As was the norm whenever Fenriz traveled, particularly across continents, getting to Onnen had not been… simple. Given he was but a child, he seldom had money to his name to pay for travel, which of course meant stowing away. For short term excursions, this was easy enough, as that usually meant at most a day or two of travel. Getting from one continent to another however, took considerably longer. The longer a trip took, the longer he had to stay hidden, and the more times he had to feed, the latter making the former much more difficult. Not to mention the accommodations were… well non-existent. Even if beds were usually available when he would normally sleep, he wouldn't dare risk falling asleep somewhere he could easily be discovered. 

But the biggest issue he ran into was… boredom. The last time he had embarked on such a journey it ended with him being chased around by pirates. That was before he had been made aware of his shadowmancy abilities. Now, staying hidden was easier than ever. Even as rumblings about a potential vampire aboard the ship began to spread, no doubt spurred on by passengers finding small bite marks in their necks, it was still all too easy for the boy to remain out of sight. It was entertaining for a while, watching from the literal shadows as the crew members frantically tried to find him without raising even more suspicion about him. He'd even toy with them a bit, sometimes using the shadows to trip them as they walked, make them see things that weren't actually there, the works.

So when he finally arrived in Mamjaku, he was feeling restless to say the very least. A sentiment seemingly shared by both the city itself, and the clouds above him. Though the clouds had yet to burst, it wasn't hard to tell a downpour was imminent. This, in turn would likely explain why the people were buzzing about anxiously, no doubt seeking shelter before they found themselves drenched. Fenriz figured he would do the same, crimson eyes scanning for a suitable overpass or less populated building in which he could wait out the ensuing storm.

Though he didn't find any place that might suit his needs, what his eyes did come across was an equally welcome sight. A familiar face among a sea of unfamiliar ones. Although the wardrobe was certainly different from anything he last remembered her wearing, he was certain it was exactly who he thought it was. Fighting his way through the crowds, he made his way over to this individual before stopping directly in front of them, looking up at them with a wide, friendly smile.

"Miss Lirin!" It was her that taught him methods to identify his own kind, other vampires just like him. Once he was within range to detect her scent, he could confirm that the person in front of him was in fact, that very same vampire he had met so many moons ago. Although they hadn't spent much time together, she was someone he considered a friend all the same.

"How's your sister, by the way? The… rosenite, right? Oh, what about that Tadhg guy? Oh! I wasn't very good at it the last time I saw you, but I can use magic now! I can't summon stuff like that chalice you had, though".

As he tended to with his friends, the boy chatted away, firing off every question and thought that happened to cross his young mind. So distracted by these thoughts, it didn't occur to him until after he had asked them all that there was something… different about the one they were being directed at.

"Hey Miss Lirin, are you okay?"

Memories seemed to be taken for granted by most people. Things such as one's name, age, origins were so ingrained in their cores that they didn't have to think or question it. They seemed to live happy lives because of them, going about their days with a set routine. Get up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed. Yet, as Phoenix walked slowly through the outpost, she felt absolutely lost and jealous. Who was she? What was she? Why was she always thirsty, the intensity of it burning as it gnawed at her belly?

Amen-Ra's people had been more than accommodating to her, providing her with a safe place to rest, fresh clothing, and all the food she could eat, though it never seemed to be enough. Even now, the outfit she wore was a gift from Amen-Ra himself. The underskirt and undershirt were lavender, the tapered overdress was white with silver embroidery around the edges. The thigh-length jacket that accompanied it was a deep purple with a silver border, tied together neatly with a silver belt at her waist. Her midnight blue hair was allowed to flow across her back freely, the whole thing suggesting nobility. Would she have worn something like this before?

Phoenix was lost in thought, ignoring the gray overcast that threatened to drench any unlucky to be caught outside. Did she have children? Was there someone out there looking for her? A young boy appeared before her, causing her to blink as she abruptly stopped to prevent colliding into him. Her expression of curiosity melted into confusion as he called her a name. Lirin? Who was Miss Lirin? He smelled… familiar, something that played heavily at the back of her mind.

The boy prattled on, asking questions she had no answers to. Lirin had a rosenite sister, whatever that was, and knew a guy named Tadhg? Either this boy was confusing her for someone he knew, or… He was a clue to her past. Phoenix placed a hand over her heart as she took a step back, unsure what to think as she felt overwhelmed. She shook her head. "I… No…"  A raindrop landed on her nose, but she wasn't concerned about it as she gazed down at the young boy. "I'm sorry, but …Who are you?"

