Tealas stood a a short distance away, talking with the mages as Odefin sat on a bench and watched the acolytes go about their business. Cleaning, preparing for sermons, reading in big books. He turned around as Tealas approached him.

´Well?` he asked and glanced towards the mages, still talking a few feet away.

´They are almost ready. We need to plan how to get the monster the message,` Tealas said quietly and pulled on his black gloves, ready to leave.

Odefin nodded and stood from the bench. ´Can we just leave it in the street?` he asked, frowning at his own suggestion.

Tealas shook his head and placed his hat back on his head. ´I want it to get it directly somehow. Do we know anyone daring enough to take such a risk?`

The hunters left the temple and entered the bright but chilly afternoon. Still pleasant enough, it would soon give way to the deep dark of winter. Tealas shuddered. He preferred summer with its long bright days and short nights. Winter gave the vampires an easier time to go about hunting people. They'd be able to get out earlier, before most people had gone home from their jobs. Winter was the prime time for vampires.

´I don't know,` Odefin replied after a while. ´I'm very unsure about this vampire. He goes between extremes. Killing and threatening, then basically vanishing from the face of the world only to appear again on another killing spree. Who would dare to meet him?`

Tealas looked up and down Temple Street. ´It vanishes for about two weeks each time,` he mumbled.

´Is it how long he manages to keep control?` Odefin asked.

´Maybe.` Tealas rubbed his jaw, eyes narrowed. ´Maybe it's how long it can sustain itself on animals before going on a rampage, too starved to manage?`

Odefin nodded and grabbed the reins to untie his horse from the hitching post outside the temple. ´Sounds reasonable,` he agreed. ´Have we heard anything that can be tied to him recently?`

Tealas shook his head and mounted his horse. ´I thought we could go by the Eldon temple and ask if they've heard anything. It's been quiet for a while. Apart from that ghost story, which sounds like it might have been the vampire.`

´Tea,` Odefin lowered his voice. ´If that was him, he's already more powerful than any other vampire at his age that we have met.`

Tealas turned in the saddle, his pale eyes cold. ´I know. It's learned how to disguise itself, to use the fog.` He frowned deeply.

´But it's not certain it was him,` Odefin reminded him.

´He was dark, long black hair, glowing eyes. Who else could it be?` Tealas urged his horse onward. The Eldon temple lay only a short distance down the street. ´Maybe we could ask the guard,` he wondered aloud.

´The guard... oh,` Odefin's face brightened. ´Aye, he seems like someone who might dare. And he's seen the vampire before.`

Tealas nodded grimly. How he would enjoy capturing this creature. It had eluded them for most of the summer now. But if the plan worked, it'd be dead soon. A faint smile flew across his pale features as he gazed towards the golden temple, towering over the other buildings.

Upon entering the temple doors, they met a crowd of mixed races on their way out. Priests in various yellow robes, and two paladins in full plate armour. The hunters glanced at each other and stepped aside to let them pass.

Tealas spotted Garvina Asiid in the back, shaking hands and talking with one of the other priests. The elderly Sol looked up, spotted the hunters and beckoned for them to come. As they approached, she wished the last priest, a dwarf, good luck and farewell. He left and the hunters bowed slightly from their waists. Tealas removed his hat.

´Good afternoon, hunters,` Garvina greeted. ´How can I help you?`

´We were wondering if there's been any news of the vampire?` Tealas asked quietly.

Garvina eyed the high ceiling for a moment, her mouth pursed. ´Yes, maybe. One of our priests was out the night before yesterday with an associate. He said they ran into the vampire. Literally. He got away though, if that was him. But a proper report hasn't been written yet. Other than that, I haven't heard anything new that you don't already know. But then people don't always come to us first,` she added.

Tealas face lit up at the news. ´We spoke with the Im priests earlier. They told us of a ghost spotting two days ago.` He snorted.

The Sol raised her brows, wrinkling her forehead into deep furrows. ´A ghost?` She folded her hands in the wide sleeves of her golden robe.

´That's what they say, but we're sure it's the vampire,` Odefin explained as he glanced around the heavily ornamented temple in admiration.

The Sol's face lit up. ´How's the hunt going?`

´Not as well as we'd hoped,` Tealas admitted. ´We've found two vampires, but they were not the one we're looking for.`

´Still, it's good you got rid of them,` Garvina smiled. ´The common people are forever in your debt for keeping them safe from these monsters.`

Tealas smiled faintly and nodded his thanks to the high priestess. Then they acquired some holy water from the temple before leaving.

