Nightrest was anything but restful. The city was alive with floating lights all displaying different advertisements of various kinds. A plethora of edible blood products were shown being consumed by handsome individuals both male and female. They could have appeared human, but their canines were extended, and their skin did not have the color blood. They were gray, stone hued creatures that appeared both beautiful and dead at the same time. Cayna found it unnerving. It was like watching corpse dolls come to life. The only sign that the vampires had life at all, other than being able to move, is the light that shines from their eyes. They glowed with unnatural light.
Another thing Cayna was surprised and horrified to see were the blood donor auctions being announced on the floating advertisements. Vampires were seen presenting to the mass's lines of humans. Some of were perfectly happy to be there, making a show of showing their necks which were accentuated with lighting and angles. Others were less enthusiastic. They were chained together, and all dressed in neon jumpsuits. Cayna thought that these must be the unfortunate criminals sold to the vampires for blood farming.
As they descended into the Nightrest airspace, a group of vampires rose to meet them. They were dressed in black suits and capes, officer hats on their heads. They appeared too uniform to be random citizens. They presented themselves as the police force of the city.
"SSRU! Halt!" the leader said, holding up a hand to Cayna's group. They stopped as commanded. The cop looked at them with wary eyes. "What business do you have in Nightrest?"
"I request an audience with your lord, Assad." Gwyn said.
"Who are you to request an audience?" the leader said.
"I am Gwyn, humble pathfinder of Eldyon." He said with a slight bow.
The leader's eyes grew hard. "I see." He said, then waved to his men. "Arrest them all!"
Cayna's heart plunged into her stomach as the vampires swarmed around them, outnumbering them three to one. She looked at Gwyn and was confused to see that he was smirking.
"I see my reputation proceeds me." He said.
"Silence!" the leader said. "I, Zachariah, shadechild of our lord, Assad, shall take you in personally!" he said, moving beside Gwyn. "Do not resist! Any deviant behavior will be paid with your life!"
"Worry not, good Zachariah, we shall come quietly." Gwyn said as the vampires led their group down further into the city.
Nightrest is literally a hole in the ground with levels along the edge of the tunnel, going deep, deep into the ground. The circumference of the tunnel is large enough to fit a couple cities from Sycadia comfortably across. Cayna had never seen anything manmade that was so massive. She couldn't even see the bottom.
The thing about having such an open space is that those traveling through the city's airspace is totally exposed. Thousands of eyes turned to watch the group as they descended into the depths of Nightwatch. Cayna grew self conscious of all the attention. After spending a lifetime being inconspicuous, it was a shock to her to draw so much attention. She felt naked in a way.
The group was led all the way to the center level of the city where the main government buildings were. They were directed to the Strigoi Central Station.
There were uniformed strigoi everywhere, sullen and dark in their black garb. Cayna felt like she was walking into a fancy event rather than a police station. She was used to the guards of the Sycadian cities which had rune guns and armor suits. These people didn't appear to carry any technology. Cayna, knowing the stories from her youth, imagined that they might not need them.
The other strigoi saluted Zachariah as he passed and eyed the detainees with sparkling, curious eyes. Their thoughts were clear from their expressions. They wanted to know what group of troublemakers gained the attention of one of their top officers.
Zachariah led them to a hall with rows of cubed lines on the ground. He directed them to split up and each stand in one individually. He gave a signal with his hand and a transparent red barrier appeared from the ground, going over and around them to enclose them completely. In a mere moment, their freedom was cut off and restricted completely. Cayna felt her heart rate rise. She had been afraid of being caught for so many years. Even though she knew it had nothing to do with her and it was in a different land, she knew that this couldn't end well.
Without a word, Zachariah and the other SSRU marched out, leaving the detainees all alone.
Carn ventured to the side closest to her husband, touching the barrier which shocked her so she had to pull her hand back. She was back in humanoid form, looking very forlorn that she couldn't be at her husband's side. Gelena looked restless and displeased, shooting a dangerous look at Gwyn but she said nothing. Dormach was being Dormach, which meant she was already curled up in a corner and asleep, still in humanoid form.
Cayna wondered how long they were going to wait here until the strigoi were given orders in what to do with them.
They didn't have to wait long until company came to join them. A person wandered into the hall. He was not strigoi, nor was he dressed in the traditional civilian clothes. Cayna realized after a few moments of observation that this wasn't even a vampire. This man was human, or seemed to be anyway. Either way, he was a living creature. Cayna grew curious as the man stepped to each cell, quietly contemplating the contents.
Gwyn and his brides paid no heed to the onlooker while the warriors were less dismissive. Apparently prolonged eye contact could be construed as a challenge to a duel. Cayna was pleased to find that the cubes were not sound proof, though Gwyn seemed far away to strike up a conversation. Dormach and Carn's cells were between them. She decided to table her questions until a later time.
The man continued going from one cell to the next, where each morrigan warrior snarled threats at him and beat their chest to express they were ready to fight.
Gelena was the most composed of them all. She simply folded her arms and looked the staring man up and down. Cayna watched the exchange with interest. Gelena was directly across from her so she got a pretty good look at the man too.
He was tall, well-built but dressed in shabby clothes. The clothing themselves were not simple but elaborate with belts, pockets and buckles and all sorts of mismatched stitching of clothing. They would have been called tactical clothing if not for the ratty tatty way it was put together. It certainly wasn't a pretty sight, though the man himself was clean shaved and rather handsome himself. He seemed out of place in his own clothes if that makes sense. Like he drabbed himself in a vagabond's clothing.
