“You can raise the undead?” a sparkle of wonder appeared in Jay's eyes.
“Uh, not exactly. We can only raise fresh corpses back until they run out of... vitality, let's say, and only one at a time - though there was an Elder who could raise many after he dedicated centuries of research to it.” Asra said, looking up at the tree tops as she lay there uncaringly.
“Vampires can raise the dead... well then, that certainly changes things. Maybe I can find a teacher... or at least some guidance. I wonder if there's some research books left over?” Jay thought.
However, he had a feeling of pity and disdain of their weak necromancy. Soon, he even triumphant jubilation and pride as he thought of his necromancy as far superior to whatever the vampire kind of undead were.
“Pathetic...” he thought, smugly grinning into the fire, “one at a time is nothing, but theirs don't even last?” he shook his head,
“I guess it makes sense why she wasn't afraid at first anyway, since they can raise undead too... barely.” Jay stoked the fire with a stick.
Asra kept leisurely speaking, “You know, when we get to Luna there will be people who will want to challenge your undead with their own, but they will do it to mostly try and embarrass me. Yours look kind of flimsy.”
“Ah, how unfortunate” Jay said, trying not to sound sarcastic.
“...for them.” he thought.
Jay decided to let her think that they were flimsy.
A part of him looked forward to the challenge, though he also wanted to hide how strong his skeletons truly were.
Jay's skeletons were capable of killing things of much higher levels than themselves simply because of their unflinching brutality, aggressiveness, speed, and now their weapons too - being underestimated was just another way to make them more dangerous.
While he had not seen the undead that the vampires could raise, he doubted they would be very impressive as theirs couldn't even remain alive - well, undead - for very long before breaking down.
Not to mention that it was hardly ever a one vs one fight anymore.
With Blue forming into its commander role it would be ordering multiple skeletons around, using battle tactics and outnumbering opponents, and Jay was only going to get more skeletons as he levelled up. More specialized ones.
And Jay was supposed to worry about some fleshly undead which didn't even last long? And his skeletons look flimsy?
It was practically insulting.
Though, what she said was also a blessing, in a way.
Asra had not seen the skeletons in action yet, and compared to a creature with a fleshly body, perhaps they would have looked weak and meagre, but Jay only saw opportunity and began to plot, sending thought-commands to his skeletons.
“All of you are only walk as fast as Heavy while Asra is awake.”
“You're also to attack half as fast, too... unless we have to deal with Asra.” he added.
“Blue, idiot-tactics only.”
With his plan in place, Jay decided to relax and sit by the fire, and innocently began eating some more.
After a while, as the night moved on, he received some damage notifications.
[-5] [-5] [-5]
“Huh? I'm being damaged?” he said, checking the parasites in his arms.
“Oh. That was from when I fed on you. Delayed damage notifications. Nothing to worry about.”
“Ah... I see.” Jay said, feeling a little relieved, but wondering what the purpose of delayed damage messages would be.
As he sat by the fire he wondered what to do next.
“Her intentions aren't too bad I guess. I mean, she didn't try to kill me anyway, but I'll need a way to be of value to her if we are to go to Luna so that she doesn't let me die there. I'm betting other vampires hate humans too.”
“I suppose I have time to think about it while we travel. It doesn't look like she'll run away either, not now that she's given me the guidance back.”
Jay was still undecided about going to Luna, but if he were to go he would do it after learning more from Asra, as well as learning about Asra herself.
So far, it seemed that she liked him, as she leisurely made conversation and answered his questions - though perhaps it was because there was no one else to talk to, and had been trapped in the blood-vine cocoon for so long.
Glancing around at his skeletons, it seemed like everything was in order, and soon enough Jay took out his swag and lay down as sleepiness set in.
Since he had the guidance back, he put Heavy back onto fire tending duty, while having Blue stand over him as a personal guard.
Red stood near Asra, as her 'personal guard' too. Of course, it was a different sort of guard as she was, unknowingly, still his prisoner.
Asra had conversely become more energetic as the night went on and she was now reading a book. It was in a different language so Jay didn't understand the title, and was wrapped in a sickening white, hardened and hairless leather.
Jay decided not to enquire about it.
As he began to drift off to sleep, he recieved an exp notification.
[4 Exp]
Another successful hunt.
"Just don't skin it." he sent Lamp a thought-command.
Knowing the skeleton was a few hours away, and that he was mostly safe, Jay just decided to sleep for now.
After having no dreams he woke up to the sounds of the crackling fire and a dark forest.
It was still night time.
“Bob.” he was nudged by someone's shoe.
“Huh?”
"Wake up. Now." Asra said in a commanding tone.
It took a second for Jay to gather his thoughts but he quickly remembered that he was pretending to be under her control.
So far, this was probably the hardest part; getting out of his warm bed in the cold of the night.
"Huh?"
Jay was shaken awake, "Your damn skeletons, Bob! You have to stop them!"
Looking around, Jay was confused.
Blue was still standing over him, protecting its master. Fortunately it didn't react when Asra shook him, and Blue's gaze was lying somewhere else.
A vicious creature covered with black fur was being hacked to pieces by his skeletons - even though they were moving at half their usual speed.
Maybe even slower than that.
Jay had to stop himself from grinning, seeing his skeletons easily slay this creature despite their handicap.
The strange part was that the creature didn't make any sound.
However, before Jay could tell them to stop it seemed the creature was already dead. Oddly, there was no blood coming from its corpse either.
"Ah, don't tell me..." he thought.
As if to answer his thoughts, the girl frowned and seemed quite disappointed.
"Bob... tell your skeletons not to attack my undead..." she pouted.
"Don't attack Asra's undead." Jay said loudly, making sure all skeletons could hear - though this was for show.
He secertly added more to the command using his thoughts, "...unless they attack me."
The skeletons turned to Jay and nodded.
Asra seemed a little displeased that the skeletons didn't recognise her as their master, but she really couldn't do anything about it.
"Ah, so you decided to raise the prey my skeletons hunted?"
"Yes. After I drank it's blood." she said, still looking at the butchered corpse.
"I thought you preferred human? Hmm, anyway, I don't really want to eat it anymore." Jay said, getting comfortable in his bed again and turning away from her.
He closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep, as if it never happened.
Asra looked like she wanted to say something, but instead shook her head, still pouting.
"Red, burn the corpse." Jay said, his eyes already closed while he sent Lamp to bring back to the hunt.
"You can skin it this time." he send the thought to Lamp, "and come back in the morning, only after the sun comes up."
He didn't want Asra to try that again, but was glad she was more well-fed now.
Jay slyly smiled as he rested his head on his pillow and let himself fall back to sleep.
This time however, he did have a dream.
