Hunting Thingamajigs

Aura stood up and simply made a leap up to the balcony in the treehouse. Michael stood watching. Aura was coming into her vampire powers. Her super strength. Her powers of flight. Michael didn't like it one bit. Brian looked at bit thunderstruck. The bewtiching that had been at work on him was broken. He seemed to see her with new eyes. He was revolted by those things that a moment before had been so alluring to him. He was furious. He turned in anger, and he pounded his fist into a tree.

"Don't break that hand," Michael said, still looking up at Aura who was now looking down at him with a slight smile that seemed to have more evil in it than it had yesterday. "Its not your fault. She's under the spell of the vampire that turned her. She's bewitched. It happens to all new vampires."

"And how to we break it?" Brian asked.

"Some never do. Some keep it. Some break it by turning against the vampire that turned them. If we kill him, she dies as well. And anyone else he turned. "

"Great. Now we get to go vampire hunting. So why don't we just kill her now?" Brian asked.

"It defeats little at this point," Michael said. "We'd be better using her to get him. And kill him. And trust me, he'll be waiting for us." Michael went over and woke Khaat gently. Much as he loved climbing, he really wanted to take care of her first. He apparated up to the beautiful tree house with Khaat. Brian apparated up there as well.

"Wow," Brian said. "This has come a long way from that place we started."

"Sergio has been working on it," Angus said.

"Its incredible," Brian said.

Jim jumped up watching the girl now stood on the balcony rail and he shook his head " shes not making any good favors with herself acting like that" he said his wand was in his hand ready to kill the girl if she should harm Khaat or Brian or any one for that matter, jack walked to the tree house and climbed up watching the girl with each step he took until he was inside.

"Wow, nice tree house " he said and sat down exhausted on a seat and brushed the sweat from his brow, " does this place have running water coz I could use a shower" he said not expecting it to have such a thing in the middle of the jungle.

"Well, yes and no," Angus laughed. He pointed to a wooden walkway leading downward out of the kitchen. It led to a hut on the ground. "The bath is that way." It was running water, sort of. They'd made the bath hut around a rocky cliff face that had a gentle little waterfall. They'd made that into the shower. The toilet was an organic one located off into another corner. there was a large handcarved stone bathtub. It had a drainhole in the bottom that was stopped with a cork. The water was fed by a large wooden bucket that could be turned on a wooden pivot into the waterfall to fill and then pivotted back to its position over the tum and simplly turned over with a handcrank. It was a bit primative, but it had its own exotic beauty. They had rigged some plumbing to fit a bathroom sink and a kitchen sink upstairs. On its own, the water was cold, but could be heated comfortably with a simple charm. Angus and Sergio and Brian preffered the natural cold temperature of the water, after all the heat in the rainforest, so they had not done much with it.

There were several wooden pathways leading up to beautifully exotic bedroom huts--more than enough for them. There was one siting up by itself towards the top of the canopy of the trees. "That one's yours, Mate," Angus told Brian. "Its a bit of a walk, but its worth it. Its not much different from the rest of them, but its a bit bigger and the balcony goes all the way around on that one." He looked at the rest of them. "Cassidy, if you follow the walkway in the sitting area--the one on the far left corner and follow the walkway to the left, take a left every time you see one, you'll reach a really beautiful room that is done in shades of white and rose and pink. I don't think Jack and Jiim will be as happy with that one. You might like it, though. MIchael, if you follow the right walkway, all the way up, you'll find one that I think you'll like. And Jim, there is one right across the from Michaels that you might like. Jack, there is one right across from Cassidy that is geared to have a bit of a longer bed for taller fellows. You might check it out. Sergio and I will take the huts of the center walkway up. They're closer to the center of the tree and they dont' have much of a view, but its all we need. And its closer for us to get to any of you, either up or down. Aura, I didn't forget you. There is a room you will like, I think. Its on the same level with Sergio's and mine. There are three bedrooms at that level. Yours is in between mine and Sergios."

"I'll find it," She smiled at him and took the center walkway, heading to the bedroom.

"I'll take Khaat upstairs to our room," Brian said. "She'll feel better after some sleep, I think." He took her from Michael and led her slowly up the walkway. Sergio went to put his gear and Angus's in their rooms. Angus and Michael went to begin some sort of dinner in the kitchen.

Cassidy nodded and moved in the direction he had spoken Jim and jack following opening the door she smiled and moved inside " this is beautiful" she said softly and lay down on the bed exhausted finding she slipped into a sleep. Jack headed down to the wash room and closed the door while Jim went to his room and changed into clean clothes feeling he would shower be fore he slept for the night. Jack finished and changed his clothes heading to the room that Angus had told him was his for how ever long they staid laying down he was grateful for the extra leg room. " I really should persuade Jess to get one of these for our room " he said to himself as he stretched out on it and yawned " god so much room finally" he sighed and dropped off to sleep.

