The Begining [Back Story. Invited Only]

Giacinto stepped up onto a fallen long and then down to the ground on the opposite side of it in one fluid movement, barely jostling herself. "Who, Nicio and Lyssum? They're my coven-members. Nicio's my mate and Lyssum is a vampire we picked up a few years ago from the Americas."

She vaulted a low-rise stone wall that was crumbling away and strolled into the small village just beyond.

A few of the villages glanced her way as she strolled through their home like she owned the place but she merely brushed off the stares, her pace quickening slightly as she got ever-closer to the inn.

The Succubus slipped into the inn and up the wooden steps, pausing to give a curt nod to the innkeeper before disappearing up the stairs and down the hall to one lone door at the very end.

Her knuckles rapped against the door softly and then she waited.

Ignicio sat hunched over on a flimsy bed running his bejewelled hands through his long curly hair frustratedly. He had been out searching for information on the coven they were supposed to be hunting all night and he hadn't found anything.

He bared his clenched teeth and sharp fangs in a dark hiss, wine eyes glaring hard at the wooden floor beneath her feet. The bottle of wine that sat next to his feet shattered, the wine inside falling to the ground in red mass.

His head snapped up when he heard a knock at the door and he rose to his full height of 6'1. He strode towards the door, sending a swift glance to the other occupants of the room.

"You're back earlier than I expected," he said when the door opened to reveal his ancient mate. His eyes focussed on the boy behind her and a dark brow cocked upwards. "You've got a little changeling tagging at your heels, love."

He leant against the door frame, huge form taking up most of the free space with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. "Why?

Richard looked over his shoulder to look at the constable and watchmen doing there night duty as they glared and hissed angrily his way. Ignoring them he let his eyes roam over the small rural village. It was dirty and seemingly squashed together with fields surrounding it, obviously provided its income from farming cattle and plants if the landscape was anything to go by.

His eyes snapped back towards the wooden door as it creaked opened - revealing a tall man,Ignicio probably, with a light stubble and long wood-coloured brown hair. His intimidating form towered over Richard, which made him almost stager back, not used to being the short one considering his own above average height. Even when he leaned against the wall after speaking to his mate he was still taller then Richard.

He glanced at Giacinto, deciding to play it safe and not to speak unless spoken to for a little while.

Giacinto grinned, taking a step back and sliding behind Richard, touching her hands to his shoulders, head nearly resting on the boy's shoulder. "Nicio, my dearest mate, meet our new coven-member." She raised a hand towards him before even the thought of frowning could enter his mind. "I have a reason!"

She patted Richard's shoulder before stepping closer to her mate, standing on the tips of her toes and banding her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his cheek. "He's useful. I wouldn't have offered him a place otherwise," she assured, burying her face in his neck.

The Succubus really didn't want to fight with the Incubus at the moment. She wanted to get down to planning out the attack. She didn't want to waste any time arguing with him.

Ignicio opened his mouth to give her a rude comment but closed it when she held her hand out. A brow cocked. "A reason? Do indulge."

He sighed when she cuddled up to him but curled his one arm around her slim waist, pressing his lips to her cheek. "I know, I know. But look at him." He raised his head and his wine coloured eyes ran over the boy. "He looks so pathetic."

Ignicio had no idea how this boy would be of any use in their hunt.

He pressed his lips to his mate's forehead softly before settling his eyes on the boy. "You, boy, who are you? How old are you? What could you possibly do to aid us in our hunt?"

He knew he was being rude. He knew Giacinto would probably punish him after the hunt. He knew all of this but hie was frustrated. And if picking on the new boy would alleviate that even just a little then, by God, he would pick on the new boy.

Richard felt momentary uncomfortable as he was scrutinised by Ignicio, then anger as he was called pathetic, but he held his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to get into a fight with another vampire that was most probably more powerful then him. Instead he just stood tall and listened to the vampire.

"I am Richard of S-" He stopped realising with a slight pang that his old title was really no use now. "No, just Richard, I am 16 years old and I pretty much know the coven you are looking for inside out." He answered, refusing to gulp or tear his eyes away from the other looming male vampire.

Giacinto laughed, pulling away from her mate and patting Richard on the shoulder. "Good on you, Dick! Someone needs to stand up to that bully in a bad mood." She grinned over at her mate and pursed her lips as if she was kissing him from a distance.

