Lilith: Ready!

  Lilith says with a loud hoarse voice as she holds a mortar round, ready to drop it into the tube.

  Aurel: Fire!

  Aurel shouted and Lilith dropped the mortar round into the tube before ducking. Everyone readied themselves for the loud boom.

  Aurel apparently also loves loud weapons, but she has been too busy for a while now. But now that her workload has decreased she has also started training with Lilith and her crew. In just a small amount of time, she's mastered every weapon I've summoned. She even managed to learn how to drive almost as quickly as my dy, but unlike my dy she wears pants instead of a dress while driving making her look much more suited for the role. I still can’t help but ugh every time I remember my bonded driving a huge armoured vehicle in a long frilly dress

  I think Aurel might be as intelligent as my dy, at least when it comes to dealing with different weapons and vehicles. I am pretty sure I took much more time than either of them to learn driving and shooting.

  *boom*

  In a few seconds the mortar round travelled a long distance nding on a small hill with a loud boom while destroying the trees in its surroundings. While the dispy of force was impressive, the round had overshot its target, a rge tree that was painted white specially for this training

  Aurel adjusted the elevation of the mortar and commanded again

  Aurel: Fire

  Lilith standing ready with the mortar round dropped it in the tube again before ducking like she has practised many times before. We wait for a few seconds as the round travels through the air before exploding near the white tree

  Julia: Good hit

  Aurel fshes me a small smile before turning back to Lilith

  Aurel: Fire for effect!

  Lilith quickly drops many rounds in the mortar one after the other, levelling many trees around the original white tree that used to stand on the hill

  Cressida: Impressive! Though the setup was time-consuming, I believe this weapon of yours could easily shift the tides of war

  Julia: That assumes we can transport this weapon and train all the troops

  Aurel: Even if we train just a few teams, they’ll still make a significant difference in supporting our forces.

  Julia: Then that just leaves the question of transportation

  Aurel: Isn’t it possible to transport them like we did with the guns? Using horse wagons?

  Julia: Guns are much lighter than mortar rounds and not to mention transporting ammunition for the guns is already a major challenge

  From what I gathered, transportation of blood and other supplies are already stretching our supply lines thin.

  Cressida: We could use your “JLTV” for the task

  Julia: Yes! I was thinking the same thing, except the vehicles have limited range. They operate on a liquid fuel called ‘Diesel’. We need refuelling stations every 100 miles or so for the vehicles to keep running

  She frowns

  Cressida: Once again, no one but you know what 'miles' are. Now, how many of these stations are we supposed to build?

  Julia: I am not sure…

  Julia: Many steps do you think it takes to get to the front lines?

  She thinks for a moment before answering

  Cressida: I suppose it should be around 250000 steps

  I summon a calcutor, everyone but my dy and Aurel look at the device curiously. I think a calcutor might be like a magical device to them. I would’ve summoned this for everyone but the scope of the mortar does the calcutions automatically, so there was no need for it.

  Julia: That's around 120 miles, so we can do away with 1 refuelling station 60 miles from here– or 125000 steps from here I guess, but ideally I would like 2 to be there in case one is attacked or runs out of fuel

  Cressida: Hm…

  She is silent for a while as she thinks about my words. Nobody dares to speak up and interrupt the Countess

  Cressida: I assume you would have to leave to help build this station?

  Julia: It would be much faster if I do leave

  She is silent again as she thinks

  Cressida: Let me think about it.

  Her eyes move to Aurel before she commands her

  Cressida: Aurel, come with me.

  Aurel follows my bonded as they leave the gun range followed by a small armed escort. I turn to Lilith

  Julia: Let's continue our practice

  -----------

  Few hours ter I am back to the manor for lunch

  Julia: *sigh* so much work to do…

  Cressida: Julia

  I immediately turn to sweet voice of my bonded

  Julia: Yes?

  Cressida: I’ve considered what you said earlier, and I’ve made a decision.

  I give her a confused look

  Julia: About what?

  Cressida: About needing to make some kind of ‘stations’ for your carriages, I’ve been considering the idea.

  Julia: Ah, yes. What have you decided?

  Cressida: I’ll call for troops to help you get them built quickly.

  I smile

  Julia: Does that mean I can go?

  Cressida: Yes, you may

  Julia: Will you come as well?

  Cressida: Yes, of course. Someone must ensure your safety. The Bckwing Troop will accompany us, along with a few of the manor guards.

  Is this our honeymoon? Feels like a honeymoon right? We will be so close in our tents… I can’t wait to snuggle with her!

  --------

  Clothes - check, toothbrush and paste - check, perfume - che–

  The door to the room opens and in walks my bonded wearing bck pants and a light grey t-shirt with some rugged boots. I am speechless when I see her, she had been so adamant about not wearing pants

  Julia: Dear go–

  Cressida: *sigh* Does it really look that strange?

  Julia: What? No

  I shake my head furiously

  Julia: You look ready to fight an army

  Cressida: All I’m ready for is winning the title of the least fashionable person in the kingdom.

  Julia: Nonsense you look… good *gulp*

  That definitely didn’t sound as convincing as I’d hoped! I mean she is right though, she looks wayyyy better in her usual fancy dresses.

