Normality, Shattered

Pain. That was pretty much the only thing that registered in his mind, and it only caused more to try and climb up out of it. But at last there was a blinding light (or perhaps just something like it) that dragged him back to full consciousness--with another awful taste in his mouth. His deadened sense of taste hardly helped him out as he coughed and gagged the vile liquid from his mouth. Authur hissed at the first living thing he saw, aware only of a largely tantalizing amount of blood nearby.

The vampire forced himself to his feet, growling at the dead highwayman. His blades snapped out with a flick. "You . . . YOU KILLED ME!" He grabbed up the already torn body by the neck and jammed his right blade in its abdomen, then ripped it upwards, hardly satisfied as what was left of the man's guts spilled down his front.

You said he'd make a better meal.

Authur grinned, more a malicious curving of his mouth. "I did, didn't I?" He tucked the man's head under his arm and turned to the others. "I'll be a minute." With that, he dragged the body a few feet away and claimed his feast.

"Well." Claudia turned around quickly to see what was the matter. The vampire was yelling and claiming the body of the highwayman for his own. The nekomata was also up. "So it was your voice I heard. Thought I was hearing things. Yeah, I saved you again. Really, it's the village's fault. Looks like this road needs more guards than we thought," she explained with a shrug of her shoulders. The whole situation bothered her immensely. This was King William's domain and thieves had no place anywhere near it, though really thieves had no place anywhere. What they did was dead wrong and unfair for those who worked hard for what they received. She'd lead the squadron patrolling this road herself if she had to.

Marya stood up quickly, but suddenly felt dizzy and weak. They had to be lingering effects from the fit she experienced. She couldn't remember much. The sound of bones breaking, howling, and laughing. Did they come from her? Surely not. She must have been hallucinating. It was a good thing Claudia had shown up when she did. Authur was making a meal of Tandor, something he had promised from the beginning, so she smiled. He deserved it after Tandor gave him so much trouble.

"Thanks again, Claudia. We really owe you our lives," Marya said softly to the older woman only to receive a roll of the eyes causing Marya to laugh a bit. She walked over to Adriane and placed her hands on the maid's shoulders. "You're doing all right, right?" She looked the maid over real quick; she seemed perfectly fine which was a good thing. She wanted to get moving as soon as possible. The day had been an exhausting one.

Adriane smiled uneasily as Authur pushed away from her, off to drain the dead body of the highwayman. It was for the best, the medicine taste would go away and maybe he would be more likely to take it in the future. Without a patient to tend to anymore, the Maid stood herself up and dusted off her raggedy clothing. "I must get a new dress when we reach the village." She muttered as she looked down at the fairly clean yet ripped cloth.

It was then that she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, causing the Maid to tense slightly. However, when she heard Miss Marya's voice, she relaxed; it was not Mister Authur who would likely reprimand her for using the medicine. Turning to face the younger girl, she nodded in response to her question. "Yes Miss Marya, I am alright. Thank you for your concern."

Licking his lips, Authur dropped the mangled body to the ground. He stared at it for a few more seconds, bloodied fangs still bared, then kicked it. "I'm getting tired of dying. Again." He announced to the others. He figured he was already technically dead, but being more dead didn't appeal to him, at all.

Anyhow, now that he was back to himself he could see their savior. Really, this was ridiculous. It was like they were children in a war. Authur sighed, blood still trickling down his chin. "Sorry for being so . . clumsy."

Claudia shifted her attention to Authurius and shook her head. "There is no need to apologize. Reynal told me that you were not of this dimension. Add to that the fact that we ourselves were not aware that there was this extent of danger here, and it becomes our fault for not better preparing you." She bowed her head in apology, something she didn't do very often, but she and all the other authorities in Rose had definitely overlooked something that should not have been overlooked. "Should have escorted you from the start, but no matter. I have your backs now. You should be all right in my hands." She marched passed the trio and stood at the top of the hill, looking out at the beautiful Rose Village in the night. "Shall we move?"

Marya released Adriane with a smile. Authur seemed to be doing much better. She placed a hand gingerly on her cheek. The swelling seemed to be going down a bit. She could definitely walk, for the dizziness had finally dissipated. "I'm ready to go. Is everyone else all set?"

"Of course, Miss Marya." Adriane said with a slight bow of her head. The sooner they got to the next town the better, then she could get a change of clothes. "Rose Village..." She thought to herself, looking out to the view of the village in the distance. She wondered what type of clothing they would have there. She of course did not have an ample amount of money, but she would at least hope whatever they had was appropriate and at a decent price.

Authur nodded in reply. He was all set, revenge had and feeling full as well. The highwayman was quite a bleeder after his blood couldn't coagulate so quickly, so the vampire felt he could walk through a town without trying to kill someone. For the most part. Marya was acting a bit sheepish though and a nice print had reddened her cheek. Only now did it occur to him things other than being rescued might've happened while he was unconscious. His brows pulled together a centimeter as he paced closer to the cat-girl. He noticed she had a peculiar smell, not quite like Claudia or the maid, or even all the thieves. Just different. Authur looked closely, scrutinizing his friend for new details he may have missed before in all the craze.

