Vampire Reincarnation

White fur floated around the lobby like snow in the harsh winter nights, reflecting the light of the countless stars hanging in the sky. Somewhere in the middle of the room a few men dressed in full body armor shining with a silver glint pointed their weapons toward the gigantic creature, the enemy the man had previously warned them about. Kai’s hair stood on end as he rushed through the crowd, brandishing his sword while running toward the so-called enemy.

“Stop this at once!” He commanded, placing himself between the attackers and the beast, who let out a light cry while looking at Kai with a pleading expression. The men stopped in their tracks, taken aback by the young boy’s sudden act of, what they perceived, was foolishness.

“Little Brother, what is the meaning of this?” Hans asked, slowly approaching Kai with his hands behind his back.

“He’s no enemy, he’s my companion!” Kai said with gritted teeth, his anxious expression manifesting in his voice as the sword trembled in his hands. “Onyx, sit down, behave.” Whispering silently, he patted the Obborik’s head, who gently sat down beside Kai, glaring at the men who dared attack him.

The two-star adventurer’s gazes widened in surprise, and so did the guards dressed in full body armor. Back at the counter, the red-haired man from last night watched in terror as the show unfolded before him, however, seeing that things had calmed down a bit, walked out from behind the countertop toward the group.

“Gentlemen, what the young lad said is true… this… animal is indeed his companion.” He said in a sly voice, moving his arms around while slowly making his way to the center. “It seems that he has briefly acted up but… he’s under control now, so let’s put down our weapons, we don’t want to scare our clients…haha” Laughing awkwardly, he did his best to diffuse the situation, despite the tense atmosphere filing the lobby.

The men awkwardly looked around, but couldn’t see the guests the man was talking about as they had long since fled the scene. The red haired man’s expression turned weird as he looked around, and let out a heavy sigh as he murmured under his breath. Management will not be happy…

Hans looked at Kai with skepticism as he approached him and the guards, whose eyes widened slightly upon seeing him. “Hans, do you know the kid?” One of them asked, his armor rattling as the symbol of an orchid engraved on his armor shone slightly as he turned to the man.

“Yeah, I do, well I just met him but the same thing really.” Hans said, clutching the guard’s hand in a strong, firm handshake. “You can lower your weapons, he’s not a threat, give the children some room to breathe.”

The guard captain nodded and swished his hand, signaling for his men to sheathe their weapons and retreat. Hans snorted lightly, crouched beside Kai and smiled gently. “You never cease to amaze me Little Brother, care to introduce us to your friend over here?”

Kai’s muscles eased slightly, and a pensive expression manifested on his face behind the fox mask. Vigilently looking around and seeing that the guards had put down their weapons, let out a sigh before putting his sword away. “Uhm… yeah. This is Onyx, he’s been my companion for a while now. We’ve been through thick and thin together…” He explained, petting the Obborik, still weary of the men who wielded their weapons against him. Onyx let out a light yelp as he calmed down under Kai’s reassuring touch, licking its snout before laying his head on Kai.

“Haha, it seems like you two are very close, no wonder you reacted like that.” Hans looked at the Obborik, whose head was as thick as Kai’s body, yet still bunted on him. “Though, what species is he? Looks like a Great Wolf but they aren't usually white… an albino maybe?”

Kai played with Onyx’s fur, hesitating slightly, unsure of how they would react upon finding out that his companion was an Obborik. Looking around, he gulped, and his heart began to race for a few seconds before calming down. They aren’t that many, plus most of them are drunk… it should be ok, just to asses their reactions. “He’s an Obborik, and still a cub, probably two years old or a bit older…”

Gasps of shock rang throughout the lobby as Kai’s voice dispersed, startling him and the Obborik as cold sweat began running down his back. “An Obborik…” Hans murmured, bewilderment evident on his face. “I’ve never seen one up close, to think that he’d let you become so close to him… kid, you’re amazing. How did you do it?”

“Uhm, a weird set of circumstances… and let’s leave it at that,” Kai said, breathing steadily to calm down his nerves. Seeing that no one reacted aggressively besides the initial shock. Noted, do not tell anyone Onyx’s race.

