Stolen Property

Chapter One

     According to the letter, Valenbrook was near total destruction. Almost every citizen over the age of 25 was dead, except most parents with underage children. Aydin, a well-known vampire hunter, couldn't make sense of the beast’s patterns.

    When he received a message describing the havoc being wreaked on the poor town, he immediately packed up his supplies and rode out. He expected the accounts to be over exaggerated, obviously (they most often were, usually the writer was extremely biased), but he was nonetheless intrigued. Usually there were scattered killings, the only pattern being location or maybe people of certain appearances, never precise categories of spared targets. Young maidens in known hunting grounds would be spared, and then minutes later an old man brutally attacked and sucked dry.

    Aydin shook off his confusion as he reached the town, instead focusing his attention on areas where he could stake out the villainous creature. He was interrupted from his appreciation of an extremely convenient set of bushes by a portly middle-aged man, red in the face and obnoxiously frantic.

“Oh, Mr. Marsh sir, yo-”

“Aydin. Not Mr. Marsh. Far too alliterative,” Aydin corrected, dismounting from his ass, Daisy. Everyone pushed him to purchase a horse instead, but Daisy was cheaper, hardier, and much more fit to his personality. He wouldn't trade her for the king’s stallion.

“Ah, sorry Mr. Ma-” the mayor's face seemed to redden impossibly further as Aydin crooked an eyebrow at his mistake. “Ahem. Aydin, sir. It’s so wonderful to see you here so soon. The bloody killer has taken two more lives since I sent my letter, both close friends of mine, actually, and wonderful at their jobs. Daryll, you see, was in charge of finances, a good, honest man, Daryll was, and Markus, Markus was our trademaster, always got us such wonderful deals he did. Mighty good at the gambling table, too, mind you, I lost many a coin-”

“Excuse me, my good sir,” Aydin said, rather sarcastically. The mayor didn't seem to notice, however, “but I’m afraid I must get set up for the hunt tonight. You say there have only been two killings since that letter was sent, while I expected at least three. The beast will be hungry, no doubt, and must hunt tonight if they wish to keep their strength and wits about them. I spotted some wonderful trapping areas and hiding spots earlier, and I’d rather like to investigate them further.” Aydin turned away from the mayor before he could even respond and grabbed the needed supplies off of Daisy’s back.

“Um, sir, aren't you going to tie him up?” The mayor questioned feebly.

Without so much as facing the man, Aydin replied, “no need. Daisy seems rather content right where she is. I'm sure I’ll return to her not having moved even a hair.”

Aydin assumed the mayor had no more complaints, that or he had just strode out of earshot. He began inspecting the bushes he had noticed earlier and confirmed that they were indeed a good hiding spot, based on the fact that he could see the path from his position, but the path could not see him. He even noticed another spot right across the way, somewhere the creature seemed to already been taking advantage of, if the blood was any indicator. He hummed a tune he couldn't quite place the origin of as he set up his temporary camp, and when he was done he opened up a small sack of jerky and ate his supper.

After he was finished with his incredibly light meal, he went and checked on Daisy, who, like he had guessed, was asleep right where he left her. A lesser creature would have wandered, but not his Daisy. He smiled and woke her up with a carrot, her favourite treat, and covered her with a small blanket.

“Good lass, Daisy. I’m off to kill a killer now, buh bye!” He said cheerfully, more cheerfully than he ever spoke to anyone else, and walked off. Daisy huffed in response and turned back to her snack.

Aydin impatiently glanced up at the sky and determined the time to be almost 4 AM. At this point the vampire wouldn't show face and Aydin would have been crouching in a bush all night for naught. He was about to give up and report the news to Daisy (and maybe the mayor), when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.

“Bollocks.” He said, before being knocked out by a sharp blow to the head.