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Tales of Malaketh: Ritual of the Blood Red Night - Part 1: On The Run


Nanami Touko
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Lua agreed, and thus, Misea let her go, offering her a fang free smile. "See? Nothing to worry about. As for everyone else here," Misea made a quick look around, taking a small headcount. "Myself, the small one, Almira, and the rather... Provocative one, Astrid, are all vampires. So, only three. Everyone else here is human, and nice enough to judge by our person, not our protruding canines." Misea shrugged, looking towards Alex. "You can continue, with the bodies. We'll be moving in a moment, miss Lua. It's obviously rather unsettling to sleep amongst the dead, and if any further groups were to approach, we'd be going through the same motions again. At least some distance will make sleep a bit easier."

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Nothing to worry about? Yeah right... Lua frowned, but she'd learned never to provoke a vampire. Instead, she settled with gently rubbing her shoulder, to try and ease the caused discomfort by her failed escape. "I never said I judged you because of your fangs..." she muttered, indifferent to whether or not she was overheard. The plan to move along seemed... reasonable though, she didn't want to get into a big fight so late at night. Or in general, really. The time of day doesn't matter, I don't want to go squish...

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"Will do, Misea. Alex, do we have all of them? If so, I say we start. Before you cast the spell, we need to make sure they ignite. I have enough brandy in this flask to ensure the fire will spread quickly and burn hot." Glendwr opened the flask and poured the whole contents of it all over the bodies. "Before you cast, it may be a good idea to stand a lot farther back than we are standing now." He backed up closer to the campfire. Though he certainly was now wanting for brandy, it was probably for the best he not have it, as too much would mean the morning would not be kind to him. "I'm ready when you are, Alex."

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It seemed like their party had gained a new member, at least for a little while. Her general attitude towards vampires was much more the norm that Seph would have expected from most people, which was almost reassuring in a strange way. Their group was odd, for sure, and this gave a bit of a sense of normalcy to everything. Or at least as normal as it could be. The newcomers seemed to be interested in Alex and Glen, while Almira seemed to have recovered from her bout of shyness and was chatting with Astrid and Mina. That really only left one other person unoccupied, and while Seph was somewhat hesitant, it was better than being bored waiting for the bodies to be burned.

Approaching Misea, Seph nodded in greeting. "It seems like things are sorting out fairly well after all of this. I appreciate how blunt you've been about things." Even if I can't completely trust you. Just like you can't completely trust me I suppose. Strange companions our group makes... "It was clear that you hadn't told the princess anything about her part in all of this until tonight." A fact that makes it more likely you're lying to us if you think it's 'for the best' but better to not bring that up now. And best to call Almira the princess for now too. Makes it seem more respectful as I question decisions. "I understand your hesitance to have her try human blood. You clearly care for her and want to protect her. But if the fate of the world is at hand, can you really afford to be careful? I mean, you obviously know more about all of this than I do. I'm just an outsider with limited knowledge. But it seems like she wants to protect everyone. And wants to be friends with humans. Why not let her make the decision as to how she wants to handle it?" Time to shut up. You've pushed far enough. Even if it is important to know just how far she's willing to go to protect the princess over humans. Clearly we're well below her on the list of Misea's priorities, but where's the divide? How far can I trust these three before I need to start looking out for myself since I know they won't first?

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"But you do," was Misea's snarky reply to their new associate. It seemed they were taking care of the bodies rather quickly, and while Misea was worried about the use of the alcohol, it would start a fire much quicker... "Just be careful, Alex, when you cast. I don't want either of you exploding, or getting burned."

Suddenly, Seph was there, railing them with a rather hefty amount of questions. Still cautious... I can't really blame you, I suppose. "No, I hadn't told her until now... She took it rather poorly, as you saw. Having her faint on me while on the run like that, it was simply out of the question. You saw how close they were to catching us, if we'd lost anymore time... I'd be dead, and she would be as well, soon after. I'd wished to continue avoiding it, but this situation forced my hand. She seemed unaffected, for now... But we'll see."

And the part of her drinking blood, eh... "Do you want her to bite you?" It was a rhetorical question, Misea continued: "My point is that, contrary to what you might believe, we're rather civilized people. I'd rather avoiding biting anyone here without permission, Almira is the same way... Even Astrid, if you can believe that. So forcing her upon someone, while it might solve the issue-- and I say might, because I don't truly know... But even if it might solve the situation, I'd much rather she do things on her own. This is her first time out of the castle, her first time speaking with humans, and... It's going very well, for her. This is a good experience, one I'd rather not see mired in sudden betrayal and hatred. If a time comes where she can ask any of you... And you trust each other enough to let her, then by all means. I won't get in the way." Misea smiled, shrugging lightly.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity, Sephtis?"

