Authors note: Yay! I finally got it posted! I've been wanting to post this story for so long, and I'm so glad I got the first chapter up… squees I hope that you all like it, and I will update as soon as I can and try to make it sound really good… P
Chapter One
The Meeting
It didn't matter where you were in the world... Winter was extremely cold, even to the undead. Thankfully the skies had given the land a break, not letting it rain or snow for at least a couple days now. The ground was muddy with slush and water from past days, even as wind whipped around and tried to solidify the muck into terra firma once again. Traveling on roads at night in this weather, even at its break, was a foolish thing to do, but sometimes it couldn't be helped, especially when it was a good distance between two towns. Thankfully, however the city of Vienna was close at hand, and any traveler that was close would not have to wander far before they could find a place to rest their weary head down. Vienna itself was a peaceful city, despite some nighttime annoyances now and then. Most would turn a blind eye to whatever occurred, preferring not to know what went bump in the night outside, and hoping to God that it did not come inside.
Outside the town, lead by the moonlight above, a cloaked figure was making its weary way down the slushy road, its sights set on the town and what awaited inside. The glow of the heavens above didn't help anyone, if there was someone about, see who the cloaked figure was, for their features remained in the shadows, more for warmth than stealth. Snow stuck to the person's pure black boots, caking them with debris, mud, snow, and anything else that was likely to get picked up from the ground. A hassle to clean, but not too big of a deal. A wind gusted over the person, letting the cloak's hood flap back, revealing a woman with startling features. Tied back in a loose braid with a silk black ribbon were waves of dark crimson hair, reflecting the light dimly as if it refused to accept it. In contrast, the woman's eyes were a dark green that seemed to shine from beneath her hair, which had annoyingly swept in front of her face. A scowl was on her face from this, but it was not the only thing that had upset her mood. Another night in the wilderness, and the woman would have been unable to be dealt with.
"If I have to stay out here for another week, I will go mad…" she said to herself, closing her eyes to try and calm herself down. Spending a week outdoors without finding a town or a good place to lodge had irritated her nerves to no end, and she was hopeful to find a place in the city where she would be able to get a good bowl of soup and a nice bed to lay in. Maybe a fire and some coals under her bed to unfreeze her frozen toes. It wasn't as if she did not like the outdoors, it was just if you have too much of something good, it becomes bad and can have ill effects on oneself. Gripping the cloak tighter around her lithe form, the woman tried to conserve as much energy as she could to keep her core warm. Her hands were already numb, and the night still had several more hours to go. Desperately wishing she had brought that lantern now, she shook her head. Bringing light through the countryside without any good defenses was very stupid. Even if they were only legends, there was no telling just what was lurking out there, and any source of light was like a beacon to them. It drew whatever it was in the shadows to the carrier, and that was something she did not want to deal with at the moment, or at least not yet… The woman took out a dried piece of meat, feeling her stomach growl at her. Scrunching up her nose to is, she knew that her stomach would not be able to handle much more of dried, tasteless venison. Gulping, she put it into her mouth and bit down, feeling her stomach roll. Forcing herself, she chewed it all and swallowed, making a mental note to buy something else to eat on her travels. The woman had taken adequate money with her, so there was no problem of worrying about running out of funding, it was just the problem of finding sustenance that would not make her keel over if she consumed it…
With the town now coming into sight, the woman could give a small sigh of relief. Her hopes of that warm bed and good food made her face light up, quickening her movements as much as her cold limbs would allow her. The thought of hot soup on her tongue and a roaring fire at her back made her shiver, sending goose bumps down her arms and legs. The shiver warmed her body slightly, but it would not last long. She needed to get somewhere inside and away from the wind if she truly wanted to feel comfortable. The gates to the town were only a few paces away, their wood almost worn looking with what appeared to be rust covered hinges and locks. No one was manning them, so she stepped herself right through them and onto the main street of Vienna. The entire town was quite, not a soul she could see was up. Who would be? It was a little after midnight, and everyone who was smart enough was safe inside their homes, tucked under the covers of their beds and fast asleep. The only ones she thought would be up would be the beggars, or the drunkards who filtered into taverns even during the day. Most of the time it was best to avoid them, unless you wanted some stinking male coming after you…
The bottom of her boots made some thudding sounds, even with the slightly raised heals. Water ran between the cobblestones, mixing with dirt and the occasional human foulness. It was common for a city to smell of sewage, but here it was not as bad. There had been many a city or town that stank from miles away, warning off many animals that would think to come in and have a taste of the humans. Thankfully, Vienna was one of the cleaner ones, so she would not have to deal with such filth. Walking down the side of the street, a few papers had been tossed carelessly onto the ground, now too sopping wet to be legible. Whatever information that had been on them was now long gone, so it was no use to pick them up and try to make sense of them. Stepping over them, as she did not wish to have them too on her boots, the woman continued down, looking for any signs that any of the buildings would be an inn, or even a tavern would do. There was some wood on the floor, but she bypassed that as well, continuing down for a while. The shops and homes that lined the place were dark and quiet, with only one or two of them having a light in the window. Vaguely wondering if they were looking out at her when she looked up through them, she quickly adverted her gaze so that they would not notice her too much. Attention was the last thing she wanted.
