Redux 5

...he was so tired of hiding. Moebius had protested, but the other Serioli who had survived all agreed with the elder. If Barthas had sent a Whisper before he died for his sire Aloysius to avenge him then they would fight him when the time came. There was no sense in going out looking for a fight. Moebius knew that Aloysius would come for him and him alone. He wanted to leave the village and face the vampire alone, so that no one else could get hurt. Instead here he was, back to his same old job he had before the invasion. He wasn't even a blacksmith. He just swept up around the place. Many people still couldn't believe that the young man, who was fatherless and without a name, had actually taken up emergency command after the initial slaughter. They couldn't believe it was by his hand that Barthas the Red Bear had fallen. They especially couldn't believe that Aloysius, the one under direct command of the Ancients themselves, was coming for him. Even though they tried to hide it, Moebius could feel them all staring at him as he swept outside the smithy, asking themselves if everything that had happened in the last year had really happened.

"Ummm...Moebius?" a voice asked, startling him out of his angry brooding. He looked up from the furiously swept doorstep and saw the owner of the smithy, One-Armed Serge, looking inquisitively at him.

"What's wrong?" replied Moebius and then he sneered. "What the hell is that on your forehead?"

Serge grinned and pointed at the sigil on his forehead. "It's the elder's idea. Barthas told Aloysius that you're a man with a strange mark on your forehead, right?"

"That's what he said before he died, yes..." Moebius scowled.

"Well, he'll have a hard time finding you now!" Serge exclaimed. "Every man in the village has marked himself like this."

"And what's to stop him from killing us all?" Moebius demanded. He tossed aside his broom and stormed away.

"Where are you going?" Serge asked.

"I'm going to the elder!"

"But you missed a spot!"

Despite his outrage and horror, the elder refused to rescind his order of the markings. He was certain that there would be no assault on the whole village, he had much knowledge of the vampires' idea of how vengeance should be carried out...Moebius had left the old man before he finished explaining. He returned to his hated sweeping...and it was the same...day after day...the sweeping and the waiting...and the watching...until one night.

There was a full moon out and the snow was just beginning to fall. Moebius had been ordered to stay behind and sweep up a clear pathway to the door while everyone else went to go see the visitors who had come to the village. He could feel his heart pounding as he listened raptly for any screams or sounds of battle. He heard nothing for hours. The sweeping was finished, long since finished and he was pretending to be busy as hard as he could. People were just now beginning to mill back to their homes, each with an odd grin. Finally he saw the massive bulk of Serge and ran to him.

"What happened? What is it? Has he come?" Moebius demanded.

"Don't worry about it," was all Serge supplied, "Would you get a bucket? I've lost mine and I need you to do some mopping."

"Don't worry about it?"

"Get that bucket, boy..." Serge growled tossing back his shaggy black hair. Moebius knew he was getting nowhere. With an anguished sigh, he strode over to the miller's. Maybe they had a godforsaken lousy bucket...and maybe they knew something. As he quickly strode over the overgrown path leading to the mill, he wrapped his arms around himself to keep warm. He never thought to bring a coat...

He reached the mill and of course it was locked. Dejectedly, he sat upon a spare barrel and cursed the rapidly falling snow. A white blanket was quickly covering the forest floor and he absently watched it build up. Maybe he should just leave...maybe that would make it easier for everyone...

"Do you know Moebius?" a soft voice came from behind and startled him He hopped off the barrel and whirled around to see a lone Ancient, standing in the snow. He could barely keep himself from gasping, because even though he was angry for being caught off-guard, he thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

"P...pardon?"

"Do you know Moebius?" she repeated. "Personally I don't think he exists."

"Really?" he said and cursed himself for sounding hopeful.

"Yes," she said and sat upon the barrel he had been using, "I've asked everyone in the village where he is, or even who he is and so far what I've heard is that he's a seven foot tall barbarian who lives in the woods and can only be brought out with a virgin sacrifice. I think the story is just a farce to scare away whoever else Barthas might've yelled at."

"Yelled at?"

"Whatever raiding party that killed him must've been fearsome indeed to make Barthas send out such a loud Whisper. It was meant for the General Aloysius, but every vampire in the country must've picked it up."

"And why are you here?" Moebius asked, finally gaining control of his faculties.

"Me?" she said absently. "I was sent by my brother Janos to make sure nothing else happens. Barthas' invasion was most unprecedented. We from the Citadel were horrified to hear of what happened. I was sent to make arrangements for restitution. We all figured this Moebius would be the leader and the one to speak with."

"Wait...Janos...Audron?" asked Moebius. "The vampire who managed to cast away all the Hylden?"

The pretty vampire smiled at him and while his heart fluttered he stayed a good distance away. She stretched her black wings and hopped off the barrel. He was surprised to see how short she was compared to him.

"He said you Serioli have looooong memories. Yes he's the same one as the one you heard of. But why am I chatting with you? I apologize, it was a long journey. If you don't know Moebius who is now famous all over Nosgoth for killing the Red Bear's first born and his army of the six hundred and sixty six then you can't help me." She sighed exquisitely and turned away mumbling "I just botched my first major assignment...I can't believe it."

"Are you also looking for Moebius who is famous for his sweeping?" he said before he could reign in the words. She turned to him and smiled quizzically.

"I think I need to hear the whole story. Let's go where it's warmer..."