A World Beyond (IC)

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Frederick nodded at Damien. "Very well then. Let's go. We should be careful though." Frederick said to the principal, and so the two men began making their way towards Chinatown, the realm of the Chinesse demons, where the Coiled Viper would be. Or where Frederick hoped the Coiled Viper would be, but whatever.

[Hardened Pyrokinetics]

Elsewhere, Mark began suffering from... Complications. I'm no medical student so I can't really go into detail, but he began suffering live-threatening complications. Up to Mr. G if the doctors can stabilize Mark.

Whether they could or not, his "friends" were soon contacted and told the news, and asked if they wanted to give their last respects at his bedside.

[Norvenia]

Sitting beside Mark, it took Gabriel a few moments to recognize his phone buzzing in his pocket. The last day had been so insane that something as normal as taking a phone call made the priest start to laugh. Once he'd started, it was difficult to stop, and Gabriel wheezed with uncontrollable mirth for almost a minute. When the fit had finally abated, the priest had his head in his hands, fighting to control his breathing.

Battle fatigue. Or the head wound, one or the other. Either way, I've got to keep this under control. Gabriel shook his head briskly, then picked up the phone and answered it. "This is Gabriel Thomas, priest at St. David's, Jasper. How may I be of service?"

[Nationstatelandsville]

Sitting beside Mark, it took Gabriel a few moments to recognize his phone buzzing in his pocket. The last day had been so insane that something as normal as taking a phone call made the priest start to laugh. Once he'd started, it was difficult to stop, and Gabriel wheezed with uncontrollable mirth for almost a minute. When the fit had finally abated, the priest had his head in his hands, fighting to control his breathing.

Battle fatigue. Or the head wound, one or the other. Either way, I've got to keep this under control. Gabriel shook his head briskly, then picked up the phone and answered it. "This is Gabriel Thomas, priest at St. David's, Jasper. How may I be of service?"

"Gabriel, yes!" Vernon screamed, "this is Vernon. Don't ask how I got this number or you'll want to punch me, and that is not what we need right now. Hold on a moment." He pulled the phone away from his ear from a moment and addressed Hailey.

"Don't worry about it," he said to her quickly before bringing the phone back up to his ear and talking to Gabriel, "alright, now, let me bring you up to speed. Vampire-Hailey is here with me, not attacking me, don't worry about that. A vampire came to me and told me where the Coiled Viper is: Chinatown. Now, we can't go looking for it until night, because Hailey and I can't leave while the sun is out or she will die. We'll meet wherever you are right now and go at say... 8 PM to Chinatown, fight some demons, grab the Viper, and I need to talk to you and Mark at some point during this all. Where are you right now?"

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Frederick nodded at Damien. "Very well then. Let's go. We should be careful though." Frederick said to the principal, and so the two men began making their way towards Chinatown, the realm of the Chinesse demons, where the Coiled Viper would be. Or where Frederick hoped the Coiled Viper would be, but whatever.

The group entered Chinatown, where they encountered a lot of people trying to sell them stuff. So far, nothing unusual was seen.

[Norvenia]

Sitting beside Mark, it took Gabriel a few moments to recognize his phone buzzing in his pocket. The last day had been so insane that something as normal as taking a phone call made the priest start to laugh. Once he'd started, it was difficult to stop, and Gabriel wheezed with uncontrollable mirth for almost a minute. When the fit had finally abated, the priest had his head in his hands, fighting to control his breathing.

Battle fatigue. Or the head wound, one or the other. Either way, I've got to keep this under control. Gabriel shook his head briskly, then picked up the phone and answered it. "This is Gabriel Thomas, priest at St. David's, Jasper. How may I be of service?"

"Gabriel, yes!" Vernon screamed, "this is Vernon. Don't ask how I got this number or you'll want to punch me, and that is not what we need right now. Hold on a moment." He pulled the phone away from his ear from a moment and addressed Hailey.

"Don't worry about it," he said to her quickly before bringing the phone back up to his ear and talking to Gabriel, "alright, now, let me bring you up to speed. Vampire-Hailey is here with me, not attacking me, don't worry about that. A vampire came to me and told me where the Coiled Viper is: Chinatown. Now, we can't go looking for it until night, because Hailey and I can't leave while the sun is out or she will die. We'll meet wherever you are right now and go at say... 8 PM to Chinatown, fight some demons, grab the Viper, and I need to talk to you and Mark at some point during this all. Where are you right now?"

