The endless desert stretched far across the expanse of Gabriel's view. Although the sun shone brightly, the sand and sparse trees were colored blue, seemingly drained of all life. Gabriel had walked for days now, never tiring and never growing hungry, but a certain dread had filled his stomach since the outset.
His movement had slowed to a mere crawl and every step felt like a mountain of effort. As he climbed his way up a large indigo dune, he sighed....what was he looking for again? It had been so long he could hardly remember.
Trudging with what seemed like his last spurt of energy, he stood atop the peak of the dune, surveying his surroundings. The blue desert had grown darker now...the sand a dark brown and the sky a foreboding hue. The sun had disappeared, now replaced by a heavy moon that seemed ridiculously large for the sky. Gabriel groaned and heard his voice echoe over and over, bouncing off the very sand itself it seemed.
Below, at the base of the dune, a canyon seemed to have appeared from nowhere. The rocky cliffs leading down to an inky abyss that eyes could not penetrate. Gabriel scaled his way carefully down the dune towards the canyon, pausing at the edge.
"SORENTI......ARE YOU DOWN THERE...." he called out, cupping one hand to his mouth. All at once his mission came flooding back to his mind...he had to find his Sire. Silence left it's unanswering trademark as Gabriel waited for his reply.
He stood up, the canyon was empty and who knew how deep it was. The Ventrue sighed and dug into his hip pouch, looking for his canteen of vitae. He pulled from the khaki bag, a golden pocket watch. The watch shone brightly, even though the moon was now obscurred by clouds, it seemed to glow on its own.
Gabriel sighed heavily, it was the watch that Sorenti had given to him upon his arrival to Cascadia..he kept it with him always. The watch began to wriggle in his grasp...Gabriel stepped back in awe, dropping the watch to the sand.
The pocket watch thrashed in the sand violently, sending waves through the air. Slowly the watch head turned towards Gabriel, lifting itself up on it's golden chain. The lid of the watch opened, like a jaw, and displayed a gruesome array of fangs.
"What in the...in the...in the...." Gabriel whispered still backing away. The golden timepiece hissed and slithered away, creeping over the edge and into the depths of the canyon.
Gabriel ran to the edge and stared down into the darkness. The watch! The Ventrue slowly turned around and dropped his legs over the edge, placing them on two sturdy footholds. Carefully he began lowering himself down, scaling the cliff face nervously.
Suddenly and without warning, the cliff began to crumble away, sending Gabriel free falling. His hands reached out for security and sanction...but found nothing. The world was pitch black, but in the distance Gabriel could see the ground fast approaching.
He landed roughly on the rocky terrain, his impact sending up a large dust cloud which slowly settled around him. He inhaled and began violently coughing as the thick sand entered his dead lungs.
Standing up and brushing himself he noticed he was naked, his clothes and bag stripped from him. He tried to blood heal but found he had no power to do so....his disciplines had been stripped away from him...
Ahead, through a group of thorn bushes, the golden watch shone brightly. Gabriel sighed and began carefully navigating his way through the thorny underbrush, yelping occasionally as the razor like thorns sliced gashes in his naked body.
He emerged from the bushes and knelt down next to the watch, reaching to pick it up. The ground began to rumble under his feet and for a moment Gabriel thought it was an earth quake. A large chasm opened up beneath his feet and he had to leap clear to avoid falling. As he leapt back his feet slipped on the soft sand of the ground and he fell onto his back.
He lay on his back watching the chasm spread wider...a vile black smoke spurting from within its depths. The smoke slowly began to form a shape....a human with the yellow eyes of a serpent. Gabriel held a breath as the form took shape...something familiar...
Sorenti's face beamed brightly from the smoke...as he stepped forward onto the sand. His eyes were still yellow, but the rest of him the same. Gabriel leapt to his feet, his heart pounding.
"Sire!!" he cried out, his word sounding heavy and saturated, it practically leaked from his mouth. He approached Sorenti and grapped his hand, tears welling up in his eyes.
His Sire glanced down, the moon reflecting vibrantly off his golden hair, and looked at his hand. Gabriel followed his gaze and looked at his hand. From Sorenti's forearm, in the place of a hand, a large black snake protruded. Gabriel gasped and leapt back looking up at Sorenti.
Sorenti's face had changed....where once was a kind father...now sat the head of a king cobra, jaws agape displaying a fierce row of fangs. The head darted forward closing its jaws on Gabriel's neck, who screamed in agony as his throat was ripped open and black blood bubbled forth....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gabriel shrieked and bolted to a sitting position, the thin satin sheets sticking to his sweating torso. He threw his hands to his neck only to find his own smooth skin. He sighed heavily, raising a hand to his pounding head and glancing around.
He sat in his bedroom, the windows blacked out and keeping out the last rays of a setting sun. His body was slick with perspiration. Something was wrong....
Outside the wind blew cold through the Cascadian streets...Gabriel felt a dagger like pain in his soul. An eternity away his Sire felt the same....

