[C] Translation

Fawzi bit her lip, toying idly with her piercing as her eyes trailed over the drawings and scribbles of a language that made sense to Fawzi's gaze.

As she read, she scribbled little notes in Italian in a notebook she had balanced on her knee.

After many long chats with her favourite Lycan, Fawzi had decided that she would help him with his research on Vampires. Her first go-to was giving him all the details on the Adze.

She had found out the ancient book with the story of many creatures of her father's tribe's history written down and illustrated by her father himself. Now she was translating.

Fawzi felt she worked better in more natural environments. So, despite it being rather late at night, Fawzi was sat on the bench she had met Tomaso on, holding a flashlight between her neck and shoulder; reading from her book and translating important parts into Italian for Tomaso.

Gerhard had left Alexis and Aodh, along with that underdeveloped puppy she called her son, not that long ago.

He wasn't angry, but he was bitter and disappointed in the way things had worked out.

He would NOT go to the coven now. Not that he knew such foul company resided there.

He had some other ideas as to what he could do.

But right now, he was blood-thirsty.

He caught the scent of something different. It didn't smell like a human, it smelt richer. The blood he could sense had a magical quality to it.

Only then did he see the young looking woman sitting on a park bench at night.

Normally he didn't drink from females. He preferred to fill himself with the blood of a handsome young man.

But this woman... she was a necromancer... and those were harder to come by.

He walked up behind her and stood in a dignified posture.

"I would think a woman such as yourself would know that it's dangerous to be alone at night." He said, though his tone didn't sound threatening.

Instead, it sounded concerned.

The German Vampire was a very good actor.

Fawzi's gaze flickered up when she heard the concerned voice.

Her brown eyes met with Gerhard's blue. She blinked owlishly for a moment before dropping her pen.

"I'm quite all right, thanks."

Fawzi spared the man a smile before her gaze returned to her translating.

"I've lived here for long enough to know the dangers. You don't have to worry." She picked up her pen again to scribble down a few more notes.

To Gerhard, Fawzi wasn't particularly pretty.

In fact she was rather dull to the shallow man.

But her blood on the otherhand, smelt wonderful. He was captivated by it.

He sat down next to her, sitting with a proper posture.

"You're not a vampire. Why are you out here writing in the dark?" He asked. His German accent was thick.

"You're right, I'm not."

Something she was thankful for on some level. Fawzi enjoyed being a Necromancer. The woman had a lot of interesting powers to experiment with as a Necromancer.

"I get distracted easier when I'm outside." The woman's lips twitched a little in amusement. "Translating is boring as fuck. I need good distractions."

Gerhard supposed that was as good of a reason as any to be out writing at nighttime.

"What are you translating? If I may ask... I may be able to help. Unless it is confidential in some way." He offered his assistance.

Killing a necromancer would be a waste of good blood. Ger had no intention of killing Fawzi. Instead he wanted to get on her good side so he could drink from her with consent.

It wasn't as fun but there were plenty of regular humans he could get his entertainment from.

"An old story from my father's tribe," she responded, tapping the end of the pen against her full lower lip.

"African Vampire mythology is quite a doozy to translate." Some of the words had no exact translation into either English or Italian so she had to make do with what words she had at her disposal. It wasn't an easy feat.

The woman leaned back against the back of the bench and stretched out. Her midriff shirt rode up her stomach with the movement.

"I'm Fawzi, by the way."

"Holl, at your service." He didn't give her his first name. It wasn't something he threw around freely to everyone he met these days. He only gave his name to those he felt somewhat personal with, such as Alexis.

There used to be a time when he'd say his name proudly, but with the bounty on his head he kept things more on a professional level.

And Holl was a lot more common of a name than Gerhard.

"Though I'm afraid that I do not know how to translate African text." He told her.

It seemed he was a bit useless to the task at hand.

Her blood smelt irresistible. The German had a hard time keeping his composure. He resisted the urge to attack her then and there and drain that sweet nectar from her veins.

"Pleasure, Holl."

Fawzi gave the man another smile before her eyes dropped to the book again.

"It's all right. I'd be a little surprised if you knew Evhe, quite honestly. You don't look like the type to have spent a lot of time in Togo."

Fawzi's gaze turned down to the notebook she had been scribbling in.

"Can you read Italian? I want to make sure my notes are easy to understand. I know what I'm translating so I can't really judge how easily understood my notes are."

Gerhard never dropped his charming facade. It would be impossible to tell that he wanted to slash open this woman's flesh and drain her blood away.

With a grin he said "Never been anywhere near it."

He had traveled all around Europe, but never anywhere else.

And he honestly wasn't very brushed up on Italian. He knew German, English, Russian, Polish, and Czech. But not Italian. It was ironic he'd ended up tracking Alexis down here, to a country where he'd never learned the native language.

"I just got to Italy." He told her the truth. "I'm afraid I'm unable to assist you in this task Fraulein."

"That's all right. I'll just have to sit with Tom and play translator a little more. I wouldn't mind the company, though, if you're not busy." Holl seemed nice enough.

She tapped her pen against the notebook, eyes trailing over her scribbled notes.

"Think I should include how to summon an Adze? He can't summon one himself, but he's like a whore for knowledge. I think it might be something he'd want to know... What do you think?"

