A cool breeze rushed through the alley, scattering fallen leaves and bustling litter through Belle View’s streets. There was a tired groan from the roadside trees as the foliage shimmered against the wind. The moonlight bathed the street in a warm white light, casting winding shadows with it. Belle View was so hauntingly deserted at this time of night. Not a car on the roads, not a pedestrian for hours at a time. Renaissance, still gripping the railing of her rooftop, focused her far-sight at the figure ahead. The image was clear despite being so far away. And there she was. A woman. Alone. 

Ren’s velvet cape and silky mane plumed behind her, catching the winds and intertwining in a breezy dance.  She felt her pupils dilate as they honed in on the lone woman, her nostrils flared when the scent of blood reached her. The hair on her arms prickled, standing to attention, warning her she’d been seen. Ren growled quietly to herself. She didn’t like to be spotted by humans before she chose to expose herself. That was her inane desire for control. She was unaccustomed to being deprived of that. This left her with 2 options: Disappear or approach. Then, her eyes caught sight of the glint of silver in the woman’s hand. She had the weapon readied, her grip steady. And that’s what made the decision for her, ultimately. An ancient vampire, raised through the ages of swordsmanship and the honourable rules of duelling could never turn down an invite so grimly appealing.

[i]“Hmmm- a hunter…” [/i] Ren mused. She’d met many a “Vampire Slayer” in her lifetimes. Too many to count. Clearly, none had been successful. But that didn’t mean she was overly pleased about being faced with one again, especially one so quick to pull a weapon. Usually, there was at least a little play before they got to business. A chase, maybe? Not this time.

[i]“I wonder how you sensed me already, little one…” [/i] the ancient vampire pondered. Hunters had a sense, an inkling, a primal feature they possessed as a warning as to when a supernatural presence was upon them. Ren knew this since she was middle aged after being rumbled by Hunters on numerous occasions. But rarely had she come across one so astute. This intrigued her.
Most of the trivia she knew about these humans was tortured out of them. As soon as Ren had established that Hunters had congregations, vigils they called them, she ascertained a necessity for more intel. There couldn’t be an organised body of people collectively aiming to wipe her species out without her awareness. Knowledge was power. So Ren made it her business to extract as much intel as possible from her Hunter victims. Some were easier to break than others, most crumbled when she pressed her fangs to their arteries. The threat of her making them her children was worse than death to Hunters. Stubborn breed. Too proud to at least die with the honour of secrets.

Renaissance took a beat to compile a plan. Her mind worked quickly, filtering through actions and outcomes. Her body had decided that this wasn’t a time for fleeing. The alternative to retreat was a little more aggressive and since it had been just over 24 hours since her last meal, Ren accepted that perhaps it was sensible to feed. She also made a mental note to see if she could establish just how the young hunter had sensed her so early… Were they getting stronger? More adaptable? The thirst for knowledge paired with the thirst for blood was a tantalising one. She bristled at the thought.

[i]“Like a disease…” [/i] the vampiress muttered, the hint of a sneer tugging at her lips. Hunters were spreading, growing, learning. Multiplying! Like germs. 

As if the young Hunter heard her, she sprinkled powder around her, creating a border between the two of them. Hallowed powder? Interesting approach. That would certainly slow Ren down… But she had a plan. That repulsion ward would work in that position, granted. It would prevent Ren from getting her hands on her, prevent her talon from gliding down her veins and letting the blood flood the pavement. But it wouldn’t prevent her from tempting her outside of the warded area, would it? No, if Ren could get her moving, she couldn’t remain in the repulsion ward all night. 

So Renaissance released her grip on the rooftop railing. Her hands opened, the railing exiting her hold. The vampire threw herself back, off the edge of the 25 story building, free-falling. Her body elegantly plummeted towards the cold, hard ground. Cape flapping at the force of her fall, waist-length hair whipping in all directions… She imagined the sight was quite something. Windows shot past her as she descended, a blur as she let herself continue towards the pavement that was so far below her before. 

Moments before her body would collide with the ground, Ren let her wings snap open with a [b]“CRACK”[/b] and the force jolted her body upward. Narrowly grazing the ground, feeling her skirt brush the pavement, she felt the rush of adrenaline flow through her. Then, she launched her form into a barrel roll, midair. Her bat wings caught hold of the wind and she rode it, moving with the grace of a predatory bird in flight. The beat of her wings was so loud amongst the silence of Belle View but she let them move in sync, pushing her further and further into the night sky. Flying was an art form to her, she adored the feeling of submitting to the power of air. Gliding, dipping, diving, the vampire let her magestic midnight-black wings take her through the air. Taking the long way, she began to circle the Hunter overhead. Like a hawk circled on its prey before diving for the kill, the vampire gently pumped her wings to keep a cruisey pace round and round in the sky above.

Ren’s aerial dive had certainly closed some distance between her and the Huntress and now, she could get a clear view of her. Drinking her in, Ren registered the fabric of her clothes, the texture of her hair, the reddened nose from the cold. She could smell her soap, the fabric softener of her clothes, the ever-so-slight hint of sweat beneath those layers she adorned. Oh, and the blood… That sweet red liquid being pumped round her human body hummed to her like birdsong. Ren began to hover, stationary. She was far enough above that she was safe from that blessed silver shortsword. Though she had no doubt a quick fix of hand-to-hand combat would rid her of that protection. After all, hand-to-hand was Ren’s favourite. It felt like foreplay to her. Sometimes, she even let her opponent get ahead of her. Taking a few hits only made her victims more confident, sloppy. But something told Ren that this Hunter was different. 

As her bat wings beat down with a steady beat, Renaissance asserted her gaze upon the Hunters. She forced eye contact, letting a small smile spread across her face. She gave the woman a knowing look as if to say [i]“Come on, darling, we know what comes next”[/i]… And then she lifted a hand and beckoned with her taloned index finger. Wiggling it tauntingly, she gave the Hunter the universal signal of [b]“Come here.”[/b]