Making sure nobody watched, Sern padded up to the old house. He cracked the door open, slipped through, and closed it behind him. He let out a breath and allowed himself a moment to adjust his eyes to the darkness, only lit by the moonlight entering through a gap above the door, before sneaking down the hall. A sharp scraping, followed by footsteps and a strange hissing froze him in his tracks. The vampire rounded the corner with bared teeth and fixed his smouldering eyes on Sern.

´Get out!` he roared and pointed to the door.

Sern thought his heart would stop right then and there. Gritting his teeth at the jolt of adrenaline, he snatched the sun-symbol from his pouch and held it out, hand shaking.

The vampire halted as suddenly as he had appeared.

It worked! Sern almost laughed in relief. The power of the sun god protected him as he had hoped. Despite not being a devout follower.

The vampire stared at him with eyes like glowing ember slits, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He didn't look intimidated at all. But at least he had stopped. Trembling, Sern addressed the monster.

´Stop right there, vampire! I know what you are.` He wondered why he'd said that as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

The vampire huffed, an offended kind of sound, and snarled, ´I told you to leave me alone. Do you want to die?`

The monster still glared at the amulet in his hand. Good. ´I don't,` Sern answered honestly, annoyed at his shaking voice. ´I wanna help you. An' you owe me anyway.` He regretted the words immediately as the vampire closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, grabbed him by his tunic, and slammed him against the wall. He gasped in shock, the medallion clattering to the floor.

´I wasn't joking,` the vampire growled.

The symbol had no effect.

Sern stared into the vampire's red eyes, inches from his face. Faint and struggling to breathe, he expected to feel the monster's fangs in his neck any second.

Then, as suddenly as he'd been picked up, the vampire dropped him and drew back.

As his feet touched the floor, Sern staggered back against the wall. His knees wobbled, weak and unstable. The medallion glinted on the floor by his feet. He bent down and grabbed for it.

The vampire snorted. ´Put that thing away. You don't have faith in it anyway.` He turned his back on Sern and punched the wall with his bare fist, leaving an indenture in the wall.

Sern flinched at the sharp crack. How strong was he, he wondered, wide-eyed. He glanced at the medallion. The vampire was right. Was that why it hadn't worked? Maybe it had to be blessed by a priest for a stronger effect? But the vampire had seemed distracted by it anyway. Remembering why he was there, and since the monster wasn't trying to kill him, he fumbled with the pouch and produced the tunic he'd brought.

´Here.` He held the garment out. ´I got it for you.`

The vampire turned with an incredulous expression, his eyes glowing fainter. ´What are you doing?` he asked, frowning deeply.

´I'm givin' you a tunic,´ Sern answered truthfully, holding the garment out further.

The elf stared at it as if he'd never seen a tunic before. ´Why?`

´Because you're a mess,` Sern replied and indicated his ruined and bloody clothes.

The elf glanced down at himself and grimaced. Then he looked back up and said in a chill tone, ´I don't owe you anything, and I'm not going to accept any help from you, scum.` He turned and strode into the room he'd emerged from earlier.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Sern stood for a moment in hesitation, then, emboldened by the fact he still lived, decided it was safe enough to follow.

´Look,` he said as he entered the room, spotting the vampire by a barred window, peering through a gap in the boards. Stripes of pale moonlight lit him in sharp contrasts. ´I know we got off on the wrong foot yesterday but please, take the tunic. You'll bring too much attention t' yourself like that.`

´The wrong foot?` The darkelf spun around, seething with rage. ´You attacked me!` he shouted, sharp fangs glinting like daggers.

Sern staggered back, his heart in his throat, nodding fiercely. ´Yeah, we did. We needed coin,` he squeaked and held out the tunic again. ´Sorry,` he added.

´You are really tempting me right now,` the vampire drawled. ´I'm very hungry and you're way too scared to be this close to me.` He took a step towards Sern, staring intently at him. Specifically at his neck.

Sern swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. ´Please don't eat me!` he blurted. The vampire stopped and turned his back on him. In a flash, Sern realized it was to keep himself from attacking. He shifted nervously, his clothes clinging uncomfortably to his sweaty skin.

The vampire clenched his fists by his side. ´Please, just leave,` he said, his voice heavy. ´I don't want to kill you. But if you stay much longer, I will.`

´No, you won't.` Sern tried to sound as if he believed it himself. ´Look. I'll help you, an' you can help me. Okay?` He hung the tunic over the back of the chair. The only piece of furniture in the room. ´Put this on an' promise not t' waste me. I'll try an' find someplace better for you t' hide.`

The vampire looked over his shoulder. ´Why would you help me?` The glow in his eyes dimmed. ´I killed your best friend. I could kill you at any time.` He shook his head, disbelief clearly visible in his expression.

´But you won't,` Sern told him. ´Besides, the city guard's lookin' for you.` The vampire cursed in elven. Sern didn't understand the words but got the point.

´Listen. I can be useful an' be out in the day. An' I really need someone t' help me too. Someone scary...` he clamped his mouth shut as the vampire shot a glare at him. ´No offence, but you are,` Sern mumbled and grasped the medallion in his pocket, reassuring himself.

´You're insane,` the elf stated, peering out the window.

´Maybe,` Sern agreed. ´But I'm alone. I need someone t' keep my back.`

´I'm more likely to attack your back,` the vampire grumbled.

´Please. I'm in trouble. Listen.`

The elf sighed, crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, watching him.

Sern licked his lips and took a deep breath. ´You can't stay here, it's too risky. An' you gotta feed. Right?`

The vampire nodded, a crease forming between his eyebrows.

´So, since you can't move in the light, right? I'll fix somethin' during the day. I'll return here next night, yeah?`

´How? What's in it for you?` the elf snorted.

´You. You're strong. I gotta escape some people an' you can help me if... if they find us an'...` he trailed off, uncertain.

´And?`

Sern stared at his bright amber eyes, wiping his clammy hands on his breeches. ´You killed my buddy –`

´You attacked me!` The elf's visage darkened.

´Yeah, yeah, but you wasted him. An' they'll blame me for it. If I don't get away, I'm dead. Alright?`

The vampire drew in a breath to speak, then shut his mouth again.

´We can help each other. Please? I know the city.`

The vampire's eyes bored into him. Sern swallowed. It was now or never. With another deep sigh, the elf stood from the wall. Sern twitched in fear.

´Fine,` the darkelf snapped and held out a hand. ´But I don't like it. And if you end up dead, don't blame me. I warned you.`

Sern bobbed his head and handed the tunic over. The plan had worked better than he'd hoped. And he was still alive. ´I won't. Thanks.`

The elf muttered something under his breath and dropped his coat to the floor, followed by his ruined shirt.

As the vampire changed, Sern watched, quietly fascinated by his strong sleek body. He had assumed he'd be slender, like most elves, but not quite as muscular. He was tall and strong by any standard, and as a vampire, he'd be a lot stronger. Strong allies were exactly what small thieves like Sern needed. Nobody would dare touch him with a vampire by his side. The only problem was that said vampire had to eat. And he didn't exactly have a normal diet. They needed to find a way around that problem.