Birmingham, England
The trip goes on, after the defeat of the Black Annis in Glastonburty, they go to another city in their journey, arriving at a bigger city, as they couldn't stop in Bristol, so they followed the way straight to the next stop which would be Birmingham, in a longer trip, they ended up leaving a little later that day, which made them a little bit insecure, as they were already in the outskirts of the place a little bit too late.
In a city by England, at Hanbridge
family mansion, Daryl sent a messenger to go after Diana, in order to deliver the message to Cavendish about her being present and then go visit her as soon as she could, already leaving a warning about her presence by Great Britain, but even so it was all with ulterior motives of the Dhampir's aunt that wanted to do everything for her own benefit.
As the events themselves reported, the group was arriving in the city at dusk, this time they didn't give up of continuing the path, also seeing that there wouldn't be any other location nearby, they kept going, until finally they could see the same location up close and with that they were already relieved to arrive.
Akko: I thought we would only get here at night, but less worse we are finally here, all that's left is to start appearing creatures of the night again.
Marianne: Don't cast a curse Akko, you might bring bad luck on us and attract those things here.
Diana: We'll just find a place to spend the night and then we'll leave, the good thing is that we are finally moving, we are getting closer to my sister Hellene every day.
The girls arrive at a stable where they leave the horses and the carriage with the things kept in a locked chest, taking only the necessary in hands, in this case a little gold and also the weapons, for which they don't really let go for being always alert of what could come in case of creatures of the night.
They arrive at an inn, as always in group, being observed by all around, the group has that presence of foreigners, but that little by little was already creating a certain reputation for the taverns in England, mainly by the missions that they were doing, they were getting known as the slayers of creatures of the night, the same ones arrive there asking for a room and some food.
Attendant: We don't have any rooms around here and I'm closing soon, we'll only have drinks, you've come at the wrong time girls.
? : No problem come with me, I have a place where you can spend the night, I recognized them as soon as I could notice by your presence, they are the hunters who killed Black Annis.
Everyone looks at the girls with fat stares towards the girls, somewhat impressed, from what the hooded person with the female voice had said, they had heard about Black Annis in the surroundings and how no monster hunter had survived the encounter with the witch, but upon learning that they were the ones who killed, they even get a little more of a respectful look.
Akko simply shrugged and went with the hooded girl, the girls decided to follow her, the same one was leading them through the city while holding a lantern, most of them looked suspicious because it could be a trap, but Kagari simply went on the impulse to follow her, that way the others went along with the Japanese girl so that the worst wouldn't happen.
As they followed the hooded girl, they arrived at a castle a little further away from the city, which made them smile a lot, especially Marianne and Sucy who can already imagine that they will be in a much better life.
At that moment they enter the hooded girl even shows a malicious smile, then she lowers the same and reveals the face to them, she had deep red eyes that any vampire has, what was already growing the distrust and then she turned her back to the girls wanting to talk.
? I imagine you must not be trusting my presence, but I have heard of you, make yourselves at home, my name is Daisy Baker, this is my humble abode, I will serve an excellent meal to you all, I know you are good people and I think you deserve all the hospitality I am offering you.
Diana: And why should we trust you, you simply led us here to this castle of yours, your red eyes give away a lot, and you talking backwards also gives away others, you don't need to hide vampire, I recognize one from afar.
Diana was already with the sword in her hand, at that moment Daisy was looking at the wall, even a bit scared with the Cavendish's discovery, but she took a deep breath and gave a smile showing her prey to the girls, at the same time she showed a sad expression to try to capture the empathy of the girls that were already walking backwards in the defensive against her, that was just trying to calm the atmosphere.
Daisy: Woah, it seems that you have discovered the secret of my curse, but you don't have to be afraid, because I'm not going to devour you, trust me, I'm even giving you food, I'm not a bad vampire like most, I'm a good vampire, it's not my fault I have this curse on me, I can even prove it.
The girls continued with their mistrust and Daisy was making the food appear on a huge banquet table, they were of the most possible varieties, meats of all kinds, even had Dodo meat, but the food was not enough to convince the girls, this way Diana was already pointing the sword towards the vampire that was then sighing, she made a bag of coins float and then gave it to the girls, showing another gesture of trust and this way Sucy accepted and was soon sitting at the table, starting to eat.
All: Sucy! Are you crazy?
