Without question, without word, Rigger turns abruptly and begins towards the door. Some of the other vampires spit as he walks past them, and turn their backs to him. He reaches the door, which the bouncer opens for him, and strolls out calmly... into the darkness.
"With that completed," Prince Morgan says as the door closes, "I will now move on to rewarding my faithful servants, and then to the core of the evening -- tonight is to be an evening of Prestation! Tonight, our Seneschal will present his Childe to us, and we will welcome her into our community as a an able, accountable young vampiress."
On the streets of New York...
Elias rose again, slower this time... his arms could barely support him as he tried to rise from the latest assault, the dust still settling from the shattered cinderblock that made up much of the wall behind him. He crouched, and using what little energy he had left, threw himself at the stranger one more time -- and found himself held motionless in mid-air.
"The definition of insanity, Elias," the stranger said, "is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results." He waved his hand towards Elias, and sent him hurtling to the wall again, this time holding his hand up, pinning Elias to the battered wall. "It's the blood, Elias -- your blood. It heeds me, does my bidding. I offer you a means to avenge your loss, and you spit it back in my face." The stranger's outstretched hand spreads wide, and Elias spasmed and screamed, his body flexing as if being stretched out in all directions.
"You will do as I command, Elias," the stranger said as he continued to stretch his hand slowly, the screams rising higher and more deeply from within Elias with each small increment of his fingers, "or I'll strip the blood from your very marrow and spread it to the four winds."
Back at the Maze
"It grieves me that we were forced to begin this evening's proceedings with such a horrible pronoucement -- I do so hate handing down such decrees," Morgan says as he motions towards the Toreador Primogen, "but now onto better things. We have suffered a tragic loss -- every one of us feels for Elias, especially those of us who have suffered such a loss as he. Tonight, I grant to my source of information, our esteemed Primogen, the Right of Progeny -- you may, as a token of my gratitude for your services and information, select a Childe, or pass this boon to one of you own Childer."
"As we discussed before, my Prince," the Primogen begins, "I have two beautiful Childer already. They both bring me great joy, and I could not think of adding another to their number. However, I cannot decide which should receive this boon from my hand. Hence, I have decided to wait one fortnight -- I will watch and speak with both my Childer, to decide who would best be suited to increase our number. Harmony, Melinda -- both of you are wonderful daughters, but I can only give this boon to one of you, and I give it to who I think can best be responsible for a fledgling."
"But enough talk of business for now," Prince Morgan interjects. "Let everyone enjoy themselves, and partake of some refreshments. Then, we will have the Presetation."