Alright, everyone, here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Please Read and Review

Edits as of 04/12/2017 courtesy of Ellara Levellan

More edits are done as of 07/2021

Chapter Ten: Enemy Revealed

The full moon was high in the sky, and to my enhanced vision, it was near as bright as the sun. Given how it was normally cloudy day and night in Meridian, I found it a wonderful change of pace to the usual gloom. I've always loved the silvery light of the moon, and now, for the first time ever, I found myself flying high above what few clouds there were with the moonlight playing upon my wings. It was a wondrously freeing sensation to wing through the air.

This was where I belonged...

What surprised me the most was that it didn't take long to learn how to fly. I'd been a 'caged bird' for a long time, but the flight instincts were there and still strong in my mind. Oh, I wasn't an expert flyer by any means. My landings were still a little rough, but knowing how to fall without causing myself further injury helped me recover faster on those failed landing attempts. In the weeks spent exploring the city, I regularly found a bit of time to practice. Wisely, I stayed near to the ground to avoid any horribly painful mishaps. I also kept my Gift up to keep those initial blunders from being seen.

Not that it worked.

One night, Kain idly pointed out that my Gift didn't seem to include my shadow. After he literally pounced me to test my situational awareness while making my way back to the Blue Lady. I had decent situational awareness, but that meant nothing in the face of an individual who could literally turn into a fucking cloud of moisture. Asshole. Still, it was good information to have. My Gift might have warped light around me to make it where I couldn't be seen by the naked eye, but it didn't allow light to pass through me. So, yeah. Shadow.

He kept testing me after that night, too, and I quickly began to hate that damned Mist Form of his... and misty nights in general.

After a few minutes of just enjoying the wind beneath my wings, I canted my wings to the side and caught a thermal to help me make a silent approach to tonight's destination; the Sarafan Keep. I had long ago activated my Gift as I wished to remain out of sight of the populace below. Good luck to anyone searching for this particular needle in a haystack. Even if they noticed my shadow passing over them, they would see nothing above them. And how many people actually looked up when they sensed danger?

Not many.

Nights spent idly watching the city had shown me that. Noble? Servant? Merchant? None of them looked up. Even the city guard and Sarafan weren't in the habit, and they damn well knew Vampires could attack from the rooftops. Knew that Vampires could fall from a height that could practically crush their target beneath them in the process. And yet, almost no one looked up when they felt that instinctive flash of fear that told them they were being hunted.

It seemed silly, but even I had needed to learn that lesson the hard way.

I looked the building over carefully as I circled it, watching the Sarafan as they patrolled the walls. Once I confirmed that it was clear, I landed on the rooftop as silently as I could. Thank goodness my Gift muffled the sound I made. My landing wasn't one to be proud of, and I had to save myself from injury. I furled my wings, tucking them close to my body, and then moved toward the door. A careful test of the handle proved the door was unlocked. What a relief. I needed to avoid leaving any obvious signs of a break-in.

I made my way down the stairs and into the long hallways of the Keep. Several guards were patrolling the building, but... there were so few. When you knew there was a Vampire presence in the city, and one's base of operations was as well known as the Sarafan Keep, one would think that the location would be better defended. What was going on here?

Shaking off my unease, I made my way deeper within. It was uncomfortable walking these halls. Halls that had once housed one of the worst sorts of villains if the story was right. Perhaps it did again. I've never really liked people from history that waged wars for supposed 'holy' reasons. Especially when closer examination showed that it was just an excuse to wage war on a group of people they didn't like. Or worse, an excuse to take control of resources and the lands of a fertile area. I paused for a moment, thinking of what Nikolai had told me about his family and the people he knew.

It wasn't a case of 'perhaps there was someone just as bad,' but instead 'definitely someone as bad.' The sheer number of people who had been displaced, if not outright slain in a bid for money, property, and power? No. I had no problem standing with the Vampires against a foe like that.

