Vampire Nightlife

"I wish it was easy to get stronger." Lukas sighed as he and Theodore slowed down for the night. He didn't think it was possible for a Vampire to sweat, but after what seemed like an hour or two of consecutive training, he did.

"We all wish that, but you know it's impossible to grow beyond your cap." Theodore said as he placed his two daggers at his side.

"What do you mean by that?" Lukas raised a brow.

"Your bloodline for example determines your possible growth and limitations. If you come from a family like the Weisse, your blood purity allows you to become much stronger than say a Vampire coming from a humble background."

"I didn't think that you'd think of it like that." Lukas said.

"What else is there to believe in?" Theodore tossed him a confused look. "Do you think that the Guildmaster and the Councilmen of Lux city actually like listening to the input of some girl that's several years their junior?"

"... Well, right." Lukas recalled that. "I just thought that it'd be possible to elevate yourself to stronger positions as long as you worked hard and did well."

"I guess some people do, but there's also the factor of luck as well. Lily's father for example managed to get to his position by proving himself as a competent individual–but there are also countless people who probably did the same and didn't reach the same level as he did, right?"

"Fair, fair. But I was mostly thinking about the physical capacities–and it mostly comes down to bloodline huh?"

"Yes. So, the reason why you're as strong as you are now is because of your bloodline." Theodore gave him a silent look. He was really curious as to the family of Lukas, but there were no signs. "You don't know who your family is right?"

"Not necessarily." Lukas shrugged. "Maybe I'm just a random factor thrown into this group to change things."

Theodore couldn't help but chuckle a little at that thought.

"A freak of nature then, that could explain things as well. And if it does, that's also quite unfair–but that's more plausible than you finding and drinking a secret vial of blood eh?"

"Vial of blood?" Lukas raised a brow.

"You know those stories," Theodore waved offhandedly. "There's the Vampire Overlords, but there's the Progenitor. The highest-ranking of Vampires who lead and rule our kind in the past, some say that he might have kept some of his blood in vials and challenged the Overlords to seek it so they could rule when he went off to Eternal Sleep."

"I see. That's interesting, what would you do if you got your hands on it?" Lukas grinned.

"There's not much use to thinking about things that won't happen." Theodore rolled his eyes. "The remnants of Overlords we have in Lux are more or less a flicker of the old days. Maybe it's because we haven't found the vials, but as long as my family's okay–I don't care who gets it."

"Cool. Cool." Lukas faked a yawn and rubbed his eyes. "Thanks for the bedtime story, Theo."

"Don't call me that." Theodore snapped.

"I thought friends called you that." Lukas teased him slightly. "But I guess it's time for bed. Or the space in the van."

"As long as nothing happens like last night." Theodore grumbled. "I'm keeping the doors locked this time and wearing my seatbelt."

"... So do you have any idea what happened last night?"

"Strange things sometimes happen from time to time in the Imago Desert. I've heard stories from veterans, but never encountered it before." Theodore said. "Why? Do you have an explanation for it?"

The answer was right on Lukas' lips–Dream Eaters.

"Uh uh… just thought it was weird. I hope it doesn't happen again."

"Same. I wish I had read the file of what my previous seniors encountered before–but I didn't read much. It's mostly just encountering some things in their dreams and then waking up somewhere, rather concerning now that I think of it."

"You think that this could be the reason why more people are not returning?" Lukas offered it as food for thought.

"No. I don't think it's this–it's something else, and I just wished that the Guildmaster allowed for more investigation… but that's not important right now." Theodore shook his head. "I already went against his orders to be here and I'm not wasting time thinking about others."

"That's what I like about you, you've got your priorities straight." Lukas grinned. "We'll get to the Veil Forest next and then we'll get the gourd and be back before you even know it."

"... We have to, yeah." Theodore turned away from him and started to walk away. "Thanks."

"You're welcome!" Lukas called out before he stepped back into the van and made his way next to Chaerin. A flicker of worry wormed itself into his heart, something that he tried to put out immediately.

Everything was going to be okay.

He was already doing what he could and then some.

'Rhea? I'm going to sleep and you'll enter my dreams alright. I have to practice fending off mental attacks and you'll be the one in charge of that. And you'll be eating too, of course.'

"Alright. That's fine with me. Nothing too weird happened while I was gone?" Rhea asked.

'No. Nothing in particular.'

"I see. That's a relief, it could have just been my imagination." Rhea said to him.

That was something that Lukas didn't exactly like hearing. It made him worry again, rather agitated really–but Theodore said that this place was safe and it had been all animals too.

They've just faced Dream Eaters too, and their group really needed to at least catch their breath and get some rest. And so, Lukas closed his eyes and went to dream–his captured Dream Eater exerting effort to enter his mind.

It would take much more effort than last time, but Rhea successfully did.

And so they trained.

While others gathered and remained awake.