The next day around 11 am, Julius woke up Eveshka. He had an odd look about him. Sort of smug. Oh, and he had on sunglasses for some strange reason. "We're going for a walk, lover," he said.

She looked up at him, her eyes bleary with sleep. "But... the sun is out."

He walked over to the curtains, which were completely drawn, and flung them open. He flinched slightly but otherwise stood in the brilliant Russian morning. "How are you doing that?" she asked, standing up to reveal her body in all its glory.

"Magic," he said simply. "But I can't keep it up for a more than a few hours, so," he closed the curtains again. "We'll have to keep these shut until we're ready to leave."

Several hours and several vials of vitae later, the pair of them walked out under the cloudless blue sky. There hotel was right near the kremlin of Novgorod. Contrary to popular misconception there is not only one kremlin. Indeed there would have been one in every major city state. Novgorod, one time the most important city in this part of Russia, was no different. They walked beneath the gold domed cathedrals as Julius asked her gentle questions about her first few months as a vampire.

He knew most of the tale of course, but seeing actual places and landmarks to go along with the tale was quite impressive. They got into a rented ZIL-41047 with heavily tinted windows and drove out into the countryside. They headed southwest back towards Pskov. They passed right through the town about 30 minutes later. Several minutes afterwards they arrived at the monastery and pulled up to the visitors entrance. Julius paid the few rubles admission and the pair walked in.

As it was self guided, the pair wandered through unmolested by tour guides, or indeed tourists. There were very few windows thankfully. She led him to a great room lit only by candles and by a few narrow windows near the base of the onion dome nearly 60 feet above them. The smell of incense and mustiness pervaded the place. Mulititudes of dust particles danced in the feeble rays of light. They walked up to the great iconostasis in the central sanctuary of St. Stanislas.

"I feel something odd here," said Eveshka. She turned around sharply and looked into a shadowy recess. Julius looked as well, with his heightened senses he saw noting out of the ordinary. "You're just jumpy love," he said. But he felt something odd as well. Something familiar.
He shook it off to channeling some of Eveshka's still potent presence. Eveshka looked around. Julius watched her curiously. Her aura was somewhat muddled. It flashed between curiousity and anxiety. Without a word, Eveshka strode straight up to the Royal Door and opened it. The stepped into the chamber behind it, the Holiest Place and looked up at the wealth of books.

With his heightened senses, Julius could still make out the carbon scoring on part of the wall. However, the part closest to the center remained unscathed and was still the original structure. "This part did not burn," said Julius. He looked around and something caught his eye.

"Evey?" he asked.

"Yes?" she responded softly.

"Did you know there was a secret door here?" he asked again.

She looked at him oddly. She had been in and around that area scores of times when she was a little girl having sneaked into the place and had no idea that there was anything of the sort there. "Really?" she asked.

"Yuh-huh," he said. "Right here. I can see minute scratches along the base of the stone."

He closed his eyes and sent out a psychic projection into the place. It traveled down a winding staircase and into something resembling an oubliette. He opened his eyes again and reached out and pushed on the stone that had the most residual osmotic energy. He could tell from nearly nonexistant signature that this door had not been used in at least hundreds of years. Perhaps almost as many as 800.

The wall clicked and a portion of it moved slightly. Julius and Eve pushed on that part and it opened reluctantly. "Wait," said Julius. He turned around and muttered some words in hermetic latin. "There," he said. "Anyone coming near this place will suddenly remember they had to be someplace else and will not come further. If they do manage to get through, they will see nothing but a stone wall. Or so the theory goes at any rate," he finished.

The pair went down into the gloom. Julius said, "Creo Ignem," and a bale fire ignited in his hand lighting their way. After a while they reached the oubliette, which turned out to be a very old library. "Jesus," whispered Julius as he looked at the books. "These are in a dialect of Hermetic Latin. It almost looks like the progenitor of Hermetic Latin."

Eveshka pulled down a book and opened it. She blew a lair of dust from the pages and looked at the diagram. "I can't read this," she said. "It's Cyrillic, but it makes no sense." Julius looked over at it and shrugged. He held out another book.

"This one is written in the same language as the Scroll," he said.

She looked over at it. She leafed through it. "This looks like a crude map of the world," she said pointing out a faded picture. Julius looked at it.

"Yes, it does." He took the book from her and used Spirit's Touch on it. "Before you touched this, the last thing to touch it was Tzimisce."

"Tzimisce?" she asked. "There were Tzimisce here when I ruled this place?" She was plainly astonished. "I didn't think they came until after the middle ages. I thought they were merely interlopers at that time."

"Do you know much about the Teutonic Order, Eve?" asked Julius.

She shook her head. "Nothing concrete. It was rumoured that it was a front for the Tremere."

"It was no rumour. The Teutonic Order was one of our means of coercing mortals and remaining hidden from the common eye," he said. "This doesn't make sense though. I thought that the Knights under Tremere control were based in Vienna." He ruffled his hair in thought. "I am thinking that we controlled the entire Order, including the Swedish branch."

"If that is the case, then a Tremere sent the entire Swedish Army into Russia in 1242," said Eveshka.

Julius nodded. "They wanted something. I bet they wanted this."

"But they never found it," said Eveshka. Julius shook his head no.

"It would appear not," said Julius. "I bet that they pressed on towards Novgorod knowing that Prince Nevsky would rally the countryside and try to eject them. They tried to buy the Tremere time with their lives."

"Why didn't they find it then?" asked EVeshka.

"You guess is as good as mine at this point," said Julius.

"Wait," said Eve. "Wolves. The wolves were abnormally loud. We thought that they were being controlled by the vadyanoy."

