NationStates Jolt Archive

CHAPTER TWO

Skadi, Uller and Idun ran as fast as their relatively young vampiric speed would carry them. Whilst faster than most humans, the trio was outnumbered and outarmed to the point where an army against a lone criminal was an accurate comparison. Besides the pounding of their very own hearts, the uproar of the mob was ever present within their ears, reminding them that if they stopped, they died.

The streets of Boron were wide, dark and filthy, but that didn't deter the majority of the townspeople from charging through the dirt, murderous intent on their minds. The clang of metal was now apparent, alerting the vampires that sharp points lay behind them, ever willing to pierce flesh and muscle. This was not Skadi's idea of a quiet trek over the nation, nor the others.

Besides their current predicament, there had not been any trouble. That had changed quickly. Skadi had been minding her own business, walking back to their lodgings when approached by a gang of men. After making it clear she wasn't interested, the men became forceful and she was forced to act. Almost without thinking, Skadi had forced one of the men up against a wall and bored into his neck, drinking his prescious life blood. Although the trio had agreed not to drink human blood, Skadi was in a dire situation and could think of nothing else to do. With one of their comrades dead, the other men had ran, screaming demon.

That one little incident had moved the normally quiet and peaceful population of Boron to take up whatever weapons they could find and hunt down the demoness. And now they ran, panting from fear and exhaustion as the humans screamed for blood. It was hard to believe that people the trio had talked with and traded with would suddenly turn so hostile. It was the fear, the fear had changed them.

Around a corner, the trio moved into the city square and halted. Every exit was blocked by masses of people. Angry looking people, all armed with some sort of weapon and all ready to use it on the three strangers. Eyes darting around the crowd, the vampires realised there was no escape. It was fruitless.

Skadi felt bad enough knowing this was her fault and Idun hadn't made it any better. Out of all three, Idun was the most outspoken about their first rule. Do not drink human blood. He was also the most passive when it came to physical confrontation. Idun hated violence and was repelled by blood, even if it was in his own defence. Ever since Skadi had explained their predicament, Idun had done nothing but complained and scalded Skadi for her actions. Uller had understood, he always understood.

The majority of the people remained still whilst certain few stepped forward, preparing to slay the demons. Idun remained still and seemed to be off in another world, Skadi cowered and Uller stepped forward.

"What is the meaning of this? Hunting down innocent strangers like animals?"

A reply emerged from a large man of a bulky build, bigger than Uller.

"That.... companion of yours killed one of our men, she sucked his blood!"

"Yes, and your man attempted to have his way with her. She defended herself!"

"That may be so, but she isn't human. She will suck all our blood unless we kill her."

Uller smiled, showing his own fangs. "She is the least of your troubles."

The man stepped back slightly, then hardened his resolve and stepped forward. He didn't make his second step and he never would again. Uller's fist had arced upwards and collected the man square under the chin, ripping his lower jaw off in a spray of blood and bone.

A few stunned minutes went by before the others attacked and were quickly taken care of by the burly blacksmith. The mob fear was present again, but it wasn't angry fear anymore. It was terror. Wails of utter fear filled the air as the people ran, scared witless after that display of violence.

Idun merely looked at Uller, a scowl upon his face. The older man replied calmly.

"Sometimes that is necessary. The sooner you learn that, the longer you will survive."

Idun said nothing but followed Uller and the now relieved Skadi. Whilst Skadi cringed at the blood, that was more because she wasn't used to it. She didn't complain about Uller's actions and she continued to eye the blood spilled around the square. She had a taste for human blood, Idun could see it. He felt sick, completely and utterly sick...
___________

Zardon pulled his head away from the night's meal as something skimmed along the fringe of his hearing. There was another approaching, another human, another meal. Face covered in blood and tissue, Zardon was not the most appealing sight for a teenage girl to come across as she walked home.

A scream never escaped her lips as the bloodied creature was too quick, pouncing onto her and ripping out the throat with a lethal clamp of his jaw. Zardon happily lapped up all the blood he could gather, whilst it was still warm. Over the months he had developed some preferences when it came to feeding. First of all, elves were the best. Their blood was... bliss. It was stronger, fuller and always a treat. If an elf couldn't be found, a human would do. Whilst not as pleasurable, human blood was good, good enough to live off. Then there were animals. Zardon could survive on animals, but they were weaker, bad blood.

Finally finished with his feast, Zardon stood and began wandering through the woods once again. He had been on his journey for several months, following the traitors, those that defied the master and ran. Master had sent Marduk on this mission, to hunt down the other three and kill them whilst master and Svartel were finishing things in the south, killing off the cursed creatures known as Elves, feasting. Zardon was jealous, he wanted to be down south, feasting on elves but instead he was heading north, hunting others like him. There was one bonus, tasting one like himself and ranking it in the order of meals.

The night was still young and Zardon had much ground to cover. The trio would only be a few days ahead and Zardon must catch them before they refuge somewhere else. He would succeed and master would be pleased.
____________

Marduk and Svartel stood upon a mountain of bones, elven bones. There were no more left in the south. It had taken almost a full year, but the pair had eliminated all elven kind from the south of Assington. Those that were not part of the feast ran to the north, hoping to seek refuge with the elves of Emerald. That mattered little anyway, for they would too, in due time.

For now, Marduk and Svartel were pleased with what they had already accomplished. The demonic master looked down at his minion and grinned, showing his razor sharp fangs, glinting with blood in the moonlight.

"We have done well Svartel. We have both become strong from our feasting and we shall grow even stronger. These vermin will be purged from this petty human nation, then we shall move on to others. It is a slow process, but a worthy one."

Svartel nodded and returned the grin.

"Aye master. This is far more than my simple delvings into the black arts would have taken me. I am truly grateful."

The pair stepped off the bones and made their way out of the forest. The night was near an end down here and had been bloody. This night signified the extermination of the last elven presence in the south. There weren't many left, but they had put up quite the resistance. Although the pair had taken many wounds, no scars remained, such were the benefits of being spawned by Marduk. Over the months they had discovered just what those of Marduk's blood could do. They were stronger, faster, reacted faster and healed much faster. Unfortunately, there were disadvantages. The sun was lethal, as was fire. But they could be avoided.

Finally, the pair reached their dwelling within a small, run down house on the outskirts of the village. No one ever went near the building, rumours said that demons dwelled in there. It wasn't far from the truth. Either way, the pair would sleep for the night. Tomorrow, they would travel north and continue their purging of elven kind.
___________

Sithaer moved out of the shadows and looked at the pile of bones. It was a sad night indeed, the elves were gone. Sithaer had warned the King that this would happen, yet he was ignored. In a display of rage, Sithaer obliterated the bones with his mere will. He knew it was a demon and he knew there was more than one other creature out there. But, they all spawned from this... Marduk. Unfortunately, he had not been able to halt this massacre.

This was the first night the mage had even seen the demon and had his suspicions confirmed. The demon was in possession of his old time colleague Daveon. Unfortunately, Daveon was beyond salvation as the demon had completely merged with Daveon's essence and dominated it. Daveon no longer existed.

Now that it was confirmed, Sithaer would put a stop with it. He was the high mage of Assington and would not allow the elves to be killed, it was not acceptable. Every magical resource would be pulled forth and these creatures would be stopped.

