Devour Me; Chapter One
Word Count: 8k+
Warnings: Blood, Vampires, Swearing, consumption of blood, predator/prey dynamics (NO NSFW)
It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.. She thought, stalking through the woods like a predator. The living inhabitants of the forest scattered the moment they felt her presence, their instincts warning them of a dangerous predator lurking nearby. It looks to be in ruins now. She smirked, hiding in the shadows the trees offered her. Distantly, the woman could see moving bodies all flocking toward the ruined space, the walls crumbling after centuries worth of ruin. The female scoffed, disgust swirling in her gut.
Even after all these years, still nothing has changed. She pursed her lips, slowly leaving the protection the shadows offered her. Immediately she winced, feeling the burning of her flesh. She could hear it, as the skin bubbled and blistered. I’ve got to find some bandages to hide that. She made a mental note of her to–do list, nodding to herself and walking toward the town. Still as awful as before, I see. Not much has changed after 2 and a half centuries. Or, almost two and a half. Gathered near the center of town, where the church once stood, the woman could see several different bodies, each of them as alive as the next.
The female hummed, observing quietly as the humans interacted, facing each new person with the general suspicion that usually surrounded humans when tossed in an unfamiliar environment. Already, she could hear whispers of the dark circling around, followed closely by talk of vampirism and creatures of the night. The woman chuckled quietly, masking it with a stony expression and carefully timed scoff. “Vampirism?” She muttered quietly, deciding she would have to mingle with the lower race if she wanted to stay for a while. “Unbeliveable.” The woman soon found herself in a small group consisting of three other people, aside from herself. “Hello miss.” She smiled as she was greeted, bowing her head in return.
“Hello, sirs. How are you all finding yourselves?” She questioned, folding her hands in front of her and carefully placing them at waist–level. “I’m finding myself to be alright, don’tcha know.” Intrigued by the man's strange way of speaking, the woman chuckled quietly. “Quite an interesting accent you have there mister uh…” Upon prompting, the man introduced himself as Renhardt Dogmourne. “I’m Owen.” A brunette man with a pleasant European accent piped up, sparking a flame of recognition in the woman. He feels..familiar. Have I met him before?
But before her train of thought could truly depart from the station, the female softly shook her head, the movement nearly imperceptible. Nonsense. Anyone I’ve ever known is long, long dead. “And I’m Jack von Pyroscythe. You can just call me Pyro.” The third man chuckled nervously, seemingly on edge. The young woman forced a smile, nodding her head in acknowledgement. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Anntoinette. But most people just call me Ann.” She introduced herself, offering a little courtesy.
You see, Ann was quite the beautiful woman. With hair as dark as night, falling down her back in wavy tresses, and her eyes as dark as the dirt after a fresh rain. And her skin, so soft and unblemished, so perfect, she was a sight for sore eyes. “It’s lovely to meet you, miss Ann.” Pyro greeted her. Ann smiled back at him, a row of perfect pearly whites that men swore could blind a fellow. “Please, no need to call me ‘Miss’. Just Ann is fine.” She assured the nervous soul. “Of course.” A commotion over by the town center drew the attention of the small group, and together they walked over to see what all the fuss was about. A group was gathered around a beacon, all crouching near it. Ann grimaced at the sight of the magic thing, turning her head away to hide her expression.
Those things again. She sighed, already growing annoyed. Seems I’ll have the snuff the light out once again. Turning back to the larger group, Ann observed as a man with slate colored hair began accusing another man, this time with blue—maybe turquoise?—hair and green eyes of being a creature of the night. His skin was strikingly pale, so pale some may consider it worrisome. “Blasphemous.” Scoffed Ann, turning away to go head off on her own. “Sorry?” The man called out, his tone implying he was taken aback, and perhaps a bit annoyed. “Vampires. Creatures of the night, it’s all blasphemous.”
She continued, a stony look on her face as she stared down the man, who cowered away from her, hiding behind the other townsfolk. “Tell me, have you ever seen a vampire?” She asked, tilting her head. The man fumbled for a response. “Let me answer that for you—no. You haven’t. Why? Because they don’t exist. And if you had actually encountered one, you wouldn’t be alive to tell the tale.” Taking a deep breath to calm down, Ann excused herself from the group and walked off toward the edge of town, intent on finding a suitable spot to build herself a shelter.
⋆ཐི⚰︎ཋྀ⋆
Unfortunately for Ann, she couldn’t find a suitable place to build, as all the plots were already taken. Sighing in mild irritation, the woman resolved to live outside of the town. However, if I do that, knowing these people I would be the next person accused of being a Vampire. She frowned, finding herself in a conundrum. I’ll just have to figure something out then, I suppose. Deciding to go join yet another conversation, Ann walked up silently and stood beside Owen, the man she’d met briefly earlier. A redhead female came running up to them, looking over her shoulder at yet another group.
“Guys, they’re talking about Big Foot over there.” Rolling her eyes, Ann shook her head in disbelief. Owen, it seems, shared her annoyance. “That’s just superstitious nonsense.” He rolled his eyes as he talked, crossing his arms over his chest. “First Vampires, and now Big Foot?” The brunette woman sighed. “Is this town just full of crazy people?” She wondered aloud, looking over at the group the woman spoke up. “Ehh, that’s still undetermined.” Owen hummed, his voice lacking any real emotion. “You guys aren’t like, insane, right?” Ann smiled at the newcomer, bowing her head in greeting as the blue haired man from earlier walked up.
