As I walked into the room, all eyes stared hungrily at me. I ignored them. The one I wanted was at the other end of the room, seated on a bejeweled throne of gold and platinum.

I hate vampire lords. Pretentious pricks.

“Garivos!” I yelled, drawing my sword. “You are out of control. An embarrassment to your kind. I challenge you!” This brought laughter from every corner. I stopped in the middle of the room.

Garivos rose, his own blade in hand. “Human.” The word dripped from his lips like acid. “I am faster and stronger than you.” In a blink, he was half way to me. “You expect to win… How?”

I pulled a vial from my coat. I popped the wax seal, draining it in one gulp. Vampire blood burns like cheap whisky, but, oh, the benefits!

Now, he laughed. “No vampire on this continent can give you powers anywhere close to mine.”

“True. By the way, I just returned from Indonesia.” In an instant, I was beside him, my blade halfway through his neck. “Your master says hello. And goodbye.” I finished my cut, and him.