NationStates Jolt Archive

The man stood to be about six feet tall. He beard, not kept, was down to chest and snarly. His hair was dirty and blonde covered his face except for his yellow eyes. The clothes he wore were tattered and torn. He held a young boy, appeared to be three, by small stature and a small teddy bear grasped in his small hands. His head was limp and the neck was a gore of torn flesh and blood oozed about the two messy marks.

She had been hunting him not for very long. He apeared to most as a bum, she knew better. He hunted near the water park and took his little game to the near by dock. She noticed an assortment of small shoes and children's clothing near by his feet. Hmm. He liked to keep tropheys. She was too late to save the boy, but she would save others. She grabbed her long wooden sheath and drew it and sliced through the vampire as the wind would slice through the blades of grass. She was silent and he had no idea of the doom infront of him. She smiled as she watched him begin to turn yellow and his skin shrink. She kicked him into the water and watched him sink to the bottom.

She turned away from the scene the cops would find this place and clean up the mess. She would return to the streets and give them more to clean up. Her eyes narrowed and she walked the dark streets by herself. She was a hunter, there were only a few left. She was new to this town and she needed to search out the others, if there was any in this town. She pulled the dark scarf from her face and her long dark hair flowed out. Her pale face shown against the black of her outfit, a black suit from head to toe. Her eyes were hazel and shown no fear against the horrors of the night. She walked up to a local coffee shop and sat at one of the chairs outside the building. A hunter has to rest when they had the chance because the evil always lurked about.

OOC: Okay, so what I need is some fellow vampire hunters or some vampires who want to try and go up against my character.

Sonia was her name, she had been a hunter since the day she saw her mother and her little brother be mauled by a vampire. That day will haunt her until she finds the vampire and avenges her family. So, she kills ever vampire she meets till she can kill that one.

She will never forget what he looked like. He was tall and lanky. He had silky blonde hair that touched his white pointed ears. His eyes were amber and glowed with hatred. His lips were pouty and deep red. His face was long and pale. His eyes would always pierce into her soul.

She remained hidden as he devoured her family. She lived on the streets and they taught her the tricks of the trade. She learned to defend herself and later hunt and kill.

She had lost count of how many she had killed, but she still hadn't killed the one. She had moved from coast to coast. Staying in each place long enough to take a few out. She moved on so she wouldn't get caught or anyone would notice her. Now, she was in a bigger city and she could stay longer. There had to be more here. More to help and more to hunt. She wanted. Patient was a virtue, but sometimes she just didn't have the time for it.

Footfalls echoed throughout the alleyway. One man walked there, braving the darkness. His hands were in the pockets of his trench coat. His facial features were obscured by shadow, but he stood about six foot four, probably weighed in at two hundred something pounds. He wasn’t fat, it was muscle. All Muscle.

He stepped from the alleyway, light from a nearby streetlamp played across his face. He was ruggedly handsome, blond hair was mid-length, not cut military style as one would expect. An old scar was still visible intersecting his right eye, but the eye itself was fine.

He walked along, the tension in his muscles grew as he reached his target. He didn’t know the night clubs name, but he knew it was leech city, favored hunting grounds for the seduce and suck kind. He arrived at the dingy place, and he eyed the bouncer.

His Second Sight told him that the man was a ghoul, a revenant, a lackey. But he was just a small fish in a big ocean. He flashed his I.D. to the bouncer, and the ghoul eyed it. His given name was Christopher Trant. He was twenty-three years old. The bouncer waved him in with a feral glint to his eyes, and in he went.

He was submerged in a chaotic whirl of flashing lights, bad music, and warm bodies. Well, mostly warm bodies. He spotted the leech he’d take straight off. She was still trolling for a target, so he could play this one out without acting to quickly. He leaned back against the wall, and waited. He had mastered this act long ago, and it showed.

She was on him in seconds.

He smiled as she approached, and he let her pickup speech wash over him like the load of bull that it really was. He let himself be led from the club to her car, and he got in. She drove. They were at her flat in a few minutes, and he allowed himself to be docilely led inside. It was almost time.

The second he was through the door, he heard the lock click shut. She was on him, subtlety gone. Must have been a long time since she’d last fed. She was a slight girl, but she was a Leech. She could have easily overpowered even a man as strong as Trant was. Well, another man as strong as Trant was, anyway.

She made a grab for him from behind, but he was already in motion. He twisted to the right, his left fist came up, and as he came to face her, he sent that fist rocketing towards the Leech’s jaw. The impact was cold, he couldn’t pummel a Vampire to death like that, but right now, he was still in his act.

She absorbed the blow with insane ease, but she hadn’t counted on just what Trant was doing with his left hand. It really was too bad his sword was too big to carry around like this, but the blade was just too obvious. Unfortunately, that sword was the only thing that could survive the amount of power he could channel. Forged by his own hands, of his own imagination, with every bit of himself poured into it, the blade was Christopher Trant set in steel.

Trant smiled wickedly, as he jabbed the leech in the gut with the KAC sound/flash suppressor fitted to the Heckler and Koch USP Tactical he had upholstered, and that smile chilled the Leech to her undead bones. The subsonic slug flew from the barrel as he pulled the trigger, muffled by the suppressor, and further muffled by the undead body it impacted with.

The bullet was hollow point, it wouldn’t kill the Leech. It just hurt like hell. No, the killing blow was coming from the left.

His left hand snapped back, and the short bladed knife he carried there, alike to every single other knife he had carried in that spring loaded sheathe over the years, snapped into his hand. The knife was warm to the touch, seeming to vibrate with his own energy. If the Leech had seen the knife coming, she’d have seen how it glowed red. A normal human couldn’t, though. He slammed the knife into the leeches stomach, inserting it from the side. Quick as death, he pulled the blade forward. Slicing a clean section of undead flesh free.

The Leech wasn’t out yet though. She got off a solid kick into Trant’s gut, and you wouldn’t have believed it possible, but the big man flew backwards. Trant gained control again, kicking off the wall of the flat, he landed in a crouch.

He spun when he rose, his right hand snapped off two more rounds from his USP Tactical, the .45 ACP Jacketed Hollowpoint rounds ripped into the Leech, but she kept coming. Trant emptied his magazine with unerring accuracy, ten rounds of .45 ACP JHP. He knew it was useless, but he couldn’t use the suppressor and any of his preferred loads at the same time.

Trant’s left hand snapped forward, the blade flew into the Leech. It shattered on impact, the forces he’d channeled into it were too much for the cheap blade to handle. Trant dropped his pistol, and snarled. Screw it, he was bringing the damned sword next time. He hated it when it got to this, and he eyed the creature.

She had been beautiful, before she died. Raven Black hair, piercing blue eyes. It was such a shame, she couldn’t have been more than eighteen when she was taken. Such a waste of a good life, so much potential.

Trant felt a tingling sensation at his fingertips, it matched the burning emotions he felt. He felt hatred, and he felt sadness, he felt anger, but most of all, he felt a burning desire to make things right. Ever since his Imbuing, he had known his sins. He once helped them, now he fought them. He killed only those he had to, those that he could help, he tried that too.

But, this one, she had lost all shreds of humanity. She was wholly what he hated now, a monster. He had been a soldier before he became a healer, and it was always easier for him to kill than to help. He pointed at the leech, his index and forefingers were level with her chest. He snarled with rage, and he channeled those emotions.

Everything went to hell.

Something that wasn’t quite fire and wasn’t quite lightning arced from his fingertips. It struck the Leech square in the chest, electricity danced over her body, and she burned. In seconds, nothing was left but a handful of ashes.

His eyes watered, the stench of ammonia and scorched ozone drifted throughout the room. His ears rung from the after blast, the glass in the microwave had shattered. The electricity was dead, and the windows had broken.

By the time anybody got around to check it out, he was gone. Scrawled in a messy script on the wall, were the words, ‘SHE HAS BEEN RELEASED.’

She had been released, thanks to the efforts of one man, her soul had finally been released from its unearthly prison. Christopher Michael Trant flexed his muscles gently, he had retrieved his gun, and he was long away from the scene.

He was a Hunter. He was a damn good one two. He could do things that shouldn’t be possible, but that was why he was a Hunter, and not a hunter. The two were completely different things.

The cross of the imbued was emblazoned on the back of his coat, in a red the color of dried blood. He was human. He was also just a little bit more.

And so, he fought.

The wind caught her hair and played with the ends. The dark strands danced with the air. Her eyes were closed. A fire burned from within. The fire was incircled with blue ice. A flash and then her eyes opened. She did not know what the vision was of. She would find out soon enough. It was late and people were making thier way home and others were finding their prey. She got up and made her way back to where she had dropped her katana. She didn't like to take it into public, they were just not ready for that type if reality. She wrapped her face and all that could be seen was her eyes piercing and sharp. She walked the lonely street and not a sound could be heard.

Across town, Niccolo sat in one of his plush leather chairs in his stately and magnificently appointed penthouse apartment, intently listening to Chopin's Ballade No. 1 in G minor. He watched the images of a calm and serene winter's eve dance across his eyelids as he fell deeper and deeper into the music. Suddenly, he was ripped from his fantasy by the sound of another Chopin piece, this time playing from his cell phone on the coffee table. He picked it up.

"Hello?" Niccolo inquired.

"It's time. Get going," said the familiar and gruff voice on the other end.

The statuesque man grudgingly stood up from his chair and turned off the stereo playing his escape. Standing at six and a half feet and weighing in at around 210 pounds, Niccolo was truly a sight to behold. His slicked-back dark brown hair framed a face marked by a strong jaw and deep blue eyes. He had a tuft of hair on his chin that only helped to accentuate his commanding jaw. He retreated to his bedroom and opened his closet door. In there was a row of finely cut Italian silk suits, in varying colors and cuts. He chose the double-breasted black pinstripe, blood-red silk shirt, and black tie. He quickly dressed himself and exited his bedroom for his "utility" room down the hall, as he prefered to call it.

In the room he quickly marvelled at the vast array of weaponry and equipment he possessed before quickly grabbing one of the black duffel bags from the corner of the room and throwing it onto the table. He grabbed an assortment of equipment he thought he might need: rope, grappling hook, lockpicking tools, explosives, etc. From the gun rack he chose twin cobalt-blue Desert Eagle .44 caliber handguns and put them into the holsters on his gun belt, then firmly secured the gun belt around his waist. On the wall he selected a silver-bladed katana with a bejeweled hilt that betrayed its deadliness. He sheathed it and secured the sheath on his belt also. These weapons he would have at his side. From the closet he retrieved his long black trenchcoat, a pair of black leather gloves, and his favorite black ivy cap and donned them. There. He was ready to go. He grabbed the duffel bag, turned off the light, closed the door, grabbed his wallet and cellphone from the coffee table in his living room, exited his apartment, being sure to lock the door, and left down the hall.

He quickly walked down all 10 flights of stairs to the underground parking garage. He found his nondescript black Cadillac, opened the trunk, threw in the duffel bag, got into the driver's seat, and backed out of his space and drove towards the exit. The parking garage attendant smiled at Niccolo as he slowly approached the man's booth.

"Good evening Mr. Giovanni. Another night out on the town?" the attendant asked.

"Oh no, just business. I have some pressing matters that need to be dealt with," Niccolo replied somewhat vaguely.

"Ah, I see," responded the young man, feigning understanding. "Well, do have a good night. I'll be sure to say hello to Ms. Hansen for you when she arrives."

"That would be excellent, my good man. Here's a twenty for your troubles. Please tell Kaitlyn I shouldn't be long."

"Thank you Mr. Giovanni. Have a good night!"

"Oh, it'll be a blast," Niccolo replied as he drove off into the dark night.

Sonia crept along the side of the building. The brick was wore down from the many years of rainfall. The red was now a dull rusty colour. The razored edges pulled and tugged at her scarf. She was flat against it and hugged it, she was incased in the shadow. She heard two voices. Both male, one deeper than the other. One sounding much more mature than the other.

"What to go dumpster rummaging?"
"Nah, I got the money I need."
"Ya heard of that new club didn't you?"
"No?"
"Pretty cryptic my girl said."
A laughter. "Ya mean the girl you're doing?"
"Sure, they are all the same. She told me there is a lot of kids that go there. Some girls that are a lot like her. Could be fun. Wanna check it out?"

There footsteps pound in the opposite direction. She snuck out behind them and followed at a great distant. She had trained herself to concentrate on certain sounds. She watched them enter a rundown warehouse. It was dark, but she was certain there was a bouncer.

As Niccolo drove through the drizzle en route to his destination, his eyes were repeatedly drawn towards his own image in the rear view mirror of his car. Here I go again, he thought to himself. I thought I promised myself I wouldn't be doing this anymore. What happened? I've got to get out of this business. If I keep this up, I won't be able to look at myself in the mirror like this for much longer. He continued driving down the deserted city street, ignoring the occasional red traffic signal. He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out his favorite sunglasses. They were silver ovals with red lenses. He obviously didn't need them, seeing as how it was the middle of the night, but he liked the way they looked and thought they added to his mystique. Plus, they would help shield his identity against potential witnesses, always a good thing in his line of work.

He pulled up in front of a nondescript home in the suburbs outside the city. Time to go to work. Hopefully she won't be here. The last think I need is another needless complication in an otherwise easy job.

She was about to enter and see what this little club was all about, but she hesitated. Whenever she did this she would just leave it for later. It did not appear as a threat at this moment. She would keep her eye on it for now, anything remotely similar to actions of a vampire she would be on it. She glared, her eyes began to glow from her soft hazel to a dark forest green. The fires engulfed the tree and would nto release it eternal flame. She wouldn't forget, she couldn't forget. The image was burned into her brain.

~There was one. Only one, that got away. He continued to get away. She didn't understand why. She had trained with the best athletes of various martial arts. Her strategies were of different ideas balled into one. But nothing worked against him. She worried that she wouldn't make it against her eternal enemy, the man who killed her family. If she couldn't kill this one vampire, how could she kill that one? This man drove her nuts. He seemed to be in about every place she went. She knew he was here. She just hadn't run into him yet. But she will. The man named Niccolo. She would find him and kill him and kill the nagging threats of her defeat.~

She turned away from the run-down building. Back to town, back to where I can find him. She drew closer to him, she could feel it. They were tied to one another, some how, as sick as it was she couldn't get him out of her mind.

She took the long way back. She went through the suburbs. The houses all the same in their perfect little square design. She frowned. How boring it would to live here. All the same, no differences. She heard the car. Ahhh. But here is something different. There lives will be shattered, but I could allow that. She squints at the car that was approaching. She smiled underneath her scarf, but I won't let him do that. She jumped back out of the sight of the headlights. She crouched behind a minivan. She had one hand on her katana. Now, this was more like it. A challenge, she would defeat. She made no sound while the car stopped, but a block away from her. She had become one with the earth.

Driretlan, of the guild Hyraphore, will answer the call against this... Sonja.

OOC: Hey ATG. I'll post when I get some more time.

(OOC Who do you want me to be? Vampire or hunter, although I will not be playing sterotypical ones of either. Please do not say, "either" because I want you to say. Plus, can you give me a description of the place? Thanks :) I have experiance with vampires, one of my main characters (this is the Kain Irenicus in another profile btw, if that means anything to some of you people) was a vampire.)

OOC: I remember you Kain Irenicus, have you forgotten me? We worked together in Jame's Dreams, the story by Iuthia. How bout a vampire. I know yours will be a challenge, but don't forget I like the character inner thoughts to be a challenge, not just a physical challenge.

Niccolo turned the key and removed it from the ignition. No need to lose my favorite ride, he thought. He walked up to the door of the cookie-cutter house and knocked on the front door. He could hear shuffling around inside the house. Eventually, a young woman answered the door.

"Hello?" she asked dreamily.

"Cleaning service," responded Niccolo coldly.

"Cleaning service? But it's 1am!"

At that moment, in the blink of an eye, he drew the sword from his side, and in a swift movement, clubbed the young woman in the side of the head with the hilt of the blade. She was an innocent. She did not deserve to die. Sure, she'd wake up with a killer headache, but such is the price to pay for associating with the wrong kind of people. He stepped over the unconscious young woman and entered the house. He dragged the body into a corner and shut the door quietly. He quietly walked up the stairs to the master bedroom. Silently, he crept up to the bed to the sleeping man lying there, oblivious to his quickly arriving fate. Niccolo silently drew out his twin Desert Eagles and waited.

After perhaps an hour, the man woke up with a start.

"Wha...huh..who..who are you?" he groggily asked.

"You owe Simon money, Bill. Why don't you pay Simon back, Bill? Why do you have to make Simon angry, Bill? Now you have to die, Bill."

Two shots rang out of each gun, and Bill dropped to the bedsheets in a pool of blood. Niccolo wrapped the body up in the bedsheets and carried him out of the house and into the back seat of his car, where Niccolo had already placed plastic sheets to protect the plush leather seating.

Ah, another job well done. I wonder how much this guy owed Simon. Probably not even $10,000. God, Simon has been getting more and more brutal lately. I wish someone would get rid of him, so I could finally be free of this hell.

Just then, a chill ran down his spine. Oh no. He could feel her presence. No, not that infernal woman. Not that infernal goddamned woman. Where is she? Where is that woman? I can feel her. I don't need another epic showdown Sometimes it seemed to Niccolo that he was doomed to dance with that woman for eternity. He had fought and tried to kill the woman, Sonia, or Sonya, something like that, many times, never succeeding. To date, she was the only target he had not been able to eliminate, the only opponent his equal.

Niccolo looked around the neighborhood for the woman, but she was no where to be found. He knew she was there, though. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. She's doing that disappearing act again. Niccolo got back into his car, keyed the ignition, and drove off out of the neighborhood. She will have to wait.

The Hunter sighed to himself. His black SUV didn’t stand out to much, but it wasn’t meant to. He drove with his knees, while he filled a spare magazine with .45 ACP rounds, but these were special. They were tipped with White Phosphorus. When he pulled the trigger, it would ignite, and cut a searing path to his target. There wasn’t a lot of it, but it was still enough to start fires. Enough to kill a Leech.

He finished loading the ten rounds into his USP Tactical, and slammed the magazine into the mag well. The suppressor was in its pocket on the tac holster he carried the USP in, he couldn’t fire the WP ammunition and use the suppressor at the same time. Didn’t bother him very much, though.

He returned the USP Tactical to its holster, and secured the safety strap. Didn’t want the weapon slipping out at an inopportune time. He adjusted his mirrored sunglasses, and glanced down at the LCD display that showed him the readout from the thermal imaging camera concealed on the right side of the vehicle.

Thus far, he hadn’t spotted any stiffs. He didn’t enjoy trailing them, and few of them were stupid enough to be out in public. Thus, he had another mission to pull. A considerably more important one, unfortunately, it was equally more high profile.

He deftly knifed his SUV into a parking slot, and killed the engine. The big V8 cut out without incident, and he reached for his equipment. His favored weapon, the one forged with his own hands, the culmination of months of study and trial, and the tool of his trade, the single best weapon in existence, as far as he was concerned, for dealing death to those who should not exist.

The big hand-and-a-half sword was like an old friend, and he slipped its over his shoulder, effortlessly hefting the weight. Trant then slid from his chair, and crouched slightly as he stepped into the rear of the vehicle. He opened the weapons locker, and removed his favored weapon of ranged destruction. A Heckler and Koch G3A3, with an under barrel HK79.

He dropped the HK79 down, and slid a 40mm Incendiary Grenade into the tube. With a practiced motion, he snapped the launcher back up into place, locked and loaded. Trant grinned wickedly as he operated the cocking handle, chambering a round. He flicked the safety on almost contemptuously, and slung the battle rifle over his shoulder.

He moved to the side door, then deposited the blade and the rifle on the chair therein. He could get at them quicker that way. Then, he opened the door and stepped out. His pale blonde hair was almost white in the moonlight, and his eyes were a reddish brown, the color of dried blood. He shut the door behind him, and was about to begin his act, when he saw the words.

He’d seen them often since his Imbuing, they were a guiding force in his life. They read “PROTECT THE HELPLESS”. Trant mumbled, and then his second sight kicked in. He saw it happening, but it wasn’t happening here. He had to move, and move fast. He pulled the door to his SUV open, and grabbed the rifle and his sword.

He slammed the door shut and took off running, slinging his gear as he moved. He felt a tingling sensation, beginning deep in his chest, then transferred to his legs. He moved faster. And Faster…and faster yet.

He ran, and there was the glint of death in those reddish brown eyes. His edge wasn’t human, but he was. He smiled, as e thought. ‘While I look and feel, I know I’m not immortal. But by God, neither are the freaks that call us slaves.’ He couldn’t remember who had said that, and it didn’t matter.

He forced himself back to the situation at hand, he entered into the sort of combat trance that only though in terms of target and innocent, and only cared about the best way of dealing with each.

And so, He fought.

She remained as flat as she could stand it. She waited. She peeked up just enough to watch him enter the front yard of the house. She saw him knock out a woman. She nearly took off for him, it took a lot of her strength to ground herself to the sidewalk. She saw the door close and the darkness fade to gray under the moonlight. And so she waited.

She stretched her legs a bit. Two gun shots. That would be him. Then she saw him flew the house. Now, what was he up to as he dragged a human blanket out over his shoulders. She crept closer to his car. She was surprised he had not noticed her. Maybe he was becoming tolerate to her smell. This was a good thing. She smiled. As he closed the door and got in on her side she climbed onto the car and laid as flat as she could. Her attire helped her blend into his black cadillac. As he drove the wind pulled at her scarf, but all that could be seen was her now glittering hazel eyes. Her katana attached to her belt did not scuf his car. Her grip tightened as he turned the corner, but it did not unsteady her.

And all she could do was wait.

EDIT: Never mind me got my handds full

Driretlan coughed, and coughed, and coughed...

He pulled his hand away from his mouth, and grimaced. There was traces of blood, on his hand. Ironic, a vampire bleeding himself dry. Drirelan laughed at his own dark humour.

There was nothing more that Driretlan took pleasure in. As he looked out the tinted window of his Mark II stretch limo, he felt every bit of his 500 years.

"Sir, we're almost there. Do you still want to go through with this?"

"Yes, Garrien. Now hurry. I do not have much time left..."

Driretlan felt the limo pick up speed as he went back to his thoughts. He, finally leader of the Hyraphore, and with what to show for it? Splintered ranks, in-fighting and bitter rivalries springing up every day. His guild now listed less than 250 vampires, with numbers waning everyday.He had to bring new blood to the fold, and if he had to do it himself, so be it.

He coughed again, and sighed. No blood this time, but no escaping the truth. His vampires were not the only thing waning. Ironically, Driretlan was dying of a rare form of Basal Cell Carcinoma: SUN Cancer. It had spread rapidly through his body, and he had but months to live. It appears that he was not as hardy as some of the newer ranks were.

The limo slowed to a stop, and Garrien lowered the glass partition.

"Sir, do you want me to come with you. I don't know if this is such a good idea."

"Nonsense, Garrien. I'll be fine. I may be 500, but I still know how to handle myself on the streets."

Driretlan shoved aside his long black trench coat to reveal two shoulder holsters, each holding a Desert Eagle .50 AE handgun.

"As well, I will be carrying this." Driretlan lifts a small sword out from underneath his seat and slips it in its sheath on his back. It is the "Upir", his personal short sword crafted from the finest Rittersteel. "Do not worry for me. My cause is just and neccesary. No go, before you are found out."

As Garrien and the limo sped away, back to the guild, Driretlan turned and looked at his surroundings. The Alucarde pendant around his neck was pulsing, which meant that there were definately more of his kinsmen in the vincinity. Kinsmen to recruit for the Hyraphore

However, wherever there were vampires, there were hunters. Driretlan drew out the Upir and hurried down the street. It was dark now, and he did not have to worry about being discreet.

Driretlan coughed, and he sighed. Not much more time...

Niccolo drove through the light rain towards his destination. A bead of sweat ran down his cheek. He wiped it away with his sleeve. Just then, it overtook him. She's here. I can feel her. Where is she? He looked in the rear view mirror. Well, she's not following me. He sniffed the air. Mmm, her perfume. That sweet smell. She was in the car. How recently? He sniffed again. Very recently. Probably while that poor sap was meeting his maker. Goddamn woman. She's probably got a trace on this car. Great. Simon won't like me losing another one of his cars.

Niccolo drove the car to an abandoned junkyard. He drove the car to the car crusher and got out.

"Keith! Keith! Where are you, you lazy bum!" Niccolo yelled rather loudly. Only the night air responded.

