eferhilda 06-06-2009 04:01 PM<br/>Shey knew she should have waited for back up, but the very thought of what they could possibly be doing to Jack spurned her on. This was probably one of the most reckless things she had ever done in her life, yet of course this was also the first time she had ever been in love. Reaching her mate was the most important thing to Shey right now, even to the point that she could leave her pack weak and without an alpha in her attempt to rescue him.<br/><br/>After what felt like forever she came to a stop outside of some building where his scent trail ended. Perched atop a roof she watched as personel rushed about and exited the building, they seemed to be evacuating, probably because they did not kill all of them at the meeting and feared getting found out. Shey cared very little about that, all that she was concerned with was finding Jack which meant that she needed to get inside some how. Growling low in her throat she moves to the edge of the building and slipped off the edge dropping down into the shadows there as she waited for an opportunity to make her move.<br/><br/>The sounds of booted foot falls cause her ears to turn toward the sound, prompting a snarl from her as she remembers what these soldiers did to her pack, to her Jack.Her lips curled back from her fangs as she made a decision to pay back those who hurt her family as well as using them to get back her mate. Thinking of Jack seemed to make his scent stronger, almost like he was right there with her. This only seemed to push her further to that edge where she would surly lose control, to that dark place that most 'civilized' werewolves dare not go for fear of losing themselves to the beast within. Snarling she stepped from the shadows and rushed the soldier as he walked down the alley, "WHERE IS JACK?!" she snarled as she used every ounce of her superior speed to move in on him fast before he could get a shot off.<br/><br/>Nebb 06-09-2009 04:33 AM<br/>Quote:<br/>â€œI intend to make Solace my home, dear Ariâ€™eil. I take great pains to make my home a favorable environment. If I have to lead the rest of the undead around by their noses to do soâ€¦Then I shall.â€<br/>Malachi winked at her and Ariel could hear the steadfast determination in his voice. A lesser vampire would have lacked Malachiâ€™s subtle language toolkit and would have probably muttered something that left little to the imagination of others. The 'younger' vampires tried hard to convince others of their power, sometimes almost as hard as they tried to convince themselves. In true form of someone his 'age', Malachi showed his tactfulness and for a moment Ariâ€™eil hoped to see him succeed in some way or another. Kindred, like man, often require the guidance and wisdom of those more experienced, even if at times, they didn't feel they wanted it. The vampires... and the cityâ€¦ needed a leader like that. Never had it been more evident than in the last few days; two Princes assassinated mere days from each other, and the actions of a few well trained humans showing their blatant ignorance of their place on the food chain. Every vampire now wanted revenge and every supernatural in the city could feel that something big was brewing. But who would step up to the task at hand...<br/><br/>Ariâ€™eil found herself thinking about the Prince again; but sound of Malachi's voice interrupted her train of thought:<br/>Quote:<br/>â€œDoes that satisfy your curiosity, Ariâ€™eil?â€<br/>Ari'iel turned towards Malachi frowning. Tilting her head to one side, a slight smirk appeared on her face: "Curiosity? Hhmm." and she seemed lull the word over in her mind.<br/><br/>Nimbly she vaulted onto dumpster and stood on her toes to get a better view of the open area surrounding the Cathedral: "If you were to become Prince, Malachi, my 'services' would be made available to you, as is customary of someone in my station in the Order. Necessity, then, would be my reason for asking. Curiosity thoughâ€¦" a puzzled frown again appeared on her face, â€œCuriosity is a human trait...â€ For a moment Ari'eil looked as if she wanted to take the discussion further, but her eyes narrowed as she noticed three shapes approaching in the distance: "They're here. Letâ€™s go."<br/><br/>Vaulting off the dumpster and landing softly in front of Malachi, she half bowed as she held out her hand in a manner as if to say: "After you M'Lord." The smirk on her face said it all.