Sucy: She gave us gold, is there a greater sign of trust than that?
Daisy: If I was not trustworthy I would not even make a point of letting you stay here and give you all this hospitality, look at the food I am offering and I will even pay you to stay here, enjoy this place as much as you want, I will not attack you.
The girls were slowly giving in to their confidence, they were sitting at the dinner table, eating that banquet and Daisy was even smiling while they were enjoying the meal, but Diana had a suspicious look on her and didn't make any point of eating, she just watched them at the banquet, still very suspicious of Baker's behavior, since it could still be a trap.
Later they were settling in one of the rooms and all of them were strangely sleepy, with the exception of Diana who didn't eat that meal, she didn't even touch her finger on it, but the other hungry ones were all eating, even Croix who has more experience and confidence.
Far away Daisy was watching everything secretly and Diana was still the most suspicious of the world in relation to the way Baker acted, always with distrust in the air for the English vampire, she was soon making a point to ask the girls what was happening and why they accepted it so easily.
Diana: Really, you guys aren't the least bit affected by this vampire's food?
Akko: Ah Diana relax, the food was delicious, you are the one who is exaggerating, now let's go to sleep, Daisy just wants to give us a place to spend the night and I enjoy the comfort with gusto, even though I am a vampire.
Diana: That's exactly why, she's a vampire, we have to be even more attentive, you must be affected by her, that's for sure.
Akko: You who are prejudiced Diana, I can't believe you can be prejudiced against your own beings, I thought you felt bad when we killed them.
Diana: And I do, but still, I know well from my intuition that this is not a trustworthy place, you who are being mentally controlled by this vampire.
Croix: Come on Diana, you're just making a scene, now let's go to sleep, we'll leave tomorrow and you won't even notice that we were with a vampire that you say you're so suspicious of, then let's review your prejudices, I taught you to be a more tolerant girl, not only with us humans but also with the creatures of the night, just because she's a vampire doesn't make her bad, your mother herself was proof of how good she is.
They all yawned, then they all blew out the candles and little by little started to sleep, but Diana remained attentive, she kept her eyes closed kind of to cause the impression that she was sleeping, but still attentive to what was happening in the surroundings.
Soon she hears footsteps going by the room, the footsteps are increasing in volume, as well as laughter and then by the wind she feels the change, it was Daisy who jumped and went with everything towards Diana getting on top of Cavendish, holding her by the arms and the Scottish opens her red eyes noticing that the Englishwoman was with her fangs wide open already wanting to go for the attack against the dhampir gives a kick with everything on the vampire that falls back and this way in the dark they are both staring at each other, since they can see each other in the dark.
Daisy: I don't know how you can see me, but you are a stubborn human Diana, for being the most talkative I will love to make you my first feast, I was even thinking of leaving you alive for being the strongest, but I think I will leave it to increase my power more.
Diana just crosses her arms giving a slight laugh when Daisy let out the comment about her being human and then Baker went on Cavendish who dodged a scratch of her nails and this way she takes the vampire's arm and throws it backwards and then takes a sword and runs towards the English girl who uses her powers and turns into a bat, starting to run away from the Scottish girl.
The two follow each other, until they reach a saloon, where everything is lit by candles and illuminated, strangely, which makes Daisy turn
back to her vampire form and stare at Diana who is also showing an angry expression towards the vampire.
Daisy: You're a weird human being, human beings shouldn't look in the dark, you almost hit me several times, like you know what you're doing and that's really weird, but anyway, I think you better start counting the time, your friends will soon be totally under my control and you won't have any way to kill me without having to fight them, the food I offered you did have some of my blood, and with that they'll be under my control, unless I die, then that would make them be cured, but of course a mere human has no way to beat a vampire, even more alone.
Diana laughing: You're right, a mere human doesn't have as many chances as a vampire, but who says I am one, or you haven't noticed until now that these fangs of mine are real, that my eyes are red for a reason, you who should count the time before I kill you creature of the night, I love being sure of my suspicions.
Daisy: You a vampire, make me laugh, a vampire would never walk in the sunlight so quietly, you are a phony and you are bluffing with your fake fangs.
Diana: Keep thinking whatever you want, when I defeat you you will find out the truth one way or another.
The Cavendish points the sword to Daisy that also takes one and this way she looks at the Scot with blood in her eyes going up the same holding that blade with both hands, she makes sure to give a hit with all her strength that grazes the Claymore of Diana that ends up raising sparks with the impact of the two blades.
