(Northern Region – Unknown Location)
(New Atlantic City- Forested Outskirts)
Freedom.
Mary glanced upwards at the night sky and took a moment to appreciate the thousands of sparkling stars and the full moon.
She felt a cold breeze brush against her body and shivered as goosebumps began to form along her arms.
After spending so many weeks inside the castle, the outside world appeared both familiar and strange at the same time.
Mary lightly touched the mask that was covering her face and felt its hard surface.
Even though she was revelling in the taste of freedom… she was not foolish enough to attempt to escape.
Firstly, Camilla was walking in the distance but not far enough away that Mary was confident that she would be able to outrun her vampire mistress.
And secondly… she did not know where she was.
The Northern Region was a forbidden land for humans and Mary did not know which direction to head in order to return to civilisation.
If she encountered other vampires even if the cloak and mask concealed her human nature… it could still be dangerous.
Vampires were not a peaceful race.
They were just as likely to kill and maim each other. In that regard they were similar to humans.
"Pet, are you going to keep up or not?" Camilla's sensual whispers entered Mary's ears and interrupted her train of thought.
The young woman looked at the vampire smiling seductively at her and felt her heart skip a beat.
Camilla was truly beautiful.
She wore a long black Victorian era dress that fell down to her ankles and yet her body radiated a sexy charm even beneath the layers of clothing.
The moonlight fell gently on her curly black hair and her plump lips seemed both warm and inviting as her tongue softly flicked in and out of her mouth.
"Yes mistress," Mary replied softly.
She was incredibly grateful that the mask concealed the fierce blush that warmed her cheeks.
Camilla stared at the human with a knowing glint in her crimson eyes and yet did not say anything.
Perhaps this could be an alternative method to ensure her servant's loyalty.
In normal circumstances Camilla would consider it beneath her to flirt with any creature be they vampire or human and yet…
She found herself oddly amused by her human pet's reactions.
Camilla chuckled lightly to herself and slowed down her steps until she was walking side by side with Mary.
The pair wandered through the dark forest that surrounded Castle Eden with quiet steps. New Atlantic city was around a one hour walk away from the castle.
One had to pass through a well trodden path in the forest to get to the city. Mary rubbed her arms as she felt as though something in the darkness was watching her.
She glanced in the direction of the strange feeling and saw a pair of orange eyes peeking through the bushes.
Just as Mary was about to warn Camilla about the creature, a loud rustling noise came from the shrubbery.
An enormous mountain lion leapt out of the bushes and rushed towards Camilla with its jaw wide open and saliva dripping down the sides of its mouth.
The beautiful vampire did not even flinch as she calmly raised up her hand and a spear made out of blood appeared in her right palm.
With a simple throw the spear embedded itself in the mountain lion's throat and the animal rolled on the ground in pain.
Camilla's crimson eyes darkened, and the spear stuck to the animal's throat melted away into its body.
She snapped her fingers, and the beast began to move even though it was bleeding out.
Its movements were slow and jerky almost like a puppet dancing on the strings of its master.
The mountain lion disappeared into the distance and Mary wasn't sure what exactly her mistress had done to the creature.
"Stay close to me," Camilla sternly warned as she grabbed Mary's hand and dragged her through the dark forest.
Mary glanced down at their connected fingers and felt her face flush once more. No… get a grip… she is the enemy.
All she needed to do was play along until she found the right opportunity to escape…
The young woman closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths in order to calm down her agitated mood.
The rest of the journey through the forest was relatively uneventful and finally the pair arrived outside a town surrounded by large grey walls made from stone.
There was a single gate leading into the city and cars were slowly making their way inside after being stopped and inspected by the guards.
There were not just cars in the line but also horse and carriages. This entire town was an odd mix of both medieval and modern aesthetics.
Camilla strode towards the entrance of the town and finally removed her hands from Mary's grasp.
"State your business," one of the guards lazily spoke as he looked at Camilla.
"Just visiting," Camilla casually replied before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small vial of crimson liquid.
The guard's eyes lit up and his lips curved upwards into a wide grin that displayed a pair of sharp fangs.
"Of course… right this way ma'am," the guard gently spoke as he moved to the side and allowed both Camilla and Mary to enter.
The beautiful female vampire sniggered to herself as she watched the guard place the vial in his pocket.
She wanted to conduct a little experiment on the properties of her human pet's blood. That guard was in for a nasty surprise once he swallowed the crimson liquid.
Camilla chanted a few words under her breath and small reddish fly emerged from the tip of her index finger.
The fly flew towards the guard and landed on his shoulder. Now the only thing left to do was wait and see the results.
Mary did not notice her mistress' secret actions since she was too busy marveling at the view of the city.
She had not gotten a chance to see the city before since she was knocked out when she was transferred to the auction house and when she had been bought.
Vampires had… surprisingly good taste in architecture.
Buildings were spaced evenly apart and even though the styles were different, there was a harmony to them that was hard to describe.
Mary saw vampires both male and female, young and old looking wandering the streets and going to different locations.
In many ways this city and its inhabitants behaved exactly like those in the human realm except for one crucial difference.
There were blood shops and street vendors on every corner selling blood from a variety of animals and of course… people.
There were humans in the city but there were kept on leashes almost like animals or livestock.
The vampires that owned humans were clearly strong since no one bothered them.
Or they travelled with several bodyguards who prevented the ordinary vampires on the street from getting too close.
"NO! NO!" a young human man screamed as a vendor chopped off his right hand and drained away the blood into a bowl.
The crowd that was beginning to form around his stand were beginning to get anxious and Mary did not have a good feeling about what was going to happen next.
Was that vendor insane?
Lesser vampires would not be able to control themselves if they caught a whiff of blood. Mary moved away from the crowd but felt a strong hand grip her shoulder.
She followed the palm and saw an unshaven vampire staring at her with crimson eyes that shone with an eerie light.
"Hey baby… why don't you take off that cloak and we can… ARGHHH!" the vampire shrieked in pain as a crimson spear erupted from his chest.
"Don't. Touch. Her," Camilla growled with shocking ferocity that surprised even herself.
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