Peach Creak by Night Chapter 10 – Lest Ye be Judged
A/N- Ooo that was fun now wasn't it, now to see how the cards fall, in our favor or against. As always there will be violence and cursing.
Marcurio was concerned, no word of the capture of the gargoyle or its destruction had come to him, nor had his childer Edd come back to report. It had been three nights since he sent him to the prince and Thomas came back with her decry. If Edd died in the encounter that was no big lose to him, another astronomer could be found for his purposes, the red star had only just begun to show itself, they had time. The discovery of the other part of the plan brought down from the council of seven, now that was an issue he couldn't ignore. Precautionary measures were taken and he placed several older gargoyles to guard around the chantry just in case, and he had sent word to his lord of the incident hoping for aid or council. All was quiet, to quiet, night to night routines were going on as normal as though a eight foot gargoyle hadn't smashed its way through the main chamber only days ago and this put him even more on edge. Where was the prince letting him know what happened to their gargoyle, how dare she keep information from him, how dare she not turn it over if it was in her possession.
He was rocked out of his thoughts by a massive explosion in the main hall, wondering what it could be, he exits his study and looks around the hall from the balcony. The doors had been knocked clear off their hinges and lay ten feet away from where they once stood, walking casually in was the prince followed by her Gangrel servant, another unknown Gangrel and the Brujah leader Daniel. Knowing his goose had been cooked he tries to make a run for it. The prince points to the balcony and Daniel with a speed few had seen rushes him and subdues him. In a last ditch effort screams to the gargoyles. "Kill her!" One of the giants lumbers toward her and raises its claws, it was dispatched with a flick of her wrist, she sent it flying through a wall to smash against the outer wall of the building and crumble into a pile of ruble. The other gargoyle backs up and stands down, she shoots Daniel a look and a stake was driven into Marcurio's heart. Daniel slung him over his shoulder and brought him down the stairs and into the trunk of the prince's waiting car.
When Marcurio awoke next he was strapped to a bench by metal braces in the main audience chamber of the prince, all the major leaders of the clans present and the Brujah and Gangrel clans out in force. The bench was a simple device but effective, his wrists were cuffed to a chain, if he brought his hands in to gain leverage to break his bonds the chains would threw a series of pulleys bring a stake into his heart. Looking up from his position of contrition he sees the prince upon her throne on the dais. "Do you have anything to say for yourself Marcurio?"
"I do not understand my prince, what is the meaning of this outrage?" Marcurio dared not move any further up to look at her.
"Come now Marcurio, you don't expect me to believe that you were unaware that an elder vampire was being held in your chantry." She looked him over and enjoyed the position she had him in, she had longed to get this worm right where she had him. "You also don't expect me to believe that you were unaware that he was being turned into a gargoyle now do you. If what I know about your clan is true, and I expect it is, there isn't so much as a sneeze that happens in that place that you haven't sanctioned." She stands and walks toward her prisoner teasing him a little she squats down in front of him. "So I'll ask again do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"We were fortifying our defenses for Gehenna." Marcurio spat out, hoping for some leniency.
"Oh really, and what makes you so certain Gehenna is upon us?" She mused over his statement as she stood and took a step to the left.
"The red star is starting to shine and the thin bloods run in droves." His words were becoming frantic he was certain of this interpretation of the prophecy.
Angelica has had enough of these fools with their Gehenna obsession and shouted. "I have heard this rhetoric once a century since I was embraced, thin bloods have always been around, and the star is no better a sign." She cleared her throat and composed herself, really that is no way for nobility to act. "Even if we were in the midst of it, that doesn't give you the right to torture and disfigure one of our own." She walks back up to the dais and takes her seat. "It is my judgment then Marcurio De la Fuente that you meet the sun this morning, to have your sins cleansed in its fire." She motions to her servants, and the Brujah and Gangrel clans cheered their approval. "Take him away and ready him for his fate."
The stake was driven in again and all went black for Marcurio. When he woke again he was chained to the doom on top of the building and the dawn was approaching, the chains were enchanted and could hold a prince down if need be. "Any last words?" The prince said as she stood in front of him.
"You will see, I was right doom is upon you and your messily position will mean nothing." He struggled hopelessly against his bindings, every fiber of his being was telling him to get to a dark place.
"Very well, let it be known that on this day the sentence has been carried out, and our dear friend has dubbed me a fool." She caresses his cheek and walks away toward the door and down to her personal chambers to sleep.
