Two Vampires talked quietly in a dark alley in a quiet part of the city. They had taken great care to avoid detection by humans and by other Kindred. Humans should never know about them for the obvious reasons, but they would also prefer to avoid the sights of Vampires here. For these two Kindred were of the Tremere clan, who officially had no presence in San Fransisco. The former Prince, Archon, had held a deep grudge against the Tremere, and that animosity was contiuned by his childe, the current Prince. So the Tremere had to work in secret within this city.

Currently, the Tremere were investigating the recent Caine rumours. Not that they believed that Caine was here any more than Luna and the Primogens, but reports of the Vampire using powerful and unknown magical attacks was most certainly of interest. The Tremere were secretive and possesive of information of all kinds, but when it came to Vampiric magic, the average Tremere felt offended that any other clan would dare to have abilities and knowledge unkown to them.

"Well, Tenor?"

Alisha Tenor clipped her phone to her belt. "A group of Gangrel, led by the Gangrel Primogen, have just engaged the subjects. My contact says that the fight was brief. Several Gangrel dead, the Primogen and the remainder captive. Both subjects still alive."

Terrance Avid nodded. "Any new powers noted?"

"The Caine imposter employed a supernatural shield spell of some kind, and used some sort of weapon that tore apart the body of a Gangrel. The one named Raziel was apparently shot mutliple times with phosphorus guns, disappeared and reappeared moments later unharmed. He also used the glowing weapon we heard about before - a glancing blow brought the Primogen to his knees. Contact says that the Gangrel never stood a chance."

Avid folded his arms. "I see. Then we won't move in just yet. We'll keep watch over the subjects until I can come up with a way to capture them with minimal risk."

***

Cash groaned. The bizzare sword-thing that Raziel had used on him had only barely penetrated his flesh, yet the pain and the damage that it had inflicted were so great that he'd been sure the slash was very deep. It was as if his energy had been drained out of him in the half-second the sword had been in contact with him. As "Caine" and Raziel had bound him and his clan-mates with metal cable, he'd tried to use the blood in his system to heal the wound. It should have sealed in a few moments, but the healing process was taking longer than it had ever before. It was as if he was trying to re-grow a severed finger rather than a flesh wound.

"I'll assume that none of you here is actually Luna" said Kain. "Which one of you is the leader?"

Cash hesitated, but with the injury taking so long to heal, he doubted that he could regain his strength quickly enough to execute any real plan. His best bet was to try and get the two monsters talking, maybe get some information out of them. His enhanced senses also sensed a Vampire watching the scene. He couldn't see any other than his Gangrel and the two strange Vampires, so he hoped that it was a Nosferatu that would let Daedalus know of the situation.

"I'm the leader." Cash muttered.

"Indeed. Well, I'm sure that you know our names, so perhaps you would grace us with a few details about yourself?"

"I'm Cash." Kain prodded Cash, and Cash elaborated. "Clan Gangrel. The Gangrel Primogen."

Kain smirked. "Primogen? I hope that doesn't make you the most powerful 'Gangrel' Vampire around. I would be most disappointed."

Cash growled. Kain ignored him. "So did your Prince send you?"

"Yes."

"A written invitation would have been more appreciated and less painful. Listen to me, Cash, I don't hold with dealing with middlemen. I'd like to have a talk with your Prince in person. And I would be honoured if the Gangrel Primogen were to arrange that for me."

"What, so you can try and kill Julian?" Cash snapped.

"I'm hurt, Cash." Kain mocked. "We're all Vampires here. I just want a little discussion."

"Give me one good reason why I should."

"Because the next few days can go in one of two ways. One - you go to your Prince like an obediant little boy and return tommorrow night with the details of our meeting. Or two - you don't turn up, and I decide to chase down Luna cutting through the city's Vampires, yourself included, like a sword through your throat. I trust I am understood?"

Cash nodded. He didn't feel up to speaking without throwing several choice swear words at the green-skinned monster.

Kain chuckled. He extended a claw and snapped through the cable with an ease that made Cash shudder. Raziel freed the rest of the Gangrel, still with the Reaver eminating from his hand. Kain gestured towards the door, and the Gangrel slipped out.

"It amazes me how you can be the gentleman even while putting your victims through Hell, Kain."

Kain laughed. "Thousands of years of practice Raziel. But tell me, how was the Spectral Plane of this world?"

Raziel shrugged. "Strange. At the same time fuller and emptier than that of Nosgoth. The world itself seems to pulsate with life, a bright energy. But I saw no stray souls, as if they'd all already gone straight to the great beyond. Nor were there any Sluagh, or anything similar. I sensed other presences, but all far away."

"Other presences?"

"Some I think were humans and Vampires, perhaps sorcerers reaching with their minds into the Spectral Realm. Others...were huge, powerful, and unrecognisable."

"Interesting. But I hope to be back in Nosgoth expressing my displeasure to Meobius and Azimuth long before we encounter any of these mysterious beings. First though, I have some business to take care of."

Kain dissolved into mist and vanished from view. Several seconds passed, and then from the top of the warehouse there was a scream. Raziel ran out through the door just in time to see a Vampire fall from the roof, burned from Kain's Immolation attack. Kain reappeared by Raziel. He looked down to a small object that had landed on the Vampire's body. Judging from the voice that was quietly emitting from it, it was some sort of communication device. Kain picked it up.

"I despise spies." Kain spoke into the device. "Unless they're my own, of course."

With a small squeeze, he crushed the phone.

***

In the alley, Tenor continued to relay her contact's report to Avid. "The Caine-Vampire wants a meeting with Luna."

"Why?"

"He hasn't said apparently. Wait...the Gangrel have been released. Probably to send the message to Luna."

A few moments passed.

"Contact says that the subjects are talking. He's moving to hear better...something about a Spectral Realm. Maybe an ethereal plane of existence. And of a place...Nosgoth. Something called 'Sluvag' too. And..." Tenors gasped and moved the phone from her ear. Avid could hear a scream from the other end, and a sinister crackling sound. Tenor spoke urgently into the phone.

"Report! What's happening?"

A deep, malicious voice answered. "I despise spies. Unless they're my own, of course." The phone burst into static.

Tenor looked Avid in the eyes. "I think we can mark our contact as lost."

Avid frowned. "Then we'll investigate ourselves."

***

"WHAT?!" Luna cried.

"That's what he said." Cash said, then winced in pain. "Daedalus!"

The Nosferatu Primogen shrugged. "A strange wound. The skin around the cut looks...both melted and rotted somehow. But it seems to be healing, albeit at a retarded rate. You'll need to feed more to heal it completely."

Luna groaned. "Right. Daedalus, I'll need you to spy on these two. See if you can find out anything about them. Origin, motive, abilities, anything. Don't let them find you, and above all else, DON'T get drawn into a fight! I don't want any more deaths at their hands."

Daedalus nodded, and disappeared into the shadows.

"What are you going to do, Julian?"

Julian sighed. "I'm going to speak to Lillie. Tommorrow night you'll take as many Gangrel as you can muster and take 'Caine' to the Haven. I just hope he'll show the same respect for Elysium as the rest of us Vampires do."