While chaos began to build around the doorway Arik remained quiet and watched from behind the bar, still polishing away with a rag over one of the crystal clean goblets.  The rising tension in the air didn't go unnoticed by the gaunt barkeep as he shuffle stepped his way to the right, towards the open kitchen door.  It certainly didn't go unfelt by the trio of gypsy's seated around the card table who were already starting to slide their chairs back in preparation for whatever may come.  By the time Xavier had drawn his sword Arik had silently slipped through the door and had mostly vanished from sight into the kitchen. In the flickering candle and fire light only the white of his wide eyes could be seen peering out from beyond the opening, watching and waiting as the events unfolded.<br/><br/>The young gypsy in charge of the door felt rather diminished the moment he found both Bucren and Xavier coming to the aid of the mysterious woman pleading to be let in.  Naturally Pias raised his hands and showed his open palms to the men as he tried to disarm any hostility that might be released upon his person.  "Look fella's, it's the same thing we did when the lot of you came to the door."  Pias tried to sound as calm as he reasonably could while he delicately inched his way towards the side of the door.  "You wanna let her in, that's fine, I was gonna, but she's gotta pay the toll."  The weasel faced gypsy glanced between the two far more hardened and seasoned men.  Pias lowered his right hand, keeping his open palm upturned along the side of the door in anticipation of the upcoming exchange of coins.  "Keep your voice down lass, and have your coins ready."  Pias hissed at the door as Xavier drew close to unclasping the array of locks and bolts.<br/><br/>With the variety of commotion taking place downstairs the sounds of the twins moving about up above were well covered.  The lock was simple and with a few flicks of her hairpin Katya had it opened.  Garlic hit the girls noses the moment the door opened and the smell only grew more pungent within.  The snoring of Ismark didn't cease as the pair of young ladies stealthily pushed the door to his room open.  One fat white candle kept the modest room dimly lit and revealed the filthy upkeep of it's resident.  Clothing that would of been nice had they been cared for at all laid in random disarray about the room.  Ismark was sprawled out on his side on top of the covers of his queen sized bed, the deep nasal rumble of his snoring caused the drool forming at the corner of his mouth to bubble up across the surface of his lips.  Faint shafts of moonlight filtered in through the narrow gaps of the boards that covered the single window in the room.  Knots of garlic hung in the place of draperies from the barricaded window.  Ismark twisted about, repositioning himself as Katya and Esperanza tiptoed their way into the room.<br/><br/>Like the twins room there wasn't much in the way of furnishings even in the upgraded room of the Burgomaster's son.  A simple wood table covered by a dirty and wine stained white linen was next to the head of the bed.  Two wine bottles rested on the cloth cover, one empty, the other nearly so.  More bottles of wine had gathered across the top of the dresser, next to the fat white candle.  Even more bottles littered the floorboards, mixed in with Ismark's discarded garments.  Jutting out from under the falling covers at the foot of the bed the twins could easily notice a sturdy looking small metal chest.  Ismark muttered in the depths of his drunken slumber while a momentary silence from downstairs gave some clarity to his dreamy murmured words.  "You'll ruin everything."<br/><br/>The murmur of the woman's voice came soft and filled with a breath of panic from the other side of the door as Xavier got to the last of the half dozen bolts that kept the entry sealed.  "Hurry, please."  There was a gentle jingle of coins from a tiny satin bag that she held at the ready.  "I have the gold, just let me in."  And as soon as the last click of the bolt being disengaged sounded, all hell broke loose in a flash of violence at the door to the tavern.<br/><br/>The sheer force of something that was both far stronger then Xavier and equally unexpected caused even the veteran warrior of the roads to stumble backwards a few steps as it was shoved open.  Standing before the mists that fell across the town square outside of the tavern was a dainty woman of exotic beauty.  The soft blue light from the nearly full moon only seemed to exaggerate the paleness of her skin as her right palm rested on the face of the door after having shoved it open with a single hand.  A thin and delicate looking ensemble of white lingerie paired with a flowing wafer thin night gown of porcelain hue drifted about the abundant curvature of her alluring shape.  The ember glow of her eyes quickly drifted from Xavier, to Bucren, before locking onto Pias.<br/><br/>Even in the brevity of that momentary eye contact Bucren could feel the sensation of being swept up by those faintly glowing eyes.  Xavier fortunately had been spared, but by the time he was able to gather his feet beneath him the vampiress moved with the speed and grace of something far from being human.  Her free hand tossed the tiny coin pouch into Bucren's chest before grasping Pias by the slim wrist of his waiting open hand.   "Have your coins."  As that stunned sensation that had briefly frozen Bucren in place fell away when her eyes drifted to Pias the woman's mouth opened wide, revealing the long slender ivory fangs that sprouted within.<br/><br/>The sound from below was a jolt of pure panic as Pias screamed like a frightened child.  In one fluid moment the door had been tossed open and he was practically tugged off his feet and pulled outside.  His right hand caught on the edge of the door as he cried out as he looked back into the soft glow of the open tavern door with utter terror etched across his face.  "Help me!"  He shrieked in agony as the supernaturally strong mistress of the night sunk her fangs into his forearm and tasted of him.  The grasp of his right hand loosened where it clenched desperately to hold onto the frame of the door as the vampiress prepared to drag him out into the waiting fog that filled the square.