“I wouldn’t say I’m insane.”
“No, I’ve got my head on my shoulders.”
“Greetings, more new friends, don’tcha know?” Ann chuckled at Ren, raising a brow in amusement as Owen snickered quietly, turning his head away to hide it. “Hello there.” She spoke up, her voice soft as silk and smooth as whiskey. “Hello, hi.” Ann raised a hand and began fiddling with the necklace that rested against her collarbones, running her thumb over the engraving hidden from everyone’s eye but hers.
“What’s your name?”
“What land do you call from?”
The voices began to overlap, making it difficult to discern who said what. “My name is Renhardt Dogmourne and I come from the Capital, don’tcha know.” The Capital? Ann filed the information away for later. “I’m here in the town of Doghurst.” The lady’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, an amused smirk pulling her lips upwards and to the side. “Doghurst?” She repeated, chuckling silently. “O–Oakhurst.” Ren quickly corrected himself, a faint red hue decorating his cheeks. “No, no. Already making a claim to it, I see?” Martyn, the little blonde fellow that was with Owen before she arrived, laughed, teasing the man lightheartedly.
“I was told when I was a wee laddy, no higher than a cockroach's knee, that Oakhurst was where my destiny laid.” Ren turned, taking in Oakhurst and its ruined glory. “So you’ve heard of Oakhurst?” Owen inquired. “There is nothing remaining..” Ren appeared saddened by the prospect, so sad he hadn’t acknowledged Owen’s question. “This land is owned by the military now.” The redhead female piped up, catching the attention of the group.
“How’d you know that?”
“Pardon me, but when did this happen?”
“Ehh…”
All around the group, a chorus of confusion and disbelief echoed in her ears, joined by her own words. “They told me to come here to set up an outpost.” The female elaborated. “Ah, sorry, but uh, I’ve lived around these parts for the better part of two decades, and not once have I heard even a whisper of the military.” Ann rebutted, raising a row as she caught the female in a lie. “And, forgive me, but I don't seem to have caught your name?” The unnamed redhead was flustered for a moment, taken off guard at Ann’s boldness. “My name’s Apo.” She finally replied, lips pursed in a frown.
“Apo, huh..”
“What does the military want with a shack like this?”
“Yeah.”
“Uh..w—well, they just said that a lot of tourists come here and they don’t want it to get littered.” Ann scoffed. “Maybe once upon a time.” Owen jumped in, a smile playing on his lips. Something in his words caught Ann’s attention, and she told herself she’d go over his behavior later, when she was alone and could properly decipher everyone. “I feel like people would need to pay me to claim ownership of this because..” The blue–haired man looked around the town, poorly hidden disgust laced in his features.
“I would not want to live here.” Ann hummed, scanning the ruined pathways littered with grime and dust. “Especially not after the tales I’ve heard.” Having successfully caught the attention of the group, everyone’s eyes were on Ann now. “Tales? Like what?” Asked Martyn. “Well, you know the legend of Oakhurst, don’t you?” She questioned, looking around the group. At seeing their intrigue and confusion, her brows raised. “Perhaps not, then…” She muttered to herself. “Go on then, don’t leave us hanging.” Owen encouraged her, already growing impatient.
Ann side eyed him for a moment before humming. “Well, legend says that every couple of hundred years, there’s a large massacre of Oakhurst. In fact, the last one was two hundred years ago, so I’d say we’re due for another one.” Ann explained, her voice taking on an eerie edge as she told the tale.
“Two hundered years, huh..?”
“What happened two hundred years ago?”
“Wow..”
“Well, it’s been so long that truth gets mixed up with lies, so forgive me if this isn’t as accurate as I hope, but apparently the townsfolk found evidence of the occult on the Mayor’s person two hundred years ago, so they burnt him at the stake. But while his body was gone, his spirit was most certainly not. And as revenge, he caused the entire town to fall deathly ill.” The group was unnerved after Ann’s little storytime, looking between each other and then back at her. “Why would they burn him, though?” Ann shrugged. “It was two centuries ago. Time’s were different.” Apo shuddered. “That’s so..cruel.”
She whispered, thoroughly disturbed. “Humans are cruel.” Owen responded a couple of moments later, his eyes shadowed with something dark. “Indeed.” Ann agreed. The blue–haired man shrugged. “After that story, I don’t think I’d want to own this town, don’tcha know.” Ren stepped back. “Same here.” Martyn shook his head.
“Well, I’ve got two potatoes, that’s my bid.”
⋆ཐི⚰︎ཋྀ⋆
Ann hummed as she swung her axe, sending another tree thundering to the ground. The female grunted as she chopped the wood up into pieces, making it easier to build with. “Quite a lot of spruce I see..” She pursed her lips together. “Not my favorite type of wood. I’d prefer mahogany but..” She sighed, shaking her head. Beggars can’t be choosers. Adding the wood to her inventory, the female grinned when she saw she had nearly three stacks. “A few more trees and that should be enough to get started.” Maybe I can even have the carpenter fellow build my home. She thought, striking another tree and shrieking in surprise when it tipped the opposite way. “Woah!” Owen stepped back in surprise, not expecting to find Ann standing there shocked. His axe was still in his hand, although it was hanging at his side.
