Path of the Vampire forum

.....The Crimson Moon (or 'Blood Moon' as some call it) can be a focus for certain spells to be used....

Zodiac flipped past the reference. She knew that already. Her grandmother had a disjointed style in her note keeping that was forcing her to cover a lot of ground to find a clue. Suddenly the tome was knocked to the floor and she looked up to see a very angry CC glaring at her.

Cinnamon Cherrywhip wrote:
"Who the **** do you think you are to talk to me like that?!"

A gurgled hiss was the gypsy's reply as her own fangs emerged. She knew CC was challenging anyone and anything every chance she got, but she was going to have the audacity to call her out in her own domain? She saw the fingernails (now looking more like claws) tearing into the surface of her reading table but she was not cowed by the display. Her own anger was growing and she was already considering what would be the best way to put this...beast back to its proper place when suddenly, the allurist's attitude changed again. She watched the girl suddenly come and sit beside her on the floor. The touching surprised her, but the look on the woman's face told her more. CC was having her own problems now.

Slowly, she reached down and petted the girl's hair. "It's okay. We gonna figure out what is going on." she spoke calmly to her thoughts now. "Just try and rest now."

"Zo? Is everything okay in here?" She looked to the door and saw Jennifer standing with the requested blanket on one hand and a gun in the other. She must have witnessed the exchange between the two and had been judging the situation.

"I think so, for now anyway," She motioned for the blanket and then draped it over CC's shoulders. She knew the woman had no issues with being naked but she hoped the blanket might comfort or give her a sense of security for a bit. Jennifer began picking up the tomes and laying them back on the table.

"Jenn, was the moon red when it first came up?" She asked while still absently petting the girl.

"Actually, no it wasn't." Jennifer finished picking up and took her seat again. "When I was coming in it was just a normal old moon. It turned red later on."

"How long was that?"

"Couple hours ago," the girl shrugged. "Is that important?"

"Actually, it is. Whatever is effecting us is not coming from the moon, but using the moon like a focal point to open others to the effects is my best guess. What is causing these problems comes from something else." It made sense. An event like this in the past would not be buried in the depths of her Nanna's notes but highlighted boldly for future references. She did the same in her own writings. Big red box around the entry that screamed THIS IS IMPORTANT!

But who could pull off something like this and why kept gnawing at her thoughts. Moreso the why. Why turn vampires into muscle bound maniacs? Damn it, she was close to something here but drawing blanks.

"I need you to get on the phone and call some of my 'associates' and see how they are doing, please. Also call over at the Eye and see if they are having any problems there." she asked while grabbing a tome that contained some of her grandmother's more powerful spells. Zodiac looked up and saw Jennifer still sitting and looking at her. "Jennifer, please. This is important."

"Did I do something wrong? Why aren't you taking to me here." the girl tapped the side of her head with a confused look.

"Huh? I am talking!" she snapped but her thrall continued to sit unmoved by the tone of her mental voice. She motioned for a moment and held her hand palm up and concentrated. The palm glowed briefly as she summoned the Burning Touch but it quickly flickered and died as if the fuel for the fire was suddenly gone.

"Well, **** me." she frowned. Whatever was going on, the effects were spreading. She smiled at Jennifer and resorted to her original way of speaking with her and repeated her instructions in sign language. Jennifer nodded and went to get her phone as Zodiac sat and considered the newest bit of evidence.

"Short tempers, little reasoning, big muscles and now no powers." It was the worse combination you could find in something like they were now. Even most killers had a degree of control or common sense to them, but this? If CC was any clue as to the norm now, any idea of the maintaining the Masq was right out the window......

She froze. Jennifer returned with the phone in hand and took a seat. "Who do you want me to call first, Zo. Zo? What's wrong now?"

She did not answer with her hands, but grabbed a pen and wrote her reply.

