Sebastian seemed a little bit surprised when his reflection didn't show up in the mirror, but such a thing wasn't too uncommon amongst vampires, though it declared very clearly what he was.

[i:3a143dd913]"Nice shot,"[/i:3a143dd913] Ishmael said softly, raising an eyebrow at the thought that a gun could inflict a signifigant enough amount of damage to apparently destroy a vampire. He still had that feeling though. The one that everyone gets sometimes, a gnawing unease, dread filling his stomach and putting him on edge.

As they neared the manor, Ishmael raised an eyebrow as he caught a glimpse of something on the street. [i:3a143dd913]"Stop the car,"[/i:3a143dd913] he said softly as he came to the realization of what it was. [i:3a143dd913]"Stop the car,"[/i:3a143dd913] he said again when Sebastian didn't seem to show any signs of slowing. Finally he just opened the door and got out while the vehicle was moving, coming down hard enough on one knee to rip his jeans.

That made Sebastian stop. Ishmael however, did not stop; instead, he showed a slick pair of heels as he made a fast line towards what he was hoping he had only thought he'd seen.

[i:3a143dd913]"The hell,"[/i:3a143dd913] he hissed as he reached it, covering his mouth; even considering what had happened during the last few days, this was still pretty sick. On the ground lay a woman... or rather, what was left of one. Her eyes and face were still frozen in an expression of abject terror, and here intestines were still hanging out from gaping wounds, Blood pooled about her in a fashion that declared an absence of vampiric involvement in a way that nothing else could.

[i:3a143dd913]"What on earth did this,"[/i:3a143dd913] he asked Sheira as she came up next to him, his voice little more than a whisper of velvet in the night. Then of course, thought to yell back at Sebastian, [i:3a143dd913]"Keep those headlights off, I don't want to see this any better than I already am...."[/i:3a143dd913]

[i:3a143dd913]"Jeez,"[/i:3a143dd913] he muttered, then looked back at Sheira again, as he pointed out where her arm was literally torn off and parts were missing altogether [i:3a143dd913]"It looks like something has been... eating her."[/i:3a143dd913]

And indeed, it was as though some great carnivore had ripped through bone and flesh alike, devouring and swallowing both, but then had decided not to finish its meal.

Steam still rose from the mutilated corpse.

((well done! keep it up guys. please don't stop now...we have to figure out how to get your characters to Cascadia!

Thankyou Gabriel, I apreciate your kind words of praise, and the fact that you seem to be following this thread! And we fully intend to keep going. We have what will hopefully be an intriguing plotline mapped out. By the way... very interesting fields of interest that Denneval has.

[i:1643d1d315] Only a lupine mutilates their victims like this, but then again, it does not bear the mark of any of them..[/i:1643d1d315] Thought heavily decapitated, severed and chewed, it was clear that this was not a garou’s doing, which worried me and brought me to the next logical question… what could have done this.

Ever since his new found life, Ishmael had been asking himself quite a few questions, who wouldnt in the situation. If vampire exists, logic would be that the Moonbeasts would be present as well, thought he would have prefered to hear a negative response, I had no choice but to nod to the question his eyes asked me when I briefly refered to it moments ago.

[i:1643d1d315] Pardon me saying, but shouldnt we be leaving anytime soon, this place sure holds no safe spots anymore.[/i:1643d1d315] Sebastein said, caring to stay alive at least a few more nights.

As I kneeled down next to what was left of the poor women, I reached for my pocket and pulled out a small custom made vial. With delicacy, I inserted a needle deep in the innards of the victim, and withdrawed a sample of blood, with luck it might tell us something.

[i:1643d1d315] I desired to reside home tonight, but it is clearly not such a good idea, considering the situation.[/i:1643d1d315] I softly spoke to both, the crime scene being but a kilometer away from the manor.

[i:1643d1d315] I might have a place.. [/i:1643d1d315] Said Ishmael as he kept an eye on the perimeter. [i:1643d1d315] Then shall we ? I’ll discuss further more with you along the way.. [/i:1643d1d315]

[b:484b32e7d1]Later on that night[/b:484b32e7d1]

I yet had no idea why Sebastein had insisted on handpicking our security ticket back to a better place, safer location. I argued on it for a few moments, but decided to let it go, after all, I knew him for years and trusted him with my life. Along the way I had discussed for quite some time with Ishmael, the road was long, so conclusively we had time to cover every questions we both had… and on my end, it was clear that the person I was looking for had most deffinately something to do with all this scheme.

