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75.55% World Of Monsters / Chapter 34: Tradition & Etiquette

Chapter 34: Tradition & Etiquette

After collecting their extra items, Alyssa was too full to take another bite as was Gabriel in a metaphorical sense. Alyssa liked the idea of getting something extra to bring back to town with her. Something for Diane and Pablo to try, cause she'd been taking about the food in New Lycan so much. It wold be nice to bring something for them to try, even if they had to reheat it later. Since it was all on the Dark Prince, she knew Pablo would get a kick out of it, since it appears Pablo wasn't a big fan of Gabriel's much older brother. She had no idea why, or if Pablo had ever met the man and was just basing his opinion on what Gabe had told him. She would have to ask him when they met, cause if he hadn't then he would be very interesting in hearing how her first meeting with the big man went. Once back in the Vampire building, Alyssa just crashed on the couch and layed down to rest.

"That was pretty intense," she called out, "And you weren't kidding about your brother. Everyone in the room was terrified of him. It felt like everyone was holding their breath until he left the pub.

"Yeah, he's pretty imposing." Gabriel admitted, "Even I get a little flustered sometimes when he's making the extra effort. Even after thousands of years, he still manages to get under my skin."

"Brothers are supposed to do that," Alyssa said, "Or siblings for that matter. The more time they spend together the more you know how to push each other's buttons. I'm sure you know how to push his if you really wanted to."

"I suppose so," Gabriel said, thinking about it. "I guess I do my own thing that probably gets on his last nerve, but he's very good at hiding it. He doesn't give anything anyway, no matter what happens. That's what makes him so intimidating."

"He seemed nice at dinner," Alyssa noted, "What was that about?"

Gabriel walked out into the living room only to shrug. "I have no idea. Usually he's not very tolerant of people I associated with, especially humans. I was just as surprised about it as everyone else."

"That is odd," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "Pablo painted him as such a villain. Have they ever met before?"

"No," Gabriel answered, "He's just working off of information from others. He was acting different today, but I'm unsure why. I realize he needs me to do this work for the council, but to the point where he's polite. We're missing something."

"That's another thing," Alyssa said as she sat up, "Why is Cornelius working for the council if he's royalty?"

"Technically he's not working for the council," Gabriel replied, "He's a member of the council, so he's working for himself. I think he likes the idea of the council cause it lets him roam about and not get bogged down with politics and feudalism. He prefers to delegate the boring stuff and do whatever he wants but still give off the impression that he's helping them."

"That's pretty smart," Alyssa concluded, "Help them to help yourself."

"Try to get some sleep," Gabriel said as he put a coat on. "I'm going to meet a few people about procuring some meds your mayor asked for. I'll probably be asleep myself when you get up. Just hang out around here, and we'll take off to return home when I wake up tomorrow night."

"Sounds good," Alyssa said, yawning at the vampire. "How many of you are in the building right now?"

Gabriel closed his eyes and concentrated for a few seconds. "There are currently seven vampires staying here, and twenty wolves guarding the tower. That's a lot more than I'm used to but chances are some are here because of the Prince."

"If he's your brother," Alyssa continued, "Doesn't that make you a prince too?"

Gabriel stood there with his arms crossed and sighed. "Yes."

"So that's why Cornelius holds that Dark Prince power over you," Alyssa said, "How far down the line are you?"

"Three after him," Gabriel answered, "But that only recently changed. I used to be first behind Cornelius but since then women are allowed to be in line for the throne, so that bumped me down a few pegs."

"Hold on," Alyssa said as something clicked, "You have sisters?"

"A few," Gabriel said, "And I'm glad they're recognized, because I want nothing to do with the monarch. So the more bodies that lie between me and the damn throne, the better as far as I'm concerned."

"I get it," Alyssa said, "You're the black sheep and everyone else falls over each other for the throne."

"To be honest, I don't think Cornelius cares that much either." Gabriel added, "He respects the throne, but doesn't act like he needs it. I think he was amused when I left Europe to come over here all those centuries ago."

"Jealous even?" Alyssa suggested, "You did the thing he was tempted to do but couldn't since he's first in line."

