Member
Tim the Yeti
Fetzen
Crusader Lord
Enzayne
Timemaster
King of Rats
Jamesyco
Dark Cloud
Eviledd1984Birth in Blood IV
Down the cold steps she went, a sleeping plant in either arm as she hummed a tune. It wasn't a terribly long trek into the darkness but it was enough for the ambient temperature to drop a little. The chill air gave her goosebumps but she would get used to it before long. At the bottom of the steps there was a dimly lit hallway, leading to an open doorway where she could hear shuffling and conversation. She walked forward, her bare feet making not a sound. She gave a happy little smile as she gazed upon the start of her home. The stone that lined the walls was well kept and the floors were swept daily. She liked things nice and clean nowadays, there was no room for messes.
As she entered the central dining hall, Nalla was greeted by the sight of a few of her servants. There was Tirn, a young man who had been a part of a neighboring village that had joined them, Yarce, a young woman who had been traveling with her betrothed (and boy had he been delicious), and Tulla, another vagrant without family or home. As soon as she entered and Tirn noticed her, she pushed through Yarce and Tulla with a wide, needy grin. Yarce and Tulla followed. Tirn was skimply built, with messy black hair in front of green eyes. Pretty on the eyes, with blood to boot. Yarce was also thin, with muddy blond hair and a small, precious face. Tulla was a brunette, a little thicker than the other two and perhaps a bit plain looking, but she made up for that with her taste. All of them looked rather healthy, if a little cold. All of them wore simple white garments, with a brown string around their waists. The clothes covered their delicate parts and were a tight fit. It was enough to make her mouth water slightly.
"Nalla! Welcome home!" Tirn said eagerly, "I've missed you sooo much." He whined, stopping in front of her like a pup quillat. Yarce and Tulla quickly followed, coming up on either side of Tirn, who flashed an annoyed look as he glanced at Yarce.
"Nalla, Nalla! Did you enjoy the night?" Tulla cooed happily, as she swayed to and fro.
Tirn opened his mouth to speak but Yarce pushed ahead and exclaimed, “Are you thirsty Nalla? Please-please pick me!” she said quickly, tilting her neck backwards to show her lovely veins.
Tulla and Tirn then voiced similar opinions and were quick to show their necks, Old Bite marks still healing, towards Nalla.
She flashed them a lovely smile and couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The need to feel bliss was an overpowering one, leading to such behavior. Oh how she loved it and she was tempted to grant it but had other matters to attend to.
“Tsk tsk tsk.” She began. “So needy, so quick to want. Don’t you see we have guests?” She then placed the two plants on the floor, turning them face up to get a better look at them. The smaller female was colored green all over, save for highlights of yellow leaves in her hair and face. The male was built stoutly and was colored in many shades of green. His face, deep verdant compared to the lighter green on his head. Both wore smiles on their faces as they slept peacefully.
The three human servants looked down in a mix of disgust and awe.
“So… Uh… Green.” Tirn muttered.
“Forest folk! Where did you find them, Nalla?” Tulla asked as Yarce bent down to touch the female’s leafy head.
“It matters not where, only that they are here now.” She then clapped her hands together twice. “Come come. The forest folk will be well cared for here, isn’t that right my dears? Since you’re here, be good little servants for me and wash them, cloth them, and place them in a room together. One with a gate, mind you. We wouldn’t want them to get lost down here, would we?” she flashed a wicked smile.
All three smiled in return, nodding in agreement. “Of course Nalla, anything for you!” Tirn was quick to say.
Tulla elbowed him in the side and Tirn winced before helping Yarce lift the male. Tulla went for the female and leisurely picked her up. There was strain on her face but it didn’t look like she would drop her- yet anyways.
“Uh, Nalla?” Tulla asked as she looked down at the plant. “Should we care for this wound as well?”
