Farewell, happy fields...

[Crowley]

Following the events of January 31st, 2006 (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16171)...

*

Cold is bone and iron thew,
Old when stone and earth were new,
In chambers measureless and deep
The Wanderer sleeps his silent sleep
Alone, but not forgot
Beasts in man-form guard their lord
Eyes that watch by night
-- incomplete fragment; the Codex Tro

*

The lost city of Tzental is a place few eyes of seen. Though the pyramids stand over two-hundred feet tall, they cannot be seen from above. Swallowed by the forest, the city is invisible from the air. It is hidden deep within the Yucatan, whose well-aged trunks provide hard work for even the sharpest machete. Even the villagers of Dzitbalchen, natives of the land, men and women who had lived in the gulf for generations, hesitate to enter the depths of the jungle. There are no paths, and certainly no roads, which a wanderer might seek to follow. If there ever were such things, they are hidden now, buried beneath heavy carpets of underbrush. A route can be cleared by means of knife, but even the strongest arm will soon grow tired. At best, the trek would take days. At worst, weeks – and yet... it took precisely fifty-six minutes for Kristopher Crowley to place himself within a mile of the five pyramids of Tzental.

The sky tore like tissue paper and out of the hole, barely visible in the darkness, there emerged a raven, whose wingspan would shame a Golden Eagle. At its tail-feathers, there were other shapes who tumbled out of nothingness onto the forest-floor, each giving a grunt or grimace. The bird circled above them for a moment and then, alighting a branch, shimmered and was gone. A man sat in its place.

“Not the smoothest of landings,” he said meekly. “Are we all alive down there? Perhaps alive is stretching it a little...”

[Gabriel Rodermark]

I fell to earth like the morning star descending. Although the burden of my weight had been shouldered effortlessly by the threads of the Umbra – the spirit realm through which our rag-tag band had traveled – once corporeal again I was no longer so light. The sensations of the transition still felt fresh upon my flesh. Fitful fantasies, like the delusions of an opium addict, danced before my heavy-lidded eyes. I recalled, in flash vignettes, the swirling landscape of the Umbra. By the foolish grace of two changeling's, I had seen what no vampire was meant to see, something apart from the world I knew, a veil far greater than the masquerade we Kindred maintain.

My mind, already weakened and at the point of slipping into darkness, struggled to keep up with the ever-shifting scenery, as glimpses of places, people and things beyond my comprehension rushed by. I felt my concentration slipping, fleeing from it all, as if what was left of my sanity could not stand to see it all – and so I returned my focus to what I could, on some level, understand... the bird. The great winged beast was guiding us through the wasteland of the spirits, each beat of its wings casting us miles across the world.

But this was not our only guide. A colossal feline, too, rode beside us – beneath us, even. Did she carry me? I cannot remember. The only thing I can be certain of is that when I passed into unconsciousness I was in England, and when I awoke I was in Mexico, lying face down in the dark jungles of the Yucatan.

[Keeva]

:: Keeva shifted to human form, and stared inquisitivley at the Prince ::

[Sansa]

Confused and terrified by what was going on, Sansa recovered from the fall in a three point crouch. She had barely touched the ground before she was at Gabriel's side, huddling by him and trying to support his head. He was so pale... there had been so much blood...

[Keeva]

:: Keeva blinked at Sansa, then turned to Crowley ::

So, what are we doing with these two?"

[Thaddeus Post]

Thaddeus Post fell out of the Umbra along with the others, landing just as gracelessly as the other two vampires. His ghoul, Jenny, tumbled to the ground beside him, but immediately got to her feet and began smoothing out her clothes. She preferred tight bodices and full skirts, but thankfully the events of the last two nights had necessitated that she wear tight pants as well. He eyed her rump appreciatively as she readjusted her ponytail, and then struggled to his feet as well.

"Ah, Tzental," he crowed, "How I've missed you." Turning a circle he placed where they were in his mind and picked out the direction they would have to trek in to get to the largest of the five pyramids. "We haven't any time to waste - Jenny, help me with him by ... no... I'll take her, you take him." He gestured to the two young vampires that were sprawled on the ground.

