CHPT 502: Chimeras and Queens

Music played. Considering the fact that Claude was in a ballroom full of Vampires of all kinds, it wasn't the music he was used to. It wasn't human. It was low— quiet. Ominous in the way it dragged and hummed like midnight winds. But it had a fast and electric pace when it wanted to played out through stringed instruments and drums he'd never seen played in ways he—…. Well, you know.

It provided the backdrop for his mind and anxiety, blending beautifully with the at times goosebump inducing music. Other times though, it felt historic. Old and from another world. Maybe he would've enjoyed it if he wasn't facing death. It had its own tune that played in tandem with the physical world. It rained from beyond the shifting northern lights that made the floating chandelier jewels glow green and blue. It poured out of the Vampires as they networked.

"[Stop it dammit.]"

Claude adjusted his blazer, "My bad, I'm... yea."

"[Right. And that's ok. You can be nervous, but they don't need to see it.]"

"Even though we can smell it." Rupont casually commented to him as they surveyed the field.

Claude's heart felt caught in the chilling grasp of an ancient banshee spirit. Even Arne froze within the magical confines of Claude's mind for a moment.

"…..what?"

Rupont smiled— exilieration on his handsome face for half a second before he pointed off somewhere, "They try to play as if they come in peace and to observe the Human sect of Vampiric Culture. They act like observers…. Even though we can smell it."

Claude's eyes danced across the golden floor to where Rupont pointed.

Among the packed room he eventually found who the source of their conversation had become. Beyond the demonic hybrid looking Rakshasa Vampire Coven, and the ghostly Islandian Verdilak Vampire Coven, Rupont spoke of a largely enigmatic group.

Despite the lack of major space for the tables, they felt farther away than the others. They didn't brandish expensive jewelry, they didn't show their beauty outwardly. They wore black sheets covering the entirety of them. And they didn't drink their blood.

Terrifying because it was impressive. If anyone could gauge will power it was Claude.

They were looking at him. He knew because one out right waved him over.

Fame was annoying before it involved hundreds wanting to suck you dry.

"[What a cheeky thought….]"

"Now it's your turn to focus." Claude replied as Rupont and him headed over.

Two hundred feet away....

"Forgive my frustration with them, but this Coven here….. they're known for being thieves. Which begs the question, why are they here …. In a place about giving? If only I could trust them beyond the language barrier." Rupont cursed.

One hundred….

Claude's rear end hadn't unclenched since he started speaking.

He leaned down towards Rupont and whispered, "Are you not worried they'll hear?"

Rupont waved him off. "The magical Virus of Vampirism doesn't take to them in that way."

Fifty feet…

Claude didn't get what Rupont meant until he remembered Rupont commenting on Arthuria's diversity issue among the Vampire Covens. And his comments on the coven they faced and their interest in the Human half of Vampires.

Meaning, the Vampires beneath the black sheets weren't human at all. Not even before being changed.

The one that waved him over sat at the center of the group. Smaller than the others— which was saying something considering the fact that they all were short.

Rupont waved, "Night everyone, this is Claude."

The Vampire that waved him over left the table and approached him.

The smell of ash and fire wafted from them all like they'd just escaped a burning forest.

The smell was overwhelming as the Vampire came face to low chest with him, scenting him meticulously.

Suddenly the Vampire took the black sheet off their head, revealing an Elven face. Poreless shadow black skin. Eyes like a cats, irises the color of lightning if it ran through rivers of lava.

"Ahhh the young prince has grown." Rupont commented.

The prince was young indeed, but with Elves he didn't want to play the guessing game in age. Especially Dark Elves who didn't need to worry about heavy sunlight aging them. Somewhere between sixteen and ninety-five for sure. He had long slender limbs, visible as he sniffed and touched at Claude. Eye liner and facial markings derived from ash and berries accentuated his egregious cheekbones and sharp eyes. His ears followed the shape of his tied up curly black hair in a very aesthetic style that was nice to look at. It made him wonder if their thievery came through the act of coercion.

