Corrupting The Hunter (Vamp and Miss Cherry)

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

The sweeping spires of Rabanastre stretched up toward the sky like stone fingers reaching for the heavens. They pierced the gloom of another winter night shrouded in thick cloud that threatened to block out the moon and stars in their entirety, a testament to the engineering marvels that humans could perform when they set their minds to it. The whole city was both dark and beautiful all at once. Even when the sun cast its warming rays over the gothic foundations, Rabanastre always felt like a place where the darkness had merely retreated to the shadows. There was an old saying about the city - "better the shadows you can see than the shadows you can't."

If only the people knew how true that was.

Arabella pulled her cloak tighter around her neck as she looked away from the spires and locked the door to her home. She cast a last look at the house, checking for the umpteenth time that all the entry points were secure. Not that it would stop any creatures of the night that decided to lie in wait. The windowsills and door frames had all been trapped but Arabella knew all too well that if the quarry she hunted decided to turn the tables they could easily find a way inside. The precautions were little more than reassurances that she and Paul had done their best to fight off unwanted guests.

Paul...she'd promised to meet him at the lodge. If she didn't move quickly she'd be late, and then he'd start worrying.

She set off at once, moving swiftly and quietly through the cobbled streets. How long had it been since she came into this life now? She was about to turn 29, so it must have been a good 20 years now. 20 years of a life she hadn't chosen but had come to enjoy.

Arabella's parents had died when she was 7. She'd spent 2 years in various orphanages before being taken in by the Order of Radiance, a group of vampire hunters dedicated to exterminating the creatures of the night. The Lodge they operated from had become her home, and while most children were learning mathematics, Arabella had learned to fight. Her sharp mind had lent itself well to her more academic pursuits, and now as an adult woman she was both intelligent and proficient with all manner of weapons. It was a strange life, but one filled with excitement and danger. There were many things she could say about her existence, but that she was bored wasn't one of them.

It was through the Lodge that she'd met Paul. The two of them had married five years ago and things had never been better between them. They didn't get to spend as much time together as she'd have liked due to their work for the Order but that was a small complaint to make about an otherwise happy marriage.

After passing the various security defences on the door, Arabella swept into the hidden Lodge building. She conversed with some of the other members who were in for the night, exchanged a hug and a kiss with her husband, then stopped in at the Grand Master's office. A lead that she'd brought to his attention the previous day had proven fruitful and needed following up on. Arabella checked her light armour, double-checked her weapons, and returned to the city's streets.

There were signs that a Vampire had been feeding in the Veritas District, one of the less populated streets on the outskirts of the city. It was near to the dock ward, an area the Vampires didn't normally frequent. It was possible that the blood traces she'd found had been from a wild animal attack, or even a return of the Changelings and their ritual bloodletting, but something told her there was more to this than met the eye.

Arabella watched the shadows carefully as she entered the district, one hand ready at her side in case she needed her blade. The air felt thick with trepidation, as if nature itself was holding its breath. Someone or something was watching her, she was sure of it. The sensation only increased as she knelt down briefly to examine a tiny patch of blood that someone seemed to have tried to scrub away, leading her to keep one eye on the shadows as she worked.

 

[Miss Cherry]

Rabanastre, a city both loved and loathed by the poets, a marvel of gothic beauty, but carrying a blackness akin to death; to quote the poetic sort. It was a vast city, ever growing in land and power, poised to swallow all the towns and villages that happened to lay around it. It was a good city to live in, and an even better city to die in.
The governing palace at the city's center was build around an ancient, natural channel, and the aged willow trees at it's banks almost demanded a solemn, quiet respect from those that passed by.
Further along these banks stood the manors owned by the city's old money, the wealthy families that worked in the governing palace.

By the light of fire, Alyssa Elianora Corva scanned her eyes over the letter once more, a dangerous hint of irritation in her eyes. With quiet determination, she read the final passage of the letter, which had arrived to her estate mere moments ago; addressed to her directly.

And so it is that I regret to inform you we have proven unable to drive the rebelling kindred from your rightful domain in the Veritas district.
I can not but ask you for more time, and supplies to replace the men lost.
- Yours faithfully, into eternity, high judge Raoul​

Frustrating, but not entirely unexpected. In fact, the letter was later than anticipated, given the recent incidents in the Veritas districts. And so, Alyssa resigned herself to get her hands dirty on this otherwise marvelous night. Alyssa was an immortal, that what humans call a vampire. She was old as the stones of the city, and her influence was one of the factors bringing this city to prosper.
The Veritas district was one of the quadrants of the city under her control within the society of immortals home to Rabanastre, but recently young, overly zealous kindred had tried to lay claim to those grounds as their own; something often done by young kindred that have yet to learn their place.

Alyssa walked outside alone, her figure seeming to glide along the shadows, treading the border of shadows you can see and those you cant. Her pale skin hidden within an expensive cloak of black fabric, her movements were swift, and she soon arrived to the quiet docks.

She made her way down the street, seemingly carrying shadow with her even as she passed between buildings and trees, slowing down as the sound of waves grew louder and the wooden docks came into view.
Standing on a perch, her eyes scanned the dark streets below for signs of life. There, she quickly recognized the distinctive aura that of the kindred; the ones that she had come for.

She was about to make her move as another figure caught her eye, a human, a hunter.
This was exactly why she wanted to keep the kindred out of this part of the city: Kindred activity would soon draw the hunters, and the hunters would exercise whatever they deem necessary to exterminate the vampires. And that would lead to poor business in the area, and this was the harbor of all places.

"One, two, three, four~" Alyssa mumbled softly to herself, counting the kindred she could see lurking about. "Against one little hunter." She added, watching the scene in below unfold.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Arabella's keen senses quickly caught movement in the periphery of her vision. She stood up swiftly, drawing her weapon in one fluid movement as her eyes scoured the shadows around her.

One. Two. Three. Four.

More than she'd expected.

The blood couldn't have come from all of them feasting at once. Four vampires feeding would leave more blood than this. Had one of them been sloppy? Or was it a trap?

Well, if it was a fight they wanted it was a fight they'd get.

The first one lunged at her. She dodged to the side and slashed her sword across its chest, narrowly missing the vital point at its neck that would sever its head. The creature moved backwards and she spun to face the next one, slashing her sword across its wrist and severing its hand. If it was a true vampire the limb would grow back but Arabella wasn't going to take the time to find out. She twirled the blade and plunged it into its chest, causing it to drop to the ground. It didn't fade away. The thing was still alive. She went to grab the stake from her side but two more vampires rushed at her. She swung out deftly with her sword, fending the two off but then the fourth and third ones were back on their feet. She dodged backwards and slashed at the legs of one, dropping it to the ground and plunging the stake into its heart.

Three to go.

She spun to face the remaining vampires, dodging away from one attack while slashing her sword across the neck of another one. Her hit was enough to make it back off but not enough to sever its head. Choosing to push her advantage, Arabella plunged the blade into its neck and raked it sideways, severing the creature's head in one fell slice.