´Maybe we should ask at the garrison right away? See if anything more's happened? Sounds like he's on the move again,` Odefin said as they left Temple Street.

Tealas nodded but didn't reply, lost in thought. They rode in silence until they came to the small arrest where they had been so many times before. A guard standing watch outside saluted them as they passed. Inside, it looked as usual, two guards sitting by the table playing dice while a third stood by a desk close to the door. The hunters went to him and inquired for the colonel.

´He's busy,` the guard grunted without looking up from the parchment he wrote on.

´When will he be available?` Tealas asked softly.

The guard glanced up. ´I don't know. You can sit and wait.`

Tealas eyes narrowed. He didn't like this guard's attitude. Didn't he understand the importance of their work? ´We're quite busy, and you will tell us if he's going to be a long time or not.` Tealas lowered his voice, glowering at the guard.

The man glared right back, his jaw muscles working. ´You can sit and wait,` he repeated. ´Or you can leave.`

Tealas slammed his hand on the table, making everyone in the room look up. ´This is important business, you insolent knave!`

One of the guards at the table gasped audibly.

The man by the table reddened. ´You have no right to speak to me that way,` he growled. ´Piss off, rat-catcher!`

The two men stared at each other, tension growing in the room as neither backed down.

´What good are you?` Tealas hissed. ´Babysitting thieves in here while...`

Odefin put a hand on his shoulder. ´Tea. Stop it,` he whispered.

He brushed Odefin's hand off. ´... while we hunt real monsters out there!` He pointed towards the door.

´Yeah?` The guard's eyes blazed. ´And look what it's doing to you. You're turning into one of them!`

´What did you say!` Tealas yelled.

´You heard me.` The guard lifted his chin, staring at the hunter defiantly.

´You –` Tealas began when he was interrupted by voices.

Everyone turned as the colonel and another man entered the room. For a short while, everyone stood quiet, glancing back and forth.

´Ah, good afternoon, hunters,` the colonel broke the silence. ´Everything alright here?`

The man by the table gave a sharp nod, his face still bright red. Tealas ignored him, rolling his shoulders to release the tension.

´You might wanna talk to them,` the colonel said to the large man beside him and walked up to the hunters. ´They are probably interested in your story.`

´What are you talking about?` Tealas asked irritably, glancing at the man by the desk before returning his attention to the stranger.

´This is Liam,` the colonel introduced shortly. The big man wore hardened leather armour and a sword, but his right arm hung in a sling around his neck. ´He was violently robbed last night. Possibly by your quarry,` the colonel continued and gave them a meaningful look.

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The hunters' eyes met briefly.

´I'm Tealas,` the blond hunter said and briefly held out his hand to shake out of habit.

Liam smiled grimly. ´So, what are you?` he asked, eyeing the hunters suspiciously.

´We're vampire hunters,` Odefin answered.

Liam's eyes widened and he looked them up and down a second time. ´I see.`

´What happened to your arm?` Tealas asked quietly, his anger subdued.

´I was robbed by two men.` He grimaced.

The hunters waited for him to continue.

Liam told them of his encounter and how he'd been overpowered and disarmed in seconds by the strangers. He described them as well he could and told them the man in black had had an accent and bandaged hands and the boy had used throwing knives.

Tealas and Odefin exchanged glances.

´Tell us more,` Odefin prompted.

´When they threatened me, I stabbed the man in the guts. He...` Liam hesitated, his eyes straying to his arm. ´He stabbed me with my own knife, right through the arm. He just... pulled it out and used it against me.` He gave the hunters a somewhat wild stare. ´That's not bloody normal!`

´It sounds like the vampire and his helper,` Tealas noted.

´Vampire?` The man forced a laugh. ´Yes, he must have been. They weren't concerned in the least that he'd been impaled. Only boasted about how strong he was.`

´That sounds very much like it,` Odefin agreed.

´He stabbed you with your own weapon?` Tealas asked curiously. It wasn't like young vampires to do such controlled things. But this one wasn't like most young vampires. Not at all.

´Yes. He was furious!` Liam waved his free hand in the air to emphasize his point. ´His eyes were all red, like a demon.` After a short pause, he added, ´Is this gonna... effect me in some unnatural way?`

´No.` Tealas stated calmly. ´Where did this happen?` He pulled out a map from a parchment holder by his side.

The man told them, wished them good luck, and left.

