You hold back, shielding your face with an arm. While you mourn the loss of your beloved watch, what's left of your miserable, immortal life is more precious to you right now than any memento or trinket.

Earth, a curious nickname for the leader of the Triumvirate, is likely pacing the halls of your sect's underground dwelling as we speak. The Triumvirate maintains a tight leash on the operations of your kind; since the Great War, she and her companions have sought to control both the expansion of the various sects, and their interactions with humanity.

She's a difficult one to deal with, these days.

Ever since her protégé — Kitral — died, several weeks ago, she's been inconsolable in her own way. Not only has she had very little tolerance for the misdeeds you may have gotten away with in the past, but she's had very little patience for your rogue behaviour in general. If you don't get back to the safehouse soon, she's going to have your head on a platter.

Kitral was her second in command; thought not a member of the ruling Triumvirate, he was as-good-as. He was next in line for a position on the council and his untimely death — for which Earth seems to blame you — has caused a political upheaval amongst the sect leaders.

You're now in a position of strength, as with Kitral — your former sect leader — gone, you are but one step away from your own position of power. As new sect leader for the Northwest Quadrant, you report directly to the Triumvirate. It's probably time you started acting like it, though.

With that in mind, you duck out of sight and into the subterranean entrance to your sect's home base, the terrified human backing away slowly from the alley mouth. Long past are the days when you would have related with their fright; now, you're just concerned about the immediate. Will you survive today? Tomorrow? Humans are but trifling concerns — these days, the most common cause of death among your kind is from within your own ranks.

Which that bastard Kitral learned the hard way, those few weeks ago.

You take a moment to snicker to yourself, under your breath, as you enter your home. He'd never seen it coming.

One down — one more to go.

RATE THIS BRANCH!