Felisei opened the door behind the stage, her stomach knotting. The clatter of wood drew her attention to the twins, sparring in the back of the room with practice swords.

´Welcome to the night shift,` Listarl said.

She raised a hand in greeting and sauntered past the big man. Finding a chair by the table, she sat, draping an arm over the backrest in a pretence of calm. She scanned the room. No sign of the vampire or the boy. Perhaps it was too early? The sun had set only two hours ago. Maybe they were still out?

´So, no sign of the... ` she hesitated.

´Vampire?` Diquarl finished for her from his end of the table.

She looked over to the chemist. She hadn't noticed him. He sat hunched into the corner, like he wanted to disappear, a book in front of him. She shrugged, not wanting to give away how intrigued she was.

´Ranloo and Sern will show up when they're done running around in the city, I guess,` Listarl commented. ´I saw them leave earlier.`

´What're they doin'?` she asked. Her eyes shifted to the door, hoping they'd return soon.

´Hunting?` Diquarl mumbled over the book.

She glanced in his direction again. Hunting. The hairs on her arms stood up at the thought. Did they? Jackal had claimed he didn't kill people. But what did he really know? She resumed watching the twins sparring. Listarl talked to the small chemist about some mission he'd been on earlier this week. She didn't listen. Time crawled.

When the door finally opened she almost jumped out of the chair. Sern entered first, talking with the tall elf who came like a silent shadow behind him. She stared, amazed by his graceful movements. He seemed unreal. She flashed them a smile and waved, pretending to be calm even as her breath caught in her throat.

Sern gave her a neutral look, then smiled and greeted Listarl and the twins. Ranloo returned her smile, however, and gave her a slight nod before turning his attention to the big man as well. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the vampire. None of them knew how to behave around him. She got up and approached the group, tingling with excitement.

´...guards. We don't need any surprises,` Sern said.

Listarl laughed. ´Yeah, I get that. So, how'd it go?`

´Fine, we just looked around a bit,` Sern answered.

´Good idea,` one of the twins commented, eyeing Ranloo guardedly.

´Had a nice evenin'?` she asked and smiled as they turned to her.

Ranloo nodded without a word. Sern didn't even acknowledge her.

She bit her lower lip nervously. ´So, are we gonna discuss how we're gonna work perhaps? Our routines?`

´Yes,` Listarl agreed. ´Might as well. Gather 'round.` He sat without waiting for anyone to reply. The chair groaned under his weight and Felisei fought a smile, half expecting it to collapse under him. The others followed. Diquarl shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his blue eyes darting back and forth as they gathered around him.

They spent a few hours talking, telling their new friends how they usually went about things, and how it was to be in a guild. Eventually, the discussion turned to other matters. Ranloo watched and listened in silence, more withdrawn than previously, Felisei thought. His sharp eyes followed every move. Fascinated, she threw furtive glances his way. Not only because he was an elf and a vampire, but because he was darker than most people in the country. So many things were different and exotic with him. That he was a vampire seemed unreal, though. A fancy lie. Probably because she hadn't seen anything that confirmed it. But it must be true, or Jackal wouldn't have said anything.

She must have stared because he turned towards her with a faint smile.

She grinned guiltily. ´So, how d'you like the city?` Might as well try when she had his attention, she thought.

Ranloo snorted. ´Like? That's not the word I would use.`

She laughed, but quickly stifled it. ´How much d'you detest it?`

´A lot,` he chuckled.

´It is terrible,` she agreed. ´It's a big city after all. But it's got its good sides.`

´Like what?`

´Plenty of opportunities?`

Ranloo laughed, drawing some looks from the others.

´But it's true. Plenty of lost belongings to find,` she whispered conspiratorially.

He snorted and shook his head, but a smile still lingered on his lips. She felt like her own smile had glued itself to her face, loathe to leave. Even as he turned back to the rest of the conversation.

When they split up to go to their rooms, Ranloo quickly vanished, followed by Sern and Gesald. Felisei tapped Listarl on his back before he too left. He turned around to face her.

´Can I ask a favour?` she asked.

´Sure,` he smiled, teeth white against his black beard. ´What d'you want?`

´We've got vampire with us, right?` she said, but continued before he could reply. ´I'd like to know more about 'em. You're a good reader an' likes history an' all that stuff.` She drew a deep breath and he chuckled at her. ´I wonder if you've got a book about 'em?`

He tapped his belt with his big thumbs, pondering. ´I don't think I've got anything, but I can check,` he said after a while.

´That'd be great, thanks!` she chirped and strutted off, a grin on her face.

* * * * *

Ranloo and Sern headed towards the usual meeting place. Still hesitant, Ranloo wanted nothing more than to stay away from them. But they had to get to know them if they were going to work together. He hated not knowing what was expected of them, and he was afraid he'd ruin it all once it came down to it. A small comfort was that it worked well with the animals in the storeroom. He only wished he could go out more, already restless after a few days in the guild. He decided to go out for a run the next night. He had to get out and move.

´Why so glum?` Sern asked, looking up at him.

Ranloo shrugged. ´I don't know. I'm scared something's going to happen,` he muttered.

