Martin took off his gauntlet and held his holy symbol to his hand “purify”. He gritted his teeth and howled in pain the curse was pushed back. David visibly relaxed and put his hand away from his sword. “How long can you keep that up”? Martin had to wonder there was still a growling tone to his voice, “I don't know but I can suppress it long enough to see the bishop, he might know a way”. David laughed dryly “I guess you’re a true monster now”. Vivian reacted in shock reaching for her back up weapon her dagger. “David your saying Martin was bitten by a werewolf, holy fucking hell we are dead”. His voice almost growled, “relax Vivian I can control it I might even be able to burn it out with the purify blessing ok”.

Martin regarded himself, he was showing signs that he was not human with the growth of claws and teeth. Martin removed a pair of pliers from his coat, he slowly gripped one nail after another and pulled them out. Removing the claws one by one, he managed to grit his teeth the first few times then let out a muffled growl as he pulled the last few claws off. Finally he reached into his mouth realising he had some fangs in there. He gripped and howled in agony as he pulled the long canine teeth out with the pliers having to twist them from side to side. Vivian tried to follow, “David what the fuck is going on is Martin drinking holy water or something”?

David and Vivian were huddled together, David slowly calmly explaining to Vivian, “Martin has sprouted claws and fangs he has a pair of pliers he is declawing and defanging himself”. Ok he is fighting it that's good what's happened with Alice, is she dead? “No she's unconscious the vampire hit her with something, she seems to be in a sleep that she can’t wake from, Martins tried to raise her a few times”.

The werewolf's regenerative abilities kicked in and slowly Martins teeth and nails grew back to something resembling normal. Martin held his holy symbol to his own head “purge soul” there was a brief flash of pain and Martin was on the floor, “shit … mother … fu...ouch...fuc... gah”. Vivian gripped David tighter. “What just happened”? “I think Martin hit himself with a more powerful blessing, it seems to have been more effective”. Martin spoke his voice was not growling any more. “I can still feel something, but that pushed the curse down, I feel more clear headed, look both of you were hit by a high level vampire. I am going to use the purify blessing on you in-case you picked up the thrall taint or something else”.

Martin held out his holy symbol to David's mangled arm “Purify”. David felt no different he held his holy symbol up to Vivian “purify”. She twitched and reacted as something was pushed out of her. David hugged her, “it will be alright”. She sighed “I guess he carried the thrall taint in his claws, Martin have you got anything that could help Alice”. Martin shrugged, “I can give it a try”. He held out his holy symbol to Alice's head cradling her unconscious form gently, “purify purge mind”, her body convulsed slightly and her facial features seemed to twitch. Martin shook her shoulder “come on Alice wake up”. He sighed “I guess that only removes active mind control, not the damage from a mental attack or mind affecting spell”.

Martin held his holy symbol to his shoulder above where the wound would be, he gritted his teeth. “Purge soul”, he gasped in pain and doubled over, “not as bad as the first time, it’s under control now”. They collected all their equipment Martin carried Alice and her staff. She smelled a lot less like lunch to Martin, David led Vivian. They approached the gate, the guard outside looked shocked. “What the fuck happened to you”? Martin sighed placing his hand on the holy symbol next to the door. “We met a powerful vampire and a werewolf I guess body guard. We are badly injured but we got away, I gave him a face full of mithral bullets. The werewolf got a silver bullet to the head, hopefully it got the beast. But I didn't stick around to confirm the kill”. The guard captain watched them suspiciously from the wall.

David and Vivian touched the holy symbol without flinching, David had to hand it to her. Vivian seemed to hang onto David. The gate guard stared at her, he tried not to, “nasty injury hope they can heal it soon”. He looked at Alice as Martin held the holy symbol to her, she didn't react, “what's the matter with her”? “I don't know but we need to get a healer of some sort to look at it”, the guard captain let them in through the gate.

On the other side Melcher came out of the guard house, he looked at them the sheriff seemed worried, “What the hell happened to you David”? “A fucking vampire twisted my arm off, it didn't penetrate my armour it twisted it”. Melcher sighed, “It will take you a while to get enough money to afford the regeneration potion. Gavin might have one in stock he could sell you”. The sheriff pulled Martin aside, “how powerful was the vampire”? Martin sighed “it was an ancient level 400 or more”. The sheriff looked ill and cursed low under his breath, “fuck, time to get some blessed silver bolts for the bolt throwers and ballista's”. Martin nodded “a few flasks of blessed oil could help as well, pour it over them and it will ignite itself”.

They moved to the cathedral, the bishop saw them in an audience room more like a doctor’s room. Two laywomen helped lay Alice out and take care of her. Martin bowed, “we encountered an ancient vampire, we just made it out we were all wounded”. The bishop looked them over he cracked his knuckles “blessing insight”, his eyes began to glow white as he looked round the room, he moved round the room touching Vivian, “ignore pain” she relaxed he put a hand on David and repeated the same blessing his arm seemed to trouble him less.

Alexis put a hand on Alice's shoulder, “restful sleep” her body seemed to become less rigid he looked at her holding his hands out, there were a series of white glowing flashes of light. “Remove disease, remove poison, mass purify, mass purge mind”. He looked at her and held his hands to her temples, “regenerate mind, regenerate mind”. He looked at the group, “I have done what I can, her mind will eventually heal. I can’t speed it up any more, she will eventually wake up. How much damage there is I am not sure, but expect her to be affected by this bruit force attack on her consciousness”.

