All that thinking about finding artisans sigh... days later and im still looking. First of all, there are only two settlements around here, Letusa which is rather small with a population poorly developed, and Lyons which is somewhat far from here. Unfortunately, getting to Lyons would take days, after my last travel im most definitely not eager to start again.
On the second floor in the living room, im sitting in my usual armchair relaxing while delighting me with some blood.
Transportation is a constant problem, not only for me but im afraid it is for all my race. We may be fast but in the face of the sun our only choice is to hide, basically, we can only travel at night different from a human with a proper horse who can travel for hours and hours until eventually he needs to sleep or eat which for them take less time. My best choice would be to arrange a carriage, put my coffin on the back, and see someone to drive it however this would be extremely dangerous. The one responsible for driving needs to be someone who I trust completely with my life because if this person decides to end my life, then it is only a matter of waiting for me to sleep and open my coffin.
"Dying like this would bring more shame than pain" I mumble to myself shortly after drinking
Besides, need to be someone who can hold it together in a fight because I would be useless during the day. Although I could travel with my guardsmen, it would be like a gamble. What if they betray me? What if we encounter a beast on the road? What if they get outnumbered by a bandit raid? The possibilities leading to my death are endless.
*Knock Knock*
Laudine's knock was of no surprise to me as I could hear her calm steps making the floor creak on her way here and smell her scent. The headmaid stands in the hallway staring at me, my chair is placed with its back to the door so I do not care to turn around to face her.
"Yes?"
"Visitors my lady, they wish to speak" Laudine says politely
Hm? Maybe the envoy but highly doubt it. I already warned Laudine about him so she would not say the word visitors if it were him. Perhaps travelers seeking a place to stay for the night, well, wondering here shall not give me any answer.
"Please guide them here Laudine, I shall await" I say calmly
Laudine leaves after bowing respectfully to do as I say.
After a long while, my curiosity was finally piqued, boredom was starting to get the best of me in all this seclusion. Besides, I was accidentally thinking about what Marie said regarding maids and suddenly Laudine now looks tastier than before. By Lucifer, When did I become such a thirsty woman?
It's been so long since I last felt someone else warmth. These fantasies are getting unbearable sigh... perhaps Anna spoiled me a little too much regarding this. Well, im not exactly complaining, I enjoyed every last bit, until they took her.
A sad feeble sigh escapes my mouth.
Merde, I just ruined my own mood.
Regretful thoughts flood my mind for some time until Laudine's arrival, she brings the so-called travelers who seem to seek me.
"They are here my lady"
Laudine step aside freeing the path to the small group.
Three sets of steps begin to make their way toward me, judging by the sound of clunky metal as they walk they are all wearing armor and carrying weapons. Soon, they appear in my sight, three men wearing black cloaks above chainmail armor. Strangely, they are wearing completely white masks covering their faces and are all with hoods up. I raise my eyebrow making a curious expression while they sit down in front of me in some available chairs.
They wear odd costumes for mere travelers. This is most definitely not going the way I expected.
"Greetings travelers, im Carmilla, owner of this manor" I say calmly
The one in the middle proceeds to speak with a manly voice slightly elderish, he speaks politely giving me a light bow to greet me.
"A pleasure to finally meet the one who is causing turmoil in our society, call me Les Dix" He says respectfully
Strange name... I guess it is just a nickname as he is hiding his face.
"Im sorry but turmoil? Thou surely are speaking with the wrong person no?" I answer slightly confused
"Allow me to clarify it. The artless are calling thou Le Blanc, the white abomination responsible for leaving dry corpses beh-" He was saying until my face interrupted him
Clenching my teeth furiously, my fangs are made obvious to them illuminated by the moonlight coming from a window.
THEY COME INTO MY HOUSE, AND DARE TO CALL ME ABOMINATION?!
My body morphs into a swan of bats dashing towards Les Dix at an incredible speed but just when my claw is an inch away from tearing his face apart he quickly lifts his hands to show he is harmless while yelling anxiously.
"I meant no offense!"
My right-hand stops in place, an inch close to his mask.
Meant no offense?! Entering my home to say people are calling me an abomination, how in the name of Lucifer is this not an offense?! Bâtards. Lucky for them, im curious to know what they want with me otherwise I would turn him into a thrall and condemn him to a life of being my blood bag until the day he perishes.
