Far from the respectable and prosperous towns and villages where people resided, a lonely forest named Palavista stood with a lack of greens. It was because, even though the forest looked rich with flora and fauna, as a person walked closer to the heart of the forest, one would find the trees to have no leaves holding on to them.
And Marceline Moriarty had stepped near the forest with a dagger in her hand as she stood with her back to the carriage. Her coachman looked at the forest with a weary eye, and his gaze shifted to look at the young vampire mistress.
"Milady, I don't think this forest is safe to be around," the coachman said in a low voice, and when Marceline glared at him, he immediately shut up.
"I am here to see if I can find something that can be of use in the mansion's garden," Marceline harrumphed and ordered the coachman, "Stay here until I return, and don't wander around."
"Yes, milady," the coachman didn't raise his head but heard the vampiress walk into the forest. When a nearby crow cawed, he turned startled and moved closer to the horses.
Marceline Moriarty continued to walk into the forest, fearless even though she didn't have her fangs because of the way she had grown up, and her pride didn't allow her to show her weakness. She kept her eyes open, making sure not to be scared by the number of crows she came across, where some were perched on the branches, looking at her.
Even though the trees lacked leaves, the forest held a gloominess and with the dark clouds that hovered in the sky, it left an eeriness in the atmosphere. Soon even the crows stopped squawking and cawing and the only sound left was of Marceline's footsteps on the forest ground. The fog started to crawl on the ground, making it hard to look at the surface.
When a crow suddenly flew in front of Marceline, she gasped and stopped walking. She cursed the crow.
"A pureblooded vampiress in the forest," a woman spoke, and Marceline's eyes were quick to fall on a woman who stood not too far behind her. "Should I call it to be my fortune to have you here..."
"I have questions that I need answers for," Marceline stated in her proud voice.
"And what do I get in return?" The woman asked who was a witch in disguise.
Marceline pulled out of a pouch from behind her cloak. When she moved it, the bag jingled with coins in it, and she said, "There's fifty gold coins in here. They will be all yours."
The witch chuckled and said, "Pureblooded vampiress, just because I live in the forest, don't think I don't know the wealth all of you hold. And what use is gold for a person like me? I need something more. Something better."
Marceline said, "That will depend on the answer you give me, if it is worth it."
"Arrogance never does anyone good. But you should know it better than that," the witch slowly walked as if starting to circle a little away from where the vampiress stood. "Pass me the coins, and I will see next."
Marceline then threw the bag of coins towards the witch, and the witch caught hold of it, putting it under her dress to hide it. She questioned, "I need you to regenerate my lost fangs."
The witch laughed this time, her laugh echoing through the forest, but Marceline wasn't amused. The witch then stopped and said, "Are you a new to the vampire society? Even I know that vampires or pureblooded vampires can't bring back their fangs once it is gone. If you are here to waste your time, you should find something else to do."
"It is possible," Marceline stated with firmness and said, "My own sister was able to regrow her fangs. She lost in a few months ago but it is back. She said it was because of her kind heart. I need you to help me with it."
"With your fangs or kindness?" The witch was more than amused with the vampiress in front of her. She said, "There's no such thing as getting your broken fangs back, unless you are trying to stick your old fangs into your mouth. Many vampires over the centuries have come but no witch has been able to find a cure for it. I don't know about kind hearts, but you could try it, which I doubt will still work. It sounds more like someone who was kind helped her."
"Help me find the person who helped my sister!" Marceline's words held desperation in them.
"I cannot find the person in thin air, vampiress. You ask for the impossible. Might as well humble down and maybe you will be offered kindness too?" The witch shrugged her shoulders and started to walk from there.
"Wait!" Marceline shouted, and she quickly followed the witch, "I will give you anything if you help me!"
Hearing this, the witch stopped walking and asked, "Are you sure about it?"
"Help me get my fangs back and I will help you," Marceline offered the witch, her dull eyes had turned fierce, and the witch smiled.
"Then let me see how I can help you, though it is true that I cannot help you find the person. But maybe you can see whom your sister has been or come in contact with recently. Humans don't have powers, so it could be the werewolves or vampires, whom she came across," the witch suggested, and Marceline gave it a thought. "Did you say she regrew her fangs?" Questioned the witch.
"Yes," Marceline answered, and then heard the witch,
"Bring me your sister's old fangs, and I will try to trace it back to the person. But in return... you have to bring me a human. One who is a virgin. Bring me the person and I will fulfil your wish."