As I made my way deeper into the heart of the Keep, every natural ability that I had sensed danger started to scream at me. Telling me to get out and get out now. Before it was too late to turn back. Ignoring the foreboding sensation wasn't exactly easy, but I pushed it away and pressed onward. The others needed whatever information that I could glean from the area. Still, I moved slower and more cautiously than I might have. I did not want to be taken unawares.

The first real hurdle I came across was a Ward Gate. Great. I should have tried to test how they affected me before coming here, but hindsight is twenty-twenty and all that. The Gates were designed to block Vampire access to 'protected' areas. And they did so by causing debilitating pain. Through talks with Nikolai and Vorador, I'd learned that there were very few housing districts 'protected' by such Gates. The cost of living in those areas was exponential.

Yet another reason to be disgusted by the Sarafan and their methods of taking advantage of the populace. Had they truly been doing their proclaimed duty to protect the people, then every district would have been 'protected' by those Gates. Not only that, but the cost of living should have been affordable for everyone, not just the well-off.

I really shouldn't have put this off, I thought to myself as I looked over the green barrier.

Thankfully, there was no one around to witness what I was about to do. I started forward slowly, holding my hand up to the barrier. I pushed my hand forward, fingertips first, and flinched. There was no real pain. It was more of a near-to-tickling, almost itching sensation. It was distinctly unpleasant. Like I had ants or spiders crawling, not only on my flesh but underneath it as well. Disconcerting, but not impossible to bypass.

Beyond that, there was not much in the way of resistance. An interesting contrast compares to Full-blooded Vampires. The others would find themselves physically incapable of passing through it if they were old enough. If they were young, then they'd be drained and potentially even burned. And that wasn't a pleasant sight to see. One recently Turned Fledgling had been brought back the other night. He'd been caught in a Gate just as it had activated. The burns had been... bad. And I mean really bad. He'd survived, but it would take time for him to recover from the injuries.

I pushed my way forward, through and past the barrier. Ah, okay. Yeah. That is disgusting. I shivered as that sickening, tickling sensation amplified throughout my entire body. Thankfully it faded a few moments after fully crossing through the Gate. I glanced down and... saw myself! Shit! The Gate canceled my Gift!

I tried to reactivate it, only to get that pins and needles crawling sensation once more. Not good. I quickly checked a room to make sure it was empty before darting inside. I stretched my wings out, rolling my shoulders as I did so, only to pause and blink. The feathers had risen up. My wings were all... floofy. I patted at the feathers to push them back into place. Huffing when they wouldn't settle, I reached down to grab the hilt of my sword and had to contain a small yip.

Fucking static shock.

I let out a low grumble of sound and tried to activate my Gift again. Didn't work. Got the pins and needles sensation all over again, but it was lesser this time. Huffing, I settled in behind the door, leaving it open just a hair so I could hear easier, drawing my wings close. Best to judge just how long this hindrance would last.

After about five minutes, I found myself able to activate my Gift again. Great. I winced and shook my head. Losing control of my Gift for that length of time in hostile territory wasn't a good thing. I was lucky I had a room to duck into... and that there was no one in the immediate area. Where was everyone? I slipped out of the room and carefully made my way downstairs, trying to keep the map Kain had made from memory in mind. I'd gotten good at the swift memorization of my surroundings out of sheer necessity.

He'd had to traverse the place once before to save Umah, after all. Out of everyone, he had the most experience with this building. Still, the bedrooms that I'd come across, all high-end, were empty. There were signs of people using the rooms, yes, but the owners of said rooms were nowhere to be found.

The eeriness of it all meant that I about jumped out of my skin when extremely loud cheers sounded from down the hall. A gathering? I quickly made my way down the hall, keeping crouched and in the shadows as much as possible. I let out a huff when I realized the hall that I was walking down ended in an elaborate-looking balcony. The balcony overlooked a massive 'art room.' Several large paintings and multiple large statues were spaced throughout the room. Beneath me, though, were dozens, if not a hundred or more Sarafan Knights all clustered together.

Many had their blades held up above their heads as they cheered yet again. Others simply raised their arms, hands clenched into fists as they roared their approval. I couldn't quite make out their words because of all the overlapping noise. Was this a rally of some sort? I turned to the object of their attention, a human male standing in front of a door directly beneath the main painting.

