It had been days since that last crazy night, Raoul still had it on his mind and couldn’t help but feel angry and clenched his fists as he thought about it. He had failed, although Bunley still paid him all the same considering he wasn’t aware that it was Raoul who was responsible for chasing after the intruder. Still, even if his pockets were filled and he liked that his mind wasn’t, he wasn’t fulfilled about that night. A part of him felt hollow knowing that he didn’t complete his assignment. He was supposed to catch that criminal and stop her from freeing the red rogue. He failed and he was challenged, he still couldn’t believe it. He was completely intellectually matched by that hooligan and not just that he felt a fire light up in his soul. He wanted to catch that thief by himself not for Bunley anymore but to prove to himself and that goon that he was better. He was capable enough of bringing in some tricky bandit that wasn’t going to be another failure. He spent the next few days completely ignoring his other cases in favor of investigating Tatalia’s trail. Although it would cost him money which he hated, this was going to be worth it at least to bring in that bandit at least for the sake of his pride.



He combed over all his leads, the singular scarf of hers he managed to grab, and went over what he knew, his perp was a goblin, female, bandit, with a wide array of particular tools and magic. If she wasn’t a criminal and a pain in the ass he would respect her resourcefulness, especially considering how well she used her arsenal against him. He spent the next couple days in bars and taverns conversing with the local people doing his best to collect any information he could find about Tatalia. Those days turned into two weeks of research with him even having to dip into his funds for the sake of information gathering. Although it pained him greatly to be separated from his solars this mission was way too personal to leave alone at this point. He managed to find many leads, discovering some background on the goblin, including that she was some sort of anthropologist criminal named Tatalia. He was following her trail going town by town it seemed every time he came he’d barely missed her. However, it was at the Thunderhoof Village where he’d find the closest sign to catching her. The locals said that there were brown and yellow flowers that encircled the nomad's stone and that any sort of researcher or scholar would most likely check it out at least. That seemed like a good lead and so at least scoping the palce out was his plan. He headed straight there as he left the town and carefully made his way towards the Nomad’s Stone

Tatalia didn't spend much time in King's Valley, normally. Truthfully, there were too many bad memories tied up in the place.

On the one hand, King's Valley was aligned with her home, and that was a good thing. The horsemen and the tribes of the valley were trustworthy people when all was said and done, worthy friends if ever such folk existed. Why, her friend Zak was from those very people! But there were knights, nobles, and merchant princes in the realm as well, and when she passed too close to their estates, well... That always drummed up bad memories.

Still, the wilderness of the valley was beautiful. The rolling hills, the windswept plains, the steppes... walking in them made her feel like she was on her first adventure all over again, tasting freedom for the first time. Maybe it was worth going out there a little more often.

"But now isn't the time for nostalgia!" Tatalia reminded herself as she crested the top of a hill that windy morning. "Now is the present, and the present holds a mystery to be unraveled!"

The young goblin reached the top of the hill, took a deep breath, and surveyed the terrain before her. There it was: a strange circle of flowers, their hues a strange combination of brown and yellow, spiraling out in a pattern that was almost hypnotic. The grass around it grew wilder, taller, more vibrantly, and with strange plants that did not belong in King's Valley.

It was a curious sight to say the least. The circle was a bit too perfect, a bit too symmetrical to be born of simple coincidence. There had to be an intelligence behind the appearance of the strange circle of flowers, that much was certain... And it wasn't the first such mysterious circle Tatalia had seen. She thought back to her time in the Zeinav desert and the strange time dilations she had experienced there. That had been unnerving.

"Best not to touch anything!" the curious scholar decided, stepping closer and pulling her journal out. She kicked her boots off, let her toes feel the gentle caress of the grass, and smiled. It was going to be a good day.