Then again, all Elves seemed beautiful. Even the ones leading Demons. And like that one, the prince was just as strong. His small reserves of body fat were burning away just from being in his presence. His skin even had an aura of steam. Like he was seconds from turning into a second sun.

The prince turned to face his people.

As if they spoke telepathically another spoke to Claude in response. Despite the shadows he knew exactly who it was. Taller. Deeper voice. English speaker. Probably a half elf. Their interpreter, as some of the other covens had. Translation Pendants were banned as a way to build trust.

"Have you been around any Elves recently?"

"Why?" Claude asked. He noticed the prince look into his mouth when he spoke.

"You smell like Elf….. "

Claude saw Rupont staring literal daggers into him in his peripheral vision. For the first time he could see a Blood-Balanced Vampire that way. It was horrifying. Ruponts eyes were like red jewels. Black veins bulged around his eyes. Fangs pushed out his once plump always grinning lips. His ears became predatory crevices to hear Claude's heartbeat spike.

He looked over to find Rupont ogling his cuticles, "Fucking hell…. I need a pedicure." He mumbled.

Fake. He wasn't calm. Whatever Claude saw wa—

"Have you been around Elves?" The translator asked again. The temperature rose.

"Yes. At the Tournament one of the Monsters brought in was a Wood-Elf. I wasn't that close but maybe the scent wore off."

The prince waved off the translator and Rupont cleared his throat, gaining the princes attention.

"I hope you all find yourselves in good comfort here. I'm glad to see something beyond myself for once."

The translator spoke in the Elven language to their prince. Claude's ears warmed and his brain hummed as he felt like he was suddenly beginning to remember words he hadn't spoken in years.

"I come here to offer you a heads up of no charge." Rupont explained. "Chaos may break here tonight— if only for a moment. But I implore you to stay. It's for your best interest."

The Elves whispered amongst each other before the translator spoke following the princes final word while facing them.

"Can you guarantee our safety?"

"I can." Rupont nodded. Claude tried his best to remain calm as he relayed everything to Cassidy and Ursula.

"How?" The translator asked.

"Doctrine."

The translator waved their prince over. The Dark Elves huddled up and began conversing.

Rupont once again grew tense. Claude guessed at the proper reaction. The whole reason he was there at the current moment. As much as it pissed him off to be used it was now to his benefit.

He focused his senses and listened, understanding the Elven Language clearly the more they spoke.

"….n't make any rash decisions, Prince."

"This is what we were told of. No use gaining Intel if we don't use it. We need to act on this before we loose important members. We leave when he makes his grandiose move. Casting a few illusions in battle will be more than enough. His nickname seems to give way to his arrogance. Not us." The Prince explained.

The translator turned to face Rupont, "Very well. We will wait."

Rupont bowed, an impossibly smooth and confident gesture before rising back up, "Very good. Until then. Claude, let's roll."

They took off.

Once they were back to their table Ursula and Cassidy watched Rupont angrily beside Claude. Confusing the rest of the Fiara family.

"Well, I'm quite elated that the Dark Elves will hear me out." Rupont explained.

"They won't. They have an informant." Claude said casually, "But you were checking for that. Why else bring me?"

Rupont shrugged with a smile, "To introduce you of course."

"Ah. I don't think that was the main goal. You needed a translator. Because theirs was biased. And of course you knew I could…. You knew the original Lupines of Romulus." Claude explained in a whisper.

Rupont took a sip of his blood and adjusted his suit.

"He can be a slimey one." Aasir said from beside him.

"I prefer the term smooth."

"That makes no sense in context." The twins said in sync.

Suddenly Rupont's head flipped up to watch the upper walls were a clock was. "Speaking of context."

The twins straightened and took the black back out from under the table, handing it off to him as he headed for the podium.

Claude caught him by the arm.

"Hey. There may only be three of us, but I'm not about to be used for your benefit. I don't roll over like that, and neither do they. I did that because you're helping me. Don't get confused and think I'm going to be your lap dog."