  She sighs and looks dejected.

  Cressida: *sigh* If you’re finally done packing, let’s leave.

  She says in a firm tone, making me stand a little straighter before she turns and leaves our room

  Julia: Yes my dy

  I grab my bags and head downstairs to the front of the manor. Helen, Aurel and many other staff were there to see us off. Everyone stared at my bonded, surely surprised to see my dy in such an unusual get-up.

  A butler grabbed my bags when I reached the front door, putting my stuff in the st JLTV in the line. There were now 2 JLTVs with mounted guns and 2 ‘normal’ JLTVs. The two with the guns now belong to the Bckwing troop as they will be using it for their missions. To be honest it makes me feel better about their safety too.

  I give Helen a nice big hug before we depart

  Helen: Stay safe, alright? We’ve still so much to gossip about, and you’ve many more dishes to teach me.

  I give her a small smile

  Julia: Don’t worry, we will cook much more delicious food once I return

  Helen: I’ll hold you to it—don’t go making promises lightly.

  At that moment the look in her eyes felt strangely familiar… like the one my mother used to have

  Cressida: Let's leave and make the most of the daylight

  I look back and answer

  Julia: Y-yes my dy

  I give Helen a final look before whispering

  Julia: Bye

  Running off the st JLTV in the convoy. I open the passenger seat’s door for my bonded before sliding into my driver’s seat. The radio on my shirt buzzes

  Lilith: Everyone ready?

  Julia: Julia ready

  One by one everyone identifies themselves and informs the Captain that they are ready. Lilith was driving the lead vehicle while I was driving the trailing car. The vehicles revved their loud diesel engines as one by one they exited the manor, maintaining good distance from the truck in front of them, just like I had taught.

  Hours passed by, and the sun rose to its peak. The dense rainforest surrounding the manor was now far behind us, repced by miles and miles of retively ft grassnds. I lowered the AC temperature to its minimum and pushed my radio’s button before speaking

  Julia: I hope everyone has turned on their AC, I don’t want anyone to cook before we reach our destination.

  Lilith: It's on.

  The other guards confirmed that theirs were on as well

  We drive for a few more minutes until my beautiful passenger lets out an audible sigh

  Cressida: Why does it feel like we’re moving slower than we ought to?

  Julia: Because we actually are, Lilith is afraid of driving remember?

  Cressida: Ah yes.

  There is silence for a few seconds before she speaks again

  Cressida: This ‘AC’ is rather remarkable. My own carriage becomes insufferably hot in this kind of weather

  I gnce at her and smile

  Julia: It is a very nice luxury, isn’t it? Your soldiers soon will be travelling in more luxury than kings and queens

  She lets out a small chuckle

  Cressida: Honestly, they’ve earned it more than any monarch this kingdom has ever produced.

  I should’ve guessed that she wasn’t fond of the royals considering how much she dislikes her fellow nobles. Well, whatever maybe the reason, if she dislikes them then it must be for a good reason. Her enemies are my enemies.

  I try to think of a merrier topic to switch to

  Julia: So…

  Julia: Do you like travelling my dy?

  Her eyes move to mine as she contemptes

  Cressida: Not exactly…

  She pauses before continuing

  Cressida: I love seeing cities, however.

  She has a genuine bright smile on her face as she speaks, which is very rare for her. She looks so, AHHHH! I wish I could take a picture of her right now and frame it. It would look so good on my nightstand. Waking up and seeing her bright smile every day would definitely be a great start to my day

  Cressida: When I turned 16, my father began taking me on his work trips—though I had to insist for quite some time before he agreed. I used to love seeing the different buildings, houses people built, their architecture, and the variety of goods sold in their markets. I still enjoy this, but travelling to different cities takes too much time, and with managing my County, I simply don’t have the luxury of time any more.

  Julia: Well maybe… if we ever get time… you could take me to the cities you like for our honeymoon?

  Cressida: That's…

  She pauses

  Cressida: It reminds me, newly bonded couples are expected to go stargazing, and we still haven’t managed that.

  Julia: Why stargazing?

  Cressida: To gain the blessings of the stars and their guidance for our future.

  I raise my brow

  Julia: Are you religious my dy?

  Cressida: Not as devout as some of the older vampires, but yes, the stars py a significant role in my life.

  Julia: Oh… Maybe we can go stargazing tonight

  Her eyes linger on me for a moment as she ponders something before answering

  Cressida: I think… It's a good idea. There’s no harm in seeking their blessings sooner rather than ter.

  Julia: Great!

  A bright smile spreads across my face, this world sure has some romantic traditions

  After driving for a few more hours the radio buzzes to life with Lilith’s voice

  Lilith: This is the spot

  The convoy slowly come to a halt and I take out my copy of the map

  (Note: Try to zoom in if you can’t see the markers and borders clearly

  Star = Julia’s current position

  House = Cowper Estate

  The red line indicates the current frontline showing how far the Luxaria Theocracy has pushed its forces. Bck dashed line is the original border before the war and dotted line is the (internal) border of Cowper County)

  We have come pretty far from the manor, my eyes gnce at the red line on the map. “Damn those Theocracy bastards are making good progress” I think to myself

  I think this is around 60 miles from the manor. I confirm from the odometer that we drove 58 miles from the Cowper Estate. I pick my radio and announce

  Julia: Ok, let's part at the side

  There is nothing surrounding us for miles except a few deer in the distance. For a fantasy world it sure has no weird animals.