The little goblin sat upon a nearby rock covered in moss, and she hummed to herself as she sketched the scene in her journal. How could she not? It was too alien and beautiful not to! She painstakingly drew every little flower, every individual petal, and soaked in the crisp winter wind that blew across the valley. She felt a strange sort of wild joy welling up in her chest, like the essence of freedom itself, and wondered idly if perhaps the circles were ultimately benign. Yes, strange magical events occurred around them, but... Weren't they revitalizing the land? Weren't they bringing something beautiful into the world?

It was a sweet thought. It was also a very preoccupying thought, such that keen eared adventurer was too preoccupied to notice the danger that was fast approaching her location.

Beautiful, was the only word the detective dhampir could describe the King’s Valley landscape. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. It was moments like this that made the man truly think that this was all worth fighting for. To keep such marvels alive he needed to be steadfast in his morals and conviction. So he continued his way up the hill and towards the patch of flowers he was told would be here. He was about to reach it when he heard the presence of another familiar voice announcing her caution in not touching anything. Quickly he slowly approaches hiding along the Valley’s bushes. She’s here, right here, weeks' worth of work and tracking had all paid off. Honestly, he was just reaching his wits end and about to give up thinking this last lead was nothing but his own greedy mind’s delusion. But no, his information was right, his intuition was correct, she was right in front of him.



He held his hands in his pockets, hands on his whips as he peered over to her, she didn’t seem like the formidable foe he’d faced nights before. More cheerful and easygoing than he remembered but she was still a criminal no less.



Raoul emerged from his hiding place and cracked both of his whips in the air to announce his presence, “Stop right there, don’t move Tatalia I finally managed to track you down. You’re coming with me and we’re going to visit the guards station to report you for your crimes. I tried to be nice but you took advantage of my kindness and I’ll be sure not to make the same mistake again, criminal”.

Tatalia looked up from her writing, blinking a few times as she heard someone speak behind her. Slowly, she turned her head, tilted it at him, and listened to him give his firm, fiery speech. Oh, he had beef with her, that much was clear. But... but...

"I'm sorry," the goblin began, her forehead ruffling, her voice perplexed. "Do I know you, sir?"

Of course, Tatalia in reality knew exactly who the man was! He was the one who had given her chase in the noble's manor. She was, however, an incredibly believable liar,¹ and she used that fact to imply the whip wielding man was forgettable. He wasn't, but she figured it would frustrate him if she'd forgotten who he was!

"Look- If you have reason to arrest, just- one moment, please." Tatalia snapped her book shut, dropping it into her open backpack, and in the same motion subtly slipping a little vial into her hand.² The liquid was black with a soft glow, but Tatalia's palm concealed it neatly.³ She took a quick sip - just a few drops, that was all - and then her eyes glowed like gemstones, with the power of the earth itself! Suddenly, Tatalia pointed her hand toward the detective, spoke a word of power, and snapped her fingers.

Earthen tendrils of rock and vines burst out from the ground,⁴ grasping for Raoul's hands and feet. The goblin drew her sword from its sheath as the magic did its work, and she rested the flat of the blade against her shoulder, smirking cockily at Raoul.

"I don't suppose you'd care to reintroduce yourself without the threats of violence and imprisonment? I'd so prefer to finish my sketches right now, and handsome though you may be, you're being an awful bother."

Unfortunately for both goblin and dhampir, the goblin's spell had unwittingly disrupted the flow of energies within the fairy circle. Strange power was beginning to radiate from its center, something wild and free, and Tatalia was too busy to notice this was the case.

---

_{1. Smooth Talking; 2. Bottled Stars; 3. Quick Palm; 4. Earth Bind (from Bottled Stars)}

“Oh alright, little miss red rogue sympathizer, and trust me I know you and your exploits. And if you didn’t know me before considering how many times I’m assuming you did this type of thing before well you know now. You’re coming with me to answer for your crimes”, the dhampir wasn’t shaken by the woman’s cluelessness. He wasn't surprised she didn’t know him, a criminal like that barely has enough heart to remember the lives they affected much less the people after them”.



