Case 02: An Impulsive Vampire

Case 02:
An Impulsive Vampire

 

“Wow, new items!” Plum Murdrac said.

Glenn had decided to take her into Memé’s shop for the time being. Apparently, she’d been staring at the “closed” sign not only because she was peeved to learn that she’d wasted time coming all this way, but also because a man she didn’t recognize was putting the sign up.

“This is everything you’d expect from a totes trendy accessory shop in Lindworm!”

She had a sharp eye and an abrasive tone. Her vocabulary was a bit strange, but other than that, she was exactly what you’d expect a vampire from such a noble lineage to be.

“And where does the patrol team get off nabbing people off the street?” Plum demanded.

“S-Sioux is sorry. But you did look suspicious.”

“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I can’t handle the

sunlight. A girl’s gotta protect herself. You gotta be sharper than that, ya know?”

Sioux shrank under the truth of those words. The vampires, with their bat-like characteristics, probably kept to the dim graveyard city for a reason. Plum had a dark complexion to begin with, but she also looked tanned, even though her big, hooded overcoat covered every inch of her skin. If this was what happened even with measures to protect herself, Glenn couldn’t imagine what sustained exposure to direct sunlight might do to her.

Now inside, she’d removed her coat and was excitedly looking at all the jewelry on sale. He could see her claws and webbed wings, and her bat-like ears stood up on her head.

“Hmm? What are you lookin’ at?”

“Ah, oh… Sorry. I’ve never seen a vampire before.”

“Even if I’m your first, it’s still rude to stare.”

Glenn bowed his head in apology.

“Brother is a doctor!” Sioux said, pulling herself together.

“Yes. Right. I am Glenn Litbeit, monster doctor. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Hmmm… A doctor, huh?”

She looked at him in a way that wasn’t entirely indifferent, but still fairly cold. Maybe it had something to do with the authority vampires held over other species…though other species in Lindworm possessing longevity or authority, like the capricious dragon, Skadi, the big-hearted giant, Dione, or the lustful plantation owner, Aluloona, weren’t condescending at all.

“Where is Memé?” Plum asked.

“Memé…is resting right now. She was sleep-deprived from overwork,” Glenn answered vaguely. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that Memé was sleep-deprived because of her.

“Seriously? Is she okay? Oh, so that’s why a doctor’s here.”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll just look around myself.” It wasn’t exactly conceit, but Plum did seem to be in her own little world.

She neatly folded her wings. Bat wings were actually five fingers that had evolved into longer digits with webbing between them, and Plum’s wings looked to be the same. She picked up various items of jewelry between the claws at the ends of her fingers, carefully inspecting and commenting on all of them. Apparently, she had very specific fashion preferences.

Under her overcoat, she wore all-black clothing—a thin dress that showed off the curves of her body, the likes of which you didn’t normally see in Lindworm. It was covered in sequins and sparkly jewelry. She was also wearing a lot of accessories with pointy tips, shaped like claws and fangs.

Glenn stared.

“Are you a friend of Memé’s?” Sioux asked.

Plum didn’t look particularly put off by this question. “Not a…friend,” she said, rubbing the side of her face with one claw. Glenn wondered if she was feeling embarrassed.

The polish on her claws was fluorescent. He thought it looked familiar, but he couldn’t recall seeing a lot of nail polish in Lindworm, either.

“This shop is new, right? I heard that my mentor collaborated on some pieces, so I came to check them out. But since I have a tough time walking around during the day, and since my folks are so strict, it’s hard to get here,” Plum explained.

She spoke about Memé like they knew each other. And who was this mentor she’d mentioned?

“Memé, please wait!” Sapphee’s voice came from the back. “Memé, you need to sleep longer!”

“I-I’m okay. I slept some… Is there a customer here?”

Memé appeared, apparently woken by Glenn and the others’ voices. She looked a little better. The Barometz sleep-inducing medication really was strong. Even though Memé had only slept for a little while, it had been deep and restful sleep.

“Oh! There you are, Memé-chi.”

“M-Memé-chi?!”

“I read about this place in the paper. Congrats on the store. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, but you’re always in the back or busy working.” Plum looked cool as ever, but her tone was softer with Memé.

“Eeeee!” Memé, on the other hand, was clearly flustered, her giant eye roving about the room.

“These new pieces are amazing. Did you make them? Didn’t you, like, just open?”

“I-I just had some extra materials…”

“That’s nuts, this stuff is gorgeous!”

The two girls couldn’t have been less alike. All Glenn knew was that it seemed like Plum respected Memé. She was smiling, her fangs peeking past her lips. Meanwhile, Memé was stammering, not sure exactly how to respond to what might be a potentially regular customer.

