"Um..." The werewolf who called herself Vanille bit her lip, appearing nervous. Perhaps from the way Lightning was staring at her with distaste. She still offered her wrist, but Lightning grunted and turned her face into the stone floor.
"Somehow I knew you were gonna be stubborn about this." Sazh strode over, leaving the burned remains of Vanille's silver shackles, and crouched behind Lightning. "Come on, I'll make sure you don't take too much," he said as he helped lift her up. "I know it's hard, but it's what you gotta do to survive now."
What if I don't want to survive, was what she thought to say. But they were waiting on her, and they needed to get to Dajh as soon as possible. Plus, her odds of really dying in this place were slim. She didn't suspect Jihl would grant that mercy very easily.
Vanille held her arm up to Lightning's lips. Lightning gave her a searching look for a moment, noticing how the raw skin where the silver had touched was beginning to heal and smooth over. Vanille smiled and gave her a nod, and Lightning sank her teeth into the thin wrist.
The skin gave even more easily than she would have expected, and the blood flowed into her mouth instantly, spilling over her gums and draining down her throat without any effort on her part. And it was so, so exquisite that Lightning wanted to pull away from it, but her feeble struggling was held down by Sazh.
By the time her body had stopped shivering, her eyes were sealed shut. Sazh finally relaxed his hold, and she tore her mouth away, resisting an instinctual urge to run her tongue across the wound. Perhaps to close it, but the werewolf would heal it on her own easily enough.
She could use her right arm again, and she flexed the hand in front of her, turning it this way and that.
Sazh let out a sigh. "Alright. Time to go and get Dajh. Then we can get out of this place."
Her head was already clearing, and while she wanted nothing more than to lie on the floor until she rotted away, Vanille was giving her such a look of pity that she forced herself to her feet and brushed past her. Get Dajh. Get out. She would think about the rest later. "Do you know where he is?"
Sazh took one of the few torches from the wall and led the way. "They're keeping him with the humans they use as 'cattle'. It's actually a nicer place than you'd think. Healthy blood tastes better, and all that. And humans aren't healthy if you're just throwing a slice of bread at them once a week. I was there up until that whole disposal business."
They traversed the corridors as swiftly and as quietly as possible. Sazh was right about the security, Lightning noticed as they rounded another corner. They hadn't run into a single guard. As they went along, Lightning sensed Vanille's presence was always a step behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she asked, "Are you able to change?"
Vanille shook her head, smiling. "Not for a little while. I've been wearing that silver for some time. It's going to take a bit to fully recover."
"Quiet," Sazh said sternly. They were approaching a closed door, and voices could be heard on the other side.
"-ook, Leblanc, I can't just let you through. I agree it wasn't fair what the Mistress did, but what's done is done."
"And I am going to undo it. Seriously, Paine, show some backbone for once. It's not like the Mistress has treated you fairly either."
There was a low growl-
"Ahh-CHOO!"
Sazh and Lightning jerked around, staring at Vanille in abject horror. She rubbed at her nose, offering a weak apology, "Sorry."
The door flung open. Paine stood in the doorway with her sword drawn even as her eyes widened with surprise.
"How did you-er"
Lightning darted forward, dropping low and striking up with a kick that knocked the sword from Paine's hands. She swept up, aiming a hook to Paine's jaw, but the red-eyed vampire caught it with both hands. In the same breath, Lightning snatched the sword as it clattered off the wall and feigned a strike with the hilt, causing Paine's eyes turned for the briefest of seconds that allowed Lightning to snap her elbow back and then ram her fist into its previous target. As Paine stumbled, Lightning flipped the sword around and locked it at her back while delivering a spinning hook kick that sent the vampire crashing into the wall.
Lightning hefted the sword back around and struck so that the hilt scraped against the stone wall while the length of the blade was angled over the woman's throat. Paine had her gloved hands braced along the edge, mirroring one of Lightning's.
She growled through bared teeth, "Can't kill me without going for my heart."
"I'm fine with severing your head first," Lightning told her blankly.
