One Hundred Year Interlude: Smile! You’re on Camera

By

Kaze

* * * * *

Note:  This story takes place after the scattering of Septa Mal Somnium by the demon Vergil, after Kaze’s subsequent adventures in Europe, and a few months before the beginning of the next season of Untold.

* * * * *

Such feasts! The laughs of many a proud hour
That shook the mortar from King George's tower;
Such guests! What famous names its record boasts,
Whose owners wander in the mob of...ghosts!

 Oliver Wendell Homes, Sr., on the Omni Parker House Hotel

* * * * *

            With a groan, Kaze swung the door shut, tossed her bags into a corner, and flung herself face-first onto the bed of the hotel room.  She had arrived in Boston earlier that day by train, and was thoroughly fed up with that weekend’s events. 

            She had flown to the States, along with Zak and Tahn’rae[1], in order to hunt down the organization of vampires of which she had once been a part, however briefly.  For they knew at least a part of her history, of which she remembered only fragments.  There was a slight problem, though...those memory fragments meant she didn’t know who they were, where they were, or how to find them, and the Masquerade dictated that they keep their existence a secret...so after roughly eight years of absence she highly doubted they’d hang out the “welcome” sign.  Add that to the fact that there hadn’t been so many left after she’d gotten through with them...and she doubted that they’d be too pleased with her return...if there were any remaining at all.

            So in true werewolf fashion, her original plan had been to simply waltz in and literally shout her name from the rooftops to see if she got a reaction...because though the vampires may have sent knowledge of her existence back to the deepest corners of their minds, they most certainly had not forgotten the rampage of the dread Wind Demon.  And her name would surely evoke their wrath.

            But Zak had cautioned her that the supreme arrogance and reckless nature of her werewolf side would most likely get them into trouble.  And, indeed, though she often felt like roaring out a challenge to the world itself, to do so here might get her in a bit over her head. 

            In fact, that little incident with the taxi in New York had rather proven his point...but honestly what else was she to do?  She had gotten a glimpse of some being flying over the rooftops, who might have been a vampire, and she would have lost her chance if she had just sat there.  Besides, everyone wanted a sunroof in their vehicle these days, right?  The taxi driver should be pleased that she had given him one for free. 

            The ensuing chase among the skyscrapers of the city and the ending battle had ultimately proved futile, however.  The vampire attacked first, refused to speak to her, and ended up dead before she could get any information.  Zak pointed out that she was lucky it was night and the glare from the headlights made it difficult for anyone to identify her as a werewolf.  Even the taxi driver probably ended up doubting his own mind, since her exit had happened so quickly.

            So with that minor fiasco under her belt, she decided that switching tacks to the secretive and stealthy portion of her inner wolf would be a better solution.  She was lucky her other self had so many facets, really...otherwise they’d have a much more difficult time getting along.  As it was, she could usually construct an appropriate mental state so that they could work together in harmony.

            Kaze and Zak had split up after that; she’d do what she was good at...that is, gathering information, linking separate ideas together, and hacking into computer systems.  And he’d go about information gathering the old fashioned way – talking to people and making new acquaintances. 

            But so far...nothing.  And here she was, stuck in a hotel room with nothing to do.  She debated calling her friend up to see how far he’d gotten.

            Argh!  At times like this, she pondered, it was best to do something else entirely...clear her mind and let ideas start to flow once again – connections would inevitably form, and she’d have something concrete to investigate.

            With a growl, she fumbled around for the chain on the bedside lamp, pulled it on (careful not to yank too hard), and rolled over.  She held up the crumpled form of a random tabloid she had snatched on her way out of the subway, on the off chance it might give her some leads.  Then she tugged off a boot and chucked it at the TV, where it hit the power button, causing the screen to blink to life.

            Over the next hour she perused the magazine, with the TV droning on in the background.  An article with the heading “Werewolf Terrorizes New York” gave her pause, but she snickered when she saw they only had a fakey photo-manipulation of an ugly, slobbering dog and a man.  They had apparently interviewed the taxi driver though, and his comments were amusing...there was even a picture of him next to his new sunroof.  Maybe she’d cut it out and start a scrapbook.

            Yawning, she glanced up at the TV in time to catch the ending of a supposedly “scientific” show on haunted houses.  How fascinating, she thought, dryly. 

