Manik Chakor's Story

"Creepy castle, yes," Manik said, as a random soldier flashed before them.

"Don't mind the hoards of soldiers," He whispered, "Or the blemishes," Manik pointed casually towards a low stone wall, outfitted with a turret. He was never into war aesthetics.

Manik then disappeared deeper into the woods.

"This is my favorite part of the forest," Manik said, slowing his gait to a stop. He listened to the near silence.

Dakida smiled as he stopped next to Manik. A grin on his face as he watched the man."I'm Dakida, by the way." He held out his hand to the man he was following, his red eyes looking around in case of danger.

"Manik Chakur," He grabbed the man's wrist, Dakida, and shook him by it, offering the gentlest of bows.

Dakida gave the bow in return."Its an honor to meet you Manik. Or do you prefer Mr. Chakur?" He raised an eyebrow, following the more Japanese custom of never taking your eyes off the person you are bowing to.

"Manik will do," He said, "Dakida for you?"

"As long as its not insulting I really couldn't care less what you called me." He nodded."So whatever works best for you my friend."

Manik Chakor smiled, and darted into the woods, towards a stone structure ahead.

Welcome,

Manik flourished towards the Castle, forgetting how grand it truly was. He didn't like it, preferred the dust of the road, but most people were impressed by it's stone oldness.

You may make yourself at home in any room, the upper levels house many. I do believe,

He sniffed,

There are bodies in the Kitchen, if you thirst.

Yes, that is right,

He trailed off, then remembered something.

You must not eat any dragon that roam in the Domain.

Manik whirled on Dakida, growing a few inches, aging a few year, eyes pulsing a bit redder.

We are protected by one, undead, by the name of Mortuus. You are not to harm Mortuus, else harm will come to you. Prey in Valhalla Valley for the care of us!

Manik shrunk, looking warily towards the kitchen.

Good,

Manik nodded, too distracted by the thought of cooled lady to push Dakida.

Well,

He stepped towards the kitchens,

I will be over in here. I'm sure you'll run into someone soon,

Manik stifled a yawn,

Some sorta trouble...This is a busy castle...

The Room of Reason served it's purpose, now more than ever. The Vankoryth Detente had swollen, holding record membership and impressive power among it's ranks. Families flocked from far and wide to pledge their alligience to this powerful group. Dieties had even turned their attention to the brethren of vampyrkind, wishing for support, blotting the sun with clouds so the night walkers could stride at day. Here, in the archaic stone Castle Vankoryth nestled deep within the Cursed Wood, undead powers presently sat themselves around a table carved for truth.

Brethren, Blood, fellow Creatures of the Night,

Casren Bistreo addressed the assembly, bowing to his elders and nodding to those below him. Most members of the Vankoryth Detente were present, the Room of Reason being large enough to accomidate all. Many were armed despite the safety of the room; this unsettled few.
The Vankoryth were not foolish.

All of you know of The Blood Edict,
All of you know of The Humanity Clause,

The Detente had since doubled, Casren noted in his mind.

There is more to be known, settle quickly ladies and gentlethings.
Now is the time to address the issues that have come to rise.

He looked to those with enemies, bad blood, and vengeance in their eyes.

Too many Vampires run unchecked in our domain,
Too many disgrace the name of the Night,
Families broken, kin run rampant.
By the Blood Edict, this unruly nonsense must come to an end.
These Vampires must be quelled in their path to disgrace.

Casren then turned to face the warriors of the group.

Our army grows, our army dwindles, seeming to stay at stagnant size.
While their armour is strong, their spirit is weak.
Where their moves are superior, their mana is lacking.
Do you have motions to fix this, or has the army no more interest in asserting it's athourity?

Casren next addressed everyone, regathering the attention of the room,

Those of us who fare fine on blood,
Do you ever suffer agonizing thirst?
Those of us require heartier meals.
Do you find your gut aching in hunger?
Our current alliances provide us with a steady influx of sustenance, however if any measures could be taken to quell any cravings, please speak your piece.

