I made promises, but I couldn't keep any of them, and now I was paying the price, and to make matters worse I left someone I cared about behind.
There was no other explanation for this feeling in my chest, whenever her name pops into my mind. And every time something that used to belong to Kael Cor; lion of Shearath pops up, it inadvertently comes with the name Rhea.
The girl my incompetence left alone to fend for herself in a world that sentenced me to an eternity of darkness. Any monument to my name is a constant reminder that I failed, and I did not just loose my reputation or my family, I lost the essence of my very being, I lost myself, I lost my memories.
I felt depressed, and to be honest I did not feel like reading. Which meant I had to figure out what to do with my time for the rest of the day.
I could farm, but I did not know the first thing about farming....oh! Don't bother I do know how to farm, it's just like the rest of the things that have been affecting me, it comes instinctively from the memories I've lost, and were most probably hiding somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind.
So what to do.... What to do?
"Hey Kael are we going to really farm? "Nisi asked curiously. Teluna followed by saying.
"I don't think it's going to work. Plant's are the opposite of vampires, they need sunlight to survive."
Well crap he was right. I should have thought of that before buying all this stuff about farming. No wonder no one bought anything from that dwarven old man who sold things for farms. Unless it was a plant that was tailored to grow in the dark, nothing can grow in the pit.
But that man can not just be here for nothing, there was bound to be something else to be done about farming. I turned to look at Nisi and Teluna, I can only bring Nisi with me, but we already left Teluna alone before, and I really didn't want to do it again. So I needed to figure something out, and I had the perfect plan.
"Nisi I need to head to the market, and there's something I need you to do for me."
She jumped up with excitement at the talk of me having a task for her. I had relatively figured her out. Nisi loved to help, it was what she lived for.
The girl wanted to be helpful as much as possible, and especially to people she really cared about. As for Teluna, the young vampire just wanted to be close to his sister and protect from any harm.
To be honest this two were just adorable, they did not have a single mean streak in their body, and I loved them for it.
I drew Nisi closer as I explained what I needed her to do for me. She listened attentively, nodding her head at moments she needed to and responding when it was required. Such a good girl.
I left the tower feeling confident, and watched with satisfaction as Nisi sealed the entrance back up. Then I moved towards the green district, after an hour of walking by the tracks that snaked through every district, sector and area, the cart came bumbling by at intense speeds.
Expectedly it slowed down when it got to where I was standing(how do they do that), and I got into the empty cart as it made its rounds around the populated part of the blue districts, before heading towards the green district.
The cart did not drive into the core of the blue district where the population of vampires are most concentrated, instead it moved around the outskirts of the district, before making a beeline for the green district.
I did not understand why it was that way, but I did not feel as if I should be bothered by it either, like everything in this place, I will come to learn about it eventually, after all.....I had all of eternity.
I met a lot of other vampires on the way, it was business as usual as they all said hello, and said thanks. Many of them said they admired the sacrifices I made for them as a human, and how I had fought for them.
That it was a pity that I could no longer do so, though they felt I was right in the place where I belong, with the people who I believed in, and who believed in me. I felt like I had swallowed a gallon of sand, but I had an image to keep, as I smiled at everything and gave little speeches that I was sure was 99.9999999% bullshit. I don't even remember what I said last.
I had nothing against the vampires, but they really had no tact. If I didn't know better I would say they were trying to rub salt on my wounds on purpose, but they wouldn't do that right? They're supposed to be on my side.
But maybe the problem was not from them, but from me. I really did not feel like I belonged. I was not so stupid not to notice, that so far, I was the only revenant in the pit. I had seen red eyed vampires, but that usually comes from their base race. A Vampire's eye color changes when they're in proximity with blood, or their emotions were heightened. And none of he people I had seen so far had red eyes.
I did not feel like I belonged to the vampire's as I was the lowest of the low, the humans rejected me, for fighting for the vampires. The vampires have not openly rejected me, but missing memories or not, I was not blind or insensitive to the mood, or the way things worked. While I was outside stirring hell, quite a lot of them would have been at the receiving end of the frustrations and anger my actions caused. Whatever love this people have for me, there's got to be just as much hate hidden in there somewhere. And it was only a matter of time before it comes and bites me in this ass.
When I got to the market, the place was really busy and lively...….well it was always busy and lively, this time did not make any difference to the normal atmosphere of the green district market. I was able to retrace our steps from the previous time Asare and I were here with astounding clarity. Really! I could, it was like photographic memory or some other over complicated science shit like that. Nice.
When I got back to where the old dwarf had his stall, I found him drowning in a pool of his own vomit, and pieces of a few dozen bottles. He was drunk, and unconscious...….. he was without a doubt, a true dwarf. According to the compendium this was normal activity for a dwarf, being drunk and passed out in the middle of the day.
