Druscilla walked into the throngs of people on the main road. Many of them looked like they were going home or to a tavern for the night. The suns were already behind the large curtain walls of the city.
I should try that skill on a group of people. Not here though, a shop would be nice. Lucky for her she found herself at the tailor. It was a bright blue building with large windows displaying coats, dresses, and other articles of clothing. She went in and an attendant made a beeline for her.
“Can I help you miss?”
“Yes, please. I have fallen out of favour with my beloved.” Druscilla dialled up the drama. “You must help me get back into his good graces! Only then will the pieces of my heart will mend again!”
The attendant’s look turned serious. “Yes, my lady! Let’s get you out of those rags.” She led Druscilla to the backrooms and left to retrieve some outfits. She came back with a bunch of dresses. “Miss, I assumed you were a courtesan, but I brought a gown just in case you weren’t. Is my assumption correct?”
“Yes. I am a courtesan.”
“That would explain the lack of a chaperone…” The attendant cast aside the ball gown she was holding. The gown itself was a rich, dark velvet with long sleeves and a big bell skirt. The other dresses were made from silk, and they were much more…scandalous.
She tried them on one by one. Each revealed more skin than the last. Wow… These clothes look amazing. I’ll definitely turn heads if I wear them – not good for remaining anonymous. I want to wear them, but I also want to keep my head down…what do I do?
”Miss, if I may, this one’s suits you best – it matches the colour of your eyes.” She was referring to the dress Druscilla was currently wearing. Druscilla eyed herself in the mirror. The dress was ankle length, with slits that revealed her thighs (and her underwear if the wind was feeling naughty). A gold band wrapped around her waist, accentuating the curve of her hips. The fabric, parted up her chest to reveal the valley between her breasts. A bit of jewellery and Druscilla would be more beautiful than a fairy tale princess.
Should I wear this? I really should keep my head down. Druscilla eyed herself in the mirror. But I look so amazing… Fuck it. “I’ll take it.”
“A wise choice, miss. May I pack it up for you?”
“No, I’ll wear it home.”
The attendant looked surprised. “But miss, the streets are not safe at night. And seeing as you don’t have a chaperone, some men might…”
Druscilla smiled at the attendant. “I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be fine.”
“If you say so, miss.” The attendant led Druscilla to the front desk. A man in a suit stood up when he saw them.
“Is everything is to your liking miss?” he asked.
“Yes it is, thank you.”
“Excellent, now if you would be so kind as to give us a billing address...”
Druscilla had nary a penny to her name, but that didn’t matter. “Look into my eyes.” Both the storekeeper and his assistant complied. I’ve paid you a lot of gold; enough for a lifetime of free services.
“Miss, thank you so much for your patronage! Please, feel free to pick other outfits, on the house of course.”
“That really won’t be necessary.”
“I must insist!”
“Well, who am I to say no?” She turned to the attendant. “Fetch me some outdoor wear.”
Moments later the attendant came back and packed all of Druscilla’s stuff. She was about to leave when the storekeeper stopped her: “Miss! I didn’t catch your name.”
“Druscilla.”
Night had fallen. The cold air caressed Druscilla’s exposed skin as she looked up at the starry sky. She felt good. The last time she had been outside on her own at night was when she rose from the earth.
Few people were milling about in the dark streets. Druscilla paid them no heed as she took the back alleys back to the inn. The window she had emerged from was still open. She lobbed the bag of clothes through the window. She planned to do some more exploring, before dawn. But before I get to that, I have to do something about this hunger.
Druscilla stalked about the night until she came upon a hole in the ground. It smelled like a sewer and foul water was flowing in what looked to be an incomplete pipe. The hole itself was in one of the many back alleys Druscilla had been in. construction maybe? It doesn’t matter – I have a place to dispose of a body.
She made a mental note of the place and moved on. Unfortunately, most of the people she came across were in groups. Her luck changed when she reached what appeared to be a brothel. She could hear the sounds of intense physical activity from within. Outside, however, was where her interest lay. A burly bouncer stood guard to a locked iron door.
His mouth dropped slightly at the sight of her, and then he regained his composure. “I haven’t seen you around before,” he said. “What business have you here?”
“My business is with you actually,” she said, her voice smooth as velvet. She took him by his hand and led him away.
He opened his mouth to object but no sound came out. She took him some distance away to a secluded area then turned to face him.
“Let me show you…” the Vampire said as she leaned in “…true ecstasy.”
The Vampire’s fangs punctured his neck and his blood spilt forth. She drank deeply, taking deep gulps of the red nectar. It tasted so good she wanted to cry. By the time she was done he had gone limp in her arms. She could not hear his heartbeat. This was the second man she had killed – yet she felt no remorse. She didn’t even know his name.
After a cursory glance around to make sure there were no witnesses, Druscilla chucked his body into the river of shit and left.
