The sound of Bane's paws striking the ground corroded the silence that filled the dark alley she found herself in. Vaer had stopped to refocus herself, her bloodlust lingering in the back of her mind like a shady stranger sulking in the darkened corners of a tavern. She didn't know where she was going, she knew she needed to feed, and soon. A painful pulsating feeling rose up behind her eyes, blurring her vision. "Breathe through this, Vaernya, breathe." She was leaned up again a cool, stone wall attempting to soothe the crave that ate at her every essence.

After a few moments she felt she could function again and took advantage of her clear mind. The dark haired woman stepped forward, away from the wall and beckoned her canine companion to follow, stroking his thick head to soothe away the look of distress at his master's pain. 

"Come on Bane, we'll head to the city center, surely there will be a vendor there." And they continued on through the evening, weaving in and out of the beautiful streets of the majestic city.

Not 20 minutes later a old stone fortress rose from the distance and pressed skyward as the Cruentai woman approached, "This must be the place," she thought, glancing around for a way in. A moment later she noticed an archway in the wall, accessable from a street just a short ways away. Pressing forward, drawn by an seeping hunger, she entered the ancient outpost she had read about in textbooks back in her schooling days. It was truly magnificent to stroll through the streets of a city long spoken of but never seen. 

Vaernya was surpised at the few pedestrians she saw on the walkways of the city, she had been highly concerned about the high concentration of fresh, unopened veins roaming the streets. The fates must be in her favor this evening.

Eventually Vaer found her way to a large stone structure with intricate carvings of warriors branishing blades and bows. The arched doorway was riddled with ancient script she could not read and dared not try. Across from it was the refuge she had been seeking; the blood vendor.

"Thank the gods," she exclaimed and ran over to the wooden doors. Her excitement was cut short by the solid feeling she received when she attempted to push them open. "No... No, no, no, no! This can't be happening! No!" She broke down at that point, falling to the ground in defeat. "Why? Why..." her words were lost in tears of frustration. She could already feel her dark crave begining to surge through her again.

"It is a cruel joke," came the elegant voice of a woman from behind. Her dark garb and light steel armoring along with the simple staff in hand were typical of Cruentai in the service of the Night Watch. "A service for us walkers of the night... and it's open only during the day."

Her sobs ceased almost immediately, her gaze lifting from the cold stone beneath her to meet the eyes of another Cruentai woman standing before her. She wiped the tears from her face, recollecting her composure and stood up, wiping the dust from her attire. "I apologize, none should have to witness a break down such as that." She glanced back at the locked doors that had betrayed her. "I've been traveling for a long time, my blood supply was used up earlier today and I thought I had at last found an escape from my thirst. Apparently not."

The patrol woman smiled sympathetically. "Unfortunately, the thirst is here to stay. Here, I know a place open at night that keeps a stock of beef blood." The woman turned around and began walking down the marble road around one of the larger structures within the fortress walls. "So where you travel in from?

Vaernya whistled for her black wolf-like companion to return to her side from his place off to the side of the blood vendor's doorway. She met the pace of the kind stranger, conversing as they walked. "I've travelled here from Ferrocor, it's been a long journey, one that I didn't expect to lead me here, thirsting for blood at the doors of a closed vendor. Has it always been this way? A blood vendor closed at night?"

The Nightstalker glanced over her shoulder momentarily, "The shops of this city are primarily run by the Caelestine and the humans that fall within their realm... odd a concept though it may seem, they spend the night time resting for the most part. So you travelled all the way from the capital? An awfully long ways to go. Where you heading?" 

"Odd indeed," Vaer struggled to keep her thirst under control, it had been too long since she fed on either man or beast. "It is a long ways, isn't it? To be truthful, Keranlus was the final stop on my journey, though I don't plan to return home any time soon. I've become a bit of a wanderer, you see, seeking the unknown.It's as if I feel drive pushing me towards something, though I do not know what." She decided it best to keep her secrets to herself, sister of the night or not, this woman was a stranger.