As for Ish, I knew he would not be on the losing end. Somehow I sensed he trusted me to a certain extent, half of him seemed to hesitate on either yes he should borrow this path, or simply take a turn somewhere else, something was bothering him about me and Sebastein, and I could not quite place my finger on it, put aside the fact that he met us a few hours ago.

We arrived in this modest cottage, quite far in the north, was a good two hour drive. We were all rather emotionaly and physicaly drained, we all had a long night and deserved a good rest. Sebastein went to sleep straight away, heh, seeing him hit the bed few hours before sunrise always made me laugh when we first came to know each other, now he does it instinctively like a Kindred would.

As for Ish, he needed some time to think, and went for a walk in the woods, oh did I mentioned that the cottage was far up a mountain, surrounded by a rather dense forest, and guilded with quite a few lakes, the typical view.

[i:484b32e7d1] * sigh * I wished I knew how you went away.. [/i:484b32e7d1] I said, circling one of my finger in the lake, siting next to it. Each little circular wave provoked another. Each time I am alone, the same images haunts me, I lost a dear friend years ago… death is innevitable, and seems like a normal thing to happen when you carelessly think about it, however, when you know you caused the death of someone, things become different. Remorse, haunts ever seconds of your life, and for me, it haunts my [b:484b32e7d1]eternity[/b:484b32e7d1]

A tear escaped my eye, and cascaded along my cheek to finaly end up causing one of the circular waves that my fingers did earlier upon the surface of the lake.

[i:484b32e7d1] You still think about her don’t you..[/i:484b32e7d1] The voice of Sebastein softly spoke, on which I might add that he made me jump, I was clearly not expecting him. I had no real intention to have a chat, did not really felt like it, so I simply noded as I tried to hide my visage for a second, attempting to dry the watery surface the tear left upon my cheek.

[i:484b32e7d1] I know how it feels, dear Shiera, I lost someone I cared for the moment I met her years ago, she never looked at me as more than a friend… I thank her for the suffering… [/i:484b32e7d1]

For a reason his every words caught my attention, and as I snaped to reason it was too late.

[i:484b32e7d1] I thank you for the suffering… [/i:484b32e7d1]

[b:484b32e7d1]* BANG *[/b:484b32e7d1]

The bullets contained a special type of liquid silver, the kind they use to hunt werewolves, as the bullet reaches its target, the projectile explodes, and liberate the substance straight into your veins, a rather painful and slow way to embrace death if not taken care of soon after impact.

As each projectile penetrated my body, I felt the excruciating pain invading every veins my body contained.

[i:484b32e7d1] You should be pleased, your dying the same way I killed your friend…[/i:484b32e7d1] The words alone were enough to wound me for eternity, to say that the men I was really looking for was next to me all along, devoured me from the inside.

Knowing that his time was counted, he rolled me in the lake, he knew with all the silver my veins contained I would drown all the way to the bottom.

A few moments after, the same blood curdling scream that we had heard in the city had made itself heard once more. At the sound of it, Sebastein smiled, and began walking away.

[i:484b32e7d1] Have you seen your mistress.. ? cannot find her[/i:484b32e7d1] With luck, Ishmael happened to stumble upon Sebastein a few seconds after the scream. Ish had heard the scream a few times around the cottage as he came back around the time Seb had left, baring this in mind, he had immidiately went out to find us.

Ishmael blinked slowly, taking in the surroundings very suddenly as he came upon Sebastian. The immediate thing he had noticed was the sound of gunfire. The second thing he noticed, was the shells on the ground, and, of course, the impression on the ground where the body had been moved.

Pieces of a puzzle, shards of the broken mirror that is perception spun about each other and came together at a solution within Ishmael's mind. An image of what must have played out formed.

The length of pipe Ishmael was still carrying came around with all the force available to Ishmael's arm, momentary anger instinctively causing the blood in his body to literally burn to fuel a burst of rage and strength as the pipe struck home on what seemed to be a very surprised Sebastian.

A few seconds later, Ishmael pulled off his shirt and took a few still habitual breaths, and out of the instinct of a mind that still clung to life, dove into the water, holding his breath the whole way.

Another few seconds, and he realized the futility of holding his breath; he had no heartbeat, and therefore, oxygen was a decidedly moot point. Air bubbles erupted around him as he willed himself to exhale and not breath.

