Chapter 11: [011] [The Lady]

Rick rubbed his eyes as he tried to clear his head. His brain was full of static, nerves frayed, and his body made of lead.

It had been four days with barely any sleep. It was hard to rest when he could physically sense Eva's eyes on him every time he laid down to rest. The Orcs had chained her up, so the heavy restraints securely held her at the opposite side of the shared hut. But their captors had also not given her anything to eat, only some water.

Eva slept during the day while Rick worked, and would wake up when he came back.

Night after night, those red eyes glowed in the darkness. Staring at him, hungry. At first it had been tolerable, the maiden had held herself back. Every time Eva had realized what she was doing, she'd mutter a small "Sorry" and turn away. But by the second night, she'd stopped talking, she'd stopped looking away.

And she'd stopped trying to reign in her emotions. Or it would be closer to claim she'd lost the ability to do so. The hunger was like a knife that pressed against his throat. Yasir had warned him, maidens of the Vampire "family" were susceptible to powerful instincts. Eventually, Eva's hunger would reach such extremes that not even the bond would protect his life.

Such was the fate of the genus of the Fledglings.

Rick feared what would come next. Both for himself and her.

They needed to escape, and it needed to be soon.

Rick was on the lookout for an opening, learning everything he could about the tribe along the way.

The tribe was divided between the green-skins, "near everyone else", the slaves, and the Ghoul's people. The Orcs, Goblins, and Hobgoblins kept mostly to themselves, away from the "bandits". They didn't really approach the kitchen area unless it was to do something and then leave. The other times would be as first in line to get a full bowl from the broth and marching off. Once or twice, Rick saw them going about handling the slaves, be they human or maiden. The second group, the "bandits" were a mishmash of maiden breeds that had been recruited or coerced into helping the tribe. They'd engage in quarrels and start fights frequently. They were also divided into small groups that would typically stick together.

And then there were the Ghoul's people. Hooded figures that Rick would spot here and there, always showing up in larger numbers nearing the night, always being followed by glares and scowls from everyone else. When asked of the hooded figures, Yasir would go deathly quiet, eyes falling on the scars that littered his arms. Rick had the distinct impression that Zagan's control of the tribe and the bandits had a lot less to do with being able to overpower some key figures. Most likely, the Ghoul had made it clear to everyone she could kill the humans if anyone got too quarrelsome.

If those hooded figures were Fledglings like Eva... Their presence made escape that much more complicated. Getting the humans sick could cause a panic, but it was useless without someone else to help them get out.

So it was on the fourth day, with bags under his eyes, sleep deprivation gnawing at his mind, feet dragging in the dirt, that the sound of bells startled him into full wakefulness. Doubly so when the guards escorting him had let out a loud swear, let go of the rope, and made a mad dash towards the source.

Just like that, Rick was alone. He blinked, looking around, and finding every other maiden in sight was rushing towards the bells, grabbing whatever weapons they could find along the way. And every human there had made a mad dash to the nearest yurt. Not one person was had given him so much as a thought.

Rick turned to the opposite direction of the bell and power-walked forth. When screams joined the sounds of the bells, he walked faster. Not a soul paid him any attention, or attempted to stop him. As tired as he felt, he didn't consider this an attempt to escape. He'd been stuck in the kitchen for days. This was a perfect chance to at least get a better look at the layout of the camp, especially at the edges.

It took him a handful of minutes, but he made it to the "wall".

It wasn't really a wall, not in the strictest sense of the word. It was a congregation of trees that had been grown very close to one another. There was enough space to see through them, and he could awkwardly move between them as well, but it was a tight squeeze. It wouldn't stop anyone from getting through them, but it would slow them down. And it would undoubtedly leave them open for attack. Rick also spotted tiny bells half-way up these trees, letting out a very soft tinkling whenever a breeze would blow by.

