He’d been travelling for about a day now and the road had turned from dirt to cobble. Dyonaigus reasoned that with the clear sight lines along it, he could probably dash into one of the drainage ditches if he saw anyone coming. That and it quickly became apparent that walking along the forest 30 yards away from the road would be too hard. That and too suspicious if anyone saw him, the main problem. Luckily for him, the only people he had come across were the occasional merchant and wandering citizen or traveller. He'd even managed to camp with a wine merchant in one of the prepared camping spots by the side of the road at night. They’d been quite friendly and had even given him a few tips on how to hide his horns better under his cloak after he spotted them.
The followers of Calsyniacus could truly be found anywhere…
They’d even been so kind as to offer him a ride on their cart. Which was speeding up this last little stretch by quite a lot. The two guards riding on horseback also helped with the sense of security he was now feeling.
But there was something else mixed in there.
A constant nagging feeling in his gut whenever he looked around and realised, he was the furthest away from home that he’d ever been. A full day out from his house, everyone he knew, and not knowing what could have happened to them, with no way of finding out soon. While he was never in love with Petillia, he felt a little pain in his heart when he thought about what the fate of her, and all of the other people could be who attended the mysteries if they were caught. It could be that the troops were going to stop anyone from worshipping via the mysteries or it could be…
He shook his head, trying to throw that thought out and all of its horrible connotations. If the prince did anything like that surely, he’d have his position removed and the state would be turned into a council-ruled one rather than a princedom. Even he as a rural artisan could see it. Though, that was only if the senate respected the mysteries as they did all the other methods of worship…
However, the contemplative silence was finally lifted as the merchant sighed. His black hair and weathered dark olive skin stood out against his lighter-skinned, blond-haired guards.
“What is it?” Dyonaigus asked.
The merchant sighed, “These guards are going to cut into my profits and the margin on this load isn’t good to start with…”
He thought for a moment, “Why do you need them? Did you come from over the border?”
“Yes but…” He sighed again, “Usually I don’t need them past the border from Crajka into the republic. But this crackdown that the prince is doing is drawing all the foot patrols off of the roads. I’ve even heard a set of bandits managed to cross the border without those patrols keeping it safe. So, I extended these guys’ contracts to be safe. I swear, there are only three princedom states in the republic and they’re the only ones who make these sudden and rash decisions. The mass of old people arguing over whenever to prioritise local funding for the roads, or the bathhouses seems rather nice in comparison…”
“I suppose I’ll see what those places are like soon then…”
“If you ever get the chance, go to the Kingdom of Cudesh. It isn’t what the locals call it, they have their own language. But there are enough people who know the civilised tongue in the ports for you to survive. Though it’s quite far away, I only got to go once when I used to work for a large guild. They’re also one of the few other places that appreciate the pantheons left in this world.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind if I ever get the money for passage then!”
He chuckled, “I don’t doubt a demigod could gather the funds or convince someone to let them come aboard for such a trip. Though if you wanna look, there is Pygus right over there!”
He pointed straight ahead to a mass of buildings and walls the likes of which Dyonaigus had never seen before. Surrounded by amber rolling hills and all built against a cove of water that led out into…
He’d never quite believed the others when they said how beautiful the sea was and just how blue it was! The perfect turquoise colour under the blue skies was so… beautiful…
There was even a sort of bridge leading from the hills down into the city! He wasn’t quite sure what it was for, but it looked nice.
It was quite amazing really how much stuff there was and how more and more details popped out as they got closer and closer. The fort upon a hill in the city going from a blob into a well-defined fortress of smooth stone and brick.
All culminating with the gate and its guards coming into view. With its doors wide open and other people and wagons freely flowing through it.
A new pit started to grow in his stomach as he unconsciously gripped his cloak.
“Don’t do that lad,” the merchant muttered, “it’ll only make you more suspicious.”
His grip loosened as he took a breath, trying to settle himself and his face. Trying to embody a tired yet awed traveller.
All those moments up to them arriving at the gate were just pure anxiety. All culminating with the cart stopping and the merchant handing a piece of paper over to the guards. “Just picked up a fellow citizen who was coming this way.” The merchant explained.
“Their name?” A guard asked.
