Her stance upon the throne was calm, but her mind was anything but it. A few days had passed, but she was still trying to come to terms with everything, rationalize her actions. Those things were not easy to accomplish, one less than the other.

Her green eyes opened, because one of her subordinates ventured into the courtroom, silently. The vampire kneeled in front of her as customary, not daring say a word, not yet. She needed to ponder before speaking, something that was not easy. Eventually, she did voice her thoughts, breaking the painful silence.

“How is Ba-“ She promptly coughed against one of her claws, frowning. “How’s the prisoner doing?”

It was a demand, voiced harshly, in order to hide her earnestness. The soldier nodded and opened his mouth, informing her of the human’s condition, because she could not bring herself to near the dungeon.

“According to the warden, the captive suffers a slight fever. It is minor for the moment, but it could worsen, knowing how feeble humans are.”

The report was relayed with monotony, without care. They were always like that, but only now did she notice how cold and horrible it was.

“He must stay alive. I want nothing to threaten this edict.” She glared over her shoulder, whispering tiredly yet firmly. “You know what to do…”

Her progeny nodded and bowed, to then walk away. All knew not to anger her, even if she was always kind to them. Her emotions were unstable, but only because of that human. However, if she wished him to live… so it would be.

————-

Nadiya prodded with her beak again, worriedly. Yet Bastian did not react or move, merely trembling on the ground. There was another cough soon enough, something that only made his pained and sad grimace intensify.

She nuzzled against his face softly, and even she could tell that it was too warm. As well, she did not like the faint traces of dried tears. Usually, he would smile a little if she nudged him, but not now. He just kept curling more on himself, bending his arms and legs closer to his frame, feeling cold.

He had only gotten worse since Nerys tried to compel him to slay her, exposing how much he had hurt her with his negligence. Due to his mental and physical exhaustion, the headache he had felt deepened, gradually. Even with a foggy mind, he could tell that he had gotten sick. And though it was hard to think, he knew something for a fact. Nadiya let out a quiet croak when he whispered faintly, sadly.

“I- I guess…” He could barely register his own words, let out in a despondent trance. “I really lost her.”

Nadiya inched closer and curled against his frame, unable to offer much solace. Bastian just lied there, wishing he could fall asleep. He passed a few hours in the dark, without rest.

Eventually, he opened his good eye a little, because he heard her let out a caw. Though dazed, he raised his gaze slightly, to try to focus on the door, listening carefully to the sounds around him.

He could hear steps. They were nearing the cell, slowly. And after what happened, they could forebode danger… Yet he did not care.

Bastian did not realize that Nadiya was not fleeing towards the hole on the wall, but simply hiding behind him, keeping close against his back. He did not react to her pulling at some torn threads of his loose leather armour, perhaps hoping to drag him away from the threat.

A sigh escaped him, because even if sick, he recognized that the one approaching was not Nerys. Still, that did not mean that he did not cringe when the door opened slowly. He expected the usual glares, some bread to be dropped harshly. Maybe not even that, because they could deny him food. These past days had been far too quiet, and it was obvious that the guard hated his guts.

Whatever they did to him, he would abide. Still, he could not avoid feeling a trace of dread in his heart, because he noticed that the vampire was holding something, which he had trouble distinguishing in his stupor.

The guard rolled his eyes, seeing the prisoner send him a wary look in his daze, like if he was carrying an instrument of torture. As much as he and others wished to put some to use, their sire would never allow it, much less now.

Bastian took a few seconds to process that the vampire was not holding anything harmful. What he carried in his arms seemed to be a bunch of simple fabrics. To be precise…

Blankets?

The warden scoffed and then stepped near the fountain, where the broken chain hanged from the wall. He dropped the sheets and bedroll onto the ground, resenting having to do so.

The human sat up slightly, confused. He stared while the vampire walked out the door for a minute, without closing it, coming back in with something else. It was a wooden tray, which he let down near the door, not without a glare.

Bastian frowned, seeing what rested on it. There was bread, but much more decent looking than what he had been eating. There was a small bowl too, which seemed to contain herbs, slightly smashed into an unappealing salve.

The guard made a move to leave, having fulfilled the orders he had been given. But he halted, hearing the prisoner dare to speak, perplexed and tense.

