I really wasn't sure where I was… I remembered sitting down on the couch in Angiola’s office and then… I was here, wherever that may be. I've had a lot of strange episodes, dreams and whatever you may want to call it but this was different. I was in my body, this wasn't a dream but there was absolutely nothing. Just light from an undetermined source and void as far as I could see. I was standing on the “ground” but it was just more of the same nothing. Everything was a pale gray and almost like TV static as odd as that sounds. It was like I had been sucked into a TV stuck between channels. I looked around and tentatively took a few steps. Nothing changed, so I continued to look around and slowly walk in what I think was circles. There was no wind, no atmosphere to speak of. The temperature was neither cold nor hot, a bit over 70 degrees, at least I think. A slight thud caught my attention, because it was the only noise I had heard since I got here, wherever here was… I started to walk in the general direction I thought the sound had come from. In the distance, I thought I could make something out, almost to the horizon. “HELLO” I yelled at the top of my lungs. I wasn't sure who or what it was but it was the only other thing here so I had to try. There was no input to tell how long I had been walking around, but it felt like it had been an excessively long time. There was a sound like a ripping sheet and then a black blur came closer and closer, materializing into the rough shape of a man. He was still too far away for me to make out any details, but I had an odd sense of recognition. At first I thought it was the Litch but then there was another thud, and another, then it was like it was raining with the sounds of meat hitting the ground at terminal velocity. Hundreds if not thousands of bodies and forms, not all human, were all surrounding me now. They all began to mass around me and the man, leaving us in an oval, surrounded by a sea of bodies. The world around us shrank slightly and stopped when me and the man were standing only a few yards away. The crowd stood around us leaving us in the center of an oval ring about 25 by 15 feet. I was face to face with a younger Native American man with severe features and shining black hair. He appeared to be in his early 20’s and had the proud bearing of a warrior. His head was almost shaved bald, all except the back of his head, where the long thick braid came out, wrapping around his neck multiple times. “Hello” I said as I waved sheepishly. The man looked around briefly then spoke. It wasn't in any language I knew, but it sounded very similar to what they spoke in the vision I had when I was in the body of the Litch. Somehow I could hear both the words he was speaking as well as a translation, but it was more than that. I spoke several languages, many of which have changed drastically over the last 400 years. I could hear his spoken words bouncing around in my brain, finding the closest exact word and emphasizing on that one word, while words with similar meanings all hummed and pinged in the background. It was a bizarre effect, but the translation was thorough if anything.
“Greetings mighty warrior/hunter/shaman. We have assembled/gathered/brought here from our torment/chains of binding/unrest, to beg for release/death/peace. You have been chosen/anointed/blessed/cursed and you must help us.” The translation went on and on like this, but here I'm going to stop because it was just too disorientating. Even more so when it's all in your head, in multiple languages. “You have laid in my bones and have seen the beast through my eyes. We saw how you crippled his priest, and we wish to aid in any way we can.” When he was done with his introduction, the translation continued for a few moments after he had stopped speaking. The conversation went on and on with me asking questions and getting any information I could think of out of him. I wish Philip was here, he would have the right questions. I felt like I was floundering in the dark but I did the best I could. Unfortunately there wasn't really a lot of information to be had from his victims, but they had been tethered to their bones for hundreds if not thousands of years. Watching and waiting for release. They did have one bit of information that may have been helpful. Hopefully that would be enough, and this would all be over soon.
When I couldn't possibly think of anything else to ask, the odd world and its surroundings started to vibrate and hum slightly. One by one the surrounding men, women and beasts started to fade away. After a few moments or a lifetime, I honestly couldn't tell, all that was left was me and the man I had been talking with the entire time. He took a step forward and grasped my forearm, I returned the gesture and he formally thanked me before fading away completely. Just before the world disappeared or faded away all together, I thought I heard one last sentence or translation thing. It was like a whisper on a breeze or a fragment of a conversation.
Slowly and groggily I started to wake up. I had horrible cotton mouth and I could tell I had been heavily sedated as well as restrained both arms and legs. My eyelids felt like they weighed a hundred pounds, but I finally managed to open them with great effort. I was in a really bright room and at first all I could see was a wash of white. After a few moments the room started to take shape. I realized someone was holding my hand, looking over I saw Angiola was at my side. I was in the medical wing of the compound, and that was odd… Not because it was the first time I've woken up here, but the last thing I remembered was being in Angiola’s office. “Looks like he's coming around, his vitals came back a few minutes ago now his eyes are starting to flutter open.” I heard a familiar but concerned voice say. It took me a moment to realize it was Angiola. I started to fully regain consciousness quicker and finally managed to sit up once the restraints were removed. I got a drink of water and started to feel the haze fall away into the background, they must have pumped me with a LOT of narcotics. “What happened? Last thing I clearly remember was being in Angiola’s office. I, had a… meeting, I guess you would call it, with the victims of The Eater Of Souls… It was all pretty crazy, even by my standards. Why am I in the medical wing?” Without getting any answers, Philip and Simon both started to ask me questions. “You had a meeting with the *victims*?” Philip asked a moment before Simon asked “Are you okay?” I paused for a moment and collected my thoughts. “I did, and I think I'm okay now. But seriously, before I get into more details, what happened?”
