Ch. 2.12 | Cornered
PoV: Lania
Of-Jinan had retrieved a ring of keys from her office. Lania had quickly asked for pen and paper to write home to her parents, telling them she was okay and moved to Calderae as an adventurer directly under Of-Jinan. Nadiyya had left her birds who-knew-where. Afterwards, the three of them soon found themselves walking along the streets of Calderae.
The two suns shone down between a gentle array of puffy white clouds. A darker storm rumbled to the west, where Lania had been picked up by Nadiyya—and the others (but mostly Nadiyya).
The passersby on the street gave Lania and the other two a wide berth—probably because of Of-Jinan. People nodded respectfully and waved as Of-Jinan passed. It was weird that no one shrunk away or looked disgustingly at Of-Jinan, being large and gray-skinned. The latter being a result of her undead status.
The people saved their inquisitive gazes for Lania and Nadiyya, although nothing much came from it. The two were in the safe shadow of . . . Of-Jinan needed a cool title. “The Borrowed Time” sounded lacking.
The namesake of the city, the caldera, rose up into the sky to the northeast. The city wrapped around it in a loose crescent shape. Lania's little group headed northward, and inward, close to the steep slope of the extinct volcano.
As they walked, Nadiyya repeatedly brushed close to Lania, arms touching. Lania would step away, but then Nadiyya would make contact again.
From flanking either side of Of-Jinan, behind her, Lania and Nadiyya were now skewed to Of-Jinan's left.
Lania stepped away, but this time, Nadiyya grabbed Lania's hand with her own. Lania jerked to the side, unable to move away.
“Hey!” Nadiyya exclaimed. “I didn't step out of the ha—brark!—ll to spend time with you just fo—grrrr—r you to run away!”
That earned a plethora of strange looks from the people on the street—a peculiar, shouting lady making animal noises.
Lania gasped as the Of-Jinan turned a street. “This is, like, fancy—for Calderae.” More guards flanked the street here, nodding to Of-Jinan as she passed. She nodded back.
“We live here,” Of-Jinan said. “Being the founders and important and all.”
“Doesn't this set you above everyone else though? Isn't the point everyone is equal?” Lania inquired. Calderae was supposed to distribute its resources equally. Everyone was supposed to be taken care of, as well as not seen above anyone else.
Of-Jinan shrugged. “Everyone else doesn't have assassins sent for them, or political rivals, or is running the whole place . . . and a far-reaching guild.”
Lania made a non-commital “mhm” noise.
The houses were not too fancy—certainly nothing like the guild hall or the legislature. Certainly nothing like the larger, richer buildings in either old or New Kanimaw. These still had a higher air of cleanliness and maintenance, and their size suggested some leeway for room.
They were built from the same materials as the other buildings—stone or sandstone walls. Slate or thatched roofing, slanting up to a peak from two sides. Buttresses and arches made for generous windows. Some were built two-story, most were just one-story cottages.
“Sanya and Mai have those two,” Of-Jinan pointed to two adjacent cottages. Then, to a two-story in the distance. “That's mine and Of-Salama’s. Esmat and Zahira live somewhere further down, right up against the caldera.”
“Can we be neighbors with—woof Sanya?”
Of-Jinan shrugged, then pointed to a two-story a house away from Sanya's on the same side of the street. The one in between was a one-story. “That one?”
“Sure!” Nadiyya cheered.
“Hey—wait—do I get a say?” Lania tried.
Of-Jinan already took a key off her ring and handed it to Nadiyya. “Need me to check it out with you, or anything else?”
“Um, yes—”
“We're good!” Nadiyya said.
Lania glared at Nadiyya, who grinned.
“Hmph.”
“Oh come on, you—chirp—wouldn't have picked anything different.”
Lania sighed. Maybe that one-story would be enough . . .
Nadiyya proceeded to bound over to the house. Lania wondered if this girl was more wolf than human. Lania followed meekly. Of-Jinan had turned around and disappeared at some point. It's not like there was a crowd on this street for her to get obstructed by—she was too tall to disappear into a crowd anyway. Maybe she had thrown up a time bubble.
Nadiyya turned around at the door and waved towards Lania. She shook her head and continued, stepping up to Nadiyya a handful of seconds later.