´You worry too much. It'll be fine. They're nice.`

´That's got nothing to do with it,` he protested.

Sern grinned. ´It'll be great, just wait an' see.`

´I hope so,` Ranloo grumbled with an irritated glance over his shoulder. Gesald followed some way behind them, faltering when he noticed Ranloo's glare.

Sern opened the door to the room and several voices greeted them. Ranloo entered and quickly surveyed the room, noting the chemist, Diquarl, wasn't there. Everyone else relaxed in chairs. Good. Diquarl was too afraid. It triggered him too much.

´So, shall we go?` Felisei asked and stood from the table, smiling brightly at them. The others got up too, in varying degrees of enthusiasm.

´You have your own way out of the guild, right?` one of the twins asked and came to stand beside him, his brown eyes unreadable.

Ranloo gave him a wary look and nodded.

The man rested a hand on the hilt of his sword. Relaxed, but ready. ´Good. There are several ways in and out of the guild but stick to one or two preferably. People get suspicious if they see people coming and going all over the place.`

Ranloo met the twin's gaze in silence for a while. ´I only know of two ways in.`

´We'll show you the rest right now,` Felisei said and sidled closer. ´It's important to know, in case somethin' happens.`

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Momentarily distracted by her close proximity, his eyes drifted to her neck. She reached out towards his hand, as if to take it and pull him with her. But she never got the chance.

´Great, let's go,` Sern said needlessly loud and forced himself between them.

Ranloo laughed and snapped out of his stare. Sern was behaving rather odd, he thought with a fond smile.

The twin raised an eyebrow and fell back to his brother. Listarl led the way, walking back down to the ground floor. First, he pointed out a secret door that led to the stores facing the main street.

´This is only for extreme emergencies,` he explained. ´The wall is thin and made to be easily broken, but it's not a door as such.` He knocked on the wood with his knuckles, causing a hollow thudding. Ranloo watched it with interest. Secret doors, how curious. Truly, he was with criminals now.

´That's amazin',` Sern said with an impressed look on his face. ´I din't knew you got that.`

´Of course not!` Listarl laughed. ´We don't tell people who aren't members.`

They passed on through the corridor and a few rooms. Listarl opened a door, revealing a staircase leading into the basement, sparingly lit with lanterns. Below stretched a short corridor that split to the left, leading up to a door.

´This there leads to a side street,` Listarl said, indicating the door. ´And here,` he pointed to the floor, ´is a hatch leading into the sewers.`

´The sewers?` Ranloo asked, wrinkling his nose.

´Yes, elf. Into the wonderful, dark, stinking bowels of the city,` one of the twins commented.

Ranloo glared at him and the twin stared back with a flat expression. Sern laid a hand on Ranloo's arm, reminding him to relax.

´Tis only for emergencies,` Felisei shot in. ´We don't normally use 'em.` She gave the twin an angry shake of her head and mouthed something. He shrugged and stepped back.

Annoyed by their nearness in the hallway, Ranloo tried to focus on Listarl and followed him down the corridor to the left, Sern and Felisei right behind him. They came to an intersection Ranloo recognized. They were below the stairs leading to his room. He tensed, suddenly defensive, as if they had walked in on his territory, even though he knew it was stupid.

´Down there's your room,` Listarl said and nodded his head towards it.

Ranloo gave a sharp nod, sighing in relief as they continued past the intersection.

´Ahead's a bit special. We're entering under another house here,` he said. Opening a sturdy door, he pointed to the ceiling, indicating the house above. Straight ahead, the corridor led to another intersection and, further yet, another door.

Listarl showed them all the doors and exits, both inside and outside the actual guild. They warned Ranloo it could be dangerous to use the hatch in the courtyard, though the sewer escape-route was short and opened into the street not far away. When they were done, the thieves split up and Ranloo followed Sern to his room.

* * * * *

Felisei woke up the next afternoon, groaning and rubbing her eyes. She wasn't used to be up so late at night. She assumed it'd have to become a habit. Clambering out of bed, she readied for another rough day. Not wanting to be left without food, she had breakfast before searching for Listarl. After some time, she found him sparring with one of the twins in the guild's training room. The other brother was leaning against a wall, watching. Two others were there as well, practicing with knives. The twin by the wall nodded in greeting. She waved back and smiled.

´So, there you are,` she said to Listarl, stepping closer.

They stopped sparring and he turned to her, face red and sweaty. ´Oh, hi. What're you doing here?` he panted, a wooden sword in his hands.

´Watchin' you get your ass kicked,` she laughed.

His face cracked into a wide grin. ´That's what you think? That I can't handle this tiny twig?` He pointed to the twin with the sword. He was probably right, she thought. The twins were great swordsmen but Listarl had strength and mass, and he was far from bad.

The twin snorted and batted the wooden sword aside. ´I can take you on any day,` he boasted. He didn't appear tired in the slightest, she noticed with some admiration.

´Sure you can, Pei,` Listarl agreed amiably, still grinning.

Pei laughed and went to sit on a bench beside Aedil. Listarl dried his sweaty face on a towel and gave Felisei a questioning look.