But then the other two were upon her.

One grabbed her from behind and the other grabbed her wrist, yanking it upwards with unbelievable force. The hunter cried out as the sound of her wrist snapping cracked through the air around them, sending a wave of pain down her arm. With her hand now rendered useless the sword tumbled from her grasp. She kicked out at the one behind her, causing her boot to collide hard with its kneecap, but it wasn't enough to stop what was coming. The creature lunged forward with a snarl and punched its hand through her abdomen. Her world became a haze of pain as she looked down just in time to see the vampire's claws sticking out through her stomach. Its hand had punctured through her back and all the way out through her stomach. She coughed once, spitting out blood onto the cobbles as she sank to her knees. Darkness was already starting to cloud the corners of her vision and a strange coldness crept over her as she hit the cobbles.

"Paul...I'm sorry" she whispered as her face hit the ground.

 

[Miss Cherry]

Silent and swift as a hawk, Alyssa leaped down from the perch above, landing a few steps away from where the fight was taking place. She removed her hood, her eyes a strange mix of calm confidence and defiant anger. Quickly, the two kindred left standing turned to her, their reactions entirely different.

The man who's hand had punctured the hunter's abdomen dropped her, and charged towards Alyssa, while the other one, a woman in the back turned on his heel and started to run. Alyssa's movements were swift, she sidestepped the man's bloody claw with grace, before her left hand grappled his throat. He tried to pull back, to escape her grip, but she pinched down harder harder, her long and slender fingers showing strength of an unnatural sort. She squeezed down until the airpipe was totally crushed and lifted the man off his feet. He struggled against her until a loud pop of the man's neck made his body go numb.

50 meters away, the last of the group had gained some ground, but she looked back as the pop of the spine echoed along the stone walls. 50 meters, perhaps enough of a lead to get away? Alyssa dropped the man's limp body, and the last kindred started running again.

The body had not yet hit the ground when Alyssa's hand gripped her neck. Her face turned in fear, a frantic attempt to shake the raven-like lady off her, but it was futile. With one hand gripping underneath the woman's jaw, the other on her shoulder, she pulled the two apart until skin tore and bone snapped, pulling the head off with her bare hands.

50 meters away, Alyssa seemed to engulf herself within the shadow, and in the blink of an eye she was back to the hunter, laying there on the ground, soon to bleed out.
Standing there, she pulled a cloth from her cloak and used it to clean the blood off her hands and some that had splatted to her cheek, as she looked down on the defeated hunter.

She reached down, pulling down the hunter's hood to get a good look at her face. She ignored the pained sounds of the huntress, inspecting her face and reaching underneath her shirt, looking for a pendant or badge of some sort.

"Still loyal to that barbaric organization? This is rather your own reward for going out hunting all alone, you've probably spend your whole life on this, only to die out alone in the street now." She said coldly, then spat on the dying huntress, showing a clear distain for the organization.

Rising to her feet, she produced a small, black and razor sharp knife from her cloak. "Let me show you what your life of service and loyalty is really worth, let me show you the truth of this world." The black steel touched against her wrist, Alyssa's eyes remained cool as blood flowed from the wound and formed a drizzle down her hand, along her middle finger where it fell to the ground.

One hand grabbed the huntress by her hair, pulling her upwards as she forced her middle finger into her mouth. Pushing down, she held the girl as she struggled weakly, Alyssa's blood slowly filling her mouth.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Arabella's world had become a vortex of pain. The coldness of the flagstones against her face contrasted sickeningly with the hot, sticky feeling of her own blood pooling beneath her. The fatal wound ripped through her torso throbbed and pulsed with a pain unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and as her body began to shiver she knew she was done for. Coming here had been a mistake. She'd thought she could investigate alone and had failed. This was where her life came to an end.

Even in her dying state, Arabella's senses were keen enough to notice something dark moving at incredible speed. The leader, perhaps? She braced herself for a killing blow, or for the feeling of fangs sinking into her throat, but neither sensation came. Instead she could hear sounds of panic...running...wet meat tearing...a sick popping sound...and then suddenly a shape was looming over her.

Arabella was in no state to resist as her hood was pulled back, nor was she prepared for the sight that awaited her. A pale, raven-haired woman was looking down at her, and even with her vision fading in and out, Arabella could tell the newcomer was stunning. There was a gothic beauty to her that was both intimidating and alluring. The malicious look on her face somehow made her even more striking. It was like beholding a dark Goddess, one whose breasts and body were everything a man would covet yet who was clearly beyond the touch of mere mortals.

The woman's words seemed distant and far away, yet their coldness stirred a pang of regret within the hunter. Maybe this life had been the wrong choice after all. Not that she'd ever had much of a choice to begin with. It was all she'd ever known. She flinched as the woman spat on her, bringing a feeling of shame to bear alongside her pain.

But as ashamed as she was, she kept her eyes locked defiantly on the other woman's. She wouldn't die crying and looking away from her like a scared little girl.

Her vision faded again as the raven-haired beauty did something to her arm, and as it sharpened once more Arabella just had time to see blood running down the woman's hand before her hair was grabbed and she was pulled up as if she was weightless. She cried out weakly in pain, trying feebly to struggle against her captors grip as something cold jammed into her mouth. She could feel something thick running onto her tongue, coating it and trying to slip down her throat.

And then came the terrible moment of realisation.

Blood. It was the woman's blood. The blood of a vampire.

Arabella tried to struggle free but her effort was futile. She tried to spit the blood out and succeeded in getting some of it out of her mouth but it was flowing top fast. She could feel it running down her throat. She tried again to cough it up but choked and ended up swallowing it.

No no no no no no this couldn't be happening!

Her mind was in a panic, her heart racing so hard and fast it felt like it would burst from her chest. She tried to aim a kick at the vampire but her leg barely moved. She could feel the other woman's blood going down her throat, and she was powerless to stop it.

 

[Miss Cherry]

Holding the young huntress like like, Alyssa couldn't help but smile at the expression of pain, terror and hatred on the otherwise fair face. She held no love for any hunter, only distain. Her blood flowed down the woman's throat, her wounds to severe to resist. Soon, the huntress would meet her death, and Alyssa's blood inside her would keep her from staying down, turning her into a fellow kindred, into the thing the hunters hunted.

Once the woman had been made to swallow enough blood, Alyssa dropped her back to the ground, using the heel of her shoe to turn the woman onto her back. She reached down to the stake that was still planted in the body of one of the kindred slain by the huntress. She pulled the piece of wood out, and showed it to the huntress as she bent and snapped the wood to pieces.

"You will live, my blood will keep you here. Return to your hunters, return to your family. Tell them of tonight and you will swiftly be put to death, such is the reward for your service." She spoke with a soft smile on her lips, reaching down to pick up the sword the huntress had dropped from her broken arm, and sent the thing in a great arch across the horizon for it to sink beneath the sea, out of the huntress' reach.

She checked the huntress one more time, giving her a light smile before vanishing back into the dark, leaving the woman all alone.

