The Smiling Horse is a well-visited tavern not far from their house. Eleanor herself worked there as a waitress for about a year before joining the guild, and it is common for the three of them to head there together for lunch, at which point Ena will start her shift, Eleanor will go out, and Sincir will head for Inquiry.
Then ter, they tend to meet at the tavern again for dinner, before heading home together for a final training section which will have the mana for two of them exhausted… Since Sincir thought it might be dangerous to have all of them unable to fight at once, he decided to have them rotate in order to have someone remain fight-ready and help the others through their headaches.
During mornings and weekends, their actual training happens (though Ena still has to work at the tavern sometimes), and Sincir does his best to grill into them both his magical knowledge as well as turn them into fearsome fighters.
Today is a special day, however, hence why Sincir had Eleanor dress herself, and why she didn’t want to show up at all.
Well, maybe calling it a special day might be overstating it; To be precise, a bard who is famous around Elderspire will make an appearance at the Smiling Horse, and so Ena insisted they headed there earlier than usual, to hear it.
Even if they’re most definitely te, by Sincir’s estimation, they should still be able to catch a good chunk of the performance… Though he has a feeling Ena might not see it that way.
Another stone in the ocean of reasons she apparently has to hate him… Big deal, she’ll get over it.
Sincir and Eleanor walk most of the short way there in silence, which is a common situation whenever they walk together by themselves, since neither of them is much of a small talker.
However, once they turn the st corner before the tavern, Sincir is surprised to find out that the Smiling Horse is crowded enough to have customers spilling onto the street…
Although the pce is pretty popur even on regur days, he has never seen it so utterly full before. Will they even be able to get in like this?
“Packed house, huh?” Sincir murmurs.
“…I’m sure she’ll understand,” Eleanor murmurs back.
“You say that because you don’t have to sleep on the same bed as her,” Sincirretorts with a sigh, “Come, we have to at least try, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
As they approach the tavern, it becomes clear the crowd for tonight is different than the usual one; For once, they’re almost deadly silent, allowing for the voice of a woman to reach up to Sincir and Eleanor.
“I run and run and run…” she sings, “Under the sun, the sun, the sun…”
Eleanor stops in front of him as they reach the back of the crowd, cocking her head as she listens in.
“But the moon always rises… But the blood always flows… And I run, I run, I run, from the shadow of the flow, for the hope of an afterglow…”
The sounds of a cittern accompany the woman’s stead voice, and Sincir can tell she is good even after only a few moments of listening.
Noticing Eleanor is now also listening attentively, he smiles. Of course, many of the parties and orgies he hosted as a Lord used to have music in them, and being who he was at the time, he’d accept nothing but the best performers… Meaning he has heard much better than this, since some of the creatures he listened to had thousands of years of practice.
Still, even if he has heard better, it doesn’t mean Sincir is looking down on the bard performing tonight. Much the opposite; he didn’t expect to find music this good on the mortal side of things.
After standing near the entrance and listening to a couple of her songs though, he quickly notices a common use of the moon and blood in almost all of them, in spite of the fact many of them are fairly lively songs… She must’ve write them herself. But then again, most bards do.
After a while, Sincir finds that he is enjoying himself. Now, if only he could sit down and eat something, he’d be happy for having come…
Another thing the bard’s song have in common is a faint insinuation to sex which never goes further than that.
Chuckling to himself once the fourth song since they’ve arrived finishes with yet another euphemism for an orgasm, Sincir shakes his head.
Having now become too curious to stop himself, he grabs Eleanor’s arm as he pulls her through the crowd of excited listeners during the interval in between songs, ignoring the annoyed looks their passage attracts.
Mercifully, the inside of the Smiling Horse is actually not as crowded as the outside, in virtue of the tables occupying much of the space avaible, and Sincir is able to easily spot the bard on top of a small ptform pced on a corner of the tavern, once they break away from the mob blocking the entrance.
While attuning her cittern, the bard smiles toward her crowd of listeners. “My next song is called Crystals of Time... Please sing with it me if you know how,” she says, causing the crowd to scream excitedly in response.