“W-what’s this? Why-”

He shut up, because the guard snarled, clearly exasperated and bitter.

“Eat and rest. It will make the fever recede.” The next words made him wince, because they were said spitefully. “We must keep you alive while Nerys determines your sentence.”

“Sente-?”

The door was slammed shut before he could inquire, causing him to flinch. He sat there, processing slowly that word, too fixated to notice Nadiya peering behind him. Half an hour passed, and he could not bring himself to understand fully, only dreading that time was ticking closer to a deadline.

Thinking and fearing would not help him any, much less if his head hurt as it did. So he moved tiredly, making the broken chains that hung from his wrists rattle. He approached the tray, curiously but warily.

As he examined it all, he could only cry, for there was really some medicine. The bread was indeed much more substantial than what he had been eating. And truly, those herbs soothed the fever he suffered.

After a while, once he was done eating, he grabbed and hugged Nadiya against his chest. Then, he lied down again, but onto the bedroll. With a blanket over him, he could avoid feeling as cold, no longer having to rest on the hard ground.

He closed his eyes, focusing on how he had missed something that resembled a bed, and a decent meal. As well, he tried to believe he was not alone, remembering that an animal trusted him enough to rest in his hold.

For now, he would not try to ponder what was to come, or what Nerys would do.

—————-

Things had been too quiet, for far too long. Worst of all, he somehow felt… lonely. He was frequently neared by a very caring crow, but that was not what he yearned for. It made no sense, yet it was there in his thoughts.

Bastian sighed, dragging a small pebble against the wall, drawing yet another line on it. Once done, he sat back on his bedroll, dropping the stone and glaring at it all. His eyes hinted no emotion, but the bitterness was there.

The wall was almost full of markings and lines, each representing a day. There were enough to keep him counting for hours. He had memorized every inch of the cell, something that did not offer much intellectual stimuli. He had a clear mind now, for he had recovered physically. But he did not know if that made him feel any better inside, emotionally.

His skin was no longer pale, because he had been left alone. Nerys had not come back, not since she held that dagger. He had not been bitten, at all. Due to it, he had more strength, and the fever faded easily. The food he had been receiving had a part in his current welfare, for it was much more nourishing than before. He could swear the rations got bigger every day. He could not say he was hungry anymore. The cold of the nights was no longer an issue, because he had a decent place where to lay for sleep.

He was being treated better, and he did not understand it. There was one thing that was clear, however. Nerys was not coming back, and he was being left alone. Nothing had been said, apart from those words the guard let out. He did not stop thinking about it, because it was all he could do.

“We must keep you alive while Nerys determines your sentence.”

The word sentence could only imply a few things. The term was frequently used to refer to a verdict, a penalty. In vampiric rule, it always indicated a terminal punishment, if meant for a human.

He wondered if Nerys was so angry that she could not bear being near him. Perhaps she was debating what to do with him, his fate. Or maybe, she made up her mind already, merely arranging for her progeny to do the dirty work.

She was taking her sweet time, that was for sure. It was either due to conceited pity or nostalgic indulgence. They had been close before, and he knew that deep inside, past all that anger, she was still there.

Bastian snarled, because contradicting thoughts soon struck him, born out of his prejudice towards vampires. He had always considered them horrible cruel creatures, and that belief would not escape his perspective of her, even if it was less hateful.

He pondered if she was postponing his death to prolong his torment, letting him dwell in his guilt and shame. Her kind loved to relish on the misery of their victims, so it could be possible she enjoyed his grief. She was able to instil dread and pain, and that proved that the disease had tainted her heart, like many others before her.

His hands rose angrily to pull at his hair, which every day was harder to keep tied, now longer. He bowed his head with a long exasperated sigh, knowing that even if he somehow had his crossbow, he would not be able to strike her down.

Nerys hated him. She proved it, constantly. He could die, any day now. She was a vampire, and he was a human insurgent. Things should be clear as water, simple. There should not be any doubt or care, in either of them.

Then, why…

He flinched a little, hearing the door open behind him. Finally, he averted his gaze from the wall, leaning to look over his shoulder. He saw the jailor there, leaving another tray on the ground. As quick as he entered, he left without word, as always. However, this time, there was something different. He blinked, taken aback by what he was given.

