Bloody Politics

It has been a few days since Rowan spoke with Khalid in the club and receiving a warning about it, today was a meeting between the Blood Ark members and Rowan attended. He flew in the darkness of the night to an expensive fancy looking house owned by one of the members of Blood Ark, Alexander who also is Rowan's sire. Rowan is dressed up nice, in his black suit he usually wore when performing at the club, it was one of his nicest outfits after all. The doors are opened and Rowan walks in and makes his way to the meeting room with a table and chairs, the others were already here and they were just waiting n Rowan who sat down on his usual spot. The meeting could now begin, firstly they spoke how things are going in their respective fields which was average, then how to proceed further with the plan, then talk about loose ends...

As the small talk died down Alexander cleared his throat, turning the council room to silence as he adjusted his position in his black stone chair. The elder vampire, grey visage framed sinisterly by the deep shadows of the meeting hall peered over each of his fellows with intense eyes that burned hot red like coals. A quiet tension began to hang in the hall as the silence grew longer and longer, the Beasts of each and every vampire growing anxious in the quiet. Alexander, ever the manipulator, ever the psychologist was fond of these little ploys, kept his fellows from growing too comfortable, yet finally he broke the silence with one word "Dissidents." He growled as he looked down on the map of the city that laid out before them "Rogues, brigands, late comers and stragglers, more and more every night stream into this city, seeking sanctuary yet not paying tribute. It cannot be allowed to continue, we built this city, we funded it's buildings, we gathered it's 'leaders' and yet these dissidents do not seek to pay respects....We need a solution, one that won't result in killing in the streets and chaos in the alleys."

Female vampire dressed in a golden silky dress, her long ginger hair in a bun, diamond earrings, gold necklace, lips with red lipstick and brown eyes spoke. "We have pawns, we could perhaps capture them when they least expect it and throw them in the dungeons for some... Persuasion." Olivia, the wicked she-vampire, smiled with arrogance.

Rowan just sat there with the others, not saying a word and looked at Alexander if this was a good idea.

"It is plausible, practical, but almost startlingly uncreative Lady Olivia, we need a statement, not a brainwashing center." He replied with a dismissive wave of a gnarled hand, a few of the other vampires quietly chuckling at this.

Olivia's smile turned into a frown pretty quickly, she was always one for slaves after all and they knew it.

Richard, a muscular vampire with a rugged appearance, spiky blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a white t-shirt and black pants with a belt spoke next. "If we kill a few of them, nail their bodies on walls with a message drawn in blood, should that suffice?" He suggested, surely that way they will understand what it means to live here.

"In the Badlands, or the Ghost Town maybe, but not here, here the police would investigate and we can't afford such an annoying hindrance...No..something less brutal, but equally deadly."

Richard simply gave a nod to that.

Gregory the slim, beautifully handsome vampire with long black hair in a ponytail, green eyes, dressed in a black suit with a tie and shiny leather boots spoke, holding a red rose in his hand. "How about getting some assassins then? They kill discreetly from the shadows, then we leave angry letters on the bodies as a warning?" He said and stares at the beautiful red rose in his hands.

"Nothing very unique about that....Hmmn, we will hold a meeting, calling for every vampire in the city."

The members proceeded to eye each other, then they looked at Alexander and asked when they do, what then?

Rowan just listened, it was not his place to say anything, he just agrees with the rest of them.

"It's simple, we bring any we find worthy into the fold, any who we don't can simply be eliminated in one spot, where we can dispose of the bodies simply."

"Sounds like fun..." Olivia said with a soft smile.

"Increasing our numbers will strengthen us further." Richard said nodding approvingly.

"Beautiful..." Gregory simply says smelling his rose.

Rowan did think that this was a good thing, if there is more vampires in the group they can increase their numbers more often, then proceed towards a vampire paradise here.

"For now, send out a warning to our contacts in city hall, and the Police Department, that a bit of blood may be shed and a few bodies buried." He concluded, and with that beckoned for them to go.

The meeting was over and the vampires got to work and do as they were told, this was indeed going to get interesting. They had to work carefully and seize more power and eliminate those that would pose a threat to their absolute rule.

Rowan stood up as well, he will keep an eye out and pass information to the others of others locations and possible troublemakers. This included Khalid, especially keeping an eye on him as he was here to start his own group and usurp their power. They can't have that now can they...? Crows would be everywhere as usual, it was hard to avoid them even for Khalid.

As the vampires filed out of the grand macabre hall, Rowan felt the eyes of his sire on him "...Wait young Rowan, I have a special assignment for you, one of great importance to me. One that requires you to work not as an agent of the Blood Ark, but as the childe of your sire."

