Cursing in elven, Ranloo bolted out into the street and sped away from the approaching doom. They shouted behind him. Then a woman's wail erupted. Probably the one who'd gone to find help, coming back to the carnage.

Ranloo shook his head, trying to clear away the images of blood and death. It wasn't his fault. They had attacked him. He didn't want to die any more than anyone else. Hurtling down the streets in the rain, he fled. With pure willpower, he managed to keep his thoughts orderly enough to remember the direction of the harbour. He had to get home, had to get back to the guild. He ran until he couldn't force his legs to take another step. Hurting, bleeding, and tired, he needed to rest and heal.

In a gloomy park with tall hedges he stopped and sat on a bench, panting. The rain ceaselessly pattered, soaking everything. His side throbbed and burned. Ranloo inspected the wound carefully. The sword had gone right through him, leaving a deep gash. Luckily, it had been to the side, missing vital organs. But it would take time to heal.

Several smaller cuts and marks he didn't even remember taking, marred his body. At least one rib was broken, probably several. Tearing a long piece of cloth from the remains of his cloak, he wrapped it around his midsection, stemming the blood flow a little.

A laugh escaped his lips as he studied himself. He was a worse mess now than he'd been when he emerged from the sewers, and he hadn't thought that possible. Amazed that he was still alive, he gave a short prayer of thanks. He knew his goddess wouldn't listen, but maybe someone watched over him after all. But who'd watch over a vampire? Some dark evil deity? The god of the blue roses? Suddenly reminded of the robed stranger that had saved him once, he shuddered on the bench. What had that been? Something unnatural.

Struggling back to his feet, he started walking. The night was still young and he had plenty of time to reach the guild. Limping with each step, progress was painfully slow. But he had gotten his fill when it came to blood, and it helped him heal. The smaller cuts and bruises soon closed and faded. The bleeding slowed and stopped. The broken ribs, the cut in his back, and the deep stab wound in his side were the only ones that didn't heal visibly. But as time passed, he was able to increase his speed. Taking care to avoid meeting anyone, he switched direction at the slightest indication of people. It took a long time before he found himself back in areas he recognized.

* * * * *

Ranloo fell quiet. His friends stared at him. He felt awkward telling them about the things he'd done, things he wasn't proud of. Still, they deserved to know.

Listarl cleared his throat after a moment, breaking the pregnant silence. ´Goblins under the city, you say?` He stroked his curly black beard.

Ranloo nodded and studied the big man with an unreadable expression.

´I've heard about that,` Sern said. ´But I'm glad they didn't attack you.`

Ranloo gave a strained smile. ´I attacked him, remember? They aren't known for their great bravery.`

The thieves nodded.

´Everyone knows they're sneaky, backstabbin' bastards,` Felisei said. ´You're lucky they let you out if there were many down there.`

Ranloo agreed. ´He didn't dare attack me. But he sure didn't help me much either,` he snorted. The goblin had, of course, had no reason to help him, but the minor betrayal had still surprised him.

´Goblins aren't the only things down there,` Diquarl mumbled.

´Nobody's going to comment on the slaughter?` Pei asked then.

Ranloo looked up sharply but saw no anger or disdain in the twin's eyes.

´Why?` Sern asked quietly. ´Tis not gonna change anythin'. They're still gonna be dead.`

Ranloo gave him a sad look. He was sorry for what had happened but didn't feel particularly guilty about the incident itself. He had tried to avoid it, but he wouldn't lie down and give up if attacked. Though he couldn't quite remember the details, it was all a red haze, he could piece it together based on the fact that he'd lived and everyone else was dead.

Pei shrugged and looked at Ranloo intensely. ´What happened then? You didn't get back here that night.`

´No. I was... interrupted.` A pained expression flickered over his face.

´Tell us,` Diquarl prompted.

Ranloo nodded and began talking again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His boots wet and dirty beyond repair or recovery, Ranloo splashed slowly through the puddles in the cobbled streets, one painful step at a time. The rain fell over his head, washing away the blood on his face and hands, rinsing his hair from the worst of the dirt. Tired but healing, intrusive memories of death and innocents killed, flooded his mind. He couldn't feel sorry for the guards anymore, but those poor observers, scared by the monster. He felt sorry for them. They hadn't known he wouldn't attack if they'd let him be. They had awakened him, thinking he was just another criminal who'd broken in to steal. A drunk, fallen asleep in their shed.

He brushed some hair out of his eyes and peered ahead. Had there been a sound? He didn't see anyone. Only the curtain of water hitting the cobbles, dripping from the roofs, and running along in the gutters. Here and there the water drained into the sewers, into the dark, stinking bowels of the city. His lips curled in disgust at the memory.

´We meet at last,` a man's voice laughed ahead.

Ranloo jerked his head up. Two figures walked towards him in the downpour. He stopped, uncertain of who they were, of what they wanted.

´Who are you?` he asked, on edge and prepared to run. But they didn't look like guards, hunters, or paladins. He watched them carefully.

