There was a smell in the room. The smell of a stranger. Ranloo bolted upright, hungrily searching for the source. The room was empty.

Carefully placing his feet on the floor, he stood, sniffing the air. Who had been in his room? How had they gotten in? Why had they been there? It wasn't a smell he recognized. That worried him.

He paced to the door and, as he opened it, remembered that he hadn't locked it. Feeling foolish, he listened and tested the air. The hallway lay empty, as it should be. Had it been a freak accident, or had someone waited for something like this to happen? They rarely used the rooms here, and yet, the moment he had forgotten to lock the door, someone had entered.

Uneasily, he gazed down the hallway for some time before heading to the next room. He was glad, however, that the person hadn't been there when he woke up. They would most likely have died.

When he had finished eating, he returned to his room and considered his clothing. Should he ask for new ones, or just go the way he was? His breeches were ripped and stiff with dried blood, and the cloak was shredded. He sighed and shrugged to himself, grabbed the torn cloak and put it on. It wasn't too bad, he figured. The dark colours made it hard to see the stains as well. He wasn't in the mood to fix things, he needed to talk to Jackal. The guild leader wouldn't be available for much longer.

Ranloo stalked out of the room and up the stairs with long swift steps. He sped around the corner, his cloak rippling behind him. Gesald yelped in surprise as Ranloo appeared beside him. Ranloo barked a laugh as he flitted by, enjoying the sound of the man's speeding heartbeats. Then the annoying sound of following footfalls reached his ears and Ranloo's smile vanished into a scowl.

Deciding to make Gesald's life a bit harder, he sped up even more, forcing the man to run to keep up. Gesald cursed to himself, and a smile tugged at Ranloo's lips for a moment. People hastened out of his way as he rushed through the corridors and rooms. He hesitated in the dining room, however, enjoying the smells of food and people. Candles on some of the tables drew his eyes with their flickering lights. People eyed him warily, whispering to each other.

Ranloo entertained the idea of trying to eat something again or maybe drink a glass of wine. But then abandoned the idea and kept going, worried about the glances he got. He found the stairs to the third floor and bounced up, Gesald panting behind him. At the top of the stairs, he stopped, unsure of what direction to go.

Some armed men stood a short way ahead, eyeing him suspiciously. He sauntered up to them, ignoring Gesald's protest. The men wore chainmail and had their hands on their weapons. Probably guarding the guild master. Ranloo stopped in front of them.

´What d'you want?` one of the men asked roughly.

´I'd like to speak with the guild leader, please,` he said pleasantly and smiled.

The men glared with undisguised dislike. ´He's busy,` the man replied and made no move to either open or knock on the door.

´It's important,` Ranloo explained.

Gesald nervously sidled up beside him. ´You can't just go up here and ask for Jackal,` he said quietly. ´That's not how it's done.`

´Then tell me, please,` Ranloo said softly, smiling wickedly at Gesald, hearing the man's heart jump as he addressed him. ´I really need to speak to him. Now.` He stared at Gesald, making it very clear he had no intention of leaving until he got what he wanted.

Gesald gulped. ´Just... give me a moment.` His voice quivered slightly.

Ranloo nodded and took a few steps back. He watched as Gesald spoke with the guards, hearing them just fine from the distance he was at. Gesald pleaded with the guards to let the elf in before he got mad. But also because it was necessary and work-related.

Ranloo lifted his eyebrows, somewhat impressed that Gesald took his side of the argument. He probably didn't dare do anything else. Being intimidating was actually quite fun, he realized. He had never needed to use such methods before, back when people respected and loved him, but here it was another matter. Fear spoke louder than friendship or rank.

Eventually, one of the guards knocked on the door and spoke with someone on the other side. A short time later, Gesald beckoned and Ranloo walked up to them again.

´You can enter,` the guard told him grudgingly. ´But if you cause any problems...` he let the threat hang in the air, fingering his sword hilt.

Ranloo shrugged and gave the guard a cold look, fairly certain he could handle them if they attacked. He didn't intend to cause any problems anyway, so it wasn't likely to happen. Sauntering inside, he looked around and spotted Jackal by a fine cabinet, looking at some papers. His back was turned. Beside the door stood a woman, also wearing chainmail and weapons. She stared at him with unfriendly eyes.

´Good evening,` Ranloo began. ´I wanted to speak with you.`

Jackal turned and eyed him, not showing any hint of his thoughts. ´So I heard. Come,` he waved Ranloo into another room after him and closed the door behind them. ´Sit,` he said and sat down behind a large desk. He studied Ranloo impassively.

Ranloo could feel the annoying and distracting force radiating from the sun-symbol he wore. But it was the weak one, not the blessed one that made his skin crawl and made him want to run. He sat down opposite the guild leader. ´Someone was in my room,` he stated.