Nalla was quickly behind Tulla in a blink, looking down at the charred leaves. She caressed Tulla’s cheek with a finger before saying, “Good eye my darling. Yes, care for this one's wounds. The male should be fine. Afterwards, their items are upstairs. Why don’t you bring them to my chambers later, Tulla?” she half whispered in her ear, just loud enough for Yarce and Tirn to hear. The two visibly grimaced, jealousy in their eyes but they did not protest. That was against Nalla’s wishes, after all.
Tulla visibly grinned and nodded excitedly, almost dropping the plant lady. Wishing to avoid any further blunders, the trio carried the plants off, wherein they started bickering with each other. Nalla in the meantime walked down an adjacent hallway, caressing her tender side.
She passed her storage rooms, mainly for her servants. They did need to eat after all, which seemed like such a strange thought to her. She had once needed to eat as well, but the passing of time had hazed her memory of what food tasted like. Now it was just blood.
She passed her servant quarters, rows and rows of fur lined cots, with many sleeping bodies in underneath them. She paused as she sniffed the air… A familiar scent, one that she encouraged. She smiled, walking away. Another ‘loyal’ human, would give birth to a pliable offspring. One that would be raised to love her and her charm would only amplify that feeling. She needed agents outside her small domain, those who she didn’t need to constantly show her necklace too. She should have started the practice years ago but she had been very careless with her appetite and most of her servants had died before they could sleep with one another.
Now, large bellies were beginning to pop up and soon enough, children. She didn’t really like children, per say, but her annoyance at their hungry screams would surely be worth it, she hoped at least.
It all just… Took time.
It was a good thing she had plenty of it.
Right before her quarters there was another room. An actual servant resided here. She peeked her head in to see Parn hunched over a stone slab, various items scattered about. She walked in, a strong smell of blood permeated the area as her eyes fell upon rows and rows of urns lining the walls. Some were blank, while others had intricate runes wrapped around their necks.
"Parn!" She shouted right next to him. The man screamed as he jumped up, looking at her with his rainbow flecked eyes angrily. His face was haggard with a scruffy beard and he wore black robes.
"Nalla! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? My work is important and one simple mistake sets back my progress by days!" He said, his voice gruff.
"Oh cheer up Parn, it's not like this work is back breaking. Besides, you're just so good at it." She cooed, moving to rub his tense shoulders. "You're doing me a great service you know." He seemed to relax slightly and sat back down as she leaned her chest into his back, wrapping him in an embrace as she rested her head on his shoulder. "How does go the progress? Any breakthroughs?" She whispered.
She could feel him shiver slightly as he began to speak, his voice no longer quite annoyed. "Yes and no… These runes… They're difficult to write but I think i'm getting closer. The last batch just spoiled and they've been sitting for… a couple weeks now I think?"
She sighed, thinking of all that wasted blood. "Well as all things… Time is key. Now, take a quick break, I need help with something." She said, letting go of him and taking off her cloak, to reveal her blood stained side. She quickly removed that article of clothing as well before Parn even turned around. He gave a surprised look before noticing her wound.
"W-what-" he cleared his throat, "What happened there?" He asked getting strips of cloth from the slab.
"I found some forest people, the female wasn't happy I took a nibble of her mate." She said, rolling her eyes. Parn began to clean and wrap her wound as they traded places.
"Forest people? Oh you mean Sylphi?" He said, glancing at her body as he worked.
"Sylphi? Is that what they call themselves? An odd naming choice but the again…" she mused. "I brought them back Parn. Their blood is sweet and I want more of it. We'll take good care of them right?" She said, rubbing his hair.
"Yes Nalla. I'll add them to the list."
"Good." She said quietly.
Parn was nearly done when Nalla heard footsteps fast approaching from down the hallway. She eyed the door, knowing news at this hour was seldom good. Much to her surprise it was Yarce, out of breath and blushing as she looked at Nalla.
"N-Nalla! The-the plant woman awoke and she won't stop screaming 'Genesis!' And she won't quiet down. She's gotten super warm as well and it hurts to touch her."
