´The rest you know,` Ranloo said. ´I woke up in a cellar and my life was upside-down.`

´Then I found you and saved you!` Sern beamed, drawing out a fond smile from the darkelf.

´Yes.` The smile faded. ´But it wasn't over with my... master yet.`

´Tell us what happened,` Listarl prompted.

Ranloo nodded and continued his story.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

´Why did you stop?`

The voice brought Ranloo back with a jolt. Taking a deep breath, he felt rain pattering over him and realized where he was. He moaned and clutched his head with his hands. He wanted to forget again.

The master walked back to him and reached out to touch one of his hands, presumably to remove it from his head.

Ranloo backed off and screamed, ´Don't touch me!` He bared his fangs and hissed in anger.

The master's eyes widened in surprise at the outburst. ´Calm yourself. What's the matter?` Annoyance made his voice sharper than usual. ´Follow,` he commanded and walked off.

Ranloo managed to stand still for a few seconds before his feet started moving, as if by themselves. He cursed under his breath and glared at the back of the man.

´Tell me, what's the matter? Why did you stop?`

Ranloo fumed, feeling betrayed by his goddess who had let this happen to him, angry and scared that the master had tormented him, even killed him, and was now controlling him. ´Did you know I was going to survive?` he asked hoarsely.

´What?` he asked, confused. ´What do you mean?´

´When you... killed me,` Ranloo explained. ´Did you know I was going to survive?´

The master barked a laugh and looked over his shoulder. ´No, I didn't. But I hoped.`

´You didn't know?` Ranloo asked, aghast.

He smiled and shook his head. ´You can never be really sure. Some people turn, some don't. Maybe the gods decide. But I was fairly certain you would make it. You have a strong life force, and you stayed awake.`

Ranloo wasn't sure what to say to that.

´Why do you ask this now?` the master wondered, sounding genuinely curious.

Ranloo shrugged, pretended it wasn't a big deal but knew he wasn't fooling anyone. ´I only just remembered what happened...` he mumbled and clasped his hands in front of him, massaging them to still the trembles.

The master chuckled. ´I see.`

For a while, the only sound disturbing the peace was the increasing rain, drenching them both. They walked towards the castle, its high walls up on the hill easy to spot wherever you were in the city. Ranloo frowned, wondering why they headed towards the finer areas where they would both stand out as obvious strangers. Especially himself in his ragged clothing.

Ranloo attempted to stop again but only managed to stagger a few steps before his gait returned to normal. Angrily grabbing at the corner of a house as they turned into another street, he held on.

The master stopped and watched him with raised eyebrows and an amused smile on his lips. His dark eyes glittered. Ranloo hated him with a passion. But it was a small triumph that he had managed to stop.

The master chuckled. ´You look like an idiot. Let go of the wall.`

Ranloo let go as he was told and stood in front of the man, seething with anger. ´How can you do that?` He looked at his hands as if they had betrayed him.

´I am your master,` he replied with a grin.

Ranloo gave him a withering look. ´I have no master,` he said slowly. ´I only listen to the gods and our ruler.`

´You mean the king?` He glanced towards the castle.

Ranloo shook his head. ´The Prince,` he explained. ´I'm an elf, remember.`

´So you are. But you're not in the elven kingdom anymore.`

Ranloo eyed the narrow cobbled streets, the wood and stone buildings around him. The smoke rose from countless chimneys and the smell of too many people in one place permeated the air. ´I know. But that doesn't make you my master.` He folded his arms and gave him a defiant stare.

The man laughed and came to stand in front of him, face to face. Ranloo hated the fear that threatened to ruin his composure and tried to breathe normally. The master grinned and stroked his face with his right hand. Ranloo yanked his head back from the touch, his lips curled in revulsion.

´Why do you fear me?` he asked softly.

´I don't,` Ranloo answered quickly.

He laughed. ´But you do. Is it because I killed you?`

Ranloo shook his head, wanted to step back and get some space between them but stubbornly refused to move.

´Then, what do you fear?`

´Answer my question,` Ranloo retorted.

´I did. It's because I'm your master. I made you. You are mine to do with as I please,` he said in a low voice.

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The hairs on Ranloo's arms and the back of his neck stood on end. ´No,` was all he could think of to say.

´We share the same blood, and I'm stronger than you so I control you.`

Ranloo didn't care if it was true or not, he hated it. He stepped back, no longer able to stand so close to this man. This madman.

´Stand still and be very quiet.`

Horrified, Ranloo's eyes widened, unsure of what he was going to do, but unable to resist the command. The master glanced around, then stepped in close and placed a hand on the side of Ranloo's neck. He shuddered but said nothing.

´This is something you should never let anyone do unless you want them to share your power. Remember that.` He opened his mouth, fangs extended and sharp.

Ranloo gritted his teeth and tried to protest, but he couldn't make a sound. It was like being bound and gagged, like the man he'd killed earlier. The master leaned closer and bit into his neck. Ranloo closed his eyes, fearing the pain, but soon realized it wasn't as bad as it had been last time. Maybe because he was a vampire now, or because he'd gotten used to pain? He still wanted it to stop, but couldn't do anything. It was extremely frustrating. Being perfectly free but unable to move.

A shout made the master jerk back, releasing him, his teeth scraping Ranloo's skin painfully. Blood trickled down his neck and he covered it with a hand. Hiding the telltale mark of the vampire. A man stood further down the street. Just a passerby who had come at the wrong time.

