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                          A Vampire's Quest: Blood Rage

"I have trained for this day... may it be fruitful! I'll return as fast as I
can," the scruffy looking young man called. He was between 15 and 23 summers...
it was hard to tell. He was at once tall, experienced, but yet far too youthful. 
The air about him seemed new and freshly created as he waved to his Lady 
Baroness. The one who'd raised him better than a mother could.

"I wish you didn't have to go!" she called after him. He smiled and waved again.
She smiled back, but there was something in her eye... her manner that spoke 
volumes for how worried she was. Even the rose's she tied her hair up with 
seemed to droop to mirror their mistress. Even her hair seemed to have lost it's 
sheen.

But off on his horse the young man rode, too far to notice facial details.

The shopkeeper put his hand on her shoulder,"You've done a fine job. He'll be 
safe. He'll be just fine. If you worry too much you'll get wrinkles, Misha," 
The grizzled old man chuckled without the slightest hint of an old man's wheeze.

She whirled giggling,"Have I Baldur? Have I truly? Or are you just flirting with 
me you old beast?" she said waggling a finger at him.

He grinned for a brief moment before turning serious,"I would never presume to 
be his father," she looked ready to die,"Now now... let me finish. Ahem. I would
never presume to be his father because he already has the best mother in the 
world... I would only get in the way."

"You are flirting aren't you?"

"Misha you embarrass me," he pulled a soft smile,"You are what every child 
could possibly want in a parent... without being the parent... even if you 
actually almost are."

She smirked at him,"My boy is the genius... what's this mean?"

Baldur smirked,"You slept through my poetry reading last week?"

"The words lulled me to sleep..."

"Yes yes well... anyway... you are the best almost mother in France... if not 
the world," he grinned matter of factly.

"Is that good or bad? I've had Children... but never a child."

He groaned,"You've beaten out whole families. Blood families. Loving Blood 
Families."

"But I didn't... give birth to him," she seamlessly corrected when a traveler 
stepped under the awning appraising a short sword to replace his obviously 
missing one. "Shouldn't that be the only bond?"

"There are other ties... the heart is a strong one... he loves you... and now 
he's off to seek his fortune. To make you proud of him."

"I worry he'll die without knowing... without knowing I'm not his mother."

"If you didn't love him like I know you do you wouldn't have these feelings."

The traveler broke in,"My short sword from the town up the river from here broke on
the first hit! Can you believe that? How much for this one?"

"That's the 4th complaint about Titus that I've heard! He's dishonoring the 
blacksmith trade! I should give him a piece of my mind!"

She smiled,"Have you much to spare?"

The boy spoke again,"You see I have to make money and I can't afford to lose too 
much on a new sword... I have to get my girlfriend away from her family... she 
wants to adventure with me... but her parents would never consent to it... so 
while I need the sword... I need my money too," he started digging in his 
pockets,"I have 3."

"For the sword that's a little light..."

"But this is only a short sword."

"Lad take that around back to the boulder out there and take a whack before you 
discount the price I ask for my quality," he growled.

The young man startled by the sudden gruff manner did as he was told.

Misha examined the display,"How good is your work?"

"It's tested on that boulder before I put it ON the display."

Misha boggled,"That strong? That sharp? Shouldn't you be charging 7 8 or even 
20 then?"

"Crafting steel is so easy for me I feel it's theft to charge 4. Besides if 
the boy wants to sell it later he'll make more than that easy. He could have 
died because of Titus... I couldn't conscience that. My conscience can't hold 
another life on it."

"None of ours can Baldur."

Suddenly the lad ran in,"This is the best craftsmanship I've ever SEEN!"

Baldur wiped the tear in his eye away,"For that compliment, 4 it is. Can you 
get one more coin?"

"You are favored with kindness and generosity, Lord Craftsman. I'll be back 
straight away!" He moved to pay the shopkeeper what he had now. Baldur waved him 
off,"Why kind sir?"

