I finally got another chapter up! I hope you guys like this one! Thanks for all of the reviews!
Chapter 8: Favors and Destruction
The two injured hunters were supported and the dead woman was wrapped up in Ivy's cloak to be taken back to the guild.
"By the way," Ivy asked, "How did that guy do that invisible-Houdini trick?
Ravyn shrugged, "If we meet up with him again, you can ask him, but I doubt he'd tell you. He seems to be the quiet and secretive type, though I'm not surprised; he probably saw E.T."
Ivy laughed as Ravyn continued, "So… what did your new vamp friend give you?"
Ivy held up the small object which shinned in the moonlight. It resembled a quarter-sized gold coin with a square-shaped hole in the middle of it with runes carved into the metal.
"Lucky. I suggest you save it; you never know when you'll need it," Ravyn answered. Though she had only seen one of those strange coins once before, she knew what it was. It was what vampires called a "Favor". The logic behind it was, should any being spare or save the unlife of a vampire, the vampire must give it's savior a "Favor". Then, should the person need assistance, information, or even have a deed preformed, all they must do was concentrate deeply on the favor and the vampire would appear and would do as its person asked as long as it did not violate three rules. The rules basically said that the person with the favor could not order the vampire to kill another vampire, ask the vampire to turn them into a vampire, or put the vampires' hidden existence into jeopardy.
Ravyn often wondered why the vampires did that; it certainly wasn't out of the goodness of their dead, black hearts. Perhaps it had something to do with their origins, but Ravyn's guess was as good as anyone else's.
Soon they emerged from the woods only a block or so away from the guild house. The hunters didn't bother concealing their presence; there was no one around to see them anyway.
Ivy inspected the favor in the light carefully, "I wonder if this is gold or just some alloy… I'll have to check it out in the lab when we get back."
Ravyn laughed, "Imagine that… Nathan was right."
Ivy looked at her confused, "Right about what?"
Ravyn grinned, "You are a super geek."
Ivy glared and gave Ravyn a shove, "I may be smart, but you must admit that that serum worked excellently."
"You're right about that. That stuff will be real useful when we go after Nacht. I'll bet..."
"Ravyn!"
Ravyn glanced up and saw Vince running straight at her, a frantic, horrified look chiseled on his face.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Ravyn asked as Vince panted, trying to catch his breath and speak at the same time.
"My God…" Ivy gasped, "The guild house; it's burning!"
The hunters quickly placed the injured along with a guard in a small alleyway. The guild house was one of the safest places on Earth; fires and other issues like that just didn't happen naturally.
Vampires caused them.
The hunters, eight in all raced towards the guild house. It seemed that the fires had just started in the Eastern side of the house. And being there was no one outside, the vampires had probably either killed them all or captured and trapped them in the house to suffocate or burn to death, whichever came first.
Ravyn and the other hunters burst into the house, already smoke was beginning to stream across the ceiling.
"Vanessa? Jonathan!" Ravyn shouted for the guild leaders, walking in a crouch so she inhaled no more smoke than was necessary.
"Ravyn! Your left!" Vince shouted behind her. Ravyn instinctively ducked and rolled to the right, the vampires that leapt at her fling by into a wall. Ravyn brought up her sword and slashed at the coming vampire. It teleported and ended up behind her, soon to be impaled in the back, through the heart by Vince.
The other hunters, including Ivy, raced into the guild and down the separate halls, looking for any survivors that may have hidden.
Ravyn went straight up the stairs and to the western side of the house. While the others looked for survivors, she had to clean out any vampires that may be lurking around the house, ready to pick off any hunter assisting an ally.
Ravyn could hear the sounds of a struggle in one of the rooms. She paused by the closed door, then kicked it open and raced in.
Ravyn hadn't realized it at first, but the room she now stood in was Jonathan's and Vanessa's office. At the moment there were three vampires in the room, one holding Jonathan by the throat and pinning him against the wall.
