((Gabe and Lady C can fill in the blanks about what happened in Greece at their leisure or in a flashback when and if the coterie regroups for the final thrust to finish the tale))

Julius sat in the Casino Gabriella kibitzing with the barmaids. As would be expected from such a man, Julius only hired the most eloquent and aesthetically pleasing staff. The barmaids were no exception. Thus he sat night after night, over seeing the running of the place, enjoying the company of the lovely ladies, often enjoying one or two of the ladies at once in a more private repose, and generally having a good time. Life, or unlife as it were, had gotten all too strange of late. Strange and serious. He desperately needed this reprieve. He had finally gotten a hold of Gabriel. He had gotten the artifact he needed to get from Greece ages ago and had been attempting to contact Julius for months but to no avail. The young Ventrue seemed genuinely pleased that Julius had contacted him and that he was more or less in good working order.

And so, Julius sat, flirting with the barmaids, doing odd little magic tricks to amuse the guests, and generally being a good host and the life of the party. And then she walked in.

She looked to be in a her early 20’s, stood about 5’8,” weighed about 128ish lbs, had auburn hair and more curves than a Formula-1 track. Her green eyes seemed to hold a mystery. She had a certain come hither way that she blinked her eyes looked in a slightly different spot in the room with each blink. Yep, she was a looker. And she was alone and drinking…

“Svetlana, love, what is that girl drinking?” asked Julius. Svetlana looked down the bar and raised her eyebrow at the girl. “50 Year Old MacCallan,” she answered curtly. Julius smirked at the jealousy and patted her arm and gave her a smile. She melted as usual. “Send her another one, babe,” said Julius. He sauntered over to the girl just as the drink arrived. Julius used his aura perception and saw, well, he saw that she wasn’t a vampire. She also didn’t appear to be mortal. Julius couldn’t seem to determine just what she was, but whomever she was, she seemed slightly nervous suddenly.

“Mind if I join you?” asked Julius. The girl tilted her head slightly.

“You are not American?” she asked. “From your demeanor I thought you were.”

“I am actually,” said Julius with a laugh.

“I am impressed,” replied the girl. “You have a flawless northern accent. How did you come to speak with such fluency?”

“I spent a lot of time in Pskov, ages ago it seems,” answered Julius.

“Whatever were you doing there?” asked the girl with a radiant and interested smile on her face.

“Oh, I lived there for a while,” answered Julius while trying to think about how to say that hundreds of years ago he ruled the place. “I had… business there.”

“I have not been there,” said the girl. She looked down and swirled her scotch.

“What is your name?” asked Julius.

“Tatiana,” answered the girl. The girl didn’t ask his name, but Julius didn’t seem to mind.

“What brings you to Odessa?” asked Tatiana.

“Work for the most part. It seems to rule my life lately,” said Julius.

“I see,” answered Tatiana. She looked down at his left hand and spied the star ring upon his finger. “Are you a married man?”

Julius looked down slightly and then away, suddenly feeling awkward. “I was,” he answered. A look of great pain crosses his face and in an instant is gone again. “You?” he asked.

Tatiana now got the chance to be slightly uneasy. “I was as well, but no longer.”

“Oh?” asked Julius. “What happened, if you do not mind me asking.”

Tatiana squirmed a little bit. “I hurt him, and he left me,” she said simply.

“Hmm,” grunted Julius. “Familiar tale.”

Tatiana nodded. “You get a lot of that around here.”

“Yeah,” said Julius. “Boy meets girl, all is sunshine and rainbows for a time. Sometime it lasts. Other times it doesn’t.”

“What was her name?” asked Tatiana taking another sip of her scotch and then lighting a long thin cigarette at the end of an even longer holder.

Julius closed his eyes and answered, “Eveshka.”

Tatiana smiled, “Russian eh,”

“Yeah. Russian.”

“She died then?” asked Tatiana.

“Oh, I don’t know. It seems like so long since I left her,” answered Julius.

“It still pains you, yes?” asked Tatiana. “Me too.”

“Eveshka was like a whirlwind. She used to be a glowing gem, a firebird,” said Julius. “She knew how to get what she wanted.” Tatiana merely listened with a slight smile on her face. Julius found himself reaching out to her with his hand and placing it on hers. It felt good. It felt…. right. He went into a brief story about Eve’s fall into hedonism and betrayal.

“So,” concluded Julius. “The woman I fell in love was not the same one I had first met.”

“Which did you prefer?” asked Tatiana.

“The first,” replied Julius without thinking. “I preferred the woman with the zest for living, not the one just looking for her next fix.” Julius ran his fingers through his hair. This was the first time he’d truly spoken of what happened and it alarmed him that it still pained him. Tatiana saw this and asked, “Would you like to take a walk? It is such a lovely night”

“It is that,” said Julius taking her hand in his. The two headed out towards the main street and then walked along it to the boardwalk overlooking the Black Sea.

“What happened with you?” asked Julius. “Please tell me. It might help me to understand what happened to Eve.” Tatiana looked out across the dark ocean.

“I was born on the other side of the peninsula in Sebastopol,” she began. “With this face,” she gestured to herself, “I could always get what I wanted. An agent noticed me at a lower level fashion show and promised me the life I felt I’d always wanted.”

She turned to look at Julius and shrugged. “I took him up on his offer. For a while things were great. I had everything I always wanted. I had SO much that I think I sort of short circuited. The boy I was in love with tried to keep up with me, but he fell behind in the fast paced world I lived in.” Tatiana brushed the beginnings of a tear from her eyes. “The world of an artist is the same all over I hear. He walked in on… well, I’m sure your imagination can fill in the blanks.”

She turned back towards the ocean. “I would do anything to be able to tell him that he was right all along, and to say how very sorry I am.”

“Then why don’t you?” Julius asked.

“Because I am not sure he would want to hear from me,” said Tatiana. “That is how badly I hurt him.”

Julius nodded. “Eve hurt me,” he said. “But just because I left her doesn’t mean I stopped loving her. I left because I felt she had stopped loving me. I knew my Firebird very well. I did not expect complete faithfulness.” Julius meandered on about how he was just happy knowing that she was free and wanted to be with him. “I worked hard to free her from the constraints other people placed upon her. I think she could not live with the emotional constraints she placed upon herself.” Julius shrugged slightly and turned to look out at the moonlit waves. “I miss my Eve,” he said again. “Not the one who chose to live in her own Sodom.”

Tatiana slid over to press her head against his shoulder. He could tell she was crying. She placed her arms around him and laid her head completely on his shoulder and wept great tears. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so, sorry.” Julius was not sure why she chose to weep on him, he figured that he had opened up a sore spot and that she was merely overcome. Tatiana was so close to Julius that he could not see that her appearance had changed. She now had raven hair and the rapturous beauty of a Goddess. “I am so sorry, Julius.”

“Oh, Eve,” murmured Julius and then he pulled back slightly too look at the girl.
The woman he beheld made him jump in astonishment. Eveshka stood before him with blood tears streaming down her face. He did not know what to say. She had completely fooled him into thinking she was somebody else.

“Julius, my love,” she said. “I did not know if you would want to speak to me.”

“I.. I’m not sure what to say,” stammered Julius. The last time he saw Eve she had been mortal and living the life of a harlot. Now, she was Cainite again. “You… took,” he started. “You took the vitae.” Julius rushed to her again and held her tightly. “I’ve missed you Eve.”

Eveshka recounted the tale of hitting rock bottom in Kiev only to have Morathi show up and pull her out of her misery. She recounted how she had been in Tours and the events leading up to her arrival in Odessa hoping against hope to find Julius.

“Please forgive me Julius,” she said. “Forgive me for being such an ass.”

Julius laughed. “How could I not after we’ve been so close so long. We’ve been together from the beginning.”