A few tense moments later, he found her, lying at the bottom as though she had been nothing but a metal weight tossed into the water, unable to float, unlike the standard body.

His hand grasped hers, and, as Icarus once ascended beyond the clouds, he also rose upwards, driving to break the still rippling surface of the water above them.

After seconds that seemed each an eternity in and of itself, he and Sheira finally broke the surface of the water, in which sheira immediately began tending to her wounds, whilst Sebastian still lay unconcious upon the ground where Ishmael had left him.

[i:cadb438e26]"I told you we should have gone to my apartment,"[/i:cadb438e26] Ishmael said to her with a chuckle as he leaned down to pick up his shirt, momentarily turning his tattooed back to her. [i:cadb438e26]"I beat on your friend there a little more... seemed like the thing to do at the time."[/i:cadb438e26]

I can’t believe I got tricked in so easily, truth be told, I never imaged that the one I thought be my best friend could turn away as a demon facing daylight. [i:d823376e21] I b..ea..t on.. you…r fri..end… th..ere.. a.. bi..t m..ore[/i:d823376e21] I heard that Ishmael had said something to me, but it wasnt really perfectly clear, as I was still under the effects of what my so called friend did to me.

As I perused myself a little bit more, I glanced quickly at Ishmael who most deffinately took a malicious pleasure in beating Sebastein down to a bloody pulp. I felt pitty for a few minutes torwards him, but as I glanced down upon my torso, which was hurting me way beyond understandable limits, it was then that I realised about how many times he fired at me, there was one too many bullet holes guilding my outfit.

[i:d823376e21] Who sent you ! [/i:d823376e21] Kept saying Ishamel as he continued to apply a severe beating. Out of anger, he kept continuing, without letting him any spare time to respond, conclusively, Sebastein had passed out once more.

[i:d823376e21] This will suffice for now[/i:d823376e21] Ishmael said, as he dragged the body inside the cottage. [i:d823376e21] Will you be alright ?[/i:d823376e21] he asked me as he came back a minute after. [i:d823376e21] I’m fine.. [/i:d823376e21] I responded as I denied the help he was offering me to get up, obviously he knew that I did not like the taste of defeat, and he knew it was nothing personal regarding him.

[i:d823376e21] What the hell are you thinkin’ ! ?[/i:d823376e21] Ish voiced angrily, I had my gun pointed in his direction and God knows what was passing thru his mind.

[i:d823376e21] I saved your life and it is how you thank me ![/i:d823376e21] he said, seconds before I fired a silver bullet, that to his surprise passed inches over his shoulder to locate itself home straight in the eye of what seemed to look like a chewed walking corpse.

I had returned the favor, or at least I like to think so. As Ishmael kneeled to glance at the fetid corpse, I glanced around and noticed a few others, obviously I emptied the clip on all of them, seeing they were werewolves bullets, I shot straight to the abdomen, that should have done the job, even for a vampire, and for a reason or another, the beings kept pacing forth, more determined…

[i:d823376e21] Where’s your appartement again ?[/i:d823376e21] I spoke to him as I glanced to the vehicle nearby.

Ishmael gave a grim chuckle at her question as he brought his pipe around against the side of one of the apparent zombie's heads hard enough to floor it.

"Its two blocks from where you picked me up," he said with a grimace as the creature slowly rose, "Lets go grab your friend and stuff'im in the trunk, I'm going to need a snack later," he said as he bent at the knees to duck a swiping claw, turned a half step as he rose, using the momentum from the pipe and the combined strength of the right side of his entire body lifting to slam the pipe into the side of this new offender's neck with a sickening crunch.

At that moment, whether Sheira was willing to let him eat Sebastian or not, both headed straight for the cottage, and emerged with Sebastian, ducking zombies the whole way before they tossed him into the back seat rather than the trunk, while Ishmael got into the driver's seat.

"Buckle up," Ishmael said as he hit the ignition. "Why? I'm dead already," Sheira said, causing Ishmael to look back and repeat, "Buckle up."

Perhaps it was something in his eyes, perhaps it was the way that the car suddenly lurched forward straight through the mass of the undead, but Sheira took this moment to listen as the car plowed through the walking corpses, fishtailing as it pulled out the driveway.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that I recognized one of them... but we both saw her chewed up on the road near your place," Ishmael said as he took a turn fast enough that the back end of the car swung around to smash into another small group of the undead as it sped past them.

