Gabriel takes Evangeline with him to underwater ruins.
[Evangeline has finally convinced Gabriel that he needs to take her when he finds those strange ruins! ] -01:59 May 21
[Gabriel was still reluctant to do so, promise or not!] -02:00 May 21
Gabriel: … Evangeline. *He was sitting in the recliner, legs stretched out, one elbow on the armrest and its hand massaging his temple.* -02:01 May 21
Evangeline: *She wasn’t leaving much room for argument. And she was even making sure to be dressed appropriate. No skirts! That tended to end embarassingly!* Don’t you think it’s better I am with you from the beginning, rather than coming to get you later? -02:05 May 21
Gabriel: *And neither Dark nor Caroline were around to help if she did have to come for him later …* You are persistent. *He said, rising to his feet.* And insane. *Perhaps he shouldn’t have shared that vivid dream with her in the first place.* -02:09 May 21
Evangeline: *She moved to take his face in her hands and kiss his cheek quick!* And you are stubborn. If you will pass you memories to me I can keep them and you’ be able to think and explore without scaring me to death. …besides, I want to see these places! They’re older than everything! -02:14 May 21
Gabriel: *He tilted his head slightly at her. Let it never be said that married life was easy! He drew his knife and cast the teleportation spell! They appeared on a beach, in front of a cave! And between them and the cave was a camp full of at least several people running back and forth! By the amount of equpiment they had with them, they certainly weren’t tourists out camping for the weekend! Scientists then!* -02:23 May 21
Quite a few of them were gathered around a computer, talking about data and a communication log. By the snippets of conversation that carried over the wind, it was safe to assume they were looking for something or someone that had been gone for awhile!
Evangeline: I suppose they found it first then! *It never was good when others were involved. She listen to the conversations to see just how much they had gotten in to!* -02:29 May 21
Apparently whoever they were looking for, this wasn’t the first time someone had disappeared! Someone finally noticed Gabriel and Evangeline and walked over! “Hi!” An older man greeted! “Are you guys from the government or institution?”
[Evangeline is prone to accidents!] -03:57 May 21
Evangeline: *Evangeline tapped her chin before nodding!* We are from an institution, I think. -03:58 May 21
Gabriel: We are here to investigate things. What about the disappearances. -04:01 May 21
Evangeline’s reply made the man blink but then he looked at Gabriel! “Yeah, well uh, I’m Doctor Garth from the University, one of the scientists working here. We’ve had a few … minor setbacks but I’m sure the disappearances are just … people getting cold feet.”
Evangeline: Things have not been that strange have they? …Or talk of curses? *The last thing they needed was another Professor Stevie incident!* -04:04 May 21
“Curses, huh! Silly superstition, of course. The locals call this, the Cave of the Guardians because supposedly, it was a cave guarded by the spirits of their ancestors. Of course, that’s ridiculous as we did a thorough investigation and found no sign of remains buried here as stories had it.”
Evangeline: That’s the problem with some bodies, they tend to become zombies or other undead. *And she said it so seriously, but then she often did! Evangeline tugged on Gabriel’s sleeve.* We should be taking a look yes? At least to make sure no one was eaten. -04:15 May 21
The doctor was about to say something when one of the men at the computer walked toward him and called his attention away! He excused himself and went to the computer with the man!
