Location: Alavaris Gatehouse [@VitaVitaAR][@Click This] [hr] Undead fell beneath their assault, though it would leave the pair feeling quite drained themselves. The undead may not have been individually strong, but slowly, and surely, their numbers were starting to weigh on the two as they spent their already weakened strength to fight off the creatures…but fall the undead would regardless, until all around the pair was quiet again. If they so happened to poke their head up the stairs, they’d find themselves standing atop the wall a short climb later, and it, seemed to at least, be blessedly free of any mindless undead not tethered to Ichor and in the distance, across the road and various buildings they could easily see the cathedral in the distance, imposing, high above the rest of the city as though looking down upon the both of them and the city itself. But of course, they would not dare to leave one of their own behind. Besides, the most important thing it seemed…was that the defensive wall, was not unoccupied. The two vampires could immediately tell - there was a human here, and he was making no effort to hide himself. [url=https://i.imgur.com/sEHk667.jpg]“...I was wondering what the undead were wailing about, but instead of a monster I find two who appear to be hapless girls that have stumbled into this wretched place.”[/url] A masculine voice made itself known to Giselle and Aleksiya. He was standing not far from them, at just the edge of the wall facing the Cathedral. “Yet you are neither hapless nor simple girls, are you? You’d already be dead if you were.” The man was dressed in a long coat, and seemed quite tired. Vials of fresh, red blood seemingly hung from his coat alongside what was a very bright, very obvious lantern that illuminated the area around him. “Ah, sorry. Lucky you ran into me instead of my partner. Unlike her, I’m much more open to negotiating. Don’t mind me, I’m simply looking for a vermin that escaped our trap.” Well, it seemed at least if nothing else, humans still survived. He might make for a somewhat easy meal, too. He didn’t seem all that strong…but then again, to be up here and seemingly be completely unharmed walking among the undead that had been here, or perhaps, unnoticed meant he likely had some tricks up his sleeve. Location: Alavaris Cathedral [@Psyker Landshark][@Asuras][@Erode] [hr] Taking a blow to ones pride was always a brutal moment. Even more so for such creatures as vampires. The beast before them was as of now, still beyond their capabilities, whatever this creature even was. Perhaps there would be some way to incapacitate the creature, but for now…perhaps this was the smartest choice. The trio fled, using the path the creature created when it shook both its body free and smashed Dragan into the wall. Not wanting to let its prey go, however, the beast shrieked and would initially give chase, pouncing along the stony road and reaching for the vampires with its long neck, attempting to swallow Dragan, the slowest of the bunch to flee in its massive maw only to just barely, barely, fall short as it hissed and shrieked, its lunch managing to just barely escape from it. Why it didn’t follow into the cathedral ward and the city proper was perhaps, something to be found out shortly. The trip to the cathedral was, thankfully, much easier once they had gotten away from the rotten mess of the lower slums and once they had passed the wall that separated the Cathedral from the rest of the city things became…much quieter. Howls of the animals below quieted, almost as if something was blocking the sound. Not a single creature could be seen be it insect, beast, or undead. The three vampires would quickly know the reason, too. It was faint, but they could definitely feel it. Ichor’s power seeped from the Cathedral still. Faint, weakened, but still it beat and this place, was thus, sanctified ground for those undead of her brood and her children. A safe haven. Dragan, Luna, and Illena would not be entering through the front gate. Rather they would be entering through a side hall that was used in the past by those of clergymen to enter into the building unseen. Up the stairs, through a few large backrooms of libraries and study halls and soon, out into the main cathedral hall which thankfully seemed just as grand as it had in the past. The worship hall was as large. Grandiosely built to satisfy someone's hubris. Against the far back wall, was the carved image of the Goddess Ichor. It stretched all the way from the floor to the ceiling high above, her stony visage looking down upon all in the hall. Long, flowing hair carved into the stone as her arms wrapped tightly around a depiction of the Violet witch and the Vampire Queen. The witch knelt next to the Vampire Queen, cradling her head in one arm and in the other held a bowl, the liquid pouring into the mouth of a depiction of the Vampire Queen as the Goddess embraced the two tightly. Under the Vampire Queen skeletal hands and figures began crawling their way out from under the bed upon which she lay. In front of the statue was an altar at its base, and on the altar…was a still mostly fresh body. Wait. No, they were still alive. Barely, if you count being ‘undead’ as alive in some fashion. No, this wasn’t just a normal person. It was a [i]thrall[/i] and she seemed to be passed out, slumped over the altar. On the altar was what seemed to be an oversized heart with a dagger plunged into it. A satchel with several vials of fresh, human blood were within just enough to satiate and definitely help with regaining their lost power. A thrall, here, of all things? And she didn’t seem to be doing to well. Did this mean a vampire still lived and this was their servant?