10 Minute Tales, Part 2

Jul 24 - Cure

She growled quietly as the liquid turned into a black sludge. The fifth this week. She picked the vial up and threw it to the ground in her frustration. "Not another one...!" she growled, her frustration quickly giving way to silent resignation. "So many failures..." she mumbled, looking out the window.

"Pardon, lady Elle." a voice asked from the door. She barely reacted; she recognised the voice of her butler. "Is all well?"

"Oh, Sebastian... no, it's just another failure." she grumbled, looking out of the window. The village at the foot of the mountain stayed oblivious to her lair, oblivious to her efforts. She wanted to be among them, wanted to walk in the joyous sun, wanted to feel the warm smiles of her people once again. But here she was, trapped by the bastard she had slain with her own hands. She bunched a fist; it had taken forever to wash the blood off.

"Well, my lady, there is no other way to discover this formula but to try again." Sebastian commented quietly, adjusting his suit subtly. "What do you believe went wrong on this matter?"

"I'm not sure." Elle replied, looking through her notes. "I might have used a bit too much holy water, destroying the vampiric dust..."

"Last time, did you not use too little?"

"Yes, and the dust wasn't properly negated." she nodded, frowning. "I need to find a way to measure this with greater accuracy..."

"Is there a way to do so with regular displacement? Say, put the container in a large bowl of water, and use the amount of water displaced to measure the amount placed...?"

"No, that wouldn't work, it'd run the risk of diluting the holy water. We need something more delicate..."

"Feathers would be helpful, but the quantity required..."

"Exactly the problem." she sighed. "We simply don't have the apparatus we would need."

"Well, you have as much time as you deem necessary." Sebastian smiled a patient smile. "I am certain you will discover it."

"I... yes, I know that much." she sighed. "Thank you for your patience, Sebastian."

"I live to serve." he bowed briefly. "Shall I fetch your usual bloodwine?"

"I would appreciate that." she smiled, rinsing the last container out as she prepared for the next experiment. She would find this answer. She would find a way to return to her people.

------

The next attempt failed, as did the following three. She had fallen to sleep, leaning on the very desk her experiment bubbled away on. Sebastian sighed with a gentle smile, gently walking over to her.

"My lady..." he muttered, barely loud enough for her to hear. She shuddered slightly, still asleep. "I believe you will need to awaken soon. The sun is nearly up." He rested a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. She grumbled and opened her eyes, slowly sitting up.

"Mgh... experiment..." she mumbled, looking up. What she saw helped her wake right up. Instead of the black sludge she had grown used to, she saw a brilliant white fluid, rippling slightly with her motion. "Sebastian...!" she mumbled.

"Yes, I will prepare your drink."

"No, look!" she sat up suddenly, surprising Sebastian gently. He looked.

"It appears that you have achieved some unexpected result." he commented. "Could it be that-"

"I'm going to find out." she grabbed the flask. The holy water within made the container feel hot, but she had to. "Come here, you..." she raised the concoction to her lips...

"My lady, wait!" Sebastian tried to warn her, but it was too late. She drank the substance. She coughed as the liquid burnt her insides, but it was an unusual burning. It was almost a cleansing pain, one that left her feeling... pure. Her eyes grew blurred and she had to close them, grunting as pain rippled through her body. Sebastian held her head up. "My lady, please... stay with me...!"

"It..." she grunted between gritted teeth. "It hurts..."

"Come, my lady, you can recover from this..." Sebastian muttered, holding her a little tighter. "You have the strength..." she shuddered for a while, then grew still. "... lady Elle...?"

"I'm... I'm okay..." she muttered, opening her eyes. Things looked... darker, somehow.

"... my lady, I... think you might have overextended your goals." Sebastian muttered, his eyebrows raising in slight surprise.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I... I do not believe you are a vampire any more."