Archives: Vampire Hunt
Chapter 1: Dragon Eye, Moss
“She was my only daughter,” the farmer said, holding his wife in his arms. “Was it...?”
Rone Kalmaine, better known as the Hunter of the Damned, servant of Falis, knelt over the young woman’s body, examining her neck. The signs were clear. Only a little struggle, neck outstretched, two precise punctures in the neck. “You were right to call me here.”
The well-known hunter of vampires and other unnatural evils had followed the rumors of a vampire from miles away. By the sound of it, this one wasn’t fresh-turned either. This poor girl would probably be one of many he would find before he would catch a glimpse of the damned one. It was unfortunate, but there was no way around it. Falis, he prayed silently to himself, let the death toll be short. Gently, he pulled the eyelids shut on the body.
“You should take your pilgrimage to town early. Find a priest and have the body blessed before burial.” Rone stood up, looking around. There was nothing else to do. The vampire had been careful, so there wasn’t anything left to find.
“Are you going to... get it?” asked the wife, tears in her eyes.
“As Falis is true, I will not stop until it is dead.”
“Thank you...” the farmer said, looking away from his daughter’s body.
Rone left the barn, his face grim. Another vampire, another hunt. He couldn’t forget the innocent that would be harmed. He couldn’t forget that, while the vampire hadn’t turned this one, that wouldn’t mean it isn’t interested in having immortal friends. He had to work. He had to work fast.
While the tracks from the struggle in the barn were no help, he did find a set of tracks leaving the farm. Since no one had left for a while, it seemed like the only way he could have left. So Kalmaine took off on foot, following what little the vampire left. “I’ll have you,” he said to himself. “I’ll have your blood on my mace...”
* * *
“Hmm...Quite a meal that was,” Aryen said as he hid in the dark. It was still light outside, so it was dangerous for him. Aryen had found his way up to the Drake Street Inn in Dragon Eye, needing to find a place to hide during the day to avoid the sunlight; considering the fact that it could easily turn him to a pile of ashes if exposed long enough.
That woman; she was rather tasty, but my craving isn’t quite settled yet... he thought to himself as he sat with arms crossed, plotting where to go and what to feed on next. “Damned sun, go down already!” he grunted, looking at what little sunlight lit the room—which was far away from where he was. “At least this room was easy to get. Just a little glance and I can have them obeying me in no time,” he said to himself, giving a slight chuckle at the thought.
* * *
Spring had come to Moss, it was evident in the gentle rains that came with the new season. The city was quiet in the morning hours, a lazy spring morning, filled with gray skies and the soft pitter-patter of rain. Few people crowded the streets, as the rain kept most nonworking people indoors. The nostalgic smell of ozone in the air, the near silence, the little light that escaped through the clouds. It was a fine day as far as Laies was concerned.
The quarter elf took to the near empty streets with little regard to whether or not he’d get wet. His black hair was already drenched from the little time he spent sleeping in the forest. That was the only truly drenched portion of his body. The parka he wore resisted the water effortlessly, as it was designed for little else than elemental protection. A small ball of light floated behind him, seemingly following like a pet or a familiar.
Laies made his way from the forest’s edge through the streets of his home town towards the temple of Marfa. Since the War of the Destroyer’s Resurrection five years prior, Laies had found himself attending the small services at the church, his faith was stoked by his first hand knowledge that the gods were not dead. Marfa had cleansed Marmo, that much he had been close enough to witness, though had not witnessed the actual goddess herself.
Laies bowed his head as he entered the temple, walking past the murals and sculptures, towards the altar and the priestess in charge of today’s service. The gaunt man gave the priestess a small smile and took to a seat. He bowed his head softly, and murmured his usual prayer to Marfa.
“Peace be to Lodoss, as peace is to my father. Marfa bless the mother who gave me birth, Marfa bless the forest and her creatures,” he softly spoke. “Peace to the spirits who travel with me, peace to those who seek to be right. Bless this land of Lodoss, let her not be disturbed.” He clasped his hands together softly and offered up his silent prayer for all those that lost their lives in the war. Even five years later he felt the weight of their deaths ever on his shoulders.
“You’re always here,” the priestess said softly. “Dear boy, you’re drenched.”