Jackal blinked, the first sign of any emotion in his face so far. ´Someone was in your room?` he asked. ´Is this someone still alive?`

Ranloo nodded. ´They weren't there when I woke up. But I could smell it.`

´Do you know who it was?`

´No. But I didn't like it. If they had been there when I woke up...`

Jackal frowned and scratched his short beard. ´Yes. That's a problem. I'll look into it.` He eyed Ranloo for a moment. ´How did they get into the room?`

Embarrassed, Ranloo looked away before answering. ´I forgot to lock the door,` he admitted.

Jackal snorted, a slight smile passing over his lips. ´Well, if someone is stupid enough to go into your room when they have been warned,` he stated, ´they have it coming if you kill them. I won't punish you for what happens in that case,` he said. ´But it's troubling.`

´I don't want to kill anyone. Especially not allies or by accident,` Ranloo protested. ´I don't like any of this one bit. I'm only here because I have nowhere else to go.` He considered the guild leader, sitting back in his chair, looking quite relaxed.

´Well, accidents happen,` Jackal said. ´I heard you got into trouble on the mission.` His eyes were unreadable.

Uncomfortable, Ranloo adjusted himself in the chair, expecting anything. ´Well, we were found out by some guards,` he said carefully. ´We had to fight.`

Jackal nodded. ´I heard you saved Sern and aided in the fight.`

Ranloo blinked in surprise. ´They told you that?` he asked, amazed.

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´Yes, they said you were a great help. I'm glad to hear you work well with your team,` he said. ´I must admit, I'm surprised. I feared this whole thing would go straight to the abyss.` He smiled coolly, fingering the medallion.

Ranloo squinted his eyes, avoiding the glaring medallion on Jackal's chest. He couldn't quite believe the others hadn't said anything about him attacking them, putting them all in danger. He shifted in his seat, not sure if the guild leader was testing him or telling the truth.

Was that all?` Jackal asked. ´I have other things to attend to.`

´There's more,` Ranloo answered. ´The animals...` He hesitated, not sure how to bring it up.

Jackal raised his eyebrows. ´Yes? Haven't you gotten them as promised?` his voice held a small hint of anger and he leaned forward in his chair.

Ranloo leaned back, frowning as the symbol got closer to him. ´Yes, I have. But I was going to ask if it was possible to get more.`

Jackal sat back again, more relaxed, his face impassive again. ´Why do you need more?` he asked after a short pause.

Ranloo wasn't sure he wanted to explain but he was fairly certain that if he didn't have a good enough reason, the answer would be no. Fidgeting in the chair, he looked Jackal in the eyes. ´I get hungry,` he said. ´One animal isn't enough. It works for a while, but I get increasingly more hungry as time passes. I don't want to lose control in the guild.` He sighed and looked around the room.

It was a nicely furnished study with paintings on the walls and a nice fur carpet on the floor, a fine quality desk and chairs. It contrasted against the small simple windows, old worn shutters, and the wooden walls.

´I can see to that,` Jackal said slowly, looking thoughtful. ´How much do you need?`

´I don't know,` Ranloo answered truthfully. ´I haven't exactly tried it before. This is new to me as well.`

The guild leader took a deep breath and nodded. He brought out a leather-bound book from a drawer, a quill and ink, and started writing.

´I'll give you two animals twice a week. The other days will be as they are now. Does that sound acceptable to you?`

Ranloo nodded, relieved. He didn't know if it would help, but it felt better that he was at least trying things. Animal blood always felt weaker and less satisfying, so maybe if he drank more of it, it would make up for the lack of power, he hoped.

´Well, it's time to get things done,` Jackal said and stood, dismissing the vampire.

Ranloo got up, then hesitated.

´What is it?` Jackal said, slightly annoyed.

´Gesald,` Ranloo began.

Jackal sighed and turned to face him. ´Deal with it,` he said. ´He's got a job to do and so do you. Don't eat him.`

The last sentence made Ranloo start and he held up his hands. ´Of course not. Why would –`

Jackal interrupted him with a stern glare. ´I'm busy. Now go. We'll talk again at a later date.` He put the book away and began looking through some parchments, ignoring the elf. Ranloo slowly turned and left the room.

* * * * *

Ranloo left the guild and ventured into the dark streets, breathing deep from the mild night air. It reeked as usual but he was getting used to it. He had told Sern he needed some time alone to think. That wasn't entirely true. Whenever he was alone and had time to think, his thoughts gravitated to his family and friends, to everything he had lost. He sighed and looked up at the dark sky. Clouds obscured the stars and it smelled like rain.

He didn't know the area very well and wanted to acquaint himself with it more. But his real goal was the library. He still wanted to know about the mysterious deity of the old temple. His fingers found the die in his pocket and fiddled with it as he walked. The library would be closed by now, but he didn't care. The plan was to break in anyway, get the information and leave. He snorted at himself. He was getting used to thinking like a thief. The only problem was finding his way back. He tried to recall where the carriage had gone, and slowly backtracked to the old district. From there he could find the library easily.

