---------------------still 20th day in Elth-------------------
"And I win again, HA!" calls out Silvia, ending our latest game of cards. "Too bad the casino doesn't play Macau. If it would, maybe we can finally fix around this dump of an inn." she finishes somewhat sad about the state of the inn. Even if the lobby and the dining room were a bit backward, her room was in an fine standard.
"Silvia."
We both turned, seeing George, who had a man about the same age and high as him and three of the city's standard guards behind him. "Darling, please go over there." He nodded toward their room past the door over the counter.
"What? Why?" asks Silvia. "Honey, what's wrong?"
But George said nothing before the sergeant intervenes. "My apologies madam, but we have business with your guest." Now Sergeant Kason turns his gaze to his target carrying a few visible weapons, the spear pouch beside the table and surely others. "You there, disarm all weapons and walk to the center of the room." he commanded me.
My one moment of confusion is replaced with one of horror and fear. Have they discovered me? But I seem to have burned all the tracks in camp. Did I miss something? Damn it... The men that ran must have ratted me out!!! Silvia's looking at me worried. No, no... what should I do? Run out the door? But my bag of money and backpack are upstairs...
Will this hurt George and Silvia?
I don't get up yet and just take out my notebook. The guards were really waiting on me to do something stupid but I didn't raise to their expectation . I scribble a little and slide it all the way across the table.
Kason takes two steps and grabs the notebook. "What for?" he reads. "The matter is somewhat private, but of course...if you want to make trouble for your hosts.." hints the sergeant.
"She was nothing but an honored guest! She even killed that griffon that's been making people lives hard while you've been sitting on your ass!" Silvia sharply retorted at Kasen's subtle threat.
Neither George or Silvia knew it was forbidden to venture that deep into the forest. Breaking the agreement with Galen, no soldier was allowed to enter the upper woods. Yes, Galen understood the need for men to hunt for food, but nothing else, including such matters. The reward was put on the griffon's head for the adventurers, they not being bound by the agreement.
"Would you defend this woman if you knew she was...?" The sergeant didn't mean to finish his words, sparing the two people further trouble, but leaving something to suggest the seriousness of the situation.
I just stood up, maintaining eye contact with the man. I lower my hands to my back and lay my daggers flat on the table. "Thank you very much. Now, guards, handcuff her."
------------------------------------------------------
George and Sivlia watched from the doorway as the guards escorted me away. Over me they placed a rag, pretty much hiding me all but my face, just to let me see where I was going. Strange enough, they weren't dragging me with a chain. The only chain was between my legs and cuffs around my hands.
"Eh..it's started raining" said one of the guards, clearly not talking to me but among his fellow friends.
As I could see, we were moving toward the middle-class town center. The sergeant was in the front, directing the men, but not giving verbal orders. They were all just in synch from training and experience. We passed by a fountain, I remembered a clown or performer telling a ballad in front of a crowd of children and their parents. Was it about a man who drowned in the river? I don't remember.
We went around the styled fall-colored houses, not heading deeper into town but going down a new road, carrying on along the invisible line between the two neighborhoods. We got away from the alleys and ended up in what I know was the west side of town. The city prison was ahead. It was somehow designed to spoil your mood. The walls were black, with a long roof along the top , saving people from rain.
"Open up!" shouted the sergeant, trying to make himself heard over the pouring water. As he said it the gate opened in two. I was still following the guards with no fuss. I wasn't doing anything out of line and they behaved professionally. I was not iced into a statue. That was a good omen. The inside looked more like a garrison, full of soldiers, but where were the men being held? Four metal cages were placed against a wall on the other side of the yard, two of which were occupied. The men looked weak, perhaps left out in the sun for bad behavior. Perhaps more in the cold, as the nights gradually grew colder.
The sergeant continued past a building and down wide steps. So the cells are underground, smart ass.Worse for me I guess. But if I haven't given them a hard time by now, I'm not going to.
We went down two levels, two guards holding lamps in the front and in the back. The sub-level was mainly occupied by barred cells. Some were more spacious than others, making room for more prisoners, others just large enough to fit inside three men in an uncomfortable way. I, on the other hand, watched as the guards opened an all-metal door in one wall.
"Inside." the sergeant said. Maybe I really should have forced my way out.All in all, letting myself be taken in here seemed brave or completely stupid stupid stupid. I don't move for a few seconds, irritating the sergeant a little at my new insubordination, but I eventually comply.
And on top of everything else, they've left me still in chains. At least they weren't trying to bind me to the wall. The walls, this cell...it was so SMALL! I didn't even think I could stretch down in it, and the walls were at arms reach. I turn to see that fucker of a sergeant, but the door was already closed. I could hear the crank turning, locking it. With a sudden yank, I slam into it, making a loud clang. But nothing, in fact I felt the tiny little cracks in my shoulder.
Repairing the tiny injury, I could hear talking on the other side of the door, but I couldn't understand anything. The cell was locked tight. How do people even breathe in this?
As if someone was still watching me from above, a small hatch in the door opened at my eye level, "Don't do that again." It was the sergeant. "The lieutenant will be here tomorrow. Stay put." he says, walking away but leaving the hatch open. A small light on the left side of the room was all that was left after the guards left.
Just my fucking luck.
---------------------Unknown time later-------------------
Nyx kind of lost it. Now banging his head against the cell door, pissing off the guards.
"She started about an hour ago and she won't quit it! I'm the one with a headache!" complained the guard posted outside the level access door. "Change with me, please?"
"Sure, I can handle it, how hard can it be?"
-----------------More unknown time later-----------------
Oh my God! It stopped! HAHAHAHAHA!!! I thought I was losin' it!
The now standing guard, which was the third shift change, thought he was being tortured. The sergeant had ordered any interaction with the special detainee was forbidden. It wasn't hard but all this beating...
The guard's train of thought was interrupted when he heard pounding on the door. NOT AGAIN!
But despite the last few hours, it wasn't Nyx who was doing the banging. Someone opened the door. "Late night snack?" one of the fellow guards asked.
"What else we got to do around but having snacks?"
His comrade tossed him a small bag of apples. "Thanks. Hey, can you..." but the man couldn't go on.
"Nope! I don't like it here. Bye bye!" and the guard slams the door.
Just my fucking luck.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The evening was quiet in spite of all the trouble in need of correction. Sgt. Kason was on standby, waiting for the lieutenant or some other problem requiring his attention. Right now he was checking on what the city had spared when the army declared they were in need of resources. Our resources, declaring our duty to offer aid in the war. Of course, we couldn't refuse and we wouldn't refuse to begin with. The way they asked, that pissed off the sergeant more.
Their 'friendly request' left us with only 6 out of 10 men as guards, so we were pretty thin. Problems were few, but mainly those not back from the war. And deserters. Thank the Gods we didn't have to hunt our own men down.
Pff...not even our rifles were spared, all confiscated and shipped south. As if those little nothings would do much good against hard lizard soldiers. Maybe if you'd fired 30 shots in one, or if you'd hit him through the eyes or mouth..
And now there's a vampire running around the city like he's in his own buffet. Kason read the reports over and over. Twelve people, eight men and four women. Drunks and waitresses coming out of bars after midnight. A taste for alcohol? Mostly from the small eastern ghetto but found throughout the city.This monster doesn't hunt in one place, it's just making the search a wild goose chase.
A knock on the open door gets the sergeant's attention. "Are you hungry, sir?" One of the guards passing out food.
"Snacks?"
"Grapes?"
"Yes, please."
The guard salutes and leaves. The silence continues. So annoying. Maybe I'd better get some sleep.
---------------------21th day in Elth----------------------
A little before noon, sunshine crept through the town's buildings and scorched the streets following the rain. A warm day no doubt. One of the few remaining before winter blizzard sets in few weeks, buried in the cold air coming off the mountains.
The lieutenant presented himself in front of the prison, escorted by his four guards and a man with a hood, riding his own horse. "Open the gate for the lieutenant." called one of the guards on the wall, having grown aware of his commanding officer.
Inside, everyone not occupying a post lined up and saluted in military fashion. Down the line in the shade was the sergeant, waiting for his superior. Perhaps preparing an answer to the many possible questions that would be thrown at him. "Sergeant." the lieutenant said delicately.
