CHAPTER 9

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Late that night. Niccolie sat on the roof of the city, almost three acres of nothing but stone roofing and wind. Niccolies tattered cape drifted in the wind. he sat high above the city. Zephon had a long talk with him about the 'must find the traitor' plan. Kyla was right Zephon was paranoid. Niccolie sat with the binoculars to his eyes looking in every direction for and possible evidence of a human spy. There was none. The wait rotted on into the night. No sign of any one leaving or entering the city.

"Here sir." Said shark walking up behind him with a blood veil.

"Thanks" said Niccolie taking it and devoured the blood.

"Did you make sure you were not followed?" asked Niccolie.

"Yes, no one was watching." He said sitting next to Niccolie.

"Good"

" what will we do if we see the traitor or possible traitor leaving the city?" asked shark.

"We jump off the roof and down into the stables, grab our horses were the other men are waiting."

"You trust that much to your men?"

"I trust you and my men because we have been though a lot, we have learned to work as a team to get things done. If one slips up, the whole team will fall. That's how I trust you. On the battlefield and off. And besides none of you have ever been here enough to know were this 'secrete passage' is."

"Indeed."

They sat quietly in the dark, motionless waiting for some thing to happen. Hours went by and they sensed dawn. Then quietly the door to the city creaked open and a cloaked figure slipped out and ran off into the night.

"There" said Niccolie getting up and running to the edge of the roof to get a better look.

'That must be him." said Niccolie hopping of the cities roof

Falling into a floating state. Falling was not some thing a vampire fears, unless it's falling into water or falling with out balence. It is almost graceful.

Niccolie landed on his feet with a squatting motion and shark right behind him. Moko was waiting with Masa with all four horses ready to ride. They got on and road, they caught up with the dark figure but stayed a good distance from him, just watching, following to see where he would report. He walked a great distance into the outer rims of the clan territory. There nestled next to a small village was a tavern. Inside the hooded man went were he met two other people, Humans by the looks of it.

"Were you followed?" asked one to the hooded man.

"No" muttered the cloaked stranger

'Close your doors innkeeper, this is unofficial business." Said the other man.

The innkeeper closed his doors.

The hooded man pulled his hood of to revile Zephons sixth lieutenant.

"Your men didn't kill any of the lieutenants, nor Zephon..." he began.

Out side the tavern Niccolie walked up to the doors. He looked to the side of the door and saw a sign that said, "Ring the bell for help" and pointed to a string.

*Ding* *dong*

"Who is it?" said the innkeeper as the two men and vampire looked at the doors with frightened eyes.

"A wiry traveler looking for some gin." Said Niccolie.

"Sorry, the taverns closed."

"I insist"

*BANG* Niccolie knocked down the doors

The sixth lieutenant screamed and ran out the back, as the other two men drew swords.

*Shink* one was down.

*Shink* another crying on the ground grasping a stump for an arm.

*Bang* the back door flung open as Shark, Moko and Masa hauled in the screaming sixth lieutenant. They flung him on to a table and held him down.

"You are a traitor and will be punished." Said Niccolie pulling out his dagger. He walked up to the squirming vampires head, held it down and brought the dagger up to poor vampires eyes.

That morning

Niccolie strolled into the meeting room. Every one was there except the sixth lieutenant was there. Kyla looked a Niccolie.

"Did you find the traitor?" asked Zephon. Niccolie pointed to the empty spot were the sixth lieutenant occupied.

"Good." Zephon let out a sigh of relief. Niccolie reached in to his pocket, pulled out something, and tossed them to Zephon. Zephon caught them and held hem up. Two eyes. Zephon looked at Niccolie.

"I said I wanted him alive."

"He is. Follow me." Niccolie lead them out far into mountains and there strapped to a stone table was the sixth lieutenant. His clothing was stripped off and his body was coved in boils and was slowly being tanned to a crisp.

Everyone looked at him though their nice shaded hoods that covered them from the suns poisons rays.

"Well, isn't this a shock." Said Zephon walking up and leaning next to the lieutenant. "And I trusted you."

Kyla walked up to Niccolie who was cold faced. She nudged him and he looked at her. She looked strait in to his eyes. Then as if she was invading his privacy she retracted from him and looked back to Zephon who was giving one of his speeches to the traitor lieutenant.

"I say we leave you here to suffer for your crimes," said Zephon finishing of his big speech. Zephon then left and got into his carriage, Kyla followed him, the other lieutenants got in to the other carriages, and then they left leaving Niccolie alone with the traitor.

"Niccolie" said the lieutenant turning his eyeless head to him. "You serve your master well, like a dog to its owner. Always doing what he asks likes a good lap dog." He said thought his crackled dry throat.

Niccolie moved up to him and whispered in to his ear.

"If I am the dog, that makes you my meat."

Kyla and Zephon heard an ear-pricing scream of agony as they left the rocky hillside.

"Is some thing amiss daughter?" asked Zephon as he noticed as sad gloom in her face.

"You wanted to leave him with Niccolie?"

"Niccolie does his best work alone, he will insure that my punishment is carried out to the end."