“Sorry, Ann. Didn’t expect to find you out here.” He apologized, stepping over the tree trunk that had slammed into the earth. “It’s quite alright, I suppose.” Ann tucked her weapon away, smiling at the male. “It’s not every day the woman goes out to chop wood.” The male chuckled. “No, I suppose it’s not.” Voices to the right of the pair drew their attention, and out of a cave came the crazy man from earlier and a young woman Ann had yet to meet. “Oh! Hey!” The woman smiled kindly upon seeing the pair standing there, while the man shrieked and jumped away. Ann looked at him strangely.
“WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THEIR QUIETLY?!” He screamed, weapon poised and ready. Ann winced at his loud volume, raising her hands to protect her ears from his unnecessary onslaught. “Lower your voice, would you? No need to scream like a banshee.” She frowned, narrowing her eyes into an annoyed glare. “Wha– Well I’m felling trees for the town.” Owen showcased the wood he’d already gathered, looking behind him at the fallen tree as further proof of his claim. “Same here. I just bumped into Owen not too long ago, actually.”
Ann spoke up, solidifying Owen’s alibi. “Although I’ll be using the wood for my own home, and not for the town.” She elaborated, tucking away her own planks. “They were just standing there all quiet waiting for us to come out of that cave.” Ann sighed, rolling her eyes. “Not everything is about you, sir.” She told him, voice hard and cold. The man glared at her, although when the woman turned her head to stare at him, he instantly averted his eyes.
Coward. She thought, sighing. “You are literally so carriage–lagged. You need some sleep, they were literally just walking by.” His partner diffused his claims, shaking her head. “A vampire, are you?” Ann groaned quietly. “Again with the vampire nonsense.” She huffed, walking to another tree and taking out her axe, immediately felling it to collect the wood. “There are worse things out here than vampires.” Owen gestured to the woods around them, annoyed with the man’s continuous claims of vampirism.
“I know, we were just in a cave and—”
“What does that mean?”
“The undead walk these lands.” Owen informed the pair before him, taking note of Ann walking back up beside him. “Not to mention, humans.” She grinned sardonically at the pair, something glimmering in her eye. “Wha– humans?” The other female inquired, brows raised with perplexity. “Yes, humans. They can be such terrible creatures, don’t you know?” Owen looked at the human beside him, thoroughly intrigued. “What do you have against humans?” The other male asked, going on the offensive front and interrogating Ann. “Humans..” She looked up into the sky, a sorrow surrounding her suddenly. “They took my everything from me..” She whispered, shutting her eyes. “Oh..” The man backed down, sensing it was dangerous to push.
Owen looked at Ann, resonating with her sorrow and understanding her hidden anger. A–Anyway, there were zombies in the cave.” The other woman, one who still did not have a name yet, changed the subject. And for that, Ann was grateful. It’s always so painful, talking about him. “They’re totally around. I–I’m not afraid of them though.” The woman showcased her sword, a confident smirk in place on her face. “Worse than that, the wolves are migrating east this time of year.”
Owen pointed out further dangers of the woodlands. “I noticed that.” Ann hummed. “Figured there just wasn’t enough food for them anymore.” Owen tipped his head at her. “Could be another reason.” Looking at the pair before her, Ann parted her lips to speak. “So sorry, but I’ve just realized we’ve been talking all this time and I still have yet to hear either of your names?” As if realizing that as well, the pair introduced themselves.
“I’m Avid.”
“And I’m Drift.”
Satisfied she’d gotten more information from them, Ann nodded her head. “You're sooner gonna be picked off by them than mythical vampires.” Redirecting the conversation back to the original topic, Owen leaned against a tree nearby, planting his axe in the ground and crossing his arms over his chest. “Mythical.” Scoffed Avid. “Tell me this, because I ran this by Drift earlier and she had a whole unicorn defense ready, but you believe in the supernatural? Like—Like Zombies..” Owen nodded his head in reply. “How is Vampire that far off the mark?”
“Suppose I have yet to see one.” The brunette answered calmly, staring down the other male. “Have you witnessed one? Are you claiming that?” He then asked, intimidating the meager man even more. Ann folded her hands in front of her, raising a brow as she awaited Avid’s response. Perhaps he’ll have something more than stumbling words and faithless nonsense this time. “I…” Once more, Avid didn’t have anything to say. “Hm.” Owen picked up his axe and pushed himself off the tree he was leaning against, turning to begin chopping it down. “If Vampires were such a thing, and you have witnessed one as you claim, I don’t believe you’d be around to tell the tale.”
The brooding male reiterated Ann’s point from earlier, nearly word–for–word. Interesting.. The female sighed, her dark hair stirring as the wind picked up. “It’s not true! That’s not true!” Avid desperately tried defending his claims, catching the attention of both Ann and Owen. “And how, pray tell, is it not true?” She asked him, swinging her axe at a different tree. I still need more wood. And perhaps some stone as well? “I..I–I had to.. Defend myself one time, is all.” Ann had to cover her mouth to hide the laugh she could feel bubbling up her throat. “You?” She couldn’t hide the amusement in her voice if she tried. “You’re telling me that you,” Ann scanned Avid’s twiggy frame. “had to defend yourself against a Vampire?”
It had to be a weak one if this failure of a man could kill it. “Yes! I—I did!” Avid jumped up, glaring at Ann, who continued to mock him. “Sorry, Sorry, I’m just failing to comprehend how you, who has no meat on his bones, could fight off a Vampire of all things.” The distrust in his words was quite obvious in Ann’s voice, for she did not attempt to hide it at all. Owen agreed with her, silently nodding. “Maybe you were just defending yourself against a person though, and the trauma replaced that person with a fictional monster because it was easier.”