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Interesting. Didn't bite, literally or figuratively. I probably owe an apology though... "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you were uncivilized. Given your ability to be around us with no problem, it's clear that you aren't anything like the horror stories we tell the children when we're trying to get them to behave. But more than that, the way you treat us shows that the ones that are a problem, that come in and attack are not the entire race. Something which, while I've claimed to believe it, I'm not sure I've truly let myself consider before now." Not that they would have let me think like that... Even though we never ventured in to their territory, I doubt they would have stopped to ask if a vampire was biting someone consensually or not. 

That thought was uncomfortable and so Seph jumped away from it quickly, not wanting to dwell on memories. "But as for your question, if I knew it would save the human race? I would offer up my neck in an instant. But you just admitted you don't know that. And I doubt I'm subtle enough to hide the fact that I don't entirely trust you all yet, so no, not really." Glancing over at her, he smiled slightly. "She does seem to be enjoying herself, even with the knowledge that she's being hunted. So perhaps you're right and it's best to not risk that."

A small chuckle escaped after her last question, and he shook his head. "Ah, I doubt my curiosity will ever be fully satisfied. There are too many questions that still need answers for me to stop being curious. But for now, I have no more questions for you. I'm sure I'll come up with more at some point though." The trick will be to stay subtle. I'm almost certain that vampires had nothing to do with my family dying. But what I don't know is how well our actions were known by the vampires. If they knew that there was a family trained to kill them. That could get dangerous if they know and hold grudges... So subtle. A normal level of questions is fine. Anyone smart wouldn't be completely trusting here. There's a line here, I just need to not cross it.

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'Mina dearest'? Astrid was assuming an awful lot of familiarity, which didn't make the teacher any less uncomfortable with the situation. That said, she still hadn't been bitten, so there was that small comfort, and maybe there was some larger misunderstanding on her part regarding the nature of vampires at play here.

"Look, I'm flattered, really, but just..." Wilhelmina held out her hands in front of her, palms out in an unspoken gesture that a little distance would be appreciated, and continued backing away, albeit more slowly now. Slowly and then, stopped, as she accidentally bumped into Almira, who had come down and decided to poke her nose into what was going on.

The young vampire's questions seemed innocent enough, and it given her apparent demeanor, it was quite unlikely she'd team up with Astrid to make a meal of her... though that did rely somewhat on trusting what Misea had said about her never attacking humans. Still, it was good enough for Mina for the moment, and after an initial start at the unexpected company, she calmed down a little more, as with a witness present, she assumed the countess would be even less apt to try anything. Now it was just a matter of explaining.

"Ah, yes. I've lent her one of my things. And uh, well, she'd just finished complimenting it, which was fine, I guess, gave me a little pride even... but then the follow-up on how it smelled so good, smelled like me, was a little... Honestly I'm not sure how one's supposed to react to that."

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"Well... We do need blood. I've never been without, so I can't claim to know what would happen to me if I went too long, but there are always tales of vampires going feral until they drink their fill. I haven't heard in them resulting in deaths, but... Always a first time for everything, yes? Don't worry about yourselves, once again. We can feed off of each other, so I'll make sure Astrid stays away from your necks." Misea felt they didn't even have to mention Almira, the girl didn't even think about biting, let alone biting a human. As far as she was concerned, her straw was the best place to get a fresh taste.

"And, yes... It's operating under the assumption that the king requires her pure... And that, because of that, he's been having her drink vampire blood her whole life. The chance that human blood will 'defile' her, is just that. A chance. So I'll spare your necks the necessity until it's all we have left. If there was old magic strong enough to usher in an unending night, there must be magic strong enough to reverse it. That's all I can hope for."

More questions... "Ask whenever you wish, though only Almira and I may have the patience for it, and Almira doesn't know much. Astrid might try to shut you up with her lips... And I don't mean biting you. Treat her with extreme care, as she is not a stranger to the pleasures of the flesh." Misea shivered ever so slightly, gently shrugging their shoulders. "But, if that doesn't frighten you, by all means~"


"Ohhhh... Well, we vampires can all smell incredibly well, we're much better at picking up scents and discerning things deep in fabric or otherwise. Astrid was probably just overwhelmed by being so close to something you've worn, since everyone smells different... And you..." Almira took a step forward, closing her eyes and giving the air a quick sniff... Gasping quietly and quickly opening her eyes. "Well... Y-You smell wonderful. I can't quite place it... How odd. Well, I've never been around humans before, so maybe it's just the difference that's striking me. But, if Astrid said the same, then... maybe you just smell great, Mina! Isn't that a good thing?" She idly tucked her hands behind her back, holding them, smiling up at the woman like nothing was amiss.

