First off, sorry for the delay between posting. I have no excuse except that I'm busy. I'll try to do better, but I can't make promises.
Second, what is going on in the reviews? A flame war has started over nothing. Now, since I've written this story, I can be the one to set the record straight. There is no Baal in this, or any of my stories. When I read the review that talks about Baal, I was pretty sure he got my story confused with another one, and I left it at that. If you guys want to argue about something like my portrayal of Entreri or what you think of Christine or if Alececarr even has a prayer in a fair fight with Entreri, fine, go at it. But arguing about communism or fear or Baal, doesn't make any sense.
Now forget about that and find out how Entreri deals with Dominick.
Chapter 8
"The Double Date"
The sun was just setting outside as Alececarr came upstairs. He looked over the tavern expectantly and wasn't disappointed. The Ruddy Mary was doing good business tonight. The two brothers had gone about their business as usual. Neither of them had left the tavern much before, so the fact that they were never seen in sunlight now was not noticed. During the day the drapes were pulled on the windows, but there were always lanterns lit, and the place did not suffer for loss of light.
Alececarr was tired of waiting and was prepared to survey the crowd for new recruits when he noticed his first recruit. Dominick (he had informed Alec that he had changed his name – a sign that had shown the old vampire that he was maturing) was sitting at a table by himself instead of mingling with the large female crowd in the tavern like he usually did.
From all outward indications, Dominick's hunt was going well. By his report, Christine was not sleeping well, did not rebuff his advances, and had been the one to give him his new name. Yet Alec could tell there was something wrong with the situation that Dominick did not want to talk about. Last night he had returned in a sour mood. Alececarr was after the city, but he understood that a mature Dominick would greatly aid him in his conquest, and he was not going to deny his spawn the right of the first hunt.
Dominick did not look up as his master sat across from him. He just stared down into his drink, frustrated that since blood no longer pumped to his brain, it was much harder to get drunk. "Explain your problem," Alec said, cutting to the chase.
"Christine was with another man last night," Dominick replied.
"He spent the night in her bedchamber?" Alec asked.
Dominick shook his head, looking up from his drink. "I don't think he's even seen her bed."
"Then what is the problem?"
Dominick didn't know what the problem was. He just knew it didn't sit right with him. "Why is she seeing other men? Shouldn't she be focused on me?"
"She is confused. She doesn't know what she wants. She is rebelling against you, yes, that much is true, but it is not an indication that she isn't also completely taken with you. Is this man a valid rival?"
"I have not seen him," Dominick admitted. "He is a northerner she met at the party."
"I thought you said that the party was for prominent single men in the city. What was a northerner doing there?"
"The same thing I was?" Dominick offered. He did not know.
"You have two choices, you can either win her back by showing her that you are the only one for her, or you can take her back by removing this other man from the picture. Teach her that she is yours, and there is no room for anyone else. Assert yourself and force her to respect you for it." It was pretty clear which avenue Alec wanted his pupil to take.
Dominick smiled broadly. He would kill this man, and he would make Christine watch. Alec could tell the thoughts that were going through his head. "Be careful," he warned. "If this man is one of prominence, you must not create a trail that will bring the city down on us. If you are to kill him, use this." Alec unbuckled the dirk he had taken from Entreri and placed it on the table.
Dominick looked at the weapon still in its sheath, but did not pick it up right away. "I am not skilled with a sword."
"You will not need to be," Alec insisted. Though Cicle was by far the more powerful weapon, this dirk was magically balanced and bladed. "With your strength and speed no one in the city will be able to stand against you. And remember, this suitor is just a businessman. He has likely never picked up a weapon in his life." Alec hesitated then, remembering the businessman had taken this weapon from in the first place, but shook his head. That would be too big of a coincidence.
Dominick picked up the weapon and unsheathed it. He admired the green blade before resheathing it and placing on his side. His face was much brighter than it had been a few moments ago. "Tonight I will take back that which is mine," he said confidently.
Alec wasn't paying any attention anymore though. Instead he was looking over Dominick's shoulder. The younger vampire turned to look. An older couple, maybe 40 years old had just walked in. The man was in good shape, and the woman had kept her figure. "I'm sorry," Alec said, rising from his chair, "but dinner has just arrived."
Dominick understood completely. He was getting hungry too. His dinner wasn't quite ready, though. She was going to take a little bit more seasoning first. He looked toward the door and as it opened for another patron saw that the sun had finally set. He got up, downed the rest of his drink, and left.
Christine stood in front of the mirror, giving her outfit one last look. She was wearing a riding dress. It hung close to her legs, but had wide pleats that allowed it to expand considerably. It was designed to allow a woman to ride a horse without going sidesaddle yet not show too much leg. Her blouse was modest with a wide neckline, and she wore an open vest over top. It was flattering yet simple.
