Its was raining in Darkwind, and no one gave a damn. The rain beat down on buildings that had been standing for centuries and showed no sign of slowing. Darkwind itself was centered on a major trade route and with that brought people and creatures of all types. In Darkwind, you could find anything you wanted, for a price. It was the city of your dreams, including your worst ones. Like a rose, it was beautiful and exotic, but at the same time, it came with deadly thorns and barbs as well.
In Darkwind, there were miracles, abominations, pleasures, and vices. People would sell their soul, let alone their life, for anything if pushed hard enough. Crime was rampant in the city, and the local enforcers were usually in on the action. All of these forces and even some more insidious, had formed Darkwind. However, one man had stepped up to the bat to face these evils.
Valentine was tall and dark, icy blue eyes stared out from his face. His face looked harsh and unforgiving. He was muscular and fit, but was starting to build a stomach. His long, jet-black hair hung around him in a display of confusion and disarray and his goatee made him look like a criminal. Parts of his hair had turned silver, and some took that as a sign of weakness, they learned their lesson fast. He carried a long sword at his side, which was normally hidden by his deep purple cloak.
Next to him, matching him stride for stride, was his partner, companion, and wife, Blaise. She was easily the same height as her husband, and a long mane of blonde hair fell down to her waist, held together with a silver clasp. She had dark eyes, and was a match for anyone on the street. She wore tight fitting leather sorcerer's clothes, which only further distracted her enemies while fighting. The only color in her entire ensemble was a red cloak that she was given from the High Sorcerer, Gram. She carried a claymore strapped to her thigh, in a battered leather scabbard. She made quick work of enemies with the claymore, and many were amazed at how she wielded such a weapon.
Valentine and Blaise, partners for life, both members of the local law enforcement, know to the citizens of Darkwind as The Law. They never failed to be engaged in some type of work that brought them close to the dark sides of Darkwind. As the best team in Darkwind, they had earned a reputation that preceded them, and many on the street moved to get out of their way as they walked down the street. They had both earned that reputation by being the toughest, meanest, dirtiest fighters in Darkwind. Even so, this case had a personal stake in it besides their reputation. They were going vampire hunting.
"I can't believe they’re sending us out to some old house to check out some suspected vampire," said Blaise as she turned to Valentine. "I mean come on, we were just getting close to cracking open that drug distribution net that has been smuggling in that new frensnic drug. What do I look like, a suicidal maniac?"
Valentine smiled, "Now that you mention it..."
"Don't start with me. This seems more like a job for the magic-users to me. Now I wished we had bought some garlic and borrowed some holy water today."
"Garlic! Ha, that stuff doesn't work at all, its just superstition. And by the way, holy water doesn't do much either."
"Wow, looks like you've been reading up a lot about this."
"Yeah, after that case in the slums..."
"Valentine, you're not responsible for Jamie's death. He knew what he was doing when he joined the law. How were you supposed to know that all of the stories of Werewolf's weren't true?"
"Still, it doesn't matter. I'm going to do this one right. No one dies on my shift, not now or ever!"
"You better hope we make it in time, the sun's going down, and if there is one thing we can count on it is our bad timing. I mean, if that thing wakes up, we are going to have to do it the hard way."
"Yeah, lets pick up the pace, I don't feel like fighting today."
Blaise grinned with satisfaction, "There's a first..."
--~~~
When they reached the house, they slowed and regained their breath. The house was old, even by Darkwind's standards. It was an old wooden house with dead and dying flowers all around. The paint was peeling, and the wood was warped.
Blaise looked over the house and began to laugh. Valentine came over to her and asked, "What is it?"
"Looks like our place," Blaise joked.
"Great, now you're becoming a comedian," retorted Valentine. "Ok, we're gonna do this by the book, no unnecessary property damage this time."
"Jeez, break one door and suddenly you're a criminal."
"Wouldn't surprise me. This is Darkwind, remember?"
With that last remark, they headed up the steps and towards the door. Valentine knocked loudly. No answer. He tried again, but to no avail. He tried the handle, and the door swung open at his touch.
"Interesting," he commented.
He poked his head in and saw furniture covered in sheets, as well as a fine layer of dust forming over the floor and fireplace. He turned to Blaise and smiled.
"Ladies first."
Blaise was genuinely shocked, but pulled herself together and replied, "Wuss."
She headed for the door. As she swung the door open, she noticed that the room had been deserted for quite some time. There was no sign of life at all. What scared her more than anything, was the staircase in the back of the room, which led to the upstairs. She always hated stairs, you could never see where ahead of you until it was too late. She motioned for Valentine to come near.
"Looks like we've got a problem here."
He nodded, "I see what you mean." As Valentine moved to check out the staircase, a loud noise came from above and he raced up the stairs to catch whoever it was. Blaise followed him, jumping a few steps as she chased after him.
When he made it up the stairs, he saw nothing. The hallway was empty, and there was no sign of any movement. He motioned to Blaise; they separated and began checking the rooms. He headed to the door on the right.
