Chapter Text
Department Of Enforcement, Lunaris
Office of the Lieutenant General
You have been selected for immediate transfer and are authorized to report to the Enforcement Headquarters in Lunaris. You’ll find your travel information and mission documents enclosed. Please read and ensure that they are promptly destroyed, this information is highly classified. Upon your arrival you will report to Major General Augustus Willenheim.
Respectfully,
Harold Addington
Lieutenant General of Eskria
After that letter had been put on my desk; I had packed my things and left that morning. It wasn’t every day that you’re told by the most decorated Enforcer on the continent to transfer to his department. It was a huge honor, yet there was something urgent about my new assignment as the mission documents seemed to hint at. I was to lead an investigation, as there had been a series of particularly violent murders in Lunaris and they had not been able to put their finger on whom, or what the culprit is.
I could only assume that I was chosen for this assignment because I was the most skilled General in the town I was previously assigned to, and I had been posted there for a long time. This transfer, however, was a welcome change of scenery and people, even if the scenery involves murder.
I arrived in Lunaris at dusk, I had been travelling for days, and my feet are sore, my eyes are heavy, and all I can think about is how much I need a damn good night’s sleep. Though as I sink further into the town, the feeling of dread that washes over me makes me wonder if I made the right choice in accepting the assignment, as if I even had a choice at all. Yet you did ask for a change in routine. I remind myself.
I wander aimlessly through the narrow streets, unable to focus on anything other than the thought of soft pillows and decent food fueling me to keep walking. I glance up at the sky, briefly distracting me from such thoughts, the sky now turning into an inky, infinite black. Wisps of mist swirl around my ankles, and there’s a flicker of magic in the mist, which I can’t help but wonder if I’m imagining things.
I must be.
I turn a sharp corner and see people running, scooping up their children, and scramble into get inside. The sound of doors slamming and locking echo off the crooked stonework of the street, curtains are drawn, windows are closed and then darkness. Although the stars are shining brightly at a glance, and the moon hangs low, neither offer much light. And it’s slightly unsettling, and a chill rolls down my spine and I walk faster and my feet continue to protest in the action. Something’s not right. The instincts that have been drilled into me since initiation kick in as a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach tells me that I need to get inside, now.
All the doors I pass are closed shut, and the lanterns that hang above them are snuffed out, only furthering the unsettling feeling in the air.
I spot a magelight lantern by a door as I walk further down the street. The dull blue flame flickers in the darkness, inviting me in. I push the weathered wooden door open and the light tinkle of a bell announces my presence. It’s empty, only very dimly lit by a few worn-down candles and little neon hanging lights. The walls are lined with trinkets; jars of strange looking ingredients, glass bottles of potions, and a seemingly endless collection of dusty old books. There is a counter with various bottles and other trinkets; this appears to be some sort of shop. A shop that is magically inclined. It smells faintly of incense, and a little of -
Is that ozone? Like before a storm, like lightning; like magic. I turn to the sound of footsteps and a man appears from behind a pair of purple curtains. He’s only a few inches taller than me, dark skin, and short wavy dark brown hair with a shock white stripe that curls around his face, framing his emerald eyes. He looks at me with surprise, “Oh, hello there. I was just closing up, but…” He steps forward causing the curtain to shift behind him. “Can I help you?” He smiles, friendly and earnest. As he gets closer I feel that his aura is distinctly magical, and I note that I’m looking at a Witch, a powerful one at that.
He must own the shop. I assume, and I take a step back, apologetic. “I’m sorry, I can get out of your hair, but perhaps you can point me in the direction of a tavern? I appear to be lost. I saw the light on…” I start to explain; he chuckles and waves his hand dismissively.
“It’s quite alright; I must have left the light on, and I certainly don’t mind the company.” His gaze falls down to my weapons on my back and my belt, and my purple sash which signified that I am Hunter. His cheeks darken realization sets in. “Oh…oh, so you must be the new Hunter?” He asks his voice lightly laced with concern.
