CHAPTER 25: TO THE FORT (1)

The first day of travel went quite peacefully and towards the end of the first day we reached the outskirts of the Forrest, from there we traveled West staying on the plains as it made for easier travel that having to navigate around trees and undergrowth.

Deciding it would be a good idea to get some more info about this Fort I asked Amanda about it.

"So from what I know the fort was abandoned around 350 to 400 years ago. Apparently there was a huge monster surge that went on for years from the depths of the Tenbre Forrest so a number of forts were established around it to provide both protection and keep an eye out. Tenbre Village was oringianlly one of the central supply hub for the forts in this region."

After letting that sink in for a moment Amanda continued. "Whilst some of the forts were either maintained or decommissioned after the surge some of them were overrun or destroyed during it. We think that this fort was one that got overrun, either by other monsters or this Living Vine that is currently in control of it."

"Hmm so what exactly are we hoping to find in this fort if we manage to get in?" I ask.

"Well if it was overrun then there is a good chance that any number of items, weapons and armour could be left there." Amanda states.

However that confused me slightly. "Wouldn’t all the equipment have rusted away by now? 400 years in a humid Forrest will ruin most metals."

This time it was Kana that answere. "Well for regular equipment you would be right but your forgetting about magic silly. If their is any enchanted equipment there is a good chance that it will still be in pretty good condition. And if their is a vault or armoury that’s intact the chances are even better as they tent to have preservation magic built into them." That makes a lot of sense now that she explained it to me. Don’t know how I keep forgetting that magic is a thing.

Amanda pipes up too. "Indeed there should be a vault. And if we are lucky there should be some powerful magical items stored within. Assuming it’s hasn’t been cleared out anyway."

"Now that sounds like my kind of adventure, riches and loot awaits!" I cheerfully exclaim. Adding a little skip into my walk. Now whilst I logically knew that chances are we won’t find a whole lot of useful stuff past a heap of rusted metal, I couldn’t help but fan the flames of my excitement just imagining the possibility or opening a vault and seeing piles of treasure!

We continued on like this and when the suns began to get close to the horizon we headed into the Forrest somewhat to set up our tents. Kana headed off the go hunt something for us to eat whilst I started my Nature Moulding to create a more secure campsite but growing and expanding the underbrush to create an impromptu wall around our little campsite, coupled with adding the usual moss flooring we found ourselves in a comfey and enclosed space.

Amanda had brought along her own tent but it was a small and simple thing and then she helped me set up my larger one and watched in disbelief as I then proceeded to summon an entire bed complete with blankets and pillows to place it down with it he tent.

"Why do you have an entire bed in your storage, in fact how big is your storage space to be able to fit an entire bed and everything else?" Amanda asks with obvious confusion and amazement.

"Well I got this as a system quest reward so it’s quite a powerful item." I explained whilst gesturing at the choker around my neck. Seeing this as an invitation Amanda came up closer to me to investigate and got well within my personal space to investigate it. Feeling slightly unsure about this situation I asked. "Umm do you need to be so close to look at it?"

Deciding that she wasn’t close enough she moved in even closer and brought her face right next to my neck. Feeling myself blush something fierce I am slightly startled when I hear her take a deep shuddering breath as if she is trying to inhale my scent. Taking a step away from her I give her a weird look and ask. "Umm Amanda what was that?"

After noticing me step back it looks like she is about to step after me but freezes and has the decency to flush in embarrassment before turning away slightly. "I’m sorry I don’t know what came over me, I just wanted to get a better look at it but then I noticed your smell and I get a bit carried away." Her voice getting lower and lower at the hasty explanation.

Taking that in I ask. "What is it about my smell that makes you go that way? It’s the second time you’ve mentioned it and iv caught you, ’sniffing’ around me a few times on our journey so far?" I try to keep an even tone but inside I am quite concerned at this point.

I can see the struggle on Amanda’s face as she clearly wants to tell me but is also holding back somewhat. Deciding to just get this over with I step up to her and say. "You said you loved me right?"

She jerks her head up to face me at that and nods her head slowly. "Yes I did."

"Well you should know then that I don’t take well to having secrets that obviously effect me being kept from me. If you want me to reciprocate your feeling I’m gonna need your to give some true out." I lay it on a bit thick but I just want this tension between us to move in either direction be that closer together or further apart and I feel this is going to be a sticking point for it.