With the whispering dying down, and the situation more or less solved, the crowd dispersed, returning to the dining room that served as a bar, leaving Kai, Onyx, the red-haired man, and Frank in the lobby. The guards’ armor rattled as they took their leave as well, slamming the door behind them. Kai turned toward the man, standing in front of Onyx and parted his lips. “What happened here? Why was my friend attacked?”

The red haired man looked at Kai, smiling politely and rubbing his hands together. “Dear guest, you see… your companion, he… kicked down the door to the room and walked out in the lobby…”

Kai raised an eyebrow, glancing at Onyx before asking, “What do you mean? Did that warrant calling the guards over?”

“Well,” the man rubbed the sweat off his forehead and pointed to a corner behind him. “The door to your room is there… by kicked down I meant… broke off its hinges and sent flying into the lobby.”

“Ah…” Kai let out a surprised gasp, turning toward the Obborik, who wore a helpless expression on his face. Letting out a heavy sigh, pat his companion’s head and said. “I apologize for the disturbance then… I didn’t expect Onyx to use magic…I think it’s my fault as well… he’s probably starving.”

The red haired man’s smile never left his face, however a sudden, unknown feeling of dread ran down his spine, and he gulped. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m sure the young lady will handle it… haha…” He said before turning toward the desk and sitting down, feeling anxious and slightly dejected.

Meanwhile, Frank approached Kai, rubbing his chin while looking at Onyx. “Kid, I have to say, there aren’t many people that managed to surprise me as much as you have. Impressive, say, are you really not interested in becoming an adventurer? I’m sure we’ll help you grow into a strong young man.”

Kai shook his head, politely declining, “I’m sorry, I have other things I must do first.”

A rarely seen smile creased Frank’s lips, not insisting further, he observed the Obborik before carefully approaching him, and, turning toward Kai, he asked. “Can I?” Onyx looked at the man, his yellow eyes lingering on him for a second before bringing his head forward.

“Heh, I think that’s a yes.” Kai chuckled as he watched the Obborik act like a needy pet. Frank hesitantly placed his hand upon Onyx’s head, rubbing it gently as a content expression manifested on both of their faces. His long, fluffy tail began wagging back and forth, kicking up a little amount of dust as Onyx indulged himself in the pats, and Frank’s smile only grew brighter as he got even closer to the Obborik.

“Doesn’t seem much like what the legends describe it to be…” Frank murmured under his breath while rubbing Onyx behind the ear, causing Kai’s eyebrows to rise under his mask. Yeah… doesn’t seem now… A chuckle escaped his lips at the thought and began showering Onyx with pets as well. Ah right! I was supposed to get him food… shit!

“I… actually forgot why I even went into the restaurant, I was supposed to bring him some food…” He said, embarrassed as he turned toward the bar, hesitating whether or not to bring Onyx with him. He’s already made such a commotion, pretty much everyone in there knows him…

He gestured toward the Obborik, prompting Onyx to stand up and rush by his side as they walked through the lobby. Frank got up and brushed the dust off his armor, and, coughing lightly, followed behind them. However, they quickly came to a halt, and their heads snapped toward the slamming door as a sharp yell rang inside the room.

“What is the meaning of this?! Ah- It’s you.” Kai’s eyes widened upon gazing at the figure storming into the lobby. Her golden locks of hair shimmered under the warm light emanating from the ceiling. Orphelia’s former angry expression turned to a gentler one as her eyes landed on Kai and Onyx, briefly looking at Frank before turning to the red-haired man, whose entire body trembled behind the counter. Shooting him an angry glare, she didn’t pay him any further attention.

Quickly arriving before Kai, an awkward atmosphere descended upon the two as they looked at each other. “I thought you said we wouldn’t see each other anymore?” Kai joked, avoiding direct eye contact while chuckling lightly.

“That was…well… I was going to be busy so I assumed we wouldn’t see each other but father sent me to see why there’s such a commotion here… I should have known it was you and your companion… I’m surprised the guards weren’t alerted earlier…” Orphelia sighed, rambling as she explained herself to Kai, laughing lightly as she switched her gaze to Frank.

Feeling Orphelia’s gaze land on him, the man bowed slightly as his lips parted, and said in a serious tone, “It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Orphelia. I’m Frank of the Wild Names.”

