The London Library

The moon was just rising when a pale man with Orange hued eyes entered the ruins of the building, with a forlorn look on his face, "Centuries of Knowledge was stored here...all destroyed in a single night..." he lamented, genuinely distraught at the buildings destruction. "I should salvage what information I can before someone sees me or dawn comes." With that he took a large been and started to sift through the rubble, to get to the books buried beneath. "On the bright side, London does seem to be a rather smashing place." He chuckled at his own horrible joke, in an attempt to calm his nerves.

Hours had past, and all Hyaskus could salvage was a mere two dozen books. Of course that could not be all that was there as it was a huge library, but he spent most of the time sifting through rubble. Looking a nearby clock, Hyaskus realized Dawn was only a few hours away. Taking the bin of books, the Vampire headed out of the ruins. Unfortunately for him, he was very conspicuous by carrying a large container this late at night. All he could do was hope no potential threat saw him and that he returned to his coffin soon enough.

On his way to where he hid his coffin, Hyaskus dropped the container creating a large ruckus, inadvertently alerting anything to his presence, "Oh dear..."

Maximillion wasn't your typical prowler of the night. He spent the entire night stockpiling resources for his next hunt. It wasn't as though there weren't better times than now, cutting it until the last second as he was. Rather, he preferred to go out at a time when many amongst the World of Darkness would be retreating underground, preparing themselves for the Dawn. Although he himself would be having to do so shortly, he'd always been gifted with the ability to resist the Torpor about an hour longer than other Vampires, and without suffering adverse effects.

Tonight, he had just finished shopping at a renaissance festival shop, the kind where there were people ACTUALLY serving as 'blacksmiths' who could forge real swords. He'd wanted one for a long time, but knew that this was the age of guns and automatic weaponry. However, enough time passed that he knew he would be better off just getting a sword, else he'd obsess about it. He wanted to complete his image in a nice and imaginative way, and this was how he'd go about it.

He was broken out of his reverie, however, when he heard a loud ruckus coming from the next block up. Instinctively, he'd bolted his head upwards, the world around him seeming to slow to a crawl as his thoughts began to move at an accelerated speed, one of the perks of his otherworldly brain power. He calculated the trajectory to the roof of the shop nearest him, then what it would take to move closer to the sound without making any sounds of his own. It was at this point he realized why his mind had taken this reaction to an otherwise mundane sound:

The smell... yes, that odd smell other Vampires seemed to give off. It was hard to describe with the words vailable of the day and age, but it filled him with both a sense of euphoria, as well as dread. A feeling as though he were in the presence of some heavenly body, but also the feeling like he was facing some hellish beast that would tear him limb from limb if it could.

Once he'd formulated half a dozen scenarios in his head for dealing with the unknown entity, and the noise it emitted, his mind slowed back down to his normal (for a Vampire) pace, and he kicked off the ground with a barely audible 'click', rising into the air towards the upper lip of the rooftop, then using his left hand to pull himself over the lip and onto the actual roof. As he landed, he dashed across the roof, leaping across the large space between that building and the other, and dropped silently atop the second roof. Pausing, stalk-still, he waited until he ensured there were no sounds of pursuit, and he moved lithely towards the end of the roof, peering downwards.

"Well now, what do we have here?" he thought aloud, albeit under his breath, albeit at a volume that was barely audible to Vampires, so would surely be silent to humans. When he'd effectively sized up the environment around him, various elements of the street and the surrounding objects both in and around it, he finally rose to his full 6'7" height, walked atop, then over, the lip of the rooftop, landing with a gentle 'tap' on the flagstones below.

"Nice evening we're heaving tonight," he greeted the other fellow, amiably enough. In this town, it wasn't unusual to find people who greeted one another, be it during the day or night. There was nothing unusual about someone dropping things here, nor was there for someone greeted said person.

However, the purple cloak he wore - fashionable, despite the times, and made to look a lot like a jacket of the modern age - might have concealed more than his friendly face belied.

"Can I help you with that? I know it can be a real drag when you end up carrying more than you may've intended to, and you end up dropping things. Where are you headed with that?"

Hyaskus, was quite startled when the other man walked up to him, also sensing he was a Vampire. Gathering what he dropped, the Amber eyed man looked at Maximillion, "I do not think I need any help, but I am trying to get to where my resting place is before daybreak." Hyaskus said, calmly. Studying the other creature of the night for a few moments he asked, "May I ask who you are? Not many still dwell in the age of the Cloak and Dagger, as it were."

However, as he was speaking, he hefted the container over his shoulder while his free hand went to his own blade, "I also find it strange for another one of our kind to be here, considering how England is surrounded by water..." The Vampire said, partially to distract the man from following his movements.

Eyeing the guns, Hyaskus moves his hand away from his own blade, "I am sorry, but usually the members of our kind I come into contact with are less than friendly..." He said, relaxing.

Hyaskus looked at the man again, and figuring him for an intellectual like himself, Hyaskus spoke again, "My personal opinion is either our kin mainly consist of the newly turned and think themselves god like, not knowing of those that hunt our kind, or in less pleasant terms, they have brass balls." Hyaskus frown before speaking again, "From a militaristic point of view and what I saw of some of the towns that have been attacked, it could be that they are members of some sort of Vampire Organization, and this could be a mere distraction for something bigger, but I personally doubt this, as someone must be incredibly blood thirsty to lead such a fighting force of the undead."