Nalla was quick, grabbing her cloak and donning it. A shirt would have to wait. "Then let us go greet her properly then." She said, eyes stern on Yarce.
Nalla arrived in the torch lit room, flames flickering off the walls, painting a grim picture. Tirn and Tulla had cornered the Sylphi woman, who was now unclothed, and she lashed out as soon as they got close to her, keeping them at bay. The male Sylphi had been binded but was still asleep. As soon as the plant girl eyed Nalla she let out a yelp.
"No no! Stay away, or I’ll burn you!" She spoke in a heavy but exotic accent, voice quivering.
Tirn and Tulla looked to the entryway and shrinked, immediately going over to Nalla with heads hung low. Nalla eyed the situation and put on a reassuring smile towards the Sylphi as she took another step closer. The woman did not like that, it was visible within her posture but Nalla paid no heed.
"Genesis, Exodus, Whoever! Please! Don't let the monster charm me!" The woman yelled as Nalla loomed over her. She got up to attack but Nalla firmly caught her hand. It was warm, very warm but such pain drove her. “Noo, get away, get away!” The plant woman repeated, attempting to strike at Nalla with her other hand before growing hotter and hotter, until the air itself started to waver. The heat only lasted a short time however as after a few seconds, the woman’s eyes rolled up into her head and she went limp and fell to her knees, panting for breath and gagging while sweat practically poured off of her.
Nalla guided the Sylphi's arm down to her and looked her over. It was strange, she hadn't noticed it before but she felt… Terror and sickness. She turned to the others and said loudly, "Go fetch us some cool water and quickly!" All three of her servants bolted out of the door, as Parn stayed and watched with curious eyes.
"You can feel it too, can't you?" She asked him. He gave a sullen nod.
"It's a strange feeling. A mix of contentment, fear, sickness. I think… Yes I remember this. These beings… I believe they can share what they're feeling with others. Passively or not. Strange isn't it?" He scratched his beard.
Nalla turned back to the plant and said softly, "I'm not going to hurt you. I was never going to hurt you in the first place but then you stabbed me. I mean, honestly, I can't help that you taste so sweet."
The plant woman struggled to even look up at Nalla, “What… Will happen… To us…?”
"Oh my sweet thing, nothing at all. You're safe here." Nalla mused, before the trio returned carrying a bucket of water each. They brought them over to Nalla where they set them in front of the plant and bowed, backing up. "Shall I help you cool off?" Nalla asked.
“H… H…” The woman tried to speak but couldn’t get the words out and instead crawled up to one of the buckets and dipped her face into it, drinking as much water as she could. It was almost a minute before she lifted her head out of the bucket, gasping for breath but in a different manner than before. She had drunk almost half of the water that had been in the bucket, easily twice as much than a normal human would drink in a day. She looked much better after that, but still she was wobbly and gagged occasionally, so she crawled back against the wall and tried to relax. “Pour… It on me.”
Nalla flashed a smile, easily lifting the bucket with her hands and pouring the water over the plant girl. “There we go.” She said as the water flow ended. She grabbed the other bucket and went slower this time. “I’m sorry I stabbed you.” She whispered. “Hey, look at me. I won’t bite. Well, poor choice of words there. I mean- I won’t hurt you again.”
It took the plant woman a while to recover, keeping her eyes closed and twitching the leaves on top of her head every few moments to make sure the cool water got everywhere it needed to go. Not once did she look at Nalla during all the time she spent cooling down. “... I’m Aurinia, he’s Chio.” She finally spoke, took one last deep breath and stood up slowly, making sure her wobbly legs wouldn’t give out. “We were looking for the White Carpet Lands, if you point us in the right direction… Then we’ll get out of your leaves.”
“White carpet lands?” Nalla said, rising to her full height as well. She looked back at Parn but he just shrugged. White carpet she wondered before it clicked. “Oh you mean snow? Where it snows? Well you made it already, it’s just spring now, so much like you, everything is green.”