Laies looked up at the priestess with his red eyes. “Pardon my wetness,” he spoke simply enough. “I fell asleep in the forest, I had no idea the weather was going to turn.”
“In the forest?” The priestess echoed. “What would possess you to sleep in the forest of all places?”
Laies smiled. “I’m sure she meant no offense, wisp,” he said to the floating light over his shoulder. “Actually, I sleep out there often. I find it suits me better than my father’s house.” He shot a glance over his shoulder at the floating light again. “Excuse yourself, Wisp. We are in Marfa’s temple, that doesn’t give you the right to call her ignorant.” He turned to the priestess with a small smile on his face. “Excuse my spirit friend, he tends to be a little volatile at times.”
The priestess remembered then who she was speaking to. “It’s not a problem,” she sighed softly. “I don’t understand much about spirits, perhaps it is in my error that I offended him.” The priestess bowed her head once and returned to the altar. The morning was quiet. There were few that came to the temple as much as Laies, minus the clergy themselves. In silence, the priestess waited for few more attendees before starting the service.
N’shara Al Shareef entered Dragon Eye the night before, but she didn’t bother to announce her presence at the city’s Marfa temple yet. She had been far tired, and she would have needed to change before coming to the temple. This morning, she dressed in her shapeless Marfa robes to present herself properly.
Her entrance was announced by the rhythmic clicking of solid heels on the marble floors of the temple. She wore her boots, if only to protect her feet from the cold and puddles. Stopping at the last row of pews, she threw back her hood to reveal her dark features. Her dark curls glistened in the light from the braziers nearby, showing just how well treated her hair was.
The high priestess noticed her at the entrance and began to walk forward. N’shara came to meet her half-way, passing Laies where he prayed. There was a faint trace of perfume on N’shara’s scent.
“Welcome Sister,” the priestess spoke warmly. “I do not recognize you, are you on your pilgrimage?”
With a nod that bounced her soft curls, N’shara replied, “I am.” She gave a respectful bow to the elder priestess and introduced herself, “I am Sister N’shara Al Shareef.”
“Ah, will you be staying with us long then?”
“I’m not certain,” N’shara replied, shaking her head. “I only expect to be here for no more than a week.”
“Well, in the meantime, you’re welcome to join in our services,” the high priestess said with a smile and led N’shara back to the altar.
* * *
At the sudden arrival of the new priestess, Laies noticed the smell of perfume on the air. “Odd,” he muttered. “Most priestesses do not wear such adornments.” His red eyes trailed the darker skinned woman. “Flaim descent, if I had to guess.” Although it seemed as though he was talking to himself, the odd man was indeed talking to the small will o’ wisp that journeyed with him. “No, I think that would be rude to ask her to dinner, no matter how nice she smelled.” He shot the wisp a dirty glance. ”I think you’ve been hanging out with the invisibility spirits again. Every time you do, you have such filthy thoughts.”
Nakira was a little late in arriving; normally she was a few moments early. As she entered the temple she headed to service, taking a seat in the second row. Noticing the rather wet man she shuddered a little, something about him did not sit well with her. Holding Rhianna in her lap she gazed at her daughter and prayed quietly. Her only real prayer for her was that she would always have the love and health of her daughter.
When the woman sat behind him, Laies looked back and smiled. “Nakira, Rhianna. I’m surprised you’re a little late this time. You’re usually earlier,” Laies cocked his head slightly. “Good morning Rhianna. I trust the rain didn’t give you much trouble snuggled up against your mommy.”
The will o’ wisp gently touched his shoulder. The service was starting, and there was little time for talk. Laies looked forward and watched the high priestess conduct the services in his usual awe and reverence.
Nakira realized it was Laies and before she could reply the service started, so she politely nodded, as she dared not speak during the sermon. Rhianna looked up at him giving him a small wave like she normally did.
* * *
N’shara took her place near the altar with the line of local priestesses. The head priestess began a sermon, speaking of Marfa’s teachings of peace and love. N’shara found herself anxious to leave, then silently chastised herself. Being a priestess was an honorable life’s goal. Staring out blankly towards the temple entrance, N’shara silently debated herself as the high priestess spoke a gentle, soothing sermon.
