Fiore turned their gaze to the nearby forest. Even in the middle of the dark, it looked dark and ominous. The gathering of trees were tightly packed; their shared canopy was uneven and wild. Fiore crept closer. They loved foraging in the forest growing up. Sometimes, they would even come in the winter to dine on the sweet fruits that fell. They were always too sweet, so much so that they hurt Fiore’s teeth, but they were delicious all the same. If they managed to control themself, Fiore took some home so that they could be made into pies.
They stomped down a clutch of thorns as they trudged forward and ducked underneath branches that hung too low. It was as if the forest itself was trying to keep them away, but Fiore dared further in. Looking one way, they could see birds taking off from their perch. Glancing another, they spotted a spider web that had been mostly destroyed by the wind and rain. Raindrops hung from the spun tiers that remained.
As Fiore neared the center, they felt something was... off. The silence of nature relented to a static they could taste, and though they were too far away to pick up sound, they swore they could hear something. They pressed their palms against the damp bark of trees to either side of them and closed their eyes. Fiore strained their hearing until they could pick up on the faint sound of sobbing. Someone was here. Something, maybe?
They kept their eyes closed as they carefully and slowly moved towards the sound. When the sobbing became clearer, they opened their eyes quickly. Fiore moved confidently through the underbrush and ignored the sounds of creatures that fled as they trudged ahead. The closer they came to the crying, the more their scars began to itch as their blood heated up. When Fiore sighed, their breath steamed the chilly air.
They muttered soft incantations, beckoning upon the forces of nature to protect them. As a tamer, they could wrangle common creatures, but their studies taught them of more esoteric beasts and hybrids that wandered this world. Though they had learned much in a controlled setting, they had yet to test their abilities out in the wild. It was an invigorating test. Hopefully, they’d have a chance to prove themself...
Fiore parted more branches, and finally, the source of the weeping was made clear to them. Before them was a person who was devastatingly beautiful with dark hair that had been pulled back into a large puff. Their body was covered in finery, and one leg was decorated by a beaded anklet. Though they were barefoot in the forest’s heart, they didn’t seem bothered by the various treacheries. Fiore listened to their weeping and felt their heart twist from the vicious agony.
But the sorrow was hypnotic. Fiore felt each woeful cry sink into their mind and lower their guard, but when the compulsion sunk too deep, the scent of the forest flooded their nose. Something sparked to life in their mind and broke the reverie that threatened to overtake them.
‘Not human, then,’ they thought. At least they knew that much. After centering themself again, they broke free from the trees and dared closer.
To their surprise, the weeping stopped with a gasp, and the creature turned to look at them. Haunting topaz eyes were shiny with tears. They reached out a hand. The long nails looked sharp and dangerous, but Fiore’s attention was stolen by the creature’s heartbreakingly desperate expression.
“Don’t run— please.” Fiore could see fangs when they talked.
They smiled and shook their head. “My friend, I’ve come to help you. I don’t intend to run.”
“... Help me? You’ll… you’ll help me?” The creature stood slowly, and Fiore was surprised by their height. Now that the creature was standing, Fiore could see how the limbs were gangly and long, stretched in such a way that they were just this side of inhuman. Their full lips trembled, giving a shaky glimpse of jagged teeth just behind them.
“What’s wrong, my friend?” Fiore asked.
“I’m so hungry,” the creature groaned, “but it’s the thirst that kills me most.”
Fiore nodded. “And what do you thirst for?”
The creature hesitated, froze, and then clenched their predatory hands over their heart. A spot over their heart had been torn and opened, probably from the same action being done numerous times in the past. Fiore inched closer and closer still until they were within arm’s length of the forest being.
“Blood,” they croaked. “Human blood.”
Though it was dangerous to ask, Fiore queried, “There’s a village just nearby. Why don’t you go to them?”
The question only seemed to torture the poor thing. Their face twisted with absolute despair, and new tears spilled anew. “I can’t,” they croaked. “I’ve eaten too many, and now I’m kept in this forest. But I didn’t— I didn’t know! My sire never warned me and now... Now, he wanders freely while I’m trapped in his place!!”
The creature buried their face in their hands and wept again. Fiore muttered another prayer, and this time, the forest was quick to respond. Their skin broke out in chills as they felt the blessings take. They moved closer to place a sympathetic hand on the being’s arm.
“Do you have a name, lonely one?”