´The book,` she prompted.

´Right!` His face cleared for a second, then he grimaced. ´I didn't have anything on the subject. Sorry.`

She pouted, disappointed.

´Yeah, bummer,` he agreed.

´D'you know if Diquarl's got anythin'?`

´Doubt it. Vampires aren't chemistry.` He shrugged his wide shoulders, reminding her of his incredible size. ´But you can always ask. He is strange sometimes.` He barked a loud laugh.

She smirked. ´Be nice. He can't help being a bit... buried in his hobbies.`

He laughed. ´Buried is the right word.` Then he dismissed her, hefting the wooden sword and beckoning for Aedil to join him. She watched for a few minutes but soon got bored and left. At least she didn't have to search for the chemist, she thought. He was always in the lab.

´Hi, Diquarl!` she called as she entered his preferred location. She heard the chinking off glass and a mumbled reply. Stepping further in, she spotted him by a table crammed with glass bottles, liquids, and small containers. He scribbled in a book and didn't even glance up as she approached.

´Can you help me out?` she asked.

He looked up, raised an eyebrow, then continued writing.

He made her slightly uncomfortable and she watched in silence for a short while before bluntly asking, ´Do you have any books 'bout vampires?`

His head snapped back up, regarding her with wide eyes. ´Why? No.` His eyes darted to the door, then focused on her again.

´Uh, I just wanted to learn more 'bout 'em. You know, since we're working with one.`

He stared at her for a long while, shifting back and forth between his feet. ´Well. I want to learn about them too, but through observation, because I don't think there's much written about them,` he said. ´Maybe if you ask Gesald he could find something for you if we've got it.`

She sighed in frustration and poked a glass on the table. ´Gesald? I guess.` She sighed again. ´I thought this was gonna be easy,` she complained.

He stared at her hand as if it was something dangerous and she slowly drew it back from the glass bottles.

´Sorry,` Diquarl said and shrugged. Then he resumed writing in the book. She left him to it and went outdoors. She knew Gesald wasn't up yet. He worked full nights. But she'd ask him as soon as she could.

* * * * *

Ranloo ran through the streets full speed, enjoying the wind in his face. The smell he could do without, but he liked the freedom. He was beginning to learn the layout of the new district and tried to memorize the city guards' routes whenever he spotted them, keeping at a distance. His hunger annoyed him, as always. The animals helped him stay in control but didn't relieve him fully. He wished they did. Everything would have been much easier then. He came to a stop by the river, watching mist rise from the dark water.

A faint scraping made him twist around, thinking someone was there. But the street lay empty behind him. Frowning, he scanned the area, certain he'd heard something. Every muscle suddenly tense, his senses reached out. The wind howled in his ears as he listened for movements. Something in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he whirled around in time to see a shadow drop from a roof. The roof? He gaped for a second. Then he dashed forward, towards the shadowy figure. It couldn't have gone far.

He ran down the streets, keeping his eyes on the roofs and alleys. But after a short while he stopped, neither seeing nor hearing anything out of the ordinary. Had the shadow been his imagination? Or had he simply been too slow? There were no traces, no smells, nothing to detect it by.

Frustrated, he kicked a loose cobblestone, making it clatter across the street. Had it been a vampire? On the roof? What else could it have been? The memory of the crazy vampire appeared, making him nauseous, blurring his vision. Blinking rapidly and drawing a few deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down.

His hand had unconsciously closed around the die in his pocket. As if it could protect him from... something. Something that had happened. He couldn't quite recall, but it brought a tremendous stress and boiling hate. His canines ponded and he poked them with his tongue. He'd been ready to fight and kill. Rolling his shoulders to loosen up, he let go of the die and turned around, heading back. He'd lost all interest in exploring and started back to the guild, taking care to stay away from people.

* * * * *

´Gesald?`

The red-haired man turned around at the voice, spotting a young woman. Felisei. She was part of that group. She smiled sweetly at him as she approached, her hazel eyes glittering. He frowned. What did she want? He had things to do and a vampire to keep track of as soon as he came up from the basement. A shiver coursed through him at the thought. The elf made him edgy and defensive.

´Yes?` he asked, trying to sound polite.

´I need your help with you-know-who,` she said with a glance to the side, where some other thieves stood talking.

His stomach knotted. ´Why? What happened?`

´Oh, nothin' happened,` she laughed to his relief. ´But I need information. We're gonna work with him after all. D'you think you can get us a book about... his kind? Or somethin'?`

´A book? About va... elves?` he said, studying her carefully. Why would she need that when she could just ask the damned thing, he wondered.

´Yes. I want to know more about 'em. To better understand him.` She met his questioning look with a confident smile.

He shrugged. ´Sure, I'll see what I can do. But he's probably awake, so I need to go and... watch him,` he finished faintly.

´Are you scared?` she whispered, leaning in closer before he had a chance to leave.

He almost denied it. Then, realizing there was no point, sighed deeply. ´Yes. Of course I am. He's a monster,` he hissed under his breath. ´You should be too.` He turned on his heels and left, leaving her standing with a surprised expression in the middle of the hall.