Skyler Stón's Story

"Why am I here? You know just as well as I do that I should be training our warriors..." the Animal King complained. By his side was the queen, Sofia, wearing a white, nearly beige strapless dress that just barely covered her entire chest and reached down to her lower legs, exposing the light skin between her head and breast. Instead of having floral patterns to complement vine-like printing, it had actual flora impressed upon it courtesy of Esmerleda Green, with different flowers of varying sizes and shapes. Their realms otherwise relied on each other, and the two didn't have any underlying problems with one another, so they made a decent pair.

"As much as I would enjoy our clan being prepared for the worst, this meeting is mandatory for all of us." Sofia, having really only taken Leon as king for the physical strength that the clan could rely on, was almost as bored as the young brute. She could have acquired any intelligence necessary from her friends and have it communicated to the others, this meeting was going to be little more than just wasting time for her. Really, she'd have preferred to be grooming the lynxes that were currently acting as watchdogs outside than sitting with the entirety of vampire clan royalty. "Just stay calm, especially if they say anything that could be taken offensively. I'll take care of it." Frankly, with the animosity between most of the clans, anything could be insulting for no reason other than to solicit a response.

Sofia noticed clearly when Scout came in and took her own place between her king and queen. The tattered clothes were unbefitting but always somehow appropriate, and her "siblings", so to speak, Kishan and Mrala, took up their temporary residence in the gap between the three's seats. It seemed like much of the animal clan had members who were raised by animals from an affinity with them before being accepted in, from the king hisself to the highest-ranked warriors to just random vampires. One of the lynxes walked in and nudged its head against Sofia's hand before leaving again, notifying her of someone besides the kings and queens joining the party. She remained quiet about it.

Meanwhile, Skyler Stón, King of the Earth Clan and in her classic attire inspired by modern teenage human clothing, arrived with her own queen Esmerleda. With beauty overshadowed by her choice in clothing and being less-endowed than other women (which is quite the understatement), most of the vampires outside her own clan actually thought she was a man, and everyone tends to respond with shock when it came to finding out the truth. Taking her seat with the open one for her queen adjacent, Skyler quickly grew unsettled. Not only was it that the Water and Animal clan representatives felt as if they were practically across the room while Skyler was stuck near the crazies (aka Fire and Shadow royalty), but she didn't want to involve herself in the matters of the other clans; it would have been much easier should everyone had dealt with their own elder.

Then she felt something, taking a deep breath to soothe herself of the immediate mental menace to be nearby her. It wasn't royalty; their footsteps (if they ever took actual steps, in the case of the Air clan) always resonated with a higher quality. It was something-- someone, sneaking in. It wasn't Earth clan, and most of the Animal clan would've gone by unnoticed since many could become animals -- quadrupeds and birds. This was bipedaled. The Fire clan isn't subtle, and the Water clan isn't exactly nosy. Shadow clan wouldn't have been detected, either; most of them could use telekinesis to keep themselves afloat. Obviously it wasn't the Air clan; who was it? Then the footsteps stopped and became faint beats, pulses. The intruder was filled with adrenaline, having snuck into a meeting almost exclusively for clan leaders and finding a hiding spot to watch. Skyler planned to keep an eye on it for a short while before making a big reveal.

Dante walked down a long and more the most part empty hallway. knowing Seraphina wold take her time getting ready he decided to go for a short walk. unfortunate while on his walk he became lost in thought so he rushing to return to her. he would quickly make his way back to the rooms upon opening the door and walking in he seen that she is just sitting on the bed admiring herself. he would put his hand to his mouth and clears his throat to get her attention. "if you are done admiring your beauty we should be off. its bad enough we have to Congregate with such trash that's is the other clans, so i refuse to be late." he walks over to the bed and gingerly touch's Seraphina curled red hair " its not often you do anything with your hair." (his way of saying it looks nice.) as he pulls his hand back he asks. " do you really think this meeting will ended in anything but a fight?" as he begins to show a small toothy smile as he turns and begins to walk out of the open door.






