Viktor Thrice's Story

Nare walked down the stairs and headed to the door. He turned and yelled to Viktor. "I'm heading out. Gonna explore this city for a while. If you need me, send for me or something. See ya later." With that, Nare took his leave of Viktor's Town house and headde into the streets. If anything, he could try to find out more about Sanina. Anything to help him with his mission. He headed down the streets, hands in the pockets of the jacket, towards wherever his feet guided him.

Meanwhile back outdoors the peace of the otherwise quiet and upscale neighborhood was disrupted by the rumbling roar of a motorbike. The vehicle pulled into the driveway of the property that bordered Maurana's new place, and the scantly clad woman in biker leathers and far too many piercings to count was perhaps not the sight one might expect to be presented with in this district of the city.

As Varia swung down off the bike she threw a look to the property next door which had remained empty for several months now. With a frown she headed to the front door of Viktor's place.

She didn't bother knocking as she let herself in.

"Viktor?" she hollered.

Viktor appeared at the top of the steps leading down into the entrance hall. He was fixing the cuffs on his sleeves as he seemed to be preparing to head out for the evening. Everything about Viktor's place was meticulously kept, and his appearance was no less so.

At first glance, there wasn't much in common when it came to Viktor and Varia, and even less in common the deeper you looked. Few could understand what had compelled the elder Vampire to choose to turn a woman as wild as Varia. Where he was orderly, she was unruly, where he was calm and dignified, she was fiery and temperamental. Where he was cautious, she was reckless.

"What do you need, Varia," he asked as he made his way down the steps.

"Ten grand," Varia told him as she threw herself onto the white couch with her feet propped up on the armrest. "And who are the new fops next door?" she asked. "The place reeks of vampire."

Varia asking for money wasn't exactly a new experience for Viktor, though perhaps a taxing one as of late. With Sanina gone and the Lessard family scattered to the four winds his income wasn't what it once was.

"I don't know yet," Viktor replied.

"Well they have no business moving in here," Varia remarked flippantly. "This is still Lessard territory. Torrential and I can-"

"No." Viktor cut her off abruptly. "I want you to stay away from these people," he told her sharply. It was rare for the man to take such a tone with Varia, but they hadn't the numbers they once claimed - and they knew nothing of these newcomers.

Varia frowned. "Fine, whatever. Can I have the ten grand or not?" she asked.

"I'll transfer the funds. Lock up when you're done in here," Viktor replied as he headed for the front door.

Maurana didn't startle at the sound of Victors voice, though she hadn't heard him enter, she had felt his presence within her home the moment he arrived. The woman was not a complete idiot, she practiced her magic, and exercised her senses just like a good little vampire should. She spun her chair around to face the male creature that sat in her office.

"Fancy place you got here."

"I'm a hard working woman, Victor. Of course you wouldn't know, as we've merely just met. Regardless what the situation was, I found out more about you by watching you be attacked than what you offered up on your own." She smiled, and rose from her chair. "But of course, I haven't shared anything of myself either." Crossing the distance to a wall that was decorated with black roses and angular mirrors, she opened a refrigerated cabinet, and pulled from it a glass container full to the bring of a dark red liquid, no doubt what it was, but whom it was from would have been the better question asked. Grabbing two circular glasses, she walked to the sitting area and sat them down on the small glass table that sat between two armchairs. Pouring the drinks, she stated, "This mix here comes from a fine witch across the waters. She was quite a catch, if I may say so myself." Handing the glass to Victor, she sat in the leather armchair directly across from him.

"Not the best hiding place for a wanted woman you know."

Crossing her legs, and bouncing one heeled boot she responded, "If I'm correct, the Verinotte have no right to enforce their laws here within this city." She sipped, "However, don't take me for a fool, my friend. I have this house entirely preserved with security of the highest order. I am of an old heritage, Victor, one that doesn't trust a single living being." Through dark black eyelashes, she watched him closely as she spoke next, "However, my business is making money off of every one of those untrustworthy souls." Lingering in silence for a moment, she traced her finger along the top of her glass waiting for a response.

A motorcycle could be heard revving in the front part of the house next door. Though she had the curtains drawn, she could easily hear the woman yelling into the house the same name of her company that sat before her. 'What a coincidence.' She thought to herself.

Victor leaned forward to take a glass and held it just under his nose to savor the smell. There was always a certain tang in the blood of witches, probably due to the heavy magic usage. Not that he fed on them regularly, he knew a witch's blood when he tasted it.

