Just Friends

From the perspective of Chase Cringle.

I returned to the post-funeral service to find a dozen or more Prometheans remaining, all of them paying their respects and a few bawling their eyes out, except for one; she sat in a chair in the right front row all by herself. I walked forward from behind the seats and through the center walkway. I sat down beside the woman. Instantly the woman beside me turned her head to see who I was.

"Chase?" Nicole seemed surprised. "You came back. Why?"

I shrugged. "I was bored. Didn't want to go to bed just yet. Besides, I didn't know where to find a bed around here."

Nicole chuckled. "There are extra beds for outsiders in the Visitor's Tent. Did no one tell you?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I've been awake since… since I woke up at the Tower of Blood."

"Ah. I didn't know about that." Nicole held her black and gold crystal Promethean orb in her right hand, gazing at it intently.

"What are you still doing here?"

Nicole shrugged. "I can't help but think about Narceus and Wolfbane. Two of my best friends. They're gone forever, now. All because of Orrus."

"I understand. I'm so, so sorry for your losses. I can't imagine losing two best friends on the same day. That's awful. If it wasn't for me coming through Promethean Territory, your friends would still be alive."

"I wish I was the one to kill Orrus, that bastard. With Narceus and Wolfbane gone, I don't see a reason to stick around. Evelyn, Atropine, and Scolopendra are more than qualified to govern the Prometheans on their own. I would just get in the way."

"You're leaving? Where will you go?"

Nicole eased back into her chair, tilting her head slightly. "Don't know. I just know I'm done here. There's so much to do and see. There's a whole world out there. I can't imagine staying here any longer."

I confessed, "I know we just recently met, but it feels like we've known each other for years."

Nicole agreed with a nod. "Totally. You seem like a good person, Chase. I would be glad to be your friend."

I smiled weakly. "I would be glad to be your friend, too. But I'm leaving tomorrow with Brandon and Jeriah. We're going to Chicago."

"That sounds like fun," Nicole admitted. "Wish I could go."

I replied, "You can. You can go with us. There's nothing stopping you."

Nicole grimaced. "I know. But after what happened to Narceus and Wolfbane… the others will be so disheartened."

"You only have one life to live. Your feelings should come before the feelings of others."

"Chase. I would love to go to Chicago with you. But I can't. My destiny is telling me to go to Manhattan. Maybe I'll get a job working for FEF East. There's no telling how much I could accomplish there. Here, I'll always be Nicole. Here, I'll always be ordered around by Scolopendra and Atropine as if I'm their errand girl."

I couldn't express any words in response to Nicole. I had never been in her kind of position. I could only nod softly and look ahead.

"I'm sorry, Chase, I really am. You thought maybe I could come with you and your friends and I disappointed you. I'm really, really sorry."

"Don't be. You could do great things working for the F.E.F. I believe in you."

"Thank you, Chase. I won't forget you. Maybe we'll meet again, years from now."

"Heh. I wouldn't doubt it."

"Haha. I wouldn't doubt it, either."

Nicole and I sat there for a few minutes, both of us silent. I could hardly think of anything else to say, yet I wasn't ready to say goodbye. "Hey," I said. "Want to get some drinks?"

Nicole immediately perked up and smiled happily. "Sure. Why not?"

Nicole and I walked to the Master Tent together. I ordered the same drink that me and my buddies had earlier: a shot of bourbon with a splash of cream orange soda. Nicole seemed interested and she ordered one as well. The drinks were on the house, apparently because Nicole was a member of the Fatal Six. We quickly downed the shots effortlessly. I then wiped my face with the side of my right hand.

"Holy shit. That was the bomb!" Nicole admitted. "Where did you get the idea for this drink?"

I rolled my eyes. "My friend, Jeriah, was drinking it earlier. So then Brandon and I tried it. I agree. It's damn good."

Nicole chuckled in response, then smiled wide and placed her hand on my left leg. "You're cute, you know that?"

I laughed and shook my head. "That's the alcohol talking. But I've gotta say. You're cute, too."

Nicole grinned and pulled my stool closer to hers. I was surprised.

"Wanna meet Leo?" she asked.

I shrugged. "You mean Leo the lion inside your Promethean orb? Why not?"

"Awesome," Nicole replied. She produced her Promethean orb and held it between me and her. "Leo. Come on out. I have someone for you to meet. His name is Chase. Try not to scare him, okay?"

I was fascinated, astounded. A black, murky portal, just like the one Austin, Scolopocryptops, and Gordanus each had emerged from before, formed in the empty space behind where we sat, and from the portal out jumped a regal, imposing lion about ten feet tall and probably weighing around a ton. Leo bared his fangs at me, but then smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Leo." Leo was magnificent, he was perhaps the size of ten men, had a beautiful, fluffy tangerine-orange mane and amber-red eyes, his fur was like golden tufts, and his tail nearly the same length as his body.

"Damn. I've never seen a real lion before," I admitted. "Now I have."

Leo smirked. "I'm not just any lion. I'm Leo. THE Leo. There's a constellation named after me. Nicole's sun sign is also Leo." I found it a hard pill to swallow, a lion admitting he's actually the inspiration for a constellation.

