Dragnix.Net

Realization hit Alacard like a small trebuchet when he discovered the new league of foes they were combating. His chains rattled as they were carried with the tides and motions of his fast and obscure motion. His weapon's were flailing about upon his enemy with a fury that only the fires of hell would conjure, but the vampires stood... cleaved, but they stood nonetheless. Dodging a volley of blows from swords and vampiric claws of the sorts, he replied to Jesse's remark after a horizontal swing from a vamp's blade that felt a little too close for comfort.

I do agree m'lady. Take the others, and I will do the best I can. I will say that this new foe is not quite what I anticipated from vampires. These are definitely not the old batties we usually convert to ash.

Alacard smiled wildly as he let his Kamas dangle from their chains while he placed his hands in the formation of a triangle in front of his ethereal gaze. Wispy colors of all the sorts engulfed his eyes as his mouth hung slightly ajar.

A radiant blue and yellow mist started to pour from his orifice as an incantation echoed throughout the edifice seemingly from the air surrounding them.

Deepest fears, so dark and grey, make my enemy go away!

With that the vampires stopped. Their eyes grew misty, and almost immediately, the lot of them started screaming in horror. The mist disappeared and Alacard regained his composure, as well as his golden eyes. With a sinister smirk and a twinkle in his eye, he grabbed his Kamas and sheathed them at his side.

This should buy us some time. Lets make our escape shall we friends? Do not know about you, but I do not want to stick around for these guys to come to their senses.

while Alacard was occupied with his illusion Jess has re-entered the warehouse. she was amazed to find more vamps inside. but how, she thought.

she flew over to where the girls stood, defending themselves valiantly.

Time to leave

she said as she allowed her aura to encompass them. then as soon as it had it started to shrink until with a little ping of light they were no longer in the warehouse.

they landed in a garden, the sun was shining and the roses were blooming. Jess fell to her knees, exhausted from the teleportation. she sent a mental message to Alacard.

I've taken them home. we'll be safe here for a while at least. hurry my lord.

Indeed the girls now stood in the garden of the house of Alacard and Jess. A kitten mewed from the porch at the arrival of the guests, and ran forward to Jess. she reached down and stroked its back. She knew they had little time to gather their energies and senses. they needed information and they needed it fast. she walked into the house, leaving the girls in the garden, and headed straight to the study. the small, low ceiling of the cottage gave the room a claustrophobic atmosphere, Alacard liked that, Jess didn't. she grabbed a manuscript and took it outside.

she handed it to Keara.

There is an account of everything Alacard and I recall from the time you grandfather was alive, through his death and even up to your birth and our pledge. it should satisfy your curiosity. now have your dreams told you anything about these new vampires? If indeed they are from Zeth maybe he has tried to send you information about them in forms of dreams.

she turned to Sera,

As for you my dear, i sense something more about you, something you haven't told us. I don't feel fear from you, but this is no time for concealment. if you truly want to help us then you'll tell us your tale too.

Keara shook her head. "These dreams didnt tell me much, just that they were faster, stronger, and slightly more intelligent then the vamps you used to face...aside from that its all been recollections and his memories..." then she opened the book and began to read. Finding a comfortable spot in the garden she lost herself in the book. It was a long tale to say the least and she would have time for little more then to put a small dent in the reading if that, so she had to get started.

If these new vampires were as imporved as they seemed then something was going to happen shortly and it definatley wasnt good. Then Keara remember part of one of the dreams, the vampires had an agenda, a plan, she just couldnt decipher the voices enough to tell what. "Jess...they are definatley planning something, something big...I remember it from a dream...I just dont know if its the old vampires or these new ones that were doing the planning..."

She didnt know anymore then that so she shut up and went back to her reading. Her grandfather had done alot, and Jess and Alucard whom he had traveled with where just as amazing as he was. How could she even start to life up to that. Some of Zeth's exploits she knew, others she didnt, and so she started from when he first met Jess and Alucard, in a hotel in an underground city, a refuge for humans. Then the vampires attacked, and their journey truly began. Little did Keara understand that by turning the pages of this aged book her journey as well was just only begining.

A resounding THUD interrupted the quite and still air of the tranquil garden. Chillings fell from the roof as a character leaped off the top of the edifice and took a knee in the fresh grass. There stood Alacard, smiling like always.