The master sneered and pointed. ´Kill him!`

Despite his efforts, Ranloo immediately let go of his wound and charged the man who turned to flee. Ranloo caught up to him in no time, but something made him hesitate, an uneasy feeling. He swiped at the man and hit his arm, causing him to stumble and fall.

´Stay away!` the man shouted and fumbled with something in his hand.

Ranloo hesitated. The command was strong but the force in front of him was terrible and he felt trapped between the two. Snarling, he stalked around the man. He was maybe in his forties, powerfully built with a thick brown beard and hair, dressed like a smith with a leather apron, and tools on his belt. He stumbled back on his feet, holding his hand up. A medallion glinted in silver.

At first, Ranloo couldn't see what it was, but power radiated from the symbol. It wasn't the same terrible brightness as from the sun-medallions, neither was it the distressing glare of Im's Eye. Still, it gave him an uneasy feeling, and he didn't dare approach.

´Stay away vampire,` the smith said hoarsely while backing off, holding the symbol aloft.

Ranloo could smell his fear but knew he wasn't completely terrified anymore.

´Get him!` the master called behind him.

Eyes wide, he charged the big man. The smith yelled, stepped back and presented the medallion. A silver hammer. Ranloo reached for him, but the medallion connected with his arm with a hiss. Ranloo yelled and pulled back, his right forearm burned by the symbol is if by hot coals. He bared his fangs at the smith who trembled in shock but stood his ground.

Desperately, Ranloo stared at him, compelled to attack but fearing the medallion. Holding his burned arm, he stayed just out of the smith's reach. The big man's eyes moved back and forth between Ranloo and the master, further back.

´Stay back, monster,` the smith warned. ´Stay back or I'll burn you again!`

Ranloo frowned and took a step back.

The smith nodded and waved the symbol in the air. ´That's right. Get back. Leave me alone!`

Ranloo moved another step back. He had never wanted to attack this man. Had never wanted any of this. Another step back and the smith took a deep breath of relief.

´You're a fool,` the master said, coming up beside Ranloo. ´Don't let them hit you with those. You're faster than them.` He charged the smith and struck his arm with a powerful blow. The man screamed as his arm snapped and the medallion clattered to the ground.

´No! Leave him be!` Ranloo roared and grabbed the master's coat, tearing it as he pulled.

The master spun and backhanded him in the face. Ranloo collapsed to the cobbles, nose bleeding and his entire face aching. He moaned and struggled to get back up when the master yelled at him.

´Stay down!`

Ranloo flopped back down again, furious and frustrated. Wiping the blood from his face with the sleeve of his tunic, he glared at the man.

The master grasped the smith and made sure Ranloo watched before he drained him. The smith gave Ranloo a wide-eyed stare and begged him to save him before he died. Ranloo couldn't do anything but sit and watch, his anger and hate reaching new levels.

´Why did you kill him?` Ranloo asked when the master was done. ´We didn't need to.`

The pale man looked down at Ranloo for a moment, his dark eyes hard. Then he inspected his coat, now with a tear in the fabric in the back after Ranloo's attempt to stop him. ´He saw us.`

´And?` Ranloo shouted. ´Leaving a trail of dead bodies isn't going to make anything better!`

´Better than having him walk off and tell the paladins and priests what he saw,` the master replied, his manner calm again.

Ranloo snorted.

´Get up,` the man said. ´You're getting soaked.`

Ranloo snickered at the remark but stood and brushed himself off. ´Have you seen what I look like?` He indicated his bloody, dirty, and torn clothes, his dishevelled hair, burned arm, and bloodstained face and hands.

The master laughed. ´Yes, you look a mess. I'd do something about that if I were you. You're drawing a lot of attention walking around like that.`

Ranloo snorted, unsure if he should cry or laugh at the absurd situation. ´I have to go home. My friends need me.`

The master nodded. ´Then go. But I won't help you again.`

Ranloo studied the pale man in his dark fine clothes. He'd wanted to know more, wanted to know who he was, why he'd done what he did. But figuring out how vampires worked he could do on his own. It'd take longer but if he was careful, he was sure he'd manage. But he wasn't sure he trusted the man to leave him alone. ´Will you really let me go?`

He smiled. ´I told you. I don't have a clan. You can leave. But remember, you survive best in one of three different ways.`

Ranloo watched him guardedly.

´You can do like you do now. A rogue, alone as a vampire but with living friends around you. It'll keep you safe during the day if you can trust them. But you can't expect them to help you against other vampires or survive if they do. And you have to be strong to survive on your own.`

Ranloo nodded and backed off a step, preparing to leave. ´What other ways are there?`

´You can join a clan,` he said and laughed. ´Few clans take in rogue vampires, but it happens. Or you can create your own.` His eyes glittered with amusement.

Ranloo shook his head. ´I won't spread this curse of yours!`

The man shrugged and indicated the street ahead. ´Now leave and do as you wish. If you have it in you, you can live forever. A god among insects, remember.` He laughed and turned to leave.

Relief flooded Ranloo as his master left, but his hatred and desire for revenge made it hard to watch him walk away unharmed. He had a feeling he'd never see him again. But he had other pressing concerns. His friends needed him, and probably wondered where he had gone.

He turned his steps towards the harbour and ran away from the dead strangers. He was far away and knew he wouldn't make it there soon. But if he used all his speed, he might reach it early the next night. The wind and rain pelted Ranloo's face, his long steps silent and fast in the night.