"I'd suggest however, that we go to the nearest gun store first, and buy a few shotguns," he added, looking back as he sped along. "Seems like a good idea to me," she said, looking over at Sebastian absent mindedly.

"You really trusted him, didn't you?" Ishmael said as he looked back at her through the mirror, almost carelessly taking another turn.

[b:c2af7ccc08]‘’ You really trusted him didn’t you?’’[/b:c2af7ccc08]

Those words brought so many memories in front of my eyes, I remember how often he used to say I was the only person he trusted, how often he saved me from having my last breath, vice versa, it was the same for both of us.

The emotion of losing a dear friend hurts to no end, what was once my caring emotions for him, slowly transformed into hatred as each second passed by.

[i:c2af7ccc08] There is no such thing anymore, no one can be trusted…[/i:c2af7ccc08] my answer to Ishmael’s question brought silence in the vehicle, at least for a few moments.

[i:c2af7ccc08] Uuh.. [/i:c2af7ccc08] Sebastein moaned, breaking the silence as a rock being thrown thru a window would, he was regaining his senses slowly. His vision still somewhat blury, he could not really see anything else but a shadow in the driving seat, for a reason, he never noticed me being next to him.

Ishmael had heard the previous moaning but kept driving as if he had heard nothing, knowing I was in the back. Suddenly, he realised that the kindred who had beaten him down was within his reach and appeared not aware of his awakening.

[i:c2af7ccc08] Don’t push your luck[/i:c2af7ccc08] I said, pressing the cannon of my revolver on his temple. Recognising my voice, he glanced at me, confused. [i:c2af7ccc08] I’m sure you recognize the visage you took so long to finaly betray don’t you!?[/i:c2af7ccc08] I said, applying more pressure against his temple, forcing his head against the car window.

[i:c2af7ccc08] Tell me, who are you working for.. [/i:c2af7ccc08] I demanded, but obviously he was not going to answer without a fight. [i:c2af7ccc08] You know me more than anyone else Seb, don’t make me force an answer out of you[/i:c2af7ccc08] and of course, he pretended not knowing what I was talking about.

[i:c2af7ccc08] Argh! Bitch! [/i:c2af7ccc08]

[i:c2af7ccc08] Maybe this is not enough, need me to refresh your mind once more?[/i:c2af7ccc08] Considering the situation we really did not have any spare time to fool around, so I simply push a hunting knife thru his knee, hence his previous scream.

The cute little thing showed resistence still, so I placed my hand on the blade handle and curved it, aggravating the ammount of pain Sebastein was enduring.

[i:c2af7ccc08] I’m asking one last time, if you do not answer, I will pull the trigger, and if you lie, I will pull it as well… now tell me, who are you working for.[/i:c2af7ccc08]

[i:c2af7ccc08] * sigh * Listen.. shiera.. [/i:c2af7ccc08]

[i:c2af7ccc08] SHUT UP! [/i:c2af7ccc08] I screamed, banging his head against the window, shattering the glass without any sort of effort from my part. The expression on his face was priceless, as if all of a sudden he felt remorse for his previous acts.

Readying the pistol, I slowly began applying pressure unto the trigger, which obviously made poor little Sebastein enter a critical state of stress, and eventualy, he broke in half, not being able to take it anymore.

[i:c2af7ccc08] Kriss.. she.. forced me to it.. [/i:c2af7ccc08]

[i:c2af7ccc08] Who is she, what was your role, and what are those damn creatures out there.. [/i:c2af7ccc08]

[i:c2af7ccc08] She hired me to study you, she has been watching you for quite a while, for what I really don’t know. As for the creatures I know strickly nothing, I swear.. she might, I have no idea.. All I know is that she resides in Cascadia.[/i:c2af7ccc08]

[i:c2af7ccc08] What did she offered you to do such a shameful job, Seb.. [/i:c2af7ccc08]

[i:c2af7ccc08] E.. eternal life.. [/i:c2af7ccc08]

[i:c2af7ccc08] Well, it is something I could offer you, too bad I chose to withdraw it from you.. [/i:c2af7ccc08]

[b:c2af7ccc08] BANG [/b:c2af7ccc08]

I don’t know what really caught me in pulling the trigger, I always followed my instinct, and this was part of it.

