Vasili jolted awake, only to find a somewhat depressed-looking Vampire handing him his phone. Grabbing it, he watched the man disappear beyond the barrier in a hurry. As he wiped the gunk from his eyes, he couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of having fallen asleep in a nightclub of all places.
After taking a moment to wake up fully, he shot a text to his boss, effectively quitting his job because of an emergency.
Then he glanced at the time and thought, 'Huh, it's only 2:12 a.m.'
Looking around the VIP lounge, he realized that he was completely alone-they had left him to nap the night away.
Then he turned his attention to the rest of the club, imagining the pounding music making the place feel alive, he caught a few glances of beautiful women partying their asses off.
Just as he was about to stop watching, he caught a hungry gaze-she wanted to devour him and he was inclined to let her.
Pushing the urges away, he tried to analyze his feelings for a moment. He had just watched Elias take that woman's freedom and he voiced no objection. Something was off, he was different.
He had considered himself somewhat of a feminist. Not by 'label', but by practice, as he would prefer women to have an equal shot in life.
Vasili pushed deeper, demanding an answer as to why he didn't 'care' as much. Why he didn't object...
The Dragon within him only sent mixed signals in response to his questioning, it was confused by the concept of the weak not serving the strong.
The Ram seemed to agree with Vasili, as it too was wishing for a world without such necessity, alas, it wasn't this one.
The Lion only whispered a simple plan, 'If Elias abuses her, we eat him.'
These instincts were slightly off-putting, but they felt just like a regular conscience would, only that they were from a different part of him.
As Vasili touched his arm through the illusory skin, he knew his body was forever transformed. There was no longer a 'human' Vasili like Werewolves had in the media. He couldn't pass as a person anymore, he was a beast through and through, or in traditional terms, a monster.
Without this magic amulet, he'd never step foot in public again.
Reaching deeper within, he sensed a humming power, something was generating energy.
The Ram offered its knowledge, telling him that it was a type of energy called Essence, and noting that it is the key to the miracle that was his body. It acted as the stabilizing force in his 'unnatural' visage. It was present in all supernatural beings. All creatures of the night and horrors of the day contained some amount of Essence.
Dragon added that he could channel it through his throat, letting his foes know how Dragon Fire looked before they were charred bones. It would distinguish him as a powerful mate, one to claim many women.
Lion whispered that he could coat the pads of his feet and become an apex predator. A simple, yet elegant application would allow him to go unnoticed almost anywhere.
Vasili took the information in, realizing that each instinct was different, and each was playing a role. The Ram offered knowledge for him to utilize. The Dragon offered him courage and a 'backbone'. While the Lion offered him the blend of the two, a practical application of Ethics and Murder. They worked in a harmonious discord, trying to help him lead his life.
Standing up, he looked over the club once more. This time, he noticed a commotion at the bar. A large group of people were engaged in an obviously heated exchange, given the level of animation they were producing, they were on the edge of a huge fight.
Stepping closer, Vasili squinted, instinctively activating his eyes' zooming ability.
Watching the two mobs, he noticed one group was plastered with neon makeup, vibrant shades of purple and pink were blending and shimmering across their skin. The other group, however, resembled stereotypical "biker" Vampires, complete with faux patches on their leather jackets.
'What a bizarre sight,' Vasili thought, 'And they're about to throw down.'
Leaving the barrier, he felt the thumping bass dominate his senses once more. Someone had to intervene and put a stop to this obvious barfight
Descending a couple of levels of the club, he searched for any sign of the bouncers. To his surprise, they were gone without a trace. Vasili's confusion only grew when he pushed ahead, finding the bartender missing as well.
'What the hell is going on here? Did they all abandon ship?' Vasili wondered as he pushed past a couple fervently 'getting acquainted' with their mouths.
The tempers that had been building were finally erupting, as the tension became blows. The 'colorful' group of creatures pushed hard against the 'bikers', while a 'biker' near the front bashed one of their member's skulls into the bar top. Blood and screams erupted as the poor fellow was repeatedly smashed, the assault only being stopped by another 'colorful' person punching the dude in the junk.
Blood ran down the glossy bar and clung to unfinished drinks through surface tension. But it wasn't over, as more fights were breaking off and getting incredibly violent. The flesh was being torn from the subcutaneous tissue, flaps flew and hit bystanders, and then true screams of terror erupted.
He had to get Elias' attention. At that critical juncture, the Dragon within offered a solution.
Vasili only needed to brace himself, so he grabbed onto the wall and railing for the stairs.
Then, he pushed his right foot back.
The Ram signaled his form was correct, while the Lion dove into the specifics.
Step one: Take the deepest breath he possibly could. It needed to fill his entire stomach, squeezing his heart and intestines. Step two: Let the Essence flow into the pressurized air. Step three: Release.
The club seemed frozen in time as the air was forcibly sucked to a singular point in space, which drew the attention of a few creatures who stopped and stared at Vasili's form. Then, just as quickly as the air had been gathered, it was returned, tenfold.
"ELIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSS!!!" A colossal roar erupted from his diaphragm, shaking the entire club and causing bottles to shatter as it canceled out the Drum and Bass blasting on the stereo system.
The world around Vasili trembled in his wake as if he were a living Earthquake.
The two groups of creatures that were engaged in the brawl froze in their tracks as an extremely forceful gale knocked them off their feet, sending them over the bar and landing in a chaotic heap of bodies.
Vasili froze at the scene. Maybe he needed to be a little more specific in the type of help he received from the Dragon...