Alyssa, better known as Alyssa Elianora Corva, or Miss Corva, was one of the oldest kindred in this city, having gone through a number of names through her many years. Hunters had been a problem in the past, but they seemed to come back more powerful each time they were put to a stop. While it would be hard for them to actually attack an elder like Alyssa, they posed a threat to her reputation and way of life, as well as to many of younger kindred.

She wanted to avoid a war between the hunters and the kindred living in Rabanastre if she could. It would be pointless and only damage the city she helped build.

Sliding along the shadows, back to her home, she entertained some curiosity in what would come of the blonde huntress who's fate she had changed.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Arabella gasped and tried to cough up the blood she'd just swallowed as she crumpled to the floor. It was pointless and she knew it but her animal brain had taken control and was acting in instinct, trying the few things it could to get the night spawn's vile blood out of her system.

She grit her teeth and tried to sit up as the Vampire knelt down and taunted her but she lacked the strength to do even that. Her wound was screaming at her, the pain now overwhelming. She tried to focus on it, trying to draw strength from the pain she felt, but the Vampire's words drove a new kind of fear into her heart that made it impossible to focus on anything else.

Her life was over. Soon it would end in the literal sense, and then it would end again as a new existence was forced on her. The injustice of it filled her with rage. Another life she hadn't chosen, forced upon her against her will. Death would have been a blessing compared to this.

As her sword was hurled over the horizon, Arabella coughed up a mixture of her own blood and the vampire's, cleared her throat, and in a shaky voice replied: "Your time will come."

Her head slumped down onto the blood-soaked cobblestones and her vision began to fade, this time far more permanently. The last thing she saw before her world turned dark was the beautiful monster dissapearing into the shadows.

How much time had passed before she reawakened was a mystery. The sky was still dark when Arabella gasped and opened her eyes again, drawing in a deep breath to fill her aching lungs. Everything seemed to hurt. Her whole body felt like it had just been through a punishing training session. She tried to sit up slowly and heard a 'schlick' sound as her clothes came away from the ground they'd been stuck to. She looked to the side and realised what they'd been stuck to the cobbles with.

Blood. Her blood.

The recollection of what had happened suddenly hit her. She felt around her abdomen, pulling her top up hurriedly and running her fingers over bare skin.

No wound. It had healed without leaving so much as a scar.

A mixture of emotions crashed over her. Relief at being alive. Horror at the realisation of why she still lived. Fear for what she'd tell the Lodge...and Paul...no, no they couldn't know. She could never tell them. She had to deal with this on her own. Maybe she could fight it. Maybe she wouldn't be turned completely. Maybe it wasn't too late to find a cure...

Arabella stood up and looked around. Had the street always been this bright at night? She'd walked the streets of Rabanastre thousands of times and had never been able to pick out such sharp details under nightfall. The shadows that had earlier been impenetrable gloom were now easier to see into, yet even as she stared at them they seemed to fade back into darkness again.

Refusing to believe what she knew to be true, Arabella told herself she was just tired. It wasn't her body changing into something...else. she just needed a bath and sleep.

She hurried home, letting herself into the house and trying to ignore the waves of nausea that kept rolling over her. Paul would be on shift for much of the night. She had some time to herself. She ran a bath and flinched at how loud the water sounded. She had to leave the room and come back when the bath was full. The water turned pink as she soaked naked within it, the blood that had dried on her skin slowly washing away. As she lay there she realised she could smell the blood. It stirred something within her, like the craving for a good grilled hunk of meat she felt when passing a barbecue.

She quickly got out of the bath and drained the water.

Her sleep that night was fitful. She tossed and turned as headaches wracked her brain. She felt boiling hot one moment and freezing cold the next. She shivered and trembled. Her throat was parched and dry. Her mind seemed to race and slow to a crawl all at once. Memories of being impaled assaulted her through the night, accompanied by flashes of the raven-haired beauty who'd done this to her.

"What have you DONE TO ME?!" She screamed, seizing the water jug on the bedside table and throwing it at the wall. It shattered and once again she found herself flinching as a sound that should have been miniscule seemed to ring in her ears.

The morning offered no relief. She tried to force a breakfast of cheese and bread down her throat but found herself vomiting it back up. The coffee she usually loved tasted like mud. The one small mercy was that Paul walked in after she was done throwing up into the latrine.

She did her best to put on an act around him, successfully hiding how terrible she felt and hastily making her exit from the house. She needed to be on her own and that meant not being here.

What she hadn't expected was that the morning sun would make her feel worse.

Her eyes felt too sensitive. Her head throbbed. She felt parched and dehydrated. Ducking into the shadows made her feel better, but the realisation that came with it didn't.

"No no no, please no" She whispered to herself.

She was turning. There was no denying it any longer. There was nowhere for her to go. No-one to turn to. The Order would kill her. Paul would be forced to choose between her and the Lodge.

The only one who knew what she was going through was the bitch who'd done this to her. Arabella's only hope was to find her.

She set off through the city streets, heading back to the last place she'd seen the Vampire so she could start tracking her.

The place where she'd died.

 

[Miss Cherry]

Alyssa returned to her home, the manor along the channel. The front door was large and heavy, manned by a young adult, a man name Rupert working as a manor servant. He flashed a charming smile to the lady as she handed him her cloak and headed strut down the long hallway.
The manor was lively, even at this hour. A number of rooms on the ground floor showed lights shining through underneath the doors, accompanied by the sounds of pots and pans clanking together, or the muffled sound of song through thick wood.

The hallways were only dimly lit, dimmer than one would expect of a seemingly normal manner. Alyssa headed up the stairs in the back, passing another man who was guarding a locked set of stairs leading down to a basement.
The ground floor area had seemed to be somewhat busy, but the second floor was a lot more quiet. Her steps echoed in the otherwise quiet hallway as she made her way to her study, retiring to her books for the night.

As the night was nearing it's end, Alyssa had a manor servant draw a bath for her. Soaking her body in the rose scented water, she wondered what would have come of the blonde huntress. Had she spoken out to her fellow hunters? If so, they'd have surely killed her by now. Maybe she'd been to scared to return home?
The huntress would probably look for her then.

As she went to lay down for the day, she decided to look for the young huntress come nightfall.

This night wasn't quite as pleasant as the previous one, a slow but consistent drizzle of rain poured from the thick, dark sky, hiding the moon and stars above. Holding a large umbrella against the rain, Alyssa once again slid through the night, a calmer pace this time, carried by a gentle curiosity unlike the frustration with the kindred's interference and her associate's incompetence.

The place where it happened would be the best place to begin searching, perhaps she could still pick up the former huntress' scent from there too.

There, a soft smile pulled her lip up as she saw the young woman standing near the docks, clearly she was looking around too.
Walking out from under the shadows, Alyssa let her presence be known as her heels tapped on the stones beneath, the drips of rain tapping her umbrella.

"Still alive are we~?" A playful tone to her voice. "Call me presumptuous, but I'm guessing you're looking for me?"