The man had long black hair and looked only around sixteen to eighteen years old. Unlike those around him, he wore a fancy-looking set of what could only be mage robes. The only other thing that really stood out was the odd circular stone necklace he was wearing. It looked to be about half to three-quarters the size of a clenched fist. I leaned over the balcony to attempt to get a closer look.

Half of it was a crimson coloration and seemed to be a large ruby carved to look like a large drop of blood. The other half looked like a darkened sapphire and cut to look like a jagged, crystalline growth. It was like some twisted version of a yin and yang symbol. It also glowed with an inner, malevolent light that made my eyes hurt.

What really sent chills running down my spine, though, was the guy's eyes. Looking closely, I might call his eyes ice-blue, but it was hard to tell given that the color was accented with this weird black-light-like glow. Humans did not have eyes like that. Something was intrinsically wrong with this man, this boy. The malevolence I felt was... sickening.

He raised his hands for silence, not saying a single word. To my surprise, the Sarafan... rabble... quieted down to a murmur within seconds. That the entire lot fell into an obedient and respectful silence that quickly made my wings fluff up a bit again. I knelt next to the side of the balcony in the shadows and settled in to listen. The kid looked over the crowd with an almost proprietary air before he began to speak. As if he owned the people within the room.

"Sarafan warriors!" the boy called out in a voice that rang through the room. The built-in acoustics enhanced his voice and carried it to every corner. "Champions of Light and Destroyers of the Plague that threatens us all, I thank you for coming here this eve."

Odd, he even sounded young. And yet, his voice rang with a strange degree of confidence. It also carried within it an odd kind of pull that almost drew me in, like a spell had been woven into his voice. I had to shake my head to clear it. When I looked back at the crowd, I winced. It was like they'd been enthralled.

Some kind of Charm spell, perhaps? I thought to myself.

"I thank all of you for signing on to aid our noble cause these long years," the boy continued. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to shake off whatever the hell he was doing to influence people. "I see many brave souls standing here before me this evening. Men who have fought against the vampiric menace and have helped rid our lands of their scourge. To keep our people and our way of life safe. I see heroes in you all!"

His hands rose into the air, a falsely benevolent smile gracing his lips. The crowd ate it up and began to cheer again. They were quite pleased with themselves and their 'holy' war with the Vampire race. Disgust filled me. I knew better than to think most of these people were good people. I had walked through the city at night, hidden from sight and not seen defenders of the people. No, the guards and Sarafan that I had seen were power-hungry monsters that took great enjoyment in kicking the random beggar or poor-looking person. They had harassed the woman, regardless of if they were a merchant, a flower girl, or a night lady.

More and more, I found myself firmly thinking that I was right to put my lot in with the Full-blooded Vampires here. That these 'guardians of the people' would rather laugh at the misfortunes of others instead of helping the populace was horrid. Hells, half the time, they were the cause of that misfortune.

No, these were men and women who abused and often molested their charges.

The young man raised his hands once more for silence. And again, the crowd quieted almost immediately. He smiled in a way that would seem benevolent to the untrained eye before the smile faded into a frown. Kid was reminding me far too much of Auron and his pets. All phony smiles and feigned kindness and just... fake. His voice rose, an ominous tone ringing through it. It felt almost like a dark cloud had settled over the room.

"But sadly, our job is not yet done, my fellow Sarafan. My friends," he said, and the word friends rang hollow in my ears. I ground my teeth together and shook my head. "My brave warriors, we may have the Vampire menace on the run, but we have not rid our fair Nosgoth clean of their plague! We must redouble our efforts to free the populace from the pestilence that infects our land. Search each town again, home by home, for those that escaped us the first time through. Seek those who dare to consort with our bestial enemy. Know that there will be no safety for those that fear our cleansing light! Go now, my fellow Warriors! Go and free Nosgoth of the Vampiric infestation as only you can!"

