MisterSpook: A funny example you took. One of the most idiotic paragraphs in the story: you see, the first part ("Although this was a strange time for a gang to be on move, there was a reason for that. They were pursuing-") talks about the gang, while the second part ("-those three young men who appeared from the mist and stopped at the entrance of a blind alley. After panting for a while they looked around as if expecting someone. But there was no one but the drunken sleepers.") talks about the three boys they're hunting.
I hope I'm past this kind of mistakes by now.
But your point is valid. Description (of environment and appearances) has never been one of my strong points, and although I'm improving, I doubt it'll ever be one. Somehow my imagination concentrates on movement, words, expressions and a few other things. Details of the background or the character appearances don't come naturally, I have to concentrate on them consciously and go through some trouble to be able to write good description.
Silvara: Thanks.
Half the honour belongs to my friend who invented this world and the basic idea of the story. The story of our two characters, I mean, not this piece of text.
I have one more piece of text about the Night and the Day written in English. It's the beginning of a longer story (that I most likely will never complete), and so far nothing has really happened in it. But it's written with more care and concentration, and the humorous dialogue in this piece is probably the best I can do at the moment. That's not much (humour is another of my weak points), but I hope it'll entertain you a bit.
And before you ask: yes, comments would be appreciated.
The Bodyguard
Someone was coming. Lauri raised his nose from the spell book he’d been reading and opened his mind for more information the ward spell would be sending in a few moments. Not strong – good. No violent intentions either. A human with some small magical powers, nothing that would count.
Lauri relaxed and leaned back in his chair. Then he raised his hand, drew a simple rune in the air and recited two quiet words. The ward would not interfere when the visitor tried to open the door. Which he did in a few seconds.
He was tall, rather handsome, and dressed very formally. His hair was dark brown and his expression was a proud one. He gave the scrambled room a quick, sneering glance and stepped inside.
“I am looking for the Night,” he said.
“And I’m looking at a man with no manners at all,” Lauri replied coolly. “Next time knock the door before you enter – or better still, wait for an invitation before entering.”
The proud expression darkened. “I have no time for this. Is he here or not?”
“And what if he is?”
“I have a proposition for him.”
“What kind of a proposition?”
The visitor was clearly losing his patience. He was actually grinding his teeth as he answered: “A job offer.”
Lauri shook his head. “I don’t think he’s going to work for a human. Unless you bring the offer from someone who’s something… more?” He didn’t specify it any further. There were few who commanded Oskar’s respect, but among those few there were so varying beings that there was no way to refer to all of them with any more specific word.
“You are a cocky little mage, aren’t you?” the visitor asked, still gnashing his teeth. He leaned forward over the table and glared Lauri in the eye. “I am Philip Andrews, and I can offer him a deal he can’t afford to reject. Now tell me where Mr. Night is, for if he knew his servant was holding back such an important visitor as me, he’d have your blood for sure.”
For a moment Lauri could only stare. Then he blinked twice and burst into laughter. It was the visitor’s turn to stare in astonishment.
“I’m sorry,” Lauri apologized while taking off his glasses and wiping moisture from his eyes. “That was just so… hilariously ridiculous… I couldn’t help it.”
Mr. “Andrews” was getting quite red on his face when Lauri finally got himself fully under control and put his glasses back on. “Let me explain,” Lauri offered, and continued without waiting for an answer:
“Firstly,” he began and raised a finger, “one of your level calling me a ‘little mage’ is just… absurd. Secondly, if you are Philip Andrews, I’m Merlin. Thirdly, there are few things the Night can’t afford to reject, and I doubt even Mr. Andrews has any of them. Fourthly, I’m not his servant but his partner. They call me the Day. Fifthly, I doubt he’d consider you an important visitor. Sixthly, he knows you’re here and that I’m holding you back. Seventhly, he wouldn’t take my blood for anything less than attacking him. Eighthly, there’s no guarantee he could take it even if he tried. Ninthly, he’s in a bad mood right now and doesn’t want to be disturbed for anything as insignificant as a job offer. Now, tell me who you really are and what is the real reason why you’ve come here.”
Despite his earlier redness the man was as pale as a ghost by the time Lauri finished. Nine fingers he had straightened, and almost every time the visitor had flinched. But he wasn’t beaten just yet. He straightened himself and took a breath.
