16 Vampire Justice

Pete knew about this cafe. It was near the guild building. It was a place where the Summoners often rested.

The visitors sat down at the table and the young man ordered a glass of juice. The vampire chose a hot drink. Scarlet did not pause and explained her wishes in more detail,

"I want to offer you developmental support. The clan has excellent connections and I know of your little adventure with the Adventurer's Guild girl. Let us begin with the state of your body. A summoner does not have to be a warrior. But he must have a strong and developed body. Is this of interest to you? The guild is willing to provide opportunities for physical development. You are interested in gold. I am willing to offer you a partnership. Some of my missions do not involve danger. In any case, I will be responsible for your safety. The partnership will speed up the accumulation of the necessary amount. The Guild is ready to support you in your study of magic. Vampire magic is not available to you. But we have excellent contacts with various mages of Ark. You can get the knowledge. And even become an apprentice to a mage. I repeat the Guild and I are interested in working with you. I will not hide the fact that you are a special kind of summoner. Vampires don't often deal with a dragon or dracat summoner. Everyone benefits. Everyone's happy," Scarlet ended her speech.

Pete heard no objection from his pet and decided to answer in order,

"I learned something about physical development. I'll try to handle this one on my own. Also, I'm not ready to start learning magic. Right now I have a commitment to the pet in front of me. I need the gold. I am willing to cooperate with you. That's something I'm interested in."

The vampire smiled though she didn't get everything she wanted. The boy did not want to increase his debt to the clan. The boy was willing to make personal contact. Scarlet was fine with that and she had one simple mission lined up.

"I have one simple mission. I would be happy to spend time with you. You might want to introduce me to your pet."

"The vampire doesn't have to see me. She guarantees her safety. I'll keep an eye on her," murmured Trank.

"Set a place and time to meet. I hope we do your mission well," smiled Pete.

"We can go now. We can do the business tomorrow. Do you have time today?"

"Say yes," the pet said.

"That's a good offer. I'm willing to participate now," the summoner replied.

Scarlet set the cup on the table and looked at the young man,

"First you will learn the details of the task. Near the homestead of a townsman, some unpleasant characters appeared. They have robbed the townsman. He wants to restore order to his property. We come and follow the scoundrels. We find them and I take justice into my own hands. You must understand that there will most likely be bloodshed. Such people don't understand civilized norms and ways of being. Honestly, cases like this are easy. Find the robber, return the goods, kill the criminal. Are you willing to participate in that?"

Pete didn't immediately find the words to answer. Such justice was more like vigilante justice.

"You will act as judge and hangman yourself. It's a lynching. Is that the way it is in the Ark?"

The girl shook her finger in a gesture of denial,

"Pete, you heard but didn't understand me. Some individuals don't want to live by the laws of the city. Some citizens are playing the game of permissiveness. They are law-abiding within the city limits, but they can put on a mask and go on a crime spree outside the city limits. Everyone has his sin. Crimes committed outside the walls of Ark are not subject to the laws of the city. Beyond the walls, I have the right to judge and punish. That is the custom."

Pete had already figured out the specifics. Now he recognized a new detail in the picture of the world. He wasn't ready to get used to the bloody scenes. But it's an unpleasant experience to learn to get used to.

"It's a good custom. I like it," purred Trank.

"In my world, the days of such customs are long gone. This will be a good lesson for me. I'll try to hold my own," said Pete.

Scarlet nodded her head approvingly and said softly,

"You're doing great, Pete. You've got amazing self-control. I won't hide the fact that I'd be interested in shaking it. Try to understand me correctly."

"I understand," he smiled. "You want me to tremble with fear. Then the triumph of your strength and power will look more convincing. I can imagine the bloodlust of a vampire. Even one as seductive as the beautiful girl."

"This is no time for compliments. I notice you don't carry a weapon. I can give you a good dagger. For emergencies. If you want," said the girl.

Pete laughed and replied that a dagger in his hand would be of no use. It would be in the way. But the summoner had one question,

"Scarlet I want to ask. I have already understood that some important citizens have estates and mansions outside the walls of the city. But I do not understand. It's dangerous!"

"Life is full of dangers. You bring up an interesting point. Ark is a great city. It's very big. One can live in it all one's life and not even know the conditions and peculiarities of life in the opposite part of the city. Everyone has an incomprehensible urge to live in the outdoors. I am happy in the clan. I am not burdened by life in the castle. But I feel pleasure when I visit my home outside the Ark."

