Chapter 3 / Proper introductions

March 14th, 15.001.

The outsides of Eloria, capital of Elaris [Elf Continent]

The hostel was small, warm, and filled with the smell of roasted herbs and bread. Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling, and outside, the last threads of daylight slipped behind the trees of Eloria’s borders. They had claimed a corner table near the fire while the innkeeper’s family prepared their dinner. 

Dominique leaned over the table, chin in her hands, eyes glittering like a child about to hear a bedtime story. “Alright,” she declared, “we’ve been driving for more than a day and I still don’t feel like I properly know half of you. If we’re going to share the same roof, and the same meals, and possibly save each other’s lives from bandits or beasts or worse… introductions are mandatory.”

Sukira raised a brow. “Didn’t I already do that for you back at the castle?”.

“Yes,” Dominique said cheerfully, “but you mocked us into blushing, and I nearly fainted, so I request a redo. Please.”

Elon sighed softly, as though already regretting the detour, but Eloise perked up, nodding. “That’s fair. I agree.”

Dominique clapped her hands. “Excellent! Let’s go in order, then. Sukisuki, a mercenary assassin with the power of appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye, smokes cigs when she’s bored. Owns a dog. Anything else you’d like to add?”

“You’ve ruined my mystique so easily,” Sukira smirked, leaning back in her chair. “I also like books, you know?”. 

Dominique grinned. “Yeah, yeah. Boring. Next: Prince Elon Fenroth. Traveler, scholar, apparently knows more about Spirits and magic than most librarians… I heard you are a sorcerer. Would you like to defend your reputation, dear prince?”

Elon cut a piece of bread, his voice calm. “I’m not a prince. They cut me from the succession line.”

“That’s your introduction?” Dominique groaned dramatically. “Eloise, save us, please.”

Eloise straightened, cheeks warming. “I’m Eloise Fenroth. I have two brothers and one sister. I’ve studied botany across Elaris, focusing on how plants can heal, poison, and interact with magic. I’ve written books on the subject. Some of them even got published!” Her smile turned timid. “I’m a white magician, skilled in healing, protection, and enhancement spells. I love sweets, the springtime, and long walks. I’ll admit I’ve never been outside the elf continent, so I look forward to arriving in Umbra to continue my studies.”

Dominique’s expression softened. “That’s lovely. I’ve already decided you’re my favourite travel companion, no offense to the rest.”

Cloud gave a low, rumbling huff, and Dominique reached to scratch his ears. “Except you, of course, good boy.”

“I’ll appreciate it if you stop treating my bloodhound beast like a baby. Thanks. And now, give us your introduction, Lady Dominique.” Sukira drawled, deliberately mocking the formality.

“Oh, me? Easy. Dominique Velaric, I’m ninety years old—around eighteen in human metric, I think… I was never good at math. Pure-blood, hence this hair and about the eyes, no, I don’t bother hiding them, it's very, very tiring doing it. I adore clothes, galas, organizing other people’s birthday parties, and I’d trade kingdoms for a piece of gum.”

“Great,” Sukira said, smirking. “So we’ve got a shy princess, a prince who won’t talk, a princess who won’t stop talking, a dog, and me. Sounds like we’ll be doing just fine.” She peeked at Elon’s reading, who hardly paid attention to the conversation. 

Dominique laughed, clapping her hands again. “Exactly! And tomorrow, we continue from here. First Verellen, then Eloen Reach, and across the sea to Velanth, and finally…” She lowered her voice for effect. “…Bloodspire.”

The fire crackled, filling the silence that followed. For a moment, each of them pictured the road ahead: foreign shores, unknown dangers, and a city that carried its name like a warning.

♥︎

The hostel had given Elon a narrow single room down the hall, while the larger one went to the girls. With theatrical flair, Dominique claimed the bed near the window, while Eloise settled into the other bed beside it. Cloud leapt up in Eloise’s legs, circling twice before sprawling across the blankets with a satisfied sigh.

For a while, they traded idle whispers about the trip, until the lamplight dimmed and the silence of the border town pressed in. Eloise lay on her back, staring at the ceiling beams, then spoke softly into the dark.

“Dominique… can I admit something?”

