Ranloo's surprise was absolute when he crashed into something hard in mid-air, something invisible and as smooth as glass, deflecting his blows. He stumbled back a few paces and stopped. For a moment, he couldn't comprehend what had happened and stared at the guard who stood unharmed, arms raised in front of his face. Wide-eyed and furious, Ranloo charged again, seeing nothing between them. Again, he hit something hard and smooth, and cursed loudly in elven. The guard flinched back but slowly let his arms down, relaxing his terrified stance. Ranloo roared and hit the invisible wall with his fists, clawed at it with his sharp nails, and rammed it with his shoulders. Nothing happened other than him hurting himself and enraging himself more.
´Stop, vampire!` the guard shouted, his voice taut with fear. ´You cannot hit me.`
Ranloo bellowed and circled, looking for an opening, wanting nothing more than to tear the man to pieces for threatening his family. His hands and shoulders ached from the impacts. A magical shield of some sort, he realized through his wrath. He drew his sword, intent on breaking through.
The guard slowly backed away, keeping his eyes on Ranloo's every move. ´Stop! You can't break through,` he yelled.
´Then why are you so afraid?` Ranloo screamed and swung the sword against the barrier. It connected with a loud ringing and bounced off. The impact sent vibrations up through his arm, numbing it. Snarling, he lifted the sword and struck the shield again.
´Stop it! I'm just the messenger!` the guard wailed and took another step back.
Ranloo followed him and hit the shield again to no effect. He couldn't see or penetrate it but was too furious and scared to stop. And the guard was too concerned about the battering for it to be ignored.
The guard was no mage, Ranloo knew despite his frenzy, and he probably couldn't raise a new shield if this one broke. He kicked at the barrier and lost his balance as his foot slid off the smooth surface. Angrily, he straightened, grabbed the sword with both hands and spun around to give the shield a heavy bash. The connection was so jolting that Ranloo dropped the sword. The metallic ringing echoed between the buildings, hurting his ears. He grunted at the pain in his hands and arms.
´Please, stop!` the guard hollered, voice cracking. ´You cannot break it. You're just causing a commotion,` he tried as he backpedaled.
Ranloo snarled, rubbed his stinging hands, and picked up the sword again. In the meantime, the guard moved several paces away. Ranloo looked up, his eyes burning, and lunged forward with the sword held high.
´No!` The guard jerkily drew his own blade and raised it to block the incoming blow, terror painted on his face.
Ranloo's sword bounced off the shield again to the guard's obvious relief. Ranloo screamed at the top of his lungs, pure fury and bloodlust controlling his every move. He swung the blade, again and again, not caring that the jarring hits made his arms numb and his hands raw.
The guard protested loudly, his terror tangible in the air, his rushing blood and hyperventilation provoking the frenzied vampire. Ranloo dented the sword against the barrier as he rained hits over the guard, pummeling the shield, screaming incoherently.
A clear sound suddenly rent the air. It wasn't loud but clearly heard and felt. Like the sharp clear ping of a crystal glass that cracks but doesn't break.
Ranloo stopped, panting heavily and stared at the guard, or rather, at the air around him. Faint blue lines had appeared for a fraction of a second.
The guard stood still, sword raised and one hand held up as if to stop the vampire. He visibly shook, his face pale and sweaty, his breathing rapid. He whispered something, terrified. Ranloo saw his lips move but heard nothing.
´Nobody. Touches. My. Family!` He roared wildly, his heart burning with flames of vengeance. Then he raised the sword again and the guard turned to flee.
* * * * *
Uli couldn't breathe, his pulse rushed loud in his ears and he felt dizzy with terror. Then, when he thought he couldn't possibly get more scared, a clear ping resonated, and faint blue lines appeared in the air. The vampire stopped and they both stared in the air between them. Both breathed heavily and cold sweat ran down Uli's back, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. The moment stretched, the calm before the storm. In dread, Uli realized the vampire had seen the cracks too. He was going to die, he thought, feeling as if the god of death himself had just placed a hand on his shoulder.
Uli raised his left hand, tried to stop the vampire, needed him to stop. He still held the sword up, ready to parry any incoming strikes. But he knew, just like a mouse knows when cornered by a cat, that he had no real chance if the vampire got through the shield. The elf raised the sword, his eyes wide, glowing like red lanterns.
´Don't...` Uli whispered, terrified. ´Please, just leave. I'm just a messenger.`
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The vampire bared his teeth and roared, ´Nobody. Touches. My. Family!` He looked like a wild thing, not remotely human anymore, consumed by anger and hate.
Uli trembled and turned to run. He had to get away, had to flee. He heard the monster follow, felt the tremble in the air as his sword bashed against the shield. To his relief, the barrier held yet, the ringing of the sword as it bounced off like music in Uli's ears. The vampire screamed and hit it again.
There was another clear ping and blue lines spread in the air as they zigzagged from the impact and enveloped Uli in the blink of an eye. He ran faster than he ever had in his life, heart racing and lungs burning in despair. It was impossible to get away. No matter how fast he ran, the vampire was at his heels, slashing with the sword, the cracks in the air getting more obvious with each hit. Spots swam before his eyes and he was sure he'd faint any moment.
