Just Passing Through

[Gildarts]

Cana made her way back, sending Whompt off with a bubbly smile, they went their separate ways. She was off to find her father, and Whompt was off to get a new job. If he’d come here looking, it must have meant that their partnership in the Tangled Green had been recent, which sparked excitement in the young diviner and she went up to their room in the inn clicking her heels with glee.

She could hardly contain her joy and unlocked the door after a swift knock. The window was open looking to the sunset which the Fairy Tail wizard had a tough time believing Cassandra would’ve gone out into the brash sun given her skin, but other than the window, she noticed a large pool of sticky, blood oozing toward her feet with a slow sap-like consistency.

“Guhhh…” a man groaned, picking himself up from the pool, Cana screamed as she saw him. He had pale skin, dark circles underneath his eyes, and was splattered, covered head to toe in deep crimson blood, also, two fresh pinpricks on his neck.

“Oh my,” she spoke, “Are you al..alright?”

“She said if I paid her, she’d make me immortal, so I … Whoa… Is that all my blood?” the kid said, “Damn…”

He stood in the shadows before taking a step in front of the window, wincing and reaching to draw the curtains, “Listen, I don’t know who you are but you just made a terrible mistake! Being a vampire is a lifetime curse and you’ve just… Ugh! This was my hotel room, go take a shower and be ready to mop up this mess!”

“Glad to know you think my life is a curse,” Cassandra came from behind, sweeping past her with a chill.

“Do you see what you’ve done to this poor boy?! You’ve damned him!” Cana said, shocked, “Plus, look at this mess!”

“He was going to die anyway, he had cancer and there’s no cure unless you’re a Prime, he’s been to some of the best doctors. He was supposed to die an hour ago, but here he is, still existing. It may be hard to believe but he asked me to.” Cassandra spoke again, her eyes fierce and defensive.

“There could have been another way…” Cana struggled with the thought, and heard the shower start running.

“There wasn’t.” She said matter-of-factly, “At least I have freed him from death. Even if the sun itches him a bit on his way out.”

“It’s a complete, gross, mess in here.” Cana said, still distracted, still disturbed.

“Yeah, it is all part of the process. I was grabbing him a snack, and don’t worry, I didn’t kill it. Listen though, you need to know the entire Omniverse doesn’t revolve around you and your little mission, there are things bigger than you, forces more powerful, and it is a place that doesn’t have morals, people don’t live by them, but they do die because of them. It is a melting pot of good and bad, monsters and demons kept at bay by monsters, cyborgs, and humans, got it?” Cassandra’s eyes narrowed.

Cana sighed. She’d deceived herself when she had allowed herself to believe this was anything like home, “What’s a cyborg?”

“A machine human, or.. Machine human, not really sure the specific terminology, anyway, did you find out any clues for that man?” Despite it all, Cassandra was still on the mission, just because Cana was new and her morals weren’t quite aligned, didn’t make them enemies. Asking to be a vampire was not something she would do if she were dying, but in some abstract, obscure way, the mage understood the desire to survive and keep living.

“Okay, so… What happens to him, anyway?” Cana asked, the shower was still going.

“Well, he’s a vampire now, y’know? So he goes on living, but in an undead state like I am. I warned him about it, told him it was no small task, and he offered to pay me, it isn’t what you think, nor is it what it sounds like,” she affirmed to the mage. “When he’s all cleaned up in there, we part ways and don’t worry I’ll clean up the mess.”

Cana wasn’t sure how, blood always left a stain, however this was a vampire she was talking to. Cassandra pricked her fingers with her nail and then placed her hand in the puddle. As though sucking it in and absorbing it through her body, the blood became less and less. It seemed like she was even eating if this could be called that. After a quick minute, the blood was gone, no trace, still, Cana didn’t exactly like stepping on the clean floor, for the traces of spattered blood still remained present in her mind.

“All better?” Cassy asked. Cana smiled politely and nodded, but it was only just that.

It would take a lot getting used to this new world, and why exactly was she here?

“So did you end up finding any new information?” Cassy asked Cana.

“I did, our new lead takes us to the Tangled Green, I’d say a very reliable source, they partnered up for a job,” she hand-picked the words she’d chosen, picking particularly to not include the very serious and solemn warning that was enclosed in the knowledge.

“That’s good news,” she agreed with the diviner, “When did you plan to leave?”

“Well, I thought you might be more comfortable if we traveled at night, at least, until we get to a more cloudy climate,” Cana offered and Cassandra reciprocated with a nod, appreciating the consideration.

“Thank you, we should leave at dusk, I was able to get you some food as well, while I was out, the forest is a big place and we’ll likely be there for days. Are you ready for this?”

“I am more than ready.” She’d promised herself this day would come for so long. Soon, it would be too late.