"what are you?" The arctic blue-haired woman asked.
"A curious fella," he replied. "Which is why I'm throwing your question right back at you. "What are you? A vampire, but that's a myth? Or perhaps a lurker?"
"I am but a normal being searching for my purpose of being alive..." She paused. "Are you a god? Please end my suffering if you are."
The dark brown-haired man let go of the lady and took a step back. "I am not," he said. "Am I the first person you have fed on or are there others you've already killed?"
The lady stared into Eryth's eyes for a moment before turning her back to him, now facing the tree. "It is not my fault I am like this… my people were cursed by Askiyol to forever hunt people for their blood, I am a Lamia."
The dark brown-haired man looked down at her legs before levelling his eyes on her face. "You don't look like one."
"I happened to be of the fortunate one that has control of my transformation with minimal desire to hunt and feed."
"I'm guessing no one knows about what you truly are?" He queried.
She shook get head no, while turning back to face him, staring deep into her eyes. "My husband does, but I erase his knowledge of what I truly am"
"You're married?"
"To the chief of the village."
Eryth thought back to the six feet man he saw back at the village gathering with women all around him. The lady leaned forward and placed her hand on his cheek. As Eryth stared into her blue eyes, he noticed as though her eyes were switching colours. He got lost in her eyes he didn't realise that her arctic blue hair had turned into multiple snakes and was now crawling around his neck. "Forget what you saw and be lost into eternal sleep." She closed the distance between them and slowly pressed her lips against his.
The moment their lips touched, Eryth took a step back and swiftly pulled out the dagger in his boot with his left hand. He unhesitatingly severed the heads of most of the snakes that were crawling towards him.
The lady screeched and staggered backwards but Eryth didn't stop there, he switched the hand he used to hold the dagger then stepped forward and swung the dagger at her neck but the lady managed to move back just in time to only get a small cut in her neck. She crashed on the ground, her hair back to normal and breathing heavily out of fear.
The dark brown-haired man pointed the dagger at her. "Among the things I absolutely detest, is one using any ability that forces an action out of me." The arctic blue-haired lady looked up at Eryth with sheer horror.
He slipped the dagger back into the scabbard in his boot before walking away.
Eryth exhaled deeply as he stepped into the hut assigned to his group. He walked up to the bed where Danila lay on. Her body wasn't as hot, but she was unconscious, Blutox as well.
He fixed the blanket on them before sitting with his legs crossed on the ground. He then shut his eyes, trying to get some sleep, but was distracted by a slight movement around his hut. He quickly opened his eyes and looked up at his sword which was hung against a wall then at the door which the slow steps were getting closer to.
He pulled out his dagger, hoping to not make any sound while the door slowly opened. Eryth quickly hurled the dagger at a figure that stepped into the room. The assailant managed to dodge the dagger before charging at Eryth.
The dark brown-haired man bolted forward. He grabbed his sword and swiftly used it to parry the assailant's attack. Eryth's opponent tried many attacks but the dark brown-haired man just as quickly parried them all. He used the wall to propel himself over his opponent and slashed a cut in his back. He gave the assailant little time to recover as he pulled out his dagger from the wall and thrust it forward.
The assailant raised his sword to parry but only managed to change the direction, letting the dagger brush past the side of his face. The assailant felt overpowered and tossed a smoke bomb in the air. He used the cover to quickly bolt out through the door.
Eryth chased after the assailant but he had already vanished. The dark brown-haired man chuckled before stabbing his sword into the ground while looking around.
.
.
.
The next morning, Eryth yawned while walking around the village with his sword in his belt. After getting attacked, he stood up throughout the night and didn't get enough sleep. He sat on a bench and held his hands over his mouth, yawning even wider.
As he sat there, he overheard the conversation of two individuals passing by.
"Is it full moon tomorrow?"
"It is, do you think they'll come?"
"Definitely, but you and I have nothing to worry about, we have very little energy they won't even consider us," they both laughed and continued away from Eryth's earshot.
The arctic blue-haired lady approached the dark brown-haired man and sat on the bench next to him. "Hi," Eryth smiled.
"I'm here to apologize for last night, I'm sure you understand why I did that," she said.
The dark brown-haired man nodded. "Of course, you wouldn't be alive if I didn't."
She looked at him with raised brows. "Really?" She raised her neck to reveal the scar from his swing. The wound still looked just the way it was when Eryth cut her.
"You used an enchanted blade and aimed for my neck... You would have killed me if I hadn't pulled back," she said. Her voice was soft and steady, causing Eryth to smile as he listened to her speak.
He had no idea the dagger was enchanted but since the wound wasn't healing he knew she was right, it could be an enchanted blade.
"Honestly, I didn't mean to kill you, but I'm not going to apologize for it."
She nodded understandably. "I understand. I am Syrie by the way."
Eryth noticed everyone eyeing them and whispering words as they passed by. "I'm Eryth, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"What's special about the full moon tomorrow?"
"The collectors," she started. "Group of people that come to this village every full moon to collect the corpse of those with the most energy."
"Why?"
"I don't know, but what I do know is when a person dies, their energy remains in their body until days later before it is dispersed into the air. The more the energy, the longer it takes for it to fully disperse..."
"I see you've met my cursed wife," Gal said, cutting the Lamia short.
"Gal, I didn't know you had such a beautiful wife."
"Beautiful? Perhaps. But try not to get too close or you'll also get cursed like she is."
Eryth stood up on his feet. "What makes you think she's cursed?"
"She gave birth to a cursed child. Enough that, please, come with me."
Eryth looked behind Gal to see a man with a knife cut on the side of his face. The wound looked as though it was just inflicted a while ago. Eryth thought back to what Syrie told him about the enchanted blade before scoffing. "Of course, I also wish to speak to you."
....
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