Eveshka had no idea what he was talking about but merely smiled and squeezed him harder feeling elated that he had forgiven her. “Where do we go from here?” asked Eveshka.

“What would you like to do?” responded Julius.

“I want to start over, Julius,” she said.

“We can try, love, we can try.”

“Take me out of here, Julius,” said Eve. “Take me home.”

Julius smiled and magically whisked them through time and space to back to Tours.

Gabriel roused enough to begin healing his wounds and to take in the scene around him. But it took another helping of vitae before he felt good enough to deal with his surroundings in a more intelligent fashion. What he saw didn't make him happy at all. Obviously, the Tzimisce had taken care to explain away the noises that had to have eminated from his suite but couldn't she at least have cleaned up the bodies!!??

He pinpointed her sitting at the table they'd originally been using before the attack, the reports and photos once again spread on it's surface. Her attention deeply engrossed, she probably hadn't even noticed his regard of her. He cleared his throat......loudly. Hardly stirring at all, she lifted calm gray eyes, the color of lazy smoke, and looked over at him from under her lashes. He gestured to the storm-racked mess of the chamber and quirked an eyebrow at her.

Cyrilynn didn't even pretend to misunderstand him as she shrugged her shoulders. [i:5fac90abbd]"I thought I'd leave you something to do as I don't do assassination cleanups. I'm more used to just leaving my mess as a calling card to let people know I've accomplished my mission. I have no idea how to handle a situation like this. I'm sure that your job as Seneschal...."[/i:5fac90abbd] Gabriel interrupted with a bite in his tone. [i:5fac90abbd]'That's EX-Seneschal."[/i:5fac90abbd]

His Cainite partner nodded acquiesence. [i:5fac90abbd]"...ex-Seneschal of Cascadia, has prepared you well to deal with things I can't."[/i:5fac90abbd] She went back to reading the report. The Ventrue sat there seething for a minute or two but was too tired to sustain the anger. Giving up the fight, for the moment, he arose and took his ire out on the hapless translator that still lay insensate on the floor. A few well-placed "taps" to the man's ribs persuaded him to come to. A glare and a word from Gabe convinced him that lapsing back into oblivion would be worse than what he saw.

While their hireling set about helping Cyrilynn with her translations, Gabriel set to the disposing of the bodies, getting housekeeping to clean up the gore and having the window repaired immediately. When he finally joined them at the table, it was many hours later and he looked even [b:5fac90abbd]more[/b:5fac90abbd] exhausted. His associate looked up and her mouth opened in a small "O" of surprise at the now reclaimed room. It was as if the battle had never taken place. The Ventrue felt a smug sense of satisfaction that he'd managed to surprise her. He was beginning to think that emotion wasn't possible for one of her kind.

[i:5fac90abbd]"Well, I hope your endeavors have produced something of worth."[/i:5fac90abbd] Gabriel couldn't resist the snipe at the Tzimisce and was rewarded with another shot of smugness as she blinked her astonishment and then focused on him. [i:5fac90abbd]"Oh, yes, of course. Um...our friend, here, has helped me uncover not only what was stolen but has brought to light a peculiarity. It seems the investigation stalled and then petered out for no discernable reason.

We listed the removed items as the diadem, one of the armbands, and a couple of the rings, which is certainly odd as they were the [b:5fac90abbd]only[/b:5fac90abbd] items removed that I could identify. There were some other minor things as well but I can't tell you if they were added after the Python's death or not. I.....I wasn't....aware of anything after she perished."[/i:5fac90abbd] Lady Cyrilynn paused to gulp in some air as the rememberance caused a delicate shudder to ripple her frame. She gazed around with eyes going glassy but at the open-curtained window, she seemed to catch hold of her self and continued the report.

[i:5fac90abbd]"According to the testimony of the guards who were there, the robbers were likely Assamites, like the ones who attacked us. The descriptions seemed to fit. The local gendarmes managed to track them heading in the direction of the coast but the report becomes a bit vague about whether they took a boat out to the islands or not."[/i:5fac90abbd] At this point, his colleague looked him straight in the eye with a grim smile on her lips.

[i:5fac90abbd]"The investigators called at a mansion along the coast, a very fortified one. Their intentions were to merely ask after anyone witnessing anything strange that night. Unusual boats moored, strange lights and/or sounds, any out-of-place activity. After all, that stretch of coastline seems to be popular with rich foreigners and they like to rent or buy such places. What seems so odd in this record is that they show having been to two or three of those premises but at this particular villa, the report simply concludes and no further steps have been initiated. Matter of fact, the case is marked as being closed."[/i:5fac90abbd]

Lady Cyrilynn finished and waited while the Ventrue absorbed what she'd just told him, then before he could make any comments of his own, she folded her hands across the papers before her and leaned forward, intently. [i:5fac90abbd]"I think our next move is going to have to be the investigation of this residence and [b:5fac90abbd]WHY[/b:5fac90abbd] everything deadended there. My curiosity is definitely piqued. First, as to whom may be living there and, secondly, why they wanted those pieces but, most importantly, what they plan to do with them."[/i:5fac90abbd]

[i:7c8928b614]"Go to sleep, love."[/i:7c8928b614] Whispered Julius. [i:7c8928b614]"We'll talk more tomorrow."[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"But..."[/i:7c8928b614] Protested Eve, who suddenly yawned in a most unkindredlike fashion. [i:7c8928b614]"Maybe you're right."[/i:7c8928b614] She said. [i:7c8928b614]"I do suddenly feel terribly tired."[/i:7c8928b614]

Julius laid her back upon the silken sheets and pulled the eiderdown quilt over her. [i:7c8928b614]"Sweet dreams, Boyarina."[/i:7c8928b614] He said.

[i:7c8928b614]"Julius, kindred don't..."[/i:7c8928b614] Mumbled Eve as she passed into unconsciousness.

---

The sun shone with that bright, but wan paleness that a clear winter's day always imparts, turning the snow covered land into a magical wonderland of shimmering colours. The crisp snow crunching beneath her horse's feet glittered and sparkled in the sunlight, whilst the icicles hanging from the branches of the trees shattered the sun's glow into rainbow glissandos of colour in contrast to the carpet of white.

A thundering of hooves caused the young Boyarina to turn to look behind her. An easy task for the ladylike noblewoman, riding side saddle as she had been taught, her fine woolen garments arranged modestly to hide not only her shapely curves, but also to keep out the chill. She smiled and waved as her husband galloped to her side, leaning across to kiss her, rather less modestly than propriety demanded. His guards hung back, slightly embarrassed but happy to see their rulers so free with each other.

[i:7c8928b614]"Evgeny."[/i:7c8928b614] Eveshka protested to her Boyar. [i:7c8928b614]"The guards."[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"Let them see."[/i:7c8928b614] Laughed off the Russian noble. [i:7c8928b614]"They share in our happiness. We should enjoy it while it lasts."[/i:7c8928b614] For a second, a dark shadow crossed the face of her Prince. [i:7c8928b614]"You, however, should not be out a-riding without an escort."[/i:7c8928b614] Evgeny chided.

[i:7c8928b614]"It was too pretty a day for sitting indoors listening to women's chatter."[/i:7c8928b614] Argued Eveshka.

[i:7c8928b614]"Then let us ride together, my Princess."[/i:7c8928b614] Suggested Evgeny. [i:7c8928b614]"We will have so little time together."[/i:7c8928b614]

Eveshka was puzzled for a moment, yet somehow she knew his words were true. Flashes of memory flew through her mind. She was dreaming, just as Julius had said. [i:7c8928b614]"Yes, love."[/i:7c8928b614] She replied, slightly tearfully. [i:7c8928b614]"Together again, before we are parted."[/i:7c8928b614]

They rode for a time, leaving the guards to return to their castle. Visiting the area they had known together, when as newlyweds they had surveyed their lands. Special places, each with their own personal memories. Reminiscing as though old lovers reunited, reminding each other of the things they had done and the life they had led.

