Private Tales Meeting of Monsters

[Lilette Blackbriar]

Another week, another bloody scene found by the town guard. The first two left no trace of the killer nor the victims, only more blood than a man could lose and still be called a "survivor" and often little else. Initially some with more superstitious inclinations claimed there to be a ghost, or that they had seen a figure flee the scene, clad in armor black as the night itself, and wielding a sword too large for any mere human to wield. Others dismissed it as a mere fairy tale.

Either way, the pattern had been broken and new information come to light.

This time, a body had been left. Murder was commonplace and often bloody in The Shallows, but most would have disposed of their crime in the murky swamps by now, and this body may have grown cold, but they were not yet putrid. This one was killed as recently as nightfall, and violently so. But by what?

Some had theories, some more plausible than others, but the peculiar markings on the victim's neck allowed one rumor to spread more quickly than the rest.

A vampire had come to Alliria.

The victim himself was a resident of the inner city, specifically a book seller with a knack for obtaining literature of a fantastical and sometimes even occult nature. Though shady in his own ways, he had few enemies, but a number of strange customers.

One such customer would have been Lilette, a strange Nun of the Celestialist pantheon who had arrived near four weeks prior to the murder. Though none could get meaningful answers from the woman, most assumed her innocence due to her soft demeanor and profession as a healer. Lilette however, knew far more than she let on.

And so she went about her business, trading with dealers of questionable goods here in the shallows' black market, inquiring of various alchemical ingredients for her tonics, and putting on a smile just a little too energetic for someone had been dragged to a crime scene earlier that morning.

Kerrick Vandergard

 

[Kerrick Vandergard]

The calls and cries to action at the mere mention of the word 'vampire' began to spread throughout the city like a plague. It took the presence of a bloodsucking monstrosity to make any well-to-do citizen of Aliiria show any semblance of pity to a victim of The Shallows. The white-haired figure standing just outside of the freshly christened crime scene knew well the reason; The only thing that ran far deeper and more powerfully than hatred was fear, and when one combined both fear and hatred?

Well, that was a volatile mix.

So it was that Allirians both loathed and dreaded Kerrick Vandergard's kind. To live off of the blood of another, to live outside the restrictions of humanity at large... it was unholy, was it not? A crime against nature, something to aspire towards ending. Though Kerrick knew his kin would never admit it, that fact was why they kept themselves hidden out of sight, only emerging under the cover of darkness. They were destined outcasts, built from the ground up to be ousted from society.

And what had they chosen to do with that exile? Group together, revel in sin and vice, prey on the weak and helpless for food. Kerrick too, had lived such a life. To his own detriment, he'd lived long enough to see the pointlessness and frivolity of it. Now, he lived an exile from both sides, an island from all.

Living as a Vampire amongst a city that hated him was far from easy, but aside from the pallor of his skin and the shape of his teeth, he did a fairly good job of coming across as an introverted human, rather than a bloodthirsty creature of the night. Whoever had taken their fill of this latest victim, though... they hadn't been so careful.

It was sloppy work, the sloppiest in a series of ugly showings. Vampires had to eat, even if Alliria didn't realize there was far more than one lurking in its midst. There was an unwritten code not to get the entire city in a panic, though. It made life harder for all of the others, and it wasn't that hard to clean up your mess.

Whoever did this was a rookie. Not untalented, but undisciplined.

That was why Kerrick had taken it upon himself to come to The Shallows today. If the Vampire in question was bold enough to leave an entire corpse behind, he figured they'd be bold enough to try hiding in plain sight. If that were the case, he had a chance of tracking them down and stopping them.

Before they got half of the Vampires in Alliria killed.

Lilette Blackbriar

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

Lilette carried on with her day, carrying a simple bask woven basket under her arm while browsing one of the market stands. The assortment of flowers and herbs made for a colorful contrast to the otherwise bleak shanty town around her, and in a strange way she seemed happy, humming a soft tune to herself.

And why shouldn't she be? The pain was gone for the time being and warmth had returned to her once weary body. Even old wounds had healed again, and she was truly right as rain.

Well, aside from the man at her heels, questioning things he shouldn't while she mostly ignored him.

