Clan Titan

It was a dark raging night, lightning flying across the sky, lighting it every few seconds. As the rain fell down onto Nospheralia's face, she knew her tears were not visable to anyone galloping past on their beautiful clydesdales.

She had been alone for so long, and had forgotten what people we're like. 'Maybe I should ask the next rider who goes past to guide me in the right direction' she thought to herself.

It was a very cold and scary night, especially since she had been cast aside by the one she had truly loved forever. It was so hurtful, so wrong.

But now Nospheralia must move forward, return home. 'What did I do wrong? Did Cloten find out my secret? He couldn't have. No one in his family knew....surely'.

Her past was extremely unforbidden, taboo, to those who didn't know her well.

Her Mother was a victim of a lover's bite, The Vampire Kiss. Her dear Mother did not know that she had fallen victim of a trap. A trap for her lover to seduce her, and reproduce his kind. Lia did not know her Mother, as her Mother had asked a close friend to take her away, and raise her as her own child. Lia's Mother, Nashna, was ill. Being pregnant to a vampire was something she had never imagined happening to her.

Who would of thought it was possible? Nashna certainly didn't. But things happen for a reason, something she has always believed.

In her last moments, not long after Lia's birth, Nashna said to her baby girl, "My Nospheralia, be safe, safe from harm. You're my child, and I, your Mother. My time is near, but I will always be with you. When the wind blows, when the rain falls. I am always here for you My Child.". After a few long agonising minutes, Nashna finally passed away. The poison left behind finally reaching her broken heart. It was a long and terrible death....

Nospheralia, only a mere 18 years old, is so ashamed of her ancestory. She feels unwanted when in fact she is mostly wanted by men, who see her passing by.

All she cared about was surviving, and not letting people be close to her, not that that had worked very well. She often thought of her mother, and the pain she went through.

And at this point and time, she just wanted out of the storm, and into a nice warm tavern. Somewhere close to home. She knew people there, people who kept her secret well. Still confused as to why Cloten had abandonded her, after 5 years of pure love. She worried about her children, but also relieved they we're out of the storm, and not carrying the bloodline she was destined to carry through into her death.

"Yaaaa Yaaa!" she heard behind her. It sounded like a man on a horse, in a hurry to be somewhere. But as she walked, she started to see lights. "Excuse me, sir?" she yelled as the man went past. he pulled his horse to a halt, turned it around, and asked, "Madam, you shouldn't be out in weather like this, it's dangerous!".

She looked downwards at her sore, bloodied feet, and replied "I have been abandoned, by my husband. Is that Golden Griffon Tavern up ahead I see?" "Yes, yes it is. Would you like me to help you there on my horse?". Lia shook her head, as much as she would like a hand into the town, she though best to walk off the sadness before she got there. As well as wipe her tears away, dry her eyes, and gather her thoughts.

After walking her way through the storm and rain, she finally reaches the Golden Griffon Tavern. As she reaches the door, she sighs. From under her bloodied blanket, she reaches the doorknob, and turns it, walking inside.....

*The Amentan had been sitting at the bar, right in the middle. She had her apple cider in her hands, and it was nice and warm. For such a cold night, it was nice to have the drink. Her eyes were checking the door now and then, hoping to see a friend this day. She cared about her friends, and it was always good to see one.*

*Looking up, her brown eyes found a friend she had made about a month ago, in a tavern far away. Her smile was already on her face, and she set down her glass to approach Lia. Standing, she could see how wet she was and the damage on her feet from the walk. zip understood how hard it could be to have soars on one's feet, she did, after all, spend every day barefoot. She also saw how drenched Lia was, and grabbed up her cloak.*

*The cloak wasn't super thick, but it would help her warm up. She held it out after she was close, offering to let her friend borrow it. She didn't know what was wrong, but Lia didn't look to well, her face was full of worry.*

"Lia..." she did her best to bring out a caring smile through the worry, "please, sit and have a drink with me?"

