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[Drakilian]

Anton runs after Gabor as the Tzimisce flees the scene, only to skid to a stop when the Tzimisce suddenly reforms in a crouched position and sweeps Anton's legs, tripping him up while reaching for the sword. The Lasombra reacts in time to jump over the sweep and roll away, dropping to a crouched stance with the molten blade at his side.

Gabor smiles a vicious grin and continues his mocking; "Did Basilio even teach you how to fight, childe?"

Nightshades come down from the ceiling and surround Gabor in a swirling, confounding black storm while Anton leads in with cut levelled at the vampire's chest.

Gabor steps back, though the molten blade slices open the front of his tunic and sets part of it on fire.

"It seems not! Let me teach you something he should have taught you long ago then!"

The heart's tendrils reach forward and try to slide around Gabor's body and anchor him in place, but Gabor moves too quickly for the far weaker tendrils to even hope to catch him.

"One of the cardinal rules of vampiric combat - never get within brawling range of a fleshcrafter."

Gabor dives onto his knees and slides forward on the blood-slickened floor. In a panic, Anton brings the molten blade down on Gabor's head only to find that the Tzimisce has already reached up expectantly to catch his arm, the other darting out for a quick punch to Anton's knee that completely destroys the joint, fusing flesh and cartilage and bone together. As Anton registers the pain from his now ruined leg Gabor stands and then strikes Anton square in the chest open handed. Anton's whole chest implodes as his ribs are forced inward, piercing his own heart and making him lose half of his remaining blood!

"Because even if you win, you lose," Gabor whispers.

[Not Aman]

Anton looks to Gabor.
"Your sire clearly didn't teach you well either." He says, holding back the pain as he boosts his strength hy three, applies his potence, and heals a sliver of health, before biting down on Gabor's neck.

[Drakilian]

Anton lunges forward, fangs sprouting from his mouth with a wet hiss, and Gabor smirks - making to step aside as he's done every time so far - but the Tzimisce has forgotten one of his opponents.

Anton's Heart has its tendrils slam into Gabor from behind, stopping him from moving back and throwing him off balance. Anton's nightshades immediately begin swirling around him and Gabor, confusing the off-balance Tzimisce. Anton seizes Gabor and feels the elder's hands grip him, trying to violently fling him aside - but Anton holds on with the desperate need and strength of a dying man, and forces Gabor down, momentarily overpowering him. His fangs sink into the Tzimisce's neck, and Anton feels his beast rage at the sweet taste of elder blood. A pounding sensation fills his head as he feels himself slipping out of control, letting the Beast take the reins...

Gabor flails wildly at Anton, now panicked as he feels his lifeblood being forcefully drained from his body. With his fleshcrafting he removes the whole left half of Anton's head, including a significant part of the jaw, in his effort to remove the Cainite's death grip on his neck. He digs into Anton's body and arm and muscles, causing horrific damage and pain that the beast guiding Anton ignores in the unstoppable force that is its hunger. The Beast would feed.

It is not long before Gabor's vicious assault weakens, and not longer still before the warrior Tzimisce can do nothing but feebly claw at Anton's ruined skin, leaving long claw-like marks in the Lasombra's skin.

However, as the fight ends, another begins - this one deep within the recesses of Anton's soul...

---

An arena of sorts - it's really the best Anton can do to describe it. A massive, flat stone circle suspended by chains that lead off into the endless void above.

Below the platform, a sea of liquid fire rages with the fury of an ascendant. Hot, angry, endless....

Gabor stands opposite to Anton, on the other side of the platform. He holds a chain - further inspection reveals that the chain is really a leash for a massive, indescribable monstrous creature that sits contentedly by his side.

Looking down at his own hand, Anton sees he carries his own chain, and at the end of it he sees a similar looking monstrosity, though this one snaps and bits and pulls at the end of its chain. Strangely enough, Anton isn't even conscious of the effort of holding it back.

[Not Aman]

Anton gazes at Gabor, silently trying to assess the situation. The last he remembers, Gabor's lifeblood entered his veins. The rest, blank, as if it didn't continue. Certainly, he must of succeeded. This is nothing like the abyss.

