Family and Faith

Apr 24th, 2018 07:57 AM

He chuckled at her response.

As Cynthia led him to the Calderium, and requested he sit across from her, he did so. A few moments passed as he took notice her Curse was diminished by the environment.

"That is not surprising. The young bloods always want to impress their elders." He smiled in the thought of his early nights. "When the conscripts of Order 227 marched through across the Eastern Carpathians, into Bukovina, life had simply gone from bad to worse. The Eastern Bloc was as every bit of nightmarish as one would expect."

"Each night was a struggle of survival. The diminishing food supply for the Kine meant a diminishing supply for Kindred. Malnourished Kine can bring about all sorts of awful blood borne illnesses. We had to extremely cautious in our selections. Hence the Ritual we just conducted. It is an attempt to stave off the starving times."

"My name is forever associated with war, because my Grove was annihilated. The Carthians backed the Red Army. Supposedly there were Nazi sympathizers lurking about. I still believe it was a convenient excuse for tyranny by the masses. Sacred trees were cut down for lumber. Rocks smashed for materials. The river was harnessed to feed the Beast of Moscow."

"Thanks to the Third Reich's obsession with the occult, our own rites and symbols were also another convenient excuse for the Soviets. Our coded language had to change and new encryption was required."

**Cynthia Weiss** · Apr 27th, 2018 09:03 AM

"And yet rarely are they impressive." Cynthia said with a shrug. "You seem to be one of the rare ones though."

Cynthia's smile began to fade as Krieg began his story. "Lack of blood is never a good thing. Most would have moved on or gotten far less picky with their food choices." Imagining that level of desperation made a darker part of her squirm.

It did not immediately click with her where this was going until she finally understood when this happened. "That sounds terrible. I wouldn't be surprised if their accusations had some merit at the time. But considering what they did..." There was sympathy in her voice. Though a hint of outrage was there. "I take it you left not long after?" She asked.

Apr 27th, 2018 03:18 PM

"It's true what they say about mountain people," he said with a shrug, "Just because the newest hard time rolled into town, that didn't mean uproot and run." He shook his head, "No, we're as stubborn as the mountains themselves. Many men died with an angry defiant face. Only the peace of death, did their muscles relax."

"Your condolences are appreciated." Krieg's head tilted from side to side. "No, I and others stayed as long as we could. Never underestimate the power of Kine when their passions are inflamed. The Spears were bitterly jealous to see such fervor from so-called freedom fighters."

**Cynthia Weiss** · Apr 30th, 2018 08:59 AM

Cynthia shrugged. "I was a Nomad for about a decade. Usual option for us was to just grab our stuff and run. We were rarely welcome so it mattered little to us if they were causing us trouble or trouble was coming their way." The goth explained. "Though that was a while ago. And I kinda like this place."

She did raise an eyebrow at that last part. "The Spears? You mean you two managed to find something you both hated more than each other? Or is this wishful thinking on my part?" She asked.

May 1st, 2018 11:31 AM

"The way of the Romani people is so tempting. Just pack up the caravan and leave." He smiled to Cynthia, "I think they know something the rest of us do not...and don't want to share because others will spoil it."

Krieg let out a laugh, "It's funny how all living organisms are alike. When the chips are down, when the pressure is on, every creature on the face of the Earth is interested in one thing and one thing only. Its own survival." A smirk crested upon his lips. "For a Hollywood scientist, Dr. Iris Hineman, certainly hit the nail on the head."

"The Spears had their millennia of genocide in the name of whatever version of Yahweh they believe in. When they were faced with an unrelenting, merciless horde of militant atheists who saw them as targets as much as Acolytes were, that changed the Grand Chessboard significantly. It's probably the first and only time a crusade waged not in a god's name, but to extinguish the fires of faith, was ever violent - especially on that scale."

**Cynthia Weiss** · May 2nd, 2018 08:48 PM

Cynthia shrugged yet again. "I suppose it is. I find most Kindred are more like your Mountain people. They pick a spot and stay till Final Death or Torpor takes hold." Kindred did not possess the sort of free movement the living enjoyed, so she could understand why. She never actually met any Romani so her thoughts on them were silent.

"Well we do have a dark side that tends to overcompensate on survival to the point of undermining your carefully crafted plots and plans." She said with a small laugh. "Wonder what he would think comming face to face with something that extreme in its need to continue existing?"

She nodded and listened as Krieg continued. "You are here now. I'm guessing things did not go your way?" She asked.

May 3rd, 2018 04:01 PM

"Correct," Krieg nodded in confirmation. "One maritime Ventrue among the Circle, a Rötgrafen, had told us it was the End Times." He rolled his eyes. "As if we hadn't heard that before..." he paused before speaking. "Truth be told, it was the End Times, but not for reasons any of us could have guessed. It was the end of our world, the end of our Bukovina, as we knew it. To sustain ourselves, we fed upon the numberless horde of the Red Army. We had no choice not to. They continued their death march to Berlin."

The man inclined his head, "I apologize for the history lesson. It's been a long time since anyone had asked. It's been just as long to see a deutsche Frau this far West." He shrugged his massive shoulders, "I think that's sufficient for now. I can go into more detail another night."

**Cynthia Weiss** · May 5th, 2018 11:08 AM

It seemed for a moment the goths eyes rolled almost at the same time as Kriegs. "Its always the End Times according to everyone. They said it with the turn of the millennium, when the Mayan Calendar thing ended..." Cynthia never understood the need to declare the end. Other than to be proven right at any rate. She returned her attention to the rest of the story. "Well. You got through it. Its something at least." She did not want to think too hard on what the war costed him. At least not right then.

"Its OK." The goth reassured the giant. "Its a bit more complicated than that. But you are right. It is getting late." Cynthia said with a shrug as she rose from her chair. "Might need to find something to chew on tomorrow. That rituals got me a bit hungry."

May 6th, 2018 02:31 PM

Krieg nodded and arose. "I understand," providing sympathetic understanding to his Priscus. "Until we meet again, I wish you well in your nights that follow."

**Yumyumcrow** · May 6th, 2018 05:27 PM

Good scene. Looks like you are winding down so I'll close it off

Family and Faith

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