The Shadows Call

Wraith did laugh at his question, actually, "I do not consider myself a ruler. But I am your Caretaker and as such, I look after you as best as I can. Most people form little groups and politics, but you will find that most people just ask me." She shrugged, "I didn't ask for it, but I feel that it is the best place I can be to help others."

Then she stopped short as his panicked words reached her ears. Looking back at him, her eyes widened. Her face shifted from right to left, her eyes searching but she did not find what she sought. She was too far away from any source of Food.

Shaking her head, she ripped aside the cloth at her wrist. Transforming, her eyes coming a black, voidal colour and her jaw elongating slightly, she slit a thin line across her veins with the claws that now tipped her fingers.

Holding the back of his hair with an iron grip that would be almost impossible to break, she tipped his head back and placed her bleeding limb to his mouth. "Feed!" She hissed and prayed that his Hunger would not drive him too far.

She had never heard of a Vampire needing to feed so urgently after they came to the Vale, but then again, this world was full of surprises.

My first reaction was to move away from her wrist, to not drink the blood that was oozing from the cut. As soon as the smell of it hit my nose though something grew within me and I clamped my lips around the wound, trying to get as much blood into my mouth as possible. As I drank her blood all I could feel was the revulsion at what I was doing but I could also feel the life that seemed to flow back into my body.

I knew that I did not want to feel this; this total exhiliration and abandon at what I was doing but at this particular moment I did not care. All I wanted was the blood that was flowing into my mouth. I wanted to drink all that I could. It was at that point though that I felt something growing within me and wondered what it was until my own voice practically screamed at me to stop what I was doing.

With great reluctance I lifted my mouth away from Wraith's wrist and watched as the wound closed. I looked up at her and wanted to say something. No words would come though and I found myself kneeling in front of her, my eyes on hers.

Wraith was silent for what seemed an age. She stared down into his eyes as long as he stared into hers. The hand attached to the recently fed from wrist clenched and unclenched absently. Neither seemed to be aware of the small movement.

After a long while, Wraith slowly pulled her arm from his iron grasp, her eyes narrowing for the briefest second before the blackness seeped into them. Her orbs became black, soulless voids as her jaw thinned and elongated before his gaze.

Fangs pierced through her gums and a single gleaming canine pierced through her tightly compressed lips. Blood flowed freely, her pink tongue darted out to lick at it. The wound healed a second later.

When she spoke, her voice was soft and low as always, but the menace she so consciously tried to keep from her voice now came out in full force. "We should go."

She turned from him and resumed her walking.

The last thing I wanted to do was go, to leave this place without all of the latest questions that had forced themselves into my head from being answered. I knew though that was one thing that was never going to happen, especially with Wraith walking away the way that she was. I knew the only way I could get anything answered was to follow her back to the Vale and ask her there.

I took one last look down at the crater, the place where I had entered this place and wondered once again why I was here; what purpose did I now have?

It was then that I saw the moonlight glinting off something near the edge of the crater closest to me and wondered if I was seeing things. I moved slowly to the edge of the crater and saw the hilt of a weapon poking out of the burnt earth. My first thought was to leave the thing where it was, especially since it was in the crater I had just made. My curiosity though was getting the best of me and I knelt down to pull the thing from the ground. As soon as I did I noticed that it was the strangest dagger I had ever seen. I turned quickly to ask Wraith if she had ever seen anything like it before but saw that she was now far away from me.

I gripped the hilt of the dagger in my right hand and started to run to catch up with her. As soon as I did I looked into her eyes, "Have you found anything else in the places where you find the people that come here?"

Wraith shrugged, an elegent movement even when she was walking, "Sometimes there are objects; weapons, items... anything. They usually posses some sort of mystical power, but beyond that I cannot say." She saw the dagger clutched in his hands, "You should be wary of that. We don't yet know what it does."

She slowed her pace and looked at him, he was coming along nicely, but she still saw him as a fledgling, and nothing else. At least he had a curious mind, that was worth something.

Inside his head, she spoke softly, Though our kind is strong, there are not many of us here. Some look at other of our kind with hatred, envy or pity - don't pay heed to them. We are all creatures lost in this world, and that makes us all equal. Even her mind's voice held a malice she could not contain.

She was feeling rather introspective tonight. It was an odd feeling and left her feeling rather moody. She brooded deep and dark in her own thoughts but left no clue for the man to follow.

"What else would you want to know?" She asked, using her voice this time, though her tone was mild, curious but devoid of emotion.

I stood there, unable to think of anything else. There was so much that I wanted to ask her, so much I wanted to know but I knew now was not the time. I couldn't tell just by the way she was talking but something made me think that Wraith was getting tried, not of the conversation she was having but of having to explain everything to me. I knew that I was in no way the easiest person to get along with and that I did not want to annoy Wraith any more than I had, especially on the first day.

"I do not think there are any more question I can ask Lady Wraith. You have given me enough information already. All I think we both want now is to get to our respective homes and take a rest. That is if either of us can have one that is."

As I stood there, quiet once more I knew that Wraith would be wondering about this attitude, about what was going through my mind.

Wraith nodded absently and led him through to Vale City in silence. Of the creatures she spoke of, there were no signs, so he should be pleased about that. And though they were silent, there was no awdwardness to it - it just seemed right.

When rocky ground gave way to forest and then the forest gave way to grassy plains Wraith stopped for a moment, gathering her thoughts and allowing him to catch up to her.

Before them stretched a small city - lights bobbing in the night and buildings aglow with lamps and fires. In the middle of the compound a longhouse stood, three chimneys smoking industriously away.

In time, the small compound would give way to a large square that faced an impressive castle manor, but for now it was just earth, packed down by the many feet that trod its surface each day. Wraith could see in her mind's eye what the Vale would be like in a few years time: what she would mould it to be, but like their trip, she kept silent about her thoughts. The newcomer would not have to know them just yet.

"Welcome to Vale City." She gestured towards the longhouse in the middle, "Most newcomers bunk down there: but as you are a vampire, we will ask another to shelter you until you learn just what you are capable of and how to control it."

She seemed harsh in the twin moon's lights and her face darkened, "There is no killing here. Do not break my rules."

Then she was striding quickly towards the town and towards a small hut that huddled in the darkness on the edge of their civilisation.