She sat once again at her desk and contemplated the impressions that had just flashed through her mind's eye. Thankfully, they weren't violent or disturbing, just vague warnings for the moment, although one image was clear and familiar. She reached over and pressed the intercom button recently installed there. [i:6282cfc263]"Shaundra,"[/i:6282cfc263] she spoke, [i:6282cfc263]"I need you to take a letter for me."[/i:6282cfc263]

The tall black woman entered the room, preceded by a bulge at her waist. She had met a man a year ago while on vacation in France, fell in love and, subsequently, married. This, their first child, was due in a matter of weeks. The lovely pastel purple business suit was a dramatic contrast to the cocoa skin and impending motherhood imbued her with a golden glow. She waddled towards her employer and lowered herself into the chair set in front of the gleaming mahogany furniture. [i:6282cfc263]"Go ahead,"[/i:6282cfc263] then winced as a sharp ache spread across her lower back.

Her mistress looked at her for a second, then with a small smile, began to dictate.

[i:6282cfc263]"My dear Julius. It's been awhile since we've seen each other and I thought that I would come by for a visit. I understand that you have opened a school in Touraine for [/i:6282cfc263]"gifted"[i:6282cfc263] students. I am interested in seeing how that is working for you. Besides, as you know, I have a business interest in your companies and stocks. I own quite a number of them and my dividend checks are very substantial. Just keeping tabs on my investment.

Additionally, I [/i:6282cfc263]"feel"[i:6282cfc263] as though you are needing my brand of help, perhaps as a dorm mother?, school counselor?, perhaps? That would, of course, depend on your good will."[/i:6282cfc263] She paused for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts, but really watching her assistant, who every few moments tensed up and drew sharp breath. The woman behind the desk continued.

[i:6282cfc263]"I had planned on arriving next week, with Shaundra in tow, but due to a labor situation, I will arrive in two weeks, by myself."[/i:6282cfc263] The secretary startled at that but finished the sentence on her steno pad. She had just put the last word to paper when there was a stabbing pain in her abdomen and a gush of fluids spilled to the carpet. Her mistress' smile grew wider. [i:6282cfc263]"I'll finish it later, Shaundra. We need to call a doctor."[/i:6282cfc263]

Willow biting her lower lip at Julius' warm welcome, her face fushed red at the ease he had dismissed the humans, she handed him her letter of introduction from Morathi and nervously squeaked her interpretation...

[i:0e2193b932]"I think my mistress believes my skills may be of help to you with the school in the role of a Lab technician of sorts.... But she also seems to be concerned for my own development.... I... I'm not good with people..."[/i:0e2193b932]

She looked wryly at the door the guards had strolled out, the headmaster had already witnessed one of her weaknesses...

[i:0e2193b932]"My Mistress seems to believe letting me meet more people may help with my shyness as well as cultivate other skills... Mistress Morathi may or may not have revealed this, but I am a Ducheski... I have inheirited my bloodline's talent for invention but my mistress tells me my bloodline also has the potential to use the magics contained in blood.... Given my mistress is officially in disgrace in the eyes of her house and clan she doubts she can gain a Revenant such as myself official sanction to learn without embracing me fully into the House and Clan which may compromise my usefulness to her.... So I believe she is exploring the potential of alternate options that will retain my usefulness as an asset sir..."[/i:0e2193b932]

She left unsaid that she suspected her mistress despite her fondness for her, would be prepared to kill her to protect certain secrets she may know regarding Morathi's unofficial service to house and clan. If she was embraced into the Tremere, bonds of loyalty to the Clan would override those to her mistress and her secrets...

She nervously pushed her glasses back into place....

[i:0e2193b932]"So... Ummm.... Do I need to take an aptitude test or something sir?....."[/i:0e2193b932]

Willow swallowed nervously, not at all sure how one would begin learning magic....

[i:4da113785c]"I think you might enjoy working with Lucien."[/i:4da113785c] Replied Julius. [i:4da113785c]"He is working on a fascinating line of research. The use of magic to move particles at the atomic and even the subatomic level."[/i:4da113785c]

Willow nodded slowly, as her mind began to consider the technical problems involved.

[i:4da113785c]"Despite the best and most powerful microscopes yet invented by mortal science, he is having real problems perceiving the effects of his work. Someone of your proven ability might well be able to help him."[/i:4da113785c]

Willow flushed at the compliment.