((ooooooooh neat-o

((seriously cool Gabe-o hehe, sweet post :smile:

As dawn approached, Sorenti felt drained and the need to sleep dragging at him. He looked at El-Assli with questioning eyes, only to see him in a similar state of tranquility before sleep.

"How am I so tired?" Sorenti asked

El-Assli spoke as he sluggishly moved over to bolt the heavy sanctum door from the inside,

"The spirits have honoured me to bring you back in the form of a vampire such as I"

"A...a....a...WHAT?" Sorenti stammered

"Hush now Great One....sleep as your body commands...your education will begin when you wake, we will see to it that you learn everything which you need." El-Assli's voice trailed off to a whisper as he drifted into rest, but Sorenti was already asleep.

In one of the many backstreets of Rome, Morkarlov asked the question again. The snivelling wretch in his hand garbling some nonsense about sparing his life,

"Answer me, cretin, where is Sorenti and where is Los Requis?"

"I..I...don't know" the man gasped as Morkarlov's grip tightened on his throat.

"Tell me, fool, I know you have information otherwise I wouldn't be here...now talk!"

But before the man could even attempt an answer, Morkarlov heard a scream in his mind "Los Requis...Gabe....Oh God noooo!" Morkarlov doubled over with the pain and intensity of the scream. The he looked back to the man in his grasp, only to see the body hanging limply in his hand, the throat crushed. In disgust, Morkarlov threw the body hard against the wall, leaving it slumped where it fell. He had heard the voice in his mind, definitely Sorenti, the electricity had rushed through him and then gone just as quickly.

Mentally he scanned for his childe, but where it had just been strong, now was nothing, like Sorenti had literally been wiped from the face of the earth. His face grew dark with anger and determination, the voice had been a long way away, but it was all he had. Morkarlov carefully replayed the call in his mind and located the rough direction from which he had felt the pull. He aligned it with a local landmark, then returned to his office to find some maps, something was wrong, very wrong.

Rhiannon awoke in a familiar chamber....she felt weak, and her forearm was freshly bandaged. As her eyes focused around her, she saw the flashing eyes of Sorenti hovering above her, worry and relief intermingled. He kneeled next to her on the bed, placing one hand over the locket that bound them. "I thought you wouldn't come back...you were gone..lost to me forever." Rhiannon found she was too weak to speak, but managed to place a cool, soft hand up to Sorenti's cheek. She glanced at her forearm, the bandage slightly soaking through..a strange pattern (?) Sorenti kissed her neck softly and whispered "It'sss going to be alright my beloved little Prince...you will ssssssseee." Rhiannon looked into his eyes, puzzled by his speech, and he flashed his winning smile at her...as a forked tongue darted out from between his lips.
---------------------------

From within the walls of the crypt in the cemetary, screaming could be heard....

((wow, love the posts :smile: umm one question...what is it with seeing Sorenti as some sort of snake? lmao He's not a damn Setite! lol Oh, errr...sorry setites hehehe :P

Sorenti's eyes snapped open from a dreamless state, he raised himself up on one elbow and looked around, pleased to see El-Assli already awake and waiting for him.

"Good evening Great One"

"Please don't call me that" Sorenti replied "I am certain you have earned your place amongst these people, to call me such when I know nothing does not seem correct."

