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The Sun slowly sets upon the empty field. Birds end their daytime chatter and crickets begin their nightime. As the last rays of sunlight slip slowly westward with the retreating sun and cast a shadow upon the forgotten, buried entrance to an old drainage ditch, cold, misshapen hands frantically dig their way up from the soil. Earth erupts skyward in the coming gloom as an eerie mist blankets the ground. Slowly, methodically, a tall grotesque faced creature rises from the ground and stands to his full height. Moonlight casts a glow upon the face of the strange creature. Its pale skin reflects the moonlight creating an eerie glow about his face. Reddish, animal-like eyes blink to clear any dirt and debris. A crooked smile creeps across his face revealing two sharp canine like incisors. He looks at the nearby castle and whispers...."Valek" Chrodzic has arrived..... |
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Valek stumbles slightly before regaining his balance and runs off to the woods with Shadowed. Looking once behind him, he asks, "Do you think that we lost him? You know, he is really not a bad person....once you get past the rustic exterior and the rat-like appearance....he's actually a good guy.... well.....some of the time." "Wait." Valek stops, pulling shadowed back a bit as he hides behind a tree, "Let's see if he's following us." Looking back, Valek sees Chrodzic stopping by the bushes. He sees the moonlight reflect off Chrodzic's pale, bald head and then Valek freezes in mid-gasp as Chrodzic looks up from the bushes and out into the woods....straight at Valek. A faint smile erupts upon Chrodzic's face. Then he abruptly turns and walks away...towards the village. "See, no problem." |
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Looking at shadowed, "I say we follow him and see where he goes. Sounds like fun, what?" Valek laughs and starts to follow Chrodzic. |
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Valek and shadowed follow Chrodzic to the local tavern, the same one they had both visited the night before. Watching his master play the same illusion he has used for centuries, Chrodzic changes his features to that of a good looking middle aged man as he enters the tavern. "Oh, this ought to be fun, let's go to the window", says Valek as he grabs shadowed's arm and crouches by one of the tavern windows. Once there, they notice that Chrodzic has little trouble with the new bouncer. Probably due to Chrodzic's illusion, the bouncer seems to recognize Chrodzic right away. "Hmmm...what do you think shadowed?" asks Valek, "the new guy ain't quite as ugly as the last one." Exchanging brief pleasantries with the bouncer, Chrodzic then goes and sits by himself at a corner table. There, Chrodzic then stares off into the distance. "What is he looking at? Can you see?" asks Valek. "Nevermind -- its that man over near the bar, the one with the leather coat and ruffled hair. What do you say? Should we go in?" |
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Valek enters the tavern and sits by himself at a corner stool of the bar. He now realizes what Chrodzic is about to do and decides it would be best to leave the hunt to the predator and the prey. |
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Chrodzic sits and twirls the glass of alcohol sitting in front of him, pretending to be interested in it. Finally, he stands and walks over to his intended victim. "Hello....Mark." "Excuse me," replies the gentleman as he gulps down his drink, "Do I know you?" "No... but I know...you." "Oh yeah, from where?" "Didn't you used to be the minister of the church in the town just over the hill?" "No, I'm not. I think you've got your wires crossed somewhere pal." "Are you sure? You look awfully familiar." "Well, I get that from time to time. I used to do some TV work. Listen, is there something I could do for you? Let's get one thing straight, I'm not gay and I'm not interested in that kind of lifestyle, so go barter somewhere else." "No, " Chrodzic laughs, "nothing like that at all. Believe me, that is the last thing I am interested in. No, I'm here for other reasons." "And what would that be?" "You called me." "I did? Listen, I know I've had a few, but my memory hasn't faded that badly and I'm not drunk....at least, not yet." Chrodzic, now slightly agitated, moves closer to Mark and whispers hoarsely in his ear, "The scent of the little boys you seduced is strong upon you. It would be wise for you to remember just who it is you serve." "Who are you?" asks Mark nervously. "That is not important. It is, however, vital that you come with me." "Look, perhaps we got off on the wrong footing. ...(pause) You have to understand, I'm married....have a daughter....I run a respectable business.... I can't afford for what happened in the past...to come out. What do you want......money? I can give you some." "Oh, I indeed require some form of payment." Chrodzic gently grabs Mark's elbow, "Shall we go.... and discuss business?" "Alright, let me pay my bill." suddenly Mark shoves Chrodzic and attempts to throw a punch, which is grabbed in mid-air by Chrodzic. Mark is stunned and then winces slightly in pain as Chrodzic squeezes Mark's fist. "This can either be done quietly.....or not. It is your choice. It makes no difference to me. So what will it be?" "oo...Okay. Have it ... your way. Your crushing my hand." Chrodzic releases Mark's hand. "After you." Chrodzic walks behind Mark. He notices both Valek at the bar and shadowed in the corner. He smiles faintly through his facial illusion as he follows Mark out into the street. |
