Hunters of the Shadows

He sprinted down the spray-covered docks smelling the fish guts that the fishermen had not removed today as they cleaned their catch.

"Where are you Takada?" he whispered, sprinting as fast as the conditions would allow.

Down at the end of dock five sat the ship waiting the morning tides to set sail for Spain. Slowing, he sensed them in the dark around him watching.

"Humans," he told himself, knowing they would be Rasmere's minions, human scum eaters who lived to serve their master's every wish. They knew that if the master favored them, they would become vampires themselves.

Creed slowed to a walk drawing his rapier. He didn't need the enchanted knives to kill human minions.

With a soft ruffle of air, they rushed him coming from every dark corner. He spun the steel of his blade. It flashed in the moonlight as it ripped through the guts of his first attacker!

Ducking, he felt the feathered end of an arrow as it passed by his head whistling into the dock's planks. He crouched as he jerked free his left pistol, firing under his arm just as the bowman aimed a second arrow at him. The flash from the flintlock was blinding in the shadows of the dock but the silver ball hit its mark, burrowing deeply into the bowman's chest. Cocking the pistol's second barrel, he fired again, striking a woman who swung an ax at him.

From his side a sword wielding man screamed as he rushed in, swinging wildly. Creed slapped aside the man's strike and then blocked a second downward blow. He spun slashing the attacker's thigh deeply sending the man to the ground with a shriek of agony.

Hurtling past the swordsman, he delivered the killing blow as he stepped back into the shadow of the warehouse. That was the last of them for now and he took a deep breath trying to steady his nerves.

Quickly he retrieved his pistol, reloading the barrels as he watched around the dock for another attack. When none came, he cocked the weapon keeping it and the sword out as he slid open the warehouse door.

Birds flew from the rafters' overhead as he stepped in seeing nothing as the sparse moonlight from the windows provided the only illumination.

The familiar smell of the undead found its way to his nose and he knew he had found them, somewhere here in this dark building. On his toes he crept through the warehouse coming to a set of stairs, he stopped, debating if he wanted to climb them, as a pain filled scream filled the air!

"Upstairs." He decided quickly.

He pushed himself as he hurried up the staircase two and three steps at a time until he reached the second floor. He stopped. His eyes focused on a door across the floor. Through the linen drapes, he could see shadows and flickering lights. Again, a scream rang out into the warehouse and now Creed was sure; it was Takada!

Slipping his rapier off he placed it against the railing of the stairs as he pulled both pistols, cocking them. He crept forward, tensing his powerful legs and kicking open the door. The door shattered into pieces as Creed stepped through into a nightmare!

Takada lay on a large wooden table in the center of the room. He was covered in blood and four pale white vampires in black cloaks huddled over him, bathing in his blood.

The valiant warrior tried to raise his head. He looked through glazed eyes while out from the shadows a fifth vampire appeared.