Chapter 5: A Million Questions

                                    

                                          
"And that, Sophia, is the end of the story you were so insistent about earlier." Vallentin concluded his tale. Sophia broke her wide eyed silence, speaking at never before seen speeds, "Ok Vallentin I have like a million questions but that was a really nice story but so sad are you ok?""I'm quite alright Sophia, though your concern is appreciated. Ask your questions." Vallentin replied after a moment of stunned silence at her enthusiasm."What other supernatural spooky stuff is there?""To my knowledge: vampires, werewolves, magicians and demons. There could be more, I don't get out much.""Does this mean there's a God?""I hope not.""What did you mean when you said you were 'in the throes of immortality'?""When you become a vampire there's a sort of mental high that lasts around a hundred and fifty years... ish.""What's with that lair stuff? What can you do and how and what?""Ah right, I should've known that would be confusing. A vampire can bind their soul to a structure and thus control it as they please with their magic. What I can do with my lair is only limited by my own energy.""Ok cool, last one: was that the sofa that I sat on?"Vallentin's eyes went a little wide and he looked away from Sophia, silent for several seconds. This is where it ends, she'll never want to talk to him again, everything was for naught, though he supposed it was fun whilst it lasted. He began contemplaating how he'd spend the rest of his eternity, returning to a life with no friends; truly a tragic end to his tale. "Ewww I totally sat on that sofa! Gross gross gross gross!" Sophia exclaimed, snapping Vallentin back to reality, though not exactly in a way which helped his current line of thought. But like a light in the darkness, something reached Vallentin's dark mind: Sophia was giggling! She giggled at this revelation that she sat on the sofa where certain implied events happened, truly this was yet another miracle for Vallentin on this day. "Oh wait I've got one more question!" Sophia began "have you ever used this amulet for anything?" Vallentin was quiet for a moment, in thought, before responding "I tried it once to see if it would end my vampirism, I figured if it worked on werewolves it might work on me but had no such luck; so it just sits here to remind me of Lucia." He took one last mournful glance back at the amulet before standing and turning to the door, extending a hand to help Sophia up, "Now then, lets get back to this tour shall we?" Vallentin didn't look back, but if he did he would've seen the expression of worry and empathy on his new friends face as he lead her by the hand back into the corridor. Vallentin continued his tour guide mannerisms and enthusiasm as though his sombre tale were never told as he lead Sophia to the next door in the hall, "Next up is the library, I think we'll skip through this one quickly since there's not much to see if you don't wish to spend all day reading." With that he flung open the door and lead Sophia through into an enormous chamber full of rows and rows of old dusty books, stacked high on floor to ceiling shelves. This was the only room Sophia had entered so far that looked as though it hadn't been touched for a long time, it seemed Vallentin kept all but this room spotless. At this point of stopping their motion, Sophia had the sudden realisation that Vallenin had been holding her hand for a good thirty seconds and immediately turned a million shades of red. Desperately needing a distraction she scanned the room. She spotted a reading desk near the door, a book on it's surface, and gently slipped from Vallentin's grip to investigate. She gently eased the creaking book open and scanned the yellowed pages and their hand-written scripture, as she did she asked "What's this book about Vallentin?" Vallentin looked at her quizzically, having been too busy lost in thought to have even noticed her move. Not completely snapped back to reality, he replied "Ah, yes, right.. it's been a long while since I've been in here I don't seem to remember." Sophia flicked through a few more pages, the calligraphy making the writings go completely over her head, before she noticed a little slip of paper in one of the pages, presumably a bookmark, and skipped to there. The paper she found, whilst accompanied by a fancy leather bookmark, wasn't a bookmark but a note. The handwriting was very scratchy but at the very least clear, and so Sophia began to read."Vallentin,I left this note since I know how you love your books. These few days I've spent with you have been some of the best of my life, you look at me in a way that only a fellow monster could, understand me as only an unwilling killer could another. Like it or not it looks like we're kindred spirits! When this journey ends I'm sad to say that I need to leave you, I've travelled far to get here but I must return home to my family from before my turning, I can only imagine how worried they've been. I truly wish I could be with both you and them at once but that's impossible, but I know that you're strong, even if you don't realise it yourself. Obviously I'm not talking about magic strength or whatever, your spirit is strong too, but I know you don't think it is. I believe that in time you'll heal and find someone you can love as you did me, but my family aren't so strong, they need me. My heart is yours for as long as your immortality lets you live, even if that sounds really corny.Love, your silver wolf,Lucia"Sophia was stunned to silence, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Before she even realised, she was wiping tears from her eyes. It was now that Vallentin found himself fully in reality, breaking away from the memories of Lucia that had kept him out of the library for over seven hundred years, and walked over to Sophia to take up his role as her friend and tour guide. When he turned he immediately noticed that Sophia was holding a slip of paper and was wiping at her eyes, he rushed over, concerned for the girl, "Sophia are you alright! What is that note you've found?" He looked over her shoulder at the note, and with each line his tears flowed faster. When he finished reading, he dropped to his knees and wept more than he had in hundreds of years. Sophia looked at Vallentin's hunched form on the ground in shock and sadness, even if she hadn't known this man for long he was the only person she currently considered a friend (and she did have at least a bit of a crush on him), it broke her heart to see him like this. She genty placed the note back on the desk and crouched down to his level, after several moments of audible hesitation and almost-hugging arm movements she finally wrapped her arms around the weeping vampire. For the duration of this embrace Sophia was in disbelief that a handsome vampire was ugly-crying into her shoulder and had just been holding her hand and had been opening up about his past trauma and oh my god was this the vampire romance story she wanted the whole time? If it is then she didn't realise it would be this sad, but maybe eventually this would blossom into a beautiful relationship. Vallentin's sobbing into Sophia's shoulder slowly stuttered to a close, "It's been seven hundred years I should really get over her..." he mumbled as he began to ease out of Sophia's embrace. He picked himself up, bringing Sophia with him by the hand, "I'm really not such a great tour guide am I?" he mused to himself with a chuckle. Sophia gazed up at him with a compassionate smile and spoke softly, "I think you're doing a great job. Let's get out of this dusty old library, yeah?" She gently lead him by the hand out of the library. As they went, Vallentin wiped his eyes and began walking in step with Sophia; steadily regaining his composure. He shut the door behind them, "I think I can go another 700 years before I step in there again." "That's ok, there's no rush." Sophia said softly, "Shall we distract ourselves by continuing the tour?""Yes. Quite right, let's get going." Vallentin replied, now sounding steady, as he began to take the lead once again; Sophia trailing slightly behind with her hand still in his.