The Master's Tricks.

We did not stop until we reached the outskirts of the City, everybody looking around at the old and unkempt buildings, the dirty streets packed with unsavoury types and broken cars, covered with rust littering the old suburbs.

My breaths were hard but exited, my energy felt limitless, the Crimson sparks rippling through My body as Belle landed on the edge of the abandoned building beside Me

"Why did we stop?" Belle asked, looking around at the group who all shuffled uneasily.

Huginn gritted his teeth, he and the other of the Noxium looking around conspicuously at one another

"So..." Said a Vampire with a sour look on his face, glaring at Huginn as the Blonde man smiled coyly "...Our Master finally called for the Ritual then, Raven?" He asked Huginn, everybody looked at him and his sister, Huginn's grin answering them even before He spoke.

"That's right Cassius, it's mask time!"

"If we can find the bloody place that is," Muninn said, the many others looking around inquisitively over the edge of the rooftop.

"What are you looking for?" I asked, walking over to the group who all fixed me with suspicious eyes,

"Oh it's the Human." One of them said, a tall blonde woman with judgmental azure eyes. My face tightened at the woman, coldly staring at the woman as I folded my arms

"This Human has a Name."

"Really? I thought the Master's little sister would suffice?" A couple laughed at the Blonde's joke, her high elegant feature twisting with malice as she approached. I saw Belle step in front of me, her fangs lengthening defensively as the Blonde came

"Who are You to dare insult the Master's family?" Belle growled angrily, the blonde merely chuckled, her Red eyes never leaving mine as she spoke

"I am nobody... just an underling of the old Gerix, but You can call me Velka." She whispered as I pushed Belle aside, walking forward to meet the fierce Platinum blonde woman without a drop of fear.

She chuckled again, scowling at me "But although, even among our underlings, a human has no place amongst us. tell me why I shouldn't kill You right no-"

I didn't give her a chance to finish the sentence, nor could she continue it, mainly because I had pulled a good portion of her front teeth out with my fist, The slender woman's body smashing into the ground as I looked up in cold fury, glaring at the one's who laughed, now silent

"Do I look like a Human to you?" I whispered, Muninn stepping forward as Huginn billowed with laughter falling to the ground comically as his sister spoke

"I swear to god, did Corvus' **** make You guys stupid or something, we are not Gerix!" Muninn spat, literally, her saliva shot so hard into the rooftop that it pierced into the building below "This woman just put a godman bullet in my brain not an hour ago, then brewed a healing draught and fed me to fix me up... for god's sake I didn't mean to say that-Actually no, fuck it... I'm forgetting something aren't I? oh yeah, I recall now, she diced half of us up like angry little bloodsucking carrots. She is Powerful and Charlie's sister, she is deserving of our respect, my pity to the fool that thinks otherwise." Muninn growled, glaring at Velka who looked at Me with shock and pain in her eyes as dead blood trickled down her chin.

"Ladies, please! Finding that Crazy Door is hard enough without You lot arguing like a bunch of angry milk maids, now... where's Camie, Camazotz, are you here, we need you!?" Huginn called everybody nodding and agreement, calling on a figure who stepped forward furtively.

I looked at the figure, a woman whose features were completely obscured, covered completely by Black wrappings all over her body, a long high-collar hooded trench coat hiding her body shape, though I saw that she was quite short, no taller than 5 ft 2, her identity hidden by a Strange tribal looking Black and red mask, it's long ears and widely open jaws reminding Me of some kind of murderous bat.

The Mask had no Eye holes, I wondered how she could see, but she stepped forward, Huginn grinning widely at the sight of her "There you are Camie! it's been a long time! I didn't think You'd come!" He said excitedly.

Camazotz did not answer, staring blindly at Huginn as the others whispered to one another, apparently the fact that she was here was a surprise

"Right..." Huginn said, chuckling slightly as Muninn rolled her stormy eyes, smiling warmly at Camie who turned to her silently

"Hey Cammie, nice to see you after all of these years, do you think You could find Vulcan's door, put those ears of yours to use?" Camie's mask turned to Me after Muninn asked her favour, head tilting slightly before looking back to Muninn and nodding

"Great! stand back everyone, give the lady her space!" Huginn said, everybody quickly standing back and leaving the Masked Enima of a woman alone at the Building's edge.

