Lorana smiled as she entered the home she had made with Ishido. Ishido's daughter, Tsukune, was siting at a table looking through a book while Ishido was fixing a late dinner for Lorana. Looking up, Ishido smiled and nodded towards the table.
"Late again I see." Ishido smiled and set the plate on the table.
Lorana sat down and nodded. "There was somethings to go over. I left Rasta still looking at the work in frustration I think."
Ishido chuckled. "She tends to carry the whole world on her shoulders at times. With everything just starting to get back to normal around here, its no wonder both of you don't go crazy over all the work. Never thought you would get that when she asked you to join, did you?"
Lorana shook her head ruefully. "No... things were simpler back before the war. So, how was yours and Tsukune's day?"
Ishido shrugged. "Classes, teachers, teaching. You name it, we both did it." He suddenly stiffened and sat back.
"What is it Ish?" Lorana saw Tsukune glance around and mimic her father's movement.
Ishido shook his head and the runes on his arm began to glow. Lorana could see the same was happening to Tsukune and she looked at both with worry. Turning Ishido stared at the general direction of the PeaceKeepers building then glanced back at Lorana.
"Something..." Ishido frowned, "... something I have felt before but also different. Evil is in Alcove."
"But where?" Lorana looked at Ishido and stood up, her supper forgotten.
Ishido suddenly relaxed and placed his paw on the table. "What ever it was... it is gone now Lorana."
Lorana looked at Tsukune and she nodded in agreement with her father. "It's gone for now." She looked at her father. "Strange to me but you know it, have felt it before."
Ishido nodded at his daughter then leaned back in his seat. "Whatever it was, I think that maybe we should all be more carefully till we know what it is."
Lorana sat back down slowly then stood right back up. "I'm going to go find Rastashana. She maybe able to put a little light on the subject."
Ishido nodded. "Be careful Lor." He reached out and placed his paw
on her shoulder and squeezed gently before letting go.
"I will be back." Lorana said as she walked to the door and outside into the night.
The wind began to blow coming from the north and east of the city as Lorana walked towards the bar. Thinking that she would find her friend there she entered the bar and looked around. When she didn't see Rastashana she walked over to the barkeeper and asked him if he had seen Rastashana.
"Rasta?" Malus asked and scratched his head as he dispensed drinks
to the customers. "She was here earlier but left before she even had a
chance to finisher her ale. One of your recruits came in and both left
out abruptly. Was a waste of a good mug of ale." He wiped up a spill on the bar then turned to get a drink order for a customer sitting that the end.
Lorana shook her head and walked out the door and traveled towards
the offices of the PeaceKeepers. She entered the front door to the building and noticed that the night watch wasn't where they usually are. She walked up to the office that was Rastashana's and knocked on the door. When she got no answer she pushed open the door and walked in. The first thing she noticed was that a light had been left on. The second thing she noticed was at dark puddle under Rastashana's desk. She walked over and the coppery tang of blood filled the air. Careful not to step in the puddle, she knelt down and looked at it. Frowning, Lorana stood up and then walked out the door.
Something else caught her eye and she once again knelt down to look at something on the floor. It was a few droplets of blood on the floor right in the doorway. She decided to walk to the hospital and see what had happened. In the back of her mind she was worried that the blood was Rastashana's and that made her strides come quicker as she almost sprinted towards the hospital. The few furries she passed stared after her as she ran past. She didn't care and she pushed the door to the hospital open with enough force to slam the door into the wall. Looking around the waiting room she didn't see Rastashana or the doctor, so she walked swiftly to the next door and opened it up.
The sight of the dead private met Lorana's eyes and she gagged then turned around and closed the door. Leaning up against the door she controlled the nausea and took a few deep breaths then she went to the next door and heard a muffled curse and a lower voice cajoling. Opening that door she silently entered and closed the door just as quietly. Before her was Rastashana siting on a chair, while Jacque was apparently cleaning a cut on the ChiefPeaceKeepers cheek.
"Hold still Rastashana. I have to clean the wound first then it looks like I might have to stitch it up also." Jacque said quietly.
