Just a little past the west exit to the city, if you follow the road towards Barton, there's a small ivy covered brick cottage with a medium shop and an even larger workshop near it. This place belongs to the Marius sisters, experts in Alchemy. Not what you were expecting, huh?
Aside from the two sisters who live and work here, they also have two assistants who tend to the shop front. The assistants practice alchemy alongside the sisters but have nowhere near the competency level as they do. But let's put that aside for now and dive into today's events... Shall we?
Sui sat on the front doorstep with a green potion nestled in her lap. She wore her usual black tunic, black cargo pants, and black boots. Her blue lunar belt was the only other colour on her aside from the gold beading on the tunic and the deep purple of her hair.
Her red eyes narrowed slightly at the current weather. She had wanted to heat it slowly under the warm sun but from just looking up to the sky, she could tell that was not going to happen today. As it happens, today was a grim, miserable, sunless day.
A light hand landed on her shoulder. "The sun isn't going to come out because you're unhappy about the weather." Kc's amused voice annoyed Sui. Kc's white clothing complimented Sui's dark; again, only with her blue cosmic scarf was the only colour breaking the otherwise all white impression. "But there is more than one way to skin a cat."
"The Bunsen will destroy the potion," Sui replied bluntly thinking of the harsh blue flame it produces. "It won't work without the sunlight." She cupped her hands around the bottom of the flask to keep the potion from getting too cold.
"What about a sun staff?" Kc lowered the head of the staff down until it was level with Sui's head. "Not the sun by any means but still a gentle light source you need." Her amusement grew at Sui's surprise.
"Where did that come from?" Sui stood up and took a look at it. She knew all the various weapons and tools in the house by heart and could not for the life of her recall them owning a sun staff. "It's not new." She could see chips and dents along the shaft of the staff.
"Of course not," Kc moved back inside and set the staff into a holder that looked like it was made just for it. "This morning a merchant was showing his wares in the market place. I went into the city to get some mythril shavings and this caught my eye."
Sui felt a sister moment between them. They both knew that when it came to practicing alchemy, they were always instinctively drawn to tools that they needed... even if they did not need it that very moment.
"How much was it?" Sui asked curiously running a hand over the shaft gently. "Sun staves are not an everyday occurrence. Especially here in Aekea where the sun shines practically every day."
"He traded it for 17 grand in gold," Kc replied offhandedly. Sui's lack of reaction to the price didn't surprise her. Sui, herself, had bought weapons before for higher prices than that. "He said it was owned by a mage who betrayed their colleagues for gold. He said he had to get rid of it quickly."
"Then..." Sui smiled and placed the potion on the table near the staff. "You rubbed it down with our Dis-tracer Potion."
"Naturally," Kc leaned against the wall with a smile on her face. "The last thing I want is the vampire who ate the mage's colleagues to come after this staff and eat us."
Sui's celebratory smile over the new item was cut short by a yawn. She had been up since dawn preparing the medicines for Barton so she could ship them that afternoon and was ready to sleep standing up.
"Go to bed!" Kc gave her a quick shove in the right direction. "I'll finish up the medicines." Sui waved goodnight and disappeared off down the dark corridor.
Kc waited a while before touching her neck. The pulling motion of her skin while she spoke made her whole right side ache. Quietly, she stepped over to the mirror and pulled down the loose folds of her scarf and examined the puncture wounds on her neck.
Sui is going to be upset with me if she finds out. She thought as she settled the scarf around her neck once more. With a sigh, she set about packing the boxes for the Barton shipment and thought about that morning's events.
***
"Mythril shavings are 29g per piece mam," The shopkeeper said to her for the fourth time. 'I aint lowering it anymore than that. Not meny people are sellin me it to me and when they do it aint going to give me a profit to sell it fer lower than what I bought it fer."
"That's a bloody rip-off," Kc raged insulted at the price hike. "I use to buy shavings from you at 5g a piece and now you tell me its 29g." She wanted to punch the guy's insolent smile off his face. "Shall I take the custom of both myself and my sister elsewhere? Perhaps I will find a more loyal merchant who will keep his prices fair."
The merchant paled. Aside from the Marius sisters, no one else in Aekea needed alchemical supplies. He would lose more than profit if his customers left. Quickly, he attempted a compromise.
"Hows bout I give it to yer fer 15g a piece?" His smile faltered when he saw Kc's expression. If he had been on the ball that morning, he would have realised sooner that it was the stubborn sister he was speaking to and not the understanding one. "Yer won't find it for cheaper than that."
"Oh really," Kc leaned forward and poked his chest hard. "How about I make you a deal. If I can't find someone who will sell me the mythril shavings for 5g a piece, I will come back and buy them for 29g a piece from you." Kc's sinister smile told him he was definitely on the losing end of the deal.
"I'll sell dem to yer fer 5g a piece," His whole body quivered as she straightened herself again. She took out the money bag she had prepared earlier for the shavings and dropped it on the table for him. "1000g. So that's 200 pieces mam?" Mentally, he breathed a sigh of relief at her nod of approval.
She watched him count the pieces into the bag the payment was originally in out of the corner of her eye while she surveyed the rest of the market. The pink fluff looks cheap today too. Sui's been creating poppets again so I wonder if I should...
"Step right up and see what treat I have in store for you lovely ladies and gentlemen today," Kc tilted her head slightly to listen. The faint chink of the mythril shavings hitting each other was drowned out by the merchant's voice. "I have weapons from other cities right here for your inspection. Want to protect yourself from the animated but don't have the mental strength to wield rings? Here's your next best option."
"Mam," Kc looked at the merchant near her and took the bag wordlessly from her hand. "Thank you for purchasing from my shop."
"You better be thankful," Kc murmured and made her way through the growing crowd towards the weapons merchant. "Bloody inflation."
"Ah! You have a good eye dear sir," Kc watched a man, quite young for his age but also looking very battle grown, approach the merchant and point out a great broadsword with a brilliant yellow tail hanging from the pommel. "You want Fremere's very own Giga Blade?" He drew the sword and handed it down to the young man to test out.
Kc's eyes widened. The huge sword swooped in graceful arcs and never wavered in his mock parries and thrusts. He appeared to have almost super human while whipping the blade around his body. Its silver blade came to a rest on ground with the smallest ting.
