The Vampire

  The smell of smoke and burning stone filled her nose as the mountains burned. She could taste blood on her tongue and the throb of pain from her missing arm left her breathless. The wyrm loomed on the mountain side across from her, blood and venom dribbling from his jaws. Twisted metal from bent and torn plate dug into her skin, broken chainmail jingled with each motion. The serpent shifted for better purchase on bloody ground, sending a few scales clattering away. They were both half dead. This had to be the end.

  She couldn't look at the valley below. She couldn't face the chance that her trap had killed her own soldiers. That she may have killed her own sons. She focused on the poisonous monster responsible for this war instead. She shifted her grip on the hilt, felt her lips speak words she forgot as they passed into the air. The wyrm spat venom back. They surged forward as one, intent on the kill. Her blade flashed in the fire light. The stars laughed.

  Kasia came awake all at once, snapping upright in the unfamiliar room. The smell of smoke lingered in her nose, her hands sought her sword. It took a few seconds to remember where she was. She was safe. Relatively speaking. The bedroom was cozy, a little messy with discarded clothes but warm and lived in. A desk with one of the screens and keyboards. Maybe it was a modern typewriter? She would ask when Myla got home. She found her clothes on the side table and pulled them on, she didn't want to assume only Myla had a key to the place when other people's scents lingered here. None in the bedroom though. Did she lack lovers?

  Kasia frowned to herself, she had planned to sleep on the couch. Planned to restrain herself from sleeping with someone she just met. “You're just a harlot Dove. Selling yourself for a night in a bed. Pathetic.” She gritted her teeth, “I had a place to sleep either way. The sex was just… just me being lonely.” She slumped, “Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it!” She punched her leg with each curse, “Taking advantage of that girl because I'm lonely…” She took a slow breath in then out, “I'll have to try and do right by her.”

  The familiar shade moved in the corner of her vision, a dark thing moving along the wall, “Face it, you're just another drifting temptress. Take what you want and go, find another bed with another fool to mount. Just take and take and take like the monster you are.” She growled, “No. I'll stay to see how things play out. I won't be the monster.” The shade sniggered, “Sure. Oh but didn't her little friend and her lover smell delicious too? And two at once, all the things you like in the same place. Hard cock and a warm wet-”

  She spun and spat an arcane curse that sent the shade fleeing, though it laughed as it did. She stared at where it had been. She needed to stop talking to them, it just made the shades stronger. She distracted herself by examining the posters and pictures on the walls. Most looked like they were for movies and bands, some for things she didn't exactly recognize but were colorful. There were pictures too, Myla and her two friends at different places, one of a collection of young people in classic scholar robes that she heard some academies demanded their students wore.

  They all held squares and looked proud so it must have been a celebration. Good memories then. She was studying one of the more colorful posters, trying to figure out what creature the clear hero was standing on top of, when she heard a vehicle rumbling up outside. She moved on bare feet to a window and peered out at the truck stopping in the drive. She recognized Myla and slipped out of the bedroom, bare feet silent on the mobile home floor. She realized she hadn't turned on any lights and swiftly moved over to the switches by the door.

  She had scared people like that before and didn't want to do it again. She hesitated at the three there and just flipped them all on. She got light like she wanted but also turned on the ceiling fan too. Instead of trying to figure out which was which, she just opened the door outside and stepped out to meet Myla on the small stairs outside. Both paused at the sight of the other and she called out first, “Hey. How uh… how was work?” Myla gave her an awkward smile, “Uh hey. It was um… fine. Just had to deal with a Dryad.”

  Kasia rolled her eyes, “Oh those whores.” Myla laughed, “You're familiar with them then?” She nodded, “I lost count of how many times I had to pull boys out from between their legs. The empty headed harlots will take a finger off when you do it too, if you don't watch them. All they care about is protecting their tree and popping out fertilized seeds.” Myla chuckled, “Yeah sounds right. How'd you handle them?” Kasia grinned, “A swift right hook, a bottle of petrol, and a lighter. They get real cooperative when you threaten to burn the forest down.”

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  Myla laughed and finally walked closer, “Unfortunately they know I can’t burn their trees, but maybe I'll try the right hook next time.” She could actually look Myla in the eye from the top step and they hesitated again. She had plenty of practice at the morning after, and yet it was always hard to decide what exactly was right. A kiss? A hug? Maybe she would go with an old classic and pull her into bed again. Myla broke the silence this time, “Sheriff agreed to meet after nightfall. He's um… gonna help you get settled in town.”

  She smiled and Kasia slowly nodded, “Ah, right. I was meeting with him huh? Probably shouldn't keep him waiting.” She nodded and glanced down, “You'll probably want to grab shoes.” Kasia followed the look and glanced at her salvaged boots, “Oh yeah. They're not really my style, but I guess it's all I've got.” She started pulling them on and Myla frowned, “Wait, where are your socks?” She shrugged, “Don't have any. It's why I'm not wearing underwear either.”

