:::::::::::: Dipper's POV ::::::::::::

Bill took advantage of the fact that we had to reach the top of one of the towers to make me take a complete tour of the castle. I recognized some corridors because they led to rooms where I'd already been, others, instead, led to areas where I'd never been before. Bill showed me where the library entrance was (though I still remembered it) but he told me that we would return on another occasion because, knowing me, I would have wanted to stay there for all my immortal life. 

He took me back to the housing area so that I could see the way to my room (because I'd never left or entered in it) and he officially introduced me to Christal who was walking with a group of prisoners.

B: Humans or livestock, Pinetree, not prisoners. First you'll learn to call them with the right name in your mind and first you'll get used to always call them that.

D: Sorry... I think.

Bill smiled and started talking to Christal. I turned to the pri... the humans as I began to hear a slight noise, like a ticking. Two humans were under hypnosis, a boy looked at the ground with a resigned face and a girl looked around with her eyes injected with hatred towards Bill and Christal but when she turned at me she looked confused and she seemed to silently ask what I was doing there.

I remembered her, she'd always behaved like a rebel, not enough to be ever punished but always with that rebellious look.

I looked down instinctively, as if I had to be guilty for what I had become, just that... I wasn't. Again, I didn't feel anything. Empty. No sense of guilt.

I sighed and I looked up again. Finally I noticed the last of the group. They were looking at me with a look full of terror. Her heart (or his, it was hard to tell if it was a boy or a girl) was beating hard in their chest, producing the ticking I heard before. They looked like they were about to have a heart attack. I could hear their heartbeat, I could feel the blood flowing in their veins, their wheezy breath, I could see the sweat that came down their forehead. It wasn't a good sign.

B: Everything ok Pinetree?

Bill patted me on the back and I finally managed to look away from the human.

D: Y-yes yes, n-no problem. I'm fine.

Christal turned to me and gave me a slight and reassuring smile.

C: I heard what happened yesterday. I'm happy to see that you are all right now, Sir Pines. 

She bowed a little and I felt a shiver down my spine.

D: P-please just call me Dipper and leave the formalities aside. It's really embarrassing for me.

C: As you wish. I'm sorry to have been rude since you met me but I was just doing my job.

D: Uhm... how did you get here? At Bill's service, I mean.

She was surprised by the question but she quickly recovered.

C: For starters, I was a servant in the service of a powerful family and I lived in a small village. My boyfriend was part of that family and they were friends with Lord Cipher for centuries. The family split in two parts because of this friendship and the only ones who stayed on Lord Cipher's side were me, my boyfriend and his parents. The others turned the whole village against us and they managed to kill his parents and mortally wound him. I had to carry him to Lord Cipher because I was desperate and I didn't know where I could go and he tried in vain to treat his wounds but it was too late. Lord Cipher transformed him to save him and I offered myself as his first victim. He didn't want to hurt me but I told him I wouldn't leave him alone forever. A second before I fainted he put his wounded arm on my lips and I swallowed his blood so I could stay with him forever. I married Oswald the next year and we never left.

D: Oswald? That tall guy with white hair...

Christal nodded and for a moment I saw her cheeks gain color.

C: If you want to talk to him you'll find him in the kitchen. Now I really have to go or the other Sir and Lady could be annoyed by my delay. See you next time. My King, Dipper.

She bowed and dismissed herself.

When she turned the corner, Bill put a hand on my shoulder and he bowed slightly to have his eye at my same height and he looked at me serious.

I'd never realized how tall he was and how his eye like it was made of pure gold.

B: I'm very flattered by your compliments, however I repeat what I said before: are you all right, Pinetree? What happened? I could hear you asking for help but I didn't understand why. Your eyes seemed red too!

I had already forgotten what had just happened. I felt my cheeks on fire. HOW DID I FORGET... UGH!!!

D: That girl... or boy... they were probably having a panic attack or I do not know what a-and th-en...

I felt so embarrassed, it was possible that I was SO MUCH susceptible to hunger?

B: ... You became hungry again.

He sighed but his serious expression returned smiling and he began to pet my hair.

B: Don't worry Pinetree, it's normal, especially since you've just turned. Plus, do you remember that I told you earlier that I prefer drink the blood from a person who escapes, screams and wiggles? Here, exactly what I meant. Fear. Fear makes the hunt more inviting. I'm happy that we have the same tastes.

D: What do you mean by "I could hear you asking for help", I didn't open my mouth...

B: Master and follower's bond. If one of the follower is in danger, they sends a signal to their Master, like a feeling... it's complicated. This bond can increase or decrease but it can't be broken unless one of the two dies.

D: What happens when it reaches its climax?