"Hey, blood-suckers!" Ravyn shouted. The three vampires turned as Ravyn launched one dart at the vampire holding Jonathan; it went down to the floor screaming as Ivy's serum began to do its grisly work. The other two vampires disappeared immediately, and reappeared directly in front and behind Ravyn. Ravyn ducked and tried stabbing behind her. Though she kept one occupied the other kicked her sharply in the head, making spots dance in front of her eyes as the black void of unconsciousness threatened to take her.
Ravyn saw the blurry form of Jonathan tackle the offending vampire into the wall, using a dagger to impale its heart. The final vampire hissed and disappeared, not wanting to face two hunters alone.
"Are you alright?" Ravyn asked Jonathan as she stood, shaking off the dizziness. Jonathan nodded and his gaze flickered over into the back corner of the room. Ravyn glanced over and saw a limp form lying on the ground. Rushing over, Ravyn's fears were confirmed; it was Vanessa. Ravyn felt for a pulse, her hand coming away bloody and cold. They had bitten and drained Vanessa, and were probably about to do the same to Jonathan when she arrived.
Ravyn bit back tears and returned to the doorway where Jonathan was waiting; she didn't look at his face, not wanting to see the tears that were obviously on his face as well.
Ivy ran back into the burning house a third time, trying to help as many injured hunters get out of the guild house. She saw Ravyn and Jonathan run down the steps, Jonathan carrying two limp forms. Once close enough, Ivy recognized the white hair of Vanessa. "Oh my god… no…" Ivy whispered.
"Take him," Jonathan grunted, lowering a smaller, limp form into Ivy's arms. Ivy nearly screamed when she saw Nathan's bloody face.
"He's alive, just unconscious," Ravyn stated, "We found him trying to keep two vampires off of him with a baseball bat." Nathan groaned and Ravyn chuckled darkly, "He wasn't doing too bad until one got closer enough to give him a good whack in the head."
They all looked up at the sound of sirens; they had to get out of there before the police arrived.
As quickly as possible, they got out of the building and back to where all the others had gathered, about two blocks away in a small alley between two buildings which seemed to house a flower shop and an attorney's office; no people would be around there for a good couple hours. There was utter silence when they arrived, all of the hunters awaiting Jonathan's orders.
"We should head to the Ice Guild. They are the closest and best prepared to help us," Jonathan stated. He hunters all nodded. Ice was yet another hunter guild, and though there were rivalries between guilds at times, they were cast aside easily when one guild was in desperate need.
"I don't think you'll be making it there…" The hunters all turned to a group of a dozen vampires waling towards them.
"Ivy, get the wounded out of here, now," Jonathan ordered. He gestured to Ravyn and six other hunters. They all readied their weapons and stood read to fight. Ravyn heard Ivy call out to the remaining hunters who each grabbed an injured hunter and began to flee away from the coming battle.
The vampire at the head was a guy with dirty blond hair and a squared face. He smiled and gestured to his fellows. Three disappeared while the others spread out getting ready for the hunters' charge. Suddenly, one vampire screamed and a loud bang echoed though the air. Ravyn looked up to see a burst of blue light and a vampire was launched off the roof of the attorney's office building, dissolving into ash as it fell.
"What was that?" Jonathan asked in shock as two more blast went off and the other two vampires screamed in anger and shock.
Ravyn smiled, "A fellow hunter."
Tarn'se watched the vampires dodge his second and third shot. He pulled out his spear and activated his wrist blades, standing in a battle ready position. The vampires teleported quickly, each appearing at different angles behind him. Tarn'se whipped his spear around, impaling one. Unfortunately, it seemed he missed the heart so the vampire continued to squirm and sheik, struggling to get the spear out of its body. The second vampire hissed and slashed at him, scoring three small cuts on his upper forearm. Tarn'se growled and stabbed with his writ blades at the vampire, who dodged back nimbly. There ones seemed more skilled than the others he had battled.
Tarn'se wrenched his spear out of the vampire's body and stabbed back down, this time hitting his mark and killing the vampire. The other now simply circled him, looking for a weak spot.