Ah damn, I'll have to do it by myself. Niccolo jumped up to the crane and got into the cockpit. He fiddled around with the controls for a minute. Now how did that stupid lush do this? Niccolo had seen Keith use the car crusher a thousand times before, mostly to dispose of Niccolo's unwanted "evidence". After a few minutes, he got the crane working and clamped the car. Two birds with one stone. Simon won't be happy having to buy me another car, but what are you going to do? Maybe he'll dismiss me. That would be nice. Niccolo lowered the Cadillac into the car crushed and retreated the crane, shut it down, and jumped back down to the ground. He began walking towards the car crusher controls. Now the bitch won't be able to follow me. Heh heh.

OOC: I remember you Kain Irenicus, have you forgotten me? We worked together in Jame's Dreams, the story by Iuthia. How bout a vampire. I know yours will be a challenge, but don't forget I like the character inner thoughts to be a challenge, not just a physical challenge.

(OOC Of course I remember, this is Kain in another profile, I am just lazy like that and the forums might screw me around. I will bring in Kain himself to the action! I have not used him in a while....My apologies if the intro I do in a moment concerning other people characters is incorredct, I will try to blend in and not dominate. I do hate it when I do that, it reminds me of.....Rave.)

OOC: I remember you Kain Irenicus, have you forgotten me? We worked together in Jame's Dreams, the story by Iuthia. How bout a vampire. I know yours will be a challenge, but don't forget I like the character inner thoughts to be a challenge, not just a physical challenge.

(OOC Of course I remember, this is Kain in another profile, I am just lazy like that and the forums might screw me around. I will bring in Kain himself to the action! I have not used him in a while....My apologies if the intro I do in a moment concerning other people characters is incorredct, I will try to blend in and not dominate. I do hate it when I do that, it reminds me of.....Rave.)

OOC: I hear ya. WA's been informed, ATG, but his 'net is being a royal bitch. I'll insert both a vampire, and a hunter, if that's okay.

IC:

A mysterious figure watched the events unfold from the shadows of an alley. The man was imposing-looking, standing at 6'2" and weighing a mighty 280 lbs. He was dressed like a commando, with black fatigues, combat boots, body armor, and a sidearm in a hip holster. Another sidearm clung to his body in a shoulder holster. A black balaclava and set of tactical goggles hung out of an open cargo pocket, allowing him to breathe a bit easier. An M4 rested in his gloved hands, and several ammo clips where hooked to his webgear, along with a few grenades. His ammunition varied in purpose, some designed to kill Lycans, other to kill Vampires, but all would drop a mortal target...

OOC: More later, gotta go... peace out! :lol:

OOC: Sorry, school started up for me again. I might be alittle delayed it depends on how I manage my time.

IC: Sonia laughed quietly he must have known she was with. Why else would he take the body to the trash compactor. Hmmm. The car slowed down, he mustn't have been thinking entirely clearly cause she could just easily get out of thes. Once the car stopped, she slide off the car and hid behind the pile of junk collecting. She kept one hand on her katana and waited.

As he approached the car crusher control panel, she stepped out under the pale light of the moon. "Niccolo, what exactly do you think you are doing?"

Driretlen pulled his black trenchcoat closer as he entered the junkyard. The Alucarde pendant had led him there, flashing ever more urgently.

He was about to turn the corner of a wrecked car when he heard voices and leapt back into the shadows.

"Niccolo, what exactly do you think you are doing?"

The guild leader leaned up and peered through the paneless window of the chevy nova. He could see a woman with a katana, and a man standing by the car crusher.

One of them had to be a vampire, but who...Driretlen had to be sure, and so he waited.

As Niccolo approached the car crusher, a familiar face stepped out under the pale light of the moon.

"Niccolo, what exactly do you think you are doing?" she asked snidely.

"Ah, Sonia. I did smell your intoxicating fragrence. How long were you following me? I sensed you, but did not see you. That dissapearing act of yours has gotten quite amazing." Niccolo subtely reached beneath his coat and wrapped his hand around the hilt of his katana. "You don't mind if I use this, do you? I figure I will at least fight you fairly if we're going to fight another stalemate."

In one swift movement, Niccolo threw off his trenchcoat and unsheathed his katana.

"So, Sonia, care to dance?"

Kain. The name which held so many memories. Ones of pride. Ones of disgrace. Ones of wonderful joy. Ones of terrible depression. Ones of selfless love. Ones of selfish love.

The figure clenched his cloven hand in anger at himself. Why did he not do something? There were so many thing which he could have done! Oh why did you have to leave me Daniella....Damn you God! The one thing I loved and you robbed it from me!

Kain's brown eyes closed, they would have wept if there were any more tears to weep, but they had all gone, the bitter tears had been shed in the past. Sorrow had been replaced by extreme h bitterness and self-punishment....Kain had seen the one thing in his life which had meaning.

He was sat, completely oblivous to the world, the cold wind did not chill his dark green flesh. He felt so frozen inside, nothing could reach him. Nothing made the pain less, nothing made the anger at himself, he no longer had the oblivon of sleep. Kain was seriously considering ending it all, death would be a release to this constant pain, which burned him eternally within. She had been dead for three weeks, truelly dead that is. He had watched her die, totally helpless to save her. Why had I not done more! Kain cursed his curse again inwardly, the same downward spiral of depressio running it's course. It never ended. The vampire had to exist forever with this pain, and Kain did not want it any more. He was so teird.

The fledgling, he was barely 26 in years, both human and vampire. He prefered to call himself human now, Psi was too much for him. The race who he had led as a mortal, it's leader....that is when it all started. With Rave! Rave....


Kain was sat on a bench in the middle of a park, the darkness only was a welcome freind to him, he stared into nothing like a lost man. He was wearing what he usually wore, his leather clothes which were in disrepair now, tatters due to what he went through. His Cloak was gone, it had abandoned him. Kain smiled sadly in rememberance. Cloak, a magical creation which was linked to him, his emotions he felt, the Cloak did too....the Cloak chose oblivion over the existance. Kain could not leave for some reason...he simply could not. Not bound to the sword....

Kain looked like he had not slept in years, that tierd face was one of mental tiredness, not of physical. He was a vampire, but an odd one at that.

Kain was a green fleshed vampire, he had three cloven talons for feet and hands. He had brown eyes which only spoke of horrors of his depressed mind, of his love gone forever. He had completely white hair which stremaed gently in the wind, which carried a few dead leaves in the park. No-one came here. Kain was a wanderer now, wanting nothing but solitidue. His island had too many memories....and this park was no different from any other park, or any other place. He would see death in everything, it did not matter.

Kain stared into nothingness, damning his vampire self for his crimes, crimes which were not ones of murder, not of rape, but of failure and undying shame. The tale was extremely long, and few knew it. But those who did...often pitied Kain, for he damned himself for things he could not have helped.

Daniella dying being one of them.

http://images.legacyofkain.net/sr1/captures/intro/kain_04.jpg

(OOC Anyone can turn up, and yes obivously he is a vampire. Anyoe can go up to him, feel free to do so, hunters and vampires alike.)

Sonia nodded to him. "I have learned some things since our last meeting. I do hope you did, otherwise this will be a waste." She curtsied. A small bow and a twist of her knees. Her eyes never leaving Niccolo's. "I do enjoy a dance or two. That is if the company is fit for it." She winked at him. One lash, in a swift motion, slashed down onto the other. Just as quickly as her eye closed it opened. "So, still running around for Simon. Guess he can't take care of his own problems, sends you after them. Such a shame you couldn't take care of me for him." She took a step forward. Her katana sliced through the thick air between them, as a steak knife would cut through a ripe tomato. "It must drive you insane that I am the only one you haven't killed." Her words ringing truth in the opposite for her. Her appearance was a relaxed one. It was meant to decieve and make him relax a natural way. She watched intently his breathing and scrutinized the direction he would go by just one muscle twitching and she watched for that. And she waited.

In a building on one of the affluent neighborhoods, a group of humans sat waiting for the meeting to begin. The room was furnished with only a table and some chairs. Suddenly the door burst open and two men walked in.

The foremost man stood quietly at the end of the table and waited for silence. The other man walked to the other end of the table and stood waiting.

"Now gentlemen, we will now discuss how the hunters will become the hunted..."

((OOC: Is it to late for me to join this rp and introduce another Vampire hunter?))

(OOC I do not think so. Just add yourself in, I think that will be enough people then. But do not quote me on this one...I think you could be added.)

((OOC: Alright. If it is deemed to late or that there are to many players, then just ignore this post. Otherwise it will be fun to join in. :D ))

Many who hunted the creatures of the night did so out of a sense of devotion or loss. Some had been picked by greater powers, others simply tried to protect the community’s they lived in. A rare few even carried the legacy of Vampirism within their very bloodline and knew of the dangers that vampires posed.

Kallant Taknaar hunted vampires, but he didn’t do it out of any of the previously mentioned reasons. He was of the Eduyab’Kerrudar. The Guardians of the Sand. An Elf to the ignorant. He was a hunter by blood and Honor was his food.

For decades he hunted in the desert Eastern Lands of the Enduring Empire, always increasing in skill and always going after greater prey. He had hunted together with humans on some of the dangerous beasts that roamed the desert lands.
But he was alone when he encountered what would proof to be the greatest prey of his life as well as his future obsession, a Vampire.

He didn’t know what the creature was when he encountered it on the cold desert night. But he knew by instinct that it planned on hunting him. The young Kallant learned many things that night as he was for the first time of his life the prey… But sometimes the prey bites back as the Vampire learned.
Bruised and battered, Kallant watched victoriously as the sun rose over the dunes of the desert. Hungry for knowledge of this beast of the night, he began to search his clan’s libraries, but they possessed no knowledge on this thing. So he traveled to the Northern lands of the Enduring Empire. There after many weeks he found what he believed to be truthful information on the creature that haunted his mind. What he learned made him realize he would need far more skill to hunt these beasts. But when one lives as long as the Eduyab’Kerrudar, patience comes naturally.

Now nearly three centuries old, Kallant has hunted down vampires in many places, studied the various breeds and meticulously noted everything he learned down into his books.
He has come to respect the abilities of the vampire, their strength and speed. Their amazing endurance and constitution. But he knows their inferior to him or even humans.
The fact that the Vampires refuse to accept this obvious truth is one of their greatest flaws… Arrogance.

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

A soft groan of relief escaped from Kallant’s mouth as he felt the hot water of the shower run down over his tall body. Looking down at his chest, the somewhat lanky Eduyab’Kerrudar grimaced as he looked at the four red lines running over his light brown chest. The beast had sharp nails to be sure.

“Just because their dead should not mean the term ‘manicure’ becomes unknown to them. Personal grooming really is to much to ask for most of them.” Sighing, he shook his head lightly in apparent wonderment while his fingers began to firmly rub at his long ears to clean them of the spats of blood that had come on them.

Of all the vampire breeds, Kallant undoubtedly disliked the bleeding ones the most. Wonderful to allow them to remain hidden, yes. But ever so messy when you had to kill them.
When he felt clean again he stepped out of the shower and began to dry off. The night was young and it seemed like this area was prolific with it’s vampire population.

(Good writing, now can someone please meet into my character please? Before the timeline catches up with me :? He is just sitting on abench in a park...I have my reasons. Also, can I have a desritpion of what your character looks like later Tarakalar? Thanks. :) )

... The man had a small apartment nearby, stocked with several weapons and several hundred rounds of ammo, a base of sorts where he could re-arm and rest between hunts. The hunter ejected the magazine from his carbine, checking the clip. The heads of his bullets glowed a pale neon blue, shining with UV energy. The things where Driddish imports, some kind of advanced tracer, but they worked, and that was all that mattered. A single hit would burn a vampire from the inside out, a grusome demise, but a quick one compared to the alternative ammuntion types, packing either hollow bullets containing crosses, or wooden ones.

Slapping the magazine back into his weapon, the man set off on his first hunt of the night, pulling a set of NVG's over his bare face. He was a mercenary by trade, but did a fair amount of exploration and bounty hunting between contracts to stay sharp...

Far away from the mercenary hunter, a different sort of hunt was going on. A fellow wearing dark sunglasses and what look like fatigue pants with a black tee shirt strolls through the park, in pursuit of prey. This was no normal man, he had been turned several months back. The moonlight glimmered off of a nickel-plated Berretta M96FS, a .40 caliber semi-automatic that was stuffed into the waistband of his pants. The vampire was a handsome individual, a popular nickname back when he was with the RDMA was 'Poster-Boy', due to his looks. Neck-length, curly black hair was tied back in a short ponytail at the nape of his neck. Fierce green eyes burned in the darkness. It had been some time since he had fed, and the blood-hunger welled up inside of him.

He roamed the park searching for late-night joggers, thugs, night-shift workers, anything he could use satisfy his unsatiable hunger. Something nearby caught hold of his senses, a man on a bench... the vampire carefully approached, using all of his new abilites to keep the element of surprise...

-Double Post-

... The man had a small apartment nearby, stocked with several weapons and several hundred rounds of ammo, a base of sorts where he could re-arm and rest between hunts. The hunter ejected the magazine from his carbine, checking the clip. The heads of his bullets glowed a pale neon blue, shining with UV energy. The things where Driddish imports, some kind of advanced tracer, but they worked, and that was all that mattered. A single hit would burn a vampire from the inside out, a grusome demise, but a quick one compared to the alternative ammuntion types, packing either hollow bullets containing crosses, or wooden ones.

Slapping the magazine back into his weapon, the man set off on his first hunt of the night, pulling a set of NVG's over his bare face. He was a mercenary by trade, but did a fair amount of exploration and bounty hunting between contracts to stay sharp...

Far away from the mercenary hunter, a different sort of hunt was going on. A fellow wearing dark sunglasses and what look like fatigue pants with a black tee shirt strolls through the park, in pursuit of prey. This was no normal man, he had been turned several months back. The moonlight glimmered off of a nickel-plated Berretta M96FS, a .40 caliber semi-automatic that was stuffed into the waistband of his pants. The vampire was a handsome individual, a popular nickname back when he was with the RDMA was 'Poster-Boy', due to his looks. Neck-length, curly black hair was tied back in a short ponytail at the nape of his neck. Fierce green eyes burned in the darkness. It had been some time since he had fed, and the blood-hunger welled up inside of him.

He roamed the park searching for late-night joggers, thugs, night-shift workers, anything he could use satisfy his unsatiable hunger. Something nearby caught hold of his senses, a man on a bench... the vampire carefully approached, using all of his new abilites to keep the element of surprise...

"So," Niccolo said as he twirled his katana around in the air spectacularly, "you've become a therapist, have you, Sonia? Well I certainly hope you are as good at this new job as you were in your previous occupation." He made a few quick slashes at the space inbetween Sonia and himself. Don't want to hurt this magnificent creature, Niccolo, do you?

"Well, if you must know, my dear, I am still running around for Simon. But I'm going to quit. Leave the business. I tire of it." Niccolo added slashes every so often between words to punctuate what he was saying. "And don't flatter yourself, you aren't the only one I haven't killed. Just the most...irritating."

Just then, Niccolo heard something. A faint sound.

"Shh, Sonia, be quiet for a moment."

Niccolo slowly reached for his right holster with his left hand, and in one quick motion pulled the gun out and fired 3 rounds into an abandoned car a few yards away.

"You want to come out now?" Niccolo shouted.

Sonia widened her eyes. She had not heard anyone before. All of her concentration was focused on him. Grr. I need to extend myself, a new technique she had acquired from a old shaman. Now, she allowed herself to do thus and she heard the person. He was very quiet, but she heard his distinctive breathing. She scrutininzed what could be the ailment of the person, but whatever it was it was very ill and chronic. She stood her ground and did not let Niccolo out of her eyesight either. She was aware now of all of her surroundings. She looked over her shoulder at Niccolo, "The thing that is irritating about me is that you have never seen me and can't defeat me." After that remark she stuck her nose in the air and crouched down low. She made her way towards the wrecked car. So far either unnoticed or the male did not care. She sprung out and swung her katana out and it was barely touching his chest. She narrowed her eyes at the man. "What business do you have here?" Then her eyes grew big. "I should kill you right now, but that would not be unethical and I wouldn't want to go to your level. Yet, you are a vampire and I am sure you have done something wrong, it is in your blood." She pressed the katana alittle more into his chest. And waited some more.

OOC: Anyone can join at any time. I don't set limitations on stories. Feel free to do as you please.

((OOC: Kallant is an ‘Elf’ *to safe writing space* standing roughly 6 feet ten. He is of lanky build and his skin color is roughly the same as say caffe latte. He has deep brown eyes who are slightly larger than those of a human. His ears curve along the shape of his head backwards and slightly up. Distinctly non anime elven ears. His black hair raches his shoulders at the back but is far shorter at the sides and front and kept in a slightly ‘punky’ hairstyle. He always dressed in clothes whose colors are drab and not overly noticeable.))

Leaving the bathroom, Kallant had put on a thick sleeveless black sweater and ordinary blue jeans. Crossing through the livingroom of the rental apartment, he stepped over the female vampires body who lay twitching on the ground, slowly healing the severe wound of her severed spinal cord at the base of her neck.
Not really paying attention to the Vampire, he walked over to his backpack and pulled out a small camera from it that immediately developed the photo’s.

“I’d ask you to smile… But besides being pointless your not really yet capable of doing that. So just keep that grimace.” Moving around the vampire, the Eduyab’Kerrudar began to take several photo’s of the vampire. Paying attention to obvious signs of vampirism, muscle increase or degeneration compared to normal living beings and more.

When he noticed the vampire began to regain more motion rather than spastic twitching, Kallant raised a single eyebrow and placed the photo’s and camera back in his bag and pulled out a small box instead.
Walking back to the vampire, he kneeled down and opened the box revealing a syringe and several vials containing a reflective substance. Taking the syringe out, he pushed it through one of the corks that sealed the vials and drew the substance into the syringe.

“If I am correct then this will sting for a moment.” Placing his left hand roughly on the vampires head, he pushed it roughly to it’s side and jammed the needle of the syringe roughly into the vampires neck and began to inject the contents the creatures blood stream.
The effect was nearly instantaneous as the water with high silver concentration traveled up to the vampires brain. A slight fractioning of the eyes was all the vampire could do before the poisonous substance brough decay throughout it’s body.

Watching passively as the vampires body began to slowly decompose as the poison further and further damaged it beyond it’s ability to heal, Kallant simply made note that his new serum was now proven to be effective against six breeds of vampires. All either had a workable blood stream or an weakness for silver, or both.

Standing up, Kallant began to clean his equipment up as the stench of decomposment rapidly filled the room. When finished, he simply put on his brown raincoat, slung on his back pack and grabbed his suitcase and left the vampires room, closing the door securely behind him.

Not a small half hour the first tenants of the appartement building checked up on the room to see what the smell was and were confronted with the horribly mutilated body that was scarred and burned beyond recognition.
But by that time, Kallant Taknaar was far away already, strolling across the streets calmly to see if he could find any other prey.

She sprung out and swung her katana out and it was barely touching his chest. She narrowed her eyes at the man. "What business do you have here? You are a vampire and I am sure you have done something wrong, it is in your blood." She pressed the katana alittle more into his chest. And waited some more.

With his hands exageratedly in the air, the Guild leader stepped into the pale moonlight, it's glow illuminating his sickly-colored skin. At least, he stepped as far as he could with a katana in his chest.

"Cough... I am sorry that I had to interrupt your little repartee, but I am here on a mission. That mission is... one that I may reveal in due time, hunter, but not to the likes of Cough, Cough, Cough...

Driretlen, with both hands above his head, hacked and wheezed. When he finally caught his breath, he continued.

"To the likes of you. Know that I am simply for him pointing to Niccolo, for he is a vampire. He must be."

The red Alucarde pendant around his neck glowed bright

"This tells me it must be true. And he must come with me, back to his people, his kin. And, my dear hunter, if you believe that your katana scares me, believe me I'm not.

With an agile jump backwards, Driretlen pulled out his Upir short sword, and held it at the ready.

"You're right about one thing hunter: I'm dying anyways, so go ahead and try to stop me. My mission is just. My mission is true."

Driretlen looked at Niccolo suddenly.

"You, no matter what happens here. I need you to find one named Kain. He is close, but I may not... Cough, Cough... make it to him."

In a building on one of the affluent neighborhoods, a group of humans sat waiting for the meeting to begin. The room was furnished with only a table and some chairs. Suddenly the door burst open and two men walked in.

The foremost man stood quietly at the end of the table and waited for silence. The other man walked to the other end of the table and stood waiting.

"Now gentlemen, we will now discuss how the hunters will become the hunted..."

The man continued to speak.

"As you know, my name is Isiah Allard... There have been increased presence of vampires in the world, now we must consider plans to eliminate this scourge off the face of the earth FOREVER."

One of the seated gentlemen spoke up.

"How do you propose to do this?"

Allard smirked.

"I propose we hire hunters and turns these vampires from the hunters to the hunted..."

Another seated man spoke up.

"This is all good and well, but do you have any concrete plans?"

"Yes, the first part of my plan is to kill you all..." Allard replied.

"WHAT!?!"

With that, Allard and the man standing on the other side of the table, pulled out 9mm silenced Berettas and fired bullets into each of the seated men before they could react.

Allard stood and with his chilling eyes staring at the corpse. Then gazing across the table at the other man, Allard spoke, "Taqwa, you know what to do, I sanction you to kill all vampires you find and make the streets run with their blood..."

"At once, master..."

With that, Taqwa walked out of the room...

He roamed the park searching for late-night joggers, thugs, night-shift workers, anything he could use satisfy his unsatiable hunger. Something nearby caught hold of his senses, a man on a bench... the vampire carefully approached, using all of his new abilites to keep the element of surprise...[/i]

Kain did not notice. Well, he did but he simply did not care anymore. There was nothing to care for in his view, everything that he had cared for he had either been exiled from or been removed from his lfie forever. He started up at that pale sad eye of a jester, mocking him with it's knowledge of what Kain had gone through. What he could no longer see.

Life.

He was spectres of death within anything living, it tormented Kain so much. Yet he accepted it, the punishment as he saw it, from the Gods for his crimes against the ones he loved.

The siren's voice sounded again, the wind whispering her voice...Kain closed his eyes in rememberance of better days with her. He could not stop thinking about her, how he failed her. His sorrowful smile ebbed away, the wind which had reminded of her voice, and had gently cradled his long white hair in the breeze along with a few dead leaves left his side. He was left alone. Well not quite alone.

Kain may have noticed him, but if he did, he made no sign of it. He continued to stare up at the moon's, returning that unblinking eye's stare with his own sorrowful stare.

He roamed the park searching for late-night joggers, thugs, night-shift workers, anything he could use satisfy his unsatiable hunger. Something nearby caught hold of his senses, a man on a bench... the vampire carefully approached, using all of his new abilites to keep the element of surprise...[/i]

Kain did not notice. Well, he did but he simply did not care anymore. There was nothing to care for in his view, everything that he had cared for he had either been exiled from or been removed from his lfie forever. He started up at that pale sad eye of a jester, mocking him with it's knowledge of what Kain had gone through. What he could no longer see.

Life.

He was spectres of death within anything living, it tormented Kain so much. Yet he accepted it, the punishment as he saw it, from the Gods for his crimes against the ones he loved.

The siren's voice sounded again, the wind whispering her voice...Kain closed his eyes in rememberance of better days with her. He could not stop thinking about her, how he failed her. His sorrowful smile ebbed away, the wind which had reminded of her voice, and had gently cradled his long white hair in the breeze along with a few dead leaves left his side. He was left alone. Well not quite alone.

Kain may have noticed him, but if he did, he made no sign of it. He continued to stare up at the moon's, returning that unblinking eye's stare with his own sorrowful stare.

OOC: Hey welcome back to NS Kain... Haven't talked to you in a while... How's life?

(OOC Difficult and stressful, but slowly getting better. Been having a lot of problems recently, but it is getting better, getting better. I have another profile btw, Veric. I decided I wanted a fresh plot etc, this time it is futuristic (modernish, early future). Go have a look if you are interested with what I have been doing, "A Nation Rises from the Desert". Proud of that! So anyway, life is treating me ok.)

(OOC Difficult and stressful, but slowly getting better. Been having a lot of problems recently, but it is getting better, getting better. I have another profile btw, Veric. I decided I wanted a fresh plot etc, this time it is futuristic (modernish, early future). Go have a look if you are interested with what I have been doing, "A Nation Rises from the Desert". Proud of that! So anyway, life is treating me ok.)

