The Blood Ark

He never did get used to this, even after all the times he'd used it to find a target back in Egypt. The flood of memories, the nostalgia, the emotions of others flooding his own mind, but he could resist the stronger effects now, it no longer left him shocked and disoriented. Clearing his mind he supported the other vampire before he could fall. He could see why they recruited this one, despite his weakness in a fight he was subtle and stealthy and observant, all the traits needed for a good spy. It helped that, now knowing the other vampire so well, he felt a small spark of empathy for him. "You're safe now, steady steady." Khalid whispered as he held the other man up.

Rowan accepted the help, putting his own thoughts straight he spoke. "You... What the hell is wrong with you...? To drink blood from another vampire...?" Rowan questioned disgusted by Khalid's actions but in to condition to flee yet.

"Don't look at me that way Rowan, I could have easily killed you, rather than let you live and pass on information to your betters." He replied, dark red eyes shining dangerously, a smug smirk on his handsome face.

Rowan spoke more, still pissed. "But you almost did kill me, my mind was becoming numb, everything was getting dark! What do you gain from keeping me alive anyway...?" Rowan asked baffled, he then quickly realized something. "Wait... You called me by my name... But I... I didn't tell you my name..." Rowan says wondering, looking at Khalid in slight confusion.

"Do not concern yourself with that, but do know that I know of your masters now, and where they stay." He replied cryptically, not seeing any reason to give away one of his most useful powers. Now what to do with this musician? He was young, probably impressionable, perhaps a partnership or alliance could form? If not...though he hated the very thought of it, there was always the blood bond to keep the young violinist silent and under control.

Rowan blinked his eyes in more confusion. "How in the...? Did I miss something when I was losing consciousness...? You are not supposed to know any of that! What did you do to me!?" Rowan demands an answer angrily, however he tries to calm down as the dizziness is soon to be over and he can go back home, or at least he thinks he will, Khalid said he didn't plan to kill him, but that could always change... What is it that he wants in the end? "...What do you even want?" He asks him as he stops leaning on the wall, feeling better.

Now knowing the other vamp could stand he retracted the grip and began to subtly shift backwards "I think it should suffice that I didn't harm or change you no?" Was the enigmatic vamp's reply, a hint of amusement in his smooth accented voice. "What I want though? That you can know, it's very simple after all, I want to make...a positive change, to bring the vampires back to their old glory, to make this city a better place."

"Oh like my group wouldn't do any of that? What makes you think you are better than us? You assaulted me and disgustingly drank my blood, you have no leg to stand on." Rowan tells him straight, he was not in Rowan's favor and of course he would favor the group where his sire is a part of, Khalid will have to do his best.

Unsurprising, he remembered well the dogmatic devotion he had for Al-Mualim oh so many years ago, though the thought would have brought bile to his throat back when he was alive. "Believe me, if it could have been avoided I'd never have drank from you...though I admit that your vitae had an alluring flavor." He replied, a small hint of guilt in his tone " I don't expect you to trust me or believe me, but I ask you to listen...I've travelled far and wide, gone to near every corner of the Old World, and I've seen many cabals like the one you're a part of. They seek only to gorge on the lifeblood of cities like these, claiming noble causes and hiding behind them all the way...In the end they'd leave this place drained and dessicated like a parched corpse."

"Sounds like someone is projecting, look, you don't even know what kind of vampires they are. You can't just assume that they are all the same, because then I can only assume you would do the exact same thing. So, what if I assume you both lie? What then? You have no proof of either, you cannot even prove that you have the best interests in mind. So spare me from your pointless lectures, I am leaving." Rowan says not believing him at all, his wings sprout worth and he quickly flies up to escape the older vampire that had violated him so, by biting into him. The crows returned to keep their eyes on Khalid once more.

"I know what kind they are, I saw them as I saw your name Rowan, and as I said I don't expect you to trust me." He replied, allowing the vampire to take off this time "Only to keep an open mind."