I had shot him in his right eye, immidiately causing death. Silently, I opened the door and pushed him out of the vehicle.

[i:c2af7ccc08] Those people in the cemetary with you, what do you know about them.. Ish?[/i:c2af7ccc08] I asked him as he kept speeding in the streets.

[i:cd6d9a222c]"What I know, and what I deduce, are two different things,"[/i:cd6d9a222c] Ishmael replied, glancing back and sighing at the loss of a meal, [i:cd6d9a222c]"Ultimately, I don't know anything besides the fact that they're vampires, but I can make a few educated geusses about them."[/i:cd6d9a222c]

Ishmael slowed down a tad, the city was quiet enough, and he wasn't sure whether there were cops around to pull them over. [i:cd6d9a222c]"A few nights ago, I was attacked in the street on the way home from the firing range. I tossed the person who came after me, and emptied my clip into them. They tore my neck up a bit when they attacked. I suspect I was just a potential meal at that point."[/i:cd6d9a222c]

The car came to a slow halt in front of the apartment building where Ishmael lived, easily pulling into one of the parking spaces as the two got out and entered the building quietly, Ishmael taking the time to carefully observe his surroundings, including the lack of street lights.

[i:cd6d9a222c]"I dropped my nine millimeter I was so shocked when the vampire that attacked me started to get back up. I ran all the way here, a few nights later, they found me on campus and chased me into the graveyard," [/i:cd6d9a222c]he said and shook his head as he looked at the softly flickering lights.

[i:cd6d9a222c]"I'd say they tracked the registration number from my gun, and found me that way, but that implies police, police contacts, or someone with a bit of an extensive knowledge of computers," [/i:cd6d9a222c]Ishmael added then shifted his grip on his pipe, [i:cd6d9a222c]"By the way, it looks like the emergency generator is going, so that and the lack of street lights... keep your eyes peeled."[/i:cd6d9a222c]
It was fortunate that they moved quickly enough to reach the steel door on Ishmael's apartment without trouble. Sheira raised an eyebrow, "[i:cd6d9a222c]A little bit of overkill considering you were human,"[/i:cd6d9a222c] she said with a chuckle.

"[i:cd6d9a222c]Yeah, no windows either... I was too cheap to pay the extra for a window room, what with having to pay a touch extra since there is a backup generator in the basement and all, and I got burgalized in the first week. The guy busted the old door with a crowbar, so the landlord let me install this... pretty easy to get, since I work at a foundry." [/i:cd6d9a222c]Ishmael said as he opened the door and walked into his apartment, closing it behind Sheira.

He was immediately crashed into by one worried looking Jamie, [i:cd6d9a222c]"Ishy where the hell have you been? I was worried about you, what with all the crazy talk, then those freako-zombie things on the street, and you not being around,"[/i:cd6d9a222c] she said then realized Ishmael wasn't alone, [i:cd6d9a222c]"Nevermind that, I geuss I know where you've been."[/i:cd6d9a222c]

Jamie was grinning as she looked Sheira up and down, [i:cd6d9a222c]"I just have two questions, who is your yummy looking friend, and do I get to join in?"[/i:cd6d9a222c]

Ishmael couldn't help but chuckle at the look on Sheira's face, [i:cd6d9a222c]"Sheira, this is Jamie, my girlfriend... well, sort of anyhow, Jamie, this is Sheira, she's been a big help."[/i:cd6d9a222c]

Jamie snickered, [i:cd6d9a222c]"I bet she has. But seriously, whats with the freakos outside?"[/i:cd6d9a222c] Ishmael shrugged, then remembered something, [i:cd6d9a222c]"Hey Jamie, you're top of your class, if we got you to the labs on campus, think you could take a look at some blood samples we took?"[/i:cd6d9a222c]

Ishmael turned to Sheira, [i:cd6d9a222c]"Jamie is top of her class in med school... but its almost morning, so it'll have to wait I think,"[/i:cd6d9a222c] he said, then turned back to Jamie, who had something of a curious look on her face. He just pointed to a mirror, causing Jamie to turn and look, noting a curious lack of Ishmael's reflection.

A half second later, it dawned on Jamie what that meant. [i:cd6d9a222c]"Holy shit Ishy! You... no reflection... you're.... you're a vampire![/i:cd6d9a222c] she said, then looked at him again, [i:cd6d9a222c]"Kinky."[/i:cd6d9a222c]