In the beginning"¦
Amanda and Clayton were summoned by the Watchers council about a month ago to set up base in Carlisle. There had been an increase in weird goings on, perhaps due to an unconfirmed Hellmouth.
Once in Carlisle Clayton took up the position of Head Curator of the historic collections within the castle. Amanda on the other hand has been working as a volunteer at the local animal sanctuary (well everyone needs a day job).
In Carlisle Clayton met up with an old friend of his and fellow mage, Wodroff Pepek. Wodroff has no real employment to speak of, he's a free lance mage, and there is enough alternative culture in Carlisle for him to make a decent living from it.
But Wodroff isn't the only one free lancing, seems everyone is at it including Simon John Ritchie. He's been free lance slaying, keeping the vamp population down...well he's dusted a few, but hey it's a start. He was actually chasing Vampires when he ran into Amanda, our Slayer, well ran into her, and attempted to stake her. Except she kicked his ass, and upon realising he wasn't a Vamp proceeded to yell at him. It was the decision of Clayton that is was far better to have Simon join them, rather than him continue to free lance. Somewhat reluctantly at first he joined them, and is learning the tricks of the trade from the Slayer.
Along came trouble"¦
The Castle:
It's about 7pm on a Monday night in the middle of November, and like most nights and for that matter days in Carlisle it's raining.
The Castle is closed, with the exception of one small wing, where the Head Curator of the castle's current major historic display has his office. Here the lights are on and there and four people gathered around a table reading through paper cuttings on a recent spate of murders when various organs have been removed from the bodies of the victims. What the papers don't say is that all the bodies were drained of blood.
The murders have been occurring near both the train station and the cathedral. But no one has been around to witness anything and you have yet to see anything. Perhaps tonight's patrol...
"....Could yield some clues". Clayton took off his reading glasses and pondered the information they had. Normal vampires he knew about, but this idea of removing organs was new to him. He had done a search of much of the material he had here, and had not been able to establish any kind of link.
Clayton looked across the table at his niece, Amanda. The slayer. They had to stop this, Clayton knew that. He just wished he knew what they were trying to stop.
* * * *
Pepek was sleepy. He was not sure where he was but it was defiantly not home. He had a couch and not a bed. He had a TV and not a crystal ball, and he defiantly didn't have a picture of BSB on the wall. Shaking his head he looked left. UGHHH. From all the beds in this world he had to end up in this one.
Slowly he got up and started to pull on his pants. Madame Lusyanka's daughter... Madame's only daughter. Underage daughter.
Argh.
He managed to slip out and he was on the street. Couldn't go home, she would find him there, couldn't get drunk, he was broke and anyways the drinks were what got him in this trouble.
So he went where he always did when he was in trouble.
Few minutes later he was knocking on the door.
"Come on Clayton lemme in!"
Clayton heard a hammering on the door of his area of the castle, along with a voice. A voice he recognised all too well. Turning to Amanda, he said, "wait here". Then went to the door. As he pulled it open he saw the damp and dishevelled form of Pepek. "Come in, I tried to call you. We may have a problem...."
Behind Pepek stood Simon John Ritchie- "Hi guys..." Simon stood nervously, "Sorry I'm late, got caught up with some of those 'orrible fanged types outside...What's this problem then?"
"Well, we have a spate of what appears to be vampire activity with an unusual twist," said Clayton as he invited the slightly damp pair inside. "I'm hoping tonight's patrol will shed some light on the subject."
The trio arrived in the room Clayton affectionately called "The lair". Amanda was sat at the table sifting through a pile of paperwork and making notes. There were newspaper clippings and old looking tomes uncharacteristically spread about the room. Clayton spoke again, "I'm going to put the kettle on, would anyone like a drink? We need to discuss what we know and try to work out what's going on."
"I'll take a black coffee, no sugar. I'm all tooled up for tonight's rounds " Simon open up a duffle bag filled with Stakes and silver weaponry. "I'm just looking forward to some action." Simon punches the air.
"Simon, we've had this discussion before. Don't go rushing straight in. The last thing we need is you injured if something big is kicking off." Clayton was getting tired of having to give this talk; He had tried all the usual approaches. That slaying wasn't a game, that a cocky fighter makes mistakes and various other tactics. Simon was getting good, he was starting to occasionally win sparring contests with Amanda, but he was still nowhere near as good as he thought he was.
He was still worried about the reaction of the council if Simon got hurt. Although they had relaxed the rules a bit, they were still not big on involving anyone who wasn't a watcher or a slayer in the good fight. He'd justified Simon's presence by pointing out that he would be free-lancing if he'd told him to go away. At least this way him and Amanda could do their best to control him.
"Any other drinks?" he asked.
Pepek follows Clayton in side thinking *Naturally there are troubles. When it was time there were no troubles? It usually is something like sexual appetite devouring demon Alopholopis, or one legged hopping Vampire that sun can't hurt. Why can't there be a demon who makes you desirable to all the women and backslash is that you can't get enough sex?
As they walked in Pepek gazed at the pretty slayer... well at least decor is better this time.
"I'll have a scotch, and that good stuff you hide in the sofa."
He sits as close to slyer he can.
"So what's the rush this time?"
"Pepek, You can have some of the good stuff once you leave my niece alone". Clayton was looking sternly at his friend. "I would also suggest that I will not be held responsible for her actions."
"The rush? I'm not exactly sure. I am not a big fan of not knowing what's going on, things have a tendency to creep up on you." He looked over at Amanda, "Have you found anything else?" He asked.
Ignoring Pepek, Amanda replied to her uncle's question.
"Nothing of any use. I have to admit, the idea of an organ remover kinda turns my stomach!"
Even in the mass of books Clayton had in his study, Amanda couldn't find anything; there was stuff on Vampire's and stuff on Organ eating demons but nothing on both at the same time.
Even using Vogel's book on 'Vampires and their cult religions' turned up nothing.
Amanda dropped the book she had been looking at on the table, and blinked profusely to try and clear her vision. She had been reading for far to long.
"Okay. That has officially turned up absolutely nothing!" She said, sighing slightly.
"Ok, so we have no luck with the books. May I suggest that Amanda and myself take a little stroll to the Currock and have a chat with Debbie." Clayton looked at Simon and Pepek, "You two can stay here and use that damn computer to see if you can turn anything up." He didn't trust either of them to behave in the Currock, nor would they properly understand why they had to.
He looked at Amanda, "That sound ok to you?"
"Okay. It beats straining my eyes looking through any more of these huge tomes. Especially when they don't seem to be helping!"
Simon looks slightly annoyed as Clayton and Amanda leave the room...His eyes flit towards Pepek as a grin creeps across his face..."Porn?"
The Currock
It didn't take Amanda and Clayton to long to reach the Currock Carlisle's only demon bar.
The Currock had a strict no fighting policy which made it a safe haven for the not so human in the city, so long as they followed the no fighting rule. The rule extended to any sort of violence be it physical or magical.
One of the previous owners had paid a very powerful mage to put a spell on the place causing 'Very Bad Things' to happen to anyone that broke it. Like all rules it had been broken once or twice, but it wasn't unusual for those that broke it to suddenly drop down dead.
A few people/demons looked as Amanda and Clayton walked in and headed for the bar.
Amanda felt someone brush past her and got the familiar feeling that it was more of a vampiric someone.
"Mmmm Slayer, tasty." He whispered in her ear as he turned to leave.
