Daughter of the Tiger

[remus]

Remus watched carefully as Lazarus slowly took Mara's hand. 'Shiv, prepare yourself..I'm not certain what he is about to do so be prepared for anything.' Shiv didn't have to respond, his hands were already moving to the hilt of his two short swords.

Lazarus, however, had a much different plan in mind. He knew that the old mage was cunning and very much prepared for this battle, and even though he felt ready to challenge him. He knew that without the element of surprise the battle would be much more difficult than seemed necessary. He had a master plan on mind. In fact, it was already in affect. And due to everyone's actions he knew that no one could possibly know that his plan was already in place. The grin slowly expands, for he too was cunning, and this was the final step. He slowly reaches down and take Mara's hand.

'Master, are you sure we can trust him? He is very unpredictable and I have a really strange feeling that he has a plan.' Shiv spoke while carefully observing what was happening in front of him.

Meanwhile Lazarus took his sweet time, making his actions seem deliberately slow starring at Mara with his hypnotic gaze. Of course, nothing they could do at this point could stop the chain of events about to take place. The vampire then leans in, slowly raising his other hand up to sweep her hair back and out of the way, exposing her neck.
Then in a smooth drawn out motion he leans in and bites her. His fangs elongate just before the initial punctures are made. The instant he does this the edges of the pool instantly rise up to form a dome around the duo.

'Of course we can't trust him, the moment Mara vanishes, we take action, I'll activate the shift..' he gets cut off realizing what's taking place. He wasn't sending Mara back, he was actually going with her. 'Now Shiv!..'

But it was to late, the dome formed almost instantly, and in the same instant it seemed to implode onto itself and disappear. Shiv moved on command, but when he went to strike, nothing remained but the faint smell of blood, and just like that, the two were gone.

The bite, was the stuff of legend and everything that one might hear about the experience seemed true. The feeling was almost overwhelmingly seductive. Especially when bitten by a vampire as powerful as Lazarus. The bite was often something intoxicating, and some actually become addicted to the feeling, willingly become the vampires servants only to chase the hope of being fed on again and again. And it was this feeling that actually made his words even more powerful to the unsuspecting mortal.

The scenery comes back into view after the strangest of sensations of falling and being sucked through a tube by some unknown force. Lazarus releases his hold and as she would open her eyes she would realize they were standing in the same town square as just moments ago, only Remus is no where to be found. "And so... The deal is done." His voice, almost taunting creeps up her spine with authority. Now, his eyes, his mind, and his bite had invaded her mind and he spoke to her telepathically as his eyes met hers. "But your deed is not done...come..." he chuckles softly wondering when it will finally hit her. "We have some time before you need to make it back to your village..." how did he know when to jump back to? After all, the time frame was never actually discussed. Atleast, not this time, so how was it he know exactly where they needed to be in time? He turns, leaving her in what he could only assume was a perplexed state of mind. This was, after all, the 5th time they did this journey. Mara, of course, would have no recollection of any of it happening and despite the variations in each journey she and Remus take, they always end up in the same location. On his doorstep practically, feeding him little bits of the god mages' precious blood at a time. Now finally having enough to actually match if not surpass Remus in sheer power. He grins once again as the cool night air blows against him again sweeping back his cape and his hair in an elegant manner.

[asamara]

The anxious excitement slowly began to turn to a heavy lump in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't fight Lazarus and that feeling terrified her. As he took her hand and smoothly moved her hair she was overcome by panic, the feeling he was going to betray them was overwhelming but she was frozen to the spot, her entire body tense and her mind pushing against the control he had over her. Closing her eyes she waited for the pain she was sure was coming.

The bite wasn't what she had expected, she had assumed Remus's words were somewhat a joke but how wrong she was. The intoxicating feeling seemed to wind itself around her body, her resolve to fight the vampire's lure weakened and she relaxed, her body and mind no longer pulling away from him.

Mara lost track of her senses as they were pulled through time. The bite could have lasted merely seconds or gone on for hours, she didn't know but when she felt the vampire's release her she opened her eyes. Her body began to shake as adrenaline flooded her system, she looked around and shook her head, confused as to why they were still in the town square. Her hand slowly moving to her neck as the vampire's voice echoed in her mind, "You lied..." she managed to speak although her voice was only a shaky whisper. She looked around again, her eyes desperately searching for Remus, Shiv, anyone who could help her.

"Please..." she started after Lazarus, "Take me back to my home" she begged. She knew she needed to warn her family, to tell them what was coming but she had a feeling she wouldn't get the chance. Pausing, she stared at him suspiciously, "What do you want?" her mind was beginning to clear slightly, the fear subsiding. She still had a chance to get home, to save her family. It may have only been a tiny chance but she had to try. Glancing around, she looked for anything she could use as a weapon to at least slow the vampire and she tried with desperation to remember the words Shiv had told her but her mind was still cloudy.