Aurinia huffed and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her leaf-covered chest. “This is not it--Snow melts, right? The story goes that Ilex and Nymphea were taken to the Land of Eternal White Carpets. If we were speaking of snow, it’d definitely be a kind of snow that never melts. Eternal Snow! Chio and I wanted to go there and find the places the Siblings escaped from. They say if you find the Ice Giant and remind it of how it failed to turn the Siblings into its dinner, it will grant you a wish. So, we’re going there as soon as we can.”
Nalla furrowed her brow as she listened. She had not a clue what Aurinia was even saying but she did know that they definitely couldn’t leave. She needed them. Nalla gave a half smile and crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh I seeeee.” she began, “You’re talking about the far, far north. Past all of the roving bands of brigands, past the slavers, past the human cities, through troll lands, and snake holes. A dangerous journey, indeed. Tell you what, since I made an error of judgment, I would like it if you stayed as my guests until your wound heals completely. No harm will come to you, or Chio while in my care. I can’t say the same for the outside world. But for now, what do you say? You will be my esteemed guests, with access to all my comforts.” she said sweetly. The servants behind her each gave a frown before looking to the ground again. Parn continued to stroke his beard as she watched Aurinia, who furrowed her brow.
“... Okay, all right. Until we heal. Since we’re here, we might as well share our stories, right-”
SMAAAASH
Suddenly what sounded like several large pots breaking echoed through the structure, then silence for a long time as everyone in the room stood in shock, listening.
’Uh, sorry.’ Came the tiny voice, which was followed by… Scratching, and slithering along the floor and walls and ceiling outside. Eventually, the door to the room began to creak open very slowly…
“UGH, would you just push the door open already!” Came an irritated soft voice, followed by the door slamming open and revealing the floating figure behind it. It was a woman, about the same height but with a much more perfected shape as Aurinia. She was, evidently, of the same species as Aurinia, with leaves for hair and leaves over her shoulders and upper back, but her colors were too cold. Her skin was almost perfectly white, and her leaves were a light, pastel pink, the same colour as her irises.
She was just… Floating there, eyes half-lidded and frowning, with several dozen smaller tendrils slithering across the walls, floor and ceiling, spreading all over the room and prodding at the feet of everyone present but Aurinia and Chio.
Suddenly, the floating plant woman’s frown vanished, replaced by a raised eyebrow. “Oh,” She gasped lightly, floating closer to Nalla and inspecting her very carefully with squinted eyes. “You’re not a troll,” She declared confidently, perking up and smirking. “Well, it seems like everything’s okay around here. No one’s missing any limbs or chunks of flesh and Auri is wetter than that time she had a nightmare when she was six. Exodus is leaving now, thanks for calling but please only call me for important stuff… You’re lucky I was close enough or I would have not been able to come in time. I will now check out this palace, since it’s the first time I’ve been in one. Yay.”
And just like that, Exodus went to everyone present and patted their head, leaving Nalla for last, at which point she played around with her hair for a bit longer than usual, then finally left, the small roots that had stretched over every surface slowly retracting. Ball remained dumbfounded as she watched the white Sylphi begin to leave. At the point her mind began to move again and she hissed to her servants, "Clean this room up and show our guests hospitality. Now!" And they immediately got to work, even Parn.
Nalla meanwhile took off after the newcomer and cleared her voice as she approached. "Oh hello there! Welcome to my home, uh… Exodus was it? You have lovely leaves." She said calmly, fluffing her hair. Her own heart was beating a bit faster, as she remembered who exactly Aurinia had prayed too. Was this a God? But the gods were all gone? She needed to tread carefully, that much she knew. Too much was at stake.
”Thanks! They’re pink. I like your hair colour more, though, I had no idea humans could have red… Uh, orange? Hair.” Exodus said, not stopping and only glancing a couple times at Nalla. ”What’s your name, anyway? What breed are you?” She asked as she turned a corner and saw the mess of broken clay pots on the ground swept to one side of the hallway and chuckled.
