All were silent. No one dared say a word while they marched dejectedly, leading their carts and horses back home, through the routes they had charted with fervour. Even if they were nearing the border of the domain they failed to conquer, they still had a long journey ahead. To reach disputed territory and their own lands, they would need to traverse the turfs of other clans, which they had evaded to reach these regions. They had fought for so long… and now they were leaving.

Her ochre eyes were lidded sadly, for she looked at every single soldier around her. She had lied to them all; their morale was low, almost nonexistent. They had failed to burn the den they had sieged, the origin of all the vampires they had contested in this land.

She truly had betrayed them. Part of her was ashamed, enraged by her own actions; her passion for humanity made her wish to go back, continue the fight. She would do so, if her heart did not overrule all her thoughts and beliefs.

No, she could not regret what she had done. They were alive, safe. She would make sure to report that this domain was off-limits, too dangerous to try to claim for their cause. Leaving was not something she wanted to do, but she had to, for them.

As she kept marching with her troops, her mentor watched her carefully. His gaze hinted anger, but also care. He said nothing to reveal her ploy, but he kept it in mind, constantly. Her motivations were clear to him, yet he could not accept them.

Once more, she closed her eyes, no longer needing a memento to evoke her love. Her mind focused on the memory of the last moments they shared, the whispers they exchanged. She recalled her embrace, which held no bloodlust, but devotion.

They were apart, like before. However, her grief had changed, thanks to a new hope. She would hold onto her memory, until she could be at her side once more.

———-

The throne room was dark, ominous. Two beings she had sworn to end lurked in it, yet she felt safe.

“You did not perish in battle…”

Her fangs showed as she smiled sadly, like if she had committed a crime by surviving in those ruins. She was still trying to keep her distance, perhaps afraid of herself.

“I should have.”

She glared at her disapprovingly, but that was not what made her wince. He spoke up, accusingly, with a firmness he rarely displayed.

“Not again, Nerys.” He looked into her ochre eyes and said plain truth. “Lyssa, you know that if we had a choice, we wouldn’t be… this.”

She asked mournfully, not feeling any trace of fear for his sharp gaze.

“Have you been a vampire all this time? Did you vanish because you were inflicted with the disease?” He shook his head sadly, and that made her frown. “Why did you not tell me you were alive? You were here, with-“

She interrupted her, with a louder whisper.

“I did not let him. Eventually, we both came to an agreement, and you know why.” Her green eyes narrowed, as she pointed a claw at herself. “Look at me, Lyssa.”

It took her a minute to reply, for she did as she asked, intently. When she answered, she did so while reaching for her claw, which did not fail to cause a shudder.

“I do see that you have changed. We used to share the same wish.”

“I’ve failed our oath, yes. We fought to see the end of this affli-”

“No, Nerys, you misunderstand. I fought for our freedom, our lives. You would gladly surrender yours now…” She said those words with no doubt, for it was the core of her conviction. “I have always wanted us to be free, be able to roam without fearing being killed or enslaved. When I lost you, I was sure that revenge would bring me solace… Now I know that I would have never felt it.”

Her words held love, yet they did not manage to sway her.

“Your fervent reprisal was pointless and misguided, for I am not deserving of justice, but punishment. I have turned into one of the creatures that threaten your wish; as long as a vampire exists, you will never attain that freedom you speak of. You can’t begin to imagine the horrors I have committed, so believe me when I say that you should slay me.” She growled, glaring at them both before they could retort. “Lyssa, go back to your troops. We are foes, we want it or not. A lord like me can’t be spared, no matter how much you wish I could be. If you truly believe you can shield a vampire, take him with you.”

She wanted to retort, for she was angered by her self-directed condemnation. Sadly, she could not deny reality. She could not simply call her troops away, surrender their fight. Even if she was a general, her comrades would not doubt to move past her if she hinted doubt for their shared beliefs. The bloodshed would carry on without her.

They belonged to two different tides, which would eventually collide. Only one would remain, no matter how much they struggled against the current.

Nerys saw the doubt in her eyes, and so, she took her chance. She faced them both darkly, commanding.

“Leave, Lyssa. Do not make me banish you by force. I am enduring enough pain as it is.”  

“You can’t send me away, not now. I’ve wished to see you again, every day and night.”

“I can do it, and I will. I’m not the same woman you knew.” She took a subtle step closer, with her claws open at her sides. “I’m not even human. If you won’t end this now, there’s no reason for you to be here.”