Leonard walked close behind Queen Esmerleda and Skyler he towered over the two of them like a giant. as both of them as they walk in to the meeting room Leonard would stop just short of the door way. he knows better then to enter a room full of royalty without being invited to do so so he step to the side to lean against the near by wall. he would begin to stare off into space even tho he is sure the queens would have rathered had him stay behind to take care of things while thy where away. but he could abandon his duties of protecting the earth clans royalty especially when this meeting could take a turn for the worst at anytime .he just stood there watching as some of the other king and queens enter the meet room if you didnt know any better you would think he was a statue.

"Sho when does this meeting start? I'm starting to get restless." Airie whispered into to his ear looking around the shadow clan ruler's walked on in he deiced they had waited long enough and he was not the only one. the only leader's that were missing was the fire clan's funny Sho thought they had the most men there and yet they themselves are not here. looking around he saw the others were also ready to go so Sho deiced to step up although he was the second youngest there after Airie. "well i do believe now would be the right time" should got up from his seat and looked at all the member's gathered before him. despite how it looked he was rather worried and that was not the best thing to show here: weakness. he cleared his neck and snapped his finger's making it so his voice would be loud enough for everyone to hear him over everyone else. "My fellow Lord's and Lady's we have gathered here to discuss the matter of the awakening of the Elder's and i do believe that we have waited long enough to start. I will give my apology's to the rulers of the fire clan about starting without them. so i call this meeting to order." Sho sat back into his seat and waited for everyone to gather themselves and take ther seat's well if that was not nerve racking i don't know what is he thought to himself

Come, I need you here, is what Tenebre heard. Truth is, he was already there! Sticking his head out from the shadow of Seraphina's chair, he poked his white-eyed, pitch-black head over between the queen in question and her respective king and Tenebre's only other charge, Dante.

"You called, y'highness?" With a smooth exhale, a purplish-black mist seeped out from what could only be thought of as the formless man's mouth and along the table for a few inches before dissipating and disappearing.

That never ceases to creep me the hell out, Skyler thought to herself. Sofia felt quite the same, since she wasn't one for surprises. En Vi was always getting such a shock out of people with all of his sudden appearances, and added to his love of chaos it was disconcerting as to whether he was truly allied with his own clan, or working with the elders. The fact he was just a black blob with glowing white eyes didn't take anything off the creep factor, either.

When Tenkuu Shominteki, a.k.a. Sho, started to speak about why everyone was gathered, the shadowy monster Tenebre formed a stool out of his own Darkmass and sat in it right behind his king and queen. "Darkmass" is what he called it; a simple portmanteau of "Darkness" and "mass", and he could make anything out of it. Well, anything that doesn't involve changing colors, since everything he makes turns out as pitch-black as him. Speaking of making things, little Mini-Vis, hardly more than half a foot tall, ran out from legs of the stool and spread around outside as guards. It let him make sure his job was getting done, and he could still pay attention to the meeting.

Skyler noticed that the intruder just... disappeared. It seemed odd, but nothing was really said during the meeting. With that, she could relax a little more... or not. Seraphina proposed a blood pact between the royalty; that practically sets their deaths in stone. Sofia interjected, hopefully everyone knowing the obvious dangers of something so hazardous.

"Why essentially guarantee everyone's destruction? Even a contract sealing someone's death isn't going to be enough to stop some of the more daring of us. We all know how provocative much of the Fire clan's members can be, regardless of if they're faced with their own demise or not."

"Let's ease them in to it instead of forcing everyone with the consequence of death or making a battlefield out of what used to be a home," Skyler started. "Start with the armies; we could have commanders from every clan work with and train another's. It at least assures that we'll be able to hold our own against a different clan's elder, and it lets the most dangerous of each clan get introduced to the fighting style and culture of the others.

"The Blood Contract can simply be a last resort, as in 'if all else fails.' We don't have to pull it out right off the bat, that's just too risky."



Incena woke up a little earlier than the other elders, as per her normal hyperactive self. She took the extra time to explore the new, industrialized world around her, get a little meal, get a haircut, and pick out some new clothes; a blazing and fairly revealing outfit fit for the Fire Elder, with a new hairstyle to match. She learned French, too, because the word "Français" rolled off her tongue nicely. But then she had to find the others. However, she realized something.