I kicked...maybe a little to hard. But you can't blame me, this stench was seriously irritating, and I had half a mind to sink my fangs into his neck if I was not so afraid of getting killed or sick. He woke up, took one good look at me, and then cursed all seven generations of mothers family, calling them good for nothing wastes for breeding a useless bastard like me.
I didn't have much of an impression from the dwarf yesterday, when we bought all those stuff from him, but I remembered he seemed somewhat....nice. Now he's a jerk whose head I would very much like to stick down a toilet, for experimental purposes of course.
When he was done with his tirade, he took a good look at me and said.
"No refunds."
"But I'm not here to get a refund.?" I answered back quite confused by why he would suddenly jump into conclusions like that.
"So you're not here to ask for a refunds because the farming equipment I sold to you are defective?"
This sneaky bastard. I can't believe he did that to me, does he not know who I am, I'm the great Kael Cor, my very name influences a nation, and yet this trashy old man dares to cheat me. Oh! How the mighty have fallen. I was sorely tempted to lunch the living daylights out of this sneak, but I suddenly seem to have developed some sort of respect for the elderly.
I'm serious, it was the same way my heart ached when ever I thought about Rhea. I couldn't raise my voice at him, or attack him. Of all the times to choose to be a morally upright member of the society, it had to be now, fuck! My life I tell you, Fuck. My. Life. I sighed in exasperation as I replied to him.
"No I'm not here for a refund, to be honest I did not even know the things you sold to us yesterday was defective, I came for something else."
Of course it was then he realized he might have put his foot in his mouth by hastily jumping into conclusions, but even then, this man was more shameless than could be quantified or measured.
"There's still no refunds, what do you want.?"
God I wanted to punch him, please memory that I don't remember, just let me brush my knuckles against that beard covered face of his, he would only loose a tooth I swear....well not more than two, but it wouldn't go past four. Oh morality please thou forsake me, so that I shalt mete out righteous vengeance upon this heathen.....there was no answer as expected.
"I need to know if it's possible to grow the seeds you have given me in a place like the pit. After all there's no sunlight here."
He looked at me like I had grown a second head. Then he asked. "is that it?"
I nodded in reply, as I watched him with what I hoped was a piercing gaze, and not an eye that was rapidly watering due to my attempt at squinting and looking cool. I wanted to smolder, good enough that doctor Bravestone and The Rock would be proud of me....I failed.
"Why are you making that face, do you need to use the toilet. If so you have to pay ten orichalum ores to use my private bathroom."
"Are you serious, you only have a tent and a stall behind you, and you still want to rent out a private bathroom, which bathroom, which bathroom?. Please respect your old age, and just tell me what I want to know."
Was I angry, hmmmmmmmm, maybe, probably, most definitely. But through it all I still couldn't help but find the old dwarf interesting, he was crafty, and he was shameless enough to do it openly and in front of the people he's trying to swindle. A crook with honesty, you never see things like that.
"Wait you're serious, you really want to attempt farming?"
I nodded my head in agreement.
"Did your mother drop you on your head as a kid, or did she feed you the blood of a lunatic?"
"I don't know, and I was born human. As far as I'm concerned I've only been a vampire for a few months."
His eyes widened, as they looked like they wanted to jump out over his exaggerated beard. He seemed surprised. Then he calmed down, just as quickly, he had really good control over his emotions, but he was a conman, so that was to be expected.
"You're him huh! You look more disappointing than I expected."
I raised an eyebrow. "what did you expect?"
"Oh I don't know, strong, buff, muscular, big, fair skinned?"
He said the last part with a sheepishly sounding voice that I felt that he was to embarrassed to say anything else. But I was thinking about something else, was it compulsory that the hero of a fantasy novel has to be fair skinned.
Can't the dark skinned guys be handsome and buff, and strong, and muscular, was I forgetting something...oh! That's right, and big too. To be honest now that I think about it, we're more comfortable pulling triggers than swinging swords, My God where are all this strange thoughts coming from. Got to get it under control Kael, or it's the loony bin for you.
"I'm sorry you're disappointed, but can you please tell me what I want."
I was getting impatient, and not because of the dwarf, but rather because I was afraid I will say something bizarre or stupidly strange again. I needed to get back into my comfort zone, and fast.
"I will tell you, but on one condition."
Seriously, what more does he want, this was getting annoyingly ridiculous, and not the funny kind.
"What Condition?"
Then he got on his knees, bowed his head till it kissed the ground at my feet. Taking me completely by surprise as he said.
"Please save my granddaughter, I will serve you for the rest of my days if you can do so for me."
I was shocked, and the only words that could come out of my mouth were unintelligible to me, but am sure the old dwarf heard them loud and clear.
"....um…..err... the….. There.... .. Maybe.... Sigh, sure….I'll save her."
I think it's safe to say, that I need to practice how to say the word no, so that at least I won't find myself in a situation like this again. Now what was this he was saying about a granddaughter that needs saving, here comes the knight in shining armor.