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

As the light of day gave way to the gloom of night, Arabella found her headache finally starting to ease off. When the constant throbbing had become too much she'd ducked into a tavern and sat down with a drink to avoid the sun only to find herself wincing at the constant barrage of noise. The sound of chatter and chairs scraping across the floor felt maddeningly loud. She'd once thought the heightened senses vampires had sounded like a good thing, for them at least. Now she wasn't so sure.

She was searching the Dock ward when she heard the sound of light footsteps on the flagstones behind her. She looked sharply in that direction and saw her target strolling toward her, smiling and talking playfully as if this was all one big joke. Anger flared within Arabella, but it wasn't enough to drive away the fear she'd been feeling all day.

"No, I'm here looking for half price halibut" She replied darkly. The raven haired vampire looked even more beautiful when she smiled like that. The realisation annoyed her. Arabella didn't want to find the person who'd ruined her life attractive. She winced as another throb of pain gripped her head. "Of course I'm looking for you. I didn't know who else to look for. You're the one who did this to me...I'm turning, aren't I? This thing you've done to me...these changes I'm going through...how do I stop them?" She asked, stepping closer to the other woman before leaning against the wall. "How do I get them under control? The pain is maddening. I can't even think..."

 

[Miss Cherry]

"Hahahaha~" Alyssa let out an honest, almost musical laugh. Her free hand made a waved in front of her face as if she was trying to wave away a funny joke. Utterly relaxed, she looked the fledgling vampire in her eyes. "Oh darling, child~ Take a moment, stand still, listen to your body-" Her words stopped, an expectant look on her face. "Where is your heartbeat? There is no stopping this, you are already above human."

She waited, watching for her reaction as rain continued to tap on her umbrella. It had been a long time since she herself had turned anyone, this was exciting.

"If you wish to be rid of the pain you're feeling, I can help you with that. Come see me at my home~" She spoke, slowly strolling over towards the fledgling vampire. Of course she knew what the girl was going through: A hunger, blood withdrawal. The process of turning takes a high toll, and leaves the body weak for a while until the newly turned vampire is able to feed. Should she continue to starve herself, it would be a matter of time until her urges would get the better of her, and she would attack someone indiscriminately.

Now, standing close to the woman, so close it was almost inviting her to share the umbrella, she inspected her features again. She had nice, blonde hair, something Alyssa had always been fond of even though it was currently damp with rainwater. Her face full of anger, fear and disgust. She wanted to make her squirm...
"I am Alyssa Elianora Corva, I am one of the four elder kindred home to Rabanastre. I have given you a new shot at life, a chance to see the things others would keep hidden from you, a chance to serve me. Return home, and the hunters will soon find out what you have become. Your name, service and loyalty won't mean anything to them. Or come by me, and I will take care of you~" She said, licking her lips in an almost seductive way.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

It was a sign of her desperation that Arabella actually did what she was told to do by a vampire. She stood still, focusing on her body as she'd been taught to do by the Order. She focused on her breathing, on the rise and fall of her chest, on the beating of her heart...

Wait...

Arabella clapped her right hand to her chest, her palm pressed flat against the area over her heart. It wasn't beating. Her other hand came up to her neck, fingers feeling for a pulse that wasn't there.

Her eyes widened in alarm as the truth of the other woman's words sunk in. It was already too late. Her life was over, in every sense of the world. She was a creature of the night now, the very thing she'd spent so long protecting the city from.

A flicker of hope sparked within her chest as the one who'd done this to her offered to help relieve her pain. Arabella knew there'd be a price to pay for such help but she also knew what the price of losing control of herself would be. She'd hunted their kind long enough to know the destruction a vampire who lost control could inflict.

A stirring of something akin to nervous excitement tingled within her as the Vampire moved closer. The way she moved was elegant and purposeful, her long hair and ample breasts moving subtly with each step she took. Arabella's eyes travelled down the length of the other woman's body, taking in the pale skin and gothic clothing that only just covered her chest and crotch. Her eyes paused on the Vampire's hips. There was something about her hourglass shape and the way her waist curved inwards only to curve out again in those pale, shapely hips that caused Arabella's eyes to linger for too long.

When she looked back up again, the other woman was standing close. Arabella looked into her dark eyes as she spoke, learning the woman's name and status for the first time. An Elder vampire like this was a threat beyond anything she could have handled as a mortal, and yet stood before her now, Arabella felt strangely comfortable.

"Why? Why did you give me a new shot at life? Why not just let me die in the street?" She asked, suddenly needing to understand. Her head was reeling. She didn't know what to think. If it wasn't for Alyssa she'd be gone from this world, but it had come at the cost of her independence and her old life. Serving the creatures she'd spent her life hunting felt like a betrayal of all she stood for, but as Alyssa licked her lips and a shiver passed down Arabella's spine, the blonde found herself taking a step closer. Now they were both underneath the umbrella, Arabella's pert breasts almost touching Alyssa's larger ones.

"I've spent my whole life hunting your kind...I have a husband...a home...I can't just leave all that behind and go with you." She said, looking searchingly into Alyssa's eyes.

 

[Miss Cherry]

Tap. Tap. Tap The rain continued to drip onto the umbrella, now shielding both of them. It'd certainly be a strange sight, the two standing there at this hour of the night.

"Why did I save you~?" She repeated the question, letting it linger softly on her lips before continuing. "Because I like the color of your hair. Because I think you fought admirably against those four younglings that were bothering me." Her tone made it seem she had more to say, but intended to make the young huntress wait for it. Her free hand stroked a few strands of dark hair out of her face, her eyes turned to a distant ship slowly entering the harbor.

"But mostly, it is your punishment. You are but a child, ignorant of your own ignorance. My blood will make you see the truth, see the lies that have formed the foundation of your life. It's true, you are no longer human. Your ultimate punishment is to decide what you believe in once you understand everything."
She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. Her eyes went back to the girl, focusing on her face. Anger, frustration and something sadistic loomed behind her deep eyes.

"I am not a gentle mistress." She said after a moment of silence, her voice dropping any hint of playfulness that it had before.

"You may think that you understand, that I have nothing that would shake you. If I wanted to, I could grind your bones to dust over and over again, I could hang you out to dry in the sun or massacre all you know while you watch. You are my protégée, my daughter. You can not hide from me, not in this world or the next. But for all this, the truth of your order will be your punishment. That is why I broke your stake and tossed your sword: To stop you from taking your own life when you rose up."

She let the silence fall over the two of them again, quietly watching the ship in the distance.

Tap. Tap. Tap
"Your pleasant lie has come to an end it seems then. I know you will eventually come to me, I have no need to take you by force. You can find my home along the central channel. Whenever you are ready."

With that, she walked away, leaving spats of rain to once again hit the blonde girl.
Turning around one last time, she spoke with her warm, playful tone of voice again. "Oh, one last thing~ I figured you should know it is my custom to terminate those who would harm a child of mine. Mind your company~"

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

It seemed to Arabella that the two women looked into each other's eyes for a lifetime before Alyssa spoke. In reality it had been moments, but being close to the raven-haired vampire in this way seemed to affect the blonde in ways she didn't fully understand.