There were unusual things on the tray, and that only made him rub his good eye, thinking his vision was failing him again. He frowned and stopped soon enough, staring at it like if it should not be there. What he was seeing was something implausible, unexpected. He slowly moved closer, without standing, reaching tentatively with a hand.

A faint trembling smile grew on his face, while his fingers loomed shakily over the food, dreading it was only a delusion. Maybe he was dreaming, imagining the recently baked bread, the fresh tomato, and…

“M-meat?”

He could not remember the last time he ate some, and he wished he did. Though there were only two thin roasted slices of beef, it was still baffling. Livestock was costly and rare for the insurgence, so very few individuals could afford to purchase red meat. Not even officials like him ate it commonly, only if they spotted and caught some deer in their expeditions.

Bastian backed slightly away, frowning, feeling apprehensive. He did not take it yet, even if the smell was tempting and his stomach was rumbling. Instead of eating, he pondered why they would give him a meal like this.

This only reminded him of the freedom he once had, now lost between these oppressive walls. Such captivity made him suspicious at all times, for there could be ulterior motives behind any apparent kind act.

Perhaps they wanted him to be healthy, because they intended to use him in an awful vampiric rite, which required fine prey. They could be waiting for him to be alright, to then leave him dry. It was common knowledge that some beasts compared their victims to ageing wine, something to foster and garnish.

He soon shook his head, pushing those grim prospects away. It was not any of those things, he was sure of it. She would never commit such heinous acts, not even as a vampire, surely. Whatever reason was behind this gesture, it was a simple one.

They were either trying to hide his starvation before a public execution, or he was merely receiving his last meals. One motive was gentler than the other, but both still led to the same outcome: death.

Far too many things hinted his inevitable demise. But there was something that kept nagging him, a belief that never faded, no matter how much he tried to disregard it. He had not been killed all this time, and it could be for a reason. It bothered him, a lot.

“Dammit, Nerys…” He asked to the silence, snarling bitterly. “Will you kill me, or not?”

There was no answer, only an echo. He did not think anyone but her knew what would happen to him, and it was unfair. Under such inescapable uncertainty, he clenched a hand and closed his eyes, exasperated and tired of it all.

He soon reached for the food, seemingly angry, but hopeful deep inside. Tears fell as he ate, without rushing, in order to savour every bite. He had to focus on the good things he was granted… because he was not sure they would last for much longer.

————-

No…

Lyssa pushed off a few people on her way, running fast through crowded stony halls. Her ochre eyes were fixed ahead, like if they could see past the labyrinthine tunnels. She did not stop in her urgency, not even if breathing began to hurt.

She panted, finally reaching the corridors she was looking for, the ones that preceded her objective. The quarters meant for officials were deep underground, secluded. Her room was there, but that was not the chamber she wanted to enter.

A soldier yelped when she ran past, almost sending him to the ground in her haste. She would have apologized if she was not scared out of her mind. She kept praying wordlessly, pleading for him to be there, in his room.

As soon as she returned, she asked for his whereabouts in the city, but she only got vague answers. Even if he was supposed to come back weeks ago, no one seemed to have seen him. That was why tears began to fall from her eyes as she spotted the door, which led to his designated living space, small but always welcoming to her. She entered fiercely, calling urgently.

“Bastian?!”

She stared upon the room, holding her breath. As always, there were documents and maps scattered all around, multiple books open and thrown out of place. However, the chaos she was seeing was not one he would approve of, not anymore. There was a thin layer of dust over everything, for nothing had been touched since he left.

He had not come back, when he should have, a very long time ago. And all the while, she was away, oblivious to his extreme delay. Now she finally saw, and it was a horrible thing to witness. She slowly leaned onto the doorframe, unable to move and look away, not yet. Fear was not something she usually felt, but when she did, it killed her inside.

Steps soon echoed behind her, calm and direct. Hearing them made her tremble, not with dread, but anger. Rein spoke up, at which point she closed her eyes and scowled.

“I knew that his disappearance would lead to your untimely return.”

She growled faintly, furious.