[i:4da113785c]"Meantime, he could see about teaching you the basics of our magic. If you would meet him at his laboratory on the second floor, I'll have him show you around."[/i:4da113785c]

Willow stood. [i:4da113785c]"I'll do that sir. I'm sure my mistress will be grateful."[/i:4da113785c]

[i:4da113785c]"Please call me Julius. I hope that you'll get something out of this Willow, I see great potential in you."[/i:4da113785c]

Willow flushed red once again. Julius grinned slightly evilly.

[i:4da113785c]"And Willow.... You blush very prettily."[/i:4da113785c]

Willow fled.

Tutorial

adj : of or relating to tutors or tutoring; "tutorial sessions" n : a session of intensive tuition given by a tutor to an individual or to a small number of students
--------

Cassie had no clue what to expect. Given that her previous tutelage had consisted of stolen knowledge from books she had managed to sneak out of the chantry library, plus the efforts of Lucien, equally hampered by the Regent, the idea of a dedicated one on one tutelage session was quite alien to her. The idea would probably have excited her, a real teacher spending quality time to help her and her alone, except that, frankly, Julius made her very nervous. Thus she sat fidgeting, whilst Julius attempted to guide her studies.

[i:7f86a7e695]"...of course, the harnessing of electricity has been a favoured study of mages for ages past. Long since we, in the modern world, discovered it's nature. It's nice to see one of those old arts being revived in you, Ms. Wade. Too often the lure of flames is a preferred choice. Your skills can be much more subtle and far more easily applied to the modern world."[/i:7f86a7e695]

Cassie nodded almost dumbly.

[i:7f86a7e695]"So give me an example."[/i:7f86a7e695] Requested Julius.

Cassie blinked, flustered. [i:7f86a7e695]"I beg your pardon, sir?"[/i:7f86a7e695]

Julius smiled. [i:7f86a7e695]"I'm not going to eat you, my dear. It's going to be very hard to teach if you don't pay attention. Now then, an example of how your skills can be applied to the modern world, in a more subtle way that, for example, fire magic."[/i:7f86a7e695]

[i:7f86a7e695]Get a grip Cass.[/i:7f86a7e695] Thought the young Tremere to herself. She tried to imagine explaining to Lucien how she had wasted this session. The thought was unbearable. Time to get brain in gear.

[i:7f86a7e695]"Perhaps you could do something to electrical equipment."[/i:7f86a7e695] She answered after a moment. [i:7f86a7e695]"Fire would create obvious external damage, but electricity could cause a failure hard to trace. It might appear like the mains supply had gone wrong."[/i:7f86a7e695]

Julius smiled. [i:7f86a7e695]"Good. Electricity and the modern world. We live in a world where everything we use is touched by electricity. To be a master of it's manipulation is to be a master of all the gadgetry we take for granted. Thus it's important, as you learn, to be thinking of how your skills apply. Not as a force of raw power or destruction, but as a means of control. Anyone can break a thing, that requires no understanding or finesse. To control a thing is far more difficult, but far more useful."[/i:7f86a7e695]

Cassandra actually smiled. She hadn't properly considered where her often erratic skills could lead. In a flash, images passed through her mind. Computers obeying her ensorcelled commands. Security systems bypassed. Whole cities blacking out into...

Julius held up a hand. [i:7f86a7e695]"Let's not get carried away, we'll start with the basics shall we?"[/i:7f86a7e695]

Cassie almost jumped out of her seat. Had he been reading her mind? Or did the expression of wonder on her face give her thoughts away.

[i:7f86a7e695]"Like for example, the nature of electricity. How would you define it? Explain to me how it works."[/i:7f86a7e695] Julius went on.

Cassie thought for a moment. [i:7f86a7e695]"It's a form of energy."[/i:7f86a7e695]

[i:7f86a7e695]"Good start, go on."[/i:7f86a7e695]

[i:7f86a7e695]"It moves from one place to another."[/i:7f86a7e695]

[i:7f86a7e695]"In what way?"[/i:7f86a7e695] Encouraged her teacher.

[i:7f86a7e695]"Like... like a flow of energy."[/i:7f86a7e695]

Julius smiled. [i:7f86a7e695]"Yes, it flows. Like water, almost. It passes along channels. Cables and conductors. Or through the air. Describe how lightning flows, as an example."[/i:7f86a7e695]

[i:7f86a7e695]"A static charge builds up in clouds, which connects to the earth, passing that charge to the ground."[/i:7f86a7e695] She answered easily.

