Chapter Four: Within the Chantry

By Richard LeBlanc

In a lavishly decorated room - Calloway sat and waited. As he concentrated - he could hear distant yelling coming from one of the hallways as the Primogen explained the situation to his higher ups. After a few seconds the voices died down. When he heard footsteps nearing he opened his eyes and slowly stood up.

"From what I heard that went rather well - wouldn't you say?' Calloway asked curiously. Palaseen groaned as he motioned for the assassin to follow him in. "If you don't mind my saying - this is quite the place. You can - almost smell the history - if - you had a sense of smell," he added.

"Spare the small talk please - it is neither expected nor desired," Palaseen requested as they came to a large set of oak doors. "The regent waits within," he said politely as he bowed and walked away.

Calloway watched as the Primogen left via the way they had entered. He then reached for the doors. Slowly - they opened inward. He looked over and saw an old looking man sitting behind a marble desk.

"You the man I need to see?" Calloway asked.

"How did this document happen into your possession?" he demanded. Calloway entered - the doors slammed shut! "Answer me!" he demanded. Calloway studied the man before him and blinked.

"I'll answer one question - if you do," he rebutted.

"That being?" he asked.

"Did you really think I would buy - that you are the regent of this place?" he asked.

"How dare," he began as he rose to his feet.

"Before you go off on some holy rant about whatever - do remember - I know what is going on down there. And - I know - that with the situation reaching the crisis level that it is - there is no fucking way the regent - would be up here talking to me," he pointed out seriously. For a few moments - the Tremere elder glared at him. "You want to talk about how one of your people fucked up - let's dish - you want to talk about the gaping holes in your security network - that's off limits. You want to waste my time playing masquerade games - playing dress up - pretending you are regent - go ahead. I can wait - can you?" he concluded seriously. Slowly the Tremere sat down.

"You have a very bold tongue sand snake," he muttered.

"I - don't hear any denying - I must have guessed right," he sarcastically rebutted.

"Is there a point to this?" he demanded.

"Probably many. I want you to tell me - how - this situation came to pass. Feed me a lie - tell me nothing - or something in between - and I will get up and walk," Calloway began. With a wave of the hands of the vampire mage - the room was sealed. "You think - keeping me here will keep this quiet? You can't be that stupid," he stated.

"You are coming close to spending the rest of your unnatural days in Vienna," he warned.

"Oh no - I guess that would silence the fact that your boys opened up Pandora's box - especially when it consumes this area whole. Spare the fucking threats. I was sent here to help. Why? Because you need someone that isn't going to blab to the prince or someone who doesn't already know of this. You are running low in manpower - in time - and - my patience. Take your pick," he stated diplomatically.

"What do you know of this ritual?" he asked seriously.

"The semantics - I couldn't make heads or tails of - but - if half of what I could understand is even fractionally possible or true," he began.

"It is," the Tremere replied.

"Oh - that is just fucking peachy. You fucking warlocks - found a way - to follow the path of blood - all the way - to Cain himself?" Calloway asked in disbelief.

"Not - completely - the - ritual - is - to complex for anything of that magnitude. But - one of our scholars he figured out something that - made the ritual possible. He should have been stopped when we learned what he was attempting to do - but - it was dismissed. The theory was not believed valid. He was troubled - he believed some - power threatened the clan and that this was the only way to protect us," he began.

"You allowed this dysfunctional monkey to play with something like this?" Calloway asked in modest disbelief.

"He had served the elders faithfully without question. On one occasion - he stood between a Sabbat attacker a fallen elder. He was willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the clan. There was no way to know how deep his - dementia would grow," the Tremere added.

"Okay - we have a demented scholar - with a theory - how did it evolve to where we are now?' Calloway asked. The Tremere looked over at him and sighed.

"He - was plagued by unnatural dreams. They drove him to work faster. Many occasions he would work without rest for days at a time. It - was during one of those moments of - how shall I say this - sleep deprived enlightenment that he happened upon the formula needed to make the ritual work," he replied.

"How long - has he been without sleep?" he asked.

"Before he began this ritual - almost eight days," he answered.

"Then - the reason - he is going through this - the real reason the shit is hitting the fan," Calloway began.

"Is because - his weary mind could not - and can not cope with the knowledge he is seeing. He is lashing out blindly - speaking in tongues - summoning - things - in large numbers. Since this has begun - we have sent countless neonates in to attempt to - put him down - but all attempts failed. One - group - managed to make it to the inner sanctum and saw him - he was using powers and knowledge that he could have had no way of using or knowing," he answered.

"How long - before he - becomes like Cain?" Calloway asked.

"He won't. Not in that sense. He will still be of the tenth generation - bound by all the rules of blood our kind are," he reassured.

"Okay - then - how come your people don't have him shut down? I thought you warlocks were under lock and key by the elders over seas," he remarked. The Tremere sighed.

"They tried - it - seems as though he found some way to escape the bond of blood that binds us to the clan. Once they realized the gravity of the situation they - told the regent to stop him at all costs and that help was on the way," he answered.

"I see," Calloway began as he closed his eyes. "The ritual - was it permanent?" he asked hesitantly. A silence followed.

"There - is no way of knowing for sure. If he was able to get as far as he has - it stands to reason he might have learned more," he replied seriously. Calloway opened his eyes and shook his head. He had faced many potent enemies - but none of them had aspects of Cain - not like this.

"I think - I need to speak with the regent now - the real one," he stated.

"I do not think that wise," he pointed out.

"You have a warlock down there that is learning more and more with each passing minute. The longer we delay - the harder it will be for me to take this fool down," he stated. The Tremere laughed.

"You think you can do this? We have been fighting this war with him for - I can't begin to guess how long at this point. What makes you think you will fare any better than us?" he challenged.

"You mages all think alike - people like me - we think - outside the box. I - am not what your deluded scholar is expecting. That - will make a difference," he stated seriously.

"You don't seem - to be hearing what I am saying. This scholar - this mage as you call him - is learning little by little what secrets lie in Cain's blood. You think because you are an assassin and an outsider that any of that will make a difference?" he asked. Calloway quietly laughed.

"You - think you have anything to lose at this point?" he rebutted. The Tremere sighed and shook his head. The annoying Setite assassin had a point.

"You - want to rush in and face death head on? Maybe I will introduce you to the regent after all," he replied. Calloway smiled as he watched the Tremere get up and open a secret passageway. "You want to be a hero snake man? Follow me - if you dare," he replied as he began to descend down the dark staircase.

"I was hoping you would say that," Calloway said to himself as he hopped over the desk and followed the Tremere elder down into the very depths of the chantry.

To Be Continued...