"Never considered it like that," Gabriel admitted, "But I doubt it. He's always been a traditionalist about the throne. He's never been shy about his duty either, which is why he's so well known and out there."

"Alright, well have a good night." Alyssa said, laying back down on the couch.

"You too." Gabriel said as he left the suite.

Alyssa had a very long day, so it took very little time for her to fall asleep and she cuddled up on the big couch with a blanket and was off the la la land. It must have been a very deep sleep because not only had Gabriel returned while she was out and he didn't bother her and went to sleep himself before the sun came up. It wasn't until between ten and eleven the next day when Alyssa woke up. It wasn't by her choice, but instead because of a soft sound the jolted her awake. There was a light rapping on the door, which caused her to jump up from where she was laying. She knew Gabriel was down, so she was scared of who might be knocking at their door. Alyssa slowly got off the couch and crept over to the door as quietly as she could. She took a quick peek through the door to see who was there and after a few seconds she sighed and took a deep breath. She opened the door to greet the man that was standing at the door, patiently waiting to be admitted.

"Good morning," Alyssa said, trying to seem friendly. "What brings the Dark Prince to my door so early? Shouldn't you be sleeping with the others?"

"I'm not tired," Cornelius admitted. "I can go three to six days without resting."

"Wow, I bet you sleep really well after a week awake." Alyssa said, as she thought about staying up so long.

"Usually when that happens, I rest for one or two days." Cornelius added, "But I rested recently so I won't be going down anytime soon. I thought you might want to join me for breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Alyssa repeated, as she forgotten that the big vampire loved to eat.

"There is a banquet hall downstairs," Cornelius explained, "We use it to host humans, wolves or anyone else who wishes to dine while going over policy. So the Chef can make anything you like."

"Oh, I see." Alyssa said, considering it.

"You will be safe," Cornelius assured her, "I would never let anything happen, as the last thing I would want to face is his wrath."

"Gabriel's wrath?" Alyssa asked.

"No, our father's." Cornelius replied, "He's far more of a traditionalist than I am. Since you are with Gabriel, so it would be against the rules for any vampire to bring harm to you. The old man would execute any of us without hesitation if that happened, and probably impale us for old time's sake. So I can assure you that you are quite safe in this building."

"Fair enough," Alyssa said, "Let me change for the hall."

"Don't overdress," Cornelius said, "It's very informal this morning."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Alyssa said as she closed the door.

She closed the door but didn't lock it, quite sure it wouldn't matter or stop the big vampire from barging in if he wanted. He waited very patiently outside while Alyssa changed into something decent but not too dressy. She left a note on the table beside the couch in case Gabriel woke up before she returned, but she doubted that would happen. Even Cornelius knew better than the worry his brother. The walked to the elevator and took the lift down to the second floor where the banquet hall was located. There were several people dining in there, but most of them were wolves as they were guests or patrons of the hall. When Cornelius walked into the room, the reception was far more formal, as everyone in the hall stood up and bowed to the Dark Prince.

"Whoa," Alyssa said, walking behind him, "You didn't get that kind of reception at the pub."

"I actually preferred it that way," Cornelius replied, "I suspect the pub wolves were too shocked to remember, but it didn't matter. I don't mind when someone makes the effort but am too lazy to demand it. It gets tiring after a few thousand years."

"How much older are you than Gabriel?" Alyssa asked.

"A lot more," Cornelius said, "But it's impolite to ask someone their age."

"I'm sorry," Alyssa said.

Cornelius laughed, "I don't care. Father and I are the two oldest vampires in the world. Sometimes I'm surprised we've both lasted this long. So many people have come and gone, and will continue to as the centuries pass."

"That has to be lonely," Alyssa observed, "Do vampires marry?"

"Of course we do," Cornelius said, they reached their table. He pulled out a chair for her. "You could say some of us are responsible for creating the formal union that was later picked up by other species and their religions."

"I see," Alyssa said as she watched Cornelius take his own seat across from her at their table.

"You can virtually order almost anything," The big vampire told her, "Or if you don't know I can order for you."

"I appreciate that," Alyssa said, looking at her menu but it was written in a language she couldn't recognize. "What is this?"

"That is French," Cornelius said, "I should have known. My apologies."

