A dense canopy of trees covers the forest floor in shadow. I ran around in the box as big as a carriage, trying to avoid the dazzling sunlight here and there. The sunscreen wasn't perfect and my skin was already covered in blisters. The brutal light shines right through the clothes as if they don't exist.
"Ah!" I screamed and hissed as another gust of wind blew through the branches, exposing me to the cruel touch.
"You should give up; you're just delaying the inevitable."
I wanted him to shut up, but he stood in the light and laughed at me. In this picture, with his thick brown beard and noble demeanor, he looks like a mortal, a true ancient king.
"Your companions reject you; humanity rejects you. Even the sun wants you to leave this world."
I ducked and sprinted, time running out. The sun has set. The shadow grew longer.
After all, the nail that sticks out gets nailed. You're just prolonging your pain. "
I need to move on. I just had to get to the house. I'll be safe inside.
"Do you think your family will welcome you?" Idiot. You are not Ariana, even though you stole her name. That night she died alone and broken. You are just a final insult to her memory. "
"You lied! I am who I am!"
"How can you be so sure? Have you ever seen yourself in the mirror?"
The sun was close to the horizon, but I would never make it past dusk. The forest part gave me away. At the last moment, I jumped behind a tree and felt the slap of the bark. The vicious rays began to circle the tree trunks, and I yelled as they swam to the edge of my arms.
"You will always be a pariah, kid, no matter how much you beg or grovel."
I started screaming. A few voices join the chorus and call me an outsider and then there is only fiery death.
I woke up and quickly repeated the familiar words. I have been here for two months, and these two months I have been playing the role of a thug and an errand boy. I even built a bit of a reputation.
I wonder why I have so many nightmares if other people do the same. Unfortunately, I'd rather poke myself in the foot with a rusty skewer than share this detail with anyone here. Therefore, my question will not be answered for the time being.
Phantom pain throughout my body disrupted my meditation. I wish I could cry, but it's a function of the body and I find I can't force it. I only endured the scorched memory for a minute before it was replaced by a more powerful command.
I wonder if older vampires consider thirst an old friend, or if they are all driven crazy by it. Baudoin confirmed that nestlings eat more, especially young ones. I can only hope that I can maintain healthy self-control, at least long enough to grow out of "infancy."
Like every night, I took the time to shower and get dressed. I do my best to control myself and take time to take care of myself and my appearance. I even bought a comb.
I walked around the cage and came to Baudoin's office.
"Ah, Arrian. Come in, come in."
"Good evening. I'm ready for the meeting."
"Ah, yes, unfortunately you can't attend."
I froze immediately. While here, I took my role as a spy very seriously. I listed all their warehouses, banks and business partners. Every important ally, every lie, and every weakness, I religiously documented.
An overheard sentence, a scattered confidential document, an unexpected visit, every activity is an opportunity to discover more. I gave the report, I hid it well. If they fell into the hands of the Cadizans, they would be able to strike the fallen with deadly precision.
Hit them where it hurts most: their pride, their wallet. Did Baudouin discover my plan? I thought I was very careful. I even prepared an escape bag and hid it under the ruined bell tower of an abandoned church.
I find this irony amusing.
Baudoin looked at me nervously. he does not know. He thought I was deeply offended.
"This is not a punishment, in fact, I have some kind of reward for you. Today, we encountered a situation. One of our prostitutes made an unfortunate decision and she laughed at a customer's private parts."
"In Rue Delors?"
"No, unfortunately, it's the red veil."
"ah."
It was a high-end brothel in Lancaster, which meant the offended party was wealthy and powerful.
"The thing is, this guy's name is Simo Henry.
He
ley)'s man took justice into his own hands and dismembered her. That won't work. He was now in his manor, surrounded by six guards. "
"You want me to scare him?"
"No, Ariana, I want you to kill him. He's made some very public statements asking for compensation. I can't sit back and do nothing."
"how do you want to do it?"
"Do what you want. I'll burn the house down when you're done. The militiamen know to avoid this place tonight."
"Can you give me a gun this time?"
"No Ariana, my opinion hasn't changed, we don't use guns."
Neanderthals. I snorted and walked toward the exit.
"Then I'll leave."
"Got to have fun."
As I walked out of the office, my eyes were inevitably caught by a figure walking down the stairs.
Mrs. Moore doesn't belong here. This land is young and frivolous. Its wealth was stolen from native tribes, ripped from the land by the labor of countless slaves, and forcibly brought here in floating coffins.
This is not the place for complex conspiracies and veiled threats, at least not yet. Her appearance reflects this. Even her clothes were too warm for the stifling weather.
She ignored me and quickly crossed the threshold, followed by the smug Melusin and the ever-bored Lambert. They will meet with Iken representatives to discuss some meat market issues.
I should have gone as a "goon". It will be a chance to meet them and maybe find out what the Cadiz people are up to. There's always next time.
I went back to my room and changed, putting on something provocative and covering my shoulders with a shawl. Now I look like a whore. If dad sees me...
