I did whatever I could to survive idle chatter with Ribs as we waited. "Do you know Phil was always her favorite? It was always 'Ribs do this, Ribs do that', and all Phil ever did was sit around. The bastard." Even though he was resting in the coffin he did not sleep, he just sat in it and talked. "Of course we're not the only familiars she made, it was kind of a specialty of hers. But we were the first." I watched the sun pass overhead from the comfort of a cave. Was this how I would live the rest of my life? I guess the night didn't look so much like night anymore, it was much brighter. And that goes for the day as well. I was uncomfortable, not quite able to sit as the ground was very damp. Tree roots dangled over our heads and small crawly things moved about. "You know, I have to hand it to you. You had those guys fooled, if a random guy in tatters appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the night, I wouldn't be kicking back with them. I'd be scared shitless, like 'what has this guy just done to look like that?"" Ribs said. I smirked, "Those guys could handle themselves and besides-", "That is of course if I had bowels." Ribs cut me off to say. "-Besides I'm technically a merchant too you know..."

Our conversation steered towards forging as it was the easiest for me to just jabber on about. Passing the day time was so tedious, I would need a way to pass the time in future scenarios. Just watching the sun go by is annoying, I wish I had some technique I could practice. "Just maintaining the forge can be a headache. Cleaning it out, stocking it, repairing it, it gets tiring." I could see Ribs nodding off. Did familiars sleep? That would be nice, some respite. I was doing that thing where a person talks about their hobby as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "So you hit the metal with a spell?", "Technically. It's a reinforcement-class spell. Saves a lot more energy than hitting it with your natural strength behind each blow.".

"So, that's all you got?" Ribs asked, referring to my spell. I was bending a stick over my knee but it wasn't budging to demonstrate the reinforcing effect of the spell. It glowed orange like it was burning within, a basic reinforcement spell. A common but effective spell. "No, I've got a sound class spell but hmm...", I've tried casting spells without my violin as a medium before, and it's difficult to do. I just concentrated, hard. Without the tactile sensation of playing the violin it was all up to my imagination. It worked well enough, but the spell would be far weaker. It created a aura of control around me, the sound could be as loud or quiet as I wanted it. But the area of control was so short without the violin that it was limited to sound I made. So I punched the wall of the cave a few times to demonstrate the silence of it. The use of this spell? For music. Practical use? Maybe assassinations.

"Nifty." I hear Ribs say, unimpressed. I stop whistling and the aura fades away. "Come on! That has some valid uses. One I figure out how to get past needing an instrument for a medium... What do you got then?" I asked. "I can teleport." Oh yeah, there's that. "Teleporting seems rather impossible, or at least I've never heard of it." the closest thing I know of requires two set locations, but Ribs can go anywhere he sees. Ribs brushes a knuckle across where his nose would of been if he were human, "Yeah, well naturally. It's a vampire ability." he says, proud of himself. "Well, anything else?", "I can go invisible. BUT only for minutes at a time. So usually it's better to teleport somewhere I can hide instead." invisibility! Now THAT'S an ability I've heard of. It's fairly average and there are many ways to counter it. He likely could see how unimpressed as I was. "But that's not all! I also have some curios in my possession- magical tools that I sometimes use.".

Ribs waves a hand mid air and a lantern appears in his hand. Hanging from a squeaky handle. It's black and slightly rusted, with a green gem suspended in it surrounded by dusty glass. It was emitting a pale green light. "This- is a seeking lantern. Not only does it give light, it seeks movement- even through walls!" he said proudly holding it out from him. It does nothing, but Ribs looks at me expectantly. I wave my hand back and forth. Just then the green light narrowed into a beam pointed at my hand tracking it perfectly. It focused down until only my hand was visible in the green light. "What's this useful for?" I just had to ask. "Isn't it obvious? Helps me find Phil when he's running about behind shelves and such." I just look at him plain faced. I thought about it for a minute, I suppose it could have a few uses. You could leave it somewhere as a detection device, a spotlight on a post to see if anything moved near you at night. But none the less the uses seemed very niche. "Anything else?" I asked. He waved it away into nothing and procured what appeared to be a miniature head. It was heavily decayed but wasn't quite a skull yet. Ribs clutched it by the hair as it dangled from his hands. "This- is a totem of-", "Next." Ribs just looks back to me from the little head. "But you see this can-", "Next." I say again. His flaming orbs flare, but he shrugs and waves it away. He went through a few different tools of similar quality of the lantern. A coin that always landed on heads, a deck of tarot cards, after awhile I began to lose interest.