Pouting angrily and murmuring insults, I step back to my chair again proceeding to stare at them now with an annoyed expression.
"And? what is it?" I say impatiently
Les Dix coughs to clear his throat and calm himself with a deep breath before proceeding with what he has to say.
"I came here in the name of our association, the masquerade. Our high-ups are well, do not take this badly but they are quite upset with the imbalance caused by thy presence. However, after a short investigation, they decided that it would be wiser to simply leave thou alone" Les Dix says politely
The masquerade... they do not appear to be hunters however by the way he speaks, it seems like they fancy themselves as some kind of law officers. Hmph, at least they seem intelligent enough to not make me waste my time hunting them down, although I suspect my mood would greatly increase after a nice hunt.
I pull my head up staring at the man arrogantly before speaking.
"Well, if the agreement was to leave me alone, why are thou here?" I ask coldly
A cold ran down his spine and he swallowed dry before answering.
"My group was assigned some work to do close by and as a sign of good faith we came to simply ask permission to set a camp in thy dominion"
Well, that makes sense. If I saw a bunch of masked men holding weapons camping in my dominion I would most likely pay them a visit anyway.
I calm myself after a light sigh escapes my mouth.
"Surely, I see no problem however im curious about this 'work' enlight me" I say calmly
Les Dix bows politely to express gratitude for a short time before proceeding with his answer.
"A mere fugitive hunt, two of them. Actually, I was expecting to discuss a small problem" He says slightly hesitant
Hmm, this is starting to smell bad.
I furrow my eyebrows making a curious expression and with a hand gesture, I ask him to continue.
"First, if I may ask do thou speak in the name of what?" Les Dix asks apprehensive
"The Vultures. As I said, my name is Carmilla, first of my kind" I say calmly
"Understood. Now, all I ask is comprehension and please understand we mean no harm sigh... one of the fugitives is a vulture, alongside a werecat" He says apprehensively
Shock washes over my face and my jaw drops in surprise.
How... this make no sense, why would Revgnir and Sophia be fugitives? To begin with, what are they doing here?
A heavy sigh leaves my mouth as I realize what must have happened.
Damnit Revgnir... I clearly said to not exaggerate. Knowing him he must have used too much of his powers in plain sight on whatever raid he was fighting off. If he is alive it means no hunter could take him out, well obviously it would take much effort to take out a vulture like Revgnir who possesses both strength and years of experience.
Although im a little uncomfortable with them hunting my friends, I understand their side of course. If I understood them correctly, it seems like they cherish balance among 'the artless' who seem to be humans who are unaware of what lurks in the shadows of their ignorance. I too cherish human ignorance, after all my race depends on it. So I understand how Revgnir constant use of his gifts in order to help the people of Toulouse might cause the masquerade to feel threatened.
And as expected of human ungrateful nature, as soon as they saw Revgnir's true nature, all his past good doings were reduced to nothing but dust being carried away by a wind made of terror coming from the ones he once called his people. Poor Sophia, she probably had no choice but to follow Revgnir as she is powerless against hunters and at that point, she was already a target of people's hate regardless of what is false or true.
"Yes both are my friends and I apologize for Revgnir's behavior however, they are under my protection. I shall allow thy group to search for them as it is a job but they are to be brought to me without any scratch whatsoever" I say with a hint of aggressiveness
Les Dix appears slightly hesitant but agrees and proceeds to leave shortly. Seems like they are not eager to mess with me however they seem dangerous. How could they know about my exact location? Not only that but they know about my past actions too. And this feeling... for some reason I feel cheated.
He made a bad comment making me angry like he was testing my limits. After that, he asked a simple wish saying it was his main reason to be here but shortly after he proceeded to speak about a much bigger problem. Maybe he used the conversation to prepare me mentally, im afraid that if he came to me talking directly about Revgnir and Sophia's situation I would kill them and he knew it.
I rise with an apprehensive look on my face while going toward a window. Stopping at the window, I stare at Les Dix's back while his group walks away.
Bastard... he never intended to capture them. He just made me think the idea came from me. This was a test, maybe the masquerade sent Revgnir in my direction on purpose to have an excuse to approach me. They are testing my intelligence, seeing if I can follow the rules on my own accord or if im going to become a threat to them. Hmph, I follow no rules other than my own, if one day my goals crash against those people's code... they better be ready.
