Inspired by Vampire: The Requiem and Mage: The Awakening. Of those who are familiar with the systems, you will recognize this as a mage awakening and some of the terms. I would also like to thank my new editor, who is god-sent in a time of need and very good at what he does.
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The young woman looked out of place among my human admirers, a Virgin Mary among devil-worshipers. I watched her from my perch over the crowds. The thumping of the music in the place shook my frame as the notes invaded my eardrums. I noticed it always smelled like sweat and sex in here. The cold metal of the rail I held vibrated to the music. The strobe lights swirled and dotted along the mesmerizing throng of humans, creating a euphoric sight to the untrained eye.
The humans in the crowd had smug looks on their faces, dressed in their "punk" attire, as she passed through them. I concentrated, listening to her light breathing and the soft scent of soap of her skin. She was pleasingly normal to the eye, with young features, wide eyes and delicate limbs. Her unkempt hair was pulled back and her eyes framed due to bad sight. Her clothing was unflattering, her brown skirt hiding her slender legs and shapely hips. Her white blouse gave weight to her frame, enlarging her pert breasts. Only a tropical vest gave her shape, slimming her waist. She looked nervous and skittish. Considering this was a den of addicts and whores, it didn't surprise me.
My allies and I thrived on the weak of humanity, giving them hope and purpose. I suppose that's why I craved her, because she had purpose, hope and most importantly innocence. These cattle that frequented my haven were used in every way. She was fresh and so easy to manipulate, even without the use of my powers. Who would of ever thought she could be so dangerous to my kind just by reading the contents of one book? Killing her would be a waste, but what else could I do? The information in her mind was too dangerous to let her go. But that dilemma could wait; I wanted her desire above all else. That's why I called her here.
She bent over the bar to ask the tender of me. His eyes popped out of his shiny head but with a wary look he pointed her to the elevator. Rodgir was guarding it, only letting up whom I permitted. Though quiet and attentive, he was large and held a feral look about him, much like myself. He was a Beast of course, making him as loyal as he was dangerous. She made her way over to him. When she faced him, she shrunk at his presence. Before she could say anything, he put up his hand. He leaned towards her, his nostrils flaring. She looked concerned but didn't move. After a brief second, he leaned up and led her into the elevator. She disappeared from my sight as the gentle thrum of the elevator moving filled my ears pleasantly. Rodgir shot me a look and I shot a toothy grin at him. Finally the elevator reached the top floor. A shot of adrenaline and anxiety ran through my system, thinking of what was to come. She was so unsuspecting, this was going to be delicious.
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Everything had been so strange these past couple of days. First the almost threatening invite, the strange bar and now the bodyguard that smells people. I began questioning why I came. The gentleman who had come into my bookstore had looked of aristocratic old money. I had treated him like every other customer, not paying any specific mind to him. He seemed disinterested in most of the store until he saw the book on the counter, a piece of my personal library I had accidentally left out. I had been skimming through it, having just purchased it from a estate sale. It was old as hell, half of the pages were brown with age and the cover was a torn, dirty cloth. I had made it to the second page, before realizing it was in a language I didn't even recognize. It had seemed very similar to Nordic runes though with more slopes, curves and some unrecognizable symbols. I looked it up online and was able to find a language chart pointing out what they meant. It was a phonetic language, formed by sounds. I had managed to translate the first few pages, before the Baron, what I had taken to calling the stranger, had visited my store. They talked about magic physics and some undead theories, it seemed. It was just my luck he was interested in it.
When the gentleman's eyes swept over the cover, a dark shadow seemed to cover his irises. It was an unsettling experience. He came over to me, behind the counter with the book and a unnatural glow seemed to fill his eyes as his demeanor changed to social. His words seemed to caress my ears like a silk ribbon, "May I see this piece of merchandise?"
I felt compelled to say no, but instead replied, "Of course, though it isn't for sale. It's part of my personal collection." A slight sneer formed in the corner of his mouth as a white gloved hand grazed the cover of the book. When he lowered his soul-piercing gaze to the book, I realized that six silver arrows graced the cover. The man flipped through the pages with a cat-like dexterity, careful but quick.
After a few moments, he looked back at me. I felt a slight pressure in my head as he spoke, "Allow me to bargain with you for it. I promise to make it more than worth your while."
"I'm not sure," I replied. He gave me a card with the address on the front printed in a nice sans-serif font, on the back he scribbled a date with a time, without brokering an argument and told me to consider it. Then he left, leading me to this place a few nights later.
I had come to the decision not to dress special and kept a cold lump of steely reserve in my chest as I progressed through the place. Faced with the bodyguard at the elevator, something just didn't feel right about him. The anxiety in my chest amplified when I got in the elevator. I kept thinking about how attractive the gentleman was and how suspicious this all seemed. The elevator glided to a stop after a few moments, giving out a small ding as the doors slid open. I straightened my back and stepped out.
The second floor was so dramatically different in mood and decor that it took me a moment to adjust. The floors were a rich auburn color and spotless, making me guilty about wearing shoes. All of the walls were a taupe color with lighted paintings of people upon them. There were two dirt brown leather sofas facing a large mirrored window looking down on the rest of the place. A shin-high coffee table of mahogany graced with a crystal vase of deep purple rhododendrons was placed in the center of the sofas. The lights were dim , giving off just enough light to see everything clearly. A small hallway was carved into the wall behind the sofas, however it's contents were unapparent at the angle I was standing. Little of the pounding, harsh music could be heard and a drift of the fresh smell of the flowers was on the air.
