Heirot

For the longest time the theif had stood motionless still holding Tenele's sword. But, at the sudden appearance of yet another imortal being, he decided that maybe the prize of a nice shiny sword was just a little bit unimportant to the idea of keeping his life. So he dropped it, and it clattered to the ground. "I was just returning this," he lied, quickly heading for the door.

Verin tilted his head up to Vlad, he slowly removed his hand from Tenele's face. "We were just having a casual quite conversation." Tenele slid away from him now that there was an opening to do so. She was shifting to her feet when his hand shot out with lightening speed and grabbed her small wrist again. Tenele's other hand came around to try and pry his fingers from her. "I'll be coming for you."

"Don't you mean you'll be coming for my answer?" she asked him suspiciously.

"Yes," Verin replied. "And I already know what it will be."

"Then, why bother coming at all?" Tenele hissed, her heart throbbing fearfully. "We hate eachother, this is clear. You tried to kill me, remember? And I burned down a couple of your shrines. There is no forgiving either of our actions, just as there is no forgetting it. I don't know if you're telling the truth."

"What if I agree to let Vladimir accompany you? Would that set your fears at ease?" he asked her.

"Leave me alone. I don't want any part of this. Let me go, and leave me alone." Tenele whispered, almost pleadingly. She wanted his hand off her, she didn't want him whispering any words of possible pentance. She didn't want to fall for it, and a part of her was hoping he was telling the truth. A part of her wanted him to change, because it was that important to the safety of her home. She was pulling now, with all her strength, and then he let her go. She lost her balance and fell back into Vlad, her hands reaching behidn her and finding the fabric of his pants. She grabbed hold of him for dear life, nearling pushing him over as she backed away from Verin. She hadn't realized how much she was shaking until she had stood to her feet, and she felt foolish for showing such weakness.

Verin might not be able to harm her, but just the idea of being dragged into that hell that she and Vlad had gone to, it scared her more than anything. Having to face those horrors alone because of Verin's vengance... She grabbed hold of Vlad for the simple purpose of not being taken without him if Verin's anger grew to that point. Why was he wanting to get to her so badly? She could understand why he saught Vlad so, because Vlad was powerful and important to the war. But, Tenele? Honestly...

Verin's eyes flashed back to Vlad. "If you want more of that power Vlad, you know where to look. I've got enough blood to spare you for the rest of eternity, all you have to do is ask," he told him, not sparing Tenele a final glance before he faded from there sight.

Vlad narrowed his eyes and held onto Tenele tightly. "Why does Verin think you're going on a romantic vacation with him?" he murmured. "And why would he invite me? That's just odd..."

"Don't joke like that. Its not a romantic vacation..." she muttered. Tenele whirled on him. "What are you doing out of bed?! Sit down!" He wasn't supposed to be up, especially after what he had just been through.

Vlad dismissed the concept of bed-ridden again with a sharp wave of his hand. "I'm doing fine. Surprisingly well, really," he said. "Why was he here?" He was on the border between the catharsis of his healing body and the more appropriate wariness that the god of darkness had, in fact, just approached Tenele without him there.

Tenele turned to face him better, her green eyes flickering up to him. "He came to tell me something, or rather make me an offer. He said that he has been looking at things in a different light." She paused as she tried to think over what he had said. It was so shocking that it had totally blown over her. She was putting it in order. "He made an offer; that I go with him and teach him the value of human life, and love... I told him to find someone else, but he said it had to be me. He didn't reply when I asked him what he would do if I refused. There is honestly no telling..." She was still shaking, and felt a bit foolish. She tried to admit to herself that Verin did not frighten her, and as much as she vocally proclaimed it, she could not hide it. He was a God, it was wise to fear him. She lowered her head. "I don't trust him, and I don't doubt that there is some other motive lurking somewhere in his plan. But, just the sheer possibilty of stopping a war, stopping many wars to come... its tempting."

"Of course you shouldn't trust him," Vlad said incredulously. "Tenele, he's toying with you. Gods don't change their nature. They're symbols, avatars. You can't hold yourself responsible for stopping this war." He placed his hands on her shaking shoulders lightly. "Ignore him. Ignore all of it."

Tenele looked at him for a moment, and then gave a heavy sigh. "You're right," she whispered, leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I just can't help but think there is something else he really wants. That is what scares me. What could he possibly want with me? You I get. You give him something." She shook her head against his chest. "I'm over thinking it."

"You have a point," Vlad said, bending down to pick her sword up off the ground. "I suppose it would be arrogant to assume he wants me. I suppose it's technically possible he thinks I wouldn't let you go without me. But he should know better, that I wouldn't let you go at all. Something else must be happening." His thoughts were becoming clearer and less caffeinated now that Atul's blood was settling down and blending with his own chemistry. "That damned doc had better have brought a way to get us back to Ighten," he said, handing her back her sword. "Verin seems to know his way around here a little too well."

Tenele took her sword from him, taking the belt and wrapping it around her waist. It hung low on her hips without the aid of belt loops, but it worked. "He had to get here some way so maybe he'll have a way home... And do you really think that going back to Ighten will keep Verin away?" she asked, turning to kneel next to Stalker. "How are you holding up? We'll have you moved to the other room where its brighter and more comfy," she told him comfortingly, bending to kiss between his eyes. She turned to look over her shoulder at Vlad. "Want to help me?"