“My name is Robert Perkins. I am a servant of Mr. Andrews, just as my family has been servants of the Andrews’ family for almost two hundred years. I was told to personate my master, but the offer is really from him. An attempt has been made to abduct his daughter, and Mr. Andrews is afraid there will be more of them. He would like to hire Mr. Night as her bodyguard.”
A small smile bent Lauri’s lips. “Isn’t he afraid my friend might become hungry in her presence?” he asked playfully.
Perkins stiffened a little. “I would not know what my master thinks, but I am sure he can arrange to keep Mr. Night satisfied.” But a few seconds later he added in a little worried tone: “Although I have a bad feeling that he’s counting too much on Mr. Night’s reputation as a vampire who avoids drinking from innocent people.”
Lauri gave a laugh. “He’s worth his reputation – mostly because of my influence. But I’m quite sure he won’t think this job worth his time.”
“I was told to present the proposition to Mr. Night, and that I am going to do.” He had regained his composure and appeared quite stubborn.
Lauri shook his head in amusement, but gave up. “Your funeral. He’s right there, behind that door.” He indicated at one of the two heavy wooden doors in the western wall of the room. “But please, be prepared to take a rather heavy strike. It’d be quite a bother to drag your body out of here and contact Mr. Andrews to inform him of your death.”
Perkins swallowed and appeared to have lost some of his confidence, but headed for the indicated door. “I can take care of myself, thank you.”
At least he knocked before opening the door and entering the dark room. He closed the door behind him. Lauri didn’t bother making a spell to enable him listen to the conversation. Instead he leaned over his book and finished the sentence he’d been reading.
That was just about everything he had time for. The door to Oskar’s room broke and admitted the back-ahead-flying Perkins out. The man landed on the empty floor in the middle of the room.
“Well, Mr. Perkins, did he accept the job?”
The man was apparently in too much pain and confusion to reply. He had crossed his arms in front of his chest to take the hit, but it was still a miracle that he was still conscious. Lauri got up and walked to where Perkins lay and held his left arm.
“May I?” He asked, indicating the damaged arm. Perkins managed to nod. Lauri drew the sleeve up. The way it was bent, it was obvious the arm was broken. It was already turning blue in the middle of the forearm. Lauri did his best to set the arm straight (Perkins grimaced, but let out no sound of agony) and drew a rune over the blue spot. Then he recited a short spell and kept the forearm between his hands for a while. In twenty seconds the arm was healed.
“Go easy on it for a while,” Lauri advised and stood up. He started walking back behind his table, then suddenly stopped short and turned around. Perkins was laboriously getting on his feet.
“Take me to your master, Mr. Perkins. I’ll take the job. I’m sure he can offer me something of interest, given his rather famous collection of magical items.”
Perkins stared at the shabby-looking man with glasses. “You? A no-name wizard like those Mr. Andrews already has dozens working for him-
“-and who has been accepted as a partner by the Night,” Lauri interrupted. “I may not be famous, but I’m quite sure I can do
at least as much as my friend to ensure the safety of Miss Andrews.” As strong as Oskar was in a battle, Lauri was a mage and had countless ways to use his magical power.
“But… one of the reasons why my master chose the Night was his reputation. You have no fearsome reputation and you do not even
look threatening.”
Lauri grinned. “
I don’t look threatening? Did you notice he was almost a head shorter than me?”
Perkins blinked a few times. “Fine,” he then gave in. “I’ll take you to Mr. Andrews so he can decide if you are suitable.”
“Good. Go on ahead, I’ll pack some things I want to take along.” Perkins left without a word, and Lauri begun collecting his things. Clothes, cleaning equipment, the book from the table, a laptop and a few magical items that might come in handy. They all fit in his rather small suitcase. He liked to travel light.
He stopped in front of the dark doorframe while walking past it with his suitcase. “As you undoubtedly heard, I’m going to check if this girl I’m supposed to protect is pretty enough to be worth enduring her being a spoiled brat, which she almost certainly is. Fix the door if you finish brooding before I come back. And don’t kill anyone unless you’re sure he deserves it.”
The only answer he got was a flicker of glowing red eyes in the darkness.
* * *
The Andrews’ estate wasn’t big (for an estate, anyway) or gaudy, but it was old and well tended. Lauri liked the place from the moment he saw it. Walking from the gate to the front door he could almost feel the rich history of the site.
“How old is this manor?” he asked Mr. Perkins who walked before him, carrying his suitcase.
“It is over six hundred years old. Older than the Andrews’ family.”
