The Other Witch; Ghoul Guide

Stormguarde was the city of immortals.  Ever since the Frostbourne war, when the legendary storm mage, Tala, had expanded her private, wandering space station and accompanying magical nebula to house refugees from the onrushing hordes of undead, Stormguarde had been a beacon of culture, civilization, and magic to the universe.  Its current ruler, Countess Courtney Yellsdana, had been a hero of the same war.  Not many people knew exactly what she'd done that was so heroic, but Salvia had heard rumors of everything from slaying Arcania, slaying the Lich Queen Sarah, and slaying the rebel Empreror Jor to simply being the next most powerful immortal following Empress Thalia Immersfeld of Gravaga and the Storm Mage Tala, both of whom had died during the war.  What was certain was that the Countess was a snappy dresser, capable diplomat, and the matriarch of the most powerful clan of vampires in the universe.  In any case, she'd done a fine job, and Stormguarde had continued to flourish under her guidance.  Although, it was a bit dark for Savlia's tastes.  

The Gravagan district was one of the oldest.  It had been built as a private retreat well before the War, a sort of spare room for those times when Thalia came to visit.  There was one in any major city, she'd been quite wealthy after all, and no one was fool enough to refuse the most powerful woman in the universe.  Not that it really made sense, seeing as the only full-time occupant of the nebula at the time had been Tala, if it could even be called 'full-time'.  Thalia's Gravagan servants had built side structures and, in time, a small town of sorts to tend to their own needs while they took care of the needs of their mistress.  When the war had broken out the Gravagans had welcomed many additional military and diplomatic personnel to serve in the new capitol of the Free and Mostly Living.  Even now they maintained a healthy portion of the city, and were a common sight in any district, although this one was the most distinctively theirs.  

And it was distinctive.  Being themselves a silicon being, the Gravagans had a peculiar connection with the earth and the things that grew upon the earth.  Although they were, for the most part, rather fond of the trees, shrubs and grasses that had proliferated across the district, they also had an uncanny drive for order in all walks of life.  Salvia was sure, as she walked under the gentle green bow of particularly gnarled tree, that if she took the time to measure it, every branch would end at the same exact length, and every leaf would turn in the same direction.  In the same way, each of the perfectly cut bricks that made up the street was perfectly equidistant from each of the surrounding bricks, and the grass that grew between them couldn't have grown more than a hair past the edges of the paving. She could picture a squad of the purple, crystalline folk patrolling the streets with razor sharp scissors, trimming every stray blade of  grass or overgrown hedge in sight.  But then she saw just such a squad and was reminded of the superior technology they had in their possession.  What would have been done on Gasca with pruning sheers was done here with a chilled plasma auto-trimmer, or so the label said.  

"They're very proud of their machines, did you know?"  Salvia spun around and found a young woman in a somewhat flouncy dress rather more within her personal space than she felt strictly comfortable with.  Salvia went to pull back but found that their was a hedge in the way.  Such a terribly great number of hedges around here really, almost like an alley in fact.  

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.  The Mistress isn't terribly keen on my talking to strangers, please, don't say anything?"

"Your mistress?"  Then Salvia recognized the pale skin tone and milky eyes; a Ghoul.  That made her one of the more benign forms of undead, a Vampire's servant.  Most were mortals who'd attracted the interest of a true vampire, and a truly powerful ghoul might even become a vampire themselves one day, if they were allowed to feed on mortal blood themselves.  But even without it, many were mistaken for a true vampire.  Ghouls were fast, and strong.  If a vampire fed them and sustained them properly they could even be cunning and independant, as this one seemed to be.  

"Her Ladyship has me watch over the house while the family is away.  The rest of the time I'm free to do as I please for the most part, like tonight."

"What family?"

"The one that builds the machines, and keeps the books, and even the nice man who gave me this."  She pulled her brown cloak tighter over her shoulders.  It was worn, very worn, yet it seemed warm and safe.  Salvia could almost smell the magic from which it was woven.  "But right now it's just the cold girl, and her little..well I'm not rightly sure what it is, but I should think the only thing colder than it is that poor girl.  Would you like to meet her?"  The query came as a slight shock, but Salvia got the same sort of 'just follow along' vibe from this ghoul that she got from Hack, and something about that cloak did make her seem more trustworthy.  

"Alright, but I need to find someone.  I know she's in the city, or I think she is anyways.  Maybe you know her, her name is Katherine Immersfeld."

"Katherine, Katherine..." something in the Ghoul's eyes flickered beneath the milky murk, like a blade of ice tempered in flame.  She seemed almost livid, and she mouthed the name again silently.  Then it faded as fast as it had arisen.  "Some relation to the Empress perhaps?  We could ask the Cold Girl, she knows lots of things if you can convince her to talk.  But I'm afraid I don't have a daughter."  The ghoul paused.  "Now why would I say that?  Of course I don't have a daughter, I've been dead since I was Twenty-Two!"  She laughed, but it was only the dismissive chuckle of someone who doesn't want to think about what's just been said.  And so Salvia followed her guide up to the door step of the second oldest house in the city, the Spring Palace of Empress Thalia.