"You lost, Gabor." Anton says coolly, gripping the chain.

[Drakilian]

Gabor, in turn, looks at Anton incredulously.

"You killed me."

He says the words not with finality, nor as a statement of fact, but with an almost childlike surprise.

"How could you kill me?"

[Not Aman]

"Your time was over, Tzmisce. The Lord simply granted me the hand in your execution."

[Drakilian]

Gabor's blank stare snaps onto Anton.

"I said you killed me shadowling. I never said I was done!"

Gabor flicks the chain so that it whips at his Beast, and then runs towards Anton, his unchained arm changing into a bone-sword as he does so.

[Not Aman]

"This... Is not what I had expected." Anton mutters to himself, watching Gabor closely, and summoning his own hand-and-a-half blade. "It's certainly shouldnt be another senseless brawl... It's something more then that.."

[Drakilian]

Gabor closes the distance between himself and the Lasombra in an instant, bringing his arm down with seemingly reckless abandon. Anton knows better, having already been personal witness to Gabor's martial mastery, and keeps a close eye out for the trick, when it comes.

Putting his blade up to block the blow, he catches the subtle shift of Gabor's movement as he pulls the blade back slightly and slides the tip under Anton's guard. Though he sees it coming, Anton can't match Gabor's savage speed and strength.

Just as the boneswordarm is about punch through Anton's ribs, the scene shifts once again...

---

Anton lets out a savage shout as he clashes with the large black crewman yet again.

The man - he can't quite remember his name, something like Ethan? Ekan? No, it was Eken. That's what those other men had called him, anyway.

The man fought like a demon, easily Anton's better. Basilio's assault on Sofia had been swift and unexpected. Noriz had betrayed them, the damned evil bastard was making his way up to Castle Sofia even as Basilio's crew held up Anton and his guards.

The Lasombra's blade weaves a storm that Eken answers with perfect form and composure, even as Anton's ghouls are slowly, systematically cut down by Basilio's crew.

Cursing, Anton disengages and runs. He has to make it to the castle, the Dacian didn't stand a chance against Noriz AND Basilio.

---

Gabor stumbles back and brings a hand to his right eye, as if he'd been struck. After a moment's examination Anton realizes that a long cut has been scored across Gabor's face. Looking down at his sword, he sees it bloody.

Looking over to his beast, he sees that it has also scored a victory against Gabor's, it's clWs bloody from a painful-looking swipe delivered to the other's face.

"STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!", Gabor screams. The two Beasts seize each other and roll around the arena, snarling and biting at each other. Gabor renews his assault, and Anton recognizes the fury in Gabor's swordplay - he had just enacted this combination of stances and strikes himself, moments ago, in a vision.

[Not Aman]

Knowing the technique, Anton tries to focus, trying to use his knowledge of the attack to exploit it.

[Drakilian]

Knowing every attack Gabor is about to make in advance helps Anton match Gabor's speed and strength and, for the second time, the Lasombra gets the better of the Tzimisce.

Weaving through four  of the warrior's attacks, Anton sidesteps a lunge and brings his sword down with terrible force onto  the Tzimisce's hamstrings. As the sword touches flesh, the scene once more shifts....

---

Anton slams the door shut, and immediately triggers the trap before slumping against the heavy reinforced iron portal. He feels a dull thump and then the heat from the explosion behind him. A few of the crew members soon have their screams silenced, though he knows better than to hope they were killed. Somehow Eken was keeping the weaker members alive, despite everything he threw at them not one had died yet. Not even from the consistently incredible mortal wounds Anton would dole out so liberally.

Still, this would delay them long enough for him to help, Anton shakes himself back into a state of concentration and takes off running through the castle halls, down the winding labyrinth and into the luxurious apartment suites hidden deep below Castle Sofia.

"Anton"

Anton stops short at his sire's voice.

"Demenaus? Thank Caine! My sire, I am ever at your..."

