“Hello we rarely get early customers. Forgive our earlier actions. We are new here. Perhaps coffee today? Or tea?”
Her words were clipped and her mouth barely opened. Marcos knew vampires valued strength and appearances almost above everything. This vampire was very low class and likely never was in a coven. Other vampires would have killed her for her shameful weakness.
“Bring us tea with lots of sugar, bread, breakfast meat, and whatever else you have.” Marcos said.
“Yes, very good” She said already backing up before turning and nearly running.
Kaarthen regarded him suspiciously. “Why are you making her nervous?”
Marcos shrugged. “I’m not. I don’t have too. Culture says that, for them a stronger vampire can kill them at their own discretion. That girl’s actions were overly polite and displayed her obvious weakness. She is a hundred years old but likely never has been around other vampires.”
“You think she’s running from something?” Kaarthen said with the tone of sympathy.
“Yes, vampires stay the hell out of Menthino because I require it. If they were in Mavvus I would destroy them, but this is an independent city on our border. Fate left them alive here, so they are likely the only ones in the city or nearby.”
The girl came back holding a tray. As she placed the cups, Marcos noticed her hands were shaking the tea and almost rattling the cups.
“Please sit.” Marcos said quietly as she finished. He gestured a chair with a low back and arms he wanted her to take. To retrieve it, she would not have a chance of eye contact with her friend who watched nervously from the bar.
She froze for an instant but moved very stiffly and brought over the chair. She sat quietly and demurely but away from the table. The other blond watched but didn’t move or speak.
Marcos looked her over. Her hands were in her lap, her shoulders looked tight, and her head drooped as she stared at the table.
He reached out studying her face. “Did you know vampires are not allowed in Menthino?” He asked. He lifted her chin easily though she initially flinched. Her body shook like a leaf. Marcos noticed how skinny she was. Her chest was small and sunken under the halter and her arms were rails.
He paused. Her eyes stayed off his and kept to the wall. She reminded Marcos of some nervous dog. He waited for her response letting second go by then continued.
“So why did you bring your children here?” He finally said expecting an answer. Again, she didn’t speak but stayed quiet.
“Speak, what reasons do you have to hide here?” Marcos said slightly irritated.
“Sir, this girl once had a master. He was killed by his children who thought to control the coven. This girl was no more than a slave to them. They told this girl to serve. When the coven broke, this girl fled and took Mara. She was a pleasure slave, she knows nothing, she was kept locked in their dungeon, raped and made to serve any who wanted pleasure. We shall serve you if you find mercy for us.” She finished with a voice full of emotion.
“Of course, come with us it will be safe for you. We travel to Mavvus, in the city there will be a quiet place for you to live.” Kaarthen said surprising Marcos.
The girl was confused. For vampires, the less powerful usually don’t decide in another’s presence.
She turned to Kaarthen. “Thank you Mistress! This girl is so happy! She will serve you well.” She got out of the chair and kneeled taking Kaarthen’s hand and placing it around her neck.
Marcos shook himself back to reality. “Vampires are not allowed in Mavvus.” He said indignantly.
“Well these two will hardly cause a stir. They can keep up on our travels as well.”
“They can’t stay in the city I will not permit them in my tower. They are likely unable to travel in the daylight also.”
Vampires are famously photosensitive. They might die if left out but it would take a long time. Usually, they suffer a huge drop in energy that debilitates them for hours. Only powerful older vampires can act unaffected.
“You told me earlier you had a pair of tree nymphs in the tower and grew a rock nymph from stone. These would be the same and only require blood instead of the energies of sexual excess. Since they can take care of themselves they may help the city by feeding on the criminals.” Kaarthen said optimistically.
“This girl never actually stalked and fed from humans before. This girl was made to drink of cows and horses.” The vampire added.
“Well that explained a little of why the two weren’t noticed.” Marcos thought.
Adventurers are paid lots of money for vampire heads.
“Can they even walk in daylight before passing out? Why should we help these two?” Marcos inquired of Kaarthen. He turned to the girl. “Excuse me, who is the third?”
“Rinis is another slave like this girl but she’s been around much longer. She is as old as Mara and this girl.” She said looking down still. She was obviously used to her fate being decided by superiors.
“You three are very weak.” Marcos said finally, not sure what point he was trying to make.