When a waiter in a very formal suit arrived, he and Cornelius began to speak what she assumed was that language. After several minutes, the man promptly left without even asking her a single thing.

"Trust me," Cornelius said with a smile, "You will enjoy trying something new."

"Alright," Alyssa said, trying to remain calm and civil. She was still a little scared of the big man, but like the night before he was still on his best behavior. The statement about the wrath of Gabriel's father put her at ease, but Alyssa couldn't wait to tell him about it when he woke up later that day.

"Is there anything you'd like to speak about?" Cornelius asked.

"I assume you've spent most of your time overseas?" Alyssa asked.

"Correct," Cornelius answered, "I rarely visited America during it's golden years, only doing it a few times. I spent most of my time in Europe and Africa."

"How are those parts of the world doing concerning the Undead?" she asked him, curious to how they're doing.

"Some parts are just as ravaged as the Americas," Cornelius admitted, "But many parts of Europe are faring far better than you guys are. There are some countries that are completely undead free and have been for decades. Since the outbreak originated In Africa and the Middle East, we had time to fortify before things got out of control in Asia and Europe."

"How did they manage to be dead free?" She asked.

"Walls, very tall walls." Cornelius answered, "Some of them are ugly as shit, but they are very effective in what they were built for. Asia has fallen into chaos, just from their numbers which soon became uncontrollable. The islands are faring a lot better, since the dead can't swim. They appear to not do well in the cold either, so the cities in the north are faring better as well."

"That's fascinating," Alyssa said as the waiter arrived with drinks and a platter which had some sliced meats on it as well as some poached eggs. She could tell that the glass the vampire had was a very bright red substance which was easy to guess. Here glass was a bright orange, which surprised her.

"Fresh orange juice," Cornelius said, smiling as he raised his glass. "Cheers."

His politeness was even more creepy this morning as it had been the night before, but she didn't want to act like a scared puppy so she went along with it. They started to eat the foods that were served, and things were quiet for a while as they usually were when the food first arrived. After a few minutes, Alyssa decided to ask something that had always been on her mind.

"Who came out first?" She asked him. "Which monsters revealed themselves to the world first after the undead started to ruin the world?"

Cornelius smiled and put his glass down. "Good question. The council believes it all started about seventy years ago..."


Chapter 35: Relighting the Cauldron

In order to let Pablo get his rest, Diane lodged with Mrs. Goldman while Alyssa and Gabriel were out of town as part of their compromise. After school on Friday, the day Gabriel left for New Lycan with her sister, Diane went to the garden after school and helped out as much as she could till the sun went down. After that she enjoyed a nice meal with Mrs. Goldman, and read a book while the old lady was working on something. She was sewing something together but Diane couldn't make out what it was. She tried to look above the brim of her book to peek as it.

"It's a surprise dear," the old woman called out, "The only person you hurt by spoiling it is yourself."

"Okay," Diane said as she resumed reading her book.

She didn't bother the old woman for the rest of the morning, even when they were working in the gardens. Diane stuck to her garden duties and didn't say another word until Mrs. Goldman was ready to let her know what the plan was. She led her downstairs to the basement and the secret room that she had shown Alyssa and her friends only days earlier, and Diane walked in with a look of amazement on her face. She walked up to the large black pot into the middle and looked into it. The solid thing was empty and looked like it hadn't been used in years.

"Is this what I think it is?" She asked the old woman.

"Yes," Mrs. Goldman confirmed, "Your mother and I used to run this cauldron together but it hasn't been active since she passed. In order to run smoothly and without incident, you require two witches to run a cauldron. Now that you're here and learning, I thought we could get this started again to keep the town safe."

"Safe from what?" Diane asked.

"The ghoulish things outside our gates," the old woman answered, "An active cauldron has an effect on them and they tend to steer clear of them. So, once we get this running again, then we won't have anymore incidents with herds brushing past us."

"I like the sound of that," Diane admitted, "Will this be hard?"

"Not for you, dear." Mrs. Goldman said, smiling. "Just take my arms around the pot and we'll get started."