Taking one last look at the graveyard of elves, Sithaer disappeared in a gush of air. It was a matter of time before the mages confronted the demon, and when it happened, there would be hell to pay.
__________

The Origins of Darkness Within Assington (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=314737&page=1&pp=15) <-------- Chapter One

The next chapter is finally here. This shall remain a closed story as it's much easier for me to manage.

Comments and questions are welcome.

A month after their scare in Boron and the vampiric trio now resided in a rundown inn on the outskirts of Amethyst, the national capitol. The inn was dark and went by the name of Shadow's Refuge, hinting as to what kind of people stayed there. Those that did not wish to be found.

Idun had calmed down but had taken to constantly reminding Uller and Skadi how wrong it was to murder other humans. That it was not their right to kill whomever they wished. Whilst Skadi could see the logic and morallity in Idun's words, the hunger for human blood fought it constantly, urging her to taste human once again and grow stronger. Uller wasn't really concerned with Idun's worries. He had been a soldier in his youth and was the kind of character one would find brawling in a bar. He had killed before and would kill again without giving it a second thought. Idun realised this and had given up on Uller, focusing his attentions on the conflicted Skadi.

Within the dark confines of their room, the pale form of Idun came to sit by Skadi. The trio had become fairer of skin and developed a keen sense of sight in the dark recently, yet they merely shrugged that off as a side effect of having to travel throghout the night for the last few months.

"Skadi, I've seen the way you look at the others. The way you watch their necks pulse, how you listen for their heartbeats. You must fight it. We can live without harming humans, creatures of this earth are plentiful for us to feed upon without harming our own kind. You must be strong."

Skadi was getting fed up with Idun's fanatical obsession with not harming another.

"They are hardly our brethren anymore. You saw their faces in Boron, you knew what they would have done. They shunned us, cursed us, hated us. We are different from them now, we are... stronger. If they are willing to kill me out of spite, I would rather return the favour before allowing them to end my life."

Idun sat speechless for a moment, almost shocked by her response.

"They are merely misguided, filled with fear. If you try, reason will prevail. It always does."

Standing up, Skadi almost screamed at him.

"Your reason didn't save us in Boron! Did it? Uller's fists did, not your pathetic reason!"

Without another word she stormed off, out of the room and down to the stables. To her surprise, Uller was there, sitting in the shadows, alone with his thoughts. Turning around, he beckoned the still worked up Skadi over to his side.

"What troubles you young one?"

Skadi approached, happy to be near what had become her father figure for the last few years, ever since her real father died.

"Idun, he bombards me with his opinions of murder and feeding once again. I hate it that we are hunted, attacked by others when we are stronger, we are better than them. And what can we do?"

"We can fight back, defend ourselves."

"I can't feed on everyone that calls me a demon."

"No, but you can fight. I'm sure you are aware that we are... more endowed with strength and speed, compared to others. We can use that."

"How?"

"I shall teach you..."

#tag# !

tag

Sithaer laboured over the abyss of books and scrolls that was his desk. A large oak piece of furniture, the desk could hold volumes upon volumes of texts with relative ease and was doing so now, to full capacity. The mage new the kind of demon he was dealing with, but unfortunately it wasn't that simple. The demon itself was nothing special as far as demons go, but this fusion with the mind and body of a high mage created problems, big problems.

The mage had at least concluded a few things about the creature. He was immortal and near to invulnerable save for a few things. Sunlight, fire, and decapitation. Generally, it needed the brain to function, but it could heal at an extremely rapid rate. Besides that, the rest was ordinary demonic features such as speed, strength and other minor mental powers. In other words, there wasn't a lot of weakness in such a being.

Sighing heavily, the mage got up and moved towards the single window in his high tower. How does one defeat a creature with little weakness? Sithaer pondered for a while before sighing once again and lying back on the small bed in a corner. He was of no use to anyone unless he had sleep.

Before he could get any, the door burst open and a message boy came bolting toward Sithaer.

"What is the meaning of this boy?"

"Sorry sir, the other mages said you should see these."

"Alright, hand them here."

The mage cursed silently under his breath. It seemed the creatures may have spread. Whilst he knew Marduk and one other were not far from his location in the south, there were reports of incidents in Boron with three creatures, and other indicators that another was a little further south.

"Thankyou. I'll see to such things tomorrow."

The boy departed and Sithaer lay back once again. After several hours, the mage fell into a trouble sleep, the weight of the elven future weighing heavily upon his mind.

<$~~~~~~ Tagged (with a fishhook!)...

ok, I'm just going slightly psychotic...it's late at night.

The village of Boron was more vigilant these days. Ever since the incident with the demoness and her companions, the townspeople were suspiscious of any stranger that entered the village. Naturally, Zardon had caught the attention of every pair of eyes he had passed.

Zardon wasn't a particularly tall figure, nor did he appear to be muscled to any significant extent. But of course, that was misleading. His strength spawned from something beyond physical limits, he was beyond humans and would prove it. Dressed in a filthy tunic and trousers and was falling apart, Zardon's stench and attire was enough to grab attention, the fact his eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight didn't help his cause.

The vampire watched as large men crowded around him, all bearing sheathed blades. Placing their meaty hands upon him, one of them spoke up.

"You don't belong here. Leave or die."

Zardon merely looked at the human and snarled, showing his fangs.

"Demo!!!!"

The human wasn't able to finish his sentence as Zardon tore into his throat. The others stood in shock for several seconds, enough time for Zardon to kill with lightning fast blows to the heart or head, fracturing skulls and stopping hearts.

Others looked on, helpless as the rampaging figure did away with the village guard and began to feast upon them, leaving no one left alive.

Skadi sat within yet another inn on the outskirts of Diamond region. The trio had decided to head straight north instead of directly towards Emerald. They would reach Diamond City, spend a week or so there, then follow the coast towards Emerald. For now the trio were resting in a small village whilst Uller had some things to take care of. He had said they needed weapons to defend themselves with, especially after their past experiences.

Idun had put up as much objections as possible but Uller had managed to convince their passive companion that if he was at least armed, then others would think twice before starting something with him. Whilst Idun still didn't like it, he was willing to compromise. Skadi was definitely willing to have something to beat back the predjudice of the villagers and was more than willing to learn how to use it.

And so Skadi was alone for now. Uller had disappeared, off into the nearby mines for some reason and had been gone for several days. Idun had wandered off into the nearby forests, saying he would return soon. Skadi didn't know what he was doing but she was beginning to lose interest, Idun grew on her nerves more often than not these days.

Finishing off her ale, Skadi decided it best to leave the inn, especially considering the way those drunken men were eyeing her. It was... unsettling. Besides being a creature of the night, Skadi was also unnaturally beautiful compared to most and her vampiric state had merely enhanced that. Unfortunately that gained attention, especially from the men one does not want attention from.

Bursting through the door, Skadi entered a brisk pace, weaving through alleys and dark streets, wondering why it seemed deserted all of a sudden. Spinning around to gain her bearings, Skadi noticed three men from the bar approaching her. First instincts told her to run whilst she could, but Skadi would not fall to her fear. Uller had been teaching her how to fight for situations just like this.

Surpising the men slightly, Skadi began stepping forward, her voice still a little shakey though.

"I wouldn't come any closer, you don't know what you're doing.."

