ADAD Chapter 23: Nebula
A panther-like animal passed by their camp, and went on the hunt. Anastasios looked at the slick purple beast for a while, admiring it from the safety of his rune riddled camp. The pelt looked so soft and slick, that he could see himself sleeping on such a rug. Darius followed his gaze, and smirked. With silent steps, the demon went after the panther.
Anastasios watched the two, as the panther kept on sniffing the air, and began to turn around. Instead of running, the beast bared its teeth, and got into an attacking position.
That didn't save it. A wind attack cut it right between the eyes, and the animal fell down, dead. Darius went and picked it off the ground, and slung it on his shoulders.
There was something about Darius coming over like a true hunter, that got Anastasios excited. The vampire prince could feel himself going hard, something he had been able to do for all of his youth, bar the one minute that it had taken him to restart his heart. He remembered the panic, when he couldn't feel his heartbeat, back on that may morning.
Yet, Darius was sleeping next to him. It had taken an entire minute of silent begging to all Gods that listened, for the vampire to feel the joy of having a heartbeat again, air in his lungs, of his blood becoming warmer once more.
That day, he had showered Darius with gifts, among which was a steamy shower, where the prince had given as much attention to Darius's member, as the demon gave to his.
"You just couldn't resist, could you?" Anastasios asked, and Darius smirked at him.
"You always get hard, when you see me come back with an animal over my shoulders. When you lug the animal back, I feel like you are the most adorable thing in the world," Darius teased, and Anastasios chuckled.
"Yes, well, we can't all be demons, who have broad shoulders, which are perfect for carrying large animals on them," Anastasios said, and then went to touch the panther's pelt. "I want that as a rug."
"The head is a bit damaged," Darius murmured, as he pointed at the still bleeding gash. "But we can skin the rest."
"Well, go for it," Anastasios insisted, and then went back by the fire. "Any progress with the teleportation rune?"
"I have taken small steps," Darius said, as he placed the panther down, and began to skin it with a hunting knife he had always strapped to his belt. "The problem is, I don't know where the castle is. I know it must be somewhere in Nebula, but where exactly, is anyone's guess. I have been writing to Mustafa, to have Harvey create us runes that could mask smells."
"You want for Harvey to duplicate that spell that Mustafa used to use?" Anastasios asked, and Darius nodded.
"Yes. As Harvey lives with the man now, he can get a better feel for his magic. The mana sequence, and the blood needed," Darius said, and then looked at Anastasios. "I will make sure the runes end up as tattoos. But if I am to ever sell them, I will make sure they are patented under Harvey's name. That is the deal we made."
"Fair's fair," Anastasios agreed, and then threw a log inside the fire. "Do you think it will snow soon?"
"I am not certain. Does it even snow in Nebula? It should be December, now," Darius said, not looking up from his work.
"We can't stay in a camp in the snow," Anastasios told him.
"If we built a house, we might get discovered. A camp can easily be warded, but a house can't be warded before it is complete," Darius said, sounding regretful. "Some laws of runesmithing even I can't do anything about."
"Then, we will be living in the snow," Anastasios said, and Darius chuckled.
"We are bounty hunters. It is not always soft beds with us," Darius reminded him. The demon finished his work in silence, and then cleaned the pelt, and placed it to dry.
The meat was something they were going to have for dinner. One good thing about Nebula was, that, unlike the original animal fauna of Gorgon, the animals were edible. Otherwise, Darius would have had to run Rey ragged with food deliveries.
Thinking about his brother, Darius remembered his last letter. Andiel wanted to send Rey to Westermire, when the Fey turned six. Darius was in full support of that. Even if it meant that, for the duration of Rey's schooling, Darius would have to make deliveries to the rune shop and the tavern from where he got his beast's blood, himself.
Wondering what his family was doing, he pulled out his mirror, and then got some mana inside of it. Andiel answered after just a minute.
"Oh, you have grown," Andiel said, and Darius realized that this was the first time, since his acceptance in Orestria, that he was seeing Andiel. The elf was unchanged, as he should be, seeing as for him, it had been just a couple of days, where for Darius it was a whole of fifty-six years.
"Hi, dad," Darius murmured, soaking in the face of his father.
"Hey, kiddo. Oh, I suppose that I can't call you that now," Andiel murmured, and then sighed. "I will miss seeing your tail wagging."
Darius's tail wagged at that, and he made sure that Andiel could see it in the mirror. The elf chuckled, and Darius allowed himself a small smile.
"That is a habit I still haven't grown out of," Darius said, and then tilted his head to the side, to look at Anastasios.
"And that is a habit that you will never grow out of," Anastasios said, and the three shared a laugh.
"How have things been for you?" Andiel asked, and Darius's smile fell.
"I took a bounty job, but I can't pinpoint a castle. I just don't know which rune to use," Darius complained.
"You dropped out of the academy to become a bounty hunter?" Andiel looked ready to yell, and Darius chuckled uncomfortably.
"This is my internship, actually. I am still a student at the academy. I do my homework, and my exams. Anastasios is here too," Darius said, and Anastasios got into view. The vampire waved, and Andiel's expression became less stormy.
"Why are you not using a tracer?" Andiel asked, and then pulled out an old-looking compass from his pocket. It looked the same as the one captain Rainier had shown Darius, back when he had been Beggar. "Those can find any coordinates."
The two bounty hunters shared a look, and then Darius spoke.
"Have Rey send it to me. I will give it back," Darius promised, but Andiel shook his head.
"You can keep it. Considering I have fifty years' worth of skipped birthdays, it is the least I can give you," and with that, the conversation went back to the two telling Andiel all about their life.
