A thick shadow creeps silently into a run-down warehouse. The full moon's light causing pools of glow to streak through gaps in the splintered wood that boards up the windows like a lock on a prison. A dim slap echoes through the walls of the building as the still invisible form drops a bag from its shoulders. The warehouse it's self is virtually empty. A few makeshift beds line the bottom layer of the building. Putrid stains of piss and vomit stripe the concrete colored floor of the building, along with rusted pipes loosened from the walls.
The Shadow slips down to the floor, on a bended knee. The light darts against the silhouette exposing the forms all to pale hand. The fingers skillfully unzip the bag, and sift and arm into the contents, before extracting, needed item-in this case a notebook and pen. As quickly and skillfully as the hand unzips the bag, the form zips it back. The form moves over to the wall, setting its head back against the cold brick. A ray of moonlight vivisects the shadows from the pale figure. The form's features are not natural!
The man's shaven head turns to the camera a moment, his yellowed eyes look at you a moment. The thin fingers he used before are more noticeable now, they seem to elongate from his very wrists, Tran seeding to pairs of thick but short claws. The Ears on his skull seem to almost point in a way. A few tattoos are present on this inhuman form, a gang symbol you see on his neck, the sign formulated with cabal DNA. You also note two others on his forearms. Though the last two are indistinguishable. You can tell that from close proximity this man looks almost animal like, a predator of people like you one would think; yet he can flow through the world undetected. Would you believe that a seemingly normal man would be such a thing? I hast think not.
His name is Velrik D'Lunish, sometimes more than a man. Sometimes less, he's still relatively new to this immortality game. Though we needn't know that to hear his story. Velrik's yellowed eyes flick down towards the notebook as he flips a few pages forward, past a lot of other pages. Turning the pages of his life, one can only wonder what secrets they hold. Uncapping a pen to paper, the vampire begins to write, his skillful print almost eluding past the fact that he's isn't human.
"resistance"
The World of Darkness and Vampire the Masqurade
was created by White Wolf Studios.
All Characters were created by Phactorri
Written by: Phactorri
Journal entry #324 April 23, 1997
I'm not a detective; I hate law and order so I'm asking myself why I'm doing this. Why do I risk myself for a primogen I know is just using me as cannon fodder? Well for some reason a comic hero, Hannibal King keeps coming back to me. King was a vampire, who never drank of human blood, and more importantly was a Private investigator, but more so was hero. I'm not a hero either, but until recently I lived my unlife for no reason. I think if I survive this task, I may try to pull importance back into my life.
I was sitting in my small one room office and haven in a Bristol North Carolina I wasn't there long. I have always had this gift of getting things out-you know on the street. Like wise it was a month into my stay in this new town, that my first job helped themselves into my office. She walked with the grace of a cat, and the claws to match. She wasn't lupine that was for sure. I glanced my head up to her soft brunette hair that fell down around her face covering more conventions of the beast she'd called out by getting angry. Though these disfigurements also defined age. As I smiled back at this old vampire, my mind was quickly off the issue of News Week I was reading, and onto this woman (or something), then I realized I'd never went to meet the primogen of my area when I came into town. Yeah more camarilla crap.
The Gangrel who stood before me was the primogen of the clan I was later to find out. Her name was Roxy, but more importantly I got to kill to birds with one stone. Roxy's full-blown dress dragging to the ground below her was eerie at best. Thick arms with feminine beauty and I was face to face with She-hulk. "Velrik that's what they call you isn't it?" Roxy's voice was soft and vibrant. Not at all like her appearance or motif would suggest.
"Yes." I responded in a short sentence. I always tended to do that; I'm not what you'd call long-winded.
"Well Velrik, Alexander-you know the prince of the city-- told me that you came to visit him last month, and that you'd be seeing me the following afternoon. I don't recall such a visit."
"I've been busy."
"Yes I see that. So you're not only a city groveling kindred, but also a PI. Well I suppose I can deal with that. Not many of our kind that would rather be in the city."
"A real pity."
"Well Velrik let me get straight to my point. I want to hire you for a job."
"I don't do vampires."
"This one is far more important than you know." Roxy flung her hand towards me, a yellow folder slid across my desk. My head tilted back up towards her.
"What is this?"
Roxy looked back at me a moment before responding to my question. "It's the information you'll need to find my childer."
"Look I'm sorry if I sound rude, but no."
"I could pull rank Velrik and make you do it. But I'm not. Read the information there. I'll be in touch."
