Until It Bleeds Daylight: Part Two

Felix stepped into Jierdan's view, gazing up at the full moon, overhead. He was dressed in a black robe, looking like a vicar as he raised his arms, as if to greet it.

"Brothers and sisters" he hissed, "We gather here tonight to welcome a new member into my circle. A new... ghoul." There was laughter from the small crowd of vampires. He approached Jierdan, lowering his arms with a sadistic smile. Jierdan sprung a mechanism in the wrist sheath, the dagger sliding into his hand.

"Jierdan... are you familiar with the term, 'ghoul'?"

Jierdan remained silent, glaring at him as he sawed carefully at the ropes that bound his wrists.

Felix took his silence as a 'no.' "Ah, I see... I am surprised your friend, Lucio Giovanni, did not tell you, because he is a ghoul as well. What good friends you will make once the night is over with."

More laughter from the vampires.

Felix turned his back to Jierdan, to face his childer. "Yes, I, Felix, the vampire ghouled the great Lucio Giovanni. Magick is not all that it seems, is it Lucio? OR maybe... you were not as powerful as you once claimed. At least not powerful enough to save your family, or yourself, from their fate."

Giovanni moved into Jierdan's view. There was a look of barely controlled dury on his face, and his hands were balled into two dangerous fists.

Jierdan knew what Felix was doing. He was trying to provoke Giovanni into revealing a possible attempt at his unlife.

Jierdan sawed more insistantly.

"Oh, Lucio, my friend, I am sorry. You have been most useful in your service to me..." Jierdan could feel the ropes beginning to give.

"Perhaps you would like to open a wound of entry for me, eh, Lucio? These old teeth," a cold laugh, "I fear they may weaken with age."

Giovanni looked for one minute as though he would not, but then he removed anothe dagger from his waistband, and turned and approached Jierdan. Jierdan felt the ropes give completely. He was free.

When Giovanni was right in front of him, he brough his hands up before his chest. Jierdan could see flames building there, swirling around his hands.

Jierdan smiled.

Giovanni gave him a swift nod in return, then spun so quickly Jierdan barely saw him move, and unleashed a barrage of flames at the younger vampires and the ground around Felix.

The vampires erupted in flames, and many exploded into piles of ashed before they knew what had happened.

"My CHILDREN!" Felix shrieked, his eyes going wide. "YOU FOOL!" Felix waved his hand to one side, and Giovanni flung like a rag doll in the same direction, slamming against one of the buildings enclosing the square.

Felix then advanced with lightening speed towards Jierdan. A second later, one cold, gnarled hand gripped his throat. Any more effort from Felix, and Jierdan knew it would snap. "And so you die..."

But Jierdan, managing to keep his wits about him, whipped the hand with the drow dagger in it around, and it sliced evenly through the dead flesh and bone of Felix's wrist. The fingers slid away from Jierdan's neck, and the hand fell to the ground, whithering into nothing. Felix howled with pain and anger.

Jierdan whipped his other fist around to strike, but Felix caught it with his remaining hand, and flipped him over with impossible strength. Breath left him as he hit the ground with a dull crunch. Above the flames that now enclosed the square, Jierdan could see the beginnings of the sunrise... if he could only survive long enough...

An empty street vendor's cart exploded near by, sendind shard's of burning wood in every direction. Jierdan turned to his head to avoid being struck by one that landed near him. Felix had released his hand, to clutch the stub of his wrist in pain, so Jierdan swung his arm round and grabbed the wood. It happened with be with the hand he'd burned earlier... He screamed as his old blisters burst, and flung it with a vengeance at Felix. Felix's robe burst into flames and Jierdan scrambled to his feet.

Felix dropped to the ground in a frenzy, trying to put himself out.

Smoke clouded his vision. He needed to finish this quickly, so he didn't die of smoke inhalation, or even less favorable, burning to death.

Robe smothered, Felix rose once again, discumbobulated by the heat and smoke. His back was to Jierdan.

It would probably be his last opportunity. Jierdan reached out with his badly burned hand, adreneline ebbing his pain briefly, and grabbed a handful of velvet robe. His other arm pulled back, and with all the strength he could muster, he sent the dagger home. At the same time, the sun broke the horizon, flooding the city with light. Felix exploded in a cloud of ash, and the drow dagger dissolved away in Jierdan's hand. He staggered, and lost balance, falling face first to the ground. Felix's amulet hit the ground next to his face. He reached out and grabbed it, and lay there, tired enough to sleep forever...

Until he realized that the square was still burning. He leaped up once more, and looked around desperately for Giovanni. He had regained consciousness, still slumped against the wall. Jierdan jogged over, and dangled the amulet above his nose. "It's alright. We won."

Giovanni looked up with some effort, and smiled weakly. "Ah... free at last..." His head fell back, and to Jierdan's dismay, his unlined face began to age.

"Giovanni!" He fell to his knees next to him. "What's happening to you?! Get up! We have to get out of here...!"

Giovanni, his voice barely a whisper, said... "No... his blood sustained me for nearly a century... but no more..."

Jierdan was surprised to find his eyes were welling, and not from the smoke. He'd grown fond of the man, in the extremely short time that he'd known him. He had seemed to Jierdan to embody everything he'd ever desired to be... edgy, calm, powerful... and he had trusted Jierdan enough to put his life in his hands. No one ever trusted the drow.

"How could you..?! How could you do that?! Have me kill him, knowing you would die...?!"

"Jierdan...." Giovanni reached out and clasped Jierdan's hand in his. "It is better to die on your feet... than to live on your knees... Fare the well... and thank you..." Giovanni's life extinguished then, his ancient body unrecognizable as the youthful wizard he had been moments before.

A battalion of Mages entered the square, who struggled to put out the fire. A town guard marched in, ready to arrest whomever had caused the fire. But he found nothing but the body of a dead old man....

Jierdan stood on a rock jetting out over the eastern sea of Cosrin, Felix's amulet clenched in his fist. He had considered showing it to Jadrele, as proof he had completed his mission. He'd learned from a note left in his locker by Giovanni that the reward for 'proof of Felix's death' had been left with Robyn while Jierdan was in the basement cell. But as he stared at the gaudy, jeweled thing, he knew that no amount of gold would make him feel better.

He drew back his hand, and hurled it over the edge. He watched as it was enveloped by the waves below.

"For you, Giovanni... rest in peace."

Jierdan turned and walked away from the edge, turning his back on the water. He mounted Mook, who had been waiting for him at the base of the rock. He petted her between the ears, and she growled her approval. Then he clipped her sides lightly, and they rode off together in the shadows, back towards the city.

The End

Rogue Mentor GL,
Jadrele,
Guardian of Youth
Shaded Rose - Clan Sisters of Shadows
"Walk Within The Shadows..."