The Monster Inside: The First Vampire 269 A Foul Path to Freedom

The bed was large enough for 2, and the room still had space to walk all the way around, as well as a small bathroom, and two chairs with a table between them. Still tiny, but bigger than the room with a single cot and a sink that he'd expected. He even had a window, though he closed that fairly quickly after the staff left him alone. It had been a pain to not have his hood, and his eyes were aching.

Immediately, not even bothering to watch the ship leave for the next port, Aegin curled up into bed and fell asleep.

***

Aegin didn't re-emerge until close to midnight. The kitchens had long since closed, but any staff that spotted him inquired as to whether or not he was hungry. Aegin politely declined, insisting that he was just too tired and that he'd eat at breakfast. He was simply getting some fresh air before he retired again to bed. He could not run freely here, which, upon a couple of laps of the ship, he realised was going to make him feel as if he was trapped.

He knew he was. He just didn't particularly want the constant reminders. He also didn't much appreciate having to spend his days in the glaring open sunlight so as to appear normal. The nocturnal habits he'd picked up over the past few months had come back to bite him in the rear.

Aegin did another ten laps or so of the ship, no doubt surprising the guards who were watching different areas as they saw few who were so active in the middle of the night. Then, knowing he'd only cause more trouble if he continued until dawn, Aegin again turned back to his room.

This time he kept the curtains back from the small window, laying on his bed at the perfect angle to gaze up at the night sky. And there, just beyond the clouds, a crescent moon staring back at him. Aegin was mesmerised for a moment. Touched even, then he felt the frown settle on his face, and he rolled over to erase the emotions that were roiling within him.

Aegin huffed. He'd made it this far. And on his own too. If that wasn't proof that he could take care of himself, he didn't know what was. He doubted that Other would have thought as he'd done and deceived all the Priests from the Holy Order.

Well...nearly all of them.

Aegin's thoughts strayed to the Priestess. He doubted that she had a window view like his. What the Yilish Crewman had said was that they'd dump her in the next Port. And Good Riddance too, he didn't need her here screwing things up for...

The other Priests weren't entirely stupid either though. When they realised where their leader had gone, they'd do everything in their power to catch up, even if that meant traversing the land between ports faster than the Yilish ship just to get there in time. There was a reason he'd deceived them. One Priest was easy enough. 7...well, Aegin was confident he'd live, but not without injuries and/or consequences. And certainly not without alerting everyone nearby to his presence and abilities.

There would go his ticket west. His ticket anywhere really.

Even if the Priests didn't catch up, that Priestess knew where Aegin was going now. It wouldn't be hard to figure out. Aegin had to give her some credit too, she was smart.

Aegin felt the hunger roil inside him in disgust and disappointment. His hard earned freedom in the West. The question was no longer Where he would roam free, but for how long.

After all, even the Other had been taken down before.

Aegin, grumbling about the unfairness of it all, lay still with eyes wide open through the night. When dawn arrived he ate breakfast. The Human kind. It was foul. Tasted like dirt. Even the things he'd once loved now made him want to vomit. But he sat through it, even ate extra so he'd have an excuse not to come back until dinner time.

He then took himself to one of the free lounges. After all, he only had a few meagre pieces of silver left on him so he couldn't afford any other entertainment. He sat there for most of the day until nearly after the dinner hour was over, just watching the distant shoreline of the Southern Continent pass by.

Then, with no indication nor apparent reason, Aegin stood and headed for the nearest guard.

"I need to talk to Gelling, where is he?"

Gelling was the Yilish Guard that had dragged away the Priestess. The guard seemed surprised for a moment before he seemed to recognise Aegin. He hesitated, then gave Aegin a few instructions.

Aegin followed them. Down five decks into the underbelly of the ship were the staff quarters were. He found Gelling in a break room placing bets with a few other Crewmen.

"Aegin? What do you need?" asked Gelling.

Aegin sighed, "I need to see her".

Gelling frowned, leaning back against the wall of the small corridor and crossing his arms, "You realise I can't take a passenger to the brigs like this? It's a restricted area. Technically you shouldn't eve be here".

"I know but I need to speak to her," said Aegin.

"May I ask why?" asked Gelling, "You looked as if you didn't care for her at all yesterday".

"I don't care for her," Aegin replied, realising he was putting himself between a rock and a hard place, "I just...she stole something from me, and I want to know who she sold it too".

"Stole something?" asked Gelling, "This Priestess gets more and more interesting".

"Technically, she'd not a Priestess," Aegin said.

Gelling frowned, "She seems pretty legitimate to me".

"She'd an Actress," said Aegin, "She likes to get into her roles".

"And this Actress stole something from you?" asked Gelling, "During your night together, I assume?"

Aegin nodded, "One of them, yes".

"And you've only just realised it now?"

"I only went to look for it now," said Aegin, "It's not something I check for often, but now that I know it's not there, I...well, she's the only one I've had contact with that was close enough to get to it. At least since I've last seen it".

Gelling sighed, "You are aware that this story is getting more and more unbelievable".

"I'm aware, yes, but she'll confirm it for you," said Aegin.

That was definitely a bluff. But luckily, Gelling didn't seem to notice.

"Fine, come on".

Chapter end