It had only been a few days since her turning, yet it didn't seem as so to Desmond ever since they had arrived onto the port city. Kurayo was a place where they kind thrived well and that they wouldn't have to worry about dealing with vengeful mobs or even the harsh rays from the sun. It was a small piece of paradise as far as he was concerned. He watched the waves crash gently against the shoreline of the beach while taking in some of the sand into his palm and letting it slip through his fingers. The contents blew away with the breeze and only when it was through did he turn to see his childe. She had seemed to have adjusted to the life for the most part, yet because of her upbringings, there was much for her to learn and so much work ahead of him. Fortunately they would have plenty of time now.

"I take it that you have never been to a place like this…or even a beach?", he asked while combing through his short hair with his fingers.  Desmond wasn't criticizing her or making any quick judgments, merely wanted to know as he turned back around and looked towards the city. Such a grand history laid beneath its walls; every constructed building housed some memories of its builders and even the magically created surrounding that shrouded the island had history behind it. For Saffron, it would be a good place to start in teaching her her roots.

For Saffron becoming a vampire was an escape. She was giving up nothing for everything. Wide red eyes looked out over the ocean as she watched the reflections of the moons on the water. “I've never been away from the farm.” Her words were calm as her fists balled up. Her wounds from her father had healed as she thought about what she did over and over. Her finger nails went into her flesh and she did not seem to care.

All she could think about was her knife going into his chest cavity over and over again. His blood spraying against her white nightgown and the room around them. A smile crossed her lips as she thought about how free she was now. Compared to the abusive man hitting her day in and day out because she was no value to him. Her hand loosened and blood freely fell from its wounds on her palm. They slowly healed before Saffron turned her eyes to Desmond.

“I want to see the city. I've never been to Adeluna or even here before. Though this city is a lot safer for people like us right?” She knew that the night they set fire to her farm and fled was when her life really began. “I don't have to be scared of people coming up to me?” Her long strawberry blonde curls were let loose over her shoulders and down her back. Her skin was lightly tanned from her work in the fields.

She tilted her head and went over to him. “What was life like before you were turned?” She took his hand and looked at how worked they were. She compared his fingers to her slender ones. She knew he had worked hard like she had been made to. “I'm just really curious.”

Had he been honestly surprised by her answer? No, he was expecting as such given her history and upbringing. Heaven knew that she would even be allowed outside that little farming community, let alone allowed to go to a city like Adeluna, or even here in Kurayo. His eyes only saw the evidence in that from Saffron's tightened fists. “There's no point in houses that anger now”, Desmond replied sternly. “They are dead, and can no longer hold you back. That time is long over.” She was still young and let her emotions guide her, but in order to survive in this world, she would have to become stronger and think several steps ahead of everyone else. It was a task that he was sure he could handle.


Slightly turning his head, the vampire gave her a quick nod. “Yes, there were few safe havens in this world for us and we are standing in one of them. Adeluna…is quite the opposite. Perhaps we may go there when you get better acquainted with this life. If anything, they may size you up. Many of the vampires around here will size you up while the werewolves and drow have a shaky alliance with our kin, so we are better off trending lightly around them. As for everything else around here, use caution.”


The question of his former life made Desmond quickly roll his eyes at it and merely stood staring at the ocean for a long time. Only when she had took hold of his hand did he break his glance, look upon their hands and sighed. “I barely recalled it really. I was a stable boy for a noble house; I was treated alright, I think and really had no problems. Then one night, something was attacking the horses and I had first thought that wolves had got into the stables. But when I arrived there, there were no such beasts. Instead it was an entirely different sort of monster lying and waiting. After seeing it come down upon me, I couldn't remember anything else. I had awoken to the light of the sun, which burnt me greatly. The family realized what I was and thrown me out. From then on, I fended for myself, learning how to stay alive and fight. Kurayo is a bit of a home for me since I had nowhere else to go.” He gave a shrug, not really concerned by what he had to deal with; being thrown out and chased out of towns, having to scrap and claw to find his next meal. All those cold winters and brutal summers and having to constantly be on the move. All of that simply made him stronger than what most people could become, perhaps even more than some of their kin as well.

Desmond was stern with her but only where she absolutely needed it. Her anger was one of those things. It had been let out full force when she stabbed her father to death. Her angry sobbing had been the worst of it. He had hurt her in ways she thought no man should ever touch his daughter and now he was dead because of that. “I know and they can no longer hurt me either. I will work on my anger I promise.” It was this new found blood in her that made her easy to anger and sometimes it showed. Though Desmond had made the decision to turn her she could not help doubting herself sometimes.