"Very well. Take the lead and head straight. I'll serve as rearguard," Claudia commanded, her soul really put into it as if commanding were something she were extremely used to, and of course she was. She had plenty of soldiers under her command being one of the leaders of the king's army. Her authority was absolute to them. She let the trio walk on, keeping her eyes peeled, though she knew there would be nothing else lurking for them. You'd have to be pretty gutsy to attack this close to the village, monster or human. It didn't matter. I swear that damn tea better be on my desk when I get back or all hell is breaking loose, she thought. It was going to be a long night for her. Writing the report. Getting people into action. Maybe it could just wait until morning.

At least another hour and half passed before the group found itself up close and personal with none other than Rose Village. The castle was even more enormous being that near to it, and the village itself was certainly more than 'just a village.' A huge stone wall surrounded the village save a few entrance points that were fairly well guarded. The dirt path became cobblestone, and along it they tread. The streets were very empty. There was hardly anyone out and about at this late hour. They seemed to be in a business district, for they passed by many stone and brick buildings with wooden front doors possessing 'CLOSED' signs. At the sides of the rode and in-between houses were plenty of flowers and trees. They were planted all over the village it seemed, and all were joyously beautiful bathed in the ghostly moonlight. They reached an enormous town square with an illustrious fountain in the center, two gorgeous female angels, a long flowing cloth around each to hide their more private anatomical features, were standing back to back on a pedestal in the center with each holding a large elegant gourd out of which the water flowed, clear and pristine. All around were wondrous flower beds, the flowers planted within unleashing their aromatic scents into the night air to tease the nostrils with delicate tendrils of pleasure. Everything, including the trees that were planted and the vacated merchant's booths and carts, were placed neatly and organized professionally in a very appealing manner. Around the square were more businesses, along with the inn and a tavern.

Claudia stopped the group as they marveled. The moonlight wasn't the only light in the area of course. Lampposts were scattered about, lit for illumination, their bodies long and tall and made of black iron. The woman pointed to the inn. "Go inside and tell the receptionist that you're the group that Reynal was expecting. He booked you three rooms, on the house." She took a few steps forward. "And I know this is all new for you all. I don't know what it's like in your own dimension, but try not to stay out here for too long. The town is perfectly safe, but the guards are so on edge at this time of night; you'd be doing them a favor by going on and getting some rest. See ya." She waved her final goodbye and set about getting on the main path that led to the castle in the distance to the north of town.

Taking in the beauty of it all, Marya was breathless. In both the west and east parts of town, she could see even larger buildings that appeared to be houses--residential districts to be sure. Everything was so overpowering to her senses, she thought she was in a dream. "Guuuys, this is so unreal," she said to her allies, completely spellbound.

Authur on the other hand found much more appeal in the smell of the living beings around him, but even he couldn't deny the sheer visual beauty of the village. Hell, if one could even call it a village. It seemed more akin to a full city with all its decorations and generally well kept upkeep. The fountain in particular seemed to draw him in, though not for obvious reasons. He was a vampire, that was water. He approached the gorgeous fountain with a measure of trepidation, almost reaching its edge but pausing. What if . . ? No, there was only one way to find out. He peered over the lip only to find that the water rippled and waved too much for him to see anything clearly.

"Whatever." He growled to himself, turning swiftly away from the water and back towards the others. Blood was beginning to crust over his mouth and down his neck, most of it not his own. Not to mention other parts of him where he'd healed recent injuries were still covered with bodily fluids. Ew. "Well, I need a shower. So let's get going yeah?"

"Interesting." A figure thought as she watched the trio from one of the rooftops. Of course they would never see her, she was quite skilled in the area of stealth. So she could continued to stare from her lofty position, ruby orbs focused on the blood covered, and only male member of the trio. "You're certainly not a normal vampire." She thought to him, her voice ringing in the back of his mind. "I wonder how this happened." She continued. Still watching, still waiting.

The shops were all closed, likely due to the fact that it was the middle of the night. Such a shame. "A new dress will have to wait." Adriane thought to herself, a small frown forming as she looked from the shops to her dress. She supposed it would have to do, especially since it was only one night. She would be in the correct shop the moment it opened next morning. "Yes, Mister Authur. Doing as Lady Claudia said would be a good idea." Adriane spoke up in response to his statement.

