Snarls and growls once again echoed through the cavern, but unlike before there was no battle being waged. At least not a physical one. Nicholas had ripped himself away from Judy as soon as his stomach began turning. He violently vomited into what was left of the demon that nearly killed him and almost had it's way with him and he continued to do so even after nothing was left in his stomach. Dry heaving was never good, especially when yet another vampire stood nearby and shook her head in impatience as she watched him empty his stomach and gasp for air in between his gagging and hacking. He couldn't blame her for this even if he wanted to, she had warned him to stay awake after all. And he'd had ever intention of doing so, but his body had just been so worn down that he succumbed to slumber at some point. Or was he forced into sleep by the demon? He didn't know what the truth of the matter was and didn't bother to think about it for long. As soon as his stomach had stopped it's clenching, he was on his feet albeit shakily and dashed for the water, stumbling on the way.
After rather ungracefully falling into the pool, he began to furiously work his paws and claws over his form to get off the ash left on him. The ash came off rather easily, the feeling of that thing against him however, didn't. So he stayed beneath the water even as his lungs began to cry out for the air they needed and he jerked away when silky soft paws grabbed him and lifted him to the surface. The touch threatened to make him retch all over again, reminded of what another demon's paws had felt like and he jerked his arms away from her even as he panted in the air he so needed. He was back to scrubbing then, thankful in the back of his mind that Judy hadn't started to humiliate and tease him as she was known to do since meeting her. Of course, no matter how long he scrubbed and clawed at his fur to get rid of the sensation, it didn't simply wash away like the demon's remains had, but that didn't keep him from trying. He frequently ducked beneath the water, even let himself sink to the bottom and roll against the sand and rock there, but nothing worked. And each time, if he stayed down there too long, she was dragging him back up when his lungs felt like they were about to burst. That didn't keep him from sounding out his disgust through snarls and growls.
The last time he shoved her away, his fury had his claws scratching as well. Even the feel of skin and fur slicing didn't stop him. It was the scent of blood in the air that finally gave him pause. His eyes went to his claws first where both red and gray fur stuck to the sharp ends and blood coated them. Then he looked at himself where he saw his arms, chest, legs, stomach, and shoulders with multiple scratches on them. He was sure his face was just as scratched though he couldn't see that damage and finally he turned to her.
He couldn't read the expression on her face as she simply stared back at him, but then, he didn't need to. It was the long and bleeding claw marks on her cheek that really got his attention. He knew she could have dodged that if she'd wanted to or even caught his paw before he could inflict damage on her. Yet here she stood in the pool with him, still in her dress and bleeding from her cheek where his claws had sliced through her fur and skin. It had him staring at her dumbly and silently, trying to figure out why she had just let him hit her and why the wounds weren't closing when she had only just fed herself.
"Are you done panicking now?" she asked, breaking the silence between them.
He hadn't been able to read her tone either as she spoke. The only change had been her lips moving with her words that had very little emotion in them. Now she stood just as still, silent, and expressionless as before as she waited for his answer. He gave his response in the form of a silent nod, but she accepted it and he watched her disappear then reappear on the bank of the spring. Her dress black and lavender like she was wearing in the hotel room had to be heavy as it dripped around her. She seemed to pay it no mind as she let loose shadows that swallowed up the ashes left behind and the excrement he'd dispelled. The shadows reminded him of why he was in the pool in the first place and he went back to his scrubbing though not nearly as feverish as before. He still ducked under the water as well, but didn't stay under it nearly as long and after the first two times he could feel her stare leaving him.
Two hours in, he knew that he wouldn't be getting the feeling off and left the pool completely though he wrapped his tail around his sheath to keep himself from view. Thankfully the hardened flesh had gone down as soon as she had told him he was about to become a meal for a demon. If that hadn't, he knew that his vomiting would have. But the sin was already done. He had still allowed carnal thoughts, he had still engaged in acts of lust, he had still nearly given up the purity of his body to a demon. He had allowed a demon to feed on him multiple times during the encounter as well and even fed a vampire without any sort of mind manipulation. He was lying to a creature of the night, in an unholy alliance fake as it may be and saved her rather than kill her when he had the chance. He spoke as if he were romantically or at least physically interested in her as well all to gain trust. His sins were racking up and all over the course of one evening, he of course had his reasons in most of them, but sin was sin.
He found a corner far from the vampire, knelt there and immediately begin begging for forgiveness. While he prayed Judy stayed away from him and simply sat on the floor of the cavern, leaning on a rock wall. She still hadn't made a move against him, still hadn't spoken any more than she had in the pool, she simply sat there and watched him until he was done. Her patience was great with him he must admit for it took another hour or more before he was done. Still she didn't move or speak as he made his way back to her after checking his clothes and redressing. It was his turn to break the silence.
"If you knew, why did you not tell me?"
He had been thinking about it even as he prayed. It made no sense for her not to tell him of the succubus, but to warn him to stay awake. Not unless she wanted him to be attacked or to test him. But she had to have known, if she'd known to come in and save him. All the more reason to keep a watch on her for sure and to remember that he couldn't trust a vampire.
