CHAPTER 9

the innkeeper smiled, an odd expression for someone supposedly under mind control. 

Dipping his hands into his pockets, he rummaged for a while before emerging with shiny coins. 

He was about to place them on my palms, but I withdrew at the last minute, causing the coins to scatter all over the place. 

What the hell was I thinking? I mean, this was silver. How could I forget what it does to me? The guy took a step back, looking at me strangely.

Apologizing, I asked him to place the coins on the table. 

I took the opportunity as he bent to retrieve the scattered coins, to ask the question that had been assailing me for a while now

"Was there a lord in your place today?" I inquired.

The guy nodded affirmatively. "Aye... the Lannister imp was here for a drink earlier. I hear he is accompanied by the Stark bastard and a Night's Watchman."

This revelation took a moment to sink in. For the first time today, I became aware of the specific time I was in. This was the moment when Jon, Tyrion, and Jon's uncle Benjen were heading for the wall. Now, it seemed, we were in the same town. Was this a coincidence, or some calculated scheme by the mysterious force that threw me here in the first place? It mattered little; I was here, and going back wasn't an option.

Considering the innkeeper's proposition, it struck me as unique. While it felt like a deviation from my usual ways, it also presented an opportunity to establish goodwill in this unfamiliar place and gather more information for myself.

********

It was the increased temperature in the room that alerted me I had overslept. 

this had to be the most rejuvenating sleep I had experienced in my entire life. It was dreamless, with completely no awareness of myself. It was like death. 

Maybe that was because as a vampire, I was an undead. This, apart from being refreshing, could actually add up as another of my weaknesses.

I mean, in that state of unawareness, it was my most vulnerable moment. 

No wonder almost all the vampires I had known slept in tightly sealed and well-hidden caskets. Most even went further as to sire loyal blood-linked vampires to guard their bodies while they undertook their death slumber.

Sitting up on the creaking bed, the thoughts of the previous night flooded back to my head, and seeing the streaking rays of the sun as they spilled through the tiny cracks in the wooden window, I realized that it had been a great mistake making the kind of promise I had made. 

I mean, had I actually promised to collect debts in broad daylight? How had I overlooked the fact that I would most likely face the sun in the process?

And why had I taken residence in a human inn in the first place? It was not as if I could not find some secluded cave or deserted building to sleep in. 

Well, enough with the regrets. I reminded myself that this was the perfect opportunity to get used to human interaction. Might as well use it as a rehearsal for my life in the Night's Watch.

Still, the sun... 

I was, however, realizing something I had not experienced before. The more the sun rose outside, the more the rays spilling into the room increased and encroached on the entire room. 

I had cowered back on the bed to the point I had no more room left to retreat to. The rays had completely cut off my retreat to the point where I could no longer move anywhere without having to pass through some streak.

This is where any vampire would panic, yet something within me seemed to pump me with courage. Surprisingly, even when eventually the warm streaks of sunlight eventually landed on my face, the terrible results I had expected never came. 

Yes, my skin in all the regions where the rays hit itched like I had some sort of allergy. I felt the need to scratch off the skin so that I could reach and scratch the deeper tissues. It was extremely uncomfortable but not fatal.

 the answer to these swam to the surface of my thoughts. Human blood!

The thug's blood that I had drunk earlier seemed to strengthen my immunity against the sun.

 This was not something that happened to the original Dracula, as I recall; it had to be an ability that was unique to me as I was a kind of a hybrid. I had not, after all, undergone the normal vamping process. This, therefore, meant the more human blood that I drank, the more immune to the sun I became. 

Not entirely immune since overexposure would definitely trigger adverse reactions that could potentially result in other anomalies, but enough to allow me to lead some semblance of human life within the watch.

This would help greatly in not arousing suspicion.

'oh unto humans!'

Jumping from the bed with a boosted courage, I walked to the wooden window. I was still cautious but at the same time overexcited to prove my theory. Pushing aside the wooden barricade that held the window, it immediately fell back inwards, pouring more sunshine into the room.

 It was a mistake.

 Maybe for a small amount of light, I could not be affected, but to intentionally expose myself to direct sunlight unprotected was a kind of suicide. My body felt as if I had been dipped in a bush of stinging nettle naked.

 I wanted to scratch myself all over; I just did not know where to start.

Hurriedly, I pushed back the window and replaced the barricade just as a thunderous knock came from the door. 

"Are you awake, ser?" It was the unmistakable voice of the innkeeper, probably tired of waiting for me to come down and get on with my side of the deal.

"Damn," the guy had to have the worst timing in the Seven Kingdoms. I pulled on the hood of my black leather jacket to the point where only my eyes were visible. Now, only my palms were visible. I swore to find out whether this town had a frigging tailor, although I was willing to bet there had to be one; it was not as if people walked in tatters here.

 this was going to be a busy day. Apart from the specific modifications I wanted done on my clothes, I also wanted to find a smith to fashion me a type of sword that I had in mind.

From the Dracula memories I had, I knew that I was probably amongst the best swordsmen in the entire Seven Kingdoms, courtesy of the many skills I had picked over the millennium of existence. 

It was not as if I was going to parade it in the watch; on the contrary, I was going to play the underdog card there, but still, I needed the sword.

"Are you there, ser?" another rough knock, clearly from an impatient man, raked the door. The innkeeper was in the process of knocking for a third time when I pulled the door open to find the guy with a tray of sweet-smelling human food and a steaming mug of god knows what.

"You are an impatient man," I said, retreating further into the room, and watched as the guy carried the food and placed it on the table. "Forgive me, ser. I thought you overslept. Had a good night, did yah?" The guy said as he rubbed his thick, callous hand with a broad smile playing on his face.

 Even though I detected all these, my thoughts were actually in another place. 

Human food. Hell, would my body let this shit in, or would it spill it all out?

Seeing me pay him no attention, the innkeeper went on. "Ser...saw them soldiers get paid, I did. They were on their way to the brothel," the guy informed me clearly as a reminder of our yester night's deal.

"Psh...what was it with Westeros men and whores...first thing in their minds on a good fresh day was cunts?...do their wives have none?" I asked as I waved the man out of the room. He backed off with a questioning look.

"I will take care of it," I said as I locked the door behind the man. My eyes raced back to the table.

****

 "Freaking human food."

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