Unfortunately, Laies’s attention was solely on the new priestess. He bit his lip and tried to look away, keep his eyes on the head priestess, but he found his gaze affectionately returning to the young priestess. His ears and cheeks gained a healthy amount of color as he eyed her up and down. Although she was there, she stared at the door like she was waiting for something or someone to walk through the door. Wisp nudged his cheek softly. “What do you mean ten to one odds she’s not wearing any?” he mumbled under his breath. “This is hardly the time or place to discuss this wisp.”
Laies watched the priestess still. Just what are you staring at? He felt guilty, but she said she wouldn’t be in town long. He bit his lip and invoked sylph quietly. “Little sylph, deliver this message to the new priestess up there: ‘What has your attention so firmly grasped? Are you waiting for your knight to ride in and save you from your evident boredom?’ That is all Sylph.” Laies traced Sylph’s path with his eyes, at first the little spirit started towards the high priestess, but with an icy glare from Laies it continued to N’shara’s ear and blew a little of her hair near her ear back as it whispered its master’s words to the priestess.
N’shara felt a slight breeze on the side of her face, then came a voice in her ear, though no one was there. And what it said caused a blush to darken her already dark cheeks. Trying to be inconspicuous, N’shara glanced to her side to make sure no one was there, then she began to scan the parishioners. Was it the gaunt young man with the wisp companion? Did he use some sort of shamanist spell?
When Laies saw that her eyes went over him, his heart jumped. Color hit his cheeks and he gave a slight nod. If she had gotten the message, than it would be enough to indicate that it was indeed him that gave her the message. He felt ashamed, he was young, but she was younger, and his mother had taught him better than to use the spirits with such abandon, and here he was: a quarter dark elven flirting with a Marfa priestess in the middle of mass. His grandfather would probably not approve one bit of his disregard.
N’shara saw Laies’s nod blushed even darker. She looked down to the marble floor, breaking eye contact.
“That is all for today,” the high priestess concluded, which snapped N’shara’s attention back to where it should have been. “If you wish to seek a blessing, please come to the altar and speak to a priestess. May Marfa’s love guide you.”
The congregation began to rise, but N’shara remained in line with the other priestesses. N’shara was half hoping and half fearing Laies would speak to her.
Laies rose and gave a quick smile to Nakira and Rhianna. He moved over to the high priestess and smiled. “That was a lovely service,” he mustered after a short silence.
“Thank you Laies.” She fondly smiled back.
He moved over to N’shara afterwards and smiled. “Please, priestess, would you be kind enough to bestow a blessing upon my humble self?” His smile continued to remain on his face. “Also, if time permits, perhaps I could show you around the city, as this is my home town and all.”
Nakira walked over to Laies and N’shara afterwards, once there was a break in the conversation she spoke, “I have not seen you at service before, priestess. Nakira Tan’kari, and this is my daughter Rhianna. The rain held me up a bit Laies, I was going to ask how you were doing but service had commenced.”
Laies cringed. “Well, Nakira, Rhianna...I’m trying to get a blessing here.” As well as try to hit on the pretty priestess. He cleared his throat softly. “Anyways, priestess...as I was saying...I would be most humbled if you would give up a blessing to me...” Laies bowed his head so that his bangs obscured most of his face from view. He gave her body a closer examination through his eyelashes and hair. This is one priestess I wouldn’t mind settling into a long romantic theological discussion in private...
N’shara was blushing. The temple was hardly the place to be flirting, but she was willing to flirt back—outside the temple at least. “I would be honored to have a tour,” she replied, then reached forward to lay her hand on his head. “Holy Marfa, bless your follower with your love,” N’shara prayed. From her hand flowed a slight warmth that washed over Laies. A simple blessing merely put a person in Marfa’s favor and refreshed them. Their immune system would get a boost, and any slight scratches or tight muscles would heal.
Nakira stepped back and watched the blessing, she thought it best to head out soon. First, however she had to apologize, so she would wait. She hated having to follow such etiquette, it reminded her of growing up nobility. She waited patiently for the blessing to finish, once that was finished she would apologize and be on her way.
Laies smiled and N’shara. “Very well then, thank you priestess.” He bowed a little deeper and righted himself. The pale quarter-elf turned to Nakira. “Now, you were saying, Nakira?”