OOC: Interesting... I'll drop by and say hi then...

Many Vampire hunters have by birth or somehow developed throughout their lives a supernatural sense that lets them know that something unnatural is nearby.

Kallant didn't have this; instead he relied on the environment around him. Animals, the wind, anything that acts different than usual and lets him know something dangerous is nearby.
And then there are the times he literally just walks into a situation of some sort, such as what he just found himself with.

He had been walking the streets, looking for either more prey or a good place to spend the night, when he had gone to travel through the park he kept his guard up despite the fact that vampires in general weren’t that active in them. This apparently wasn’t a common night at all.

Though they were a fair distance away he could easily make out their shapes in the dim light of the moon and lamps placed at several spots throughout the park. The creature that sat on the park held his attention the most, simply because he had never encountered something so alien looking. The other person however drew his attention a little after, sneaking up on the other with an impressive amount of stealth considering the clothing he wore. It was the eyes that truly gave away what he was though. The glimmer of hunger, need, ferociousness that lay hidden in them as they reflective the slightest bit of the moonlight.

“Well, this is interesting. Vampire hunting Vampire? Or perhaps one of them is something else… Either way; Two of them may be too much without the proper equipment.”

Whispering softly to himself, the Eduyab’Kerrudar turned 90 degrees on his heels and headed to a group of bushes that offered some camouflage, though he deliberately didn’t try to hide himself since that would actually be more likely to draw their attention then to simply pretend he hadn’t noticed them. Putting his suitcase down behind the bushes and put his hands in his rain coat’s pockets, taking hold of the two curved razor-sharp blade’s and pulled them out before hiding them behind his back, their black non reflective surface not revealing itself in the pale moonlight.
Feeling capable to defend himself if need be, Kallant now simply watched to see what was going to happen between the two creatures.

Tag again

She laughed. This man who had ailments must have gone mad. "I would pay to see you try. I highly doubt he will go anywhere with you." She glared at him, shooting daggers of fire and ice. "Fool. Do not underestimate me. I may be human, but I have a lot of characteristics that even your kind lack." She did not move back. She allowed him to step forward a bit. She flicked her left ankle toward him and bent her right knee slightly. She was in a position to be ready for anything and to bounce off of him, to attack from the back.

OOC: I won't post much more tonight. It is my 21st birthday and I am going out. Will post again tommorrow. Toodles.

Driretlen stared at the poised Sonja, and spoke to Niccolo without looking at him.

"You have a choice: you can either run, and try and find Kain, or you can stay and help me destroy this hunter. I will not except anything but either of these two."

With that, Driretlen raised his Upir sword above his shoulder, bared his fangs, and charged towards the hunter wordlessly.

OOC: Happy BDAY :D

Driretlen raised his sword above his shoulder, bared his fangs, and charged towards the hunter.

Niccolo stepped in the way and caught Driretlen's sword with his own katana.

"Now, now, that is enough. I have been fighting this woman for longer than you can imagine. What makes you think I will let you do it? I want that exquisite pleasure, my friend. Now, this Kain fellow of which you speak so kindly. Why exactly do you want him dead, and why exactly am I the one who has to kill him?"

With those words, Niccolo pointed the gun still in his left hand at the vampire.

"Trust me, you don't want to get shot by this. Now put down your sword and talk to us in a more civilized manner." I can't believe this. I'm actually defending Sonia. I must be getting sick or something.

And with those words, Niccolo bared his fangs.

OOC: Happy 21st! Don't do anything you'd regret! Or, rather anything you'd remember regretting!

Driretlen lowered his short sword, and stared at the gun pointing at his face.

"You dare defend this hunter against... Cough, Cough, against your own brethren? You're not worthy enough to join the Hyraphore. It was a mistake tracking you down."

With one smooth motion, Driretlen swung his Upir up and knocked Niccolo's hand away, and then thrusted the sword deep into the chest of the vampire. He bared his fangs to Niccolo's own, and laughed.

"You fool. I don't want Kain dead. I want him. As soon as I entered this vincinity, his was a power that shone the strongest in the Alucarde."

"I... am dying... and have no offspring, no succesor to the Hyraphore throne. Can you even imagine what that feels like?"

Driretlen gives the Upir a twist.

"And I need someone to carry on the legacy. If Kain is the one that the Alucarde reveals to be the one to do so, than it shall be done. Nothing else matters, not me, not you."

Driretlen pulls the sword out from Niccolos chest. The vampire falls to his knees, holding his chest.

Driretlen studied his fellow vampire for a moment, and then kicks him in the head, sending him sprawling.

"To think I thought you could be of use to me..."

Turning back to Sonja, Driretlen pulls out one of his Desert Eagles with his left hand. He points it at the poised hunter and says: "I've dealt with hunters before. Don't think that because I am old and near death doesn't mean that I cannot deal with you too."

With that, Driretlen slowly backed up, leapt over a wrecked car, and ran into the shadows. He realized that it was a mistake to have tried and recruit Niccolo. He had been to long out of the fold.

He knew that the vampire was still alive, albeit in a lot of pain. Though he knew that he might have made an enemy out of him, their meeting had served its purpose: He had to find the one named Kain, and see if the pendant was telling the truth.

OOC: Hey, I'd like to join, I'll come in as a wandering vampire, going by the name of Maximus. Valient, aka Dirirethlan, remember me?? :lol:

IC:
The night was chilly. The sky was dark, the moon lighting the earth in its surreal glowing reflection of the deadly rays of the sun now baking the other half of the world. It had been 93 years since Maximus had been turned by his elder and great friend, Skadi (OOC: check out topic: "Assington's Vampires" to get an idea of our history) Maximus had grown strong in his vampiric powers, but was still young. Skadi had admired his nobility trait from the first day of encounter, when he had laid his once beloved sword, Narsil, down and stepped away, with the intent to diplomatically get some answers. In the end, Skadi had chosen him to join the ranks of the undead, and he had willingly gone along with it, trusting the powerful vampire for some odd reason.

Oh well, the things we do in the name of curiosity and fear.

Maximus walked into the edge of the city, a city he felt drawn to for some unknown reason. He would find out though. Something was special about this city, but what it was remained a mystery to Maximus. He definitely had to find out. Walking near one of the buildings, Maximus scaled the wall quickly, and ascended to the highest roof. He would travel above the streets, observing all below. He needed to find out what inhabited the city. His eyes turned toward a nearby junkyard on the edge of the city. He watched as two, no wait...there was a third there, three individuals seemingly to par each other, practicing their footwork. But Maximus knew better. Suddenly, his sharp eyesight saw the glint of a katana plunging into the stomach of one individual. That was going to hurt. The victim however, seemed to be still alive... a vampire?? It was possible. Maximus continued to watch the drama unfold.

(OOC I can work with that plotline. Bearing mind that Kain, although powerful due to his sword (demonic sword, although as you can see it has made him extremely depressed and such, it has affected his mind somewhat,) He is still a fledgling, although a powerful and unique one. There is a good reason for how he looks. Although the experiances he went through did not help with his mental health. And let me say, for those of you do not know, this character I have had a for a long while, I rped him when he was mortal. The events have happened here on NS. Just for your infomation :) )

Kain knew that some people were around him, watching. It did not matter to him, his continued to stare upwards blankly, thinking of the past. Thinking of his mortal years. Around five years ago was it? When you "saved" Velmora? When you had that choice? That terrible....terrible choice that Rave provided?

"You fool. I don't want Kain dead. I want him. As soon as I entered this vincinity, his was a power that shone the strongest in the Alucarde."

Maximus heard these words, floating quietly on the night air.

The Alucarde?? I've heard of that before...it belonged to another vampire dying of sickness whom Skadi and I had met one dark night years ago, but who? He can't still be alive?? He was in poor shape then, but still managing to stay alive this long??

Maximus tried to rack his mind of the name of the voice, while focusing some more on the drama below. He silently moved himself closer to the edge of the roof, partially hidden by the AC unit on the roof.

Taqwa sprinted through the silent dead streets, a long sword strapped to his back. Haven undergone experimental chemical and biological enhancements that made him faster, stronger, and smarter than regular human, Taqwa became a vampire hunter, joining the elite Bane Guild. Although this made Taqwa a powerful fighter, the enhancements had important drawbacks. First, Taqwa could never father children. The chemical treatments had sterilized him. Second, Taqwa lost all emotions, become a cold silent killer...

Just a day ago, the leaders of the Bane Guild had been killed and now a man known only in history as Isiah Allard, a "prophet" of sorts, had taken over and had unleashed an "unholy jihad" against the Vampires.

As one of the primer vampire hunters in the Bane Guild because of his enhancements, Taqwa had been given the hardest task of all... To kill Kain Irenicus.

Now Taqwa armed only with his mind, his body, and his sword was moving on a mission to kill. He had tracked Kain to a small park and now sitting on a tree oberving, Taqwa prepared to strike...

Kain remained in his dream state. He felt all of these people around him now, but he did not care. However someone else did care for his well being.

Taqwa heard voices, whispers which told him to stop, to turn back, not to try it, that death was promised. Such words were not Kain's doing, he knew nothing of it. More of the guardian of Kain...his corrupt sword.

The Brightblade.

An ironic name for a dark demonic weapon, it was indeed an extremely powerful weapon, only usable by Kain, not that anyone would want to use it should they understand what it really was. The blade could not be seen, it was not on Kain's person, but it was with him. It was an aura of extreme dread that death itself was with him, if someone tried to threaten him. It was not always so prominant, but Kain had the blade for a great deal of time. Indeed, the two, the demon and the vamprie knew each other, yet neither loved the other. They used each other for thier causes, and Kain was bound to it for his vow to set it free once the demon had given him what he wanted.

Unfortunatly, freeing the demon was now impossible, so the demon remained protective of Kain, should Kain die, he would never be free from the entrapment of the blade. There was much history between the two....

Turn back!

Don't be a fool Taqwa!

This is not your time to die, leave now

Death looms near should you walk this path

Go now! Flee!

The voices came to anyone who tried to attack Kain, or intend to....the feeling of fear, of looming dread came over them. Kain was completely oblivous to it's effects, he knew nothing of it. He was too wrapped up in his own depression, staring up at the moon.

>>tag<<

Kain remained in his dream state. He felt all of these people around him now, but he did not care. However someone else did care for his well being.

Taqwa heard voices, whispers which told him to stop, to turn back, not to try it, that death was promised. Such words were not Kain's doing, he knew nothing of it. More of the guardian of Kain...his corrupt sword.

The Brightblade.

An ironic name for a dark demonic weapon, it was indeed an extremely powerful weapon, only usable by Kain, not that anyone would want to use it should they understand what it really was. The blade could not be seen, it was not on Kain's person, but it was with him. It was an aura of extreme dread that death itself was with him, if someone tried to threaten him. It was not always so prominant, but Kain had the blade for a great deal of time. Indeed, the two, the demon and the vamprie knew each other, yet neither loved the other. They used each other for thier causes, and Kain was bound to it for his vow to set it free once the demon had given him what he wanted.

Unfortunatly, freeing the demon was now impossible, so the demon remained protective of Kain, should Kain die, he would never be free from the entrapment of the blade. There was much history between the two....

Turn back!

Don't be a fool Taqwa!

This is not your time to die, leave now

Death looms near should you walk this path

Go now! Flee!

The voices came to anyone who tried to attack Kain, or intend to....the feeling of fear, of looming dread came over them. Kain was completely oblivous to it's effects, he knew nothing of it. He was too wrapped up in his own depression, staring up at the moon.

OOC: Kain, I did say in my character description that he is devoid of any emotion, because of his "enhancements..." And Kain was blood samples ever taken of your character, cause if yes, then Taqwa was infused with some of your blood...

IC:

Taqwa heard the voices in his head, but he ignored them. Since the advent of the enhancements, Taqwa had been suffering from hallucinations that had nearly driven him crazy. Now Taqwa believed that the hallucinations were only coming back...

Drawing his sword, Taqwa swore a brief incantation to his god, Talisk, the Bane Guild's God of War and the Guardian of Vampire Hunters. Taqwa then dropped to the ground and silently walked up to Kain...

Nearing Kain, Taqwa spoke.

Get up Kain and face me...

(OOC I know, jus tsaying that the demon is trying to effect you. No...blood samples were never taken of kain, although you might have gotten some from the Inquisitors some how when he was captured. Depends on your contacts.)

Kain heard those words. He sighed sadly, but did not make a movement. He continued to look up at the moon, only saying with a deep voice, neither agressive or harsh, only soft and sad.

"Why is it the same song that you all sing?" Kain said,, not looking at who had spoken to him.

Taqwa stared at Kain with his deathless eyes.

Kain, you know who I am don't you...

"Yes. Someone who is chasing a destroyed being who no longer wishes to be bothered. Leave me be, I only wish solitude. Will you not allow me this peace?" Kain said the last part with a degree of accusation. Kain sighed again, and slowly turned his head to see who was wanting him dead.

The wind sighed again, tickling Kain's completely white hair, making them move slightly in false emotion.

Kain looked at this person. Another hunter. Another hater. Another person. Another problem. Another...

His face looked so tierd, like the face of a old man who had seem too much war, too much death, too much pain.

Well then Kain, I'll tell you a story... Twenty years ago, there was a little boy of nine who lived happily with his parents and two sisters in a small village near the coast. The little boy had many friends, with whom he laughed and played. But one night, I had a horrible nightmare. When the little boy woke up and ran outside of my house, he found the same monster that was taunting in my dreams slaughtering my friends, my parents, my sisters, and my neighbors... The boy ran and ran... Years later, after he had become a man, he took a risk and after joining the Inquistors tormenting the same monster of nightmare, stole a vial of the monster's blood and injected himself with it. The man suffered horrendously from the pain. Unable to take the pain, the man tried to kill himself, but stopped because of the pain. Finally, one day the pain subsided, and a man devoid of emotion, cold and calculating was born. Do you know who this man is?

Kain ignored the story, and retorted with his own story.

"Let me tell you of a story. In a distant memory, a corpse was a man. A man who knew happyness. A man who knew life. A man who knew joy. A man who knew pride. Pride of himself. Pride of his people. Pride of his country. Then that man made a sacrifice for that which he loved. And he was no longer a man for his sacrifice. He began to change for it. He began to no longer have which he loved most. He could no longer see that love. He could no longer care for it. He no longer could love that which he loved most, treasured and sacrificed his being and life for! He was exiled form his families, his freinds, his lover and fledgling. He was robbed of everything he had. And still for all of his efforts, all of his pain, all of the further torture and sacrifice he endured, either from self rightous blinded fools, or his own failures and shame, everyone still begged more! More sacrifice! More pain Kain! More of your life we wish to rob from you! And so, a man, became a vampire, and then became a corpse. And now, he becomes no-one, for his life is nothing, my existance is bound to a single vow I made to a breif conspirator. And now, you come to me and speak of your pain! Your suffering, as if I am to blame! I did no such action to them. I have not done such a thing, many things I have done,but I did not do that deed! Now leave me be!"

Sadly, I would have expected more from the Great Kain... But instead, I find a weakling, weakened by emotions. Your melancholy is your downfall. You are nothing Kain, killing you would be a too light punishment for you...

"Oh please spare me the honors. Indeed death would have been a release from this torment, but I have a vow to a freind to accomplish. And my freind protects his only chance of freedom. I am suprised you even considered taking me on with who I have with me, unless of course, you do not know?" Kain asked him, becoming more like his old self, yet not. He had is confidant voice back, demanding and intellegent, yet it was poisioned words. Gone was the hesitation of caring. Anyone can take risks when they have nothing to lose.

You mean your Brightblade? You are nothing without that weapon...

Turning around, Taqwa began to walk away.

You are nothing now, Kain... Not even the Brightblade can remedy that...

"Of course. That being is the only thing keeping me on this plane, both in my vows to it, and sustaining me during my cursed years, from my crime to the Shentavos. Qui saw to it that I never forgot that paradoxical sin, were the lesser of two evils is impossible to discern. Love over duty? Honor over passion? Life of one, over the rules of unlife? But I digress, no one can answer these questions, the uncaring bastards never questioned thier judgement on that account, thinking of my own situation, not even Rave. Disowned." Kain said, building up passion for his words, his pain coming out in his words.

"And so, what are you to do with me? Kill me? Don't be absurd, greater beings than you have tried, even in my mortal years. My power over life may have faded and diminished, life no longer holding the welcoming ring of promise and hope, but death clings to me ever more, it's icy breath still holds close to me. You should have more sense, if you knew something of me." Kain said cynically, challenging him. Kain obviously was not arragont, he was assured in his own power, at least, the mutual power.

The aura of power intensified, it was not Kains...yet it was. It was extremely difficult to describe. Kain seemed like no other being that Taqwa had ever encountered.

Or beings as the word was more apt for Kain and the Brightblade's unique situation of symboisis.

OOC: Waiting for Niccolo's and Sonja's reaction. Will make my way to Kain soon enough :wink:

Taqwa ignored Kain and sheathed his sword. Turning around briefly, Taqwa stared at Kain and spoke three words.

I pity you...

And then he was gone...

Kain understood exactly how he meant. He pitied hismelf, for he had failed so many people. He went back to his seat and went back to staring at the nightsky.

(OOC: Nice word sparring there Kain...)

OOC: I agree with 5 nations, bravo!

(OOC Thank you. Being hired to write things (do not get any ideas, I am 16 and I do this just in my spare time. Currently writing for someone, short stories) gets you in good practice, and also regualr visits here. Also, a great (at least to write about) character and previous plots adds depth to the character, so I am familer with the speach he would use. Thank you again, that has cheered me up somewhat. :) )

He was sitting at the bar sipping a bloody mary when she walked in. It was a quarter to three and the pub was almost deserted. She sat down next to him and they glanced at each other, it was a glance of familiarity; he knew her, though they had never met, and she knew of him. Ke had been keeping tabs on her since the day she stepped off the train, she was one of many, but he hadn’t thought that anyone was this close.
He bought her a drink, two rounds and a pick up line later they were walking down the street.
They turned into an alley, she had to know what was coming. A cat followed his movements attentively as if it too could sense what was about to happen. She drew a long knife, but caught only air when she thrust it in his direction; he had retreated into the shadows so quickly and so silently that even the cat had lost him.
He watched her as she backed toward the mouth of the alley, knife raised in a defensive position, eyes straining to make out any flsh of movement in the darkness. She was wearing a crucifix under her blouse, and she pulled it out now, his vision blurred as he stared at it, it would do her little good, he had been exposing himself to garlic and the crucifix for centuries and could eaisly compensate for the pain and the nausia.
He drew a silenced Walther ppk 7mm pistol out from under his jacket, unlike others of his kind, he had no inhibition about using whatever tools were necessary to get the job done. In one fluid motion he raised the pistol, aimed, and pulled the trigger. It was done, the shot had taken her in the throat and she collapsed, her limbs flailing.
He quickly took her by the throat, aplying pressure to stop the blood loss, and scaled the nearest fire escape to the roof. Once there he drained her of blood and propped her up, facing the east. He could sense her already begining to transform. She would awake in a few hours to greet the dawn, the transformation would leave her too weak to flee. It was cleaner this way, no body, and she would get to experience the fate she would have wished upon him.
He leaft the area by rooftop, climbing down a few blocks away from the scene of the crime, and proceeded home.
He was only a little ways down the wide alley leading to the back entrance of his apartment building when he heard a noise behind him. It was as quiet as a fly scraping on a window pane, but it was out of place. He spun, pistol in hand, and emtied his clip into the torso of the figure just coming around the corner. The figure was obviously wearing kevlar, it raised a gun and began firing, but he had already started moving sideways. He felt a bullet hit his own bullet-proof vest, he dropped his pistol and kicked off the wall, launching himself towards the figure. In the instant that it took him to reach his enemy, he was able to make out a few details: it was another woman, she was wearing body armour and nightvision goggles, she had just dropped her gun and was bringing her hands up. She deaftky flipped him over her, but he was abke to catch the collar of her jacket and bring her down with him. They came up together, this one was fast, he heard a knife leave its sheath and he aimed his next blow, dislocating her right shoulder. That’s when he realized she was left-handed, her knife was headed right for his armpit, the weak point in his armour, but he was too fast; he got inside the arc of her swing and trapped her arm against his side. He now took time to study her. She was strikingly beautiful, a blond, at 5’10” she was about three inches taller than he. She was stuggleling wildly, trying to throw herself againts the brick wall in a feeble attempt to relocate her arm. He reached up an squeezed the arteries in her neck till she passed out. He had been suprised twice tonight, once was enough to kill you. While he had killed two of the three that he knew about, his sources said that the third, another woman, was even better than this one.
The sun would be up soon and he had to find cover, he couldn’t return to his apartment, they were on to him. Thinking quickly, he slung the body of the hunter over his shoulder, he could use an assistant in this fight, a client as he liked to call them.
He walked out of the alley and began looking for a car to steal, he would head to a farm house just outside of town where he had attended a pary a few weeks back, he had stashed five thousand dollars and a high powered rifle rifle there that would come in handy, and the site would provide a good place for his new client to feed and recover.
His name was Sulla, and he had come too far now to allow himself to be stopped.

Four days later he had found what he was looking for, a man, a human, fate was against him, the man was the one he was looking for, of that Sulla was sure, the fleece had told him in a dream, but this man was gifted with special powers, some kind of priest or templar or something. Sulla didn't want to risk an encounter, he wasn't sure of the extent of the man's abilities.

Two days after that, with a little research, he had found a solution to his problem, and that was what had brought him to this park.

He watched from the shadows as the one called Kain conversed with a hunter, suprisingly the hunter leaft without a fight. Sulla approached the man, palms up to show he was unarmed. He was confident, his client, the woman, was covering the area with an M60 from the roof of a nearby building. "Kain, I have heard of your power, and I need your help. Think of the one thing that you want more than anything in the world, and that thing can be yours, all it will take is a little blood, a small sacrifice, one more death. Have you bychance heard of the golden fleece?"

Kain sighed once more. He was tierd of being bothered, but when he heard the request something in his sparked. Yet....it died instantly.

"You cannot reverse time." Kain simply stated dryly, not bothering to look at this person. He closed his eyes in rememberance of the events. He did not even want to know about the problem, or anything of the like. He had enough of his own, everything he did turned to dust in his cloven hands.

OOC: Sorry for the delay, my PC is slower than a narcleptic alzehiemer's patient with arthritis (sp on any of that?), and this AOL remote host fella seems to disapprove of me being online for more than ten minutes. WA's had some serious PC trouble, but I think he's back up and eagerly waiting to join this RP.

IC:

The commando-hunter moved with the practiced grace of a professional, quickly scanning the shadows of backalleys and sidestreets, searching for prey. His contract stated that each set of fangs he brought in was worth around a grand each. The man had no special senses, nothing of that kind... he had many years expeirence as a hunter of men. Most of his targets where fugitives, criminals, or those who came between him and a paycheck...

The hunting vampire snapped out of his momentary daze, realizing that his supposed prey had vanished. Something had seemed odd about that fellow, though, his skin looked... green. The vampire resolved to follow this man, perhaps this man was a vampire, an old one. The young vampire's mind turned the idea of following his near-snack, perhaps he could learn from this person... he set off in that direction.

OOC: Hopefully I can introduce them to someone and quit using pronouns... :x

(OOC Look, no objections here, but can everyone stop concentrating on Kain? All those who are doing so, fine carry on, but no more please. Kain if he is going be bothered much more will simply move location for a while for privacy, you can still find him, just it will be my way out of meeting so many people at once, and it will also be in Kain's character see? :wink: )

"It can bring you peace, if that is what you desire, it can make you forget, or help you die, or it can heal, bring true immortality, not this half life that we live now. A good friend of mine, Marcus Aurelius, once told me, 'If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.' Help me and you can see the sun again! Or you can go gentle into that good night, if you must.

"It can bring you peace, if that is what you desire, it can make you forget, or help you die, or it can heal, bring true immortality, not this half life that we live now. A good friend of mine, Marcus Aurelius, once told me, 'If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.' Help me and you can see the sun again! Or you can go gentle into that good night, if you must.

Kain turned around at this, Sulla had hope for him yet. He seemed to have snapped out of whatever mind set he had ever been in. Those eyes had changed complexion, that ocean of pain and depression had changed it's vortexes, those brown waves crashed in different directions. And then suddenly, Kain began to laugh.