The vampire called Leblanc – who turned out to be the woman that had thrown Lightning the torch in the arena – started laughing, waving a fan. Two vampires flanked her, one short and heavy-set, the other tall and lanky, both looking dumbly pleased.
Their little celebration was cut short as Sazh marched forward with fire billowing from one of his hands, torch held high in the other. "Alright, who wants some?"
"Oh, dear." Leblanc's eyes were wide and wary now, and she took a few noticeable steps back along with her followers. "A fire spirit."
"Yeah, and this spirit is gonna start lighting people up if they don't step aside."
Leblanc spoke hastily, "Wait. I can give you information,"
Sazh kept his hand raised. "The only information I want is how to get to my son, and how to get out of here."
"I can give you more than that," Leblanc smiled, assuming her previous air of carefree arrogance. "There is a pack of werewolves attacking. One of the strongest."
"Fang," Vanille whispered softly behind Lightning, who hadn't taken her eyes of Paine during the entire exchange. Likewise could be said of the other vampire.
"And I think we can all guess what they're here for." Leblanc shifted her gaze to Vanille. "The Mistress has most of her people out fending them off, but the sun is near to rising and I, for one, don't want a bunch of dogs holing us up on our own home."
"Get to the point," Sazh said sharply.
Leblanc raised her hands, as if offering a gift that should have already been unwrapped. "I'm going to help you. I can clear a path to the exit-"
"Jihl is going to torture you for more than a century," Paine bit out, struggling. But Lightning was immovable. "And she'll torture me, too, if I just let them go." Lightning raised a brow. Paine just glared at her.
"I know you're not happy with the Mistress either, Paine. She's always sticking you down here on guard duty when we all know you're at least somewhat capable of more. And, really, it's tragic and all about what happened to your friends-"
"Shut up!" Paine growled and struggled some more. But her fight gave out quickly, and she bit out a curse. "As much as I dislike you, Leblanc... I hate Jihl more." Then she rolled her eyes. "And since you're all out of your cells anyway, I won't be welcomed here for much longer.
Leblanc snapped her fan closed, offering a winning smile. "Excellent."
"Wait." Lightning finally took her eyes off Paine, if only because she'd stop pushing back. She looked at Leblanc. "What do you get out of this?"
Leblanc's smile never changed, even brightening some more. "I knew I liked you, Sister. You're a smart one. What I want is Jihl gone, and me in her place. She's been running this PSICOM group for a very long time, but myself and others think it's time for a change. This attack from the werewolves is going to weaken her significantly, and give me time to lay out a few of my other plans. The reason I'm helping all of you escape, is because of you. I want you to join me." Before Lightning could speak, Leblanc cut her off, waving her hands flippantly.
"Oh not now, of course. You've got things to do. But you're a strong one, and I'd like you on my side once you've had time to... settle down. A clanless vampire doesn't make it far in our world. You'll learn that soon enough, if you haven't already. Not only will you have a place in my clan, we will also share a... common enemy."
Lightning didn't know what to say. The last thing she wanted was to be indebted to someone just as she was escaping.
"Think it over," Leblanc said easily. "I'll help you either way."
"If we're all done here," Sazh broke the tense silence, speaking slowly but forcefully. "We need to get moving."
Leblanc nodded. "Right. I will go first and clear the way as much as I can without drawing suspicion. Why don't you escort them to the boy's room, Paine. If you move fast enough, you might be able to get out before the sun comes up." Leblanc twirled around and took to the stairs beyond the room, followed closely by her henchmen.
Lightning lowered the sword and jerked her head. "Let's go."
Paine sighed. The breath, Lightning had learned, came more from habit than anything else. "Can I have my sword back?"
"No. Not until we get out, at least."
"Fine." Paine pushed away from the wall, disinterested in furthering the conversation.
Paine was quiet as she led them up the narrow stairs and into a much wider hallway. Lightning noted that every window was boarded up.
Whatever Leblanc and her people were doing, it was effective. They didn't encounter a single vampire until they were near their destination.
"It's just around this corner-" Paine was starting to say.