“Well preserved,” Lauri commented with a neural tone.
“Very well preserved”, Perkins agreed. “I believe there are a few preservation spells, although their presence is weak, and it has been renovated a few times.”
“Now that you mentioned it, yes, there seems to be some preservation spells. However, they are old and practically useless. I must remember to mention Mr. Andrews about renewing them. It’d be a pity to let such an old building decay.”
In the inside the manor house was obviously renovated and modernized. There was under-floor heating, for instance, and the furnishing was different from what it must have been six centuries ago. But Lauri didn’t mind. It didn’t look too modern, and he understood that the changes had been made to keep the building inhabitable in modern standards. And he did appreciate comfort, after all.
One interesting thing that marked the house as Philip Andrews’ home was the collection of magical items that was on show. Lauri could sense a faint magical aura from almost every piece of ornament they passed. Mr. Andrews was famous in the Underworld for two things: his financial success and his collection of magical items. He had one of the most extensive private collections. Some of those items Lauri recognized. Many he’d have liked to stay and examine, but he followed Perkins without pausing.
Until a rune-ornate golden pendant with a particularly strong and lively aura caught his attention. It took Perkins a few seconds to notice the guest had stopped. Once he did, he turned around and saw Lauri surveying the pendant with a fixed interest.
“Please, hurry. Mr. Andrews is waiting impatiently.”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, I’ll come right away. Do you think he’d mind if I took this with me to the meeting with him? I think this might be of some help in protecting the young lady.”
“I don’t think so. He’s not one of those obsessed collectors who wouldn’t even let anyone touch their items. But it’s protected by a barrier, let me disable it first.” Lauri stepped back as Perkins came in front of the pendant, drew a complex rune in the air and muttered a few words. Lauri was quite sure the barrier was set to obey this opening rune only if it was made by certain persons. Perkins was obviously a trusted servant.
“It’s open now. I trust you know if this item is safe to touch?”
Lauri stepped forward and took the jewel from the hook it had been hanging from. “Yes, I’m quite sure I know this item. Now, take me to your master.”
It turned out they were already almost there. Perkins suddenly stopped in front of a door not unlike all the others in the corridor and knocked. They were invited in right away. It was Mr. Andrews’ workroom, and he was sitting behind his table and reading a huge, old book. He handled it very carefully as he closed it. In addition to the book there was a ring and a thin pile of papers on the table. In addition to the table and Mr. Andrews there was little to see in the room, so plain it was.
“Ah, Mr. Night, I presume? Good work, Bobby.” Philip Andrews was almost as much a prototype of an English Gentleman as Mr. Perkins. Although he lacked some of the stiffness and arrogance one would expect from an English Gentleman. He was good-looking and there was something genuine and pleasant in his smile. His hair was black and a bit shorter than that of Mr. Perkins’. As he rose from his seat it became apparent that he was a bit shorter than an average Englishman, and quite slim.
“No, sir,“ Perkins hastened to correct. ” This is Mr. Day, Mr. Night’s partner. Mr. Night rejected the proposition, but Mr. Day offered to take the job instead.”
Mr. Andrews’ smile faded, and he gave Lauri another look, a clearly appraising one. Then he asked: “Why did he refuse?”
Lauri shrugged his shoulders. “He was in a bad mood. Relationship problems.”
Mr. Andrews had a smile on his lips again. “Vampires have those, too?”
“Of course. At least my friend does. I don’t know about the others, I usually just kill them instead of asking about their relationships and problems.”
Mr. Andrews’ smile widened. “I like your sense of humour and confidence. Bobby probably already told you I wanted Mr. Night as a bodyguard for my daughter. Can you do it?”
Lauri raised his eyebrows amusedly. “Aren’t you going to ask for recommendations? It depends on your enemy, but I believe I can do it as well as the Night could, perhaps better.”
Mr. Andrews motioned the guest to sit on the chair in front of the table, sat down on his own chair and asked: “What kind of recommendations could you offer?”
“Nothing much, really,“ Lauri replied with a shrug after he got himself seated. ” I studied in the Library for five years and I was a fast learner. I can also guarantee that I’m powerful. But about my reliability you’ll just have to take my word, since unlike my friend, I don’t have a reputation yet. It’s your choice whether you trust me or not.”