It was a extremely disturbing laugh, one which chilled Sulla to the very center of his being, for Kain's laugh was like no other he had ever heard. It was a shrill laughter, mocking the words sadly, as if they were complete illusions.

After his long dark laughter, he stopped and looked at this sick taunting that Sulla was doing to him.

"You bore me. I am tierd by the babbling of ignorant children. You said anything I wanted? Well can you give me my life back? Can you reverse the wheel of time? Can you defy the destiny in the past which is bound to this being? No?" Kaina sked accusingly, his words hard to fight. When no answer came to Sulla, he continued.

"I thought not. You know nothing of my pain, you know nothing of it's cure. And even if you did know of the cure, you would not want the result of giving me it, for as my pain would ease into the veil of death, many others would have to exist in torment due to my vow. Not that I honestly care for the people of this world anymore,. The ones I care for are dead, or have exiled me." Kain finished and turned away, back to his view of the moon. The moonlight shimmered on his white hair, making it look like great silver strands.

OOC: I have returned from my long and boring exile from the information superhighway. I have been playing the latest installment of the Legacy of Kain, and found it to be very entralling. Kain is a bit more complex of a character than I first imagined...

IC:

The bar doors open, and a dark shape glides in with the chilly night air. The black cloak hides most of the creature's being, the only feature that might provide clues to his species was the long and dexterous tail that followed behind him. The creature wore something strange on his back, the faint outline visible through the cloak's heavy material. He seats himself in a corner booth, away from most of the other patrons. The creature had but one purpose in his life: To hunt. Through the many years he had remained on this plain of exsistance, he had become very proficent at hunting. The keen animal senses that the creature was endowed with allowed him to track his prey with inhuman precision.

The smells of booze, vomit, tobacco smoke, and the distinctive odor of human sweat assaulted the hunter as he entered. Faint odors of gunpowder curled throughout the bar, suggesting the presence of firearms. There was something fainter still, a familiar odor, that of his prey... it seethed in the air, a cold and metallic scent unlike any other...

(OOC PLEASE! Do not tell me anything about Defiance! I have to get that still! No spoilers please! But thanks for reminding me about it, I think I will buy it, it will help with pictures :wink: )

OOC: You will enjoy it, the Telekenetic abilites are entertaining to say the least. I would also suggest that you pick up Morrowind: Game of the Year Edition if you have the money. It will keep you busy for a very long time. I have also watched 'Underworld' recently, and have gained a few ideas for future hunts, as well as ammunition.

IC:

The smell burned in his nostrils, and a soft hiss escaped from his scaly mouth as he identified it. 'Vampire...' He thought to himself, the scent causing his eyes to scan the bar for suspicious patrons. His golden gaze noticed little out of the ordinary. The hunter knew little of this nation, other than that he had not yet cleansed it of the foul taint of his vampiric prey. The hunter sat and waited, closing his unsettling golden eyes for a breif moment. The collapsed R93 under his cloak shifted uncomfortably at his side, and his clawed hand moved to adjust it. It was one of many tools he used in his trade, despite the cultural implications that surrounded such weapons...

OOC: Still waiting for a reply. Oh, and Kain, if you want, Driretlen will leave you alone. I can always RP around you. :D

Sulla was stunned, for once no retort would come to him, he had expected resistance, but not this madness, this despair. For the first time in his life Sulla felt an uncanny fear of something larger than himself looming over him. He turned and left silently. "We are both damned, he and I," Sulla thought, "but he doubly so." The fear didn't lift till he was out of the park and in a cab heading for his new apartment ten blocks away. He made a call to the local police reporting a loiterer in the park, it was mean-spirited, but it might at least get Kain out of his territory for a while, the man was an unknown variable, a loose cannon, not to be trusted. He had contingency plans, he had recently come into contact with a very powerful business man named Simon, perhaps he would show more interest...

"You can escape your damnation. I cannot. You might not deserve your damnation. I do." Kain simply said to him, still staring into the night. Kain had read his thoughts! That truly did disturb him...

OOC: The mysterious newcomer will continue to think to himself untill someone interrupts him, and I don't want to do that for the duration of the RP.

-Double Post-

((OOC: :shock: Dang. This went fast. Am away for one day and suddenly I find myself having to catch up big time. Heck, Kain is no longer an option. He may be powerfull and all but he isn't a bloody magnet. Will have to think of something else now. Need more time. :? ))

Niccolo chuckled and wiped the blood from his mouth as he slowly stood up. He dusted his clothes off and removed the weapon from his chest. The wound began healing immediately. He dropped the weapon on the ground.

"Silly sick old man. As if I care about his stupid little Hyraphore club. Man doesn't understand who he's just angered."

Niccolo casually bent over and picked up his katana and gun. He cleaned off the dirt from the gun and placed it back in his holster. Then he wiped clean the blade of the katana. Suddenly he whipped around and placed his katana at Sonia's neck.

"Now, my dear, it seems like we have a mutual enemy. What do you say about placing our little tiff aside for now and getting rid of our new...nuisance?" Niccolo raised his left eyebrow and, with a slight grin on his face, awaited an answer.

(OOC Alright. May I have permission to do something extremely drastic to this thread? It will dominate it totallly, revolving around Kain. But it will be the End for Kain. The final part to his existance, his story. The final twist. Please....I have written something fantastic, and all the hunters can participate in it. So with your people permission, may I? Or should I start a new thread, although that would confuse people and not set the mood. If this works, it will be one mother of a ending to a character I have had since the begining of my time in NS.)

OOC:If you needed my permission Kain, you've got it.

(OOC Actually I have reconsidered. I will still do this, but in another thread. I mean, some people just want a "normal" rp. And plus, there are people who have planned something with Kain in tis thread. So....yes, the end will come, after this rp. Possibly. I have my plot ready for it, I do not think you would be dissapointed. :) )

15 minutes after leaving the park, Sulla was back in his apartment, he made the call to his landlord, who would put him in touch with one of Simons underlings.

10 minutes after that, a squad car pulls up next to the park and two officers step out, both flick on their maglights and set off...

Kain sighed as he heard the noises of the car rolling up, the nosie of the radio transmission inside the car, the complaining of the cops. Would he get no peace? Well, if they wanted trouble, they would get trouble, but Kain was not in the buisness of killing....well at least mortals. Kain could not kill mortals, thanks to Qui's "lesson" to him. It was a fact only around four people knew, more if Rave or Qui had spoken to others about it.

Kain looked at his cloven hands a moment, as the cops pulled up.

The policemen fan out and begin walking through the park, keeping in radio contact.
"Hey, Joe,"
"Yeah?"
"I think I see him, dang flashlight's giving out though."
"You should've replaced the batteries."
"I just replaced them yesterday; just get over here, I'm on the east side."

The policeman approaches the figure sitting on a park bench, eyes straining in the darkness, "Time to go buddy, why don't ya come on down to the station with us, we'll get ya a cup of coffee."
The policeman reaches out and puts his hand on the man's shoulder...

Taqwa appeared behind the two policemen like a black wraith and touched them on the shoulders.

Gentlemen... If you please, leave this pitiful man alone...

"Holy s***, who the hell are you!? Don't ya know sneaking up on a policeman is a good way to get yourself shot?"

The policemans partner arives on the scene, "What's going on here Joe?"
"Well, we've got Mr. Sneak here and the silent type sitting over on the bench."
The second policeman shines his light in Taqwa's eyes, "What's your name, son?"

At the same time, Sulla's client, still sitting behind the scope of the M60, was training her crosshairs on Taqua's head. She had radioed in to Sulla the moment he had reappeared. Sulla's response came back over the radio, "The death of any hunter is a service to our kind, kill him."

"I think." Kain said to them very slowly and very hauntingly. He looked at both in turn, giving them the full attention of those dead brown eyes, the oceans trapping them in Kain's own depression and lack of hope. he gave each around five seconds in turn, not smiling at all. His white hair continued to shimmer in that chilling moon.

"You should go." Kain said, and remained locked onto thier returning stare of mixed reactions. That face of Kains was like nothing they had ever seen before...

The policemen jumped back, "What is that thing?! Marv, call for back up!"
"Radio's dead!"
Fear was quickly overcoming them.
"Joe, let's get out of here!"

Two hundred yards away, a safety flicks off, and a finger tightens on a trigger...

Kain remained completely calm and looked to the oceanof blackness witha single white rock in the center.

"I did not need your help, but it was appreciated. And to return the small favor, you might want to get some protection for your head." Kain said rather vaguely.

Taqwa stared at Kain for a moment, then threw himself to the ground just as a spray of bullets arced over his head. One the the policemen broke and ran, he was cut down before he got ten feet. The other, out of instinct, dove behind the parkbench, and screamed for backup into his suddenly working radio...

Kain continued to sit thinking for a moment, savoring the chaos and unrulyness. It did not concern him. Kain seemed like he was effected by none of this. He was completely calm even though the din of combat raged around him. The moon continued to sparkle in the purple sky....and it began to drizzle lightly. Kain smiled slightly. He had just been thinking about that, how it would be nice if it started rain.

Daniella loved the rain...

Taqwa bowed politely to Kain.

Thank you Kain... Your assistance was much appreciated.

Drawing his long sword with its intricately carved pommel and swordguard, Taqwa stood in the open, his fiery red eyes glowing, a perfect target for the vampires.

Today, the hunters shall be the hunted...

"And the circle continues inexecurably to it's dramatic, fatalisitic conclusion. Why are you people so ignorant to this fate which you continue to plummet to gleefully? Well, at least you have a blind hope, but a hope none the less." Kain said, his voice clearly heard over the gunfire, his voice piercing the bullet riddled air with the clarity of angels weeping for thier lost children. Kain looked at Taqwa, gesturing with a cloven hand to him, as one does.

OOC: I am SOOO behind. GRRRRR. I go out for two nights, my b-day and a friday and I miss this. Okay, Kain, I don't care if it revolves around you. Your character is a popular. Besides I need to get used to the idea that the attention won't always be on me. It is a little hard when you can't see the people you are RPing with. :wink: Okay, here I go and sorry again.

IC: Sonia stepped alittle closer into his katana. She did not feel it, her black scarf protected her from that. She narrowed her eyes. Become partners with her enemy to get another one. How odd. She cocked her head and agreed with herself just this once to get rid of the old fart and then she would attack. If she had not had the scarf on there could be seen a sadistic smile stretcehd out across her face. All that was see was her hazel eyes flash green and wrinkle at her outer canthus. She took one step back and she bowed. With a swift movement and a twist of her hips, she faced the ill vampire and her katana pointed at him with her right arm. She laughed, sounding like a low growl. "Maybe you will die before you think you will. You picked the wrong human to entice."

(OOC Wow, my character is popular! Thank you, whoever likes him. Anyway, I am not going to make this thread revolve around him, I am having fun as it is. If people want to, feel free. I am in a very dramatic mood, and Kain is just great matieral to write dramtic things (his speech).)

OOC: Don't be so modest. You are very gifted. You write eloquently.

(Thank you very much. I am planning on becoming a writer of some sorts, writing fantasy at best, but I will settle for other things, but that is what I want. I am currently writing small stories, one of which I posted but no-one reacted to.)

...the park bench exploded under a hail of bullets, the M60 light machine gun was perhaps the best sniper weapon on earth. She set her sights back on Taqwa who had regained his feet, it was time to end this quickly, if that policeman had been able to call for backup, it would arrive within 8 minutes, maximum. Her cross hairs leveled on Taqwa's head, he was just standing there! She pulled the trigger...

Ten blocks away, a phone rang. "This is Grotsky, I work for Simon, we don't ussually do contracts for strangers, but your price is right. Hanson already filled me in on the contract, but we want half up front, just to prove you're legit."
"That's fine, but remember, I want the best man you've got on this." Sulla replied.
"Yeah, we'll put Niccolo on it, he'll take this guy down, you got a pen handy?"
"Yeah"
"I'm going to give you a swiss account number, as soon as the money's wired, we'll fulfill the contract, and you better not renig on this Sulla, it would be the last thing you ever do."
Sulla chuckled, "I understand; and Mr. Grotsky, please, call me Lucius, and remember Mr. Grotsky, I need at least a half pint of his blood, or the deal is off."
"Yeah, I got ya, here's the number..."

After Sulla hung up the phone a wide grin spread across his face, at last, things were starting to go right for him.

(OOC You do realise that Kain is sitting on that bench? If it was a different bench, correct me, but you are seriously screwed.)

The bench absorbed the bullets, deovring them hungrily. Kain was comepltey oblvious. But he was having an effect on the bench. It was obvious that it was breaking up, the tiny fragment of the wood having numerous bullets within them, but Kain still sat upon the jigsaw of wood.

Once the bullets had ceased to be aimed at the bench, Kain stood up and looked at the bench. He tutted and shook his head slowly.

"Must you beg for this pain?" Kain asked them, his face becoming moist from the drizzle which poured down gently. Kain looked up at the sniper, and then raised his hand.

The bench which was held together only by his mental powers, seperated and floated in a cloud of splinters, bullets and air, split from thier shape and took a new one. It became a weapon. The spinning swarm like angry locust hovered a moment, then became enraged. Kain then moved his cloven talon in a simple, simple shuf of air, and the swarm was sent out.

The strange weapon was sent straight towards the sniper, in a srrowhead which promised death for any being, vampire or mortal. The bench splinters served as stakes, as Kain had ensured. But....Kain had control. He knew that the demon would not allow him to kill. They both knew why, few others did.

Death would never be granted to anyone, the aftermath which Kain would face was what Kain wanted, and the demon had ensured would never happen.

(OOC: Monkey, you do realize that Taqwa has running through his veins Kain's blood right?)

Taqwa's lightning fast reflexes brought the sword right in front of his face, barely stopping the sniper bullet. The sword nearly broke in half because of the hit. Swering, Taqwa dropped his sword and dived into the underbrush, pulling from a holster, a silenced 9mm Beretta.

In wonder, Taqwa watched as Kain's magic kept the park bench together and then sent it flying as a weapon.

Kain watched the shards of woods and spent bullets tunnel through the air towards the area of the sniper, a vicious and the demon commented, "Very original method"" of attack. He said rather quietly and calmly said to Taqwa.

"How does it feel to have blood which has mingled with the being of a demon, and the raw essance of magic flowing within your veins? Or did you not know the nature of this beast, of the blade he carries and the effects of it?" Kain said looking breifly at his reaction with a grim degree of amusement flickering upon his face.

The Brightblade had effected his blood. It had effected his body obviously, how could anyone expect a normal human, or Psi not that there was much difference as Kain realised, to turn in such a way? No...Kain had something more porfound which had changed him, the Brightblade. While sustaining Kain during his eternal hunger due to Qui's curse, set to destroy Kain and make his death the worst possible for a vampire, the demon had sustained Kain and still does, with it's raw essance. Kain was helpless without the blade, which was more of a symboitic weapon, it's physical husk a fragment of it's power.

(Made that one up on that damn spot, and it makes so much sense. I can explain a lot of things this way :wink: )

My eyes have changed from white and blue to pure red... I sometimes have been consumed by the demon within and filled with bloodwrath, then I locked myself up until it passes. However, I am unable to control the power or the magic of the demon...

Kain did not speak. He used his mind speak. It seemed as two people, the same yet not, deep voices, ones which were with perfect clarity. The deeper one (OOC Bold) was the demon, the softer and clear one was Kain.

And why exactly did you wish this afflicition upon yourself?

I do not enjoy my essance being given to others, you play a dangerous game with the script of the God's devising.

Fortunatly, you will not bind the demon, but you have bound parts of us both.

Foolish bastard! Have you not comprehended what you have done? I will laugh at your fate when you truelly die.

And I will pity. What did you expect from playing with the raw fabric of other worlds? Of the raw construction of magic?

An interesting one, even I do not know of the full comprehension of these effects until your stroy unfolds more.

Indeed. You will spent many a tortured decade, but one which I doubt that no other has lived...

A shade of us, of what we are....

*both in unison*

my progeny. Yet not, thankfully for us and you.

The communication was chilling.....words could not describe it. The feeling that this change would be far...far more than he had bargined for. Kain did not look at him further, the communication occoured in a split second.

Maximus watched as one of the three individuals ran off from the junkyard. He decided to intercept and question the man.

Jumping off the ledge of the roof, he gracefully fell 80 feet down to the ground, landed on both feet and took off running after the man. The man was fast, but he was faster, for he was younger and more agile.

Maximus slowed as he got closer and called out, "You! Halt your flight!" He watched as the man stopped, and turned toward him, his eyes ablaze. Then he smelled an odor of which he had encountered years ago, on his first real night as a vampire with Skadi. The smell of coming death, illness. His mind flashed back to the dark night all those years ago, to the old man collapsing to the ground, his necklace glowing brightly. Skadi and he had walked away, for the old man's matter was none of their business.

Maximus glanced at the man again, and noticed the necklace. Indeed, he was still alive. Amazing, to have survived so long.... Maximus walked toward the old man, whose eyes reflected a long and harsh life, an unnatural one. They were cold, unfeeling eyes.

OOC: Dougalich, I think you're confusing this with the other thread :wink:. Driretlen stabbed Niccolo, and ran away, but here, watch this...

IC:

Driretlen was almost out of the junkyard when he heard a voice in his mind. A voice he had not heard for some time.

"Why are you here? This is a world too dangerous for you. You are more ill than the last time I met you, and I sense weakness in you from this. You foolish one..."

Maximus...

Driretlen turned on his heel and headed straight back to Niccolo and Sonja. When he was just on the edge of the clearing in the junked cars, Driretlan saw his old vampire ally stare and talk to an empty spot on the ground.

"Hmmm, must be hallucinating again..."

Driretlan pulled both of his Desert eagles out of their holsters and stpped into the light. He fired twice, once at Niccolo, and once at Sonja. He had no doubt that they would dodge them or simplly endure the bullet, but killing them was not his purpose...

With qucik movements, the guild leader grabbed the younger vampire by the arm and leapt back into the shadows. He also picked up his discarded Upir sowrd, still coated with a thick sheen of Niccolo's blood.

"My friend, I don't know why you are here also, but I am glad to see you. Yes this world is too dangerous, but I... COUgh Cough, have always survived."

"I don't know what you saw, or thought you saw, but that does not matter... Cough. I... am weaker than before, hard for me to say, but I still have life in me."

Driretlen looked at the incredlous vampire for a moment.

"You have matured, Maximus. I am glad, becuase I am afraid I must ask you to help me once again."

"I seek this man Kain, but recently, his power has grown exponentially. I need you to help me bring him into the fold... or destroy him if he refuses..."

"A vampire like that could pose probalems for those turned and those not. What do you say?"

OOC: I realized that, lol, so I went back and edited the post lol...sorry!

OOC: Ah jeez...ok...just to make this simple for everyone...Consider Valient and my posts (you'll know which ones) as happening at the same time. I got a little confused, and had forgotten part of the storyline. I had been out partying last night, so I can't quite remember the details lol!!

IC:
Maximus looked at Drirethlen, confused about this one he called Kain.

"Why do you seek him? What is his importance to your coven? And most of all, why is he dangerous to all?"

OOC: I realize, I just thought it would be in character for her to underestimate the both of you. Kain, you can descibe the extent of the injuries you cause her, if you'd like.
P.S. I don't mind if she ends up dying at some point.

IC: It was time for Sulla to move again, this time to a motel six blocks north. Since his conversion, he had never stayed in one place long, when asleep he was nearly helpless, one word had marked the last few centuries of his existance, paranoia. Not as much a fear as an expectation that someone would eventually kill him; this had kept him almost constantly on the run. It hadn't always been like this, he had occasionally built long standing relationships, in first half of his life, but he had never been the same since the fall of Constantinople, he had been on the run ever since. Even during his mortal life, there had been some fear, that a young man, orphaned by Sulla's proscriptions, would track him down. But soon he would be able to rest easy, soon he would not just cheat death, as he had so often in the past, but beat it absolutely.

OOC: So...is the cop that hid behind the bench still alive?

IC:The woman behind the M60 hissed in frustration, she had again failed to kill Taqwa, before she could follow up with any more shots, she heard voices in her mind, they seemed distant, she couldn't make out the words, but they felt like they were scraping against the inside of her skull. She was already curled into a fetal postion when the wave of pain hit her...

For the first time in a long time Sulla's imagination was not filled with images of his every possible death. It was filled with expectation. Perhaps, once he had regained the ability to walk in the light again, he would take a more active role in world events, resurect the empire, and restore its glory. It was while he was in the midst of these thoughts that the window shattered. A man came through the window, an assault rifle in hand, Sulla had no time to react. The man was fast, obviously genetically enhanced, not nearly as fast as Sulla himself, but this man was holding the gun. "Are you ready to greet the fires of hell demon?" the man asked.
"Not tonight." Sulla said, detonating the claymore mines planted around the apartment. The walls were sprayed with blood as thousands of tiny steel balls sliced through their bodies. The two corpses dropped to the floor, both dead, one alive.

Sulla was drifting into a healing sleep, the metal plates inserted into his kevlar vest had protected his heart, so he wouldn't be long in healing, the few other residents in the builing would not bother him, he had fed well that night. He had fallen next to the dead hunter, and he now got a good look at the man's face. "Yes," he thought, this was the man who had tracked him halfway across the world, the one who he had lost in Singapore, the only one who knew about the golden fleece of Jason that he now possesed " I am free of one more nuisance, the last impediment to my immortality."

The muzzle flare from the rooftop catches the attention of the prowling mercenary. Quickly taking aim, he fires a quick burst in the general direction of rooftop sniper, blue fire tracing the movements of the bullets...

In a distant corner of the park, the vampire watched with mild disgust.

'Humans and their guns...'

He then remeber that, up until a month ago, he too had been human...

"Irony's a bitch..."

He whispered as he drew his Berretta...

--OOC:oops, I accidentally hit quote instead of edit--

The night air disturbed by creatures of the earth, suddenly exploded in a hail of fire glass and steel balls. Maximus and Drirethlen were just over a mile to the east of the exploding apartment, but the sounds of the explosion carried far in the night, carried by the light wind.

This was not going to be good, for the police would be swarming the area soon. The two had to get off the streets.

Maximus grabbed Drirethlen and both headed toward a nearby restaurant, sitting in the back of the dimly-lit room, Maximus watching the room in front of him.

(in thought-speak): "Now, speak, Drirethlen, but speak as I am."

The waitress came to take their order, in which the two ordered a rare burger and water, so as to not look out of place. They would end up only eating little, if any at all. Vampires couldn't digest food, for their bodies were in reality dead, save for the blood they leeched off of humans, which kept them alive.

A shape emerges from the shadows behind one of the officers, grabbing the unfortunate man by the collar and lifting him from the earth. A row of white fangs flashed for the briefest of moments, then vanished into the patrolman's neck. A contented hiss whispers softly on the cool night air as the blood gushes from his jugular vein and into the shadow-creature's mouth...

OOC: I tired of lounging in the bar, so I figured I'd take a more direct approach.

Driretlen picked up his burger and studied it in the dim light. It looked more well done than anything. He took a sip of his glass of water, and concentrated on Maximus. It had been a while since he had used his mind to talk, and had only done so when forced. It took more out of him than the younger vampires. Why? Perhas it was simply nature adapting.

"Do you realize how hard it is to talk like this Maximus."

If the waitress had turnd around, she would have seen two men in strange dark garb looking at each other. Instead, she took an order from two bikers at the bar.

"I'm sorry, Driretlen, but we must remain anonymous."

"I understand. I've been walking among the unturned for 5 centuries. I know what it takes to survive."

"The reason why I seek Kain... is simple. The Alucarde pendant holding it up to Maximus tells me that he is, or will be the most dangerous vampire known. Not only extremely powerful, but cunning."

"Some say he is more than a vampire... that he is a demon capable of turning in an instant. I personally do not trust these stories, but the fact remains, he will be master to all. Even vampires."

The waitress turned and glanced at the two men. She studied them, and then turned away.

"This is why I seek him. He is not at his full power, and may not be at his full potential. Even now he is uncertain of his destiny. If I can lure him, and guide him, he could be of great asset to the Hyraphore..."

"In fact, he could one day lead it to greater heights than I could."

Driretlen coughed, and then remained silent.

Suddenly the doors of the restaurant flew open. Four policemen, with their service revolvers pulled out, entered. Diners grabbed their stuff and hid under tables, or ran for the closing door.

"FREEZE!"

Driretlen noticed the waitress hiding behind one of the cash registers.

"Yeah, thats them. Thats the two I saw on tv. The ones who are involved with this killing spree..."