SOMEONE IS ON SAFARI TONIGHT

She sat at the bottom step of West apartment for what seemed like forever, her bullet ridden shoulder still stung like hell and still bleeding... It wasn't healing at all, she thanked everything that it was a mere through and through shot and promptly pulled off both her socks, finding that even in her fragile appearance she was still relatively strong as she tore both sleeves off her shirt and screwed one up; placing the ball of fabric between her teeth before tying the socks together around the bullet hole and covered them with the other shirt sleeve, spitting out the pain muzzle and grabbing one end of the knotted bandage with her teeth, the other in her fingers as she pulled it tight and knotted it again. A crappy temporary fix but it'd do for now.

She barely had time to get her boots back on when she heard the running outside the apartment door, shouting and more gunfire... Guns! She'd left hers behind in the rush to escape but now she felt like a sitting duck just hiding in her sire's home. Opening the door to grab one of the passing hunters by the collar and held the human tight, lifting it's arm so when his buddies shot at her, she used the caught hunter as both shield and sword, letting it take the bullets and the pain of being shot forced a trigger squeeze which she could direct and quickly dropped the other two. Taking all 3 rifles she looted the bodies for extra ammo or other weapons.

"спасибо little human."

Naturally she'd thank for new toys, like gifts stolen from their true recipients but tonight wasn't the time for trivial "my toy get your own" attitudes. If she were to survive then she'd learn to share and she could hear them moving upstairs, her sire, Lizzie.. Molly. The poor human had been through hell lately and now she had to experience it first hand. Taking the stairs two at a time as she made her way up and threw two of the three rifles on the floor infront of Robert.

"Not able find Little bear, I not healing, powers not working and I look like monster... So do you, Little bear alone out there. This have Paladin all over it Papa! They ask how to close rift, ask you about rituals, I know it not mean anything now but you right... I sorry. Hunters already in tower, stay here shoot anything that come through door that didn't call first da? Now not time to be friendly"

She meant it too, if they had indeed shut the rift and stopped every strength the vampires had.. It'd be a massacre. She shouldered the rifle she kept and smiled faintly to Molly, sure the human still hated her but she didn't have time to think about that, her childe was outside in what One could only describe as a DMZ. She didn't wait for an answer just smiled at her sire then high tailed it from the apartment, the elevator seemed a stupid idea now as it was just a giant steel kill box on cables that could be cut or shot and she'd be taking a long drop with a very short stop. No the stairs were the only option left and she cleared them with ease collecting ammo from a few more hunters and avoiding the ones she could, unnecessary combat without healing powers was nigh suicidal.

The street was pandemonium, humans, paladins, hunters and mutated vampires running havoc it was little more than a warzone and she knew she'd have a journey ahead as her childe seemed to adore wickbridge sewers so there really wasn't much time to hang around lolly gagging! If she weren't already too late. Crossing the city the Russian picked her rights carefully, watching and waiting then springing out and killing the victor, claiming whatever both bodies had on them be it ammo or just more fabric to replace her home made bandages. She needed to get higher, off the ground and onto a roof where she had the advantage, put the fight back on her terms and with Beta tower both in sight and right near the sewer entrance, she could find her old rifle and sit on the roof.

Raiding the old apartment was easy, she knew the layout blindfolded and almost immediately had gathered traps and her own guns, her own ammo and some old body armour, heading to the roof she laid out nasty surprises along the way, hidden at sporadic intervals were shrapnel bombs and bear traps and right behind the roof door were two sentry turrets. No one was getting behind her without her at least knowing about it first! She set up on the ledge and cocked her rifle, looking down the woman learnt just how bad it'd gotten and now she had her weapon, her spot was locked down and she had her phone with which she sent out two texts.

"Robert, is Ivy. I at Beta, safe, if know anyone in that area tell them roof is safest place, tell them get off street.. And for love of Freya, shoot for kill"

"Tiamat... Little bear, if get this I on Beta roof, keys for truck are in pillowcase on bed but if aren't home yet, head for West tower. Mama and Robert waiting for you, call out before enter.. Stay safe, shoot like I taught you, stay alive and will see you soon."

Ivy put the phone down and picked up the rifle, pushing the scope against her eye before aiming low stuck in the mental debate of save humans, or save her own kind. Normally humans won because vampires cheated with their powers but tonight the playing field was level and it was the vampires who were afraid so with a boom and an earth moving thud, her rifle fired and a hunter hit the deck, she picked her side for the evening and got giddy with the trigger, each round placed into a human, be it civilian or paladin or hunter she didn't care, if it wasn't mutated or dried up.. It got shot at.