Marya looked over Authur for a moment, her gaze a bit...questioning. "No arguments there. You really do need to get yourself cleaned up, Authur," she teased her friend before waving her hand in the air in the direction of the inn. The others, already expressing their interest to get cleaned up and settled down, would undoubtedly follow. They entered the inn and explained to the receptionist who they were, and the woman showed them to their individual rooms on the fourth floor. Each room had a sitting area with a couch and a couple of chairs, a wooden table and chairs in the corner, a large bed in the other corner with a sleek, wooden nightstand next to it holding a lamp and an empty drawer for belongings. At the end of the bed was a large chest to place more belongings. There was a door in each room that led to a spotless bathroom fitted with plenty of courtesy toiletries like soap and shampoo. A miniature refrigerator near the wooden table and chairs was stocked with sodas and energy drinks. The receptionist ordered one of the late night chefs to bring up some snacks such as chocolates, cheese and crackers for them to munch on before they went to sleep since they were most likely very hungry. She promised them a large breakfast as long as they got up early which they had to anyway.

Marya bid her friends good night and entered her room, shutting and locking the door behind her. It was so amazingly different from her own room back home, but it did remind her of something she'd find in one of the classy hotels back in Leviathan. She took off her clawed gauntlets and set them on the table. The blades were caked in blood, but she didn't feel like looking at it. Her fingernails had grown a bit longer and were really sharp and pointed. She mewed gently and shuffled over to her bed, collapsing upon it. Her tail slipped between her legs and she watched it wave back and forth at her. She was mesmerized for a few minutes before she realized it would probably be best for her to go ahead and shower. Standing up and taking a minute to strip off her clothes, she meandered into the bathroom and looked at her face. It was pretty dirty, and so was the rest of her body. Her nose wrinkled up in disgust and walked over to the tub and turned the faucet on. She waited for the water to get to the perfect degree of warmth and switched on the shower head. Stepping in, she let out a wondrous sigh of relief as the hot water hit her skin. She grabbed the soap on a small shelf next to her and started to lather herself up with it. The soap held a hint of lavender...and perhaps some chamomile. She would sleep soundly tonight.

Enjoying the feeling of the water, which she couldn't help to realize wasn't very cat-like, she let the suds and grime wash right off of her and down the drain. She rinsed her hair carefully making sure not to scratch herself and grabbed the little bottle of shampoo. It had the same scent as the soap and she took it in as she began to coat her hair with it, working it into a lather as well. Another sigh escaped her mouth as she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and cut the water. Stepping out, she grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around herself, taking another smaller towel and wrapping her hair with it. She departed the bathroom and sat herself down on the couch, not caring if it got wet. There was a coffee table in front of her with a platter of the snacks the receptionist had called for. She took hold of a few crackers and stacked some cheese atop them.

"Mm, if only they had some meat to go with it~" she chimed before gobbling a few of the crackers down, cheese and all. "Maybe in the morning they'll have some yummy sausage and such." The mere prospect made Marya mew happily as she continued to down her snacks, steering clear of the chocolate. She didn't feel right about it, and chocolate with cheese wasn't exactly a wonderful combination of flavors in her opinion. Standing up and stretching, she walked over to the mini fridge and opened the door, taking out a root beer and opening the can. Taking a small swig, she closed the door, meandering over to the couch now to sit once again and relax. She knew she had to get up early, but with all the excitement of the day, she didn't know if she'd be able to sleep or not.

Authur ignored his friend's comment, preoccupied with searching his surroundings. A voice, decidedly female, speaking in his head was new. Not that an unnamed voice in his head was new, but this one in particular was certainly different. The voice in his head deigned to remain silent on this matter as well. He contemplated calling out but his instincts told him he wouldn't get an answer. Even as a predator, he had the same instinct as an animal preyed upon to know when he was being watched, stalked even. The vampire quietly hissed through his teeth, backing away and continuing the rest of the group's journey into the inn.

The woman inside, presumably the innkeeper, started when her eyes fell on him but regained her composure long enough to lead him to his assigned room. He shut the door behind her, letting his fingers fall across the handle as he contemplated whether or not to lock it. While he was a vampire and certainly better at defending himself than he had been just a short time ago, the fact remained he'd still been rather easily demolished for all his bloodthirsty words.

Authur locked the door and surveyed his furnishings for the night. Despite the fantasy element throughout the world here, or at least what he's seen of it, there was a definite modern influence as well. Electricity, spotless house keeping, and upon checking out the minifridge he discovered sodas and his other lifelong love: energy drinks. He had a feeling the consumables in the room would have little effect on him however, like how the maid's conjured feast hadn't really tasted like anything to him. It only served to make him wonder just how much about him had changed. How much like vampire was he really? There was another door in the room, slightly ajar. Through the crack made he could see a sink, tub, and a mirror. To be honest, he couldn't imagine a more devastating consequence . . . This was ridiculous, he decided. He was simply being foolish, there was nothing to fear. He strode purposely to the door and swung it open, intent on entering and seeing for himself. The tub wasn't any closer, nor the sink. Confused, Authur looked at his feet, who refused to cooperate with him. Hearing a creaking sound, he looked on either side of him and discovered his hands gripping the frame harshly, making dents where his fingers held.