Muninn rushed to me, a slightly giddy look on her face as the Noxium collectively covered their ears "This is so cool, You're gonna love this, just... you might want to cover Your ears." The Blonde said, nodding as I placed my palms over my ears, watching as Camie reached up with her bandaged hands to pull down her dark hood.

Like the rest of her body, her entire head was bandaged, but... where Her ears should have been, she had two round metal plates that resembled something like small headphones.

She touched the Plates carefully, sliding the centre plate around, which I saw seemed to be layered with other thin plates with small holes within, the shadowed Vampire, clicked them into place as she lifted her head slightly.

Suddenly a burst of something sharp and fast cut through the air, the wave of the powerful clicking sound tearing like a wave all around us with such power that I wasn't even fully sure that it counted as a sound, it was so high picked I could barely detect it, but felt it instead, like a gust of wind or a jet breaking the sound barrier... however... nobody bellow seemed to stir, to them it might have just been a very strong and sudden gale which passed almost immediately.

Camie remained still for a moment, before reaching up to adjust the plates on her ears again, turning her head in the direction of what I was sure was Bleak street... a place that people often made a point to stay away from, the slum of the slums.

Muninn walked forward while Belle and I looked on with fascination, "You got an idea of which way we're heading?" The Blonde asked, Camie nodded, gesturing for everyone to follow as she suddenly took off, jumping over to the building next to them as the others proceeded to follow after

"I hope that I don't ever get that weird," Belle whispered as Muninn approached

"I wouldn't start whispering insults if I were you, she can probably hear You." Muninn said, the three of them moving along with the rest of the Clan in tow of the strange hooded Vampire.

"What the hell was that?" Isabelle asked.

"Echolocation of some kind if I had to guess," I said, recalling Charlie yammering on about reading about animals who could see by emitting sounds.

"Hit the nail on the head there," Muninn said, tossing herself over an electrical box to trot along a skywalk behind Me, "I don't really know that much about her, none of us does, she only really appears when personally called or if we have a Clan summoning, but Corvus was pretty scared of her, said that she had sharpened her senses so much that she has to dull them, I think that's what the plates are for... but other than that, well this is only the fourth time that I've ever seen her."

Moving unseen from above, the Noxium funnelled down into the Shadows, though some to the High route, staying on the rooftops as Camie walked briskly along the dark alleyway.

The Fire escapes and gritty manholes let off a dull shine under the luminous rays of moonlight that pierced the shadows, the many dark figures in front of me prowling soundlessly through the mazelike labyrinth of alleys and backroads until the Noxium finally came to a halt at a shabby looking; dead end.

This place was strange, I had spent time in Oldtown plenty of times before, not all of my clients were high end and civil matters in court usually involved Low-income families, but unlike the usual walled-off shabby culdesacs, this place seemed outwardly peculiar in ways that I couldn't understand.

The Bricks here were too long and strangely placed, the ground bellow was too smooth, there wasn't enough litter, not enough grime and if I poked my head up and stood on my tiptoes, to look over the Vampires in front of me, I could see a very strange and very out of place Red door.

"Move outta the way, come on Diana, here... see," Muninn said as she pushed the other Noxium out of her way, gesturing for me to follow her through the parted crowd to look at the Ominous crimson double doors.

Inscribed on it's front in harsh scratchings, the words 'VULCAN' was engraved, a series of strange symbols that I recognized as Vampiric Runes, carved into the frame of the oddly placed portal.

"Looks like we have been allowed passage," Muninn said happily, pressing her red lips together as Huginn moved next to her, swallowing weakly with a nervous look on his face as Camie lent against the brick wall, the face of her mask staring silently at him

"Allowed passage? we found the door, what's all the drama about?" I asked, Muninn chuckling, her head shaking as she looked at me with darkness in her grey eyes

"Trust me, If she didn't want us here, then this door wouldn't be here."

"This thing gets around faster than a Tangerine-coloured Honey from the Jersey shore," Huginn said, still looking nervous as Camie turned her gaze to the door.

I noticed everyone's hesitation, the way they all refused to go for the door first, I was more than a little apprehensive, My instincts were screaming at me to stay away, there was something intensely off about this door.

