Tides

CHAPTER 5--Cassin

When Cassin heard the other vampire–Jalno–say his name, he froze. He had been rescued by one of his citizens or a more neutral leaning rogue. He hoped it was the former and whoever it was knew him at least a little.

His tired brain almost had him babbling 'Mother,' but he stopped himself just in time. Dead, he reminded himself, His mother was dead.

" H-How do you know my name?" he asked, wary of the other vampire's certainty when he said it and of the stale wolfscent that lingered around them both.

"I...You're just recognizable, sir–In those clothes and whatnot."

The vampire's voice was rough and throaty, reminding Cassin of Ranok–Who was now dead too thanks to the rogues.

"How did you find me?"

There was a dry chuckle from the blurry shape of his savior. "You just washed right up on my shore."

"Your shore?"

"You're full of questions now, aren't you?" Jalno said, sounding amused. "Yes, I live right by the river."

"Ah." Cassin tried to build a mental picture of where along the riverbank he could've come ashore. "How far away is the palace from here?"

Silence, then, "Far."

Shit. "How am I going to get back?" Now, thinking about it, stumbling half blind through the wilderness seemed like a recipe for disaster.

"Walk."

There was no sympathy in his rescuer's voice, only cold certainty. Cassin swallowed, put off. "Walk? All the way?" 

 "Yes."

Cassin swore silently to himself, resolving himself to a cruel fate.

"So be it."

As he uttered the words, a hot, prickling sensation ran down his spine and he fell back, stunned. It was as if a thousand needles were poking into his back.

"Ah!"

His wounds throbbed and Cassin felt wetness seeping from the punctures in his skin. It was sticky–blood.

His rescuer paused, seeming to assess the situation. "Are you okay?" a pause, then, "Sir?"

"I-I'm fine," Cassin stammered, unsure of whether he was actually fine or not. "I-I just...Heat flash."

There was a long silence in which Cassin could hear a cave cricket chirping somewhere in a cravass. Jalno seemed to be studying him intensely.

At last he spoke. "I-I don't think you should leave alone, va–sir." Jalno spoke slowly, as if this revelation was coming to him one word at a time. 

 "Yeah...," agreed Cassin, slowly. The more he talked to Jalno, the more something nagged at him, but brain fog was getting in his way.

"Where were you planning on going?" Jalno asked.

"The palace," Cassin answered immediately. "I need to get back." He felt as if he could trust Jalno's judgment. So far, the vampire had been nothing but kind to him. in his presence Cassin felt protected. 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"No. But I have too. For my people–For you."

The other vampire snorted in amusement. "Not for me per say, but for the rest of your kingdom."

Cassin squared his shoulders the best he could under the circumstances. "Yes."

Another long bout of silence passed, so long, in fact, that Cassin thought Jalno had abandoned him. Then Jalno spoke, sounding uncertain as he did.