The vampire let go abruptly and leaned back on the doorframe. He buried his face in his hands, heaving out a sigh and noting the lack of a physical effect it had on him as well. With a dead heart, he realized he couldn't feel a pounding heartbeat signifying an insurmountable fear. While a lack of blood rushing through his veins had a quietening effect useful for hunting, he was no longer privy to the physical reactions his body had to emotions. There would be no rush of heat accompanying anger, nor tightness in his throat or blurry vision to give a silent fanfare to sadness. It felt strange to not have realized it before. Authur gathered himself together and faced the bathroom again. Perhaps he wouldn't look in the mirror today.

He forced his body into the bathroom, ducking his head to keep the mirror from his line of sight and quickly reached the faucet to turn on the hot water. It took him a moment to figure out how to turn on the showerhead. As soon as the water hit the tub's bottom, he paused. What if the town's water supply was blessed, turning it to holy water? Suddenly Authur snorted, covering his mouth as the snort soon turned into full on laughter, using the tub's edge as a support. When he could control himself, he gave a fanged grin. "What's the saying? Cleanliness is next to godliness." He couldn't stop another noise of amusement. He shook his head and continued on with his plans of bathing.

Pulling back his sleeves, he found that his void-given blades were simply belted on, and rather ingeniously built as well. He could clearly see some of its mechanics, it appeared to be springloaded, but he wasn't familiar enough with weaponry to know what kind of metal they were forged with. Removing them was easy, and he carefully laid them on the counter where he could keep an eye on them. His jacket was similar but a little more complicated with the sheer number of belts involved. It he dropped unceremoniously to the floor, along with his bloodied undershirt. He stepped of his boots and kicked them backwards near the bed in the other room, then stripped his black and baggy pants, noticing a new hole slashed in the left thigh. Exactly how that one was made he had no idea.

After his underwear was gone, he finally stepped into the shower. And then jumped back out as if he'd been dared to hop in molten lava. 'Really should've thought this through a little more, different body and all.' Without taking into account his lower body temperature, he may as well have been stepping into the sun for a quick wash. He reached and turned the hot water way down and amped up the cold until it felt more normal to him. This time it felt a lot more like water instead of being showered in magma. More like a normal shower, one he could relax in and reflect on the day so far.

So he was a vampire now. Things were totally different than they had been, and there wasn't really any reference to draw from. Authur should've really been freaking out right now but he just . . didn't care. Memories of his life before felt oddly unreal to him, as if they were someone else's memories he had. Encounters with others, men and women alike, felt like someone else's fantasies. He turned his face into the water, warmth spreading through his cold body, yet another steady reminder he was different now. He may as well be someone else. He dipped his head down to look down at the drain, watching diluted blood belonging to both him and his victims swirl down and away. There was a long, healing cut across his abdomen, still bleeding a little. Authur drew a couple fingers across it, noting the dull sting before he brought the reddened digits to his lips and dragged his tongue across them. The taste was strange and not really satisfying, but still brought a low groan from his throat. He pushed his fingers further into his mouth, inspecting his teeth. They felt dangerous. He'd felt his fangs before, whenever he smiled or used particular sounds that moved his bottom lip under them, threatening to tear holes in his own skin.

Authur put his physical exploration aside for now and resumed washing himself off. When he reached his hair though, he almost started laughing again. He'd forgotten to take off his oversized goggles. They were soon discarded next to his blades and would wait while he cleaned his body. After he was finished and shut the water off, he made a point not to look at the fogged up mirror, merely gathered up his belongings and walked his naked self into the other room. He chucked everything but his weapons on the couch, then laid those on the nightstand. Sparing the blades a glance, the vampire realized he'd need to clean them soon, but a towel felt needed at the moment. He swiftly retrieved one from the bathroom and toweled himself dry, dropping the long cloth on the floor after he was done and sliding on his boxers.

Now he was faced with a new conundrum: could he even sleep? He knew he could be made unconscious, of that he was sure. Authur shrugged, pulling a hand through his wet hair. "Only one way to find out." He dropped into the bed, not noticing how he retained the habit from his time alive as he sunk into the soft covers with an equally soft smile. Even if he couldn't sleep, he could at least enjoy some peace and quiet in comfort.

"Shame." The girl muttered to herself as she watched the male Vampire disappear into the inn with his friends. It seemed she would not be getting an answer out of him, at least not without a little action on her part. Stepping back from the roof edge, the girl readied herself before dashing forward. She sailed through the air and landed on the ground, a soft click of her shoes hitting the stone sounding. It only took a moment before she was making her way casually around the inn.

She would get an explanation.

- - - - -

The Maid sighed in relief as the small party made their way into the inn, only to be greeted by a receptionist who led them to their rooms. The older member of the trio was the last to be escorted to her room, having given her younger allies a friendly 'Good Night' as they drifted into their rooms. She found herself swaying a little as soon as she closed the door behind her, falling to the bed with a smile. Though she did not have a new dress and she did not know where she was, it was a great pleasure to find that this place was not so different from home.