No! I have to wear it as armor. My appearance was both a weapon and a decoy. Simon Henry wants compensation from the brothel and this is what he will see, a suitable messenger. I will maintain my dignity according to my own rules, and clothes will no longer be an issue.
I left home with my bracers and my heavy bag and kept walking on the brightly lit streets.
I have enough money to run around for a while with what I picked up while running errands, the problem is even without the wrist guards I get hunted down and out. I needed a clean escape.
Since we were going to an expensive part of town and a woman alone would attract unnecessary attention, we prepared a carriage. As we drove on, I felt grateful for my cold body. Without it, enclosed spaces can become suffocating.
About a quarter of an hour later, we stopped in front of a manor and the carriage left. The Victorian house doesn't have much in the way of decoration, but the gardens are impeccably maintained.
Dad always said that modest wealth marked a good upbringing, and I had a hard time reconciling an elegant home with the image of a man who would be disfigured by prostitutes who mocked his manliness.
Maybe it was built and maintained by his father?
I walked through the deserted entrance and came to a pair of wooden doors. At this time of night, there should be lights and servants around, but the place was eerily quiet.
I found myself becoming more and more wary.
I knocked on the door and it opened immediately. A rude man with an angry face looked at me silently. I curtsey. They seemed to be waiting for me.
The man grunted and invited me inside.
right here. I could start killing right away, but something stops me. The guard had only a baton and no other visible weapon. He is no danger to me. There is something else.
Just like a vampire has a cold aura, I sensed something bright and colorful that came from deep within the house.
I'm curious. What could it be?
I followed the guard into a modest ballroom with plush carpet. The wall opposite the entrance is decorated with several large windows and only one door, the one I came from. To my left, several seats were already occupied. Four tough guys stopped their cards and looked at the new arrivals.
To my right, next to a finely crafted piano, stood the head of the family. He sat on a leather throne, which had been brought for the occasion.
There was a bottle of liquor on the small coffee table next to him and a bouncer standing next to him, who immediately attracted me.
He's tall, muscular, with a neatly trimmed beard and carries enough weapons to take over a small town. At first glance, I saw at least two pistols and seven daggers. He even wore a helmet indoors like a rough savage.
The colorful aura comes from him.
Our eyes met and he gave me the strangest smile.
"Why don't you sit down?" Simon Henry asked, pointing to an inconspicuous chair in front of him. He wore an expensive shirt and jacket that did nothing to hide his audacity. His pale skin was like that of someone who didn't go out during the day, as white as worm meat and stained with wet sweat. His gray eyes didn't meet mine. He was scared out of his mind.
Everything is wrong.
Thugs should be ogling or indifferent, not alarmed.
Henry should be smug and arrogant, not afraid.
The last person doesn't belong here.
My gut and my intellect agreed that this was a trap. To make matters worse, the bodyguard probably knew who I was and believed he could defeat me. I remember Gabriel's followers attacking the castle. They also have a plethora of weapons and training to use it. They have no aura.
This man is a mage.
If I sit in this seat, I'm dead again. This won't happen.
I walked over to it and kicked it into my shoe. The mage dodged easily, but Henry received a punch in the face, let out a muffled scream, and collapsed to the ground. I need to step back, not a second too soon.
"seal up!"
A beam of white light shot out from where the chair was, missing me by a hair. There was chaos in the room and people were shouting.
The mage pulled out a gun and shot me. I ended my act by falling to the floor. The bullet missed me.
I ended up falling at the feet of a petrified guard. I stood up and grabbed him by the throat. The fountain of blood distracted the other three.
His blood stinks, something is definitely wrong. I hissed and grabbed another guard's shield. After a while, something bit my body.
What's the matter?
I stared down in disbelief. There was a big gash in my waist. The skirt was torn open, revealing the torn flesh, with dark red blood seeping out of it. The man I was using as a shield was screaming and dying.
The mage shot his own ally!
Something thumped on the floor, and I instinctively looked at it just as it exploded. There was a thunderous explosion, a white light that blinded me and deafened me. I dropped the man and grabbed my crippled eye.
Hurt and need to escape. can not see.
Cover behind me. I moved back and grabbed the edge of the poker table. I snorted, turned it over, and jumped in the back. Something growled and I moved aside. Someone bumped into me and I fell. I found a shoulder, a throat. I cut it open. The taste of blood was wrong again.
The bottle of wine on the table didn't smell right either. What did they drink?
I can hear better now, but my eyes still hurt. There are windows. Escape. I grabbed a body and ran blindly toward the wall. can be found. Can break through.
"Stop it! Seal!"
Something hit me. It didn't hurt, but it pushed me away with incredible force. I hit the table and it shattered beneath me. A piece of debris pierced my back. This breaks my heart. So thirsty. Can't stay here.
I crawled away from the mage. Lower back injury. harm. Bleeding. Blood is needed, but it doesn't taste good.
Ah, I can finally see again.