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"10 paces usually works when lighting things doused in alcohol on fire, but we should probably go 15 to be absolutely safe. It's not going to mask the smell, however. Luckily, that will tell us how far behind us it will be once we no longer smell it." Glendwr did want to know one thing. "Is vampire society similar to humans in terms of chivalry and law? I do wonder what happens to the dregs of vampire society. Do they meet the same grizzly ends? Or are they left to be fed upon by passers-by? Or maybe you don't punish crimes as harshly?" He had no idea why such trivial questions came into his head. There were certainly many more fruitful questions to ask, but perhaps that was left more to people more inclined to ask her. "At any rate, we should get started with this fire."

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Lua made an annoyed huff at Misea's rebuttal but kept her mouth shut. It's not the fangs - it's the fact that you can't keep them to yourselves. If they were capable of doing that, then Lua would be back home right now - safe to be as irresponsible as she liked. No matter how many times she thought about it, the situation still sucked.  And the hat ignored me too. Hooray... Truly, Lua must be blessed, having found such charming travel companions.

Lua made a point of watching Glendwr prepare the bodies as she quietly listened in on the conversation. It doesn't look like these people will listen to sense when it comes to vampires. Maybe if I could get them alone, I could do something...  Misea tried to bring up how 'civilised' they were, but she wasn't just going to buy into that like a chump. That poor Seph kid sure seemed to be one though. 

Doesn't he know that it's more than just a story? Humans stayed away from vampires for a reason! Why didn't he get that? Why couldn't her father understand it either? The only thing that stopped Lua from making a frustrated noise was the small gasp that escaped her as Seph offered to let the vampires snack on his neck. "Y-you can't be serious with that, right?" Were they living on the same planet? "How is that supposed to save humanity?" He claimed to not totally trust them yet, but then why was he so chilled out about this whole deal? "Ugh..." Lua could not follow this conversation at all.

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Well, Lua was less than enthusiastic... which was honestly normal. "Yeah, Misea, I got it. No worries." Assuring the knight vampire of her competence, all that was left for Alex was to finish up that pile. "Actually, there's just the one Astrid pointed left, give me a moment, Glen." It'd be a fair walk, so Alex made a sprint for it to hasten the process. Over that way, wherever is bloodiest. Alex kept the coordinates in mind, and begun her search. Thankfully, even with the forest keeping visibility on the low, it was fairly easy to see the corpse stick out of the scenery. Good.

A couple minutes later, Alex was back with the last corpse, heaving on her side on the way to the pile, until unceremoniously plopping it over the other bodies. "Alright, let's take 15 then." A few steps back, and Alex already had the flame lit, hovering around her hand. "I'm pretty sure it's not gonna smell good, so we should beat it sooner than later." And fling. Whoa, that was a lot of heat. Alcohol really helped set things on fire... a big flare arose from the corpses, heat slowly diminishing as it turned into a big yet controlled fire. "Whew."

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"Ah, ha, no, I uhm... I think I'll stick to not asking her questions." He shivered, though likely for a different reason than Misea. "Thank you for your answers though." The girl that had stumbled upon them was having what was likely the most rational reaction to finding out about the vampires out of all of them, something he could hardly blame her for. If he had been in a different place in life, it was possible he would have even tried to attack the trio. The fact that she wasn't trying to do that was at least a little hopeful.

"I have my reasons. But it's pointless for now. I'm sure Misea will explain everything. It's not my story to tell after all. My name is Seph, by the way. Just try and believe me when I say that these three aren't exactly what stories would have you believe about vampires, ok? You're safe in their company." Or at least it seems that way for now...

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Apparently vampires had a sense of smell that could make a bloodhound jealous. The princess tried her best to downplay the issue as she gave a plausible explanation--then leaned in close and took a whiff of her own. Wilhelmina wasn't quite expecting that, and shuffled a half step away from the little one, back towards Astrid. If that had been all there was to it, things might've settled well enough, however... it seemed her odor had given Almira a bit of a start, if the slight hiss of indrawn breath was any indication. When the girl opened her eyes again, there was a look of surprise, almost childlike wonder in them, amplified heavily by the posture she adopted, with her hands linked behind her back, almost rocking back and forth as she leaned forward, smiling up at the teacher all the while. Nothing about that innocence on display should have been a problem, but there was no helping the shiver it caused to run down Mina's spine. Perhaps it was precisely because it appeared innocent. It was almost uncanny, like a doll some craftsman had made too lifelike.

