22 Alícia - Meeting a vampire

Alicia's been at sea for four whole days. The sky seems never to want to dawn, that meant one thing, a human was sailing, in a small boat, towards the fearsome Demonic Continent.

The mouth is completely dry, Alicia feels that her body temperature is rising. Everything could be solved if she could use water magic, but it was the most complicated of the four magic elements, she hadn't had time to learn it. His head and back hurt constantly, so strong that they even relieve the pain he felt in his empty stomach, this pain increased more and more, bordering on the unbearable.

"Hey, is anybody there?" You can hear a scream away.

A while ago, things like that started happening too, I was delirious. The voice of people he missed could be heard from time to time, at first he always answered it, but when he noticed that they were hallucinations he began to ignore it.

The voice remained silent, just as she had imagined. But then he could hear a different sound, as if someone was paddling towards him. Could anyone really be in a place like that?

"Alicia tries to say something, but her voice comes out weak, she couldn't even have the strength to do it.

"I am not an enemy!" The voice screams in response. "I'm getting closer."

At that moment, a severe headache hits her. It was like someone stepped on it. How it hurts, how it hurts. Your consciousness begins to get lost. What if it was someone who could help you? Would you die so close to your salvation?

Alicia feels the presence of someone, tries as hard as she can to stay awake, but she was losing the battle against the darkness. What if that person was the same as the others? Could you really trust anyone?

"I... I'm not a monster." Alicia says before she loses consciousness.

He can taste something strange, but even though he didn't know what his body was, he seemed to yearn for it. As if she were drinking water non-stop, the water she had been longing for for so long, her hunger that attacked her for days is also instantly satiated.

"Where... where is Alicia?" Alicia talks while coughing.

Looking around she sees a man. They were both in the same boat. He had very white skin, black eyes and hair, as well as the shinigamis he heard in stories as a child. When Alicia speaks, he smiles.

Alicia tries to go backwards, but hits her back on the edge of the boat. Scary, was it someone she didn't know, what if she wanted to hurt her? Scary, scary.

"Who... Who are you?" Alicia says, she could barely hold her tears.

"Stay calm I..." He tries to talk.

Alicia can't, she's too scared. Try covering your ears with your hand.

"No, no, please, I didn't do anything." Alicia needs to convince him to leave her alone, but he can't stop shaking.

After a few seconds the man talks.

"Mental control. Stay calm" speaks slowly.

As soon as Alicia heard her voice, something strange happened, she was able to stop shaking. How long has it been since I could stop in front of other people? Every time I met someone else, I entered this state, but now I was able to control myself.

"I, I" Alicia's.... breathing starts to get lighter.

- My name is Ioan, I'm sorry to bring you to this boat - He spoke slowly, as if he was giving a lesson. - I found you in the middle of the sea, you were weak and I decided to help you.

Alicia looks at her hand, she wasn't really training, she had tried so hard, but this person managed to help her so easily?

"Did you heal Alicia?" Alicia says she's impressed.

"Yes, I healed you," he says.

"How?"

Alicia wanted to understand more, find out more, maybe this person can help her with her problem. This person was Ioan, a vampire who was on his way to the human continent, he explained what he really possessed and how he could survive, he would have to be close to some demonic species. While explaining her, he always spoke slowly, he did so so so that she would understand properly. A thought goes through your head.

"If you want to say something, just say it," says Ioan.

He seemed to understand her like no one had ever done before.

"Alicia could..." he says looking into his eyes. "Could I have Ioan?"

"I thought of that possibility too, but..." He starts talking.

"But?" Alicia ends up raising her voice.

Would he refuse? Certainly Ioan was a good person and she would probably be a nuisance to him, but...

"Is everything really okay with me?" Ioan asks. "Wouldn't that be bad? I'm a person you don't know."

Alicia is surprised, would he really accept it? Even if it's a hindrance.

"Alicia thinks Ioan's a good person." Alicia starts talking. "Alicia met many people, many good and many bad. One person said, "You'll meet good people in the future. Ioan is one of those good people."

I believe those words.

"So, let's be companions." He talks by reaching out. "Right?"

"Companions!" Alicia speaks loudly shaking her hand.

The next two days were incredible for Alicia. It had been a long time since he had been able to talk to anyone, Ioan was extremely attentive to her, he told her about his time in the Vampire Kingdom, sometimes Alicia also talked about his past, he always seemed interested, but he never asked much, when she seemed upset he quickly changed the subject.

