Time of Change

Chapter 12: Blood Hunt

Parseltongue

Thought sending

# Language translation

Beast Speech

A/N: I do not own Vampire: the Masquerade. It is the property of White Wolf Publishing.

Palermo, Sicily

January 18, 1997—

Six days later found the Diauroris in the hills overlooking what once was the Eldridge estate. 'It was good to be back together.' Gideon thought as he looked toward Athena. The others had returned three days ago safe and sound from a successful mission. For the millionth time he thought about happy he was to be with her. He noticed that she was in her element soaking up everything around her like a sponge. Her intelligence and attention to detail was a complement to his innate strategic nature. However his understanding of women especially this one at times made his head spin.

Her insistence on the inner circle maintaining their aliases at all times and referring to the main group as the Diauroris in public was a bit hard to get used to. He understood the need for it but it was hard not to refer to her as Hermione even in his own mind. Luna, or rather Persephone as he had learned to call her, stated that it was no different than what aurors and hitwizards do when they go deep undercover.

"Gideon. I count 25 retainers down here and around 25 kindred inside. What do you have?" Tiberius said his voice coming from a small shaving mirror dangling from Gideon's belt.

"Add 15 more retainers on this end, Ti'." He replied. "Tell the Diauroris to clear the pitch. Gideon let out a long breath. Athena gave him a sympathetic look as if to say, 'it has to be done and we have to start somewhere'.

Tiberius had the similar expression as he spoke to the dark clad warriors before him. "Let's make it quick and quiet." They cast disillusionment charms before apparating into the grounds. Each assailant silently walked up behind the retainers. Tiberius was the first of the group to act as he flicked his wand at the first man's neck casting the dislocater curse. A dislocater curse at point blank range is deadly. Seconds later, as if proving the point, there was a satisfying snap. It was followed quickly by several more, as the retainers' necks were broken. The same thing happened all over the compound as men were felled by the quickest means possible.

As Gideon blinked his eyes his vision magnified. He watched as the gas-like vapor outlines of people appeared behind the retainers near his position. There was a brief spark of light and the men before him crumpled to the ground. In the space of several heartbeats it was all over. He stretched out his senses and waited for Ti' to report.

"The pitch is clear." Came through the mirror. Behind Athena and Gideon Ares was checking his gear. Athena watched him as he peered into a small black pouch. She was curious but there wasn't time to sate her curiosity.

"Clear skies." Said Gideon.

"Fair winds." Replied Ares before he disapparated. He appeared less than a second later in front of a large metal door which shown bright with brass and gold. He stepped up to it with his wand out. There was no way that the occupants didn't know something was up since the number of heartbeats had decreased substantially. "Tabesco." With a word the door buckled exploding inward in a spray of molten metal. The two remaining retainers fell to the floor in agony as the hot metal hit them. "Deoxis." Ares said. A beam of pale light connected with both men sparing them both as their blood was deoxygenated. They died before they realized what was going on. A quick death was all Ares could grant them. For their masters there would be no such reprieve.

Gideon and the remainder of the Diauroris waited for the signal. They watched as he strolled into the building a sneer set upon his lips. His robes trailing behind him like a wild beast. Someone needs to check and see if Snape's dead because Ares is channeling the slimy git. There was a series of mental snickers and snorts in the aftermath of that comment.

I heard that. Shouldn't you have your mind on business mate?

Don't worry about me you just watch your arse in there.

The sneer dropped from his face for a few seconds but was back and he was all business again. He looked around concentrating as he subtly pushed his magic out around him. He gave it a three count before feeling the resonance of his magic rebound back on him. The ballroom was to his right as were three kindred. One was standing at the far end of the ballroom the others knelt in alcoves above the door.

'Fresh blood. This should be real quick.' Thought one of the kindred assassins waiting above the door. He gave his clansmen a full view of fang before calling dibs on the intruder's heart. He long bald-headed kindred ran his thumb across the 20-inch blade he'd unsheathed from his side. As he waited he watched his skin mend as he sliced it with each pass over sharp the razor blade thin edge.

He didn't have to wait too long. They pounced as the intruder stepped through the door. The blades intersected as they passed right through the edge of the intruder's body. "Ventus." A huge surge of wind hurled the assassin across the length of the hall. The image before them disappeared as the real Ares stepped into the room.

"It's A Mage." The assassin still standing spat out as if it were a curse. He flung his axe so quick as if it were the period in his sentence.

Ares was muttering continuously as he jumped straight up and used the axe handle as a springboard. He tucked his body folding inward. "Adhaero." His feet pushed outward sticking to the wall. He crouched down as if sticking to the side of a wall were an everyday occurrence. The three kindred just watched him warily.

Ares pulled the pouch from his pocket and shook out a small marble. He muttered, "Diabler absorbeo." Then smiled as he watched the marble shimmer red then blue. "Iacio." The marble shot to the middle of the room and stopped as he said, "Statio."

'I can't believe they're still just standing there.' He thought after he finished casting the stationary spell. 'Well here comes the fun part.' "I'm disappointed. Three bloody Assamites and not a descent fighter among them. The clan must be slippin'." Ares' words really rankled the three assassin. "Stupid leeches." If his words had made them mad before, now they were near frenzy.

"You die now. I will have your head for an ashtray before I'm through."

"Try and take it."

It wasn't even a fair fight. The Assamites were used to using their abilities to sneak up behind their victims and kill them not go head to head in a straight fight; especially not one with a magic wielder. He knew where they were at all times since he'd used his magic to scout his surroundings. One bound up the wall swing his blade in an arc towards Ares' head. Ares dropped down swinging his wand upward and yelling 'flax' as the kindred passed over him. The large silver blade of a scythe sliced into the wall and dragged through the assailant's body.

