#viladlind.01

        HIS BREATHS CAME FAST AND ragged, fingers curling and uncurling into fists. his boots were eating up the ground beneath him, a comforting marching rhythm that reminded callum of training days back at the profane soul's fortress. except—it wasn't snow, or dirt, or grass under his heels; it was flat rock, strangely rough and gray. and it wasn't the sound of other blood hunters that surrounded him either, but the roars of strange machines and the screech of things he didn't understand. it made panic simmer under callum's skin, and he wanted to escape.

    so he walked, faster and faster, silver eyes glued to the ground. it was stupid and reckless, to pay so little attention to his surroundings, and callum's battle instincts snarled at him for the oversight. but he couldn't think, couldn't breathe, he just wanted to go home, to—and then curved horns collided with a soft body. the tiefling's head jerked up, pupilless eyes wide as they locked with pink. not quite right, but so familiar, enough that he couldn't help but blurt out the name that filled his mind.

          a single razor-tipped nail tapped rhythmically against the table in front of her as violet eyes fixed upon the scene unfolding before drolta. a person, rose-skinned and bicorned, crept along the food vendor's cart while he was distracted by the dull duties of shutting down for the night. it was clear they were expecting the sweep of darkness to hide their bright color, but there was nothing in the darkness that could hide from a vampire, and so she allowed her mouth to curl up in amusement as she watched.

     watched light feet pad along the street, silent fingers swiping several sweetmeats from the vendor's cart. saw the self-satisfied grin cross that fanged mouth, the confidence swelling—and the way it all crashed and burned when their tail swept excitedly and careened a single apple from the stack. the cart owner whipped around, angry shouting rose, and then the chase began.

     but not for long. even as diminished as she found herself, drolta was still a vampire. superior to the weak, pathetic human that now dangled from her clawed fingers, his blood soaking her hands like the sweetest of honeys. she watched placidly as he gurgled desperately for a moment, eyes jerking around wildly in terror as his life ebbed under her hand. oh, how delicious. she really did love that expression.