Eventually, I heard a sigh from behind a mask, Camie's shadowed form stepping forward as her mask turned to Me, touching a bandaged hand on the pitch-black doorknob, carefully pushing it open for me.

As the fisure cracked open, the unusual sight of rippling, onyx gunge filled the entire doorway, black as a void

not a lick of light travelled through it, but I did not have time to wonder mainly due to Camie grasping my arm, quickly pulling herself along with me through the darkness, a shocked gasp escaped my lips as a horribly cold sensation wrapped my skin and rattled my bones for a moment. My eyes slam shut as the bandage-bound Vampire dragged me along into some warm place.

I opened my eyes, furtively looking around while straightening myself out, clearing my throat and poising as Camie looked at me, still in dead silence.

The Place looked... cosy, a large but cosy hallway, rustically old fashion but also well-decorated. the floors were polished black oak, a long crimson carpet leading down the hall, the walls were sage green and adorned with what I quickly recognized were hundreds and hundreds of masks of all different shapes, sizes and colours, made of leather, metal and even stone, some were a little strange, an Orca-like one with its wide mouth filled with carved eyeballs, another was a shiny red half mask, its surface was covered in short black hairs that spiralled in all directions, there was even a devil mask, who's horns curled inwards out of its forehead and into its own eyeholes.

They were so strange... but kind of captivating, naturally I moved towards one, hand reaching out to feel the Orca Mask before Camie swept in silently, making me jump "Don't." She whispered, in a voice so low and furtive that it was barely audible beneath her screaming mask.

"Why not?" I asked only to see Camie point to a small plaque inscribed with 'DO NOT TOUCH' I nodded, backing away from the masks "Right, probably not a good idea... unknown territory and all."

Camie nodded, her head slowly turning to the open door which soon saw two walking through it; A very annoyed-looking Rose, dragging a sulking Belle by the arm "Ugh, that's right just drag me through the scary door!" Belle complained, pulling her arm away from Roses's grasp

"Stop acting like a child, like those weasels out there," Rose said in her cold tone, Belle carefully looked at her sleeve and pouted.

"This is a Prada jacket! god... what the Hell is that thing?" Belle asked

Rose looked over the doorway, with her Ice Blue eyes "The door seems to be inscribed with relocation and a powerful series of Portal runes, this Vulcan is clearly very talented with Runecraft, that kind of inscription takes years to focus." Rose said, rubbing her chin inquisitively.

I watched as Camie stepped forward, immediately kneeling before Rose like she was something holy "Lady Inquisitor." She muttered quietly in her muffled tone, Rose tilted her head but bowed in return as the Bandaged woman stood

"Hmmmm," Rose said, surveying Camie with her eyes, looking like she might say something but was interrupted by Huginn, stumbling through the door, Muninn walking after him with many more in tow

"By the Blood God... I hate that thing." Muninn said as the others began to crowd in behind her "Come on, best get moving before someone scuffs something." She said nervously, the group moving through the hallway in silent anticipation.

Towards the end of the Hall where another set of Pitch Black double doors waited for us.

"You need to be careful." Namina warned me, "Vulcan isn't like us."

"She's not a Vampire?" I asked sharply, Muninn frowned

"Oh she's a Vampire, the worst kind of Vampire." The Blonde said as they all crept through the Hallway. Rose sniffed at the air, a disgusted look crossing her face as her claws sharpened

"Wendigo." She snarled... another one of Charlie's stories came to mind, cannibal spirits, horned skulls, My hand rested on Black Baby's grip, my fingers feeling at the engravings as I wrapped my hand around the doorknob twisting it and pushing the door ajar.

"I walk through the Valley of the shadow of ****, and I fear no evil, because I'm blind to it all...."

A woman sat in the far corner of the large room, singing gently as she worked on one of many stands of small machinery, carefully painted in various different patterns. She wore a mask, long and boney, the blackened skull of an elk was the shape, the long branching horns, carved with the same Blood runic symbols, a very large, very long Rifle old fashioned rifle resting against Her shoulder

"And My Mind, and My gun they comfort me. Because I know, I'll kill my enemies when they come." She sang, her long frizzy blonde hair draping across her face as I looked around, still gripping my obscured weapon as everyone walked in.