B: Both can send short signals to another in case of danger, such as "don't go to right because there is a trap, go to left", or it can also be a small phrase like "do you want a snack in ten minutes?" or things like that, they always know if they are near and they can share their emotions as soon as they come into physical contact. You can't fake this bond, it increases only if both love (platonically or in other ways) the other one. It's something truly unique and special that usually happens between lovers or very close friends. Crystal and her husband have this level of connection, for example. If two vampire fell in love with each other they could use a spell and have this bound if they weren't follower and Master but it doesn't usually happen.

D: It must be nice have someone who love you, especially if you have a bond like that. You know that what the other feel is sincere and you don't have to be afraid that they are lying...

B: But when it breaks it hurts like hell...

Bill and I looked at each other with a demoralized look. I didn't know why but I really didn't feel like continuing the conversation.

D: H-hey, now that I think about it, why is there a kitchen? Don't we drink only blood?

Bill seemed relieved by my change of topic.

B: Although mortal food can't provide us nourishment (same as the vampire's blood which can't make the hungry disappear but, unlike the human food, it can give you the same energy as the human blood), you could say that we are very nostalgic about our old lifestyle, so we all eat mortal foods together and we drink water. For parties, instead, we eat a lot of random snacks, just like the humans do now. (We also have a cinema here and we watch many movies so we know how they live today).

D: Oh, so maybe I could prepare something sometimes. Between Grunkle Stan and my sister Mabel I risked food poisoning so many times that I eventually learned to cook. It can be fun sometimes.

B: Really? Good!

We soon reached the kitchen. The furniture was old and the appliances that didn't exist centuries ago (like the fridge) had been made to look like they were furniture of a few of centuries ago (just like the other stuff there). The most surprising thing, however, was that all the the knives were cutting the ingredients, a ladle was stirring something on the fire, the dishes were washing themselves on the sink, and Oswald was whistling as he cooked. As soon as he realized we had entered, he stopped whistling and the objects leaned slowly.

I wonder why but for a few seconds he seemed a like beautiful (if not handsome) copy of Gideon. In fact they had the same eyes and the same hair.

O: Sire, what do I owe this visit??

As soon as he turned to my side, he made a surprised face and he approached me in a hurry. I took a few steps back but he came closer to me, then he grabbed my hand and he shook it so hard that I thought he would pull my arm off while he was showing a creepy giant smile.

O: IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU! I am Oswald (you probably knew me already but it doesn't matter). I'm really really really really happy to meet you. I heard what you did yesterday. I wanted to thank you so much!

Bill burst into laughter and he stopped his arm.

B: Oz! If you keep shake him like this, you'll take his arm off!

Oswald recomposed himself adjusting his clothes and settling a tuft behind his ear.

O: Oh, uhm... sorry, I'm sorry, Dipper.

D: Christal has already...

O: Warned me that you don't want to be called Sir Pines? Yeah. I should do the presentations again, I think, I've never been friendly with you, so... sorry again. I'm Oswald Mikaela Gleeful, pleasure to meet you.

He held out his hand (AGAIN) but I didn't take it.

D: G-gleeful? Like Gideon Gleeful? ARE... WERE YOU RELATED TO GIDEON!?!??!

Oswald put the hand on his neck.

O: Yep. He was part of the same family that tried to kill me. He and his father were the last ones left of the family and Bud died a few months ago, so... NOW THOSE TRAITORS ARE ALL DEAD AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU, YAYYY!

A burning smell began to spread in the air and Oswald ran to the oven and he turned the stove off.

Since he had burnt everything, he apologized that he couldn't continue to chat with us and he went back cooking while we went to the dorms.

They were all the same zone of the castle but on various floors: in the first floor there were the servants' quarters, in the one above mine and the Henchmaniac's one and the one above was deserted. The only access to it was a staircase connected to the quarters below.

I saw four doors very distant from each other: a cerulean one, a golden one, a violet one and a simple wooden one. Bill said that no one lived there except him (his room was obviously the golden one).

He led me to the end of the corridor and he pushed a rock on the wall which opened like a door. Behind it there was a spiral staircase.

D: Where does it lead?

B: To the highest tower. It's the safest place in the castle.

We climbed the stairs and I stopped to admire the landscape outside. Despite that it was night I was able to distinguish everything. In the distance I could even see the lights that ruined the appearance of the surrounding woods. One of these lights was separate from the others and I didn't need the vampire sight to understand what it was.

The Mystery Shack...

B: Do you miss your old house?

D: Of course, my life wasn't too bad. Plus I miss Mabel... not that we were as close as when we were kids but... she's still my sister.

B: I guess so...

We continued to climb until we reached a wooden door with metal decorations. Bill opened it gently and I caught a glimpse of someone with dark hair sleeping in a kind of hospital bed.

B: Pinetree, I introduce you to Tad Strange.

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2138 words

15/05/18