View source for Aftermath, 5 years later

[[Mina's Story]]

To start my first week as chamberlain, our illustrious, and very stoic vividness tells me, I get to entertain several of his relatives. Craptastic, and I am not cut out for tzmiscie entertainment. I devise a few interesting games that they can play, basically recreating an xbox with Chemeristry. They are very amused, and even bet a bit on it. One of them gets so impassioned as to suggest that I was cheating to help the guy (I think its a guy) won. He threatens to beat me down/kill me, but before I can really formulate a response, Gabor beats him down, and tells him that he is not to harm his property again. Yep, move to Sofia he said. Gain influence he said. He did not say that we would be ruled by insane bloodthirsty elders. He's better than Gustavas, mainly because benign neglect is better than outright hostility. Why did Emil have to get himself ousted. Speaking of Emil, I haven't seen him sense before the feces hit the rotating blades... Beside that point, I need to figure out a way to get these fiends some blood sports, else they will start creating some, and I so do not wish to go there. I speak to the Seneshall and ask her to arrange what is needed, while I play schmooze and show with Gabor’s “friends.”

Obviously I will not be able to do this on my own. Gabor’s idea of entertainment will not be something I can do. That and I will need a break from the Tzmisceness of it all. The best way to do this, is use connections. I don't know anyone that is not on humanity, and can set foot in Sofia, but it is about time the hand does somthing useful for me. Also vampires being what they are, it can use another agent in Sofia, and I will give them the perfect in. I need a helper. Unfortunatly my dominion managed to  submit a report before she went a-wall. It appears my “indescression” of not coming to the meeting was noted, and reported. Shit. Well they will find out that I wasn't dominated, but I still did it for hand interests. If I hadn't Jamie would likely be dead, I would be a paria or dead. And while he became the paria, neither of us is dead and the hand has an in with the ruling prince, and the bulshivics, which they have not had before. Still, rules are rules, and I will likely be seeing black hand jail. When arriving in Enoch, I speak with a man called “Djuhah” he asks what happened, and I tell him, with out sugar coating it, but much the same as I said to Jamie. They decide to see if I was dominated, I almost wish I had asked him to do so. But I did not, and they found that I had not. I was given a year to put my affairs in order, and then I would return for 3 years as helper to the “keeper.” Sigh.
When I get back to Sofia, I find that Father Klament wants to speak to me. As I also need to speak to him, I go and visit his small little church. He lets me know that he is very worried, as none has seen Emil sense the battle, and he fears the worst. I get the impression that he knows he isn't dead, but not much more beyond that. He offers me a large boon to figure out what went on and get his sire. I borrow a signet ring that belonged to Emil, and useing that I am able to see that he is deep within the city hanging upside down, and unconscious next to Svetlanna. Sticky... I know who has him, and Svetlanna. I seriously doubt I can just stroll down there and grab him, and knowing what I do about fiends, it would be seriously pissed if I did do that. Hmm... I contact the Father and ask him to meet me in a small village outside the valley. Once there I cloak us in Chemeristry in hopes it gives us a little privacy. I give him the news. Distraught is not even close to what father klament feels at this moment. He obviously cares for his caustic sire a lot and this fate is truly worse than death. Out of his element this blind little mans is truly pitiful. Weather or not that is a show for my benefit, I cave, and say I will look into what I can to help him. Father Klament stats he would pay anything.

Now for the tricky part. “Bob” has visited me in my deer am before, and I have been to his realm. However I believe that was more an invitation, and not a solicitation. How to gain his attention, but not become a deck of cards that tells the future. Well I guess I will see what I see.

In the dream there is no up or down. All is one, but it is actually nothing. I can't really describe how you navigate, but you do have places to go and things to do. The best description I can give is a vast ocean, with Edie's and currents that are forever changing, and exist in more dimensions than your normal 4 (yes x,y,z axis, and then add time). However skill or blind luck, and I am on the outskirts of “Bob’s” little eddy. I can see a way in, but I don't want to walk, uninvited into a Tzmisices domain. So I use Oneromancy and “knock.”

The doors open, and I see a path inside. Invitations do not get much more obvious, so I go on in. Damn I hope he is worth it.

“Bob” is less than his glowing self this time. Walking on the backs and heads of living-ish people, I come up to the days and I am greeted. 

“Why are you here?” Bob inquires.

“I seek someone that is in your possession, and I ask if there is a way I can retrieve him.” I say

I feel it is best to be direct. I know know who and what I am speaking to, and I am under no illusions that it can read me like a book. As long as I don't become one, I can deal with it.

“What is it that you wish?” It asked me.

“I hoped that you would release the individual known as “Emil”

“Why?”

Simple question with such a complex answer... “He can help me save those that need saving, and it hope he may be my friend.” I say to it.

It isn't exactly the whole truth, but I don't want to give anything away that I can, and while I am sure this being is sifting my brain, maybe my motives are childlike and non-threatening.

“Do you believe that I am a god?” It ask me.