"Sir, yes, sir." replies the sergeant back to the greeting. "Any changes, sir?"
"By wonder, some good ones." adds the lieutenant. "Our friend here brings help."
A young man dismounts, dressed in a white shirt and red pants. Most peculiar about him was the wooden stump that replaced his left leg. Hood aside, his blond hair and pointed ears made their looks known.
"His name is Silvani. He has a workshop in town and I asked him for help with some... inventions."
Kason didn't keep quiet long before he said. "I know who he is. When my daughter turned 13, I made her a bracelet."
"Best silver in town." Silvani smiled.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Now all three men were sipping a cup of wine in the sergeant's office.
"So the library didn't have anything concrete on how to fight a vampire. All it specified was they hate silver and running water." the lieutenant said with a heavy heart. "But no worries, I contacted someone a couple days ago about information. Better yet, he'll be here on friday. He and his group are moving a little slow."
"Problematic. We lose days till then. But I assume that's why Silvani is here?"
"Though we're still at a disadvantage, and no direction as how to track down the vampire, there's nothing to do but hone a few precautions."
"Weapons, sir?"
"Yes. My contact advised it best to wait for him. His group has no specialty about hunting monsters, but they do have some methods." the lieutenant continued. "Now, what happened on your part, that Nyx?"
"She was very... compliant. The moment we came in she got very guarded, but ultimately she complied with our orders with no problem." Kason replied.
"Good work, Sergeant." said the lieutenant before taking a sip of his drink. "I want to see this girl."
"Certainly, sir."
The two officers get up and take a few steps toward the door. "You too Mr. Silvani, she might be interesting."
Slightly surprised at the lieutenant's ease at being able to walk with them through the dungeons, he takes a large gulp of wine before standing. "Coming."
---------------------------------------------------------------
"What's the problem, Mr. Silvani?"
"Eh...stairs..hehe" he laughed.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Well, my heart says, "No."
But my mind says, "It's so."
.....
Before I continue crooning the song, I hear a door creak at the far end of the room. Finally, someone I can dick to about something. The bright lamp beats through the small openning, but I couldn't see clearly what was beyond.
On the other hand, the guards, the lieutenant, the sergeant and the smith could see no little more than my eyes. The whites of my irises reflecting light like moons in the night.
"Greetings." said the new man. "I'm lieutenant in the city guard, I hope my men haven't been too hard on you."
But of course I don't answer. A simple bang on the door was my only answer.
"I see now why you put her in solitary." the lieutenant reprimanded at my cockiness.
" Do not forget she's mute, sir."
"Ah yes, that I did. My apologies, miss." says the lieutenant. Looking at him, I could see he was a few years older than the sergeant. He's definitely in his 50s.
"Do you know why you're here? Well, there's been some bad mishaps in our town lately." he says and pulls out a paper with a pencil. "Please write your answers on this."
He passes them to a guard, who passes them to me.
"Now...who did you need the blood for?" asks the lieutenant.
Scrib, scrib.. "For me."
"And you came to this town alone?" the lieutenant asks again.
Scrib, scrib.. "I had a pet bear."
This woman is a joker but she's telling the truth. But again, Kason concluded she's not human. "Where you come from?"
Scrib.....scrib.."I was made. Long story."
Not a lie again. "And what's your prime reason you're in this city?"
Scrib....."Don't wanna be homeless. Or broke."
"My apologies..but for a little while you'll be detained here underground." The lieutenant says and nods to the sergeant to take back the paper and pencil.
"We'll talk again. Later." He casually walks back to the exit ,followed by the rest of my guests. I just kick hard on the door a couple of times, making the usual loud banging that used to drive the guards out of their minds.
----------------------1 hour later----------------------
Having crashed the whole talk between the lieutenant and him, Nyx needed his next move.
Stuck in a cage. Checked. Beneath the ground. Double checked. Waiting for execution? Maybe.
Shiiiit... I'm hitting rock bottom more and more often.
Leaning up against the wall, with the little light from outside, it still all seemed like a no escape. Maybe I'll wait and watch?
.
.
.
I'm definitely getting killed.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Bombs...You want to make bombs." remarked the sergeant, a little sheepish at the craftsman's point.
"It's not his idea, Kason, my contact has passed me the prototype." said the lieutenant. Now all three men followed the letter from this anonymous helper regarding instructions offered. "Monsters come in various forms and with different powers. Vampires, too, are a sly sort. This should trump some of their advantages." the lieutenant finished speaking a little nervously.
"Oh..I see.." Silvani commented, reading the instructions and small diagram in fascination. "It's quite easy. Saltpeter and silver dust. " he says ambitiously. "But on the other hand, we can make a few notcheds."
"Eh?" asks the sergeant with interest.
"Big fat daggers." Says the lieutenant, bemusing both men about his sudden jargon. "But...I think bombs are a good call. We don't know what it specifically can do, so they're what we need."
A moment of silence passes. "How many you want?" Silvani asks eagerly.
---------------------22th day in Elth-------------------
While yesterday, Silvani retreated back to his workshop, preparing some components, Sgt. Kason had the job of checking to see if anyone was attacked last night. A long and time-consuming labor. He split his men into pairs, including himself, left with a single guard, then canvassed different areas. People were a little worried about what was going on and some began to demand to know what was happening.
Easy to say, Kason briefed the guards to tell nothing or that it was about taxes. By that time, almost everyone had turned it over and left it alone. Why we were trying to keep it a secret was beyond him, but lies sometimes come with the job, no matter how outrageous.
"This is stupid." said the sergeant's companion.
"What exactly?" asked the sergeant, still hating the ride through town without turning around.
"People should know what's going on. I mean sir, this thing only walks around at night. Why don't we impose a curfew?"
"I don't like it any more than you do. The lieutenant suggested it, but nothing's been approved or rejected yet." said the sergeant uncertain of the political state he and his senior were in.
"Patrol downtown?"
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Nothing. You?"
"Nothing."
"Same."
"Eh...I think I have something." said one of the troopers. "Yesterday, a woman got in a fight with her husband and the man walked out the door and hasn't come back."
"Check on them again later." said the lieutenant. " What about you, sergeant?"
"Well, sir, I think I have to talk for the people, sir." The sergeant said and stepped into the middle of the group. "I think we ought to impose the curfew, sir."
"I've talked it over between my peers and the captain. He's agreed we'll impose a curfew after we have a clear plan. It'll be a trap and no civilians on the street means no casualties." said the lieutenant with pain in his heart. "Those are the orders. Anything else?"
"Yes, sir. I got me something after rereading reports." continued the sergeant. Clearing his throat, he begins. "The monster's attacking in different parts of town. But all the victims are near their homes."
"That's how many have been recognized , by neighbors." The lieutenant asserts the sergeant's idea. "Why's that?"
"Like.. vampires are hunters, but it's more like... eh.. how you say.." The sergeant didn't know what to say. He thought he already had an argument, but nothing seemed to articulate it properly. "It follows pointless."
"You mean it's not a wild choice of the prey?" the lieutenant continued, centered on the sergeant's narrative thread. "A vendetta you implie?"
"No, no. From talkin' to the folks that knew the victims, they were all either workin' nights or out drinkin'. But they just got killed down the street."
"But never one of our guards." adds the lieutenant. "So it's either stalking jobs sites or bars. Then follows them home."
"Right."
"Well...even so, we got nowhere but a MO." says the lieutenant. "Looks like our only real option is the curfew." That pissed the lieutenant off some more. Just hitting dead end after another.
"Right.." Kason finished speaking.
"It's not your fault sergeant, we're all in this and we all know nothing, just walking blindly through the fog."
-----------------Underground prison cells-----------------
The clanking of the chains was quite subtle for their size. For a good few hours, Nyx got bored of hauling the metal chunks around so he proceeded to try pulling them off.
I'm hammering more and more, but the door's more damage than the handcuffs. Pff... what can I do?
Sitting down in the corner of my little metal and stone coffin, I try more and more to at least break the chains to be more comfortable. I tuck my legs behind the wrist chains and push with all my weight and strength. I feel my wrists as they should logically 'hurt', feeling the stress of the metal on my own stone. One last hard jerk.
And it cracks. My hand. My hand breaks and falls in my lap, making me a little unsettled.
