This tavern, well, it was a rather rough one. It had a very distinct odor to it. Like old liquor and unbathed men. It took a certain type of person to be able to take that smell, Scarlett just happened to be one of the kind of people.
She walked into the tavern covered in a cloak, her hood pulled up high so only the bottom of her face was visible. This is where she was supposed to find the man who had supposedly been where she needed to go. He was the one that was supposed to have the knowledge to help her find her maker.
The tavern had grown rather dark, but she had no problem seeing every detail. Several of the burly men sitting at the bar had began to eye her, she ignored them, though she noted that they would make a tasty snack for later.
Even centuries ago, he wasn't a frequenter of taverns and the like. The reason had escaped him long enough to find himself wandering into one such establishment. It was nestled in between two rock faces, and shielded from the wind. Meant to be a place of rest for those who chose to travel on the road, no doubt. From afar, Jonas nearly missed the sight of it, if it wasn't for the stables and number of whinnying horses, he would have.
The day was growing dark when he headed inside. And regret filled him like an old chamber pot. He should have stayed outside, he thought at first, but when the warmth of hot coals on a fire started to seep into his bones to revive them he couldn't find the strength inside himself to meander back out. Not tonight. And not the next night. Or the next. While not an INN, it had a couple rooms to spare for travellers, and that's where he stayed. He grew used to the kind of patrons that would visit from neighbouring towns and came to like their company - or at least their stories.
This night he sat at a table with two large men that smelt distinctly like their horses, and listened to the rumours they were able to gather on the road. Such things were useful. Such things had some truth in them, that he had learned. He would trade his own knowledge, whatever that might have been worth. The tavern simmered down to quiet whispers as the door opened and the rush of wind blew in, along with a woman.
Jonas moved slightly, peering around his company to get a look at her, much like many of the others were doing. The old walls did not see many woman, from what people had told him, and he frowned at the lecherous expressions drawn on one or two of the patrons.
Scarlett brushed the cloak over both shoulders to reveal her curve insinuating tight outfit. A tight corset that ended several inches above her belly button and tight leather pants that rode low on her hips. She loved showing off her flawless skin, it made it easier for her to get snacks.
She flashed the men a bright smile, her fangs were sheathed so they wouldn't be able to tell the difference. She carried herself with every bit of confidence in the world. She quickly saw the man she was looking for. Couldn't miss his snow white hair. Now she had to draw him in, get him interested in her. Get him wanting to help her so she didn't have to ask him.
She sat at the bar and tossed a few gold pieces at the tavern keeper and told him to keep the drinks coming. She turned her back to the bar with ale and hand and began to speak. "Come closer and hear my tale," She beconed with a smile. She started to speak, to paint the picture of the place. Her words the paint and brush stroke, making the men almost feel the sun rays on her flesh. They could almost hear the crickets churp as she began to desribe a tomb.
She was a show off, he'd wager. The way she dragged of her cloak, the action literally echoed from wall to wall in the room. Jonas wasn't impressed. Okay, maybe he was a little bit impressed at the bravery(or stupidity) it took for a woman wearing revealing clothing, to uh, reveal them. His eyes squinted at her, and he wasn't the only one still staring. There was an oddness about her he couldn't quite place. It was in her demeanour. She owned everything and everyone in the tiny little tavern, and she knew it.
Men shifted in their seats, and some even waddled over to the table and chairs the woman sat down on with grins on their faces that struck their voices dumb. Jonas began to ignore her, but her voice lifted up into the air and it was all he could hear. She could paint a story, yet it was one that made him wary.
Blue stone, craved into statues. Pillars half broken and crumbled. Moss covered the ruins, its body stretching out to fill in the cracks. To find life when there was death. Stairs wove themselves underground, and a door blocked her way. Sigils pressed into the old stone, and while they were worn the magic could be felt. Press your hand to it, and it will reach your heart.
He knew the story she was telling. And before he knew it, he wandered over to her table.
Scarlett looked at the man. A smile crossed her face. "Nice for you to join us in a middle of a story, you know that isn't polite," She pointed out quickly before quickly moving back to the story. How the fog rose up from the ground, how you could feel its moist touch against our skin, how the chill seeped into your bones no how many layers you wore or how big a fire you made.
The tomb was a place of gods, demons, and the dead. A place of ancient magic that infected the area like a plague. A magic that was uncontrollable and more of a curse then a blessing. She then started to speak of the curse of the tomb. A thing she had picked up from old text and the closest thing she could place that would fit with her and the note she was given.
Scarletts eyes kept going to the man, looking at his face and judging his reaction. She wondered how much he knew and what all he wanted to learn. Did he know her master? She had to know.
His gut twisted at her comment, causing a deep frown to pull at his lips. Jonas rubbed awkwardly at the dark stubble on his face as he sat down, all too aware of her eyes on him. The story continued and the familiarity clawed at him, dragging it's nails deep within his skin so that he bled. His own nails dug into the top of the table as he sat there, transfixed.
She was describing the only place he could call home. And the way her eyes flicked over to him at certain parts, he wanted to say that she knew what she was doing. But how did she know about him, if it was more than a coincidence? The tomb was not known to most historians and lorekeepers, not anymore. It was the sleeping place of fallen gods, as much as he hated to think that.
When the stories had ended, and the rest of the patrons dispersed back to their regular watering holes, Jonas stayed in the company of the woman. His heart pounding hard into his ears.
"That story...How did you come to know it?" He said after a long silence he took to mull over his words.
Scarlett took a moment to pick her words, there was no way in hell she was going to confess being a vampire to the strange man. At least not right now, she would have to make sure he was the right man, make sure he knew all that he was said to. She also had to see if he would be willing to share his knowledge and maybe even travel back to the tomb.
