A Tremor of Evil

[longstevo]

The wolf crouched low in the grass as it crept closer to the group of humans. Laughing, talking, they were so loud. The cunning predator heard them nearly a mile away with his sensitive ears. They were a blight on nature’s landscape, but they were a tasty inconvenience at this time. Slinking forward, being sure to stay low enough for the tall grass to conceal his jet-black fur, the wolf licked his chops, tasting the sweet flesh of the soft men already. His belly rumbled, remembering the last time his jaws feasted on man flesh. Quivers of excitement ran through his body, and he continued to stalk his prey. But little did he know, the hunter was very much the hunted.

He watched from merely seventy yards away. A caravan had stopped for a rest, and its occupants dismounted their rides to stretch their legs. With his keen eyesight, Sirion Sunrunner peered at the curious group of men and women. They all seemed to be wealthy, as they brandished large jewelry and expensive looking robes. They sloshed together mugs of some drink or another; they were thoroughly enjoying their break along the forest road.

But Sirion was not there to watch the travelers. He had been tracking a rogue wolf for three weeks now. The rogue first appeared when it attacked a family picnicking in the forest, killing the two children and wounding the father. A week later, the wolf attacked a girl picking flowers. Those two attacks occurred in rural areas surrounding a little village. But after tasting human flesh, the wolf apparently developed a taste for it, and got more and more bold as time went on. Two attacks happened right on the very edge of town, and the latest one had taken place right outside the only tavern. The governor called upon their ranger to assist.

Sirion finally caught up to his quarry, just as it was preparing for another attack, it seemed. Softly, silently, he moved to behind another tree. No human nor wolf spotted him. He moved stealthily in his quiet leather armor, and the longsword sheathed at his waist had had been modified so the steel could not grind against any other piece of metal on his person, which would normally give his position away. Slowly, deliberately, he took the bow off of his back, holding it in his left hand. Just a little closer…

The wolf lay at the edge of the grass now. He rest not thirty feet from the closest man. What a meal he would make. Short, fat, and very tasty. A drop of drool escaped the canine’s mouth as his saliva glands began working furiously, craving the taste of human meat once again. Wait. The man is walking towards the grass! This is going to be too easy…

The fat man nonchalantly meandered away from the group, apparently to take in some of the view, noted Sirion. ‘Of course the rich can’t make things easy…’ He reached up and grabbed an arrow from his quiver. Notching his arrow, he moved up one more tree…

Now. Do it now! The wolf needed to use all the self restraint he possessed to keep from striking too early. The allure of fresh meat was almost too much to resist. The thought of being bathed in human blood once more made the wolf’s hind quarters quiver. He <I>needed</I> this meat. He could feast on nothing more. Deer, rabbits, nothing else held the tasty juice that man meat did. Just a little more….

Now!

The fat man did not have time to gasp, cry for help or scream. Out of the sea of green grass arose a black demon from hell. With teeth whiter than his ivory necklace jutting out from gnashing jaws, the fat nobleman knew the reaper was upon him. But fortunately, instead of the grim reaper, a guardian angle was on his side.

For as soon as the wolf leapt from the ground, an arrow was let loose from a bow. The steel shank and feathers flew straight and true, and found it’s way home as it struck the black beast in the ribcage. The arrow hit with enough force to knock the wolf away from his trajectory into the man, sending the dead rogue crashing into the ground.

Sighing, Sirion calmly walked out of the tree cover towards the flustered party. Women were sobbing while the men investigated the fallen beast. The fat man saw Sirion approaching. Shaking, he muttered, “Di….di…did you…?”

Sirion did not bother to look at the man. Instead, he walked straight to the wolf. Coming upon him, the ranger knelt down and rested a hand on the black head. He closed his eyes and said a short prayer to Mother Nature, asking for forgiveness for taking one of her children. Afterwards, Sirion stood, and hoisted the dead beast onto his shoulder. He turned to the shaken party and said simply, “You should be more careful.”

The ranger turned and melted into the forest…

<B>So there’s your introduction to Sirion Sunrunner, the ranger. What do you think?</B>

[Swords]

Hard leather collided with his skin, leaving red welts and sending resounding echoes throughout the small, dark room.

"You have defied me yet again." taunted a voice from within the darkness.

"I did not defy you. I failed, yes, but-" said the victim of the whip, interrupted by another burning strike.