But Glenn was already thinking about something else. He decided to be blunt, and also to offer Memé a lifeline, taking some of the pressure off her.

“Plum, can I speak to you for a minute?”

“Huh? What about?”

“Are you injured, by any chance?”

“Ah!” Plum’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “How’d you know? I totally thought I was hiding it.”

“The way you open and close your wings seemed a bit stiff, so I thought, maybe…if you’d like, I can examine them.”

“Wow, Doctor.” Plum lifted both hands.

Her webbed wings spread wide. It almost looked like she was holding out a coat. Her wings were quite large, their span probably about the same as Illy’s.

“Umm…”

Plum spread her wings even wider, making it easier to see.

The webbing stretched from under her armpit to the spaces between her claws. They’d been folded against her side, and probably only stretched to their full width when she was flying. He realized it must be hard for her to wear clothing with sleeves. Indeed, Plum was currently wearing a sleeveless dress that boldly bared her shoulders.

Glenn tried pulling gently on the webbing under her arm. It stretched in an interesting way, incredibly elastic.

“A-aggh! Th-that tickles!”

“I’m sorry. Please try to hold still.”

“Uggh…” Plum lifted her arm again, looking unhappy.

Glenn pulled the webbed wings open.

“Mmmm, ooh.”

“I see…it’s right here.”

“Hmm?”

Under Plum’s armpit, her webbing had torn in a few places.

“Ergh. I can’t believe you noticed that. I was hiding it ’cause it’s gross.”

“Did it get caught on something?”

“Yeah…on my jewelry.”

Glenn understood. The webbing had to be lightweight to allow for flight, which also meant it was fragile. “That looks painful.”

“It doesn’t really hurt, but I can’t fly with torn wings. And also, doesn’t it look gross?! It’s the wooorst!”

Plum was clearly very conscious of her appearance. Arahnia, Glenn’s fiancée, was the same way. He thought back to how she’d used makeup to hide her illness.

“Hey, Doc, can you fix this up?”

“Your torn wings will heal naturally. You need to rest and avoid flying for a while.”

“Whaaa? Seriously? I don’t have to do anything?”

“They’re made to tear easily. They’re also made to heal easily.”

“Wow, cool! So I can just leave them be, then? Sweet.”

“But…” Glenn looked at her with a stern face. “If they tore because of your accessories, then you need to take those accessories off. In fact, you should avoid wearing pointy things.”

“Whaaa…? No way,” Plum protested.

Glenn ignored her. “If you wear the same jewelry, your webbing will tear again. I thought you said the tears were gross?”

“Wahhh… Seriously…?”

Glenn never compromised when it came to the health of his patients. Besides, all the accessories Plum wore were pointy. He guessed that she must like that style, but it wasn’t worth damaging her wings.

“Fine. Guess I’ll just buy some new, non-pointy ones. Got anything good, Memé?”

“Hunh.” Memé, who’d spaced out during the aggressive encounter, suddenly came to. “Uh, uhhh… Something that won’t damage your wings… Maybe a rounded end, like this…? Or something leather, like this…?”

“Ohhh, that’s it. Perfect.”

“O-oh, and I can also round the tips of the jewelry you’re currently wearing…”

“Seriously? That’s amazing. Yeah, do that, please.”

After putting in a number of specific orders, Plum paid Memé, tipping generously. Money was no object for the Murdracs.

“Well, all I can say now is that you two need to take care of yourselves. Especially you, Memé. Make sure you get some sleep,” Glenn said.

“I-I know,” Memé said, tears in her eye as she took Plum’s money.

“It’s okay,” Sapphee said. “I left an air freshener with Barometz essence in your room. It’s not as strong as the eyedrops, but it should help you sleep soundly.”

Sapphee had really been putting her pharmacist skills to work when no one was looking. Glenn continued to be impressed by her brilliance.

Since the stranger in the overcoat wasn’t really a stranger anymore, Memé’s anxiety shouldn’t bother her any more. Hopefully, she’d be able to sleep soundly tonight.

“Oh, hey, Memé-chi. I want to look at that thing, too.”

“Wh-what thing?”

“Didn’t you and my mentor collaborate on some stuff?”

“Mentor…”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Plum said casually. “My mentor, Arahnia. You know her, right?”

“Huh?!”

Sapphee gasped and Glenn’s eyes grew round. He remembered where he’d seen that fluorescent polish before.

On Arahnia.

 

***

 

“Who?”

Several days later, Arahnia stopped by the clinic on her break—apparently just popping in between jobs. Glenn used the opportunity to ask if she knew Plum Murdrac.

Arahnia’s response was clipped. “The Murdracs are that vampire family, right?”

“So, you do know her?”