Rick quietly stared, trying to think. When the time to escape came, would they have to go through these trees or look for the "main" entrance? If Monica showed up, then it wouldn't be hard to just knock the trees down and make a mad dash for it. But if he had to rely on Kiara... would she be able to fly him and Yasir over the trees? What about Yasir's wife? She was in the "feral pens", maybe she'd provide an option? How could they even get to her and break the feral curse?

“At least you saved me the trouble of bringing you somewhere private.”

It took a full second for the surprise to work its way through his brain. He slowly looked over his shoulder. Kiara was there, floating and barely touching the ground, an amused feline grin plastered all over her face.

"You caused the distraction?" His shoulders relaxed, letting out a stifled yawn. "Is this your attempt to run away with me?"

"Ghoul marked you, we run, you die." Kiara said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You've got three more days before that nasty piece of work runs out of power."

"You can't do anything about it?"

"She'd know the moment I went for it." She stepped closer. "Rick, I know you don't trust me, but you can't escape. Not right now. Even if you don't die to the mark, they'd catch you. I need you to wait. I'm putting some things together and-."

Rick looked at her and frowned. “Why wouldn't I trust you?”

She gave him a skeptical look. The maiden stepped closer, golden eyes gleaming as she scrutinized his face. "What's your plan to escape?" Her tone was neutral, but he could sense the faintest hesitation from her.

"Poison everyone in the camp."

Kiara's shoulders sagged marginally. She rolled her eyes. Disappointment washed over her, quickly hidden behind a dismissive tone. "Not bad for something you thought up on the spot, but even an otherworlder like you shouldn't have access to something dangerous enough to cripple or kill that many maidens."

"I meant the humans." He growled, stepping closer and glaring up at her. "Green potatoes, especially the leaves of the plant, contain alkaloid poisons like solanine. The same shit you find in nightshade, just in lower concentrations." Shaking his head, he paced back and forth. "Boil it into a soup and the poison gets dissolved into the water. At high concentrations it'd kill you, but there's not enough of it. It'll make every human feel like they're dying for a day or two."

The Succubus' eyes had been widening with every syllable he uttered until it had left her looking at him like he'd just proposed to throw puppies into a blender. "You'd... you're serious." Her face was one of shock, but through the bond he could sense an array of other emotions he couldn't quite pin down.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He waved at the tribe. "You think I'd just sit my ass and wait to be rescued?"

"That's not..." Kiara focused, letting out a sigh. "Your world, humans are...?"

"The only species, billions of them."

"That... explains things." She nodded, rubbing her cheek and eyeing Rick again. "But you trust me."

“Trusting you is my decision." Rick crossed his arms. "But you can prove me wrong if you’re feeling feisty.”

"No, it's... no." The maiden turned away, glancing at the tribe. "It's not important right now." The maiden took a deep breath, her tail flicked twice, and she looked at him again. "Do you know if the cat or the healer are nearby?"

Rick shook his head. "They're somewhere to the north of us, but it's too far for me to tell the distance."

"Our chance to escape will be tomorrow morning. There are rumors that the one that Ghoul serves is coming in a couple of days. We do not want to be anywhere near this place by then."

"Eva and Yasir?"

"Yasir?"

"The human I'm working with."

"I'll see what I can do, but I won't make promises." She shook her head. "The blood-sucker either has to come with us or die. We can't leave her behind."

Rick's brows furrowed. "What's the reason?"

Kiara opened her mouth to snap at him, then stopped herself. "If a Fledgling is fed Vampire blood, that maiden is as good as owned. The taste alone is addictive, and it also leaves them unable to protect themselves from the Vampire's powers."

Rick rubbed his chin in thought. "We'll poison the morning meal, then."

The Succubus nodded. "If we can't escape, or your cat doesn't show up, I will have to join them. And things will get complicated from there." Her face twisted into a grimace. "I'd rather avoid that, though."

Now it was Rick’s turn to laugh. “So killing the Vampire in Balet was just a fluke? I thought you were strong enough not to worry about having one of those around.”