"Well? Gonna let us in or not?" With that said, she slid through the slim space that Ignicio's body didn't fill in the door frame. Her body brushed against his as she passed.

"Lyssum, m'dear! We have great news~" She threw her arms up triumphantly. "Oh, uh, Nicio?" She dipped backwards, body arching until she was looking at her mate upside down. "I need you to set Dick up with a lapis lazuli."

The Incubus glared at his mate. "I'm not a bully," he objected.

His body tensed up as Giacinto slipped past him and he hissed at her half-heartedly. "Such a tease," he grumbled.

He moved away from the door frame and nodded at Richard. "Well, come in, I guess, Richard."

He swiftly turned, hair flying out around him. "Giacinto! You've got to tell me in advance. I don't always keep lapis lazuli set in silver on me." His hard gaze stayed on her for a little longer before he sighed and loped towards a small shoulder bag slumped in a pathetic heap in a corner of a room. "You're lucky I have some with me."

He pushed a rat away from his bag and delved into its depths. "Lyssum, keep your bloody pets away from my bag," he grumbled, pulling out a leather pouch. He opened it carefully and rifled through different pieces of silver jewellery. Eventually he picked out a selection of rings set with small circular pieces of lapis lazuli not too dissimilar to the ring gracing the smallest finger on his left hand.

He motioned for Richard to come to him. "Come here and pick one out. I don't know what your ring size is."

A sudden crash sounded from the left of the group, behind closed door of what seemed to be the room’s only bathroom.

"Hehehehehehahahahaha!!~" A young but very eccentric voice boomed loudly, clearly enjoying whatever had happened in the small bathroom a little bit too much.

"HehehehHEHEHEHEEHEHEHEHE!!!" Clearing not noticing her name being called, (Or maybe not caring at that moment), the laughing continued, until it was silenced by another loud crash.

....Silence....

A shuffling sound could then be heard as well as a faint mumbling as the woman inside the bathroom headed towards the door.

Opening the door, a young woman, looking around mid to late twenties, stuck her head out, clutched onto the door sideways letting her wild white main fall towards the floor and grinned wildly at the group.

"You yelled? You did, hehe, i heard you! Or maybe not, but it could have been you... or it could have been bob, you never know, do you~" As she spoke the name bob, a small pure white rat popped up over the womans neck, squeeking as if agreeing with her.

Looking over towards Ignicio, she laughed even more.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Thaaat, my dear, that would beee not mine, it wouldn't, nope it wont!" She stopped and removed a hand from the doorway, placing one of her fingers on her chin.

"Thoough, i guess bob maaay want another friend, right bob, you would liike that you would, wouldn't you? You would~"

She never even noticed the young lad that had also entered the room with her new covern members.

Richard walked over to the numerous of rings set with lapis lazuli, browsing over them until he choose one that would slip easily on his own little figure on the right hand. before slipping it on he quickly studied it; not as detailed as he liked his Jewlrey, but he could change that in the future.

The next thing he new there was a disturbing laugh for the other room followed by crashing and silence then laughter then a woman came out of the room with wild white hair and equally wild eyes sprouting nonsense and just being plain down insane, seemingly ignoring Richard. He guessed that must be Lyssum.

Unsure of what to do with him self he looked a Giacinto and decided to see how things would unfold.

Giacinto waved off Ignicio's scoldings. He wasn't usually in such a bad mood. Mustn't have found anything. Aren't I just too kind bringing us all the information we need~?

The Succubus chuckled as a loud booming laugh filled the room. "Lyssum, good to see you," she said, stepping forwards with her arms open for a hug when the insane vampire appeared at the door frame. She nodded at the rat and curtsied as much as she could wearing a shirt. Giacinto was in a good mood. A very good mood. "And you too, Bob."

She chuckled as Lyssum pondered over letting Bob keep company. Giacinto wouldn't mind at all. The rats could be quite pleasant conversation at times. But she wasn't too sure Ignicio would be happy about it.

With a click of her fingers, she flitted back to Richard's side with a grin. "Lyssum, meet our newest coven member: Dick." She rested her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Dick, welcome to the madness."

And with herself - an ancient half breed that preferred acting and dressing like a male; a vampire that obsessed over anything going near his bag and an insane woman that kept a pet rat her coven was more than just madness. It was utterly insane.

And she loved it.