“The arachne were one of the tribes the vampires assisted in uniting.”

Evidently, the Murdracs’s reach extended across a variety of species.

Arachnes had relatively weak digestive organs for their size. Half of their bodies were made for generating and excreting webbing. They craved sustenance to generate that thread, but due to their delicate digestive systems, they couldn’t eat large amounts of meat. Indeed, Glenn had heard that their main source of sustenance had once been the bodily fluids of animals.

“Was it because arachne—sucking the fluids from their prey—were a lot like vampires?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I mean, it’s easy to get plenty of food without going to the trouble of hunting animals, nowadays. The point is, I’ve never met Lord Murdrac’s daughter.”

“But Plum clearly called you her mentor, Arahnia.”

“I don’t have any apprentices. The only designer at Loose Silk Sewing in this town is me, and my hands are full looking after the seamstresses.”

Glenn tilted his head. It was hard to imagine Arahnia as a mentor. She was good at caring for people, but mentorship was a different kettle of fish. He didn’t see her as the type to willingly teach others her trade.

“Maybe she read about you in the town newspaper?” Sapphee said as she brought in a tray laden with cups. She handed Glenn one and poured black tea into it from the kettle she held with her tail.

“Arahnia, you made something at Memé’s shop, right?”

“Oh, yeah, I did. I designed some accessories, and Memé made them. I can’t do any of that metal-welding stuff.”

“I’m sure she saw that in the town paper.” Sapphee said. “Even if she didn’t, Arahnia’s clothing designs have a big following.”

“Heh. You flatter me.”

Glenn took Sapphee’s word for it. He didn’t have any particular preferences when it came to clothing, and Arahnia’s designs were mainly for women. There wasn’t much opportunity for him to personally evaluate her work, though the fact that she had passionate fans spoke to its quality.

“So, she’s just a fan who calls me ‘mentor,’ even though we’ve never met?”

“Perhaps…”

“Well, that’s fine with me. Who cares? If she’s coming into town, then we’ll meet sooner or later. It’ll be great.” Arahnia chuckled. Even if she didn’t need an apprentice, she apparently enjoyed having fans.

“You seem really busy, too, Miss Arahnia…”

“Hey now! We’re engaged. No need to call me ‘miss’ anymore.”

“I-It’s just a habit…”

“Yeah?” Arahnia sipped her tea, seemingly unbothered. “Umm, what I’m working on now is all gear for working the fields. It’s peak season for those. Then there’re the designs for the harvest festival itself. Oh, and the additional accessories for Memé. And, umm…” She used her multiple arms to count off all of her tasks.

“Th-that’s more than I was expecting.”

Aluloona Plantation had several busy seasons each year, but autumn was by far the busiest. Every year, Aluloona hired temporary farmhands, and naturally, needed to order appropriate work clothing for all of them. Loose Silk Sewing was tasked with coming up with the necessary designs to fit the various species involved.

And this year, there was also the harvest festival to consider.

They still hadn’t got Lord Murdrac’s permission, but the preparations had already begun. The plan was for attendees to dress up as the dead and undead, which meant the task of making costumes, too, had fallen to Loose Silk Sewing.

“You’re busy…but it’s fun, right?”

“Fun?” Arahnia thought for a moment and smiled. “Doc, an artist needs fuel to keep them going. Of course, there are some things I can’t do with my own hands, but I wanna do as much as I can.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Aren’t you the same, Doc?”

This question made Glenn think.

“I love what I do. But I’d prefer it if no one needed to come to the clinic. Not that that would ever happen.”

“You truly are a good person, Doc. No wonder I’m marrying you! I just fell in love all over again.” Arahnia covered her mouth with her hand, but it wasn’t enough to mask the cackle that erupted from her.

It sounded like a sarcastic laugh, but Glenn knew better. These exaggerated and dramatic gestures were the only way that Arahnia could express her true feelings.

“Thank you very much. I’m really glad we’re engaged, too.”

“Oh?! Heh, heh! Ahem…” Arahnia choked at this unexpected comeback. After over a year of knowing her, Glenn had learned that it was best to be straightforward about his feelings.

“Would you stop all that lovey-dovey talk in front of me?” Sapphee glared at them as she peeled the hard-boiled egg she’d brought for lunch.

“Ahh, are you jealous? Don’t you worry. This mistress doesn’t plan on taking your spot there, Sapphee.”

“I know, but it’s irritating to watch you show off how much you trust each other.”

“I’m the only one you have no verbal filter with, huh?” Arahnia looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Glenn was officially engaged to both of them, but Arahnia chose to call herself a mistress. He wasn’t sure if she was doing that for Sapphee’s sake, or because Arahnia herself liked to maintain that distance. Maybe it was both.