Julius responded with a kind of sly half smile. [i:7f86a7e695]"And what is the nature of the charge in the clouds, and which way does the electricity flow?"[/i:7f86a7e695]

Cassie was stumped. [i:7f86a7e695]"It flows downwards?"[/i:7f86a7e695] She asked more than stated.

Julius shook his head. [i:7f86a7e695]"Actually it is the positive charge from the ground which flows upward into the cloud. It's important that you study the physics and nature of how electricity works, as well as it's magic. With that understanding you can then use the magic more effectively, by mimicking and working with nature, rather than against it."[/i:7f86a7e695]

Cassie nodded. [i:7f86a7e695]"Yes, that makes a lot of sense."[/i:7f86a7e695]

[i:7f86a7e695]"And by understanding the flows of electricity, you will be able to control your own little problem."[/i:7f86a7e695]

Cassie looked puzzled. [i:7f86a7e695]"Problem?"[/i:7f86a7e695]

[i:7f86a7e695]"Ms. Wade, you do leak a bit!"[/i:7f86a7e695] Said Julius, but not unkindly.

Cassandra looked slightly embarrassed. [i:7f86a7e695]"I can't seem to stop it."[/i:7f86a7e695] She agreed.

[i:7f86a7e695]"Any flow can be dammed, Ms. Wade. Instead of allowing your power to drift away, you could keep it, stored up and ready for use. Save those pretty sparks in your hair for when you wish to make an impression."[/i:7f86a7e695] Julius grinned. Cassie blushed.

[i:7f86a7e695]"So, I want you to start thinking about control, rather than raw power and I want you to start learning about how electricity works in nature and man made objects. That should open your mind to new possibilities."[/i:7f86a7e695]

Cassie nodded. [i:7f86a7e695]"Thankyou, Mr. Darrant. I will."[/i:7f86a7e695]

Julius smiled. [i:7f86a7e695]"Until next time then. Oh... and call me Julius."[/i:7f86a7e695]

The man looked around ill at ease. He had been travelling for weeks, and was hungry. The tenuous bond he held with the writer of the dirty note in his hand was slowly fading. He wasn't sure why he was here, only that a note was to be delivered to a J. Darrant.

His network had brought him to Touraine. He didn't wish to be here. Best to conclude this piece of business, and be back from whence he came.

He didn't see anyone about the grounds. He was about to give up, when he spied a lovely creature moving across the courtyard, here silvery blonde hair like liquid mercury flowing behind her. He hastened his stride to meet up with her.

"Excuse me," he inquired when he was within earshot, his New York accent heavy, "I need to deliver this note to a J. Darrant." I was told I could find him here."

The exquisite creature looked at him for a moment, as though sizing him up. Holding out a hand, she replied curtly, "Mr. Darrant is unavailable. I'll see that he gets it." She eyed him coldly, and something within his gut told him give the note and get the hell out of Dodge.

It had been a quick landing in the small town, but Wren had found himself waiting, something that even after hundreds of years, he found he still despised. Even as a mortal, he had rarely enjoyed waiting, and while now he had considerably more patience, the package was supposed to have arrived before he did.

When it finally did however, he literally tore the large crate open, making sure to grab a crowbar to do it... people got suspicious if you just dug your fingers into the wood and pulled. Then, after all the wrappings were torn away, he inspected the motorcycle.

Had there been so much as a scratch on the Vincent Black, Wren would have been hard pressed to avoid a frenzy. He had purchased this one when it first rolled off the line, and had performed constant preventative maintenance... as a result, the whole machine still ran smoothly, and had not suffered over the years.

And with the fact that there were less than one hundred of these motorcycles in existence, Wren had good reason to be protective of the beautiful machine.

As it were, no harm had been done to the motorcycle, and without further ado, Wren hopped onto its seat, kicked it to a start, and suddenly sped off, heading down the highway towards Touraine.

It was good to be on the open road, with an entire night ahead of him.

The note for Headmaster Julius firmly in her grip, Cass watched the American lope away quickly, as if glad to be quit of his errand. She blessed the fact that she'd had cousins from the United States to give her incentive to study the English language as a secondary one but his accent was enough to tax her own knowledge. What she [b:7105628a6b]did[/b:7105628a6b] make out for sure was that what she held was to go to Lucien's Sire. Immediately.

Her luck held as she approached Julius's office, for he was coming from the opposite direction. Cassie hurried to intercept him. [i:7105628a6b]"Headmaster, an unknown American delivered this note for you. I knew you were occupied elsewhere, so I sent him on his way and was bringing it here."[/i:7105628a6b] She thrust the note toward him and felt it taken from her hand.