The hunters rode through Riverside district. They kept their eyes peeled and talked with people for sightings of the vampire. They didn't get anything at first, but as they were about to leave, they passed a busy street lined with taverns and bars. By a corner, a small excited crowd had gathered. Curious, the hunters stopped.

´Excuse me, but what's going on?` Odefin asked.

Several people turned to look at them, some yelled at them to leave, others merely stared.

´A murder, sirs,` a young woman in a colourful skirt and a matching revealing bodice replied while eyeing them carefully. A dark cloak and scarf covered her somewhat and made her stand out a bit less in the crowd.

Tealas noticed a house down the street with covered windows and a red door. A brothel. Lightly dressed women peeked out the doorway, fearful expressions on their painted faces.

´What happened?` He looked the woman up and down. She was clearly one of them.

She frowned and eyed the house, hesitant. Then her expression softened and she turned back to them. ´Someone killed a friend of mine last night.` Her eyes glistened wetly as she glanced up the street. ´We found her in an alley just over there.` She pointed.

´Mind if we take a look?` Tealas asked quietly. ´We're hunting an individual that was seen in this area last night. It could be him.`

She nodded and briskly walked down the street, her skirts fluttering behind her. She pointed into the alley with a carefully composed face. ´In there. On the ground, dumped like a piece of rubbish.`

The body had been removed and the hunters found nothing of interest in the alley.

It was probably hard to see anything in there at night, Tealas thought. Which was likely why they'd left her there. ´Where's the body?` The woman's eyes widened and her lower lip trembled. ´We need to see it,` he added.

Odefin walked up to her. ´He leaves a certain mark on his victims. We'd like to see if it's the man we're hunting,` he explained softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She sniffed and dried her eyes with her hands. ´We took her into the house,` she replied. ´We're waiting for the priest to arrive and take her to the morgue.`

Tealas nodded and started for the house, followed by Odefin. The scantily clad women in the doorway hastily retreated as the two armoured men entered. They were shown to a small room where the dead woman had been placed on a table, covered by a sheet.

Tealas unceremoniously stepped to the table and lifted the cloth to the shocked gasp of their guide. He studied the pale corpse underneath, instantly noticing the bite-marks on her neck. There seemed to be no other injuries and he quickly concluded the cause of death was blood loss. He frowned and covered the dead woman again.

The vampire had killed many times, but this was the first time as far as he knew that the corpse had been in fine condition and not brutally battered as well as bitten. More controlled. He didn't like it.

They thanked the women for letting them in and made for the exit. Odefin tried not to look at the women as he passed them by, but Tealas eyed them with open interest. It had been a while, he thought. Some of them looked away, fearful expressions on their faces, while others winked and waved. Damned vampire, he thought in annoyance. Distracting him with a brothel. But maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. He considered returning later.

´If you catch the monster,` the woman said before he left, ´you get one for free.` She held a determined expression.

Tealas inclined his head, touching the brim of his hat in acknowledgement.

* * * * *

Uli stood in the medical room by the arrest and listened to the mage in front of him. In deep concentration, Uvin spoke the magical chant of the spell, moving his hands in distinct and precise movements. Uli was utterly uncomfortable, not liking the invisible but highly dangerous forces that certain people could control and bend to their will. But he understood the necessity on this mission and remained still. After a long time, the mage in his purple robes with embroidered white and silver symbols, fell quiet again and lowered his hands. He took a deep breath, a sheen of sweat on his forehead making it clear to the city guard that casting magical spells wasn't something easy.

The mage opened his deeply set, sad eyes. ´There.` There was a hint of pride in his voice. ´The shield is up and it'll stay there until sunrise.` He bobbed his head and knocked on the invisible barrier in the air in front of Uli's face with his knuckles.

Fascinated, Uli reached out to touch the shield, but his hand passed right through it to his surprise.

The mage laughed heartily. ´The shield only hinders things from the outside to reach you, not you from reaching out,` he explained. ´That way you can fight and you can touch things, but nothing can harm you.`

´That's amazing,` Uli breathed and tried to touch it again. He was vaguely aware of the vampire hunters watching in silence from the side.

´Don't go and think of yourself as invincible though,` Ilsie commented from beside the door, leaning against her staff, her red and white hair framing her kind face. ´The shield can break if it's exposed to a lot of force or receives too many hits.`

Uli nodded and took a deep breath. He was unsure of this magic. He had never seen it up close before and definitely had never had the honour of using it. Not sure if he liked the feeling of being surrounded by something he couldn't see or touch, he glanced at the hunters before turning back to the mages. ´How do I know if it works? And can I tell if it's about to break?` Walking up to a small table by the bed in the room, he reached out and picked up a small candlestick just to see if he could.