"It is... Very significant to me. Holds a very near and dear place in my heart," She said before finishing off her first Ale. She turned to set the empty cup back on the bar before returning her gaze at him. She examined him slowly, she could hear his heart pounding as if it was her own. It had been a long time since she had felt her heart though. A long time indeed.
"I've also heard that it is very significant for you. I was told this a number of years ago, I find it odd how you still fit the exact description, not a wrinkle more,"She said crossing her legs and leaning back. She was going to push him.
He should have left the table, or better yet, never moved from his original place. The air was stale in the tavern, and has he breathed through his nose, he could taste the old dank wood, and dirty Ale. Yet, none of that unnerved him. The woman did. She came in without a word, and then all they could hear was her voice. She had an intention.
Jonas didn't expect it would be this.
His eyes didn't waver from her as she spoke, but a cold anchor sunk in his gut. He drew his hands off from the table, his knuckles turning as pale as his face. It surprised him to hear that she knew him. He wanted to run and not look back. But she didn't know what she was getting into. He didn't know what he was getting into.
"Funny how that works." He made no more comment on his apparent unchanging looks. "What do you want with the tomb of Sala'Ful?"
The old dead god's name was bitter on his tongue. His god of Mercy.
She watched him close with her piercing eyes. She was reading him, the slightest change in muscles she could pick out. The slightest scent of fear and of course his heart beats both clear indicators on his reaction to anything she might speak.
She paused as he asked, weighing her words slowly. She couldn't afford to run him off, she had to remain mysterious in her words to keep his attention.
"A curse," She said simply. He clearly had a curse, of course she could tell it wasn't vampyrism. He had a heart beat which still meant he was mortal, though he didn't age. Scarlett took a big drink of her Ale, "God of mercy my ass," She said, the statement more to herself than to him.
She had started to grow a resentment to this god. A god she had to research to find out all she could just to learn how she might reverse her condition. A god who clearly wasn't merciful.
He moved awkwardly under her stare. She was reading him, not unlike how a predator watches their prey, but he too was not taking his eyes off the woman. There was something he had that she wanted. And he was beginning to feel like it wasn't close to being simple. Her comment made him frown, marking her obvious lack of faith in Sala'ful. Here he had began to think someone of the old faith had found him. It will not be the last time he would be proven wrong, he thought regretfully.
"Gods are not as us mortals." He said, his voice stern. Jonas could sense the wild anger that was alien to him start to boil up. It was not a normal emotion, there was something behind it that stirred more than any breadth of a human could. "It's not up to decide what is merciful."
"Sala'ful doesn't curse." He sat back in his chair, attempting to forget the slight against the god. In all the writings, never once did they curse. If they gave anything away, it was one of their Seven Blessings. "You have the wrong god."
Scarlett's jaws clenched, her eyes narrowing at the man. "The hell they don't curse," She spoke her words bitter. She lowered her voice, her face softening for a moment, " I know they curse, trust me. Unless another god is linked to that tomb, it was Sala'ful."
"I also know the infliction that was placed upon me is no blessing, it is a curse and I need your help. I know you received something from Sala'ful. I also know that you know more about him then I do. So take mercy on me and help. I'm near desperate for it," She spoke, her words a soft whisper.
He didn't break his gaze on her, even as she narrowed her eyes and he felt a cold chill run down his spine; it was akin to a night without a fire, and the fear that festered when there was no light to brighten the dark. Jonas set his jaw. There was no other god tied to the tomb, he knew that, everyone who kept to the old faith knew it. It was Sala'ful's and noone else. To die in it was to be damned. He prayed for all the souls that did.
"Affliction?" He hissed under his breath, and eyed the patrons of the tavern. They were milking their own ale, and didn't look back to the woman; as if she was a passing favour. Jonas listened to her, but it did not sate his anger.
"You are desperate if you sought out me." He said, with a heavy sigh. She was so fixated on a curse, from a dead god. Heavens help him make it through the night without breaking something. "I'm not the one you should be asking mercy from."
He leaned in close again, his hands on the table, and his eyes flashing with cold blue smoke of his magic manifesting. He couldn't control it. And at times, such as this, he hardly noticed. "I want to know one thing before I even think about helping you. Who told you about me?"
"I don't know his real name, or even if the man is still alive. It took me a while to find you, long enough for an old man like himself to die. I only knew him as the wise-man. That is all that anyone called him. I had to pay him a pretty copper to get your name and how to track you," She explained, her voice soft, almost a whisper. Seeing the flash in his eyes, she didn't ask about it right away.
She sighed deeply. It seemed that he had decided that he would help her. She hoped he wouldn't back out once he found out what she was. "Were you cursed too. The.. That flash in your eyes?" She asked her voice just as soft as before.
Jonas relaxed slightly, though the tension set in his jaw told otherwise. Another one of her stories, yet it lacked the flair of the first. It was said more matter-of-fact than flowery exposition. He wasn't sure if he believed her; wasn't sure if he should believe her. But if whatever ailment that afflicted her was caused by the tomb, it was in his favour to help her. It may help him in the end.
"I see." He said slowly.
He squinted at the mention of his own 'curse', and swore mentally over that flicker which passed by without his notice. Her voice held a calming tone to it, he could hardly become angry at what was his own mistake. At least not angry at her.
His features softened and he sighed. "Sala'ful doesn't curse...But, maybe something in the tomb does."
His faith would blind him to the truth, but he didn't know it.
"Look," He said, "I can take you there if that's what you want. But I can't guarantee we'll find anything."
Scarlett looked down, her cat like features smoothed and calmed making her appear more girlish.