´Please, stop!` he screamed, his voice cracking. The only reply was another hit to the shield, causing more cracks to appear. He yelled wordlessly, not daring to look behind him. His only goal was to reach the jail, get to his friends, get to the hunters.
The shield broke.
Uli's eyes widened as thin splinters of the barrier flew out and scattered in the air, vanishing into thin blue smoke.
´No!` he screamed desperately.
Something slammed into his back and he stumbled, a strange feeling stealing over him. Almost calm. He gasped for air and coughed, his legs buckling. Curious, he thought as he sank to his knees in the street.
Confused, he looked down. The sharp point of a sword protruded from his chest, covered in blood. He couldn't focus on it. How odd. He wore protection, how could that be there? He blinked, his vision blurring. He fell forward and the ground came up to meet him. The sword tip vanished. There was no pain, only a strange cold in his chest, spreading through his body. Gasping for air, he hit the cobbles.
He tasted blood in his mouth and tried to swallow. It didn't help. Someone grabbed him by the shoulders, pulled him around. A vague shadow towered over him, two glowing pits the only features he could make out. He stared at the vampire, not quite comprehending what had happened. He tried to speak, but nothing came out and he coughed instead, blood flecking his lips.
The shadow suddenly vanished and he stared at the moons above, shining between the clouds. Slowly his vision narrowed into a tunnel until nothing more than a faint pinpoint of light remained. Then it too faded to darkness. He drew in a last shuddering breath before letting go.
* * * * *
Gesald noticed something was afoot as the ruffians by the door started whispering and peering out the hatch in the door, shifting nervously. Frowning, he stood up and placed the book he'd been writing in on the small table in the hall.
´What's going on?` he asked and approached the door.
The large armoured woman gave him a quick glance, then she looked back through the hatch. ´The elf,` she said flatly.
A shudder coursed through him. The elf. The vampire. He hated being near him and Ranloo seemed to share his feelings, hating him right back. What was up since they seemed so agitated though? He usually came and went without anyone taking particular note of it. They didn't know what he was. Though rumors circulated, of course.
He stepped away from the door, nervously waiting. A loud bang resounded. Gesald flinched. The banging continuned, shuddering through the wood, bending it with each heavy strike. He seemed angry. Not good. Glancing towards the other door, Gesald contemplated leaving but realized that if he did Jackal would be mad at him. Instead, he retreated further back and stopped by the corner in the back.
The guards by the door opened the hatch again and asked for the password. The vampire shouted at them to let him in and take their password and do unnameable things with it. They stared at each other for a moment before opening the door and jumping aside to let the angry elf in.
Gesald's breath caught in his throat as Ranloo stomped inside. He scowled, his amber eyes blazing with a fiery glow, his drawn sword stained red with blood. He seemed unharmed but furious. Gesald stared, wondering what in the world had happened to make him so angry. His eyes drifted to the sword, dripping blood on the floor. He'd killed someone, and not too far away from the guild. He glanced at the guards. Had they noticed his eyes?
Ranloo stalked past them, the sword pointing downwards, sometimes scraping against the floorboards.
Gesald swallowed as the darkelf passed him and then quietly followed into the guild. They didn't get far before Ranloo twisted around. Gesald had no chance to react before the vampire closed his hand around his throat and shoved him back against a wall. A strangled yelp escaped him as he met the glowing eyes of the vampire, only inches away from Gesald's.
´Don't follow me!` Ranloo yelled, fangs bared.
His hand closed so hard around Gesald's throat he couldn't breathe. He desperately pulled at Ranloo's arm, but he didn't seem to notice. His burning eyes bored right into Gesald's soul. As he was about to pass out, Ranloo seemed to realize what he was doing and released him.
Gasping, Gesald steadied himself against the wall as Ranloo moved down the corridor, sometimes banging the sword against the walls and floor. Frightened yelps and gasps made him look up. Some other guild members had met the vampire and flattened themselves against the walls to let him pass.
Confused and scared, Gesald hurried after him at a safe distance. Ranloo rushed to the basement and Gesald followed down the steps to see what he was going to do. As he reached the bottom, a door slammed shut with a thundering bang. Gesald stared into the gloom, breathing hard, not daring to approach any further. What in the world was going on? A feral scream and a crash reverberated from the elf's room far down the corridor. Gesald jumped, spun around and hastened back up the stairs, his skin prickling. He stopped when he reached the top, closed the door behind him, and considered locking it when he noticed a woman and two men staring at him.
´What?` he asked and tried to smile dismissively without much success. ´Never seen an angry elf before?`
They shook their heads, nervously glancing at each other.
´Better lock that door,` one of the men said, then they all left in a hurry.
Gesald muttered curses under his breath and pulled out the keys. Probably for the best. He just hoped the vampire wouldn't be coming back up any time soon. He'd break down the door for sure. Maybe he should warn his friends? He turned the key with a satisfying click. Unless they could calm him down. He set course to find them. Then he planned to find Jackal and seriously ask him to let him off this task. It seemed largely pointless anyway. So far the vampire hadn't harmed anyone, apart from himself and possibly the boy.