She was going to grab her gently, to drag her towards the dungeons and that passage. Before she could do so, however, another one got in between. Those green eyes blinked, for he pushed her off carefully, with a faint growl.

“I’m not human either, and one of my eyes is injured, yet I still see more clearly than you do. You don’t know how tired I am of your single-minded penance, Nerys. Let her have the same closure I found, let her stay by your side if she so chooses!”

She snarled at them both, for they dared defy her judgment.

“We all know what will happen if she does not return to her troops. Unlike you, Bastian, she has a bloodthirsty following that won’t doubt to keep slaying in her absence. She better be with them when they start killing again. We don’t have time to debate our circumstances; besides, it’s an argument I don’t wish to suffer, not with her. My fate is sealed, and no words will change it.”

“It is true, we don’t have much time.” That prompted a sigh from the two vampires, because even a human like her knew that the night would not last for long. “We can’t discuss our beliefs and convictions. As much as I want to know about everything you’ve gone through, I can’t afford to ask.”

Nerys thought she would surrender, at last. That hope was shattered, because she spoke again, without doubt.

“If I wish to be able to see you again one day, I must act, fast. I won’t let you die; there are too many things you must explain and show me. We have to stop that army, make the insurgence leave your domain.”

Bastian smiled bright, hopeful, because she nodded at him firmly and decisively. Meanwhile, Nerys blinked and stammered, taken aback.

“W-what?”

They ignored her bafflement and proceeded to face each other instead, not needing many words to convey their thoughts. He spoke first, pondering seriously.

“We will lose if we fight them head-on. Before, we could have done so, but we have lost too many soldiers. Even if you weren’t there to lead them, we would struggle, and surely lose.”

“My fault; I’ve caused quite a massacre… We need an advantage, something that weakens their forces. I could go back and try to win time, obstruct their efforts.”

“Even if they delay or falter, that still leaves us with the same issue; we lack the strength to drive them back. Time is useful, but not a weapon.”

Nerys watched in bewilderment as they crossed their arms and stared at the ground, letting out a groan and a huff. They grumbled to themselves for a minute, but then he gasped, exclaiming with a glint in his eyes.

“That’s it, a weapon!”

He stared at her as if she could read his mind.

“Uh… Do you have one?”

He smirked and shook his head.

“Not really.”

The two gave him a blank stare. Her ochre eyes narrowed, and even if they had not seen each other for a long time, she scolded him as if they had never parted ways.

“Sebastian, you halfwit, that’s exactly our problem. A weapon would solve our problems, but we can’t just wish one into existence!”

“I know we don’t have one, and that we won’t have any, but…!” Her gaze hinted interest, because he turned and beckoned her to follow him out of the room. “What if they thought we had one?!”

Both hurried away and left Nerys behind, their minds scheming rapidly and in silent unison. It took her a minute to comprehend she was alone.

“W-wait!”

While she started to chase, the two reached the courtyard. A guard blinked as they ran past, recognizing her as the general that had been leading the siege. The poor vampire put a claw onto his sword, doubting as they bolted for a nearby tower. He felt even more confusion when his sire walked by as well, waving a claw dismissively.

“Don’t bother… She is with us.”

Those jade eyes stared at her in bewilderment while she marched towards the tower, without further comment. It was a strange night indeed.

Above, the two looked past the parapets, at the tallest point of the castle. The wind brushed them strongly as they contemplated the fields below them. She let out a whistle, never having seen such an impressive view.

“I can see the whole camp from here.”

“Exactly.”

She leaned to look at him and saw that he was glaring, firmly. He whispered darkly, gripping the parapet with enough force to sink his nails into the stone.

“Lyssa, we barely have time, so listen to me and don’t interrupt me. Here’s my idea.” His fangs showed as he took a deep breath, knowing that his ploy was their last chance, full of risks for the three of them. “We can’t leave the fortress to cut trees and gather timber, but we do have some spare wood and metal in our storage. I’ll scavenge all I can, and then build something up here, on this tower. Give me around… three or two days. It will be nothing, but I will try to make it strange enough to hint it has a purpose. I need- No, we all need you to convince those fools that our contraption is dangerous. I’ll merge all the pieces up here in one single night, to startle them when they spot it in the morning. Look, we may be able to see everything below right now, but with this dark sky above us…”

“They can’t see us here.”   

