Chapter 138: Vampire Party

Stryg grumbled to himself as he fidgeted with his shirt, “Why does only my shirt have so many damn frills?”

“Blame Callum, he’s the one who picked it out,” Clypeus said.

“I thought it looked nice, flashy, dazzling even,” Callum looked Stryg over.

“And the sleeves?” Stryg frowned.

“It matches with your eyes,” Callum shrugged.

“My eyes are purple! The sleeves are pink!”

“Your eyes are a lilac, they're as close to pink as they are to purple,” Callum said.

“Say that again and I swear I’ll bite you,” Stryg hissed.

“Careful, he’s serious,” Loh stood at the doorway.

The three boys froze, their eyes stuck on the tight-fitting white dress that hugged Loh’s natural curves. Her hair was tied up with silver threads in an intricate pattern. She wore only the faintest hints of makeup, save for her blue lipstick that matched effortlessly with her azure eyes.

“Wow,” Clypeus muttered.

“Miss Loh, you truly are an enchanting vision, I thank Bellum I am fortunate enough to lay my eyes on you this auspicious night,” Callum smiled wide.

“Enough with the flattery, it’ll get you nowhere, Veres,” Loh’s lips formed a very thin line.

“Forgive me, your beauty moved me,” Callum bowed.

“What did I just say?” Loh asked, annoyed.

“The dress suits you very well, master,” Stryg nodded.

“You don’t clean up so bad yourself,” Loh laughed.

“Isn’t that flattery?” Callum mumbled.

“Shut up, before Stryg actually bites you,” Clypeus whispered.

“So, are you all ready for this party?” Loh asked.

“You mean ready to be swarmed by small family leaders eager to introduce their daughters to me? How could I not?” Clypeus rolled his eyes.

“It can’t be that bad,” Loh said.

“You’ve really been out of aristocratic circles for a while, huh? Clypeus is from a famous Great House, but you and I are from Ruling Families. If you think Clypeus will have it bad, then we might as well both be utterly and certainly doomed,” Callum said.

“Stop exaggerating, we’ll be fine. Oh and Stryg, remember not to get into any fights tonight,” Loh said.

“Yes, master,” Stryg nodded.