Her question stunned the boy into a momentary silence. Did she really not remember him? Granted the time they spent together was brief, and this was the first time they had seen each other since. Maybe she just had a lot on her mind and needed a reminder. Still, it stung that someone who was so important in his journey had no idea who he was.

“I'm Fenriz! Don’t you remember? The night after the thing with the magical rabbit” he started to explain. A night he still remembered like it was just yesterday. As he excitedly told the story, he bounced about, re-enacting the events as best he could “You were at the party, with Lynx! We met and hid in that alleyway, and you summoned that cup out of thin air. You even turned us both into air! That was really amazing, but kinda scary too. You told me about your sister Celeste, the tree person, remember? Also about that Tahdg guy. You said he was your mate. I’m still not really sure what that means. Most people get really weird when I ask. And you told me a lot about being a… well… you know”

The boy looked around at the people surrounding them. Although most of the people had made their way inside by now, and the remaining people seemed to be too busy trying to seek shelter from the slowly leaking sky to eavesdrop on their conversation, but he figured it still best not to mention their vampiric nature aloud. The recounting of the nights events were about as detailed and focused as one might expect from an easily excitable child, but nonetheless it was evident that it was a big night in his mind.

"That seems like quite a bit to forget, Miss Lirin, You didn't really forget about all of that, did you?" he said with a half hearted smile. Based on his tone, it was hard to tell if this was said in jest, or was him pleading for it not to be true, so much so that not even he was certain. A part of him was convinced that this was some sort of joke. The other part in him just really… really hoped it was. Interrupting his concerns was a raindrop, landing squarely on his head before disappearing into his snowy hair. Fen held out his palm, and in it landed several more droplets, signally that the inevitable downpour was imminent.

"Miss Lirin we should probably get out of the rain" Looking away from his fellow vampire for a moment revealed a park of sorts. Specifically, a bench covered by trees. It wasn't perfect, but it would provide them some cover, away from the other crowded places the rest of the city had huddled into. If she really didn't remember him, the lack of people would be particularly advantageous, as they had a lot they needed to discuss, away from prying ears. Without waiting for a response, he took her hand in his, gently tugging her in the direction of the small haven he had discovered. By this point, the clouds had opened up entirely, water falling from the sky at a fairly rapid rate.

Phoenix frowned. A magical rabbit? She listened as he explained the way it hopped across the continents until it reached an island called Sidhiel, watching as he bounced and reenacted the events. The only thing he said that truly stood out to her was Lynx, the small fox-like creature who woke her up to this reality of no memory. Fenriz’s speed was almost difficult to keep up with. There was an alley, a summonable cup, people turning into air… But what made her pause was the fact he mentioned she had a sister named Celeste, and a mate named Tadgh. Her heart clenched, as she was seriously considering marrying someone else, someone she grew very fond of, but if she had a mate…. ”Being a what?” Phoenix asked as she sadly shook her head.

He seemed cautious about sharing the information though, as he searched the dwindling number of citizens on the street. Tears welled in her eyes at the sudden weight of it all. Siblings and mates and you-know-whats. Her head swam in circles, threatening to knock her to her ass. Phoenix did not resist when his small hand took hers, leading her from the street to a park. Shouldn’t her heart be pounding by now? The sky opened up, allowing the rain to hide her tears from the boy. By the time they made it to the bench, she felt half soaked.

Yet, as confused as she was about the information Fenriz shared, one thing stood out clear as day. It was a contradiction in his story. Whoever Celeste was, she was not a tree person. Phoenix couldn’t say why she felt so sure about it, just that she was positive about the one piece of information. She sat down next to Fenriz under the trees. ”Fenriz, sweetie… I’m sorry for any pain and inconvenience this might have on you… But I honestly don’t remember anything. You see, I woke up in a trading post a ways north of here with nothing. The woman who was nearby said she found me injured and nursed me back to health.”

She looked at her hands, which were folded neatly over the child’s hands, silent for a long time. The feel of his skin was so smooth, so innocent. But the yearn for quenching the thirst did not drive her to his neck as it does for so many other people. Phoenix gave him a sad smile. ”I’ve been searching without luck. Please don’t think I don’t believe you experienced what you did, but I need to know… Are you positive you haven’t mistaken me for anyone?” If he was absolutely sure she was Lirin, then he held a lot of information she needed. Particularly about what she was. Did it have something to do with the insatiable thirst that drove her to murdering anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby?