[i:7105628a6b]"Excuse me,"[/i:7105628a6b] she apologized quickly, [i:7105628a6b]"but I'm due in class in a few minutes. I'm going to be late if I don't hurry."[/i:7105628a6b] The young woman bobbed a quick acknowledgement with her head and then took off down the corridor. Julius watched her departure then glanced back down at the note in his hand.

In typical style, she had decided to drop back into his life, at a most convenient time, with a plea for help. He could almost hear Eve's voice, [i:65dc0b89ce]"You're going to rescue that dizzy bitch... Again? And what thanks has she ever given you?"[/i:65dc0b89ce] In his mind, Eveshka ranted on, making perfect sense. What did he owe her? He'd protected her, better than anyone had, he'd cared for her, loved her even; yet at the first sign of danger, she ran, as usual. Abandoned his protection, abandoned his love, abandoned him.

For the hundredth time, he considered having the pilot turn the aeroplane around, then thought better of it. If nothing else, bailing her out would give him the chance to tell her, [i:65dc0b89ce]"I told you so!"[/i:65dc0b89ce] at some length.

The grubby note had turned out to be an invitation to the Giovanni mansion in the Hollywood Hills. The annual family get together, when the new members would be initiated. On the back, faded and dried vitae spelt the single word, [b:65dc0b89ce]HELP[/b:65dc0b89ce]. Even in that state Julius had only to touch his tongue to the page to recognise it's owner. Carlie Winters. Well, perhaps this Bruno, from whom the invitation purported to come, would be reasonable.

The heavy security gates didn't open upon Julius' arrival. Indeed, the guards refused point blank to comply, waving guns at the magus. He shrugged. A pair of elementals simply ripped the gates from their hinges, whilst another pair bopped the two guards on the head. Julius headed up the driveway.

From within the mansion came the sound of a single violin, playing something dull, fully in keeping with the people who milled about outside. Julius groaned loudly and obviously at the level of cliché they demonstrated.

[i:65dc0b89ce]"Who is dis guy, what's his problem?"[/i:65dc0b89ce] Asked one of the assembled, in that desperately charming Italian mobster style of asking questions, but not actually addressing the query to the relevant person.

Julius rolled his eyes. [i:65dc0b89ce]"It's that club for rejects from the Godfather, isn't it? You all look the same, you all sound the same, you all dress the same. Dull dull dull. Now, first you'll want to pull out guns and shoot me, because that's how predictable you are. When you're done, one of you fetch Bruno and if I have to force someone, it'll just piss me off."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Various items of hardware appeared in the hands of various of the mobsters. Amidst shouts of [i:65dc0b89ce]"Who does he think he is?"[/i:65dc0b89ce] and [i:65dc0b89ce]"Shoot the motherfucker."[/i:65dc0b89ce] quite a large amount of lead was projected in the wizard's direction.

Julius continued towards the door, utterly unaffected by the hail of bullets. [i:65dc0b89ce]"Bruno. Fetch Bruno."[/i:65dc0b89ce] He said to the guard by the door. In reply, the guard put his Desert Eagle to Julius' temple and pulled the trigger. [i:65dc0b89ce]"NOW!"[/i:65dc0b89ce] shouted Julius, handing over his card. The guard looked at a large lump of lead blocking the barrel of his pistol, looked at the card, looked at Julius and ran.

It is perhaps tribute to Bruno's years of experience that he actually came to the door without sending a string of lackeys, gradually increasing in ability, to fight with Julius.

[i:65dc0b89ce]"Who are you to come to my home, breaking through my gates, disturbing the peace, embarrassing me in front of my family."[/i:65dc0b89ce] Demanded Bruno.

[i:65dc0b89ce]"Darrant. Julius Darrant of Darrant Industries. Formerly of House Tremere, though that relationship seems to have gone sour of late, not that it's any of your business. Speaking of which, I have only one item of business to discuss with you, then I can be on my way and you can enjoy your party."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Bruno considered this for a moment. He was sure he'd heard that name. Something in a memo circulated around the family. That this Darrant was dangerous and should be treated with caution. [i:65dc0b89ce]"Perhaps you would like to step inside, Mr. Darrant and we can discuss this business in comfort."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Julius nodded and followed Bruno to a small office.