Although hunger and thirst were satisfied, they began to appear after a day, at that moment Ioan once again gave him a little more of his blood. Just as the first time the feeling was incredible, as if all his needs were satisfied at the same instant, his wounds were healed. It was a great feeling I felt, but Ioan once again explained the complications of this method.

At the end of the second day something unbelievable happened, they found an island. It was as if the gods themselves were trying to help them. Alicia was a little embarrassed to ask to stay there for a while, but Ioan convinced her, said that she also needed a break and that she was thirsty and hungry, she could not know if it was a lie or truth, because he showed no fatigue. It might be true, but she felt it was just an excuse to make her feel better.

He took her into the forest after a while, although he showed some apprehension in doing so. The motive was just one, to let Alicia drink water. She was carried on her back, just as parents usually do with their children, she certainly felt ashamed, but at the same time happy to do that.

When we get close to a small river he puts it on the ground, Alica comes close to drinking, but he holds it.

"Wait a minute, we don't know if this water is of good quality yet" He talks approaching the river.

"Okay." Alicia's near him.

Alicia watches him do various things, his expression was very serious. He takes some water with his hand, comes close to his face and starts doing several other things that Alicia didn't understand. It really looked like I was worried, maybe that water wasn't right. Finally he puts it in his mouth.

"Didn't you say it might be bad?" Alicia says surprise.

He could get sick.

"It's okay, this is one of the tests to know if it's potable, if it weren't for me, I'd spit it out on the spot, besides I'm a vampire, my body is more resistant than humans'." Ioan says.

Alicia poutes. He was taking the risks in his place.

"You shouldn't risk it either, Alicia's a partner." Alicia says "blustery.

"I see..." He giggles a little bit. "Water is drinkable, you can drink as you please."

Alicia tries to look like she was angry, but the truth is that she was happy that someone cared so much, it was hard to hide her smile, but at the same time she also wanted to be treated as a companion, it seems that he is treating her like a child. Soon after that you'll be drinking water. After a while he comes to his senses.

"Now Alicia's fine..." She says a little panting.

He smiles.

"Before I was seeing if the water was good for drinking," he explains. "Do you want to learn how to do that?"

He wants to teach you? Usually adults just say what's right, but this was a great opportunity for Alicia.

"Please teach Alicia" Alicia says bowing.

"You don't need that, let's help each other, okay?" He says asking Alicia to raise her head.

He says that while he won't let me help. Alicia thinks of complaining, but Ioan sits next to her and takes a handful of water with his hand.

"First let's go with the smell..." Start explaining.

Her explanation was easy to understand, even when Alicia did not understand something Ioan would come back and explain until she could. So unlike any other adult he'd ever met in his life.

That day he took coconuts and caught fish to be eaten, always leaving much of what he got to Alicia, even though he asked her to start too. Alicia thought he cared too much about her. That night, at least that's what he felt it was about sleep, he got Ioan to show his status, this was proof that they were companions, he was happy, but he was overcome by tiredness, at that moment he used his clothes as a lining for him to lie down.

"Won't Ioan sleep too?" Alicia asks when she sits in the boat.

"We don't know if it's totally safe here, some animal or monster might show up, so I'll be watching," he answers.

"Ioan needs to rest too." Alicia speaks sleepily.

Sleep seems impossible to resist.

"Don't worry about it, if it's too quiet, I'll rest too."

He raises his hand, Alicia retreats a little instinctively, but soon after he returns to where he was, there's no way Ioan can hurt him. Then he began to put his hand on his head.

"I'm your companion, I'll never hurt you." Ioan says by passing his hand on your head.

How long has it been since you've felt something like this, maybe years, you've been relaxing without having to worry about anything, you knew that if something happened Ioan would be there to help you. He's still passing his hand over your head.

"Will Ioan still be here when Alicia wakes up?" Alicia asks.

I was afraid he'd sleep and he'd disappear, everything was so good that it looked like a dream. If she wakes up, she won't be gone, right?

"Sure, we're partners," he says.

"Partners..."

Alicia's eyes close completely, the fear that he would disappear was still real, but it empties when he holds her hand, he doesn't try to take it off, he just stays there with her.

"You're not alone anymore." That's the last thing you hear before you fall asleep.