[i:7c8928b614]"Evgeny?"[/i:7c8928b614] Asked Eveshka at length.

[i:7c8928b614]"Yes, love?"[/i:7c8928b614] He replied.

[i:7c8928b614]"This is more than a simple dream, isn't it. It's too real. You are too real. Why have you visited me. Are you some kind of ghost, or is my mind creating you from my own memories?"[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"I have things to tell you."[/i:7c8928b614] He answered, his rich baritone just as she remembered. [i:7c8928b614]"I thought it would be easier for you to accept this way."[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"What is it, my love?"[/i:7c8928b614] Asked the Boyarina.

[i:7c8928b614]"It's about me, mostly, but also about you and so it's about us. Come on!"[/i:7c8928b614] He exhorted, urging his horse to a gallop. Eveshka followed suit, laughing like a little girl as they rounded the lake and charged through a secret route through the marshes onto an island. The air was warm under the bold glow of a summer sun. [i:7c8928b614]"Where are we?"[/i:7c8928b614] Said Eveshka, the change in her dream sudden and slightly disturbing. It was almost as if she could place the location, yet somehow her knowledge of it seemed distant, ungraspable.

[i:7c8928b614]"Why, this is Avalon, of course."[/i:7c8928b614] Answered Evgeny. [i:7c8928b614]"We, well you actually, used to live here. I visited from time to time. See?"[/i:7c8928b614] Evgeny pointed. A man of late years was heading towards a small temple, a tall oaken staff supporting his way. [i:7c8928b614]"I suppose that is Merlin."[/i:7c8928b614] Said Eveshka, with a hint of cynicism.

[i:7c8928b614]"That is [b:7c8928b614]the[/b:7c8928b614] Merlin, love. It's a title, not a name. Actually, his name is Taliesin."[/i:7c8928b614] Evgeny pronounced it strangely,
tally-essin. Somehow though, it seemed right.

[i:7c8928b614]"And will the Lady of the Lake appear to entertain us also?"[/i:7c8928b614] Said Eveshka, though not harshly.

[i:7c8928b614]"Morganna. She is in yonder temple. I'm afraid those two are going to argue again. Shall we see?"[/i:7c8928b614]

The pair dismounted and entered the temple. Apparently unaware of the intruders, Taliesin and Morganna were debating the changes coming upon the world. Morganna, High Priestess of the Earth Mother knew that it was the way of the world. The Merlin, High Priest of the Hunter resisted. Christianity was taking over. Even Arthur, the King, now rode out under the banner of the cross, instead of the Dragon. [i:7c8928b614]"Merlin."[/i:7c8928b614] She argued patiently. [i:7c8928b614]"You must trust in the future to take care of itself. Avalon will fade into the mists, but life will go on. Come with us."[/i:7c8928b614] She pleaded. [i:7c8928b614]"Live out your remaining years in peace, instead of fighting the inevitable."[/i:7c8928b614] Taliesin shook his head and stalked away.

[i:7c8928b614]"She was right."[/i:7c8928b614] Said Eveshka. [i:7c8928b614]"Change is inevitable. I have seen so much change in my years."[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"Yes, love."[/i:7c8928b614] Said Evgeny, waving his hand, causing the scene to shimmer and change. Where the temple had stood, now stood a convent. The nuns within revered the Virgin Mother above all the other saints. [i:7c8928b614]"You were right and I was wrong. Even after Avalon had faded into the mists of the fae realm, the sisters still revere the Mother."[/i:7c8928b614]

Eveshka looked at him strangely. [i:7c8928b614]"You? I? Who are you? Who am I, for that matter?"[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"You are who you have always been. As am I. You know who I am. Think for a moment. Use your insight, think out of the box, look beyond the here and now."[/i:7c8928b614]

Eveshka nodded slowly. [i:7c8928b614]"Why take on the guise of my husband, Julius?"[/i:7c8928b614]

Julius/Evgeny smiled. [i:7c8928b614]"Because I was, I am that man. It never occurred to you to ask where I suddenly learnt such fluent Russian."[/i:7c8928b614] He looked at Eveshka with adoration. [i:7c8928b614]"When you married me, you made me so happy."[/i:7c8928b614] He sighed. [i:7c8928b614]"But we have always been together, love. Two sides of a coin, two halves of a whole. Taliesin and Morganna are but one example. Sometimes we have made the world shake, sometimes the world has shaken us. Always though, our fates have been intertwined."[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"What happened, Ju... Evgeny... I don't even know how to call you anymore."[/i:7c8928b614] Eveshka shook her head, it was too much to take in.

[i:7c8928b614]"I found my memories. Each and every life I have led. It's all inside me now. Taliesin, Evgeny, Julius. Countless others. It's like I've aged ten thousand and more years in an instant."[/i:7c8928b614] He smiled. [i:7c8928b614]"Takes a bit of getting used to."[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"And where do I fit in?"[/i:7c8928b614] Asked a shaken Eveshka.

[i:7c8928b614]"For all that time, you have been with me. You just don't remember. The only time we have been apart... the past eight hundred years, love. Since you were taken from me. Only now, with my memories intact, do I remember how much my soul ached for it's companion. Your embrace, it denied the turning of the wheel."[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"I should have died."[/i:7c8928b614] Said Eve, a statement, not a question.

[i:7c8928b614]"To be reborn again, with the new dawn."[/i:7c8928b614] Answered Evgeny/Julius.

[i:7c8928b614]"And what now?"[/i:7c8928b614] She asked.

[i:7c8928b614]"Who knows?"[/i:7c8928b614] Answered the Russian Prince. [i:7c8928b614]"The future is not set. There is no such thing as fate. So long as we are together, it matters not."[/i:7c8928b614]

[i:7c8928b614]"I don't know if I can handle this."[/i:7c8928b614] Said the Boyarina in a shakey voice.

[i:7c8928b614]"You can. Sleep now, this is but a dream. When you awake with the setting sun you will be able to understand and accept who I am and what I have become. In time, you will be able to accept your own part too."[/i:7c8928b614]

---

Eveshka turned to Julius in her sleep and clung to him. The young, yet ancient magus stroked her hair and murmured comforting nonsense into her ear, calming her, even as he slipped into a sleep of his own.

The heavy quilt provided not as much comfort as it did restraining pressure. Gabriel kicked against it with annoyance, desperately clamping his eyes shut. It had been several hours since the sun had risen and the pair had retired to their respective rooms to rest for the long drive the following night promised.

But the aching pain of his ruined shoulder refused his passage into slumber, and the Ventrue tossed and turned in agony. He groaned and wept at times when the pain was particularly intolerable, and sighed exasperated heaves of relief when it died down. But always it flared once more, sending hot burning waves through his body.

Presently another wave washed over him, so tremendous that it literally threw the slim Ventrue backwards, causing him to tumble through the sheets, over the side of the matress, and onto the floor. His instinct put him into a fetal position, where he lay twitching.

Focus on something...on Kay...think of Kay....

He smiled briefly as the beautiful Toreador's image filled his mind. Her beaming face consumed in a smile, hands outstretched for him. But as quickly as it came it was torn away by red hot flashes of agony that redoubled Gabriel's writhing.

It built and built until he wondered why he did not become numb to it. He found it impossible to lie still, impossible to move, impossible to stand, and impossible to think. It felt as though someone was driving a red hot needle into an infected pus, ridden wound. A ferocious ripping sound drew his attention, and as an arch of blood, black and sticky, squirted like a garden hose from his shoulder, the Ventrue collapsed.