"And you're sure you didn't learn anything from him?"

"Hm? well, the book has taught me more than he" She sighed

"Which book?"

"'Tis a bestiary. Most useful for an alchemist such as I, for many 'a creature can be converted to tonics with the knowledge and patience to do so"

The two continued their one sided chase through the market, the oddly inquisitive fellow still a minor presence in whatever fancy the strange nun had been absorbed in. If anything she seemed more focused on smelling her flowers than acknowledging her tail, though over time her smile began to fade somewhat.

"I've told you, as I've already told the guard; On the night of the murder, I was serving myself dinner. Now if you please, I no longer wish to talk of 'Vampires' or killings for today. Besides, 'tis not been ruled out by the guards that some other beast or weapon could have killed him. I know that humans can be a most paranoid species"

She waved him off in as polite a fashion as she could manage, turning away to leave the market in a hurry as she walked past Kerrick Vandergard , giving only a passing glance from the side as she strode past, silver eyes shining just a little more than they should in the shade.

Though she herself paid no more attention to him than she had any other pedestrians among the shallows. Currently her mind was much to chaotic to notice much more than yet another presence, too entangled in her next move before it had even begun.

 

[Kerrick Vandergard]

Despite Kerrick's purest intentions, none of the Guards stationed in The Shallows lent themselves to his cause. That wasn't to say that Vandergard blamed them, a strange pale fellow prodding around about information regarding a murder didn't exactly sound like it was on the up-and-up. Still, being the recipient of a few cold shoulders had left him with no leads to speak of.

Well, nothing except that they all thought it was a Vampire.

He'd been sure to keep his upper lip held over his teeth talking to them. Last thing he needed was every meathead in the city thinking he'd killed a man.

Okay, so yes, he had killed a man. Hundreds, probably. Just not in the last five years or so...

Without anything of substance to go on, Kerrick instead milled about in the marketplace for a spell. It was incredible, he'd learned, how much humans would reveal in such public settings, as if they expected the world around them to be deaf to their words. Oftentimes he'd find himself listening in on the most baffling of conversations, merely to keep himself amused by the banality of it all. Dramas amongst the everyday folk were so trivial it nearly made him laugh.

Vandergard purchased a ripe apple from one of the fruit stands shilling imported crops at a higher price. It was a scam, but Kerrick didn't like the fruit that grew in the shallows; it all had a swampy aftertaste that didn't sit well with his already blood-deprived palette. A pair passed behind him, and the word 'Vampire' led him to turn his head and lock eyes with the holy woman being pestered by another man.

Well, she was dressed like a holy woman, but it had only taken that one look for him to know she was anything but. Her eyes were different than everybody around them, a paleness enriched by a luminous glimmer that he'd looked into thousands of times before. She was a Vampire, hiding in plain sight just as he was.

"A nun..." Kerrick muttered under his breath, before letting a small laugh escape him. What a choice of cover, he almost admired the brazenness of it. Unfortunately, that brazenness also matched the kind of Vampire who would leave a half-drained corpse lying in the middle of the Shallows. Taking another bite of his apple, Kerrick slid away from the fruit stall, pulling his hood up over his head as he hunched his back to blend with the crowd, following the strange woman by sight, and by scent when necessary. She was hard to pick out in this bustle, but far from impossible.

Lilette Blackbriar

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

Brazen was certainly a word to describe Lilette, though ironically that brazenness had been tempered much since her days in Vel Anir. Not out of fear of course, the young woman was still arrogant and mad as ever, but more so it was... convenience that had prompted what little control she exercised now. Sightings of "The Black Knight" had become a rarity now, and this had been the first such occurrence in Alliria.

For now, she continued about her day as one might expect any other resident of the shallows: Occasionally stopping at other market stalls to browse, even buying some bread and obviously bootlegged wine of middling quality.

One stop however, might seem out of place for one such as herself. Not for a mortal, but for a creature of the night.

It was just another run down house cobbled together from old wood and thatch a short walk from the market, same as any other shack really. She knocked on the door gently, soft and pale hands seeming a little rosy in the exposed sunlight.