<br/><br/>Lifting her shawl over her head, Ari'eil exited the alleyway and headed for the small group of vampires they had been watching. They had no sooner arrived, when they were joined by three more vampires; an Elder and two bodyguards, all wearing very smart attire, and each carrying a pocket kerchief emblazoned with a symbol of a dragon. The Elder approached Ari'eil and leaned towards her as she whispered into his ear. As Ari'eil was talking, his eyes darted up towards Malachi and studied him with a cold hard stare. When she had finished, the Elder nodded his head towards her as if to say: "Proceed."<br/><br/>Ari'iel gave a slight bow: "Malachi, may I introduce Master Loren, Kogaion of the Solace Dragons, Priscus of the Ordo Dracul, and member of the Primogen Council." â€¦ "Master Loren may I introduce Malachi."<br/><br/>Master Loren continued eying Malachi, and after what seemed a long time extended his hand. His fingers looked almost out of place as finely crafted rings stood out from frail looking hands. The most noticeable were two larger rings, bearing scarabs of the darkest blue.<br/><br/>"Good evening Malachi and welcome to Solace." for a moment Master Loren paused, gauging and measure the man before continuing as if there had been no interruption: "So I understand you come to make a place for yourself in Solace and commit yourself to Praxis?"<br/><br/>Praxis was the old form for the term used when someone wanted to air his edicts and dictate his policies. It summed up Malachi's reason for being there in a single word, which was exactly Master Loren's intention. It also however was usually only invoked by a Prince (or soon to be Prince) laying claim to a domain. But Master Loren let the words speak for themselves, partly hoping the newcomer would take the bait and expel whether or not he was truly here to take over the role as Prince or not, but partly because he also didn't want to push the subject. He knew forging ties with a Prince was a balancing act, like so many other things in kindred affairs. A Prince was in need of the Primogen as they too, were in need of him. The Primogen didn't have the power to lead, but they did hold some of the cards and hence it was in everyone's best interest that agreements were made. Not all Princes maneuvered like this, but Solace was a city that needed a leader, the last two Princes having met ill fated ends, meant the vampires were now closer to their Orders than ever, seeking the protection it could offer.<br/><br/>Master Loren continued: â€œTonight the Council will convene to elect a new Prince. For safety reasons, it will be a short affair. We must leave now.â€<br/><br/>They walked through the cemetery, and Master Loren walked silently and patiently alongside Malachi. His two bodyguards were barely noticeable as their muscled torsoâ€™s disappeared and reappeared from behind tombstones and large marble statues. As everyone exited the cemetery, the road opened up to the city's Papillon, a collection of strip clubs, gay bars, cheap hotels and other places of debauchery. They entered into a lobby of an old hotel and exited out the back using a fire escape exit, which opened up onto an abandoned railway station in various stages of decay. The Elder nodded to both the guards and each stood to one side of what seemed to be the entrance to an old mining shaft. Master Loren continued into the shaft and stepped aside and held the door open of an antique looking elevator. â€œWeapons are ill advised at these affairs. Please leave them behind.â€ The Elder motioned to where the bodyguards stood. Next to them was a large metal crate partially filed with various weapons and firearms. IT looked thick enough to survive a bomb blast.<br/><br/>The elevator, antique as it was, was sturdy and it descended without as much as a bump. As they headed down the shaft, the glass sides of the elevator opened up to a large cavern below. It took them almost a full minute to reach the bottom. As the elevator came to a halt, the doors opened up to reveal a stunning black marble covered floor and it was easy to see from the inscriptions that those who had fashioned it, had spent years committed to the task. A double circle was etched along the floor, running midway between the center and the outskirts of the chamber. Standing on the double circle, in an almost dramatic fashion, was Solace's â€˜kindred eliteâ€™. Along the outer rim of the cavern stood a large collection of the city's who's who of the kindred community.<br/><br/>"A least a handful of these will think to challenge for the right to be Prince." Ari'eil though. She stood off to one side, her back against the wall watching the drama unfold as Master Loren took his place on the double circle.