GEV

 The full moon fights to pull itself from the dark rolling clouds, as they try over and over to bury it under their mask. The cold bitter winds snap against the buildings, as the torrid rains & sleet, lash out ripping into the cold hard soil. The night forces all form of man and beast to move from its grasp.

The heavy liquid dominates the panes of glass across the bordello. The warm breath inside frosting over the panes of colored glass.

As a crash of thunder sounds far off in the night. Giles tosses and turns in his bed within the bordello, visions bounce through his head.... they tear at him...

His silver hair flies back and forth as his head fights against the images. The woman that found his favor looks towards him, knowing that to touch him in this state would be dangerous. She moves further away from him.

 Watching as his muscles rippled in effort, fighting, clenching against something, a foe, a demon, she wasn't sure. The only thing she knew was this man, once a great warrior, despite being aged and worn from the years was still a danger to anyone he was battling. At this moment she had no desire to become the vision his mind was facing.

Her gentle smile now looking rather nervous, she once not long ago was a very attractive woman before the wars that had raged near here, took her family and her softness. Leaving her little choice in what to do or where she could go in life.

She did though enjoy when Giles would  come to call. He always spent all his time with her. He would stay days on end, making her feel as though her beauty had not completely faded.

 Her long reddish hair was tussled and drawn from the nights passions. If she could ever love a man, if she could ever believe in a man this one could the one. As she stared at him the scars on his chest completely healed now told the story that he had been near death and some how had over shadowed it. His face through it’s weather worn lines still seemed touchable. When he smiled it lit up his entire face and she swore his green eyes danced in perfect time with the flickering of the night lamps.

He moved again bracing himself against something...

                                     Somehow he knows this is not a nightmare

Realizing that the light that divided the darkness is outside his own home...

                            "A scream bursts from his lips"

 He tosses and turns trying to force the images from his head, he has to rise and return home...

 Yet the images will not disperse.... He sees through another’s eyes. A door is blown open under the pressure behind it.

                                    "Oh MY GOD!!!"

He sees a small thin-clawed hand grabbing at his newly wedded daughter's throat, ripping it open.

 Blood splatters, the blood covers the walls, the floor, painting some grotesque canvas

 Suddenly her husband, Brandon, rushes in, His face dons a look of horror, his love, his light, all his future before his eyes, her blood filling the room...

 Brandon stands in shock, his entire world now gone... He moves to react to wipe away the numb that has taken his body... It is too late; the clawed hand spins once more, ripping quickly at his chest. With a force so great, the cavity separates in as if sliced by a saw blade, exposing his still beating heart...

 The woman screams as she sees Giles fighting against the images, trying desperately to step back into reality...

 The talon- like fingers reach and tear the heart from Brandon's chest...

 Suddenly the images stop... as if it never had been, Giles awakes quickly...

Giles is released from the images, his body once again in his power. Springing from his bed an to the door without dressing, Giles hand slips around his oldest and most trusted friend, his sword.

The fireplace's sparks dance in a reflection off the steel of his sword as he rushes down the stairs

The cold winds and sleet beat unnoticed against his frame as he runs into the carriage house, His hands reach quickly to the gate of his steed, the saddle and bridle hanging there. His hands quickly after years of practice slide the outfit onto the paint horse. The echo of hooves sounds out across the cold night. As the two tear through the wicked darkness leaving only a trace that they were ever there.

The rain and sleet slap against his naked body unnoticed, the rush through the darkness, the Paint cuts through the night as it tops the mountains edge. The darkness fades as the seething flames fill the air; His home is engulfed in a firestorm ripping its way against the winds and rain.

The paint flies towards his home, suddenly as one they pull to a stop.

He almost falls as he leaps off the horse, the ground softened to a mush under his feet. Catching his balance he makes his way quickly to the house.

The door falls from it's hinges as he bursts through. Giles raises his arm over his face as the flames dance around him. The blood strewn everywhere fills his eyes. Giles moves thru the smoke and haze towards his son in law’s body lying in a pool of blood, he presses on against the smoke in hope and desperation to catch a glimpse of those he loved.

