“Salt Lake ... City of Saints. That’s rich.”<br/><br/>I read the billboard aloud.<br/><br/>The sun had just set. Cold mist crept from the lake onto the waterfront, hungering for the warmth of the land. Endless roads lead west, carrying those brave enough to travel them to an uncertain fate. The barren mountains cresting to the east basked in the moonlight.<br/><br/>I stood, alone, gazing out over the mass of water from the boardwalk. A purple sheen shimmered on the horizon – the day’s swansong. I had woken early from a short rest and allowed my thoughts to flow freely as the moon rose. I remembered my friends, long dead.  They travelled east, away from Salt Lake. Some to fight, some to never return. They got their wish. Sometimes I think I should have gone with them. But nah … too cowardly perhaps. Or … nah I’m ramblin’.<br/><br/>I recalled the speech Prince Hunter delivered to the Court a mere three months ago. “Defiance, determination, brotherhood!” he had declared, bolstering our reserve as we fought frantically night after night to hold on to what was ours.<br/><br/>Sabbat set the night ablaze back then, their hatred pure and unreasoning, their minds reckless and vicious.<br/><br/>We battled against impossible odds.<br/><br/>We lost many.<br/><br/>My friends.<br/><br/>An easy evening wind sent chills down my spine. I dug my hands deeper in the pockets of my coat. Some times I think too much. It never leads anywhere good.<br/><br/>I started a slow saunter towards the Elysium. The Hotel Olympique stands in the distance, gazing out over the lake. The street bustles as I make my way over, unseen by mortal eyes.<br/><br/>The nights were quiet now. No idea why  the Sabbat decided to let off. Some like to believe it’s cause we gave them a good solid ass whoopin’ couple of weeks ago. Heard some of the stronger ones got taken out. I wasn’t so sure. Maybe they just got bored of us … lost interest … decided to leave us to the wolves. They sure had us on the ropes … all I’m sayin’.<br/><br/>My friends are gone. Made damn sure they didn’t have to wait long for their killers.<br/><br/>It’s quiet now, though. But they’ll be back. Sabbat never took pity on a town before.<br/><br/>There’ll be more fighting.<br/><br/>‘Of strategic importance’, they say. ‘A foothold bordering on the Anarch free states and the main Sabbat influence’, they say.<br/><br/>Why<em>do </em>newbies come here? I’ll tell you why.  They come here ‘cause they’re out of options already – whether they realize it or not. And who knows … they might get lucky...<br/><br/><br/><br/><div align="center">(http://yayeveryday.com/images/post_images/2009-4-26/3253/1240792695.jpg) <br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><br/>Salt Lake City<br/><br/>City of Saints, City of Sin</strong></span></div><br/>