Rowan stopped in in his tracks, he turned around and walked closer and spoke politely with respect to his sire. "What could that be master?" Rowan asked him giving a small bow as well, whatever it is maybe he can show how skillful he is with this opportunity and gain some recognition from his sire.

The elder vampire let out a low gravelly sigh as he leaned his head on his fist "I require your abilities as a spy, on of our colleagues, I believe he plans a coup. To bring back the old system of vampires to this city, to rule as Prince....This cannot happen in my plans, and the plans of the Ark are too continue."

Rowan was a bit surprised at this request, to spy a colleague? "It will be done master, who should I focus my efforts on? Who is this self-proclaimed prince?" He asks always with a polite and respectful tone, it was after all his sire who had given him his unlife, it only made sense to be unquestionably loyal to him and obey orders from his elder.

There was a moment of silence as Alexander stared down at Rowan from his chair of dark stone. A feeling of chill running through the young vamp's bones as his sire seemed to stare through his very soul. A dark smile began to form as Alexander's assumptions were confirmed, he had complete control over this young neophyte...good. "Amir Khan." The name came out with a strange grudging respect, not that this was surprising. Captain of industry, and a local media mogul. The Mumbai born rakshasa was respected and feared throughout the local underworld and beyond,for both his influence and well known ferocity. It was said that the vampire once hunted down a bengal tiger for sport, and in drinking it's blood took on it's ferocity, but those were simple urban legends of course. "Tonight he will be evaluating a new property, a night club named the Tiger's Eye....I emphasize caution in attempting to spy on him, he has his own faction within our alliance, and will recognize you."

Rowan gave him a nod. "Understood master, I will keep an eye on him carefully. My crows are already on their way to Tiger's Eye club, but of course if I want to see inside... I'll have to go personally, in a disguise. I will see to my task at once." Rowan said, determined to finish his task with no hitches. This was his chance to prove himself after all, to show them all that he was able to do more. He is of course nowhere near in terms of vampiric power to the others but, all in due time, for now caution is what he will use.

Rowan has also been trying to abandon more of his humanity, to not feel sympathy nor remorse for his actions, such things were no use to a vampire. But it was hard, really hard...

Alexander could sense the turmoil in the youngs vamp soul, the struggle between the remains of his humanity and the rising tide of the beast. If he were still human perhaps he'd have felt sympathy, but those kinds of emotions had long since fled from his dead heart. What mattered was that the boy was in his control for the foreseeable future "Off you go then.
"

Rowan left to prepare, he quickly put on some different clothes, a brown wig with short hair and green colored contact lenses to hide his yellow eyes, put some makeup and... Done. He should look somewhat different now, shouldn't be so easily recognizable now huh? Then off he goes and makes his way to the Tiger's Eye club, enters the establishment and tries to act like a normal customer while trying to look for this Amir Khan fella. He has seen him a few times, not that hard, he was more worried that his target could sense his vampirism and recognize him through that. He tries to suppress whatever he had to not have that happen, if lucky he will just think he is just your everyday vampire customer.

The Tiger's Eye, situated in the ever buzzing and youthful part of the Oasis, was teeming with life. A long line to the massive doors extended about the block, the doors flanked by two vampiric bouncers dressed in all black uniforms. In fact to get in there was an eighty dollar cover! It's not as though the elegant exterior, styled after a decadent Mughal palace, wouldn't clue customers in on the price though. Yet as Rowan passed through the elaborate arched doorway and into the club, beneath the harmonic hum of sitars and singing, and the smell of rich perfume in the air there was another odor...one that stirred Rowan to hunger, blood.

That smell, familiar, delicious... It made his mouth water and give him that hungry feeling, no doubt about it, the smell of blood was in the air. For hat reason? Where was it coming from? From the drinks? Slightly annoying but he will have to feast at some point to satisfy the hunger, the smell was to tempting and pretty much a tease to the beast inside of him which he would keep under control now was not the time to feed as he had to focus on the target.

The room he'd entered was a large hall modeled after that of an ancient palace, orange tinted lamps hanging from the ceiling, floors of marble, and vip areas covered in persian rugs and soft cushions. On a stage in the center a troupe of bellydancers garbed in dark red moved in mesmerizing fashion, hips twisting like serpents as they enraptured an audience of both men and women. Over to the left there was a generous bar where drinks and what appeared to be some form of hashish could be obtained, and in the center was a dance floor where a large crowd could be seen dancing about. However the smell of blood came not from any of these places.

How strange that the smell of blood did not come from this room, not even from the bar. Where was it coming? It was annoying but attractive to him, he would carefully follow the smell and try finding its source, could be a clue or something, that or he was just getting very hungry and making excuses to find the meal... Still, the target was a vampire so obviously he would be at the source of the blood.