"Perhaps you should start sharing." he sipped at the haemal beverage, giving a nod of approval as it lit up his hyper-sensitive tastebuds. "Starting with what exactly your business is." He kicked one leg over his knee while slowly rotating his wrist to swirl the glass of witch's blood.

Sensitive ears picked up the yelling of someone outside. "Viktor?!" The voice was unfamiliar, so he paid no attention to it. "And what ever became of that Lycan who went after you?" he asked.

Tonight though it wasn't the eyes of well-meaning samaritans that Valentina drew. Crimson eyes shifted to follow her movements as she moved past through the crowd of people milling outside of the building. They were the eyes of a predator, sharp and calculating, and quick to pick up on subtle signs.

Child vampires were relatively uncommon enough that Viktor might have overlooked her as the creature she was, but Sanina's penchant for keeping children around - two of them vampires - left the idea less foreign to him.

It was more than that which drew his attention though. Nare's claim of having been risen by Sanina was still heavy on Viktor's mind; though, his search for any clues or validation behind the story had turned up little. With Nare missing, he had taken Viktor's only potential link to uncovering the truth of whether Sanina had survived that fire a year past or not.

If this child was one of Sanina's...

His hand moved to grab Valentina by the arm, and to draw her attention to himself.

What the child Vampire would find was a well-dressed individual with well-chiseled and angular features. His slanted eyes and slightly pointed ears hinted at his mixed heritage, though it is the crimson hue of his eyes that was the most striking feature about him. There was no display of aggression or predatory inclination painted upon his calm face though, but there was a sharpness to his eyes that betrayed his pointed interest in the girl.

Valentina was so busy trying to find whatever it was or rather whoever it was she was looking for, that she wasn’t paying attention to her other senses. In fact, it wasn’t until it was too late that she realized that someone had been stalking her. Her wings swept outwards as a hand grabbed a hold of her arm, the touch extremely unexpected. NomNom hissed at the figure, but knew better than to challenge the male. Snapping her purple eyes towards him, she took in his appearance and immediately knew what he was. Resting her wings against her purple dress, she bared her fangs at him, hissing under her breath.

“You have exactly ten seconds to remove your hand off my arm before I make you regret ever touching me.”

The humans nearby the group were suddenly watching the two, quite a few of them moving closer to the two. She didn’t care that she looked like a child, because she was much older than that, but of course, no one else knew that. NomNom tensed up on her head, ready to strike if his master commanded him to do so. She didn’t want to give away all of her secrets, but it seriously bothered her that some strange vampire was touching her without her permission. What could he possibly want? Wait, maybe Lily sent him.

“Did my sire, Lily send you to bring me to where she is currently hiding at?”

Lily?

Viktor studied the girl a time longer before he finally released her arm. His hold on her was drawing a lot of unwanted attention from the humans at hand, and letting her go was largely to avoid some well meaning citizen jumping to the assumption that he was in some way accosting the 'child'.

"Pardon me," he replied simply. "I mistook you for another."

He moved to walk past her, continuing on his way.

Valentina blinked when he let her go. It didn’t slip past her that he had been studying her and she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he had mistaken her for someone else. That meant she was not any closer to finding Lily, which in turn pissed her off immensely. When he indicated that she had been correct in her thoughts, that he thought her to be another individual, Val crossed both arms against her chest and huffed a little beneath her breath. He said nothing further before stepping past her and heading down the sidewalk.

“Wait! Maybe you can help me out…”! Valentina moved after him, walking incredibly fast thanks to how short her legs were. It took her a little, but she finally managed to catch up to him and luckily, they were far enough away from the crowd that she could ask what she wanted without someone overhearing them and starting a riot or something.

“I know what you are… and I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of an informant that might know where a vampire could be hiding out at or where one could be if they were taken by someone bad.”

Viktor nodded briefly to a piece of paper hung from a nearby post. It was well worn and faded from being subject to the elements, but the words printed upon it were still legible.

The Blood Edict

Let it be known, to all that concern themselves with the goings on of Wing City and surrounding districts, that VANKORYTH DÉTENTE will henceforth be enforcing a strict policie of control over all VAMPYREKIND. No vampyre is to be seen in or around the territory without bidding their full allegiance and commitment to the DÉTENTE by way of deed and action.

FAILURE TO COMPLY will result in DEATH, enforced IMMEDIATELY and with the due judication granted by this decree.