There against the wall, the rising heat distorting her image and yet he can still see the ghastly tears marring her young flesh. His eyes mourn her instantly cutting his soul.

A loud rumbling noise resounds in the room, Suddenly the roof crashes in and the walls begin to fall. The china shatters as all seems to implode forcing it self in rushing to remove all the evidence that there once something evil taking place here.

His instincts take over, knowing in a moment that the room will cave in. The muscles expand and move without conscience thought, he rushes and diving thru the window as the walls fall inward. The flames have taken the victory, as the building sinks into a huge bonfire.

He rolls onto the wet grass, clawing quickly at the soggy earth pulling himself away from the heat and ashes of this tragedy.

Blackness fills his mind as it closes itself to the flames. Driving out the look of his daughter’s sweet face. Shutting down the horror that has just taken place.

A wrenching cough is heard from Giles. Then blackness…

The Reckoning

 His eyes begin to flutter; the stench of the smoke still fills his lungs as they suck in air. His eyes open to see nothing is left but a few small flames. The rain has stopped and the sun has fought its way forward to light up the day.

Rage, anger, hopelessness consume his every thought. Giles slowly drags himself from the ground. Pulling himself to his feet, his body aches crying out in pain. Yet Giles doesn't hear the cries of his flesh, for the anger has now taken control.

He slowly makes his way to his Paint. Opening the saddlebags he finds his spare clothing, dressing deliberately as the memories of the night before once more fill him.  Making his way towards the ashes of the home he had given his daughter and he husband for their wedding gift. Only the frame of the door stood still as if a reminder that this was once the entrance to a place of love and beauty now an entrance to pain and woe.

Kicking his boots at the debris in his path, first he found the charred remains of his son-in-law, Pulling on his gloves reached under him and pulled the frame from the rubble. He was surprised how little one weighed when there was nothing remaining.  Caring him out to the top of grass covered hill.

Then he returned once more to find his only daughter against the wall, as she had been the night before. The blood now dissipated, the flames had claimed everything. Nothing remained in their path except ashes and remnants of once was. 

The sun begins to fade as he finishes places the last of the dirt over the two graves. Kneeling beside the grave of his wife he smiles to her.

“My love, I know that you did not expect our daughter to lay here so soon. I know it was not suppose to be before me…

His voice soft and steady, the sorrow and love was evident in each word, a deep breath leaves him and looks back to her a bit of pride slides across his face.

“Beside her is a very wonderful young man. He loved her, I am sure she told you about him. They were married yesterday; I can’t understand how God could allow this to happen. If this was my God he would take two so young and one so beautiful as you and leave this old man here”

 His head shakes as he looks at the three graves, a single tear falls down his weather worn face. The gentleness of his face had faded.  “ My love I promise that you, I swear that I will find the creature that took them. I will destroy it and drag it to hell. This land, this home, this ground means nothing to me without out my two loves… I am going now, I don’t know when or if I will be back Never forget my love that I love you and take good care of our daughter where ever you two are now.”

He turns back to paint, moving around him making sure that he had no injuries. Gently patting the steeds necks as he climbs up on his back. Pulling quickly on the reins turning towards the west.

The Paint knows that hell is coming, that he and his partner are on their way to dance with the devil. They had faced death before; they have ridden against many swords. He has felt blood both his and his partners over the years.  He could feel that he and his master once more were to head to war.

With a quick spin of the reigns and a gentle kick to Paint's side, Giles rides slowly off thru the meadow. His mind flooded with the visions rising relentlessly reminding him of his loss.

 As dusk begins to surround him he sees a familiar cross of the newly created church. The fresh scent of the wood still lingering in the air.

Slowly sliding off Paint, Staring blankly towards the door as his hand pushes softly on the door. His eyes begin to adjust to the light with in, the image of the priest kneeling before the altar, fills his eyes. They moon flickers now through the stain glass windows, the pews now bathed in the soft light. Appearing almost as if covered in blood. The sound of his boots rang out against the new flooring inside the church.  