Uvin and Ilsie smiled broadly at his small test.

He gave them a wry smile, feeling a bit foolish. ´Can you hit it with something to show me it works?` he asked and replaced the candlestick on the table.

Uvin nodded, his ponytail bouncing with the movement, and pulled out a fairly good-sized rock from his pocket. He flung it towards Uli without warning. The rock flew straight towards his face and he flinched at the unexpected move. It stopped and fell to the floor when it was about a foot away from him. Uli gasped and stared at the rock.

Uvin laughed merrily and picked it up. ´I knew you would need some convincing before you would trust the shield. Most people are like that the first time,` he explained. ´But you shouldn't let it receive too many hits needlessly. It can break.`

Uli nodded and straightened his surcoat. He was afraid, but he had volunteered for this. It shouldn't be too hard. The vampire had no real quarrel with him so he ought to be safe enough. The magical shield was just extra protection in case something went wrong. And when dealing with vampires, you should always assume things to go wrong and plan accordingly. ´How many hits can it take?` He fixed the wide-nosed mage with an intense look.

Uvin shrugged. ´It depends on how hard they are. It can take a lot, but vampires are very strong so you shouldn't let him hit it too much.`

Uli nodded. He had no intention of letting the vampire hit him at all if it could be avoided. He wanted the vampire gone from the streets. He had already met one and the experience was terrifying. Without the vampire hunters at his side that time he wouldn't have survived and so the magical shield was a great comfort to him now.

They didn't know exactly where the vampire was, but they knew the area. He had to walk around the district at night, hoping to spot him. He knew what the elf looked like, so that was why he'd been asked. That, and the fact that he'd already faced a vampire and survived, and still volunteered to help the hunters.

´Can I tell if it's about to break?` Uli asked.

The mages nodded.

´You'll notice,` Ilsie said.

Uli was nervous, not sure what to expect. But he assumed the mages knew what they were talking about. He took a deep breath and turned to the hunters. ´So, the message?`

Tealas walked up to him and told him what to say. He made sure Uli remembered the names and places correctly before he was satisfied enough to let him go out.

Uli spent that night alone in the dark foggy streets of Jaris. He didn't like it one bit, and was eyed by more than one dubious-looking character as he patrolled. It felt like being on a normal patrol route, apart from the fact that he was alone. City guards never went alone, that was begging for trouble. However, he got nothing worse than dark looks from the strangers in the area.

The streets were narrow and sparingly lit. At least there were lights, he thought to comfort himself. Even if they were nothing more than vague glimmers of gold in the dark foggy air. Still, better than the poorest areas where streets were unlit, barely cobbled, and so narrow you could almost reach from one side of the street to the other with your hands stretched out. The city guards didn't go to those places. They'd only endanger themselves. Here was better, even if it was a far shot from the merchant or high born areas where the rich lived and many lanterns lit the wide streets. Near the castle, magic lights illuminated the streets. Uli didn't have the fortune to guard that area, however. He didn't mind normally, but to walk here alone was unnerving at best.

Every time Uli met anyone he made sure to study them carefully unless he immediately saw they were none of the vampire's friends or the vampire himself. He tensed every time he heard anyone approach. Once, a person came running from behind at high speed and he twisted around, certain he was being attacked. But it was only a young man running like his feet were on fire, he never even glanced at Uli as he passed by. Uli exhaled in relief and reprimanded himself for being so skittish.

The night passed slowly, and as the sun finally climbed the horison, morning fog rose to greet it before dissipating in the wind. Uli wandered back to the arrest to report before turning his steps homewards. He was exhausted and extremely bored from walking around alone all night. He hadn't seen the vampire or any of his friends. That meant he'd have to do it again the next night, he thought with a sigh.

The following nights began the same way. Meeting with the hunters and mages at the arrest, Uvin casting the shield spell, getting reminded of the message by Tealas, and then venturing out into the darkening streets. Nothing of interest happened other than a short meeting with some would-be robbers who thought the lone guard would be fun sport to harrass. But they were themselves scared and fled when they discovered the magical shield. Uli smiled as they ran, but was disappointed he couldn't get to them, unable to arrest them alone. But he had more dangerous creatures to get to, he thought grimly. He was afraid of meeting the vampire but also excited. He wondered and fantasized about the meeting many times during the long, lonely hours.