He waved his hands once more, and this time something that peaked my interest popped out. A ring with an ephemeral aura that wafted from it, an purplish hue to the curling smoke. "This is a ring of 'dead speak', it allows the wearer to ask a corpse a single question before needing recharging." There seemed to be an overall theme across the items he showed me. "A corpse!? But how, does it bring them back?", "It doesn't bring anyone back. That's ridiculous, when you're dead that's it. But there is certain 'echo' or 'essence' left behind and this kind of... collects it. Organizes it. For a moment." How creepy. "That might come in handy actually.", "You think so? I think the other stuff is better, like the pawnee totem, now that's proper magic.". I didn't want to think about the pickled head again. But being able to ask a corpse can be helpful, say we take down a vampire we could get some truthful answers about things. "Can I... Hold onto the ring?" I asked. Ribs only shrugs and flips it to me. "It'll siphon off your own reserves after each use... Just so you know." but that would've gone without saying. Using magic always came with that cost. "So, what are you going to tell your da' when you meet up with him?" Ribs asked. I didn't have a good answer, a lot has happened since we were separated. But we talked about it for a long while and I had some ideas. We bounced from topic to topic, going onto various subjects of little import. Hours passed and the sun finally set.

We set out into the night again. With no moon in the sky it quickly became dark, and my eyes no longer saw as well. I suppose it was from the downgrade in my powers. It was still better than normal, but I was tempted to bring out that lantern Ribs had. Dried leaves crunched under our feet as we walked. The air was still and these woods were deathly quiet. "Is it just me, or is the vibe around here... Kind of creepy." Ribs said. He was flipping the coin trying to get it to land on tails. "Yeah, it's never a good sign when its this quiet. Wonder why.". We almost found ourselves trying to walk more softly but the dried leaves made it impossible. The noise we were making was deafening compared to everything else. I found myself squinting into the dark. "How is your vision in the dark?" I asked. "Probably same as yours now." he said. "Fuck it, bring out the lantern.", Ribs nods towards me and waves his hand producing the lantern. It's green light pushed out in all direction around us. "Why isn't it shining at me, or our feet? They move.", "The user has some degree of control over that. It'd be inconvenient if you couldn't use it on the go." it did improve the visibility around us. The trees seemed more grey here, maybe it was the greenish white light tinting the trees but everything seemed more monotone.

"I don't like this..." I say. "Want to exchange ghost stories?" Ribs asked. I just push his shoulder as a response, his shoulder blade bone slides to the side to my surprise. There's nothing holding his bones together, they just levitated against each other. Held together by some force. No remnants of sinew of flash to connect them. He definitely contributed to the creepy aesthetic of the place. Why was I scared? I'm practically immortal, less so now, but still. I stepped over a log that laid before us. But some leaves slid out from beneath my foot as I do and I stomp my other foot down into the log. The wood splintered around my foot and my shoe splashed a little puddle within, causing some little gnat flies to come up and buzz around my face. Everything here seemed brittle. Just then the lantern light narrowed into a beam. It shined into an empty space ahead of us. Me and Ribs both stop dead in our tracks, our eyes glued to the center of the light. It scanned across various trees and fallen branches. Widening and narrowing as it does, searching. It gradually slowed. Then quickly jerked away to our left off into the woods before returning to normal- the light spreading out evenly around the lantern.

"What the fuck was that?" I say in a hushed whisper. "I didn't hear a thing." Ribs said. I shudder, squinting into the distance of where the light had followed. I see a black silhouette... Of a house. "Whatever it was, it probably ran into that house...", "Nothing I'd want to tangle with. Come on, let's get a move on." he said. We stayed our course, the house was a distance away to our left. Close enough that whoever was inside likely heard us crumpling leaves. A quiet and exhausted voice came from the direction of the house. "Help me." it said. In a manor that didn't seem all too desperate for help. It sounded like an imitation of the phrase. Nope. I'm not helping anyone. I start walking faster and Ribs hurried to keep up. Ribs whispered quietly this time. "I've heard of beasts that can mimic the voices of their victims to lure in others..." I cringe at that. It did sound like that, an imitation.

"Can we take them?" I ask. Ribs shakes his head. "I'd prefer to avoid it, of course not many creatures can stand up to a vampires might. But there's been cases." my heightened senses tuned to their max as we began passing by the home. "You should go check, maybe someone is injured... Worst case scenario just teleport away..." I said. "No thank you, I can't teleport if someone manages to touch me..." we trudged along, wincing at every crumple of leaves beneath our feet. "Please, help me.", the voice called again. It echoed as if multiple people spoke at once- spoken loud enough to be heard from the home. The lantern focused into a beam again just for a brief moment as it shone into an empty space between some trees and dispersed again. There are many dangerous creatures in the world, but this seems otherworldly, similar to ghost stories I heard as a child. Goblins, trolls, naga, these creatures were simple but somewhat sapient. And whatever this one seemed more intelligent than that. It felt like it was watching us. I really didn't want to fight whatever this was. I did vow to force my own brand of justice on people, but I don't think that extended to ghosts...