The priest looks towards Giles as he moves his direction. By the look on his face he can tell something horrid has happened. Knowing Giles he knows that he is best wait to find the trouble from him. Rising he moves to meet him in the aisle.  

 With the strength born of his anger Giles reaches into the leather coin purse in his boot and takes out a few coins handing them to the priest....

"Priest , take this and inscribe upon the stone here lies

Elizabeth daughter of Giles E Valor

 loved and cherished and soon avenged June 10, 1372.

The priest without emotion nods.

"It will be done my son" ...

Giles voice full of anger and distain  "I am not your son .. I have lost my daughter and my son in law to some evil that your son of a Dog spelled backwards allowed to take the sweet innocence from me "

He takes a few steps back from the priest ...looks at the statue of Jesus on the cross. His voice angered and bitter calmly and slowly states. "I know of only one who stood up to your Father, one who said "I shall not kneel before anyone "...that is who this night I shall seek "

Quickly and as abruptly as he entered, he strides out the door. The cold wind fills the church and rushes over the priest as the door slowly closes. Giles takes the reigns of Paint turning the steed towards the blackness of the night. The shadows chasing after him, the soft leaves fold under the hooves of Paint as He rides deep into the woods, to the place not even the noonday sun can enter.

He had found this place once before, long ago after the battle that took place not far from here. He had fought his way only a few of his men survived that battle. During the night he saw a beautiful woman walk through the cascading waterfalls.

Following her into the darkness he saw a statue of a woman. A beautiful woman but he never found the woman. Later on he learned the statue was the goddess Lilith. The original wife of Adam, the world’s first and most original woman libber. 

  The woods part as he hears the sound of the rushing stream. As he dismounts his horse, His gaze shifts to the waterfall before him. He pauses and looks at the cascading beauty, knowing that behind it thru the passage is the shrine of Lilith, Mother of the Darkness.

Small torches break the darkness of the cave and light his way as he crosses deeper the cave, his clothes damp from passing under the waterfall, just ahead the cave opens into a large well lit room.

Inside stands a beautiful statue of Lilith. As he crosses the threshold, he feels the power of the darkness surround him. Reaching to his side Giles withdraws his sword, laying it at her feet. Slowly kneeling down and turning his eyes upward tracing the marble before him, till his gaze looks directly upon her face.

" Oh Lilith... Mother of the Dark .. Keeper of the Secrets .. Holder of the Earth ..Do not forsake me .. hear my cry ..show me thyself .. show me thy power ..one has come to me and taken what I love and what I cherish what I need . She was my daughter ..my only child .. all that was left of the love that her Mother and I held so dear ."

No more then he had finished the words then a hand rested on his shoulder. Startled he turned to see the woman that the statue had been made in likeness of. Her beauty was flawless she moved as though she floated just above the ground.

  The visions of what had happened to her filled mind, she nodded knowing what happened and what needed to be done.

 " Giles, I will give you what you seek. The power to avenge, to live, to be able to walk the night until you hold the blood of the ones that took your treasure away "

  
"But Giles in return from this night forth you will keep the ways that we teach you. You will honor this place and my name for all eternity."

A puzzled look crosses Giles face in his most humble tone,

" Eternity?" ...

"Yes Giles, to do what you need to do. To be what you need to be, you must become one with the night, one with the earth, in harmony with all the creatures of the darkness".

Giles nodded slowly remembering the stories of those that worshiped and followed her, and those that they called Vampires. "If this is what is needed of me the price is more then acceptable, for I am already dead. I just refuse to go."

A soft green mist slowly appears behind him. A dark thin man steps out of the mist, his eyes gleaming red.

Lilith turns to the shadowed man " Giles, this is Ashton. I beget Rom, Rom beget he as Ashton will beget you. Remember from this night forward ... .you shall be one of mine. One of Liliths Family."

As the words entered his ears he felt the sharpness of the fangs driving into his neck, slowly the cave started to fade. Giles felt his body weakening, he felt powerless as his heart stopped.