Sincir blinks.
Sitting on a stool with her cittern on her p, the bard woman wears a full white top and pants which highlights her long, silky bck hair reaching almost to the ground. Her skin is so pale he wonders if it has ever seen the sun before, and her eyes are striking tone of dark blue which immediately reminds him of his encounter with Noah, earlier.
He would put her height around Eleanor’s, and her age somewhere in her twenties… In a single word, she’s stunning.
She’s also barefooted, and her nails, both toes and fingers, are painted bck.
Sincir smiles, elbows Eleanor, and then points toward the bard’s bare feet.
She rolls her eyes, pointing toward one of the Smiling Horse’s barmaids in return, who seems to be trying to attract their attention.
Of course, since they eat here almost every day, Sincir recognizes her, and seeing that she’s standing next to a miraculously empty table, he begins to head in her direction with a smile on his face.
The bard starts her next song while they’re still standing, so Sincir mimics a thank you, rather than speaking it out loud, to which Hanna, the barmaid, and one of Ena’s best friends, smiles at them before nodding toward the tavern’s kitchen questioningly.
Sincir nods, mimicking a second thanks before finally taking a seat next to Eleanor.
Crystals of Time seems to be a popur song, and many of the people present sing it as well, as per request; To put it lightly, the tavern’s atmosphere is lively and excited.
Eleanor is still listening attentively, though she’s now also staring at the one singing the songs fixedly enough to cause Sincir to wonder if she has ever… No, they’ve had bards perform in some of the taverns and inns they visited before, though this one is admittedly a cut above the rest.
Is she interested? He has never seen her expressing attraction before, either for men or women, so it’s hard to tell.
The crowd cps once Crystals of Time is over, cheering loudly. Though Eleanor doesn’t join in, she’s still staring, and so Sincir elbows her again.
“Hey, you trying to bury holes in her forehead or something? If you stare that much, anybody would notice,” he whispers.
And sure enough, amidst the appuse of the crowd, the bard suddenly looks in their direction, her expression curious.
Eleanor blinks, then averts her gaze, her face immediately becoming a shade darker.
Sincir chuckles. “Told you.”
But for her to go as far as to blush… How rare.
Their food shows no signs of arriving even after another two songs have gone by, making so Sincir begins to fidget impatiently in his seat. The st time he ate something was during lunch, and he’s starved; What happened to customer service around these parts? If he knew the tavern would be this full, he’d have grabbed something to eat on the way…
Suddenly, just as the third song since they’ve entered the tavern finishes, something bangs against their table, right in front of him, causing Sincir to jump.
“…Your food, Sir. Enjoy it.”
Having said as much coldly enough to have him shudder, Ena then turns toward Eleanor, smiling as she carefully pces a second pte of food in front of her.
“Hey, El... I’m gd you decided to come after all. You must be tired.”
Sincir grimaces. Since Ena came from behind him, most likely on purpose, Eleanor was not surprised by her appearance, having seen her coming… She could’ve warned him.
“I was the one who dragged her here,” Sincir murmurs.
Ena simply ignores him. “She’s really good, right? I saw you staring… Anyway, the kitchen is a mess, so I’ve been helping out there, but I’ll come sit with you once the show is over. Enjoy the food.”
And with that, Ena walks away, making a point of never looking in his direction a second time.
“…Hey, El, how about a warning next time, eh? You know she’s being a brat, right? I wouldn’t mind if you defended me sometimes, you know?”
“I’m not getting in between the two of you,” Eleanor murmurs, already digging at her food greedily as she does so.
Considering all the training she goes through, she’s usually starving, so Sincir isn’t exactly surprised.
Speaking of which…
Although Ena might’ve made a show of her delivery, the food she brought him is the same as Eleanor’s, which means it’s warm, it looks great, and it probably tastes even better.
As a former demon, Sincir considers having to eat food in order to survive to be both one of the best aspects of his new human nature, as well as one of the worst. Although he was able to eat food before, eating something good while being actually hungry is a completely difference experience, one so pleasant it usually makes the waiting worth it…
While they eat, the bard’s performance continues uninterrupted. Some of her songs are sung along, while others, the sadder ones, have the tavern as silent as a tomb…
Unfortunately, a while after they’ve finished eating, the show does come to an end, bringing a standing ovation from the crowd as the bard rises and bows her head with a small smile toward them.