"My goodness," The weapons merchant was the first to recover from his shock. "Are you are guardsman of Aekea or something like that?'
"I'm an ex Barton Regular," He looked up at the merchant with a hard look on his face. "If that means you will sell me this sword." He ran his thumb over the blade's edge. "For a sword of this calibre, I'm willing to part with 500k."
The merchant leaped into his cart and pulled out the parchment to verify the sale of the weapon before handing it over to the man in exchange for the gold. The crowd parted as the man gave a nod to the merchant and walked away.
"As you can see even ex military men admire the weapons I have in my possession," The weapons merchant regained his voice and called over the crowd once more. "Come, try my wares and you might find an item you will like yourself."
Kc stepped forward purposefully. She tied the bag with mythril shavings to her belt and gently touched the large money bag at her waist hidden by her scarf. She could feel the pull of two items in his inventory and went to investigate what they were.
Slowly, she walked amongst the weapon displays with her fingers brushing blades or shafts of weapons before a quick shake of her head. She could feel the eyes of the weapons merchant on her back, as sharp as daggers.
"Ah!" There it was. The tingle in her fingertips that told her what she was touching wanted her attention. Kc turned to look at what her right hand was rested on. "A gun?" She tilted her head. Guns were rarely seen in Gaia as physical objects. The alchemy and science needed to create the gunpowder was something few Gaians could comprehend.
"I see you found an interesting weapon there," The merchant scuttled closer to her with his hands clasped together. "That there is a gun that was sold to me by a mage in Durem. He said that he needed to offload a fair number of items that he had acquired through... Uh... Less honourable means."
Kc stroked the barrel and swung her arm around to aim it at the wall. It was a little heavier then she would have liked but the item had called out to her. "How much is it?"
"Do you require bullets..." The merchant trailed off when she opened the bag of mythril shavings in front of him. "You understand Alchemy. Then the price is 33k."
Kc nodded knowingly. "I assume it comes with a holster and belt?” She didn’t like the idea of carrying a gun visibly through the marketplace.
"Naturally," The merchant smiled at her more naturally. His eyes reflected the glint of the sun. "Those are included in the price."
Kc opened her mouth to agree but something made her pause. She looked closer at the merchant. There was no sun out today so why were they highlighted with sun fleck.
Turning slightly, she found the other item that was calling to her. Stepping across the ground quickly, she took a hold of the golden staff in her hand. It reminded her vividly of Sui's own golden staff. Where Sui's was proper gold, this staff was made of golden wood.
"You found one of the other items that mage sold me," The weapons merchant said softly. "He told me to be careful with that one. Vampires had kept it as a punishing device for those that disobey their rules. He stole it during the day when they were all unable to come out and stop him."
"And the cost of this one?" Kc asked tracing her hand over the shaft gently feeling the wood grains against her skin. "I would like to take both."
"Since you're already purchasing the gun, I'll give this one to you for 17k." The merchant replied not bothering to disguise his happiness at the sale. "I'll collect the papers for you at once."
Kc thought back to the ex Barton Regular and his sword while she waited for the merchant to return. She had never seen anyone that confident with a new weapon except Sui. She smiled gently.
Sui's skill stretched far with many weapons but no matter how well she could aim with a bow, she could never shoot guns. Her aim with one is so bad that she could have been aiming for a distant target and still manages to shoot her foot off.
Kc, on the other hand, excelled at guns and other missile weapons both modern and ancient. She stroked the gun's sleek black muzzle with a light touch. The gun felt like it was made for her and, even though the gun was almost the length of her thigh, it felt the right weight as well.
Picking up its tan leather belt and holster, she buckled it on and moved it around. It took her a while to settle it to her liking. Once done, she could reach the gun but not alert anyone else to the fact that she was wearing one at all.
"Here are you papers mam," The merchant said as he scuttled back over to her. She smiled mentally at the new quiver in his tone. It seemed that even he found her strangely suiting the abnormally large handgun. Kc handed over the bag of gold and bid good day to him.
She felt strange. A fizzing sensation had started from her hand holding the staff. I wonder if it is possible to get cancer from being too close to a sun staff. She spun the staff slowly in her hand until she held it in a mid-defensive stance. This thing would be terrible to use in a fight. It's too top heavy!
"That, my dear, is because it is a mage's staff," She felt a foul breath over her shoulder. "Not a battle staff." He sniffed the air around her. "And you are no mage. You're not even a ring wielder. I don't smell the essence of Ghi off you."
Kc's initial shock slowed her movements. Turning, she pulled the gun and aimed it at the man's head. "Just who the hell are you?" She kept the staff in front of her too ignoring the increased tingling in her hand. "And just what are you trying to do sneaking up on me like that?"
The man smacked his lips at her as if he was looking at a juicy roast dinner. "Me...?" He smiled showing his pearly whites at her. Kc backed slightly at the sight of them. "I'm what most call a Vampire." He lifted his hands and gave her a very formal bow. "I am a pure breed and one of the oldest in my clan."
"Its daylight," Kc found it hard to speak. It must be the staff that attracted him. The vampire smiled at her wickedly. "And you're under oath by the Mayor of Aekea not to harm his citizens, aren't you?"
"The Mayor?" The vampire scoffed at her. "All he cares about is having people in his city to make money for him. All these gyms and furniture factories, where do you think all the money goes? Certainly not to his citizens or they wouldn't be in the rags they wear. They line his already gold pockets."
The vampire walked slowly towards her, the ever increasing smile sending chills down Kc's spine. "I will extract my own payment for you purchasing that staff. After all, you do want that purchase to be a hundred percent legal, yes?"
Kc fired a shot at his shoulder. After the jerk back from the bullet, the vampire kept moving. Kc stepped back and fired again, this time the heart. The vampire laughed at her mockingly.
"I am a pure blood," He whispered as she backed against the wall. "Pure bloods are..." He pressed his body against hers, restraining both gun and staff with one hand. "Immortal."
Kc screamed. She could feel his fangs sinking into her skin. As he drank, she could feel her blood being drawn unnaturally along her blood vessels. Her whole body quivered. I'm going to die...
"Not today," The vampire pulled back and bit his wrist before pressing it to Kc's mouth. "You will be one of us. My slave."
