Take me to your leader (private)

It had been good to reconnect with Thaddeus and Alfarinn was reluctant to come home. He needed to and a part of him had missed Nachton but it was near impossible to drag himself away from his partner after being apart for so long.

He had already been gone for too long as it was though, with little to show for it. His sister had caused a great deal of trouble for herself and the clan. Following her trail had taken him and Christian through some of the world's seedier places. Megan definitely didn't want to be found.

Eventually he had to leave that search to other people. That didn't sit well with him, especially since he wasn't certain what they might do when they found her.

Alfarinn opened the door and slid out of the vehicle. He wondered idly what the possibility was of sneaking up to his rooms and getting some sleep before the entire backlog of work and questions caught to him.

Giving the driver a thank you wave, he turned towards the elevator.

Vaughn got out of the car and called to the man that had stepped out of the limo.

"Mr Bjorn, may I speak with you a minute?"

His companions knew their part of this meeting. They had gotten out of the car and used its bulk in order to hide their shifting forms.

When he moved away from his vehicle, Vaughn was flanked by two wolves.

"I believe you might know what we are."

He gestured to his companions. If the man was a vampire elder then it seemed likely that he knew of them. If he was a human then he would be confused but at least none the wiser.

Vaughn waited to see what response he would get.

Alfarinn turned at the sound of his public name. He hadn't really expected to be flagged down so soon and he had expected the clan to get to him before the media.

Not exactly a good surprise.

However, the sight that greeted him was certainly different than the media he had expected.

"Mayor Emiliano..."

The rest of his sentence went unsaid as the man moved out in the open accompanied by two very large wolves. Well, now that was truly a surprise.

"I think I could guess."

He gave the man a smile and gestured towards the elevator. Alfarinn had to give the man credit for bravery or foolishness. It would be worth it to hear what such a person had to say. Christian always told him that he was far too curious for his own good.

Well, what harm was there in listening on his own grounds? Alfarinn admitted to himself, if no one else, that he'd have done so in less advantageous circumstances.

Vaughn wasn't sure what he had been expecting, perhaps some surprise maybe some show of power, a demand for more explanation. but he got none of those.

The man, who looked barely over eighteen, just raised his eyebrows and gestured towards the door.

Perhaps this would go better than he had anticipated.

Vaughn nodded to his two companions and headed forward alone. They would wait for him here but there was no need for them inside. If vampires wanted to kill him then having two Legion with him would not change that. By staying in the parking deck they at least might have chance to get away and tell the others what had happened to him.

"Thank you for your time."

He stepped into the elevator and headed towards the unknown.

Alfarinn was a bit surprised when the other two wolves stayed behind. His estimation for the man beside him grew again. Suddenly he didn't seem nearly as tired as he had been.

"MARI, please take us to my room and try your best not to let everyone in the place know I am home."

The image of the AI's head appeared in miniature on a little screen in the elevator.

"Your current request is achievable, however, there have been many requests to be alerted upon your arrival. Are you overriding such requests?"

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face; obviously talking to MARI had not gotten any more simple.

"Yes, I -am- overriding such requests."

AI's should not appear to sulk but this one certainly looked petulant to him.

"Please say hello to the Mayor."

He gestured to the man riding in the elevator beside him.

Vuaghn found the exchange quite fascinating. The woman who appeared on the screen seemed fairly lifelike but something about her made it obvious that she was not a living being...or ever had been.

For a program she seemed fairly complex. The small pout at Arin would have been amusing in other circumstances. Perhaps he would get a chance to see more of the woman later.

She turned attention to him.

"Good evening, Mayor Emiliano. Welcome to The Towers."

He gave her smile and nodded his head in greeting.

"Thank you. Mari, is it?"

She smiled at him and explained.

"Yes, Meridian Artificial Regulatory Intelligence. It is my job to monitor all of Meridian Towers. I am responsible for maintenance, guidance, security, and climate conditions among other things...."

Arin coughed and the woman turned her attention towards him.

"You cannot have a cold. I must then infer that you are trying get my attention. May I help you?"

Alfarinn sighed at MARI

"Yes, MARI, could you send someone to the gentlemen who were with Mr Emiliano and ask if they would like anything and I will let Mr Bern know the details of the situation before a SWAT team descends on them."

