Chapter 41 – In which some things don't change

After both Saffra and Mimosa revealed their secrets, they finally could talk about lighter topics.

Well, not so light, but they were happy to already take off the burden of keeping them a secret.

“Did you know that you’re a vampire, even before your bloodline awakened?”

“Yes. Mother told me. But she didn’t have time to teach me a lot… Or maybe I just don’t remember it. I was a child at that time…”

Mimosa spoke with a soft voice about the things that her mother taught her.

Her mother was executed 15 years ago.

Mimosa was 28 years old this year.

So when she lost her mother she was barely 13 years old.

Old enough to understand what was happening, but too young to do anything.

This event left a deep wound in Mimosa’s heart.

Saffra could only imagine the trauma Mimosa had suffered at that time.

Saffra tried to recall any memories of those events, but came out blank.

There was nothing. She probably was too young to remember.

“Actually, I remember meeting a few vampires. In my previous life.”

“Really? What were they like?”

“Hm… Jumpy? Very distrusting? And then they started to cry when I said I wouldn’t sell them out and that they could eat my cow.”

“Sell them out? Was it before Amaranth’s Night and Day Reconciliation?”

“... You know about Night and Day Reconciliation?”

Saffra spat out in surprise, to which the corners of Mimosa’s lips raised slightly and her eyes glistened with pride.

“Of course. I'm a vampire. I have to know my race history. Night and Day Reconciliation is one of the most important events in our history. It was when the ancient sun god’s hunt against vampires took its first step back and we no longer risked being burned to ash when ancient sun god’s believers spotted us walking in daylight…. But you probably know that already.”

Mimosa stole a glance at Saffra, who nodded slowly in response.

“Right, seems like you… lived during that time… then maybe you know… just maybe… you see there were rumors…”

Mimosa suddenly started to mumble.

Saffra caught the most important keyword.

“Rumors?”

“Yeah… rumors that Saffaron also played a big role in it…”

Thankfully, Mimosa was embarrassed and didn’t look at Saffra, who had some trouble controlling the blood flowing into her cheeks.

The fact that humans usually couldn’t control their blood seemed to slip Saffra’s mind at that moment.

After a second, she slowly said:

“I’m not sure… sorry.”

She really wasn’t sure. She didn’t feel that she played much of a role in those events.

All she did was gather and protect surviving vampires. Hiding them from the eyes of a crazy god, while Am tried to solve the problem.

‘In the end, the core problem wasn’t solved. It was just transformed into something else.’

According to Am, the gods are largely shaped by their believers’ perception of the world.

Because the vampires faced heavy stigma and prejudice steaming from horrible events that had nothing to do with them, but somehow got associated with them, the ancient sun god became inclined to despise vampires.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

But ‘largely shaped’ doesn’t mean completely shaped.

There were parts about divine beings’ existence that didn’t change so easily.

To borrow a term coined by Ver, it was ‘Fate Contract’.

Everything, as long as it exists within the boundaries of the Universe, must follow the rules of fate, otherwise their very existence is erased.

Every being had their own individual contract.

That contract defined them, their very existence, and couldn’t be changed or terminated until the being fulfills that contract.

Yet no one was preview to the terms of the contract.

‘But Am said that the core problem may be related to the Fate Contract.’

If the problem stemmed purely from the collective idea about vampires, the matter, though troublesome, was something that the siblings could help with.

The shift would take years, but it would be fine afterwards, unless public opinion started to shift again.

But if vampire hunt was written into Fate Contract of that god, it was unknown if he wouldn’t relapse into his crazy state under the slightest trigger.

The siblings hated to touch anything fate related, but now Saffra was suddenly seized by anxiety that something may happen to Mimosa.

She had an urge to somehow change the fate if it was really needed.

‘Why…?’

She frowned.

She didn’t feel it as Saffaron, even though she knew that something like that may happen.

Was it because the person affected was her older sister, whom she felt close bonds with?

No, not really. Of course, it may have some effect, but ‘she’, the ‘she’ who lived through both of those lives and was amalgamation of every moment of her time on this land, never thought about one life as more worthy than another.

If there was a life to be saved, she would try to save them, no matter if she knew them or not.

Then what changed?

There was only one thing.

“Saffra? What’s wrong?”

“...”

Saffra moisturized her dry mouth first.

“Nothing, just… I just remembered something unpleasant.”

Mimosa opened her mouth to speak, but then closed her mouth.

She was looking at Saffra with concern.

Finally she said:

“Do you want more sweets?”

“No…”

Saffra shook her head.

She didn’t feel like eating anything.