As Diane took the old lady's arms, a small glow started to emanate from within the black cauldron. It was dark at first and then it started to change into various colors, and kept changing as if there was a wheel spinning inside the dark bowl. It was during this process when the bowl was glowing that the guardians all started to appear around the two witches. Diane looked around as they all started to appear from the shadows and surround the cauldron. There had to be a least a hundred cats when they all stopped gathering, and watching as the cauldron was getting brighter.

"This is normal," Mrs. Goldman called out. "Guardians love to be around for the lighting of a cauldron. What isn't normal is the sheer number of guardians we actually have here."

"That isn't normal?" Diane repeated.

"It's unheard of," the old woman answered, "But they do like to be around a new cauldron because it gives them heightened powers that can last for months."

"How much more power?" Diane asked.

"It depends on the Aura," Mrs. Goldman replied, "But based on how many are here, they are expecting a very heightened cauldron. From what I've witnessed thus far, they're not going to be disappointed."

When the cauldron had finished spinning, it settled into a bright golden hue and vapours from it started to travel throughout the room. All the cats that were sitting there, inhaled the gas that was going around and all their eyes started to glow the same bright gold that was also in the cauldron.

"What just happened?" Diane asked.

"This is a heavenly cauldron," Mrs. Goldman answered, "The first I've ever laid eyes on, and the first I think there's been in centuries. These guardians are also pledged to you Diane, as the witch with the heavenly aura. The power they feed from your aura and the cauldron make them dedicated to you, and you alone."

"Whoa," Diane said looking around, "That's a lot of cats. Do I really need this many guardians?"

"You might," the old woman answered honestly, "The other witches, and possibly the other monsters might feel your presence, and feel threatened by it."

"What is your aura?" Diane asked her.

"Darkness," Mrs. Goldman answered, "But don't feel threatened. You mother had an aura of light... and that made for a very nice cauldron, as opposites make for a better match. Like fire and water, wind and earth. A cauldron of light and dark is very powerful, but your aura is so powerful that it cancelled me out."

"I'm sorry." Diane said, feeling bad.

"Don't be," Mrs. Goldman replied, "It's very rare for witches to be able to maintain their own cauldron, but for a heavenly aura it's not that uncommon. An aura that powerful doesn't play well with others but it still takes two witches to light and maintain it so I'm still needed."

"So this cauldron will keep us safe?" Diane asked.

"It did before," Mrs. Goldman replied, "I can't see why it wouldn't now."

"What was with all those colors?" Diane inquired.

"That was the different kinds of auras." Mrs. Goldman answered, "Since you have a heavenly aura, you are able to access all six of them; those being Fire, water, wind, earth, darkness, and light."

"And heavenly makes seven," Diane added.

"Yes, it does." Mrs. Goldman said with a smile. "The heavenly aura is like having all of the above and if you practice, you can learn and cast all six of the auras and use them to their fullest potential."

"That's a lot more studying than I was hoping to do," Diane admitted, "I was hoping it would be a one and done situation."

"I'm afraid not," Mrs. Goldman said, "But you're in a unique position. Most witches, especially in Salem, like to mingle amongst those who share their own aura. Because you can access them all, they will all welcome you as their own. Every witch in the city will want to be your friend, and that can be good and bad sometimes."

"Learning all the auras is going to be a lot of work, isn't it?" Diane asked.

"Yes," Mrs. Goldman said, "But if you're willing to work on it, I'll help you as much as I can to learn them. If there is something I can't teach you, I know some other witches that owe me a favor that might be able to fill in."

"Thank you," Diane said, relieved to know she wouldn't have to do this all by herself. The task seemed daunting enough.

"Now comes the tough part," Mrs. Goldman said, taking a deep breath.

"What is that?" Diane asked.

"We need to cast a spell," the old woman answered, "It connects us to Salem and let's them know that our cauldron is being run by witches that were properly trained in Salem and not being cast by amateurs that could cause problems."

"Why is that a problem?" Diane asked.

"They will sent a witch to confirm it," Mrs. Goldman answered, "Our cauldron will get their attention, especially since it's being run by a heavenly aura. I don't anticipate any problems but by doing this, we will have Salem's undivided attention."

Diane thought about it for a moment and then remembered the numerous guardians that were present in the room. She felt confident that the guardians, Mrs. Goldman and even Gabriel would be enough to keep her safe.