[i:65dc0b89ce]"I'll come straight to the point, Bruno. You have Carlie Winters, of House Tremere..."[/i:65dc0b89ce] He concentrated a moment and pointed to one side and downwards. [i:65dc0b89ce]"...somewhere down there. Release her to me and I'll just go."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Bruno had been playing with an expensive personal organizer. [i:65dc0b89ce]"What do you care for one insignificant Tremere, Mr. Darrant. According to my sources you are number one on their most wanted list."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Julius smiled dangerously. [i:65dc0b89ce]"And they know precisely where to find me. Consider well that even the mighty Clan Tremere fears to face me. Call them if you like. Invite them over. We could have a joint party. As it happens, this particular Tremere was once dear to me. Just hand her over. Think of it as an investment in your future."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Bruno looked unhappy, but nodded. [i:65dc0b89ce]"And then you will depart, yes?"[/i:65dc0b89ce]

[i:65dc0b89ce]"Oh yes. I'll just go."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Bruno pressed a button on an intercom and said something in Italian. Julius pretended not to understand. Moments later one of his goons appeared with an unconscious Carlie slung over one shoulder.

[i:65dc0b89ce]"In my youth, I'd have wasted the entire city for this."[/i:65dc0b89ce] Said Julius absentmindedly. [i:65dc0b89ce]"Since I came into my full powers, however, I've mellowed a little. We'll be leaving now."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Julius and Carlie vanished, leaving Bruno to his ceremonies.

Carlie started to come around on the flight back to France. [i:65dc0b89ce]"Lost my phone again did you?"[/i:65dc0b89ce] Asked Julius.

[i:65dc0b89ce]"Julius?"[/i:65dc0b89ce] Said Carlie weakly.

[i:65dc0b89ce]"Shh... drink this."[/i:65dc0b89ce] Said Julius, draining some of his own vitae into a goblet. [i:65dc0b89ce]"It will make you feel better. While you taste it, you might want to use those atrophying Tremere powers to analyze it. A lot has happened Carlie and knowing what I have become will be a good first step into the story."[/i:65dc0b89ce]

Cassie's mind whirled like one of those metal tops she'd seen once in a nostalgia shop. The kind that you pushed down on to make them spin until they produced a high pitched humming. At the time she'd found the sound rather soothing but at this point, her mind was anything [b:49ee250731]but[/b:49ee250731] soothed. As a matter of fact, the susurrations only managed to further her mounting excitement.

Julius's tutoring session had had a profound effect on a much abused young woman. Torn from a gentle and loving family by a nightmare attack, left to fend for herself in an increasingly confusing world, saved by a champion, who, in turn, was to become as ditrusted as herself by the very place that should have cherished them both for their intelligent minds and unique talents, but instead rejected them as "unfit" for the clan, Cassandra had landed in unknown territory that seemed to have [b:49ee250731]no[/b:49ee250731] fences. At least, of the mental kind.

Headmaster Darrant had all but called her "unique" and then implied that her own special talent could become something much more desired than the well-worn path to that of heat and fire. I.e., electricity was in ascendency and smoke and flame was becoming obsolete, as the Kindred (and their disciplines) moved into the modern age. Oh, flames would never die out or become dinosaurs; there would always be the need for it. But her specialized talent seemed to have skipped several generations until it had landed in the heart of the age of technology.

When she'd left the Tremere's office she'd gone straight to the library and started researching static electricity. Which in turn, had lead to current electricity, sparks and lightning, the often debated difference between electric charges and electric current, voltages and, ultimately, to tesla coils and balled lighning. About the time she had entirely absorbed the data on the air-cored transformers that converted electricity into a high frequency, high voltage form, she was so delirious with new found joy at the world that had unfolded before her, that it was almost too much to contain.

She just [b:49ee250731]HAD[/b:49ee250731] to share this with Lucien!

From a lecture to the school.

[i:d75536ff6b]"...which brings me neatly onto the subject of correspondance. No, I'm not talking about letter writing, but rather the way things connect. There are two important principles to consider. The Principle of Sympathy, or 'Like Produces Like' and the Principle of Contagion, or 'Once Together, Always Together'. Many traditions are based around these, Hermetic Magic and therefore Vampiric Thaumaturgy not least. Similarly, a magical focus, that physical item which can aid a spell is controlled by these principles. Hence, a discussion of them is warranted."