“Dyonaigus Appius” Dyo replied, not leaving a second between the question and the answer.
They nodded, went around the cart, briefly looked everyone up and down, and handed the paper back.
Then the Circuitusati just let them through. The cart moving along again as it passed through the gate.
I can’t believe they took that name without any issue…
But now here he was, inside of the city of Pygus. The port and capital of the province.
The street in front of him was just simply overwhelming. Multi-story buildings lined the streets reaching up to three or four stories high with shops on their bottom floors and relaxed people leaning out of windows above. All encased in white or beige plaster. People and horses milled about along the street, with a low yet constant air of activity filling the atmosphere. So far, he’d managed to count over fifty faces in total all scattered about.
The merchant nudged him, “We’re here then, right at the largest city in this part of the republic. It’s no Emor but it’s still impressive. There are no beggars on street corners either since the cult of Hermia takes care of them in the alms-house- Oh! And remember to use the public toilets when you need to, this isn’t the countryside. That pack of coins you have should be able to get you a night and some food too.”
“Wait, beggars!?”
The merchant raised an eyebrow before a wave of understanding passed over him. “Ahhh, yes, you rural folks don’t tend to get them, there are people with no homes and work here, but they get food and shelter from the cult unlike in cities outside of the republic. And tell you what? I’ll get you some lunch actually, you probably have no clue what to look for when you want it.”
“I-“ Dyonaigus stuttered, “but you said you weren’t getting a lot of money from this trip!?”
“Ah, it’s only two Flosaens, come!”
He hopped off of his cart and parked it by the side of the road as his guards moved to look after the cart, Dyo following after.
The merchant made his way up to a cove on the bottom floor of one of the buildings with a soup bowl sign hanging over it. Inside was an array of brick stoves with various iron and copper pots set on boils with lids on. On a wooden board was a set of messy prices, pictures and foods all listed out that Dyo could barely read with his limited knowledge.
As they approached the red-faced vendor smiled, greeting the merchant as the two started to chat. A small set of coins exchanged hands for two bowls filled with a simple stew.
“I tell you; this man has been running this popinae for years and he makes some of the best stews in the city for when you’ve finished your long journey. Have this, give it to him once you’re finished and I’d suggest you then go down there and find yourself a nice inn there.” The merchant pointed down a street leading northwest. “Good luck lad.”
It had turned out that finding an inn was going to be more difficult than he first expected it to be.
He’d passed by tons of shops, workshops, bathhouses, toilets, apartments and even a few small plazas and parks but it seemed like he was blind when it came to finding somewhere to stay the night.
In retrospect, he could have probably asked one of the many people milling about the street, or sitting at tables outside their apartments chatting with friends. They’d probably would have known somewhere for him to go. A lot more than the cold bricks he was looking at now at least.
To be honest to himself it was starting to worry him.
And through that growing anxiety he had decided to try down a dark disused alleyway. Where deep in there lurked a sorry sight.
A person huddled deep in a cloak that made it impossible to make anything out about him. A rat was huddled beside him, a rat with weird, red eyes…
Dyonaigus crept closer. His mind was starting to search through his memory as a chime of remembrance echoed.
It seemed to be a man, and not a very large one, about the same height as him. But still, that cloak disguised the rest of his features.
The rat next to the man squeaked, causing them to finally look up.
And as their eyes met, Dyonaigus realised what the man was.
A vampire. A son of the offspring of the northern death god, eternally cursed and blessed. Eternal life where one could not experience the simple pleasures like one normally could. One where they were forced to consume others to sustain themselves. A presumably easy task in a large city with alleyways like this but…
This one’s face and body were gaunt as they looked up at Dyonaigus, fear seemingly in his eyes as they fought their body. Presumably from lunging forward to Dyonaigus, but why was it resisting it!? They were alone and isolated, why!? He'd be an easy target right now.
A nagging feeling in his head screamed at him to run or to turn the thing into a mess of briars before it killed him, but he too held back.
They seemed to be about his age too, he could make that out despite their withered condition. Bone white skin, red eyes and raven black hair unlike anything he’d ever seen before.
The two of them stared at each other for a bit longer, enamoured, scared and stunned in equal portions.
