As he clutched his bleeding heart, and forced himself to remain calm, for the first time in years, Raphael thought he couldn’t handle death. He stared at the withered body before him, recounting his events in the day leading to this.
Raphael had awoken in the morning, having rested in a barn of an understanding farmer, no other options were available given his limited money. He has been traveling quite a long ways away, his home of France having been a memory to him for several months now. He thanked his stars for learning enough languages in his youth to be proficient in conversing without people along the way, even with great difficulties. He had managed to save up enough and worked odd jobs along the way, reminding himself to be gracious to those willing to aid him, and him to reciprocate. Raphael noted the odd looks he got from being a foreigner and a doctor in training, as superstition was rampant in these parts of Central Europe, though he wasn’t surprised. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG3e4k0lQr
After eating, he left the village on foot to continue his trek. Though he had earned the good will of some of the villagers, it wasn’t enough to gain access to any better means of transportation. He cursed his luck, keeping his frustration to circumstance and not aiming it at anyone, though a horse would have been a nice change of pace. He walked the lonely road, weary from the sound of thunder the night before, despite the lack of a storm. The road was mostly a dirt path that eventually wound its way to intersect with a nearby forest. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LGYFNOplj
After hours of walking, Raphael found the path ahead blocked by destroyed trees. It was a curious sight indeed. The destruction was too massive to be any natural, with the only thing that he could think of causing it being bears or other large mammals. This hypothesis seemed unlikely, as the trees around him within a 30 feet radius were all knocked down or broken and seemed out of possibility for even a whole family of large bears. Raphael decided to take a detour, being careful in case whatever caused it came back.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQlOpAGZQE
Brush and underbrush covered Raphael’s feet as he moved through the forest, the smell of wood and autumn leaves filling the air. The place seemed eerie, as there weren't any sounds of wildlife nearby. The afternoon arrived quietly, as did the traveler. A trail of blood on the ground broke his quiet concentration, the shade of red nearly faded within the shade of the trees. He carefully followed it, the curious pattern leading to an alcove where no light could enter. In the shade of a great oak lied a withered body of what appears to be an old woman, unmoving. Raphael carefully observed the area, finding nothing there aside from the body. He moved closer to inspect it, wanting to determine what happened to cause this poor woman’s death. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDNxfKiolW
Observing the body yields strange results indeed. Raphael has never seen a woman this old, as he wonders how long she must have lived, perhaps older than 80 years of age. Her skin was wrinkled, almost like it was cracking, and had a pale coloration. Raphael noted the skin, if not for the discoloration from whatever happened to her, would appear to be darker than the average skin tones he’s used to. The fingernails appeared long, almost sharpened, with traces of dried blood on them. The woman’s clothing was also bloody, though it appears to have dried for some time already. It is nothing more than the thinnest of rags, suggesting either a very poor lifestyle or the woman had nothing else to wear at the time of her demise. Raphael also inspected the hair, which is a stark grayish-white, with little health in it, as it covered the right side of her face. He left it be, but did catch a faintest glimpse of it, as the hidden portion appears disfigured by something.
Curiosity lead him to press closer. But he stopped himself. His intrigue is no reason to be disrespectful to the memory of this woman. As he pulled back, he pulled his forearm on the woman’s fingernails, startled by their unexpected sharpness and scratching his arm. Raphael winced in pain and surprise, but collected himself, noting that it's a simple scratch that he can clean off, as he wiped away the blood that poured out. As he picked himself up, a twitch in the woman's body catches his eye, as he realizes she might not be dead after all, despite the unobservable breathing.
Raphael spoke to the woman, “Are you alright? Do you need any help?”, but no reply came. He tried again in some of the other languages he knows, Spanish, Italian, Prussian, but still did not receive an answer. The only movement from the woman was a painful, slow turn of the head to Raphael, with the one visible eye opening, revealing a blue iris unlike anything he has seen. No words are spoken between them as the lonely man stares in surprise.