The computer raised an eyebrow but nodded her head.

"Of course, should you need the SWAT team please inform them that cutting the lighting in the box is hardly necessary and my maintenance crew would not appreciate their tampering."

He scratched his head at her but nodded.

"I have watched several police and espionage shows that are currently popular and it appears to be a standard tactic. "

Alfarinn chuckled at the program and then gave her a somber nod when she continued to wait patiently for his "appropriate" response.

The elevator came to a stop at the top and Alfarinn gestured towards the exit. Not for the first time he was glad to have the whole floor to himself

Vaughn listened to the conversation with mixed emotion. He hoped that his people would be safe and that the seemingly innocent sound of the conversation wasn't simply some code for keeping him unaware while they were captured or worse.

Ultimately there was nothing he could do about it either way, at the moment.

On the other hand, the discourse that the AI gave about watching crime shows of television had him intrigued and amused.

When the elevator opened, Vaughn stepped out into the hallway. He noticed that there seemed to be only one door on this floor.

Alfarinn could sense the man's misgivings but he knew that no amount of assurance from him, at this point, would assuage that concern. They had no reason to trust each other so he didn't say anything more.

Opening the door to his flat, Alfarinn waved the Mayor inside. He followed and closed the door behind him.

"So may I be so bold as to ask what brings you here?"

He went into the kitchen and found a glass tumbler. Pouring himself a glass of scotch, Alfarrin held it up and asked.

"Care for one?"

Vaughn looked around at the sleek modern space with its sparse white furnishings and winter scenes. It didn't suit his own personal taste but it did seem to fit the man with him. Despite the clean lines, the place appeared to have been well thought out and had personal touches. It was as though everything extra was striped away to leave only that which was necessary and treasured. That philosophy was one he could understand and approve of.

There seemed to be no good way to answer the question he had been asked, so Vaughn opted for the truth.

"I have it on reasonable authority that you are as human as I am."

He turned and gave the man a small but knowing smile. Vaughn nodded his head in acceptance of the alcohol.

"Thank you." He continued his explanation. " The short story is that I have heard there is a group of vampires that wish to coexist peacefully with humans."

Vaughn felt it best to continue on as if he were certain he was talking to just such a vampire. Hopefully he would know more for certain in short order.

"My people, We just want to be free to live in peace where ever we choose."

Alfarinn returned the smile with a sly one of his own. The man came all this way and walked into what he obviously knew was a haven for vampires so there was no reason to deny what Emiliano already likely knew.

Besides, he was far too fascinated by the encounter to lie.

Coming back around the bar, Alfarinn took a seat on one of the white couches and gestured to the other.

He listened to the short and sweet explanation of his clan goals but made no comment.

When the man stated what he claimed his people wanted, Alfarinn shrugged.

"You seem to believe I have some authority over my kind. What assurances do I have that your people really want what you say they do?"

Vaughn took the proffered seat and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees while he listened to Arin.

He noticed that the man did not deny that he was the leader of a group of vampires. It would appear his information was correct. It was somewhat disturbing to think of such a well known figure being one of the mulo.

Vampire. Vaughn corrected himself. If he really wanted an alliance with these creatures then he needed to think of them as something other than evil.

The man in front of him did not appear to be evil or even unreasonable.

Vaughn looked up into the light grey eyes that had seen an unknown amount of years but appeared ageless.

"Because I am the Alpha of the Vyusher R'asa."

Alfarinn took a swallow of scotch, savoring the burn and flavor of the alcohol for a quiet moment before answering.

He knew that he had just been given a very important piece of information, free of strings. If he believed Emiliano and Alfarinn could tell the man certainly believed what he was saying, so he had no reason not to believe him. At least the man felt passionate about why he was here and there seemed to be no feelings of guilt or deception in the calm cool straight forward regard the man gave him.

"I do not know exactly what that means. We have not kept up very good information on your kind."

A large oversight really but there always seemed to be other more immediate concerns than a group that kept largely to themselves.

He felt it best to start out this conversation correctly so he reached out a hand across the the glass coffee table.

"I am Alfarinn. Elder of Clan Evenhet."