As Laies spoke, Rhianna reached out for his hair. She just seemed to be rather energetic. Nakira replied as she sighed about Rhianna’s actions, “Don’t mind her, she’s just into a grabbing phase. I think I know where she gets it too. I do apologize for interrupting the your request. I almost did not recognize you when I arrived, you look a lot different wet like that. I don’t recognize the priestess, I wish to introduce ourselves to her.” She was still a bit creeped out by Laies, though she forced herself to set that aside. Despite the air around him he was rather pleasant, though Rhianna seemed more fascinated by him.
“I need to finish my duties here first,” the priestess replied to Laies, a blush still on her cheeks. N’shara turned her attention to the young mother and child. “Would you like a blessing as well, miss?” she asked Nakira.
“Thank you priestess, I would be most grateful,” she nodded politely to N’shara, and then bowed her head. Rhianna was looking between Laies and the priestess, still tying to reach Laies’s hair.
N’shara nodded, then laid her hand on Rhianna’s head and spoke the same blessing that she gave Laies. The little two-year old giggled at the pleasant sensation and gave N’shara a big grin. The priestess smiled back, amused by the genuine smile of the child.
N’shara the placed her hand on the mother’s head and spoke the blessing again. Nakira felt the warm blessing of Marfa and a slight sense of refreshment.
“There, all done,” N’shara said, still grinning from Rhianna’s adorable antics.
Nakira smiled as she watched Rhianna was blessed, the reaction the priestess got was one of life’s little blessings. After she received her blessing she lifted her head, replying gratefully. “Thank you, I am Nakira Tan’kari. The girl is my daughter Rhianna. You are most kind.” She stepped back after introducing herself, it was more of a polite formality, something she had retained since her childhood, and often used when in the confines of the temple.
“I am only doing my duty,” N’shara said humbly, bowing to Nakira. The exotic priestess looked down the line of local priestesses. Most of the parishioners were seeing them, and no others we waiting on N’shara. She leaned toward the priestess beside her and whispered, “I’m going to go take a tour of the city. Tell the high priestess, please?”
The priestess listened and nodded, then returned to her own blessings. With that acknowledgment, N’shara stepped away from the line and met Laies. “Well, I seem to have no more blessings left to preform,” she said to the quarter-elf, the color raising in her checks again.
Nakira and Rhianna made their way to leave, before that they turned to face Laies and the priestess. “Till next we meet Laies, it was good seeing you again. You are most kind, priestess, I hope I have the pleasure of meeting you again one day.” She then pulled part of her cloak around Rhianna, as well as the hood of her cloak over her head. She never noticed how much more polite she was than the other people, did they notice that too?
Laies watched Nakira walk away, with a curt wave to see her off. He turned his attentions fully to the priestess. “Well then, it would be my honor to walk you around.” He took her hand delicately and led her towards the entrance to the temple. So soft... His mind reiterated the feeling in his cold hands. “The one thing I cannot offer is a way to keep dry from the rain.”
N’shara let Laies lead her along, and with her free hand, she picked up the hood of her cloak. She left the cloak on through the service, since it was issued by the temple and matched the robes. “Don’t worry about that,” N’shara said to Laies.
Realizing they had never actually introduced themselves, N’shara decided to amend that. “Your name is Laies, right?” she asked, using the name that the young mother, Nakira, supplied earlier in conversation with him.
“Laies Il Luminous, yes. That is my name,” He stated. His real name he left behind when he left the knighthood. “I guess we haven’t properly been introduced. My name is Laies, just another strange quarter-bred elf who inhabits the forest like a ghost. And you are?”
“N’shara Al Shareef is my name,” the priestess replied. She didn’t realize that he had elf blood, but that explained the shamanism. She knew that elves weren’t the only race capable of shamanism, after all. The Wind and Fire tribes had shamans as well. “You’re a quarter-elf? That’s interesting. Can you tell me more about your family?”
Laies sighed. “Not much to tell. My mother Arieh is half-dark elf, my father was human.” He gave her a polite smile. “According to my mother, my grandfather, Midau, is a peaceful man, never once did he strike someone down in hatred. That’s rather uncommon for dark elves, I know. I fought in the war five years ago.” He changed his outward disposition immediately to hide the hurt. “What about you, N’shara? Any family?”