*It was a cold, harsh night in Titan. Lightning flashed across the sky while vast sheets of rain poored across the night. Standing amongst the torrential rainfall on one of the Titan Palace's battlements was the paladin Akunosh. His battle-hardened eyes watched impassively as the stormfront continued to move into the lands. High gusts of winds smashed into the elf, and he had to fight to stay upright. The white cloak that the paladin wore snapped harshly in the winds and was threatened to blow straight off. Sighing softly to himself, the paladin turned and entered the Palace*

*He was soaked wet from head to toe and was shaking slightly from the cold, but the paladin ignored the predicament. Torchlights illuminated his way down the stairwells and into the main hall of the Palace where he exited. The paladin walked around aimlessly for an hour without a goal in mind. Finally, by chance, he found himself at the Golden Griffin. The paladin realized that there was nothing else to do within the lands this late at night, and entered*

*Inside of the tavern, he found zip and a woman he had never seen before. The woman was what really caught Akunosh's eyes. She was barefoot, bleeding, cold, and miserable. The two hadn't seen him yet, so Akunosh quickly made his way towards the back and retrieved a wool blanket. He returned and offered it to the woman who was speaking with zip*

"Pardon my intrusion m'lady, but you appear to be cold and in need of warmth. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Akunosh Inarus, paladin and soon-to-be husband to zipcat."

"Zip, thank-you. I shall sit with you, and warm-up while we catch-up. You are too kind to me." replied Lia to Zip. Her eyes lit up a little knowing she was with a close friend. Despite everything Lia had endured to get to the Tavern, she was glad she came.

She wanted so much to tell Zip what happened, why she was so miserable. But it just didn't seem fair, not at the moment.

After a while, a presence came near, and Lia felt it.

"Pardon my intrusion m'lady, but you appear to be cold and in need of warmth. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Akunosh Inarus, paladin and soon-to-be husband to zipcat."

After turning around, and seeing a warm blanket being offered, Lia accepted it, and wrapped herself up to warm-up more.

"I'm Nospheralia, but most call me Lia for short. Please, won't you join Zip and I? After-all, you did offer me this wonderfully warm blanket."

Looking at her friend, and new-found friend, she noticed a twinkle, a spark, in Zip's & Akunosh's eyes. She knew this feeling very well.

Lia lets out a loud sigh, holding the blanket tightly. Closing her eyes for a moment, she imagined her children all safe and warm. That's what she at least hoped.

"Zip, I have been abandoned....." Lia whispers...while wiping away a new tear from one of her beautiful black eyes. She turn her head away in embarrassment, feel ashamed once again.

Being a vampire was one thing, but being abandoned by the man she loved, no saying goodbye to her children was enough to send her into a rage. But for the moment, she was misrable.

Anger is something she thought nothing of, despite her roots. She just wanted to be accepted, to be normal. As dark as she was, her soul was good. Her appearence surpsied everyone, as she looked more evil than peaceful to strangers.

*The storm proved to provide an opportune time for a walk for the lumbering half-orc, it reminded him of his time as a sailor, the storms on the open ocean were always fun in his mind, and being hit by a bolt of lightning for adding wah wah sauce to the drink of a powerful cleric in a tavern, fun in it's own way. He walked for a great while before ending up at his usual destination, the tavern. He ordered his ale and turned, the smile on his face faded for a moment, then returned at double it's normal size as recognition workd through his mind. He thought to leave a few coins at the bar, barely, and say "whatever dem people want" as he made his way to the table faster then a few drunks could get out of his way.*

"Hi Zip! How youse doin? I told da barkeep ta give youse a fresh drink of youse choice when youse finish dat one. An yer mates is drinkin on me tonight!"

*Feng looked at the others and realized he had yet to introduce himself, a drink of his ale readied his voice and let his thoughts collect for what he thought was pretty good for an intorduction and an apology:*

"I'm Feng, me mates calls me Shumpy. I'm sorry fer not bringin da drinks over. Can I talk with youse fer a bit?"

Lia looks at her new friends, Akunosh & Shumpy closey. 'They seem very nice..' she thinks to herself.

After a short discussion and introductions.... and a few drinks.... Lia faintly hears her name amongst others in the Tavern. No one else here knew her, except Zip.

She looked around, studying all the faces close-by. She didn't reconise anyone at all, not even by scent or body structure.

