26 Shameless

The girl ate with urgency as if the food would disappear from her hands if she did not digest it quickly. The last of the rations given to them by Lament was quickly being devoured. Bits of dried meat fell from her lips, her loud and desperate chewing, her tears falling due to the joy she must have felt knowing she would no longer be hungry. The pain she must have felt as her stomach is working once more, muscles that have been long ignored in place of magical nutrition.

She seemed rather impressive, to be able to keep her own body alive for two months was no simple feat; sure it wasn't from a fatal injury but starvation was an active issue during wars. The fact that she fought it for so long, the urge to eat her fallen townspeople or those weaker than her. Surely she could have culled the village? Magic is powerful. She was even able to create such a bubble around her town, to contain the people within it, to keep the monsters in her fantasies out.

He sat at the door of the carriage, while Lavia tended to the horse. Luckily it hadn't been attacked while they were gone, but it's safe to assume most the people no longer left their homes due to the ghouls. Gavin had, but only to meet with two potential warriors that could help with their problems. His golden gaze fell upon a hole at the side of the carriage and barn wall, his spear must've shot through them both. It rested in his arms, Gawain wondered how far it could be from him before it would no longer return to his grasp.

A soft cough, followed by a few gulps of water. "Will you kill them painlessly?" A soft voice said, finally sounded natural, no forcefulness behind it.

Gawain let his eyes fall upon Olivia, she didn't seem any fuller but her skin seemed to have gained some color. She would still need a few more meals, and a wash before her sickly appearance and stench went away.

"I will do it quickly," Gawain said in a soft tone, he stared at the town through the barn's open door. There were at least twenty people left in the town that could have possibly held around a hundred, twenty humans that have the potential to turn to ghouls due to their actions. They, like him, have given away their humanity, though less graceful means.

"It will be easy for you right since you're a vampire?" Olivia said, she sounded disgusted by the thought of easy killing. Gawain understood this could seem like a slaughter, a monster rolling through a village.

Lavia turned her pink hues in Gawain's direction.

"What will be easy?" He said softly, standing up slowly, wincing from the pain still found in his body.

"Killing all these people," Olivia said, barely a whisper.

"Killing you would be easier." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Why don't you then" The girl's voice quivered when she spoke.

"Because it's easier to kill monsters, these people are closer to that than you." She was just stupid according to Lavia. Olivia was young and strong, her reasoning might have been flawed but she had good intentions. These people might have had good reasoning, but their intentions were twisted.

"I used to be powerless to choose who I killed, it was just ordered. Now it's my choice. I might have killed them all regardless of you Olivia. Now I just have another reason." Gawain sighed at the end. He felt his anger at their actions twisted, his rage shook him, would this have been his natural reaction while human? Was this his decision when he first found out?

Lavia watched him for a moment. "Are you alright leech?" She stepped closer to him.

"Aye, I am." He slowly began walking out the barn. "Do not undo the spell until I return. The sun could kill me."

"Alright," Olivia said looking towards Lavia, the dravian seemed concerned for the vampire. What was there to be concerned about? Weren't they supposed to be cold-blooded killers with a thirst for blood?

Gawain headed towards the first home, he stood at its door looking up, searching for a heartbeat. He wondered if it was the blood of a ghoul that hardened him, was it even the fact that he drunk blood at all. Was it that these people disgusted him, like parts of him hated himself. The dogma of his life that cannibalism, ghouls, and vampires were meant to be killed, hunted. How hypocritical was he? How much will he change? In a hundred years, will he recognize himself? Will he recognize himself tomorrow?

The vampire lunged his body through the barded door, he heard a scream from the inside of the home. It was a woman, it was hard to tell from the heartbeats, the fires burning within them were too similar, perhaps with time, he'll learn. The man walked through the home, he could smell blood. The golden eyes fell upon bodies in the kitchen, there was a mess of bones but two skulls stuck out to him. A child's head and an adult.

She must have killed the father, then to only kill the child. Did they taste good, hopefully, because the woman had invited a rage she knew not of, an avenger of those that could not defend themselves. The cruelty she showed will be returned, there will be a culling in this village. Gawain clenched his jaw before he walked by the doorway following the rapid breaths that came from upstairs. He took slow steps, his body still ached, but his rage pushed him without delay. They were no better than ghouls, goblins, animals, war, even those that live in the chaos waste would not be so cruel.

He opened a door, stepping into a room with a child's bed. Gawain stood there silently, he could hear her rapid beating heart behind another door, a closet. She was so close, so near, he wondered if she would face her well deserved death with honor. He thought of what the child thought as his mother devoured his father, or as she came for him. The betrayal, it was heartbreaking. Taking steps towards the door she hid behind, he slowly opened it.

A stench he was familiar too, people had nowhere to bathe since they could not leave. He was now staring at a woman, older than him. She reeked of fear, it made him smile lightly. He simply stood there, in silence. She struggled with a candle, attempting to light it with a small fire stick.

"Zelim?" The fire grew "Who're you?" She said in a raspy and quivering voice.

Gawain didn't say anything, he simply drew his sword.

"Wait wait, don't kill me!" She began to cry and plead, her face twisted without shame to a sultry look. Tears streaming down blood-stained cheeks and lips. "You're young, I could teach you some things, feed me and I'll please you! I'll keep you entertained, you'll wick will always be wet!" She tried to sound seductive, but it was difficult. She could feel death creeping, and she was not prepared.

Gawain however froze. 'She would please me? Does she think I'd touch her with anything but a blade, this subhuman heap of meat?! Does she have no shame, no sense of her actions, of honor, of duty as a mother!?' He had never felt so disgusted, Olivia wanted them to have painless deaths, he had said they would be given quick ones. He couldn't do that anymore. These things didn't deserve that.

He swung like a butcher, chopping the arm that had reached out to his pelvic region. Blood splattered, a hoarse scream erupted from her followed with more pleas and promises. They only served to further enrage him, a thirst for blood that was only growing with every word she spoke. Gawain kicked, with all the strength of a vampire at her collarbone, it snapped with ease and it launched her back against the wall behind her. Another scream. He stomped down on her thigh, another snap and scream.

He stood there, motionless letting her take in the pain that was delivered. "You deserve this" He whispered, she probably didn't hear it over her screams. He stabbed her heart with his blade, pulling himself away from her.

Gawain stood there, staring at the dying woman.

There was satisfaction, there was no glory but he was satisfied. This was cruel but just. She was once a wife, once a mother, but she stripped herself of that by killing them. She was once human, but she stripped herself of that by eating them.

He might be the vampire, but they are the ones who are monsters. His only feed was in battle, there was no innocent harm. It's like a death in war, no one is to blame but the state, the kingdom, the country.

Olivia created this situation, yes, but Gawain saw it as a test and they all failed. Olivia didn't feed off people, she was prepared to die with them to right her wrong. All these people were ready to create more wrongs to outlive the trap, suffering was created in this forsaken town.

Olivia created the stones.