That was probably why she got along with Sapphee so well.

“Ahem… Well, setting that aside, how was Memé’s shop?”

“It’s doing well. Memé was a little…anxious…”

“That can’t be helped. Once I finish up my work, I’ll go take a look.”

Busy as she was, she’d taken the time to come see Glenn. Glenn hoped some good would come of her apparent friendship with Memé.

“Whaddya say, Doc? It’s the perfect opportunity to buy something for me.”

“Y-you mean jewelry?”

“I’d be happy with anything from you, Doc,” she said, giving him a sidelong glance.

Neither Sapphee nor Tisalia would have said something so forthright to Glenn. This type of pressure was new to him. However, he was a little afraid of the daggers shooting out of Sapphee’s eyes.

“You didn’t buy anything for me, did you, Doctor?”

“B-but you were buying your own…”

“Hmph.”

Glenn wasn’t sure what to do about Sapphee’s sulking. Maybe he was failing his duties as a soon-to-be husband.

“Oh dear, maybe I said something I shouldn’t have. We can’t be fighting.”

“And whose fault do you think that is?!”

“Okay, Doc, how about you buy something for each of us?” Arahnia moved her face closer to his. Glenn recoiled at these words. He wondered if Arahnia had figured out the real reason why he’d visited Memé’s shop.

“Oh, um…” Glenn tried to warn her silently, but—

“What is it?”

“Arahnia…do you already know?” he hissed under his breath.

“You’ll have to try harder if you wanna surprise me.” Arahnia cackled. Going forward, Glenn would just have to assume she could read his every thought. “I was trying to trick you into telling me.”

“Ergh…”

“I can’t wait to get mine.”

“Just what are you two talking about over there in secret?!” Sapphee snatched the cup from Glenn’s hand with her tail. She apparently wanted to wash it, but it was rather a violent way to let him know that.

“Okay, okay. Sapphee, no need to lose your cool. I was just saying I can’t wait until the harvest festival.”

“Do you have to be that close together for that?”

“What’s wrong with that? We’re engaged, after all.”

“Ergh…” Sapphee was running out of excuses for her jealousy.

Although she’d agreed to the plural marriage, Sapphee was the jealous type, and it seemed she was having trouble reconciling her conflicting feelings. Maybe she was even more emotional about it because she and Arahnia were so close.

“Sapphee, let’s go to the harvest festival together once it starts. I want to check it out.”

Such an invitation from Glenn was rare. Sapphee looked at him, surprised. “I want to…but what are you going to do about getting Lord Murdrac’s permission?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right.” Glenn sighed. He hadn’t made any progress on that front at all, aside from meeting Plum Murdrac. “I should have talked to Plum about it, but I was preoccupied with her condition.”

“You’re always a doctor, wherever you go.” It was Sapphee’s turn to sigh, exasperation in her voice. They’d have to ask Plum for an introduction next time.

“Do you need me to swoop in and come to your rescue? That girl’s a big fan of mine, right?”

“Even if Plum introduces us to Lord Murdrac, I can’t think of a good way to convince him.”

“Oh, dear. In that case, there won’t be any harvest festival at all! Or a harvest festival date with Sapphee, for that matter.”

“Er… I-I’ll figure something out,” Glenn said, without the faintest clue as to what that something might be. For now, he’d try to meet with Plum and ask her what the Murdracs thought about the festival. He wondered if he might run into her at Memé’s shop again? He was also still concerned about her wings.

“I’m looking forward to our date, Doctor,” Sapphee said with the biggest grin on her face.

Was she trying to pressure him? Or was she just genuinely excited? Either way, Glenn couldn’t resist Sapphee’s smile.

Despite his lack of confidence, all he could do was nod.

 

***

 

The nights were growing longer, and Glenn was getting some (uncharacteristically) sound sleep. He was always so busy that he rarely slept deeply, but this particular night was quiet. Maybe a little too quiet, which was exactly why he was sleeping so well.

“Mmmm…”

His slumber was interrupted by the sensation that someone had entered his room.

“Er… Sapphee?” he gulped.

Sometimes, in the winter, Sapphee would sneak into Glenn’s bedroom. Lamia were cold-blooded animals. She’d snuggle with Glenn to keep warm, as if he were her own personal space heater.

But Sapphee would already have wrapped herself around him. Glenn opened his eyes. He could see something shining in the dark room. Was it a lantern? The moonlight?

No.

A pair of eyes.

“Keee…”

A high-pitched sound almost beyond the range of his hearing filled the room. Before Glenn even had time to wonder what it was, the shining eyes made a rush for his neck.

“Argh?!” he cried out without thinking as he felt two sharp fangs pierce his skin.

