Chapter 35: Peace and Quiet Interrupted

My studies were interrupted by a knock on the door.

I looked up from my book. I was annoyed. Was making some real progress, and had entered an academic zone, where I just absorbed information in an unending stream. "Who is it?" I asked.

"Regent Strauss. May I enter?"

"Oh, yes, of course." Is he here to check on my progress?

Strauss entered, his face blank. "How is your research going?"

I smiled, glad to show off a little. "Very well. I've already mastered the alteration of the state of matter." I picked up a glass in front of me which was full of my blood – and ice cubes made of my blood. I put my hand into the blood, which started to steam at my touch. I licked the blood off my fingers and smiled at Strauss. "I was just getting to the part about being able to alter the chemical composition. It has some... odd notions about how the nature of matter works, but it's all very fascinating. I have no doubt I can be quite adept by the end of the night."

Strauss' face had lit up ever so slightly as I demonstrated my ability, but the ghost of a smile vanished at my last sentence. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. You are summoned by the Prince."

My eyes went wide. Fuck. LaCroix. It would be that piece of shit who ruined the first good time I've had since being Embraced. "How did he know I was here?"

"He didn't. He contacted me, asking if I knew your whereabouts. I chose not to lie to him – one never knows what he may already know, and I have often suspected that he has a spy in an apartment across the street from the Chantry, keeping track of all who come and go. So I told him you were here, doing the business of clan Tremere and you were not to be disturbed. I used the full power of my position to shield you."

I smiled at Strauss. "Thank you," I told him. I wonder if he actually did. Am I worth that much to him? "So did he override you with his authority?"

Strauss shook his head a little. "He would never be so direct. He inquired about you. I informed him that you had been doing the work of the clan and Camarilla, dealing with the plague, and I even made it a point to ask him why he had failed to inform you of the danger of the Plague, indirectly chastising him." Impressive. Way to go to bat for me, Strauss. "He claimed it must have slipped his mind, given the number of things he must see to. An evasion, but I would not press further. He asked about your relationship with the Anarchs, and I informed him it was all but dead. He then asked if you could be trusted." I was a little taken aback by that. I know LaCroix doesn't trust me, wants me dead. So why... I picked up the glass and put it to my lips, taking a drink. I used Thaumaturgy to melt the ice cubes with my tongue. Strauss continued. "I told him I believed you had demonstrated you could be. And that was when he turned my words upon me. He told me that he needed someone who could be trusted to perform a mission of critical importance to the Camarilla, and that he didn't have anyone else who could be trusted enough for this mission. And so he used my loyalty to the Camarilla, and my own words to override my desires. And yours, of course." Natrually. That slick bastard. Not that my desires have mattered from the beginning. It wasn't all bad news. "However, I did insist on coming with you, since whatever mission he had in mind for you, if it was of such importance, was clearly something I, as the trusted representative of your clan, should be made aware of, as I may be able to advise him on the situation. LaCroix, of course, had to agree."

I sighed. "Thanks for that, at least. I'm actually really touched that you tried as hard as you did. It's good to know someone's looking out for me."

Strauss nodded. "That is the main advantage of joining the clan Tremere. We take care of our own. Existence as one of the Kindred is precarious and brutal. We do our best to make it stable and civilized. Speaking of which, you'll need a new suit before seeing the prince."

I thought about my attire for the first time since I had started studying. Yep, still look like something out of horror movie. "Ah, yes. I'd forgotten. Um... I got this suit at... I think it was Mr. Baker's. He caters to our kind."

Strauss nodded in recognition. "A ghoul to a notable Toreador. I was going to recommend him. I have already summoned a taxi. I will head directly over to LaCroix's office, to keep him occupied. Do try to avoid taking overlong. Simply get the same suit as last time. How much did it cost?"

"Um..." I thought back. The first outfit was free, though I think Mercurio pulled in a favor for me. Man, it's been forever since I saw that guy. I wonder how he's doing? "A ghoul I helped got me the outfit for free. I don't know how much it was exactly, but I'd estimate..." Man, I bought everything at thrift shops, even my suits. You could find perfectly decent ones there, and it's not like brand names ever really mattered to me. I don't know how much something like this costs. "Three hundred dollars?"

"That's reasonable." Strauss took three bills out of his jacket and handed it to me, like it was nothing. I guess it shouldn't be surprising he's loaded. He's probably got enough connections that money isn't an object any more. Not that he cares about money, like LaCroix – probably just wants to make sure that finances aren't an impediment to his other goals.

I took the bills and told Strauss, "Thank you."

Strauss waved his hand. "Think nothing of it. Simply hurry." And so I walked quickly away from the research I'd enjoyed so much, notebook in my hand, toward the front door and the weight of my responsibilities and the dangerous trap of politics.