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

The night's crickets announced the arrival of their mistress, the moon, and Gabriel awoke on the floor, his skin imprinted with it's simple design. What a day! He rolled onto his back and rubbed his face wearily with his hands...

HIS HANDS?!

He looked with astonishment at his right arm, where only vacant air had sat for so many months. There, covered in a placenta like film, was his lost appendage. But what....?

Julius.

Gabriel stood and ran from the room towards Cyrilynn's. The Tzimisce had apparently been up for hours now and was simply awaiting his arrival.

[i:4f58be97cd]"Come on."[/i:4f58be97cd] he said [i:4f58be97cd]"We're going."[/i:4f58be97cd]

[i:e361def15a]"[b:e361def15a]WE[/b:e361def15a],"[/i:e361def15a] she said in a biting tone as she turned toward the rushed entry from the connecting door to Gabriel's suite, [i:e361def15a]"are not going anywhere!"[/i:e361def15a] She began to advance on him in a circling movement, her face taking on the cold and calculating aspect of a dangerous predator. Her grandmotherly type figure beginning to ripple with the coming changes she was planning. [i:e361def15a]"You may have the face of the angel Gabriel or that of my Ventrue partner but you are not he!!"[/i:e361def15a] She almost spat the last part at him.

The changing creature before him sprouted spines and two wickedly curving hooks in place of hands, as she licked her lips with anticipation of the coming battle. [i:e361def15a]"It was foolish to come to me as a newborn and think the you could pull the wool over a fellow Tzimisce's eyes. Or.... are you another of those failed corpses, the Assamites?"[/i:e361def15a] Gabriel's eyes grew wide as he flicked a quick glance down and ascertained that he was, indeed, naked.

He put on as stern a face as he could and stared directly into her eyes. [i:e361def15a]"You idiot! Use your Auspex!! It's [b:e361def15a]is[/b:e361def15a] me, Gabriel, your colleague, damn it!"[/i:e361def15a] The Ventrue swore a few more pithy comments and then rolled his eyes as puzzlement lit up her almost storm-blackened eyes but he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when she halted in her tracks. However the changes persisted as if with a mind of their own. Lady Cyrilynn stared at him intently for a few moments.

[i:e361def15a]"Well, [b:e361def15a]you[/b:e361def15a] certainly believe that's who you are"[/i:e361def15a] She cocked her head, suspicions still mirrored in her eyes, the changes slowing perceptably yet not stopping altogether. She grinned maliciously. [i:e361def15a]"You see, you have something extra my associate lacked."[/i:e361def15a] She fell silent, almost waiting for him to say something. The Cainite pummeled his brain for her meaning and then it dawned on him when he raised his hand to scratch a growing itch on his regenerated limb. She was talking about his arm! His [b:e361def15a]NEW[/b:e361def15a] arm!!

Gabriel relaxed visibly. [i:e361def15a]"Um, yes, that."[/i:e361def15a] He would have blushed had he been human. [i:e361def15a]"Well, it's largely because of what Julius did, you see. He's caused my arm to regrow itself. Had a heck of an "uncomfortable" night."[/i:e361def15a] Cyrilynn's eyes grew huge and the spines, scales and plates instantly melted back into her body like snow on a sunny day. She stepped forward, her eyes fastened on his regrown limb, and asked permission to touch it in stilted phrasing. He stepped back, out of her reach and sighed, then shook his head. He looked back into her face to see naked lust there but there was no way he was going to let her get her hands on him!!

Cyrilynn gave a fatalistic shrug, suddenly losing interest in him, and turned away to finish her own preparation for departure. [i:e361def15a]"Then I suggestion you might want to get dressed before issuing forth from these rooms. I don't think the kine would weather your....appearance....as well as I could. As you've said, we're leaving and have a bit of a drive before us to the coast."[/i:e361def15a] She stopped mid-packing with a distant look on her face as she contemplated their destination. The Ventrue chose the distraction to make a quiet and dignified exit.

Through the starlit night, the three riders, seated on their camels, made their way to the encampment of Hassan ibn-Sabbah, the Old Man of the Mountain. The camels had proven to be excellent mounts, going with ease were no horse, donkey and certainly no car would go. Unlike Faisal, Anwar had been a more talkative. Traveling through the barren landscape and the destroyed cities and villages, he had related the story of how in earlier times king Cyrus of Persia and his war party of 10,000 immortals had with much effort been able to capture the great city of Babylon. The city that was considered one of the most advanced in the world of those days. The Ten Thousand Immortals, Mundug wondered if some of them were still around in the present nights.

The small caravan was now reaching the ruins of an old settlement. Wind-plagued flames of small fires lit the place with an orange aura. A figure dressed in a long all-covering robe greeted the party in a language that Mundug could not comprehend. Occasionally glancing at Mundug, seated in his saddle, he talked to Anwar and Faisal.

?Please, sir Mundug, you may dismount now.? Faisal nodded to Mundug, while climbing off the camel himself.

Anwar and Faisal led Mundug through the camp of desert nomads. Most of them were busy, either practicing with their long curved blades, looking after the animals, or doing other things that had to be done. The three arrivals stopped in front of a large but simple tent.

?Sir Mundug, you and Faisal will go in here, my task has ends here.?, Anwar spoke and quickly after he joined the other inhabitants of the camp.

Faisal entered and gestured Mundug to follow him.

It was just after seven, and the sun had only just set as the newly purchased BMW M3 CSL jetisoned down the long straightaway leading from town. The silver, bullet like mesh of classic elegance and sophisticated technology weaved between the working world's vehicles like a frantic honey bee. Each calculated turn of the wheel and shift of the clutch brought Cyrilynn one step closer to her goal.

The driver however, was in pure rapture. Once his Tzimisce associate had accepted his identity, the Ventrue had immediately set about utilizing the welcomed return of his arm. And top of the list was driving a stick shift. In accordance with the standards of his clan, not just any car would do of course.

For the duration of the drive, Gabriel said nothing, but sat grinning smugly, occasionally dropping into third gear at ninety miles an hour and listening to the finely tuned German engine scream gleefully. Gradually, the traffic thinned out, allowing Cyrilynn to at last pry her gaze from the road and back onto the information their now departed translator had passed onto her.

As the vehicle raced like quiksilver over the bluffs and cliffs outlining the shadowy nighttime coast, Cyrilynn went over the finer points of their destination. An old style Mediterannean compound, a classic piece of architecture. The few pictures provided displayed wide spacious open porches on both levels complete with columns and spanish tiling atop. A lavish pool stretched at the bottom of a wide roman style staircase. Clearly the owner had money to burn.

Gabriel toyed with the thought of purchasing such a home. The price couldn't be much over two million, certainly affordable. Cyrilynn's cutting tone when discussing the possibility of conflict wrenched him from his daydream.

[i:4b685b082a]"I wish we had brought some type of firepower."[/i:4b685b082a] she lamented.

[i:4b685b082a]"The sword's in the back...and besides..."[/i:4b685b082a] he threw a careful glance sideways, measuring her up before slamming the car into fourth and bringing the RPM's to the redline, [i:4b685b082a]"I was under the impression that a Tzimisce was never unnarmed."[/i:4b685b082a]

She grunted a low affirmation as they rounded a bend that brought the Mediterranean and her black waters maginifcantly into view. Gabriel and Lady Cyrilynn rode in comfortable silence the rest of the way, the latter gazing out over the ocean and the former content to listen to the car's marvelous inner workings.

The pair didn't have to wait long, as the mansion was only a short drive up the coast. Gabriel parked across the street from the compound and the two stepped out into the moonlight, both scanning the spacious structure. Easily identified by their auras, Kine paced behind a rather large electrified fence, gripping SPAS shotgun loosely.