From the darkness ahead steps a demon dressed in blood and shadows. Black skin, with terrifying wings outstretched behind him, shadows pouring off the dark angel like air off dry ice. Lesser demons lurk hungrily behind the demon, the only indication of their presence being the subtle shift in temperature, the changes in the absence of light and the dead feel in the air. The demon's mouth is covered in sweet, sticky blood, his fangs freshly wetted.

Anton feels his sword grow heavy in his hand, even as he brings it up, point facing Basilio.

"You should run."

Anton steps forward, pulling back his blade and launching his attack.

---

Anton gasps in sudden, unexpected pain and his arm involuntarily jerks back, missing Gabor's hamstrings by a wide margin but shredding his right calf.

Anton looks and sees that in his lunge, while Gabor missed Anton himself he managed to run through Anton''s beast. Looking down, Anton sees a hole in his midsection - right around where his beast had been stabbed.

[Not Aman]

Anton shrugs off the pain and thinks quick. He managed to hurt Gabor before, why did this attempt fail? It's certainly not lack of skill. Nor a trick of obfuscate.

He heals the pain, and charge after Gabor. This is a metaphysical fight over the soul. He can't use Gabor to fight Gabor. He must defeat him as Anton.

He attempts to summon tentacles from the abyss, as he attacks, fighting as Anton would.

[Drakilian]

Anton's beast turns towards Gabor and vomits shadows onto the Tximisce. Tensrils form among the shadows and wrap around the warrior, even as he struggles to leave the shadows.

Gabor's beast takes advantage of the moment to snap at Anton's own beast, going straight for its throat.

Once more, the scene shifts...

---

Anton takes another step back. His frustration grows.

The moment they crossed blades it was evident that Anton was the better fighter. Faster, and far more skilled with the blade, though he couldn't match the demonic vampire's strength. But none of it mattered, for all of Anton's skill he could do nothing against Basilio's shadow, which leached his strength and stole his sight. He could do nothing to fend off the arms that gripped him in the dark, whose grip survived even the edge of his sword.

Every moment of combat has been a constant retreat, Basilio was untouchable. He needed something more.

Anton turns a corner and climbs up a flight of stairs, racing desperately to the ground floor of the castle even as Basilio follows close behind. He surprises a night watchman who remained oblivious to the fighting and jams a dagger through his eye, picking him up, carrying him and draining him as he runs.

He throws the body at Basilio, the elder having caught up to him while he regained some of his resources. Basilio bats aside the corpse and leaps through the air at the Lasombra. Anton dives through the doorway into the kitchen and throws open the oven, where hot coals still burned. Picking up a short shovel kept near the thing, Anton shovels burning coal directly into Basilio as he crosses through the doorway, immediately following up with a cut from his sword.

Incredulous, Anton watches as The shadows around Basilio harden into an obsidian shell, stopping the coals outright, before disappearing when Anton cut down with the sword. Basilio catches the blade with his bare hand - not, not quite bare. A crunching is heard as Anton's blade crashes against that same obsidian shadow. Shadows form around the sword and trap the blade in obsidian, even as Basilio moves in close to punch Anton in the chest and face - so fast that barely any force could have been put into the blows. Yet from the stinging pain he feels, Anton understands that force was not the goal - small obsidian needles formed in front of Basilio's fists and his punches drove them into Anton's flesh, in this case his eye and his heart.

Stumbling back, Anton picks up a hot fire poker and renews his attack, this time without an eye. Basilio stops the hail of blows with his strange defense and tendrils erupt behind him, seizing him before he can run.

Anton hangs his head as the tendrils fully tighten their grip on him, and Basilio comes closer, a massive executionner's axe forming in a single hand.

"I told you to..."

A look of anguish overtakes Basilio's face.

"Run", he whispers. Basilio drops the axe and then stumbles back, even as the tendrils holding Anton in place vanish.

For a moment Anton doesn't understand, but then it hits him.

"Demenaus... You're still there aren't you?"