“See, the night is already going off to a great start,” Loh smiled.

~~~

“You were saying?” Callum raised his eyebrow.

“Shut up,” Loh frowned.

Over two dozen aristocrats surrounded them and pushed against each other just to have a moment to speak to the scions of House Veres and Noir. Even Clypeus had been swept away by several young women and their fathers. Stryg watched the entire spectacle from the corner of the room.

The moment the four of them had entered the ballroom, a man in tight pants and a golden speaking-trumpet, announced Loh, Callum, and Clypeus to the party. It took only a matter of seconds before they swarmed the group. For once, Stryg was thankful for his small stature. He was easily able to slip past the chaotic crowd and walked over to a table in the corner filled with bottles of champagne.

Stryg wished Rhian had been able to come, but she was still resting off her nausea from yesterday. Callum said it was probably for the best, Lord Mora was not much of a fan of centaurs or any beastkin for that matter.

Stryg cracked a bottle open and poured himself a drink. He surveyed the room as he sipped the sweet alcohol. The ballroom was large, occupying most of the west wing. The floor was a beige marble with silver lines etched into the ground in a web-like pattern. Brass torches burned brightly on the marble pillars and a golden chandelier the size of Rhian hung from the ceiling, illuminating the hundreds of guests below.

Everyone was dressed in overly complicated clothing that Callum liked to call fashion. Stryg thought it seemed difficult to move around in, especially the dresses that squeezed the women’s waists tight.

The only ones who seemed to be dressed in comfortable clothing were the pretty humans standing near another corner of the room. They only wore a simple grey skirt, nothing more. Whenever one of the vampire guests wandered by, the humans would offer them their necks. From the looks of it, the humans’ blood was very tasty, since the vampires kept coming back to drink until the humans dropped, dead probably.

The majority of the guests moved in pairs and danced to the rhythm of the music in the center of the ballroom, whispering and laughing with each other. Stryg was suddenly reminded of the Blood Fang’s dances around the village’s bonfire during full moons. It was one of the few times the Sylvan tribe could relax, enjoy themselves, and forget about the dangers that lurked in the forest around them. The ballroom no longer felt loud or full of people. It felt quiet and dark. He felt very alone.

“I’m glad you’ve recovered so well. I was worried that the seregulus might have left you crippled.”

A petite vampiress in a vivid red dress stood behind him. Her pale blonde hair fell over her strapless shoulders. Maeve held a glass of champagne in her crimson-gloved hand. Her bright red lips curled upwards.

“What are you doing here?” Stryg asked.

“This is my family’s castle and it’s my father’s birthday, where else would I be?” Maeve smiled.

“I mean here, literally. Why aren’t you over there dancing with the others? Why are you standing so annoyingly close to me? Do you plan on spilling wine on me again?”

“I really am sorry about that. I know it wasn’t a great first impression,” Maeve winced.

“Why are you here?” Stryg narrowed his eyes.

“You do realize I’m standing like 4 feet from you, right? Yesterday, you walked right up to my face, with no regard for my personal space whatsoever. If anything, I should be the one who is annoyed.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I’m an alcoholic and I sorely needed a drink,” she winked.

“You? You don’t look like a stumbling drunk.”

“You’d be surprised how well some of us can hide it,” she grinned. “My siblings and I set this whole party up, you know? It can be quite stressful meeting my father’s demands for perfection, but we manage.”

“That’s why you needed a drink?”

“Obviously,” Maeve grabbed a bottle and poured two cups for herself.

“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here. Servants are handing out drinks everywhere, plus those humans over there are offering their blood to whoever wants it.”

“My, you’re obstinate. I’m here for the same reason you are,” Maeve sighed dramatically.

“What?” Stryg furrowed his brow.

“As an unmarried daughter of a wealthy merchant House, I usually draw lots of attention. People of all sorts watch me, some are my servants, others are rivals of my family, and a few are searching for a way to do business with my father. At the end of the day, they all are watching me, hoping to see if I make a mistake, a weakness to exploit. But at this party, the more important aristocrats are the center of attention.”

Maeve grabbed the second glass, “At least here I can drink quietly away from all the prying eyes. I suspect you’re doing the same.”

“I don’t like to drink with those who find me an eyesore,” Stryg walked away.

“Wait!” Maeve raised her hand. “Please. I’m sorry for what I said yesterday, I didn’t mean it.”

Stryg paused and turned halfway, “Then why did you say it?”

“Because… Because…” Maeve sighed, “You wouldn’t understand.”

Stryg chuckled to himself, “You know, after almost dying with you against those sereguli, I really thought that I may have misjudged you. That maybe you weren’t the asshole that went out of her way to harm my friends and I. Guess I was wrong.”

“...You’re right. I’m just the horrible person who would go out of her way to hurt a couple of commoners who had done nothing wrong. I get why you don’t want me around,” Maeve bit her lip. “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

“Wait.”

“What is it?” She raised her head.

“I don’t know anyone who would insult themselves like you,” he tilted his head. “You really are a weird vampire.”

“Look who’s talking, Mr. Blue Goblin,” Maeve smiled half-heartedly.

“I’m cyan.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

Stryg ignored her and finished his drink. “Do you have anything that tastes better than this?”

Maeve put a finger to her lips, “You know, I think I may have just the perfect thing.”

~~~

“Why are we here?” Stryg looked around the empty hallway.

She had led him out the ballroom and through a myriad of halls.

“Shh, we don’t want anyone to hear us,” Maeve whispered.

“No one’s coming.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Maeve fidgeted with the wall’s sconce.

“I am sure. If someone was coming over here, I’d hear them,” he pointed at his small pointed ears.

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” Maeve smiled. “Got it.”

The sconce made a clicking noise and dipped low, the torch barely held in place. The wall rumbled and cracked open in the shape of a wide door. Maeve pushed it open, revealing a long, winding tunnel.

“I’m not the only one with surprises it seems,” Stryg whistled.

“A girl needs her secrets.” Maeve grabbed the torch on the sconce and stepped inside the tunnel, “You coming?”

“Are there any spooky little girls in there?”

“What? No, of course not. The tunnel leads to my father’s secret wine cellar,” Maeve laughed.

“Oh, okay then,” Stryg hopped inside the tunnel.

Maeve pushed the door behind them closed and raised her torch to the darkness in front of them, “Follow me.”

“Gladly.”

Being in the front was always more dangerous, it was more difficult to react to incoming threats. He preferred letting Maeve lead.

“Why do you have a tunnel in your home?” Stryg asked.

“There are actually dozens of tunnels in this place. The castle was here long before my family moved in. It was originally built in the times of the Northern Wars between the ebon lords of old. The tunnels were created as a way to get around safely and quietly during times of siege. We rarely use them at all nowadays.”