The street began to get narrower, suggesting to her that either it was getting smaller, or she had turned down a wrong way and was now entering an ally. Remembering everything she had gathered about towns and the like, ally's were not the best place for a woman at night. However, she could not hear anything except the strike of her boots, and the smell of drunken men did not exist here… So she was relatively safe, and weren't ally ways normally void of any homes or doors? She could see that they continued on the same, just as the street early did… it was a good sign, because normally that meant that there was an inn close at hand. Or at least, that had always been the case before in the other places she had seen. Another wind blew across the woman, making her shiver yet again. Where the hell is the inn? she thought angrily to herself. Knowing that there should at least be a sign somewhere to tell her of the building she was looking for, she kept her eyes on the places above the doors, trying to make out the words of any she saw in the light from the moon above...
Two lamps gave off a dim light in the small tavern, allowing the late goers and the owner to be able to see whatever was going on without too much trouble, although it would be considerably harder for the drunks to see with their blurry vision. The place was one of the more less kept taverns, with the furniture not being the best and the alcohol being served not the best tasting. Still, it worked for a few who could not afford the more expensive ways to waste your life away. Boards were nailed where windows used to be, saving time and money of having them replaced after all the fights that would break out. Glass wasn't cheap, not even in Vienna. The actually tavern itself was located in the basement, so that anything that was considered illegal could be dealt without the known public being aware. The Black Market usually conducted their business there, which was well known to the Bounty Hunters that would raid it from time to time, looking for rapists, murderers, and the occasional kidnapper. Anyone that came in was looked at with a suspicious eye, and would have to keep wary, lest they get into a fight and forfeit their life for foolishness. A lot of criminals would hang out down there, but sometimes it was no good and they would be caught and brought to justice in the light of the day.
The tavern's keeper stood behind the counter, cleaning a glass mug as most of them are usually doing. He had a nasty look about him, a mustache that looked more like wire than actual human hair, and a scar running down the right side of his face, which explained why he never opened his eye, or never could open his eye. With an actually dirty looking apron on, he walked over and placed a glass mug of Vodka in front of a customer, a coin being flipped in his direction and caught in greedy hands. At the end of the counter, there was a man sitting with his hat pulled down over his eyes. He wore a long leather duster that looked worn, but very strong. It must have suffered through a lot of battles, what with all the cuts and sewing it had on it. In the man's hand was an almost empty glass of absinthe, his free hand laying restfully on the side of his hip, where a pistol was concealed. It was wise to bring a weapon of some kind to protect yourself, but it wasn't always wise to show it off, lest you attract unwanted attention. Any thief in the tavern would love to kill you and take whatever you posses to later filter it off for a profit of some kind. The man's eyes, if one was too look at them, seemed glassed over. He was drunk , but not enough to not know where he was, and therefore he knew what was going on around him more than others thought. The man had fled from where he had come from, hoping to drink away his problems in rundown taverns and inns, not wanting to see the light of day as long as he could help it. His heart was broken, and his soul was miserable…
Across the room, a couple of men had been watching the man with his hat, their glares of pure hatred seething from them like a wave of red. He could feel them looking at him, but he made no motion to let them know he knew. If they had a problem with him, well, then let them take him on. He was not at his full capacity to fight, but he would do his best so that he could just be left alone. One of them men looked as if he had finally had enough, and tromped over to the man and grabbed him on the shoulder.
"You have some nerve to come in here, you murderer!" he said, and with the help of the other men that had come up behind without a sound, they managed to lift the man from his seat and carry him to the door. Struggling, the man tried to get away from their grips, but they launched him out through the closed door and into the streets with a shatter of wood. Tumbling, the man hit the ground and tried to orient himself. His vision was blurred, but he could see the men come out with the grins on their faces. Immediately, they began to beat him, kick him, and any number of things while he lay down on the ground. The man tried to protect himself, reaching for his pistol, but was kicked repeatedly in his gut. The sudden loss of air in his lungs from the hit made him gasp out, his eyes wide with the pure pain that racked his body.
"Good for nothing murderer!" one of the men yelled, "Not so tough now are ya?" he yelled, kicking him again in the face and the gut.