Nalla blushed slightly at the compliment. "Why thank you, Exodus. As for your question, I am a… Human Vampire. The rest here are humans and the two Sylphi of course. They'll be taken good care of here before they leave. I assure you." She said quickly.
”Ah, that’s good to know. Make sure they get enough sunlight, water and meat... You still haven’t given me your name though, Human-Vampire-Whose-Breath-Smells-A-Little-Bit-Like-Bloodsap.”
"Oh apologies! I was distracted by your beauty. I am Nalla, ruler of Nallan." She said proudly. "As for my breath… Well you see, your Sylphi taste good but I didn't harm them when I fed. I gave them a taste of ecstasy so they could feel something wonderful." She continued, taking note of what Exodus said about their care. Sunlight would be a problem but she'd make do.
”That’s fair. A trade, some would say. Anyway, what’s the most interesting room in this structure, Nalla?”
She seemed to sigh in relief at those words. It seemed she'd save herself yet, but the exchange wasn't over yet. "Oh well, much of this place is still under construction you see. Upstairs will be perhaps better suited for guests but down here would have to be Parn's room or mine. There is also several pits for those who have… Upset the peace in Nallan with much more to come. Humans, while efficient at some tasks, are much slower at others. Especially building. Rather fragile creatures really. Oh I am also open to any suggestions or improvements from one of your stature." She said, putting on her best display of elegance.
”Pits, huh? Why not consider exile or forcing rule breakers to work for the community until their debt to it is settled?” Exodus asked, going up a flight of stairs and finding herself in a storage room. ”Hmm… If you believe Auri and Chio will be staying for long, then I think you could feed them blood. Liquid or as powder in the form of seasoning on something else that isn’t a fibrous vegetable… I didn’t see much in the way of grazing livestock on my way here.”
Nalla raised an eyebrow at that. "Rulebreakers are… Difficult. Mainly they aren't missed when they disappear. As for the Sylphi, now that can be arranged. Their nature is much different than humans, even I. Could you perhaps tell me more about how they work? I want to make sure Auri and Chio are most comfortable here, after all." She said, giving a sly smile.
”How they work, huh? I will tell you, but I have a few questions of my own for later. Okay,” Exodus nodded, looking around as she floated into the big central room, then going over to sit on the first chair she saw. ”Sylphi were created by the Tree of Genesis thousands of years ago. They were born close to humans and therefore can reproduce with them. They require at least eight hours of solid sunlight a day to perform well, plus four times the water a human would normally drink in a day, and the equivalent of two fists’ worth of meat every week.” She explained, holding her balled up fist for Nalla to see. ”They are an adaptable species, and so far I’ve identified four subspecies all used to different climates and locations. It is a certainty that, if Sylphi were to settle this far north for an extended period of time, those settlers would become a new subspecies.
”Not to mention it seems our fellow Gods of Firinn and Aicheil have granted them a, uh… ‘Blessing’, which lets them share their feelings and sometimes even memories with others and vice versa. It is quite a handful but honestly, it is also the reason wars and large scale conflicts like that don’t happen down south.”
Nalla listened intently, finding a chair of her own. They were in a servants hall, an area where her humans ate and made small talk. There wasn't any there now, though. Nalla brought a hand to her chin and asked, "So how do they have babies then? And why exactly do they need meat to survive? And you mentioned using blood to feed them in place of… water?" She asked, her voice full of genuine curiosity.
”No, in place of meat from livestock. Though blood does have quite a lot of water in it, they’d still need fresh water to survive, I imagine.” Exodus said, then hummed as she tapped a finger against her chin.
