The Blood Chronicles

[Semi Sentience]

---

Bexley, England
"The Countryside"

Gabriel spent six days in soaked misery; perhaps not the worst of times, but certainly not the best. By the end of the fourth day, his horse was looking at him as if to say, "You daft bastard." She was a competent steed, that was for sure.

Six days might not seem like much to those of a more weathered nature, but Gabriel, a vampire who had known the corridors of castles and the familiar air of noble comfortability all his life, found this entire jaunt to be extremely exhausting. The incessant torrents that plagued this part of the country was enough to prevent most men from traveling these parts, even the denizens of this dreary environment would suggest otherwise, though whether that was from their good nature or xenophobia was an undecided matter. Even still he had ventured through these six days, stopping to bed his horse every so often; even purposely missing a chance to sojourn in Auberndale while the weather cleared up. Though, to be fair, Auberndale didn't exactly foster the finest sense of amiability for outsiders; the fact that he was both a vampire and a ward of the Church was a combination that he imagined no one would be able to cope with.

Bexley didn't seem like much of a sanctuary, either, not to hear the tales of it; if he had his druthers, he would have rather tented down in the muck and bore the weather rather than sleep among peasants that wanted to knife you in the back -- they might not mean much in a standup fight, but only a fool slept among a hostile countryside; a smart individual got his arse in a castle or encamped only with alert guards. But with the country as divided as it was, and he being an ally of neither side, there really wasn’t much asylum throughout the land, and the fact that Gabriel chose to travel without companion spoke of either stupidity or arrogance. As to which it was exactly, was anyone’s guess.

But what did a vampire alone do? He was still sated in his desire for blood and companionship from his last jaunt into Freeport; he'd drunk himself content, screwed himself senseless and enjoyed himself thoroughly; the allures of tavern wenches and farm-girls was not yet all that alluring in light of how recent those experiences were. He was not particularly lecherous with every old woman that dropped by, so much as a man with a very indiscriminate pallet. But in truth, what beauty would you consider when you’re sucking the life out of a human being? Probably their eyes, ironically enough. To Gabriel, there was nothing more intriguing than watching the expression on their faces when they realized just where exactly they were positioned in nature’s food chain.

He’d gotten a look around shortly after arriving that night; Bexley’s daughters were safe--from him at least. It seemed to the begrudged vampire that as he “grew older” his taste for those he fed on also grew more refined. In the early ages of his turning he would’ve sucked the blood from just about any viable source: dog, horse, child. But now, he felt himself more reserved, more in control of himself. The fact that he could look upon the masses of town-folk and nothing stir within himself was a feat he put much pride in. Besides, he wasn’t here to hunt; he had a much important matter to attend to.

The White Tankard was not his sort of place, nor were the other inns scattered throughout the city; too many people, the stench itself was overwhelmingly stifling. It also didn’t help that Bexley had a particularly uncompromising intolerance of outsiders, be them human or otherwise, and the black cloak adorned on his head, worn to mask the obvious indications of his heritage, made him stick out even more. He’d need to find some manner of lodging but inner-city inns were absolutely out of the question; he certainly wasn't going to pay for a room to be murdered in whilst he slept, alone, by the doings of some half-witted human. It made no sense to take a room alone, no comrades and surrounded by enemies. Instead, he rode somewhat toward the outskirts of town until he found what he was looking for; a farm with chickens, dairy cows and some garden vegetables.

The farmer was wary at the approach of a stranger, and Gabriel figured he had the right sort of place; the price of a stay at the inn was what he offered in return for bedding for the night...in the barn, with the animals. More was offered for the farmer to occasionally wake from bed and watch the surrounding area for any approaching unit of people. The farmer didn’t seem at all obliged to do so, but Gabriel knew he’d be doing so anyways as a means of checking up on the stranger and ensuring that own his neck wouldn’t be slit as well.

"Alright," the farmer, grizzled, aged before his time from the hard work, told him with his sons in formation, practically, behind him, menacing enough with wood-cutters axes and shovels, looking unpleasant and standoffish. The man took the coins and bit 'em, "Ye bed in the stables then, and mind ye yer eyes an' yer hands round me daughter, unnerstand me then?" He looked wearily at Gabriel as he finally undid the coat from around his head, but took the money all the same. It probably wasn’t the first time he had lodged a transient; and the coin offered was enough to make any human turn a blind eye.

"Of course," Gabriel nodded in the direction of the farmer, whose sons helped him get his horse into the barn, along with many other beasts; clucking chickens, mooing cows, a couple plow mules. But there was room.

"So, why a barn? Fer that price, ye could 'uf had a room at an inn." the eldest son seemed a squinty sort, and was half in the bag for the evening, being that farmers found solace in their drink, but he wasn't a fool.

"A man can get killed at an inn, traveling alone, you know." he told the farmer, who accompanied Gabriel with a dog at the leash; slighter than some of the shepherd dog's head seen, but with a pointed nose and a black muzzle, and gold fur otherwise; long jaws and a bushy tail. The dog sniffed at him curiously, and licked the hand; he didn't stick it out under the dog's snout, because that was an invitation to be bitten; instead, he'd let the dog come to him.The farmer grunted, "Hungh. This one don't usually like folk much. But he's yer companion fer the night, we leave him out in the barn."



"Perfect," the vampire told him, and meant it; a dog was the best security available. He liked animals, as a rule, they weren't duplicitous beings like humans were. A good animal was faithful to the feeder, their most intricate scheme being feed and care. A human...well, he could figure out the need for long term care, independence and other troublesome notions. You couldn't keep a person like an animal, the person knew better. He tossed a piece of jerky from his rations to the animal, who snatched it out of the air and gobbled it. Good intentions established.

Inns had men in and out all the time, strangers passing through, folk used to it. And drunkards, all of whom could see the comings and goings of a stranger. A farm, ah, by contrast, was a lovely place to stay if one needed to stay hidden. Farmers tended to mind their business at the farm and it was lethal to approach one by night; the guard was up, because farms had one thing that bandits and other fellows wanted; food and drink.