"For the Principle of Sympathy, we are dealing with representations of the thing we wish to affect. Dowsers use this when divining by means of a map. The map is like the landscape and so is connected to it. On a much more abstract level, all of Hermetic magic and it's derivatives hinge on this simple principle. In creating these arts, our forbears discovered the sounds and symbols which mirrored counterparts in the physical world. By using these sympathies, the connection is made which allows the magical power to affect the changes we desire."

"The Principle of Contagion is perhaps even more powerful. It is used or can be used for almost any kind of magic, even if it is simply as a focus. Set fire to a splinter, then see how much easier it is to burn the tree. In fact, if the spell is done correctly, then the tree will spontaneously ignite. Freeze a spoonful of lake water and watch the lake ice over. This is how a magical focus works. By using it, we no longer have to create our own connections to a large mundane world. We can affect a smaller, perhaps even enchanted item and use a pre-prepared connection to channel our powers."

"Of course, we can use both of these principles simultaneously. Take the classic voodoo doll. It is shaped into the image of the unfortunate victim and thus invokes the Principle of Sympathy. Then, incorporated into the waxen image, a hair, or nail clipping from the target. Thus we also are calling upon the Principle of Contagion. Similarly, if we combine the Hermetic symbols with an appropriate focus, we combine two of the fundamentals of thaumaturgic magic."[/i:d75536ff6b]

Lucien's favorite playground was his research lab. If ever Cassie needed him for anything of import, she could always count on finding him there. And this time was no exception. The only problem was, the young woman discovered, was that he wasn't alone. There was another woman with him.

Both figures were standing side by side, in animated technical discussion, leaning over a keyboard to read the flickering screen of a monitor. The woman reached out to tap at a line of jargon on the glass plate and then laughed gently before turning towards him, her face alight with glee. At which point, Lucien burst into laughter and threw his arm around her shoulder in an off-hand hug.

It would have been a quick and affectionate sort of gesture between colleagues, had he not managed to snag the glasses off of her nose with the cuff of his silk shirt. Willow ceased to laugh and proceeded to blush furiously as the bows caught in her carefully coifed tresses and sent the entire mass cascading down around her shoulders.

The effect, at that moment, gave Morathi's aide the appearance of being nothing more than a poaching sex kitten to the young woman that stood unnoticed, framed in the doorway. As her idol made clumsy attempts to give back the glasses and help to tidy up the soft shining strands, the only thought that kept running around through Cassie's mind was that she'd lost Lucien to an older, more mature woman. Something [b:fa9f009b45]she[/b:fa9f009b45] could never be for him.

With the void in her soul opening up to swallow her dead heart, the young wizardress muffled a sob that didn't reach the two flailing people and she quickly turned to exit as unobtrusively as she had come. She failed to notice that her hair was shedding light motes like a sparkler used by children for certain celebrations. Which was enough of an indication to anyone watching, that her emotional state was highly unstable and equally as agitated.

Gripping the frame of the doorway for support as her vision wavered from the streaming blood tears, Cass's fingers settled unseeingly on the switch plate located there for the convenience of those entering into the room's darkened state. What happened next was wholly unplanned and unnoticed by the partially blinded young girl.

Trying desperately to shove the prior scene from her mind, the Tremere student had added an unrealized push to her emotions, which in turn, leaked more static than was her normal want and it needed to go somewhere. Since there was a sympathetic source close to hand, so to speak, the extra voltage discharged directly into the lighting's wiring and promptly overloaded everything in it's hapless circuits.

Once again, the lights went out in a certain part of the school for magi.

Lucien and Willow were immediately plunged into darkness and, as both turned to the computer they'd just been utilizing, they watched in horrified dismay as the screen went blank with a short little [i:fa9f009b45]"blip"[/i:fa9f009b45]. Lucien gave out a groan as he frantically tried to deny the inevitable with a few desperate taps on the keys. Willow's gasp of stunned disbelief echoed him.

Cassandra reached her room in record time and closed and locked her door before putting up her own safeguards on it. Then in a blank-faced parody of her [i:fa9f009b45]"nightly"[/i:fa9f009b45] ritual, she donned her cotton night gown, brushed her hair one hundred strokes exactly, then crawled on to her bed to sink into a restless torpor peppered with nightmarish scenes that lasted until she arose with the setting sun. She dressed perfunctorily, downed a bag of blood and emerged from her room to attend classes, a silent, haunted wraith of her former self. All pleasure in her new found ability drained away.

She spent the next two days attempting to avoid Haven at all costs.

