The sun had fallen fast this day, and all the days before it seemed. The dark of night was broken only by the haunting moon, bathing the quiet port in a faint silver light. No stars were present tonight, only the lonely moon.

This sullen scene did little to sway the low feeling Anika was having these days. She felt particularly alone for quite a while now. Her cheery outlook upon finding a place meant for her and crumbled, the pieces of her dream being taken away by the dark waters that crashed rhythmically against the docks.

Once again Anika was left by her lonesome self this dark night, only accompanied by the moon that looked as if it shared in her gloomy feeling as the clouds fought against its efforts to let its soft light wash over the land.

She was left in the calm and quiet night, a false serenity, for in her head her own voice tore her down. Telling her that she was meant to be alone, that she was better off that way. The quiet night and her rampant mind stirred up memories of loneliness and sorrowful times.

Anika soon began to walk down a wooden dock. Her feet hitting the wood beneath and the waves of the black sea that surrounded her were the only sounds that broke her sullen thoughts. When she got to the edge she leaned over slightly, as if she were ready to give herself up to the cold darkness below her. Then she took a step back and let herself fall against the docks. The smell of the salty sea began to overwhelm her senses, but she didn't mind. At least she could sense something real still. Something to help bring her out of her shell. She let her gaunt figure lay still, pressed close against the old wood. She kept her dulled eyes facing sideways, looking towards the endless nothingness that was the sea.

She could hardly be seen as she lay so still and low in the darkness, not by human eyes anyway. Not that it would matter, for it was late in the night and she was obviously let alone to grieve over her own pitiful life, or was she?

Kenith stumbled around the port, alone. This was unusual as Kenith almost always had a zombie companion nowadays. (He liked the company) Something about him wasn't quite right. Kenith could feel himself slowly loosing control. It was rare for Kenith to ever truly be in control of himself, perhaps it is this that contributes to how Kenith acts.

Kenith squinted up into the clear night sky, the moon was beaming down on him. His fangs were poking out from under his lip, adding more to the insane feel. Kenith stumbled a few more paces before falling to his hands and knees. Kenith lost it.

The half-vampire rose; floating above the ground, randomly dissapearing and appearing somewhere else. He glanced left and right with blood-shot eyes, looking for prey of any sort. He found it.

The blood-thursty being rushed towards Anika, his fangs at full length. Kenith dissapeared once more, reapearing next to her lying form. Kenith moved in for his meal.

Anika did not know that she was being watched. Her mind was no where close to her body. Rather she was lost in a daydream of the day her mother was taken from her. It was a bright beautiful day, like most had been at that time. They had been traveling for some time that day so they had had just stopped to rest. In from the distance soldiers solemnly surged the surroundings in their shiny silver suits. They had demanded that her mother come with them, that their lord requested her help. Her mother knew that the lord would turn them into slaves though. Anika could see clear as day how her mother fought to protect her. Like a rabbit running back to its hole, Anika had ran away to hide in the bushes not far from the battle. Her mother was no match however, because in the struggle she had died. She recalled the men grabbing her so violently, forcing her out of the bushes. As she walked past her mother's body she through herself onto the ground, sobbing hopelessly The soldiers did not give her more than a moment to grieve for her mother, prodding her onwards towards their lord's manor.

Soon the daydream was over, Anika drifting slowly back to reality. The dream had only made her sink deeper into the dark hole that was her depression. The horrible feelings that had plagued her life so these past few days. Her thoughts had been broken by a sound though. The hairs on the back of her neck rose with a chill running down her back. All of a sudden she received a vision. It was of a vampire clutching unto her, biting into her soft neck.

The vision was over in a matter of seconds. She turned to see the very vampire behind her, ready to makes its move. She attempted to let out a cry for help, but could not. She was too scared to let out even the smallest whimper. She began to regret this inability to talk greatly. Though she could not will her voice to work, her feet certainly did, as she rolled off of the dock, falling into the chilling waters below. As her entire body submerged under the black waters, every inch of her body felt as if they were being poked by needles. She could not help but release any air that had once been stored in her lungs, surfacing back to the top.

The half-vampire had not expected the girl to move the way she did, which worked against him. The blood-thirster fell off and plummeted into the chilling water. He struggled to keep surfaced, this wasn't something he was good at. Swimming.