But was it flattering enough? Christine tugged on the neckline a little, trying to get it to plunge. When that didn't work, she tried buttoning the vest to draw it tight across her chest, but the blouse was longer than the vest, and it looked silly sticking out the bottom. She looked over to her bed where an array of brassieres and corsets lay. Some of them could do some amazing things with a woman's upper body. She had picked them up down south and hadn't used them much.
She looked back at the mirror and sighed in frustration. She didn't know why she was so concerned about her body when her date didn't appear to be. She had gained a knack for following a man's eyes when they looked at her. Over the years she had found it curious, then flattering, and finally degrading. She wanted a man to look her in the face and care about who she was as much as what she looked like. Artemis had done that. She had never once caught him checking her out, save when he picked her up and she asked for his opinion of the dress. So now she was standing in front of the mirror trying to figure out how she could get him to stare at her.
For the first time that day she began to question her commitment to this course of action. Both Artemis and Dominick had told her they would take her out. Without hesitation she had chosen Artemis. But why? If she was standing here in front of the mirror trying to figure out how to make her simple clothes more sexually attractive, then that must be something she wanted. Why not go with the sure thing? Dominick left no doubt in her mind what was foremost on his.
Artemis on the other hand was a mystery. What would a relationship be like with him? Why was he interested in her? Was he getting older and wanted to snag a wife before his looks faded? Was he after her father's inheritance? Was he attracted to her, but just did a really good job of hiding it? Or was this a gentleman's agreement with her father to make sure she didn't get too old without finding a husband? She didn't know.
Christine did know why Dominick was after her, and there was a part of her that appreciated the straightforward nature of it. He had been mysterious at first as to how she knew him and his true identity, but his need for her was never in doubt. In her dreams she enjoyed that need. He was passionate and sensual. If Christine weren't so inquisitive, she would be dressing for him tonight.
But she wasn't. She was dressing for Artemis. And since he wasn't interested in looking at her body, then she would just have to nudge him along a bit. She walked over to the bed, removed the vest and peeled off the shirt. She picked one of the less complicated support pieces and put it on. She walked back to the mirror to check it out.
"I liked you better without it."
Christine spun around, her voice in her throat. Dominick stood behind her grinning lewdly. How had he sneaked up on her? She cast a glance back over her shoulder at the mirror and saw only herself. She looked back and forth between Dominick and his absent reflection, and she went pale. "What are you?"
"I'm your savior," he replied, walking toward her.
Christine backed up until she bumped into her vanity. Dominick didn't stop until he was almost pressing up against her. "You look delicious."
Christine fought against her feelings. Would Artemis say she looked delicious? Or would he turn away in modesty until she was properly dressed? She knew the answer. If she wanted a sexual relationship, here it was. She didn't need to worry about perfume or support wires or white lace or anything like that. Dominick would take her as she was and not require anything more.
His gaze went up and down her body, caressing her skin with his eyes. "As good as you look, you will probably draw too much attention to yourself if you went out like this. You might want to put your shirt back on." He backed away from her, opening a path to her bed.
She quickly scurried over to the bed and put her blouse and vest back on. Before she turned around she got her breathing under control and decided what she was going to do.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked her.
"I'm not going with you," she said as she turned to face him.
"What?" Dominick had watched her get ready from the balcony. He had taken an interest in how she was concerned with her appearance and took it as a good sign of her feelings toward him.
"I'm going out with Artemis."
Dominick's face changed momentarily as anger flashed through him, but he got his features back under control quickly. Christine saw the demonic visage briefly and took an unconscious step back. As he walked toward her slowly, she noticed for the first time that he was wearing a sword.
"He is probably downstairs waiting for me right now," she said quickly. Why had she said that? Did she want a confrontation between the two men? Who did she want to win?
"Look deep inside." Dominick said when he got close. "I can see the struggle inside you. You desire me. I see it in the way you look at me. Your feelings for me are so strong they frighten you, so you fight against them. You don't need to do this."
"I . . . I . . ." she started, but Dominick put a finger on her lips.
"Don't. I understand your struggle. I will not force you to choose between us right now. If you think this other man can satisfy your needs, then go. You and I both know he will not. When you are ready to return to me, I will be waiting for you. Now go."
Christine didn't move. She didn't want to leave anymore. She wanted to stay right here with this man. She wanted his hands on her and she couldn't think of anything else. Dominick saw this in her eyes but did not act. She had chosen the other man, so he would force her to be with him tonight. He was not worried that he would lose her. The look in her eyes told him as much. She would crawl back to him begging forgiveness, and then he would kill this Artemis fellow to make sure he did not bother them anymore.
