On the floor lay the shattered ceramic teacup, along with a stain on the carpet. The Soul Reaver had struck Harlequin Hatter’s hand open, and she stared at the glowing weapon unfazed by Raziel’s agitation and his demanding tone. “I said: answer me.”

Harlequin looked at the floor and then back up at Raziel, finding Reginald suddenly a few feet behind her trying to clean up the mess on the floor. “Oh! The Madame’s good china, it’s all over the place.” He whimpered.

Harlequin Hatter looked back up at Raziel as he continued to hold the Soul Reaver in front of her before she sighed. “The vampire is in the other room. Mr. Vorador is waiting. If that is an adequate enough answer, you may follow us upstairs to the dining hall. We were in the middle of the poker game.”

So, Vorador still lived. Raziel lowered the Reaver cautiously and watched as it disappeared from sight. “…Very well. Though I do expect quite a long story as to why you and your mysterious little friends seem to be lurking about this place.”

“We were waiting.” called Delmont suddenly from above. He managed to guide himself downstairs towards Raziel in an attempt to explain. “I’m a seer of some sorts. I foresaw your presence and expected you.” He held out his hand, not directly looking at the wraith.
“I’m Delmont Dormouse, sir.”

The handshake gesture was not returned, and Delmont was greeted with displeasure from Raziel. “And you would be?” He cocked his head down at Reginald cleaning up the mess.

Reginald looked up quickly only to hide behind Madame Hatter, shaking and his teeth began chattering. “M-Madame, he’s a rather frightening looking fellow. Please don’t make me introduce myself.”

‘Peculiar.’ Raziel thought at the sight of Reginald being the only one that seemed to have any real fear of him or of anything in general.

“You will show some courtesy Mr. Rabbit.” Harlequin ordered him.

“R-Reginald Rabbit, sir.” He waved from behind Harlequin Hatter; his little fluff of a tail the only other thing visible before Delmont’s own tail poked at him in annoyance.

“Reginald, old boy. Stop it. This is no time for inconsiderate behavior. We have a guest to entertain and he has every right to be taken to Mr. Vorador.” Delmont advised.

“I concur.” Harlequin added in, glancing at Raziel. “If you will follow us-“

“Hey, hey!” Henrietta shouted from above. “If that guy tries to grope my ass I’m drilling him through a wall and I’ll impale him on a candle stand.”

“I don’t think that would be wise Henrietta, dear.” Harlequin warned her. “This creature is part of our kin in a speaking sense. If not horribly mislead in his actions, it’s only right we help guide him in the right direction.”

“Fuck our kin!” Henrietta shouted. “I’m still kicking his ass if he tries anything!”

“…I trust nothing bad will happen to you. I will make sure of it.” Madame Hatter assured, glancing up at Henrietta with a frown.

“I’ve been misguided at many twists and turns in Nosgoth. How can I be so sure that you too will not trick me?” Raziel asked, distrusting of her words.

Harlequin stopped on the stairs and slowly turned to face him. “I have a very busy schedule, sir. I don’t usually break my word. I give you my honesty as a Hatter.” She tipped her hat to him before adjusting it back on her head. “Shall we?” She gestured up the stairs.

Reginald’s teeth chattered incessantly before Henrietta slapped some sense into him. “Knock it off, ‘kay? You’re getting on my nerves.”

Reginald clasped his hands together and watched as Harlequin Hatter led the stranger up the stairs. His teeth began chattering again and he almost whimpered at the thought of her walking down the hallway all alone with only Delmont and Henrietta with here. If there was anything Reginald had learned it was to never underestimate your enemies.

He quickly hurried after them, only to run smack into Henrietta’s back because he rushed to them to fast. In response Henrietta nearly stomped on his face, but drew back when she found it was only Reginald. “Sheesh, can’t you stop running into people?”

“…I got worried.” He murmured.

“Who exactly are you and what are you doing here with the vampire Vorador?” Raziel asked. “Please enlighten me if I have missed anything.”