Kiara’s eyes widened, head swivelling to check their surroundings before glaring at him. “Do you want to get us killed!? Do you have any idea how crazy they are about blood relations?" Her wings fluttered in annoyance. "I can handle one Vampire. One. Add anything else to that fight and I will run. Things like a Ghoul, a small army of Fledglings, a tribe of Orcs, and all those other things that would try to kill me.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “I do not want to kiss the wrinkled ass of some hundred-year-old leech. And I'm not sure how long I could hide the purity of your blood from their noses.”

"Wait what?"

"Blood-sucker reeks to others of their kind." She shot him a smirk. "If it were up to me, I would've had you as my personal bed-slave."

Rick's laugh died out when the maiden stepped closer, her hand caressing his chest. "You can't eat energy from me." He spoke in a low whisper.

"Makes you wonder why I'm getting closer, doesn't it?" She whispered back, floating further up, just enough for them to be eye-level.

"Because you want to grab my collar?"

The maiden's fingers froze on the rope that had been dangling from the piece of metal around his neck. Her lips curled into an even larger smirk. "Do you know what'd happen to you if the Vampires find out what you are? What you can do?"

"Enlighten me."

“You’d be their most precious asset. The hardest you’d get to work would be in siring a new generation of sassy, half-crazed humans.” She leaned closer, breath teasing his cheeks.

"And you'd want to do the same thing to me?"

Her lips caressed his ear, sending shudders down his spine. "No."

Rick had many things he could've asked, but he didn't have the chance to say anything. The maiden stepped away, yanking on the rope and forcing him to follow her with hurried steps. It was at an awkward angle, forcing him to hurry along, until her tail whipped at his ankle. There was nothing he could do. Rick toppled, nearly eating dirt along the way.

“You.” The Succubus snapped at a maiden that had been standing guard near one yurt, looking worse for wear. “This one wandered off, thinking he could hide from work. Take him to the kitchen. The ferals will need their meal once they calm down. Double duty, or Zagan will have words with you.”

“Yes ma’am!” The canine maiden rushed to obey. "Move it, male."

As she dragged him along, he spotted crowds of maidens gathered at the edge of the camp. He could hear loud shouts and jeers. Things seemed under control. The maiden leading him along was more concerned with getting him to the hut that served as a kitchen. Yasir was already there, working harder than he ever had before. The man was pale, barely seeing anything at all as his hands flew.

The vegetables didn't stand a chance.

"We need to move fast." Yasir spoke through gritted teeth, not even looking at Rick.

"Everything... alright?"

"I pray to Fortune."

It dawned on Rick. "Ferals... your wife might have been among them?"

"We need to work." Yasir nodded softly as he spoke, glancing at the door for only a split second and getting back to the task at hand.

Rick got to it, and within the hour, the gigantic pot was taken away, only to come back within minutes. Unlike the other times, today other humans accompanied them. The newcomers were quiet every step of the way. The stew would be taken away, and the pot would come back empty. Whatever was going on outside, it was clearly calming things down even as the consumption rate of the food had practically tripled.

“Does this happen often?” Rick asked, trying to break the monotony.

“Only once before.” Yasir's voice was a mix of dejection and nervousness. And no small amount of anger. The man practically smashed the pumpkin against the table. “Do you have a family, Rick?”

The question surprised him. Rick paused for a moment to consider the answer, his first instinct being to deny it. And yet… “I did once. Things went out the window, and I'm... not there yet.”

“Looking to set roots?”

“Something like that.” He eyed his cooking companion, recognizing the look. “You’re a father.”

“A boy and a girl, both in Sinco.” There was a nod, his gaze turning distant. “I fear Fortune’s smile might leave them soon.”

“Want to talk about them?” Rick prompted.

He'd seen parents like this before. The nerves of not knowing were eating him up from the inside.

Yasir laughed bitterly. “I would have many things to say about my two children. Enough to last for days. Zuzu is as strong as her mother, and Nabil is as astute as his grandfather. They are the light of my life, and the pride of my name.”

"I want to hear about them."

It was that easy.