"Sounds like a sense of destiny to me," stated the other woman. "I didn't know where I wanted to be even as I joined with the Night Stalkers, it simply felt like the right decision. And to be honest, after a few years working as one, I can say it was." She looked off towards the right as the entrance to the building they were rounding came into view, a low violet light shining through, illuminating the street nearby. "Perhaps your destiny lay beyond the portal inside there. Whether you need to go through it or perhaps wait on something to come through; who knows."

A lump formed in Vaernya's throat as the words 'Night Stalker' came from the mouth of the stranger. There was no way she could have known that just a few weeks ago Vaer was drawing the smooth, creamy blood from the veins of a man in Ferrocor... yet her paranoia seemed to remain in place. She decided it was best to depart from the company of the Night Stalker as soon as possible, but would do so in a casual and polite manner for regardless of her standing, the kind stranger had led her to a place to feed. 

"Perhaps you are right, the portals have always been a mystery to me, the impossibilty of knowing what might arrive or depart."

She desperately hoped they would reach the tavern soon as she could feel another horrible headache forming and she didn't want the good samaritan to sense what type of craving she was really having.

As they continued forward, the swirling vortex within the walls came into view. The woman standing ahead stopped for a moment to admire it. A pair of guards flanked the portal, one angelic, the other clearly demonic by their horns and red skin. Another similarly configured pair of guards manned stations adjacent to the entryway the two Cruentai stood before. "It's strange... the light helps to suppress the thirst a little if you stand in it for a while."

The idea seemed unusual to Vaernya; light repressing thirst? It sounded like a practical joke, but as she looked over at the Cruentai woman she saw only sincerity. "Well..." She was afraid, she couldn't lie to herself about that. She'd never been this close to a portal and between the guards and the Night Stalker beside her she was stressed beyond belief over her dark craving. "Okay, I'll give it a try." 

She hoped deeply that this wasn't a sick practical joke and that she wouldn't end up on a different planet or with burnt skin. Slowly the brunette made her way towards the bright mass before her, mesmerized by the swirling tones of color. The guards' eyes fell on her, no doubt suspicious of the silently, awkwardly approaching Cruentai, but they did not speak. As she inched closer to the soft glow of the portal she could feel a strange sensation slither across her skin, both soothing and disturbing in its strangeness. 

Finally, she was engulfed in the glow and she paused, holding her breath as the tingling sensation surrounded her body. "Wow," she breathed, "this is.... something all its own." She turned around, speaking to her slender guide, "What causes this?"

"It's not understood, even the people from the other side who have been working with these things for nearly a century can't explain it," said the angelic guard from near the entrance nearby.

The sounds of shouting came from beyond the building across the road from the portal complex. The Night Stalker and the two nearest guards turned their attention that way. "Hold on a moment," the Cruentai guard warned as she readied her staff. She turned towards the two guards, "I'll check it out, but I'd rather not be alone... think your friends by the portal would be okay with the civie hanging out by them for a bit?"

The Dalimos guard looked back to the pair nearest the portal, making a few gestures with his hand, pointing to Vaernya first before crossing his arms and pointing back to the guards.

"What's going on?" The shouting pulled her from her ever calming state bestowed by the light of the portal. She was starting to realise coming into the city unprepared was a horrible idea, she was struggling with a dire thirst but could not, out of pride and concern for herself, make a big deal out of it, though her mind screamed for her to. "Let me help, I'm no child." Perhaps a bit of action would get her mind off her hunger.

Bane made his way from Vaernya's side and strode to a position between his master and the direction the sound had come from. His eyes scanned the alleys, his ears twitched in concentration.

"If it's elves or humans, it's no problem; but if it's a rampaging Dalimos, its too dangerous," warned the Caelestine guardsman as he ran past to investigate. "Just stick by the portal with the other two."

The Dalimosian went down the street a little to approach the disturbance from the other side and the Cruentai guard pulled out a grappling hook. "Besides, it'll help with that hunger of yours until I can show you to the tavern." She threw the hook onto the building that the disturbance was occuring behind. After a few tugs to make sure it was secure, she hastily climbed up it. The Caelestine guard from the portal came up and put her hands on shoulders of the woman who was left behind. "Come on, I'm sure they can handle it."