Sansa Martin was a fledgling, still coming to terms with her new life - or lack of one. Helplessly devoted to Gabriel Rodermark, she had to come with them on this urgent mission to South America. Thaddeus had seen what happened to fledglings when they were prematurely separated from their sires, and coupled with the blood bond she obviously suffered from he didn't care to imagine how she would have fared by herself in London.

Rodermark himself, the Prince of London (or had been at least tenuously when they'd removed themselves from the battlefield at Stonehenge), was greviously injured. Very little vitae leaked from his many wounds, but only because he'd lost most of it already. He would die his Final Death before day rose over the pyramids if they were not successful.

Post, an ancient Tremere and one of the only London Tremere to survive the Baali incursion, pulled at Sansa's shoulders, ignoring her sudden anger and bared teeth. Getting her to her feet, he murmured in her ear, a soothing hand petting her long, tangled brown hair. Her struggles lessened, and she watched almost dully as Jenny bent over Gabriel.

"He is in no condition to walk," she stated in her exotic Carribean accent, and looked pointedly at the two shapeshifters who'd made their journey possible.

Thaddeus cleared his throat, "If you don't mind Crowley, we haven't a minute to lose. Could you, or your lovely friend there, assist her with the Prince?"

[Crowley]

Crowley eyed the kindred 'Prince' with one eyebrow arched. Whilst he was by no means a large man, his weight was far beyond that which Crowley could carry. Though his wings had lent the group flight, in the material world his bones were hollow and thus his strength was barely worth speaking of. Naturally, he looked to his companion. Her body was lithe and lean, supple and sinewy.

“Keeva... be gentle with our young monarch, please.”

[Keeva]

"Sure thing, Boss."

:: Keeva helped Gabriel, lifting him in her arms with a strength that belied her appearance. She hoped that he wouldn't be tempted to put the bite on her. She'd have to bite back ::

[Sansa]

Sansa struggled at first as Thaddeus pulled her away from Gabriel, a surge of primal anger peeling back her lips as she instinctively snapped at him. Unperturbed, the older man simply leaned out of the way, then held her closer and spoke in her ear.

She didn't remember what it was he said, but her emotions cooled as he ran a calloused hand over her hair. The act was soothing, and she felt her tension lessening as he maintained contact with her.

The feline shapeshifter (Sansa had no idea what the proper term for such a creature was, or even if there was one) easily hefted Gabriel in her arms, and it was only Thaddeus' touch that kept Sansa's jealousy at bay. Gabriel's sense... what she could feel of him deep within her body... was jumbled. It frightened her, and she did not know what to do for him. His helplessness in the arms of Keeva only magnified her own deep feelings of ineptitude.

Thaddeus murmured to her again, something Latinish, and her growing frustration lessened once more in the wake of his words. They started walking, hiking through the moonlight in what seemed like a jungle, though it seemed more like a dream. They'd just been in England a short while ago.

Post turned to the tall young man in black, Crowsley or something, saying, "This one will need to feed soon, or the Beast will take over and I don't want to have to put her down. I'm not sure what that will do to the Prince."

[Crowley]

“And you look to me for what, precisely? Do I look like I carry bags of blood around with me?”

Crowley glanced at Keeva with an offish pout, then looked down at himself and his outfit.

“It's the black, isn't it? Gives me the air of a would-be neck-nibbler.”

[Thaddeus Post]

Thaddeus sighed at Crowley's theatrics, and shook his head. "Only attempting to warn you, old friend. You do know what happens when fledglings are overcome with the Beast, don't you?"

He kept walking, using his good night vision to keep on the slight path they were following. "I would merely appreciate it if you'd keep your ears open for anything that might suffice in a pinch. I don't want her going after Jenny."