"I'll be alright." Diane said, "Let's connect with Salem and follow the rules."

"Well said, Diane." Mrs. Goldman said, reaching out with her hands again. "All you have to do is same the same spell I first taught you. The one witches use to greet each other, but this time over the cauldron."

"Okay," Diane replied, "I remember."

The two women held hands and recanted the line a few times and as they did the cauldron was glowing a bright golden light. The cauldron kept glowing and even popped a few times which scared Diane. A few minutes further the glow died down, and all was well again.

Diane looked back up at Mrs. Goldman. "Did it work?"

"Oh yes," Mrs. Goldman answered. "We got their attention."

"So someone will be coming out?" Diane asked.

"Given that it's a heavenly aura," Mrs. Goldman said, "It's almost assured."

"I'm not worried," Diane said, "I look forward to meeting more witches, especially if they are nice as you."

"There are many who are much nicer than I," the old woman confessed, "But there just as many who are bad, and might want to take advantage and use the power of the heavenly aura for themselves. So be careful when that witch arrives until we know their true purpose."

"Understood," Diane replied, "I will follow your lead."

Diane then looked around at the sheer number of cats that were around them, and they were all making sounds and speaking to one another.

"What is it?" Mrs. Goldman asked, as she could see the concern on Diane's face.

"I don't have to take them all home do I?" Diane asked, "Don't get me wrong, I like cats but my room isn't that big."

Mrs. Goldman laughed. "No dear, you don't have to take them all. Most of them are going to sleep here and guard the cauldron. This aura is like a warm fire in the middle of a cold storm. The closer to it they are, the better they feel. That works for me because their duty will be to protect it. Isn't that right, boys?"

Most of the cats meowed and growled to indicate they understood.

"So which ones are coming with me?" Diane asked.

"Tell Smokey to select a dozen or so to join him." Mrs. Goldman answered, "And leave him in charge of your personal security. Most of them will hide in the shadows and you won't even see them."

"What about you?" Diane asked.

"I have enough guardians," Mrs. Goldman said, "But I will take a few more as well just o make sure no one tries to get to you through me."

"Thank you," Diane responded, as that's what she was thinking too.

Later that night when Diane was going to sleep in Mrs. Goldman's guest bedroom, she looked back at the grey cat that was lying on the other end of the bed. He opened his eyes and looked back at her.

"What is it, little one?" Smokey asked her.

"How many guardians are in the room?" She asked him, "I mean besides the five that I can see lying on the floor."

"There are twenty more in the shadows." Smokey answered.

"Wow," Diane answered, "Do I need that many?"

"Probably not," Smokey answered, "But I wasn't taking any chances until the witch or witches from Salem pay a visit."

"You think more than one might show up?" Diane asked.

"It's possible." Smokey replied, "Witches usually travel in groups of two. Odd numbers are very rare. Given the rarity of your aura, I felt it was wise to be cautious."

"Alright," Diane said, as she laid her head down to rest. "Do what ever you feel is right and I trust you."

"Thank you, little one." Smokey said, "Sleep well."

It didn't take Diane long to fall asleep, but when she did one of the other cats walked out of the shadow and up to Smokey.

"What is it?" Smokey asked her.

"Why did you lie to her?" The other cat asked.

"I didn't lie to her," Smokey replied, "I just gave her a simple answer, and left out key details."

"You know what happened the last time there was a heavenly aura," the other cat continued, "It nearly tore the city apart. You know they're going to send a lot more than two witches. I wouldn't be surprised to see a whole delegation."

"There are over a two hundred guardians here," Smokey said, as he and Oscar had counted them all himself a few times over. "The only place that has more in one spot is Salem itself. They are also all loyal to the heavenly aura. So unless they send an army of witches, she's quite safe."

"Alright," the other cat said, unaware of the true count. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Oscar has more experience with this," Smokey admitted, "He used to command the guardians of Salem, so he knows how to work with a large number of guardians and I'm following his lead. We will be fine so long as no one panics."

"I get your point," the other cat said, "Thank you for hearing me out."

"Get some rest," Smokey ordered, "The next few days are going to be very interesting."


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