The cold mountain air was like a slap in the face from the dramatic change from the warmth of Vorador's mansion. Ewoden shivered involuntarily as the cold blizzard snow feel into the cracks between his armour, for some additional warmth, he placed his helm upon his face, although this provided little protection from the cold. As if sensing it, Sally hovered closer, letting her own warm radiate to him.

Vorador made a deep resonating sound in his throat and gently scanned around the chamber into which they he had transported them. It was an extensive room, with a large balcony facing a sheer fifty foot drop behind them. Ewoden glanced over it, the snow prevented him from seeing the bottom, but he could see far enough to tell that a fall from this height would prove fatal. He backed away from the edge and joined the others as they ventured further in, which despite it's vulnerability to the harsh weather, was surprisingly warmer.

Ewoden looked out toward the blizzard again. Somewhere out there was the Garrison stationed near Uschtenheim. Out of the white blur he could almost see it, the flags flutturing on the battlements. What the Sarafan consider him now, he asked himself. Dead or a traitor. If they thought he was dead, they certainly wouldn't find his body, and as far as they knew he had no buisiness for running away. Either way, he had left them, for what he expected as for good. To his delight, that notion wasn't as distrubing as he thought.

There was a large fire place on the left hand side of the chamber, a strange, glass table with a golden frame sitting just in front of it. Several books, written in an unrecognisable language lay on the top. The ceiling high above was carved completely out of stone, with architecture that rivalled the Sarafan fortress. This chamber indeed was far grander than any hall he had seen in the stronghold. A long, red carpet ran the length of the chamber, running up to a set of stone doors at the far end. It was covered with strange markings and directly down the centre was the image of a sword, the door diverted directly down the middle. The weapon depicted looked strangely familiar. Ewoden diverted his attention to the rest of the chamber to take in it's lay out more carefully, a skill of patience

Two flights of stone stairs, each one beautifully carved and a mirror opposite of the other. They lead up to another banister, jutting out from a second level. The light was sparse up there and he didn't get a good enough look at it. Apart from various, angelic murals on the walls, all depicting the same blue skinned people with raven's wings, what grabbed the former Sarafan's attention at once was the basins around the outside of the chamber. Made completely of brass and large enough it seemed to hold a man inside, most were empty, but one had a small amount of red liquid lying at the bottom, a strong copper like smell gently drifting to his nostrils. He hesitated, and then backed away.

"He must not be here." Sally ventured absently, sitting herself down in a wooden chair near the fire, crossing her legs. Vorador cast her an unimpressed look, before venturing over to the large door at the far end.

"My sire rarely leaves his Aerie." He said dryly, pushing the massive door, the hinges creaking loudly, open with ease, revealing a stone corridor beyond that neither of them got a good enough glimpse of. "He may be in one of the lower chambers. Remain here until I return." With that, he was gone, the door shutting by itself after him.

"Janos Audron…" Ewoden began, muttering lightly to himself. Within minutes, he realized, he may be introduced to the father of vampires himself, the one creature the Sarafan Order wanted dead most desperately. He wondered briefly what he would look like, or how he would act. In earlier years, he would have expected a creature more like a demon, fitting in with the stories and depictions the Sarafan found popular.

His recent discoveries about the true nature of vampires would now allow him to be deceived by it however. He took off his helm and placed it on the table, letting his logn red hair spill out. He realized then that he needed a fresh perspective and a open mind, that is if he wanted to survive. So caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice Sally float over and without warning, nuzzle her cheek against his.

"I do hope you realise that you're the first human to be here in centuries." She whispered into his ear, her arms already flung around him affectionately. "And a Sarafan too! I can't even begin to imagine what the odds are against that." Ewoden said nothing. His gaze was suddenly fixed on the murals around the room. He had seen that strange angel like race before, always shown here fighting with strange, demonic looking creatures, they were humanoid in appearance yet had insect like skin and strange projections growing out of their foreheads and backs. There were only a few murals, but they all seemed to show various different battles between these blue winged beings and these new creatures.

"Have you ever seen Janos Audron?" He asked. Sally past him a coy look and smiled.

"I haven't had the honour. Those that study under him go usually disappear to the far reaches of Nosgoth in towns and cities were the vampire population is sparse." Ewoden cast another look up at the murals on the walls.

"So what's with the blue angels?" Sally looked up as well. "Vorador has a couple of similar paintings inside his mansion, not to mention that statue inside his library. Do vampire, worship these angels as gods or something?" Sally hesitated, her yellow eyes suddenly full of longing.

"Vorador has told us little of them, but from what he will say, these angels are what vampires used to be." Ewoden froze.

"Used to be? What do you mean?" Sally floated back, her arms folded behind her back, her head tilted to the side in a very child like puzzlement.

"Some blood poison, or curse, tainted these beings and the basic vampires around today are the result. Vorador was always a little vague on the subject, refusing to speak about it directly." Ewoden turned to face her.

