By The Measure...(Soth, Closed)

[imported_Ambrose Braeden]

A clicking sound was heard throughout the living quarters of the Vampire Ambrose Braeden. The familiar sound was repeated many times before at this certain hour, as it will happen again and again. It was the sound of the mechanicle lock that which was located upon the top of the coffin, unlocking itself so that it may release the vampire within. The hour was late, the creatures of the night were out. On the prowl for their prey. Vampires were beings of the night, yet this night was no ordinary one. Upon awakening from his slumber, Ambrose Braeden heard a familiar voice calling to him. A voice from his past, present, and future. The voice was of none other than his master, Lord Soth. His metor, the one being who had trained him into what he has become. The one who had embude into his soul the Dark Gift. Given only to a select few, the Dark Gift is something that is inherited when a mortal is turned into a being of the Darkside. The Death Knight Soth Nuevole had presented ambrose with the Dark Gift many moons ago. And now ambrose stands up high, as he is a knight.

Ambrose had gone through many battles and throught many tests given to him by his master. Lord Soth had pushed his apprentice to the limit, testing his abilities within the Darkside, trying to make his pupil prove himself. And he did, time and again Ambrose had proved himself to be a loyal servant of the Shrine and a loyal apprentice to his mentor. And he has also proven himself a cunning warrior in the technique of martail arts as well as saber fighting and many others. Tonight, the Sith knight would be recompensed for his duties as a Full member of the Shrine of the Damned. Tonight would prove to be the most difficult test of all. But, the future was always in motion...always.

Closing the door behind himself as he left his living quarters, the Vampire started down a hall that was all too familiar to him. THe ancient tapestries and artifacts that seemed as if they were as old as time itself, had all been thoroghly studied many a time by the young apprentice. Recalling the many houres of study that he had undergone many years ago, Ambrose could still recall each one's individually. Their past and present were visible upon the outer coverings of the artifacts. Rounding a corner, Ambrose's mind trailed off. He was thinking of the many artifacts that the Death Knight had collected over the years and to think of it, collecting rare objects from all over the galaxy was becoming a hobbnie of the young apprentice. The mind of the mature Vamprie was suddenly thrown back into conscienceness, back into reality when Ambrose caught a glimps of something moving out of the corner of his eye. Ambrose did not know what it was, but he would soon find out. Ambrose was jerked from the very spot he was in previously, and was sent tubling forward for a bit before he could regain composure. When he did so, the sith realized that the hallway was movinginto a different position than before. At both ends of the hallway, any person could see that the walls were going by very slowly. But they were moving. When the extravagant hallway finally reached its destination point, the Vampire went about his way. Heading in the same direction as before.

Coming to a complete stop in front of two humoungous double doors,Ambrose looked upon them in awe. Admiring the intricate designs that were laced upon the surface of the dark mohogony wood. The arcane symbols seemed as if they were telling the story of the Vampires, of the beginnig. When Empress Ashiva had first embraced the Dark Gift.

It would have taken a full grown man to push these doors open, using all of his strenth all the while. But for a vampire, it was different. They were much stronger than any mortal could ever dream about. It took little effort from the Sith Knight to push the doors open, not knowing what awaited him on the other side of the threash hold.

[Lord Soth]

The Death Knight of the Black Rose stood motionless in front of a solid hewn marble alcove that spanned half way up one of the high vaulted wall's to his personal chamber. There were many fascinating treasure’s that adorned the lavishness of the richly decorated room, however it was one solitary object of interest that captivated Soth's attention for the moment. His eyes slowly traced the finely crafted bevel and subtle curves of its superb craftsmanship until they reached the emblem of his order that sat center on the fabulously tooled breast plate. The smallest of details were not ignored by the hand that created its semblance. Each blooming bud of alloy was meticulously hammered and refined with a pain staking precision that rivaled most of the black smith's Soth had ever encountered in his long years. Surrounding the Rose was a fine lace of tooled gold pattern’s that ran uniform around the central piece until it reached the smooth surface of metal that framed it's work handsomely.