"You haven't all of it so... can't pay me till then. It wouldn't be just. Now 
off with thee! I want my 4 gold for the sword you will be borrowing until then."

"Um... hang onto my pack then... I'll be back! Nothing will stand in my way!"

Misha chuckled,"Does he intend to run the entire 30 miles?"

"He'll be back by nightfall if that's the case... and he will know adventure in 
spades by then. I'd not be surprised if he gave up adventuring after travel at 
twilight," he looked out where he saw the lad stepping up onto a wagon,"Ah he'll 
be back right ways quick that way... I'd better tell the banker to have his 
safe dug out for my deposit. That wagoneer is a demon of the road I swear."

LATER

Misha's Ward hooted and hollered as he rode like the wind down the road,"This is 
it Gabriel! You'll make enough money adventuring that Mother will never have a 
care in the world save what to do with it all!" He rode at a good clip. 10 Full 
Miles per hour faster than any other horse. His horse had always been gifted 
with speed and he intended to make it to Paris with time to spare. "The 
Path to attain the Order's ranks is fraught with peril and that peril will 
surely bring me wealth like it has so often brought wealth to other Knights!" He 
danced around swinging the sword Baldur made for him this way and that,"And even 
if it brings me nothing the lands prescribed to Knights are enough to make up 
for a lack of a fortune. Yes some even have made their fortunes from their de 
facto lands! Mother will have plenty to be proud of me either way!" Money or 
land... either way he knew he'd be wealthy enough to take perfect care of his 
mother long before her declining years ever set in. And she could spend her own 
fortunes on whatever she wished for he would cover everything else.

He heard to gong behind him and pulled over to the side of the road. He knew 
what Pericle was like when he had a fare. Gabriel let the horses catch up to him 
and then galloped alongside Pericle,"Where are you headed today, Taxier?"

"Round trip to !" Pericle looked over at him,"If you wish to talk hop 
on... if not ye be distracting me Master Gabriel."

Gabriel deciding his horse could use a rest leapt to the cart side and into the 
side seat. "Who's the fare?"

"Talk to him yourself... I'm driving these beasts."

"Talkative as ever Perry," said Gabriel as he spun into the cabin. He had his 
sword out and blocking only just in time. He smiled at his cabinmate,"I'm Gabriel.
Gabriel Ramirez."

"My girlfriend has mentioned your name... Wait you're the guy who raced that 
Chariot last year! I knew I'd heard your name before!"

Gabriel smiled,"Yep that was me. My horse had sprained its ankle the night 
before or we'd have run faster."

"Wow... oh I totally forgot..." he put away his short sword, and Gabriel put away 
his. "Um I'm Darrick... no last name... pleased to meet you."

"Why'd you hire Perry?"

"Perry?"

"Pericle."

"I owe Lord Craftsman Baldur for the sword... I'm think I'm also going to get my 
girlfriend from our town. Then we'll find fortune and glory together! No need 
for her to wait for me to gain a fortune and rescue her later."

"Rescue? Is she endangered?"

"Might as well be. Her parents... they oppose her at every step. She's convinced 
she's in Hell."

"Too bad she's not my sister... she'd never know such blockades to advancement. 
My mother equipped me, and wished me speed to Paris. Well she's not my mother 
but that's irrelevant."

"Why"

"To become a Knight of the Order of the Templar."

Darrick was about to speak when the gong sounded, and so he peeked out the 
window,"By the Teeth of Lord Ignatious! A Knight of the Order!"

"You should not speak that name..." Gabriel said as he looked out the window also.

The wagon had stopped, and Pericle was livid,"Now see here sir Knight. I have 
Royal Right of passage on this road for saving the Just King's Son 3 years this 
fall... and you're walking your horse right down the middle of the road. Did you
not hear the gong?"

"I heard it Taximan."

"Then stand away."

"You dare command a Knight!"

