.^^ Seth and Violin ^^

— Seth —

Sleeping in Paulie's Home, after effectively killing him, was an odd experience.

Less Creepy than I'd thought, and far more annoying, as the Order of the Silver Cure boisterously made themselves at home just about everywhere, except for the basement, which they avoided instinctually, and the master Bedroom.

I shared with Diana and Adelaide, as well as a few other women of the Order, as they were apparently more comfortable sleeping together with a few other women, in the massive Double-California King sized monstrosity of a bed in the master bedroom, rather than one of the several couches that littered the main floor, or the smoking lounge that conquered the top floor, with the Master bedroom at the front of the house.

I sat in a chair, looking out the wall of stained glass that was in the ironic shape of a holy figure, and rested my chin on my knees. Diana stayed up, petting Adelaide's hair, and stared at me, her eyes a weight on my shoulders.

"You have questions." I murmured.

"I do... I'm deciding whether to ask them." She hummed.

"Don't bother. Just ask." I shrugged.

"Alright. You're homeless. Why?"

I paused, then laughed softly at the absurdity of the question. "Why? Because I don't have money or an education, and I wasn't ever placed in the Foster Care system, why else?"

"No, Why? Tell me your story, Seth." She pressed again.

"Story... huh?... alright. Why not? First, i guess, is that I'm a Rat, born in the Gutter with the rest of the Trash. My mother was a Ex-Violinist-turned-New-York-street-hooker, who died when I was four. My father was one of her customers, probably. I had six older brothers and two younger sisters, and they all died, one way or another. I was born a nobody. I left that city because I stole from the wrong people, and they wanted my head for it. I didn't know how to read, or write, and all I had was a command of Italian, Russian, English, plus Mathematics came easy back then... so I ran, and found work here, in Chicago, as a street hustler, bookie, gambler, errand boy... taught myself to read, write, proper manners, learned to fight the hard way. Taught myself Cantonese and Mandarin by watching old martial arts films with Russian subtitles. For a long time, I played the Violin on street corners for money, or as distractions for my crew of thieves, and finally began working my way up with people who gave out job tips, like Hao-Long, in Chinatown, and Dietrich, here in Hyde Park. Found my way to the Loop, and Paulie... and you vaguely know the rest... Hell of a Bedtime story, huh?" I smiled a little, and looked up at the stained glass.

She hummed. "You play the Violin?"

"That's all you got out of that?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, it's just the only part I have questions about, right now." She chuckled.

I hummed, and summoned a violin, in my hands. It took nearly ten minutes or so, getting it just right, as apparently the more complex it was, the harder it was to summon. Then I set the bow against the strings, and began a gentle melody, soft enough to not wake up the others.

The melody came to me, as always, not from music sheets or Beethoven, but just from... nowhere, and everywhere. It was an ethereal sound, one that shouldn't have come from a violin, far too deep, and resonant, but I liked it, so I continued to play for a little while longer, ending on a stretched note.

"Thank you." She sighed, and closed her eyes, falling asleep finally.

'Your melody comes from the Ether. From beyond the Veil. It is... pleasant.'

I set the Violin aside. 'Cool. Now keep watch, I need sleep.'

'You don't, actually. Your mind no longer needs rest to perform properly. You need to Feed, Not sleep. Sleep only delays your hunger, it does not sustain you.'

'I'll feed a whole lot tomorrow, then, but I want to rest, even if I don't need it. Call it an indulgence of my sentimentality.'

'... then I will keep watch.'

I nodded, and set my blade across my knees, closing my eyes.

—

'Dreams... are an odd thing, are they not? They reveal your desires, your weaknesses... I give Dreams to some mortals... with purpose. And sometimes... they reach into the Veil, like you have, and then grip the dreams, and hold onto them, regaining some semblance of consciousness, creating what you know as 'Vivid Dreaming'. It's quite annoying, sometimes, but I see your mind, and your plans... Impressive, trying to destroy the balance that has stood for 17,000 years. The god's will approve, I suppose, though they will still view you as an abomination and try to kill you. Very close-minded folk, the god's.'

I looked around the room, and found it empty. The Moon was high and full, which didn't make sense. It was a Crescent, tonight.

'Still looking for sense? My dear child... that's not how it works, here! The world is as you make it.'

The floor began to turn to lava, and I frowned, stomping once, directly on it, and letting loose with an ice-storm around myself. It hardened immediately, and the house shredded around me, leaving me standing in an open meadow.

'You learn quickly... intriguing. I suppose introductions are in order... I am known by some as 'the Sandman', by others as the 'Lord of Tryst's', and many other colorful names... while the Demonic Realm of Dreams is held by someone who calls himself the King of Dreams, I am the god of Dreams, Morpheus. How do you do?' A tall, thin man with long black hair, floating on some intangible breeze, appeared, stepping through the Veil nearby.

"And what assurance do I have that you're not The Blade of the East himself?" I asked.

He shrugged. 'None, of course, but- Hey!'

I was already walking away, and finding a place where I could rip through the fabric of this tapestry, and get out. Gripping the air, and feeling like a doofus, I heaved, and it ripped with a sickening sound, revealing a realm of darkness and terror.

