Chapter 461: Impulse

The reaches of the capital city of Rosespire came close. A thriving metropolis of wealth, fame, technology, and more. Youths in search of fame often tried their luck in the place of dreams. Compared to the capital of five to six years ago, the city overgrew its own walls. The once main barrier keeping from monsters became the center wall. As for the city itself, the expansion continued into multiple surrounding districts as big as towns in other provinces. Located at the North, South-East, and South-West of the capital city, the expanding districts were given the name: Lai, Juei, and Onela. 

Lai, the bigger and more commercially thriving district was known as the place where money matters. If one had Exa, the limitless potential of Lai was there to seize. 

Juei, more on the reclusive and meant for residence. Those of status and fame could purchase mansions, villas, apartment complexes – the sky was the limit. Those words were the literal truth as some buildings were so high one couldn't see the summit.

Onela, the business-focused factory of office-workers. Trading and such happened within said boundaries. Thus, were the three major districts of Rosespire. As for the city itself, many builds were replaced for the sake of modernness. Hidros was on par with the technology in Alphia. The remainder of their past was the Cathedral of Syhton and Royal castle.

"Welcome to Rosespire." The night was naught but a word. The plane landed at a nearby airfield. No red carpet awaited the arrival. He got off with multiple guards waiting below. They saluted Lady Lordon wholeheartedly. 

"Igna," she stopped shy of another luxurious car, "-I shan't spare any capital on thee yet. There's a bicycle there and a map on your phone. Go on boy, find your way around the capital, I'll have my husband contact you soon." She graciously entered the car and drove off. Nothing stood beside an enormous shadowy hangar. A chilling wind blew to nullify what clothes he wore. The breeze felt as if cold needles against his boiling red-hot cheeks. 'Was I really left alone?' held onto the bicycle, he walked beyond the shadows of the hangar. Each step filled the heart with excitement, the light's addictiveness, upon reaching the stop where darkness met with glimmer, he peered into a new world. The view over the Adventuring Academy failed to compare. '-This is on a whole new level.' Despite the distance, the lettering, the flashing beams, the airships advertising things of which weren't recognizable, '-so that's the capital city.' Towards the right and left rested the other districts. 

"Lai is over there," he stared right, "-Juei is over there," now to the left. "Which means I'm here," the location was marked. The particular airfield was privately owned by some big shot company. 'I guess I need to find the trader's guild.' A search showed the latter to be in Onela. Going through the capital was not an option since the only entry was to the South. 'Guess I'll have to go around,' the sheer scale of the expedition was yet to be comprehended. 'At least the bicycle feels light, I'm pretty sure I saw this model on the sports magazine,' foot on the pedal, he took to the roads aided by the Arcanum. 

Meanwhile, at the Academy, the succulent dinner was naught but a faded memory of a friend. Leonard made the mistake of going into more details on 'Viper'. The Arcanum brought forth many answers, most of them being troublesome. They stood with a suit jacket in hand and arms locked with the ladies who took off the high heels. The view before was a loveable show of mediocre glimmers. "What can we do now?" wondered Jen resting against a simple railing.

"No idea," sighed Lampard sat cross-legged on the roof, "-Igna's going to be fine, right?"

"Not necessarily," interjected Rena, "-I was there once. Rosespire might be bright, sadly, the shadow it casts is very much so dense. Murders happened more often than not. There are even monsters roaming the sewers and dark-alleys. The roads linking the three expansion districts are crude and subject to suspicious accidents. I've even heard rumors of a werewolf roaming the area. Or maybe it was a banshee, I don't know really." 

"Oh please," laughed Leonard, "-those are but rumors."

"Rumors do come from a sliver of truth," said Jen with the noble-boy at her side. 

"I guess you're right," smiled Leonard. 

'What's this feeling…' her cheeks flushed, '-now that I look at him, Leonard is very handsome. He's like a prince, what's this sudden tremor inside.'

"You look bright red," quick to check her temperature, "-Jen, are you ok?"

"I think so," came mindless giggles, '-this is so uncomfortable, Rena, HELP ME!'

The faces met, she smirked to say, "-the night is over, we'll head back and change."

"Alright," replied the boys.

"Some's got a crush," murmured they running down the stairs.

"No, that's not it," her face melted. Their voices soon blended into the windy night.

"Ahh, finally," breathed Leonard, "-a place to sit. Man, wearing formal shoes takes a toll on the back."

"Look at you complaining as if a geezer," laughed Lampard, "-what do you think of Jen?"

"You've noticed too?" they sat back-to-back, "-she's a nice girl. Her personality might be rigid at times, it's her charm really. What about you, what do you think of Rena?"

"Rena, she's like a younger sister to me. Before you cut me off, just listen. I've noticed how she gets flustered at times when we're alone. I try my best to be dense, it's hard sometimes, her cuteness is just gut tearing. She's cute and adorable… I j-just can't see her as a woman. In my eyes, Rena will always be the snotnose girl with whom we fought."

"Girls are trouble you know," laughed Leonard, "-I'm bound to my family. Well, those can be broken for the right girl. Jen's my type… I need time to know her better. Making a move now will be opportunistic."

"You feeling pity for Igna?"

"No, why would you say that?"

"Jen and he seemed to have a thing a few months ago, I wonder what changed."

"Who cares, with time, attraction comes and goes. We ought to do our best. Igna's out there fighting to find a path."

"Tell you what though," breathed Leonard, "-I didn't expect him to be our motivation."

"I know, he sort of united our group. Remember when Jen and Rena didn't get along? Look at them now, practically best-friends."

