My dy stares at me as we eat our breakfast. I have been noticing this is a lot tely.
Julia: What’s on your mind my dy?
Cressida: Hm? Nothing
She continues to stare. I guess I won’t get any answers out of her. Is this about yesterday? Is she thinking about how to protect me from assassins? Awww, how sweet of her. My heart gets all warm and fuzzy as I jump to conclusions about her thoughts
We continue to eat our meals in a comfortable silence until my dy suddenly speaks up
Cressida: By the way, Julia. You are to begin training Aurel and some of the guards on those new weapons you summoned. I have also summoned my finest troops, they will arrive next week, and you will train them as well.
Julia: I-I don’t think there is enough space to train so many of them together
Cressida: Do not worry about that. The guards will clear some trees outside the grounds to make enough room.
Julia: Oh… Ok.
Her eyes go to the JLTV manual lying on the table. I had brought it with me thinking I would get familiar with it if I am done with my work early. I can see it in her eyes, she is really curious about it, but doesn’t want to ask me for some reason
Julia: It's a book on how to operate a JLTV
Cressida: Hm?
Julia: You were staring at the book, so I thought…
Cressida: …
A moment ter she speaks up
Cressida: What's a “JLTV”
Julia: It's that vehicle I summoned yesterday
She doesn’t show it, but there is a hint of surprise in her tone
Cressida: What?
Julia: Ah… You didn’t see? It’s in front of the Mercedes– err the car I summoned before
She instantly gets up and starts walking briskly to the door. I follow her
Julia: Let's finish breakfast first–
She is not moving at her super speed so I can keep up with her, but it's clear she is in a hurry. Once she reaches outside she stares at the huge vehicle, almost in awe of its size. Hell even I couldn’t believe the size of this thing when I first summoned it. I mean sure It's not as big as the pnes I flew back in the Air force, but It's still pretty damn huge
Julia: Um… My dy?
Is she angry again?
Cressida: Julia!
Her eyes held fury as they locked with mine. I try to avoid her gaze, but it's of no use. UGH, we made up only yesterday! Anger is apparent in her voice as she speaks
Cressida: Do not summon such massive things without consulting me first! Is that clear?
I just nod, unable to speak. The fear of her anger pressing down on my throat, choking me of any words.
She shakes her head in frustration
Cressida: *sigh* Look, I’m not forbidding you from summoning these… objects. But when you summon something so rge, it drains you completely of your mana, and then you need time to recover. Don’t forget, you have duties here other than summoning, you are also my personal attendant, and now you also need to train my troops on the weapons you summoned
I look away not having the courage to meet her eyes
Julia: I am sorry my dy. I will inform you next time I do something like this
Cressida: At least tell me a guard was accompanying you. Don’t say you were alone
Julia: Aurel was with me my dy
Cressida: Hm. Good. You can go now and rest. You must be feeling tired after summoning this… massive… ‘car’?
Julia: JLTV, calling it a car is not that accurate. And don’t worry about me, my dy, I am ready to get back to work!
I say cheerfully putting on a smile
Cressida: Are you sure you feel fine?
Julia: Yes!
Cressida: Strange… didn’t you almost colpse the st time you summoned a smaller ‘car’? You’re certain you’re alright?
Julia: Yes I am fine, I swear! I think my mana reserves might have increased
She looks at the ground contempting something
Cressida: I must admit, I’ve never encountered someone whose magical reserves grew so dramatically. Magical reserves typically increase much more gradually…
After a moment of contemption she moves on from the thought and continues
Cressida: Whatever the cause may be, if you feel worn out at any point today, just head to your chambers and rest. No need to get permission.
God, if she keeps being so kind and gentle, my heart will just explode! As we go back to the dining room, my heart keeps fluttering with a fuzzy, warm feeling. AHHH! I hope she continues being such a sweetheart.
--------
There were mountains of papers and letters to go through today so I didn’t exactly get much time to read the JLTV manual. I might have to stay up te to read it.
Cressida: Julia?
Julia: Yes my dy?
I look up from the letter I was writing on her behalf
Cressida: Did you forget to have your lunch? It’s not my responsibility to remind you, you are an adult after all
She says calmly
Julia: I-I am s-sorry. I lost track of time
Well done Julia. You have probably apologized for the millionth time
Cressida: Hm
I quietly take my leave and head towards the dining room.