Lia nudges Zip, "I heard my name, I'm sure of it...". Lia looks at Zip with a scared look on her pale face, and glances at the others, still feeling some-what embarrassed at the fact she has not told her two new friends her secret. 'In time... they will know...' she thought to herself.

'Is someone after me? Maybe Cloten is coming for me? Or does he wish me dead?'

Lia was being a bit paranoid, but who could blame her after what had happened.

Lia hold her blankets tight to her now warm body, and prepares herself to run, should the need arise...

Joe walked downstairs into the bustling sounds of the tavern. Storms always brought people crowding in. Joe smiled as he stepped down those last few steps, eager to meet any new traveler's taking refuge here this night. He noticed a dark haired girl in a deep red velvet cloak in the corner and started to make his way through the crowd to introduce himself before he bumped into someone that made him nearly fall over. He looked down at the man he'd bumped and his grin quickly returned, "Shumpy. How's it going friend?" Then he noticed Zip sitting at the table as well, along with another girl who looked a bit ragged. Aku, who Joe had never met, but he knew as Zip's fiance, was also sitting at the table. A quick glance at the girl in the corner let him know that another patron had already aproached her with a drink in hand. He turned back to the table again, "It's Aku isn't it?" he said, offering the paladin his hand. "I'm Joe," then, turning to the new woman, "and m'lady" he bowed his head a bit before offering his hand to hers as well. If she took it, he would kiss it lightly, passing a small healing spell through her to cure the wariness he sensed in her.

*She wanted to give her friend a hug, so she did, she hoped that Lia could find comfort in it. zip smiled at Aku when he gave the blanket to Lia, she knew that would warm her up. While she wrapped herself in the blanket, the Amentan pulled out a nearby chair by one of the closest tables so that her friend could rest. She took a seat right next to the one she offered.*

*Her smile could never hold against hearing her friend being abandoned, and more so at seeing Lia cry. She didn't want any of her friends living on the street.*

"I'm so sorry, Lia." She wished there was a better way to put how she felt about what had happened to her friend... "If you need a place to stay, you're welcome to come to my place, and I'm sure there's someone on the Estate that may welcome you too."

*She turned to see another friend, one that had gone with her on one of the hardest quests she's even had, actually. She would have smiled better, if her friend were feeling better. zip would do her best to help her feel better.*

"Hi Shumpy, thank you for the drinks, and of course you can sit with us"

*Her attention was right back with her friend, while she tried to brighten her mood. When Lia nudged her, she leaned a bit closer so she could whisper without the others hearing if she wished. She was puzzled when Lia said she heard her name spoken, as well as alarmed. She rested a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, looking over it to glance at everyone around. She kept her voice quiet again, trying to look like she was giving no more than common reassurance.*

"I don't see anyone that looks like trouble, but trust that if anyone attacked you here, that all of my friends as well as the guards wouldn't stand up for it. You're safe, here."

*Akunosh, shortly after giving the woman a blanket, quickly found himself a chair and pulled it up with the others. A half-orc introduced himself, and another arrived as well. The paladin nodded politely when Joe introduced himself, and he quietly listened to the others' conversations. To Akunosh, it seemed almost as if this woman was in some sort of danger, not only in being abandoned, but possibly by being followed. When zip mentioned about his Estate having some rooms, Akunosh answered quickly*

"M'lady, if it pleases you, you may stay at my Estate for as long as you wish. We have many guest rooms that are far more luxerious than anything Titan's Palace or the Golden Griffin can offer. And don't worry about safety. My Estate is protected by a large wall that encompasses it. There are four forts guarding each gate with a battle-ready batallion under my direct command, and the most seasoned troops of my kingdom, Cha'arduun, are stationed in a barracks just a hundred feet away from the Estate itself. No harm will come to pass, and your visit will be for free."

*The paladin took a light sip from the drink that the half-orc, Feng, had bought for him. It was substantially weaker than the drinks in his kingdom which were notorious for their week long hang-overs, but it would suffice for now*

"Since you sound as if you're in danger, I can offer myself as a bodyguard if it pleases you."