“But we can protect them. They shouldn’t live in fear.” Kaarthen rallied. Confident optimism was in her voice.
“They are not pets Kaarthen. Vampires grow stronger with time and blood. They will eventually want to use that strength since vampires value little else. Could you ‘put them down’ if they threatened the city? Would you fight them if they went berserk or revolted? Will you keep track of them to see when they plot against you? They are proud creatures and these three are poor examples, but given time and they will ‘grow up’.” Marcos protested. This was shaping up to be a classic reason vs. emotion argument.
“The goddess will aid me. I shall be their night mother.” Kaarthen said. If her eyes could grow misty and cloudy with delusions, they would be by now.
“Then they are yours, I hope no problems develop. I will protect my city. My women in the tower are not to be violated. In fact, they may never enter.” He delivered his statement in a building loud commanding voice of a father.
Kaarthen squealed in glee and hugged the little vamp. Its small head was dwarfed by Kaarthen’s bust and it blushed returning the embrace.
“Just a question, how did you get work here?” He asked. Marcos needed to know how these vampires worked their way in. If they used an ability, compulsion, or a geas he would kill them here and now rather than allow them near those he protected.
“Mara is happy to fuck the owner for rent and a room. We don’t ask for any money, the owner pays us for one person. We can’t complain really, He knows what we are. Outside the city or anywhere else Warrioresses or adventurers would kill us for sport. We have been here for a few months.”
“There, there, go and get the others, we will wait for you.” Said Kaarthen gently.
Marcos noted how she took to this mothering role quiet easily. It was almost disturbing how quickly things had changed from the comfortable dynamic they had. She was arching her back pushing out her bosoms and smoothing the front of her robe with a warm smile.
“Are you sure about this?” Marcos asked again.
She looked at him smiling. “The Goddess in me will help them with what they need to stay out of trouble.” Kaarthen answered with remarkable truth.
“I see. Is that what you’re trying to do?” Marcos asked.
He was interrupted by the presentation of three girls. Each was short skinny and pale. Like Kaarthen, they had pale nearly transparent skin. Unlike Kaarthen, they weren’t darkened by but had a similar dark blush to their cheeks and under the eyes. They looked malnourished, scruffy, and their clothes were ratty.
The third girl had black wavy hair that went past her shoulders. She poked a tooth idly with her finger. Her pupils were extremely dilated and she shivered while staring at Marcos. She wore a simple thin lavender dress with a lace collar and knee length hem.
He had the mental picture of Kaarthen cooing, feeding, and petting three dirty itchy mutts in some alley somewhere. She looked at him strangely when the thought occurred to him but he didn’t care.
“This girl’s name is Ein. We are all four hundred years old this girl was trash from Masil to the far west. Mara was also from Masil we are like sisters we were taken on the same night. This is Rinis. She worked with me in the coven. We all ran away together when our coven went into civil war, our blood bond was broken, and we most likely would have been killed. Nobody would protect us. We are too weak to fight. We will happily serve you with our lives.” Said the blond in pants. She had all the pride of a leader of a gang of street urchins.
Marcos considered the silliness of people who fled in fear pledging their lives to anything.
“I accept your pledge. Please let’s get along.” Kaarthen said standing and bending to hug them.
Rinis continued to stare stupidly at him as she was hugged. Marcos was sure she would have voided her bowels had she eaten anything. He mused that perhaps she was slow and almost chuckled.
Marcos waited outside across the street as the three collected their meager belongings and closed the caf? Predictably, as they stepped out, they fell flat under the weight of the sun. Kaarthen fretted and almost stripped naked in the nearly empty street trying to protect them from the mid-morning sun. Marcos took pity and found a wheelbarrow near a blacksmith. He left money for it paying much more than it was worth. He returned and lumped the three girls in and pushed them down the street. At another store, he bought two blankets and a cowhide for them to cover them selves. Kaarthen hugged and kissed him happily, as he pushed on toward the city gates.
When the sun went down Marcos had to rest with it. They had stopped in a grassy clearing near a creek on the edge of the forest for the night. He was beyond tired but mostly sore. He had refused letting Kaarthen push the wheelbarrow over the rutted dirt road. The hills outside the city had been nearly worth those girls lives. On the flat areas, he still fought the washed out road and every rock while trying to push the wheelbarrow along.
Leave a Reply