Two days later, the morning greeted the hunters with heavy fog, the kind Jaris was well known for. The skies were still grey, but the clouds were high and thin. Everything seemed dreamlike, vague, and unreal. Sounds were muffled and they couldn't see further than some twenty yards down the street.

´You could easily get lost in this fog,` Odefin mumbled as they slowly rode forward.

Tealas nodded but didn't feel like breaking the peaceful quiet of the waking city. They rode in silence until they reached the golden temple, rearing out of the fog like a glowing torch in the dim light. They visited shortly to talk with the paladins to see if they knew anything about the alarm from last night.

´There was a fire,` a paladin answered. ´Some houses burned down. I don't have the details. Ask the Im priests or the city guards. They'll know more,` she told them.

The Im priests again, Tealas thought. Garvina Asiid, the Sol of the Eldon temple, had suggested they talk to them the previous day when they had discussed further plans to deal with the vampires. He'd intended to speak to the wizards about teleportations regardless, but now he had a perfect excuse.

They headed to the small white temple of the God of Magic. Its tidy gravel path glowed under the cold lights lining the sides, seeming to float in the fog like pale fireflies. Leaving the horses, they walked to the entrance; tall darkwood doors inlaid with silver, forming magical symbols. In the centre, the Eye of Im watched.

Tealas pushed a heavy door open and entered a white marble hallway. A long purple carpet led into the temple, tall stained glass windows and magical globes in the ceiling brightened the corridor. A pair of silver-robed acolytes near the entrance looked up as the hunters entered.

´Welcome,` one of them said, sounding surprised. He walked up to the hunters, his eyebrows lifted questioningly and his blond hair flying around his face in unruly locks.

´Good morning,` Tealas said softly. ´I would like to know if you have any information about the fire last night? And then I'd like to speak to a priest. We need your aid.`

The acolyte watched the hunters in awe, staring at their weapons and gear. Then he folded his hands in the wide sleeves of the robe and started talking.

´Late last night a fire started. We don't know exactly why but a few houses burned down. It started in a large old building occupied by what is believed to be a thieves guild.` He shrugged as if to say good riddance. ´The fire spread to the neighbouring buildings but was extinguished quickly. Many people came to help. The rain the previous days helped keep it from spreading as well.` He smiled.

How did he know this already, Tealas wondered, impressed by the quick flow of information from the young man. ´Anything else?` he asked, studying the acolyte.

´Some people died. Some of the thieves didn't get out in time, and a few of the poor in the houses around got hurt. We don't have a body count yet.`

´Do you know what caused it?`

´Not yet, no.` The young acolyte ruffled his blond hair with a hand. ´But it's likely it was either an accident or some struggle within the guild. Nobody wanted to talk about it.` He shrugged.

´So, can we speak to a priest?` Tealas asked.

The acolyte turned to his friend, another young man, with shoulder-length chestnut hair. He stared at the hunters, his brown eyes wide.

´Of course,` the blond acolyte replied. ´Lasal, can you get Master Feduil?`

The other man nodded and left in a hurry, his grey robes fluttering around him.

´Can I get you anything or help you with something else?` the blond man asked, a friendly smile on his young face.

Tealas eyed him thoughtfully, impressed by the knowledge he had of something that most people only just would begin to hear about. And this was just an acolyte. Were they all like this, he wondered. He had never really bothered with the Im followers before, but maybe he should do so from now on. ´No, we just need to talk to a priest about possible aid from you,` he said quietly.

The acolyte's blue eyes narrowed slightly. ´Are you vampire hunters?` he asked, taking them by surprise.

´Yes,` Odefin answered, ´Why do you ask?`

´Well, you are well armed,` he replied vaguely. After a short pause he added, ´And you wear sun-medallions but clearly aren't average Eldon worshipers,`

Tealas crossed his arms. ´What do you know about it,` he asked and fixed a steely glare on the young man.

Fidgeting, he briefly looked away before meeting the hunter's cold stare. ´There's a vampire in the area and we heard from our friends in the Eldon temple that there's a hunt going on.` He looked from one hunter to the other expectantly. ´Are you going to catch him?` he asked when they didn't immediately elaborate.

´Yes,` Tealas said. ´We are. We heard one of you met the vampire.`

The blond man looked bothered and avoided Tealas' eyes, looking around the corridor. ´Yes,` he mumbled. ´It's true. But we don't know anything about him really,` he said defensively.

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´Nevertheless, we'd like to know what you do know,` Tealas said.

The acolyte nodded, still looking after his friend. ´You'll get to speak to Master Feduil soon.

They waited in silence together in the corridor for Lasal to return with the priest.

A while later, Lasal and an elderly man with a long beard came towards the hunters down the corridor. The priest's pure white robes were covered by a deep purple scapular decorated with silver symbols, showing his rank. He grasped a tall white staff in a hand.

´Good morning, hunters,` he greeted them upon arriving. The acolyte with him beckoned for his friend behind the priest's back and they both excused themselves and left hurriedly. The old man frowned in annoyance, shaking his head at the youngsters.