Gabriel had been a highwayman in the later years of his human life, he knew that if the locals were going to look for mercenaries, they'd be searching the inns, not a farmer's barn. The farmer, by contrast, had his own animals to worry about, and that meant that the farm wasn't about to go unwatched either -- farmers were used to having people try and steal their things. A farm had dogs, birds, animals that made noise when things tried to sneak through like a predator. Farmers tended to be light sleepers, always worrying that others would steal the fruits of their labor; he wouldn't be surprised if one of those sons were awake at any given hour, making sure foxes stayed out of the henhouse, that wolves didn't come for the milk cows or the sheep. There would be shepherding dogs out and about; much like the one he was going to wind up sharing the barn with.

"We catch ya near the house, lookin' to rob us, we'll string ye up."

Gabriel took that as encouraging news, because it meant they were watching, even as he nodded somberly and the farmer left, feeling that the threat was sufficient.

Once left to himself, he started to bed down his animals; he started by checking hooves, currying coats and checking feed and water to make sure that they weren't tainted; but it was a healthy looking farm, and the animals were well kept. These fellows, they hadn't even given their names, seemed like they were an honest crew; Gabriel had nothing against honest men, and didn't take their suspicion as terribly amiss. With his horse settled, he took out a shovel off the packsaddle and started digging a bit; the dog looked at him as if he were daft, but he just explained it to the dog, as if explaining it to an equal -- talking to animals was considered daft, but daft was not a bad defense in these parts; anything to keep a torch-wielding mob at a respectful distance.

"A fire, la,'" he told the shepherding dog, "Covered, to keep commoners from thinking some fool is bedding down in the barn. You never known when trouble's caught your spoor, and it's always good to think like it has, eh? Keeps a dagger out your ribs, that’s for sure."

Or so he hoped, as he built a hidden fire, sheltered so that the glow would not light up the barn in the night like a beacon. He used charcoal, which would stay warm, burn a while and not put off too much light, or even much smoke.

The dog sneezed at him in response and turned to find more interesting amusement.

With the sounds of the various animals around him, he found himself both perfectly content and irritably uncomfortable. Satisfied that he had managed to abandon his station and the blasted politics that stifled his very existence, but weary of what exactly lie before him. He had been sent especially on this mission, something not very common, and definitely something that demanded further prying. But the Church had been good to him since he approached them; he couldn't foresee anything untoward though it did always exist in the back of his conscious.

[corneredbliss]

---

Bexley, England

It was nearing midnight.

The almost imperceptible sound of swift footsteps penetrated the darkness that enveloped the gathering of trees just outside of the city - Or rather, the next target. It looked almost innocent, bathed in the moonlight and seemingly still, though it was very unlikely to have heard the name Bexley coupled with a positive connotation. Known for its reputation of corruption, the city was filled with backstabbers and thieves who stole from others for a pint. A fitting reason, as there wasn't much to do in the rundown township than fool around with drunkards and whores. Most travelers who passed through the area tended to avoid the city, but the night was to be an exception.

"Stop."

The lone syllable was barely above a whisper, yet pairs of feet came to an abrupt halt after it was uttered. Trunks and bodies now formed the edge of the forrest, still save for the rustling of long coats in the nightly breeze. Pale faces were illuminated fleetingly in slivers by the sky, all twitching with anxiety and staring hungrily at the buildings before them. The occasional hiss escaped from the more restless among the group, and brought with them the tell-tale sign of vampires; Sharpened fangs protruding from upper lips, wet from eager tongues that ran along the smooth enamel. Though it was nearly pitch black where they lingered, the small army of night walkers were not phased. They were creatures all too familiar with the dark, and in some cases, had in fact spent ages in it. There were nine in total, most of them men, except for the one that had spoken. Amelia stood just a few feet ahead of her group, deep green irises twinkling mischievously under narrowed eyelids as they scanned the terrain before them. Long locks of chocolate hair followed her burgundy trench in the wind, flying out behind her figure.

Though she was much younger in appearance than a majority of the troublemakers she commanded, Amelia had lived to see many years come and go. Frozen at the age of twenty-six, she was taken in by one of the most respectable families in the vampiric kingdom and molded into the perfect soldier. The woman was learned in combat and weaponry from her past life, and though these skills weren't necessary when hunting humans, they were readily applied when taking care of the sympathizers from their kind. Much like these commoners she led, Amelia was sent to villages and towns during her early years to murder and bathe herself in plasma, taught to drink until her hunger was satiated, and even then, continue destroying. But as time passed, so did the blood-thirsty state that seemed ever-lasting in most newborns. There spawned a sort of hesitation during her attacks, and since discovering it she began to limit herself, taking only as much as she needed and leaving the rest for the others to deal with. The nobles, who had experienced the same type of withdrawal, recognized the change, and though some in her adopted family resented the loss of a machine, awarded her by promoting her to superior amongst commoners.

Other than the skills transferred unto her from her past, Amelia had no recollection of what she was before the fangs. The only factor besides her abilities that suggested there even was a past was the pendant she wore around her neck. It was pretty enough - A silver design hung from a leather cord - though the vampire hadn't the foggiest idea as to what the insignia stood for. She was told that it was found on her when the elders had rescued her, and despite its vague purpose, Amelia had the strangest attachment to it. As she eyed the city ahead, a hand hovered above her chest, its slender fingers running along the intricate lines of metal out of habit. She'd long given up on attempting to decipher its value, simply accepting it as some family heirloom that perhaps a mother had given her. Not that it would have mattered, anyway. The sentimentality that would have come with such knowledge meant nothing to her, since the question of why she had been abandoned in the first place was much more pressing.

Suddenly, the crash of glass pierced through the silence of the city, pulling Amelia from her reverie as the scent of the very thing they hungered for filled her nostrils and reminded her of their business. The band of vampires responded to the smell of blood with growls and tensed bodies, though none made a move. Every face was turned towards their leader, awaiting her signal. The excitement was almost tangible at this point, and Amelia knew it cruel to wait any longer. With the ghost of a smirk on her lips, she gave the slightest nod of her head, and as if synchronized, the assembly of malicious immortals dropped themselves into a crouch.

Each of the creatures let out a growl of exhilaration as they pushed off from the dirt and closed the distance between the forrest and the city in one leap. Amelia and the others landed nimbly in the public square, and though everyone else wasted no time branching off in a frenzy, the commander remained calm as she strode confidently to the origin of the intoxicating scent, hips swaying in the way that always attracted human males into her arms. In Amelia's eyes, there was no harm in playing with one's food. It was funny little habit of hers, luring the fragile creatures into a bed and leaving them lifeless before the sun arose. But it only happened during her own expeditions, as some in her coven might consider her fun treasonous.