We all stood gawking at what had to be thousands of Masks on the Sage green walls, the many pieces of equipment, large and small, neatly assembled in order of height along the edges of the large decorated and strangely neat room

"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me, all the days of my life, and I will dwell, on this earth forevermore." Her voice was not controlled, or nuanced, she wasn't as good a singer as Charlie was that was for sure, but there was a haunting beauty to each word she sang, like she really believed it, really felt it.

The strange woman and Her bright Magenta eyes never left the Mask that she was working on with her heavy ankle grander, carving intricate shapes into the gilded mask that she was working on

My eyes caught on Cleo, who sat quietly in a chair to the side, watching and listening to Vulcan with a pure kind of patience.

"...And I walk beside the still waters, and they restore my soul, but I can't walk on the path of the right, because I'm wrong..." Vulcan continued, her round cheeks glinting in the ember light as the sparks flew up at her face, her shining black Elk mask hoisted upon her head.

She didn't seem to be paying us any mind, the hundred or so Noxium bodies flooding into the large studio with tense looks on their pale faces.

Cleo sat relaxed in the chair on the far side of the room, sipping a cup filled with crimson liquid as Muninn looked at her questioningly.

Cleo nodded slowly to Muninn, brushing one of her Black hairs from her face as everyone silently watched, seemingly just waiting for something very bad to happen.

"When I came upon a man, at the top of a hill. Called himself the saviour of the human race. Said I've come to save the world from destruction and pain, but I said how can you save the world.... from... itself."

Vulcan was absorbed by her work, the eerily blank eyes lay only on the mask, which she carried carefully and tenderly over to a tall Metal Bench, its face covered in shadowed markings that I didn't recognise at all, save for a few circular patterns that Rose had earlier produced in the Cave.

Rose glided forward in her smooth step, staring with fascination as she went to approach the Mask-Maker "Don't." Muninn warned reaching out, but Rose's glare prevented her touch, the Red-headed Upir continuing to glide forward, watching Inquisitively as Vulcan removed a bundle of small metal pieces from her cluttered toolbelt.

Vulcan did not seem to care that Rose watched her, Her eyes remaining entirely focused on the intricately made golden mask as she drew out her long, sharp claws which she placed each one of the stylus-shaped metal pieces, finally stabbing each of her fingers into her palm, which was heavily marked and dotted with scars

She has done this many times before.

"No shit, her palm looks like a Golf ball."

Rose peered at Vulcan as she began her work, humming quietly to herself as her fingers began to dash at incredible speeds around the Golden Mask, interlacing the spiralling horns with strange glowing figures, weaving up and down the black edges, inside the soft cloth face within and around the circular lenses, waves of Black and Crimson smoke flowing upward into the Blonde Mask-Maker's face

"It is foolish to expose yourself to fumes." Rose said in her cold whisper "You may not breathe them in but they can still seep into the pores on your skin." She said, Vulcan's face slowly warping into a very off-putting a slightly frightening smile

"Do you know how Igneous Gemstones are formed, Inquisitor?" Vulcan's voice was light and unsteady, her eyes widening with glee as she continued her work "...How the rock made flame stirs beneath the earth, hardens... burns with heat and pressure-heat and pressure-heat and pressure, crushed in a Flaming abyss until impurity is purged and only beauty remains... shiny, beloved Igneous beauty..." Vulcan spoke in a slow, kind of growl, her wispy voice rattling as she continued to carve.

"Rudy wonders, in her seconds of lucidity, If her mind shares a kinship with those Shining stones, Inquisitor, if the folds of her brain are crushed by the Heat and pressure of burning blood and eldritch magic of old, she wonders if perhaps one day if Rudenia Vulcan might be as clear and a flawless as an Igneous Gem?" Rose looked at Vulcan curiously, like that torrent of mad ramblings actually meant something, but not me, I saw that lack of... something in her Pink eyes, that lack of consciousness, a Blank charade of awareness even as she held the Golden Mask up and stared with adoration as it glowed with scarlet Markings.

Vulcan turned her eyes to Rose, baring her teeth... that... all sharpened until she had a grin that would make a great white shark close his mouth in shame "Then again-Maybe I just need to stuff some entrails down my gullet to silence my Contemplation... hmm, squishy wormy entrails."

We all watched as Vulcan gently placed the Mask on the worktable, reaching up to pull the Boney Wendigo mask down her face to look at us.