"I haven't even tried using my powers since I woke up. I must be getting lazy." Snapping her fingers in an empty place she found called a bathroom to create a flame, no spark formed; no oxygen burned; no heat was generated whatsoever. "The hell?" Trying again, Incena received exactly the previous result. "What the hell's going on? Can I at LEAST still transform?"

Spreading her arms and taking a deep breath, a fire engulfed the woman's entire body before emitting a pair of blazing wings in place of her arms. A flowing tail took its place over her entire lower body, and her torso and head were replaced by flames, too. Bursting out of the room and rising into the air to a safe height, she spoke to herself as a burning beak opened from her face.

"At least that's checked off."

Flying over cities in search of any of the other woken clan elders, Incena found that she could generate a ball of sparks and flowing lightning in front of her beak when she was trying to play with the fire she used to control so well. Releasing it, the ball of lightning turned into a bolt and seared a patch of ground totally black. Amazed and happy to have something new to play with, she fired off more of the electric blasts and wondered what else she was able to do, but she ended up finding Saren and Melissa before she could experiment.

"How can I surprise them?" she thought. The next thing she knew...

In a flash of lightning, she was back to normal and standing in a now-seared tree near the pond where Melissa and Saren were residing.

"Oh ho, that is so SWEET!" She couldn't wait to find out what else she can do.

The way they all acted was amusing Zerlinda. She didn’t need to do anything to notice that a lot of them had hate for each other. It was wicked, or so she thought. She was, perhaps, getting too carried away with this. But she didn’t forget that her time was nearly over. She had to close the portal, or they’ll notice—and who knows what dangers she’d face by then.
Before she could close it, a man announced the Fire Clan’s King’s death.

“They’re already starting?” Zer thought, referring to the elders, of course. She completely closed it, and life seemed to continue on its boring pace. “Heh,” she refrained from chuckling, “Time to play with the others.”

In a second or two, she was already in the Fire Clan’s territory, and this wasn’t the first time she came. Before she could even make a step, someone bumped into her. “What bad luck,” she thought.

“When did you get there?” The lady asked her, she was thinking as to whether she should reply or make a run for it, but she couldn’t, she stayed long enough to, at least, be recognized.





“Both of the Fire Clan nobles must be here and all I see is a guard, no offence, Vladimir, and a messenger, no offence yet again.” The Water Clan’s queen spoke.

“No offense was taken, ma’am,” she replied in all sincerity. Afterwards, she remained silent. The only thing she could do here was to reply if she was being talked to, she couldn’t push her opinion in, it wasn’t her job to, and she believed she wasn’t in place to do that.

It was getting frustrating, watching all the others try to be polite and calm, but she knew they could barely stand being with each other. Draconi was merely listening until she felt as if some ice hit her, though it was different… It seemed unreal; it was unreal. This wasn't a very good sign, indeed. Suddenly, she felt another’s presence. Her head jolted to look at the man, “Pardon me, my lords and ladies, but I have a private message for Vladimir.”

Her eyes were filled with suspicion; it was rare for someone, especially a man that’s not of high ranks, to just barge in during a meeting like this. Everyone knew these things were important, and Draconi was well aware than this wasn’t an ordinary message, nor was it just private. It was, in her assumption, important. Thoughts were invading her mind, she didn’t even have any idea what anyone else was saying. It was rare for Draconi, especially due to the fact that it’s necessary for her, not to pay attention.

In a couple of minutes, Vladimir came back and announced something, “It seems that there has been a complication. The Fire King is now myself. It seems he was brutally scorched to death. A shame.”

Her eyes widened, but she immediately composed herself, “It seems that I have to attend these Goddamn meetings. Well, if I’m going to be stuck here, I might as well make myself comfortable.” Vladimir, now a king, continued. The way he acted surprised her, but she couldn't protest, at all. Not now, not ever.

Kenshi couldn’t die so easily, and there’s only one person—if they can be considered such—that can do that… The elders.