The crowd of Sarafan started to cheer so loudly now that I could feel the start of a headache. The cacophony of noise below me was almost deafening. The young man had a cruel smile upon his lips as he turned away and went through the door behind him. I made a sound of disgust low in my throat. I would have immediately moved to follow him, but a crowd that large took time to dissipate. Once it was clear, I leaped over the edge of the balcony and landed as quietly as I could.

If I could, I wanted to find out more about this Human-seeming individual before I left to make my report. Not only that, but if there was a chance to take down the kid, I would probably take it. Young and new to battle-combat I might be, I was still decent at concealing myself. A stealth kill would be useful and would throw the Sarafan into confusion for a time. I paused, hunting instincts pushing through to the fore of my mind, and shook my head to clear it. Best not to get ahead of myself.

I paused in front of the door the kid had gone through and glanced up at the massive mural on the wall. A sudden rage filled me, and I couldn't quite figure out why. Part of me wanted to yank my sword out and deface the damned thing. The rest of me knew better. Such a thing would get me into far more trouble than I needed right now. All that the Sarafan needed to put them on the alert was even the hint that someone else was in the building. I walked through the door before that bizarre and childish urge became too strong. It eased after I'd gotten a good ways away from the room.

Strange. I mean, I was naturally disgusted by all of the 'artwork' displayed so prominently in that room. So many paintings depicting Vampires being beheaded or spiked, let alone the most striking of them all; the mural depicting Kain's defeat at the hands of the previous Hylden Sarafan Lord. And sure, I enjoyed classical art and music growing up, used to draw and sing some, too, but murderous images and songs? Things that depicted war and violence so... so positively?

To me, it was an atrocious and vulgar way for people to say, 'Hey, look! I'm better than everyone else' or 'Look at what I killed and how I did it.' Glorifying war and conquest was, in my opinion, a travesty. I could respect art that depicted such things in a way that acted as warnings to not repeat history. Could respect the artists that wanted to share their stories or the challenges that others had to overcome. But such boasting as these murals clearly were?

Disgusting, and if something similar had been in Kain's room, I would have thought the same thing.

Despite how long it took for the crowd to dissipate, I found myself easily able to catch up to the young Lord. Mind, I kept a healthy distance between the two of us. While I did not want to lose him on a lift or through the wrong doorway, I also didn't want to risk being so close that I risked running into him or someone stopping to talk to him. He walked into a room. I moved over and peaked into it at an angle. It was lavishly furnished, and it looked to be one of the largest rooms I'd seen so far.

I hesitated. Why in the hells had he left the door wide open? And why were there no guards posted anywhere nearby? If he was their leader... shouldn't he have some sort of guard even here? Especially when one took into account how good at sneaking around Vampires were? The fact that Kain had broken into this building before meant that security wasn't as good as they might think. Was this kid really that sure of his own safety?

I tilted my head thoughtfully. If he was alone, I really could take the young man out. Unless he had some secret spell or defense up his sleeves. The chance to take this particular human out, especially as he was unguarded and isolated, was tempting indeed. I eased out of the shadows and moved toward the open door.

Now, I'm not foolish. I approached the door at an angle and held a hand out in front of me. Given that the Gates were prevalent throughout the building, I wasn't going to risk walking right into one if the Lordling had a smaller Gate built around the inner part of the doorway.

And I'm glad I was so cautious. My hand hit something. Not a Ward Gate, but definitely a barrier. And unlike the other Gates, this thing fucking hurt. Despite years of dealing with various types of agony, I still barely managed to contain a reflexive hiss of pain. Thankfully, my Gift held. I shook my hand, eyeing the doorway warily.

There was no shimmer or hint of a glow. Nothing to warn a person that the barrier was there. I had the distinct feeling that this barrier wasn't just for Vampires, but Humans as well. Nothing was going to get past it unless someone knew how it worked and how to disable it. No wonder there were no guards. With that kind of defensive magic at hand to ensure his safety, he had no need of them. Such a thing would also improve the morale of the Sarafan.

The knowledge that your leader was untouchable would boost any army's confidence.

