Even now, standing in front of the shack, Rosa's opinion hadn't changed. The fact the structure was still standing defied all reason of reality. However now that she was closer, Rosa spotted many strange symbols carved around the decrepit wooden door, some that she definitely recognised. Had they not been at the HQ? And at Louie's house?
"What are they?" Rosa asked.
"Some are runes and others are wards and seals," Louie responded. "In simple terms, they all just channel magic to perform a specific function."
"What do those ones do?" Rosa asked, gesturing to the runes he'd referred to as wards and seals.
"Help maintain the buildings integrity as well as keep certain unwanted creatures out … and in."
'In?' Rosa felt the hairs on her arms raise.
Louie grabbed the door's rusted handle. He pulled the door open, and an eerie squeak screeched across the empty field. Without a moment of hesitation Louie entered and Rosa quickly followed, making sure to stick close to him, she had no desire to be alone out here.
The shack's interior was completely barren and shrouded in darkness, the only light leaking in through gaps and holes in the worn walls. The structure had been built on a smooth surface of stone and at its centre, through the gloom, Rosa could see a ring of runes drawn in chalk.
Louie placed a hand on Rosa's shoulder and gestured for her to remain back. He approached the circle of runes, standing just outside its circumference, and retrieved a small piece of paper from his coat and placed it at the centre of the room. The paper was completely plain except for what seemed be a crest drawn in deep red that strongly resembled blood.
"Don't move and stay calm," Louie said. He pulled out a small leather bag, emptying its contents into his hand, Rosa could see it had held a glistening grey powder.
"Pactum Upir," Louie called out, a strange accent lining his words.
He lashed the powder down into the circle. Instantly runes began to hum green and suddenly there was eruption of vigorous, emerald flames that bathed the room in an ominous, jade light. The flames engulfed the entire circle and towered above her, like a demonic creature from hell, its fiery tendrils reaching six feet into the air. It took every iota of discipline Rosa held to not leap back in panic. Louie calmly took a step back and quietly watched the flames as they viciously flailed and whipped at the air. Worryingly, the flames continued to grow increasingly feral, now even lashing out past the rune circle.
The fire froze. The abrupt stop caught Rosa completely off guard.
The once rampaging flames retracted back into the circle. Rosa watched speechless. They began to contort and merge, constructing shapes … no silhouettes. The flames were building people. Suddenly the flames extinguished, and shadows once again stretched across the shack. Rosa instinctively stood a step towards Louie. Standing inside of the runes where three beings, not forged from emerald flames but from flesh, hair and cloth.
'How the hell?'
"They're not actually here. Think of it like a video call," Louie said quietly. "Just keep calm."
Rosa nodded, her gaze not straying from the newcomers. The vampires. So this was the Vampire Covenant.
The two beings that stood at the back where heavily cloaked in thick, black cloth, that revealed no features but their basic outline however, the vampire at the front, a woman, wore nothing to conceal her appearance. Instead she was dressed in an elegant, luxurious, black dress that displayed every aspect of the vampire's feminine wiles. Almost as tall as Louie, she looked to be in her thirties however her crimson eyes told a more ancient tale.
"Louie Huntor," the vampire greeted with a small bow. She had a thick Russian accent.
"Orina," Louie firmly nodded.
Orina had pale, porcelain skin with long lashes and vibrant red lips. Her long silky black was decorated with braids and golden jewellery. Rosa couldn't help but gawk at the woman's beauty, it was almost intoxicating, as if she was being charmed by a magical force.
"You have a companion," Orina stated, seemingly surprised.
The vampire's gaze locked onto her, and under the vampire's crimson eyes, Rosa was forced to look away at the ground. It felt as if she was in the presence of an ancient queen, an existence that demanded nothing but obedience and respect.
"Rosa Elacti," Louie informed bluntly. Whatever spell Rosa was under didn't affect him in the slightest.
"I never thought you a guardian," Orina said, a hint of amusement coating her tone.
"Times are changing," Louie shrugged.
The vampire nodded with a small smile across her crimson lips. "You wished to convene with the Covenant," Orina stated.
"I wished to convene with you," Louie corrected.
"The Covenant and I are one."
Louie sighed, as if he'd been told those words a million times and was now just exhausted of hearing them.
"How can we be of aid, hunter?" Orina asked.
"The vampire that's been attacking England. What is it?" Louie inquired.
Orina hesitated and Rosa noticed the back two completely freeze up. They were scared … no they were terrified. Orina's confident demeanour vanished, her smile was wiped from her face in an instant and her eyes grew dark, like dripping blood.
"I need a name Orina," Louie insisted. "Who is the vampire lord."
"First," Orina spoke. "We need assurances. Do you plan to kill this vampire?"
"We do," Louie confirmed.
"Then we can provide what you seek," Orina said. "But beware once his name is spoken the hunt shall begin and can't be stopped until either vampire or hunter blood is split."
Louie face creased. "Explain."
"His name is cursed. The vampire lord knows whoever speaks it."
"How is that even possible? Spell scripters are no exception to any other mage discipline, they died out centuries ago," Louie questioned.
"The vampire lord you seek is centuries old. He survived the Great Hunt," Orina informed. "He is among the most dangerous vampires which live today. A danger even to the Covenant."
"And so you want him dead?"
"He is estranged, straying from our path and code. The consequences of his actions threaten all vampire life. For the survival of my people, retribution must descend," Orina explained.
"I need a name."
"He will know of this meeting and when it ends the clock begins. For us both," Orina warned, ominously.
"You have my word, the vampire will die," Louie declared. "The Covenant will not suffer."
"You seek the vampire Valdosk," Orina said grimly.
Rosa watched as the cloaked figures flinched at the vampire lord's name. Just what manner of monster was this?
"Valdosk," Louie muttered clearly unfazed by the threat of the curse. "Do know where I can find it?"
Orina shook her head, "He near in your city, but that is all we know."
Louie nodded. "Thank you. We'll take it from here."
"The clock has begun Louie Huntor. Do not fail. For the sake of us both," Orina said calmly, but her words seemed to carry the weight of thousands. "Farewell."
The green glow of the runes dimmed, and the figures of the vampires crumbled to ash. Louie and Rosa were once again alone.
"Until it's dead, never say that name," Louie said.
"Trust me I don't plan to," Rosa replied. She had no desire to meet the monster capable of controlling a camaz and terrifying a vampire with just his name.
"Doesn't it now know we're after it though?" Rosa asked.
"It does. But it doesn't matter," Louie said. "No matter what, it'll lose."
"What if he now goes after the covenant?" Rosa asked.
"It won't get the chance."