~Caves

[The Architect]

The young Nun made her way through the dark cavern bearing only a small lantern in hand, she began to fill her mind with thoughts of doubt, was this a fools errand, would she be able to find the child in time. She had started her search by request of the boys mother, he would often come to play within the caves, though he was always scolded for it afterwards, but this time was different, he would usually return subsequent of a few short hours, A day had already past since he was last seen. Her rampant thoughts soon enlightened her to quicken pace, then suddenly she lost her footing to a rigid cliff, she slipped down stretching her reach to out above only to cling onto a sharp rock, her hand began to bleed while she held on for dear life, she clenched her eyes shut, soon realizing
the pressure on her hand had miraculously lifted, in fact her entire weight now rested in a mans arms. “Gabriel!” she said with a familiar surprise by his presence, she had lost track of time since entering the cavern, it was now amongst the hours of the dead, he responded in a calm kind voice.
“Caroline, why have you entered such a dangerous place alone?”
She brushed clinging to his chest, signaling him to let her to her feet, and so he gently did
She sighed “Everyone else in town was too afraid to enter… there’s a young boy lost somewhere, it’s been an entire day already, and the boy’s mother pleaded for me to search for him only this morning, you understand why I couldn’t wait for you until nightfall?”
He nodded understanding the situation
“Of course Lady Caroline, you’re a very kind woman…”
he glanced down at his chest
spotting the blood from her hand, his eye began twitching
“Lets continue searching, I fear we maybe too late”

[alexandra]

The caves of this region were the perfect shelter for Linderwood, she didn't at all mind the dark and damp walls of the twisting and winding tunnels. Linderwood would walk lightly through shallow puddles, formed by the water dripping from the cave ceiling. Bats were scattered throughout, hanging from the walls and crevases in the rock. Her eyes searched the darkness, picking out which forms were animals hiding until they could hunt when the dark blanket of night fell. Soon the bats would leave and flutter about under the moon, catching bugs, they were already showing signs of hastiness. Having been in the caves for a couple days now, Linder had lost track of time, the bats confirmed it would be safe to leave the great caverns in the rock.

[The Architect]

*Drip *Drip* as the blood trickled from injured hand Gabriel bit down on his bottom lip in order to subdue his urges, his eyes glared down towards the her hand
"Lady Caroline, please allow me" she turned to him a bit surprised, she had forgotten about his appetite, and in her relentless pursuit to find the young boy, she had barely noticed the pain of her palm. He tore the edge of his sleeve, wrapping it round her hand with minor pressure, enough to slow the blood flow "I'm so sorry Gabriel, I'm far too much trouble" he nodded with a small smile
"Please don't speak in such a way, I thank you for allowing me to accompany you, perhaps with these deeds I will begin to repent for the sins of my existence" She began to reply, when he suddenly placed his hand just over her mouth, she was a tad surprised by his abrupt actions until he spoke once more.
"We are not alone...please stand to my rear"
The two proceeded with caution, they had entered a more damp area of the cave, Gabriel could hear the leaking ceiling tap onto the cold hard stone, but in one particular area there was a different tone, it sounded as though the water was dripping onto cloth
"Who's there" he said, now standing directly before the figure in the dark, Caroline much further behind, only jotted her lantern back and forth in silence attempting to see what Gabriel could

[alexandra]

Linder listened to a voice come from the darkness, her lips parting slightly about to say something, but no words coming from her mouth. Her eyes searched until they had adjusted, she saw a figure standing before her, but there was another. Linder smelled the scent of fresh blood drift through the air, it was human though the one before her was not. Her hands curled into tight fists, her gaze remained staring, but not at the person before her. She stared at the human behind the supernatural being, she loathed the smell of the blood, yet wanted to taste it badly. "I see you are not alone.." Her voice was harsh but quiet, almost a rough whisper due to her restraint.

[The Architect]

Gabriel seemed to only focus on the creatures tone, her voice reminded him of his own, desperate for blood “I see…” he said shutting his eyes for a brief moment
“I’ll ask kindly that you control your urges, my friend means dearly to me, you see I could never allow any harm her way”
suddenly a loud crash followed by a familiar scream came from behind him, the impact drove him forward sending him directly into
Linder, he pushed himself away “Forgive me” he then turned around only to find a large
Hole in to caves roof from where Caroline had been standing, his eyes rose in shock of her disappearance, he rushed to the opening gazing up at the midnight sky, he panted furiously in attempts to rationally collect his thoughts, but only his teeth drew as he frowned turning back to Linder “What did you do! Bring her back!!!” his temper seemed to rise by the moment, he most certainly was not thinking clearly

[alexandra]

Linder watched him with sharp eyes.
"Surely you are not blaming this on me? I have had nothing to do with this!"
She hissed softly, never before had she been blamed so quickly by another of her kind, of course she was never liked by other vampires, even after the death of her beloved. Linder slowly calmed herself, keeping her own temper as low as possible.
"Do not look to throw your anger at me, I did nothing to that woman behind you, seeing as it is night time, and you were not keeping the proper eye on her, something else must have taken her. There is no use in trying to find her now, she was obviously taken by something that wanted her blood, something that had smelled it. You wont find her.."
Linder's face was almost sad and broken now.
"Was she.. your wife?" Linder looked at him curiously. "Not to be rude or nosey.. but.. were you close?"
With his answer she would only be able to understand if he truly had to get her back or not. To Linder, she was just another human, but she understood the loss of a loved one.