"I was the Nemean lion, but Heracles slew me, and, somehow, my soul became tied to the Lion Orb. For generations I remained in the orb, unable to speak or communicate with anyone. I had a lot of time to think about my previous life. I vowed never to harm an innocent life again."

"Hmm," I said. "If that's true, that means the Lion Orb originated in Europe. And, if so, then so did all the other Promethean orbs. Right?"

Leo heaved a great sigh. "It's true. It has to be true. I don't know who created the Promethean orbs. I don't know who tied my soul to the Lion Orb, or how. But I figure they must be the same person. A mage, perhaps?"

Nicole nodded. "Whoever it was had to be a mage with extensive knowledge and power. There were few magi during the second millennium BCE. Magi were persecuted by a number of different kingdoms and different groups of people. Though some kingdoms did enlist some magi, such as Babylon and Egypt."

"I wonder who created the Promethean orbs. And why?"

Leo placed his right paw on my right leg. "Such ancient history should not concern you, fledgling. But if it does interest you, maybe it would be wise of you to seek out a vampire historian who may know such things. I only say that because vampires are some of the best historians out there, considering their longevity."

Nicole nodded in agreement. "What he says is true. It would be wise of you to find a vampire historian and learn about the history of the Promethean orbs. There's much ambiguity surrounding them. Some say the first vampire lords created them, others say they've always existed."

I was incredibly intrigued. "Who were the first vampire lords, anyhow?"

Nicole pursed her lips.

Leo sighed heavily again, then replied, "The first vampire lords, as legend recalls, were three brothers: Uruk, Sard, and Dhol. Each brother drank the blood of their cursed slain father in an effort to gain untold mystical powers, and to seek revenge against their father's killer. I guess the three brothers didn't know their father's cursed blood would make them the fathers of all vampires. Anyway, their father's killer, Khall, went into hiding after the three brothers' father, Khuffar, was cursed and subsequently murdered by his older brother in a jealous rage. After a century of searching for their father's killer, the three brothers gave up and parted ways, each forming a tribe of vampires: the Aurum Tribe, the Argentum Tribe, and the Cuprum Tribe. Every vampire that has ever existed can trace their roots back to one of those three tribes. Uruk is the leader of the Argentum Tribe, Sard is the leader of the Cuprum Tribe, and Dhol is the leader of the Aurum Tribe. If I may be bold, I dare say that you, fledgling, are a descendant of Uruk. The Argentum Tribe always produced offspring with silver hair and crystal-blue eyes."

I was flabbergasted. To hear that I was a descendant of one of the first vampire lords seemed impossible. "No way," I said. "I was born a human."

Leo retorted, "You may have been born a human, but part of your lineage probably dates back to Uruk, the Silver King. Legend says he fought a perilous war against the Aurum Tribe and the Cuprum Tribe both, and won, but at a great cost. The Aurum Tribe lost many of their own in the War of the Tribes, so that's why there are so few descendants of Uruk compared to the descendants of Sard and Dhol."

It was all too much. I asked the bartender for another drink. I drank it swiftly, all in one gulp.

"So, you're saying I'm a descendant of one of the first three vampire lords? That's amazing!" I shouted in excitement. "What does that mean for me?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "It means silver cannot harm you, unlike the vampire descendants of Sard and Dhol. It also means you are a rare breed."

"Oh," I said. "Could there be other descendants of Uruk out there alive today?"

"Yes, indeed," Leo replied. "But it is not likely you will ever meet another descendant of Uruk. As I've said, there are fewer descendants of Uruk today than there are descendants of Sard and Dhol. Far fewer. To complicate matters, you could be a descendant of Uruk, but the vampire before you could have been a descendant of Sard or Dhol or any combination of the three. It gets complicated."

"Okay," Nicole said. "Enough with the history lessons, Leo. Let Chase take it all in."

"Yes, please," I commented. "I've had enough drinks for tonight."

"Lucky you," Leo replied. "I can't drink alcohol. I once tried. I threw up everything I ate in the previous 24 hours."

"That sucks," I admitted.

I released a long, drawn-out yawn. "I'm getting a bit tired. What are you guys gonna do?"

Leo replied first. "I'm going back into my orb where it's nice and warm. See ya, around Chase. Later, Nikki."

"Later, Leo." Nicole waved with a soft smile.

A portal appeared beside Leo, and he casually jumped inside it, disappearing as the portal closed behind him.

Nicole then replied to me. "I'm gonna order a cheeseburger. Want one?"

Holy crap. A cheeseburger. One of my favorite foods. I hadn't had one in years. Of course I was going to say yes.

"Sure, I'll take a cheeseburger," I said happily.

Nicole grinned deviously. "Want me to make it a deluxe?"

It was a no-brainer. I definitely said yes.

"Yes. Please."

"Hey, dude," Nicole waved down the bartender. "Have your guy friend working the grill make us two deluxe cheeseburgers. Make it snappy."

"On it," the bartender replied and walked off to inform the frycook.

