Vampire Lily

Clancy tries to awkwardly sit on his throne, but his wide body isn't quite able to fit on the chair. He walks around it in a circle several times before finally deciding to straddle the chair, his legs hanging over each side.

"COMMENCE KINGLY DUTY!"

It's Clancy's first official day ruling, and several people of the new Dimartino kingdom have requests to run by leadership. Clancy was the official point person for such matters.

"Great Crab, we are honored to be in your presence. Melinda, BOW!"

The mother and her daughter sunk their heads in reverence before Clancy.

They look up at Clancy like he is a fierce and fickle god, unsure of how to speak to the crab.

"My lord, in the old world, children attended 'school' and were taught great knowledge by esteemed professors. We only have a few children in town, but I would like to ask that a school be founded in your illustrious name."

"EDUCATION PRIORITY. RESOLUTION PASSED. NEXT!"

The next visitor steps up, a young woman in knightly attire. She's one of the Adventurers working with Yunie. 

"Great One, I am honored to be in your presence," the woman starts, fumbling through and trying to say what the woman before her did. "I am…dissatisfied with where my house plot was placed. Is it possible for me to relocate?"

"MOVE INTO CASTLE. BECOME CUTE MAID. NEXT!"

The woman opens her mouth to say something, seemingly offended, before deciding it's best to keep to herself. 

The third party arrives in front of Clancy - he recognizes the man. The sneaky-eyed Underhill was hard to miss.

"Hello, Great One, honored for sure," Underhill says with a devilish smirk. As he speaks, Maria enters the throne room, walking off to the side to join Clancy at his side as Underhill begins his monologue.

"We've hit a bit of a snag in town I'm afraid," Underhill grins, his eye catching Maria's as she walks by. 

"Seems there's been a break-in. Now, things were so damn hunky-peaceful. I never thought it'd happen, but what's a guy gotta do? It happened."

"Are we sure it was a break-in?" Maria asks, turning her body toward Underhill as she plants herself on Clancy's left. "I know the town gets quite lively at night. It may have been accidental rowdiness."

"Oh, we thought all about it. The first time it happened. But now, this is break-in number two, and people are feelin' a little…antsy."

"NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH!" Clancy declares.

Underhill narrows his eyes. "I was thinkin' somethin' a little more…formal. We can start small. How's about ten or so coppers, to keep the peace? We been workin' on radios in town, and that'd make this whole process pretty smooth."

Maria seems concerned about the request, but Clancy's enthusiastic claw-waving shows he's fine with it.

"ROYAL GUARD!" he decides. "PROTECT EVERYWHERE!"

Underhill points at Clancy and winks. "Atta boy, crab guy! 'Royal Guard', yeah. I like the sound of that! I'll get it set up, my man. Don't you worry about a thing."

On that, Underhill turns away, seemingly giving himself the promotion to 'police captain'. 

Maria's eyes are glued to him as he walks away. They'd just met that morning and had a very interesting conversation…though he didn't mention a thing about this.

"Something's off about that man," Maria says, her face locked in a scowl. There was nothing she hated more than being outmaneuvered.

"NEXT!"

…

"I must absolutely insist we turn back!" Osmond shouts as he runs after Barns.

"We got an invitation to see Francois Lumiere Vallaroto," Barns calls back, absolutely butchering the name. 

"Francois Lauren Villeteux" Osmond corrects. "This is absolutely a trap, Barns! I told you - you're human. You won't last five minutes with her."

"Oh, I'm sure I can last five minutes. That's besides the point, Osmond. We can't just ignore an open invitation like this. We're on a recon mission!"

Osmond exhales sharply, hesitant to keep pace with Barns as he marches directly toward the Pale Court.

Barns taps his sword. "Worst case scenario, I have a skill called 'Rebirth Flame'," Barns says. "She can't win against me. Only tie."

"A tie for her is a win for the Lord of the Apocalypse," Osmond spits. "Francois would absolutely throw her life away for that."

"Call it Crab Intuition. I have a feeling this is what we need to do."

Osmond bites his tongue. He couldn't return to Dimartino without Barns - Clancy would kill him. 

"Let me be clear. When you get enthralled by her, just remember a big 'I told you so'."