"The what?" asked Julius.

"Water-spirit." answered Eveshka distractedly. "I've since come to learn that those things in the woods were Nosferatru. Though there is the Old-Grandmother...." she trailed off.

"Old-Grandmother?" asked Julius thinking that he knew the answer but dreading it just the same.

"Yes," said Eveshka, turning her icey blue eyes to him. "Baba-Yaga."

"She's real?" asked Julius.

Eveshka merely nodded. "Do you know where she lives?" asked Julius.

"I know where she LIVED," said Eveshka. "But that was very long ago. I saw her once as a little girl one winter's night. And then I saw her again as an ancillae. She made her home then in the forests west of Kiev."

"Kiev eh?" said Julius thinking.

They spent several more hours looking through the treasure trove of what appeared to be Cainite knowledge and by the time night had fallen outside, they had taken what books they would and made their way up through the darkened church and outside. Now free of the sunlight, Julius rocketed them back to Novgorod in the ZIL. It seemed they would be headed to Kiev next. The question was, Julius thought to himself as Eveshka dozed in the passenger seat next to him, whom should they tell, if anyone.

[i:7e1da577dd]"If I may say Gabriel,"[/i:7e1da577dd] Tyler spoke without lifting his eyes from his task of neatly packing several sets of Gabriel's clothes in the rucksack. [i:7e1da577dd]"I'm still not entirely comfortable with them leaving. I mean, haven't we wasted enough time here already? And then for them just up and [b:7e1da577dd]go[/b:7e1da577dd] without so much as a word or explanation."[/i:7e1da577dd]

[i:7e1da577dd]"Eveshka may be subject to any fanciful whim that strikes her romantic nature, but I assure you that Julius is not."[/i:7e1da577dd] Gabriel replied casually, unhooking his laptop and securing it in it's carrying case. [i:7e1da577dd]"If he's chosen to leave to Russia with her, I'm sure he has an excellent reason."[/i:7e1da577dd]

Both men fell silent, although Tyler became a bit more assertive with his style of packing. The idea that his master who followed this Darrant character around like a lapdog, could be so frivolously dismissed. He had not even been informed of their leaving!

[i:7e1da577dd]"Regardless Tyler, I think the man has every right for a bit of a holiday, don't you? He's only just had Eveshka returned to him."[/i:7e1da577dd] The Ventrue looked earnestly compassionate as he spoke, but his ghoul did not buy into it.

[i:7e1da577dd]"Now you're simply making excuses for yourself Gabriel. I know I'm out of place here, but visiting Ms. Belvadere at this time doesn't seem all too prudent either..."[/i:7e1da577dd]

A flash of anger shone through the cool green of the Ventrue's normally serene eyes.

[i:7e1da577dd]"You're right, you are out of place."[/i:7e1da577dd]

Once more, they went silently back to their respective tasks. Kathy had left of her own accord, an act that had nearly driven Gabriel to leave the coterie. But for all his desires, he had remained true to Julius. But now, with Gideon's entrance into the fray, he had no choice but to leave. If nothing else, he had to ensure her safety.

Morathi drove her rented car quietly still in the habit of wearing Lucilla Troy's trademark white outfits, although for the practicalities required for omfort during the Russian driving experience, she had opted for one of her snug leather outfits that kept the chilly drafts out as she drove.

She had been shadowing Eveshka since her restoration and during her rehabilitation almost afraid to actually face her and express how glad she felt about her return. Already able to remain in the daylight like Eveshka could now she was almost her shadowy sister watching over her during the day when the others in the coterie could not be with her. It had been painful seeing Eve returned to life and forcing herself to remain in the shadows. That day on the beach she had almost succumbed to an urge to join her there and then under the warm glow of the sunlight instead of bathing discretely a short distance off herself and not revealing herself to Eveshka's attention.

She was still a little unsure of how her relationship with Eveshka stood at the time being, at York she was almost willing to throw away her career for her. Fate had intervened then, she was with whom she would later call Khemintiri. Eve had then gone back to her home in France and she herself had gone to New Orleans to start her new job as an astor in the role of the Regentia of what would be destined to be an ill fated chantry. Her job as an astor would then drive a wedge between herself and Eve again once they had been reunited in the wake of Julius' self imposed exile from House Tremere. Julius had allowed her back into their circle but she had always felt Eveshka no longer trusted her, then Eveshka had died and been reborn in a manner of speaking

Used to her mentors' habits of suddenly packing and travelling, she had arranged through Willow who was the only aide from her time as an astor that was still loyal to her exclusively and was secure in a Darrant industries R&D establishment to follow them, organising her own private jet to follow in their wake a few hours behind.

Willow had been able to trace the path through Russia Eveshka and Julius were taking and using a little of her own magical instincts to locate them more precisely Morathi had caught up with them shortly before their arrival at St. Stanislas, then following them towards Novgorod, she was curious herself as to what they had discovered at St. Stanislas that had taken them so much time inside, but for now she just wanted to be close at hand and available if needed while at the same time respecting her promise to Julius not not spy on him or Eveshka. Though knowing her mentors they were probably aware she was nearby...

____________
OOC sorry I dropped out of sight again, I've finally got myself settled in my new job, and can now keep track of the story during my breaks, so hopefully I can be more active once more...

Nice catch-up, Morathi! Well-done!! :D Post more when you can, I'll be looking forward to it! :wink:

The jet taxied lazily on the runway then slowly began to pick up speed. The nose quivered ever so slightly, like a hound picking up a scent, and began making forays into the air, higher and higher. At the same time, the speed picked up until the jet was in a race to reach the end of the tarmac. With a displaced sound of air, the nose reached skyward and the plane became a bird of freedom. It circled once and headed toward London.