Yeah, she was right. Roxy did her research that's for damn sure. My heart got me in trouble a bit too much. I really give a damn about other people and that's really going to be my downfall one of these days. Though my heart is also what keeps my body in my control. Though like a fool, I did what she asked and flipped through the folder. I didn't really think I'd see what I saw.
Inside the folder where copies of photographs of this neonate being tortured, letters and e-mails that had been sent out and around. It seemed to be Sabbat's doing but I wasn't sure. I looked further through the folder, and there were profiles of certain higher up officials that could be linked to this. Yeah, normally I didn't mess with this sort of thing. But all these texts about plans for a new city and how things should be ran reminded me how pointless my life was becoming. So I went to visit Roxy the following night.
Her cabin was near out a ways from the city. A small patch of forest near the Bristol city park. It was a nice hike up to the make shift cabin, the wooden place completely surrounded by large oaks. I walked up to the door, the only portal in the complex, completely constructed of now deteriorating wood. After a solitary knock on the door, Roxy led me in. I was slightly taken aloof by the simplicity of it all. I'd never met a Primogen quite like her. No servants, no extravagance. Roxy just had the barest of essentials.
Roxy smiled for a brief moment, for a second I swore she showed something that was left of her human side, but that was short lived as her thin wispy fingers motioned for me to sit down in the chair preceding her own. As I walked across the hard wood floors I could hear my own foot falls, the wood was fresh I noticed not only by my sense of smell, but also the dents about the floor I noticed as I lowered my body into the invited seat. At that point it really didn't mean anything to me, but I filed the information into my head anyways.
Roxy's gaze turned to me as I leaned back into the seat, her yellowed eyes as cold as my flesh. "Velrik, I'm glad you made it. I take you've chosen to assist me in recovering my childe?"
I turned my head towards her, my mouth forming a grimace as I looked into her eyes. "I'll take the case, but there is still a matter of my fees."
"Oh yes, still locked on the mortal thoughts of money, what a poor example of our clan you represent."
"Stereotypes are very shallow Roxy. You are my Primogen yes, but I don't have to sit here and listen to your injustices."
"I suppose it may be a bit meek of me yes, but I am from the old school as your generation loves to call it."
"Granted, and yes hook me up with some wine."
"But of course."
My eyes watched as she left the room. There was something strange going on I could feel it. I wasn't sure if it was just my mind playing games with me, or if it was something to be worried about. She returned a few minutes later. With my wine she handed me another folder, this one was a bit bulkier than the last one. I suppose it would have all the information that would guide me on this mission. My eyes turned to her as she took her seat once again. I took a sip from the wine glass before sitting it back down onto the table.
"Care to begin Roxy? Tell me about the night of the kidnapping."
Roxy's eyes shifted from me to the floor as she cleared her throat.
"Well there isn't much to say really. I'd just finished the night's training, with Romera and sat down to read the night's reports, when the security alarm went off. I flipped on the monitor and saw this inky blackness muzzle my precious childe then envelope her."
"Hold up." I interrupted. "Why didn't you stop them?"
"Well I was in the cabin, and the event happened in the Gangrel fortress. Where we keep all Neonates when going through training. It's a better facility."
"The Fortress ah? Well I guess I should start by checking there."
"Very good then. I'll make the call to Lucas right away."
I stood up and nodded to Roxy. All right then, He should expect me to meet up with him tomorrow night. I have a few channels to look to before I begin the case."
"That's fine Velrik. Good luck and I wish you luck." She smiled again, her eyes almost showing hope through me. Though I was still very much a childe myself, it struck me as outlandish, why she would ask of me such a task.
"And give me a few nights to do a little peeking about, before I figure what bracket your case will be under, but as it works half before and half after the job is complete, and expenses paid."
"You'll get your money Velrik, and a place close to your primogen. This is promised"
The night air was a pleasant sensation I must say after returning from the stuffy cabin. I wasn't a rural Gangrel that was true, but I did feel slightly claustrophobic at times. Reaching into my flight jacket I reached for my lighter and cigarettes. Fumbling the pack of Newport around in my hands a moment I draw one from the pack a slide into my mouth. As soon as I point the cigarette to the flame, the paper crackles a little bit. The stigmata of using blood to allow my lungs to work as well as the nicotine gives me more of a buzz than I remember. Slowly I walk through the path from the cabin slowly blowing the smoke into the gray atmosphere. Then I hear the sounds. It's not much at first just a footfall mirroring my own then it quickens. Wait I pause turning around as the footfall nears me. My eyes can pierce through darkness if I allow them too, but this could also give me away to mortals as not being like them. Instead I wait for my stalker to show it's self.