It’s another lonely lunch without my dy here… Wait when did I switch from calling her ‘Cressida’ to ‘my dy’ in my head. I think I am adapting to the life of a servant a bit too quickly.
Aurel: There you are
I turn to look back to Aurel
Julia: Hello Aurel
Aurel: My dy told me you told me you were going to train me on those ‘gun’ things
Julia: Yes, we will begin training after I have my lunch
Aurel Don't worry
She pulls a chair beside me and sits
Aurel: Take your time
She watches me as I eat, which is super weird and uncomfortable. I try my best to ignore her
Julia: Aren’t you going to eat?
Aurel: I like to drink only at night, in my room
Julia: Oh… You should join me for dinner then
Aurel: I work pretty te. You will be asleep by the time I eat dinner
Julia: Oh…
-------------
???: I am Tristan Moonstone, head of the Cowper Estate’s guard
A man taller than Aurel with light blue eyes and ptinum blonde hair kisses the back of my hand
Ugh weird, do they do this a lot here?
Tristan: I don’t believe we have been formally introduced
Julia: I am Julia Moore, personal attendant of the Countess
Tristan: I know, you are our Estate’s very own magician as well
Julia: I guess that's part of my job description
???: I am Evelina, I have been a guard at the Cowper Estate for 42 years
Holy shit, this girl has more years of experience than I have been alive. She looks at me with determination and puts her fist to her heart. Is this their salute?
Julia: Are both of you vampires as well?
Tristan: Why yes, of course. Every single guard here is a vampire, as it should be. We did have some human guards once, but they scurried back to their homes the moment the war broke out. They were dreadfully slow and clumsy. Their departure was hardly a loss.
I want to choke that smug look from his face. And that voice! It's making my ears bleed! I will shove gunpowder down his throat and set it alight if I have to hear that voice again. If he keeps acting like such a patronizing brat, I'll have no choice but to kick him out of training.
I just ignore him and pick up the gun. Three wooden archery targets were set up in the distance at my request.
Julia: So this is the weapon you will be training with. It's called a gun or a rifle, this particur model is called “M4”
Evelina and Aurel listen to me with a determined and serious look while Tristan has a smug nonchant look on his face.
Julia: This is the safety switch. The gun will not fire if the safety is on! Ok? For today, we will shoot this on ‘semi’ which stands for semi-automatic. Do not put it on ‘auto’! I repeat do not put it on auto mode!
I pick up a bullet
Julia: This is what the rifle shoots out. It's called a ‘bullet’. Think of it as a small but very deadly arrow.
I continue telling them about the gun for the next 10 minutes showing them every feature and best practices. Now it was time for them to shoot their first shot. Normally people start by shooting handguns, but since they are vampires I guess they can handle the recoil
All 3 load the magazine as instructed with a single bullet, turn to semi-auto and pull the trigger. Aurel and Tristan’s gun fires as expected but Evelina’s doesn't
Evelina: Um… Miss Julia?
Julia: Evelina you forgot to put the round in the chamber, the gun won’t fire if there are no bullets in the chamber
I show her how to put the round in the chamber again and she fires. All 3 put their weapons down
Julia: Now all 3 of you made the same mistake. You need to put the safety back on
-------
For the next few hours until the sun sets down they practice on the semi-auto mode. Surprisingly even though Tristan didn’t look like he was paying any attention to my instructions, he outperformed everyone. His aim was the best, and he followed every safety precautions I gave precisely. Aurel was pretty good too, but Evelina needs more practice.
Cressida: Am I te?
Cressida suddenly walks up behind us. What's with vampires being so sneaky? They scare the shit out of me every time they appear out of thin air like this
Tristan and Evelina stand at attention and do that salute again. Their fists to their hearts. I think I saw other guards doing this as well whenever Cressida gives them an order or just passes by. Strange how I never noticed it until now
By the serious expression on his face it's clear that my dy is not to be taken lightly. She is probably much stricter with her other servants, but I’m gd she goes retively easy on me.
Tristan: We were just about to finish today's training session, my dy
Cressida: So I am te
They both remain silent, probably not knowing what to say. They are probably afraid of her
Aurel: Yes you are my dy
Aurel is the only one who speaks up. I have noticed that Aurel never looks nervous or scared around the Countess. Are they that close?...... For the sake of my heart, I hope they are just good friends.
Cressida: Humour me, I’m curious to see just how skilled you are with the weapons Julia has so generously provided.