Inside, Cyrilynn laid her head back on her comfortable seat and turned her vision to the stars that swirled and twirled by her view port. Glad, at last, to have left her imposed prison and certainly not eager to return to it, plush though it may have been at times. Reflecting on the past two weeks, she realized that she'd lived more, learned more, than she'd done in nearly all the time since Toisol's demise. She was finding kindred society a difficult place to live in.

And she was brooding again, something she seemed to be doing a lot of lately. Feeling decidedly eerie, she played the final blood oath meeting with Julius over in her mind again. On a mental level, she knew what it was and how it worked and had chosen this route willingly. Being on the other end of it was decidedly odd and she wasn't sure she liked it at all. Oh, not that she fought the bond, she couldn't if she wanted to, but what she felt and how she thought about it were two different states of being.

SOME TIME PRIOR TO LIFT OFF

"[i:83f28471b6]Here. Drink it.[/i:83f28471b6]" The Tremere's voice was quiet but firm as he handed her the goblet with his vitae in it. She took it and, in an impatience to get this over with, she threw it back and let it slide quickly to the back of her tongue, where she'd not have to taste much of it. It slid down her throat with a tingling fizz and there was a moment of disorientation before her world righted itself again. Her gaze flew to her regnant as her eyes acknowledged to him the status of her loyalty. He nodded as if in satisfaction.

She felt......different. A small gasp of pain escaped her as her heart, truly dead for so many years after her Sire had left her, once more experienced the need to cherish and protect a beloved one. Once again, there was a sun in the center of her existence. Yet this sun was just that. A sun. No golden ascendency, no warmth to dissipate the black void of her soul, no true raison d'etre. Her mind recongnized the sham for what it was.

She swayed in place, at the battle between her thoughts and her emotions, feeling like she was going to reject what she had imbibed. Fortunately, the Tremere's next words helped her to keep from embarrassing herself by having her focus on a newly acquired fear of hers. She who feared very few things in her unlife.

"[i:83f28471b6]I have a little ritual,[/i:83f28471b6]" he watched her eyes widen in dismay, "[i:83f28471b6]that I wish you to learn so that I may keep in touch with you at all times or should need to call upon you rather quickly. I require it of all my thralls. I'd like to have regular updates from you and this is the best way to get it.[/i:83f28471b6]" The assassin part acknowledged this as a part of a job, the Tzimisce merely took it for the bond that it was. The recently gained fear retreated from it in full route but found their cowardly way blocked by the need to obey in all things.

The next hour proved a trial for them both. Not that Cyrilynn didn't try, she had no choice, so acceeded as gracefully as she could, but her inner reluctance made it as difficult as possible. Each *[i:83f28471b6]snap-tingle[/i:83f28471b6]* as she successfully completed the spell made it harder for her to pronounce the Hermetic Latin correctly the next time around. Sheer pride, and the fact that she realized just what was happening mid-way into the lesson, finally forced her to overcome the aversion to the effects of the spell and simply get it right!

Exhausted, but basking in the glow of Julius' approval, she faced the next step in this completion of a job-gone-wrong. "[i:83f28471b6]What is it you would have of me now, Master?[/i:83f28471b6]" The wizard frowned at the appellation she'd used, "[i:83f28471b6]Don't call me that! I told you that Julius was what I wished you to address me as.[/i:83f28471b6]" She bowed very low from the waist, from student to master, "[i:83f28471b6]As you wish......Julius[/i:83f28471b6]" The hesitency was minutely brief but it was there.

"[i:83f28471b6]I think it might be wise, at this time, for you to return to your own home and set everything in order. I am sure that in the time away from it, there is much you need to catch up on. I will get in touch with you if you are needed.[/i:83f28471b6]" He dismissed her and turned to leave the room. Lady Cyrilynn blinked once and then held out a hand as if to stop him, "[i:83f28471b6]But mas.....uh, Julius. What of the spell? I can't leave this hotel until you lift it. How am I to go home if I can not leave here.[/i:83f28471b6]" Her brow furrowed in contemplation of a resolution to the problem and then looked to him for the release.

Julius halted and looked at her musingly. It would have been eminently satisfying to tell her that it had all been a sham, that there WAS no such spell, merely some hocus pocus for her own benefit. The look on her face would have been priceless. But he was no fool and he couldn't have her questioning, or even brazenly testing any and all spells he cast on her (or anyone else, for that matter). He might have need of this sort of leash in the future and, unless she somehow miraculously turned sorceress, she never need know the difference.

The wizard muttered something incomprehesible and made a quick finger gesture in Cyrilynn's direction. She sagged bone-weary shoulders in relief, letting him leave without further engaging his attention. Minutes later she walked into her own suite, flinging orders right and left. She told Serai to begin packing immediately and had Venisi secure the suite for himself, for as long as he remained here in Marsielle at her beck and call, and had him order the jet made ready for take off.

She sat down and wrote a note to Julius confirming that she was, indeed, heading home to see to her affairs, that she would remain ready for his summons. She sent it back to his apartments via Venisi. She and Serai were aboard the plane in a couple of hours and gone from French airspace in far less time than that.

Quite how Julius had arranged this was a minor mystery to Eveshka, yet the seats of the Novgorod Academic Philharmonic Theatre were packed with all the great and good of the region, who had flocked to fill the building.

