Prologue
There are worse things that hide in the night than predator kind who think themselves entitled to the world. Worse things than simply the murderer or the thief to steal a life or precious belongings. Things that are told of in stories, monsters that lurk in the shadows waiting for just the right moment to strike. Fiends, thieves of the worse kind that steal a life, suck out a soul to satisfy an unholy hunger. Those monsters are the things in which one should truly fear for while the simplest of mammals can defend against the blood thirsty murderer. While one can protect their valuables from the petty thief. It takes a special sort to do in the monsters which hunt down mammals for their essence whether they be prey or predator.
There are many monsters in this world, but none quite so terrifying as the vampire. The demons can hide themselves with all sorts of unholy, black magic. Make themselves invisible to the eye, shift form into mist or even another animal. Their speed is terrifying enough on its own, faster than a cheetah and unlike those graceful, large cats, a vampire will not tire with time. The legendary means of fending them off are sadly just that, legend. Rosaries will only make them laugh in your face before you die. Garlic has no effect except to hinder their nose which they will usually fix by holding their breath. Silver does not harm them nor irritate their skin or fur nor does holy water. A stake through the heart is the only way to immobilize them though even that will not kill them.
One's only means of destroying a vampire is to strike it with a sword or some other form of weaponry with a sharp end. And it must be blessed by a truly ordained church in the warmth of the sunlight. Even then the assailant must be a priest or someone equally ordained like myself and my comrades. And remember your target must only be the heart or they will not fall and you will pay with your life.
A vampire has many other tricks as well that one must be weary of, hypnotism, force of lethargy, mind reading to name only a few. There is very little warning of any of these, only the tell tale feeling of one's fur rising in warning. And to those of us not blessed with fur, you too have a warning, goose flesh rising on your skin in warning. If ever you feel these please immediately seek the refuge of the nearest church you can find and pray it is not corrupted from the inside. Wait until the light of dawn before leaving, the vampire can not set even a follical of fur onto sacred ground. It will not harm them, but does make them weary enough to keep away.
I ask of you, no, I beg of you to seek out shelter from the vampire. Do not engage it in combat even if you have been trained in the art of slaying. Once you have lost the element of surprise, without an ally at your side you're as good as dead if you fight. In short be aware of your surroundings and do not play the hero. Leave the vampire killing to the professionals, only focus on keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.