Hehe...Fuck you , you fucking handcuffs.
To lie that my present idea wasn't crazy in the eyes of a simple human was unconceivable. Ripping off my limbs for freedom? Ohoh... if only I'd had the guts when I was alive..
Mending my hand back, I'm rethinking how to break the other one. Same old new way I guess.
Fixing the sole of my boot in the loose cuff, I flex both my hand and foot. Again, I feel the tension and stress building in my wrist. Till this breaks, too. YEAH! Seeing the positive results..now the question is...How do I break my legs? I broken my hands with my feet, but can I do it the other way around?
Still sitting down and preening his hair, Nyx hits the jackpot.
I guess I just have to... twist my ankle till it breaks. The positivity in the air could make many normal people vomit.
Oh man..I'm losing it..Just who had no problem breaking hands. Pff... that's so Kara.
Lifting my left foot over my lap, I start twist my ankle. Oh shit,shiiit! I think as I do the daredevil act, as the image was sending shivers through my brain, causing alarm and discomfort in my head, but I don't have a plan B!
The leg cracks and snaps off, detaching itself from the shin. Ohohhoh...that was diabolical!
Ok..again.
-----------------------Evening--------------------------
"Guard found the man back home. Seems he was out fishing." the sergeant reported. The day was bad for him and his superior, but the job had to be done. "Any changes from the captain?"
The lieutenant puffed on his cigare. "None from the captain, and none from my friend." he exhaled with a puff from a cigare.
At the same time the sergeant takes a watch out of his pocket. "About nine in the evening. Aren't you going home?"
"We should all go home, we'd be safer, but we've got work to do and the vampire doesn't attack guards."
replies the lieutenant. Not yet anyway.
The sergeant now sitting down in the chair and leaning back nonchalantly speaks. "Like what?"
"Paperwork." Says the senior, irritated, contemptuous and bitter about his current enemy. "Wanna help me?" he asks hopefully, not cursed to do it alone.
"Hell no, sir." declares the sergeant, turning his eyes in pity."But how about we question the detainee some more ?" he suggests, hoping to get his boss off his shitty errands.
"Nyx, eh?" The lieutenant just stands propped with his chin on both hands. "That'll just add to the paperwork."
"Which you'll do later."
Like a geyser, the lieutenant jumps out of his chair. "Yes. You're right, much more efficient way to spend our time on a evening."
"What's your angle this time, sir?" asks the sergeant, somewhat reluctant to lag behind his superior's actions. " Do we check if what people say about her is true?"
"We can. By the way, what was the girl in possession of?" the lieutenant continued. So far, he personally hadn't had the opportunity to handle the task himself. "Anything to go on?"
"She carries a fat wallet, sir. Some steel spears, two good quality daggers, few blood bottles and a book on magic."
"Uh, book, you say? Show it to me alright." the lieutenant asks his subordinate.
Walking into the next room, it was defined as a storage area. You could see a few weapons on the wall, mostly swords, halberds and a few pistols. "Looks like they didn't leave us completely unarmed." opts the lieutenant, looking at the pistols in the rack.
"Unless we can fire without gunpowder. I might as well use a blow dart, sir." remarked the sergeant. "I slipped someunder the soldiers' noses. You, sir?"
"Saving it for the hunt." he says. Yes, strong positions sure were favorable sometimes. "But now it seems kind of pointless. The silver's too weak to shoot from a pistol."
"More bombs then?" Kason suggests, opening a closet door. "Okay..this is it." He pulls a bag from which he pulls out a book. A black cover with a little gold here and there.
"Cute little thing." The book was a little thick. Something you'd expect from an atlas or a complex bestiary. The lieutenant opens the book, flipping through the pages. "Obsessed with blood, some people can be."
"I got grossed out on the opening chapter, sir." added the sergeant. "Perhaps you have a stronger stomach, sir."
Page after page, every ugly picture of the human body and what you can use it for. "A little over your standards." added the lieutenant to the previous comment. Spells and rituals. Some simple, some complex.Magics for beginners and some more advanced. This whole book reads like someone's diary, still writing in it.
But the lieutenant closes the book. "Look it over more thoroughly. Maybe you'll find something useful. Like monster poison."
"Sir?"
"Page 34. Find something useful and go to the alchemist uptown. But don't take the book with you. Just make exact copies of what you need."
"Yes, sir!" salutes the sergeant and returning to his desk for the requested research. As his superior, he passed through the small courtyard and walked down the stairs inside the dungeon.
"Sir?" saluted a guard, offering his services.
"No need, just the lamp will do." declined the lieutenant.
Inside, the cells were empty. Even so, most of the time they were empty on sublevel two. The only occupied cell, if you could call it that, was the solitary. The little hatch in the door was still open. Shining the light inside, the lieutenant could see that the girl was standing against the wall. "Hello again."
But the mute girl said nothing, nor answered in any other way. Her image still lingers in the back of the cell. "People say you don't eat or drink water. Are you sure? You've been here for about three days." but it all seems to be a total hoax. "Knock twice for yes, once for no. Does that work?"
Nyx knocks twice on the door. Noticeably, kicking ,more specifically. "Nice that we get along."says the man with sarcastic voice "Now, by the record, you worked for a lumberjack?"
Nyx knocks twice. "Did you know him before you came in town?" Nyx knocks once. "Know anyone else in town?" Nyx knocks once again. "Now let's talk about that book of yours. The sergeant introduced me to it earlier. Important to you?"
For a short while, Nyx doesn't answer, until he knocks once and followes by two fast hits.
"Yes and no? Okay." The lieutenant catches on to the gesture. "Well..it looks like black magic, so we'll have to confiscate it. You did nothing wrong, so if nothing else comes to light, you'll be free by friday at the latest." adds the lieutenant. As he takes a few steps out the door, through the small opening of the door, Nyx pushes the handcuffs and chains he was bound with.
A little surprised that she managed to take them off, more surprised that they were not broke, and even more amazed that they were still locked. "You're a clever thing, aren't you?"
But not answer is done. Nyx probably just bored with the lieutenant's game... or just doesn't know the answer to the question. This time his eyes were visible through the door hatch. Bright as two moons. Her white stone made them look like a snowy sky.
But to the lieutenant it looked different, like a haunting owl or a wolf staring you up out of leaves of a shrub.
---------------------23th day in of Elth---------------------
"Open up."
The guard stationed on the prison wall calls to the gatekeeper. The simple mechanism required much cranking, but it made the whole endeavor much easier. The wooden gate opened wide, allowing the guard outside to pull the cart inside.
"Call the sergeant or lieutenant. We found him this morning after my shift."
Minutes later and relocating the corpse to what was previously a storage room, the sergeant was first on the scene to examine the body. "Why did you bring him here?" the sergeant asked puzzled. Until now, for each victim either he or the lieutenant had to go to the scene. Talking to people, checking the perimeter for other evidence, and so on.
"The man, sir... was slumped over a booth in the fish market." the guard said. "The crowd found him and gathered around...we didn't know what to do, we didn't want anything to break out..so we at least brought the body in. Sorry, sir."
"Well, what about the crime scene then?" the sergeant adds a question to the guard's explanation.
"A couple of the boys are ensuring that nothing is touched until you arrive, sir."
Now that was ugly. A scene in the middle of the square. "It was a good call. At ease."
"Thank you, sir."
From behind the doorway comes the lieutenant. "Another corpse left behind by the vampire?" he asks.
"Yes, sir." adds the sergeant, annoyed by the growing pile of dead people. "I'm going to check the place out. Examine the body yourself, sir?" Kason asked.
"Call the doctor. I'll assist and follow up on clues." dictates the lieutenant of the guard present. He nods, salutes and exits.
Kason pulls the cloth away from the body, just enough to show his face and a little below. "Half naked. And no shoes, just pants, and a ring." The sergeant says, then examines the metal more closely. "Silver I guess."
"Leave the poor man to me. You go and search the place. Find his home." says the lieutenant. Rank just came with different abilities that made you stand out. Solving puzzles was one of the qualities called for.
"Yes, sir." and the sergeant leaves for the fish market.
One unknown monster at large, another one in jail. What do we do from here?
--------------------------Market---------------------------
"What have you boys learned?" the sergeant asks his deputies at the crime scene.
