Looking for the Manor

Rayana was following a small distance behind, obviously lost in thoughts. She was walking swiftly through the familiar streets, not even needing to really look where she was going. On each side of the relatively small street were large old trees, oaks, pine trees, apple trees. Though none had leaves because it was winter, the sight was still beautiful.

In some places, the trees would join above the street forming great archways of branches. On each side were small to medium size houses, some colorful, others simply were old and their paint cracked. Not many people lived there anymore. Those who did were old of a new family who didn't know the neighborhood's (SP) history.

In fact the only thing that kept her away from her 'home' was the fact that the 'police' had been on her back about a murder case, which mind you she had no implication in. They always thought she was suspicious, being a vampire an all. This had been a village that she had founded herself, having been the 'lady' of the city for a while, well if you could qualify five centuries as a 'while'.

None of those living there would recognize her, but every citizen of this independent neighborhood (SP) had heard of the lady. She hoped they wouldn't put two and two together. As she approached, the houses became increasingly old, but most were still well taken care of and most of the time still inhabited.

Memories as her days in this small town, which was now part of the bigger city but still independent, kept crossing her mind, like when she had taken care of Sarah, a small vampire child whom she had discovered wandering alone and parentless. She sent her to the New-France colony to learn with a blood melder there.

Finally, the sight she had not seen in two hundred years came to her eyes. At the end of the street lay a large manor. Its weather worn walls were in good condition, though she was sure there would be repairs to be made. It was made out of a white rock; it was a bit worn by rain, but still strong. The black wood of the windowsills (SP) and door stood against the rock as a sore thumb though it was well in color with the surroundings.

Two large oaks decorated the front, where she used to sit in and listen to the night. As she entered, following the younger vampire, she looked around. The chairs and various processions were covered in white sheets, dust having settled a way back. Groaning softly at the obvious state of disrepair, though it was still beautiful, she would have to pay someone to clean it up because she wouldn't be able to do all that herself.

"Welcome home...'' She murmured to herself.

There was a long hallway in front of her, with the lounge to her left and the dining room to her right. A bit farther ahead, were the kitchen to the right and an office to the left. Each room was large and well ventilated. Directly above her office, on the second floor (With a trap door for direct access from said office), was the library containing various books and scrolls in a controlled environment.

To the right of the library was her bedroom (with attached bedroom). In front of those two large rooms were a series of guest rooms with a bathroom each. On the third floor (In the roof), there was an observatory, the rooms for the butler and maid and an attic. In the basement there was a chamber for blood magic, a science lab and a dueling/training room. There was as well a secret storeroom for her weapons and dangerous mixtures and weapons (Like nitroglycerin, TNT, guns, bows, daggers and etc...).

All in all, with a bit more modern appliances, it would do a perfectly fine manor if a bit large for two, but she didn't want it to stay at only two people.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw him going towards the basement. Not really being panicked about him and not to protect him, she called top him.

"Make sure not to touch any of the jars and various vials if you go to the lab. I don't want whatever is inside to be ruined."

Of course, there was always the fact that nitroglycerin could do some serious damage to the manor if budged. Looking around at the familiar house, she easily went to her office, producing a key from one of her pockets. Opening the door, a cloud of dust came in her face. Coughing softly, she entered the old office.

She looked around the vast office, finding everything as she had left it, two centuries ago. She quickly pulled the sheet from her chair, a high backed comfortable leather chair. Flopping in, she put her boots on the wooden desk, which was hidden underneat a sheet as well. She let herself enjoy a small moemnt of peace and quiet.

(Ah? The Blood chambers? The science lab? the training room?)

She remembered why she had chosen this place in particular so long ago. In that time, there hadn't been a town there, there was a slightly bigger city many kilometers away from it but that was about it.

She had hired a group of workers to build the house by the exact measurements she had made for the house of her dreams. She especially liked the chambers she had had done in the basement.

They were chambers entirely made out of white marble, even the door. It was used to practice blood magic in. She used to come there and meditate for hours, letting the enchantments on the chambers do the work. She would cut a finger and deliberately not let it heal, tracing runes on the pure white walls.

It was lucky the chambers were equipped with sprinklers, well a sort of sprinklers, to wash away the runes once the ritual was finished. She used it to ingrain magic in the poperty, to ingrain magic in herself, for she once had been unable to go in the sun without getting severely burnt.

The science lab was another thing entirely, filled with work tables, burners, stashes of many things and various mixtures. She even had several microscope like things, though she would need to refurbish the lab because it lacked in modern appliances to make it a good bio/science lab.

The dueling room was the largesst of the rooms in the basement, flat and covered in small mats from floor to ceiling, it simply was to pratice weaponry and unarmed combat.

Which, when she thought about it, she needed to train now that she was back 'home' she was ashamely out of shape. Arriving to the dueling room, she entered the secret storage room and took a pair of short curved swords, closing the room behind her. Slowly, she started through a series of movements, parries, ducks, jabs and all that, entering the dance of the blade as she had done for the last millenias.

The black haired vampire stiffened suddenly when the magic from the blood magic chambers activated. A small trickle of anger passed through her that he had dared go there without her permission, but she quickly squashed it down, telling herself that she should think of the whole situation like that. She hadn't specifically forbidden him from going there.

She really hope he would know best than to disturb the magic there for it could have serious consequences (Usually the death or serious maiming of the person disturbing the magic). She sniggered softly at her thoughts, she was more anxious about the state of her blood chambers than him. Though she didn't want him dead, she didn't particularly care for him, yet.

Resuming her training, she resstarted from the beggining, redoing all the drills she had ever learned with her swords. She really was out of shape she decided, she was now 'breathing' slightly heavier than normal. If a vampire could breath, well they needed not to, but she liked to draw brethes, plus it permitted vampires to speak. In her case, she did it to keep track of how in shape she was. It was aprt of an enchantment rune set that she had done a little while ago, even if she couldn't do the greatest feats of that brand of magic.

She mainly could do protection on a limited radius (about the size of her poperty) and self enhancement (which she hadn't done that much of either, especially since she had enhanced her night vision too much). It was no wonder to those who knew about it that she was good with the newest weapons, she simply made a small riyual for the ones she wanted to learn and she would learn it to the best of her qualifications.

That was why she had never been that good at a bow, even with all the training, she would never be a master, she just didn't have the talent for it. Neither had she any talent at throwing stars, she even had managed to plant one in her arm when attempting to throw it, at that time, her teacher had laughed his bottom off about it. She was totally hopeless at the staff which she sucked at even more than the throwing stars (She had managed to poke her eye with it, how bad is that?).

All in all, she was better at close range combat, sneak attacks and above all, blades. She particularly liked her twin swords, they were her favorites. So she continued, going through all the weapons in her store at least once, even if she knew that with some she wouldn't get any result.

As the elder decided that her training was enough for now, she walked through the door, going towards the blood magic chambers to see what the fledgeling was up to.

As she arrived to the chambers, she placed her hand on a slightly glowing red hand print on the side of the marble door. A small prick on the palm of her hand sampled her blood, and it activated the enchantments of transparency on the door. She now could see through it.

Her eyebrow raised at what she saw, Jira was amusing himself with blood, but she was relieved to find her chambers in good state. She would have been mad if it hadn't been the case. She knew better than disturb him though, it could have dire consequences if the younger vampire was startled out of his control over the blood he was manipulating.

Instead, she let a bit of her vampire presence gradually seep in the chamber, announcing as a soft breeze of scent that she was there and wanted his attention. She didn't move from in front of the door, observing the swirls of blood. It was mesmerizing.