"Damn it!!" Maximus cursed under his breath. That damn woman! She would pay for her intrusive behavior. She would pay dearly, but right now, there was a bigger problem, the four police cops, one who seemed to be a rookie.

They never learned...

Maximus watched as the four cops came near to their table, guns aimed at them.

"GET YOUR BUTTS UP RIGHT NOW!!", one of the cops, a captain, ordered the two vampires.

"Ok...ok...hang on, let me get out of this booth then sir." Maximus replied. The captain readjusted his grip on the gun. Maximus had a plan.

Go for the two at the door, take care of them. Maximus commanded Drirethlen.

"Get up you say? Get this!" Maximus questioned the officer, before he sprung to the ceiling, then dropped behind the two cops, with such a speed that surprised the police and patrons of the restaurant. His fangs now fully drawn out were bared at the two men. He hissed and snapped the neck of the closest cop, dropping the body quickly.

The captain at this time had just finally turned around, searching frantically for the vampire. He was afraid that if he started shooting, innocent patrons would get injured. As a result, he would lose his job for not controlling the situation correctly. But these were freakin' vampires! He wasn't equipped nor trained correctly to deal with them!

"I SAID FREEZE!!" the captain screamed, only to be knocked aside by a flurry of martial arts combinations, the gun flying out of his hand. His eyes widened as Maximus neared.

"You have made a terrible mistake officer....Now you shall pay!"

The captain screamed in horror and pain as Maximus grabbed him roughly, then buried his fangs into the man's neck, blood instantly pouring out of the open wound. Maximus drank the man until he felt the man's heart stop, drained of all blood...

Licking his bloodied lips, Maximus turned toward the waitress, "You!! You should have been minding your own business! For your information, we have not been your alleged killers on this killing spree you called the cops about."

Maximus grabbed the woman's arms, pulled her up violently, until she hung in his grip, a foot above the ground. "Now......do you want to live?" The woman nodded frantically, deathly fearful of his fangs ever so close to her. "Then leave us alone, and if I catch you harassing us again, you will be shown no mercy."

With that Maximus threw the woman into the two vampires' booth, and turned toward the door, watching as his friend finished off the remaining two police. Stupid mortals, thinking they can overcome us. The patrons and employees remained low, not daring to become the focus of the two vampires' rage.

Maximus licked his lips of the remaining blood......all he had wanted was a quiet night...

Driretlen closed his eyes and sighed long and deep. He had gone for awhile without sustanance, and the two police officers were particularly... satisfying.

He had usually never gone after the law, but if they came after him, the rules were changed...

Driretlen turned and saw the rest of the restaurants patrons run out the door. He non-chalantly reahced down and grabbed his glass of water.

"Well, no matter what we have wished, our cover is now blown."

Driretlen put down his cup of water. It made a ring on the table.

"We know that the news is reporting a killing spree... what do you want to bet that Kain is involved with this. Already he is growing stronger, and more erratic. He must be dealt with soon..."

Driretlen went over and clasped Maximu's shoulder.

"So are you with me?"

Maximus stared into Drirethlen's eyes, not sure of what he was looking for. Conspiracy? Hatred? no.....fear, fear of what could come. He made up his mind.

"All right, but this is only because you are my friend, and are weak. I shall not join your coven. I am only your acquaintance. If Kain doesn't do as you wish, then how do you plan to have him killed? Do keep in mind that he may not be just a vampire."

Maximus glanced over to the waitress still trapped in the booth, unconscious and hardly breathing. He picked up a wallet on the next table, pulled out all the cash and tossed it onto the table next to the waitress.

"That should take care of the costs of food and cleanup."

Maximus grinned slightly...

OOC: So...is the cop that hid behind the bench still alive?

IC:The woman behind the M60 hissed in frustration, she had again failed to kill Taqwa, before she could follow up with any more shots, she heard voices in her mind, they seemed distant, she couldn't make out the words, but they felt like they were scraping against the inside of her skull. She was already curled into a fetal postion when the wave of pain hit her...


The wood and bullets ripped through her, yet the attack was so precise that it was ensured that it would not kill the sniper. Kain felt the pain again....the ripping of his non-beating heart, the sensation of a heart attack. He had expected it.

Agonising pain, pain which Kain had felt countless times before. BUt he gritted his teeth, and a god-like feat of endurance, one which would not have been possible if the demon had not been helping him grudgingly, only had a flicker of pain upon his face, before he got him composure. It was barely noticable. But Kain's mind screamed in pain, as did the demon's. But patience, patience and cold calculation kept him from going to his knees and clenching his heart as it slowly became more and more agonised as death came closer to his victim.

Kain walked, but walked upwards! He was walking upon nothing, and he did it as though it was nothing, the air forming intangable steps for this master, for the element knew who this person was, who they were, the demon and vampire. None knew which one more to fear...

Kain walked up to the snipers position upon the staircase which lead him up through the air, and looked at the sniper, completely in agonising pain, almost blacked out. But he did not want that, he needed to talk. With continuing self-control that would be impossible for Kain alone, he walked up to this poor bloody figure, and got a cloven talon out and gripped the snipers bloody chin, lifting his head so that thier eyes met.

The sniper was a bloody pulp, held up to the wall by the wood going through his body and into the wall. Soft agonising moans came from the sniper, the pain was beyond endurance, beyond what mortals could take. But something was keeping him here...

Kain lifted the sniper's chin and gazed into those terrorfied eyes which would have gladly begged for death. As Kain's did. And that returning gaze which Kain responded those pleading eyes were his own, the one which had no hope, no love, no pride, no joy. Nothing but agonising pain, not the dull physical pain, that Kain could take, and did with the impaling of his victim which caused his heart to become tortured. One which begged for death far more than this mortal. And she felt Kain's pain for a glimmer, a brief insight to this being. Qui had seen that he could not kill a mortal, else his own existance be extinguished. The idea behind that, was that Kain would not survive due to not having any nourishment, and fade away in the worst possible way that a vampire could die.

How wrong Qui had assumed.

The sniper looking into that tortured eyes, which far outdid his plead. He closed them, and began to weep, for he knew that Kain was in far worse pain, yet his own he could not stand. How could this being endure that? The sniper's mind reeled in the small glimse into this beings torture from the Gods.

And Kain began to talk, softly yet with sophistication and complete self-control to the sniper, looking at the mortal in all of that glory of blood. His instincts begged for that blood, yet Kain knew that he did not need it, and that his hunger would only be sated for a brief, fleeting second. Only more potent blood could state his hunger, the demon's essance did that. In comparison, mortal blood was like comparing Champagne to water, the effect of mortal blood did not fill him with the warmth and vibrancy, the complete ecstacy of demonic blood.

Not that the Brightblade was feeding him it's blood, only a glimmer of that blood, but it was still no comparison to mortal blood.

"Now" Kain began, addressing the mortal calmly, as though he had no pain, as if the mortal had all the time as he did. Kain had ensured that the mortal would not die, the demon had ensured it. It was in the demon's interests, and Kains detesting that he did, but they did it for thier own reasons.

"I am sure you are regretting that descision. That descision which has caused you so much pain. Now I am sure that you are not used to such agonising torment, and believe me, I feel it far worse than you do right now." Kain said slowly. The sniper saw into Kain's eyes again and saw the pain flash upon his eyes, that abject torture which the demon and Kain were feeling and she tired to turn away, but Kain did not allow her.

"Now. What to do. I am certain you do not want this. But I can endure this for eternity, for this pain is bland and it lacks taste, and I have drank more of this pain than you will ever imagine, I can drink this world's ocean in it before I will submit to the God's cruel drama. But although I could, I don't want that. And my freind who is helping me, who shares this pain far more than I do, does not want that. And you definately don't. Want. That. So this is what we are going to do." Kain said slyly and stood up from bending over to talk to her.

He lifted his cloven talon, and the stakes and bullets exited her body, her body like a vast lock, the keys now escaping it, unlocking it. The sniper groaned at the torture, yet it was releasing. Her wounds were many and extreme, causing her unbelievable pain, her body would never recover. Only a morbid stare was given by Kain, as he endured this dull pain which he had endured before from harming mortals. The crimson bullets clicked to the floor like a jingling chandeler, the wooden stakes hung in the air.

Kain kept his hand out in the same position, and spoke a single melodic sylable, the spidary word of magic unraveling in the air, it felt strangely warm to the sniper, the unendurable pain of holes in his body fading. Kain looked as the healing process occoured, his own pain easing, his heart ceasing it's self inflicted punishment. the holes became closed, the blood faded, and her face becoming less contorted in pain, more of the memory of those horrible eyes which she had been forced to gaze into.

The sniper groaned in relief, her mind healing, yet a scar would remain. Kain had ensured that. Kain simply said;

"Stand."

The sniper did so extremely slowly, his mind in complete terror, her body shaking still from fear of not knowing what she was dealing with. What was Kain going to do with him? The stakes of wood still quivered in the air around her, the bullets still had life within them, fed by the taste of this woman's blood.

http://images.legacyofkain.net/sr2/captures/intro/kain_23.jpg


"Now. Let me tell you what you are going to avoid this agonising torment from me, for this is not mercy. This is in my and my allies best interests, I have discovered there is better way to teach mortals these lessons of obediance, and respect of my wishes." Kain said slowly and stepped forward and looked down at this sniper. The sniper simply agape at this beings presance. Now she truelly felt this beings power, this aura around him that he was nothing like of this world that he did not belong here.

As Kain spoke, he place the palm of his hand upon her forehead, still looking into her eyes.

"You. You are going to leave here, and spread word of what has occoured here. You will have my blessing. You will not walk this world eternally, but the words you speak shall. You shall speak of this Kain Irenicus as simply a being which wishes to be left alone from the incessently moralistic politics of this world. That any mortal that dare defy me in such a way will receive a far worse fate than befell you, for I could do worse, far worse to your fragile mind and body than simply use wood and spent bullets to ravage your weak flesh. Thank the Gods that you are not immortal, for although death's icy breath cannot be billowed from me to mortals, I can still release "immortal" bodies from thier torment. And thier fate will be far worse than any mortal torture. Go home. Thank the gods that you are mortal, that they have forced me to be merciful in this way to your mortal kind. You will no longer feel hunger, thirst, pain, love. But you will know death after a long time, and then the joys of release after your pitifully short existance, then you will be truelly thankful and appreciate the gifts that God has given you, and deprived of others. Praise the Gods for your mortality, for you will know death, and the gifts it bestows upon your kind. Leave me to my own fate and make others do the same."

Kain took his hand off her head. It was done. The rune had been made, a black symbol, Kain's clan symbol upon her forehead. The Irenicus clan symbol, which only she had, beside Daniella. Kain still had the symbol upon his Cloak, yet the cloak was no longer possessed with a spirit which helped and was part of his emotions. The spirit of the Cloak had chosen oblivon over the torture that Kain gave it. Only the physical cloak remained, lifeless. The word Irenicus meant in elvish "Broken One, Exiled One" the reaosn why Kain had chosen the word. This woman was now a acolite of his, to spread his word and do his bidding. Kain had only this one, yet he felt it would be enough.

http://www.thelostworlds.net/Images/T-SR1-Clan-Kain.JPG

The sniper was completely taken aback. She had been granted life....a quest. One which if she did not complete and strive for, Kain would enact his own terrible punishment.

The sniper left, and went home as Kain had commanded.

Kain watched her leave, satisfied by what he had just done. He had learnt the ways to teach from Ravelyn and Qui, for they had taught him harsh lessons of thier own. He looked around for anyone else who might challenge him. The stakes ingited and became spent ash, which faded away in the wind. The bullets melted and became nothing.

"Does anyone else wish a far worse fate than this being?" Kain asked the night, and anyone who might dwell within it, Kain's eyes slowly scanning the area.

"Good." Kain said to himself in satisfaction that he would be left alone more. He walked back down the stairway of air, which no other could see and Kain simply sat on another bench and looked up again, satifisfyed, returning to his own torment.

The moon returned that horrible gaze, unblinkingly, the eye of the God taking vast interest in this character of this sick drama that it had written.

OOC:........... :shock: wow :shock: ........your skills as a storyteller are excellent. You convey pity, yet respect for Kain toward the audience wonderfully. Keep it up! :D

(OOC Thank you so much. That piece of writing I am extremely proud of. Thank you again, that means a lot to me. :) )

Taqwa could not ignore the pounding voices in his head. The droning voice of Kain and the terrible demanding voice of the Brightblade began to take its toll on Taqwa. Responding to Kain, Taqwa quoted Confucius.

A wise man learns from his experience; a wiser man learns from the experience of others.

As he spoke, Taqwa realized something horrific was happening within. The voice of the Brightblade had managed to unlock and awaken some horrific evil within Taqwa. The evil was the malefic presence of the blood of the Brightblade and Kain. Rising up, it challenged Taqwa. Within Taqwa’s mind a bloodless battle between his will and the malevolent presence took place. Although strong, Taqwa could not even hope to fight against the terrible power of the evil presence. As he tried to defend himself, the presence struck repeatedly, slowly whittling Taqwa’s power down. Soon, it became clear that Taqwa could not hold against such an awesome presence. With a final surge, the evil presence struck without pity, shattering Taqwa’s defenses. The presence spoke three words, “Veni, Vidi, Vici.” (OOC: Latin for “I came, I saw, I conquered.) Taqwa’s will, beaten, was sent scurrying, exiled to a deep mental prison within the mind. The body convulsed briefly and collapsed lifeless to the ground.

Moments later, the body twitched… Taqwa picked himself up. It seemed that nothing had changed, but yet everything had changed. For one, the eyes were different. The distinctive fire was gone… The eyes were now only flat. The power of the malicious presence awakened by the voice of the Brightblade had taken complete control over Taqwa. Now Taqwa was no more than a mindless slave to the wishes of the corruption within…

The demonic blood was very different from that of the tainted blood of Kain. When it first mingled with Taqwa’s blood, the corrupted blood drastically altered the genetic structure, making Taqwa stronger, smarter, and more lethal. Occasionally, the presence appeared, taking over the body and forcing Taqwa’s will into submission. But this time was very different, Taqwa’s will had been utterly defeated, and now the spiteful presence had created a new powerful demonic vampire.

The newly created demon shuddered as it blanketed itself in the power of its evil. In a rasping voice, it began to speak.

I am finally free from the bondage of the will… But, what is my name?

As it searched through the still present subconscious of Taqwa, the demon stumbled upon a name of one that had left a horrific imprint on his life. The name was Okalisk (OOC: Taron, a written language used by Taqwa, meaning the evil or the demon within).

Yes… A good name. From this day forward, I am Okalisk, the demon within… L’état, c’est moi!

With that spoken, the lifeless eyes came awake again, the red flames of the demon within flaring. The demon began walking, transforming as he did so, molding the body to his wishes…

"Those with power without control are puppets to others with the strings." Kain simply stated. He had considered that he would have been far more in control of what power he had gained from him, but he shrugged and thought nothing of it.

He looked at the newly formed being. He looked at with it a certain degree of interest, but said nothing more.

Kill it. Absorb it's essance."

No, demon, we bide our time. See the itentions of it yes? Then we justify this action. We can make use of this if we really wanted. You never know, it may aid your aims.

Agreed. The demon replied with grudging respect. The two knew each other intimately, and Kain seemed to be in control for he had the more physical power. Although, should the demon wished to, it could have destroyed Kain without a thought. But it would be suicide, just as it would for Kain to throw the weapon away, not that Kain could, and often had tried in the past. Bound together, by their own reasons, they had already tried to challenge each other, but now they were contented with the other, for they both knew that this was simply not going to change for a long time.

Kain looked on at the demonic vampire. Yet it was weak still with it's lack of experiance. Weak in the body. Weak in the mind.

"I am not responcible for this. We are not responcible for this. You are. You decided to place this torment upon your fragile mind." Kain said to the demonic vampire.

(OOC Edited)

(OOC: Taqwa said earlier that he could never control the demon within, because of the demon's power... It is logical therefore that Taqwa is beaten by the demon. In addition, this new apparition is weak in body and in experience, but not of mind. From latest count, he can speak a multitude of languages, and is well versed in a wide range of philosophers from Confucius to the Swordmaster of Ginaz, Rebec. Taqwa was brilliant, and this new guy, even more so...)

Okalisk although was preoccupied with his transformation, he did notice a powerful being watching him. After "tasting" the air to feel the power, Okalisk realized that this being was very similar to him. It intoned several brief Zensunni sayings.

Every man is a potential enemy, every place a potential battlefield...

The future, the past, and the present are intertwined, a weave that forms at any point in time...

In this universe, there is no such thing as a safe place or safe way. Danger lies along every path...

While intoning these sayings, Okalik had walked in front of where Kain was watching. Descending to his knees, Okalisk kowtowed.

Master, what do you wish of me?

"What?" Kain said, rather suprised at his mention of master. It was not something that he had expected or anticipated. He felt a mixture of interesting emotions, a welcome change from the blunt and longing pain.

An interesting turn of events yes?

I find this extremely amusing.

And why exactly would that seem so amusing to you, for all your sick and twisted versions of these emotions.

Of course, the same emotions you have inherited from my presance. The reason I find this so amusing is the reason why the divine and unholy factions in other realms are finding this amusing, you know of the scripts they write yes?

Naturally, I played thier part which was set out before me flawlessly.

Of course the two meant destiny, the thing which the Gods controled for thier own ends.

Naturally. And your part seems to become embedded with more responcibility. It would seem someone is trying to resurrect the old you yes? To see if they can raise that inner turmoil? Do you remember that person Kain? When you were mortal? *a chuckle again at the Gods sick private joke*

The one which is dead and shattered due to that responcibility which he had to others, that he failed so many times and became a bitter, pain ridden individual?

Of course. It was written before your creation. I however was not part of that plan.

I wonder if my fate would have been any better than this one if you had not ruined thier carefully drawn out drama?

One which was forgotten and mediocre. Not fitting of either of us. It would seem we are the wildcard, and the dealer wants to get rid of this unpredictable card in his carefully fixed deck of cards. Rave saw to the wildcard's survival.

Well regardless, that Kain is dead. He died when Daniella died. Caring for people in my case, only brings those people pain.

Regardless, what of it? You could say it is our child....*a dark chuckle*

*sarcasticly* Please. You will make me attached to it. He might be related, but there will be no love loss between us. I have that degree of coldness and calculation from you

Yes. It does you better for we can think clearly now.

I want no part of it. I simply wish to be left alone until an oppertunity for your release presents itself.

But it could be useful. A comprise then. We use it should we require.

*a brief pause*

Very well, but remember wanted nothing to do with this.

Noted.


The conversation between the two occoured in seconds, the agreement of the two minds now came into actions.

Kain simply looked up at the being. He looked into those eyes. Met them with his own. There was no animosity within Kain's, no hatred, only it seemed fatigue.

"All you owe me is for when I requre something from you, you shall do so obediantly and without question. I am not responcible for you, I in no way owe you anything. You are a free being, only bound with your "master" for lack of a better word. I cannot explain what has occoured to you. I do not know, and I do not care. It does not honestly concern me. Now, as my first order, leave me to my solitude, and do as you wish. But I owe you nothing, not protection, not responcibility, nor love. Later I will teach you , but only at my lesuire and to make use of you in the future. Enjoy this mockery of a existance." Kain morbidly put, satified that both the demon and his intentions had been satisfied.

Kain wondered why such a action had been taken. At least now, there was something interesting around him. And possibly something to aid the demon leave his body, and let him leave this world and enter the conforting nothingless of oblivion.

OOC: I'm going to be gone for a day or two, so I can't really respond to much. Kain, I'm enjoying the cultural references your character brings out, though I hope that "mark of Kain" thing, condemed to wander and all that, isn't just a coincidence, almost the exact same thing occurs in Genesis, only it's Cain who was marked, how old did you say Kain was?

Maximus and Drirethlen left the restaurant through the kitchen and out the back door. It was too dangerous to leave by the front entrance, for that was the way most of the terror-stricken patrons had fled. There had been too many witnesses this time to attempt to cover their tracks, so Maximus had not bothered to use his blood to heal the external wounds on the officers. Thank goodness it had been dark in the restaurant. No one could have seen their faces all too well, which was made more difficult by the vampire's supernatural speed. The only wild card had been the waitress, but he was confident that she would remain silent, fearful for her life.

Maximus scaled the wall of the opposing building in the alley, followed closely by Drirethlen. This was their best spot currently to remain hidden from view unless someone had actually wanted to foolishly follow them.

"Where is this Kain you speak of?"

A cat nearby was stealthily stalking an oblivious rodent. Maximus watched the two with interest. Maximus wondered about the myth of cats having nine lives. It was possible, after all, vampires did actually exist. His thoughts fleetingly went to Skadi, wondering how she was doing. It had been several years since he had departed her side, finally allowed to truly roam free.

OOC: For future reference, I'm going to use blue text to represent vocal speech, red text for psychic communication, and italicized for personal thoughts. Makes it a bit easier for me, and probably others as well to understand what exactly is happening.

OOC: I'm going to be gone for a day or two, so I can't really respond to much. Kain, I'm enjoying the cultural references your character brings out, though I hope that "mark of Kain" thing, condemed to wander and all that, isn't just a coincidence, almost the exact same thing occurs in Genesis, only it's Cain who was marked, how old did you say Kain was?

:) hmm...interesting thought there....I wonder myself. I wait to hear Kain's response to this hehehe!

OOC: I'm going to be gone for a day or two, so I can't really respond to much. Kain, I'm enjoying the cultural references your character brings out, though I hope that "mark of Kain" thing, condemed to wander and all that, isn't just a coincidence, almost the exact same thing occurs in Genesis, only it's Cain who was marked, how old did you say Kain was?

(24 both in mortal and immortal years. :D The vampire side of him is just a fledgling, but the demon side has been for eons. Well I am not giving away my inspiration for Kain, but there was some parts from the bible :wink: Destiny is such a wonderful thing to work with. But I have just realised Rave Shentavo's reverance with the curse that she gave Kain with Qui. Very skillfully done Rave. By the way, everything which Kain says happened, HAS happened in nationstates. Go for it, look up in the archives for the author "Velmora". Although Kain Irenicus had the more honerable name "Kain Brightblade" and then "Kain Shentavo" :)
Also, here is a little thing, completely coincidental (at time of writing at least.)

The Republic of Kain Irenicus is a huge, devout nation, remarkable for its complete lack of prisons. Its compassionate, cynical population of 666 million are ruled with an iron fist by the dictatorship government, which ensures that no-one outside the party gets too rich.

How is THAT for bible referances? Kain brings a demon into the world this day! GWHAHAHA...ahem.)

The limb body of the unfortunate policeman slumped to the earth, a pale pink tongue licking the last drops of his blood from the scaly mouth of his killer. The red mist of bloodlust faded from the mysterious hunter's mind, a change reflected in his eyes. The hunter looked up to watch Kain ascend through the air, walking as if on steps.

'The vampire and his pet sword... Kain has been absent from the views of the hunters for some time... it is good to see him again.'

The hunter strode past his victim's body, and stopped next to the others in the park clearing.

"Kain has a fanclub now, does he?"

Whispered the gravelly voice with a slight hint of sarcasum.

OOC: I'm surprised KI hasn't made contact with this person yet.

OOC: This sucks. I'm getting ignored by people younger than me.

IC:

The merc lowers his smoking weapon, then sprints into the park area, leveling his M4 at the gathered vampires. As his finger tightens on the trigger, a shot rings out. A single .40 caliber bullet hits him in the center of his shockplate, staggering him. He returns fire, a burst of angry blue hornets speeding towards his vampiric assailant.

The bullets whizzed past the vampire, a single round grazing his arm. The wound burned horribly, and the flesh around it blackened and cracked.

'Shit... UV rounds...' He thought as he took careful aim.

The young vampire emptied the remainder of his clip in the man's direction, forcing him back into an alley. The vampire quickly reloaded and charged towards a small group that had gathered in the part, to warn them of the danger...

OOC: This sucks. I'm getting ignored by people younger than me.

IC:

The merc lowers his smoking weapon, then sprints into the park area, leveling his M4 at the gathered vampires. As his finger tightens on the trigger, a shot rings out. A single .40 caliber bullet hits him in the center of his shockplate, staggering him. He returns fire, a burst of angry blue hornets speeding towards his vampiric assailant.

The bullets whizzed past the vampire, a single round grazing his arm. The wound burned horribly, and the flesh around it blackened and cracked.

'Shit... UV rounds...' He thought as he took careful aim.