The biggest man displayed a mouth full of a few yellow teeth.

"I don't think so lass, we know exactly what we're doing and it would be better for everyone if you just lay down and accepted that."

The big man placed a meaty hand upon Skadi's soft cheek and smiled. This was soon followed by the crunching of the bones in his hand as Skadi grabbed it and employed her vampiric strength. Screaming in agony, the man brought his other hand around to grab Skadi, but she easily ducked out of the way and unleashed several fists into his soft middle. Now on the ground, the massive man could do nothing but watch as Skadi's foot came crashing down, then... darkness.

The other two were backing away slowly, not wanting any part of the violent death their companion had just recieved. Looking at their scarred faces, Skadi felt a slight tinge of remorse, but that was quickly overrun by considering what would happen if they escaped and told others.

Skadi made a jump over the corpse and was surprised that her single leap took her well over the body and landing right next to the two men. Frozen in surprise, they didn't even flinch as Skadi took hold of both their throats and applied a pressure beyond that of an ordinary man's strength. Within a few minutes both men were dead and Skadi was clean all evidence of the fight off her hands. Satisfied with her appearance, she moved out of the alley and through the back of the inn, straight into her room.

Although physically shaken by her encounter, there was something about being able to defend herself that she liked. She liked having the power to snuff out a man's life...
___________

It had been a long night and Uller had worked hard. Now the sturdy vampire sat within the local tavern, recovering with a glass of ale. The man was covered in dirt, soot and general filth. Working in the mines was not an easy task and it sported many dangers, but Uller knew it would be worth it. He needed to gather the correct amount of metals and other substances to construct the weapons.

Going over the list within his head, Uller grinned. He already had the steel and was well on his way with collecting enough silver. The only thing left to mine would be diamond, everything else could be purchased or made easily enough. Uller was to construct three blades, blades like nothing ever seen in Assington before. It had been a longtime dream of Uller's, as a Blacksmith to construct a blade that was eloquent in appearance, yet deathly efficient and easy to use. He wanted the duelling ability of a rapier and the battlefield versatility of a broad sword. The blade would be of a silver/steel mix, allowing it to be hard yet appear to be of a softer material. To finish things off, the edge would be diamond. Uller knew it would be difficult, but with enough time he would forge these blades and present them to his companions.

At the thought of the complete weapons, Uller smiled. Skadi would be overjoyed and Idun would get one whether he liked it or not. Finishing his drink, Uller made his way down into the basement and lay down under a trap door. The morning would be soon upon him and he wanted some sleep.
____________

Idun knew there were others watching him. His knew found senses allowed him to perceive many things that ordinary humans could not. He still liked to think of himself as human, even if he was different. Even if the sunlight shunned him and even if he had to live off blood.

He stood completely still, pressing up against a large tree. He wasn't sure who or what was out there, but they were watching him and had been for some time. Attempting to appear slightly menacing to scare off any rogue bandits, Idun snarled slightly, showing his fangs.

"Whoever you are, I suggest you leave me be or you'll regret it."

Anyone that knew Idun wouldn't be phased by the threat at all, knowing that he was quite harmless in his passive ideologies. The reaction of those around him was immediate though. Several arrows came soaring straight for his head, all would have struck true if it weren't for Idun's exceptional evasive abilities.

Moving faster than his observers expected, Idun jumped into the oak above him and continued to ascend before making another leap across the pathway under him and into another tree, landing directly next to an elven archer. The two combatants locked eyes for a moment, before Idun found himself falling, crashing through the branches until he reached the hard ground. The fall would have killed a normal man, but Idun groaned and brought himself to his feet, now facing four more elves, blades drawn...

A robed figure surrounded by a dozen men at arms stoo within the simple yet desolate town square of Boron. What would have normally been a busy market day in the small village was dead quiet, save for the scavenger birds squawking at those interrupting their meals.

No one spoke or moved a muscle as the robed figure seemed to be lost in concentration. Finally he moved, displacing his hood to reveal the face of an aging man, although his true years were still well hidden. Sithear, High Mage of Assington was speechless. He had seen corpses before, he had caused corpses before... but this was... beyond any of that. This was a deranged slaughter of the strong, weak, defenseless, young, old. Everyone.

Moving across the silent square, Sithaer bent down and examined a body. Something had dug into his neck, digging through the flesh and lapping up all the blood. It was all gone. The body had suffered many injuries and it appeared suffered an unpleasant death. Sighing, the mage stood and moved across the square again. This time, something caught his and and led Sithaer down an alley. Striding towards yet another corpse, Sithaer noted this one was much more decomposed than the others. It too had been drained of blood, but there was only two clean wounds, almost like fangs dug into his neck. This man's death was caused by someone different. Another one of these creatures... one, more in control.

The mage had concluded that there was one or more that had feasted upon the majority of the populace, yet there had been another like it in Boron, earlier that had only killed one. Perhaps they were not unified? Perhaps they were unaware of eachother? Sithaer did not know.

Sighing at the loss of life, the mage indicated the men-at-arms should stand aside whilst he disposed of the bodies. The mage's eyes took on a calm blue hue as he called upon his arcane talents. A wind seemed to appear out of nowhere, swirling around the mage's robes. It appeared that nothing else would result from the magic, yet within a few more minutes the corpses were all levitated and moving slowly towards the town square. Several of the soldiers choked in surprise, not being accustomed to magic yet remained otherwise silent.

It took some time but eventually all the townspeople were piled together in the city square, the mound of bodies attracting flies and other such creatures. Looking down with a sad expression, Sithaer extended his arm and unleashed a jet of blue flame, igniting the bodies instantly. The stench of rotting burning hair and flesh soon began to fill Sithaer's nostrils, almost causing him to gag. Looking back at the soldiers, the mage spoke in a reserved tone yet still made himself clear.

"There is nothing that can be done here. Your lord is free to do with this land and village as he sees fit. There is nothing wrong with it... it is just empty. I must hunt down those responsible for this."

Without another word Sithaer was gone. He didn't know where these creatures were heading, but based on locations of past reports, they were heading north. To either Diamond or Emerald...

Marduk and Svartel passed through yet another forest, this one in the Sapphire region. They had made sure there were no longer any elves south of their position. They were either dead or consumed by the pair. Marduk seemed to be able to sense the almost exact location of the elves whilst Svartel could sometimes manage. He wasn't quite sure how his master did it, but he was learning. Svartel was a quick learner, after all he had been a scholar.

The pair continued into the forest, knowing there would be elves to meet, feed upon, mutilate. Whilst Svartel didn't share his master's hatred of elven kind, he much prefered the taste of elf blood over human or anything else. He could feel them, the elves were nearby... waiting. Many believed the elves to be a dominant race, superior to humans but due to their reclusiveness, they did not rule the nation.

Finally they reached a grove and halted. Everything was dead quiet save for the wind rustling the trees, ocassionally allowing the moonlight to glint off steel. That was the final confirmation. There were elves in the trees, behind brush, all bearing weapons and ready to take down these beasts. Several minutes passed with no movement, complete and utter silence. Svartel began to wonder what was taking so long but his master assured him.