"A lady recognized him. She's still here. The one in the stall." the man points to a lady wearing a green stiff dress and an embroidered headscarf.
"Thank you for talking to us, miss." approaches the sergeant and salutes.
"No need for flattery sir, I have years behind me and a nice husband." the woman replies with a little flattery.
"Yes, my apologies. Could you give us the name of the man found this morning?" Asks the sergeant as politely as possible, trying to get as much out of the lady as possible.
"His name was Herold. He's been here for some years. He was a widower. And ah yes, he lives right over there." the woman points to the building behind the stall. "Poor guy must have fallen out his window."
--------------------------Prison-------------------------
"Very magled this gentleman is." says the doctor, wearing a mask over his face and searching the victim's back. "The neck wound is undoubtedly from your 'suspect', Lieutenant." he says, continuing to search through the broken organs and bones.
"Lungs punctured by ribs and spine broken in two. Broken spine fractures...on the outside...so probably from a fall." Moving down. "Two cuts on the right lower quadrant.. pre-mortem."
Directing light on frame. " Traces of some kind. Tongue?" said the doctor analyzing the blood trace on the skin. Then pressing lightly on the hip. "And a dislocated hip."
He steps back and straightens his back. "You don't have much more than bruises and breaks from the fall."
"If only he'd died before he fell." the lieutenant remarked.
"Not his luck."
--------------------------------------------------------------
Climbing the stairs, the sergeant and four guards were ready to investigate Herold's house. "Apartment 5. This is it." And the sergeant kicked the door in, startling his guards.
"Sir! Please, tell us when you do that!" says one of the guards, rearranging his helmet.
"The monster is already gone. Cowards." comments the sergeant at the seriousness of the guards. "And is that garlic I smell?" he says in disgust.
"We've all got some. Don't you, sir?"
"How long have you guys been carrying it?" Kason asks inquiringly. Was that superstition in the book real? Fuck me. "Give me some."
Another guard hands over a couple sliced garlic cloves. "Maybe you keep them in your breast pocket, sir. We do it that way." Putting the garlic away. They all enter the man's apartment.
"I can't believe he was selling fish. Where does he keep it?"
The front door from the staircase led directly into the small living room which was also the kitchen. "Two rooms. One is facing the market. Let's look in that first." ordered the sergeant. Breaking the door again. Showing a moderately plain bedroom. The bed was disheveled, the blanket on the floor and a slightly wide blood stain on the sheet. "Strange."
"The bed, sir?" asked a guard.
"Clever you are. Yes." praises Kason. "Asleep in bed? But then...who let the vampire in?"
"Sir?"
"Don't forget. They can't enter the house without you allowing it." reminds the sergeant. "Whenever you are." Kason continues to search the bed. A couple tears. Opening the nightstand drawers, he saw just a few things meant for a woman. Needles and rolls of fabric, a couple of rags, a pair of glasses. Oh, yeah.. widower. Probably left from his late wife.
The guards were turning the room upside down, opening and taking out what was in the cupboard, checking under the table. "Everything else looks clean. I also found some money under the beds in the closet, but little else."
Poor man. Living alone and picked up like easy prey.
Sergeant Kason turns toward the window. But stops and bends down to the floor. A print in the blood. Half a hand-- big but thick. Probably Herold's. And then at the window, a few blood stains were still on the glass. "Come and learn something, boys." Now the guards gathered curiously around the sergeant, one of them still keeping his eye on the door. "You see how the blood stains go up? It bit him here. Splashing on the glass."
"How did he fall out the window then? Was he trying to get away?"
"Hard to say. Herold was wearing a ring made of silver. Maybe that's how he slipped out?" asks the sergeant but not waiting for an answer.
"Throwing punches with the beast? He had balls." adds one of the guards.
"The window's not broken." sergeant remarks the obvious. But pulling the handle and opening it. "But not locked. It must escaped through the window." he concludes, then closes the window and locks the handle. "Next room."
Everyone moved like a cat not making a sound. Mostly to be on the lookout for the monster that could be around the corner. "Come on, hurry up. You've got garlic." the sergeant chuckled.
This time one of the guards smashed the door, letting the cold air from the room hit the living room. Holding tightly to his halberd. " Clear, sir." the guard said. Now everyone entering the room, they could see where the man kept his merchandise. It was as small as one of their cell.
"Ah... it has runes for cold air." said the sergeant comfortingly. "He must have put lot of money in this room."
"I wish at least we had some. You guys know how much it costs? Twelve gold pieces. A rune. Plus manual labor."
The booing of the guards was not disturbing. There was nothing to investigate further. "We are leaving. Move out."
---------------------------Prison-----------------------------
The noon sun was getting dimmer and dimmer, leaving the light but the heat was gradually getting less each day. Over the stove was a pot boiling stew, made from what they had around and brought from home. And a smoked fish hanging beside it. Fresh taken from Harold's pantry. The cook passed the food from one guard to the other. "It's boiling, have a bun with it." A dry bun. Thank heaven at least Hector could cook.
In the next room, Sgt. Kason and the lieutenant were eating at their desk, piecing evidence together. "The name is Herold. A widower. I don't know how long, but it didn't seem relevant."
"Anything about his house?" the lieutenant asks, swallowing a spoonful of stew and a bite of bun.
"Attacked in his bed. Somehow managed to slip away but ended up flying out the window." The sergeant sips from the bowl. "I asked after I got out, but he lived alone." he bites the bun. "Everything just grows more complex." he says through his teeth, chewing his food.
Putting the stew aside, the lieutenant leans on one hand. "Frankly, not really. All seems pretty logical now." The lieutenant destroys the sergeant's internal world. Kason stopping himself from taking the next spoonful of food in midair.
"What? How?" the sergeant utters in confusion.
Now just to piss him off, the lieutenant raises the stakes to a game. "If you guess in two tries, you win a silver. Well?"
Games? In this hour of need? Well okay then. Come on, think..thiinnk..bingo!
"His wife isn't dead, she's the vampire?!" shouts Kason confidently.
In the lieutenant's honesty, he hadn't thought of that. "Good idea, I'll give you that. But it's not exactly on my point." he says, rubbing his chin. "Let'll look at that later." he laughs. "Try again." he offers him encouragement.
"Pfff..ok..eh..." Kason thinks intensely.
"All the victims were either working nights or doing something..refreshing." Gives the lieutenant a little hint. "After checking IDs, we searched the houses, but nothing. Only here we found anything. It slipped. Why?"
"I swear if it's the wife, I'll take two coins." says the sergeant, coyly.
"And if it's her, I'll give them to you." the superior laughs. "Do you give up?" sneers the lieutenant.
"Yes..just say it." begs the sergeant for the answer to his nights of bad sleep, always looking over his shoulder during his sleep.
"A harlot my boy!" he finally comes up with an answer to their question. "Until now we just knew it was a vampire. Hunting through the night like an animal. And you and I both pictured it as a man. But it's a woman!"
"How .. how can we be sure?" asks the sergeant.
"Herold. He was half naked. She plays with them. Women and men. Maybe even controlling them! There was a cut on his abdomen, the doctor said it looked like she licked it. No man, human or monster, does that to another man. Not that I judge." The lieutenant trying to get rid of the homophobia in the air. "But look, he was lonely. Half naked and with some money. What else is there to say? She lures them at night, convinces them to let her in the house , and then boom! Straight to drink them dry!"
Now they were both on their feet. "A vampiress hooker."
"A bloodsucking whore."
"Jackpot!" they both say at once.
"Now we have an MO!" chants the lieutenant with glee and a little irony. "I'll check with Sylvester." he says excitedly.
"You mean Silvani, sir." corrects the sergeant. "I'm going to check the wife at city hall!" declares Kason, still convinced of his theory.
Now all the pieces were in motion. Hopefully the sergeant's buddy would arrive as promised, the gods being on our side!
.
.
.
"She's dead"
"HA!"
---------------------24th day in of Elth---------------------
Many guards were in the prison yard. Well, many of them under the lieutenant. "Kind of useless it seems. What do you think?"
"Just do as you're told." says one of the guards, cutting short the chatter.
Men were waiting in line, at the head of which was Silvani's smith. He atop a heavy looking pot, coating weapons one by one with silver. Sabers, halberds and spears. Some guard,Tom ,even coated his lucky knife with silver.
