Chapter II: Resounding Renascence (IC)

[Katelyn]

OOC
CS

1931, Ireland

In the course of a generation so much shouldn’t have occurred in the lives of so few. Some were lost to the world we know, some found life and love and yet others encountered nothing more than the strife they’d wallowed in for the entirety of their existence. The events that occurred in Romania in 1912 were but a memory on the minds of those involved, the slaughter of innocent lives occurring on two separate occasions and then not again. The great hunters of the circle of elders never truly discerned who was at fault for the killings, but if you were to inquire of them today, each would blame a different race and give you a story that held some truth and mostly opinion.

The vampire coven suffered a great loss at the uncovering of Vlad’s death at the hand of a hunter, his sister Lillian overwhelmed with grief and promising to locate and kill the person responsible for the tragedy. The vamps were raided by humans five years after Vlad’s death and being ready to start over, Lillian moved her coven to the beautiful country of Ireland, more vamps joining into the fold and making them stronger every day. Her choice of location was specifically tied to the wolves under the great white wolf, Alexander’s watch. She wanted Felix, her wolf-slave to be close to his kind and for her to have the ability to reach out and grab what the pack protected – a secret that only she knew.

In an effort to protect his pack, Alexander took his mate, Dru, his brothers and sisters and their newborn, Claire and moved to Ireland in hopes that the plush forests and environment would be most fitting. More than anything he and Dru hoped that the vamps would be out of their lives – too many deaths had occurred, too many battles lost and yet won. They were weary and wanted reprieve, but more than anything, they wanted protection for Claire. During the twenty years that passed, Michael perished not ten years in, walking away one night and never being heard from alive again. Alexander found his body torn to shreds in the woods bordering there home a few weeks later, the effects to him so seemingly connected to the beast that ravaged Romania those years back.

The great hunters of the circle were disbanded ten years ago, or so we were all told, their charter being closed down after the death of two of their lead hunters, Mace and Elsie. Marcus Treamount felt that the time for humans fighting non-human animals had come to past. The vamps and wolves would kill off each other and he was happy to let them do so, his grief over Elsie too much to bear. Though they exist no more, many still feel the effects of the hunter’s passion for ridding the world of all that remains varied from humanity, the sounds of their cries and evidence of their footsteps still linger in the forest from land to land. They might not be a unit anymore, but exist they still do.

But it is not in the dead that we lay our hope, nor the weak that we place our trust, but in those of us that have survived to live another day, to fight another battle. So much has been taken and yet we find ourselves with a new beginning, our lives not the resounding dissolution we once thought, but perhaps a resounding renascence instead – for life is new in this place and we shall covet it for as long as we can.

Until the war begins…

[Katelyn]

Elsie:

His heartbeat was soft and yet steady, the sound of it comforting her, as it always did. She hovered above him, her side on the bed next to his, his eyes closed as he was deep in sleep. She reached over and brushed her long white fingers along his sternum, his body bare and coverless for the world to see, but he belonged only to her. She leaned over and placed a soft, wet kiss on his chest, her chestnut locks spanning out over his exposed torso and stomach. He moaned softly in his sleep and a smile touched her deep crimson mouth, her eyes seeing him perfectly in the darkness of night. He would be waking soon and would be hungry. She kissed him again and lay on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart.

He was the only one that loved her now. The only one that would protect her and yet she separated him from his pack by her mere existence. She wanted to feel sadness or regret, but with the passing of her life, her emotions froze into place, allowing little to bother her and giving her only him for resounding warmth. The last twenty years had been harder than any time before in her life, dying and rising, losing Mace and gaining Kane and yet the memories of her death – of his death – haunted her each waking moment.

The fight at the mansion that night so long ago had been fragmented, her memory so faint from blood loss and yet she could still see Kane and Mace fighting against Vlad to keep her safe. The two men that loved her and yet hated one another to the point of death, fought together to save her, but it wasn’t enough. Vlad had won out in the end, taking her from the house and carrying her limp body deep in the woods. He saved her life and yet took it all in the same moment, turning her into the monster she’d hunted yet days before.

