"Feh!" A gruff voice huffed. "Vampires..." Metallic footsteps fell and clinked across the wooden planks. Silver armour shined in the torch light underneath the heavily fortified wooden bridge. A covering of wood, fortified with standing stone pillars formed a dark tunnel stretching out over the water. On either side of the planks the two men stood on, the shallows of the lake rippled underfoot, reflecting lamplight, casting twisting and distorted lines around the hall. The one whom had spoken, bore a gruff and blonde beard, though his head was shaven. The other kept a clean, short cut with no facial hair. "Don't underestimate them, Konrad." the clean cut Sarafan spoke warningly. "This is why I became Captain, and you're still a foot soldier. Because I look. I listen... and I understand the enemy." The gruff Sarafan named Konrad gave a short huff. "I get it, Cyrus... I'm sorry..." Konrad raised his hands in mock apology, "CAPTAIN Cyrus." Cyrus shook his head in disappointment while Konrad laughed. The two knew one another for a long time, and while Konrad knew how to fight, he wasn't exceptionally tactical, nor did he have a mind for seeing the pros as well as the cons of the enemy. "Listen, Konrad. The Children of that degenerate Melchiah have laid waste to an entire camp in the eastern reaches of the forest beside this very Lake. Some of those men were those who we trained with. I'm sure they were as sure of their bravado as you are." Konrad silenced his chuckle and narrowed his eyes at the Captain.

Cyrus continued, "Be aware, my friend. These creatures thirst for blood, and have adapted to take it in any way they can. Our only hope sits within the halls of our fortresses, such as this. Our futures lay with men such as you, I, Warlord Jericho... even that initiate Ignatius. If we don't take care to preserve our lives, the world will fall to the vampires." Konrad seemed to take heed, as though a drunkard being sobered. "Watch everything. Trust nothing but your senses and instinct. I don't want the next time I see you to be laying you to rest." Konrad snapped to attention, hand resting on his mace, hanging at his waist, and replied curtly. "Yes, sir."
"Good." Cyrus said surely. "I must go to the Tower. Ignatius will be arriving soon, and there must not be ANYTHING out of place. Not one candle flame out, not one guard away from post, and not one archer away from his post." With nothing left to say or do, Captain Cyrus turned on a dime, and marched away.

Below the refraction of the water, Zuriel slinked through unknown. Drifting lowly across the grey sand and rocks of the man made lake, the vampire slowly followed the pillars and posts of the wooden bridge which led to the main stone crossing. As the Rahabim approached, Konrad sat down and removed a boot. "Meh." He guffed again, removing the second boot. "I'm watchful. I'm still alive." He muttered to himself. He let both feet flip over the edge of the wooden planks and pierce the water. "Stupid Cyrus. Only reason he made Captain is because he'd rather think than shut these monsters up by force." Zuriel slowly snaked through the water, rising like a crocodile sizing up the target before the strike.
"If there was a vampire that could best me, he'd have done so by now."

Without warning, nor chance to react, Zuriel clenched his claws around the ankles of the Sarafan warrior. He pulled to drag the unsuspecting human into the water, though Konrad fought back, grabbing the posts with all his might. Zuriel emerged from the surface, revealing from his shoulders up, the chest piece, mark of Rahab, and his drenched black hair. While his eyes burned within his skull, staring down the warrior of the Sarafan order. Konrad cried out in surprised horror, unaware that any of the vampires had been adapted for aquatic life. The man managed to break Zuriel's grip, and staggered to his feet, ankles bleeding, and partly sliced. The Rahabim gathering himself onto the wooden planks, and held his claws out and down. Smiling fiercely, he prepared to strike.

"I... I thought you beasts died in water!?" Konrad exclaimed with blatant fear in his voice. Zuriel replied. "You thought wrong. However, I can assure you that there will be a grave beneath the bridge here tonight."
With no further ado, Zuriel charged Konrad, who tore his mace from his side, swinging it sideways at the vampire, attempting to bring the child of Rahab against, or through, the wooden tunnel's wall. This attack was dodged with ease, as the planned out ambush gave Zuriel a psychological advantage, which coincidentally threw off Konrad's physical game. Zuriel had sidestepped the strike, and pulled around behind the warrior. His clawed arm gripped the Sarafan in a sort of half-nelson hold, while the right arm gripped the warrior's bearded chin. "Plenty of strength. Such a waste, you could've gone far in the Sarafan ranks... if you had any skill to go with it." As Konrad moved his mouth to speak, Zuriel tightened his claws, and dragged with enormous force, both tearing flesh and throat open, as well as snapping the neck of the now deceased Sarafan warrior. Zuriel kicked the body over into the water on the left of the walkway, and stepped down the planks towards the shore. Here, a several sliding bars locked the door which led in and out of the tunneled bridge. Smiling, he shifted them all open.

Atarah was waiting just on the other side, and she could hear the locks shifting open. She smiled approvingly. Finally, Zuriel removed the last bar of six, and pulled the large doors apart. Atarah stood there, leaning on one side. "Well done, I barely heard a thing." Zuriel looked over his shoulder, then returned his gaze to the woman. "He was not the brightest. Either the Sarafan are ALL expendable now, or they're spreading their best thinly across the land." Atarah stepped inside, while Zuriel closed the doors behind her, replacing the locks. "Better to save the competent ones to lead, than die for the cause?" Zuriel lowered his head slightly, as if to nod, but only completing half of it. "Perhaps. I suppose we'll see in time." Atarah stepped ahead of Zuriel. "Follow me. I know little about this place, but I know enough to get us inside. Follow me." Allowing Atarah to lead on, Zuriel stepped behind her, still trailing water from his soaked body. She glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, and do try to keep me dry. Only one of us is comfortable touching the water, and I'm sure it isn't me." Zuriel grinned, and gave a gesture, somewhat resembling a bow and wave rolled into one. "Lead on, then." He said simply. "Let us show them how hard we can hit when they're not looking."