In which there is Vampire Fanfic

Zeke is waiting, his tail lashing back and forth impatiently as he stands in the corner of the cell. He looks mildly agitated, but the reason for his agitation is not immediately apparent. He is alone in the cell after all, no one else to cause him anxiety and yet... That tail flicks back and forth betraying his state of mind. His head lowers, his stance becomes introverted as he descends into thought. Even so his tail never ceases its endless movement.

"Peasse to you." Chay steps into the cell, with books underneath an arm. "One has more to help with the sscent, kin. They say the tower travels through time. Sso one thought..."

"...only there are many books on mages and towers, kin. Almost as many as there are ssoftskin romance novels, of dubious writing and nature. ...sso one ssought novels on dessperate and lonely vampire women, sser. There were almosst as many." Chay's tail flicks towards the books underneath his arm. His other holds the strap of a pack. A large, stuffed backpack. "What has you passing, kin?"

The sound of footsteps echo down the hallway and get louder as they approach the cell. Mumbling can be heard as the footsteps grow louder. "Of course I had to......plague....stinkin....ewww what is that on my..." and the words trail off as the source of the footsteps rounds the corner to see Zeke standing in the cell.

"Zeke! Oh am I happy to see you... I thought I was getting picked on again as the low man on the totem pole. Why are we here, though..?"

The blue scaled sith-makar looks up as Chay enters the room and his demeanor changes slightly, becoming slightly more open. It's clear he's glad to see Chay. "Peassce to you alsso kin." He nods and stares at the number of books that the other is holding. "Thisss one had no idea. It isss good that they have ssso many; perhapsss the one we are looking for is among them."

"Thisss one-" His words trail off from his answer to Chay's question as Pek joins them and he nods politely to the man. "Peassce on your nessst, thiss one wasss hoping that the man Menel would be here. Thisss one hasss heard that he hass been to the white tower and thisss one had questionss for him... but he isss gone."

"Perhaps, sser," Chay says, sounding uncomfortable. He shifts the pack about on his shoulder. "Perhaps one also learns too much about the--"

"Sser," he says to the Sunguard, then. "Peasse to your nest, sser. One was at your temple only recently. It is a rather large place, sser, with many beautiful columns," he says. Chay lowers his muzzle for a moment.

Upon hearing the mentioning of research on mages, the young Cerenzan man looks intrigued.

"Who is this Menel you speak of? White tower? Perhaps I may have been sent here for a purpose after all."

Zeke blinks at Pek and ducks his head low in apology. "Thisss one forgetsss that not everyone knowsss. The white tower issss thought to be the sssource of the plague, and this Menel hasss been there. Thusss the reassson thisss one isss here. To asssk him quesstionss. It ssseemsss to thisss one that... or rather thisss one hopess that he hass information about it." Zeke's tail flicks again.

"One despaired of those, sser. Of wizards and towers sser, too many turned to awkward poetry, ser. On the thirtieth 'how grand is my tower compared to thine,' or 'I compare my tower to a summer's day,' ser, one chose to select a different topic. So, one thought to narrow one's focus," and perhaps be tempted by drink less, "By focusing on only famous vampire women--or women who vampires admired. ...this one had hoped such a topic might be more tasteful, sser." His expression suggests...

"Thus far, one has ...begun to understand the drinking habits of some archivists. Ser. ...you have heard of this Menel, ser?" he asks. He easy-drops the sachel onto a nearby bench. Typical, leather-bound books and dusty scrolls. One, partially unwrapped, appears in a neat, though spidery hand.

Pek nods in acknowledgement to Zeke's information. "I am not sure why my order would send me here without that information.. I'd imagine it would be pertinent.." Turning to Chay, "Nay, I know not this Menel. Though, if it be true that this person has been to the suspected source of the plague; assistance may be required on their part."

Opening his pack, he presents some healing items.

"I would be happy to lend aid in any way I can."

Pek leans against the wall to make himself a little more comfortable while the conversation deepens.

The blue scaled sith is admittedly interested now in these stories, but given the look on Chay's face suggests that he would not like what he found therein. Certainly nothing useful or helpful or Chay would have said by now. Still, if even one of them has a hint of the information that they're looking for Zeke would have waded through the driest, most dull, tasteless books written. "Thisss one hass only heard that he isss sstaying here, and that he hasss come from the tower."

"Perhapsss you can help thisss one and Chay go through these scrolls, while we wait for thisss Menel to return." He motions toward the backpack and then looks at Chay. "It ssseemss that you have heard of him alssso Chay?"

Chay looks downwards, and thumps his tail. It's a moment before he speaks, and his breath hitches once, before speaking: "Perhaps they wished an honest take, sser. ...Or perhaps they themsselves did not know. One understands the tower travels through time, and only the oldest clergy might know of it, ssers. One undersstands it is possibly controlled by a woman who is sstrong enough to control vampiress, and that the vampire himself uses his power to influence and control cults, ssers. As well as this man Menel, sser. He was once under their ssway.

"One understands the plague is ssomething of a possession, ssers--and that it corrupts the sspirit perhaps, ssers. That when the host dies, they become undead, ssers. One does not think the plague is a disease at all, s.

"The plague itself ser, may ssometimes be eradicated by means of removing possesson, ssers. The removal of magic ssers, appears to at leasst send it into sstasis, sser." Chay sorts through the books with a claw, and then lifts one, and then a second. He holds these out to Zeke. "Sssome of the books appear to be fanworks written by vampires themselves, ssers. The firsst sser, begins with: 'And her dead eyes did glitter as the sheen of a thousand corpses,' sser," Chay explains. His expression twitches at its edges--having hidden itself earlier, under the guise of a Charneth servant. A Charneth servant who keeps staring at the stones. And yet...

Twitch.

Tw-twitch. ...

But did he just hand Zeke a stack of horrible vampire fanfic, expecting him to read it in order to better counteract the threat they are facing? Yes. Yes, he did.

Pushing off of the wall, the man makes his way over to one of the chairs and pulls it up next to the table. Sitting down on the chair, Pek listens intently to Chay as the sith-makar speaks.

"Undead... Plague... Yeah, this is why I was sent. Those both are right up my alley. But.... you say someone strong enough to control vampires..? I may have to report that back if they haven't already learned of it."

Pek leans back in his chair and allows the two more knowledgeable ones in the room discuss the goings on.

-End