´Good morning, ` Tealas said and bowed shortly from the waist. ´We're here to –`

´You need our aid in the hunt for the elven vampire?` he asked before Tealas had a chance to finish his sentence.

He blinked in surprise. ´Yes. We were told you had information about the vam –`

´No, we don't,` the priest replied quickly. ´What we know, we have told the Eldon priests already. He stroked his long white beard. ´But we might be able to aid you. However, we cannot spare many.`

Tealas felt somewhat winded by the speed and energy of the priest. He wished he wouldn't interrupt him again. ´Yes, that'd be very welcome. How ma–`

´We only have two mages that can be spared at this time. We are very busy,` he said proudly.

´I see, but –` Tealas tried again.

´There are many lords and royals who ask for our services in important matters all the time,` the priest cut in with a satisfied smile.

Tealas took a deep breath, trying to steady his temper. ´Alright,` he said carefully, almost expecting to be interrupted again. But to his surprise, the priest merely looked at him with interest. He suddenly got the feeling he was being studied, like some interesting animal. Frowning he continued, ignoring the amused look on Odefin's face. ´Can we meet the wiz–`

´The mages,` the priest corrected him.

´The mages,` Tealas repeated slowly, annoyance giving him a sharper tone than normal.

´But of course,` the old priest beamed and indicated for them to follow, turned and walked down the corridor without waiting to see if they were coming.

Tealas took another deep breath and looked at Odefin in exasperation. The bearded hunter grinned and shrugged.

They followed the old man further into the temple and entered the library. Tall, narrow, stained glass windows adorned the walls, magical globes in the ceiling gave off a cold sharp light, thick carpets covered the floor, and many big tomes and scrolls lay everywhere. Around tables sat what appeared to be young students, not all of them Im acolytes. Three adult men and women in purple robes with white scapulars detailed in silver walked between them, helping with their studies, talking softly.

´Uvin, Ilsie,` the old priest said as he entered. The two closest mages looked up. ´Come over here, please.`

They excused themselves and went over, bowing slightly before Feduil.

´These two are vampire hunters,` the priest said and indicated Tealas and Odefin.

Everyone in the room turned to stare at them curiously. The mages nodded solemnly.

´They need your help to find and kill a vampire. I think you've heard about him?` he stated.

They both nodded.

´Greetings,` the woman said and held out a hand ta shake with the hunters. ´My name is Ilsie Ovaeras.` She was a striking woman with long red hair, striped with white locks here and there, and attentive blue eyes. She gave the hunters a friendly smile before stepping back to let the other mage come forward.

´I'm Uvin Wisdrac,` he said as he greeted them. He was a middle-aged man with a weak chin, sad deep-set eyes, a wide nose, and dark brown hair kept back in a ponytail.

´Nice to meet you,` Tealas said. ´We would like t–`

´You can converse in the chapter house,` the old priest interrupted. ´This is a library.`

Tealas fumed silently as they left the library and the curious students, following the mages. They entered the chapter house, a round room with benches around the walls and a round stone table in the centre. Once there, the hunters were finally able to talk and explain what they needed the mages' help with.

* * * * *

When Odefin left, Tealas stayed behind to speak with the mages in private. Ilsie studied him curiously as she waited for him to explain what he wanted.

´I have a question about magic,` he began, uncertain about the topic.

´Ask away,` she said with a friendly smile. ´I'll help you if I can.`

´Teleportation. How does that work? Can you teleport us to a location we haven't been to, and how much would that cost?`

She opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again, fiddling with her Im-symbol as she pondered the question. ´I'm not too familiar with teleportation spells,` she admitted after a while. ´Master Feduil would be able to give you much better answers about that.`

Tealas scowled, instantly irritated as he remembered his constant interruptions. ´Tell me what you know first,` he said in a low tone.

´Alright,` she said slowly. ´Teleporting is easiest and cheapest when done between permanent magic circles. If it's an unfamiliar place, and more than one person, it will cost a lot more and be much more perilous,` she warned.

He nodded, arms crossed as he leaned back against the table in the centre of the room.

´You'd need to either pay for, or acquire, the magical ingredients for the spell yourselves, of course,` she continued. ´If you have a detailed description of the place you need to go to or an object from that place it'd be easier. If you don't, there's a great risk the spell lands you in the wrong location. If it's close to the coast you might end up in the sea, or you could fall off a cliff if it's among the mountains. You get the gist, I think.`

He pursed his lips and scratched the scar on his neck. ´Is there a permanent circle in Lemirath? If we could get teleported to the right city, we could find the way from there.`

´Lemirath?` she asked, her eyebrows raising. ´In Sel-Faeyth? The elves?`

´Yes.` He didn't elaborate and after a moment she shrugged.

´Alright. I can inquire about that and get back to you later? How many are being teleported?`

´Just me and Odefin,` he answered quietly. ´Maybe one more.`

She smiled. ´I'll see what I can do. It won't be cheap, though.`

´We can afford it,` he assured her, even though he wasn't certain. If a mage states that something is expensive, it might be a fortune to most people. But he was confident they could either pay or acquire some rare ingredient for them in its stead. They did stick around unnatural creatures a lot after all. Thanking her for the help, he left the temple.