Suddenly, as if someone had clicked on a light, He felt the rush of blood as he sucked greedily at the wrist of Ashton .The images of hundreds of years of time passing, of the knowledge filled his vessel that once carried the soul of Giles E Valor.

 As quickly as it started the wrist was pulled away from his mouth .The images still danced in his head. Quickly the power filled him, the strength, the agility poured into each muscle fiber. He could see the image of a woman and man. It started becoming more and more clear.

Dazed fighting the confusion he heard Lilith’s words flowing to him "The one you seek resides in the Balkans , He is one of group called Koldun. You will know his place for his boundaries are marked with the bones, skulls and sinew of his victims. Ashton will travel with you teaching you the ways and showing you the paths and if needed will aide you in the dispatching of this abomination of Cain but be cautious for the Drealer are no lamb to be brought to slaughter, they are as ferocious as our brothers the children of the wolf."

Soon the cave came into perfect focus and Lilith was gone and a hand reached down and aided him to his feet. Giles was surprised at the strength of such a thin man who helped him up with no effort at all.

Walking from the cave no words were spoken, Aston’s hand stayed supporting Giles as they made their way back towards the cave entrance. The sun fell to the power of night, his sister the moon shown brightly a few days from showing her full face.  As they reached Giles horse, Giles turned towards Ashton,

“I am not sure that I can do what you did, to take another’s life’s blood simply so I can walk in through this place” .

The lines in Giles’s face seemed deeper as he worried over this and so many other thoughts.

Ashton’s hand touched his shoulder, carefully Giles turned towards this stranger who was now to be his teacher and partner in his quest for revenge.

Aston walked over to a tree stomp and began to speak, his voice seemed certain almost like a professor teaching his class how the world was created. A slight chuckle filled the air as the first words flowed

 “We are not like most of the Vampires you will reach in this world, we are from Lilith, and they come from Eternius. When Lilith left the Garden of Eden. She did so because she would not submit to any man. She was not to be going to be submissive to even god. She like all creatures then was immortal not knowing the ways of the hunger, pain or death.

When she entered the Isle of Nod, the animals still all spoke one language all understood one another and were all friends. With time she grew lonely and the wolves, the creatures only step above man. Became her friends she loved and was loved by Strealder the leader of the wolves. As time passed they became lovers. She then gave birth to the children of the night. The Children of wolf they walk as man does, or as wolf they can have either world.

Then Adams second wife Eve ate the fruit and well you know what happened she and Adam got the boot.. The animals no longer could communicate to each other and the hunger, pain and death filled the world. When Eternius killed the Angel he was cursed to walk the earth. Thirsting for blood, lonely had had a chat with a demon that taught him how to take his pain and make others who hunger for blood, who need the blood to survive.

We on the other hand are a bit more evolved. We only use the blood for rituals or to awaken another. We can draw the life energy that flows in the blood, all around us. From others, from animals, plants everything on this earth has an energy that makes it alive. We never take more then we need and we can also give back this energy. We can use it to heal to grow and to do so much. It is what we were before the fall from his grace. It was how it was; we are blessed with this gift. We do suffer a few of the downfalls because we walk with Lilith we are punished to never see the Sunlight on our faces again,”

  He lowers his voice a little, “But I will teach you a secret that will make it so you can take the sun for a short time.”

  He pauses a moment... “ But back to what I was saying. So no unless you wish to create others you do not have to drink blood itself. But every full moon, a ritual must be done to give thanks to Lilith. I will teach you this and you will perform it the blood used must be given from only willing and all whom you bring must join in the ritual… again I get lost in my job. We have much time before we will part and you have much to learn but for now we need to find shelter do you know of a place that we can take rest and no one will bother us until the evening darkness comes once more.”

  Giles smiled, thinking of his lovely friend at the bordello and how there are no questions asked that ever needed an answer and how if a man said not to bother him before the nightfall it would be honored as well. “ Yes, I know just the place”. Leading the Paint they began to walk towards the bordello.

