Fable - Ask The Blooding

[Felice]

At the top of the wall Felice saw the dying man. She saw Harlowe pounce on him before restraining herself. That was curious. She debated whether or not to let the vampire know that the first plunge was the hardest. After that it just became instinct. But, candidly, she didn't know if her kind operated in the same manner as herself.

Maybe vampires never really got used to it. "It's ok," she offered, "my first meal was a doozy too."

Even now the slow thump of the guard's heartbeat was causing a stir inside her. But she'd already learned, in just these few short days, that it wasn't the same taste if you didn't make the kill.

Felice nodded, "right, into the city then."

Her hair re-assembled in its lax state as Felice followed the boss-man's order. Press on ahead, easy, and this time she wouldn't allow herself to be the last to their destination. Strands of red reached out over the edge of the wall and then formed a sled as she skidded down the wall and into the city. When the base of the wall was a few meters away a longer strand grew and caught the ground.

It wasn't as quiet as Nazara might've hoped but it was silent enough that she was fairly certain no one had seen her descent.

 

[Harlowe]

Breathe? Breathing was the problem! Every in take of unnecessary air was another shot of the scent of blood. It was all consuming, all encompassing. It felt like no matter where she was in the city now she would be drawn back here to taste, to drown herself in it.

Her teeth ached and an empty black hole of hunger gnawed at her insides but she stubbornly refused to give in. It was another step to being a monster. Another step away from who she was. She couldn't. Wouldn't.

Harlowe barely registered Felice's words as she buried her face further into the stone wall. Focus on the smell of sand, of clay, earth, she told herself quietly. It was no good though, the scent of blood was too strong here.

This was a mistake.

 

[Nazara]

Nazara sighed as he saw Harlowe cling to the wall.

It was like watching a child coming to terms with things, which he supposed was a rather apt comparison. He glanced over the wall for a moment, ensuring that Felice had landed. He mused for a moment, watching the girl's hair shift and move. "Fascinating."

He commented to himself.

Felice was the first of her kind that Nazara had ever seen. it was always wondrous to see what the Contract produced, and when it was something new it always interested him a little more.

After a moment he turned away and stepped towards Harlowe.

"Come on, time to do some growing up." His hand reached out, and with an almost impossible strength he yanked the Vampire from the stone wall and simply threw her into the city below.

A second later he followed, dropping off the fall and landing silently besides Felice.

 

[Felice]

To her surprise the other two weren't immediately landing behind her. Had she truly been that fast? Or maybe they were so impressed that they were talking about impressive it was. Felice blushed, or at least, she felt the sensation of blushing but her pale skin failed to shift at all on the color spectrum.

Felice steeled herself quickly, taking in her surroundings. It was a nice little city, despite the siege.

Not filled with the same high rises and splendor she saw in Oban but certainly a lot more put together than the ramshackle homes back in Cerak. She could smell the filth of people in peril injected by the occassional dog barking.

Nazara materialized suddenly and unexpectantly beside her. "Whoa," she said in a surprised tone.

 

[Harlowe]

Harlowe landed a second after Nazara materialised, by some miracle on her feet. She swayed briefly then dragged a hand down her face. Further away from the scent of blood it was easier for her to control the tide of hunger and desperate need.

"Thank you," another person might have felt anger for being thrown off a wall but she knew her own limits and she had been seconds away from losing control.

Breathe...

Harlowe squared her shoulders and then stepped in to the city. Or rather, the shadow of the city.

"Your hair thing is very... cool, by the way," she said awkwardly as they walked.

 

[Nazara]

Nazara only smiled at Felice, his features a mask of amusement.

There were few in the Regiment that had seen all that Nazara could do. He was one of the elder monsters within the ranks, and thus had learned a degree of control that some of the others could only dream of. Often he had wondered what it would be to meet an actual Shade.

One that had been made by nature, rather than the magic of the Contract. It would have been interesting, at least. Though from what he understood they were more than rare.

As they began to walk it was obvious that Yrial was a city under siege.

Many buildings had some form of damage from where a trebuchet had struck them, the streets were littered with debris and unclaimed corpses. What people could be seen cowered away the moment they noticed someone in the street, and above all...things were quiet.

The three of them walked practically up the main road undisturbed, most of the Shah's army guarding the walls of the palace itself.

Nazara said nothing as they moved, letting the girls carry on their quiet conversation.