====>Hellsing Manor

His experience at the Hellsing manor had been truly enlightening, not to mention filling.  Granted, he had infiltrated and slaughtered those that opposed him, but not as easily as he would have liked.  Those two had wounded him slightly and though they had already healed fully, they were a slight bruise to his pride.    He would need far greater powers than those he currently possessed.  There were means to such an end of course.  Legends, tales of ancient "evils" spoken of in hushed tones by the church boys on Sundays.  Many were hoaxes of the highest order but others were very very real.  Almos had done a bit of digging into their histories over the decades but such topics had been on the back burner for some time and thus his knowledge was not nearly sufficient.  He would need a place to start from and preferably a bit of solitude.  To achieve that, he had chosen the distinguished London library as a starting point.  Almos had no hopes that they would have all the information he would require.  The darker aspects of history were generally not kept in the average history section.  However, it would be enough to get reintroduced to the subject matter.  Once that was done he could narrow his search.  

Imagine his surprise when he discovered his question for solitude had been a failure as two men carried on a conversation near the rubble that was once the London Library.  Beyond that, it was plain to see that neither of them were even men to begin with.  The old cliche about small worlds was a bit too fitting for Lorand's taste.  "Pardon me gentlemen" the Hungarian vampire called out as he approached the twosome at a steady walking pace from around the corner of a nearby alley.  The book holder was standing between the purple clad vampire and Almos but the fallen monk had no trouble making out the handguns he was holding.  This little gathering had the potential to become rather nasty at the drop of a hat.  How fun.  "I find myself in search of certain information and I believe you may be able to assist me in that, librarian" Almos said, addressing the sword wielding vampire.

Hyaskus looked at Max, extending a hand, "Ah yes, where are my manners? I am Hyaskus." He said, a smile on his face, before continuing, "If these are the offshoots of a WWII battalion, then perhaps the strategy is a simple Blitzkrieg, or Lightning War, where they would strike fast and unannounced like Lightning, hence the name. And it is strange, none of the tomes in my travels mentions it. Must be one of those Top Secret things..."

Hyaskus then turned his head to the newcomer, to which he was surprised in seeing, "A rather blunt way of introducing yourself, but that is not important." Hyaskus scanned the man, and saw a certain...brutality to him, but that could be paranoia on his part. "Perhaps you can tell me more of what you are seeking, as 'Valuable Piece of Information' can be anything from the meaning to life to how many jelly beans are in a jar at the local carnival...." Hyaskus said, as if irritated, but that could just be due to the Dawn that could not possibly be too far behind.

Maximillion took and shook Hyaskus' hand, nodding politely as he took the other man's hand in his own.

"I'm not a huge fan of military strategy myself, although I've helped formulate it in the past," he replied, turning his head as a newcomer arrived, also giving off the same odd aroma of a Vampire. Christ Almighty, it's raining Vampires! he thought to himself, keeping his outward appearance stoic and unexpressive, even as he was overwhelmed with an emotion that would've caused his mortal self to shudder and grimace with displeasure.

"He seeks information. Well, if there's one thing we the relatively long-lived have at our disposal, it's information."

He didn't know yet how much he could trust Hyaskus, but the overwhelming air of brutality around this newcomer seemed to awaken something in him, the part of him that awoke when there was danger nearby, or there was something he needed to keep his eyes on. It wasn't like fear, or even anger or paranoia... it was more like exhilaration. Something to stimulate his mind to a great degree, stimulating him like a cup of coffee might a groggy corporate-type who just woke up.

His eyes sharper, more clear, he turned to the newcomer, still not sure what his name was, and still not entirely sure how to go about asking it. The man hadn't addressed him particularly, but he was part of the twosome this more recent entrant had encountered.

Unless this was some kind of elaborate trap?

The world would again seem to slow as Maximillion's thoughts accelerated once more, to the point where the world around him would seem to slow to a crawl. Although it was merely the speed of his calculations and thoughts that was accelerating, it would almost appear around him like time stood still beyond the scope of his thoughts. Once again, after forming some hypothetical scenarios, and evaluating how his environment might come into play in the case of an altercation, he finally slowed his thoughts back to the normal Vampire 'default' level once more, and time would seem to rev back to it's normal pace.

"We were just exchanging introductions. The name's Maximillion, the 'Librarian' is Hyaskus. And who might you be, Brother?"

Allowing a smirk to grace his pale features, Almos took a certain sense of satisfaction in the response he received from his fellow nosferatu.  They weren't necessarily afraid of him, that was clear.  But they were definitely wary, as if they could sense his nature from a single glance.  That was fine though.  Lorand had no reason to hide the sort of man he was, quite the contrary actually.  "My name is Almos Lorand, unfortunately not available for your service," he responded first to the man dressed in purple.  Advancing a bit closer, the Hungarian kept both of his hands in his pockets.  These two were already on edge, no need to take unnecessarily aggressive actions.  It was for that very reason that he chose to not use a sharper tone with the man who had so casually called him "brother".  Such a title was an exaggeration to say the least.  

