Blood and Water
He glanced at his vampire host than back at the room he was being shown. It was an ascetically pleasing room if you could ignore the smell of blood. Various small fountains spouting blood, goblets and tables arranged as if for a court yard social gathering. The fact that he had been shown this room... his host hadn't realised he was human yet.
It would have been an advantage, if the situation hadn't occurred because of a complete lack of common language and his attempt to mime out his need for some water. The guards who had escorted him to the vampire lord in chains had been unaware that humans needed water or food. It had been awhile since he had any and he would need water soon or risk weakness. It was something he could ill afford in this land filled with so many vampires.
The blood fountains could be researched later after he had secured his own well being. If the barrier that made sunlight harmless to his captors hadn't also rendered his enhanced senses mute he would be able to find some quickly himself. His host's ignorance at least meant he wasn't the only one with that disadvantage.
Would this creature raised with blood fountains be able to recognise the difference between human and vampire blood? It may be the only way to make it known he was human. There was ample blood in those fountains if the sight made the creature hungry. He didn't want to do it, not even bleed from a paper cut. Frankenstein surveyed the room again there could be an alternative.
.
Cadis blinked at his guest-Frankenstein the Lords messenger had told him- who didn't seem willing to drink from any of the available blood sources. They had mentioned that he was an outsider and that's why he had been placed in Cadis care. Perhaps he couldn't read the inscriptions as they were in Lukedona tongue. The scent of all the blood types mingled here, so scent alone wouldn't be enough for his guest to identify the one he wanted.
Well if Frankenstein wanted to know what he was drinking that would be fair enough. Cadis grasped two goblets from the tables and gestured for Frankenstein to follow him to a different room as his guest looked at his fingers in contemplation. After a moment's hesitation Frankenstein did so. Cadis led the way to the emptiest room in the house. The only adornment was a single shelf of tools and the rows on rows of taps.
Placing the goblets on the self temporally, he pulled on a pair of heavy leather gloves. Looking to Frankenstein he gestured for him to take a goblet as Cadis toke one himself. Raising a brow of spun gold his guest followed the silent request. Those clear blue eyes made Cadis think of daylight skies' painted by humans.
First Cadis tried the major blood groups Frankenstein didn't like the scent of any of them, had he only been given older blood before? Cadis tried that tap next and no his guest did not like that either; he didn't like any of the acceptable bloods permitted in Lukedona. Maybe that was why he had refused all the blood offered even with the urgency he had indicated of his thirst. Cadis offered the last of the accepted bloods to his guest again, he was refused. What strange liquied would Frankenstein consume? He was a guest still; Cadis went to the shelf and retrieved the two buckets there. One filled with poisoned handles and the other empty he wouldn't be drinking the blood his guest rejected any more.
.
Frankenstein had realised on the third cup in that his host was trying to discover what 'food' he wanted to drink. The thought had humoured him so much that he didn't reveal to the vampire he was a human. He could go one more day without water it just wasn't healthy. Given the way his host had tried to insist on the last cup of blood then collected the handles for the taps that lacked them, they had left the 'decent' options behind.
The wall of 'blood on tap' was even stranger than the fountains. After refusing half a dozen more liquids that might be considered blood and his host was looking at him in a very concerned manner. Frankenstein made an effort to stop smiling; blood would be a serious matter to this creature, but really. The creature seemed at a loss of how to deal with this 'picky eater.' Then he noticed the handles.
They were made of a wood that was well known for being poisonous to vampires. That his host had the fortitude to get near them let alone touch them was dangerous. What else could this vampire stand that others could not? The lord may have placed him with this creature because it would be able to turn him. That was an unsettling thought.
He looked around the sparse room for things to defend himself with and found an alarming quantity. How, why would they be in a vampires house? The creature didn't have methods of dealing with them, did he? Gloves, Frankenstein focused on them. The vampire could not touch the wood outright the common methods still held some effect, they were just minimal. He calmed his breathing and looked up, to see his host staring at him.
The creatures gaze moved away immediately but he seemed to have realised something. He had, the next cup put in front of Frankenstein contained water. It was murky but he nodded any way. Instead of passing him the goblet the vampire tossed it into the 'waste' bucket. The vampire held out his hand and after a moment's panic Frankenstein handed the clean goblet he was holding to the creature. It moved with a deliberate slowness and this time Frankenstein payed attention to which of the many taps it drew upon. Water was from the only copper tap, it had its own permanent handle. He could get his own water from there.
Frankenstein allowed the creature to refill his cup again and again until his stomach could take no more, it would stave off hunger. When it reached the point he could drink no more he had picked up on the creatures change of behaviour. It was moving at half speed when it approached him and would not look him in the eyes. It made him bristle for a moment to be treated as a scared animal, than it struck him.
None of the vampires here had looked the humans he had identified in the eyes, unless it was accompanied by the signs of intimacy. It might be seen as rude for vampires to look into human eyes when they could use Mesmer. If this was true the humans here were citizens not cattle. It seemed unlikely but all the humans he had met had been in some level of authority. They knights who had brought him here had received a reprimanded from their human superior. The slowness was different, his host believed he was the source of the Frankenstein's earlier fear, he was, but that didn't mean the creature had to make an effort to appear less threatening. Unless he wanted to.
Frankenstein could only hope that the knight who had translated his words for the lord returned tomorrow as promised. He would need a decent method of communication with his host. That and lots of vampire repellents so he would feel safe to sleep here. The creature before him was miming out sleeping and pointing toward the door, it seemed intent on showing him a bedroom. Or maybe it wanted Frankenstein in its bed; there was no way to know unless he followed.
The lord had given her word he would be freed from this place in ten years because the mistake was made by her people. Would this vampire respect that? Did these creatures care for honour? They had let him keep his hunters kit and even now he had a wooden stake hidden in his clothes. He would survive and if they proved dishonourable he would escape and bring back an army to destroy them. For now seeing how the sun barrier worked would fill his time, if he found a way to remove it that would half his work.
Frankenstein was set up and the vampire central order knights brought him in. The human working in the management centre realised this immediately because a human cannot be held guilty of 'drinking blood to the point of death' when they don't drink blood. Lukedona's law is so strait forward it has no method to deal with such situations, political hiccups. By their law Franken needs to remain for 10 yrs and a dozen other things that they got around by dumping him on Rai.
The knight that 'delivered' Frankie to Cadis didn't fulfil his duty and promised to come back tomorrow because he had urgent personal matters to attend. The silly knight didn't even introduce Rai to Frankie because everyone who can get an audience with the lord must already know him.
They had been in the house for three hours when Frankie figured he should try asking for water, he felt reasonably comfortable with his ability to kill vampires. Immune to poisons was a reason to panic thou, if his host can do that he can get past the guards Frankie was going to use as night protection. You can guess at the rest. - Sim
