Araceli Arianwen

A/N: I decided just to post what I had.  I'll have the new chapter up in a few days, I hope.  Sorry as it's so short, but I wanted to get some of this in already.

            Glancing at my watch, I cursed silently under my breath while pessimistically wondering if this girl, "Katie", as they called her, would show up at all.  My sister, Kari, wasn't exactly the most reliable source there was in a situation like this.  Poor girl, she does try though.  Sometimes I wonder if perhaps she just doesn't have the dedication to be what she is – or rather, to be what we all are.  And by "all", I mean us: the Arianwens.  The top vampire-hunting clan in Glicrist.

            Just then, I heard someone coming and so I quickly and quietly stepped back into the shadows, awaiting this Katie girl. 

            I caught a flash of her – merely a glimpse, but I needed no more for recognition; I had seen enough. 

            Waiting a moment to place some distance between Katie and I, I finally took after her at a quick, yet nonchalant pace.  She was alone and apparently wasn't aware that anyone was following her.  Typical human.  Not like I have anything against them, of course.  Quite the contrary, I find their culture and society fascinating, yet I must admit that they aren't very observant or alert in their ways.  Then again, I suppose it isn't their nature to be.

            Trailing her closely, I followed her into a club.  I hesitated at the doorway, sensing a very weak vampiric aura surrounding the place.  It was probably a low-profile hang out for vampires hoping to catch a quick bite. 

            I temporarily lost her in the line – crowd I should say – to get into the club.  After a few minutes and a few dollars, I got inside and took a good look around.

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            It was a pretty nice club called, Folia Peri Kinigos, which, translated from Greek, means "Lair of the Hunter" or some such thing. I hadn't heard much about the place, but there was a rumor among the Basilyn that one of them had started it as a sort of mouse trap.  They fill the place up with humans in a town with a partial vampire population and the hunters – well,  I doubt I need to go into much explanation in that matter. 

            The bright green and blue strobe lights mingled with the pulsing music so that it made it a bit harder for me to locate Katie and the fiend who was feeding upon her, but I soon located the tick and its canine.

            I chose a table in the far corner, a short distance away from theirs, but close enough so that I could easily get up and follow close behind if they, for some reason, had to get up and make haste out the entrance to Folia Peri Kinigos.

            I got up and casually passed their table on my way over to the bar to ask for a simple water.  The bartender gave me a funny look – I doubt many people here order just a plain water – and slid me a glass and let me know that waters were free when I tried to pay him for it.  So I made my way back to my solitary table, made it past the sea of strobing lights and took care not to pass Katie and her acquaintance this time, though close enough to keep them in my view.  Okay, so I'm a practiced stalker, sue me.

            I set my glass down and was about to sit down when a familiar young man's voice shook my attention from Katie and the leech. 

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            "Allen!" I hissed, but softly and under my breath so as not to attract any unwanted attention.  "What are you doing here?"  Stupid question.  Allen was from Basilyn and this club usually had one, if not many, of its own in here.  He raised an eyebrow and shot me one of his, "I think you should know" looks that he seemed so fond of awarding me with every now and again.

             At this point, some of the club's visitors were glancing over at me so I promptly sat down and glanced toward the parasite's table.  They were still there, apparently were going to be there for at least a bit longer due to their nearly-full glasses.

            "So what are you doing here, Araceli?" Allen asked lazily, settling himself back down in his chair.

            "Stupid question," I said, turning my gaze from Katie to Allen.

            He raised his eyes to the spot where I had been looking and nodded once, knowingly, a strand of his jet-black hair falling over his icy blue eyes.  That was Basilyn's trademark.  Icy blue eyes.  Zemtule had their emerald-green ones and we had our honey-colored, almost amber eyes.  Not much of a trademark, but it does help in identifying others.  Very few humans had eyes so vivid and we could easily tell one vampire from one of us.

            I looked over at Katie and the fiend once more, catching a trace of their conversation.  Sensing I might be here a while, I relaxed and took a mint from the middle of the table I was apparently sharing with Allen, carefully unwrapping it and popping it into my mouth.

            Allen soon followed my example, though he tossed it into the air, deftly catching it in his mouth.

            "Show-off," I said with a smirk and he merely grinned at me boyishly.

            "So what are you doing here, Allen, besides forcing me to indulge in your glorious company?"  I asked him, making the sarcasm obvious.

            He took time in finishing his mint and making sure the last traces of it were off his tongue before answering.  "You mean besides making sure you condescending Arianwens don't take the place over?", he replied with an amiable smile.  "Nothing much," he settled back into his chair.  "Nice place to just relax in when everything's calm." 

            I nodded and turned back to Katie in time to refer to her "date" as "Matthew".  Allowing myself a small smile of triumph, I got up and bid Allen farewell, who scowled and commented, "So that's what they teacher you in Arianwen, eh, Araceli?"  He shook his head. "All work and no play makes a very dull girl." 

            Laughing I nodded to him.  "Goodnight, Allen.  Nice seeing you again."  With another glance at Matthew and Katie, I turned and walked out of the bar.