"Go," he said again, pointing toward her bedroom door. "Your man is waiting for you downstairs."
"I don't . . ." she whimpered.
"You have made your decision," Dominick replied, an edge creeping into his voice. "Now go."
A tear rolled down her cheek. "But-"
"Go!"
Christine turned, opened the door, and ran down the hallway. Dominick smiled to himself. She would come back to him. He was confident of that. Still, he would follow her tonight. He wanted to watch this Artemis. He did not fear him as a rival, but he had taken Christine once, and if he had a way of winning her over, then it would be good for Dominick to learn his methods.
The vampire left out the balcony, climbed over the roof, and watched the front courtyard, waiting to follow.
Entreri was waiting patiently downstairs. He had not been met at the door this time, and he wasn't sure how to take that. Christine had been eager the night before, and Entreri had thought he had made a good impression on her, but now she was making him wait. Entreri pulled a pocket watch out of his vest and glanced at it. She was ten minutes late so far.
"I'm sorry she's keeping you."
Entreri looked up, startled somewhat. It had been a long time since someone had startled him. It just showed how out of his element he was right now. It was the man of the house.
"I could have someone go tell her you're here," Thurston Toole said.
Entreri shook his head. One of the servants had already offered to do so. Entreri could only think of a couple reasons she would be late. Either she didn't know what to wear, which was a good sign, or Fredrick was bothering her, which increased the chances Entreri would meet him tonight.
"I don't want to rush her," Entreri said.
The father nodded. "What do you want?" he asked. He had tried desperately to stay our of his daughter's social life, now that she had one, relying on reports from his servants as to what she was doing and with whom, but he was still curious.
Entreri was hoping he wouldn't ask that question. The two men were about 10 years apart in age, but Entreri suddenly felt a lot younger, almost as if he were a teenage boy. "I want to show your daughter a good time," he replied, choosing his words carefully. "She seems a very spirited young woman, and I would like to get to know her better."
Toole nodded, but Entreri could see he wanted more. He was fighting between being a protective father who was watching his only daughter spend time in the company of another man or being a father who wanted his daughter to be independent. He wanted to ask what they had done last night. Had he kissed her? Where had he touched her? What did he plan on doing with her tonight? But he didn't. His daughter was an adult now; he would treat her as such. Still . . .
They heard quick footsteps from upstairs. "She knows she's late," Toole said. Sure enough, a few moments, Christine appeared at the top of the stairs. Entreri could see immediately that she had been crying. Her eyes were not that red, but there was a tiny smudge on her make-up. Her father didn't notice. "You've kept Mr. Entreri waiting, dear. That's not a good way to make an impression."
"It's okay," Entreri started, but Christine cut him off.
"Only because he has kept me waiting, Father," she said, a sly tone in her voice. "He's been in this city a year and I've only just met him."
Toole looked startled she would say such a thing, but Entreri produced a chuckle, to let the older man know it was taken as a joke. Entreri really took it as nervous humor. Something had scared her a moment ago. Entreri wasn't so sure that her hurried footsteps upstairs weren't her running away from something rather than running toward something.
"Are you ready to go?" Entreri asked, extending his elbow.
"Yes I am," she said, taking the arm and walking with Entreri toward the front door.
Toole just stood there, watching his daughter go. He wanted to say something. "Don't stay out too late." "Be careful." "Be good." But he didn't say anything. He just stood there watching as his daughter left the house.
There was no carriage waiting for them this time but two fine horses. Entreri had ridden his own horse, and then had asked the Toole's stable boy which one was Christine's. "It's a good thing I wore a riding dress," Christine said. "I wasn't really sure what to wear, but this should work out. You guys have it easy. You always just wear pants, and dark ones at that. You don't even have to worry about colors that much. It's much harder to dress when you're a woman. Where are we going?"
Entreri almost took a step back from her. She hadn't even taken a breath. She had been so quiet last night, obviously thinking about something else. If Entreri was right in his thinking, she was thinking about the same thing now but was trying a little harder to redirect her thoughts.
"We are going west," Entreri answered. "There is a very entertaining place I know of, but it is on the other side of the city and makes for a long walk."
They walked up to the horses. "You got my horse!" she said, a little too excited. "My father bought this horse for me when I was twelve. I was scared to death of it, even though it was just a small thing back then. But he made me ride it and now . . ."
Entreri helped her into the saddle while she kept talking. He kept half an ear to his yammering date, but as they left the courtyard of the mansion, he kept the rest of his senses on the rooftops and alleyways they passed. It didn't take long from him to notice they were being followed.
The ride across town took 10 minutes, and Christine talked for most of it. Entreri encouraged her talkative mood, asking detailed questions and faking intense interest in each topic she brought up. He wanted to take her mind off of Fredrick, but he realized it would have to wait until the got to their destination.
