This is proof that she doesn't want him dead.
Why a metal box and not a wooden they thought.
Or was it based on probability?
Whatever it was, she didn't want him dead nevertheless.
And this made John feel a little relief
After opening the box, they saw a lot of quipus
After decoding it, it was a message for John.
"I know that a broken heart is an understatement, for a vampire you are more human than a lot of people I know. I love both you and our daughter with all my heart. Please understand that I can't come back by myself, search for me and save me from this curse honey."
"This curse? What curse could she be
talking about. Is this why she left? So it's no longer a choice to return"
"What's happened when she left?"
"She became untraceable. The smell of her blood vanished and I couldn't find her
I searched high and low having hopes that I would find her
It was inevitable, she was just gone"
"Untraceable you say?, John let's head back. The sun will be up soon, I don't think she's here or even in the next forest"
John sighed. They went back to the cave.
This journey ahead is certainly dangerous
Emma needs protection all through
As the former right-hand man to John, Lucas took the initiative.
But Just as expected, there were traps all
around.
Vampires are very intelligent creatures so to can some certain things
They certainly didn't see what happened next coming.
Arrows are too small to kill a vampire it seems
A 12-foot pole that has a sharpened end impaled John deep in his abdomen.
He fell to the ground bleeding and grunting
He tried to pull it out and his hands were burnt also
John lay on the ground, bleeding out and losing consciousness.
He saw the hand once more, reaching out to him.
She stretched out and his nose got a whiff of her essence once more
His eyes widened, and John used all his strength to pull it out
Emma instantly slit her hand with a piece
of wood
Put it in John's mouth, he regenerated instantly but he realized what he drank.
"Why, why did you slit your wrist moonflower?"
"You were dying, at least say thank you, father."
"No matter what, don't ever hurt yourself to save me. I'm your protector"
"And I'm your daughter, I won't stand there and watch my father die just because he wants to see my mother who abandoned us right on my birth. YOU'RE WELCOME."
It was a little bit heated and emotions flew
Emma felt like her mother never wanted her, that's why she never knew her.
The truth of the matter is still unknown to John and Emma.
Lucas used that as an opportunity to read the quipu, just to ease the tension.
It said "Run."
"Run? Run from what?"
Coming from a distance, an arrow hit a tree
It wasn't going to kill them but it was sure going to burn like hell.
They ran back into the cave
John held Emma close and shaded her from all the incoming projectiles.
John and Lucas were shot with at least 15 arrows each
They finally got back to the cave
They realized the arrows were poison.
A poison can't kill a vampire right?
Not if the poison is holy water
Whoever set this trap knew the time they would come and the date
The traps were pre-set for that exact
moment
So many new unknown threats in just one location.
Who is behind all this?
That will remain unknown.
John and Lucas were going to die if they don't find a way to neutralize the holy water in their blood.
The only person that could save them was Emma, the damphir.
Her blood is like that of a human and a vampire, these the bridge between both races.
"You better thank me this time"
Emma put her slit wrist over John's mouth them over Lucas's mouth.
Her blood dripped into their mouths and they regenerated quickly.
"I'm waiting"
"Thank you moonflower and... I'm sorry for
my manners earlier"
"You may be stubborn but you're still my father"
Emma embraced her father and they reconciled after the disagreement
Lucas showed his gratitude to Emma.
She kept acting sassy with him
"Hmph, whatever."
John and Lucas were close to death.
The journey got harder as they progressed.
It seemed as if someone knew they would be there at that time.
It always seemed like a plan made with time itself.
This is the closest John has been to death
Fortunately, Emma was his savior
Their journey mustn't stop there.
There was one last scent in the entire
forest and John wanted to get it. It came from the direction that the arrows came from. Is it worth the risk?
John didn't care, he is a vampire.
His speed is unmatched even when time is against him.
He moved so fast, the traps couldn't even activate on time to catch him.
Getting that last strand was everything to him.
"I feel this strand is too important to leave, something is left there that I can't leave behind"
"Okay, I'll stay here with Emma, 5 is all you need John"
"And 5 is all I will use"
John ran through the traps and back in 5 seconds.
Despite him being that fast, Emma isn't so he has to take things relatively slower.
When he came back, there wasn't even a scratch on him.
Lucas checked the last message Anastasia left in the woods for them.
And on the strands he read out
"For an introvert, you sure spend alot of time outside now"
John smiled as he has been reminded of their memories together.
It was more wholesome than sad.
"Let's go, the search isn't over and now I am sure that your mother wants us to find her"
They left the woods and left something behind also
One last string that has been coated with with grass on the trees
All they read was "Run"
The
other one read "from it"
Sooner or later, they would find out what it is.
Hope they don't pay a price to learn about it first.