"We have too," She spoke softly as a deep sense of relief slowly began to spread throughout her body like a drug. She might finally be able to get some answers, better yet, she might be able to find a cure to the curse that afflicted her.
She took a sharp breath in, a soft smile gracing her lips for a moment. "Are you going to require payment?" Scarlett asked as her face returned to its normal state.
Scarlett look back down for a moment, "What if you find that something that proves your faith flawed?"
'We have to' she said. We. Jonas didn't need to enter the tomb again. He preferred if he didn't. What if he fell asleep once more? What kind of world would he wake up to then? At least this one was familiar.
Her smile sent a shiver down his spine; it was executed in a way that looked off, given her features. It was soft, like the purr of her voice. He recognized the feeling: Everything was going to be all right. If only he had that much confidence in himself.
"No, no payment." Truth be told, he had enough money to do him for quite a while due to a fortunate fluke with a bounty. He had no want for the woman's coin.
Her next question was what made him curl his fingers into fists on the table. "I pray that I don't."
Cutting the conversation short, he stood up. A squeal came from the feet of the chair. "We leave in the morning. Is that all right with you?"
Scarlett took at deep breath at the mention about leaving in the morning. She wouldn't burst into flame per-say, but even with her thick cloak the sun made her rather uncomfortable. She also knew that he was human so he would definitely prefer traveling during the day.
Scarlett didn't want to scare the man off right when he decided to help her so she wouldn't give the man any reason to fear her. She wouldn't share her secret, she could afford a negative reaction.
"Morning will do," She spoke before turning to the bartender, asking if there was any vacancies. She was lucky, she would be getting the last room available. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep but she had to keep up appearances.
She stayed in the bar for a long time. Scarlett would have to fight her urges all night, plus, a day out in the sun would make her thirst almost unbarriable.
The events of the evening left him tossing and turning on the pile of hay that worked as a bed in the old dank tavern. That night it bothered him; where he slept, the snoring of other guests and the deep voices of the patrons still down at their tables, long after sleep should have taken them. The sounds and the scratches to his skin bore into his character far more than it should have. But Jonas was troubled, and his mind would not rest.
That woman...
He came waltzing into the tavern and for long moments she swept, including himself, them under a spell. He worried it was all a rouse to get to him, and the worry was right. She wanted his knowledge, and after a while he had given it to her. Yet that wasn't all. The Tomb of Sala'ful was in their future, and he dreaded what they would find, if anything at all.
He hadn't even gotten the woman's name.
That morning he would be addressing a stranger.
Jonas waited in the bar for her to come down stairs. It was early, and he was nursing a bowl of slop that passed as food around here. Dark bags hung under his eyes, showing his sleepless night plain on his face.
Scarlett came out into the bar looking like she had had the best nights sleep ever. What really happened though was she had a few snacks that night. Her cloak was wrapped tight around her, only her face visible. She looked at Jonas and frowned.
"You look... Rather horrific," She spoke, trying to hold a somewhat pleasant tone to not be as offensive.
She moved with an almost unnatural, nearly unnerving grace, appear almost as if she were floating. She sat beside him and offered her hand. "Last night I noticed I did not share my name. I am Scarlett," She spoke softly. She was finding it hard to keep the pleasant smile on her face, she could hear his heart, and if he decided to shake her hand she would be able to feel his pulse.
Even with the snacks she had had last night her thirst was never ending, that was why she never let herself get close to people, she didn't want to lose control in front of anyone. She wondered if he would notice there was something different about her if he shook her hand since he was also cursed. Then her mind wondered if she was cold to the touch.
The man who had turned her hadn't been cold to the touch but she couldn't tell if she was, she was somewhat dead.
It wasn't food he was staring at as the wooden spoon made a sucking noise when he raised it. It was some concealed muck they found in the corner of the bar. Despite the small coin he paid for it, he hadn't been able to force any of it down, making him tired and hungry. Jonas had a frown placed on his lips when he first heard her step down the stair well. Heads perked up, including his own, to watch her dissent. She moved like everything had a purpose, and she knew what it was.
"I see you had a better night." He said, managing a small smile when she made it over to him. Right as rain. Pretty as a posy. There was a number of metaphors he could use, but those were the only ones coming to his mind.
He hesitated when she held out her hand, his brown eyes staring too long at her out reaching fingers; each so delicate and without marred by scars or rough callouses. Was she nobility? It would explain her clothing.
"I had a feeling that would be your name." He said, with a little more of a smile. He took her hand. It was slightly colder than his own, but his own had been nursing a bowl of hot...whatever it was. "I'm assuming you already know mine. But, it's Jonas either way."
When they broke the hand shake, his own went to tapping on the table top. The wood was soft under his fingertips. Mostly mold he figured. It was a wonder he didn't become ill from this place. Did the magic protect him from that as well?
"Do you want to eat?" He asked, more than willing to push his bowl of muck towards her in an offer to share. Or give out right. "Or should we just be on our way? I have a supply of dried meat stuffs we can survive off of for a while." He touched the bag he kept at his feet with the toe of his boot.
He was hoping she wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Scarlett looked down at what he was eating as he shook her hand. His hands were warm and a bit rougher than her own. And his pulse, the surging of warm nectar through his veins. That brief moment her hand rested in his was was near torture. Her core instincts demanding her to have a taste of him. She knew she had to resist though and resisted the urge to flinch or pull her hand from his.
"My night went better than I expected," She spoke with a soft smile as she pulled her hand back. She decided that traveling with this man wouldn't be so bad, though she knew she would have to eventually tell him her secret.
She knew she would probably have to tell him sooner then later, though she could do a day or too hunting animals, animals wouldn't do for too long.