“I have more than enough reason to arrest you on grounds of trespassing, destruction of property, obstruction of justice, and domestic theft. I’m not going to wait for you to get your little speech off”, he steps forward but he is too late.



He quickly tries to intercept the binding summoning a wheel of flames (1) to surround his waist and although it manages to burn off the vines and other fauna it’s useless against the earth itself and he gets trapped.



He smirks, “Oh I would love to reintroduce myself without care of this silly little attempt to act like you won. My name is Ardelean, Raoul O. Ardelean, and woah so you know some earth domain magic that’s pretty cool. Awww you think I’m handsome, huh well when you’re imprisoned I’ll be sure to visit you all the time”.



He opens his mouth and then sprays a large web at Tatalia hoping to trap her under its spider silk material (2). The battle between magic and mind has caused something in the flowers under them as they start to flash a bright brown and yellow. The two of them had just found themselves in something way bigger than a petty squabble and were about to find out what these flowers do.

---

1. Flame Hoop
2. Web

"My crimes?" Tatalia countered, glaring across at the imprisoned man. "Hah! And what of the crimes of the very man you served? I seem to remember that Mr. Bunley exploits his workers, lies in his dealings with the tribes of King's Valley, and hoards his wealth greedily when it could be used to help others! But I, I am the criminal because I was willing to do something about that!?"

The goblin was incensed, the fervor in her voice growing stronger and stronger. She threw her hands wide, her sword gleaming beneath the sun.

"Well, if caring about the poor and downtrodden is a crime, if being willing to fight for my beliefs - without hurting anyone, mind you! - is such a terrible sin, then, fine! Catch me if you can!"

It was at that moment that a ball of webs flew out from the detective's mouth and struck Tatalia in the chest. She flopped backward onto the grass, her arms pinned to her chest and her chest pinned to the ground.

"Oh," Tatalia responded. Then the green woman began to laugh, little amused tears bouncing from her eyes. "Oh, goodness! This is incredibly ironic! Absolutely astounding what circumstance can do! Hahaha!"

The goblin had already started sawing away at the webs with her dagger as she laughed, but unfortunately for her, a wave of energy suddenly rushed out from faerie circle in all directions, and a blinding light filled Tatalia's eyes. Even her goggles did nothing to stop it!

A strange sensation rippled through Tatalia's body. She couldn't really explain it. She certainly couldn't see it. It was like her body was being stretched like putty, pulled back and forth, her limbs spread out like the wings of a bird. The world felt weightless, like all sorts of burdens were lifting off her shoulders, and a warm energy rushed from her heart to the rest of her body. And then she felt herself collapse to the ground as the light faded.

"Uugh... what was that?" Tatalia groaned. She felt her hair fall over her mouth, and she instinctively tried to blow the hair out of her face. The sound that came out of her mouth, though, was... an awful lot like a horse snorting out of its mouth. Huh.

Slowly, Tatalia opened her left eye. She could see the rock she had been perched on just a moment ago, and so she tried to stand up with her legs. Unfortunately, somehow just using her legs wasn't working, so she had to use her hands, too. Only... they didn't... feel like hands...?

Tatalia opened her other eye, and that's when she realized she was staring in two completely opposite directions.

"What!?" Tatalia stood at her full height suddenly, stamping upon the ground as she quickly tried to piece together what had happened. She focused her attention down at her hands- no! They were hooves! She had hooves; and her nose, her nose was more of a- No, there was no way she was-

"Am I a horse!?" the former goblin cried, her words followed by an oh-so-pretty neighing sound. She breathed quickly, trying to make sense of what had happened... and then realized she was about eye level with the rock she'd been sitting on earlier, meaning she was much smaller than a horse. Tatalia was-

"A pony?! A pony?!"

It was going to be a very long, very terrible day.