"The Gunslinger took the words right out of my mouth.  I originally decided to drop by the library in search of several old books.  It was a disappointment to see the sorry state of the building but imagine my luck to find two well-traveled "abominations" right next door," he flashed a toothy smile and momentarily turned his gaze on the books that the sword fellow was carrying.  "You seem to be have a proper appreciation for literature Librarian so I'd imagine whatever you decided to snatch from back there must have some significance.  What can you tell me about religious legends of the not-so-Christian kind?" Almos asked, putting a great deal of effort into not appearing as if he were hiding something.  It was in all likelihood a futile effort.

Hyaskus eyed the brute, not sure weather to make heads or tails of him but replied none the less, stroking his chin in thought, he said, "Well, the only one on this continent, that I know of would be the Book of Abraham, and while it may sound religious it is actually more Alchemic in nature. Last I heard it was held by the famous Alchemist Nicholas Flamel, who allegedly died in the Thirteenth or Fourteenth Century, is said to be immortal and may still walk the earth." He looked around, not knowing that he ended up rambling, something he does often.

"Most religious artifacts of any great significance have been claimed by the Church," Maximillion replied simply, feeling like he might be stating something they all already knew. He never knew how he could tell, but he just COULD when it came to telling whether he was dealing with Vampires in his own general age range, someone older, or someone younger. They weren't fledgelings by any means, or at least not so young in their Unlife that they should be assumed to be.

"The Spear of Longinus, said to have pierced Jesus' side, is said to be imbued with an unholy power. However, from what I understand, they have replicas stationed in Vienna and Rome. They claim to be authentic, but they really aren't. The staff was, in fact, broken into two halves on accident, during a skirmish resulting from one man's attempt to steal the Spear. Despite being broken, both halves of the Spear retained their power, but rumor has it that some kind of Arcane or Celestial polarity resulted in each side taking on a different property. One was said to embody the darkness that sought to bring the end of the Son of Man, whilst the other is said to embody the Light of the Savior's Blood."

He was mentally recalling his impressions of the books he'd read, recalling every word he'd read verbatim, and doing his best to translate the words he'd read into English, then to explain it using Modern English sentence structures. It wasn't the easiest thing he'd ever done, but he had plenty of practice doing it.

"Long story short, most of these artifacts are a wild goose chase. However, if you want to get to the root of where these artifacts lie, go into the homes, vaults and religious buildings of the wealthy and powerful. They didn't build that wealth upon empty air, after all."

He didn't know why, but he loved being the source of information, or knowledge. Whether it was because he'd dedicated the greater part of his energies as an Immortal towards the accumulation of knowledge and data, or because he'd always been something of a scholar, he just enjoyed the fact that he had, in his mind, more information than even an Immortal mind could handle short of one that had lived as long as the purported King of Vampires had.

Oh, the stories THAT one must have, the experiences he'd had, the things he had learned! He hoped one day to speak to the man, assuming he hadn't gone mad with age, as most Immortals did.

"There are still rumors of the Holy Grail, but that may be in the possession of the Catholic Church, and I doubt anyone's prepared to lay siege to the Vatican in search of it."

"Heheh.  I couldn't have asked for a better pair or sources than you two.  I do appreciate the information," the fallen monk exclaimed drawing a bit closer, stopping a step outside of Hyaskus' sword range.  They were certainly well read enough to know of the bigger legends.  However, the general stories weren't quite enough for the Hungarian.  "However, the information I'm seeking is a bit more specific.  Historical records technically, or as close to one can come when dealing with this sort of topic."  Moving once more, Lorand slowly made his way in a circular pattern around Hyaskus until he was an equal distance from both vampires, his hands still in his pockets.  "Would you happen to know the location of such literature?" Almos asked, his red eyes fixed upon Hyaskus.  "Or perhaps the address of one of those 'wealthy and powerful' collectors you spoke of?" he added, flicking his gaze to the dark skinned nosferatu with the fancy firearms.  The former monk briefly wondered if they held holy ammunition but dismissed such a possibility rather quickly.  Hellsing was one thing, but a rogue vampire that hunted his own kind was laughable.  If this Maximillion person had wished ill will on the undead he would have acted by now.  Then again, who knew what these two would do if they actually knew what Almos sought in the long run.

Hyaskus thought to himself, trying to drudge up memories of reading of non religious artifacts, "There is always the artifact known as the Seal of Solomon. It was said to be forged by King Solomon of Israel, but has since revealed that it has existed much longer than that. Mystically it was said to tame demons, control the D'jinn, and commune with the fauna. The more physical meaning, however, was an equinox. Fire and Water, Good and Evil, Air and Earth, Light and Dark, Satanic and Christian." Hyaskus' face grew sullen, "However, I would have no idea where to look except for Middle East, seeing that is where the art of Alchemy originated, as well as the early civilizations such as the Sumerians and Egyptians, which were the earliest to have had it." Hyaskus said, quickly looking between the dark skinned intellectual, and the pale, Hungarian, brute.

He had noticed it before, a tickling sensation pricking the back of his mind...but now he knew what was bothering him the entire time.