He’s worried if I’m the type of Hunter that abuses their authority to unnecessarily throw Witches and the like into the dungeons simply for looking at them wrong. He shouldn’t worry, he seems like he’s harmless. Plus I’m rather fascinated by Witches, with their ability to do magic and all.
I smile, slightly amused by his charming, surprised expression. “Is it that obvious?”
He returns my smile with his own, and I can’t help but feel strangely at home. “It’s lovely to meet you, miss. The town has been buzzing with gossip about you for the past week.” He shakes his head in amusement, “But I try not to believe all of the rumors, as some people have very vivid imaginations.”
I raise a brow at him, hand on my hip. “What sort of rumors?” I ask.
“Ah, well,” He hesitates, “Are you sure?” When I nod he looks me in the eye and grins. “Is it true that you can feel things?”
“You mean emotions?” I chuckle, glancing away for a moment.
He shakes his head, “No, like people’s auras.” He clarified. “And it’s alright, you can tell me, I’m kind of a weird one too.” He reassured me. “Although I completely understand if you don’t want to tell me such things.” He adds.
I sigh. It was something I can do; I had developed the ability at the academy, as per Hunter training. I could feel people’s auras, and their magic, among other things. My teachers taught me how to use it properly and to further develop it. And it came in handy when I was out on a hunt for a troublesome griffon, or dealing with a ghost that haunted some home. All Hunters can do what I do, even on some level. I wasn’t particularly special. I lock eyes with the shopkeeper; what’s the harm in telling him? I nod. “Yes. I can feel people, their auras and such. I don’t advertise it, but I’m not going to lie about it when asked.” I explain with a shrug. “Call it a Hunter’s sixth sense or whatever.”
He hums and gives me a once over. “Could you feel anything about me?” He asks, leaning against the doorframe, his tone playful yet curious.
I laugh and raise my hand, “How about we backtrack for a second? I can feel your aura, but I can’t feel out a name.” I hold out my hand. “We’ve skipped the introductions. I’m Aria Thorne” He laughs and takes my hand, he’s warm and the touch feels nice from the cold wind outside.
“My apologies, I’m Ezra and it’s certainly been a pleasure to meet you Aria.” He smiles warmly before releasing my hand to walk past me to glance out at a window, and he’s quiet for a moment before speaking again… “Well, I’m not going to send you out into the dark. How about you stay here for the night?” Ezra proposes, turning around to face me.
“Why can’t I be out at night?” I ask, though I could probably guess a few reasons.
He chuckles, “As capable as I’m sure you are it isn’t advised to wander at night, especially these days.” He explains. I nod in understanding; so it has something to do with the murders, I confirm to myself.
My stomach growls loudly suddenly, much to my chagrin and Ezra throws me a curious look from his place in front of the counter. “Ah, how rude of me, you must be starving.“ He walks back to the curtains and holds them open for me. “Come take a seat in the back room, and I’ll fix you something to eat.”
I raise my hands up in protest and shake my head. “It’s alright, really, you don’t have to-"
“Please, I insist. It’s no trouble for me really.” He tilts his head slightly, lips quirked in a smile, and bright eyes that were asking me to stay. He looked like a puppy with that look.
I can hardly refuse the offer when he looks at me like that. I relent and follow him into the room that he had appeared from, revealing a rather cozy living space. There’s a small kitchenette with a crooked dining table, and nestles in the corner reside a slightly tattered, but comfy looking sofa. There’s a single closed and locked window above the sink. The theme of strings of hanging lights continues alongside a few paintings.
Ezra fills an old steel kettle and pops it on the stove, igniting the stubborn burner before turning back to me with a smile. “I’m just going to pop upstairs to get you some blankets. You must be utterly exhausted, and the tavern is across town. I hate to send you into the darkness knowing…” he pauses, smile flattening until he catches me staring at him and he smiles again. “Just wait here, and please make yourself comfortable.” He gestures to the sofa, as he walks up the stairs.