  We go off-road and park our vehicles before everyone gets off and stretches their body, taking in the fresh air. With the sun no longer at its peak the heat is thankfully beginning to ease.

  Just then a small rabbit with a tiny horn on its head darts between my legs and hops away. Its eyes were crimson red and its fur pure white .

  Julia: Shit!

  I jump away, that thing seems much faster than a normal rabbit. It was small yet looked so scary. I guess this world does have its share of weird animals.

  Lilith: A mere horned rabbit is enough to frighten you?

  She says in a teasing tone while smiling

  Julia: Cut me some sck. My world didn’t have rabbits with horns

  Cressida: Interesting.

  I turn to my dy who is trying to suppress a smile. Lilith turns away from from us and commands her troop in a serious voice

  Lilith: Ok let's clear the grass, so Julia to summon her… materials

  The guards and the Bckwing troop get to work and clear a decent amount of grass in only 10 minutes. Once they are done everyone is sweaty. I summon some towels for them

  Lilith: It’s your turn now

  I take a step forward and imagine the location where I want to summon the fuel tank. Just as I say the magical words a huge round metal tank appears out of thin air. The empty tank settles on the uneven ground. I summoned one more tank since there was plenty of space around. Next were the small diesel generators, fuel pumps, pipes, lights and material to construct a chain link fence

  Julia: I guess that should be enough for now

  I turn to Lilith

  Julia: Ok I need you and your team to put these posts around the border, it will be used to create a fence. I will meanwhile setup the generators and the pumps

  *Few hours ter*

  Julia: *sigh* I guess that's enough work for today

  I am pretty much done with setting up the electricals for the station. It will soon have lights all around the fence helping the soldiers guard the station even at night. Work also started on the guard towers after all the posts for the fence were installed. Vampires work so quickly, this would have taken humans much longer

  Right now I was cooking up a meal with the human soldiers of the Bckwing troop. Vampires have it so easy, they just need to open their blood sacs and have their meal. Meanwhile, we humans have to spend time preparing food, and more often than not, it doesn’t even taste good.

  After the bnd dinner I search for my dy, she is sitting by the campfire beside Lilith. Neither of them utters a word, simply appreciating the comfortable silence of the night. I walk up to her and sit beside my divine bonded, I enjoy the quiet moment for a while before whispering in her ear

  Julia: My dy…

  She turns towards me

  Julia: Would you like to watch the stars with me now?

  Her lips curl up into the most subtle smile. She stands up and gestures

  Cressida: After you

  I lead her to the armoured vehicle and climb up to its roof. It was a bit dusty so I summon a bnket and some pillows, ying them down on the roof before taking my seat. My dy gazes up at me with a raised eyebrow

  Cressida: Really? Upon the roof?

  Julia: There is no better spot

  I pat the empty space beside me

  Julia: Come on

  In one elegant swift motion, she leaps up and nds perfectly on the roof like a seasoned gymnast. Her speed is faster than a cheetah and nding more accurate than a hawk.

  Julia: Show off…

  She ignores my comment and sits down beside me.

  Julia: *Yawn* Mngh. Let's y down, my back is too tired

  I gently y down on the bnket and admire the unpolluted night sky. Millions of twinkling stars covered the sky along with a dim yet vivid nebu. The marvelous nebu covered a good portion of our view of the night sky

  Julia: It's beautiful…

  I whispered as I slowly lose myself in the beautiful night sky

  Cressida: Is it more beautiful than the sky in your homend?

  Julia: Much more beautiful!

  She gently ys down as well. The roof is much narrower than our bed, our shoulder brush when she settles down.

  Julia: You know, in my country you can only see a handful of stars at the best of days

  Cressida: Shh, let us bask in the stars' beauty without words. I am certain they shall bless us all the more in silence.

  Julia: Ok

  I reply in a whisper and just rest with her in silence, enjoying the moment. This is quickly becoming my favourite tradition here. After a few minutes admiring the night sky a cold breeze suddenly swept over me. I shiver, getting chills all over my body, and just as I thought the night couldn’t get any better my bonded wraps her arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer to her warm body

  I gnce at her, losing myself into her beautiful green eyes as she continues to admire the night sky. I swear, even all the millions of stars above us pale in comparison to her beautiful eyes. No nebu or star or any celestial object could ever outshine her glittering eyes or her comforting smile. My bonded is just so perfect…

  As she continues to admire the stars I continue to admire her, with her arm still around me, comforting me. Eventually she notices me getting lost in her eyes and looks over to me.

  Cressida: Why do you gaze at me like that? Has something troubled you?

  Julia: Like what?

  Cressida: Like a child who’s just been given an endless stash of sweets

  My smile goes wider without me even noticing it

  Julia: Maybe I actually have got an endless stash of sweets.

