The Vampyre

Hunting the Dark

Written by: Gary Deken

A tall fair skinned man stood in the main street, with a man and woman standing next to him. The street was cast in the early star lights of evening. The woman gritted her teeth, charging at a nearby door. She jerked at the knob.

“Easy, Stefanie,” the second man spoke. “We don't want to scare them.” He turned back to the tall man. “Jörg, see if you can get them to come out.”

Jörg nodded to Mirek and stepped forward, crying out, “Alban, come on out! We want to talk!”

The empty streets remained quiet. The windows were dark and there was an odd stillness in the air. Jörg looked from window to window for any signs of life. Each window was a bleak reminder of what the town was like before the vampyres came. No candle lights shone through. The tavern was silent from its normal cheers of laughter and enjoyment.

Jörg started walking towards the tavern. “Alban. Where are you hiding?”

Jörg's blue eyes gazed out across the streets. His blonde hair lay still. He spied two large wolves standing near the end of the street. Jörg nodded to them, and wolves stepped back around the corner.

“Alban!” Jörg cried out. Anger was starting to fill his face.

There was creak from a house door, and from the crack, Alban's face appeared. “We want nothing to do with you!”

“Alban,” Jörg feigned hurt. “Brother, why do you speak to me like such.”

“You are not my brother!” Alban spat back.

“Do you disown me so easily?” Jörg replied. “We grew up together. We worked at our father's shop for so many years. You were the best man at my wedding.”

“You are not my brother,” Alban spit into the night. “You have changed into a horrible creature of the night. And then you cursed your own wife. I will have nothing to do with you.”

“Brother,” Jörg grabbed at his chest in fake pain. “I am hurt.”

The tavern door swung open and Stanislav and Xaver stepped out into the night air. Their swords held up. Xaver had a small buckler strapped to his arm. They stared at the three vampyres.

Jörg turned towards them, eyeing them carefully. Stefanie moved in closer to Mirek. Mirek remained calm, sizing up the two soldiers. He had never seen them before, and he was curious to why they didn't run and hide as the others did.

Stanislav and Xaver stayed together, circling around Mirek, setting Jörg far from them. Stefanie gave a sultry smile, and strutted towards the soldiers. The men could tell she was planning to seduce them into a false sense of security.

Stefanie strolled up to them, smiling. “Aren't you two big and strong. You're not going to hurt me are you?”

Xaver could not change his focus from Stefanie's eyes. There was something hypnotic, drawing him into a calm passive mood. Xaver saw cool passion in Stefanie. She could not harm him or anyone else. He lowered his sword, wanting to be touched by her.

She reached up her hand to caress his face lovingly. A quick swipe of Stanislav's sword cut her hand off from the forearm. Blood poured upon the ground and Stefanie screamed in pain. Another quick swing and Stanislav cut deep into her throat. The blood drained from you her next, turning her yellow dress to red.

Xaver quickly shook off Stefanie's spell and readied his buckler as Mirek charged at them. Teeth flashed in the moonlight and howls broke the silence. Two massive hounds bolted around the far corner. Stanislav grabbed at Stefanie's light brown hair and chopped at her neck, severing it from her body. Her limp form slumped to the ground, spilling blood upon the dirt road.

“You can't let your guard down, Xaver.” Stanislav shouted.

Mirek was upon them in a blink of an eye. He crashed into them, knocking them to the ground. Xaver had stabbed at the vampyre drawing a little blood, but the creature was too fast.

Stanislav raised his head, spying the hounds descending upon them. He clinched at Stefanie's head and tossed it across the road. He lifted his sword up, catching a hound in the mouth. The beast bit at the sword, but Stanislav held it fast in the beast's jaw.

Xaver grabbed at the hound that attacked him and flipped it over him. The hound landed on its back, and Xaver stood up to meet it. It rolled back over to its feet and growled at Xaver. It eyed him carefully, planning its next attack.

To Be Continued..