CHAPTER FOUR
Hair and Dust

A lone, hooded figure glided down an alley as her thoughts ran through her mind: "I've returned to the blackened, charred ruins of what was once the Vampire Abyss, well renowned Vampire hang out, hoping to find some other kind of clue, that would lead me to any of my fellow kindred."

Disappearing around the back, she slipped in through what was once, the back door. She stood behind where the bar stood, before its disintegration. Thinking to herself again, "All around here is silver ashes and dust. Amazingly, it had been untouched since my first visit, right after it burned."

Suddenly, she heard the shuffling of feet. She shimmered-out, back outside, into the alley. Peering around the door frame, she saw a figure. It was hunched over and it had a pungent, vile smell, that was distinctly Nosferatu. He shuffled across the floor and laid a tiny package down on the crumbling, blackened windowsill. He slowly turned around in a circle, observing the ruins for a few minutes, before shuffling out the main entrance again.

The mysterious woman waited for a few minutes, to make sure no one else would arrive. Then, making her way over to the sill, she picked up the package. It was a jagged piece of fabric, which neatly fitted in the palm of her hand. The fabric was bright red and looked as if it had been torn in a hurry. The package was soft and lumpy. She paused for a minute, wondering what was inside. She knew she shouldn't touch it, let alone even open it, but curiosity got the better of her. After another short pause, she carefully undid the knot at the top of the fabric, letting the fabric limply fall over the edges of her hand. Inside, lay a pile of dampened earth that smelled rather musty, and a lock of someone's hair. The hair was fawny brown in color and was quite wavy.

"What an odd combination," she thought. Then, suddenly, she began to sense something. "The person, who the hair belonged to, also shared the dark gift. She didn't know her, but she felt a connection, of sorts, but why, she didn't know. She knew the woman was in great danger. Woman? How did she know that?" Many questions started to swirl around her head, "Who did the hair belong to? Why did she feel a connection to them/ her? Why was she in great danger?" Slowly, she sat down in the midst of the ashened ruins. Placing the mysterious parcel in her lap, she stared at it, concentrated on it, hoping to find answers to the many questions. While she mindlessly retied it, she thought "Why would someone in danger have something sent here? After all, this place had been burned to the ground. Obviously this endangered woman had a tie to this place, but what? Was she a patron or a member of the staff?"

Speaking softly, but aloud to herself, she said "I wish I had visited this place before it was torched." She began to imagine what it might have been like...the sounds...the smells...the décor...a place solely for our kind, a safe haven, if you will. While mortal taverns were always a source of entertainment, not to mention food, there was always that danger of being found out." Suddenly, she snapped back to reality and the mystery that lay before her. She looked at her fob watch. Wow, nearly two hours had past.

She heard the rustling of leaves, but not like when the wind blew them...more like the sound of them being crunched, underfoot. Then she heard voices. They were soft-spoken and somewhat familiar. She quickly stood up, tossed the parcel back on the windowsill, where the Nosferatu had left it, and fled. Due to her lack of nourishment (which reminded her, "I need to feed again and soon"), she was unable to shimmer-out of there. She hurriedly walked to the back exit, ducking back out into the windy, back laneway, hiding behind a row of trashcans. But she hadn't moved quite fast enough, for when she looked up, standing over her, were two figures. One was wearing a black, hooded cloak, and she could only see a pair of intense, green eyes peering out at her. The other was a leather clad figure with eyes of emerald green and silverish hair. Slowly rising, she noticed that the second figure had bare feet, and that had been Ero's trademark.

She gasped,"O my gosh! Heylo and Ero? Is that really you?"

"Resssssss!", they replied in surprised unison.

She nodded. It had been so long since anyone had called her that.

*Slowly, Heylo pulled back the hood of her cloak, revealing her pale, freckled face. She nodded and smiled at Ress.*

" I had missed that warm smile of Heylo's. But, wait," Ress thought, "something was different about her. Heylo, was a friend to the nation and the only mortal to be allowed into the kingdom." * Heylo put out her arms...without a hesitation...and they hugged tightly.* She, again, thought to herself, "she felt, like.... like one of us. Could it be? Was she a kindred now?"

Even though the hug lasted a few seconds, it felt longer. Ress broke away from the warm embrace. Heylo smiled again, almost knowingly, as to what she was thinking.

Heylo said, "Wow, Ress, long time no see! Where have you been??? I've often wondered about you and your whereabouts! Um, there have been a few changes since we last spoke." *smiles*

Ress went to hug Ero, but she didn't seem to be quite as pleased as Heylo did, with her presence. Ress supposed, it was to be expected. She had been gone a very long time. She felt a little disappointed, all the same. Vilona told her, matter of factly, of her name change. She was not Ero anymore. She was known as Priestess Vilona Death and that she would tell her more later.