"Do not correct me. You defied me by getting caught, which I explicitly told you to avoid. The body was burned and is now useless, thanks to your careless efforts to hide it." replied the voice, growing tense with anger. The voiced calmed, "But fret not, for I am not without mercy. For now, we will put off our main goals for a smaller victory. In two day's time you will ride out to Khemal and escort a friend of mine here, she has similar aspirations and has volunteered to work with us."

"I will not fail you." said the second voice.

"Good. Now, get out of here and enjoy the ball. It would be a poor show of heritage for one of the city's nobles to not show to his own mother's party. I will catch up with you shortly."

The tight chains that bound the victim suddenly came undone, and the once pitch-black room was now alight with torches. The victim rubbed his wrists, almost taking no notice as to the stinging pain in his back. He turned around, ready to leave, yet was stopped by the same voice as before. Now, however, the voice belonged to that of a tall and elegantly dressed man, rather than to the shadows.

"And Ian," the man called out. The owner of the name inclined his head in the man's direction. The man smiled, "Do have yourself a good time."

Without another word, Ian stepped out into the warm halls of the palace. He ran a hand through his short sandy-brown hair, taken aback by his master's patience. He was a nobleman of the royal family Valleri, and he was a vampire. Yes, a creature of the night, one who feasts on the blood of his fellow man. Every noble in the family was, even the King, his father, himself. It was a fact welcomed by some and feared by others, as the general population of Samora, the city they ruled, knew.

The vampiric bloodline that the family kept running allowed kings from centuries before to consult the king of today, and rulers in the future. The "curse", as many called it, proved to have it's advantages, though it was frowned upon by other cities. Royalty in his city kept human cattle in the palace for them to feed on, which they only did every so often.

If it was one thing that the city of Samora was known for, it was its elegance. Nearly every citizen had a certain flare, a certain poise, a certain formality. The populace was far different from those in different regions, especially those brutes in the East. The innate charm of the vampire only added to the image of the city.

Ian Valleri entered the ballroom, making his way past the hordes of dancing citizens. There, in the middle of it all, was a lonely girl. It could only strike him as odd that she was alone, for not only was she beautiful, but he recognized her as one from the family Tadriel,a generally well-liked bunch, though not very well-off financially. He approached her, flashing his light blue eyes and boyish smile. She smiled back, recognizing the young man as nobility. Ian offered his hand, and she took it.

A few hours later, she lay in his bedchambers, sleeping soundly after an eventful night. Such was the charm of the vampire, for it was not the first time Ian had wooed a girl into his quilts. She would wake up in her own bed, still human. Commonfolk were seen as unfit to be taken in as a vampire.

Ian loved this life of eternity, this life of darkness.

[longstevo]

Days later, Sirion rode into the nearby mountain pass village of North Gate. North Gate sat on the very northernmost ridge of the Northwind mountains. The only passable road through the rigorous peaks began at the small, but inhabitable town. The road, hardly more than a wagon sized trail, snaked through the pass and forked two hundred miles south. It split east, catching the Ambian River and following the water to the town of Silvenwater. The south road continued along the pass road until finally ending at Gharkaz.

North Gate also happened to be the headquarters of the Pass Rangers. This elite organization consisted of some of the most fearless rangers in all the land. The group was established here because the northern section of the Northwind Mountains was the most dangerous, and many travelers encountered problems in this region. So the Pass Rangers was established as a ‘Search and Rescue’ organization. So far, this year’s winter had been light, so the Rangers responded to very few incidents.

Sirion galloped into the gate-less town and smiled at a family standing outside their house. He was known to be one of the more compassionate Rangers in the ranks, taking any mission regardless of his own safety. In fact, the very family he greeted that day owed their son’s life to him. Two winters ago, Samil, age four, wandered into the pass in search of rocks. But a winter storm moved in, and dense fog packed the mountains. The family-like village searched for hours before Sirion was finally alerted. Using expert tracking techniques passed down by his father, the ranger followed the boy’s sign into the mountains. He found the boy huddled underneath a stump, cold and exhausted, but safe. Taking the boy back to his family, the village tried to give Sirion a hero’s welcome, but he wouldn’t have it. He was quoted as saying, “I’m just doing my job.”

The mountains surrounded this village on all sides, with the largest peaks jutting up in the south, and west. The mountains shrank as the road went north, finally leading out of the mountain range. The bright sunlight reflecting off the peaks made them appear as if they were gods themselves standing guard over North Gate. Sirion steered his horse to the local shop.

Dismounting, he removed his cloak hood, and his shoulder length black hair fell down to his shoulders. He long nose ran up his face and met with large, dark eyebrows. An intense face was put on hold as he smiled at a group of teenage girls. They laughed shyly and waved back.

