[b] Coleson Grant [/b]
[b] Location unknown [/b]

[i] The rain had obscured the escaped prisoners footprints, their scents were faint and the group on horseback only had the guards word that they were heading in the right direction.[/i]

"So we seem to have lost the prisoner's trail. Not a very promising start to such an auspicious career as a squad leader."

[i] The speaker was a slim built middle-aged vampire. His face hidden underneath a hood to keep the rain out of his face, he was known as Argent. He was the oldest of the group yet he was not in charge, it was this reason that he dared speak his mind to the leader, he had taught the upstart all there was to know about their enemy, yet the council had placed this junior vampire in charge. It galled him to say the least, but there was not a lot he could do about it...not yet at least. [/i]

"You know full well that we have not lost the trail, we will find them and they will regret their decision to run."

[i] Coleson looked up at the mounted men, he had dismounted his horse to take a closer look at the ground, something about how swift the tracks had disappeared was not sitting right with him, no matter how heavy the rain was, the whole area looked like it had been wiped clean. He ran a hand over his face in an attempt to smooth his features. Argent was picking fault with him and in a way, Coleson understood that the older vampire was jealous but there was a time and place to let emotions get in the way. He was a little surprised at how unprofessional Argent was being.[/i]

[i] The other vampires in the group were all well trained and used to taking orders from various squad leaders, they were all death dealers, the elite soldiers for the coven, it was their responsibility to hunt down strays, either the Lycan's that threatened the glorious vampire rule, or the human cattle that the coven kept as food and pleasure slaves.
 They all carried silver weapons, were trained with deadly efficiency with their uses and eager to prove just how superior the vampire race was.[/i]

"One more hour and we will have to head back and take the other path, I do not want us to be stuck out here with only a couple of hours before dawn, especially if this weather holds."

[i] His orders were cut off before they reached the third vampire. A howl cut through the night, followed by another and then a third. Coleson turned back to his horse and grabbed the hilt of his sword, before he had time to draw the weapon however, a large form knocked into him and he felt himself falling, the mud-soaked earth along with the steep incline turned his stumble into a headlong fall. His fall became even more dangerous as Coleson's head smacked painfully hard against a large partly buried rock.
His vision began to blur and he managed to turn his head enough to see what had happened to the rest of his group. Coleson's heart, which was as undead as he was, would have skipped a beat if it could. The entire countryside was overflowing with furry forms, Lycans had taken out the group. Even the legendary Argent was nowhere to be seen. [/i]

Coleson's eyes fluttered open, it had been several weeks since he had been allowed to rest long enough to dream, looking around at the cell he was in, Coleson was still unsure if that was a good thing. He had awoken several hours after the attack, his entire team gone, there had been five piles of ash and that was all that was left of the squad. Coleson knew he would have some serious questions to face when he returned. Unfortunately he was unprepared to fully face the unjust cruelty that the coven would lay on his shoulders. Especially since there had been a witness, Argent himself told the most damning story and even had the council believing that Coleson had coerced with the Lycans.

Coleson had been beaten to the point of true death, he had almost wished they end it. He would have gladly faced true death by the end of the third day. But that was when Leo had entered his cell and made him the offer. If Colseon had known better he would have taken the quick and relatively painless death offered by the sun.