I actually could think of nothing worse than even walking across the street right now, let alone across town. Plus, that sofa does look rather inviting. Of course, that’s probably the exhaustion talking and my feet do not help the matter either. Despite that, I can’t help myself and I take a quick look around. On the countertop, a solitary candle burned, the colorful little lights that were present in the shop also were hanging from various shelves and pictures. It feels homey, and enchanting, just like its owner. The shop is obviously well-loved, as there is an abundance of personal belongings that litters the shelves and nooks.
A tiny dish that’s overflowing with brightly colored jewelry catches my eye, beside it stood a pile of slightly crumpled parchment. Some of the pages are covered in elegant, looping script, and others are filled with lovingly rendered portraits, mostly of Ezra himself. I wonder who drew these. I reach for one of the sketches, but a loud creak startles me.
I turn, my fingers edging to my dagger, as it would be too close quartered for my bow and no time to search for my bottle of holy water. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I felt it.
There’s a creature nearby.
I glance around, searching, and then I spot it. A pair of glowing, fierce golden eyes was peeking up at me from a previously-hidden hatch in the floorboards and I reach for -
Before I can draw my blade, I’m pinned to the wall by a firm, cold and inherently not human arm. He’s so fast. I note in surprise.
“Who the hell are you?” The man growls, a sound deep in his chest, lips pulled back into a snarl, giving me a view of a set of sharp white fangs. If I hadn’t already picked up on his deathly pale skin, there was certainly no question as to what he was; A vampire. I know that I would be dead already if he truly wanted, and I feel nothing from him other than an overwhelming sense to protect something.. His aura is panicked, but not threatening, so I take a bet and relax against his hold. I raise my hands, cautiously, in the hopes that he’ll stand down.
I hope he’s reasonable. I pray silently. I didn’t come all this way just to get eaten by a Vampire.
I don’t wish to harm those who don’t want to harm me. Although he certainly has the ability to, I sense that he won’t. Plus, I’ve met a few reasonable vampires before…. a few.
He steps back a little, enough so I can gather my composure. So he is reasonable. That’s a start, at least.
I straighten myself out and look up at him, as he is a good foot taller than me. “Ezra is fine, I swear.” I promise, as I could only assume that is who he is concerned about. His eyes burn into mine, disarmingly so, and I feel a chill skitter over my skin. Dark brows twitch as he studies my face, searching for something. After a moment, something that looks like relief crosses his features.
What is a vampire doing sneaking into Ezra’s home at this hour? I wonder as I look him over. Black hair, sleeveless shirt with a deep V that leaves his arms and much of his chest exposed. Three black stripes circle his right forearm and a crescent on his chest, a tattoo?
“If you’re playing tricks on me I’ll have your head.” He promises, catching my attention. “Understand?” His voice is smooth, so much so that even his threats sound appealing.
I nod once, focusing again on my situation, leaving my hands raised up where he can see that I mean him no harm. “I’m not lying, he’s safe. He’s upstairs.” I assure him again. He takes a step back, giving me more space, but he still watches me as if he doesn’t mean to startle me.
The kettle whistles as it comes to a boil, causing me to jolt, and the sound distracts him, but he visibly relaxes, his eyes dart to the staircase then back to me. The candlelight illuminating his angular face, all sharp lines. He’s otherworldly, obviously attractive, as seemingly all vampires are, and his left arm is missing from the shoulder down. In its place is an advanced looking prosthetic, flowing with what looks like incredibly advanced magic. He catches me looking and he quirks a scarred brow.
“Like what you see?” He hums with a smirk. “Sorry, it’s not for sale, love.”
Ezra appears from upstairs, blankets draped on his arm, his eyes wide as he surveys the sight before him. I’d imagine it’s like coming home, only to find that the dog and the cat are in the middle of a war. “Finn! What are you doing here?” Ezra asks, as they meet each halfway, the blankets set aside on the sofa. The Vampire - Finn - reaches for him, and iron fingers curl around Ezra’s forearm, his prosthetic glowing brightly as if it’s responding to the touch, to Ezra.