“So that’s why you did not bother to tell me in your missives…”

Rein frowned, crossing his arms at her. His tone was serene but firm.

“I am in no obligation of disclosing such details, and you know it. If a squad is to fall in a distant hostile region, it should be of no concern for a troop that is far away, busy with its own battles. You have come back, disregarding all orders… And you would have returned even sooner if I had revealed his misfortune. You should have not left that territory, it still needs to be cleansed of-“

“I know damn well I have disobeyed! And I don’t care!” Rein did not flinch when she punched a wall, faint smoke tangling on her fingers. “I’m tired of us being seen like pawns, Rein! I hate to be bound to silly mandates, kept away from what I love! My devotion to our cause is set in stone, but that does not mean I can bury my emotions as you do! I’m not heartless!”

Rein had kept his ground, even if she had stepped closer with a fist clenched. Her ochre eyes were aflame with fury, even if tears kept falling from them. She soon lowered her hand, and her voice grew quieter, hinting her heartbreak.

“I’m tired of being stolen from what I hold dear. I can’t stand to be told that our misery is inevitable, that the world is simply cruel. When I joined our cause, I was ready to surrender myself for a greater good… My life, not theirs. Those beasts have taken them away, even if I wanted to fight so it would never happen.” She let out a raspy sigh, her next words accusing. “I despise bureaucrats like you, Rein. You cowards make all decisions for us, callously, hiding safely without ever risking your necks. You let them shed blood for you.”

Rein glared at her, in a way that still hinted care. Lyssa shivered, because he slowly untied his collar, revealing his neckline. She did not look away from the scars as he whispered, affronted but still understanding.

“I have fought too, and I would keep on doing so if I could.” He tied his robes again, hiding the long clawing marks that ran down from his neck to his chest, still painful to this day. “My body is not as strong now; I would be easy fodder for those creatures, satiating their weakening hunger. I am far more useful here, bringing as much peace as possible, for as many as I can. They both knew they could be of more help out there, where they could perish. You know that too, Lyssa…”

She did, but she could not accept it. Her blind anger faded, and her stance relaxed subtly. But the grief was still there, and it needed to be channelled, or she would fall broken and lost. She spoke up again, determined.

“ I am sorry, Rein.” She took a deep breath, to then shake her head, wording herself carefully. “I am not going to obey any of your orders anymore. Many members of the council lead us selfishly, making us fight to secure lands they own. I know you would never command for such vile reasons, but you still allowed Bastian to venture out, knowing well what he would end up finding. Worst of all, I was told to keep off, fight my own battles away from him.”

She looked again at the empty room, a million thoughts and memories striking her mind. While she stared at his forgotten belongings, she wondered if he was still alive, because no one knew what had happened to him. Vampires did spare fallen soldiers sometimes, even if for horrible reasons. That fact made her hope Nerys was still out there, somewhere, no matter how much time had passed.

“I-“ Rein listened as Lyssa raised her voice, her eyes no longer joyful or kind, but flaming with loathing. “I will no longer roam and hunt mere loners and fledglings for your interests. From now on, I will follow my own bidding and cut the very roots of this disgusting disease. I intend to burn their deepest dens, face them with all I have, and you better agree to it. There’s nothing else I can lose, and my only wish is to make them pay for it, so you should see this as an opportunity. I won’t stop, not until every single beast dies, or I do.”

She did not wait for his agreement, for she did not care for it. Her hands shed a faint trace of smoke as she walked away, not without one last malicious whisper, brought by the ones that had torn her heart.

“He needed closure… and so do I now. My will shall be recognized, like his was.”

Rein sighed sadly, letting her go without objection. He knew she needed to mourn, even if it would not ease her pain. The anger would never fade, not without her own death. Deep inside, she knew that too.

She would serve humanity, as much as she could. Her efforts would never end, and she would be useful, as they wished her to be. However, she would fight on her own accord, against the worst monsters she could find between them all. Soon, she would prove what she could do. They would be grateful for her lead, her unfaltering march. It would serve greatly their cause… and hers.

She was going to discover what happened to them. She would find out who took them down, at any cost. And once she did… she would avenge them. Every single monster she crossed would be hunted down, until all laid dead. They would be gone, like them.