He screamed in pain as a piercing sensation surged in his arm. Before he even realized what had happened, the woman had lunged with incredible speed, and had bit into Raphael’s limb. He screamed at her to get off of him, as the woman continued to bite into him. The pain was becoming greater, and his senses started to dull. Pulling out a dagger he kept for protection, he thrust into the woman’s arm to force her off, but it did nothing to stop her biting.
Raphael tried again, pulling the woman off his arm as hard as possible, his arms shaking and his lungs burning in pain. With his remaining strength, Raphael pushed the woman back, her mouth filled with his blood as he watched her swallow it. He made like the wind and flew as fast as his legs could take him, the unnatural event scaring him into not remaining in the forest for any longer than necessary.
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After running for who knows how long, Raphael collapsed against a tree, looking to see that the woman wasn't near him. The forest remains eerily quiet, as the thumping of blood within his ears obscured all sound. The crimson liquid pooled from his arm as he immediately works on cleaning the wound, using some water to wash it off and using his few remaining bandages to cover it. Raphael would have preferred to have saved them for someone in more need, but that’s no reason to ignore his own health. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99rMj5wM0e
The day has turned to evening, the orange rays of the sun grew more sharper and the thick cover of the leaves lessened as he walks. Relief came to Raphael as he spotted the road he was meant to be traveling along. The sense of familiarity, however small, was better than nothing. He continued to follow the path, seeing the town of Zori. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2eNTmzQZr
Upon arriving, he could see the town had rudimentary walls and men stationed on watches. Seeking to avoid conflict, he approached carefully and asked, “Hello there, I’m passing by, but is this Zori?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IEgYj5aAm
A man, looking in his later years given the wrinkles on his forehead and balding head replied “It is, but no one’s passing through here”. His tone is firm, though he appeared tired.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVO0EDv3QEi
Raphael noted the harshness, and asked in kind, “Why not? From what I had heard, Zori is a popular place to travel through on the way to Bucharest.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfTVU7Vi3z
The man retorted, showing some arrogance at the foreign man before him, “Well, you heard wrong, no one goes through while they deal with the attacks.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfqT826BbH
Raphael noted the slip of the tongue, asking “What kind of attacks? Forgive my forwardness, but I am training to be a doctor, perhaps I may be of some help”. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwA16oyfbVE
The man stares incredulously, noticing the bandage on Raphael’s arm, asking “You wrap that up yourself?”
Raphael noted the man looking at him, his face belying his intent, as he confirmed, “Yes, I did, I had an incident in the forest”. The man looks over Raphael, as he quickly left. Raphael waited, as the sun grew closer to its end for the day, alongside Raphael’s patience.
The man returned, saying “You come with me and try nothing funny, understood?” Raphael said nothing, keeping his hands visible as he followed the older man. As he walked, people looked on with curiosity and confusion, a feeling that he had grown accustomed to, but certainly not fond of. He noted people appearing distressed; whatever had them worried was prevalent in their demeanors. Regardless of the villagers worries, the two men arrived at the local church.
Stepping inside, he did his best to keep his face composed, asking “Am I attending a sermon?”, hoping to lighten the mood.
The older man clearly did not find it funny, saying “You’re working here since you’re offering”, as the older man showed Raphael a room of people who were sick or greatly injured. Raphael notes the extent of damage and amount of people, as the number of people relative to the size of the village seems too big for any normal occurence, even with plague traveling the land.
He immediately looked over the injuries on a nearby woman, as the older man spoke “Sister Carla’s in the other room, help her out and maybe we’ll let you go.”
Raphael notes the tone, guessing at a severe lack of expertise in the field of medicine amongst the villagers, as he says “I would have done this if you asked nicely”. The older man huffed, keeping watch as Raphael worked on treating some of the people present. He looks them over, giving his best practiced smile and does want he can, though is limited by the lack of supplies.
After a few hours of helping in the church, Raphael’s stomach growled, the weariness of the day’s events catching up to him. He wished he had gotten a good meal before now, but beggars can't be choosers. From the corner of his eye, he spots a woman in a habit approach, offering him some bread, saying “You must be the outsider, correct?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRE4wmyUPt
Raphael gracefully accepted the food, saying in kind “Indeed I am, I hope that’s acceptable with you, Sister Carla, I’m presuming?”. He spotted bags under the eyes of the sister, as he once again guesses that the village is severely lacking in medical knowledge and personnel.