He followed the vampire's progress, anticipating its' next strike. He saw its' head jerk in a gesture and he spun ramming his wrist blades into the heart of another vampire that had tried to sneak up on him. However, distracted with the new arrival, the original vampire leapt at him, its strength allowing it to tackle him to the ground.
It snapped at his neck, but Tarn'se grabbed its long hair and wrenched its head away from his. At that moment, he saw a small dart pierce the vampire's neck. It screamed and pushed itself away from him, scratching at its dissolving next. Tarn'se leapt to his feet and spun, facing four human hunters, the one female Ravyn among them.
"Duck!" his mask translated quickly, a command from Ravyn. Tarn'se didn't question it, dropping to the ground as a vampire flew over his head missing him by inches. One of the male hunters quickly stabbed the vampire in the heart while the other three ran at the other vampires, down appearing on the roof.
The attorney's office building was two stories tall, the roof flat and sturdy, with the occasional air conditioning unit or random large metal devise perched in different places; not many places to hide or duck behind, but Tarn'se wasn't worried about that. Activating his shoulder-mounted weapon, he took aim at the nearest vampire's head. With one shot the vampire was dissolving into ash.
Suddenly, Tarn'se saw one particularly large vampire walking towards him. Grinning, Tarn'se stood ready.
Ravyn counted the vampires as she help Jonathan finish off another vampire. There were six left, and the leader appeared to be about to fight with Tarn'se. Ravyn shook her head and couldn't help but feel a small bit off pity for the vampire.
Turning to a hissing female vampire, Ravyn jumped into battle.
Tarn'se dodged to the side as the vampire teleported and lunged at him. He spun his spear and threw it with calculated aim at the vampire. The vampire teleported away quickly, dodging the spear. Tarn'se snarled and prepared his net gun as the vampire reappeared and charged. Unloading on net, the vampire teleported again and barreled into Tarn'se. Tarn'se quickly flipped the vampire off him, raking his wrist blades down the vampire's chest.
It hissed angrily and swiped at him, barely missing his masked face. Tarn'se prepared to launch his own attack when the vampire teleport directly in front of him, grabbing his neck and slamming his head into the concrete roof.
Being a Yautja, Tarn'se skull was much tougher and more durable than a human's, causing the vampire to underestimate the force it needed to truly injure the alien in that way. Tarn'se only growled and punched the vampire straight in the nose. With a loud crack and a burst of blood, the vampire fell off him. Tarn'se stood and pulled out one of his bladed disks and threw it. The vampire dodged it, but didn't anticipate the bladed disk to come whirling back. The disc cleanly lopped the vampire's head off at the neck, returning to its owner's hand.
Tarn'se turned back to the battle of the human hunters in time to see the human Ravyn's arm get slashed deeply by a vampire's sharp claws. Tarn'se pulled back his wrist with the bladed disc and took aim…
Ravyn gasped in pain as the vampire got a claw through her defenses and slash her arm. Ravyn swung her sword at the vampire, the pain in her arm strangely disappearing.
Suddenly, something metal whizzed by, slicing the vampire's throat. The vampire clutched its neck in an attempt to stop its blood from pouring out, leaving its chest unguarded. Ravyn quickly stabbed the vampire with her dagger and glanced up to see Jonathan, Vince, and another woman hunter battling the last four vampires.
Ravyn turned as Tarn'se approached, "Thanks." The alien gave a small nod and pointed to her arm where she had been cut by the vampire. Ravyn help it up, wiping away the blood that had come out of it. Ravyn's eyes widened and she cursed; the wounds were no longer there…
Tarn'se snarled when he saw the hunter's wounds healed; no human could heal that fast… only vampires.
Grabbing Ravyn by the neck, Tarn'se held her in the air and leveled his wrist blades with her heart.
"Tell me why I should not rip your heart out like I have done to your fellows," Tarn'se hissed, knowing his mask would translate.
Ravyn gasped and struggled in his grip but managed to speak, "I'm not a vampire! Not yet anyway… Let me go!"