The young vampire emptied the remainder of his clip in the man's direction, forcing him back into an alley. The vampire quickly reloaded and charged towards a small group that had gathered in the part, to warn them of the danger...

OOC: This sucks. I'm getting ignored by people younger than me.

IC:

The merc lowers his smoking weapon, then sprints into the park area, leveling his M4 at the gathered vampires. As his finger tightens on the trigger, a shot rings out. A single .40 caliber bullet hits him in the center of his shockplate, staggering him. He returns fire, a burst of angry blue hornets speeding towards his vampiric assailant.

The bullets whizzed past the vampire, a single round grazing his arm. The wound burned horribly, and the flesh around it blackened and cracked.

'Shit... UV rounds...' He thought as he took careful aim.

The young vampire emptied the remainder of his clip in the man's direction, forcing him back into an alley. The vampire quickly reloaded and charged towards a small group that had gathered in the part, to warn them of the danger...

"Where is this Kain you speak of?"

"He is somewhere close, but... Cough... the Alucarde cannot read him anymore. He ismore than a vampire now. This killing spree... it centres around him. There are people after him, and people who work for him..."

"His is an aura of chaos, but it is an ordered melee. He is grasping the subtleties of his powers, and soon he will be more powerful than anything you and I have ever encountered before. Even together."

"I am afraid recruiting him is no longer an option."

A woman passes through the light emanating from the streetlamp underneath Driretlen's and Maximu's vantage point. Without warning, the guild leader drops from the roof to the hard street below. His friend follows shortly thereafter.

On equal level as the woman, Driretlen studies her. Her clothes were tattered and torn, as if she had been assaulted with many objects. However she bore no bruises, no blood. Nothing.

No mark, except one... Driretlen pulled out one desert eagle with his right hand and leveled it at the woman.

"You who bears the mark of Kain: tell me where your master is, and I will put you out of your misery. Your's is a mission that will lead to evils you cannot percieve..."

Maximus stealthily positioned himself behind the battered, yet uninjured woman. Suspecting some odd force at hand, he pulled a beautifully crafted sword known as Glamdring, a rare weapon of long ago, from the same time era and locations of the home of his first sword, Narsil. (OOC: In case you all don't know, Glamdring is the same sword that Gandalf the Wizard uses in the "Lord of the Rings" series, Narsil is also another sword from this series) Maximus also pulled out one of his twin Elven daggers, as a secondary weapon. His lips spread open slightly, fangs ready to be used if necessary.

"Take caution, Drirethlen, this one has a strong force controlling her. Of that I am sure."

(OOC Kain has not noticed Whiptail for various reasons. Well he has, just he really does not care. Although he knows him, Kain has changed dramatically as you can see. Feel free to speak to him.)

The woman simply looked at Driretlen and stared at him.

Those eyes....

Those eyes which held no emotion, only duty. Duty to do her life's work now. Kain had been merciful to her for disturbing him.

"Kain Irenicus wishes to be left alone, and his servant is beyond death until only one form of death releases me. Time. And that is all. To anger Kain is death, for he is death. You know not what you deal with, leave the Master alone, lest mortals be tortured....and vampires damned for thier existance. Take heed, for my fate was merciful." Her voice was nonthing like that of a human. It was echoed, even though it was not possible. Her words where whispers, yet bellows to the mind, all with perfect clarity and haunting lack of emotion. The gun did not fill her with fear. Only a flicker of pity for these people if they where to attack Kain.

She walked away slowly, her steps where careully taken, as though she had all the time in the world, the steps like a procession in church, extremely slow. The whole experiance was unnerving.

Driretlen looked at the back of the retreating woman. He glanced over at Maximus and shook his head...

Driretlen raised his gun, and fired a single round at the woman...

"NO!" Maximus yelled.

Drirethlen had shot an innocent woman. A woman who had not threatened their lives personally. She had only been a messenger.

Maximus darted to Drirethlen's side, his hand coming up and pulling the gun out of the vampire's grip. He glared at him.

"She was only Kain's messenger! Why did you shoot her??!!" he demanded.

The two watched as the woman recovered from the gunshot wound.

The woman heard the gunshot and continued as she would have done. She walked seemingly for an infinate time before the bullet entered her skull.

But...the bullet was simply absorbed into her! A black hole was left on the side of her head, which slowly faded. The woman turned around slowly, holding something in her hand. She threw it idly to the one who had fired the round.

It was the bullet, it's high pitched click upon the floor as it rolled to it's owner rather distressed.

"The master does not grant me release so easily. Do not seek him out, for your own sakes. Vampires will have eternity to wonder why they did not pay heed to this warning, and they will curse themselves for it in thier sorrow. Alas, foolishness prevails. Search the master, and your torment." She said, acting as though nothing had happened. She walked off with infinate slowness again, as though she had never seen the world before.

And in a way, she never had these cold black eyes.

OOC: I am so freaking lost right now and this is my story. Okay, where is my character right now and who is with me? Am I still with Niccolo? Should I go somewhere else? I have never been so confused in my whole life. Maybe we should have some characters divert their story away from Kain. We shouldn't ignore other players here. MS I enjoy your writing. At least your not getting ignored in the story you created. So, people we need a game plan here. I suggest maybe a few (being 3-4) characters interact with Kain and others can either go one on one, or the same 3-4 characters interacting. I hope everyone is okay with that, if not let me know and we can work something out.

(OOC Very good idea. Kain just draws attention to himself.... :? )

OOC: (ATG) Here's the quick brush down for ya since you last posted.

Yes, you are still with Nicolo in the junkyard, as far as I can tell. Drirethlen, the sick vampire, has disappeared into the night, and intercepted by my character Maximus, where the two of them go to a restaurant, after witnessing an explosion a mile down the road. However, their solitude is dramatically interupted by city police, intent on arresting and detaining the two, charged with participation in a recent string of murders. Things went wrong for the police, very very wrong. Now the two vamps have left the restaurant, and have interecepted a woman recently employed and gained control of by Kain, who warns them to stay away.

The other players here should be able to fill you in on their respective stories...welcome back by the way!

Double post.

OOC: I am so freaking lost right now and this is my story. Okay, where is my character right now and who is with me? Am I still with Niccolo? Should I go somewhere else? I have never been so confused in my whole life. Maybe we should have some characters divert their story away from Kain. We shouldn't ignore other players here. MS I enjoy your writing. At least your not getting ignored in the story you created. So, people we need a game plan here. I suggest maybe a few (being 3-4) characters interact with Kain and others can either go one on one, or the same 3-4 characters interacting. I hope everyone is okay with that, if not let me know and we can work something out.

I'm ok with this. I don't know who else is involved with Kain, but its seems Driretlen and Maximus is headed to him sooner or later. Anyone else is welcome to interact with us. We're just RPing as it comes :D

Kain sighed. Recent events would make him rather...wanted. He decided to leave this place, to find somewhere else to be alone. He left the small park, walking out into a small allyway. He walked without disguse, into the night. He walked into the streets for a minute. No-one was out this cold bitter night. Kain could only tell by the frost upon the windows, he could not feel the cold himself. The wind made the stone shiver, but no responce came from Kain as he walked along. The lights flickered into life, and then thier slumber due to faulty wires and such.

Kain saw one building. Deserted. Completely deserted Kain detected. He did not know how, but then again, he did not know a lot of his abilties from the demon. Kain walked towards not the rotting wooden door of the place, but the brick wall. Kain evaporated into fog with each step, his form dissapearing into vapor.

He begame fog, and entered into the cement of between the bricks, creeping up the structure, the experiance would have been interesting had Kain's mind not been on other things. His minds were almost always on other things, few thigns cvould deter him from his memories which seemed crisper than they ever had, age did not effect Kain's body, as it did his memories. They both where like fine vinages of wine, they got better with age. But the taste of those memories.....was like vinager. It got more sour with every year in the shelf. Yet Kain savored it as though it was a wine, for it was all he had worth hanging on to.

Kain formed inside a large abandoned room. There was hardly any lighting, only the creeping rays through the broken wood of the walls, giving the impression of a prison. Graffetti lay upon the walls.

Odd that we would be in such a place. Ironic no? That the mighty Kain would be running from them, hiding inside a rotten room of abandoned promise.

I am not running. I am simply tierd of the demands of those who expect more of me, more than I have given. All I want is solidute...well...as close as I can get to it. *a pause* Why is it that everyone comes to me for some reason?

Those powerful attract those who want power. And often, those with power, never wanted it at all, or are ill-equip for it. The demon murmered as Kain sat with his eyes closed against a wall.

I am not powerful. We are. Without me you are nothing. Without you I am nothing.

Like the bow and the arrow, both dependant upon each other, each serving each other in thier purpose.

Ah but the arrow is but a slave to the bow, for the bow could fire the arrow against the arrows will?

Of course. Yet the archer in this case is destiny, the target has already been made, the result of the launch of the arrow already decided. Just remember...the bow can still fail the archer, choose the deviate the arrow with it's perpose made imperfections as the archer sees it. You remember that.

And can the arrow do that too? Defy the archer? Defy the bow? On it's own?

Yes, but you would miss the target completely, or worse, snap with the tension before release. Not a fate you want Kain.

Is it? Enough of this.

The two finished their conversation, they often discussed things like this. It was a welcome...if maddening change of pace. Desinty was not a concept that mortals could handle.

(OOC Ok. Just in case some of you did not understand that here it is. Arrow= Kain. Bow= Demon Archer= destiny/person controlling or writing destiny.)

Driretlen reached over silently and took his gun back from Maximus. He put it back in it's holster, and then looked at his friend with tired eyes.

"My friend, have you not known me for enough of a time to know that I do everything for a reason. I shot her with the full knowledge that she would be fine"

"I shot her... to show you the lengths of which Kain has grown. It is... beyond anything I, or we, could do to stop him. We need more allies in this war against Kain..."

Driretlen put his hand on Maximus's shoulder and turned his gaze back towards the junkyard where they first met.

"We need more help. I'm afraid that it is time to... Cough..."

[i]Driretlen grabbed his chest and closed his eyes. He felt worse than ever, but he had a purpose now, more clearer than ever."

"...it is time to recruit a hunter."

OOC: Niccolo, where are you? ATG, if you agree with this plot twist, follow it, if not post and I'll adapt. In essence, Driretlen wants to enlist your help in this war.

BTW, anyone trying to take down Kain, contact Driretlen. Maybe it'll help tie all the loose threads together.

They wish to destroy you.

Who has not tried and failed? Xzar. The Inquisitors. Mephistopheles and his demon freinds *a slight growl of detestment towards them came from the demon, one which Kain found amusing*. Jarrid. The Seer. Velmora's armies. Hunters. Vampires. Demons. Spirits. Qui. *a slight growl of detestment towards him came from Kain, one which the demon found amusing* You.

I could have killed you had I chosen. But it suited my needs to see that you live. The archer was not expecting the bow to stay the arrow, to stop it fom being released, for there was a better place for the arrow to go, better place for the bow to go.

Yes. But you must admit, I could have survived for long.

Do not get cocky. You would not have stood a chance. You would not have stood ten more seconds, and that was when I was still caught in my physical embrace.

Want a rematch?

Don't tempt me.

*both chuckled darkly*

Seconds passed. Minutes ticked past. Hours churned on. Or did they? Kain had trouble taking track of time. It was all one long drawn out painful moment.

The hunters will fall should they come.

But the question still remains. Why do they come?

A very good question Kain.


Long drawn out seconds passed, a low creak came from one of the floorboards, peircing the stale silent air with noise, which soon was shushed and rebuked for it's childish outburst.



Fear.

"War?? So this is now a war huh? Do you realize that this woman may very well speak the truth, in regards to the fact that Kain wishes to be left alone? Why do you seek trouble when it does not seek you? I feel that your sickness has gotten to your mind now. You are hardly retaining your sanity in your decisions."

Drirethlen stared back at him, remaining silent as he listened to the younger vampire.

"Let's get you somewhere safe until tomorrow night, when the sun no longer threatens us."

Without another word, the two of them wandered the edges of the city, searching for a place to sleep. Soon, they came upon a cemetary, enclosed by thick twisted black iron gates, the grounds covered with trees with low hanging branches over several tombstones, and a few crypts scattered about. The two headed toward the farthest crypt, went inside, and found a pair of coffins, one on either side of the small room.

"Make yourself at home, I've got to go for a walk."

Maximus watched as his friend slowly pulled out the corpse of a dead body out of one of the coffins, coughing all the while, gripping his chest. He watched as Drirethlen got himself settled into the coffin and closed the lid.

And with that, Maximus walked back outdoors, and headed for a mix of trees halfway down the length of the cemetary. Once arriving there, he sat down, leaned his head back onto the trunk and sighed.

What have I gotten myself into? Drirethlen has gone mad. And what is it about this one named Kain?...... I've got a bad feeling about this.

His gut feelings had always proven themselves to be correct in the past, but Maximus hoped that this time they were wrong. Although he didn't like some of the things that his friend did, he did not want to see him die violently.

The sky was getting lighter, and Maximus could feel his skin warning him of impending death unless he protected himself.

He stood up, stared at the Eastern Horizon, then headed back toward the crypt.

He listened for Drirethlen's breathing. It was quiet and shallow, but Maximus heard him fine. At least the man didn't suffer coughing during his sleep...

Turning toward the second coffin, he tossed the older corpse out, and crawled into the coffin, closing the lid over him.

He would need to go alone to seek out this Kain. He needed to get a feel for him, needed to determine his real threat, if any at all. Maybe, by doing so, he could understand his friend's obsession with Kain. But first, he needed to ensure that Drirethlen would be able to pact an agreement with the woman he had mentioned earlier. Drirethlen seemed to think that having her would benefit his cause. How, Maximus had no clue.

Sulla had woken 30 minutes later to the sound of sirens. Someone, apparently, had called the police. He walked out side, they picked him up while he was walking slowly down the street a few hundred feet from the building. He looked suspicious, so they took him down to the station, he went quietly, they had no idea what he was. The feds, of course, were quite aware of vampires, but ovbiously Lt. Mason, the highest ranking officer at the station after their captain had failed to report in, was not. Sulla placed his one call to his broker in Switzerland, ordering a large sum of money into another numbered account. He was placed under arrest for cursing in the presence of a woman, an archaic law that, for some reason, still remained on the books (he had indeed cursed when the female police officer putting him in cuffs had set them a little too tight). Sulla would bide his time, the dawn would be coming soon, but it was early Saturday morning now, and they wouldn't bring him before a judge till Monday; he could spend the day here, safe in this cell, till the next night. But he would need information, knowledege of what had conspired this night. He could no longer sense his client, if she was dead...he was afraid to consider the implications of such.

"Guard, I must speak with you..."

They wish to destroy you.

Who has not tried and failed? Xzar. The Inquisitors. Mephistopheles and his demon freinds *a slight growl of detestment towards them came from the demon, one which Kain found amusing*. Jarrid. The Seer. Velmora's armies. Hunters. Vampires. Demons. Spirits. Qui. *a slight growl of detestment towards him came from Kain, one which the demon found amusing* You.

I could have killed you had I chosen. But it suited my needs to see that you live. The archer was not expecting the bow to stay the arrow, to stop it fom being released, for there was a better place for the arrow to go, better place for the bow to go.

Yes. But you must admit, I could have survived for long.

Do not get cocky. You would not have stood a chance. You would not have stood ten more seconds, and that was when I was still caught in my physical embrace.

Want a rematch?

Don't tempt me.

*both chuckled darkly*

Seconds passed. Minutes ticked past. Hours churned on. Or did they? Kain had trouble taking track of time. It was all one long drawn out painful moment.

The hunters will fall should they come.

But the question still remains. Why do they come?

A very good question Kain.


Long drawn out seconds passed, a low creak came from one of the floorboards, peircing the stale silent air with noise, which soon was shushed and rebuked for it's childish outburst.



Fear.

(OOC: Okalisk knows that he is not strong enough to survive by himself, so he's just biding his time until he's strong enough...)

What do you wish of me master?

Kain blew out in the cold wind. He watched as the vapor trail left his dry lips, to form a figure. Kain watched the female, as she danced. Daced before him, winding around in her enchantment, blowing a kiss to Kain before fading away.

"Come with me Kain...." Daniella whispered before becoming nothing....


Kain closed his eyes and stood, no noise coming from the rotten wood as it should have done. Simple tricks of the mind Kain thought, his mind had been wondering and had manipualted his frosty breath.

"Your attention and understanding. What do you know of yourself? How did you come to be?" Kain asked, testing the figure in some ways, trying to see what lessons he had learnt himself before Kain set out to teach him.

The mercenary reloads quickly, then steps back out into the street. His foe had vanished. He had fled to the one place he thought he could find refuge, the junkyard.

Of course, the mercenary didn't realize this. Instead, he sets off after the others. After all, a group of five is much easier to located than a single man...

The mercenary reloads quickly, then steps back out into the street. His foe had vanished. He had fled to the one place he thought he could find refuge, the junkyard.

Of course, the mercenary didn't realize this. Instead, he sets off after the others. After all, a group of five is much easier to locate than a single man...

OOC: My vampire is headed to the junkyard. My hunter will try to split up Kain's little cult, and hopefully broaden the focus of the RP. It's weird, younger nations are drawn to KI like bullets to a bullseye. That okay with everyone?

Driretlen slept, but it was not a peaceful slumber...

In his dream, the leader of the Hyraphore was young again, back in the olden city of Ypres. He was happy, free, warm.

But suddenly, the sun went out... Ypres's majestic buildings crumbled to the ground like so much paper. In the dark sky shone a single symbol.

The mark of Kain.

Driretlen screamed in his dream. His boday sreamed in time. It shook the foundation of the crypt and his coffin. Whether or not it awoke Maximus, Driretlen did not know.

He was too busy trying to fight away the horror as his legs, then his arms, and the his entire body were covered in horrible tumours. The exploded, and the open sores wracked his body with pain unimaginable... The cancer had finally caught up to him.

In the coffin, Driretlen absently scratched his right arm. He coughed once.

OOC: Well, thats ok MS, but the only reason why my character is focusing on the Kain one is that he seems to be the one with the most plot opportunities. ATG and Niccolo, still waiting for a response :wink:

Maximus opened his eyes quickly. An unearthly scream pierced the thick wood of the coffin, seeming to come from every direction.

Where the hell is that coming from?

He used his mental powers to seek out Drirethlen in the other coffin. He was agitated, and his heart was racing. He could also sense that the man was in horrible pain, but a quick search with his mind found no beings anywhere near the crypt or within. It was obvious to Maximus that Drirethlen was the source of the demonic scream.

What in the hell could have made him do that?

He called out to the man telepathically, "Drirethlen, are you all right? Your screaming could have woken the true dead and killed them yet again!"

OOC: Double post

Kain blew out in the cold wind. He watched as the vapor trail left his dry lips, to form a figure. Kain watched the female, as she danced. Daced before him, winding around in her enchantment, blowing a kiss to Kain before fading away.

"Come with me Kain...." Daniella whispered before becoming nothing....


Kain closed his eyes and stood, no noise coming from the rotten wood as it should have done. Simple tricks of the mind Kain thought, his mind had been wondering and had manipualted his frosty breath.

"Your attention and understanding. What do you know of yourself? How did you come to be?" Kain asked, testing the figure in some ways, trying to see what lessons he had learnt himself before Kain set out to teach him.

I know of my origin. A fusion of Taqwa's subconscious and your tainted blood... I came into being only as a tiny mote within Taqwa's awareness. I came into full control when I heard the beckoning statement by some great power, a demon entrapped within a blade... It brought me into consciousness and gave me power, allowing me to claim what was rightfully mine.

"Correct." Kain replied, glad that he did not have to teach him of his past. But he did have to teach him of what he could do now. It was not Kain's intent to do so, but the demon claimed the right to do so, and Kain allowed it.

"Do you not feel with all your soul how we have become like gods?
And as such, are we not indivisible? As long as a single one of us stands, we are a legion..." Kain said to him, looking into those eyes of his. It would not make him recoil or flinch. It was a question, to see if he felt the same. More of Kain's tests.

"Correct." Kain replied, glad that he did not have to teach him of his past. But he did have to teach him of what he could do now. It was not Kain's intent to do so, but the demon claimed the right to do so, and Kain allowed it.

"Do you not feel with all your soul how we have become like gods?
And as such, are we not indivisible? As long as a single one of us stands, we are a legion..." Kain said to him, looking into those eyes of his. It would not make him recoil or flinch. It was a question, to see if he felt the same. More of Kain's tests.

I have no wish to become a god. It is suffice to be alive, rather than a prisoner within another's mind...

"An apt answer. Yes, we can never become Gods. Good. You understand. So many people desire power, yet those with power desire nothing. Which can leave them empty and wanting. I am glad that I have an intellegent studant." Kain said softly.

Power does not belong to one person, it belongs to everyone...

Okalisk stood and stretched his muscles and channelling his magic through him.

However, I would like some help in...uh...using this magic.

"It does not belong to everyone. If this was so, we would be in deadlock. No...but then. How does one define power? Power I find, the ability to alter our realities to our accord. Therefore, power is not as easily seen. That is why we more powerful in a way than others, because of our understanding of reality and how we can alter it. One of which, is the arcane abilities. The tampering with this reality." Kain said and turned, the moonlight upon his green skin, as he enjoyed teaching to some degree.

"Now. Let me remind you of what magic is. To quote a brilliant theorist in the arcane arts, although take discression upon the names of the Gods. It does not matter really, all that you must know that there is a God, or a higher power doing this. It has many names, but I digress, simply listen. and learn." Kain said, and closed his eyes in remberance of those passages as he had memories as a child. Then he quoted it, perfectly, as he had been told to do as a child.

"Magic is a thunder heard in each of the sundered realms. Its power revernaters through the foundation of all Existence. It echoes the lighting of reaction itself. In its voice is heard the promise of life and death, It is a power to be coveted and feared."

"Theorists tell us that magic draws its power from the original creation of the Omniverse. In the beginning, Elihn, Hof in One, stretch out his hand amid the Chaos. The motion of his hand ordered chaos into infinite possibilities of creation. This motion was the first Order our of Chaos. It is called the Wave Prime, or more often simply the Prime."

"Elihn saw in the Prime the creation of the ethereal and the physical, and the seeing of it made it so. In the careion of the spiritual and the physical the Prime split into two sets of waves, each infinite in their possibilities. The two waves curved away from each other and back again. The wave crosses and where they crosses was created time and space. Thus was Reality woven from the forces of all the possibilities."

"With delight and wonder, Elihn looked again upon both waves, In the ethereal he saw the creation of Air and Dire, in the physical he saw Water and Stone....and the seeing of it made it so. Again in its creation, the waves of the ethereal and physical possibilities split the wave into four new waves, each with infinite possibilities of new creation. Elihn again wove these new possibilities together. In the interestation of the waves was born Life, Death, Power and Mind."

"The longer Elihn looked upon the weave of Reality, the more possibilities split into being. Stars, world, life- in short, all creation- was thus woven from infinite possibilities. So it was in the beginning and so it continues today."

"Reality is simply the manifestation of intersecting waves of possibility. It is a vast and almost incomprehensible weave of solid physics in the midst of a myriad of infinite potentials. Science, technology and biology all use the woven rope of reality."

"Magic, on the other hand, functions by reweaving the fabric of reality. A wizard begins by concentration on the wave of probabilities rather than on reality itself. through his learning and his powers, he looks out upon the myriad waves of infinite waves of infinite possibilities to find that part of the wave where his desired reality would be true. Then the wizard creates a harmonic wave of possibility to bend the existing wave so that what was once only possible becomes part of what is true. IN this way the mage weaves his desire into existence."

"For example, a wizard stands on a field of battle against a great knight. The spell caster, wearing only his roves us at the mercy of the armoured and more powerful knight. This is reality, and left alone, the knight will most likely slay the wizard without much resistance. However, the wizard knows from his study where the possibility (desired effect) of a protective shield exists on one of the countless wave of possibility. The wizard sets up a harmonic wave of possibility through his motions, thoughts, words, signs and other aides. This magic alters the possibility wave so that what was once the possibility of a magical shield is woven into reality. The new reality includes the desired effect and so the magical shield now guards the wizard."

"Although to the outside observer, the protective shield field seems to spring up around the wizard from nothing, it would be more accurate to say that the possibility of such a field has been called into reality from the infinite possibilities of the Omniwave."