She knows how to capture an audience, and her stamina is very impressive; No wonder she has become famous around the city.
“Thank you all for coming! If you don’t mind, I’m starved…!”
The bard smiles as she descends from her ptform, and the audience ughs.
Sincir realizes there’s a second table which has been empty this whole time near the ptform she used to perform, and the bard heads for it while surrounded by praises and questions.
A moment ter, however, the barmaids of the tavern, Ena included, begin to hush away the people who have come only for the performance, and aren’t going to buy anything, finally emptying the pce, at least somewhat.
From what Sincir understands from bards, someone should’ve gone through the crowd earlier, gathering money. Also, they’re paid a fixed rate by the tavern, since they attract customers. While they usually don’t make enough to become rich, it is a well-paying job, if done right…
However, even after most of the people have left, Sincir doesn’t see anybody else besides the girl. Is she not accepting donations from the crowd?
Aside from that, she cimed to have been starving, but he can’t help but notice that her food remains untouched, even after the point it has most likely gone cold.
No matter how bothered they are by the crowd around them, no starving person would’ve been able to ignore a pte of warm food in front of them…
Maybe it was just a joke, or a polite way to tell people to leave her alone…? Not that it worked.
“Now you’re the one who is staring, Sin,” Ena says as she approaches their table once more, this time accompanied by Hanna, the barmaid who saved a table for them earlier.
They bring two ptes of food with them, but those are obviously for their own benefit, of course.
And unlike a certain bard, the girls have barely sat, and they’re already digging at their ptes…
Sincir nods to himself; Indeed, this is how a starved person acts, pretty girl or not.
Noticing Hanna is staring at him while chewing, Sincir smiles at her.
“Hey, thanks for saving a table for us. I know it must’ve been hard, with the pce that full.”
Hanna blushes, quickly averting her gaze.
They’ve known each other for a while, but she’s surprisingly quiet for a barmaid... She also has an obvious crush for him, though Sincir hasn’t done anything about it, since she’s one of Ena’s few friends.
As soon as Ena finishes her food, she smiles and pulls her stool next Eleanor’s, wrapping her arm around the other girl’s shoulder in a half hug.
Eleanor grimaces, but she doesn’t pull away, exactly.
“How was the guild?” Ena asks.
Eleanor shrugs. “The same. They gave me weird looks at the hall, then I went to hunt goblins, and came back… Nothing happened.”
As she listens to Eleanor recounting her day, Ena turns and gres at him, leaf-green eyes accusing; Obviously, she bmes him for the girl’s misery.
Looking at the two of them next to one another, one might think they’ve always been friends, though in truth, even now, in spite of Ena’s obvious efforts to approach the other girl during these past years, Sincir still isn’t sure if Eleanor considers Ena a friend... He wasn’t sure of what she is thinking half the time, honestly.
Her stubbornness is something else, all right.
As for Ena’s appearance after five years have gone by… How to put it? At eighteen, he wouldn’t go as far as to say she could pass for a boy, even a feminine one, but she’s definitely boyish in comparison to Eleanor.
Her hair is also still cut short, which doesn’t help.
“Anyway, how did you find Victoria? She’s awesome, right?” Ena asks, Victoria most likely being the bard still sitting at her table and even now surrounded by a couple of fans, her patience for them seemingly endless.
“…She is really good,” Eleanor murmurs, after a moment.
Ena smiles. “C’mon, I saw you staring… Everybody might’ve seen it, actually. Though I hate to break it to you, but I heard she doesn’t date non-humans.”
Eleanor blinks.
“Word has it she always takes somebody home after her shows, but they’re always human, and always a man,” Hanna adds quietly.
Eleanor grimaces. “The fuck is wrong with the both of you? Whoever mentioned anything about dating? I liked her music, that’s all.”