We began to push on past the house leaving it behind when I heard the ghostly voice call out from the house again- "Pussy...", I stop. I hear Ribs sigh. "What bitch?" I call at the house. "Jarrath, leave it alone." Ribs said, putting a hand on my shoulder. No, fuck that. I brush off his hand. This ghost or whatever just signed it's death wish. I start stomping off towards the house, anger overtaking fear. Ribs followed behind holding the lantern up. "Kids." he said. The house had a veranda that surrounded it, the wood greyed and dry-rotted. The railing fell apart in many places, weeds and grass growing up between shingles on the roof. The house had two stories with dusty windows, many of the glass panes had been broken in as well. I stepped up onto the porch readying myself. The door was already partially opened so I kicked it as I walked in- it swung open smacking the interior wall before bouncing back hitting me in the face. "Dammit!" I slap it open again this time keeping a hand on it so it can't swing back.

There was a staircase to my immediate right, many of the slats in the banister had fallen out. They looked like table legs with a rounded club on the end- probably a decent weapon so I picked one up off the ground. Giving it a few test swings. For how dried and worn all the wood was it seems that this lacquered wood still held some strength in it. There was an old chandelier that hanged far above from the vaulted ceiling. There were three paths ahead, to the right led to a living area with old bookshelves and fireplace. The left led to a type of dining area, an old table sat slanted on the ground with chairs strewn about the room. Ahead past the stairs there is a door and a dresser. A mirror sat dusted and cracked. I just stood for a moment looking all around, listening. It smelled like dirt and nothing else. The air was still, then I heard the voice again. "Help..." it called, this time it came from the stair case. From a door that was beneath it. I walk over, my footsteps amplified by the hollow space below the floorboards.

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"This is a bad idea Jarrath, what do you have to prove to some beast?" Ribs said. "It's better we deal with whatever it is anyway. What do we have to be scared of?", I turned the doorknob. I heard whatever rusted mechanization within *clink* as it opens. The hinges squeaked loudly. "Last chance to apologize!" I said as I stepped in. A set of stairs led down to the cellar. The wood transitioning into cobblestone packed with dirt. The odd root poking through between the round rocks. "Stick close with that lantern." I said, I can see well in the dark but not perfectly. "Careful on the stairs they seem a bit brittle.", I make my way down. Making sure to step on the reinforced parts of the planks. As Ribs was about to step into the tiny room the door swung closed on him. "Jarrath!?" He shout, the doorknob rattled. I turned to go back up the stairs but I stepped right in the center of the plank and it snapped causing me to fall through.

*THUD* I hit the ground on my side, scrapped by rusted nails and splintered edges of wood. "Ugh.." I look around my immediate vicinity quickly. My nocturnal vision wasn't perfect but I could make out vague details. There were barrels and racks of bottles. Crates and stacked furniture. "Jarrath! It feels like someone is holding the door closed!" I heard Ribs shout from above. Just then- movement. What I thought was a bust in the corner of the room on a crate was actually a figure crouching behind it. I got up and readied myself. It was hunched, it's form was an elongated human one. It's limbs seemed disproportionately long for it's torso, lanky and thin. Ribs visible beneath wrinkled tan skin. It turned towards me, standing more erect it nearly reached the ceiling. It's face had two black sockets for eyes but besides that it was like the end of a finger- featureless and smooth. "Help meeeEEEEH!" It's voice started off quiet like before but grew to a deep low rumble. *THUD-THUD-THUD* it swept old crates away and rushed towards me.

I turned to run towards the base of the stairs but I feel a hand palm the side of my face lifting me from the ground and flinging me into the stacked furniture. *CRASH* wood shatters and my body is pounded by various flat edges and the wall behind the pile. Pain shoots through my body in waves and I lost my club sometime in the process. "RRReeeuUUN! SeeooON- RUN!" the beast shouts, voice transitioning from human to beastial making a gurgling noise in-between. I groan, and fling a stool that was now on top of me. It shatters across its head. "eeeooUNNG!" it yelled, shaking its head and running at me again. I slash at it with my hands my tiny thick nails racking it's flesh before it grabs me by my waist. "BOUTIQUE." It said, and started swinging me around through the furniture, as if I was a broom moving aside rubbish. Wooden objects clatter and break against me like dozens of punches and kicks in rapid succession. I was starting to take some damage, my body aching. A bone would snap and then click back into place a moment after but it was compiling fast. At this point I heard pounding on the door above. "Jarrath!" I was being swung around, it was hard to ground myself but I slapped my hands together then speared into the creature center mass.