[remus]

He can't help but laugh at her words "you're mistaken... I haven't lied to you. You just aren't aware of it yet...." His cold grin slowly plays across his lips, licking them slightly cleaning some of the left over blood from where he bit her. The blood on the floor seemed to slowly make its way back to him as he began walking away.

"You're coming I take it" he speaks over his shoulder. "Of course you are..." he says in an almost nonchalant manner. He stops, turning slightly so he can look at her from over his shoulder his red eyes clearly visible under the dim light of the moon. "After all.. This isn't your first time doing this.."he smiles again and turns confident that she will follow after his striking revelation.

Remus, now left in the square in present time struggles to accept what just happened, his hand releasing the spell he cast earlier. He draws in a deep breath and sighs. The harsh realization sinks in "the bastard tricked us.. but worst yet.. what exactly is he planning?" The truth is, they won't ever really know, atleast in this future.

Lazarus, now fully confident that he had her attention continues to speak. " Your village is quite some distance from here... and while this may come as a shock to you... I helped you before. And I'm helping you again...only so that you can return to me and we can do this adventure again and again" he laughs lightly revealing his intentions without hesitation. She has no idea but to go along with his plan at this point. And it was to late to go back. Afterall, now in this present, two Maras exist now. It was really his choosing which he let live. But it was more convenient to kill the one in from this past, not the one that was currently following him. This was the original Mara, that first met Remus. Unlike one may think, even if he kills the Mara of the past, this one won't disappear. This was a parallel past and this Mara exists entirely independent of the Mara in this past. "Don't look so surprised" he says over his shoulder continuing to walk. The citizens of Crete seem to retreat back into their homes as Lazarus walks on. "You don't think I was going to help you without a price... I will save your village... but I'm return you will bring Remus to me... " he smiles.. "actually i want you to bring him to Mirrodin, well really... He will bring you there as he has brought you already... only this time I will be waiting for him..."

Now he could hold her village over her head and he could easily choose one of two paths. Slaughter the village, then modify himself out of her memory. Or save the village and modify her memory anyway. As long as she meets Remus, at that tavern, on that day, the loop could continue. But either way, he would have to kill Mara, atleast the one of this time.
Or in the worst case, he would kill the Mara of the present, and use the one of the past to bring him Remus. Either way, his plan would work, because in all actuality, it has worked already in both scenarios, one where he kills everyone and one where he saves everyone, the outcome is always the same. The trio end up in Crete, and he ends up taking her back in time and the loop repeats itself. Lazarus exists outside this paradox and of the parallel multiverse. In all existences, in all timelines, there is only one Lazarus, and this one being is free to travel between these planes. He and only he knows the secrets of this sort of travel. The only thing he hasn't been forced to do yet is kill this Mara, she always sees reason, and the love of her family and village is simply to strong to stop her mission. A mission, that might actually be successful, but she will never remember.

[asamara]

Mara stared at Lazarus, as he spoke. Whilst he was speaking quite plainly, she couldn’t get her head around what he was saying. He was toying with her, that was obvious enough but she still following him, pausing as he stopped a short distance ahead, there wasn’t much else she could do at that moment in time. Before she could ask what he meant by saying it wasn’t her first time following him, he continued, revealing everything to her which raised her suspicions even more.

Staying quiet and a few steps behind the vampire as he began to walk again, she looked at the people quickly disappearing into the buildings that lined the street as they passed. She wanted them to help her, to stop the vampire but then it was futile; he was too powerful for anyone in the city to stop him. Her mind began to wander, finding a little comfort in the minds of the nearby domesticated cats but she continued to listen to the vampire, “I could warn Remus...” she said quietly as she continued to watch the residents scurry back to their homes, the words Shiv had spoken to her earlier coming back to her slowly, she could warn Remus before they left Crete and hope that he would be able to save her family after dealing with Lazarus. It was a risk but trusting the vampire was a risk too, she had to decide which risk to take. It was almost impossible.

Looking back to Lazarus, she stared at his back for a few moments, “How do I know I can trust you this time? You could just trick me and kill me and my family when you have played your game” She felt quite bitter at being used as a pawn for the evil being’s amusement. She was leaning towards calling for Shiv, it would lead to a lot of questions from Remus and his companion but questions would be preferable to leading them into a trap and possibly worse. Fully linking her mind with the local felines, she prepared herself for a quick escape as she repeated the words to call Shiv over and over in her thoughts to make sure she had them right. Using the feline’s sight, she found places to duck into and paths to run through while trying her plan but then it occurred to her.... If what Lazarus was saying was true, they had already been through it all before so he knew what she would do, would he know that she was planning to do and how she would do it... she couldn’t win.