She just hoped they didn't scare Dick off too soon. With a little prompting, he could fit right into her growing coven.

Ignicio gave the rat a disgusted look and then turned that look to Giacinto and Lyssum. "We're not letting you carry around more of those things. That white mouse is bad enough," he grumbled, wiping off the hand he pushed the rat away with on his breeches.

He tilted his hand over the leather pouch and watched as each ring dropped back on top of the other pieces of silver jewellery in the pouch.

He raised his head with a feral grin. "Yes, Dick, welcome to the madness. Sanity'll be your downfall."

Ignicio really wasn't in a good mood.

Lyssum skipped out from behind the door, her long grey medieval dress dancing about as she moved... which was a lot, as she made her way to hug Giacinto. Not caring that the vampire may change her mind about being hugged by a blood splattered (drenched) vampire she quickly flung her arms around the older vampires shoulders in a tight glomp-like hug. Bob wanting to join in on the hug also scampered up Giacinto's arm and across her shoulders, snuggling into her neck as a cat would.

"Hehehe, cat's are straaange, I like rats better, I do. Rats, rats, rats~" She mumbled randomly as she let go of the older vampire and let her eyes travele around the room.

Hugs are nice, nice they are. Not had a hug for a while. Reminds me when I was a child, not nice no, no. But this is nice, yup! I like hugs, I doo. .... I wonder whaats for tea...

At the introduction to the new coven member, Lyssum straightened up. She walked over to the boy and stared up at him with her piercing yellow eyes. She may be slightly smaller but good things come in small packages right?

The stare then turned into a glare.

"Do you..." She started in a chilling cold voice. "Do you like rats?!"

Richard turned to look at both Giacinto and Ignicio, a perplexed look fallen across his face. He glanced at Lyssum and then considered the situation he is in; he was helping vampires kill another group of vampires, a predicament his ten year old self would of never considered himself to be in, only in the fairy tale book his older sister would sometimes tell him.

"Thanks, I guess" He muttered, riddling with the now placed ring around his little finger, a bad habit he had as a child which the older adults used to scowl him for.

He lifted his head as he heard foot steps come towards him. It was lyssum, staring at him. The stare quickly turned chilling as it turning into a glare. Richard could not help but step backwards slightly, hitting his thigh against the table, as Lyssum invaded his personal space.

She asked whether he liked Rats. Which almost made him want to burst out laughing, but he kept a straight face. He never liked them too much - as cute as they were, but she seemed to like them a considerable amount, so he answered; "Sure, they are fine, I guess."

"Oi, be nice to Bob," Giacinto hissed, stroking the albino rat curled into her neck. "Don't insult him by calling him a mouse!"

She chuckled at Lyssum's ramblings. "Yes, I much prefer rats to cats. Cat's can be annoying." Her carmine eyes slid to her mate and a smirk pulled at her lips. Not cats, she corrected. Just one cat.

A loud snort forced itself into the open when Lyssum asked the boy her question after nearly scaring him half way to the grave. "Ly, m'dear, he was human royalty. There's no way he'd like rats." She jumped a little when Bob squeaked in her ear. "I never said I didn't like rats, Bob. Just pointing out that Dick was from a well-off family. He probably hadn't seen a for most of his life." Giacinto had quite an opinion of well-to-do people.

Stroking Bob idly, she shuffled over to the bed, sloshing through the melting slush that was once wine. "Urgh - Nicio, you've got to control that a little better. My feet are soaked."

Lyssum continued to glare at Dick until he replied, but once he did a wide grin spread onto her face.

"Hehehehe, I guess thaat is all I can ask for, it is, right? Maybe..." Her finger reappeared at her chin and her tongue pocked out over her bottom lip as she started to think. Outloud. Nothing new, but to a new coven member, it would make her seem mad. Oh no, she was not mad, not at all. At least not to herself, it was everyone else that was mad.

"Tub, tub of theem will do. Squeek Squeek! Morning... no mid-day HAHAHAHAHAHAA!! Run run run! Will like now, he will, he would!" Nodding she looked back to Dick grinning wildly and started to skip and twirl around him until she did a full circle around the boy. She then stuck her hand out to him to shake with a small cute giggle.