What a sweet girl. Sweet and a little too trusting, at that.

"Who is Tom?" He asked, not actually interested, but trying to make light conversation to make her feel more comfortable.

When she started speaking on how to summon the Adze, his interest was suddenly spiked enormously.

He had heard of it once, just once. And he'd forgotten it too, up until the word slipped from Fawzi's mouth.

It was like a glimmer of inspiration struck him.

Of course. The Adze.

The African Vampire that enjoyed eating the hearts and livers of small children.

The image of Alexis's baby came to Gerhard's head. That baby was the lock to awaking the Sire Gerhard respected. And the Adze was the key.

"Include it. If your friend is as interested in knowledge and mythology as you claim, I can think of no reason to not include that. Like you said, it's not as if he can summon it. And even if he could, I doubt he'd be foolish enough to bring such an evil creature to Catania."

Fawzi was a sweet woman. She was the sort of person that liked to be nice to people just for the sake of being nice. But she didn't see herself as too trusting. Fawzi had seen a lot of shit in her life that made her less than trusting.

But Garhard was being nice for now. Until he actually showed the less than pleasant side of himself, she didnt see the need to act hostile or unpleasant towards him in any way.

"Tom's a friend of mine."

Fawzi bit her lip as she scribbled a few notes in her notebook.

"He definitely wouldn't be able to. If it were just a Vampire, anyone with magical ability would be able to summon it." The woman clucked her tongue idly. "Because it's a spirit of a dead vampire, it needs more than someone with a little magic to summon."

She tapped her pen against the paper idly. "There's only a handful of Necromancers here in Catania that would be able to summon an Adze back in Togo. Drawing one all the way over here would be even more difficult. Only two or three of us could."

The Adze was a powerful creature. it would take a powerful Necromancer to summon it.

A handful was more than enough.

All ready a sinister plan was falling into place, almost too easily.

"I see." Was all that he said.

He waited for her to write down the text, his eyes glued to her paper.

The process of summoning an Adze was deceptively easy.

A live child sacrifice, chanting of a few words and a lot of effort and magical ability on the summoner's part.

She scribbled down the basics, leaving out the actual enchantment needed. It wasn't necessary to give Tomaso that information. If he was careless and it got into the hands of someone that could actually summon one, it could spell disaster.

"I'm sorry I'm chattering away like this."

Fawzi gave the man a cheerful smile. "I bet you have absolutely no interest in the Adze. You know, if I bore you, you can just like, I don't know, slap me or something. Tell me to shut up."

Gerhard watched and was disappointed when certain parts were left out. She was smart. This would be a problem.

He smiled at her when she chattered away.

"I would never strike a beautiful young woman such as yourself." He said, his voice soft and gentlemanly. He was excellent at deception.

The woman's tattooed cheeks flushed a little as her eyes turned down to her book.

"Not like some people I know," she murmured under her breath.

Her cheeks flushed brighter, sincerely hoping that he hadn't heard that. She didn't know what was wrong with her recently. She had been feeling so bitter towards Claudio recently. It was so unlike her.

"Still, tell me if I start boring you with anything I say."

Gerhard was a vampire. His senses were extraordinary. Of course he heard her mutter. How pitiful, and how perfect.

He leaned in and touched her jaw very gently, tilting her head up to look at him again.

"Don't be so insecure." She said sweetly. "You're not boring me at all."

Fawzi smiled up at him when he touched her jaw.

"I'm glad I'm not boring you," she sad sincerely as she raised her hand to gently push his hand away.

She appreciated his niceness, but she wasn't the sort of person that got touchy feely with someone she had just met. Not outside of Zo, at least. And she already had feelings and attractions to someone else. She didn't want to lead anyone else on.

Ah, she wasn't the type to be easily won over with tender touches and attention. Well that was a damper. He was hoping that she would suck it up like a sponge. Oh well.

"My apologies." He said, sitting up straight. "I didn't mean to cross a line."

Different place, different time.

Perhaps if she hadn't met Tomaso, she would be more likely to fall for his sweet charms.

"So, you think I should add anything else to this?" she asked, drawing all attention back to her notes on the Adze.

"I'm kinda drawing a blank now."

Gerhard smiled. She didn't draw any more attention to it.
Well he was getting tired of the act, and it seemed like she was just about done being useful too.

"Just put in as much information as you can think of, I'm sure he'll appreciate it." The German man advised, leaning back on the bench and staring out at the surroundings. Even though it was dark, he could see perfectly.

Fawzi gave a little hum.

She tapped her pen down against the paper. "I s'pose I could outline the procedure."

She chewed on her pierced hip. "It's not like he'll force me to perform it and I'm sure he won't share it with anyone if I ask him."

Fawzi turned the page in her notebook and began scribbling down the procedure.

Excitement rose in Gerhard's chest. Oh no, her friend wouldn't be the one forcing her.

He would.

He watched as she finished up, as she made this oh so easy for him.

The procedure was fairly easy in comparison to most.

One sacrifice, a series of words and a strong ability in Necromancy and summoning magic.

When she was done her eyes flickered over it slowly. She gave a little nod when she was sure she had everything in order.