Hey there!

As some of you maybe noticed: I am positing a lot new stuff lately. I got some time due to vacation so… I just would like to find out which of my story beginnings you like most. So that I can detect what you would like to read :D

So, here's another example for a story which I could continue if you like it :) As always: Please let me know what you think! That's very important for me to know :)

If you have any suggestions or something which you would like to read (maybe also in another story) let me know!

Later there will be other known characters from the series.

Oh, and as always: English isn't my first language so please apologize the appearing mistakes!

Have fun!

Dumai

Prolog: Saved

1008 A.D. - Somewhere in Europe (now known as Germany)

It was a silent night and the sky was full of shiny stars but something told Elijah that appearances were deceitful. Attentively he listened while he was sitting at his campfire. His black stallion Castor grazed snugly while he was resting from the very stressful ride.

Now still a bit irritated Elijah stood up and starred worried into the west as there now was a clearly orange-red lightning at the other side of the small river which silently dappled. Had there just been some shrill screams? He wasn't sure but something over there wasn't alright. Should he have a look?

As he was thinking about if he should go or not an intense smell of fire reached his nose which couldn't only be from his own campfire.

Without thinking any longer about that issue he took his sword and his bow, trampled out the fire and packed his few belongings. He also put on his cloak with the hood which he had already placed at his roost as he actually wanted to sleep soon.

Finally he went over to Castor, took his rein and sat down at this back. His hands immediately tightened around the rein and finally he urged his horse while directing him towards the small river.

"Let's have a look what's going on there, Castor", he lovingly whispered him in his ear.

As they already passed that river in the noon Elijah knew that it wasn't that deep so they could pass it right there.

They neared in a tantivy so that he could fast notice the now clearly visible fire and Elijah again heard the desperate screaming. Elijah wondered why he hadn't noticed that village earlier.

"Faster, Castor! Maybe we can still help that people", he told his muscular horse while he pushed his heel carefully at his sides.

Finally they reached a small path with directly led them to the now completely burning village.

"What the hell?", it escaped Elijah as they arrived at the glade on which the village was built.

Everything was lightened due to the fire and he saw some people bewildered and deeply feared stumbling around. In front of him there already laid a dead woman which was still burning a bit.

Quiet shocked Elijah left the back of Castor to make his way closer to the buildings. He knew that his horse wouldn't make a move without his master.

What was going on here? Frowning he draw his sword and watched the flames which destroyed the barracks with an enormous speed.

"Stay, bitch!", Elijah now noticed an aggressive masculine voice which made him turn around immediately. Soon afterwards a bloodcurdling scream came to his ears which belonged to a young girl. She tried to get away from that man and ran for her life until she stumbled and fell into the dirt. The girl tried to continue her getaway while she was on her knees but of course she wasn't fast enough.

Meanwhile Elijah noticed that some more men joined that preposterous battue. His grip around the handle of his sword automatically tightened and suddenly he perceived that his animalistic side was breaking through.

"Come on, sweetheart. Don't make it harder than it is for you", one of the men said and started laughing as he watched how the young girl tried to escape them. Elijah saw how she painfully clenched her teeth. Perhaps she strained her ankle as she had fallen earlier but he couldn't say it for sure due to that distance.

"Stay away from me!", she bawled, her voice full of panic which didn't sound menacing after all.

"Don't dare to touch her", Elijah finally piped up and glared angry at them which immediately made them turn around towards him.

Amused they looked at each other after they had inspected Elijah. They just started laughing.

"Or what? What could you do? You are alone and there are more men like us in this village", the seemingly leader of that smudgy squad told him.

Elijah stayed completely unimpressed.

"I will only say it once: You should better go now or you will regret it", Elijah added and his voice was now very deep. His vampire form was slowly showing.

Hastily he looked at the girl at the ground as he noticed from the corner of his eye that she wasn't moving anymore. It seemed like she had gone unconscious.

"Who do you think you are, bloody bastard? Well, we will find it out! Guys, get him!", the ugly leader baited his men at Elijah who only started smiling and prepared for a fast fight.

Elijah noticed how his fangs began to show up and that his eyes now completely turned red. Actually he didn't need his sword but still he gripped it now with both hands. Normally his sword wasn't necessary and he only used it as kind of camouflage but actually he was a pretty good swordsman and archer as well.

The men in front of him suddenly stopped.

"What's that?", one of the men asked the question which everybody of them had on their mind.

"I warned you", Elijah replied chilly before he rushed at the tantalizer of the girl.

As fast as no human eye could follow the movements he brushed through the men. The sharp blade of his mighty sword lightened a few times very threateningly. A few seconds later he came to rest again and left six now dead bodies.

The injuries of the men weren't really visible but Elijah knew how to use the sword to quickly and precisely kill a person.

With now widened eyes the ugly leader starred at him after he had watched how Elijah killed all of his men within seconds.

"Who… what are you?", he wanted to know while Elijah was walking towards him with a slowly pace.

"Somebody whom you shouldn't have messed with", Elijah answered with an animalistic growl. He used his vampire speed to get closer to that guy and rammed his fangs into his cervical artery without any mercy.

As the blood moistened his lips and the hot liquid was flowing down his throat the original only now noticed how long it had been that he had been feeding. He didn't feel sorry for that guy – he deserved that and Elijah really needed the blood right now.

Elijah pulled his victim more tightly towards him. Full of fear he screamed but due to that high amount of blood loss he nearly seemed to break down. In the end the body of the man completely relaxed under the grip of Elijah. Finally he let him fall down to the ground. He was dead.

Quickly he removed the remaining blood at this mouth with his sleeve and concentrated so that he could push back the vampire. For a short time he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked again to the girl.

After all she was still unconscious but actually that wasn't that bad cause due to that she hadn't see what he did to her tantalizer.

Who old was she? Now that he made his way over to her side and looked at her closely he guessed that she was about thirteen or at most fourteen. In his opinion still nearly a child even though most of the girls of that age were already married. Maybe she already had a husband, who knows? But even if she had one: He was dead now.

Elijah moved around to see if anybody else was still here. Nobody was screaming anymore and he wasn't able to notice anyone else who was left. There was a creepy silence over the village now.

The flames still had grown. A lot of dead bodies were scattered over the ground and Elijah only saw villager among them. Nobody could have survived this sea of flames and those men had done the rest.

It seemed like the rest of this cruel men already left without noticing him. They showed no mercy – to no one. If they even noticed that some of their group were missing?

It was a shame that Elijah hadn't arrived earlier. Maybe he could have saved even more lives. At least he could help this girl – now an orphan. So, after all only she survived that massacre. Why did those men do that to those poor people?

Compassion filled his heart as he kneeled down next to her and put her in his arms while pressing her against his chest. Her long blonde hair fell over her face and even under these circumstances she looked so lovely.

In such a short time a young girl could lose everything which meant something to her. Elijah now had to take care of her – without him she wouldn't have a chance. At least she was save now and hadn't died – as the rest of her people did. Without any reason – he was sure about that. Perhaps she could tell him later what exactly happened here.

Carefully he balanced her light weight so that he could take his sword which was still lying at the ground. Afterwards he stood up and carried her over to Castor. His horse was already waiting for his master. Castor whinnied very excited.