Armin listened with a grim expression. 'Right, don't panic. We'll come over. If anyone else shows up, we'll deal with them. I need to make sure Fred is actually OK.' He spoke tensely, raising his voice a little to make sure Dianne was hearing his side of the conversation.

{Alarmed, Dianne pokes her head out of the kitchen, listening intently.}

Pythia: "Ok, I'm going to shelter in place with him. Do hurry."

'We'll be five minutes,' Armin promised. He then hung up and turned to Dianne. 'Some lunatic broke into Fred's place and attacked him. Ryder went after them. Now Pythia's on her own with Fred and doesn't know if he'll be OK, so we're going over there.'

{Pythia puts her phone down, looking Fred over worriedly.}

Dianne: "Alright. Barnabas, get over there and protect Fred and Pythia. Armin, tell Rex to stay here with Esme. Get your things and meet me outside."

{She then runs up the stairs into the bedroom and starts putting on her armor. The look on her face through the whole exchange was one of worry, yet she maintained a cool, collected attitude.}

Armin barely paid attention to what Dianne was doing or saying. He telepathically asked Rex to watch Esme for them, then grabbed his sword, ran outside and jumped into the truck. Starting the engine, he revved it loudly, impatient as he waited for Dianne to finish getting ready.

//He'll be OK... If he's still alive now, then he should be fine...// Despite this attempt to reassure himself, his heart was thumping with fear.

{Thirty seconds later, Dianne appears in full armor, hopping into the truck. She brought her short sword, putting it down by her feet.}

Dianne: "I'm ready, let's go."

Armin said nothing, but put his foot down on the pedal and set off towards Pythia's house, at a speed that was probably above the limit. He arrived in less than five minutes, screeching to a halt outside, jumping out and hurrying towards the house.

There was no sign of Ryder or the man he had been chasing. In his room, Fred lay silent on the bed, pale and breathing shallowly.

*Fred's house

{Dianne quickly hopped out, running past the line of sick people. Pythia looks up when she hears them come in.}

Dianne: "Pythia, where's Fred?"

Pythia: "He's in his bed..."

{She thenm walks in to look at him.}

Dianne: "Fred? Can you hear me?"

Armin hurried in, dropping to one knee beside the bed and looking Fred over.

'You said he got staked? In that case, this is normal. He'll be weakened for a couple of days - a bit like when Dianne gets hit by light magic, except it won't take /that/ long to get better.'

As they talked, Fred stirred a little, wincing.

'Nrgh... Dianne. And Armin,' he said, in an attempt at his usual brisk tone, but it sounded rather hoarse.

{Dianne looks him over, her expression hidden by her helmet.}

Dianne: "Well, you look like cr.ap, but we all know vampires bounce back from everything."

Pythia: "Yeah, I pulled the stake out as quickly as I could...It just barely missed his heart..."

{Pythia, on the other hand, looked extremely worried. She didn't help vampires too often, so she wasn't sure what was going to happen.}

'Regardless of where it hit me... it likely would've killed me if the stake was left in too long... so I appreciate that,' said Fred. He coughed, winced again, then closed his eyes, trying to conserve his energy.

'...He'll be OK,' said Armin, rubbing his face. 'Thank the gods. How did that guy get in here to attack him, anyway?'

Pythia: "He...he was wounded, said he was attacked by hunters...Right after I healed him, he turned on Frederick...I...I don't understand why he'd do this..."

Dianne: "...There's something here we're missing...he must have had some motive...Armin, stay here with them. I'm going to find Ryder. If he managed to catch him, or has any useful information, it can only help us."

'Oh, I know what his motive was,' said Fred, eyes still closed. 'His name was Blair Crawford. About thirty years ago, he was part of a small hunter group in Shacklestone. I was the leader of a raiding party ordered by Sargon to wipe them out. Crawford survived, and, I suppose, got himself Turned so he could hunt me down for revenge...'

He promptly disintegrated into a coughing fit at the end, but seemed quite pleased to have worked out the man's motive.

Dianne: "Oh. Clearly, he didn't know the role you played in killing Sargon. Regardless, he tried to kill you and must now die. My orders still stand. Stay here with them."

Pythia: "W-wait! Maybe, if we told him Fred helped kill Sargon, he'll leave, and won't have to be killed?"

'I find it unlikely that he could forgive me for the harm I caused,' said Frederick. 'Keep in mind that, unlike Armin, I was feigning loyalty to the organisation. But, it's up to you to decide how to deal with Crawford.'

'I'm reluctant to let him live,' said Armin grimly. 'He sounds like a crazed lunatic to me. But let's find him and talk to him first. Assuming Ryder hasn't already killed him.'

Dianne: "And assuming /I/ won't...he doesn't deserve a chance to speak..."