“When they size me up will that mean they will try to fight me? I'm not as controlled as you or anyone else is. I feel like I could lose myself to my hunger and to my lust.” Those red eyes were feeding on him even now. “I know it will take time but I am also so eager to learn. I wonder if that eagerness will be my downfall.” She sighed a bit and looked away.

The question she had for him next showed how little he wanted to talk to her about it but all the same her sire answered her. Looking down at his hand in hers she nodded with his first few words. “At least I have you. I am thankful for that.” She gave him a smile. “Can we go look around?” She tugged on him softly before wrapping his arm in hers. “I am excited and can't wait to look.” She peeked around him as they entered the city and her eyes were wandering everywhere from the buildings to the people around them. She was jumpy though as the smells were assaulting her left and right. She was using him to be her grounding post. Once in a while she would offer him a smile before going back to her wandering ways. “Is it always like this? So crowded? And smelly?”

At times he could be considered cruel to his childe, but for the most part he was rather civil with Saffron. At least that's what he considered himself to be. She could be rather emotional at times, letting her rage carry her through some of the ordeals she's faced early on. Given her upbringings and the pent up anger, Desmond couldn't blame her and knew it would be a challenge to get her pass it. The healing process had started when she accepted his offer and slaughtered her father while he got rid of her absent minded mother. His strict mood lessened with her words and he relaxed a bit further. His hand rose to cradle the side of her face, brushing some of the bits of hair away from her cheek. "I know you will Saffron. Either of us are oblivious to what had happened to you, and I know that it will take more time to get you through this. I didn't expect for you to change over night dear."

"That is one way of looking at it. Mostly they will not; it is more so that they will try to feel you out, see if you will back down or not. There is a hierarchy among us, my sweet childe. Those that holds more age and experience than us are at the very top of the line. As you age, you gain more strength and prestige in our ranks. Right now, many will expect for you to be humble, as they expect myself to be. Sometimes its best to play the fool and oblige to that. Others will see how much of a pretty little vampiress you are and will attempt to take advantage in you, both in blood and… body." Such thoughts stirred a shiver down his spine; he never want to share his childe with anyone else.

Never.

His mood had stirred a bit but he collected himself enough to continue speaking. "Control is easy to do, yet hard to master. Even I am not perfect in that regard. I sometimes am lead by my own emotions and make stupid mistakes. And sometimes I am good ones as well; I consider the deal I offered you long ago to be a wise one. Wise and selfish, I'll admit." Doing her the favor of helping getting rid of her parents hadn't been entirely out of goodwill. No, his plan was far more in depth than what he revealed. Again his hand reached for her; this time it played around a bit with a lock of her hair. "Don't fret about that, Saffron. You will learn as much as you desire, I will be with you every step of the way." It was odd considering that Desmond was normally a loner, not needing the burden of another and yet he was willing to shoulder such with her. He was…unsure of what to make of it. Nor of when she replied to him. A young, impressible mind like hers desired to learn much about the world around her, one that had escaped her for such a long time. With a nod, he lead her hand in hand away from the beach and soon were walking the paved streets with the rest of the people. He felt her anticipation towards the city and its inhabitants. He curiously watched her, her behavior was not unlike that of a newborn's, looking about and being captivated.

"In certain places, yes. On both accounts. I've found that the much larger cities can be worse on both aspects. Yet, there is plenty of opportunities to take advantage of. Plenty of victims, experiences, and sights and wonders." Hesitate at first, Desmond broke the brief silence as they continued to walk the street. "I recall times where I was still young and had to fight in the alleyways in this town against other young vampires. For prize money and respect. A trivial thing, but when one lives on the streets, survival by any means was necessary. Even if you had act like savages." Such memories of having to fistfight against others, betting being made among them as the combatants went at it. Given the lack of guards wondering about, many fights went without interruption but death was unlikely and rare. He remembered the scars he gained, the bruises and cuts that healed within hours after the fights. Much of them he could recall as fresh as though it happened yesterday. 

Wide crimson eyes stared at her master as she listened to every word out of his mouth. “You think they will think I'm pretty?” She had never had another person like her looks before except Desmond. Not that she had the experiences a lot of girls her age did. Blood did not rush to her cheek though as she thought about several men loving her body the way Desmond had. The thought was intoxicating to Saffron but looking up at him she felt as though she belonged to him in a way.

“I imagine it would be a lot easier for you than it would for me.” She smiled as he played with her hair. “It might have been selfish but I am glad you did it. My time with you has been wonderful despite how harsh you can be at times.” She moved up to him and kissed her light colored lips to his cheek.  She was nervous about the city afterwards and she had good reason. She felt eyes on her and Desmond as they walked about. She knew that they were eyeing her like prey.