Marcurio watched as the horizon started to lighten up, his chains were unyielding no matter the force he applied to them. He roared at the effort he exerted trying to make them give if even just a little, looking for a shred of hope in his dire need. Then it happened the sun peaked over the horizon and the thing that should be putting him to sleep blazed through his body sending wave after wave of pain coursing through him, he screamed in agony. His skin started to crack under the heat smoke was billowing out from under his clothes, his hands were the first to ignite then his face. The flame spread throughout his body burning every inch of him, his voice being choked by the smoke from his own flesh and in what seemed to take centuries for him was done in a matter of seconds and he was no more than a pile of ash being blown away by the wind.
The next evening the Tremere chantry was still undergoing repair when the messenger carrying the news of Marcurio's sentence arrived. Thomas being a Magister had to pass the news up the chain of command, which was not one of his favorite activities. The vampires above a Regent in the Tremere ranks were generally not the kind of people you want to meet, all they cared for were results and setbacks were not tolerated. And the loss of a regent was a setback no lord wanted to hear about, and Lord Alexander was the type of man to have you lashed for catching on fire and consider his piss to good to put you out. Within a fortnight he arrived to put the house back in order, having to clear his affairs to attend to this didn't put him in the best of moods. The report he was about to receive would worsen that mood. Walking through the repaired doors he heads up the stairs and into the study, calling to the closest apprentice he saw. "Bring me your magistrate." The apprentice looked dumbfounded never having laid eyes on this man before. "NOW!" and the apprentice scurried off to find Thomas.
Thomas walked up the stair wearily, concerned with what he would find on the other side of the door. Opening it slowly he sees the Lord sitting at Marcurio's old desk going over papers, deciphering what he already knew and what had been withheld from him. Stepping in Thomas bows slightly and speaks. "Lord Alexander it's an honor that you grace us with your presents."
"Cut the bull shit and explain the situation to me." Alexander didn't even look up from the paper work he was going over.
"We had a breach when a freshly made gargoyle escaped and terrorized the area, Marcurio in an attempt to keep our secrets didn't tell the prince about its age or origin and she took action sending a team out to capture it." He clears his throat a little feeling the pressure of what could happen to him if discovered he had any part in it. "The Gangrel discovered it was their elder, and the prince executed Marcurio for the crime."
"So what your telling me is that our spells, which have never failed to restrain an elder, suddenly failed and the beast broke lose." He eyed Thomas intently, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "I going to go ahead and guess that our research on the star has meet with some road blocks as well." Thomas nods but doesn't speak."Well son with so much going so wrong so quickly there is only one answer to this, traitors." He stands and goes toward Thomas and puts his arm around him leading him toward the door and on the balcony. "And one good way to flush them out is to shake up their hiding place, restructure the hierarchy and put in some dependable leaders." Thomas starts to feel a burning sensation coursing through his veins. "You failed me son, it was your duty to keep order in this chantry and you couldn't even do that." Alexander walks away just in time to avoid the pop of Thomas' head as the steam build up forced its way out. He points to a nameless apprentice on the balcony. "You clean that up." And then to another nameless apprentice in the lower hall. "You get a hold of the Nosferatu in this city and tell them I would like an audience with them." Alexander knew he needed the sewer rats to flush out his rats.
The next night he was bid to come to their underground "kingdom" to do business, meeting in the sewers was not Alexander's idea of a good time, but when you're in need of the Nosferatu's assistance you do things on their terms. The leader he met was a woman by the name of Deidra, and one of the clan's best spies if the stories were to be believed. She feigns a bow and speaks "What can we do for you oh noble Alexander of clan Tremere."
"I need to purchase some information." He says as he walks forward trying to avoid anything that would make the smell of this place stick to him.
"That will not be cheap sir, especially for your clan." She said rubbing her chin pondering how much she could squeeze out of him.
"I care not the cost, just get your filthy feelers out there and find out what I need to know." Knowing the Nosferatu as well as he did, he knew they already knew what it was he was searching for. The rest was just a game to them, make him sweat it out, see him squirm for the information and then overcharge him for it.
"Fine we will have what you're looking for in a few nights. I will send a courier to you with it." She waves him off and leaves back into the sewer from wince she came from.
A/N- Thin bloods are vampires of the 14th and 15th generation so far removed from Cain that they are barely above a ghoul in power. The red star is one of the final signs of Gehenna and heralds the awakening of the antediluvians