I Will Always Find You...

Where's Damon?

As Damon headed back toward his car he was planning in his head what he needed to pick up before he headed to Chicago. He never liked to go anywhere unprepared and he wanted to know a little bit more about Melissa before he blindly followed any plan of her making. Back at the boarding house, within the library were many old books that contained many mystical creatures, some were purely fictitious and some were more likely to be based on truth. Damon had thought that the Chanul was fictitious and he had never paid much attention to any references made to it, but now he wanted a second look at some of that literature.

When Damon arrived home everything was as it should be, nothing was out of place and nothing was setting off Damon's vampire senses but his human ones were saying something else. It'd been a while since his human self had made an appearance and it was almost as uncomfortable for him as it was curious. He headed straight for the books, he knew there wasn't a lot of time to play with and he needed to find the right one. He grabbed a small stack from the end of the bookcases and tossed each one aside as he determined it was not the one he wanted. 'Bingo' he murmured in a low satisfying tone as he opened the pages of a book that looked as though it might crumble from age. It was however, remarkably preserved on the inside and Damon read the story of the Chanul and how it had disappeared before the very eyes of its pursuer.

The story continued to tell an unbelievable tale of power and might wielded by those who came from the shadows. It spoke of steel blue eyes and a strength that could challenge that of the very wind. 'This was proving to be interesting reading' Damon thought and he wondered how much truth there was to it and how much of it was simply the fear of simple men. He was just about to turn the page when his human voice whispered in his head...'listen'. He looked up from the book and payed attention to what he could hear...faint footsteps, those of a person trying hard not to be heard...more than one- four at least, moving faster now and coming from each direction. He listened for heart beats, there were many more of these and it looked like he was surrounded. He couldn't take the chance of them finding the book and whatever else it might contain but he didn't know either and he really didn't want to destroy it. He pondered his options for a moment and as his eyes moved around the room looking for a solution his gaze settled on the fire. "Damn it" he growled and tossed the book into the flames.

Damon wouldn't usually be unsettled by strangers approaching in his house uninvited but something did seem different on this occasion, this annoying voice in his head for one. Typically Damon would just speed off in a flash, find the intruder, kill them and that would be that but the stakes were high on this one, Caroline's life, possibly Stefan's...Silas gone crazy, well crazier anyway and this strange and beautiful beguiling entity calling herself Melissa...so he had to be more cautious.

As Damon turned to just blast past whoever was there and make a run for it he was hit by something, it struck his chest, it was small and sharp and it penetrated deep enough to release its toxin. His legs felt immediately weak and they began to tremble very slightly. His equilibrium was shaken and he moaned "You have got to be kidding me" as he faltered in his stepping to the wall. He slumped to his knees but was conscious enough to see figures approaching. A man stood before him that he did not recognise who asked "Where is Caroline?" before Damon could even think about answering another male motioned to the fire place and what was left of the book. "What were you burning? Where were you going?" the voice probed, "grab what's left, it might be useful" barked the stranger to one of the others. By this point Damon was on all fours desperately trying to regain some stability and reaching for something to help him stand. "Take him" were the orders given and immediately following that Damon was struck across the temple and into darkness.

When Damon awoke he was tied up and bound to a tree, he could see several men nearby milling around and discussing something. He was still a little groggy from the drug in his system and so there voices were muffled but he could feel it leaving and his strength returning. Defiantly and somewhat sarcastically he shouts "Really?, a tree? I don't even get a dungeon or a basement". The stranger from the house approached and stood right in front of Damon, barely an inch between their faces. "Well, I don't know about you" says Damon," but I'm starting to feel a tad uncomfortable with this arrangement... are we going steady?" the stranger smirks a little, one side of his mouth raising as he steps back. "Humour? And no fear...you either know nothing or you know everything, which is it?"

Damon looked perplexed, "I'm gonna go with ...nothing, unless that answer gets me killed, then I'm gonna go with a lot. I really don't want to say everything, that's a lot to live up to don't you think?" throughout the exchange between them Damon was trying to break free of his bonds but he knew it would be a while before there was any chance of that.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" he asked.

"Who I am is irrelevant Damon and what I want is Caroline, where is she?"

"I'm not her keeper, how would I know?

"I can smell her on you...you've been with her tonight...so do us all a favour and tell me where."

Damon could sense other vampires and this guy was not a vampire and he wasn't a wolf either so how could he smell her? This thought more than any other occupied Damon's mind...what was he? How many other things were there and was he even going to get out of this one, were others. He looked up in to the night sky and as the clouds cleared and the moonlight shone down so gracefully he muttered "I could sure use your help about now brother."

"Why am I tied to a tree?" was Damon's question to the stranger.

"We don't have a lot of time...so answer quickly and save yourself some pain."

"What do you want with Caroline? You know my brother will never let you have her and he will kill anyone who tries."

A searing pain went through Damon's side that took his breath away and forced him to scream out in pain. "What the hell?" Screamed Damon..."I don't know where she is" he sneered through gritted teeth "and even if I did....aaaaargh...he screamed again as another searing hot poker was pushed through his flesh.

Suddenly...stillness fell over the area and everyone noticed. The poker was pulled from Damon's side and he let out another slightly muffled groan. The men surrounding him looked about them, sensing a foreboding spirit approaching. They seemed almost panicked, they could feel it but they couldn't see it. "Secure him, the leader said pointing at Damon, but before the men could take another step toward him they were tossed in to the air. A brilliant light poured down as if from nowhere and utterly destroyed them, taking them apart without mercy. Damon's bonds broke and he was free, his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness once again following the blinding of the light as he stumbled to his feet.

He looked ahead of him where he thought he saw movement and from across the way, a little in the distance... he saw two glowing steel blue eyes.