Finally they acted. Several arrows came racing towards Svartel, aimed directly for his head. The vampire knew they could not kill him, but an arrow in the head was still a hindrance. Placing his hand up for protection, Svartel waited for the blow that never came. Moving his head, his eyes almost popped when he layed eyes upon the suspended arrows before his hand. Looking to Marduk, Svartel inquired in his newfound mind speech ability.

"How did that happen?"

Marduk merely grinned.

"You can do many things with your mind, moving objects being one ability."

Nodding, Svartel had no time to contemplate this as several more arrows came racing towards him. Ready for it this time, the vampire dodged and lunged, grabbing several arrows within his grasp and snapping them. Realising their arrows were useless, the elves drew their blades and advanced from the forest to meet the two creatures within the clearing.

Marduk hadn't even bothered to move. Several arrows were embedded within his chest whilst another was firmly lodged within the back of his head. He seemed to ignore the pain as he unleashed a spine chilling scream and lunged forth onto the nearest elf, tearing out his throat with a single clamp and rip.

Now fifteen elves surrounded the pair, all bearing their skillfully crafted blades. The two vampires didn't seem phased by the odds, they merely displayed fangs and charged. Being near immortal and near invincible had planted a certain arrogance within their heads.

Svartel charged forward, bear handed, ducked under an arcing blade and stood before a stunned elf. The elf couldn't believe this creature had moved so fast, much faster than he could combat. Not given a second chance, the elf soon fell to the ground, his heart within Svartel's grasp. Turning to his left, the vampire dodged a sword jab at his head and lunged forward, plunging his hand deep into the elf's stomach. Shock and pain clouded his eyes before Svartel found what he was looking for and promptly ripped the spine out of the elf, causing to to fall to the ground. Spinning around once again, Svartel wedged the spine into the skull of another nearby elf. Three down.

Marduk made his kills in a similar fashion, quick, brutal and efficiently. Two elves moved towards him, blades at the ready. As they moved to swing, they found the blades frozen in place. Momentarily stunned, the elves had no time to defend themselves as Marduk moved forward, grabbed their throats and crushed windpipe, and spine at once. Leaping into the air to avoid another sword strike, the vampiric master landed behind another pair and quickly plunged his fists into their necks, breaking their spines.

Backing up against his minion, Marduk unleashed another startling roar before cracking the skull of another elf with his fist whilst Svartel's boot crushed the windpipe of another. Whilst these elves were indeed respectable warriors, the fact was that these vampires were simply too fast and too strong. Within half an hour the last elf fell to the forest floor, drained of blood.

And so the purging of elven kind continued...

Zardon was overjoyed. He had finally caught up with the trio of those like him. The only problem being that it wasn't the trio after all, just the girl. He had no idea where the others had disappeared to but there was no sign of them. Considering his options, Zardon cursed. He would like to kill the girl now, but then he might never find out where the other two went. Whilst he could sense them, that would be more difficult and take more time. He would wait for the others, then kill them all.

Grinning once again, Zardon pulled his hood tighter and moved into the crowd. There were no elves here and so humans would have to do, but Zardon would enjoy the tastes of this city. Whilst it wouldn't be as fun as the feast at Boron, he would find something to enjoy.

It wasn't long before Zardon spotted one of the common street whores. By the looks of things she was relatively new, still bore a slightly innocent expression. She hadn't lived a long life and had yet to experience just how bad it could get. Fortunately for her, she would not live to experience just how bad a whore's life could get.

Approaching the girl, Zardon remained cloaked as he spoke in a quiet, raspy voice.

"Come girl, you shall earn your silver tonight."

The girl merely nodded without saying anything and followed him to the back of a tavern, within the shadows. She prompty begain unlacing her dress whilst Zardon watched. Satisfied with her progress, the vampire stepped forward and slipped his hand down her ample cleavage whilst moving his lips onto her neck. Not even a scream emerged from the girl's lips as Zardon's sharp nails plunged into her chest, digging for the heart. He had to tear away the ribcage first, causing the girl an extreme amount of pain but the grasp he had upon her throat with his fangs didn't allow a scream to emerge.

Several minutes of rumaging finally ended with Zardon's grasp find her heart. Unfortunately she had passed out and would not be able to see him rip out her heart and feed from it, which is what he promptly did. Dropping the dead girl, Zardon pulled his hood up once again and glared down at the girl.

"You were not as much fun as you looked."

The vampire moved off into the night again, looking for a more entertaining prey.

Uller was quite pleased within himself. Within a week he had gathered all the necessary materials to begin forging the three blades. Through his many years experience as a smith and picking up a few secrets from foreigners along his travels as a young man, Uller had formed a perfect image of exactly what he wanted to craft.

It would take an ordinary man months to complete the blades, but Uller's vampiric nature gave him an edge that would cut things down to about a week. He was excited to finally be able to create these blades yet concerned about leaving Skadi and Uller. Whilst Skadi could defend herself from a drunken man, there were others out there that could defeat her without too much trouble. And Idun, he didn't know what to do with Idun. He was practically defenceless and would remain so until someone beat some sense into him.

Sighing, Uller stepped into a large smith and grinned, dumping the equipment upon a table. The owner of this place had agreed to allow Uller to use it during the night, being sympathetic to Uller's dream of forging such great blades.

And so Uller, the newfound vampire, heated up the furnace, grabbed an anvil and hammer and began the process of constructing three blades that would become legend.
___________

Looking into the eyes of each elf, Idun didn't say anything for several minutes. He clasped his hands together, showing that he would not attack and finally spoke in a calm tone.

"I do not wish to fight. I know I am something... different, but I hold no predjudices and I ask you do the same."

Whilst elves were normally a peaceful and passive race, recent happenings had put them all on edge. All had heard about the shadow stalkers and how they slaughtered elven kind.

"Prove yourself shadow stalker. Why would you not hunt us like your brethren?"

Stepping closer toward the elven blades, Idun didn't break contact with the elf.

"If I am lying, you can skewer me on the spot. I have nothing to do with the one that hunts your kind. All I want to do is escape the violence."

The elves could see the truth in his eyes, could not find lies in his voice. There was something about his manner that was right, even the elves could not deny it.

Keeping their blades out, the elves nodded.

"Fine. Come with us... shadow stalker."

Idun merely nodded and followed the elves deeper into their domain.
_________

Skadi stood lay completely still on the hard wooden floor, right next to her bed. Directly above her was a simple bucket floating in midair, half full of scolding water. The other half of the water was frozen in midair as well, inches from her face.

Skadi had been backing into her room, just to make sure there was no one following her and had overestimated the length of her room, crashing into the bedside table that bore a bucket of heated water. Falling to her back as she recoiled, the dull light of a nearby candle was enough to allow Skadi view of the bucket plunging towards her exposed face.

Not keeping in mind that she would heal anyway, Skadi's distress had been intense, willing the bucket not to be falling and the water not plunging onto her face. Seconds passed with nothing happening, no bucket, no water, just silence. Skadi opened her eyes to see the water and bucket frozen in midar.
Heaving a sigh of relief, the vampire rolled out of the way and stared at the water for a moment. Skadi knew she was holding it, she could feel it. The question was, what would she do now?

It would be easy to merely just let it drop onto the floor, but then she would have to heat some more water which took time. Settling herself slightly, Skadi tested it a little. She willed the bucket to move, just to see if it would. The bucket rotated until the open side faced the roof. Smiling slightly, Skadi focused her mind upon the water, forcing it to move. To her satisfaction, the water floated upwards then fell into the bucket, just like she commanded. Although Skadi felt slightly tired after the ordeal, she was too excited to rest. She had to test this out.