Under different circumstances she would have smirked. Made a joke, even. She'd never expected the colour of her hair to be a factor in why she was saved, nor had she anticipated that her skills would impress the elder vampire. Some small part of her felt almost excited at being complimented by Alyssa. She kept looking at the woman's pale face as the Vampire looked away to an approaching ship, taking in her features along with her words. Of course this was more a punishment than anything. That part didn't surprise her. She'd spent years as a skilled vampire slayer. Now she was a vampire herself. The dark irony wasn't lost on her.

"You speak of your blood letting me see the truth my life has been built on as if vampires can't lie too" She replied. "For all I know your blood could just let me see whatever you want me to see."

Their eyes met once again and Arabella felt a tingling pass over her skin as the other woman said she wasn't a gentle Mistress. This was no mere shiver from the cold - this was the kind of tingling only her husband usually made her feel. Then came another sensation, a yearning to cause pain stirred by the vampire's brutal words. It was a feeling she didn't recognise. Something within her resonated with Alyssa's violent tendencies, yearning to be let out. Whatever it was, Arabella knew she had to keep it chained up deep within herself.

The rain tapped upon the umbrella shielding them both as silence fell between them. Despite the macabre nature of their exchange, the silence didn't feel unpleasant. It made Alyssa nervous, but in the way she'd felt nervous around boys she liked as a teenager.

"We'll see" Arabella replied as the Vampire turned confidently away from her. She couldn't trust the woman's words. Of course Alyssa wanted her to turn against the Order and leave her life behind. She just wanted an extra puppet to control. That was all the interest she had in Arabella...right?

The blonde's eyes drifted down Alyssa's back to her hips and rear, fixing there for several moments until the vampire looked back. Arabella scowled at her but the words Alyssa spoke had the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. There was something about the posessive way Alyssa spoke about her that Arabella liked.

Being her child though...that idea annoyed her for reasons she'd only later understand.

Arabella turned on her heel and made her way back home. She needed a distraction from everything that was happening and sought it in her husband. Their meal did little to stifle her hunger, and their wine did nothing to quench her thirst. They went to bed and made love, and for the first time since being resurrected, Arabella was able to enjoy something, albeit briefly. As Paul lay atop her and thrust into her she closed her eyes, and in her imagination it was Alyssa on top of her making love to her instead, those spectacular pale breasts dangling free and skimming against her own.

The night was a sleepless one. The following day was horrible. She felt starved and parched. The sun hurt more than ever. The next day was worse again. She caught herself staring hungrily at a stray dog and imagining herself feasting on it. Her whole body ached to follow through until she locked herself back in the house. She told Paul she was feeling unwell and it wasn't a lie. She felt like what she was - dead.

That night as Paul slept beside her she drifted in and out of consciousness, her restful moments broken by nightmares and a terrible hunger, until finally, or a brief, blissful period of time, she slipped into sleep.

 

[Miss Cherry]

Calm as the night itself, Alyssa made her way back home. Her black figure practically merging with the gloomy shadows of the overcast night. She pondered her final warning to the young huntress again.
If her order or her husband found out she'd been turned, they would surely kill her. "Ooh~ I would paint this city in their blood." She mused to herself as the heels of her shoes tapped on the wooden bridge leading to the front door of her home.

Alyssa was keen on what she considered hers, possessive even, and prideful to boot. Right now, the young huntress was to her as a disobedient child. A child needing to be taught a lesson, but a child of hers all the same. Heading back up the stairs, she paid a visit to one of the young humans living under her care in exchange for serving as her herd.
Alyssa had long since solved the problem that many kindred have with feeding by taking on many of the lost and abandoned in the city, offering them a home and family, and taking some of their blood occasionally.

Feeding was a strange, sensual, almost erotic act, something she liked to take her time with. She took a member of her herd back to her study, it was a young but sturdy girl with dark hair. Her name was Mari, a girl who'd come to Alyssa's home after her parents went missing at sea.

Normally, the servants and inhabitants of Alyssa's home would stay clear of her wing of the manor, unless of course requested by the lady herself. Mari followed behind the raven-like woman, looking somewhat sheepish, shy for what to say or do.
Long fingers stroked through Mari's hair, pressing the girl comfortingly against Alyssa's chest as her neck was exposed. Whispering soft nothings, she held the girl still and kissed her neck slowly, before finally sinking her teeth inside. Her arm wrapped around Mari, holding her body against her own. Finally, it was done, and Mari left for her own room again.

The coming days were uneventful, with no notice of the blonde vampire showing up at Alyssa's doorstep. Nights passed, and Alyssa received another few letters from Raoul. She wasn't interested.

Then, in the distance, she felt her protégé open her mind, a weakness.

She closed her eyes, crossing her arms over her middle as she leaned back her chair, concentrating for a moment, and pierced the veil into the newly turned vampire's dream.

It was every bit as chaotic as one would expect from a starved vampire's loose dream, so much so that it took Alyssa actual concentration to maintain the balance in this fragile world. She turned to face her protégé, their bodies being the main consistency within this world.


Alyssa concentrated, and the world around them slowly changed into a scene that the dark vampire was all too well familiar with, a recreation of her own home. This was her dreamscape now, her realm.
Before the blonde woman could protest, the scene chanced again. They were still inside Alyssa's study, but the young woman sat on her knees, licking the blood that rolled down Alyssa's finger much like what had happened a few days ago.

Smiling, the dark haired lady pulled her hand back, stepping forward as the heel of her foot pushed the blonde down to the floor. Her hands pulled at her clothes, and suddenly the girl with the golden hair stared up at Alyssa's naked figure, large pale skinned breasts exposed within the noisy space of the dreamscape.
Like flashing images, the scenes rolled by. Alyssa allowed the blonde to touch her, but there was nothing to touch within this space. Alyssa kissed her, but there was nothing to feel within this space.
Finally, things returned to a peaceful quiet, and one word echoed as the two were ejected back to their own realities. "Come~"

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

The turbulence within Arabella's mind continued into her dream state, turning her subconscious into a churning vortex that threatened to tear itself apart.

At some indeterminate point the turbulence seemed to calm and her dream became placid, shifting from nightmarish images to the interior of what looked like a gothic mansion. She turned within her dream and found herself face to face with Alyssa. She gasped and drew a heavy breath, but made no effort to move away. She simply stared at the other woman as she'd done beneath the umbrella, looking into her eyes as she gazed at her. Seeing Alyssa amidst the maelstrom of her dreams was like finding a rock to cling to in the middle of a violent storm. She felt safe, at ease, excited even.

Then suddenly the scene shifted and she was on her knees as Alyssa sat on a throne-like chair before her. The vampire's finger was in her mouth and Arabella was sucking on it, taking in the other woman's blood as if it was a delicious treat. She only stopped when the hand was pulled away from her, and as she was pushed to the floor by Alyssa's heel-clad foot the blonde's eyes widened in excitement and her breasts heaved with heavy, tantalised breaths.