Charlotte scurried through the streets as fast as she could, heading North to take her to Veil Towers and the building where the business was housed. Her head was bowed as she stared at the ground rushing by under her, and she point blank refused to look around herself and at the strange noises and fighting that was going on. She'd been the victim to enough beatings and abuses in her time, she wasn't going to become a victim again - she ran too fast for that, she hoped!

Her hand pushed the door open to Veil and she made the last few steps in a flying run, pushing the front door open and slamming it shut behind her, turning the lock to keep the city out. Her head rested against the door frame as she tried to regain her breath. Her legs felt like jelly under her and they were shaking, threatening to drop her to the ground. Each breath was taken in in a large and shudering gasp, while her hands clutched the door and used it to hold herself up.

It took a good 10 minutes before her body was back under her control and she was able to let go of the door and make her way around the ground floor looking for Iris. With each step, her leg shook and threatened not to hold her weight while her lungs told her they were trying to clamber up her throat to spew from her mouth. However little by little she made it around the entire office - though her high heeled shoes didn't make it all the way around and were kicked off and into a corner so that she was padding around in her bare feet.

She stood in the middle of the office and frowned, before her eyes scanned to the stairs. There was certainly no sign of Iris down here, so it meant upstairs was the next option. Her feet padded over and her hands reached out to the upper steps and she half crawled and half walked up them until she met the closed doors. Her hands pushed to open them and found resistance as if they were locked.

"Iris? Iris are you up here?"

She could pick the lock easily enough, but there was no way she wanted to burst in on her boss in a compromising situation with a gentleman friend. She waited for the right amount of time and then waited a little longer just in case. There was no answer still, so she picked the lock and let herself in - once more wandering around and looking for the woman.

"Iris? Iris?"

There seemed to be no sign of her, but then, a noise came from the bathroom that turned Charlotte's head. Carefully and slowly she snuck to the door and listened, hoping it was Iris and not..... god knew what or who. After a moment of listening and not knowing what she was listening to, she knocked gently and whispered through it.

"Iris? Is that you? Iris, you ok? It's Charlotte."

And then waited.

He shook his head as Lizzie asked him about The Order and rituals, he just didn't have the answers.

"Lizzie, I honestly don't know anything about what's going on tonight. The Paladins didn't want to share anything, they asked for all the trust and gave none in return. They asked about rituals and I know Ivy has been giving them info too about various things - and now a few nights later this? It just seems too..."

There was a noise from downstairs and he froze, just as Lizzie and Molly did - all looking at the door that led downstairs. Nothing else came for a while before there were shots fired and a large commotion. Robert moved himself in front of Lizzie, fearing the worst and angling it so he could push her from the window depending on what came through the door. However, what came through the door was Ivy, in a much similar state to Robert and with guns that were thrown at his feet.

He listened to her speech and rubbed his head, unable to reply as she turned and ran right back down the stairs in the blink of an eye. He followed after her, trying to catch up to her to tell her to get her *** back inside. However in the pandemonium in the stairs and corridors, he lost sight of her. He managed to get back into the apartment unseen and returned to Lizzie with a shake of his head - seeing the state she was in and drawing her to him to comfort her unselfishly.

"She's gone. To do what - Lux only knows. However - she'd better not hurt any humans, regardless of what's going on!"

He watched out the window as he held Lizzie to him, and he had no idea how long he stood there for as things happened on the streets - but the next thing he knew there was a text on his phone. He pulled it out and read it, frowning and showing it to Lizzie before then replying.

"Ivy, don't do anything stupid. Remember - the humans are not our enemy and will need as much help as anyone else. Culling a few of our own is better than the humans being hurt!"

He showed the reply to Lizzie and then hit send, once more looking out of the window and freezing.

"****!"

He pointed down the street, to a lamp post, where there was a man clinging to the metal as if it would save him somehow. Quickly his arms unwrapped from around Lizzie and he grabbed the scarf from her, using it on himself to cover himself up as best he could.