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Valek pauses alongside shadowed. Closing his eyes, Valek smiles. "He is up the road just a bit. They are walking in quite a hurry. C'mon, this way." says Valek as he rushes up the road. |
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*OOC - Not exactly what I had in mind, but I like it anyway. I was going to have Chrodzic play with Mark some more before killing him, but this is better.*
Valek stands and watches the scene before him. He spies Chrodzic's and shadowed's bloodstained faces. "That was kind of messy, don't you think?" Valek says sarcastically. Suddenly, Valek's eyes open wide, as if in shock, and he yells, "Chrodzic, watch out!" as he sees...... An arrow flying through the air as it rams home in Chrodzic's shoulder; its arrowhead piercing through Chrodzic's flesh to come out the other side. Chrodzic roars in pain and his body lurches forward. Stumbling to his knees, Chrodzic turns his head an roars, "Slayers!" Both Valek and shadowed look behind Chrodzic to see a small army of well-armed men in the alleyway. One of the men comes forward armed with an automatic weapon. "Your nights are over -- fang face!" he yells as he pulls the trigger and rifle fire sprays over the alley. Valek is hit full force in his chest and falls backwards; gore flying everywhere. Chrodzic stands, roaring in defiance and is hit again in the shoulder and in his leg. Shadowed, being crouched, is missed entirely. <Valek lays in the alley-way as blood seeps from his wounds; his eyes closed. 'This is an interesting feeling,' he thinks, 'I haven't been shot at in quite some time'.> "Well...well, what do we have here?" quips the man as he walks over to shadowed, "Lil' miss Bo peep?" Slowly, he raises his weapon, "Say sayonara, babe". shadowed watches as the man aims his weapon at her. The laser guide shines brightly in her eyes casting her surroundings in a reddish glow. "You shouldn't leap before you look." says shadowed. "What?" asks the man. Behind him, Chrodzic rises stoicly and grabs the man by head and shoulder. "Your confidence was your undoing." Chrodzic says as his fangs sink deep into the man's flesh. Chrodzic twists his head ripping out a large chunk of flesh and arteries adding more gore to Chrodzic's already blood spattered face. "Brad.....Goddamn it. Brad" Screams one of the other men in the alleyway. In unison, the remainder of the men raise their weapons and gunfire erupts again into the night, illuminating the alleyway. |
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*OOC - sorry for the delay. I'm working nights through this weekend which severely limits my computer time. I'll think of a continuation of this story shortly. Please Stand By. |
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Sirens blare in the night as several police cruisers begin to make their way down the street. Nervously, the leader of the slayers decides to cut his losses and leave, "C'mon boys, we know where they all live." he says as they all scamper into a black van and speed away throwing a cloud of dust into the air. Chrodzic opens his eyes and rises up. He spies shadowed and Valek on the ground. Despite his own wounds, Chrodzic limps over to where they lay and picks them gently up and into his arms. In a superhuman effort, he leaps upward two floors and onto a nearby fire escape and places his friends on the grating. He hears the police cars coming nearer and realizes that he must act quickly. With his powerful eyes he notices that no one occupies the room just adjacent to the fire escape. Forcing his hand through the glass window, he raises the window pane and tosses both Valek and shadowed into the darkened room. Chrodzic smells the air and sense heavy dust in the room. "Good" he thinks, "it hasn't been occupied in some time." He then closes the window shut. Spying a dark blanket laying on a nearby bed, he places it over the curtain rod above the window and lets the rest drape downward nearly touching the floor. "This will provide us with some protection", he muses as blood loss begins to weaken him. Drowsily, he lays upon the bed and falls fast asleep. |
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Valek rises from the floor and catches shadowed before she hits the floor. Placing her gently down on the floor. Valek looks around and sees Chrodzic slumbering upon the bed, "Figures that you would get the luxury." he mocks as he dusts himself off, "Well, I guess I can't complain. At least we are alive and safe for the time being --- I think." Valek opens his shirt where the bullets from the slayer had struck him. "Hmmm" he muses as he pokes his finger through one of the holes in his chest, "It kind of tickles." Gingerly, he limps over towards the window where Chrodzic had placed the blanket. "Still dark", he says to no one in particular. Valek peeks outside and sees several police cruisers and ambulances in the alleyway. Photographers are taking pictures of the carnage below. Valek looks about and smiles faintly " ....nothing but dead slayers......oooohhhhh shit." Valek watches as a small group of policemen are gathered around the body of one of the slayers. There sticking dead center of his chest is shadowed's sword. He watches as two of the policemen hold the body down while two others yank the sword from the corpse. Valek watches as the police place the sword in a large plastic bag and place it in a cruiser. "Well" says Valek, "I guess that we are going to be making a trip to the police station tomorrow night." |