“Hey”, the Dhampir retorted, “You’re correct in that department however what does breaking rules help with? You’re correct, Miser Bunley is a horrible no good man that needs to have his day under the eyes of the courts. Do you want to know why I was working under Mister Bunley? I was doing an undercover collection of information, I would’ve gotten more if you didn't manage to derail my night. You do things the right way, you follow the laws and rules that are in place. Criminals and vigilantes aren’t needed Tatalia, what’s needed are good honest people to face people like Mister Bunley the right way, the legal way”, the man spoke with conviction and earnest resolve he believed every single word he spoke.



“You are a criminal because you broke the rules. I respect your sense of justice but I don’t respect the way you did things. I didn’t say that caring about people was a crime because it isn’t trust me I know what it’s like to go against justice for the sake of my ends but this isn’t the way to go about things”, the man continued as he smirked at least content with annoying the hooligan with his web.



Suddenly before he could continue with his speech about justice his stomach turned violently. A weird sensation filled his body as if he’d been hit with some sort of spell. His body itself began to change. He could feel his limbs and body get contorted and changed as his body glowed the same brown and yellow color that the flowers under them. He opened his eyes back to reality thinking the goblin woman had hit him with another spell in retaliation to his. He instead found himself unbound from the earth but still, he felt trapped in his body. He tried stepping forward but immediately fell as his feet didn’t feel like his own. He tries to get back up but notices that his hands aren’t his normally cold and pale ones instead replaced by hooves. He stops trying to get up and looks down noticing that his body has been transformed into that of a black stallion.



“What is hell is this", he stammers as he struggles to stand up falling once more unable to stand on his two feet considering he is now a horse.


He then glances at where he saw Tatalia and notices that instead of some snarky goblin lady, there is a pony. He starts laughing very amused at the sight but then quickly angers as he remembers he’s in the same boat.



“Dammit, what the hell happened to us?”, he ponders out loud once more thinking about how this could have happened.

"What happened to us? What happened to us?!" Tatalia the pony stamped her hoof in frustration, tossing her head and her white hair irritably. "Well, why don't you investigate the matter, Mr. Detective? I'm sure you can figure out if you quit horsing around! Because if it isn't obvious, you're a bloody horse!"

Tatalia began pacing, taking a deep breath as her little hooves clopped upon the ground. Really, she was just so frustrated by the absurdity of the circumstances they were in that she couldn't think straight. She needed to focus! She needed to start with the basics!

"Alright," the pony began, coming to a stop. She dug her hoof into the ground as she thought aloud. "I think the first thing we have to assume is that these strange flowers are somehow associated with this. However, they no longer seem to be active, so whatever spell they've cast upon us is done. Destroying the flowers probably isn't the solution to freeing ourselves.

"No, worrying about the 'why' and the 'how' is not important to solving this problem. What matters is the 'who.' Namely, who can help us? We need some sort of outside help, some specialist that can reverse the effects of these flowers. And... I think I know who can fix it for us."

The once goblin turned pony turned to face Raoul directly. Her expression was- okay, it was probably hard to read because she was suddenly a pony and not a goblin, but she was smirking. Or, well, she was trying to.

"I have a lead on how we can solve our crisis. You have a grudge against me that I frankly believe is unfounded and without merit. If you're willing to drop your grudge, I'm willing to lead you to someone that can help us! I've been traveling these lands for a long time, and I know exactly where to look for help. After all..."

Pony Tatalia stamped her foot hard upon the grassy ground and lifted her other front hoof up, posing as heroically as a little white pony could.

"An explorer is never lost!"

The dhampir detective or now the horse detective struggled a bit more trying to stay up before getting the hang out standing up on all four hooves. He neighs in response to Tatalia’s irritable words, “Well give me a second to think please I don’t need your angry replies any more than I need this silly hoove in front of me”, he couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the horsing around a joke.

If it wasn’t for the fact she was the reason for this occurring in the first place he would’ve said she was pretty funny, “Yeah I know that now Little Miss Pony sorry for being a little shocked, turning into a ‘bloody’ horse isn’t a usual thing that happens to me”.