Four days later when Mace finally tracked her down, she hid her new fate from him as best she could, his attention on Vlad as they fought to the death. Mace arrived in horrible shape, his body beaten and torn from the earlier fight and yet having traveled for days looking for her. She wanted to cry at the sight of him rescuing her again, but her heart was black – dead and gone. She snuck from the sight of the battle and felt the loss of Vlad, knowing that Mace would die there as well. Her thoughts of going back to change him consumed her, but daylight was approaching and the time to make a decision was over. He would die and it would be all for nothing…

“You deserve nothing, especially not life nor love…” Elsie whispered into the dark, kissed Kane’s strong chest one more time and moved from the bed, grabbing a soft cotton shirt and breeches. She dressed quickly, pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and left the house. She needed to feed soon just in case one of Kane’s brothers decided tonight was the night for yet another fight. “Absolutely nothing…”

[JurassicHole]

Kane

His dreams were a multitude of mixed feelings and fragmented memories, as the wolf that had bent his curse and chosen a human for a mate, laid bare on a bed beside his beloved. The lycan known as Kane was far from the comfort of that bed, as well as the mesmerizing touch of the woman he loved more than anything else. His mind's eye pulled forth images of fights won and fights lost. Suddenly, however, he found himself looking over a very familiar courtyard deep in a familiar wood. He knew where he was and the scene that unfolded before him was truly satisfying to behold, even if the beginning brought forth his inner fury.

Kane witnessed his beloved Elsie, tossed to the ground as if she were just a piece of meat. The culprit a behemoth of a vamp in its fully demonic form, the leech that had enabled Kane to bend the curse, the leech that Kane hated more than the bitch in charge of that filthy coven. Krieger. His fury was at its peak, as he ran forward to defend his love, even though he was nowhere near full strength, as the moon had decided to stay hidden that night. Surely he would die...

"Kane, you and I are..."
Help me.
"The moon is not out, I cannot..."
Help me KILL HIM
"We are one, but even though that sounds..."
I WANT TO KILL THEM ALL!
"All you had to do was ask."

Without warning, Kane's body began convulsing as the wolf fought its way out of it's chains, shocking all those around him with his horrific transformation. Not yet Werewolf, but yet not fully human as well. He met the leech head on, his newfound strength nearly making them equals, but what he lacked in raw power was made up for in pure rage. A new manner of lycan was born that evening and it's name was Kane.

The brutality and emotion of that vision settled down, as Kane's mind drifted into a place of ecstasy and pleasure. Though, as he awoke, he found himself alone and bare. He hopped out of bed and threw together some loose clothing, knowing full well he might just tear this to shreds once the moonlight touched him.

You started this war, you betrayed your kind.

Kane shook the thought from his head, as if it were an angry bee buzzing around within his cranium. It had been years since the fighting between the leeches and wolves had come to somewhat of a close. The pack had migrated to Ireland, where his brother and Alpha, Alexander, would be able to raise his daughter in relative safety. The hunters had all but become boogeymen to scare the young pups from wandering to far from the den, as after Romania it seemed they had taken to heavy of losses to ever recover. Still, they were wary of human townships, as there were still murmurings of lone wanderers taking down beasts in the night. Most of the pack ignored it as human gossip, just trying to make themselves have an illusion of safety from the things that went bump in the night. There was also scents of leech being reported in by scouts...

You love a leech!

This time, he couldn't just shake the thought this time, as it was entirely true and went against the natural order of things. His lover and childhood friend, had befallen the curse of the vampire because he hadn't been strong enough to kill Vlad when he had had the chance. He could've, but without a doubt his fate would have been the same as the hunter Mace's. Even then, Kane had earned many harsh slaps at brining up this topic to Elsie, who would scream at him for even thinking he should be the one six feet under. The fury picked up within him and he knew he needed to hunt or at the least go see his Alpha. He made his way out the door, noting to himself with a sly smirk that Elsie would find the door loose from it's hinges once again after being slammed in his now common place fits of rage.

Stepping out into the alley, Kane sniffed the winds, picking up the faint smell of his beloved, but he was headed in the opposite direction tonight. He decided try to lower his stress by running all the way to where the den was located, but the more he ran the more the fury built within him and equaled him nearly sprinting full speed to the pack's base of operations. He arrived in what seemed like no time at all, without even breaking a sweat, though that would be a bit hard to do on a chilly night as it were.

The outer guards eyed him with a mix of disapproval and respect, possibly a little fear as well as nobody wanted to get on Kane's bad side. He simply smiled and hugged those that approached him with smiles. Several females winked at him as he passed by, but he merely nodded his head and smiled in response, wanting nothing more than to speak with the big man himself.

"So, anyone seen Alexand-..er..our Alpha anywhere by any chance?" Kane asked to no one in particular, his gaze shifting hear and there as he waited for an answer or for his old friend to materialize before him.