Sadly, the plan to sell merchandise to Toulouse is long gone but more importantly, I hope they are well. As a vulture, I know how Revgnir must feel having to travel around on foot but at least he has company although I feel sorry for Sophia who probably did nothing to deserve being a fugitive, she is too sweet for that and lazy too. In any case, Revgnir and Sophia are more than welcome to stay.
"Laudine!"
Soon I hear her quick steps coming toward the living room. I stand with my arms crossed looking through the window waiting for her arrival. She arrives at the door politely awaiting my request.
"See if thou can find appropriate clothing for a quick stroll around the forest, im going out" I say seriously
~~~~~~~~~~
Sophia and Revgnir are sitting around a bonfire. A squirrel on a stick is being cooked by Sophia who seems anxious. Revgnir keeps his guard up, observing their surroundings. The smell of meat being cooked fills the air along with the unsettling creaks of the fire.
"I hope we find Carmilla soon sigh..." Mumbles Sophia
Revgnir responds to Sophia's sad mumbling with the same tone.
"Truly... how things came to this?"
Sophia let out a sad giggle before answering.
"Because thy heart is bigger than thy head"
They both giggle around the fire.
"I learned my lesson sigh... thinking people would understand was foolish of me" Says Revgnir with a bitter tone
"Thou has no fault Revgnir, they are to be blamed for their ungratefulness hmph" Sophia says with an unsatisfied tone
Sophia reaches for her meal which seems cooked enough, after a bite of the tasty squirrel meat she can't help but feel delighted.
They stand around chatting while Sophia happily finishes her meal until Revgnir hears steps on the grass coming from the forest. He puts on an apprehensive expression looking toward where the noises are coming from. Sophia picks up the meaning behind his stare easily, resulting in her turning into a cat and hiding away in the forest leaving only her clothes behind.
Revgnir rises with his guard up grabbing his axe which rests lying at his side. He awaits watchfully the coming of the unknown enemy approaching.
Soon, a lone man comes out of the shadows. With an empty scarband on his back and a sword in his right hand, he stops after setting sight on Revgnir. The man wears black gambeson armor to cover his body, dark blue trousers, and a dark green cloak.
"Hunter, seeking to join thy predecessors in the pile of corpses I left in my wake" Revgnir says seriously
The hunter clicks his tongue annoyed before answering Revgnir's provocation.
"Keep talking abomination, thou shall not see the end of this night"
The hunter pulls a flask with an unknown blue liquid inside from his satchel, drinks it, and throws the empty recipient away. Soon, his veins begin to emit a feeble blueish light. Revgnir stands confused but ready to face the unknown.
Revgnir sprints toward him uttering a diagonal swipe strong enough to lift the dust on his axe way. Most would be sure to perish after being the target of such a mighty attack however the hunter summoning all his strength was capable of parrying Revgnir's strike with his sword. A smug appears on the hunter's face but soon, it disappears when a barrage of quick strikes descends upon him. The sound of metal hitting against each other fills the place alongside sparks created by the friction of their weapons.
Although the hunter is managing to withstand Revgnir's strikes, he has no room whatsoever to counterattack against the merciless nonstop attacks from Revgnir's axe. Against the natural superiority of his enemy, the cornered hunter perceives how foolish his early statement truly was.
The hunter tries to play with footwork but against Revgnir's experience in battle, it is but a feeble attempt. Soon enough, the hunter's sword shatters into pieces after a few strikes from Revgnir's axe. The hunter fell on his knee coughing blood on the fragments of his own sword confusing Revgnir as his axe didn't reach for his enemy yet.
"That drink seems rather harmful but to be able to hold so long against me... thou have my respect hunter, state thy name" Revgnir says seriously
"Cough cough... haha... shut cough up... I have no need for a monster's respect"
Revgnir towering over his sickly enemy slowly raises his axe high in the sky with a cold expression, the hunter looks up for a mere moment to be met by a horrifying sight. Revgnir an almost 2 meters tall man standing in front of him like a cold wall. With firm and cold eyes, like the grim reaper himself ready to take his soul.
