chapter 6 : Sage

They took almost three months on the road to reach their destination and Harper had fully integrated into the group while he ended up forming a passionate couple with Tilly.

 Was it difficult ? Yes, holding back his bloodlust with those around him was a constant struggle even if it was getting easier and easier.

Of course, he went elsewhere to feed on humans or animals, but the most difficult thing was with Tilly in their privacy.

A few times he almost bit her while they were making love but he always managed to stay in control, he really loved the girl and knew that one day she would find out what he was and he really feared that. 

 In his learning of magic, Harper was excellent and learned extremely quickly, he managed to manipulate the power within himself very well and only had to learn and remember spells. For the moment, he was trying to master the minor spells in Tilly's spellbook, a spellbook in which most of the spells were sacrificial spells, a style of magic very steeped in African identity.

 They were crossing a stream when the wheel of the wagon driven by Arthur and Hosea came loose in front of them at the back.

They repaired the wheel while the rest of the group continued on the path, Dutch had already gotten his directions from Hosea.

During the repairs, the others were surprised by Harper's strength as he helped lift the wagon while Arthur put the wheel back in place and they continued on their way to join the others at Horseshoe Overlook.

They had noticed in the distance the Indians of the Wapiti tribe who were observing them but they were not hostile.

 The place as Hosea had promised was beautiful, very beautiful and green. There was also plenty of game and clean water. In addition, a few kilometers away there was the town of Valentine, a small town of cattle breeders (bigger than in the game, the towns were much more populated I think).

Once everyone was present, Dutch made a speech saying that they were going to settle in this location for the moment and aim for the medium term.

They needed to rest and breathe but above all they needed money, a lot of money.

 He showed a box and said that part of their income had to be paid there, precious objects or money, it depended on them but they had to look for ways to earn money individually. He especially focused on Uncle and Reverend Swanson who were known for being lazy drunks which made the girls laugh and started cleaning up and setting up camp under Susan's orders.

 Harper began to properly set up his covered wagon and untied the horses to go feed with the other horses in the gang.

He wanted to pitch a tent but he wanted something comfortable and big.

Green places like that had high humidity at certain times so he wanted to do things right for him and Tilly.

People, a group and a girlfriend, Harper really felt like he was alive again and didn't regret leaving those cold mountains.

 (Two weeks later)

 Harper and everyone else had finally gotten used to this place, he had finally pitched his tent. It was a very large tent with a plank floor on which he had put fur for comfort and a bed spacious enough for Tilly and him.

They had space and comfort in addition to the wagon connected to their tent, where there were their weapons and tools. He, Charles and Arthur were the ones who brought most of the food back to camp as they were very good hunters.

 He had found an activity that would bring him money, he was going to become a bounty hunter and had already obtained his first hunt at the office of the sheriff of Valentine.

The target was a small band of looters nicknamed "the Triplets", they were three men who had absolutely nothing in common physically except that they were white.

 They were little stagecoach looters but in their last operation, things had not gone well, they had killed a woman transported by this stagecoach before leaving with her jewelry and those of the other passengers.

The problem is that the woman was the wife of a fairly important local breeder so the poor widower in his grief and hatred put a bounty on each of their heads depending on the state in which they were brought back, 300 $ dead and $400 alive for each of them. It was a significant amount for the time.

 The bounty hunter activity was perfect for Harper because he had learned one of the most basic but equally useful spells, the location spell which would serve perfectly with the state map he had.

He was about to leave to hunt his bounty when Arthur returned on his horse with the unconscious Reverend Swanson in the back.

 Harper: Where did you find him this time?

 Arthur: At Flatneck Station, that old idiot almost got run over by a train. Fortunately I was there, he was lucky.

 "This man has no self-discipline, we'll have to be tougher on him later…" Harper said before getting on his horse when Tilly came closer.

 Tilly: How many days are you leaving?

 Harper: I don't know, but I'm going to waste as little time as possible. I'm going to search their hideout in the hills to find them.

 Tilly: Do you have your candles?

 "I have everything, I'll be back soon…" he said before leaning down to kiss her on the mouth and left for the hills.

 After hours of searching, he was able to find the small abandoned cabin that served as their shelter and he searched the place to find certain biological traces including hair, a spittoon and a little coagulated blood on a pair of scissors.