The eastern border of Garrilport was the river. The city didn't exactly have a western border. The expensive real estate with paved streets and sewers tapered into wooden homes on dirt streets and then into shacks. This was where Entreri's home was, though he spent almost all of his time at the shipyard now.
The wall that separated the north from the south also tapered off as it went west. Trees began to outnumber houses and the wall ended in a large building that housed the offices for the city's lumberyard. Anyone from the north that wanted to go south and didn't want to have to walk past the guard house could go around the western edge of the wall, but they would have to walk two miles to the edge of town and then skirt the vast property of the lumberyard for there was a fence enclosing their property. All told it would be a 4-mile trip one-way, and most thieves weren't that ambitious. Plus, the western section of the city, even south of the wall, was not a desirable area, and there were a few satellite guard posts to keep it in check.
Entreri had not been the first business owner to provide a place for his employees to eat. While just about anyone could pound a nail into a board or clean the scales off a fish, it took a special man to fell a tree in a profitable time. If the lumberyard lost men to the rough bars of the north, it would suffer more than most other businesses.
This restaurant was not as upscale as Entreri's, but it was far more entertaining. It was built into the wall along with the offices and there were entrances on both sides of the wall. Entreri dismounted first while Christine, who was suddenly quiet, looked about hesitantly. Though she was raised rich, she was not as stuck up as most who lived on the river. Still, this was the poorest section of the city. What could possibly be out here that would be worthy of a date?
"Please," Entreri said, offering his hand to help her off her horse. "I promise you will be safe. You have to trust me."
It was the same thing he had said when he had led her out onto the lock the previous night. He had been right then, so she took his hand now. Entreri tied up both horses at the empty hitching rail, flipping the boy who stood watch a gold piece. It was more money than he would earn in a week, and Entreri was pretty sure the horses would be there when they were ready to leave.
The first room inside was empty save washrooms to either side and an unmanned podium where a host should have been standing. For once, it was the south that rarely had the money to attend this restaurant this far west, so there was no one to greet them. Entreri had been here before and was not deterred.
Christine could hear what sounded like an angry mob coming from ahead of them. As they drew closer it got louder and louder. Entreri stepped past the podium and pushed open the double doors behind it. Christine followed him and froze. Huge could not describe the size of the room. She had been in smaller concert halls at her university. Granted, this room lacked the elaborate wall decorations and plush seating, but it was no less impressive.
The room opened up below them like an enormous staircase. Each step was a dozen feet wide and arched around the room in a semi circle. The center aisle was clear, as well as secondary aisles spaced equally on either side, while the rest of the room was filled with tables. It was like a vast dinner theater. Men sat everywhere (Christine was one of very few women in attendance) drinking beer and shouting down at the stage below.
The stage was also not what Christine was used to. Instead of a raised platform filled with musicians or play props, there was a large dirt arena filled with horses and armor clad men. Right now two knights were involved in a jousting match. The horses raced toward each other, each knight trying to keep his lance as steady as possible. At the last moment, one knight lunged and the other flinched. The bolder one's lance exploded into the second's chest and flipped him off his horse.
The crowd went crazy, clanging their mugs together in cheers. Half the ale slopped out of the mugs, and then they downed the other half. Bar maids wearing denim skirts, laced up white bodices, and showing enough cleavage to make a priest deny his faith raced around to the tables, refilling the mugs before the next match.
One of the women noticed Entreri standing there and came up to him. "Welcome back Artemis," she said with a toothy smile, each hand holding three mugs. "I believe your regular table is empty. Will you be participating tonight?" she asked, glancing at Christine.
Christine had been looking down at her own chest, trying not to feel inadequate, but looked up at this question. "Participate?"
Entreri shook his head. "No, could we have one of the private tables in the corner."
The maid's smile grew larger. "Of course," she motioned to a few empty tables, "take your pick." With that, she went about her delivery of drinks. The couple moved along the top level of the auditorium to the corner where a few secluded tables sat on a raised step away from the ruckus of the main floor.
Along the way, they dodged two more well-endowed maids loaded down with frothy drinks. Christine's eyes followed each one of them as they bounced past, a frown on her face.
"They stuff their shirts," Entreri said to her, drawing her attention away from the last maid.
"Huh?" she said, turning her attention back to her date.
"The women," he explained, "they take stockings and stuff their blouses to make them look bigger."
"Ahh," Christine said, a light going on in her head as she watched another maid pass. "Clever." Her face changed suddenly. "How do you know?"
Entreri dodged the question and motioned to the arena below. "Look, the next match is starting."