She waited for me . . . that's nice, right? Maybe this wild woman isn't so feral after all. She could not deny that she (may have) enjoyed being tugged around by this odd, smelly woman.
Nadiyya opened the door, though did not walk in, she flashed Lania a tooth-displaying grin. Did she have, like, dog teeth too? “After you.”
Lania gulped, then stepped inside.
She could not see much, initially. The windows were all shuttered, sunlight unable to pour into the room. No strings of llumifruits hung from the ceiling. No candles flickered from nightstands (this one would just be weird, it was a vacant house).
Lania walked to a few windows and opened the blinds, letting the sunshine rush inside.
A counter and cabinet space sat to the left. The fireplace was off to the far front-left corner. This way, the back of the house would not get heated so much, a remnant from the days of the tempest. This arrangement probably was not so necessary anymore. The days had gotten colder, and been getting increasingly so. “Seasons” were back again, which hopefully meant it would not get increasingly frigid until everyone froze to death. It would eventually get hotter again in a yearly cycle. A staircase to the right led to the second floor, in front of what would probably be a common room. Doors in the back led to other spaces.
There was, of course, a lack of furniture. That would have to be arranged eventually, at least for the bare minimum. Lania did not need or intend to have much.
Lania put a hand on a doorknob of another room's door.
Nadiyya stepped into the house. She shut the door behind her and locked the door. Lania turned to face Nadiyya. Lania did not think that would be necessary, with all the guards around to stop burglars and the like. It's not like Lania and Nadiyya had anything to steal, anyway. Lania shrugged to herself, it was probably better to be safe.
Nadiyya walked to an open window and tossed the key out. Glass was too expensive, so the windows were little more than shutters and—
She . . .
. . . She what?
Nadiyya turned and smiled at Lania, like a starved, satisfied predator to its meal.
Lania's heart would be beating like mad—if hers still beat. She shrunk back, taking steps until—her back met the wall.
“Nadiyya? . . .” Lania squeaked. “I thought that I wasn't going to be killed?”
Nadiyya laughed, loud and untamed. “What makes you think I'm—meow going to kill you?”
Okay, this woman could not be intimidating when she spoke. That was really cute. Was she also crazy? She might also be crazy.
Ughhhh Lania might have a weak spot for crazy women.
Still . . .
Lania swallowed. “You're, you—”
Nadiyya slammed a hand against the wall behind Lania. She jumped. Nadiyya's grin only grew, showing her canine-like teeth to Lania. Nadiyya leaned forward, their faces barely centimeters away from each other.
Wha—? Was Nadiyya going to bite Lania's face off? Or maybe kiss her? . . .
Lania flushed.
She smelled Nadiyya's breath. Untrusted. Animalistic. Nadiyya smelled like that too, like the musky fur of a wild dog.
They stared into each other's eyes. Lania felt like she could spend hours examining them. One was very cat-like, yellow and slit. The other was normal—relatively. It was green like some priceless gem from the deep, crystalline and hiding all sorts of shades and shapes. Both slightly hidden by the unkempt bangs falling from Nadiyya's face. Lania wanted to bring a hand up and brush them aside—to touch Nadiyya’s face and—
Nadiyya brought her head to the side instead, her brown neck now brushed against Lania's mouth.
“Do you want to taste?” Nadiyya asked.
The blood rushed through Lania's body like a torrent. It pooled in her head, feeling like she might explode. Her body jittered and her breathing went ragged and desperate.
She wanted to . . . to bite Nadiyya. She was practically offering it up to Lania. Who was she to deny such a tasty, easy meal?
No! Bad Lania! She did not want to accidentally kill Nadiyya!
So what? What's killing some delectable mage? Why show remorse for your prey? Go on . . . bite Nadiyya.
Drain her until there's nothing left, until she's a bloodless corpse, a husk of consumed food.
The prey had offered itself to Lania. How could she possibly deny?
Lania opened her mouth, baring her fangs
“G-get away,” Lania said, she brought her arms up and pushed against Nadiyya.
Lania flushed further, she had touched Nadiyya's chest—and she had . . . erm . . . Lania awkwardly removed her hands.
She pleaded to Nadiyya to step back.
Nadiyya sighed, purring. “Don't pretend there's nothing between us—mrrp.”