"I will um.. Pass on that food. It doesn't even really look etable if you ask me," She spoke offering a smile though it was a bit forced.
"I am ready to go if you are, do you have a horse?" She asked quickly, waiting for Jonas to stand.
OOC: Sorry for the short post, my next one will be a bit of a timeskip so that it's the night of their first day of travel.
IC:
"I don't think it is edible." He said with a laugh. To be honest, he hadn't brought himself to even taste it. The smell alone was enough to make him want to gag. Some porridge speciality it was.
His expression fell when she mentioned a horse. And he shook his head. "No. No, horse. We'll be walking. It's only a few days trek away from here, if one knows the way. Which I do."
Jonas stood up and stretched his arms over his head, hearing the cracking noise of his joints. He then picked up his rucksack and slung it over his shoulder. "This will be a merry adventure."
Sarcasm.
Scarlett laughed at his remark about the porridge. It might not be edible but Jonas, he was definitely edible. She knew she would have to tell him her secret and finally planned on telling him once they had traveled for about a day.
She put her hood of her cloak up over her head. She was ready to go. She hoped that he had had enough rest to travel at a decent pace.
Her mind then began to wonder. She wondered what type of curse he had. What did the curse do, was it anything like her own. She doubted that it was anything like her own curse. She took a deep breath waited for Jonas to lead the way.
A long road was ahead of them, Jonas knew. He wasn't speaking of the few days travel. His mind was always wandering to the tomb of Sala'ful. It was not a place a person treaded lightly, or went to on a jovial walk. It was the resting place of the god of mercy. And it was a mercy that few mortals could understand.
Jonas gave Scarlett a soft reassuring smile before the headed out, despite his stomach twisting into knots. He did not want to go. He did not want to go. He did not want to go. Part of him wanted to throw a tantrum like a child, but the adult side of him fruitfully reined it in.
The clouds parted for the day, and the spent their time trailing down a rocky road. Past wooden signs that would point them to more comfortable travels. His heart yearned for them. But he did not have the will nor want to tango with his travel companion's determination. He already lost at that. It was a rival to his own. Her journey would be his journey all the same.
They walked partly in silence. Jonas fretted about some topics but they quickly died on the cool air. It was the fact they were strangers. He didn't know how to speak to her. Not that he couldn't talk to women - he could. Sort of. It just didn't seem tactful to jump out and say 'so what curse do you got? Do you throw up frogs?'
She didn't throw up frogs, not that he noticed.
When night came, the found a hallow in a wood, off the beaten path. Jonas came back to their camp with sticks and twigs in arm to build a fire.
"Seems safe enough, doesn't it?" He said awkwardly.
Scarlett looked around. She could see fine with no difficulty. "It looks perfect," She said not seeing, hearing, or smelling anyone. She sat down close to where he was building a fire. She honestly didn't need a fire. It didn't do her any good. Her body didn't need warmth and her eyes didn't need light to see in the darkness. Plus, most animals stayed naturally away from her.
"So what exactly is your course. You tell me yours and I will tell you mine. Though I would almost bet money that mine is worse," She said with a slight chuckle. She knew out here that unless he had superhuman speed he wouldn't be able to outrun her and she planned on making him take her to the tomb even if he decided to change his mind later.
Her hunger was building, biting at the edges of her mind, screaming and demanding for her attention. A constant destraction, Jonas's heart beat, steady and strong. She knew he would be a big temptation for her.
He set the wood down, and fiddled through the pile as he set up ring of it with dried weeds and bramble in the middle. It had been difficult to find, and he was nearly sure he wouldn't have been able to, but the rains let up here a while ago, it seemed. He thanked the gods for his fortune. For their fortune.
His hands paused in the movement of striking with the flint. They tightened, and he bit at his lip before he answered. His curse. He wouldn't call it a curse. Jonas didn't know what to call it. It was just different and he didn't want it. It felt like something alien squirmed through his veins where his blood was, and it was taking over him.
He didn't know how to describe it except for one way.
"I'm...Becoming something inhuman." He said after a long moment. "I..." He scrunched his face up, trying to think of the words. "I want to stop it."
Scarlett watched him carefully, she could easily tell that he didn't like what he was becoming and he didn't like the way he asked the question. Of course she knew about his thing for his god, she felt that it was just full of bull. What type of mercy was this. She took a deep breath, now it was her turn and she was trying to pick the words carefully.
"Well... I'm a vampire," She blurted out. Jonas would be one of a very few people she told. She looked at his face trying to judge his reaction. She hoped that he wouldn't try to run or anything. She really didn't feel like running and chasing him down.
"I'vebeen this way for... A rather long time," She added after a pause, looking down. She understood what he was talking about. Being a vampire was much different then being human, and she wished she could go back.
"A...Vampire." He echoed back. Jonas' eyes stared at her, their black pupils widening. A creature of the undead. He had heard of them. Everyone had. They were in children's stories, myths and tales, and rumours that were all too true for some to handle. His knuckles whitened as his grip on the flint tightened even more.
He should have guessed it. He should have known.
"Are you...Going to kill me?" He said quietly, with his heart in his throat. It was a brisk way of putting it, but he had no other words.
Scarlett laughed at his fearful question, finding a sort of twisted humor in it. "No, no Jonas I'm not going to kill you, at least I'm not planning on it. I'm the the horrific monster that people paint in stories. I don't kill people when I feed from them and I don't turn them either. I wouldn't wish this curse on anyone," she spoke her to e soft and deeply serious.
"So calm down and breath, you are relatively safe," she said leaning back slightly. "I have not lied to you, I need your help, my curse is some how linked to this tomb and I need to know how," she took a deep breath. "Though I must admit, you do look tasty... In a completely none sexual blood sack type of way," her voice was riddled with a hint of sarcasm, leaving the true meaning of her words slightly unclear.