"Maybe I just smell great?" It somehow didn't sound convincing when she echoed back. How could it? Wilhelmina was fully aware she smelled entirely normal. Always had. Lucy was always the one guys would compliment, even without being doused in expensive fragrances. At least--Mina took a brief moment to offer thanks--she had taken the time to draw a bath that day, and thus was as clean as could be expected. Even still, she had half a mind to raise an arm, and turn her nose toward it, just to confirm no strange new scents were emanating from her body--pleasant or otherwise.

"Maybe..." Mina, continued again, sounding doubtful. "But! Now that we've got Astrid back in some decent clothes, and the others are just about finished disposing of the... unpleasantness, we really ought to get back on our way, put some more distance between us and the site of this disturbance, no?"

Being on the move again should help get rid of this odd sense of unease the pair of vampires were currently making her feel. At the very least, she'd make sure to take her seat next to her fellow humans, which should be comfort on its own. Maybe if she could steal a moment alone with one of them later, she could ask them to confirm or deny anything unusual about the way she smelled. The only hurdle there, was how awkward a question it would be to ask.

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"You do, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was the first you'd heard of it... it isn't a scent that humans could typically pick up." Astrid chimed in... it seems Almira's interjection had, at the very least, stopped Mina from fleeing outright. The teacher had soon reverted to a more cheery tone, and while she wasn't showing it outwardly anymore, it was likely she was still uncomfortable, as she raced to get the subject changed and re-unite with her fellow humans. Well, she'd simply have to repair that bridge after Mina had some time to let it settle... 

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An amusing few points, Misea thought, going over them in their mind. "I'll explain along the way, Lua. As for martial law, we were human, once. Old laws are hard to get rid of, especially when they work. If crimes are committed, and the guilty party is caught, they are tried and punished accordingly. I hear it's still very similar for your lot? We tend not to have a lot of issues in these regards. Everyone's lived so long that, well, no one really entertains the thought of thievery or murder. It's all so mundane~" Not that the feeling after committing the act was mundane in the slightest. Misea was still rather distraught over Heathcliff's death... But, the captain followed the king, not the princess. His loss, I suppose...

"In any case, let's make haste, now. The longer we wait here, the longer we invite more unwelcome visitors. We'll find a new campsite along the way, and Lua? You're sitting with me. I have much to explain~


"Oh... Yeah, we should." Was Mina okay? Almira couldn't really tell, people were hard to read. They weren't like books at all. Words told you right away what was going on, trying to watch Mina's face to see if she was bothered or uncomfortable was leading Almira nowhere. "Let's get going, Astrid." ... Why did she smell so good, anyway? It was such a... Nostalgic smell. That's just weird. We just met... I don't get it.


The wagon pulled along slower than before, one horse wasn't enough to go as fast as before. Still, with a few hours time, they'd made good progress, if the map was being followed properly. Misea had let Almira drive for a bit to give Lua the layout of the situation, why they were on the run, and why Almira's taking a bite could fix things... Or be pointless. Still, the woman had the gist of the problem now. Whether she stayed with that information or ran off, that was her decision. Maybe more humans knowing about such a thing would make the king's chasing them harder to deal with.

For now, as the wagon came to a stop just shy of the nearby river, Misea hopped off and stretched. "A proper campsite~ Away from any of that mess... For you humans, if you need sleep, by all means. Almira may decide to take a nap, I'm going to stay awake to keep watch, and Astrid... Well, who knows what she's up to. If anyone else has any more questions for any of us... Feel free. If not, get some sleep. The day ahead of us is going to be rather long. Come along, Almira."

"R-Right." Almira hopped off the wagon and took Misea's hand, heading off with them towards a nearby tree, and settling down to rest. Misea watched the stars, while Almira pulled a book out of her clothes, starting to fiddle through the pages.

