Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:15 pm
Maxwell Bishop guided his trusty horse through the forest, letting out a soft curse when he let an unseen branch smack him in the face. Damn, he hated riding through the trees at night, but it was the only time that his appointment would meet him.
Damn him too.
It wouldn't be long before rider and mount would enter the agreed to clearing, exactly three miles due west of Broken Dagger, and the person whom Bishop came here to meet was waiting for him in the centre of that small glade.
"You are late," growled the figure in the long coat, dark goggled eyes afixing themselves upon Bishop.
"The hell I am, you're early," snapped back Bishop, sliding from his saddle and slowly approaching the other man. "It's been a while."
"Indeed," replied the man, his voice still a low growl. "What was it that you wanted?"
Bishop let a smirk come over his unshaven face as he folded his arms across his chest. "Always to the point with ya, ain't it, Hunter?"
Another low growl emited from the dark figure and he started to turn as if he were preparing to leave. "If you are not here to discuss anything of relevance, I shall leave."
"No, Gods damn it, wait," grumbled Bishop, stepping towards the man and reaching out to grasp his shoulder, but quickly stopped himself. "I've got a problem."
"The whole world has problems. Are yours of any particular concern or amusement?" replied the dark man.
Was that a joke? Bishop thought so and he let out a soft chuckle, but truly knowing that this individual really didn't have a sense of humour.
"Perhaps, but my problems are sort of your specialty," replied Bishop once he sobered from his earlier jocularity. "There's a society of vampires that have been causin' me some hassel, I'd like you to take care of 'em."
The dark Hunter growled softly. "I am not an assassin for hire."
"I know you're not," said Bishop quickly, bringing both hands up before him. "Though, I thought you dealt with these sorts of creatures."
"I do. For my own reasons an no one elses," answered the dark one, shifting a little from foot to foot.
"These vampires are sadistic and cruel. I'd think of all the prey you've chosen in the past, these particular individuals would garner your attention the most. Guess ya'll aren't as committed to this great 'Cause' as I originally thought," said Bishop, doing his best to hide the smirk on his face.
Those words would cause a reaction in the dark Hunter. His coat swirled around him as he lunged towards Bishop, face twisted into a vicious scowl.
"Speak not of commitment, human! You pick and chose your enemies at will, siding with the undead filth one moment, hating it the next!" the Hunter snarled again and quickly backed up several paces. "Tell me of these vampires."
"I know that they're called the Requiem Curae..." And Bishop proceeded to tell the Hunter everything knew about them, and vampiress named Vexis, and their mother Magdelaena.
It wasn't long after that late night, isolated meeting that the Requiem Curae would suffer the first casaulties of a war that had been declared upon them that night. Four vampires, three male and one female, would be dispatched while feeding upon a young couple that came visiting from Derry. Only a single piece of paper would be left in their ashes, and it had but one word scrawled upon it.....
Carlsburg.