Slurp… Smack…

His attacker was now licking the blood gushing from where he’d been bitten. It was too dark for him to see the culprit, but he had a pretty good guess.

“Er… Argh!”

It felt like a rough tongue was being thrust into his wound. He wanted to push whoever it was away, but his strength was no match for the attacker. Both his arms were pinned to the bed.

Slurp…

“Mmm!”

Slurp…

The sound of Glenn’s blood being lapped up echoed out into the night.

Then…

“Doctor?! I heard screaming. What happened?!”

The room was suddenly flooded with light.

“Keee!” The attacker let out a frightened cry and backed away from Glenn.

Sapphee rushed into the room, holding a lantern in her tail. Several fairies followed her with their own fairy-sized lanterns. Glenn slapped a hand to the bite on his neck.

There’s not that much blood… It was just a puncture wound, and there was no internal damage. He tore off a strip of his bedsheet and held it to his neck to staunch the blood.

“Doctor, are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m only bleeding…a little.”

“Your neck… Doctor, this…!” Sapphee looked at the attacker in the corner of the room. “Oh…uh…”

The intruder was covering her face with both winged arms. She’d said she didn’t do well in sunlight, but her stance made it look like she feared all light.

“Is that…?”

“Yeah.”

Although she was hiding her face, the combination of blonde hair, tan skin, and bat wings was a dead giveaway.

Glenn moved toward her, still holding his neck.

“It’s okay. I’m fine. You don’t need to cry.”

“I-I’m sorry! I…I did something horrible to you, Doctor!” she blubbered. Plum folded her wings and looked fearfully toward him, tears streaming down her face.

“What should we do, Doctor?”

Tend to his wound, for starters. Luckily, it wasn’t deep, and the ointment Sapphee kept on hand was highly effective. He wrapped it up and turned back to the problem at hand.

“Have you calmed down, Plum?”

She was staring at the ground, a pained look on her face. Sapphee had served her an herbal tea with sedative effects, and Plum Murdrac sipped it, but remained silent. Her face was stained with tears, and there was still a bit of blood on the corner of her mouth.

“Why would you do something like that?”

She’d snuck into Glenn’s room without a sound, then committed an act that made her worthy of the old vampire nickname of bloodsucker. The girl they’d seen during the day had been aloof, self-confident… It was hard to believe she could so suddenly go from that to attacking someone.

“Honestly…lately, my impulse to drink blood has gotten stronger.”

“Impulse?”

“Sometimes I just get this craving for blood. It’s not so bad. Normally I keep it at bay by drinking tea or something. But these days, I just can’t help myself…”

Glenn sensed she was going to start crying again, so he tried to calm her down. “So you don’t normally drink blood?”

“Mmm… Well, Dad, Mom, and I don’t really… I mean, we usually eat fruit. We don’t need blood to live. We’re called bloodsuckers, sure, but I’ve never really done any of that before…”

“I see. Incidentally, what fruit do you like to eat the most?”

“Plums…” Plum said bashfully.

Maybe she was embarrassed about loving the very food she was named after. Glenn thought for a moment. Plums didn’t taste anything like blood. But then, vampires didn’t eat fruit in lieu of sucking blood. Fruit was their main source of nutrition.

“Wouldn’t animal blood work?”

“Yeah…I’ve tried animals before. Their blood makes me gag. Dad says that vampires all prefer different things. I…I probably only like blood from people my age…”

Preference, huh? Legend had it that vampires preferred to attack virgin women. Was that not a species-wide preference thing, but merely the preference of certain individual vampires?

“I have some relatives who drink animal blood…but I can’t even stand the smell.”

“Did you talk to your parents about this?”

“Mom and Dad said if I want to drink blood, I should find somebody I like. They said I’m a Murdrac, so I won’t get in trouble.”

Glenn held his head in his hands. Evidently, Lord Murdrac cared more about his own rules than the city ordinances…although he’d never heard of people being attacked by vampires in Lindworm before.

“Well, we can’t overlook intentional harm inflicted on the people of this city,” Sapphee said. The incident in which her own family had poisoned the Waterways was all too fresh in her mind. She was sensitive to this sort of issue.

“Nah, I don’t think they were serious,” Plum waved her wing in dismissal. “Mom and Dad are old-fashioned. They’ve always been super concerned with their image as vampires. So, sometimes they tell me things like how I’m different from other species, and better than them, and all… But they’re afraid of the Draconess, and I’m pretty sure we would lose if things really came to blows.”

Glenn wondered about that. She’d been impossibly strong when she attacked him, and her fangs were sharp. But that was all. Compared to monsters born for battle, like ogres and centaurs, vampire strength might not be all that impressive.

Humans really were far too weak.