Christine playfully slugged him in the arm, but didn't press the point. They arrived at their table, and Entreri pulled out a chair for her. They both sat on the same side so they could watch the joust below. A maid appeared moments later, plopping a mug down in front of Entreri and then pausing. She had three more mugs, but looked at Christine wondering what she wanted to drink.
The young woman looked around the room, slowly assimilating the mood of the crowd. She looked to the maid and nodded. She got a mug too. The maid then produced two menus from a large pocket in her skirt. "I'll be back in a moment to take your order," she said. "Enjoy the show."
"This place is incredible," Christine commented once the maid had left. "I had no-"
"No idea a place like this was in your city?" Entreri interrupted. It was the same thing she had said about the locks. Christine nodded. "You just need to get out more."
Christine watched the joust below as one of the knights took a shot in the helmet from a lance. "Isn't it a bit dangerous though?"
"No more dangerous than dropping huge trees for a living," Entreri said, momentarily avoiding the question. "No, the lances are blunted and made of pine. No one has ever been seriously hurt."
"What about the food?" she asked.
"The owner's brother runs the cattle yard up north. Any of the beef meals are very good. If you want, I can order for you."
Christine nodded and turned her attention to the arena. The jousts were over, and as the maid came back to their table and received Entreri's order the men below were assembling into to large groups at either side of the dirt stage.
One of the men not wearing any armor climbed onto a short platform at the corner of the stage and began speaking. The rest of the men grew quiet, but the speaker had a big voice and didn't need too much help.
"There is a legend that says this land used to be overrun with all kinds of horrible monsters." Behind him a few costumed performers wearing masks and horns began snarling and jumping around like lunatics.
"These monsters terrorized the small villages and towns for many years." A couple of the maids appeared on stage and the "monsters" chased them around for a while. One of the creatures reached out and grabbed at the back of one of the women's bodices. The thin material ripped, and the maid screamed has her top fell down. She clutched her hands to her chest as she scampered off the stage to the hoots and hollers of the men, but not before Christine caught a brief glimpse of a rolled up pair of stockings.
She turned to Entreri with a disapproving look on her face. Entreri looked as innocent as possible. "What?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders. Christine couldn't keep a straight face and punched him in the shoulder again.
"Finally a few brave men rose up to meet these monsters in battle," the speaker from below continued. A few of the knights came out with their swords and overwhelmed the monsters. They used wooden swords, but Christine winced at the very lifelike action. One of the knights struck down the creature that had torn the shirt off the maid, picked up the white material, smelled it, and walked about in a daze, drawing laughter from the crowd.
"But the monsters were not so easily defeated. They were driven back, but among them there rose a leader." A huge man dressed in a monster costume walked about on stage. "And he led a host of creatures against the brave men who had driven them back." The monsters attacked again with their leader at the head, and the knights fled.
"But the brave knights also had a leader among them. Chorim Amadaian would not see his men be defeated, and so one day, long ago, the two armies met in battle." The narrator stepped down now and the main action began. Almost 4-dozen men screamed and fought on stage, half of them monsters and half knights. It was pure chaos, and the men in the crowd cheered them on.
Entreri had ordered ribs for the two of them, but Christine barely noticed when they arrived. Her eyes were glued to the stage below, following each strike and parry. She cried out when a knight fell, and cheered when each monster hit the dirt.
Soon the crowd of combatants thinned and in the middle of the mayhem, a clearing was created. Chorim Amadaian faced off against the monsters' leader. They swung their weapons to and fro in an impressive (but rehearsed) display, each move coming faster and faster. The battle swayed back and forth, neither fighter gaining an advantage until the monster made a very aggressing attack, knocking the sword out of Chorim's hand and knocking the hero to the dirt.
"No!" Christine cried, suddenly standing. A few other members of the crowd who had not seen this performance before also cried out. The monster stalked around the fallen knight playing up the crowd, and receiving several "Boos" for it.
Finally he stood over the fallen man and swung down to kill him. Chorim rolled to the side at the last second and kicked out at the monster's legs. The creature stumbled, and Chorim hopped to his feet. The monster tried to attack, but the human was too close and he grabbed the hilt of the sword as it came around. The two engaged in an intense battle of strength as they wrestled over the weapon. Chorim won (of course), and his opponent stumbled backwards. The hero spun around completely and struck at the monster's head with the stolen sword. The head of the creature went flying. Despite the apparent death, the crowd cheered loudly. Even Christine was happy to see the head go spinning into the dirt.
After soaking up the glory for a while, Chorim took a deep bow. The fallen monster got up as well, removing the large costume he had worn on his shoulders that had supported the fake head, and took a bow.
"Chorim and his men routed the monsters," the narrator was back on his platform. "For years, Chorim led his men into battle and he was never beaten. He fought against giants and trolls, ogres and goblins and never found his equal. But maybe here, tonight, he might find a challenger to bring him down. Does anyone wish to face the mighty Chorim in battle?"
