The picture that the Order had sent had been more helpful then they knew. It had been easy to go online and type in the slogan 'We sell all things chocolate!' those few simple words had brought up a few links to the Chocolate Baby Company. It was indeed the only thing they sold and they only had a few shops clustered around London. Arthur knew from reports that once a demon's horns where removed they couldn't move for a few days and then for a few weeks afterward they wore out easily.
Francis needed someplace to hide while those critical weeks past. Arthur scanned the list of shops and their locations until his eyes landed on one that was only ten blocks from a warehouse district on the river. Arthur bet that Francis was around there. The odd trio waited until night, no doubt when Francis would feel safer to be walking around, before they headed out on their new assignment.
Gerhart sat in the driver's seat, Arthur in the passenger's and Flying Mint Bunny was on the floor by Arthur's feet. Both ears where up, head tilting from side to side, as she tried to pick up on anything with a demonic signature that meant other people harm. They were silent as Gerhart drove around in circles that slowly spiraled in on the warehouse district.
They were on the far side of the circle when Flying Mint Bunny jumped onto Arthur's lap and started screaming at the passenger window.
Gerhart stomped on the brakes, nearly banging Arthur' head off the dashboard, and was out the door almost as soon as he had ripped the keys from the ignition. Arthur followed at a more cautious pace. Flying Mint Bunny stopped screaming and flew low to the ground by her master's knees.
There was an abandoned wharf not too far away to their left. It jutted out into the river with multiple run down docks that where no doubt rotting and in the center of the large circle were twin two story buildings.
Over there. Flying Mint Bunny whispered.Arthur, I don't like it.
"I'll be alright, Mint. Gerhart, I think we should try the wharf." Arthur whispered. Gerhart nodded and drew his, ever present, sword as he moved toward the twin buildings.
Arthur and Flying Mint Bunny trailed behind him.
If they weren't on a hunt for a demon, Arthur would say that it was almost a nice night. It was warm but the cooling breeze felt great against his face.
Arthur's chest felt tight as his heart fluttered with nervousness and a little bit of fear.
Francis probably wouldn't even be here, in fact, they would in all likelihood have to search for weeks before they found him. If a demon didn't want to be seen then they wouldn't be. However, Francis struck Arthur as the kind of man, or the shadow of the man he had been when he was alive, that liked to be showered with attention and affection. That being said, he would slip sooner or later and they would be there when he did.
Arthur's heart calmed down.
No, they wouldn't find anything out here, not tonight.
The presence that Flying Mint Bunny found was probably just a small demon that hated water but lived near it because it wasn't smart enough to move, as some tended to be. Somewhere in his heart Arthur felt sorry for those ones. As they drew closer the temperature seemed to plummet and Arthur's heart gave a painful kick as his fear returned full force. They snuck up to the nearest building, keeping as silent as they could.
Arthur couldn't help but think back to Pirate's Ghost Ship. How cold it had been, perhaps they had stumbled upon another immortal. Only four were known but there was always talk about there being more. If that were the case then why did Flying Mint Bunny scream?
His heart beat double time as Gerhart drew to a stop beside the door, his back to the wall, and listened for any signs of life. Arthur pressed his back to the wall on the opposite side of the door from Gerhart so the stood face to face. The smell of something rotten seeped through the wooden door.
Gerhart tensed, his blue eyes becoming hard, icy.
He motioned for Arthur to take a step back.
Taking air in through his nose and letting it out through his mouth, Gerhart took three deep breaths before carefully pushing the door open. Without the meager barrier the smell waged war on their senses and made them gag. Flying Mint Bunny landed by Arthur's feet and took a step back. Together Gerhart and Arthur inched forward with Flying Mint Bunny trailing behind.
The inside of the building was simple, it was an open floor with windows scattered here and there along the walls. Some were broken and some had been painted over with black paint.
The shadows where cruel in their sharpness and brutal in their ability to hide whatever may have been lurking, unseen, in the corners or in the rafters. All was silent; the only sound to be heard was the soft crunch of the ice and frost underneath their feet. Their breath came out in small puffs of smoke that disappeared into the air.
Arthur swept the room with his gaze, peering as far into the shadows as he could before moving on from the corners and to the rafters. What he saw made him gag so hard he doubled over. Gerhart was instantly by his side.
"Don't look up." Arthur whispered as he tried to control his gag reflex.
"The stench of rotting corpses is not new to me." Gerhart whispered just as quietly and helped Arthur to stand straight.
The young wizard glanced up again.
Above them were multiple corpses, hanging from the rafters by a noose, they were so decayed it was hard to decide if they were male or female. Their eyes where sunken into their skulls and maggots squirmed beneath their flesh. Their mouths hung open in soundless screams of pain and seemed to beg for the mercy that was not shown them.
"Bloodless," Gerhart whispered. Arthur turned to face Gerhart but he was gazing at the corpses. "They've all been drained…We've just stepped into a vampire's lair and by the looks of things, it's a newborn."
Arthur, please, I want to leave. Flying Mint Bunny tugged at Arthur's pant leg. I'm scared.
"…Lets go," Arthur murmured. "We're looking for a demon not a vampire." Flying Mint Bunny seemed to sigh in relief and pressed against Arthur's leg. Gerhart glanced up at the corpses before nodding.
"Agreed." He said. They turned to leave but before they could take a step toward the door, a dark figure stepped out from the shadows and stood between them and it.
"Leave? Oh, I don't think so. You see, I'm actually quite pleased you found me," The voice was defiantly male and it was bone chillingly familiar. "You just saved me the trouble of hunting you down myself." He growled.
"Vladimir?" Arthur's voice shook. The Romanian stepped forward into the moon light that was let in by one of the windows. The moon shone in just one spot, like a spot light, and Vladimir looked as if he belonged in it.
His hair shone in the weak light, his skin was paler then Arthur remembered it being and his eyes glowed with a red hue. He wore a dark red suite and his miniature top hat was sitting precariously atop his head.
"Surprised?" Vladimir smiled.
His sharp fangs glistened.