Sitting in a vacant room of an abandoned warehouse district, using crates and an old mattress used for a bed, Nyx was trying to focus.
Various items sprawled on the mattress, bright and colorful drawings and color pencils and markers and crayons sprawled around, sitting in front of her was none other than Madam Octa in her cage.
In her hands, was her very own tin flute. "If I'm going to perform with Larten soon, I have to practice." She spoke to herself.
Though Nyx had been speaking, it was still very weird to actually hear her own voice after years of being a mute.
It has been almost a year since Nyx managed to free herself from her sadistic monster that was her sire and came to this wonderful cirque. After the incident with the Wolfman and discovering a terrible ability she had, Nyx was afraid if anyone wouldn't want her back.
To her surprise, she was welcomed. The first few months were hard, not knowing what would trigger Nyx to change into a feral blood thirsty beast, but as time went on, Nyx didn't change at all. People were weary of her but at this point all of them were used to dangerous creatures walking among them. She just hoped to never change again. With the help of her new master, Larten, Nyx became a prominent member of the Cirque Du Freak.
However, there were times she had awakened with terrible nightmares. Waking up sweating and for a few moments forgetting she wasn't back at the Grove, thanks to Evra - whom she pretty much deemed as her big brother - helped her relax a little. She hoped these nightmares would go away in time.
With only an hour left until show time, Nyx had to get to practicing. Have to prove to the older vampire that she's ready.
Nyx didn't know if Madam Octa held any grudges against her since the last time she had her, Nyx chunked her, mistaking her for a blood bottle.
Larten had taught her a few notes to practice, but she wasn't as good as he was.
Nyx counted to three before unlocking the cage and grabbed the flute.
She put the mouthpiece in her mouth and blew in a loud note that caused her to wince.
Wrong note.
After a few times, she remembered what note to play.
"The way to control her is simple: communicate with her using your thoughts, the flute is used to get her attention. " Nyx remembers him telling her this one night.
Madam Octa, open your door and slowly walk out, Nyx commanded telepathically wise to the colorful spider.
At first she thought it didn't work. But after a moment passed, Madam Octa approached the cage door. She pushed the door open with her leg and slowly made her way on the bed and stopped. Waiting for the next command.
Nyx tried not to act enthusiastic or else she would lose concentration and she may have to be distributed the cure if Madam Octa decided to take revenge and bite her.
Which would probably make Larten's already permanent scowl deepen even more.
Now, please from the top of your cage to the bed, spin a web. She commanded her then.
It took a moment before Madam Octa did what she was told. Shooting strings of webbing up in the air. Like during the shows, the spider was quick.
As Nyx concentrated, she couldn't help but overhear someone's heavy breathing nearby. She knows how everyone breathes in this camp but she was able to detect someone new breathing like a bear.
She would close the windows if it wasn't the fact the windows were busted open from years being in the elements.
She just wants them to stop breathing for a second so she can concentrate!
Once Madam Octa spun a web, Nyx commanded her to go back in her cage. Once she was inside, Nyx closed the door and locked it back up. "Not much but I think I got it down." She said, satisfied.
Her greenish blue and red eyes then looked at the webs….
They can't be that tasty if the red cladded vampire eats them at every show.
Curiously, Nyx tossed the flute down on the bed, reached out with her hand and twirled the webbing with her fingers. Feeling much stickier than the cotton candy the show regularly sells. After gathering the bunch, the child puts her webbed covered fingers in her mouth…
And immediately gagged and spat the disgusting fibers out of her mouth and into the floor. "Gross! That's bad, oh heck that's bad!" Nyx gagged, looking slightly green and felt like she was gonna throw up.
How does that stuffy orange haired bat find spider webs tasty where he's from?! She'll stick to the cotton candy!
She ate bugs before but not webs!
A couple of knocks on the door and it swung open. "Hey Nyx, you decent?" Evra popped his head in.
"I am." Nyx responded with a groan.
Evra frowned. "What's wrong?" He asked, coming in to see her expression.
"Larten's taste in treats." She responded with her tongue sticking out, wiping the remaining webbing off on the mattress.