The evening had commenced with Julius quite uncharacteristically refusing to go anywhere near any of the deliciously interesting books they had "liberated" from the monastery at Pskov. Instead, he had spirited her away to an intimate backstreet restaurant, which this night was serving a feast of medieval russian delicacies. Julius ate little, watching with contentment as each dish brought back another memory to Eveshka. The rich smells and flavours experienced in full by her mortal senses triggering long since buried reminiscences of her former mortal life, happier times, before the Swedish forces had arrived.

[i:1aa8c210df]"I'll get fat!"[/i:1aa8c210df] Warned Eve as Julius heaped another spoonful of the honey loaded turnip pudding onto her plate. [i:1aa8c210df]"Julius! I'll actually have to watch my weight!"[/i:1aa8c210df].

[i:1aa8c210df]"Try a little of the pork."[/i:1aa8c210df] Replied Julius with an amused smile. [i:1aa8c210df]"I think you'll enjoy the prune sauce."[/i:1aa8c210df] He added, dunking a piece of the spiced meat in the dark sauce. Eve took the opportunity to bite his fingers as he delivered it to her mouth.

Several delicacies, including a rather delicious honey mousse tort later ([i:1aa8c210df]"No, no I'm far too stuffed... give me a bite of yours, love."[/i:1aa8c210df]), Julius announced it was time to leave.

[i:1aa8c210df]"Lover, I can't move."[/i:1aa8c210df] Protested a replete, but glowing, Eveshka.

[i:1aa8c210df]"If you could just manage to..."[/i:1aa8c210df] An evil grin appeared on Julius' face. [i:1aa8c210df]"...waddle... to the car, I have a special present ready for you."[/i:1aa8c210df]

[i:1aa8c210df][b:1aa8c210df]"Waddle!?"[/b:1aa8c210df][/i:1aa8c210df] Eveshka protested. [i:1aa8c210df]"I'll show you waddle."[/i:1aa8c210df] With infinite grace, Eveshka lifted herself to her feet, moving towards the door with balletic finesse, quite deliberately and with equal control, grinding a stilletto heel into Julius' toe as she passed.

[i:1aa8c210df]"Ow!"[/i:1aa8c210df]

A giggling Eve ran towards the chauffeur driven limo, gaining a sharp slap to her deliciously pert rear for her troubles as she bent to open the door. She squealed and dragged Julius into the car. Neither one of them noticed the stoic russian driver fixing his eyes forward as they headed to the theatre...

[i:1aa8c210df]"What present?"[/i:1aa8c210df] Asked Eveshka fending off Julius' attempts to "assist" with the rearrangement of her clothes. [i:1aa8c210df]"I rather thought."[/i:1aa8c210df] Began Julius, allowing Eve to sort out his tie. [i:1aa8c210df]"That you deserved a proper homecoming. The locals seem to agree. Embracing pre-soviet heritage is somewhat encouraged, these days and having a..."[/i:1aa8c210df] He coughed. [i:1aa8c210df]"...descendant of local nobility visiting is cause to arrange a concert."[/i:1aa8c210df]

Eveshka stared at him. [i:1aa8c210df]"Isn't this a bit... high profile?"[/i:1aa8c210df] Julius shrugged. [i:1aa8c210df]"Perhaps. Fuck it."[/i:1aa8c210df]

[i:1aa8c210df]"I'm hardly dressed for..."[/i:1aa8c210df] Julius pressed a gentle hand over her lips.

[i:1aa8c210df]"You are without doubt the most beautiful daughter of Russia ever to grace the Earth. The people will love you, especially in that tiny, short..."[/i:1aa8c210df] He leered.

[i:1aa8c210df]"Julius!"[/i:1aa8c210df] Snapped Eveshka. Julius smiled. [i:1aa8c210df]"The people are eager to glimpse their Boyarina, love. We shouldn't keep them waiting."[/i:1aa8c210df]

Still following discretely as her mentors arrived at the theatre and playing the graceful role of her current mortal identity, Morathi had discretly traded white leather for ankle length white silk that contrasted with her raven black hair, modestly covering enough of her athletic figure whilst also showing enough to enflame the passions of those in the crowd she glided past with almost a dancer's grace.

She employed the use of a little presence and a generous 'Tip' in US Dollars to facilitate the process of procuring the internationally known yet elusive to interview English singer Lucilla Troy an empty box, from where she was assured a good view of Julius and Eveshka's own box as well as that of the performance.

She was a little concerned she had overdone it when they started asking her if she wished to perhaps lend her own talents to the performance but she politely declined the undue attention it would attract from her mentors by pointing out that she was eager to experience a pure taste of their own fine arts now that Russia was more open to international guests.

Settling into one of her box's seats she patiently awaited the start of the show, as eager as the crowd to catch a glimpse of Eveshka...

It had been several weeks since Julius had given Eveshka his little present
of adulation and praise from the Russian peasantry. She still basked in the
glory. Although Eve suspected that Julius had somewhat "influenced" the minds
of the masses, she enjoyed it just the same. All in all Eveshka was
enjoying herself immensely in Russia. It was a bit of a second childhood. The
longer she stayed mortal and enjoyed the epicurean pleasures of her homeland the
less she had any desire to even associate with her former undead life. Thus
far she had gotten inebriated several times on vodka, woken up with several
hangovers, indulged in cocaine and heroine (both of which Julius procured from the
Russian mob), had several foursomes and moresomes (of which Julius
participated in some and watched others and indeed in one memorable rendezvous actually
sat back and directed the entire thing). Although Julius was quite the
hedonist himself, he could not keep pace with the sex crazed Russian. "You don't
understand Julius," she snapped one day after coming down from a drug induced
high. "You can't imagine what it is like to have remembered feelings and
sensations but not been able to feel them for so long." That old argument,
thought Julius. Julius doesn't understand, Julius is too young, Julius is not
mortal, Julius is Julius is Julius is….. And so it went… until one fine day….