He had what it took to locate them so Harper took out the map and candled them to place on the ground.

"Phasmatos tribum, nas ex veras, sequitas sanguinem" Harper burned the lock of hair while reciting a series of incantations while in his right hand he held a pendant above the card.

 The candles suddenly stopped and the pendant began to spin in a circle above the map before being pulled to a certain location, a small town 27 kilometers away.

It was the small town of Redfish on the banks of a small river.

 Harper made his way there where he tried to make inquiries normally but people were not very cooperative firstly because he was a stranger to the town but mainly because he was a black man.

Who among them was ready to see a black man on a horse with white men tied behind him in those days ?

He had to use compulsion to get answers so very quickly we directed him to one of the three saloons in town, it was the most dilapidated and the oldest with a reputation for welcoming many outlaw.

 He entered the saloon as eyes fell on him, some looks were out of contempt and others were out of curiosity.

Very quickly, he spotted one of the three fugitives sitting in the middle of a card game so he walked towards him when a bearded man blocked his path.

 ???? : hey negro, we don't really like people like you around here. Can we know why are you in the-(interrupted)

 "Get out of my way, go count all the stones by the river."Harper coerced him through compulsion.

 "I'm going to count the stones by the river…" The man muttered to himself before leaving, much to the astonishment of the others.

He continued to the poker table where he finally placed his hand on the fugitive's shoulder.

 "Alvin Carrow?" Harper asked calmly. 

 The man looked at Harper's hand on his shoulder then looked at her face with contempt but when he wanted to speak, Harper compelled him.

 Harper: Night will fall soon so tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. you and your two friends will meet me behind the town church, you'll have to convince them to follow you.

 He then left there under the same gaze before going to rent a room at the hotel although reluctance could be read on the face of the man at reception but a business was a business.

He went out to feed that night his target was the bearded man from the saloon, he would never be seen alive again after that night. Harper had barely finished feeding when he looked at the lifeless body.

 "I'm really sorry…" He said with slight guilt but when he got up someone was already standing near him and he froze in surprise.

 "Why be sorry? They don't do it when they feed on livestock..." A beautiful redheaded woman with blue eyes said, she was the one standing near him and he hadn't felt her approaching. If she was that fast despite himself then that just meant she was older and stronger.

 Harper: Who are you? You are also-(interrupted)

 " I'm the one asking the questions and you still haven't answered so don't make me lose my patience. Why be sorry?" The woman said looking at him coldly. 

 Harper:…

 ???? : I wait…

 Harper: It's not because it's in my nature that I love what I do, maybe this man had a family.

 ???? : Do you hate being what you are?

 Harper: Sometimes yes but it saved me so I accept it. But there is something inside me, a monster that made my own creator try to end my life. I managed to take control but the beast is still there.

 ???? : If you could give this gift to someone, would you do it?

 Harper: No.

 ???? : Why?

 Harper: Because I don't think our species is supposed to exist.

 ????: (laughs) What's your name?

 Harper: Harper Franklin.

 ???? : Harper, you reminded me of someone very important to me. My name is Sage and your eyes have a lot of humanity, like the person I am looking for. (sighs) I need company tonight, my home is not so far. Come with me.

 Harper: I already have a place to stay for the night so I don't think that-(interrupted)

 Sage grabbed him by the neck and looked him in the eyes, her strength was far superior to Harper's, he had faced Zakaria before during his murderous thirst but he could swear that Sage was many times even stronger than Zack.

She looked at Harper with a beautiful smile before thrusting her hand into the young vampire's chest to grab his heart, she could kill him with ease at any time.

 "I didn't give you a choice to make. You see, I am a particularly frustrated woman and in dire need of affection. You're going to do to me exactly what I tell you to do to me." She said smiling.

 With supernatural speed, she took him with her to a house several hundred meters away to a small mansion where they heard festive sounds inside.

 "He's with me, let us in…" She said to one of the guards who obediently let them into the masked party, it was a party with an atmosphere of lust organized by a very rich man.

The men and women undressed each other to the music, looking at Harper and laughing.

 Sage: Dance with me, tonight you'll be my date and possibly my object of pleasure.

 Harper: Please, I-(interrupted)

 *CRACK*

 Sage crushed two of his ribs and looked at him sternly as he held back his pain.

