Chapter 9
"The Pride Factor"

Artemis

I hope this finds you safe. If nothing else please tell me that.
I need to know if you are alive.

I do not know how to write this letter. My mind and heart
have been playing tricks on me the past few days but I feel
grounded right now. I don't know how long this will last, so
I must write this letter now before reason and sense leave me.

What is happening? Who is Dominick? What is Dominick?
I'm not sure what I saw last night. My restless nightmares
are playing in my head even now, and I must believe for my
own sanity that these horrid images are the result of my over
active imagination distorting what I saw. But I do know a few
things. I know I saw you stab Dominick through the chest.
And I know I saw him get up. Who is he?

And who are you? I saw a new side of Dominick last night,
but I saw a new side of you as well. It frightened me. The way
you moved, the way you talked, and the way you reacted to
Dominick, it all frightened me. Have you two met before?
Dominick is very protective. Has he confronted you previously?

Like I wrote above, I find it difficult to think freely. I do not
know what I want or whom I want it with. Every time I feel that
I've made up my mind, something comes up to change it. But I
do know that I want to see you again. I want to apologize for
bringing you into this mess. If you can find it in your heart to
forgive me, I would like to meet with you.

Please send a reply,

Christine

Entreri read the note three times. His messenger, Sam, was still standing there patiently when Entreri lowered the parchment. It had been rolled and tied when it had been given to him. There was no seal, so the boy had probably read it.

"Do you have a reply?" Sam asked.

Entreri wasn't going to punish him for his curiosity. He was too concerned with what to do about the note. Entreri was not ignorant of women, but knowing and experiencing are two different things. The majority of his experiences with women involved prostitutes. Though most of his knowledge was second-hand, it was extensive. The women involved themselves in a relationship, it lasted anywhere from 30 minutes to a week. When it was over they left and didn't call.

The other women Entreri knew had been fellow assassins and fighters. They treated men much the same way, use 'em and lose 'em. Entreri had gotten what he needed from Christine. He had not mistreated her in any way, and he meant her no harm. He actually admired her. Women in this land could live a comfortable life without any ambitions. Christine on the other hand had gotten an education and had financial goals that were very respectable. But he did not appreciate her on any other level than that. Yes she was attractive, and she apparently found him pleasing as well, but Entreri would not let it go any further than that. He had realized long ago that he was too selfish to make any type of relationship work.

In Menzoberranzan, Entreri saw an entire city of selfish killers like himself. He saw the "relationships" that the drow had with each other and it was not for him. They were too self destructive for his tastes. A relationship will only work with love, and that involved giving without expecting return. Entreri wasn't made for that.

Entreri had used informants and sources before. At the end of those relationships, the assassin had paid them or killed them. Entreri didn't think that would work here. Entreri was not alone in his confusion, from the beginning of time, men have never understood how to end a relationship effectively.

"Tell her that I am alive and well," Entreri replied after a few moments of thought.

The boy looked disappointed. "That is all?"

Entreri looked very sternly at the child. "Yes. That is all."

Sam wanted to argue. He wanted to say that such a brief answer would only cause more problems, but he held his tongue and left the office.

Entreri filed the note away in his desk and leaned back in his chair. He knew the curt response would stir up another letter from Christine, but he really didn't have time to think about it. Alececarr knew Entreri was hunting him now. The vampire couldn't know that he tipped him off by using the Ruddy brothers, so he would not take immediate action to protect himself. Entreri needed to act fast.

Entreri had been to the Ruddy Mary before. The place looked normal to him. Customers walked about, waitresses took orders, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was the regular lunch crowd.

Entreri sat down at a table next to the window. The curtains were closed, but that wasn't out of the ordinary either. On either side of the tavern were dirty alleys, not an appetizing thing to look at. Entreri shifted the curtains a bit and got a small triangle of light to shine on his table.

"Artemis," a familiar voice sang out. Entreri looked up and saw Emma, a 40-something waitress who had served him before, "it's nice to see you back here again."

"Well if you won't come work at my place, how else am I supposed to see you," Entreri smiled back. "Though I hear you are suddenly off the market."

Emma beamed and held out her hand. The ring was simple, brass with a small opal center stone, but Entreri played into her enthusiasm. "Must have cost him a fortune. He's a lucky guy. May I?" he asked, motioning with his hand.