Tristan bows
Tristan: As you wish my dy
Julia: Ok, take your positions… Ready
There is a small click as they put the magazine in, release the bolt and turn off their safety
Julia: Aim… Fire!
3 loud bangs echo throughout the makeshift range. I flinch as I forgot to put on my ear plugs.
Cressida: Hm.
She furrows her brows and looks towards me
Cressida: Why are they unable to use the weapon as quickly as you demonstrated that day?
Julia: My dy, they are new to such weapons, so I started by training them how to fire guns slowly. Besides in actual combat they might need to fire slowly and precisely sometimes
Cressida: I see… Good job, Julia, and the three of you have performed adequately as well.
I give her a small smile and a bow
Julia: Thank you my dy
She eyes the JLTV as she goes back to the manor. Oh god, I love it when she praises me
Julia: Be sure to turn on the safety, remove the magazines and empty the chambers of your guns before storing it ok?
Aurel: Yes Julia
I monitor them through all the steps before I take my leave heading to the dining room for dinner.
------
*time skip*
I was back to reading these documents and boring letters from nobles, they were nothing but ass kissing or gossip. How does she do this everyday!? I wanna fly again…
Julia: *sigh*
My dy gnces up
Cressida: Is something wrong Julia?
She asks in a gentle tone.
Yes, something is wrong. I don’t know when the weekend is. I need to rex or maybe… go on some dates to take my mind off things. This is so boring
Julia: What day is it my dy?
Cressida: It’s Arcturus. Why do you ask?
I give her a confused look
Julia: Is that a festival or something?
Cressida: No. It’s the third day of the week, Arcturus.
Julia: That's… Wednesday… Wait! How many days are there in a week
Cressida: Eight.
I look at her in shock. 8 days! That means weekends are even further apart in this world
Julia: Eight!?
Cressida: Yes they are Sirius, Canopus, Arcturus, Capel, Procyon, Betelgeuse, Altair and Spica. All named after the brightest stars in the night sky… But judging by your expression, I take it your nation’s naming conventions are rather different?
Wait a minute… Do they even have off days on weekend here
Julia: We had 7 days in a week in my pce. My dy… Do people here have days off in a week?
Cressida: Seven? … Fascinating. Days off depend on one’s occupation. Farmers and craftsmen rarely take days off, except during festivals, while merchants tend to rest on Spica, the st day of the week.
I gulp. Does that mean no weekends!?
Julia: What about at the Cowper Estate? Do people get days off here?
Cressida: Of course they do! It’s arranged so that half the servants rest on Spica, and the other half on Sirius.
I breathe a sigh of relief. It's only 1 day off per 8 days, but I guess it's better than nothing
Cressida: I can see the relief in your eyes, Julia. Remember, as my personal attendant, your duty is to work when I work—and I never take days off.
No days off!? What kind of nation is this! No bor ws? No worker protections? UGHHH…. Wait, how is she not burnt out by now? I am already tired, and I don’t even work half as hard as she does. This woman needs a break, for both our sakes. Maybe I will try to convince her to take a day off when this weekend approaches
*knock* *knock*
Cressida: Come in
Aurel comes inside and announces
Aurel: The soldiers you called upon have arrived my dy
Cressida: Excellent!
A satisfied expression takes over her, and she gets up from her chair.
Cressida: Julia, come with me
I nod and follow her to the front of the manor. Eight soldiers stand in a line shoulder to shoulder in attention, their hands behind their back. Despite their battle-worn appearance, the soldiers stood strong and determined. As the Countess exits the mansion the soldiers do their salute
Cressida: I am pleased to see that you all have reached here safely.
Her voice is loud and authoritative. She puts a hand on my shoulder
Cressida: This is Julia Moore. She will be responsible for training you on your new equipment. You are to follow her instructions moving forward. I expect you to give your best effort.
One of the soldiers standing in the middle speaks up. She is short, even shorter than me, but her booming voice is so loud it can probably be heard from the far end of the estate.
???: Yes my dy!
Cressida: Hm.
She turns to me speaking in a low voice
Cressida: I still have some work to finish, so I’ll join you ter. In the meantime, please take this opportunity to get acquainted with one another. Aurel, stay with them.
Julia: Y-yes my dy
She goes back inside, and I approach the soldier who spoke earlier. I extend my hand to the soldier who spoke earlier.