"Not today," Those little words had cost her, but she didn't care. She swung the sun staff into the vampire's face and forced her will into it. It felt easy now. The tingling became words, telling her how to make it glow brighter. "I won't be a slave to anyone."
She fired several bullets into the vampire's heart before forcing the sun staff against the enlarged wound. The area glowed brighter than a nuclear bomb. The only sounds that filled her ears were the sound of her rushing blood and the vampire's dying screams.
"This is just not my day," Kc spat the blood out of her mouth. She could feel the tingling that was in her hand now on the tip off her tongue. Picking up the staff off the grease spot the vampire had left, she walked briskly to the west exit.
The tingling spread slowly, working its way from her tongue to down her throat and finally encompassing her entire body. Just outside the west gate, she stopped and leaned against the wall, her eyes wide at the overwhelming sensations all over her body. All this was cut short in an instant.
Pain shot through her eyes and hands like as if many needles were pressing onto her skin. Her teeth felt extreme pressure and the sensation of being pulled downwards. She slid down the wall and buried her face in her hands. The feelings, the pain, it was all becoming unbearable.
But, just as she reached felt she was reaching her limit, it stopped. Pulling her hands away, she frowned. She didn't feel any different. Opening her mouth, she ran a thumb across her upper teeth. All were flat, nothing sharp or protruding.
That's strange. She stood up shakily and dusted herself off. I was so sure I would become a vampire. Shrugging, she set off towards home.
***
"Kc," A hand shook Kc's shoulder. "Kc... Kc..."
"Huh?" Kc looked hazily at the man standing over her. It took her a while to re orientate herself. She raised an eyebrow and sat up. The box she had been tending lay on its side beside her legs, its contents of glass bottles broken and scattered across the floor. Raising a hand to her forehead, she looked around the room confused. "What happened?"
"I'm not sure," The man replied offering her a hand up. I was tending the front of the shop when I heard a crash..."
"Kc?" Kc turned her head to see Sui wander down the hall rubbing her eyes. "I heard a noise. Are you..." Kc closed her eyes and cringed. Sui's expression made her wish she could just pause time and hide. "You're paler than usual..."
Kc snapped her eyes open. Is that all you're going to say? She watched Sui sit down next to her and place a hand on her forehead and then her other hand on own.
"You're colder too," Sui tilted her head at Kc. "Maybe it should have been you who went to have a lie down instead of me." Her slight smile told Kc exactly what she needed to know. "Should I ask the Doctor too come see you?"
"No no," Kc stood up quickly. "I just had a little dizzy spell that's all." Sui watched her walk out of the room and return with a dustpan and broom. "I'm fine... Sui... Really."
"If you say so Kc," Sui stood up and patted Kc's right shoulder, not noticing Kc wince at the weight on that shoulder. "Make sure you get some rest as well soon. Baron or Della can take the shipment across once it's packed."
"Hahhh..." Kc replied and watched Sui walk back down the hall. She turned to look at the man. "Care to clean up," She thrust the dustpan and broom at him. "While I make the replacements for these?"
"Sure thing," The man moved the fallen box and began to sweep up all the broken glass. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm sure, Baron." Kc replied pulling the large black cauldron out of the corner. "I'm sure."
***
Kc's eyes snapped open. Wildly, she looked around the room. The moon was heavy and full in the sky lighting up her room in with pale moonlight. Dryness scratched her tongue and throat.
Getting up, she padded quietly to the kitchen. As she passed, she could hear Sui tinkering with something in her bedroom. With a smile, she continued walking until she reached the sink and poured herself a glass of water.
"Uuugh!" Kc spat the mouthful of water out. "What in the world?" The water tasted like sand. Holding the glass up to the moonlight, she could see the water was clear. Why?
Kc set the glass down and, on a sneaking suspicion, ran a thumb over her upper teeth once more. Two sharp and elongated fangs met her thumb. Kc froze and looked at the water. She knew now what she was thirsty for was not water... It was for blood.
Walking back to her room, she changed her clothes quickly. She had to leave before her thirst drove her to attack Sui. But where could she get blood from without attacking random strangers.
Barton... She thought quietly with sudden clarity. The hospital there would have blood supplies, wouldn't it? She clipped her house keys to her belt and stepped out of the house.
Briskly walking around, she reached the shop. Beside it was a small stable for the shop's two delivery horses. Grabbing the gear and a blanket, Kc prepared Bell to ride to Barton.
Bell shook her white mane at Kc in surprise. She didn't expect to be ridden at such an early hour. Feeling the gentle hand on her neck, she relaxed. Kc was the better rider of the two sisters as it was Kc who mostly escorted the deliveries.
"I'm going to Barton and back tonight," Kc whispered to the horse as she mounted up. "Quietly... So that Sui doesn't hear us." Bell stepped lightly out of the stable and along the grass. She kept her head low as if she were a tiger stalking prey. She waited for Kc's signal.
Kc watched the window of Sui's room. She knew that if Sui happened to look up, she would see Kc and Bell. So far so good. Just a little further. Kc's breath caught in her throat. Movement, so small that it was barely noticeable... Then the light in Sui's room went out.
"Let's go, girl." Kc said and snapped the reins. Bell lifted her head and galloped down the western road towards Barton. She lowered her head and rested it against Bell's mane. She could feel the horse's blood coursing through its veins. If she wanted to, she could easily sink her teeth directly into the largest arteries in Bell's neck. Instead, she contented herself with tracing the veins with her fingers.
The sound of hooves against cobblestones caused her to lift her head. Pulling Bell to a halt, Kc led her to a small copse of trees and looped the reins loosely over a low branch to give Bell room to graze.
Keeping low, she crept along the wall until the east entrance to Barton was in sight. She watched, keeping count, how long the guards took to pace from the gate to the edge of an umber circle of cobblestones and back again. Once both guards were walking away from the gate, she slipped in.
Barton City Medical Centre is just over there isn’t it? Kc followed her senses and crept along the walls until she saw the large white building looming up in the distance. Crouching in the shadows, she thought carefully. Her senses told her a large amount of blood was sitting in fridges along the southern wall of the building. I guess I should scout for open windows first before using the front door.