“You should go…” They rasped, “I can’t control my hunger and I’m fine to die here…”
What?
He swallowed, “Are you a vampire?”
“Yes,” they snapped, their eyes darting away, “I hate it, I don’t need you to remind me of it as I die, and you should stay safe by going away!”
Its voice was raspy with a thick accent that Dyonaigus had never heard before with all of their pronunciation a little off. But… Despite his better judgement, he got closer. After all this death he had seen yesterday he felt the need to do something that could help someone.
The vampire recoiled backwards, clasping his hand over his nose, “Don’t!” He yelped, “I-I can’t stop myself from feeding when I’m this hungry! I-“
“Can you stop when you’ve had enough?”
“W-wha-“
“Can you stop feeding on me once you’ve had enough to drink, or do you keep going until I die?”
Their eyes flicked to his again, they widened and trembled as he processed it. They then swallowed, “I can stop, I-I think…”
He started to unbutton his doublet and shirt, shifting them off of one shoulder. “If you need to, I’m ready.”
They swallowed, “N-no… I-I shouldn’t live on. I’m a monster that eats people! I’m-“
“You can have some blood from me. I’m offering it to you willingly. I- I want to talk to you more and I can’t do that if you’re going to die of starvation. You can get back to dying after that if you still want to. Just… Don’t drink all of it and let me help you.”
They eyed him for a moment, gripping themselves. But then that grip loosened.
In a flash they were on him, large fangs puncturing into his flesh and causing searing pain to sprout across his upper body. A steady stream of blood being sucked up by the vampire. The pain made adrenaline pump through him as his mind started to panic, the urge to use his powers to get the thing off of him right now calling to him. But he couldn’t murder an innocent person like that. Well- He probably wasn’t innocent...
He looked down at the mop of raven-black hair over his shoulder.
It all made sense then why they wanted to die, if they had had to kill innocents just to live, given that the three people he killed in self-defence made him sick.
But as it drank and he started to feel woozy, he could feel something else along with the pain.
Hot tears dripping onto his shoulder.
And that was the last thing he felt before blacking out, as the jaws of the thing finally let loose.
WhiteRose-BlueSpace
He’d been travelling for about a day now and the road had turned from dirt to cobble. Dyonaigus reasoned that with the clear sight lines along it, he could probably dash into one of the drainage ditches if he saw anyone coming. That and it quickly became apparent that walking along the forest 30 yards away from the road would be too hard. That and too suspicious if anyone saw him, the main problem. Luckily for him, the only people he had come across were the occasional merchant and wandering citizen or traveller. He'd even managed to camp with a wine merchant in one of the prepared camping spots by the side of the road at night. They’d been quite friendly and had even given him a few tips on how to hide his horns better under his cloak after he spotted them.
The followers of Calsyniacus could truly be found anywhere…
They’d even been so kind as to offer him a ride on their cart. Which was speeding up this last little stretch by quite a lot. The two guards riding on horseback also helped with the sense of security he was now feeling.
But there was something else mixed in there.
A constant nagging feeling in his gut whenever he looked around and realised, he was the furthest away from home that he’d ever been. A full day out from his house, everyone he knew, and not knowing what could have happened to them, with no way of finding out soon. While he was never in love with Petillia, he felt a little pain in his heart when he thought about what the fate of her, and all of the other people could be who attended the mysteries if they were caught. It could be that the troops were going to stop anyone from worshipping via the mysteries or it could be…
He shook his head, trying to throw that thought out and all of its horrible connotations. If the prince did anything like that surely, he’d have his position removed and the state would be turned into a council-ruled one rather than a princedom. Even he as a rural artisan could see it. Though, that was only if the senate respected the mysteries as they did all the other methods of worship…
However, the contemplative silence was finally lifted as the merchant sighed. His black hair and weathered dark olive skin stood out against his lighter-skinned, blond-haired guards.
“What is it?” Dyonaigus asked.
The merchant sighed, “These guards are going to cut into my profits and the margin on this load isn’t good to start with…”
He thought for a moment, “Why do you need them? Did you come from over the border?”