Julia: Hi, I am Julia Moore, personal attendant of the Countess
She takes it and gives me a firm shake
???: Lilith Ravenshadow, captain of The Bckwing Troop. I request to continue this conversation over lunch. We have had a long journey
Her voice is hoarse. And even tough she looks tiny I bet she is deadly as fuck. A maid hears this and guides us towards a room at the very side of the mansion. I have been here only once before, this is where the staff eat their meals. Apparently servants don’t eat in the dining room at the long table, I am the only odd ball employed here who eats there. Kinda makes me feel special though.
Lilith’s troop gets seated at a table after getting a pte of food each. There is a buffet of a variety of dishes today. There are 5 male and 3 female soldiers in this troop. Pretty equally distributed I would say
Lilith: So what is this new “equipment” the Countess wants us to train on?
Male Soldier: Probably a bunch of horse crap. This human is probably trying to scam our dy. That smell of your blood won’t work on me though
A bearded soldier with a tattoo on his face speaks up before I could answer. He can smell my blood too, must be a vampire. Lilith raises her hand shutting him up.
Julia: The weapon is called a “gun”, think of it as a crossbow that's very powerful and very fast but also very loud. By the way, are all of you vampires as well?
Lilith: Not all, but most soldiers are.
Female Soldier: I, for one, am very excited to be here. The food at the border is all hard and bnd.
My eyes go to a female soldier stuffing her mouth with meat.
Lilith: Please ignore her. We haven’t had fresh food like this for a while
Julia: Sooo… My dy said you guys were very good. So does that mean you are some kind of elite unit or something
Lilith: The Bckwing Troop was originally intended to be a team of soldiers, specializing in sabotaging enemy bases without leaving a trace…
Lilith: *sigh* But due to some people–
She looks at the bearded man who doesn’t seem to notice her gre
Lilith: We kept getting caught. So, instead of stealthy sabotage, we've adapted to focusing on hit-and-run tactics.
My weapons can be a good fit for them then, the guns are pretty loud, they will surely get noticed when they fire their first shot. My dy is pretty good at picking teams for my weapons
---------
The Bckwing Troop stood at the range with Aurel, Tristan and Evelina who were holding M4 rifles.
Julia: I know some of you don’t believe when I say we have something more powerful and better than a crossbow. So Aurel here will show you a demonstration of the new equipment you will be carrying
Aurel nods and turns to the range and shows the power of the M4 in full auto mode. I had specifically requested that hardened steel armour for the demonstration. And judging by the expression on their faces, it seems to have worked perfectly
Lilith: …
Gunshots ring across the forest surrounding us, birds perched on trees are spooked and fly away, this has become a regur occurrence, sorry birdies... Her jaw dropped from seeing all the holes this thing made in the high quality armour. She looks pretty cute like that. Reminds me of my best friend in high school. She was tiny and cute as well, like a living teddy bear.
Bearded soldiers: Those tiny holes will not–
Lilith: Shut your mouth, you fool.
She turns toward me and with a sincere tone in her voice she says
Lilith: Julia, I'll speak with honesty. This weapon is very impressive. It’s a bit loud, but it’s perfect for the kinds of missions we’re usually tasked with.
Julia: Hehe. Does that mean you want it?
Lilith: Of course! Please train us on this weapon Miss Julia
Julia: Just call me Julia.
I smirk at them smugly
---------
The Bckwing Troop absorbs knowledge like a sponge. They learn as fast as Aurel and Tristan about the weapons and can even disassemble and reassemble it pretty quickly. Yup I have started teaching them about ways to maintain and clean their weapon. I even summoned some suppressors and scopes for them. They absolutely love the new add-ons. I don’t know why I didn’t summon scopes before.
Lilith: Julia?
Julia: Yes?
We were just taking a short break from training
Lilith: What is that?
She points to the desert tan JLTV. I smile while replying
Julia: What do you think it is?
Lilith: Some kind of carriage maybe?
Julia: *giggles* Close. It’s a JLTV. An armoured carriage that can move without the need of horses
Her eyes shine with curiosity
Lilith: What? How?
Julia: Let me show you
I open the hood, turn on the battery and get inside. After flicking a few switches the computer turns on showing me all the system status. Everything is green, so I decide to turn on the engine. The diesel engine roars to life, and it's a pretty loud roar.
Lilith: *incoherent sound*
Julia: Speak up, I can’t hear you!
Lilith: Is it supposed to be this loud?
Julia: Probably
Aurel: When did you learn to turn on this thing?