The whole situation was enough to give her a headache but she concentrated on Lazarus as she tried to work out what she should do, her mind and body prepared for whichever route she would take.

[remus]

Lazarus continues walking towards the edge of town. To the great wall that devides Crete from the rest of the world. "While Remus is able to travel through space as he sees fit. I must rely on a network of towers scattered throughout the land to travel great distances. There's a spire just on the other side of the mountains that make up your valley. We will go up and over. And be there in time to save you precious village. " he slows down and looks over his shoulder his crimson eyes boring a whole through hers "if you give me your word. I will save your village but you must leave anyway. And you must tell Remus exactly what you told him before. You must bring him to Mirrodin... or I will return there and make sure that every last one of your people is drained down to nothing more than a dried husk."

He was weak, and he could feel the extended jump take its toll on him. It would be some time before he would recover his time manipulating ability. For the most part he could control time at will in his general vicinity, yet the longer he freezes time or the greater the exertion, the longer he had to wait before using it again. At the moment, he felt weak and numb, an oddity for him, yet he knew that he only needed to drain a few people to be back up to strength. By the time they reach the wall he is almost appears to be out of breath. He was much weaker than he anticipated, yet even in his weakened state he was far more powerful than anything Mara has ever come across. His hand reaches up to his throat, holding it slightly as he reaches up with his other hand and seems to hold himself up against the wall. His fangs were fully exposed and one thing became very clear. He needed to feed. The tiny portion of blood Remus had given him had already absorbed into him completely, and the tiny taste he had of Mara's blood along with the other people he fed on that evening. But this sort of jump quickly drained him.

It took him several minutes to slowly straighten himself and regain his composure, he wondered if she would try anything funny in an attempt to escape. He took this opportunity to reveal a little piece of information "before you think of doing anything that deviates from this plan... know that you cannot kill me, and there is nothing you can do to stop the chain of events that will soon transpire. Be a good girl and just play along." He says this looking over his shoulder, a single crimson eye peering at her through his hair. The wall his hand was on quickly begins to open up, brick by brick shifting out of the way into a new position to reveal a small path that allows him to pass through and only shuts after Mara has crossed to the other side.

In the distance, the sounds of multiple hooves stomping the ground rapidly approached with unrivaled speed. "Good... right on schedule." He turns and faces Mara, his features as stunning as before. A keen eye could start to see the carriage approaching from the northeast and Lazarus let a cold emotionless smile creep across his lips. In a sort of elegant fashion he slowly takes a few steps towards the girl and holds out his hand, palm up. "Come, we will reach the spire by this time tomorrow and then be ever so close to your valley." The smile widens slightly to one side revealing one of his fangs. The carriage seems to arrive perfectly on time.

This was actually quite a sight to behold. Eight horses pulled the carriage and the coachman appeared to be a scruffy looking old man who's skin was strangely gray colored and his eyes had a strange yellow glow. A ghoul no doubt, and obviously a servant of the vampire lord. The entire carriage looked to be something out of the middle ages, obsidian in color with beautifully sculpted sides and gold lining every subtle curve and design element. The horses were also black and they too had eary looking red eyes that would instantly tell anyone that these were not ordinary horses.

Once inside, the entire thing was lined in beautiful red velvet. The seats, the curtains, the floors everything looked to be made of the finest materials. However the centerpiece of this elaborately elegant coach, had to be the coffin in the center of the large space. This was no ordinary coffin. The door seemed impossibly heavy, the coffin itself seemed to be made of some sort of metal with ornate designs, edgings, and engravings adorning it all. It was quite beautiful really and it served as his secondary safehouse.

Lazarus waits for Mara to enter before he enters and shuts the door behind him and taking a seat opposite of her. "Make yourself comfortable, he was a long ride." And with that, the carriage began to move. Before long it was moving along at top speed. However, the inside of the cabin seemed impossibly quiet. Candles lined the walls with an elegant glass surround that shielded the fabric from the flame, giving the interior a pleasant, softly lit ambiance.

[asamara]

Lazarus's words interrupted Mara's thoughts. She stared at him as he turned to look at her, she felt compelled to meet his eyes leaving her with a sense of helplessness. His plan seemed simple, do as he said and save her family but she felt torn, her heart leapt at the thought of her family being saved, seeing them again but it quickly sank knowing she would have to endanger those she had grown to love.

Keeping a short distance from the vampire as he continued, she watched coldly as he propped himself up against the wall; it was the first time she had seen true signs of weakeness from him. Her mind moved once again to calling Shiv, the word were spinning in her mind as her plan was crumbling, he would kill everyone if she deviated from his plan. His next words only cemented what she already knew and she shook her head slowly, "I won't try anything, not as long as you keep to your word and don't harm my family" she said, her voice shaking slightly despite her efforts to appear calm. Obediently, she followed through the hole that had appeared in the wall and turned to watch the bricks as they moved back into their original places. One thing his weakness did show Mara was that he wasn't invincible, she didn't have a chance at even slowing him down let alone killing him but Remus might. She just needed to tell him and Shiv about Lazarus's plan without the vampire Lord finding out. Pushing the thoughts to one side, she focused on the sound of hooves and the approaching carriage.

