Corbin's bus rolled into Torrell as the sun was setting on the sleepy little town Sunday evening. When he got off the bus with his duffel bag and an awakening yawn, a hungry rumble in his stomach reminded him of just how long the trip had been. A little cafe that he frequented was nearby so he decided to take a detour in its direction to satisfy his hunger.

    Sundays were traditionally slow paced, laid back days in the factory driven small town, so the cafe was nearly empty; save an elderly couple in a corner booth and a middle-aged man off to himself at one of the counter seats. Corbin slid his bag onto the worn vinyl of a booth seat, then sat down next to it.

    A lanky waitress wearing enough make-up for two women made her way over to Corbin and the two shared the kind of quick smiles that connect a regular patron with his usual server. Without the need for a menu, Corbin ordered his favorite selection from the cafe's modest offerings and the waitress was off to place his order with the cook.

    While he waited for his meal, Corbin took the cell phone from his bag and after he found the manor's number listed among the contacts he called to let his sisters know he was safely back in Torrell. As the phone rang he considered how nice it felt to be checking in with family members in order to comfort their concerns for his wellbeing, and the joy in Gale's voice when she answered and heard his warmed him all over.

    Once Gale had gathered Shade and Lydia she put the phone on speaker to allow everyone to take part in the brief conversation where Corbin openly expressed his feelings of discontent for leaving so soon, but the girls reassured him they felt the same and understood his reasons. With a round of cheerful good-byes followed by another promise from Corbin not to stay away too long, the phone call ended.

    Corbin made short work of his meal once it hit the table, then after leaving a tip for the waitress, he left the cafe. Standing outside on the sidewalk in the cool night air he hung the duffel bag on his shoulder with it's strap and shifted it around toward his back, putting his hands in his pants pockets for warmth. 

    His apartment was a few blocks away, but after staring in it's direction for a long moment he decided that wasn't where he wanted to be. Stale walls and reminders of a life he never really wanted wanted were all that the apartment could offer him now. He looked up at the starry sky above, imagining how Allender Manor must look sitting under it so far away, and knew for certain that within it's walls was where he most wanted to be. 

    There was one place in Torrell though that was always a welcome sight to Corbin. He stared off in another direction, toward the distant house of his dearest friend, Kyle Summers. He knew Kyle would be home, and he had much to tell him; so he started the long trek to pay him a visit.

    After a brisk walk in the night air that lasted all of forty minutes, allowing Corbin the time needed to properly assemble his story for Kyle, he entered the aged neighborhood where he'd spent a great deal of his life since meeting Kyle in high school. Soon the meek, brick house that he'd known for many years came into view with soft yellow glows coming from a couple of it's windows.  

    Kyle's parents, who'd been the closest thing Corbin had ever known to a real family, had perished in a terrible traffic accident just three years after Kyle and Corbin graduated high school. Kyle inherited the house and the two of them often found its memory filled rooms to be a source of great comfort in their lives.

    Corbin followed the driveway up to a door on the side of the house that was used as a more personal entrance by those like him who knew Kyle and the house well. He pushed the flimsy, plastic button for the doorbell after shifting the duffel bag around, out of the way and within seconds footsteps from inside were headed his way. The door opened to reveal the bearded, husky image of a friend long considered a brother. The two exchanged half-smile silent greetings, then Kyle stepped aside for Corbin to enter.

    "Hey bro, man have I got something to tell ya," Corbin said, barely holding the excitement of the news inside as he went past Kyle into the house.  

    Kyle discreetly scanned the empty driveway through the open door before closing it and turning to Corbin, who had placed his bag on the floor, then followed a familiar path to a seat at the nearby kitchen table. Kyle wandered slowly up behind Corbin as he was already eagerly involved in revealing his remarkable tale with such an energized pace of words that he could barely produce them without fumbling his sentences. Without Corbin noticing, Kyle reached into his pocket and pulled something out, concealing it with his hand. 

    Kyle's shadowing presence behind made Corbin pause to twist around and look up at his friend, whose facial expression was strangely blank. Just when Corbin was about to ask if something was wrong, Kyle swung his hand up and jabbed a syringe into Corbin's neck, causing him to yell out painfully as he scrambled out of the chair and fell surprised to the floor.

    Corbin glared up at Kyle, confused and struggling to focus his quickly blurring vision as he rubbed the stinging spot on his neck. He saw the needle of the syringe peeking out of Kyle's hand, then, before his consciousness faded away into darkness, he saw Kyle's body melt into a fleshly lump that reshaped itself into the likeness of Sodi, Bardolph's assistant.

    Far north of Torrell, on the winding country roads deep in the surrounding forests of Bergstad's eastern border, Shade's coupe rumbled along a night-soaked stretch of road that led to an old hunting resort that had belonged to her grandfather. The family land that was passed down to her father, then to her and her sisters after his death was a secluded collection of heavily wooded acreage that was rarely visited by anyone. Inside the car, Gideon, who knew the area well, was growing curious at Shade's unusual choice for a nightly drive.