Emma nodded and stepped closer to the table putting her hand in Entreri's. He pulled gently on the fingers, pretending to examine the engagement ring, all the while brining her hand closer to the sunbeam. The light hit her hand, and the flesh started to smoke.

"Huh?" Emma reacted, but Entreri held her hand there until it burst into flames. She pulled it back then, snarling as she did, her brow furrowed around suddenly demonic eyes. She smothered her hand in the folds of her skirt and then prepared to lash out at Entreri.

The assassin pulled the curtains back completely, and the vampire leaped back just in time. Entreri stood, his dirk in hand, ready for any vampire to boldly attack him while he stood in the sunlight.

"What's going on here?" Alececarr moved through the suddenly thick crowd surrounding Entreri's table.

Emma had regained her composer and clung to her master. "That bad man hurt me," she whined in a childish voice clutching her injured hand.

"Now, now," he replied, rubbing her shoulders. "Go in the back and run some water over it. I'll make sure this man doesn't hurt you again."

Emma did as she was told, and Alececarr stepped forward. The rest of the crowd retreated a step, yielding to the new owner of the restaurant. Entreri looked at the crowd. There must be two dozen people. They couldn't all be vampires, could they?

"It's a little early for you to be up, isn't it Alice?" Entreri asked.

Alececarr ignored the butchering of his name for now. "I sleep only out of boredom during the day. You have made sure there is no boredom."

"Glad I could be of service," Entreri replied. This was not the same vampire who had run away last night. Alececarr was now backed by a small army, and he wasn't going to run. If Entreri wanted a fight, the master vampire would give it to him.

Alececarr leaped at the assassin, and Entreri's dirk was out above the table, but the vampire didn't come over the table; he came into it. The 4-foot tabletop smashed into Entreri's thigh and he stumbled back. Alececarr pushed the table further and pinned the human against the windowsill.

The vampire was in the sunlight now, glaring at his enemy from across the table. Entreri thought he detected steam rising from creature, but it wasn't smoke, and it definitely wasn't fire.

"You will never beat me," Alececarr said, leaning over the table. Entreri didn't take the bait, knowing his enemy would easily dodge any swipe, making Entreri look foolish. "Do you know why you will never beat me?"

"Pray tell why?" Entreri snarled, struggling against the table.

"Because I will never fight you on your terms. You want me to go outside, in the sunlight, where you know I am weakest and none of my army can follow to fight you one on one. At worst I might have even odds, but I won't do it. That isn't how you live to be over 1,000 years old. I will only fight you on my terms. You are not so foolish as to do that. Or are you?" Alececarr released pressure from the table and stepped back, allowing Entreri freedom of movement.

The assassin braced himself for action but didn't move. He was facing over 20 vampires all huddled around their master just outside the sunlight. He would not win.

"I didn't think so," Alececarr laughed. "Now go and don't come back. I will not wander into any of your traps, so don't bother setting them. If you want to fight me, you know where I am, but if you are unwilling now, I am not growing any weaker."

Entreri didn't have an answer. "This isn't over," the assassin said, echoing the words Alececarr had used the previous night. He fell backwards, breaking through the window and rolling into the alley.

Alececarr turned to the host behind him to let them know to disperse, but a voice from the corner of the tavern interrupted him. "Hey, do you guys still serve lunch?" Three men had just walked into the tavern and were confused as to why everyone was standing.

Alececarr turned to them. "Yes, we do still serve lunch."

"Well do you have a menu?" the man asked harshly.

"You are the menu."

"Huh?" But all three men understood clearly as a mob of hungry vampires swamped them.

Entreri crept down the sewer tunnel. Common sense would argue with what he was doing, but to him, his logic made sense. As the assassin followed the sewer grates above, counting as he went, he reminisced to the old days. Back in Calimport, he hadn't needed to worry about logic or common sense. He had a target, and he took them out. He didn't need to worry about what they were thinking or how he could set them up. He just did the job.

Now Entreri was creeping down the sewer tunnels at night, preparing to attack a vampire stronghold when they would be at their strongest. It made no sense, but Entreri was sure it was the right thing. Alececarr had told Entreri that he did not think the assassin would not attack him on his terms. Entreri would have to be a fool to do so. Because of that, Entreri was sure the defenses around the vampire nest would be at their weakest now.