The bustle of the night business was beginning to grow out side the door of their rooms. Giles began to stir the noises outside his room becoming louder as they drank more and more in the tavern below. A smile crossed his face as he looked beside him and their Laura lay sleeping very quietly. She always slept with him; it was never a question if he would go up stairs with anyone else. Nor was it a question that she would.

  The day she arrived at the Wolves Corner, she sat in the corner looking completely over whelmed by all that was going on around her. Yet you could tell she was no wallflower that would fall simply because life had dealt her a bad hand.

As he sat looking at her sleeping he recalled her sitting there that night some blow hard, small man hooded, going on and on about how he was going to bang her brains out. That her only problem is she had never had a real man. A chuckle came from him as he recalled walking over to her, the blow hard grabbed her arm, tightly as Giles approached and proclaimed that the woman was his. Giles looked towards the owner and shook his head. Then turned once more towards the bloke and stated in a firm but strong voice.

“ Oh she is? Well then I guess you can refund my money to me. I just paid that man a rather large bag of gold for her company. Or if you would rather forgo the gold we can take this outside I do have my sword and we can handle this as Gentlemen. It of course is completely up to you since you seem to be comfortable in my spot”

The man stammered and sputtered for a moment looked long and hard at Giles sword then at the scars on his chest he rose from the spot beside the wench,  “ I meant you no disrespect I did not know that you had already placed a claim on this woman. Lowering his eyes not to cast any problems he moved towards the door of the tavern, “Again Milord I meant no foul.” and quick as a wit disappeared as the tavern suddenly broke out in laughter.

“ I am Giles and I do hope that you will allow me to join you,” He slowly sat down beside her. I do hope that we can be friends, they sat and chatted all night she told him how she lost her children and husband during the war and he shared how he had lost his wife. They spent the next six nights together just talking. He never once attempted to bed her they just talked.

He enjoyed her laughter and the way she would gently touch his arm when she thought something was funny or exciting. Then one night it happened they were talking and suddenly his lips touched hers. He was not sure how they got there but the had it was wonderful, he had bedded others but he had not kissed a real kiss, a kiss that made your soul sing and your mind race to younger days.

They must have kissed and caressed for hours. He recalled how wonderful she felt when they finally made love. They power that was between them.  From that day forward he spent every night there he attended to his lands and the things that must be done. He made sure that his daughter had all she needed. Before he would journey back to her.  She had spent time with another client. It was agreed to by Giles and the owner that she was not to be asked to do so. She was too important to him to have to wait in line.

She began to stir; she smiled that smile that he loved to see as awoke. She leaned her head against his chest, holding him ever so tightly.  “I was so afraid I would never see you again after the other night. I thought the demons themselves had gone after your soul. I heard about the house and your daughter, I am so sorry.”

  She looked him in the eyes her soft blues told him she truly did care, that she had worried and was grateful to be once more at his side.  “I am here for you I know that I do not have much to offer and them I am not worthy of all you have done and do for me.”

Slowly he leaned her back against his chest slowly stroking her hair. He wondered if she could feel he was different now. He knew he was different he could feel her blood running through her. Her heartbeat rang softly in his ears, He thought if he tried he could hear her thoughts but he knew not to do so.  

“I may have to go away for a while I have to search out the ones that did all this, I need to ask a favor of you.”

His voice filled with caring yet so serious that it was almost grave. “There are very few people I trust anymore in this world and less I care about. Will you take care of my home and my land while I am gone? I don’t know how long it will be, I don’t even know exactly where I am going but I do know I need to know that both you and my lands will be safe.” 

She looked up at him knowing what he asked of her was for real. That it was his way of saving her once more from this place, at the same time keeping her as his alone. She didn’t mind this at all. She had fallen in love with him the first night.

Though she never told him but now she thought maybe he too felt the same way.“ Of course I will do as you ask me too. Anything anytime any place. You simply need to request it and it is so.”

