Should Have Walked Away | Aarmau Vampire AU

𝔬 𝔫 𝔢

• ѕєρтємвєя иιиєтєєитн •
∂αтєѕ αяє нαℓf яαи∂σм.
тнєу ωσит вє ιи єνєяу ¢нαρтєя.

I hopped from one branch to another with my arms out as I hummed and traveled in the flora of the forest.

There's a war currently where herds of my kind are attacking villages and killing innocents.

That's not how I go.

I go it alone, traveling together is too much a risk. I avoid villages and people because even with a loner of my kind I can kill easily, so I'm seen as a threat.

Search parties are out all the time to find and kill all vampires as sent by the loyalty of Falcon Claw.

There's no cure. For vampirism I mean. Infecting people with a bite will most likely kill them from blood loss, or kill them because of how the virus works in our blood. People rarely survive our venom. And if you're born with it, its entwined inside you and no cure will fix it.

I'm a higher class than others, as proven by my eye color when it changes and by my double fangs - basically our greatest defense and our greatest downfall. We can't hide them for too long so that exposes us as what we are and we're killed. Then again, they can drain a pint in ten seconds if you use 'em right.

Oh well.

See the good.

I have extreme endurance, strength, speed, and senses. I'm 26, and I've lived on my own since I was 8, with a single break. Which means I know basically every survival skill, and have no need to go back to Phoenix Drop, the kingdom with my one friend I ever had and images of my mother and sisters.

Ok so maybe I have things to go back to, but I left that and I won't go back.

That's good enough to at least try and help others.

Though I will reluctantly admit, I started out like the others. I was blood-thirsty and killed without humanity or remorse. I enjoyed it.

But now, I have left that behind. For good.

I heard a twig snap and stopped swiftly standing straight on the branch, and listening to every sound I could.

Footsteps. Coming fast.

I didn't waste any time and started racing from tree to tree instead of my steady pace.

I took to the ground and sprinted at a curve, still not knowing where I was going. I heard yelling and realized it was palace guards - as to which my attire makes me look like an assassin which is still dangerous. The kingdom's assassins are banded with certain crests but since I have none I'm a threat, whether I'm an assassin or a vampire.

Finally I lost them, and sat down against a tree barely breathing heavily. I had been running for only ten minutes.

I saw a river and got up to follow it, finding it leading to falls up stream and a lake down stream.

Eventually I got tired - bored, too - as the day winded to night. I was pretty deep in the forest so I walked a little ways until I got enough  firewood and twigs. I got no pine-needles or leaves because they cause smoke.

I used my spare blanket and draped it over branches against a tree to both conceal it better and to keep the heat close instead of spread out.

A small lizard crawled up my leg and sat on my knee where I had my hands in front of me sitting criss-cross.