I must say that was a close call friends. Let me have at them next time though and I gurantee we will not be caught on the face end of a punch!

Alacard dusted himself off and gave Jesse a hug.

How are they? Are they safe?

Jess hugged Alacard back.

we are all safe, for now. We've just been discussing what these new breed present to us. they are a challenge that's for sure, but one I'm sure we can over come. We need to figure out where they are based and I think I have a way to do this.

The wound on her shoulder had heald over. Her phoenix half gave her extraordinary healing abilities. Jess went back into the house and brought out several small eggs, they were made from amber.

When a phoenix dies, and the new one is born, the ashes from the old are turned into an egg of amber. Traditionally these have been gifted to kings and rulers. I have spent the past few years, when not watching you Keara, gathering them. They hold an essence of each dead phoenix. The collective knowledge they gain can be gleaned through intensive meditation. I have only scraped the surface of their power. But I think they may now provide a use to us.

She lay them on a silk cloth, on the grass. The contrast between the white cloth, green grass and amber eggs was astonishing, so viberant were they.

I've taced my lineage back to the first phoenix, with each half pheonix death, a similiar egg of lesser quality is made. These lesser eggs hold no real value except monitary. It's the eggs of phoebe's ancestors which are precious.

She said, indicating the amber eggs. As she moved her hand over them she sprinkled dusted cinamon on them.

The phoenix, when it dies, makes a pyre of cinamon bark. By using this powder i can mulitply the effect of the mediation, because it reminds the egg of the time of the burning. This heightens the memory recall.

The girls were looking puzzled, all this phoenix lore, and yet they knew not what she was getting at. Jess sensed this and explained herself.

However, there is one egg missing. this egg I believe has been aquired by the vampires. For what reason? I don't know, but that they have it means they have a key to some important historical records. I'm not even sure which phoenix life memories they hold. One thing I can do though, is use these other eggs for locating the missing egg.

she frowned a little.

I hadn't tried this out until now, for fear of being discovered by the enemy, but i think if we want a lead as to where they are, then this is our best bet.

Jess closed her eyes and her aura extended from her hands. It enveloped the eggs and they let out a little glow, which steadily grew stronger.

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somewhere, in a darkened room, under a black silk cloth, the missing egg started to glow, and it's keeper smiled as it watched intently.

Sera was nervous now. They had continuously asked her more of her hereitage, but luckly the subject had been changed each time. Such was the case now. A cold sweat bore down her neck as she looked on the eggs. That amber glow, so sweet and solitary... A shreik of Death... A scream to kill, to summon forth the worst in a person, or sometimes the best... A hole in her chest a gaping void of life.... grey..... nothingness....

She opened her eyes, sprawled out on the grass. Her head ached and her own scream had was still echoing through her ears. Sera's cheeks were wet with tears. She looked up at the others, stunned at her own reaction.

Seraphim hobbled to her knees, uttering a quick appology. "I've seen one before." She whispered. "They used it to.... rip my heart out." She said it as quietly as possible, but it might as well have been thunder. Her truth was out, her soul was gone, she was a freak, a different kind of accursed one.

Jess broke her meditation as Sera's reaction.

I'm sorry little one. what you have endured is too harsh for words to describe. I didn't realise that such an evil could have been commited with the missing egg. Why did they do this? what can removing a persons soul achieve? it's not like you're a vampire.

she folded the silk over the eggs and hid them from view.

At the least I have located the missing egg. it is being guarded though. probably by the same being who aflicted you so Seraphim.

with this new lead Jess found some comfort, at least they knew where to begin. however the force which was guarding the egg knew they had tried to find it and now knew where they were.

We don't have much time left here, with the locating of the egg I fear the enemy has located us.

As those eggs glowed their silent serenity placed Keara in a trance of her own, with an unexpected side effect. Her eyes glazed over and from her issued the voice of Zeth, his spirit having found an oppurtunity made itself known. "Jess, Alucard...I fear none of you are ready forthe nightmare you face. I dont have long, to speak with you, and I am lucky I have any time at all...those eggs lulled Keara into a sort of half sleep...her being of my blood allowed me to enter into this body....so I'll be breif." Keara cleared her throat and Zeth's voice rang out again.