He strode up to the door and opened the large oak wood with a medium sized hand. A handsome man of twenty nine, he experienced enough adventures in the woods to fill the memories of a sixty year old. A traveling knight got up and passed him on his way out. The typical sized knight, the huge warrior dwarfed the smaller ranger, as Sirion’s head barely met the paladin’s shoulders. They smiled and nodded, and went on their way.

As he greeted the shopkeep, Yates, Sirion pondered for a minute at how friendly this town was. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits most of the time. He believed it was because of the good spirits residing in Thornwood forest, the nearby forest to the east. The ranger believed that nature and man can coexist happily, and that the two benefited from each other. For he knew that he feel completely whole in surrounded by trees.

“Yates, my good man, I need some supplies,” said Sirion.

“Well, what can I do for ye?” said Yates, in a gravelly voice.

But the two men did not discuss mercantile needs. Instead, they got off topic and began discussing small talk about the region. They talked for nearly an hour before Sirion had his bag of food and arrows and was out the door.

[Swords]

"Ah, my lady Saria, how do you do? I trust Ian here escorted you without any trouble?" said Ian's master with a wry smile.

"He did, and I'm fine. It is nice to see you again, Mr. Valleri." said the vampiress named Saria.

"Call me Vincent. Ian, you may take your leave, but visit me in an hour, I have another job for you."

"Yes, master." replied Ian.

Ian smirked as he exited the small room, amazed at the polar opposites his brother could go through. One moment he'd be going off on another tirade, lashing out at random, and the other he would seem calm and collected. Ian knew, however, that his brother Vincent was always calculating his next move, and would dispose of him should he see it fit. The sandy-haired vampire wouldn't let that happen, though he had little real respect for his brother. The ingenious plan that Vincent had concocted, however, would benefit him greatly in the long run. When it was his time to reap the rewards, he'd most likely be the most powerful man in the province of Yar, or even farther North. For the moment, however, he'd keep his head down and do what he's told.

The moon was shining brightly upon the beautiful courtyard of the Valleri Palace. This was one of the last times Ian would be able to view the spectacle of the moon upon the wide assortment of foliage, as the snows would be falling within the next few days. Taking in the ambiance, Ian hardly noticed the man creeping up behind him. His vampiric senses took hold of him, however, and he smelled the blood coursing through the man's veins. He smelled the anxiety, the fear of being near a creature such as he. Ian whirled around, sword out.

"Wha! Y-you shall face holy judgment, foul vampire!" said the startled man, drawing his own blade.

Ian sighed, 'Vampire hunter...'

The hunter rushed forward, readying his sword for an overhead strike. Ian rolled his eyes and thrust his blade into the man's gut before the blade pierced his own, cold skin. The man froze, making a slight gurgling sound, his blade clattering to the ground. Blood welled up in his mouth, and he gazed upon his killer with intense ire. Then the man dropped, the bright moon fading into darkness. Ian, by now, was cleaning his blade. The prince admired it greatly, for it was the Valleri family blade. Thin yet strong, it was twice as deadly as any common blade, and speedy to boot. He sheathed the deadly instrument after making sure it was pristine as it was before. Making his way back to his brother's chambers, he would leave the body where it lay, the servants would know what to do with it.

*As an aside, I changed Ian's surname to Valleri (in my last post as well), thought it sounded better.*

[longstevo]

Sirion sat down at the table in his cabin. He had tossed the bag of goods in the corner and he reopened the book he had been reading. The title gave way to the subject of the material: The Legend of Count Ezekial. Vampires. Fascinating creatures they were. Count Ezekial was one of the more famous of the undead creatures, having owned, conquered, and murdered most the far eastern realms close to three hundred years ago. After the unholy purge of civilians, the Knights of Tanasborne answered the call and sent most of the converted vampires into their own little hell. But it was rumored that Ezekial could not be killed, so the knights constructed an impregnable prison in which the vampiric lord was to be jailed for all eternity.

The whole story mesmerized Sirion. Although he harbored no love towards the blood thirsty creatures, he was reading the story more to hear about his demise and to see if the book betrayed any secrets to slaying a vampire. Soft whispers among the commoners said a beast stalked the forest, leaving dead animals in his wake, devoid of their blood. Sirion checked the dead carcasses himself, but found that the blood simply seeped out from wolf’s gashes into the ground. It was a normal predatory kill, but the townsfolk had a way of making tall tales when none should be made at all.