Alcohol has long been the leading cause of stupidity in men and several in the crowd proved this point by raising their hands. One by one they were led onto the stage, fitted with some safety padding, and given a wooden sword. Christine sat down now and noticed that there was food. The ribs were barbequed and covered in sauce, but for once in her life, she didn't care about making a mess. She picked up the meet with her bare hands and tore into it pausing occasionally to shout at the fighters or to take a drink from her mug.
After the third fighter fell to Chorim, Christine turned to Entreri. "They are all worthless. They aren't going to beat Chorim, are they?"
Entreri shook his head. "I doubt it."
Suddenly a light went on in Christine's eyes. "Could you beat him? When we got here, that maid asked you if you were going to participate tonight. Will you beat him?"
"I don't know," Entreri said cautiously, having planned all this ahead of time. "He looks pretty big."
"Come on," Christine chided, "do it for me."
"If I must," Entreri said, taking one last swig from his mug and wiping his hands on his napkin. "I shall be your champion," he said with false bravado, getting a laugh from his date. The second leading cause for stupidity in men is women.
The last volunteer had just fallen, clutching his right arm in pain, and the speaker was calling for any more "brave souls" who might want to challenge the hero. While there had been many who had wanted to fight originally, watching what had happened to each of the men before them was very sobering. The speaker was just about to give up, when he saw Entreri trotting down the stairs.
"We do have one last challenger. Let's give him a cheer!"
Though Entreri did participate in the show on occasion, he usually tried the joust or entered in the grand melees they had. He avoided one-on-one battles because they didn't give him much of a challenge. Plus, he was a friend of the owner, and he didn't want to ruin the performance by defeating the hero of the show.
The crowd was mostly made of lumberjacks, men with arms as big as Entreri's legs, and they scoffed him as much as they cheered him while he made his way to the stage. Entreri took the wooden sword offered him, but declined the padding. The crowd grew quiet then as they saw Entreri, with no protection, walk up against Chorim, an armor-clad man who stood half a head taller than Entreri and 50 pounds heavier.
"You?" Chorim asked. The "hero" was really Alex Torin, the son of the lumberyard's owner. He knew Entreri quite well. "What are you doing up here, trying to embarrass me?" He spoke so only Entreri would hear.
"I have a lady in the crowd," Entreri said, lifting his sword to the ready. "I won't be too hard on you."
Alex charged with a shout. Instead of sidestepping the charge and tripping the big man to the ground, Entreri met the charge and pushed back. Alex was good, but there were many just in the city guard who could take him down. The reason he never lost was because he only fought against drunks.
Entreri worked him up and down, pushing him beyond his limits. Alex was encumbered by armor, and he struggled to keep up, breathing faster and faster. With just a dull wooden sword, there wasn't too much Entreri could do against his opponent's armor. He wasn't wearing a helmet, but any attack on his head would cause a serious wound. Besides, Entreri wasn't so sure he wanted to defeat this man. It wouldn't be good for business.
Entreri paused in his attacks, giving the knight a huge opening that he didn't miss. He struck back, very little strength left in him, but it put Entreri off balance, and as he stumbled, Alex struck again from the side. Entreri angled his body, and absorbed the blow with his left arm, rolling it up to his shoulder as he struck out with his own sword.
Suddenly both men stopped short, they each held a sword at the other man's neck. They looked at each other briefly, and Entreri offered him a draw. Alex took it. They dropped their weapons and shook hands. The crowd cheered, happy that Entreri had been a worthy challenger and that their hero had remained undefeated.
Entreri found Christine in the crowd and saw her standing tall, cheering as hard as anyone. The assassin's eyes then went to the opposite side of the auditorium. Dominick was seated in the shadows watching Christine with cold eyes. The woman who two hours ago had been willing to give herself to him, now was cheering on another man.
Entreri had watched Dominick enter the building shortly after they had, and had been careful in this battle not to show too much skill, else he would scare off any encounter the vampire might be planning. As Dominick slowly turned his gaze back to Entreri, the assassin was quick to adjust his eyes away, though not before he caught the look of cold hatred. They would meet tonight.
The rest of the night went smoothly with Entreri and Christine enjoying both the entertainment and the food. An hour went by, and then two. Finally Entreri was able to pry Christine away from the table and the two of them walked out of the auditorium.
The couple left the way they had come in and were met outside by the sound of applause. "Bravo, bravo. That was a good show."
"Dominick!" Christine shrieked. The young woman suddenly clung to Entreri's arm. The assassin's eyes went from the frightened woman to the vampire. She had called him Dominick while John had said the man's name was Fredrick. Vampires often changed their names and Entreri didn't pay too much attention to the discrepancy. Instead he took stock his enemy.