FURTHERMORE, a semi-negociable reward of 10,000 standard will be granted for the delivery of each LIVE VAMPYRE to the gates of the CASTLE VANKORYTH.

CLEMENCY is offered to the former enemies of the DÉTENTE should they wish to align themselves towards this effort, but NONE shall be granted to those who work against it.

SO IT WAS WRITTEN.

It was signed Casren Bistro.

"There are many who hide these days," Viktor explained.

Finding a single vampire among the many would prove difficult, if this Lily had not already been among those taken by the Vankoryth Detante.

He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked.

Moving over to the piece of paper, Valentina read it silently, her stomach clenching up the more her eyes scanned. Could the DÉTENTE be responsible for Lily’s disappearance? If they were, did that mean she was already dead? No! Never! Val clenched her fists and turned back towards the unknown Vampire, still wondering why she was trusting him. Well, what other choice did she have? She had been searching for her Sire for quite a long time and this was the first time she had some form of lead, even though it really wasn’t a lead. She was busy thinking about what had been written on the piece of paper that she barely noticed him walking off again. Did she follow him and see what else he had to say or just research it on her own? NomNom mewed softly and she realized that being with someone was better than being alone, at least for now. Jogging after him, she hoped he wasn’t getting annoyed by her.

“So… how would I find the DÉTENTE? Or maybe … where would you look to find a hidden vampire? I’m not meaning to bug you, but you’re the first individual that’s given me the time of day in a very long time. Most just see me as a child that should be in an orphanage.” Her legs were already growing tired of walking, but she needed to find out as much as she could before he shooed her away.

NomNom jumped down off her head and morphed into a ginormous strong and deadly White Siberian Tiger. As a tiger, NomNom was almost as tall as a SUV, and his fangs and claws were elongated much like a Sabertooth tiger. While in this form, his flesh had all but rotted off, and he salivated poison that constantly dripped from his fangs. NomNom was in reality, a homunculi formed from her practice in the dark arts. The signs of rot and decay were testament to her imperfect skill at the time of his creation. However, when in kitty form, he’s absolutely CUTE and ADORABLE! Only when he’s in the other form is he rotting. Climbing onto him, Valentina got comfortable and found it much easier to keep up with the stranger.

The stench of decaying flesh was thick in the air, but it wasn't with disgust that Viktor looked to the rotting specimen of a tiger. There was surprise and then uncertainty - though both emotions were brief and fleeting.

The beast was so much akin to those of Sanina's that perhaps for a moment he let doubt worm its way into his mind once more.

"Tell me about this Lily," he replied.

He avoided answering her questions directly, perhaps to avoid the child simply leaving once she had her answers.

“What do you want to know about her? I don’t really know much about her past or how she came to be a Vampire herself. Whenever I asked, she would change the subject, so I just stopped asking. When I was nine-years-old, she saved me from an attacking vampire that slaughtered my family. She turned me soon after and taught me how to do things that most other vampires didn’t know how to do. That’s how this form on NomNom came into play.”

Shrugging a little, Valentina patting NomNom on the head, leaning back a little bit to look up at the sky. Anyone that happened to be in the same vicinity of the two seemed to give them a wide berth, but that was probably thanks to the appearance of her large cat. She wondered why he wanted to know so much about Lily, but maybe he spotted someone that he didn’t recognize and maybe she was that very individual.

“She’s got black hair with red streaks that run through its length with matching black eyes. Have you seen her?”

Viktor thought a time as they walked before he answered her inquiry. "I don't believe I have," he replied. "Come, this is no place to discuss such matters."

He wasn't entirely sure why he extended the invitation. Perhaps it was the childlike appearance of the vampire at his side, or perhaps it was the nature of her feline companion that drew up a sense of familiarity from him. Or perhaps it was simply a rare desire for companionship for a time.

He turned down another street heading towards Lady Une Drive, leaving Valentina to decide whether to follow or stay.

Why was she letting her hopes get up? The likelihood of Viktor spotting Lily was slim and none, but there was still that slight chance. NomNom didn’t seem to mind people staring and pointing at him and flashed a few of his very sharp fangs towards anyone that managed to get to close for his comfort. Valentina shook her head, prodding him in the nose, a motion that served as a reminder that they didn’t need to draw attention to themselves. He seemed too understood and stopped showing off his aggressiveness. Returning her attention towards Viktor, she frowned a little when he indicated that no, he didn’t think he had ran into Lily. Why couldn’t she get a break?