  I shift myself even closer, my body flush to her side as I use her arm as a pillow. We stayed like that for a long time, the only sounds in the peaceful night being the steady rhythm of our breathing. The quiet night and her gentle warmth eventually pulls me to a deep sleep.

  *Next day*

  As we were all having breakfast the next day, I say to my dy in a quiet voice

  Julia: We can go stargazing again when we get back to the manor, I bet the view from its roof will be better

  Cressida: Let us see if our duties allow it.

  “Oh they must!” I say to myself. Lilith who was sitting next to me whistles and whispers in my ear

  Lilith: *whistles* Oh, stargazing, huh? I hope the stars didn’t catch anything scandalous.

  I blush furiously at her words, my ears and cheeks get hot as blood rushes to my face. How do I even–

  Cressida: *sigh* Lilith, please, spare my bonded from your mischief.

  Lilith sits up a little straighter

  Lilith: My apologies, Lady Cressida.

  I look up to my bonded who is sitting at my other side, and notice a faint blush creeping up her cheeks

  --------------

  *Time skip*

  Julia: Andddd done!

  I hang the pump back on its hook and close the JLTV’s fuel cap

  Lilith: Seems simple enough, can I try it now?

  Julia: Sure, bring your car around and give it a go

  Lilith walks over to her JLTV with a mounted gun and brings it around to the massive diesel tank and shuts off the engine as I had instructed her to do. She picks up the fuel pump and starts filling her tank, stopping a minute ter when the fuel tank gets full. All the guards and soldiers watch her intently, memorizing the process

  Lilith: That's it?

  Julia: Yup!

  She raises her eyebrow and shrugs

  Lilith: Ok

  Lilith: We've one more fuel outpost to establish, haven’t we?

  Julia: Yup! Just in case something happens to this one

  Lilith: Hm…

  She thinks for a minute before continuing

  Lilith: There lies a promising pce not far from here. But, given its nearness to the front, I shall take a small unit ahead to see it secured.

  Julia: Ok, we will wait here then

  She nods and turns to the Bckwing troop and signals to three soldiers.

  Lilith: You three, with me. The rest of you, guard the Countesses and keep your radios on for my orders.

  The soldiers thump their fists over their heart, saluting their captain before following her orders. Lilith and the three soldiers get in the truck that she had refuelled earlier while the other troops spread out looking for any threats around the newly established station.

  My radio crackles to life as she drives away

  Lilith: We won’t be gone for long.

  ----------

  Lilith drives slowly through the rough roads of the grassnds looking out for any raiding parties sent by the Theocracy. However, it was but difficult to spot anything too far away with the smudged gss of the windscreen

  Lilith: Anything?

  She said, raising her voice, so the gunner on the top could hear her over the sound of the massive diesel engine.

  Gunner: Nothing yet!

  She continued driving slowly and carefully for a few more minutes before suddenly coming to a stop

  Lilith’s co-passenger: Ouch! Why-

  Lilith puts a finger on her lips

  Lilith: *Shush*

  She carefully observes what appears to be a band of armoured soldiers all wearing metal armour and carrying shields, but she couldn’t identify if they were of Aqualuna or the Theocracy. She nudges the gunner leg and the gunner answers

  Gunner: Theocracy soldiers at our front, around 20 in numbers, all wearing full pte armour. I count 5 horses with them

  The raiding party of the Theocracy was unaware of their presence. Lilith picked up her radio

  Lilith: Is anyone able to hear me?

  Lilith wasn’t sure just how far the radio would work as Julia had informed them that the range of the device changes based on the terrain. She felt relief when she heard the voice of one of her troop on the other end

  Female Soldier: Yes captain, we can hear you.

  Lilith: We have spotted a band of twenty foes. We shall attempt to deal with them. If you hear naught from us in twenty minutes, ensure the Countesses are escorted to safety.

  Female: Ok captain

  She hangs the radio back on her chest and turns to the other two soldiers

  Lilith: How about we add a touch of competition to the mix?

  Lilith takes out a gss vial of blood from the pouch hanging by her waist and looks at her troop.

  Lilith: This vial holds Julia’s blood. I’m certain you’ve all been yearning for a taste. So, the one who cims the most 'headshots' shall cim it.

  Lilith had heard the term 'headshot' many times when Julia trained her, she had asked her about it and learned that it was a bit of sport among the people of Julia’s country to hunt their enemies by killing them with a ‘headshot’. Of course, she misinterpreted the term ‘video game’ for some type of sport

  Lilith’s co-passenger: Wait, what about me? What do I get?

  Her human female soldier, Arabel, sitting beside her in the co-passenger seat asked, prompting Lilith to sift through her pouch to find an appropriate prize for the human as well

  Lilith: Aha!

  She pulled out a small gold coin out of her pouch.

  Lilith: The winner shall have a choice, then: take this prized vial of Julia’s blood, or this coin of gold.

  The gold coin was clearly not of Aqualunan origin. It was small and stamped with strange symbols. Lilith had picked it off of a Theocracy soldier she had killed not too long ago. Aqualunan troops usually kept any valuables (mostly coins) they found from the Theocracy soldiers they killed, so these coins weren’t very surprising to the Bckwing troop. However, finding a gold coin was very rare

  Arabel: I will kill all of them for that

  Arabel said with a scary smile and a glint in her eye

  Lilith: Remember you don’t just have to kill them, you have to kill them by shooting their heads.

