Bad Moon

1

Art: https://mobile.twitter.com/laikoski_/status/1269718712451465222

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I lived in Etzora my whole Life, The country was one of the largest on the map and consisted of many different regions, It's a day walk between Thermia and Thauran which were two vastly different places, Thermia being a land of Ice and Snow, consistent bad weather and then Thauran which was bright, lots of beaches and warm weather. I had the unfavorable luck to be stuck in Thermia on a mission, Even more Unlucky as I was sat in a cold, dark Ruin hiding from vampires. The creature had recently become more bold, attacking camps and Caravan, in some cases, even towns. They were much more dangerous and Dream wanted them gone. The faint sound of dripping sound behind me, Darkness enveloping most of my form, hiding me from the violet and red prying eyes. This place was much more open than most of the ruins I had frequented before. Torches seem to have been scattered randomly across them as the Ruins themselves had been abandoned for hundreds of years, though Vampires are known to live much longer than any mortal creation on earth. I had come to investigate the suspicious activity by Dream, Being a part of The Order of the Dragons, a group of monster hunters. Despite this, I was also in with a pact called TEN which was a type of investigative, crime-fighting guild that consisted of Werewolves. A monster hunter thats also a lycanthrope is extremely Taboo, but the only person in TEN that seemed to mind was Minx. the Order doesn't know of my Lycanthropy, of course, I would have been annihilated on the spot if they had, but since they are focused on the threat of the vampires at the time TEN was protected. I pressed my back against the wall behind me as a fledgling Vampire wandered past me, holding a firebrand. The king seemed to have sent the weakest links to deal with whatever this was. They seemed to be looking for something, from some of the conversations I had heard sneaking around. 

I had already gotten halfway through the ruins, seeing that two Acolytes trying to solve a rune in the heart of the room. As the Fledgling vanished from my view I exit my hiding spot, sneaking down the stairs towards the two Acolytes. I reach a pillar of the rubble, The rune resembled the Goddess Shrines scattered around the country. In each region, there were statues dedicated to the four goddesses of Life. Here in Thermia, there was a giant Shrine for Nieva, She was dubbed as the 'Lady of the North' as it is said she created the Ice and Snow, Well, I hated snow, so I really resent her in particular. Several Pillars were surrounding what would usually be a statue, but here there was nothing but a small platform in the middle, two smaller pillars across from each other on each side. I pause, leaning back as a Female Acolyte steps closer to my location. "This is Useless without the creature's blood, We don't even know if there are any left in Raspya! Last I heard they had been cleared off the map." The Female complained as the male flipped through the book, looking annoyed "We cannot return without whatever in this shrine, Schlatt made that very clear." I narrow my eyes, Schlatt was the Vampire King, he was the oldest known vampire, so that would make him one of the strongest. A sign of authority in the vampire ranks. I had learned a lot about them and other creatures (Including myself) While working with The order, George had pushed me to read up on each book they had so I knew what to expect when I went on commissions. 

"Is this even worth the time we've wasted?" The woman inquired, crossing her arms over her chest and glowering down at the man who slammed the book closed. 

"The king said it would turn the tide in this 'war' we are fighting." The female rolls her eyes with a groan. 

"It better." I decided to make my move then, Shooting an arrow through the female Acolyte's chest, turning the vamp to dust, The other Acolyte gets to his feet quickly, much faster than a human ever could, Vampirism enhances your speed and Intelligence while Lycanthropy enhances your endurance and Strength. The vampire charged at me with a blade it had pulled from its waist, his appearance turning dusk, his teeth growing sharper and claws extending from his nails, his previously moody eyes turning a dark red. I dive under the vamps arm, himself stabbing the ground. With a loud hiss, the vamp swung at me again. I unsheath my sword and quickly block the next blow, pushing the vamp back with the increased strength, knocking the vamp into one of the pillars. I ready myself, striking the acolyte while it was down. The vamp glared up at me as it faded to ashes. I was out of view of the other vampires, not that they were anything I couldn't handle. I keep my guard up, looking at the book that the two had been arguing about, the words in a language I didn't understand but recognized, Atada, a language that was developed between vampires. With a sigh, I boot the book away walking over to one of the smaller pedestals, the right one had been covered in blood, the other clean. I move towards the still shiny clean one, noticing a small dial on the top.