Once upon a time, it was easy to see two little elves in that throng. Twins they were, inseparable, yet different. One would dance to the other’s flute, providing entertainment for all who listened and watched or joined. But things were different now, for the flutist has lost herself. For once the vampire tasted the last, sweetest drop of blood, an already cooling corpse in her hands, she was hooked. Her morals, her “humanity”, was buried deep under blood lust and murder.

Almost feral, the vampire has shed her regards for appearance. With her matted dark hair, she hid in the bushes of the darkening night. A child was born, untouchable, so small and innocent, protected by the gods. But the celebration of life in their wake was the perfect hunting grounds. Her eyes followed a young man as the winds began to pick up. When he left the crowd, Lirin pounced, fangs sinking deep into his throat, hungrily lapping his blood.

She dropped the now corpse, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, spreading the blood thinly across her lips. Crimson eyes flashed over the fox like creature that had been hanging around for a few days. ”Dinner.” The creature stood, and Lirin marveled at its beauty once more. It had a white fur collar, all fluffy and soft, the majority of her body was brown. A fluffy white and brown ringed tail, with alternating white or brown circles on tail and ears. Even her legs were ringed. Ice blue eyes closed as it began to eat at the man’s flesh.

Lynx had appeared when the rumors of the rabbit reached Sidhiel. When the vampire failed to best the beast, or even to lose it, she accepted its presence, as if she had any choice in the matter. When the fox creature was finished, Lirin jumped onto it’s back. ”Let’s ride into town, and have some fun.” While it did not like this side of the elvish vampire, Lynx knew that there was a kind soul in there somewhere. The soul of an artist, a musician, a bard. All the woman needed was someone to bring her back to reality, to find her humanity.

Fen had temporarily separated from the angel and wolf duo he had arrived in Sidhiel with. He was hesitant, to say the very least, about the idea of leaving her alone, but eventually he consented, his mind put somewhat at ease when he was reminded that she had a form of sight. He parted ways with the two, his parting words being a request to the wolf, and a promise to the other. The boy demanded that Zander watch over Raziel in his absence, a demand that was met with silence on the wolf's part. He also promised Raziel that he would find what they had come for, and tell her all about it.

This was his mission. And he would set out at night with diligence, an unwavering determination to find this magical rabbit that had been wandering the streets. The vampire figured he had an advantage, searching at night. After all, that would mean less people looking, which meant for him less competition and less… threats. Plus the rabbit had to sleep, right?What he would do upon finding his quarry he was never certain of, but he figured the answer would come to him when he found it.

Alas, that opportunity never came. The night after he split with Raziel, Fenriz went hunting. Not for victims, like others of his kind might, but for a mythical rabbit. He would search high and low, through every nook and cranny he could fit into, any alley he could find. He would keep this up until the first vestiges of sunlight began to peer over the horizon. This was his signal that it was no longer safe for him to be out, and so dejected, he called off his hunt.

The following evening he set out once more with the same fire and resolve that he had the night prior. Yet, when he hit the city this time, things were different. The city had come alive with mirth and merriment, and even though the sun had set, this was the most people he had seen since the first time he arrived. Throwing his hood over his head, he slunk into the crowd as he had done many times before. He surveyed the crowd as he weaved in between person and person, somewhat hopeful that he might find his missing companion among them. Although he never managed to find the half-angel or her four-legged guide, he did manage to pick up information. It wasn't long before the intention behind the party was made clear.

Whether the refreshments were meant to be paid for didn't matter to Fen as he pilfered a random drink, scuttling away before anyone had noticed. He wasn't sure what it was, only that it was warm. He took a small sip of his stolen beverage as he made his way out of the crowd, standing just outside of the crowd of people.

"I hope Raziel isn't too disappointed" he mumbled seemingly to his own feet, gaze glued to the ground. Even though it turned out to be dangerous, Fen couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened at having never seen so much as a glimpse of magical animal. "I wonder where she is, anyway?"