And so the female vampire explored her newfound telekinetic abilities for the remainder of the night.

It was time for action. Sithaer had been delving into tomes for days and had finally worked out what he could do about this situation. During his studiesm he had come across a name that seemed appropriate for these creatures. Vampire. There were legends of such creatures existing in other nations, although how they came about differs. Whatever the reason, Assington now had vampires roaming around the nation, slaughtering elves.

Now Sithaer waited for the vampiric pair he had been tracking. He was leaning against a tree, clothed in an elven robe of dull grey. To the unsuspecting, her merely appeared another elf within the woods, another meal to Marduk and his minion. He had it all worked out. Sithaer knew the pair were still combing these woods, making sure there were no more elves. There weren't, Sithaer had sent them all North. They would confront him, then Sithaer would unleash his spell.

It took some time but finally the pair came into view of Sithaer. Moving into the centre of the forest track, Sithaer waited under the cover of his hood until the vampiric duo reached him. Finally the demonic tone of Marduk filled the air.

"So you're here to stop us? A lone warrior?"

Marduk dropped his arm and watched as Svartel charged towards the robed figure. Sithaer merely raised his hand and watched as Svartel was launched upwards, far above the ground and skewered onto a tree branch, impaling him through the shoulder blades and out through the chest. The shock was too much for Svartel and he passed out.

Marduk was shocked enough for himself and wasn't fast enough to evade Sithaer's attack. Sithaer removed his right arm out of the dull robes and displayed a hand held orb of energy. It glowed in a bright silver hue that illuminated the surrounding woods.

Frozen on the spot by Sithaer's will, Marduk's face displayed a horror that had never plagued a creature such as him before. The mage brought the orb of glowing energy toward him, allowing the burn of power to cross his flesh.

"Now... Daveon, it's time we had a chat. Yes, I know that you were once a high mage. But it seems your dark meddling has cost you much of your human talent. A pity, you certainly possessed much talent. Anyway, it's time to slow down your rampage a little..."

Sithaer could feel Marduk's will fighting his, applying extreme force. He was indeed strong and the mage wouldn't be able to hold back the original vampire of Assington for much longer.

"You deserve this and you know it."

Sithaer plunged the orb directly into Marduk's heart, forcing the energies to bond with the very essence of the creature before him. Marduk howled in agony as he changed within. A few seconds later and it was over. Marduk didn't know what had happened, but something was different.

"Just something that won't make you so hard to hurt."

The mage withdrew a silver ring and placed it upon the back of Marduk's hand, watching as it sizzled and burned through the vampire's hand, creating a perfectly circular hole. That wound would be a long time in healing.

"Farewell... Daveon."

In a flash of brillance, Sithaer was gone and Marduk was released, ripping the ring out of his hand before howling in a rage that shook the trees around him.
___________

Lying upon the bird in her room, Skadi curled up in pain as she felt something change within her, her very being shifting alignment. The agony was almost too much to bear, but then it passed...
__________

Zardon dropped the human girl within his grasp as his legs gave way under him from the intense power that had just struck him. Something was different within him and it was intense. Eventually, it passed... but the difference remained.
___________

Idun fell to the earth as he followed the elves. A ravaging agony with an intensity that he had never felt before racked his body, unrelenting and merciless. It died away... but something was different.
___________

Uller grunted in pain as he fell to his knees, agony etched across his face. He'd never felt such horrible pain within himself before. After what seemed like ages but was only mere seconds, it ended. But something wasn't quite right...

It was done. Uller had finally forged the three blades after all that time and effort. He had enjoyed every minute of the crafting the blades, hilts and even scabbards. Each scabbard had the names of their respected owners etched in raised silver letters upon the side.

Uller, Skadi, Idun

There was only one problem. Ever since that night when Uller had collapsed in pain, he wasn't able to come into contact with the silver unless he wanted to suffer severe burns to his skin and a pain unlike he had ever experience before. Uller had no idea what that was about but decided there was no use worrying over it when there was nothing he could do. He would just have to not touch any silver.

Uller now moved down the dirt road, back towards Skadi's residence. It had been quite some time since they had seen eachother but Uller hoped Skadi stayed out of trouble. He was actually more concerned about what damage Idun might do, especially with his stubborn, passive nature. Hopefully, all would work out. Uller wore one of the blades on his left him whilst the other two were bundled up in a sack, amongst other things he had picked up. Already looking the menacing figure without any weapons, Uller thought it best to not draw attention to himself.

Without any interruptions, Uller continued down the road and would eventually reach Skadi before dawn.
_________

Idun sat within an elven dwelling, a tree carved inside to accomodate living quarters and other such space. He couldn't believe how big the tree was, it could house several elves. Idun had never encountered elves before, not even in his human life. There had been a village near his own, but Idun had never ventured towards that forest.

And now, Idun was meditating with the elves of Emerald Forest. They had accepted him as a non-agressor and allowed him safe haven within their own dwellings. They had communicated their own worries over these elf slaughtering shadow stalkers and the efforts being made to stop them. These elves merely wanted to live in peace and harmony with the world around them. Much like Idun. He had told them of his changes, of his companions and of his own problems with violence. The elves had sympathised with the passive vampire.

"Idun... it is time you left us. You must meet your companions again before they become concerned. You are welcome to return, but you must put the minds of your companions at rest."

"If you say so Aleon. I would greatly wish to return here. Thankyou for all your wise words and hospitality, I will be sure to return to you."

The elf and vampire opened their eyes and smiled at eachother. Aleon had taught Idun of an ability he never thought possible. Mind speech. It seemed that all of his kind were able to do it, they merely had to have the right person in mind and allow the words to flow. Over great distances it became harder to communicate, but Aleon had said it was merely a matter of practice and his strength would grow over the years.

Giving his farewell, Idun smiled again, exited the elven dwelling and made his way out of the forest, towards the human filled city where Skadi resided.
________

Skadi sat upon her sleeping pallet, watching the room before her. Objects floated and darted about the room, arcing past eachother and speeding up, down and every other direction. After first discovering her mental ability, Skadi wasn't particularly strong with it and a little scared to use it again. Yet after a few attempts, she gained confidence and found it to be reasonably easy.

These days Skadi could float multiple objects at once, control the direction and speed in which they moved and could even tear things apart. It was like have invisible hands fuelled by her mind. After long sessions she grew tired, but it became easier and less tiresome each time she did it.

It was nearing the time Uller said he would return and Skadi was excited to see him once again. It had been weeks since she had seen either Uller or Idun and was concerned for both of them. So engulfed with the task of moving objects, Skadi didn't notice the knock on the door until the third time and happened to open it with her mind.

The grinning faces of Uller and Idun turned to surprise as Skadi turned to greet them with a cheerful smile.

Zardon watched patiently. He had discovered the whereabouts of the female vampire not long ago, yet the other two were nowhere to be seen. Zardon had decided it would be much easier if he waited until they were all in a reasonable area at the same time, making it easier for him to slaughter them and feast upon the precious life blood within their dead like bodies.