“That’s why I originally just planned to ask you for help, Doctor.”

“Help?”

“I thought, you know…you could do something for me.”

“Is that why you came at night?” Glenn asked gently, aware that she might start crying again at any moment. Plum had come from the graveyard city to the clinic during her normal waking hours.

“But when I saw you, I…”

“You what?”

“The impulse… I couldn’t control it…”

There was that impulse again.

“The smell of your blood, Doctor… It’s my favorite…”

“I see.”

She’d been unable to control the urge bubbling up inside of her, and ended up biting Glenn.

“I understand the situation now. It’s a very sensitive subject, and we need to make sure it doesn’t leave this clinic. Don’t you agree, Doctor?” Sapphee stroked Plum’s back, clearly implying Glenn shouldn’t alert the patrol team. Though her jealousy was sometimes frightening, Sapphee was a genuinely sweet person.

“I agree.”

“Good. I hope you’re grateful to the Doctor, Plum.”

Plum nodded, her eyes still brimming with tears.

“Now then, what shall we do? Would it be better if I escorted her back to the graveyard city?”

“No, please wait.”

The most important issue hadn’t been resolved yet.

It was the reason behind Plum’s impulse. According to her, like bats, vampires weren’t active bloodsuckers. So, why had Plum’s urges suddenly increased?

“We need to do something about this impulse to suck blood, or the same thing might happen again. I want to take measures to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Measures? Is there something you can do, Doctor?”

“I don’t know a lot about vampires, but…”

Glenn thought for a moment.

A lot of what he’d studied about vampires at the academy had been intermingled with legend and superstition. For example, they were susceptible to sunlight. They were susceptible to crosses. They were susceptible to running water. If you drove a stake through their heart… Actually, the chest was a weak point for most living beings.

They were also supposed to be immortal. No creatures were truly immortal, so that probably referred to the fact that they lived long lives, like dragons and scyllas.

Plum was susceptible to sunlight, but that was because she was a nocturnal monster. Glenn hadn’t seen any sign of her being susceptible to crosses, especially given the nature of some of the jewelry at Memé’s shop. She seemed okay with running water, too.

But there was something he’d learned from examining her.

“I have an idea. I believe vampires are monsters with strong bat-like characteristics.”

“It seems that way, but how does that help?”

“I believe this impulse to suck blood is similar to impulses in bats and other animals.”

Sapphee looked at Glenn quizzically.

“There are bats that drink blood regularly. But vampires don’t. Certain conditions make vampires feel a stronger urge to drink blood…just like mosquitos.”

Sapphee’s face lit up as she understood.

Mosquitos normally sustained themselves on the nectar of plants and fruit juices. It was only the females that bit animals, humans, and monsters…specifically when they needed nutrients for reproduction. Cthulhy was actually conducting research on mosquitos and their ability to be a vector for disease.

“But that… Does that mean Plum is getting ready to reproduce?”

“Oh, no, no! I don’t know about that! Don’t tell me I’m a mosquito!” Plum was crying again.

Glenn shook his head calmly. “No. If that were the case, vampire men would never feel compelled to drink blood. You crave superfoods when you need a large amount of nutrients in a short amount of time. And there are other reasons for this besides procreation. For example, injury or illness.”

“Oh…” Plum finally understood, too. She spread her wings. The holes she’d shown Glenn had shrunk a bit, but they were still there.

“Your webbing is injured. You naturally crave blood because your body wants to repair your wings.”

“Oh…” Plum seemed to accept this. “Dad said that vampires drink blood so they can live longer. Is that why? We get nutrients from blood?”

“It does seem like the blood of other species rapidly increases your ability to recover from illness and injury. It probably contributes to your longevity as a species.”

“I didn’t know…”

Glenn thought some more. If the injury to her wings was giving her the urge to drink blood, then those urges would last until she was healed. And she’d heal faster if she actually consumed blood, but she said she couldn’t drink animal blood. Forcing her to try would just make her vomit, which would be pointless.

The only blood she could drink…was Glenn’s.

“I don’t think there’s any other way.”

“Doctor?”

“Plum, I give you permission to drink my blood as part of your treatment.”

“What?!” Sapphee thumped her tail in warning after hearing Glenn’s decision. “Just a minute—that’s dangerous! Dr. Glenn, she just bit you, and now you’re going to give her your blood? You don’t even know how important blood is to her recovery!”

“It shouldn’t take much just to keep her craving at bay.”

“You don’t know that! I will not allow you to put yourself in danger, Dr. Glenn!” Sapphee’s expression was earnest. “If you must, we could extract a safe amount of blood and let Plum drink that…”

“That might come with the risk of spreading infection. I believe vampires evolved their fangs precisely to remove the risks of drinking blood that wasn’t fresh, or might have been contaminated.”