He took another sip of his drink, forcing him to peek up from his own two shoes. When he did, he spotted something… unusual. It appeared to be a woman, riding on some strange animal. Was it a wolf, like Zander? Or some sort of fox? Fen couldn't tell much, other than it was coming his general direction. Shyly he backed out of their path, all the while keeping his crimson eyes locked on the pair.

People parted as water, giving the mount plenty of room to move. Her tail swished lazily behind, catching excited children's hands as they reached to feel the soft fur. They giggled and ran, squealing with delight when they did. Lirin's green flecked blue eyes, though tinged red, surveyed the crowd. Everyone here was boring! She should reveal herself, show the merry fools the monsters lurking in the dark. The vampire wanted to hear their screams, smell their blood as it ran in rivers through the streets, to gorge herself on it.

As Lynx continued, the elf noticed a pair of red eyes staring at her. With a wicked grin, she flashed her fangs at him, primarily to get a startled jump and see him scamper off. What she didn't expect was the scent as they were passing him. It was almost cold, and just as bloody as her own could be. Vampire. A simple press of her knees and Lynx stopped. Lirin loomed over the child, looking down her nose at him with a interested sneer.

"What do we have here? A lone, scared little boy?" She sounded like a satisfied cat, playing with the mouse before a meal. He could not have been much older than that adopted niece her twin was foolish enough to tie herself to. A bit taller, and almost as naive. Lirin barely managed to keep herself from scoffing. What is it with them attracting the children? Stooping, she went down to eye level with him. "I bet you know what I am. Are you thirsty for something far better than that swill? Do you want to play, little boy?" Her grin was not a pleasant one, hinting at danger, daring him to say yes to any of the questions.

He kept taking small steps back, shifting his shuffle so that his feet might take him back into the crowd unnoticed. But the moment she met his gaze he froze. Try as he might he could not convince his legs to function, despite every fiber of his being telling him to flee. Instead, slightly shaking hands gripped his drink as the once near overwhelming sound of the crowd faded out of his auditory senses, full concentration given to these two.

Despite the mount being the more visually unusual, Fen's eyes stayed locked on the rider. Were she standing on the ground, she still would tower over the small boy. Atop the bizarre animal, Fen was forced to tilt his head as far back as his neck would allow in order to lock eyes with her.

A flash of her fangs once more set feeling in his legs, and yet he didn't use his regained ability to walk to flee. There was something familiar about them. They weren't unlike his own, although not as small. Somewhat strangely this inspired his legs to propel him closer to this mysterious individual, albeit the step was a small, cautious one, taken with still unsteady hands. 

"I-I'm not scared" he lied "And I'm not alone. I'm here with a friend. I just don't know where she is right now…"

He didn't break eye contact when she came down to his level, but he did take another half-step backwards. Did he know what she was? Something about her brought Fen back to the one of the first people he had encountered since his journey had begun, the vampire that had trained him, helped him learn the ways of his forced upon lifestyle. Was she another vampire? She certainly fit the bill physically. But she was nothing like that one he had met before. And she definitely wasn't like his parents.

That thought quickly evaporated when playtime was mentioned.

"Did you find a better drink, somewhere? I like this one a lot, but if there is a better one I'd love to try it!" he said with a smile "Is that the game you wanted to play? But that probably wouldn't be fair. I bet you know where all the good drinks are. Or did you have something else in mind? I'm really good at hiding, if you want to play hide and seek"

Remembering his last encounter with a newcomer, he quickly added on "I'm Fenriz, by the way. But most people just call me Fen. Whatever you want to play, I'd be happy to join you"

He extended one hand, no longer shaking, to the stranger.

The boy reeked of fear, his stutter did nothing to help cover the fib. However, the second part was truth, he was merely separated from his friend. Was she a vampire too? Not that it mattered? Wheels were turning in his head, that was certain, but as most children, he probably did not think about anything significance, at least to her… yet. Her smile wavered slightly.