The ranger heard the young man running along the path leading to the cabin way before the man ever got close to the building. Sirion jumped to his feet and flung open the door. Galil nearly ran him over and Sirion caught him in his arms and stood him up on his feet. Galil, the a young farmhand working on his father’s farm just inside the pass, was breathing heavily. He had run some distance, and he had no horse around.

“There, there, lad. Take a breath and tell me what’s going on,” Sirion calmly said to the adolescent teen.

Out of breath, Galil said in short, ragged bursts, “I…had to…run…from town…”

“You ran all the way from town? Why, that’s nearly half a mile! Is there something wrong?”

“…highway…men…robbed a…caravan…”

“Bandits? Why didn’t you tell the local chapter in North Gate?”

“…I did. They… said to come find you. I guess…there is many…they need you…”

Sirion stood, understanding finally that the Pass Rangers needed every one available, for these bandits have proven themselves something fierce. “Right!” Turning, he leaped to the wall, grabbing his head leather armor. Throwing it over his shoulders, he snapped it effortlessly. Buckling his belt with the longsword strapped to the side. He grabbed his quiver and slipped the strap over his shoulder. Finally, he grabbed his elven bow.

The majestic bow was green in color, with gold carvings and enscriptures. It had been a gift from an elven lord for a favor done onto him by the ranger. Staring at it for a mere second, he took in the elegance of the weapon before bounding out the door.

Ten minutes later, he rode into North Gate on his black horse…

[longstevo]

Sirion dismounted from his horse, as the beast was still moving. He stopped outside the small building where the Pass Rangers kept their ‘office.’ It was not much of an office. It was more of an empty building where there was always on ranger on duty. Outside of the building stood Fruamros, Panaan and Leokas, three other rangers in the organization. Fruamros and Panaan were brothers and spent their entire lives in the wilderness, much like most rangers. Leokas was the only half elf in North Gate, and he was the acting captain of the Pass Rangers, even though officially there was no rank structure. All three rangers were gathered outside in full combat gear, discussing a plan.

Grinning, the good natured Fruamros said to Sirion as he strode up to the group, “Nice of you to come along, mate!”

“Aye, we’d thought we were going to have the fun without you!” joked Panaan, the younger of the brothers. The old wily veteran Leokas let the younger men have their fun, for in a couple of hours, there would be very real combat surrounding them, and this mission’s odds did not look good for the four rangers. So the captain spoke up after Sirion joked a little with the two brothers, giving them all a mission brief.

“Yes, Sirion. Your company is going to be quite needed, for these are not ordinary highway bandits we face. I’m sure you’ve heard of the battle raging between the western cities of Kaheri and Kherash? Well, it seems a group of soldiers deserted from the fighting, and it just seems they’ve decided to turn to banditry to make their living. Reports that I’ve heard say they’ve spread their terrorism across the lands, and we seem to be just the next stop on their journey. A group of knights are hot on their trail, but they follow nearly two days behind the group. So it falls to us to defend our borders, people and travelers,” he paused, “The wounded merchant who came riding in said it appeared to him that they were camped five miles into the pass, preying on passing riders. We need to go in there and put an end to this. As rangers dedicated to providing safe passage, it is our duty.”

The three men listening nodded before Panaan asked, “What’s their numbers and strength?” Always the tactician, the younger brother was always concerned with odds and how they matched against their challenges.

“The match up doesn’t favor us,” said Leokas, “They were counted at twenty five strength, and were seen wearing heavy steel armor. They are moving on foot, although there was five horses with them. Swords and axes, no bows were seen. Anything else?”

“When do we move out?” asked Sirion.

“In half an hour. Get what gear you think you’ll need and meet back here.”

[Swords]

Ian strode up to the grand palace of Khemal, escorted by his own personal guard team. He frowned when he saw that the portcullis was closed, though it would only take a little charm to get him past the front gates. Two guards of Khemal stood vigilantly in front of the gate, only moving to bow to the royalty of Samora. In a rare show of respect to those of lesser blood, Ian returned the bow, thought it was not out of real courtesy.

"Hail, Prince Ian Valleri, I trust your journey here was safe?" said the guard on the left.

"Indeed, it was. Thank you for the éentourage you sent, though I regret to inform you that it was not needed. May I ask why the most gracious Count's doors are not open this fine eve?"

The guard smiled, "Well, Count Zerithor is out visiting the city of Newhelm for a meeting. Meanwhile, the Countess is having a dinner party, for being parted with her husband bores her so."

"Ah, the terrible pestilence of boredom strikes again, eh? Well it just so happens I was planning to visit her about the recent Treaty of Yar, I gave the document a look-over and it seems that it needs to be revised. You don't think she'd mind if I paid her a visit, do you?"