The Slender man slips on through the darkness slowly. Nodding to me slowly, the man tucks the left side of his long flowing hair behind his ear. I note that he is very pale. I concentrate to listen for a heart. I hear nothing. My eyes stare towards him with what my evidence proves. I pray this man isn't stupid like many of my kind tend to be.
"Ah Velrik, it seems I have caught up to you finally."
I take another drag off my still burning cigarette. "How is it everybody and there momma knows my name?" I toss the cigarette from my mouth.
"Well I can't speak for everyone Velrik, but I know your name for it was given to me as the identity of who to kill."
My mind darts off a moment as I think about what this guy's saying and trying not to laugh my ass off. Yeah it's not that I was thinking I was better than this guy, its just well, who introduces them self like this? "Oh is that a fact now? And well if your into introductions how about telling me who you are?"
I heard the rapier slide from the sheath even before I finished my last sentence. "Well I'm afraid that I can't do. Got to watch my back also. On-guard," The raven-haired man pointed his rapier into my face. It was about this point when the whole get-up made sense. The White silk shirt, the string tie, and the long hair, this guy thought he was Antonio Bandaras. Well no matter, I thought to myself, "Oh wait you aren't armed are you, Velrik?"
Using my unnatural agility I flipped back a few feet. "Armed? Why would I be? You hear other wise."
"Actually yes I have." As he spoke this time I began to be aware of how annoying this guy's Bronx accent was getting. Focusing on my hands I allowed my claws to extend as I looked to this guy. My eyes grew read as I burned more blood on my eyes so I could pierce the night's abyss.
"Well I come equipped with on born weapons" I said to the swordsman as I leaped from my spot hurling a few feet in the air. Pointing my heel towards his face, I feel the air rushing through my face.
The assassin steps gracefully out of the way, must have been a kindred blood trick I assumed as my body whizzes past him, and in contrast I connect with a tree spreading a crack through the base of the trunk. As my back heel connects with oak I repel myself off the tree in one twisted movement hand springing a few inches from him, on my haunches my long claws sinking into the mud. It must have rained this morning I couldn't help but think.
Zorro here waved the rapier about a few times in the air with speed and marksmanship only a seasoned pro could have shown. Who was this guy? "Now Velrik, we don't really need to go through this, dreadful battle, do we? I think we both know who the winner shall be."
I let out a growl as I looked to him, but I stayed fast. I knew by now the best method wouldn't be to fight with speed. For I'd already seen he possessed a lot more speed than I had. Wit I thought, that would be my advantage. Silently slipping my left hand from the mud he continued talking. "Now then how about we just end it now, hmm how does that sound. I'll decapitate your head and bring it to my boss."
Then in a blink of an eye I shifted my body weight to the hand I just freed and swung my left leg towards his legs in a quick and fluid motion. I felt the knee crack as my Doc Martin's connected with his leg. "No I suggest we dance." Antonio fell back catching himself with the backs of his hands. I quickly jump to my feet.
"Ah so you do want to continue this game? Very well then." Lunging back to his feet he jousted the blade towards me. Dodging it by leaping back he took another attempt this time swinging the blade wildly. Again I jumped back. It was the third swing I made my move. As he swung the blade at me again I ducked to my haunches and lunged shouldering his stomach. I heard a slight gasp. I pondered if he was trying to say something. As we hit the ground I quickly took my right hand and pushed his left wrist down flat, causing him to loose grip of the sword.
I stared into the vampire's eyes with a smile. "It ends here and ends now." Rising from the ground, the assassin looked up towards me, as I reached into my jacket and produced my berretta, my hallmark if you will. "Now this gun contains self igniting shells. That is once it feels resistances-such as skin-it catches aflame. Now tell me the answers I want to hear."
The man then looks up at me once again. "I'm sorry I have my priorities. I'd rather face death."
"Then have it your way."
"Okay, okay, I was hired by a Mr. Rodreiz."
"Rodreiz? Why does that name sound so familiar?"
"Rodreiz owns a real estate firm here in town."
"Oh yeah Sonny Rodreiz, he's on TV right?"
"Yeah those stupid commercials with the puppets."
"Hey I happen to LIKE THOSE COMMERICALS!" I snap the bullet into the pistols barrel with but a movement on the guns base, and then pull the trigger. Almost instantaneously the swordsman's body busts into flame. It only lasts a few second before the ashes consume the flame. I lied I hated those commercials. I had my lead and was about to walk away when when I heard a solitary applause behind me. I turned around to the noise as a tall woman and a short bearded haired guy both stepped from the shadows.
"Good show, kid."
...to be continued.
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