Stealthily, she ran from shadow to shadow to the Medical Centre. I wonder... Crouching once more, she prepared to jump on the spot. It was only a few seconds later that she began to feel rather stupid. I guess I can’t jump super high like they do in the stories. With an amused frown, she got up and brushed herself off.
After a few minutes of hunting, she found nothing. With a sigh, she realised she only had the front door left as an option. How am I going to do this? She thought carefully about it. It’s a Medical Centre. If I fake being sick... That won’t work. The Head Officer there is very quick witted. She’d spot a fake in a second. Cuts perhaps would be better. Once I drink, I’ll heal quickly so there’s no problem there...
Perhaps it was convenience. Or maybe it was fated to happen. Whatever the case may have been, Kc’s eyes widened. Shock settled through her system slowly dulling to the calm cool sense that this dagger couldn’t kill her.
“What are you doing wandering the streets at night, little girl?” The hot breath of her would be murderer brushed her cheek. “Shall I have my way with you before you pass on?”
“Not tonight,” Kc turned her head ever so slightly. “Shall I teach you why Barton is a safe city?” The man drew his sword and Kc’s eyes widened in recognition.
The man from the marketplace! Kc mental thanked the Gods for the good fortune and pretended to faint from the shock of the stab. He can take me into the Medical Centre for treatment. If he doesn’t... well... at least I’ll have my next meal. She watched the men through slitted eyes.
“Who are you to talk so high and mighty,” The murderer snapped flicking the dagger sending Kc’s blood in every direction. “Regardless,” He licked the dagger with a sinister smile on his face. “I’ll have to do away with you as well.”
Just like men. Kc thought mentally rolling her eyes. All talk, little action. The swish and chink of metal striking each other reached her ears. She already knew who the victor would be. An ex Barton Regular versus a cutpurse... Only a blind man wouldn’t be able to see it.
“Hey,” A large hand shook her shoulder. “Can you stand?” She felt him pull her up by her shoulders. “This looks bad. Wait here, I’ll get some help from the Medical Centre.” Kc closed her eyes and drifted on the border between wake and sleep.
When Kc became alert again, she could hear a female’s voice near her. “It’s alright,” She felt her eyes being pulled open to have a light shone into them. “She’s still conscious, but only just. The wound is deep too, but has missed her heart.” The woman stood and indicated to two orderlies to pick Kc up and take her inside. “What do we do about him?” The woman pointed to the cutpurse lying in a bloodied heap a little distance away.
“Leave him, Kate.” The ex Barton Regular replied. “He was the one who hurt her in the first place.” He tilted his head at her curiously. “What’s wrong?”
“She looks familiar...” Kate followed the orderlies while she studied Kc’s face. Slowly, realisation dawned on her. “She’s the youngest of the Marius sisters! I wonder why she’s in Barton so late at night.”
“Perhaps there was something wrong with the shipment,” The man sighed and turned around. “I’ll go notify her sister.”
Great! Kc thought struggling to keep herself limp. The last thing I need is Sui here. I won’t be able to get any blood if that happens. She thought about things carefully. It’ll take Sui a while to get here. So I should be able to sneak blood and then...
“She’ll need that wound stitched closed,” Kate murmured to the nurses near her. “Also a transfusion as there was a significant amount of blood loss.” The nurses nodded and went to gather the equipment for Kate.
“Where?” Kc murmured. Her mind whirred faster than her speech. “Where’s Ada?”
“Kc...” Kate spoke to her softly in a soothing voice. “You’re in Barton. Ada isn’t here. She passed on remember? You and Sui saw her fall into a void due to her wild experiments with a demonic box.”
“Ada...” Kc began to cry. These, at least, were real tears. She missed her eldest sister deeply. Ada was the one who taught her and Sui the basics of Alchemy and how to apply it to do practically anything a mage could do. “I saw Ada in the forest and followed her on Bell. I left Bell at the east entrance and followed her inside the gate. She disappeared when I got near the Medical Centre.”
“And then you got attacked?” Kate confirmed quietly as she placed the intravenous catheter into Kc’s arm. “We’ll have to keep you here for a few days under observation but you should be alright to go once you have your strength again.”
“Ok...” Kc replied quietly. This is turning out better than I anticipated. She closed her eyes. “I know you’ll do a good job, Kate. Your patients are always telling me that our medicines mixed with your care always make them better much faster than the hospital on the Isle de Gambino.”
“Thank you,” Kate replied with a smile.
***
The man banged on the door of the house. “Sui!” His banging was interrupted by a light being flicked on in a room a few windows down from him.
“What?” Sui poked her head out of her bedroom window. Her annoyed expression softened when she realised who it was. “Lack? What’s wrong? Something happened in Barton?”
“It’s Kc,” He walked over to her window to speak to her properly. “I found her when she got attacked in Barton.” He raised his hands in an attempt to calm Sui before she got worked up. “She’s being looked after by my sister in the medical centre. She was still conscious and speaking when I left.”
Sui merely blinked at him for a second. Bringing her fingers to her lips, she let out a very high pitched whistle. Lack knew this call and dodged as a large bird swooped down to Sui’s outstretched arm.
“Shadow,” Sui purred softly stroking the owl’s head. “I need you to make an urgent delivery for me.” The owl moved its head towards her hand and pressed against it. Lack watched her disappear into her room and out her bedroom door.
“Lack,” Sui’s voice called to him from the shop. “You can go inside and sit for a bit. I won’t be long.” Lack raised an eyebrow before opening the front door. Inside, he could hear the tinkling of bottles and the occasional disgruntled or surprised hoot from the owl. Rolling his eyes, he dropped himself down onto a couch in the lounge room.
Sui rifled through the bottles in the emergency stock cupboard. Why was Kc in Barton? Finding the bottle she needed, she held it out for Shadow. “Take that to Kc. She’ll need it. The medications for blood transfusions don’t work as effectively on us as they do on regular humans because of our warped natures from experiments.”
Shadow hooted at Sui before grabbing the bottle with her claws and fly off into the night towards Barton. Kc will be alright. Lack would have told me if she had serious injuries. But even so, she may have lost a lot of blood.
Sui moved back to her room and took of the soft cotton shift she was wearing. Best not to think too much on it, I’ll ask Kc when I see her. Sui pulled on her black boots. Without thinking, she got dressed into her Limit Breaker coat, coal bustier, and black and white checked pants. Pausing, she placed a hand over her heart. Something is calling me.
