Midgardia 08 (2/25/16)

  In the night after most have gone home the office of Shahara, known as Sharon to most in this day and age is now vacant save for herself, Lohln, Dursha's avatar (who is mute and clearly under Lohln's thrall), and Gel.

   "So," says Lohln as they re-watch the security footage from earlier that day, "This would be the Cynthia the Dimension Police warned us of...was not expecting her to make contact...and for such a strange reason. She is looking for missing family, and yet the Dimension Police say they followed Chaos to our world...yet...when Chaos was here before...before this last instance...she was sneaky...each time in fact, hiding in the shadows, appearing only as something else, a fairy, a human girl from what my agents tell me...and so on..."

   Lohln looks to Gel who is watching the footage, "So then...is that your experience."

  "Subtle...is not how I'd describe the Queen of the Abyss..."

  Lohln waits a moment, "Well then...what do you know of this...Cynthia?"

  Gel watches the footage, "She says she is Rhudra's sister...I have never met this Cynthia before...no doubt the Queen of the Abyss is...prolific when not turning others into..." she gestures to herself, "beings like this."

  "Are we to understand it then," continues Lohln, "that this other woman...who so rudely ignored us...is Rhudra?"

   "Yes mistress...that is her majesty the mighty Rhudra." smiles Gel

   "What about this brother?" asks Lohln

  "I don't know about him either," answers Gel.

 "In other words," chimes in Shahara, "not anything else than what we already know has been gleamed...other than that Chaos has family...which are recognized...in a rather disturbed way from how Marlana acted...by the Shadow Vampires as their progenitors."

    ******

    Luke stands on his roof top, sword at his side. He may have missed his earlier patrol, but today is Friday, and he is going to get the weekend started off right....something else however is in the air. Something is lurking in the shadows of the neighborhood this night, something that feels similar yet...different than those women from earlier. He leaps down into the alley and aims his sword at the shadows behind Mirai's house, "I know you are there...show yourself evil creature."

  "My my," comes a sultry woman's voice, "arn't you the feisty one."

  A form emerges from the shadow, a cloaked woman shaped creature, the darkness melts away to reveal a red haired woman of pale complection and wealthy garb.

  Luke takes a step back, "Shadow Vampire...I know what you are, you are not welcomed here, I don't know what buisiness you have with...that house, but be it known the girl who lives there is a friend of mine and I won't tolerate you trying to haunt, stalk, or hunt her monster."

   The woman starts to laugh, "Seriously kid...were you raised on anime?"

   "Why does everyone..." starts Luke

   "I can smell that you're not human boy," says the woman, "however,"

  She raises her hand up towards the house and it comes into contact with a barrier, which surprised Luke. He never sensed any barrier around Mirai's house before.

   "Whatever my buisiness is with this house," says the woman, "It is none of your buisiness regardless if you know who lives here....actually...yes...yes it is isn't it..."

   She smiles as her eyes glow red, "My mistress commanded me to follow a lead...we are looking for something little boy...this home belongs to the family of someone who may know where the thing is we are looking for..."

   "What...thing?" asks Luke

   The vampire looks around, "None of your buisiness...any way...I was just to inspect the house for anything that might be that thing...:"

   "She has no idea what she's even looking for," thinks Luke, "this is stupid."

  "Or," says the woman, "abduct the family and use them to make that old summoner tell us where the thing is!"

  "Okay," says Luke, "that will do monster, now I'm just going to kill you."

  The woman *hisses* as her fangs grow and eyes glow, "You didn't even know there was a barrier, when you are mine boy you will bring...your friend to me."

  Shadows morph over her body into the cloak and hooded form, "Shouldn't have told me...."

  *Thud*, a woman in a white kimono, black wig, and an ornate fan over her face just jumps down from the top of Luke's house and lands behind him.

   "Luke!" she shouts, much louder than the discreet voices of Luke and the vampire, "how dare you skip out on our date! I had so many romantic things planned!"

   "Two for one," says the vampire, "I will have my fun with the girl and...*sniff*...what the hell is she?"

  Luke turns, "I...wait...arn't you...I think..."

  The girl throws away the fan, wig, the kimono vanishes as white smoke as her four tentacles expand out and raise her off the ground, her hair tendrils changing between white and blue in luminous streaks.

  "Albia!" shouts the girl, "I remembered your name you heartless bastard!"

  She crosses her arms in a huff, "But...no matter you will make it up to me with a romantic walk by the beach."

  "The beach is like fifty miles away," says Luke

  "and I can teleport," says Albia, "so...you agree to our date?"

  "Date?" asks Luke, "what..."

  Albia rushes him, totally ignoring his sword and hugs him, "I accept! Oh I thought you'd never ask!"

  "What...hey!" shouts the vampire.

  Albia looks behind Luke, "you still here..." her eyes start to glow, "Catherine...no little rich girls to abduct have to bother us?"

  Albia shakes her head and backs away from Luke, looks around and shrieks, "Who did that? Who dares get into my head?!"

  Luke's eyes glow and he speaks in a woman's voice, "My apologies little ones I am somewhat limited as I am now and..."

  Luke *blinks* as the voice stops, only to start up again from a grey cat on Mirai's back yard wall, "Oh...well...Albia and this...child...what interesting babies you will make."

  "Thank's," says Albia, "It will be fun making them!"

  "What?!" exclaims Luke blushing.

  "Who are you?" demands the vampire, "and where are you hiding coward, using psychic puppetry? How'd you know my name? Are you that....that...other in the service of that crazy woman? Afraid to face me."

  Catherine the shadow vampire reaches for the cat which leaps back behind the wall, causing Catherine's hand to smack into the barrier.