The Mask was segmented so that we could see her rows of pointed teeth, see the unsettling red-Pink glow of her eyes and look at the tall branching horns that split into jagged stalks.

"You know the good thing about entrails? they are like Pizza!" Vulcan cried, moving suddenly towards us all, many tensing and ready for a fight, though Muninn flung out her arms, holding them back as Vulcan stopped inches away from our group, her monstrous smile never vanishing as she laughed in a shrill tone.

"There are so many types of tasty, cheezy entrails..." Vulcan whispered, prowling around us as Her mane of wild Golden hair swayed subtly "...Meaty entrails, yum yum!" She chuckled, circling us like a hungry buzzard

"Of course, Rudy is the odd one out, she has an... acquired taste, Vulcan loves her Pizza the same way she loves her entrails." I tried not to flinch as Her eyes rested on mine, watching as she licked her lips and shuffled forward, taking in a deep whiff of me as I glared down at her shorter form "...Whether it's fresh and warm..." Vulcan grinned, turning slowly to Muninn whose face was warped with apprehension "Or dead and Cold."

"Enough," Rose said sharply, appearing suddenly between Us and the Crazy Mask-Maker "I know Charlie was here, He summoned all of them here... where is He?" Rose commanded.

Vulcan ran her long dark tongue across her lips, her face relaxing back into its normal shape as she shrugged, strolling back over to her table "Why would Vulcan know, Vulcan is just a Mask-maker, Noxi-woxi came and went, leaving that grumpy guts here." She said, pointing to Cleo who looked at her sourly.

"He left?" Muninn asked, looking to Cleo who sat, arms folded in silence

"What do You mean He left!? bullshit, You have him hidden somewhere don't You!?" Belle accused, pointing a taloned finger at Vulcan, the blonde merely sniggering to herself

"No, she's telling the truth," Rose said, tilting her head and sniffing at the air "I can't pick up his scent, can't feel his power."

"Catching anything on satellite, Cam?" Huginn asked, the Masked Cametotz reaching up to fiddle with her ear plates before shaking her head.

"Why the Hell would He waste our time summoning us here for the Ritual, only for him to leave?" Velka asked, her serpentine eyes thinning with annoyance, many others muttering in agreement

"Haven't you figured it out yet? That's what He does isn't it, plays games with us..." The stern-faced Vampire, Cassius stepped forward "Exactly what it says on the tin with that guy, right? Superior... Corvus was a weasel, a fucking asshole, but Umbra was one of us, he was loyal to the Clan. For how long are we gonna tolerate him killing us off, then just ditching us, giving stupid orders like 'only kill the deserving' I say no more." Many of the clan voiced their agreement, though many seemed apprehensive to join in his mentality, they knew the consequences of turning against Charlie well.

"What a joke..." Huginn suddenly said, glaring at Cassius "...You know, I recall the last 30 or so years, listening to you lot ramble on and on about how our Clan has fallen, how Corvus did this and Corvus did that, how we were one of the strongest of the Great Clans, but now that we have a guy leading us that is willing to listen, willing to learn, You want to mutiny against him? that joke... not even I find that one funny." Huginn shook his head, standing with Me, Belle and Muninn with a resolute disgust.

"And why should we listen to You, a mentally cracked idiot who never knew Lord Urantus' rule, He was present, He was with us." Velka growled, "I don't see Lord Nox standing with us right now?"

I looked to Rose, the smallest tells of anger swept across her face... but something told me that my words from before were echoing in her mind, she was keeping that Cold Bitch in line.

"Cleo has joined with him." Muninn spoke "He killed her lover, He killed Hawkins but He vowed to help her, isn't that right Cleo?" Muninn asked warmly, Cleo folded her legs, frowning at Muninn

"What did I tell you about going through my head, Moonie." Cleo groaned.

"But it's true though, isn't it?" the blonde smiled.

The Raven haired Vampire stirred, eventually nodding her confirmation which made the Noxium ramble to one another again. "Charlie is a good man, He isn't like us that's true, but he is unlike us only in the fact that He seems to have preserved his humanity, he cares, he loves... and I would be so fortunate to receive that Love.... fuck... w-we would be so fortunate." Muninn rubbed her eyes in frustration, the truth escaping her a little too easily

"Is that really your argument, Raven?" A stocky Vampire said, his unkempt Brown hair swaying as she stood straight to speak out "We all know you've had a thing for him, how much more Biased could You get!?"