Drift explained, placating the unstable man. “I–I promise you, it was not a person I would’ve had to..” His voice faltered, trailing off into silence. “Look, all I’m saying is, if you find a vampire, tell me. I’m gonna be the first one to put a stake in it.” Avid began punching the air, apparently showing off. All it did was amuse Ann even more. “I promise,” Owen’s voice was dripping with sarcasm at this point. “If I find a Vampire, you’ll be the first one I tell.” The brunette laughed to himself silently, grunting as he felled yet another tree. “What’re you gonna do, beat him up?” Now it was Drift's turn to tease Avid, joining in with the other two people.
Ann chuckled, checking her inventory and seeing she did indeed have enough wood for the beginnings of a small cabin.
⋆ཐི⚰︎ཋྀ⋆
Ann had left Owen alone with the other two humans, walking back to town in order to begin her abode. I probably won’t stay here long. She thought, beginning the foundation of her cabin near the edge of town, away from other people. I’ll stay long enough to see if what I’ve been searching for is here, and if not, I’ll move on again. The woman worked the rest of the day and into the night, building up her shelter until it was suitable for someone of her status. And then she started on the roofing, smelting cobblestone into stone and making stairs. Not the prettiest, but it’ll have to do.
She frowned at how ugly the top of her house was, shaking her head. God, it’s awful. Distracted by how disgusting her house now looked, Ann slipped and fell off her roof, screaming in surprise as she prepared to hit the ground. Yet before she could come into contact with it, the female found herself being caught in someone’s arms. Her eyes flew open, finding that her savior was none other than the doctor. “Are you okay, miss?” Ann chuckled, finding her footing as he set her down. “Yes, yes I’m quite alright. Thank you, for helping me uhh..” Raising a brow for the doctor’s name, he appeared to get the hint.
“Dr. Legundo.”
“Well, Doctor, I appreciate you helping me.” She smiled in thanks. “Of course, it’s no problem. I am a doctor, it’s my duty to help people.” Ann looked at her house, frowning at the roofing once again. “Do you think there is someone here who could make my roof look prettier?” She asked, turning to face the taller man. “I believe so, yes. Uh, Sausage is a carpenter. He should be able to make it look nicer for you.” Grinning, Ann thanked the doctor and set off to find the town’s carpenter. Seeing a man building up a small house, she waved to get his attention.
“Sausage?” She called out, drawing the dark haired male’s attention to her. “Ah! Miss Ann!” The female shook her head. “No need to call me ‘Miss’! Just ‘Ann’ is fine!” She told him, waiting for him to come down so they could have a proper talk. “W–Was there something you needed?” Sausage asked, looking at her expectantly. “Yes, actually.” She chuckled. “I was told by the Doctor that you’d be able to make my roof look nicer?” Sausage lit up at the proposition, nodding his head enthusiastically. “Yeah! I can–I can totally do that!” He looked around, searching for her house.
“Oh, my accommodation is just on the edge of town.” She pointed in the opposite direction Sausage was looking. “Just over there, actually.” The male turned, seeing where the woman was directing him. “I see, I see! I’ll go start on that right now, actually! Is there any particular material you want it made of?” Ann thought for a moment, before deciding she didn’t care. “No, not particularly. Just no stone or cobble.” She shuddered at the thought. “Unless you can make those two look pretty.” She raised a brow. Sausage laughed lightly. “I’ll see what I can do.” He told her before setting off toward her home. I suppose I should go collect some materials for him. He is doing the work after all.
Ann fashioned herself a pickaxe, one made of stone, before venturing deeper into town. I heard talk of a town mine somewhere over here. She looked around, lost for a moment, before spotting Pearl. “Pearl?” Ann called out, catching the woman’s attention. “Oh, Ann! Hey.” The woman greeted the other with a smile, her aura friendly. “Hey. I heard there was a town mine around here, but I seem to be having some trouble finding it.” The ravenette looked around, huffing when she still didn’t magically find what she was looking for. “Oh, that! Yeah, uh, Owen and—and Scott went down over here and started digging out a mine.”
Pearl walked the other woman over to what might have once been a fountain, pointing at the descending staircase. “They’re just down there. Might appreciate the help.” The brown haired female encouraged with a smile. “Yeah, maybe. Thanks for the help Pearl, I appreciate it.” Ann smiled at her, walking down the stairs. The darkness didn’t bother her. In fact, Ann didn’t even notice it. It’s only when she started to see the torches lining the walls that she realized how dark it actually was. “Huh..” She chuckled. Up ahead, the female could see two moving bodies, and she could also hear their voices if she really wanted to.
I guess I’ll go join them. Walking down a little quicker, the males conversation began to settle into her ears more clearly now. “Oh, god..I was a..boy when I left so..30—40 years, maybe?” Owen replied to something the other man must’ve said. “And you're a man now?” The blue haired man questioned, amusement in his voice. “Yes I— what? Do I– Do I not look like a man?” Ann smiled as she approached, staying quiet and leaning against the wall of the mine, watching the two men banter.
