Fantasy Farewell to Kings: Temple of Hyxia

[alwaystheOptimist]

"Backwater? More like hell on earth," Delilah croaked, wincing, "Hell. I wish I hadn't drunk that much, I feel like someone pounded me with a brick."

Rheitz eyes widened, "Y-you're awake!"

Delilah cracked a smile. "Sure am kid. Somebody's got to take care of you."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec smiled at her while she was coming to consciousness.
“Sorry you’ve gotten caught in my family’s business. I’ll be sure to kill her properly next encounter. Did my Nightshadow assist you well?”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"Beside smacking my legs against the ground every five damn seconds - yeah, I think I'll be good. I get a little crazy when I'm drunk, especially when someone is trying to kill one of my friends." She pushed herself up into a sitting position, wincing at the pain in her leg. "Moonface, you sure are a handful," she sighed, leaning her head back against the headboard as she held Rheitz's hand tightly. Enius grinned like an idiot, quirking his eyebrows.

 

[Jodyguru]

He smiled, then looked up to see Einus’ weird look.
“I uh, well the horse got you away from a dhampir, so don’t complain. Now, I should use a wash room.” His hands had blood on them, and he was shaking. He got to the bathroom and hurriedly scrubbed himself clean of blood.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz began to cry, tears sliding down her plump cheeks. "I-I thought you were g-going to die!" she wailed, her head burying itself in Delilah's shoulder. The Red Queen chuckled stroking the young woman's hair. "I'll head out," Enius said, pulling Tobias behind him out the door. Delilah played with Rheitz's hair, looking down at the sobbing goat girl.

"Now why would you think that? I told you I would be there for you, didn't I?" Delilah said softly. Rheitz sniffed, burying her head further into the cloth of her shirt. "Kid, you're gonna have to help me. My clothes were shredded by that she-beast and I need to change." Rheitz nodded, picking her head up and walked over to her pack pulling a shirt and some pants from it. Delilah grunted, as she moved to the edge of the bed.

Helping Delilah pull her shirt off, Rheitz remembered when she had helped her aging grandmother change. She had been suffering from joint pain and couldn't do many things on her own. Rheitz used to help her, always earning her an affectionate comment from her grandmother and a pat on the head. It was all the attention she got in her household with 5 brothers and she cherished it, holding her grandmother's smiles and compliments close to her heart.

Fully changed and tired, Delilah patted Rhietz's head. "You should go to bed. You're our guide remember? Can't have you sleeping on the job." Rheitz nodded reluctantly, moving to the door. "Goodnight Delilah." she said before slipping out the door.

 

[Jodyguru]

In the hall, Rhietz would see Lautrec frantically scrubbing his hands in a bucket of water. He growled and then threw the sponge in the bucket rather aggressively. He panted and rose to his feet.
“She’s such a child!” He said loudly to nobody. ”She doesn’t know how lucky she is! I never asked to be a kinslayer!”
He lifted his gaze and saw Rhietz in the hallway. He calmed down enough to stop yelling his lamentation.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz shifted uncomfortably on her feet, tugging on her ear. "I-um...should I go? I mean...I can wait." She stared at the bucket of water near his hands, "You really don't like blood, huh?"

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec dried his hands off with a cloth and stepped out of the wash room.
“It’s enough to have everyone think I’m some blood drinking fiend. It’s another thing to feel your mind tear at itself when in its presence.” He held his hands towards her so she could see how much he was shaking.
“Like a man dying of thirst when surrounded by water.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"Have you ever tried? I mean, have you ever drunk blood?" Rhi asked, stepping closer to him.

 

[Jodyguru]

He looked at her coldly as he put his hands together. He remembered the knife he stuck through the man better than the man he slayed. His weapon was covered in crimson. He thought it might be okay, since he didn’t bite anyone. It was free blood.
“Yes. It nearly drove me insane. The taste was awful.”
Liar, you loved every second of it, and deeply wished to bleed him dry.”
“I learned how immensely powerful my craving could be if sated even just once. I’ve made sure to never make that mistake again. Everything I am would cease to exist if I gave in to my hunger. I would become a monster, like my father.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz nodded solemnly, grabbing his hands between hers. "You can do it Lautrec. I believe in you. You're a lot better than I give you credit for and you've saved me so many times and I was never grateful and I- I'm rambling aren't I." She sighed, dropping his hands. "Anyway, I need to use the washroom. I'll see you in the morning. Oh. Delilah wanted to see you. She wanted to talk about what happened, at least, that's what she said."