Finally the other two had appeared and moved into the building, most likely to see the female. All was well now, all of them were here, awaiting Zardon's arrival to suck the life out of them. It would be sweet, but unfortunately he must wait again. The sun would be up soon and Zardon wanted time to savour the death of all three, especially the girl.

Moving away from the building, Zardon passed a lonely looking man down an alleyway. Looking at the dirty man once again, he moved forward and thrust with his wiry hand, plunging through flesh, muscle and bone until he finally grasped the heart. Another wrench saw Zardon drinking blood directly from the heart as he left a spasming corpse behind.
_______________

Marduk was furious. He couldn't believe the humans would have the nerve to directly challenge him like that. And even worse, to lay a curse upon him, infusing the weakness of silver into him and all his spawn. He stormed forth and willed a tree in half with his mental will alone whilst Svartel watched in silence and astonishment.

Finally Marduk stopped pacing and turned to Svartel.

"That was one of the human high mages. I'm sure you noticed how he swatted you down like a fly, well... he can do much more than that. It's time you learned what you can do to fight back."

Marduk paused as he collected himself, the rage still obvious upon his face.

"You know very well of your new strength, speed, senses and healing. Yet there are other powers under your command. Powers of the mind. Firstly, you have the ability to move things with your mind. Anything. You must simply will it. You can also speak to others mentally, even read their minds if they don't have the will to stop you. Practice these abilities for they will serve you well. Also, in time... you may gain the ability of flight. That is yet to be seen."

Svartel nodded, rubbing the spot on his chest where a tree branch had impaled him. This was all very interesting, Svartel liked the idea of these powers.

"You should also keep your weaknesses in mind. Our blood is particularly prone to fire, avoid it. We cannot live if our head leaves our body. Obviously, sunlight is lethal. And, now silver poses a painful problem that can hinder healing and even cause death."

Svartel nodded once again. This was a lot to take in but he was determined to grasp it all. Another thing nagged at his mind. How did he come into being created and could it be done again. This question remained unspoken as Svartel brooded upon it.

The word had been spread to all elves within the North. These 'Shadow Stalkers', as the elves dubbed them were now weak to the touch of anything silver. Sithaer's deed had been commended by the elves and gone unnoticed by the royal court. King Ryan was still indifferent to loss of thousands upon thousands of elven lives. Due to his cold arrogance, Sithear had given up pleading the elven case to the human king and merely went about things on his own.

Unfortunately the other mages of the conclave were caught up in other matters, all of relative importance that could not be dropped like that. The issue of these vampires was solely upon Sithaer's shoulders. Now that Marduk was slowed down, Sithaer would concentrate on the other issue. The slaughter of an entire village and other reported murders. He had traced the path of said reports and was satisfied the culprit(s) were now in Diamond region.

Focusing his mind upon the major city of the Diamond region, Sithaer disappeared from his chambers in the South and reappeared far to the North.
________

Skadi kept her concentration and set all the objects down with care as she moved towards the door to greet her companions. After embracing Uller and Idun, the trio move to a circular table and take a seat, the two males still bound within shocked silence.

Finally Uller spoke.

"Skadi... how did you do that? You didn't even touch them... and the door!?"

Skadi merely smiled back at her father figure. Even Idun seemed shocked yet not so much as Uller. He assumed that since he was able to speak with his mind, moving things with it wasn't impossible. He would allow Skadi to explain things first, then share his own news.

Eventually Skadi began to speak, unable to hold it in any longer.

"Well I managed to get myself into a situation where scalding hot water was falling toward my face and I had nothing to protect myself with. I'm not sure how I did it but I just wanted it to stop so badly, stop the water from falling. When I opened my eyes, the water was floating in midair, not moving at all. Anyway, I figured out that it was my own doing and have been practicing ever since. Do you think you guys can do it as well?"

Idun nodded before Uller could even open his mouth to reply.

"I believe so. I too have some surprising information."

Without warning Idun's voices appeared within the heads of Skadi and Uller.

"We have the ability to speak with our minds. Even read minds. The elves have taught me much."

Skadi and Uller started for a moment, unsure of where the voice was coming from until they noticed the smiling Idun.

"All you have to do is will your voice into the mind of another."

Skadi was the first to attempt such, as she was already practiced with using her mind in another way.

"Wow, it really does work. Can you hear me?"

Idun nodded. Eventually Uller chimed in with a few words.

"This is... odd."

Skadi nodded.

"Yes. Try my trick as well."

Idun concentrated for a few seconds and watched as he shifted a bowl across the table towards Uller. Releasing his grip, he watched as Uller moved it back. Finally Skadi decided to show off by lifting it into the air and making several rotations. She merely grinned at the others.

Indicating that Skadi should stop, Uller placed his newly forged blade upon the table for the other two to admire. Skadi was stunned at the beauty of the blade as Uller withdrew it and allowed the moonlight to gleam over the shiny surface. Idun merely scowled but remained silent.

"It took me some time but I managed to collect enough silver and diamond to forge a blade unlike anything in Assington. They are fine weapons and will serve us well."

Uller beamed, Skadi gawked and Idun's scowl deepened.

"Us?"

"Yes."

Uller promptly unwrapped the other blades and placed them on the table. The finely raised letters spelling out the names of the owners reflected lunar light once again. Skadi ran her fingers over the silver letters upon her scabbard and retracted with a yelp. She looked to Uller with a questioning gaze.

"Unfortunately, we seem to have a problem with silver. It wasn't long ago that I was stricken with intense pains and ever since silver cannot be touched. I do not know why, but the pain is real. These are still useful tools, we merely have to be careful."

Skadi nodded with enthusiasm upon her face once again and slung the blade over her back whilst Idun merely glared at the sword. Uller looked between the last blade and its owner.

"Idun. I know you may not approve of violence, but please accept it. Wear it as a deterrent, humans will be less likely to attack you knowing you have a blade at hand."

The pair stared at eachother for several minutes before Idun nodded and took the blade, resting it beside his sleeping palet. The trio were now armed with a weapon that was more lethal to them than they knew...

Zardon sat within the rafters of the stables beside the Inn where Skadi, Uller and Idun resided. He didn't have to wait long until Uller came down into the stables to tend to the three horses they had recently purchased. It appeared the trio wouldn't be hanging around for long, Zardon would have to make his move.

The shadows cloaked him perfectly, of course Uller could see in the dark but he was unlikely to look up at Zardon's position. The slightly deranged vampire watched as Uller refilled grain for the horses and began brushing down their coats. He would wait until Uller was away from the horses, especially since a scared horse's boot could ruin everything.

It took some time but eventually Uller was finished and began making his way towards the Inn, directly under Zardon's position. The elevated vampire dropped out of the rafters and landed directly upon Uller's back, not wasting any time in digging into his neck. Uller roared in surprise and pain as he attempted to grab Zardon and fling him off. Unfortunately for Uller, with every second Zardon drew more blood and Uller lost more strength.

It wasn't long before Uller could barely move as Zardon tore at his neck, attempting to drain all the blood he could find. Something snapped within Uller's mind. He wouldn't just sit there and die, especially when he had young Skadi to look after. He would fight back! Reaching over his shoulders with meaty hands, Uller took hold of Zardon's arms and yanked forward. Unfortunately for Uller, Zardon's grip upon his throat wasn't easily broken and so when Zardon was launched into one of the supporting beams, Uller's throat went with him.

