A Midnight Visitor...

[KonThaak]

Literally less than half an hour ago, I was lying in bed, trying to sleep, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. At first, I kept feeling like I'd forgotten something. I managed to dismiss that feeling, and then it just settled on a general misgiving...

And then I realized that Julian and I weren't as alone in the house as I'd hoped, as far as physical entities went. There was someone in my house, uninvited. That confused me; not only did they get in without me hearing them at all, but without me sensing them, and without alerting any of the spirits.

Whoever had gotten in was a damned pro at it.

I got up, and didn't bother to get dressed... My eyes were already well adjusted to the dark... I got into my top dresser drawer, and got out my boot knife and the handgun that Bert had given me, so very long ago... (The one Ron had given me was very well hidden in the closet.)

It wasn't loaded, I reminded myself, and whoever had gotten into my house knew what the hell he was doing. I reached back in and grabbed the clip, and as quietly as I could, slid it in...

My eyes had been on the two doors in our room, the one to the main house, and the one to the upstairs restroom. I mentally started prodding the spirits in the house...and went cold.

I couldn't sense any of our spirits. The dolls were all trapped inside their resin bodies. Cubrious' statue had an iron ring around it. I couldn't feel Claw at all.

I made a mad dash for the closet, where Claw's saber was usually kept.

It was gone.

And Claw with it.

I practically knocked down the door, making a mad dash for Julian's room, gripping the gun in one hand, the knife in the other.

Julian was awake, and playing with one of his toys, an oddity at this time of night... He's normally sound asleep. The most important thing was, he was completely unharmed...and the room was otherwise empty.

That's when I saw the message... Someone had used the chalk Lex had been using to make guidelines to paint Julian's walls. The message was two words and an image... "Knock knock", and the image of a decapitated dragon.

I did get the distinct impression right then that whoever was here had tried to make a grab for Julian, and something had stopped him.

I left Julian's room, and started flipping on lights in the rest of the house... I found one window slightly cracked open, but the screen was still intact.

I realized, as I looked at that window, that whoever it was had left, fled the scene before having to deal with me.

I went back to my own room and took the iron ring from Cubrious' statue... He came out pissed. "WHERE IS HE?!?"

"Who?"

It took a while, but between him and the dolls (who I needed Cubrious' help to release), I finally got to the truth of the matter...

It was a vampire who'd done it, a vampire matching Khavik's description. He was using necromantic tools and artifacts to get in unnoticed, bind the dolls' spirits, bind Cubrious, grab Claw, and get out... I won't say for sure it was Khavik, but this kind of stunt sounds like something he'd do.

I'm so exhausted right now...I can't even muster the strength to be outraged. I don't know what I'd've done if I'd found him, honestly... I'm glad Julian's alright, and I hope to all that's holy I find Claw soon... If everyone could keep your eyes and ears (and minds, where appropriate) open, I'd appreciate it...

[Koralth]

They're all coming out of the woodworks, one after the other. Have we honestly accomplished anything since I've gotten here? These guys, Windner and Khavik, they were problems for you all before I got here.. And then there's JD, too. The same people, over... and over again. I suppose they wouldn't be "Supernatural" if they could be killed easily, but isn't this kind of ridiculous? If you keep shooting something, doesn't it have to fall down eventually?

[KonThaak]

Noone ever got to Khavik... Windner and JD were/are abnormalities... Everything else we've run into that we've had to kill does tend to stay dead.

[Bert_the_Turtle]

Damn. So where the hell is Claw and Saber? Can't you divine where its been taken?

[Eilonwy Solstice]

K-Khavik . . . is back? Oh, my gosh . . . h-he . . . never reveals himself like that unless . . . I just pray it’s not him. Maybe it was a look-alike . . . .

[concrete_Angel]

HUH? You're HOPING it's someone just like him? You got a sick mind, chica! I thought ONE was supposed to be bad enough, and now you want TWO running around??

[Eilonwy Solstice]

Pardon? Two of someone like Khavik? No, no . . . I hope . . . I just . . . it’s not . . . that is, what I meant to say . . . .

[Kei Nakamura]

My father had unfinished business with that one. I would have any details that may come to mind on his habits, methods, and abilities.

Oh and with upcoming operations, please contact me if anything, I mean ANYTHING odd happens to anyone here, the more data I have to cross reference teh more accurate my hypothesis tend to be.

Ms. Solstice, KonThaak, please contact me very soon.

[GhostSpider]

Odd stuff huh?

Well I've had plenty happen to me in the past week since I "graduated" from my studies with my new friends, but most of it is not something I want to speak about in the open.

I will mention however the wierd dreams that have started popping up, nightmares really. They're kind of vague, and the settings change, but three things stay the same. A hooded figure, a black book bound in iron that is not iron (confusing, I know), and a sword sheathed in ivory. Every night its the same dream, and frankly I'm clueless as to what it means.

The dream tends to follow a similar pattern. I'm always trying to hide the sword, not to protect it but to protect myself. The sword frightens me, and I don't want it. As for the book, I get the feeling that I might have tried the same thing with it, but that now there is no point. I fear it like I fear the sword, but trying to hide it seems pointless for some reason.

As for the hooded figure, well, they're a completely new addition. I know its not me, but their true identity is a secret. Whoever they are, they seem to ignore me completely and concentrate entirely on the book. They keep trying to open it, and so far they've failed. The book seems to defend itself, and more than once I've thought that I heard an agonized scream as the books defenses repulsed the hooded guy. More than once I've warned them to stay away from the book, that its secrets aren't meant for them, but they never listen.

I don't think anyone is invading my mind, as my mental wards have not been tampered with.

[Willie Long]

My father had unfinished business with that one.

So do I.

KT, what could someone do with your sword?

[Ron Caliburn]

It mostly killed Winder before - making him effectively immortal - perhaps he has a sequel in mind.

[KonThaak]

Kei: Drop me a line if you have any ideas. I'm currently tapped out.

GS: Have you tried opening the book yourself, or using the sword to destroy the book?

Willie: Considering there's the spirit of a dragon residing within it...I'm gonna go out on a limb here and hazard "pretty much anything" as my guess.

Ron: How do you get more immortal than immortal...? I don't think he can make himself 100% indestructible...and it's gonna be damned hard enough to kill this bastard as it is.

[Ron Caliburn]

Perhaps there was a flaw in his earler transformation he intends to seal.

Perhaps he inteds to brign someoen else to that state.

Perhaps Khavik wanted Claw to keep as insurance against Winder.

[GhostSpider]

GS: Have you tried opening the book yourself, or using the sword to destroy the book?

Open the book? You're joking right? What it contains is pure evil. You can tell that just by looking at it. As for using the sword...no, I can't.

Perhaps Khavik wanted Claw to keep as insurance against Winder.

From what I've read of that bit of vermin, it is a good guess.