 

[Felice]

With an unnatural degree of grace and poise the silver-haired nightstalker landed near the duo. Sure, she rocked to-and-fro right after but the fact she could land on her feet from that height was something else. Slinking through the underbelly of the city caused a certain amount of excitement to well up in Felice which came to an overflowing boil as Harlowe complimented her hair.

A smirk plastered across her ghastly white features. "Thanks, it's really cool, watch this," almost immediately a blob of red formed into the shape of a star before re-arranging into a braided flower. "Your speedy thing and landy thing are amazing too." Truthfully she was kind of jealous that the vampire was that fast. She repressed the urge to ask her what else vampires could do.

Nazara, on the other hand was silent as he moved and Felice was quick on her feet when she realized she was getting left behind. Right, this is a job. Focus.

They passed bodies of the deceased with the occasional one causing pangs of hunger to register in her gut. What really got her going though was the even rarer sight of a live one scurrying off into some blown-out building. If Nazara wasn't here she'd have already gone off for a snack.

"You feelin' ok?" Felice hadn't been able to resist the first living being she encountered. She could only imagine the urges Harlowe must've been undergoing.

 

[Harlowe]

A tiny smile quirked her lips upwards but for the quiet and reserved vampire it was a bold emotion to show.

"Thank you," she inclined her head gracefully at the compliment. Harlowe had only seen them as annoyances for the past week. It was like learning to walk all over again and she wanted to be able to actually use her new body without so much thought and care. The other night when one of the other monsters had handed her a peg for a tent she had smashed the thing to smithereens with just a gentle tap of the hammer.

The next question caught her off guard. Her eyes moved sideways to peer at the girl out of the corner of her eye but she noticed she only seemed genuine in her concern. Briefly she glanced to Nazara who would no doubt overhear the whole conversation before giving a tiny shake of her head.

"I'm not ready," she said simply. "Every time the thought comes into my mind I see them with my fathers face, or my mothers," she gave a soft, sad sigh.

Then suddenly the moment was gone. Harlowe grabbed a hold of the girl before she stepped into the open and put a finger to her lips just as a group of guards walked past a second later.

 

[Nazara]

He had been listening to the girls speak, but he never interjected. The two of them were the newest recruits to the Regiment, and he knew from experience that such bonds often helped in the beginning. His own transition had been...difficult.

Nazara knew better than to interject.

For the two of them he was an enigmatic figure, perhaps even something to feel emnity towards. Both of them had signed the contract from his words, both of them having doomed themselves to this fate by his hand.

Not that he believed either of them would come to regret it.

As the guards swept by Nazara seemed to disappear into the shadows.

One moment he was there, and the next he was entirely gone, as if swept away by the wind itself. Voices carried outward as Harlowe practically shoved Felice into the corner.

"What was that? You see it?"​

One of the guards called as they seemed to stop in the middle of the street.

 

[Felice]

Thinking about your loved ones every time you wanted to feast would put a damper on meal time. No doubt about it.

"That's hard, I haven't seen my ma in," her words were cut short by a firm finger placed against her mouth and an even firmer grip that pushed her into the shadows. The harionago would've protested but she could hear the footsteps of guards approaching.

The other thing she noticed was that the guy who was supposed to be leading this little expedition was no where to be found. He did his vanishing act right as those soldiers showed up.

Felice pressed her back into the bricks, grateful that Harlowe hadn't broken anything in her haste to get her to safety. She'd heal it quick enough but it still hurt like hell. Then the guard called out, footsteps stopped. Probably best to just wait it out right? Boss said they were supposed to be quiet.

Several layers of hair stood up on end and cocked back against the brickwall she was pressed into. One of the guards walked closer to their hiding spot. Closer. Felice dared a glance at Harlowe before tendrils of red hair sputtered at the lone guard.

The first clump wrapped around his mouth, the second his throat, binding his wrists third and fourth before pulling him into the corner with her. She stared at Harlowe nervously with anticipation, feeling the guard's fear, wondering what to do next.

Yes, killing him was ideal. If another guard came this way she wouldn't be prepared, they might start a commotion. But she saw how the vampire dealt with spilled blood up on the wall...

