The beckon, a blue shaft of light that rose from the ground to the sky, gave of a vague sense of direction in its own right. Like remembering which direction a place is that you have been to a hundred times before, it was easy to follow if you let instinct guide you. The State of Missouri in the US where the beckon came from was a war zone. There signs of struggle all over, but the closer to the beckon you got, the less resistance you encounter.

The source of the beckon came from within a State Park and Reserve once named HaHaTanka State Park. Shortly after entering the park, there was a 20' tall wall made out of bedrock that seemed to have been built recently. The wall circled roughly a hundred acres of forest that seemed untouched by the ravages of the war that had struck the rest of the state. In one section of the wall was a large arch made of cold iron that accented a driveway leading off into the forest. A single, plain looking mail box stood there with "Dr. Simon" in cheap stick on letters.

Continuing to the beckon, you would come to a large, though rather unremarkable house. It was well taken care of, but not overly flamboyant. The rear of the house sported a large deck, and a dirt path leading to a branch of the Lake of the Ozarks where a small dock a boat sat. Across the Lake was a tall cliff wall, on top of which sat an old castle ruin. All of this was within the stone wall, and if it were followed, one would find that the wall continued into the water when it reached the lake.

If the front door is approached, an old looking, white haired man in a business suit would open it with a formal stance. "Greetings. Dr. Simon will be with you shortly, in the meantime, make yourself at home, and choose a room if you would like... or you can mark off a section of the grounds outside if you would be more comfortable there." He seemed completely unimpressable, and unconcerned with the physical appearance of the guest.

The interior of the house was sparsely decorated, containing mostly essential furniture for comfort and storage. The exception to this was the dining room which was decorated like a medieval dining hall with a table set for 20 people. There were bowls of fruit from around ten world, and platters of various kinds of bread. The kitchen was modern, normal in every way except the fridge and pantry, which were rather both walk-in and stocked with enough food to feed a village for a month. There were ten bedrooms, each decorated in different themes, from modern to Arabian, from medieval to oriental.

The forest was healthy and vibrant, laced with natural energies for those who were attuned to it. Natural spring flow soothingly throughout, emptying into the lake. The lake, this side of the wall was heavily populated with fish as if they had been stocked there, even though they had open access to the rest of the lake.

It had been several days since Alnnar arrived at the mansion. For those days he had little company, save for the butler, but for him this was normal. Until that man came to him in the desert it had been nearly a hundred years since he had any contact with people. Though for him this was a short time. Since he was not wandering, he found there was little to do. He had a room, but he had only been in it once. He didn't really own anything except for his clothes and his sword. Neither did he require much sleep. He spent the last few days training and meditating. The human didn't seem to bother him at all, after the first day learning that the Jinn required very little. His fires sustaining him.

He had also wandered around the grounds. Studding them, learning what he could. This was not his desert where he had the advantage terrain. Besides a wanderer, he was also a warrior and knew full well the advantage of understanding and knowing your surroundings. Looking for good places to defend and strike out should the situation require it. Other then that it had been quite and almost like home in that since. Though on this morning he was on the roof of the house. Sitting with his legs crossed, hovering in the air. His fingers interlaced with the exception of his index fingers, which here straight out touching at the tips, his thumbs going the opposite direction. His eyes were closed as he hovered there, and the air around him rippled and was distorted by the heat emanating from his body. Making it seem like he was a mirage as anyone looking at him would see his form distorted by the heat.

Maru had done what that man had said and had followed the beacon, it had been pretty easy, she'd kept a brisk pace the whole way, her emerald eyes glued to the blue ray of light that lit up the night, finally arriving she heavily banked on resting in the security of the woods, she slipped her way silently into the forest outside the mansion and there she found a close group of trees that secluded her perfectly. She roamed the grounds in the shadows of the trees, her hooves silent in the lush grass, she wanted to venture into the mansion but couldn't muster the nerve, so she stayed in the protection of the dark forest away from any prying eyes.

As if by magic, Byis Shrug was now starting into what seemed like a lush forest when he had just been in the freezing tundra of his home. The Yeti walked in with a huge grin on his face and his musket in his hand. This was by far one of the coolest things he had seen in a while and even more amazing was the architecture before him. He stared at the house in awe as it seemed to be so different from the homes once used by his fellow villagers. After thoroughly looking the house up and down he noticed something weird on the roof of the house. He didn't know what it was but it looked somewhat human like but also very... hazy. "Hey! Who are you?! Do you live here!?" Byis yelled to the stranger. Byis began sweating a little, he wasn't used to the increase in temperature and his mounds of fur defiantly weren't helping.

It wouldn't take too long for Angel to get her peace. Whether it was because she had gotten far enough away from the fight, or because the things had learned to leave her alone was impossible to tell, what was for sure was that No one was going to bother her... until now.

It was late in the evening, the sun half covered in the horizon, leaving the sky in deep reds and oranges. It was still, with only a slight breeze to provide any kind of sound. In the silence, his voice came out a little louder than he had intended, though there was no helping that. "This seems to be an awfully big wait of your talents, don't you think?" The voice didn't seem to have a source, or a definite location. At first, it seemed to come from different shadows, then it just seemed to come from everywhere around her. "It must be so demeaning to cower in a hole like some kind of animal. Would you be willing to play nice long enough to regain some of your dignity? " The voice was a man's, sounding roughly middle aged. It was not harsh, but sounded genuinely sympathetic.
Angel's voice was subtle, she clung to the cave. "A waste of talents. No. Preserving them. I know who you are, and no. Leave." She stated bluntly, clutching the hilt of her sword. "A coward? No, a coward is a person who is contemptibly lacking in the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things. I have courage. I just know the outcome of this pathetic piss fight. Leave." Angel released her grip. "You've made an error thinking you have me where you want. This is MY DOMAIN!"
The voice was silent for a long moment before returning "I believe you are mistaken in my intent, and the situation at hand. This is not a piss test, the world is being invaded. The humans are incapacitated, and if actions are not taken with care, You will be 'preparing' for a lifeless rock floating through space... if you are lucky. I know you are immortal, so I would assume you also know there are far worse things than death. I am putting together a team to try and prevent the world from ending. You are invited, or you can stay here with the impression that the world is out to get you, because it is likely that it soon will be if we don't succeed." The voice did not return, but there was a vague sense of a direction far off in the distance. A beckon of sorts, that would show at night as a thin blue light from somewhere in the middle of America.
"Death is a cure for us. So i welcome it. But i suppose I could aid you." Angel added, calming down and stepping into the one beam of light. "Im invited, who else is their. i dont work well with others." She was waiting for the male to step fourth and reveal himself. She knew it was, the leader of the freedom, a fellow vampire, Dracula.

Eth sighed loudly scratching his head, he had tried six cars already tossing the inhabitants out onto the streets. It wasn't that he didn't care what happened to them, he pretty much considered them dead anyways so what more could happen? It had been apparent to him that all the cars were filled with turpintine instead of gas, well that happened when they say for too long.

Gathering an idea he attempted to modify his dna a bit to try and grow wings, that only worked so well as the feathers fell off and the bones were too dense. Shaking his head he pointed at a hawk, from out of his finger blood welled up and solidified shooting in the direction his finger lead it. "Well damn..." he said missing, if his range of control was larger he would have honed in on it. Though things being as they were only the first few feet were available to him. So he decided to lead the target shooting multiple times, the eighth one landed bringing the osprey down.

Rushing to the landing site he quickly absorbed some of the blood and studied it viciously. After some time he grew the wings he wanted and learned something new. It seemed to him that quantity of blood seemed to have a deeper effect than the quality of his work. So after the head ache died down he took flight, his powerful wings lifted him up into the sky and after a moment of going up he couldn't quite figure how to move forward.

Trying as many ways as he could he ended up finding many directions to go, but none of them the one he wanted. Eventually he simply decided to glide to his destination, only going up when he got to close to the ground for comfort. After too long he descended to where he figured would be appropriate and began to shout "I'm hereeeee~" Promptly afterwards he started to search for signs of sentient life.

<ignore>

Alnnar hovered above the house as time lost meaning to him. He could hear everything, yet he could also hear nothing. There was rustling, some one moving through the forest. It sounded like a deer, but with not enough legs. There was another, much larger approaching the house. At the moment though, in his meditative state he was aware of them, yet also unaware of them. His mind calm and distant his body present, but his spirit was traversing in the world unseen. His fires burning hot as he could feel, a cold strength, savage and un-refined. And there was a sorrow, a longing that was familiar to Alnnar. This cold also held the burden of being the last. There was smoothing else there as well, a presence hidden, good at hiding. But before he could get a feel he could hear something. Distant, far away, a voice echoing across the world unseen. He couldn't make it out though, the word unfamiliar, but there was a familiarity. It was like face he hadn't seen in a long time. Something he knew, but forgotten though the sands of time. Then it was there, large and abrupt, powerful and old....as old as Alnnar himself, maybe more so as it came after him and attacked.

In the seen world, as the Yeti called out to him there was no response. Several minutes went by as there was no response, no movement. But then his eyes shot open. His form bursting into flame and smoke before vanishing leaving only a cloud of smoke that moved, but instead of rising in went down to the ground as Alnnar walked out of the smoke before it dissipated. Red eyes looked to the larger creature

"I am Alnnar Alhiam, and for the moment I reside on these lands. Besides the elderly human, You two are the first after I" he said. His deep low voice, despite it's hushed tone, was able to travel to those he intended to hear.