“Look at my chiseled jaw and my 5 o’clock shadow.” Owen tilted his head up, showing off. Ann giggled quietly, stifling it with her hand. “And your puffy sleeves!” The blue haired man pointed out, teasing. “Okay my fashion sense may be a little outdated, but it’s not like you can talk! Look at your get up!” Owen thrust a hand out, waving it up and down as he gestured to the man’s outfit. “Um, this is Fancy Manor clothing.” The man laughed, doing a twirl so that Owen could get the full experience.
“Is that— is that a cowl?” The lumberjack chuckled, amused. “Yes! I don’t want the sun to burn me. UV rays are bad on the skin, you know.” Deciding to step in, Ann announced her presence. “Hey there, you two. Need a hand?” She asked, enjoying the way the two men spun around, a little shocked at her sudden appearance. “Oh my go— Ann! When did you get there?” The blue haired man questioned, placing a hand on his racing heart. Ann’s brows furrowed though, because she could not hear a heart beat inside his chest, and didn’t sense any life coming from the man.
In fact, thinking about it now.. She looked between the two males. I can’t sense anything but death from both of them. “Well, I employed Sausage to make my roof look pretty, and figured I’d gather him some materials so it’d be fair. And I heard Owen talking about making a town mine.” She explained, swinging her pickaxe to mine through the stone. “Oh.” The female hummed, coughing as dust got into her lungs. “So, mystery man. It appears you know my name, yet I do not know yours.” She turned to the blue haired man, taking a step back so she didn’t get in the way of the men’s work.
“Uh, my name is Scott.” Nodding her head, Ann filed the information away in her brain. “Lovely to make your acquaintance, Scott.” The trio continued coversing as they fought against the tough stone and eventually, they found a cave. “So, what brings you to Oakhurst, Ann?” Owen questioned, mining some silver. “Oh, well, my elder brother asked me to look after something very dear to him before his passing. I never did figure out what it was, so I searched all over the globe for it. But I always found myself drawn back here, so I figured I’d look around and see if what I was searching for was here instead.”
Scott hummed in acknowledgement, while Owen nodded. “I see. My condolences to your brother.” The female nodded her head, a sad smile on her lips. “Thank you.” Deciding a topic change was in order, Owen turned his attention to Scott. “What—what manor did you say you were from, again?” he inquired, hacking at the granite. “Oh, it’s a couple of towns over.” Unable to help herself, Ann cracked a joke. “Oh, you wouldn’t know her. She goes to another school.” Both men laughed at Ann’s joke, their humor infectious. “Well, I grew up here, so I know the land quite well.”
Intrigued, Scott gave out more information. “Uh, the Goldsmiths? That was my family.” Something inside her preened at the name, causing Ann to frown. The Goldsmiths? She thought. Now why does that feel so familiar. “The Goldsmiths, huh?” Owen pondered for a bit, mulling over his thoughts. “Perhaps I don’t know the area as well as I’d hoped then.” He relented, coming up empty. “Perhaps not.” Scott answered, mining some silver. Ann made sure she stayed far away from it. Instead, she ventured deeper into the cave and mined at some diamond she found.
“Ooh! Diamonds!” She cheered, announcing to her companions of her discovery. “Diamonds?” Owen came stumbling down. “You’ve found diamonds?” He questioned, looking around. “Yeah, look.” The female showcased the two diamonds she found proudly. “Oh, wow.” The brunette observed the cavern some more. “I think I see some more over here, maybe.” He confessed, walking along the edge of the lava pool in front of them. “Careful, Owen!” Ann called out, cautiously following behind the male. “I’ve got it, I’ve got it.” He assured her, safely making it to the other side, where Ann could see the glinting of precious jewels due to the warm light the lava gave off.
“I don’t have a silver pickaxe, so I can’t mine these.” he frowned. “Do you?” Ann brought out her pickaxe once more, the bright silver shining in the light. “I do, actually.” She grinned. “Here, let me.” Walking around the male, Ann mined the three diamonds that were in the earth, tossing them at Owen. “There you go.” She smiled at him, all teeth and kindness. But Owen could sense something darker stirring beneath the surface. He could see the shadows in her eyes, swirling in the pools of brown. “Thanks.” The pair made their way back up to the larger cavern, where they’d left Scott all by his lonesome.
“Oh, your back!” He exclaimed upon their arrival, holding his damaged pickaxe in his hand. “Yeah, sorry about that.” Ann chuckled. “I found some diamonds, and then Owen found some.” Scott said nothing, but appeared to be intrigued by the diamonds. “Ooh. How many?” he asked. “Not much. I found two, and Owen found three.” Scott nodded his head. “Still a good haul.” He replied. “Yeah. Anyway, I’m going to go and give Sausage this deepslate and granite I mined and see if he can do anything with it.” Ann dismissed herself, bidding the two men goodbye before exiting the mine, squinting as the light pierced her eyes and hindered her vision momentarily.
Not many people were about town at the moment, many were either in the woodland surrounding it, or working on their houses so that they’d have a place to lay their weary head after a long day. So the walk to her house from the mine was silent and uneventful, Ann didn’t mind. She preferred the quiet, if anything. Once reaching her house, Ann saw Sausage was still up on her roof, adding in different textures and blocks to make it prettier. “Sausage! Wow, it looks so nice!” Ann exclaimed, happy at seeing the progress. “Oh, do you like it?” He asked, smiling down at the female. “I do! In fact, I actually brought you some more materials to build with.”