  Arabel put her fist over her heart with a soft thump before exiting the vehicle

  Gunner: What about me?

  Lilith looked up at the gunner, Lucius, and the other vampire sitting in the back, Rond, practically drooling

  Lilith: Grab your weapon. I will handle the turret. It will give me a good view as well

  Both of the vampires got out of the vehicle as well, while Lilith manned the mounted turret of the vehicle. She could now clearly see the symbols of Theocracy on the soldier’s armour and shield using her superior senses. Just thinking about the number of vilgers these raiding party had killed angered her but she did not let the anger take control.

  Lilith: Ready… Aim… Fire!

  The three members of the Bckwing troop shot out the first volley of bullets from their weapons. Their guns remained in semi-automatic mode to maintain maximum accuracy. Something they had picked up from training and experience.

  Two bullets hit their mark, going right through two Theocracy soldiers’ heads, while one grazed the helmet of one soldier, damaging it. Instantly after the shot one of Lilith’s Vampire troop, Rond, let out a frustrated hiss

  Rond: Wretched thing! Stop moving!

  Rond quickly fires even more shots but most of them miss and whiz past the confused Theocracy soldiers. With their allies falling down and bleeding from their faces, the surprised and alerted Theocracy troops look around to find the source of their allies’ death, but their human senses fail to notice the Bckwing troops shooting at them from far away.

  While the suppressors on their guns help reduce the sound, it still isn’t very effective as the bullets exiting the barrel go supersonic, making a significantly loud boom as they break the sound barrier.

  After Arabel and Lucius kill a few more of their soldiers, the Leader of the Theocracy group finally pinpoints the popping sound in the distance and notices the 3 figures

  Theocracy raiding party leader: There!

  He shouts pointing to the 3 vampires

  Theocracy raiding party leader: Archers, ready your arrows! Let the Light guide your aim! The rest of you, charge!

  He and his other remaining companions rush towards the Bckwing troop. Lucius increased his firing speed quickly picking off more heads of the incoming Theocracy troops, gaining more points than Arabel. Arabel couldn’t increase her pace as she was only human at the end of the day. Both of them first took out the few remaining Theocracy archers as soon as they saw them reaching for their bows

  Arabel: Tch!

  Arabel clicked her tongue in frustration when she realized Lucius was gaining on her too quickly, then suddenly a strong gust of wind threw their aim off. The wind changed the bullet’s trajectory. Lucius growled as every one of his shots missed

  Lilith: Five more seconds, then I cut them all down myself!

  Her captain announced from the back

  Arabel needed to hurry if she wanted to even have a chance at winning that gold coin. She steadied her breathing, gazed through the scope and locked her eye on the target. The leader on the front charged at them, wearing carefully engraved heavy armour. She adjusted for the wind like had done many times during her training sessions and took the shot

  *pop*

  The bullet misses but Arabel doesn’t get annoyed, instead choosing to stay calm and focused on her target. She adjusts her aim again and holds her breath

  *pop*

  The leader falls face down on the ground as his helmet suddenly has a hole near the eye socket. Arabel smiles at her own skills, ready to end another zealot’s life, but before she could Lilith pressed the trigger of the 50 caliber machine gun, mowing down the remaining soldiers. Some of the soldier’s heads exploded while others had hands and legs blowing up and falling off as the huge bullets of the machine gun obliterated anything and everything in their path. Most just had a big gaping hole in their chests as their organs and bones were shattered.

  Lilith stopped after every one of the Luxaria soldier was shredded down. She smiled to herself as she came down from the high of feeling so powerful. Using the 50 cal almost made her feel omnipotent, like she was one with the stars looking down on the ant like soldiers

  She looked down on her subordinates who were gazing at their captain in surprise and a bit of concern

  Lilith: Oh, don’t look at me like that. You’ll feel the same once you’ve torn through those Theocracy dogs with this thing!

  Arabel just shrugs and turns her back on the gruesome carnage. The headless bodies didn’t make her feel… very good. She did feel good about there being less Theocracy dogs though!

  Lilith: Right then, how many headshots did each of you manage?

  Rond: Two shots to the head, but I did manage to nd two more to the body, if that’s worth noting

  Lilith: It is, just not for this competition

  Rond pouted but kept quiet. Lilith turned to Arabel

  Lilith: How many?

  Arabel: Four. But I did manage to kill their leader with a shot in the head

  She then turned to Lucius who was smiling smugly

  Lucius: Five.

  Lilith: Then the winner of this competition is Lucius!

  Lilith turned off the JLTV engine and hopped off the vehicle before walking toward the eager vampire waiting patiently for his reward

  Lilith: I am assuming you want the blood vial

  The vampire nods furiously, famished for the exotic blood’s taste. Many rich vampires could easily buy delicious blood using their vast wealth but for common vampires like him, it was rare to come across such exotic smelling blood. He couldn’t wait to try it out. Of course, he was grateful to the humans who provided his every meal, but his taste buds yearned to try out something wildly different from his daily drink.