"When with fare I have the Right to command the King's pavilion to the side of 
the road!"

The Knight made a haughty noise,"This I doubt. But I will take the other lane, 
Taximan. But do not cross me again. Writ or no writ I'll gut you like a fish."

Gabriel and Darrick had climbed onto the wagon roof by this point, and they drew 
sword and saluted the Templar as he passed. He turned his head and spurred his 
horse... only to haul back hard on the reigns and stare at the pair perched on
the wagon. Gabriel blinked as he realized the Knight was staring at him. "Is there
something wrong Lord Knight?" he asked smiling at why the Templar would regard 
him with such a humorous expression.

The Knight turned and road off. Gabriel still puzzled sheathed his blade. 
"Darrick... is there something odd about my smile?"

"Perhaps he found it odd that a man out here in 'the uncultured pastures of the 
masses' has perfect shining white teeth?"

"That must be it," and with Gabriel's words the wagon thundered forward. Pericle 
was cursing like a fisherman outside but the boys could barely hear him.

AT 

Darrick went to the village well and moved a stone. A small bag was in a 
hole,"Normally I only deposit to it at night so no one knows... but I think I'll 
take it with me. Else how will I eat?" Derrick said as he put the pouch away.

"Darrick!" called a voice from a house window.

"Gen!" Darrick answered, and a girl a full head taller than Darrick fought with 
two people to get out of the house.

"Let go of me Uncle!"

The Uncle spoke harshly,"You will call me father! We raised you since your 
parents were killed and that makes US your parents... and you will give us that 
respect!"

"You let me do nothing and talk down to me. You haven't earned me respect!" and 
with that she shouldered through them.

"Molligen you will come back here!"

"So Darrick you're back so soon? Have you made a name for yourself and your 
family already?" The Tall girl asked tickling Darrick.

"I came for you."

"But my family..."

"There's no way they will stop me. I'll go to the headsman first before I give 
up on you."

Gabriel spoke then,"He speaks truth, Molligen."

She replied with,"Really? Great! Oh and my name is Gen not Molligen... that's 
only what THEY call me."

"As you wish, Gen. I am Gabriel Ramirez."

"I greet you Gabriel. Good to see you're horse's ankle has healed. I saw your 
race. Would you have gone faster without the trouble?"

"We can outstrip other horses. We were slow that day."

"Your parents must be proud of you."

"I have only a mother... thought don't tell her I think of her thusly... I think 
she fears some kind of scandal will descend or some such... but she's been more 
than 3 mothers could be to me. She was delighted. Her smile almost outweighed 
the Honor of being the winner. Now I quest to Paris to meet a Temple Knight. I 
hope their order accepts me... I've talked to many already with no success."

"Wish mine were proud of me," she paused to glare which started them marching 
out of the house,"So will my love and myself be joining you on this quest?"

"I may be passed up..."

"Your soul is too strong to be stopped. You'll prevail. If not this year than 
the next. You may well be honored."

Darrick smiled,"She's never wrong. You'll have to accept sucess," he turned
to her,"But you shouldn't invite us along with him like that."

"I foresee us traveling together... under a dark cloud... why the cloud I 
wonder?" Of course the glares of her parents caused her to lose her train of 
thought.

Gabriel shrugged,"We are all adventuring, and there is strength in numbers. I 
would be honored."

"Molligen you will do no such thing! We will NOT consent!!"

Gabriel turned to them. He had never felt true anger like he felt now. "Her life 
leads from this place. If you are lucky she will return and care for you in your 
declining years as you have not for her now. Be thankful that she did not leave 
in the night as I would have had YOU foul people raised me. Let's ride back to 
my township. They sicken me."

The Aunt stepped back,"That fierce stance... tell me boy... who is your 
father?!"

Gabriel sneered at her,"I had no need of one."

The Uncle now seeing whatever it was the Aunt was seeing,"And your mother? Is 
her name Calia? My brother's wife was named Calia."