Even before the woman reached the entrance of the White Tankard, screams erupted from all over her, indicating that their assault had begun. For a split-second, Amelia's hand froze in the process of reaching out for the doorknob. But she caught herself and shook off the nagging opposition that always seemed to appear in the back of her mind during ambushes. As if to compensate for her momentary lack of nerve, she withdrew her hand from the door and instead reared her leg back to kick it down. The heavy wood landed on the floor of the inn with a loud thud, and she was immediately greeted with the pounding heartbeats of panicked humans. Her eyes flashed and became a more vivid green as she parted her mouth in a wide smile, letting her fangs slip free for them to see.

Chaos ensued; Men and women launched themselves out of their seats to find exits, shrieking in terror and stumbling over one another to escape the monster that had just interrupted their evening. Beer was spilled and food dropped, and though Amelia had no need for either, she tutted at the waste. Two strides into the tavern and her hand reached out to snatch the collar of a maiden, tugging her backwards so that she stumbled into her awaiting arm, which trapped her and held her tightly. She could feel the life flowing within the female's body, the beating of her heart deafening even with the screaming that filled the room. Without a second thought, the vampire brought her face down into the woman's neck and plunged her fangs into the warm skin.

Her other senses seemed to shrink away at once, leaving all her attention for taste. The rich blood of her victim rushed into her mouth and intoxicated her, causing her to emit small, satisfied groans as she drank. Amelia clung onto the body as if she were saying a final goodbye to a loved one, though it was only moments until she had drained the female. The teeth retracted from the flesh and Amelia licked the wound clean with affectionate strokes before letting the corpse fall from her arms, not bothering to wipe the trickles of sanguine fluid that was surely making their way down her chin. Within seconds, she had found another victim and had her lips pressed against their neck, unaware of the hands that punched her back but grew weaker and weaker with every pull she took.

This victim she also dropped unceremoniously, her tongue lining her lips to retrieve whatever blood that was left. All of a sudden, a loud clatter came from her right shoulder, and Amelia turned to find that one of the braver males had attempted to incapacitate her with a wooden chair. He stood before her with a dumb expression, as if wondering why she hadn't crumpled before him after that devastating blow. The vampire couldn't help herself; She burst into laughter, turning her body so that she faced him completely. The man had begun to back away, and Amelia simply followed him, coming down from her fit as she brushed the debris off her coat. "Ah," she sighed, her eyes filled with amusement as she looked at him with genuine appreciation for his effort. "You humans are so petty." And with that, Amelia grabbed his wrist in her hand and pivoted her hips, heaving him over her shoulder with a force that threw him through the wall of the inn and out into the square that the coven had occupied not too long ago.

[Semi Sentience]

He couldn't quite pretend that everything made sense as it was; at least not to him, and he did consider himself to be perfectly competent so the nature of this situation he was in was somewhat vexing. His entire life he had been bred to fight, as a human he spent his years toiling for the queen's militia and even as a vampire he was tasked with carrying out the noble body's martial decrees. Even the Church saw fit to exploit his prowess for combat; so you see, it came to him as quite the perplexing conundrum as to why he was bothered with such a menial task. True, Abbot Castello had approached him with a very palpable gravitas, but surely retrieving a woman was something a horse-drawn carriage and a small detail of footmen could handle. All this sneaking about, orders not to be caught and to conduct himself in a manner of strict secrecy, went over his head but he adhered to it nonetheless.

Some time had past since the last time he heard one of the sons work their way towards the barn and peek in on him and his sleep-feigning form. He could feel the tension in the boy's muscles as he closed the barn doors behind him, the tight lump in his throat, as if the vampire's company warranted a swift and gruesome death. Gabriel was never sure whether or not certain humans could sense the coldness about him; it had been described that being in his presence felt like entering an area completely bereft of all warmth and life. How keen to this the boy was, he didn't know; but the ineffable fear stirring in his gut made Gabriel think that at least the animal nature of man was privy to such things. Though man does have a tendency to forgo his inherent self in the face of ostentation and faux-cultivation. That's where man and vampires greatly differed; a vampire wouldn't so much as hesitate to show how much of a monster they were, whereas men went great lengths to mask it under the guise of gentility. Gabriel was a monster, he didn't so much relish in the fact, but he couldn't deny it as well.

Standing up, he stroked the mane of his horse until she found herself back to sleep; he'd be leaving but it would be without her. The manor this woman was reported to be occupying wasn't so far that his own two legs couldn't carry him there, it was faster anyways and infinitely more discrete. He gathered his possessions and with them formed a lump underneath the blanket to create the guise that a sleeping form was still there. If he could at least return before the sun prompted the men out of their beds, he could grab his horse and say good-riddance to this damn farm. It was a bit of a far-cry considering at least one of the sons was checking the grounds every so often, but worse case scenario he'd tear their throats out of their neck if they posed any sort of opposition.

Satisfied with his quickly improvised contrivance, he looked from it to the ceiling above and leapt upwards catching himself on the rafters of the barn's ceiling. He quickly made work of the roof's thatches, tearing a hole through the hay and settling it back into place as he made his quick decent to the ground outside. Waiting for perhaps a breath's moment, he looked around to see if any of the men were about; other than himself and a few of nature's other nocturnal critters, there wasn't much life stirring within the vicinity. He looked towards the horizon, and the high-rising steeples and towers of the manor in the distance, knowing that it was there he was supposed to go.

_________________

Crozier Manor

He didn't waste anytime with caution as he made his approach on the manor; why bother when his legs carried him at speeds nigh-invisible to the human eye. He was upon the manor's keep in only a few short minutes after his departure, sifting through the trees surrounding the establishment effortlessly and fluidly like some terribly agile serpent. He hoisted himself atop the tree nearest the establishment, one whose apex-branches extended practically to the top of the manor itself, and with little more than a hop made his way on top of it's roof. Surprisingly there weren't any guards stationed around the castle, or if there was, they certainly weren't earning their coin. The fact that it was considerably late for those who occupied the manor and relatively early for those who occupied the nearby tavern probably didn't help in keeping them steadfast to their job.