When it opened, she greeted the residents with a soft, closed smile. It was just an older woman and a much younger girl who could have been a granddaughter or adoptee even. Though surprised at first, they exchanged similar smiles and pleasantries, as well as the food Lilette had bought, and a vial or two containing various herbs.

"I was in the market and figured I should drop by but briefly" She explained, patting the child on the head while she and the guardian spoke.

Once finished they waved and that was that. No money was exchanged and really the vampire had left with fewer things than when she had arrived, save perhaps the feint remains of a smile as she turned away, giving the market one last look.

Although, Kerrick Vandergard received yet another glance.

It was quick, not lasting much longer than looks afforded to any other resident she had seen today. She didn't seem to recognize him either, and in fact her curious eyes wandered over the rest of the crowd for a time.

It was hard to explain to herself but there was... something in the air. She had never smelt anything quite like it before, causing her to take in a deep breath, closing her eyes for but a moment. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not place it. It only seemed to grow stronger the further away from the crowds she wandered, so it didn't take long for her to distance herself.

And the more distance she made, the more confused she looked, looking all around until she came to a sudden stop.

With wide eyes she looked over her shoulders in startling realization: Despite growing stronger away from the crowd, the scent was coming from behind her.

 

[Kerrick Vandergard]

Kerrick met her gaze as she turned to look back at him once more, no longer making any attempt to hide the fact that he was tailing her. What little he'd seen; the interaction with the small family, the second failure to notice the threat he posed, and now stopping in her tracks the moment it had dawned on her what was occurring... it all confirmed what he'd already assumed: Inexperience.

Still, while they were clear out of the bustling market, it wouldn't do to have the conversation they needed to out in the open like this; Kerrick had no desire to reveal her publicly, and the actions of this woman suggested she may not be so adverse to attacking him, even in broad daylight.

Instead, Kerrick lowers his hood and approaches nearer.

"Hello, Sister."

The title had been chosen for a reason. It would not seem strange to any bystanders for Vandergard to use such a word to address a holy woman, as his new friend had christened herself, and it was also a way of giving her an idea as to what he was, and how he'd found her.

Vampires, regardless of strain or origin, held a faint bond with one another. It was what he'd used to track her down, and it was likely what she'd felt following her, if only in her subconscious mind.

"Forgive me if I startled you, I was wondering if I could have a word with you?" The Vampire slides his hands into the pockets of his coat, stopping a reasonably safe distance away. With his face unhidden, one could almost mistake them for siblings, given the similarities in their complexion. Of course, that was a trait their mutual malady had brought upon them both. "A member of my family has been acting afoul, and I was hoping for the advice of the Pantheon..."

Lilette Blackbriar

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

Lilette was unaccustomed to fear. Not since turning, at least. But a mix of that and more bubbled to the surface like a long forgotten memory as a grey-eyed stranger revealed himself not so far away.
They were strikingly similar, weren't they? Though it were those eyes that told her so much through so little, the similarly argent hair and the smooth, deathly pale skin was all the more damning. She wondered then if this was how others felt when seeing her in the night; That uncanny feeling, where one was uncertain if they were seeing an angel or a devil given earthly flesh.

"Hello, Sister."

She stopped herself from taking a sudden step backward, unsure whether to fight, run, or begin asking a dozen questions at once. After all, it was the very first time she had met one of her own kind.

"Forgive me if I startled you, I was wondering if I could have a word with you?"

"A member of my family has been acting afoul, and I was hoping for the advice of the Pantheon..."

"I... I see" She blinked.

"Yes, come hither... I shall render thee aid where possible"

Their was an old warehouse within walking distance, abandoned after a gang war that had since removed the previous occupants. That is where she would lead him, aware that he wouldn't do her harm in the public eye, at least.

It was also spacious enough for a battle to be fought in her favor, should the need arise.

"I hope this will suffice, in lieu of a confessional?" She gave the walkways one last lookover to ensure they weren't seen, and then entered first to demonstrate the relative safety, at least where privacy was concerned.

Inside, she merely stood in the room's center, scratching at her sleeve while she watched the man intently.

"So then, thou'rt... alike?"