"We out to kill you right here and now, just like all the victims you killed!" another man yelled, taking out a knife that looked slightly rusted. He raised his hand, the knife pointing down at the fallen man…
The small street was completely silent, and the woman found that she was becoming lost in the turns and twists that lead through the town of Vienna. Getting agitated, and colder by the second, the woman continued her way, her eyes becoming tired from squinting at all the signs that she read. The noiseless atmosphere was beginning to make her nervous, for she knew that there should be somesound, even if it was a cat meowing its dying hunger somewhere in a dark place. She needed the comfort that something was not stalking her, or watching her every movement. The woman kept herself on alert for any movement, or any scrap of a sound, wanting to be prepared should the worst thing come to light. Being familiar with what people would call 'strange' or 'legends', she was used to thinking about what could be out there. Werewolves, specters, goblins, she had seen the like, even though she would prefer not to deal with them if at all possible. If, she would have the off chance of coming across something of the like, the only action she would take against it would to be to protect herself. If she could get away without a scratch, and lose whatever was trying to kill her, than that would be alright in her book.
Sighing to herself, the woman turned down another ally way when a sounding crash came to her ears. Splintering wood, by the sound of it, and a thud with some shouts… they were male voices for sure, and they sounded angry. Her curiosity peaked, the woman made her way carefully towards the commotion, turning a corner and seeing what exactly was going on. From her vantage point, her eyes could pick up a lump on the ground, that looked like a person trying to protect themselves from the several men shaped figures that were kicking it repeatedly. The words shouted were jumbled, but by the anger in the tone, she could only assume that it was nothing good at all. Each kick, each punch reverberated on the walls of the buildings ten fold, and she could swear she heard the snapping of bones as well. How cruel they were being to the poor man! Assuming that it just might be a drunk that had not paid, she glared at the men who attacked him. In no way was it fair for them to gang up on him, and she knew that she had to do something.. But what? When a glint of a knife came into view, she knew she had to act. Resting on her hip, beneath her cloak, was a weapon that she had carried with her as long as she could remember. It was a leather whip, a little worn but still a sting to be messed with. Now taking a run towards them, she unfurled the whip and lashed it out, the tip swirling around the man's lifted hand that held the knife. After a moment of it securing itself, she grabbed the handle of her whip and yanked the man's arm back, rotating her shoulders to get the maximum power out of it as she could. The man gave out a grunt in surprise as his arm was pulled back painfully. He had a look of rage on his face as he saw who had done it.
"I suggest you let the man go…" said the woman, her eyes looking deadly as she held indefinitely onto his wrist. She looked fierce and determined, but her heart hammered in her chest with the adrenaline one gets right before a battle of any kind. The angst she felt intensified with each passing moment, realizing that it would be hard for her to come out of these without injuries, or even her life. Cursing herself inside her mind, she knew she should have been more prepared, but the thought of the man dying with being beat up had made her temper flare. The other men that had continued to kick the fallen man had stopped and turned to see who had dared interfere. A smile rose in their faces, seeing that it had been a woman. Their eyes glinted, and the woman couldn't help but want to shudder at their attention to her. Her whip let go of the man's wrist, coming to snap back at her side and lay against the ground. The snap had made them all wince, for it had been such a loud noise in what had been such a quite atmosphere. It was an effect she had wanted, but it did not seem to stir them too much.
"This ain't none of yer affar, now back off or we'll take to yeh next!" the man with the knife said, rubbing his wrist where her whip had left a mark.
No woman does this to me!" called out, while another yelled "She's next anyways!". They seemed intent on dealing with her right then more than the fallen man, since two of them brought out a second knife and a pistol. The knives she wasn't worried about, it was the pistol. As good as she was at defending herself, she was not bullet proof, and a pistol anywhere to her core would surely kill her, especially since she knew not of a place that could treat such a wound. Becoming more wary by the second, she tensed up, raising her right hand which held her weapon to show them she was not about to back down now. The fallen man groaned from the pain that covered his body, and he tried to roll onto his back, becoming now conscious, for he had been out a while before. The man opened his eyes to try and see why the beatings had stopped, but closed them quickly again in pain when one of the thugs had thumped him in the ribs again, making him call out in apparent agony.
"You move and you won't move again!" he said to the curled up man, turning his attention back to the young woman before him. Thinking to herself, the woman knew that she was in for it. I've made them angry… too angry…she thought to herself, knowing that when men get angry, all common sense floods out of their brains and leaves them with just their instincts of killing and survival. With the five of them, she knew she could not take them all on, but at least she would be able to take down a couple. They would not stop because she was a woman, so hoping for pity would just be a waste of time. Instead, she took a few steps forwards, defiance in her eyes as she spoke up to them, contempt in her seething voice.
"You all are cowards for attacking a man who has no weapon to defend himself with!" she paused, looking down at the fallen man with sympathy in her eyes. He looked almost helpless, and the pain he must have endured seemed to move her heart enough to want to kick all of the men where it hurt the most.
"Get up, stranger…. Show these men how a true man fights…" she said to him, confidence in her voice, despite the shakiness of her heart. Not waiting for an answer from him, and not really expecting one at all, she turned her full attention back to the group of less than human beings, her stance becoming more well guarded, waiting for when they would try and take her down. She was ready, and she would not hold back if she could help it…
Authors Note: Well, there it is.. I hope you like it, and want to read more! Please read and respond, and I will answer any questions when I post the next chapter!