“Indeed, I am, though I haven’t caught your name, sir.” Carla replied softly, her exhaustion quieting her voice as the evening sky pours in the windows like a shining void.
“Raphael. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, though it would preferably be under much better circumstances.” He smiled to lighten the mood, eating the bread with gratitude as his eyes grew heavier.
Carla yawned in solidarity, “I agree, though I thank the Lord for your fortunate arrival”. Raphael said nothing, the sentiment not shared, as finished his bread before asking “If I may ask, do you have a place for me to sleep? Even a manger would suffice at this point.”
Carla, recognizing Raphael’s knowledge of the Bible, said “We do have a stable for the horses for the villagers that you can rest in for the night. I would offer a bed inside, but as you can see…”. Raphael understood what she meant, seeing others in great pain or injury that needed rest more than him.
“It’s more than enough, thank you very much”. Raphael went to exit the church before turning and asking, “If I may once again, what kind of attacks has everyone so scared? I doubt there is much reason for people, let alone a ferocious animal to try and attack this place”.
Sister Carla appeared apprehensive, mumbling under her breath to him to not be heard by others, “People were saying there are demons out in the forest, that took people away in the night.” He can tell she believes it, as he considers his own strange encounter that he managed to escape from just earlier in the day. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokuNVa1VWk
Raphael replied, “Well, be sure to sleep well inside. I’ll be staying in town to earn some money for my travels, so if there’s anything else I can help out with, please let me know.” 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNu8tvLTBCH
Carla warmly smiled at Raphael’s calm sincerity, saying “I’ll be sure to let you know. May the Lord be with you.” Raphael watched her go back inside. He was still uncomfortable with the church but happy to have a place to sleep and do good for a day.
He headed out into the darkened night, following the faintest bits of moonlight that shined ever so faintly. Arriving at a stable, the familiar smell of horses and hay hit him with a warm comfort. He walked inside, keeping himself near the entrance to not venture too deep in and spook the horses. Hay piles were plentiful with the stable; the village had at least something going for it. He gathered up as much as he could before lying down and sleeping, the blood loss and work getting to him as his eyes shut upon gazing at the illustrious moon.
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…………………………hungry, more, blood, more, blood, hungry, more, hungry, more. Blood. The nectar of life slowly pumped throughout her body, as she stumbled through brush and dirt, the pain in her feet overwhelming her. The pain of hunger superseded all other thoughts, though there weren’t any left, only instinct and primal drive. The last vestiges of energy found by chance spurned her to move. The smell lingered, inviting her to quench the infinite thirst; the tantalizing vapor promising relief to the torment.
She stumbled, falling down, alerting a badger that wandered by. It stared with fear, a primordial essence in its view that it knew to fear despite not knowing what it is. The fear came too late, as she bit into the badger, draining it of its blood while it squirmed in its final moments. Revitalizing her, the blood lingered in her mouth, filling her eternally cold body with fleeting warmth.
She walked further and further, the pleasant scent guiding her path. As she walked, the scent became harsher and thicker, the sweetness of it mixed with an acridity that seemed familiar. Smoke filled her nose, and she could see a bright orange glow in the darkened night sky, and hear from a distance the sounds of screams. She remembered nothing, but already knew, as certain as the color of the moon and the changing of the seasons, that this was where the blood could be found.
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Not long ago, the air shook as a cacophonous crack shattered the silence of the night. The flames bursting within the forest quickly died as the force of the wind snuffed them out before they could catch onto anything. From above the forest, the crystallized fragments of blood scattered, numerous in quantity, speed and direction. Larger fragments flew away faster, as the tiny dredges were left to fall close by, relatively speaking. The smallest of these resembled a large pumpkin in size, which was jettisoned in whatever direction chance took it.