She informed him, showcasing the deep slate she’d gotten for him. “Oh wow, thank you!” Sausage clambered down from the roof and took the stone offered to him, expressing his gratitude. “It was the least I could do, especially since you're building my roof when your own house isn’t even finished yet.” Ann chuckled. Sausage joined in her laughter, the two of them chatting for a bit before Sausage went back to working on her roof, seeing as he was almost done with it. Especially since she had just supplied him with more material.
Ann had decided to walk around town for a bit and see what everyone was up to, when she heard a girlish shriek. “What the..?” She furrowed her brows, walking to where she heard the noise so she could investigate. But instead of a female, Ann just found Avid and Owen. “Um, Avid?” She piped up, startling the skittish man even more. “Wahh!” With her suspicions now confirmed, Ann nodded her head. “So that scream I just heard was you. Okay, got it.” Embarrassed, Avid ran off, leaving behind a sign that spoke of vampires being real.
“He’s really running with this thing, isn’t he?” She muttered, staring at the sign. “Yeah, yeah he is.” Own agreed, sounding tired already from the man’s antics. “I’m gonna go check on Sausage’s progress.” He told her, walking off to find his housemate. “Okay. Last I saw him, he was finishing my roof for me.” The female said, offering the man a starting point. “Got it. Thanks.” And with that, the two of them departed from each other. Ann decides to venture out of town for a moment to go scavenge for some food.
⋆ཐི⚰︎ཋྀ⋆
Walking back into town after having found some food for herself, Ann smiles and greets the people she passes by. “Oh, Ann!” Shelby caught the females attention. “Shelby, hey.” The ravenette smiled at the bubbly female. “Hi! Uh, just so you know, tomorrow Avid’s hosting a house judging contest.” Intrigued, Ann hums. “A house judging contest, you say? And what exactly are we being scored on?” She inquired. “Uh, I don’t actually know. I think it’s just how nice your house is.” Knowing how crazy that man is about Vampires, I highly doubt it.
“Mm. I see. Well, thank you for telling me, Shelby.” The females share a goodbye, and Ann sets off again. Although, her interest is piqued when she sees Avid, Drift, and Owen grouped together. Deciding to listen in, Ann sneaks closer and silently joins the group, hovering just behind Avid on the other side, the one where Owen isn’t. “What if a—a vampire comes along and sets it ablaze?” The brunette male offers, expressing his concern. Although Ann, after years of practice, can easily hear the amusement in his tone, hidden by faux concern.
“No the—”
“Can they do that?”
Owen shrugged. “All it takes is a flint and steel, then up it goes.” He looks back at the wooden house, concealing a smirk on his lips. “No, they—why would they do that when vampires have teeth and claws?” Drift questioned. “Yeah, they bite! They don’t commit arson.” Avid nodded along with his pal, fighting the doubt that Owen had successfully planted in his mind. “Well, vampires are very ingenious creatures.” Ann offers, spooking Avid who screamed like a banshee and jolted away from her. “WHEN DID YOU GET THERE?!” He wailed, pointing an accusing finger at the female. “I’ve been here since the start.” Ann confessed. “I just remained quiet.”
Avid began muttering insane things under his breath, whispers of ‘vampire’ and ‘invisibility’ barely able to be heard with how fast he was going. “Christ almighty, Ann.” Drift gasped, chuckling as she placed a hand over her racing heart. “You scared me.” Owen laughed a bit, humored. “Quiet as a mouse, are you?” He questioned, turning to look at the female. He’d known she was there the entire time. He’d seen her when she first crept up to the group, but he’d chosen to remain quiet about it until someone else noticed her. Safe to say, nobody did.
“Anyway, you were saying, Owen?” The unease had crept back into Drift, clouding up her mind and causing her heart to beat faster for an entirely different reason. “You seem to know a lot about vampires.” She pointed out, quirking a brow. Owen stepped closer, silent as a killer. His entire demeanor gave off the vibe of a hungry predator. Drift tried to hide the fear she felt, but to Owen and Ann, it was completely obvious. They could smell it wafting off her. Ann couldn’t help but be amused, stifling a chuckle. Avid snuck closer, sticking close to Drift. Whether that be to protect her or because he was also scared, nobody would know. But one could infer based on his behavior previously.
A slow smile began to pull at Owen’s lips, further increasing the dread sinking into Drift and Avid’s stomachs. “I’m pulling your leg.” he whispered, chuckling. Both of the humans let out a sigh of relief, laughter slipping past their lips. “Owen!” Drift chastised, playfully glaring at the male. Ann laughed freely, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. “You’ve got to admit..” She began, giggles spilling past her lips. “The expressions on your faces were quite humorous.” And as she and Owen took their leave, Avid began hollering behind them. Ann didn’t hear what he said, it wasn’t registering in her mind, but she didn’t care at the moment, still shaking the humor she felt from Owen’s little show.
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With the rise of the sun came a new day. Ann hid a grimace at the prospect, feeling like she wasted the day and night. I could’ve used that time to search for what Big brother wanted me to find. She sighed. Whatever, I suppose it is a new day today. She resolved to go searching today instead, promising herself that she wouldn’t slack off. “I’m uh, I’m gonna go exploring, I suppose.” She announced it to the rest of the town when they gathered together in the morning. “Okay. Do you want a buddy?” Pearl questioned. “You know, with the wolves and..everything.” She looked out at the edge of town, where the forest began. “No, no. I uh, I think I’ll be alright.”