The man's hands had never left his pockets. He had not once stopped inching towards the lighter complected Vampire. He hadn't done anything but get closer and closer to the other Vampire, all the while letting the flow of conversation bathe him as though in an obscuring mist that seemed aimed at having them lower their guard while preoccupied with giving this man the information he wanted.

All the while not receiving anything in return.

As the newcomer came closer to Hyaskus than Maximillion would've personally permitted in terms of his own personal space, Maximillion sighed. He shifted his body, as though shifting weight from one foot to the other, and unclapsed his hands, letting them hang loosely at his side. His hands were still obscured beneath the depths of his purple cloak, and he rubbed each of his fingers against the thumb of the hand each set of fingers was attached to, like a mortal might if they were trying to warm their fingers by flexing them and rubbing each finger in turn against it's respective thumb.

Making a mental note, he allowed his thinking to accelerate a bit more again, but only slightly more than it was before. This caused the world around him to seem to slow a bit. It wasn't a whole lot, but this level of accelerated thinking would give him more reaction time if something were to go down. Going through his mental exercises, he prepared himself to take it to the extreme if need be.  Remembering how he'd taken special care to load his ammunition, preparing himself for foes supernatural or mundane in nature, he also took the time to study the movements of the man as he inches closer and closer to Hyaskus.

There really wasn't enough in his mere movements alone to indicate enough to base an entire combative strategy around, but it was enough to give him a little insight into the man's nature, at least in terms of what he initially sensed, and the way the man used conversation to try and slip closer to the two Vampires. It was indicative of a deeper intelligence, a sinister intelligence, and it unnerved Maximillion how readily the man seemed to be trying to inch closer to the two Vampires who'd arrived here first.

His own movements, now slowed to a crawl like that of the others, looked normal to those who were limited to the limitations of the Preturnatural, as one hand came out from beneath his cloak, patting his chest as though he'd forgotten something. Turning, he would take two steps backward for each one the other man took towards the 'Librarian', moving his head and eyes around as though searching for something he might have dropped, all the while keeping an eye on the two over there. He maintained a steady ratio of at LEAST twenty feet away from the two of them now, the very picture of absent-mindedness while he seemed to poke and pry around for something he might have dropped. And sure enough, there it was, gleaming faintly in the moonlight in it's spot by one of the houses, hidden within a box of nails in a way where it wouldn't attract any attention.

"Ah, here it is!" he declared, reaching in and grabbing hold of one of the nails in the box with one of his thickly gauntleted hands, holding it to the light.

"I almost lost my lucky nail! I've always had nothing but bad luck when I've dropped it. I'll be damned if I don't lose this thing every time I turn around!"

The nail was very ordinary in outward appearance, and he was sure the way he was holding it cautiously might seem odd to the other two. Surely, as far along in his Vampiric evolution as he was, he wasn't still scared of having to get a Tetanus shot?

"But anyway, I only know the addresses of a few of the people who have claimed to have access to some holy relics. I haven't fully investigated them yet, but I intend to at my first opportunity."

His hands were now back at his sides, enshrouded once more by his purple cloak. He sighed as though suddenly exhausted, and he took a couple of steps forward, there now being barely less than two dozen feet between him and the other two, when he looked down and gasped.

"You've got to be kidding me... where did I put that damn nail?!"

"I have heard a bit about that seal here and there.  But the Sumarians...now there's an idea," Almos said, subtley shifting his left arm at the mention of the ancient civilization.  The Epic of Gilgamesh had been a wonderful read back in his earliest days as a creature of the night.  So much so that he'd named his own weapon after one of the major players of the story.  However the mention of Alchemy's roots did bring forth a host of new ideas to the fallen monk.  The Librarian was correct to point out the various cultures and systems of belief that outwardly Christian artifacts could be traced to.  If there was even some sliver of truth to those stories why not others?  The mythologies of the Norse, the Ancient Greeks, the Egyptians, the possibilities were limitless.  "I'll try not to devour much more of your time then," the Hungarian continued, choosing his words carefully. 

The abrupt wandering of the darker vampire came as something of a surprise.  Granted, the situation was not something of earth-shattering seriousness but for him to begin stumbing about in the dark was downright strange.  "What are you...?" was all that Almos had time to ask before the other man piped up about a lucky nail.  "He can't be serious with all this," Almos reasoned, not quite ready to chalk the other vampire's behavior up to bipolar disorder.  Clearing his throat, Lorand refocused his thoughts.  "Luckily I have nothing but time on my hands.  How about you give me a few of those addresses...in the persuit of greater knowledge and all that," he added in a halfhearted attempt to appeal towards what seemed to be a common motivation among the calmer members of their long lived species.

Hyaskus looked at the darker member curiously, thinking that a creature of the night should not have this much trouble locating something at all, despite the fact being in the ruins of a fairly large building.

Looking back to Almos, Hyaskus saw potential in both the journey and the man himself, if at the very least, nothing more than a pawn, at the most, someone who can share his interests and maybe even travel with in this world where even the noblest of Vampires are hunted down for merely existing.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Hyaskus said, grinning. "Why not start our search in Persia, or whatever they call it now?" He continued, intent on journeying with the man on, to anyone else's mind, an insane, and mad quest, only to lead to failure, but in someone above Humanity, Hyaskus was determined to at least find some sort of evidence towards either it's existence or location.