It was slightly faint, but none the less held its commanding presence, and power flowed from the spirit using Keara's body as its host, for the few moments it had. "My darling granddaughter whom you have watched over has very little time to become very strong....She must be placed in situations that force her to adapt and let the power flow, and this ne breed of vampire is unbeleivable strong. They surpass the vampires we fought in almost every way." Again he was silent, his time almost up and with little hope of gaining her body to speak to them again.

"Thats all I can tell you for your own sake as well as Keara's....but I will answer one question from each of you...." then he turned to Sera and spoke. "You will find no better companions in battle then these two. Above all else have faith in them and in yourself...it may seem horrible but for you having no soul as the vampires will be of great value to Jess and Alucard later in this journey....I cant tell you how, but it will...have trust in me....I can answer no questions for you....the powers that be will not allow more then one question for each Alucard and Jess...I am sorry" With that he awaited the one question Alucard and Jess were to be granted an answer to, then he would be gone. "Be wary...my answers may leave you with more questions...ones I cant answer."

A simple question was all Jess could think of.

What should we do if we face these monsters again?

Zeth's voice rang out in a chuckle. "All you can really do is kill them. They are a bit harder, but silver should work...I'm not entirely sure beyond that." It was really the only answer he could give. Staking them wouldnt work, and obviously just cutting them down didnt. Silver on the other hand, would be effective.

Alacard grinned maliciously, and lifted his right Kama towards eye level. The silver sheen reflected in his golden, eye and his strange pointed objects started to protrude from his upper and lower jaw.

Killing is what we did best then, my old friend. Surely you can see from where ever you are that not much has changed with that factor. Without warning, the seemingly flawless golden glow of his iris changed... a crimson red taint started to seep into his eyes.

Jesse tapped Alacard with a startled and alarmed look dwelling on her brow.

Love, your...

Alacard jolted back into reality from the state of concentration he previously was interred. With his re-ascension back into reality, the crimson red dissipated back into the familiar golden, affable eyes.

Right love... my apologies.

After cleaning his throat and coughing mildly he asked, As I said, killing the vermin is what we do best, but like you said this young lass has a short time to become very strong. We are warriors, not miracle warriors... she has such a long life ahead of her... do we have to ruin her and doom her to our fate?

Keara's body approached Alucard, even her gait had changed to the same gait Zeth had. Zeth placed a hand on Alucard's shoulder and sighed. "She is my granddaughter and I dont like it anymore then you...I probably hate such a thing more.....but there is no other way I can see, even from where I watch over you all." With that Zeth used Keara's body to embrace Alucard and Jess and then turned and walked over to Seraph. Placing a hand on her shoulder he chuckled. "You've got potential....dont waste it."

Then he turned to face them all and waved goodbye. "I gotta go....my time here is up." he smiled with her lips one last time then left Keara's body adn she fell to the ground unconsciounce (sp?). It would b about 20 minutes or so later that she would stir awake wondering what happened.

Sera winced at the contact between them. Her shoulder wasn't bare, but all the same it took some concentration to not pull at the energies within Keara's hand.

You've got potential....dont waste it.

At this she nodded, a simple guesture, but all she could do before Zeth-within-Keara turned back to the others. A small silence followed Zeth/Keara's collapse, at which she closed her eyes thinking.

"So, our first order of business would be to get silver. Correct?"
Obviously this would be difficult without funds, especially since all her own weapons would have to be coated in the metal, as well as their own.

"We'll need a good amount, if things are as bad as they seem, or worse. What should we do? Enlist our services to some local towns in hopes they supply us with the wanted pre-payment?"

Jess nodded,

we do have a little silver here, alas only enough to cover my cross bow bolts. but I do also have these.

she again dissapeared inside and came out with an olive wood box, she unlatched it and raised from within it a pair of silver gauntlets.

these were used by my ancestors in hunting down the great Werewolf Morgrim. the silver has been blessed.

she put them on, they moved in such a fluid way, part of the enchantment it would seem.

if I wear these then the properties of Silver can be brought forth into the pheonix's claws.

she summoned up the aura of the bird around her, it gave off little heat but her hands were surrounded in a glow which resembled talons. the tips of which glowed with a silver light.

i should think this will help in rendering those beasts apart.

she had also brought out another box. she opened this and inside were other pieces of scrap silver.

you can use this, I'll not cover the tips of my crossbow bolts with it, I'll give it to you two girls to use.

