Months of preparation had culminated into this day, the day Conrad dies… The Order would be in town on suspicion of Vampiric activities: towns people tended to disappear more often than they could produce children, the town was slowly dying out. By our hand, I might add. Their lives were sacrificed to end Conrad's. I lay next to Vic in a bush on a hill above the city and watched a few people scurry across the empty town square. At the city gates a horse and rider appeared, wearing a black hood so he face couldn't be seen. He walked through the gates and approached an elderly woman, he conversed with her, she hugged him tightly, and he turned around and walked back to his horse. I saw him searching in the bag which hung from the back of his horse. He took out a small horn, marble white with a black leather strap, he blew it. A shrill sound echoed through the mountains. From far I heard the cracking of a whip, quickly followed by the sound of a carriage getting closer. In the distance I saw the carriage appear from the woods, the black horses struggling to trudge through the soggy grounds. In front of the city gates the carriage came to a stop, the first man walked up to the carriage and knocked on its door. The door swung open and a long man got out, the first man bowed, the second man waved him off. Three more men got out, all dressed in black leather clothing. They wore swords and their clothes were engraved with catholic symbols.

The Order.

The first man talked to the rest of the group, after minutes the five men tied up the horses and disappeared into the bushes.

"Right, lets lead them to our beloved father." Vic said sarcastically and he stood up from our hiding place. I followed him into the woods, without a word. One wrong move and it wouldn't be just Conrad's life that'd be taken today.

"We will pull this off." Vic said, "after which we will escape to the New Land, across the oceans."

I only smiled and responded with a nod.

"You will lead those Order bastards to Conrad right?" Vic asked, I responded only by nodding again. I was quicker and best capable to evade the bastards, if necessary.

"We will meet in Paris?" I asked him, "I will bring Conrad's ring as proof of his death."

This time, Vic answered only by nodding.

"Good luck, Bratja." Vic said, and he took me in his arms. "Come within the week, please, I do not wish to leave without you."

I nodded, it all fell down to me now. Vic smiled at me, his eyes burning. He turned around and disappeared into the bushes.

I sighed deeply, finally tyranny would come to an end, however, an end, which could spell disaster.

Ah well… I closed my eyes, turned my head to the woods and focused my senses, I heard birds, the stream in the distance, Vic walking softly through the woods, 5 voices speaking loudly. I also heard, which frightened me most , Conrad's breathing.

Shit!

"were you planning on tricking me boy?" a soft voice said. I quickly opened my eyes and looked around: nothing.

He knew, our plan was foiled. He mental capacity was extraordinary, reaching to me, across this distance.

It couldn't be helped, plan B it was… Speed.

One thing I had over Conrad, actually over most of the vampires, was speed. I could outrun them all.

I would run towards the hunters, goading them into following me and then onwards to Conrad, who would hear me coming, but wouldn't run away, he liked the confrontation. This one however he wouldn't win. I took off, still listening for what the Order was doing. They stopped to listen to my loud footsteps, closing in on them. They paid no heed to me and continued. When I was fifty meters removed from them, they looked back and saw me.

"YOU! White skin!" the leader yelled. I was standing in the sunlight, my skin glistening.

"You want to kill me?" I said, keeping my cool. "Come and get me!"

I ran at them, they drew their swords.

"Too slow!" I whispered in the leader's ear, standing closely next to him. I laid my hand on his shoulder and smiled. He turned around, swinging his sword at me. I was long gone when the sword swung by me.

"Do not just stand there! Follow him!" the leader yelled, surprised by my quick responses. They sheathed their swords and ran after me. I kept my speed down, allowing them to stay with me. I smiled. Stupid humans. The trees were growing bigger and closer together the further I ran into the forest. As I came closer to Conrad, his presence in the woods became apparent, he pressed down on my thoughts. I ignored him, still listening for my pursuers, they stayed close. I came to a clearing, and stopped dead in my tracks.

"You…" I said loudly. Conrad smiled and he slowly walked to me

"Well, well, well… The lost son returns again…" Conrad whispered spiteful."Welcome back, boy…"

"You will die, father…" I said angrily, quivering with fear. He read me, like a book…

"Hmm… perhaps you're right. Cannot believe it, but well…" he whispered and charged at me. His fist came flying from the left. I blocked the punch , the force was enormous, I flew back and hit the dust on my back, the dust flew into the air, blocking sight.

"You thought, you could kill me?" Conrad said venomously, I saw him walking at me through the dust, he was about to kick me. I dodged his foot, stood up and got behind him.

"I would not try to go at it alone." I whispered quietly into his ear.

Could it be? He hadn't noticed the humans?

"Your weak friends? they are your back-up?" he curled his lips into a wicked smile and his hollow laugh echoed between the trees, he turned around and hit me in the gut.

"There are two of you?!" the leader of the order yelled, they also came to the clearing.

"Bright folk…" Conrad mumbled, and he walked at the Order, arms spread wide.

Silence fell, only disturbed by the howling wind. I stumbled to my feet and saw Conrad standing between myself and the Order, I stepped sideward to see the Order.

"Well, are you going to kill us any time soon?" Conrad asked happily.

"C-crossbows!" the leader said with hesitation, two order members quickly took their crossbows from their backs, they aimed. "Fire…" the leader said determined. The arrows flew towards us. I effortlessly caught the arrow and snapped it in half. I ran towards the leader, got behind him before they could react.
"Please note, we are not your average, every-day vampire. It will take more than that to kill us."

I ran back to Conrad, he hadn't been quick enough and the arrow had scraped his arm. I stood opposite of him, now I was between the order and Conrad, I looked into his dark red eyes, an involuntary quiver raced down my spine.

"Well, what of it? Kill me…"

"No… just a second…" I answered waiting patiently.

"Fire again!! Kill them!" I heard the leader say, I curled my lips and waiting for the sound of the arrows. A whistling sound approached me and I reacted. I dodged towards Conrad, in passing I grabbed his arm and moved it up his back, standing behind him I grabbed his other arm and also forced it on his back, restraining his movements. The arrows struck.

"That hurts right?" I whispered into his ear, I released my grasp and watched Conrad drop to his knees.

"To finish it…" I mumbled, I pulled a dagger from my belt and put it on Conrad's throat.

"this is best…" I said softly and slit his throat. "Rest in peace, father…"