I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 69 - Alright

Archery Skill: Critical Success.

Light bloomed from the creature's body, white rays that shot out from where the arrow buried itself into the undead body.

Then it burst out the other side.

The arrow appeared, burying itself into the ground just a half foot away from where Valerian had retreated to. The other vampire skipped away from it in alarm.

The light continued to beam from the arrow through Ryder, his monstrous form frozen in space, his wide blood-red eyes perfect circles of shock.

Then the hideous form disintegrated into glowing dust, like cinders floating away from a fire before disappearing into nothingness. It started from the hole where the arrow had penetrated through and burned away from there, until there was nothing left of him, but a small pile of ash where he had stood.

For a full minute, the world was utter silence.

Evangeline wasn't even aware of the cheers, until they had built up to a cacophonous crescendo. Then she was jostled from her fighting stance, by hands clasping her shoulders and shaking her.

"You did it!" Sigismund squealed, joy and relief vying for possession of her face.

Artmond was next, charging at her to sweep her up into a tight hug, "You did it, you did it!" he crowed, shaking her back and forth like a puppy with a bone.

"Woh! Woh, set me down!" she ordered, but laughter was creeping into her voice as well.

Artmond obeyed, joining her laugh and stepped back enough that Evangeline saw Hagor a few feet away shifting from his elf form back to the large druidic elf. He looked exhausted and more roughed up than the elk had, but he too grinned. He sauntered over at a more leisurely pace and gave her a much calmer but no more intense hug.

"You did good, sweet mouse," he said in her ear.

"Did I?" she asked, but there was no need for an answer.

She then turned to look for Valerian, but he was nowhere to be seen as the other clerics, who had not managed to escape, surged forward to congratulate them.

It all felt strange but Evangeline figured this must be what it felt like to be heroes.

As real as everything else had felt, this was real too. All the times she had won a difficult battle or taken on a hard challenge when she had been playing the game, none of those compared to the satisfactions she felt now.

"I did it," she voiced, like she needed to actually hear it aloud to believe it.

Then she was being lifted up onto shoulders along with her party to continued to be cheered by the crowd.

That was when she saw Valerian, one of the few people not celebrating their victory.

Instead, he had knelt by the small pile of ash, gazing down on it somberly. Ryder's mother approached him, also not celebrating. Of course she wasn't.

Valerian looked up at her, his face an unreadable mask. Evangeline couldn't see the High Cleric's expression, but she could imagine it clearly enough.

"Three cheers for the Companions of Kish!" someone shouted.

"Oh no! We're not—" was all she got out before the cheers went up despite her. Then the cleric's all broke out into a song that Evangeline didn't know, but it had a war chant vibe to it.

The druids for their part, except Hagor of course, had all disappeared.

As the dust settled and everyone in the party realized it was safe to stand down, Evangeline could only marvel at herself.

Somehow, despite her various restarts, she had entirely missed this storyline from the game. She had always treated the Grove section as just a starter town you passed through after doing some small sidequests fairly quickly before proceeding on with the game.

So maybe that's where I went wrong, she thought as her gaze met Valerian's. Maybe this section was more important in order to bond with Valerian's than I realized.

Time seemed to skip ahead after that point.

They were all lead into the Great Tree of Dawn and into a comfortable room where they were brought food and basins of warm water that they could wash their hands and faces.

"When you are done eating, we would like to extend to you the use of the Sacred Bathhouse to cleanse yourselves," the attendant, a cleric who seemed to have simply self-appointed themselves as their handler, said.

A look of concern passed over Sigismund's face. "Isn't that reserved only for ritual cleansings?" she asked.

The attendant smiled benevolently. "You are the Companions of Kish and the Protectors of the Sacred Trees. There is none worthier than those Kish appoints as such." Then they bowed over their joined hands, tucked into their sleeves, "Please, we would be most honored."

"Just watch. I bet they bottle up our bath water and sell it as talismans," Valerian muttered under his breath, turning his head so that only Evangline heard it.

She even managed to keep a straight face as she met the attendant's expectant gaze. "We would also be honored to partake in your healing waters," she said, feeling very posh as she did.

"Wonderful!" the attendant exclaimed. "I will inform the bath attendants immediately."

With that, they were gone.

"Well," Harrowheart declared, lounging back against the back of the loveseat her entire self took up. "I have to say when I woke up this morning, this is not where I thought the day would end."

"We got lucky," Hagor agreed, before taking a long drought from the cool beer he was imbibing. He then refilled his cup from the sweating pitcher provided, then moved to refill Evangline's.

She put a hand over her cup to stop him. "I don't think I should have another. I want to remain sharp."

Then Valerian took her hand away and claimed the pitcher himself to pour it for her. "Don't worry. This stuff doesn't do anything to me anyway, so you enjoy yourself. Relax." Then he leaned over and whispered in her ear so softly, the whisper of his breath sent chills down her spine. "I'll keep watch over you."

She couldn't help giggling and then relented, downing the fresh, cool beer.

What could happen in a bathhouse anyway?