“Oh wow, you’re a quarter dark elf then?” N’shara asked, but continued with her own response before he could answer that question. “My family is the church. My actual parents died when I was just four,” she continued. Her tone of voice remained unaffected. She didn’t mind talking about it, but she didn’t like people’s pity over something she couldn’t even remember.
“Interesting.” Laies smiled. “So you were adopted by the church then?” He grinned. “As far as my heritage goes, yeah, quarter dark elf. There’s no shame in saying it though. Some people had doubts when I was going to war that I would join my dark elven ‘brethren’ on their side of the field of battle.” He paused for a moment. “Now, how to say this without seeming like a heartless butcher...” he muttered under his breath. “They were merely enemies that had to be fought to protect those we held dear back at home,” he spoke aloud once again. “Anyways, shall we take to the streets?”
“Yes,” N’shara replied, looking out onto the streets. The rain was beginning to let up and sunlight was breaking through the clouds in places. “You fought in the war? For Moss then?” she asked for clarification.
“I was a knight of Moss, if that is what you were getting at,” he stated blandly. “Weather’s starting to clear,” he muttered. “Anyways, in the war there really wasn’t one particular side that someone fell on. War isn’t like history makes it out to be. It’s no black and white thing. While we, Mossian Knights, Valisians, Kanonites, Flaim and the such were fighting the Marmo people, we were not really fighting their people as it was their leaders. Leaders are the ones who decide what is good and what is evil. Luckily, we were on the side of ‘good’, as tentative as that sounds.”
Laies raised his hand and blocked the light from the sun with two fingers in front of his vision. “So, yeah, sorry for rambling. I fought for Moss, for Lodoss.”
“Well, as a priestess, I’m no expert on warfare,” N’shara replied with a small smile. She was still training in Tarba at the time, and besides the refugees who came up from further south in Alania, she saw nothing of the battles. “Are you a native of Dragon Eye?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Yeah,” Laies said smiling. “Born here, raised amongst other knights.” He sighed. “My mother is from Raiden, my grandfather is the same. On my father’s side, they’re all Mossian.”
Laies opened his poncho and removed his flute. “Do you sing?” he asked, playing a small scale. He kept his eyes on her face as he adjusted the scale, going from mid C to high C and then to low C. He gave her a soft smile. “A talent for music runs in my veins, a lot like a talent for shamanism.”
“Oh, well, a little,” N’shara replied. “I’ve never really trained my voice though.” She smiled at the little tune he played. She appreciated her music through dancing though.
“Ahh,” he spoke softly. “Well then, enough talk about music.” He put his flute away and took a peak at N’shara’s face. “Where shall we head to first? I know of a nice little tavern that has good meals, despite the hours. If you are hungry, we can go there...” There was an ulterior motive to Laies’s suggestion. He hadn’t eaten since noon the day before, his stomach was moments away from eating itself in desperation.
“Well, I ate breakfast this morning, so I’m not very hungry right now,” N’shara replied. I thought this was supposed to be a tour, not a date. She kept her thoughts to herself. She didn’t mind flirting, but a part of her mind was still holding back from taking it a step further. The priestess had no idea that he was starving though.
Laies grinned despite his disappointment. “W-well then...let’s get to that tour...” He took the lead a little and went towards the market. “Try to keep up, it’s hell if you get lost in this city...” His stomach refused to take the news quietly however. A loud growl issued from his stomach. The embarrassed quarter elf grimaced and punched his disobedient stomach. “Hehe...ignore that...”
N’shara heard the growl and looked down at Laies’s stomach. “Oh well, if you’re hungry, we can go eat,” N’shara said. Maybe he wasn’t looking for a date, the priestess thought, embarrassed by her assumption.
“Ahh...how kind of you...” Laies spoke, embarrassed that his stomach spoke the words he was fearing to say. “Yeah, I’m a little hungry...I haven’t eaten since yesterday at noon...or so...” he muttered the last part under his breath. Though born privileged, Laies was broke. He usually played for his food, but such things were near begging, and not the greatest side to show a woman he’d just met. “But that can wait if you’re not hungry. There is lots of the city to cover, and so little time to do so.”
N’shara nodded in agreement. She would have preferred to see Laies eat, but it was his choice. “If that’s what you want, let’s go,” N’shara said. Linking her arm with his, she let him lead her away on his tour of Dragon Eye.