 

[Harlowe]

Harlowe grimaced when Felice grabbed the guard before she could protest. His eyes were practically rolling in his head with fear as he glanced between the monsters. The young vampire tried to wrack her brain for an alternative but she couldn't. They wouldn't be able to let him go now, he would have to die or he would raise the alarms. Leaving him tied up would only result in the possibility he would be found and then the alarm raised. The only scenario where he didn't put their mission in jeopardy was where he died.

"Milan? Where'd you go? Quit pissing about already."
​

A soft curse in her native tongue left her lips.

"Get rid of him," she murmured low before silently drawing the small hunting blade she wore against the base of her spine. Without another word she vanished in a blur of silver.

The soldiers had filled the little street now, all calling for their missing friend with jibes and jokes yet there was a nervous energy to their words. Nervous soldiers were a bad thing for them. Nobody knew the first three were dead until the cold edge of her blade touched the throats of the remaining three. Not one single cry left their lips as they slumped to the floor.

Harlowe threw her blade away from her as though it were cursed and quickly retreated several steps, an arm thrown over her nose. At least she had had enough warning this time not to breathe.

 

[Nazara]

Nazara pulled himself from the shadows, appearing within the midst of the corpses that now littered the streets. His eyebrow was raised as he looked a the two girls.

"Well." The Shade declared.

In truth he had not thought Felice would grab one of the men, he had most certainly not expected Harlowe to take an even further step. Both of them had kept to his creed, to ensure silence within the city, but the slaughter was more than he had expected.

"Perhaps." He mused. "A step further."

His shoulders rolled. "But effective enough."

No screams had echoed in the city, no cries of terror or anything of the sort. His gaze flickered over his new recruits, looking at Felice expectantly.

There was only one thread left to be silenced.

 

[Felice]

Before Felice could even confirm her understanding Harlowe was gone. Then six bodies hit the ground. Ruby hair lifted her prey to the side so she could take a peek around the corner.

Sure enough, the rest of the guards were dead.

”Huh,” she said right as the silver haired woman’s blade clattered on the cobblestone. That was definitely a solution to their wandering guard problem.

Nazara’s stare bore into her. ”Oh, right, the guy.” A lock of vermilion untangled from the guard’s neck before straightening and slicing through swiftly. A dozen other strands of hair raised skyward and curled like a den of vipers before they tore into his abdomen.

They retreated, holding globules of bloody matter and rushing them towards Felice’s face. Her jaw unhinged, tripling the size of her mouth, and a second row of razor sharp teeth extended. Within seconds the organs she had grasped at were devoured. Slopping, inhumane, sounds emerged from her gullet as she ate away. Felice swallowed the last part of him and then allowed the lifeless corpse to drop to the city floor.

Tips of her hair and her chin were now painted crimson but her jaw returned to normal. Her hair fell back into place. A look of concern in Harlowe’s direction was followed by a satisfied smile at Nazara, ”I’m ready if you two are.”

 

[Harlowe]

Don't. Breathe.

Focus.

Harlowe's eyes closed as she listened to Orin's voice inside her head. The older vampire had respected her decision not to drink though she knew he thought it wouldnt last long. Still, he had given her tips to help her stick to her morales for now. It was much easier said than done though.

The young vampire waited for the others at the furthest point away from the bodies as she could be, occupying herself instead by keeping a lookout along the path they had been taking. She could see the Palace now with the soft warm glow of torchlight spilling from its windows.

"Yes," she agreed stiffly with Felice's unspoken question and then glanced to her bloodied blade. Carefully she picked it up and then wiped the blood on the soldiers clothes. Tiny black veins had begun to appear around her eyes like cracks in her perfect skin; a telltale sign she was getting closer to her limit. Despite the obvious pain she kicked the bodies into the shadows before continuing. "Let's go."

 

[Nazara]

"Impressive." Nazara said as Felice devoured a portion of the guard, her transformation being utterly captivating.

There was a reason that they were called monsters, and if that display did not prove it Nazara did not know what have. It never ceased to amaze him just what his fellows were capable of. When Felice's mouth snap closed and her hair slowly flowed back into place the Shade offered her a small round of applause.

A second later he motioned for her to follow after Harlowe.

His gaze flickered up across the windows of the buildings above, checking that no one was peering down as the trio once again formed up in the street.

The Palace loomed up ahead, one of the few places that was out of range of the Kha's trebuchets and thus untouched. The three of them moved around the east of the building, Nazara motioning for them to follow as they neared the palace walls. "Up and over."