The cold shock of the water shook Kenith awoke. He grasped control of himself once more and steadied himself, though still swimming. He fumbled around on the surface, disoriented from the sudden change. Kenith finally got himself set and he moved back towards land. He also noticed the girl splashing around, he vaguely recognized her. Little did Kenith know that he had just tried to feed on her. He grasped her as best he could and pulled. Kenith wasn't a man of strength, but that didn't mean he wasn't just a weakling either. His frail body could lift some things actually, believe it or not.

Kenith managed to pull himself onto land, brining what he thought was the girl behind him. In the confusion he wasn't sure if what he grabbed brought her along with it. For all Kenith knew was that he had managed to grab a cloak or some other removable item.

Anika did not become effusive with her thanks and praises when she was pulled out from the waters and onto solid ground. She did not know that the vampire had reverted from its bloodlust and was quick to pull out blinding powder, and tossing it towards his eyes. She may have been sad, but that did not mean that she wanted to die.

The blinding powder would not kill its target, but it would hurt quite a bit. Anika had accidentally gotten the powder in her eyes once, but was made sure that she never did that again. She stepped back quickly, not waiting to see if the target hit.

She drew her dagger quickly, the worn metal gleamed weakly in the moonlight " Do not make me end your life vampire, if you can even call what you have life."

This is where Anika stopped. She did not want to kill this stranger, as she believed no good came from one dieing before their time. Hate only created more hate, and the world definitely had enough of that. She had learned that harming someone could not help them. She had learned this from watching a man trying to move a horse out of the road. The man kept whipping the horse and shouting at it to move, but the horse was still. Then the man tried to push the horse from behind, so the horse took its revenge. It gave out a powerful kicked that knocked the man unconscious. That was a memory that stuck in Anika's mind all through her life. It helped her remember that kindness would get you farther in life. This is why she gave the vampire a chance to flee. She would let her unknown attacker explain his wicked ways before unleashing all of the magical knowledge that she had learned from her family. She hoped that the vampire would let her leave, or at the very least curb his bloodlust. She would not let her guard down before she knew his reaction

Kenith reeled back as the powder got in his eyes. "Ow ow ow!" He stumbled back and fell to his backside. He clutched at his eyes, which were watering extensively now, and grumbled in irritation under his breath. Kenith stumbled to his feet, looking around with no luck. "What?" he gasped at the realization that he must have tried to feed on her. "Oh..." He took a step back, finally starting to be able to see again.

He looked her up and down, his eyes still watering slightly. "I must have lost it there, very sorry about that. It doesn't happen too much, and usually I can occupy myself with non-destructive methods..." He sighed and glanced at his forearm, a number of fang sized puncture marks were dotted along it. Even if it was his own blood, the simple feel of it on the fangs could stave off the worst of the craze. "...and, I'm not really a vampire vampire. Half-blooded, you know?" He finally stopped rubbing his eyes and took his typical stance.

Anika put her guard down a bit, but vampires were a tricky sort, and she did not fully believe him yet " Ok then, if you are back to your normal state of mind, you wouldn't mind if I placed a little ward for my own protection. It will not hurt you, but it will protect me if you do find the craving for blood again."

She did not wait to see if he objected, but through herself unto her knees, pulled out a piece of chalk, and kept her eyes always on the half vampire. Her nimble fingers worked from memory, no longer needed her eyes to help her work. She began to scribble ancient symbols unto the old wood. Then she pulled out a few herbal ingredients and sprinkled them in a circle, making sure that she enclosed it with the vampire inside. She then pulled out spider silk, tossing the shiny silver threads throughout the circle. She smiled at her work " There we go all done!" She had created a trapping circle. It would not let whoever she created it for out of the circle until the circle was destroyed from the outside.

Anika then set herself down on the edge of the dock, this time holding her legs close to her chest, huddling for warmth. She was soaked to the core and now the light breeze she had once enjoyed was chilling her to the bone. She tried not to focus on this though, for it would only make her colder. Instead she turned to the vampire " What is your name then?"

(Ah pitiful post D: )

Kenith bit his lip in mild irritation, that was not what he had expected her to do. "Aw great, what if I have to use the bathroom? Eh?" He sighed and rubbed his temples. Shaking his head; Kenith looked down at Anika, for she had squatted down; Kenith copied her action almost perfectly. He peaked at her from over his knees, arms laced about them to keep his legs from moving. "My name is Kenith....and your's is?" He watched her quietly, his eyes shifting around now and again to spot anything else that might try and sneak up on him.