Further back from the craftsman, the lieutenant and Kason were talking. "How much silver we used?" the sergeant asked worriedly. This is sure to hurt the economy a little.
"I don't really want to think about it." says the lieutenant, worn out by the thought. "The bank gladly loaned it." he says bitterly. "But Silvani says it can be saved afterward."
"With interest?"
"They realized we needed it for something important. Only eight percent." followed by a few moments of silence. "From my own pocket." followed by a small tear.
"Eh..no attack so far happened last night." reports the sergeant, satisfied that maybe no one lost their neck.
"If not...tonight or the next she's sure to strike." says the lieutenant in good spirits. Yes, an attack will be coming. As soon as he had finished with Silvani, the lieutenant contacted the captain, stating ready for the trap and that they were standing by.
"Plan?"
"We starve her." The lieutenant comes up with the idea. "Tonight we start the curfew. And later we draw her in one spot." Follow the sergeant on the plan the captain of the guards suggested. "A bait. Some blood from the hospital. Simple." he says, somewhat annoyed.
"Pretty simple... but with a few holes to fill. Where exactly?"
"Still thinking." says the lieutenant. "We don't know where she sleeps during the day. But if she's hungry, she will be looking for someone to eat."
"Maybe somebody smart enough to go out on a walk." Kason wonders.
"The captain has set a fine. One piece of silver if you get caught." says the lieutenant. "God protect that fool."
"Hm...the hospital then? What if she's brave enough to go in there for a snack?"
"The captain thought of that. Transferred about 60 guards inside."
"Fuuuh.." whistled the sergeant. "Pretty tight in there. What's their plan?"
"Basically they've crammed every patient in the saloons. The guards are just for intimidation. But nobody's been attacked there, so it's a minimal danger zone."
"You think that's where the vampire dwells? A walking, blood-curdling corpse prowling the nights, stalking the nurses from around the corner." The sergeant's trying to put chills in the lieutenant's head just for fun.
"Stop that, you moron, don't let the others hear you." Yes, alone, his men were really worried looking for such a monster. Turning predator into prey was to be a hard task. "Eh..how do adventurers relax from all this terror? Vampires, dragons, interdimensional monsters."
"What was that last one?" the sergeant asked curiously, more scared really.
"Don't you want to know..." the lieutenant concludes.
"Why didn't we post anything to one of the guilds?"
"Pff..who knows..maybe it would have been simple. Maybe a witch would have come and exterminated this bitch in an afternoon."
"..."
"..."
"Is the man in charge stupid or something? Look how much silver we melted?" complains the sergeant.
But the lieutenant under his whiskers says. "I'm following orders. That griffin was 10 gold pieces, but mnh. Nobody came. Looks like our town isn't on the adventurer's map." says the lieutenant with a heavy heart.
"Ok. Everybody has at least one blade with silver. Spears, sabers, halberds, you name it." Silvani had just finished gathering his gear. He, along with the sergeant and lieutenant were under a shady roof, checking their own weapons. Kason carried a falcata and the lieutenant a long sword.
A guard came down the wall and stopped halfway down the stairs. "Sir! Your guests have arrived." he says, returning to the post on the wall.
Both men climb after the guard, reaching the position above the gate. In front of them were apparently about 15 men in deep sky blue longcoats. "Ohhh.. it's been a long time, Danny my man." greeted someone up front.
"It sure has, Dörk, been a long time."
----------------------Afternoon-----------------------
"Pretty tough traveling with what, 15 people, huh?" asks the sergeant. "But thanks for coming, sir." he says and bows in thanks.
"Yes, yes. When we heard Danny was in need of help, we picked up our pace. We actually have to get south to the border." Dörk says, surprising everyone by getting up from the table and resting his leg on the chair. "We're going into battle! We! The Skybinder Society!"
"Yaaaah!!!" comes a cheer from behind.
"Jerry, for the last one, only do it when we're all doing it!!!" retorts Dörk to one of his subordinates. " Fucking Jerry.." he rubs the bridge of his nose. "We have to be there by Sunday."
"But... the border is at least a month and a couple weeks walking." Silvani inquires puzzled.
"We are taking a boat..."
"Pff..even at your age, you still enjoy hitting the roads." sneers the lieutenant.
"Well pray I do. Otherwise you'd be neck deep in shit." Dörk laughs. "Man, don't worry. We're here to help. And for free." adds the wizard. "So, how ready are you guys?"
"We made about 20 bombs per your instructions, sir." comments Silvani. "With saltpeter. Not gunpowder."
"Good! That's important. Weapons?"
"All the guards here have a silver-plated weapon. We're clear." adds the sergeant to the conversation. He keeps his hand on the hilt of his own sword.
"Amazing! Half plan ready, half to come!" Dörk sings happily. "Now what's your plan?" he asks with a fool's face. Well, it wasn't his job to come up with the whole plan.
"Tonight we're starting a curfew, setting a trap and bait." says the sergeant.
"Good idea. Who's the bait, some hapless soul on death row?"
"I can be the bait!"
"I wish you would, Jerry! Now shut up!" Dörk yells angrily at his colleague. "See who I'm dealing with?" he says.
"I'm offering myself." Sgt. Kason catches the eyes of everyone at the table. "I talked to the boys. And I honestly wouldn't send them if I wouldn't do it myself." Kason declares.
The lieutenant was surprised. He hadn't asked anyone to volunteer yet, but his point made sense. "Nonsense Kason, let someone else do it." But that didn't mean the lieutenant would approve. "You're too important to the operation."
"That's why I have to be in the middle of the whole operation, sir!" he says bravely. All the searching, investigation and pressure was on him. If Kason didn't see the kill through to the end, he couldn't make sure the whole charade was finished.
"Don't be a fool, young man. Pick somebody else." Dörk backed up his friend, earning a surprised look from the lieutenant. Yes, the old adventurer still had his moments to surprise the world.
That left the sergeant musing. Saving his own skin or taking someone else's place? But orders were orders. "Yes, sir." he agrees. "What about Nyx?" he now asks. "Leaving her longer in the holding cell could cause us problems."
The lieutenant exhales and he and Dörk light a cigare together. Except that Dörk lights his with a snap of his fingers,just like Nyx. "In our defense we sort of let her go a while ago, but we had to make sure she had nothing to do with the incidents." he huffs and puffs. "Go ahead and let go. Along with all her stuff but the book."
Curiosity hanged the thief and killed the cat. "What's up with this Nyx girl, why was she under your eyes?" asked Dörk, hoping his friend wasn't rushing to decisions.
"A doctor was selling her blood from the hospital. We arrested him and later searched for the girl. She seems to be like our vampire. In need to consume blood, but she walks in daytime and is immune to silver." the lieutenant takes another puff. "She's made of stone somehow. But otherwise she's decent but strange."
"I don't believe it! You're shitting with me!" laughs Dörk, choking on his cigare smoke. "Dark hair and big tits?"
the magician blurts out.
"Well..yes" answers the lieutenant ashamedly.
-----------------------Prison sublevel 2---------------------
"Are you awake in there?" says the sergeant, looking through the window in the door hatch. But not needing an answer, he sees Nyx to the left of the door, close enough to try something, but the door was too hard and the window too small. "You're free to go. Please step away from the door." He says.
Seeing that he does as he's told, Kason turns the metal mechanism, unlocking and opening the heavy door. She was in the back of the cell, about two steps wide of the door, leaning against the wall. Her white pants were now dirty from dust and other possible filth but the sergeant saw no other difference.
What bothered the sergeant was the lack of handcuffs. When they took the handcuffs off? he wondered. "Your things are upstairs, a guard will give them to you. Come with me."
Nyx stepped out of her 'cage'. "Walk in front of me." The sergeant demands.
Climbing the stairs, Nyx maked no twitch in response to the sun after her days spent in the dark. Her expression was cold.
"I leave her in your hands." says the sergeant and leaves me with another guard. The man was dressed in a standard blue uniform. Nodding to his superior, he gestured for me to follow him, walking into a building.
"Wait here." he says and leaves me near the door of a room. Bored, I consider the hallway. The walls were whitewashed but old, the floorboards and the ceiling...there was no ceiling, just some supports for the next floor.
"Hello there."