"I believe in honor among warriors, independently of race or ethnicity however if thy wish is to die as the hunter with no name, suit thyself" Revgnir says coldly
*Vush*
The axe descends upon the hunter's head slicing it apart exactly in the middle. Blood spills everywhere and a few drops stain Revgnir's face. His axe goes so deep into the hunter's head that it gets stuck requiring a little more strength to take it out from the hunter's skull. After taking his axe out, Revgnir kicks the kneeling body with the palm of his foot making it fall behind.
Revgnir barely had any time to feel his victory when applauses began to come from behind him.
"A breathtaking duel" A voice states calmly
Revgnir quickly looks behind to be met with a desperate sight. Three unknown men wearing white masks, holding Sophia in her cat form. Revgnir tries to maintain his cool under the circumstances but his anxiety is made clear by his sudden hardening grip on his axe.
"Leave her out of this" Revgnir says with a tone of cold rage
"Do not misunderstand us, we mean no harm, here"
Les Dix carefully put Sophia on the ground, the frightened cat runs toward Revgnir quickly after. Revgnir stands highly confused but his guard never goes down, he stands more ready than ever to attack but the unknown masked group simply turns their backs.
"I came in the name of Carmilla of the Vulture, she lives west from here" Les Dix says casually while turning around to leave
Revgnir watches closely with his guard up while the unknown group disappears into the dark forest again. Something doesn't click for Revgnir, how come he was incapable of feeling their scent or hearing them approaching? Even when he was seeing them walk away it was like they simply disappeared into the forest. Various doubts appear in Revgnir's head but in the end, he looks at Sophia hiding behind his foot and feels relief.
'Thinking about it shall get me nowhere, what remains is making our way west'
"Miauw"
~~~~~~~~~~
Searching for clues of Revgnir and Sophia's location, I walk through the forest with a watchful gaze however my efforts are proving themselves useless.
No sign of the masquerade much less my friends, as I thought, he lied about camping around here. In any case, I doubt Les Dix lied about Revgnir, his objective is most likely to create an amicable relationship between me and the masquerade because they are unsure if they can kill me. After all, they probably have no idea of how to kill me in the first place. Who knows? maybe their goals are something I can not comprehend yet. An interesting bunch they seem to be. Hopefully, they do not prove themselves to be rocks in my way, for like them, I too have no idea of how to exterminate them, although, I would gladly try my utmost best if I have to.
Anyway, the sun is coming soon so I should return now. Hopefully, my friends find a safe way to my house, it would be wonderful to know they are well.
...
Upon my arrival, Laudine receives me with a bathtub ready for me in the bathroom. After thanking her, I make my way there happily. After entering, I check the lock on the door making sure it is properly locked before proceeding to take off my clothes.
The bathroom is plain, there is only a wooden bathtub standing in the middle of the room, a small table on the bathtub side holding a bar of soup, and lastly a window with a breathtaking view of the night sky. Leaving my previous set of clothes on the ground, I enter the bathtub creating plashing sounds that echo across the room.
Resting my head on the edge while staring at the sky, comfort washed over me before the soup could have its chance. My mind wanders into thoughts while my hands gently rub across my body in order to clean myself.
I wonder if I look that bad... Le Blanc hmm... an awful nickname.
A sad sigh escaped my mouth while I slowly closed my eyes.
I can hardly blame them, im indeed well... white. My eyebrows, my hair, my skin, and even the hair around my genitalia are white. Maybe im cursed to be stared at with disgust for the rest of my immortal life. The world shall never allow me to forget how I was born or what I was born and this scares me.
I can almost hear Anna's voice. She would say im beautiful, and then she would proceed to kiss me until we both ran out of breath to reassure me like it happened many times before. She was like an anchor, holding my mind in place when these thoughts used to get unbearable. Now, im all alone facing my own thoughts without her help feeling like im lost in the sea, scared of being alone for the rest of eternity. Is it naive of me to think love could strike me a second time? Pure and unconditional love like the one I once had, maybe it is too much to ask for someone who would love me with how I look.
Sigh... it would be best to wrap this up quickly, this night is being extra tiring for my mind.
...
After properly wiping myself, I grab a gray linen robe I commonly use to sleep which was carefully placed here as always. Reaching for the door, I use the key to unlock it and leave the bathroom behind walking toward my chambers.