"Oh well, easier for me."

He said to himself inwardly as he winded down the manor's farthest wall away from the gate-keep, and against the window that led into the manor's parlour. Listening keenly he tried to make sense of any noise within the room, but picked up on none, and so, with an extremely emphatic thrust of his palm, severed the mechanisms that held the window closed. The actual window panel fell deftly into his grasp, and in mere moments he had slid into the room, setting the piece against the wall. He moved quickly and quietly through the audience chamber, trying to ignore, with little success, the room's very tawdry personality. He wasn't sure where the woman was located, but, being a noble himself, he knew exactly where he could find such information. A woman traversing the manor's hallways in her robe and carrying a burning candlestick hardly knew what to do with herself when Gabriel leapt from the shadows and seized her. Her eyes were so laden with fright that he was sure her weary, aged heart would give out at any moment. Her hot, rank breath had hardly anywhere to go with his hand clasped so tightly against her mouth; an object placed precariously against her neck and Gabriel adorned with an expression that practically invited her to squeal. But she didn't. She sat there silently, motionlessly, refusing to so much as squirm within his grip lest her life be usurped in those few short moments she was sure represented the end of her life. Gabriel moved his head in closer, the woman's own barely flinching away as if out of instinct. "Eliza Crozier," he breathed into her ear, "it would do you best if you showed me to her room."

The woman, as loyal as she may have been, succumbed to the ineffable fear seizing her. It felt as if the very shadows themselves had become animated and took to forcefully enveloping her. She wasn't at all inclined to attempt a protest; the fear of it all confined her thoughts to mere necessities. Get to that room!, was probably the only notion her frightened mind could afford to entertain, and without so much as a bat of her eyes in opposition she silently led Gabriel to the room. Ironically enough, Eliza's room wasn't at all far from where Gabriel had entered the manor, in fact, soon before he realized it, the woman had stopped moving altogether. In his embrace, she remained motionless, her eyes pleading with his own; her life was valuable, even if she did nothing more than wipe the asses of every noble member of this family. She didn't care she'd probably be spending the rest of her life toiling away at the every whim of the occupants of this manor; she simply wanted to live. Gabriel could relate and a part of him, whether he would admit it or not, actually felt sorry for the creature in his arms. 'Tis a miserable life, the human existence.

Not quite sure what her fate would be, Gabriel opened the door silently and pushed the woman inside as he closed it behind himself. Sure enough, a woman of apparently high-born status, was lying deep-asleep in her bed on the opposite end of the room. Gabriel looked to the woman as if to say, "you so much as move and I'll have your neck," and released her to take the seat in front of the boudoir. The woman, taking this act as some sign of his mercy, hurried to the seat, not quite sure what to do besides watch after him. Only when she did, his stern expression prompted her to turn around immediately; as she bore into the mirror in front of her, trying desperately to make out the view behind her, she could hear the sound of his footfalls as they crept ever-closer to the bed suddenly stop. With already weakened eyes, she tried to peer into the darkness reflected in the mirror, using the scant moonlight as her only means of reference. She made out some of Eliza's furniture behind her, some of the portraits emplaced against the wall, but when she tried locate the man she was unable to find him. The room fell eerily silent, the fact that she wasn't at all privy to the man's actual intentions scared her even more into thinking he was ultimately going to kill her. Gabriel could feel the uncontrolled tremors reverberate throughout her frame, her head bowing subserviently against the desk, and her hands clasping each other as she attempted to vie for her composure. What a horrid mess she was.

But nothing he was to concern himself with: the focus of this godforsaken journey, the reason he was troubled with leaving the comfort of his own residence in the first place, was lying right in front of him. He couldn't quite say, but something peculiar was absolutely amidst. There was some sense of danger surrounding her, be it her parlously inviting allure, a beauty that seemed to rival even the immortal kind Gabriel was constantly subjected to, or the simple fact that she pretended to be sleeping, when in fact her heart was racing like some wild animal caught in the crosshairs of a hunter's bow. "You can abandon the farce my dear Eliza Crozier. I haven't all night."

The lady did her best to contain herself, establish some sort of composure despite the disadvantage she was faced with, though it was an attempt she was ill-suited for; Gabriel could very clearly hear the throbbing anxiety of her heart, he imagined how heavy it must be sitting in her body. He thought to say something of consolation, though thought better of it; best to maintain his own composure considering the predicament he was in. At any moment she could scream, alerting the patrols outside of his presence, and while niceties might encourage her to cooperate, he figured it was more effective to discourage her. She rolled over, her restless hazels taking in the shadowy figure before her as best she could; though swiftly looking over to her care-lady with due weariness. And in that mere instant, Gabriel sensed that her fear had given way to her concern for the woman, that even in the face of the threat of death she was more worried for the well-being of the woman who served. A very backwards logic, Gabriel observed.

"Ms. Clementine, are you all right," she asked softly, relieved to hear a bit of a rustle somewhere in front of her. She was still alive, and that was all that mattered to the dame right now. She could feel it practically wafting off of him as if tangible matter. Thick, poignant rivulets of icy bitterness seemed to surround her, gracing her with frosted tendrils that practically chilled her to the bone. It was as if he was a corpse, standing there, breathing death down the back of her very neck. Disturbed, and yet morbidly intrigued, she leaned over, long strands of curled brunette falling against her petite frame, which was still halfway hidden beneath her blankets. "Who are you, and what business do you have being in my room," she questioned him gently, having more commonsense than to begin a mutiny. She didn't know him, and thus, she didn't know what he was capable of doing to her, and Ms. Clementine.

Gabriel looked at the woman intently, shedding her inquiries as if they had never even been pronounced. He wasn't here to inform her of the nature of his presence, nor console her apprehension with his lies; the very fact that he had been so conservative in his approach in the first place was entirely uncharacteristic of the vampire. And even as he tried to dismiss her questions he couldn't help but notice the brief feelings of suspicion that plagued him as well. Something was terribly amiss about this woman; some instinctive and ineffable emotion kept him at bay as he stared after her. Despite this small instance of internal conflict, his hardened expression never wavered in its fierceness; his steely eyes bore into her flesh as if it were nothing more than glass. Her every fear and security so transparent and superficial underneath his gaze. She was a human, and despite that sense of caution lingering in the back of his mind, he knew there was nothing for him to consider any longer.