  He opened the cork from the gss vial and took in the exotic aroma of Julia’s blood. He enjoyed the aroma for a long while before taking a small sip and savouring it, taking small sips at a time he thoroughly enjoyed the small vial. Rond was practically drooling at the exotic blood’s smell. He felt a bit jealous and sad as he watched his friend enjoy the drink of his lifetime. Lucius noticed Rond’s intense gaze and looked down at the vial with only one small sip remaining. He took pity on his friend and offered the guy the vial

  Rond: OH, THANK YOU! I WON’T FORGET THIS!

  He almost snatched the vial from his friend’s hand before taking in a deep breath, smelling the small amount of exotic and delicious blood. After taking a few more sniffs he sipped the blood, savouring it for a few minutes before gulping it down

  Rond: That was the best blood I have ever had in my life!

  Lucius: *chuckles* Don’t let your bonded hear that

  Rond waves his hand, dismissing Lucius’s words

  Rond: She would understand my feelings

  Lilith: Now then, time to clean up!

  Everyone groans and walks to the bodies moving them away from the road

  ------------

  Julia: We need to remove the grass

  Unlike the previous site, this one was covered in dense tall grass. I summoned some weed cutters to cut down the grass and weedicide as well. After clearing the area it's time to set up the station once again. I again summon the fences, generators and diesel tanks. Despite being two people short—one escort and a Bckwing soldier having stayed behind to guard the previous fuel station—we completed the setup faster than expected. 2 guards again stayed behind to ensure the station remained secure.

  Julia: Alright! I have packed up everything

  I turn towards my dy and give her a smile

  Julia: It’s your turn to drive

  She furrows her brow

  Cressida: Surely, you do not expect me, the Countess, to drive the carriage?

  Julia: I do?

  Cressida: Such a task is hardly befitting of a noble. If you have no desire to drive, then have one of our escorts or a Bckwing soldier to do so. After all, you did teach them all to drive, did you not?

  Julia: I did but… This will be good practice for you my dy. What if during some emergency you have to drive, what if we need to escape and I am unable to drive?

  She scowls but doesn’t find fault in my logic

  Cressida: Oh, very well. If you are so insistent, I shall do it.

  Her words put a smile to my face. I hop into the passenger seat while she gets behind the wheel and starts up the engine. Getting her practice wasn’t the only reason I wanted her to drive, I wanted to be alone with her as well. Having a driver would throw a wrench in my pns

  We started following the other JLTVs moving in a nice line formation. She has a super serious look while driving, it’s kinda cute. There has been an awkward silence ever since we started our trip home, but I can’t think of a good topic to start a conversation.

  “Come on Julia, say something, don’t waste this opportunity” I think to myself.

  Julia: So…

  Cressida: What?

  She replies in a grumpy tone, no doubt because I asked her to drive

  Julia: You mentioned before that you pyed the piano

  Cressida: I did

  The grumpiness in her voice disappears when I mention her old hobby and she replies in a calmer tone

  Cressida: What about it?

  She says without taking her eyes off the road

  Julia: Well I was wondering if you would… like to py it again.

  Cressida: No. There's no time to waste on such things.

  Julia: Please? I would love to hear it.

  Cressida: Hm

  She just huffs and ignores me, acting like I never spoke. Her focus remains solely on the road ahead. I muster up my best puppy dog eyes and she sighs in defeat

  Julia: Pleaseeee–

  Cressida: Fine, but don’t expect much. It’s been far too long since I st touched a piano.

  “Hell yea!” I scream internally. It's rare for my puppy dog eyes to work.

  Julia: Thank you! I look forward to it.

  My dy ignores me again and continues driving.

  Julia: So have you travelled a lot my dy?

  Cressida: *sigh* I’d prefer to ride to the manor in silence.

  Ok… she is not in a mood for talking

  Julia: Shall I py some music then?

  She gnced at me for a second in surprise before focusing back on the road

  Cressida: What instrument do you py? Whatever it is, I doubt there’s enough space in here for it. And with how rough this road is, even the finest musician would struggle to produce anything but a racket.

  Julia: I will just…

  I look around for a stereo system in the car and realize it doesn’t have one. Ok time to improvise! Summoning a portable speaker and basic MP3 pyer filled with songs from my old pylist I start pying my favourite songs

  Cressida: *Gasp* By the stars! That startled me… What is that…? Are you pying that?

  She says as the first notes of the guitar start pying

  Julia: Nope! It's coming from this thing!

  I say gesturing to the speaker in my hand, raising my voice so she can hear me above the music. This speaker is small yet so loud.

  Julia: It's just like that ptop. But instead of video or images, this pys sounds of the past!

  Cressida: That's quite

  Julia: Useful? Convenient? Everything I summon is!

  I say with a bit of pride. Even though I haven’t earned this magical ability I still feel a lot of pride in it.

  Julia: ?? Fly me to the moon ??

  I sing along with the song while swaying slightly. My eyes wander up to my bonded who also gnces at me briefly, her lips slowly curling upward into a smile. She lets out a small giggle hearing my terrible singing. Our eyes meet at the most perfect moment imaginable

  Julia: ?? In other words, I love you ??