I shift awkwardly as I feel like I’m intruding on their exchange, but I just can’t bring myself to look away.
“I sensed that you felt uneasy, I came immediately.” Finn explains, quietly looking the Witch over, “Are you okay?”
Ezra smiles, covering Finn’s hand with his own, the intricate patterns etched into the dark iron flickering in kind. “I’m fine; I was only briefly startled by the appearance of our lovely new friend here.” Finn’s eyes don’t drift far from Ezra, his dark brows drawing together in a deep frown at the mention of me.
“I see.” He looks over to me. “I’m sorry about that introduction, Hunter. Things are a little,” Finn glances to Ezra again, “On edge, lately.”
Ezra huffs a laugh, shaking his head almost incredulously. “I’m fine, Finn.” He insists, as if answering an unspoken question. Yet, the reassurance seems to make the tension melt from Finn’s broad shoulders. Ezra turns to me, and polite as ever, “Sorry, Aria, you don’t need to be alarmed by Finn, he’s,” Ezra pauses, searching for a word, “He’s an ally.” He smiles apologetically, “Even if he doesn’t give the best first impression.”
Finn offers me a genuine smile, but he looks almost guilty. I catch Ezra eyeing me warily, clearly sensing my apprehension to the unusual situation that has unfolded before me. As much as I trust Ezra, I can’t fully bring myself to trust the Vampire. After all, my job is to kill creatures, like Vampires, who are a danger to society. I wouldn’t put it past him if he was weary of me too.
However, Finn’s whole demeanor changed the second he laid eyes on Ezra and I felt any traces of fear melting away from me as he stepped forward and offered his hand. The smile that crosses his lips is mischievous, as cold, cold fingers grip my own in a firm handshake. “It’s truly a pleasure, Aria.” His golden eyes brush over me like a caress, pupils widening, dilating, I feel myself leaning towards him almost unconsciously. There’s a soft whisper of muffled thoughts echoing in my mind, and I can’t tell if they belong to me or to him. It’s soothing, and I suddenly feel at ease around him. Whatever he’s doing grants me the foresight to see that he is most certainly harmless. Something tells me he now sees that I’m harmless too.
“Finnegan!” Ezra hisses, lightly smacking the Vampire on the shoulder, “Stop that, it’s not polite.” Ezra’s cheeks are dark with embarrassment as he looks at me apologetically.
Finn closes his eyes briefly, breaking whatever connection he’s created with me. I’ve heard of Vampires enthralling their victims before a kill but that felt unquestionably innocent, like he wanted to show me he can be trusted. Although, I suppose, that’s the whole purpose of enthrallment, to get the prey to trust the predator, to get the subject’s guard down so that they won’t fight back. After a moment of consideration, I decide that Finn doesn’t have any intent to harm me, as I would have been dead by now.
He exchanges an almost sheepish, knowing glance with Ezra, as I quickly feel my mind clear. “I’m just…checking” Finn looks back to me, and as our eyes lock, I nod once, letting him know that I appreciate that he cared enough to put me at ease.
Then a thought hits me. He read my mind. I just hope he didn’t hear anything incriminating in there, like how drawn I was to him even though I don’t know anything about him. Or how charming I thought Ezra was. Anyway, moving on, I internally cough, stopping my train of thought. Let’s just leave that thought there and not think about it too hard.
Ezra fusses with the kettle, pouring me a cup of fragrant tea and offering it to me on a pretty floral saucer. “Here, this should help you get a good night’s sleep.”
I take the cup with a nod, both of them staring intently as I take a tentative sip, careful not to burn myself. It’s good, warm, lightly herbal and refreshing, and exactly what I needed.
Finn grins, “So Aria, are you looking forward to becoming part of this shi-ouch!”
Ezra elbows him in the ribs, eyes wide, throwing him a stern warning glance and the Vampire flinches. “Of this lovely town?” Ezra finishes. “Do you have any idea what you’ve gotten yourself into?”