He gave a slight bow before addressing the next lot of Lords and Royalty that had happened among them. Many influential families placed themselves in the trust of the Detente, which was a pleasurefor everyone.

Your Highnesses, Lordships, Ladies, and Lovelies,

Finally, Casren allowed a smile to slip through.

Families of old and new.
Are you thus far satisfied with the level of security associating with the Vankoryth Detente insures?
How are your lands, Is the Domain hospitable enough?

Looking finally to the oddballs, the outcasts, and the non-vampiric, Casren addressed the beloved remainer of the Detente.

Are you comfortable?
Are you equal?
Is there anything specific to your cause that has not been addressed as of yet?

He elevated his voice, with a closing statement.

All who wish to present an issue are encouraged to do so, by Nyarlathotep.
As many may have noticed, the sun does not shine through the clouds in the day, enough to harm us in our domain. Our nights are clear, our moons our bright, the darkness is on our side. If you have heard of The Crawling Chaos, keep hearing.

Casren nodded solumnly, taking his seat at the round table. He looked from his kin to his brethren, waiting for someone to speak.

[color=maroon]This place was not somewhere Kaiser had ever expected to return. Months...no...it felt like years of an instinctual, permanently famished existence was not something he had ever hoped to recover from. Kaiser was never one for hope. His once fine clothes, white and red silk, tattered, shredded. His once groomed, crimson locks were dirty, matted, and clinging to his features like a drunk clings to his last drink. He did not walk tall. He did not walk with confidence.

No, even after regaining his mind, the blood fever sated, finally, he still carried himself with the air of a deranged, rabid animal. He could smell the 'Old Blood', even from the hallways, and his curse demanded that he drain them all. Of course, he knew that would be impossible. No matter how strong, he could not attack a coven of Elders and hope to survive...

Dusting himself off as best he could, which would yield little to no results in terms of cleanliness, Kaiser began to muster up as much courage and dignity as he could before entering the south hall, a familiar site, towards the meeting. This was the Detente, and despite everything, he was once a member. Guards would try to stop him, demanding clearance or identification. Who was this disheveled vampyre, who with no grace or respect walked their halls? They were silenced quickly. He had no need for them, nor would he ever. Even his own kind, if newborn or weak, were like paper to his now, almost comically long talons. Screams echoed like thunder through the halls. He made sure not to strike down a single one permanently. No, his 'leader' frowned on that sort of thing.

Only one thing mattered though, and that was that he spoke to Daemala, or Casren, though he much preferred the female. After all, she brought him into the circle originally, before the war with the Wolves. Before his disappearance.

More soldiers. More blood on the stone walls and carpet. Weapons cleaved, armor sundered, and before his eyes was the heavy wooden doors, so ominous and burdensome it was almost like

Manik Chakor smelled the vampire six miles away. Not literally, but tonight he was doing his rounds. On his person were many envelopes, and the young man reeked of death.

Silent was Manik as he slipped through the shadows, passing through the door to Gambit's without so much as a creak. From the corner he observed, taking in the maniacal human thing, taking in the two drunks, taking in the filth of Wing City.

Most importantly, Manik noticed the one quite similar to himself. He would wait for the right moment, and then he would strike....up a conversation.

You smell the flesh of my victims, hear the heart I make beat,

The foreign vampire would smile, revealing fangs. From his pocket he withdrew a parchment envelope, sealed with a blood red wax rose. He handed it to the strange vampire, eyes trained for a reaction. Manik may seem young, but he was quite old, used to reading the faces of strangers as a thief.

Inside the envelope, which was handed over, was the Blood Edict, and Humanity Clause.

Many remained frozen as Kaiser forced his way into the room, some more shocked than others. A man dressed as a jester sat upon a chair, with legs crossed and back hunched over the table. Rarely did he leave the upper floors of the castle, and one could tell he was not particularly happy about doing so now. While Daemala had exhibited anger, Reisel Dracul had moved not a muscle, and Casren stay still except for his eyes and smile. What was with that smile, anyway? It had begun as Kaiser arrived, twitching and itching, shadowing every aspect of his face except for his mouth. Had he noticed Lazarus's discontent, did he smell Ix in lurking?

