A CROSSING OF PATHES
Stephan watched the skyscrapers of the Minneapolis sky line drift by like silent giants. Their lights playing acrossed the river ripples like small pixies. The cool breeze of the river felt like fingers in his hair, and when it disappeared for a moment there was a kiss of warmth. He could live to see a thousand more years and no night could be as perfect as this one. Soft music drifted in from the dining room.
"Hello Nathan." Stephan greeted though Nathan had made no sound.
"Stephan, you always hear me coming."
Stephan shook his head. "Not hear, smell."
"Ah," Nathan said shrugging. "I'll take car of that next time.
"We shall see."
Nathan tossed a bunch of Ids on the rail, Grinning. "There you go old chap, ten. All wanting release from this world, and all happily helped along out of it."
"Good Nathan, but not good enough. Tonight was a good night." Stephan handed over the ids. "That's thirteen."
Nathan swore. "You must be cheating. Where do you find these people?"
Stephan returned to watching the water. Nathan still had heart in him. He had not unlocked the key to the game. Nathan looked for people who wanted to die. Stephan talked the people into wanting to die. So as long as they wished for death before they died the rules had not been broken.
"You always did watch the light play on the water. Whether it be moonlight, fire, or artificial light. Nothing about you surprises me any more. You never change."
Stephan laughed. "And why should I? After thousands of years, I have living down to a perfection."
"Then it is time to perfect dying prince of dark." Came a voice, along with the sound of a sword being drawn. A dark figure jumped down upon them.
Stephan dodged the wooden sword easily. "Looks like another of those Day Break fools."
Nathan laughed and jumped back easily following Stephan. "To bad he won't live to see another one."
They were playing with the hunter. Either one of them could have easily ended the fight, but why waste a good work out. Stephan laughed as the swords-man began faltering a bit. Then it the unthinkable happened. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. A girl stood a balcony on the higher deck. The split second it took for him to see her was all the hunter needed. As luck would have it though Nathan realized Stephan had error and slammed himself against him, knocking him out of harms way. Fate wasn't done with him yet. Stephan stumbled heavily on to the wooden rail that broke away under his wait. The cold dark water hit him harder then a train. In all his years swimming was the one thing Stephan had never thought to master, even vampires need oxygen.
Even as he felt his heart beginning to slow he also felt another movement. Instead of sinking he was raising. Someone had a hold of him, Nathan? Perhaps death did not wait at his door this night. Though he felt very much the fool for letting himself be bested by such a ridiculous opponent, he admitted he had needed rescuing. Air exploded around him and he began coughing violently. Slowly he was being dragged to the shore. When it got shallow enough he turned and got his feet underneath him, but that's when he looked at his rescuer. The girl was wet and her dress almost transparent because of the water. 'How perfect' he thought to himself. 'She's the one who caused this mess so I owe her nothing. And I am a bit hungry after all.'
Stephan watched the skyscrapers of the Minneapolis sky line drift by like silent giants. Their lights playing acrossed the river ripples like small pixies. The cool breeze of the river felt like fingers in his hair, and when it disappeared for a moment there was a kiss of warmth. He could live to see a thousand more years and no night could be as perfect as this one. Soft music drifted in from the dining room.
"Hello Nathan." Stephan greeted though Nathan had made no sound.
"Stephan, you always hear me coming."
Stephan shook his head. "Not hear, smell."
"Ah," Nathan said shrugging. "I'll take car of that next time.
"We shall see."
Nathan tossed a bunch of Ids on the rail, Grinning. "There you go old chap, ten. All wanting release from this world, and all happily helped along out of it."
"Good Nathan, but not good enough. Tonight was a good night." Stephan handed over the ids. "That's thirteen."
Nathan swore. "You must be cheating. Where do you find these people?"
Stephan returned to watching the water. Nathan still had heart in him. He had not unlocked the key to the game. Nathan looked for people who wanted to die. Stephan talked the people into wanting to die. So as long as they wished for death before they died the rules had not been broken.
"You always did watch the light play on the water. Whether it be moonlight, fire, or artificial light. Nothing about you surprises me any more. You never change."
Stephan laughed. "And why should I? After thousands of years, I have living down to a perfection."
"Then it is time to perfect dying prince of dark." Came a voice, along with the sound of a sword being drawn. A dark figure jumped down upon them.
Stephan dodged the wooden sword easily. "Looks like another of those Day Break fools."
Nathan laughed and jumped back easily following Stephan. "To bad he won't live to see another one."
They were playing with the hunter. Either one of them could have easily ended the fight, but why waste a good work out. Stephan laughed as the swords-man began faltering a bit. Then it the unthinkable happened. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. A girl stood a balcony on the higher deck. The split second it took for him to see her was all the hunter needed. As luck would have it though Nathan realized Stephan had error and slammed himself against him, knocking him out of harms way. Fate wasn't done with him yet. Stephan stumbled heavily on to the wooden rail that broke away under his wait. The cold dark water hit him harder then a train. In all his years swimming was the one thing Stephan had never thought to master, even vampires need oxygen.
Even as he felt his heart beginning to slow he also felt another movement. Instead of sinking he was raising. Someone had a hold of him, Nathan? Perhaps death did not wait at his door this night. Though he felt very much the fool for letting himself be bested by such a ridiculous opponent, he admitted he had needed rescuing. Air exploded around him and he began coughing violently. Slowly he was being dragged to the shore. When it got shallow enough he turned and got his feet underneath him, but that's when he looked at his rescuer. The girl was wet and her dress almost transparent because of the water. 'How perfect' he thought to himself. 'She's the one who caused this mess so I owe her nothing. And I am a bit hungry after all.'