A loud pitched shrill filled the room as I felt my hands plunge into the warm flesh of the creature. It was a warbling disturbing sound that left my ears ringing. I bare through it and turn my hands within- pulling them apart dividing its stomach into two. Flesh tears and rips then I'm flung into the stairs. I look back to the creature. It was hunched over again holding the stomach area that I had pulled apart. It went into a crawl, sort of limping as it pushed through the broken furniture into a hole in the wall to small for it to fit. But it laid flat as it went into it stretching out into it's long lanky form worming into the earth and disappearing within. It's cries echoing into the distance as it does. Suddenly the door bursts open and Ribs crashed into the wall opposite of the door. "Oof!" he looks down the stairs and our eyes meet. "Is it still alive?" he asked. "Yeah, but not for long. The bastard has officially earned my ire... And yuck.." I say flicking my hands, a clear slimy substance clung to them. It didn't bleed much, whatever this stuff was.

"Are you alright?", Ribs looked me up and down. I rolled my shoulders and stretched, "I'm okay, it's strong, but not like the troll.", we made our way back up the stairs. I was walking like I just finished a day working at the forge. "Do you have any idea how to smoke it out? It slithered into some kind of burrow." Ribs only shrugged, "I don't know. I know some but it's not like I'm a walking monster manual you know.". True, whatever this was, I didn't expect many to survive to tell the tale. Just then I had an idea. "The lantern, can you track it with it?", Ribs looked at me coming to the same realization- "Yes! Probably!". He held it out. The light flared brightening the room. It shone down towards the floor at an angle outside. We walked to the corner of the dining room causing the beam to narrow more and more as we got closer. It was shining out the window now into the soil outside. It was moving beneath the ground.

Monsters usually have their dens, and I assume it's made this home it's den. So it shouldn't go far. We followed it walking outside around the house but the light began to curve back towards the house, shining at the foundations. Then slowly as if the creature was being cautious it started to travel up into the house. Up and up until the light pointed towards the second floor. It's tunnels must go extend between the walls too. We went back inside and starred up the stairs. They curved up into a balcony that lined the entry way, doors leading to various rooms above. "Too bad Phil isn't here, he's good at stuff like this." Ribs said. I can't imagine a guinea pig being much use in this situation but what do I know, Phil's surprised me before. "Stick close." I said, walking up the stairs, they creaked loudly with each step. "Mommy... Where are you?" I hear muffled through the walls. The stairs led to a T shaped hallway. Some of the doors are open as we reached the top of the stairs, revealing furniture draped in white sheets. Wardrobes and bed frames.

The light had stopped focusing so that meant wherever it was, it stopped moving. We sneaked through the house. Looking into each room as we did. Until one door refused to open- it felt as if there was a stack of anvils leaned against it. Odds are this is where the beast was hiding. I would bash it with my shoulder, but I've been beginning to think differently when it came to solving my problems. Why would I charge a wall with hundreds of pounds of furniture set against it when I could just go through two inches of wood? The wall is only a series of boards that sat parallel to each other. The torn remnants of wallpaper on top. I look to Ribs, "Ready?", "Ay, let's get this fucker.". I charge into the wall with my elbow just plowing through. *CRASH* A series of splinters and chunks of board go flying into the room as I stomp through and I immediately start scanning the room. It was a mess, leaves and bits of foliage covered everything. Dried branches and broken pieces of furniture lined the walls like a giant nest. Blankets and curtains had been stuffed into various places. The lantern was reacting, but only barely, flickering ever so slightly. Like it was blinking towards the center of the nest. A small mewling figure laid curled into a ball. It looked like the monster, only much smaller. A baby then?

Sorry little bud, but killing you now will save lives later... I took two steps onto the nest before I was backhanded and sent spiraling through the air. "Gods on a stick!" Ribs shouts. I tumble into the corner of the room, poked by many pieces of broken furniture and sticks. I look back- the monster was on the ceiling crawling upside down towards Ribs. He tosses the lantern at it, which does hit but doesn't even begin to distract it as it grabs Ribs by the skull and rips it off. I spring into action kicking off the wall but I don't know my own strength so I end up crashing through the wall on the other side of the room. "Shit!", I push off all the pieces of board and wallpaper. Meanwhile the lantern had spiraled through the air and landing on it's side across the nest. I didn't see the creature as I stepped through the new hole in the wall, but the lantern shone towards the corner. This is getting dangerous, I don't know if Ribs is as vulnerable as me. I jump in and look towards the corner but it's empty. Some of the broken furniture that made up the nest stirred then it leaped out pommel punching me. Bringing my arms up saves me from the brunt of the damage but one blow after another it smashed down on me. Each blow felt like a dresser being dropped on me.