"I enjoyed the nature of this world, too," agreed Pete.

They finished their drinks and left the cafe. Scarlet looked at the summoner and pulled out a portal scroll from a customer. It was a useful and pleasant townsman. It would not be without blood tonight. She would be interested in watching this boy. She broke the seal on the scroll.

As Pete Harrison passed through the portal he saw a bridge over a small river. From the banks of the river began wide green plains. There was no sign of human activity anywhere. These were not areas of farmland. Pete turned and saw that Scarlet was looking at a three-story white stone building. Around the building was a high fence of metal bars. The gate, too, was chained with metal bars. Pete could see the neatly trimmed bushes on the side of the road that led to the homestead.

"The villains paid a visit yesterday afternoon," the vampire said. "I have to go to the gate to spot the trail."

"Come on," agreed Pete.

"They've gone into the woods. I smell the dirt," hissed Dracat.

"You did well. Now we know we're almost ready for a mission like this," thought the summoner.

Scarlet stopped on the road and looked toward the edge of the forest. The girl removed her hood from her head. Then she took off her cloak and looked at the young man,

"You will help me if you carry my clothes."

"Don't blame me if I drop it."

"Try not to drop it," the vampire smiled and held out her hand for her weapon.

Only now did Pete notice the sheath with the long sword on her belt. She uncovered the blade, and he realized it was a kind of epee. The thought of the princesses of Amber flashed through his mind.

The vampire walked across the grass toward the forest. They reached the edge and Pete saw the tracks of the unpleasant guests. A path led into the woods. The bandits came along this path and spent time under the shelter of the trees. They had left a trail and chopped branches of bushes. Someone was shoring up his courage and thrashing his sword at the branches of the shrubbery. Scarlet did not linger. The girl walked into the woods and her stride became faster. It was not difficult for the summoner to keep up with her.

They walked for a long time, and Pete was beginning to think that the bandits had gone far away. Maybe it was the perverted townspeople who loved the thrill. They had long ago returned to the Ark and were enjoying the memories.

The vampire stepped off the trail and walked among the trees. It became difficult to follow her. Harrison didn't know how to walk in the woods. He wrinkled his nose when the branches crackled beneath his feet. He stumbled over roots. His vision had changed and it didn't bother Harrison. He was beginning to get along with the essence of the dracat summoner. Pete stopped beside the vampire. She was silent and stared ahead.

"Human. Asleep. Guards. Stinks," Trank alerted his friend.

The girl turned toward the summoner and took a step close to him. She was tall, as tall as he was. Her lips came close to his ear and the vampire whispered,

"I'm starting. There will be blood. Sit by the tree. Cover yourself with the cloak. I'll call you when it's over."

"No, Pete, you have to learn. You won't get hurt. I'll help," growled dracat.

"No. I'll be careful. I'll follow you," whispered Pete.

She nodded her head and he saw her eyes change. They had now taken on a rich, dark red color. Her face didn't look ugly or disgusting. An unusually beautiful woman's face.

Then the vampire snapped out of her seat and Pete froze in surprise.

"Wow, that's fast!"

"Quick. Cheeky. Greedy," hissed the pet. "Let's go after her. We must see her strength. We must know her power."

Pete Harrison walked toward the screams and the clang of steel. He stopped when he could get a good look at the details of the carnage. It was hard to call this bacchanalia a fight. The vampire is fast. Like in some movies. But you can see his movement. It's hard to react to a vampire strike. Reflecting a sword blow in a vampire's hands is nearly impossible. Blood splattered in all directions from the fatal wounds. The bandits were few. They did not attempt to escape. A few men with naked swords in their hands tried to resist. Two mages cast spells in an attempt to hit the target's quick shadow. Pete stood and had a strange feeling. He was calm. Like a normal person who was watching a familiar horror movie for the tenth time. At the same time, Pete Harrison felt his soul shudder at such cruelty and bloody barbarity. None of their victims paid any attention to the young man. It was as if he were a tree or a bush.

"Don't look!" wheezed the vampire, and knelt beside one of the murdered ones. She took the victim by the hair and lifted his head higher.

"Ugh!" snorted Trank grudgingly.

Pete didn't bother Scarlet to get his share of the prey. He crouched on the grass and stared intently at the young man's corpse. The stranger was dressed in a decent suit. He had clean and curly blond hair. Why was he here?

"Now you know what the justice of the Angus clan is, summoner," Scarlet said quietly.

"Now I know how fast you are, Scarlet," the young man agreed with her.