* * *
The buxom blonde barmaid entered her place of work for the day shift. It was just another long day’s work for Ileta, and perhaps a night’s work if a rich merchant came in today; granted she caught his interest. There were a couple men in the common room this morning, quietly eating breakfast, but no one of interest to her.
Ileta slipped behind the bar and into the kitchen. She shrugged off her cloak and hung on a wall peg along side the cloaks and cloaks of her co-workers. After a quick adjustment of her uniform—which included making sure her breasts were evenly perky—she headed out into the common room and found Daim, the innkeeper tending to the fireplace.
“Mornin’ sir,” she greeted him. “Anything to do this morning?”
Daim prodded at the fresh log on the fire as he replied. “Nah, the girls from the night shift are all upstairs making beds. Just serve the folks down here if they need anything.”
“Yessir,” Ileta replied, then returned to the bar and waited for business.
Penna wearily walked into the inn and sat down. She gingerly raised her hand in the air to call over the barmaid. The common elf was soaked, her clothing was not made for rainy weather. She begrudgingly shook out her rainy attire and waited. Even seconds being made to wait was unbearable in her drenched clothing.
Ileta was ready to hop to work when the elven woman walked in. The barmaid actually blushed when she realized the elf’s thin, white robes had become transparent.
The barmaid hopped out from behind the bar and hurried to Penna. The three men in the common room, the two patrons and the Daim, the innkeeper, were staring unbidden at the elf. The two patrons both had forgotten their breakfast for the moment, one had his spoon poised over his bowl and the other forgot he had a mouthful of ham he had been chewing.
“Oh my! Can I get you a towel?” Ileta said the elf.
Penna smiled thankfully. “Please, that would be appreciated. As well as a vegetable broth soup, if you don’t mind. It’s terribly chilly out there.” She covered her assets with her hands. She was drenched and at a severe disadvantage of modesty, to which her subtle observations around the tavern indicated. Penna blushed modestly and waited for Ileta to bring her the requested items.
Ileta hurried to the inn’s bath to get a towel. They were kept in a cabinet just outside the bath, and she took one of the largest ones they had.
Returning to the common room, she gave Penna the fluffy white terry-cloth towel. “Here you go. I’ll be right back with your broth!”
Ileta returned to the kitchen and told the cook what the elf wanted. She wasn’t sure if they had an broth on hand, but the cook saved the cooking juices from vegetables the night before. He put it on the fire again to heat it up, and while it cooked, Ileta returned to common room.
“Can I get you anything else? Some tea perhaps?” Ileta asked Penna.
“Oh Falis, thank you.” She accepted to towel and began to dry off. “Thank you for the towel, and yes, tea would be preferable.” She gave a courteous smile and dried herself off. Almost vainly she dried her hair first so it wouldn’t frizz. Then, afterwards, she dried herself off hurriedly.
Ileta returned to the kitchen and prepared a cup of tea. The broth still had time left to heat up, but the water for tea was always building. As she let the leaves seep, the two barmaids from the night shift came into the kitchen.
Dutia was a slight young woman with short black hair, and Hinny was a slightly plump with brown hair. Neither of them were very fond of Ileta, due to the attention she garnered. And beyond the jealousy was outright disdain at her for being a prostitute.
“Good morning, Ileta,” Dutia said icily as she took her coat. Hinny didn’t say anything, she just stuck her nose in the air and picked up her cloak as if Ileta was unworthy of her presence.
“Good morning, Dutia, Hinny,” Ileta said with a heavy sigh, only to be polite. The two maids continued their haughty act out of the kitchen and out the back door. When they were gone, Ileta sighed again, this time in relief.
With the tea ready, Ileta checked the broth, only to see that it was still only slightly warm. She put the teacup on a saucer and brought it out to Penna, setting it on her table. “There you go, it’ll be just a little longer for the broth to heat up,” she told the elf.
Penna smiled. “If you have no further duties for a bit, how about some minor companionship, Ileta.” she felt sorry for what the barmaid suffered in the kitchen, her keen ears picking up the stilted conversation between Ileta and the other barmaid. She sipped at the tea and smiled. “It’s very good. Thank you.” The elf knew all about what Ileta was going through. She had gone through the same things in her previous life, far back when she first came to the human lands. She was an outsider because of her looks, and the way she acted.
