Snapps Stories
Arm of Geddon
Chapter One - the salesman
By Richard LeBlanc
The Trade Center Tower - the second tallest structure in the city and office building to some of the wealthiest men in the city. It is said that on an average day - several billion dollars flows into the building and back into the community. Despite the claim - no one has ever robbed the place or even caused problems there - at least - until now...
On the top of the tallest antenna, a curious looking individual was perfectly balanced against the winds. He looked around the vast city around him and smiled at what he saw.
"Eco - it is good to see that some things never change." He muttered to himself. Just then a large raven flew over and landed on his shoulder. It chirped and squawked as if it were telling him something.
"Really? Interesting. You sensed a powerful magic in the city? Is it still here?" he asked curiously. The raven squawked out several more sounds. Upon hearing the response he smiled again.
"Gone you say? Pity. That could have made things even more interesting. What say we set up shop and have us some fun? Just like the old days." he suggested. The bird spread its wings out and turned into a black mist. The mist enveloped him until it flashed. In place of the mist was a brown leather jacket with a sinister looking raven painted on the back.
"It is time that people learned that Sir Louis Edward Geddon is back in town." He said to himself. Just then he faded like a ghost from the antenna and vanished. Seconds later a police helicopter flew by on its routine patrol of the area.
***
The next day, at a relatively sleazy bar on the wrong side of town, the Tremere apprentice Nenia entered. Instinctively - all activity stopped and all eyes turned on her.
"I would advise against causing me any trouble." She warned seriously. All eyes slowly turned away and people resumed what they were doing before hand. Nenia cautiously walked through the crowd and sat down by the bar.
"You came." A voice stated.
"I got your message. What is this about?" she asked seriously. Skamms sat down beside her and sighed.
"What? No small talk?" he asked.
"You almost got me killed by my elders." She stated.
"But you didn't get killed." he pointed out.
"Why did you give me the Eye?" she retorted.
"Don't know. Seemed like the thing to do at the time. Why?" he replied calmly. Nenia looked over at him. The Malkavian quietly chuckled at the confusion his actions were causing.
"I need a reason?" he added. Nenia studied the Malkavian and sighed.
"You say you hate the prince - then you help him. You rant at my elders how they would never be able to get the Eye away from you - then you give it to me. You are a walking contradiction to everything you say." She stated seriously. Skamms sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well - to clarify those two issues. I don't think of what I did for the prince as ?helping' him. I did it to keep the old blowhard guessing. As for your elders - I was quite truthful when I said they wouldn't be able to take the bobble from me. Besides - you asked." He stated calmly. The answer made more questions than answers.
"Because I asked?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yup." He added.
"I can't figure you out." She commented.
"Then don't try." He replied.
"This is going nowhere. Was there an actual purpose for all of this?" she asked seriously. Skamms looked at her for a moment and managed to snap himself out of his self-induced trance.
"Okay. I wanted to commend your colleagues for being so generous with their toys." He stated. The answer almost knocked her off her stool. She shook her head and leaned forward.
"Excuse me?" she replied.
"The toys. A lot of funky shit has been happening as of late. For example, if I had to wager - I'd say ten hours ago I something weird. I saw some bank robber hold up a bank with a sword. I checked his aura - he was one hundred percent human - but he had six bullet holes in his chest. The sword's aura was really messed up. When I saw that I thought of you people." He said seriously. He got up and began to walk away. Just then he stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"Oh - and as for that walking contradiction remark. If that's the way it is - I guess I hate you. Keep it real Nenia. I'll be in touch." He concluded. She turned away for an instant.
"Hate me?" she began. Just then she remembered what he said.
"Shit - that's just what I need." She muttered. She leaned against the bar and began to think about what Skamms had told her. Was it possible or was it just a prank?
"I'd better talk to my elders." She muttered. She made her way through the crowd and exited the bar. Moments later, Skamms sat down where he had been sitting before.