No answer

"Demenaus, I will avenge you. I will slaughter the traitors that led this demon to our doors. I will reclaim Sofia. I swear it. You will have your peace."

Nothing. Basilio begins shaking.

"Goodbye, master".

Anton runs.

---

Anton isn't sure how, but somehow he's appeared in front of his beast, and he is holding an obsidian two-sided spear inside Gabor's beast's mouth, keeping it from closing its jaws on his own beast's throat.

Gabor screams, and for once Anton hears genuine despair in his voice.

"Damn you! Not after the hell you've put me through Basilio! Not like this!"

[Not Aman]

Anton looks to Gabor, almost pitying the fiend.
"This way will grant you far less pain then that of the Good Lord's abyss. Consider this a present from Him. A chance to give actual meaning to your unlife."

"This is a gift." Anton repeats, perhaps more in an attempt to convince himself then the Tzmisce. His dark steel will make short work of Gabor. Anton begins to form another spear of shadows, to pierce the beast himself. Anton must be in control.

[Drakilian]

"Keep your hell-given gift and let me die," Gabor pleads.

[Not Aman]

"Keep your hell-given gift and let me die," Gabor pleads.

Anton looks at the pleading Gabor.
"I can not. You don't get to choose to be the left hand of God. No one does."

[Drakilian]

"Of course you do!", Gabor cries out, even as his powerful bones snap under the strength of Anton's tendrils, even as his beast is cut down.

"You're making that choice right now, to believe that God is right, to believe that you matter to him, to believe he wants you to punish me. I've been punished enough damn you, I sought retribution and now I am dead. You say you are the left hand of God? You are an arrogant fool! It is not for you to judge me, it is for He! How can he do that if I am not let to di-"

Right around then is when Anton's spear pierced Gabor's throat.

The Tzimisce looks at Anton with hatred and fear, even as he is killed for the second time.

As Anton watches, Gabor dissolves into a puddle of blood, which then slowly climbs up the shaft of Anton's spear until it reaches his hands. It envelops his body, and then crawls into him through his nose, his mouth, his ears...

---

Anton drops the incapacitated elder to the ground. Before leaving he had captured one of the vovoides that betrayed the Dacian to Noriz and Basilio, one of Noriz' own legion.

He looks at the four assassins gathered before him in the Turkish embassy within Constantinople.

"I want Basilio of Sophia dead. This is your payment, an elder of the Transylvanian holds".

A Cainite that Anton recognizes as Fariq speaks up - "I'll take it. Never liked him anyway."

Anton looks at the young killer, then let's his hand drop to his sword.

The handsome man with the kind eyes who Anton recognizes as Husayn follows the motion, as does the Shabbah. The other two - Fariq and an unknown, do not.

In an instant Anton's blade flashes out and he cuts down Fariq and the other younger assassin. Husayn and the Shabbah drop into defensive stances and fall back as Anton begins a terrifying series of attacks. He notes the Shabbah begin to falter, but Husayn keeps step with him. In a motion as casual as swatting aside a fly, Anton slides his blade under the Shabbah's guard and rips it savagely upward, knocking her sword aside and nearly decapitating her, leaving her head hanging by a sliver of flesh alone.

Husayn takes Anton's measure once more, then disappears. Anton senses him reappearing at his back and spins around, sword moving to catch Husayn's before it could strike him - only to find that the Assamite has begun to bleed a terrible acidic mist that burns and melts through Antln's very skin. Anton pushes himself off the ground and stabs at Husayn's chest but the Assamite moves around the blow and strikes quickly, breaking Anton's swordhand and then his spine. Anton falls to the ground, supporting himself with his good hand.

"You. You will take the contract."

Husayn looks at him, incredulous.

"He crushed me like a bug. He would have torn those other three apart. You will take the contract. Take your payment."

Husayn gives Anton a long look then.

"He must have done much to earn this anger you feel towards him, Basilio."

"All of that and more."

---

Anton wakes to a terrible pain suffusing his body. Obsidian spears hold him down, and all of his joints have been fused together. Basilio stands over him, in the same terrifying battle regalia he had used when fighting Gabor and killing the Dacian.