Mara tentatively accepted the outstretched hand as the carriage came to a stop. She looked at the carriage then to Lazarus, there was no denying their transport was beautiful but it gave her an eerie uneasy feeling that was hard to describe. It was the last leg of her journey, she would soon be home but her previous excitement was long gone. She wanted to see her home then get as far away as possible to keep the monster she was with away from her family. Glancing quickly to the coachman, she recoiled slightly, her eyes wide as she saw the man if he could be called that. She quickly looked back to Lazarus.

Using the hand offered by Lazarus, she stepped into the carriage, setting herself down at a nearby window, her body was tense as she rested her hands in her lap. Her gaze settled on the coffin and she shifted uncomfortably. She watched Lazarus take his seat, seeming perfectly at home. Comfortable? She thought, a small voice laughed bitterly in her mind but she held her composure, not wanting to speak her mind. She wouldn't be comfortable anywhere around him, not until they were thousands of miles apart and she could get on with her life.

Taking a deep breath, she looked around and stared at the candles for a few moments, trying to settle her mind and the whirling emotions using the connections she still held with the felines. After a few moments she dared look back to Lazarus and his stunning, yet terrifying features, "What of me?" she asked quietly, not quite sure if she wanted to know the answer, "The other me... in the valley" she fidgeted slightly as she waited for his answer.

[remus]

The vampire sat quietly for a few moments, his eyes closed and his hand at his chin seemingly resting his head as he tilted it to the side slightly. He felt tired, for the first time since the last time they jumped back he actually felt tired. Her question, however, sparks an interesting thought. What of he did nothing about her. Then simply two Mara's would exist here in this particular timeline. The thought forces a slight chuckle out of him and his eyes ever so slowly slide open. With a careless glance the crimson orbs slowly rise to meet her.

"What of you....and the other you? Whatever should I do?" A cold grin slowly plays across his lips. "I could simply do nothing. Or... I could just kill you now" the grin grows a little more and one of his fangs becomes clearly visible "afterall, I'm just dying for a drop of blood..." His voice sounded venomous and as he speaks he slowly raises his other hand, holding it palm up to her from across the compartment. Then he makes his fingers curl in a slow drawn out motion as if signaling to come here. The wound on her neck where he bit then begins to bleed although only a tiny bit, and as it trickles out he coaxes the blood to come to him. As if the blood was completely weightless, it slowly floats towards him and lands on the tip of his finger. The whole sensation she would feel, at first would be a slight sting but every bit that trickled out from the wound would send and ever intensifying wave of pleasure. While minuet at first the more blood she loses the better it would actually feel. Lazarus smiles at the woman as he had collected a several drops in his hand by this point, perhaps enough to fill a shot glass. The bleeding would the suddenly stop. And his eyes narrowed on hers. His presence wasn't as over barring as it was when they had their first encounter but still he held a certain aura about him.

"I wonder.... why is it your blood taste so good" the shot of blood formed into a sphere that flatted out and then widened into a thin ring the spun slowly about his palm, once again floating in mid air. With his other hand he reaches over dipping his finger into the ring then in the slowest and most drawn out of motions he brings it to his lips and lick the blood for his finger tip. "Simply delicious..." His voice was almost seductive, aswell as his actions and in their deliberately slow manner. "I wonder of you realize.... or if you feel it coursing through you." The grin widens slightly "I wonder, I wonder, I wonder if you know that my blood now runs through you as well" His eyes narrow on hers. "After all... how else would I have brought you here. I now know where you are no matter where you go." He chuckles lightly "much like your friend Remus..." he passes for a moment examining her features, the the rest of the blood slowly lowers onto his hand and seems to seep onto it. "Speaking of which, why do you even associate yourself with someone like him? He is quite the monster himself. Atleast I kill with purpose... He kills for fun."

The carriage, while traveling at a remarkable speed for a horse drawn vehicle, barely let's it's occupants feel much of anything as if it were riding on a cushion of air. "How about we play a game?" The question is rhetoric of course and he casually sits back and crosses his right leg over his left, though resting his ankle on his left knee, he taps his foot to some unknown beat against his coffin. "You tell me what you know about Remus.. and I'll tell you if he's lying. Every time he lies... I'll kill one person in your village...naturally I will feed on all of the a fools that attack your people. But I want the stakes to be high.... and really they aren't even in your control." Now this was a bit of a sadistic game, he knew Remus would have lied about certain things or, he had a feeling. "Don't worry... This is the first time we've played this game. The other trips were a little less smoothly, but this time you are surprisingly docile. That's good.
Who knows, I may let both of you live this time around, and if you wish I'll even leave your memory intact. So what do you say?"