"If you do hate the prince - why are you telling her? You know she will tell him." the bartender asked. Skamms looked over at the Caitiff and shook his head.
"Insider politics son. Don't get involved." He retorted.
"Customer's always right." He muttered. He left the Malkavian alone to tend to the other customers.	
***
A few hours later, at the fully repaired Royal Palace, Nenia was before the prince. She had just finished telling him everything she heard from Skamms and her elders.
"Magical weapons?" the prince asked.
"That was what I was told." She answered.
"Who informed you of this?" he asked. Nenia was silent for a moment.
"It was Skamms sire. One of my people noticed her by the slums." Toenail answered. Nenia looked over and glared at the Nosforatu. She was about to attack the informer when the Prince cleared his throat.
"Is this true?" he asked.
"Yes - sire. But I confirmed the information with my elders. There is something going on in the city - they just don't know what as of yet." She replied honestly.
"So - had Skamms not told you - they might not have noticed it until much later?" he asked. Nenia thought about the question and let out a sigh.
"Most likely sire." She answered.
"It would seem as though he is helping you again. How odd from a person that hates you so." Claws remarked. Several of those present agreed. The prince took in what he heard and stood up.
"I would be inclined to agree - but that doesn't change the fact that there is a problem in the city that needs to be dealt with. Scour the streets - sewers - high-rises - Internet - whatever - find me what is going on and who is responsible. Go." He stated. All save his two loyal bodyguards left the room.
"You haven't changed a bit." A voice stated. Axis quickly stood up. His bodyguards stood ready. When they saw Skamms step out of the shadows - they quickly reached for their guns.
"You have a lot of nerve coming here." The prince hissed.
"Actually - coming here took very little nerve. I came to give you a present highness. Send over one of your pets to get it." Skamms said as he held an envelope in his hand. The prince glared at the Malkavian and then gestured for the guard on his right to retrieve the envelope. The Assimite stormed towards the intruder and snatched the envelope from his hands. He then brought it over to the prince. Hesitantly, he opened the envelope and removed a business card.
"The Pretty Pink Dress Emporium? Is this your idea of a joke?" Axis demanded. Skamms chucked for a moment but then turned very serious.
"That isn't just any dress shop - trust me - that one's special." Skamms stated. On that note - he back-stepped into the shadows and vanished. The prince and the Assimites rushed over - but by the time they got there - he was already gone.
"It could be a trap." One Assimite commented.
"Hmm. It may well be. Give the card to Nenia. Tell her it is a potential lead from some vagrant you found in the streets. Have her check it out. If it is a trap - he won't spring it on her." he suggested. The Assimite with the card nodded and hurried out of the room.
"If the trap is sprung on her - you will have some serious explaining to do to her elders." The other Assimite warned. The prince looked over at his bodyguard and sighed. That was a disturbing possibility. The last thing he needed was the Tremere of the city to turn hostile.
"True. Send word to Toenail. He seems to have a fondness for following her around. Tell him to watch her from a discreet distance." Axis stated. The Assimite nodded and hurried away.
"I had better check on some loose ends." He muttered. He too left the room. As soon as he was gone, Skamms lowered himself from the rafters of the roof. He had heard the entire conversation and was mildly amused at the confusion his presence was causing.
"The big guy is getting nervous. How precious." He muttered. He lowered himself from the roof and skipped over to where Axis' chair was. He then sat down and put his feet up on the table.
"Oh - to be prince of the city." He mused to himself as he sung a little song. There was going to be a lot of chaos in the city - and he was going to have his thumb on the throbbing pulse of it.
***
At that moment in the streets of Eco, Nenia was following up on some of her potential leads. Unfortunately, she was having no luck at all in finding any real clues.
"This is hopeless." She muttered.
"Nenia. What good fortune." A voice stated. She turned around and saw one of the prince's Assimite bodyguards. She looked around but could see no sign of the prince.
"I thought you were supposed to protect the prince." She commented.