{She states with a dark, growling tone. Dianne then begins to walk for the door, intent on tracking down Ryder.}

Armin watched restlessly as Dianne turned to leave. //If you end up killing him out there, think of me when you do it, alright? After what he did, I'd probably kill him myself if I was going with you,// he said. //And, be careful.//

By that point, Ryder was several miles away, in the south of the city, chasing the man in dragon form.

Dianne: "I will be. I'll be back as soon as I can."

{Shifting, Dianne takes to the skies, looking for Ryder.}

Dianne: "Barnabas, taste the fear of this city. Find our quarry. Surely, he actively fears capture, or death."

It seemed that Blair had very little fear, least of all for his own life. However, if she flew far enough south, Dianne would eventually spot a purple dragon on the ground, circling the outside of a ramshackle, worn-down building.

Barnabas: "South. Ryder fears for Frederick, and he has our quarry cornered, it seems."

{Immediately turning South, Dianne flies for a few miles and spots Ryder outside the building. Landing outside of it, she addresses Ryder.}

Dianne: "Ryder, report."

Ryder didn't take his eyes off the building.

'Well, I have him trapped in this place. But I can't fit inside in this form, and I didn't have time to pick up any weapons. So if you're prepared, you can go on in. I can tell you that he's alone, he's got a revolver and a dagger, and he's very fast, but sucks at shapeshifting. Shouldn't be a problem for you.'

{Dianne shifts to human form, looking to the building.}

Dianne: "All too easy. If he tries to flee, tear him apart. I'm going inside."

{With that, she draws her sword and enters the building.}

Inside, the house was clearly long abandoned. It had two floors, but the staircase was rotted and crumbled, making the second floor inaccessible. Most of the windows were broken or boarded up, and there was still furniture lying around.

From one of the bedrooms came a faint sound of breathing and a vampire scent, indicating that Blair was hiding there. The sound and smell seemed to be coming from a large closet in the corner.

{Dianne slowly and calmly moved through the building. Once she heard Blair's breathing and caught his scent, she entered the room, stopping some six feet from the closet door.}

Dianne: "Barnabas, put him on his knees before me."

{All at once, Barnabas appears in the closet with Blair, popping out of the ground and stabbing at his legs.}

Barnabas: "Oh, hello there!"

'Wha--'

Blair gave a look of surprise, reacting instinctively to being stabbed. Drawing his revolver, he shot at the ghoul.

{Barnabas dissipated as he shot, only to reappear behind him, sinking his hand blade into Blair's lower back and wrapping his chain around him, trying to restrain him.}

Barnabas: "Sticks and stones can't break my bones, so guns are even more useless!"

Most vampires would have shifted to escape, but Blair didn't seem able to. As he staggered from Barnabas's restraints, he fired several wild shots through the closet door, roughly in the direction Dianne was standing.

{Dianne didn't move, even as the shots came through the door. Most of them missed, but one struck her abdominal plating, ricocheting off harmlessly. In the closet, Barnabas slashes at Blair's gun hand, trying to make him drop it.}

Dianne: "Wrap things up in there, Barnabas, I don't have all day."

Blair grimaced and let go of his gun, letting it clatter onto the floor of the closet. 'Fine! I surrender,' he said, sounding more angry than afraid. 'What do you want?'

{Barnabas tightens his chain around Blair, kicking him out of the closet. He then grabs Blair by the hair and pulls his head to look at Dianne.}

Dianne: "I want to know why yopu tried to kill my friend, I want to know if there are others you're working with, and I want a reason not to pull yopur head off you shoulders."

Blair answered without hesitation. 'I came to kill him because he's a monster who murdered my closest friends. I've been hunting him down all these years, even let myself become a creature I hated, just to avenge them.'

Dianne: "So, revenge, is it?"

{She kneels down to get closer to him.}

Dianne: "Clearly, the concepts of "double agent" and "espionage" are too complex for your small mind. Fred did what he had to do to earn Sargon's trust, in order to rid the world of him. I'm sorry about your friends, I truly am, but clearly, you weren't very good at your jobs if you couldn't handle his organization."

Blair flushed slightly in anger.

'S-so you're saying I should forgive him killing my friends because he was, apparently, planning to betray Sargon? How would you like it if someone murdered /your/ most loved ones, then said it had been for the greater good? And most of us were still young and inexperienced; we weren't ready to handle such a brutal attack.'

Dianne: "Someone already has. Someone already did. You don't have to forgive him, you just need to understand he did what he had to do. Besides, you took a group of greenhorns against Sargon's lot. That was a doomed endeavor from the start. Whoever was in charge led you all straight to your deaths. They're the one who bears the blame. Frederick was merely a pawn."

'We never attacked Sargon's lot, you simpleton! We were simply living in the city, training for when we would need to kill dangerous non-humans. Sargon, it seemed, hated all hunter groups and aspired to wipe them out before they got good enough to oppose him!'