"Well, the Countess requested that no one get past the gate without an invitation..." began the guard, Ian looking him straight in the eyes. ", but I suppose I can let you through, you're a good enough sort."

"My thanks, fare thee well." said Ian, waving off the guards that escorted him.

Most people did not trust the Valleri family because of their condition, though not all of Mythosa knew of their "secret". Khemal was one of those cities, not even the Count and his lady knew of their vampirism, which was why Ian was there. He was to woo his way into the Countess' heart, or at least get close to her, and make her a creature of the night as well. Once the Countess realized she was a vampire, all he'd have to do would be to convince her to infect the Count.

This was Vincent's plan: widespread vampirism, among the nobility, at least. While most of family Valleri wanted to contain their condition and keep it open to only Samora, the two brothers had though differently. Why have widespread vampirism? The simple answer would be: eternal power, though it was something much, much more than that. It was for the good of the people. After all, why have a wise leader rule until the end of his days when he can rule for eternity?

The last endeavor Ian had made was a mistake, and he knew it. He had tried to infect the Duke of Blackport's son, but he bit too deep, causing the child to simply die, without the after-effects of vampirism. He would make sure not of fail this time, for it would be but one small step to achieving his ultimate goal.

The human mind was almost too easy to deceive.

[longstevo]

Two hours later, the four rangers advanced upon the bandit’s encampment. Sneaking silently through the dense forest, they split up, and would descend on the unknowing thieves from four different angles. The rangers were outnumbered nearly six to one, and they were relying on their element of surprise and their ability to disappear in the forest to allow them to emerge victorious.

The Ranger was a unique blend of skills and expertise. Somewhere between a thief and a heavy fighter, the ranger was more then adept at several thievery skills such as the ability to disappear in the shadows, see hidden traps and pick simple locks. But he was more than a match for any opponent when blades were drawn. Usually very proficient with a bow or crossbow, silent kills from a distance were common tactics used by rangers. But when melee was inevitable, the ranger could more than hold his own. Different rangers preferred different blades, but the usual swords used included longswords, short swords, rapiers, scimitars and even heavy two handed blades. Using all of his available attributes, the ranger was a force to be reckoned with.

Sirion could finally see a glimmer of a campfire in the near distance. The fading sunlight did not inhibit his ability to see, as years of experience in the woods taught him how to maintain his vision in low light. Stepping softly, his feet seemed to work with minds of their own in terms to finding solid footing and avoiding loud sticks and twigs. Scanning the spaces between each tree, he looked for anything that looked out of place. He searched for a head, a shoulder, a…

There. A straight horizontal line against the vertical shapes of the trees. What was it? A sword in it’s sheath. Sirion followed the shape and finally picked out the form of a sentry guard. These were smart bandits. Usually the miscreants simply gathered at the campfire, but these had the alertness to post lookout guards.

His bow already in hand, he slowly reached behind him and selected an arrow from his quiver. Bring the shaft down in his right hand, he carefully notched in into the woven silk bowstring of his elven bow. His left hand fit the hand grip perfectly, as the giver of the gift had the bow customized to Sirion’s body. Fixating on his target, Sirion whistled ever so softly, mimicking a bird call. That was a signal to his mates, letting them know that the action was about to begin. With a second bird call, hell broke loose.

The arrow flew straight and fast and buried itself deep in his victim’s chest. A gasp of air was all that escaped from the guard’s lungs, and he collapsed. The rest of the camp didn’t notice their fallen comrade on the outskirts, but the did become aware of incoming arrows from other archers. They could not have known that merely four rangers were taking on their entire camp, as arrows seemed to pour in from all directions. Men fell left and right, and screams of fear, pain and rage rose up from the woods. Arrows found their mark in chests, necks, faces and heads. Dead men fell all around the campfire. Choas and disorder broke out and bandits ran about and grabbed their weapons, although useless against the arrowstorm. It seemed like only seconds, and just six men remained.

The arrows stopped. The six bandits huddled near the campfire, staring out into the forest, looking for their attackers. They brandished swords and axes, and wore their fear on their sleeves. One finally got brave and called out to the darkness, “Hey! Come out and fight like men!”