Suddenly finding herself in the dark Willow was in part relieved, it had masked her embarassed blush and provided just enough distraction to Lucien towards his computer and the data they were working on to allow her to nudge her glasses back into place and rearrange her hair without Lucian well meaning intrusions into her 'personal' space....

As Lucien summoned up a small green flare of mage fire dancing in his open palm, lighting up the lab with flickering light strange wraithlike predatory shadows looming on the walls created by the equipment surrounding the tremere magus, Willow was both noting the cantrip he had used and what she could make out in the dark of his movements, filing the information away to study later with the primers on arcane lore Julius had picked out for her.

However what had happened seemed to be an electrical problem and that was an area she understood quite well, faced with a practical technical problem Willow's nervousness and shyness retreated as she was in her element, reaching into her pocket for her swiss army knife and mini maglite she started hunting for the circuit breaker a lab using the amount of power Lucien was using would have had to had installed. Sure enough she found it and after pulling out a still smoking and warm fuse replaced it with the supply thoughtfully provided in a mount on the inside of the inspection cover....

[i:5589d9ab4f]"HUM......"[/i:5589d9ab4f]

The lab blinked back into life, computers started booting, equipment whirred....

[i:5589d9ab4f]"Ah.... Lets hope the automatic backups saved most of our data..."[/i:5589d9ab4f]

Willow offered hopefully as Lucien had dispelled his flame and was franticly tapping away at his computer, studying the burnt out fuse with interest only having seen damage like it once when Morathi's New Orleans chantry had been caught up in a particularly strong storm that her mistress had been struggling to master with her elemental magics. Lucien gave a triumphant whoop as he managed to salvage the results they had almost lost...

[i:5589d9ab4f]"Odd... I didnt hear a storm...."[/i:5589d9ab4f]

She paused as she noticed a scorch mark on the lab's lightswitch considering the implications...

Later in her room Willow pulled out one of her new books flipping though pages until she found what she sought.

[i:5589d9ab4f]PATH OF THE LEVINBOLT[/i:5589d9ab4f]

Willow studied the text detailing the evolution of mystical astrology combined with the birth of science and electricity and how vampiric mages had worked to tame the raw elemental power of lightning. In medieval times this research had been limited to the power harnessed from infrequent storms of suitable magnitude. But as the text revealed in modern times the art had blossomed as electricity could be drawn upon as easily as turning on a tap of water...

She pondered this:-
- Someone had been at the door watching them.
- Said person had some variation of such a power.
- Said person may not have control of this power, if so did she need to warn the tutors... Or... It was intentional, if so, Why?

She wondered what her mistress had gotten her into....

It had been a confusing few weeks since the school had entered its first full term.

Among his classmates there were the following:

Vampiric sorcerors that belonged to a race called Kindred. And were designated as belonging to a tribe, or a Clan called Traymare.

A dragon-girl. Who was as beautiful as she was mysterious. And apparently fairly old, a fact which made him feel ever more underage.

And a kid much younger than himself who had a much more pronounced talent for magic.

He hadn’t been sleeping well at all.

In fact, he had been having disturbing nightmares every night for the last week. Admittedly they all ended with him breaking through a watery wave in a flash of light. But the fact that he spent much of the dream fighting terrifying monsters beneath the ocean waves, watching the others being destroyed, left him reeling and sweating.

In the dream he had imagined himself as one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, fighting against the Fomorians and their King, B’lor. And every time he awoke he was hovering above his bed, a fine watery vapour swirling around him and a sense of foreboding that throwing open the window shutters and bathing in sunlight couldn’t shift.

He was point in fact, quite unwell.

He had spoken with Guido on the subject, but the stunted Gargoyle only suggested he address Maestro Darrant for his thoughts upon the dream and its imagery.

So Marley, fearing ridicule, kept silent. And stewed.

-------------

He lay in bed, watching the nocturnal students out in the yard, as he found his page in a book he had found in the library.

Reading a book of names and their meanings, he began to feel drowsy. The book ever-heavier in his fingers he fell asleep. And dreamt of sunken cities, vast polyphemous things that shook and trembled as they moved, and of the Kill-Glance arcing its terrible power over everything that dared move.

The dream ended as it always did. With Marley throwing himself from the depths. A surge of light and heat propelling him out of Balor’s reach........


[img:8de824b401]http://www.tiger1313.webpark.pl/icons.jpg[/img:8de824b401]

The window seat offered much to the introspective person, a deep cushion for comfort, double-paned glass to retain heat in the winter and dark tinting for cooler summers, and, lastly, an interesting view of the front of the school building.