And why would they have any defenses? No one but Entreri knew who or what they were. At this point, they were still inviting people in. They might have a look out or two down in the sewers, but nothing substantial. Besides, at night, they should all be out hunting, leaving a relatively empty nest back home. After Entreri was finished, it would be even emptier.

Entreri counted his last sewer grate, making a right down a short passageway and pausing. He had laid out the route from near his restaurant to the Bloody Mary as he had walked back during the day. It was an easy route, especially for someone with as good a directional sense as Entreri had. Now he should be within 100 yards of the Ruddy Mary.

He peered ahead into the darkness to no avail. The side path he was in ended 200 feet ahead, just under where the tavern should be. He could see nothing in the murky darkness, but he hadn't expected his infravision (a gift from Jarlaxle) to help him here. His prey had no body heat. They would see him coming, though, so creeping forward would only add suspicion. Best just to take them on directly.

There were two guards standing at the end of the tunnel. The vampires had dug a large area behind the sewers and under the tavern for sleeping quarters. At night most of that area was usually empty as the vampires were either upstairs enjoying a drink or out hunting. The two vampires on guard wished they were one of those two places, but Alececarr had insisted on keeping a guard at all times.

They saw Entreri coming toward them, walking steady and sure, not like most wandering homeless they saw. They had been warned of Entreri, but in the darkness, they did not recognize him. Plus, like all young vampires, they were too cocky to head their master's warning anyway.

"What do we have here?" one of them asked, stepping away from their post and toward the oncoming human. "Arnie, did you order us a midnight snack? I didn't know they delivered down here."

The other vampire played along. "It wasn't me. Maybe someone upstairs felt bad for us."

Entreri stopped twelve feet away, standing on the narrow ledge alongside the mostly empty center trough that ran away from the tavern. This small branch was not large, and it favored the vampires who could better use their quickness and strength, not allowing Entreri much room to maneuver. But the assassin did not plan on letting the encounter last long enough for the vampires to realize their advantage.

The two creatures stood before him, teeth bared and drooling, expecting some type of horrified reaction from their prey, but Entreri just looked at them placidly, his hand inches from his dirk.

"Doesn't look like a deliveryman to me," the second vampire said.

"I'm not," Entreri answered. "I'm the sandman."

"We already slept," the first vampire replied.

"Who said anything about sleeping." The vampires exchanged confused looks at this, and Entreri attacked. His blade was out and across the first vampire's neck before the doomed creature could even register the strike. He collapsed into a pile of dust. "I am just here to make sand."

The second vampire sprang back a dozen feet and dropped into a crouch, ready to run. Entreri gave him a head fake, "Boo!" and he took off. The guard got three steps further away, when a dagger buried itself into the back of his neck. The vampire tripped and fell off the ledge into the mold and slim running through the trough.

Entreri jogged over to his writhing form, not wanting to go into the filth after him. "Is your master here tonight?" Entreri asked. The vampire didn't respond, and started to climb out of the ditch on the other side. Entreri ran down the side of the culvert and leaped over the narrow strip of fluid running down the center. The vamp turned, and Entreri kicked him in the chest. His back hit hard against the inner wall of the sewer, driving the dagger even deeper into the back of his neck.

Entreri placed his dirk at his throat and asked his question again. "Is Alececarr at home tonight?"

The vampire nodded. With the dagger through his voice box, he was incapable of speech. "Where?" The vampire pointed weakly toward the back of the sewer. Entreri was hoping that if Alececarr were in the tavern then the vampire would have pointed up.

"Thank you, you've been most helpful," Entreri said. He regarded the gurgling mess of a vampire in front of him and then took his head.

The end of the sewer was quiet. Entreri's brief scuffle with the vampires had made some noise, but no more than the two guards probably made on their own. There was a heavy sheet hanging over a hole in the back wall. Entreri slowly pushed his way through it, noticing how the drips and splashes of the sewer behind him disappeared behind the curtain.

Above him was a ladder leading up, ending in a wooden ceiling. It was probably the floor of the Ruddy Mary in some back room. It was not a big hole, and it was nice to know that any evacuation out of the sewers or out of the building above would encounter a major bottleneck.