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Getting off the wagon, Glendwr looked for a tree to lay under. He wasn't all that tired, but he knew that without rest, he would be. "This one will do. It's green all over, which means it's alive. I hear things in it, meaning that things live in and all around it. It's width means that it's been here a long time, and that it will be here for even longer if not cut down. A dead tree festers and falls, and trees without life in them means that the creatures of the forest know they are dying. I will sleep for now. What time must we rise? Hopefully, they will not track us too much during the day, as the sun will certainly hamper them more than it will us. "

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Glen seemed to be talking to himself, am annoyance too small to actually say anything about. But an annoyance anyways. Finding a small patch of moss a good distance away from the other man while still in distance of the others. Pulling his scarf off, he made a neat pile of out, clearly intending to use it as a pillow. Settling down, he stared up at the sky. I never would have guessed this morning that I would be working with vampires. Crazy what life throws at you...

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Whether Wilhelmina had had the wrong idea about Astrid all along, or whether it had been Almira's presence that had caused her to dial things down, the end result was that a bit of peace had returned between them, uneasy or not. Still, even with the current matter more or less patched up, the teacher wasn't on such good terms that she'd willingly choose to be seated next to her for the remaining wagon ride, a decision that would hopefully be understood without causing offense.

As they plodded along, the day's trip becoming much further than had been planned upon, thanks to the incident, it became harder and harder to stay awake. With as much excitement, and as many twists ands turns as there'd been, well that was sure to take a toll on anyone, and Mina was no exception. Maybe a dozen minutes was all it took, before even her latest worries--the princess and the countess each backing up the other's claims about her, now that left some very large unanswered questions--failed to guard her from the onset of drowsiness. The rhythmic motion of the wagon certainly didn't help any either, slow as it was with only the one horse to pull it. Inevitably, her eyelids fell, and failed to rise once more, and she slumped to the side, resting comfortably against her neighbor.

Whether it was the carriage stopping itself, or the noise and voices of the other passengers disembarking that roused her, Mina couldn't be entirely certain. And did it really matter, in the end? Her first instinct was to stand up and stretch, but that was soon checked. Why? Well, it seemed the teacher hadn't been the only one lulled to dreamland. At some point the short girl with the armor, who she'd been leaning up against, had fallen prey to the sandman as well, and was now resting her head on Wilhelmina's bosom. Looking down on the girl--Alex was her name, right--she couldn't help but smile a little, and raised a hand to that messy mat of red hair, running a few fingers through it as she patted gently. It would be a shame to wake her, and if there were no tents anyway, would it even matter if they just, slept on the wagon? Heaving a gentle sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes again. If it was a problem, surely someone would be along to bother them sooner or later. Until then...

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Making short work of the vampire corpses felt good, a use to the odd skills Alex had gathered during her life. Of course, the decision to switch to a new camping site meant they would be taking the carriage again... oh no. After being kept up by the battle and cleaning the mess, Alex was pretty sure she was going to fall asleep there and then at that time of the night. She tried, oh she did, but all that swinging and rumbling just seemed to get to her, it was so easy to doze off... no! Not so easily! She had the getup of a guard, goodness sake, she was going to help out and patrol a bit on the first shift.

Unfortunately, it proved to be a longer ride than she hoped for, and despite all her bravado, Alex only really lasted minutes longer than Mina. The back and forth, shaking motions of the wagon were her undoing, and after leaning forwards to get a better grip of herself as drowsiness settled, Alex dozed off. Sweet dreamland. Time went faster when you were asleep, anyways... It couldn't be that bad as long as the bumpy road didn't threw her at someone during her stupor.

 

...

"Muh?" Something seemed to shift around her, Alex's eyes half-opening with little rush. Hmm, something was comfy... did they leave a cushion for her? From her stance, she must have fallen asleep in the carriage after all, drats. That was embarrassing, but not as much as the pats at her head... Alex would protest at being treated like a child, but in fact she didn't quite feel like waking up, and that gentle patting was giving her just enough of a push... she could stay for now, just some more minutes. Nuzzling herself on the cushion, Alex closed her eyes and continued to nap on a quiet mumble.

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Stretching as the wagon came to a stop, Astrid scanned the area for a few moments, before picking out the nearby river. Well, best to get to tending to her own clothing straight away... if left to morning, they would surely stain. Placing the bloodied dress into a small tub and grabbing the rest of what she would need from their supplies, Astrid began to walk over to the river. With any luck, not enough time had passed that there would be any lasting damage. Once the others set up camp, she would still be close enough by that the humans should be able to make her out in the light of a fire, should they choose to make one before sleeping.

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In spite of Seph's assurance and Misea's lengthy explanation, Lua felt anything but safe. She didn't understand how the other women could manage some sleep on the road - as tired as she felt, the thought of sleeping with those fangs so close to her terrified her. Even after Misea's explanation had concluded, Lua made sure to keep an eye on her throughout the whole trip. It was the only way that she could feel remotely safe. 