“Yes but…” He sighed again, “Usually I don’t need them past the border from Crajka into the republic. But this crackdown that the prince is doing is drawing all the foot patrols off of the roads. I’ve even heard a set of bandits managed to cross the border without those patrols keeping it safe. So, I extended these guys’ contracts to be safe. I swear, there are only three princedom states in the republic and they’re the only ones who make these sudden and rash decisions. The mass of old people arguing over whenever to prioritise local funding for the roads, or the bathhouses seems rather nice in comparison…”
“I suppose I’ll see what those places are like soon then…”
“If you ever get the chance, go to the Kingdom of Cudesh. It isn’t what the locals call it, they have their own language. But there are enough people who know the civilised tongue in the ports for you to survive. Though it’s quite far away, I only got to go once when I used to work for a large guild. They’re also one of the few other places that appreciate the pantheons left in this world.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind if I ever get the money for passage then!”
He chuckled, “I don’t doubt a demigod could gather the funds or convince someone to let them come aboard for such a trip. Though if you wanna look, there is Pygus right over there!”
He pointed straight ahead to a mass of buildings and walls the likes of which Dyonaigus had never seen before. Surrounded by amber rolling hills and all built against a cove of water that led out into…
He’d never quite believed the others when they said how beautiful the sea was and just how blue it was! The perfect turquoise colour under the blue skies was so… beautiful…
There was even a sort of bridge leading from the hills down into the city! He wasn’t quite sure what it was for, but it looked nice.
It was quite amazing really how much stuff there was and how more and more details popped out as they got closer and closer. The fort upon a hill in the city going from a blob into a well-defined fortress of smooth stone and brick.
All culminating with the gate and its guards coming into view. With its doors wide open and other people and wagons freely flowing through it.
A new pit started to grow in his stomach as he unconsciously gripped his cloak.
“Don’t do that lad,” the merchant muttered, “it’ll only make you more suspicious.”
His grip loosened as he took a breath, trying to settle himself and his face. Trying to embody a tired yet awed traveller.
All those moments up to them arriving at the gate were just pure anxiety. All culminating with the cart stopping and the merchant handing a piece of paper over to the guards. “Just picked up a fellow citizen who was coming this way.” The merchant explained.
“Their name?” A guard asked.
“Dyonaigus Appius” Dyo replied, not leaving a second between the question and the answer.
They nodded, went around the cart, briefly looked everyone up and down, and handed the paper back.
Then the Circuitusati just let them through. The cart moving along again as it passed through the gate.
I can’t believe they took that name without any issue…
But now here he was, inside of the city of Pygus. The port and capital of the province.
The street in front of him was just simply overwhelming. Multi-story buildings lined the streets reaching up to three or four stories high with shops on their bottom floors and relaxed people leaning out of windows above. All encased in white or beige plaster. People and horses milled about along the street, with a low yet constant air of activity filling the atmosphere. So far, he’d managed to count over fifty faces in total all scattered about.
The merchant nudged him, “We’re here then, right at the largest city in this part of the republic. It’s no Emor but it’s still impressive. There are no beggars on street corners either since the cult of Hermia takes care of them in the alms-house- Oh! And remember to use the public toilets when you need to, this isn’t the countryside. That pack of coins you have should be able to get you a night and some food too.”
“Wait, beggars!?”
The merchant raised an eyebrow before a wave of understanding passed over him. “Ahhh, yes, you rural folks don’t tend to get them, there are people with no homes and work here, but they get food and shelter from the cult unlike in cities outside of the republic. And tell you what? I’ll get you some lunch actually, you probably have no clue what to look for when you want it.”
“I-“ Dyonaigus stuttered, “but you said you weren’t getting a lot of money from this trip!?”
“Ah, it’s only two Flosaens, come!”
He hopped off of his cart and parked it by the side of the road as his guards moved to look after the cart, Dyo following after.
The merchant made his way up to a cove on the bottom floor of one of the buildings with a soup bowl sign hanging over it. Inside was an array of brick stoves with various iron and copper pots set on boils with lids on. On a wooden board was a set of messy prices, pictures and foods all listed out that Dyo could barely read with his limited knowledge.
As they approached the red-faced vendor smiled, greeting the merchant as the two started to chat. A small set of coins exchanged hands for two bowls filled with a simple stew.
