Independence did not come easy – or cheaply, for that matter. Early on, Petra did what she could to scavenge vitae for herself, until she learned of The Sanguinaries – an organization of ghouls that sold blood. Prices grew increasingly steep depending on where she was, so she reserved vitae procured via this method for times she was desperate, preferring instead to trade a favor for some vitae if she could, and then move on to a different vampire or city, to avoid getting blood bound as much as possible.
When arriving in the United States, there was a little more difficulty than anticipated initially. Relying on the purchased supply, she sought out other methods, and learned about a group of independent ghouls known as The Unmastered. It some something she could get behind – help procure enough vitae for the members of the group, and try to free abused ghouls and, if young enough, transition back to their former lives with new identities. She left in the mid-seventies, however, having disagreed with some of the leadership, and struck off on her own, now that she had a better understanding of American culture.
She had some success with The Sanguinaries, but kept it limited. The assets she had stolen from her former Master were not limitless, after all. Reverting to trading favors, she stuck to Camarilla territory since that was what she was most familiar with, and gained a minor, unspoken reputation as a mercenary who could get the job done, though she didn’t stick around very long in most places if she could help it.
It was not easy work, and living in crappy extended stay motels wasn’t exactly thrilling either. By the end of the seventies, she began working her way out of the New England area, traveling down the coast to anywhere she thought she might be able to get some work. This eventually led her to Louisiana. It was Sabbat territory down there, but she decided to risk it, since her Camarilla options had been few recently, and her Sanguinary supply wasn’t something she wanted to dip into just yet.
She kept to the north of the state for a while, working first in Monroe before removing down to Alexandria, back up to Shreveport and down again to Lake Charles and then Lafayette. She’d picked up bits and pieces about how things ran in different areas, and heard that the Archbishop of New Orleans was someone to be feared, and to not cross, though she never quite managed to grab a name. Petra managed pretty well for herself, teaming up on occasion with a pack to help them take down someone, or on rarer occasions they’d embrace a random jackass, only to help her bleed him try of vitae before letting him meet Final Death.
In the late eighties, she made her way to Baton Rouge and spent a few years there working with and for vampires, though she was always cautious, so as not to be taken off guard. At long last however, she managed to learn the name of NOLA’s Archbishop, and nearly did a spit take on her beer, though she assured her associates she was fine. Heading back to her motel a couple of hours later, she worked on packing up, carefully packing her supply. Once completed, she sat on the bed, and debated her options.
The Archbishop was none other than Brandon Decacious, a man Alaric had considered his rival throughout the entirety of the Holy Roman Empire’s existence, if not longer. She had been the one to strategize the frequent victories against him, though admittedly made effort to minimize casualties and collateral damage if she could. She had some options – she could leave Louisiana, and avoid the possibility of him becoming aware of her altogether. Alternatively, she could go, and try taking advantage of the opportunities New Orleans afforded. In the end, she decided that if she went to New Orleans, he wasn’t likely to recognize her – after all, she’d been known as Nikolaus at the time.
The matter settled, she slept for a few hours, ensuring that her little Nokia phone was charging. The phone had been an investment, but it seemed worthwhile, and easier than having to hunt up work solely on her own – now they could contact her. After waking in time to check out, she picked up a halfway decent breakfast from a nearby diner, and begin her hour and change drive to New Orleans.