The pig pen was still, its tenants paying no rent nor mind as they slept. A tremor awakened them all, as they squealed in surprise. Their fervor called the equally awake farmer, as he corralled them as best as possible. He wondered what the deal was, as he couldn’t see what had caused the sound despite his searching. After some time keeping the pigs calm, he returned to his rest, unaware of the large crystal wedged into the roof of the pen.
In the morning as the farmer’s obliviousness persisted, upset over the state the town found itself in, those no-good devils lurking in the forest mucking things up for the hard-working folk of Zori. The day turned to evening, as the farmer returned to his abode in peace. His shoddy pig pen however could rest no longer, as the gem’s beckoning by gravity broke the roof and landed in the corner of the pen. One of the porcine residents of the pen sniffed with curiosity and hunger, his meals having been inadequate as of late.
It stared as the strange thing, the hunger growing and gnawing in the prescence of the newfound visitor. The gem crumbled from a simple nibble, as the pig continued to eat the gem, as it filled the empty stomach and then some.
The other pigs in the pen moved away from the corner, as they instinctively recognized something that was not their kind. They saw something resembling a fellow porcine finish it’s meal, as it grew larger. The skin pulled and tore, revealing muscle underneath that grew and twitched. Hooves broke and shattered, with new small appendages formed from where they were resembling long, sharp, keratin fingers. The creature grew in size, as the throat warped and twisted like it was being pulled like taffy, as a voice emerged in the dark pen, speaking with an eternal hunger, “I won’t die here”.
Artur could hear the wailing of his pigs; they sounded even more hoarse than last night. He pulled himself up to go see what was happening, bringing his last good candle with him to make sure he didn’t miss anything this time around. He could hear the cries, as they slowly died down, almost one by one. He found this confusing, his tired state not wanting to deal with this. Opening the pen, he heard no more wailing, and he wondered what had happened. The illuminating flame before him, he stepped inside, as he saw one of his pigs clearly dead. Its insides were open for all to see, with its head not being visibly connected to the rest of the body, coated in a cape of its own blood. Artur stared in horror, as he turned the candle, seeing other carcasses in the pen. He tried to reason what fiend could have done this, before hearing a loud crunch that rattles his bones. The sound of munching continues as Artur dares not step closer. It swiftly stops. He heard a thud, the smell of blood filling the pen, and he felt the ground shake. From the edge of the light given by his lowly candle, he saw only a dark red snout and two massive fangs. He cannot scream, as a pain in his throat sealed his breath, and his vision faded forever.
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Raphael’s dreams brought him little comfort; the imagery of the past only reminding him of despair he held too close to his heart. A sharp sound cut his slumber, as he heard screaming in the distance. Pulling himself up to see what was going on, he ventured out of the stable, seeing the orange glow of flame from the other side of the small town. Sounds of indiscernible panic and commotion washed over his ears as he quickly grabs his satchel and run to help anyone who needed it.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOnhfLKecf
The sounds grew in intensity and fear as he spot a fire from a farm on the further side of the town, along with more homes and buildings burning. He quickly asked a woman fleeing, “What’s happening? Is anyone hurt?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRShhS9gMy
The woman only says as she runs, not wanting to turn around, “DEMON, DEMON!!” She runs away, not following anyone, with her feet as her only guide to salvation.
The ground began to shake from something approached, the reverberations in the earth belying the weight of what cometh. Raphael spotted some of the militiamen gathered as they look for the approaching calamity. He could feel the rumbling growing from the direction of a nearby home, as it burst apart, with splinters, debris and stone flying everywhere, hitting some men in the process.
After shielding his eyes from any projectiles, he turned his gaze towards an abomination. A corpulent body that was the size of a one story, one room home, with arms and legs that resembled a human, but a torso and head that appeared porcine, muscular with pulsing, visible veins, and two massive fangs, with rows of sharpened teeth to accompany them. Raphael felt the blood in his body drain, as much as when he was bitten earlier in the day. His heart stopped the moment he heard the sounds from the mouth of the monstrosity, “I won’t die here”.