Uller fell to the ground, eyes glazing over as what remained of the blood in his body fell to the ground. Zardon rose once again, holding a broken shoulder within his grasp. Approaching the spasming body of Uller, Zardon snarled as he placed a leg upon the torso of Uller and took hold of his head. With one mighty yank, Uller's head now rested under Zardon's left arm.
__________

Skadi and Idun heard a loud crash and grunt from the stables and decided to investigate since Uller was down there. Both thought it to be trouble, probably humans picking trouble once again. As the two rounded the corner to enter the stables, a look of complete and utter horror plastered across their faces.

Lying in the centre of the stable was a headless corpse, wearing the same clothes as Uller was. Even Uller's blade was upon his back. Standing merely a few feet away was another man... no, creature like them. He was feeding out of a sphere like object... Uller's head.

Skadi unleashed a roar of anguish at the sight whilst Idun merely remained silent. Zardon grinned and charged straight for Idun, assuming the male would be more threatening. Idun wasn't expecting the attack and could do nothing as Zardon pinned him to the ground and began clawing at his face.

Skadi looked between Uller's head and Idun's predicament. What should she do? What could she do? Overwhelmed with the situation, a memory of Uller's words came back into her mind.

Fight Back...

Now determined on what she must do, Skadi grabbed Zardon and launched towards the other side of the stable. The crazed vampire thudded into the wooden wall, snapping planks in several places. Zardon rose and snarled, slightly surprised at the female's strength. Surprise turned to rage and Zardon charged towards Skadi.

The ring of steel leaving a scabbard filled the air as Skadi's blade sat within her grasp, ready to taste blood. Zardon continued to charge, now mere feet away from Skadi. At this point Skadi reached out with her mind and unleashed force at Zardon's feet. The vampire began a downward path toward Skadi, still attempting to attack her. She merely stepped to the side, lowered her blade and with a fury never seen within her before, Skadi unleashed a bone chilling scream of rage and a might swing of her sword simultaneously.

Zardon's head launched across the room and collided with the stable wall, tearing staight through the already weakened wood. Skadi spat at the corpse of Zardon as she heaved, wiping the blade clean on his clothes. After resheathing the blade, Skadi moved towards Idun, glaring down at him. Idun's wounds were healing but that didn't bother him. He stared back into eyes of pure rage. Nothing else existed save for the fury and hatred within Skadi. She was different, Idun was scared. He had never seen anything like this before and it shook him to the bones.

Skadi continued to stare back... all traces of compassion and good will depleted from her mind.

Marduk and Svartel were in the process of devouring a family of humans when Marduk stopped, slightly startled. Something had changed, he could sense it. Svartel didn't notice as he was very involved with his feasting but soon raised his head upon noticing the still form next to him.

"What is it master?"

Marduk looked back to Svartel, a glazed look still in his eyes. His link to the crazed one... Zardon. It was gone. He continued to search everywhere. He could sense two of the three defectors, yet Zardon and the other one were gone, not a single trace. Finally it dawned on him.

"Zardon is dead. So is the one of the others, the older male."

"Uller?"

"Yes, him. They are both dead, I'm sure."

Svartel didn't seem upset or overjoyed at the news. He didn't like Zardon at all and he couldn't really care for the others like him.

"Perhaps we will have to finish the job for him?"

"Indeed. But first we take care of the elves."

"Aye."

The pair continued to feast upon the helpless humans but were soon interrupted by the man of the house, bursting through the door and planting a crossbow bolt into the chest of Svartel as he spun around. Marduk stepped forward to slay the man but Svartel moved in front of his master.

"Please master, allow me to test my abilities."

Marduk nodded and Svartel smiled, appearing to be doing nothing. He stood there for several seconds until the bolt within his gut began to move, sliding backwards. Ignoring the pain, Svartel pulled harder with his mind and finally freed the bolt, spinning it around and wedging it firmly into the neck of the surprised human before him.

The sadistic vampire laughed as his wounds began to heal with the inflow of fresh blood.

The streets of Diamond were filled with common people. Those looking to do some last minute trading before the markets closed, those looking to get drunk and enjoy the companionship of their friends, and those that had darker intentions.

Sithaer passed through the swarms of people easily and without any notice. He wore his normal blue robes, yet dirt and the effects of travel had worn them down and faded the colour. Of course, this is just how Sithaer wanted things. He didn't want anyone recognising him for what he was. A High Mage of the royal council. This meant Sithaer was one of the few magically able that ever obtained a position of importance. He personally advised the King on issue of magic and anything else that he might be able to comment on with some authority.

Whilst Sithaer appeared to be a man of around fifty years, his real age was almost unknown. A brown beard hung from his weathered face whilst bushy brown eyebrows and hear complimented the rest of his head, hiding much of his face. The mage decided it was always best to appear an ordinary man unless necessary as people tended to react adversely to mages.

As he passed a dark side street, Sithaer managed to pick out a large group of people standing against a building. They all seemed excited and curious about something, yet they were not entering the building, something prevented them. Moving down the street, Sithaer pressed through the mob of people and emerged at the entrance of a stable, face to face with what he half expected to find...
____________

Skadi stood facing the crowd, sword point daring anyone to step closer and taste her wrath. The noises of battle had attracted people to the stables and led to the discovering of two headless corpses upon the ground. One head was present, not far from it's body, the other nowhere to be seen.

A deadly rage was plastered across Skadi's face, warning everyone to stay back. Unfortunately for three large men, they had underestimated Skadi and her blade and had lost either limbs, their life or both. The crowd now kept back yet their curiosity would not allow them to leave. And so they stood, watching the odd female, her companion and the two headless corpses behind them.

Idun stood behind Skadi, holding Uller's blade and attempting to look menacing. He wasn't really prepared to use the blade and was hoping Skadi could handle things. Although he disapproved of violence, his life was held in higher regard of that moral standard.

And so the pair glared back at the humans, not moving until an scruffy looking bearded man burst through the crowd.
_________

Sithaer immediately placed the two standing figures for vampires. Their skin was lighter than normal, their eyes reflected light in an odd manor and he was confident that fangs rested behind those closed lips.

Spinning around to the human crowd, Sithaer cast a small spell to clean off his clothes, revealing the royal blue of a mage and his High Council insignia. Many people backed off as a small hue surrounded the man.

"Alright everyone. This is now officially business of mages. You can go back to your activities and all will be taken care of. Thankyou for your concern."

Many people departed at his words, yet some continued to linger, curious as to how a mage fitted into these murders. Growing impatient, Sithaer amplified his voice.

"Go! Now!"

The remaining people jumped slightly and quickly ran off. Spinning around, Sithaer closed the doors with his mind and immediately cast a ward around the building, preventing any escape or entry. He was met with a finely crafted blade pointing directly to his throat.

"I suggest you don't do that young lady."

Skadi showed no sign of dropping her guard.

"As you wish..."

Sithaer smiled as his eye glowed slightly. Skadi immediately felt the hilt of her blade rise in temperature, causing her hand to lose initial layers of skin. She continued to hold on, acting like it didn't bother her, yet the heat increased. At least another minute passed before Skadi yelped and dropped the blade, a burn passing down into her muscle now present upon her hand.