Gabriel stepped back as the man tried to grab his leather armored sleeve,"I don't 
know who you are talking about. I come from the township 30 miles from here, 
where I am the beloved ward of the Baroness."

"That township was nearly burned to the ground when we took in Molligen," The 
Uncle said,"We'd only been watching her while Calia was expecting. We never 
thought she'd take root."

The Aunt spoke then,"You have Calia's eyes... I'd know my step-sister's eyes in 
a crowd."

Gabriel rolled those eyes,"I have no such thing. I don't know this Calia. You 
have me mistaken.

"Molligen stand next to him." That got a glare,"Please... as your Aunt it's the 
only thing I ask. We'll even equip you so you can be on your way... just do this
one last thing."

Gen crossed her arms,"Even if we look alike somehow it proives nothing. I was 
adopted as you well know."

The Aunt nodded,"That's all I want to know. I don't expect him to be your 
brother. I wouldn't wish you on his family tree. But there is an innocence I've 
only seen in Calia and those she has midwifed into the world. You even have it 
.... Gen."

Upon hearing the name she preferred she shrugged at Gabriel and stood near him. 
Gabriel rolled his eyes and stood still. He didn't believe a word of this... but 
if this would let them get on their way so be it.

The Middle Aged woman cast her gaze over them,"You have both been near her. I am 
appeased. I do not know if you are her son, but if Darrick is taking one burden 
from us... perhaps you could take the other?"

He was intrigued, and far happier now that they weren't as evil seeming,"What is
it?"

The Aunt bustled off to the house and came back with a travelers's pack as the 
Uncle went to the town blacksmith. "This was Calia's. As we are not blood... or 
truly well loved by her spirit, we cannot open it. If you could take 
it... perhaps you'll meet her half brother. We beg you to take it. And to him 
if you can. You will probably also meet him one day as he is a Knight. The 
kindest gentlest Knight of all it's said."

"I will accept."

The Uncle came then with a Horse loaded with equipment,"To make sure you all are
well off and to speed you to glory I outfitted Darrick as well ... Gen. Be well.

Pericle called to them,"OY! I don't wait nor cheap!!"

Gabriel chuckled,"Perry will be Perry! I'll hitch the horses to the back of the 
wagon."

Gen turned to Darrick,"Will you not say hi to your parents?"

"They said for me not to... they don't want to miss me all the more. I will see 
them when I have a fortune and am coming to tell them they have a new daughter."

AND WITH THAT THEY WERE OFF

Some time of travel later, Pericle yelled for them to look out the window... the 
seasonal bonfire had started early this year.

Gabriel called back,"It wouldn't happen! It's never early," and then he saw the 
mansion ablaze... and most of the township billowing black smoke to the heavens. 
There were no signs of anyone trying to put out the fires. His keen senses even 
picked up the stench of blood on the wind... something was not right at all...



IN PARIS

Later the group will start traveling with a Vampire Knight who they travel with 
out of mutual curiousity... especially after Gabriel denounces the Templar Kevin 
Woolworthshire before an assemblage of his peers...

"Gabriel Ramirez, you are called before us. Step into the light and name 
yourself," calls forth the interviewing Temple Knight as others from his order 
arrive... some fresh from horses. Some believe that the boy surviving means he 
is a gift from god... others that he may have done it and will need numbers to 
stop.

Gabriel triumphant that this many might mean he'll be accepted, magestically 
walks forth. Kevin sees him and immediately draws his sword and advances,"That 
boy is an abomination!"

"You! You are the one who killed my mother and burned my town to ashes! How 
could you put innocents to the torch!"

"She was spawn of evil she was a vampire, and her very presence contaminated the 
town! And you too are contaminated and I will see you dead!"

"Lord Kevin... did you burn an entire town because of one evil?" calls another 
knight.

"Do you think you know God's Will so well you can guess who he will judge and 
how?" asks another.