Saffron clung to him and listened to his words. Her crimson eyes were always on him at least for the moment. “That sounds terrible.” Her arms gently hugged his arm as she was reminded how much larger he was than she. However, something was pulling at her mind. She stopped and felt her body release from him. She tilted her head and she thought she smelled something delicious. She bit at her lip and her fang tore at her soft flesh. A drop of blood rolled down her lips as she moved and met his icy gaze.

The man looked the same age as Desmond but it was his presence that did not seem as long as Desmond's. His mind was older all the same. She was slow at first coming over but his icy hands meant her hair. “My my what a beautiful little one you are.” He went in and kissed her lips licking the blood off of her. She lunged at him and he pinned her to the wall. He broke the kiss and laughed. “And feisty too.” His fingers danced under her chin softly.

He moved in for her neck and she felt obliged to tilt her head for him. His lips were softly against her neck. However, it did not take long before she was throwing him backwards. “Get away from me!” Her once glossed over red eyes were clear and angry.

“That wasn't very nice girlie.”

"You are young and gorgeous, of course they will", he replied. Perhaps she had been more sheltered in her former life than he had originally believed. Had she not ever had suitors fuss and trip over one another for Saffron's affections? It was a hard pill for him to swallow if that was the truth. If only he could read into her mind and see her thoughts right now. Her curiosity was an intriguing thing to watch from his point of view. As they continued down the street, Desmond was starting to notice people watching them, or more to the point, watching Saffron. It wasn't hard to see what laid behind those wandering eyes of theirs. "I am not harsh without a reason. This world…it like that of a two sided gold coin. There is beauty, yet danger also that one must keep their eyes on, or else they will become overwhelmed quickly by it. I am preparing you for such a place…" His hand held onto hers more firmly.

His past surprised her, though it was understandable. He had lived a harsh life having no one to depended on but himself. But instead of seeing it as a troubled past, he preferred to see it as a remainder that when one hit rock bottom, the only direction that can be traveled was up. He felt her embrace against him for moments, and he hadn't mind it. In fact, he actually enjoyed it. But once she had started to loosen her grip, he took immediate notice and looked at her. "Saffron?" Something was off, she wasn't responding to him and instead took her leave. His eyes narrowed as he stood in place for a few moments before slowly tailing her. Her attention laid somewhere else and he wondered if something had stirred her interest. Or someone.

Down a nearby alley, he found exactly who was behind this; some other vampire had mentally drew her towards him. He watched from a distance, keeping out of sight as the scene played out. Although he knew it was a trick, the thought of the grimly man putting his hands on her, his lips upon hers… Hands tightened into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms which released tiny rivers of blood. His jaw clenched tightly and eyes changed to a color of pure black. Thoughts of flaying him where he stood were like pleasant dreams for Desmond. He wanted to make him scream, cry for mercy. And he wanted to toy with him, to take everything he could off him until nothing was left. Still, he kept in the shadows and overlooked the situation, witnessing that she struggled against him and now the man was angry. But it was like a child's tantrum compared to the one that step onto the scene now. Rage festered out of him, his presence alone would be enough for the others to notice it. "Hey now", the man spoke with a frightened look on his face. Oh he knew what was going to happen and he was slowly regretting the trick he played now. And coming between these two even more so. "She came onto me, I swear!" Those words alone caused Desmond to hiss darkly and as the other vampire attempted to run away, he quickly caught up to him and pounced. From there, a bloodbath came, he ripped and teared at his chest with ease, blood staining everything in sight, including him. It was as if the man known as Desmond was gone, replaced by a more feral, single minded monster as he relished in the screams of the fool as he pulled apart his ribcage. The vampire's healing ability wouldn't matter to him, for what he was going for was that of the beating heart, which he yanked forcefully out and silenced the screams once and for all. Long moments had passed by as he remained over his kill in silence. His eyes reverting back to their color as they kept focus on the corpse. There would be no trouble to deal with from this; a body found in a city like this was nothing uncommon and no questions would be asked. Still, his temper wouldn't let him move away or move past this. 

Those crimson eyes looked up at him with a gentleness that she was sure no one else would get. She had seen a bad part of the world. Desmond had rescued her from it. Most would have said he should have killed her but no, she thought they were wrong. As they walked through the city Saffron truly felt like an outsider as she was watched. Her hand gripped his tightly back and she gave him a gentle smile once more. “I know, I thank you for that. You saved me when no one else had. I know that not everyone will show me the kindness that you have.”