"I do. He sent me to find you. He found a lead and would like you to follow it up." He replied. Nenia groaned and shook her head. Did the prince really think so little of her that he would possibly think that such a lame story would fool her?
"A likely story. So what the hell is it?" she asked sarcastically.
"This." He replied. He handed her the business card in question. She closed her eyes and touched the card. In her mind, she could see the prince talking angrily to someone. She snapped out of the trance. She had a pretty good idea why she was chosen.
"You tell that - prince - that I will remember this should anything happen to me - and so will my elders!" she protested seriously. The Assimite shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll be sure to relay the message. Happy hunting." He concluded as he hurried away. She watched the Assimite hurry away. Once she was sure he was gone she looked at the card.
"Pretty Pink Dress Emporium? Oh you have got to be joking." She muttered to herself in serious disbelief. She put the card in her purse and stormed her way down the street.
If this is that stupid Mook's idea of a joke - I am not amused. She angrily thought. Unaware to the angry Tremere, the Nosforatu Toenail stepped out of the alley.
"Funny - I have been in this city for many years. I have never heard of such a place." Just then a cat sized rat scurried up his back and perched on his shoulder.
"But then again - why would I have any interest in a dress shop? Go - ask your friends about any odd occurrences involving a dress shop. I will follow our good friend Nenia." He stated. The rat squeaked and hurried away. Toenail vanished from sight and made his way down the street to follow the Tremere apprentice.
***
A short while later, Nenia found herself outside of a strange looking dress shop. The structure itself looked relatively normal. The decorations in the windows were pretty routine. But the people loitering inside of the place were human thugs and Warzone anarchs.
"A gathering such as this - in a dress shop?" she muttered. She shook her head and entered. As soon as she was inside, everyone there glared at the Tremere.
"You know, I never would have imagined that the lot of you were cross-dressers. Especially you three. What would your elders think?" she asked tauntingly to the anarchs.
One anarch was about to step forward to deal with her when another held him back. The humans there looked over at the three that were taking the verbal abuse.
"You pussies are backing down from that piece of meat?" he yelled. Nenia stared at the obnoxious human. She extended her index finger and drew a circle in the air. The human was about to step forward when he found himself being lifted into the air. Just then in a quick action he was flipped in the motion she had gestured and slammed hard on his neck. Nenia the stared at the remaining humans.
"Forget what you just saw - the dumb ape fell down." She suggested. The humans recoiled as though they had been slapped. They looked down at their barely breathing friend. They looked over at Nenia. They didn't know why - but for some reason they knew that they had to get out of there. Within seconds after their hasty departure, a man dressed as a biker - with leather gloves, snakeskin boots and a leather jacket with a raven painted on the back stepped out from his room at the back of the store.
"Funny - I thought there were more people here. Oh well, I suppose that is irrelevant. Who is my next customer?" he asked eloquently. Nenia glared at the anarchs and gestured for them to leave. The man watched as the three vampires hurried away.
"You could be detrimental to business." He commented.
"I could be detrimental to your continued existence. What are you doing here? Why are you supplying weapons to lowlifes?" she demanded. The man smiled coyly and hopped over his desk and sat down on his chair.
"I am more curious as to how you found me. Did someone recommend my work to you?" he asked. Nenia walked over and leaned on his desk.
"I heard about a sword." She replied. he smiled as he remembered the weapon.
"Ah, the Immortal's Sword. Sort of make's a person like those people in that TV show - oh what was it - oh yes - Highlander. So long as its owner possesses the blade he can not be killed - save by decapitation of course." He recounted.
"If he loses the blade?" she asked.
"All of the wounds he received while possessing the blade will return. Why such an interest in that toy? By the look of you I wouldn't have thought that swords were your thing." He asked.
"I am not interested in the sword - I am interested in knowing why you are putting such time bombs in the city." She replied seriously. The man smiled and shook his head.