Soth thoughts began to wander back to a time when his old master, Exar Kunn, had presented him with his own armor that he now proudly wore. It was a highly regarded honor to the Death Knight when Kunn bestowed it to Soth as a gift and a token to his unwavering loyalty of service. Even though down through the year's such armor became out dated and of little use due to it's weighty encumbrance, Soth continued to wear the cherished plate mail as a mark of his order that he created shortly after Kunn's untimely demise. When the Death Knight was summonsed by Saurron himself to do his evil bidding, the ancient armor was then altered to an age of technology to fit the time Soth now lived in. This would prove to create a burdensome task for the Death Knight's understudy as he too would have to make the necessary alterations to the priceless suit of armor Soth now admired.

As the heavy oaken doors swung slowly inwards to Soth's living quarters, the Death Knight never took his eyes from the central Rose on the breast plate as Ambrose entered. Soth's pale hand's rested comfortably behind him as the Sith apprentice approached him with an elegant stride.

"I once knew the man that owned this particular set of armor...He was quite courageous, a man of great honor and nobility." Soth finished smoothly as his thoughts lingered for a moment then returned to him.

"Tell me my young apprentice...In this suit of armor you see before us here,...Where lay's the honor and loyalty therein?" Soth questioned as he turned his head slightly to Ambrose, studying him carefully as if it were another test of sort's.

[imported_Ambrose Braeden]

The designs that were laced upon the arcaic armor looked as if they resembled that of the armor that adorned his master. Lord Soth's armor is of a being known as a Death Knight, a cursed soul that lives for all eternity. Ambrose stared long and hard at the object that Soth had pointed out. The words that had come out of the Sith Master's mouth sounded as if they were a riddle, designed to boggle the mind. "I once knew the man that owned this particular set of armor...He was quite courageous, a man of great honor and nobility." "Tell me my young apprentice...In this suit of armor you see before us here,...Where lay's the honor and loyalty therein?"

A million thoughts had gone into the mind of the vampire, all of them contradicting one another. As he thought aboput the words, and the answer to Soth Nuevole's question, the Sith Knight walked around the intricate artifact that hung in the chamber of his master. The rose was apparrent upon the chest plate. Still walking around, Ambrose thought about what the armor itself represented. The question made sence to the Sith apprentice, but he could not put the pieces together. But after reasoning his toughts, the Vampire realized that armor has not loyalty. It has no honor. None of these traits are woven into the very fabric of the intricate armor. Loyaly and honor comes from the heart. It comes from the soul. So Soth must have meant that the loyalty and honor come from within the man who wears the armor. Not the armor itself. Ambrose had finally figured out the riddle. It was the man within. It was his heart.

"It is not the armor that is loyal, it is the man within. His heart is what holds the loyalty, honor, and trust."

Ambrose clasped his hands together in front of him as he came to a stop in front of the armor, his back facing the Death Knight

[Lord Soth]

The Death Knight circled Ambrose until he stood at his left side, his hand's still resting behind him. Long moments hung between master and apprentice as the young Vampyre thoughtfully sifted through the words spoken by Soth. The suit of armor before them glinted and shimmered in the torch light of the room, casting long shadow's that seemed to dance at the feet of the two creatures of the damned.

"It is not the armor that is loyal, it is the man within. His heart is what holds the loyalty, honor, and trust." Ambrose words were smooth and even, carrying a thread of confidence in them as he answered in low tones.

Soth's right brow arched slightly as he glanced slowly over to his apprentice. A curtain admiration filled him in that split second as the young fledgling finished his interpretation of Soth cryptic phrase.

"You have answered,...Correctly my apprentice. Your wisdom has grown significantly I must say,..." Soth paused briefly, turning his attention back to the silver rose that adorned the breast plate.

"However,...Trust has no place with honor and loyalty...They stand on their own, yet mysteriously they are of one accord my friend...Trust is something that is earned over time...And even then so, it should not be given out freely or squandered to those who are unworthy of it's hand." The Death Knight's eye's narrowed slightly at the small tooled rose as he thought of a long ago past. Surreal images flood over his mind, the stench of betrayal and the bitter taste of broken trust washed over him in warm waves that began to kindle the hate he had always harbored in his black heart...A heart that was cursed and forced to always remember...

