Author Note: This was written back around 2014 or 1015, I think
A youngish looking man of caucasian descent was being held upright by two bigger, burlier men in suits. Although it was likely the young man strung between them could break free, he didn’t. There were others in the large, dojo styled room, but they kept to themselves, looking over on occasion, making the goons nervous, though they tried not to let it show.
“We’ve been waiting here like this for half an hour. how much longer is he going to keep us waiting?” one goon asked the other. The other goon shrugged. The guy between them laughed.
“What’s so damn funny?” one of them growled.
“You two, expecting a man of his status to answer to you as soon as you walk in the damn door. You two are nothing, you’re just slaves to your masters.” he said, with a mixture of biting scorn and glee.
Just as one of the goons raised a hand to strike him, the man they were waiting for appeared. A man of average height for his obviously Japanese heritage, he was wearing a traditional men’s kimono, his shoulder-length black hair hung loose, and his dark eye looked angrily at the goons. The one that had been about to strike quickly put his arm down.
“Tell me if I’m wrong here, gentleman, but it looked as though you were about to strike my childe. Is this so?”
“No sir. I was just…stretching.” the goon said sheepishly.
“I see. Now, if you would be so kind as to explain to me what Liam has done this time, as well as who sent you with him?”
“The Sheriff sent us. Seeing as how he has a great deal of respect for you, he didn’t report Liam to the Prince for punishment. But if it happens again, he will.” the goon who had been about to strike spoke.
“You have failed to mention what it is that Liam did.”
“As far as we can tell, he nearly violated the masquerade.” the other good said.
“Again.” the first goon added.
“Let him go, and leave him to me.”
They let him go, thrusting him forward roughly as they did so, with a grin apiece. “See that it doesn’t happen again, Saitou.”
Saitou Hiroshi narrowed his eyes at the two of them. “He’ll be dealt with. Gentleman.“ he called to the room of men and women at large. “Escort these whelplings out.”
Four volunteers gladly escorted the goons out, in much the same manner as they had treated Liam, right out the front door of the dojo. Other volunteers made sure to close blinds and lock the doors. Watching their Primogen at work was a rare privilege, and no one wanted to miss it.
Liam kneeled in the center of the floor, head bowed, facing his maker. Hiroshi headed over to the wall and selected two bokkens, then approached Liam. “Rise, Liam.” he said, and when his childe did, he handed him a bokken, before moving some distance apart. “We shall duel.” was all Hiroshi said. Liam swallowed – this was practically a guaranteed failure for him.
Liam adopted what he hoped was a good fighting stance, and Hiroshi did likewise. There were several long minutes of silence as they sized each other up, neither making a sound. In fact, the only sound in the room was a few excited whispers, that quickly quieted down as they waited for the inevitable to happen.
“Strike!” Hiroshi yelled. Liam swung down with his sword. As he swung downward, momentum carrying him, Hiroshi quickly moved out of the way, ‘drew’ his bokken and landed a solid thump across the back of the younger vampire’s skull. Liam stumbled, quickly trying to right himself, but Hiroshi was already striking again, beating him about the back and arm, causing Liam to drop his own bokken. Normally, Hiroshi would have stopped, but a lesson needed to be learned here, so he kept striking, until Liam went down fully, and did not try to get back up.
Hiroshi bowed to his childe, then offered him a hand up. Battered, beaten and bruised, in pride as well as body, Liam took the hand, and pulled himself up onto shaky legs, and bowed to his maker. Hiroshi gestured for others to come help him.
“I trust this shall not happen again Liam?”
“No sir.” replied the younger vampire. He turned to walk off, but stumbled, and was caught by two of the observers, one male, one female.
“What should we do with him, sir?”
“Take him to the back, so that he may feed.” they nodded, and went through another door to the very back of the building, where retainers and blood dolls waited to be fed upon by hungry vampires in need of a little blood. Liam would be welcomed by them and watched by the other two to make sure he didn’t kill as he fed.
His childe gone, Hiroshi turned to those members of his clan that still remained in the room. They in turn watched him expectantly, waiting for him to speak. He looked over the faces in the room, seeing many nationalities and ethnicities united in a similar cause, under one roof.
“We are Brujah. This is how we police our own.” he said, holding the bokken at his side. There were cheers from some of the others. “The Ventrue may be in charge, but we will not let them rule us, or make us less.” Louder cheers. “So we police our own, and keep ourselves in check. Let this night be a lesson to all of you.”