Dianne: "Yes or no, did you know Sargon's people were in the city?"

{She asks, a tinge of impatience in her voice.}

'We'd heard about them, yes, but didn't know everything. Are you saying we deserved what we got for starting a hunter group in the same city as those lunatics?'

Dianne: "Well, it obviously wasn't a good idea. Look, in your profession, this is a clear, occupational hazard. Hunter groups get wiped all the time. I'm sorry about your friends, but I will not stand idly by while you try to kill mine. If killing Frederick is your sole reason for existing, then allow me to lay you to rest."

'Then do it. I should have died years ago. The only reason I became /this/ was to avenge my friends. If I can't do that, then go ahead and kill me.' Blair's face twisted into an unpleasant grin. 'At least I got the satisfaction of stabbing that cold, emotionless bastard.'

Dianne: "Cold and emotionless? Clearly, you don't know the man you stabbed. By the way, you didn't kill him."

{Drawing her blade, she puts it to his throat.}

Dianne: "One last thing. Did you come alone?"

Blair looked up into her face, almost sneering with disgust. 'I'm alone. Hurry up and end it, witch. You and all your friends are as bad as each other.'

(So, should I kill him?)

(Yeah, go ahead. He's not needed. XD)

(And so, he dies. XD)

{Dianne puts one hand on his forehead, then forces her blade through his neck. She then pulls it out through the side, effectively decapitating Blair. However, with her other hand, she was holding his spirit captive, not letting it pass on.}

Dianne: "Oh, did you think we were done?"

(I dunno if he's supposed to be able to talk like that, but oh well. XD)

'Witch!' Blair's spirit spat furiously. 'Let me go! I want no part in your repulsive deeds.' This was followed by a torrent of swears and rather unpleasant insults.

(He is supposed to be able to talk. XD)

Dianne: "Adorable."
{She sneers mockingly.}

Dianne: "You thought you would be able to pass on and see your friends again and have a good time. Well, guess what?
Because of your detestable behavior, I don't think you deserve something so pleasant. Barnabas, bring me a flat stone please."

'You disgust me!' snarled Blair in a voice of utter contempt and hatred. 'I hope somebody murders your family someday and then treats /you/ like this! I hope that you lose your partner and child and never get to see them again!'

{Dianne brings Blair closer, holding his spirit in the air.}

Dianne: "Fool. That has already happened. What else could have made me so monstrous? Empty threats and desire for my misfortune will bring you nothing."

{Barnabas then returned with a floor tile. Taking Barnaba' chain blade, she starts to carve something into the tile.}

'I suppose it brings you enjoyment to see innocent people like me suffer, does it?' spat Blair. 'What are you, a sadist?'

He didn't seem particularly afraid of what she might be doing to him. He was way too angry, and his past experiences had driven him half-mad.

Dianne: "You? Innocent? Don't flatter yourself. You're a racist and a murderer. I'm no sadist. If anything, I'm a justicar."

{Having finished the carving, Dianne looks over her handiwork.}

Dianne: "You're not well, so you're going with all the other mad beasts..."

'Murderer?! It's considered murder now to defend yourself from other murderers? In that case, send me where you like. I care not. This and every other world is evil!'

Dianne: "What you did today, while not exactly murder, wasn't self defense either. But, I find it hard to believe you refrained from killing other vampires in your short, miserable life."

{Taking the soul trap she made, she forces Blair into it. She then stands and heads for the door, picking up Blair's head along the way.}

As Dianne left, Ryder was waiting outside in dragon form. 'Everything went well, I'm guessing?' he said, eyeing Blair's disembodied head.

Back at Fred's house, Fred had drifted into a light sleep in his room. Armin was sitting in a chair in the corner, guarding him, and wondering if Dianne had caught up with Blair yet.

Dianne: "Yes. He'll never threaten us again. Let's head back."

{Dianne then shifts and flies for Fred's house.}

Ryder took flight after Dianne, keen to get back and make sure Fred was alright.

{After a few minutes, Dianne lands at Fred's house. Shifting, she walks inside.}

Dianne: "Armin? Pythia? We're back."

Armin stepped out of Fred's room to meet Dianne.

'Fred's asleep. He's alright.' He ran his gaze over Dianne, trying to check her for wounds. In doing so, he noticed Blair's head and winced slightly. 'Well, I can see he's dead. Any reason why you're still carrying that around?'

Dianne: "Just for proof. Back in my day, if you wanted to prove someone was dead, you'd throw the head of the target at the client's feet. Guess I'm just old fashioned..."

{She then holds up the soul trap.}

Dianne: "Also, I trapped his soul. If you'd like to talk to him, now's your chance."

Armin eyed the soul trap, his expression contemplative. 'I don't know about that. I don't think there's any reason for me to talk to him... all I'd do is tell him how much of a lunatic bast.ard he is... and you probably already did that before you cut his head off. Speaking of which, can you maybe get rid of the head now?'