Aurel appears on Lilith’s side. I turn off the engine. I feel like I would go deaf if stays on for one more minute
Aurel: You told me you didn’t know how to turn it on
I give her a cocky smile
Julia: And now I do.
---------
Currently, I am eating breakfast with my dy. Tomorrow is a weekend, I must somehow convince her to take the day off with me. I can even turn it into a DATE!!!
Julia: So my dy…
Cressida: Out with it, Julia. I know you’ve got something to ask.
Julia: My dy, tomorrow is the end of the week… So I was thinking what if we took a day off?
Her voice was gentle, but her eyes gave me this commanding look
Cressida: *sigh* I don’t have the luxury of taking days off, Julia. But you look like you need it. Take tomorrow off.
Julia: No! I am not going to leave you with all the work. Besides, I was asking this not just for myself but for you as well my dy-
Cressida: Julia listen–
I interrupt her before she can say anything else. I hope she won’t scold me again but this is necessary
Julia: No, you listen to me. The only thing working non-stop for seven– err eight days a week achieves is decrease in productivity and burn out. After being stressed out with so much you will eventually start making bad decisions
There is a heavy silence in the air. All the servants in the room are staring at us in shock. No servant dares to speak up against the countess like this, except maybe Aurel, but she is different. I know this was extremely rude, but it was also necessary, she needs to see the harm in overworking.
She stares at me for a second before speaking again
Cressida: *sighs* Alright, if it matters that much to you, I’ll take tomorrow off. Just know this won’t happen again.
I pump my fists
Julia: Yes!
Everyone in the room gives me a strange look.
Julia: Ahem, then I want to ask you one more thing. Shall we go on a ride in the JLTV I summoned?
She rests her chin on her hand
Cressida: Where do you desire to go?
Julia: Depends. How far is the nearest town
Cressida: By horse, it is half a day’s ride.
Julia: How many miles is that?
She looks at me questioningly
Julia: Miles? Kilometers? Yards? Feet?
Cressida: I am afraid I do not understand what you mean.
Julia: Forget about it, let's go to the town. Will you come with me, my dy?
A rare and gentle smile forms on her lips
Cressida: Why not? I’ve been craving some of the local food myself
Hell YES! It's a date! I can’t believe it! Just the Countess and me, driving down the empty path, who knows what these moments alone might lead to. It feels like it has been ages since I st made a move on her. Time for some hand holding Hehehe. Shall I summon a book about flirty lines? God, when was the st time I went out on an actual date? My heart starts racing in excitement and nervousness about our upcoming date
Cressida: Calm yourself, Julia. I can hear your excitement quite clearly.
She says pointing to my chest… Ah she can hear my heartbeat. This realization caused me to blush deep red.
--------
The rumble of the diesel engine fills the estate. I was just doing some checks before we begin our journey
Cressida: By the stars, this carriage makes such a dreadful racket!
Julia: Well it’s a military vehicle. They don’t care about such stuff
Cressida: If this doesn’t stop soon, I’ll surely have a headache.
Julia: Wait
I close the heavy metal door and the deafening rumble of the engine fades to a low murmur. The inside has a pretty good seal.
Cressida: Much better.
The guards were waiting for us at the gate. Cressida doesn’t go anywhere without a team of escorts. And even though we aren’t exactly alone, I don’t believe the guards on horseback would interfere with our conversation inside. Ahh I still can’t believe we are going on a date. I mean sure Cressida doesn’t know it's a date but still! I have a lot of flirty lines ready for the trip
Just as I was about to hit the gas 2 people carrying guns appear right in front of us. Aurel and Lilith. Aurel waved, and I turned off the engine and opened the door
Julia: Is something wrong?
Lilith: Nothing’s wrong. We were merely wondering—might we join you?
Lilith’s cold hoarse voice sounded unusually gentle today. I look toward my dy. Please say no, please say no, PLEASE!!! She just shrugs. Really!? Now is the time you decide to be indecisive?
Aurel: Please?
She gives me puppy dog eyes… Oh how can I say no to that. Fine, go ahead and crash my date.
Julia: Sure… Hop in
I get down and open the back door for them. This is just my luck. Hell, I think my romantic life has gotten even worse than it was in the old world. At least there some girls used to message me once in a while. “Just think of them as additional bodyguards Julia” I say to myself
Julia: Now then, shall we?
Lilith. Yes! This seat is far better than the back of those cargo wagons.
