Monster's Genie

Jinnara walked straight ahead, his gaze without evne bothering to look at the surrounding, his crimson eyes focused on the path before him. Behind him, Selis followed, her serpentine tail gliding smoothly over the ground. Her curious voice broke the silence.

"Hey! You never even told us where you are form ! Or what you are. How am I supposed to trust you?" she demanded.

Without breaking his stride, Jinnara answered, his tone calm yet commanding. "My name is Jinnara O'Meega. I am a vampire. I am from..."

Jinnara thought for a second about how to answer, but then quickly followed up saying she wouldn't understand where he is from, even if he explained things to her.

Selis blinked, caught off guard by how readily he answered. She had expected him to be more secretive.

"A… vampire?" she echoed, disbelief coloring her voice. "I thought vampires were just myths. I've never seen one in real life. Are you guys what humans call monsters?"

Jinnara glanced back briefly. "Now you have. Also if you ask in human terms, yes we are what they call monsters including you."

She huffed, struggling to process the revelation. "What are you planning to do now?"

"I'm going back to the place where I killed those humans," Jinnara replied matter-of-factly. "There are answers I need."

Selis quickened her pace to keep up with him. "What kind of answers? What are you even hoping to find?" She continued bombarding him with questions as they walked, but Jinnara answered each one with the same unnerving composure. His calm demeanor only made her more curiousand fearful to ask more questions.

Eventually, they arrived at a clearing reeking of decay. The stench of rotting flesh hung heavy in the air, and several wolves were gnawing on the remains of the dead humans. As the pair approached, the wolves growled and turned their bloodshot eyes toward them.

"Stay back," Selis said sharply.

Before Jinnara could respond, one of the wolves lunged at them. Selis's tail whipped out like a viper, striking the beast mid-air and sending it flying. Another wolf charged, but she swatted it away with ease. In a matter of seconds, every wolf that dared to attack was either lying unconscious or retreating in fear.

Jinnara raised an eyebrow, impressed. "You're powerful. How did you lose to these humans?"

Selis clenched her teeth, a bitter expression on her face. "They were cunning. That's why humans are dangerous than these animals. They never fight you head-on. They're always hiding behind tricks." Her voice dropped to a mutter. "This time was no different. They had paralysis spell traps laid out everywhere."

Jinnara nodded. "That makes sense but what doesn't is how you people are describing each other as animals, humans and monsters. In my eyes all of you are just same."

Selis wanted to ask what did he mean by that. He talked like he was not someone like them and it really bothered her.

He walked over to the nearest corpse, his eyes scanning the mangled remains. Among the bodies, one woman's face stood out, though it was horribly disfigured and half-eaten by wolves Jjinnara immediately recognized the scar. Jinnara crouched beside her, biting his finger until a drop of blood appeared. With an incantation in a language Selis couldn't recognize, he let the blood drip onto the corpse.

"Iliak vel'mora sithrai, antheris cal'verthos. Karai vinthus, ess vorrak ethriel. Surieth tal'fey, therai an'ithar—revoth ar'kailis." Jinnara muttered those words in a language that Selis couldn't understand. 

"What...what are you muttering?" She questioned.

"Al'rith vel'ka… suriel ar'nithas." As soon he said his last words, Selis gasped as the body began to twitch violently. A ghastly, unearthly scream tore through the clearing as the woman's corpse came back to life. Her voice was no longer human; it sounded like a tortured wail from beyond the grave.

Jinnara stood, his expression calm. "Who are you, and what nation do you belong to?" he asked the reanimated corpse.

The undead woman thrashed, her voice guttural and strained. "Principality of Ared…" she hissed. "We… we are collectors from the capital of Ared…gethered...I Moria"

"All fifteen of you?" Jinnara pressed.

The corpse's body shuddered as it spoke. "No… A team of twenty-five… Count Percival's request… The others took… lamia captives…" The words turned into a growl, the voice becoming more monstrous.

Jinnara's eyes narrowed. "Where did they go?"

The undead woman's head lolled to the side as she let out a pained snarl. "To the village… of Humos…then to Capital of Ared"

Satisfied, Jinnara turned to Selis. "Do you know the geography of this area?"

Selis nodded hesitantly. "I have a rough idea up to the village of Humos. Beyond that, I've never been."

Jinnara folded his arms, thinking for a moment. "I'm going to Humos. If the others took captives, that's where we'll find them or some information about them."

"Wait," Selis said, stopping him. She glanced nervously at the reanimated corpse still writhing on the ground. "What is this magic?"

"Create Undead," Jinnara answered plainly. "It's a necromancy spell."

Selis's eyes widened in horror. "Necromancy? In broad daylight? Are you insane? Necromancy is not something us mortals should play with. They are spells of danger." She shuddered but quickly added, "I… I'm grateful, though. You're helping, so I'll come with you."

"I am no mortal. I am what you people would call Immortal," Jinnara turned to her, his piercing gaze sweeping over her from head to tail. "And no. You'll only bring more trouble. They'll know you're a monster on sight."

Selis clenched her fists, her eyes narrowing. "Fine. Then watch this." She muttered an incantation with her hands spread wide open toward the sky, and her snake tail began to transform. In its place appeared a pair of bare human legs. She stood before him, now fully humanoid.

Jinnara blinked, clearly impressed. "Huh. Unexpected." His eyes briefly wandered to her legs, and he muttered, almost to himself, "Beautiful legs! I feel pleasured."

Selis's cheeks flushed. "W-What?"

Jinnara's expression didn't change. "I said your transformation is convincing. You'll pass as human."

Selis crossed her arms, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Thanks, I guess. But I'm still coming with you."

Jinnara didn't argue this time. He simply turned and started walking toward Humos. Selis followed, her determined expression hiding the nervous flutter in her chest.

As they disappeared into the forest, the reanimated corpse lay still, its empty, glowing eyes watching them leave.