I quickly retraced our steps. As expected, a blind boy found us. Half an hour later I slowed down when I saw smoke and embers from another campsite.
I crept closer until I saw the remains of those unfortunate warriors.
Most people sat around the campfire in dismay. Today they have lost more than half their population. Many people sit apart from each other. Eyes do not meet.
A true group, bound by blood or friendship, sticks together. Pain and fear promote a collective instinct and a sense of solidarity that precedes a disaster. Those people are not like that at all. They are a pack of jackals and hyenas, brought together by greed and the promise of easy violence. Now that their defeat was clear, they began to split along lines of allegiance.
This ragtag group of people doesn't even deserve the name Warband. Really sad.
I could see the male birds competing with the male birds. Beta is a tall man with a black beard that reaches down to his protruding belly. The chief sat on a rock, his hand on the hilt of a saber. I know why he calls himself Crow. His jacket, pants and boots are all black. Even his hat is the same color, decorated with the shiny dark feathers of the eponymous bird.
I remembered the scene when I was cleaning out the warehouse half a year ago.
I turned my attention back to the group. They have two sentries. I also found eight people in various stages of despair. There are only two leaders who pose some kind of threat, or if they had weapons they would pose a threat, which I doubt.
I feel disappointed and this feeling worries me. I know what it takes to survive. I know from the book Loth lent me that victory is often won before the battle begins. I'm still frustrated.
I want a challenge. I want to be on the edge. I want to hunt well so that when I defeat my opponent, their blood is that much sweeter.
I remember the look on Nami's face when she asked me to drink the water from her body. She's also looking for excitement. Am I going to become a proud boss?
I despise Gaspard, my master's pride brought him down. I now worry that this desire for danger will lead me to take unreasonable risks.
On the other hand, measuring risk is beneficial. As a vampire, I've never learned as much about combat as I did when I competed in the Gauntlet. It was a gamble, the price of failure, so I was invested.
Even Rose, despite his age, is still taking risks. I found it unlikely that even a bullet to his head would take him out, yet fighting still presented risks to him.
He still does.
Maybe that's what it takes to survive, to actually survive this long.
Now I get to make my own rules. I only challenge myself when I'm sure I can at least escape and survive.
Yes, that sounds reasonable. I will ask Loth for his opinion again in the future. He must have had guidelines after living so long.
I used a tried and tested method of waiting until the first sentry disappeared before taking him out. In the camp, no one noticed.
This was the first time since that night with Dusan that I faced the endless blood I could drink.
I can't get drunk this time. I decided to try and eat him. It may only give me a fraction of my normal energy, but it's faster, doesn't make me drunk, and lets me control myself. Really, there's no better way to regain your strength quickly.
Get started now.
I inserted eight canines into his carotid artery and pulled. This time it was much harder than last time. I wasn't very awake during the pulling part. Lots of prey. Hunting grounds. ox.
Wait a minute, cow?
I smell the air. There, near the tent. Smells like an unwashed woman.
Could it be...
"You'd better come out!"
I turned my attention back to the crow standing in the middle of the clearing. The others stared at him as if he were crazy.
"Peter disappeared silently a minute ago, and two people can't account for all our casualties. Not to mention, this all happened at night. I know what happened, and I know you're here. Come out. Let Let me see my end. Do you dare!"
What? That's interesting.
"Do you know now, little bird..."
They jumped in horror at the clear sound of my voice. They brandished their weapons in vain.
despair.
I walked to the center of the clearing with my gun holstered. I know I look like a young woman in travel clothes. Young, fresh, innocent, with the pale skin of someone who doesn't work outside the home.
The image in their head doesn't match what they know. I act like a threat, but I don't look like it. Their expectations of the world would make them look down on me until it was too late. This is the power of vampires.
Even as the crow roared, he swallowed nervously. He looks like a little boy threatening the monster under his bed to come out just to drag something on his sheets.
You call out to the night, and it answers you.
I tap my index finger under my chin, and this time I don't have to hide what I am. Claws and fangs are out. I no longer bothered to breathe or close my eyes.
"I'm curious, little birdie, what do you think is going to happen now? A buzz? A heroic fight?"
The man swallowed and retorted with fake confidence.
"Yes, in fact, I challenge you to a duel."
