*Ren-!* said Morgana.
I know!
Ren knew he'd been moved. The tell-tale tingle at the base of his spine was unforgettable. Someone had used some sort of transportation persona ability on him, or (more likely), he'd inadvertently walked into a pre-established portal. He fought the desire to spin around and see if he could go back, instead focusing his senses on his new surroundings.
It was a boxish stone room, unlighted, and empty. It was underground, obvious from Ren's dampened sense of the sun somewhere above. The room seemed to have only one exit: an obvious metal door in front of him. The rest of the stone walls were bare. There was a vague smell of human female, and the underlying musk of terror.
If not for the large size of the area, it would be a prison cell, but it seemed more like a moderate storage cellar of some kind. Or perhaps a cell for multiple people. Regardless, there seemed no immediate threat. He'd been transported into some sort of holding area, and not one designed to immediately kill him. So, either someone wanted something from him, or this house wasn't designed to be a deathtrap. Perhaps Madarame was improvising with that he had available.
Ren turned and looked behind him, not too hopeful that whatever portal he'd used would still be open. There was a large, hanging canvas there, but while his darkvision could determine that it was a wall painting, the details and colors of the painting itself were indiscernible. He would need light to see the image, but that was hardly important; could he go back through it was the question. Were Makoto and the Sakamotos just on the other side?
A questing hand found the tough sponginess of canvas. A questing sword pierced through and clanged on stone. Closed. No surprise there. Why bother to move him if he could just turn around and go back?
He was a prisoner, or at least, separated from his comrades. But whatever trap he was in probably wasn't designed to hold someone like him. He had his hammer. He could bash the door's steel latch right through the stone of the wall.
But as Ren turned back towards the door, a soft sound grew in his awareness. It was the unmistakable rhythm of footsteps. Someone moving calmly, and approaching the single metal door of his apparent prison. Should he move toward the door and set up an ambush? No. If he could hear these footsteps, then whoever was walking out there would likely be able to hear Ren's, and thus know an ambush was being set. That would accelerate whatever sort of encounter this was into overt hostility. At the moment, Ren was trapped and his jailer was approaching. Best to wait and see what information and opportunities presented themselves.
Ren waited. The footsteps neared and the door opened, ushering in the unmistakable scent of vampirism. The scent of a noble, unconcealed. Was it Madarame himself? Could this hunt be that easy?
A broad man entered the room, his shoulders and hear nearly scraping the large door frame. He wore a loose tunic and utilitarian pants. A longsword was at his hip. Long hair, bulbous nose and chin, a smirk of confidence under two sleepy eyes. He reminded Ren of the aristocratic dandies that dueled each other in town squares.
Ren had seen Madarame; briefly, at Makoto's victory gala; before they'd known to be looking out for him. He'd been a small-ish greying man with a scholar's physique. And this burly swordsman was obviously not Madarame. But whoever this man was, he was certainly a vampire. A noble of some degree. Was he the vampiric force behind Madarame? Was Madarame human and just a public puppet of this man? Or was this a subordinate ally of Madarame, who was a noble vampire, also?
As Ren's mind whirled with various possibilities, the burly man took up a lazy stance a few steps into the room, leaving the door open behind him.
"Ah, ha!" The man's large guffaw filled the stone room. "Welcome to House Madarame, hunter!"
Ren wasn't sure how to respond. Was this the target? Or was this just a defender? Perhaps he could talk some information out of the big man.
"Thank you," said Ren, keeping his voice polite and sincere.
The big man blinked, his grin faded slightly. Perhaps surprised at such a nonchalant response.
"And where is Master Madarame?" said Ren, "I'm here to see him."
A silence stretched between them. The big man put his hands on his hips and stared at Ren for a moment. His eyes, black in Ren's darkvision, suddenly opened in recognition.
"Ah! I know who you are, dhampir! You're the hunter called 'Jay'. Good. Good! You may actually offer me some sport!" The big man drew out his sword with a slow, lazy motion. "You will not see Madarame today, Mr. Vampire Hunter J. Because you will be dead."
The big man advanced upon Ren- A sort of lackadaisical strut, sword almost dangling in a loose right arm. So much for information gathering.
Ren let out a calming breath and reaffirmed his grip on his sword. His opponent was huge, obviously strong, probably relatively strong even amongst noble vampires. This was a deadly opponent that Ren could not match in a straight-up battle. But that was nothing new to Ren. Nothing new at all.
He waited as the big man approached. Waited for the inevitable first strike. It would be a low-to-high swing, Ren was sure. A sort of flicking of the arm which would whip a sword tip up and to sever a shoulder; a sure surprise for any fool expecting the big man to return to a standard ready stance before attacking.
The big man took a final step, there was a brief pause, the man smiled a large, disarming smile. His arm flicked, his sword practically teleporting forward it was so fast. But Ren was fast, too, and expecting the blow. He side-stepped, the blade whooshing past his turned face with a gust of wind, and in the same motion he drove his own sword towards the big man's huge chest.
A giant fist grasped Ren's sword, catching it in iron and halting the thrust.
Ren's left hand came up with his pistol.
POP! POP! POP!
The big man crunched up in surprise as three holes appeared in his tunic. Ren wrenched his sword free, a spray of blood splattering the stone as the blade sliced the big man's hand. A angry back-hand chop brought the big man's sword back into the fight, which Ren leapt back to avoid.
They stood apart, each wary of the other. Ren silently cursed himself. He'd missed the spine. Should he shoot again? No, the man would either dodge or block the bullets with his meaty arms. Best to wait for another opening.
"Ah, ha ha ha! Sword and gun? Interesting," said the big man. He straightened, looked at his palm, the large gash of Ren's sword bleeding profusely. He seemed entirely too excited for Ren's liking.
"Is that a sunsteel blade?!" said the big man, his voice filled with a sort of eager disbelief. "You're from the Empire, dhampir!? You're good sport, indeed! Then, let's make this civilized. Let us make this legal! We must introduce ourselves and duel honorably. Tell me your name, and I will remember it forever with respect!"
Ren held his sword ready and watched his opponent, wary of another surprise attack.
"Ah, as the challenger, I must go first, of course," said the big man. He saluted with his blade. "My name is Atsushi, 53rd of Madarame, 14th of Clan Sayuri."
Ah! So Madarame was certainly a noble vampire, and this was one of his sons. And now Ren knew that Madarame was a child of Clan Sayuri's lord. The midlanders. Their clan lord was, what? Eighth generation? Ninth? Not that it mattered. Twice removed, Atsushi wasn't old enough to be any more dangerous than any other strong vampire with sword training. He was dangerous, but not especially dangerous.
*Don't get cocky,* mumbled Morgana, from the depths of Ren's mind.
Ren ignored him.
"Well?!," said Atsushi, "Who are you, Jay? Who are you, really?"
"You are exiled?" said Ren.
Atsushi frowned. "73 years. 50 already served. What of it?"
"I don't have to introduce myself to an exile."
Atsushi blinked, his mouth opening slightly in surprise. Then he scowled. The playfulness seemed to melt away from his stance, his shoulders hardening with angry menace. "Very well, half-blood. Then you will die nameless and be forgotten."
He raised his blade and advanced on Ren once more.