If she had to guess, it was about midnight. Enough time to do some exploring.
Druscilla headed toward what she guessed was the city centre; the hubbub of life was loudest in that direction. The streets got brighter and busier the closer she got. There were even carriages about in the night. As she walked, heads swivelled in her direction, captivated by her beauty. Druscilla held her chin up and nobody approached her. It would have been different if I acted all meek. Hah – some things never change.
To her surprise, Druscilla came upon the Library. It was a massive domed building made of white stone. Above the unconventionally tall doors was a simple inscription: “LIBRARY” etched in gold. Consider my curiosity piqued.
A wall of warm air hit her when she went in. Why is it so stuffy in here? Druscilla could only hear not more than ten people in the building with her. At the front was a desk with its occupant fast asleep.
“We don’t get many of your kind here,” a voice said. Druscilla turned to her right and saw the person. They were swathed in soft-looking furs such that Druscilla couldn’t discern their gender. The fact that Druscilla hadn’t detected this masked figure was a bit concerning. “Shouldn’t you be, you know, fucking your client?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m not fond of pretty words, and even less so of whores.”
That’s more than a bit presumptuous, isn’t it? “You don’t even know who I am.”
“I know your type, courtesan: the bane of all honest women.”
Ooooh, that sounds personal. “Listen, I don’t know what your problem is lady –”
“You will address me with respect girl.” The scarf around the person’s face fell off to reveal a face covered in burn marks. “In case you’ve been living under a rock, let me introduce myself. I am Clementine Clearwater, Royal Librarian and Court Scholar of the Kingdom of Boshamia.”
“Ah, so you must be related to Ruringer Clearwater.” Druscilla heard a gasp; the lad at the desk had woken up.
Clementine’s grim expression became grimmer. “You… Just who do you think you are?”
“A library enjoyer welcomed by a foul-mouthed troll.”
“Leave. Now. I will have words with whoever your master is. Rest assured, your life will be over by tomorrow.”
“First: you’ve no right to kick me out when I’ve done nothing wrong.” I hope. Feudal societies were not known for civil rights and freedoms. “And second, you don’t even know who I am, or who my master is.”
Clementine cackled for a good while. “You really are an idiot, aren’t you? No matter. If someone acquired a courtesan of your calibre, they would be eager to show them off to the court. It is then, during your debut, that I will cover you in shit – metaphorically speaking of course.”
“How charming.” Hah, I probably would have done something similar was the situation reversed.
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“Indeed, it is so. Also, I am the Royal Librarian, so I can kick you out if I do so feel like it. However, the thought of soiling such a beautiful courtesan fills my sad heart with bliss – so I’ll let you stay. Try not to hurt that pretty head of yours.” With that, Clementine Clearwater stalked off.
Druscilla approached the man behind the desk.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“Lady Clearwater walks about at night looking for staff who fall asleep to punish.”
“She must have subordinates for that type of work surely?”
“Yes,” the boy lowered his voice. “But the thing is, she enjoys beating.”
“And you all just sit around and take it?”
“We’re orphans, raised by the library, what could we do?”
“Leave.”
“Even if they let us, where would we go? We have no friends or family. None of us have been outside since we came here.”
Pretty sure that’s child abuse. The boy looked no older than 15. Eh – whatever. Not my problem.
“So Miss, what type of book are you looking for?”
“Anything about Vampires.”
“Vamp…? I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with what you’re talking about. What exactly is it? Can you describe it?”
“You don’t know what a Vampire is?” Druscilla was surprised.
“I’m afraid I don’t miss.”
“Bloodsucking creatures of the night that combust when exposed to sunlight.”
“Combust?”
“Blow up into flames.”
“Do they have fangs like a snake’s?”
“Well I wouldn’t call them snake-like but yes, they have fangs.”
“I’m fairly certain the creature you’re describing was one of Ruringer’s Fantasies. Would you like a copy of it?”
“Yes, please. And also any books you have on magic.”
“That’s a tall order miss…Half the books here touch on magic.”
“Okay, the simplest one – for beginners.”
“If you say so. But you should know adults can’t manifest magic. Come with me.”
The lad showed her to a reading booth and brought her two books; a faceless magic tutorial and a leather-bound copy of Ruringer’s Fantasies.
Naturally, Druscilla started with the fantasy book. The very first page was a disclaimer that read: The contents of this book are a faithful transcription of the manuscript written by the disgraced Lady Ruringer Clearwater in the moon’s first quarter of the year 919. These words written by the Lady have been deemed a heresy by the Church of Light; they are only meant to be interacted with in a scholarly manner.