Ena chuckles, obviously having not been convinced. “If you say so… Okay, we have to clean up now, but then we can head home. I know you must be tired.”
And with that, the girls grab all four ptes, and head back to the tavern’s kitchen.
Once they’re gone, Eleanor grumbles something about how she should’ve stayed home, causing Sincir to chuckle.
Still, Victoria, huh? She’s a weird one, that’s for sure. And her eyes…
Sincir taps his fingers against the table for a moment… Then, having made his decision, nods to himself as he rises from his seat.
“Want me to py wingman?” he asks, once Eleanor throws him a surprised gnce.
She blinks.
“Last chance,” Sincir says, grinning as he does so.
“…You too? Go for it; I already said it isn’t like that.”
Sincir wagers there’s a good chance she’s lying, but since he is not pnning on marrying Victoria, exactly, it should be fine... Or rather, they might become enemies from this, more likely.
“Awesome.”
Having said as much, Sincir heads through the tavern toward the small crowd gathered around Victoria. Even in the midst of several others, her voice stands out; mature, calm, confident.
Starving, but doesn’t touch her food…
Always takes someone home…
Never dates non-humans…
Pale skin…
Blood, night, and the moon…
As he reaches the back of the crowd, Sincir smiles.
However, rather than trying to pull through the others and reach the front, Varzath sits on a nearby, recently emptied table instead.
“Victoria, right?” he says, gncing at her through the space between her fans as he does so.
And sure enough, Victoria flinches, though she doesn’t look in his direction, and her smile only wavers for a single moment before returning to normal.
Looking at her, surrounded even when her show has finished almost an hour ago, Sincir shakes his head.
“Why do you do it? I don’t believe there aren’t other, easier ways to find food than pying the bard.”
This time, Victoria’s dark blue eyes definitely dash in his direction before she goes back to addressing the crowd. “…Writing is my passion, even if not every song comes out perfect. Continuing to write them in spite of that is the secret to having a good hit, eventually…”
Obviously, she is not answering his question, but Sincir can gather her feelings from what she said well enough; She probably means her overly zealous fans might be annoying sometimes, but putting up with them is a necessary part of the process… Also, that she is not just pretending to be a bard.
Sincir chuckles. “I see. I’d go crazy, but to each their own, I guess... So, do you kill them after you’re done sucking their blood, or is there some vampire secret that keeps them from spreading your real identity? Sorry for being this direct, but I always wanted to ask that to one of you guys.”
Victoria coughs, having interrupted herself mid-sentence as she abruptly averts her face from the crowd, pretending a coughing fit... Or maybe she did actually choke on her own saliva, because of what he said.
“I-I’m sorry, everybody, but it seems my throat is at its limits. Please don’t forget to show up for my next show, okay?”
Sincir has to stop himself from ughing out loud as the disappointed crowd finally disperses. Gncing at her untouched pte, Sincir clicks his tongue. Even if she’s trying to keep up appearances, she shouldn’t ask for food unless she’s going to actually eat it…
“The hell is wrong with you?” Victoria says, having left her pce and walked up to his table once her fans have finally left.
Sincir gnces at the cittern in her hands. “Nice instrument,” he says.
Staring daggers at him, Victoria grimaces. “I don’t know how you know what I am, but-”
“Sit, Victoria,” Sincir cuts in, his voice now cold enough to have her pause, in spite of the fact he is still smiling at her.
Her eyes narrow, and then she gnces toward the customers who still remain at the tavern; Sure, many of them are drunk, but there are still several who seem to have picked up on the fact something is going on with the hot bard girl and the kid, Eleanor included.
Like a switch flipping, Victoria's stormy expression changes to a bright smile as she shifts her eyes to him once more, then takes a seat in front of him, crossing her legs as she pces her instrument against the table.
“…Okay, you trying to fuck with me, little shit? You’ve got what you wanted,” Victoria says, still smiling.
“I wouldn’t mind fucking, if that’s what you want, but I’d prefer to talk first, if it’s all the same to you,” Sincir answers, in the same fake happy tone.
Victoria’s smile disappears again, and she grimaces. “And what’s so important it couldn’t have waited until I was done with my fans? Some of them came from across town to see me.”