"I loook forward to the moorning~"

At the mention of the little accident with the glass and wine, Lyssum backed up a little guiltily towards the bathroom, intending on closing the door so no one could see the mess that had happened inside. She was slightly surprised that no one had come knocking on the bedroom door to ask what the constant crashes where about. But she guessed that the nod that Ignicio gave in innkeeper when they walked into the Inn meant that they knew each other. Or it could be a Lyssum nod, meaning she promises to return at a later date to kill you and use you for experiments.

"Be nice to bob~ He maAy eat you as yoou sleep! Hehehehe"

Ignicio Sighed heavily and stood to his full height, towering over everyone in the room and stretched his muscular arms over his head. His poets shirt rode up, revealing a flat expanse of toned stomach.

He strode towards the bed, lying on it - the old bed bowing under his weight, and resting his head in Giacinto's lap. "Richard is here for a reason. Share," he ordered.

He rolled his wine eyes towards the insane High Servant. "I doubt that thing will be willing to eat me while I sleep, Lyssum. I'm a much stronger being than that mouse." He bared his teeth, fangs snapping to attention. "It doesn't stand a chance."

Richard snorted slightly at Giacintos statement about how he has never seen a rat that often in his life, then muttered "I wish." under his breath, in slight annoyance. Of course he has seen a rat before, and quite often as well, especially during the reign of Richard III, he thought bitterly.

He wearily watched Lyssum skip, twirl and giggle around him before outstretching her hand towards him, giggling some more. He was about to outstretch his own hand tenderly to shake hers before she suddenly slowly walked backwards in response to what Giacinto said. There was more words spoken between the others which he watched in interest, this was defiantly something he needed to get used to, he thought idly.

"So, when are we going to go to the other coven to, well, kill them?" He asked to the occupants in the room.

Giacinto hummed quietly, brushing Ignicio's fringe from his tanned forehead when he laid his head on her lap. "Are you ordering me, Ignicio?" she asked with a deceitfully pleasant smile.

"He was created by a woman in that coven. He's defected and joined our coven. We're using his knowledge to defeat them quicker. God knows we need the help. We weren't give much information when they gave us the briefing." Her fingers trailed down his cheek, the rough stubble brushing against her calloused fingertips.

She knew he would understand. She may have been a little reckless at times but she was a damned good strategist.

"Ly, sit down, be quiet and come get Bob," she ordered sharply. "We need to think of a strategy and carry it out before nightfall." She glanced at the window. Sunrise. The sunlight filtered into the room, casting it a golden glow.

Her eyes flicked to Richard. He hadn't known about lapis lazuli. How would he take the sunrise for the first time in so long? She scanned him intently, noting every muscle twitch, blink and rustle of the clothing he wore.

Lyssums eyes widened as she was ordered to sit down. She had heard that tone only a few times but that was enough to know that when Giacinto talked to you like that, do you or your dead.

Not wanting to have her head decapitaterd, burnt and shoved on a pike, which is one of Lyssums favourite ways to scare off the locals, she moved away from the bathroom door and skipped over to Giacinto and sat down at her feet staring up at her, much like a child would.

"Hehehehe! We get to kill thEm all sooon now, right? okay? Yep. Deeaad as a stone, whiich is not deead... nope, not dead. Yet. Hehehe!"

Lyssum turned her head towards the window as Giacinto did, wondering what the older woman was looking at. As her eyes met the window, sunlight shone into her eyes making her eyes glow a very bright yellow. She grinned and held her hands out to bob to jump into. The rat did not move, having already comfortably laid in it's resting place.

"Patience, child. The time will come," Ignicio replied emotionlessly. This child seemed too keen to kill this coven. Most people - even those who were accustomed to killing like Gia, Ly and himself - never actually asked when they would go. There was just unspoken connections. They all knew when the time was right without words.

A deep cat-like purr rumbled in the man's chest as his mate's fingers brushed against his skin softly. The callouses didn't bother him like it did most men. Most men wanted a fair, delicate girl with perfect supple skin. Ignicio loved the rough skin of his mate. It proved she worked. She did things and stood up for herself. She wasn't a delicate flower - she was a... a cactus! She could take rough conditions but when she bloomed she was breathtaking.

"Merely suggesting your course of action in a rather forceful manner," he replied smoothly with a boyish grin that shaved five years off his face. His expression was always stern which made him look like he was in his early thirties. The bright emotion in his eyes and grin on his lips truly showed off his late-twenties looks like no other action ever could.