… …

I arrived in front of LaCroix industries headquarters in a brand new, fresh pressed suit. Rubriks had practically blanched when he saw the state of my clothes, and had looked at me judgementally when I ordered the exact same suit, but had said nothing. Soon all my weapons were in the same familiar loops, and I looked immaculate. I caught him looking mournfully at the bloody, torn up pile of clothes I had left as I left the store. I hadn't really cared, though. I have bigger things to deal with.

I'd spent the ride over wondering to what extent Strauss was lying to make me want to join the clan. Am I being used as a pawn, offered over to LaCroix in exchange for some favor? Is Strauss going to get paid for my work instead of me, now? Or does he actually care? Does he see me as a potentially gifted member of the clan and want to protect me? Or just to control me? And what does LaCroix want? The offer of protection within the clan was tempting – but I still didn't want to fully join, to be under Strauss' thumb. But without the Anarchs to protect me, I'm on my own. Would I be safe with my own domain? Enough worrying. I'll have some answers soon enough. Task at hand, Lucius. I exited the car and entered the building.

"Oh, hey there Mr. Luke! Long time no see! How ya been?" The annoying security guard spotted me on the way in and decided to chat. Great.

"I've been busy. And I have a meeting with LaCroix, one I'm already late for," I said walking right past him.

"Oh, geeze, that's right!" The idiot kept talking as I walked past him. "That guy Strauss came by a while ago, telling me to send you right up." I walked up to the elevator and pushed the button. "Here, let me give you access to the top floors. Okay, have a nice meeting!" he cheerfully chimed as I entered the elevator to ride it to the top.

God, how can he be so cheery and oblivious? How often do they wipe his mind? I put Chunk out of my mind as I rode the elevator to the top. To LaCroix's suite – to the Prince's palace.

It was every bit as luxuriously opulent as I remembered. LaCroix was seated behind his desk, his Aura running through with annoyed colors, though he gave no outward sign. Must not be happy to have Strauss here. Maybe he did stick up for me. His ape of a Sheriff was at his side. Strauss was seated in front of him, on one of two chairs. I approached the table and stopped, taking a second to tell LaCroix, "Hello, my Prince. Thank you for inviting me." Every time I saw LaCroix, I had the urge to suddenly be incredibly polite. Maybe I just was afraid of giving away even a small part of my hatred of him. Or maybe he was just using some sort of Discipline when I was around. "May I sit?"

LaCroix nodded, casually telling me, "You may." I sat. "So, Lucius, I understand you have been quite busy the last two nights."

I nodded. "I've been trying to track down the source of the plague in this city."

LaCroix raised an eyebrow. "That's quite adventurous. One could even say reckless. Not to mention rather altruistic, if you are doing it purely of your own accord."

Um... what do I say? I don't want him to know about the exact details of my deal with Strauss... Thankfully, Strauss intervened. "I have offered him considerable compensation. Which is not to say he cares purely for profit – concern for our kind's mutual survival also motivates him."

LaCroix smiled at Strauss. "Excellent. Glad to hear it. It's so rare to find any Kindred who think of anything beyond their petty personal domains." He turned to me. "I would offer a reward for such services, but unfortunately I have other matters to see to. Other matters I need you, with your drive and determination, to help me with.

I put on my best smile. Nice try, distracting me with flattery. Convenient, how you can't pay me for this service. "What do you need me to do?"

LaCroix smiled at me. "Nothing dangerous, simply... sensitive. Would you mind doing some reconnaissance for me?"

I was taken aback by the simplicity of the request. There's got to be something hidden here. "What sort of reconnaissance? Against who?"

LaCroix looked over to Strauss briefly, before focusing on me once more. I looked right above his eyes, paranoid of what he could do to me. "There's been whispers, rumors spreading around the Kindred community concerning the Elizabeth Dane, the cargo ship that was towed into port recently. Have you heard of it?" I shook my head.

I hadn't but I was immediately curious. "No sir, though I haven't had time to banter and trade rumors, really."

LaCroix smiled. "A focused and brave individual. Were you by chance in the military at all?" I shook my head. "Ah. A shame. And experience every man should have, I believe. I was an officer myself, actually. In Napoleon's ranks."

Geeze, that dates you, you crusty old geezer. I guess I'm supposed to be impressed. I widened my eyes and said, "Wow, how fascinating. I hope you'll have the opportunity to tell me about that some time. However, I assume that right now you only have time to tell me what I need to know about the Elizabeth Dame – I won't waste your time asking for stories."

He accepted that level of admiration with a smile, nodded, and continued. "Correct. I do enjoy speaking about those days, but I have little time these nights. As for the Elizabeth Dane – it was found out to sea – the reports say it was without a crew, but they have yet to report the fate of said crew. "

Okay... and you care so much because... "So what happened?"