Apparently I had a really bad episode, even frightening the medical team. I guess between the EEG readings and vitals going off the charts then almost crashing completely the sedation and restraints made sense. I finally got to my feet and we all filed out of the medical wing. I told them the entire story about what happened, going into detail and resisting all the words I could remember being used, because the elders would be as fluent in most of the languages as well, and you never knew what may spark something in Philip or Thomas’s memories. It took a long time due to all the extra words in the translation but it seemed to drive the point home to some extent. “I wish you had been there, I tried to think of anything that may help give us an edge but I know how your mind works.” I said to Philip after I finished up with the story. Philip shuttered slightly before saying. “Honestly, I have no clue how you put up with the visions and such. Dreams are one thing, I've had a few myself over the years, but this… The things you have gone through recently, there is absolutely *nothing* even remotely close to this in the archives. Simon, has anything like this ever happened? Perhaps omitted for some reason?” Simon slowly shook his head while rubbing at his five o'clock shadow. “No… There have always been prophetic dreamers, both in The Order and people throughout history, even before my time, who knew of us or seeked out the counsel of the church. The Bible is full of examples as well but… The way these visions and connections keep hitting him, it is troubling to say the least.” I had never seen Simon so concerned before. Simon, the man who took me in as an orphan and raised me, trained me and ultimately gave me my oath to become the first new member of The Order in hundreds of years. “On the bright side, the information I’ve gotten this way has been pretty helpful. Hopefully there won't be any side effects the blessings of the cross can't handle.” I said, thumping the silver cross embedded in my sternum. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Light.” Said Simon with a grim smile. “James one, verse seventeen.” I said with a slight smile, “I know we are benefiting from it. I just hope it's not just a coincidence, and all this is some blowback or curse I picked up from the Litch.” Philip reassured me that there wasn't anything close to this ever being documented as blowback, and Simon and Thomas didn't have much to add. I just wanted to rest, I wasn't as groggy as when I first woke up but it had been a really long couple of weeks. Angiola wouldn't leave my side but I convinced her to let me take a nap for a bit. Exhausted, I crawled into her bed and crashed. I'm sure if anything important happened, they would wake me up.
Lilith walked down the Las Vegas strip, a spring in her step and a huge smile on her face. It had been a great night of winning at the casinos, getting free drinks and a gorgeous room to rest in. She had really needed that after weeks cramped in a car or cheap fleabag motels. It was time to rest and reset, no more of this petty revenge scheming. Best of all no more creepy vamps or walking corpses! She took a left down an alleyway, and once in the shadow she stepped out another alley, adjacent to a currency exchange building in Paris. Now a redhead with a pixie cut, red stilettos and white knee length dress. She was made of magic after all. It was a beautiful day right off the Seine river. She walked into the currency exchange after lingering a moment to look out at the tranquil river. After a little flirting with the woman at the exchange counter she had 122 thousand Euros in her purse. Not too shabby, they hardly charged her anything in the conversion. Perhaps after a week or so at a nice spa and some shopping she would be over this whole thing with Shay and Sĕigo. She walked down the road a bit and into the Hotel Plaza Athénée, checking in for a week of relaxing in luxury before heading home. Well, one of her homes at least. There was a gorgeous ruin of a temple to her, made by a people that no longer exists in Asia. It was her own personal angkor wat, smaller of course, and unseen by man for thousands of years. In a full bathtub, steam rising off the water she reached for her champagne flute and raised a glass to her lips. Before the glass touched her lips, she heard a slow clapping coming from the bathroom. She sat up, a bit disturbed, wondering who could be in her hotel suite. A gorgeous blonde stepped out of the doorway and came to sit down on the edge of the bathtub. The stranger was beautiful and looked slightly familiar, although she had never met her before. Running one hand through the water the mysterious intruder raised a matching champagne flute that had appeared out of nowhere, and clinked glasses with Lillith. That's when Lillith realized she hadn't gotten away from everyone she must have upset. “Hello Maiden, what brings you here?”
Sĕigo seemed to have recovered slightly, well he was no longer screaming in agony and was resting. Shay had been trying his best to nurse him back to health, although nothing seemed to be helping. Finally after some instruction, he had sacrificed the two girls he hadn’t fed off of yet from the RV. He offered all five of them but The Eater Of Souls said the offerings could *not* be tainted in that manner. He had never dealt with a Litch this much, sure there were a few working for The Dark Pope but he wasn't really close to any of them and they had never been through anything like this. Sĕigo had been a friend in his own way, he was quiet but he had welcomed him, and introduced him to his new God. His new God was… Powerful beyond words. It was intoxicating. Sĕigo finally stirred a bit, then sat up slightly. He was laying on a cot made of hide and thick furs. Shay was at his side immediately, kneeling down, he placed his hand behind Sĕigo's head. “It's okay, take it easy. I sacrificed two of the women we snagged that I hadn’t fed on yet. The master talked me through it and it seemed to help. You stopped screaming after the first, and stopped trembling after the second. I will go out at nightfall and get some kids. Master said virgins are best, but to get whatever I could.” Sĕigo nodded slowly, “Finish this. I can not become what I was again. In time, I may heal and recover a fraction of my power.” He croaked out. The Eater Of Souls lumbered back and told Shay to leave them. He didn't talk, exactly. However you knew exactly what he needed, in your head. The sun was at the horizon and about to set for the evening. He needed to go out and hunt anyway. Lilith hadn’t come back yet, and probably never would. He could smell her scent in the area but she didn't go into the cave. They should have never trusted that treacherous whore. He would take the RV into town, and grab as many sacrifices as he could. He would drain his remaining captives first, so he wouldn't be too tempted to drain any of the kids he was going to capture. Children after all, were his absolute favorite.