The Fallen Vampire

Sitting in a large tree several miles away from the event, a seemingly dour fox spirit could be seen talking to a floating scroll.

"I'm confused... Why have you decided to contact me again?"

Keran pressed her knees into her chest as she dropped her head down.

"I just... wanted to hear your voice, mother."

Through the scroll floating in front of her face, Keran stared at her mother Ayame as she lounged on her stone throne.

Despite her attempts to hide it, Ayame was clearly interested in exactly what was going on with her daughter.

Had the two of them always had the best relationship? No. But she had always known her daughter.

It was easy for her to figure out that something was wrong here just by looking at her ears and eyes.

"Out with it, my pup. Has that husband of yours done something I should castrate him for?"

Keran smiled bitterly. "The day I have to come to you to complain about my husband is the day that he will no longer be mine… And he will always be mine."

It wasn't visible on her face, but Ayame was very relieved. She knew that her daughter's relationship was the greatest thing that she had going for her right now.

But it also begged the question of what exactly could have been causing her to have such a gloomy look if it wasn't marital troubles.

"I am aware that I may not strike you as the worrying type, but I am not immune to parental concern... So out with it. Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

Keran couldn't really explain everything to her mother right now. Not only did she not have the words, but she also knew how her mother would react.

If Keran showed the slightest inkling of being concerned for her mother, then Ayame would become boisterous in an effort to prove that she was fine.

She wasn't the kind of woman to just allow her daughter to worry about her.

Which, in a way was as admirable as it was concerning.

"I suppose that I just... wanted to check and make sure that you were healthy, mother."

"Hmph, you brat. Of course I'm healthy. Are there any warriors mighty enough to bring me low? I don't think so."

Keran found herself laughing- her expectations of her mother proving exactly correct.

"What? Are you laughing at me?? I hope you didn't just contact me for games, Keran! I am a very busy woman!" Ayame snapped.

Servant: "My Queen, your dinner is read-"

"Fuck you, get out!"

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am!"

Keran laughed so hard that she nearly fell out of the tree. This in turn only seemed to frustrate her mother more, which amused Keran even more.

It was a viscous cycle.

But suddenly, Keran's smile slowly softened.

"Hey... I will contact you later, mother. I love you."

"W-Wait! Don't think you can leave without telling me-"

The scroll Ayame was speaking through suddenly curled back up and fell into Keran's waiting palm.

After putting it away, the charming kitsune looked up at the branch above her head.

There, a small green lizard no bigger than her middle finger stared back at her with uniquely inquisitive eyes.

"...Even for us, that transformation ability is remarkable. If we weren't linked at the soul then I doubt I would be able to tell the difference."

"..."

"... I understand that I was acting out of character, alright..? I will apologize at a later time, but I just..." Keran's gaze traveled downward towards the forest floor where animals still skittered about.

"...I remember what it was like when she came home that day. It was the first time I ever heard her screaming. To this day I don't know if it was because of her injuries or.. because she lost my father."

"..."

"When I heard that he was the blood of that man, I just felt... I-It doesn't matter. My behavior was inexcusable, I know that.

But for reasons I could not explain... it just made me miss my father, and mourn for my mother."

"That's hardly wrong or inexplainable, Keran." The lizard finally said.

Keran smiled wryly. "It is so funny... after all of this time I still feel like I am still a child who behaves on her first instinct. Am I ever going to grow at all..?"

"Stop."

The lizard suddenly lunged at her from it's perch on a branch.

In an instant, Keran was being tackled by a man nearly two heads larger than her.

As both of them fell from the tree, their tails wrapped around the entirety of their bodies to protect them from the fall.

It was almost like they had entered their own little world privy only to them.

"You are having the same feelings that everyone in the world will have by the time we are ready to leave the lower realm. We are treading into uncharted waters here, my love, and stories like yours will not be uncommon.

But he wants to make amends for the barbarity of his father without being asked. Our motivations are aligned, and even though I find him a bit... unsavory, he is far from his father. I believe you should listen to his story."

"...And what will I hear?"

Taira smiled as the petal of their tails unfolded and the sunlight poured down on them from above. "A story that someone like you, who is overflowing with compassion, will never be able to unhear."

-

The eating of the jade essence peaches had already ended by the time that Keran and Taira returned to the festival.

Now, the masses were congregating as if they were normal men and women; talking about things like their interests, making introductions and especially acting on budding attractions.

Not every sect is as lax on their leaving policy as Black Myth or Roaring Sound.

Because of that, this event is one of the few opportunities that the sect members get to enjoy new company.

And if that company just so happens to be extremely attractive too? Then that's just more of a win for everyone involved.

Raymond and Sawyer were but a few members of Black Myth who had been under siege since earlier.

Big Country was the only one who seemed to be having difficulty with all of the attention he was receiving- as he just wasn't used to it.

Not to mention that there was someone he was still looking to have a chat with that he hadn't been able to get alone.

But by some small miracle, he'd finally found her.

The only downside? The three male sect members buzzing around her like flies…