Mr. Andrews looked him in the eye for a while. Lauri didn’t look away. Finally Mr. Andrews nodded. “And what would you like as a reward? I was going to offer Mr. Night this ring.” He took the ring from the table and extended it towards Lauri. It was a plain golden ring, possibly just gold-plated. It’s aura was weak, too. Lauri couldn’t imagine why Mr. Andrews thought the Night would want it.
“It was made by the vampire warlock Duracius, and it is said to make blood taste heavenly good. Despite its plain look and weak power it is sought by many vampires fed-up with the taste of blood. Duracius made only five of these, and so far no one else has learned to make similar items.”
Lauri gave a laugh. “Duracius? That idiot? My friend despised him so much I doubt he’d take it if you gave it for free! And if he did, I’d oppose. It’d tempt him to drink more blood than is actually necessary.”
“Mr. Night knows him personally? I thought Duracius was a solitary creature, even by the vampire standards.”
“I doubt
anyone knows Duracius personally anymore, since I killed him with the Night about two months ago. One doesn’t make friends easily in hell, I’ve heard.”
Mr. Andrews blinked twice. “Really? I’m… impressed. I’ve been told he was a powerful vampire.”
“Oh, he was powerful. But stupid. He knew how to fight a duel, but was confused easily with some primitive co-operation. It took us about two minutes to finish him off.”
“How did you end up fighting with him? I thought no one had seen him for years.”
“Actually, we bumped into his hiding place by accident. We interrupted his… meal, which I guess made him so aggressive. And he may have thought killing us would be easier than finding a new hiding place. He was a solitary being, as you said.” Mr. Andrews let this line of questions drop. Instead, he repeated his earlier question about what would Lauri charge for his service.
“I’d like some item from your collection or at least a chance to examine it. Magical items are an interest for me, too.”
“Then you might want to discuss it at length some time later. I’ll now enlighten you about the details concerning your work assignment.” He told, in short, this: Half a year ago had a new rival risen to challenge one of Mr. Andrews’ most important companies. It became apparent that they were willing to use every dirty trick that’d somehow help them. That’s why Mr. Andrews suspected them right away, when his daughter Camilla had almost been abducted. She had been under light guard, but it was the clever teleportation spell she had in her bracelet that had saved her. Mr. Andrews was afraid that there’d be another attempt, and the next time they’d be prepared for this trick, too.
“-And the fifth attacker was almost seven feet long and very muscular. I’d provide you with more details, but they were dressed in black from head to feet and Camilla has understandably some difficulties in remembering details about the incident.”
“This is well enough,“ Lauri assured. ” What’s important is their mode of action, not their appearance. They’d be idiots if they weren’t disguised. Maybe I’ll take one of them as a prisoner when they make their next attempt, so we can question him about his employer – although I doubt he’ll know much. I’m afraid there’s no other way to handle this problem permanently but to make a visit to their employer and ask him nicely to stop.”
“You are free to act as you wish, as long as your top priority is the safety of my daughter”, Mr. Andrews promised graciously.
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot something.” Lauri took the pendant from the pocket of his shabby brown jacket. “Do you know what this is?”
Mr. Andrews rubbed his clean-shaven chin and frowned. “That’s a problematic item. I have no written information about it, and there’s such a mess of charms in it that I haven’t been able to make out how to use it. It’s clearly a protective item, and a strong one, but I’m not sure if it even works properly.”
“I think I know what it is and how to use it. In the Library I was taught for a few weeks by an eccentric old man who claimed he had created the most powerful and versatile protective charm ever made – only to have it stolen a few months later. I’m a little sceptic about its power – there are some ridiculously powerful magical items in this world, as you probably know – but the versatility part might be true. He prattled about it for hours, described its making process and working mechanisms with so much detail that I believe it does exist and operate. And by his description I’d think it’s this pendant.”
Mr. Andrews surveyed the jewel for a while, still frowning. “Well, I didn’t steal it, but I certainly did acquire it from a bit dubious trader. You say you know how to use it?”
Lauri nodded. “Among other things he filled my head with, he told me how to use it. At least some ways, he may have forgotten to tell me some of the numerous modes of use this thing has. But the important thing is that I can utilize it in my work to protect your daughter. May I use it?”
Without hesitation Mr. Andrews agreed. “Go ahead. Just be careful with it. I’d be very disappointed if you blew up my daughter with a defective magical item while trying to prevent her from being kidnapped and ransomed back.”
“I’ll be careful,” Lauri promised, smiled reassuringly and put the pendant back in his pocket. ” I’ll test it before putting it to use.”