The dusky scent of Assamite blood was present, and confirmed their suspicions correct. Barely visable in the moonlight, several boats lay moored off a miniscule dock behind the manor. Guard towers, security cameras, and a locked gate completed the compounds defenses.

The Ventrue popped the trunk and removed La Magra from within, placing it readily at his side, beneath his evening coat.

[i:4b685b082a]"What do you suggest we do?"[/i:4b685b082a] Cyrilynn asked earnestly. The question was valid, as they had already dispatched three of these people's comrades. They had no reason to believe they would be met with open arms.

[i:4b685b082a]"There's no point in starting unnecessary conflict...we simply go up and ask to speak with the master of the household."[/i:4b685b082a] Gabriel replied, already making his start across the highway towards the front gate. As the pair reached the cast iron bars, a darkened face appeared behind them.

((sorry, ran out of time again! blast it! have to get to work...i'll continue later.

((Because of the impending doom of this thread. The burgeoning relationship between Alekz and Serai will be continued in the upcoming thread "A Future, red and Oblique".))

The engine of the Audi continued it’s throaty growl as Alekz drove to the Eyrie. The car sent out an invisible, silent signal to the entrance of the underground parking lot. The reinforced steel shutter rose inaudibly as the aggressively toned car slid forward, Alekz sat transfixed neither with the very act of driving nor the gradually crumbing facade that was Abram Kaniel. He tugged at the peeling layers of latex on his face and returned his attentions to the recording of his dinner with Angelique. His eyes looked tenebrous and almost weary.

The Audi fell silent almost as dramatically as it had bellowed it’s presence in the streets. He stepped out, lifting the portfolio in it’s leather bound case, and a small electronic device before locking the parking lot and it’s wheeled tenant within.

The ride in the elevator was prolonged he felt. His mind continually went over the night’s events. Something troubled him. Something about the way Angelique hastily tried to correct herself when she’d spoke of her patron. He pulled off the suddenly encumbering frame of Kaniel’s clothing and the false paunch, standing half undressed as he powered up the computer in the Eyrie’s front room. Mouthing the name Angelique had started to say...

[i:59c2631c9c]“Cyril?”[/i:59c2631c9c] Strange name for a woman perhaps. Maybe she was a he? Alekz frowned before turning to the monitor. The screen icons appeared in gradual formation, before a final icon emerged from the electronic ether to inform him of his online status. He grimly wiped excess latex from his face with a cleansing pad before selecting a search engine. A few key presses later and the computer whirred eagerly, seemingly desperate to please it’s flesh and bone master. Were the computer sentient in some minimal amount, it would resemble a sickeningly loyal puppy.

An hour passed. Slowly.

Alekz was growing every more irritable before his latest search choice came up trumps.

[i:59c2631c9c]“Cyrilynn.”[/i:59c2631c9c]

The screen seemed to unravel as his eyes travelled the lines of text. Absorbing. Memorising. And comparing.

[i:65c09cb18b]...Lady Cryliynn, current owner of Hastings Manor. A recluse from society. Owns and funds several orphanages. Evidently fond of children, known to call them “her children” when approached on the subject. Widow to a diplomat who died overseas, subsequently she returned to run the manor. Known affiliates. Serai Smith. Handmaiden, housekeeper and aide to Lady Cyrilynn. Should contact with her ladyship be required, it is Ms. Smith you should approach....

........third lady to own manor in over 200 years...[/i:65c09cb18b]

He clicked on a highlighted segment of text, clearly a prompt for a linked image.

The image loaded quickly, drawing a hiss from his lips and a hum from the hard drive. It depicted a series of aged photographs of the previous owners. And a much more recent one of the current owner. There was a substantial but familial similarity between the three women. He scrolled down to find an image of Ms. Smith. The photograph was a tad fuzzy, but upon activating an image enhancement program the features of it’s subject became clear.

She wore her hair on top of her head, granted. But it was no doubt the woman shown was no other than his, or rather Kaniel’s, Angelique.

[i:65c09cb18b]“Serai.”[/i:65c09cb18b] His eyes returned to the trio of previous and current owners, something dark passing behind his eyes.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the sky was a pristine blue without a cloud in sight, and the summer breezes blew gently through the trees. In other words, it was a picturesque day. But something was wrong....

Elzbet scanned her surroundings and realized that she wasn't supposed to be able to stand the sun. By all rules, she should have been frying to a crackly crisp. Yet there she was, Tyler sitting in front of her, laughing and smiling, balmy sunshine beating down on their picnic. Obviously, this was the dream world.

Gabriel's ghoul and herself had been together for a few months and the relationship had progressed to the point where Elzbet was teaching Tyler the finer points of finance and he was instructing her in the finer points of bedsport. Over the last couple of days, however, she had been waking up with vague feelings of [b:a650739a19]impending doom[/b:a650739a19].

She hadn't been able to remember much about her dreams, either. Just the sense that there was something that she was supposed to do before the beginning of the new year. Well, this seemed to be one of those that was relatively simple and she prepared herself to enjoy it. The fried chicken was delicious, the coleslaw was crisp and tangy, and, of course, everything else was perfect, as well.

When the meal was over, Elzbet and Tyler lounged on the spread, bathing in the warm light of day. Tyler poured a glass of merlot for them both and handed her one. They toasted the beautiful afternoon and the crystal rang. She raised it to her lips and looked into the blood-red fluid. A face swam out of the wine and she started, dropping the goblet. The liquid spilled from its vessel, spreading like vitae. Instead of soaking through the cover, it rolled towards her with worm-like tendrils. Elzbet shrieked and sat up, only to discover that she was back in her bed.

Tyler's smooth voice flowed over her, telling her that it was just a nightmare and to not worry. She laid back down, her mind racing, for she had recognized the features swimming in her cup. It was Julius.

Eve and Julius sat in the darkened study at Mont Louis, more of a fortified manor house rather than a chateau proper, which sat upon a bluff over looking the Loire halfway between Tours and Amboise. A fire roared in the fireplace, while they looked over the books rescued from the Pskov monastary by candlelight. Since Eveshka had returned to her Vampiric state, she had eschewed most modern conveniences, prefering to have candles lit as opposed to electric light. This somewhat inconvenienced Julius in one respect, but since the reawakening of thousands of years of memory that did not include electricity, he was also oddly comforted by this. Either way, it made Eveshka look even more angelically perfect, the way the glow danced off of her features. Julius found himself smiling at her more often than he had in the past.

In the days since he revealed to her their shared past, she had grown closer and closer to him, as if he had awoken memories within her. She too had many lives behind her, although she could only sense the shadowiest images of them. Somehow, just the knowledge that he had given her, and the tiniest glimpses he had shown her were enough. She seemed to be calming down. For Eveshka, that was an odd thing. Julius found he had several odd things in his life.

Another odd thing was that he found that he could actually read some of the books, whereas he could not before his little rendezvous with Baba Yaga. They gave insight into centuries old power struggles between the Tzimisce and the Tremere. It explained why the two clans detested one another, or at least why the Tzimsce particularly detested the Tremere. It spoke of shadowy legends dealing with a cauldron of the All-Father's Vitae. It spoke of a moon-goddess walking the Earth looking for her lost protege. It spoke of the moon-goddess arriving again in the Northern Kingdom of the Scythians. It spoke of her search for another possible candidate, one whom she had followed through the ages, through reincarnation to reincarnation. It told of how she had found her, there in Pskov. The Tzimisce overlords were apparently concerned about that. They did not know how the balance of power would shift between the growing presence of the Tremere and Ventrue coming from the west, their own Tzimisce squabbles, and the presence of menace from the south that arrived with the Mongolians. Apparently they hoped that the Moon-Goddess, whom they got on with quite well, would take her new protege and leave, allowing the status quo to continue.