"Lizzie, stay here. You and Molly - stay here and don't make a noise. That's Nimrod down there and there's no way in hell I'm leaving him there alone! See if you can find some candy to placate him.... OH! The ice cream!"

He leant forwards and kissed her gently, more out of habit than anything, because as he drew back he felt fairly uncomfortable and ill at ease, as if it had been too soon. However, he didn't let himself think on it too much, instead just legged it down the stairs and out into the melay to go and find Nimrod. He took the elevator down, some sort of fracas happening around the corner distracting everyone else. He kept his head down and his hands in his pockets and half ran, half walked out of the foyer and into the street.

The city was like a warzone tonight, and it took all his courage and restraint to walk towards the man clinging to the lamp post. He managed to make it to him unscathed and leant in to the man's ear.

"Nimrod, it's Robert. Blessings of the Light be upon you. It's not safe in the city tonight, you need to come to my house. We have ice cream there - we'll keep you safe. But you've got to come now!"

He looked around, realising there was a group further up the street looking at him in a really funny way, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they realised and came for him too.

CC just sat there, totally confused and feeling very alone. She could hear the human tlaking and asking questions, but as the answers weren't for her none of them entered her head. However, when the human asked what was wrong, her head lifted and watched as Zo began to flap her hands around as if she were having a fit. Her eyes widened as the human seemed to understand what the flapping meant and went off to do something the hands had indicated.

It was only then, as she turned her head to watch the woman's departure, that she realised she were covered in a blanket. Her hands lifted and took hold of the corners, wrapping it around herself with a slight shiver which was more from fear and confusion than from anything temperature related. She looked up again to the table when she heard something writing. Twisting her head, she could see the words Someone is on Safari Tonight. She frowned and looked at Zo, not understanding what was meant. However, looking up at the woman was having a weird effect on her and giving her urges she didn't normally have. Her tongue split her lips and dampened them as she stared, but when one hand snaked out from the blanket to run all the way up the woman's leg - she knew she needed to move.

She all but sprung to her feet and ran to the window, pulling the curtain around her so that while it was still 'mostly' closed, she was behind it looking out into the city. And what she saw - was carnage. There were gangs of men and women, tattooed much as she was, roaming the streets and attacking those who were like her, other vampires. She watched in silence for a while, her mouth hanging open at the violence out there and her hands opened and closed on the blanket, itching to go out and join in and kill and maim these people who were hurting those like her.

"Zodiac......"

Her voice was almost like a silken snarl as it oozed through her lips and finished with a purr.

"I'm needed out there. Those guys need to be taught a lesson and they need to see what it's like to come up against a REAL vampire!"

SHe turned from the window and swept the curtain aside as she began to stalk to the door, retrieving a sword as she went and growling.

A large mob was blocking the way down the street after Alexandrea got to the entrance for the Wickbridge station, so she went down an alleyway that led to Beta Towers. She found a moment of peace and quiet under a fire escape and took a few minutes to text to everyone that she cared about to stay inside and hide. This was so much more than a riot at the mall.

Her first thought had been that that evil Fae, Crow, had done something but once she saw what was going on in the streets even Alex had to admit that something else was at work here. For the first time, she looked up and saw the moon and she whimpered, hunkering down in fear and confusion. She didn't have any clue what it meant but her gut told her that something was very very wrong and that the bloody red slice of moon had something to do with it.

For several minutes, Alexandrea stayed crouched down under the fire escape in absolute terror but she made herself be calm, thinking about her thrall Morgan whom she had promised she would go to and try her best to keep safe. Her mind screamed at her to just run and hide but her heart own out. That young human woman was Alexandrea's responsibility and there was no way she could live with her self if she let anything happen to Morgan.

She counted to one hundred and thought of how as an allurist she automatically drew extra attention before pulling her hood more tightly around her face, keeping her hands wrapped in the ample folds of the black velvet cloak. It was time to act, not think.

Steeling her nerves, she still slunk around Beta Towers in the shadows, avoiding any light from the streets until she saw the park across the street and was about to make a run for it and the darkness under the trees when she saw him. Nimrod. And he wasn't alone.