He then silenced as he began to think about the situation in full concentration, his concentration broken as the pony lady spoke once more, restating things he was already thinking about.



“I agree with your theory. It seems like the most plausible answer although it is incredibly frustrating to think I got turned into a horse by a patch of flowers. You’re correct on the whole bit. I agree the less time I spend in this horse's body the better however what I don’t agree with is my grudge being without merit. Although we’re both in a very crappy situation so for now so fine, we’ll put this on pause and get our bodies back first. However rest assured the moment I return to my original state I will not sleep which I usually don’t anyways until you’ve seen the errors of your ways, Tatalia”, he ignores the other’s heroic stance and looks at her bored, “Alright Tatalia where do we go Little Miss Explorer?”.

The miniature mare considered in her head a few different ways she could steer the conversation. She had not been putting the matter up for negotiation when she told him to drop his grudge! Those had been her terms, plain and simple! Yet the man seemed insistent on having some rivalry with her, infuriatingly so, and it was quite bothersome. Why, she'd...!

You'd what? Tatalia asked herself. Make some rich man's patsy pinky swear to not try and attack you as soon as you solve both your dilemmas? You know how rigid minded men think.

That was fair, Tatalia decided. She did know how such men thought. So, instead, she tucked a plan away in the back of her brain and the goblin-turned-pony began trotting away from the man.

"Very well!" she called back to him, tossing her mane indignantly as she stepped away. "Have it your way! I suppose I didn't need your help, anyway. Really, if you want to swear vengeance against me and strut around with your whips in hand like some sort of blustering peacock the moment we cure ourselves, then by all means, do so! But I will hope that you start thinking with your brain rather than with your wounded pride at some point between now and when we find the cure."

And with that, Tatalia started galloping off toward the distant hills and mountains of King's Valley. She had a destination in mind, a very specific one in fact: the permanent settlement of the Katua'Pu Tribe, far in the southeast corner of King's Valley.

Tatalia just hoped her tiny pony legs would get her there fast enough. She hated the stupid spell that turned her into some sort of pretty joke.

“Great to hear that we’re on the same page then stranger”, Raoul snarkily remarks holding back a small chuckle before it escaped his mouth, for as much as the goblin was devious and troublesome she was kind of funny.



“You don’t have to worry about me using my brain that’s for sure, with it I was able to track you down. This mind is like a bulletin board remembering everything. I’ll probably think about what other cases I have to do this week and how much solars I’ll get from them”.



He then gallops behind Tatalia at a great pace still struggling to get used to his newfound horse body. It was awkward and felt weird at first as he rushed through the plains. He felt the wind through his hair and his speed almost tripled at his usual pace. It was weird, every time he looked down expecting to see his usual boots under him he was reminded of his situation eventually though the dhampir horse would get the thing of galloping and running in this body and would make good pace with Tatalia.



“Where are we going?”, Raoul shouts out as they sprint through the hills and mountains of the King’s Valley. He was very curious about what type of person the goblin explorer was taking them to. After all, who in the entire world could help them through this? A botanist? Mage? Physician? Whoever it was, the dhampir detective wanted them to work their magic fast.

"A magician never reveals her secrets!" was all that Tatalia said in answer when Raoul asked his question. She didn't exactly feel much of a need to give him details. They weren't friends, just two people suffering from the same equine ailment.

Being a horse and a pony, the pair actually made pretty good time racing toward the hills. The plains fell behind them quickly, then below them as they climbed the hills, and the pair had to slow their pace as they got ever closer to the mountains. The sky remained clear and the wind brisk and cool, refreshingly so as the duo approached their destination.

The journey wasn't over in a single day. Two days and two nights passed with Tatalia only offering the scantest pieces of information to her traveling companion. Sure, he wasn't that awful when he wasn't trying to imprison or murder her, but she certainly wasn't going to give him any information that would make him think he didn't need her help anymore. They were in their predicament together, and Tatalia preferred to keep it that way. It was always good to have backup, after all.