  She looks away and focuses back on the road. A light blush made its way up her cheeks and I realized what I had done, making me blush furiously as well. I stop singing and look away too. As romantic as it was, saying that out loud made me superrrr embarrassed, especially knowing that I really mean it. I wonder what she thought of it? Nah, I am just overthinking this, she probably isn’t even thinking about it anymore… I steal a few more gnces at my bonded as we get closer and closer to our home. In the next few hours the terrain outside changes from grassnds to the familiar rainforest that I see everyday from the windows and balconies of the manor

  We finally pull up to the manor, ending our little trip. I turn off music before getting off and stretching. I am getting old, this trip wasn’t even that long and my back is already killing me.

  Julia: *yawn*

  Cressida: You ought to get some sleep

  I nod while yawning and take a few steps going towards the manor door.

  Julia: Aren’t you coming? You must be exhausted after driving all that way

  Cressida: I have some business to tend to first. Don’t wait for me

  Julia: Ok…

  I don’t ask anymore questions and head to bed. Best not to meddle in her personal stuff.

  ------------

  *time skip*

  I follow my dy through the byrinth of hallways and passages until we reach the same music room that I saw on my first day in this manor. The room is so neat and tidy and… lifeless. Like no one touched it in years but someone (no doubt the manor staff) makes an effort to keep it spotless

  My dy sits on the piano chair and lifts the lid covering the pure white and bck keys of the grand piano

  She presses a single key and a sweet note resonates throughout the room

  Cressida: Hm. Slightly out of tune, but passable.

  She looks back towards me.

  Cressida: Do you have any particur piece in mind for me to py?

  Julia; Oh I… I really don’t know any piano pieces. I just wanted to hear you py.

  Cressida: Oh

  For a brief moment we lock our gazes. My breath hitches in my throat as she stares deep into my eyes, as if trying to peer into my soul, searching for something. The moment doesn’t st long as she breaks her gaze away from me, looking back at the keys of the piano

  Julia: Have you ever composed a piece?

  Her expression remains neutral and composed as always when she answers

  Cressida: I have, but I can’t guarantee I still have the skill for it. It’s been a long while since I even stepped into this room.

  God, she is so elegant. I want to hug and kiss her so bad, pepper her face with pecks just to see her blush. It gives me butterflies imagining her being genuinely happy to see me, to love me… AHH! Stop it! This is not the time for such weird thoughts. My dy is genuinely trying to grant my wish by pying for me. I should focus on her and not get lost in my own daydreams.

  Julia: That's alright. I would still like to hear it

  Cressida: Very well.

  I walk to a chair at the side of the piano and take my seat. The chair gives me a clear view of my dy but blocks the view of her hands and the keys. She takes a deep breath when I sit in the chair, almost about to object to it but at the st moment decides otherwise

  She presses a few keys pying random notes. Ok that definitely doesn’t sound like—

  Suddenly her hand glides along the keys pying the starting notes of a beautiful melody. The melody is sweet and evokes the eternal feelings of joy I used to have as a kid. The cheerful tone of the melody brings a smile to my face as I continue listening. Her eyes are focused on the keys as she passionately pys the piece. The music slowly changes, it sounds even more cheerful than before but every so often, for brief moments, the melody sounds… or rather feels bittersweet. I can’t quite put my finger on it, on why it feels like that, after all I am not a musician. Finally, the piece ends with very abrupt and sad notes

  Cressida: *sigh*

  I rise up from the chair and start appuding. I am not a musician or someone who is very enthusiastic about piano but I can tell she is extremely good, even though she hasn’t practiced for years. To be honest, I would say she is on par with some of the best pianists I know (which is only Beethoven). Ok I might be biased but still… She is very, very good at this.

  Julia: That was amazing my dy

  She gives me a gentle smile and responds in a sad voice

  Cressida: Thank you

  A single tear escapes her eye when she says that, making me panic

  Julia: Ah! Did I do something wrong? I apologise–

  She raises a hand, signalling me to stop, while wiping away the stray tear.

  Cressida: It’s nothing you did. It’s just… my father always sat there, cpping for me, no matter how dreadful my pying was.

  Julia: I am sorry.

  She shakes her head.

  Cressida: Don’t be. You’ve done nothing to warrant an apology.

  Julia: And just for your information, your piano skills aren’t “dreadful”, your piece is one of the best I’ve ever heard. I am sure you will be famous throughout the world if you wanted to be a pianist

  She chuckles at the suggestion

  Cressida: You’re being too generous. But I assure you, my childhood performances were truly dreadful.

  Julia: Let's agree to disagree

  Julia: Was your father the one who taught you how to py?

  Cressida: No, it was my mother. But my father always enjoyed hearing me practice whenever he could.

  Julia: Sounds lovely

  Cressida: It was… well aside from when I didn’t want to practice. My mother was very strict about my piano lessons. She would scold me, take away my toys and tell my father to not bring me souvenirs from his trips

  Julia: *chuckles* You mom sounds intense.

  Cressida: Only when it came to piano lessons.