Harlequin walked them all down the hallway without too much to say until Raziel asked her a question. “…We’re his guests for the time being. We’re here for our own reasons. If anything it concerns the fate of Nosgoth very little.”

“How do you know of me? I don’t believe I’ve ever run into individuals like yourselves before. You’re obviously not human, yet you behave as such.”

She had expected his questions to be filled with hostility as he probably had not been through a very good ordeal throughout his existence and she shrugged. “I suppose you could call us human in a sense. Then again, we are what we are and there are no others like us.”

“You called me part of your kin. What am I supposed to make of that?”

Harlequin stopped and she turned slowly towards Raziel, her gaze unfaltering. “In a sense we share the same kind of blood. That’s about as much as I can really give as a clear answer. The rest is complicated. But you’re here to see Mr. Vorador. Not us really, then again…we were sort of expecting you. There’s no rush really you have plenty of time. Mr. Vorador isn’t going anywhere.”

Time? Plenty of Time? What was this woman talking about? “…If you’re familiar with anything about Vorador, you know that he is to die in this time period.”

“Why do you think we are here?” Delmont spoke from behind Raziel.

The wraith turned to look at the blind seer and his glowing eyes narrowed at the little man. “…You’re going to alter destiny? Don’t you think that’s a bit…mad?”

“Pfft. We get that all the time. I mean we ARE the Mad Tea Party.” Henrietta snorted. “Didn’t you hear Harlequin a while back there? God, you men are all stupid.”

Delmont’s brows furrowed and she shook his head. Reginald looked down at his shoes with a guilty look.

“Thank you for your lovely insults Henrietta. I’m sure we’re all very glad to have you tell us like it is.” Delmont’s tone was sarcastic.

“…Sorry.” Reginald apologized.

“Enough of this banter!” Raziel snarled at them. The Soul Reaver was suddenly pointed at Harlequin Hatter threateningly. “Keep walking.” He sneered.

Harlequin merely turned on her heel and did as asked.

“Very well, just a bit more this way.”

--

“And the momewraths are singing, shovelnoses-“

“…You know, you said correctly…you were going to be back there out of my way causing mayhem. Now I find that you’re hear, tagging along and I’m beginning to find your presence annoying.” Kain’s tone was clam before he violently turned and slashed at Chevalier.

The cat man had slid backwards a good couple feet from the wrath of the Reaver and looked down at the tip of the blade pointed at him with a pout. The vampire’s search for the old git had aroused a great sense of curiosity in him. Well, you know what they say about cats; curiosity kills them on a daily basis.

Chevalier stepped forward again and he pressed a fingertip to the blade with a sigh. “Oh. Yes, that. Well, I’m done. I’ve had my fun, now I want to see exactly what you’re up to. This place is so incredibly booooooring and you’re the most interesting thing I’ve seen all day.” He complained about the lack of fun he was having until Kain had come along.

“Well, go find something more interesting than me. I have matters to attend to.” Kain sneered, lowering the Reaver. He had turned his back again and not taken but a step forward before Chevalier had appeared in front of him, his face in a fake and pitiful pout.

“Ohhhhh. Pweeeeeeease. I’m bored and this place is nothing but a disease infested rat hoard. I’ve killed a bunch of men and I’m still bored as anything. Besides…” His tone fluctuated and changed to menacing. “I’ve got my own matters to attend to. I’m on a mission.”

Kain stepped back, clasping his claws over the Reaver handle again. “A mission? You were sent here then? By whom?”

“The Madame.” Chevalier answered, now rolling around on the floor like he really was a cat. “Whooo hoo hoo hoo, I must say that when she woke me the other I was rather displeased until she told me all of the details-“

“Spare me the tales of your pathetic story some other time! Now, get out of my sight.” Kain hissed, jabbing the sword at Chevalier’s very belly on the floor.