The Dalimos guard laughed darkly. "And even if they can't take care of it themselves, Elise will surely descend on the area soon."

The Caelestine gave a quick chuckle. "May the goddess have mercy on their souls... because the Skyward Nightmare sure won't."

Accepting that she was not going with the Night Stalker and the guards she allowed the Caelestine woman to lead her back to the light of the portal. Vaernya couldn't help think what sort of events may be occuring beyond the buildings before her, she couldn't stand being left behind but what could she do? She was a prisoner to her own bloodlust and a stranger in these walls. She heard the Dalimos guard speak up, joking about an Elise. 

"At the risk of sounding ignorant, who is Elise?" 

The Dalimos let out a huff of frustration; the angel then quickly clarified the gesture, "It's not that he thinks you ignorant... it's that he works under that insufferable woman. She's the commander of the Dalimos garrison here."

"And that witch of a woman likes to treat the rest of us like prisoners to be interrogated!" exclaimed the demon. He then took in a deep breath with his mouth shut.

"Would you look at that, a demon taking anger management," joked the angel.

Vaer chuckled under her breath but made a mental note to avoid any of the name Elise, for she did not sound like the type of company any would long for. From the hidden area behind the buildings before her another shout came ringing across the cool night air, Bane snarled at the sound, backing closer to Vaer.

An unsettled look crept onto her brow, "I hope things are all right... Are you sure they can handle, whatever that was?" 

The portal gave out a short burst of light as someone stepped through, slowing down as though he had been running before he passed through the portal. The Dalimos immediately raised his weapon and called out angrily, "Halt!"

The newcomer, after coming to a full stop turned towards the demon and took a step back and out from in front of the portal as he raised his hands up, "It's okay, I'm a visitor here from Nexulai on business from your Blind Seer." From this angle, the light from the portal reflected off his eyes strangely, as though his irises were made of silver. "Got a few friends following behind, they'll be through here shortly with our documents."

"Alright, just stand off to the side, we'll have someone down here to confirm your arrival and process you," commanded the Angel.

The sudden burst of light startled Vaernya, she spun around to lay eyes on a handsome man with eyes of the most unusual color. At her side the large wolflike creature snarled at the newcomer, set on edge by the mass of turns in event since their arrival in Keranlus.

She couldn't help but wonder what distant world this man had come from, where he had been, where he was going, and why.

Conrose nodded affirmatively to the angel's command. "I think I can do that, but to warn you so you aren't surprised, one of my compatriots will be popping through that portal in a moment... and he may be a little angry at me right now," he stated with a mischievious smile. "Not on good terms right now, but I'd rather he not be impaled or anything serious."

As if on cue, another figure came dashing out of the portal. Aiden was still in full sprint as he ran through the portal from the other side, and the sudden change in his surroundings disoriented him, causing him to lose his balance. The human let out a brief yelp as he fell forward onto the hard granite floor, knocking the air out of his lungs. His face was scrunched up with pain as he slowly pushed himself up onto all fours, panting heavily as he tried to regain his breath.

"Ow... damn it," He muttered to himself. Everyone around the portal could see that Aiden clearly wasn't from this realm. His clothing was completely unlike any worn by a native of Ceciderunt Dea. Aiden rose up, brushing himself off before finally looking up. He froze upon noticing his new surroundings. This architecture, these people surrounding him... yep, he was definitely in Keranlus now. The human spent several seconds gazing around at the courtyard in awe, but it soon stopped on Conrose. Aiden narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, but stopped once he realized that he was surrounded by guards. Not wishing to get in trouble with the law, especially just after arriving in this new realm for the first time, the explorer just glared at the man, making it clear that while he wasn't going to do anything rash now, he definitely wouldn't forget about this.

He took a deep breath to settle down after being worked up into a brief rage before speaking up. "Right... sorry about that."