What already shocks Baker when she notices that the speed of reaction and also the strength of the dhampir may not be a bluff, Diana makes sure to show that by giving a shoulder on the vampire's face that ends up falling back and this way she turns into a bat.
Diana: I can do that too.
Cavendish transformed into a bat and that way launched a fireball, at the same time Baker did the same making the two collide and then Diana transforms to normal, giving a slash with her sword, but at the time Daisy jumps dodging already in her normal form and throws fireballs towards the Scottish girl who protects herself using a shield that she can make levitate using her spirit magic.
Daisy: How can you be a vampire? Vampires can't walk in the sun, what kind of vampire are you to be immune to these things?
Diana: And you think I'm going to tell this secret? You just made the mistake of breaking my trust as a creature of the night, now you will suffer the consequences of that.
Daisy gets more irritated and goes up Diana with the sword, only that again the Cavendish dodges, also using the blade of the sword to protect herself from the attacks of the sword, which end up passing scraping one in the other generating sparks until they don't give more. Both were with equivalent strength, but the Scottish had much more skill, she did it all with a single hand, while the Englishwoman used both and had extreme difficulty, trying anyway to give some cuts, but always resulting in something disastrous.
Diana was simply giving small cuts that were already showing efficient, since her Claymore is a little efficient against creatures of the night that are totally corrupted, these shocks are happening and leaving the sword that is in Daisy's hands more worn out, to the point that after a stronger hit, it ends up splitting in half only with the Cavendish's defenses that at the moment only gives a kick well given in her stomach that afterwards gives a mortal back and turns into a bat.
Daisy: You may be strong, a strange vampire, but I want to see you hit me like that as I go about turning your flesh into barbecue.
Baker is dodging Diana's attacks with the sword and also throwing fireballs which end up having to turn the Cavendish's priority in dodging and also doesn't help much since Daisy is transforming back to human form to try an attack, but the Scot knows how to block well, using the spirits she invokes to take shields that are scattered in the castle to create a barrier and this way even decides to hold one since this way would hold better against the fireballs fired by Daisy bat.
Daisy: Now you're trying to protect yourself with a little shield, it seems that for a vampire you're pretty pathetic, I thought you'd go head to head with danger, you just look like a vampire who transforms, because those little attacks don't do anything.
Diana: I'm smart too, I'm not going to waste my healing powers to protect myself unnecessarily.
The Cavendish throws the shield towards Daisy in bat form that quickly dodges, but with that the same one throws a spirit ball that hits Baker on the back and with that the Scottish already prepares to give a cut, but luckily for the English, she transforms herself in human form and manages to take the blade of the sword, where she feels the burning that makes her release and be with a huge open wound on the hand.
Out of nowhere a glass vial breaks on Daisy's back who starts screaming in pain, trying to look around. Cavendish also tries to take a look, but nothing she can find, which made her just continue with the fight.
Then an arrow is launched and Baker dodges but ends up being hit by a cut in the back given by Diana that makes her groan in pain, followed by another arrow that this one gets precisely in the throat and in the hour of desperation Daisy launches a fireball that catches in one of the corners of the castle, causing it to reveal the hiding place of Sucy who falls, but is rescued by Diana who holds her before the fall could leave her more hurt.
Diana: How come you are here and more awake than ever?
Sucy: Soniphenics and poisons have no effect on me, I've always been immune, now let's get this thing over with, you were really right on that one Diana.
Daisy: Damn you! Now you're going to pay dearly for it!
Baker starts to transform into something else, into a creature that is a giant bat but the body from the torso to the head is from Daisy that stares at them with anger, floating with those wings and this way she has already gone to the top of the girls that are simply transported by Diana that leaves Sucy saved on the other side and this way they are getting ready to attack. The Manbavaran goes launching arrows and the Cavendish goes all over the English girl.
Without any fear she throws herself on the ground and goes with the sword catching well on the lower part of Daisy's exposed torso that is screaming of pain, and then being hit by an arrow that catches on the left eye, that is already giving a burn on her that is quickly regenerating after taking that arrow from the eye and she was closer to Sucy, with that she was concentrating a fireball that would be hit with everything on the same one only that quickly the Scottish carries herself and launches another that annuls the same one and goes up with the sword trying to give a cut on Baker's face that flies up and that way dodges the Cavendish's attack. She simply hangs on a chandelier and opens her wings making several bats appear and go towards the duo that quickly seeks cover behind some tables.