"Murderer who brings steel into rites that do not allow them, what say you in 
your defence?"

"You're all contaminated!! I will not stay here a moment longer! To the pits of 
Hell with all of you!" and he dashes out having to kill many unarmed Temple 
Knights on the way.

"Gabriel Ramirez, was the baroness as he said, as his orders entailed? Was she 
undead?"

Gabriel tears of blood in his eyes,"She was the gentlest soul I ever knew, and 
if you sent him to kill her. I cannot be among you."

"And for being near one so tainted we cannot let you be among us, but as enough 
senseless death has happened we shall forget these things for it is obvious your 
heart is not that of one born of hell. Your Baroness may well have been wrongly 
accused as well," pronounced one elderly knight.

A younger knight spoke as if he expected a knife in his gut,"S... Woolworthshire 
has spurred on hunts for evil before... in Normandy... he rumored about a woman 
who had a single baby daughter and no husband... he rumored that she was a 
practitioner of the black arts..."

"Go on."

"I know this because I heard second hand the rumor from a loyal man... who was 
puzzled a Templar would say such but not act. Weeks later it was everywhere... 
every deed the lady did was scrutinized... and truth be known when a small boy 
ran away from home it was rumored she had killed him for she knew the boy. She 
also dabbled in tailoring and she accidentally spilled red dye into the water... 
the village was convinced it was the blood of the boy after a rite. I tried to 
write to the Mother Church to explain... perhaps one of the farmer's 
scarecrows could be blamed as the evil to clear her name... obviously 
something had killed live stock resently and he killed my messenger... 
and threatened to kill the woman's baby. I tried to fight him, but he was too 
crafty. Soon after the villagers called for us to vanquish the vile witch and he 
rode out and slew her."

"You care for the child now I saw."

"There is no evil in the child, and I know there was no evil in the woman. Evil 
had come through once and stolen livestock, and chewed on others but it was not 
her. She was like an angel. I couldn't say anything before now... before he was 
seen for what he is for he could come and hurt the child.

A Knight spoke,"We grieve that one of our own has swayed."

Another spoke,"We grieve our fallen this day."

The knight who was caring for the child,"We grieve those wrongly sent to God's 
side."

The "head" Templar spoke then,"We grieve that you cannot be one of us Gabriel 
Ramirez... that you must do God's work elsewhere."

Riding from Paris later the somber vampire knight spoke,"Your thougths are too 
dark... you should think of something else... What is the most fanciful thing 
you can thing of?"

Gabriel thought for a moment,"A Castle beneath the waves of a lake..."

"I have an idea of an order you could attempt to join. The travel would be long, 
and there is high chance you will not be accepted... but you will be far from 
this Templar who tell vampires by sight. Perhaps even able to get out of his 
grasp forever. They also do God's work. Something I feel you wish to do, yes?"

"I have always tried to be a knight in all things... and wish to be one for 
true. If for no reason than to set an example so those like Kevin Woolworthshire 
can be seen more easily," Gabriel paused,"I will freely admit... I thought the 
Knight of the Temple were my last hope."

"There are many orders without your knowledge. They thrive due to their 
anonmity. The one I take you to now is one such. I feel it is the will of God 
Himself that I take you to every order I know of till you are in His Service 
properly."



A YEAR HENCE

The Head spoke again,"One will come to you before the feast... he will bear 
himself and a gift. A Great gift... and only the gift will you be able to
keep though you will want both. He will be in the company of one of your
own. You will know him by his power, his conviction, and his beauty. He 
will bring the order to places you never dreamed it would go, and smash 
your greatest enemy. He shall arrive in an hour. This I have forseen."

"That you are here as the head prophesized i the only reason we are speking with 
you now. Do you have a gift for us?"

The Traveling Knight spoke for Gabriel,"He has in his possession a sword that 
can transfix by the meerest touch of the blade on a vampire. I have had it used 
on me. I can attest to it's validity. It was unpleasant."