Gabriel glanced over at where the doctors were struggling with Mark. This insensitive bastard! I ought to rip his throat out, tear out his fingernails...Gabriel forced down the slew of violent images that filled his mind with their seductive song. Replying, he struggled to keep his voice even. "I'm glad to hear that you've gotten a location on the Coiled Viper - you'll have to tell me more about how later. I'm at the hospital, and I've got some bad news. Mark has developed...complications. It doesn't look good. Get here if you can, and hurry. I don't know how much time he has left." Gabriel turned to look at the frenzied beeping of the machines around the lawyer, and gritted his teeth. He's not a good man, but he doesn't deserve to die like this - of an infection in a Frisco back alley, shot by a sixteen-year-old girl. It's not fair.

[New East Ireland]

Frederick nodded at Damien. "Very well then. Let's go. We should be careful though." Frederick said to the principal, and so the two men began making their way towards Chinatown, the realm of the Chinesse demons, where the Coiled Viper would be. Or where Frederick hoped the Coiled Viper would be, but whatever.

The group entered Chinatown, where they encountered a lot of people trying to sell them stuff. So far, nothing unusual was seen.

"Oh, hey, it is a lot like Asia," Damien told Fredrick. He looked around, for any kind of bar or tavern, or whatever, where they could go and ask around. Every place had them, so why would Chinatown be any different? It wouldn't. So, like previously stated, Damien looked around for anything that could point a bar out to them.

[Nationstatelandsville]

"Gabriel, yes!" Vernon screamed, "this is Vernon. Don't ask how I got this number or you'll want to punch me, and that is not what we need right now. Hold on a moment." He pulled the phone away from his ear from a moment and addressed Hailey.

"Don't worry about it," he said to her quickly before bringing the phone back up to his ear and talking to Gabriel, "alright, now, let me bring you up to speed. Vampire-Hailey is here with me, not attacking me, don't worry about that. A vampire came to me and told me where the Coiled Viper is: Chinatown. Now, we can't go looking for it until night, because Hailey and I can't leave while the sun is out or she will die. We'll meet wherever you are right now and go at say... 8 PM to Chinatown, fight some demons, grab the Viper, and I need to talk to you and Mark at some point during this all. Where are you right now?"

Gabriel glanced over at where the doctors were struggling with Mark. This insensitive bastard! I ought to rip his throat out, tear out his fingernails...Gabriel forced down the slew of violent images that filled his mind with their seductive song. Replying, he struggled to keep his voice even. "I'm glad to hear that you've gotten a location on the Coiled Viper - you'll have to tell me more about how later. I'm at the hospital, and I've got some bad news. Mark has developed...complications. It doesn't look good. Get here if you can, and hurry. I don't know how much time he has left." Gabriel turned to look at the frenzied beeping of the machines around the lawyer, and gritted his teeth. He's not a good man, but he doesn't deserve to die like this - of an infection in a Frisco back alley, shot by a sixteen-year-old girl. It's not fair.

Vernon shook his head sadly, though there was no way Gabriel could know that. He could not leave Hailey here alone, she would succumb to the will of the Beast he guessed that was contained in her head, and go on a feeding spree. He would certainly have liked to help Mark, but there was nothing he could do.

"I'm sorry Gabriel," he whispered, "but I can't be there. I have to stay here with Hailey, and she can't leave. Look just-just wait for me in the lobby around 8, we'll talk then. Do a prayer for Mark, if you can. I'm not one to buy into this whole God mumbo-jumbo, but it can't hurt. I'll see you."

He hung up and pocketed his phone, looking up at Hailey solemnly. He would tell her, but he couldn't imagine what it would do to her. He figured that somehow, in someway, Mark had been injured while he was dealing with Hailey. He didn't know how or why, but he knew that Hailey wouldn't be able to handle the knowledge that he was quite possibly dying. It would break what little control she had over herself.

"Uh..." Vernon began, "yeah. Gabriel says he'll see us then. Mark's injured, but he'll be fine soon. Um... I guess we just wait then."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

There was a bar, a mere hundred or so feet away from them. In that time, they were harassed by several vendors, but they still made it to the bar.