So she laid there in her semisweet bliss, taking in the feel of the fresh sheets and the small luxury of her room. However, Adriane's relaxation was quickly shattered as she opened her eyes to peek at herself. Not only was her dress in complete tatters, as she already knew, but her visible skin had several cuts. She herself was also covered with elements from the road they had traveled on; so much so that not an inch of her was clean.

"Bath time." She thought to herself as she stood back up, moving over to the fairly sized bathroom. After turning on the water, Adriane quickly reached behind her dress to remove the gray ribbon that was strangely untouched. It fell to the floor and was quickly followed by the mostly tattered dress. Looking at the crumpled heap, she frowned; she certainly could not wear it tomorrow, at least not with people up and about.

With a spring of hope in her step, Adriane moved back to the previous room and smiled in relief when a small box laid in the top drawer of her nightstand. Upon opening it, her smile grew; it was as she thought, a sewing kit. They must have quickly added it when they saw what poor condition her dress was in. Moving back to the bathroom she grabbed the mostly destroyed garment and put it on the bed next to the kit. She would work on it after taking her shower.

It was not much longer before she was back in the bathroom, undressed and in the heartily warmed shower. Yet the shower did not last, for as soon as the grime and blood had washed away and left the water flowing clear down the drain, the Maid swapped the settings. Instantly the water began to fill the tub and she stepped out for a moment; a delightful grin spread on her face when she realized there was a small glass filled with pink bath beads next to the sink.

As soon as the water was filled near the brim, she took a handful of the clear rose colored beads and dropped them in the water. As they fizzed and filled the tub with lovely pink bubbles, she settled herself into the bath. A sigh of utter bliss escaped her lips as the warm water and floral scented bubbles soothed her damaged body. "This is the life~" She sighed as she slid into the water, her legs lifting out on the other end of the tub as the water slipped up to her mouth.

- - - - -

The crimson girl from earlier now stood on a roof adjacent to the room the strange Vampire had settled into. Despite his rather vulnerable physical state at this moment, the mysterious girl remained staring. Not for the view, but rather in an attempt to explain the situation to herself. "He's certainly not a normal vampire..." She murmured, blinking as she took in his nearly nude visage.

She remained in her position, a frown spreading on her face as time passed and minutes seemed to blur together. There was no explanation to be found just standing there, and while it would be easy to project into his mind as she had done before, an answer would be easily found by approaching him. Sliding from her position, she gracefully glided over to the window through which she had been staring. She opened it without a sound and slipped into the room, her shoes barely clicking against the floor.

"As I thought, certainly not normal." She concluded, disregarding the fact that he would freak out upon noticing her entrance into the room.

He'd heard the slight tapping sounds on the floor, but stayed where he was while brushing it off in his attempt to lull himself. However, he tensed without a thought just before someone spoke, and was on all fours growling before the woman had finished her sentence. The mattress tore under his fingers as he prepared to leap.

Calm yourself, fool. She intends no harm.

Authur's growling reduced to a low rumbling in his chest at the voice's words. It hadn't led him astray before, there was no reason not to trust it now. Still he glared, fangs bared in clear distrust of this person. "You," He spoke, voice dangerously low. "What do you want?" Absently, he noted the dull sting his tense muscles caused the healing wound on his lower stomach.

"An explanation." She responded plainly, ignoring his cautious state and choosing to take an inquisitive step forward. She blinked a few times, murmuring incomprehensible statements to herself as she looked him over. After a moment she stopped, settling on a position only a few steps away from him. "It doesn't appear as if someone turned you." She concluded with a nod, a very faint hint of displeasure in his tone. "That's rather odd." She added after a moment, taking a step away from him.

A sudden memory caused Marya to quickly set her drink down and scramble for her clothes. Searching in the pocket of her tights, the neko managed to produce her cell phone which had managed to make it through the void realm safely. She flipped it open to surprisingly find that she still had a signal. How was it even possible? She was in a different dimension. Thinking it was just some fluke, she punched in the number to her home phone hoping her mom would pick up. She could hear the ringing, but knew it was all some sort of lie. After not calling earlier, Marya knew her mom would be worried sick. The phone rang a couple more times, and just as she was about to end the call, something else could be heard from the other line which caused Marya's heart to skip a beat.

"H-hello? Whoever this is...it's really late, you know? And I've had a bad day..." a rather sleepy female voice spoke into the receiver.

"M-mom?" Marya asked sheepishly. She was waiting for herself to wake up on the couch after having dozed off, but something told her that wouldn't be the case. She had somehow managed to contact her mother. The girl nearly felt like crying.

"Marya!! Marya, sweetheart, where are you?!" Mrs. Liddell asked suddenly, now wide awake and alert.