Tarn'se dropped Ravyn roughly, but kept his bladed aimed at her chest. "Explain," he growled, "And don't try that disappearing trick your kind knows, you'll be dead as soon as you reappear."
Ravyn gasped for breath and looked up at the pissed off alien. She couldn't blame him really. He probably felt she betrayed him or something. Either way, Ravyn just wanted him to stop pointing those wicked blades of his at her.
"I was bitten and forced-fed the blood of a vampire. I am turning into one, yes, I won't deny that. My arm healing is just a side effect of my change, as well as the fact the noonday sun blinds me and I am slowly losing my appetite for everything. That is why I'm so damned desperate to find the vampire Nacht. She has a cure, and if I can get it in time, I'll be saved. But I am not your enemy. I plan to fall on my sword as soon as my change is complete, if I don't get the cure."
Tarn'se pause for a moment, thinking. So, she was turning it one of the creatures, but wasn't one fully yet. He couldn't help but feel a small pang of pity for her. In a way, it was much like a Yautja who has been implanted with a kanide amedha child. They would either commit suicide or have another kill them before the creature was fully grown and ready to punch out from within their chests. If there was a cure for being implanted, an infected Yautja would undoubtedly put all effort into seeking it salvation; and that was exactly what Ravyn was doing.
Lowering his blades, Tarn'se grabbed her arm and picked her up off the ground, "Where is this cure?"
Ravyn coughed and answer, "An extremely powerful vampire by the name of Nacht has it…"
"Where is she?"
Ravyn looked at him suspiciously, "Why?"
Tarn'se chuckled darkly, "She sounds like the challenge I'm looking for."
Ravyn smiled, "Well, stick with us for a day or so and we'll be going after her…" Ravyn saw a flash of something behind Tarn'se. Suddenly, the alien seemed to be thrown away from her, landing roughly on the ground and skidding across the roof. Ravyn turned back to face the threat, only to feel the sharp pain of a strong hit to the head and she fell into blackness.
Tarn'se growled and jumped up, seeing Ravyn's limp form being picked up gently from the ground and cradle's in a cloaked being's arms; there was no doubt the being in the cloak was a vampire.
"Ravyn!" one male human shouted, finishing the vampire he was battling and turning to face the cloaked vampire. The other two hunters had finished off the last of the vampires, but both seemed to be injured somewhat.
The vampire turned to the male hunter and laughed. Tarn'se took a step back at the sound; it was enough to startle an Elder. The vampire said something to the hunter then disappeared, taking Ravyn with it.
Jonathan cursed as the vampire disappeared. Glancing back, he saw Vince nursing a cut arm and helping Jenny, another hunter, wrap her own wounds.
Jonathan turned to the large being that had helped his group with the vampires. Approaching it, Jonathan hoped it did not plan to attack his group as it had the vampires, "I am Jonathan Sarta, leader of the Ash Guild. I thank you on behalf of my guild for your assistance tonight."
Jonathan watched as the creature looked him over. It placed a clawed hand on his shoulder, "I am Tarn'se, a warrior of the Yautja. Your gratitude is unnecessary; I only have one thing that I request of you."
"What would that be?" Jonathan asked, almost afraid to know what a being like this could want.
"I wish to hunt this vampire called Nacht."
Jonathan blinked; this thing wanted to hunt the master vampire famed for killing the most vampire hunters? Jonathan looked the creature over; beside some superficial claw cuts on one arm, this being seemed uninjured after battling a large group of decently powerful vampires. Perhaps this creature could defeat Nacht when all other hunters had failed.
Jonathan smiled, "And I promise you I will take you as close to her as I can." The creature seemed satisfied with his answer and followed him and the two other hunters as they left the battle ground.
The next time they would move as a group, was when they moved to rescue Ravyn and find Nacht.
If you guys have any questions about the whole "favors" thing, don't be afraid to ask; the whole concept kinda just came to me so I thought it would add to the story a bit. And just a note: the "kanide amedha" is the creature from the movie "Alien" which I do not own...