"To use magic, one must be able to find and weave the appropriate portion of the OMniswave in some small degree. This is far from the omnipotence of omniscience, even among those who see a vast section of the Wave. Being able to function in the discipline does not explain why magic exist or its origins. it does not lead one to the reason for being. Just as knowing a rock will fall when dropped does not tell us why gravity exists or what intelligence brought such order out of chaos, so it is, too, with magic."

Kain paused and allowed his words to sink in. Then began again.

"The key to the most powerful magic is that the harmonic wave that weaves a possibility into existence must be created with as much simultaneity as possible. This means that the various motions, signs, words, thoughts, and elements that go into making up the harmonic wave must be completed as close together as possible. The more simultaneous the harmonic wave structure, the more balance and harmony will be maintained in the wave and the more powerful the magic itself. This is rather like the difference between throwing a.....*Kain paused trying make a appropriate example, as the example that Kain was brought up with would have no relevance.*cricket ball end over end and spiralling it. A wheel which is rolled straight will roll farther than one which is sent wobbling."

"To achieve this simultaneity, languages have been devolped for this purpose. Traditional languages are sequential in their structure along the single-channel, linear lines. When one reads words on a page, he reads letter after letter, word after word, sentence after sentence to build up a complete thought or meaning of the text. This means he is taking the message through only one channel, or source of experience at a time. When people watch a play, however, they are taking in several channels at one time (the words spoken, the gestures, and poise of the actor, the lighting of the scene). One might also get multiple messages over a single channel at one time (seeing the actor, the actor's chair and the backdrop of the stage all at the same time). The play's messages are all hitting the audience simultaneously in its communication of ideas."

"The complexity, balance and harmony of magic requires perfection in simultaneous communication of the magicians harmonic waves. This is generally conveyed through performance of the magic by the mage through words, tones, gestures and motion."

Kain ended his lecture for there, and simply asked, "Do you understand? Rather a lot to take in yes? Are there any questions?"

(OOC The writing he quoted is NOT my work. I repeat NOT my work. It is from “Dragon Wing” by Weis and Hickman. Near the back, it explains magic.)

OOC: Valient, I think you're not giving the rest of us a chance. This has gone from a vampire-hunting RP to something else. I'm okay with that, but let's try to keep to the central theme. I'm also a little pissed because we're up to nine pages and no-one has associated with my characters, so I'm still using pronouns to describe them.

IC:

The vampire vaulted the high junkyard wall with a mighty vampiric leap, landing with a roll. He fired twice, killing a pair of doberman canines who where beginning to charge him. Scanning the area quickly, his senses detected a meal nearby... a male and a female.

OOC: Before my hunter can do anything, where are the rest of you?

OOC: Hey Merc, sorry, but I'm doing what I'm doing to keep this thread alive. If we waited for everyon else to post, we'd be here till the cows come home. ATG is probably very busy, but that said, she hasn't been able to continue to Rp her character. Of course this has gone another way.

Btw, if thats you heading towards the junkyard, don't bother. Sonja and Niccolo aren't there.

Hell, I'm giving everyone (whoever is left anyways) a big chance. I'm opening up, what I hope are at least, different plot twists. One has to adapt to where the story flows to, thats all. The central theme, and character is kain. So be it.

If you really wanted to, have your character run into mine. It's not everyone's responsiblity to associate with him. You have to set it up so that we get to be introduced to him.

OOC2: Are you still on the Immortal thread? I don't think ATG will be back for awhile... what should we do?

OOC: I am super sorry. You are right Valient. I am busy. I had the last two full days of school learning about IVs and giving them. Things should settle down a bit. But next week I do start clinicals. I will try and squeeze this into my time though. And spend less time at the bar. :wink: Okay, Sonia, my character is still in the junkyard. As for Niccolo, I do not know if he remains there. Last that I know of yes. I will let you know though Valient my character will not join up with a vampire at all. No matter who. She will fight against them always and forever til she dies. Keep that in mind. I will interact with MS and beyond that I do not know. She does have Kain in the back of her mind, but it is the very back and she has no worry about him. Now, for my post.

IC: She wished she could pull down her scarf and spit. Vampire, the word burned her throat and ate away at her esophagus. The acid from her stomach seemed to make its way into her throat and it decayed her saliva. Her mouth parched, the hair on her neck rose. Another vampire. She croached down low and awaited for him to come her way.

OOC: That is your cue, MS.

OOC: I am super sorry. You are right Valient. I am busy. I had the last two full days of school learning about IVs and giving them. Things should settle down a bit. But next week I do start clinicals. I will try and squeeze this into my time though. And spend less time at the bar. :wink: Okay, Sonia, my character is still in the junkyard. As for Niccolo, I do not know if he remains there. Last that I know of yes. I will let you know though Valient my character will not join up with a vampire at all. No matter who. She will fight against them always and forever til she dies. Keep that in mind. I will interact with MS and beyond that I do not know. She does have Kain in the back of her mind, but it is the very back and she has no worry about him. Now, for my post.

IC: She wished she could pull down her scarf and spit. Vampire, the word burned her throat and ate away at her esophagus. The acid from her stomach seemed to make its way into her throat and it decayed her saliva. Her mouth parched, the hair on her neck rose. Another vampire. She croached down low and awaited for him to come her way.

OOC: That is your cue, MS.

OOC: I'm going to be gone for another few days, I may be able to post again on Sunday.

OOC: I'm going to be gone for another few days, I may be able to post again on Sunday.

OOC: Maybe I can fit one in real quick. I've kind of written myself into a corner, I've been waiting for Niccolo's and that other guy's response, so in the interests of progressing the story, I'll just skirt around them.

IC: Sulla awoke Saturday evening. He waited till about an hour after sundown to make his move. He had spent the time in meditation, watching the guard in the monitoring room in his minds eye. The guard stood up to stretch, and Sulla was up instantly. He was not unfamiliar with the arcane arts, and he now employed his knowlege, drawing a very simple, very quick, three part rune construct on the door of his cell with his own blood. He gave the door a push and it fell back into the hall. He steped out into the hall and began to walk toward the guard station at an quick pace. After dispatching the guard, he made his way across the parking lot to the police station proper; he would need a vehicle and a better weapon than the revolver he had pulled off of the guard.

When he threw open the back door of the police station, he was suprised at the stench of death that floated in the air. As walked through the station, he encountered not a living soul, the building was full of corpses and bullet holes, his meditations must have been so focused that he didn't notice the death occuring just next door.

Sulla grabed a shotgun and a set of car keys and headed back to the parking lot, on his way out, he suddenly stopped next to a closed door. "Marius!" he hissed as he kicked in the door. On the other side a man, he was holding an M16-A2 with an extended clip in a relaxed position at his side, "Lucius, I've been looking for you."
"This is no place for old men Gaius, I have no time for you."
"Lucius, we have been friends...aquaintences for a score of centuries, our names were linked in life, why not let them be linked in undeath?"
"You propose an alliance, but you bring nothing to the table, you are useless to me."
"In that you are wrong, I think that I can save you a little time and a lot of effort."
Marius removed a plastic container filled with human blood from the folds of his trench coat. Sulla stared at it, nodded, and then walked out. Accepting this tacit agreement, Marius followed, "I took the liberty of moving your things from your former residence to my own, and I think we should head there, if you don't mind."

(OOC Good job people. Get your attention away from Kain. Kain is still in that abandoned building teaching his new "freind" lessons.)

Maximus woke up, opened the lid quietly, and crawled out of the coffin. He sensed Drirethlen still asleep in the other coffin, finally no longer in pain, at least not for the moment.

He walked outside into the cloudy night. He had something on his mind. He burst into an incredible speed, hunted down his meal for the night, a sleeping drunk homeless man sprawled out on the ground in an alley. After he finished, he sprung to the rooftop, and crouched. Summoning all his mental strength, he began to search the buildings around him, looking for a presence. Most of the buildings were full of humans sleeping or moving about their nightly activities. But there was one building, one building that was completely empty, or so it seemed. Maximus had detected this building on the outreaches of his psychic powers, but once observing it mentally, he knew he needed to check that building.

Moving quickly, he jumped over the dozen or so rooftops until he landed upon the one he wanted. He walked to the roof's exit door, opened it slowly and quietly and began to carefully work his way down to the upper floor. A careful search revealed none on the floor, and so Maximus continued downwards through the building. This continued until he reached the third floor, when he heard the voices. One was sort of quiet and questioning much, and the other, a deeper voice, also taking part in the conversation.

"One of them is Kain." he thought to himself. He had never met the infamous being, but he was about to find out.

Maximus walked slowly into the room, arms outstretched revealing no weapons in his hands, as he watched the two converse.

"Which of you is Kain? I have an important message for him." he asked.

Kain snapped his head around, a rush of silver from his head as he span gracefully.

"I am he. This message better be important, I rarely teach. Give me it, and be on your way." Kain simply stated, looking at the figure before him. (OOC Character description please). Those eyes of his, they anrrowed. It was obvious that Maximus was not welcome.

Maximus felt a chill go down his spine. He had never met the infamous Kain before, and now the man's presence and aura was penetrating Maximus deeply. What the hell was he thinking for coming here?

Kain. He was indeed powerful, but the power seemed to not just come from him. Maximus could sense that the other man wasn't the source of the power, he had his own power flowing through him, but considerably weaker than that of Kain.

Where the hell was this power coming from? Maximus was confused.

"I come to bring you a warning. There is one who seeks to hand over his coven to you, for you suit his desire for a strong leader. However, I have the feeling that he is not only after you for this."

Maximus hesistated before continuing:

"He seeks to obtain your power. His mind is demented. He is not one to be disregarded."

Maximus watched as Kain's face revealed nothing, but he could tell that the man had listened.

Kain stared at this messanger. He considered the words, considered what they meant, finding hidden meanings, new possibilities. He did so for long frozen seconds.

"And thus is the obligation of power, to deal with those who desire it so and wish to rob this "power". He wishes to steal this? Let him gladly have it, for this is no power. This is slavery fo obligation. Lead? And what makes you think that I will not lead his coven? I might decide to take him up on his offer, but know this. If he thinks he can defeat me in any way, tell him that he must reckon with my allies also, and they are many. I thank you for this message. You may leave now." Kain said.

Kain stared at this messanger. He considered the words, considered what they meant, finding hidden meanings, new possibilities. He did so for long frozen seconds.

"And thus is the obligation of power, to deal with those who desire it so and wish to rob this "power". He wishes to steal this? Let him gladly have it, for this is no power. This is slavery fo obligation. Lead? And what makes you think that I will not lead his coven? I might decide to take him up on his offer, but know this. If he thinks he can defeat me in any way, tell him that he must reckon with my allies also, and they are many. I thank you for this message. You may leave now." Kain said.

Maximus nodded. He was troubled. On one hand, he didn't want to see his friend, Drirethlen die at the hands of Kain, and on the other, he didn't want to see Kain suffer himself from the constant attention that seemed to draw to him like moths to a flame.

He had seen the true reasons behind the conversion of the woman, and now he had proof. Kain was in pain. He desired nothing else but freedom. Freedom from something that bound him to this world. Something entirely horrible and...... evil.

Maximus turned and quickly left. He wanted to get away from this dark being, this being who seemed to be screaming an futile cry. Yet the cry was silent. Kain was dangerous, but Maximus didn't truly know why. He was hiding something, something that he could not place his finger on.

Maximus made his way back to the rooftop, and headed back toward the crypt.

Drirethlen was awake when he arrived. He held a guarded look on his face as Maximus entered the crypt.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"Hunting." was the sole reply. It was, after all, the truth.

OOC: Once again...double post...

Kain sighed.

A clan! Think of it Kain!

I thought about it. NO.

Kain...think about about this. A army. A army under your name! You could have peace from some of these bastards! Defence! Protection,and intellegence gathering!

Oh please, I do not want this.

But I do. And plus, it would be interesting, it would allow you to care for a new family.

*silence*

Fine. I will think about it.

A nostalgically (sp?) familiar shape lands in front of Kain... A dark-cloaked figure with a long tail...

A nostalgically (sp?) familiar shape lands in front of Kain... A dark-cloaked figure with a long tail...

Driretlen woke up in a sweat. He opened his eyes and saw blackness, and for a moment thought he was dreaming. It was then that he realized that he was in a coffin. Maximus had led him there. Yes... Maximus.

Driretlen punched the lid to the coffin, shattering it into peices of marble. He leapt out and went over to the adjoining casket. Maximus was nowhere to be found.

"Hmmm, thats strange," thought Driretlen. "He must have been hungry."

Driretlen made his way out of the crypt, and out of the yard. It was still night, and within moments his eyes had adjusted once again.

Suddenly Driretlen was afflicted with a hard coughing fit. He had to wait it out, hacking and choking. A single droplet of blood dropped onto his lip.

"Maximus... where are you... I need you..."

In that same instant, a realization came to Driretlen. Maximus had thought... him mad! That his sickness had left him teetering on the edge of sanity.

Driretlen eyes darkened. With a jumping cut downwards, he whipped out his Upir and cut a single slash across a light standard. It stood briefly, but soon came crashing to the street.

Driretlen's eyes danced at the sight of his simple carnage. If Maximus thought him to be mad, so be it. He did not need anyone to help hin in his quest. All he needed was to find Kain, and then everything would be fine.

The guild leader slowly stalked away from the street and into the shadows. Yes, everything would be fine...

OOC: I am super sorry. You are right Valient. I am busy. I had the last two full days of school learning about IVs and giving them. Things should settle down a bit. But next week I do start clinicals. I will try and squeeze this into my time though. And spend less time at the bar. :wink: Okay, Sonia, my character is still in the junkyard. As for Niccolo, I do not know if he remains there. Last that I know of yes. I will let you know though Valient my character will not join up with a vampire at all. No matter who. She will fight against them always and forever til she dies. Keep that in mind. I will interact with MS and beyond that I do not know. She does have Kain in the back of her mind, but it is the very back and she has no worry about him. Now, for my post.

IC: She wished she could pull down her scarf and spit. Vampire, the word burned her throat and ate away at her esophagus. The acid from her stomach seemed to make its way into her throat and it decayed her saliva. Her mouth parched, the hair on her neck rose. Another vampire. She croached down low and awaited for him to come her way.

OOC: That is your cue, MS.

OOC: There's never such a thing as too much time at the bar, so long as you let your liver recover between binges. :lol:

IC:

The vampire scanned the area warily, keeping his handgun raised. Shortly after he rose, a second, larger man vaulted cleared the fence and landed on top of the vampire, pinning him. With surprising strength for a man of his size, the vampire tossed the hunter off of him. The pair fought with brutal hand-to-hand techniques, many seemingly the same. Hunter and hunted seemed to know each other, in fact, one seemed to have been the other's instructor. The larger man had a definite edge in tecnique, but the smaller vampire nearly equaled his strength and speed. The hunter deflected most of the strikes directed his way, and reveresed all of the grapples to the point that his opponent ceased in his grappling efforts. The hunter floored his prey with a powerful spinning hook kick, his large tactical boot slamming with great force on the side of the vampire's head, the hard rubber heel leaving a bloody smear in the man's jet-black hair...

A nostalgically (sp?) familiar shape lands in front of Kain... A dark-cloaked figure with a long tail...

Kain was about to get really annoyed when he realised who it was. A old ally, a old freind.

"Whiptail." Kain simply said, and looked towards the lizardman with a slight, tierd smile. This was a pleasant supirse, if this timing was slightly wrong.

"What brings you here freind?" Kain asked.

Whiptail had been a great ally in numerous occasions during Kain's years....he had not forgotten.

Maximus watched as Drirethlen stormed right past him, as if he hadn't been there. He was angry, and Maximus had a good idea why.

Maximus turned to follow Drirethlen with his eyes. He called out, in the language of the Elves of long ago, the same Elves who had forged Narsil, reforged it for Aragorn, and also forged Glamdring.

Maximus spoke in such a manner, so that Drirethlen understood exactly what he meant, even though he spoke in Elvish.

"Renich i lu erui govannenm?" (Do you remember the time when we first met?) "U-arnach in naeth i si calech" (You did not have the cares you carry now). "Lasto beth nin, tolo dan na ngalad" (Hear my voice, come back to the light)."Andelu i ven. (the road is very dangerous.)"

Maximus watched as he saw Drirethlen continue to walk in the opposite direction. He hoped that Drirethlen would not be seeking revenge and seek greedily for Kain's power. Drirethlen needed to see that he needed to get better first before he could fight again.

OOC: Did Maximus get those lines from Lord Of the Rings?

IC: She stayed low as she heard some shuffle behind the car. There seemed to be an attack going on. She moved with the earth and found them to be fighting. She could just watch or she could not be noticed and attack the vampire.

She drew her katana. All that could be heard was the two grunting and growling. She smiled. Such animals, men are. They were too engrossed in each other to notice her and plus her black outfit blended in with the scenary. She slide behind the vampire and got ontop off a car and jumped with her weight. Her katana struck the vampire in the back. She did not peirce his skin. She just wanted to shock him. She twirled the katana and with one end stuck it into his back where his heart was located on the other side. She had it in only an inch. A small amount of blood trickled down his back. Black red blood, so black. "I would advise you not to step back, and don't step forward cause I will drive this through your heart."

OOC: ATG, yes, I got them from the LOTR. Here's the website if you want to check it out: http://www.theargonath.cc/sounds/elvish/elvish.html

Also, which vampire are you talking to?

"Renich i lu erui govannenm?" (Do you remember the time when we first met?) "U-arnach in naeth i si calech" (You did not have the cares you carry now). "Lasto beth nin, tolo dan na ngalad" (Hear my voice, come back to the light)."Andelu i ven. (the road is very dangerous.)"

Maximus watched as he saw Drirethlen continue to walk in the opposite direction. He hoped that Drirethlen would not be seeking revenge and seek greedily for Kain's power. Drirethlen needed to see get better first before he would fight again.

Driretlen continued to walk away from Maximus, choosing to not even turn his head in acknowledgement. When he was finally out of sight of the vampire, Driretlen sent a fleeting thought-message back.

"I remember, Maximus, I really do. That is what makes your betrayal somuch harder. I can sense his essence on you, Maximus. Tell me, what of me did you tell him?"

"My cares now are caused by Kain. Kain. don't you see. It's all him. If I can find a way to rid the world of his damming prescence, we'd all be free. I'd be free. This light you talk of is a fallacy. Only I can bring back the true legacy of Hyraphore."

"Oh, and Maximus, I agree this road I walk on is dangerous. Be careful you not cross my path on it, lest you find dangers of your own..."

Okalisk moved back into the shadows when he saw the approach of the other vampires. He was startled when Whiptail appeared like a nightmare. Heart thumping, Okalisk took several deep breathes to calm down.

Satisfied that he was lucid and calm enough, Okalisk stepped out of the shadows and kneeled before Kain...

Maximus shook his head as he listened to the message from Drirethlen. This wasn't good. Drirethlen had pretty much threatened Maximus if he crossed him. He didn't know what to do, but he figured the best thing to do was let the elder do as he wished. He was afraid that the elder would be injured.

Maximus sent back a message to Drirethlen,

"I fear for your safety my friend. I do not want to see you killed. Although we are at conflict with the situation, please call me if you need me. I will come. Oh....and Drirethlen? Yes, I did visit Kain. Take extra precautions around Kain. I sensed a second force of power, but I could not place it earlier. However, as I stand here now, I realize that the force came from Kain as well. I do not quite understand it myself. Also, it seems that there is a second person, obviously taking lessons from Kain. Watch him too, I sensed a similar force within him as well."

Maximus sighed, as he turned left and walked down the street. It was time to feed. Soon he saw a pretty, slim brunette walking down the street.

"Hey, excuse me, do you know where the nearest grocery store is?" he called out.

The woman turned, took a few steps closer before replying, "Yeah hon, it's two blocks down."

"Thanks!" Maximus said, then seemed to turn in the direction of the store, before he deliberately tripped. Once on the ground he grabbed his ankle and cursed loudly enough so the woman could hear him. She came rushing over, a worried look on her face.

"Oh, are you ok?" she asked, a little worried about his ankle, which he seemed to be clutching in pain.

"Actually, I've never been better." he replied, before moving with fast speed, and grabbed her, covered her mouth, and dragged her to the alley nearby. There he looked at her as her eyes widened at the sight of his sharp fangs closing in on her. The fangs pierced the woman's artery on her neck, the warm blood flowing out and into Maximus's mouth. Her eyes rolled back, her arms growing weaker in their fight against him, as she began to lose consciousness. Finally he finished, and dragged her body to the nearest pile of boxes, sliced open his wrist and dripped a few drops on her wound on the neck, which instantly healed the wound. It had been a trick Skadi had taught him years ago, to frustrate police investigations. To complete the look of being a possible victim of violence, he ripped open her blouse a little and disheveled her hair some more, and picked up a nearby garbage can and tossed it onto her body.

He didn't like doing this to such a pretty person, but he was hungry, and as some might have put it, it was fate's decision to put her in his path. It had been her time to go.

OOC: Did Maximus get those lines from Lord Of the Rings?

IC: She stayed low as she heard some shuffle behind the car. There seemed to be an attack going on. She moved with the earth and found them to be fighting. She could just watch or she could not be noticed and attack the vampire.

She drew her katana. All that could be heard was the two grunting and growling. She smiled. Such animals, men are. They were too engrossed in each other to notice her and plus her black outfit blended in with the scenary. She slide behind the vampire and got ontop off a car and jumped with her weight. Her katana struck the vampire in the back. She did not peirce his skin. She just wanted to shock him. She twirled the katana and with one end stuck it into his back where his heart was located on the other side. She had it in only an inch. A small amount of blood trickled down his back. Black red blood, so black. "I would advise you not to step back, and don't step forward cause I will drive this through your heart."

At that moment, the vampire dodged to the left, and the hunter's first came within a centimeter of her nose. The vampire reaches into his coat and draws his Berretta, aiming it at both his opponent and his newfound enemy.

"Don't make me do this, Dekker..."

Said the vampire, with a look of grim anger on his picture-perfect features.

The hunter, who the vampire called 'Dekker', simply stood where he was, still in his ready stance. With a flick of his wrist, a small folding knife appeared in his hand. Dexterous fingers quickly opened the blade, and his powerful arm propelled it. The black, half-serrated blade sank into the vampire's left pectoral muscle, shredding it to the point of uselessness, at least for a while. As the vampire recoiled from the shock of finding a knife in his chest, Dekker swifty drew his sidearm from its shoulder holster. The .45 Hardballer wasn't loaded with UV ammo, but with Black Talon rounds instead. Three shots rang out, the BT's mushrooming and fragmenting as they tore into their target.

The vampire staggered and fell, injured but not dead. The second he hit the dirt, Dekker has on him, kicking the .40 caliber handgun away from his opponent's grip. Moving with practiced speed, he secured his prey with a pair of twisty-cuffs, cuffing his wrists and ankles. Satifsfied that his prey wouldn't be moving for a while, Dekker retrieves his discarded M4, then withdrawing the SWAT knife from the chest of the vampire.

"Don't f**kin' touch him. I've got a few questions for him and you."

A nostalgically (sp?) familiar shape lands in front of Kain... A dark-cloaked figure with a long tail...

Kain was about to get really annoyed when he realised who it was. A old ally, a old freind.

"Whiptail." Kain simply said, and looked towards the lizardman with a slight, tierd smile. This was a pleasant supirse, if this timing was slightly wrong.

"What brings you here freind?" Kain asked.

Whiptail had been a great ally in numerous occasions during Kain's years....he had not forgotten.

OOC: Hey everybody in the junkyard, I would love to interact with you, but you're all still in yesterday night and it wouldn't make sense. I'll assume that everyone in the warehouse is in the second night, since Maximus talked to them. Let's just all try to stay on the same timeline here.

IC:Marius was driving while Sulla, now dressed in a police uniform, chanted over the bottle of blood. "Satisfied?" Marius asked.
"Yes, it is the right blood, but how?"
"Come now, I can't give away all of my talents, can I?"
"Fine, keep your secret. Turn here."
Marius glances at Sulla, "I saw your client."
Sulla maintained a straight face, "How did she die?"
"She is not dead."
"That's impossible, I can no longer sense her."
"She is alive, the one called Kain has marked her for his own purposes."
Sulla's face remained calm, but his insides were twisted in fear and rage. How could this man do such a thing, not only was it one of the worst insults to a fellow vampire, Sulla should have been able to sense and counter any change in control, but he hadn't. The control that Kain exerted over his client must be somehow different from the normal vampiric domination. A hundred questions flooded his mind, but he asked just one.
"Then you know Kain?"
"I know of him."
Sulla hissed, he would have liked more information about this Kain, but soon the matter would be inconsequential.

