An indistinct sound drew Sern to wakefulness. Still exhausted, he squeezed his eyes shut. A faint rustle reminded him of where he was, and who might be up and about.

His breathing suddenly strained, he slowly sat up, afraid to agitate the vampire. He spotted two glowing embers floating in the darkness. With clammy hands, he found the flint and fire-steel by his side and lit the small rushlight. The light sprang up, illuminating Ranloo crouched in the far corner, pressed against the wall. His amber gaze fixed on Sern. A trickle of cold fear ran down his spine, mixed with a flicker of hope.

´Ranloo! You're awake,` he said, sounding more positive than he felt. The vampire didn't move. ´Ranloo? You feelin' alright?` He edged his hand towards the medallion he still kept on him, though it hadn't exactly been effective.

´I'm... okay,` Ranloo said hoarsely, still staring.

Sern gulped but felt a bit better. At least Ranloo was alive and talking. That must be a good sign. ´I thought you'd gone dark side.` He let go of the medallion, relaxing a bit.

´Yet, you returned,` Ranloo replied slowly. ´I thought I was going to die too,` he added after a short pause.

Sern studied the darkelf and nodded. ´I wasn't sure, so I came back.` He stood and started packing his things into the bag, keeping his motions slow and fluid. ´I didn't wanna leave if you still lived.`

Ranloo straightened and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. ´I don't understand you. You are taking an enormous risk.`

´Well, at least I'll get a very interestin' end,` Sern joked.

Ranloo flashed a smile. ´You are hopeless.` He looked around as if seeing the room for the first time. He probably was, Sern realized.

´How long was I out?` Ranloo asked.

´A day an' night,` Sern replied. ´I was honest' expectin' you t' be out longer.`

Ranloo nodded and stood from the wall. ´Thank you again, for the animals.` He looked down at himself, wrinkling his sharp, straight nose. ´It saved your life, you know.` He brushed himself off as best he could. It made no difference.

´Of course. I prefer seein' you eatin' animals to, y'know...`

Ranloo glanced up and gave a sharp nod. He unwound the ribbons Sern had dressed his wounds with, then removed his torn and bloody coat and shirt. With a disgusted face, he let them drop to the floor. He studied himself, poking his sides, trying to see his injuries.

Only faint traces remained on his skin. He held up his left arm in front of his face, turning it this way and that. Sern was equally fascinated but didn't dare get a closer look. Ranloo might find that too weird or get angry. Sern wasn't sure.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

´They're almost fully healed,` Ranloo said in amazement. ´Two nights ago, I was dying from deep stab wounds.` He continued quietly, as if talking to himself. ´Now, it's nothing more than scratches.` He looked up and smiled. ´This. This is something I can get used to.`

Sern nodded enthusiastically. ´Yeah, 'tis very neat, I gotta say.` His smile faded as he remembered their new predicaments. ´Listen,` he said gravely. Ranloo regarded him expectantly. ´We got a problem.` He didn't know how to put it, so he plunged right in. ´We've got vampire hunters comin' for us. We gotta find a new place t' lurk. Fast.` He removed a cloak from his bag. ´Here. I couldn't get anythin' else for you.` He shrugged apologetically and handed it over.

Ranloo swept it around his shoulders, frowning. ´I look ridiculous,´ he commented.

Sern's eyes passed over him, noting his muscled dirty frame. Bare-chested with bloody breeches, high boots, and a cloak, it rather enhanced his lack of a tunic than obscured it. ´Yeah, truth. But it's better than nothin', right?` He grinned. ´You could be walkin' around bare.`

Ranloo grimaced. ´I really need a bath.` He tried to comb through his matted hair with his fingers. ´And I need a better place to stay at.`

Sern nodded. ´Sure. But how? We don't got any coin.`

Ranloo unbuckled his belt and removed the sword and sheath. To Sern's surprise, he handed it over. ´Here. You go out there and sell this.` Sern took the beautiful weapon in his hands. ´It's worth at least seven or eight dragons,` Ranloo said. Sern gasped unintentionally at the price. ´I assume it'll be hard to sell with such short notice, but don't let it go for any less than five. It should be enough to buy us what we need in terms of housing and clothes. At least for a while, until we can come up with a better plan. Right?`

Sern nodded slowly, thinking about how crazy much money that was. He'd never held that much coin in his hands in his entire life. He studied the fine sheath and the expertly made sword. An elven blade at its finest, light and well balanced, beautifully decorated and very sharp.

´I won't let it go for less than seven,` he breathed, honoured that Ranloo would trust him with it. ´That'd be blasphemous,` he emphasized.

´Do what you can,` Ranloo said with a slight smile. ´I'll wait here. But don't be too long.`

´I won't,` he promised. ´We don't got time t' waste.` With that, he turned on his heels and left the old temple.

Ranloo was left again, stuck in the same place again, waiting again. Sighing, he explored the temple. He was interested in what deity it had been built for. It couldn't be a good or very strong one, he thought. He shouldn't have been able to enter. At least he was fairly certain that was how it worked.

He stepped into the nave. Old, broken benches stood along the sides of the big room and parts of the high roof had fallen down, crushing the pews. In the front, on a raised dais, rested a stone altar. A smashed vase and the crumbled remains of roses lay scattered over the flat surface. A thick layer of dust, small pebbles, and wood from the ceiling covered everything. Ranloo brushed it off with a hand, revealing carved roses in the smooth stone.

Beautiful. What deity had roses as their symbol? He'd have to find out about that later. Looking around some more, he found nothing else of interest in the ruined room.

Ranloo paced about as thoughts invaded his mind. The absence of his sword's weight disturbed him. It had been a wedding gift from a friend. Another thing that monster had taken from him now. He'd pay for this. Once he found him. That reminded Ranloo about his missing friends. Where were they? Were they still alive? And his wife and children? Soon they would hear he was missing, possibly dead. He could never go back and see them again. The only thing he could do was helplessly wait for the hunters to find him. How far away were they? Would they kill him?

´I can't go on like this,` he whispered to the dusty halls. Grief and anguish beset him as he thought about his family and friends. He sank to the dusty floor, covered his face in his hands, and cried.