Seraphim took her share, gingerly, careful not to lose a piece.

"Well it should be enough for just the edge of our katana's, once heated. Of course, the light coat won't last long, even if we use the swords sparingly."

She sighed, kneeling next to Keara, and drawing her own sword as well as the girl's. Keara's was longer, but slightly dulled with use, while Sera's own was freshly bought with the now nearly nonexistant money she had salvaged from her burnt home. She stood, a sword in each hand.

"I don't suppose you have a smithy, or furnace in this place?" She blushed slightly. "As well as some skill with such tools, because I haven't had much practice in the area myself."

Jess smiled

My element is fire and the burning passions of life, so we don't need a forge when I am near.

she took Sera's blade and a piece of the silver, holding the two in her hands she closed her eyes and brought them together. A light glowed from her hands as she ran them down the blade. as they went, they left a trail of silver along the cutting edge. the weapon gleamed in a new light.
she handed it back to Sera.

Silver is a soft metal yes, but I have put an enchantment on it so it will last a longer time than usual... If we use the silver this way then we can ration it for a long time. however it will run out, the enchantment is not forever lasting. what we need is Trusilver, this metal is hard to come by. it's even rarer then mythril and adamantium. for now though the normal silver will work.

she held out her hand for Teara's blade.

we have little time to dawdle, let's forge the weapons and then get a move on.

(OOC: On a side note Keara has two Katana. They are both from Zeth. They do need a silver coating though.)

Keara stirred awake to find her swords missing. She jumped up and looked around frantically until she spotted Jess with them. A sense of releif washed over her as she saw she was still in good company. "What....what exactly happened? I dont remember much after we got here..." She was calm but confused.

She had no recollection of Zeth using her body or anything that was said. She had been in essence black out by the experience. She found herself tired as well. It seemed the possesion had drained her a bit so she was a tad wobly standing up and moving around.

try not to move too much

Jess said as she lay Teara's Katana's back beside her. they were newly forged and gleamed with a silver cutting edge.

You were used by Zeth as a vessel to bring a message to us. We have learned a little about our enemy, particularly that silver will hurt them. So I've been coating your blades with a silver edge.

she smiled and placed her hand on Teara's forehead, a warmth spread from it into Teara's body and her weariness lessened.

save your energy we need you to be ready to leave as soon as possible.

she turned to Alacard.

Where to my love?

As Jesse turned to speak to her love, Alacard was seen in a corner quite descrete and quiet. Jesse cautiously approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. In a quick rebutal of a response, Alacard jerked to face his aggressor, but realized it was the face of his friend of friends. Dropping the Kamas at his side, trails of silver glistened around his arm where veins were visible. A small smoke was escaping his mouth while his blades were suspened by the chains binding the weapons to their keeper.

Allo love. You know better then to sneak up on me like that.

Sera, after checking the sharp edge of her now silver-wreathed blade, uttered a thank you to Jess. Her mind was already drifting elsewhere, the tug of lush energies clouding her vision. How long had it been since her last drain? Her eyes cleared to reveal Keara under a new light. No, I'll not stoop to the vampire's level. This ability isn't for pleasure, no, I mustn't... She shook her head vigourously. I am human, broken, but human. My brother needs me. Her mind won over after several minutes. Yes, my brother.

Keara saw the way Seraphim was looking upon her and turned to face her. "I'll not be looked at like that. I'm not some morsel, or chewey scrap." she knew the look of hunger, or the urge in someones face. She also knew something was off with Sera. She wouldnt be rude and ask directly however, unless the need arose. She wasnt as nosy as some others.

When Sera finally looked away Keara noded to her. "Thank you." she mumbled lightly then turned back to Jess and Alucard. "You were awake for this whole thing. How should we proceed, and with what?"

"No, it--it isn't what you--" She looked away embaressed "What you think..." She mumbled the last part to herself. "Sorry." She said finally, but still looking at the ground. I have to be stronger. I shalt not fall to the demons of temptation. After Keara turned to Alucard and Jess, she simply sat on the ground, listening intently.