“B-but there’s no reason you need to sacrifice your own blood…”

“Voluntarily offering her my blood is within the scope of treating her as her doctor. I cannot ask another person to give up their blood. This is the most appropriate solution.”

“Er…”

At the academy, they were doing research on blood transfusions, which meant extracting blood from one person and giving it to another for treatment. If that research had progressed further, then Plum would have nothing to worry about. As it was, though, they had yet to find a secure, stable way to store or transfer extracted blood, or reliably avoid contamination.

“But…but…”

“Ummm…Sapphee?” Plum cut in. “I-It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left the graveyard city. So, I’ll get out of your hair now. I don’t want to attack anyone. Dad might pitch a fit, but if I tie myself up in my room while I heal, then I won’t hurt anyone else.”

“Plum…”

That was unreasonable. Glenn knew Sapphee wasn’t okay with it, but he couldn’t think of any way to solve this besides Plum drinking his blood.

Sapphee swished her tail back and forth, frowning. “Fine. But if I determine that Dr. Glenn’s life is in danger, I’ll put a stop to it immediately!”

“Of course. I don’t want to die.” Glenn smiled at Plum. “We’ll make sure to take every safety measure possible.”

From there, they moved into the treatment room.

Sapphee directed the fairies to prepare the room for the procedure. First, they brought out a large volume of fluids for him to drink. Next, Sapphee wrapped her tail around Glenn’s left arm. There was a pulse rate meter in the clinic, but it wasn’t terribly accurate. Sapphee was much more precise at reading it with her tail. She tightened her grip.

“Hey, Plum,” Glenn called to her as they waited for all the preparations to be finished. “You seem different from when we met you in town.”

“Er…” Plum looked like she was about to break down again.

When they’d first spoken that night, she seemed genuinely apologetic for attacking Glenn. However, something gave him the feeling that it wasn’t just guilt…but that she actually had a timid personality.

“Because…” Plum muttered, trailing off.

“Hmm?”

“I was wearing makeup… It was my first time showing myself in Lindworm, so I put on extra makeup, trying to make myself look like a classy vampire for my big debut. What a waste.”

She was sulking, or maybe just being self-deprecating.

“I never should have left the graveyard district,” she went on. “Dad was right. My dignity would’ve stayed intact if I’d never showed myself to anyone.”

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think most of the powerful people in Lindworm have any dignity…” Glenn chuckled, thinking specifically of the city council. “Also, what about the people you met when you came here?”

“People I met…”

She’d been able to chat with Memé confidently enough, even if she’d just been putting on a show of bravado. If Plum was actually an introvert, or had trouble talking to new people, then she and Memé would get along well.

“N-nah…” Plum turned her head away. “It’s not like I’m excited I met you…Doctor.”

“Does that mean—Ow!” Glenn cried out in pain as Sapphee squeezed him, hard.

“Excuse me. I didn’t mean to coil that tight. We’re almost ready to begin.”

“Was that really an accident?”

“Of course it was! It’s not like I think you’re ogling a young girl or anything, Doctor,” Sapphee said nonchalantly. Ever since they’d gotten engaged, she’d been even stricter about Glenn so much as looking at other women. Not that he had any intention of cheating.

“Wh-what should I do?” Plum asked apprehensively.

“All you need to do is suck his blood. I’m worried about blood loss from his neck, so do it here, please.”

Glenn held the fingers of his right hand out for Plum. Since his heartrate had to be monitored the entire time, he couldn’t leave his perch on the chair. That meant Plum had to kneel to access his fingers.

“If you suck the blood from my fingers, the flow won’t be too strong. It might not even be enough to satisfy you. But if you can lick a little at a time, I think it will help curb your craving.”

“O-okay…” Plum said, taking Glenn’s hand. She was hesitant, but her eyes gleamed like those of a carnivore eyeing its prey. “O-okay…here I go.”

Plum opened her mouth and gently bit Glenn’s finger.

He saw her fangs peek out from her lips and felt the bite on his neck ache in sympathy.

Sl-slurp…

Her fangs scraped over Glenn’s skin. She was looking for the optimal place to bite. Then he felt a sharp pain, like the prick of a needle, shoot up his arm.

“Nngh…” Glenn stifled a noise. If he appeared to be in too much agony, Sapphee would put a stop to it.

Sl-slurp…

Smack…

Plum started licking the pierced middle finger with her rough tongue.

“Ahhm… Mmm, hmmm… Mmm…”

“Ow.”

Plum put both his middle finger and ring finger into her mouth. They were so deep he could feel the mucous membrane at the back of her throat. He could feel the temperature of the inside of her body. As she moved Glenn’s fingers around in her mouth, Plum’s expression was that of someone inebriated.