"I am not wasting another second on you," said Julius quite calmly. "I have
been through hell for you. Traveled the distance of the globe for you. I've
rearranged the stars in the heavens for you. I've given up position and
prestige and spent God knows how much fucking money on you."

Eveshka merely stood there looking at him with her arms crossed, the tingling
sensation of the latest waves of orgasms still coursing up and down her body.
Julius had walked in on her with three men. At the time she was
"entertaining" one of them in her vagina and alternating sucking on the other two. The
"gentlemen" in question raised the usual protests common to men who are
interrupted in mid spurt. They now lay in smoldering piles of ash on the floor.
Thus Eveshka stood with arms crossed, semen running down her leg and semen
dribbled down her chin, neck, and breasts. "You," began Eveshka.

"Don't understand," finished Julius. "Maybe not. Either way I find I don't
give a shit anymore. Have a nice life Jezebel. Don't ever darken my door
again."

Eveshka started to get tears in her eyes.

Julius put up one hand. "Save the tears for someone who might "understand"
as you say."

With that, Julius packed up the books they had rescued from the monastery in
Pskov and left the hotel in Kiev they had stayed in. He had made sufficient
contacts with the Nosferatu network to find out where Baba Yaga MAY currently
be residing while Eveshka was busy trying to have sex with every attractive
human being in the Ukraine. Thus, he headed farther east and back into Russia
proper. The tales he had heard placed Baba Yaga in the wilderness just east
of Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad.

He contacted Gabriel and let him know where he was headed.
Meanwhile, back in Egypt a certain snake who had been following their
progress smiled widely and headed north towards Kiev and the possibility if regaining
its lost property.

((okay...if it's been several weeks since the concert, at which point Gabriel was in Greece with Kathy, than I'm assuming Gabriel's returned from his holiday...

The SUV lurched over the hill with a disquieting thump that signaled yet another death toll in the battered vehicles ever-shortening lifespan. The passenger, wrapped tightly in a perhaps overly thick woolen coat, grumbled as he rattled about the back seat like a bean in a coffee can. When he had settled back into his original position and had fully tightened his seat belt, he cast a longful eye back towards the shrinking lights of Volgograd and it's abundance of smooth roadways.

Ahead lay miles of grasslands that concealed wilderness and the unknown. The driver muttered something indiscernable in Russian as the filthy truck groaned yet again as it plumetted down another steep slope, banging and bouncing the duration.

Yes, he would [b:46ac5112af]definately[/b:46ac5112af] need to have a brief conversation with Tyler upon his return about being a bit more fastidious when choosing drivers.

They drove for a bit under an hour, the driver stopping frequently to consult the map before jolting off in a completely different direction, always whistling the same monotonous tune as he went. Gabriel leaned foward just enough to see a spiderweb of wires where the vehicles head unit should have been.

He was just about to silence the man mentally when the vehicle came to a screeching halt at last. To the backdrop of a solid wall of rising pines a single Jeep sat grumbling in the dark. Squinting against the gleaming headlights, Gabriel could make out the figure of a driver behind the wheel.

Beside the vehicle, a slightly more familiar figure stood, steam drifting from his smiling face for appearance sake. Hands in pockets, Julius Darrant nodded. Fatigue shone through his smile however, and Gabriel wondered what the legendary lovers had been up to since their departure.

He graciously leapt from the backseat of the truck and traversed the small embankment that seperated the two. By the time he reached the Tremere, his transportation was nothing more than a pair of unblinking red eyes in the darkness, speeding rapidly back towards the direction of the city. Julius smiled.

[i:46ac5112af]"Welcome to southwestern Russia!"[/i:46ac5112af] he shouted, over a nearly deafening night wind. Behind him, the trees shook and bent ominously, as if gaining momentum for some great violent action.

Gabriel snapped his eyes back to Julius and nodded.

[i:46ac5112af]"What's the plan?"[/i:46ac5112af] he cried.

((i know you have something planned for us Jules...but i thought Gabriel could at least meet with you in person

[b:644e933cab]Excerpts from papers translated by Julius[/b:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]For this was key to their desire
and paved the way to Shal-Ka Mense

By sign and stroke
The guardian knew his master

Where the sun smote the snake
They laid the marked one to rest
Near the centre of the world[/i:644e933cab]

[b:644e933cab]An abandoned hut in the Volgograd wilderness[/b:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]"Throughout these writings, references to keys and marks and guardians."[/i:644e933cab] Burbled on Julius to a thoroughly bemused Gabriel.

Gabriel nodded, his mind on other things. Where was Eve? Julius was acting like she didn't exist, like she had never existed. Something was deeply wrong. [i:644e933cab]"How's Eveshka?"[/i:644e933cab] He ventured, tentatively.

Julius' shot him a dark look, as though some unwritten taboo had been broken. [i:644e933cab]"I would imagine, by now, pregnant, syphillitic and aids ridden as she fucks her way throughout Russia, indulging every pleasure and perversion she can conceive. I will speak no more of her. Truly, she has become the scarlet whore."[/i:644e933cab]

Gabriel examined Julius' aura. Beneath the anger was a deep wound. Guilt, hurt and betrayal intermingled with something else. He still loved her, it seemed. Whatever Eve had done, it had pained Julius greatly. [i:644e933cab]"Julius..."

"Please Gabriel."[/i:644e933cab] Said the magus quietly. [i:644e933cab]"Not now."

"So what does all this mean?"[/i:644e933cab] Aquiesced Gabriel, pointing to the books.