Amanda looks deep in thought and is unconsciously biting her lower lip and she has an internal debate. However, eventually she comes to a decision. "Ok I’ll tell you but please don’t freak out okay?" At my nod she continues after taking a deep breath. "The truth is, I am a Vanpire." She seems slightly terrified that I will react badly to this.

"Is that it? I already kinda guessed that?" I mean she was a pale, beautiful woman, seems to like both leather and darker colours. Mentioned she had a strong affinity to blood and keep sniffing me. All the sings are there.

Seeing my complete lack of a reaction to her dramatic reveal seems to have baffled her even more than when I revealed I was an elf. And it takes her a moment to formulate a response. "Wait you don’t care that I’m a vampire?"

"No not really, I mean you seem pretty under control for the most part. Plus it is kinda hot not gonna lie." What can I say I have a diverse set of kinks that I can enjoy and the thought of a sexy Vampire having a nibble is definitely up there.

"W-what? What do you mean you find it h-hot!?" She half shouts in complete confusion?

"I mean I think it would be pretty sexy if, and I mean if we did get together. If you had the odd bite. Now I’m not about to let you drink me dry but I wouldn’t mind you having a little taste." I explain my thought speaking in an even tone.

Meanwhile Amanda seems to be having a slight meltdown across from me. "You really wouldn’t mind the fact that I want to drink your blood?"

"So long as you don’t go overboard no. Wait you won’t just turn me into a Vampire if you bite me right?" I ask.

"What no that’s not how vampirism works. But no that’s not important. Vampires are normally hunter down and killed because we drink blood and your just ok with it?"

At this point I am beginning to understand her confusion. I mean I just figured that vampires were just one more of the various races but seems I was slightly wrong in that assumption. Deciding to try clear things up somewhat I say. "Well I didn’t know that was the case, I’m an outworlder and vampires are just fiction where I’m from." I then add almost as an afterthought. "They are also quite prevalent in smut stories."

It seems I may have broken Amanda at this point as she just nods once, opens her mouth as if to say something, closed her mouth. Raises her hand, and then faints. Collapsing in a heap on the ground. "Hu... I did not see that one coming." I mutter whilst looking at her collapsed body.

Deciding to deal with that mess later I leave her to her dreams and move over to start a fire and pull out some cushions to make a seating area around the fire. I also pull out my cooking pot and start prepping a cooking station for when Kana gets back.

Around the time that iv got the fire going nicely Amanda wakes back up. Looking over at her I speak up. "You alright over there?" Hearing my voice her head snaps in my direction. "You kinda just collapsed on me there, you feeling alright?" I ask.

She takes a moment to collect her thoughts before responding. "I honestly don’t know how to feel. You genuinely don’t seem to care about my race, then you just say your an outworlder? You just managed to shatter some of my long held beliefs in a couple of sentences." She does look genuinely confused and a little shell shocked causing me to feel a bit bad for her.

"Well why don’t you come over here and I can tell you a bit more and let’s see if we can help clear somethings up for ya eh?" I say whilst patting the spot next to me. Nodding stiffly she makes her way over and sits down quite heavily next to me.

"So you said that vampires are only a myth in your world? Can you tell me more?" Seeing that as reasonable I decide to explain to her some of the more common vampire legends and how they were viewed in recent pop culture to give her a better idea of why I’m not too fussed about it.

Watching her reactions as I go through explaining about some of the more..’sparkely’ depictions of vampires was honestly hilarious. "We do not sparkle in the sunlight!" She vehemently asserts which only causes me to laugh at her affronted expression. But after some time where I go into how I came to be in this world she settles back in and listens to my tale.

"Well, that would explain why your are an elf given that they are extinct." She eventually says.

"But are they actually extinct or have they maybe just moved to a different continent?" I ask.

But she shakes her head and answers. "No as far as I’m aware they are completely extinct, there are some half elves definitely but no full blooded elves. They were wiped out a long time ago. That also coincides with the fall of vampires. Our races held a long time partnership, you see for whatever reason elf blood is special to us. Whilst we can sustain ourselves with other blood and normal food by drinking woven blood we can actually grow stronger. Due to this the vampires were very close allies to elves but when the demon lord began his conquest he decimated the elves first to weaken the vampires as we were a large deterrent to them given our blood magics that demons are suceptsble to."

The amount of lore that I just received at that point take me a while to process, but eventually I do and can only wonder if I truly am the only elf left alive in this world. And hoping that isn’t the case.

———

Big ol lore drop you you nerds hope ya enjoy!