My eyes hit toward the door facing opposite where my things were. Some man called out to me. He was wearing a long blue coat, coffee-colored pants and a beige vest over a white shirt, wearing brown boots. Some wealthy, plump-looking douchebag.
"How was the hole?" he asked with no shame whatsoever.
Hopefully my stare said all he needed to understand to shut up. "Haven't we met before?" Apparently not. I turn away from him and look through the door at the guard who was supposed to bring my things, still searching through a closet. "Now I remember! I sold you that spell scroll." he says.
The wizard?
Even at that realization, I don't turn back to him. Screw him. Screw them all. I'm outta here.
Bang twice on the door frame, getting the guard's attention. He jumps a little at the noise, and grabs one of the things in the closet, that being my bag. "I hear you're crafty. One on one against a griffin. Not bad. For someone like you. I mean, totally inexperienced."
"I would have shot you on that Dörk, for that big mouth of yours." From the same room I could hear someone else. The lieutenant.
He comes out from behind the wall and nods. "My deepest regrets for your time here, Miss Nyx. But you are free to go. Again, whatever you had with you will be returned, except for the book." He says authoritatively, leaving no room for discussion and going back to what I assume was paperwork.
I grab my bag and walk out the door. The yard was quite full of guards. Their blue colors beat somewhat honorable against the black stone walls, but I didn't care.
"Did you get your stuff back?" he asked in a hospitable manner.
Ah, yes. The sergeant was back. I didn't answer him in any way. This whole release 'party' had gone on too long. I just give him the middle finger and head for the door. A couple of people look my way and scowl at me, but nobody stopped me.
"Fuuuf So brave..in the middle of what? 30 guards? I like this girl." Dörk laughs. "What you got there anyway?" He says, but still maintaining contact with the back of Nyx's neck. "Very complex that creature." And super sexy.
"Clot poison. The lieutenant and I found recipes in her book. It might help."
"Maybe, I don't know. Vampires are undead, but we have nothing to lose. Holy water would have helped."
"Eh...there's a church here in town."
"Pff...yeah sure...these clowns can't bless shit." he says frowning about an old thought. "Well we've got a good couple hours before we put the plan in motion. I'm going for a walk."
"But...wait!" Kason tries to stop him, but he's already out the gate.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Yo! Wait up for me!"
It was that wizard again. Now he was following me? "I think we're going in the same way! I'll go with you!" he says. This one, Dörk, was his name, was pacing next on my left, clasping his hands behind his back and kind of just staring at me. "You've left a goodly trail of corpses on the way here."
Thinking not for a second longer, my hand was on a dagger, the other ready to grab one of the spears. "Now, now, this is no time to do anything stupid.." he pleads. "Don't worry, your little secret is still a secret." he says. At that I just turn and continue on. "Maybe!" he exclaims from behind me.
Shit.
I stop and confront him again. "My friend back there." points over his shoulder toward the prison. "He needs me. And I want to put you to work." he says, now playing with a copper coin and making it disappear after. "I can see you're tough and strong. I can talk to Danny and get you that reward for the griffin." he finishes speaking. "If you help us." Apparently not.
I just fold my hands, pretending to think about it but I already made up I want to leave. "Come on...adventure! I thought you young people were full of it. You look the type!" he remarks, chuckling at his own plea.
Sure Kara is, but not me.
We resume walking down the street, passing through the slightly crowded streets. A few people were apparently out shopping. A couple of moms were carrying bags of clothes or simple wool, no doubt looking to make themselves and their families something for the winter.
What am I doing all winter? I could still stay in town... but right now I have nowhere to feed myself.
"What do you think about?" asks Dörk. He was still here, annoying me. Where to go now? Maybe back to Silvia and George. I'm sure they'll still see me. I'm their only source of income.. ha..
....
I stop in my tracks and go back to Dörk for a second. "On two condition?" he guesses as I lift up fingers.
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Dörk, while I do not doubt the physical qualities of Miss Nyx herself, she is still a civilian! Just no, we can't use her as bait." declares the lieutenant nervously. He and Sergeant Kason had a map of the city on table trying to find a place to set the trap. "Miss Nyx, please leave the premises." the lieutenant finally demanded.
His old friend pulls up a chair to sit at the table between the two. "Danny, look at her. She literally wrestled with a griffin. Not hard beast to kill, but alone? She's as tough as tough can be!" pause from talking for a moment. "And she's still in one piece!"
"The best!"
Jerry makes a comment standing in the doorway, carrying some of his colleagues' bags. "Shut the fuck up Jerry and get lost!" Dörk snaps at his coworker, grinding his teeth. "But yes." he coughs. "Toughest nut in town."
"Bloody hell, Dörk! You'll get me in trouble." the lieutenant says. He had now gotten up from the table and was turned away from the others.
"Your only problem is this vampire. Look." Dörk was now on his feet, pointing at Nyx. "She's made of stone! She's immune to bites! Maybe and whatever else the monster has to throw! She's a sure bet, and all she's asking for is the griffon bounty and some...blood."
Now the sergeant's got everybody's attention. "Nyx." he rises. "I wished to offer myself. To do my bid for the poor people hunted and killed, but I was not granted." Now the lieutenant turns to him. "Sir, I honestly think it's a better option." Dörk coughs again. "Agree with him, sir."
"Oh...fuck me."
he says and pulls a pack of cigars from his inside coat pocket and passes them around. The sergeant and Dörk take one, a sign that the lieutenant has succumbed to our stubbornness. Even I take one, surprising Kason the most, but I put it safely in my pocket.
"My captain and the other lieutenants have decided to guard the entrances and walls, bridges and the hospital. They're spread out as random patrols through the city. That leaves us to corner the monster and defeat it." he puffed a smoke.
"Course of action's good." Dörk also took a smoke. "My friends and I have a good, impregnable spell to deal on her. You corner her somewhere, anywhere and we'll trap her. But we need about 5 seconds."
"We have a steel chain net." assures the sergeant. Although stopping the monster in its tracks will soon be see. "Plenty of time to riddle it with silver blades and bombs." He's breathing another smoke. "Enough time to cast your spell."
"Now... locations... where?" thinks the lieutenant aloud. "Her M.O. is that she lures vulnerable men or women and invites herself in their home." finishes the smoke sergeant. "We need an empty house."
At that Dörk was somewhat pessimistic. "Well...I still have my house here Danny, or did you burn it down?" he joked. But the suggestion was good.
"Eh..perfect." sergeant stopped the train of talk from where the two old men were headed.
-------------------------Sundown -------------------------
Thanks to the guards patrolling the city all day, the curfew news caught people's attention. People who owned bars and similar places that stayed open after sunset were disappointed. Even the action in the harbor was briefly interrupted, leaving boats waiting on the river.
But away through the middle of the city was Dörk and Nyx, in what used to be the house and downstairs, the man's shop. "Home sweet home." he said. "The bedroom's upstairs. Ignore what I have around here." he suggests the downstairs, or the shop. The house had two entrances, and Dörk guided me through the front entrance that led directly upstairs and bypassed the shop.
The door opened into a large space where there was a sofa, a low table and numerous bookshelves and two desks. "Home sweet home." Dörk exclaimed. "Now...Some of the guards will in the back of the building. You.. you must give the signal. Like see that she really is a vampire, not some woman about to be attacked by a mob of guards. Now I figured how to do it." he puts the bag down and opens a display case. "Tadaa!" he says and clinks two shiny cups. Silver. "You invite her to sit down, pour some alcohol and see if she wants to drink or not." Dörk puts the cups down. "If not just force her hand."
I point to the heavy bag Dörk lugged all the way here from prison. "A chain net. I'll hide it around here for you or the guards." he explains and hides the thing under the couch. Sure, their whole operation seemed trivial, but in essence it made sense.
"This brings back memories." he sits down, practically talking about the whole house, not the couch. "It won't be the first time a working girl's had her way on this couch." he laughs. Visually, he sees that I'm a little grossed out and pulls out a cigarette. "You gonna smoke one this time?" and giggles. "Can you even smoke?"
