The Sire - the Final Chapter
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Snapps Stories The Sire - the Final Chapter |
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| Part one: debts of honor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New of the attack on the prince had reached the ears of every kindred in the city. And the fact that Skamms had been able to hit the prince - in his own secured fortress - gave others cause to not hunt the fugitive as eagerly as the wounded prince liked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the Warzone - Skamms was relaxing atop a parked car looking up at the cloudless sky. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What a night," he commented. Just then - he heard someone rushing his way. He slowly sat up and smiled when he saw his old friend - the Caitiff bartender. "You are a sight for sore eyes," he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Flatterer," he sarcastically retorted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You have news?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The prince will live," the bartender began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I knew he would. It isn't his time - yet. What else?" Skamms asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay - your little stunt shocked a lot of the formerly eager hunters. But I wager you knew that much already?" the bartender asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Had a hunch. How many are still being diligent about it?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Just the people that are more afraid of the prince's pull - than you - in other words - not many," he replied. Skamms quietly laughed and took an envelope out from an inside pocket and handed it to his friend. "What's this?" he asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A list of people I trust - some contacts. Tell them I sent ya - they'll treat your right," he stated with a smile. The caitiff looked at the envelope and then up at his friend. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why?" he asked seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I look out for people that look out for me - and you put your ass on the line for me when a lot of people would have looked the other way. I respect that," he answered seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You aren't planning on doing something stupid are you?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Depends on who you ask I guess. Most of what I've done - you reasonable people would call stupid," he retorted with a smirk. The caitiff pushed the envelope and held it against Skamms' shoulder. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know what I'm talking about. Like you said - as you look out for your people - I do the same. If you are in over your head," he began. Skamms moved the hand and envelope away from him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am always in over my head. That is how I make my life interesting. Look - I am blood hunted. And you have done a shit load more for me than most ever would or could have. I'm not going to put you in the deep end with an anchor around your neck. My influence in Eco," he began - a cold wind blew against them. The two looked over and saw a slender looking man with silver white hair watching them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Send him away," the man stated calmly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Boy must be new here if he thinks he can," the caitiff began - reaching for his weapon. Skamms reached over and stopped him - not taking his eyes off of the person. "Skamms? You okay?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll be fine. He's an old friend. Look - take the envelope. Inch your way up the ladder. You got a lot of potential - don't blow it," Skamms reassured. The caitiff looked over at the stranger and then at Skamms. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Does he have something on you?" he asked seriously Skamms quietly laughed and hit him on the shoulder. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nothing worth you getting killed over. Go home. I'll be fine," he reassured. The caitiff looked at the smiling stranger and reluctantly shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You need anything - you call," he stated seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hey - you got it," he replied. The caitiff shook his head and began to walk away. The same wind blew against him. He stopped and turned around - both Skamms - and the stranger - were gone! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Skamms?" he muttered. But the silence of the night was his answer. "You must be in trouble," he added as he hurried away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A short while later - back at his bar - the caitiff was telling one of his people about what had just gone down. Upon hearing it - Glare - slowly leaned back on his chair and tried to assess what it could mean. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You took a big chance going to him," he pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Had to - look - I didn't know who else to turn to," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Easy - politics is not what this place is about for me. You say - this person just said jump - and Skamms did?" Glare asked hesitantly. The bartender nodded. "Yuck - the thought of someone having that kind of pull over that loose cannon is not something I want to meet," he commented. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I think that Skamms is in some kind of trouble. He might need help," he pointed out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He probably is - but my hands are tied. If I act for him - I risk being at odds with the prince. You know that," he stated seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know. But there was something about - that guy - made my blood run cold. And if Skamms is on that guy's bad side," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay - tell me about this guy. I might not be able to act for Skamms - but I might be able to act against whoever is pulling his strings," he suggested. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Tallish - over six feet tall - probably between one ninety - two hundred some odd pounds - shoulder length white hair - and cold eyes - soulless cold eyes," he replied. Glare sighed and looked at his most favored informant. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Few kindred fit that description - but it could have been a mask. Did Skamms or this person say anything?" Glare asked curiously. The caitiff thought back. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nothing much - Skamms did say that they guy was an old friend," he answered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Old friend? Old," Glare began as his mind began to churn out ideas. It was then that he remembered something a piece of a conversation he had overheard between Axis and his bodyguards before they left on their last hunting mission. "I really hope I am wrong about this," he muttered as he quickly got up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No time - come with me - there is something I want you to see," he replied. The caitiff nodded and followed the Setite out of the bar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A short while later - the two were at one of Glare's hideouts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nice place," he sarcastically remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Gets the job done. A while back - before - Axis went down. He sincerely believed that a man he had killed a while ago - was still alive," Glare began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I heard something about that," the caitiff remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I do not know all of the details - but I really wish that I did. But shortly before - Toenail went missing. The prince was given a picture - it was a clue that he had found in Chamberlan for whatever reason," Glare stated as he rummaged through a pile of papers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What does all of this have to do with what is going on with Skamms?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hopefully - nothing," Glare stated as he found the crumpled up picture. He smoothed it out and hesitantly handed it to the caitiff. "Have you seen this man?" he asked. He looked at the picture and nodded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That was him. He wasn't wearing those glassed - or the doctor id - but that's him," he replied. He looked up and saw a semi-distressed look on the Setite's face. "Why - who is he?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The former Malkavian Primogen of Chamberlan - Dr. Jest," he replied calmly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Dr. Jest? I heard some fucked up stories about him," the caitiff began as he handed the picture back. Glare tossed the picture aside and walked over towards the door. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "All of them are true," he commented. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay - but what does he have to do with Skamms?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The old prince - had reason to believe - that Dr. Jest - was Skamms' sire," he answered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||