Pixie Dust

Midnights Tale

Another mumble from the young constable, "Well who is this old hag?"

A hand sweeps into the back of his head, letting him know to keep his mouth shut.

He still looks confused and disgusted at the woman. One of the other officers notice this confusion.

Her croaking voice sounds sweetened as she half smiles in her reply to his snarky comment, "She has a name, but you can call her Granny Yaga if that's your fancy." She shifts her attention from the constable to the body, her sweet smile fading as she does.

Carefully placing her walking stick as to not touch the body and circles the young woman. She's probably around 16 years of age. Had the life not been sucked out of her, she would be beautiful. Baba bends over the girl, examining around her neck. Although there are open wounds, they do not look like a vampire bite.

"Covaci, you didn't have to call me. This is of the human children." She lets out a soft sigh, knowing that whoever decided to do this, has probably moved on to someone fresh.

"But it can't be! Her blood is drained. Not even a drop has been spilled, and you're telling me it's not of of Dracul's creatures?" Confusion is written all over his face. How could such a horrible deed be done by a mere human? As improbable as it would seem, the witch is almost never wrong.

"They keep their prey alive in order to have a consistent amount of food that never decreases. His kind only steal human blood because that's how they need to survive. Unless an entire clan drank from one human, they would never suck them this dry." She explains, still searching for puncture holes - just in case.

A small marking on the girl's wrist catches her eye. She uses her stick to gently flip over the wrist. Slowly and carefully she crouches down, using her stick to keep her balanced. Her eyes crawl up and down the arm, looking for any signs that it might just be a random scratch, but nothing is found except for the marking. It almost looks like an ancient elven rune, but some of the markings are missing.

Her face twists into confusion. The elves ask only once every hundred years for one human soul. A single human soul. It has only been thirty two years since the previous sacrifice.

She gathers her thoughts and takes a deep breath, trying to let go of the idea. There is no way that this could be it. Everything about it is wrong. The rune is sloppy. Even incomplete. No elf would ever mess up this badly.

"Did you find something?" Covaci asks, seeing her curiosity in the girl's arm. He's seen her look like this before, on a previous body they found a couple of years ago. Also a body drained of blood, but they caught the vampire responsible for that. A low life that got kicked out of Dracul's coven for improper feeding habits.

"Hmm?" Her focus is torn away from the curiosity that lies in front of her. "No, I thought I saw something, but it's just a small scratch. If you honestly feel like you think we need to go the Dracul, then I shall set up a meeting with him tomorrow evening at the castle."

"I'm invited to the castle?" The inspector hesitantly asks. The castle has always been for the mystical and magical only. Mere mortals are a delicacy served at the table, not sitting with the rest.

"Well of course. You are the one that suspects his kind. I'm not upsetting the crazy old bat. Possibly three hundred years ago, I would get away with that stunt, but since the incident with Vlad, he hasn't been the same. Crucifixion truly does change a man." She thinks for a second, "Bring the boy with. Maybe he can learn something about respect."

He gulps as the thinks of the creatures that walk at the side of the immortals. Goblin run at the aid of their masters and pixies that have been used to lure humans in. Rumours of vile dungeons have spread and yet you hear of fairies sprinkling good will all around. A mystical palace indeed.