Vilona was surprised to see Ress after such a long time. Ordinarily, she would be very excited and thrilled to see her, but she remembered seeing a woman in a cloak, very much like Ress'. Deep purple is not a common color and the one she is wearing now, is the same, as the woman she saw about 2 yrs ago. But that woman had red hair and was clinging to the arm of a Brujah...one and the same Brujah scum that had torched the Abyss. She dismissed the thought and hugged Ress, anyway. Vilona was then, pulled back to reality, by the distracting knowledge that she, and all her kind were being hunted.

"Quick, it's not safe for us here", said Vilona.

Heylo peered through the darkness that surrounded them, to see if there were any other presences in the vicinity. She, in her new state, felt an even stronger sense of needing to be protective and protected. After surveying her surroundings, Heylo moved swiftly to follow Vilona back into the burned shell of a building that used to be the Abyss.

Ress told them of the Nosferatu and the mystery package he left. The ladies hurried back inside and Ress lead them to where she had tossed it. Vilona scooped it up. Heylo and she looked at each other and said "Natashia!"

Ress had no clue, what 'Natashia' meant.

"We must go!", Vilona rushed.

Once again, Heylo lagged a bit to Vilona's plea to go, to check the surroundings. For some reason, things didn't feel exactly right to her. *I stared into the nooks and crannies of what was left of the Abyss, then glanced around the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the Abyss. With the roof gone, you were practically outside, even when you were inside the structure. I had the feeling of being watched. There seemed to be no other vampires around, except us, so I think, whoever was doing the watching, was mortal, but I'm not sure.* Heylo pulled her hood up, dismissing her feelings, and darted out into the street, following Vilona and Ress.

When they were a distance from The Abyss, Heylo asked, "Where have you been staying, mah Ress? Are you in a safe location? There are some very unsavory characters around...and they have attacked us openly, burning the Abyss on my first night's arrival to this town...and now these hooligans are holding our beloved Natashia captive."

Cantaria didn't have the heart to tell her of her name change...not just yet. Besides, she kinda liked it. *smiles* She replied, "Nowhere in particular...wherever I can...old abandoned warehouses, and the like."

Heylo listened to Ress speak, as they walked together in the night. She kept an eye on things as they walked, too, glancing around behind them to make sure they weren't being followed. Heylo spoke, after a few moments of silence, "Vilona? Is there a possibility that Ress could come to Death Manor, at least for a bit? I am quite worried for her, especially since she has had contact with us now. She will have our scent on her, and will be in danger from our enemies. We need to do some assessing and decide what our next course of action will be, and Ress might be able to help with our strategy to rescue Natashia. What do you think, my Mistress?"

Vilona hesitated and looked again at her former Empress. She wanted so much to trust her. She had served UNDER her, so many years ago. She had been the one who encouraged and helped her through the painful transition she had made from mortal to Vampire. She just couldn't shake that horrible, dull feeling, that Ress and that red headed woman, were one and the same. Heylo didn't seem to notice her discomfort. She was lost in her thrill of having Ress back among us.

Vilona started to feel she must be crazy, "How could Ress be that woman? She had beautiful, flowing, brown hair, and the deep love Vil had for Ress, when she was Ero, was very much still there inside her." As Vilona struggled with her thoughts and feelings she watched them, not answering.

After asking, only vaguely noticing Vilona's silence, Heylo smiled at Ress warmly. Then, as if to answer Ress' question, that she knew she had been thinking earlier, Heylo allowed the "beast" to creep from her. She allowed her eyes to glow red, shielded from the moonlight by her cloak's hood. Heylo almost giggled aloud, knowing that she had revealed herself successfully to her long, lost friend, Ress, the Dark Empress.

Heylo asked, "Have you changed your name, mah Ress? I know many of us do from time to time. It has been so long since we last saw each other, that I thought maybe you were calling yourself by another name. I'm DarkAngel Heylo...a little different than my first mortal name, which was Heylo. I became a DarkAngel by affiliation to the Nation, by the gift that your Emperor gave me, and by affiliation with another, that Priestess childered. I still retain the DarkAngel Heylo, even after my embrace. It seemed appropriate." I put my arm around Ress' shoulders and said..."It is really terrific to see you again, Ress. I'm glad you came this way, and that we found each other. I'm also glad you have not been harmed by those that wish to harm us."

As Heylo had asked the question about name changes, Ress slipped the hood from her head and revealed flame-red tresses. With a large grin and a slight wink she leans forward and almost sings,"They call me Cantaria now." Heylo and she giggle in an almost school girl manner, with such deep pleasure in their reunion.

Vilona froze. Her smile disappeared and her eyes began to glow. Her gaze, never leaving Ress/Cantaria. She decided now was not the time for confrontation and if Cantaria had changed the Ress she once loved, especially if she was part of Natashia's capture, then Death Manor was the best place to deal with her. Vilona, turned her head sharply, increased her pace, without revealing her concern about Cantaria, and headed towards home. Heylo released her hold on Ress, as they continued walking, realizing that they were headed for Death Manor at a more urgent pace.

But Heylo seemed to lag behind a bit, again. She thought she had heard something that sounded like footsteps behind them...and wanted to be sure of their safety. She continued walking, but homed her keen sense of hearing behind them...preparing herself, should these footsteps bring danger...


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