He could not be that naive, can he? The child asked about the drink being a game, suggesting hide and seek. If the elf had to guess, he was still young, and had not been a vampire for very long. An eyebrow arched as she glanced down at the outstretched hand, waiting for the human introduction niceties. Indulging him, she forced a smile as she took his hand, giving it a single shake. "Lirin."

What had she stepped into? Did she have to explain to him about the joys of killing someone? Glancing around suspiciously, Lirin leaned in, ears barely brushing against his ear as she whispered. "I am a minstrel huntress." Pulling back, that dangerous grin was back. "Do you know what that is? No? Let me show you, and then we can drink." Standing, the vampire began to sing, a wordless vocalization. It was soft, and beautiful, soulful.

A light breeze picked up. Soon enough, the attention of a woman was attracted. Taking the woman's hand, and beckoning to the child, the vampire began to lead them to a darkened alley. She was still singing until she turned back to Fen, and exposed the woman's neck. "Don't worry, she's charmed and won't scream. Come, drink from her."

Fen's expression faltered a bit at the abrupt greeting. He wasn't exactly an expert in greetings, but he most of his were at least a bit more theatrical than that. This feeling wouldn't last long, however. When he saw that she was smiling, he returned it with a youthful grin of his own, blissfully unaware of the disdain behind her's.

He jumped when he felt her ear against his, startled at the unexpected closeness. A minstrel huntress? Fen had no idea, shaking his head at her when asked if he did. When she pulled her head back, he met her gaze with an expression mixed with both fascination and intimidation, yet much like before he found himself unable to look away. Even when she stood, the child eyed her carefully, watching with a nervous anticipation as to what her next action might be.

Perhaps the last thing he expected however was for her to begin singing. It wasn't a song he had ever heard previously, and yet there was something inexplicably entrancing, almost hypnotic about it. It filled his ears, to a point where he likely wouldn't even hear someone shouting next to him. His concentration was only broken when they were approached by another woman. As was standard between him and new people at some point, he shied away from this newcomer as she approached, even inching slightly closer to Lirin as a means to keep distance. Yet when this mysterious person took Lirin's hand, he figured she was a friend of hers. Fen even put back on his smile, opening his mouth to introduce himself. Yet he caught himself when they began walking away. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what his next action should be, but when Lirin wordlessly instructed him to follow, he obliged.

Once he entered the alleyway, things started to make sense. Any doubt he had about her being a vampire before, was gone.

His heart skipped a beat. A part of him was tempted. Between all the excitement since they had arrived, and his fervent search for the rumored rabbit, this was a need that had been neglected, a bit. He certainly wasn't at his feral point yet, but it was something that would have to be taken care of sooner rather than later, and here was a woman who would be none the wiser. Plus, now that Lirin mentioned it, he was feeling a bit… thirsty. Slowly, he inched closer to the women, eyes fixated on her neck. Step by step he crept closer and closer, fangs exposed in an uncharacteristically small, and uncharacteristically sinister smile. A tiny palm reached out toward his next meal, until…

Suddenly he snapped back to his senses. He dropped to his knees, legs suddenly feeling like they might give out from underneath him. This wasn't right. There was little he liked about it, but his absolute least favorite part about being a vampire was feeding. Although there wasn't much different from simply sneaking into someone's home, there was just something inexplicably… wrong, about what Lirin was asking him to do.

"Umm… Miss Lirin" his voice was quiet, barely audible to even himself.  "I think… I think we should let her go. Thank you, though. But my method of feeding is… different. I bet she really misses the party, though. A-and I should probably find my friend, too"

He placed a hand on his still spinning head, and yet despite this, he offered Lirin another smile, albeit a weak one "By the way, how did you know I was a vampire? You won't tell anyone, right?"