“I tell you; this man has been running this popinae for years and he makes some of the best stews in the city for when you’ve finished your long journey. Have this, give it to him once you’re finished and I’d suggest you then go down there and find yourself a nice inn there.” The merchant pointed down a street leading northwest. “Good luck lad.”
It had turned out that finding an inn was going to be more difficult than he first expected it to be.
He’d passed by tons of shops, workshops, bathhouses, toilets, apartments and even a few small plazas and parks but it seemed like he was blind when it came to finding somewhere to stay the night.
In retrospect, he could have probably asked one of the many people milling about the street, or sitting at tables outside their apartments chatting with friends. They’d probably would have known somewhere for him to go. A lot more than the cold bricks he was looking at now at least.
To be honest to himself it was starting to worry him.
And through that growing anxiety he had decided to try down a dark disused alleyway. Where deep in there lurked a sorry sight.
A person huddled deep in a cloak that made it impossible to make anything out about him. A rat was huddled beside him, a rat with weird, red eyes…
Dyonaigus crept closer. His mind was starting to search through his memory as a chime of remembrance echoed.
It seemed to be a man, and not a very large one, about the same height as him. But still, that cloak disguised the rest of his features.
The rat next to the man squeaked, causing them to finally look up.
And as their eyes met, Dyonaigus realised what the man was.
A vampire. A son of the offspring of the northern death god, eternally cursed and blessed. Eternal life where one could not experience the simple pleasures like one normally could. One where they were forced to consume others to sustain themselves. A presumably easy task in a large city with alleyways like this but…
This one’s face and body were gaunt as they looked up at Dyonaigus, fear seemingly in his eyes as they fought their body. Presumably from lunging forward to Dyonaigus, but why was it resisting it!? They were alone and isolated, why!? He'd be an easy target right now.
A nagging feeling in his head screamed at him to run or to turn the thing into a mess of briars before it killed him, but he too held back.
They seemed to be about his age too, he could make that out despite their withered condition. Bone white skin, red eyes and raven black hair unlike anything he’d ever seen before.
The two of them stared at each other for a bit longer, enamoured, scared and stunned in equal portions.
“You should go…” They rasped, “I can’t control my hunger and I’m fine to die here…”
What?
He swallowed, “Are you a vampire?”
“Yes,” they snapped, their eyes darting away, “I hate it, I don’t need you to remind me of it as I die, and you should stay safe by going away!”
Its voice was raspy with a thick accent that Dyonaigus had never heard before with all of their pronunciation a little off. But… Despite his better judgement, he got closer. After all this death he had seen yesterday he felt the need to do something that could help someone.
The vampire recoiled backwards, clasping his hand over his nose, “Don’t!” He yelped, “I-I can’t stop myself from feeding when I’m this hungry! I-“
“Can you stop when you’ve had enough?”
“W-wha-“
“Can you stop feeding on me once you’ve had enough to drink, or do you keep going until I die?”
Their eyes flicked to his again, they widened and trembled as he processed it. They then swallowed, “I can stop, I-I think…”
He started to unbutton his doublet and shirt, shifting them off of one shoulder. “If you need to, I’m ready.”
They swallowed, “N-no… I-I shouldn’t live on. I’m a monster that eats people! I’m-“
“You can have some blood from me. I’m offering it to you willingly. I- I want to talk to you more and I can’t do that if you’re going to die of starvation. You can get back to dying after that if you still want to. Just… Don’t drink all of it and let me help you.”
They eyed him for a moment, gripping themselves. But then that grip loosened.
In a flash they were on him, large fangs puncturing into his flesh and causing searing pain to sprout across his upper body. A steady stream of blood being sucked up by the vampire. The pain made adrenaline pump through him as his mind started to panic, the urge to use his powers to get the thing off of him right now calling to him. But he couldn’t murder an innocent person like that. Well- He probably wasn’t innocent...
He looked down at the mop of raven-black hair over his shoulder.
It all made sense then why they wanted to die, if they had had to kill innocents just to live, given that the three people he killed in self-defence made him sick.
But as it drank and he started to feel woozy, he could feel something else along with the pain.
Hot tears dripping onto his shoulder.
And that was the last thing he felt before blacking out, as the jaws of the thing finally let loose.
WhiteRose-BlueSpace