”Babies well, we have two sets of reproductive organs.” She said and patted and rubbed her shoulders. ”Our shoulders as well as those you must be familiar with,” She said and cupped her crotch through her long leafy dress, ”Regardless of which set we use, females will make one or two walnut-sized seeds that pop out of the same place as human babies do. Those seeds have to be planted on healthy, fertile soil and will grow into a watermelon-sized pod that after a few years will be ready to harvest. By having a Sylph place their hands on it, it will open and reveal a newborn Sylph, which we call a Sapling.” She finished and nodded, then took her hand off her crotch with a chuckle.
”I never would’ve guessed I would be giving a Human a lesson on pollination, reproduction and my race’s sexual traits today.”
Nalla smirked. "These are strange times we find ourselves in. Do these saplings grow about as fast as human children do?"
”Saplings come out of the pod walking and talking, at around the same stage as a human child who just learned to do those things, both mentally and physically… I haven’t really noticed any differences in the growth speed, actually, but they will invariably die at sixty-five years old should they hit that age, and it seems they are always painfully aware of how much time they have left, down to the second.”
Nalla smiled slightly. They grew old! And they came out walking. She could do without the talking but that was good. "That's… Sad." She eventually said before continuing, "Oh, one final question from me, are they all able to heat their bodies up like Auri? It was a strange sight indeed." Nalla mused.
”Huh? No.” Exodus answered and looked around, at the tables, the ceiling, the pattern on the tiles on the floor… ”Those are Traits. I take it humans this far north have probably never heard of them--It is a natural talent for a specific kind of mana manipulation that those with Sylphi blood in their veins are born with.”
Nalla perked up at that and opened her mouth to ask another question but stopped herself and then slowly wrapped her cloak around her torso as she said, "Thank you for answering a mortal like me. Now if I remember you wanted to ask some questions? I'd be happy to answer any."
At that, Exodus perked up and nodded, sitting up straight on the edge of her chair. ”This is an impressive building, I don’t think even the best goblin architects at Arborea can make something like this--Did you make it yourself? The way every stone has its place and the way they have so artfully been carved into, it’s- It’s quite cool. I’d also ask the same of the tiles you adorn your floors with. What material are they, how are they painted on?”
Nalla scrunched her nose and thought for a moment. "Well you see… I persuaded some men from Ketrefa, which is the giant human city to the north of here, to come construct this for me. They've trained some of the locals here to help and better understand stone. We used to live in wooden lodges but now clay bricks are being used for several houses in Nallan. As for the tiles, I'm not sure either. I just said make it look pleasant and they obliged. If I were to guess, probably just stone from the local query. Which is where they've been gathering the materials. It's a lot of manpower."
”I see. It’s impressive either way. I might have to spread rumours about Ketrefa’s architecture back in Arborea… Oh, another thing! Nalla, do you believe in… Life on other worlds? Do you? Like, like life out there in the night sky or somewhere else.”
She looked at Exodus puzzled. She then said, "I've never put much thought in it, if I'm honest. People around here have a hard time thinking Sylphi exist and even then they don't know what they're called. Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. But I'll keep myself occupied here, where I'm at and that's the truth." She said.
”Ah. A stock answer. But really, think about it, what if there was life out there, life that not even the lifeblood created? What would that mean for us? Would it be even possible? Am I just asking questions because I’m bored? The answer is yes. Perhaps I should leave.” Exodus sighed and slumped back in her chair.
Nalla was even more puzzled by Exodus' words but kept her mouth shut for the time being. She had no idea what she was talking about. Life on other worlds? Lifeblood? She blinked and looked at Exodus, tilting her head. "I get bored too. There's so much to do and everyone is just so slow. You can stay as long as you like but if you want to leave, I won't stop you. Our conversation has been fascinating."
Exodus stared at Nalla for a long time. It felt as if she was looking straight into Nalla’s soul. Then, she stood from her chair and walked over to her, stopping right in front of her and looking down at the redheaded vampire with her pale pink irises glowing intensely, glowing dangerously. ”Don’t tell me- Your kind cannot survive sunlight? Don’t you want to feel the dance of light across your skin? Doesn’t it kill you knowing you may never feel that? Don’t you wish to one day have a lover to watch the sunrise with? To oversee your subordinates working during the day?” The Avatar asked, suddenly looking like a completely different person, who looked down at Nalla with cold, piercing pity. ”... I can make that happen for you, if you say the word. No one but those of irreparable hearts should live in mortal fear of the warm embrace of the Sun.”
