The Hunters: A group of men and women trained by the Roman Catholic Church to kill Vampires, Werewolfs, and any in human type of being that they deemed as spawns of the Devil. Formed when the church was in its infancy, the Order was made in secret and kept that way throughout the centuries. These men and women were trained in every aspect of ways to kill every creature that the Church sent them after. They trained hard and trained with every weapon that was made, from simple daggers to guns as they were invented.<br/><br/>Many of the hunters prefer the older weapons as they like to get up close and personal when they kill. Others like getting the job done quickly and less messy, so as not to have to have a clean up crew come and try to keep the population from know that these creature really exists. To the normal human the creatures of the night and myth and legend were just that and what the movies portrayed them as. So much was not known about these creatures and what the movies made them to be was mostly lies. Mostly. There were those that wanted nothing more then to live in peace and not even be known about. But the Church saw them as evil and wanted them dead.<br/><br/>Those of the Church in charge of the Order made sure that only the best were bred to make the perfect killing machine. Men and women were selected to breed and their offspring were trained almost from birth to be the killing machines for the church. They did as they were told no questions asked. Well most of them did. Some saw things a bit differntly though they did not let their superiors know this.<br/><br/>There were three ranks to the Order of Hunters. Sparrow being the beginner, one that had to prove themselves so they could be promoted to the next rank of Hawk. These were the more experienced hunters that went out in small groups to hunt and kill. Then there were the elite, the Eagles. They were the toughest and the bravest and the most deadliest. One could tell their rank by a ring each wore bearing the symbol of the bird that represented their rank.<br/><br/>The year 1805, Venice Italy. A young man, attending the University was walking along one of the canals when a figure ran into him. Both of the men stumbed and fell. Behind the one man that had been running was five other men, each carried a wooden spear and swords. Both men got to their feet as the other five attacked the one, trying to run him through with their wooden spears. The man was quick, and it looked as if he was faster then the other men that were trying to kill him. The Student tried to stay clear of it all but one of the men with the spears was able to run the man through the side and the bloodied spear pierced the side of the Student, greviously wounding him. He fell in to the canal as he passed out.<br/><br/>Later he awoke on a bed in some ones home. An elderly man was tending to him and talking to someone. The tone of voice was one of amazement and wonder. The Student, Dante Silva found out why. The wound he had received had healed and had left no scar. Dante sat up and the old man approached him. "It is a miracle that you are alive young man. Yes a true miracle. "<br/><br/>Over two hundred years Later, Dante Silva still lived. He had come to discover, he did not age, he healed rapidly, he moved faster and was stronger then any human alive. He could jump from the ground three stories up or from the roof of a three story building and land on his feet with out breaking anything. He also discovered what he called shifting. He could be in one place and in the blink of an eye a distance away.<br/><br/>He had given up trying to become a scholar and had taken up the trade of being a thief. He found his new abilities helped in this as he was quite acrobatic when he had been a student and now with his enhanced agility and strength he was better then any. He became known as the Prince of Thieves. In his long years in the world, he had come to see a differnt side of it. The Supernatural side if one would call it that. He had encountered vampires, werewolves, changelings, what people would have called faye, and other creatures that was only in myth and legends. It was a whole new world that lived within the normal one.<br/><br/>Now and then there were those that made things hard for the others, as what was called Hunters came and sought them out and killed them. Most of these were vampires and werewolves that had a craving for blood and human flesh.<br/><br/>Dante was on a job. Some rich dude had a very expensive and presious gem locked in a safe in his fancy and rich apartment. Dante was there to releive him of it, and sell it for a good sum of money that would let him live a good life and also do something else. But things don't always work out the way you want them. After cracking the safe and taking the gem, the owner returned way to early from his nightly nightclubing. He had a lovely woman with him and as it was the man saw Dante. Dante ran for the window and smashed through it and sailed across to the roof top across from the building the apartment was. He had thought he had made his escape but found that the man had made the same long leap and was pursuing him.<br/><br/>"Shit. he is one of them." Dante muttered as he ran for his life. The Bastard was a vampire and he was coming on strong. From roof top to roof top they jumped and Dante was not gaining on this one.