Entreri ignored the ladder for now. Ahead of him were a few short corridors, each ending with another heavy black sheet. There was only one torch in the hallway, and it was dying slowly, leaving very little light to navigate. This was where the vampires slept. Anyone down here now would be an easy kill.

The assassin moved silently toward the first curtain. He stopped outside it and strained to hear any noise at all. There was nothing but the distant din of the tavern above. He pulled the sheet aside slowly, allowing the light from the hallway to leak into the room.

There were at least 10 vampires on the floor. There were several empty mats, but most of them were in use. Each body lay still, without breath or heat. Though the analogy hardly needed to be made, it was as still as death.

Entreri marked the location of each body before releasing the curtain, casting the room back into darkness. He would do this quickly and quietly. Even if they started to wake as he went about, half of them would be dust before they knew what was happening, and the other half was unarmed.

Even though it was pitch black, Entreri could see the room in his mind. He could see each vampire and each empty mat. He could see the unlit lantern in the corner of the room and the small water basin next to it. In fact, the only thing he didn't see, as he moved toward his first target, was the transparent piece of fishing line strung across the entry.

Entreri tripped, and the crashing of a heavy door came from behind him. The assassin cursed as the room came alive around him. He could sense the motion, but his vision of the room was lost. He turned back for the exit, but ran into a heavy wooden door.

Entreri stopped his pounding on the door when he heard a laugh from behind. "Look what we have caught?" Several chuckles from those around the trapped assassin filled the room. Entreri turned slowly, knowing that he had been set up, but also knowing that he wasn't dead yet.

Alececarr was standing some distance in front of the assassin. Though Entreri couldn't see him, he knew it had to be him. Not just from the voice, but because Cicle was unsheathed and sucking the heat out of the air, causing a slight discoloration in the infrared.

"I knew you would come tonight," Alececarr said, playing this moment up. "I could see it in your eyes this afternoon. There is too much pride in you Artemis. You should swallow that pride and understand when you are beaten."

Entreri had no response. Alececarr was right. Pride had driven him into this room. But until Entreri was dead on the floor, he would not admit that the pride was misplaced.

"You will die here tonight and no one will stand in my way from taking over this city. You have only made things interesting for a time, but that time is quickly growing to a close. I always win."

"It takes a powerful being to make that claim as he stands safely behind his minions."

Alececarr only laughed. "I do not share your pride, foolish mortal. Do not try to draw me into a fight."

"But are these not your terms?" Entreri replied. "Here we are, I'm as blind as a bat, yet you can undoubtedly see me. You are surrounded by a dozen vampires, and I have no means of escape. Yet, you still hesitate to fight me. Is this how you inspire confidence from your men?"

The laughter from Alececarr was forced this time. The vampire had pride. His weakness was that he would not admit it. "Smell that boys," he said to the room. "Do not spend so much time in the rotten sewers that you forget what fear smells like. It is even more sweet from the supposedly fearless."

Entreri was watching as the heatless blade came slowly closer. It wouldn't take too much more prodding now. "Fear I might have, but you will only know if you come and get a taste for yourself."

He was fast, unnaturally fast, but Entreri was ready for it. The frost blade came in, and Entreri deflected it away. Seemingly unfazed by the parry, Alececarr sent his stolen weapon in three more times, each one deflected down and away. Not only did the vampire not hit his opponent, but he received an elbow to the face for his efforts.

Though Entreri could only see a hazy outline of the frost blade, it gave him enough information to know where Alececarr's hand was. And unless the vampire was a contortionist, all the other body parts should line up accordingly.

Alececarr stumbled back and cried out. The rest of the room came alive, and Entreri braced himself for attacks from every angle. A cry from their leader halted the other vampires. "Stop!" he shouted. "This human is mine!"

There was not another human on the face of Faerûn who understood how the body moved in combat better than Entreri. From just watching the frost blade, the assassin could interpolate the rest of the vampire's movements fairly accurately. He watched the blade handle dip slightly, and knew that Alececarr was shifting his shoulders, likely reaching for something with his left arm that was stored high on his body. Now he was probably holding Entreri's dagger in his off hand.

The vampire came on with rage and Entreri met him. Blocking and dodging as necessary to stay in one piece. He held his own, to start. Alececarr was no novice to battle, and as he watched Entreri repeatedly twist out of the way from attacks that he didn't make, the vampire realized that though the assassin could obviously see something, most of his defense was set up on guess work.