"Mom, calm down. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Just...I'm okay."

Silence came from the other end for a few moments until Marya could hear someone taking a deep breath. "All right. You're okay, and that's all that matters. I was so worried...they have the entire mall area closed off because of something gruesome that happened there. There were so many casualties...I thought you might have been one of them!" she shouted into the phone, not able to fully contain her worry.

"You mean the people nailed to the walls...that really happened?" Marya inquired, flabbergasted. She thought everything would have just returned to normal, but if what her mom was saying was true, then no one survived except her, Authur, and Vendetta.

A sharp gasp was elicited by Mrs. Liddell that Marya could hear sharply. "Is that what happened to them?! Oh dear heavens...." Her voice trailed off for a moment and Marya could hear muffled sounds of two voices. The other must have been her father.

"Mom? I'm looking for a way to come home tomorrow. I'm hoping to be back in the next couple of days or so, okay? Just don't freak out," she said, trying to sound lighthearted.

"All right, sweetie. Just...be careful. Keep your phone on you and call me when you're able to finally come home. I love you very much. Please be safe..."

"I will, Mom. I promise. I love you too," Marya said, her eyes watering as she clicked the button to end the call. She looked at the phone through her blurry, teared vision and saw that it was still very much in her hand with a signal still as strong as before. It couldn't have been a hallucination. It just couldn't have. Taking a breath to collect her own self, she removed her towel from her body and dried her hair as best she could before returning the towel to the rack in the bathroom. Shivering a bit, she opened the chest and was pleased to find a nice, plain white nightgown inside. She didn't hesitate to slip it on, though she detested having to put her old undergarments back on for now, so she left them with her other clothes on the floor near the bed. Walking back to the couch, she took a few more sips of her drink and gobbled down a few more crackers stacked with cheese before yawning suddenly.

"It'll be a big day tomorrow....better get some rest," she said to herself before shuffling over to the bed and climbing beneath the covers after turning off all the lights. The weariness of the day slammed into her like a ton of bricks and despite so many thoughts flooding through her mind, slumber graced her quickly, drowning all of them out through exhaustion alone. The thoughts could wait until morning. For now, she needed her rest.

* * *

Rose Village, The King's Study...

Sitting behind a large, wooden desk obviously crafted by a master of the trade was the king looking with a distant gaze at Reynal who sat in a chair before him on the other side of the masterpiece. As Reynal spoke of people from the other dimension winding up in this one, the king dipped his quill in a bottle of ink and scratched away at the paper in front of him, nodding every now and then to indicate he was still listening. When Reynal finished, so did the king, setting his quill aside for the moment. Surrounded by books on enormous bookcases, the king couldn't help but feel secure in his study, though he knew Reynal and some of the other members of the council compared it to more of a caged feeling. "So they are to see me tomorrow morning, is that right?" he asked suddenly. He watched as Reynal took out a few cards and fiddled with them in his hands.

"Yes, my liege, if you are open to the idea," Reynal replied, his voice light, but expression solemn. "I did promise them to get an audience, and I wouldn't want to seem like the kind of person who goes around breaking such promises." There, a small smirk fell upon his visage, and he did not bother to hide it. He could see a smile creeping onto the king's face as well.

"Very well. Go collect them near noon tomorrow and escort them to me. That will give them the morning to look around and such," the king replied, picking his quill back up to continue working on the document in front of him. "Also, before she gets too settled in, inform Claudia that she is tasked with the Road to Rose Cleanup Project. Trained falcons, wolves, bandits, and highwaymen? It will not do, and I know the people here in Rose and elsewhere will not be pleased either."

Reynal stood up from his seat and tucked his cards away. "Of course, my liege. Hoshima Festival funds depend partially on that road being safe to travel. Our theme park is fun, but I am not sure whether it is fun enough to risk one's life in an attempt to reach it. I will inform her at once. By your leave, of course." He bowed his head and King William waved him on. Walking towards the door, he opened it and departed to perform his task leaving King William all alone.

"So, the plan is working after all? Such wondrous news," he mused to himself before becoming focused on his writing completely.

"Turned . . ?" Authur questioned, almost talking to himself. Then he remembered, much of the fight in him leaving at the same moment. It was simple, he was a vampire but he hadn't been turned, or sired (as he recalled the terminology). He sat on his knees, still not entirely sure he was safe but accepting the strange situation for now. "No, I wasn't turned per se. It just . . . happened." Now that he was somewhat calm, Authur could focus on the fact that he heard no heartbeat from this woman, and she didn't particularly smell like anything but there were scents of blood, a faint and myriad collection of them.

Another vampire. So this was new.

Happened? How did such a thing just... happen? It was quite an interesting conundrum; certainly was not something she had been expecting. Of course, she had no idea what to expect when she first saw him. "Happened, you say?" The girl asked after a moment, the question more rhetorical than anything else. If it just happened, he likely would not have much to tell other than that. She looked him over one more time, leaning and reaching out to observe him, smirking slightly with pleasure as she leaned away.