“Hnn… oh why not…” Her delayed response was in reference to his invitation to discuss matters elsewhere. NomNom hadn’t bitten the man’s leg off yet, which meant he could at least be trusted to an extent, which was good enough for her. Leaning forward a little in an attempt to get a little more comfortable, she nudged her ride a little to get him to follow the stranger.


“So… where are we going? Do you know of anyone else that might know of her location?”

Viktor led Valentina to Lady Une Drive in relative silence, though the rather decadent region of the city was likely well familiar to her as it was likely likely that she herself been enjoying the luxuries of the wealthy neighborhood.

Viktor's townhouse was an elegant piece of property, though modest in size next to some of the larger manors and properties that filled out Lady Une Drive. Opening the door, he led the way inside, pausing only briefly to cast a glance towards the undead feline.

No doubt his house-cleaners would have words come morning after having the rotting animal traipsing around on the white carpeting. Everything about the interior of the building seemed meticulously kept and immaculately clean.

Once inside Viktor approached a display stand where he took a moment to remove his sword from beneath his coat to place it back upon its display. A handgun followed, which was set upon a lower shelf. He paused to pick up a small silver cross that was strung on a chain and he ran his fingers over it briefly. There were other displays in the room, many sporting antiques and it would seem that much of Viktor's wealth could be found right here within the building.

"I will see what I can find about this Lily of yours," he spoke finally. "In the meanwhile it's safer off the streets."

There was an impassive neutrality to his words as he placed the silver cross back in its place upon the display stand.

Was she allowing herself to be lead into a trap? As the two of them walked along the fairly empty streets, Val couldn’t help but wonder why she was trusting this male so much. Of course, NomNom’s acceptance of the Vampire was probably the main reason why they were still following behind Vikor. Scrunching up her nose, she glanced up at the sky, trying to imagine what Lily was currently up to at that moment. Maybe she had been attacked and is now laying low or maybe she killed someone and is laying low. It was difficult to remain positive, but she knew that just giving up hope wouldn’t do her or her sire a bit of good. Looking forward, she took note of where they were heading and couldn’t help but realize just how close he lived to her own mansion. That was rather suspect, but she pushed the suspicious thoughts out of her mind.

“Hold up, Nommers.”

NomNom stopped just outside of Viktor’s front door, allowing her to slide down off of him before he reversed himself back into his cute little fluffy white kitty form. He quickly shook off any leftover undead bits before flopping over at her feet. Reaching down, she picked him up and stepped inside of the beautiful manor. The carpet was quite white, which was her main reasoning behind having NomNom return to his normal form. She had also caught the glance that Viktor had shot back towards her beast. The place was definitely a lot neater than her, but that was because Lily had just recently fired their help because they were stealing from them. She was quite relieved that he was willing to find out more about Lily and sighed softly.

“Thank you, I really appreciate it. She means the world to me and I wouldn’t know what to do without her… So, uhh, this is a mighty nice place you’ve got here. I guess you trust me enough to bring me here, hnn? I’ll give you any information that I know about her if it’ll help.”

"I will see what I can learn," Viktor told her. "What's your name?" he asked.

He turned away from the display stand and put his hands back in his pockets. He wasn't entirely used to having people over. Well, people he didn't know anyways. Varia and Christian came by often enough.

"Do you have somewhere to stay in the meanwhile?" he asked.

“Oh, right! I guess I should introduce myself. Forgive me, I’m not really used to interacting with others without having Lily around to buffer what is being said and done. I’m still new to this whole Vampire thing and make a lot of childish mistakes. Anywho! The name is Valentina Rosetti and this here is NomNom. He protects me and all that junk,” she answered quite enthusiastically, her hair bobbing with every word she spoke.

Valentina patted NomNom on the head before picking him up and setting him on her shoulder. That was generally his perching spot other than her head and she figured it was best to put him there instead of having him jump up and chance breaking something important. He didn’t seem to mind being picked up as opposed to jumping up, which just meant he was being a lazy butt today. Her nose scrunched up a little as she studied him closely. Just what was his deal anyways? Her train of thought was interrupted when he asked if she had somewhere to stay.

“Oh! Sure, I’ve got a place – well, it’s Lily’s place, but well, her mansion-manor thingy is quite nearby. In fact, how do I know you didn’t kidnap her and lure me back here to complete some ritual or something?!” Paranoid? No, not her.