A few minutes later the squadcar pulled up next to the park. The two vampires exit the vehicle and proceed into the park. They soon arrive at their destination, a spot lit by several large portable floodlights and occupied by two policemen and two men in suits and trench coats who were combing the ground. Sulla emptied the shotgun into their bodies before they could react. Marius crouched down over one of the well dressed men.
"They're from the FBI, what happened here Lucius?"
"Kain was here yesterday, sitting on a bench over there, my client was in the vicinity also. I presume there was an altercation, I was indisposed at the time."
Sulla walked over to a yew tree not ten yards from where Kain had been sitting. The magic of yew trees was strong and he had bent all the force of this tree to concealing the fleece buried underneath it. But concealing the fleece from Kain had been no easy task for the tree; already weakened by worms it had spent itself and was now dying. Sulla would need another yew tree to complete the ceremony. With a frustrated sigh he dropped to his knees and began digging with his bare hands...

Sonia shocked at this newcomer. Dekker, the name burned behind her mouth. She placed on hand on her hip and grabed her katana with the other. She was not sure of this fellow and would not let her guard down as of yet.

"Don't tell me what to do, stranger. I can handle myself. In fact you brought choas into this. I was going to take care of the problem. I will not answer if I do not want to." She glared at the man. Her breath hot inside her scarf. She had not been this pissed off in a long time.

"I fear for your safety my friend. I do not want to see you killed. Although we are at conflict with the situation, please call me if you need me. I will come. Oh....and Drirethlen? Yes, I did visit Kain. Take extra precautions around Kain. I sensed a second force of power, but I could not place it earlier. However, as I stand here now, I realize that the force came from Kain as well. I do not quite understand it myself. Also, it seems that there is a second person, obviously taking lessons from Kain. Watch him too, I sensed a similar force within him as well."

Driretlen heard the message and filed it away in his memory for later use. He was not arrogant or stupid enough to face Kain in his condition. He planned to stick to his original train of thought: recruit members to his cause... of destroying Kain.

He thought to himself. No, the vampire hunter would surely not take orders from he. Who else then. Maximus? No, Driretlen quickly pushed the thought out of his head. He had betrayed him, went to Kain. He could not be trusted.

Suddenly the Alucarde pendant pulsed red. There were vampires near. Vampires who perhaps could be... persuaded to help him.

The pendant led him to the gates of a park. Outside was a squad car, with it's lights still flashing. Erring on the side of caution, Driretlen pulled out his Upir and headed into the park.

As he walked into the pathway, Driretlen noticed the bodies of policemen and what he could only assume were intel agents.

"The work of these vampires, mayhaps? They will do well enough."

Finally Driretlen came into a clearing. He spotted three vampires at the foot of a tree. One appeared to be digging for something.

Driretlen walked into the pale moonlight.

"Good evening. You three wouldn't be against helping an Eldar now... would you?"

A gravelly voice spoke behind her.

"Taunt only the wolf who dwells in a cage, not one who runs free apon the earth."

Far behind her, a dark shape keeps watch with a pair of small PDW's.

(OOC Urm, what the hell? Is whiptail still behind Kain? And what about his demon freind? Can I safetly say that they are going to be out of this? Or do you want to continue with it? Please, Kain is hanging here. If I do not get a responce soon, I will simply ignore them so I can progress.)

(OOC: Okalisk is near you, but isn't Whiptail there too!?!)

(Certainly is, and I have replied to Whiptail, so respond dammit! Look back! :roll: )

Okalisk moved back into the shadows when he saw the approach of the other vampires. He was startled when Whiptail appeared like a nightmare. Heart thumping, Okalisk took several deep breathes to calm down.

Satisfied that he was lucid and calm enough, Okalisk stepped out of the shadows and kneeled before Kain...

(OOC Whoops. Sorry. I did not see that)

"Get up. Do not kneel to me, I am not some puppeter. Would you grant me some time with my old ally? You are free to do as you wish, consider my words." Kain said quietly and waied until he left the room until he talked to Whiptail.

As you wish, master...

Throwing a smoke bomb on the ground, Okalisk disappeared...

(OOC: Sorry about the flashy exit...)

Kain turned to Whiptail now, the two left alone.

"Greetings Whiptail. Forgive my current...residence if you could call it that. I have been traveling from place to place....I get wherever I can."

Kain turned to Whiptail now, the two left alone.

"Greetings Whiptail. Forgive my current...residence if you could call it that. I have been traveling from place to place....I get wherever I can."

Kain turned to Whiptail now, the two left alone.

"Greetings Whiptail. Forgive my current...residence if you could call it that. I have been traveling from place to place....I get wherever I can."

--please ignore this--

OOC: Sorry for any confusion Valient, but there should only be two vampires under the tree, Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix and Gaius Marius.

IC: "Good evening. You three wouldn't be against helping an Eldar now... would you?"
Sulla turned and eyed the newcomer, Marius had already leveled the M16 at the man. Clearly it was a vampire who addressed them, but one who looked haggard, as if the ages had actually touched him. What help could he be seeking? Sulla remained silent and went back to digging, Marius would handle it, besides, he had almost unearthed the strongbox.

When he noticed Sulla ignore the man, Marius took it upon himself to reply.
"Good evening to you sir, we are always willing to help those of our kind in need, but our time here is short; tell us what it is that you require."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sulla pull a small strong box out of the ground.

OOC: Where is everybody? Fine, maybe I'll liven things up a little...

IC: As soon as Sulla pulled the stongbox out of its hole, he could sense that something was amiss. A quick inspection revealed that many of the runes binding the fleece within the box had melted. The fleece was too powerful to be contained for long, even now Sulla could sense brief sparks of its power flowing out the box. A feeling of dread began to take hold of him, the fleece would defend itself from any demonic presence, calling all manner of creatures, both good and evil, to its aid. Sulla stood, now noticing that the other two vampires were no longer conversing, but staring to the south. He cocked his head and listened; through the crisp night air he could faintly hear the baying and barking of two score hounds. "No!" he thought, "this is not possible, the wild hunt is supposed to be the last to appear, but they have come at the begining and now I will surely perish!" His dread grew and grew as the sounds came closer, there was no use in running, you could not outrun the wild hunt. A shout of fear froze on his lips as a creature dashed out from behind a pulic restroom building. A questing beast! It was just a damned questing beast! His shout turned into a relieved laugh.
OOC:The Questing Beast has a serpents head, leopards body and lions hindquarters. In this case I have chosen to give it the front feet of a deer and the hind feet of a rabbit, though any combination of these would be acceptable. As it runs, its belly makes the sound of a pack of forty hounds.
IC: The questing beast charged for him at an incredible speed and, at the last moment before it siezed him in its fangs, he leapt high into the tree. The beast stopped its forward movement quickly, barely thudding into the tree. Chanting, Sulla grabbed a branch of the yew tree and dragged it down with him to the ground, the magic bending it like rubber. When he landed on the other side of the beast he threw down the tree brach, whereupon it burrowed into the ground till it caught a root of the tree. The circle was complete; root to trunk to branch to root, with the beast in the center, it was trapped within the magic circle. Marius filled it with lead until it stopped twitching.
Sulla addressed Marius and the unknown vampire,
"Gentlemen, once free of the yew tree, the golden fleece of Jason, currently residing in the box I now hold, marked the three of us as its enemies. Creatures worse than this one will be roaming about tonight looking for anything to kill. They should be unable to track us as of right now, the strongbox still has some power left in it, but beasts such as this and creatures beyond imagination will begin to appear throughout this city, and they will seek us out, killing all in their path, until we are either dead or the ceremony has been completed. I suggest now that we return to the squad car where our friend can tell us about himself and we can plan our next move. What say you?"

OOC: I'm just going to give you guys something to react to, if you don't like what I'm doing I'll edit it to suit your tastes.

IC: Two hunters stand in a junk yard, eyeing each other warily over the body of a restrained vampire. Suddenly an imp appears, floating above their heads. "Now now, you're going to miss all of the fun!" it cackles. Before either can react, the imp raises his arms and unleashes a magical wave which hits the two hunters and the vampire like a ton of bricks. The wave quickly dissapates. The vapire pukes. A huge grin envelopes the imps face, "there, now you're in tomorrow and you can meet all of my friends." To the vampire on the ground it was hard to tell which of the hunters shot the imp first, but its corpse dropped in front of him, the now lifeless grin maimed by several bulletholes. Before anyone can say a word a bestial roar issues behind them...

OOC: There, that conveniently brings you into the same day that I'm in, and gives you a critter of your choice to fight, if you're not happy with this, I'll edit it out.

IC: "Kain turned to Whiptail now, the two left alone.

'Greetings Whiptail. Forgive my current...residence if you could call it that. I have been traveling from place to place....I get wherever I can.'"

Before Whiptail could respond their discussion was disturbed by the loud cough of an old woman, her skin was wrinkled beyond that of any mortal woman, and had a slight shade of blue, she was dressed in tattered black rags, carrying a cane upon which she leaned heavily, and she was approaching them (OOC: She's a black annis).

--Double Post--

Maximus slowly walked the streets, approaching a nearby park. Suddenly, he saw three individuals huddled around a yew tree, which had trapped some hybrid creature. The three were pulling out some strongbox of some sort, but they were holding it carefully.

Maximus jumped into the dark shadows of the nearby alley, and continued to watch the three. That's when he finally noticed him, Drirethlen.

What in the world is he doing there?

He remained hidden, completely silent, watching the scene before him.

Sulla addressed Marius and the unknown vampire. "Gentlemen, once free of the yew tree, the golden fleece of Jason, currently residing in the box I now hold, marked the three of us as its enemies. Creatures worse than this one will be roaming about tonight looking for anything to kill. They should be unable to track us as of right now, the strongbox still has some power left in it, but beasts such as this and creatures beyond imagination will begin to appear throughout this city, and they will seek us out, killing all in their path, until we are either dead or the ceremony has been completed. I suggest now that we return to the squad car where our friend can tell us about himself and we can plan our next move. What say you?"

"I agree. If what you say is true, than we must move quickly. I must admit, I have never seen anything like this...

"I will tell you of my own goals, but I will listen to what you have to say about these... dream creatures."

Driretlen paused, and looked around. For a moment, he thought he felt maximus's presence nearby, but then he lost it.

Driretlen coughed, and then turned to follow Sulla and Marius.

Kain turned, so very tierd of interuptions.

"Leave unless this is important woman." Kain said simply, not looking at her.

Once in the car, Sulla sighed. Marius was again driving as Sulla reloaded the shotgun, "My name is Lucius Sulla, this, my comrade, is Gaius Marius. These dream creatures, as you have called them, are all dangerous, and they want us; many are intelligent and will know how to kill a vampire. They are creatures out of myth and legend, some may even be a simple breed of vampire themselves. They have been thrown into a murderous rampage and will kill any whom they come across. You will forgive me, stranger, if I do not explain the nature of the artifact in my posession at this time, suffice it to say that it does not appreciate the demonic forces that maintain the living dead. Now please, tell us of yourself and what brought you to seek our aid."

Kain turned, so very tierd of interuptions.

"Leave unless this is important woman." Kain said simply, not looking at her.

"You would turn away an old woman, who only seeks the company of kind strangers?" The womans voice was so gravely it grated on the ears. She slowly hobbled closer. She lifted her head and her one eye glared at them.

Kain turned, so very tierd of interuptions.

"Leave unless this is important woman." Kain said simply, not looking at her.

"You would turn away an old woman, who only seeks the company of kind strangers?" The womans voice was so gravely it grated on the ears. She slowly hobbled closer. She lifted her head and her one eye glared at them.

"You misjudge me. You seem most unpreturbed by the things you deal with, strange I find that."

"You misjudge me. You seem most unpreturbed by the things you deal with, strange I find that."

"You are not the ones that I seek," the woman gave a toothy grin, long fangs protruding from her jaw, she stopped directly in front of Kain "but your nice skin would look so good on the wall of my bower." Letting out a blood-curling scream her right hand lashed out at Kains face with inhuman speed, each finger tipped with six inch, iron-like claws, with the left she began to draw a wooden stake from between her robes...
(OOC: She should be slightly stronger, physically, than a vampire, but reasonably suseptible to magic.)

"Oh please." Kain snarled, annoyed at this minor inconvienance. It seemed everywhere he he went, hunters followed him. Kain snapped his head towards her, blciking her blinding attacks with his own.

Kain continued to absant mindedlyblck in the in coming attacks, his talons and gauntlets absorbing the attacks easily. Kain got tierd of this and spoke a word.

"Repelishuim!"

His assailant flew away, pushed by a mighty fist into a nearby building with a sickening thud. Kain felt no pain, his attacker was not mortal.

"Do not anger me. You know not with what you deal with woman. Simply put, you are out of you league. Far out of it. I have faced vast armies of mortals, vampires, and demons and I still stand here. I do not think you are any match for me. Leave now, least your fate be terrible. Immortals face such a worse fate than your mortal decendants."

Kain's eyes narrowed, in promise of pain.

OOC: Remember that she's on a murderous rampage, she'll be quite mindless for a while.

IC: The Annis picks herself up and launches herself at Kain with a scream of rage.

Kain was irrated by this. So often he had to face those who would fight him. He was tierd of it. So very tierd. Unfortunatly her, Kain was not in the best moods.

Kain outstreached his hand, and spoke three words fo the spidary scrawl of magic. The spell slowed her down....and kain simply said with his hand outstreached:

"Give me one good reason why I should not end you existance!" Kain snapped.

The Annis let out a scream of rage that echoed in the cavernous warehouse, "The demons have it! The demons have it and they must diiieeeee!" She struggled vainly, her screams echoing off the walls. The windows shattered as a flock of two dozen stymphalian birds streamed in, adding their own cries to that of the Annis.

OOC: From the labors of hercules symphalian birds have beaks and talons of brass and can shoot their feathers as though they were arrows. They were attracted by the screams of the Annis whom you may feel free to kill at your leisure. Just trying to make things intiresting while I wait for everyone else to respond (so, is Whiptail still there?).

OOC: He can be. My ISP isn't loading the NS forum page lately, perhaps because it's a piece of shit, or perhaps NS is having server difficulties. I'm also getting an abnormally large amount of 'Invalid_Session' messages. It is good to see that someone remebers who Whiptail is. If you would like, I can re-insert him. All I need to know is where.

OOC: He can be. My ISP isn't loading the NS forum page lately, perhaps because it's a piece of shit, or perhaps NS is having server difficulties. I'm also getting an abnormally large amount of 'Invalid_Session' messages. It is good to see that someone remebers who Whiptail is. If you would like, I can re-insert him. All I need to know is where. I've tried several times to force a response from you folks, but I feel I've been ignored on most occasions. Ignore the other instances of his appearence, I've only done that so I can attempt to stay in the story, I appologize for this, but as I said before, my ISP isn't the most cooperative thing in the world.

Who is this demon friend you speak of? Whiptail is a reclusive being, operating alone. His only friend might be Dekker Bray, the human mercenary hunter. He also has a certain respect for Kain, for those who are unfamiliar. He will not harm Kain intentionally, but others are fair game in his eyes.

(OOC: Kain is referring to my character, the demonic vampire, Okalisk)

Okalisk dived through the window and rolled onto the ground. Channelling the power of his demonic blood in him, Okalisk unleashed two blasts of dark chain lightning into the two dozen stymphalian birds. Sending the nearest two birds hurtling out the window, Okalisk utilized his demonic power and obliterated the closest five birds with a blast of his electric tornado.

OOC: Glad to see that everyone is checking in. I sympathize with Wandering Argonians, it has already taken me a half dozen tries to reach the forum tonight. Whiptail was standing right next to Kain, but feel free to throw him in anywhere you want.

So, Okalisk is a vampire? Was he always a vampire?


IC:The warehouse was filled with projectiles, feathers as sharp as razors and hard as metal rained down on the men on the ground as the remaining birds began to swoop down for the attack.

A few blocks away, a squad car sped down the road. The three vampires inside were speaking to each other when the car stopped, raised slightly into the air, then flipped over backwards landing upsidedown ten yards away. The vampires crawled from the broken windows of the vehicle, weapons in hand, to come face to face with a small, fuzzy brown rat. The rat was wearing a small white cap and was quickly moving towards them.
"It's a yeck!" Sulla shouted, "it can shape shift and it's strong enough to move mountains!"
The yeck changed into a rhino and charged at Marius, who leapt backwards over a parked van, which the yeck promptly flipped 100 feet into the air and into the side of a building.
Marius fired a volley of shots at it, but it doged sideways turning first into a fox, then into a leopard, then running right into the barrel of Sulla's shotgun, whereupon its brains were converted to a fine mist that left its body through the back of the skull. The corpse slid to a stop at Sulla's feet.
Marius approached the creature and, on Sulla's advice, grabbed the cap off of its head. "Wearing it will make you invisible." Sulla said.
"Gentlemen," Sulla went on, turning toward the warehouse district, "I can sense another yew tree in this direction, but before we go," he turned to the unknown vampire, "I would at least like to know your name."

OOC: Glad to see that everyone is checking in. I sympathize with Wandering Argonians, it has already taken me a half dozen tries to reach the forum tonight. Whiptail was standing right next to Kain, but feel free to throw him in anywhere you want.

So, Okalisk is a vampire? Was he always a vampire?


IC:The warehouse was filled with projectiles, feathers as sharp as razors and hard as metal rained down on the men on the ground as the remaining birds began to swoop down for the attack.

A few blocks away, a squad car sped down the road. The three vampires inside were speaking to each other when the car stopped, raised slightly into the air, then flipped over backwards landing upsidedown ten yards away. The vampires crawled from the broken windows of the vehicle, weapons in hand, to come face to face with a small, fuzzy brown rat. The rat was wearing a small white cap and was quickly moving towards them.
"It's a yeck!" Sulla shouted, "it can shape shift and it's strong enough to move mountains!"
The yeck changed into a rhino and charged at Marius, who leapt backwards over a parked van, which the yeck promptly flipped 100 feet into the air and into the side of a building.
Marius fired a volley of shots at it, but it doged sideways turning first into a fox, then into a leopard, then running right into the barrel of Sulla's shotgun, whereupon its brains were converted to a fine mist that left its body through the back of the skull. The corpse slid to a stop at Sulla's feet.
Marius approached the creature and, on Sulla's advice, grabbed the cap off of its head. "Wearing it will make you invisible." Sulla said.
"Gentlemen," Sulla went on, turning toward the warehouse district, "I can sense another yew tree in this direction, but before we go," he turned to the unknown vampire, "I would at least like to know your name."

(OOC: Okalisk is the demon within Taqwa. When the Brightblade awakened Taqwa's inner demon, Taqwa became Okalisk, a vampiric demon. A vampire due to Kain's blood and a demon due to the Brightblade)

Okalisk dived down from the searching talons of a stymphalian bird. He dealt with the bird with a burst of chain lightning. The arc of electricity slammed intot the bird, electrocuting the bird.

OOC: From now on, I'm going to put the next time I think that I can post in the subject line (times will be according to the nationstates clock).

Wow, I just realized that a lot of you guys are kind of famous.

OOC: From now on, I'm going to put the next time I think that I can post in the subject line (times will be according to the nationstates clock).

Wow, I just realized that a lot of you guys are kind of famous.

(OOC: We are!?!)

"Gentlemen," Sulla went on, turning toward the warehouse district, "I can sense another yew tree in this direction, but before we go," he turned to the unknown vampire, "I would at least like to know your name."

OOC: sorry, I've been really busy, and the forums load like crap.

IC:

"My name is Driretlen, and I am glad to have met both of your aquaintence. However, I assume that this is not a good time to make small talk."

Driretlen pulled out his desert eagles.

"These things... how... is it possible to stop them?"

Driretlen thought to himself. A greater menace than Kain? Who'd have known...

As the trio started to make their way into the warehouse district, Driretlen called out with his mind... to an old friend who Driretlan suddenly worried about.

"Maximus... are you safe? I am in the warehouse district. Please come..."

"Maximus... are you safe? I am in the warehouse district. Please come..."

Maximus heard the request. How had Drirethlen known he was nearby? Maybe he had sensed him at that one moment when Maximus had thought he had felt a mental ranging probe. He had reacted quickly by shielding his own mind from the probe.

And now Drirethlen wanted his help. He considered this for a few moments, then made his mind. He refitted the trenchcoat, drew Glamdring, and headed toward the warehouse district, from the direction the message had come.

Sulla stared at the vampire, considering whether to tell him the whole truth,"Have no fear Driretlan, these creatures will be gone tomorrow, I assure you."

Marius turned to him, "Come now Lucius, for better or for worse, we are all in the same boat here. You can trust him he is one of us."

"I stopped trusting my fellow vampires the day I met Kain Irenicus."

"Kain is but a child, a youngling compared to the three of us, this one knows his duty to his kind, he will not betray us."

Sulla sighed, his one man operation was becoming a little crouded, "Fine, within this box is the legendary artifact known as the golden fleece once sought by the Jason and the Argonauts. It has come into my possesion. It is capable of granting virtually any wish, but in order to activate its power we must perform a small ceremony, central to that ceremony is a yew tree. Unfortunately the fleece has an intelligence, of sorts, and it will attempt to destroy any demonic prescence around it by summoning creatures out of legend. Very soon it will break the bonds that hold it in this box and be free to summon the wild hunt, which will surely be our demise, however, once the ceremony is complete, the fleece will cease to exist and the creatures will leave, they will also leave upon our death, so, either way, this ends tonight. This evening, Marius and I had intended to make our respective wishes...you...may join us if you wish...but we must hurry, I can already feel the box coming apart."

Two blocks away, a wyvern lands next to a tree in a courtyard at the center of an abandoned warehouse/industrial complex. To one who has the gift, the magical forces entwining around its ancient scales, radiating out making it shine like the sun. It sniffs the wind once, sensing an unusually large demonic presence nearby...

OOC: The wyvern is a sepent like dragon with wings, two legs ending in talons, and a large barb on the end of its tail.

--Double Post--

They had been talking as they walked and they now stopped outside the door of a warehouse. A great clatter arose from within, "Our path lies through here." Sulla said. With that the box shattered, revealing a mettalic cloth, woven of strands of metal as fine as silk, it glistened golden in the moonlight. Sulla gripped the cloth frimly in his hands, in the center of the cloth was a symbol, a triangle with a single eye. Sulla glanced up the road, several hundred yards away a man sat on a horse gripping a spear. In the moonlight, Sulla could clearly make out the antlers on the mans head; one would not have belived that a man of Sulla's complexion could have gone any paler. He turned to Driretlen, "What are you going to do friend? You could run, if they recliam the fleece they may give up on chasing you." Sulla put his hand on the knob of the door to the warehouse. "You must choose, but please, choose quickly."

A few hundred yards away, the wyvern sideled up to the wall of the ware house, tongue flicking between its teeth.

Driretlen drew his Upir and looked at Sulla.

"No, I will stay. I will help you in your mission, but please hurry."

Driretlen then concentrated on contacting Maximus once more.

"Maximus, I know you are near. Please come find me. We have much to discuss."

Maximus heard the second message from Drirethlen. He moved quickly now, and drew close to the warehouse in which his friend was located. Remaining out of view, he searched the building telepathically, and found Drirethlen. However, he wasn't alone. There were others, others that he did not know. He didn't like this, but it didn't seem that the strangers were an immediate threat.

Maximus was just about to get moving once again, when he sensed another being. Its thoughts echoed its rage in Maximus's mind, almost as if it were speaking in a tongue not of man.

What the hell is that? he thought alarmingly, before continuing his stealth inside the warehouse. Quickly scaling the wall, he reached the high ceiling, deep in the shadows and began to search out Drirethlen, using his magic to conceal his presence. None could sense him, not even Drirethlen, for he wanted to get a feel of the strangers with him first before revealing his presence.

Sulla nodded, and threw open the door, the three vampires piled in to find themselves in the strangest of situations. The interior of the warehouse was full of screeching birds, a few yards from where they stood a black annis stuggled with invisible forces while a stranger fought with several of the birds, unleashing red lighning into their midst, and in the center of it all, was...Kain. Sulla's eyes widened in genuine suprise, he had concentrated all of his senses of the wild hunt which was surely coming right up the street behind him, he had not expected this, but it did not change his plans. Assuming that the other two would follow, he made a break for the other side of the warehouse. It was at this point that the far wall toward which he was running exploded, revealing the wyvern...