I'll have to admit this thre me a bit. Aside from flashbacks of ghostbusters, this question appears to have no relevance. However knowing what I know about the being, it is not a question I should take lightly.

“I know that you are powerful.” I say.
Truth

“Yet that is not what I asked...” It states.

Crap...um ok more truth, hopefully it won't be upset.

“I believe that you are godlike in your power, and that their are few who can claim as such. I am not sure if the “GOD” exists.”

“You don't believe I can do miracles?”

“I believe that you have powers that I cannot fathom, and to me they seem to be the same as miracles” I say, hopeing that I don't become the next miracle.

“If you tell others of my power, and of my miracles, I will give this man back to you”

Shit.. I will not become a priest of Treglav, but then again how to say no.

“I will tell any who asks of your name and power, and the miracles that I have seen.”

“That is not enough, I wish more to know of me...” It says.

Ultimately I won't keep it a secret, but as questions go, maybe it can use my knowledge of hue he now, to do as it asks.

“I will create a message of your power, and your miracles, that will be seen by many, and passed along, and spoken about. It will be archived, and perhaps watched by generations. I will create a movie about Treglav.”

After some explaining about what a movie is, and how it works, and is passed along Treglav agrees. Given what it asked, and who it is I will have to stop calling it “bob” unless I am hopeing it doesn't notice. I am fairly sure that it can zone in on its name, just like the snow queen of old.

I am not sure where Emil walks out of, but I meet with father Klament, and inform him that his sire is free, and should be along shortly. He aknowlages that he owes me more than he can repay, but he will make the attempt. Later I see Emil, and he wants to know what happened. It seems that he remembers nothing of the dream realm, or of Treglav. He just remembers chasing Svetlanna and then black. I let him know that he was to become the next inline of many trinkets that this being has created over the centuries. I inform him that only I could have brought him out of there, and that Svetlanna is still back there. He near cackles with glee at this news. Killing her would be great, but her as a hand mirror seems to be the icing on the cake. He also acknowledges that he owe me his life, and giggles his way home. I still feel bad for Svetlanna but I am not willing to buy her freedom. She must do that on her own, I cannot save everyone.
 
I then spend the remainder of my time putting my affairs in order. It takes some time as I have to hop from qubec city and Sofia making sure that both domains are in order. The addition of Jamie's domain into mine has caused a little headache, but allows me to feed more readily on people, and not blood bags. Honestly I think I prefer the bags. Quebec city is a bit different as there is so little going on, that I shouldn't need much, but as I want to establish control, it can use a little micromanaging. In my trolling of the docs I managed to find a few more free ghouls. I offer them a chance to help me out, and the jump at it. I expected as much, but I always want to give someone a chance to say no. Unfortunately they have aged a bit, harder on the whore than the dockworker. She plied her trade on being “barely legal” even though she was older than most her customers. However she will be just slightly older now. The dockworker was a little different. While changing his appearance back was easy, I cannot give back his vitality. Chemeristry isn't the same as BEING their old selves, but I will not be able to fix that for a bit of time. With their help, and the Ben Franklin I have passed around, I should have a  decent information network in place. Gavradil and Esmerelda will be riding with the rom for the period I am gon. Him mostly in Quebec City, and her in Sofia. Hopefully I won't come back to ashes.

Enoch. What to say about it that hasn't already been said. I was in punishment, so I wasn't exactly able to socialize, but then again there isn't many who are there that wish to talk. The exception being my jailer, and almost friend the “keeper.” Enoch is all he knows. He was jailed here for a crime that he is unable to remember. It would seem odd that he forgot, but this lack is part of his punishment. He is not able to leave, and no one can pass along information to the outside world. He is cut off. He is also the keeper of the he jail, and tha manager of others punishments. As such he is in charge of me. I am to help him feed the “chattel.” Which is what passes for most of the humans in this place. There are few ghouls to speak of, but many vampires in residence. As such these people are their food. The sad thing is I have seen cows who are better treated, for the three years I am there, I try and make their lives better. No one said I cannot make the cells more comfy, or at least the illusion of. I can make the food tastier. I do what I can. Even though I can make them not feel sick, it is not a good idea. So the Keeper and I make the rounds tending to the sick and ill. I learn much from him, in the ways of herbal remedies. I also learn about where he grew up, and a bit about his old life, what he remembers. Soon we are able to speak in his native tongue, which is from ancient Mesopotamia. It is surprising that once you let go a bit, 3 years passes quickly for a vampire.
Comming back I get to know about all that has changed while I was away. Much if it I was expecting. The fall of the U.S. the creation of the F.A.S, and the NATF. More Roma have come to my island, and the real estate has shot up in price due to Nikita buying up property for them. I need to make sure that either they own it, or I do. Back in Sofia, it is almost same old with the exception that Gabor has embraced a few childer. He is very happy about my helper, and hasn't killed him, so I guess that is good. Life would be about on track if it wasn't realized that it is about time for the attack on Lazerous.