The words chilled his soul as his breath froze in his mouth, and the mouths of the militia men nearby. The creature immediately grabbed a man with its keratin fingers, bringing him to its maw. The other militia men tried piercing the skin of the fiend with whatever instruments they had, to little effect, as it swiftly bit into the man’s torso, draining him of his blood as he was bisected. Raphael’s fear overwhelmed him; the sounds and sights threatening to collapse his mind. Drawing what fortitude remained upon witnessing such horror, Raphael thought about what lay before him.
The creature appeared hungry, but not smart enough to walk around obstacles. It repeated the phrase it spoke, almost like a mantra, as Raphael saw in the eyes of evil that there was only instinct, no sense of deliberation or malice behind it. On the back of the creature’s arm was lodged debris that appeared impaled into the flesh, that was burning away at it. He looked around at the state of the burning town, as the other militia men could do nothing to stop the evil before them. He looked at the creature; its hunger reminding him of the woman-thing he met earlier. Quickly taking his dagger and cutting his arm to draw blood, he presented it to the creature and said, “You want some blood, come and get it”.
The abomination swallowed the meat it had devoured, with the other half of the poor man being forgotten about and discarded with a wet flop onto the ground. It turned to focus towards the meal that offered itself to him. Raphael saw it had its unbridled attention, the hunger in its eyes looking for its new meal, and he turned to sprint as fast as humanly possible. The creature gave chase, as Raphael bolted away from any people he could, as he turned to put a burning house between himself and the creature, his maneuverability being the only thing held in advantage over the creature. He turned his head to look back, as he saw the creature barrel through the house, catching fire on its skin along with debris damaging the exposed muscle. It was better than nothing, as Raphael hoped that the rest of the townspeople were fleeing, otherwise his stunt would be pointless.
He continued to run, moving around homes the monster destroyed in its charging. He could tell it was taking damage and slowing down, as the words “I won’t die here” repeated with every missed catch of the fleeing human, and the creature's flesh appeared to be burning across its body. But the chase persisted; he was running out of breath. There were no more buildings left to lure the creature into, where was once a village was now merely cinders and conflagration. Raphael saw he was out of options. The creature stared him down and repeated its mantra, as he told to himself, “I wish I could say the same”.
Raphael pulled out his daggers. He could barely stand, but buying time was all he could do. The creature charged at him, as Raphael pivoted to side-step the creature’s charge, slashing at exposed muscle. The cut wasn’t deep, but blood was drawn, as he noted that anything that bleeds can die. Placing his bets on the creature’s lack of intelligence, he prepared for another charge. The creature stared back at him, raising its human-like arms as best it can in its quadrupedal form, aiming to grab him.
The traveler braced himself, before seeing the creature stop, falling back to the ground, as it roared in pain. He noted the lack of previous response from being set on fire and running into wooden structures, and can only guess as to what happened now.
From the back of the creature a figure could be seen on its hind leg, piercing the flesh with sharpened, gnarled fangs. Raphael recognized the woman from before, as he also sees behind her what appear to be the bodies of a man and woman. The creature bellowed in pain as the woman climbed into its back with unnatural movement and speed. The monstrosity appeared too preoccupied to remember his presence; he thanks the chance he’s been given as he moves away.
The fire and smoke are thankfully thinned by the evening autumn breeze, as Raphael checks on the pair of people on the ground. He immediately recognizes the signs of death, as their bodies are pale, with puncture marks on the necks, similar to those on his arm. He is sorrowful at the loss of life, but it is cut short by the roars of the creature.
The woman from the forest continued to bite into the abomination, the blood draining from it slowly but surely, as her movements increased with every gnash of teeth upon flesh. The mere human witnessed the abnormalities fight each other, though is certain that the woman is the more manageable threat; as the pig-like creature being more dangerous in his eyes. The pig-fiend manages to grab the woman, lifting her up with both of its hands and slamming her into the ground, before hammering her body with its fists.
She looked even closer to death than before. Her body should have been crushed completely into pieces, but she remained intact. She slowly pulled up her head, aiming her fangs at the creature before bursting into an unnatural leap onto the creature's back once more. The creature snarled and bucked trying to get her off, as she thrust her clawed nails into its muscles, breaking the vessels that carried the tantalizing nectar. She drank from the wound while the creature tried to throw her off, but her hunger was stronger than her prey. As the wound slowed in its release of blood, the woman dug her claws into the flesh further, and began tearing into it more and more, devouring as much as she could.