 

[Jodyguru]

He nodded and squeezed her hands while holding them. “It’s alright. I underestimated you too when we first met. I’m thankful for your kind words.”

He let her go to take care of her business while he walked back into Delilah’s room, entering through her door slowly.
“How are you feeling?” He asked.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah let out a small laugh, pushing herself further under the blankets. "How do you think a woman who drank three bottles of wine and then ran after a dhampir who beat her up would feel?" she grinned, flexing her fingers. "And here I thought that you were the last of the dhampirs. I thought she was gone, so why did she show up all of a sudden?"

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec took a chair and set it down next to her. “I haven’t a clue. It could be the treasure hunters. They talk a lot. I also haven’t traveled this way in a very long time. Perhaps I’m entering her domain, and she’s taken the opportunity? Perhaps she’s been following me this whole time and chose tonight to strike? I don’t have answers. I just know we haven’t seen the last of her. I left Aida behind when it came to the business of slaying Dracula. She was dead weight to me. I think she bears a grudge.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah was silent for a moment as she waved her hand through the few scattered beams of moonlight on her blanket, watching as her shadow passed through them. "Was that the time you drank blood? The blood of Dracula?"

 

[Jodyguru]

“What? No!” Lautrec looked slightly offended. “He did not bleed, and I did not slay him. I was beset by the spirits of my fallen kin and possessed by my mother’s ghost. A kind cleric was able to banish them from me, after the final blow was struck. Gods, I cannot imagine the torment I’d suffer by drinking his foul essence.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah snorted, "I know that drinking blood is something you don't associate with. But I-I heard through the door that you have drunk someone's blood before. I'm sorry for eavesdropping but I...I was curious. Forget I asked, it's obviously a touchy subject for you." She picked up a wineglass from the bedside table, taking a sip.

 

[Jodyguru]

He smirked and shrugged. “I get asked it a lot, so I just say no to keep the conversation brief. It was just a common thief I fought. I was young and foolish, thinking just licking the knife would be okay. The man was fine, but I had to knock myself unconscious to stop whatever was manifesting inside me.”
He noticed her having a drink and gave her a funny look.
“Haven’t you had enough tonight?”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

She ignored him, taking another sip. "Did it taste good? I mean, if you had to knock yourself out, you must have liked it."

 

[Jodyguru]

A cold shiver ran up his back. “It was horrifying. I felt forces taking me over, heard voices in my head, and was blinded with ravenous hunger. I ran headlong into a wall just so I’d be far away from the townsfolk. If... if it happened again, I wouldn’t be able to stop. So if it does, I want no remorse.” He looked grimly at her, then snatched the wine glass from her before she could drink.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

She narrowed her eyes at him, the edges of mouth pulling into a scowl. "That's mine. I dare you to drink it or throw it away. Let's see what happens to you." Her hand stretched out for the glass, ready to swipe it from his hand.

 

[Jodyguru]

He pulled his hand away. “You nearly killed yourself already. Besides, I want your mind clear, so you’ll remember this conversation. What’s happened, anyway? Last night you yelled in my face that drinking wasn’t my answer.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

She lunged at him, pushing him to the ground. The wine glass smashed against the floor, its contents spilling once again on the ground. She cursed, her hands closing around Lautrec's neck. "I hate you. I hate you. You at least had a chance at happiness. You at least had someone to love you. So you don't have an excuse to drink your damn non-existent problems away. I have an excuse. So don't try and give me that crap. Just because you're a dhampir that doesn't drink blood and you have a wave of sympathizers. I bet it's because of your face. If you didn't have such a pretty-dammit." Her eyes had begun to water and she swiped away the tears with one of her hands, making sure that the other remained attached to his neck.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec stared blankly up at her while she squeezed his neck.
”Will... killing me... take that pain away?” He asked between gasps. His hand touched her face, and she felt cold through her whole body. He had cast Calm Emotions to try and convince her to let him go. His magic was spent for the day, so this was his only chance.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Unfortunately, the magic wasn't strong enough and her anger and pain were too strong.

"No. Dammit, I don't know if I want to be in your heart or I want my sword to be in your heart," her hand had begun to loosen around his neck, the marks from her fingers showing slightly on his pale skin. "gods...I wish someone would kill me. I wish you had let me die. It would be so much easier. It wouldn't have to rot in this hell that I'm in."