A moment of silence, and then the rangers emerged from the trees like banshees explode from a dream. Sirion leaped over a log, sword drawn and sprinted towards the group. Panaan, Fruamros and Leokas all did likewise with their respective blades drawn. The one closest to Sirion grinned at an opportunity to strike back at his enemy, but never had the chance as the rangers overshot their supposed targets and struck and the man behind him instead in one of the Pass Ranger's signature attack manuvers. The bandit aiming down on Sirion was met with Panaan’s scimitar through the side of his neck. With cat-like agility, Panaan leaped back out of the way and Sirion continued on his streak and stabbed his target in the side, burying the blade to the hilt. Leokas and Fruamros executed similair moves, and in a matter of seconds, four more bandits fell to the floor, leaving two standing. Shaking, they threw their weapons down to the ground.

“Please! Mercy! We surrender!” pleaded one. Leokas calmly walked around behind the two as they stood with their arms stretched skyward. Quickly, he thrust out his foot and kicked them each in the back of the knees, collapsing them to the ground. The half elf sheathed his long blade, and pulled out an elegant dagger from his belt…

[longstevo]

Leokas walked around to behind the nearest bandit who remained kneeling. The tall, bearded man still had his hands raised above his head, and he began breathing heavily, as if he knew what was coming. The captain grabbed a handful of hair and yanked the man’s head back and quickly drew the dagger’s blade across his throat. Choking and gurgling, the bandit grabbed for the wound, but nothing could be done. Sirion, Fruamros, and Panaan looked on, emotionless, as the bandit’s life force finally expired.

The second bandit watched his comrade bleed out, then gave a cry of terror and jumped to his feet and attempted to flee into the forests. Without delay, Sirion’s bow and an arrow were in his hands, and the arrow was sent flying into the middle of the criminal’s back, collapsing him on the spot, dead. The four looked around at the carnage surrounding them.

This had been a slaughter. Hardly a strike was directed at the rangers as the bandits had been utterly surprised. Sirion thought about the brutal execution Leokas had performed on the first bandit. It had to be done. The Pass Rangers were stand up citizens of a somewhat lawful good alignment, but they defended the pass without mercy. They would risk their lives to save another, but they would also risk their lives to destroy a threat to the safety of the road. This group of men was renown for their ferocity in defense of their territory. They swore an oath when they were accepted into their ranks, and they upheld it. They swore to save all innocent men, women and children who fall victim to the mountains, and to extinguish anyone who preys upon the weak, weather it be on the road or in nearby villages. In fact, in some places of the world, they were known as the Pass Knights, for their exemplary behavior was more suited to knights than rangers.

But the savage killings needed to be done to send a message to anyone thinking about making these parts dangerous again. The Pass Rangers were famous for their painful killings of bandits and criminals, and for the most part, the miscreants went out of their way to avoid the North Gate area. The Pass Rangers made sure of that.

Without words, the rangers disappeared back into the forest and recovered their horses. Around midnight, they galloped back into a sleeping town. Fruamros, Panaan and Leokas chose to remain in the office, but gave Sirion leave to return to his cabin. Bidding his comrades farewell, the ranger turned and made his way back to his home.

[longstevo]

Waking up with the sun the next morning, Sirion stood up and stretched, welcoming the warming rays into the small cabin’s window. The window next to the front door faced North Gate, and since the little abode sat just a short distance away, he could usually see the happenings at the entrance to the town. And it seemed that quite a happening was occurring this morning. As he passed the window, giving it a quick glance, he did a double take at what he saw through the window. Nearly fifty mounted riders mulled about the first buildings that made up North Gate. Even though they sat a distance away, the gleam on their armor could probably be seen two miles away. Tall flag standards arose from two lifted lances, belying the rider’s identity.

This was the group of knights that were following the bandits north from Kherash. Sirion chuckled a bit. They must have found what remained of the bandits, and had come asking questions. Quickly, he threw on some clothes and a cloak to protect against the morning’s chill, and strapped on his belt which carried his long sword, for he never left his cabin without it. Stepping out the door, he locked the intricate locked and jogged up the trail leading to the village.

As he approached the riders, one knight spied him from the corner of his eye. Apparently, knights do not like armed men coming up from their blind side, because in a second, the knight had his sword drawn and pointed towards the ranger.

“Hold, civilian! State your business here!”

Every other knight moved their hand to the hilts of their swords, waiting for Sirion to make the wrong move. Sirion stopped in his tracks and stared into the steely eyes of every knight who was studying him closely. These knights had seen violence and death in their days, and they would not hesitate to cut down what they perceived as a threat to one of their own. The ranger slowly put his hands into the air and stayed put.

“I am Sirion Sunrunner of the Pass Rangers. I only come to see what all the hubbub is about this fine morning.” When he said ‘fine morning,’ he smiled and shrugged his shoulders, gesturing to the beautiful, cloudless sky that stretched above them.

