August 1767 Marseille, France
The area had many two-story buildings on both sides of the dark street. Ian heard a clatter from the direction of an alley. It sounded like a roof tile falling onto the pavement. They looked about and Ian again felt the warm prickly feeling on the back of his neck. He glanced back and could see no one so they kept walking south in the darkness.
Suddenly the warm prickly feeling changed to one of icy dread that extended down his spine. It chilled him to his core, and he exclaimed to his companion “Li, something’s wrong!” Drawing his dagger he whirled around just in time to barely see a black form leap from the roof of a two story building. He thought he heard a distant voice shout his name, even as the creature landed running at an unbelievable speed and was on him like a whirlwind. He stabbed straight into its belly as it hit, nearly knocking him breathless. While falling he felt a sharp bite on his neck even as he drove the long blade of his knife to its hilt in the creature, twisting and pulling it upwards. There was a scream from it as they hit the cobblestones together, Ian landing on his back under the thing.
The blade of his knife felt as if it was caught in some tough clothing because he was having trouble ripping and cutting flesh where it should have been easy. He smelled the foul, fetid odor of its breath as it screamed again while grabbing his knife hand in a grip of iron. Li had stepped forward and was stabbing the creature in its’ back repeatedly. It turned and half-rose in the blink of an eye to reach out and backhand Li, knocking him against the side of a building with such force that he slumped, dazed. Scarcely three seconds had elapsed, so quickly had everything happened.
Before the creature could renew its’ attack on Ian though, he had plunged his knife into its belly again and was ripping upwards. He was certain that his knife was once again stuck through heavy cloth since it still didn’t cut as it should. The creature screamed and like lightning, pinned both of his arms in its iron grip. Even as its’ head began to dart toward his throat a dark figure bowled into the creature, toppling it. Ian rolled to his feet and saw two figures fighting, the newest arrival wielding a large knife. Their movements were so fast as to be barely seen as a blur. Unearthly screams erupted again as he ran to the two and began to help the latecomer stab the creature. Ian stabbed it furiously with his now-diminishing strength, realizing that the newcomer was doing more damage than he, as a creeping numbness began to spread throughout his body. Li had recovered and had joined in stabbing it with his knife. The creature separated from the stranger, howling as it hurtled away in the blink of an eye.