"Ms. Crozier, I must admit this isn't the most ideal of introductions, but I think the fact that I'm awarding you one in the first place is a very generous gesture on my part, considering. Being that it is considerably late in the night, and that I am not accompanied by any of your constituents, I think it's fair to assume what exactly my intentions are. I'll be leaving here tonight and so will you I'm afraid." Gabriel paused and looked after the woman he had seized earlier, her body noticeably strained and her posture taught in preparation. Even before she was aware of whatever the hell it was she was doing, Gabriel disappeared from sight, appearing just before her, his form seeming to materialize out of the very darkness itself. A hearty moan escaped the woman's throat as her form contorted around the wound fist lodged into her gut; not a lethal move, just something that would incapacitate her for the time being. He certainly didn't need to subject himself to the headache of even more people to oppose him.

He looked back towards Elisa, her eyes wide in fright and her mouth agape in horror; Gabriel not really sure if it was from the manner in which he forced the realization of his nature upon her, or the fact that someone close to her had just been stricken down. Whatever the case, he smiled obliviously and set the woman's slumped frame back into the chair she had just recently attempted to escape. "Don't bother yourself with such worry, she isn't dead. Just not as lively," Gabriel asserted as he made his way uncomfortably closer to the woman. From the angle he was at, Gabriel was sincerely taken aback by the sheer fierceness in her features, that through the apparent fear lie a defiance he wasn't sure he could compromise. Her mortal beauty was astounding true, but it was that enigmatic self, deeper within, that appealed greatly to the vampire.

"Having said that," he continued as if never troubled with having to stop, "I now present to you only two alternatives. "A", I can give you a moment to collect yourself and find some appropriate attire for the cold outside wherein you will willingly accompany me out of this manor of yours. Or "b"," he turned around and looked at the sullen form of the woman occupying the chair and turned back with a suggestive expression, "I can do my best at persuading you. If you want my personal opinion, I'd go with the former, but--then again--the decision is yours."

She answered with an exasperated sigh and began her way towards her dresser, reserving herself to the task at hand because she knew if she tried to assist her caretaker she'd probably be met with the same unfortunate condition. Though even with her mind preoccupied, she did do her best to sate the vampire with a bit of her logic. "Now, do I really come off to you as a woman who would enjoy creating a ruckus? Really...you should have figured when I didn't scream the moment you came into my room. I know, I'm very calm...and it's even frightening myself," she relayed, lithe fingers sifting through the collective attire she had, picking out different articles of clothing appropriate for the weather outside.

As everything was laid out, she finally turned her eyes towards the man, lifting a brow in question. "Despite our...circumstances, I would appreciate it if you turned around whilst I changed my clothing," Elisa inquired, already beginning to untie the knot at the front of her negligee.

Gabriel looked at the lady curiously, slightly bewildered by her relatively unperturbed demeanor despite the very nature of the circumstances surrounding her and the unnatural event she had just witnessed. She didn't at all seem concerned with the notion of Gabriel whisking her away out of home and the securities it offered; taking her to some godforsaken place her mind couldn't even conceive her being. Gabriel was inclined to believe that those who disposed of their fears in the face of that which was truly fearful had to, on some important level, be considerably daft. But this didn't seem to hold true in her case; she was obviously competent, being a product of royalty and the extensive grooming process they undergo, but even more than that, her eyes seemed to radiate with some natural, unfounded wisdom. So it wasn't necessarily her intelligence the vampire was calling into question; but then what, how did she compose herself in such a nonchalant manner? Was she extremely brave of heart and hardly moved by all that which was occurring? Or perhaps she had encountered another of his kind before, and his display wasn't as novel an experience to the woman as he originally thought. Whatever the case, she wasn't as frightened as one might be--as most would expect--of someone in her predicament. This served to intrigue Gabriel even more.

"How truly curious," Gabriel said while obliging her request, "one would expect that the predicament you're in, would demand some kind of fear; and yet, the only thing you appear bothered about is the prospect of me watching you undress. Not the expected response, but, then again, you are a human; your every breath defies the natural order of things." Gabriel walked to the door, passing the unconscious woman who, admittedly, looked reasonably peaceful despite the ominous dreams lurking behind her eyelids. Something curious had excited his senses, taking him from the largely one-sided conversation he was having with the lady, to the area without the room's door. Various pitter-pattering sounds echoed off the manor's stone walls, reverberating throughout its entire length and finding themselves being received by the intruder their issuers were unaware of.

At first, he mistook them for the footfalls of the late-night servants tending to their master's nocturnal whims and desires, but the sound that came to him spoke of a more threatening purpose. It was the sound of a relatively large detail of guards closing in on Elisa's room. Steel armor clamoring in tension as the men behind proceeded with labored movements; they had all the stealth of a three-footed elephant; obviously not the finest of the king's arsenal, but they certainly did present a problem nonetheless. He, himself, was meant to conduct this mission under extreme discreteness; the very act of him being caught meant certain death whether it be by his captors or the Elders when he returned. Relation between the races was already precarious enough; matters of this sort would undoubtedly cast it into a perilous position. One that neither sides could truly afford but that both put much hope towards. Gabriel looked back at the woman, ignoring entirely her demand, as he grabbed the nearest peace of furniture and placed it against the door, barring it from the men currently on their way.

The lady looked at him quizzically but he hadn't the time to explain himself. "I suggest you quickly finish lest I take you in nothing more than your undergarments," Gabriel said while walking towards the window. In the middle of tampering with it--which wasn't even designed to open-- Gabriel heard the tense footsteps of the men approaching the room. Surprisingly, the sound to follow was a fervent rap at the door. "M'lady, it is I, Sir Haples, I have come at the bequest of the king who was informed that a group of vampires have attacked Bexley. May you oblige your father by letting us in?" Gabriel turned swiftly around facing the woman with a countenance that wasn't menacing in the least, but noticeably perplexed. Bexley was a town leagues away from any coven and hardly a location of opposition to the vampires, why exactly were they here, though more importantly why were they attacking its denizens. This complicated matters entirely, though he did his best to mask the effect of such news. A light smile played at his lips which expressed sincere joy in the thought of her informing them that one of the intruders they were pursuing was actually in the room accompanying her. If necessary, he would dispose of them all before they could report their findings to anyone, and be gone with the girl before anyone were to report finding their bodies; but this sounded less ideal juxtaposed with the instructions Castello had placed before him.