[i:644e933cab]"I can only imagine, it means there is something we need, if we are to arrive safely at Shal-Ka Mense. A key, maybe, or some kind of password, or a symbol. I'm not sure yet."[/i:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]"So what's the plan?"[/i:644e933cab] Asked Gabriel. [i:644e933cab]"Where do we search?"[/i:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]"The plan is that I am going to visit someone deeply dangerous and see what I can find out."[/i:644e933cab] Said Julius, with an ominous tone in his voice.

Gabriel leant back in his chair. Why was he always getting dragged into these situations. Another antediluvian, probably. His ruined shoulder began to ache. [i:644e933cab]"Who?"[/i:644e933cab] He asked with a desperate foreboding.

[i:644e933cab]"Baba Yaga."[/i:644e933cab] Answered Julius quietly.

[i:644e933cab]"I will accompany you, of course."[/i:644e933cab] Said Gabriel, with fatalistic formality.

[i:644e933cab]"No, Gabe. You won't. I don't know if I can protect myself, I certainly can't protect us both. She's not known as the cannibal hag on account of her ability to serve tea and cake. I will go alone. Meantime, though, you could search for this key, or mark, or whatever it is."[/i:644e933cab]

Gabriel managed to retain his composure and not to show his relief. Running after Baba Yaga was not his idea of a good time. Not that this other quest would necessarily be any easier. [i:644e933cab]"Where do you suggest I start?"[/i:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]"Sun smote the snake..."[/i:644e933cab] Julius mused then pursed his lips. [i:644e933cab]"Centre of the world. Omphalos stone, do you think?"[/i:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]"Doubtless."[/i:644e933cab] Said Gabriel blindly agreeing with no clue what Julius was talking about.

Julius grinned, slightly evilly. Gabriel smiled back, pleased to see a spark of life in his Tremere friend. [i:644e933cab]"Oracle of Delphi, where Apollo slew Python. The omphalos stone there was believed by the Greeks to be the centre of the earth. I guess that's the place to start."[/i:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]"You know, I'm not sure I'm the best person for this kind of..."[/i:644e933cab] Ventured Gabriel.

[i:644e933cab]"Who else can I send, Gabe? Who can I trust? I'll ask Cyrilynn to help you though."[/i:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]"The Tzimisce?"[/i:644e933cab] Asked Gabe, not entirely convinced.

[i:644e933cab]"My thrall."[/i:644e933cab] Said Julius, answering Gabriel's reservations in two simple words. [i:644e933cab]"I'll instruct her to expect your call."[/i:644e933cab]

Julius looked out of the window at the forest in the distance. [i:644e933cab]"And somewhere out there, Baba Yaga calls to me."[/i:644e933cab] He walked to the window and stared out. Gabriel stood and placed his one good hand on Julius shoulder. [i:644e933cab]"It'll work out, Julius. It'll work out."[/i:644e933cab]

[i:644e933cab]"I hope so Gabe."[/i:644e933cab] Said Julius, who looked at the Ventrue then frowned. [i:644e933cab]"Here is my gift to you."[/i:644e933cab] He said unexpectedly, placing a firm hand upon Gabriel's aching shoulder.

At first Gabriel felt searing agony, which subsided slowly, to a gently warmth. Julius removed his hand, his face was pale, even for kindred, as though all the vitae had been sucked from him in a single instant. The wizard staggered slightly, using Gabriel to steady himself. [i:644e933cab]"What have you done, Julius."[/i:644e933cab] Asked Gabriel quietly.

[i:644e933cab]"You'll need to take a lot of vitae, my friend. Don't forget."[/i:644e933cab] Said Julius mysteriously, before suddenly embracing him. [i:644e933cab]"Good luck, Gabe. I hope I'll see you soon."[/i:644e933cab]

Gabriel opened his mouth to reply, but the hut was empty, save for the keys to Julius' jeep. [i:644e933cab]"I hope so too, Julius."[/i:644e933cab] He whispered.

In Eveshka's room Morathi quietly stepped out of the shadows...

It had become depressingly easy to get close to Eveshka now as her desire to 'Catch up' on years even centuries of forgotten pleasures caused her to use less judgement and lessened her awareness of her surroundings, Eve should have been aware of her the moment she had burnt out the electronic lock on the room's main door with a simple static electric discharge, the damaged lock defaulting to its fire escape safety mode, had unlocked with barely a crackle.

She in part could understand, she herself had the spirit of a 3000 year old chinese wraith inside her that would demand its pound of flesh in the form of allowing it to indulge in the possibilites offered by a physical form, the hedonistic binges she had been on to sate her inner wraith may have even rivaled Eveshka's current hungers, particularly the one she had had with the Setite in Cairo....

The difference however was Morathi had her wraith's hungers under control for now, the Setite in Cairo had found that out to her cost when Morathi having sated her wraith had turned the tables on the would-be corruptor as the astor resumed her duty. Eveshka seemed to have lost this self control. Morathi had watched from the shadows until she finally decided to confront her former mentor...

Pulling the man that had been 'Busy' worshiping his goddess' flower away from Eveshka, Morathi dominated his weaker soul as he looked up at what he had assumed was another goddess to worship, the white robed goddess' eyes however as they bored into his soul revealed a hint of jealousy that he was indulging in activities she once would have risked all for even for a single night. The vision in white then issued a command and the man could not resist its directive...

[i:419fc3f588]"Leave us..."[/i:419fc3f588]

As Eveshka finally became aware of a change in her company she slowly opened her eyes to look past her parted thighs into the disapproving emerald eyes of Morathi, who silently assessed the seemingly mortal form of one she once desired, and perhaps still did even now after her self destructive binges...