Ann rejected Pearl's offer. “If you wouldn’t mind, this is something I’d prefer to do by myself.” Pearl understood, albeit her suspicions were now raised. “No, no it’s alright. I get it.” Ann chuckled half—heartedly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be well protected. I’ve got my weapons on me, and I know how to fight.” She assured the woman, and the town. “If you say so.” Pearl shrugged. And with that, Ann set off. She walked into the woods, beginning to sprint when she was far enough away that the townsfolk wouldn’t be able to spot her. Now running free, Ann dodged and weaved through the thickets, leaping over rocks before they could trip her up.
She had one set goal in mind, and she intended to see it through. It shouldn’t be too far off now. Ann thought, coming to the edge of the forest, bordering on the dead oak, when she saw it. It was hidden in the trees, camouflaged enough that a normal human wouldn’t be able to see it. But Ann could. Ah, home sweet home. She climbed up several trees, leaping over the tops of them before grabbing onto the swinging ladder. The female hoisted herself up, grunting with the effort.
After making it to the platform her home rested on, Ann brushed off her clothing and stepped up to her front door, her hand hesitating over the knob. I haven’t been here in years. She thought, swallowing. So that would mean nothing's changed since… She squeezed her eyes shut. Since he died. Breathing out slowly, Ann opened her eyes. “Doesn’t matter now..” She muttered. “I’ve got to face it sometime. Might as well be today.” With her resolve hardened, Ann grasped the knob and turned, pushing open the door.
The gave way with an eerie creak, adding suspense to the atmosphere. I’ll have to oil that soon. She deduced, making a list in her mind on what would need to be done. The opening room was wide, with a small living area on the right and then a kitchen on the left. In the back were two doors, each leading to a bedroom and between them was a shared bathroom. The abode was dusty, and Ann sneezed as some stirred up into her nose. Definitely need to sweep. She thought, looking around the space.
Everything was just as they’d left it, three days before that awful one that still haunted Ann to this day. I’ll forever thank the soul who avenged him. Her eyes fluttered shut. I’m only mad I couldn’t join in more. Walking further into the house and shutting the door behind her, Ann was bathed in darkness. But just as soon, her eyes adjusted and it was like it wasn’t dark at all. Smiling, Ann moved about the room, cleaning up forgotten dishes that she decided she’d just throw out, since there was no saving them, and sweeping up the piles of dust.
I didn’t realize the layer was this thick. Ann coughed, waving her hand to try and get the dust away from her face. After opening up a couple of windows to air out the musty scent, Ann began to clean up the kitchen. She wiped down the counters, washed out the sink, reorganized the cabinets, dusted the tops of the cabinets, and cleaned the small island in the center. Once the kitchen was cleaned, all that was left were the bedrooms and the bathroom. Ann looked at the door on the left sorrowfully, her eyes shadowed by an intense sadness, her body freezing in place.
Her chest felt heavy as her mind recalled countless memories of her elder brother teaching her various subjects and material. Big Brother.. She thought, shutting her eyes. I promise, I’ll carry out your last wish. I will not let you be forgotten. Not by me. Her thoughts echoed around her, whispers of a past that seemed so long ago now. Distantly, she could still remember his laughter whenever she would stumble or trip over herself, and his pride filled stare when she mastered a skill he’d taught her.
Ann breathed out shakily, opening her eyes. No..I can’t go in there. She turned away from the door, walking to her old bedroom on the right. Not yet. I’m not ready. Pushing open her own door, she smiled as all the memories began flooding into her mind. It was still the same way she’d left it before everything went to hell. Her bed was messy, since she forgot to make it when she woke up. Her desk was covered in dust, letters, and dried out ink. Her closet was still cracked open, her old clothes sitting inside, moth eaten and musty. The female sighed. Hopefully there’s something in there I can still salvage.
She thought wistfully. The rest of the room was normal, her dresser sitting against the wall the door was in, while her closet was on the wall adjacent to the door, and her bed, stuffed with downy feathers and impeccably soft, was sitting against the farthest wall from the door. Ann smiled, seeing how little had been changed over the years.. I suppose, if need be, this place can serve as my new home if I ever get banished from town. Walking into the kitchen and grabbing the broom, Ann started on sweeping and dusting her old room, returning it to it’s former glory. I’m surprised how intact this place is after so many years.
She cleaned up the dust and dirt, polished her old desk, and even oiled the windows and doors. There. She thought, looking at her home with a smile. It looks just like it used to, now. Her eyes trailed over to the closed—and now locked—door of her older brother's room. Her smile faltered. Well..almost. She knew it would never look or feel the same. Not without his presence here. But the female thought she could find a new normal. Perhaps with one of the fellas in town? She humored the thought for a moment before scoffing at the ridiculous notion.
As if. Nobody would ever want to be in a relationship with me. Too much baggage and differences. With the sun setting, Ann decided she would need to go back to town before the people began to get suspicious. Especially that Avid boy. Man, is he starting to grate on my nerves. She shook her head. Someone’s going to wind up killing him one day. She thought, gathering her things and walking out the door, locking it behind her. Better star heading back. It’s a long walk.
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Once Ann had made it back to town, the sun had fully set and the bloodmoon had arisen. “Ann! There you are!” Cleo ran up to the female, panting slightly. Ann raised an inquisitive brow. “Did something happen?” She questioned, walking through the town to get to her house, which was on the opposite side of the entrance at the edge. “You missed the house judging contest today.” the female informed the other woman, who swore quietly. “That was today?” She asked, pursing her lips. “I must’ve forgotten.” She sighed. “Yeah, Avid was..worried?” Cleo didn’t seem too sure of her wording.