I stiffened with the kid laughed. Shifting back and to the side, I tried to see what he might have found funny. He had just stepped away from a large, ornate desk and... was walking right for the door. Shit. I backed up a few steps, ducking down into the shadows of the hall as much as possible to conceal my own telltale shadow. He stopped about a foot from the door and let out another soft laugh as he looked up and down the hall.

His eyes, impossibly, met my own.

Damnit! I thought, a flash of panic running through me. Can he see through my Gift?

No. No, it had to be something else. Something about that odd black-light glow to the young Lordling's eyes. He wasn't actually looking at me now that I had a moment to calm down. More that he was looking in my general direction. I held my breath, keeping as perfectly still as I could manage. Fear beat at the back of my mind. If he sounded alarmed, things would get a little dicey.

"Come now, I know you are there," he said softly, and I almost jumped. I took a few silent steps backward. Distance was good. "'The one whose wings are stained with blood.' I know of you, my dear. Oh yes."

My eyes widened in shock. What? How in the hells did he know that? Kain, Nickolai, and now Vorador were the only ones alive who knew the color of my wings. How...? He raised a hand to his chin, and his expression took on an almost playful look. He laughed. The noise was almost coquettish and set my teeth on edge. He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture a moment later.

"Oh, don't worry, things will become quite clear soon enough, little pet," he drawled. The tone of his voice changed slightly. Oddly. Even the energy around him had changed. "Go on... run away, little girl. Let this Dance of Death continue to play out to its' completion."

Fear flooded through me. A soft, startled yet angry hiss escaped me, and I bolted down the hall. Not only was it bad that he could sense me, but there was an aura of enormous power around, behind, and in that man-child. His laughter filled the air. It was warped and twisted and echoed strangely through the hall. I quickly backtracked, making my way out of the Keep. Even my courage had its limits. And I had no true knowledge of what tricks of magic the obvious mageling knew. Fighting him right now, in the heart of his territory, would be downright dumb.

Thankfully I managed to avoid the guards patrolling the halls. That the damned armor didn't react to my presence was one hell of a boon. I had to force myself to slow down, however. Invisible I might be, but even I risked being caught if I blindly barreled into someone in my panic. Hopefully, Kain or Vorador would be able to make sense of what had just happened when the new Sarafan Lord spoke to me. It was as if he was Human but... changed somehow by... by something other...? Not Hylden. Their power was supposed to have a green glow if someone was possessed by them.

But what then?

I reached the original Ward Gate that I'd passed through upon entering the building. Yet, for some reason, the pain was triple what it was when I'd originally gone through the damned thing. I collapsed in a pain-filled heap on the other side of the Gate. Fuck, shit and damnation. That hurt. It hurt a lot. Add to it the itching, crawling sensation of things under my skin. It was bad enough that I almost threw up. Was it because I had touched the barrier the Lordling had put up? Had he strengthened the Gates?

Not important. I needed to get out of here. I pushed myself to my feet with a wince. As I stood, a younger Sarafan warrior came out of one of the rooms nearby. We both froze for a moment, equally startled.

"Intruder!" he shouted in a high, panicked voice as he drew his sword. "Intruder in the halls!"

My Gift had failed me yet again, and I hadn't the mental focus to put it back up. Not good. I swore and drew my own blade, lunging forward for a quick kill. He fell too easily. A rookie, then. A part of me almost felt guilty. That part was quickly squashed as shouting sounded from down the hall, followed by a weird sounding klaxon of noise. They knew I was here.

Fuck, shit and damnation! If only I hadn't panicked! I thought angrily. Mostly I was just angry at myself.

I raced up the stairs toward the roof, trying again and again to reactive my Gift. It finally settled around me like a warm weight as I reached the doorway that led out onto the rooftop. And a damned good thing too. There were well over forty guards stationed around the large rooftop. Most of them were armed with huge ass broadswords, but the rest were armed with crossbows. There was no way in hell I could have handled this lot on my own.

Well, at the very least, if the guards couldn't see me, they couldn't hit me.