Raphael saw the woman leap onto the monstrosity’s back, before disappearing from sight, as the enraged and panicked creature thrashed violently. Its person-sized arms swung into whatever direction they could, as Raphael ducked to avoid them.
The battle between bloodthirsty beasts was beyond the scope of comprehension. The creature begin to roll on its back to try and crush the woman now trying to claw and crawl inside its body. Raphael felt the flames around them growing more and more as the buildings formed an infernal cage. He dashed around the creature, making sure to keep within its gaze while positioning himself in front of a burning house. He ducked again to avoid being grabbed by the flailing grasp of the monster, as its arm smashed through the building. The creature’s arm caught flame while sending the burning debris away, making an exit for Raphael to run, a grin forming from his escape and his clever scheme. He turned to look as the creature continue to shake itself to get the woman out. It thrusts its claws into its own torso, spattering blood and yanking the woman out by force.
The woman splattered to the ground, covered in viscera, sinew and blood. The damage taken not stopped her hunger, as she licked the blood that painted her body crimson. Her eyes focused on the inside of the creature. It called to her, pieces torn apart that seek reunion. She saw the human she drew blood from, that tore her away from the gentle end of death. His blood is invigorating, but nothing compared to her target.
The man moved as the creature approached her, and he attacked it at the wound it made upon itself, having dived underneath its legs. The woman saw him see her prize, as she would have it, and no one else. She grabbed the creature by its snout as it panicked, clawing away at its eyes and blinding it, the ruptured flesh coated with blood. The creature grabbed her again, as it felt indescribable pain from its torso.
Raphael knew that killing the creature meant having to reach its internal organs, as he got a chance to reach them by diving underneath it. Staring above him, he saw the inside of the flesh of the creature, which contained a crystal the size of a small chest. The gem appeared to be part of the body itself, with veins connected right to it, pulsing it and out, which defied all logic that Raphael could muster. He stabbed at the veins, causing the creature to roar in pain, lifting itself so it could grab him. Keratin fingers wrapped around Raphael, as they crushed him in their grasp, his breath growing even thinner than before and his bones begin to strain. He tried to muster any ounce of strength to break free, but his arms were caught, and he felt the edges of his vision turn from the orange glow to a stark black.
The woman saw the creature lose focus on her despite being partially blinded; this was opportunity. Her prize was within reach, as she ran right towards it, thrusting her arm inside the creature, grabbing a hold of the gem. She pulled with all her might, the weakened veins tearing like cut string. The gems were dislodged from the creature as its roar echoed across the flames. Its grip on the man released, and both of them fell to the ground. A weak scream bellowed from the hollowed out abdomen of the creature, pieces of it's flesh falling off of it's form. What few strands of flesh connected to the gem pulsed, as they glowed red and throbbed violently. The creature's body oscillated violently, large cracks could be heard alongside wet scraping noises. It's form appeared to shrink, no, compressed, growing smaller and smaller with uncontrollable force. An implosion of the massive corpulence swiftly ended, as the meat that once made up with monstrosity seemed to merge within the red jewel the woman held. Only the roar of flames could be heard, it's culprit long longer of this world.
Raphael coughed, his breath knocked out from the impact of landing onto the ground, and there wasn’t as much left thanks to the smoke. As took into a deep breath beneath the smoke, he pulled himself up, and saw the woman from the forest holding the strange crystal in her grasp. He could say nothing as he watched her gaze into it, almost transfixed, the one blue eye alight with hunger and need. She bit into it, as it broke apart in her grasp and was devoured before his very eyes.