Relatively safe. Jonas breathed in sharply, the cold air of the night burning at his lungs. He was sitting in camp with a predator of the dark. A hardly mortal creature that had a taste for blood. The same blood that was running through his own veins. And her next words confirmed it. He swallowed back a lump in his throat.
"I'll...Take that as a compliment." He said awkwardly. He should have been more afraid than he was, but when one has survived injuries that should have killed them it was difficult to feel fear at the sense of danger. Yet her words also rang in a certain calm. She wouldn't wish it on any one. That included herself. She wouldn't be searching out a god if it wasn't true, he assumed.
Jonas took a deep breath and set the flint down. He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and bared his uncovered wrist to the cold air. No doubt she wanted blood. He would rather give it willingly that be woken up in the night with her fangs to his throat.
"I don't know how human it is..." He said, and moved closer to her. "But if you need it, my blood is yours."
Scarlett was taken off guard. She had never been offered blood, never had a willing donor. She sat for a moment in her shock. Most men would have run away in complete fear not offer up their arm for a taste.
"You know you don't have to do this, I have control of myself, I'm not a fledgling," She spoke softly, placing her hand gently under his wrist. Her fangs slide down and her eyes seemed to fade into a dark crimson, revealing her true nature.
She looked up at him one last time, giving him a chance to pull away, to say stop, or no. She didn't want to force anything upon him, not even being fed upon. She had had this curse forced upon herself and she didn't want to be like her maker in anyway. Of course in some ways she was like him, but they weren't similarities by choice.
"I never assumed you were a fledgling." He said. Honestly, he didn't know there were differences in vampires. He knew nothing of their ways. But the way she sat in shock at his offer, was enough to tell him that most didn't do this. He was surprised at himself, even.
"I heal quickly." He continued. "It's no trouble for me. And it's a tad selfish on my part. I want to know how human it tastes....Because... I just... I want to know how much time I have left."
Scarlett looked back down at his wrist. She hesitated for a moment for biting into him. She hoped his blood wouldn't make her sick or anything. The moment his blood hit her tongue a rush went through her. His blood was like nothing she had had before. It was like a drug, she only took a few gulps before ripping herself from his arm. She threw herself back a few feet, she had to to make sure she stopped feeding. His blood, it was different.
He hadn't expected the way her fangs would feel sliding into his flesh. Or how it would feel to have his blood drained from him. Jonas had been wounded before, but this was different. Much different. Even after the sparse gulps the vampire took from him, his head began to feel slightly light. And he began to think that perhaps this wasn't the best of ideas.
Then she shot back, and the sudden movement left gouges in his wrists, more painful than the simple dip of her fangs. With his other hand, he grasped his wrist with haste, and put pressure on it. Stop the bleeding. Stop the bleeding. The mantra was ringing through his head. It only took a moment for the blood to clot.
"Wha..." He muttered out, looking to where Scarlett was. He could make out her form in the fading light crossing through the trees.
"Did it really taste that bad?" He said jokingly
"Oh my friend, that isn't the problem... Your blood is, like a drug, damn near addicting," She spoke, her eyes glowing a dark crimson. She slowly moved back to where she was originally sitting. She looked up at Jonas, he was telling the truth, he was changing.
"Sorry if I hurt you more than was necessary.. It was just really hard for me to pull back... Your blood, it is like human blood concentrated a hundred times," She spoke looking down. She didn't want to deliver bad news and she didn't know how he would take the news,
His brow furrowed at her answer. Not out of anger, nor confusing but for the lack of knowing how to express what he was feeling. He felt cold, right from the pit of his stomach. It spread through his limbs, and he could feel it bite at the back of his throat like a bad cough waiting to happen.
"Concentrated by a hundred?" he echoed dumbly. Jonas looked down to his wrist, then back to the vampire. What did she mean by that? Part of him didn't want to know, but part of him had to.
"Your blood is powerful, like nothing I can describe. It is pure in a way that is unbelievable. I could survive more then twice as long off your blood then a normal human's," She spoke with a sigh, knowing this was probably not what he wanted to hear.
Scarlett sighed, leaning back. "Would you like me to build a fire, or catch you some food? It is good for you to eat after I feed so your body can recuperate better," She spoke feeling a bit awkward.
"I..." His voice caught in his throat. He could say nothing. Jonas could only stare at the blood. His blood. Blood this vampire said was powerful. His heart ached at the mere thought. He didn't want this. It took him a long moment to be draw back to earth from his thoughts.
"Huh, what?" He stumbled, tearing his eyes away from the wounds that were already healing. "Oh no, I have dried meat in my bag that will do for a while. I heal quickly, remember? This...This is nothing."
With that, he stood up, taking it easy to his feet, and began to look for his rucksack. "But I'll take you up on that advice. I haven't eaten all day. If you want to start a fire, I left the flint over there to help get it started."
"I'm sure fresh meat would do better, but if you insist on eating that I will get the fire going," Scarlett spoke with a shrug. She grabbed the flint, it was easy to tell she could see perfectly fine. She had the fire going with a few minutes with little to no problem.
She sat back, leaving the flint so Jonas could put it back in his pack. She looked at Jonas for a while in silence. She could tell that he didn't like the news, she could smell the disappointment, the fear.
Once the fire was going, the warmth was comforting. The orange light danced over both their faces. It made Scarlett's almost look comforting, if he didn't know she was a vampire. But he couldn't talk about being human, or something that was completely harmless. He wasn't. He wasn't... He didn't have an appetite anymore and left his rucksack to lay on the ground, lonely. Long moments passed between them, and Jonas had the right of mind to sit back against a fallen tree near the fire. Through his clothing he could feel the moist bark press up against his back. The dark was closing in around them.