Dianne: "Sure. Barnabas, dispose of this for me, would you?"

{As Barnabas took the head, Dianne walked into Fred's room to look at him.}

Dianne: "Well, he seems to be doing well."

Armin hung back in the doorway. 'He's doing better than I expected. As long as no more stake-wielding maniacs come in, he's not in any danger. He'll probably wake up later and start bothering Pythia for tea.'

{Dianne takes off her helmet and quietly sets it aside.}

Dianne: "...Should we have him recover over at our place? If there are any more maniacs, I'm not sure if Pythia is the best guardian...No offense, Pythia."

Pythia: "None taken...violence isn't my strongest point..."

As they spoke, Ryder stepped in behind them.

'You don't need to worry,' he said calmly. 'Me and some of Fred's other associates are going to guard this place 24/7. We can inspect anyone who comes in to make sure they're not armed. It'll be safe.'

Armin rubbed his head distractedly. 'Yes, but I'm not sure if I /feel/ safe leaving him here right now... No offence to you. I know you're all great fighters... But he's my son and I can't help but be paranoid.'

Dianne: "I suggest we wait for Fred to awaken, and ask him what he thinks. Personally, I think he should come with us to recover."

'I'd like him to come with us,' said Armin distantly. 'It'll be safer...'

He glanced back at Fred again, who was still dozing.

'Well, I don't know how long it'll take him to wake up. Should we both stay here for a little bit, and see if he does?'

Dianne: "Yeah, but let's call Rex, let him know what's happening..."

{Pulling out her phone, she dials him.}

Armin stepped back out of Fred's room, shutting the door so he could sleep without interruption. On the other end of the line, Rex picked up.

'I'm assuming the situation that both of you ran off to resolve is dealt with?' he said without preamble.

Dianne: "Yeah. Fred's fine and we're all ok. How's everything over there? How's Esme?"

'She's fine,' said Rex. 'So you all managed to deal with it without getting injured? That's a first.'

Dianne: "Well...Fred got stabbed, but other than that, we suffered no casualties. That's good to hear. We need to do one last thing, then we'll be heading back. Ok?"

'Alright,' said Rex. Slightly concerned about how Armin might be reacting to Fred's near-death experience, he spoke up slightly louder. 'Armin? You good?'

Knowing what he meant, Armin replied. 'Yeah... I'm fine. Everything turned out fine in the end...'

'Hm. Alright, I'll see you both later, then.'

{As Dianne hung up, Pythia approached her.}

Pythia: "Dianne, I'm sure you've seen the high amount of people afflicted with Rat Boils. Any chance you could make me some cures?"

Dianne: "Of course, but...I need to gather the ingredients from the wilds...and I'll need Armin's help, as one of the ingredients is the scales from a particular type of fish, but I don't think he wants to leave Fred alone right now...it might be a few days before I can get them to you..."

Armin went into the living room to sit down on Fred's couch.

'I'll probably feel safer once Fred is back home with us. And, honestly, there's probably no-one else coming after him. But to curb my own paranoia, I'd rather stick around. It won't take him long to recover, and then I'll help, I promise.'

Pythia: "I understand. I'll do what I can in the meantime."

{Dianne then walks over to Armin and sits next to him.}

Dianne: "Are you ok? Everyone is ok."

'I'm good,' said Armin, slowly leaning back into the couch as he tried to relax. 'I'm glad this turned out as well as it did. Fred will recover quickly. Just gave me a momentary scare, is all.'

Dianne: "Ok. I'd hug you but...I don't think it'd be too comfortable while I'm wearing armor..."

Armin gave her a sideways look. 'Probably not... I'll just wait until we get home.' He yawned. 'Armour sounds like an inconvenience to me... you have to put it on before every battle, then take it off again... and it looks slow and heavy to move in...'

{Dianne just shrugs.}

Dianne: "Not really. It doesn't slow me down, and it's saved my hide more than once. Taking it on and off isn't so bad either, it's just metal plates and leather straps."

'I know it helps you. I just can't see myself ever using it. Though, honestly, wearing armour doesn't help if you choose to carry magical ghost pikes and then let your enemies get ahold of them,' he said teasingly.

{Smirking at him, Dianne playfully punches his shoulder.}

Dianne: "Shut up. At least I don't freeze in the face of araneos."

'Araneos are abominations and should be wiped out,' said Armin. 'At least I can go out in temperatures below 15 Celsius without complaining about the cold.'

Dianne: "They should be wiped out, jut not by you, right? Hey, I'm a dragon. The cold hurts me. At least I can use you as a personal heater. Heheheh."

Armin chuckled. 'I can't wait to see how you handle winter. It was cold enough to /snow/ last year. I'm guessing I just won't be able to get you up in the morning at all.'

(Posting new room)