Initially, he had been more wary of the darker vampire who so readily brandished his firearms but as the conversation took its newest turn, Almos was forced to reconsider that decision.  The librarian wanted to do with him?  A general appreciation for knowledge and literature was one thing but to drop everything and begin a globetrotting adventure with another vampire he'd only met a few moment ago was near madness.  He knows nothing about me and chances are that the more he learns the bigger obstacle he'll become, Almos thought to himself in sizing up Hyaskus.  The swordsman had the slight twinge of arrogance that almost all of their kind shared but there also seemed to be a certain softness.  Both he and the gunman had carried the shackles of restrain to only turn to violence as a necessity.  That simply wouldn't do.  To oppose the Churches of Rome and England was already daunting.  He didn't need two immortal hangers on getting too close only to get wet feet past the point of no return.  


"You've both been kind enough to share your knowledge with a stranger and for that you have my thanks.  However, I have no interest in sharing my travels with other immortals.  Performance anxiety you see," Almos explained, offering a sneer that could have very well hidden a literal forked tongue.  

Without a word, he casually turned on his heal and began to take his leave of the twosome in favor of the slowly fading shadows of the ruined section of London they currently inhabited.  Suddenly, the former monk paused to tilt his head to the side, apparently thinking something over a bit more before he left.  Turning back around to face the other vampires again, his smile broadened and he finally withdrew his right hand from his pocket.  


"I suppose I should repay a bit of my debt before I scurry away.  If you are truly interested in the deeper secrets of the pagan faiths, you're in luck, Gunslinger," Almos pulled up the bottom of his t-shirt to reveal his midriff a bit.  The occult seals burned and carved into his skin were very visible and seemed to give off a slight hum all their own.  


"They are very real.  Beyond the rebellious youths of the world, the counter-faiths they claim to follow each have some pearl of wisdom to offer.  Twisting the hearts and minds of me, gaining aid from powers equal and opposite the Holy Trinity, pulling rabbits out of a hat." Almos paused to give a little wink and let it sink in before continuing, his right hand back in his pocket and brands concealed once more.  


"Speaking from experience, I found the Celt's tricks of the trade the easiest to pick up.  Now then, it nearly slipped my mind but...I'll have some of those addresses now, if you don't mind."  The last bit was thrown in as an afterthought to try and soften the impact of his tone which had admittedly hardened noticeably when making the request.  However, even with that little clause at the end, it could probably be inferred that Almos had nod meant statement to be a request.  It was a command.

Hyaskus was outraged at the pale vampire's gall. He dare treat him like some little minion, only to deny him knowledge, then he threatens one of our own to help him on his powerlust?! This shall not stand!

It was then Hyaskus drew his .45 Peacemaker, and aimed it at Almos' now exposed midriff, which he now saw as little more than a neon target, "Now then...I present an ultimatum, for you: You can either journey with me to the ruins we discussed, give me equally valuable information or I paint the foundation of the library with your blood." He said, full of venom. This served to prove that beneath his eccentric demeanor he can be quite ruthless, cunning, and clever if need be. He still had the container in his right arm though.

The Librarian drew his weapon upon Almos.  The Gunslinger unholstered his own firearm and attempted to control the situation, moving in the direction where he'd recovered his "lucky nail".  Surprisingly, the Librarian went so far as to issue an ultimatum, commanding the Hungarian to join him in his quest to the ruins discussed earlier.  Lorand lowered his face until his chin was nearly pressed against his own chest.  He stood there silently for a moment until his chest heaved once, a strangled sound leaving his lips.  It happened again, a rapid exhale of air as he fought to contain himself to no avail.  The former monk reared back, his chest rising and falling as he laughed loud and long for several uncomfortable seconds.  When he finally seemed to regain control over himself, he wiped away a tear and placed his hands in his pockets yet again.  All in all he was the perfect picture of serenity for a man with a gun trained on him.  

"I don't normally take kindly to having a weapon raised against me Librarian.  I owe you for your information so I'll set aside my anger this one time but lower the weapon before I decide to change my mind," Lorand growled while slowly shifting his weight to the balls of his feet.  "Honestly, there are other ways for me to get the information I want but I'd hoped simply asking would work.  Seems I was wrong.  There doesn't appear to be anything left in London worth my time anymore," the Hungarian sighed and sent his gaze skyward.  There was only about twenty minutes before sunrise and he'd need almost all of it to reach his little hideaway in time to avoid the obnoxious rays of the sun.    Shaking his head, he gave the other two vampires a dismissive wave of his right hand and began strolling down the street once more.  This time however, he chose to walk down Maximillion's side of the street rather than crossing over with both vampires at his back.  This way, the darker vampire who had yet to aim a weapon at him would come between Almos and the angered Librarian.  

"I've always wanted to see the libraries of France.  If you're truly prepared to cast off whatever humanity you have left Gunslinger, find me in Paris," the anti-exorcist called to the purple-clad vampire as he continued down the road.  Once Maximillion was directly between Almos and the Librarian, the Hungarian would call upon his own supernatural speed, disappearing down a side alley and off into the rubble of London to await night fall and consider his most recent gains.  