“That’s it. Surprises can be appalling and frightening. L-like when we found out… that she was gone.”

She nodded, with a sad expression. The two looked back slowly, for they felt how those green eyes were fixed on them, glinting in the shadows. They had felt broken when they lost her, and now both were afraid of her demise.

Humans and vampires, all acted due to instinct and emotion. They were no different. She kept that in mind as the moon began to hide, announcing that time was running out. Soon, she stood in that dark dungeon again, but it did not seem as oppressive and dreadful as before. There were no horrors hidden in it, nothing but a passage that could offer freedom.

Bastian watched sadly as Nerys led her through, for her to leave. There was no alternative, and it hurt. As they stood by the tunnel, she looked back to smile at the two of them, unafraid of how their eyes glinted in the shadows of the cell.

“If this works, I’ll have to go back to Hollowgrave.”

Nerys nodded solemnly, refusing to hide the tears that fell from her gaze.

“Don’t come back. Stay safe.”

Bastian was not surprised when his sire was grabbed by her collar and leaned down, closer to those ochre eyes. Her claws trembled as a proclamation was whispered, fervently.

“I’ll come back, and there is nothing you can do about it, Nerys. Perhaps I’ll need some time, but I will find you again. Once I do, I shall stay. He won’t be the only one to bask in your grace.”

Her hands let go, but only for a second. He smiled as her arms latched around her shoulders, to hug her strongly. Soon, those claws moved as well, to return the hug warmly. Both women frowned, trying to engrave this moment in their minds, for it would not last.

Her ochre eyes opened after a few seconds to look at him, and he chose to simply nod and take his leave. He did not say more, even if he wished he could. His heart decided to leave them alone, allow them one last moment together before they had to part ways.

They held each other for some minutes, wishing that the night would not end. But it would, and they had to say goodbye. The human wiped away her tears, while the vampire stood tall, unashamed of her own. She whispered and reached for one of her hands, to hold it softly.

“You will have to cross other vampiric domains if you return.”

She made an attempt to reach for something in her pocket, but she was stopped.

“I will manage.” She assured, summoning a warm glow in her hand, which could burn intensely. “If you give me an heirloom, they could find it on me and recognize what I’ve done. Besides, I don’t need it. No vampire or human will ever stop me from reaching you.”

At last, those words invoked hope in her green eyes. Due to it, her claw pulled at her hand gently, to let it rest over her cold chest. She whispered one last time, lovingly.

“If you are right and I do have a heart… It still beats for you.” They let go, to then step away slowly. It killed her to descend into that tunnel. She looked back to those soft green eyes, and her very soul burned when the next words echoed. “Farewell, my dear.”

She refused to say goodbye. Her eyes closed as she began to march away into the shadows, with one last assertion.

“See you soon, Nerys.”

——–

Soon… it was a word that was not easy to ponder. Vampires could barely grasp the passage of time, for it was only limited by a violent death. Humans needed to treasure every second and moment, for their lives were fleeting.

With her so far away, for how long will I need to wait?

Nerys sat on some arcs, silently. She watched her surroundings intently, with a sad but relieved gaze. There was no fear, for what threatened her people had gone away. The gates were open wide. The refugees that had sought safety between the walls of her castle were starting to leave, assured that everything was over. Some still wished to stay, but most yearned for their lost homes, the towns and villages that waited to be restored.

She had secured her land once more with her brethren. The rebels had left past the borders, intimidated by some squads she sent after them, which Lyssa made sure to flee from. Both had agreed to evade as many casualties as possible.

Peace had been restored, in a matter of weeks. The pain was still there in her heart, however, no matter if she and her people had survived.

She did not react when steps echoed nearby. He sat at her side, calmly, like she had done many times. When he whispered, she closed her eyes, trying to find comfort in his words.

“You will see her again.”

She could not stop asking herself when.

“I’m afraid of that fact. There are so many things I will need to explain, and she may condemn them… However, I can’t wait for the moment to arrive.”

He smiled and looked at all the figures that roamed around them, vampire or not. There was no worry in his heart, but hope.

“Well, you will need to kill some time, and there’s a lot of work to do, so…” He jumped off the arcs, to head towards a tower, wishing to dismantle that ugly contraption already. “Do like me, and busy your mind to not think! I’m sure that you want to bring the land back to its former glory before she returns! Get to work!”

She laughed silently with a faint smile. The two always looked out for her, with all their hearts.