[101 Scout1]

Felix

Twenty years... he couldn't believe that all of it had started twenty years ago... His arms rested on his knees as he stared forward, sitting on the grass. Ireland was beautiful... As great as Romania had been, he missed the areas around his homeland... The hills and the trees, the lush and vibrant colours of the land... It was wonderfully freeing. A breeze brushed over him, rustling his hair... He hadn't grown it out since he was tied to Lillian. He had no desire to, really, he quite liked it short. The maintenance was easy, the style was simple, and it fit him rather well. In the middle of the afternoon, he'd woken up and left the house, as he was wont to do, though it wasn't a daily activity. Sometimes he just enjoyed watching the sun go down. It was cliche, of course, but Felix had always been a hopeless romantic. His mind today, however, was elsewhere... It had been, what? Three years now since he'd spoken to the others of the pack. He laughed softly to himself, thinking back to how he pined for Dru before she imprinted upon Alexander. The petty jealousy he'd felt, it was all water under the bridge. It faded with age, the love, and he'd grown to be happy for the two. For a long time, it hurt his heart every time he saw her, but he couldn't just stay away. Twenty years ago, he'd made an agreement with Lillian, and to this day, they'd kept it. The last thing he was going to do was disappear from the lives of the others' and give her a chance to hurt them without him ever finding out.

But no, he wasn't protecting Dru or Alexander any more... They were happy, and he was honestly happy for them. Claire was born shortly after the issues in Romania. Her parents' genes were so obviously imbedded in her from the get-go. It was really quite funny to watch her grow up.

Kane was forgiven long ago, though it was never spoken, it was just water under the bridge. Felix sighed and climbed to his feet once he was sure that there would be no moon for the night. He knew that Lillian would most likely be waking very soon, as she always awoke when night crept in. Neither Dru nor Alexander nor any other members of the pack knew of his sacrifice... his trade to Lillian. He was sure that none of them would understand or accept his decision. After brushing off his jeans and his open coat. Of course, the coven was by no means poor, they could afford trending clothing, unlike most of Ireland with its poor economy of the time. He started a slow walk back toward the chateau to patiently await the others, perhaps take a nap first.

[ladybella]

Victoria opened her eyes in the dark and blinked a few times before she reached out with her pale hand and pushed against the hard wood above her. The lid swung open effortlessly, as if it wasn't made of bloodwood, the heaviest type of wood in the world and possibly the most beautiful wood in the world. She had her coffin made out of the beautiful wood just after she arrived in Ireland. She had the coffin made in South America, and then shipped to Ireland for her. It had costed a pretty penny, but she found that most men, foolishly, carried their coin with them when they went to the tavern, and hiding places in their houses were oh so obvious. She sat up and climbed out of the coffin, and walked to the window where she pulled apart the drapes and looked out at the lush, green, countryside. Her alabaster skin shimmered in the moonlight, her nakedness would have been frowned upon in normal society, but she was too old for such things as sleeping clothed. She turned away from her window and headed for her wardrobe. She glanced at herself as she passed her mirror and reached into her closet looking for something slinky and soft and possibly blood red. What she did pull out wasn't red, but a deep blue with a plunging neckline, thin straps, and slits in both sides up to her hips. She slipped it on and turned in the mirror to look at her behind, then walked out of her bedroom, through the manor in which she now lived with her coven.

Ireland really was a beautiful place she mused as she walked by the many beautiful windows through which you could see the lush, green country side. The alcohol was a plus as well, well at least through the blood of others anyway. Speaking of blood, Victoria looked at the time, it was still early, she had plenty of time to snag something a little yummy later on. The night was still young and it was time for the vampires to come out and play. She wondered where Lillian was at this moment, possibly still asleep, or perhaps already out and looking for something to snack on. She stopped in the parlor, and opened the balcony doors, letting in the fresh air.

[Deamonbane]

Alexander

And materialize before Kane the immense lycan did, or at least, behind him. The years had passed, and the albino was now a wiser wolf, smarter, and deadlier than he had ever been. His red eyes seemed keener, the muscles, almost visible beneath his translucent skin, more defined, less youthfully exuding power. He was at his peak now, the perfect synchronization or experience and skill, added with the strength, untouched by age, unfatigued with the passing of years. Still huger than any man alive, just about and most wolves, he was an intimidating presence. His pale hair was cut down to about an inch above his skull, his skin still very sensitive to the missing sunlight. Some things never changed, he would think ruefully. He moved like a panther nonetheless, grace and power seeming to fill the air around him. Looking back now, he realized that he had been too young to take on the pack. By rights, Victor should have won that fight, although he hadn't thanks to a hunter named Mace intervening to his advantage, relinquishing a debt that he owed to Alexander for sparing the hunter's life. Kane and his leech-mate Elsie told him that the man had been killed. Alexander had mourned his death, since the two had begun to form an unlikely friendship. But that was a long, long time ago.

The albino lived and learned.