Realizing this, he looked at Elisa was an expression of indecision. "Their lives are in your hands," Gabriel mused as he undid the metal framing of the window. Another, even more anxious, rap sounded at the door as he removed the panel of glass and set it against the wall. A lively gust of wind drafted through the window throwing the woman's hair out of her eyes. "So, what will it be then, m'lady?"

"As the gentlemen you are, I'm sure you've already made the decision yourself," she replied sarcastically, to which he smiled.

"Very well...then, shall we," he wound his arm around her waist and leapt clear out of the room, landing deftly on the adjacent tower to her room and proceeded on wards towards the farm. A quick glance backwards revealed that the detail of soldiers had taken it upon themselves to barge into the room anyways, one of which he made out pointing and shouting in his direction, though he was far from incapable of doing anything at that point. It was a mere matter of seconds that Gabriel realized the true matter of his opposition didn't come from his captive's guards, but rather the blood-curdling screams of anguish and torment resonating from various locations in the town. Eliza looked up to him out of morbid curiosity, though he could tell by her reaction that she didn't quite grasp the predicament they were soon to be faced with.

Beyond the screams of agony, was a scent of blood so pungent, Gabriel could practically taste dribble in his mouth; it certainly did speak to the beast in him and he felt his mouth moisten with the fear of it all. Such a predatorial reaction was innate to his kind, it didn't matter what your allegiance was, the frenzy that humans succumbed to when in the face of death provoked an intoxicating sense of hunger for his kind. It was a very oppressive sensation actually, very nearly impossible contain one's composure in the face of, and in this instance almost blinded him to the threat lingering just below him. Realizing that the woman was still in his grasp, as human as she was, he was afforded a brief moment of awareness which allowed him to just barely shift their weight out of the path of his assailant. He landed in a stumble, though managed to set the girl down and leap to the side, narrowly avoiding a blow from what he realized was a vampire. And from his behavior alone, he deduced that it was a newborn; ravenous and unpredictable, functioning purely out of instinct with no foreknowledge of a situation at all. They had strength unrivaled by even he, a seasoned fighter, though had no tactical sense to use and thus easily exploitable.

The newborn wasted no time with the pleasantry of an introduction and leapt with ferocious speed after Gabriel, who did his best to weave out of the path of his numerous blows. The few that did catch him, were glancing to say the least, and merely caught him off guard; he dipped low, making sure to exploit the vampires high energy with controlled movements and just when the opportunity presented itself, he leapt forwards, directly into the vampire, and thrust his fist with blinding speed into his gut, severing the sinewy flesh like paper. Blood gushed without reservation from the wound, and while the wound threatened the youngling's life, the vampire bounced around just as lively, viciously making his attempts at Gabriel's neck.

Elisa watched with both equal parts of awe and horror, as the two combatants danced around each other at speeds nigh invisible to her; the blows they landed on each other were strong enough to sever a human in two though merely bounced off each other. The dance continued on for mere moments, until the assailant leapt forward, leaving his whole underside without proper means of protection, upon which Gabriel seized the vampire by its neck and tore it off with visceral strength. The sound of their skirmish had alerted the attention of another young vampire who attempted to dispose of Gabriel in his moment of preoccupation. Though the two disappeared into the thick woods surrounding the town, and from its darkness resonated the most guttural roars. Sounds of pure primal fury, at one point Elisa had forgotten that the two were even human resembling and entertained the notion that two beasts were killing each other back there. Finally, Gabriel emerged, albeit bloodied and weary, he rushed to the woman's side sparing no time carry her off into a nearby house.

As he slammed the door shut, an eerie silence befell the room, disrupted only by the occasional beckons of chaos being issued throughout the town. She thought to say something, felt it owed to her a couple answers, though fear restrained her voice, and instead she looked on in silence fighting the barrage of sobs forming in her gut. Instead she merely took her seat at the table trying her best to ignore the two bloodied human-corpses on the floor in front of her, wiping vigorously at the hot tears welling up in her eyes. Gabriel noticed that one of the figures on the ground was a woman and was stricken with an idea.

"Quickly, go upstairs and replace your garments with hers. With haste and without questions."

[corneredbliss]

There was no escaping them, but the townspeople still attempted to run away from the band of horrors that were spreading their way outwards from the heart of the city. It might be considered naive of the humans to think that vampires would take their time savoring their meals before darting to the next unlucky prey. This futile optimism resulted in a fleeting sense of freedom that came with the dying cry of some poor bastard behind them, only to discover themselves emitting the same cry a few feet ahead. Perhaps that line of thinking was true when the vampire was hunting at his own leisure, but this coven had an assignment - and many eager newborns. Even more unlucky were those who dwelled in the upper levels of buildings with tired bodies and no escape. Before the hysterical screaming of neighbors and tenants below even registered in their sleep-riddled minds, they were either already cornered or already dead. Fortunately, or unfortunately, for the coveted Mrs. Cusack, Benjamin was amongst those who enjoyed the mixture of terror and realization that inevitably flashed across his victims' faces before he decided to bite.

It was quite plausible to blame centuries of boredom for his sick sense of sadism. Simply pouncing on the fragile beings and drinking them into eternal sleep tended to lose its thrill after a while, and Benjamin had been in the business longer than he cared to remember; The reason being the woman who'd turned him. It was her beauty that lured him in all those years ago, and as it was during that strange phase of her existence when she began to harbor pity for humans, the female chose to give him immortality instead of death. Since then, he'd been by her side, taking pride in his position as her right-hand man. But it wasn't as if he was in love with her. At least, not anymore. No, they had been friends too long for that. Benjamin simply admired her for her talents and poise, though he was too stubborn to admit any of it.