“Rather, let’s go to the flower market. I want to see what they have at night!”

Saffra stood up.

The curtains in the room were drawn, but Saffra’s inner clock was telling her that evening was nearing.

Until now she failed to grab a gift for Mimosa, so she decided to just make a gift herself when they go home.

But she needed to get some good materials for it.

“Okay.”

While Saffra was busy planning and preparing to leave, Mimosa, who was about to follow her, paused and then said:

“Actually… I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“That flower garden that welcomed Orche… Was it your doing?”

Saffra just smiled brightly.

*-*-*

Two beings stood on the rooftop of a rundown temple, observing the rising sun.

Their white robes were stained with a myriad of colors from paints and color powders.

Each of the figures had one of their eyes covered by a cloth.

They were the two priests of the Temple of Forgotten and Dead Gods. Perlliar and Cotteo.

“He didn’t change at all.”

“Really? I think he changed a bit.”

“Where?”

“If it was before, he would already pick up all trustworthy people at the Universe Temple to do his biddings. Not only those three he has now.”

“Indeed. Seems that he lost a lot of trust in people. Poor child.”

“Maybe it’s for the best. I was always worried that His Saintness is too amiable towards non-divine beings.”

“Weren’t you just jealous?”

“Think I would dare to have such sinful emotion?”

“You didn’t? What are you doing here then?”

“I’m raising a son!”

“What?”

Perlliar turned their head away from the horizon and looked at Cotteo with a confused face they never showed to guests.

Cotteo repeated her statement with a proud smile.

“I’m raising a son! He didn’t agree to be my son yet, but it’s only a matter of time! I’ll show him that I can be the best parent in the world!”

“Tsk.” Perlliar clicked their tongue. “Share your son with me.”

“I don’t have one yet.”

“Share your future son with me.”

“Mmmm…”

Cotteo was making a struggling expression, but then suddenly turned her head in a different direction and stared into the air.

Then grabbed Perlliar and slightly guided their head to face the same direction.

“Look! Rubrun is on fire!”

The direction they were looking was indeed a direction towards Rubrun, but it couldn’t be visible from here.

And even if it was, there wouldn’t be any sign of visible fire.

But Perlliar looked for a moment and then nodded.

“Seems like they started to test His Reverence’s innovation. Their disappointment could probably turn into a sea.”

“Don’t say scary things. I hate sad seas!”

“It’s their fault all they look for is combat power and they overlook the endless possibility His Reverenace’s innovation brings. What about Her Majesty?”

This time the two of them turned towards Flavun.

“Hmm… I see nothing.”

“Nothing here too. But the wind smells pleasant.”

“A very unique flower combination.”

They stood in silence for a moment and then both of them mumbled:

“They didn’t change at all.”

They smiled, with mysterious smiles that would make the siblings’ backs crawl if they saw it, because they screamed ‘Fate!’.

Thankfully the siblings didn’t see them.

The two priests then turned to the item they were working on at Amara's request.

The item was surrendered by buckets of paint and color powders.

“Okay. Then let’s go back to work.”

They picked up the paints and color powders.

The item didn’t need any of those to be made.

*~*~*

Author's note:

Busy, busy week! No time to write!

So here is siblings simple drawing for peace of mind:

[ID:

Rough half-portrait of three people with long ears.

On the left, Am sketched with purple line. He is holding a fan in his left hand and glancing left at his siblings. He has white hair, it’s tied into a flowing bun, part of it is braided. Hanging earrings: one looks like a moon (left ear), the other is yellow and round (right ear). He has small red hairpin. Draping hairdress with a single purple crystal on his forehead. His eyes are dark purple. The fan has silver (or supposed to be silver, looks a bit blue) doodles.

In the center, Saf sketched with yellow line. She’s propping up her head on her left hand. Right hand is laying on a knife. Her hair is yellow-orange. Her eyes are bright yellow. She looks directly at the viewer. She has a necklace with golden plates and two earrings (purple and red) in her right ear. Her hair is wavy and free. The knife has a silver blade.

On the right. Ver sketched with red line. He is holding a book in his left hand and glancing to the right at his siblings.He has black-red hair, tied in the lose bun that is getting out of control. His eyes are bright red. He has two bracelets on left hand (yellow and purple). The book has silver writing on the cover.

The characters skins aren’t colored and sketch is vaguely visible underneath. END ID]

image [https://i.imgur.com/FCGcWGb.png]

Ignore non-human elements! They're totally normal. Everyone is like this. The skin wasn't colored. They aren't white.

Thank you for reading <3 Have a wonderful night/day.