Yasir talked and talked and talked. It was easy to tell there were details he didn't want to share, but it was a flood. The emotion came thick, his voice trembled. Yasir narrated the feral threat, how he and his wife had seen the danger for what it was, and how they'd left with a bodyguard to Aubria in search for extra muscle to bring back. Because they couldn't trust the local noble, and they feared the worst was yet to come.

The man's voice droned on and on. Rick barely needed to focus to draw more out of him. The conversation gave him room to think of Kiara's own words. If they were to escape tomorrow... he focused on the bonds, trying to see if there was anything he could fish out. The first he noticed was Kiara mostly nervous and moving around the camp. Next was Eva starved, confused, and afraid. Those two drowned out everything out. Trying to focus on Monica and Dia got him little more than a vague north-east direction.

Had they moved? It was hard to have an exact measure of the angle while inside the hut. They were too far away anyhow.

Any attempt he had to send them a signal through the bond was barely more than a sputter that got no discernible response.

The hours melted away, strain and exhaustion eventually catching up in full. The conversation had allowed Yasir to relax, but they were both exhausted all the same.

"Tomorrow, we should make potato stew. So rest well."

Rick spoke the words. Yasir's eyes widened ever so slightly. Realization dawned on the man's features and he nodded solemnly. "I will do so."

From there their captors should've taken them to their huts, their prison cell.

But something was different.

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The sun had set, and the camp exploded into movement. Rick felt panic from Kiara's side of the bond. It was the first sign that something wasn't right.

Then the rumbling came, hooves beating against dirt, and Zagan's voice boomed outwards, issuing commands like a machinegun. People rushed faster. Maidens would plow the humans to the side if they didn't get out of the way fast enough. An organized panic was spreading across the camp. The sort of panic that came from a parent about to get home and everything being a mess.

A tall green figure stood at the entrance of the kitchen hut. "Out," the Orc said, a direct order.

She dragged both of them outside and across the tribe. Everything looked cleaner than it had been at the start of the day. Trash pits had been removed, the yurts had been closed, even crates had been stacked neatly. The maidens still ran around like headless chickens with an aim, shadowed by the hooded figures and with Zagan orchestrating the chaos.

The Orc took them to the center of it all.

Where once had been farmland was now just a large flat dirt-field. The flickering torch-lights reminded Rick of an improvised coliseum. It wouldn’t have been out of place for lions to be in cages at the edge of the sizeable area. The air was charged, tense, the maidens that weren't moving looked like they wished to be anywhere else. As if each of them feared it would be them who'd take center stage and become the spectacle.

Their captor shoved them into line with the other slaves.

Behind them were the "free" humans, unchained, forming their own neat rows and looking like they were about to run away at the first loud noise. Rick considered their position, the slaves being closest to the center of the cleared area. And he had the chilling thought they were animals waiting for slaughter. The movement at the edge of the gathering drew his attention.

Three maidens had stepped into the clearing, moving towards the center. Zagan led the other two, charcoal cracked skin, glowing with eagerness under her light armor, lips in a frantic grin. Immediately behind the Ghoul was an Orc larger than any Rick had seen before, a good head and shoulders taller than any other Orc, and even slightly taller than Monica. The maiden wore a set of brown furs and a large spiked helmet, her skin an olive green. She was idly swinging a large metal club that was as long as she was tall.

Something about the way she moved the thing unnerved Rick, physics and inertia complained, and he could only guess that the maiden had some way to ensure her feet remained stuck to the ground, allowing her to ignore the massive shift in center of gravity that she should’ve been compensating for. Either that or the maiden was twelve times heavier than she looked.

Last in line was Kiara.

Her face was a placid mask, pouty ruby lips stretched into a pleasant smile. She wore a heart-stopping white dress, one that hugged her curves tight enough to leave nothing to the imagination. The Succubus' eyes kept dancing around, the pleasant smile seeming to be there to hide boredom as she'd casually check her nails or pick off the stray bit of dirt off of her clothes.

Her bond screamed nerves, fear, and apprehension.