Gelena cracked a smile at the man and eventually spoke. "Do you wish to love me?" the man then surprised Cayna by performing a very polite bow, turning on his heels to face away from her, completely ignoring her in the process. Gelena's smile didn't fade. She gave a mocking huff and turned away herself. "Next time, don't stare at a woman unless you wish to mate with her. Useless." Then she was silent.
Cayna gulped as the man turned his attention to her. To her utter shock, he spoke for the first time since entering the room saying, "Well, well. It seems I do not know this story. Who are you?" he said, eyeing her up and down like she was a prized specimen. It was not a lewd gaze but more intensely curious in a genuine way. Cayna didn't know if that made her feel any better.
"Um, uh…" she looked to the others, confused on what to do. She caught Gwyn's eyes and he nodded with a shrug. It seemed to say that it was safe to talk. She turned back to the man who was waiting patiently with a pleasant smile on his face. He looked friendly enough, at least. "I'm Cayna. Who are you?"
The man's smile widened. "Cayna." He said, as if testing the way, the name rolled off his tongue. "Sycadian.... and yet, not Sycadian"
"Um, yes." Cayna said, unnerved by his strange behavior. "Who are you?" He seemed to be a man amidst a dream when he talked, as if he wasn't seeing the world in front of him and was surrounded by the imaginary. That's the way his eyes moved now. They focused on her again.
He didn't answer her, only continued to stare and Cayna began to get annoyed. He got the answer to his question, now she felt she deserved the same in return.
"Who are you?" she said in a harder voice, her anger rising. Not like in her human life, this anger was amplified by her lycan inheritance.
He continued to be silent, smiling at her. After a while he turned away, leaving Cayna confused and put off. What was this guy's deal? What's he doing wandering around the strigoi compound as if the whole place was open to him. He isn't even a vampire! He seemed to be something else. He couldn't be some random vagabond nobody. Her curiosity got the better of her.
"Are you human?" she said. He didn't turn around but his shoulders straitened. Was this a sign that he was going to answer her?
"I am a priest." He said, turning around again. His smile was lessoned.
"What is a priest?' she said, having no concept of the word. He chuckled to himself.
"Of course, growing up under the Sycadian regime, you are ignorant of such things, aren't you?" he said. Cayna might have felt insulted but his tone was not mocking. He was just stating a fact. "Do you know what key casting is?"
"I know the concept." She said. "But I haven't seen it until I met Gwyn. I still don't understand it."
"Hm." He said, touching his chin. He stepped up very close to the barrier. The movement surprised Cayna, making her step back. He was looking right into her eyes. "Then I will show you." Then he stepped right through the barrier as if it wasn't even there. Cayna gasped and stumbled backwards, almost crashing into the barrier behind her. She was suddenly very aware of just how small this space was with two people, especially when the other person was a tall man.
"Don't come any closer." She said. He gave her a disarming smile, though she could not say she was much relieved at the friendly expression. Dormach seemed to sense her anxiety and immediately leaped up to her feet and flung herself at the barrier. She yelped as it shocked her but she was right back up and growling at the priest. Her eyes burned with anger.
"Now, now." He said with his hands raised. "I will not hurt your friend, good Dormach. I am going to help her." He turned to Cayna. "Please, allow me to show you the path to your power."
"Um, please don't come any closer." She said, putting up her hands to warn him to stand back. She almost forgot that now her fingers ended in claws. She flashed her nails at him. "Get back."
He ignored her, coming closer by a few steps until he was right in front of her. If she wanted, she could strike him. Yet, she didn't. She hesitated and now it was too late. He reached his hands up to her. She breathed in, frozen in place by her own insecurity. Then his hands closed over hers in a gentle embrace. She looked up into his warm eyes.
"I will not hurt you, Cayna." He said, breathing the words like he was speaking to a lover in the dark. Then his eyes began to glow. It was the most pure light she had ever seen, like silver fire.
Dormach continued to growl, watching the priest closely. Cayna watched as his aura slid around his arms and then began to engulf her too. She gasped and was about to try and pull away, but his aura felt so good. Though this was too simple a way to explain it. It felt warm, like being immersed in bath water. It was soothing, seeming to relax all her muscles and make her feel heady. She was suddenly very relaxed.
His eyes stared into hers and they seemed to come closer and closer and she had no choice but to stare into them. Then, to her surprise, he was kissing her lips. It felt… great. His lips, his body, they molded to her and she was lifted off her feet into his arms.
His lips did not move, he simply stayed, toucher her, his eyes staring continually, holding her gaze. It may have been against her will but she was so entranced that she didn't care. If anything, she wanted it to last forever. This warm embrace was the most wonderful, safest place she had ever been in. She didn't want it to end.
He lowered her to the ground. When her lips parted from her, she felt a protest rise on her lips and she tried to pull him back but somehow he slipped from her grasp. He backed away and then passed back through the barrier. His aura was gone and he appeared very pleased.
"Cayna." He said with a bow. "We shall meet again." He gave her a curious gaze and added "When you are queen."
His pentalpha appeared and behind him, a portal as well. He stepped into the portal and then the both of them disappeared.
Cayna finally came to the realization of what happened. She had just kissed a man in front of her companions and all these strangers! Whay did this have to happen to her?! Next time she sees him, she vowed to rip his throat out for his audacity to humiliate her like this!
She whirled to the others, finding Gwyn's eyes. He appeared very untroubled at the fact that she was just moments ago, kissing another man. This made her somehow more angry.
"By The Word, who was that pervert?" she said.
"Oh him?" Gwyn said, as if he was about to state the most boring fact in the world. "You just met one of the most powerful agents in the cosmos. Just in case you ladies were thinking of killing him for that little display." his gaze swept over to Gelena who joined Cayna in dismayed surprise.
"Whaaaaaat?!"