"Paine? What's going on? Leblanc said they needed more help at the front."
They all turned. A pair of vampires watched them warily.
"Kill them," Paine stated. Everyone looked at her to check who she was referring to. She rolled her eyes and gestured hard at the other vampires.
Lightning dashed forward, but not before Sazh blew a puff of air on the torch and a large flame shot forth and engulfed the pair. They yelled frantically as their clothes and bodies ignited, and Lightning was quick to finish them off with Paine's sword.
She turned sharply around and strode back to the group. "That would have helped a lot with the troll."
"If they knew about me, they would've used Dajh to manipulate me," Sazh said, shaking his head.
Lightning's lips thinned, but he was right, of course. "Yeah, I know. Let's hurry."
Paine opened the door for them. They stepped into a small entryway that led to a short hall with five doors mirroring each other on either side.
Sazh hurried ahead, but the scent of warm, fresh blood invaded Lightning's senses. She took several steps back, her vision tinged with the smallest hue of red. A hand gripped her shoulder, steadying and grounding her.
"Easy," Paine said. "Just keep your mind focused on something else."
Vanille was at her elbow, fidgeting with her hands. "I can give you more blood if you need."
Lightning shook her head. "No. You're still healing. I'll be fine."
Amidst the talk that was stirring up, doors were opening, humans warily coming out into the hall. Sazh's cry of relief could be heard from one of the rooms. There looked to be at least a dozen people or more. And striding toward Lightning was nearly the last person she thought she'd find in this place.
"Ashe?"
"Lightning. What are you doing here?" Before Lightning could say more, the shorter, blonde-haired woman walked confidently up to her and seized her in a hug. Lightning froze, wanting to return the knight's hold, but the smell of her blood was nearly overwhelming. She was so close...
"I never thought I'd find you in a place like this. You... " Ashe took a small step back, the happiness in her voice short-lived as her hands leaped to Lightning's face. "You're so cold. What..." Lightning tried to turn her head away, but a small gasp told her she was too late. Ashe's thumbs raised her upper lip just enough to see, and horror etched her face. "By the gods, what have they done to you?"
Unable to look at her, Lightning gently took her hands and pulled them away from her face.
"Who was it?" Ashe demanded, fury shaking her voice. "Who changed you?"
When Lightning remained silent, Paine filled in. "It was Jihl." Lightning shot her a warning look, but she just shrugged. "Oh. Some people don't see her before she gets them, but I guess you weren't one of those. You're just full of bad luck." She left them, walking further down the hallway in the direction of Sazh.
"That monster. She's the reason for all of this."
Monster. A few second ago, Lightning had been the one thinking about taking her blood. "How long have you been here?" Lightning asked, trying to do as Paine advised and focus on something else.
"Only a few days," said a tall, blond man walking up behind Ashe. He moved to Ashe's side and offered his hand.
"Basch," Lightning acknowledged, grasping his forearm in greeting.
"Lightning," he said respectfully. "While the circumstances haven't been in your favor, I'm glad you're here with us. We'll need the help if we're going to get these people out of here."
"We were out with a search party after the storm hit," Ashe filled in, "looking for people who needed help. The area turned out to be infested with vampires."
Lightning nodded. "We were caught in it on our way to Bodhum."
"Alright people, we need to get moving!" Sazh was coming back to them, Dajh sitting on his shoulders and appearing as happy as if he'd just had a birthday party.
"We need to go to the armory, first," Basch said. "We won't be able to protect everyone if we're all defenseless. Even more so once we're out of here."
"I can take you there," Paine offered.
When Sazh got closer to Lightning, Dajh spotted her, and his eyes brightened. "Lightn'ng," he cheered, reaching a small hand toward her.
For once in what felt like a very long time, Lightning smiled, even if it was only a little; her own muscles didn't seem to want to work much further than that. She offered a hand out to him, letting him grab her finger. "You're cold. Here!" He started rubbing his hands back and forth over her finger. Sparks and flames started emerging.