In answer to his question, I sit down next to him and pull a cigarette from the pack. Dörk lights his own by flicking his fingers. The same magic I use a second after him. "Heh...so you can do some magic too. Neat." he adds. "Now pull." And he takes on his own advice. I do as he does and watch as the lit end of the cigarette glows brighter. Still no taste of the stuff, but it was nice to have a normal moment. "I'll hide a few bombs around here. In this drawer." He points to a small nightstand next to the couch. "And there." He points to the display window. "Where do you hide your weapons?" he says about my spears and daggers.
--------------------------Midnight--------------------------
Courtesy of the hospital, at the request of the lieutenant, we were provided with two doses of blood, one for me, because I was getting hungry, and the other as bait for the monster. The bait which at the moment I had on my pants, shoes and vest.
Now I was wandering around downtown. Dörk had suggested that I go from bar to bar, feigning to look for an open place, and somehow faking being slightly...intoxicated. The streetlights weren't lighted around here either. If the vampire's smart she's sure to see it's a trap, but again, I've done equally desperate things to feed..
That thought triggered my flash when I skewered a man like a kebab and let him hang and drink his blood like from a bottle of booze. Everything was starting to spin, me being here, me hunting a monster that was basically me but it wasn't me.
I'm next, they'll come after me... I collapse on the sidewalk, worried to the rock-bones. Nothing else, I end up staring at the sky. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. What I'm gonna do?
My body's quiet, but my mind's again in shambles. "Ah..hello there." I hear a woman's voice.
That's...ok..ok..don't be stupid. You have a job to do!
"It's not the first time I've seen someone so bitter, out on the street. Anyway, it's not the first time we've met, is it?" A little to my right was an alleyway covered in moonlight shadows. I could see clearly, a pair of blue eyes, like the stars of the night were staring at me. The woman took a few steps and stepped out into the light.
She was beautiful...she was... the woman in the garrison... Oh shit.
She now ditched that long green dress and opted for something more...professional. All black, she's wearing a corset with straps. It wasn't completely simplistic, it was trimmed with white vertical stripes and a white tutu around the sides. A super short pair of lace pants covered her backside, while a nice pair of expensive stockings covered her legs. Interestingly, she had a leather collar around her neck along with a necklace.
"It's so nice to see each other again." exclaimed happily. She takes a few steps, the sound of her heels clanking like booms thanks to the echo, and crosses the street, stopping in front of me and bending down, revealing a wide shot of her breasts. "You look like shit." she sneers.
Great, compelled to be mocked by my target. But instead of continuing to antagonize me, she settles next to me and crouches down. "Tough day?" she asks. Obviously, she skips the bloodstains on my clothes. I nod yes to her question. "Well, I'm just getting started." She says, rubbing her stockings. "I haven't seen anyone out yet. Where is everybody?"
I raise an eyebrow at her questions. "Well, I'm a hooker, dah.." she comments. At that I get an idea how to continue the plan. I open and rummage through my pockets for a second, pulling out the spare cigarette from the lieutenant and offer it to her. "Thanks." she says and pulls out a match to light the stub. "And what's all this blood?" she asks and takes a drag. Her question was expected, but I saw no discomfort on her part.
I give a fist pump, trying to suggest that I've been fighting with someone. The hooker just nods and takes another puff. "My name is Cleo. Nice to meet you." She looks at me and says. "Wanna... have some fun?" she grins at me.
Jackpot.
--------------------------------------------------------------
On the way back to Dörk's house this Cleo insisted that we hold hands. And even now after minutes of walking I haven't seen any guards, did they see that I made contact?
Even more sinister, Cleo was silent, only occasionally cupping my butt and fondling my breasts a little, arguing that it was part of the service to be seen with a beautiful woman and more. Wow...
We approached the side door of the building that led to the rooms upstairs. "Is this where you live? It looks expensive." she explains. "You sure it's all right for me to come in?" she asks, patting my ass. Like the changeling I was, I play my act and smile, at the same time pulling out my boldest step to close the deal. I stick her against the door, locking one of her hands and kissing her on the lips, grabbing her around the waist and pressing her between me and the door.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Nice." Dörk chuckles. He and the lieutenant were laying on their stomachs, on a rooftop a safe distance away, affording a clear view of the building. Right now, watching Nyx's spectacular stunt through a spyglass.
"Oh dear, my goodness... What's she doing?!" the lieutenant exclaimed quietly, annoyed at the actions of their so-called aide. He too, watching the two girls' smooching session.
"She's selling the act, Danny. Quite generously, if I may say so." Dörk calmly comments, still knowing the situation is under control. "But I think we have our target." Dörk adds finally.
"What? How did you figure that out?" asks the lieutenant, cutting short his view of the house and turning to his friend. Surely if old Dörk had managed to figure it out, and he certainly could if he followed a little longer, but unfortunately he already admitted that he hadn't. A victory for Dörk I suppose.
"It's a cold night, Danny. Both Nyx and her, you can't see their breath." Dörk enlightens the puzzle. "But...Nyx needs to get into position before we do anything."
"Right."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Inside the living room, Nyx opens the door, still kissing Cleo. "This..." she says between kisses. "..was for free." and she pulls away, landing on the couch. "But...I don't suggest you do that with all the working girls."
Wow...I know it should feel better if I had a real body, but right now my mind plays tricks on me. That felt ticklish. I overanalyze what just happened. Now what...? I look around and find myself staring at the fireplace. Nah... I think... we'll just end up turning the house in a fireball.
"So...what are you? You have rough skin but you're pretty." she starts another conversation. Cleo somehow offered a little respect in her tone. I was clearly non-human, but seemingly it didn't bother her. Oh fate can be cruel. Cruel for both as I couldn't talk back to her.
I focus back to the task at hand, remembering Dörk's silver cups and wine. Opening the display case, beyond a glass in the back I could see one of the silver bombs, as the wizard said. "Wow... we drinking? Interesting." she said in a playful voice, but I still didn't turn to her.
-------------------------------------------------------------
On the roof of the house next door, Dörk and the lieutenant were about to go ballistic with fear.
"Did you see that!!?" said the lieutenant in panic.
"Yes! Yes! I saw it, pull the cord now!"
------------------------------------------------------------
Turning to my beautiful guest, I almost drop my cups. Cleo, standing barely a small step behind me, practically breathing in the back of my head earlier. I didn't even hear her step on her heels. Oh boy, this is bad.
"So what we drink? Blood?" she asks, with a big, tender smile on her face...flashing her fangs.
Shit. This is really bad!
Just then, thinking thinks over, she grabs me by the shoulders and tries to bite my exposed neck. Her rap was momentous. Feeling the pain in her teeth, some of them even cracking against my hard skin, this left her slightly shocked. Short but enough to stick the cups on her exposed skin, making her squirm in pain.
My instincts kick in, breaking the hold and deliver a kick, making contact with her abdomen and pushing her, smashing in the back of the couch, flipping it over.
The net..I run to it. Picking up the metal mesh, I throw it over. Just so but end up not hitting anything.
"Heheh... That's..very ugly of you. I thought you wanted us to be lovers." Cleo laughed. From somewhere. The next second I see her pair of shoes dropping out of the air. She hung perched on the wall like a spider, next to the fireplace's chimney. "You see... us vampires... when we want sex, we bite each other. That's arousing for us..." she laughs, making me a little nervous. "I thought you were my kind, but it doesn't look like it."
Cleo crawls along the wall. "Too bad... You're a good catch..." But I don't listen for her to say anything else. I call back one of my spears, the one hanging over the doorway, readying for a fight. "'Pretty tricks." I can now clearly see the fingertips growing talons and now, unlike earlier, all her teeth are turning into sharp fangs.
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Outside, soldiers were ready to take turns entering the building. "Remember, bomb the room before you enter." says the lieutenant. Around the building, the group of wizards prepared to activate the spell. "Ok... Come on!" Kason opens the door, 12 soldiers entering one at a time, and he entered last.
"Ok guys! Now!" Dörk calls out to his mates. In unison, everyone slowly centers, whispering out words. "Forcecage!" all the wizards call out simultaneously. Around the house up to beyond the roof now grows a translucent white barrier, thick grates of slightly different color making themselves visible. "Clear!"
The rest of the soldiers were holding the line of battle just outside the house, inside the barrier, waiting for the monster in case it tried to get out of the building.