"As you wish Grea...errr...my liege...errr...well what should I call you sir?" El-Assli said, floundering for words.

"Have I no other names you know me by?" Sorenti asked

"Well the Ahmar Kitab only refers to yourself as The Great One, so...uhhh....no, not really"

"Well then I must find one!" Sorenti exclaimed. He looked down in thought and saw La Magra laying across his legs like a faitful dog. The blade glinted evilly in the sparse light and Sorenti noticed there was a word engraved near the hilt...

"Mor....kar...lov is that?" turning the sword over, he found a word on the other side "and S...or..en..ti, hmmm...what do these words mean?"

"We are not sure sire, we have studied to try to discover some meaning but neither word seems to have any significance, forgive us." El-Assli nervously replied.

Sorenti waved off his apology and thought for a moment..."Hmmm...perhaps they are names? Anyway, I need a name...one of these will do...pick one"

"M..me? errr...Morkar...err..what was it again?" El-Assli stammered

"Exactly, bit of a mouthful huh?...Ok...I shall take the other...Sorenti...hmmm Sorenti, yes I sort of like it" He continued to sound out the name Sorenti, pronouncing each syllable deliberately and slowly. "Yes, that will do, Sorenti it shall be!"

"Very well sire...errr...Sorenti sir" El-Assli said, pleased at the accomplishment, however small. "And now Sorenti sir, if you feel up to it, I believe we should begin your education into the world?"

"Sure, why not?" Sorenti replied with a smile "I am eager to learn of myself, of you and what this world contains"

He jumped down from the altar-like slab he lay on and followed El-Assli out of the sanctum and down the hall to an impressively extensive library. The two took a comfortable armchair each, side by side at a long, oak table, imported from England 400 years previously by El-Assli himself.

"Well, Sorenti sir, where would you like to start?" El-Assli asked

"hmmm...ok...how about with what you said before we slept...about what I am?"

"Very well, I will tell you the history of yourself and then we can move on to the history of what you are now, that ok by you sir?"

"Fine, fine...I am intrigued and I desire to know as much as possible" Sorenti replied.

So began a long narrative by El-Assli who told Sorenti all about the origins of The Great One and that he, El-Assli (The Original), was named so because it was he who first translated the Ahmar Kitab, 1009 years ago. As he spoke, Sorenti listened intently, his empty mind taking in every word.

Back out in the desert, exactly 10 miles SouthWest of where Sorenti had been buried, a lone Poinciana tree, magnificent in full bloom began to wither and die, its blackened trunk becoming a wispy finger of the earth clawing a last goodbye at the sky as it fell. The sandy ground shuddered and lay still, the wind rose and swept away the ashes of the now crumbled tree. Roughly a mile below the surface, a body breathed out for the last time as its spirit finally died after thousands of years in rest.

((did they pick the wrong guy??? oh dear!

((Well I just kind of figured that between Rhiannon and Gabriels bonds to Sorenti..that these lovely dreams they are having are telling clues as to Sorenti's whereabouts :P But then thats just me....and as I recall Sorenti and Rhi were 2/3 blood bound at one point werent they? ))

((Sounds about right to me Rhia :smile: cool post and cool dreams both of you :smile: good stuff :grin:

((damn they got the wrong guy! That Sucks!...i wonder how they got the sword...a mistaken relic....and if they woke the guy they were looking for and he could not weild the sword would there have been a problem? ohhh....i love this story line! make a book for us? :smile: and if there is no know reason, could you tell us so? :smile: :grin: :grin:

((God Ray... how many characters can you RP for board purposes at once?! *can see him doing an entire thread ON HIS OWN*

((lol Diam and Rof...
Rof, everything is revealed in due time hehehe....they got the wrong sword AND the wrong person cos of one small mistake :grin:

Sorenti nodded as El-Assli explained everything from the Ahmar Kitab,

"So I have been around since before man...uh huh, imprisoned in the ground for speaking my mind to a higher being, possibly God...ok...but how did you know exactly where to look for me?" he asked

"As with everything, Sorenti sir, it is written here in the scrolls" El-Assli replied as he began to quote the Ahmar Kitab, "Precisely 150 miles SouthWest of the statue at the entrance to the Temple of Amon, Karnak, lays the dormant body of The Great One" he pointed to the paragraph for Sorenti to see.