The trio stopped at the center. All around them, the shadows shifted, and several dozen hooded figures rose from the darkness. As one, they bowed to Zagan, then moved to take their positions. Most formed ranks at the edge of the clearing. The rest spread out in a circle roughly five meters across.

Their voice spoke out as one, whispered words in a song that were close to Latin, but not quite.

Rick's skin crawled. Inside his mind, he tagged the hooded figures as ‘vampiric henchwomen’, but at some level he was rather sure his nerves were too frayed from sleep deprivation. Not that the crowd was any calmer than he was. They were antsy, moving around in a rush to either do something or find a spot to hide.

When his skin tingled, Rick realized the chanting was more than just show. It was some sort of ceremony with actual power to it.

They stopped right then. Silence spread like an oil-stain until only the whispers of the wind could be heard. For a second, Rick noticed nothing other than the tingling. And when it was gone, it happened with no fanfare or explosion or even a ‘pop’.

One moment, the space in the center of the hooded maidens was empty.

The next it wasn’t.

The hooded maidens dissolved into the shadows, joining the ranks of their fellows. In their place stood a lone figure that hadn't been there before. Shadows hugged the maiden's figure like a close lover, reluctantly receding to reveal a simple crimson dress. Ashen white hair flowed in the summer breeze. The maiden was pale as the moon. She was a creature that did not fit in with the mud and bandits, as if someone had plucked her right out of a gala.

The creature took a single ghostly step, looking over the silent crowd, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “Is this… all?” The words caused the crowd to shudder.

Zagan jumped to respond, bowing low. “No, my Lady, the ferals acted out earlier this morning, so we’ve locked them up. Their numbers are twice that of those bonded. Plus we have many scouting grou-.”

“I see.” The pale woman cut her off. Red energy emerged out of her body, the color of blood that had dried up long ago.

With a gesture of her hand, the energy swept in every direction, spreading in a silent explosion. The trio of maidens twitched, barely reacting to the energy. But when the wave reached the crowd, a collective cry rose to the sky. Most everyone’s knees buckled and they fell to the ground.

To Rick, it had been akin to feeling ants crawling over him.

But there had been little else to it.

He mostly blinked around in confusion, looking at how every human and maiden present was pale, shaking. Yet he felt nothing but a heaviness to the air and tingling in his skin. Rick didn't wait a second longer, lowering himself to his knees before he could draw attention. Kiara had been discreetly looking his way, face impassive, but her tail flicked nervously.

“A Succubus, how… curious.” The pale maiden approached the trio. Zagan fell to her knees and bowed her head. The other two did not. “What age do you hail from?”

To Kiara's merit, her act was flawless, bowing her head barely enough for courtesy. “It is a pleasure meeting you, Lady Aimes. I currently call myself Kiara.” She spoke with honeyed words. “I was born on the shores of the Emerald seas, back when some humans could still form bonds without the use of enchanted collars.”

“Ah, from before the Catastrophe of Dilution.” The Vampire nodded, her voice carrying through the fields with ease like she had an invisible megaphone on her.

In reality it felt as if they were all trapped inside a tiny room and the Vampire were whispering into their collective ears. Maidens and humans alike squirmed and shuddered nervously. Even for Rick, without having felt whatever had driven the others to their knees... even then, goosebumps coursed through his body.

It was easy to see why Kiara had panicked. But what now? Could they hope to escape with this creature now present? A quick glance at the other slaves, kneeling so close to the ancient maiden... it brought another question to Rick's mind. What would happen to them?

“I was informed you intend to join our cause?”

Kiara nodded, lips curling into a smirk, the maiden entirely unbothered by the Vampire’s presence or apparent power. “I heard there was a little city not too far off, and you wished to see it change owners. The thought occurred to me that my hands happened to be quite empty.”

It happened in a split second.

The power that’d been permeating the area pulled back and into the Vampire with crackling speed. With the next breath, the Vampire let loose a beam of screeching red light from her right hand, aimed squarely at Kiara's chest.