===>(Unless attempts are made to stop him)

Hyaskus more or less ignored Maximillion, you do not take an arrogant vampire for granted. so as Lorand was to cross to Max's side, Hyaskus shot, aiming for the mans legs so as while it would not kill him for a while it would more or less tear off one of the legs, considering how Hyaskus uses Hollow Point rounds. Luckily for Almos, even if the leg was struck, he could still get it reattached. Hyaskus, was intent on hindering the man any way possible, and if that meant exposing him to the irritating rays of the sun, so be it.

OOC:  I suppose all that qualifies as an attempt to stop me.  XD  

As he made his way down the street, Almos' supernatural senses were tuned in on the vampire who still had a gun trained on him.  Like many vampires, Almos had a substantial ego but he was no fool to completely ignore a weapon held by a fellow nosferatu.  His ear perked up at the subtle groan of metal from the hammer on the Librarian's weapon going into motion.  Dashing off using his right leg, Almos dynamically removed himself from the path of the bullet, finally skidding to a halt on the opposite sidewalk from the other vampires.  Much to his surprise, the Gunslinger had assisted him in dealing with the Librarian's attack.  I'm oddly popular these days the Hungarian thought to himself before exerting another burst of supernatural strength to leap upwards towards one of the still standing buildings on his side of the street.  Grasping the edge of the roof with his right hand, Almos' feet were braced against the side of the structure and a small window sill, giving his an impressive bird's eye view of the street below and his fellow creatures of the night.  

"Haha!  A bit late for that Gunslinger!" Almos called down in response to the dark vampire's newest attempt to calm everyone down.  "Seems like my business with the two of you is done.  But you Librarian..." he exclaimed, focusing back on the bookkeeper who had the gall to fire at him.  "The next time I see you make no mistake, I will devour you body and soul!" hurling the final threat at his fellow nosferatu, Almos hauled himself over the edge of the roof using his inhuman strength and disappeared from sight as he broke into a run for the city once more.  

======>Exit

Hyaskus was filled with rage as Almos disappeared into the night, "Dammit!" he would exclaim. seething with rage all he could do was take it out on the nearest person. Maximillion, 'Why did you let him escape?! He had used both of us for information, like a parasite!" Hyaskus screamed at the darker Vampire.

"I would understand if you have reservations about killing one of your own but for God's sake it is obvious that he is just in control of his blood lust as our feral brethren, except now he is also power mad, and is on his way on getting towards a mystical object of supposedly great power!"

Hyaskus' anger slowly faded away as Maximillion gave his speech. The idea of a partner did interest him greatly, and this vampire did seem like a cut above the rest. Not many sought out knowledge and relics rather than power and blood. Hyaskus saw the harsh look in his eyes, but understood it probably as one who does not like being betrayed. As he mulled it over, Hyaskus could see no ill effect of genuinely trusting this fellow Nosferatu. But one thing did cross his mind he did not like...

Holstering his gun, Hyaskus extended his hand also, "Partners. But before we cement this I have one thing to say." Hyaskus glared angrily at the man with something that might resemble a bloodlust, but in seconds turned into a grin, "We really should hed to our respective coffins, the sun could rise at any moment!"

*Many hours had passed and night had fallen once again, Hyaskus wandered towards the London Library yet again, Coffin over his back, and books in hand.* "Now let's see...sunset was not too long ago....we agreed on settling here, right?"

Punctual, The man hiding in the shadows found himself thinking, smiling inwardly although his outward appearances didn't shift in the slightest. I could get used to this.

"Yes, we did." Maximillion said suddenly. There was the sound like that of someone whipping a sheet off a made bed, and the nearby crate - along with the one who'd masked his scent in that of sawdust and dirt - dissolved like the illusion it was, with Maximillion drawing the proverbial curtain back to expose himself standing there, the crate little more than said cover, with thin wooden planks supporting the square exterior of the makeshift box frame.

"I like that you're punctual. I'm not a man who likes to be kept waiting."

Despite his stoic, seemingly cold attitude, Hyaskus would clearly get the indication that Maximillion was genuinely pleased with this, and even a bit enthusiastic about the adventure before them.

"I'm glad you keep your coffin close by. Those can definitely come in handy."

He walked over and handed the other Vampire a piece of paper, an itinerary with travel information on it.

"Fortunately, many of my contracts have afforded me a vast network of grateful, and wealthy, associates. When you're entirely sure you're ready, we can begin by making our way to the Americas. There's rumor of an ancient artifact, from the days of the Mayans, with the ability to grant it's bearer untold power."

He held up a finger, a smirk forming along his lips.

"Mind you, I think the rumors in and of themselves are false. However, investigating these rumors should put us into close contact with the natives, as well as the lore of their ancestors. I'm sure you can see how all of this would come to our use."

Hyaskus studied the papers, "The America's? Well I suppose your associates would arrange for flight off of this isle, but I assume we only have enough fuel to go to North America..." Hyaskus said. Walking to Maximillion he spoke again, "Do not think me rude of asking, but what shall we do once we obtain this artifact, should it exist?" The Vampire stared at his darker skinned brethren, "I believe it is said Absolute power Corrupts Absolutely, and no self respecting knowledge seeker would destroy it. So what would you do, Sir Maximillion?"

