Vampire: Dark Ages - Scene 4: In the Halls of the Dead

[Seska Karantanija]

As the Sabine-hawk flies back towards them, Seska holds out her right arm. The sleeve of her riding outfit having been reinforced for her own falcons to perch upon.

[Alína Nyárí]

You are beautiful, little puppy....
...beg pardon, but I think I will always think of you like that, no matter your form, Alina smiles radiantly at the hawk as she circles overhead. As you are able to change in to these animals so easily, and make bird calls much more accurately than I, so am I now able to send and receive the thoughts of others.

Switching her focus again, the healer sends towards the owl. Dara, will you come meet others who were at the dinner and changed in the manner I was changed? The hawk claims she wanted to play, not hunt. And the woman is the Lady Seska Karantanija, countess of our home province. Although they are now each a "dead thing" such as I am, I request you come see we are still essentially ourselves.

Holding her own arm aloft towards her familiar, Alina pleads her case. Please Dara. Come learn as I do.

[Olaf_Magnusson]

Remorsefully, the big blond man, lowers his head, and says, "I have greatly wronged you, Danukas. I slurred you most basely, wrongly. I thought anyone in this land would follow the man on a stick, not thinking that there MUST be those who are still free in their hearts and souls. My ire is far too easily roused of late", with a wry smile, "but that does not excuse, merely explains. I ask your pardon"

[Erick Shinnings]

Castle Giovanni

Reeling from the visions, Erick sees a man coming toward him. It doesn't take long for Erick to realize that this man is real, and not changing into some bizarre obscenity before his very eyes. Mustering my wits, and making a thankful note to whatever god sent this strange bats, I jump to my feet and run as fast as my legs can carry me. Before me in the distance, the murky trees of the forest beckon, and that is where I run.

[Goatkiller666]

The Red Lamb Inn
----------------------

Danukas bows again to Taduz, "Of course. I was wrong before. Magic, certainly, but not witchcraft." To Olaf, "My pardon is given. And yet, my Lord is still in this state. How can we free him?"

Zombar Village
--------------------

Dara soars higher, above the circling falcon. My covenant with Alina bids me stay with you until I can determine the state of her soul. I am not bid associate with other dead things.

Castle Giovanni
---------------------

Erick begins to run towards the trees. Gunter is close on his heals, but Erick's natural quickness and Gunter's heavy armor allow Erick to pull slightly ahead.

From the ground, Wolfgang screams in panic and rage. He flails his arms at the bats while he stands, knocking one or two to the ground. "I see them. The same ones who would destroy Munchen! NO!" He turns towards Erick as well, and begins to give chase. And though he is a long ways behind his brother, it seems that his rage is spurning him to greater speeds.

Erick sees a black cat climb down the trunk of a tree up ahead. It turns towards him, with glowing red eyes, and then speaks. This one will not take your soul from me, child. Fear not. Then it launches into a fearful liturgy in a deep rumbly voice, speaking a language long thought dead.

Both brothers and Dante hear the cat as well, as it begins to chant. None may understand its words, though all three feel somehow defiled by their sounds. It is as if the Devil himself were speaking through the cat's mouth, sharing unholy stories of the twisting of God's vision on Earth. The disturbing sound seems to echo in each of their hearts, giving them flashes of horrible scenes. For the brothers, they are revisiting the horrors Dante had revealed to them before. Their steps slow slightly, though the horrors strengthen their resolve to hunt and destroy this demonspawn before them.

Dante hears, There! The guardian!

[Sabine]

I see Seska's glove. I remember seeing the noble ladies with their falcons. Now I'm the pretty falcon. I go to the noble lady. I land on her gloved hand, and start to preen.

[Alína Nyárí]

Zombar Village
--------------------

Dara soars higher, above the circling falcon. My covenant with Alina bids me stay with you until I can determine the state of her soul. I am not bid associate with other dead things.

Lowering her proffered arm, the Jewess replies, As you desire, my friend. I still rejoice you will watch and determine where we stand for yourself instead of acting purely on assumption of what you initially perceive.

Turning towards her Lady, Alína sees Sabine-hawk land on her arm and again smiles. Said both verbally so Seska may follow and mentally so she may hear any reply Sabine may wish to make in this form, she addresses the young hawk. "The owl is a friend of mine named Dara, little puppy. I assured her you meant no harm, but caution overwhelms her right now. Perhaps one day she will agree to play in the air with you.

"If there is ever anything you would like to tell us while in hawk or puppy form, perhaps anything for Lady Seska, or the tutor Taduz, I would be most happy to relay a message from you to them, so they need not worry regarding where you may dart off to without informing them. I would be glad to be at your service in future in this way."

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska pets Sabine, only running her hand in the direction of the feathers' lay. Her voice is forlorn, "I'll never be able to hunt with my falcons again, will I, little one?"

[Alína Nyárí]

Hearing the forlorn note in her Lady's voice, Alína does her best to console her. "I am learning while there are things we must give up in our new existence, m'lady, there appears to also be unexpected gifts as well. Perhaps one day we will stumble upon a way for you to be able to hunt with your falcons again.