"My reasons are my own my dear. Why do your kind do the same?" he retorted. Nenia studied the strange man before her. It was then that she noticed that his aura was something not of her kind.
"You - you are not Tremere." She stated.
"Nope." He affirmed.
"Mage?" she asked.
"Close - but not quite." He said with an evil smile.
"Fay." She whispered.
"Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding! We have a winner. You know - every time I come here I try something different. One time it was a tournament - another time it was war-games. This time it will be - a scavenger hunt! I want you to deliver a message to - what do you call him - oh yes - your prince. Tell him I have put exactly one hundred such toys out into the street. If all are brought back to me - or are destroyed (in which case they will come back to me anyway) within two weeks - I will leave the city peacefully as I have before. If on the other hand you can not - well, in that scenario - I stay - and I will double the surplus to the city on a daily basis." He said calmly.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Who am I? Who am I? Oh - that's right. We haven't actually met. I am Sir Louis Edward Geddon. Ask around. People know me - and my work." He replied sarcastically. Before she could say another word. He quickly grabbed her hand. The two blinked out of reality. Nenia say images of a magical looking forest. In a flash she found herself sitting in a dumpster in an alley.
That was beyond unpleasant. I had better discuss this with my elders. She thought. She dug herself out of the garbage and hurried out the alley. Much to her surprise - she was beside the Royal Palace.
"Here?" she asked herself. She quickly reached into her purse and pulled out the business card that had the address of the dress shop. Her eyes widened when she saw what was on it now.
"On trip per customer - tell a friend. Sir Louis Edward Geddon." She read to herself. All other details - the name of the place the phone number - the fax - email - everything was gone.
"Nenia? What are you doing back here? And why do you smell like you were swimming in garbage?" Axis asked curiously. Nenia was startled by his presence but quickly regained her composure.
"I think the problem is more serious than we first thought. I would like to get more details before I report this to you." She requested sincerely. The prince studied her body language. Nenia was a pretty steady person. It took quite a bit to shake her up - and she looked seriously unnerved.
"Hurry back." He replied. Nenia turned to walk away but stopped.
"Oh - and one more thing. I don't like being followed under the best of circumstances. Be sure to tell Toenail that for me." She warned. The prince was going to deny it, but just laughed it off.
"I will be sure to keep that in mind." He replied. on that note, Nenia hurried back to the chantry.
***
Later that day, Nenia was before her elders and the Regent. She had told them of everything she knew of her encounter with the Fay. What caused even more uneasiness in her was that no one said a word for almost an hour.
"Mr. Geddon is back. I knew he would return - but this soon?" one of the elders stated seriously. Nenia looked around at the people. All of them seemed to understand the gravity of the situation but were leaving her out.
"I do not mean to speak out of turn sire - but what do you mean?" she asked hesitantly. The elders looked over at the apprentice.
"This Chantry was founded over three hundred years ago when this city was exponentially smaller. It was around seventeen twenty-six when we first encountered the Fay tinker known as Sir Louis Edward Geddon. He found a sincere amusement in watching the chaos that his devices caused. We tried to force him out - it didn't work. We tried attacking him - we never got close. In the end we had to deal with him on his terms. He said that he would remove all of the things he had placed in our society - if we gave him a magical devise of our making. It went against our better judgement at the time - but we had no real alternative. We gave him a ring. Nothing special. Its only ability was to see auras. True to his word. Once he had that - all of the devices and himself with them vanished." The first elder stated.
"In eighteen thirty-two - he came back. By this time - the city had doubled in size. Once again his weapons - gizmos and gadgets almost destroyed the city until we challenged him. He set up a tournament of sorts. He equipped several champions with his toys and pitted them against the elders of our clan at the time. Many were lost - others still carry the scars, but we beat his champions in the end. And so he left without saying a hostile word." One elder said calmly.
"That would be my cue." The current Regent stated.
