[center][color=92278f][center][h3]Victor Astorio[/h3][/center][/color][/center]

[color=39b54a]“Behind you now are paths laid bare where nothing but life once stood. Take your left and find your home without a backwards glance. Keep your eyes ahead now lest wandering thoughts drag you down.”[/color]

Victor listened carefully at Salem’s words, and thought about it for a moment before continuing. [color=92278f]“Behind you now are paths laid bare where nothing but life once stood? So the path is clear with hopefully little in the way of obstacles. Take your left and find your home without a backwards glance? The left is the correct path to take from here just don’t look back.”[/color] A short pondering of the last few words again, [color=92278f]“Keep your eyes ahead now lest wandering thoughts drag you down? Huh sounds easy enough knowing this place there is a catch. O well I feel the temperature dropping slightly from when we started, the sun is coming.”[/color] 

Staying out too see the sun was not something he was looking forward to. Obviously for him it meant extreme discomfort but for the both of them it was failure. This was not an option. Stepping forward towards the way Salem directed the duo continued on their path through this very interesting mind field. 

The next thing to come for him seemed rather disturbing and instantly put him on edge. There was no sound down this path, not even his own footsteps seemed to be muffled in the early morning air. Then the sound of footsteps behind him caught his ear, then breathing and a low growl. Whatever it was seemed bigger than even himself. The stench of rot and death drifted past them on a warm moist wind almost as if it was right behind them.

The count didn’t walk faster or turn even if all of his instincts were telling him to either run or fight, instead he relied on his training and quelled his reflexes with deep breathing then laughed. [color=92278f]“You know Salem, we were taught to ignore our instincts at times. In order to stay still at whatever cost to avoid detection. My father had large dogs trained to sniff us out while we were hiding, they would bark and growl at us anything to get us to move or run. You see when dealing with dogs that have a trainer or handler we are taught to trick the man behind the hound and not the hound itself.”[/color] Victor was talking rather loudly to drown out the sounds behind them. 

[color=92278f]“One of the things they taught us to do to control these instincts is to belittle the threat or make it funny. Normally you would imagine it and keep it to yourself but I think I can make an exception.”[/color] He thought for a moment before continuing, how could he make fun of this thing that would make both of them feel a little better especially after that last challenge? Victor smiled, [color=92278f]“Arron how did you get off your leash? Did your master give you permission?”[/color] 

He was shouting into the forest now, not once looking back. [color=92278f]“I doubt you had the balls to sneak off on your own after he neutered you. And what is that stench? I can’t tell if it’s because you have been licking Varis’s boots or chewing on them. That must be why you’re out here then, he left you on the porch again and you decided to run away like a lost puppy. You can’t find the princess so tried coming after my mage huh!?”[/color] he was still smiling as he walked, [color=92278f]“you can try it too Salem.”[/color] He spoke then yelled again, [color=92278f]“Well I got news for you pup. Salem here is a whole lot better than you, rode a vampire, faced off against a ghost from my past, and even had the brass balls to run into danger and have the gull to kill a fellow mage. I wouldn’t trade him for a puppet like you any day.”[/color] The large vampire was well aware this was a bit out of character for him but frankly he was tired of this as well and just maybe he could get Salem to laugh at the situation or at least feel better with a complement.

[@Trainerblue192]