            Kaze got up, stretching, and meandered over to the window to look out over the narrow street.  Another hotel stood across from her, towering above her 4^th floor room.  Absently, she read the sign.  Omni Parker House. 

            Leaning forward until her forehead bonked lightly against the glass, Kaze sighed and wondered what to do next.  It was almost six...nearly the whole day had been wasted.  What she really needed was someone with the resources to investigate the vampires...maybe someone who already had a few leads too.  Sure, she could do it herself, but it was nice to have someplace to begin.

            After a moment, the sound of a van arriving brought her attention back to the street.  The bulky black vehicle parked under the overhang at Omni Parker House.  On the side was written in extravagant silver lettering: Spirits Beyond.  Kaze blinked.  Wasn’t that a haunted house show?  Wasn’t that the show she...well, hadn’t really been watching?

            She turned back to the TV.  And just in time.  The credits scrolled to the end, revealing:

 Spirits Beyond

 A Kasper Broadcasting Production

            Well, that’s interesting.  But haven’t I heard that name before?  She frowned, sitting back on the corner of the bed.  After a moment, she snatched back up the magazine and flipped to the middle where she’d skimmed an article on hauntings.  There it was!

            While this magazine respects the interest of the amateur ghost enthusiast, it advises caution...not all sources of information are to be trusted as that which is true and believable.  Particularly noted are the attempts of the so-called television documentary Spirits Beyond – its self-professed “scientific” methods are laughable, indeed, one might suggest that not all of its footage can be called authentic.

            Thoughtfully, Kaze closed the magazine.  The Untold, printed by Shayde Publications.  The cover displayed a cheesy picture of some white-haired vampire leaning toward the camera with a wink and a grin, tongue goofily stuck out to the side, small, digitalized horns curving out from his head.  Could she use any of that information?  She was tempted to grab her laptop from her luggage, but held herself back.  It seemed like nothing there would lead her closer to her goal. 

            But then again...It’s always the last place you’d look that will lead to where you want to go.  Kaze knew that from experience.  Besides, it wasn’t as if she had anything better to do at the moment.

            Dragging her pack out of the corner, Kaze hauled out the computer and powered it up.  Connecting to the Internet, she ran a search for The Untold – maybe its website had articles that could be useful.

            An impatient five minutes later revealed an inefficient search engine used by the site that pulled up everything but what she wanted.  Kaze sighed in frustration.  Toodling around, she clicked on the link to Shayde Productions in a half-baked idea of finding someone employed that might work in an area that might lead her to someone who might have seen or heard something...

            So-and-so this, so-and-so that...yada yada yada...company manager of Shayde Productions, a division of Eidolon Revenant <click>

            Blah blah blah...worldwide services...thousands of satisfied customers...several divisions all devoted to <click>

            Horizon, Kasper Broadcasting, Shayde Publishing,...

            ...

            Kasper Broadcasting?  The same company that produced Spirits Beyond?  Is a division of the company...that owns Shayde Publishing...that prints a magazine...that...criticizes...its own show?  What??

            Scrolling back up, Kaze read through the list of divisions more attentively: Enigma Labs, Horizon (What’s that? <click> Oh, a tour company.), Kasper Broadcasting, Shayde Publishing, Pharaoh’s Outfitters.  Sitting back, Kaze studied the information.

            A scientific research group...a tour company...television production and book publishing...and an outfitters.  Why so many unrelated investments?  Okay...so maybe the tour company and outfitters make sense...and the TV and publication could go together – at least two of their products deal with similar subjects. 

            But the research group?  Not exactly profitable, unless they’ve got something to sell that everyone likes...and I’ve never heard of Enigma Labs.  ‘Course, I’ve been out of the country a long time, so maybe that’s no surprise.

            Another sigh.  There’s something here...but what is it?  What am I missing?  There is nothing without purpose, and that is especially true in business.  What is the purpose of this company?  A company that deals in a little of everything...Eidolon Revenant...hmm...

            And more importantly, was there anything there she could use in her current quest?  Her attention drew back to the television company.  Well, it’s the closest thing I’ve found.  Heck, the film crews travel around; maybe they’ve heard something.  And if not...perhaps I’ll get a closer look at this company...this very intriguing company...  After all, Kaze could never turn down a good challenge.  And that was something both she and the wolf agreed upon.