Anika could not help but laugh at his remark about the bathroom " Well you will just have to hold it then." She let her eyes move up and down his body, eying him up. He looked around her age, which was nice because usually she was either surrounded by the children she taught at BADI or older men that she had the privilege of entertaining.

She gave him a friendly smile and nodded her head " Nice to meet you Kenith, even given the circumstances. You can call me Anika." She had never run into a vampire before, but had heard many stories of them. From what she had heard most were very intelligent and sophisticated, something easily attained with immortality. She heard that vampires had a distinct charm to them and youthful beauty. Anika could see this feature in Kenith, but he hardly looked sophisticated.

Anika was a naturally curious girl, and because she had never met a vampire before, she had many questions for this one " How are you a half vampire and how long have you been one? What is the difference between a half vampire and a full one? She did not try to hide these questions or work around them, but rather just blurted the first thoughts that came to her mind out into the air. She had little knowledge in manners and courtesy, and did not stop to think that these questions may be personal.

Kenith closed one eye slowly, shifting to the other one in turn. He frowned slightly to her first question, "If you don't mind, I'd rather not speak about that." He sighed and shook his head slightly. The memories were still vivid about his vampiric heratige. Kenith stood and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Half-vampires are basically vampires, but they don't have any of the weaknesses...usually. If I've gone too long without some sort of blood, I get...well, you saw how I get." Kenith shrugged and smiled sheepishly, "Though we can walk around in daylight, and we don't mind holy stuff as much. Though we can still be killed by a stake to the heart, but thats nothing special. Stab something into anybody's heart and I bet they will die." Kenith made the simple stabbing motion towards his heart, "And thats basically it. So, what about you? What do you do for a living?" he examined her garb, "Gypsy maybe?" Kenith tilted his head slightly to the side, in a curious gesture.

Kenith had a knack for making Anika laugh, and she had to agree " Yeah the heart is quite a tender area!" She was a bit disappointed that he would not tell her how he had turned, but now at least she knew what half vampires were.

Now it was her turn to answer questions. She was much obliged to answer " Yes I am gypsy. The last of my tribe actually. My mother had died when I was only four, so I am the last person on Ea with Moore blood running through their veins. I travel a lot, so I can never have any real job, but I am able to make money along the way. Usually I can make a few coins by dancing in the streets, but I also sell potions and tell fortunes. I have the gift of foresight..." She directed him too her mismatched eyes as proof, because in Gypsy folklore her eyes were very special. It meant that she had been touched by the Fae, that they bestowed their magic upon her eyes, allowing her to see things most could not.

After Anika had successfully taken care of his volley of questions her brow raised slightly, as more questions of her own began to form in her mind " So what brings you to Lomedor Kenith? I doubt it was their famous ports. You don't seem the sea faring type to me."

Kenith smilled when he learned that his assumption was correct, Kenith liked being right. He scratched the back of his head and his face took on the look of understanding as he learned about their similar childhood, in the parential regard. Kenith's eyebrows raised at the mention of Dancing. Kenith was a man after all, and his face turned a shade darker at the thought of her dancing. Then something really caught his interest, fortune telling. "You are a fortune teller? I always visit fortune tellers, I've always wanted to find the one that actually knew the real thing!" He smiled slightly at the thought that she could be the real deal. "You're right, I can't take sailing. The decks get too much sun, and I get seasick really easy. I think I was looking for something, but I can't remember after my brush with insanity..." He shrugged again, pocketing his hands again.

Anika smirked when he told her he forgot why he was even here. She had done that many times on her travels. She would be walking to one city, and she would feel a random urge to divulge from her set path, resulting in her finding herself in a new place entirely.

She then went on about her fortunetelling " Well then if you are really that interested in the art, I could do a reading for you. Is there anything you are particularly interested in knowing about, or maybe a person or object you would like me to find? Since you fished me out of the water earlier, I will do it free of charge!"

Before Kenith was able to answer, she rubbed her hand over a piece of the binding circle she had created. Because the circle had been broken, it had lost its magical effects, allowing him to move freely if he so wished. This was a sign of her attempt at making a friendship. It showed that she trusted him, enough to move freely anyways " I have deactivated the circle. You can leave now if you would like!" She said so in a light and cherry manner, for he was currently distracting her from her once sullen state. She really hoped that he wouldn't leave though, not yet anyways.

