"So. You seem to understand me clearly enough. We've established your name is Strax. I am the Lady of the Bloodied Mountains. You may call me Drusil. I'd like us to be friends."

  Well, that feels ominous. This is a bit intense for me; I don't do eye contact well, and every time I look at her, she, Drusil, I guess, looks like a cat that found a wounded bird.

  "Uhm. Okay. Lady Drusil? I'm Strax. Uhm, I'd prefer to be friends, yes."

  Maybemorethanfriends.

  "Wonderful, Strax. It's nice to meet you. I don't want our friendship to start off on the wrong foot, but I'm not going to hurt you for looking at me, and there's no need to call me Lady."

  I'm not that afraid of you hurting me! Anymore, anyway! You're a freaking Amazon, and I'm an autistic subby mess!

  "It's not that I'm afraid of you; uhm, I just don't do very well with eye contact and strangers. Unless it's in like an official setting with a doctor or something. I think. My memory is a little foggy."

  Drusil smiles at me. Oh no. When she isn't a growly angry vampire, she's even prettier. Her smile could light up a room. No, that's a cliché. Her smile is so gorgeous. If I wasn't already a mess, this does it. I can feel my entire face heat up, and I really, really hope it's not visible on peach-colored skin.

  "So, as you've already correctly guessed, I'm a vampire. You've somehow made it on board my ziggurat, which is currently trapped with no way of leaving the area it's stuck in. I have four familiars here with me, and it's been a number of years since we were trapped here, unable to leave or go our own way."

  At the mention of familiars, I'm somewhat excited. Conventionally, that means they're not vampires, right? Drusil seems nice enough, but the fact that I'm not trapped with just a vampire does reduce the risk of getting eaten by quite a bit, I think. Before I can continue down this rabbit hole, Drusil continues.

  "You don't have to worry about them intruding or attacking you, as you'll be staying here with me if you're amenable to it. They don't come down on this level. But I must say I'm very interested in your reaction to vampires. Typically demons don't take well to us, and you're also a lot...friendlier... than your average demon."

  I narrow my eyes a bit as I look at her. Not her face. Just sort of the neck-shoulder area. She was about to call me something else, wasn't she? I mean, I'm very friendly, but still. I should probably correct her before this gets worse.

  "Uhm, about that. I'm not a demon. I don't think. I should be something known as a tiefling? Fiendish but not a demon, although I guess there are different types of tieflings and some of them could be demonic. The whole thing is a big toss up, and like the whole thing is a long debate no one can quite agree on. Either tieflings are the result of humans, or I guess humanoid species sleeping with fiends, or, like, they're the result of an old pact between a tiefling and the god of magic and Asmode-"

  Before I can continue on my, in hindsight, infodumping rant, Drusil quickly covers my mouth; her eyes seem slightly panicked.

  "No matter how isoted we are, let's not go mentioning high-ranking demons by name, lest we draw attention here. I'll have to ask you to refrain from that in general, as fascinating as this is. I've never heard of tieflings before, but does this mean you're not from a subset of succubi or incubi?"

  Uhm. Wow. Did not consider that. Right different world, demons real, Asmodeus real. That's... a lot to take in.

  "I mean, I guess a succubus could give birth to a tiefling if that whole theory is a thing? Uhm sorry. Not used to having to worry about mentioning names. I don't really know that much about demons other than general tropes and religious drivel. I might know other names, but I'll just not say those."

  "So, you're a tiefling. I'm not sure what you mean with fiends and demons, as both are used interchangeably to talk about the same race. Do all tieflings have nature magic then and shapeshifting capabilities, or is it your specialty?"

  Oh no. So my knowledge of Faerún is useless, I guess. A whole new world. A new fantastic point of view. Heh. Stupid brain. Oh no. I'm coming off as a bit of a loon here, humming and giggling to myself, aren't I? Wait, did she say nature magic? Ahhhh crap. I'm that version of Strax, aren't I? Shit Asmodeus might really be a problem then.

  "No, they don't. Uhm, what was that about nature magic?"

  Drusil tilts her head a bit and looks at me like I just asked her if the sky is blue. Which, in hindsight, it might not actually be. Look pretty vampire dy. I think I'm doing pretty well with not colpsing into a gibbering mess or hyperventiting here. Gimme a break.

  "It's... quite obvious? I suppose this comes back to you saying you didn't think this was your body, which means you're not trained and wouldn't be able to detect things like this. We can cover the basics of magic if you'd like, although it's been a long time since I was a teacher, but first I'd like to ask. Strax. Are you from this world?"

  "I don't think so, no. I have memories, but they're, like, fragmented? I can clearly remember things. Like what tieflings are. But I can't recall what I do for a living or if I have a family. It's like the memories are there but just out of reach."

  Drusil leans back, and I think some tension bleeds out of her as she slumps a bit and sighs.

  "Okay Strax. I think you might be what we call a world traveler. Although generally those come with their own bodies, and this is... new. You don't seem as problematic as the ones I've met or read about, so I'll treat you the same as I have been till now."

  She says this with a gentle smile.

  "Luckily we're very isoted here, so there's no one who's going to be cmoring to use you for political clout or as a member of their army."

  I think she notices the way I sort of freeze and feel the blood draining from my face.

  "Don't worry, that won't be happening even if we get out of here as long as you're with me. Assuming you'd like to stay around if we ever escape. This is just the way it usually pans out for world travelers. A new person shows up with ridiculous amounts of power, or quickly gains power, and the powers that be notice and take advantage. It doesn't help that most of them seem to be happy about the fame and riches thrown their way."

  Oh, that's really not for me; nope, I'll stick by you and your familiars, thanks. No attention here.

  "I'll just, uhm, stay here, away from other people then. Yep, that sounds good."

  "Alright then, that brings us back to what you can do, either to help around the zigguarat or to help us get out. You're clearly magically inclined, but I don't know much about nature magic."

  Yea, I guess a vampire wouldn't be terribly in tune with that. That'd be elves and shit, I guess?

  "Right, uhm, do you have any spell components? Or some mistletoe?"

  Drusil quirks an eyebrow at me. Is it a weird request? If I have a mistletoe, I can use it as a focus instead of having to use all those insane minor components; it's just easier. I assume. Like I fucking know what I'm doing.

  "I'm sure we can find some. There is a rather expansive garden. Why exactly would you need components? As far as I'm aware, those are only for rather rge rituals."

  Oh right. They probably have a different system for stuff. Let's just expin instead of trying to do something and blowing myself up or damaging my mana veins or mana core or whatever the hell happens here.

  "Right. Well. As you know, I use nature magic. Specifically, I'm what I know as a druid? We--"

  "You! YOU'RE A DRUID!? HOW!? Druids have been extinct for centuries! The demons made sure of that!"

  Cracked and riven moon. Shit fuck what. Noooo no no no.

  TriNcess