((okay, i know you were sposed to post this next bit Frank, but you just signed off without postin on it, it's my day off and i wanna POST DAMMIT! so anywayz, i'm postin! hehe :smile:

The Cainites stepped cautiously forward, making their way through the room, both careful to touch nothing or creep to near the shadows. Elam followed closely, struggling even with his Gangrel eyes to see in the depths of the shadows. Everywhere the two glanced, the shadows almost seemed to be moving. They shifted across the walls slowly, fluidly like a raven river of ink.

Gabriel walked forward with confidence, unaware on the stalking menace that watched them silently. Elam seemed more acute, glancing over his shoulder nervously as they moved from room to room. The occasional whooosh of air or fleeting shadow kept the two on their toes, but Gabriel was well known with the Prince and felt no real reason to fear.

They finally made their way through the archaic building and to an old twisting stone staircase. The staircase was made loosely of old stone bricks, and spiraled upwards towards the Prince's throne room above. Along the wall, ensconces sat where they had once held laterns to chase away the shadows.

Those days were past however, the Glory of God had left this building long ago, and the dismal shadows which remained took their hold, their strength only increased by the arrival of the Dark Prince. Gabriel turned to Elam, who was glancing over his shoulder once more, peering into the unknown.

"Alright, Elam was it?" Elam nodded curtly, his animalistic features more prevelant in the dim lighting, "Alright Elam, be careful, this staircase is unlit."

Elam nodded understandingly once more and the two moved forward, starting up the long stairwell. They climbed wordlessly, only the dull tapping of shoes against stone to keep them company. All around them, whispers floated among the unseen. Hisses drew out so faintly that even the Gangrel could not be sure if he had actually heard it. Gabriel had never felt so surrounded while feeling so absolutely alone before.

Elam ran his claw-like fingers along the wall as they rounded the never ending turns. The whispers only increased at the new sound, rapidly moving from one area to the next. Every time the pair honed their senses on the source it shifted, escaping their gaze only milliseconds before.

All at once one of the bricks slid away at Elam's touch, falling away and letting a shaft of pure blue moonlight in. Gabriel turned around, stopped dead in his track. Elam looked up with wide eyes at him.

"RUN!" Gabriel shouted, putting on a burst of speed that allowed him to take the steps four at a time. Shadows cried out, the hissing returning. The screams of damned souls encircled the pair as they raced up the stairs, neither one daring to look back.

The tenticles returned as well, slithering from their pitch black homes and wrapping around the Ventrue's leg. Gabriel gasped and fell hard against the stone steps. He tried desperately to yank his leg free from the shadows grasp but could do nothing. Elam rounded the stairs and gasped at Gabriel's plight.

"GO ELAM GO!!!" Gabriel cried out, arching a thick fist towards the blackened tenticle. The blow passed through the shadow and struck the wall behind it with a crack. The brick burst into dust at Gabriel's forceful attack, creating new shafts of moonlight that speckled the once darkened stairs.

Elam bolted forward, grabbing Gabriel by the arms and pulling upward with all his might. The newly introduced light awoke more adversaries however, and even as the Gangrel strained, whiskey soaked roars echoed all around them, filling the empty stairs, enraged by the intruders presence.

All at once tenticles shot out from the remaining shadows and intertwined around Gabriel's thin frame. Gabriel let out a muffled scream just before his was wrenched from Elam's grasp and pulled into the shadows.

Elam squinted and allowed his vision to work at it's maximum, but he still saw nothing. The haughty suit wearing Ventrue had disappeared, and now he had only the shadows for company. He turned slowly and broke into a full sprint. The stairs flew underneath him as leapt them two, three, four at a time. Ahead he could see the light of the exitway ahead, presumably leading into the Prince's chambers.

The light dimmed away as a thick, black shadow stretched itself in front on him. Elam gasped, within the depths of the shadow he could see the warped visage of thousands upon thousands of deaths. The mouths of sinners drawn down into sickle (i know i spelled that one wrong!) shapes frowns. They screamed in agony as the tenticles crawled along the floor towards him.

Elam backed away slowly, preparing to dart back down the stairs, but the tenticles moved with blinding speed and wrapped themselves around his ankles. As soon as they made contact, steam spurt forth from the tenticles, the very fabric of the shadow sizzling and snapping as it burned. The beast shrieked so loudly and horribly that Elam had to cover his ears.

The tenticles shot back within an eye blink and all at once the beast was gone, it's entire mass disappearing into a cranny between two stones. Elam stood dumbfounded. The sound of footsteps echoed behind him, Elam whirled around, his fingers contorted into dagger like claws.

Gabriel appeared on the stairs beneath him, one hand gently touching the wall. He glanced up at the Gangrel, eyes wide but apparently no worse for wear.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, glancing around. Elam shrugged slightly.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Elam's fingers terminated in sickle-like claws, curving round the fingertips.

As the last of the tendrils hissed out of sight he inhaled sharply.

"Ok, what in Bram's name just happened?"

Gabriel, now looking every bit the tattered rag stepped up.

"You got me."

Elam retracted his claws and took the Seneschals arm. Together they walked upwards, the hisses and moans of the damned pouring up from the depths below them. Elam mumbled breathlessly, clearly praying to something.

Gabriel looked at the young, somber, strangely soulful looking gangrel and mused. Maybe this cubs faith had hurt the tendrils? He shook the thought off as lunacy, yet as they reached the top of the stairwell the growing firelight lighting the look in Elams eyes, the way his face caught the light, revived the lunatic thoughts.

"Wait here boy."

Gabriel disappeared through a vast arcing doorway. Elam looked around the torchlit corridor, his eyes catching shadowed obscenities soundlessly slithering in and out of cracks in the walls.

"Damnit Elam, you've landed in it this time."

_________________
"Don't trust your mind, just believe."

[ This Message was edited by: Elam on 2002-02-06 03:56 ]

((great job boys... good story :grin:

"Wait here boy." Gabriel said firmly as he walked towards the throne room door, the decor of the entrance every bit as dismal as the rest. The shadows still crept and swayed, Lasombra magic on loan no doubt.

Gabriel brushed off the last bit of dust off his suit as he pushed his way through the door, and into the bleak throne room beyond. The door creaked and groaned with anger at being moved, but the Seneschal slipped in quickly shutting it behind him.

He cast his gaze about the throne room, but it did him no good. The windows had long since been sealed up with boards, and very little light managed to permeate the blockade. Thin strands of light shot across the floor where the boards were parted slightly.

From what his vision could detect, the room was long and rectangular, a simple room, containing only a few windows and chairs. As his eyes adjusted he saw the walls were barren, long ago stripped of their old tapestries, the hooks still stood defiantly on the wall. At the end of the hall, within a shroud of darkness, sat Prince Valek.

Gabriel walked slowly through the row of moonbeams, his feet plodding softly over yet another faded and unused carpet, it's heyday long since past. Valek sat wordless, his eyes almost glowing red in the darkness, and his body's form undetectable from the shadows. As the Seneschal approached he began to pick out Valek's familiar and intimidating features.

His pale face matched Gabriel's own, but raven black hair spilled over his shoulders. The piercing red eyes countered Gabriel's own blue. He stopped several feet away, bowing slightly at the waist and glancing up at the Prince.

"My Prince," he said softly, "someone is here to see you."

Gabriel watched with discomfort as a slow, but deliberate smile etched over Valek's face.....

((damn i CANNOT f*ckin write!!! the previous posts were better than this i'm sorry! :evil: