Coven Meeting
The Fledgling walked down the street, pondering the new strands of the web of intrigue she discovered recently: the power struggles, the turf disputes, the silent wars for power and prestige.
None of the glamor of being a vampire books and movies promised.
Well, not like she had asked to join it.
The Fledgling crosses into one of the darker stretches of the city, trying to untangle the political web she's found herself entrapped in: thoughts fly across her fractured mind like angry hornets, absorbing most of her awareness. Then....a sudden flash of white light and the ground seems to flow under then come up to meet her. Pain arrives at the same time her body hits the cold asphalt, and with it the knowledge that she's just been attacked.
For the first time since the Embrace, her undead flesh refuses to obey her will: her spine is broken, shards of her skull have been driven into her brain. Not, in and off itself, a fatal wound... she could heal even this, if she had time, but the cold voice full of acidic, sadistic humor that reaches her ears tells her the hourglass is almost out of sand. "We're going to have a lot of fun with this one. Think you could blow up our warehouse and get away with it? Huh, Lick?"
"Let's stake it and leave it out for the sunrise." A second malicious voice rings, closer to her prone form. "I want her teeth."
"Let's drain it." A third voice, this one a feral growl. "Camarilla fuck!"
"Boys, I think we could all use a little entertainment." The first voice again, punctuated by the sound of a switchblade being opened. "Those of you sitting in the first few rows will get wet..."
It is very unfortunate that the feeling starts returning to her limbs exactly when the Sabbat trio pin her down for the leader to start carving her flesh from her bones.
"Okay, that's enough." The new voice, a deep bass, clear and strong, makes the fiends stop their grisly revenge act and look up hissing like animals.
"Son of a bitch!" The leader growls, twisting the blade buried to the hilt in the fledgling's body. "There's three of us, Rodriguez. This ain't none of your business."
"This is all of my business: you are in my turf, making a mess I'd have to clean up." He makes his words more meaningful with the click of a gun's action being thumbed. "Now, let go of her, and get out of here."
"Whaddya gonna do? Shoot us?" The one holding her left side lets go, jumping towards the newcomer with a growl; the Fledgling takes the chance to look up, and sees a man holding a large revolver, and a very scarred attacker in mid-air. 'Rodriguez' adjusts his aim and fires, hitting the Sabbat vampire point blank on the face and sidestepping to let the near-headless body fall, already half-burning, half decomposing and quickly turning to dust and bone fragments.
With a jolt of relief The Fledgling feels the blade withdrawing, allowing her wounds to mend. The remaining Sabbat get up, and the leader hisses at her. "This ain't over. We'll find you."
"You too, Rodriguez. You're both dead! Nobody messes with the Sabbat and lives." She waits until the sound of footsteps disappears to start getting up.
"Name's Nines." The stranger looks around at the still-empty streets before putting his gun away. "I remember you from the court. Should've been more careful, newbie. This ain't the burbs."
She regards the man, giving a nod, but has to wait a bit longer until the holes in her lungs close to be able to draw breath and speak. "What happened to one through eight?"
Rodriguez shook his head, a smile threatening to show up. "I got things to deal with. Why don't you pay me a visit at the Last Round after you clean up and pull yourself together? I don't know what you've heard so far, but it's time you heard the real story."
"I like stories. But sometimes, I don't know what I'm saying. CLOUD NIPPLES. See? I am gone." Fact is, Nines' opportune arrival just seemed too opportune right now: getting to her feet, Amara staggered away.
"You do that kid. See ya." After watching The Fledgling a moment, Nines also wandered off.
None of the glamor of being a vampire books and movies promised.
Well, not like she had asked to join it.
The Fledgling crosses into one of the darker stretches of the city, trying to untangle the political web she's found herself entrapped in: thoughts fly across her fractured mind like angry hornets, absorbing most of her awareness. Then....a sudden flash of white light and the ground seems to flow under then come up to meet her. Pain arrives at the same time her body hits the cold asphalt, and with it the knowledge that she's just been attacked.
For the first time since the Embrace, her undead flesh refuses to obey her will: her spine is broken, shards of her skull have been driven into her brain. Not, in and off itself, a fatal wound... she could heal even this, if she had time, but the cold voice full of acidic, sadistic humor that reaches her ears tells her the hourglass is almost out of sand. "We're going to have a lot of fun with this one. Think you could blow up our warehouse and get away with it? Huh, Lick?"
"Let's stake it and leave it out for the sunrise." A second malicious voice rings, closer to her prone form. "I want her teeth."
"Let's drain it." A third voice, this one a feral growl. "Camarilla fuck!"
"Boys, I think we could all use a little entertainment." The first voice again, punctuated by the sound of a switchblade being opened. "Those of you sitting in the first few rows will get wet..."
It is very unfortunate that the feeling starts returning to her limbs exactly when the Sabbat trio pin her down for the leader to start carving her flesh from her bones.
"Okay, that's enough." The new voice, a deep bass, clear and strong, makes the fiends stop their grisly revenge act and look up hissing like animals.
"Son of a bitch!" The leader growls, twisting the blade buried to the hilt in the fledgling's body. "There's three of us, Rodriguez. This ain't none of your business."
"This is all of my business: you are in my turf, making a mess I'd have to clean up." He makes his words more meaningful with the click of a gun's action being thumbed. "Now, let go of her, and get out of here."
"Whaddya gonna do? Shoot us?" The one holding her left side lets go, jumping towards the newcomer with a growl; the Fledgling takes the chance to look up, and sees a man holding a large revolver, and a very scarred attacker in mid-air. 'Rodriguez' adjusts his aim and fires, hitting the Sabbat vampire point blank on the face and sidestepping to let the near-headless body fall, already half-burning, half decomposing and quickly turning to dust and bone fragments.
With a jolt of relief The Fledgling feels the blade withdrawing, allowing her wounds to mend. The remaining Sabbat get up, and the leader hisses at her. "This ain't over. We'll find you."
"You too, Rodriguez. You're both dead! Nobody messes with the Sabbat and lives." She waits until the sound of footsteps disappears to start getting up.
"Name's Nines." The stranger looks around at the still-empty streets before putting his gun away. "I remember you from the court. Should've been more careful, newbie. This ain't the burbs."
She regards the man, giving a nod, but has to wait a bit longer until the holes in her lungs close to be able to draw breath and speak. "What happened to one through eight?"
Rodriguez shook his head, a smile threatening to show up. "I got things to deal with. Why don't you pay me a visit at the Last Round after you clean up and pull yourself together? I don't know what you've heard so far, but it's time you heard the real story."
"I like stories. But sometimes, I don't know what I'm saying. CLOUD NIPPLES. See? I am gone." Fact is, Nines' opportune arrival just seemed too opportune right now: getting to her feet, Amara staggered away.
"You do that kid. See ya." After watching The Fledgling a moment, Nines also wandered off.