The man himself stood in the doorway of the only exit in the small, inexpensive apartment, leaning with his forearm against the door frame as if he were just another of the drunken suitors she'd been famous for entertaining. A terrible coldness seemed to emanate from his body, settling over the room and compelling the woman to stir in her sleep. Eyes colored a vivid hazel fixed their gaze upon her figure, which had turned onto its side and whose curvy silhouette seemed almost as inviting as the blood that was flowing through her veins. The fluid seemed to pick up speed as she awoke from her slumber, confused by the ruckus and unaware of the stranger that hovered just feet away from her. It didn't take long, however, for the hairs on the back of her neck to prickle with premonition.

Slowly, as if she could dissuade the intruder of her presence by limiting herself to small movements, Mrs. Cusack turned her head to have a glance at the man in her doorway. Though he seemed to be just another arse coming to bother her for a night, the chill in the atmosphere and the uneasiness in her gut warned otherwise. The slight grin that stretched his lips did nothing to ease her panic, but rather caused her to break her stillness to inch backwards until she was pressed against the headboard of the bed. "I must applaud you, missus. You sleep quite deeply," Benjamin stated in a manner that suggested his amusement. To have been unaware of the chaos occurring around her was a feat in and of itself, and though the creature was toying around, there was a hint of appraisal in his tone. "Would you think me odd if I declared my jealousy? ...Yes, most likely."

He nodded a bit to himself before he lightly pushed himself off from the door way and began to languidly make his way towards the woman, grin expanding at the way her pale blue eyes darted from his body to the door, no doubt contemplating her chances of getting past him. "Oh, not to worry. Your husband is a bit... Preoccupied at the moment." Benjamin let a few knowing chuckles bubble forth at his lousy quip, long fingers running through shaggy, dirty blonde strands as he flashed her a cocky wink. Mrs. Cusack may not have been correct about him wanting to spend the night in her bed, but it could be argued that the nightwalker was indeed an arse. "I assure you, he won't be disturbing us-"

The man paused abruptly at the edge of the bed as the sound of footsteps and frenzied snarls came charging up the stairs. To Mrs. Cusack, the span of time between the end of her predator's sentence and the arrival of another one was merely seconds. But Benjamin had enough time to roll his eyes in annoyance and side-step out of the way before one of the newest members of the group burst through the doorway and positively threw himself at the woman, wasting no time with banter as his superior had. A blood-curdling shriek was ripped from the temptress's lips as the newborn bowed his head to feed, looking incredibly scandalous as he straddled her on the mattress.

The vampire's strong features hardened in irritation, his jaw clenching as he glared at Nathaniel for stealing his food. He wasn't one to be picky about his victims, though this one smelled particularly delicious; The scent of a well-practiced sinner was always the most enticing, which was why the ambush of this town was greeted with even more enthusiasm than was usual. It was a shame that the boy would not savor the taste as he should have, but of course, that habit came with time. Another pair of feet came up the stairwell, but Benjamin didn't bother himself to turn around. He knew it would be Victor, who seemed to punctuate every move his brother made. "She was to be my meal," he grumbled as the male came to a halt beside him, sporting a smirk as he watched the youngest of his family take his fill. Folding his arms across his chest, he twisted his head to give Benjamin a smart look before he retorted, "One should not play with their food, sir. In any case, he had already taken her husband."

Benjamin merely grunted in response, tearing his gaze away from the bed just as Nathaniel retracted his lecherous mouth from the woman's neck. The teenager looked back over his shoulder with a crazed expression, his image complete with the vital fluids that glimmered on his thin lips. Without warning, the eldest of the three bolted for the window, where he crashed through the glass as if it were paper, and took off running. The odor of spilled blood had revived his hunger, and he knew that there was still the northern most part of the town to touch. He didn't wait to see if the other two were following him, for he knew that they would be. Benjamin himself had only taken eight lives, but he had a reputation to uphold, and it was time he redeemed himself. The next human wouldn't be graced with his meaningless chatter, that he was sure of.

Not even a full hour had passed and yet the streets of Bexley were littered with the corpses of men, women, and children, all of whom bore the same expression on their lifeless faces; Eyes opened wide, as well as mouths slackened, forever frozen in a soundless wail. Benjamin paid no mind where he stepped as he darted towards his destination, but was acutely aware of the strangers that ran past him. They, unlike those who filled the streets earlier on, were not screaming in fear - No, Ben recognized the howls of newborns, bewildered by their intense hunger and searching frantically for relief. Just as the dead accumulated, as did the undead. Indeed, their numbers seemed to have swelled since their arrival, a fact that the vampire took note of as he slowed to a stop in an area that seemed inappropriately quiet considering the pandemonium that surrounded it.

Up ahead was a peculiar sight, one that left Benjamin perplexed. He could make out two bodies atop the roof of a tower, one male and one female. Though strangely enough, the vampire could only hear one heartbeat, coming from the woman who was attached to her partner by the waist. More than a little curious, he cautiously padded closer, furiously forming suspicions against the man above him. The only reason he would not possess a heartbeat was because he was of the same kind, but his face was unfamiliar, meaning that he was not part of his pack. He could not have been a newborn, either; There was no possible way that he could be so close to a human and not be tempted to take a bite. Then who was he? And more importantly, was he a friend or foe? Most likely the latter, if he was able to interact with a human as intimately as he was. Humans, who were meant to be food and nothing else. What was he doing with her in the first place? He didn't seem to be taking her prisoner, and taking walks along rooftops seemed an unconventional way to bed someone.

All these thoughts and more zipped through Benjamin's mind as he stood, eyeing the pair warily and attempting to decide what course of action he might take to handle the situation. But before he could properly decide, Nathaniel had flown past him, heading straight for the two. Benjamin cursed under his breath and rushed after him, concern coloring his face for the first time in some while. "Nathaniel, stop!" Benjamin hissed angrily, since there was no hope of catching up to him. Being a newborn, the boy had much more speed than he, and much more strength at that. In another moment or two, Nathaniel had leapt clear of the shingles and tackled the male, sending them both over to the other side of the tower. Benjamin heard Victor yelp behind him, and without a word, the two followed in suit, landing in a crouch where the couple had been so that they could keep an eye on their responsibility.

Although they expected Nathaniel to finish the stranger off in moments, his dead body was not what awaited them at the foot of the tower. The male was adequate, to say the least. Any normal vampire pitted against a newborn like their boy would not have been able to move or counter with such ease, which led to the conclusion that he was no ordinary creature. Benjamin couldn't help but think that his fighting was reminiscent of his superior - an odd observation, but worthy of speculation, nonetheless.

