Thariel's tongue was still burning on the way back to Liora's shop.

The merchant was looking over her log book when Thariel arrived, using the list as a basis to check the group of crates that sat next to the merchant's feet.

"You're here?" Liora turned away from her logbook and faced Thariel with a curious look, her brows raised in surprise, "so Damphirs don't have any resistances to spices?"

"No, we do," Thariel corrected with a tired smile, without her natural resistances, she'd probably be dead, "it's nothing compared to what Dwarves consider as "spicy" though, those guys eat metal dust, too, did you know that?"

"Yes, Zinc, if I remember, are one of Birtyl's favorite spices," replied Liora.

"Leave it to the dwarves to eat entire pounds of vitamins and think that it's good for their health," Thariel sighs as she takes a seat, the worse part is though, that much zinc is good for a Dwarf's health, iron too undoubtedly, and tungsten, "by the way, have you finished organizing everything?"

"Not yet, I did prepare the ones I've procured on your new wagon, it has no labor animal for now however, she's resting on a nearby stable, tended to by a caring farm hand," Liora looked at her, "you eager to leave?"

"Kind of, I'm just... Worried, I guess," Thariel vaguely replied.

The vampires stalking her wouldn't stop doing it just because she left her home, if anything, they'd do it even more now that she's out in the open and possibly even prepare an ambush for her during the night.

"Do you want me to hire a few guards to escort you?" The merchant must have caught on to her worried expression for Liora to say that, "I don't really mind,"

"No, I'm fine," Thariel put on her most reassuring smile, an expression she's used to showing due to her self-destructive tendencies during college, the problem wasn't a lack of sleep this time around though.

"I can get by on my own," Thariel let her smile fall into a more subdued expression.

"If you say so," Liora looked away and went back to organizing the crates.

Thariel was confident that she could fight against one or maybe even two of the vampire brides trying to kill her, but all five? That's straight up impossible.

She did have aces up her sleeve, like her advantage of moving under sunlight as well as a lessened weakness to the Sun Goddess's sigil, which she's currently carrying with her. And unlike regular vampires, coming into contact with silver didn't burn her skin, just stiffen it.

At the same time, moon light also boosted her regeneration by a decent amount, and staying in the shadows also caused her presence to go down by a... Decent-ish amount.

How does one translate a 1x evasion boost into real life?..

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Not that a lessened presence would matter here, vampires had sharp senses and Thariel doubted she could hide from them, even when she's under the cover of darkness.

Regeneration on the other hand...

She could see it being useful, in fact, the canon Thariel drank dangerous potions during the night to amplify her power level, the recoil of doing so is then negated by her regeneration.

The problem is, Thariel didn't bring those kinds of potions with her, she's not even sure if she could make them right now.

Well, at least the effects of silver wouldn't be as pronounced, hopefully the silver edged dagger she bought earlier would be enough to fend off the brides, and if not, well, she was confident that she could kill at least one of them before being killed herself!

Okay, maybe she was actually scared shitless by the brides, but now wasn't the time for panicking, and it's not like she'll actually encounter them on the way back.

"It's done,"

Thariel snapped out of her daze and turned to the shop's back door, Liora leaned against the doorframe, her expression full of worry and her eyes fixated on the Damphir.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The merchant asks, "again, a group of guards wouldn't be too expensive for me to hire, if you're worried about owing me, then just pay me back,"

"I'm fine really," Thariel stood up and dusted herself, she smiled at the merchant, "thank you but I don't think guards will help here, they'll just die,"

Liora's eyes landed on the dagger hanging from Thariel's hip, understanding flashed in her eyes, "I see."

The merchant pushed herself off the doorway and went out back, Thariel tailed her, "I'm aware of how vampires operate," Liora says once Thariel catches up, "I'm sorry I couldn't do much,"

"It's fine, I doubt they're still alive," Thariel retorts, she had a small smile as she says that, one that swiftly faltered due to a nagging feeling at the back of her head.

Could this be?..

Thariel shook that thought off and looked at the cart and mule ahead of her, she saw it as a chance to change the uncomfortable topic.

It seems that Liora also had the same idea.

"This is everything you've asked for, Whisper Buds, Frost Ferns, Iron Thistles-" all ingredients for defense boosting potions, "- Ember Caps, Blue Moss, Titan Stalks, Silver Stalks, and other monster parts that you requested, like Dire Wolf Fangs, Kobold Scales, and Blood Bat Gullets,"

"Right, everything seems to be in order," Thariel says as she finished checking on the crates herself, each one was labeled with the appropriate ingredient and felt quite heavy when lifted.

"You're mainly making boosting and resistance potions correct?" Says Liora, Thariel nods, "why?"

"We're in Tenlor territory," Thariel answers with a knowing smirk.

Liora returned the exact same gesture, she flashed her teeth, "I see, I suppose signing that contract with you wasn't such a bad idea after all... Come back here safe and sound, I'll be waiting,"

"Thank you, for uh, the sentiments and the contract," Thariel weakly smiled, "and don't worry, I'll come back in one piece,"

The discomfort in her mind says that much will be the case.

"Mhmm," Liora crossed her arms, "by the way, how many glass bottles did you ask for again?"

Thariel looked away from her cauldron, a brief check was enough to confirm that it was high quality, and it was made with folded bronze too, "roughly over a hundred, why?"

"Over a hundred huh?" Liora's gaze shifts over to the crates, "and how many potions should I be expecting?"

"I'll be able to fill all of these I think, but individually, you'll be able to get a 10 Magic Amplification-"

"Fifteen," Liora corrected, "there's enough Silver Stalks in there for you to make two dozen magic amp potions," the merchant estimated, "I want fifteen magic amps,"

"Right, 15 Magic Amplification Potions, 20 strength, durability, and stamina boosts each, and also a few cold, poison, and fire resistance potions," Thariel listed out her revised list, "I'll deliver half of these three days from now and another half by the end of the week,"

"That's sooner than I expected," Liora approvingly replied, "you work fast, I thought you were new?"

"Not as new as you think, I've been at this for... I think over a year now? Wait no..." Thariel hummed in contemplation and turned to the skies.

How long has the original been practicing during this point in the timeline again?

"No, two years, I've been at this for two years," that was her rough estimate based on Thariel's spread out backstory, the canon Thariel practiced for two years before her mother's death.

"You're not sure?" Liora shared the Damphir's confusion.

"I kind of lost track of the time," Thariel grinned, that was a good excuse as any, it might even pass a lie detector if she said it properly.

"You're sheltered," Liora's guess wasn't far off.

"Kind of, yeah," Thariel awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, "it's dangerous for me to be out here, that's why,"

"Then what are you letting me keep you here for?" Liora clicked her tongue, "tch, go back to where you came from already! It's past the afternoon!"

"Ah, right," it was already dusk wasn't it? Time sure flew.

Thariel hopped onto the wagon and began driving away.

Thariel no longer worried about being ambushed by the brides on the way back, she had a feeling that nothing, not even a wolf, would come out of the forest to attack her as she journeyed out of Streamwise and back to her homestead.