There is something despairing about this declaration. These are the words of a drowning man obsessed with the familiar.
"Why should I accept it?"
"Why not? Are you scared?"
I moved, turned around, and cut the throat of the man who was coming toward me from behind, and he pulled out the knife. I heard metal scraping against leather. I saw the looks on other people's faces when they forced themselves to look straight ahead. I smelled his sweat and his fear.
I immediately completed the circular motion and the result was exactly the same as when I started, except for the red liquid dripping from my paw. I heard blood on the ground and the gurgling of the dying.
I continued as if nothing had happened.
"Am I serious?" Or do I simply not understand the point of agreeing to your request? You will fight me anyway. Well, you can try it. Why should I formally duel with you?"
"A bet!"
"oh?"
I could almost see the gears turning in his head, searching for a solution to his dilemma.
"I have information. I know you're looking for that girl and you think you'll get what you want from my diary, you won't. You'll get nothing. It's encrypted."
"Any password you can think of, my friends can crack it in 20 seconds."
He shook his head.
"Not that kind of code. I write things like, I smell strawberries today, which means I'm thinking about my sister."
When he said this, he blushed. Ha, melancholy crow, thinking of a sister.
"It doesn't matter. I know something I didn't write. Can't write. It's crazy. I know who she really is, what she really wants, and I know exactly who I sold her to."
"What do you want in return?"
"If I give you a good show, you'll spare my men."
There was silence in the clearing. You could hear a pin drop.
"We fight until we bleed. Every time you make me bleed, you can only choose one person. I won't hunt them and they can live through tonight. Every time I draw you, you tell me something I want Something to know. If I don't like it or it's too short, I'll think you're running out of ideas and I'll kill you. When we duel, I won't use my powers, just my body and my sword."
"trade!"
"Then let's get started."
I jumped on top of the man and he pulled me desperately, trying to cut me open with the same movement. I'm used to it now, I know where the blade will land. I just blocked it with my knife and stabbed him in the shoulder with my left hand. Don't go too deep. Not the main arm. This is not a sport.
"Gaaaaah! Hell!"
"say."
"Hi, ok. Okay! That woman, she's not who she says she is. She has some weird rings and documents in German. When we caught her she said she worked for the Heirs, no idea what that means . She said they were a powerful secret society. I thought that was probably bullshit, but what do I know?"
It seems like everyone and their dogs are manipulating poor Cecil. Well, I don't care. As long as she doesn't endanger me, she can belong to the Chinese royal family, and I don't care. As for the organization itself, there's absolutely no way they'll have enough influence here to warrant any attention from me in the short term. If this is indeed true, this is a question that will arise much later.
I resumed my position and we formed a circle. Crow probed my defenses with conservative movements. I moved as little as possible until he overdid his feint. I jumped forward and struck the saber with the small guard of the knife. We locked blades and I easily blocked his left hand with my own. I dug my fingers into his wrist and he dropped the knife he had been hiding.
"Ah, damn it!"
"say."
Cold sweat began to break out on Crow's forehead. There was a dark patch on the gash on his shoulder and sleeve.
He smelled delicious, like the desire to fight and courage in the face of death. Thank goodness I'm content now, otherwise resisting the "thirst" would have been difficult.
"We sold this woman to some crazy community in the far south of the Appalachian Mountains. A bunch of idiots who were born to worship the strangest things. They were all pagans and lunatics."
"Where?"
"Hey, don't be like this, I..."
"Where?"
"F... four days' horseback riding, up north. They've got some mansions painted white and red. You'd think you'd been transported to bloody Gloucestershire."
"Um."
We stood guard again, and this time, Crow was at full strength. I took advantage of the opportunity to dodge with minimal movement and tried to predict the way he would move his body, however the fight became more difficult. His heavy cavalry saber was a liability in quick engagements, but its weight and power now make it harder to block and dodge. This exchange lasted for a long time. Thirty seconds. Forty seconds. He didn't relent.
At the 50-second mark, he tired and slipped on the muddy ground. I jumped forward, but he surprised me. Instead of trying to break his fall, he slammed into me with both hands. I blocked him with my left paw, but stopped when I was about to stab him in the ribs.
We stayed there for a while and I looked into his frightened eyes.
Humans blink a lot.