"It's not like we are asking You to love him though!?" Belle suddenly cried, annoyance painted on her pretty face "I may only be new but I know how this works, I feel it in my bones, He is the Master, we are the Delegates, what right do we have to question!?" She argued as Namina stepped up next

"Maybe... Maybe Charlie has done some wrong, we are divided like never before, sure, but shouldn't we be giving him a chance, things haven't even begun yet, I don't want to give up so easily... plus He is kinda cute" The Cat receptionist, making most of them groan, the rampant chattering growing and growing as people formed their own opinions on the matter.

"Where, I am from." Just as quickly as the room had erupted in the debate, it had gone deathly silent, no one dared interrupt or insult Rose as she spoke, her face shrouded in dark malice as she contained her Inner Bitch. "Insubordination is punished with a fate worse than ****. one foot... one toe out of line and you are killed, one word of disrespect, the tiniest whisper that does not meet tradition, and damnation falls upon you, You should count Yourselves lucky." She growled everyone looking fearfully at the Upir "I do not know why He wastes his time with You, our mission is apparent and clear, Kill Valerica, she what you should be squabbling over, not this childish tripe."

"Y-You are not one of us, Inquisitor," Velka said, fear deep in her eyes as Rose turned Her Icy gaze unto her, I placed my hand on her shoulder, trying to calm the monstrous heat that eminated from her.

All of these Vampires, Immortal beings, absent from time, living ****, watching them squabble like this was ridiculous, and while the inferno of my Instincts was still eating at my mind, I had Clarity enough to put in my two cents.

"I was thinking..." I started, every one of those Vampire's looking to Me with their red eyes, some disapproving, some fearful, some hungry "How can a Vampire squander themself so much as to fall into petty arguments? I've not known about Your types long, hell, sometimes I wonder if any of this isn't just some fucked up dream, but I know people, I know what someone who's been fucked over, looks like, and I'm standing in a room of them."

"What do You know about us, Human? You think that just because You have powers that You understand what it's like, You can empathize?" Cassius spat "Thousands and thousands of innocents have died at my hands alone, men, women and children, I have starved for months, done horrors that you couldn't fathom, who are You to try and walk with the Monsters?"

I took in a deep breath, looking to Rose who shook her head in silent caution... but I had a feeling that this was a coming-out moment, so... fuck it, might as well throw myself to the wolves

"My Name is Diana Drake, and I am a Homunculus, an Artificial Human created with My father's DNA." The Room erupted again in talk, all clearly shocked to see something that they never thought could actually be real "My Brother and I were raised by The Black-Star in this city, nothing has ever been normal for us... nothing has ever been easy. You want to know if You can trust Charlie? well here's my opinion if You like it or not.

Charlie is an idiot, He's a moron who gets distracted and directs his attention in the wrong places, He loses sight of the bigger picture when He gets emotional, which is a lot... but... He's also Kind and caring, understanding beyond belief, He is fierce and loyal, determined, and intelligent, with your direction... our direction, we can help him be better than any leader that You have had before, take the Noxium to a place that no other Clan has been before, and if that isn't what we can all agree upon, and if I am dreaming all of this up, then I must have a lot of pent up stupid in my imagination."

All were silent, some smiling, some frowning in shame, but not me, I was just happy that my skills could be put towards the right purpose, as painfully cringy standing up for my little brother could be "Oh and if Anybody tells him I said those nice things about Him, I will kill You." I snarled, Rose letting a short smirk go as the many crimson eyes around me focused just over my shoulder "What?" I said... though my face fell when the realisation hit me "He's right behind me isn't he?"

Sure enough, as I turned, I saw a blanket of dark grey mist falling from the cracks in the boarded ceiling, the waterfall of smoke converging slowly into a tall, handsome man, his hair long and Black, his eyes beautiful gold, his snow-white face adorned in an even pearlier white smile.

Vulcan erupted with laughter, utterly billowing to the point where she rolled around on the floor, Cleo's face cracking into a subtle smile as My brother spoke

"Heya folks, How about we get this Ritual started?"