LaCroix explained further. "The police are investigating the Dane as we speak. Even the Nosferatu have little information on what's been found. However, the reason the ship has caused such speculation is because it was transporting an object called the Ankaran sarcophagus."

I nodded, and then asked, "What is that?"

LaCroix sighed. "You aren't superstitions or religious, are you?

Quite the opposite. You really don't know me at all. I told LaCroix, "I think all religion is garbage."

LaCroix smiled, telling me, "That's part of what makes you so perfect for this mission. I myself have always been an advocate of reason over faith, hence why I sided with the revolutionaries over the royalists in the revolution, despite my noble birth." Kind of admirable, actually. I imagine I would have done the same thing. "There are certain rumors abounding among those who believe in such drivel as Caine being the progenitor of our race. I assume you aren't interested in even knowing such mystical nonsense?" I mean, I'm curious, but I'm not going to tell you that. I shook my head. LaCroix smiled. "Good. I expected as much from you, given Primogen Strauss' glowing report on you. I'm not one to predicate a decision based on conjecture, so what I need is fact – most importantly, I need evidence that the occurrences on the Dane were not supernatural in nature, and in no way relate to the Ankaran Sarcophagus."

LaCroix paused, so I asked, "What specifically would you have me do?"

"You have three objectives. One, I want you to examine the Sarcophagus for anything unusual – you may sense something peculiar about it. In fact, many Kindred have reported an uneasiness in the air since the Dane's arrival. Do not, under any circumstances, open the Ankaran Sarcophagus. Secondly – the police have begun their investigation. Find out what they have concluded thus far. Thirdly – take the cargo manifest for the ship. I want to find out what else it was carrying."

I nodded. Straightforward enough. So what isn't he telling me? "Understood. Are there any complicating circumstances I should be aware of?"

"The ship is full of police officers. The last thing we want is the police aware of our existence – so be careful what you do in front of them. And unlike the warehouse, you cannot wholesale slaughter a ship full of lawmen without consequences. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Prince LaCroix. I had no intention of violating the Masquerade, or even the law if I can avoid it. How am I supposed to get in without alerting the police?" I wasn't about to be sent in to a situation where I had been set up to fail.

LaCroix sighed. "I have of course ensured you have proper access. One officer Heinz is 'on the take,' as they say, though he believes he's simply helping a friend, by the name of Jacobson, a newspaper editor whom I indirectly control. Jacobson is calling in a favor to get a scoop on the Dane, which is something most news organizations are quite eager for. You'll be posing as one of Jacobson's reporters."

I nodded. "That makes sense. It all seems pretty simple. I'm more than happy to do this for the Camarilla." But not for you.

LaCroix nodded. "Very well then. Well, the night is getting close to being over, and Heinz is expecting you soon, so if there are no further questions?"

He looked over to Strauss, who said, "I have none. I look forward to hearing the report as soon as it is ready." LaCroix frowned at that and his aura became annoyed. What kind of power play was that? Was this report originally supposed to be just for LaCroix?

LaCroix regained his composure after a brief moment. "Very well then. I wish you the best of luck. You will find transport to the Dane at the Santa Monica beach, provided by my ghoul, Mercurio. Email me a preliminary report as soon as you leave the Dane." Great. Back to Santa Monica. Still, I get to see Mercurio again? This night is getting to be pretty good. I nodded and rose at the same time as Strauss.

"Good evening, Prince LaCroix," Strauss said. LaCroix nodded his head ever so slightly. With that, we both left and entered the elevator.

As we went down, I started to ask, "Do you think-"

Strauss simply held his hand up, palm towards me. I got the message and shut up.

We exited the elevator and walked through the lobby. Officer Chunk tried to engage us in conversation. "Oh, hey, how was-" He cut off as Strauss stared him in the eyes and Tranced him as we exited the lobby.

"Annoying creature," Strauss muttered as we walked out towards the cab parked in front of the building. Once inside, Strauss directed the cab near, but not exactly in front of the Chantry. "Come with me," he requested, and I followed him down the street and into the Chantry.

Once inside, he turned to me and spoke at last. "One must assume every inch of LaCroix's headquarters are full of recording devices, and I do not trust any of the cab drivers. You can only assume your words are private in the Chantry – it is impossible for one to record or transmit sound and light in here, by electronic means or otherwise." So it's safe from outside interference – but I have no doubt you know everything that happens inside these walls.

Still, I had been careless. "Of course. My mistake. Sorry, Regent Strauss."