Hailey was probably still on a high from the blood drinking, as were her senses, strength, speed and powers. Her eyes were now a dark shade of red.

The doctors tried to help Mark, but it did not look good.

[New East Ireland]

Damien looked at Fredrick. "Stay here; I'll go find some info. Just ay low, and wait until I get back," he said. He ran over to the bartender, sat down, and looked at him/her/it. "I need information," he began, "About an artifact. It's very valuable, and it's gone missing from my possession lately. Maybe you know something about it?"

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Damien looked at Fredrick. "Stay here; I'll go find some info. Just ay low, and wait until I get back," he said. He ran over to the bartender, sat down, and looked at him/her/it. "I need information," he began, "About an artifact. It's very valuable, and it's gone missing from my possession lately. Maybe you know something about it?"

"Buddy, I serve the drinks. I don't give ten shits about what you lost." the bartender girl grumbled. "I don't know why you white people always ask me that."

[New East Ireland]

Damien looked at Fredrick. "Stay here; I'll go find some info. Just ay low, and wait until I get back," he said. He ran over to the bartender, sat down, and looked at him/her/it. "I need information," he began, "About an artifact. It's very valuable, and it's gone missing from my possession lately. Maybe you know something about it?"

"Buddy, I serve the drinks. I don't give ten shits about what you lost." the bartender girl grumbled. "I don't know why you white people always ask me that."

"Dammit, I've got a great slave that can work and/or feed a family of vamps or were-people for a few days. Tell me what I want to know, or about someone who can help me, and he's yours," Damien replied, hastily. He had no time for bitch bartenders. Especially not ones in Chinatown, where his five dollar bill was worth 50 Renminbi. Or, so he thought, I guess.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

"Buddy, I serve the drinks. I don't give ten shits about what you lost." the bartender girl grumbled. "I don't know why you white people always ask me that."

"Dammit, I've got a great slave that can work and/or feed a family of vamps or were-people for a few days. Tell me what I want to know, or about someone who can help me, and he's yours," Damien replied, hastily. He had no time for bitch bartenders. Especially not ones in Chinatown, where his five dollar bill was worth 50 Renminbi. Or, so he thought, I guess.

There was a pause while the English speaking people in the bar stared at Damien.

One pulled out a cell phone, and dialed. "Ah, police? We have a psychopath here..."

[New East Ireland]

"Dammit, I've got a great slave that can work and/or feed a family of vamps or were-people for a few days. Tell me what I want to know, or about someone who can help me, and he's yours," Damien replied, hastily. He had no time for bitch bartenders. Especially not ones in Chinatown, where his five dollar bill was worth 50 Renminbi. Or, so he thought, I guess.

There was a pause while the English speaking people in the bar stared at Damien.

One pulled out a cell phone, and dialed. "Ah, police? We have a psychopath here..."

Damien ran out of the bar. He didn't care if Fredrick followed, he just didn't want to be arrested. He kept running, thinking about what was going on. I have to escape. I have to go. Somewhere. I can find the Viper myself. Thanks to that idiot, I know where it is. I just need to ally, or something, and I'll get it for myse-

He stopped thinking when he ran into an alley, and hid behind a dumpster.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

There was a pause while the English speaking people in the bar stared at Damien.

One pulled out a cell phone, and dialed. "Ah, police? We have a psychopath here..."

Damien ran out of the bar. He didn't care if Fredrick followed, he just didn't want to be arrested. He kept running, thinking about what was going on. I have to escape. I have to go. Somewhere. I can find the Viper myself. Thanks to that idiot, I know where it is. I just need to ally, or something, and I'll get it for myse-

He stopped thinking when he ran into an alley, and hid behind a dumpster.

An owl landed on the dumpster. It peered down at him, and then it started growing....

The giant owl peered at Damien with strangely human eyes, and spoke a sentence in an ancient tongue. Then it spoke English in a rasping voice. "Who are you?"

[New East Ireland]

Damien turned to the owl, and was, to say the least, surprised. "Oh, um, hello. My name is Damien P. Seward," he replied, in a timid and somewhat frightened voice. "I don't suppose you know where an artifact known as the Coiled Viper is? I hear it's somewhere here, in Chinatown. Any help will be appreciated."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

"...Well, that's quite annoying." Frederick thought to himself as he saw Damien run past him and into an alley. "Well, screw him, if he was just going to leave me here I might as well go get the others instead." He thought again, and then simply left Chinatown. He remembered that Hailey went with the medic, and thought of asking for his address at the hospital.