Even Sazh looked surprised as he reached up and covered his son's hands along with Lightning's finger, and she felt the small amount of heat diminish. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Sazh forced a chuckle, and self-consciously cleared his throat as he brought Dajh's hands down. "Just like his old man." he said, smiling up at Dajh, although it was more through gritted teeth. Dajh giggled.
There was a sudden, booming rumble that shook the foundation around them, making several people crouch to steady themselves as dust and debris stirred.
Ashe's hand went to her belt, searching for a sword that wasn't there. "What was that?"
Sazh grunted, taking Dajh off his shoulders and instead carrying him at his side. "The signal for us to go, more than likely. Let's get moving, people."
Sazh and Basch took up the rear behind the other humans. Paine led the way, with Vanille and Lightning behind and Ashe falling in beside.
Lightning heard Vanille sniff, and then gasp. "They're here. My pack is here."
They hadn't made it through a single corridor before the sound of snarling and barking could be heard, and shortly after, chunks of bodies flew into the hall ahead of them.
They came charging around the corner, two massive werewolves only slightly less as big as the troll Lightning had fought. Small amounts of blood streaked across their black coats and around their muzzles; one of them had a leg in its mouth that it threw aside as it ran. They nearly slipped and bowled into each other they were going so fast, but their sharp claws dug into the stone with ease.
"Fang!" Vanille ran out to them just as everyone stopped. The two werewolves screeched to a halt before one of them sprang forward and nearly landed on top of Vanille. She ran straight into the werewolf's chest, and the beast tucked its head down while wrapping an arm around her, covering her almost completely with its body. Its tail thumped on the floor as it gave several, sharp whines.
The second werewolf moved around them, its dark eyes on their group as it stepped protectively in front of the reunited pair. A bit closer now, Lightning noticed its fur had a purplish hue, and, curiously enough, it wore a purple, beaded headband about its ears that was adorned with feathers.
Its lip lifted in a snarl.
"Uh, Vanille. A little help, please," Sazh called.
"Oh, right, sorry." Vanille hurried back toward them and moved in front of the werewolf. "It's okay, Caius, they helped me. We need to get them all out of here." The werewolf gave her a disgruntled look, but nodded and turned away. Vanille beckoned to all of them, the darker werewolf a now constant shadow at her side. Its eyes searched their group and came to rest on Lightning.
It finally registered. The red-tinged fur and intelligent eyes. A vivid green, she noticed now. Its body seemed to have repaired itself significantly since then. But their staring didn't last much longer as the group began to move onward.
"There was an explosion that tore one of the walls down," Vanille filled them in, able to communicate with the werewolves in ways no one else could. "They're not sure how it happened, but that's how they got in, and we can use it to get out once you're all armed."
"Sounds like Leblanc's doing," Paine said offhandedly. "There are more firebombs in the armory, but we need to be careful about who handles them."
With Paine and the werewolves leading the way, they made it to the armory with little difficulty, although where Jihl and her elite guards were was a mystery that left Lightning constantly on edge.
Basch and Ashe took up familiar weapons while handing out more to the others. Lightning was searching in the the far corner when Sazh came over.
"She's probably not gonna keep a weapon like yours in a place like this," he said, looking sympathetic.
"Where do you think she's keeping it, then?"
"No idea. But we need to leave while we still have the chance."
Lightning sighed softly before nodding. She got Paine's attention and tossed her her sword. She managed to find her sabre, which was at least a small consolation. Her crossbow wasn't there, but she found a different one. It wasn't nearly as nice as her old weapon – the damn thing had cost her quite a few meals – but it would work fine for the time being. She picked up a small quiver of only five bolts and loaded the crossbow with one.
When she stepped outside the armory, the werewolf called Fang was watching her again. Still a little unnerved by the beasts, Lightning set her jaw and gave her a once over. "Look familiar?"
It snorted, nostrils flaring gently. Vanille, who stood at the werewolf's arm, raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You've met?" she asked, looking between them.
Lightning lowered her gaze. "Thanks for the deer," she said as she walked away.