She took a few steps back, a big frown creased her face, which was also red. She was sooooo cute when flushed. Lania wanted to do countless naughty things to Nadiyya. One of those included drinking her blood.
Nadiyya brought her talon-less hand up to Lania’s face and stroked her cheek. Maybe this was her excuse to touch Nadiyya there again. Eugh! No! Stop!
“You're . . . you're making this weird,” Lania said. “We met today.” That, and yet, they were literally about to start living together. That meant nothing, though, they could just be normal roommates! Save on housing space by stuffing multiple people together, even if non-familial! That was a thing!
Nadiyya brought her hand back. “Is—awrooo—there anything wrong with that?” Oh, did Nadiyya just whimper? . . . Could she . . . maybe do that again—?
Aaaaaaah!
Lania closed her eyes. She took deep breaths. This would pass. This was fine. Nothing washappening. Nothing would happen.
She snuck a look and gasped.
Nadiyya took a talon and scraped it along her left forearm, width-wise. She winced, at least. Blood began to pool out from the wound.
Then, she brought it up to Lania's mouth. Betraying herself, she swallowed hard and licked her lips.
Blood . . .
Lania closed her eyes tightly, and clenched her jaw. The thick iron scent wafted up to her nostrils, and her ragged breathing made a little meal out of it.
Lania's knees gave out and she fell towards the floor, although Nadiyya was in the way. She caught Lania before she hit the ground, propping her up.
Nadiyya's blood dripped onto the stone floor.
“I hate you,” Lania muttered. Tears threatened her eyes. A perplexing concoction of emotions swirled within her.
She wanted Nadiyya, not only in normal lust but her blood. Nadiyya has made it so easy, offering the yummy crimson liquid right in front of her.
It took every part of her being not to drop to the floor and lap up the splotches of blood on it, or to take her tongue or her fangs to Nadiyya's arm and suck her dry.
Lania hated that despite her protesting, Nadiyya had continued to tease and press Lania to drink Nadiyya's blood.
This whole . . . blood thing reminded Lania about bad things. Like, for one, being a vampire now.
She hated it.
Why had that monster done this to her?
She suddenly did not feel lustful anymore, in either the human or the vampire sense of the word.
She just felt weak.
She began to sob. Like, really sob. She cried streams of tears into Nadiyya's stupid exposed stomach. Knees against the floor and unable to stand up. Unable to move or do much in the way of anything at all.
“Oh—” Nadiyya said. “I . . .”
She trailed off. Instead, she slid down to her knees, then took a sitting position with her legs crossed. Hiding the splotches of blood beneath her legs. Instead of propping Lania up, Nadiyya moved into an embrace. A nice, comfy hug. Nadiyya guided Lania's body into a better sitting position, no longer knees against cold stone.
Nadiyya's body felt warm against Lania's. So snug . . . Also smelly, but in a nice way, if that could even make sense. The animal smell helped to push out the thick iron scent of blood.
Lania could not find it within her to stay mad at Nadiyya, or think anything negative of her at all.
How dare Lania be so weak to this strange magical human . . . Was she even human anymore?
“I'm sorry,” Nadiyya whispered.
Just two freaks, sitting in a vacant home—their home, now. Roommates. Both probably broken, could they be repaired? Lania did not know much about Nadiyya. Why was Nadiyya the way she was? What was her past like? Did she like the way the backlash of Fauna magic had changed her, or were these animalistic traits slowly eating away at her humanity?
How long until she was a monster? How long until her humanity left her? Just like Lania? When would she become a murderous vampire?
That progenitor of Lania's still seemed human, at least in that specific form. It had wanted to be her mother, and seemed lonely and sad.
Was Lania not being fair? Was it really an “it,” or a “her?” What was she doing now? What was she like? Where would Lania be now if she had accepted the vampire's offer to be with her?
She couldn't think right now. She was . . . When was the last time she had slept? Did she still need sleep? She certainly felt up to it now . . .
What time was it, some time in the afternoon?
Lania's crying slowly died away. She closed her eyes, nuzzling Nadiyya and pressing her face further against Nadiyya, whose arms were still wrapped around Lania. Until one arm broke away and began to pat Lania's head and brush her hair.
Was this big dumb girl going to do anything about the cut on her arm? . . .
Lania soon fell asleep against Nadiyya.