The Succubus had moved just as fast. With arms covered in deep purple power, she slapped the beam with a vicious backhand. And with it she'd twisted the beam so that it would hit the Orc. The taller maiden had tried to move, but had not expected the attack to come from behind her. The beam pierced through her shoulder, severing her club-wielding arm from above the elbow in one clean hit.

Despite the ease of the gesture and the relaxed smirk on Kiara’s lips, the way her tail and wings twitched told of how much focus she’d needed to pull it off. And by the looks of it, the danger was not over.

The Orc had reacted not with a cry of pain but a roar of challenge. She charged Kiara, picking up the club with her remaining good arm. The Succubus beat her wings, launching into the air before the green-skinned maiden could reach her. The purple glow spread across her body.

But she wasn't fast enough. The Orc took the swing, and the club connected. The hit launched the Succubus like she’d come straight out of a cannon. Rick felt the pain through the bond, arms and chest heaving, the air knocked right out of him. Without thinking twice, he reached through the bond into her, grabbing at the pain and yanking it into himself. The human groaned and grit his teeth, shaking.

Only able to watch.

Again.

Kiara’s trajectory shifted abruptly, her wings spread wide, and the inertia shifted upwards, turning her into a rocket. The maiden beat her wings with abandon as she did. She went up, and up, and up, slowing down only when she'd turned into little more than a tiny purple glowing dot against the sky. The first star of the night.

Rick could feel her eyes on him, could sense her focus on the bond. And then a glimpse of amusement.

The purple glow she’d shrouded her body with intensified, growing brighter and brighter, until she pulsed with the intensity of the moon. The pain was gone from Kiara, and the bond. Rick let out a sigh of relief, watching as the mote of light slowly descended to the earth, a gentle fall, graceful like a feather.

The closer she got, the brighter she became, until it was impossible to see anything within the glow.

When her feet touched the ground, she unleashed the power downwards. It spread out in every direction with explosive speed. It wasn't much different to the Vampire's own, except it was faster, and didn't press down on the crowd, but rushed up their bodies through their feet.

Moans, shudders, gasps, and shrieks broke out all around. Even the Orc bowled over, clutching her stomach and groaning loudly, face flushed a deep crimson, shuddering with visible goosebumps. Only the Vampire and the Ghoul seemed entirely immune to the effects.

It took him a moment to realize Kiara had just unleashed a collective mass orgasm.

The first sound that broke the sea of whimpers had been the Vampire, laughing a deep glassy soprano. The maiden clapped demurely, walking towards Kiara. “You have brought me a great prospective ally, Zagan.” She commented offhandedly, a radiant smile on her lips, her focus entirely on the Succubus. “Most impressive, miss Kiara.”

The smile on the Vampire broke when it became clear Kiara was still focused on the Orc, looking at the large green creature as one would an amusing puzzle. The Orc was staring back with a scowl, blushing hard, but not making any moves to lash out. Her stump had stopped bleeding, and the first signs of scarring were showing.

Rick felt a moment of doubt at how calmly it all had unfolded.

Had this been merely a greeting? To measure each other’s power? Most baffling was the Orc, having lost an arm and not even looking bothered by it. “Why did they fight?” He muttered under his breath. The kingdom strictly forbid maidens attacking one another without due cause. For obvious reasons. Humans would be the easiest collateral damage.

“It is customary amongst many maiden-led societies. They exchange blows so that they do not fight again.” Yasir replied hastily, flinching when he noticed the Vampire looking their way. “Now be quiet! We-.”

“I cannot help but notice you spared a member of the... audience?” The Lady spoke, the amused smile returning to her lips. Her eyes locked on to Rick.

He swore, bowing lower.

“Whatever do you mean?” Kiara declared innocently.

The Vampire vanished.

“Why, this one.”

The voice spoke directly from behind him.

He froze.

An icy hand gripped the metal collar around his throat. Rick kicked the dirt to stand up, but the Vampire held him down and did not budge. Something was wrong with her weight. The woman couldn't have been more than half the mass of Rick, yet it was like trying to lift a statue. One that forced him to desperately half-crawl as she swiftly walked out of the crowd and into the cleared-out ring.