"Aha! And there we are." I set fire to the tapestry, and breathed in the ashes, shivering at the influx of power.

The man frowned at me. 'That was rather rude.'

"So is lying about who you are. When I come for your head, Blade of the East, remember this moment, and remember... You could have made a deal." I shrugged, and dove into the writhing mass of tentacles and darkness, feeling right at home, suddenly.

'The Ether... while not meant to be traveled by Mortals, you acquitted yourself well.'

'So was that the Blade of the East?'

'Yes... and no. You're currently swimming in him.' He remarked cautiously.

I paused. 'Wait... IN him? ALL of this is his body?'

'Now you see the reason for my caution?'

I nodded and placed my hands in front of me again, gripping the space, and ripping it open with a heave.

A distant, and yet omnipresent, echoing screech filled the space, and I saw the body that the Blade had created for himself gliding towards me ominously, before I dove through.

Wet asphalt met my feet, and I looked around, breathing deeply. "New York?" I hummed in confusion.

'You exited the Realm of Dreams directly... there's no way to know where it put you.'

"No, I recognize the scent. This is the Bronx." I chuckled, looking around, and then down at myself. I was covered in what looked like oil, but I knew to be gore from the rip I'd made. I placed my sword against it, taking it into the little gem, a drop at a time, and watching the blood droplet eat them, quicker each time.

'Why do you feed it? Are we not going to use it as a compass to find the Thorn?'

'No... I know where he'll be. I'm going to feed this little thing until it's almost as powerful as me, then eat it... we can only take the powers of creatures that are on our level, Correct? I want fire powers, before I fight a Fire Demon.' I explained casually, and walked into an alley, ignoring the homeless man who tried to hide from me.

'Yes... True... what say you we cleanse this city of Vermin, then? I sense several thousand Sorcerers of the Thorn, Horn, and Blade... even some of my own...'

'Not yet... another day, perhaps. For now, we need to get back...' I opened the book I'd gotten from the safe, and pages through it, looking for a How-To on Sorcery.

'You read a master's Grimoire in hopes of acolyte training?' Briar commented condescendingly.

'Shut up... fine, we find one Sorcerer, one of yours, and you take all his knowledge from his mind and give it to me, and then we open a portal back to Chicago.' I acquiesced.

'I believe you humans have a saying... one can never only have ONE bite...'

—

'A strip club? Really? The Nazi's are in a strip club?' I asked sarcastically.

'I am unaware of the meaning of this.'

'It's a place where people sit around, drink, and pay to watch naked women dance.' I sighed.

'Ahh... a brothel.'

'Eeeeh... close enough, I guess. But we can't touch the women, it's both rude and against the law.' I warned him, and walked up to the bouncer, who smelled of lesser demon.

"Hey, kid, no way-" My eyes flashed gold, and he paused. "Oh... my apologies, sir. The VIP lounge is at the top of the stairs, to the left... live entertainment is up and to the right..." He bowed his head, and I walked past him without replying, into the building.

'Ahhh, the stench of debauchery... no matter how useless your species is at everything else, you do debauchery better than anything I've ever seen.'

'Yeah, we're good at that. Send out a beacon. I want every demon and Sorcerer to know I'm-... that you're, present.' I corrected myself, and frowned at the arrogance of his personality, merging with mine slowly.

'Mmm, an Announcement? I can do that. HELLO, MEATSACKS AND VERMIN!!! YOUR GOD HAS ARRIVED!' He cackled, and immediately, every staff member, and many of the customers, paused what they were doing.

'Your God? Really? A bit much, no?'

'CONTINUE THE REVELRY!'

I sighed and walked up the stairs, as the party resumed. The bouncer at the top, a lesser Lich, flinched at my rounding the last part of the stairs, into his view, and shakily opened the door, Bowing at the waist. I dragged my claws over his face casually, as I passed, and turned him to ash, continuing on as I inhaled the meal. My tiredness began to wash away, and the itch between my shoulder blades lessened, just slightly.

I entered the left room, and gazed impassively at the four Sorcerers, all Lich's of people who smelled like Adelaide.

"Well hello there... miss me?" I asked casually, using Briar's voice. They all knelt, one knocking over a glass of wine. "Now that's just a waste of good wine..." I sighed, and flicked my fingers, freezing the wine so it didn't stain the carpet.

"Lord Briar, how came you into this realm?!? We would have been there to greet you, had we-" one of them, an older man with salt and pepper hair, and a dapper suit, began to speak.

I sat down in a throne made of black ice, and waved a hand, silencing him. "How? That sounds like you should know all my doings... I don't really like the assumption. You are a servant, not an equal."

He bowed deeply, touching his forehead to the carpet, and the others copied him hurriedly.

"Enough... you may speak, and sit, but mind your tongue. I have... questions. This mortal realm intrigues me, but the Magic... is different. I have gained... more. And also less." I hummed.

They sat down slowly, and nodded. "We would be happy to teach you all we know, Lord Briar... you taught us so much, returning the favor would be a dream come true!" One of them smiled charmingly.