“Aye! That’s him. He’s no threat to your men. Replace your arms, if you would,” said the voice of Leokas. The captain’s voice rang out from where the ranger’s office would be, if it could be seen through the ranks of armored riders. When the knight resheathed his blade, Sirion put his hands together and bowed slightly, smiling. The knight smiled back and nodded in return.

Making his way up to where Leokas was presumably speaking with the leader of these knights, Sirion noticed that the knights consisted of both men and women. And in some cases, the women looked tougher than the men. But some women possessed beauty as such the ranger had never seen before. All wore the same mark of some sort on the front of their breastplate. They were soldiers in rank, uniform and fighting spirit.

When he finally wormed his way through the sea of horses and armor, he saw Leokas speaking with a huge bearded man wearing armor much like his soldiers. The half elf stood with his arms crossed, and seemed to be talking in a cordial tone with the knight captain. Standing next to the knight leader, stood a woman with black hair flowing past her shoulders. It took Sirion all he had not to stop solely to marvel at her beauty. Keeping his professionalism, Sirion approached Leokas.

“Sirion. This is Captain XXXX and XXXX. They lead this group of knights and happened upon our recent visit with those bandits…” Leokas laughed and was joined by the captain in his laughter.

[Swords]

Red wine glimmered in the exquisite glasses that the Countess' maid had set out. Her guests had long since departed, and now the atmosphere was shared only between her and her mysterious visitor. He was charming, attractive, and, most of all, royalty. He was kind, but not overly so, a grade A personality. Why, then, did she not trust him? She felt comfortable around him, sure, but it seemed he was more than he appeared. She tried to shake it off: he was from a noble family, why not trust him, he seemed to be good of heart. Yet that utter feeling of secrecy intrigued her and frightened her all the same. He stared into her eyes, only averting them to sip the sweet nectar that humbled the mind. The more he talked, the more she listened, the faster her heart beat, and the hotter the room became.

After an hour, he was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. A knight in shining armor, rather than the unnerving stranger he was before. Every rise and fall of her chest grew heavier, and it was not long before her marital status meant nothing. She pressed her lips against his mid-sentence, releasing all of the infatuation that troubled her moments before.

Inside, Ian was smiling, this was exactly what he was hoping for. He pressed his lips against her neck in the heat of it all, drawing a soft breath. To the Countess' utter horror, he bit into her neck, drawing a substantial amount of blood. Soon horror turned into pleasure, however, and she began to not take notice of the blood. This was the bite of the vampire, th sire's kiss. To humans, the bite was actually pleasurable, until they were drained of enough blood. Ian had to drain nearly all of her blood, a difficult feat for a vampire, for blood was sweet, and it was hard to pull away from the ambrosial taste.

The Valleri felt the Countess' heartbeat slow, and he knew that he should pull away soon. Though it was hard, he managed to remove his lips from the woman's soft neck. To Ian's surprise, she was lividly pale, but still drew breath. She would die soon, however, and, if he had done it right, she would become one of the night dwellers.

Ian quickly made his way out of the castle, not wanting to get caught with the Countess' body. Before he was out into the main hallway, however, he threw his hand over his mouth. As he drew his hand away, the blood of the woman smeared on his hands. Had he forgotten and the guards seen his lips...

... but that would not happen. He was in the clear, and it would only be a matter of time before his brother's plan would be set into motion. Picking up his cloak at the doorway, he stepped out into the night as a soft rain fell.

[Swords]

"Excellent work," said Vincent as Ian finished telling his tale. ", you may have just started the first non-Samoran vampire family. Saria has already left for Ilmara to seduce the Baron. By the end of the moth we should have infected at least four nobles."

"Am I to do anything more, brother? Have you any further need of me?"

"I'm glad you asked, for I have a very special mission for you. I have recruited two more like-minded friends to my cause, so they will take care of infecting more nobles. You however, need to track someone who is noble but does not show it, whether he knows it or not." said Vincent, drawing a confused look from Ian.

"Allow me to explain. His name is Sirion Sunrunner, and he is a ranger and an esteemed member of the Pass Rangers, a group of people who help those in need, or those that get lost within the wilderness. The information I have heard of him places him at North Gate, a town between the Northwind Mountains and Thornwood Forest, not exactly the safest place to be.