The first man smiled. "Come on over here, we'll just have to wait here before we get to do anything until cyclops gets here" stated the man with the silver gaze as he offered his hand to pull up Aiden... then offered a single word, "Zalphyrene."

Aiden blinked at that, confused. Zalphyrine... he didn't recognize that word. Whatever it was, he sure as hell wasn't one. "Um... I'm sorry, what did you just call me?"

The brunette Cruentai didn't know what to think of the situation, strange men entering into this world from god knows where, shouting and screaming from an unseen area, Dalimos and Caelestine guards all around. This was most definitely the adventure she had been seeking.

Regardless of her curiosity though, she needed to feed. It was becoming too much to handle, especially with this human so near her. She had never tasted a human's blood... it was said that it was the most unique, silky blend. She licked her lips, eyes trained on the artery she knew his throat held. 

"I told you... I could tell you what I am... and it would mean nothing," he corrected the fallen man in an arrogant tone. "There is much to learn, and most of it will mean little until you have learned other things first."

"... Oh." That made more sense, but only slightly. Conrose's answer only raised many more questions. What was a Zalphyrine? Was Conrose the only one? If not where was the rest of his race? Why didn't he ever hear of such a race before, and most importantly, what was their connection to the rifts? Aiden ended up looking even more confused than before. However, Conrose's statement wasn't completely correct; it was true that Aiden didn't know a thing about the Zalphyrine, but that didn't mean that it meant nothing. Instead, he found his curiosity piqued. Now, he was determined to discover the truth about this unknown race.

"Yeah? Well, I'm a quick learner," Aiden responded, taking the hand offered to him and allowing Conrose to pull him up, "So don't expect to shake me off that easily." He was about to say something else, but then he felt like he was being watched. Sure, just about everyone in the room was looking at him at this point, but this felt different... unsettling, even. He turned to the right to see a pale brunette woman staring him right in the face. He could've sworn he just saw her lick her lips, too.

"Er... can I help you?" Aiden asked, unsettled.

"Huh? Oh!" She looked down, over at the nearby buildings, at Bane, anywhere to hide her embarrassed expression. "You're so stupid! If people weren't noticing your hunger before they sure will be soon if you don't watch your actions more closely." She calmed her breathing and looked back up at the man.

"No, I'm sorry. I just, I- I've had a long day, I've been travelled a great distance and there's been alot of... excitement since I've arrived in Keranlus. My apologies, I didn't mean to stare. These portals a new to me." She felt her cheeks burn and her hand found Bane's head and began to rhythmically massage it, calming her nerves as she did so.

"Ah. Well, that's fine. A lot of people tend to be quite awestruck when they gaze upon a rift for the first time," He said with a light smile, but he still felt guarded around her. Was she really telling him the truth? She was staring pretty intently, not at the portal, but at him. She looked kind of odd, too, and that was saying something, considering the people he saw around him. Dark clothing, extremely pale skin tone... it unnerved him a bit. He didn't know what to think of this woman.

The presence of a very large black-furred wolf at her side only served to unsettle him even further. He chuckled nervously at the canine. "Wow, that's... that's quite the companion you've got there... he doesn't bite, does he?"

"Who? Bane? Oh god no," she said, relieved that the conversation had lightened. She could easily talk about her dark furred companion for hours, though she made a note to avoid doing so at this time. "He's friendly as can be, just trained to be defensive and protective. He's had a stressful day as well. I apologize for his snarling."

Directing her words now to the canine she spoke softly, "Calmly now dear friend, the winds speak of friend not foe tonight." And the beast immediately relaxed, acting more dog like than wolf like now.

Conrose laughed at the nervous explorer, "Hehe, not here ten minutes and you've already made yourself a friend," he teased.

"Wow." Aiden's nervous smile widened into a more genuine one. He found himself impressed by this woman, and he wondered what she had to do to tame such a large, threatening creature. Bane was quite the specimen. Perhaps he'd warm up to him, given time. Assuming that the woman would stick around of course.