The man was well built, handsome, and of average height. His pale face stood out against his dark ear-length hair. He wore a nice black coat with a silver brooch of a bird on it. He had a proud bearing and gave Ranloo a disdainful look. The woman beside him was equally well dressed in a beautiful green gown covered by a fine matching coat. A yellow veil covered her soaked blonde hair. Both wore quality shoes and sparkling rings on their fingers.

If they hadn't been drenched and tousled from the wind and rain, they would have looked fabulous, Ranloo thought in admiration. Like nobles. Who were they? What did they want? He smelled the air, trying to catch a hint of their emotional state. But there was nothing, only the rain, and the blood from his own clothes. Their heartbeats were calm and regular.

´We have been looking for you, rogue,` the man said.

´Rogue?` Ranloo asked, confused.

´Yes. You don't belong to a clan, do you?` The woman smiled sweetly at him.

So beautiful, he thought. But something about their manner was out of place. His eyes moved back and forth between them suspiciously. ´A clan?` He didn't know what they were talking about.

The woman laughed, a light but humorless laugh. ´Yes, a clan. A family. You don't belong to anyone.`

´No. I don't,` he said guardedly, unsure of what she meant.

´Good.` The man sneered. ´It makes this much easier.`

The woman placed a hand on his chest for a second, as if to stop him from going forward.

´Make what easier?` Ranloo asked, now certain they were up to no good. Still, he was curious. Who were they? ´Why have you been looking for me?`

´You have caused us a whole lot of problems,` the woman said. ´You provoked Taasaw's death, and you have forced us all to hide, like rats from a cat.` She looked down on him, her nose turned up in a snobby way.

Very elf-like, Ranloo thought. ´Hide?` What in the world were they talking about? Clan, family, hunted, hiding. Wait. ´Are you...` he hesitated. They regarded him curiously as if he was an interesting bug of some kind. ´Are you vampires?`

´He's a bit slow, isn't he?` The woman nudged the man.

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´Of course. What did you think we were?` The man grinned widely, revealing sharp canines.

A thrill of both excitement and fear rushed through Ranloo at that moment. He hadn't met other vampires before. There were so many things he wanted to ask.

´I have tried to find other vampires,` Ranloo admitted, trying to keep his voice calm.

They glanced at each other, sharing a knowing smile. ´Have you now?` the woman mocked. ´Well, we have been looking for you too.`

´Why?` he asked. For some reason, he didn't think it was to help him.

´Like we said,` the man answered and flicked some hair out of his eyes. ´You have caused us a lot of problems, so we wanted to teach you how to do things properly.` He sniggered.

´You want to help me?` he asked suspiciously.

´Of course.` The woman gave a warm smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. ´We want to help you. Because those vampire hunters have really started to become annoying.`

Ranloo slid a foot back, inching away from them. ´The hunters are after me. Not you.`

´So naive,` she chuckled. ´Did you really think the hunters would leave us alone, just because they're looking for you?` She shook her head and puckered her lips.

´I'm sorry if I caused you problems,` Ranloo said carefully. ´But really, I had no idea that you were even here.`

They laughed.

´Oh, don't be sorry. We'll right things from here on,` the man said.

´We're sorry your master didn't help you, but there's nothing to do about that,` the woman added.

´Master?` Ranloo asked, not following. There seemed to be a lot going on in the vampire community that he had no clue about.

´Yes. The one who turned you,` she replied with a smile. ´He abandoned you. Left you to fend for yourself. Not very nice.` She wagged a finger in the air, still smiling. ´But don't worry. We'll correct his mistake.`

A wave of anger and hate towards the man who had made him washed over Ranloo. He had done exactly what she said. Abandoned him. And that wasn't how they usually did, apparently. Ranloo's head pounded with sudden fury. That vampire had caused so much harm in such a short time. Killed his friend and turned him into a monster.

The woman flew at him. Surprised, Ranloo threw himself back, evading her swift move by pure luck. In shock, he realized they intended to kill him. He had to flee. He had no chance against two vampires as strong as himself. Especially as hurt as he was.

The man's fist smashed into Ranloo's side and he flew sideways with the force. Coughing and gasping in pain, he bent over, clutching his rib-cage. The fist had connected with Ranloo's already cracked ribs and he had heard snapping sounds as they broke anew. Not as strong as him, he corrected himself. Stronger.

The woman grabbed his shredded tunic and flung him onto his back on the ground. The man jumped at him. Ranloo rolled aside and scrambled to his feet only to get scratched in the face by the woman's sharp clawlike nails. With an angry hiss, he reeled back and tried to hit her. She evaded him with a laugh. The man had moved up behind him and kicked him in the back.

Ranloo stumbled forward. Reeling in shock and pain, he took another hit from the woman. Her fist connected with the back of his head. He fell to the cobbles, bleeding from the impact, his vision blurry. Panting, he tried to get back up when a foot stepped on him hard and forced him back down on his belly. They laughed. Humiliated and unable to move, Ranloo cursed them.