The pair arrived on the dawn of the third day. They actually arrived in the mountain range the night before, but it wasn't possible for the horse and pony to safely traverse the terrain in utter darkness. Normally, Tatalia would have felt confident in the darkness, but her night sight was a goblin gift, and she was no longer a goblin. She instead had to see with her adorable little pony eyes, and her adorable white pony mane kept getting in the way. The poor creature could only toss her head about or snort hot air out of her nostrils when the mane covered her vision. She sorely missed having hands.

Tatalia shook her head. There was no more time for griping! They were standing before the home of the Katua'Pu tribe.

There were a few reasons Tatalia had chosen to seek out the Katua'Pu tribe. Firstly, they were a peaceful folk, more prone to dialogue than to wielding weapons against strangers. Second, they kept their settlement in one place, making them easy folk to find compared to the rest of King's Valley's tribes. Finally, they were a very, very spiritual and wise people, and while Tatalia wasn't exactly religious herself, she knew the Katua'Pu had the best healers, herbalists, and alchemists in all of King's Valley.

Of course, Tatalia didn't bother explaining all those things to Raoul. He was still very much a future hostile party. Instead, she only gave him an order.

"Go talk to those shepherds," Tatalia bid the detective. "And tell them you'd like to speak with the Elders. And the reason you are going to talk to them is because if they decide you're possessed by wicked spirits you have much longer legs than me and will run away faster than I could in your horseshoes."

“Yeah, yeah whatever Tatalia”, the man remarks at the ponified goblin she was beginning to show a knack for annoying the crap out of him.

The trip itself wasn’t very difficult or long if they were both in their original forms hell the excursion would’ve taken a week maybe even more if they had taken their time. However thanks to their hooves and horse bodies they galloped across hills and the plains at a speed unmatched even if they did have to take two days to make it. He tried to make the best out of his situation staying calm and not letting it get to him. He still kept his guard up around the goblin-turned-pony although remaining polite and respectful responding when she asked something. Even Tatalia whose legs weren’t as long as his own was speeding through at a decent pace. He would often go ahead of her sometimes by accident but would pull back immediately so she stayed in front leading the two towards her mysterious destination. The dhampir horse keenly observed his surroundings as they traveled, noting them in his head as well as keeping a close eye on Tatalia. Eventually, the two made it towards a mountain range ahead of some sort of remote village. He stood watching over the site ahead of them; he wasn't familiar with King’s Valley, usually taking on cases more towards him than Moonglade.



He listened to Tatalia’s demands and nodded his horse's head, “Fine that’s a fair conclusion, you’d probably get caught in like two seconds”.



He walked slowly and carefully towards a group of shepherds in the distance. This was going to be a tense conversation at least he expected it to be. Part of him was a little scared thinking how strange their transformation would be to explain but he moved along determined to at least get answers. He made his way toward the shepherds and stood in front of them, they looked him over all confused at the sudden appearance of a random horse.



Raoul then spoke in his clearest and calmest voice, “Hello there good sirs I humbly request your help. I was once a normal human being like you but due to walking around in some weird patch of flowers, I was changed. I heard from a friend that you people would know what to do and help me return to my original form. I would be willing to compensate you for your time and assistance”.

Fortunately for both Raoul and Tatalia, the shepherds standing before them did not immediately respond with violence, but instead with caution and confusion.

"Our tribe welcomes all who are in need of aid. We have healers among our number that might be able to help you," the eldest of the shepherds said. The old woman stepped out in front of a curious child that had started reaching out to try and touch the talking horse. Her wrinkled hand gently pushed his away. "But we must make sure you are not a demon in disguise first. Come with me, and I will take you to a holy place where you can wait until we are ready to cleanse you of your curse."

It probably wasn't quite so friendly a response as it could have been, but talking horses were mysterious. Just then, though, Tatalia came galloping out from around the corner, her little pony hooves clopping against the rocky earth. 