Standing over the timid man who had only ever been sweet to her, was one of her own. And Nimmy looked terrified. Alex didn't blame him. She felt terrified herself. Gunshots were sounding off from all over the city and whatever direction she turned she could see violence everywhere. Someone who looked like a walking corpse, much as she herself did, was brought down but the humans around him didn't kill him. Rather they stuck a hood over his head after he had stopped moving and dragged him off.

Alexandrea's hands were trembling as she fought off the urge to flee. She didn't know who the vampire with Nimrod was or what he wanted but she couldn't just leave and not try to help her friend. She wouldn't want to live as a coward.

Still staying to the shadows as much as she possibly could Alex made her way to where Nimmy sat under... a bright street light, of all things. She made she all of her was hidden before she stepped between her friend and the vampire she didn't recognize. She knelt beside the blood thief and pressed his hand gently with hers after glaring at the other vampire and hissing; "Don't you dare try to hurt my friend."

Speaking more loudly so Nimmy could her her, she spoke again; "Nimmy. It's Alexandrea. Please don't look at me, I'm... having a really bad hair day. But I want to get you someplace safe, please get up and come with me? It's not safe for either of us out here."

Nimrod was sobbing, jumping at every loud sound that was made. The light pole was not keeping the monsters away, “I got a lovely bunch of coconuts..” he sang, closing his eyes tightly. Should have stayed behind the plants, could he make it there? No….they were everywhere. He yelped when someone was right next to him, his eyes wide.

“Rob…Robbie?” he said, oh he was glad to see…hear someone he knew. Why was his face covered? What he could see…was creepy. Did he get into an accident? No…vampies heal. “I’m scared…hell has opened up, all the demons been let loose. It’s the end of the world.” He said. He started to cry more. “This isn’t fair, I haven’t gotten to live freely that long.”
“Ice cream?” Nimrod said suddenly distracted. His sweets, he looked towards the bank. He must have dropped them when he hit the creature. He swallowed hard, trying to will himself to let go of the light pole.

Then another was there, he felt something touch his hand. He heard the voice, “Nice lady?” he said. She was threatening Robbie. “Oh, it ok, he’s friend…he the one that told me about vampies.” he said. He blinked, looking at one to the other. He wasn’t sure who to go with at the moment, one had ice cream though.

Nimmy jumped when a gun fired, he flung himself toward Alex and clung to her, he was shaking. “I don’t want to die..”

Anemoi was in his hotel room, figuring out how much more money he had to make before he could get a place of his own. He rubbed at the back of his neck, thinking about going out to get some beer. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, shouts and screams were heard outside, along with gunshots. “What in the world..” he said. He stood up, moving to the window and pushing a blade of the blinds down. He raised an eyebrow. Chaos in the streets, the moon was an odd color. “What now? How much more fucked up can this town get.” He muttered. He grabbed his weapons and headed out.

It didn’t take long to figure out that humans were up against creatures he hadn’t seen before. He killed zombies before, and some of the other creatures he had found in that QZ or the underground area. He remembered when those things go loose before however, so how did this happen?

He took out his blade and went to work, attacking one of the creatures he saw. He was thankful for having his paladin abilities that helped give him a boost. The thing fell to the ground and didn’t move. “One down..” he said, looking off down the street. “Too many to count to go.”

Anemoi ran for the next one, barely missing being shot. “Hey watch it!” he yelled, people were far too trigger happy here even if there was a reason to be right now. “I got this, get out of here.” He snapped at them. He turned his attention back to the creature who had started to run again, Anemoi gave chase. He look a slice at its leg, which made it stop by tumbling. Anemoi stabbed it in the head and chest, but it turned to ash unlike the last one.

He stared confused. Vampires turn to ash, so why did the other one not do that? Are these things vampires but they just got ugly or were they just related to vampires? This didn’t make any sense to him but the danger of the streets was real, not just from the creatures but from the humans who were attacking them.

Anemoi took out his cell phone, he tried to call Mike several times but he didn’t get an answer. He didn’t need to call Nimrod to know where he might be, those two he was worried about. Snow should be alright with the old guy. He ran for the bank, only to find Nimrod outside it, holding on for dear life to someone.

