He had his reasons and this was a golden opportunity to get rid of Siegried. Anne's thoughts were guarded from him, part of her gifting he supposed but it took him some effort to do so, unlike Master. Sig was too straight forward to ever earn the talent.

But what Anne was doing was deliberately lowering her defenses and trying to project so that he got those words and could answer her as he pressed into her mind again.

I have my reasons, chief amongst them is that he is insufferable to work with. In your realm you could find other work or at least know in a few short decades someone will replace the annoyance in time or you die from old age.

I do not have that option of waiting matters out of course and if he were to die, well I would shed no tears nor would anyone in this room.

This time Sig heard the rush of air and drew back his arm. He then waited for her own limb to pass him by then lunged straight at her, unaware that she was armed with two blades he hoped to drive her down without prolonging this matter any longer than it had to be.

I felt his lunge at me. I couldn't explain it better than that. What made it even more strange is that I felt my body remember something it couldn't possibly have known. With that same wonderful liquid grace I stepped slightly and pivoted on the spot like I was doing ballet, holding those daggers lightly in my hand.

As I turned I felt him pass by me, my pivot forcing those wickedly sharp knives around in a tight circle, slicing through his flesh as he passed so close to me. Despite Gustavs words I aimed not to kill, but to hurt. I had to think! Would killing sigfried, who most definately wanted to kill me be a good thing? I didn't want to kill, even a vampire...

But, if I didn't how long would it be before he came at me while I slept...? And what would Sabin do?

He hissed out in pain as Sig passed her byk, her lunge setting up her attacdk that caused her blades to slice into the back of the creature as it pasted. His flesh sizzling whith the contact of those wretched blades against him.

She heard Sig stagger but he managed to keep himself upright by placing a hand on the floor to maintain his balance.

[i]ood! Strike before he redovers, strike now before it is too late![/i[ T^he voice pressed into her head.

I shook off Gustavs words angrilly. I could accept his reasoning but I wasn't going to kill out of hand. But...

I turned, focusing in on that odd blankspot. It seems to vibrate on itself, perhaps an indication of his temper? Or maybe his injurys?

"Sigfried!" I shouted "Tell me why you hate me!"

This time I didn't move, instead standing, those knives of mine ready. If he attacked he would pretty much impale himselves on them. And if he didn't.... If he answered my question, then we would see what would happen next.

Sig turned, his wounds burning due to the purity of the silver. He heard her, smelled her and drew a mental image of the picture about her as she uttered in question even if Gustav would have prefered for her to strike, to finish this.

Still, Sabin was silent. Perhaps he was interested in seing this play out? Perhaps he too had been curious about that answer? He said nothing, Sig growling in displeasure as his wounds closed, not all the way due to the cuts being caused by a silver weapon but he had an annoyed look behind his blindfold.

He had little reason to answer her but he had anyway. “Does the cheetah hate the gizelle?” He answered a question with a question of his own. He was a diffent creature, a different species entirely. She was merely cattle for him, perhaps just a food source or a plaything for a moment though little more ...

That was all I needed to hear. The simple fact that he didn't hate me as much as he regarded me as an insect. A non-person. I could actually understand that view. After all, didn't we do the same thing with everything we ate? All he was doing was elevating it to the next level. Even with my head on the chopping block that wouldn't have been enough.

What upset was that viewing me as prey was just the basest outline. He didn't view me as just food. His actions showed me that he needed to consume life. Everything that I ever could be was something for him to use, abuse and consume with no thought. He would have raped me that night. Torn me apart body and soul without even a pang of guilt. And later, even assuming a thought of my dead, drained and defiled corpse entered his brain the highest compliment he would have ever of given me was "she tasted good." Just as equally he would have killed me for the fact that I had resisted him. That he had failed to rape me. That alone would have been justification to kill me.

A sad smile emerged from my face. I felt like crying. Not for the fact that I knew I was going to take a life, but that anyone could sink to this level. This man... No, this thing could think so little of the life around him.

I didn't say anything in reply, instead looking at that mental blank spot. Reaching for it I grasped it with my mental fingers and pulled. For a heartbeat my mind rebelled and that other, ancient presense once again loomed around me but rather than balk I pulled again.

I don't know what made me do that. But it worked in a way I wouldn't have beleived possible. Almost like he was thrown I felt Sigfrieds form launch at me, arms outstreched to tear me apart. I couldn't see his face, I couldn't see if he was suprised at his action, or if he believed it was his own doing. Hell, I didn't know if it was co-incidence or not! But he came on, towards my waiting blades.

Rather than stepping away though I stepped towards him. My left hand simply held the daggers gleaming point towards him and he closed, his arms attempting to wrap around me as it slid into his neck, the point emerging at the other side. With his spine severed I doubted he was even alive any more but I continued, dropping under him and my other dagger slid into his stomach, and with a roll of my shoulders I stepped underneath him, the dagger tearing through his pelvis, cock and emerging from between his legs coated in his blood as his forward flight continued.