“Good. Bobby, go and invite Camilla to join us and meet her new bodyguard.” The servant bowed and left the room. “Now, do you have any more questions?”
“A few, actually. First: why did you order Mr. Perkins to impersonate yourself?”
Mr. Andrews threw his head back and laughed. “Didn’t work, eh? It was just an idea, I guess you could call it a test of a kind. How did you figure it out?”
“Well, I’ve seen an old picture of you in a book in the Library, and I glimpsed you from afar once when you visited there. That’s also when I felt your aura, and it’s significantly stronger than his. It was also odd that he came alone – if you came, you wouldn’t certainly have come alone. So there were quite a lot of little clues. You have no idea how hard I laughed when he claimed to be Philip Andrews, although he also said a few other funny things at the same breath.”
Mr. Andrews smiled. “I can imagine. What else did you wish to ask?”
“This estate is very old, and its preservation spells are failing. Are you going to renew them in the near future? It’d be a pity to let such an old building as this manor house decay.”
Mr. Andrews sighed. “I’ve been intending to do that for a while already. I just never seem to find the time. And if I have the time, I forget to use it for this task. But don’t worry; if I could decide, this estate would hold another six hundred years.”
“Good. And lastly: is there something I should know about your daughter before I try living with her for weeks, possibly months?”
This was a question Mr. Andrews had no ready answer for. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin again, appearing thoughtful. Finally he opened his mouth.
“Well, she is-” at this point he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Come in!” he called, and Lauri moved his chair so that his right side faced the door. However, that was unnecessary: it was Perkins, and he was alone.
“Miss Camilla said she was busy choosing a dress for this evening”, the servant explained. He appeared quite embarrassed to be telling this. “She asked you to come to her room as soon as possible.”
Mr. Andrews grimaced. “Just what I was about to warn you of. I guess I’ve spoiled her; I find it too difficult to deny her anything when she acts sweet. This is the result.”
“Right. Do I get any annoyance extra?”
* * *
The daughter’s room wasn’t far, just two doors further, around the corner to the right and the first door to the left. Still, Lauri begun to realize that the manor house was larger than it had seemed from the outside. It wasn’t anything magical, just that from the façade you didn’t get the right idea about the size of the building.
The door was guarded by two muscular men with somewhat higher magical capabilities than Perkins, and the watchful essence of experienced warriors. That they had been powerless against the kidnappers spoke something of the expertise of the people he’d be protecting the girl from. Not their fighting abilities, but their expertise: the guards had been caught by surprise and incapacitated.
The men eyed Lauri as much as he did them. Their faces remained expressionless, but he could sense their suspicion and that they didn’t think of him very highly by his appearance. Lauri couldn’t blame them: he knew he looked like a beggar in his worn-out jacket and jeans. And his glasses and weak-looking body did little to make him look like a fighter.
However, what he looked like in their eyes wasn’t important. Important was that they seemed reliable in a fight. As Perkins was about to knock, Lauri prevented him and spoke to the guards:
“Would you like to continue as my assistants? Despite my skill with ward spells I’d welcome someone to keep watch while I sleep.” The men glanced at each other and nodded. “Good, so go and inform Mr. Andrews about this.”
The guard on the left side of the door threw a quick, questioning look at Perkins – who nodded – and hurried off towards Mr. Andrews’ workroom. Perkins knocked.
“Come in!” came the invitation. The servant opened the door and motioned Lauri to step in. Camilla’s room was so full of luxury that after Mr. Andrews’ plain room it looked ridiculous. The window was covered by green silk curtains. From the ceiling hung a cut-glass chandelier. Against one wall there was a large mirror and a table full of make up equipment and a large, extravagantly ornate casket. The sizeable bed was probably made of some expensive and rare wood species – at least it was skilfully decorated – and the bedspread (also green, except for the golden tassels) was made of very fine-looking velvet. About the only extravagance the room lacked was space. It wasn’t small, but in comparison to the amount of furniture and useless commodities it seemed small. Apparently the manor house had no private room larger than this.
Well, her father
was incredibly rich, so Lauri had known to expect something like this. He didn’t shun luxury, even if he didn’t think it important in the least. And at least the girl liked green. The experience would’ve been quite different if the curtains and the bedspread had been pink or something as tasteless.