Diana: Soul Steal!
The souls of the bats were being drained in piles and going towards Sucy and Diana who were giving a healing of her injuries, besides Cavendish taking the opportunity to throw some souls back to Daisy, trying to make the chandelier fall, but Baker manages to get out of there and goes flying towards the duo, what they go seeing only the vampire carrying another fireball in her mouth, but it ends up being interrupted when someone jumps towards the floor with the sword down and it was Akko who simply gave a precise slash that caught the Englishwoman right in the head which was then broken in half and that way Kagari also enters the scene which even makes Cavendish even more suspicious.
Akko: When you are Sucy's guinea pig sometimes you end up creating immunity and when we prepared the sleeping pills for the Portuguese I was her test rat, it was hard work to find an efficient one that would not kill and give us escape, so let's finish with this little vampire.
Akko then jumps to Diana and Sucy and the vampire is regenerating her face that way the Manbavaran throws a vial of holy water that is burning that part and Daisy is screaming, what is making her slower in healing herself and that way the Kagari and the Cavendish look each other and run together with the swords joined, they go up in the body of Daisy that was with the broken face and they start to break the rest, and the pink haired girl is helping throwing holy water in these open wounds what little by little is doing the creature is burning more and more.
They are cutting also to the other side, dividing Daisy in eight pieces that are burning, the same one is just trying to scream, but the body was all cut, the potions that Sucy threw were making effect and this way the body of the same one was being dissolved more, until simply being left some sparks that were flying in the air. In Manbavan's and Kagari's body the effect was already noticeable with them having some regions where sparks were flying from the body, that was Daisy's blood that was spreading in their bodies to mentally control the girls and this way defeating Baker once and for all.
Akko: We did it! Another creature for our list, we managed to defeat it for good.
Diana: I'm sorry I was so suspicious of you, even though I was right I didn't express myself in the best way.
Akko: We are the ones who are sorry, you warned us not to trust this vampire and you were right, now let's enjoy this place and then leave, let's enjoy that we still have one more night here.
Sucy: And we're going to ransack this whole castle, imagine how much gold this place must have.
Akko and Diana: Sucy!
Sucy: Come on, you guys are really boring, really, nobody will notice and this money probably doesn't even have an owner, at least let me take a little bit, I promise it won't be too much, just so that we have some gold to guarantee our trip, we barely have the money here and we could buy a carriage or even a better boat, don't you think big?
Akko: This money belongs to the people of Birmingham, it's not ours, now that the old owner is gone, we will leave it to the poor people here to enjoy...
Diana: Ithink I can agree with Sucy, it even seems that this money will fall into the hands of the peasants, the first one who comes here will take all this gold, so I'll let him take some, but not enough to cause suspicion.
Akko: Diana! That's not our money, are you really going to approve such a thing?
Diana: This is nobody's money, but we shouldn't be acting like heroines all the time, look Akko, sometimes we need to act a bit outside the law and morals if we want to get what we want, or do you think it's super fair that they forbid two women to love each other? Or even people to believe whatever they want? Even justice fails, who will say then the fate of this money that will probably end up in the hands of anyone who will just repeat the cycle of always.
Akko: Whatever, I will allow you to take just a little bit, but I don't want us to end up wanted for this looted gold and we will only help to finance the trip and also to help people on the way.
Sucy and Diana nod their heads in agreement, even though Manbavaran is a little afraid, she goes running to where the castle's gold reserves are and gathers the coins in several little bags she has been making just to get even richer, she wanted to make the point of taking what she could without creating too much suspicion, but that castle really had a lot of gold.
Meanwhile far away from there, in France, in Paris, they had already discovered Chloé Deppailer's secret and she was already put as a priority for the soldiers of Loches to go after her and search all over France, in each city they were spreading out, but she herself was already disguised knowing that this could happen, she was trotting towards the city of Tours, where the mission of the girls had already happened and when she arrived in the outskirts she found the city in panic and the people noticing that she had a sword in her hands already connected her with a huntress.
Person#1: Are you a slayer? Help us there is an ogre attacking our city.
Chloé: I'll see what I can do.
[Chloé's Thought: Damn! I have already arrived in the path of the damned ones, after a long trot done with care, I saw guards on the way and narrowly they don't recognize me and now when I arrive in the town they go after Loches I have to stay here dealing with creatures, I should have stopped here in the day and not at night, but I can't go without causing suspicion].
Person#2: Help! They are attacking even the children!
[Chloé's Thought: I swear when I get to Diana Cavendish I will make her pay for everything she has done, that damn thing is just out there creating this chaos and creatures of the night to ruin my life, she will pay for what the creatures did to my fiancé! I swear I will kill you and bring your head as a monument and I will also finish off all her friends, two-faced traitors].
Chloé went towards the ogre that invaded the city along with other creatures that were following him, she is not so bad with a sword and kills them with some ease, showing how she is more motivated than ever to capture Cavendish and she does it showing the city in the middle of that night, saving the city and getting a big reward for what she did, although it was not what she wanted to put as a priority mission since she is aiming for something else.
Back in England, Sucy was excitedly filling the bags with gold, while Akko and Diana went to a tower where they stared at the sky, starry, kind of both still not sleepy enough to sleep mainly because of what happened and they were talking about more private matters about each other, more about their family.
Diana: Standing at the window of a castle brings back memories of my childhood, when I lived in the Cavendish family castle with my mothers, I remember well how wonderful and peaceful times were, I could never think that the world would be so cruel to them.
Akko: Was your family that nice? How was your father and mother? Sorry if that's too revealing but it's just that I'm curious, all I know is that your mother is a vampire who must be after all this and I kind of ran away from home because my parents wanted me to be their perfect daughter but I never wanted that, I always wanted to be free and travel the world.
Diana: I have no father, I was made with the magic of witches, the one who can be called my father was one of my mothers, Laura McLaren, she was unjustly burned at the stake, when we waited anxiously for her to come home when she was with the cure, I know you must think it's silly a story like that, but you will see when we get to my sister, she was the face of my mother Laura, she must be more grown up nowadays and I imagine confused if she is alive.
Akko: So you mean a couple of women can have a child with magic? Lotte who is a witch never told me about it, it must be pretty cool, I don't care if it was forbidden I would make the point of having a thing that would let two women who love each other have a child.
Diana: So you are a homosexual?
Akko: I still like good looking, strong men, I wouldn't say homosexual, but more like bisexual, I like them all, both men and women, they are all beautiful, do you agree with me? What is the use of liking only one when you can like both.
Diana: Just for the beautiful lassies part, I hate men, they are the ones who killed my mothers, they are the ones who ordered me to do those things, I can't see one and not think about it, I also don't feel comfortable, they are always so predatory and everything, ahhh, I am gay, I can say with all my heart that I would lie with a woman and even marry her, without anyone knowing, I would make sure that they thought we were just friends so that we wouldn't suffer persecution.
Akko: So give your heart a chance, don't get so caught up in being just perfect and by what others think, don't be afraid to declare your love for someone you trust, I've noticed you have those ties in your hands.
Blushing Diana: What are you implying with that Akko? I'm not in love with anyone, I just really want to find my little sister, but what an outrageous thing, I can't even fall in love yet because I'm immortal, I'm going to see the person I love most in this world die right in front of my eyes.
Akko holds Diana's hand: Well you are being mean to yourself, listen to me Diana, it doesn't matter if this happens, if you see the person you love so much dying, what matters is that for that person's life you were important, you made someone's life happy and you lived happily next to her, if I were to be immortal I would continue anyway, I would feel important and being the mortal that I am, I don't care if she is immortal or not, for me there are no barriers for love.
Akko even blushes more looking down at her, Diana at the moment turns around and then hugs Kagari, then she gets all blushed and walks back to the room a little embarrassed by the embarrassing situation, which leaves the Japanese girl all blushed too, feeling her heart beats accelerating by having that answer, a flame starting to burn between the two and Sucy just stood in the background looking at everything as she took the gold she wanted, without anyone noticing the difference, exactly because it was so much gold.
And one more day of the journey has come to an end, with a surprise of hospitality, for which the girls have to be alert, not to end up in the hands of a vampire, but thanks to the vampiric abilities of Diana and also the immunity of both Sucy and Akko, they were able to save another city from a vampire that had been haunting the city of Birmingham for a long time, each day they are getting closer to their destination and soon they will go to meet Hellene, which will still be full of surprises in this crazy path they are on.
See you, vampire witches...