Sincir raises an eyebrow. Is that why she is angry? Does she even understand her position?
Vampires aren’t just another group of shunned demi-humans; Even in a retively open minded country, such as Krador, much like demons, they’re considered monsters by society at rge, and once having had their identity exposed, they’ll be hunted down and killed, simple as that.
No questions asked, no prison, just killed on sight… Well, the church might try to make the occasional show out of it by capturing one of them alive and tying them naked at a stake on a public square to wait for the sun to rise, but that’s about it.
Seeing as Victoria is still gring at him, waiting for his answers, Sincir shakes his head. “I had a long day, and I didn’t feel like waiting for them to disperse on their own… How many questions did they pn on asking, anyway? Can’t they tell when something is too much?” Sincir murmurs, sighing, “But anyway, our talk could not be postponed. It is meant to decide if you’ll survive to see the next sundown, after all.”
Victoria tenses. Staring at his calm expression, she can probably tell he is not kidding.
“…Why?”
“Why? You know why. This is my home.” Albeit temporarily. “I can’t have predators walking around unchecked… Well, I’ll at least allow you to move towns, depending on your answers.”
“Are you stupid?” Victoria murmurs coldly, “Do you think I’d still be able to perform if I was killing a fan per night?”
“…So, you only do it every now and then?”
Victoria clenches her teeth. “I haven’t killed anyone! If you must know, the thing about taking someone home every night is just a rumor; I have a group of regurs I feed from, and they sometimes show up to my shows, that’s all,” she murmurs exasperatedly.
Sincir smiles at her. “A vampire’s human servants… Of course, how could I have forgotten? It must be nice to have so many men at your beck and call. You call them your harem, or is it not that official?”
Victoria takes a deep breath, seemingly making an effort to stop herself from snapping. “Feeding from a single human repeatedly, even a servant, might kill them. Polygamy is not a choice for me, so keep your judgment to yourself… Who the fuck are you, anyway? Some dog from the Church?”
Sincir snorts. “If I was, you’d already be dead. That aside, you see, the problem here is that I’m not completely clueless about your people. First, I know that where there’s a vampire, you’re bound to find more. It’s like a disease, and the occasional human will become infected after continued proximity… You can’t help it, it just happens. So, why don’t you tell me where your friends are, so that I can have a chat with them as well, Victoria?”
Suddenly, an image of Noah fshes through his mind, and Sincir feels a shiver going down his spine. It couldn’t be… Inquiry?
With the pce having eight underground floors, he can see how it’d make for a good vampire nest, but to think he was working right next to them, this whole time… No wonder the st three floors are off-limits even for employees! They must be fucking live there...!
Now, the important question is how many of them there are, and how dangerous… As for his job, he was pnning to quit anyway.
Realizing Victoria is staring at him now even more coldly than before, Sincir smiles at her again, though he fears it comes out a little stiff, this time around.
“This city has been our home for centuries,” she murmurs, “We will not leave it without a fight.”
“Now, now, maybe it won’t come to that. I’ll tell you what, tomorrow is my day off, but I was pnning on passing by the library anyway, so why don’t you tell your master… You have one of those, right? Tell them I’ll be going down there for a talk, at sundown.”
Victoria doesn’t ask how he knows about the library being their home, or why he mentioned it being his day off.
Instead, she stares at him for a long moment, grabs her instrument, then rises from her stool. “…I hope you won’t come to regret this.”
However, as she is about to leave, Sincir calls out to her, causing her to gnce at him over her shoulder.
“Just one more thing,” he murmurs, low enough that he knows she’ll be the only one to hear it, “I’m a reasonable guy, and I know I came in swinging tonight, but I wasn’t kidding when I said this doesn’t necessarily need to come down to a fight… But if one of you decides to target my friends between now and tomorrow… And that includes a girl named Esme, who works at Inquiry… Negotiations are off the table. Make sure your master understands as much.”
Victoria nods, almost imperceptibly, then turns and walks away, with Sincir watching her go until she has disappeared through the door and into the night.
