When it noticed that she had vanished, he became confused and angry.
"Gone!? Dinner gone!?"
Gudno grinned at nothing and held Effi to him as she remained unconscious. The scent of her youth and blood leaking out from where Shadow had grabbed her caused the creature to look around again. His eyes ablaze with rage and he stood up at his full height. Gudno was unimpressed as he was still taller and not as scathing on the eyes. Maybe on the inside they were on par...
"MY DINNER!" Shadow roared at him, its nostrils flaring insanely wide and its mouth open enough so the dark hole was on show. "MAGE! MY DINNER!"
"I am not a Mage, I told you already."
Shadow ignored this and lunged at him but being slow in this hog form, Gudno easily dodged him and floated up into the lofty room, setting Effi down on the completely moonlit top of the antique bed's linen roof. Realising that it could not reach its meal as no shadows connected or were close to her, enraged Shadow and caused him to attack Gudno. With every swipe he missed as its opponent skillfully dodged him and due to its build and lack of fitness, it was not long before he tired and slumped on the floor.
"Why you do this, Mage." Shadow looked up at him and watched him float in the air. "Oh."
"It's not personal, Shadow. I just hunt your kind like you hunt them."
Shadow grunted slowly and turned back to the shadows in the corner. It appeared to glance up at the moon and mutter something before disappearing into the shadows again. Gudno waited until he could not smell that stench in his castle any more before going back to the little girl in the guest room.
Stepping into the room again, Gudno stooped at the bloody puddle in the corner and got to work. He did not want Effi seeing that when she woke up, nor did he particularly want a stain on the floor. This part usually took a little while but it needed done. Patiently and tirelessly, Gudno cleaned up the blood and any horrible Shadow hairs that had molted off. Packing up the cleaning supplies and the rest of the tools, Gudno hid them behind the large curtains, coiled up beside the window and floated up to his little guest.
"Papa?"
She was waking up now and still bleeding from her side where Shadow had hauled her into the darkness. A little woolen bonnet on her head made him smile and he remembered someone else wearing one of those in the past.
"Papa..."
"Shh," Gudno reached over and patted her head as she whimpered for her father, "got to fix something before I take you home."
Being careful so not to stress her out any more than she was already, Gudno held her arm that was bleeding as well and closed his eyes. As Effi watched him, he spoke some strange language and a weird purple glow emitted from her arm. A soothing warmth followed by a not unwelcome icy cold.
"Nearly done," Gudno whispered to her and touched her side that was injured too, "brave girl."
Effi smiled but was still scared and wanting her father to hold her. This strange man, he was so pale but seemed so familiar to her. Had he helped her out before? He knew magic, did he know the Gift Giver?
"There, good as new." He smiled softly at her as the colour returned to her cheeks and she realised she was no longer in danger. "May I take you home? It's still not safe at night."
"Yes please, Mister." Effi nodded and allowed him to pick her up. As they floated down to the ground, she inhaled in awe at the experience. She'd heard about beings that could fly but this one was different. "Mister? Where are your wings?"
Gudno chuckled at her honest question. He loved children and their innocent views on things.
"I don't have wings," he nodded when she commented on needing then to fly, "think of it like magick."
"Magick?" Effi beamed as they stepped out into the hallway, her still being carried. "So you're a Mage?"
Gudno again, shook his head and walked towards the front door where Maizi was waiting for him. When Effi spotted the cat she squealed in happiness. Being a good host, Gudno let her stand for herself and took out another cigarette as he watched her pet the white cat.
"Cute cat," she giggled as Maizi rubbed her back against her leg, "what's her name?"
"Maizi."
"Cute name!" Effi giggled again as she continued to bestow affection on the white cat who was loving every second of it just as much.
Gudno took Effi back to her cottage and refused her kind invitation into to meet her father. He assured her it was for the best that nobody knew about him and to make sure of this, when she turned to walk to to her door he cast a spell on her to make her forget. As the door closed behind her, Gudno listened to her father's joy at his daughter returning, unscathed to him and praised some unknown force watching over them. Moving quickly around to the back garden, Gudno picked up the coal bucket and stray mitten, and returned to the front door silently. Placing the mitten in the bucket with the rocks, he floated up into the air again just in time as he saw the door open and Effi's father pick up the item. He looked about at street level for whatever lurked in the darkness before going back to his daughter. Gudno did not like taking away children's memories but he knew it best for his own safety. If the town got wind of his like in their area, they would hunt him down as he hunted the Shadow. People did not understand and were not likely to in any near time. Returning to his castle, Gudno flew silently through the sky, wondering if he would ever be free to walk among the people again.
The castle was a welcome return to his weary eyes, the nighttime hours had flown by quickly that night and he knew that was down to all the excitement. He had found Shadow, saved Effi and reminded himself that he was not completely evil. Just a little bit twisted, but most people where these days. He was still a universe away from being the level of wickedness that the man in Lengrat was. What an awful person....
"Time for a little refreshment before bed." His good deed had worn him out, the use of magick usually made him tire easily as it used a lot of his spirit. What was left of it at least, it was fading with every era. He had been in this world for such a long time, he was starting to lose track of the years. Greeted by Maizi as she lay in front of the fire which was starting to go out again, Gudno clicked his fingers and encouraged the flames back to warm himself and his furry friend. Happy with the renewed warmth, the white cat curled up and closed her eyes. Walking up the stairs, Gudno turned into the guest bedroom and retrieved the box from behind the curtain. Placing it on a nearby dressing table, he reached inside and pulled out one of the five vials inside. He held it up and let the moon see what he was holding, the light reflecting off and shining on his auburn eyes.
Removing the glass stopper, Gudno stood in front of the mirror on the table and sat down. Looking straight ahead he admired the seemingly floating vial and drank the blood in one gulp. The sweetness was immense and he felt the power of its properties almost immediately. The Shadow were right about the strength of children's blood, it truly was the most potent out there. Gudno felt a tiny bit guilty for drinking Effi's blood but fought back with his own twisted reason that she would want him to be healthy. For the brief time they knew each other, he had felt genuine warmth and kindness from the little girl. He knew she was like that with mostly everyone, always wanting to help them and being cheerful in her dark town. So maybe she would want him to be happy too. Setting the vial down in the basket with the others, Gudno licked his lips as the taste remained on them. Just a little bit now and then, not too much or else he would turn into one of those creatures and he could not live with being like that.
"I have to pace myself," he caught himself looking at the other vials for another sip but as he reached for one, he noticed his fingernails, "oh no."
He remembered that he had already had one vial before going out, that sample from a virgin woman he had discovered and seduced a month ago. She was still alive, he tried not to kill his victims and not to turn them either. But he had completely forgotten after his hunt and rescue that he had already drank. Turning his hand so his palm was facing the floor, Gudno grimaced at the long, yellow fingernails that were on show. He had been greedy tonight, this was his punishment. But now he had the temptation of the child's blood in his castle. He had to be strong and ignore the lure of that sweet tonic, or else end up like that beast he chased off earlier.
"I need to lock myself away," Gudno stood up with a jolt, knocking the basket of vials in the process and they taunted him by clinking together, "I must not drink any more!"
Marching out of the room, the vampir ran from his own demons and hid himself in his coffin in the master bedroom. Locking the mechanism with magick, Gudno clenched his teeth and forced himself to go to sleep for a hopefully long time.
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