“Pleased to meet you. Your name has traveled quite a bit among my father’s group, The Wild Sword… I couldn’t have guessed I’d meet you here.”

“I frequent this inn, actually, your cook is quite a character,” Frank said as he patted the hilt of his sword.

“Mhm, he’s been here since before I was born. Dad always sings him praises, he even invited Mr. Swiss as a personal chef but the man refused, saying he’d rather stay here with the folks than in a fancy mansion…” Orphelia said in a soft tone, almost reminiscing as a faint spark lit up in her eyes.

“Anyway,” she coughed lightly, turning toward Kai “Care to tell me what happened?”

“Well… haha… Onyx kind of got carried away and… blasted a door off its hinges. Although it was entirely my fault… I went to bring him food and ended up chatting with Frank and his party.” Kai said, scratching the back of his head, feeling guilty about the whole ordeal.

“That’s…” Orphelia muttered, taken aback by Kai’s quick yet bizarre explanation. “I see, well, it’s fine. It’s just a door. Onyx must be quite hungry to act like that, why don’t we go and order some food for him?”

“Mhm, sure.” Kai readily agreed, petting Onyx’s white fur as they made their way toward the bar, the men’s drunken rambling echoing in the hallway, and it only got louder as the door creaked open. In an instant, everyone turned toward Kai and his group, their gaze lingering on Onyx for a brief second, before switching to Orphelia, whose expression trembled as the strong smell of alcohol invaded her nostrils.

The cheery chatter soon reverberated in the air once again, the sound of clinking glasses and roaring laughter accompanying the group as they sat down at the table where Razvan, Hans, and Kraft had already begun their second round of drinks. Their eyes widened upon seeing Orphelia and respectfully greeted her with a wide smile.

“What’s the young lady doing in such a crass place?” Kraft asked, clearly more sober than the others.

“I’m accompanying Kai, his friend made me come to the inn so I might as well, I also wanted to see Mr. Swiss.” She said nonchalantly, waving toward a waiter who immediately rushed to the table. “Bring me a serving of Faun-Fried Chicken, and whatever the others want, and put it on my dad’s tab.”

“Yes ma’am,” the waitress wrote down her command before turning to the others, and they eagerly ordered whatever sounded the most delicious on the menu. Kai scanned the menu, his mouth covered in drool as he read the very, and overly detailed food descriptions.

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What sets it apart is the drizzle of enchanted honey. This honey adds a sweetness that beautifully complements the savory notes. Served with golden fries or fresh coleslaw, it's the epitome of comfort food with a touch of enchantment. Pair it with ale or mead for the perfect tavern experience. The Faun Fried Chicken is a must-try for those seeking an extraordinary culinary adventure.>>

Who came up with this thing? Are there any scholars in this tavern? Kai wondered, however, he couldn’t get his mind off of it, and even just imagining it made him desire it even more.

Kai immediately ordered a serving of the Faun-Friend chicken as well, and after checking in with Orphelia, ordered a plate of what everyone else did for Onyx, whose wagging tail created a small gust of air as it smacked loudly onto the floor.

Whilst they waited for the food, Orphelia moved closer to Kai, her golden locks hanging in front of him as she lowered herself to his ear. “So, what happened in the room?” Her whisper sent shivers down Kai’s spine, as he was unable to come up with an answer right away.

I… how much should I tell her? How much am I even allowed to tell her? I’m definitely not saying what happened during the end but… would Lumiera allow me to reveal too much about her? However, ah, forget it. There’s a reason I was brought there by Orphelia… I’ll just… tell a half-truth.

“The Goddess she… spoke to me. Yeah, that’s about it, I don’t remember much of what she told me but the little I remember seems important…”

Orphelia’s eyes immediately widened in surprise, a small sparkle appearing within them, and she grabbed Kai’s hands, tightly holding them as her lips parted. “What did she tell you? What does her voice sound like? Did you see her? Was she pretty? Does she really look like the statues?” She asked, speaking faster and faster with each question, however making sure that her voice never got too loud.

Kai’s heart rate increased as Orphelia stood right in his face, the bombardment of questions causing his mind to spin slightly. Taken aback by her sudden change of attitude, his lips parted and closed a few times before he finally replied, avoiding any truthful answers and dodging some questions that he couldn’t make up stuff for.