“Nimrod, are you ok? Who are these people?” he asked.

”Friends, they friends…I’m ok.” Nimrod said.

Anemoi looked from the figure he was holding onto, to the other. “Alright, get somewhere safe, now. I need to find Mike, he isn’t answering his phone.” He said and ran off. He just hope that damn geek wasn’t out here for some reason.

His head turned as another vampire turned up, and threatened him... What was with vampires and the threatening all the time. It was ridiculous. He was about to answer when Nimrod stepped in and spoke, confirming he was a friend. He looked the woman over as best he could, because she was as covered as he was, if not better. However, a Paladin began to approach and Robert grasped his sword, just in case. These people had been attacking vampires all over the city, and he wasn't about to let this one attack him, Nimrod or the woman. Though, he wasn't going to attack him either if he didn't have to. However it seemed that the Paladin and Nimrod knew one another, and it wasn't long before it ran off again to do god knows what with someone called Mike.

Once more it was just the three of them, however Robert spotted that the group that had been looking at him and Nimrod strangely, were now approaching and brandishing weapons and evil grins. He counted how many of them there were, thought about how Nimrod usually was, took into account he had no powers and therefore doubted the woman did either - and decided there was no way in hell he would be able to take them on and protect Nimrod in such an open space as this.

He reached out and grabbed the back of Nimrods top and also the woman's shoulder and gave a pull, to get them back towards West Towers.

"Look, we don't have time for this. I'm sorry, but we need to move or you and me Miss, are dead. And looking at some of these bodies I've seen - So's Nimrod. I don't want anything to happen to either of you, so we need to move and we need to move now."

He stepped around behind them and pulled out his sword, ready to protect their retreat from the growing mob.

"Miss, if you know the way to West Towers, I suggest you start running, and take Nimrod with you. Get yourself to the 9th floor, apartment 5. I'll be right behind you and I'll make sure you're both safe from the rear. But seriously.... ******* go now!"

And then he waited, his back pressed to them so he'd know when they went and then he'd follow and do just as he'd said he would.

Iris looked at the handful of hair in her grip and the tooth in the other. Her fingers were disturbing to look at and her body she was pretty confident was in similar shape beneath the layers. What was happening? Was she in some sort of limbo before finally passing into the final stage of permanent death? If she was then she certainly missed that handy piece of information in her lengthy and time consuming talks with her sire about what to expect in being what she was. There were others that had the experience she did and she didn’t see them walking around with missing teeth and hair falling out or hands looking like a rotting cadaver.

The young woman moved back to the window and peered out to the streets below the Veil Tower. A body was being dragged by two others. It appeared it was becoming a futile effort and one of the two released the hold on it then began kicking at the mass on the ground. Iris’ jaw dropped while the other pulled a gun from behind its back and aimed it at the motionless body. A popping sound of the weapon firing sent Iris towards the direction of the bathroom door. That is when she nearly jumped to the ceiling with hair and tooth in hands. A female voice was calling her name and asking if she was in there. It was Charlotte! She was on the other side of the bathroom door.

“Yes, it’s me, Charlotte. Please feel free to make yourself comfortable or grab a broom if you wish.” She reached over and quickly wiggled the cabinet door to sound as if she was busy but happy to hear the woman’s voice all the same. “There was a water leak and I decided to roll up my sleeves and fix it. It is quite a mess so I am afraid I will be in here for a bit. Thank you for coming over and offering to work. You will be paid accordingly. You sounded upset when you called. I do hope everything is okay.”

Iris dropped the tooth from her hand into the small pocket inside her peplum jacket. She balled up the long length of hair in her hand and tucked that in the pocket at her right hip. She was out of space to carry anything else should it fall out or off so she prayed for everything else on her to slow down and hang on till she could find out what was going on. Charlotte was not going to see her if Iris had her way. Charlotte. Actually the woman arriving may be a good thing after all.

“Charlotte, would it be too much to ask you to call over to Zodiac’s shops and see how she is doing this evening? I would do it myself but I am about to take up plumbing.” With that said she grabbed a wire brush that happened to be in the small cabinet and started banging on pipes next to the commode.