The woman finished it all as Raphael watched as she then bit into whatever remained of the creature’s body. She feasted on it, as Raphael watched, fear urging to flee, and observation noting what occurred. He noticed that the flesh wasn’t the goal, but the blood, as the woman drank what she could and licked the fresh wounds. But the most intriguing of all was the woman’s form, as the hag-like appearance grew slightly softer, as the stark white hair grew shade or two darker, and the skin and muscles regained just the slightest bit of vitality to them. Raphael's curiosity was put on hold; his instincts moved his legs before his mind could tell them where to go, as he ran from the burning town of Zori, not looking back at all.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IRVgSUPRa
The woman felt relief, as her meal was more satisfying than she could ever remember. She tried to remember such a meal, but there was little. She tried thinking, but only found hunger. She tried thinking and was thinking about thinking. She thought about her thinking about thinking, as she didn’t know what to do. She thought about her meal, as the gem was satisfying, and at that moment she didn’t feel hungry. But the hunger was eternal, and she thought about where to get more blood. The man she saw had more, as she smelled the air, the smoke clouded her nostrils, but she instinctively knew, at least within the last minute she always knew, that she would always find her prey.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JvPxejh0V
Raphael ran as fast as he could. He looped around to check on the church to see if anyone was okay. He saw that the church was also ablaze, spotting footprints; it seemed likely people had already fled the building. Looking to see if anyone was still inside, the roof collapsed in front him, answering the question for him. Raphael figured there’s nothing else he can do, and he ran to join up with the rest of the townspeople and plan his next move.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNpGVNwTP8
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Carla’s legs burned like hellfire, but it was better than being caught in the church. When she had heard the screams, she and the other people in the church were alerted, as they saw the inferno that had consumed the town. The unholy roars shook them to the core while they retreated inside the church for protection. Some had prayed for protection while others stood on guard. She heard the sounds of panic from within the church, finding around a corner what appeared to be a husk of an old woman feasting upon a young boy’s throat, the blood draining from his body as the last of his breath was expelled. She and others fled or tried to fight the old woman, but from what Carla could only hear as she ran, no one was fortunate enough to survive. Seeing flames engulf the church from the inside, she silently prayed that God was still watching them as Father Dragomir grabbed her and began to run. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hEPgRUyNZ
Other people from the town had also fled to the forest, as they tiredly collected themselves. The flames burned on and on. No one had any idea what to do. Father Dragomir tiredly tried to lead them in prayer, as Sister Carla noticed from the corner of her eye a ragged figure; it was Raphael, whom he thought was still at the stable. She hurriedly went to help him as he is wearily walked and looked exhausted and brusied. His legs gave out from under him, as she grabbed him and asks, “Are you alright? Is this your blood?”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZe8p0GOdg
Raphael could barely stare at Carla. He coughed and breathed in and out as much as he can to take in the fresh air. He took a while before saying with a raspy voice, “Monster, something in the town, killed everyone, another one killed it, a woman”. Carla looked at him with both confusion and yet possible familiarity in his story.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sP6t2Hcm6
Carla told him, “Can you stand, there are others that might need aid right now”. She tended to him and let him sit, seeing that his wounds are minimal compared to his sheer exhaustion. 13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gXo0KA7qD
“Not, now, need, breath.” Raphael replied hoarsely and tiredly, closing his eyes but trying to stay awake regardless.
Carla pulled him to a tree to rest, as the townspeople clearly wondered about an outsider on the same day as a massive fire. She could hear their worries, stating aloud, “He was with me in the church for the whole day, and only left just before the fire. And what good would it serve for him to come to use had he been the cause of the fire?” The townspeople, already trusting in her goodwill, struggle to counter her reasoning, with only their emotions left to guide their decisions.
Raphael caught his breath, but even in his half-conscious mind, he still felt like the gaze of the old woman was upon him. The townspeople left him alone, out of more concern from themselves and mistrust. He tried his best to stay awake, forcing himself to breathe, as the beating of his heart was almost audible, the engine of life continued to thrum and thump in his chest as his thoughts repeated over what he had witnessed. The fresh air lightened the burning of his lungs, but made his eyelids heavier, and the gentle rest soon overtook him.