She looked up at Alyssa with the awe of a woman beholding a Goddess as the Elder vampire undressed. She held her breath as the scant fabric barely concealing Alyssa's breasts and crotch fell away, leaving the raven-haired beauty naked and fully exposed to the former hunter. Arabella was too captivated to move or speak.

Before she knew what was happening her hands were on the other woman's naked body. There was no sense of touch, yet there was something deeply satisfying about running her hands up that deliciously flat abdomen and over those impossibly flawless breasts. Their lips met in a deep kiss as Arabella's hands slid to Alyssa's hips, holding them tight as she pulled the Elder vampire up against her. Somewhere along the way Arabella's clothes had vanished and now the two were locked together in a passionate kiss as their naked bodies pressed together.

And then, suddenly, it was over. The scene faded away like fog in a breeze and Arabella heard a single, softly spoke word before she sat up awake in bed. Her pussy was wet and her bare breasts were heaving with heavy breaths. It had felt so real, and yet not reall enough...

She looked down at her husband laying asleep beside her. There was desire for him stirring within Arabella, but it wasn't the desire she'd felt for Alyssa in her dream. What she felt when she looked at Paul was the desire to rip his throat open.

It was then and there that she made her decision. Arabella got out of bed and dressed herself in her usual light hunting armour and boots before grabbing a hooded cloak and sweeping out of the house. She pulled the cloak up and kept to the shadows even though it was dark outside, moving with newfound purpose even as her body ached and her head throbbed. Her thoughts dropped to Alyssa and as she held the image of her in mind, the blonde thought two simple words.

I'm coming.

She knew the city well and was used to navigating it by darkness. An hour later she was outside Alyssa's mansion and ringing the doorbell. She had no doubt it was the right place. Her senses were in chaos but they were still heightened from what she'd become. She could smell Alyssa's scent on this place.

 

[Miss Cherry]

It was still early in the night, and raining yet again. Harder than the night before too, the downpour almost sounding like a round of applause in the distance. Alyssa found herself in a good mood, entertaining her household in the large dining hall. There was music, jokes and laughter, and food for the humans living under Alyssa's roof. Her order to get the ballroom into shape was met with enthusiasm, and about a dozen servants hurried off to tend to it right away.

As the sound of wood scraping on wood was heard from the next room over, Rupert knocked on the wooden door of the dining hall and asked for Alyssa's attention specifically.
"My lady. A guest has arrived asking for you specifically." This caused the pale lady to raise her eyebrow. Guests were not uncommon, but it was odd to receive guests at this time. With a simple nod to Sierra, her head maid, she followed Rupert into the dimly lit hallways of the manor.

The suspense wouldn't have to last long however, as soon after the hooded figure of Alyssa's new acquaintance came into view. She flashed a playful smile as she looked at the young woman who was positively soaked in the rain. "Welcome~ Rupert, get us a towel, please?" She said, and the young man headed off into a side room to fetch a towel.

She slowly walked over to the blonde, her arms in front of her chest with her left hand touching her chin. "Finally found your way have you? I'm glad you could make it." She eyed the woman as Rupert returned and handed her a towel to dry herself with, as well as offer to take her wet cloak. "Thank you, Rupert. I'll take it from here."

Towel in hand, she lead the woman into the manor, down the dimly lit hallway and towards the noisy dining room. She could sense the younger woman was nervous, uneasy, starving...

As they approached the door of the dining room, the sound of music started to echo through the halls in front of them, violins, a cello and the rhythmic stomping feet. It echoed through the dining hall, coming from the room next to it as Alyssa's family appeared to have gotten the party started.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

The rain snacking on the hood of her cloak sounded like someone banging a drum right beside her ears as she stood outside the grand front doors. She grit her teeth against the sound, fighting back the urge to jam something sharp in her ears and deafen herself.

When the doors finally opened she could barely focus on the man stood before her. He seemed kindly enough, and if he wasn't? Well, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. This whole thing could very well be a trap, but she was prepared to go down fighting. She'd already died that way once. What was a little more suffering after that?

She followed him into the Manor, taking in the grand entrance hall as best she could. The place was beautiful, its gothic architecture and low yet warm lighting seeming to call to her in a way that was oddly comforting. How many Hunters had set foot in an Elder vampire's abode and walked out again to talk about it? None that she knew of. Then again, maybe she wouldn't be walking out either.

The sense of comfort she'd felt started to diminish as the man who'd introduced himself as Rupert walked away, leaving her stood alone. Under different circumstances her curiosity would have tempted her to explore but not this time. She stood in place until he returned with Alyssa. Seeing the other woman walking elegantly toward her brought back memories of her dream - Alyssa pushing her to the floor with her foot, stripping on front of her, the two of them naked together kissing and running their hands over one another...Arabella's heart was no longer capable of racing but she felt a swell of excitement rising within her all the same as she looked at Alyssa.

"I had other plans but being dead derailed them" She replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

She followed Alyssa through the manor's hallways, occasionally glancing at the other woman's hips. There was something deeply hypnotic about them. The way they swayed when she walked was deeply sensual in a way that stirred feelings she'd only ever felt for men before.

"It's so noisy. Are you celebrating something?" She asked, wincing against the noise coming from behind the door.

 

[Miss Cherry]

Alyssa smiled as the two entered the ball room through the dining area, looking at the three working their instruments in the corner of the room as servants were still setting up, others waiting to join them.
She swayed her hips as she walked, taking the huntress into ballroom where the duo was met with several curious stares.

"No, there isn't really a cause to celebrate. We simply felt like it is all." Her eyes scanned through the curious onlookers and settled on a young, blonde girl. "Ruri, come with us for a moment, please." She spoke in a soft tone, beckoning the girl closer with her hand.
Ruri was a small girl, no older than 16 and had scars on her neck and wrists, likely from a struggle against steel restraints. She wore a white dress and smiled kindly as she approached the duo.

Alyssa looked at the young huntress, her hand patted Ruri's had affectionately. "I'm sure you're starving, aren't you? This is Ruri, she is a human that's used to giving blood to our kin. You may feed from her." Alyssa said calmly, and Ruri nodded, loosening the strap of her dress on one side and exposing her neck.

The tall woman turned to the curious onlookers, all of them wondering the same question: Who is this?
"This is my latest protégé, I encountered her a few nights ago while out on business. In fact-" She turned back to the huntress.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to my family?"

All eyes turned to the huntress, the musicians in the back shifting to a slower, more suspenseful tune to fit the mood.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Arabella listened intently to Alyssa's words. This elegant party atmosphere was all just because they...felt like it? The concept was foreign to her. She'd heard of the parties nobles threw on a regular basis but had never attended one herself. The Order wasn't known for throwing parties and working in the shadows hadn't brought her into contact with any nobles who'd invite her to a fancy ball. The closest she'd gotten was her wedding.

Her eyes flicked to the blonde girl now approaching them. She took in the marks on her arms and neck and felt instantly protective of her. She wanted to get the girl out of there, to take her somewhere safe, but as Ruri exposed her neck ah altogether different urge tried to take control.