I turned around and a flying knife whizzed past my shoulder and into the carpet. Finally a decent weapon. I removed the splinters of wood from my back. It doesn't go deep.
The mage threw more daggers and I again used my body and table to dodge and block. I grabbed a knife in one hand and threw a third one at him. It struck against his armor.
The man was still laughing. He pulled out a saber and a dagger and rushed towards me. I managed to stand up and meet him in the middle of the room.
I quickly realized this was a mistake. I might be faster than the mage, but in every other way, he has the edge. His reach is further and his technique is more advanced. He blocked my attack with precise and conservative movements.
I was completely defeated.
Soon, there was another long gash on my wrist, and I dropped a knife. I can't move my hands! I'm not healed at all and I'm thirsty. I can't get out!
The pain became too much. I have one last quick move, but after that, there's nothing I can do, I have to make it work, and then—
What is that scent?
Blood.
It's from Henry! I need--
"Fire whip."
A red snake wrapped itself around my useless hand. My flesh immediately began to smolder. I screamed in pain and swung out with the last knife in my hand. Luckily, the very thing that made his blade so painful also broke the spell.
I screamed and fell to the ground.
I can't stay there, I want to move, but...
It hurts so much.
"Ah, this backlash is annoying. You sly one! But I have to say, I'm disappointed. Everyone says vampires are centuries-old apex predators, and I was really looking forward to a big fight. But here you are , a beast who relies on speed rather than skill. Sloppy and pathetic."
Predator said. Yes, a feasible plan. accomplish.
"Well, it looks like I'll have to find a knight next. I'm told that piercing the heart will make you incapacitated. At least I can put that theory into practice."
Yes, prey, come closer...
"I dare say, killing that werewolf would be more—ah!"
my move. I knelt down, picked up a knife, and buried it behind my knees. weakness. Now jump on his back and grab him with my claws.
"pulse!"
Something pushed me backwards and I hit the coffee table and Henry's lifeless body.
"Ah, you!" Ah, cure! Cure! Damn it. "
So delicious.
"You're going to pay for this!" I wanted to hurry up, but now I want to burn you alive. ah. Shit! Just wait and see!"
I suck blood from Henry, and I turn my back on the mage when something happens. I could feel all my fangs being pulled out. The strength I draw is ten times, a hundred times. There is no happiness this time. This time, there was only life, and the strength I needed to survive. I won't eat it this time.
I devour.
In less than four seconds, Henry was dead. I felt a brief burst of power as the last of his life force was ripped from his body. The pain is still there, and so is the thirst. It's not that important anymore.
So this man is a hunter? He thinks I'm a game?
I'm not a beast. I'm a vampire.
I climbed up and found the mage bandaging his injured leg. His suspicion turned to fear at the sight of my face. The blood is still dripping. I gave a horrible smile.
Then I threw the body at him.
I stuck my butt in and my body flew up. The mage cursed and ducked.
I use my claws to jump and fly forward. I bumped into him, knocking him onto his back.
I scratched and struck, trying to reach his face. His armor was in the way, but I managed to score unprotected.
"Shie--!"
None of these. I pushed his arms towards me with one hand and dug a finger into his cheek. I caressed his face. blood flow. It still smells wrong.
I'm getting weaker.
I could feel him struggling to get something. I can't hold on any longer. My strength was beginning to fail.
He pulled something that roared. I felt a chill in my stomach.
I ignored the weapon hand and shifted to the other. I put a thumb over his eye and pushed. With a horrific crunch, his eye split open and I dug my fingers tightly into his skull. Liquid splashed into my face. The blood inside…
It smells bad, but there's a lot of energy in it.
It is fading rapidly.
I took a deep bite and swallowed. The blood was powerful, but there was also something eating away at my throat. The scales barely tip in favor of blood.
I hit him in the face, once, twice, three times. Pain hit me, and I collapsed on the bloody corpse. Everything hurts. I have never felt so miserable after death.
Then all emotion disappeared.
I feel strange.
Pain is a distant thing, and so is longing. I thought I would turn into a greedy beast, but now it seems that I am content. Injured, but safe.
I can only draw strength from the red nectar as quickly as possible.
My vision was getting darker and darker, I remember. This is what death feels like when it first happens. The feeling of slipping, of letting go.
"Nom de Dieu, c'est u
cauchema
!”
ah.
Come to think of it, we only killed three of the four guards, the mage and me.
“M…Mo
st
e!Devil!”
The last one must be hiding in a corner somewhere. I don't blame him. However, he is now growing a spine. He took a knife. He was getting closer.
I couldn't move at all. I am cold.
Sleep is calling me. I can close my eyes and... forget, yet death is a once in a lifetime experience.
For me it was twice.
I don't want to miss it.
Now there's a knock on the ballroom door. The guard screamed and jumped like a scalded maid. ha.
A black woman walked in. A vampire. She wore leather pants and a tight white shirt. How unladylike, although to be fair she didn't bare her belly like I did.
"Well, I'm impressed," she said with a fanged smile.