"You… Can tell?" Nalla murmured, remembering Hekti turning to ash at the first rays. She had forgotten what the warmth of the sun had felt like on her face, and the thought always did cross her mind if she should ask Neiya but… What was Exodus after? Why help her at all after what she had done to the Sylphi? She looked up at Exodus, longing in her eyes as her heartbeat quickened. She at last spoke, making up her mind, "It would be nice to see the Sylphi in their natural habitat…"
”Yes, they are a marvel aren’t they? Sit still.” Exodus placed her hands on top of Nalla’s head and closed her eyes. ”This will hurt, I hope you don’t mind feeling like your skin is melting. But it should be safe.” Right after saying that, Exodus began to glow slightly, and light started to accumulate beneath the skin in her veins, lighting up brightly. For a moment, the avatar’s skin turned a deep verdant green, and light seemed to accumulate deep in her chest next to her beating heart.
Then, the great accumulation of light slowly made its way down Exodus’ arm and then to her hand. ”Here we go.”
In the split second that followed, when Exodus began to pour her energy into her, Nalla felt as if her skin was being peeled off and put back on, as if it was melting in some parts, and even the flesh underneath felt as if at any second it would burn off. She screamed in pain, it was the worst feeling she had ever felt, but she remained awake no matter how much the pain wanted to take her. She couldn’t help but stare at her body, ripping the robe off because of the heat. Indeed, at one open she saw her fingers take on a grayish hue like that of ash but then quickly disappeared and was replaced by a much livelier skin tone than before. And as Exodus finished pouring the last of her energy, the pain disappeared. Nalla lay on the floor, gasping for breath.
At that Exodus took a step back, tilted her head for a few moments each way as she observed Nalla, then shrugged, ”Well, you look a little livelier now. As if you could pass for someone that occasionally goes out into the sun. I gradually exposed you to varying levels of sun-like light and then adapted your body to be better equipped to resist it in the future. Should be able to last a handful of minutes out and about in the sun with no protection completely safely now. What do you think, Nalla?”
The vampiress looked up at Exodus with a wicked grin, before she stood up on shaky legs. She looked at her arms and legs, noting the slight color in her limbs. She looked at Exodus again and fell to her knees before her. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your generosity knows no bounds. This is a wonderful gift.”
Exodus stared at Nalla for a while longer, then huffed and walked back to her chair, leaning her back over it and looking at the ceiling with slowly blinking eyes. She was back to normal. ”Do you think kneeling and grovelling will protect you from those more capable than you? How boring...” She almost whispered, deflating a little. ”Do you need anything else? Or, uh, do you want anything else? As thanks for housing my little plants. Really, being bashful when I wanna thank you kinda pisses me off so don’t hold back, I can make whatever happen.”
Nalla sat upright, a twitch in her eyes as she half smiled at Exodus. It was strange behavior, for sure, not wanting to see grovelling but who was she to judge an avatar? She slowly stood up, eyeing Exodus the entire time with hunger in her eyes. She could ask for anything?
“Well, if you insist I dispense with the niceties, then I shall. Hmm.” she began to walk back and forth as she held her chin in deep thought. “There are many things I want, but what is most pressing? My sunlight issue is taken care of, my blood problem is practically fixed. Well if you really will grant me anything I want.... I need a weapon to protect them with, in case ever a need arises. Yes, my body is a weapon, but like you said, grovelling and kneeling won’t protect me from capable foes who wish me dead. This is what I need and the ability to use it properly.” she said, slamming her fist into her palm as she stopped in front of Exodus.