Gabriel: *Gabriel looked at the cave beyond the camp. Its mouth was wide and tall but it wasn’t the cave itself he was interested in. He looked at Evangeline and nodded.* Indeed. *Then he was taking her hand and leading the way inside.* It is a long walk through. I will carry you, on my back. -04:18 May 21
Evangeline: It’s that far? *She was expecting it to be burried somewhere, but that long of a walk… She did nod, though, waiting for him to turn around so she could hop on his back. It was definitely better than having to try and be wary where she was walking! There were always so many rocks in caves!* -04:20 May 21
Gabriel: *He nodded and turned, securing her knees under his arms! He walked further inside of the cave before casting a spell to send a dim light ahead. Then he began running after it. A few minutes of travelling and he came across a large flashlight but no body. A few minutes after that, a pick axe and a walking stick. Again, no body.* -04:24 May 21
Evangeline: *He moved so fast, and yet he really wasn’t kidding when he said it was far! There was a mild bit of worry with finding people’s things and not the people themselves!* I am not sensing any humans around here anywhere… *…and she suspected they were headed under ocean water, that never did help her senses any!* -04:29 May 21
Gabriel: I can hear nothing but the ocean. *They were getting close. He could feel it. Even as the cave began to get smaller and smaller but never so small that he had to squeeze through. The smallest it came was about several feet high and several feet wide. Then he began to slow. He had discovered something.* These walls. They are painted. -04:31 May 21
Evangeline: An often used pathway, then? *She did reach out to touch one of the walls when he was close enough to it. Smooth and sanded, and not by natural errosion!* -04:34 May 21
Gabriel: They appear similar to the other ruins. *He had slowed to a walk. Now he noticed more items but there appeared to be a combination of modern tools and then some older ones. Still no bodies. He crouched down to pick up a journal from a backpack and slip it into his coat pocket before continuing on.* -04:37 May 21
Evangeline: *She twitched her feet now and then, keeping her arms secure around his neck. They were headed a long ways under the ocean and that made her nervous! But getting to be with Gabriel while he explored a new ruin was far more compelling!* Everything feels as old as the others, but still more recent? Um… Used longer, I think! -04:42 May 21
Gabriel: Indeed. *They finally got to the end and Gabriel walked up to a large boulder blocking their way, carved with the same language as the other ruins and yet … Very familiar. He knew this power signature.* It is the Great King’s ward. -04:47 May 21
Evangeline: *Evangeline couldn’t say she was surprised… most of the ruins he found now had that ward. The volcano was a strange exception!* With people missing there may be something bad here. You do promise to lean on me? -04:50 May 21
Gabriel: *The tone of her voice and the emotion he felt from her was what prevented him from growling her name again. She was worried and he remembered he would have to stay strong. And he couldn’t do that if the memories became too much for him and he knew she was right. There was something bad here.* … There are few things in this world I can deny you, Evangeline. I will keep my promise to you. You will have to get off of my back. *And then he was helping her do so.* -04:56 May 21
Evangeline: I won’t take more than I can keep! *She tried to reassure him! At any moment she could have a million things on her mind at once, taking easing his memories wouldn’t be hard. She dropped lightly to the ground, straighening her shirt simply from habit.* You can always give me a gun if you’re extra worried. -05:00 May 21
Gabriel: *He smirked and kissed her lips softly.* I believe the last time I gave you a gun Santos and Ms Grey were certain you would shoot someone entirely by accident. -05:03 May 21
Evangeline: well… Sometimes I have… But I keep telling those hunters not to run around and panic like they do! I can sense where they are, but not when they dash around all crazy. *She took his hand and pointed at the boulder. She didn’t want to explain about shooting hunters, especially when she still felt bad about Bradly!* -05:06 May 21
Gabriel: *There was that customary feeling of familiarity and something akin to dread, something he was beginning to associate with all ruins connected to the Great King. He turned away from Evangeline and his fangs grew. He bit his lip until he tasted blood. He placed his other hand against the boulder and started to focus. It was a large and complicated ward, made all the more difficult by him not wanting to unravel it completely, just enough to allow him and Evangeline passage. He had learned the Great King often had a good reason for not wanting something to escape.* -05:12 May 21
Evangeline: *She was trying to pay very close attention to the wards… They were something she was always able to see, and occasionally it came in handy when she would need to unravel something. But these wards by the Great King were so woven and complicated, it was really an artform all by itself! Evangeline squeezed his hand for encouragement. He was making it harder on himself not accepting what he used to be..* -05:16 May 21
Gabriel: *Dealing with the Great King often meant a struggle between who he was now, who he had been then, and who he would be in the future. But he forced himself to deal with the ward first and eventually there was the sound of stone moving. The boulder was moving slightly! He pulled his hand away from the boulder and led Evangeline through the small crack the boulder had given. As soon as they were through, the boulder closed once more and they were in an entirely different world!* -05:22 May 21
The boulder on this side was just a blank wall of light green stone and they were in a corridor of some sort! There were windows on either side looking out into … ocean and yet there was ancient magic here to keep the water out!