The boy fell into a crestfallen as Lirin explained why she didn’t recognize him. Though he had to admit it was somewhat selfish of him, he felt a sense of relief that he hadn’t been exclusively wiped from her memories. Far outweighing that as a feeling of pity. Even after all Fenriz had been through and all the painful memories he had obtained, he couldn’t imagine living without the knowledge of these past experiences, both good and bad.

The revelation left Fenriz uncertain as to how he should proceed. It was impossible for him to say how much she couldn’t recall, and he wasn’t the best source of information given the comparatively brief amount of time they had spent together, but he was willing to explain to her as much as he could. There was one thing that he couldn’t be more assured of, however.

“You’re definitely Miss Lirin” he exclaimed, nodding confidently. Standing up on the bench so that he might properly look her in the eyes, he continued to explain himself in his usual childishly enthusiastic fashion “In fact, you’re the one who told me how to find other vampires. I’ve gotten pretty good at it, too”

For a fleeting moment the boy grinned, obviously proud of how far he had come in his own abilities since their previous encounter. “I’m not quite as good at it as you are, though. You knew I was a vampire the moment we first met. I was scared at first, since I didn’t know you were one too. But you were a lot nicer to me than most other vampires I’ve met”

Though Fenriz couldn’t confirm the extent of her amnesia, it never once seemed to occur to him that she was unaware of her very nature. What he did know, however, was how people tended to react around their kind. While he was fairly certain that they had escaped the crowd, he knew all too well what the darkness could conceal, especially during a downpour. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes momentarily. Once they reopened, they seemed to be glowing even brighter than was typical of them. With this enhanced sight active, he surveyed their immediate surroundings for any auras of living creatures. When vibrant eyes passed over his current company he couldn’t sense a thing; a worrying trait were it anyone else. But his inability to sense her aura only confirmed he was correct about Lirin’s identity. Beyond her, the only other aura’s he could see seemed to belong to wayward animals that inhabited the forest, animals that were likely indifferent about what the two of them were. Satisfied, the child closed his eyes once more, allowing them to return to their previous level of luminescence.

“People tend not to like people like us” Returning to a seated position on the bench, Fenriz stared back out at the surrounding city as the clouds continued their aquatic assault on the pavement. By now the only people that remained in the open were seemingly those with no place better to go. The boy placed his elbows on his knees, and his head in his palms, continuing his tale in a more subdued fashion

“It was very nice of that lady to help you. I think she must have not known you were a vampire though. Most people I’ve seen probably wouldn’t have been as friendly if they did” It felt strange to be the one telling Lirin all of this, considering she was the one that had filled him in on many of the intricacies of being a vampire herself. “Honestly though, I can’t say I blame them sometimes. Before I met you, the only other nice vampires I had met were my parents”

The boy released a heavy sigh. Perhaps it was the continued downpour, or his concern over his friend’s predicament, or some combination of the two. But the usually optimistic young boy couldn’t help but feel worn down by the circumstances.

The boy was confident in her identity, sure that she had given him advice and lessons. A word stuck out though, a stone falling to the pit of her stomach. Vampires. Is that why she attacked Amen-Ra, why she was so entranced by people’s throats? Unconsciously, a hand rose to her own throat, as she was deep in thought. Was it why she could go for hours without breathing, why she had no heartbeat? She missed the fact that he was doing something, his voice startling her back to the present moment as he sat back down. “People tend not to like us”… It explained the guard’s nervous reaction to her uncertain fascination to the pulse in his throat.

Phoenix gazed sadly upon the boy. Shuja was very kind when taking her in, nursing her and guarding her until she finally woke. Then, she gave Phoenix a name, some items for trade to help her. ”Somehow… I think that even if she did know… She would have helped anyway. Shuja doesn’t seem like the one to just turn a blind eye.” It was sad, however, to learn that she was the only other nice vampire he had met. Fenriz looked completely down and sad. Phoenix wrapped an arm around the boy and pulled him in closer.

”Don’t you worry about me, Fenriz. I may have lost my memory, but I still have my looks. While I don’t remember what I was like back then, I can say that I have a nice personality now. A really nice man, a clan leader here in Onnen, has offered assistance to help me track down my past.” Amen-Ra had been doting on her since they met on the battlefield. ”But tell me more, would you? About vampires? I… am afraid I know nothing about them. Just a natural fear of the word.”