I spent four days and three nights studying with Arianna. What I found was a wealth of possible spells able to be used in an instant. Arianna also showed me a few spells that would serve as a surprise since they had not been seen in many centuries. Armed only with my spells, and wearing my ensorcelled duster and a ring that Arianna gave me, I went out to my garage and checked my motorcycle. I can't tell you what kind it is because it was not made by one of the big name companies. I paid a friend of mine and his father to build this motorcycle from the ground up for me. It is similar in design and performance to the BMW K 1200 R, with a similarly familiar black and gray paint job.
After checking the various surprises built into the bikes frame, I mounted up and leaned down, fastening the leg protectors of my duster around my legs. I inserted the key and cranked up the bike, hearing the reassuring throaty growl of the motor as I pulled on my helmet. I pushed a button on the key ring and opened the garage door, walking the bike out into the driveway before giving it some gas and heading out towards the meeting with Freyja.
I pulled up to Freyja's house, an opulent mansion just north of the outskirts of Memphis proper and looked around slowly as I pulled off my helmet. Slowly I stood up and kicked my leg over the back of the motorcycle and pulled the key out of the ignition. I unlocked the seat hatch and stuffed my helmet in it before locking it once more. I stretched slowly and looked around casually.
Aware of eyes on me, I took my time bending down and unfastening the protectors of the duster from my legs. I saw all of the expected guards and guard dogs roaming the grounds and slipped into Astral Space, looking around. I was surprised at the volume of astral activity around the mansion. With a shock, I snapped out of Astral Space as I realized that the guard dogs were looking directly at me, on both the physical and the astral planes.
With a smiling nod for Freyja's security measures, I turned towards the house, catching a fleeting glimpse of a shadowed figure in a second floor window watching me. As I looked up at the window, though, it disappeared. I shrugged and continued on my way towards the door. I walked up the steps to the door. As I reached the door, it opened and a suit clad human gestured me inside. "Come in, Mr. Lloyd. You are slightly early so the Duchess is not ready yet." I stepped across the threshold, feeling the power invested there and looked around. "Duchess Freyja has asked that you be taken to her private dining room. May I take your coat?" He asked, holding out a hand.
I shook my head a bit, again feeling eyes on me, a sense of something strange, yet familiar. "No thanks. I will keep my coat." I kept looking around, not really seeing anything of any importance, and just keeping my eyes open.
The man nodded after a split seconds hesitation, the only irritation he showed and turned gesturing deeper into the house. "If you will follow me, I will take you to where you can await the Duchess's arrival." He turned and I followed him through the house, again catching sight of the shadowed figure watching me from the second floor, but it was gone before I could look.
The butler, as I assumed the man to be, guided me into a room set with a small table and two chairs. He poured me some wine in a delicate silver goblet and held it out to me. After casting a spell to check for spells and poisons, I took it, sipping carefully. I nodded in approval of the vintage as the man spoke, 'The Duchess will be here momentarily. Make yourself comfortable, Mr. Lloyd. The kitchen staff will be alerted to your arrival and will bring in some food to hold you over until the meal is ready." I nodded and he turned and walked from the room.
I walked around the room, carrying the goblet with me. I was engrossed with the various objects in the room, Viking age helmets and books and paintings and, the focal point of the room, a mural surrounded by what appeared to be authentic rune stones. I was so absorbed in looking at the painting that I hardly noticed the kitchen staff bringing in a small tray with bread, fruit and cheese.
I heard the door open behind me and I turned to see who was coming through it. I detected the presence of magic and quickly risked a glance into the Astral. I saw a myriad of small spells surrounding the person coming into the room, but didn't have time to discern their type before dropping back into the Material plane. I looked with normal eyes on the vampire called the "Duchess of Memphis" and was impressed. I bowed slightly, a small bend of my neck, just barely enough to be polite, and turned my gaze back on the woman walking through the door.
She was stunning even without the more obvious spells being used to enhance the effect of her beauty. I casually took a drink out of the wine as she stepped into the room. I judged her to be about 5' 11" tall. Her red hair was so pale it was almost blonde and hung down almost to her waist in a shimmering curtain of curls that had help glittering from magic. Her dress, a shimmering veil of barely opaque blue cloth, hung from her shoulders with a neckline that plunged almost to her belly button exposing the smooth flesh of her firm breasts and the fact that nothing was supporting them. The sides of the skirt were slit from the ankles almost to the hips, exposing sleek thighs and firm calves. Her flashing blue eyes locked on me as she walked in.
Freyja walked fully into the room and the doors closed behind her. I could almost see the swirls of the Power that closed them as she moved to stand opposite me at the table. "So, you are the infamous Tre Lloyd, vampire killing mage." Her eyes roamed me openly as she gestured for me to sit, taking the seat opposite me. "I thought that you would be older. A mage of your obvious power and skill is rare at your age." She smiled a slight twitching of her lips.
My smile matched hers as I took off my duster, laying it on the back of the chair and sat down slowly. "Yes. That is what a lot of your people have thought. The very last thought that they have had." The smile faded from her eyes as she heard my words, but my smile spread. I sipped from the wine and poured another cup full, casting a small spell to check the fruits, bread and cheeses for poisons and spells. I heard a derisive snort from Freyja.
"Do you think that if I wanted you captured I would use poison or drugs? I would just use plain, ugly brute force here in my home and take you down. Relax, Tre. I have extended the courtesy of the Herald to you and you have it until you leave." I nodded at her words and she continued as I ate some bread and cheese, "Good. I'm glad to see you know I can be reasonable. Once we have eaten we can talk business." She took a crystal goblet from a servant and sipped from what I could tell was blood.
I looked at her with a smile. "I notice from your invitation that you hold the rank of Duchess in the Vampire Realm. I wouldn't think that Memphis rated such a high ranking Noble."