Making my way into the corridors, I pass by Laudine who judging by her clothing is ready to go sleep. Late as usual, all the other servants are asleep by now but Laudine insists on marching my odd routine otherwise I would have no one to serve me at the only time im awake. She greets me with a polite bow biding me goodnight which I reciprocate. She walks past me shortly after.
I stand staring at her back with a troubled expression until I suddenly reach for her hand, she turns around quickly however when I look at her expression...
"Y-es?" Laudine says sturttering
Her heartbeat is loud and her eyes tremble alongside her body, she is scared of me. My very touch frightened her. When I realized it, a bitter smile formed on my face.
"Nothing... it's nothing, goodnight again"
I let go of her hand and proceeded to walk away with a bitter smile toward my chamber, leaving the headmaid confused.
What exactly did I expect? What do I even want to ask anyway? This is starting to get ridiculous. Look at me, all that talk about feeling disgraceful to give myself to someone who just seek my body, and here im, seeking exactly the same. Sigh... merde.
Finally arriving at my chambers, I lock the door and proceed to let out a sad sigh while passing my right hand across my hair.
I am such a hypocrite and lewd... and selfish. Well, dwelling shall get me nowhere, time to sleep.
...
Tomorrow came, alongside a great surprise. Revgnir and Sophia came by, the road's harshness was made obvious by their dirty clothes and tired complexions. I could barely hug Sophia properly before asking some servants to prepare her a bath shortly doing the same for Revgnir too. Sophia aside, it is good that Revgnir brought clothes of his own, if not im afraid no tunic would ever fit the giant warrior.
After everything, we all sit down to chat properly in my living room, of course, alongside some 'wine' for me and Revgnir, as for Sophia I asked Laudine to see a nice meal for her. Food is the only resource we have and can boast about, after all, I do not eat and the family who lived here is long gone so basically all the food we have is destined for the guards and servants. The rest is sold to merchants, with the income I make it is easy to support this manor however expanding is a little difficult.
During our conversation, an unusual topic appears.
"Creating fire?! Out of nowhere? Are thou sure of it? Sincerely this seems like one of those stories thou would tell when completely drunk" I say surprised
Revgnir giggles before answering.
"I too could hardly believe my own eyes but while being hunted I learned that humans have more than one way of empowering themselves, although we stand in overwhelming advantage I fear they could surpass this advantage simply by having the numbers" Revgnir says casually
Supporting my head with my left hand, I stay contemplating what Revgnir says while we both grab our goblets to drink some more.
The last part is undoubtedly true, but if humans continue to stay ignorant of our weaknesses and presence, it is easy to deal with them. At least, that is what I thought before but if these hunters can really create fire from nothing it means they can at the very least harm us. Although, if Revgnir could deal with them without having awakened none of my powers then it should not be difficult for me.
At that time, long ago when I lost control shortly after leaving my village... the sharp stone that came from nowhere, it must be it. If I remember correctly, the scent of fire was everywhere when I woke up too.
"The hunter who could perform this ability, did he have a mark on his hand?" I ask casually
Revgnir becomes thoughtful for a moment before answering.
"I can not quite remember, Sophia what do thou think?"
"Hmmm, hard to say I ran away as soon as he approached us" Sophia says thoughtfully
Maybe that mark was a mere coincidence, I can only wonder. However, the existence of humans who can create fire is unsettling. One would be harmless but imagining twenty at once is already threatening, put them together with whatever material that sword was made and it would mean doom to us.
"With that said, I have something else to tell. I plan to leave shortly, my objective was only to bring Sophia to thou in Vallis Aurea but it would be unnecessary now that thou live here" Revgnir says casually
Suspected as much, a shame but if I was in his place I would be obligated to do the same. I give a few days until my dominion is flooded with hunters looking for Revgnir like hounds trying to catch any clue of his whereabouts. Me aside, Sophia would still be in danger if he stayed here.
"Just so thou know, I would gladly risk fighting them all off so thou can stay" I say seriously
"Thou know how he is Carmilla, his skull thickness only increases over time" Sophia says casually
We all giggle and rise from our seats.
Revgnir extends his hand to me and I shake it.
"Until we meet again Carmilla"
"Hopefully under better circumstances" I say humorously
He bids his farewells to Sophia too and we leave her to her meal in the living room. As we walk together to my doorstep, Revgnir says something rather puzzling as we approach the door.