“Well...” Ileta looked around the common room. The inn was quiet this morning, so she had little else to do at the moment. “Alright,” the barmaid agreed and sat down across from Penna at the table, offering the elf a small smile.
Penna smiled at the buxom barmaid. “You’re rather pretty,” she stated matter-of-factly. “There never seems to be an overabundance of beauty in this world.” Penna’s nose was colder than the rest of her body. She twitched and rubbed herself warm. “Do you enjoy working here, amongst women who look down at you due to your physical attributes?” Penna was nothing if not straight to the point. Depending upon Ileta’s answer the conversation could go one of two ways. One way was early retirement for the young barmaid.
Ileta blushed. Hearing that compliment from another woman felt a lot more meaningful than when men said it. “Thank you,” she replied. Looking down at her hands in her lap, she continued, “Well, I don’t like working around them at least.” The barmaid looked up with a smirk, “I get paid far better than they do though. I do a little work on the side. They’re jealous because they don’t get the attention I do.” Ileta winked, showing for a brief moment that her fair, innocent appearance wasn’t all that honest.
“That makes sense,” Penna stated quietly. She looked over to the newcomer and shuddered. Something about her didn’t seem right, or perhaps the cold was getting to her. “Well, seems as though you have some work to do. If it dies down, I’d love to treat you to some breakfast so that we may continue our conversation.”
Ileta began to stand as the new customer entered. Focused on the elf, she barely noticed Iluri other than the fact she entered the common room. “Thanks, that’s nice of you,” Ileta replied. “I’ll be back shortly!”
* * *
Iluri entered the inn and sat in the corner. Her face was hidden under the hood, she sighed and looked around the common room, it wasn’t very crowded. Iluri placed her steel staff on the table and began cleaning it with a little rag. Of course, as a sorceress she could use her spells to dry out her clothes and items, but she didn’t spend her mana on such things.
The barmaid turned and looked for the new customer. A woman in dark robes with a staff. She looked rather intimidating, like a sorceress out of Marmo, but Ileta would serve her just the same. She’d seen creepier people.
“What can I get for ya?” Ileta asked as she approached Iluri’s table.
Iluri raised her eyes from the staff and gazed at Ileta, “A bottle of red wine and mutton chops with garnish would be just fine, she smiled. Perhaps I’ll stay here for a couple of days, Iluri glanced over the people in the common room; the presence of a common elf was not a usual sight in a province town, meanwhile the rain had stopped but it was still cold in the room.
A whole bottle? This early in the morning? Ileta mused. If the sorceress was a drinker, it wasn’t her problem. “I’ll be right back then,” Ileta said, then turned and headed back into the kitchen.
“Do we have any mutton?” she asked the cook, Daim’s wife Tanildy.
The elder woman nodded. “Sure do. I just picked up some chops at the butcher’s.”
“We have an order for mutton chops then,” Ileta replied.
“Mutton chops this early?” Tanildy asked.
Ileta shrugged, then murmured in case their voices carried out into the common room. “And a full bottle of wine. Between you and me, she could some meat on her bones,” the barmaid said conspiratorially. Tanildy gave a little smirk, though she hadn’t seen Iluri.
Ileta left Tanildy to her cooking, then went to check on the broth for Penna. It was boiling well by then, and Ileta ladled it into a bowl. Taking a spoon and napkin, Ileta carried the broth Penna ordered out and set it in front of the elf. “Here you go,” she said as she set down the spoon and napkin. “Be careful, it’s hot!” she warned with a friendly smile before heading to the bar to get Iluri’s wine.
Penna smiled back at Ileta when she handed her the broth. “Oh, thank you so much. This should break the chill out of my bones.” She touched the outside of the bowl with her fingertips and waited until she was accustomed a little to the heat before warming her hands on the bowl. When the stiffness subsided, Penna began to eat the broth, with all the regality and etiquette her time in the court had taught her. She felt so much better with the warm liquid in her stomach.
Ileta found a bottle of red wine; circa NRC 506 from the Hakken vineyards, from below the bar, then a goblet from the shelves behind her. With Iluri’s drink order in hand, she hurried back to the sorceress’s table and set it down. Taking a corkscrew from her pocket, she uncorked it for Iluri and filled the goblet for her. “There you go. Your mutton is cooking. Will there be anything else?” Ileta asked, offering an accommodating smile, though it wasn’t as sincere as the one she gave Penna.