The boy was exactly what she had expected, a hungry little play thing that was completely impressionable. Or so she thought. Fenriz was inching closer, hand outstretched, fangs extended, the insatiable hunger screaming from those transfixed eyes. Just sink the fangs in, and the instant river of delicious crimson will gush into the mouth. However, the boy unexpectantly dropped to his knees! Worse yet, he wanted the girl let go? Where was the boy’s sense of fun!?

”All I did was sing, there were no suggestions. Are you going to blame me for her sexual attraction to females? Tell me, woman, do you miss the party?” ”Not really.” Oh, who was she kidding? Barely able to resist sinking her own fangs into the woman’s neck, Lirin whispered into her ear. The woman pouted and walked back the way they had come, out of the dark alley. ”There! Happy now? She’s let go. You shouldn’t deny yourself for long, though. Your innocent mind would not like the results.” Was this child truly incorruptible? With a sigh, Lirin knelt to eye level once more.

Holding out a hand, palm up, visible trails of wind condensed, forming a large sphere until it dissipated. Within her hand was a silver chalice with blood red rubies adorning it. ”Creatures prowl the night, no victim in sight.” It began to fill with thick, crimson liquid. The aroma instantly filled the air between them, identifying it as blood. Lirin offered it to the child. ”It’s an never ending supply. Tell me, how do you feed?” Then, of course, there was that question and his worry to deal with. Once more she sighed.

”I have spent sixteen years living with my sire and my vampiric siblings. One comes to realize we have a distinct scent, almost cold. And tell me, why would I betray another vampire who has done nothing to me? Hmm? That would be as if I sent a bounty hunter after my twin. Unthinkable. This friend of yours, is she a vampire too?” Without realizing it, this young boy was taming the wild, bloodthirsty monster within, reminding Lirin of the humanity she once valued so highly.

Though still dizzy, Fenriz watched the woman walk leave the alleyway, smiling all the while. Though he wasn't certain what Lirin was implying. Sexual attraction? What was that? Did that mean she and the woman were friends after all? She did seem disappointed to leave, and Lirin sounded almost angry about it. Maybe his feeling was wrong after all. Adults were strange, sometimes.

The young boy watched her summon the chalice with wide eyes, managing to be amazed even his weakened state, tilting his head in his signature fashion as she spoke to it. When it started to fill, however, his expression dramatically shifted. Almost immediately he could tell what was magically being poured into it, the scent triggering the same primal side from when he entered the alley. The moment the cup was offered to him he practically snatched it out of her hands before throwing his head back, failing to keep the liquid in its container or his mouth as he guzzled. Almost immediately he felt his senses return to normal, the vampiric side of him gradually becoming contained once more. As he came back to his senses, as his head stopped swirling, he paused, slowly lowering the drink to to the ground next to him, revealing his bright red face, realizing the fervor in which he consumed his crimson beverage.

"It's happened before, you know" he mentioned forlornly. He stared into the now once more filled chalice "I didn't know what I had become at first, so I didn't feed for a long time. I don't remember what happened but I kinda… blacked out. The next thing I do remember was standing over these people… I don't know who they were, but they were all bloody, and so was I. I had… had…"Fists clenched, the boy paused. He squeezed his eyes shut, managing to fight back all but one tear, which he quickly wiped away. He turned back to her with a smile, a smile betrayed by the sadness in his eyes "That's when I met some other vampire lady, kinda like you. She explained everything that being a vampire meant, and even taught me a way to feed without killing people. I still have to.. um… sneak up on them while they sleep, but at least nobody has to die…"

He hated it. He hated having to draw blood from other living creatures just to stay alive. But he had seen the alternative, and he knew it was worse. He lifted the chalice, this time bringing it to his lips in a much more controlled manner, taking another sizable swig before placing it back on the ground.

"Hey do you think you can teach me how to make one of these things? I wouldn't even have to bother with all of that, if I could make one of these appear from thin air like you!" a thought suddenly snapped into his head "Why do you drink from people, anyway? If you have an endless supply like this?"