"You think we need more to go in?" Dörk asked rhetorically. Yes, the more the merrier, but he was yet concerned. This didn't mean they could win with no fatalities, but no doubt giving the enemy more fresh sources to feed from was a bad idee.
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Kason climbed the stairs, he and his men focused on the noise upstairs. Nyx actually was in close combat with something like that... unbelievable. At the top, three soldiers readied a bomb each, waiting for the sergeant's order. Kason cracked the door slightly to see what was going on.
Even so, Nyx was at a disadvantage, that monster woman was fast, moving with impressive speed, throwing each blow followed by another. Their ally was armed with one steel spear of hers and one of her daggers. The monster charged, running on all fours and leaping at Nyx from a low position, tripping her and knocking her down. "You know...we really could have been a couple.." the monster says, making its fangs visible. She dug her talons deep, grabbing Nyx's face. Her other hand was planted flat on the floor and her legs locked Nyx's hands.
Now.
The sergeant signaled. The guards ignite the bombs and the door flies wide open, followed by each of the three bombs bouncing into the room. The blasts were small flashes, but each one spread the silver powder to the air in quick turns. The attack surprised the monster, previously preoccupied with Nyx, she couldn't ignore the fine silver sticking to and searing her skin, getting in her eyes and breathing it in.
Letting Nyx escape, she too was covered in silver, but he felt no effect like the vampire did. Not many seconds after the bombs detonated, Kason and the soldiers swarmed over the room, weapons drawn and ready to do their work. Halberds and swords were drawn, surrounding the monster as it wallowed on the floor.
"AAhha! You and your tricks!" growls Cleo, referring to our attack in general, or maybe to Nyx. The monstrosity stands up on two legs and leans against the wall, coughing up the powder trailing from its airways.
"Pin her down!" I order the guards. Three men thrust spears and halberds at her, trying to pin her against the wall, but she dodges...climbing the wall? A little further up she leaps to one of the guards, the man yelling on contact. I could see as a swipe of her claws tore his face to slices, followed by the monster biting straight through the chain armor, into the man's shoulder. Two more guards swirled from the axes, one of them making contact with her hip, stopping her from drinking the victim's blood.
"Shhaaa!" she hisses in silver-given pain. The next thing I saw was Nyx slamming into the beast, piercing it from the side with her spear, passing through what should be the spleen and protruding through the liver. Another guard dives to grab the wounded man on the floor and manages to drag him from the scene, unconscious or perhaps already dead. Nyx, in the monster's moment of weakness, grabs her by the neck in a choke hold, causing her more pain due to the silver sprinkled on her arms.
She struggled savagely to get free. "What are you waiting for! Strike!" I yell to the guards. One after another, the guards tried to strike the beast, tearing their weapons through her provocative outfit and in her flesh, the pain making her more and more wild. Some of them striking poor Nyx. "Break her neck, Nyx! Now!" I yell at her.
The vampire bounces back on the floor, managing to pick Nyx up on her back and running headfirst, crashing in the fireplace. The entire frame breaks in two as the vampire escapes. Even worse, I could see that Nyx was badly hurt, now seeing that she was having a hard time getting up. Must have hit something hard. Not just her, now the vampire had a hand clearly broken, hanging at a nasty angle. With her good hand she pulled out the spear from between her ribs...
"AAAAAAAH!" One of the guards gives a battle cry, charging with his sword, but misses, leaving himself open. Getting bitten by the beast. Her talons going through the cheap armor and cutting his shoulder and making the trooper drop the sword. Even more gruesome, she leaps and crawls up the wall like a giant spider with her new prey in her mouth. The poor man couldn't even scream.
She is drinking his blood, thus healing herself faster. I think in the split second before I reach into a back pocket and pull out a bomb. A simple bomb. A high-powered bomb with gunpowder. I quickly pull the sandpaper, igniting the fuse. "Look out, boys!" I say before I throw the bomb. Two seconds later, the blast of fire and power shakes off the monster, sending her and the guard falling meters out of the air, hitting the floor head-on At the same time, my men had to take shelter, chunks of wood and the overhead beam broke off, coming down mid-air and shaking of the buzzing from their ears. Well, at least the poor man died a quicker death. I'll make sure this bitch suffers.
"Hahah...this is starting to be funny." Cleo laughs through the row of fangs. Kason's blast pulverized a good proportion of her clothes, leaving her in rags. Bad on top of everything, her wounds were healing quickly.
"You okay?" one of the guards approached me, trying to pull me into a better position. I push myself up on two legs. "You shouldn't walk, come on!" he backs me up to the door. But I couldn't leave yet, I had to stay. I HAVE TO FIGHT!
Right now Cleo was knocking down the guards like a wrecking ball, biting and slashing like an animal, grabbing one of the weapons and chopping the man's head off.
The fresh corpse fell down, spraying warm blood on the cold pavement. Eating off the ground, as always. I shake off the guard and fall next to the blood-soaked pavement. "Hey, what are you doing?" the man asks puzzled. He was a little surprised when I stuck my hand in the puddle, sucking up the spilled blood. I nod back toward Cleo and the rest of the guards. "Right." he says, catching the signal and moving back to formation. Together they were strong, but Cleo splits them apart and slowly wins, seemingly fully healed but certainly... slightly weakened.
In a second, she grabs a bookshelf and throws the cabinet between the men, breaking the formation in two. Two helpless men didn't quite recover their footing quickly enough, and Cleo manages to grab one by the throat and tear his windpipe like a piece of paper. "Hahaha! You guys are fun!!!" she laughs at their weakness. She is moving so fast, we fail to shift the battle against her!
But now I feel it, my back is done mending. But what do I do now? Think brain, think... she jumps, climbs... legs... I get rid of them first!
Back on my feet, I grab one of the guards' spears and move up behind them, trying not to fuck up their moves.
"Call for more men!" yells the sergeant, hoping someone will hear him from outside. At that Cleo leaps to attack, but Kason dodges, followed by another guard swinging the halberd, jerking Cleo to break off the attack, perfect for me to plunge my spear into her. Too bad it only went through her shoulder. "AAH! YOU AGAIN!" she growls at me.
Cleo kept thrashing around till another man shoved the sharp end of his weapon inside her belly, followed by another one that managed to make a complete spin and make contact with her wrist, severing it off in the process. Not even giving it a second thought more than I needed to, I double fist hammer her over the skull and grab her from behind again but this time I grip her hand and twist hard, trying to break it.
A moment later, Kason lashes out with his falcata, slicing through Cleo's chest with the silver coated blade. She tries to scream but drowns in her own blood. Now weak and trying with all her might to escape, she claws at it. In one harsh move, I pick her up and slam her head against the floor. I call fast one of my spears still hidden in the room. Goodbye. And I puncture through her right lung, her eyes shooting up in horror. Honestly, I intentionally missed her heart.
"AAAAAAAHH!!!" one of the guards readies another charge, likely to decapitate her. Just in mid swing, I raise my shield, causing the impact to ricochet, the counter-shock breaking the wooden body of the halberd. Now everyone stared at me like I was the enemy.
"What the hell, Nyx?!" roars the sergeant. Kason was on edge, tension and adrenaline pumping through his system, he was still in combat mode. At that moment, several guards flooded the room. My foot pressed on Cleo's good arm, leaving her with little ways to attack. She was done. She dropped her guard, and Kason's strike was what needed to end it.
"Hehe...you...hypocrite.." she spoke through gritted teeth, coughing the blood out weakly. "You've left in your trail as many corpses as there are people here.." she laughs. "You'll see... You'll get your turn...hehe.." Followed by a few coughs and growls of pain and trying to gasp for air. The fight was over much faster than I thought.
Still on short legs, people knew she was done, but they weren't taking any chances. Everyone stared and waited for the sergeant's orders.
"You..you're much of a monster as I am..." she says. But from up close,it was clear, her wounds were healing at an extremely slow rate. I kneel on her abdomen and push my hand through her chest wound. The blood, though not human, was no doubt absorbed, ultimately reaching her heart. Her face was one of pain, gritting her teeth and now trying to sink her claws into my ribcage.
A soulless monster perhaps, but I could see the life slowly leaving her eyes. Her heart was still pumping, but her flesh and bones weren't healing fast enough, blood pooling in the space between her lungs and suffocating. Her white skin slowly turned gray and her veins blackened. And then she fell limp.