Reisel certainly smelled the flesh being, his eyes flicked over Ix and Lazarus. The armoured being seemed to know Daemala, but that was not the concern of the moment. Slamming a fist on the table, Reisel reacted to the state of the army in the hall. As no others appeared to express distaste, save for the silent Lazarus who had dissapeared from the room and out into the hall, Reisel chose to remain silent.

Now as Alucard spoke, Casren twinged in alarm. His mind swam to one monster in particular, who he feared would find offense in Alucard's words. Monsters or men? Certainly they were not dogs, no. Nasty, slobbering wolves were usually their enemy. However monsters technically they were all, some even more than others.

Mortuus Casren didn't think of as a monster, unlike others in the group, but she was certainly no Man. And what of the flesh eaters? What of those plagued and cursed in their nighthood? Daemala would think of the Harlequin and Lazarus. What of bloodthirst attracted her to sire? Were her kin Monsters , Men, or merely her dogs?

Reisel curled a fist, still glaring at Kaiser, disappointed his actions were not punished as of yet. He knew of monsters, he knew of dogs. He also knew of blabber and talk, and those who did far too much of it. Looking from Casren, who still had that look, to Alucard, who spoke of their duty of the night, he wondered what his family would have to say. The other Dracul's. In truth, Casren too was curious, looking to the Monarchs of the room.

Daemala, however, was far more concerned with the leaving of her kin. He was upset, and she hoped he would not act brashly. Hating the meeting already, she looked for solace in other female members of the group. Perhaps they would help her steer to lighter topics, or at least pass notes. It would seem perfectly timed, the body thumped through the hall door and onto the table, a dead guard landing directly infront of Kaiser.

Dakida gave a light chuckle as the corpse landed on the table. Clearly amused, his eyes looked from Alucard to the rest of the group of people. Other then that however, he remained quiet. Not wanting to say anything, gaging the other's reactions, focusing on Kaiser's mostly. From what he had observed, Kaiser seemed to be the one to hate...he wondered why that was. Casren, however seemed to lose his amusement in the slightest.

"Complacency indeed," Casren noted the restlessness of his Kin, staring at the corpsed corpse. "It would be unwise to stop until we have assured the stability of every one of our kind, assured their alliance, their compliance, and their satisfaction with the night."

Judging by the body upon the table, at least one member of their kind was not satisfied with the night. Several thump's sounded from out in the hall as another body sailed into the meeting, followed by a loud crash. Whatever Lazaruswas doing out there,he was far beyond being unsatisfied.

Much fixing to be done, Casren would think to himself as Reisel slammed his fists again and stood, shooting a harsh look at Daemala to please control her Kin. They were no dogs.

"And what of the army?" Spoke a small voice from the shadows, to the blatant displeasure of Reisel Dracul. Daemala took this opportunity to slip to the hall. Manik Chakur, former enigma, stepped to face his brethren. He was an elusive member, but a determined one with dedication. A true Detente Vampire. "Surely they can help the unsatisfied," Manik said with a smile, red eyes bulging from darkened lids. Riesel and Casren looked for Yves's reaction at this. As a flesh eater, Manik was never opposed to the spilling of blood, and quite liked the dynamic of his new home.

The Harlequin too had found his new home in Castle Vankoryth, but that didn't extend to all of it. Much preferring the upper floors, he felt considerably out-of-place attending the meeting. Eventually he looked up, having not been paying too much attention thus far, and began to admit it. "What's happening? I'm getting bored."

"Harlequin!" Echoed in Daemala from the hall, a reprimand from afar. She was never too busy, and never truly tired, of giving this kin Hell. Outside of the room, Daemala was working to find Lazarus and bring him back.

No,

Manik said from behind dark eyes.