A distinct scent? He had never noticed. Of course, besides his parents, Lirin marked only the second vampire he had met up to this point. With as much subtlety as he could manage, he took a whiff through his nostrils, attempting to pick up whatever vampire might smell like. If he tried, he could smell something somewhat out of the ordinary, though if this was the scent of vampire, he couldn't say.

"You have a twin? What is she like? Is she a vampire too? Is she here in the city with you? Can she sexually attract people as well?" He asked that last question a bit slower than the others, deliberately taking time to make sure he pronounced it correctly. In his onslaught of questions, he nearly forgot that she had asked on of her own. "No, she's not a vampire. She sleeps during the day like one, at least when I'm around. But she's an angel! She has these wings like a bird, though she can't fly because she-"

He caught himself, throwing his hands over his mouth. Raziel had been so good about protecting his secret, and yet here he was about to spill hers to a total stranger "She's… she's afraid of flying. People throw rocks at her if they catch her in the air"

In a attempt to change the subject, lest he be given another opportunity to spill his friend's secrets, he asked "Why were you at this party, anyway? Did you ever find that rabbit? And what's with that weird animal you were riding around on? Is he magical too?"

Concern began to grow for the boy as she watched him guzzle from the goblet. He had gotten blood everywhere. Not too long ago, she had taken a blood bath with her lover, at the height of a blood frenzy. This is what they looked like, and the sight was actually kind of pathetic. Yet, she couldn’t blame herself, nor did she regret much of what happened that night. When he began to explain his first experience with feeding, Lirin sat cross legged, resting her legs. Crouching in that position for too long gave an odd sense of fatigue in the rear muscle groups.

Fenriz told her of his feeding on unconscious people, and his restraint that, until very recently, Lirin had utilized before. She was lost in thought when his voice piped in once more, asking about the chalice. With a smile, Lirin reached out to grab the cup and take a sip as if she was tasting fine wine. ”I bought it, actually. But, in order to make it appear, you would need to have magical prowess. Can you perform feats of magic? It was a summon spell that I cast.” But that last question gave her pause. Why did she drink from the source with this magical item in her possession.

Lirin hesitated before answering, staring into the still surface of the crimson liquid. ”That’s a bit harder to explain. Um… I was kidnapped and tortured, this cup of mine kept out of my reach yet always full. When my…” What was he? It felt wrong to say lover, even if she did thrust a possibly new concept as sexual attractions to the boy. Boy toy wasn’t the right term any more, and he was nowhere near boyfriend level. Their relationship truly was complicated. ”Mate came to rescue me, I… killed for the first time during feeding. I was so thirsty. So many died that day… And… it woke a terrible monster inside of me.” She was frowning throughout the entire explanation.

Fortunately, the child turned the subject for her to a much easier topic. At this, a smile was playing as her face relaxed. ”Celeste? We look alike, but we’re not the same. I play the flut, she dances. We are huntresses, but she’s a healer. I’m a vampire, she is a Rosenite. Don’t ask, cause I’m not entirely sure what they are. Let’s just say that the city of Sularia is dominated by that race. Think… plant people? Instead of blood, they drink sunlight.”

She had to stop and think about the sexual attraction question for a moment. ”Sexual attraction will be better understood when you’re older, but yes, any adult can, just not like I do. See, I infuse the wind with my… scent, and a charm spell, and let it catch someone’s attention much like a fish to a worm on a hook.” It was nice to see him animated about the angel friend of his. The vampire quirked an eyebrow as the child threw his hands over his mouth. He was hiding something, and gave a childish excuse to hide the truth. Lirin smiled softly at him. ”Your friend sounds nice, to change her sleeping schedule for you.” And she left it at that. Let him keep her secret, like he was meant to do.