I stood back up and checked my left hand. The blade was caught between two claws and cut my finger. The wound has healed, but still...
"choose".
"What?"
"You bleed. Choice."
"Dalton".
As he said the name, I heard a scream behind me. I turned around and saw the bearded man pulling out a gun and taking aim.
Not at me, but at a young man sitting next to me who was terrified.
Gee, I don't want anyone to ruin my good time. my move.
I dug each finger of my left hand into the man's chest. He gasped in pain and dropped the gun.
Ooowww! What's wrong? This hurts! I think I broke two knuckles! Why are the ribs so hard?! The master puts his whole hand on one’s chest and makes it look easy! How!
I removed my hand. The man fell silently, and I was faced with the crow again. I tried my best to embellish my expression.
Ouch ouch...hi! Damn! Must pay attention.
The crow looked at me warily. I stood guard again and we continued fighting.
I could tell he was tired. It was past midnight, he was tired from the day and bleeding.
Crows have a pattern. At the end of an exchange, he likes to swing and hit his opponent's sword on the way up, then immediately chop down and move forward before they can recover. This move must be useful against weaker opponents, especially considering how heavy his saber is.
This doesn't work for me.
He'll do it next time. I slashed my sword further, and just then he turned and got into his defence. I made a shallow cut on his chest.
"Hi!"
We are now in the final act of this tragedy, and others are feeling it too. I catch some subtle looks, I hear footsteps. I turned to a dirty man in a straw hat, who was closer to the edge of the forest than before.
"If you run, you will die first."
The man stopped. This will give me a little time before I finish this.
"say."
"I, um, adore them. They keep stealing people here and there for God knows what."
Steal. I know who is "stealing" those people.
"That doesn't help. Tell me how you know who I am."
"…The leader of the cult. I sold the woman to him. He said you were vampires. He said you were hoarding power. He said he would achieve it himself and share the bounty with his followers."
"Um."
I returned to the center of the clearing and waited for the crows to do the same. As soon as he was in position he rushed towards me, and all his gallant companions turned and ran away.
I stood my ground. When the crow saw his men running away, he uttered a cry of despair and rushed towards me.
Remarkable! Of course, I would also expect this from a cunning outlaw. I shook my left arm, and after a while, the crow stumbled and fell. He stared in disbelief at the dagger stuck in his chest. I have wasted no time in the past six months.
"I told you that Blade warned you."
I chase every robber. I ate them one after another without stopping. In the dark they are all slow and noisy. I made it quick and painless.
When I returned to the clearing, only Crow and the young man, Dalton, were left.
"It shouldn't be...like this. We should...be adventurers. Heroes...like the knights of old." The fallen leader said in a strained voice.
I straddled Raven, letting my hair fall into his face. He is so warm and his perfume is exquisite. A perfect ending to a worthy hunt.
"You mean heroes? Do heroes attack travelers? Do they have slaves?"
"They were... Aboriginal people, not white women."
"They were slaves. Who they were doesn't change what you did."
"That richness...comes from a monster."
"Ah, but I know what I am. Just like I know who kidnapped people for that weird estate you mentioned, just like I know why you sold that woman to them so quickly. You're better than most Men have fallen deeper, Crow. Now, any last words?"
The crow showed its red teeth and gave me a final smile. Resist to the end. I like it.
"See you in hell."
ha.
"Goodbye human, it was a good hunt."
When I finished, I stood up and accepted the destruction I had brought.
Bodies were scattered across the clearing, scattered around broken tents and trampled personal belongings. The sole survivor of the massacre knelt on the ground with his head in his hands. I ignored him for now.
I approached the largest tent and opened it. The stench of unwashed corpses here was pungent, but I persisted.
Two young women stared at me with crazy eyes. The first trembled with rage, while the other cowered behind her. They wore tattered rags. Their black hair is thin and messy.
The stronger one growled and cursed under his breath as I approached.
buzzing.
I backed away, picked up a skinning knife, then went back into the house and dropped it at their feet. I don't care about them.
The crow sat on a short stool. I smoothed it out and sat by the fire.
I need to think.
Why did I accept this challenge? Why did I kill these men but spare their prisoners? What should I do with Dalton? Should I stick to the spirit of the agreement and let him go? Or should I follow this letter and Make sure he dies before a settlement can be reached? Am I drawn here by Bingle's absurd storytelling abilities because what I learn is crucial to our continued exploration?