His long-time ghoul companion snorted in a very unladylike fashion, hiking up her skirts and stomping after Keeva and the Prince. Jenny could probably take care of Sansa with no problem, but Post didn't want it to come to that. He remembered there being a small village somewhere near the step pyramid, but it had been a few years. If they could get there in time they could forstall any sort of meltdown that Sansa might have.

[Crowley]

The five pyramids were arranged as such that when viewed from above they formed a loose square, with the large of the temples standing at the centre. This was the point they were moving towards, and it was in the shadow of that ancient stone monument that they would find the village of Post's recollection. Crowley motioned for the others to wait, as he took to the wing and perched himself amongst the canopy of a tree, peering down at the settlement from a distance.

It wasn't much of a village, really. Just a handful of huts and a well, cobbled together from wood and mud. The inhabitants were either incredibly primitive, or fiercely loyal to what the pyramids stood for. As Crowley's beady raven-eyes darted here and there in search of life, he saw the tiniest thread of smoke rising from one hut. In an instant, he was flapping back down to his companions, feathers ruffling as he shifted back into human form.

Righting himself, he looked to Thaddeus.

“It looks as if there's life here after all, though how anyone could survive out here is a mystery to me.”

[Thaddeus Post]

The feline shapeshifter was not overly burdened by the fading Prince, but Thaddeus was having quite a time of it with Miss Martin. If there was a root, she stumbled over it. If there was a branch, she scraped her arm on it or let it hit Thaddeus in the face. He thought Jenny was smiling at him from behind her hand, but then, she usually was.

At Crowley's news, he brightened. "Excellent, they're still here then." Holding Sansa's arm tightly he added, "This should only take a moment. Stay here and I will return with... the mortal blood will not save him but it will buy us enough time to get what we came for."

He sat the fledgling down on a mossy rock. "Stay with Gabriel, Sansa." She nodded, clasping the Prince's pale hand to her breast.

Thaddeus darted into the dark jungle, running towards the village.

[Sansa]

The jungle was awful. Sansa stumbled to a stop as Thaddeus and Crowsfeet conferred, and was grateful when Post directed her to a seat at the foot of a huge pyramid. It was dark, but she could see so well! And all she could see was Gabriel's drawn and pale face reflecting what moonlight could filter down through the tropical vegetation.

She grasped his hand where it dangled, holding it to her as though she could keep him from leaving her. Thaddeus ran off, but she barely noticed. Gabe moaned, and she snapped at Keeva as the other woman tried to move him. Eventually the other three people moved to a safe distance, leaving Sansa alone as she grew more and more uneasy.

She was so hungry!

Staring at Gabe, she touched his chest where his blood had soaked into his torn clothing. Mesmerized, she brought her stained hand to her lips, the smell of his vitae intoxicating.

[Crowley]

Crowley jogged alongside Thaddeus though as they neared the village his pace slowed. The smell of rot, decay and human waste was pungent in the air. The stench of it didn't bother him so much as wondering what had caused it.

“Bix a wilik?”

Halting suddenly at the sound of a voice, Crowley motioned for Thaddeus to do the same before shifting into bird-form. He fluttered soundlessly through the air and landed just outside of the open doorway to the hut from which smoke was rising. Cocking his head to one side, he peered inside.

There was a man laying on the ground, with a young couple knelt beside him. The young woman seemed to be examining some wound on the grey-haired man. The scene was undeniably hopeless.

“Mix bá'al,” he grunted. Crowley hopped forwards a little, and though he made some sound in doing so, the young man suddenly noticed the raven and cried out in shock and fear.

[Thaddeus Post]

"Dammit," Thaddeus cursed, and then popped out of the bushes behind Crowley. The two young natives gaped at him, one reaching for a long knife, but the Tremere did not have time to waste with their nonsense. "Come with me, you two."

His skill in Domination was not as much as say, Katarina Gordislava's, but it was sufficient to cause these two to reluctantly get to their feet and walk towards him. Post sniffed the air, and frowned at the old man who was lying on the ground. "He's close to death," he told the raven. "Even had they stayed, they would not have been able to save him."