Maximillion gives Hyaskus a level look, then a grin spreads along his chiseled ebony features.

"If it's there to be had, I plan to wield it, to experience it, to study it." he said simply. And somehow, despite using so few words initially, Hyaskus would know the deepest, rawest truth....

Maximillion was telling the truth, and he had nothing against wielding such power, yet not abusing or misusing it.

"Conquest is fleeting, and there is always someone out there stronger, and power is fickle...also fleeting. One might want to try and become King of the World, but I can't imagine a more terrifying existence, constantly plagued with paranoid doubts and the troubles of millions of people who will turn on you if you don't meet their every expectation. And, believe it or not, everyone has some means by which they can be undone. Amongst every thousand or so individuals, there is at least ONE who has a way of either ending your existence, or riddling it with pain and misery."

He looked away as though thinking for a moment, then he turned back and nodded.

"Greed and selfishness hold no interest to me. If I gain any degree of power, it will merely be used to greater understand the world around me, to better understand myself, and to protect myself and those I care about should we come under attack by malicious types."

The tone with that said, loud and clear, should you prove loyal - as I most certainly will - any power I attain will most assuredly be used to protect you, should the need arise. Somehow, Maximillion had a way of saying things without actually saying them...

And unlike most who had this trait, the things he said were actually benevolent and warm in nature, not at all the cold, hateful and malicious type of others who used the craft of subtlety towards their ends.

Hyaskus grinned as well, balancing his sword on his finger, "I suppose that leaves the question where we will land." Hyaskus said to  Maximillion, putting his sword back.  "Oh, and whether we eat now or later..." The Nosferatu added as well. While Hyaskus did not fully trust Maximillion he did not see a reason to betray him in the near future either, although he wondered whether power would corrupt him as it had corrupted others with similar intentions, or if he was stronger willed than that.

"I fully agree with that last statement you said. I mean after all, greed, conquest, lust for power, and envy are human qualities. I doubt Nosferatu such as us should have any fear of succumbing to those." Hyaskus said, truthful about every word. He considers undead as higher beings compared to the humans they once were. Surely people only lusted for power to leave a mark on this world with whatever time they have left. Undead do not die of age or disease though. Thus there is little need to gain power or start wars...

Maximillion raised his head for a moment, as he'd been going through the armbag at his side while Hyaskus spoke. He'd just finished right before Hyaskus was done speaking, and the ebony man tilted his head to the side a bit.

"I won't claim to be some kind of pure, noble entity," he said simply, his golden eyes looking both through AND at Hyaskus simultaneously. "The Seven Deadly Sins are aptly named, as they tend to lead to ruination. Greed, Envy, Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath.."

He slid the bag back under his cloak, then stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I'm fallible, as are all beings. But these 'Deadly Sins', or sentiments, are the result of excess. You either have too much, or you want too much. You want what's not yours, or what someone else has, and seek to make it your own. The reason I don't take stock in them is because they require validation from someone or something else in order for the self-induced victim to feel complete, or validated."

He withdrew his hands from his pockets, his eyes turning towards the distant horizon, and he clasped his hands behind his back. Perhaps his fidgety nature, and showing it to Hyaskus, was also his way of making it clear he had NO compunctions about admitting his flaws, whether to himself or to those he felt warranted the knowledge.

"I believe validation comes from within. Yes, I could be considered gluttonous for knowledge, seeking any and all, absorbing every bit of it I come into contact with, and still desiring more... but knowledge never hurt anybody, so long as the taker offered something in exchange, and didn't abuse or misuse the knowledge at a later date."

"Very wise of you, Maximillion." Hyaskus eyed the bad, making him remember something, "By the way, what was so important about that nail the other day? And don't say it has sentimental value or anything because if that were the case you would search in silence." Hyaskus said, staring at his equal.

Maximillion looked up at the man for a moment, as though pondering something again, and then he just nodded slightly, as though answering some internal quandary or another.

"I'd concealed something that would have been of great use to me, had the situation gotten nastier."he replied simply. That was the truth. However, the nature of WHAT he'd hidden in there would have probably given Hyaskus reason to worry beyond what was necessary. After all, that situation had been much different, and he hadn't had the extra time to get to know Hyaskus as he had thus far.

"That's neither here nor there now, though. I doubt we'll have any real drama between us, so next time we're in that kind of situation, we'll both be facing off against someone, and you'll be the one who helped me prepare for that encounter."

"Fair enough. Shall we get moving then? I would imagine arriving to America during daylight hours would be quite the hassle." Hyaskus said, walking away from the rubble, coffin across his back. After a few feet, the Vampire turned to see his compatriot, waiting for his move.

Logan wandered the outside streets of London admiring the devastation of what used to be a great city of England.
"Wow,this place got fucked" he said with a chuckle as he eyed the remains of what used to be a library "Especially this place!"
He walked past it going down an alleyway to the side of the building's remains to search for any kind of shelter,even though the sun was soon to set and he had to get somewhere easily defensible in case any "Bloodsuckers" came looking for his scent or just wanted to pay someone a visit that night.
"Why is every damn building a wreck around this place!" he thought aloud remembering the stories of Nazi vampire attacks and how reconstruction has been slow.
"At least the roads work" he muttered as he looked around the alley.

