Vasili, realizing he had to get rid of his other shoe, bent down to remove it. He didn't fret about going barefoot through New York City though, because even his most vulnerable body parts were now harder than regular metals.
Feeling around for the lip of the shoe, he 'felt' the complexity of the amulet's magic at work. He hadn't reverted to his 'human' form, but simultaneously, when he touched the human skin, it felt like he was touching himself. He understood that pressing hard would disrupt the illusion or whatever effect was at play.
It reminded him of those haptic feedback suits for VR, like a layer of sensors and electric motors on his body that allowed him to react naturally to regular touches. It was something that shattered his perception of reality.
Shaking himself from his introspection, Vasili sprinted to catch up with the others.
Opting for speed, they used Elias' private elevator. Upon reaching the lobby, they saw Vladimir's Vampires preparing for widescale reconnaissance, with the war temporarily on hold.
Elias acknowledged the men and women by nodding, and the Alpha Vampires saluted him back by thumping their fists onto their hearts.
Vasili followed behind, taking in the scent of these Vampires. It didn't take him long to discern their relative weakness. Surprisingly, some Alphas smelled like prey to him.
The Dragon within him oozed confidence, and the Ram silently agreed. Vasili briefly entertained thoughts of how he might defeat them, but the Lion's instincts took over.
The Lion's first instinct, was closing the distance, adopting a disarming gait to approach a single target. Then, he could use his talons to grip them, relying on his strength and speed to hold them in place. At that point, breathing fire to cook the flesh or eating it raw could be easily accomplished.
'...'
His mind wandered into disturbing territory as he unwillingly considered which flavor he might prefer, cooked or raw Vampire. Perhaps he was just hungry? He tried to brush off the vivid thoughts of murder and 'cannibalism.'
At the same time, Elias stopped and felt the bloodlust radiating from his Family's Knights. Turning, he asked, "What the hell? Vasili? Are you good?" Elias knew taking him out of the house this soon could be problematic, but he believed that most people responded better to the 'ripping off the band-aid' approach. All Vasili had to do was ignore that he was a monster from Myths & Legends and get some food, easy-peasy.
Vasili quickly got a handle on the Dragon. To him, it seemed that listening to his instincts meant they could influence him more.
Shrugging off the glares and pushing the urge to fill the lobby with Dragon's Breath down, he pushed on.
They got inside a comparatively ordinary limousine. Vasili thought it looked old. He realized it was probably used for high-class people who wanted to be 'stealthy', while still traveling in style.
He nodded to himself as he, Sebastian, Maranda, and Elias headed to the "club" serving Chinese food.
----------------------
Pulling up to the club, Elias beckoned for Maranda to exit first, as was protocol. She stepped out into the crisp New York air and scanned the area for threats, even tapping into her pool of Essence.
Seeing no immediate threats, she smacked the top of the limousine twice, signaling that they could come out. Naturally, Sebastian made his way out, nervously looking around at the bustling "youngsters" enjoying their youth. Then came Elias, stepping out onto the block like he owned it. Because he did.
Vasili was last, stepping out, he realized just how popular Elias must be, as hundreds of pairs of eyes were locked onto him like he was prey.
The street was illuminated by vibrant purple and red neon lights, but something seemed off-almost everyone he smelled as they passed was "different," like him. Some were just humans, but Vasili sensed they were dangerous, which only added to his confusion.
Elias barged into the back entrance, where a massive bouncer greeted them with a fanged smile.
Elias turned and addressed Vasili, "It might be a little loud, but in my section, we have sound-dampening enchantments, so don't worry!"
The bass from a new hit song reverberated against the walls, yet the patrons inside seemed unfazed by hearing damage being done to them.
Elias smiled and nodded at certain individuals he deemed important, one of which closed the distance to him with supernatural speed but was promptly halted by Maranda before getting within 5 feet of her charge.
The woman with the purple hair asked, "Hey, Boss, you okay? Demetri smelled your blood just after you left and called for backup. We were worried, and the guys took off in groups. They caught and put most of them down, but we hadn't heard anything from anyone. I'm glad you are safe!"
Elias smiled and spoke softly, "Yeah, I am good, close call though..." he let the seriousness sink in for a moment, then smacked Vasili on the back, "Luckily, I smelt something and ran right into the arms of this big guy! I was like Princess Peach for a moment but with a lot more blood."
He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself a bit too much, before continuing, "I need security in TOP form tonight. Do you understand, Liz?"
Letting the serious moment pass, he accepted her nod and trusted her professionalism, whispering into Vasili's ear, "Come on, bro, I'll show you our world!"
Vasili absentmindedly nodded, his eyes tracking motion all over the room, the Ram was trying to learn everything it could.
They navigated through the crowd, attracting confused glances as they went. Elias, as the owner, was a regular and had visited with Sebastian and Maranda before, but the presence of an unfamiliar face in the political world of Immortals was undoubtedly "unconventional."
Upon reaching their private spot, situated a few stairs up and sectioned off with plush velvet ropes, they settled in. As Vasili crossed the ropes, he felt the barrier-something that seemed to enforce peace onto their group.
Elias smiled and explained, "It is a spell, [Protection from Harm], and it is pretty rare. We made it using Consecrated and Defiled Ground. Essentially, nobody without my bloodline is able to inflict harm at all."
The Dragon within Vasili roared momentarily, before being soothed by the Ram, the Lion staying out of it entirely.
Elias grinned, sipping a glass of wine from seemingly nowhere, and asked in a hushed tone, "Don't worry, Brother. Your instincts are stronger than most creatures-I can see it on your face. Now, tell me, what do you know about Chimeras?"