"Sheka!" Rastashana hissed. "It hurts." She batted Jacque's paw away in irritation, which made Lorana laugh.
Jacque glanced up as he cleaned the wound. "It is going to hurt. Hello Lorana, come to see your leader?"
Lorana looked at Rastashana then at Jacque. "I can see why she is here and I can see why that puddle of blood is in her office by the way."
Rastashana gave Jacque a suffering look then looked towards Lorana. "Aye... found the private dead in my office but I found more than that there also."
Jacque took a clear liquid out and patted down the wound. Rastashana sighed with some relief and looked at her second in command. "What brought you here?"
"Ishido and Tsukune both felt something evil here in Alcove. Now I
can say that they were right. What cut you?" Lorana motioned to Rastashana's cheek.
Frowning Rastashana spoke. "Not sure of what I saw Lorana. Red, glaring eyes, dark fur, was moving too quickly for me to see. And that bothers me more than you know."
"Well..." Jacque spoke up. "... what ever cut you most definitely is the one who killed the private in the next room. Wound pattern is the same but there is something else you have to see that I found. I don?t know if I'm seeing it right or not." He opened a cover and took out a thin needle and some fine thread and placed them on the table next to Rastashana.
Rastashana looked at Jacque and then growled. "If you must Jacque,
get it done fast as you can."
Lorana hid a smile as she watched the doctor do the fastest stitching job she had ever seen in her life. Silently cheering on her friend, who seemed to have made the doctor fear her. Jacque finished the job then looked to see if he had missed anything. Seeing that he hadn't, he stepped back.
"Don't pull them stitches out Rastashana. Will do more damage than
you already have done. Now if you two will follow me I will show you what I found." He opened the door, waving Rastashana and Lorana through before him.
Stepping out, Lorana turned and waited for Rastashana to go through the door, then they both waited for Jacque. He nodded and opened the next door and they both followed him into the room. Lorana averted her eyes to the sight of the dead furre. Rastashana looked at the wound then back at Jacque.
"Well what is it Jacque?" Rastashana said trying hard not to clench her jaw.
Jacque walked around to the other side of the table that the private was lying on and then turned the dead furre?s head towards his direction. Pointing at two tiny marks just barely showing in the jagged skin of the throat. Rastashana looked closer then looked up at Lorana.
"Take a look Lor. Tell me what you think." Rastashana spoke.
Gingerly, Lorana stepped closer and looked at the tiny marks. She shuddered at the gaping wound and then focused on the marks themselves. "Looks like he was bitten... like..." She looked up at Rastashana, her eyes widened.
"A vampfurre..." Rastashana finished for Lorana.
Lorana nodded and turned away from the corpse. She saw Rastashana's tail flick in annoyance and Rastashana herself frowned thoughtfully. Lorana put her hand on the table next to the dead furre as Jacque started to cover the corpse with the sheet. When he exclaimed and jumped back, the next thing Lorana knew, she felt a cold hand wrap around her wrist and the dead furre sat up grinning.
Without thinking, Lorana took her fist and slammed it into the sitting corpse's face. It let go and she jumped back with a cry. Rastashana drew her longsword and cursed.
"Jacque, get over here!" Rastashana growled.
Lorana quickly followed Rastashana by drawing her katana and holding it out in front of herself as the corpse swung it's leg off the table and stood up. Daring to look into its eyes, Lorana saw them glowing with a red aura. It laughed a empty laugh and advanced towards Lorana. Out of no where, they all heard it speak.
"Greetings." It said darkly then grinned again. "I hope you haven't forgotten me now. Here is a toy of mine for you to play with. And you who watched me... you are all mine!"
Without a thought, both Rastashana and Lorana attacked at the same
time. Rastashana went low with her longsword and Lorana went high. The
creature shrieked, which deafened them all as Lorana neatly severed its head from its shoulders. The head rolled to the floor and the body dropped next to the table. Looking up at Rastashana in amazement, Lorana decided that she was very glad she didn't eat supper. She turned away and started to dry heave, leaning against the wall, too weak to support herself. Rastashana came over to her and held her as she shook like a newborn baby.
Chapters-1, 2,