"So, vampire are the decedents of these…people?" He asked, hesitating on the last world. Sally shrugged and floated closer to the fire, defying gravity again.

"Maybe, maybe not. Only Vorador and Janos know for sure, and it's probably best not to ask." Ewoden stared after her for a moment, unsure of what to say, before the doors through which Vorador had left swung open and the elder Vampire re-entered, but following close behind him was a figure that instantly set the former Sarafan's imagination on fire. It would be as tall as Vorador, were it not for the Ancient vampire's larger ears. It's skin was the purest sky blue, and a giant pair of raven's wings gently flowed out the back. Like Vorador, it had cloven hands and taloned feet, almost like those on a bird. A pair of golden eyes staring directly at them. Apart from these differences, the figure was surprisingly human like, with hard set cheeks a short nose and a soft chin. It was quite muscular to, on par with Ewoden even. It was dressed in very old style clothing, even for some of the less developed settlements to the west. The clothes were completely white, long and trailing, almost like those one would expect on a Priest or a Bishop. Ewoden knew in an instant, he was looking at one of the angel's he had been observing in the pictures only moments ago and by the way Sally quickly asserted herself and bowed in mid air, he could tell he was also looking at the one and only Janos Audron. Whatever he might have expected the father of vampires to look like, this was certainly not it.

"Indeed, just as startling as you told me Vorador." He said with a soft, detached voice that made Ewoden feel numb for some bizarre reason. His wings stretched out, then refolded as he walked over. Ewoden remained perfectly still, making sure his hands were no where near his weapons. He suspected that even if were to get a second of distraction, an attack upon him would be pointless in more ways than one. Janos was certainly not the demon told about in the Sarafan army, but an impressive figure none the less. "Sarafan most certainly." Ewoden swallowed involuntarily. Janos slowly extended an arm, his outstretched three fingered hand toward him palm down. He stopped just before the top of the tallest, wide finger touched the humans face. There was a brief moment of silence in which not even the howling winds only a few feet away seemed to break through. Afterwards, Janos retracted his hand with a surprised look on his face. "Not an aggressive thought at all, and you are Sarafan?" Vorador walked up beside his sire with a side smile, his arms behind his back.

"Did I not tell you, a rare find is it not? The first Sarafan who hasn't clawed at our throats upon sighting us?" Janos nodded in agreement.

"Tell me young human…what is your name?" He asked and Ewoden found a frog forming in his throat, almost preventing him from answering. But when he did, he managed to say it without stuttering in fear and amazement.

"Ewoden." Janos seemed pleased with this response, putting his hand on the right pauldron of his Sarafan armour.

"Despite your ties, you are welcome here." Janos looked over toward Sally, who kept her head low in respect. "Rise child, you need not lower your eyes in my presence nor do I expect it." Sally blushed an rose. Ewoden could see, despite her immortality and vampiric seductive nature, she was more like a schoolgirl than anything else. "You are both here to learn the lost arts, although it may prove more taxing for you." He added, giving Ewoden a second glance. "But it is late, and I am tried. We shall start your lessons tomorrow night, until then feel free to explore my retreat as much as you want." Without another word he turned to Vorador and two began talking in some strange language to ensure their conversation was kept private. Ewoden was left a little speechless for a moment, before he quickly backed away toward the fire.

"You impressed him I think." Sally stated, looking rather pleased, latching onto him again with a affectionate hug, which Ewoden did not object to.

"He's one of the angels…from the murals."

"I noticed."

"It's just…not exactly what I…

"Expected being a former Sarafan?" He shook his head, eyes wide and mouth pressed shut. He breathed out hard and sat down on the floor next to the fire, dropping his rather heavy axe next to him. "I like you, you've got to be the most humorous Sarafan in history." Under ordinary circumstances, Ewoden wouldn't have taken that comment as anything more than an insult. Coming from her however it seemed rather comforting.

"A vampire and a human, near lovers." Janos stated to Vorador, looking back over his shoulder toward them with a suspicious eye. Using the ancient tongue, they ensured that they were not overheard. "Such a thing has not happened for eons, not since the days before the Unspoken ones created the curse." Vorador nodded.

"Ewoden is a rare soul. He may have been Sarafan once, but he has seen through Meobius lies'." Janos sighed.

"You still hate the Time Streamer?" Vorador nodded without delay. "Hate is not something you should dwell on my kin, I have told you this many times already. Besides, you may not need to concentrate on your holy war much longer." Vorador went to ad something, but paused before he could, caught on Janos' words.

"What do you mean sire?" A fresh, proud smile crossed the ancient vampires face.

"A vampire and a human, near lovers I said. This hopeful sign shows that the one is on the way." Vorador was left open mouthed, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Forgive me for being flippant, but those stories you live by are beginning to cloud your judgement." Janos shook his head in disappointment.

"My faith sustains me Vorador. I know what signs herald the beginning, and this…" He added, gesturing with a turn of his head to the two behind him. "Is one of them." Vorador looked unimpressed. "Believe what you must, but I know that the Scion of Balance is coming."