***
Kate only had moment after the screech to duck. Shadow swooped low, nearly clipping his wing against her head, and dropped the bottle in his claws onto Kate’s lap. Kate stared at the bottle, then at the dark owl that now perched itself at the head of Kc’s bed.
“Sui’s emergency deliverer,” Kc explained reaching up to tickle Shadow’s belly. “Sui probably sent the medication that helps us be compatible with the medications we make for you. I’m meant to take one of those pills with every medication you give me otherwise the medications have a reduced effect.”
Kate nodded and tipped one pill from the bottle into the waiting medication cup that contained the tablets needed to negate the reactions caused by incompatible blood types. “Will Sui be coming tonight to see you?”
“More than likely,” Kc replied glancing outside the window. A flicker of black wings caught her eye. Kc’s eyed widened. It can’t be. “Kate...”
“Hmm?”
“Do you see that outside the window?” Kc pointed to the figure she could see riding a giant imp-like bat. “Or am I hallucinating from the blood loss?”
“There’s nothing there Kc,” Kate replied looking out the window at the black sky. “What do you see?”
“Ada...” Kc replied quietly. She watched the figure bob in the air slightly before flying away. “Ada was riding a demonic creature.”
***
Sui clipped her chain belt with a black heart buckle around her waist and a spider charm choker around her neck. Something was still missing.
“This,” A voice spoke from behind her. Sui spun and was greeted with a golden staff held out by someone hidden in the shadows. “You need this.” She stared at the pale hand holding the staff.
“Who’s there?” Sui’s voice brought Lack at a run. “And why are you holding my sister’s staff?”
“Sui...” Lack drew his sword and stood near her. “What in the world is that?” He stared at the mass of black tendrils.
“My staff,” The voice whispered. “Keep it with you Sui.” The darkness faded letting the staff fall to the ground. “Don’t lose it.”
Lack blinked in confusion. “Uh...” Sui stepped forward to pick up the staff. “What was that?” He watched her carefully. “Are you ok?”
Sui hugged the staff and slowly, tears began to fall. “Ada...”
***
Kc felt the new blood mixing with her own. It wasn’t quenching her thirst, but it wasn’t making it worse either. Sui will be here soon. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the owl snoozing above her.What was that? Did I really see Ada outside the window? Kc shook her head fiercely. Kate said she couldn’t see anything. Perhaps I was seeing things.
“You weren’t,” Kc sat up suddenly and stared at the dark shadow spreading in the corner of the room opposite her. “Kc...”
“Ada?” Kc’s eyes widened as a deathly pale version of her sister stepped out of the shadow. The demonic imp/bat thing followed her before settling on her head like some sort of giant ball with wings. “Seriously?”
“I’m here,” Ada whispered. “I came to give you your gift.” Leaning over, she pressed an ice cold finger to Kc’s forehead. “You see me, no one else can. Even Sui can’t see the whole me. I’ll unlock what you need.” Kc felt something break inside her. Ada drew her finger away. “Sui will be here in an hour. Drink...” She tilted her head at Kc. “Proof that you saw me will come soon.”
Kc stared at what Ada now held out to her. “Where?” Pain grew within her mouth. The urge to drink intensified.
“Drink... Kc...” Ada moved the bag closer to Kc. “To satisfy your thirst before Sui gets here.” Kc hesitated until Ada uttered the next few words. “Do you want to bite Sui?”
Kc sank her teeth into the bag. The metallic taste of blood on her tongue soothed the roaring thirsty monster within her. Slowly, as the taste of plastic registered on her tongue, she withdrew her fangs.
“Ada?” Kc looked around the room in alarm. No sign of Ada or the drained blood bag. Strange. She touched her lips curiously. I’m not thirsty anymore.
“Kc?” Sui peeked into the room. “You awake?”
“Ahh,” Kc replied watching her step quietly through the door. “Sui...” She stared at the golden staff in Sui’s hand. “Why are you carrying Ada’s staff?” Sui rested the staff on Kc’s bed and pulled up a chair. “Sui?”
“I thought I saw Ada,” Sui replied after a few moments. “Or at least her hand that held her staff out to me. She was engulfed in darkness. I thought I was seeing things until Lack told me he saw her too.” Kc waited. She had a feeling Sui wasn’t finished yet. “He only saw the darkness surrounding her and the staff floating in mid-air.”
“Actually...” Kc laid back onto her pillows. A few tears escaped her eyes. “I thought I saw her too.” Sui tilted her head slightly at this statement. “She was riding a Popobawa. I followed her to Barton but once getting here I lost her.” Kc looked out the window in time to see a brief flicker of black wings disappear. “Then when I was placed here, I thought I saw her again outside the window looking in at me. Kate said she couldn’t see anything.”
“I wonder...” Sui leaned over and rested her forearms on her knees. “What if she’s a Contracted now? Would make sense that we could see her but Lack and Kate couldn’t. I never thought about it before, but what if the void she fell into was a void to hell.”
“The only way she could survive would be to become a Contracted,” Kc frowned thinking about it. “Even so, I doubt a Popobawa would allow a human to ride on its back just to allow it to see its family.”
“Popobawa do strange things,” Sui pointed out. She touched the spider charm on her choker. “But you’re right; Popobawa normally wouldn’t allow a human it has contracted to do nice things like that.” She nodded more to herself than to Kc before continuing on. “I think it’s probably best to wait and see. If Ada is still alive, she’ll try to contact us again.”
I already know. Kc looked down at the golden staff. Ada said proof will come. If it isn’t that staff then what else could there be.
***
“Sui, Can I talk to you for a second?” Kate looked down at Kc’s sleeping form and then at the almost empty bag of blood. “It’s about the blood stores.”
Sui lifted her head up from her snoozing position on the chair. “You get your blood donated, don’t you? I don’t see what I can do for you regarding them.”
Kate shook her head and pulled up a chair to sit next to her. “I went to get another bag of blood for Kc and found three bags that were empty. Two large holes were poked into each of them.” Sui’s eyes widened in response to Kate what telling her. “I’m worried we’re having that issue with vampires again.”
“Newborns, you mean?” Sui confirmed before biting her bottom lip. “How many nights has this been going on?”