Julius leafed through another musty tome continuing the narrative. He sipped at a 50 Year MacCallan while Eveshka sat at a Steinway stagegrand piano playing the Wallenstein Sonata by Beethoven. He had really grown to appreciate her more since he found out she was linked to him. Oddly enough, she had grown to appreciate him more as well. Her attitude had grown a bit less tempestuous. So, he poured over books while she brightened his night. Life was good. Presently she sat at the piano wearing a form fitting dress that was damned near see through, but yet, it covered everything that one would wish to see. Julius said that her latest kick in fashion was, "Frustrating, simply frustrating." It did not leave all that much to the imagination, but yet it precluded sensory fullfillment. And so she played, and so Julius read.

His glass tinkled to the ground as he sat up abruptly. Eve looked back.
"You are mentioned in here," he said simply.

Eve raised and eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"It mentions that the Moon-Goddess picked the Boyarina of Pskov to be her new protege," he said.

Eve stopped playing. "That's impossible," she said. "I was Embraced by Antonin Rublev, the icon painter."

"Evey, that memory is not completely accurate," he said. He had never completely explained to her that she was not a Toreador. "I don't know what happened with the man you thought was your Sire, but he was not your Sire, unless of course Ishtar had disguised herself to make the job easier."

Several hours later he had explained to her that the evidence indicated that she was actually the "daughter" of Ishtar herself. For some reason he thought that she would be upset by this revelation and had prepared for the worst.

"Cool," she said simply, after a moment. "I suppose that explains a lot doesn't it."

"Yeah, babe" he said. "I guess it does."

"So, Julius," said Eve, turning fully around on the piano bench and leaning back against the keys with a soft tinkle. Julius' eyes widened at the sight, of all the previous incarnations of this woman, the present one was by far the most beautiful. He never tired of looking at her. "Yes?" he said after a moment's distraction.

"Tell me of Morgana la Fee," she said and walked over to the couch and laid her head on his lap like a little girl waiting for a bed time story.

Julius chuckled. "Once upon a time...."

Lady Cyrilynn was an extraordinary creature indeed. Her discipline far exceeded Gabriel's own, and was it not for her relatively young age and naive tempermant, she might prove quite a foe for Gabriel. But, as circumstances had dictated, he held the obvious advantage, and for now could be secure in his safety and stance as appointed leader. Still, as she conversed in broken yet obviously functional Greek with the doorman, the Ventrue was begrudgingly impressed.

The shadowy figure behind the gate nodded and then slunk back towards the house, shouting orders to the other Kine as he went. Gabriel leant in towards Cyrilynn.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Had I known you spoke Greek, this entire affair would've been far easier."[/i:fc54aa3c34] he whispered, watching her hair shimmer brilliantly in time with the sparkling ocean waves that consumed the background of the coast. Cyrilynn never took her eyes off the meager guard shrinking into the house.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"It was a recently acquired skill I assure you. Our translator was not entirely without his uses."[/i:fc54aa3c34] she whispered back.

Gabriel nodded and turned back to the fence, behind which the guard reappeared, a taller figure in tow.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Unseen applications."[/i:fc54aa3c34] the Ventrue murmured, wondering why he had not bothered to tap them.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Entirely."[/i:fc54aa3c34] came the curt reply.

The guard stopped before them, just short of the iron bars, and turned to his new companion. The duo conversed in Greek for a few moments, a conversation Cyrilynn monitored as best she could. Finally, the taller stranger approached cautiously, eying the pair. A stern sounding question in Greek was posed to Cyrilynn, to which she gave a shakey reply at best...he held out a calming hand.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Perhaps, it would be better if I continued in English?"[/i:fc54aa3c34] he glanced between the pair.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Yes, thank you."[/i:fc54aa3c34] Gabriel affirmed, clearly relieved to be included in the discussion. [i:fc54aa3c34]"My name is Gabriel O'Brien of Clan Ventrue, and this is my Childe Lady Cyrilynn."[/i:fc54aa3c34] he said, motioning towards the shocked Tzimisce. Ventrue were exceedingly less threatening than Tzimisce, at least on a physical level. [i:fc54aa3c34]"We have been charged by the Prince to investigate the disappearance of several valuable artifacts that were heisted from an archealogical dig several weeks ago, and were wondering if we could simply ask you a few questions?"[/i:fc54aa3c34]

A shadow crossed the stranger's already darkened face, and he grimaced at the pair.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"I will tell you this. We have nothing to do with what you are investigating. Nothing at all. You will leave, and will not return here."[/i:fc54aa3c34]

The words rang of truth, and Gabriel and Cyrilynn said their polite, dazed goodbye's and returned to the car. Neither spoke as they proceeded back towards Athens at a leisurely pace.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Well that was a dead end."[/i:fc54aa3c34] Cyrilynn offered at last.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Certainly was."[/i:fc54aa3c34]

The two fell back into silence, Cyrilynn thinking of their next move, Gabriel uneasily watching the road. Something seemed familiar. A certain feeling of...euphoria. He had never experienced it directly before, but had somehow inflicted it upon others. It was the dreamlike contenting effect of dominate...the Ventrue had been dominated. Beaten at his own game!

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Cyrilynn. We've just been dominated."[/i:fc54aa3c34] Gabriel growled low, and slammed the car angrily into fifth gear.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Well...I'll admit this is a tough nut to crack, but I think dominated is a bit of a strong term..."[/i:fc54aa3c34]

[i:fc54aa3c34]"No, not beaten...I mean DOMINATED. They've brainwashed us."[/i:fc54aa3c34] Gabriel punctuated his sentence with an open palmed blow to the steering wheel. [i:fc54aa3c34]"Those were the bastards we were looking for...the attack in the hotel room...the dark skinned men...remember?"[/i:fc54aa3c34]

The look of puzzlement that was frozen on the elderly face of the Tzimisce began to thaw into fresh disbelief, and then into anger. She snarled and hissed, shook and swore. At several points, a number of rather large unpleasant spikes erupted from various points in her body, threatening to skewer them both.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"ENOUGH!"[/i:fc54aa3c34] Gabriel snarled at last, ceasing the tantrum throwing Tzimisce's tirade. She glanced up at him, shocked by the rebuke. [i:fc54aa3c34]"You think the leather interior of this car comes cheap?"[/i:fc54aa3c34] he asked, eying several freshly punctured holes.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Well...aren't we going to go back?"[/i:fc54aa3c34] she asked furiously, seeing Athens lights appearing around the corner.

[i:fc54aa3c34]"Of course we are, but not alone."[/i:fc54aa3c34]

The little yellow sports car Serai had rented slinked its way along the narrow winding roads that wound past Leiston Abbey into the township itself. The sleepy little place had been that way for hundreds of years and showed no sign of ever changing. Which suited both women and was a large reason why Lady Cyrilynn had settled there almost 200 years ago. It still had it's open little markets that had graced the place when Elizabeth the First was queen.

After her phone call from Kaniel's oh-so-proper man of affairs, Cromwell, she had contacted Jaques with her change in plans, destination and a directive to have one of the estate staff collect the the limo from the hotel's garage. She also informed the hotel in the matter as she checked herself out. Stepping into the Rent-A-Car office connected to the hotel's ground floor, she had opted for a vehicle she could put the top down to. The weather had decided to gift her with a gorgeous day!

The hour's drive to the Vauntmere estate had trickled by on fingers of wind in the black and silky strands of her hair. Feeling like a giddy school girl, Serai savored her freedom and the anticipation of a visit with someone she was coming to regard as very important to her. Strangely enough, the speed with which it was happening raised no alarms whatsoever! A flush of warmth brought spots of rosy blush to her cheeks.

