Dreamscape - (Alarian Warriors) (First draft)

Chapter 9 - Blood, Gore & Reset.

His breathing was heavy as the blood dripped from his lips. The feeling of the sweet liquid coated the inside of his mouth and throat. It was intoxicating, it always took him a moment to get himself under control after feeding. His fangs were still extended, his body shaking in pure animalistic ecstasy as he relished in the taste. Though nothing beat the taste of human blood, it did things to him that he never thought were possible, though he'd promised himself he'd never go down that road again.

His heart finally calming down he headed for a nearby stream. For what was to come next he couldn't be covered in the deer's blood. His lust and hunger subsided enough that his anger was under control, or so he thought.

Traversing through the forest's floor it was eerily quiet as he made his way through the thick foliage. He'd probably scared off most of the wildlife since he was top of the food chain out here.

The water was a clear crystal colour with a soft blue hue under the half moon, he could see his reflection in the calm waters. He frowned cringing internally, he looked like a monster. His whole lower jawline was coated in the sticky life nectar, it was no wonder the fallen were hunted by supernatural's and humans alike. 

Vampire, that's what the humans called his kind here. He would waste away and be driven mad with hunger if his body couldn't relishish. The Curse on him made it impossible to receive nourishment from anything other than blood. Without the intake, his body would break down, grow weak and shut down on him. Blood is the life force for all living things, for his body to continue to maintain its current condition he needed to find a source of life and absorb it. The easiest method was to drink it. His body did the rest, circulating the essence he received from the fluid around his body and fueling him.

The purpose of this trial was to learn to cope without the safety net of the aura. Though the aura wasn't an endless source it recharged by being on alarious. If it ran dry while fighting in another realm and the warrior was undertrained and unfamiliar with the cravings...

The bloody history only the royals knew about suddenly made more and more sense to him. Comrades in arm driven mad with hunger turning on each other as they fought to survive.

Splashing his face and washing his arms down he did his best to remove all traces of the liquid. He retrieved his shirt from under his belt, which he'd taken off for the hunt and pulled it over his head. It was time to head back to Elaina and that disgusting outcrop of a human cesspool.

Returning to his small campsite he retrieved his hooded cloak from his pack that had been pillaged earlier in the day. He packed his back pocket making sure the small flat box was still there, it was the only thing he cared about in this world. A small pendant that Aveyon had given him, his one reminder of his home and his reason to continue living through this trial.

He headed back to town at a light job, eager to end the filth she was going through. The tavern was now a lot quieter since most of the riffraff had left for the night, pulling the hood up to conceal his features he entered the establishment, his jaw stiffening instantly.

He had known, but he hadn't been prepared for the sight that greeted him.

Five women stood in barely anything, either in their undergarments or in a very sheer gown that left nothing to the imagination. Elaina was standing third in line, a huge forced smile on her face as she posed for the onlookers.

"Right then, on to number 3."

Erosvent's head snapped to the speaker recognizing the voice, he ground his teeth as his fists clenched at his sides. It was Daniel, he was the speaker, he'd never forget that bastard.

"The beautiful Elaina, well known for being a beautiful girl with a high pain threshold."

Erosvent growled low, he was seeing red. A couple of men around him shot him some confused glances but their hungry eyes soon turned back to Elaina's bare skin. He had surmised that she was prostituting herself, but to think that Daniel was the one auctioning her off! He still had a hold over her after all this time! It was sickening.