Then Conrose cut in with his sardonic comment. The human sighed, turning to the Zalphyrine. "I always prefer to start things off on the right foot, Conrose, unlike you." Shaking his head, he turned back to the Cruentai, smiling once more. "Well, I believe you. You've trained him well. It's not easy to tame a beast like Bane... er, no offense." He shrugged sheepishly.

"Very impressive... ah, forgive me. I should introduce myself." Aiden proceeded to bow respectfully. "My name is Aiden Toft. I'm a certified explorer of Nexulai. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss..."

"Alakara, Vaernya Alakara. Uh, you can just call me Vaer." She looked down at her furry companion, she often forgot how threatening he looked to others, Since he was a newborn pup she had been very close to him so to think of him in an aggressive or vicious light was nearly impossible. "We've been together a long time, I didn't do so much taming as... getting to know and understand. We respect eachother. I don't believe in chains or leads, he follows if he chooses too...I think everything and everyone desreves to go where they want in this world..." 

Though Aiden may not have known it she was more speaking of herself than of Bane in the last words of her response. "It's a pleasure, Aiden, and Conrose? Was it?" The whole while she tried to keep her gaze off of Aiden; she didn't enjoy the urges she felt surfacing when she let her eyes and other senses fall to the man's profile. 

The man with the silver gaze nodded in affirmation. He then pointed towards the portal with a thumb. "And this here is..." The portal flared up momentarily as the Blind Seer's bodyguard dashed through the portal. Wisps of energy momentarily clinging to the folds of his clothing. Conrose reached out with a single hand and snatched the folder from the newcomer. "Our papers."

He presented them to the Dalimos guard standing nearby and walked towards the edge of the courtyard. "I'm gonna take a nap while you get that sorted out." He spared a glance to Bane, and then Vaernya. "By the way, nice to meet you."

Novaus stood there with a confused look in his one visible eye, "I feel like I walked in at the tail end of a conversation... what happened just now?"

Aiden crossed his arms as he listened to Vaernya's introduction. Quite the exotic name, it was. It rolled off the tongue well. His gaze shifted back to Bane as she proceeded to explain how she let him follow by choice, rather than leading him on by a leash. It intrigued him; she spoke of the wolf as though he were an equal, perhaps even capable of intelligent thought... was it? It would've sounded farfetched to Aiden, were he not in a strange new realm with properties that were very much unlike Akreaus.

"That is a good philosophy to follow. One that I happen to follow myself," He replied, "It's why I became an explorer, after all. I don't believe in boundaries." The human then turned back once he heard another being dash through the portal. To his surprise, it was Novaus, who he'd expected to stay by the Blind Seer's side. Konsa wasn't there, though, which probably meant that he was back with the Seer, leading her to the exit.

In the span of a few seconds, Conrose settled the visa issue with the guards. The explorer blinked, his confused gaze following the artificer as he walked off afterwards. Turning back to Novaus, he merely shrugged at him in response. "Um... getting our bearings, I suppose?" He sighed. "Forget about him, we've got bigger things to worry about." He then looked back at Vaernya to see how she'd react to this new arrival.

"How much longer will I have to wait?" She thought to herself. There was so much going on in this city, so much excitement right before her eyes, and though it was most certainly the type of thing she was hoping to see upon her arrival she did not expect to have to sit through it while her hunger sifted through her like razorblades running down her throat each time she inhaled the scent of the man. She clenched her fists as a gentle breeze picked up and wafted the siren scent towards her in a wave of ecstasy and agony. She longed to know what his blood tasted like. 

"Uh, I was uhm, I was actually just being led to the local tavern by a night stalker woman but she had more important matters to tend to beyond those buildings. There was a commotion a short while ago," She looked over her shoulder, hoping she would see her guide return but to no avail. "I can't take this much longer. I need to eat.... even just some horrible cow's blood. Anything. I need to feed" 

She remained calm and collected on the outside, she would never let this man know of her struggles from within. Then, to her embarrassment, she noticed another man had come through the portal. Vaernya had been so consumed by her thoughts and cravings she had hardly noticed the exchange. "Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me," She said to the second man, beckoning to herself then to her companion. "I am Vaernya, this is my dearest friend Bane."