Stopping the car before Vauntmere's glass and brass facade, she levered those long tanned legs of hers from the little Citroen and, standing in the shelter of the car's opened door, she leaned back to take in the whole panoply. Lady Cyrilynn's mansion was a study in old world style and elegence. Abram Kaniel's home was an exact opposite. It was a tribute to the architectural genius who'd designed it and the professionals who'd made it a reality. It shone in the noon sun like an ice palace of glittering angles and sheets of frozen water. Serai fell in love with it at once.

Tripping up the gently terraced stairs to the wide double doors at the main entrance, she could barely make out a figure approaching to admit her through the elongated and polarized panels . A stunning smile of sheer joy blossomed across her features when the door opened to reveal the person as none other than Abram himself. She enveolped him in a tender hug and placed a sweet brush of her lips to his forehead then stepped back to see how he was. Kaniel was blushing and she could see that he looked fit and happy to see her.

[i:54eb3388d7]"Come in, Angel, come in and see my house."[/i:54eb3388d7] He stammered a bit. [i:54eb3388d7]"I have given Cromwell the afternoon off so it will be just you and I in this huge mausoleum. We will start with the kitchen where I will ply you with sandwiches until you beg for mercy."[/i:54eb3388d7] The old Jew chuckled at his own wit and paused to catch his laboring breath before continuing. [i:54eb3388d7]"After which, I will take you to the "firing range" so that you may try out your new bow."[/i:54eb3388d7] He paused in thought then gave her a considering look. [i:54eb3388d7]"If there is time enough I can show you my ensuite dojo and see if the sword would suit your patron's tastes."[/i:54eb3388d7] He threw her a wry grin, that for a single second made something chill and eerie skitter down her spine, but she passed it off as being ridiculous. An aberration of the angle of daylight.

He caught her hand and placed it on his arm in a courtly manner and patted it in a familial way and escorted her to the kitchen. The room was a modern chef's heaven with it's chrome and steel pots, pans and cooking utensils hung from revolving racks. A large, well polished butcher's block dominated the center of it all while the walls housed a large chilling box, an equally large freezer and a preparation counter.

Kaniel disappeared, through a door that gave a glimpse to a well stocked pantry, before emerging with loaves of mini hoagie rolls, butter, a round of cheese, and a special herb spread. From the ice box, he pulled out a succulent ham and a head of fresh lettuce. Then he headed for a vintners rack on the opposite side of the room and brought back a bottle of wine so red as to be nearly black. He popped the cork, while she pulled a high backed stool up to the sturdy cutting table, and then decanted it into two glasses, handing her one of them.

They talked about the weather and how April had slid into a very balmy May and hoped it would remain that way. They commented about the loss of some of the estates to apartment complexes and how lucky they were to have the ones they did. He made her a sandwich worthy of a gourmand and she devoured every bite of it. He tried to press a second one on her but she patted her flat stomach and declined. She also didn't want to be too loggy from digesting her treat when it was time for fire the bow.

Like swimmers who laze in the sun after a meal, and before taking up swimming again, they wandered his "castle". He showed her a room, with it's collection of tribal souvenirs and a long wing with many guest rooms, all aired and awaiting their occupants. He escorted her into a mini theater that also housed one of the largest TV screens she'd ever seen. At one point she'd needed the ladies room and had been led to a chamber that defied the common with a sunken tub and a small, jungled waterfall that fed into it when activated. Serai couldn't have been more delighted with all she saw.

She also made note of the security cameras and alarms as well as the intercoms in every room. Kaniel pointed out that he liked piped music to follow him around when he wandered the house. He planted himself in the middle of one room and lifted his chin to the ceiling, part way. [i:54eb3388d7]"House, Enya, Shepard's Moon, play continuously. Temperature of the majority of the house to be 37 degrees celsius. Water the greenhouse at 5:30am, 11:30am and 5:30pm daily. Leave a note on Cromwell's message center to have my bags packed for my trip to Paris and to notify me when this is accomplished. Thank You."[/i:54eb3388d7] The "house" chimed a pleasant note and replied, [b:54eb3388d7]"Your Welcome"[/b:54eb3388d7] in Serai's tones. The old man blushed again.

[i:54eb3388d7]"I like hearing your voice."[/i:54eb3388d7] He gave her a sheepish look. [i:54eb3388d7]"I hope you don't mind"[/i:54eb3388d7] The shock of surprise on "Angel's" face turned to one of soft sentimentality and she lightly leaned her head onto Abrahm's shoulder and whispered, with the bite of tears in her voice, [i:54eb3388d7]"That's the loveliest thing that ever happened to me. You've immortalized me in a way no one else could have. I'm honored, little grandfather."[/i:54eb3388d7] She accorded him another brush of her lips, to the cheek this time. He coughed in confusion and led her forward to the next phase of their afternoon journey.

"Come on in, sir Mundug", one of the two men, seated on a finely crafted cushion said. Both of them were dressed in traditional desert wear and smoked from a hookah that was placed on a hand-woven Iranian rug.

The other man invited Mundug with a simple hand gesture to sit down on the last unoccupied cushion.

Mundug reluctantly sat down, politely refusing the offer to share the hookah. Both the men started to study him, creating an awkward silence. They appeared to be somewhere in their early sixties, but Mundug realized that it was impossible to say how old they really were.

"You may go Faisal, you have served well." One of the two said in a somewhat familiar sounding voice and promptly Faisal left the tent.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation, sir Mundug. I am Hassan ibn Sabbah, but please, before we start the conversation, will you take salt with my brother and me?"

Mundug nodded, not knowing what to expect.

Hassan smiled and while his 'brother' filled three goblets with vitae, he took a small leather pouch from his belt. He took out a pinch of salt and sprinkled some in all four of the cardinal directions, before putting a grain of salt in all three goblets. Once done with that he handed a goblet to his brother and to Mundug and then they took a deep drink.

"Thank you.", Hassan smiled."If you want we shall now get to business then, cause no doubt, you are wondering why I, a stranger to you, invite you. Unfortunately it is not good news, but an imminent problem that affects us all, but to our shame, my clan is mostly responsible for it. Therefor, we need to take responsibility, but also we would like to ask you for aid. You, a man of great reputation and honor within our clan and also a man with a common interest in solving the problem, we think."

Mundug listened with interest, but didn't say a word and so, Hassan continued.

"Shal-ka-Mense, no doubt you have heard of it before, but let me remind you nonetheless, over a 2 years ago, kindred of your community came in possession of a scroll that revealed the location of an ancient and powerful, but dormant Cainite. The power of that Cainite has tempted many kindred on a search for this ancient, not only in your community in the United States and later the city of York, but also within the ranks of the assamites there were some that were foolish and brazen enough to look for those powers."

The other assamite looked at Hassan and Hassan on his turn gave him a meaningful look back.

"Somehow, by accident or maybe not, your friend the toreador Jerra and you got involved in this and although I assume it does not mean much to you, on behalf of my clan I offer both of you our humble apologies. But not only Salah al-Hudin was tempted by those powers, a much more powerful child of Haqim has been trying to acquire those powers. Ali. All time long his minions have been trying to come after the hidden location mentioned in the scroll of Shal-ka Mense and now...the location is finally known to him. It is impossible to predict what could happen should he or anyone succeed in obtaining those powers, but now the hour that the tomb will be uncovered is close. But I am not only referring to Ali and his underlings, friends...or at least old acquaintances of you are about to uncover the secret location as well. Yes, through much effort and persistence...or is it temptation and hunger for power they have now almost completed their search. Eveshka Shuvolov, Julius Darrant and their flock of willing followers are about to find the tomb. Ali is aware of this too and he is already preparing their demise. Yes, it is true. In all honesty we do not care for the lives of any of them, but we do not want to risk that Ali will dishonor our clan and abuse the powers that are there to be found and to be truthful we wouldn't like to see anyone in possession of those powers.
We have done as much as we could to delay the discovery, but all our attempts have not succeeded, many of my brethren have died for this cause, but it has been all in vain. Mundug, I Hassan ibn Sabbah and my brother Salah al-Hudin who sits besides me are convinced that you have a chance to avoid having your friends been caught unaware by Ali and his troups and maybe, just maybe you could avoid the inevitable."