Slowly the door opened as a strong knock was heard. There stood Ashton with a smile on his face. He looked well rested and by the look of the young lass hanging on him well bedded.

“Well I think it is time that we should head out we have a very long travel tonight. Hell many nights ahead of us but I will make sure that when we are close to here again we will come back to this place…”  

  The Journey Begins

The warm spring breeze moves along the road as the dust fills the air.

A group of Gypsies move down that rough road, the wooden wheels of the cart bounce against the hard trail. Yet the voices of the travelers filled the air joy they were together knowing that all they needed was each other.

Ashton thin frame rode slowly behind the caravan he and Giles speaking to an old man. Ashton’s jet-black hair flowed down his back. It seemed so strange against his pearl white flawless skin. His eyes so dark so black that they reflect the light from within them. A smile donned his face as he spoke with the old man. They spoke of stories when the man was young and foolish.

Giles chuckled as he heard the tall tales of two very old friends. How much was reality and how much was fiction, how much was based on completely on truth and how much had grown with the passing of the years.

Giles thought it strange that they spoke of the years that had passed so openly. He knew that these actions and happening had to of passed over 40 years ago, Yet Ashton still looked as though he was only in his late 20’s.

It was the first time since he started this journey that he had seen Ashton seem completely mortal, human and free. Ashton always seemed to be the Professor never allowing himself to fall to the frails that may allow Giles to think of him as less the his mentor.

It was good to know that Ashton had this side that he was a man first, a man that could laugh joke and see the future with more then a mission at stake. This was a man that Giles had learned to respect. Now he was learning to like as well.

He listened as the spoke of a place across the ocean, a place that most ships could never find. It was sealed in a haze, a haze that kept the direct sun from every showing itself. That all the creatures there even the Vampires and other forces of the night. Were no longer bound to day or night. For the daylight never truly surfaced and the night was simply just a darkened version of the day.

Giles thought this would be a wonderful place, a place he did not have to worry about the time. Never worried if he would make it somewhere safe before the morning sunlight took possession of the world but for now this was his world and he was still on his way to kill the creature that had destroyed his baby.

Ashton and the man spoke of a valley that they would be in for the day. The Gypsies played all night and slept all day as well amongst their group were several children of the wolf. They also had a few of the leaches, as Ashton would call them, those who drank blood to survive. These did not drink the blood of man they stayed with the animals. They bled what they needed from the livestock and mixed it in their wine.

 Giles thought it was a strange combination, he had been given a glass of the wine the flavor of the blood seemed old to him.  He thought it tasted almost dead. He could not understand how one could enjoy something once the lifeforce was gone from it. It was like having sex alone. It will do the job, but it isn’t fulfilling. 

He was so glad that he and Ashton did not drink the blood of creatures that he could pull life’s energy from the flesh without breaking it. He had even learned to pull it from a group of people without even touching them. Sometimes it seemed to much it would over come him. For the first few months when he was in a large group the energies would over take him. Flood him over feeding him. He would feel high as if he had drank several bottles of cognac. Even the hang over the next day would be there reminding him that too much of a good thing.. isn’t.

the tents were set up now. Giles found his way to the tent that he and Ashton had used that last two weeks as they traveled along with the band of Gypsies. A young woman smiled at him as he entered the tent she had been there every night. She had made his bed, prepared his meals. Cleaned his clothes and offered herself to him each night. Each night he found an excuse to not bed the Lilly.

He walked down to the water behind the tent removed his clothing, diving into the cool water to shake away the image of her. To clean the scent of her from his mind. 

When he was close to her he could feel the energy from her it was so strong it was powerful he was fearful that it may be to much for him that he may fail and fall to the world of the leaches. She was too…

There she was standing on the waters edge, he watched her carefully. The dress slid from her shoulders to the floor, her olive skin so beautiful in the moonlight. Her naked flesh so inviting as she entered the water. She walked towards him until the water was just below he breasts. They seemed to float there before him. She was sweet so free, She never spoke a single word as Giles moved closer to her. Her firm body seemed to melt into his as he pulled her to him.