"There were four others with me in the tomb." He said, out of the blue, his voice quiet. "Three of them sell-swords we had hired to protect us along the way. In our religion, to enter the tomb was sacrilegious. But we needed to know if our gods were dead, if they had abandoned us."
"We were considered heathens at best. They used to say the gods were sleeping, that they had spent so much time in the world, even their immortal bodies could not take the burdens of humanity anymore. It's said that once we knew how to carry our own, that they'd be back to ease our suffering."
"Sala'ful...The god of Mercy." He trailed off, and cleared his throat. "I believed foolishly that mercy would be taken on us. But gods see it differently than we do."
Scarlett shook her head. How could this man say that, this so called god of mercy cursed him and in a sick way he was blaming himself for it. She shook her head, it seemed completely ridiculous to her.
"You are blaming yourself for wanting to know someone hadn't abandoned you? I won't say what I think of that simply because I know it will rub against your nerves the wrong way." She said with a sigh.
She sat back and shook her head. This man was ridiculous. She would never be one to bow down to the will of some 'god'. She finally noticed that Jonas hadn't eaten. "You really need to eat, you might not think you need too, but you are still mortal."
"What?" His expression scrunched up and he gave her a quick glare. "I'm not sure what you mean." Blaming himself? It was his own mistakes that led him to where he was, he understood that, but he was beyond blaming. He had to make up for them. Whatever he did stirred something in the tomb. And back then...
The subject quickly changed, and had to bite back a flare of anger sparking up in him. She didn't know, he had to remind himself. She didn't know the gods as he did.
"Right." He said, deflated. She was right about eating, he'll give her that. Jonas foraged in his rucksack for the dried jerky, and after a few moments he was readily chewing it down.
"Out of the four," he said, not speaking with his mouth full of food. Because that was just rude. "I was the only one that didn't die. We were trapped in there, trying to survive on whatever we brought with us. One of the sell-swords killed another over water." He continued, his voice sad
"When human's get desperate they turn into animals, being a vampire alleviates that issue. I don't need food or water and I can go a rather long time without blood, actually I don't think a vampire has ever died from not having blood. There have been vampires going crazy, but never dying," Scarlett spoke with a deep sigh.
She hoped that she wasn't boring him, but she felt as if she needed to talk about something.
"Funny that." He said with a small laugh. "I thought vampires couldn't die."
Besides his lightheartedness, she was right. Humans had the ability to turn into monsters when it came to trying to survive. It was a primal instinct embedded deep within the hearts of men and women alike. And for that, he couldn't say he blamed them when all they wanted was to live. At that thought Jonas took another bite of the dried meat, chewing hard with his back teeth.
"I...Fell into a sort of slumber." He continued with his story. "And when I awoke my companions were nothing but bone, and dust. Hundreds of years... And I don't know why."
Something about his words snapped Scarlett into a sort of trance. His words reminding her of her own feelings and the written words of her maker. She looked at the fire at first, but it was soon clear that she was looking through the flames into some far off place.
"Maybe he saw something in you, something rare in the human race... Something so rare that it caught his attention demanded of him to preserve it even when he shouldn't have. A strength so powerful it could defeat death. A strength you yourself probably didn't know you had, a strength that can only be spotted an immortal."
Jonas nearly choked on the dry meat as he tried to stifle a laugh. The stifling didn't go as planned. It was rude of him, he knew. But what she suggested was not only blasphemous, but absolutely ridiculous.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat when he could speak again. "Maybe my blood truly went to your head." He said, not even sure if his own words were a joke. "I don't think it was Sala'ful that placed my...Condition on me. I...I didn't want to go back to find out. There's a chance that we may become trapped. The doors are...Magically inclined."
Scarlett looked at him and blinked a few times. "If not Sala'ful, who?" She asked, her voice laced with dark humor. Was this man that naive. She shook her head and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, which only worked to intensify her other senses.
"Vampires can be killed by the way. Nothing is truly immortal, death had left nothing untouched. The secret is having the strength to kill something. Humans don't have the strength, skill, or speed to kill a vampire, so knowing how to kill us would do them no good. A human killing a vampire would be like a baby deer killing a wolf. We are their predators, it is that simple."
'If not Sala'ful, then who?'
He frowned at her tone, chewing hard on the dried meat he had in his mouth. Chewing with all the chewing power he could muster. It was better than biting his own tongue. She doesn't understand the religion, he reminded himself. She doesn't understand.
Jonas' eyes widened as she continued, staring at her blankly. "It's... Nice to know I'm a baby deer." Despite her words, and her obvious admittance that she could kill him with a fake breath, he was not afraid. Was it trust for this stranger? Or did he not care if he died?
"If you don't mind me asking...I told my story, do you want to share yours? I've been told I'm a good listener." He said, sheepishly smiling.
Scarlett looked down with a sigh, it was clear her story brought back painful memories. "Well do you want the brief overview or the more in detailed story?" She asked looking down at the fire. She hoped that he would go for the first one.
The less detail she had to go into the better, actually the faster they got off the topic the better. She sat back with a sigh waiting for his answer, looking at his facial features carefully.
Jonas' stomach churned at her sigh, knowing now that he overstepped the bounds of friendliness. He was being too nosey. Vampires. He had no right to mingle with those of undeath. Yet here he was trying to get her life story out of her as if he was her buddy. She only wanted him for one thing. Taking her to the tomb.
"Nevermind." He said, waving a hand in dismissal. "You don't have to tell me. It's not my place."