He said with a quick motion, knowing that on the other side would be a thick garden. Once they went through that they would have to climb the walls to the Shah's own balcony. There, they would hopefully find the man himself.

 

[Felice]

It was hard to focus at first. The high from a fresh meal was exhilarating, the sensations were far more intense than anything she experienced as a human. Colors became more vivid, sounds sharper, and her body felt lighter than usually. Fresh meals were far different than the corpses she was forced to pick over back in the Kha's camp.

After a delay she registered Nazar's compliment and gave a curt nod to the cap'n before a rough cloth sleeve raised to brush her prey's blood off of her chin. As discretely as possible she shook out the tips of her mane in an effort to cleanse them of the gore as well.

"Got it," Felice said as her umber eyes looked at the palace walls. They were shorter than the imposing city walls.

She got a running start, which was significantly slower than whatever Harlowe or Nazara could manage, and then flung the entire mass of her hair at the wall. Plunging into the dead center of its stony exterior and launching her over the top. Once over the wall the pile of red hair ballooned outwards and fired towards the lush garden below to brace her fall.

Felice was unsure if she landed first, second, or third on the other side but what she immediately noticed was how lovely the violets and daisies and roses were on the other side. Even in the moonlight she could tell that this place was a well-manicured garden, which was unsurprising considering this was the home of their target. The king or emperor or whatever of this little besieged city.

 

[Harlowe]

It would definitely be a neat trick if she could turn into a bat, Harlowe thought with a sigh as she looked at the Palace Wall. It would save time climbing. Still, Orin has said some Vampires developed odder gifts as they grew older so maybe there was still a chance.

She managed to not make quite as much mess going up the wall as she had before and soon she was in the lush gardens of the Palace. Harlowe crouched in the shadows and watched the balcony with a frown. Guards stood either side of the palacial glass doors that no doubt opened into the Shah's Chambers.

"There might be more inside too," her lips twisted thoughtfully. If they made a noise they would surely alert anyone inside. They also had to get across the open manicured lawn to the balcony.

 

[Nazara]

"Yes." The Shade said as he appeared once more behind the two girls, his black eyed gaze flickering over the garden and up to the Balcony.

The Garden was beautifully curated, there were dozens of flowers, vines, and trees that were not native to the Savannah. He slowly stepped through the different plants, following along the garden walkway and crouching down as he heard the echo of voices.

He motioned to the two girls to follow his motions.

"The Vizier sa-"

"I don't care what the Vizier said! I am the Shah! This city is mine and it will be mine even if it burns!"​

Nazara glanced up, looking towards the Balcony where a rather tubby man was standing, his hand gesturing angrily as he spoke.

"Bring me the Orb."

"Yes, Great One."​

The other voice said though Nazara could not see the figure.

For a few seconds the Shade waited, the fat man walking away from the railing of the balcony. He then crept forward, motioning to Harlowe and Felice. Two Guards stood at a doorway to the far wall, though neither of them had yet to move.

 

[Felice]

There he was, the Shah they were sent to kill. Felice wanted to lunge at him right now, put an end to his life and maybe get a little badge or something. Instead they were entering through the a door. Like regular humans.

She knew better than to question orders. The redhaired beast didn't wish to be ridiculed by the boss or judged by her vampire associate. Instead, she followed swiftly behind the shade and stuck close to Harlowe. When the trio approached the far wall where the doorway laid.

Felice glanced over at the vampire expectantly. Surely she knew the best course of action here. She was a soldier, it was obvious. And while Felice was mostly certain she'd be able to take down both guards without much noise she wasn't completely certain. Just gonna have to go for it.

When she thought she had affirmation from the vampire the harionago lunged forward in a quick motion, her hair striking out in a series of strands that struck at one of the two guards. Instead of subduing or silencing the guard it went directly for the kill. Not to devour as she was already full.

The redhead merely hoped that Harlowe was on the same page as her or else she was certain she'd get reprimanded for being reckless.

 

[Harlowe]

What's the Orb?

Harlowe wished they said more but they both moved inside leaving her frustrated. Deep grooves formed between her brows as she thought through what move was best next. Maybe if they went up they could avoid --

"Felice!" Harlowe hissed as the girl lunged but it was too late. Both guards dropped just as two more on their patrol rounded the corner. There was no mistaking the bodies and one quickly scrambled for the horn to sound the alarm whilst the other gave a shout. On the balcony the two guards leaned over and called down to ask what was going on.