  Myla looked at her chest then quickly away, “O-oh right. I um… didn't think about that last night but I didn't see either then. The bunker didn't have any?” She shrugged and stood, “Not that I found. Maybe there was some stashed somewhere I didn't see, but I wasn't focusing on that. I don't usually bother with underwear anyway, and it's not like I need socks. Honestly, I would rather go barefoot than wear these.” She stood up and glanced at Myla's disbelieving look, “Look, these aren't comfortable, but I'm never comfortable in boots. I prefer flats or slippers if I have to wear shoes, I only wear them because people think it's weird when I don't.” She smiled, “It's not like I'm going to step on anything that's going to bother me.”

  Myla trailed after her as she started towards the truck, mystified, “What about glass? Or screws or just rocks?” She shrugged, “I'm a vampire and tough. Most things on the ground don't break the skin and what does heals almost instantly. But most of the time I just… don't step on sharp things? It's not that hard to spot most things on the ground you know. They are inanimate objects after all.” The park ranger shook her head as she reached out and opened the door for Kasia.

  A sweet gesture, “I guess I'm in the category that thinks it's weird then. But if it makes you more comfortable, then it's not my business.” She got in too and the truck rumbled to life. Myla turned on the radio and they sat listening to it for a couple minutes as they drove down the long private road that went to her place. Myla finally spoke, “So… uh last night.” Kasia looked out the window and watched the small town go by while keeping Myla in the corner of her eye. Slower than yesterday? So it might be a good way to judge if she wants to talk or not then. Good to note for later.

  She didn't let the not quite a question linger, “Mmm if you're looking for a repeat performance you probably shouldn't be driving for it. We'll cause an accident.” Ah there was the blush again. She liked that shade of red on her. Myla shifted in her seat, “N-not what I um… you don't need to… you can stay as long as you want on my couch, you don't need to-” She interrupted by sliding over and placing a hand on her thigh. She felt the truck sway slightly when Myla jumped at the sudden touch, “Myla, relax. I didn't do it because I thought you were going to kick me out or anything. I did it because I wanted to. You did too, right?”

  She nodded while keeping her eyes firmly on the road, “O-of course! It was… god yes I did.” Kasia grinned and leaned in, taking a proper breath in so it would brush against Mylas ear, “Good. Because I intend to do it again.” She felt the taller woman shiver, “Shit, this is what you actually meant about being dangerous for me isn't it?” Kasia considered the question, “Depends. How good are you at focusing?” Myla refused to look at her, “Um… please don't?” She laughed and patted the other woman's leg gently, “Then I'm not. For now.” She didn't move away though.

  The police station sat next to the main highway into town, it was fairly small and a handful of cars sat in the lot. Kasia guessed maybe a dozen officers max? Probably less with office staff. The cars had changed a lot with time too, the truck was almost familiar but not the cars themselves. They pulled in next to a sleek and powerful looking car she didn't know the model of, and she looked over the squat building that reminded her of a military building more than a civil one, all sharp utilitarian corners with only a few windows.

  The windows were blacked out somehow so she couldn't see anything inside, not even through the glass front doors. Maybe it was like the fake mirrors in the bunker though, letting you see out without anyone being able to look in? She could see light leaking out of edges where they clearly weren't maintained properly for one reason or another. When they got inside, more glass separated the officer at the front desk from the guests. Odd. Was it there for a reason? Safety maybe? But it was just glass right? But then again, there was a lot she didn't know about the modern age. Maybe it helped.

  She watched the officer at the desk type away on the keyboard in front of him, looking between the screen and Myla as the two talked. She waited for a pause in the conversation before asking, “Hey, what is he using there anyway? It looks like a television crossed with a typewriter to me and I've been meaning to ask.” Myla glanced at her in surprise, “Oh right I guess you wouldn't… it's a computer.” Kasia blinked, “Wait really? But it's… it's so small!” Myla smiled, “Oh good, you do know what that is. Yeah, they've gotten more compact and more useful.”

  The ranger frowned as she considered how to explain something, “They can share information with each other too, sends it over… well think of it like sending things through the telephone wires. It's more complicated than that but I'll explain the details later.” The vampire just nodded and watched the police man with new fascination. It didn't hurt that he was handsome. Smelled amazing too, probably a magic user of some kind if her nose wasn't playing tricks. Once they were done at the desk, Myla led her further into the station and she found it hard to keep her mind from wandering.

  It was so boring to look at. It reminded her of a Soviet station she had hit after her company went to ground. Now that had been fun, the looks on their faces when she charged straight through their rifle fire was priceless. They had been using cheap model AKs though, it had hardly been worth the heat the raid had brought down on them. They did burn it down after, she had only realized they should have brought snacks after the fire was blazing. It was probably for the best, the base had respond pretty fast once the smoke started to rise.