His thoughts wandered as he walked. He missed his family, his two beautiful children, and his lovely wife. ´Minira,` he mumbled as sadness welled up inside him. ´Forgive me.` He longed for his home. The cooling forests and soothing wind rushing through the leaves, the bird song, the fine city of Lemirath with its nice curving roads, beautiful houses, and the many gardens and trees. He sighed. He missed holding his wife, smelling her fine golden hair, and playing with his children, hunting in the forest, and enjoying their beautiful house.

They had had a good life. But now, how would they hold up? He wasn't that worried about the children, they were young, they'd get used to it. But Minira, she had always had a hard time with changes. She hated the very thought of changes. He smiled sadly as he remembered the first times he had tried speaking to her. Him, a lowly ranger daring to address her, a fine wealthy lady. She'd had him know she had many peers looking for her hand and that her father would be very displeased with someone like him. Still, he had persisted, had courted her for years until he'd finally won her heart. He had messed up many times, made many errors. He was too wild, too dangerous, too poor, too different, and too forward.

He smiled at the memories. She had slapped him more than once when he had been too forward. The first time he had kissed her she had blushed prettily, then slapped him in the face and run away. She had been so confusing and hard to understand. And it had intrigued him. He had always known he wanted her. The years passed and they became a wonderful pair. Even her father had accepted him eventually.

He sighed. It was all gone now, never to return. ´Curse you,` he muttered. His eyes burned and he brushed away a tear. He was a nobody now, a dangerous vampire in a smelly human city. It was all that monster's fault. He couldn't even get relief through prayer. He had always worshiped Mizar, the nature goddess. Every day he had gone to the temple and prayed, even if only for a short time. And every time he had a problem, he'd pray until his thoughts cleared. He was lost and alone now.

His hand went to his chest where the medallion used to hang, but finding nothing, dropped back down to the pocket again. There were many gods and goddesses. But he didn't want to follow any of them. The ones he liked were unavailable to him and the others didn't feel right. He sighed deeply. Everything had been turned on its head, he thought as he walked along in the dark.

Close to the old Dirak district, the sound of marching feet reached him. Twisting his head back and forth, he tried to discern where it came from. The echoes between the houses sometimes confused him. He hurried his steps and slipped into a narrow alleyway, backing into the shadows. As the footsteps drew near, he stood very still, peering towards the street. A patrol of four Eldon paladins passed by, their armour shining and golden, their swords bright, and their sun-symbols glaring.

Ranloo crouched, his legs suddenly weak. Their bright medallions terrified him. He wanted to run but their powerful aura petrified him. One of them glanced towards the alley. Certain they could see him, Ranloo didn't even dare to breathe, squeezing the die in his pocket hard.

The moment passed, the paladins moved on, and soon silence reigned again. He stayed in the alley for several minutes, feeling vulnerable and scared. Then, peering left and right to make sure it was clear, he ventured out from the shadows and continued on his way. Tense after the close call, he listened carefully all the time. He had to remember he was on his own. If something happened, he'd only have himself to blame and nobody could help him. Moving along, he avoided the lanterns golden light, providing a false sense of security. Where there was light, there might be eyes watching.

He met more patrols on his way, but they were only city guards and he easily ran away or hid from them. Why were there so many though? He was sure there hadn't been this many last time he was in this area. They seemed to appear everywhere, not using their old routes. Following the river, he soon spotted the mermaid statue. Almost there.

Taking extra care, he looked around before crossing the square and turning towards the library. The big building towered ahead. The lights outside the doors still shone. Was it open? Wasn't it too late for that? Unsure and on edge, he slowly closed in on the building.

Instead of going straight for the doors, he went around the side of the building, jumped up to a window, pulled open the shutter, and peered inside. He didn't want to meet the Im acolyte again. In the dark stillness, bookcases loomed, filled with thousands of books and parchments and scrolls. But no people.

He studied the glass. He could break it easily. But glass was expensive and would make a lot of noise breaking. Maybe the doors were better? He jumped down and sneaked back to the front doors, feeling the handles. Locked. He pulled at them, making the wood creak. Glancing around, he placed a foot against the wall beside the door and tugged hard. The wood groaned and cracked, gave way, and flew open. Ranloo fell back the stairs with a yelp. Cursing, he stood back up and brushed himself off, nervously glancing about. The street was still empty. Cautiously approaching the open door, his skin prickled. Something told him it was a bad idea to go inside. He went anyway.

The moment his foot touched the floor inside the hall, a loud whining blared and the magical lights in the library flared to life. Startled, Ranloo recoiled, holding his ears. His foot was stuck, and unbalanced, he fell by the doorstep.