The two continue their descent, deep into the heart of the valley. When they finally arrive at the Pale Court, they are greeted only by the shifting lines of soulless humans who pay them no heed.

Barns watches the line as it moves by. They each follow each other, stepping perfectly in sync as they march aimless lines around the structure. Over twenty thousand are stuck in this lifeless flow, and have been for years.

Osmond is visibly displeased, but it's too late to turn back. "Francois rules from up here," he says quietly, leading Barns into the Pale Court.

They move through the haunting structure - Barns isn't sure whether to call it a city or a prison - and before long, they arrive at a large building in the shape of a flower bud surrounded by white petals. All of the city and decorations are made of the same synthetic white material - perfectly maintained panels without a fleck of dust.

A small opening forms in the flower bud, coaxing them inside. 

"The Vampire Lily," Osmond grumbles. "Her seat of power. Try not to look at her too much."

The two walk in, side by side. Barns is surprised to see only one person waiting for them - no guards anywhere.

Barns can't help but stare at the woman before them. She stands on a dais in the center of the room, decked out in the finest embroidered silks Barns has ever seen.

She wears her silk as a long kimono in jet black, with scarlet red peeking out from underneath. Along the edge of her kimono, ornate designs of crimson guide the eyes upward as they embellish Francois' gorgeous figure.

One long leg sticks out from underneath the kimono, revealing her stiletto heels. Her skin, matte white, lacks the healthy shine and glow of a human's skin - though there is something alluring about it. 

Barns wipes his mouth. He didn't even notice he had started to drool.

"Mm mm, such a beautiful human," she says, reaching her arm out toward him. Inch-long nails beckon him closer, but he retains a healthy distance. "I should like to taste you, he he. But that would make me a naughty girl."

Her voice was alluring and foreign to Barns' ears, spoken with an eloquence he could not quite place. It reminds him of the old western empires of long ago - pale royals with a penchant for guillotines and prisons.

Barns still had not dared to look at her face, as per Osmond's instruction.

"You are a careful boy. But careful boys do not come to a place like this. So you must seek something that you can't get anywhere else."

She rolls her body provocatively as she speaks, every word that leaves her lips deeply accentuated. 

"You know why we're here," Barns says, his head tilted away. "I've ended the apocalypse in Dimartino. I can end it here, too. Will you stand down and let me liberate the humans here?"

"Ha. Ha-ha! Such a brave boy." She blows a kiss at him. He can't help but look up, just for a moment.

Her stunning red eyes take his breath away. In one short exchange of gazes, he feels like she can see everything there is to him. His full soul, laid bare - ripe for her taking. He darts his eyes away before she can look any deeper. 

The image of her burns into his mind. Flawless skin. Discerning eyes. Soft pink lips and voluminous silver hair. She was ethereally gorgeous. He craves another look.

He shifts uncomfortably, adjusting his pants and clearing his throat. 

Her eyes focus downward, looking at the boy, ready to ridicule him. "I see you are quite taken with me, Barnacles."

He blushes, and doesn't say a word. Osmond hadn't caught on to the situation, but he watches Barns cautiously. It was up to him if Barns lost control.

"I am willing to free all but one hundred of my beautiful humans," she says, her voice sucking Barns in deeper and deeper. "But I have…certain conditions."

Osmond blinks twice, wondering if he heard that right. The Francois he knew would never agree to such a thing.

"I need my hundred, to feed," she giggles. "Unless you're willing to let me put my mouth on you, hero."

Barns opens his mouth, smiling, but Osmond interrupts before he can say anything. "It's no problem to me, but Barns isn't just trying to save most people. He's trying to save everyone."

"Then 'Barns' will have to find a way for me to feed in his 'new world'. I don't need to kill. But I do expect to be taken care of. Oh…he could take care of me. These soft blue eyes of his, they speak such innocence, and yet I can tell he knows how to please a woman."

She narrows her eyes. Barns' knees are practically shaking. He's glad to have Osmond here as an anti-wingman. If he came here alone, he's not sure if he would resist her allure.

"So, about my offer. Will you at least hear me out? I find it may align with certain other goals of yours quite nicely."

"Let's hear it," Barns says, speaking before thinking.