[asamara]

Mara shifted slightly as the vampire chuckled, despite not knowing him very well; she knew that what he found funny most likely wasn’t going to be remotely amusing. She felt her body automatically tense as he spoke of what he could do with her and the carriage suddenly felt very small, she was trapped in there, moving at speed with the vampire who could kill her without a second thought but he didn’t move from his seat. She gasped quietly as the wound on her neck prickled as he began to draw blood from her, she barely noticed it flowing towards him as she fought the feelings of pleasure that seemed to be trying to take over her body, her fingers gripping the seat either side of her. The feelings were so intense; she could feel her resistance waning, it would have been easy to give in to him but she couldn’t let him win, she needed to keep some control over her body and her mind. As he stopped drawing the blood from her, the feelings ceased and she slumped back into the seat, her body relaxing for the first time since they had began their journey from Crete.

Keeping her gazed fixed on Lazarus, she cringed slightly on hearing that how good her blood tasted to him. Her disgust at him soon disappeared as he told her his blood flowed through her, she frowned slightly, did that mean she would never be free of him? Even if she did as he asked he would torment her as evil as he was? Biting her tongue, she stopped herself; giving him ideas wouldn’t benefit either her or the other her that was still living happily in the valley.

As the conversation moved to Remus, she shook her head, “He doesn’t kill anymore” She said, straightening up in the seat although she remained somewhat relaxed knowing she needed to keep what energy she had left for what was to come. Listening to him speak, a game...high stakes, she shook her head, her fists clenching in her lap, “I’m not playing your game” she said, the fear that had caused her voice to shake was gone, only anger audible in her tone, “The people in the valley are innocent; you can’t play with their lives. I said I would get Remus to Mirrodin and I will keep my word if you keep yours.” She leant forward slightly, “You need me to do that but I won’t do anything if you start killing my people” She knew a lot about Remus, probably not everything but he had his reasons for not telling her everything and she would one day learn everything about him, if they survived.

Whilst the vampire still had a hold over her, she was fighting him every step of the way. She stared at him, her face serious but showing none of the emotion that was whirling around inside of her. “You say you only kill with a purpose...yet you are willing to kill innocent people for a game” She folded her arms over her chest and stared at him, “I won’t be playing your sick game” she reiterated.

[remus]

Lazarus laughs at her words and smiles at her irritation. "You are quite brave to appose me. I like that... you have a certain fire about you that I can't quite put my finger on." His eyes digs holes through hers with the intensity of his stare. "However... let me reiterate your helplessness in the situation." He leans forward putting his feet flat on the carriage floor as he leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees his hands arbitrarily cracking his knuckles "I will do as I please with whoever I please.... even you" he sounded dangerous, the playfulness gone from his tone and replaced by sheer ruthlessness, a cold hearted venomous voice that would make even giants crumble to their knees. Fear is a tool that he loves to use, and there is actually a very real reason to be afraid of him. He has absolutely no regard for human life.

"Know this... you... your people... and anyone else in this world are but cattle to me. Yes.. I want to play a game with you merely to pass the time, but in the end you are nothing more than a meal. you are simply my bait.. for my ultimate meal." He smile wickedly as he slowly sits back, placing both his feet on his coffin again. "So... let's try this again." His tone became much lighter "..wrong... Remus does kill, to sustain that immortal vessel of his... He kills on a much more personal level. While I drain away their life, their soul is recycled and reborn in the cycle that you know as life. Remus, absolutely consumes a soul, erasing it from the cycle entirely.... In a way, what he does is beyond what I do. Not to mention he has slaughtered millions... entire empires have fallen at his feet and he has laid waste to all before him. Reformed or not, his deeds aren't honorable even in the slightest" the vampire chuckles lightly "and before you say, 'you're one to talk' know that I feed to sustain my existence as a wolf slaughters sheep. I have not participated in wars nor do I have interest In anything other than myself. Your precious savior is a mass murdering mad man."

Yes, his level of selfishness approached a stubborn child, but in truth, what did it matter? Who could really stop him? The ultimate predator who's power only increases the more life he consumes. The greater number of people he faces the greater his strength, all the blood flowing through the veins of an army would be his weapon. "So.. that's one.... I wonder how many more there will be before we get there." Already, one of her precious villagers was doomed. "While we are on the subject, how many people are in your village anyway, I never got around to actually realizing how many. We don't wanna go around killing to many off now do we. I could always just choose at random who will go, but I think it would be more convenient by simply killing you off first." He can't help but grin as his eyes wonder over to her again. He truly was a sick murdering bastard.