 

[Nazara]

Nazara's body snapped into that strange fog.

In an instant the sound of rushing air echoed out as he swept himself from the ground and onto the balcony above. A scream echoed from one of guards as the black eyed demon formed once more. The sword in his hand flickered forward, the blade biting through armor and flesh in one quick swoop.

"What the fu-"

"Run, great one! I will keep it at bay."

A loud and boisterous chuckle escaped Nazara's throat. "Will you now?"

The Shade mused as he stepped over towards the Guardsmen. Black eyes peered down at the man, the black sword lowering slightly. The Guard let out a howl, then darted forward with a swipe of his axe.

Nazara quickly swept to the side, his hand extending to grab the Guardsman's curiass. He wrenched the man forward, pulling him over the railing and tossing him onto the marbled floor below. There was a metallic crunch as armor and flesh crumpled.

 

[Felice]

She thought she was being sneaky. Key word being, ‘thought.’ Harlowe called out her name right as she struck the first guard on the ground level.

”Oops,” she muttered softly. A tendril of hair swiftly dragging out of the first guard and into the second, stabbing through his upper shoulder before a second tress whipped out and impaled his midsection.

They both fell but it was far from silent.

Two more soldiers rounded on patrol, additional guards glancing down from balconies.

A shout, more commotion, Nazara’s voice above. Felice had inadvertently turned the situation to chaos. It seemed unlikely she’d earn any accolades after this first job now. She sidestepped and followed after the two new patrolling guards, though she was certain the vampire would get to them first.

 

[Harlowe]

"Get back foul beast!"​

One of the guards drew his blade and lunged towards Felice whilst the other turned on his heel to run back for reinforcements. Harlowe had to choose and she really hoped that the young monster was able to defend herself for at least a short while as she took off after the runaway. Before the young man could disappear round the corner he drew up short of running over the vampire. He drew in a sharp breath, hand reaching for his blade as she took a step forward. Suddenly he dropped to his knees instead.

"P-p-please," he begged, tears welling with tears. "I have two small children, please..."

"I'm sorry," Harlowe truly did look sympathetic as she stepped forward and grasped the mans head. With a snap she turned it sharply to the left and the man's lifeless form slumped to the ground. Once she was done she quickly made her way back to Felice to see if she needed help.

 

[Nazara]

The tubby Shah was running through his penthouse rooms as fast as he could, a sight that was more than slightly amusing.

Nazara shook his head, glancing at the man.

His hand slowly raised, and then his shadow seemed to spring up. It reached out and grabbed onto the Fat man, coiling around him and forcing him to the ground. There was a loud crash as he fell into a table covered with dozens of plates of extravagant food.

"Find that Vizier!" He called to Harlow and Felice.

He wanted to know what that Orb was.

His gaze flickered over the edge of the balcony, sure that his companions would be able to handle themselves for a while.

Then slowly he began to wander towards the fallen Shah

 

[Felice]

A blur of gray came at her. The contract had given her some incredible abilities and while her hair could move at incredibly fast speeds she was still burdened by the reaction times common amongst mortals.

Felice sidestepped, avoiding some of her attacker’s blade. ”Argh,” she barked in pain as his bronze saber cut at her torso causing a thick reddish-brown blood to seep from the fresh wound. It was fortunate that the weapon wasn’t silver as the wound started to close up and heal. It’d take a good ten minutes or so to fully mend itself but so long as she wasn’t struck again she’d be ok. It’d just hurt. A lot.

A single spear of crimson hair lunged at the guard, bouncing off his steel plate mail, the armor was too powerful for her locks to pierce. Luckily the impact was forceful enough to cause the guard to stagger backwards.

His eyes glowered before they could register the second volley of hair Felice aimed at his uncovered face. They impaled through his head and put an end to his life instantly.

”The Vizier?” Her words were soft, the vampire might’ve heard her but she was fairly certain Nazara’s ears weren’t keen enough to. A half second later and the order registered with her.

If the shade was on the balcony then the red haired monster assumed the best course of action was to enter the ground level and cut off any obvious exits. There’d likely be more guards but…

Felice gestured at the vampire, ”let’s lock down the ground floor,” she ran off through the entry door the guards had been stationed at so that the two recruits could hunt this “vizier” person down.