...

His "weapons room" was a marvel of the standard and the unusual. An overly large room, it housed many antique and modern day armaments displayed for any and all buyers to see on the walls, in racks and in velvet lined drawers. Kaniel plucked two bows from the wall, one a composite bow and the other an unstrung Japanese bow. "Angel" could feel herself mentally drooling already.

He stopped long enough to grab a quiver from a special rack before beckoning to her to proceed him through the door he waited patiently in front of. [i:0ee84fab37]"Beyond this door is the firing range for my customers. It carries all the latest in electronic targets for all types of testing. I think you will find it adequate."[/i:0ee84fab37] His eyes twinkled merrily and Serai answered with a grin, knowing it'd be a cold day in hell before he'd disappoint her. She opened the portal and stepped through.

The ghoul nodded her appreciation of what lay before her. [i:0ee84fab37]"Very similar to the one my employer has. Ours is underground, of course, my lady doesn't like to encroach upon the lawns and flower beds by extending the building's environs."[/i:0ee84fab37] She took the composite bow Kaniel handed her and tested it's strength while he watched. Then she turned to the range, scoping out the targets. [i:0ee84fab37]"Simply tell the Range what type of target, how many, the speed and the distance and it will set it all up for you. You can change all or part of it at any time by speaking it aloud."[/i:0ee84fab37] She beamed at thim and had the targets set up by distance.

Taking a rock solid stance, she planted an arrow dead center of each one. The perfection of the score was immediately displayed on a LCD board to her right. Kaniel opened an ammunitions cabinet behind him and selected more arrows. Serai set up moving targets and took her stance again, then began raining her flighted darts at each mark. Again, no misses. Standing to her right and behind the young woman, the old man's eyes narrowed. Quietly, he stepped up to her and tapped her mid arm, she turned to him with a puzzled look of inquiry.

Silently he handed her the Japanese bow and a brand new string. With joy suffusing her countenance, she took both from him and strung it quickly and efficiently while barking a set of orders at the Range. Then, slinging a quiver over her head, she widened the distance, sped up her fake prey and kicked off her shoes. In a spectacular display of speed and acrobatics, she ran from one side of the room to the other, sometimes forward, sometimes back, always moving. She was a barrage in motion.

On the last arrow, she stopped dead center of where she had started and pulled the bow's string as far as she could, aiming at the blur that was the last object. Suddenly, to her right, the Jewish man lapsed into a proxysm of coughing that shook his slight frame and he doubled over. The young woman glanced fearfully at him from over her extended arm. [i:0ee84fab37]"[b:0ee84fab37]Serai[/b:0ee84fab37], quick..."[/i:0ee84fab37] he panted between the racking bouts, [i:0ee84fab37]"......a glass...of water from....over there."[/i:0ee84fab37] He pointed to a fountain with a dispenser of paper glasses.

Worry flooding her system, she glanced back at her target, released the arrow, then placed the weapon carefully on the floor and sped to the indicated spot. Filling the container she returned to the merchant's side and helped him to sit on the floor and sip the liquid until his breathing had slowed and returned to normal. [i:0ee84fab37]"Thank you, my dear, you've helped me more than you know."[/i:0ee84fab37]

He patted the hand that rested on his knee with appreciation but another tendril of icy dread snaked its way down her back. She just couldn't put her finger on it's cause. While she gently helped him to stand again, Kaniel peeked at the last target. The final arrow had not only hit bull's eye but was embedded, Robin Hood style, into the one that had proceeded it.

"Angel" tried to take her leave of him, fearing that he'd pushed himself too hard for her benefit by this visit. Abram argued that he was just fine, and, if it pleased her, he would simply sit and watch her wield the sword in the dojo. [i:0ee84fab37]"I would hate to be denied your further company, dear girl, for I would be lonely until Cromwell returns."[/i:0ee84fab37] She couldn't deny him the small pleasure.

Again, Serai was amazed at the similarity between Kaniel's dojo and Cyrilynn's and she remarked that they both must have great interest in the Orient. He graced her with an enigmatic smile and handed her the bronzed, tarnished sword, then gestured her toward a screen at the opposite end of the room, tucked into a corner with no windows to expose herself to. No other door except the one they'd entered. [i:0ee84fab37]"Use that to change into a more appropriate outfit, skirts tend to impede swings. There are many outfits there to use, one should fit you."[/i:0ee84fab37] His generosity had her withholding the fact that she already was wearing a bodystocking as part of her ensemble.

She laid the shoes, she'd discarded and then retrieved in the range hall, under the bench provided there and proceeded to remove everything down to the skin, to replace it with only the full-length black leotard she'd had on. She wanted nothing to get in the way of movement when she tested the weapon. She noticed, when she sat and studied it a bit, that the blade had remained just as tarnshed as it was in the picture. Also that Kaniel had fitted the tang with a well-crafted, but plain, hilt to fit the hand.

She'd chatted away to him and had listened to the pleasant cadence of his voice. It never ceased to bring a sense of warmth to her and to soothe. She was in the process of adjusting the calf part of the leggings to eliminate any sag potential when she heard the soft *thud*. Her head jerked up and she nearly dashed around the barrier but realized that she was still naked from the waist up. She'd yet to get her arms in their sleeves. Placing her hand atop the framework, she called out in alarm. [i:0ee84fab37]"Little Grandfather, are you all right? What's happened? Are you hurt?"[/i:0ee84fab37]

There was a brief hesitation and then he spoke, causing Serai to release a pent up breath and to still her frightened heart. That coughing fit he'd had had bothered her more than she was willing to admit to. She couldn't lose this man whom she'd come to love in so short a time. It would rip her soul in half!! [i:0ee84fab37]"I'm all right, dear girl, don't come out from behind there until you are "decent". You just might push me into an early heart attack."[/i:0ee84fab37] He gave a weak chuckle and the young woman hurried the rest of her preparations.

She found Kaniel, when she emerged, sprawled on the floor to the left of the entryway. There was no movement from her "little grandfather". Instead, standing over the body, was a young and classically handsome man with strong angular features. The light brown hair was a bit tousled, like he'd just pulled his shirt over his lean and muscular frame. Pricklings of danger made her unconsciously balance on the balls of her feet.

There were three things she assessed from him. First he was dressed in string-tied leggings and a loose tunic on the upper torso, no shoes. Second, the sword he held in his hand glinted back at her despite the soft lighting. And, third, his grey-green eyes were embedded in a stone face. Serai brought her sword up at the ready without fore hought, an instinctive reaction to the predator across the room from her. Her own gaze flattened out and went dead, her body tightened in reponse to the implied threat and her heart shriveled and died leaving a black void in the region of her soul that Abram Kaniel had recently occupied. Inside, Serai began to mourn at her loss.

Her voice going low, with a snarl, she demanded an answer of this stranger who had brough devastation to the brief companionship between herself and the vendor. [i:0ee84fab37]"What's happened? What's wrong with Abraml!? [b:0ee84fab37]What have you done to him!!?[/b:0ee84fab37]"[/i:0ee84fab37] Her voice rose with each question and ended on a throbbing sob. Then, with tears suddenly trickling down her cheeks, she asked ,in a broken whisper, [i:0ee84fab37]"What have you done to that gentle old man? I swear I'll chop you into little pieces if you've harmed one hair on his head."[/i:0ee84fab37]