[imported_Ambrose Braeden]

"You have answered,...Correctly my apprentice. Your wisdom has grown significantly I must say,..." The words that had spilled forthward were comforting to the Sith Apprentice. Knowing that his master would go to great distances to show his student that which was right, and that which was wrong to his ways. The ways of the vampires, and also the ways of the Death Knights. But the next words caught the vampire off guard, although he did not let it show. Ambrose would never show weakness in front of his master.

"However,...Trust has no place with honor and loyalty...They stand on their own, yet mysteriously they are of one accord my friend...Trust is something that is earned over time...And even then so, it should not be given out freely or squandered to those who are unworthy of it's hand."

Nodding his head in agreement to the statement that was made by Lord Soth, He focused upon the symbol that was laced upon the breast plate of the artifact that he was now starring straight at. It was a rose, something that he had seen many times before. He had seen it laced upon the armor of his master, Death Knight Soth. The rose was a symbol of his order, the Order of the Black Rose. Soth had always wore his armor, no matter what. Ambrose had never seen his master wearing anything different, except for his cloak that he often wore. But only on special occasions was it worn by the Death Knight.

"Master, trust is something that I plan to recieve from you in the future. I will earn that respect from you, if it is the last thing I do."

The whole time he spoke to the Sith Master, he never took his eyes off of the armor. The armor that resembled the armor of his master. Death Knight Soth.

[Lord Soth]

"Master, trust is something that I plan to receive from you in the future. I will earn that respect from you, if it is the last thing I do."


Soth's attention was now fully on his apprentice, a curtain curiosity falling over him as Ambrose explained his truer intentions. Although the young Vampyre was sincere in his motives, it still raised an interesting question with the Death Knight...One that Soth would test him on once more.

"Yes,...Indeed…We shall see." Soth's stance shifted slightly as he turned towards Ambrose with a stoic look etched upon his face. There were very few that had ever attained such respect and trust with the Death Knight over his long year's of existence and his understudy was no exception now. However, it was somewhat different now with Soth in some regard’s, something that bonded master and apprentice…Nevertheless, it was also something that could be quickly severed with a simple flick of a ignition switch on his duel saber hilt.

"I suppose you think such a task or undertaking will be simple Ambrose. Something gained in time you believe?" Soth chuckled softly as he turned from the understudy, walking to a near by book case where he then removed an old tome and proceeded to open it.

"Time is not a factor here I'll remind you...Nor is it something that you could ever work for young one." The Master Vampyre continued to thumb through the ancient tome as he went on smoothly.

"...For you see,...You already have this from me...Did you not stop to think I've already contemplated and considered this before your turning?...Or perhaps it's your narrow mindedness that has blinded you to my generous offer that has gone unrecognized by yourself now." Soth closed the book and placed it on the large oaken desk that sat center to the massive vaulted chamber, his long splayed Vampyre finger's continuing to press the cover as he faced the young Sith.

"If I thought you were not capable of this calling my friend,...You would have never made it thus far..." Soth's every word was cold and deceptively lethal, more chilling then comforting...

At that precise moment, a curtain pressing awareness lofted over Ambrose's open mind as Soth finished. What the Death Knight was truly saying was simple, something that struck home with Ambrose as he caught it's deadly meaning almost immediately after the word's were uttered... He would have soon killed the once mortal at their first meeting if Soth had deemed him anything less then worthy…The young Vampyre could see it now in the Death Knight’s endless eye’s as they narrowed at Ambrose and an awkward moment past between them.

[imported_Ambrose Braeden]

"If I thought you were not capable of this calling my friend,...You would have never made it thus far..."

The words that had come from the Death Knight did not have to flutter around in the young Vampire's mind for him to contemplate the meaning of them. He immidiatly knew what his master was saying, without pondering it. Ambrose resented his remark that he had made to Lord Soth about trust, for he should have known all along that there it was. Lying in the palm of his hands was the bond between student and teacher, a bond which could be broken with the simplest of things. But now that he was assured of the bond, it could never be broken with a thousand lightsabers. It was now impenetrable to any and all who dared try and break the chain that linked the two.