--------
I have been driving for around 30 mins and nobody is saying anything. This awkward silence will kill me before any assassins do
Cressida: I thought this would be quicker than a carriage, but it’s about the same. Still, it’s much more comfortable.
Julia: Oh I can go much faster. I am just driving slow because of the guards, their horses won't be able to keep up.
Cressida: Hm… Stop the carriage.
She turns back towards Aurel.
Cressida: Aurel, inform the guards that we shall quicken our pace. Instruct them to find us in the town.
Aurel: Y-yes my dy.
I gently bring the vehicle to a stop. And tell Aurel how to open the doors
Cressida: Might I ask—do the windows here not open?
Julia: No, my dy, they don’t. The windows are armoured, most armoured vehicles have windows that are fixed.
Cressida: I’ve been looking into armoured carriages. How armoured is this thing, exactly?
Julia: I-I don’t know honestly. But it can probably stop small explosives, arrows and crossbows. Unless there are magical arrows in this world that I don’t know about
Cressida: What about the weapons you summoned?
Julia: It can probably stop those, but I can’t be sure. We will have to test it sometime
Cressida: What about the wheels? The nations experimenting with armoured carriages faced issues with the wheels and the axles often breaking down
Julia: Nope these are run ft tires. They can keep running after an explosion. Unless the explosion is too big of course
I word my answers carefully, vehicles and armour isn’t my domain, so I don’t want to make any false promises.
After Aurel gets back I get ready to set a new nd speed record in this county.
Julia: I hope everyone has put on their seatbelts
The trio reply with a ‘yes’ just before I put my foot on the gas
Lilith: I hope the stars forgive me for my missteps.
Lilith grips her rifle tightly and says a little prayer as the speedometer hits 35 miles/hr
Julia: We are not dying Lilith, we have barely touched the speed of 35
I decide to slow down a bit as I see even my dy grip her seat, though her face shows no sign of fear. Don’t vampires move much faster than this? Why are they scared of a speed this slow? I really want to hold my dy's hand… if only we were alone…
----------
As we approach the town I can see a wall and 2 rge wooden gates with quite a few guards. So the travel distance was around 12 miles. Not too far away
Aurel: We reached here so quickly.
Lilith: I am just gd we are alive. This thing too fast
Julia: Oh calm down, like a little car accident is gonna kill you.
Cressida: Do not join the queue, keep to the left
Julia: Yes my dy
I skip the small queue of carts on our right. The guards at the gate gather and point their spears at us. Ha! Like those things can damage this vehicle. Their spears would break before they can even scratch the upper yers of the window
The guard at the front is yelling something, but I can’t hear her through the window.
Cressida: Let me talk to her.
She opens the door and hops off in a very un-dy like manner. Unfortunately getting on and off of this thing is not very elegant. It looks especially weird if the person getting off is a beautiful Countess wearing an elegant gown.
The guards immediately salute when they see the Countess. My dy talks with them for a few seconds before the guard bows and my dy comes back.
Cressida: You can proceed now.
I carefully drive inside, making sure the tires don’t hit any of the carts on the right, skipping this queue makes me feel like I got some kind of premium pass (Which I do, she is sitting right beside me). All the drivers of the carts and the guards are staring at us. Ugh, too much attention. But I guess that should be expected.
Cressida guides me through the streets of town. Some of which are pretty narrow. It's clear not many carriages pass through here. Finally, we reach the other end of the town as I can see the walls again. The town isn’t too big, I can probably walk across it in an hour
I park the car at the side and all of us get down. I turn off everything before my dy leads us into an unassuming store
Cressida: I adore this restaurant—it’s one of my absolute favourites in the county.
A brief, sad expression appears on her face.
Cressida: It feels like ages since I st visited this pce
A middle-aged guy walks out from the back
Middle-aged guy: Welcome my dy, long time no see. Please take a seat. The usual for you?
Cressida: Yes
Middle-aged guy: And what about you people?
Aurel: Just blood
Lilith: Same for me
Julia: Um human food?
Middle-aged guy: Oh a human! I will prepare my best drink for you
Julia: No alcohol though
Middle-aged guy: As you wish
The guy goes in the back, and we take a seat, a few minutes ter he comes back with 4 wooden mugs.
Middle-aged guy: Enjoy
He leaves
Julia: Wait, they sell blood here?
