Waking up from Torpor is always slightly traumatic… One minute your dead to the world, a corpse for all intents and purposes and then blam! Instant consciousness and the feeling of being trapped in our own decaying flesh before everything comes into focus. When I first started out I couldn’t help but try to gasp for air and hyperventilate as my lungs didn’t work anymore. It was like suffocating while being aware of it and it was only after a few seconds of struggling did my brain catch up letting me know that it was alright. I was already dead, which in hindsight doesn’t really make one feel any better. I bolted up when my scenes smelled the presence of someone else nearby and without thinking I bared my fangs in their direction while preparing to strike with claws.
“Woh woh relax nobody is going to hurt you!” The voice said in an alarmed voice before trying to calm down so as to not entice violence. “You act more like a feral cat than you do a dog like most Gangrel.” The voice laughed softly, finally drawing my rage away with a sense of clarity as I saw the Malkavien Lori looking at me from the side of the bed I was in. Blinking a little my golden eyes took in her appearance and I wasn’t disappointed. While my unbeaten heart was still linked to my dead wife I couldn’t deny the woman had appeal. Long white hair, fair skin that spoke of her heritage, and soft curves that drew the eye Lori reminded me of a grown up Slavic princess. The only thing that took away from her appeal was that deep in her gaze you could almost see the abyss stare back out at you.
“Sorry… defensive mechanism. I wasn’t expecting you to be the first thing I saw upon waking.” I replied before realizing how that might have sounded resulting in my furry ears folding down in shame. “I didn’t mean like that…” I was about to try and apologize but the woman laughed before getting up showing off the silky night gown that seemed out of place for who was essentially a two bit gang leader.
“No need to apologize, I get it. I’m not your wife so I imagine seeing me set off alarms. I didn’t realize it would take so long for you to wake up though. How old are you anyways?” She asked not realizing how rude the question was. Cainites were judged based on age and generation with the older or lower the generational number being the more powerful they potentially were. It also meant they woke up later after sunset than fledglings. In my case I woke up about 20 minutes after sunset which was potentially a threatening thing to realize if surrounded by potential enemies. My Beast though was calm now and didn’t feel threatened.
“I’m not really that old. Also isn’t it rude to ask a woman her age?” My pout caused more laughter as Lori pulled me into a sudden hug. My body tensed suddenly but quickly melted against the warmth the other woman provided. Did she just Blush of Life for me as a form of comfort? “Mmm that feels good.” I murmured like the oversize cat my bloodline was. Her hands even ran through my short black hair before lightly brushing over my ears.
“I was kind of scared of you after seeing how you ripped that Sheriff apart but you really are just a cutie pretending to be vicious. If I knew you would stay I would offer you a place in my bed every morning.” Lori stated while continuing to apply pampering to me. I mumbled something about having places to be and enemies to kill but it was hard to tell as I seemed to purr under her fingers expertly working my weaknesses. “Would you mind telling me what your plans are? I might be able to help? You helped me after all.”
I thought about the question before sighing and deciding to take a chance. It was hard to be alone in all this after being a part of a pack for so long. Not feeling the group blood bind with them had left an empty hole in me and the social animal in me wanted to reach out for support. “I’m hunting the one who destroyed my Sisterhood.” I said with a hint of sadness. “I’m not a Gangrel… I’m an Ahrimane.”
Lori let me go and looked down on me with a hint of confusion. “What’s that? Some unique bloodline or something?” She debated whether to go over my aura with her Aspex again to try and tease out some of my secrets. Good thing she didn’t because that would have just made me turtle again and walk away. A Malkavien showing restraint made me feel more secure with my decision to try and put a little bit of trust out there.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“We are, were, an all female bloodline created from Gangrels with thaumaturgical ritual. I was adopted after my first pack had left me a Frenzied mess and they gave me a new home and purpose. They are all gone though… At least I think they are because our compound had been raided and I never found any survivors. Now that my Temple is gone I want to close that chapter of my life and kill whoever hurt my sisters.” My voice ramped up to menacing the closer to the end of my train of thought and Lori tensed slightly as my murderous wrath brushed against her psychic senses.
“I wasn’t aware… You also stated you were with the Sabbat. We haven’t heard a word from them in a while and wondered what happened. Kind hard to miss the psycho cultists after all.” She asked, trying to gently pry more information for me. “You don’t have to answer though as I’m sure you have security rules and such.”
“I’m pretty sure I understand what happened to them. Astrid and I were in her homeland on our honeymoon when it started. You know about the Beckoning right?” I asked unsure if the Anarchs were aware as they tended to be higher generations and were involved in the Jyhad like the Elders were.
“Yeah, I’ve heard about it through older Malkaviens. Some sort of psychic signal drawing the Elders away.” She replied, thinking about it a bit before understanding dawned. “Your Elders and such all got up and left to follow the beacon huh? Makes sense when you think about it. The Sword of Caine going off to fight a crusade against ancient eldritch monsters who can emit a world wide psychic beacon.”
I nodded a bit at that. Lori was a lot more aware than I had given her credit for and it was becoming increasingly obvious I was enjoying the back and forth with her. “Yeap, we believe that the end of our world starts with the awakening of the Antediluvians. When they awaken they will devour all of us in an orgy of bloodletting and violence and that it will be our job to confront them alongside the progenitor Caine. Following so far?”
“Yeap, Kindred Jesus shows up to put his blood thirsty children down before they turn all of us into blood smoothies.” Lori grinned, getting an irritated look from me at the casual blasphemy. Was this how Christians felt when people dismissed their beliefs? I nodded as she was right, though the wording was horrible.
“Well we had planned to join after the honeymoon. Just needed to return back to the Temple to get everything settled but with most everyone gone already the humans attacked. I’ve heard they were doing that elsewhere too but when they struck the Temple it was with the military. Our libraries, ritual sites, everything was set on fire too and I couldn’t stop them or save anyone. Astrid tried but in the end I only managed to raid our pack home and collect some valuables and escape. I should have decided to follow the Beckoning then but after losing everything I just lost the will to fight.” Lowering my head like a whipped dog I felt like a traitor. Instead of doing my duty and heading east to fight in the Crusade I ran like a coward.
“So, the Second Inquisition torched your temple, killed your wife, and instead of throwing yourself into a supernatural meat grinder against mythical vampiric demi-gods you throw yourself into a revenge plot more in your weight class?” As Lori picked her apart like an expert, Yuiko nodded sadly. “Don’t look so depressed about it. I get it girl!” Pulling me in for another hug the silver haired woman smiled down at me as she kissed the top of my head. “I wouldn’t want to see you throw away your life out of blind obedience either. So do you have any ideas who it is you are looking for?” She asked, trying to move the conversation in a productive path.
I looked up at her and shrugged. “Not really though I have some suspects. I’m traveling south to where our compound had once been and I’m going to investigate more. I’m stronger than I was back then and I have the tools to hunt them down. After that I don’t know what I’ll do but that will be a future Yuiko problem.”
Lori smiled approvingly before letting me go and getting up out of bed. “Alright! That’s settled. I’m coming with you!” Then without getting confirmation from me as I was in a state of semi-shock she was already packing.
“You do know I travel by motorcycle right?”