He still wasn't able to sleep at night, since the daylight was generally hard for him to take. He roved the place at night, enjoying the soft gleam of the moonlight, even though it brought on the change which was regular for him now. Moonless nights were used to that same end, though. Hunting. Keeping his more wild side fed with enough violence, destruction, and more violence to keep the beast inside him sated and comfortable during the day. He stepped into the camp, growling softly, recalling that tonight was moonless. He removed his glasses, and moved easily among the other wolves, all greeting him respectfully. He was their alpha, after all. Even though he didn't think that he had taken this responsibility fairly, he still held onto it, beating down any wolves that tried for it. For now, he was the best choice, and he tried to keep his family safe and sound.

His one failure, he recalled, was Felix. That mutt had the albino's blood up with mere thought cast on his foul hide. A traitor was what he was. While Alexander had never been able to exact revenge on him, and the vampire coven back in the old home, if he ever saw that mutt again, or his stinking mistress, Lillian, he would shred the both to pieces. There was one concept that Alexander knew in this twisted world, and that was honor. Both had violated the concept, and had thus violated their right to safety.

Violated their right to live. If Alexander caught a whiff of them in the air, he would hunt them down, and rip their hearts out personally. Traitors. There were two things that he held closer to heart than his own life: His family, Dru, and their daughter, Claire, and his pack. Kane was his closest friend, and thus Alexander had sided with him in rejoining the pack, even though he had discarded his right to a wife in the pack, and had married the huntress turned leech. Alexander had disliked this choice, but he knew the power of love transcended species. Kane was staying, or he was leaving, he told the council. And Kane had stayed, so long as his mate never entered the pack. She was tolerated, but not accepted as full family. Alexander understood why most of the wolves felt this way, and he had agreed, for his part.

Alexander snuck up on Kane and spoke quietly behind him, barely a pace away," How can I help you, my friend?"

[Katelyn]

Dru & Claire:

"Come on, I'll race you to the edge of the mountain, mom..." Claire took off, her long blonde-brown locks flowing in the wind behind her as her laughter filled the night sky. Dru couldn't help but laugh at the girls charisma. She was a little bigger than Dru already, but that was because of her father's gene's.

"Hey! You're cheating!" Dru yelled after her as she ran in human form, the girl a few feet ahead of her by the time they reached the cliff's edge. Dru plowed into her from behind, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist and pulling her to the ground, them both breaking into fits of laughter. Clair's beautiful smile reminded Dru so much of her own when she was young and life was easy and free. Alexander and the pack had made sure that Clair and all of the other children would grow up knowing peace and freedom, not blood and death like they all had in their younger years.

Dru moved back as Claire stood up, spreading her hands wide and twirling without a care in the world. She looked over at her mother and frowned, "What do you have on you mind that has you so tied up in knots? Life is grand, the air is free and this land is ours. What more could you want, mother?"

Dru couldn't help put grin at the young girl, the sound of someone moving through the dark trees alerting her. On moonless nights as this one she was almost defenseless against the attack of a vampire or hunters, but no... they had not yet been in these parts to Dru's knowledge. She stiffened only for a moment until she picked up his scent, a smile touching her pretty face. Felix.

Claire realized quickly who it was too and took off running again as he approached, throwing her arms around him and laughing when he tumbled over as well. "Where have you been? You smell like dirty socks..."

Dru walked over slowly, her heart aching at the sight of him, for their past was so sorted and torn, her own imprinting on Alexander the thing that stopped whatever had started in them. She shook her head as she looked at him, "It's been three years since I've seen you last, old friend. Where have you been?"

[Viv]

Lillian woke with the feeling that someone was out of place, not right as it should be. She moved from her coffin, her dainty feet touching the ground, eyes moving about as she listened for sounds that would give her a sense of who was still in the house. The moon decided not to grace the earth with its presence that night, its brightness usually the only light in the darker parts of Ireland. She turned on lights in the house as she moved about, an old human habit that was unneccesary at best. The soft breeze of late summer poured through the alcoves of their large mansion, Victoria's scent on the air.

Felix must have left the house already. Shame really, playing with him is so fun. She smiled and walked toward her only female companion. Her thoughts moved toward her brothers death, the loss of Scarlette, the leaving of Albert and all of the others they'd lost along the way. The night was setting up to be quite morose and where she actually didn't mind so much, she wanted a fight - a fuck - something violent to empty her useless emotions. But neither seemed to be in the stars for her this eve.

Her fingers ran through her long chestnut locks, perfectly in place and framing her porcelain face with their softness, giving her a more ethereal look than usual - an angel gone bad perhaps? She laughed at the thought and walked into see Victoria standing at the open window.