He was finished with the dried meat, and took to rummaging through his rucksack for the worn blanket he had stored away. He should have invested in a proper bedroll, but whatever small money sense he had told him to spend the least amount to stretch it longer. He would have just enough comfort to survive the night. He wouldn't know what to do if the weather turned. Jonas spread the blanket out near the fire, and laid on top of it.
Scarlett shrugged, she was honestly relieved. She hated reliving her past, it brought back too many painful emotions. Of course, they were both going somewhere where they both could die, so it would have been nice to get to know someone just in case. To tell one soul just in case she never made it out.
"Well, good night," She spoke softly, leaning against a tree. She knew she wasn't going to sleep. Vampires never really slept. They could rest and relax, but couldn't sleep. She leaned her head back and shut her eyes, her thick cloak easily keeping her warm.
Sleep came to him in restless bouts. Jonas felt every rock, every point of grass and leaf under his worn blanket. They were digging into him tirelessly through out the night, and when he did fall into the dreaming world, it was hardly a comfort. Steel ringing against steel, the shouts of angry and dying men on a battle field alien to him. He himself was injured, and he pressed his hand hard against the wound to his middle, but nothing would stop the blood. Jonas heard his own voice calling for help, but nothing but the dead surrounded him. And one by one, they began to rise.
He awoke tossing and turning, with his body sore from the hardy ground. Morning light was slipping through the tree lines, and dew lay leaden on his clothing. His throat was dry, and his eyes sticky. It took him a few moments to gather his bearings; to remember where he was. And who he was with. That vampire. Jonas spotted her, and gave a small groggy wave.
"Morin'" He said, his tongue feeling thick. "Did you sleep any?" He sat up, stretching his arms above his head until he heard an audible crack.
Scarlett looked up at him from behind her thick cloak. She didn't look as chipper as she did the morning before, but of course, she didn't wake up to the sun the morning before either.
"No, vampires don't really sleep in the sense that humans think of. I did manage to rest a little though not as much as I would have liked. This forest is rather... Alive at night," She said with a stretch before she stood.
Her senses had been going wild throughout the night as other creatures of the night roamed about. She wouldn't get into it with Jonas though, she didn't want to scare him or anything.
Jonas ran a hand through his white hair, feeling the moisture separate and stick to his palm and fingers. A chill was with him, goosebumps were raising on his skin as the vampire spoke. He found it eerie to speak to the dead, and have them speak back. He doubted he would get used to it.
"Alive at night?" He echoed back, his groggy gaze upon her. He looked a mess, with his hair tangled and his clothing dishevelled, as if he had tumbled down a hill while he slept. When he awoke in the night, he had feared that eyes had been on his form twisting and turning in restlessness. Eyes of wolves, eyes of rodents, eyes of anything that had them. Including the woman's. Jonas touched at the cuff of his sleeve where the remnants of his blood stained it. The memories from the night were foggy, but he remembered the way her teeth sunk into his wrist and how it was to have his blood, his life, drained from him. Yet, the wounds were gone, as if it had never happened. No scars. Nothing.
"At least you were able to find some rest, no matter how little." He said cheerfully, and began to roll up the blanket he had tossed on the forest ground. His knees hit hard cold rock, and ached long before he was finished. It was like he was some old man. In a sense, he was. Jonas had lived far longer that what he should have. He was a blasphemy walking. And it was that sour thought that he stuffed the blanket back into his rucksack with. Jonas' joints cracked as he stood, and he once more stretched his arms above his head.
"We have a long day a head of us." He said, "Will you fair? Cloud cover aided you yesterday, but it looks today like there's a break of blue sky. I'm half expecting you to burst in to flames, honestly."
Scarlett laughed a full bellied laugh, seemingly finding his words hilarious. It took her a second to get a hold of herself before she finally could speak without cracking up.
"I will not burst into flames, that is just an old wives tale made up to make humans feel safer during the day. Honestly the sun does hurt, when it touches my skin it give the sensation of a really bad sunburn but no marks appear. That is why vampires in general avoid the day. I have this thick cloak though, so I will be perfectly okay," She spoke seeming to perk up a bit.
Her burst of laughter gained a glower from Jonas; his eyebrows knitting together, a small crease between them and an unfaltering stare. He had asked a serious question, and one that showed he had a lick of compassion about his person, and she was laughing at it. Perhaps it was a slight he could have gone without thinking about, but here he was, with his anger coiling around his heart.
"Thank the gods for that then." He said brusquely, irritation in his voice. It wasn't her intention, and yet...
Scarlett saw the look of irritation and reached out slowly, placing her hand on his shoulder. Her touch was gentle. Extremely gentle knowing she had the strength to tear a human apart with her bare hands. It was like a butterfly's wing grazing against someones skin.
"I didn't mean to offend you. It is just after being asked that question it well, it holds a sort of humor."
Jonas simpered down, and his face flushed an embarrassing red at her touch to his shoulder. He bit at the inside of his cheek and averted his gaze. He was a fool. A quick to jump fool. And he felt useless that he couldn't help it. Or was that simply his reasoning instead of trying to exert more self-control? A way to flounce his responsibility?
"I...Forgive me." He said. "I suppose it would be funny from your point of view, really." He looked to her then, and a small smile danced on his lips briefly. A forced smile, trying to will away any ill thoughts he may have held of her. She was showing more kindness than he deserved.
"Anger comes with the magic." He explained, grabbing his rucksack and slinging it over his shoulder, the familiar weight was comforting. "For reasons I don't know. It might just be the way the human mind copes with something alien. Like...In tales of vampires in frenzy."
Scarlett nodded with an understanding smile as she pulled her hand away. She took a deep breath and remembered when she was first turned.