Exodus stood a little bit straighter and raised an eyebrow while smirking at Nalla, ”What kind of weapon would you like? Ranged, melee, hand-to-hand? Huh, memetic perhaps?”
“I need something that I can use up close. I’m fast and if I can use that to my advantage, I could kill swiftly. Perhaps a dagger or a sword?” She mused. “Or perhaps something ranged so I can strike from afar? Or… What about both, but together?”
Exodus pursed her lips in thought, but eventually nodded and clapped her hands together. When she parted them, a bright green light spilled from them and a beam of light stretched between her palms. It grew as her palms grew further and further away until the beam was about the length of one of Nalla’s arms. At that point, the green light dissipated and what was left behind was a floating sword. Yet it wasn’t made of metal like others, this one was made of sleek and extremely sharp wood like the ultra dense wood cores that served as the Sylphi’s bones. It was polished perfectly, the wood grain almost invisible. The sword only had one edge, however, with the other edge being relatively thick and solid and its handle looked soft and comfortable made of currently writhing green vines.
Exodus floated it over to Nalla and the edge made a tiny whistling sound as it cut through the air even at such a low speed. When the blade was in front of Nalla, the vines around the handle parted way, showing an ergonomic handle made of carved woodcore, much like the blade. The vines stretched towards Nalla’s hand, begging for her to hold the blade.
”A blade made of a material close to Sylphi bones, woodcores. The vines along the handle will wrap around your hands and wrists when you hold onto it. Those little guys are pretty strong for their size, so make sure you don’t excite them too much… I know you’ll ask me to elaborate, so...” Exodus stood up and pointed at Nalla’s hand that was stretching towards the floating sword’s handle. ”Nalla, the moment you hold the blade for the first time, the vines will grow thorns and wrap around your hand. They will taste your blood and recognize you as the blade’s owner. This will unlock the blade’s transformative properties. By channeling trace amounts of mana into the handle, the blade will shift into a thorned, barbed vine. You will be able to use this second state as a weapon with more range than a simple sword… It should reach a maximum length of about five arm’s lengths, which pretty much turns it into a whip. You will be able to switch it back to being a blade by channeling mana through the handle again. It’s a toggle function.”
”and before you ask, no the blade doesn’t float, I’m just making it float right now. After you claim it, it will be affected by the laws of our world again… Well, as much as a divine artefact can be affected, at least. Uh, also if you feed the vines too much blood they might crush your hand due to excitement. So try to not get any fingers cut off during a fight. And if it ends up happening, make sure to drop the sword right away.”
Nalla eyed the blade suspiciously, then greedily. She was hesitant to reach for it, but when Exodus finished speaking, she found herself with vines wrapping around her hand as she gripped the handle. Then came the thorns and she hissed as they began to taste her blood. The blade then shifted into the whip and Nalla marveled at its design before turning to Exodus with a smile. “This will do.” she said simply. She then shut her eyes and felt the handle with her palm before pushing her thoughts to it and mana. She had learned a bit from Parn, hopefully it was enough.
With a click, the wine snapped back into a blade and Nalla opened her eyes. “Wonderful.” she mused.
”Don’t think about using the whip state for punishments, the thing will likely pull out chunks of flesh instead of leaving measly scars. And finally, no one but you can trigger the whip state now. If you want someone else to be able to use the sword to its full potential, feed the vines around the handle a mix of your blood and the other person’s blood. I will also leave figuring out how to use it up to you. Get a soldier to teach you basic blade forms, then get a torturer to teach you whip technique. I hear you have lots of those in human lands, for some reason.” Exodus said with a shrug and floated herself off the ground, then began making her way out of the building. ”I’m going now, Nalla. Since you’re immortal we may meet each other again, no promises though. I’ve already gotten like seven prayers during the time I spent here, ugh...”
Nalla gave her a nod. “I’ll make sure to do those things and hey, it was nice meeting you, Exodus. Farewell for now.” She then looked down at the blade again, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile.