"Knew about the succubus I assume?" she spoke up, breaking him of his thoughts. "I did not know there was one or I would not have left, simple as that. I sense a lot of creatures around here that are powerful. That is why I told you to stay awake, I thought you as a slayer could sense them as well. Especially with how quickly you woke up when I was in the room with you back at that Inn."
"Normally I can.." he admitted. "But a succubus preys on-"
"Even the most hidden of lusts of the victim when they sleep, I know. I did not know it was here as I said, a succubus gives off the same feeling as another vampire. No doubt she had her talons in you before your instinct could warn you."
The vampire finally looked at him then and the priest could see that the claw marks were still there. She still hadn't healed them? She seemed to notice and turned her head away again, her eyes trailing to the wall on the other side of the cavern.
"I know you blame me, I do not have to read your thoughts to know that. I know no matter what I say it will not change your mind either and I do not care. I am not interested in proving myself to you. However if this alliance is going to work, there has to be some kind of camaraderie and for that there has to be at least some degree of trust. Maybe not a lot and not now, but eventually. That is why that mark is staying there, to remind you and myself that I know what a single moment can mean and to not act from assumptions."
He hadn't been expecting such an answer from her for a certainty and her expressionless features hadn't given anything away. But now he could tell that she was trying to make it seem as if she meant what she said. Or perhaps she really did which was a tally in his favor. The paw that she raised to her cheek as she spoke told as much and he swallowed down his disgust as he too lifted a paw. The paw settled over her own and applied pressure, she got the idea and turned her head to meet his eyes. His paw ever so gently squeezed hers until her fingers slid in between his and he lowered both their paws into her lap.
"You are right that I do not completely trust you just yet. However I do not blame you for what happened with that demon. That was my own negligence, you warned me to stay awake and I did not heed it." He squeezed her paw again and she looked down to where they were connected together for a moment. When she looked back up at him her features displayed emotion once again. She showed him relief and he mentally added another tally to his side. "As for trust, I believe that most of my mistrust comes from how I was raised and from my past. As far as I am concerned, you have proven yourself tonight."
She returned the squeeze with one of her own at that, a smile curving her lips upward and lighting up her eyes once again. That smile turned into a laugh when his stomach chose that moment to announce his hunger and thus making the fox blush in return. He was very grateful for his red fur that mostly hid the heat he could feel in his cheeks and still being damp, it hid it even more. His ears however were another story, but he fixed that problem, by lowering them against his head. A lot of good it did, the embarrassed grin on his face told the story.
"We should find some food for you. Grab your blade, you are coming with me this time."
He didn't bother to argue, mostly because he was hungry enough that he wouldn't want to wait to eat. But he doubted he would win the argument if he protested too. Not after what happened before. He still wasn't done with his cleansing, he could still feel that demon's touch if he thought of it for too long. But for now what he had done would have to do. He just had to keep his mind from focusing on what had transpired for now and he would be alright. But he also needed to remember it, otherwise he could end up just as vulnerable as before.
Clearly the two of them had something completely different in mind when talking about going for food. He had fully expected to leave the cave and sneak about through Tundratown to get what he needed. He'd also thought that upon getting what he needed they would return to the cave. So he was surprised to say the least when he suddenly found himself in a much warmer climate after a brief moment where he thought his eyesight had failed him. After leaving the cave she must have dropped them through a portal of shadow again or so he supposed. The fall was a lot shorter this time, he hadn't even felt the cold licks of the shadows on him. But who was to say that the cold slither of the shadows hadn't been because they had been on their way to Tundratown the first time? At least the landing had been smoother, he'd only stumbled on his feet this time as instead of falling on his back this time. And he need not worry about another vampire coming after him while he slept. Judy trusted him and clearly had no intention of leaving without him again. Even if he didn't sense anything, she would and would act accordingly.
The smirk she sent at him told him that she'd heard his thoughts once more. Her expression also told him without words that he was spot on in what he was musing on. She didn't speak a word on it though and instead gave a jerk of her head before she began to walk. Going on what he was seeing, he guessed that she knew exactly where she was going. Of course if she had been a vampire for as long as he thought then of course she would know several different places to go. Especially if she was a vampire on the run from another. How long had she been running from that creature? And what kind of creature was he exactly? A vampire of course, but what was his true form? He'd only seen shadow both in his nightmare and in the brief battle in the street. If one could even call it that. It had been something he had asked her before as well, but then the vampire attack happened and he never got an answer. He was about to ask again, to prepare himself for what ever it was, but she beat him to it.
"Even I have never seen his real form," she told him. She looked his way as he came to walk beside her instead of behind. "The shadow you saw, I have come to believe he uses it when he is too weak from being unfed to change his form. Who knows what lies beneath it? I can only imagine a creature that looks as if it comes from the pits of Hell itself. Why else would he attempt to hide his true form?"
"To never be recognized?" he offered after a brief moment to think on it. She seemed to think it over, then nodded.
"Perhaps it is both? You felt the evil coming off him no doubt."
