Vampire Nightlife

How long was it possible for one to bear a grudge?

Forever and even a day more–it felt like that.

It was incredibly easy to hold onto rage and anger, to remember only the bad and the terrible and then when its own hold started to wane… to rekindle it again.

Cervus of the Veil Forest lived most of his life trapped in the mists.

It coalesced around him and choked him, it reminded him everyday of what he had lost.

Of what was taken away from him.

Something like this would have been enough fuel to burn down the entire forest and consume his very soul.

But sometimes you did get weary.

And it was impossible for anyone to always have a terrible day.

Sometimes, a certain child would visit and bring him flowers.

At another occasion, someone would talk his ear off.

It was not always dreadful, terrible and gray as much as he wanted things to be.

"Heart of the Forest–" Cervus started and then glanced back towards where Ursa and the rest stood.

His heart thumped for a moment.

A wicked thought–no, several flitted through his head. But then he shook his head.

"This is enough." Cervus chuckled weakly and lowered his hand.

The Dryad tilted her head at him, somewhat confused–but then it also understood all the same.

But was it enough?

***

Lukas and the group didn't stick around too long for that moment.

If anything, they fled into the mist right away.

It'd take them a moment to realize that it was starting to fade away and disperse.

"This doesn't seem any good." Lukas muttered as they returned to the village.

Nievu waited by a tree and quickly approached Ursa in relief, whereas Stacy and Alexei were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are they?" Theodore frowned.

"What happened?" Nievu asked first.

"Cervus and the Heart–" Ursa stammered.

"Child–" Chaerin started.

"What child?" Lukas glanced at Chaerin and then realized something.

Hidden behind one of the trees was a familiar blue spirit and it peeked at Chaerin and the rest of the group.

The water nymph child had tailed them all the way here–fortunately it wasn't attacking–and wasn't that a problem?

Lukas looked at the child and the dispersing mist and figured it out right away.

"The one responsible for all the thick mist in the forest was this little girl all along." Lukas snapped his fingers and then pointed at the thing that once tried to drown him. "Keep it all fogged up, kid."

"She's too far off from her natural home." Chaerin pointed out.

It surprised Lukas that she was able to figure out that much, but Drusilla did say that they had a connection.

"–rouse everyone up!" Nievu quickly turned to the village huts in alarm. While Lukas was distracted, Ursa had already relayed the news to the snake demihuman and he knew that there was no more time.

Was there actually any time at all?

It didn't matter, a panic spread like wildfire across the village.

Each man and woman were forced out of their beds and were being led away.

They'd never make it in time.

"We need your help." Ursa turned to the two Vampires, a desperate look on her face.

She'd normally never reach out for help–believed that it was something that she could fix with the help of Nievu and the rest, but this instant spelled doom for everyone.

She could try and fend off the Dryad like before, but there were too many of Cervus' men.

"That's…" Lukas hesitated.

"We'll hold them off as much as we can." Chaerin promised.

"Thank you."

***

Elsewhere, Theodore already found Stacy and Alexei waiting in the van. The assassin narrowed his eyes at the two–but they were in the back of the vehicle and had not actually driven away.

It annoyed the assassin that the thought hadn't crossed his mind.

If they wanted to, they could have easily left them and went off on their own–but they didn't.

That didn't actually ease up Theodore's beliefs about them, but he cleared his throat.

"We're leaving right away."

"What about the village? The deer guy?" Alexei asked.

"Where's Lukas and Chaerin?" Stacy uneasily sat up.

She tried to look around, but also stayed uncertainly in her spot.

Sometimes it felt like the tension between the Vardokens and Theodore vanished away, but somehow it was back full time.

As if something terrible could happen if they made the wrong move.

"The situation is beyond our hands and we should leave now and worry about the repercussions later–" Theodore started, but then the earth started shaking.

It was an impossible thing–if not for the fact that there was a being who could literally uproot other trees without a problem alongside gigantic demihuman snakes.

Theodore clicked his tongue and threw a look at Alexei.

"Start the vehicle and I'll get those two right away." Theodore said.

He quickly sped out of the door, a shadow that blurred instantly.

If it was possible, he would have already left the two–but the constant reminder was visible in his mind.

If Lukas was gone, Lily would suffer.

If Chaerin was gone, Lukas would refuse to leave.

That was how he'd arrived behind the two and grabbed them by their collars as the forest trees parted ways and Cervus came parading with the Dryad.

It was an awful display of power and magnitude, and that irritated Theodore all the same.

"Hey!" Lukas complained. If it had been anybody else, Lukas would have instantly attacked back–but since it was Theodore, he just struggled to get away.

"Open your eyes, it's the end for this–" Theodore hissed.

"They wouldn't parade themselves like this if they wanted to kill all of us." Chaerin said.

And her eyes flickered back to the water nymph child.

She had run all the way here, and might have fled more if there was any killing intent–but on the contrary, she had stopped and looked at the Dryad and Cervus.