            With the rapid tapping of a few keys, the demon-hunter pulled up the website of the Omni Parker House Hotel.  Not wanting to bother making a reservation on such short notice, she pulled out a mini CD and slid it into the computer.  Let’s see, the Chimaera program should do the trick nicely.  A few clicks later, the hotel’s database was laid wide open, and Kaze neatly inserted her information into the reservations section.

            With a satisfied smirk, Kaze shut down the computer, and packed away her gear.  Then she headed down to check out.

* * * * *

            “Okay, Sam, make sure you get a good angle here…a nice low shot, make it look dramatic and ominous.”

            A resigned sigh.  “Thank you, Tal.  I’m so glad you’re here to tell me my job.”

            “Heh.  Sorry.”

            Kaze hid a smirk as she strode under the lit, decorative overhang of the hotel, past the cameraman and one of the investigators, as they bickered.  Pausing with her hand on the door handle, she glanced back at them out of the corner of her eye.  They were filming the exterior of the building and the surrounding area to get a sense of the location for the viewers.  Then she proceeded inside to the busy interior.

            The lobby was quite expansive – a large, airy room with tall ceilings and extravagant decorations.  To her right was the check-in desk, its marbleized surface gilded with gold at the edges.  Across the room were the elevators...four of them, decorated richly with golden patterns on the eight panels of each sliding door.  The deep cherry wood paneling on the walls rose up to the ceiling, which also sported matching, ornate golden and wood designs.  Tall, dark green palm fronds decorated the corners of the room, near square, wooden columns that supported the ceiling.  A large red and tan patterned rug lay in the center of the room, upon which stood a decorative round table and vase of flowers.  Other plush chair and table sets dotted the room.  Lamps on the tables and walls, along with elaborate golden chandeliers, lit the room with a warm glow.

            Oh...I didn’t realize it was such a fancy place...good thing I’m not planning on payin’ for it.

            The room was bustling with unexpected activity.  A group of workers wheeled a stack of large crates and luggage to an unknown destination around the corner.  Two bellboys milled about, deep in conversation that Kaze only half paid attention to.  A dark, bearded man in the doorway behind the counter listened attentively to a companion speaking in a low voice and gesticulating animatedly with his hands.

            After a moment, Kaze strolled over to the front desk, carrying only a large backpack, and a long musical instrument case, in which she had hidden Masamune no Daburu Himitsu[2] – her twin katanas, Star Mirror and True Sight.  She had left her other weapons – the large shuriken and Spear of Awesomeness – with Zak, since they’d be a tad noticeable hanging from her back.  She’d meet up with him later to get everything...perhaps once she’d found an apartment to act as her base of operations.

            In keeping with a more “normal” appearance, she’d also ditched her usual traveling garb...gone was her cloak and solid black attire, with all its belts, buckles, and straps holding various small packs.  Now she wore a tan, button-up shirt with long, loose sleeves secured at the cuffs.  Beneath this shirt she kept her dark navy blue, bulletproof vest – no sense in being completely unprepared, after all.  Hidden by the sleeves were her two Egyptian bracers, retrieved from Zak after her brief spell with Septa Mal Somnium[3], the former Corpus Noctum[4].  One was gold in color, with a small falcon head at the top near her wrist.  The other was silver, a small jackal head in place of the falcon.  Both were inscribed with Egyptian symbols, and each had an ankh located on the underside.  Their once brilliant shine was tarnished with age.

            To complete her outfit, she wore dark blue jeans and her reliable, black dragon-scale boots, which would hopefully be mistaken for snakeskin.  Black, fingerless gloves adorned her hands, and she wore around her neck her Egyptian amulet of the right eye of Ra, and a simple, plainly decorated cord with a blue tiger’s eye, a gift from Zak.  Clipped into her hair behind her left ear were what appeared to be a shimmering, golden marble, a red-and-gold feather, and an ancient bronze arrowhead.

            Okay, so perhaps not the most normal appearance she could have contrived, but she’d have it covered if it ever came up in conversation.  To mask the glow of her eyes, she’d gotten a pair of brown contacts, though flecks of gold were still visible.  She suspected that they wouldn’t successfully hide the flare-up if she transformed or accessed her werewolf abilities, so she’d have to be careful, and she’d kept her silvered, mirrored sunglasses, just in case.  Not that she wanted to transform in public anyway, of course.

