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(("Few creatures of the night have captured our imagination like vampires..." --Godsmack

The proverbial ball is in your court!))

((alright, I got this.))

with a last rumble, the harnesses holding the Dragons to the carriage fell off, and the latter began a bumpy fall thorugh the trees it was skimming. crashing and tumbling through the foliage and branches, it rolled along the side of a mountain and eventually shattered open on the summit.

Val checked to make sure mouse was ok -- she was bruised and scratched alittle but otherwise conscious and unharmed -- then, looked around at the others.

"any injuries?" he asked in a rushed voice.

above them, the magnificent beasts were circling and swooping over the peaks, engaged in a viscious dogfight. it wouldn't be long before the attackers came down looking for them.

at that moment, it began to rain, and lightning could be seen in the distance.

"Ugh--I hate the rain," Scarlet groaned as she was quickly soaked to the skin. "But at lease I have all my limbs--regeneration is not pleasant. Still, our attackers owe me a new silk gown, and I mean to take it from their hides." She looked around the peak of the mountain where they had landed and then to the horizon. "We had best find shelter for the day, lovies. And maybe some kindling for a fire. I need to dry out."

With that she started to pick her way over the rocks. When she came by Val, she hooked her arm in his so that they could walk together for a moment.

"Thank you, my dear friend. You have saved my life and Ciro's with your storm. Without you, we'd be little more than fried bacon at the moment. So if there is anything I can contribute to the cost, do not hesitate to ask. And if there is any way I can repay your risk--Mouse is completely yours now, by the way. Under the circumstances, we may not get to Japan in a timely manner, and I do not wish to hold out on my friends, especially when debts are to be paid," she murmured quickly to him.

Scarlet nodded, understanding--at least a little--the weight that now rested on Val's shoulders. She let him go off, collecting wood. Mouse trailed behind him, following his example.

Scarlet dropped back to Ciro and found his comforting, broad and calloused hand with hers. "Methinks it will get worse, before it gets better," she whispered. Then she looked at him directly. "Are you sorry, yet, that I made you what your are? If you run now, I won't blame you. The pirates probably aren't' interested in you, and by yourself, you could probably get away and find a mortality potion in the nearest temple."

"good." Val gruffly responded to Alfons' news. hewanted to express his gratitude better, but was in a state of mind that didn't allow him to waste time or words. he barely acknowledged the help mouse was giving him, though he was glad for it. he'd reward her later, he told himself.

"one way or another, the payment will be made. Mother Nature can loan-shark with the best of them, Ciro."

the elf's cold gaze was at once soft and piercing, and instead of the usual reflecting there seemed to be a deepness to them. it was as if the abyss behind his eyes was suddenly revealed, two dark trenches in which shocking secrets lay hidden.

he had to conserve his strength. and yet, most pressing a task was to seek shelter. for now, Alfons was the group's leader.

"Understood. Dmitri, take point."
Dmitri moved ahead of Alfons. "Just like old times, eh?"
"We'll be back as soon as possible." Alfons promised as he followed the path Dmitri was making. The jungle was quite thick.

Ciro fell into the fissure. The darkness was soothing, and he gave a slight sigh of relief. "This place feels almost like... home."

Back on the surface, Dmitri and Alfons are stopped at a stream.
"The dojo's down river from here."
"Dojo? Vhat?"
"Just follow me." Alfons sighed, as he began to walk along the riverbank. "The Old Man's not going to be happy to see me."

Downstream, a man sitting in meditation's eyes shoot open.
"This storm... is not natural. There is a dark ki approaching. Pehaps they'll provide a challenge."

Scarlet smiled at Ciro's observation. "It was caves like this where the first vampires were born. Some say it was a bat that did it, and others declare that Judas was the first vampire--thus our hereditary aversions to silver, the cross, and Holy water. Old folk tales claim it was the defiled dead who weren't properly buried, but any way you slice it, the first of our kind emerged from havens like this."

She inhaled the luxuriously damp and slightly musty air--then preceded to strip to her lacy undergarments (and would have shed those as well except for the sake of any younger audiences that might review this tale later wink ). Using her sensitive night vision, she found several natural hooks in the rocks and hung up her gown to dry.

"You really should get Mouse out of those damp things," she advised Val. "We don't want her catching pneumonia."