"And my sword?" Sorenti asked, "how did you find that?"

"Well sir, it is written that the sword lay just under the sand, near where you were buried. When we got there, it was after several sandstorms and we could clearly see the area where the sand had been dug away. Someone had beaten us to it. Then, two days later, we heard of an auction at the local market, a magical sword the centrepiece. Obviously, with magical items being so rare, it was too much of a coincedence, so we sent some of our best men along who purchased the sword. Far cheaper than we had anticipated, might I add. Anyway, when we discovered it could not be held by any of us, again as the Ahmar Kitab foretells, we knew it was your sword. Then when you held it aloft without even flinching, everything fell into place, hence the cheer from the people sir."

"I see, very intriguing and may I offer my thanks to you for retrieving it on my behalf El-Assli" Sorenti said

"O..Oh..errrr...certainly not needed Sorenti sir, w..we...w..w..would have done anything for your greatness to be restored..s..sir" El-Assli stammered

Sorenti smiled and clapped El-Assli on the shoulder, making him cough.

"So now I know what I was and I thankyou for that....but what am I now? you said we were similar? that correct?"

"Yes indeed Sorenti sir, you have been resurrected in the immortal form of a vampire, Kindred or Cainite as some call it, as I am myself."

"Ah, ok...so we are brothers then?" Sorenti asked

"Not exactly, Sorenti sir, we are similar but not the same, I think...you see, in the beginning was Caine..."

El-Assli described to Sorenti the origin of Kindred, the clans, antediluvians, the Jyhad, Elders, the embrace...everything in detail, to Sorenti's nods of understanding, approval and the odd frown at certain points.

"So, there are 13 clans right?" Sorenti asked receiving a nod from El-Assli, "So which clan am I?"

"Ahh, well each clan has its own weakness or trait with which it identifies itself, more or less. I am Tzimisce, but I am fairly sure you are not, you see we are generally a close clan, have been always, I am sure I could sense it if you were the same."

"So if each clan has a way to distinguish it from others..which one am I?" Sorenti asked again

"Err...well that might prove to be a process of elimination and may take some time before the trait is revealed. You are not Nosferatu or Gangrel, that much I am pretty positive of."

"Really, how so?" Sorenti inquired student-like

"Well sir, Nosferatu are hideously ugly by mortal standards and Gangrel have strong animalistic tendencies, often interfering with their appearance. So you see, you are neither of those and I have seen no violent outbursts, so I would tend to think you are not Brujah, though you could be on their rarer scholastic side I admit."

"Ok, so how do we find out?"

"Do not worry Sorenti sir, I am positive your clan, if you indeed have one, will be revealed in due time. That ok sir?" El-Assli asked, this time to receive a nod from Sorenti, "Great, then shall we continue?"

"Actually I feel hungry, well, thirsty, sort of...I think" Sorenti said with a look that said he was trying to decide.

"Oh dear, pardon my rudeness sir, here we have sat, most of the night and I have been so overawed by your actual presence, that I have forgotten my manners." El-Assli clapped twice and the huge doors opened slightly, a head appearing round them. El-Assli motioned the lad in and he obeyed without fear. The young man presented his arm to Sorenti to drink from, as though it was a great honour. Sorenti looked at El-Assli, who gave him an assuring glance, so Sorenti bent his head to the lad's arm, pierced it with his fangs and began to drink gently.

Coughing badly, Sorenti spat the young man's blood out in disgust...

"Sorry, so...sorry, just couldn't...yuck" Sorenti said in between retching fits.

"Not a problem," El-Assli said, "we'll get another" he clapped again and a graceful lady entered, her long, dark hair flowing round her. She kneeled before Sorenti and drew back her hair, revealing her slender neck. Sorenti shrugged, mildly amused and bit her neck as gently as he could. Again he had to spit the blood out...

"Better...a bit....but still no" he stammered

A thin smile crossed El-Assli's lips as he ordered in a number of members, who stood attentively in a line of presentation.