Part of Nyoko's latest task from Headmaster Julius was to study the theories behind the Principles of Sympathy and Contagion. The book lay open at her feet as she relaxed into the overstuffed pillows arranged in the alcove. She had tried to get into it for a while but as the night closed in on her, she broke off to let her mind drift over the demonstration that was to follow her completion of the reading assignment.

She reclined further and turned her head to stare out the huge bay-style windows. They stood partially open letting in the sounds and smells of the evening. Tameko had decided to spend some time before bed torturing the koi again and Nyoko watched him go, hoping that this wouldn't be the one instance when he would get caught. So far, the gardeners didn't know what was agitating the fish and throwing off their appetites.

Suddenly, a strange noise began to intrude on her solitude. It was coming from outside, rushing towards the house. A single brilliant headlight appeared and the mystery of the rumble began to resolve itself as a beautiful motorcycle and pulled up at the main entrance and a man swung off the bike. It was too dark to see any of his features, but his resolute stride was confident and powerful.

Nyoko rose from the seat and wandered towards the massive entryway. She heard the murmur of voices as the Master's majordomo explained to the visitor that the Headmaster would return within a few days. She stopped just out of clearing hearing range and got her first good look at the man with the bike. Her mouth almost dropped open in shock.

Here was an older version of the boy named Haven, only a lot more of everything. More presence, more height, more muscles, just more. The butler finished speaking and they both turned in her direction. The stranger's eyes met her and she felt the weight of ages in that assessment, knowing that this was no ordinary man.

A shout and the pounding of feet had all three turning to look down the hall. The head groundskeeper was chasing a purple streak which was winging towards her. Out of the corner of her eye, Nyoko saw the Kindred move up closer and watched his eyes almost bug out as he realized that the blur was a small dragon. The gardener was brought up short by the collection of people in the hall and Tameko, quaking with fear, made a tremendous leap and burrowed into her clothes, melding to her skin and deeper to avoid punishment. The new vampire had made an abortive attempt to prevent the small lizard from jumping her but stopped when he saw the head curve around her shoulder and become 2 dimensional. Nyoko smiled and went to soothe the gardener, knowing that this man would probably seek her out later, and this was a good thing. School just got more interesting.

Wren found himself surprised, for the first time in a good many years. After almost a thousand years, he had thought he had seen it all, however, today proved him wrong... dragons, creatures he wasn't too sure he had believed existed in the first place, had just proved to be very real, and this particular one had seemed to turn into a tattoo on what appeared to be a very pretty young girl.

So not once, but twice, within the scope of as many minutes, he had learned new things, encountered firsts in his life... this was an unsettling revelation to him... this seemed odd to him, but what was to say that this manner of oddity was not the norm for this... magi school?

A moment passed, and suddenly, the hilarity of the situation struck him, and he found himself chuckling and shaking his head, it was actually rather refreshing, the feeling of surprise. That, and the fact that he could still be startled reminded him of who he was; While being startled was far from pleasant, it definitely stirred the curiousity and humor in him from the icy cold caress of the ennui that he had felt as of late.

"Perhaps I need this place as much as Haven does," He said with a laugh, and eyed the servant as he came back to escort him to accomodations that Julius had been foresighted enough to set up for visitors... Wren stepped into the room, and stretched, looking back in annoyance as the man posed a question.

"Will you be needing help with any baggage?" The servant asked, and Wren shook his head to indicate that he had no luggage to speak of, while supressing the urge to scream at the man 'I arrived an a motorcycle, I am a centuries old VAMPIRE! Do you think I need help with any thrice bedamned luggage!'

Fortunately, Wren was able to recognize that urge as the Brujah in him that screamed for conflict, for chaos and rage, for the thrill of letting go, and, aside from being uncalled for with a man who was just doing his job, was also a dangerous road to take.

Finally, Wren sat down at a desk, and began scribbling furiously in one of his many diaries... he had a small library full of them... and then the thought struck him that perhaps, if he intended to teach... he glanced at his diary, then at his pen... it would take some work, most definitely, but it was definitely an inspired thought... he stepped out of the door and yelled for the servant.

"On second thought, there IS something you can help me with," He said, and then scribbled down a list of things he needed, which he handed to the servant, who, reading it, raised a brow, before nodding and hurrying off. Wren stared at the book behind him, it was one of the more recent, only covering about the last sixty years, but it would do for the moment...

He was going to have to work fast.