A hungry shade made physically manifest into the shape of a 9-foot tall wraithly-knight holding a massive, wicked two-handed axe stands over Anton.

"Anton, is that you?"

Basilio's voice has never been more menacing.

[Not Aman]

Anton looks up at Basilio.
"What are you doing here?" Anton asks, turning his head trying to find Basilio, he then remembers.

"Brother Joseph. His heart needs to be put back to place." 

[Drakilian]

"This is no time for willful ignorance! Answer me, am I speaking to Anton, or to Gabor?"

[Not Aman]

"It's me, of course. Anton." Anton replies, indignation in his tone

[Drakilian]

Basilio looks ahead, behind Anton then. Relief visibly fills his face.

"Thank you Eken, once again you prove yourself invaluable."

Basilio snaps his fingers and the spears pinning Anton to the ground dissipate.

"Do you have enough blood for healing? I'm afraid Gabor damaged your body rather horribly, but since you killed him you should be able to heal your wounds. Oh, and you might want to hide your face, most of it appears to be gone. Frankly, I barely understood what you were saying just now. Did you mention Joseph?"

Right about then, Antkn hears a door slam open, followed by Maleki walking in, seemingly alone.

"Basilio, I come under the authority of Michael to place Anton under temporary arrest."

The room goes silent.

"What?"

"You heard me. Anton has to be judged for the willful murder and diablerie of Gabor, who was under Michael's protection. I am to bring him to Michael for judgment."

Basilio flares up at that, "What the hell do you think you're doing Maleki?!"

"I am doing the task assigned to me," Malachite answers back.

"Your assigned task? Fark your assigned task! We all know that Michael's been nothing but a figurehead since the Dracon left, he's gone Farking insane, you've been running this city for years in his name! If you do this you don't get to lay the blame at Michael's feet!"

As Basilio speaks his shadows flare and the manifested Hungry shade shifts restlessly, it's massive armoured body creaking and grinding against itself.

Maleki responds calmly.

"Basilio, I bear you no ill will. I do not want to fight you, and the Lord knows I would not wish your shadows or Eken over there on my worst enemy. But I will do the task assigned to me."

Then, in a quieter tone, "even if I have to die trying".

The tension in the burning remains of Gabor's mansion is so thick it could be used to put out the fire. Things look like they're about to turn very ugly, very fast.

[Not Aman]

Anton tries to heal his face, mainly to speak.
"Gabor removed Joseph's heart. It needs to put back."

"And it is fine, Basilio. I wish to speak to Michael in any case."

[Drakilian]

Anton can just barely regenerate a small piece of his tongue. Going through Gabor's memories he finds that it takes an extended amount of time to heal fleshcrafting wounds.

Seemingly not caring even the slightest bit about Joseph, Basilio immediately replies - "Anton, do you know what the punishment for diablerie is? It's death by sunlight. It's always death by sunlight. Everywhere. If you see Michael, you are going to die. I am not letting you get killed like a damn fool!"

[Not Aman]

"Basilio, it is a game Malachite must play. If what you say is true, then I have nothing to fear with your protection. I want to see Michael." Anton says, adamant.

[Drakilian]

"You'll never see Michael!" Basilio hisses through his teeth.

"Michael is gone, Michael is mad, Michael is dead, take your goddamned pick! No one but his servants have seen him in decades and all we know is that he believes he's the archangel Michael himself! Maleki does it all, he rules Constantinople now."

Seeing Anton's obstinacy, Basilio steps back.

"I would have never granted you freedom if I knew this was what you would do with it."

[Not Aman]

"Then we have nothing to fear from Malakei's judgement." Anton retorts.

[Drakilian]

"You've learnt nothing Anton," Basilio says, a dark glimmer in his eye.

Nonetheless, he turns, and motions for Eken to follow. As he passes by Maleki, the tension reaches its peak. Maleki stands perfectly still as Basilio passes him by, and doesn't say a word. A cloud of darkness coming off Basilio edges towards and around the nosferatu, Basilio's lips move silently, and Michael's Chosen stiffens.