The snake boy couldn't help but snicker at her remark.
Since she started speaking, Nyx has a knack for coming up with interesting remarks depending on the conversation and who she's talking to.
Evra chuckled, "You think you get to be on tonight with the rest of us?" He asked, sitting on the bed next to her, being careful not to damage her drawings and drawing utensils. Being mindful of the spider cage.
Nyx shrugged. "No one told me yet, but I have been practicing, big brother." She smiled at him.
Evra blushed a little bit, accepting the title. He didn't mind being called that, The Cirque Du Freak was one big family after all.
"Well, I'm sure you'll do great." Evra playfully nudges her arm with his elbow. "It's almost time for the show, you better get Mr. Crepsley up out of his coffin and get him ready."
Nyx nodded before hopping off the bed, grabbing the cage and her flute. "See you on stage in a minute." She said before scurrying along.
It took her no time at all to locate where the vampire lay his coffin for the night.
As she got closer, not only the guy who breathes like a bear was closer, but she could smell him too, causing her to slow her stride to the door where Larten was.
She didn't need to even see the guy himself to know it was another vampire. His scent was strong.
Over the year, giving her body time to heal from years of abuse, her senses were vastly sharper to that of a normal vampire. She wasn't so skinny but she was leaner and built up a bit of healthy weight so she didn't look like a breeze could knock her over.
Nyx just got used to being with Larten, she doesn't know how this other vampire would be. It didn't smell like her sire, thankfully.
She could hear Larten was talking to someone from where she was at, sounded like he was thrilled to be talking to them.
After standing in front of the door for a few minutes, she raised her hand and knocked on the door and waited.
"Come in." Larten called her in.
Holding onto Madam Octa's cage, swallowing her fear, for she wasn't going to let it control her, she entered.
"S-sorry, am I disturbing you?" She couldn't even hide the hesitation in her voice.
Sitting on a broken piece of debris next to Larten, the guest was also quite large with broader shoulders, light brown hair and light brown eyes, had scars all over his face and much more scruffy looking, built like a wrestler.
"Well hi there!" The other vampire greeted the child with a smile.
"No, my dear, you are not disturbing anything, in fact there is someone who I would like you to meet." Larten responded, motioning her to come closer.
"It's okay, I don't bite." The other vampire jokes, seeing her frozen in place.
A small bead of sweat dripped from her brow from that comment. However when she sees it was indeed a joke, she shyly approached the adult vampires, setting the spider cage somewhere near them and sat down next to Larten.
"Nyx, I know you are nervous but I can absolutely assure you that you do not need to be with this one, this is Gavner Purl," Larten waves a hand to the one called Gavner. "A well trusted and rather clumsy friend of mine. The only ones he scares are little old women and children smaller than you." Larten chuckled. "Gavner, this is Nyx."
"Oh you're a fine one to talk! Is that anyway to speak to someone you haven't seen in seventeen years?" Gavner huffed, but it did get Nyx to relax.
Gavner then turned to look at her. Noting her white hair and mismatched eyes. The red eye stands out more than the other.
Nyx looked at him before saying, "So you're that loud breathing bear I kept hearing earlier? I nearly lost concentration practicing with Madam Octa because of you."
Gavner burst out laughing while Larten growled. "Nyx, do not be rude." He said but couldn't hide the smirk at that accurate description.
It was one thing for an adult to say that and expect the other to come back with a snarky remark, it always seems to hit differently when a snarky remark was made from someone who looks to be nine!
Who was actually in her early thirties.
"Well I'm sorry," Gavner responded sarcastically, puffing his cheeks but was chuckling as well.
"You might be surprised to learn that Gavner is a Vampire General." Larten explained, looking at Madam Octa to see if she was alright after spending time with the child.
Nyx tilted her head to the side curiously like a cat. "What's a Vampire General?" She heard Hans mentioned them in passing but she doesn't know much at all about the clan.
"We keep an eye on scoundrels like these!" Gavner winked, shoving his elbow at Larten's shoulder playfully.
"If they find any of us killing innocents or using our powers for evil, they have the authority to judge the guilty." Larten explained more in a way Nyx could understand.
