CHAPTER 422: FUN ON THE WAY

The sun had long dipped beneath the horizon by the time Amber and Lilith reached the city. From their vantage point on the cliffside path, they saw it sprawled below—a constellation of warm, golden lights nestled between the dark embrace of the ocean and the craggy cliffs behind it. The city was old, its stone architecture kissed by salt and centuries, yet it pulsed with vibrant life. Lanterns bobbed along narrow, winding streets. Music drifted from taverns and plazas. The scent of grilled fish and spiced wine mingled with the briny sea breeze.

Lilith grinned.

"A city like this never sleeps. Perfect for creatures like us, don’t you think?"

Amber smiled faintly, her eyes scanning the view below. She had just forged her first weapon, awakened a power buried deep within her blood. Her body still hummed with magic and muscle memory, but the night called to something deeper—a hunger for experience, for freedom, for pleasure.

"Let’s go," she said.

They descended the winding path and entered the city as shadows among the revelers. The people were lively, but few noticed the two cloaked figures gliding through their midst with predatory grace.

The city was called Velinostra, though many locals referred to it simply as Saltwater Stone. Built upon layers of history and limestone, it bore the bones of empires long since reduced to memory. The streets were cobbled with shell-flecked stone, and the air carried the perpetual tang of the sea.

Amber felt oddly exhilarated as they wandered. The city pulsed with warmth, color, and chaotic energy. There were fire dancers spinning golden light along the waterfront, minstrels playing stringed instruments in shadowed alcoves, and markets that still bustled despite the late hour.

Lilith led them through a narrow street lined with silken awnings and mysterious vendors. Exotic perfumes hung heavy in the air.

"These people live in the moment," Lilith murmured, brushing her fingers along a string of glass beads. "No empires to command, no bloodlines to protect. Just salt, music, and the illusion of safety."

Amber’s eyes were caught by a street artist painting with shimmering ink, his fingers moving as if possessed. He looked up and met her gaze. For a moment, his eyes widened, sensing something deeper, something other. But then she smiled—and he smiled back, mistaking her otherworldliness for allure.

They found themselves drawn to a masquerade ball taking place in an open plaza near the cliffs. Velvet drapes fluttered in the sea breeze, and lanterns floated like stars tethered to string. Guests wore elaborate masks—feathers, horns, porcelain smiles.

"Shall we dance, dear fledgling?" Lilith asked, handing Amber a sleek silver mask. Her own mask was black and laced with crimson, elegant and sharp-edged like the woman herself.

Amber hesitated only a moment before slipping the mask on. "Let’s make them wonder who we are."

They stepped into the revelry like queens returning to court. As the music swelled, Amber found herself swept into dances—some with Lilith, others with enchanted strangers. Their movements were fluid, unearthly, and left trails of whispers in their wake. No one knew their names, but everyone watched.

Lilith leaned close between dances.

"This is what it means to exist beyond mortality. To move through the world like shadow and flame. To taste it."

•••

Later, they settled at a seaside tavern carved into the cliffside itself. Its open terrace offered a sweeping view of the moonlit sea. The tavern catered to all kinds—merchants, mercenaries, lovers, liars. And on rare nights like this, to vampires.

A silver-haired bartender eyed them with caution, then recognition.

"You’re welcome here," he said, voice low.

"So long as your thirst doesn’t ruin the mood."

He was one of their underdogs spread across the wiled.

Lilith offered a charming smile. "Just a taste. We’re tourists tonight."

They sipped blood-laced wine from obsidian goblets—thick, sweet, tinged with spices. Not enough to harm anyone, but enough to sharpen their senses. Amber let the warmth spread through her, mingling with the hum of the sea below.

"This is different," she said, gazing out at the waves crashing against the rocks. "Being here... not as warriors, not as predators. Just... alive."

Lilith regarded her quietly.

"You’re learning the truth: we are not monsters unless we choose to be. Immortality doesn’t have to be chains and solitude. It can be firelight, and cities, and nights like this."

They toasted silently, their glasses catching the moonlight.

Later, they returned to the streets to play a more dangerous game—one they rarely indulged in: shadow-tag.

Velinostra was perfect for it—narrow alleys, vaulted rooftops, hidden balconies. The rules were simple: one chases, the other hides and evades. It was a test of stealth, speed, and cunning.

Amber darted through the city like a crimson ghost, her laughter echoing softly as Lilith hunted her with feline grace. They raced along rooftops, leapt over alleyways, and paused only to taunt or vanish.

They two, vanished before the eyes of guards, and left curious onlookers wondering if they had imagined the blur of movement above.

Eventually, Lilith cornered Amber atop a bell tower overlooking the sea.

"Caught you," she whispered, stepping from the shadows.

Amber turned, breathless and exhilarated.

"Only because I let you."

Lilith chuckled. "Of course, my little disciple."

•••

As the eastern sky began to pale, the city began to drowse. Fishermen readied their boats. Lanterns were extinguished. The music faded to whispers.

Amber and Lilith stood once more on the cliffs above, looking down at Velinostra as it returned to its quieter rhythms.

"I see why you wanted to stop," Amber murmured.

"It’s easy to forget the world isn’t always blood and battle."

Lilith nodded, her gaze fixed on the horizon.

"A warrior who only knows war forgets why she fights. Nights like this remind us what’s worth protecting."

Amber looked at her mentor, then at her dagger, sheathed and silent at her hip. She felt stronger—not just in body, but in spirit. The night had not been a distraction. It had been a lesson.

As they turned away from the city, ready to resume their journey, Amber glanced back one last time.

Velinostra faded behind them, but the laughter, the music, and the taste of blood-laced wine remained with her—a memory etched in moonlight and salt.

And in the growing dawn, two shadows slipped away from the cliffs—silent, eternal, and changed.