"Me too!" she called out, panting for breath. "I've also been enchanted to become a talking horse! Er, pony! Same difference!"

The shepherd blink. She considered questioning the second equine individual to suffer such an odd and specific affliction, but decided against it. There wasn't any time for horsing around.

Tatalia trotted along behind Raoul as the pair was led into the settlement. Their guide took them past pens of sheep and goats, past well constructed huts with brightly painted exteriors, as well past long and intricately woven tapestries that displayed beautiful images and colorful symbols. Long and delicately thin streams of cloth fluttered in the wind on tall poles, and more than one circle of praying folk was passed, their chants rising high into the air.

Truthfully, the ever skeptic explorer wasn't a religious sort, but she understood the appeal. Moreover, she respected the beliefs of the Katua'Pu more than she did the dogmatic priests of the dead gods, not least of all because they, at least, practiced as they preached. It helped their religion wasn't actively used to oppress anyone, too.

Still, Tatalia couldn't help but mutter a few quiet observations to Raoul as they entered the settlement, her excitement overcoming her dislike of the detective.

"These folk are considered a little eccentric by some of the other King's Valley tribes," Tatalia explained eagerly, "but they're as peaceful and gentle as they come. They don't like bloodshed, and they have fantastic healers of all sorts. And do you see those tapestries? Those works of art are actually their form of record! You see, those tapestries depict the great events of the tribe's past, and smaller tents and homes may have art that depicts the history of their family or their genealogical lines!

"Sadly, the artistic excellence, the unique culture, and the medical achievements of the Katua'Pu are often dismissed in more 'civilized' circles," Tatalia added with a deep frown. "Most scholars frown upon oral history... or, well, they frown on anything that isn't written in a book. So much valuable knowledge has been lost because imperialist record keepers have disregarded the wisdom of other peoples, dismissed their practices as barbaric, or any of a hundred other such ignoble offenses against folk that have so much to teach us."

A sudden relief rushed through Raoul as he heard the elder shepherd answer him with the words he wanted to hear. At least there was a chance, a single chance of going back to normal was better than being stuck like this. Raoul smiled nervously at the elder’s instance on checking if he was a demon or not, he didn’t know what he was classified as considering half of his blood was vampiric which may put him in a bad position here. Thankfully for him, his transformation seemed to override his normal vampiric tendencies such as his weakness to the sun and craving for blood. Although he did catch himself eating some grass here on there when they'd stop to rest on their journey here.



“Of course, madam I shall comply posthaste for getting rid of this curse is all I care about at the moment”, he replied, trying to sound as confident as he could.

He then heard Tataia’s voice exclaim worried she’d blown their cover considering how weird it was for them both to get cursed. He pushed the anxiety of it behind him and remained steadfast in his approach, trotting behind the elder as she took them into a strange site filled with beautiful tapestries and cultural displays. Raoul wasn’t a religious man or he wasn’t sure or cared to be honest. His was part astral blood supposedly descending from celestial beings but never paid heed to that or worship of the gods. He was far too busy to take the time to pray especially to beings that didn’t seem to give a shit about them who probably weren’t even alive at this point. Still, the dhampr found the people’s culture and ceremony to be interesting at least listening to Tatalia’s quiet comments intently. He enjoyed learning new things whenever he got the chance to.



“Hm, I think they seem like a lovely bunch especially considering how they welcomed us and didn’t immediately try to kill the talking horse and pony. I’m interested to see this healer of theirs considering we’re at their mercy. Tapestries as a written form of recording history seem incredibly interesting. That’s a great way of storing information considering how much is lost to time and word of mouth. It sucks to hear that these guys aren’t as respected as the others, hell I think these folk are incredible”.



He neighbors in irradiation, “Hiding information for the sake of some selfish idea of what's civilized is horrible. Information and history should be free and spread. After all, how are we supposed to take their important wisdom for ourselves? I hate bastards who selfishly hide knowledge. It's one of the worst things you can do especially in my line of work".