  She says with a bright smile. Clearly she loved her parents and her parents doted on their little girl. There is a moment of silence before she speaks again

  Cressida: I cannot speak for my mother, but my father would have been utterly captivated by you and by the strange contraptions you summon.

  She slides on her stool and pats the empty space beside her, gesturing for me to sit. I gdly oblige. The stool doesn’t have much space for two people, so our shoulders press together when I settle down. What I wouldn’t give to experience this closeness every day.

  Julia: He sounds like a great father. I am sure I would’ve loved meeting him as well

  Cressida: Did you know he was the one who taught me to ride a horse?

  I raise my eyebrows in surprise

  Julia: You can ride horses!?

  Cressida: Of course I can. And from the look on your face, I take it you didn’t know. Tell me, have you ever ridden a horse?

  Julia: Only one time when I was little.

  Cressida: Hm. Unacceptable. You make me learn to drive a wagon from your nd, yet you can’t even ride a horse in mine. That won’t do. From next week, I’m teaching you.

  Julia: What? Horse riding?

  Cressida: Yes

  I think for a second about it. This can be a good bonding moment for us, besides it might prove useful in the future.

  Julia: O-Ok. As long as it's you whose teaching me, I’m ok with it

  Cressida: Do not worry, I shall take good care of you.

  We talk more about her parents, she tells everything they did for her, what kind of people they were and how much she adored them, and honestly I like them too. Both Lord and Lady Cowper sound like the most amazing and loving parents, I am so grateful to them for raising and giving my bonded such a good environment to grow up in. Finally, after our conversation only one difficult question remains. What happened to them?

  Julia: My dy, may I ask something?

  Cressida: Of course. Ask whatever you wish, you are my bonded after all.

  She says in a merry mood with a gentle smile. No doubt reminiscing about her parents brought a smile to that usually stoic face for hers

  Julia: It's a difficult question

  Cressida: Oh…

  Her expression changes to a more serious one, she looks away, focusing on the nearest wall in silence. She probably has guessed my question already

  Cressida: Is it about my parents' death?

  I gulp and mutter

  Julia: Yes.

  There is a long silence in the room before she finally decides to speak

  Cressida: There is little to say, truly. One unremarkable night, assassins slipped into the manor. They cut down some guards and made their way to my parents. I was...

  She pauses, clenching her fists. Remembering this is clearly hard on her. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked her this. I put my hand on her shoulder, as a small gesture of support

  Julia: You don’t have–

  She interrupts me and continues.

  Cressida: I saw my father locked in a struggle with a man cloaked in bck. He ordered me to run, to leave him behind. I did as he said, fleeing into the forest, running until I could hear nothing but my own breath. Later, I learned my mother had been sin in her sleep. My father and his attacker had killed each other. The rest of the assassins, save for one, were killed once the guards were alerted.

  Julia: I…

  What do I even say? Sorry? That I am gd that you survived?

  Cressida: Don’t. Just don’t. I don’t need empty words, and I certainly don’t need sympathy. It’s been years, I’ve made my peace.

  She says in a frustrated tone with a hint of anger. Shit! I guess anything I say here will be useless, better to keep my mouth shut. I sit with her in silence, hoping my presence will somehow comfort her, even though I am the source of the pain she is going through right now. I don’t know if I should give her some space or keep her company. ARGHHH! I hate being an adult sometimes

  After a few minutes she slumps down and sighs.

  Cressida: *sigh* Let’s just have dinner… I don’t have the energy for anything else.

  Her voice is barely above a whisper. It's soft and exhausted, missing all of the quiet anger I heard previously. It almost feels… vulnerable

  ----------------

  Lilith observes the marching columns of soldiers in the distance through the slightly dirty windshield of the JLTV. She was somewhat impressed that they had not been seen by the battalion marching in the grassnds. Perhaps the soldiers were exhausted by carrying those heavy shields along with their supplies.

  These new shields were supposed to protect them against the “magic staves” that the troops in Cowper County had recently started using. The “Bck staff” was the official term coined by their leaders for the new weapon, the name sounded ominous and worked to further push the idea that the Vampires and the Aqualunan Kingdom was a force of evil, and a threat all humanity

  Suddenly Lilith’s radio buzzes to life with her subordinates voice

  Lilith’s Sub-ordinate: I can see at least 10 battle priests

  Lilith presses the button on her radio and responds

  Lilith: Given their numbers, it’s only natural they’d have battle priests among their ranks.

  Lilith continues to observe the marching battalion of soldiers making their way to the frontline

  Lilith: Hmm

  Lilith hummed as she thought about the best way to take out the marching battalion of Theocracy troops. Her team specialized in hit-and-run attacks, not taking on a battalion of soldiers head on. Even though right now she had more firepower, troops and 15 JLTVs with her, she didn’t want to lose a single person under her command.

  The other 14 units of JLTVs patiently waited for her orders, even though some of the newer soldiers were eager to test out the power of their new carriages against a battalion. They couldn’t wait to brag about it, about how their small team managed to massacre a battalion with numerous battle priests without breaking a sweat. The armoured horseless carriage made the drivers and the gunners feel invincible

  Lilith pressed the button on her radio when she finished formuting the strategy

  Lilith: Pay attention. This is how we will proceed…