I sighed, and dropped the voice, mostly. "This mortal body... is Gifted. Capable of doing feats of mortal Sorcery. And while I can remember the Sigils of Solomon, I cannot use them, as this body does not remember how to draw the symbols that I have seen the Thorn's Vermin use when I am killing them... interesting effects, but weak. Mine will not be, I don't think."

They blinked. "The... Thorn? Are we at war with the Thorn, Master?" The middle man asked.

"Not yet... they were simply annoying me. They had something I wanted, a book that smelled of me." I held up the book, and hummed. "It holds many secrets, secrets I don't recollect telling anyone... so it must be from one of the other Greater Daemons... The Blade, perhaps... or the Horn. Either way, it was made using my flesh as it's pages, and my blood, combined with this body's original virgin blood as it's ink... I wish to use the magic inside. It could be telling, in the battle with the Thorn, tonight."

They stiffened. "You are battling... the Thorn, Master? For territory, you mean?"

"No. To the death. I will feast upon him, after Summoning him into a mortal form, much like my own." I shrugged, then paused. "Though, with his death, it will be war, and his territory will become mine by rights."

They nodded. "And his Followers?" The man asked.

"Route them, turn them, recruit them, attack the resistant ones... the ones who wish to turn to our side, send them to a small tattoo parlor in Chicago... The basement is a Summoning Ground for Greater Lich's. I plan on doing the same to the Horn, after I'm done with the Thorn." I nodded, and waved a hand, icing the coordinates into the table.

The two rogue women looked uncomfortable, so the man hummed. "And the Rogues?"

"None of our concern, unless they can't keep a secret..." I flicked my fingers at them dismissively, and they sprinted out.

He nodded. "It will be done, Master... the stain of the Thorn Camp will be removed from this continent!"

I eyed him distastefully. "Of course, I am not really interested in a Genocide... I have heard, since coming to this realm, that my followers took part in one such event, in Europe."

He blinked. "You refer to the Nazi's? No, they are all dead. We of the somewhat newer generation did not abide by their intolerance."

"Good... I do not abide by it, either. The term you used was generally similar, which reminded me of it... either way. As of Dawn tomorrow, we are at war with the Thorn. Now, which of you has more Human Arcane mastery?" I looked between the two of them.

The man nodded. "That would be me, Master."

"Good. You, come here." I pointed at the woman.

She approached, and knelt in front of me.

"Relax." I murmured, taking her head in my hands, and reaching for her mind. I found her knowledge, and her memories, very easily. She was a horrible person, having tortured innocents her entire life, but kept her body pure, hoping for the day her Dread Lord would take her innocence.

'See? Evil virgins exist. Have at her.' I shrugged mentally, digesting the knowledge as he changed my jaws, enveloping her entire head, then crunching down. The Ash and blood filled my stomach, and for the first time in days, I actually felt sated. 'That... was gross, but satisfying.'

I cracked my neck slowly, and looked up at the man, who was watching me impassively. "Was She satisfactory, Master?" He asked.

"She was... delicious... now, I will return to Chicago." I began painstakingly drawing the symbol, and eventually carved it in a wall with my sword, using it as a tool, which, according to the memories I'd just received, was something young Sorcerers did all the time... and nothing happened.

"It needs a catalyst, Master." The man hummed.

It activated, with a drop of my blood as a catalyst, and I hummed. "Of course, I forget that it isn't a Summoning Circle. Remember my orders. Lastly, what is your name?"

He bowed deeply. "I am Lorenzo Faccit, known as Lorenzo to my allies."

"Hmm... Faccit... Spanish name? Interesting. Ready the Briar Camp for war quietly. At dawn tomorrow, it begins... isn't it exciting?!? HA!!!" I laughed, stepping through to Chicago.

I moved Diana's sword away from my throat, upon entry, and sat down as the portal faded. "Sorry about that. I went to the Realm of Dreams, in accident, and then fought my way out. Ended up in the Bronx, of all places."

She let the sword dissipate. "And did... what?"

"Incited a War, by going to my follower's, and telling them that by Dawn tomorrow, the Thorn will be no more, and his people will be given the choice of death, leaving America, or joining the Briar Camp. The ones that wish to join will be sent to the Tattoo parlor tomorrow, to be used in the Summoning of the Horn, if I'm strong enough to fight him, or just a whole bunch of lesser Lich's for me to eat, if I'm still wounded." I hummed.

She chuckled. "Impressive, for one eight-hour trip."

I blinked. "Eight hours? It was only about half an hour!"

She shrugged. "Welcome to the weird life of magic and time." She pointed out the window, where the sun was already up, and starting it's daily path. It was about 6 in the morning, I could immediately tell, and the sun was stinging my eyes a little.

"Do I burn in the sun, or something?" I hissed, leaping back.

"Most demons do, yes." She nodded.

I growled and picked up my violin and bow, walking out of the stained glass shadow, and down into the basement.

The circle lit up as I sat down, and I began a soft melody, waiting for the dramatic information demon to appear fully.

"Most impressive, Lord Briar... you called?"