Alorian Rose Chapter 1-2

“This is a sad tale Marta,” Ravena paused, “but I will handle it. I now ride as the leader of the Marion war band, we specialize in vampire extermination.” 
          Before anything else could be said a loud scream sounded from outside. Ravena turned to the door, she pulled her sword from her belt.
         “Marta, bolt the door after me, and wait till morning to let me in do you understand?” Marta just nodded her head fear in her eyes.
         Ravena threw herself out the door and into the darkened square. Instantly she saw were the scream came from. Across the way a figure stood holding a young girl to the wall. The girl wiggled and squirmed but the figure just held her enjoying her fear. He was tall and very pale, a vampire.
         “Put the girl down and I will make your death painless.” Ravena’s voice did not falter but it was tight with rage. It echoed across the square.
         The figure turned to look at her, its face was as white as the paint of the building behind it. Its white eyes scanned its new opponent with interest. It dropped the girl and began to walk toward Ravena.
         A cold, venom laced voice filled the square, “You look familiar child, do I know you?” it asked.
         “No but you will return to your people and tell them something for me. Tell them that the Marion war band comes for them, tell them that Ravena Joven will not sleep until all of them are dead as they should be. Go and tell them or I will murder you just as you would have murdered that girl.”
         A puzzled look cross the creatures face but it took her at her word. It jumped into the air and was gone that instant. Ravena rushed over to the girl, she had fainted but she would live. Ravena lifted the girl into her arms and took her to the inn. Outside the inn she pounded on the door.
         “Who goes there?” a familiar voice yelled from behind the door
         “Logan open up this instant or I will flay your balls and eat them for breakfast.”
         The door opened swiftly and Logan looked at her astonished, “We did not expect you till morning woman, we heard the scream but none of us were ready. Is she alive?” he asked taking the girl from her.
         Ravena closed the door behind her and bolted it. Around the room she saw her men half dressed and with murder on their faces. They all had lines etched into their faces when they looked at the girl. Ravena quickly handed the girl to Logan.
         “You men make me proud to know that you would’ve gone out there half dressed to save this girl. Back to bed men we have work in the morning.”
         The men began to file upstairs, Ravena turned her attention to the girl and Logan, and he had her on a long bench and was wiping her forehead with a cool cloth. The girl was not more than fourteen, small and pretty. Anger gripped Ravena and she slammed her fist on the counter, the wood cracked beneath the force. She thought to her self that these monsters would now fear her name after tomorrow.
         “She is fine Ravena, I will get her a room, you go up to bed. Your right we have a lot of work tomorrow. You need your rest.” Logan said to her with a tight smile.
         Ravena climbed up the stairs exhaustion starting to flood her mind. Tomorrow was going to be hard, it would test her but she could remember when she joined Marion. She met the leader at a tavern, she was getting supplies for her owner,  the leader Marek Carisbrook was there and his band took up the entire front room of the tavern. They were all telling their stories as to why they had joined, many stories were the same they wanted to protect their families, but the fact was they actually had families to protect. Then Marek spoke, his wife and daughter were murdered, he was gone when it happened. He came home to find both in the house lifeless and crumpled on the floor. He recounted his anger and his sadness and Ravena stood in the back tears streaming down her face. Marek spotted her and he called her forward.
         Ravena climbed into the bed as the memories flooded her. “Little girl what’s your name?” he asked and she replied “Ravena”. He ask her why she was crying and Ravena replied that she lost her mother to the monsters. She told him that she was not little any more and that if she could she would kill them now. He laughed and asked her if she knew how to fight, Ravena replied with a no but she said that anger and sadness and determination would allow her to prevail. Again he laughed and he asked how old she was. Fourteen. After that part there was blackness and Ravena slept fitfully.

         Morning came and power filled Ravena as she stood before her men. These men were good men, strong men and determined men. They would fight and they would die for their cause, this cause. Many had lost their families and many had families to protect. They fought because the pay was good, they fought because it gave them purpose in a darkened world. Their armor gleamed in the sunlight and many of the towns’ folk were out wishing them luck and the priest was blessing each of them. Ravena knew they might not all come back but she knew that she would fight the hardest to bring them all back, these were her men and her closest friends. She did not take well to the loss of men and they all knew this.
         They all mounted their horses and gave a wave. Ravena spotted Marta and the children, she looked at the kids as she trotted the horse up.
         “When I return I will teach you all to ride a horse.” She spoke softly to them and basked in their smiles and cries of delight. The power grew stronger inside, she knew she would prevail today.