Reaching the campsite only made her feel slightly better. As soon as she had the opportunity to leave the wagon, she leapt at the chance, and only afterwards decided to look around where they'd stopped. I guess a tree is better than nothing... Lua grumbled quietly, deciding eventually to settle on the other side of Glendwr's tree. 

"I mean, it's just a tree..." she muttered, not understanding the purpose of his ramblings at all. She'd mostly settled near him so that she was less likely to be forgotten in the morning, and to catch a few winks of sleep (maybe) out of the view of those horrifying red eyes.

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Your First Time

 

Misea waited until all the humans were sleeping soundly, even Almira had dozed off, quietly snoozing on the lap. Gently petting her hair, Misea looked around, listened, made sure things were safe... Only night life made its way back to them, and the gentle breathing of... So Astrid was still awake, then. She'd likely become interested as soon as she heard any of the stirring and would then come over... Alas, that was unavoidable. She'd been right about one thing, Almira shouldn't be drinking out of a straw. Even if it isn't human blood, the girl needed to become what she was, properly.

"Almira, dear... Wake up~" Misea quietly cooed, raising her up gently. The girl stirred, her sleep light, blinking a few times and looking up at them.

"What is it...?" Still groggy, it seemed. Vampires never got deep sleep, but Almira seemed to try and make the most of her light meetings with her dreams. "Misea?"

"I... Had some talks with Astrid. You are a vampire, after all, and... Well... I'm surprised this is awkward to ask, but, have you ever thought about biting someone?"

Almira sat up slowly, rubbing at her eyes, thinking the question over. "Sometimes. I've seen you and a few of the other castle staff drink that way... But I was always given the flask, so I figured that was just, how I was supposed to. Is it not? I don't really mind it."

"Well..." Oh, timing. Astrid was already coming over, despite Misea's best efforts to be quiet.

"Of course that's not how it's supposed to be." Astrid interjected, having caught the tail end of the conversation that had ensued, once she heard stirring. Her night watch could very well wait for a moment, this was important. Besides, they would still notice anyone attacking so long as they remained awake.

"Cold blood from a metal flask, out of a straw? Were they anyone but Misea, I would have given your handler a sound thrashing for subjecting you to such a thing for the whole of your life."

"She had half a mind to give me a thrashing anyway..." Misea almost rolled their eyes, but Astrid still had a point. Even if she wasn't going after the humans, she still should be having it fresh. Hmm.

"Astrid, you wouldn't mind offering your neck, would you?"

"Wha?" Almira seemed surprised, sitting up just a bit straighter.

"Her blood is... Much better than mine is, Almira. And probably much warmer, if i had to guess. You're not against this, are you? If you are, just say the word, and we'll forget about the dis--"

"I don't... I don't really mind. It's just blood, right? Even if it's Astrid's..."

Misea couldn't help a chuckle. "Even if it's Astrid's, then. Alright, countess, sit down here and offer your neck. You seemed rather interested in this situation earlier."

Almira turned to look at Astrid with a mix of wonder and worry. Was having it fresh truly that much better? Something told her it was, some instinct, but it was fairly buried.

"Now now, Misea. If my memories are anything to go by, your blood is perfectly wonderful... not in the manner she's had it, but that's not the blood's fault. I doubt you've soured since I last had a taste, you aren't that old... still, a change of flavour will be good for acclimating her, and I most definitely don't mind offering~" Astrid replied, finishing her walk over to the pair of vampires, before sitting down next to Almira and tilting her head away for ease of access.

"Go ahead, Almira dear~ I assure you that you'll never have the gall to say even if it's mine again~"

"I haven't fed on a human in quite a few weeks, Astrid. That's all I meant... I'd be shocked if you hadn't drank someone in the past few days."

"I-Is that fine?"

"Yes. You don't have to worry about that. It doesn't take long for it to become her own blood, you won't have to worry about that."

"Mmm... Okay." Almira shuffled a bit over as Astrid sat down, puffing up her cheeks a bit at the countess' comment. "Yeah, sure..." Now... How, was this supposed to go? Almira leaned up some, before pausing, and looking back at Misea. "How am I supposed to...?"

"Just sink your teeth into her. It'll sting a moment, but I've a feeling she's used to it."

"Okay... Sorry if this hurts." Biting down on Astrid's neck, it took a bit of extra effort to pierce the skin, Almira's fangs too tiny to sink in with effort. Still, they managed, as the blood began to flow into her mouth... Wow, that's... Mmmm...