Cressida: He sells blood here, and it’s quite renowned and costly. As for the fvour... it’s somewhat... how shall I expin it to a human? Perhaps the best way to describe it would be... spicy.
Julia: Ohh…
I take a sip of my fruit juice and look away.
Lilith: Mmm. Delicious
A feeling of jealousy develops in my gut. And I know the exact reason why. I want my crush to only drink from me. I know it's pretty weird, but they are my feelings. I can't help it! My dy looks over at me as if sensing my jealousy
Cressida: As good as this is, it doesn’t come close to yours. Your blood... it smells and tastes so... remarkable, exotic.
Damn she is smooth! My lips instantly curl into a smile. She doesn’t even need to try to wrap me around her finger
Julia: Thank you my dy.
Lilith: My dy if I may?
Cressida: Speak your mind
Lilith puts a hand on my shoulder.
Lilith: I want to taste her blood just once before leaving. Please. That smell is so… irresistible
I move away from her
Cressida: Julia, there’s no need to worry. And Lilith, I drank from her just this month, and since she’s not bonded, she won’t be able to give blood for a while—one or two months, at least.
Lilith: Just a few drops… Please?
Cressida: Fine, just ask Julia now.
Lilith looks at me with a pleading smile, about to ask the question
Julia: Right now?
Lilith: No. Of course not. Later
Julia: Oh… Fine
Lilith grins from ear to ear. I have rarely seen Lilith get this happy. Is my blood that enticing?
After finishing our drinks we go outside again.
Cressida: Leave the carriage. We’ll continue on foot from here.
The four of us start walking. Wait, this is your chance Julia! I increase my pace a bit to walk by my dy’s side. Very slowly and as subtly as I can, I slip my hand into hers. I was apparently not very subtle, since she stops to look at our joined hands and then looks at me for a moment. Our eyes met, and I was so sure I was gonna be spped or worse. I just give her a small smile, and to my surprise she ignores my move, and we continue walking, hand in hand!
Yes Julia! You still got that charm! I enjoy this moment as my dy takes us around the town. We bought some trinkets, a bottle of wine, and she even bought me a beautiful long skirt. It looks super cute on me! She definitely has an eye for fashion.
Unfortunately all good things come to an end. When the sun was almost setting, we started driving back to her mansion.
Cressida: This was... nice. I think I’d like to do it again sometime
Her voice is low but gentle. A cocky grin forms on my face
Julia: Next week then?
Cressida: No, that won’t do. We have far too much work ahead of us. Once a month, maybe, more often if things take a turn for the better.
Well it's a start at least.
---------
Julia: This wine is too good!
Lilith: Hold on, take it easy, that stuff’s strong
Julia: It's just to dull the pain
Lilith: What?
Julia: The pain of your bite. You asked to drink my blood right?
The countess looks up from her documents and gnces at the pair. She decided to read some letters that had arrived while they were gone. Aurel had gone to bed, so it was just the three of them gossiping.
Lilith: Are you seriously offering your blood right now?
Julia: You were craving it so much today…so I thought…
Lilith grins. Excited that she would finally get to drink the blood with such an irresistible scent. It had been very hard to control herself whenever Julia got close to her during training
Lilith: … Just a little taste then…
Julia pulls the colr of her T-shirt down
Lilith: W-what are you doing?
Julia: Um… getting ready for your bite?
Lilith: Julia! That's far too... Vampires will usually drink from your arm… Wait, did someone bite your neck?
Julia’s eyes go to the countess and Lilith’s follow. Lilith nudges Julia and gives her a knowing look. The countess ignores both of them, deciding to focus on the letters in her hand.
Julia: You know Lilith, you look just like my old best friend
Julia quickly changes the subject
Lilith: Really?
Julia: Yes, and I always wished to have her as my sister. She was so cute and tiny and warm. Just like you
Lilith: Never call me that again
Lilith gres at Julia, her voice suddenly becoming intimidating. But Julia was too drunk to realize that
Julia: Awww. Here
Julia summons a tiny teddy bear
Lilith: What is this?
Julia: A teddy bear. My gift to my new sister. It's tiny and cute just like you
Lilith *sigh*
Lilith realized that the woman was too drunk and decided to ignore her comments and py along
Lilith: Fine. I guess I can be your big sister
She takes the stuffed toy out of Julia’s. Almost snatching it
Julia: Awww come here.
Julia hugs the tiny vampire. She had always wished for a little sister, but this will do the job as well.