The man grabbed his left arm and pulled it back until he screamed. Then he removed his foot from Ranloo's back and lifted it. Terrified, Ranloo gasped. The man stepped down on his arm with a sharp crack. For a moment, Ranloo couldn't even breathe. The man let go of his broken arm. A moan escaped as waves of anguish swept over him, filling his eyes with tears. He was weak. Useless. Fury at being maltreated so easily rose like a storm and he screamed in frustration. They laughed at his impediment, fueling his hatred.

Ranloo struggled to stand, and to his surprise, they allowed it and moved aside. As soon as he was upright, the woman grabbed him roughly around the neck. Her sharp nails dug into his skin as he was forced back against a wall. He swiped at her face with his good arm, but she caught it with her free hand and laughed.

He was helpless, too weak against these vampires. Anguish and hate threatened to consume him at that moment, but no matter how he tried was he able to get away. The man sauntered up to them and helped her hold him still. Ranloo yelled, cursed and kicked, but to no avail.

Was this how the humans felt when he attacked them, he wondered briefly in panic. Was this how his life would end? Killed by his own kind.

´Please,` he gasped, hating to beg. ´Please, stop. Why are you doing this?`

´We don't like rogues,` the man replied. ´Especially ones that give us trouble.`

´We're just cleaning up after your master's mistake. Don't take it personally,` the woman said gleefully and smiled, her fangs clearly visible, long and sharp.

Did she intend to bite him? The mere thought of being bitten made his throat constrict with panic and he thrashed desperately to get out of their grasps. The man kicked Ranloo in the knee and with a cry of pain his legs buckled. The woman held him fast and leaned in to bite. He bared his fangs at her and hissed, but it had no effect.

A sudden scream made her hesitate and look sideways. Ranloo fell to the ground, suddenly released as she left. He hit the hard cobbles with a groan and lay panting as lances of hot pain shot through his arm. What had happened? He lifted his head and froze, his guts twisting into a knot. To his ultimate terror, a man he recognized all too well stood a few yards away. The man himself, his master. Ranloo stared. The pale man lifted the other vampire into the air and with a quick motion twisted his neck around with a sharp crack.

´Brandal!` the woman shrieked and charged the master as he let the motionless body fall to the ground.

The man laughed and evaded her as easily as she had evaded Ranloo's attacks earlier, as easily as he had dodged the elves that night. He brought out a sword, and with an almost lazy motion, cut off Brandal's head, grabbed it, and tossed it at the woman. She caught it, her blue eyes wide, a red glow in her pupils betraying her fear.

´You were gone!` she yelled shrilly and backed away.

He laughed and took a step towards her. ´You were trying to take what's mine,` he said coolly. ´Nobody touches my property.`

Paralyzed, Ranloo stared. He couldn't move. His body quivered in fear and shock. What was he doing here? Why had he come back? Was he going to kill them all, he wondered. He couldn't let this man find out about his friends. He might kill them too. Just like he'd done with Lindhinin back then. Desperation and thoughts of his friends gave him enough strength to clamber back to his feet. His right knee hurt, but he could still use the leg. Ranloo fled, away from the vampires, away from everything. He wanted nothing to do with that man ever again. Clutching his broken arm and wincing with every step, he limped away through the rain.

* * * * *

Ranloo met Sern's wide-eyed stare. The others hadn't heard about his master before. Sern was the only one he'd told anything at all about it. And that wasn't much.

´The bastard that made you into a vamp saved you?` he asked, astonished.

Ranloo nodded, his face a carefully blank mask hiding the storm inside.

´This vampire,` Diquarl began. ´Is he very powerful?`

Ranloo turned to the small chemist as if to reply, then shrugged. After a moment's silence, he said, ´I don't know.`

Aedil leaned forward and scrutinized him. ´Did you get away? Or did he... get you?`

Ranloo flinched and looked away, running his fingers through his hair. Then he clasped his hands and took a deep breath. ´He got me,` he whispered and met Aedil's eyes, a faint glow in the centre of his pupils.

Aedil leaned back again, expectation and fear clearly visible in his open face.

Sern and Felisei both seemed pale as they looked at the elf. Ranloo looked around at his gathered friends and smiled. Though they knew he'd survived the ordeal, they still worried about him. It warmed his soul.

´I'm glad to be back here with you,` he said. ´It makes it all worthwhile. Worth to fight for.`

The door to the room opened and Gesald stuck his head in through the crack. Everyone turned and stared at him.

´Uh, Listarl,` he said and gulped at the many displeased glares he got.

The big man nodded and frowned.

´Jackal wants a word with you.`

Listarl's frown deepened. ´Not now, Gesald. We're in the middle of something here.`

The red-haired man nodded but stayed where he was. ´He said he wanted to talk to you now,` he added when Listarl didn't move.

Annoyed, Ranloo glared at the man. Gesald visibly paled but didn't move.

´We're busy,` Ranloo said softly and stood up.

Gesald's eyes widened so much they seemed likely to pop out of his head.

´He'll speak to Jackal later. Now, you leave,` Ranloo said in a frosty voice and grabbed the door handle.

Gesald backed away from him, not daring to protest. Ranloo slammed the door in his face, then returned to his chair and sat down. He collected his thoughts for a moment, then he continued his story.