"And no biting back, Astrid." The countess was likely quite interested in that, Misea putting their foot down right away.

"Well, you wouldn't be wrong in your assumption, so I suppose I can't fault you." Astrid replied, snickering a bit as the Princess became indignant. She would soon see for herself, so it was fine, really. Waiting for Almira to bite down, the familiar sting soon came, some mix between a hiss and a gentle purr leaking out from Astrid's mouth. When Misea spoke, forbidding her to bite Almira back, the Countess gave an exaggerated reply in turn.

"But mooooooom~ Very well, I will leave her unbitten for now. You'll have to offer yourself in her place though~"

"That was the idea... I know how you operate."

Almira stayed attached to her neck for a good minute, before finally having her fill, and sliding off with a rather large sigh. She started to fall back as well, Misea catching her, the empty stare out of the princess' eyes as they looked up at the tree above them. "That was... Amazing..."

Misea was still worried, of course, but Almira seemed fine, if not dazed. Having that much warmth in her body all of a sudden, it must've been invigorating, if not overwhelming. "You can sleep, if you wish, dear. This is quite a lot for you, I know."

"Mnn... So warm, feels nice. I, take it back, AStrid..." Almira gently squirmed, managing to crawl out of Misea's arms to find a spot next to their side. "Sleep... Sounds, g-good..."

"Then sleep, Almira..." Misea gently laid a hand against the girl's forehead, already feeling her start to warm up. "The color will probably return to her as well... I suppose you were right, Astrid. My apologies, for being stubborn."

"Mnnh, sleep..." Almira dozed off on the spot, flopping lifelessly against Misea.

"So long as you know~" Astrid teased back, watching in anticipation as Almira continued to drink, until she stopped. It seems the princess was a tad overwhelmed, conking out almost instantly, eliciting a gently giggle from the Countess.

"Well, I suppose you work with what you have, but perhaps I'm a bit rich for one's first... and I forgive you, Misea. You only had the girl's best interests at heart, even if the method was misguided." Astrid replied, a grin gracing her lips as Almira already began to appear more lifelike within moments... less like a porcelain doll and more like something that lived and breathed.

"I am simply glad that she's finally gotten the chance to experience as it should be had."

"Almost as it should be... She'll have to bite someone, someday. Hopefully not any time soon, at least. I doubt these peoples' trust will be retained if we're suddenly propositioning them for a taste." Misea sighed and gently pet Almira's hair, the princess out like a light.

"Now, come get your fill. And just biting... I don't want to wake her."

"Of course, of course~" Astrid responded with a sly grin, approaching Misea and swiftly coming up behind them, lips brushing against their neck momentarily, before the Countess' teeth came out, gently nibbling the contours of Misea's throat in an effort to find their vein.

"My my, the ever stoic Misea thinks they cannot keep their composure? I would think you could stifle your voice long enough for me to have a little fun... not that I wouldn't adore to hear you squeak~" Astrid teased, tracing her tongue across Misea's neck, as she got her teeth into position. One bite... oopsie, not there~ Another? Ah, no dice... third time's the charm? Ah, there it was~ Forming a seal on Misea's neck with their lips, Astrid let her fangs sink in, taking a long drink from Misea, savouring the flavour as it went down. True enough, as they had said, Misea's blood wasn't at peak warmth, but it had yet to go cold, and was still perfectly palatable.

"I'd rather not test that right now." Astrid still had to, though, a myriad of flinches and a slight hiss accompanying those several bites, before the woman finally did what she was supposed to. "Do rules mean nothing to you? I suppose not, but please... Not tonight." A sigh shivered its way out of Misea's mouth, closing their eyes to try and focus.

As Astrid popped off of Misea's neck with a wistful sigh, the Countess stuck her tongue out at the knight, traces of blood still across it until it retreated back into her mouth.

"I broke no rules, Misea. You said only biting, and I did just that. Had I truly meant to cheat, I would have let my hands roam about you."

Misea narrowed eyes at her, before smiling and sighing the scowl away. "Fine, fine... Now let her get some rest. I'm going to stay here to make nothing goes wrong with her." The last thing Astrid probably wanted after being bitten and having a bite of her own was rest...

"You must be careful of your wording, dearest Misea~ One might misunderstand you otherwise~" Astrid replied with a cheeky grin, standing up straight and stretching.

"Mmmn, I do feel ever so full of energy~ I suppose I will hunt some game for the humans to eat in the morning... sadly I doubt any of them would be the sort who would be willing to have some fun with me so soon..." The Countess noted mournfully, before turning towards the night.