Dominick was leaning against the city wall casually, a familiar dirk hanging from his side. His posture was relaxed, but Entreri could detect a restlessness that this vampire was barely containing. The feeling was directed at both Entreri and Christine, though for entirely different reasons.
Entreri had several priorities in this encounter. Most importantly he wanted to find and kill Alececarr. That would give him his weapons back, which was his second priority. The third was to keep Christine safe. He did not need Thurston Toole as an enemy, especially if he wanted to be on the merchant council some day.
"Go," Entreri shoved Christine away from him and toward her horse. "Ride away from here and don't look back."
"No," Dominick drew his sword and pointed at Christine. The confused woman stood between Entreri and her horse, the eyes of the vampire holding her still. "I want you to watch this. You chose him over me," Dominick switched the sword to Entreri. "I do not know why. I believe you yourself do not know why. You are just rebelling against your heart. Tonight, I will make the decision for you."
Entreri looked at the foe in front of him, as Dominick sent him an evil grin. He was holding the sword wrong, his feet were out of position, and he was too close to the wall. Alececarr had been a trained warrior. He had fought against many skilled opponents and had mimicked their style. Entreri didn't think Dominick had ever held a sword before in his life.
"You have stuck your nose where it does not belong," the vampire said sternly, his attention squarely on Entreri. "I should let you walk away as long as you promise never to come near her again, but I am not feeling charitable."
"I am," Entreri replied. He needed to find Alececarr. If he killed Dominick now, he would be no closer to finding the head vampire than before, and he would have lost his only lead. He needed Dominick to run away. "As long as you promise never to think of Christine again, I shall let you walk away. Drop the sword, turn around, and I will let you live."
Dominick laughed, but it was forced. There was something in Entreri's voice that let the vampire know this was not the first threat he had ever given. Christine heard it too, and she took another step away from Entreri, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two men in front of her.
"You forget which one of us is armed," Dominick said, waggling the sword in front of him.
"I will have that sword in my hand in five seconds and then in your chest in two," Entreri said plainly.
"You are insane," Dominick laughed. "Why I shall have you-"
Entreri exploded forward, and Dominick was on his heels. He swung the dirk in front of him, but Entreri dropped into a crouch, and the blade hit only air until it rudely clanged into the wall. Entreri sprang straight up with tremendous force, the heel of his palm striking the vampire under his chin. Though Dominick was much stronger than he had been, he was no heavier, and he flew backwards into the air.
Entreri grabbed the loosely held sword, as his foe toppled backwards, reversed the grip, and then plunged it down after Dominick's descending chest. The vampire's back hit the packed dirt of the street and the dirk impaled him a second later.
Christine cried out when she saw the violent attack and raced forward. Entreri was backing away from the vampire and raised his left arm to catch the charging woman. "Let me go!" she cried, pounding on the assassin's arm. "You killed him! How could you-"
"AAAHHHHRRR!"
Christine stopped her attack on Entreri and turned toward the sound. Her face went ashen. Dominick was awake and trying to sit up, but the blade secured him to the ground. He grabbed a hold of the pommel, and with another shriek, pulled the dirk out of his chest. He sat up slowly and worked his way to his feet.
His face was a contortion of demonic rage. His eyes were red, his nostrils flared, his brow furrowed, and his fangs were bared. "You will pay for that!" he snarled.
"Go!" Entreri screamed to Christine. "Get on your horse and don't stop till you are home behind locked doors!"
She finally listened. Dominick did not try to stop her. He was focused on Entreri, the pain in his chest fueling his rage. As Christine rode away, the vampire rushed. Despite the massive wound in his chest, he was fast. Entreri was much faster. The blade slashed back and forth, up and down, but Entreri was always ahead of the moves, dodging almost before each attack.
Though there was no technique or rhythm to the attacks, neither were they completely random. There was only so many ways one could flail with a sword, and certain attacks were very common among untrained fighters. Entreri had seen it all before.
In between the dodges, Entreri began to lash out with his own attacks, kneeing Dominick in the gut and slapping him in the face. The vampire grew more enraged, and when he had worked Entreri's back to the wall, he rushed forward, meaning to crush the weaker man. The assassin dropped to a crouch and vaulted the off balanced attacker over him. The strength of the charge was translated into the air, and the vampire flipped upside down and hit the wall vertically. He crashed down onto his head, and lay still for a moment.
Entreri did not wait for him to get up but turned and ripped the dirk from his slackened grip. The loss of the weapon, brought Dominick back from his stunned senses, and he righted himself. Entreri did not let him get his balance, but launched into this own flurry of attacks. The assassin's were far more precise and exact, though they came no closer to hitting his enemy than the vampire's attacks had.