The cat man stopped rolling around, he lay there on his back for several moments before he grinned his trademark smile. His mouth revealed many sharp and jagged teeth, his grin only getting bigger and sharper before his body faded out and he was behind Kain, arm around him with a shake of his head. “Tsk, tsk. Such rudeness, My Madame certainly wouldn’t want to meet you.” He wagged a finger in the air at Kain only then to be grabbed up by the scruff of his neck.

Kain flung him against a wall and sliced the Reaver at his throat, only when Kain had done so, Chevalier’s head had rolled off his body and strayed on the floor, where it continued to talk. “HEY!” He snarled, though it was to his body than to Kain.

Whatever amount of confidence that Kain had, it had suddenly dropped in a very large amount of confusion and many unanswered questions began to surface in his head. “What…the…”

What form of creature was this? How did some kind of absurdly developed creature like that just pull itself back together as though it were nothing? Regeneration was out of the question. He seemed to be there and yet at the same time he wasn’t. What exactly was this madness that was plaguing his mind? Kain shook his head to make sure he had seen that right.

Chevalier’s body seemed to get up on its own and stroll over towards the head and pick it up. The head was screwed into place and Chevalier had to crack several bones to make sure he was all together. “Ah. Much better.” He sighed with some form of relief.

Chevalier clicked his tongue at Kain and crossed his arms before his hands went to his hips. “Fine, you’re going to be rude, I’ll leave you then. Have fun looking for the old git. You’ve grown boring like this place too.”

Angered by this remark, Kain raised the Reaver again only to swing at Chevalier just as his body seemed to be fading out.
The Cat man grinned at him, disappearing little by little until only his glinting green eyes and jagged grin were left.

“Ta-ta, Mr. Vampire. We’ll meet again.”

As Kain replaced the Reaver on his back, he couldn’t help but feel some form of humor for what he had just witnessed.

“Very well, feline-nuisance. We shall see exactly what you are capable of.”

--

The group trekked down the long hallway towards the dining room before Harlequin stopped in front of the door adorned with a Vampire Ancient on it. “He is inside. We’re still on for our poker game. If you would like to join, we would be more than likely to have you play along with us.” She offered while gesturing inside as the door was opened.

Raziel drew back in a cautious state after the was given permission to enter. His long pause and apprehensive behavior became a frustration to Henrietta before she shouted.

“Will you just go in the fucking room al ready?!”

Raziel snapped his head in her direction and his blazing white eyes glared at the rabbit-eared vixen with loathing before he responded to her agitated question. “I’m not so sure, your hostility proves that I am not to trust you, in particular.”

Henrietta cracked her knuckles threateningly. “Just get on there before I put you through a wall.”

Reginald’s face went even paler than it usually did and he rushed forward to shoo Raziel into the room in a quite literal since. He began lightly pushing Raziel forward, teeth chattering and occasionally glancing back at Henrietta gritting her teeth. “Hurry, hurry. She means it too.” He whispered.

“You have several second to take your hands off me before I break them.” Raziel warned him. The wraith didn’t appreciate being manhandled in any way and Reginald was only too happy to comply before he immediately let Raziel be as he entered the room.

Harlequin Hatter followed suit, followed by Henrietta, then Reginald, and finally Delmont.

At the head of the elaborate dining room table, was the vampire Vorador seated calmly and obviously disgruntled. “I thought for a moment that Madame Hatter was playing a game of some sorts other than our poker game, so I remained here. I had a feeling I would be seeing you again.” Vorador’s tone did not sound too enthusiastic about Raziel’s visit, but he offered the wraith no hostility.
“Your guests…seem to be absolutely ecstatic about my coming.” Raziel glanced back at Henrietta, Reginald, and Delmont with disdain.

Harlequin pulled out a chair for him to seat himself in. “Please, sit. There’s much to discuss.”

“I’ll stand, thank you.” Raziel’s response was curt and rude.

Harlequin’s mood changed and she became annoyed, shoving the chair back in its place and she strolled back towards her seat across from Vorador. At the table, she tapped her fingers against the table with impatience before she raised her hand. “Tea!” She called to Reginald.