"Are you planning on going out tonight? I want to hunt and hopefully pick a fight or two. Wanna come with me?" The side of her lovely red mouth turned up in a sarcastic smile as she extended her hand to her old friend. "Let's go before anyone else wakes and just take our time remember what it really is to live."

[Yzza]

Crina had been waiting for the night to hit, she had things to do and people to see and such. Once the night had fully come she got up and dressed herself in a gown she had bought with stolen money, a blue number that cinched at the waist but flowed delicately. It was not something you expected to see a were in nor expected someone you saw in it to be a strong as she was. The past twenty years had been intense; first reuniting with her sister, then being part of a war with a pack she was not a part of, them moving across Europe to keep her sister and new born niece safe. Crina had gone a few times to roam, mostly Berlin, but had oddly stuck mostly with her sister’s pack. Crina did not claim the pack or its alpha but she would neither abandon it. She had a beautiful niece now and the memory of her own father kept her from trusting Alexander fully, even if he did seem to be a decent guy.

As darkness took over Crina stepped from the small home, a nice number she had built away from the others but close enough to Dru and Claire to be helpful if needed. As the wind blew she could smell the pair as they were likely goofing off. As the smell of the other weres hit her Crina turned and headed for town, taking off into a run with her dress bottom held high. She ran bare foot, as was her preference, but carried with her a pair of shoes and socks. Walking about bare footed in a nice dress was suspicious and she much rather blend in as much as she could; her Romanian accent and dark looks already made her seem odd. As Crina reached the edge of town she slipped on the black leather women’s shoes and the combed her hair into a bun before stepping out calmly into the streets.

The train would be here soon and Crina was a bit nervous. It had been almost a year since she left Berlin and now she was to see him again. As she moved through the town she couldn’t help but think of Elsie and Kane, the lovers of a vastly different kind. Kane’s refusal to give up on his love was the reason he was one of the very few males, or weres for that matter, he trusted and she couldn’t help but like him. Despite her favorable notions towards the pair the knowledge of their hardship was hard to ignore but as she reached the train station and saw the large engine pull up she tried her best.

“Where are you love?”

[101 Scout1]

Felix

The sun had long since set... He knew that Lillian was almost definitely awake now, but he was in no hurry to return. Their relationship had become something more casual over the past twenty years, he was freer to come and go, so long as he still lived within her mansion. She was still something of a dominant figure, but she didn't force her power, as he found himself surprisingly willing to do most things for her... or with her. It wasn't so bad, really.

The smell hit him only moments before the girl. He turned around just in time to have her barrel into him. She was powerful, like her father, and the man hadn't been trying to fight the attack, so he was easily sent to the ground, landing on his back with an, "Oof!" He laughed as he looked at the girl, "Where have I been? I come out here rather often... So the question is where have you been?" The man smirked as the two of them climbed to their feet. Another voice came forward and he looked over to see Dru. She seemed... somber... His brow furrowed for a moment as he thought, wondering if she still pitied him for what had happened all of those years ago. The concentration faded quickly as he smiled at her and gave her a hug, "Three years already?" He asked, pulling back, rather shocked, "Well... It's really nice to see you again... Both of you," He looked over to Claire as well, one of his hands moving to his pocket, lifting up his tweed jacket slightly.

He couldn't believe it had been three years... Claire seemed different, but not so much so... How did time pass so quickly? He was over a century old, if anything, days should be getting longer. It was really a relief to see them both alive and happy, especially Claire. She was born after so much hardship it was hard to believe how convenient it had been... When they all moved to Ireland, life seemed to become more free. Felix completely agreed with the pack's plan for the children, to raise them with a sense of liberty and happiness, rather than violence, in a place that was so calming. In fact, Felix had even started to get his old accent back, which he hadn't had since several years after leaving England. To others it might seem somewhat comical, to him, it felt right. It wasn't thick, of course, but it was definitely there.

"Fill me in, what have you two been up to?" He asked, looking back to Dru, then Claire once more. His eyes met hers for a very brief moment, and he smiled again... It was nice, smiling, it was something that he lately hadn't done. Of course, when Dru knew him so long ago, it was rare to ever see him do it... He was so dark and reluctant, he never realized how much he hated being that way until Claire was born and they all left for Ireland. Dru and Claire visited every few years, two sometimes, usually about three. It was always nice to see them, and Claire had grown so quickly... The wolf didn't know if Alexander knew they came to see him. He knew that Alexander disapproved of his decision, but he hadn't seen the white wolf since they parted ways. Felix swore to himself that he wouldn't tell Alexander why he did what he did... He knew the white wolf would think it a blow to his pride rather than Felix's own worry.