What followed was a very brief history of the Lady herself: Ruringer Clearwater was born to Rudeus and Lena Clearwater on the sixth day of the lower Sun month. Her mother died moments after her birth. Ruringer grew up spoiled by the wealth and prestige of her family. On her twentieth birthday, Ruringer claims she was afflicted with visions of a great demonic being. She lost her sanity soon after and began raving about terrible creatures. It was during this time that she wrote her book. Afterwards, she began advocating for the creation of a ‘Church of Darkness’ to counter the ‘Church of Light.’ She was arrested for heresy and found guilty. As she was being led to the gallows, Lady Ruringer’s heart stopped beating. The gathered crowd forced the executioner to hang her body regardless. Thus, her body hanged on the walls of Ginawaine for a week before Rudeus Clearwater petitioned for its removal. Lady Ruringer was interred near her ancestral hometown of Anderwaine.”
Druscilla was reasonably sure she had inherited Ruringer’s body. That’s quite the history there.
The book itself read like a conspiracy theorist’s Bible. The author was clearly not in the right frame of mind, writing with malice and casual disregard for humankind that made Druscilla bristle.
Ruringer described an apocalypse so bleak and dark that it would give snuff films a run for their money. She described all manner of creatures doing all manner of things to non-believers of darkness. The slime-covered barren wasteland described in the book made Druscilla shudder; she had been there.
But nestled somewhere in there was the textbook definition of a Vampire. Granted, it was pretty vague: Darkspawn from the ground, with no heartbeats in their breast. Their teeth are daggers that suck away blood. Their pale skin lights aflame when exposed to sun.
Scholars had dismissed Ruringer as a madwoman who was maybe possessed. That would mean that none of the creatures she had described had ever been discovered in the world. That makes me the First Vampire – the Original.
After reading a few pages about man-eating mermaids Druscilla decided to try out the book on magic. The book explained the three types of magic: arcane, elemental, and divine/mystic. Arcane magic and mystic magic were antagonistic to each other. Apparently, demons and the like all had some arcane aptitude, and thus humans were generally encouraged to study divine magic.
I’ve learned a lot – I should go back to the inn though. I should carry more books. In place of the boy who had seen her in was a severe-looking old lady. Just how long have I been here? This place has no windows… “Hello, I would like to take this book with me,” Drusilla said, referring to A Study of the Arcane.
“Leaving with books is not allowed.”
“Look into my eyes.” This book is mine now.
“Understandable, have a great day.”
The day was bright windy outside. The suns were already high up in the sky. Shit… Not good – this is the worst outfit for this. The suns will melt my skin off… Druscilla hugged the shadows and back alleys as she made a beeline to the inn avoiding sunlight as much as possible. What even is the name of that place? She avoided crowds as much as possible until she reached the inn.
Someone will probably see me if I climb up to the window, but everyone will notice me if I go through the front; that would be bad for my cover. After thinking about it for a moment Druscilla crouched low on her haunches and used supernatural strength to launch herself to the window. She landed inside the empty attic. The bag with the clothes she stole was open, its contents strewed all over the bed.
Druscilla changed into an all-white cloak and trousers. The sleeves of the cloak were long and loose past the elbow, like those of a monk’s robes. I need new shoes too. The sandals she was wearing were an eyesore compared to the rest of her outfit.
Now, where is Penelope… She went down to the commons below. The innkeeper was still there – bored as ever. “Have you seen the woman who was with me?” Druscilla asked.
“She left at sunrise.”
I should go find her. She was probably at city hall – opposite the royal palace. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.
Druscilla left and made a beeline for the city centre once more. In stark contrast to the previous night, the streets were bright and busy. Several stalls lined the streets. Merchant’s quarter huh.
Eventually, the residential buildings gave way to large marble structures. Druscilla could instantly recognize Houses of Government. The most prominent building was probably the royal palace. All major roads branched out from it. It did not appear to have a front or back. That was a problem because ‘opposite the royal palace’ was a vague description.
Careful not to look lost, Druscilla walked about the square. To her relief, she found a building written ‘HALL’ over the doors. She went in and was hit with a wall of cool air. Air conditioning shouldn’t be a thing in the Middle Ages, right?
Druscilla could hear several humans and some small animals inside. She instantly caught Penelope’s scent. The youth was sitting on what looked like a waiting bench. She was on the edge of her seat, ready to move at the drop of a hat. That girl should learn how to relax.
Pen noticed Druscilla approaching. “Druscilla!” She locked her in a bear hug. “I was so worried – where were you? Don’t make me worry like that again, okay?”
“I’m fine. I just went for a walk, is all.”
Penelope’s eyes went wide as saucers. “You-you can talk?”
Druscilla smiled at Pen. “Yes, I can. Nice to meet you, Penelope Poulsen.” Dru took Pen’s hand and kissed her knuckles. I saw that in a movie once, but do people even do that here? I hope so.
“I-I...”
“You must have a lot of questions; I’ll answer them back at the inn. First, let’s go shopping!”