“This is the first,” Kate held out one of the empty bags to Sui. “You see why I suspect vampires?”
Sui examined the bag carefully. On the opposite side of the bag to where the holes were, there was an indentation of teeth marking in the plastic as if the pressure was hard enough to leave a lasting mark but not enough to puncture. Gently she pressed her finger on the holes. The holes told her more than what Kate had suspected.
Definitely a newborn vampire made these marks. An older one or a pure-blood would have been much more subtle with their approach. She handed the bag back to Kate. “I’d say this newborn hasn’t learnt how to get blood without harming humans yet. It’ll probably be back tonight.” Sui got up and picked up the staff. “I’ll set some traps.” She got to the door and turned back slightly. “Where’s Lack?”
“Outside practicing,” Kate replied. “After I told him about the bags, he said he’ll stay just in case we need him.” Sui waved and walked out the door.
Vampires are turning humans again. Sui walked down to the hospital grounds and stood watching Lack practice his forms with the large broadsword. It goes against the contract they made with the governing bodies of each city. Do they want hunter’s to go after them again?
“Sui!” Lack sheathed his sword and waved at her as he jogged towards her. “Kate told you about the bags?”
“Yeah,” Sui planted the butt of the staff into the ground and leaned on it. “There are a few things that concern me.”
“Oh?” Lack leaned against the wall of the hospital.
“The marks were definitely made by a newborn vampire,” Sui replied quietly. “But if that is the case then a vampire broke the contract that their pure-blooded superiors made.”
“No human may hunt vampires as they have recognised and signed the Oath of Blood. The Oath states they won’t turn humans provided that we don’t hire people to kill them,” Lack said quoting one of the universal Gaian Laws. “As far as I know, Leon hasn’t hired anyone to hunt vampires.” He glanced at Sui before continuing. “I’ll report the three bags to Leon. He’ll probably want to place guards around and inside the hospital.”
“Tell him that unless he wants his regulars to become pigeons, he’ll only keep them on guard outside the hospital.” Sui replied with a hint of threat in her voice. “Kate has allowed me to set traps. I want those traps to only be sprung by vampires, not humans clumsily blundering into them.”
“Will do,” Lack motioned with his head towards the door into the hospital. “I’ll grab the bags and we’ll go see Leon together. Better he sees that you’re here than hear it from me and ignore the warning.”
***
Sui sat in the security office with her feet on the table watching the monitors. Each monitor showed one of her traps. Her thoughts drifted back to their talk with Leon.
“Those annoying vampires,” Leon burned with fury. “I should have known never to let them into the city. Even if they were under the Oath of Blood, they still are a potential threat to humans.”
“You’ll need to take this up with the Governor,” Lack said handing Leon the three punctured bags. “Something needs to be done. Sui and I will keep an eye of the interior. You place your guards around the exterior.”
“I don’t need you telling me what to do,” Leon poked Lack’s chest hard. “I’ll put my guards where I damn well please. I don’t see what you or a girl can do alone to protect an area as large as the Medical Centre.”
Wordlessly, before Lack or Leon could say anything, Sui lowered the head of her staff and sketched a quick pentacle on the ground. Giving it a tap, she whispered. “Rise. ”At her command, a golem made of cobblestones and mud rose from the ground to lean over Leon menacingly.
“I am Sui Marius,” She said in the most level and threatening tone she could muster. “I’m sure you have heard of my family in some form or another.” She watched Leon draw his sword at the golem. “I will give you a fair warning in front of Lack and the rest of your regiment, let them be my witness, if you enter any of your guards into the hospital without myself or Lack to lead them, I cannot be held responsible for what my happened to them when they spring the traps Kate has authorised me to set.”
Sui tapped the leg of the golem with her staff. It turned and looked at her, as if waiting for its next command. “Return.” She commanded and waited for the golem to sink back into the ground before pulling her staff back to its original upright position.
“Threats don’t work with me,” Leon blustered at her. “Like I said...”
“Like I said,” Sui cut in giving Leon a sharp look. “I haven’t threatened. I have merely warned you. You are welcome to do as you please, but it will rest on your head if something happens to one of your Regulars.”
“That idiot!” Sui jumped and looked at Lack. “He actually sent some of the Regulars in even after that little display of yours.” He picked up his sword and made for the door.
“Lack wait,” Sui’s eye caught movement on the monitor closest to her. “Ignore them. I gave Leon the warning so it won’t be my fault if they really do turn into pigeons.” She pointed to the flickering darkness that resembled a hood of some sort. “You see that?”
“You want me to go investigate?” Lack slung his sword over his back and placed a hand on the door.
Sui nodded and held out a necklace with a little bottle on the end. Inside the bottle was a greenish-blue orb. “It’s a mana seed. Something Gaia has created that negates the effects of alchemy. It’s rare so try not to drop it or lose it.”
Lack took the bottle and placed it around his neck before carefully tucking the bottle under his shirt. “You didn’t tell Leon about this seed.” He saw Sui’s face suddenly take on a stubborn expression. “I agree. He annoys the shit out of me too.”
Sui watched the monitor that displayed the Regulars. Resting her head on her hand, she couldn’t help but smile. She knew the trap in that area was a transformation potion along with a cage to trap the weakened creature that springs it.
Four regulars... Sui saw Lack’s glint of yellow from the tassel on the end of his sword each time he passed through a monitor. I wonder if they’ll blunder into the trap. She expected they would blunder into it without a doubt as they had no guide who could see the markings.
“Sui,” Lack’s voice issued from the monitor. “We have a problem.” Sui looked at the monitor he stood in and stared at what he held in his hand. “I think our newborn can also see alchemy signs.”
Sui stepped out the door, but not before seeing what the four regulars had turned into. We better gather them before they blunder into more traps. Briskly, she walked through the halls. As she walked, she took up each of her traps with a tap of her staff. The blood bank has been breached but none of the traps were sprung prior to it. So either it is a patient within the Centre or a very creative newborn.
“I think,” Lack said to her as she approached. “We better take more aggressive action.” He saw the amusement still on Sui’s face. “They walked into the trap, didn’t they?”