[asamara]

Mara’s eyes narrowed as Lazarus spoke, her nerve wavered as he leant forward but she didn’t move, her gaze still fixed on him, her arms folded across her chest. Knowing she was helpless was hard but she didn’t have to make it easy for him and she didn’t have to give him to him and she certainly wouldn’t. Her arms relaxed slightly over her chest as her heart began to race the familiar feeling of fear rising up inside her again but her face remained serious, her emerald eyes cold.

Lazarus’s words made her bite her tongue, he was wrong and in her heart she knew that but she wouldn’t rise to his game. It was what he wanted and he wanted any excuse to kill her people. She knew some of Remus’s past and what he was, what he needed to do to survive but he was a kind man, after all he had helped her when she had just been another stranger in the Inn. She was convinced that Remus was a good man....she couldn’t doubt him after all he had done for her... could she? Exhaling slowly after holding her breath for a couple of moments, she tried to calm herself, to stop herself rising to his words.

His fear tactics did have an effect although she did quite well at hiding her true feelings despite being stuck in the carriage with the vampire Lord. She was willing the minutes to pass quickly, she knew her return to the valley would be bittersweet, they would save her family from the attack but she also had to try and save the villagers that Lazarus wanted to kill. From then she would be leading Remus to his enemy...she pushed those thoughts from her mind, she had to keep the people in the valley safe from this mad man before even thinking about the weeks that would follow.

A small frown settled on her face as he asked about her home, she shook her head slowly not wanting to answer and of his questions, “If you’re going to kill me, why not do it now? Get it over with” she held her hands out, palms up in front of her. She was at his mercy and he was just playing his game, “I said I am not playing your game, no matter what I say you will kill more of my people.” Tears prickled in the corners of her eyes as she fought to keep the rising fear hidden, “I won’t have any part in it, it wasn’t part of our deal” She knew that he wasn’t going to accept her refusal, he wasn’t going to like not getting his own way but there was no right answer she could give. Her hands remained raised for a few moments after she finished speaking before moving slowly to her lap. Her gaze still fixed on her vampire, trying to anticipate his next move.

[remus]