"Judge?" Nyx asked, looking at Gavner with more curiosity.
"They can kill the offending vampire." He answered. "Which brings us to your case, Nyx."
When Garner's own curiosity got to him, he scooted closer to Nyx, reaching to grab her hand. "Pardon me a mo-"
Once he gets too close to her liking and she sees that hand about to touch her, Nyx slaps his hand away hard. "No." She growled, leaning away from him, keeping her hands out of his reach.
"Ouch! Hey I wasn't going to hurt you." Gavner frowned, shaking his hand where she smacked him. It was hard enough where it actually hurt.
"You are lucky she did not claw you like others who were unfortunate to have gotten close. She does not like being touched if she does not trust you." Larten said, sighing heavily. "Just show him your fingertips."
Nyx looked at Larten to make sure that was really what she needed to do before she sat up, holding her hands up and showing the General her fingertips. The ten markings of being blooded were revealed.
"Charna's Guts, she's a vampire?!" Gavner gasped. Catching off guard being in front of a very young vampire. He turned to look at Larten. Before he could say something, Larten beat him to the punch.
"I did not turn her. Our laws strictly forbid turning children." Larten said. "Nyx came here to the cirque a year ago already been blooded. She is in my care."
Nyx lowered her hands and put them on her lap as the two talked.
"Who is her sire?" Gavner asked, a little irritated by the matter.
"I do not know. She ran away from him. When she was found, she was close to death from the abuse the bastard gave her." Larten explained grimly.
Gavner's eyes widened once the word abuse was thrown. He looked down at the little girl. "Is that true?" He asked her.
Nyx nodded. "It is, sir." She responded.
"You did not know of this?" Larten asked.
"Of course not! This is an outrage! Turning children is one thing but this is something else." Gavner said.
"There is one more thing about Nyx you should know if you did not already," Larten said. He turned to Nyx. "Mind running over there for a moment and come back?" He asked, pointing at a pillar in the far corner of the building.
Confused why he would request that, Nyx got up and, like second nature to breathing, she flits over to the pillar and comes back.
Gavner nearly jumps out of his skin. "She flits?!"
"Amongst other things, yes." Larten said seriously. "I already tested her, she is a halfvampire. Nyx here is a new variant."
"New variant?" Gavner didn't believe it but seeing her flit, especially one so young… "what else can she do?"
Nyx shook her head no, seeing where this was leading.
She refuses to change, in fear she would lose control and kill them.
"That is a touchy subject. You would have to see it for yourself to believe it but make no mistake if you do witness her other ability, pray that you are not on the receiving end of her fury." Larten vaguely said. He himself doesn't want to see her go feral, a part of him admires the little girl's commitment to not turn on them.
"I see." Gavner said, having a lot to unpack. "Why haven't you taken her to the Mountain to present her?"
"I'm still here." Nyx quipped with them talking about her as if she wasn't in the room.
Larten grunted in her remark before answering Gavner. "Nyx is far too young to make the trek first off, and second I do not know how she will react to being surrounded by more vampires than she is used to. She is not ready."
"If the Princes requested a summoning of her, she won't have a choice." Gavner said. "I already have to report this to them."
"As you should."
Nyx grunted before turning to Larten. "The show's about to start." She reminded her master.
"Hmm, oh yes," Larten said, coughing into his hand.
"There is something I came to discuss." Gavner said. "It's rather personal, I don't have any objections to speaking in front of the kid but… "
Larten nodded before looking down at her. "Nyx, please inform Mr. Tall that I am unable to perform."
"Aw what?" Nyx frowned, looking disappointed as the two adults stood up and began leaving to find a spot for them to speak in peace.
"Don't worry Nyx, I'll tell you everything once his back is turned." Gavner playfully winked at her.
"Gavner!" Larten hissed, raising a fist at him and Gavner put his hands up in defense.
"Kidding!"
The general casted one more look towards Nyx before the two disappeared.
"Oh man!" Nyx groaned once they left. She casted a look at Madam Octa.
She sighed before getting up. Might as well go feed the spider real quick before telling the ring leader the news.