She paused and he nodded in confirmation. He would never forget the skin crawling sensation that went through him, the feeling like ice in his veins. The feeling that the shadows themselves were alive and were closing in, that he was frozen in place for a time and helpless.. That kind of feeling stuck with him and he was sure he would remember it for the rest of his life. It was the first time since he was kit that he could ever recall being afraid. And quite frankly, it enraged him.
"He often boasted about his misdeeds when he was alive. He relished in slaughter, in torture, in all manner of evil against those he governed. Yes, he was a noble." She confirmed that at his look of surprise. "He said he rose to power through terror and manipulation when alive and when he was offered the dark gift as he calls it, he did not hesitate to accept."
"More power to spread more fear and torment."
Again she nodded in confirmation then a frown creased her brows. Her paws clenched into fists at her sides as they walked through what Nick now recognized as the Meadowlands. It was hard not to identify the fields of wheat they walked through or the barns and farm houses further up ahead that were cloaked in twilight. That explained the warmer climate. Tundratown was always kept at freezing temperatures even during the actual season of winter. It was no wonder why it had felt warmer here.
"He told me that together he and his sire slaughtered everyone in his region and reveled in it. A being that evil and feared would have to look as terrifying as their deeds. Maybe not in their lives, but definitely when they turned. The darkness would ensure it and Rogan would accept it with open arms. He never told me the reason why he turned me instead of just killing me. But I suspect it was to snuff out the purity I had when I was alive. To see me become just as depraved and evil as he himself is."
He thought about her theory quietly. Based off of everything she had just told him, this Rogan definitely sounded like the type to turn someone for the exact reason that she guessed. Why else would he bother to turn one who was as innocent as she claimed she had been. He recalled that she had spoken of sneaking out at night when she was alive and he guessed going by what she told him before, that it was the night she had sneaked out to see the comet that had been the night she was turned. He learned he was mistaken when she shook her head in the negative from beside him.
"I was bitten that night, but not turned.. He took me from my home and kept me for a long while as a source of blood."
"Wait, back up a moment here. You said you were bitten, but not turned?"
The surprise in his voice made her halt in her steps and turn to him with a perked brow. He could see through her expression that she was confused about why he was surprised. He had been told since training first began that a vampire need only bite a victim to turn or at least have some kind of influence over them. It would take an exorcism to get rid of the vampire's influence completely. For if the bite didn't turn them immediately then it would eventually. They also said a vampire draining a victim of their blood would turn them instantly. How much of this was true? Going by her frown, not much of it at all. Another negative shake of her head confirmed that.
"A vampire is not turned by a bite. Nor does a vampire influence a mortal through a bite. To influence they take control of their minds, a bite is not needed for that. To make a mortal vampire, there has to be an exchange of blood whether it be intentional or accidental. Your mother for example, would have simply died that night. But the moment the vampire vixen was wounded, blood had to have gotten in her mouth and thus turned her."
And I was the one that wounded her..
Guilt slammed into him hard right then and there. His mother would have just passed away that night if her kit had just done as she said and went to the church. Instead he had returned and killed the vampire and thus made his mother rise back up. Did the church know this? Did they know that there had to be a blood exchange for a victim to become a vampire? No they couldn't have.. There were many that had been bitten and found with vampires that were thought to be vampires themselves. They had claimed to still be mortal, but were called liars and still killed. They hadn't become ash right away when struck with a killing blow, though other more experienced slayers claimed that it was because they were newly turned and the taint hadn't reached as far as the others. It hadn't made much sense to him at the time, but he never questioned it. Until now.
Now that he thought about it, Renato Manchas had been confirmed bitten and while he'd been on the watch list, hadn't been issued a sentence of death. The order had suddenly changed their tune about ten years ago. One bite wouldn't turn, but would influence, but multiple would. It made his eyes widen as he thought about it and when he turned his gaze to Judy he found her staring at him in sympathy. What did she know?
"They have either lied to you, or were mistaken themselves, Nicholas."
They had to have simply been mistaken, the church wouldn't lie unless they absolutely had to like he absolutely had to. They wouldn't intentionally kill innocent mammals and damn their souls into Hell. In fact they prayed for the souls of the vampires as they slayed them. They had to have just been mistaken before and likely had long repented for the mistakes they had made.
Judy turned on her heel and began to walk again and he quickly joined her. She didn't say anything for a moment, but then she turned her eyes to him again.
"Do you want me to finish my story?"
TBC..
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot.
AC: Hey everyone~ Here's the new chapter as promised. I hope that this makes up for the long wait and the disappointment from before when I put in the author note instead of a chapter. You know what to do my fine readers~ See you next week~ ^^
Shout outs: HUGE shout out to TheWyvernsWeaver for not only the great the cover artwork, but also the suggestions he makes to help me along in this story. Also thank you for the workshop room you created on Discord, Weaver and for the amazing art you do for me. Also thank you for reading this story and liking it so much to do all those things. Also to Kulkum, Leon, Wodahshet, and ThatGuy for helping with story suggestions.
And to you my readers, both new and returning ones, thank you for taking the time to read this, follow, and even favorite this story. Its a great feeling I can tell you to see so many enjoying your work and leaving some sweet and supportive comments. So thank you, all of you for everything.