Kiara’s eyes regarded him, her face impassive, her tail petrified in place. “Oh, him.” The Succubus sighed, making a bored expression that betrayed none of the emotions that screamed out from her bond. “I didn’t spare him. It is that he has so little energy that my powers have little to latch onto."

“Zagan?”

“Miss Kiara came to one of our units seeking to save the human from some feral Angels.” The Ghoul declared. Her voice reverberated with his blood, his heart clenched. "He is also bonded to... the unclaimed one."

"Ah, running away from wielders of radiance, of course." The Vampire laughed, her words causing Kiara's hands to clench. The grip on Rick's collar stiffened. He could feel her eyes on the back of his head. “And why not merely break the bond and be rid of this mortal? Surely that would have been less troublesome?”

“He is a necessary ingredient for a… personal project,” Kiara declared. From his position and forced to stare down at the ground, all Rick could see were her perfectly manicured pink nails. “Looking for a replacement would be far too much of a hassle, you see.”

“Miss Kiara, are you familiar with the trials a Fledgling must pass to become a part of a noble Vampire clan?”

The naked foot twitched, toes curling into the dirt. “I can’t say I am.”

“Then, as a peer, would you kindly remove your collar? I would loathe to see anything unfortunate happening during this test.” The Lady spoke softly. “I’m sure we have some humans you could bond to while you wait, if you’d prefer.”

“That human is very valuable to me.” Kiara spoke slowly, her voice taking a darker tone.

“I am afraid I will have to ask you to show a bit of trust, then.” The Vampire spoke with a crooked smile. "I will make sure you see no inconveniences from this little test to a future subordinate. There's an unclaimed Fledgling, and it is important tradition be followed."

There was a moment of pause, a second of silence, where Rick could almost hear the gears spinning within Kiara’s head. He knew the calculation; he’d run it too. What would be the odds of survival if she denied the Vampire here and now? What were her chances? What were his?

As far as Rick was concerned, her denial of the Vampire was likely to result in his death almost immediately after.

“Very well.” Kiara spoke with a smoothed out tone, in control, icy calm to hide everything underneath. Her toes had yet to uncurl.

Still locked into facing the ground, he caught some movement in his periphery. The group of hooded figures shifted, and there was the telltale clink of chains as they dragged something out from their midst. They split like the sea, revealing their captive. A naked young woman of porcelain white skin and long straight hair, one in possession of an athletic, slim figure marred only by dirt and mud. The maiden had ruby red eyes shone bright, within them there was no intelligence to be found, only an all-consuming hunger.

She was a Fledgling.

It was Eva.

The maiden frothed at the mouth, snapping out and lashing with sharp black nails at her captors, acting no different from a ravenous animal. They held her firm, avoiding the attacks with ease as they kept pulling her to the center of the area.

Rick’s stomach dropped at the sight of her. A mix of pity, anger, and fear that roiled his guts. They had reduced Eva to little more than an animal, a creature of instinct with no thoughts other than to eat. Was there anything left of her? His hands were shaking now, was this what it felt to see a maiden fall to the feral curse? To see them unable to even recognize anyone anymore? Eva was just not there, all sanity consumed in the hunger. Or would it be even worse if Eva's bond were broken?

“To test our initiates, we confirm how willing they are to kill the human they are bonded to.” The words were cold but amused. The Vampire had not turned away from Kiara for even a second. “Do not worry, I can assure you the human won’t die. Not tonight.”

The words were such an obvious lie that Rick felt like the subtitles had been screamed out for everyone to hear. But it didn't matter, she threw him away with a gesture, an invisible force shoved him further still, sending him sprawling across the arena while the trio had moved to the sidelines.

Scrambling to his feet, his eyes met Eva's.

Her pupils were barely pinpricks. She was not there. In her place stood an unthinking monster. One that would tear him apart.

The vampiric henchwomen let go of the chains.

The Fledgling charged.

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