ivyrose • klaus

she's the first of her kind . . .

Mystic Falls | Old Lockwood Cellar

Trudging through rock, dark tunnels, and winding paths, Elena followed behind Alaric Saltzman, her high school history teacher and vice-principal. Trecking through the Lockwood's underground tunnels wouldn't have been the first thing Elena would suggest for a class trip, but for the sake of everything in her life except for school, the trip needed to be made. 

"So, the Lockwoods really have no idea that these tunnels are underneath their property?" In her hand swung a flashlight she highlighted whatever she stepped onto. 

"Careful where you shine that thing. Bats hate the light." 

"Wait, what?" Right at the girl's exclamation, Damon appeared from the dark. "Elena!"

Fright consumed Elena when her flashlight turned to hit the vampire, who played off her reaction. On his free day, hanging with a student and hundreds-year-old vampire who acted worse than his students wasn't something Alaric planned for his day off, but the greater discovery they searched for was totally worth it—if he didn't have to deal with Damon, whom he planned to ignore. 

Focused back to their walk through the underground tunnels, the paths they took allowed smooth access for the three beings. A few rocks were slippery, some times they tripped, but it was smooth sailing. All until Damon hit a wall. Elena flashed light to Damon, who hit an invisible barrier. 

"So, you really can't get in?"

"No. Seems even the ancient Lockwoods were anti-vampire." Damon sighed, unable to take another step. He could only train his eyes to what lay ahead. 

"What do you mean ancient?" Elena turned back to the vampire, who gestured behind her. Simultaneously turning, Alaric and Elena illuminated drawings, words, and phrases etched into the cave walls. In all their brilliance, art and knowledge of human survival from centuries past were known to the little trio in its caves. As the historian he is, Alaric studied the drawings up close, barely allowing his fingers to grace history right before him. To Elena's question of curiosity, of what they were looking at, Alaric had his answer ready. 

"Well, as far as I can tell, it's all a story. In simple, archeological terms, it's a really, really old story," His finger guided her line of sight against the cold wall before he motioned to two drawings. "That right there is the moon cycle, and these two are a man, a wolf--"

"A werewolf." Elena answered, still eyeing the drawing. 

From behind her and the barrier, Damon spoke up with a chipper smile, "Yeah, it's the 'Lockwood Diaries: Pictionary-Style'." 

Elena was the only one confused by the whole thing, "I don't understand. I thought the Lockwoods came here with the Original Founders in the 1860s."

Soon standing behind her teacher for an answer but also to analyze another set of drawings, Elena turned to him for solace, "I don't know. Maybe the Lockwoods did, but according to this wall, these werewolves have been here a lot longer than that."

"How long?"

"Long, but it gets better. Show her, Ric." In the dark, Damon crouched himself to the knees. The tone of his voice was just less happy than it was before. With this signal, Elena knew whatever she was to be shown was more serious. Elena followed Alaric into another part of the cave with a flatter rock wall. His flashlight and dominant hand graced Elena's attention from him to the next text. 

"Names. They're not native, but are written in Runic—a Viking script." Alaric then stopped to point at a list of names. From a young western mind, Elena had no clue who or what was written, but she was more shocked they were Vikings.  but with his knowledge, spoke them with ease.