Sadly, though, they weren't my only problem. There was a layer of pre-dawn mist covering part of the roof. There were roughly ten to fifteen feet between me and a clear patch on the roof. Kain would have no problem with the mist, but if I darted out there, my movements would give me away. The mist itself would outline my form. I'd be ferreted out by the guards and attacked in short order. For once, I actually wished I'd ended up with Kain's Mist-based Gift.

I looked around urgently, trying to think of what to do. An idea hit me. It was a bit crazy, but it was the best plan I could come up with. Sheathing my sword, I backed up to the wall opposite the door before running forward. I leaped up and grabbed the top of the door frame in an underhanded grip. I used my momentum to swing up and forward, tucking my legs close to my chest. Using my enhanced strength and agility, I successfully flipped myself out and over the mist, landing in that small section of the roof.

Thank goodness my Gift muffled the noises I made. One guard glanced briefly in my direction, but upon seeing nothing, continued his patrol. Breathing easier, I silently moved to climb one of the two tall towers. Once I reached a decent height, I paused and looked around. The whole of the Keep was on high alert. Happy that I had gotten out of there in time, I pushed away from the wall, spreading my wings to catch the wind. A few heavy beats and a thermal later, and I was winging my way back toward Sanctuary.

My relief meant that I almost flew blindly into a green barrier. I managed to back-wing in time to avoid the damned thing. How in the hell...? Hoping that I was wrong, I flew back and forth for a moment. Then I flew up, and then down... Fuck. Someone had activated a dome-shaped Ward Gate that was wrapped around the whole damned Keep! There were no openings for me to take advantage of.

I didn't really want a repeat of earlier, but it seemed I had no other choice available to me. And if the pain was enough to break concentration on my Gift. I circled the area, finding a path that looked like it would quickly get me to the Blue Lady without making it obvious that was the direction I was heading once I went through the barrier. Better that they end up searching the wrong distract.

The only way out was through.

Damn, this was going to hurt.

Clenching my teeth, I flew higher into the air. I was used to all kinds of pain after the long years of torture. New though this sensation might be, I would still overcome it. A low growl built in my throat and dove for the barrier. Pain seared through me as I made it past the massive Gate. Wracked by that itching agony as it tore through every inch of my body, I fell several feet before managing to force my wings wide to catch an updraft.

Shouts filled the air. Damn. Spotted already. I glanced around and noticed quite a few of the Sarafan pointing my way. Damnit. I'd thought I would have had more time! I found myself having to twist, spin, and dive to avoid the flame-lit arrows being shot in my direction not even a second later. Not only could I not activate my Gift, but I couldn't fly as well as usual. I swerved out of the way of one volley of arrows, only to fly right into a second batch. A quick spinning dive saved me from most of them, but one still tagged me right at the base of my left wing.

Yowling, I plummeted toward the ground. My right wing kept beating frantically to compensate for the limited movements of my left, and it was just enough to save me from breaking a bone as I hit the cobblestone. I'd have half a dozen bruises, yes, but nothing was broken.

More shouting filled the air. Men and women calling out general directions for the way I'd gone. I snarled and got to my feet, yanking the arrow from my wing. Flames had spread amongst the feathers, and I quickly put them out before they did more damage. I unsheathed my sword and tried to focus on my Gift again. Nothing. Damn it all!

I darted into the shadows of the alleyways, trying to move as quickly and quietly as I could manage while I tried to place what district I was in. An overturned cart, long abandoned, gave me the clue I needed, and I darted down the street to the left of it. For the most part, I was able to avoid the Sarafan searching the area. It helped that their armor failed to react to my presence. As I reached a wide-open area, I came to a halt, seeing about twenty or so Sarafan Warriors ahead. It was the last large space meant for merchants before things broke off into smaller paths. One of which led to Sanctuary.

Fuck, Shit and Damnation! I thought with a soft huff.

My skin still felt like it had things crawling underneath it. I wasn't going to be able to activate my Gift for at least another minute or two. I could try to wait it out, but they were meticulous in their search pattern. They'd be more likely to find me before I could reactivate it. I'd have better luck fighting them. Thank goodness the boots Kain had given me had small sheaths built into them. He'd given me two small blades to keep hidden on my person at all times.