"There is no reason to hide"

Though for a moment he looked at the yeti "I am sorry" he said to him, though he knew the Yeti would have no idea of what he spoke about. It was more of a small thing that weighed on his fire over the eons.

Angel had left her cave, it wasn't anything new, she moved around every two weeks to a new cave. But this time was different, she now had a reason, a purpose. She really couldn't be bothered fighting this invasion, however, if she didn't help then this world could very well end. This way she goes down something shes good at. She had always intended to fight, but when the time came, it wasn't in her best interest. She had tried, all alone against the invasion, she barely got away. The beacon was bright and it pointed to a new start. In her whole life, she had only two goals, complete polar opposites. Her first goal, to kill every and all humans for blood. Her goal has changed, to save the world from even scarier beasts. She walked to the beacon.

The beacon was bright, standing over anything and everything in the world. Angel stood at the base and looked up, her eyes couldn't see the top, she wandered if it did have a top. The forest was a change from her caves in the wastelands. The shade produced by the dense trees were in Angels favor however, if a fight broke out. She jumped from tree top to tree top, circling the forest and making her way in, taking in the foreign destination. If the time called for it, she could atleast have an advantage. She ended up at the porch now, creeping towards the door, she knocked with her left hand, her hand reaching for her sword and cloak covering her from prying eyes.

Sytha stared at the beacon nearby, sort of in a trance from it's bright light. She never seen anything that bright. Shaking out of the awe, Sytha started to make her way to the large building. She made a list in her head to make sure she did everything she was told to do. Warn her family. Check. Take her friend down inside the tunnels. Check.

Sytha was in deep thought on her way over. It took her a little bit longer since she had to avoid the lake, but she found herself lucky it wasn't too far. She flicked her tongue when she the wall, taking in her surroundings. It was quite beautiful. She was told about trees but she had never seen any this big, only small, dead ones.

She came around the backside of the house and had to make her way around to where she could find a way in, for the wall was too far to climb. Sytha slithered in between the trees until she came across the mailbox and a path that led to the entrance of the man's lair. She followed the path until she spotted the house and stopped. Sytha hissed quietly when she saw someone on the porch and she his behind one of the trees.

Maru had heard the voice that almost seemed to echo, she quickly glanced around her, her ears stood straight on her head and her eyes wide as she glanced around, she'd been pacing trying to decide whether to visit the manor and every time she decided she would she found a reason not to go, she felt compelled to now. She twitched her ears nervously and moved from her dense stand of trees toward the mansion, she'd told the man she'd help him so she went through the woods and stopped at the treeline, her emerald eyes locked on the house with it's closed walls and no where to run, she twitched nervously taking a hesitant step backwards, she looked along the side of the house, she could see people not far off and she once more stepped silently backwards.

Byis was a little thrown off by the 'only other two' comment from the strange fire guy going as Alnnar but when he saw a girl leap down in front of the door he assumed that was the one he was talking about. "I'm Byis, Byis Phrug." he said holding out his hand for a handshake. Byis remembered back when he first moved into the village everyone kept shaking his hand and though it seemed weird at the time he had since come to yearn for that kind of interaction with other intelligent beasts. Just by looking at Alnnar, Byis guessed that they were polar opposites of each other, pun intended. Aligner seemed to have some heavy duty fire powers while Byis had some minor control of the cold, Alnnar seemed to be fairly formal and ominous and Byis thought of himself to be just sort of out there.

With a shrug Eth launched himself into the sky twisting so that his back was over the roof, as he arced past the roof he folded his wings and nose dived to the front of the not so humble abode. Before he touched ground he flipped right side up and unfurled his wings a gust of wind following him. Lightly he touched ground and refolded his wings, he saw a robes person a few feet away "Hello, I'm guessing the doctor found you as well?" He said in an enthusiastic way, as he got closer something in his head went off. This one, this girl, she was not alive. Puzzled he jumped back something didn't seem quite right to him, but he lost the feeling all the same.

He studied her for a moment and then scratched the back of his head "I'm Eth, I supposed a proper feasting is not enough of an apology for reacting in such a way..." He trailed not sure what to say or how to act. After all this could have been a trap, or another dream, he had no idea what to expect at this point.

The front door slowly opened, showing the old butler. His left brow rose, showing the first sign of expression. "Good, you have arrived. The doctor will see you all in the dining hall shortly. I have been instructed to inform you and the snake lady that there are bottles of blood in The fridge if you would like." He stepped aside to permit entrance. With the flick of a switch a message chimed out of a speaker on top of the roof. "The Doctor Will see you in the dining room," Echoed out over the property.