I take another sip of the tea as I think it over. The documents they sent me didn’t tell me much other than that there have been a series of murders here and that I was to take the lead on the investigation. Other than that they have given me nothing to latch onto. Is it because they rather tell me details in person or is there something else going on? Either way, I hope I can do something to push this case along; to help.
I look up at Ezra, “I’m used to a little adventure, and I honestly want to help.”
Ezra looks defeated, but strangely optimistic. “Well, you certainly seem capable enough.” Finn grimaces, exchanging a strange look with Ezra, and I can’t help but feel like they’re not telling me something.
“My clan and I are at your disposal, should you require any assistance.” Finn offered suddenly.. To have a clan of Vampires helping the investigation is something that I haven’t had the chance to do myself, but I’ve heard of some stories of similar offers.
It would make some things easier, considering what they are capable of. I reasoned, as I would be foolish to not accept help. I just have to be careful, that’s all.
“Thank you for the offer.” I smile as I finish my tea; Ezra takes the empty up from me and sets it upon the table then places his hand on Finn’s arm, the etched patterns flickering once again at the contact.
“Finn, Aria needs to rest, maybe you should…” Finn nods in understanding and both of them head for the hatch. They pull each other into an embrace, and Finn whispers something into Ezra’s ear, causing him to smile brightly as he pulls away. Then Finn’s warm golden gaze locks with me again, and he smiles.
“Take care, Aria. If you ever need anything, just scream, and I’ll come running.” He winks and my traitorous cheeks warm at the sight of it. He notices and laughs quietly, a deep comforting rasp.
I raise my hand up in farewell, “It was nice to meet you, Finn.”
Their fingers brush as Finn gracefully lowers himself into the hatch, and Ezra stares into the darkness almost longingly until the door slams shut. He turns, clearing his throat as he retrieves a tin of biscuits from a cupboard, offering them to me and waiting expectantly until I take a bite.
“Listen; please don’t let us worry you. I’m sure you’re more than capable of getting to the bottom of these murders, Aria.” He furrows his brows, “It’s just not safe out there, not even for someone like you. Some are saying the town has been cursed but I sense something else; something bigger.”
Even though we’ve only just met, I believe I can trust him without a shadow of doubt. Something about him strikes me as genuine and I can tell that he’s a good man. He’s right however, within moments of my arrival I could tell that something about Lunaris was off. And I have every intention of getting to the bottom of this mess.
“We’ve lost people, good people, and the investigation seems to have halted. We don’t know what more we can do.” Ezra continues, and then is quiet for a moment as he gathers himself, forcing a laugh to break the somber mood. “Oh, dear, look at me getting all emotional when you’re probably absolutely desperate to get some sleep.”
As much as I would hate to admit it, I am, and I stifle a yawn as Ezra turns to fuss with some blankets. My body suddenly remembers just how fatigued it is and I’m thoroughly looking forward to settling on the sofa. “Thank you for letting me stay, Ezra. I’ll be out of your hair come morning.” I say as I take my weapons off my back and set them on the floor.
He smiles as he watches me get comfortable. “Really, it’s no problem at all. I wouldn’t even dream of letting you wander the streets at this hour, especially after such a long journey.”
I shed my armor, leaving me in something less heavy; my undershirt and pants. I pull the blankets around me, still sitting up, as I look up at him, leaning against the countertop. “You knew where I was coming from?” I asked.
“Oh, we had been expecting for about a week now, and news travels fast around here.” Ezra explained. “Everyone was talking about you and pestering the Enforcers about you, as it has been a while since we’ve had anyone new in town.”
I hummed. “Ah. So you know a lot about me huh?”
He chuckled. “Only what the Enforcers told us and they told us very little, hence the rumors.” He smiled again, and pushed off the counter. “At any rate, I’ll see you in the morning. If you need anything, I’ll be here.” He bids me good night and heads upstairs.
I eagerly pull off my boots, the relief instant, and I settle against the soft cushions. It wasn’t a soft bed like I had imagined but it was certainly better than I thought I would get. Despite the hundreds of questions that flood my mind, I swiftly fall asleep.