradise and offered another way.

I was afraid of death, even though I ran to it gladly enough on behalf of my master. But I was afraid, and in that fear, I accepted the voices offering of healing, of power. I learned later it was one of the Jinn a race much like men, but different. This Jinn, who had adopted a Roman name that was a reference to the sun turned me into something like him. Not a Jinn, but the western word used now is Vampire.

I yielded everything, in the end, to him, who is my Master but does not demand that title. He told me what he was building and why, he showed me the shape of his fears, and spoke words that came to life in my minds eye and I saw those ancient terrors. Hassan’s cause was worthy, but I had fought for the faithful and would continue to do so, albeit in a different way.