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"Are you nuts!!?? We were almost killed just a few moments ago and you want to go back out?" Valek paces nervously, like a cat, about the room. "No, I think our best bet is to just stay put until we figure out who was behind this and what we should do about this. Your sword isn't going anywhere and we can get it easily tomorrow night or the next." "For once," replies Chrodzic as he lies upon the bed, "Valek is making sense." Opening his eyes and sits up, "this was planned. Someone knows who we are and where we hide. As he casually dusts off his clothing, Chrodzic continues, "The police station will be the first place the slayers will look for us. They have no fear of the law...while ..... our presence.....leaves much to be desired with the police." "No shadowed, I think that it is best to wait at least a day. We need to warn the others. There are bound to be more than just those slayers. We inflicted only a minor defeat upon them, they will be back..... and in greater numbers." |
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Chrodzic watches as both shadowed and Valek walk ahead of him towards the castle. Without their knowing, he silently slips away and walks in another direction. The police station. Masquerading himself as he had done in the tavern, Chrodzic approaches a young female police officer at the main desk in the police station lobby. "Can I help you?" she asks. "Yes, I am Inspector Omeric from Interpol. I'm here in regards to a sword that was interned during a nearby shooting." Checking her computer she replies, "Why.... that just happenned a few hours ago how did you find out about that and can I ask what is your business with the sword?" "Let's just say that news travels fast. (laughing) Interpol received a report on the sword and it is believed to be stolen property from a prestigious family in Europe. You know how rich people are. When they want things, they want things done now." "Well, inspector, I don't know how things work in Europe, but the sword is evidence in a ongoing investigation. I'm afraid that I cannot release the sword to you." Looking downtrodden, "I see. Well, thank you for your help. I'm not sure what I'll tell my superiors ....but....c'est la vie." As Chrodzic walks away, "Hey ... hold on inspector," the officer yells, "I can at least take you to look at it. There is no harm in that now is it.?" "You are too kind." replies Chrodzic as he follows the woman towards the evidence room......conveniently located in the basement. |
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Valek shrugs his shoulders and follows shadowed to Chrodzic's lair. |
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Chrodzic follows the woman down into the basement. "Its just over here" she says. Chrodzic follows her, ironically, past the morgue and into a room with several large wall vaults. "Its in here" she points to a vault in the corner. Chrodzic listens closely and hears no one else within the basement. "Good .... I won't need you anymore." Chrodzic says as the girl turns around "W-what?" she exclaims. Chrodzic no longer holds his facial illusion and now appears as he truly is. The woman tries to scream, but Chrodzic grabs her by the throat and silences her with his grip. She struggles and Chrodzic lifts her high above his head and throws her hard against the wall. "Dignity, my dear, is a cherished trait." Chrodzic mocks before he rips the woman's throat wide open with one of his fingernails. He lunges out and sinks his fangs deep within her neck gorging himself with her blood. Once finished, Chrodzic tosses the empty hulk of a body aside. "Such a waste of blood" Chrodzic snaps as he notices the pool of blood upon the floor. Chrodzic walkes over towards the vault where the woman was pointing to. He grabs the handle and rips the vault from the wall with little effort; creating quite a clatter. He looks inside and grabs shadowed's sword from within. Holding shadowed's sword within his hands, Chrodzic remarks, "Nice handle and far superior workmanship. Indeed, this is a treasure. I'll be sure to return it to its rightful owner." "I don't think you'll be going anywhere tonight" A voice echoes in the vault. Chrodzic turns around and sees the same 3 armed men he confronted within the alley. Again, in unison, they raise their weapons to fire............ |
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"Don't move, freak!", the leading police officer demands of Chrodzic. "Goddamn!" yells a black policeman nearby as he raises his shotgun and takes dead aim on Chrodzic, "he sure is one ugly Mother F'r. Your momma and daddy must've sure been ugly." Chrodzic says nothing as he smiles and then closes his eyes. Chrodzic's skin begins to ripple and a mist forming at his feet begins to enshroud him. "What the hell!" says one of the cops. "Fuck this!" the leading policeman says, "Fire!!!" In unison, the policemen fire their weapons at the enveloping mist. Chips and pieces of wall tile shatter as bullets pass through the mist and explode upon the wall. The mist rises above the ground and hovers near the ceiling. The policemen, still firing, move closer to get a better aim. Suddenly, a large, winged creature emerges from the mist and with a roar soars past the shooting policemen and escapes out into the hallway. A janitor approaches the door to the morgue with a mop bucket and swab in his hands. As he reaches for the door, it suddenly explodes into the main lobby. The soaring creature roars one last protest as it circles once over the lobby area and then crashes through the glass window of the police station and into the evening air. |
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