Bailey Elfhunt took one more sip from the mug in front of him and looked with a frowned face at the two other people sitting at the table.

At the next moment, his fist hit the table. "Dam you witch!"

Some of the other guests in the tavern looked at him but quickly moved their gaze away as he looked back at them.

It was very unusual for an elf to lose his nerves like this. In addition to his short-tempered character, he was a giant with a mean face and a scar from a wound that almost blinded him and from which he now was unable to fully open his left eye.

"Oi, boss, her party should come back any time now. My guy at the guild said they took provisions for a week."

The one responding to Bailey was Damdock Axefinger. A muscular dwarf with red hair and beard. A big ax, almost higher than he was propped up next to him on the table.

"Maybe she is already dead. She went to the ruins with these weaklings. Maybe the zombies already ate them."

The relaxed voice with a Russian accent belonged to Nikolay Oruzjiev, the third person on the table. Like Damdock he was a mercenary hired from Bailey.

An ex-soldier who survived the Fusion. Getting his bullets from the engineering guild he used a Kalashnikov and some other smaller firearms as his weapons of choice.

Bailey roared angered. "Shut up! I'm the only one who is allowed to kill this bitch! Understood?"

"Yes, boss."

Nikolay remained silent for a while.

“Every day for the last two weeks we drink here. Every day you say you will kill the bitch. But you never say why.”

Bailey growled and looked at Nikolay with narrowed eyes.

Nikolay ignored him and continued in a relaxed manner. “Tell me, what did she do to piss you off so much?”

Bailey slammed his palm on the table and fuming hissed. “You survivors, you wouldn’t understand. It’s not what she did, but what she is!” His lips curled. “The bitch is a bloodsucking vampire from the Sweetblood clan!”

Nikolay looked Bailey in the eyes and said with a laydown voice. “Why didn’t you say so sooner? He raised his mug and took a few large sips. “I would have bought some silver bullets. I hate to be unprepared.”

Seeing the pulsating vein on Bailey's forehead Damdock hurried to explain.

“Oi, this one is a true vampire.” Seeing no reaction from Nikolay he continued. “She has no weaknesses! Silver, sunlight, nothing works on her.”

Nikolay slammed a big handgun on the table. “Blowing her head off will do the job? Yes?”

“Oi, easy chum! It will kill her for sure, just remember to keep your distance.” Damdock taped a couple of times on his temple. “If you come too close, she will mess with your head. These bloodsuckers are experts in mind-controlling!”

“Enough of this nonsense! The bitch is mine! Your job is to make sure she won’t escape before I cut her head off!”

“I still don’t get it. If she is such a monster, why is she tolerated by the adventurer’s guild? Isn’t hunting monsters their specialty?”

“Yes boss, Nikolay is right. Why would the guild work with a wanted criminal vampire?”

Bailey's fist hit the table again. “Shut up you morons! You know nothing! I am paying you to do your job and shut your mouths up!” He breathed heavily. “These idiots gave the bloodsuckers the same rights as we have, but I know what the Sweetblood clan did. I will hunt all of them down and kill them.” He looked at them with a reddened face and popped up pulsating vein on his forehead. “Do you have a problem with this?”

Damdock was frozen on his chair. He looked at his mug to avoid Bailey's gaze and said with an almost whispering voice. “No boss. No problem here.”

“I don’t care.” Nikolay didn’t seem affected at all from this scene. He took his mug and slowly took a couple of sips. “You pay, I do the job. It is good money. Who or what she is doesn’t matter to me.”

“Hahahaha!” Bailey laughed loud and slam a couple of times with his palm on the table. “Yes, that’s right! I’m paying you well, so do your jobs and keep your mouths shut! Now let’s drink!” He raised his mug but noticed it was already empty. He looked around and shouted in the room. “One more round for me and my friends here.”

“Coming right away!” Shouted a girl's voice back.

A couple of minutes later their new drinks came and they raised their mugs.

This time wasn’t much different than any other day of the past two weeks.

As soon as Bailey learned she was on her way to Postguard he hired Nikolay and Damdock and hurried to get here. He lost some time searching for the two mercenaries and when they came to Postguard she was already gone.

They learned, she joined with an adventurer’s party and went with them to the ruined city. They had a head start of more than a day, which made it impossible to catch them before they reach the city.

The smart thing to do was to wait for her here.

Postguard was a city created from adventurers for adventurers. There wasn’t much to see here and soon with nothing to do and bored to death while waiting they started spending most of their time in the inn.

“What if she’s back and your people missed her?” Nikolay said this looking at his mug.

“Impossible! I have people at every entrance to the city. Even if they miss her, she has to go to the adventurer’s guild.” He laughed aloud. “There is no way she can get unnoticed in there!”

Damdock, who was quiet for the pas half an hour suddenly started talking.

“Boss, you know me, as a dwarf I always appreciate free booze.” Damdock was moving uncomfortably in his chair. “But you know, nobody can survive in the ruined city for so long. How much more do you plan to wait for her here?”

Bailey exhaled loud. “What are you afraid of, Damdock? I thought you dwarfs are brave people?”

“Oi, it’s not that at all!” He continued then whispering. “We are planning to kill an innocent girl and…”

Bailey's fist hit the table again and interrupted Damdock.

“Not this again!” He shouted. “Sweetbloods are not innocent! Her brother Athan Sweedblood massacred a whole elf village for his own entertainment!” He lowered his head toward Damdock looking him straight in the eyes. “Don’t think even for a second I’ll let this witch leave this place alive!”

Damdock was trembling under the intense gaze of Bailey.

At this moment the inn door swung open and a heavy breathing young elf entered the inn. He looked around and when he saw Bailey he hurried to him.

Even before reaching their table, he started shouting. “They are here. Bailey sir, they just entered Postguard.”

This was one of the Baileys men who was watching one of the city entrances.

Bailey jumped on his feet with a big grin on his face. “Finally! Let’s go kill this bitch!”