In one of the flames in their territory, a dragon, no more than 4 feet in length, spawned. It was one of her pets, so to speak. It slithered into the mansion, she had to see for herself, but she can’t just leave the meeting place after going there.

Meanwhile, the cloud in her mind was vanishing, “May I have the permission to speak?” she asked the others.

Sighing out of slight disbelief in what she was about to say, Skyler continued from Seraphina's statement.

"I have to agree that being here is unsettling for all of us, but we can't instigate a furious debate between any of us; it'll get us nowhere. First, to at least get everyone on the same page, I propose a general toast to Vladimir as the Fire Clan's king." She wasn't going to thank Vlad for replacing the lecherous cretin that was the late King Reikokuna, but she could at least give him a congratulations on the newfound status.

"Second, I'll return to my previous notion of a general from everyone's army temporarily training alongside another clan's warriors, teach them how to fight like a different clan does." And now she had a good reason for saying it, even if it did go against her reasons for wanting to leave the meeting. "Think about it. Kenshi was scorched to death. He, king of the Fire clan and (regrettably) a master of everything heat, was burnt. It's obvious the only things capable of that would have been the Fire's Elder and himself. I doubt even a volcano would keep him from coming back just to screw another girl." Herself not included, since she'd have smothered him in dirt and buried him alive.

"What would happen if Dominick had to fight the Elder of the Water clan?" Maybe he'd be drowned, or dehydrated; worse, exsanguinated if his Elder could control more liquids than just water. "What about ANY of us with our own respective Elders? How long before another of us is destroyed by what we know best? As much as I hate saying it, and I've said it at least once already, we should prepare our warriors for more than just our own Elder, because we may as well decapitate ourselves trying to take them on as we are." Then came the conclusion; what Skyler could see as the best logical choice. "An exchange of generals and trainers to allow a clan to fight another's Elder -- one they could have an advantage against -- may be the only way we will have a fighting chance."

It was then that she noticed another soldier coming in. Just another common messenger approaching Vladimir. Since Skyler was right next to the guy now, she could hear every word. Well, the messenger wasn't very quiet anyways.

"Sorry, sire," he said, "but the queen has expired. Suicide. It's recommended to choose a new consort amongst your subjects." With his head down, the messenger disappeared in a mass of flames.

As the messenger disappeared in a flash of flames, Vladimir wanted to shoot something, preferably a living being. But he could not show his reaction to the rest of the royals, he could not appear weak, especially not now, becoming king so recently. 
Now he had to choose a new queen. 

Decisions already!  He could just pick a beautiful queen who was easily manipulated, but then his enemies would use her to. Better to pick someone who had a strong enough will to resist the enemy leaders. 
 
He could pick Rowena, she had risen fairly high in the ranks of intrigue. But she had to much ambition. That was dangerous for Vlad. Maybe...Draconi? She was already here. That would help a lot, give the Fire Clan an extra voice in this chaotic excuse for a meeting. Royals and their posturing. 

"Suicide, eh?  An undignified way to go," Vladimir spoke aloud. He took his feet off the table and looked around the room and found Draconi. 

"I guess I will have to choose a new queen," Vladimir said. He drew a single pistol, then flicked it onto the table, spinning. It completed several rotations, before coming to a stop, pointing directly at Draconi. Vladimir has judged his flick perfectly. 

He hunched over the table to look down the sights on his gun, and announced: "And the winner is... Draconi! Congratulations, you have won...a permanent seat at all the driest meetings there are! Come on over to claim your prize!" Vlad told her, gesturing to the empty chair by his side. 

"Now that that's out of the way, I believe that in order to take down these Elders, we have to join forces and hunt them down one by one. In order to do this, all of our troops need to be well versed in the techniques of combat for each individual Elder. I agree with Skyler and think that we should send representatives to each others armies and have them rotate around until all the troops have been instructed by the Elder combat expert from each clan. 

"We need to move together to a easily defendable position to train our armies. We have to hunt down these damned Elders and end their miserable lives once and for all. Now who's with me?"