"I can probably understand better than most. Most humans go into a frenzy as soon as they wake. I didn't. I fought the hunger, something that is still to this day indescribable. The hungrier I became, the angrier I got, the angrier I got, the hungrier I became. Each one fed off the other. It took me a while to realize it, took me longer to get control over it. I would still be considered a fledgling to most vampires because I haven't gone through my waking frenzy yet," She spoke softly as she took a step towards the shadows. Even with the cloak she could feel the sun.
"Really..." His eyes went wide and white at her words, and he swallowed hard against a lump forming in his throat. Was it truly a good idea to take her up on her request? Or let her taste his blood for that matter? Both answers were beginning to sound like 'no'.
"I can see how it can be a curse." He said, stomping out the few tiny embers of the fire that died withing the night. Jonas didn't have to feed, or stay out of the sun. He still had a heartbeat, a pulse, the need to breathe. He was still living, and he couldn't comprehend what it would be like to live in dead skin.
"We'll keep to the forest." He said. "There's a trail not far from here." He continued, noting how the vampire drew closer to the shadows. The light streaming from the treetops above him was a comfort to the chill that kept with him.
Scarlett sighed as she saw his reaction.
"Now you think I am going to eat you," She shook her head, seeming a bit sad at his reaction. She missed being something that people didn't fear. She bit her lip slightly, a habit she had had since the age of five.
"We don't have to, I know how humans get a chill, If you are cold we can walk in the light until mid to late afternoon," She offered looking down, her normal bubbly disposition gone.
"Technically, you already did have a bite." He said, laughing nervously. Jonas held up his wrist to remind her, though he doubted she needed it. From her reaction last night, it could be a taste that was on her tongue for a while. He would play the wary card here. He still wanted to hold onto his life, no matter how feeble it was.
"There are no main roads to the tomb." He said, and began to wade through the brush a couple paces ahead of Scarlett. "It would be nice if there were, believe me. Ever been hiking before? It's going to be like that." Only this time, he need not worry about wild animals claiming him for prey. They tended to stay away when the smell of death was in the air.
Scarlett shook her head, "That isn't what I meant," She said simply. She followed behind Jonas, not seeming to have a problem maneuvering through the brush of the forest. Her usual talkative self silent as they made their way through the dense undergrowth of the forest.
He had meant no offense, but intention wasn't enough to rid him of blame. Jonas had frowned at her answer, and took her silence as a cold shoulder towards him. He needed to watch himself. Though she may say she would eat him, instincts were everything, and it was difficult to draw the tales of vampires out from his mind when they so closely sat with reality. Was it wrong of him to be judgmental? More than likely. He himself had a certain prowess that could be dangerous; something he couldn't control easily. She boasted having control, and the fact that he was still standing with most of his blood intact should have been enough to vouch for it. But, it didn't stop him from feeling chills ride down his back as she waded her way through the brush behind him.
The forest was quiet, save for his hurried breathing and the birds singing through the tree tops. Their song was a comfort to his ears. If they were silent like the vampire, then he would have begun to worry. That's when people have told him to be on his guard, how true it was, he didn't know. He was not experienced. The grove around them grew darker as they pressed on; their way growing wilder as the trees and bushes pushed back at them. This was their home, and they were intruders. Jonas said a soft word to the forest, hoping to ease their travels. It had been two hours before they found the start of the trail. The tall oaks broke apart, as if someone had parted them with hands. They lined the trail spiraling downwards on a hill. Jonas made every step he took surefooted, and even still he felt the slick dirt move under his feet. He used the trees to brace himself, the sap sticking to his hands.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move, and stopped, his breathe catching in his throat.
Scarlett was silent, not only was her mood disheartened, she could also sense something, or someone following them. Her skin began to tingle before they even found the trail. She could smell the being, whatever it was. The scent wasn't strong enough for her to tell what it was exactly, just a hint enough to let her know something was there.
A few steps into the trail and she saw a flash of it, a quick glimpse of something dark, maybe a coat tail, she wasn't for sure. She reached out and grabbed Jonases shoulder. It seemed he had seen it as well, by the drumming of his heart.
"Do you want me to go try to figure out what that was?" She asked in a whisper, not seeming to be as frightened as him.
That dour face. The hard lines creasing his brow. Cheeks sagging, and a bald head baring itself to the world. Jonas knew that face. He knew that man. And for a moment, he swore he saw a shade. Ivo was dead. He saw the man die, heard his last words, and felt his grip slip from his when he drew his last breaths. But there he had been in his robes, with the same despondent expression Jonas knew well. His hands tightened on the strap of his rucksack, knuckles whitening. Memories struck back at him, and his eyes began to water.
It was nothing. He saw nothing. The forest was playing tricks on him. Only tricks...
Jonas jumped visibly at Alerri's voice, and he quickly wiped at his eyes. He couldn't be weak. Was it truly a weakness, to try for someone dead? He didn't know. But he did know he didn't want Scarlett to see him that way. Not when he could help it.
"It...It was nothing." He managed to say, and turned around to smile at her, his lips quivering at the sides from it being forced. "Just shadows."
Scarlett shook her head, she knew that is wasn't just a shadow, a drink of the light. "You might not trust your senses but I trust my own. I saw something, I feel something watching us, and I smell something, what ever that was," She spoke in a forced whisper.
She could still see the extra dampness in his eyes the quiver in his lips, she said nothing though. She knew though, that whatever Jonas just say meant something to him, whoever was just there was tied to him some how. She would guess that it had to deal with his first venture to the tomb.
"You need to tell me everything right now, anything you might have left out of forgot to mention, any details of this tomb that I might not know. You could be putting both of us at more risk then necessary if you don't share everything."