"She's here!" A few of the humans that had gone to look ahead were sprinting back to them. A baton emerged suddenly through the chest of one, and a blonde head nestled into his neck before coming away with a chunk of flesh.
Jihl.
The other humans were leapt upon by four other vampires.
"We need to move. Now!" Basch ordered, ushering everyone away from the armory.
"Bombs away!" Sazh shouted, coming up beside Lightning and tossing a small spherical object that was lit on one end.
Wait. Lightning didn't have time to say it; she could already see Jihl moving forward with her unnatural speed, reaching for the firebomb. Lightning raised her crossbow and fired. The bolt hit the bomb with a resounding ping and ricocheted it into the wall.
The following explosion was deafening. The stone under Lightning's feet shifted, and the walls rumbled as they began to cave in. Heat engulfed her; smoke and fire filled hall. Someone was shouting for her to move, and she let them grab her by the arm and pull her along.
She ran, unsure where she was going, but only trying to keep track of the blur of feet in front of her.
And then there was light piercing through the hazy fog. She ran toward it, emerging out of the smoke and stone and submerging her boots into deep snow. She looked up at the brilliant morning sun.
Then she choked back a cry as burning heat lighted her skin, and she fell to her knees as every part of her being seemed to catch fire.
"Fang! Help her!" Vanille's shout seemed to come from so far away.
She was grabbed, but the hands were pulling her back toward the keep, and the voice at her ear made the burns almost chilling.
"You're going to stay," Jihl hissed into her ear, pure fury and venom.
Lightning struggled against her, but the rays of the sun had weakened her, and now she could barely even see. She sensed Jihl bearing some of it, too, as she fought to drag her back in, steam billowing off of the vampire's charred hands.
A flash of a shadow and vicious jaws, teeth and saliva rushed past Lightning's head, snarling and snapping. Jihl released her and fumbled away into the safety of the keep's shadows.
The werewolf Fang stood over Lightning on all fours, a dark silhouette that completely blocked the sun. It hunched down, bringing its chest against Lightning's frame, and scooped her up from the snow with an arm. Lightning gathered what was left of her strength and clung to its fur as the werewolf galloped away on three limbs, Jihl's angry screaming following them for some time.
…
She was dropped on a hard surface. She tried to open her eyes, but somehow felt they should already be open. Soft fur tickled her nose.
"Lightning, can you hear me?" Vanille. "Lightning, it's okay. Your eyes are burned, and you need to drink some blood before its permanent. Fang's offering hers, it's okay."
When the furry skin pressed to her lips she wanted to resist, but permanent blindness didn't sound any more fun. Without further thought, she opened her mouth around the skin and sank in her teeth. It was much tougher than human skin, as well as the muscle being thicker and more dense. The fur on her tongue was unpleasant as well. But the first gush of hot blood made her dizzy with something akin to ecstasy, and she felt a brief moment of actual, pleasant warmth flowing through her body.
"Take as much as you need. Fang heals pretty quickly."
Lightning blinked as her sight returned, but her vision was only filled with dark fur. She wanted to burrow further into it, seeking the warmth that had escaped her ever since she'd turned. Despite what Vanille had said, she was surprised when no one pulled her away after some time. She was able to collect herself on her own before retracting her teeth, albeit reluctantly.
When the werewolf pulled away, it and Vanille stared down at her. A little self-conscious and embarrassed, Lightning raised a hand to wipe at her mouth, pausing when the surface of her skin was rough. Pulling her hand away, she noticed a black scarring that was beginning to recede.
"Thanks," she said, not knowing what else to do as the pair continued to watch her. Sitting up, she finished wiping at her mouth with the edge of her sleeve.
"Werewolf blood is more potent when you take it directly from the wolf form," Vanille started to explain until she looked over her shoulder as voices echoed around them, sounding as though they were in a cave. "Oh, and the human you spoke with earlier wanted to see you before she left." The werewolf and Vanille exchanged a look, and she added before leaving, "If you need us, we'll just be outside."
Lightning nodded and stood. Turned out they were in a cave. And she wasn't surprised to see that it was Ashe approaching her.