    "Honestly my dear, I thought when you said we were going out that you meant someplace a bit more lively," he quipped.

    Shade glanced at him with a smirk that she knew he could see perfectly in the faint glow of the instrument panel lights. "Don't sound so disappointed Gideon, I've got a surprise for you,"she teased.

    "Ahh, a surprise. Is it the kind that stays between you and me?"

    As Shade navigated the road ahead she answered Gideon with a serpent's smile that told him all he needed to know. He grinned to himself at the revealed nature of their jaunt into the remote reaches of Bergstad.

    Shade's coupe eased along with a deep, moaning exhaust note in it's wake until she found the gated side road that granted entrance to the inherited land. The gate was already open so she gently guided the sports car onto the narrow, overgrown dirt path and followed it far away from the crudely paved road that had brought them there. When the car's headlights found what she was looking for she stopped the car and shut it off, leaving the lights on.

    Out in front of the car was a man tied to a tree and gagged. As Shade and Gideon got out of the car, the man struggled against the ropes holding him tightly to the tree, trying desperately to wiggle free but without success. When Shade drew near, he mumbled expletives and threats at her through the slobber-soaked gag in his mouth. She turned to Gideon.

    "Gideon, I'd like you to meet Viktor,"she said.

    "The Viktor?" Gideon questioned as he moved into the beams of light from the car and walked up beside Shade.

    "Yep, The Viktor," she confirmed with an accusing tone.

    Viktor grew still as he studied Gideon, who paced in front of him to get a closer look.

    "He tried to play rough with me today at the bus station when I dropped off Corbin, and he even threatened to pay Corbin a visit," Shade explained while eyeing Viktor shrewdly.

    "Is that so?" Gideon remarked, eliciting a few rude mumblings in his direction from a frustrated Viktor.

    Gideon moved in close to Viktor, so that his slightly higher eyes could look closely into Viktor's attempt at an intimidating, macho stare.

    "Well now, I cannot abide such behavior against my family," Gideon declared as his face shifted into the menacing features of the vampire.

    Viktor's tough-guy act faded quickly into a suddenly frightened state, and Gideon's fanged hiss sent him into a series of panic filled yelps that shattered the calmness of the secluded night offered by the thick forest around them. While Shade looked on with a grim delight, Gideon tore into Viktor's throat and drank the gushing blood in heaves until Viktor's frantic cries weakened, then sank into the silence of death. 

    A short while later, when Gideon was returning from disposing of Viktor's body from deep within the nearly impenetrable bowels of the undisturbed growth of the forest, his cell phone rang out from an inside pocket of his custom tailored suit. Seeing Gale's name on the phone's brightly lit face, he answered it quickly only to receive a distressing message from her that sent him in haste back to Shade, who was waiting beside her car.

    "We have to go, now," he informed Shade with an urgent tone. "There is a matter at the manor that requires our immediate attention," he added.

    Shade didn't waste time with questions, she simply slid into her waiting coupe and brought it to life with the turn of the ignition. Gideon disappeared into the night sky with a bolting leap as Shaded began to back the car toward the paved road as quickly as the rough dirt path would allow. When she got to the gate, Gideon was standing beside it to close it after she backed the car onto the road. He secured the entrance with the gate's hanging chain and lock, then got into the car. The powerful coupe peeled away toward Allender Manor.   

    Upon reaching the manor, Shade and Gideon rushed in to find Lydia wrapped up in Gale's arms in the dining hall. Lydia was in a nearly inconsolable state of tears and Gale's worried, lost face declared her concern instantly as she stroked Lydia's hair in an attempt to calm her.

    "What's wrong?" Shade asked, rushing over to them and kneeling to regard Lydia's emotional state with deep concern for her little sister.

    "A little while ago I heard a shriek from her room, when I got there she was already crying and frantically trying to tell that she had a vision, and that Corbin was in some kind of terrible danger," Gale explained.

    "What kind of danger my dear?" Gideon asked Lydia gently.

    "I...I...I'm not...sure...," Lydia answered through sobs.

    "I've called all of the numbers he left, and your cell phone Shade, several times but I've yet to get an answer," Gale informed.

    Shade stood and exchanged a concerned look with Gideon who approached closer. "Shade and I will leave for Torrell, you and Lydia remain here and continue your efforts to reach him," he instructed.

   Kneeling down with caring eyes that roved Lydia's tear-soaked face, he said,"Fear not little one, such visions are a part of your gift and serve to keep those you love from harm."

    Assuring her with the flash of a smile he rose from Lydia to give Gale a confident nod, then darted away with Shade to the car.