Lazarus, let his eyes dart about the carriage for a few moments before returning back to her emerald orbs. She was strikingly beautiful he thought to himself, and just looking at the bite marks on her neck made the sudden urge to feed return with a vengeance. He knew he had to feed at some point. After all, a 15 year jump back in time was more than a little draining on him. He knew she had no way of really grasping just how far back in time they went but she would soon know the most clear way possible. He cant help but laugh at her response. “my my, you really do have such a strong personality. I can see why Remus has taken a liking to you.” He leans back and relaxes once again. “relax, there is plenty of time for us to get there, and more than enough time for you to get to know your precious savior.” His eyes narrow slightly and he shuts his left eye for no apparent reason. He could instantly see from the closed eye, through the ghouls point of view. The coachman of course, to get a good grasps of their location. They had already covered a surprising amount of distance and were actually fast approaching a small town on the outskirts of the Crete territory. He opens his eye again and looks directly at her with a smile.
“we are about to make a stop in the town up ahead. I suggest you get some food and whatever else you may need for the journey ahead. Your efforts are noble and you appear to be quite selfless in your persuit. I agreed to help you and I assure you I wll. But do not try and betray me, the outcome is never good.” This time he was trying something a little different. While before they were only going back a few months, this timw he went back a full 15 years. The Mara of this timeline would be but a small child and therefor he could keep them both alive. So in this timeline Mara and her people would continue on, undisturbed, but the Mara he brought here with him would live to serve a single purpose, and it would take a full 15 years to fulfill this purpose. She absolutely must meet Remus at the tavern on the very day he goes there. He assumed she knew how to tell the months and days apart because she had already done this before when she had a few months to make the journey. Now she will years and years to plan and accommodate.
They pulled into the town only a few moments later and the carriage slows to a halt. Lazarus stands and slowly makes his way to the door, offering his hand to her before he steps out. “come, I want you to see this”. While he wasn’t entirely sure she would take his hand he waited patiently for her to take it essentially making it known that she didn’t have a choice. The ghoul opens the door shortly after and Lazarus makes his way out.
The town looks to be quite busy and populated, much like a trading outpost is expected to be. Here people from all over gather and trade everything under the sun. From food and consumables to weapons and armor and nearly everything in between. If you knew the right people, you could even find imperial grade equipment. Despite it being a warm clear night, and despite being relatively close to a very well known vampires dwelling, the town seemed quite alive with no visible care in the world about the real danger everyone was in. But every town seems to have its heroes and every town has its handful of would be badasses that thought themselves invincible. The carriage was in plain sight and none of the people out and about seemed to even notice. No matter, they would soon know despair.
The vampire lord simply offers Mara a warm smile “you wont need money… not in a few moments anyway.” Then with that he releases her hand and casually begins to make his way towards the crowd. Everyone here was about to die and no one had a clue.
One relatively large man in full armor spots Lazarus as he walks up. “Oi! You there. Never seen you ‘round these parts.”
Lazarus stops and raises his hand to his lips pressing his finger against them slightly as if making the symbol to shush the man. “ssshhhh quiet now, we don’t want to draw to much attention do we? Or you might be my first meal tonight” he spoke casually and light hearted. The man, however, didn’t seem to amused.
The large mad instead places his hand on his sword and calls him out even more “ what’d’ya say?... meal?” he lets out a loud hearty laugh “ya think anyone ‘ere is afraid ov’a piss poor excuse ov’a vam..” but his words are quickly silenced as Lazarus’ hand is suddenly gripping tightly around the mans throat. He had closed the distance between them so fast that no one even registered his movements. A small crowd had begun to take notice when the mad had raised his voice but by now it was to late.
The vampire grins and shook his head easily snapping the mans neck “I said quiet…” then without hesitation he pulls his head off and tosses it aside. The crowd started to disperse and a surprising amount actually drew their swords and axes and whatever other weapons they had at the ready. But as the body began to fall the blood seemed to flow out of him and begins collecting into an orb above and behind Lazarus. He then leaps over the crowd with impossible elegance and lands behind everyone with a fluid grace. There was a pool of blood left where he was standing just moments before, it suddenly spreads and elongates rising just a few inches as it returns to Lazarus in a wide sheet of blood. Without warning everyone that was standing in full armor watching him leap over them all fall down as their feet are completely cut off. Loud screams fill the air as everyone before him is now writhing in agony. He draws in a deep breath “and the sweet smell of blood… and this.. is music to my ears.” The town was in full blown panic now as a good twenty or so men lay on the ground bleeding out screaming in pain. “now..” he raises his hand and the orb hanging above everyone extends and elongates into a stream of spikes that instantly fan out and pierce the skulls of everyone that lay before him. “silence. “ his words sounded venomous as the barbs sink into the ground and rejoin all of the blood now pooled heavily in front of him. He simply closes his hand and all the blood begins to rush to him as he starts walking away everyone behind him quickly drains down into a dried husk. “come Mara, collect your goods, take whatever you’d like” and as he walks towards the middle of town the blood just follows behind him soaking up through his feet clearly being absorbed by him extremely fast without any visible effort. The sight was quite terrifying indeed, but he wasn’t done feeding quite yet.

[asamara]

Mara’s expression grew puzzled as the vampire seemed quite relaxed despite her defiance. Her shoulder dropped slightly as she allowed her body to relax slightly. That part of his sick game was over but she didn’t know what was going to come next as she eyed his strange facial movements with suspicion. The smile and words that followed made her heart skip a beat; she knew a trip into a town wouldn’t end well for the inhabitants but maybe it was a chance for her to get food as blood wasn’t the sustenance of choice for her. There were a number of ways she could betray Lazarus but she could see the consequences of each and every one and they always involved those closest to her dying so at least for that moment she would play along with the bigger game.

Feeling the carriage slow down, she shifted to the edge of her seat and stared at the hand that was offered to her. There was a long pause before she could bring herself to move her hand towards his, his cold skin giving her goose bumps up her arms as her hand slid into his grip. The fresh air and the normality of the town felt good, she took a deep breath and stepped out of the carriage, her gaze moving around the people who were carrying on their business. A small frown appeared on her face when she realised what he was going to do, “Wait....” she stepped forward but quickly stopped when the armoured man approached Lazarus. Within seconds the man’s head was rolling on the ground and the colour drained from her face.

People began running around in blind panic as the rest of the armoured men who stood up to the vampire were struck down, their screams drowning out the rest of the townspeople. Mara was jostled about by people running past her but she stood frozen to the spot, her eyes fixed on the dying men ahead of her while a tear ran down her cheek despite her efforts at hiding her feet. He beckoned her and all she could do was follow, her eyes moving to the evil that made his way through the town.

Once past the bloodshed, Mara attempted to focus on what she might need on the rest of their journey. She had nothing to pay with but as Lazarus has said she could take what she wanted but the only thing she wanted was something that could kill the vampire and it didn’t exist. Crossing her arms over her chest she hugged herself as she walked towards the centre of the town trying to avoid looking at people who were hiding, “I don’t want anything, you’ve had blood now let’s go” she said struggling to keep her voice even.