"Anyway, I need you to not infect him, but spy on him, by whatever means necessary. Find out what he's doing, if he recieves any word of our plan, and how many rangers he has. He could be detrimental to our plans, and I cannot have that when we have such a promising outlook. By tomorrow, I want you to take a boat to Carsus, where another friend of mine, Duranar, will meet you.

"I want you to ride around the massive mountain chain, which is why I want you to take a boat to avoid them. You have no time limit for this mission, I just want you to succeed, which I expect you will do judging from last evening's endeavor."

Ian simply nodded, content with something to do, sometimes it was so boring to be rich.

"Stick to the darkness, my brother, and good luck."

"I will, Vincent, fare thee well."

[Latronis]

The Lady Jacqueline, Knight of the Shield and Paladin of Our Lady of Justice missed the introductions so absorbed was she in thoughts of the battle site she encountered a few hours previously. She was no stranger to battle and had much admiration for the tactics that one what appeared to be such a decisive victory, no it was the last corpses discovered that had her withdrawn in thoughts. The viciously cut throat of one was clearly an on the spot execution and the final causality shot from behind while fleeing. She had no idea what atrocities the bandits they had been following had done to warrant such deaths but she knew what they had done to have captain Asta's cavalry chasing them so far from her homeland. She knew she should feel some regret, such actions where clearly against the tenets of the faith but she couldn't help feeling that it was justice dealt. But then that was what lead her to this life, a self-imposed life of service to make amends for the crime of her dark heritage.

LIEUTENANT! Fortunately the captain's voice had snapped her out of her reverie, she was beginning to brood. At first she thought Asta was referring to someone else he so rarely called her by her rank, then she realised he had to be talking to her. She snapped to attention "Sir!" The captian and herself were the paladins, the only officers in the wedge and they had company she should have expected him to stick to protocol in such a situation.

It was then she noticed the another ranger had joined them. Blushing slightly at her lack of diligence she quickly exchanged greetings with the new comer.

[longstevo]

Reaching his hand towards the mysterious Lady Jacqueline, Sirion grinned. “Nice to meet you, m’lady.” Noticing her blush, he took her offered hand and shook it gently.

“Well met,” she replied, but quickly withdrew her hand. It was obvious her trust was not easy to gain.

“Well now. Lord Leokas, may we request your good will, and receive food and rest tonight before we start our journey back home?” asked Captain Asta.

“Most certainly. In fact, we shall have a feast in your honor!” Leokas clapped his hands together, “You will find the hospitality of North Gate second to none.”

--

That night, a large bonfire was roaring in the center of the town square. Knights of Shield mixed and mingled with the local townsfolk, and many young girls stared with wide eyes at the general attractiveness of the foreign fighters. The large feast hall was filled to the brim, with both food and men. Long tables were overflowing with pork, beef, chicken and many other meats. Vegetables and other sides dotted the empty spaces between the meat dishes. Sirion stepped out of the dinner hall into the warm night’s air with an ale in his hands. Looking to the gate, he frowned at the two knights standing guard. Turning back inside, he sought out Captain Aska, who was telling a story to the table.

The ranger patiently waited for the captain to finish his tale, and leaned over the chair back and spoke, “Sir, there is no need for sentries here. Bring your guards inside, and let them partake in tonight’s festivities,”

The captain looked incredulously at Sirion, before looking to Leokas sitting beside him. The half elven nodded and smiled. “Bring your men in, Lord. For North Gate is a safe town.”

“Aye. Go tell them they are relieved my boy, yes?” the captain said to Sirion.

“Right away sir.”

Striding out to the front gate, Sirion put a hand on each of the young men’s shoulders. “My friends. Tonight is not a night for duty! Go inside, and enjoy yourselves. Ale, food and maybe even a lass awaits you!”

“Captain Aska…”

“I already spoke to him. He sent me to relieve you,”

The two knight’s faces lit up and they turned to the center of town. “Thank you, noble ranger.” Sirion watched the two disappearing in the large crowd of North Gate natives celebrating inside. Smiling, he took a sip of ale, and looked away. He saw something that surprised him. There, just outside of the gates, sat a lonely figure. He could see the shape in the moonlight, and it was easy to see that it belonged to a human. Cautiously approaching, he called out, “Hello?”

The figure jumped to it’s feet, and the moonlight gave away her identity. “My lady Jacqueline. What are you doing out here?”

[Latronis]

Jacqueline was once again thinking about the brutal executions, it stirred something deep within her, something inside was about to click when that ranger from earlier interrupted her again.

"Please just Jacqueline is fine, I get enough of wasted words at court. Nice banquet in there, but I'm afraid i'm not much in the mood for loud parties tonight."