I paid no attention to the two native women, who stumbled about the camp, crying and shouting in their language, kicking and spitting at the bodies.
I accepted the challenge because it was the right thing to do. They should be given a chance to achieve something instead of slaughtering them like animals. It was a good hunt.
This is Hunter's concept. It must have something to do with the contaminated blood in my veins. The concept of hunting never occurred to me while I was alive. Should I stop? Will it kill me like blind confidence killed Gaspar?
I do not think so. Crow's blood is both delicious and powerful because its power comes not from the person itself, but from the way it is ingested. Respecting the spirit of hunting, winning makes me stronger. It also makes me feel more energetic. The game forces me to work for it rather than take it with overwhelming force, like the blood of a supplicant being sweeter than the blood of an ox.
Yes, I know I'm right. I will respect my prey, which in turn will make me stronger, more patient, and more cautious. Challenges remind me of my limits and remind me never to look down on mortals, just like the crow nicking my finger reminds me of my imperfect technique.
If the situation I'm in is a challenge in itself, then I don't need to put limits on myself. Instead, I will use every tool at my disposal to win.
Yes, this is how it should be. The red nectar needs to be earned by yourself. I can never forget it.
Now let’s look at the next question.
Who do I let go and why? Loth is right. Rules and guidelines are the first step in any normal society. As the only vampire in the area, I need to make my own rules and enforce them.
I will lay down the ground rules now, just as the Continental Congress laid down the Constitution more than 20 years ago.
Those I call friends, those bound to me by covenant or oath, those I am negotiating with, and those who are too young and should not be touched without their express consent. This includes applicants.
Those who are not related to me can be eaten, but not killed or enslaved.
Those who do not respect the hunting rules and harm weak prey, those who break their oaths to others, and those I have agreed to capture can be eaten, tortured and enslaved, but will not be killed.
Those who break their oaths to me and myself, those who steal life for selfish gain, those who steal the dignity of women, will be punished. These rules apply to groups I consider to be at war with me, but not to their relatives.
Those who endanger my existence and those who try to kill me but respect the spirit of the hunt can be fed and killed, but not tortured or enslaved.
Most importantly, I must keep my word and protect me and my family.
Yes. This feels good. At least now I have these rules to apply. I'll adjust as I go if I think it's necessary.
I turn my attention back to the present. The boy did not move, and the two native women looked at the man lying on the ground with suspicion as they cleaned themselves. The taller one stroked her knife with a thoughtful expression.
I started collecting supplies. I knew what to do with the kid and I didn't want witnesses.
I prepared two heavy backpacks and returned to the woman. Diplomacy is difficult because they don't speak English, French or Spanish, and I don't blame them. They grunted and pointed enough that they understood they should take their horses and food and go, but they refused. After pointing at the sky and the fire a few times, I finally remembered that it was the dead of night and traveling wasn't the best idea.
I was satisfied that they were no threat to me, so I decided to let them have their way. Instead, I grabbed the boy by the elbow and dragged him into the shade. He didn't resist.
"Can you understand me?"
He nodded.
"You're safe tonight, but only tonight."
The young man looked up at me. Like the other robbers, he wore a farm uniform and traveling clothes, simple and sturdy. His brown vest is too big. I think he was probably the youngest of the group, about 16 years old.
I came face to face with a pair of blue eyes that were paler than mine. They are large and strangely magnetic. Even when I looked at other parts of him, my eyes were drawn back. He looked at me with childish curiosity, and although I smelled fear on him, it wasn't as strong as I thought.
I don't want to kill him. I don't think he's a threat to me. He didn't feel like it.
"If you don't mention this to anyone, or me, I'll let you go. Do you agree?"
The boy considered my words carefully, then nodded again in agreement.
"I swear."
"I won't betray you. I swear."
"Very well, now let me test your words."
I grabbed his unresisting arm, took a bite, and stared into his eyes.
"Are you going to betray me?"
"No. Never."
It's so fast. According to my rules, if I thought he was a threat, I could kill him. I don't. He's also not a friend, so he can be fed without causing further harm.
I'm not thirsty.
Phew, that's enough, it's late.
