Sorenti looked at the man next to him, his shining white skin so deformed, the flesh twisted inside and out in places.....so grotesque, yet still refined and dignified, he shook his head slowly,

"I still don't like the idea of this, what right do I have to take anything from you?" Sorenti asked

[i:db56534f24]"You have every right and it is your duty because I ask it of you, it's the only way and you know it."[/i:db56534f24]

"Ok ok.....but last time I only took a little and that shirt split its seams as my muscles surged from your blood"

[i:db56534f24]"Yes I seem to recall that"[/i:db56534f24] the other said with a small chuckle [i:db56534f24]"Still, your body should be more accustomed to it now, there shouldn't be any further physical mis....."[/i:db56534f24]

The voice stopped and Sorenti followed his gaze to the entrance way....

[i:db56534f24]"Ahhhh, welcome Gabriel, do come in and pull up a errr....coffin. I've been waiting to meet you for some time, you are quite a revelation...dual sires, incredible. A most inventive way to escape the Progeny ruling, marvellous! Come on, don't just peer in like a rat from the shadows....come join us!"[/i:db56534f24]

She had sensed that he was in they city, whether it was the blood that they had shared, albeit briefly, or the sheer malice and perhaps, if she had thought about it, the deep love she felt for him, once upon a time, but nevertheless, she knew he was here and in her quest for him she had followed Gabriel.

Gabriel....the name resounded in her head as she followed him through the forest, he had despised her at first, his love for sorenti had been strong, and he hated her for encroaching on that. But time had past and they had become dear friends and it was slightly ironic that he was the one now leading her to sorenti.

His name brought many emotions rising to the surface.....friendship, followed by a love that had engulfed her entire body to sheer hatred and betrayal.

As she walked down the stone corridor her fingers felt for the silver dagger she carried, would she find some sort of solice(sp? if she avenged the grief that he had caused or would it all end the moment his eyes met hers?

Gabriel looked slightly dishevelled, but sorenti....Rea had to stop herself from crumbling as she looked upon him....he was as ever ...sorenti....enough to make even a mortal woman take a second breath, to the point of intoxicating herself on his very presence.

"I can't believe your having a party and you've not invited me"

Gabriel stood helpless as a cold wave of trepidation crept over his body and threatened the foundations of his composure. It was only by force of will that he managed to prevent bursting into torrents of blood sweat. The pale figure perched beside Sorenti watched him curiously, but said nothing. And while the young Ventrue could vaguely make out Sorenti and the newly arrived female intruder's faces drawn out in horror, he noted the strangers unnerving calmness towards the situation.

Another disturbing factor lay in the sense that he could not identify the cause of such terror, but could only shake and shudder and try to regain his demeanor.

[i:9685c909e2]"Gabriel, my Childe, you must exercise some amount of restraint."[/i:9685c909e2] Oddly enough the comforting advice did not stem from his Sire, but rather from the stranger. Gabriel leaned against an rocky outcropping and began to put his faculties in order.

[i:9685c909e2]"Forgive me if I seem bold, but who are you to call me your Childe?"[/i:9685c909e2] he asked between steady, purely calming breaths. He looked up for the first time since his entrance and caught the glistening, surreal eyes of the figure.

[i:9685c909e2]"I think you know the answer to that already."[/i:9685c909e2] came the reply with a smile.

The sheer feeling of a power that overwhelmed her made her grasp for the wall in horror,immediatly she thought of the demon that dwelt inside her, but then shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, this was not him the feeling was much stronger, much more soul destroying.

Her face looked upwards as she leaned against the wall and met the eyes of the stranger.
It was from him that the presence was emmitting, he was only slight of frame, yet still overbearing, his eyes met hers and she looked away.

Images flashed through her mind rapidly,at first one's that brought a faint smile to her face, the orchid's in the garden, the letter's they exchanged and then she breathed in deeply as she could almost feel the wind whipping though her long white blonde hair as she rode his horses.

Then they changed, first the distrust and utter revolt on his face a she had admitted her betrayal to him, then the forgiveness that he had sought to find in himself, then back to the heartache, the mistruth's
she had heard and believed.

Rea staggered as the other two looked at her oddly, but then knowingly, he was indeed a power to be reckoned with and maybe she did not have the strength to fight.

Sorenti touched her arm lightly, to steady her and all he received in return was a vicious blow to his cheek, causing his precious blood to seep out of the nail marks she had made.He raised his hand to hit her and it was like she almost disappeared, only to appear out of his reach.

[i:c8a0201e55]" Don't touch me Ventrue, your very presence taints this place, you think you are all mightier than the rest of us ...but I have seen ...I know what is to be your downfall, you think you are all invicible, well maybe if you looked closer , you would realise that there is one that should not be in your midst, a traitor as such,I wish him luck and he has my backing to bring down the clan that you call the noblest, when all it is is a quagmire of filth[/i:c8a0201e55]

((::has been at work and had a few baileys,.....ummmmm irsh liqeur for those not in the know ::

Sorenti lowered his arm from wiping the blood away, a slight frown drifted across his face as he wondered why the Lasombra had darted away from him. As he pondered on it, a low rumble began from deep below and high above them simultaneously, his nerves jangled as realisation hit him.

He dived across the breadth of the room, aiming for the withered figure, as the rock above them crashed down in thousands of tons, his hand grasped the knee of the other as a rock three times his size crunched into Sorenti's back, pinning him. Gabriel, being ever the protective one, sprung for Reannag, launching her through the small gap where they had come in. His instincts rightly telling him the rock would be thickest where the smallest opening was. As he dived through after Reannag, his left ankle was caught by a menhir-like falling slab of rock, his cry was cut short as his shoulder slammed into the side of the small tunnel.

It was impossible for them to move capably as the ground shook violently, every step forward they tried to take only sent them backwards. Reannag clung to Gabriel as the tunnel went black, the torches put out by the thick dust sweeping down the corridor of stone. Almost ten minutes later, the noise and movement slowly ceased. Gabriel's panicky thought of how near sunrise was, he pushed out with reasoning that crisis always seems to last for hours. He pried Reannag's fingers from his arm and inched his way back down the passage through the dust and rock splinters, feeling his way in the darkness.

After what felt like an eternity, Gabriel found the opening, but within seconds he had traced his fingers right round it's circumference, only to feel solid rock. He hit it again and again with his shoulder, lay on his back and pushed with his legs, he tried everything but the rock was too much. Coming to his senses, he realised that the rock blocking the way would only be jammed against tons of stone behind it anyway, so he began to shout for Sorenti. Getting no response, he tried mentally, forcing his mind out, searching, but not the slightest glimmer came back. He tried to reach the other one, but again no response and no feeling. Gabriel fought blind panic and slithered back down the tunnel to where Reannag still cowered, grasping her gently, he urged her to move towards the exit. They dug through the dirt and dust until finally they reached the trap entrance where they rested to regain their strength before attempting to open the stone door above.

As he got up, Gabriel felt something cut into his hand, wincing he carefully scrabbled about in the dust and lifted a sword. La Magra, he knew it was, the power that rushed through him as his fingers closed round the hilt was unmistakable. He had only held the sword once and had felt light headed then, he was stronger now, yet still the feeling was as if he was drunk. He threw the stone door aside and helped Reannag out, the blade caught the moonlight and glinted evilly as Gabriel studied it, he ran his fingers over the inscriptions and whispered into the night...

[i:49462af8c8]"I'll get you out Sorenti, I [b:49462af8c8]WILL[/b:49462af8c8] get you out!"[/i:49462af8c8]


((continued in part 2 :drum roll: lol))