"Well, you're not an original, which means you're not related..." Her voice carried off, the smirk fading into a look of utter neutrality. He was not related to Edge, which was good; though she doubted he was to begin with. His stature seemed fairly amateur, and he did carry the myriad of scents those like she did. Of course he could be siphoning from a single source, but his demeanor, as she had observed earlier, left her to believe he was new to this for sure. "You are definitely a newbie." She stated, relaxing her stance.

He would be no trouble should he try and hurt her.

- - - - -

The last of the pink bubbles washed down the drain, a towel clad Adriane stepping out of the bathroom and over to the chest on the opposite wall. She quickly dried herself and changed into the white nightgown, proceeding to go over to her torn dress. In moments she set to work, needle and thread in hand as she worked at the tatters. She frowned as her work went slowly, with how many tatters she had to fix this would likely take an hour or two.

His sudden expression of contempt and annoyance would've been funny to an outside observer, he knew. Regardless, Authur didn't take kindly to the woman's words. "Did you just call me a noob? Really?" Well, there was the fact he did not know everything that had changed in him. He had a fair idea, but many details eluded him. And not an original? He supposed she could mean something like the progenitor of a vampire race, the concept was common enough in movies.

He tilted his head to the side, and released his grip of the mattress long enough to carelessly wave it. "Fine, whatever. I'm a noob. But that's it, I just happened when I got here." There had been no transition process. Only a cold awakening and an overpowering thirst or hunger. Exactly which one it was he hadn't been able to figure out, among other things he didn't know about himself. Maybe she could help? "Could you . . ." He trailed off, not knowing if she would actually provide him with answers or not, or if the same rules even applied to him. As they both said, he hadn't been turned, so he wasn't even normal for a vampire.

He was asking for her assistance. It was a rather cute gesture. "With no sire, you do have no one to help you." She spoke up quickly, moving over towards him in a similar fashion. "Though you don't seem to be transitioning, it couldn't hurt." She continued, circling his bed at a constant pace. Now that she had confirmed it and he had agreed with her, she could make her final analysis. Yes, he could use some sort of help; it was uncommon for a fledgling Vampire to be left to fend for themselves.

"All right." She whispered, a small smile gracing her face; a pair of somewhat dainty fangs peeking out from between her lips. "I'll help you." Her voice light as she began to move away from him once more. It was a rather strange course of action to take considering what she had said, but it happened nonetheless.

"However, tonight you shall rest. You're tired from whatever you have done today." She added as she perched herself up on the window once more. Before she vaulted into the night, she snaked her hand into a dress pocket and pulled out a small piece of parchment which she tossed in his direction. As it fell open on the bed, elegant calligraphy could be seen. "It shall be most interesting to see how this turns out." Her voice carried as she disappeared into the night once more.

On the card was a name: Heather Knight

Authur's eyes tracked the piece of paper as it fluttered down to the bed, then flicked his gaze to her just as she leaped away silently. On the list of strange happenings today, this was actually rather low, and just as before he couldn't find it in himself to really care. One thing he seemed to have now was an unlikely ally, one that could answer his unvoiced questions. He picked up the card between two fingers and his thumb, reading the name. Heather Knight. A grin made its appearance along with a bubble of laughter. Both their names sounded rather theatrical, and fit in a way.

He set it off to the side for now, deciding to try and resume attempting to sleep. There wasn't exactly a need to cover himself, but he did notice the open window let in a breeze cooler than his own body temperature. So he turned over and grabbed and edge of the blanket, then rolled over until it covered him up to his shoulders. He gripped his pillow closer until satisfied, drifting off into a kind of sleep, more like a trance. The vampire was aware of things but left to wander his subconscious. Memories and urges cropped up unbidden, as real as dreams. Everything was new it seemed.

The night had been peaceful enough. Drifting into a state of semi-consciousness, Marya rolled over in her bed, looking sleepily at the wall across from her. Beautiful rays of sunlight poured in through the window, lighting up the room rather well compared to the darkness of the night before, at least after she had turned off all the electric lights, that is. A knock came upon the door and the girl gently took the covers off of her and stood up, blushing a bit as she realized she still lacked underwear. Shaking off the embarrassment, she went to the door to see the receptionist from last night. She forked over an envelope that didn't appear to be addressed to her...but that was probably because no one here really knew her name. She couldn't remember if she had introduced herself properly to Reynal before. Then she realized she wasn't at home. She watched, her mouth slightly agape, as the receptionist bowed her head and walked away. Marya shut the door and went over to the couch, flopping down upon it. She wasn't at home. Nothing that happened yesterday had been a dream. She was still in the alternate dimension known as Crazed Levall. Opening the envelope, she found a letter and realized it was from Reynal.