She bit her lip, thinking hard about whether to continue on with her next question or not, eventually deciding it was necessary. "Would any of you happen to know where the tavern is?" She said to one of the guards. "I've been on the road for a long time and I could really use a good meal." She always felt uncomfortable speaking of any type of hunger, her paranoia led her to believe others would assume she was speaking of man's blood rather than cattle blood. However this was rarely the case.

The mercenary bowed courteously before the young lady. The nearby Angel stood at attention. "Does that mean the Blind Seer shall be here soon, sir?"

"Indeed she will be here shortly. In the mean time, could you show them to the Tavern, this young lady looks parched," he said gesturing towards the Cruentai woman. The angelic guard nodded, and then stepped towards the end of the courtyard. "Follow me and I'll show you the way."

Vaer felt her spirits lift at the words; she would finally rid herself of this disgusting thirst. Dark beast at her side, the cruentai made her way towards the guard who would lead her to the tavern that would supposedly supply her with cattle blood.

Vaer was very warm and friendly, but something about her seemed off to Aiden. She seemed to be... on edge. She tried to hide it, but hints of her discomfort were starting to seep through. She also seemed to be struggling to avoid looking directly at him. Something was definitely bothering her, but he couldn't tell what. However, before he could ask, Novaus summoned a guard to lead Vaer to the nearby tavern. Aiden's eyebrows were slightly scrunched up in befuddlement.

"Right... well, I suppose this is where we part ways, then! Perhaps we'll come across each other again sometime in the future. I'm glad to have met you, Vaer." He put on a smile and nodded once.

She looked back at the man as she walked away, taking in his farewell. A part of her didn't want to walk away from him, he was interesting to her, though she could not tell why. Curiosity drew her mind to wonder of the whereabouts of the one named Conrose. He had slipped away to rest from what she had gathered. Nonetheless, her hunger was stronger than her curiosity and so she continued on after the guard. 

"Yeah," she said with a bit of disappointment in her voice. She stopped walking, taking a deep breath for she was not one to be forward in social ways but she felt this was necessary. "But if, you'd like, or I suppose if you're not taken by prior arrangements or tasks, you're more than welcome to join me? I understand if you're all too busy, that's just fine. It's always nice to have company, especially as a stranger in a strange place."

"Vaer.... slow down. You don't know this man or his companions... what if they pick up on your true bloodlust? What if they sense you longing for your tongue to taste their blood?" She furrowed her brow, it was a difficult decision; she longed for new connections and new company but her past and her secrets deterred her from wanting to let anyone in. "Well, the offer was already extended, it would be rude for me to withdraw it now..." She felt a level of anxiety pour over her.

"Join you? Hmm." It was a tempting offer. He certainly needed a drink, after what happened in the portal. Plus, he was curious about whatever Vaer was uncomfortable with. Was she hiding something? He didn't want to impose, but perhaps he could pick up a hint of what that secret was.

Of course, he didn't just want to leave Novaus, Konsa and the Blind Seer alone. Conrose didn't count. The human turned back tot the bodyguard, looking unsure. "Say, Novaus...when is Seraphina expected to arrive? If it'll be some time, well, we'll have to make do with whatever time we have to spend waiting." He smirked. "Would you be up for a drink or two?"

Novaus nodded, "I'd imagine they'd be here tonight or at least some time tomorrow morning. The messenger that was sent makes it a point to be punctual." He then stop to think a moment, "Come to think of it, I've never made it to a meeting point before that one in my life, and I've had to work with her dozens of times."

He then waved the human and Cruentai off, jokingly teasing them "Now go on ahead and get something to drink before she thinks to make a meal of you."

A lump formed in the cruentai's throat. "Ugh.... the irony." This situation was already getting uncomfortable. "Laugh it off! Don't raise any suspicion." If there was one thing Vaer had gotten good at over the years it was dealing with and brushing off jokes like these. 