"How are you feeling?" Ashe asked gently, brow lowered with concern.
Lightning looked to the side.
"I suppose that was a stupid thing to ask." Ashe breathed a short, humorless laugh. Her hand fidgeted awkwardly at her sword belt. Then she tilted her head, eyes intently observant. "Thank you for what you've done. You saved me, and all those people from a miserable life."
"You would have made it out on your own, eventually."
"Perhaps. Or Rasler would have come for me, once he knew. But you're the one who got us out."
Lightning just nodded. "I'm glad you're safe."
They looked at each other for a moment before Ashe took Lightning's head in her hands and leaned in, eyes closing as she brought their lips together. Lightning went still, though her own eyes followed suit at the familiar touch. The kiss was slow at first, and was probably meant to end there. But there was longing in it, and it only deepened until a fang pricked Ashe's lip. Lightning jerked away, the drop of blood leaving a sweet but bitter taste on her tongue.
"Sorry-"
Shaking her head, Ashe's arms wrapped tight around her, and she buried her face in Lightning's neck. "How could this happen to you?"
Lightning was tense and her lips thinned. "You should go." she said stiffly. "You need to get away from here. And, your husband is going to be worried about you." She couldn't get out of her head how much the kiss, the blood, had tasted like goodbye. She thought she'd only have to experience that once.
Ashe pulled away, bringing her hand up to gently cup Lightning's cheek. "You could have easily turned on us, Lightning. But you didn't. You're not the monster that they are." Her eyes shined with sorrow, thumb stroking Lightning's face. "If you ever find yourself in Dalmasca, know you have a place to stay in my home. Your sister too, as always. No matter how late you might get there."
Ashe grasped her arm for another few seconds, and then she turned away and was gone.
"Can't believe you looked straight at the sun."
Lightning turned around. Paine was sitting on the floor to one side, quietly laughing at her. She had a few black scars of her own on her arms and parts of her exposed torso. Lightning rolled her eyes and sat on the floor near the other vampire. "It's not like I've been doing this for very long."
Paine waved a hand. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just kidding. You've been stuck in the literal and figurative dark more than a lot of vampires are during their first days. Or at least the ones that survive this long. What do you plan on doing now?"
When Lightning was silent for too long, someone spoke for her.
"She's gonna go back to her sister. And tell her what happened." Sazh stood in the middle of the cavern, hands on his hips.
Lightning glanced around him. "Where's Dajh?"
"Playing with some of the human wolves. They seem to have brought most of their pack along for this." At Lightning's questioning look, he added, "There are a lot of packs out there I wouldn't trust within a mile of my son. But this is one of the good ones. And I needed to talk to you."
Lightning huffed, dropping her head back against the rocky wall. The first words out of his mouth made her close her eyes tight.
"I know you. You're thinking you're dead anyways, what's the point? Am I right?"
"How can I show my face to her now, Sazh." Lightning opened her eyes and stared at her hands. "I'm the kind of thing I'd warn her away from with stories."
"You're not a monster. Serah won't think that. And what you've done up until now proves you aren't." When Lightning didn't say any more, he continued, "Look, if you wanna go walkin' out into the sun, that's your business. But you've got plenty of time to make that choice. And your sister deserves to know."
Lightning felt like a teenager being scolded by a parent. "How do I-"
"You got legs, don'tcha? Give her a chance, Light. She needs you, and she's gotta be hurting real bad since you haven't come home." After a heavy silence, his boots scraped on the rocky floor as he turned around. "Most of the others have already left. We're gonna leave as soon as the sun drops. Jihl and her people will be out looking for us as soon as she can."
Paine cleared her throat. "You can sleep during the day, you know."
Lightning opened her eyes and rolled her head toward her. She decided she liked Paine. The vampire didn't ask her any personal questions.
"It helps conserve blood. And speeds up healing, which we're both gonna need after being touched by the sun. The downside is, you're completely vulnerable until the sun goes down. You'll wake just a soon as you're able to step outside without being hurt."
"Tell me how."