"Shouldn't be no more than ten minutes," Nicole said confidently. "How about we get them burgers to go and we go back to my apartment for a movie and maybe a little something extra?"

I was caught off guard. I stared off into space for a moment, then I subtly turned my gaze toward Nicole. I knew what I wanted to say, but I was hesitant to say it. "Uh. Sure? Sounds like a lot of fun."

"Good. We'll go as soon as our food is ready."

Nicole and I talked for a few more minutes while our food cooked. When we were handed our orders, we strolled on over to her apartment a block away from Chad's House of Jewels and Spells. We entered her apartment, and I locked the door behind me. We slowly crept upstairs to her bedroom filled with crystals, lit candles, and a bunch of landscape paintings leaning against the wall. In the center of the room was a wooden stool and beside it was an easel, and beside that was a palette with a paintbrush. In the corner of the room was an oak dresser with a flat-screen TV sitting on top and a DVD player to the side. In the adjacent corner of the room was a queen size bed with a zebra-striped bed cover and a wadded black and white checkered comforter on top. Next to the bed was a pristine black mini fridge.

The bedroom light was dim, and Nicole grabbed the DVD we were to watch and slid it into the DVD player. She then grabbed the master remote and she flopped down on her bed with the paper bag concealing our two cheeseburgers. "Dig in," she said with a grin.

I happily flopped down beside Nicole and dug out my cheeseburger and began to scarf it down. It had been a few days since I had a decent meal.

Nicole started the movie; it was a classic: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

"You like Harry Potter?" I asked rhetorically. "Awesome. Though, I wonder. Where does the electricity come from?"

Nicole rolled her eyes, her mouth full of cheeseburger. She swallowed her bite, then replied, "I have one badass generator running in the basement."

We both finished our cheeseburgers and watched the movie through the very end, and, when it was over, Nicole gazed into my eyes, displaying a lovely smile.

"Wanna fuck?" She asked plainly.

I gulped, then I nodded. "Why not?"

Nicole and I both undressed and threw our clothes on the floor. Nicole fixed the comforter and we laid on her bed with her on top of me. The sex was the best I've had. We both took our time. We tried several different positions and we each climaxed several times. Unbelievable, I thought to myself.

When we were done we were both sweating like construction workers after a long shift on a scorching hot summer day.

Nicole, breathing heavy, rubbed my back when we were done.

"Want some water?" Nicole asked. "I have bottled spring water in the mini fridge."

I licked my dry lips. "Sure," I said. "Blood would be better, but I could definitely settle for some water."

As Nicole got out of bed, I noticed the extent of her beauty. She was tall, as tall as me, and thin. She had faint scars all over her back. She had lots of freckles on her shoulders and fewer down her back. Her hair was copper-orange and reflected a brighter fiery orange. As she bent down to open the fridge to retrieve our bottled waters, I also noticed she had a nice perfectly plump heart-shaped butt. She turned and it was as if time stood still. She had a few freckles dotting her face, her eyes were steel-blue, and her smile was extraordinary, her lips a faint red, her cheeks pale, her tits perfectly perky. Her pubic hair was non-existent, completely shaved.

"What is it?" she asked. "Never seen a naked redhead before?"

Nicole opened her water bottle and handed the other to me, then she began to down the water bottle swiftly, leaving not even a drop left. She then capped the empty plastic water bottle and placed it on top of the oak dresser. "I save plastic water bottles," she said. "I have them filled with spring water whenever traders come to town bringing spring water from out east. I'm stocked with hundreds of water bottles in the basement in case the traders don't show up on time."

"You seemed quite prepared. Are you really willing to leave St. Louis behind?" I asked.

Nicole shrugged and frowned. "No. I'm not. I've got all these landscape paintings I've done and I've no idea what to do with them."

"Hmm," I said. "Maybe you could give them away? Or sell them?"

Nicole shook her head. "No, I won't sell them. But I won't let them just sit here and not be admired after I leave, either. No, I'll give them away to whoever wants them. First come, first serve. It's the right thing to do."

"I agree."

Nicole gently sat down beside me in her bed, then she wrapped her arms around me and laid her head on my left shoulder. "I want to go to New York. But I also want to go with you." She looked up intently at me, gazing into my eyes, as if communicating by telepathy, "What do I do?"

I didn't know all the answers in life. But I did know Nicole and I were meant to be together. Maybe not together together. But together. We were connected, in more ways than one.

"You should come with me and my friends. Let Evelyn or Atropine oversee the distribution of your paintings. Let someone else have this apartment. You won't need it anymore if you come with me."

Nicole listened intently, nodding to each statement. "You're right. I wanted to go to New York and work with the very best scientists. But I forgot life has many roads to choose, not just one definite road. I choose to go with you, Chase. That's what I really want. I know it's sudden, but life is short."

"Not for a vampire, it isn't," I remarked.

Nicole smiled warmly, her right hand resting against my left cheek.

"Let's go walking around. It's the last night of the Festival of Wizards. You never know what you'll see."

Nicole and I put our clothes back on and we exited her apartment in a hurry. What kind of fun is on her mind? I wondered.