The Whistling Pipe

Alek's eyes shifted over to Ellie and within a second, he was by her side holding her shoulders. "Ellie.." He said, although none too gentle. "Ellie! Snap out of it!" He growled. If she went for Talos, he would do his damnedest to stop her.

It pained him more than most would ever realize that Ellie had changed. That she was giving into her darker side. "It's me, Alek. You need to fight this urge, Ellie. If not for yourself, but for me. Ellie, I know it's difficult and it hurts but you must fight it. You can bite, claw or whatever you want to me. But please come back to me.."

This also gave Talos a problem. Because Alek was in between, it was possible that Alek's cloak could block out most of the effects of the light that he had. He had positioned himself just right between Ellie and Talos to protect her as long as he could. "I won't let you hate yourself later... Please fight it.." Alek whispered, as if he were talking about his own mistakes.

A heavy tension hung in the air of the tavern. There was not a single word spoken after Alek had told Ellie to fight the urges coursing through her. The girl didn't move. Her thoughts waged war inside her mind; the light battling the dark.

And then finally her eyes shifted to Alek's.

Ellie broke into tears and wrapped her arms around the vampire's waist. She buried her face into his torso as her arm hung limp at her side. It was still healing and the pain was excruciating. Ellie's fingernails dug into Alek's back and she screamed into his body.

Not only did her healing injury hurt but Talos's blood that ran through her body burned Ellie from the inside. The virus the vampire implanted into her body was mutating Ellie's cells but Talos's holy blood destroyed them. But the vampiric infection continued to spread, unwilling to die inside the girl just yet.

Talos' intense stance did not break even after Ellie's emotional breakdown. He had to remain aware, not drop his guard, even for a moment. Shouldering his Warhammer, he walks over to Otto to help the probably rather stunned man stand, while still keeping his eyes on the two Vampires.

"I think our need with your assistance has passed," he remarks grimly. "What payment do you request?"

He didn't really have anything else to say, as it was at a point where he was simply a background guardian.

Alek's gold hues burned with worry as his eyes met with hers. Ellie's tears did not make him feel much better. As gently as he could, he wrapped his own arms around her, whispering 'shhh' sounds to try to sooth her as best he could. He could not understand the pain she was going through, nor would he pretend to know.

"It will be alright, Ellie.." He murmured softly.

He turned his attention towards Talos and Otto. "Brother, any payment for him is my responsibility.." He gave Talos a sorrowful look, as if he were apologizing to the man for what he had to deal with so far. 'Maybe he should of killed me on sight..' Alek thought woefully. He would have a talk with Talos about this later on. "Ellie.. Perhaps we should let you rest.." He said, attempting to pick the woman up. They had rented a room here, although they had no intent to remain here.

The lights flipped back on with a steady hum. A woman with floppy ears and a crooked tooth came into the room and scowled in a way that only orcs could do. She pointed an accusing finger straight at Talos, since he was the largest and probably the one responsible.

"You! How dare you come into my establishment and destroy it! Look at the mess you've made!" she bellowed at him. The power of her voice was impressive.

"First I have to deal with my bartender falling out in the back room," she said as she planted her hands on her voluptuous hips. "Then I hear all kinds of racket coming from inside here but I cannot attend because I am trying to save a human man's life. Then he goes and turns belly up on me only for me to come out here and see blood everywhere!"

"Out!" Olgra said. "Out! Out! Out!" She made a shooing gesture with both of her hands as she approached Talos, Otto, Ellie, and Alek. Her blue eyes shifted to the elf girl in Alek's arms and she gasped. It wasn't due to the massive amount of blood down the girl's body but out of recognition.

"Ellisandre Coulter! Tink is going to have your hide if she finds out you did anything to her machinery!" Olgra chastised.

Ellie moaned out of pain and trepidation at hearing what Olgra said.

Talos didn't seem to wait on Otto's request for payment very long. "An appreciated act of kindness, then," he says, bowing his head to the man.

Around that time, the voluptuous Orc comes barging in, spouting off demands and complaints like a Goblin rocket launcher. The lights had come back, too, Talos noted as he allows his bird to float to the ground and go dormant. He realized most of the complaints were directed at him.

"Orc," he says, not with disdain, but with authority. "I will leave if you request it, but I will not bring my charges into danger." He gestures to Ellie and Alek. "My only condition for leaving with haste is that you tell me where I can bring them that is safe. If you cannot provide information on such a location, you will find me much more difficult to remove."

He had intended to leave as soon as possible anyway, really, but this gave him a chance to learn of a safe haven where the two of them could recuperate. He crosses his arms, standing firm against the Orc's advance.

"Talos, we have to leave, it is her private property." he said coming up behind him. "I would say my mansion, but my parents don't like surprise strangers. We also can't go to a hospital, they don't allow vampires," he said eyeing the vampires and pulling his shirt collar closer to his neck.

"Talos, we shall leave, as she requests.." Alek stated simply. Turning to the Orc woman. "I apologize for the problems we may have cause, madam.. Please accept this as a token of my sincere apology.." He handed her a few coins. They were high in value here and should be more than enough to pay for the 'damage' they had caused.

Alek gently tried to pick up Ellie in a bridal-style hold. If not, he would try to coax her as best he could to start walking with his help. "Ellie, we must go.." He murmured gently. There had to be somewhere else they could go before the sun rose.

Either way, he would be leaving soon, only glancing to Talos to see if he the man was following.

Small, quiet sounds of pain came from Ellie as she was lifted into Alek's arms. Her hands held him around the neck and the fledgling-halfling rested her cheek against Alek's chest. There was no heartbeat, unlike Talos's. She could hear his from half a room away. Tears flowed down the girl's cheek.

"I'll not take your money," Olgra said, placing her massive hands on her even more massive, but curvy, hips. "But you will do what I say. You take that poor girl to Tink down at the Docks," Olgra said waggling a finger at all of them. The look she gave them all said that they had no other choice but to follow her command.

"Tink will fix that girl right up again. That young woman is a genius when it comes to fixin' things and people. Go on now," Olgra said, walking toward them all, shooing them out.

"Out you go!"

"Thank you," Talos says simply. He wasn't sure if he meant it or not, truth be told, but he follows the advice given. They had a destination, and that was a comfort. Bowing his head formally, he slings his hammer onto his back and follows Alek out, pausing a moment to regard the Doctor.

"You may follow if you like," he rumbles out to him. With that, he carries on out the door.

(OOC: what vampire rules are we following here? Since we are doing steam punk/ victorian, I thought of Bram Stocker's Dracula vampire rules)

Otto followed Talos and everybody else out of the bar.

"Talos, I wouldn't follow Olgra's advice about going to see Tink. Lets just say that she is not that well respected in the medical community. I believe there is one hospital that does allow vampire through their doors.