  "Strong barrier," says Albia letting go of Luke, who is thankful something else has this weird Eldritch's attention, "Its new...I would have sensed one like this if it weren't...erected tonight and..." her eyes narrow, "something is coming Luke...something horribly powerful, just beyond that wall...be on your guard."

  Her tone sounds less crazy and serious now, she stands on her two back tentacles, her top ones poised to strike. Luke remembers her now, one of the fellow contestants of the Dark Tournament, which means she is very powerful.

  He draws his sword hearing movement beyond the wall...ready to fight water it is. Something moves towards the gate and, it is a small red squirrel-fox like creature.

  Albia continues to eye the creature, Luke doesn't sense any evil from it...but it also doesn't give off any sense of being natural either.

  Catherine looks down, "I know this scent...my mistress shared it with me...it is the scent of the thing we are to find for the great queen and bring back to her...the Dream...she called it."

  Catherine laughs, "So this little creature is what was in that room? Must be some powersource, or just some pet of that high queen...thieving little girl stole the great queen's dog...ha! Well time to put this ridicilousness to rest."

   She leans down and reaches for it, tendrils of shadow covered in thorns leap from the shadows, entangling Catherine and tossing her into the wall across the alley with such force as to break the neighbor's wall.

   "Who did that?" demands Catherina eyeing Luke and Albia, "which of you dares intefere with Shadow Vampire buisiness? This thing is not your friend...it is stolen property! Or...that attack was shadow tendrils..."

  She looks around, "Ah yes, nearly forgot...that crazy woman's....puppy sex toy slave servant or whatever she is...you are hiding...being sneaky...I don't care about this contest between our queens...whoever you are...perhaps if we take it back together the great queens will reward us equally?"

  A second shadow vampire emerges beside Luke and Albia.

  Luke and Albia nearly jump as neither sensed it till it appeared.

  "There you are," says Catherine, "now why not put this..."

  "Not me," says the second Shadow Vampire, "Queen Cynthia, the Queen who sits in the center of the Netherworld upon a throne of thorns....enslaver of gods and kings...I am but her humble servant and companion little puppet of puppets...I am the puppy by her side, loyal beast."

  The shadow vampire's mouth guard opens as mandibles, her human shaped mouth opens wide and filled with sharp teeth and long prehensile tongue. She closes it all up and speaks from behind the guard, "I did not attack you...not ordered to...find the Dreamer and watch the Dreamer, tell the Queen of the Netherworld where the Dreamer is..."

  She looks down at the red squirrel fox and bows to it, "Dream of the Dreamer, oh great bringer of Cataclysms, destroyer and creator of worlds, mighty goddess of ultimate darkness, I am humbled in the presence of your Dream. We who watch over the Eternal Palace and serve the pantheon are trully grateful...this heathen speaks so disrespectful, in the absence of the Queen, my direct patron goddess, what command would you give me or mightiest of mighty dieities of the infinite abyss?"

   Luke and Albia actually exchange glances and look back at the little creature and the shadow vampire bowing to it.

   "Huh," says Albia, "the last time I heard someone talk like that, they were talking to my dad."

   "Yeah," says Luke, "heard someone talk to my mom like that once..."

  Luke starts to blush, "Uh...it ended...I had to leave the house..."

  "oooh, bashful," says Albia, "I like,"

  "I don't know your game," says Catherine angrily, "But I will not be made a fool of! Stand down...you insane bitch...or I will return with Mistress Marlana, and let's see how well you fare against."

  "Shut up before you wake our summoner," says a little Blue and silvery white ferret with tiny blue horns scurrying through the gate.

  "The one that made the barrier," whispers Albia, "I can sense it...its from that Eldritch there."

  "Eldritch," whispers Luke, "like...you...I remember you too by the way...now, took me a minute."

  "Thanks," says Albia, "still owe me a walk by the beach though,"

  Her shark tooth smile makes Luke rethink arguing for the moment, "That other thing is also Eldritch," says Albia, "both are hiding their true power...like I am."

   The shadow vampire bowing to the squirrel fox looks up, "Blessed be I for seeing the goddess of destruction as well!"

   Catherine stomps her foot cracking the sidewalk, "Enough! I don't give a fuck who I wake up! I am..."

   "Go away," says the red squirrel fox non-chalantly, the same voice from earlier. A shadow envelops Catherine and she is gone. The squirrel fox *yawns* and walks back through the gate, followed by the horned ferret.

  The alley is silent for a whole minute, the shadow vampire on the ground vanished into the ground, Luke can't be sure she is actually gone or back to him not sensing her again.

  "What?" asks Luke after a moment of silence after this.

   "Interesting," says Albia, "I heard a voice inside the house, tired, complaining about all the noise, saying...go away...but followed by a name..Toby?"

  "Her cat," whispers Luke, "must have thought he was outside in the garbage...man she's a heavy sleeper if...wait...that creature...oh my god she did a summon. Wow...can't believe she didn't tell me yet...she's been trying forever...heh...must be guarding her house while she sleeps..that one her grandmother has does that too..."

   He turns and stops after a few steps, "wait..."

  "Forgot our date?" asks Albia.

  "No..." says Luke, "did...wasn't there a second one?"

  "Who cares," says Albia grabbing his arm and teleporting them both away to the beach.

   ******

   "The beach!?" exclaims Sharon over the phone, "How...and why...are you at the beach?!"

  "Long story," says Luke as the sun beats down on him, beach goers hanging about, the weather isn't warm enough just yet for the beach, but in a few weeks it should be.

  "It better be a good story!" exclaims Sharon, "I have enough shit to deal with right now without you running off in the middle of the night to....why are you at the beach?"

  "Okay...mom," says Luke, "there was this girl,"

  Sharon's voice perks up, "Oooh...it IS a GOOD story...tell...mommy...every filthy little detail Luke."

   ******