Sorry for the delay. I finally got this chapter up with school and homework and all that stuff demanding my immediate attention. Just for clarification, some people have been asking me whether I'm basing this on the vampires in the movie Blade or Anne Rice's vampires or some precise verion of a vampire. The vampires in this story are just my version of vampires. Most will be explained in this chapter about them so there won't be too many surprises. Hope you like it!

Chapter 6: Explanation

Staring up at the huge creature Ravyn felt her body freeze. This wasn't good. She cursed her stupidity for helping the creature in the first place. She should have let the vamp finish him off, and then gone after the vampire.

Glancing to the side, Ravyn saw her dagger lying among the ashes of the recently killed vampire; if only she could get to it…

Her decision was made. Ravyn dropped to the ground and kicked out at the creature's knees. With a growl the creature dodged the strike and swiftly approached. Ravyn's hand grasped the hilt of the dagger and she spun, lashing out at the creature.

The creature caught her wrist and twisted, causing Ravyn to do a back flip and land roughly on the ground. The creature crouched down above her and wrapped its hand around her throat, putting enough pressure to keep her pinned, but not hurting her.

"I would not try that again if I were you," a cold metallic voice echoed from the creature holding her wrist.

Ravyn blinked, "You speak English?"

The creature emitted a strange clicking noise Ravyn guessed was laughter, "A little." It tapped its mask, "Translator; better than those most of my fellows have."

"Well, if you can understand what I'm saying, would you mind letting me go?" Ravyn asked.

The creature laughed again, "And give you another chance to lash out at me? I think not."

Ravyn glared and snapped, "Well, if you hadn't pointed your pretty blades at me I wouldn't have attacked. Just for future reference, pointing knives at people's faces are not the best way of saying hello, or thank you for that matter!"

"I couldn't have you running off. And why would I wish to say thank you?"

Ravyn snorted, "I saved your ass."

The creature growled at her, "I had no need for your help."

Ravyn shook her head, "Obviously you did. Otherwise, it would have been dead quicker." Looking the thing in the eye, or at least looking at the glassy lenses of the mask, Ravyn smiled, "You didn't know how to kill it, did you?"

The creature tilted its head at her, "No, I did not. Most of your kind would have been dead three times over should they have been dealt those wounds."

"I suppose you've figured out already it wasn't human?" While Ravyn kept the thing talking, she slowly began to inch her leg up closer to her chest, hoping that she could be able to execute a good hard kick; being pinned down in the middle of the street by some sort of monster in the middle of vampire territory was not the best thing to be doing in the world. She had to get out of there.

"I had my suspicions. You obviously know what it was and how to kill it. Would you mind… enlightening me?"

"Now why would I want to do that?" Her leg was free: time to look for a weak spot.

Tarn'se moved the blades close to Ravyn's face once more, "I would prefer just getting a few answers without cutting your face into pieces." Tarn'se chuckled lightly to himself; it was against the code to torture any creature, even for information. But this human didn't know that…

Ravyn could not find a single spot on the creature that looked weak; this guy had to be made of solid muscle!

Ravyn judged whether or not she could get a shot at its' head. She used to be quite flexible, but now she didn't think she could get her leg high enough.

"It's worth a shot," Ravyn though. Bringing her leg up and back as far as she could, Ravyn placed her kick. It wasn't high enough for a kick in the face, she did manage to get it in the neck.

The creature grunted and released Ravyn who bolted. She heard the creature roar with anger and pursue her.

Tarn'se raced after the female, rubbing his throat as he went; she was a tricky one. The female seemed to know where she was going, a sure disadvantage to himself. Growling in annoyance, Tarn'se leapt managing to land on top of the roof of one of the buildings, activating his cloaking in the process.

He spotted the female and by the way she was running, he could tell where her next turn would be. Running parallel to her Tarn'se leapt off a roof and landed directly in front of the female. Grabbing her by the neck he held her in the air.

Tarn'se growled, "I suggest you never try that again!" He dropped the female who fell on the ground gasping for air; he knew she wouldn't run again.

Ravyn couldn't believe that this thing caught her! It was so damn fast! Glaring up at the creature Ravyn asked the thing the one thing that was bugging her, "What the hell are you?"

The creature laughed and said, "You are to answer my questions first, then I'll consider answering yours."

Ravyn pushed herself to her feet and grimaced at the pain in her neck; it was going to be sore tomorrow, "Well, what do you want to know?"

Tarn'se was surprised at the female's directness, but asked, "What was that human we battled?"

The female took a few breaths of air and said, "It was a vampire."

"A vampire?" Tarn'se repeated the word in his mind, making sure he would remember it.

"Yes. They look just like humans but they're not." The female paused, thinking, "The best way I can describe a vampire is a human infected with a disease. Only the disease makes the human stronger, heal faster, and gain certain… abilities. Do you understand so far?"

Tarn'se smiled and gave a nod and said, "Continue."

"Now there is a drawback to this disease. In order to sustain its' life, a vampire must drink the blood of other, regular humans. If it does not, it dies; a lot like a human would without water."

Ravyn could not believe that she was telling this thing the basics of a vampirism. When she had left the guild house, she had expected a fight, maybe a bit more, but nothing else.

"It?" the creature questioned, "You mean to say there are no males or females."

"Well, you could say there are males and females, but that's not how vampires are made." The creature didn't say anything so Ravyn continued, "In order to become a vampire, a human must drink a vampire's blood. Some, on excessively rare occasions, can be born though."

"And how did you kill her… or it?"

"There are two common ways to kill a vampire. One, you stab it through the heart, cutting the heart in half. And two, you can behead it. There are… other ways my fellows are developing to help kill the vampires, but so far, we've got the two basic killing ways to go by."

Ravyn paused as the creature seemed to digest all of the information. "Enough of Vampire 101; time for some answers to my questions."

"So, what are you?"

Tarn'se was caught off-guard at the female's question. He was trying to absorb as much information on these vampires as was possible. The Elders would want to know about such a new and deadly species apon the human homeworld. Tarn'se considered the human for a moment; she had given him the information he desired. It would not hurt to answer her question, "I am a Yautja."

"A Yautja?" Tarn'se flinched at the female's butchering of his race's name. He quickly considered whether he should tell this human more and decided to. Considering the female's lifestyle, it should be killed soon.

"My race is one of hunters. We travel through space looking for challenging prey, taking trophies of those found worthy."

The female gave him a scrutinizing look, "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Me?"

"The guy who skinned those people and left them hanging in the alley?"

Tarn'se chuckled, "Yes, that was me. Unfortunately, they were not worthy enough for trophies; they were hardly skilled in battle."

The female nodded, "Well, there's a lot of humans that think if the have a gun, they're all powerful. I'm Ravyn, by the way."

"Ravyn?"

"That's my name; I don't suppose you have one."

Tarn'se paused, "Tarn'se."

"Tarn'se? Interesting names you guys have. Well, Tarn'se, if you have no more questions I'll be off."

"I will undoubtedly be seeing you again," Tarn'se replied. Ravyn wasn't sure if that was a threat or a mere statement.

With those parting words, the alien seemed to simply disappear.

Ravyn paused, listening for any sign that anything more was to come. It seemed she had gotten lucky again.

Yes, I know, not too much action, but the next chapter will be better! Please review!