Vaughn wondered if he had said to much by not only telling the man about his pack but that he was the leader. Would he now be held and tortured? He couldn't claim he didn't deserve such a fate for some of the things he had done in the past. Would the man demand to know how he had acquired his information?

He waited, the urge to fight or flee coiling up tighter and tighter inside him as he watched the man take a long slow swallow from his glass.

Vaughn couldn't keep the surprise entirely from his expression as the man leaned forward and offered his hand. Alfarinn? Arin. He understood. The clan name was the one he had been given. Vaughn almost felt guilty for killing the vampire who had been so helpful.

Hard times required such desperate measures.

Reaching forward, Vaughn shook the man's hand. It was cool to the touch and his natural instinct was to recoil from such an unnatural being but he shook it firmly, meeting its owner's steady gaze.

"Thank you for being honest with me."

He leaned back, and took a sip of his own drink before continuing.

"Several of my people have gone missing. That doesn't happen often. We're normally fairly high up on the food chain."

Vaughn gave him a small smile but there was steel to be found in his pale blue eyes. He took the safety of his pack very seriously. It was why he was here, in the devil's own den.

"I don't come to accuse anyone. What is done, is done. I come to see if there is a chance for peace between us."

Alfarinn watched the man as he shook his hand. The grip was firm and the gaze never wavered. His estimation of the Mayor rose and he found himself glad that he voted for the man.

A frown crossed his face as his guest continued to speak. It was true that very few things would be a threat to a werewolf; Emiliano was right to look straight to his kind as the source of his missing pack. What concerned him was wondering whether the confrontation had been with Evenhet. Had they lost any of their own to the werewolves? Alfarinn was tempted to ask MARI what she might know regarding such things or Christian but he held off for the moment.

What was done was already done and a another hour or so wouldn't make a difference in the outcome to any that were involved. This conversation, on the other hand, had the chance to change the course of many lives.

He was glad that no demands were made of him and no accusations either. Emiliano seemed to have come to a similar conclusion.

"You are correct. Our clan does seek to one day live peacefully out in the open coexisting with humans. We know that this goal is far away and that it will take great patience and understanding by our mortal brethren." Alfarinn smiled "But time is something we have. This place." He gestured to the building around him. "And those of Meridian in other cities, is the first small step towards the cooperation of human and vampire kind."

He regarded the man who claimed to speak for the werewolves.

"I hold no ill will towards your kind, Mayor. My people, as a Clan, doesn't either."

Alfarinn set his glass down on the table.

"Most of them don't even know of your existence."

He shrugged and explained.

"Not all of us are ancient and with the...truce that required your people not settle in the urban cities. Most vampires aren't going to encounter your kind. We don't do well without humans for very long."

Except for the odd vampire here and there that preferred animal blood. It was strange and Alfarinn had yet to meet such a vampire that didn't seem both malnourished and somewhat demented over time.

Perhaps some might consider them evil for it but the truth was that vampires needed human blood to live. Alfarinn would prefer that to be a symbiotic relationship and not a parasitic one.

"Evenhet was not a clan when the war between our two races was fought."

Way to throw Anantya under the bus, he thought wryly. Alfarinn wondered what Thaddeus would make of that. His lover may be Anantya but he could not see Thaddeus holding any ill will towards the shape shifting race either. Facts were facts and he couldn't speak for the other clan but he could speak for his own.

Vaughn listened to the goal of cooperation between humans and vampires; somehow it didn't sound as crazy coming from this man. Perhaps it was the belief in the dream that he could see.

Alfarinn then went on to explain that most vampires didn't know werewolves existed. He had certainly run into those that did not know what he was but they tended to catch on pretty quick after the initial surprise.

It was an interesting weakness. Vaughn didn't know about the Kadzait but he knew that the Vyusher were taught about the...vampires at an early age. First they might sound like the scary monsters that steal bad little werewolves in the night but later it is made quite clear that they were real.

The blonde said that his clan had not existed at the time of the war. So their people do change and form new alliances. Vaughn also noted something else; the wording left something in doubt. Vaughn took a shot in the dark and asked a question.

"Your clan wasn't around. Were you?"

Just how old was the man who didn't even look to be a full twenty years old? It was a wild guess at best based on the wording that had been used. It could be nothing. Then again Alfarinn might have been old enough to remember those times; he was the elder of his clan so perhaps he was around before his clan existed. How often did leadership change among immortals?