Penelope’s mouth was moving up and down like a fish’s.
“I know this tailor on the way back – he’ll sort you out.” Dru took Pen’s hand and led her away.
“Wait…Wait! Slow down, please.”
Dru slowed from a light jog to a walk. “What is it?”
“Who are you?”
“I am Druscilla, and I’m your friend.”
“So you were only pretending to be crazy?”
“Yes, but with good reason.” Dru willed her eyes to water. “I was scared. A man tried to kill me that night and I barely escaped. I’ve never felt so frightened in my life. I was scared that your family would turn me away…I hope you can forgive me.”
“It’s alright.” Pen stopped to hug Dru. “You could have just asked though. Father won’t be happy about that.”
As a native of this world, Pen will be useful going forward. I’ve no intention of letting her go back home any time soon. “You won’t tell him right?”
“Never.”
“You’re a good friend Pen.” Dru nuzzled her head in Pen’s shoulder. “Thank you. You’re very important to me.”
“Oh shush, it’s nothing really.”
They disentangled themselves. “Let me make it up to you.”
Dru took them to the tailor she had been to the previous night. This time, the tailor met them at the door. “Greetings, Miss Druscilla. I believe I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting your acquaintance.”
“Hello. This is Penelope, my dear friend and aspiring ranger.”
“Um – hello,” Penelope said.
“Would you please be so kind as to provide her with some outdoorsy outfit?”
“You came to the right place.”
The attendant showed up out of nowhere. “Follow me, Miss Penelope.” They went into the backrooms, leaving only Druscilla and the tailor in the lobby.
“Tragic news, Miss Druscilla.”
“What happened?”
“We were robbed! All the money you paid us yesterday, gone!”
“Oh my, that’s terrible.”
“Indeed. Luckily, I’m a popular tailor; it won’t take long to recoup my losses.”
“I hope so. Allow me to pay for –”
“No, no, no, that won’t be necessary Miss. Take it as a sign of gratitude.”
“If you say so…”
Pen emerged in tight-fitting leather armour. It looked sturdy yet easy to move in, hard but lightweight. Penelope looked very pleased with herself.
“I forgot to ask, Mister Tailor,” Druscilla said.
“Hanes is fine, Miss.”
“Right, Mister Hanes, do you have any shoes in stock?”
“Only boots and basic high-strapped sandals.”
“That will do for the both of us.”
Penelope was in an extremely good mood going back to the inn. She chattered non-stop in Dru’s ear. Just like her mother. But what am I to do with Penelope? She’s a useful alibi to have. Not to mention the only New Worlder I can call a friend. I can’t let her go back home. Let me try asking nicely. “Stay with me Pen,” Dru interrupted Pen’s ranting. “Don’t leave me alone.”
A sadness fell over Pen’s face. “I can’t do that, Dru. My family is waiting for me. My mother, my Father, my little sisters, I can’t just abandon them…”
“I guess not. It can’t be helped.”
“Say, why don’t you come with me? It’s obvious you don’t like the city.”
A famous monster hunter is actively looking for me back there. “No, I can’t do that.”
“Why not??”
“Pen, go buy us some take-out please.” I hope that topic change was awkward enough for her not to question me further.
“Take-out?”
“Yes, Pen. Go buy some food and bring it back to our room.”
“Um – the money won’t be enough for our stay at the inn after tomorrow…”
“I’ll pay for the inn. Now go.”
“Okay.”
Druscilla climbed up to the attic and got out her magic book. She wanted to try arcane summoning. Most summoned creatures required weird ingredients like frog eyes, lizard claws, viper tongues, salt and chalk, among others. But all a Tulpa needed was the power of imagination.
To summon a Tulpa, one would need to vividly picture an ethereal body in as much detail as possible. A wandering spirit would fill this vessel if the body was detailed enough. Here goes.
Druscilla imagined a 2.5-metre tall shadow demon. It looked like a werewolf, with a long snout filled with 50 razor-sharp teeth. Its fur was black, spiky, and rock hard to the touch. Its eyes were yellow balls of glowing hatred. Its ears were two cones that heard everything. Its claws were black and sharp enough to cut through metal like butter. Darkness oozed from the beast’s skin, giving off an unholy aura.
The Tulpa turned and faced Druscilla. The summoning had worked. Now, what will I do with you? As a summoned creature, the Tulpa possessed all the knowledge of its summoner. “The Royal Librarian was a bit rude to me. Go return the favour. The Tulpa melted into the shadows and disappeared.
I should have waited till nightfall. But still, a demon murder in broad daylight is sure to create a panic; something I can use to my advantage. The first order of business would be to find a permanent place to stay. Second, find a way to earn some money – my abilities should help with that. Lastly, find out as much as possible about the world and myself, maybe start a Vampire coven – if I can figure out how to turn others. Druscilla smiled to herself. All in due time.