Examining her burn, Skadi watched as it initially began to heal. Shifting her attention, Skadi jumped toward the mage. Sithaer merely raised his hand, suspending Skadi in midair whilst also freezing Idun on the spot.

"Well, it's time we had a little chat... Skadi and Idun."

Skadi began to calm as she realised there was nothing she could do. This human had power over both of them, not that Idun was much help these days anyway, even with that sword. All she could do was watch as the mage muttered a few more arcane words and wandered around the stable, examining the dead bodies upon the ground.

"It seems you've been doing my job for me..."

It took a few seconds to register with Skadi but eventually she noticed he had called them by name. He knew who they were. The mage continued to wander, a cocky tone within his aged voice.

"Yes, I know who you are. A little investigating took me back to your home town, where this all started. I assume that these two are Uller and... Lysar. I have already encounered those known as Svartel and Marduk. As for you two, what am I to do with you?"

"Let us go. We don't want any of this, we just want to live peacefully."

Skadi kept silent as her sentiments didn't exactly fall in line with Idun's. She wanted vengence upon the others. Those that sent this other one...

"We share a common enemy mage... we are no friends of Marduk and Svartel."

Sithaer seemed puzzled by this and decided to confirm things for himself. Extending his mind, be burried deep into the consciousness of Skadi and Idun, discovering the truth for himself. Satisfied that he had been told the truth, Sithaer approached Skadi.

"And what of you, lady Skadi?"

Skadi looked back at Sithaer with a blank stare. She had no anger directed towards this human. Whilst humans in general were filth, she admitted that not all were like that.

"I want vengence. They send that one to kill us, I want to kill them."

Idun's face appeared to lose even more colour yet Sithaer didn't seem phased.

"Well, that's perfectly alright. If I let you down, do you promise to be good?"

Both vampires nodded and soon felt the rest of their body once again. Skadi took possession of Uller's blade and ran a finger down the edge, testing for nicks. The resultant yelp startled both males for a moment, unsure of what caused Skadi's outburst. Sithaer moved forward to inspect, expecting to see a cut but instead came across a burn. Nodding in understanding, the mage grinned.

"I'm afraid that is my fault. I cursed Marduk and all his spawn with a weakness to silver. I didn't realise he had fledglings that wanted him dead. I can't reverse the curse, but I can help you out when it comes to those blades."

The two vampires watched as the three blades drifted towards Sithaer, ceasing to move a few inches in front of the man. Casting a few sigils into the air and muttering some words, Sithaer slowly began to fuse magic into the blades. After repeating a process of sigils and incantations, each blade possessed faint runes upon the flat.

"Your blades will never blunt now, nor will blood or any other substance rust them. They shall maintain until they no longer exist."

Skadi took hers and Uller's blade and flashed Sithaer a smile of gratefulness. Idun was happy that he had even less of a reason to draw his blade and also thanked Sithaer.

All seated around a bare table, the trio of two vampires and one human maged talked late into the night of the most pressing issue at hand. How to stop Marduk and his ilk.

Marduk and Svartel prepared for yet another enjoyable slaughter. They had been tracking a group of elves that were heading for Emerald Forest. All elves had departed from the south and the two vampires were making quite an effort to purge the east side of the nation, ending at Emerald before they moved west. The pair were now following a mountain range as they headed north, the elves hiding out in a forest at the base of this range.

The pair walked in silence and finally arrived at the beginnings of a dense forest. Without hesitation they moved into the darkness, fully aware that eyes had been watching them for several minutes and would continue to watch until they felt it time to attack. Marduk merely smiled as he levitated off the ground slightly, floating down the path whilst Svartel matched his pace on foot. After almost twenty minutes of walking, Marduk finally halted in midair and echoed through the forest with a booming voice.

Animals scuttled as the intimidating voice filled the air and elves faltered in courage. Whilst they may be formidable warriors, none of them had ever seen anything like this.

"Elven filth! Come out of hiding and meet your doom! There is no denying yourself this fate, you may as well accept it. I will have you all gone, dead by my hand or that of my fledgling!"

Those words also caused a surge of rage to rise up within the elves, resulting in them leaping from the trees and emerging from trunks or hidden traps. In all there were about fifty elves, many of them women or youngsters. The vampires snarled as they moved forward, towards a large group of children. Before they could draw near, several arrows whistled out of the trees and embedded themselves within Svartel and Marduk. Both roared in pain as the stench of burning flesh filled their nostrils. The arrow heads were silver. Still advancing, the vampiric trio were now angry and ready to unleash hell, even with the arrows lodged inside them. Another dozen shafts flew through the forest air, thumping into the vampiric torsos. Both vampires were knocked back by the force and the pain was becoming unbearable.

The elves seized their oppurtunity and lunged for the downed vampires. Silver bladed plunged into soft skin, slicing, stabbing, tearing in a frantic effort to wipe the vampires out of existence. The pair was swarmed and could do nothing to stop the searing blows. Svartel was helpless, unable to stand tall against the blinding pain of silver whilst Marduk seemed to be able to deal mentally, yet unable to physically fight back. With few options remaining, Marduk unleashed a wave of power Svartel had never thought possible. The power surged forth in a circular shape, knocking every elf off their feet and launching them into trees or bushes.

Unleashing a roar of complete fury and pain, Marduk took hold of the now unconscious Svartel and shot straight into the air. Crashing through a tangled canopy, Marduk ignored the pain as he was already numb from silver inflicted wounds. The demonic creature cursed the name of Sithaer as he left the forest behind, searching for a place to recover and contemplate a strategy of vengence...

Marduk stood amonst the ruins of a human village. Corpses littered the streets and black smoke billowed up into the night sky. The humans had attempted to put up a fight, yet the combined powers of Marduk and Svartel were too much for the petty creatures and they were slaughtered mercilessly. The two vampires didn't even bother to drink much and simply killed for the sake of killing.

Looking over the results of his work, Marduk noticed Svartel could not be seen. Reaching out with his mind, Marduk soon found Svartel in one of the nearby buildings, with another presence. The sturdy vampire moved through the corpses and burst through the half unhinged front door to find Svartel kneeling above a human.

At first Marduk thought Svartel was merely feeding his thirst, yet Svartel's actions were far different and shocked his master. Svartel pulled back from the still living human, withdrawing a blade, Svartel sliced his own wrists. Taking hold of the human once again, Svartel forced his wrist against the mouth of the human and yelled at him.

"Drink if you wish to live!"

Without hesitating, the human began to draw upon the thick blood of Svartel, taking in as much as he could. Several seconds passed before Svartel pulled back, slightly weakened from the loss of blood. Before Svartel could do anything more, Marduk stepped in and held his minion back.

"Svartel, what is this?"

Looking up at Marduk, a sinister grin crossed Svartel's face.

"It is the solution to our problems... watch."

The vampiric duo watched as the human male upon the floor writhed in agony, his body going through some drastic changes. Thirty minutes later, his body had finally died and made the conversion to that of the undead. Getting to his feet, the newly born vampire displayed his fangs and began an immediate search for blood.

Marduk stood in awe whilst Svartel merely continued to grin.

"With an army of our own kind, no mage or elf can stop us."

Well that was my last post for this chapter.

Be on the look out for Chapter III

The Banishment of Darkness Within Assingotn