Dominique turned toward her, pink hair spilling across the pillow, eyes catching the faint glow from the shutters. “Confessions are the best part of sleepovers.”

Eloise drew in a breath. “All my lessons, the books I read… vampires were always described in ways that impressed me, but always through fear. They were powerful, brilliant, but tied to demons and shadows. Closer to Calamities than to people. Every story ended with warnings: you were too dangerous and unnatural to ever trust. And some of it… Well, it’s true, isn’t it? You are stronger. You are closer to demons than the rest of us. You have special abilities.” She bit her lip, voice trembling. 

The silence stretched, and Eloise winced. “I’m sorry. That must sound horribly rude.” She hid her face with a pillow. 

To her surprise, Dominique didn’t recoil. She laughed lightly, her voice warm, not mocking. “Oh, Eloise. You think that’s bad? Half of humanity still imagines we sleep in coffins, drink blood from golden chalices with every meal, and bite everyone for fun. Yours sounds almost flattering compared to those beliefs."

Eloise’s eyes widened. “You’re… not angry?”

“Why would I be?” Dominique rolled onto her back, hands folded on her stomach, eyes looking at the ceiling. “You were taught one story. That’s not your fault. What matters is that you want to learn the truth now. And if you let me, I’ll show you everything — our music, cities, festivals, and boring family traditions. You can ask me any question, no matter how silly, and I’ll answer. No judging. Pinky-swear.”

Eloise’s heart softened. She reached across Cloud’s warm fur, brushing her fingers lightly. “Thank you, Dominique”.

Dominique turned her head, meeting her eyes with an unguarded gentleness. “Then consider me your personal vampire guide. First lesson?” She grinned suddenly, breaking the weight of the moment. “We don’t actually sleep upside down.”

Eloise burst into laughter, muffling it against her pillow, and Dominique giggled with her until Cloud gave a disgruntled huff and shifted. The laughter softened into silence, and just before Eloise drifted into sleep, Dominique’s voice reached her again, quiet and sincere:

“You’ll see, Eloise. We’re not monsters. And I’ll make sure you never feel afraid of us again.”

Meanwhile, outside the hostel, Elon lingered in the dim backyard, watching the last embers of the sky fade into night. He had noticed something earlier: Sukira never followed the others upstairs. Instead, she ordered Cloud to keep the girls company and then disappeared.

When he finally found her, she was sitting on some stone steps, her cigarette unlit between her fingers, eyes fixed on the highway they had traveled.

“And here I thought I was good at hiding,” she said without turning. “Surprised we’re still stuck with each other?”

Elon offered to light her cigarette. She denied it, shaking her hand.

“Why wouldn’t we?”

“The road is getting trickier. You’ve also noticed.”

And he had. The signs were minor but undeniable. The weather was shifting strangely — sudden chills in March air that should have been mild, winds carrying scents of ash where there were no fires. Rumours had begun to reach them even here at the border: villages reporting attacks from demons, small Calamities sighted in farmlands where they had never strayed, whispers of creatures once timid now overstepping boldly into towns. Something was shifting in the balance, stirring in the unseen places. The land itself seemed to brace for a storm that had not yet broken.

“What I’ve noticed is that you don’t sleep.”

That made her glance at him, one brow arched. “Sharp eyes, prince. You caught that already?”

She trained all of her senses to be top-notch, even to the point that it was hard to sleep without being aware of all that was happening around her.

“I caught it before,” Elon replied evenly. “Back at the palace. Not once did you properly rest. I could always sense your trace. Are you sure you are not a magic bearer?” This last part carried a bit of sarcasm in its tone. 

Sukira tapped the cigarette against her knee, thoughtful. “Even as a child, I’d wake at the sound of a branch snapping two streets away. It's hard to sleep deeply when the world is screaming in your ears.”

Elon folded his arms, considering her. “And you never wanted to quiet it? To learn how to turn it off?”

Her smile was quick, bitter. “I’ve lived all my life in a survival mode. I think silence wouldn’t feel safe anymore.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air carried only the distant chatter of the inn and the occasional crackle of a torch.

Finally, Elon said, “That must be exhausting.”

Sukira exhaled, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. “It is.”

♥︎