300 Goodbyes

The sound of the crystallised heart dropping to the ground brings Talicia out of her momentary daze. With the building around her collapsing and the suns rays drawing closer she looks for her daughter, to see whether she had managed to save her. She hears bare feet stepping towards her, Talicia tries to smile but the skin on her face is so gaunt and tight that any movement causing tremendous pain.

Nerissa had fallen to the floor after draining Juste until he faded away and had confusedly felt warmth on her skin, looking up she has to squint as she had looked directly into the sun... Her burns and wounds had all apparently healed and for some reason she was no longer being burned? The many questions are all overshadowed by a single prominent one... \"Where is Mother?\"

She looks around and sees a small pale corpse that looks almost skeletal, the only thing giving any indication of it's identity being it's blonde hair and familiar red eyes that still hold some clarity.

She slowly walks over, staggering due to exhaustion but still pushes herself forwards. She eventually drops onto her knees over the corpse and places her hand on it's cheek. \"Mother?\"

Small droplets of water start coming out of the corpses eyes, it's fanged mouth trying to smile.

\"N-neri-ssa\" is hoarsely choked out.

Nerissa recognising the voice cries, \"Mother, it's me... Please don't leave me.\" she repeats to her last remaining parent.

Unfortunately for the young vampiress and her mother, there is nothing she can do. Realising that her end is drawing near, Talicia tries to make one final sacrifice for her daughter.

She raises her gaunt arm as if it's the heaviest thing on earth and chokes something out to her daughter. \"r-nk, d- it.\"

Nerissa doesn't understand at first but Talicia continues to press, \"Dr-nk -lo-d\"

Eventually the young girl realises what her mother wants, \"No! We'll get help! Reima and Ciri must be back soon. Please! Don't leave!\"

Talicia feels death approach and pushes her arm into her daughters face. \"F-or me, dri-nk.\"

...

Nerissa can't understand what her mother is trying to do, surely there is away to heal her? Why would she want her to drink the last vestiges keeping her alive?... Talicia's attempts continue, getting more intense as her end draws near. Eventually Nerissa stabs a single fang into her mothers wrist, following her final wish.

With the rest of her blood drained Talicia croaks out a \"B-e Str-ong\" before fading away into ash, leaving a sobbing Nerissa who cries into the ashen pile.

Outside a couple minutes latter Reima and Ciri had just teleported in-front of the house... Only to find it slumping inwards with a shattered door and looking as if it'll collapse at any moment, the final straw that causing them both to sprint inside is the sound of a sobbing young girl. The fatigue from last nights events seemingly disappearing as the see the sight before them.

In the middle of the large room they see a young girl bathed in sunlight crying over a pile of ashes, a crystallised heart sitting next to her.

Ciri holds as hand over her mouth as her eyes tear up, \"No. Oh gods.\" she immediately runs to the girl and hugs her, the young vampire reciprocating and sobbing into Ciri's arms.

Reima just looks around, a feeling of fury beginning to overtake him, causing some of the wood around him to start steaming, flickers of dark red fire start to lick his ankles. Was it the Alucard's that did this? Slowly the temperature becomes so hot the air around him becomes hazy, his gaze is drawn towards his two friends in the middle of the room which causes him to quickly stifle his flames and compose himself. He has to be the mature one now, with the house around them beginning to collapse and police likely already on their way to see the disturbance he has to take control of the situation.

Reima \"Ciri! Take Nerissa to the backyard. Quickly.\" he says with a steely voice.

Ciri looks as if she wishes to complain but the words die in her throat as she sees his expression. She tugs on Nerissa who tries to remain with what should be her mothers ashes but Ciri picks her up and runs into the garden.

With them gone Reima finally notices the peculiar crystal heart along with a silver whip next to it. He quickly stores them away while levitating the ashes into an expensive looking urn that he'd \"acquired\" from Anor Londo's castle. Once done with that he blurs upstairs and empties all of their items and clothing, storing away the entirety of Ciri's wardrobe while not forgetting to grab all of Nerissa's clothing along with her mothers.

Once that's done he remembers the library in the basement and teleport inside, he swipes his hand across the shelves storing away every book. he continues this until he reaches the last bookshelf, as he attempts to pull out all of the books he finds one that seems to be impervious to all attempts to move it... With time still ticking he roughly pulls on it, causing a loud clicking to echo throughout the room. A mechanical sounds reminiscent of rusty gears continues to make various sounds for a couple seconds before he finally sees movement. The walls slides downwards revealing a metal wall behind it, again the wall slides away giving way to another wall, this continues another five times before he's able to look into the new room that'd just opened up.

Reima \"What the fuck is this?...\" he cannot help but say out loud.