[remus]

Lazarus continues to the center of town still pulling a trail of blood behind him. The crimson fluid flows smoothly behind him as if being called to join its master. Mostly everyone has run inside by now and only a few stragglers remained in sight running for their lives in the distance. The blood that followed him then quickly spread out and seeped under the doors and cracks and every tiny hole and orifice that lead into each of the homes and buildings that hid everyone. Lazarus, wouldn’t let anyone escape. He needed to feed as much as possible right now and that was exactly what he intended on doing. “ you think im done feeding? Don’t be foolish. I will feast on everyone in this town” he speaks rather casually as he makes his way to the fountain in the middle of town. He then casually raises his hand and all the blood that previously rushed into every building around him quickly starts to make its way back to him magnified several times over hinting that as the blood went into each building it quickly disposed of the occupants of each building adding their blood to its already impressive volume. The blood quickly makes its way to him making an ever shifting clean circle around Mara as she walked. Moving swiftly around her the way water moves around a stone in a stream.

“I suggest you gather whatever goods you may need. We will reach the tower by sundown tomorrow unless you don’t plan on eating, I insist you take my advice.” And with that all the blood had gathered and vanished into him. He draws in a deep breath and smiles softly saying “that was satisfying” it was more a half whisper said to himself. He then turns and stares at Mara for a few moments before walking away casually walking past her without a care in the world, his cape blowing elegantly behind him. “everyone in the town is dead.. so.. help yourself to anything you want. My treat..” he cant help but laugh as he continues to make his way back to his carriage.


Elsewhere, Remus sat back in his large comfy arm chair in his inn, observing the snow falling outside ever so slowly. The never ending snow always seems to keep him calm. To his side, some 10 meters or so away, was the now familiar looking blue glyph glowing brightly on the floor and without much warning it pulses brightly and his scout suddenly appears. “how goes the search Shiv? Any luck?”

Shiv slowly pulls his mask to the side and shakes his head. “unfortunately no answers yet master, I haven't been able to find anyone that fits that description. But I assure you master, if I come across such a man I will quickly dispose of him without hesitation”

“no… bring him to me Shiv. I want him alive. I want to know why he did what he did and how he was able to accomplish it. He must be some kind of beastmaster, or someone that commands animals to be able to do such a thing”

“then I will search tirelessly, my search will not cease until the culprit is caught” and with that Shiv walks back to the blue glyph and vanishes. He arrives at a small camp in the middle of the night entirely invisible for now scanning his surroundings and slowly making his way closer and closer until he can hear what they are saying. Shiv could hear someone being tortured inside the camp somewhere but her couldn’t make out the words. His sharp eyes, however, did manage to see the barrier around the perimeter of the camp, hinting that some sort of magic user was amongst the group. Shiv kept his distance for now, being very careful not to cross the barrier and alert everyone of his presence.

Remus places his fingers on his temple and begins to rub gently “how..” his eyes narrowed. “what was a tiger doing in the middle of town? And why did it attack a small child.” This small child was named Ariel, and she was Mabel's granddaughter in Mirrodin. Both her daughter and granddaughter were killed by a seemingly random tiger. But the circumstances of the attack led Remus to believe that someone had been in control. After all, why attack just them, and why not anyone else. Remus’ deep paranoia was edging him on having him very much convinced that someone or something was in control of the animal when this happened. He had heard rumors of a small tribe that had such abilities, yet all he knew were rumors. Shiv was out dispatched to the far west of the great magic city. Someone was trying to either get Remus’ attention, or hurt him in some kind of way. And what better way than to hurt those he cares about.

[asamara]

Mara was stood, completely horrified and helpless by what she was seeing. The sea of red flowing around her was the blood of the innocent people who had been running for their lives. They died so that she could save her family and her village as if their lives were worth less than the people in the valley. A knot tightened in her chest making it hard for her to breathe, they were dead and now she was expected to steal from them.

Once the blood stopped flowing around her and the vampire made his way back to the carriage, Mara slowly walked through the streets of the dead town until she found some stalls that were stocked with fresh foods from breads and cheeses to cured meats and fruits. Collecting a small cloth bag, she walked around the stalls and began to fill it with some foods that would keep her going for a day or so. Her eyes widened in horror as she walked around the back of the stall to find the bodies of a couple who had hidden from the attack.

Clutching the bag against her chest she walked quickly back towards the carriage, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Homes and stores went past in a blur until one caught her eye, a general trading and clothing store. She was still dressed in the clothing from Crete that wasn’t particularly practical for the woodlands they were heading to. Mara did her best to ignore the remnants of the people that lay in the store as she changed her clothing into dark brown pants, a fitted off-white shirt, a green fitted hip length coat and brown calf length boots.

As the carriage came into view she slowed and wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket in an attempt at hiding her tears before she continued and climbed into the carriage. Taking her seat, she placed the bag on her lap and wrapped her arms around it, any feelings of hunger that may have been rumbling in her stomach were long gone.