"Giacinto, you're insane," he murmured, voice rough with the purr still rumbling in his chest. But he didn't pursue the slight annoyance he felt at his mate. He knew that this would give them the advantage they needed.

His hand reached out to brush back the locks of white hair covering the Vrykolakas' face after she had spoken. "Yes. Soon we'll be there, Ly." His hard eyes softened as he played with his coven-mate's hair. There were three things vampires just couldn't live without. Blood. Lust. And each other. Ignicio loved his coven above everything else. Even if he didn't have romantic feelings for the Vrykolakas, he still loved her. Her and that damned mouse that trailed after her.

His trailed up to the rat sitting on Giacinto's shoulder and narrowed slightly. That mouse was annoying. But he did have some minute feeling towards it.

His head lolled to one side and he stared out of the window, closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth the sun bathed his skin in.

"You, boy," me muttered gruffly. "How long has it been since you last saw the sunrise?" He was curious to know how long this boy had been a vampire.

Richard huffed lightly as he was told to be patience and called a child - he was an adult in human terms after all. Though, he wondered, it might be different in Vampire term, since they in theory live forever (or at least for a very long time) maybe the idea of coming of age was different? And instead it is how much you know rather then suddenly turning of age? If that was so then Ignicio is right, he thought bitterly.

He glanced at his place at the edge of the table that he was leaning on, twisting the ring around his little finger as he watched the three converser. As they all seemed to migrate to the bed he could not stop a little twinge in his chest. From where he stood they seemed to be a family, an extremely dysfunctional and insane family, but a family nether the less. Something that e quite missed.

His eyes focused back on Ignicio as he once again referred him as a child, only this time using the word boy. He frowned at the question before replying "Not since I have been turned, which was a couple of months ago."

His eyes moved towards the dirtied windows and saw the first signs of early morning - something he understood that was exceptionally bad for vampires.

Giacinto smiled at the younger woman. "Would I ever deprive you of people to kill, my dearest Ly?"

She chuckled at her mate. "You have been in my presence for too long, Nicio. You are gaining my quick wit." Her eyes were tender as she bowed to press her lips softly against his.

She hummed at his accusation. "Yes, but you wouldn't have me any other way, would you?" she crooned.

She cocked her head to the side as she watched her mate caress her High Servant lovingly. She loved how tender Ingicio could be with her coven-mates. Her eyes shined as she began stroking Nicio's hair back from his face again. "I love you, Nicio," she whispered, trailing the back of her fingers down his cheek softly.

Her warm red eyes rested on Richard and she held her free hand out. "Come. Let's enjoy your first sunrise as a vampire as a family." And they were a family. Giacinto was firm in believing a coven was a family.

Lyssum grinned as she heard the good news, she was going to be able to kill many vampires tonight in what ever way she wanted. She then, if allowed (Or if she can sneak one out without anyone noticing) she would use most unmutilated corpse left, if there was one, and do her experiments on it.

Just like the onne in the bathrooom! Can't wait, can't wait!!

She playfully barked at Ignicio as he stroked her hair and stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth to complete the look, she was already sitting down, hunched forward.

"Woof! Bark Bark! Hehehehe!!"

Hearing that the new young lad had not yet seen the sunrise since he was turned, she excitedly jumped up and skipped to 'Dick'. She looked up to him with a gentle smile on her face and stars in her eyes and grabbed his hand, pulling him over towards the window in which the sun could be seen through.

"Come watch! Come watch! You will loooooove it, you will!"

He accepted the pressure on his lips, returning it and brushing his tongue along the seam of his mate's lips, purr running through him. "Quick wit is not the only thing I've gained from you, lover," he chuckled huskily. It may have been hard to believe, but before he had met Giacinto he could have been considered innocent. His mate was a bad influence.

"No," he agreed, raising his hand to brush the hair away from Giacinto's neck. His fingers brushed against the tender skin there. "No, I wouldn't. Your insanity is your charm."

He snorted, dropping his hand from the white-haired vampire's head to flick her nose. "You're gaining her wit, as well, Lyssum. Are we all doomed to pick up her bad habits?" he sighed heavily.

He threw his arms open, gesturing grandly. "Your first sunrise is the initiation. You can leave this room running and screaming and forget we ever existed." He snorted. "Like that would ever happen. Those two are unforgettable. Or you can join us." A smirk revealed blindingly white teeth. "Fair warning: we're a rather dysfunctional family."