A fountain of blood issued forth from the dying warrior. The other two stood back waiting for him to fall into their grasp and with their speed it would have worked except they forgot one thing. Mages can teleport (or apparate if you want to get technical) and that's just what he did. They tried to track him with their preternatural senses and just barely caught the inaudible release of air as he materialized. Their blades connected with his in a series of sparks. He wasn't as strong as they were but the strength enhancers allowed him to push them back a second.

With another quickly muttered spell his scythe became his wand again. He blew apart the floor with a blasting hex stirring up a cloud of dust to give him a moments reprieve. It didn't take them long to find him through the haze and they were bearing down on him. "Septem jaculum iacio." He shouted in quick session. Seven long black javelins hurtled out from his wand impacted with the remaining warriors.

Ares looked up at the bodies impaled on the wall as steady stream of red mist floating from their bodies.

How are you holding up mate?

I've been better.

I can feel the others now so the main event is about to begin.

A voice like tinkling bells dropped into his thoughts. We'll be there in minute love. Just remember to leave us some.

I'll try. The remaining occupants entered the room in various manners. From the shadows Ares could hear clapping. A well-built man with ashen skin seeped from the shadows like oil. He was leaning on a large bastard sword. It's black blade absorbing the light around it.

"Well little mageling you have come to the end of your sport. You have been a nasty annoyance this evening but I will still give you opportunity to beg for your life before you die. What do you have to say?"

Ares gave the man an amused smirk before replying, "First I don't beg and second who says I'll be the one dying."

"My dear little mage you may have fought well against my guards but now you are seriously outnumbered."

That is the moment the Diauroris decided to drop in. They appeared with utter silence. Ti' leaned against the wall as though bored at the idea of a fight to the death with a host of kindreds. Persephone's eyes burned with anger. She didn't take to kindly to the threat made towards her lover. She shook her wand in a loose figure eight. "Ignis latigo." The wand rapidly lengthened becoming limber until it pooled at the floor coiling like a snake. A minute later it burst into flames. It was a gross display of power but she made her point.

Fatima and Fiona warded the doors so that no one could enter or exit. Athena cast the eclipse charm plunging the room into a void of utter dark. The Lasombra in the room figured they could always leave the room through the shadows cast by the whip's flames until Persephone cast the ebon charm. The flames turned jet black and the shadows disappeared. Normally even in the pitch black of midnight there are always shadows, too bad things work differently when utterdark is summoned into this realm.

I wish it could be said that the Sabbat kindred fought bravely but it was an unmitigated slaughter from the word go. The Sabbat struck first two wraithlike women charged Ti' who cast 'habeus corpus'. The two women's bodies lost definition as their bones were broken thrice over. He ended them with an osteo inflecto curse as the bone spurs warped making them look like some grotesque pincushion. Fatima, Ambrosia, and Fiona nailed several kindred to the walls with javelins. While Aglaia, Isabella, and Amon Sun banished transfigured knives at any kindred that came close.

Athena who was fighting back to back with Gideon hit a few with goring hexes. The Diauroris fired off a series of interlacing cutting hexes that decapitated the remaining kindred as they attempted to swarm the band of warriors. The only one left was the Regent. He and Ares had been fighting for the better part of an hour. If the Regent had ever fought a true duel with a sword then the fight would have been over a long time ago. Ares was tiring of the fight and decided to end it as quickly as he could. He reverse transfigured his sword into a wand causing the Regent to over extend himself. As the man looked into Ares' eyes he knew it was over. Ares pushed his wand to the man's temple shouting, 'concutere'. The Regent's head exploded across the room.

Ares breathed a sigh of relief. They had survived their first battle since leaving the Room of Requirement. He pulled the sword to him before dispelling the utterdark filling the room. As the darkness lifted Ares watched as the last of the red mist flew into the now bowling ball sized orb. He quickly summoned it back into it's expanded bag before anyone thought to ask questions.

Gideon took a long stretch as he looked around the room. "This mission is almost over. All we need now is proof that they're all dead. I don't want to have to lug all those bodies back to Vienna. Any suggestions on what we should do now?"

"I've got an idea." Everyone turned to Aglaia. "Someone place up air refresher and preserving charms around the room then conjure me a bag." Colin and Dennis did as she said while she cast several dentis and accio spells around the room. She filled the bag with all the fangs of the dead (I know it's redundant) kindred. The group clean themselves thoroughly before leaving the scene of the slaughter.

The group made a quick stop off at the cave to check on Niameh, Tomas and the Weasleys. They had slipped Charlie and the twins a batch of dreamless sleep potion before they left. They wouldn't have been able to do what had to do with them there watching. They were still sleeping when they arrived and Niameh informed them that she placed a light sleeping charm on them to make sure they stayed asleep.

After going over the details of the mission with Niameh and Tomas they were once again off to Vienna. They decided to pass over the formalities and apparate into the middle of the meeting chamber. Eldridge was surprised to see them and offered them a seat, which they declined. Gideon and Aglaia wasted no time as they handed over the sword and bag of fangs. "We left the rest in case you wished to inspect the bodies. I'm sorry but you will need to remodel." There was slight laughter from the Primogen in the room.

"We will honor the terms of our Blood Oath. Call upon us anytime you are in need of us."

"We too honor the terms of the Blood Oath and ask that you call upon us in your need. Until then we bid you farewell." And with that they disappeared.

TBC…

A/N: I'm sorry if it's too short.