I watched the group for a long moment, trying to figure out who led the lot, if anyone. Him. The tall, black-haired man. The rest of them were deferring to him as they searched. I took one of the small daggers from its sheath and held the blade loosely between my fingers. Waiting for the right moment, I threw the blade with pinpoint accuracy for the man's throat. I almost grinned.

There was a reason Auron had made sure to keep blades away from me. I'd gotten good at hitting his pets. Mind, I was usually aiming for him, and they took the blows meant for him, but it still counted as practice...

The noise drew the attention of the others, and I used that distraction to dart in fast and low, taking out one of the guards at the edge of the group quickly and silently. While the surprise from my sudden attack didn't last long, it still lasted long enough. I was able to take down six of the bastards before they realized what was going on. Yet that still left me with another twelve enemies to cut down. I was outnumbered, but I knew I could defeat them if I was careful. Enhanced Vampiric nature for the win, right? Still... open area like this? Not good.

I ran forward, past the lot of them, and started down one of the other, narrower alleyways. The narrow ally forced them to come after me one by one, their blocky armor working against them. Hooray for proven guerrilla tactics! A cold grin curled my lips upward. Using said method, I was successfully able to take most of them. Run, turn, strike down the one closest to me, turn, and run again. Rinse and repeat. It was a tactic I had read about in history books, and it was a tactic that I knew would work.

With only about five or so left to trail after me, I put on a burst of speed to lose them. I reached an empty street and glanced around quickly, checking rooftops. Looked like no one was around. Good. I turned, ready to take down the last of the guards, only to let out a yelp when someone shouted my name and shoved me to the side.

A strained grunt escaped me, and I scrambled to my feet, glancing toward whoever had pushed me. I froze, feeling the blood drain from my face. Nikolai stood before me, a pained smile on his lips. The sword in his had fell from his loosened grip. He collapsed to the ground and toppled to the side. There was an arrow lodged straight through his chest. I could tell at a glance that it was right next to his heart.

I looked around and saw an archer standing on a low-hanging roof. She was trying to swiftly reload her crossbow. I snarled, quickly picking up Nikolai's fallen sword and throwing it at the woman. The blade embedded itself neatly in her skull. I started to help Nikolai, ignoring the clattering sound of the woman's body as it hit the ground. Sadly, the rest of the Sarafan warriors that had been chasing after me decided to show up. Dammit. Dammit! I didn't have time for this! Not when I could still hear his heart beating!

A snarl escaped my lips, and I lunged for them as they stumbled out of the alley. My sword sang through the air, cutting through the throats of the warriors closest to me. Their bodies piled up near the entrance, causing the rest to trip over their fallen allies. Still, a handful managed to dodge my strikes, moving to circle and surround me. The hell... This lot had to be rookies. I wasn't that skilled of a fighter to have just barreled through them like fucking butter.

Cutting the last three down was a simple enough matter, and I felt that almost proprietary rage fade. How strange. I sheathed my blade and quickly tossed the Sarafan's corpses into the alleyway to at least try to conceal their bodies from immediate sight. I ran back to Nikolai's side. He was bleeding, but the arrow had stopped up the wound enough that he wasn't bleeding out. But he was still breathing. And that was important.

I looked over the wound and shook my head helplessly. I didn't dare remove the arrow. With it so close to his heart, attempting to remove it might well cause the head to pierce the pericardium around his heart. He would bleed to death. And that's if he wasn't already slowly bleeding out internally. I carefully picked him up in my arms, careful of the injury, and focused on my Gift. I've never tried to do this with another person, but I needed it to work.

That warm sense of weight settled sluggishly over both of us. I almost felt like crying when Nikolai turned invisible in my arms. I moved speedily back toward Sanctuary with my... my friend in my arms.

I could only hope that he would survive.

Alrighty, edits done on this chapter.

Please Read and review! :)

Take care of each other.