The butler looked, and smelled human, though had a slight smell like a high school chemistry lab. Simon was not in the dining room yet, though there was a prepared meal under a metal lid at each of the 20 seats. Steaks, sloppy Joe's, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, salads, ham, shark steak, shrimp, and a myriad of sides.

As the Lamia entered, the butler said softly. "I am to inform you that there is blood in the metal box that is cold in the room to the right. I am also to reassure you that I will be gathering your friends while you are meeting with the doctor." That is all he says, as if he didn't know what else to say.

Sytha nodded, staring at the butler as she entered. Something made her nervous about him, but if the doctor trusted him, she should. She was not quite so sure about the others. She had never seen their kind before in her life and she was coming up with ideas on how to defend herself if the time comes. It took a minute to get her whole body through the entryway and she entered the room to the right.
She flicked her tongue, looking for the scent of the blood, until she spotted the metal box. Sytha opened it and pulled out a bottle before returning back to the entryway.

Looking at the furred creature Alnnar looked down at his hand. It took him a moment before he remembered the human custom of "shacking hands" and to reach out shacking Biys' hand. Alnnar's hand was warm and emitting heat. Though it was nothing dangerous, simply above normal. Then the vampire showed up. He looked over at her, knowing what she was simply from the lack of life force. He had run into such creatures before, but it has never turned out good. In his experience most of them were blood thirsty savages. For the moment he set his reservations aside watching the newest member join them as he seemed to fumble around his words. Alnnar simple nodded in answer as he bowed his head "If you excuse me, I will return in a moment." he turned and started to walk away from the growing crowd. Walking towards the tree line to where one was hiding.

Soon reaching the trees he stopped a few feet away from it. "It is safe. I will not allow any to bring you harm." he said to her. He could sense a gentleness in her. Though not much more, this particular ability strongest when meditating as he could only do it when with in close proximity when not meditating. Soon though the speakers on the roof started to chime as he lowered down the cloth covering his face. His features were human, though his skin darker as it looked rougher. A small smile on his face "we do not wish to be late, and from I can see. Our host has food to satiate any hunger."

Byis's attention was brought away from the Jinn when the butler type fellow invited everyone to go and eat. He wasn't sure what kind of exotic foods were waiting for him but he was more then gear to go try out some new grub. The Behmoth crawled through the door way and wriggled into the house occasionally knocking stuff over but not seeming to pay it any mind. He was immediately draw the to table of food to which he walked up to and began taking handfuls of different foods and stuffing them in his mouth all the while dripping food from his mouth. Yetis were meant to tear meat from other animals, not to have polite table manners.

Maru was trying to build up the courage to go forward and meet the other creatures that had seemed to come here with an invitation from the same man as her when a strangely dressed man approached her, she'd only ever seen a human twice before, the scientist that was studying her herd or the man who had pointed her way to safety. The man didn't smell human and she took a small step backwards, her ears twitched forward when he spoke to her, he insisted that she'd be safe when the chimes went off, she flinched and her eyes widened as she traced the sorce of the sound.

she hadn't realized how hungry she was until dark man in front of her and the noise from the building mentioned food, she blew out a long breath out her nose then glanced at the man before stepping forward out of the darkness of the trees, she edged close to the building, the rise and fall of her chest fast as she moved closer, she glanced back to see if the man was coming.

He watched as the Faun as she decided to leave the forest, he had heard of the her kind before. Though had never met one as there were some parts of the world he had not ventured too in his endless journey. Turning he fallowed behind her keeping his pace behind her. He kept silent for the moment as they approached the house. Once there he walked up opening the door and walking into the building. Soon making his way to the dinning hall where others were, or were going. Looking at the spread he found he searched through it. Soon finding some dried dates, other dried desert foods. It seemed there host went out of his way to provide such commodities, and luxuries. But the reason they where there was something that never left the Jinn's mind. Grabbing a few dates he ate them before finding a nice spot in the corner of the room. Crossing his legs his height didn't change as he floated in the air. Folding his hands in his lap as he closed his eyes. Not full Meditation, keeping himself aware of what was around him as he waited.

Maru stopped outside the entry way and watched as the strange man moved inside, she glanced back at the trees before jogging in after him keeping just behind his form. Her eyes scanned the table filled with food, her ears stood tall on her head as she took in all the fruit, as the man grabbed some dates Maru moved in behind him and stared at the other people in the room before snagging an apple and some grapes and following closely after him to the corner, she cocked her head sideway as he began to levitate, she stepped behind him into the corner and eyed the rest of the room as she nibbled on the apple.