I heard the thud behind me as he hit the ground and I stood there, my dagger in my hand dripping blood, blinking back tears... and terror at what I had just done so easilly. What was I? How could I move like that? How did I even know how to?

Telekinisis? Had Aegir changed the dream a little to support this new found thought that had entered into her mind as Sig nonchalantly answered while getting a lock on her position. Perhaps he even thought it was his own action that brought him forward fo he was planning on launching an attack though he met cold unforgiving steel as that silver pierced into his throat withoug warning, his eyes went wide, he gasped as the blade poked out from the back of his neck.

She doubted he was still alive but he was! He was quit durable though not so durable to survive both attacks as his tomach was impaled. Both wounds sizzled do to the silver and soon Sig slumped forward, with a thud he landed on the floor and all was silent save for a bit of appaulse.

Sabin's … though he was intending to stop Sig before it result in this, he read to taller vampir/s body language wrong amd he Sig lunged when he didn't expect him too. Oh, well, no big lose and he could simply find someone better that wanted ever lasting life for the life time of seritude. He allowed her to take off the blindfold then, Sig't body was s,oldering ash.

“Quiet impressive – I think I can use my altered plan with you, I still have to consider and get ro casting a role for you in all this.”

The applause sickened me. It made what I did a spectacle... a show. As I took off my blindfold off I saw the pile of ash that Sigfried had once been. Looking at my daggers, his blood started to blacken and flake off even them. It was a good thing I thought... I knew roughly where my knives had moved through and I really was happy not having to see those wounds. I walked over to the remains of Sigfried, retrieving my other dagger from his ashes.

As I stood, Sabin's congratulations greeted me but I really wasn't in the mood. With a tight smile I nodded at Sabin, turned, and walked out of the room. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts a moment. So, I aimed to just walk aimlessly around the castle a bit, hopefully getting myself lost.

Of course Sabin figured that she wouldn't need or want the applause, she was still human after all and thus she had notions about killing. She had though and he knew that she was ready. He also knew that she wanted to be alone.

All the restricted areas were locked up of course so her wanderings wouldn't really matter. Yet he was still cautious. “Keep an eye on her.”

Gustov was the only other one there and was about to answer when he heard another voice from the shadows that he did not sense!

“Yes, Master.”



It was easy for Anne to get lost in those halls as she reflected back at what happened and thought about what was to come. The daggers felt so good in her hands, like an extension of them really and while she considered for a second after a time she realized that she was not alone.

“He was going to kill you, you had no choice ...”

My mind had reached that odd fuge state where the thoughts had merely jammed together and weren't doing anything productive. Between death, vampires, me owning a pair of absolutely beautiful daggers that must have been crafted for me, being able to move as fast as a vampire and then those stunts my mind pulled I really didn't know what to do or think. So... I walked, just hoping that my mind would clear itself and come up with some sort of answers.

Still held in my hands (as I had no-where else to put them) were the daggers. My thumbs kept tracing across that ornate "A" as if it would unlock some sort of answer.

The voice behind me caught me completely by suprise and I whirled, those daggers flashing in the thin light from the window. They moved as if by magic from their lazy rest between my fingers to a ready position as I completed my spin. The voice... I didn't recognise it and I thought I knew everyone that was here! But then... Gustav had said I would be surprised at the other people here...

I couldn't see anything down the corridor, but there were dark pools where the light didn't reach.

"Who's there?" I called. I rather wanted to know who (or what!) I was talking to before engaging in a conversation with them!

She watched the inky darkness unable to see anything there as it was well hidden. If it did not speak she would have been totally unawarea= that it was even there to begin with. Stepping out of those shadows came a woman that she had seen once before.

Daffney! For the first time she heard the voice of her older sister who approached. She was unarmed but that wasn't saying much, dressed in the attire of a servant, a made. Her once pink skin was pale contrasting with her dark hair.

“You had no choice. You are confused, yes? Confused at the skill, confused at the speed. I am told that you have even blocked some of your memories and have been informed that my husband has come her to avenge me that fool. He's lucky Sig didn't kill him ...”

Despite having seen Daffney before the new knowledge that she was my sister made me want to lower my guard. God I was a mess! On one side I didn't actively feel anything towards her... Not the sisterly love that I thought I should. But on the other I wanted to feel something!

In truth though, I think it was more because I just wanted to talk to someone. I dropped my guard, turning slightly so I rested gainst the wall.

"Yes. confusion is one of my current issues" I replied "But its everything... You, me, your husband. Nothing seems to make sense! I mean.. how can I move like that? How can I know how? Why would I block my memories if i'm capable of so much? What am I? And I should ask what you are aswell... Why are you here? Why did you decide to become a vampire?"

The words fell from me without a pause before I caught myself. I just felt tired and confused and I really wanted some answers. I suppose it might have been stupid to leave myself so open for attack but I truely didn't believe that she would. After all, what was there to gain?

Daffney listened though held up a hand to pause her after a moment, not to halt her but to pause her for a moment. There were only so many things she could address at once and she did not have all the answers of course.