[i:419fc3f588]"I think its long past time we talked Eveshka.... A long time ago you almost greeted the sun... Almost embracing destruction for a simple pleasure.... Now that simple pleasure has been restored, you have been progressively indulging in more intense and more decadent pleasures... But you are not the being you once was... You drove Julius away telling him he would not understand..."[/i:419fc3f588]

Her eyes were now showing a hint of concern for her former mentor...

[i:419fc3f588]"I would strive to understand if I can.... You have been offered an opportunity at a rebirth many would sacrifice much for... I have no desire to see you waste it merely in hedonistic self gratification that is but one of the opportunities you have now.... Do you truely desire to be Jezebel and fade away in the moments of brief pleasure?... Or would you become something worthy of the many years and accumulated experiences you have survived and endured?..."[/i:419fc3f588]

________________________
((OOC: I suspect Khem is on her way too and this discussion may become complicated, but Mora has been in this triangle before and we will have to see where it takes us))

If spring was returning to the northern hemisphere, someone had neglected to inform the wilderness north of Volgograd. Snow still lay underfoot and hung like a veil upon the trees, their evergreen needles taking on a sinister, black and forbidding hue in the darkness. The moonless sky was clear, allowing already grim temperatures to sink even lower and in the howling wind, even Julius' lifeless blood could feel the desperate all pervading chill.

Ministering to Gabriel had drawn deeply upon his reserves and his little disappearing act had taken what little was left. A wizard must have his tricks, but this time perhaps he had overstepped the mark, walking exposed and alone into the freezing wild. Vampiric flesh was resilient, yet flesh still and like all flesh, it could still turn to ice. Julius began to imagine being thawed from a frozen torpor as winter finally relaxed it's grip upon the land, only to face, utterly unprepared, the burning heat of the dreaded sun. He grit his teeth and plunged on.

Visions, hallucinations began to invade his mind, as he pressed further and more slowly through the drifts and tangled undergrowth. Ali appeared, seeming to strike Julius with his sword, laughing, cackling and calling his name. Eveshka, on her hands and knees, repeating over and over, the words, [i:2000f2b1dd]"You don't understand!"[/i:2000f2b1dd] in cadence with the grunting thrusts of the succession of men filling her accomodating womanhood. Meerlinda, her blind eyes become grotesquely enlarged, raw bleeding flesh, screaming at him [i:2000f2b1dd]"Now you see it!"[/i:2000f2b1dd] Goratrix, leaping from the mirror to claim Julius' body as his own, leaving a howling Julius hammering impotently at the walls of his glass prison.

Julius stumbled, falling to one knee and twisting his ankle, yet he limped on, unable even to find the strength to heal himself as the mirages vied with the trees for his attention. Slower and slower, every step becoming in and of itself a great journey, each one a quest containing it's own share of pain and misery. Finally, spent, he fell face forward into a drift, his outstretched arm landing on the warm grass covered earth.

The wind continued to blow, collecting snowflakes to bury the frozen body of the Tremere. His keen mind barely ticking over. Arm. Warm. Gradually something seeped into his befuddled brain. ARM. WARM. He raised his head and squinted. Ahead, his outstretched arm had breached the border of a clearing. Unlike the surrounding forest there was no snow. In fact, he was convinced he could see thriving plant life. He managed a smile, as hallucinations went, this was considerably more pleasant than the others. If he was going to freeze, he might as well do it in the warm. With a final effort, he dragged his chilled body into the inviting glade, before passing into exhausted unconciousness.

The chirping of grasshoppers calling for mates dragged Julius slowly back to consciousness. At first Julius refused to acknowledge it, preferring to remain asleep, rather than once again face the reality of the desperately cold snowdrift he was undoubtedly within. He did seem warmer though and there was a smell, of crushed leaves, somewhere between a freshly mown lawn and the heady smell of chopped herbs. He opened his eyes, slowly. It was the same delusion. The warm clearing, devoid of wind, a circle of green amidst the forbidding trees of the freezing forest, in which the howling gale still threw snow upon snow. The smell was coming from the ground where he had lain, fragrant plants giving up their essence where his body had crumpled their delicate foliage.

Slowly, with much protestation from his abused body and most particularly his twisted ankle, he stood. If this were a vision it was a potent one. It was as though spring had come only to this one small clearing in the forest. Primroses and bluebells abounded, though the German Panzer tank looked somewhat out of place.

Julius blinked. Panzer tank. He blinked again. It was still there. In fact wasn't that two figures. A short, slight and scantily clad female standing next to a man who sported the uniform of the SS Panzer Corps. Julius shrugged. [i:2000f2b1dd]"Well, I'm game."[/i:2000f2b1dd] He murmured to himself as he hobbled towards them.

There was a brief pause as the cell phone found international lines and then precisely one ring before the receiving phone was snatched off the cradle. A cold, barren voice answered.

[i:31c7e00272]"Good evening, this is the Strathsborough residence."[/i:31c7e00272] the greeting was formal and personable, the tone distant and cautious. Had Gabriel thought about it, he might've made the connection between the all business demeanor of the voice and the young lady he had seen the Tzimisce confide in Marseilles. But as it were, who was on the opposite side of the line if not Cyrilynn, was of no concern to him.

[i:31c7e00272]"I'm looking for Cyrilynn."[/i:31c7e00272] he said coldly, taking his eyes off the rugged Russian terrain for a moment to glance once more at the bit of paper Julius had left taped to the dashboard, displaying Cyrilynn's name and phone number in clear print. The world flew into a frenzied spin for a moment and the one-armed Ventrue struggled to keep the phone nestled between his shoulder and cheek as he pulled at the wheel. Reluctantly, the vehicle veered back on course towards Volgograd.