A smile crept onto Vaer's pale lips. "Perfect, that's really great. Uhm, well, shall we?" She beckoned towards the direction the guard was heading. Though she was nervous about being in such close quarters with strangers, especially a human with a scent from either heaven or hell, she did not know but, she was glad to have some company. A familiar face was a familiar face, fresh or not.

"Right, ri-... wait, make a what? out of me?" Aiden stared at Novaus, the implications of the statement flying completely over his head. Was that supposed to be some kind of joke? If it was, then Novaus had a pretty terrible sense of humor.

"... Okay then." He backed away from the bodyguard, half-heartedly waving goodbye before turning to step up to Vaer's side. Aiden cleared his throat and straightened his posture, smiling at the Cruentai. "Of course. Let's be off, then." So he went, following the guard's lead.

As the dark haired man collected himself and joined the group as they made their way to the tavern she leaned in and quietly spoke to him, "Don't worry, I don't bite." Then, in her thoughts, "But I'd like to..." 

She continued on to make small talk with Aiden. "It seems you're not familiar with the races of this world are you? Where did you come from?"

"Er." Aiden did not expect to suddenly hear Vaer whispering into his ear. Not knowing what to expect from this woman, he started to feel a bit nervous. Fortunately, she continued with small talk, which helped to take some of the edge off.

"Oh, um, yes. I have studied the main races of Ceciderunt Dea, but this is the first time I've actually been here. I'm from Akreas, more specifically, the city of Nexulai. Wonderful place, really. It's the culmination of the combined efforts of humanity and the Averians, a city that thrives on innovation!"

He stopped to get a good look at his surroundings. "Keranlus looks and feels so different, though not in an unpleasant way. I've always wanted to visit this realm." He sighed contentedly. "And here I am. Really, it's a dream come true for me."

"Wow, that sounds spectacular. I can't even imagine... I spent my entire life in basically the same neck of the woods. I'm from Ferrocor, born, raised and then stayed. I just recently decided it was... time for a change. And so I left, ended up here." She couldnt' even imagine what this Nexulai would be like, to go to a different world entirely seemed like an impossible idea though it was quite common.

"Ferrocor?" That name sounded familiar. "Ferrocor..." Aiden muttered again, trying to remember where he'd heard that name before. It was somewhere in... oh dear.

"Ferrocor, that's in Cruentai, isn't it?" He thought back to Novaus' joke and Vaer's hushed comment. It clicked.

"... You're a Cruentai." He thinned his lips, eyes widened at the vampire. "Okay. It all makes sense now... you're not actually going to, uh... bite. Are you?" He winced at that, fearing that it would offend Vaer. "Sorry."

She chuckled as he finally connected the dots. "No, no. I won't bite, as I said. I will however need a drink when we get to the tavern. As strange as it sounds, the blood vendor is closed at night in this city." She noticed he was still a little uncomfortable over his recent realization. "Does it, uh, bother you? That I'm a Cruentai?" There was no casual way to ask the question, she really hoped his human fears of her race wouldn't become the dominant part of him. 

The blood vendor for Cruentai, closed at night? That sounded ridiculous, how did they expect them to live in this city? That was a problem that would only grow over time. Hopefully, such mismanagement would be corrected in the future. Before he could comment, she asked if he was uncomfortable with her race. The explorer shook his head vigorously.

"Oh, nonono, certainly not! Your race fascinates me, really. I studied up on your kind extensively during my training. Beings of the night, feeding on the blood of other creatures for survival... truly remarkable." The human briefly turned away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"This is just... well, it's the first time I've actually spoken to one before. It surprised me, I knew your race looked very human-like, but I couldn't even tell! Maybe it's something I will notice over time as I speak to more Cruentai."

She was releived at his answer and further so at his interest in her kind for what they were. Though the Cruentai were not specifically a rare race, nor shunned or feared by the other races, there were many who still viewed the vampires as being dark and shady, untrustworthy even of their instincts and ancesteral habits. "I am the reason there is still suspicions cast on my people... I and others like me." She thought, disgusted in lust for the blood of man.