"Claudia told me you guys ran into a lot of trouble on the road last night," she read to herself aloud. "She also informed me that your clothes were disasters." She couldn't think how that couldn't be more of an understatement. "Inside is a little bit of pocket money for you to buy anything you need. Anything else will have to come out of your own wallet, I'm afraid." Thoughts of finding cash on the monsters and bandits came to mind. It was something she hadn't even thought about. It just seemed to be a waste. What did the dead need to do with money?

The Party receives Pocket Cash!

Standing up and placing the letter on the table, she walked over to her heap of ruined clothes, almost a little self-conscious in putting them back on. She slipped the nightgown off quickly and donned her outfit from yesterday. They weren't in too bad a condition. They were bloodstained in places with a few shreds and cuts here and there, but still wearable. She definitely wanted them replaced though. Her claws were on the table, the blades still covered in blood. With a grimace, she grabbed them and took them to the bathroom. She had no idea how to clean a weapon, but she knew water made iron rust. Then again, she had no idea what metal the blades were made out of, so with no regard, she shrugged her shoulders and turned on the sink faucet. Grabbing a rag, she set to work. Some spots were a struggle, but most of it came off with a decent amount of scrubbing. After she was satisfied, she turned the water off and dried the blades quickly with another clean rag. She put them onto her hands carefully since she didn't know what else to do with them.

Walking over to the table, she picked up the letter and noticed she had missed a part. It mentioned coming back to the inn before noon so Reynal could escort them to the castle for their audience with the king. Marya folded the letter and tucked it into her pocket along with the spare cash, making sure to keep the main stock of money separate from the spare. She shuffled out into the hallway and rapped roughly on the doors to Authur's and Adriane's rooms. "Guuuuys....come to my room when you've pulled yourselves together. I'll fill you in on what's going on," she called out loud enough for them to hear. "The door'll be unlocked." With that, she went back inside and looked into the fridge, grabbing another root beer and cracking it open carefully. She took it back to the couch and waited for the others to rise.

Adriane had fallen asleep an hour after she had started working on her dress. While it was not in the condition it had been in originally, it was definitely better than it had been. She awoke with a start, the cloth rumpled in her hands, her body slumped over. "Oh my..." She thought sleepily as she sat up, knowing she had fallen asleep like that as soon as she had finished working; she had not even had the chance to situate herself in a more comfortable position. Her body ached a little as a result of the bad posture, but it was nothing she could not handle; after all Miss Marya had asked her to come to the younger girl's room.

Getting to her feet, she wearily pulled off the nightgown and changed into the carefully mended dress. She smiled as she finished tying the black bow around her waist, her reflection in the nearby mirror showing her a rather appealing look. Her attempt to make herself presentable had worked fairly well, it was only slightly obvious the dress had been mended recently. With a twirl on her heels, the Maid marched out of her room and towards Miss Marya's room, but not without grabbing a bottle of water from the mini fridge.

"Did you sleep well Miss Marya?" Adriane asked as she entered the room, noting the fact that Mister Authur was not up yet.

Sitting quietly, Marya gazed longingly at the wall across for her. She felt unease about today. Would she be able to go home immediately? How long would it take? She had promised her mom a couple of days, but would it be that easy? The can of root beer met her soft lips once again and she savored the flavor--a reminder of home. All that had happened only served to make her realize that she had never been away from her parents like this before. The Liddells proved to be rather comfortable with their hometown of Leviathan and didn't travel often. Maybe she could just think of this as a small vacation. The thought seemed to ease her grimace a bit as she heard footsteps approaching from outside with her sharp ears. Turning to face the doorway, she saw Adriane there asking her question.

"Despite the situation we've landed ourselves in, I slept pretty well," Marya replied, her ears twitching slightly. A half-hearted smile graced her face. "Come sit. Me and Authur's friend Reynal sent us a letter." She patted the spot next to her on the couch. She wondered if Authur would be in soon. He had always been a late riser. "We're going to see the king around noon apparently. You're searching for a way home too, aren't you?" the girl asked out of genuine curiosity. The maid had appeared on the road to Rose Village just last night. She realized the woman probably hadn't had a lot of time to think things over.

Adriane paused for a moment, frowning at the thought of returning home. While she certainly did not plan to stay in this dimension, it did not seem like there was a way for them to return home. And if there was, it was likely going to prove to be a rigorous challenge. If it came down to it, she might end up staying in this crazy place... wherever this crazy place was.

". . . Yes, Miss Marya. I would like very much to go home." She spoke, her voice almost a hollow whisper. She would indeed like to go home, but it was all uncertain at the time. Just because one wanted something did not mean one could necessarily have that something. And that thought scared her. However, she shook her head, clearing her mind of the negative thought and putting a small grin on her face instead. "At any rate, I'm sure Master Renval would like to know why his new Maid hasn't arrived." Yes, her boss was likely wondering where she was; at least... if he was still her boss.