Lia looks at Akunosh, "Thank-you," then looks at Zip..."You have all been so nice to me."

Lia stood up to stretch, as she felt a bit wound up physically. The stretch would make her feel a bit more relaxed. 'Is now the right time to tell someone my true identity? My true being?'.

"I have something to tell you Akunosh," she whispers.

Lia holds Zip's hand, while telling Akunosh something most unpleasent.

"Unfortunately, I have inherited a vampire gene," Lia looks downward towards the floor, as well as hold onto Zip's hand tighter. "I don't tell many people, as it scares them away. Most see me as evil afterwards, but if anything I am the oppisite. I don't rely on blood to survive, as my Mother was human. I do eat on occasion though, raw meat to feed the evil gene inside me. I'd understand if you changed your mind about your offer."

Lia looks at Akunosh, then glances at Feng for a split second to see if he overheard anything, which it appeared to her he might not have, but wasn't sure. She then looks at Akunosh with a sadness across her face. She was sure he would change his mind, other people certainly did.

'Will he change his mind?' Lia ponders as she watches the paladin's face, trying to read his thoughts and facial expressions, not to much success.

*The half-orc was ordering drinks when the tone of conversation turned from a somber reunion to something slightly grave, it took a few moments for what he could hear and understand of the topic to process, he reached a moment of clarity and almost broke his mug when it slammed into the table. He made sure to speak quietly though, as he had no clue who would want to harm this woman, and didn't want a bar brawl to end the discussion.:*

"Youse is one of Zip's mates right? Then youse is one o me mates too, I'll 'elp if I can. Lemmie know what's to be done an I'll do what I can of it."

*The rest of what Feng heard was still processing, but when it finished along with his next ale, it didn't even phase him, there was no way of telling if the ale was the cause of it or not, but the lumbering lummox had already decided to help.*

*Joe glanced one more time at the woman in the corner, noticing she had rejected the other man's advances and was alone again. He paused too long looking at her and as he turned to sit down, people were now starting to stand again. "I'm sorry, I got a little distracted. Did I miss something?"

*She smiled, she was glad that her friend felt welcome here and that Aku agreed with letting her stay in the Estate. She stood too with Lia, not wanting to keep her seat if for some reason she had to act. Lia was obviously a bit afraid, and she had reason. zip wouldn’t just sit there if that reason came. She kept her hand comfortably with her friend, trying to give her reassurance, though she wasn’t used to so much contact.*

*She didn’t know what it meant to have a vampire gene, but she had a few ideas. She was sorry that it scared people away, having gone some places where her abnormalities weren’t accepted or brought fear, she knew the feeling. It was horrid to want to be someone’s friend and just be pushed away because of what you were. She knew just how nice Lia was, and always cared for her as a friend. This wouldn’t change anything.*

*The Amentan too, looked to her husband-to-be, waiting to hear what he thought by this. She knew that Lia would feel that she would always be just as good as a friend to her. She would have acknowledged Joe, but this was too important.*

*Akunosh listened to Lia's revelation, but did not change his mind. This woman was in danger, and it was his sole responsibility to defend the weak, no matter what. The fact that she had a vampyric gene did worry him a little, but his facial expression didn't betray it. It was true he hated vampyres with a passion matched by few, but this one was different. She was innocent, and quite possibly didn't like the idea of even having the gene. Finally, after a deliberately long pause, Akunosh spoke once more*

"I have considered what you said, Lia, and my answer remains the same. If you are in danger, then I pledge myself to protecting you. Vampyre gene or no, you are an innocent, and it is my duty to protect them whenever the need arises. You have my sword and my protection."

Lia smiled. She felt warm inside, as if a new fire had been lit inside of her soul. She looked up at Aku, "I'm feeling a bit tired, and I need to clean up my feet. Would it be alright if we headed off? I don't mean to be rude at all."

Lia gave Zip a warm hug, a big thank-you for everything she had done tonight. Lia also gave the others a hug before getting herself ready to leave the Tavern.

Her new friends gave her confidence, and she was so glad of her acceptance despite her heritage. This was the beginning of something new, something great in her life.