The morning star glowed faintly through the thick canopy. Arlene was already outside on her feet, tending to her noble steed. She wore her usual chosen one’s attire, full breastpte and greaves for legging with her longsword buckled to her waist. “There, there” she stroked her steed pyfully.

  “I could’ve sworn you left that horse right in front of the house yesterday.” Came Wattyson in his usual white robe stretching all the way to the ground, she could see a bck underclothes peeking out.

  “I did!”

  “So you just left the horse unattended?”

  “He’s a smart cookie, he took shelter in one of your many oversized sheds.”

  “Huh… what’s his name?”

  “Horse.”

  “I see” Wattyson took a bit to process and blinked to her. “Come again?”

  “Horse. It’s a good name yes?”

  “Uh... huh”

  “And what about you?” she turned to him, he wasn’t carrying any bags or luggage or anything for storage. What was he pying at? “You’re not bringing anything beside the clothes on you?”

  Wattyson smirked and extended his hand into the air. A bck hole in the air formed seemingly out of pce. He took out a rapier. “I put all my essential in this hole!”

  Arlene gave up and just gave a smile. “Alright so, where’s your steed?”

  Wattyson put the bde back into the bck hole, pyfully wiping his hands off non existent dust. “My steed? I don’t have one.”

  Arlene mounted her steed, “What do you mean you don’t have one?”

  Wattyson turned to his left and then turned to his right, seemingly no mountable animals in sight. “I just don’t have one.”

  “How do you travel to vilge like Tamare? Like when you need supplies and whatnot?”

  “I flo- “he trailed off before correcting himself, “I walk there”

  “Hmm… and how long does that usually take?”

  “A full day give or take?”

  Arlene pressed further. “Why?”

  “It’s nice to take in the natural scenery you know?”

  Arlene chuckled slightly, the surrounding area here did look nice. However, if it took a full day then this was going to be a long journey. “Alright, hop on. We’ll ride together.”

  Wattyson nodded and sat sideway behind her on Horse. “Ready”

  Arlene galloped her steed and began trotting through the dirt path in the red autumn forest. Surrounding them were tall trees reaching high as if it was piercing the sky. The entire ceiling above was completely filled with red hue blocking the sun. In the distance occasionally, rge beasts were seen roaming about, seemingly going on about their lives in the animal kingdom.

  “You live in quiet a dangerous forest, Watty” Arlene remarked, taking in her surroundings.

  “Watty?” said Wattyson, breaking into a small chuckle.

  Arlene tilted her head slightly to him, “Wattyson, Watty. I think it’s good nickname” she paused trying to gauge his reaction. “If you don’t like it, I can stop”

  “No,” Wattyson lifted his head to brush it off. “Watty” he murmured to himself, eyes closed and faint grin pyed on his face. “I like it… it’s a nice nickname.”

  Arlene didn’t respond. She returned her gaze forward, seemingly tilted slightly higher like she was smirking and proud. After a short while, she started again. “Since I have given you a nice sounding nickname unlike Horse. You are obligated to answer me!” she pyfully excimed.

  Wattyson shook his head slowly, a smile on his face and hand gently tracing his forehead. “So you were aware of your odd naming sense.”

  “That’s not the point right now” she retorted lightly. “Why do you live in pce like this?”

  “It’s nice here, and I don’t want to deal with kingdoms.”

  “Taxes?” she raised one eyebrow.

  Wattyson nodded. “That’s one major reason, yes. Every times someone’s official see me in the city, they kept demanding I pay taxes for owning the red forest.”

  “Wait you owned the red forest? Like the entirety of it?”

  “Yes… even though it’s not in any kingdoms jurisdiction. Though the kingdom of Bavasr kept exerting its influence here.”

  “Ehhh~ I didn’t expect you to be up to date about political stuffs?”

  “Why? Is it because I’m secluded?”

  “Well yeah? Then why haven’t they come and cim it yet?”

  “Because of those” he pointed to one of many rge beasts, carnivore or herbivore, didn’t matter. “They don’t want to bother using resources to deal with those.”

  Arlene nodded, letting out a small hum in acknowledgement. She offered no more comments and neither did Wattyson. Horse just trotted in silence through the red forest carrying those two. For a few more hours they eventually exited the forest, revealing huge swath of open pins with occasional pockets of trees.

  Arlene lifted her hand up, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. “My eyes” she muttered.

  Wattyson had his cloak on gave a teasing comment, “What are you a vampire?”

  “No! You just have a cloak on! You’d have the same reaction as me!” she slowly got herself used to the eyes after being under the cover of red forest for so long.

  “Speaking of vampire” she continued with a new topic. “I still find it hard to believe… a vampire would equal to ten elite knights? I fought with them, they could handle horde of orcs in armours just fine!” She turned her gaze back to Wattyson. “You’re exaggerating in that writings of your, didn’t you?”

  Wattyson looked to her, meeting her eyes. He smirked, his purple eyes glinting from the sun. “Yeah”

  “So you’re just lying? You lied about how fighting supernatural is ninety percent preparation and pnning too then!” she seriously doubted. “Tell me the truth. I’m the chosen one, I can handle it.”

  Wattyson closed his eyes, breaking into a smile. “You passed my test.”

  “You just tried to deflect or hide your exaggerated lie with ‘test’”

  “You only knew me for a day, am I really that readable?”

  “Tell me the truth! It’s going to be crucial in my—no our quest in this post-Dark Lord world.”

  Wattyson locked eyes with her, studying her. She wasn’t going to back down and so he relented. “Yes… I did exaggerate it.” He sighed. “It’s better to overdo it before fighting them.”

  “Then tell me how it is exactly, so I can prepare accordingly with my capabilities.”

  “Fighting supernatural like vampires are just like any other encounters for someone like you or elite knights. The reason I said they could take on ten elite knights have to do more with the unexpected. They could have insane strength or strong psychological attack. Or are just vampire wizard.”

  “Then… what do you recommend I do if I ever to encounter one? Assuming I don’t have the knowledge of what vampires I’m up against?”

  “Be adaptive.” Wattyson said sharply, his voice cold and raw. “Don’t think of it like any other encounter. And…” he paused for a bit, studied her further. She should be ready. “Be ready to cut down people you may know or like.”

  Arlene gulped down and processed what he said. The way he expined it sounded like if someone was just given a sword and told to go fight the Dark Lord, but now it was something hidden among other people, someone that could be friends or families. Her mind raced through all combat histories she’d been in, reviewing her own combat styles. Then she thought to those details she remembered about vampire.

  She lowered her shoulder, releasing the tense in her muscle. “Wattyson… can I ask you some more about vampires? Pertaining to what shown in fairytales book.”

  Wattyson eyes widened a bit. She was on the right track. “Ask away” he gestured a hand like he was giving something.

  “Those vampires… it stated they fear fire, is it true?”

  “It is. All vampires fear the sun, it makes them weak and feeble; hence fire is the second closest thing. Though it is easy for them to overcome their fear of fire.”

  “And… do I get turned into one if I get bitten?”

  “No. You’ll be fine. Only way you’ll get turned into a vampire if you die and it embrace you.”

  She mouthed what he said silently before asking the true questions that’s been bugging her.

  “How do you know so much about vampires?”

  Wattyson face grew into a determined yet scarred look. “I hunt them.”

  Arlene wanted to ask further but it wouldn’t come out.

  In front of her were houses, market stalls and wooden walls. A sign postage id ahead belled: Tamare Vilge.

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