"There is still so much we do not yet know..."

[Taduz Illyannovich]

I return the bow.

"The Lady mentioned about an hour from onset, I'd say it would be about half that time has passed, maybe a quarter of it."

It doesn't listen.

"Time loses it sense when things begin to happen all at once"

He is blind yet seems to see, while it is deaf and fakes at listening.

"Now that this is settled, I'd once again advise not being near him, in case his fury it still upon him"

Not that it wouldn't be informational to watch.

"We don't know what may happen."

I return to my seat, still concentrating on Danukas so I know if he moves against me.

You never know how chattel will react when it's not properly...trained.

[Sabine]

I say in my head, I'm a falcon. I'm a hunting hound. I should be with a noble, like a good hound, like a good falcon. I've found Lady Seska, and she was nice to me. I'll keep her, like Szolt and the others kept me. Szolt? I need my pack! I should get them!

I fly off to the northwest.

[Seska Karantanija]

"I have found little to consider a gift so far and my mood far too variable to enjoy what little I have."

She sighs. "I should return to the inn. I left Bojan, Vida, and Pierre rather abruptly after that confrontation. And Gedeminas should be awakening soon. There is no telling what will occur then."

[Alína Nyárí]

Glancing quickly at her Lady's arm to be sure Sabine's talons did Seska no injury in her haste to leave, Alína mutters quietly to herself, "she will need some training in proper decorum when departing from a lady in that state..."

Seeing her Lady look after the departing hawk in surprise, the Jewess asks, "Do you know of anyone in the child's past by the name of Szolt? She likened "keeping you" to the way she had been kept by someone named Szolt and others.

"Her last thought was of going to get her pack for some reason. The thought of Szolt triggered her desire for it."

At her Lady's words Alína lowers her gaze. "We have much yet to learn and discover, m'lady. There is joy in life. Any life. We need but find it."

Seeing the bowl in her Lady's hands, the Jewess raises a brow in its direction. "Was there a purpose for you heading out here with that which I can help you fulfill before we head back to the inn? If not, I will be happy to give you a lift back there on Zoja.

"And Gedeminas still sleeps? This late after dusk?"

[Goatkiller666]

Northwest of Zombar
-------------------------

Sabine flies to the northwest, trying to find a familiar landmark to get her to Szolt's. The nearly full moon helps this, but she's not used to the new height, so things all look strange.

There's a bridge over a small stream, that she thinks looks familiar. When she flies lower to look, she recognizes the ford upstream from the bridge, and knows where she is.

From there, she flies low to the ground, almost from child's eye height, and makes it the rest of the way to the Baron's hunting cottage. Behind the cottage is a building almost as big: the kennel. Several dogs are visible around the place, though most of them are sleeping indoors.

[Sabine]

I land. I turn back into a girl. I call all the dogs over to me. [Animalism 2]

[Goatkiller666]

Northwest of Zombar
-------------------------

Sabine lets out a loud cry, as of a dog calling to its pack. All over the estate, dogs wake, perking their heads up with interest. They get up slowly, not sensing danger, and meander into the clearing where Sabine is standing. As they get closer to her, they recognize their friend and start to bounce around happily.

Soon, Szolt walks over, and all of the other dogs move out of his way. He's a large courser, long legged with large jaws. Sabine doesn't know what breed he is, just that he's her friend.

[Seska Karantanija]

Seska smirks. "Keep me?" She shakes her head. "I do not know of any Szolt."

"The bowl," she looks down at it, having forgotten already, "was for some pigs. Dinner at the inn did not agree with me. We can return now."

"Gedeminas... had a bit of a forced nap. Things did not go well tonight."

[Sabine]

I'm really hungry. Lady Seska said we could drink just a little bit. It was fun just taking it hot. I want to do that again.

I ask Szolt and the pack if they can come hunting with me. [Animalism 1]

[Alína Nyárí]

Alarm rising in Alína's eyes, she asks of her Lady, "A forced nap? Things have not gone well? Is anyone hurt that may need attention?"

Dismounting from Zoja, she cups her hand and offers a boost up to Seska. "Please m'lady. Let Zoja bear you back to the inn. I have rested on her back long enough and will not slow us down. If anyone needs aid I must do as I can..."

[Goatkiller666]

The Red Lamb Inn

[Olaf's player will be AFK for the next week or so, and I will run him as an NPC during that time.]

Alina and Seska stable Zora and then enter the Inn again.

Gedeminas is still seated, still beaten, and still frozen in his frenzied face. Olaf and Danukas are at the table with him, speaking quietly. It turns out that Lithuania is fairly close to Scandinavia. (I assume Taduz is with them, but feel free to be elsewhere if you prefer.)

Vida, Bojan, and Pierre are sitting at their original seats, with Seska's seat still open.

Sigismund and his family are long gone for the night. Perhaps the sound of their betters shouting caused them to stay locked in their chambers.

Northwest of Zombar
-------------------------

Szolt "smiles", and howls to the others to start hunting. He asks what game they should find, while the 29 other dogs run out of the estate and into the woods.