"Try not to sleep with all of them before the week's out..." Misea could only sigh, fetching a cloth out of their pockets and wiping it gently at their bite mark. "What a woman. I'll have to be careful... Even I have a limit to my stoicism."

Breakfast

The sound of a fire crackling in the middle of the camp woke Almira, who had slept through the rest of the night. Finally waking to the noise, she brought her body up, much heavier than before... Right, she'd had her first... "Wh-Whoa...!" Looking down at her hands, her pale skin held color. It was faint, but it was definitely there. Any semblance of a doll had evaporated with that bite, shocking even the princess. She kept looking herself over as she stood up and headed towards the fire... Yikes, that was a dead deer. Or... Well, it had already been divided up, and the other vampires of the group were roasting it over said flame, hoods up to avoid the sun.

"Morning, Misea... Astrid."

"Good morning, Almir-- Oh, goodness..." Misea turned and was quite shocked by the sight of her. It was nothing bad, just... Seeing her without the nearly white skin, it was like she was actually alive, now. Her eyes were still that odd purple, though... Perhaps a quirk of the girl, like she didn't already have enough. "I see that worked wonders, for you. I'm glad... Go wake up that boy you like, would you? We've enough here for all the humans to eat, before we have to move."

"I, I don't, like him! Not... Not in the way you're joking about. Geez... Why are your hoods up, anyway? It's so early..."

"Almira, if you've forgotten, we still burn. Perhaps not like you do, but..."

"R... Right... Sorry. I'll go and see if he's good to wake up." Almira awkwardly waved, but smiled through the moment, hopping on over to Sephtis... And gently poking them in the face. "Helllooooo?"

"By the night... That girl sure is something special, isn't she, Astrid? Not even bothered by the morning sun."

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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Sadly, none of the humans had even been awake for her to proposition for a little bit of energy release, and Misea was taking some time to open up... Astrid was sure she would get them eventually, but it had lead to her burning energy hunting... luckily a particularly spry deer had given her a good chase before she had managed to catch up to it and snap it's neck. That had been most of her night after feeding Almira, considering it needed to be dragged back to camp, skinned, and separated. The fire had proven useful for cooking the thing, as it also had been for drying her own dress earlier on, after it had been washed. She might have not been able to go hunting at all were it not for that, having changed and gingerly placed the folded nightgown on the wagon bench next to it's rightful owner. As the Princess approached, having finally stirred, Astrid let out a teasing whistle as her changed complexion.

"My my, look at you~ You actually look alive now~ Mmm... if you ever want more, don't be shy to ask, Almira dearest~" Astrid continued to tease with a grin, shifting her hood slightly as the sun rose in the sky, needing to adjust it every so often to match the changing direction of the sunlight.

"She certainly is an odd one. I would consider myself more resilient to the sun than most of our kind, considering how often I venture to human towns for merriment, but even I would not walk under it so brazenly."

 

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The scent of cooked venison slowly stirred Glendwr. The previous night's rest was of shoddy quality. Even if he had swilled the whole flask, there was significant doubt it would've affected the quality of his sleep. He walked over to the new fire and saw the three vampires, except that Mira looked... different. "Good morning. You look different, princess. More alive, or something. Is that venison? I'm certainly not brave enough to take a deer on a noble's land. They'd have my eyes gouged out. But if my suspicions are correct, Astrid would pluck out theirs long before that. Anyway, I guess I'll take this piece right here." Glendwr took a plate and one part of the venison. The smell was now much stronger than the one that stirred him. He began to eat the small cut of the muscle he took. It was of course just the least bit gamey, but eating rabbits got him used to the texture. "Should I wake the rest of the group? Or will you let the venison do that?" 

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Lua remained immobile. The events of the previous night bad taken a lot out of her, and her dreams at first had been anything but peaceful. She’d woken from her uneasy slumber once already, with the worries and what-ifs of the previous day still swimming around in her head, ruining any chance she would have had at a good nights rest. It had taken a great deal of nerve (from Lua’s perspective, anyway) to slowly edge her head around the tree and check that the vampires hadn’t feasted on one of their less fortunate companions while she wasn’t looking.

That realisation (along with the fact that her precious neck hadn’t been punctured) made the girl feel a little better about the situation. Just a little. When combined with her exhaustion though, it made her second attempt at sleep a far more comfortable affair. Her dreams were bearable this time, and aside from a slight twitch of her nose, she showed no signs of moving as the others prepared for breakfast.

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