A distance away from Maximillion, Hyaskus heard a rather vulgar voice. He walked over to the nearby alley, where he assumed the voice originated.

Upon arrival, Hyaskus saw Logan muttering to himself. Seeing his weapons, Hyaskus decides to try to get him to join him on his quest, if for no other reason, than a side dish.

"You seem lost, and by lost I mean no one in their right mind would be in this festering rubble." Hyaskus said suddenly, from a distance, hoping to scare him a little to enjoy himself from. "Now that I got your attention, perhaps we can chat." the Vampire said, eyeing the boy, suspiciously, yet not threateningly.

Maximillion's face had not immediately registered when he'd heard the voice from afar. However, when Hyaskus turned and went in the direction of the sound, he decided there was really no point in hiding what he knew, and would follow the other man over.

The ebony Vampire then saw what Hyaskus had likely seen.... a delightful set of weapons at the man's side. It seemed like everyone and their brother had high-tech weaponry nowadays. Out of everyone he'd met, at least seven out of ten possessed some kind of Anti-Undead weaponry, or possessed high-grade weaponry.

"Well, I guess we have a visitor," Maximillion said quietly. Before he had come around to where Hyaskus was, he had made a point to circle around one of the winding paths, the occasional metallic clattering sound heard from behind one of the piles of rubble, then he would appear behind John, to where the human male now had a Vampire on either side of him.

"Yes, a chat sounds nice." He said, in response to Hyaskus' statement. Right now, showing a front of unity would be best. People tended to take things seriously when they weren't just dealing with one another on a one-to-one basis. Then again, he hoped Hyaskus hadn't had this man come here, for whatever reason. He wondered what he would do if the other man ever betrayed him.

Still allowing no emotions to cross his face, he stopped shy of fifteen feet from the human male, stuffing his hands in his pockets, one eyebrow cocked.

"Alright, let's have it. What's brought you here, young man?"

He turned around quickly to face the new voices, he saw two men one an ebony color and the other pale a comedic duo if he hadnt been so ready to blast them
"Names Logan, and you are?" he asked somewhat politely ever so slowly inching his hands to his pockets as his form of showing no harm."Im merely here searching through some rubble and looking for shelter so im not lunch for some bloodsuckers" he said noticing the black one's eyes "Hey your not humans are you?" he asked his intuition making the hairs on the back of his neck stand, every fiber telling him to shoot but hi logic seeing the numbers game in full effect in front of him.
"So how can I help you fine gentleman today."

Hyaskus looked at Logan, "What makes you think we are inhuman, good sir." The Vampire said, looking at the man, "Considering how we are not tearing out your throat at the moment, sucking down your supposedly delectable life-blood, the chances are pretty low for us to be Vampires, or "Bloodsuckers, as you call them." Hyaskus smiled, and met the human's gaze. "Where are my manners? I am known as Hyaskus, and my dark friend here goes by Maximillion. Now Logan, is it? I was merely curious as to why you would come to London in the first place, considering how the majority of it's population was wiped out by those terrorists a few years back." The Nosferatu finished, wondering what his companion and the human would react.

"Your friend's eyes are a dead giveaway " he stated flatly eyeing Maximillion tentatively "and the fact he's not wearing you like a cloak proves that you yourself are of Vampiric Descent " he said calmly as he leaned back with a chuckle.
He sighed as he stuck his hands deeper in his pockets
"I mean if you were to attack me I really couldnt stop you since it a two on one fight and youre both bloodsuckers while im a mere human." he said sighing lazily "So maybe you wont make a buffet out of me it still doesnt answer why you need me or chose to interact with me "
He looked up at the setting sky as he knew time to run was done for and he was either dead now or he'd live another day if he was lucky. He avoided the question of what he was doing their since he didnt feel the need to answer.

"Well what of a proposition?" Hyaskus said, walking towards the Human, slowly. "Me and my friend here were about to leave for a distant land, and, as you had said, we cannot go around in public without drawing attention. So, how about joining us. During the daylight hours you can go out and about and ask for information on the subject we are currently looking for at the moment. While you do not look like a man of knowledge, or of even being well read, looks can be deceiving, and you may be genuinely interested in our goals. Oh and if you accept we won't eat you, of course."

The Vampire looked at Logan, while indeed he did not look too intelligent, knowledge of where to start looking for what we desire would be helpful.

Hyaskus looked over at his Vampire compatriot. Then unsheathing his blade, faster than the eye can see, the blade bit it's way through Maximillion's tender neck, causing a stream of sanguine blood to spurt out in varying directions, some of it coating Logan. Hyaskus then looks at the face of the corpse formally known as Maximillion, smirking at the look of shock and betrayal the being had on it's face, before crushing it between his hands. Then, with a grin on his face, Hyaskus proceeded to drain the corpse of whatever blood it had left, leaving a shriveled husk in his wake. Assuming Logan would sooner shoot him than join up with him now, Hyaskus took whatever weapons Maximillion had on him, and wordlessly walked away. (Exit unless you want to try and stop me)