I charge through grabbing the creature by the waist and tackling it into the ground. I can feel the moister being drained from my body as I hug it closely- but it doesn't relent, furiously pounding its fist on my back as I squeeze. I feel my back crack under the force but I squeeze tighter, and tighter- until *pop*, the creature falls limp. I look down at it's strange corpse. "Dead? 'Bout time. Little help over here?" I hear Ribs say, his decapitated head is sitting in the corner of the room. Apparently he can survive decapitation, great to know. Just wish he was more help in the fight... I grab his head and carry it to the pile of bones. As I bring the skull close the bones begin to shake and rearrange themselves- forming his body. I let go of the head and it levitates into place, the bones forming beneath it. Fancy bit of magic. He closes a fist a couple times, regaining his composure. "Who is this Penelope? Like a master-tier necromancer?" I asked. "She's just about a master-tier everything. But honestly, I didn't expect you to kill a kid.", "Screw that kid, it would've grown up eventually." That thing was draining the life of everything around it for miles, I shuddered to think what a pack of them could do. Currently I was picking through the room but there was nothing of value. It was cluttered mess of sheets and leaves. Ribs puts his hands on his hip bones- "That's pretty ironic, considering your situation and affiliations'.", his cockney accent butchering the word 'affiliations'. "Vampires are still on trial as far as I'm concerned. Like you said before, no asshole ever thinks they're an asshole." .. It's true that I didn't consider my own nature cruel and beastial. But I wouldn't stick my neck out like this when I was mortal either. I'm more prone to making violent decisions now- for sure. Time will tell if I'm a good monster or a bad one.

Ribs and I explored the place a bit more after that, it seems looters had picked the place clean long ago. Or whoever lived here took it all with them before this thing moved in... Out of all my fights thus far, this thing proved the most irritating. I'm strong and quick, but I had no idea how to use any of it. The difference in what I can do is a bit jarring, I could easily put my foot through the floor just walking if I wasn't actively trying not to. "Hey Ribs?", "What?", "What's the difference between a fledgling and a Kindred anyways?" I asked. I couldn't hardly tell a difference right now. "Aye, it might be a bit difficult to tell right now- but you were much stronger before. If we had some time to practice while you were still a kindred you'd know- also a lot of it is limited by what your mind believes you can do. But that's improve in time. When we get to town some of the guys can show you the ropes. You fight like a scared rabbit." I'm still skeptical if I should even meet these guys, but I'll let that lie for now. He is right, I can tell I'm capable of much more than this. But one had to learn to fight somehow. My stomach growls, a familiar sensation. "Still got that last flagon?"

---

The last of smoldering flames are dying out, a city in ruin. The city of Grema, ghoulish figures could be seen shuffling through the streets, delirious. Some were repeating familiar actions they once did in life. Starved and dilapidated, bat like ears and facial features. Occasionally one would fall and not get up. This is the natural life cycle of ghouls. They've served their purpose, and now fledglings took their place. Patrolling the town and searching for survivors. Some were assuming the stations that previous humans once did, repurposing the shops for their own uses. Meanwhile their previous owners are dragged through the streets, shackled and beaten. Fledglings corralled them into the town center- a single kindred commanding them. She stood with a stoic expression, her eyes a ghostly blue. Flaring brightly with power and authority. Esmeralda stood outside a blacksmiths shop. Unlike the others her dress was more regal, silvery hair dangling at her feet.

"Any particular reason we're visiting this... Establishment, my lady?" a fledgling at her side asked. "No particular reason... Any word from Lady Persephone?", "No, Lady. The couriers say she is still positioned in Criole.". A shame. The dreadlords duties will once again fall to Esmeralda. "Very well. I suppose we best return to the town center then. Have the humans gathered?", "Yes, my Lady, they're ready for processing.", "Good. Let's get this over with then.". Esmeralda levitates into the air, the space around her warping like a water droplet. The wind pushes out from around her, jostling a shop sign that says; "No special orders.". Fearful murmurs and cries can be heard as crowds of people are shepherded onto caged wagons. Those who weren't are instead guided into a glowing white building which was eerily quiet. Large barrels with complex arcane inscriptions are wheeled out the back and a sort of caravan forms haling people and these barrels. Everything was going according to plan nicely. None of those green hooded rogues were spotted this time, perhaps they finally learned their lesson.