"The same can be said about us – we've grown as Group C." Under the same sky with the same motivation of becoming better versions of themselves, Group C sprinted forth to new beginnings.

*Vrr,* cycled he along the empty road cutting across the neighboring woods until the sound of cars came from afar. The dark road ambered with the streetlights. '-That must be the road linking the three districts. There should be a smaller lane beside it for people and animals.' To his surprise, the lane was present but for the tram. He'd have to cross and pedal along the roads. An hour had gone since coming to Rosespire – only now did he reach the connecting roads. The journey ahead was still long. 

'My legs already feel like shit,' he pulled onto a clear patch before the main woodlands next to the intersection with the airfield. 'I always feel better at night,' the cycle rested against a boulder while he laid on the dried grass. Cars often sped past as if lightning or a flash of a camera. *shshhs,* rumbled bushes few steps away. The would-be nap broke, the rumbling continued till a figure emerged. 

"Who's there?" asked Igna a little frightened. 

"…" no response came from the cloaked individual. The face was hidden by a mask, the cloud concealed the moon to lower visibility. The slow sound of a blade being unsheathed triggered fight or flight. Poor sight turned as clear as daylight, the mysterious face of the aggressor came to show. Feminine eyes tiptoed in a cat-like manner with her blade drawn. "WHO'S THERE!" he asked to no avail. 

*Woosh,* the blade thrust, *-thud,* '-not now,' he dodged, '-the impulse,' time came to a stop. She turned for a sideways slash, *smack,* her arms met with his hands, the grip increased to force the blade out. "mmmhm…mhm," she groaned without response. 'I'm thirsty,' echoed the words around the head,'-I need blood,' the eyes went blanked of emotions, *-arhm* the teeth bit into the flesh to spray out blood. 

"l-let m-me g-go," she moaned, her face boiled, a feeling of pleasure had her bit her lips, "-n-no m-more," her legs crossed, "-I c-can't t-take it." Force or resisting was nothing, he drank and drank and drank, to finally snap out the craving. 

*COUGH,* heightened senses, sharpened nails, slightly crimson eyes and hair. The attacker knelt with a ripped top. Her body had scratches and bite marks all over, '-I c-can't s-stop trembling,' he fell backward with blood dripping off the lips and chin.

"L-lady a-are you ok?"

"P-potion… b-bag."

"Potion in your bag, ok, I got it," quick to give the drink, her wounds healed into scars. Her undergarments were torn but usable. 

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah," her stances felt sloppy, "-who the hell are you?"

"A traveler, what about you?"

"A bandit," she chuckled, "-you nearly killed me, damned vampire," her face remained flustered with a look of wanting more.

"How did you know?" 

"Was an ex-adventurer turned rogue. I've met vampires in my time, not as vicious and pleasurable as I'd hope. You're a pure-blooded noble, a compassionate one at that."

"I don't follow?"

"Most noble blood would have drunk without care for the person. We're livestock, well, it's the norm nowadays, can't do none about it." 

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing. Listen, boy," with barely enough strength, she stood to jump and pin him to the ground, "-the outside world is cruel," she tore her bra to slowly caress his stomach. "The act of drinking blood is natural," she licked his cheeks, "-because of the vampiric allure, I'm possessed," her free hand moved to his pants, "-n-nothing can break it unless," the face snapped into a brazen mess of ire, "-you have a mana spell on hand." *Conjuration – Steel Dagger,* the blade went for his neck.

"AHHH," he vanished to knock her on all fours and pull her hair, "-how did you escape!" this time, it was his fingers that caressed her back, "-you said it yourself," came a monotonous voice, "-I'm a vampire," the hands traveled towards her pants and inside the clothes, "-I don't care about you," *-arhm* the teeth sunk in yet again.

"T-this f-feeling," she drooled with moans, her body rocked until the face froze after she screamed. The flesh turned to dust, her life-essence, soul, and blood were sucked out dry with only her clothes remaining. *pouf,* he fell head first,'-how c-can I feel nothing after doing all that?' the trembling stopped, rather, all seemed clearer, the sky, the surrounding, the faint muffling in the forest.

"Lana," shouted a group of five, "-where are you?" 

"Boss wait," shouted another shining a light atop a boy covered in blood, "-that's a vampire!" 

"Lana…" her clothes caught his eye, "-WHAT DID YOU DO?" the boy simply vanished.

"Let me show you instead," came an ominous whisper. Slashes, tearing out beating hearts, lobbing off heads, it didn't matter, the impulse of wanting blood made it all pointless. He drank, and drank, and drank until the crack of dawn. The first ray slapped him awake, '-what happened?' memories of last night were vivid. The slaughter, the lady, it all came as if a hammer. 'I killed them,' the blood stained his shirt. 'They didn't have much,' going through the items, four phones, a sword, a pistol, clothes, ammunition, a backpack, and around 50k Exa was found on their bodies. 'The legionnaires of Mothra,' read a card in the many wallets. Excluding his clothes, there was no trace of neither blood nor bodies. 'I better leave this behind,' a hole was dug to hide any left evidence. 'There's one thing for sure I know now,' dressed with one of gang's clothes, '-if my impulses get the better, I might kill other people. I'll need to keep the thirst in check. After the first droplet, I feel as if something has awakened inside.' Back to cycling, the pace increased, '-my body feels lighter and faster. Does it justify killing them? I don't know. My mind doesn't care one bit, nor does my heart actually. Why do I keep repeating the same questions, what is done, is done.'