Looking into the eyes of the ancient Vampire was like looking back into time itself. All of the battles and victories that had befallen the Death Knight were apparent in the eyes of Soth Nuevole. The compassion, the love, the hate. All of it was apparent to the Sith Knight.

Ambrose turned his attention to the book which lay under the palm of his master. It was one of many books that lined the walls of this intricate room. The walls of this chamber kept secrets, secrets of passion, murder, death. All of which his master was capable of.

"Master, I turly and deeply apologize for my outburst. It will never happen again. I promise you."

The curious look that was etched upon the face of the Vampire is what had given him away before he had even said a word. Soth was being of which Ambrose had never met before. He had secrets hidden away inside of him, secrets that would drive a normal man insane.

[Lord Soth]

The Death Knight's heated glare subsided to a white fanged smile, his stark blue eye's now glimmered with a curtain lethalness just under thier surface.

"Apology accepted..." The Death Knight replied in a cold flat tone.

Soth held his gaze on Ambrose for a moment then turned from the understudy, folding his hands behind him as he made his way to the large oaken desk that set central to the lavish chamber. After pouring himself a glass of Corellian ale, Soth took a seat behind the elaborately carved antique.

"I will make arrangement to have the armor delivered to your personal chamber's this evening...Tomorrow we shall begin the transformation process on it." Soth paused momentarily, taking a deep sip of the dark blue substance within the jeweled chalice. And oddly enough, the eccentric Vampyre held the golden cup with his finger tip's with both of his hands as if savoring its strong contents.

"I gather that you have all the necessary tools and material’s to complete the task?" The Dark Master questioned as he arched a brow at Ambrose after slowly placing the goblet down on his desk in front of him.

[imported_Ambrose Braeden]

Ambrose smiled to himself at the remark that was made by the Death Knight. The vampire pivoted his form so that now he was facing his master, his hands still behind his back, clasping onto one another. He smoothed his face, his vissage held meany looks, and yet none whatsoever. The Dark Knight shoved his nails into the skin of his palms to prevent himself from showing excitement towards Soth.

Striding towards the escritoire that the Sith Master was residing behind. Picking up the volume that his master had removed from one of the many shelves that were located within the chambers of the ancient Vampire. Opening the book, its pages were already yellow, indicating that the book was very old. Some of the pages had ripped corners. Looking upon the pages, its writing was in a language all to familar to the Sith Knight. The language was of the Vampires, known only to a select few, Ambrose included. He started reading a passage from the book.

..Soth slipped into the place where the creatures of the night, his kind, the children of the damned must rest. As the morning star pierced the night sky, it sent the darkness away to announce the dawning of a new day. A strange slumber fell over the Death Knights mind. Soth could see a valley before him, dense with fog. The landscape was lit by a bloodstar that cast an erie red hue. Huge mammoth bones were strewn about the valley. As Soth walked through he could barely make out the cannon walls and the deep crags and fishers that jetted up and out of the earth hundreds of meters on either side, forming great sentinels. Was he in the forbidden final resting place of the Duinuogyin? The forbidden place of the star dragons of old. A cold dew formed over Soth as he walked further for what seemed miles. Finally Soth stopped turning around looking about, it was surreal.

After reading the text from the book, Ambrose closed it without a sound. He placed it back upon the mohogony wood of the desk. Walking back to stand in front of the armor once more before he would depart from the luxurious chamber of his master, he studied its every detail. Without looking back, he spoke in deep tones towards the Vampire Master.

I do have all of the necesary tools that you speak of Master. They will be ready when the armor should arrive at my chambers. And if it is at all possible, I would much appreciate it if you would assist me in the deed that has to be done.

With that, he strode out of the chambers. Soth could hear the echo of his footsteps in the hallway as he walked towards his room. Ambrose would prepare as soon as he arrived at his personal quarters.