The thought of whether he was going to be able to resist or not no longer mannered. All that mattered at this moment was to feel her flesh against his. To know the curve of her back in his grasp. They begin the dance of love. His mouth covers hers, their bodies filling each others desires. He felt his mouth pulling from her, taking her life energy as they moved. Then he would push his energy and the energy of all around him into her. They became one, as man and woman and as energy of all creatures.

The water moved and grew and rocked them as they grew in passion. He looked in her eyes and felt her passion grow and then finally the jitters of their passion flowed from her. As he felt her shake he joined her and soon they began to relax letting the feeling subside.

His grasp on her slowly released and she moved to the shore he smiled as he saw her step from the waters edge. Then suddenly a mist seemed to fill her spot and then a white wolf stood there. The solid gray eyes of the wolf was that of the Lilly.  

As Giles and Ashton traveled thru the endless nights, not one but two years passed. During their travels Giles learned their ways. He had practiced and listened. He had found peace with the Beast and found brotherhood with all the creatures of the darkness. Two years and 14 days after his vow to Lilith they approached the realm of the Koldun.

The warmth of the night filled their lungs as the journey drew closer to the Evil, to the one who had destroyed all he had known and loved, Giles looked towards Ashton as they saw the bones and skulls lining the road way, neither spoke a word.
Ashton slowed and slid from the back of his steed, Paint drew slowly behind as Giles dismounted as well, and they walked slowly along the path, leaving the horses at the gate of the path. Both their eyes filled with a soft green glow, piercing the darkness as if it were the light of day.

A loud Scream sounded out as the neared the fire of the one of Koldun. His eyes now sharp in the darkness saw the maiden. Her silky white flesh marred and damaged, her face riddled with fear and disbelief that this could some how be real, not a nightmare.

  The blade of the beast ripped her flesh scaring her. He laughed as he continued to slowly tear at her tender flesh, Giles looked toward Ashton following his cue, He called upon one of his new gifts the Mother Lilith had given him His flesh become hard as marble as he allowed the spell to fill him. Their rage growing with each scream, tearing the sweet nights air. Giles pulled his sword ready to rush in as his body filled with strength, the blood filling the muscles with a renewed vigor.

Ashton reached and touched his shoulder, shaking his head no. Ashton's hand fades, as he became mist, Giles nodded understanding what was meant and slowly became the mist as well.

He and Ashton, the mist and floated thru the crisp night air reappearing beside the lone Drealer. With out a single word their swords ripped deeply into his flesh, as the creature reached out it's talon like hands, towards Giles, Ashton sword seared through the flesh and bone dropping it to the ground, still clutching at the air. Giles blade found its mark as it removed the head of the vile creature. Ashton drove a stake though the Dealer’s heart.

In a matter of moments Ashton and he had avenged his daughter.

As Ashton poured the alcohol over the body and threw the match upon it. In an instant final death happened and all remained was a pile of ash. Slowly Ashton turned to Giles "It is done, Our Mother Lilith has a new task for me, remember your words, keep your vows. I will give you one piece of advice before I depart; there are many different creatures of the night not all are evil, nor are all trustworthy. In the creatures of the darkness of those called Vampyre not all are like this evil creature part demon. Some fight their evil side, looking for a place that they can be where they can find some form of peace…”

  With those word he turned from Giles, reaching out into the night air fading into another plane…

Giles slowly walked toward the young maiden, hanging their her flesh marred, he wondered if it would be better if he simply took what was left of her life. Then allow her to lead a life filled with these horrid scars that he knew had damaged more then just her flesh…

Placing a blade to her throat he saw the beauty of her eyes as they opened then filled with fear knowing that her life was soon over but it wasn’t in him, the blade slid down to the binds on her feet and hands. Taking her weight in his arms he carried her to Ashton’s horse placing her gently on the saddle began to make his way towards an old abandoned cabin he had passed not far from here. He could feel the sunrise coming and he knew he had to move quickly.

As they entered the cabin the sounds of her low cry, filled his ears.