With a sigh, Lirin dipped her finger into the goblet, swirling the blood around in gentle, lazy circles. ”Tadhg wanted to come.” The name was pronounced Ti-gue, and her voice was soft when she was speaking now. ”We were hoping to escape the demons that have been plaguing us. But they tried to steal him from me… I used a lot of power to protect him. So, I went to feed. Until now… I didn’t think about using the chalice. As for Lynx… I don’t know if she’s magical or not, but she called to me, and has not left my side since. Even now, she’s nearby, ever vigilant. They’re calling them familiars. Do you have one?” She didn't even realize she had totally skipped the question about the rabbit.

Her question stirred up the not too distant memory of when he and Raziel first met. It was humorous to him now, his hollow threat set ablaze that very bridge encountered both her and Frey on. Humorous because despite his defensive nature, he came out of the situation with two new friends. Yet, his magical capabilities were, for the most part, the same as they were then.

"No…" he replied, sounding somewhat disappointed in himself "B-but I've been trying to learn!" He shouted out that last part excitedly, the worry of coming across as useless written all over his face. It was true, however. Once he witnessed what Frey was capable of, he was inspired to try and learn whatever magic he was capable of. Meeting Hiro, and hearing the stories about his father turned that spark of inspiration into a wildfire. A surprisingly well-hidden desire for the boy, given his demonstrated poor ability to keep secrets, but one that was still burning inside him. He simply hadn't been presented with much chance to learn.

While her question brought up a fond memory for him, her story brought only brought up that same, painful one he had explained prior. It was strange to him. Every vampire he had met up to this point, his parents, the one that saved him, and even Lirin, were what he would consider a good person, and yet… the horrible things that they were capable of, the horrible things that he was capable of… it just didn't make sense to him. All he could do was take solace in the fact that he wasn't alone. A part of him wanted to ask her questions, compare her experience to his, but for now at least he decided against it.

"If it helps… I don't think you're a monster" He offered her a small, but genuine smile.His attempts at cheering people up were considerably hit or miss, given his ability to misunderstand what people were telling him, but the young lad was seldom one to not at least try.

Lirin instructed him not to ask about Rosenites a split second before he was about to do exactly that. Fen listened to the older vampire explain her relationship with her sister, their musical talents, where Rosenites hailed from, and her form of attraction. His arms crossed in front of him, and his eyebrow raised a bit, clearly not satisfied with the "when you're older" explanation, but he didn't press the issue any further. Instead, he took a moment to silently process her the information he had been given. Thinking back to her sister, the phrase plant people conjured an image in his head of a living bush, a creature made entirely of foliage, yet walked on two leg-like branches, two berries for eyes, and vines for hair.

"So you're related to… a tree?" the image he provided himself tapped into his more childish nature, causing him to giggle at the idea. Naturally he meant no offense by the gesture, but the image was absurd enough to warrant laughter in his youthful mind.

"She's the nicest person I've ever met. Besides my parents, of course" The angel clearly meant a lot to him, despite the relatively short amount of time they had been together. Although nicest he had ever met wasn't exactly glowing praise, considering the rather small amount of people he had met, it was because of that small number that he thought so highly of her. In his lifestyle, friends weren't a common commodity, so he was likely to be fiercely loyal to the few he had "You should meet her, when I find her again, that is. I know you'd like her!"

He shook his head "No, I don't have one. If I do, it hasn't shown up yet. But I think Raziel did. It's an owl" Fen leaned in a bit closer "Don't tell her I said this, but I think Lynx looks a bit more interesting". He smiled at the idea of having a new secret to share with his new friend, innocuous as it was.

"Where is this… Ty-goo guy now?" his eyes grew wide at the following thought "Are the demons still after him? S-should you go find him?"

Seemingly forgetting that his clothing was still stained with blood, he leapt to his feet, enthusiastic to offer his assistance

"I can help you find him! I'm really good at finding things!" the boy exclaimed, casually brushing off his failure to locate either the rabbit, or his still missing friend.