Kerrick Vandergard

 

[Kerrick Vandergard]

It seemed, thankfully, that he wouldn't have to work further to get his message across. The expression on her face only served to confirm what he'd suspected, and he quietly pulled the hood back up over his head to wait for her reply.

The stranger, of course, could have done any number of things at that moment. She could run away, knowing the likelihood that Kerrick would be able to eventually track her down just as he had today. She could have attacked him, and while Vandergard did not doubt as to her strength, she would oust herself with violence in broad daylight.

No, she was rash but not foolish. She beckoned for Kerrick to follow, and led him further from the busy streets nearest the market, traversing the old and unkempt roads of The Shallows until they were in a section known for its inhospitality. There had been industry in these Shallows, long ago. Now, the shells of warehouses and factories sat precariously atop rotting wooden platforms, held aloft only by murky waters below.

It was one of these dilapidated structures that she brought them to, checking for his approval of the spot before ducking inside.

Kerrick stood at the door, pressing his tongue thoughtfully against the inside of his cheek. That this could be a trap wasn't lost on him in the slightest, but he'd pursued this encounter, and the ramifications of this meeting were now on his shoulders, regardless of the outcome. Quietly, Kerrick slid inside the warehouse behind her, the smell of must and stale air filling his nostrils as the heavy door closed behind him.

The large room was mostly empty, save for some discarded garbage strewn about on the floor from whoever had taken occupancy of this place before them. The nun stood in the center, visibly uncomfortable.

"So then, thou'rt... alike?"

Vandergard felt the ghost of a smile on his lips as he nodded.

"You can feel it when you look at me, can't you? Somewhere in the very back of your mind?"

Lilette Blackbriar

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

"Yes," Lilette exhaled sharply "Though 'tis a sensation most alien"

She continued to stare, unblinking at a man that could easily be foe or friend, the exact chance of which she was uncertain. Everything was uncertain today, and for the first time in many months, she hadn't the foggiest clue how to proceed.

"Do all our kind feel it? This... sixth sense?" She finally asked, deciding that she'd best get as many answers as possible before their encounter ends, however that would be.

Answers to questions that seemed to pile up the longer she looked at him. She had read so much and yet learned so little, but the concept of a Vampiric "strain" came to mind, The way some vampires might share a set of characteristics that differed from others, almost a proverbial "Bloodline".

From his grey eyes and white hair to his ability to stand in the sun, she began wondering if perhaps they shared more in common than just Vampirism. It would certainly be a boon if so, a way she might study it's shortcomings and iron out her research, perhaps even restore her abilities once and for all- years or experimentation finally bearing fruit- but only if she could handle this encounter well enough. After all, if he bore the same strengths as herself, such a thing could become quite difficult without skilled diplomacy.

Ironically, fear had taught her more patience than Vampirism ever could.

Kerrick Vandergard

 

[Kerrick Vandergard]

"Most of the time, though it can be difficult to pinpoint if you aren't aware of it."

The Vampiress in front of him was visibly nervous, and understandably so. Their breed was not one known for its benevolence, and in her shoes, he too would have been wary of the intent of a stranger, regardless of their similarities. Still, the woman held her ground and did not allow herself to fall into panic. That was a positive sign. One that told Kerrick she could be reasoned with.

He'd taken that for granted in the past.

"You haven't been turned long, have you?" Kerrick asked, tilting his head to look over her once more. Not her physical form, but the aura she exuded, the sent that came to his nostrils when she shifted her weight, that 'sixth sense' she spoke of. "It was fairly easy to track you. There's a 'freshness' to the scent of a newly sired."

Of course, she wouldn't so openly answer his questions if she had no reason to trust in his good faith. Kerrick relaxed his posture, shifting his body forward and tilting his head to the side in an odd, angled bow. To the ordinary, it would seem a gesture of poor posture and little else, but to the instinctual eyes of a Vampire, it was painfully obvious the way he'd exposed his nape so carelessly to an attack, should she choose such an action.

"My name is Kerrick Vandergard. My intentions for meeting with you are not those of hostility, I merely wish to talk."

Lilette Blackbriar