As he opened the door, a rat scurried to get out of the room, as if trapped in there by someone. He opened the closet door and a large group of rats streamed forth. Valentine was spooked; the vampire was actually keeping food in the house. He began to search the room on his right. There was a large bed in the middle of the room, and a large, expensive looking carpet and the ground below. He moved over to the window on the far side of the room, and realized that it was locked from the outside. He wondered who would be able to unlock it...
Blaise strolled into the room on the left. There was no door, and as far as she could tell, this was some sort of study. There was a desk with an old oil lamp on it. Papers were falling out of a filing cabinet, and ink had been spilled over some of the papers on the desk. She began looking through the papers and found some interesting information. As she turned to walk out of the room and show Valentine, a shadow moved on the edge of her vision. She turned around sharply just in time to see a club smash into her temple.
Valentine had heard a loud crack and a thump after he had finished scouting out the second room. He walked cautiously into the hallway with his sword drawn. He went into the study where Blaise had been. Nothing. He decided that she had gone into the other room on the left. It was strange that she had not told him, but he had not told her that he had moved onto the second room either. He decided not to worry, and went into the other room on the left.
A shocking vision greeted him. His wife was lying limply on the bed near the corner of the room. He felt the hackles rise on the back of his neck, and swung his long sword in a vicious arc which connected with a loud, sickening smack. As he followed his blade, he realized that he had just severed the neck of a person sneaking up behind him. It looked to be Councilor Trask. Valentine's mind became numb. Trask was the one who had both of them assigned to this case, and if he were here, that would mean that...
A large portion of the wall exploded, and a tall, wiry figure stepped out of the rubble. He had long stringy hair that was a dirty white color. His pupils had decomposed, and his eyes were the color of urine. His fingers ended in claws, and he had a large mouth filled with sharp teeth and he smelled worse than the food served at the Devil's Lounge. Valentine was filled with horror as he realized that the vampire was standing between him and Blaise. If it came down to a fight, he was ready to do what it took to save her life.
The vampire sniffed the air, spun sharply to face Blaise, and brought his mouth to her neck. Valentine cried out and swung his sword at the vampire; however, at the last moment, it brought up its arm, and his sword sank deep into its flesh and jarred on the old brittle bones. The vampire stopped hovering over Blaise's neck, and turned to face this new threat, unfazed.
Valentine cursed to himself, "Damn, wish I knew that trick..."
Valentine backed away, and they both circled each other. Now he was between Blaise and the vampire. Each of the struck out testing each other's strength and defenses. However, the vampire drew first blood. When Valentine lunged forward to parry one of the blows from the vampire, the vampire change the direction of its attack, and brought its deadly claws against his stomach, and blood flowed from the bloody rents in Valentine's skin.
Valentine cried out in pain, and back up towards Blaise. He raised his sword again. He launched a furious attack that drove the vampire back systematically until it had its back to the wall. Then he drew a dagger and threw it at the vampire. It sunk deep into the vampire's flesh, but only seemed to increase its pleasure, as well as its rage.
The vampire suddenly seemed larger and more deadly. It raced towards him with frightening speed, and it was all Valentine could do to parry some of the blows, and receive others. With his strength ebbing away, Valentine spoke a Word of Power. Fire rose around his blade, and the vampire jumped back. Obviously, it was afraid of fire.
He instead turned to the large oak table and sliced of a leg, time to stake him a vampire. However, before he could pick it up, the vampire hit him from behind, and his flaming sword flew from his hand and landed on the large rug on the ground. The fire began to blaze, and both of them saw the need to end this fight quickly.
The vampire darted past Valentine, and struck him from behind, knocking him to his knees. As the Vampire was about to drive home the killing blow, a loud shrieking sound come from behind him, and he turned only to have the oak table leg pierce his skin, and enter his heart. The Vampire collapsed into a pile on the floor and turned to dust. Blaise had ripped him a new one. She helped Valentine retrieve his sword and they both ran from the house. When they got outside the fire was roaring and most of the house was consumed.
Valentine turned to her and said, "Screw it, I don't think I like my job anymore. Let's quit and get another occupation."
She turned to him and smiled, "You'd be bored inside a week."
He laughed aloud, "True."
"You know," she said, "I was thinking maybe we should ask for a raise or something, I mean, its not like we do this for fun. You know, forget this. I'm not sticking around to write up a report, let the backup squad earn its pay."
"Yeah, that's the spirit. I think I am going home to have a nice long nap, and then take a long shower."
She looked at him quizzically, "A nap, and then a shower! The last time you put those two together, I ended up waking you up, striping you down, turning on the water, stripping myself, and joining you."
He just smiled warmly and said, "Now you know why I like this job."
Both of the laughed as they headed back to their home. There was no reason to stick around. All of the evidence destroyed, and no proof there was a vampire, they should have felt bad. Instead, they would go home to rest and have a good time later tonight...