Reginald reacted as though he were a servant and quickly hurried into the kitchen, huffing and panting along the way.

Raziel’s head turned in the direction as he watched this strange reaction to an order before Henrietta had passed behind him, shoving him in the back with a growl. “Move it or lose it blue boy.”

Raziel’s claws clenched and he drew the Reaver out in front of her. His tone was threatening and he had had enough of her behavior. “Do not speak to me as such, I could rightly dismember you with this-“

Henrietta smacked the Reaver out of the way and got in Raziel’s face, her dark green eyes glinted and she grit her teeth. “I dare you.” She challenged him.

The look on her face was devoid of any fear and she glanced over at Harlequin who shook her head. Harlequin Hatter hissed only three words: “Sit. Down. Henrietta.”

Without protest, Henrietta did as she was asked and seated herself on the left of Harlequin and put her hand sin her lap.

“…I apologize for this type of behavior from my good friend, sir.” Harlequin told Raziel sincerely. “She’s not known for her manners.”

“Suck it.” Henrietta flipped Raziel off and Harlequin slapped her in the back of the head without much care.

“As I was saying…We are here strictly on business. I would much appreciate it if you would care to listen to it. We’ve been expecting you and I would feel most comfortable if you sat down and had a cup of tea.”

Tea? A party member of this mad house, he had barely even met, had threatened him and all this strange woman was concerned about was offering him tea? “…I will sit, but no tea, thank you.” Raziel yanked a chair out from beneath the table and sat without another word.

“Now the agenda for today consists of-“ Harlequin was rudely cut off when Henrietta smacked her fist on the table.

“Reginald! Where’s the damn tea?!”

The white-eared-rabbit man bustled out of the kitchen in a frantic state while he set down a tray on the table. “I’m here! I’m here, sorry, sorry!” He stammered, handing a cup to Madame Hatter and one to Mistress Hare before he took the tray back into the kitchen, leaving only the tea pot and sugar bowl on the table.

Picking up her spoon, Harlequin put three scoops of sugar into her cup and stirred. “As…I was saying…” she trailed off, glancing at Henrietta with a scowl.

There was cold silence between the two good friends before Henrietta cleared her throat. “I’m done, thanks.”

“Good.” Harlequin nodded, her attention turned back to Vorador and Raziel.

“Get on with it woman, he wants answers.” Vorador grumbled.

“I was figuring you could begin by introducing us to your guest. It’s only proper.” Harlequin advised.

Raziel saw Vorador had very little patience left with this group, and he couldn’t help but wonder how long they had been here to pester the elder vampire. “…As you wish. Madame.” His tone was mocking.

Vorador folded his hands on the table and spoke then. “As you can see, I’ve been entertaining some interesting guests here.”

Delmont stepped forward then and stood beside Vorador with his hands behind his back. “Us, being said guests.” He interjected.

“Yes…well, my guests just happened to drop in on me without warning, so I could only do so much but comply.” Vorador continued.

“He thought he was going to have himself a good time because of Harlequin and I.” Henrietta snickered.

Harlequin’s reminder of the story did little to make her mouth turn into a smile and she shook her head. “Go on, Mr. Vorador.”

“And where exactly did you come from?” Raziel inquired.
“Our origins are not truly known.” Delmont explained.

“No, they are not.” Henrietta sipped her tea, her mood seemingly growing fouler by the second.

“However; in Nosgoth History…” Delmont began pacing then, his blind gaze turned towards the stained glass window.

“We are merely, The Forgotten.”

--

Authoress Note: Ooh…Suspense building. For some strange reason. Henrietta has a huge amount of hatred towards Raziel. I do fear for his sake that if she drop kicks him, she’ll drop kick Vorador first. Haha. Alas, poor Kain cut off Chevalier’s head and I do believe he may be growing fond of the little kitty.

(nibbling noises)

o.o

(looks down at Chevalier nibbling on her shoes)

Ahem. As I conclude…He’s a darling. (pats)

Anyways, read and review please. Thank you.