"Ok...listen to your blood and pick from them" El-Assli urged Sorenti.

Sorenti nodded and began to walk along the line, ignoring the men, he chose a slightly older female with shoulder length, brown hair. Yet again he was forced to spit it out and went back to the line.

"Better still," he spat "but...ahhh..hmmm, how about you?" he said to a short, but petite blonde. She smiled and nodded, pulling her hair back as the first had done, offering her neck. Sorenti bit and tasted the blood, a sweet shiver ran through him as the vitae sparked at his soul. He nodded to El-Assli who sent the others away, allowing Sorenti some privacy while he "dined".

"Unfortunately, women like her are rare in these parts, what with everyone being dark of skin and hair, but we will arrange it." El-Assli rambled as Sorenti drank, "and now at least, we know your clan, for the blood preference weakness is primarily a virtue, as they call it, of the blue-blooded, Ventrue clan."

He paused to look up at Sorenti who had not responded. Sorenti realised El-Assli was looking at him and stopped feeding, the girl dropping from his arms, dead before she hit the floor.

"Errr..ooops" Sorenti said, "did you say we weren't supposed to kill when feeding?"

El-Assli chuckled and then shrugged, "Ahh not to worry sir, it is in our interests if we leave the mortals unaware and alive. But she would willingly have died for you, in fact she did, so do not trouble yourself."

"Hmmm...I will be more careful next time," Sorenti vowed, but felt no guilt.

"Ok, well, as I was saying Sorenti sir, we will arrange to get more of her kind here for your err..disposal, shall we say? Oh and you are most definitely of the clan Ventrue. Which, I guess, is quite fitting really, for they are the richest, businessmen types usually...the "Lords" of the Kindred within the mortal world. You are a "Lord" among all beings...so why not follow suit hey? Anyway, now we know, perhaps you would like me to fill you in about your clan, in a little more detail?"

"Excellent proposal, I feel much much better now, so please...do tell, do tell" Sorenti said, refreshed and eager to hear more.

El-Assli proceeded to talk of clan Ventrue, about the fabled Carthage and problems with the Brujah, legends, stories, the Camarilla's founding and so on until almost dawn. Realising the time, El-Assli stopped his recital and readings,

"Are you tired sir? I feel the tug of daylight approaching, we do not HAVE to sleep by day, especially since down here the sun cannot reach us. But it is better to get some rest and be strong at all times."

Sorenti nodded and rose from his chair, following El-Assli back to the sanctum of the day before. He watched as El-Assli bolted the heavy door and returned to the altar-like slab of stone.

"I have much to prepare for you Sorenti sir, so tomorrow night, if it is ok with you, I ought to go out into Cairo, to make sure things are progressing. The library and everything here is at your complete disposal, if you need anything, just ask anyone, they will not hesitate, I will be gone for a few days, but I will return with some women of your preference too. Will that be alright sir?" El-Assli asked

"That will be great, thankyou" Sorenti replied with a yawn, "I have a thirst for knowledge now and the library itself will prove entertainment enough."

"Very well sir, rest well"

"And you El-Assli and you" Sorenti said as he closed his eyes, allowing sleep to take over, sending him into merging dreams of history and clan Ventrue.

As Sorenti woke the following evening, El-Assli was just leaving the sanctum. Sorenti called out to him,

"Errr...El-Assli?"

"Yes, Sorenti sir?"

"Do you think you could get me a new one from somewhere?" he said as he held out the tattered parts of his shirt, damaged where his jacket had not covered it.

"Of course sir, Oh...would you like me to take your jacket to be oiled? it'll come back as good as new!"

"Err, yes ok, if you wouldn't mind?" Sorenti asked,

"Of course not Sorenti sir, here" as he took Sorenti's offered jacket, almost dropping it due to its weight, "I'll be back in a few days, remember, if you need anything at all, just ask anyone!"

"Very well, I shall and thankyou again"

"Think nothing of it, Sorenti sir" El-Assli replied with a smile as he closed the sanctum door behind him, the key in the lock, on Sorenti's side. Sorenti stretched and hopped down off the slab, he had a lot to study...

((go to new thread "Education" hehe :P ))