Peaceful moments felt like eternity as Raphael’s consciousness laid in darkness, Eternity met its end upon shrill shrieking. He awoke instinctually, his body lagging behind his alerted mind. He saw the old woman, as she was biting into Sister Carla, whose screaming had awoken him. He looked around to see none of the other townspeople nearby, the night was still going, and Carla seemed alone. His legs could barely move, as the burning pain pierced his mind, telling him to stop. But time held no regard for safety, and neither did Raphael, as he pulled himself up to tackle the old woman off of Carla.
The two of them fell to the ground. Raphael pushed himself upright, only to see the old woman glaring at him from above before he stand, her fanged teeth dripping with blood and her one visible blue eye glaring at him. Raphael could see Carla from the corner of his eye, clutching her neck She had lost blood, but didn’t appear to be losing that much. His eyes however were focused on the old woman, as he could hear Carla say in pained breaths, “Vampire”.
The term wasn’t unfamiliar to Raphael, the superstition having even made its way to his own home in France. But to see a creature that resembled a human and sought the destruction of the living could only bring forth that superstition now of all times. Raphael could only remain frozen in his terror, and his heart stopped as the woman spoke, “I won’t die here”.
He had no idea what to make of it, the words he heard from the pig-like abomination coming from this creature. He tried to rationalize it, was it copying what it heard, was it a coincidence, did it mean what it said? The vampire looked at him; it clearly was aiming to feast, as Raphael heard it say “Need. Blood. Hungry.” He could sense something in that moment, as the vampire turned away from him to focus on the more appetizing Carla.
Raphael grabbed her arm to pull her back, screaming “Carla, run!” Carla, the fear of God in her eyes, quivered in terror, but Raphael’s command was enough to break her paralysis, as she bolted off into parts unknown. Raphael could now see the orange glow of flames in the distance being nearly dissipated entirely, indicating he was out for some time. The vampire stared at him in confusion, as it grabbed his arm and swung him, tossing him towards the ground. Raphael’s breath was knocked out of him for the second time that night, as the vampire looked at him. He could see it’s one good eye, the now slightly thicker hair covering still the other, as it aimed to finish its meal.
Moments felt like they passed for infinity, as Raphael considered what he saw. He had forsaken the God that never spoke to him, but considering if he was going to heaven or hell, he would at least gamble everything anyway. Pulling out his dagger, Raphael cut his non-bandaged arm and told the creature, “Take my blood, no one else’s.”
The vampire appeared confused, as it turned to chase after Carla, but Raphael grabbed its arms, looking it dead in the eye, a sense of recognition from creature to creature. The vampire spoke again, “Need. Blood. Hungry.”
Raphael offered his blood once again, stating “Stay away from her, take mine.” He hoped to buy enough time for Carla to get away, though given the vampire’s abilities, he wasn’t sure if any good would come out of it. He saw the vampire look him over, as it said “Blood, weak” as he could sense frustration from it, as it appeared to determine the quality of its victims. Raphael could tell his body was weak, and thus was clearly not a good meal form such a creature.
This revelation gave way to a dark epiphany, as Raphael resigned himself to his fate, telling the vampire, “I’m hungry, I’m weak. You feed me, I feed you.” The vampire looked at him, as Raphael made no attempt to flee, though he couldn’t anyways. The vampire swiftly began sucking the blood out of him, as he held his arm to slow the supply of blood. The vampire snarled at him, as Raphael could tell the bare minimum of intelligence was present, as he repeated to it, “You feed me, I feed you”.
Silence echoed in the dark forest, as the orange glow in the distance died out, leaving only Raphael, the vampire, and the stars that witnessed their encounter. The vampire tried repeating the words, as though insinuating meaning from them, “You feed me, I feed you”.
The vampire slowly stopped the aggression. Raphael repeated and confirmed the words, “You feed me, I feed you.” Both of them slowly held any actions. The vampire repeated the words, its eye appearing to lose vacancy. Raphael held his breath as he saw the vampire collapse on the ground, as he did not see breathing, but that clearly didn’t stop the creature before. His eyelids felt heavy once again as his heart slowed it’s beating, and the darkness of the forest’s night brought him to sleep.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpI0AMbctA1
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