After only mere moments of the tussle, the stranger had punched a hole through Nathaniel's torso, causing their audience to flinch and tense simultaneously. Their expressions reflected pain, and Benjamin knew that the older of the two brothers would join in the fight at any moment for the sake of his sibling. But after years of experience, he knew better than to lose two men in a small battle, especially now when the elders were counting on them to conserve and increase their population. Despite the anger that was undeniably growing in the pit of his stomach, Benjamin threw his arm out against Victor's chest, ignoring the noise of ingidnation that followed. "Let him be. He'll be fine," he whispered, though his voice was noticeably less assertive.

Suddenly, an audible tear caught their attention once again, and the two whipped their heads back towards the brawl. A collective hiss escaped them at the sight, the noise of outrage drowned out by the ongoing attack. Though they thought it impossible, the evidence was clear below them. The stranger had Nathaniel's head in one hand, while his other held his body, signaling the end of the engagement, and of the young boy's life. Victor's cry of agony shot through Benjamin's figure and forced him to drop his arm, completely disregarding his previous notions to the waves of great loss that washed over him. His companion immediately dropped down from his perch to drive the murderer back into the forrest, looking to avenge his brother. Though Benjamin knew he should assist, he remained frozen with shock. Beyond that, it was much too late for action.

The vampire had finished with Victor even quicker than he had Nathaniel, and was already emerging from the trees.He proceeded to hasten the woman - whom Benjamin had forgotten about, in all honesty - into a nearby building, leaving Benjamin to mourn the death of his two men. His emotions were competing with reason for attention, and much to his dismay, it always seemed that reason won. If the man was strong enough to defeat a newborn, it would be impractical for him to attempt to take on the monster himself. With fists clenched in rage, Benjamin tore his gaze away from the home harboring the slayer, driving his hand into the roof of the tower as he launched himself from it.

The only thought that pulsed through his conscience as he dashed through the crumbling town was that he must get to his mistress and inform her of what had just occurred. Within seconds, he had arrived at the threshold of the White Tankard, unaware that his face was still taut with anger. The place had quieted down considerably, though there were still a few humans that were writhing on the floor, undoubtedly on the brink of death. A scene that he'd witnessed many times, Benjamin disregarded the cadavers and strode towards the middle of the room, where the woman in power stood before the male she'd thrown through the wall upon her arrival.

"Amelia," Benjamin called aggressively, conveying the urgency of the situation in his tone, though the female paid no mind to him. Her awe-filled eyes were fixated on her newest creation, who seemed to have discarded his earlier animosity towards her. He glanced at the man absentmindedly, standing unflinchingly as her cold, pale hand cupped and caressed his equally cold and pale cheek lovingly. During his earliest years, Benjamin often felt pangs of jealousy against her newborns, who always received the bulk of Amelia's affection when he simply desired it for himself. At the moment, however, all he was capable of feeling was the anger brought on by the stranger he'd left behind. "Amelia, you must come with me at once. There is a-"

"Beautiful, is he not?" she breathed, interrupting Benjamin for the second time that night. Save for the mess of blood that dribbled down his chin, the new addition was fairly handsome, though of course he did not care much for the fact. "He polished off the entire inn," Amelia added, a smug chuckle escaping her as her fingers trailed along his jawline. Benjamin was growing impatient; The criminal could escape at any moment, and he was not going to let the bastard get away so easily. "Amelia! Listen to me! Nathaniel and Victor are dead," he blurted out, his heavy paw of a hand landing on her bicep so that it spun her around to face him. "They were beheaded by a stranger - another of our kind - I'm sure of it now."

He kept his hold on her arm as he spoke, and Amelia's surprise at his assertiveness quickly faded as the meaning of his words sank in. Her mouth hung open as her breath caught in her throat, a hand reaching up to hook onto the crook of her partner's elbow for support. The bright light that had occupied her eyes seconds ago was now gone, to be replaced with a dull glow that was even more frightening than their vivid form. "V-Victor...?" The man had been her production, and therefore her sentiment towards him was strong. Benjamin nodded his head morosely, his fingers tightening its grip on her arm comfortingly as she let out a cry of despair. Those were her children, boys that had trusted in her protection and guidance. Amelia couldn't help but blame herself for being inattentive of their whereabouts, though she knew her entire coven would assure her it wasn't her fault. "He was traveling with a human female," her partner continued, "and they've taken shelter in an abandoned home near the towers. We must hurry, I do not know how long they plan to remain hidden there."

Amelia's gaze had dropped to the floor, and although her chest had been empty since her change, it felt incredibly hollow. When she lifted her eyes, they were filled with an intensity that chilled even the corpse standing before her. "Take me to him," she growled, and the two raced towards the location of the murder, forgetting about the newborn that had already darted away in search of more liquids. The two comrades landed at the foot of the tower, catching the scent of the woman's blood which confirmed they were indeed still in the home. "Be prudent," Benjamin warned, keeping his volume low as he approached the place hesitantly, "This male challenges even your skills." But Amelia could barely hear him. A buzz that resulted from fury had filled her ears, fueling her steps as they led her to the door of the edifice. Cruelly enough, Nathaniel's head awaited her near the entrance as if she needed more of a reminder. The woman took a single glance at his dismembered cranium and threw her shoulder against the wood, blasting it off its hinges without the slightest hesitation.

Behind her, Benjamin shook his head at her blatant disregard of his instructions. He should have known that she would barge into the building in such a manner, and he couldn't blame her. But if the male wasn't already aware of their presence, he was sure to be after that entrance. He supposed it mattered not, in any case. Now that he was with Amelia, he felt that he could allow himself to feel the emotions that had so strongly contested his logic earlier on, and so did not hinder his partner from doing what she did best. The vampiress walked to the center of the room, which was filled with dead bodies, but void of the vampire and his companion. The woman thrust her hands onto her hips, nostrils flaring at the fact that their prey had the nerve to play with them. "Show yourselves," she barked into the silence, eyes trailing up towards the ceiling as Benjamin made his way towards the stairs, lips parted in a snarl. "Lest we find you first."