[The Architect]

It was then he heard the loud howling of a beast, he turned from Linderwood quickly approaching the large opening that had been created through apparent brute force, he slowly composed himself,
his eyes became gloomy as he sat onto the floor emotionless
"Was it... A demon that stole her away from me...A demon took lady Caroline away, am I all alone again?"
his kneels steadily crept up to his chest
"I-I don't want to be..."

[alexandra]

Linderwood walked peering up into the opening in the rocky hole, slowly pulling the blade that she held dear to her from its small leather sheath. "Get you ass off the floor then.. I hate to see one give up so easily.. especially when it comes to saving someone important to them. You have almost sickened me." Her gaze moved from the hole to the man on the cave floor. "Come along.." Linderwood looked back to the hole, her legs bending like coiled springs, then releasing their force as she jumped up out into the dark night.

[The Architect]

Gabriel was surprised by her remarks, weren’t all vampires supposed to be unsympathetic, cold blooded murderers who didn’t think twice about anyone but themselves. Gabriel was no exception, the fact that he had already given up was a demonstration of this. He suddenly gazed up like a child whose mother had just fled;
after all he was but a child in the lifeline of a Methuselah
“Don’t leave me!” he screamed leaping up through the rocky surface in a single bound
He then followed behind her close calming his expressions once more
“This is foolish, she’s probably dead now, and why do you care anyway, aren’t you only a vampire!?”
he exclaimed with disgust

[alexandra]

"I am a vampire, but just the word almost makes my stomach churn, the way creatures such as myself act these days." She stopped her slow walk, and turned looking at him, her gaze almost cutting through the dark, as if to burrow into his soul. "Vampires are supposedly more complex and above humans, as some would say, but does that mean we all must think of only ourselves, much like humans do? I for one do not look to act like human, that is why i am trying to help you. Have you ever even tried to watch after someone you cared for?" Her eyes narrowed. "Thats not likely.. look at you.." Her face was filled with disgust. "I suppose then, if i am just a vampire, i shall turn back." She slid the dagger back into its leather case.

[The Architect]

He paused to her rear, nearly losing footing due to her abrupt halt
"Your wrong about me! I have cared for others, our kind would call it playing with food"
he clenched his fist thinking of lady Caroline "Ethnocentrism can be blinding, I believe that dearly, I'll apologize for passing judgment on you, without first hearing your ideals... clearly you and I have more in common than I first thought, I am Gabriel Kimmel, I thank you for you assistance"
he continued his search for Caroline he began to think, "perhaps not all vampires are bad... Lady Caroline...what in the world could have such strength and speed, to break through a cave and vanish with you, before I could even turn?"

[alexandra]

Linder nodded softly. "My name is Linderwood Shaklin.." Linder sighed staring blankly out into the dark for a couple minutes. "..though we think differently from others.. perhaps we are just playing with our food.." She was silent for a couple more moments, thinking to herself. She knew no matter how many times she helped someone, she could never forgive herself for letting her family go the way she did.

[The Architect]

Gabriel soon found himself entering a forest
"The trail Lady Caroline's blood is distancing, I can still smell it's potency from when she cut her hand but... It has nearly vanished completely"
he turned to Linderwood
"you may think of me as a coward but... at this point there's no reason to continue" his fist clenched so tightly his palm began bleeding
"Are you hungry Linderwood, I believe this should be payment for your assistance"
he held out his bleeding hand
"I'm a pure breed, It shouldn't harm you to taste some"
While he waited he began to speak in a much more calming tone
"Have you ever lost someone dear to you Linderwood?"

[alexandra]

Linderwood stepped forward and closed his hand, pushing it to his side. "Do not offer me your blood.. and.." Linder paused thinking hard about his question. "Yes, I have.." Her tone was soft, maybe it was too late for them to save Lady Caroline. She felt bad for Gabriel, she didn't know what she could do for him now, but tell him how sorry she was for his loss.

[The Architect]

"Then... you know what it feels like to be helpless" he drew the blood stained hand across his head, rubbing his hair back "And I wonder...do you also know what it feels like to want revenge on the ones who stole that person from you" his bright crimson eyes glares with the stars above, his expression became gloomy once more