Kenith grinned, "If I could just decide, I'd tell you. How about you pick?" He looked at her, hoping she would. Kenith often had trouble picking things, it could be as simple as to eating an apple or orange, or to complex as picking from spells that could dramatically affect him in the future. Kenith grinned nervously, having the strange feeling that he might get more than he bargained for.

Kenith felt the subconcious feeling of being free ebb into him once again as the seal was broken. "Heh, I guess I don't have to worry about the bathroom problem anymore." He looked a little confused by her statement, as though he took it as she wanted him to go or something.

Anika could easily see herself in Kenith when she found how indecisive he was. She was like that as well. She had always fallen for the strong men, ones that took the spotlight and gave the orders. That way she did not have to make the tough decisions and the blame would not fall on her if she were to do the wrong thing, for she was only going on the orders of the leader.

She gave him a reassuring smile " I get many requests to peek inside of one's love life, see if they have any happiness in the future. I could do that for you if you want."

She pulled out a worn tarot deck and held it out too show him " These cards are very common among all those that wish to see the future, even those that do not hold the power of foresight. They are a rather simple scrying tool, but hold a lot of power when used by those with the gift. They especially come in handy with questions about one's self. This is what I will be using to help you! What I need you to do is focus all your thoughts on one thing, love. Then shuffle the cards..."

She waited for him to do this. When he was done, Anika took the cards back. She put them on the ground between them. With her left hand she held unto Kenith's, making a link between them. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, letting all her thoughts and emotions leave her body. She had done this so many times before that it was almost second nature to her, as she became centered in less than a minute. She now let Kenith's raw emotions of love flow through her, mixing with the mystical powers that harbored inside Anika. She then put her right hand on the tarot deck, letting all that moved through Anika's body flow into the cards.

When she felt ready she focused on the thoughts of Kenith and love. Then she began to flip the cards, doing a five card spread. The center card was the Ace of Cups, which signified new beginnings in love. The card to the left was the fool, which signified Kenith. The card to the right was the empress, which represented a strong and independent woman. The top card was the moon, representing romanticism and fantasy, possibly that the love would be a secret or forbidden one. The bottom card was the wheel of fortune, signifying that the love was fate and soon to come. Anika was quick to describe all of this to Kenith

Kenith watched Anika intently, seeing into the future was one of the things that Kenith found the most interesting. He did as she asked for him to do; focusing on love, though this was difficult for someone who never had experienced the emotion before; and shuffled the deck. Kenith gingerly held onto Anika's arm, blushing lightly to the touch (perhaps aiding the focus on love).

He listened attentively as she explained the details of each card. He smiled and nodded to the explenation. He took it in slowly, but surely, not missing any detail. "A forbiden love, hope its not cliche..." He grinned jokingly.

Anika giggled at his remark " Most forbidden loves are!" She looked around the docks that they sat at. It seemed way too dreary for her now. She did not want this friendship to be associated with a place where she came to lament.

So Anika made an over exaggerated shiver and pushed herself up, her excess jewelry jingling as she did so " It is much to cold for us to be sitting out here in the dark, soaking wet. Lets get back into town, maybe to one of the inns?"

As Anika said this her stomach groaned loudly, pleading for food. Anika had not eaten a decent meal in some time, her depression overshadowing her hunger. She blushed as she grabbed her bare stomach, hoping that Kenith had not heard the noise.

Anika reached her soft hand out, grabbing his cold one, locking fingers. She pulled him up and began to lead to the inn. She did not grab him because she was afraid of the dark, for she was more at home in it than she was in the day. She held him close because she had missed the human contact. She needed to feed all the human needs she had neglected for so long now.

Kenith had not even realized that he was soaked with all the talking and fortune telling. Kenith examined himself with the sudden realization that he was infact, very cold. His cloak splayed out around him, his grey shirt clinging to his frail frame; though, in more recent times, he had began to develop into a more lithe frame; and his feet were dotted with water droplets. "Yes, lets go to an inn."

He gasped slightly when she laced her fingers with his, never having ever been in a situation like this. He went along some what clumsily, trying to get used to the feeling. He looked her over again, then looking to the ocean, then finally focusing in on a place to stay. "Over there should be good, what do you think?"