He ordered the man and woman to walk in front of him. He didn't like killing people, he was Camarilla after all, and he would try to keep Sansa from draining her kine. But she was starving, and would be difficult. Her sire would normally teach her these things. Post sighed. There was a reason he'd never wanted to sire a fledgling, and this was one of them.

As for the Prince... Thaddeus just hoped that he would perk up enough to drink.

[Gabriel Rodermark]

The hunger was threatening to throw the Prince into frenzy. As he lay beside Sansa, listening to the minute sounds of the jungle, he could hear the slow march of the dying man's heartbeat. He groaned, his beautiful face now twisted and grotesque as he clawed at the empty air between himself and Sansa.

Post's return was not a moment to soon. Gabriel hissed at the sight of the dominated kine. With a nod, Thaddeus directed the woman towards Rodermark, who somehow summoned the strength to drag her down to the ground. In his grasp, she all but collapsed on top of him, her eyes wide as the Beast inside Gabriel tore at her throat, ravenous.

[Sansa]

Sansa reared back from Gabriel as he reached for her, the hungry feeling inside her quailing at the sight of his obvious need. Then Thaddeus was back, a woman was falling on top of Gabe, who wrapped her up in his arms. Sansa wailed, trying to throw herself at the pair, but was blocked by a dark skinned man who stared vacantly at her.

The man knelt as Thaddeus touched her elbow. She snapped at him, and then looked apologetic, her eyes full of bloody tears. "Here, child, you must Feed."

He guided her to her knees as well, the native's face turned away from her. She stared at the throbbing vein in the man's neck as Post put her hands on the man's shoulders. "Gently," he murmured, but as Sansa tenatively put her face close to the young man, Thaddeus and all thoughts of Thaddeus faded away.

She was conscious of Gabriel nearby, of the thudding heart of the woman who he was... of the heartbeat... of the blood...

Sansa opened her mouth wide, nipping at the neck of the tribal man and panting as blood bubbled up. She sighed, sinking her new fangs into soft flesh and loosing herself to the moment of bliss of feeding of sweet fever...

[Crowley]

The raven that was Crowley had remained in the hut. He now sat perched on the ribcage of the dying man, who was frozen in terror – believing the bird to be some winged harbinger from the gods. In truth, he didn't need a carrion crow to usher him to the end – Crowley could see that his life was slipping away fast.

The birds head tilted to the side for one moment, as it heard something like a roar, and then the sickly wet sound of feeding. With a shiver, the raven ruffled its feathers, and hopped further up the dying man's chest, peering down into his face.

A moment passed, another, each breath becoming more shallow and then - with a final gasp - the light was gone from his eyes. The raven gave a triumphant 'caw!' Now, beak poised over the corpses vacant eyes, it was his time to feed...

[Thaddeus Post]

The Beast, when loosed, was always messy. They didn't have time to clean up the Prince or his childe, however.

Unnerved by the imposing step pyramid, Keeva refused to enter. Crowley, when he returned, took her aside and spoke to her quietly, but she did not change her mind. Post took up the burden of the dying Prince, and Jenny tugged Sansa along by the hand.

The fledgling was sated, for the time being, but she looked half mad and had blood all down her front. She alternated between a dazed expression and looking like she was about to cry. Post pitied the poor thing, but there was no time to waste.

Crows joined the troupe as Thaddeus located the entrance to the pyramid and led them inside.

[Sansa]

Stumbling inside the dark pyramid, Sansa did not feel like herself. She didn't know what she felt like, but it was not normal. Everything was topsy... and she found that she could see perfectly in the nearly complete darkness of the pyramid.

The fledgling absently wiped at the front of her shirt. She was covered with stickiness, and felt ashamed and horrified at what she'd done to the villager. And yet... and yet she knew she'd do it again. In fact... she looked up at the girl who was leading her by the hand and focused on her neck where she could see a vein throbbing with her heartbeat.

"It will be a long hike into the central chamber," called Thaddeus. Jenny flicked on a flashlight to light her way. "We need to hurry."