Lilith: Stop it Julia, you are too drunk
Julia: Will you let me hug you after drinking my blood then?
Lilith licked her lips. She was practically drooling after that hug. That exotic smell hit her nose too hard. It was so strong that every other one of her senses was drowned out
Julia: Here then
Julia raises her arm forward, bracing herself for the sharp pain. Lilith gently holds her hand steady and bites without warning. Julia clenched her fist in pain, the wine had dulled the pain, but it was still intense.
After 2 seconds the countess suddenly appeared behind Lilith and pulled her off by her colr. The wound from the bite closes instantly, healing at an unnaturally quick rate, leaving no scars behind.
Cressida: That’s quite enough. You’ve taken more than the few drops you promised.
Lilith: *sigh* Apologies my dy and Julia
Julia: No issues.
Julia grinned like a child
Julia: Now come and give me a hugggg
Just as Julia was about to wrap her open arms around Lilith. The countess pushed her back and said in a stern voice
Cressida: You’ve had enough wine for tonight. Off to bed, now!
Julia: Boo
Cressida let out a weary sigh and took Julia’s hand. Pulling the intoxicated woman and guiding her to her chambers
--------------
*time skip*
Julia: Be safe ok?
Lilith: Of course!
Lilith and her team, The Bckwing Troop, were going for their first mission with the new weapons. They had test driven the rifles while hunting animals. I hugged the woman who had started calling me her little sister. I don’t have any idea when it started but according to her, it was me who requested it. Whatever the case, we had grown close in the time we spent together
Julia: Come back alive. I will let you drink more of my blood the next time I see you
She smirked
Lilith: You’ve given me quite the motivation to return faster.
Julia: No rush. I won’t be going anywhere.
Cressida: Good luck, Bckwing Troop. May the stars guide you.
The soldiers salute, their closed fists striking their chests with a soft thud. As my dy steps up behind me, their bodies tenses up. Lilith’s expression instantly changed from cheerful to serious.
Lilith: Thank you my dy. We won’t disappoint
My dy nods and they march out of the manor.
Almost a month passes by as I wait for their letter. Even though they have modern weapons I still worry about their safety. Especially about Lilith. They should have sent a letter by now
As I sat in my dy’s study writing letters and summaries, she all of a sudden calls me
Cressida: Julia
I look up from the papers on my desk, meeting her radiant smile. She held a small letter in her hand
Cressida: The Bckwing Troop has successfully completed their mission. They report no casualties
I let out a sigh of relief. Finally! What took this letter so long?
Cressida: Lilith sends word that you should be ready—she’s coming for your blood and hopes you’ve not forgotten your promise."
I chuckle, it sounds like she is really missing the taste of my blood. Hope she is not addicted
Julia: Of course I am ready! I hope it's alright with you my dy.
Cressida smiles and reads the rest of the letter and starts to contempte something. Her expression changes from joy to a more serious one
Julia: Is something wrong my dy?
She doesn’t reply and just folds and puts the letter away. She stands up before saying
Cressida: Come, take a walk with me,
I follow her to the gardens in the back. The weather was really nice today. Bees hummed around collecting nectar. I absolutely love this pce. Probably my favourite pce in the whole mansion. I brush my hand against some flowers then look at my dy. She looks deep in thought
Julia: My dy?
She gnces at me momentarily
Cressida: I have been thinking…
Julia: About?
Cressida: How to ensure your safety, Julia... The Bckwing Troop, in their test mission, wiped out a whole camp of Theocracy soldiers. This goes far beyond their usual hit-and-run tactics. They even killed a general, all thanks to your weapons.
Julia: Damn
Cressida: Such an act will certainly draw the attention of the Theocracy and, worse still, unsavoury nobles who may seek to use you for their own gains.
Julia: Oh don’t worry about me, I have this now
I pat the gun holster by my side. While the 9mm bullets in this Glock were not as powerful as a rifle, they provided protection against vampires, as I had managed to apply silver pting to them (After reading a lot of chemistry textbooks of course)
Cressida: I fear that might not be enough…
She pauses and looks at the flower my hand was brushing subconsciously
Cressida: I’ve been considering this for some time, and I’ve discussed it with Aurel… I fear this may be our only option for keeping you safe…
Her eyes locked with mine, they held a mixture of fear and hope. I could tell she wanted to ask me something… or perhaps tell me something very important.
Cressida: Julia, will you form a bond with me?