Iluri smirked, looking at Ileta’s forced smile. So don’t like my eye color or perhaps you think that I’ll drink this bottle at one gulp? I have to disappoint you here. “Thanks, Iluri replied but didn’t drink from her goblet. “Yes, there is one more thing,” she started calmly. “See that elven lady?” Iluri looked at Penna. “I want you to treat her with this wine on my behalf.”
Ileta glanced at Penna. She wasn’t sure if the elf would even want wine, but she would offer it anyway. “Alright then,” Ileta said and took the bottle.
She went to the bar to fetch another goblet, then returned to Penna’s table. Presenting the wine to Penna, she explained, “Compliments of the lady across the room.”
Penna gave a discomforting smile, but accepted the drink. It’s far too early to drink wine. The woman has little class, lest she be a wino. “Send her my thanks.” Penna stated eloquently. There was no need to be rude outside of her own head. She eyed the glass of wine and sighed, daintily finishing off her broth. “The broth is delicious. Thank you.”
Ileta nodded to Penna and smiled. “You’re welcome. I’ll take that bowl for you,” the barmaid said as she picked up Penna’s dishes.
Before taking the dishes back to the kitchen, she went to Iluri’s table to relay Penna’s message. “She sends her thanks,” Ileta said, bowing slightly to the sorceress.
Deep in her soul, Iluri laughed looking at this small talk and enjoyed the play going around her. It was funny for her looking at those two ladies putting on an act. But after a moment, she settled herself down in the chair, grabbed her stuff, and kept looking at the fireplace. She nodded to Ileta and returned to her thoughts. Enough tricks for today.
* * *
Nakira made her way home through the soft rain, she was looking forward to a quiet day at home. After she got inside she saw Dralan counting their rent money, she did not like this one bit.
“Nakira, we’re not going to make rent for next month. I was going over the money, can you check this yourself?” He asked her, looking up as he heard the door shut.
She barely had her cloak off when he asked. She looked at him flatly and flipped a few coppers onto the table, a little something from the night before. “I’ll recount in a moment, first I really need you to take your daughter for a bit. You need to spend more time with her you know, just a thought.”
Rhianna was looking to her father curiously, he seemed funny all hunched over with a furrowed brow. Though she did not know that he had a problem, reaching out, she surprised them both. “Papa...”
Dralan looked up and to his daughter. She had spoken to him. Smiling, he stood up, making his way over to them he looked at her. Nakira was also smiling, she had not expected this. “Go ahead, I’ll take her for the rest of the day. You’re just full of surprises, princess. Papa is not going to let go of you.”
Handing over Rhianna, Nakira sat down and quickly counted the money. They had just enough after the copper to make rent, she would need to find a job soon. They had to talk, and it needed to be soon. “You’ll have to take care of her for a while. Looks like I’ll need to check with the guild. Dralan, you need to find some more stable work. Have you considered trying an honest job as well?”
He looked puzzled at her, she had never asked him that before. He had no real answer, so in exchange he had to agree with her point. They did have a place to keep up, as well as a daughter to raise. “Alright you win, honey. I’ll take Rhianna and start looking right now. You shouldn’t worry so much about us, we’ll get by no matter what. I’ll have no trouble finding work, can you at least stop worrying? I love you, no matter what happens.”
With Rhianna in one arm he leaned in and kissed her, he was worried. She put herself into danger too often. Hugging her from behind with his free arm, they stayed like that for a good minute. Afterwards he headed out, with Nakira heading to the small kitchen to make some tea for herself. She did not get a chance to reply though, and her words were missed by seconds. “Yeah I will. I love you darling.”
* * *
Rone Kalmaine followed the path he left behind, carefully keeping track of every mark he left as he passed. This vampire he hunted wasn’t good enough about covering his tracks, which is what he counted on. His worry spiked, however, when he saw Dragon Eye in the distance. It made sense. Cities were the banquets of vampires. It was there that he had his first encounter with most of the vampires he hunted down. It was the one place vampires could do the most damage without getting noticed. So many homeless, poor, or lonely people without friends to notice their disappearance.
With his traveler’s cloak following him cautiously behind, Rone marched towards the city.