"I think we should plan on a later dinner, Lad," Michael told Angus. "They're tired."

"I planned on that," Angus laughed. "I"m putting on some braised beef with vegetables. It will be hearty and comforting. It will fill their stomach to let them sleep soundly all night."

"Well, that will fit with my comforting dessert. Its an apple pudding. Once it bakes, it is like a rightfully British apple pudding, and I do believe our chill spell has held on our provisions. I think our cream will be very nice poured over it."

"They'll sleep in tomorrow morning."

"Well, did you plan on that?" Michael asked.

"that was optional. I figured they might need it. It was a calculated risk. I figured that they might well need a bit of time to adjust to the climate and the difference in living conditions."

Brian helped Khaat to the bed upstairs and she instantly collapsed back into sleep. He had wanted to get a restorative potion into her, but now he didn't have the heart to wake her to do it. He set a very different spell around the bedroom. It would sound an alarm if anyone but Brian even got within an arms length of the bedroom hut, it would set of shrill alarms. And anyone with dark arts intent would be severely shocked. Feeling she was about as safe as she could get, he let her sleep and set their gear to unpack. Then he went back down to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and drew out a bottle of icy cold beer and opened it and sat down in the shade of the sitting room to enjoy.

Jack woke slowly and breathed out he felt better but not all rested , dressing he moved up to the main area and found Brian " hay did I miss dinner?" he asked taking a beer from the fridge and moving to sit down facing him " hows Khaat ?" he asked taking along drink of the cold beer " I guess I should ask how your faring " he said softly as he saw Cassidy walk up to them yawning.

" ow no fare starting with out me" she said and chuckled as she too took a bottle of cold water from the fridge " I prefer not to become dehydrated any time soon" she said smiling as he sat next to Jack." so wheres our guest now?" she asked

"In her room, I presume," Brian said about Aura. "Khaat's exhausted. She barely made it to the bed before she was out like a light. She might not wake before morning."

"Thats good for her," MIchael said. "Dinner will be ready in an hour or so. We made something slow cooking so people could rest a bit. Shall we send some up to Khaat?"

"When we're done, yes," Brian said. "She needs to eat. I'll wake her up and make sure she eats, but she's not going to mind if I eat first before I try to make sure she stays awake long enough to eat."

"She'd prefer it," MIchael said. "Is there anything you can do for her low energy?"

"Possibly," Brian said. "I'll do my best. A restorative spell and a restorative potion may help I think they're worth a try. If it works, she'll feel better by morning. "

Khaat was rooted up from the deepest of sleeps by her seers powers. She rolled over, hearing nothing but the breeze through the leaves. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was drawn to a large black vampire bat hanging in one of the trees, watching her. She sat up.

"I presume that is not your best look, Escobar," she yawned. "I dont' like vampires, I dont like bats, and I don't like you. This isn't Aura's room. Now go away." She rolled over and closed her eyes and simply went back to sleep.

Cassidy shivered feeling a presence that was not good she stood up and faced a tree out side of Khaat room but said nothing only glancing at Brian but answered Angus " food sounds good about now " she said " I think my tummy thinks its been cut off from food" she said and chuckled moving back to sit down her face still showing concern to Brian hoping he would check on Khaat. Jim saw the look as he walked up and diverted to the room finding he could not enter he checked around and found nothing amiss and returned to the main room.

" Every things fine" he told Brian as he sat down smelling the food made his tummy rumble rather loudly " oops " he said and jack chuckled along with Cassidy.

"Alright. I'll speed things up," Michael laughed. He went into the kitchen with Angus and they sped up the dinner. "Can I get someone to set the table?" Michael called. "Its simple but its going to be really delcious." Angus finished making a truly refreshing pitcher of sangria with red wine and sliced citrus fruit sirred into the pitcher with the wine. It was going to be delicious.

Brian knew that Jim had gone up to check on Khaat. "Is my spell holding, Jim?" he asked. "Everything's okay up there?" He had been nervous about leaving her at all, but she had made him promise he would not hover. He would not worry. He would do his best and then not continue to kick himself for what he could not do. "Or should I have simply 'forgotten' what she told me and stayed with her?" he asked.

"What good would that do, Lad?" Michael asked.

Jim chuckled and nodded " yes Brain its holding since I could not enter to check she was sleeping" he said and stood up " I got ti Michael " he said and moved to start laying the table for dinner soon it was done and he walked back to the group " ok that's done Angus " he said sitting back down the smell making his tummy rumble again.

" smells wonderful Angus" Jack said knowing he'd have second helpings " so hows our vampire friend doing or has she left us.