"In nineteen fifty-six - he returned again. By then the city was only a little smaller than it is now. He passed himself off as a Mafia boss to the humans of the old district." The Regent continued.
"The old district?" Nenia asked.
"You would know it now as the Warzone. He organized the petty thugs and anarchs into a paramilitary creation. He met with me and the prince's council of the time and said that he was going to start a war. If we could defeat his forces - he would leave. If we lost - it wouldn't matter because we would all be dead and the city would be in ruins. We rallied as many Camerella kindred as we could. We enlisted the aid of several anarch sects and almost all of our ghouls and retainers. In the end - we did win the war, but the old district was never the same. Henceforth it had been called the Warzone." The Regent concluded.
"By the sound of it - he only comes once a century." She commented.
"That is what we believed - but it appears as though he has decided to come early this time. Since the last bloody encounter we have been devising a way of dealing with him once and for all - but we are unsure as to how it will work against him." the Regent added.
"May I ask what this means is?" she asked.
"Of course. One of our colleagues from overseas has procured various Fay devices and weapons. He brought them to us for the purpose of experiments. For five decades we have worked - and we have finally finished it. Grenyth - could you please fetch the item in question?" he asked. One of the Tremere left the room. Within moments he returned with a small ring box. The Regent took it from the other Tremere's hands and opened it. He showed Nenia the silvery looking ring.
"It's very shiny - what does it do?" she asked.
"Through several long and drawn out rituals we believe we have made an artifact that is immune to Fay magiks and our own. We tested it against the Fay devices and the results have been positive, but we are unsure of how it will work against Geddon's devices." He stated.
"It is immune to our magic? All of them?" she asked curiously.
"So much so that it completely inhibits the use of magic by its wielder. The other problem is that because it is so effective a weapon against magic - no Tremere can use it - and if it fell into the wrong hands it cold make dealing with the person - almost nightmarish." He continued.
"So - you are unsure if it will work - you need someone who isn't a Tremere to use it - and set person would have to be willing to give it back should it work against Geddon?" she asked.
"I know it sounds like a tall order - but we already have a person in mind." The Regent began.
"You do?" she asked.
"Yes. It is come to our attention that - that meddlesome Malkavian Skamms seems to have an infatuation with you. I mean he was willing to war with us to keep the Eye - but he handed it over to you without a second thought." The Regent stated.
"And the Eye was a much more powerful artifact than this ring." Another Tremere pointed out.
"With all due respect master. I think that would be unwise. I was way beyond lucky he returned the Eye to me." She replied hesitantly.
"What about at the bar?" the Regent asked.
"The bar?" she replied hesitantly.
"Yes - when you commented that he was a walking contradiction - and he said that he hated you? Malkavians are masters at weaving confusion, but oddly enough he was speaking truthfully. I don't know what you did to hook him - but I believe you have. Give him the ring. Tell him what it does - and when the time is right - ask for it back." He continued.
"But-but what if he doesn't return it?" she asked.
"Then you will kill him or die trying to get it from him. I know this won't be easy - but you seem to have a flair for these big assignments." The Regent answered coldly.
"Didn't he technically save the city from that thing the Baali were trying to resurrect?" she asked hesitantly. The Regent closed the ring box and glared at her.
"You have excelled at almost everything you have done. None thought that you could handle half of the projects and assignments you have done. By my recommendations alone your clan status has risen higher than any Tremere of your generation and training. If you dare to disobey me now - I promise you will find yourself back where you started or you will find yourself conditioned by the elders in Vienna. Do I make myself clear apprentice?" he warned. Nenia lowered her eyes and sighed.
"Yes master. I understand." She replied weakly. The Regent gave her the ring box and smiled.
"And to answer your question - no, he didn't. The spirit of the Antediluvian that was before Tremere possessed the Malkavian and dealt with the problem. The Malkavian was merely the host. Now go - and remember Nenia - we are watching you." He warned. Nenia bowed respectfully to her elders and left the room.
To be continued...
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