"I...I don't" She stammered, trying to fight the desire to bite the young girl's succulent flesh. Skin had never looked so appealing before. She could actually hear Riri's blood thumping in her veins, each soft drum-like beat calling out to her. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath to steady herself. "Riri...that's your name isn't it? Are you sure it's OK? I've never done this before...I don't want to hurt you."

She moved closer to the young girl, her hunger seeming to grow with every moment. Had anyone else other than Alyssa been the one to speak, Arabella would likely have ignored them. She turned her face toward the Elder vampire and looked at her before briefly regarding the room at large.

"Arabella...my name is Arabella."

The hunger was overwhelming. She wasn't sure how to do this but her body seemed to be acting of its own accord. She turned back to Riri and before she knew what was happening an ache pushed through her upper jaw as fangs pushed through. Her hands gripped the young girl's arms and she leaned forward, sinking her fangs into Riri's neck. She felt them pierce the girl's skin and moaned at the sensation of warm, thick blood coating her tongue.

She swallowed it eagerly and within moments she was sucking hungrily on the other girl's neck, feasting on her blood as if it was the most delicious nectar she'd ever sampled. Riri's blood was delicious, and with every swallow she felt her strength returning...no...not just returning...increasing. The dreadful thirst and hunger she'd struggled with for days was ebbing away and as she pulled back from Riri's neck and her fangs left the other girl's skin, Arabella felt like she was intoxicated on the world's greatest wine. She moved back a step from the blonde and locked eyes with Alyssa, reaching out a hand to the stunning raven-haired vampire.

 

[Miss Cherry]

All eyes looked on as Arabella reached for Ruri, her fangs extending as she looked at the young girl's neck. They were used vampires, many of them had previously offered blood to Alyssa or others, but it always remained a suspenseful moment. Most kindred preferred to feed in privacy, and many formed intimate relationships with the people feeding them. For Arabella to feed so openly... It was strange, indecent and almost perverted.

Alyssa watched as Arabella's teeth sank down, she could tell the girl had been starving.
She had planned for this, of course. Making her new protégé feed so publicly would help instill her new nature, breaking down what she was trying to reject. Smiling, she gently patted Ruri's head as the blonde vampire finished, motioning the young girl she was free to go.

Ruri returned to the others, murmuring softly to friends of hers. Meanwhile, Alyssa turned back to Arabella. "That feels better I bet~ You've actually fed from a human just now, was that as bad as you'd expected?" Given the reputation that her kind had among the hunters and other low-life, she figured Arabella would have some stereotypes. It was very rarely beneficial for a vampire to drain a mortal to the point they'd risk killing them, and the taking of blood in a consensual manner wasn't uncommon either.

As the music in the background returned, Alyssa reached to place a hand on the blonde's shoulder. With a smile, she leaned forward. "Come with me then, it's time I show you what you came to see."
Her strong hand guided the young vampire back towards the dining hall, back towards the hallway and towards the stairs. Next to the stairs stood a man guarding a metal gate leading to a staircase down below the ground. Wordlessly, she nodded at him, and he opened the gate for her, closing it again after the two passed through to the narrow stairwell.

"Ruri is quite a figure, isn't she? I'm sure you noticed her scars. Tell me, what do you think happened to the poor girl?"

The stairwell was longer than it seemed from the top, curving down until it eventually let into a cold, stone dungeon.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

The hesitation that Arabella had felt when she asked Ruri if it was really ok to feed on her had now faded, replaced by a wonderful feeling of intoxication. She saw the girl moving away but her eyes were fixed solely on Alyssa now. The crowd of people around them might as well have not been there. The two women could have been alone in an otherwise empty room for all Alyssa cared.

The blonde vampire reached up and wiped her mouth with her hand, only taking her eyes off Alyssa briefly to glance at the blood now smeared on the back of her hand. Another woman's blood. The blood of the girl she'd fed upon, like so many of the creatures she'd spent her life hunting. Alyssa was right. It didn't feel as bad she'd thought it would. Yet there was still part of her - the human part that had fought to protect other humans from being used in the way Ruri was - that felt a hollow sense of dissapointment at what she'd had to do.

"No...not as bad as I'd expected" she said, locking eyes with Alyssa again. "I feel stronger...and the pains are receding. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be not be in pain all the time."

Arabella shivered softly as Alyssa's hand came to rest on her shoulder. That stirring was present in her stomach again, that strange feeling of excitement that had previously only been awoken by her husband. She nodded and allowed herself to be led by the elder vampire, feeling calm and at ease now in her presence. The anxiousness she'd felt when she first entered the manor was gone, replaced by a sense of curiosity.

"They looked like scars from being held captive somewhere" Arabella replied as they descended, her voice echoing slightly in the narrow stairwell. "I've seen marks like that before. She must have been shackled by the wrists and neck. I assumed they were from being held captive here, but you've got her walking around freely upstairs more like a pet than a prisoner."

 

[Miss Cherry]

Alyssa suddenly stood still on the stairwell, so suddenly that Arabella bumped into her back. "I don't think you quite understand. The word is 'family', not 'pet'. Ruri doesn't live here because she is forced to, no one is."
Her tone was friendly, but sharp enough to make clear she wasn't joking around.

Walking further down the final steps, they entered a dungeon underneath the manor. There were cells with metal bars and stone floors. The stairwell made for the only way out, besides a small vent at the back to allow for fresh air. Most the cells appeared to be empty, it was eerily quiet down here.
"Sometimes, hunters will use other people as bait. It's one of the many things they don't like to talk about, but it does happen. Capture a human, chain them up and use their blood to attract one of our kind, then ambush them."

Making their way along the wall of the dungeon, they passed by empty cell after empty cell. Eventually Alyssa stopped.
Had she kept walking, the man inside would likely have stayed still, unnoticed.

"Sometimes however, those hunters make a mistake. I was the one to find Ruri when she was used as bait by the hunters. They attacked me, of course, but didn't account for the possibility of running into one like me~" She spoke just loud enough for the man to hear, her hand wrapped around the iron bars of the cell, flashing a bitter, hateful smile at the man inside.

"Thomas Farkel, chief of the eastern platoon. Well, he was at least. It was my hands that killed most of his platoon the night I found Ruri, but this beast himself doesn't deserve an easy death."

A bitter moment passed, the two staring at each other with resentful eyes. But it was Alyssa that had all the power here.
"Go on, show this woman your mark. She'll know what it means."

Many of the higher level hunters were distinguished with special tattoos that held significance within the ranks of the order.

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Arabella thumped into the back of Alyssa as the other woman suddenly stopped. She took a step back and frowned to herself, unsure what to think of Alyssa's words. The idea of a vampire considering a human to be part of their family seemed ridiculous. The night creatures had only ever used humans as a source of food or a means to some other end. Their power over the mortals and capacity for easily manipulating them always led to a power imbalance that couldn't be considered familial.