The girl herself was at the wardrobe (which appeared to be almost as large as the bed, and made of the same wood species), choosing a dress. She held in her hands a dress that implied that she was planning to spend the night at a nightclub rather than having supper at some rich friend of hers. No wonder the girl needed a special bodyguard. She was quite pretty, although her make up was far too strong. At least it was rather skilful. Her hair was raven and her eyes green. Her body was admirable: slender but far from shapeless, and short like her father. Just like he liked them.
“So dad found my vampire! Wonderful! I must remember to thank him. I’ve never spoken with a vampire before. What do you think of this? Does it go with my eyes?”
Her vampire? Great. Why did he always end up with these stereotypical daughters of rich families?
“You didn’t tell her?” he asked Perkins.
The servant looked like he’d rather be somewhere else. “She didn’t give me the chance, Mr. D-”
“Speak to me!” the girl cut in. “What should he have told me?”
“How old is she?” he asked the servant, ignoring the girl.
Perkins threw a wild look at her young mistress, but answered: “Nineteen, sir.”
“Really? I would’ve guessed something between fourteen and seventeen.”
Camilla was almost audibly hissing with rage. “Answer me, vampire! What-”
“I’m not a vampire, girl. I’m a mage. The Night rejected the offer. I’m his partner, and I’ll be your bodyguard until the active threat over you is removed. You can call me the Day.”
The girl looked disappointed and scornful at the same time. “Just a mage? And not even a decent one, by the looks of it. Why the hell would father hire someone like you?”
“The looks may deceive, Miss Andrews. Where are we going tonight? And when do we leave?”
Going straight to the point made Camilla blink a few times, but she regained her balance quickly. “You aren’t going anywhere with me”, she said with icy voice. “I’m going to talk with dad about this.” She put the dress back in the wardrobe and left the room. At the door she turned to speak to Perkins. “Perkins, stay here and watch that the beggar doesn’t steal anything.”
Before the servant could answer, Lauri said with an amused smile: “Mr. Perkins, put that suitcase down and go with the girl. Watch that she doesn’t use any dirty tricks, like crying.” To Camilla he said: “Don’t worry, you can do a personal search later.”
The look she threw at him was blacker than a cloudy winter night, and she marched away muttering angrily about “dirty tricks” and “personal searches”, the poor Perkins in her wake.
Lauri made himself comfortable in a squashy armchair. A bit too squashy for his taste – but hey, it was still an improvement to his own current work chair, which was a wooden chair with little padding and no arm supports. He’d have to ask another bed and table to be moved here… As if they’d fit in the room with all this useless stuff. Well, something would have to be moved away. The girl would object, but so what? Her father would see the reason in moving to the same room with his protégé.
Oddly enough, it took no more than five minutes – and there was no yelling. She came back bleak as a storm cloud, but no longer tried to eject him. In fact, she ignored him completely, just went back to choosing her dress. Perkins came back with her and remained standing at the door. He seemed so nervous Lauri wondered what kind of a monster was this girl he would be spending a lot of time from now on.
Finally she made a sound of frustration. “I’ll just take this.” The dress she chose was a tight, sleeveless shirt and a short skirt – both black – something Lauri had a hard time imagining Mr. Andrews to approve. Well, on a body like that it would certainly be a guy magnet – in a nightclub.
“Looks like you’ll need me more for the protection against …
enthusiastic … men instead of kidnappers. Although that depends on where we are going. Would you mind telling me already? I’ve got some preparations to make.”
“
We aren’t going anywhere.
I’m going to the Moonlight, a local nightclub.” Ha! A nightclub it was, after all. “It’s safer than most places like that, but I still think I need someone more reliable than you there. I’m taking Vincent and John with me. I would’ve taken the vampire – I was kinda planning to show him to my friends – but I don’t think a bookworm can protect me in such a rough place. Now, would you mind getting out of my room so I can change?” She sounded quite irritated. The meeting with the daddy probably didn’t go as planned.
Lauri shook his head. “Sorry, sweetie, but that won’t do. I have full confidence in those two, but I think this is too much for them. They were already beaten once, remember? Besides, I need to meet a friend who’s a regular of the Moonlight.”
“Then I guess I’ll be taking all three of you. Maybe – just maybe! – you can make a difference.”
“Normally I wouldn’t mind some backup, but I need those two to sleep now, because they’re going to watch while we sleep. Not that I wouldn’t trust my wards…”
"You lopped his head off? Struck through his heart? Don't think of him as one of those vampires. He won't die from just that." - Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing
