A WEEK LATER

  A week of being alone in the wilderness was nothing new. Surviving on my own, hunting and foraging for food, boiling water in primitive bowls made of tree bark. Everything was already something I've performed at least once before. Usually I slept on the forest floor, in a place nicely cleaned beforehand from rocks and stones, maybe a bit of moss for softer lodging.

  But having multiple teams of people following me day and night was too much.

  Whoever I've angered, he has spent a lot of money to make my life a living hell. I've either been stalked or approached by groups of mercenaries, adventurers, monster hunters and trackers. Whoever was confident in their ability to venture into the wilderness, was on my tail.

  Right now, I was crouching on top of a thick branch, observing a group pass below me. They looked like adventurers, both in act and equipment. There was no way for me to guess what their purpose was, or if I was their query. All I knew, it was better not to reveal myself.

  And so I've waited. Observe the group from up a tree, seeing how the figures turned into dots, and finally disappeared in the foliage. A quick climb down, look around to assure me of the emptiness of this area, and I've turned into a full sprint, picking a path perpendicular to theirs.

  I've run for a good ten minutes before I have slowed down. That should be enough distance between us.

  This entire situation has been horrible, and I could not see many ways out. Whenever an idea popped into my mind, I quickly figured out a problem for it. What if I used the polluted river to dye my hair? Well, that would obviously be what the hunters expect me to do, to hide my identity.

  And in the same way I've dismissed most of the ideas I had so far. My doubt, constant questioning and slowly growing paranoia, prevented me from acting. I was too reactive, I had to do something different.

  And here came the biggest problem. Too many different groups chased after me. So far, I've recognized three major groups. The mercenaries hired directly by the organization, who mostly patrol roads, farms and inns. They are the reason I stick to the forest, and cannot enter a larger town and hide within it. I simply cannot approach it.

  The second group was the adventurers, hired by the guilds. The bloodbath I've caused on the road has caused many travelers to report the situation to the guilds. In response, I had bands of roaming adventurers after me. Each band with a theory about me, ranging from a vampire, all the way to some ancestral spirit of the woods. Either way, patrols like the one I passed a moment ago were the biggest problem in the forest.

  The last group was the scariest - vampire hunters. They appeared last, only two days ago. But they've already been the sole reason I do not dare travel during the night. My eyes shine in the darkness, allowing them to spot me from afar. And their strategies? I had no idea what they were, but each time I've encountered the vampire hunters, I've been ambushed. I had no chance of learning what they could do, due to sheer danger.

  So I've run away each time. I've avoided needless fighting, hid from humans and used forest animals for blood. But all of those things made me miss civilization. I've probably smelled like a pigsty. Unwashed for over a week, in ripped-up clothes. I've even slept on the ground!

  All of those things, the dirtiness, the bland and raw food, the ruined garments, the lack of proper weapons and armor. I had nobody to speak to, nor the idea of where exactly I was. I've been chased in so many directions, I had no idea if it was still the province of Marubia. Maybe this wasn't even the North...

  But suddenly my depressing rant, which I've had in my head, has come to an end. I've come across a pond. It wasn't wide, maybe a good 30 feet across. But it was long! It went for a good few hundred feet, with barely visible coast on the other side. And by that pond? A man, or a boy. I could not see exactly how old he was, but he was obviously young. There was nobody around him, and yet this boy was just sitting on the coast, looking into the surface of the water. Was he lost? A bait? I had no clue, but I've started to approach.

  I moved slowly, trying not to make any unnecessary sound. The surroundings were clear, the birds were chirping, and even a bunch of ducks were occupying the water. This pond was lively with small animals, helping me to hide my presence as I circled around the person. When I finally got close enough to judge his age, I could see that he was still a teen. Not a single facial hair or a crease on his skin. His leather jacket was unblemished, not even a scratch mark! Next to him was a small wooden shield, with brand new leather strap on the inside of it. Either a recruit or a page.

  "Lost?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. I had to keep my appearances, even if I was desperate to have a conversation with someone.

  He quickly turned around, alerted to my sound. When our eyes met, I saw how a smile formed the moment he heard my voice, but when he realized who he was looking at, the smile disappeared. Instead, fear came across his visage. He stumbled to his feet, grabbing his shield and pulling out a short sword. All this motion slow, untrained. His hands were shaking, the weapon's point wobbled from side to side.

  "Monster!" He announced, as if to inform himself.

  Then I noticed something - a small bronze plate on his chest. The shiny metal was brand new, with the symbol of a bird. He followed my eyes, and immediately covered his heart area with the small shield.

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  "You're a recruit. Where's your team?" I asked, immediately wondering if the team I've run away from, was his.

  "That's none of your business!"

  We both looked at each other, but I knew immediately that he wanted nothing more now, than to escape. I've turned towards the water, slowly approaching the edge, and looked over. My reflection met me, showing me how I've looked after all this. My hair was matted, full of dust and dirt, clumped up together. I had them slicked back to not annoy me. My skin was also dirty, pale as ever, but darker, from the same stuff as my hair. If not for the kiddo, I would just get undressed and jump into the water. But then I turned back to him.

  The boy was still looking at me, obviously recognizing me from posters. How else could he know I'm a danger from the first sight?

  "What do you think I am? A bandit? A vampire?"

  I could see his eyes move across my visage, as if to judge his own knowledge. He was about to speak, but noticed that my arm was bathed in sunlight. "A murderer!" He proclaimed, sure of his answer.

  I've responded non-verbally. I moved a finger to my mouth, hooked it into my cheek, and pulled it to the side, showing off my fang. I could see in real time how his entire monster-related knowledge crumbles. He observed me for a moment, looking over. I could see how he relaxed slightly, not focusing on the danger anymore. At least not as much.

  "You're a thrall then?"

  "Wrong."

  The boy then suddenly remembered I was actually the reason he was in this forest, in the first place. He raised his stance once more, less afraid now. Until I moved took a few steps forward, and he once again looked stressed and unprepared. Whatever was going through his head, he had no idea what to do.

  "I will not attack you. As long as you won't attack me." I said, opening my arms, as if I presented a bargain at a market.

  "And why should I trust you, monster?" He barked out. Then I moved, closing the distance. His sword was pointed directly at my chest. "Don't move!"

  I could visibly see the fear in his eyes. Then he moved his foot, trying to get a better stance. I could see the attempt at subtle movement, trying to get a better footing and position for a strike. All this while he was looking in my eyes. I've decided to ruin his plan of attack.

  As he pulled his right leg back, I kicked it on the thigh. It wasn't a strong kick, but the effect was immediate. His foot slipped, and he fell on his right knee. The boy tried to swipe the short sword at me, but I closed the distance, locking his forearm between my elbow and my torso. He tried to pull his arm away, or wiggle it to the side - nothing. I could feel him struggle for a bit, probably move the sword in a way that would allow him to slash or stab me in the back, but then I heard a clank of iron on pebbles and dirt. I looked him in the eyes, and I could see the defeat.

  He didn't even try to attack me with his shield. He just gave up.

  "That's it?" I asked, as I raised my brow. He spoke without lifting his head.

  "If I attack you now, I will only get beaten up, right? Just bite me already. Let's get this over with." His voice was low, his speech slow and monotone. This teenage boy just gave up on his life, after a single defeat. That was a depressing sight. Instead of biting him thought, I raised my hand and slapped his cheek. Not to hurt him, but to wake him up.

  He looked at me, surprised. Getting slapped by a vampire was the last thing he expected. Then a slap on the other cheek, and I freed his main hand, stepping back. Of course, I wouldn't just give him back the weapon. The short sword I've taken for myself.

  "W-why did you slap me?" His voice was shaky, but not as monotone. He obviously was at most in discomfort, certainly not pain.

  "You gave up on your life. What are you, like seventeen? A teenager should never give up on their life. You're not a martyr."

  He stared at me, partly in disbelief, partly out of sheer shock. "But you're a vampire, you need blood!"

  "Do you want me to bite you?"

  "N-no..."

  I sighed heavily, reaching for his hand and helping him up on his feet. He extended a hand, reaching for his sword. I slapped his palm away, and he looked more hurt than when I slapped his face. "I'm supposed to be a monster, don't get familiar with me."

  "Sorry, Miss." He said, looking down.

  After he called me a 'Miss', I simply stared at him. This whole situation was getting weirder by the moment. But there was no reason to bully this kid. "What's your name, kiddo?"

  "My name is Bhaan." He said, before awkwardly bowing.

  "Mine's Karya. Now, where's your team?" I looked around, as if the team itself should appear here at any moment.

  "I'm alone."

  When he said that, I looked back at him, barely believing what I just heard. I wanted to scold him, but I stopped myself, wondering for a moment. How many reasons would a kid like him have, to venture this deep, alone?

  "Elaborate."

  He cleared his throat first, and then spoke. "So, we were going to hunt umm... You. There were five of us, and then we met another team. They said that some of their men were killed by a monster, and that we should get out of here. But then our leader, Khayn, stood his ground, saying that we'll hunt where we want. And then..." He stopped, to take a big breath. I've stopped him by raising a hand.

  "Slower. You've met a different team. Adventurers?"

  "N-no, they were unaffiliated. I think they were mercenaries."

  "Alright, what happened next?"

  He took another breath. "Khayn said we are gonna hunt where we want, and then the mercenaries told us to umm... frick off..." He looked down, as if ashamed that he had to say a curse word.

  "Fuck off."

  "Y-yes, exactly. And after that, a fight broke out. One of my teammates, Big Sam, told me to go and hide, until the fight resolves. I hid behind a tree and looked, but then it turned into a slaughter, and everyone was killing each other. And then only those mercenaries remained. I didn't look at the entire fight, I couldn't."

  He slurred his words, slowly starting to sniffle. He was visibly fighting to hold back the tears. I didn't let him finish, I grabbed his leather jacket by the collar and pulled him in. He was barely taller than me, but then I gave him a hug, and he wrapped his hands around my back, stuffing his face into my shoulder. He seemed like just a kid, crying his heart out. Those were probably friends and mentors of his who died in that encounter.

  "It's alright now." I've patted him on the back, letting him cry for a bit longer.

  A few minutes have passed, but he managed to pull himself away, rubbing at his eyes. He still sniffed heavily, but somehow managed to regain the base of his composure.

  "You alright now?" I got a nod in response, so I've continued. "Got anywhere to return to?"

  This time he shook his head sideways. This was bad news. Really bad news.

  I obviously wanted to help Bhaan, yet I didn't really knew how. Last week I have risked Abi's life for quick money, and now I'm supposed to have someone else to follow me around? Could I make this mistake, twice?

  No matter what I thought of this situation, and if I really would let this kiddo stick with me, I just couldn't let him stay by this pond till some monster rips him apart. I had to take him with me, at least until the next settlement, or a farm.

  "Fine, kiddo. I'll get you to somewhere safe. Just don't be suicidal anymore, alright?"

  He nodded, still rubbing at his eyes. "Alright, Miss Karya."

  "And don't call me 'miss'. I'm not that old."