Martin asked “what happened to her”? The bishop Alexis tried to explain it as best he could, “I am not a hundred percent sure, but she was hit by the full force of a vampires developed mental abilities. It was stronger than she was, if she was a lower level with less wisdom she would be dead the body simply failing. If she became a grand master or an exhausted master she would be much more resilient to this form of magic”. “It was Bismark wasn't it”, “yes” martin nodded then described the vampire.

The bishop sighed, “The description matches he corrupted the dryads and the thorn wood, killing one of them might have peaked his interest. We have siege weapons and consecrated ground even one such as he will not risk his life against us without an army. I believe that we are safe but I will get Reginald Melcher and Jonathan to prepare, lady Imoline might know more about Alice's condition and how to help it. David looked at his arm then at Vivian's eyes “can you heal her”?

The bishop shook his head “I would need to be six levels higher to access that blessing”. David looked at him “do you know the bounty on his head this ancient vampire”? The bishop paused “I believe that it is 15,000 silver after today we might make it a bit more”. David nodded looking over to Vivian, “one day we will, no I will collect that bounty mark my fucking words”.

David looked deflated then thoughtful, “John Dunn he came here as well you sent him onto the bishop of north port right so we could still get healed”? The bishop nodded, “oh yes it is a few days away, as agents of mine the bishop would perform such a blessing. If you agreed to help him he would move you to the front of the cue. Don't forget many people are injured and require healing”. He looked at Vivian and David, “you’re aware of Martins condition”? They nodded in response.

Martin looked at the bishop, “What can I do, it seems that this curse is two deeply rooted to remove it is gnawing at my soul”? The bishop nodded “The usual anti curse blessings like purge soul will only suppress it, to keep it dormant for a few days”. Martin nodded “you are familiar with this”? The bishop nodded “though not common in this area. The lycanthrope is partially a demonic curse. But it also has a physical component, it is old going back to the foundation of the blood alchemists. According to the medical text there was a sorcerer who dabbled in blood alchemy and Druidic magic, he developed this curse to provide him with servants”.

David raised his remaining hand, “What happened to this powerful sorcerer”? Alexis answer was curt “his creations ate him”. Martin looked angry, “Will I become a ravenous beast”? The bishop sighed. “You are already close, hunters are altered to be aggressive, an average werewolf is actually far less aggressive, better at hiding. For you it would be an improvement”.

Martin took the bishops words harshly “don’t joke”, the bishops tone rose “you have to face facts your heart is full of rage, you are a sadist and a zealot racked with the guilt of one that survived. The beast inside you feeds on anger, no matter the direction or the source, no matter how righteous you are it is fuel for the beast, the strength of your emotions accelerates the change. You are immune to poison, so the usually chemicals that could help you to hold the curse at bay by disabling that part of your mind don't work. Even without your poison resistance your massive endurance would limit that effect”.

For a second Martin looked at his four barrelled pistol. The bishop held out a hand, “that way lies damnation, there is a chance the witch hunters developed a cure. But only one of them level eighty or above can use it”. Martin nodded, “That figures but I guess there is one local correct”? The bishop put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “yes my son, there is one of them working out of north port. On some business probably related to imported magic, you could be lucky”.

Alice found herself alone, she was in her own mind. She was not sure where or when it was, like she was looking for herself in a library. Yes it was in her mind it was modelled on the mages tower general library. But every book had her name on it she opened one and flipped through it was a boring record of one day after another. This was something she would have time and trouble finding the way back to her body. If someone was still looking after her body. The vampire had struck at her mind. It seemed to be out of synch with her body for want of a better explanation, if she could find the right connection she might be able to get back. How much of her would make it back she was not sure. She kept pressing on not sure of how the flow of time was passing in this space, or what prolonged unconsciousness would do to her.

They returned to the barracks and stored most of their equipment, David and Vivian held each other. David had the stump of his arm above the elbow, without the armour he would have lost the entire arm, his shoulder and probably his life. Vivian's face was one freshly healed gash sealed by a blessing. She could trace the scar with her finger tips it started just above her left eye at its deepest, her eyes had been destroyed torn out and crushed from the force of the impact, her eye sockets were hollow stitched shut by Martin after he cleaned the wound. The bridge of her nose was torn out down to the bone the blessing healed skin over it. Her left eye was much the same through the scar leaving it was a little shallower and below the place the left eye had been. If she was a few levels lower and not wearing the expensive helmet the vampire would have removed her head, not just blinded her.

They had much to consider, there were blessings that could restore an eye and an arm, but the waiting list was generally long. Golem parts could be used as a temporary filler. A golem’s eye or one modelled after a golem’s eye by an enchanter could act as a prosthetic. The same with an arm, it would be slow for her body to acclimatize to but it was affordable. Regeneration elixirs that could restore something like this were ridiculously expensive, but they had cash. Being agents would help get them to the front of the cue for such services. One way or another such things could be found in north port, one of the nine key settlements of the north, one way or another that would be there next destination.

Martin meditated slowly examining himself, he had gained the perk minor regeneration his health slowly regenerated. It would just be noticeable in a long fight. He had a bonus of supernatural vitality minor, it equated a boost to 50% extra above his regular health. He had a few downsides modifiers a weakness to silver L2, some monsters carried silver blades for when they fought other monsters. He also had a weakness to fire L1. He also had the lunar cycle perk, a bonus to abilities closer to full moon and a penalty further away, he was not sure how much. His race had change from human to lycanthrope 20%, he needed to keep it down so that he could pass for human and function long enough to find this witch hunter.