 Sage: I will kill each of these people in a cruel way before your eyes if you don't obey. Be kind and do what I ask while I'm still being kind.

 He danced with her under duress and Sage undressed him, he did the same with her under her command and they started dancing in general nudity.

At one point, Sage took him upstairs to a more secluded corner where a couple was fornicating.

 "All these people, you put them under hypnosis…" Harper said as he realized the events.

 Sage: The party organizer, the 36 guests and the 15 guards outside, all are under my control. The doors will be locked until early morning.

 Harper: Why?! Why do all this?

 "I already told you, Harper. I am a frustrated woman and in need of affection for a very long time, pleasure helps me escape from my loneliness…" She said while biting the man's neck. The woman looked at this and her face was in panic, she wanted to run but her body kept moving.

 Sage: Feed on his wife.

 Harper: I just fed myself.

" Honey, this is the last time I'm going to ask you without killing someone..." Sage said looking him in the eye. 

 Harper looked at the woman sadly as fear showed on her face. She begged him not to hurt her but Harper told her he was sincerely sorry before biting into her neck to drink her blood.

He carried out a rapid suction to avoid suffering for this certainly innocent woman and after a few seconds, he dropped the lady's lifeless body.

 Sage looked at Harper and her bloody mouth before smiling and taking him to a corner on a couch where she made love to him under duress.

After more than 20 minutes of euphoria, Sage called two more women over, ordering Harper to feed on them while Sage continued to move with his penis inside her.

Harper bit the first girl and begged Sage not to make him do that again but she ordered him to feed on the other girl as well, he did it despite himself and that's when it happened. 

The euphoria caused by the blood, the sexual pleasure and the hatred he felt for Sage composed a cocktail that exploded the bestiality he was holding inside him, Harper had lost control again.

 The permanent thirst and satisfaction of the blood in his throat, the flashes of images of his massacre while he gorged himself on the blood of his victims and their screams, the moist flavor of the lips and the tongue of the redhead carried away in wild pleasure while sexually Harper had become more dominant and brutal.

 He found himself sitting in tears in blood among the dismembered corpses of his victims, she had been able to control him so that he regained the upper hand mentally. Harper felt bad, he remembered perfectly everything he had done and the pleas of his victims.

 "I've never seen anything like this, even among the craziest members of our species. You are a work of art in your own right, an angel of compassion and a demon in one..." Sage said completely naked while leaning on a wall.

 Harper: I will never forgive you for what you made me do. I will never forgive myself...

 Sage: If I hadn't forced you I would have missed out on a truly exceptional lover. You know how to take care of a woman in bed and you are so fascinating.

 Harper: Can I leave?

 Sage: Do you have an appointment?

 Harper: I forced fugitives to meet me at 11 a.m. I'm a bounty hunter...

 Sage: Ahahahah why do it ?! In short, it doesn't concern me...

 "I have to go..." He said before starting to get dressed but Sage who was already behind him dug her hands into his back to grab his spine giving Harper unbearable pain. 

 "You will leave if I allow you, for now you still have time for me..." She said before calling the guards outside as Harper looked on in horror, he knew what she was going to do force him to do.

 Harper: Please, please.

 Sage: Do what I ask.

 Harper attacked her with a punch with supernatural speed, he followed up with a right hook and charged at Sage to tackle her to the ground but she immediately threw him like a trash bag towards some chairs which he broke falling.

He got up with a broken chair leg that served as a stake now and rushed towards Sage to pierce her heart but almost effortlessly, she grabbed his arm which she broke in an open fracture before throwing him drive the stake into the stomach.

 "GUAAAAAARGH" He screamed as he groaned in pain. 

 "Nice try..." Sage said as she twisted the stake in Harper's stomach to drive it even deeper as she screamed in pain. She pierced his lungs, his liver, his diaphragm and his kidneys before leaving him to fall in his pain.

 Sage: Eat if you want to heal quickly and especially eat if you don't want to see me massacre this entire town. Stop resisting, start giving me pleasure again. Hurry before I become attached to you and become my permanent toy.

 Harper on the ground stood up weakly and looked at the guards whose bodies no longer obeyed them, he looked at them with their terrified expressions as black veins began to appear under his now frightening eyes.