“We’ll need to round up two pigeons and two frogs before we release all the traps in that corridor,” Sui replied trying not to laugh. “Leon isn’t going to be happy. But I did warn him. The potions wear off after a while but still.” She crouched down and began to laugh hard. “It was so funny!”
Lack sighed and pocketed the three newly punctured blood bags. “Let’s take up the traps and go talk to Leon.” Sui straightened and moved the head of the staff down so she could tap each trap as they passed. “Something does bother me though.”
“Oh?”
“Normally one bag is enough for a newborn,” Sui paused in mid tap at this. “But this vampire needs three. Is it really just one vampire?”
“True,” Sui turned to look at him. “We’re working on the assumption that it is just one newborn vampire. I think we’ll need to go with Leon to have a chat to the Governor of Barton. If there’s more than one, it is more significant than just one newborn.”
Lack nodded. “Only one could mean a rogue vampire who isn’t listening to his superiors. But three could mean the vampires have decided to break the Oath.”
“Or a very vengeful rogue vampire,” Sui turned back and continued down the hall towards the transformed Regulars. “Either way, it won’t bode well for either races if the Hunts start up again.”
“If Leon has his way, he’d start the Hunts up again.” Lack frowned as he fingered the punctured bags again. “Perhaps we better go straight to the Governor this time.”
“You do it,” Sui replied holding staff out at mid-defensive posture. “I need to visit Cindy on something.” As she suspected, the two pigeons attacked her. Tucking her fingers into her belt pouch, she deftly drew and threw two vials filled with an opaque green liquid. Lack watched the vials hit the pigeons and drag them down to stick to the floor. “If you have to attack anyone, attack Leon. I did warn him this might happen.”
The two pigeons squawked indignantly at Lack. “She’s right; I was there when she did her display to Leon. You shouldn’t follow orders so blindly, especially if you know there’s a well known Alchemist on the premises.”
“Same thought pattern should apply to Mages, Trappers, and Illusionists,” Sui added picking up the frogs, which were notably silent, and handed them to Lack. “All human jobs that may cause a certain degree of suffering to those who are unprepared to deal with what the person has done.”
Lack kept a hold of the two pigeons and placed the two frogs in his pockets. “The Regulars don’t get training to deal with those jobs so you need to use your head a lot more even if Leon is threatening you with insubordination. He knows that he can’t force you into a situation you aren’t prepared to handle without a written order from the Governor.” The pigeons grew silent and looked up at Lack. “For things like this, Leon wouldn’t have a written order. He’d only have one if we were being invaded, like during the time I was serving...”
Sui turned her head slightly to look at Lack. She had heard the slight wobble in his tone. Upset? Or is it anger? She continued to walk down the hall taking up the traps. I never really asked him why he left the Regulars. He’s very knowledgeable so they lost someone who would have become a brilliant commander. At least someone, who isn’t as blind as Leon.
Sui listened to the strange conversation Lack was having behind her. Interesting... He either knows them well enough to know what they are saying or he can understand the speech of animals. Sui frowned thoughtfully before adding to her thoughts. Or he could be just amusing himself and pretending to having a conversation with them.
“LACK!” Leon roared marching up the hallway. “What have you done to my Regulars?” Sui tilted her head and watched the procession of animals behind Leon. “This is an obstruction of an investigation! I can have you...”
“Where’s your order from the Governor?” Lack replied calmly. “Did you tell them they had to enter the building despite Sui’s warning? Did you say to them that they will be discharged if they didn’t follow your orders?” Lack watched Leon start to go red. “Well?”
Lack never received his answer. “I would stop if I were you,” Sui said calmly, the head of her staff resting a few inches away from a trap. “Picking fights isn’t what you need to be doing either.”
“I’m not going to be told what to do by an Alchemist,” Leon shouted still marching towards them. Sui smiled mentally. All the animals that had been following him had stopped in their tracks at her warning. “You will stay there so I can...”
What Leon was going to propose was cut short. Sui sighed as her trap snapped shut around his ankle. A grey speckled potion seeped into his skin. Leon froze. He could feel the ice cold sensation begin to spread over his skin.
Sui pulled her staff up and brought it close to her body. “Want me to stay here still?” Leon gave her a withering look. “Now that isn’t very nice. I’ve been patient with you so far even though all I have received is insults and anger from you.” Sui waited listening carefully.
“Please...” Leon whispered hoping the whisper alone would maintain the respect he thought his regiment had for him.
“Sorry?” Sui lifted a hand to her ear. She had heard him clearly. She just wanted him to pay a little for annoying her. “I didn’t catch that.”
“Please!” Leon looked up at her. Sweat beaded his forehead. “Please stop the potion spreading.”
Sui stepped forward and tapped what remained of the trap with her staff. She gritted her teeth and braced herself for the impact. “Dispell.” Blood trickled from her wrist, down the staff to the trap. The blood acted like a magnet pulling the potion away from Leon’s ankle. “Disassemble.” Pain lanced through her wrist as the potion’s components fell apart. “Disintegrate.” A flash of light blinded everyone in the hallway. Once the light died away; the trap, Sui’s blood, and the potion had all disappeared.
Sui switched which hand she held the staff with and raised an eyebrow at Leon. “I’m not a mage. There will be side effects within yourself for a while despite me removing the potion from you.”
Leon pressed his lips into a thin line. “Thank you.” That single utterance made him clap his hand over his mouth in surprise. His voice was now several octaves higher, almost feminine.
Sui, Lack and the transformed Regulars just stared at Leon.
***
Sui sat in Cindy’s office with her staff leaning against the dark brown couch she was in. She waited patiently as Cindy rifled through all the recent news articles that had crossed her desk in the past week.
“You’re the first person who has come to me with that question today,” Cindy got up to hand Sui several articles. “I’m surprised. I didn’t think anyone would notice a pattern.”
“I actually didn’t think it was a big deal until now,” Sui looked at the pages carefully. “But from these alone, even I can see the vampires are starting to act up again.” She looked up at Cindy with a very determined look on her face. “Could you call the Governor and let him know of the pattern. I’ll take these,” She waved the articles in her hand. “Over to him.”
“Sure thing, Sui.” Cindy replied and buzzed for her secretary to show Sui the way out again. “While I’m all for having news to report, some news is just too dangerous to be left alone.”
