Etaine strode down the cement passageway, and her right index finger traced a steady line along the moist underground wall. Her suede boots padded softly down the dark sewage tunnel, and she narrowed her eyes as she noticed the various traps planted along this route.
Mandrake root. Well done, Ratbreath. As always.
Etaine thought back upon her first encounter with the Nosferatu called 'Ratbreath'. The Kindred's smile was the first physical aspect to call her attention: his teeth were large and split, like rotten fingernails that sprouted from a corpse's gray hand. His lips were grotesquely large and stretched across a scarred, lumped chin, while his eyes glowed from within sunken sockets. The stench of sewage and filth followed him and his tattered clothing was riddled with stains of all different types of bodily fluids. His self-proclaimed title spoke for the stench of his exhalation upon one's cheek.
"Hello, Etaine. How are you this fine evening?"
Speak of the devil.
Etaine smiled and turned to eye the cheerful Nosferatu as he stepped alongside her. It was difficult to surprise the Gangrel and her animalistic senses, but nothing compared to a Nosferatu's capabilities where the Underground was concerned.
"I'm good Ratbreath. How about you?"
"Oh, I'm just grand," he grinned, displaying his plaque-covered teeth. "The rats and I are doing very well." Ratbreath giggled. "Enjoying your freedom of not being prince?"
Etaine nodded. "Definitely. Wasn't my style."
"Could've told ya that from the beginning. Maybe I'll just run for Prince next time." Ratbreath rubbed his stained palms together, and his smile widened.
Etaine chuckled. "I wouldn't mind that. Far better than Ashe, that's for sure."
The sewage tunnel came to an abrupt end, and a large iron door rose before the two Kindred. Etaine raised a fist and brought it down twice against the metal barrier.
"Open up. It's Etaine."
A small eye slot was pulled back from the inside, and Etaine raised an eyebrow at the hazel eyes that studied the two outsiders. "Hi there, Etaine. One second." The eye slot disappeared, and metal grated against metal. A short moment later the door swung inward, and Etaine and Ratbreath stepped through. The door swung shut behind them, and Etaine watched the hazel-eyed Keeper bolt the heavy door shut.
"Evening, Etaine. Evening, Ratbreath." The man nodded his head forward in greeting, and his cowboy hat briefly shadowed his face. Ratbreath nodded back, smiled wide, and offered the Keeper a rat just pulled from a torn pocket.
"Evening, Rick. Wanna bite?" The Nosferatu giggled as a disgusted look overtook the Keeper's bearded face.
"Umm, I think I'll pass on that," Rick replied. Ratbreath shrugged and pocketed the dead animal.
"Your loss," The Nosferatu sighed, and stepped away and sauntered into the Elysium
Etaine smirked at the exchange, then sighed as she watched Rick lean against the iron door. "Enjoying your new job as Keeper?" she asked.
The Kindred shrugged. "Guess it gives me status. So not too bad."
Etaine nodded and eyed the man's checkered shirt and how the top two buttons remained open, exposing the man's muscled upper chest. The long sleeved fabric stretched over his muscular biceps and large forearms. He wore dark blue jeans and steel-toed leather boots.
"Have they started?" she asked and nodded her head towards the large room. The concrete bunker was roughly fifty feet by fifty feet with a fluorescent-bulbed ceiling that rose sixteen feet from the cement floor. There was no furniture in this simple room save for the half-circle of metal folding chairs that were placed before a large, wooden pulpit. The pulpit was even simpler than the rusted chairs. It was crafted from basic boards and made no show for artistic quality.
"Well the Prince hasn't arrived yet," answered Rick. Etaine rolled her eyes, and he shrugged in response.
"Typical Ashe," Etaine growled as she stepped into the middle of the room. She walked to the far side and seated herself in the chair closest to the pulpit. Voices rose as she took her seat, and she looked up to eye the rest of the room's occupants.
Sheriff Liam was present. He was a large, heavyset man, dressed in jean coveralls and a black leather vest, with an antique metal sheriff pendant was pinned to his right breast. Liam guffawed loudly at one of Ratbreath's poorly timed jokes, and his bestial eyes glowed red for a brief moment. Etaine narrowed her eyes and silently hoped the man was in better spirits than the last time they had met. He was one of their best fighters in the city, but he had both the temper and patience of a frenzied Lupine.
"Seneschal Etaine, how are you?"
Etaine jumped slightly in her seat, as she heard the voice from behind her chair. Shortly after hearing the rustle of a leather trenchcoat, a man stepped into view. His pale face was twisted with an amused grin.
"Sorry, but did I just surprise you?" His voice was playful yet mocking.
Etaine grinned in response. "Federic Faust. It's been some time. I heard you were back in the city."
Federic folded his arms and shifted his combat booted feet upon the concrete. "Well, yes, indeed I am. I heard you were Prince."
Etaine nibbled on her lower lip a moment before responding. "Yeah. Had to take it for some time. Our Sheriff had a run-in with some Lupines, and I had to usurp in order to save face. Long story." She eyed the man from head to toe. "You here to stay?"
Federic sighed and ran a calloused palm over his shortly-cropped hair. "Depends. This city has been quite chaotic in the past."
Etaine nodded. "Definitely. Though I could use the help of a fellow Kindred who possesses the rare skill of common sense. This city definitely lacks it more than uses it."
Federic's upper lip curled into a sneer. "Yes. You could put it that way." He seated himself in the chair beside Etaine. "I take it this meeting is about those letters each of us has received."
Etaine nodded. "Yeah, as far as our Prince explained it to me, each member of the city has received an letter nearly identical to each other, an abandoned warehouse address stamped to the front. I find it rather amusing, yet also threatening."
"You mean the part that has us all going at a specific time to an unfamiliar location hosted by a cryptic individual?"
Etaine snorted. "Yeah. I might need your help scouting out the scene before everyone else arrives. It's always good to have a fellow Gangrel with an avian form." She winked at Federic, and he chuckled.
The large iron door creaked open as Keeper Rick greeted the newest occupant. Prince Ashe stepped into the room, a wide grin spread upon his stubbled face. "Alright, alright. The Prince is here. Ye can all relax now." The Kindred sauntered into the room and seated himself with an exaggerated sigh. "So, I hear we've got these letters of invitation…"
Etaine listened to the man drone on, his broken accent providing a minor discomfort. She thought back on her decision to appoint Ashe as the new Prince of Oneonta. The man was reckless, emotional, and stubborn. However he was not very intelligent, and thus easier to control than the other possible candidates.
Sheriff Liam's temper was atrocious, and despite what she had just told him, Ratbreath's demeanor was atypical for such a social role. The other members of the city were far too young and inexperienced for the crucial position, urban cowboy-wannabe Rick included. Etaine already regretted her decision in naming Ashe Prince of Oneonta, but she also knew it was the least of all evils where such a decision was concerned.
The night continued forward, and provided the usual amount of bickering and indecisive chatter. After an hour had passed, it was finally decided that all members would attend this mysterious event, but only after the location had been scouted and confirmed safe.
"Seneschal Etaine will be taking care of that matter," Prince Ashe concluded. Etaine nodded in agreement, then turned to Federic. "Mr. Faust will be accompanying me as well. Once we've decided the location is safe or unsafe, we will text you prior to the event."
Federic nodded once in approval.
"Well that concludes that," said Ashe. "See ye all in five days."