         They rode hard to the north outside the town. It was not long before the would come upon the first woods mans’ house, Tomas had been dead over three years hopefully. It was off to the right of the rode as they saw it. It was still in good repair and an evil floated from it to Ravena, she shivered but urged the horse forward. After about ten minutes they were close enough to smell the death that hung near the house, they all dismounted and tied their horses to nearby trees. Each man readied himself for what they would see in the house.
         Ravena was the first to go in, she always was now, she put up a barrier around herself and the men. The first room stank of blood and recent death, bodies were piled in the corner and flies buzzed around the rotting corpses, she could see no other trace of the blood suckers. Her sword before her, she moved further into the darkened house, sheets and rugs had been nailed over the windows to block out the sun, there were two rooms so Ravena decided to split the team in two. She instructed them with her hand above her head, about ten men moved toward the right room with Logan in the lead, the rest stood behind her. She nodded to Logan and began to make her way to the left door.
         The knob gave easily and the door opened slowly, Ravena could see the monsters huddled together on the floor, she kicked one in the ass. It groaned and moved away from her yet still did not wake, finally Ravena opened the attack, she thrust her sword deep into the woman’s’ stomach. There was a blood curdling screech and the battle was on. The vampires leapt to their feet and Ravena sent a bolt of power at them, it caught two unaware and they were flung into the wall. Her men swarmed the room and swords began to fly, she was assaulted with a heavy blow from her right, it smacked into her armor but the beast was felled by one of her men, the sword protruding from its heart. Then Ravena heard the call, the yell came from Logan in the other room. “Take care of this!” Ravena screamed above the growls to another man named Timothy.
         Ravena ran into the other room to curse herself, as soon as she entered she was hit with a bolt of power much like her own. A leader here, she questioned. She reacted with a bolt of pure rage and four near her flew back into the walls. Ravena saw Logan held by the neck by a man-beast  , he looked straight at her fear in his eyes. She ran throwing the others out of the way with blasts of power, the other men of her war band continued to fight around her knowing she would handle the leader. In her mind she caught the monsters’ thoughts, drop him and I will make it easy on you, she broke into his mind,he looked at her in astonishment. Logan fell to the floor and was instantly on the defensive from another monster. Ravena threw him a strength spell and then turned her attention to the leader.
         The man was tall about six foot but he was weak, Ravena could see it in his face, they neglected to feed last night. His face was pale beyond compare and his eyes were black as night. He stared at her with fury, he spoke, I will make you pay for interrupting our sleep foolish human.  He came at Ravena with Logan’s sword, shit she had not expected this, she parried at the last second his blade sliding up hers into the air. Ravena slammed her shoulder into him along with a blast of earthen magic, the man stumbled back and came at her again with a downward strike. Ravena jumped back and slammed her left fist into his face, recoiling quickly she sliced wide and he reflected the blow. Then he came at her fast, she threw up her mental shield and side stepped expecting his outward thrust, he was strong she needed to finish this. She returned his thrust, which he barely dodged, and then she threw a blot of fire at him. It caught and he erupted into flames, he screamed and lunged toward her again, Ravena waited and then as he got close she dropped to the floor kicked his legs from beneath him, as he sailed through the air she rolled up and sliced the air. The body fell to the floor with a thud, the head landed a few feet away and rolled to the foot of another monster. It only stared as Ravena shot another blot a fire at it. The scream rolled through Ravena and she turned just in time to slice the head from an approaching man. The body and the head fell to the floor and turned to ash, he was a new blood, not more than a week old. Kathryn’s son. Ravena grimaced, the battle was over she saw as her men took count and then began to separate the heads from the bodies. Logan stumbled over to her side, he had a slice going across his stomach but other wise he was alright.
         “These were weak Ravena, but there was a leader among them. What do you think that means?” he asked glancing around.
         “It means this is not the nest just the feeding ground, there are more and they will come tonight. The other woods mans house will have to wait till later.” She spoke louder now, “Everyone out of here, mount up, we return to prepare the city. We will fight in familiar territory. We will torch this place, make sure it burns to the ground.” Ravena left the house after speaking  Logan following after her.
         Logan and her returned to the town first, he went to gather the people in the square and she went to Marta’s’ house. The woman opened to her with wary eyes, she look at the blood all over Ravena and began to cry.
         “Marta, I found Kathryn’s son it was to late for him. He is dead but I made it quick so please inform her of this and then head to the square.”