“Don’t tell me, he accused me of being a vampire?” Ann deadpanned, coming to a stop at the town mine. Cleo chuckled. “I guess you could say that.” The ravenette sighed, looking up at the bloody sky and praying for some patience to be sent to her. “First Scott—now me.” She grumbled. “I think he should be locked up with a nice, snug white jacket.” A snort from nearby caught the female's attention. It was Scott—who was passing by with Pyro and Owen. “That’s what I said!” He chuckled, bowing his head at the females. “Ann! You’re back.”
Pyro greeted her, waving. “I’m back!” Ann exclaimed, returning his wave. “Me, Scott, and Owen were going to go to the dead woods. Owen found a magical book there earlier.” Intrigued, Ann abandoned Cleo and stepped toward the group of men. “A magical book? Really?” She asked, looking at the brunette. “Yeah.” Owen said, handing her the book he’d found earlier. “I was just showing Scott and Pyro where to find them.” The woman hummed, running her fingers over the hard leather. “Do you mind if I tag along?” She looked up, peering over the book’s top at the three men.
“I don’t mind.” Scott shrugged. “Neither do I.” Pyro commented. “Sure, you can come along.” Owen invited her, offering a wry grin. “The more the merrier.” And so the group set off, leaving town and walking into the dark woods.
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Ann, Pyro, and Scott followed Owen as they leapt on rocks to cross a large lake, where a beacon was said to be at the center of. “Did you hear about the consecration of a second beacon?” Pyro sparked up a conversation. “I did. I—I felt it, too.” Owen replied calmly, leaping across some more rocks. Ann followed close behind, barely grunting with the effort. The rocks were slightly damp, but it was no problem for her, and it seemed it wasn’t a problem for the other three men either. Aside from Pyro. He struggled a bit.
“There’s the beacon.” The brunette male announced, looking at an obelisk, albeit ruined and crumbling, but holding an unmistakable shining light. “Oh, yeah.” Ann breathed, grimacing as she felt the power it radiated from where she stood several yards away. “I uh, think we might be a little late to the party.” Ann laughed, the sound strained and uncomfortable. “You think?” Owen questioned, walking closer. Scott and Pyro trailed behind him. “I–I do, yeah.” The woman cleared her throat, tensing her body as she walked forwards, catching up to her group. “Oh, I see what you mean.” Scott said when his eyes laid upon the sparkling beacon.
“Looks like we missed a fun time.” Pyro commented, staring up at the fully consecrated beacon. Still, the group walked up to it and began focusing their energy into the beacon. But something felt off. Something was blocking them from consecrating. “Uh, Pyro? Could you step back, please?” Owen asked him, although his tone implied it was not an ask, but rather a demand. “Oh, sure, sure.” The scholar obeyed easily, choosing to stand guard instead while the other three focused their energy once more.
This time, there was no block. And as the realization dawned upon Ann, she looked between both men with wide eyes. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” She muttered. Owen realized soon after she did. “Oh. Oh.” He looked annoyed, and rightfully so. Scott stared at the two others standing near the beacon with him. “Oh.” he stood up, interrupting the consecration. “Well, this complicates things.” Owen sighed. Ann clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
“It does, doesn’t it?” She hummed, continuing to desecrate the beacon. “Hm? What’s up?” Pyro asked, turning to walk back up to the trio. “Nothing!” Ann called out, dismissing him. “Well, you see, it’s just..I don’t really like sharing.” Owen began, looking at the two different creatures in front of him. “And neither do I.” Ann added on. Scott stared at the two. “Well, I was here first.” he announced, staring at the other two with a raised brow. “Actually, I think I was here before you two.” Owen shook his head. “No, no. I–I think I was actually the first one here.”
Scott shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve been here a long time.” He hummed. “Ehh…two hundred years.” Owen chuckled. “Ehh, that’s baby talk.” Both Ann and Scott chorused. “W–What?!” The brunette stepped back, flabbergasted. “How—How can that be baby talk?!” His accent shined through thicker now. “I’ve got 600 years.” Scott boasted. “Damn!” Ann cursed. “I’m shy by 100!” She huffed, displeased she’d be losing out on a meal. “S–Six..hundrerd?!” Owen processed the information quickly. “Oh..Ohhh..” He groaned, stepping away from the beacon. “Yeah..”
Scott stepped back and looked down at Pyro, who was innocently staring up. Although his demeanor was more nervous than before. He reminded Ann of a meek mouse. “I get first dibs.” The elder gloated to the younger two. Ann rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Rub it in.” She grumbled. “First dibs on what? The beacon?” Pyro glanced back at the mystical object. “No!” Owen told him, his tone clipped. “First dibs on you, silly.” Scott smiled.
“On me?”
“Yeah.”
“Goldsmiths! I knew it rang a bell!”
“W–What are you three talking about?” Pyro laughed, backing away. “Can—can we just have like, just a little nibble?” Ann pleaded, her stomach gnawing away at her body. Scott sighed, debating. Although he decided to be merciful and nodded. “Yeah, but just a little bit.” Ann breathed out, walking up behind Pyro and trapping him in her ironclad grip. “A–Ann!” Pyro shrieked, struggling in her grasps. “Shh, shh…” She soothed, smoothing out his hair with her fingers.
“It only hurts for a moment.”