Entreri was not interested in killing this creature, at least not yet. He needed to show him that there was no way he was going to beat Entreri, and that retreat was the only way he was going to survive. It was a retreat that Entreri needed. It was a retreat he intended to follow. It was a retreat that wasn't going to happen.
As Entreri's dirk flew around Dominick, creating a steel cage around the vampire, the overmatched fighter did not ever contemplate retreat. He felt too invincible to think such things. Yes, this human was obviously a better fighter than he was, but that did not change the fact that he was immortal and Entreri was not. All he needed was an opening, and he would feed on this skilled mortal. No matter the odds, he felt like he could not lose.
The closest Entreri came to hitting the vampire was a slash at his waist that cut the dirk's sheath from Dominick's belt. Other than that, the attacks just kept him pinned to the wall. Entreri ended his display suddenly, the dirk nestled under the vampire's chin. "You will not beat me," Entreri said carefully. "You will never beat me. But my fight is not with you. It is with your master. You go and tell Alececarr that this is my city. He is trespassing on my territory and has stolen my possessions. He will return that which is mine and leave this city at once. You tell him this or I will kill every one of his minions."
Dominick sneered at his foe. "My master will never yield to your puny demands. You are the one who is going to die."
Entreri pushed his blade forward another inch so the tip sunk partway into the soft skin under Dominick's chin. "You forget who has the upper hand here."
The vampire grinned broadly. "No I haven't." Dominick's eyes were looking over Entreri's shoulder. The assassin stepped back and turned to see what gave the vampire confidence. Alececarr was standing 30 feet away with two huge vampires on either side of him. Despite his outnumbered situation, Entreri smiled. He recognized the two brutes as the Ruddy brothers. They owned a respectable tavern in the south central portion of the northern half of town. If Entreri did not get what he wanted tonight, he knew where he could start looking tomorrow.
"You are a persistent human," Alececarr said. "I thought you had learned your lesson when I had left you treading water outside your restaurant."
"What can I say?" Entreri offered. "I'm a slow learner." Even from 30 feet, Entreri noticed Alececarr's glowing eyes shift slightly. The assassin turned his dirk, and stabbed out behind him. Dominick had come off the wall and was impaled by the dirk just below his previous wound. The weak vampire stopped his charge and Entreri twisted the blade sharply, making the two wounds one. Dominick fell to the ground writhing in pain. "But I'm getting better," he added as he stepped toward the threesome in front of him.
Alececarr looked at his fallen sire with disregard. "Dominick told me his prey had another suitor, and he had left me enough clues to figure out who it was, but it took me till now to come to the right conclusion. I must be getting old."
"And what do you plan to do about it?" Entreri asked
"Kill you," Alececarr replied. Steve and Ed Ruddy rushed forward. Neither brother was armed, but they both weighed over 250 pounds of muscle, and they found they rarely needed weapons. It wouldn't have mattered anyway.
Entreri stayed between the brothers as they drew near, their large hands open and ready to grab him. At the last second Entreri stepped toward Ed and leaped into the air. Instead of clamping down on his shoulders, Ed grabbed the smaller man by the waist, holding him up just long enough for Entreri to slice his dirk above the big man's shoulders.
While the dead vampire's body still had some constitution to it, Entreri pushed off his chest with his foot, seeming to float through the air to the second brother who was too stunned to do anything but grimace as the blade passed through his neck as well. Entreri alighted on the ground as two heads fell next to him followed by twin pillars of cascading dust. He walked through the cloud, his eyes never leaving Alececarr.
Unlike Dominick, the older vampire knew when it was time to run. He was not convinced that this human was more powerful than he, but here, with no back up, in a meaningless battle, was not the time or place to find out.
"This is not over, Artemis," Alececarr said coldly. Before Entreri got within 10 feet of him, the vampire bolted toward the wall. He ran up and over it as if it were a staircase. Entreri started to give chase, knowing he could climb the wall as well, but not a tenth as quickly as the vampire had, and when he got over, Alececarr would be long gone.
Entreri looked back to where he had left Dominick, but the vampire had slinked off somewhere. It didn't matter. He had a good guess where these vampires were hiding. Tomorrow he would pay a visit to the Ruddy Mary, preferably during the day.
Entreri retrieved the sheath for his dirk and was happy to see that his horse had not run off. As he mounted, his eyes just made out the tracks of Christine's horse from where she had ridden off. Part of him said it would be a good idea to see if she had gotten home safe, but he shook his head. She had given him what he wanted, and she would be safe. He didn't need to worry about her anymore; he had more important things to do. With that thought, he kicked his horse into a trot, and rode home.