The Hunter and the Hunted: Chapter two; The Hunter

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  Tag followed the familiar marble corridor into the deepening darkness. Tall pillars reached up into the darkness where the ceiling should have been. Tag’s long shadow, cast by the oil lantern he was carrying, creped behind him silently. He came to a stop and took an extra long step as to avoid the trick tile that would send him spiraling down into the mass of sharp spears. He was familiar enough with this place to know all the tricks and traps. He ducked as a low beam came swinging from above, sailing over his head and rocking back into place. He rolled on the floor so that the mass of sharp arrows that flew above him missed him by inches.
At last, after several more traps, he came to a thick wooden door. Its rotting wood creaked as he knocked.
“Enter.” Said a weak voice from the other side. Tag obeyed and entered the vast room. The chamber was obviously meant for parties and gatherings of all sorts. But nothing filled its halls except peeling paintings and an assortment or artifacts from every era. A hunched figure lingered near the opposite wall. The person was gazing out of the ceiling high window. It was as wide and tall of the room. It covered the entire wall. Outside the sun was just rising and the morning flowers were opening their delicate leaves.
Indeed the window looked out upon the manor’s garden, as well as the village beneath but the old mansion had not been occupied for living since many years ago. The inhabitants of the manor simply called it “headquarters.”
The figure turned to face Tag. He had very leathery skin that was worn with age and scars. The grey wispy hair was messily tied with a ribbon at the nape of his neck and stretched to the hump in his upper back. He wore a heavy black cloak that was appropriate for the cold air.
The old man spoke.
“My youngest pupil. You are at the ripe age of seventeen and are ready to take on this task.”
Tag listened intently. Ever since he was young and his parents dead, he had been trained to fight and kill vampires. There was no such thing as a good vampire in the eyes of “The Organization”. All were heartless beasts whose only goal in life was to rid the planet of humans. Tag and hundreds more, were trained in the skill of “Vampire Hunting”. He was a trained warrior. Lethal in all aspects. Physical and mental. He knew where every weak point was on the vampires’ body. How to counter and block. How to kill.
“What is it you wish me to do, Master?”  Tag asked respectively.
“You must go to the city, there you will find a vampire. A particularly dangerous vampire. One who has slipped threw our fingers for over two hundred years.”
Tag couldn’t help but gasp quietly.
“How can that be?” Tag asked.
“This vampire is more clever then what you are used to, Taggris, it has trained itself to hide its scent and suppress its magic. Which is why it’s been so hard to find. But luck was found when it got impatient and fed in the open. Our scout spotted it and marked it for death. After over two hundred years of feeding, its life will come to and end.”
Tag had remained silent. A truly difficult task indeed. Never had Tag faced such a skilled and clever vampire. Nor one so old.
“It takes the appearance of a seventeen year old female. It even goes to school. Which is where you will be going, Taggris.”
“I don’t like that name.” Tag said scornfully.
“It is the name your parents gave you, so it is the name I shall call you.” The Master said patiently.
“You will leave tomorrow for the city and pose as a high school student where it is going. You will get close and strike. No space for mistakes. This operation must be flawless. You have already been enrolled under you nickname, “Tag”. Your identity must remain a secret. Any slip ups not only will your life be lost but it will escape and continue to feed.”
Tag looked down. He could see his bleached hair cover his eyes in the reflection from the tile.
“Yes, Master.” Tag bowed and left the room feeling nervous.

Author's Note

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