Vlad looked down at Stalker. The hellhound had closed its eyes and wasn't responding to Tenele's ridiculous affections. Which didn't spell good news. He squatted down next to the wolf and looked at it for a moment. "Yeah...let's move him. He can sleep on the bed. But only this time," he said. He wrapped his arms under the hound's shoulders and left the lighter end of his body to Tenele. Of course, he could life the animal alone, but an extra pair of hands couldn't hurt. They lifted Stalker and carried him as gently as possible to the new room down the hall, where everything was as he'd left it a moment ago. He cast a brief look at Atul, wondering if he should explain what had just happened. The sick hound made a decent alibi for his original explanation for leaving.

They put Stalker down on the lower side of the bed. The hound squinted open his eyes to look at them for a moment. The wolf's irises were dull, nearly black. "This is why I don't like pets," Vlad said flatly, just as a hard knock came at the door. Only one person was obnoxious enough to knock that loudly two seconds after they'd shut the door.

Vlad walked impatiently to the door and threw it open, staring down the man on the other side. "What?" he snapped. It was far too soon for him to see Maxwell's face without thoughts of violence.

"You're up," the doctor said blankly, setting down a heavy cube wrapped in cloth on the hallway floor. "I was bringing another block of ice, but it appears you don't need it. Are you ready for follow-up?"

"No!" Vlad rolled his eyes. "Listen, we need to get back to-"

The vampire's demand was cut off when the doctor reached into his coat for something. His hand emerged with something bright enough to send Vlad reeling backward with his hands shielding his eyes. Maxwell just advanced calmly with the holy dagger he'd just produced and proceeded to stab the vampire in the stomach.

Vlad yelped in shock and retreated so fast that he wound up tripping over a chair leg and falling flat on his back. His eyes flashed with shock as he clutched his hands over the bleeding wound.

"Hands off! I can't see," Maxwell snapped, kneeling next to the vampire and pulling up his shirt.

Vlad slugged him across the jaw defensively, though it didn't seem to have much effect on the man. "Don't touch it, maniac," he hissed, but suddenly he was propped up on one arm and staring at the wound also.

Because it didn't hurt. At least not the way it should have. It felt like an ordinary stab wound. The vampire gawked and Maxwell appeared satisfied as the blood thinned and dried on his skin and the wound slowly began to close itself.

Tenele screamed as soon as she saw what was happening, unable to move fast enough to stop it. It all happened so quickly that she was left to stare dumbfounded at the two. "What do you think you're doing!" she yelled at him, jerking on Maxwell's arm. "You psychopathic bastard, get out of here! Never touch him again."

Atul watched them just as dumbfounded as Tenele, except a little more so since he hadn't a clue what was going on. "I'll call for the guards," he told her quickly.

Maxwell seemed unfazed by Tenele and Atul's actions. He was doing what he always did; pushing as far as people would let him without caring about their opinions. Vlad was used to it from him, though he really shouldn't have been. If he wasn't in critical condition, he was ready for the next test, so he really should have seen it coming. But the thing that really had him stunned was that he was okay. The weapon that should have left him in unspeakable pain for days had merely left a flesh wound that was healing normally. He was too busy staring at it to join in the rage against Maxwell, least favorite person in the world though he was.

Maxwell was resisting Tenele's pulling with some effort. "Timely follow-up is critical," he argued arrogantly, clearing seeing her as a hindrance to his research. "There are several more tests I need to run to ensure the result was effective. I know what I'm doing," he said condescendingly.

Tenele had just had about enough of Maxwell. He woudln't listen to her not so gentle tugging, so she decided to go the route she often went when dealing with people twice her power. She elegantly rose to her feet and suddenly her sword was pressed lightly under Maxwell's chin and close to his throat. "There are no more tests. Unless you move away from him this instant I will timely follow-up with removing your head from your shoulders and seeing to it that it is placed neatly next to your dead body. You will do no more tests while I'm here."

Atul had stopped at the door to watch with a little bit of amusement as Tenele threatened the man. He was at a lost for words, since there seemed to be a history that he didn't know.

Maxwell's eyes narrowed and he looked down the blade of Tenele's sword, slowly following its pressure and backing up onto his feet. "Do this now, and I won't be able to tell you how to save your hound," he warned, trying to buy more time.

"I'm sure I will figure it, Vlad said crossly, annoyed at being manipulated over his ailing familiar and at being treated like a lab rat and, most of all, at having to be protected. "I doubt even you can survive a blade through the neck. Do as she commands."

Maxwell seemed extremely reluctant to go. He backed away slowly, clearly trying to think of some way to make Tenele drop her sword. But he found himself in the doorway.

"Sinead asked me to deliver this," he snorted, taking a spherical stone from his pocket and throwing it to Vlad. The vampire caught it without taking his warning eyes from Maxwell. "To get home. She provided me with a separate device. Must have seen this coming," he snorted at Tenele. "You should have let me finish," he said coldly to Vlad. "I could have made you perfect."

Tenele almost faltered, and it read in her eyes as she stared at Maxwell. Something, some tiny voice was telling her that he needed to run his tests, what if something was wrong because of what he had done. "If there is any problem, we will let you know," Tenele told him. Tenele lowered her weapon, not really viewing him as threat. She really didn't know if she was supposed to view him as a threat or not, but then again he had stabbed Vlad without so much as batting an eye.

Tenele glanced back to Stalker on the bed, and his dull almost black eyes. She wanted to help Stalker, but she wanted to protect Vlad, even if Vlad didn't want her protection.