            “Hey.”  Kaze flashed a grin at the receptionist.  “I believe I’ve got a reservation for today, single room?” 

            “Hmm...you appear to be one of our last customers today, Miss...Wolf?”

            “Yeah, that’s me.  But I much prefer Nine Winds to Wolf.”

            “Alright, Miss Nine Winds.  Here are your keys.”  As Kaze finished up, she was aware of the film crew entering the building.

            “Wow...we’ll definitely need a shot of this.  This place is really something!”  The four of them stood, looking around, practically gaping at the room’s furnishings...much as Kaze had a short while earlier.

            The receptionist noticed her interest in the crew.  “Another documentary to get evidence of the hauntings,” she quietly commented.  “Same old thing.”

            “Hauntings?  Really?” Kaze asked, maybe a bit too loudly.  “I didn’t know this place was haunted.”

            “Well yeah!”  The blond investigator Kaze had noticed outside had overheard and strode over with a wide grin.  “That’s why we’re here.  Planning to get some concrete proof, once and for all.”  He extended a hand in greeting.  “Hi.  I’m Taliesin Cadeyrn, but everybody just calls me Tal.”

            Ah!  Here’s my chance.  C’mon Kaze, be friendly.  Channel Zak, or something.  Kaze smiled, nodded, and shook his hand.  “Lyca Nine Winds.”

            “Lyca Nine Winds,” he repeated.  “That’s a beautiful name.”  He took in her tanned skin, slightly spiky, short, dark brown hair embellished with the feather, and exotic eyes holding just a slight tilt.  “Is it Indian?”

            “...Something like that.  My father’s name was Wolf, but I like to go by my mother’s.”

            “I can see why.”

            “Aw, leave the poor girl alone, Tal!  I’m sure she’s got better things to do, and doesn’t want to be bored to death by your ramblings about haunted places.”  A tall woman with long, blond hair done up in a ponytail appeared at his side.  “Besides, we’ve got work to do.”

            Taliesin rolled his eyes, grinning at Kaze.  “Alright Amelia.  Be there in a sec.”  Turning back to the demon-hunter he asked, “Tell me, you weren’t horribly burdened by my presence were you?  Nothing you won’t survive, I hope?”

            “No, not at all!  In fact, I’m rather intrigued by all this haunting business being mentioned.  Would you mind explaining a bit?  I actually do a little research into this sort of thing on the side, so I’m quite familiar with the terms.”

            “Really?  Awesome!  See, Ammy?” he said with a wink.  “Not everyone is as terrified of me as you think.”

            Amelia started off to grab some of the supplies, waving a hand.  “Whatever, Tal.  We’ve still got a deadline, ya know?  It’d be nice if we could get some of this junk set up before nightfall.  Flirt with the locals later.”

            The investigator chuckled at that.  “Sure, sure.”  He motioned for Kaze to follow.  “If you like, we can talk while I get the equipment.”

            About ten minutes later, Kaze and the investigators had piled into the elevator to head off to their respective rooms.  The film crew was a team of four: Taliesin and Amelia, both relative veterans at the business, Kyle, a black-haired, oriental teenager working for some extra money, and Sam, the cameraman, a brown-haired, rather nondescript fellow.

            The doors opened on the third floor.  Kyle saw this and his eyes grew wide.  “Hey guys, it’s true!  What they said about the elevator...”

            Kaze stepped off into the hallway, then turned and raised an eyebrow.  Kyle trailed off.  “...Nevermind.”

            She shrugged.  “Well, this is my stop.  See you guys later?”

            “Yeah!” Taliesin answered.  “We’re up on the tenth.  Why don’t you come by around nine tonight, and we’ll show you how some of this stuff is done?  Though we’ll probably be back here anyway.”  He continued in a low, mysterious voice, “Third floor’s where most of the hauntings are supposed to occur.”

            “Is that so?  Well...I’ll let you know if I see anything suspicious.”

            He grinned.  “Right on!”  Then gave a small wave as the doors shut.

            Heh...should have done a tad more research on the place I’m staying in tonight, I think.  Ghosts.  Kaze scoffed.  I guess we’ll see about that.