Perhaps Alyssa was just telling her what she thought Arabella wanted to hear...putting on a show to try and fool her...it was easy to believe the Vampire was lying and deceiving her. She'd had a lifetime's worth of distrust for their kind drilled into her.

Only now Alyssa's kind was also her kind. And more than that, Arabella could feel her sincerity.

She walked just behind Alyssa into the dungeon, saying nothing. She listened as the other woman spoke, feeling a prickle of annoyance run up her spine at the accusations being made against her Order. Using fellow humans as bait to lure out vampires? What a ridiculous idea. And if the Order had ever tried such a thing they wouldn't have let the person in question get into the same state as the girl she'd just fed on.

"The Order believes in the bigger picture, doing what needs to be done for the greater good, but capturing humans and using them as bait? I don't think so" She replied, safe in the reassurance that this was just another manipulation. Vampires were the ones who preyed upon people, not her fellow kinsmen in the Order. "It would go against what they stand for."

She stopped alongside Alyssa outside one of the cells, keeping her gaze fixed on the other woman. Her eyes only shifted to the cell itself when it became obvious Alyssa was addressing someone. Her eyesight penetrated the gloom as if it was barely there, and inside the cell she saw a disheveled yet defiantly proud looking older man. To see such a distinguished member of the Order captive here brought forth mixed emotions in her. She felt empathy for a fellow human who'd been trapped within the vampires' machinations just as she herself had been - her prison wasn't made of metal and concrete, but of her own body. Yet there was a new, emerging part of her that felt respect for Alyssa. Apprehending a senior member of the Order would have been no easy task.

Arabella stepped forward and looked more closely at the man. His eyes only moved from Alyssa to her when she was right up close at the bars. He seemed to be trying to angle his body that the tattoo on his skin was hidden, but with her eyesight now seeing through the dark better than ever before, Arabella caught a glimpse of a distinctive shape she recognised all too well.

"A Grand Master" She whispered, her focus now fixed entirely on him. She pushed her hair aside and slipped a pendant depicting the Order's symbol from beneath her collar, holding it between her slender fingers so the prisoner could see it. "You swore to the Light just as I did, and that pledge included a vow of honesty among kinsmen. So tell me - is what she says true? Has the Order been using humans as bait?"

 

[Miss Cherry]

It had been a little while since Alyssa herself last set foot down here. This cellar was old, stemming back to when the city was still young and her manor nowhere near what it was today. Not many were allowed to come down here, only those in trust of watching the prisoners, and those that had to care for them were allowed to set foot on this old stone. Once upon a time, it had been stocked to full capacity, back before the four elder vampires, of which Alyssa was the youngest, had such a firm grasp over the city. Now, only a couple of cells were actually occupied.

She could tell she was starting to get through to the young vampire, despite whatever she might be thinking of her still. 'It would go against what they stand for'. She looked on as her protégé turned to the man. So she doesn't consider herself part of the order anymore?

"What of the vampires killed by your dear order? You're one of our kind now, so you might start to understand." Alyssa began, her voice was soft inside the echoey room, but the bitter distain for the order hung clear on the edge of her words. "All those hunted as beasts, what of their families? It's easy for those in the order, a tool doesn't have to think, after all. You would like to think yourselves the heroes, the vigilantes, the martyrs."

She smiled, and stepped closer to Arabella, their shoulders touching as they stood in front of the cell. "I don't pretend to be the saint. I have killed for long, long time. I have killed for love, for vengeance and to protect my family." She took a deep breath, her voice slowly growing softer as she leaned in towards Arabella's ear.
"I have killed for sport, business and pleasure. But at the end of the day, there is more blood on the order's hands than on mine." She smirked, and leaned back, stepping away from Arabella and from the cell.

"Ask your questions, but ask the truth. Make up your own mind, and maybe you'll find there are more monsters in this city than those with fangs."

With that, she stepped away out of earshot of the cell, leaving the two in privacy.
Thomas looked at the young vampire, unsure what to make of her. He had been down there for a number of years already, talking to voices that might as well have been his own.

"Youuuu..." He struggled, hanging onto the words. "M-many." He eventually brought out, finally deciding to honor the last bit of his oath he was left with. He rolled up his sleeve and showed his forearm to Arabella. On his skin was a long list of dashed lines, totaling 46. This man had killed a total of 46 vampires in his time with the order.

"Always attack when the beast is distracted, an animal is most vulnerable when feeding. You know this too."

 

[TheLadyIsAVamp]

Alyssa's words echoed in Arabella's mind as she watched the man in the cell. She could still feel the ghost of Alyssa's breath on her ear, could still feel the cool sensation of Alyssa's shoulder nestling against her own. The other woman's skin had felt tantalisingly cool and impossibly soft against her own, that simple touch feeling more like a caress than anything her husband had ever laid upon her with his rough fingers. Had she not been so focused on the captive before her she would have surely lost herself in thoughts of what their bare skin would feel like pressed together in other areas. As it was she was having a hard time not recalling her dream of the two of them naked and kissing.

Then the Grand Master spoke in his raspy voice and Arabella was once again focused on the present moment. She could sense recognition in his eyes as he looked upon her pendant, perhaps believing that she was here to help him. Maybe she was. The last few days had been full of surprises, and Arabella's convictions were in a state of flux.

But then, like a man condemning himself to only further torment, he confirmed her worst fears.

Many.

There is more blood on your order's hands than on mine.

"No..." she whispered. The floor felt like it was falling away beneath her. She was sinking into an abyss that only grew deeper as the man rolled up his sleeve and showed her his arm. She stared in horror at the marks upon his skin, needing no explanation to grasp what they meant. Vampires. Humans. Both had likely died together, and if any of the vampires had survived they'd have likely captured their attackers and turned them, ensuring the whole bloody cycle continued unendingly.

46 vampires, and likely 46 humans. At least that many.

Her eyes snapped from his arm back to his face, the horror they'd conveyed now giving way to anger.

"What I know is that we're supposed to protect people, not offer them up as sacrifices to the thing we're hunting!" she hissed. "Saving lives, that's what the Order was supposed to stand for! What's the point in any of it if we're just serving our own people up to the enemy? Why would we..."

Arabella trailed off. A sickening realisation was beginning to fester within her gut.

"The Grand Masters of each chapter house get told information directly by our spy networks. They alone hold the knowledge of where vampires are rumoured to be operating at any one time." She moved even closer, her eyes drilling into him from between the bars of the cell. "Did you ever send a lone vampire hunter to an area you knew would be infested as bait?"

The man regarded her silently for several moments before slowly nodding.

Arabella felt sick. She took a step back from the bars, staring blankly ahead.

She'd been sent to an area that had too many vampires in it for a lone hunter to handle by her own Grand Master. So much had happened since she died that she'd never stopped to think about it. Until feeding on Ruri she'd not even been capable of thinking. But now she understood.

She'd been sent there as bait.

"You...you have to choose...us...or them...the Order or her" the man said quietly, his voice so faint that Alyssa barely heard him...but his words did register.

"Alyssa...would you come back over here beside me, please?" Arabella called out, her eyes locked on the imprisoned man.