He was a tall man, lean and dark haired. His face was stern, and could have been cruel, but it wore at the moment an expression of worry and concern. He was wearing white cleric's robes, and a holy symbol hung around his neck. And he was quite familiar to the pair, though more so to Flame Song than to Aidan.

"Radu?" The blurring faded and she resolidified completely, looking surprised but pleased.

He smiled at her. "Yes. I'm glad to see you remember me. I'm very sorry for intruding on your home like this but..."

Aidan cut him off, and Flame was startled to see that he'd drawn his daggers. "There's a Radu on this world too, and moving from place to place on one world is a lot easier than moving between worlds," he said. Flame took a step back, looking suddenly a bit abashed.

"But he is wearing cleric's robes," said Flame.

"Just because they look like it doesn't mean they, or the symbol, are actually blessed," said Aidan.

Radu looked between them, something that might have been frustration on his face. "I am sorry. If there is any way I can prove that I am not the one you apparently fear..."

Flame said, "Maybe if you could tell me about when we met?"

Aidan suddenly chuckled. "There's a better way than that, and one that our Radu couldn't possibly fake." He sheathed both his daggers and took a few steps forward. "If you would hold out your hand, sir."

Flame, realizing what he was doing, protested. "I'm sure we could come up with some better way. You don't have to..."

Aidan shrugged. "This is the one thing that's impossible for a vampire to fake. And I don't want to take time to play Twenty Questions while somebody who might or might not be a vampire lord stands in our living room." He flicked a glance towards the doors that led off of the room, three of which held their sleeping children behind them.

Flame caught the glance and quieted.

Aidan turned back to Radu. "Your hand, if you please." Radu looked puzzled by this exchange, but he held out his hand. Aidan simply brushed his own fingertips against it. Then he yelped and drew them back. "Holy cow! Er... holy something anyhow. He's the real thing and then some. Ow!" He sucked on his fingers. He had expected a little jolt of pain. He'd had to touch a cleric more than once, and was more or less used to the sensation, though he didn't like it. But this! He looked at his fingers. They were actually burned.

Radu looked at Aidan. "I don't understand..."

Aidan grinned, showing his fangs. "I'm a vampire. Holy power and I don't really get along. Though..." he shook his fingers again, still feeling the pain of it. "I don't think I've ever touched somebody as strong as you. If I'd known how much that was going to hurt I might not have done it. Ow."

Radu went a little wide-eyed. "But you were not such when last we met."

Aidan shrugged. "Life goes on. Things change. And it wasn't exactly my idea at the time. But here, now that we know you're who you say you are, come and have a seat." Aidan dropped down into a chair and gestured at the couch. He and Flame were no longer tense, but now Radu looked a little nervous. "Oh relax, I won't bite you," said Aidan. "I don't think I could if I wanted to! There's nobody in the world safer from vampires than you are."

Radu smiled, a faint little smile, and seated himself gingerly. "Would that it were so. But it is about a vampire that I have come to speak with you two. He cannot harm me directly, but he is preying on my followers, and all attempts to stop it have failed. This is my last desperate measure. I remembered you two, from when I met you many years ago. And I remembered also your promise to repay me. I.... it goes against my nature to call in such a debt, but I feel I must, for the sake of my people. Something must be done before any more of them die."

"I'm afraid you've lost me," said Aidan. "We do owe you, and we'll do what we can for you, but surely there are people on your world who would be more use?"

Radu shook his head. "Everything I try is countered before I can even do it. Warriors' skills and mages' talents will do me no good here. Whenever we bring them to bear, they are already gone, striking at us elsewhere while we try to hunt them down. They know our every move before we make it."

"They?" Aidan arched one eyebrow inquisitively.

"I should probably start at the beginning," said Radu. "Somewhat over a year ago my people started disappearing. The first I thought nothing of. My world is not a kind place, much as I work to make it kinder. And he had merely vanished, and his belongings vanished with him. Perhaps he had decided to leave my order, and simply didn't wish to tell me so." He sighed. "The second also I thought little of. But by the third within two month's time I began to suspect. And the fourth... He vanished too, but this time he did not vanish without a trace. There was... blood in his house. They had..." He stopped, shook his head. "I shall spare you the details. But I knew then that something was hunting my people. And I knew because they wanted me to know it. Each death revealed more to me about them, about what they had done to those they took, and each revelation was mocking me, my inability to protect my people. The last few..." He closed his eyes, and his face showed the pain that roughened his voice. "The last few have been returned to us alive. One will live, though I am not sure he will ever be entirely sane again. The others, it was merciful that they did not survive."

He looked up at them then. "And no doubt you wonder why this sends me to you. The one who lived was at last able to tell me what we faced. We were being hunted by a pair. Only two, but they have great resources at their hands. The one is a vampire. You no doubt know more about the strengths and weaknesses of that condition than I, but he is formidable all by himself. And he is an aerian as well. The other is a woman, utterly cruel and evil, who is a shape-shifter, and takes the form of a white-furred giant cat."

Aidan and Flame exchanged startled glances. "Us?"

Radu nodded. "As it seems the one who bears my name in this world is evil, so the ones who bear your names in my world are. I thought of you, when I learned who they were. It was impossible not to remember you, as I have never seen another giant cat such as the shape you often wore when I knew you." He inclined his head towards Flame. "And that is why you can help me. I had thought to ask Flame Song to assist, to pretend to be her double and discover how they are able to know all my plans. Now that I know you are a vampire as well, you might also help. If you could separate the pair, trick them even for a few minutes, it might be enough. I know that it is dangerous, and I would not ask you to do it, but... I cannot let my people die while I stand idly by. I have tried everything else, this is my last desperate measure. Will you help me?" His expression and tone were pleading, beseeching.