"Very good. You can leave and go where you want. I want to respect your words. Even if you don't respect me, as long as I believe in you, I will not pursue you alone."
"I won't betray you."
The boy's reaction was quite strange. Could he be mentally retarded? That would explain why Crowe chose to let him go. He must be the last person who should die.
"You should leave camp immediately. I doubt your former captors will forgive you for what you've been through."
"I know where to go."
Again, no doubt about it. There's something wrong with this young man. He fully accepted the situation. Could he be hiding his true identity? No. When I bit him, I literally felt his essence. There was no doubt that he was human.
Phew, it doesn't matter. I've delayed for too long.
I made sure I had all my weapons on me and quickly left the area. The return trip was much quicker as I didn't have to search for our campsite or hide my presence. Two hours after leaving, I soon came across our familiar campfire.
When I got back to camp, I saw a hint of magic in the air. Loth was not idle while I was away.
I crossed the line of the spell and let out a slight chime. I heard a sleeping man wake up and followed the sound to a slightly haggard place. He motioned to Bingle and we left the dying fire to discuss the evening's events without waking him.
I told him everything, including my findings, moral code, and Dalton's fate.
"Hmph. Ali, are you drunk?"
"What? Hmm, maybe? How do you know?"
"You're distracted, you're more brooding than usual. I saw this happen with Constantine in Boston, who would have similar emotions after a fatal hunt. Anyway, I have to congratulate you tonight You. Well done."
"You think so?"
"You eliminated the threat, left no dangerous survivors, and got what we wanted. Now you're back safe. Tyr, I wish every raid could go this smoothly."
"Yes, now we have to decide how to proceed."
"There's no doubt he's dead, isn't it?" We headed north to clear out the madmen and retrieve the girl, if she was still alive. I'm skeptical, you know? Any weird cult that buys people is not going to keep them around for long. "
"I don't like this. We're blindly entering a situation that could very well be very dangerous. Shouldn't someone be sent to deal with this?"
"Yeah, girl, we're there!" We're the two most powerful entities within a hundred miles, so we have our territory to defend. Hahaha, Tyr, you are still so humane sometimes. Do you think the military police or militia will come to catch monsters?"
"Well, not them, but their supernatural companions?" I thought the Knights of Gabriel or the Vampire Knight Squad would be dedicated to hunting down these strange groups. "
Loth looked at me silently for a moment. The atmosphere becomes very heavy. There was a pressure to look away, and I was reminded of who Loth of Skraggo really was, not a gentleman and scholar, but an ancient creature with a wealth of magical knowledge, his hands stained with blood. I remember when we fought together. I shudder as I remember that silent giant of cold metal fighting and pleading his way through, never stopping, never backing down.
"Little girl, this is our territory and we don't need idiots to protect it. This is not a human world where you can rely on institutions and laws. For us, what is ours is what we can get and keep thing, never forget it. Besides, I can't stand those zealous bastards setting foot on it."
Loth closed his eyes and massaged the protruding bridge of his nose.
"Hey, listen to me, I'm talking nonsense like an old man. Girl, I didn't mean to scold you. Sometimes, you are so good at being yourself that I forget you are so young. As for the Knight Squad, You do not understand."
He sat down in a lecturing position, hands clasped together, and I sat comfortably.
"I mentioned that they solve supernatural problems before they get out of hand. I'm not telling you more, but I should. Vampires are a rare species. You are a domineering bunch. In a big city, you More than fifteen are rarely seen, and they will be protected by a handful of Masters. The reason vampires sit at the top of the hierarchy is because each master is so dangerous. The Knight Squad is a group of battle-hardened masters dedicated to war .There are very few of them, but you can be sure that if they are sent somewhere, the problem is solved. Permanently.
The problem is, they are always busy. They only come here when the cult somehow gets out of control and starts summoning terror from afar. "
"They...they can really do it?!"
"Yes, it can happen, but we're not going to let it get to this. Don't worry."
"I get it. So it's up to us. Well, I won't let you down."
"I know I can count on you. Good. We have a big day ahead of us. I need to get some sleep."
Loth lay down, and five minutes later I heard two people snoring, like two trumpets playing a duet. If I were a mortal woman trying to sleep, I'm sure I would suffocate them with a pillow right now.
I took out my notebook on ancient languages and reviewed it as the evening drew to a close.