Maybe quite often. That was something he hadn't considered. What if making a pact with this elder only lasted as long as the elder? Vaughn decided that it was worth still giving some sort of alliance a try...assuming Alfarinn was willing. Hopefully he'd be the leader for a very long time and if not then Vaughn figured he do his best to try to make the same deal with the next one.

The Mayor seemed to be very observant; a good trait to have in a leader. Alfarinn gave the man a small smile and a nod.

"Yes, I remember that time."

He shrugged and answered the next question that the man probably had whether he was going to be polite and not ask.

"I am not one of those who put the "curse" on your people. I would like to say that it was my higher moral standards but the truth is I don't have the ability so it was never a decision I needed to wrestle with."

Alfarinn leaned forward and gave Emiliano a direct gaze.

"I will tell you that the choice was a difficult one for many of the people who had the ability. Some refused."

Leaning back, he took another swallow of his drink. Let the man ponder that for a minute or so. Not every vampire was okay with subjugating an entire race. Not even everyone in Anantya.

He remembered that time! A part of Vaughn wanted to run out of the building. The creature in front of him was over a thousand years old. It was hard to wrap his mind around that. What must it be like to see so much change, to hope for growth and understanding in civilization and yet instead see it become more barbaric in many ways?

Vaughn nodded slowly when Alfarinn said that he had not been the one to put the curse on his people. At least he was honest enough to explain that it was because he couldn't.

Some refused.

It was strange to consider vampires having a conscience and yet some disagreed with the terms of the truce. Vaughn was going to have to reconsider all that he knew about the immortal race. Some had morals and some wanted to work -with- humans. Many of his own kind thought they were better than humans. He can't imagine being ancient and not feeling superior to a creature who had only seen a few decades of life.

"Do you think it is possible that an alliance might be formed between our peoples?"

There, he asked the question. It couldn't be taken back.

Alfarinn turned his gaze out towards the city lights that he could see beyond his balcony. Nachton, he was home. When did it truly become more a home than his birthplace?

The Mayor was pondering the things he had said. Alfarinn could feel the conflicting emotions and the stirring of hope. It was a good sign. Was he willing to stand with these people? Anantya would not be pleased; it could mean another war amongst vampire kind. He sighed inwardly; the unsteady peace had only existed for a brief time.

Right was right. Emiliano's people should have the same freedom as anyone else.

Alfarinn held the Mayor's gaze.

"I do believe it is possible."

He finished his drink and set the glass down on the table.

"Understand. What you are asking involves risk for Evenhet if we choose to call you friend. The eldest clan is Anantya and they are not as likely to see things the same way. The youngest group of us is Tacharan." Alfarinn shrugged. "They are unpredictable at the best of times. Anantya barely recognizes Evenhet as a clan and our peace with them is barely stable. Siding with your people may cause them to start a war on both of us."

Vaughn had not considered that the vampires might have their own problems when he sought this alliance as a solution. Would the pack be worse off or better for being tied to one of these...clans, as Alfarinn had called them? They were being picked off one by one now by an unseen enemy. Vaughn had difficulty believing that choosing a side and having allies would be make things any worse.

But it sounded as though it would for Evenhet. What did his people have to offer a group of immortals with supernatural abilities? At best the elder clan would frown upon their alliance and do nothing; at worst they would start another war. He was not ready to set his people up to be daylight protectors of vampire kind.

Vaughn had been enticed to watch the Underworld series in some crazy marathon showing by his children. First of all, while they did not -have- to sleep during the day, their powers were greater at night. Only at night did they have their other form. Secondly, Vaughn doubted the vampires would trust them enough to grant them such a role. Humans, well trained and demonstrably more loyal, did the job well enough. Vampires were their own worst enemy and they all shared the same weaknesses. Those coming after a vampire during the day would be a human...or a werewolf.

Being a hunter of vampires as a role wouldn't be good either. It certainly wouldn't foster trust between their two species, even if they were attacking the other clans.

Vaughn was at a loss. He sighed and spoke the truth.

"I can see no benefit for your people in this, save our friendship." Smiling sadly, he shrugged. "What can you offer an immortal race that they do not already have?"