Stryg nodded to himself. He would add siege to his list of new words to learn.

“So, what is Ebon Hollow? I’ve never heard of it. Is it a town in Dusk Valley or maybe Glimmer Grove?”

“It’s a tribe... I founded it myself,” Stryg said somewhat sheepishly.

“You made a tribe for yourself? Really? Just you?” Maeve said with a tone of genuine curiosity.

“No. There are three of us so far. It would be larger, but I’m only interested in accepting the best of the best into the tribe.”

“Huh, sounds a bit lonely.”

“It’s not. Not really... You’d be surprised how lonely one can feel in a large tribe.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Maeve kicked a pebble on the ground. “So, why the name?”

“Huh?”

“Why Ebon Hollow?”

“The ‘Ebon’ part comes from my eyes.”

“Your eyes?” Maeve glanced back at him.

“I have a peculiar kind of vision,” he shrugged.

“Yeah, I can see that. I don’t know anyone else with lilac eyes.”

“Yeah, it’s something like that,” he scratched his cheek.

“So, what about the ‘Hollow’ part of the name?”

Stryg sighed, “It comes from Hollow Shade.”

“I guessed as much. You must like the City of Shades a lot.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Eh? Why did you name your tribe after the city then?”

Stryg ran his hands through his grey hair, “Well, I do like the city. I mean I did. Ugh, I don’t know anymore.”

Maeve stayed quiet and kept walking.

“...You’re not gonna ask why?” Stryg stared at her small bare back.

“Do you want me to?”

“No, not exactly. I just expected you to, since we’re exchanging questions.”

“Some questions are personal, I didn’t want to put you in an uncomfortable spot.”

“Too late for that.”

Maeve spun around with a smile, “Well, in that case.”

Stryg chuckled sourly, “I had nothing when I came to Hollow Shade. Then I discovered I was a mageborn. Everything changed.”

“The mage academy scholarship,” Maeve nodded.

“Yeah. I was grateful to the city for sponsoring my training and studies. I felt I owed a lot to Hollow Shade.”

“The scholarship isn’t free. You have to work for Hollow Shade for like ten years to pay off the debt, right? Or pay an exorbitant amount of gold to break the contract. Either one doesn’t seem very appealing.”

“A small price to pay if it meant becoming a mage.”

“Huh… So, what changed your mind about the city?”

“Hollow Shade may have helped me become a mage, but they are the reason my people’s city was destroyed in the first place,” he said bitterly.

“The tragedy of Lunis,” Maeve nodded.

Stryg stopped walking, “You know about Lunis?”

“My father is a really big history buff. You should see his antiques collection, he has an entire room filled with old stuff. Growing up he made sure my siblings and I learned about the history of our Realm. Lunis was too large a part of history to ignore, even if Hollow Shade tried to hide it.”

Stryg found himself smiling. He never would have guessed how happy he would feel to meet someone who actually knew of his people’s past.

“I completely understand why you have mixed feelings about Hollow Shade. I would too if they destroyed my city, took my ancestors’ wealth, gave my people’s land to others and forced my ancestors to work as their servants, or worse their slaves,” Maeve shivered.

“Most of what you said is true, except my ancestors didn’t work for Hollow Shade. The Lunisian armies escaped into Vulture Woods.”

Maeve’s eyes widened, “Wait. Are you saying you're not from Dusk Valley? Are you one of the Sylvan folk?”

“I was born in Vulture Woods,” he nodded.

“Wow! I can’t believe it, you’re an actual Sylvan goblin! This is amazing! Actually, it explains why you founded a tribe. I assumed you were emulating the Valley tribes, but you were just following the way of your people… Wait, why did you found your own tribe? What happened with your old tribe? Why is a Sylvan goblin all the way out here?”

Stryg clenched his fists and looked away, “...Ever heard of exile?”

“Right, I’m sorry,” Maeve said quietly.

They kept walking in silence until they came across a round door. Maeve lifted the latch and pushed on the door, it opened slowly with a loud creak, revealing a small cellar. Dozens of dusty old bottles rested snugly in small wooden cupboards.

Maeve curtsied with a wide exaggerated flourish, “On behalf of House Mora, I would like to welcome the Sylvan tribes’ ambassador, Stryg of Ebon Hollow, to the secret wine cellar, meeting place of the Realm’s most important matters, such as drinking your worries away.”

Stryg grinned, “I’m honored.”