Alececarr began mixing up his attacks now. Throwing together illogical combinations that Entreri could not predict. He could always see the frost blade, but the dagger cut through his cloak time and again, getting closer and closer to drawing blood. Entreri knew his time was running short as he felt the jab of the last attack scrape his skin.

Alececarr stepped back suddenly and licked the dagger clean. "Ahhhh," he purred. "I've almost forgotten what this tasted like."

Entreri leaped on the attack now, trying to push the vampire back, but his opponent was too fast and strong for such a straightforward maneuver and overcame the rush easily and pushed back. Entreri was once again on his heels, his dirk frantically trying to keep the powerful frost blade away from him, all the while trying to dodge the invisible sting of the dagger, which now found flesh more often than not.

Entreri was growing weak, and Alececarr could sense it. He almost hummed with glee, as his last combo hit home. He announced his dagger attack, and Entreri devoted the dirk to it, knowing it would open him up on the other side. The frost blade dove straight in to skewer the assassin. Entreri tried to turn at the last second, but the blade cut through his leather vest and slid along his bare side, bringing a flash of pain and cold all at once.

Entreri stuck to the blade as Alececarr pulled his prey close. "Now I shall have a bigger taste." With Entreri's last bit of strength, he rammed his forehead into Alececarr's hungry mouth, lacerating his forehead, but also keeping death at bay for now.

"This isn't over," Entreri wheezed the line the two had tossed back and forth in their previous encounters.

Alececarr recovered quickly from the head butt only to look on in shock at his opponent. Here this human was, weak and dying, frozen to his sword, yet somehow he claimed it wasn't over. "It most certainly is and I will enjo-"

Entreri took something from his vest pocket and hurled it to the floor between them. The eyes of everyone in the room followed its path to the ground. It hit the uneven stone floor and sparked repeatedly, lighting several stray pieces of straw from the bedding on fire. The sudden light burned their sensitive eyes, and they all recoiled, Alececarr included, ripping the frost blade from Entreri's side.

The straw barely burned at all, and the light faded as quickly as it had come but left splotches in everyone's eyes. Alececarr was consumed with fury, whishing that Entreri would just admit defeat instead of playing these games. He blinked the light out of his eyes and prepared to crush the weak human. Entreri was gone.

The master vampire cried out as he searched the room quickly. He saw nothing but his minions each recovering from the flash of light. "What foul magic is this?" He muttered as he looked to the floor where Entreri had thrown the sparking object. It still lay there, glowing as its heat faded. The vampire picked it up. It was a simple piece of flint. Alececarr could detect no magical aura coming off it.

The vampire had seen far too many mages escape by hurling a magical device at their feet and disappearing in a poof of smoke and light, but this was just a piece of flint. Maybe it had been enchanted and only had one charge. Alececarr briefly scanned the room again but still saw nothing but heatless vampires. The door was still closed. He cursed.

"Open the door and get after him! He could not have transported himself far. He is weak and will leave a blood trail. I want him brought back to me alive!"

The room emptied quickly, each vampire eager to please his master. Alececarr started to leave as well, but paused as he regarded the piece of flesh that still clung to his blade. He inhaled it deeply before peeling it off with his teeth. He swirled the frozen piece in his mouth as the bloody morsel began to thaw. With the flavor fresh on his senses, he too went on the hunt.

Back in the room, Entreri let out a jagged sigh. He was pressed up against a corner of the room, only now brave enough to breathe. The wound on his side was starting to thaw now, and with the heat came the pain. Cicle had done a good job of not only numbing the wound, but his whole body, sending a deep chill down his spine and robbing him momentarily of his body heat, making him invisible to the heat sensitive eyes of the vampires. They each had a demonic presence that allowed them to see each other, but Entreri had looked no different than the cold stone wall he was leaning against.

Entreri had seen his own foes freeze solid when they touched the frost blade for too long. Entreri had been able to break contact just in time. But now he was on death's door. His wound was starting to bleed, and there were a dozen vampires in the area looking for him. He had very little stamina left and no ability to fight. He felt like a bleeding swimmer in shark-infested waters. He had healing potions back home, but he needed to get there first.

With his strength fading, and hoping that the vampires had gotten far enough away, Entreri pushed himself away from the wall, and started the long dangerous trip home.