“I do not know why you would block your memories my dear, I can only suspect that this was the only course opened to you. In order to track the vampires here, to find their Master you would have to pose as a sacrifice though that wouldn't have worked out too well if they could have just dominated you at the beginnning to learn what you knew. No doubt you didn't realize about the gift, about not being subject to their charms but even I did not know that until they tried.

“Without a doubt you or Kurt, probably Kurt I'm guessing, came up with the idea to blank your mind, use you as bait and follow the vampires here. I can only assume that he was going to try to kill the head vampire, though you and I know that Sabin is as much a slave as I am to the Master.

“I had no choice in becoming a vampire myself … I was turned by … Sabin turned me, and thus I must obey.” She paused and Anne could rule out one of the theories about her blood being poisonous that Kurt had, for if he was able to turn Daffney then … a shuddering thought as she realized that she was no different.

“The dagger fighting is relatively new. Months old, your reflexes were always sharp and allowed you to master the craft in a fraction of the time. Now I know it must be a quality of Vlad's blood, before hand you were as fast as a human, perhaps knowing of the blood line was enough to let you brake into the realm of supernatural speed. There were some things that my mind might not have accepted before though as I became aware of my gifts they seemed automatic as if before that I was holding myself in cheek as to what a 'normal' human was capable of without believing that I could surpass those norms. It's only now that I realize that this had to be the case seeing how I only came to terms after I was turned and attributed most of these things to my supernatural nature now though I did suspect a few things. You're living proof though, you are still human and these things have awakened in you which I find remarkable.
“I was the last sacrifice of the village, Sabin decided to keep me around after he learned of my lineaged but ...”

She tappered off for a moment. “Your confusion will be temporary only, in time it will end, things will come back to you as I am assuming you or Kurt wouldn't have used anything permanent.” Yes, Kurt rather than her husband, until death do us part ...

I slumped against the wall, all that my sister said richocheting around in my mind.

I hadn't missed my sister talking about Kurt like that. Til death do you part indeed. Although was it because of a order from Sabin? The fact that I was sure that she was warming (or was that cooling?) his bed? Or was it simply her own choice? I didn't know and I didn't want to.

I remembered back to what Sabin had told me back in the bedchambers. He said that it was difficult to turn someone that resisted.

"Did you consent to be turned by Sabin?" I asked. "What did he offer you?"

I wasn't entirely certain I wanted to know the answer to that one either, but after she replied I continued, about the other things she told me.

"So, I can do these things simply because I don't know that I shouldn't be able to?" It made a perverse kind of sense. What else am I capable of? What are you capable of? And what will happen now? Will Sabin honor his word? What will happen when I regain my memory?"

She sighed then looked at her sister.

“Hardly … but it was the more appearling option at the time. Death or this … Sabin fears the power of Vlad's bloodline and wants to control it in some fashion. If he has that measure of control then there is little fear on his part that things will be used against him in the future. I was weak … I could not bare to choose true death so I settled on this state. It is not all bad though … I must obey Sabin and am stuck here giving up my old life but that is acceptable given the gains dear sister.”

She allowed that to settle in first and foremost as she crossed her arms beneath her ample breasts as she placed her back to the opposite wall that Anne slumped against. She regarded her sister for a moment then nodded.

“Sabin is unusual for a vampire. In life he was a noble and as such he tends to keep to his word so he will not brake it, even if it is in his best interest to later do so he is honorable in keeping to the spirit, not just the letter of an agreement. You could say it is a throw back to his days amongst the living … something he has managed to hold on to.

“Oh, I am skilled inn a few areas. Kurt wasn't always the vampire hunter, and while it is disappointing that he got himself captured I did teach him a thing or two about vampire hunting. I also trained you in the use of those blades of yours … and while I will not list all of my traits I will list a few. I was no simple farmer's daughter. I am old enough to remember what dad taught me. To remember what happened to him and adopted and modified the knife fighting technique that I taught to you.

“Dad also imparted stealth into me and plenty of skills as a vampire hunter, some that I imparted onto Kurt. Ironically he came here seeking to avenge me I imagine though his skills are great I never did get to impart leasons of stealth onto him the way that I would have liked. I thought we would be safe as isolated as we were not that Sabin would have ever perished at Kurt's hands, my defenses would have held against his skills.

“You were too young when dad past. I imparted the knife skills on you so you could defend yourselfif trouble ever sought you out but I never imparted any other training into you. As you remember more you will be able to do more as those limits to your abilities will be enhanced by your mind, at the moment you have no memory of these limits that bound you before … just as when I first became a vampire these limits reset.

“It is the blood of Vlad that let's you tap into that speed I would imagine. I would not claim to understand it completely, Sabin knows more and Kurt, well his knowledge about it can't be trusted. Occassional he gets something right but he knows lots of the myths and only some of the theories. Sabin knows most of the theories and has tested most of the myths. I am not the first with Vlad's blood eencounted and got to test things out with ...”