After he did that, he went to the given address, but forgot the exact floor number and went up an extra one. After that, he knocked on which he believed was the medic's door, when it was, in fact, Vernon's.

[Nationstatelandsville]

"...Well, that's quite annoying." Frederick thought to himself as he saw Damien run past him and into an alley. "Well, screw him, if he was just going to leave me here I might as well go get the others instead." He thought again, and then simply left Chinatown. He remembered that Hailey went with the medic, and thought of asking for his address at the hospital.

After he did that, he went to the given address, but forgot the exact floor number and went up an extra one. After that, he knocked on which he believed was the medic's door, when it was, in fact, Vernon's.

Vernon answered it nigh immediately, not surprised at all to see it was a member of the group. God works in mysterious ways, they say. Mr. G works in painfully obvious twists of fate and basically shits on common sense and good writing all the time. He had expected someone would visit eventually. After all, it would be a long time until 8 o' clock, and let's not pretend that Mr. G has a very long attention span.

"Hello Frederick," Vernon said, "come on in. Hailey and I have been waiting."

[Metanih]

"Oh... Mark. Is he ok? If he died i would feel so guilty. I really wasn't aiming for a fatal shot, honestly." Hailey said, unaware that Vernon was unaware she had been the one to deliver the life threatening injury. It made her feel guilty, still. Then again, he had bashed her. In the head. That was likely the cause of the bad aim. Or human error. It was only the second time she had ever fired a gun. Who knew? It hardly mattered to Hailey, who still felt guilty about it.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Damien turned to the owl, and was, to say the least, surprised. "Oh, um, hello. My name is Damien P. Seward," he replied, in a timid and somewhat frightened voice. "I don't suppose you know where an artifact known as the Coiled Viper is? I hear it's somewhere here, in Chinatown. Any help will be appreciated."

The giant owl stared down at Damien. "Ah, really?" it asked rather pleasantly. "Let me show you what I feel about helping you."

Then the owl brought it's beak down, trying to destroy Damien by pecking him to death.

[New East Ireland]

Damien jumped back, narrowly avoiding death-by-owl. "Son-of-a-bitch! I thought owls were suppose to be wise pacifist annoyances in video games and children's movies!" he yelled. He turned around, and ran over to a door that was in the alley way. He didn't bother to look back; instead he just rammed into the door until it opened. Then he ran inside.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Frederick nodded at Vernon and walked into the room, noticing that Hailey was inside, like Vernon said. He noticed the blood on Hailey's mouth and sighed. That medic probably wasn't going to go save lives the next time his shift began.

"I take it you're trapped in here until nightfall, Hailey?" Frederick asked, not bringing up the fact that she had just eaten.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Damien jumped back, narrowly avoiding death-by-owl. "Son-of-a-bitch! I thought owls were suppose to be wise pacifist annoyances in video games and children's movies!" he yelled. He turned around, and ran over to a door that was in the alley way. He didn't bother to look back; instead he just rammed into the door until it opened. Then he ran inside.

There...

He saw corpses. Nothing but dead bodies everywhere. The room he was in was utterly empty aside from the dead, full with the stench of death. Literally, since rotting corpses made for bad smells.

Meanwhile, the door was being rammed down, and it flew off it's hinges. The owl started shrinking to a size small enough to enter the room. "Human, surrender." it growled.

[Metanih]

"Pretty sure. Medic got my hands though. Well, he got the bandages, and they don't stop being bloody. Ever, apparently. Kinda hard to disguise. Anyone have spare anythings to cover them? Would be very helpful." Hailey said, giving the blood covered hands an annoyed glance. "Aww, it got on the phone. Don't call anyone from the motel phone. It is covered in blood now." Hailey said, giving the phone a disgusted look.

[New East Ireland]

"Uh, look, Mr. Owl, I just want to find an old artifact. I promise I won't disturb you or your... Bodies afterwards. I'll even give you the location of a vampire, and some yummy humans. Just give me something I can work with here," Damien pleaded, backing away from the door. He was careful not to step on any bodies, because they were, well, dead bodies.