"Is that so? Well, at the risk of sounding... unusual, you can ask me anything you'd like. I mean, I'm not an expert on history per say, but I think I know myself fairly well at least." A light chuckle escaped her lips. Smiling, she decided she liked this Aiden. His curiosity resembled hers and he seemed to be a very neutral body. Of course she could never tell him what she really was... a monster... but perhaps they could one day be friends on some shallow level. 

Then reality struck, "I'll probably never see him again after tonight. I know not of where he is going or what his intentions are. What's to say he'll stick around? What's to say I will?" She felt saddened by the idea but, accepted it as just another part of her journey to nowhere; friends made and friends lost.

---

The Blind Seer continued on down the Aethertube, somehow able to see it, or simply having travelled them often enough to have memorized its dimensions. Regardless, she strode through it with an air of confidence still leading the demon by the hand. When she spun around and continued walking in reverse, it gave greater credence to the idea of having memorized the way. "You see, there is nothing to be afraid of here," she reassured her companion.

Konsa had been very tense and jumpy all the way up to that point, a little amazed by how familiar Blind Seer was with the portal. Konsa still clung to her hand, eyes always glancing around for any sign of danger. But at the sound oof her reassurance Konsa managed to loose up a little bit and focus on her. "I guess it seems that way..." He murmured, still a little unsure but nothing had happened yet. Konsa still kept close to Blind Seer, glancing behind him. When he returned his gaze to her he finally realized she was walking backwards. "How are you doing that?" 

Continuing her backward walk, her face seemed to glow, "for the past 3 years, I've served as the Caelestine representative to Nexulai... it has required of me many travels through this pathway." Her eyebrows did raise with a thought at this point as she admitted,"Though the first time was almost terrifying for me."

She then tilted her head curiously at Konsa, "But this isn't your first time going through one is it?"

"Ah... No..." He trailed off, glancing away from her again. "I wanted to avoid them after almost falling into the Abyss." The demon muttered, "It was a very frightening experience for me, it's why I stayed in Nexulai." Konsa said as he looked around the Blind Seer, seeing how closer they were to the end. Konsa hoped she wouldn't push for details, he was certainly not ready to talk about things like that. He was also afraid of how she react to that, he felt as if he would be hated for it or considered disgusting. Konsa wasn't exactly a person who had self-confidence or self-esteem and this was one of the reasons he shyed away from most relationships.

"Very well then," she relented. "And just like that, we're here," she stated as she backed through the shining end of the portal, vanishing behind the luminous veil as she pulled Konsa through.

Just on the other side, the mercenary could be heard welcoming her back to Ceciderunt Dea.

Konsa breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the portal, glancing around at the new settings. He actually started to consider that maybe his fear of portals was a little unreasonable. Konsa was a little happy to be back in his home world, but also a little afraid he would be recognized or meet someone he was familiar with. Although the chances of that are very low, it still gnawed at the back of his mind. Konsa shook off those negative thoughts and focused on the others. He finally let go of Blind Seer's hand, giving a little squeeze before he did. "Where did Aiden go?" He asked as he noticed the man missing from the group.

Novaus glanced over the young demon briefly, then inspected the Blind Seer... clearly looking for signs of any harm, when he was satisfied, he answered, "Went to the nearby tavern, we can head there now if the guards are satisfied with the documentation."

The nearby Dalimos guard looked down at the paper in the folder he had been handed earlier, then looked up at the smaller demon. "Well, everything checks out."

The mercenary nodded, taking the lead ahead of the Blind Seer and Konsa, "then lets be on our way... I may yet beat Eraslyn somewhere for once." His last statement triggered a chuckle from the Blind Seer.

Konsa nodded and glanced over at the Dalimos guard who had been looking at him, smiling nervously before moving a little closer to Blind Seer. He was excited to get to a tavern, it's been a while since he had visited one. He didn't pay much attention to Novaus and Blind Seer's exchange, only concerned with getting to the warm tavern at the moment. The demon started strolling, surveying the city.