After her mind had been invaded it was almost like somehow was making his words go through one ear and out the other. She blankly stared ahead as they walked. Before long she was lured away. Once he had begun to get close and she had pushed him away, the fight began. Red eyes, glowing with anger, stared at her sire. She giggled innocently. “You are lying. My master is the only one for me.”

Saffron skipped happily behind and watched. She laughed a bit and drank in the screams. She covered her eyes a bit and looked through the cracks. Maybe she was hiding what he could have done to her. Soon she was coming up behind Desmond and took his bloody hand. This time her hand was very gentle on his but it was still there. “I will learn from this too. No one else will have me but you.” She held up her other hand.  The body lit up like fireworks. The smell of skin burning was rising through the air.

“I won't be trouble for you like that. I will get stronger and the next time something like this happens, if it ever does, I will kill them. I will hunt them down and slay them.” She put her hand on his cheek and brought him down to her lips. “I am yours and no one else's. Every inch of me is yours. To hell with anyone else.” She kissed him gently. Her seductive eyes stared up at them as they lost their glow.

“Come love there must be somewhere you want to show me.” She interlaced their fingers and the blood squished and went all over her hand as well.

For a long while he remained, his knees planted against the now exposed and bloody chest of his victim. His rage, that had once seeped through every single pore of his body had now ceased. Desmond remained like a statue looking down at the imbecile and his pathetic attempt to take Saffron for himself. Unfortunately it had nearly worked in his favor. While he was still angry, there was nothing much else he could do him short of decimating the corpse further. He had largely ignored Saffron's actions from the moment he had came across the two of them, his focus entirely on eviscerating the other vampire.

Despite his oblivious state towards Saffron, he hadn't blame her for the transgressions; Desmond blamed himself for not properly training and preparing her. He should have kept their conversation quiet once they set foot onto the city- it was not known for privacy and there were many wandering eyes and prying ears. It was rather easy to had made her a target from the exchange of words between them, and no doubt that what had happened was a result of it. And hopefully the little demonstration that took place would make it loud and clear for all that they were not to be trifled with.

The moment she came to him, he could feel her presence and yet couldn't respond at first. He could hear her words yet they sounded so far away. He wasn't aware of it, but apparently he had force himself up and off the body in time for Saffron to light it up in flames. The smell of burning flesh caught his nose, enough to draw him back into the world around them and take heed of Saffron now.

"We…will have to train you faster. Much faster. I made the mistake of underestimating the abilities of those around us", he admitted with defeat looming in his tone. While her words were encouraging, he still felt help as he recalled her body and blood being violated. His arms cradled her lithe body possessively, as if he would lose her should he let go. There he stood, hopeless and seeking to regain control over himself. Such resolve he held prior to this, and now he felt even more less than he had when he was young, fending for himself on these very streets for survival. Slowly did he rise his eyes onto hers and nodded before he took her by the hand and lead her away from the remains of the mess.

It wasn't long before he came across a tavern, one that unlike many of the ones he commonly ventured, this one was surprisingly well kept and mannerly. While it did have its share of rowdy customers, it was a more serene setting. Quickly taking a table far from the rest of the others, a waitress soon came to take an order. "For me, Dusk's bane", he replied, it being one of the strongest drinks available in these parts and he definitely needed such. "For the lady, cherry mead should do for now." He wasn't too sure on her experience with alcoholic beverages, but if it was like anything else in her life, it was but one more thing to add to the list of what she had missed out on.

Sadness loomed in Saffron's eyes as she thought about his words. She pressed herself to him closer and closed her eyes until she heard him more.  “I will get stronger. I will, I promise. I won't ever make you worry like that again.” She tried to give him confidence that it would not happen but she was still so young to this new world. She held his hand as they walked together and gave a smile as they got to a tavern.

When she sat in the chair she kicked her short legs happily and watched Desmond as he ordered them drinks. She looked all around after that watching the other patrons of the tavern. “What's a Dusk bane?” She was curious a bit as he suggested something light for her. She was in a hurry to learn about everything around her.

When the mead was presented to her she sniffed the liquid before bringing the mug up to drink. At first she made a face but she began to like the taste as it lingered. “It's tart sort of.” She tilted her head and proceeded to drink more of it not knowing she should probably take it easy. She had never had alcohol in her life before. “How long do you think we will stay in Kurayo. Do you think we will stay until I am strong enough?”

She put the mug down and propped her head up on the table with her hands staring dreamily at Desmond. “There's a lot out there. I want to see it but I am scared too. I will become stronger though. I can feel it. It feels cold but on the inside.” She reached and pulled his hand over to touch her chest. “It feels like rage. Like when I killed him.. That scares me. I was only ever angry with two people and now they are dead. Why isn't that enough?”