When they are gone, Maleki relaxes.

"Your sire is one scary bastard. When he gets into a mood like that... ha, reminds me of the Dacian. He was a lot less scary before he went off to Transylvania, you know that? I swear sometimes that that country killed off what was left of the happiness in him. Anyway, come here, look into my eyes, don't resist."

[Not Aman]

"You could have picked a better time, Malachite. Or Malakei, I suppose." Anton replies, looking at the nosferatu

[Drakilian]

The next few seconds are a blur for Anton. When all is said and done, Anton no longer remembers Eken's involvement in his recovery, and rather remembers Michael's voice, a bright light and a soothing hand being laid down upon his soul.

When he regains consciousness, he is at the pier (unharmed) with Maleki, near the Dark Queen.

"This is where I leave you. May the winds fare you well Anton."

[Not Aman]

Anton nods.
"Send my thanks to the Patriach, Malakei." Anton says, heading onto the Dark Queen. He needs to check on Brother Joseph and Basilio.

[Drakilian]

Eken greets Anton at the ship. Anton feels the strange need to thank Eken for something, but he can't quite think of why.

The large black ghoul sits idly by the gangplank, sipping something from a mug.

"Still alive I see?"

[Not Aman]

Anton nods.
"Yes. Was the monk brought on board?"

[Drakilian]

Eken shrugs, "What was left of him. Basilio was going to let him burn but I pointed out that Joseph had been embraced, he put two and two together."

[Not Aman]

"I appreciate that, Eken." Anton says. "Where would he be?"

[Drakilian]

"In the hold. Basilio's in his quarters, beyond pissed."

[Not Aman]

"In the hold. Basilio's in his quarters, beyond pissed."

"He was wrong about the dialberie, Eken. I feel very little change, except in strength. It... grants a different feel for the word. I see more now."

"I can not understand his anger."

[Drakilian]

"He thought you were going to die. In fact, you should have died, Gabor is a swordsman of great renown and his skill with the blade surpasses most."

"The soul is always weak in the first few days after diablerie. Gabor has not adjusted to his surroundings yet. You will get to know him very well indeed soon enough."

[Not Aman]

"Yes, brother Joseph helped in that regard immensely." Anton says.

"I suspect that Gabor will find my will tougher to harm the longer he stays, as well, Eken."

[Drakilian]

Eken simply shrugs.

[Not Aman]

Anton nods, and heads on further into the ship. He'll head to the monk's chambers.

[Drakilian]

In the ships dark, rather foreboding hold, Anton moves to the medical room - where Joseph is sprawled out, his mangled body covered by a blanket. The room smells of blood, which Anton deduces comes from the heated pitcher by Joseph's bedside.

"Why did you do it?" He asks, his voice coming out as a weak, gurgling wheeze.

It seems Joseph has recovered enough to speak, if not move.

[Not Aman]

Anton sits down, silent for a moment.

"I needed you." He says quietly.

[Drakilian]

Joseph doesn't say anything for a while.

"Did she survive?"

[Not Aman]

"She?" Anton asks.

[Drakilian]

"There was a girl... she was young... struggling... they brought her in for him. I followed."

Anton notes the sinking of Joseph's posture as he realizes the girl probably died.

[Not Aman]

Anton shakes his head.
"I didn't see her."

"Gabor will not be able to ruin the Kine any longer, brother."

[Drakilian]

Joseph doesn't say anything for a while then.

"I... I do not think I can find it in my heart to forgive you for this."

[Not Aman]

"I will never ask for it." Anton replies. "There is nothing worse then what I have done to you. But I needed you."

"I, we, have work to do, brother. Much of it."

[Drakilian]

"You needed me," Joseph says.

"You don't anymore. Let me die."

[Not Aman]

"You needed me," Joseph says.

"You don't anymore. Let me die."

"Joseph, I didn't bring you here just to eliminate a vampire. I need you to help me bring forth the Lord's kingdom. I can not do it by myself."