[i:31c7e00272]"I'm afraid she's unavaila..."[/i:31c7e00272] came the reply instantly.

[i:31c7e00272]"This is Gabriel. I need to speak with her."[/i:31c7e00272] he cut her off. There was the distant sound of a [i:31c7e00272]hurumph[/i:31c7e00272] and then a pleasant jaunty English tune as he was placed on hold. Gabriel had barely deciphered it's origin before the phone was once again picked up.

[i:31c7e00272]"This is Lady Cyrilynn."[/i:31c7e00272] the Tzimisce's voice was not at all what Gabriel would've imagined. As a Ventrue he had been taught that all Tzimisce were loathsome feinds, who crept in their dank havens of entrails and practiced beastial rituals, inhuman acts that warranted their destruction. Even the prefix of "Lady" Gabriel found offensive. Surely no Tzimisce was deserving of such a title. But as Julius, in perhaps what could be called a moment of misjudgement, had requested they work together in this, he was honor bound to treat her accordingly.

[i:31c7e00272]"Lady Cyrilynn...this is Gabriel. I was present in Marseilles."[/i:31c7e00272] he said, in a futile attempt to sound pleasant. Volgograd shone brilliantly in the distance, it's lights beginning to wane next to the purple that begin to glow in the Western sky with the approach of the day. The jeep began to accelerate a bit, throwing itself over the snow banks.

[i:31c7e00272]"Yes. The Seneschal of Cascadia. We were unfortunately, never introduced."[/i:31c7e00272]

How had she known that? Shaken as he was at her knowledge of him, he remained confident. She was little more than a thrall, and a Tzimisce one at that.

[i:31c7e00272]"I've just left Mr. Darrant with instructions as to what we are to do. I trust I'll have your complete cooperation?"[/i:31c7e00272] the challenge was put forth, and Gabriel waited anxiously for the Tzimisce's reply.

[i:31c7e00272]"Of course, where should we meet?"[/i:31c7e00272]

Gabriel was a bit taken aback by the Tzimisce's willingness to assist a Ventrue, perhaps Julius' blood was a bit more potent than he had expected. Instructing her to meet him in Athens within a night's time, Gabriel said his prompt and inpersonable goodbye before hanging up and entering the city proper.

He saw through the swirling purple mists a bedraggled man appear. He seemed Cainite from the aura. That was about all Gerhardt could tell from him. He stood up on the command cupola and pulled back the clip of his MP-40. Speaking in German he called for the man to stop. The word "Halt" being relatively universally known throughout the Western world, the bedraggled man stopped. He seemed in a bit of a daze.

Gerhardt moved swiftly over to the man, who rather abligingly just stood there, and with typical Nazi zeal slammed the man on the head with the side of the machine gun. Or at least that was his intent. As the hard metal barrel came down he found that he was no longer holding a machine gun but a cleverly arranged bunch of balloons tied into the shape of an MP-40. The bedraggled man smiled in what Herr Fallen thought was a rather impudent manner. He would soon learn his manners thought Gerhardt.

Gerhardt suddenly found himself thrown backwards nearly 30 feet to the cold steel side of the tank. His wrists were held fast to the hull by chains of fire. The bedraggled man with the impudent smile advanced on the two figures.

The scantily clad female looking one held up a dainty hand and spoke in Russian, though Julius could understand it perfectly een though he did not speak that language. "Why do you come here childe of Caine?"

Eveshka fell down into a fetal position and sobbed. Her entire body was wracked with convulsions as she sobbed. Morathi kneeled down next to her and placed her arms around her erstwhile mentor. She gently kissed the top of Eveshka's head and rocked her back and forth.

"Shhh," said Morathi. She still could not believe that a scant 5 or so years earlier, she was thrusting herself upon this now fallen angel. This completely beaten woman, once a demi-goddess, after a fashion, had been the brightest star in her heaven. The age old adage seemed true, the bigger they are the harder they fall. Eveshka had certainly fallen. It seemed as if she had not finished her descent.

"Mora," she sniffed. "I don't know what to do. I am addicted to the rush. I can't get enough of it. I just want to sit there and feel the rush all day and all night long. It's like.... it's like..."

"Feeding?" asked Morathi in a soft voice.

Eveshka went completely limp.

"Eveshka, you have been a vampire for nearly your entire existence," said Morathi. "It seems to me you are missing the thrill of the feed. And I remember how you usually fed," she laughed softly. "The double potency of female endorphines you drank in, plus the natural Cainite euphoria brought on by the feed was enough to make one explode in bliss."

"I miss it Morathi, but I don't want to lose the sensations I am feeling now."

"But you know what they are. You were Toreador, Eveshka. You were the closest thing to mortal a vampire could be. This has been like a refresher course.," said Morathi.

The two women sat silently, Eveshka's head laying in Mora's arms. Morathi had a strong desire to kiss her. She gave in to the desire.

"Let me show you what you can experience by staying in your old world," said Morathi as she kissed Eveshka's neck. Soon the two were kissing lip to lip and tongue to tongue. Morathi put all of the passion and skill she had at her disposal into Eveshka. She knew that she had but one chance to stop her descent into oblivion. As she ground her pelvis into Eveshka's, rubbing their pudendae together, the look in Eve's eye, the claws in Morathi's back, and the moans of ecstacy indicated that she just may have succeeded.

In the darkness surrounding their candlelit boudoir, the snake sat poised to strike.