Rupont looked from Claude's arm to his face, "Firstly, I don't get confused. Second, great job leaking your numbers. Third, THIS is for you. Though it may not seem that way to begin with. Well, it could be for you… along with us all."

Claude let Rupont go and he teleported to the top of the podium with the bag in hand.

He didn't need to split ear drums to gain attention.

"UHM EXCUSE ME..?! Up here up here, yes. Thank you."

The musicians playing around him quieted. The crowd of Vampires tuned in.

"Hello, I hope you all are having a good night. I've had some wonderful bouts of conversation with you all. I've also noticed no changes…. Since this Summit and the last….. and the one before that. "

The crowd didn't seem to understand where he was going with his speech. Neither did Claude.

"Lack of change creates an urge for change…. But it also lets us get settled in our ways. You're all settled. Arthuria's Covens are about as segregated as the earth and sky. The Rakshasa Vampire Covens are as savage as always. The Verdilak are still shagging Banshees. And you're all tied up in a war of us and them."

"Oh well this is gonna be hectic." Cassidy mumbled as the Vampire Covens took his disrespect in varying forms.

Claude began stacking and morphing his muscles, soaking them with Jotunn power.

Ursula made a fist and took Ruponts cup, pouring the blood onto her hands until she had frozen blood knuckle dusters.

Rupont continued as he walked around, swinging the bag as carefree as a man with no worries.

"Can't you all see the problem. We have immortality but we're stuck in one place. Bloody hell. What's the point?"

Some listened but others clicked their fangs at him.

"We need something to rally behind I think. Something new. Something that was always there, laying dormant. Something other than this Old World segregationist bullshit! We need a fable." Rupont said before dropping the bag center stage.

It hit the ground with a heavy thud. Dust spewed from the bag in brown wispy spirals like dirt smoke.

He opened it and pulled something out. Slowly. Anxiously— for the crowd as they watched. Inch by inch, more and more of the leather bound surface was revealed.

It was old. So old the brittle pages strained from how he pinched the book. The spine was cracked and dried out. One corner was broken— Claude could imagine it simply withering away as dust. But still, the insignia was in perfect condition. A woman laid over a massive red flower held up over its pollenated center by thorns.

The Vampires in the crowd stilled. For the first time he saw horror on all their faces. Even Abis, the sadistic and playful blue skinned many armed Vampire.

Rupont held the book in his hands, "Our most common ancestor has been born in the New World. There is a Red Queen in The Sunlands of all places! And I found her."

BOOM!

The door into the ballroom was knocked off its hinges. A hit so hard the illusion of the northern lights faltered for a moment.

A man stepped in, wearing military fashion and even more military cut hair. He was big. Bigger than Claude and Ursula combined. Somehow the saber at his hip didn't look like a toothpick.

"BLASPHEMY!" He yelled. His voice seemed to shock the Vampires into motion as an all out war broke out.

The whole floor exploded into black and red ashen smoke. Bats the size of hawks flew through the mess as other Vampires shifted into Cats and others stayed in their original forms, ripping off heads and limbs with ease.

The Fiara Family boxed in the Lupines at the back of the room as it all happened. All the while, Claude couldn't help but stick to what Rupont had said.

"He agreed she wasn't a Vampire. Maris isn't a Vampire….. but what's a Red Queen?"

The man that once yelled blasphemy after his late entrance stomped towards them, swatting away Vampires and grabbing bats out of the sky to crush them as if they were bugs. When he took out his saber it was so fast, Claude only knew it happened from the delayed sound and gored Vampires falling behind him.

He continued his militaristic march to them.

"YOU! Why are you here! On what grounds is this allowed? Filthy Mut—" His words were cut short as a Vampiric bat cloud reformed as Rupont standing in his way, holding the Saber Claude didn't even see the Vampire swing.

"Rupont Fiara. You are still a fool."

"SGT Bertrand. Are you not a fan of scary stories inspired by real events?"

The two went at it, a fight so hectic it began to clear the floor on its own. Even still, Claude found strays stalking in his peripherals.

Claude transformed. Ursula and Cassidy followed.