"Did thou know that Sophia only speaks of thou all the time?"
The sudden question confuses me.
"Well, we are great friends, why?"
Revgnir reaches for the door handle in silence, opening it before turning around to face me with an expression screaming disappointment.
"By the gods... it's nothing, just take care of Sophia and when I say care, I mean really really care, understand what I mean?"
My expression became even more puzzled and with an unsure tone, I spoke.
"Hm? Not quite no... but I fully intend to take good care of her"
Revgnir rolls his eyes mumbling something about feeling pity for Sophia while leaving with only an axe and a linen bag to his name. Stripped of his ranks, now a fugitive, a deserter, wandering alone beneath the moon like once I did. Hopefully, he finds a way to fend off the hunters and someplace to stay safe. I too hope he learned his lesson correctly, showing himself too much only brings harm.
After properly locking the door, I made my way back toward the living room to finish my blood alongside Sophia's pleasant company. Upon my arrival, I saw her already empty plate and suggested she should have another which she politely declined.
I take my sit and we quickly begin to chat about a variety of topics across the night. As time passes, Sophia does not seem to slow down. It seems that she is used to sleeping during the day now, understandable as she was traveling at night because of Revgnir. Regardless, I made sure to show her a bedroom, one which belonged to the former lord and his wife.
It has a bigger bed and is very well decorated with wardrobes, shelves, a mirror, two nightstands on each side of the bed, and a single armchair. Although most things here are of dubious quality, I believe most would find it good enough and as expected, Sophia is no exception. She amazes herself looking at the mirror, I show her a few pieces of clothes in the wardrobe, normal women talk mostly however when the topic changes to the bed.
Sophia sits on the bed, feeling it and soon she falls back with an expression of satisfaction.
"Such a bliss... this travel made me start to appreciate the little things, I waited for so long to sleep on a proper bed"
The road sure has its effects on people, I felt the same way when I first got here.
"Is it good? To be honest, I never felt a bed in my life" I say casually
"Well, why not try it now?" Sophia says with a hint of mischievousness in her tone
I curiously approach the bed, first touching it with my hand and gently rubbing it to feel the fabric. It is soft, definitely softer than my coffin. Making up my mind, I turn around to take a sit first. Hmm, not bad indeed surely much better than that bed I had in the basement, if it can be called a bed. Then, like Sophia did, I let myself fall behind.
My eyes widen slightly as I look up at the ceiling in the poorly illuminated room. It is surprisingly good, though in a different way from a coffin. This feels more comfortable however my coffin feels safer, not sure which is better though.
I turned my head to face Sophia who was seemingly doing the same, our eyes met resulting in her aventing it lightly for a moment.
"It is indeed good" I speak in a low relaxed tone
No idea why I avoid it for so long, it just... I never felt desire I guess.
I close my eyes, lost in my easeness. However, when I felt Sophia's hand on a part of my hair, I slowly opened my eyes to be met by Sophia making a troubled expression. One I know well, and suddenly I understand completely what Revgnir said earlier.
A reddish color invades my cheeks while we stare at each other in silence. Feeling the mood, my first instinct was to slowly approach my head, she did the same and we began to get closer slowly, apprehensively both too scared of what the other might think. As we get closer, I feel her gentle and uneasy breath on my face while we stare at each other eyes fixated.
We slowly begin to close our eyes and like that, our lips sweetly touch for a mere moment and we slowly pull back just to quickly return but now more aggressively. The room gets filled with kissing noises as our tongues intertwine gently on the bed. Heat seems to emanate from us and suddenly we are already hugging each other while kissing. With our hands, we explore each other bodies and soon we lose ourselves in fogs of pleasure, the kind of pleasure that I had long yearned for.
...
Naked, spooning Sophia under the bedsheets with my head on the pillow feeling like an enormous weight simply vanished from my back while the room smelled like a bonfire, the only thoughts to cross my mind were of comfort and warmth. I pet her head gently for a moment and she turns her body around now facing me.
Sophia comes closer, resting her head against my chest with a blissful expression while I continue to bestow her with gentle pets.
My stress simply evaporated in one night, witchcraft can hardly compare itself to this magical bliss. I feel light as a feather, all my worries are lost in my head and all I can think is how adorable she is leaning against me like this.