Casren Bistreo is the leader of the Vankoryth Detente, alliance of Vampires and Creatures of the Night, who set forth the Blood Edict in their domain. If you set forth in Wing City, you set forth in the Domain. As a Vampire, the nature of this agreement should interest you, for unless proven otherwise,

Manik cleared his throat and glowered We are on the same side.

It is up to you whether you choose to accept alliance.

The vampire stared coldly back.

We are not a clan, we are the sum of clans. I am of clan Roshni. You will find many families among our alliances, However,

at this Manik turned to leave,

suit yourself.

Manik made a mental note of this specific vampire, sure to visit him again with perhaps a more...persuasive tactic.

The childish vampire had seen Driselda, the mysterious elder vampire leave the dungeons. He could not help but be vastly curious as to what was going on down there. Even the errand boy had the right to inspect the dungeons.

He was, after all, equal in Blood.

What he found was, to his surprise, a vampire fledgling. It was a female, a bit miserable looking really, but older than he was appearing now. It was easier to sneak as a child, but sometimes Manik had to tweak. He grew older, to a sixteen, and popped around the corner.

Who are you?

As the new militant Vampire entered, a smile swept across Casren's face.

"Indeed, there appears to have been a mistake," Casren said to Kenshin Hio. He gestured to the rest of the room, after offering the newcomer a polite bow of the head. This was, after all, the first large meeting this century. Many of these vampires may have never met, and still many may be old acquiaintances. Kenshin, as of now, was a new face.

"Another from the East," Manik Chakur came to grin, "With the answer to my question." He looked to Casren, wondering if this was orchestrated.

"Ah, yes. The armies and the unsatisfied. Kenshin, have you come across much opposition in your travels? "

"I have," chimed Manik, finding his voice easier with another Easterner present. Reisel's nostril's flared, and Daemala came whirling back into the room. Opposition? Who would dare turn them down. Daemala thought back to the dawn of the Blood Edict, how they had decapitad and scalped Edward Cullen. It was a warning to all Vampires, but also a hand extended. The Humanity Clause had also sparked alliances, and was most to blame for the current health of the Detente.

Louis stepped into the room only to look around at everyone present and shake his head just to then leave.

"These Vampires must be quelled in their path to disgrace." Daemala quoted her Sire, before turning on her heel and leaving after Louis. As she left, the vampiress muttered something about a Magnum Opus, a storm in her step. Casren watched her go, then turned to face everyone.

"They must be quelled, but not before offered alligience. " Casren looked slowly to everyone as he spoke, everyone except for Alexander. "Why snuff the fire that can be tamed?"

"And if we get burned?" There was malice in his voice, but it was an honest concern. Casren turned to Manik, but Reisel responded first.

"We would burn for the sake of the Night," The stone gaze of Reisel never left Manik's face. "What is but a bruise in war?"

"And if we fail?" Manik spit back, aging noticeably, veins bulging.

"I fail to see how!" Reisel began to grow too, grow hair and muscle. His nails defined and sharpened inside closed fists.

Casren slammed his fist into the table, sending a wave of suppressive energy towards both Manik and Reisel. Casren did not care whether the vampires took offense to his actions over them, he would not watch them destroy eachother over peace. With a controlled breath, the elder vampire turned his gaze to Kenshin, and released the energy.
The question of opposition still stood.

Alexander meanwhile stood in the back, watching and observing. He knew his arrival would have been noticed, even if he said nothing here. At the same time, he found himself being careful about what he said. He looked at his father, then back at the others, unable to help thinking about the man again. The one who killed him. Not Casren, not his father, but the one who stabbed him. He had seen him only days again before coming here, hundreads of years later after he died. Why was Alexander killed? If he stayed alive all this time, it could not have been by coincidence. Alexander then connected the dots. Between what Casren was talking about, and what happened to him long ago, then for him to appear in the Domain of the Vankoryth Detente.... This was connected. Whatever The Detente wanted, it had something to do with what attacked him. But what was it?


Asked Casren of all aside the obvious, "Men, Monsters, or Dogs?"