"Quite alright. Simply avoid this mistake in the future. Now, I must explain the true danger of the Ankaran Sarcophagus." I knew LaCroix was hiding something from me! "As Kindred get older, their hunger increases. Animal blood will no longer nourish, and soon neither will that of low-class humans. And greater amounts of vitae are required to sate one's thirst. Thus is the price of power. Many Kindred choose to put themselves into a state of long sleep, known as Torpor, to pass the centuries away, and prevent their hunger from rising. Others do so because they grow tired of existence, and fear losing their humanity as ages pass by with all they once knew growing old and fading. Others simply wish to see what the distant future will bring. Regardless, many elder Kindred in Torpor have been waking up recently. Some claim it is a sign of the end of nights. I personally have a far more mundane explanation – that many set their internal 'alarm clocks' to go off at the turn of the millenium, believing that something momentous would take place, or else simply choosing it because it is a significant number." Makes more sense than Skelter's apocalyptic ravings. "Regardless, many believe that an elder Kindred lies in the Ankaran Sarcophagus, and may have awoken."

I nodded. "That explains why everyone is so nervous. And why LaCroix warned me not to open it. Does he want to introduce it to the new age himself? Maybe gain its favor? Should I open it, so our clan can do that instead?"

Strauss' eyes widened. "Absolutely not! There is great danger when an elder Kindred awakens. They are ravenous with hunger, and will often consume whatever is nearby. Furthermore, as I mentioned, old Kindred need stronger and stronger blood – and the oldest can only be sustained by the blood of other Kindred."

My eyes widened. "So... you're saying they'll try to diablerize me?"

Strauss shrugged. "Perhaps they will stop short of that, though given the strength of hunger upon waking from centuries of Torpor, I would not count on such self-control."

I shuddered. Great. So there could be an extremely powerful elder ready to take my blood and my soul. "So absolutely don't open the sarcophagus. What if it's already open?"

Strauss looked off to the side, thinking. "I would say run, but it will most likely catch you. Use Purge. The physical damage will mean nothing to it, but perhaps the blood loss will send it back into Torpor, and if not... it will delay it. Do not stay after using Purge to find out. Use your ability, and then flee."

I sighed. "That's comforting."

Strauss looked at me severely. "I am not here to comfort you. I am here to offer you the truth and teach you how to survive. If you wish for pleasant lies, go keep the company of the Toreador."

I held up my hands, apologetically saying, "Sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I appreciate your warning. I'd much rather go in aware and prepared."

Strauss nodded, satisfied at my response. "Good. Then go, prepared." Strauss turned to the receptionist desk and wrote a number on a piece of paper, handing it to me. "You may contact me at this number. Memorize it and burn the paper. Only call it when directed to by me. Call me as soon as you are off the Dane, before sending LaCroix the report. Understood?" I nodded, carefully keeping my eyes to the side. "I am not going to use Dominate on you, Lucius. I trust your loyalty in this matter. Please prove my trust is properly placed."

You sure have a way of trapping me in. It's better than LaCroix, though. You put trust in me and make me feel guilt at not reciprocating. Either you're being genuine, or you're a master manipulator. "Of course. My loyalty is to clan Tremere, first and foremost."

Strauss smile a little. "As I thought. Go, and be safe." With that, I left the Chantry and got in the Taxi, once again taking me back to Santa Monica.

… … …

Hey everyone. I know it's been forever. I could give you litany of excuses, or talk about what's been going on in my life – that would be a story in and of itself. One filled with despair and desperate hope, love and loss, madness and chaos. Plus, a lot of boring work. An awful lot of that. And mundane old depression and anxiety and... so yeah, I guess I did just give a litany of excuses. Would you expect any less from a verbose writer like me?

Speaking of verbosity... you'll probably notice that this new chapter is... short. Especially considering how long I took on it (Over a year, I can barely believe it.) There are three chapters of a side story about Paul and Hannah, however, and I would love you to check it out. It's called 'Shadows of the Lost, Hope in the Darkness'. Yes, the title is a tad overwrought – but hey, this is World of Darkness fanfiction, and if you know anything about Wraith: the Oblivion, which is the source material for ghosts in World of Darkness, you know it's the only game of White Wolf's that is possibly more full of overwrought dark romance than Vampire: The Masquerade. I originally planned for it to run concurrently with Bitter Escape. Now that I'm dedicating more time to writing in order to help preserve my mental health, it might actually happen! (yes, writing this disturbing story is great for my head. Think of it as a mental enema, an opportunity to flush out all the disturbing insanity and try and make sense of my shadow.)

However, I won't delay the rise of Lucius any further. He's slept long enough. Let the sun set on this undead story once more!

Um... Sorry for the false start to Lucius' rebirth. I copied this intro on to the wrong document. I had to put my old hard drive into a new computer, and the alternative version of the ending of the old chapter was put up instead, which I mean to use to upload into the end of the old chapter. I've been editing a lot of old material, which I meant to go forward with after posting this But... It wasn't meant to be the new chapter. My bad everyone. Thanks to Maben00 for sending me a message pointing this out. I owe you one. Please review this chapter. Enjoy the actual new chapter.