Sui waved and followed the secretary out. As she walked along the halls, she looked through the articles in her hands. Student Disappears After Draining Best Friend Of Blood. Latest Examinations Show An Increase In Fangs. Musician’s Street: No Longer Safe. Sui looked at the last article in her hand carefully. Flynn Reported Missing, Replaced By Alien Duo. Looking up only to thank the secretary for showing her the exit, she wondered why Cindy thought it was necessary to put that article in with the others.
“Sui?” Sui looked up at the person who spoke to her. “Oh my goodness! It is you!” Sui gave a bewildered expression as the fox-eared girl hugged her.
“You have more animals than ever with you,” Sui replied softly. Her mind whirred. She could be of some help. Vampires prefer biting humans over animals her animals would go unnoticed. She patted the girl on the back gently before they pulled out of their hug. “Lulu, I need your help with a case I’m working on.”
Lulu gave Sui a sly smile. “What’s in it for me?”
“The knowledge that you won’t become the first Vampire Kitsune,” Sui replied unamused and motioned Lulu to follow her. “I’ve been running around all day gathering information on the vampire activity within Barton and the news isn’t good.” She handed Lulu the articles that Cindy had given her. “I don’t know if this issue has spread further than here but it seems the vampires are determined to take over a city rather than live peacefully with us.”
“You mean the hunts will start up again?” Lulu asked seriously quickly scanning the pages before handing them back to Sui. “What do you need me to do?”
“Not you specifically but your animals,” Sui felt Hermes jump onto the tail of her jacket and cautiously make his way up to her head. “The Medical Centre has a newborn vampire stealing blood. Last night I filled the place with alchemical traps and the vampire not only managed to bypass them, but also drink three bags of blood without spilling a drop.”
“A dangerous mix,” Lulu replied with a shiver. “A vampire that is also good at Alchemy could easily trap its prey rather than hunt like other vampires.” Lulu looked up at the Governor’s mansion. “So why are we here?”
“One, to deliver these articles I received from Cindy,” Sui said pushing open the door with more force than she intended causing it to bang and echo around the foyer. “And two, to work out what the Governor wants to do. This isn’t a matter of just the Medical Centre anymore, it involves all of Barton.”
Sui heard voices before she pushed open the door to the Governor’s office. Without a second thought to what might be being said, she entered.
“Who let you in,” Sui looked at Lack and Leon before looking at the Governor of Barton. “And why is a fox creature in here as well.”
“So I really need to give a demonstration to him as well?” Sui asked Lack and Leon. Both shook their heads furiously. Sui turned back to the Governor. “I’m Sui Marius and this is Lulu Tsune. Lulu is a Kitsune, but more importantly, she’s a Tamer.” She waited to see if either title caused surprise in the Governor. Sadly, all she could see was sheer ignorance.
“So an Alchemist I’ve never heard of and a fox-girl,” He leaned back in his chair. “Like I was telling these two, the vampires in this city are under control.” Sui threw the pile of articles onto his desk. “What’s this?”
“Articles that Cindy gave me,” Sui replied with a very blunt tone in her voice. She didn’t like this man one bit. “As well as reports from your own Barton Elites, all of which prove that vampires are not under control and are becoming a problem.”
The Governor glanced over the papers, his eyes widening as read. “Why didn’t you two come with information like this?” He asked trying to pass Sui’s accusing glare onto the two.
“Why is that Sui?” Lack passed the question with an amused smile on his face. “Why ask Leon and myself to come here while you ran around to gather information?”
“Because I had hoped the information would be just additional,” Her hard glare was still on the Governor. “I assumed that you would have listened to your citizens rather than wait until a visitor from Aekea gave you the information you should have already known about.”
Lulu’s nose twitched and she growled. Slowly, her white hair flooded with a pale orange colour. Her kitsune ears and tail coloured orange as well, becoming more visible. The change drew Sui’s attention onto her.
“Something doesn’t smell right.”
***
Kc sat up suddenly. A cold sweat trickled down her back producing more shivers than a winter’s day. Looking around, she noticed the bare white walls of the room and the absence of any windows or light.
Where am I? This doesn’t look like the Medical Centre. Kc stood up and stretched her arms out to feel around her. Frost covered everything. Her senses went crazy. Am I in a freezer? Reaching out, she plucked something slippery and plastic off the shelf. Bringing it close to her face, she could sense what it was. Blood... She turned her head around in an attempt to look through the darkness. This place is filled with blood. Why am I here?
Light flooded in as the door to the room slowly opened. “Kc?” A voice filled with shock and a bit of sadness filtered in to her. “When... When did you become a vampire?”
“Sui...” Kc fell to her knees. She didn’t want Sui to know. She’d end up leaving just like Ada had left them. “No...”
Kc snapped her eyes opened and stared at the white ceiling of the Medical Centre. A dream... I hope that was just a dream...
***
Sui held her staff out against the Governor of Barton’s, now vampire, attack. She watched his fangs wrap around the shaft. “Why in the hell did you two agree to give up your weapons at the door?” Sui yelled at them as Lack rifled through her belt pouch for a thick black vial. “This is also a possible outcome you should have foreseen.”
“I didn’t think the Governor would be a vampire!” Lack yelled in reply over the combined noise of the growls from the Governor, Lulu, and her animals. “So sue me! I thought that he would have been protected enough to not get turned.”
“He’s pure-blood,” Lulu hissed in anger. “He’s a shape-shifter. The real Governor is not here.” She bared her now canine teeth. “The real one smells of kindness and flowers because of his affection towards Rina. This one smells of violence and blood.”
Lack threw the black vial at the Governor’s face. Smoke flooded the room in an instant. Sui felt the tension on her staff release and ran after Lack, Leon and Lulu. This is going to make things much more difficult.
End Notes:
Popobawa is the giant bat that is in The Nightmare EI. It is the name you see when you mouse over that particular icon in the EI’s pose list.
Baron, Della, Lulu and Ada are original 'NPC' characters. They are designed within the constraints of Gaia Online's current avatar system but they aren't Gaia-created NPC's either.
Lulu is a variation of Kitsune. She looks human but can change to both animal-fox and human-fox. The preference towards being human is so she can blend in and not be attacked for being a different species.
Hermes is from an Evolving Item that looks like a white fox. I can't remember which item it is.
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