Evangeline: *Ocean, ocean everywhere… and it must have been very deep down. She could only reached out where there was air and rock. Never through the water!* It’s um… a whole city, yes? All under water? -05:27 May 21
Gabriel: Yes. *An entire city indeed. A look out of one of the windows gave Gabriel a view of other towers and buildings. He turned to look out of a window on the other side and was given the same view. But as he was looking through the second window, there was that feeling again. A slight pulsing feeling. The same feeling he had gotten with the horn back in Egypt.* This way. *He began walking down the corridor, still holding Evangeline’s hand.* -05:30 May 21
Evangeline: *That was kind of exciting! And entire city to explore. Well, it if weren’t in ruins and under the ocean and possibly in ruins thanks to something terrible… That much was still felt even now, like phantom feelings left in the stone.* I don’t think there had been many humans here at all. Maybe a few… -05:32 May 21
Gabriel: *Gabriel suddenly slowed and turned to face her.* … Evangeline. Could you … ever love the Great King. If he should ever return … If I should disappear. *The thought was a sobering one but it seemed like every memory he uncovered of the Great King, the vampire who was Gabriel Carnatelli was being rewritten little by little.* -05:39 May 21
Evangeline: Why on earth would you think you would disappear! *Of all the silly things..! And to bring that up now.. he really was worried.* You are who you are because of everything that’s happened before. Even the memories you can’t remember. You might realize new things, but don’t you think you can still choose to be who you are right now regardless? -05:45 May 21
Gabriel: *He lowered his head and glanced away.* I no longer know for certain. It feels like there are two different people inside now. They look so much alike but their purposes are different. They both strive for balance and yet they achieve it in different ways. I fear … I fear when all his memories, my memories are regained, the Great King will return to achieve balance his way. Gabriel Carnatelli will be gone. -05:49 May 21
Evangeline: A past life is a past life, whether you died and were reborn or just lost something. You can choose who you want to be. And I will be here with you whether you are a vampire, or human or Great King. And whether your name is Gabriel or Bree or Fergeson Jr. *She tugged on his hand so he would turn back to her.* Because you’re my husband now, and that won’t change? -05:55 May 21
Gabriel: *He smiled, looked at the Binding Mark on her hand, and her wedding ring, then his Binding Mark and his ring.* No, Evangeline. That will never change. *He suddenly turned to look out the window.* Something is outside. *And it was big. And angry. And impatient. It was … waiting for something? He turned to start walking down the corridor again.* -05:59 May 21
Evangeline: *It was a relief to know he’d not try to divorce her… she would put up a fight! But now she was more concerned with what was big, angry and throwing out unusual vibrations!* Outside in the water or outside elsewhere? *…She was kinda hoping in the water! It was a big creature!* -06:02 May 21
Here the corridor split into two different directions left and right and they both looked identical. There were echoes here of laughter and joy but pain and torment as well …
Gabriel: *Gabriel stood still for a moment and closed his eyes.* Outside in the water. *He opened his eyes and looked down each corridor.* But there is a place below it can move in and out freely. *Now he was feeling for that pulsing again. It was weaker than it had been in the ruins which meant they still had quite a distance to go.* -06:05 May 21
Evangeline: *She would be wary of something sneaking up on them, then! She held his hand with both of hers now.* I think I would like to learn to use a sword a little better! -06:08 May 21