Actually, she probably was inebriated, in a way. The instinct to drink blood was self-preservation—a way to recover from injury or illness. It wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t control her impulses.

“Doctor, are you all right?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

No matter how much Plum succumbed to her craving, he was only losing a miniscule amount of blood this way. Glenn wasn’t in any real danger.

“Mmm! Hmm…”

Slurp…

Slurrrp…

Plum moved her head up and down, sucking violently, trying to get even a little bit more. Glenn’s fingers were covered in her saliva. In fact, his whole fist was wet. Plum was bent forward, her hands on the floor to hold herself up. Her head was moving so violently that it caused her well-endowed chest to swing back and forth as well. If she hadn’t been sucking his blood at that moment, Glenn surely would have enjoyed the sight.

“Hmm! Mmmm, hmm… Oooh… Ahhmmm…”

Plum couldn’t stop. She had a wild look in her eyes. The way she was completely engrossed in sucking his blood reminded Glenn of a beast acting on instinct.

“Mmm… Mmm, ohhh…”

He was starting to worry that his nails might scratch the back of her throat when something made him stop short.

He tilted his head to one side.

The temperature of his hand was gradually dropping. He could see blood mixed with the saliva dripping from Plum’s mouth as she continued to suck violently. It was…a lot of blood.

Glenn was confused. He felt…cool. He couldn’t tell if it was chills or the sensation of his blood leaving his body.

“Mmm…mmph… Mmm…”

Slurp…

Smack…

Plum looked like she was enjoying the taste of his blood. From time to time, she’d pull her mouth away from his hand and swallow the blood that had accumulated in her mouth. She was so preoccupied with sucking that she kept forgetting to breathe. Then she’d suddenly remember and draw in a loud breath.

“Ahhh…mmm! Mmmph, mmm…”

“Er!”

Glenn had remembered something.

Mosquito saliva prevented blood from coagulating. It would make perfect sense if vampire saliva had the same effect. Damn. Even two minor pricks on his finger was enough to keep him bleeding steadily. At this rate, Plum, who now had a bloodthirsty look in her eyes, would keep going until she was satisfied…and he was drained.

“Doctor, your pulse is quickening.”

“I-I’m okay…”

There was still time. Despite her loud sounds and exaggerated movements, Plum had still only drawn a small amount of his blood. As long as he stayed aware of any changes in his body, it would be fine.

Glenn took a drink, in part to calm himself down. The cold water cleared his head.

“Mmm… Agh…”

“P-Plum…slow it down a bit…”

“Mmmph, mmph… Mmm!”

He could feel his blood being sucked. As his fingertips grew cold, he also felt a faint sensation, like an electric current.

“Mmm!”

Slurp! Slurrrp! Smaaack!

“Ergh…”

Plum pulled Glenn’s fingers even farther back into her throat. With each instance of suction, as his bodily fluids flowed out, a sense of comfort flowed in. Even though his blood was being sucked, he felt no pain…instead, a current of pleasure ran through him.

Maybe this was a mistake…

It was said that vampires charmed the women they preyed on in order to suck their blood. What if their saliva contained not just anticoagulants, but also a component that melted inhibitions, like a drug? The more human blood Plum sucked, the more vampire saliva entered Glenn’s veins. But by the time he realized the danger, it was already too late.

“Mmm… Ahmm… Mmm… Ahhm, mmmph…!”

The exchange also seemed to be affecting Plum. The shine in her eyes was completely different. Glenn wondered how he looked through her intoxicated pupils.

Plum pulled back, her tongue lapping the tips of Glenn’s fingers as if her life depended on it.

Her fangs traced the sensitive prick on his finger, then her rough tongue again. Her saliva flowed freely. Glenn did everything he could to resist the urge to arch his back.

“Mmmph! Ahhmm…Mmm…!”

“Er…argh.”

His blood wouldn’t coagulate. This pleasure was clouding his brain. He tried to resist, but the sucking sensation robbed him of his free will. He wondered if Plum knew…but she would surely have said something if she did. At this point, she seemed to have completely lost control and was operating solely on instinct.

“Doctor, it’s starting to get dangerous… Doctor?”

“Ergh!”

His fingers twitched. As Plum continued to violently suck his blood, Sapphee noticed that Glenn was acting strange.

“Plum, it’s time to finish. Can you hear me?!”

“Mmm…!”

Plum didn’t stop sucking.

Glenn could feel his body temperature dropping. He desperately tried to regain his bearings. He’d lost too much blood.

Even after being told by Sapphee to stop, Plum wasn’t giving up Glenn’s fingers. She’d pulled them back into her mouth. Her excited breath tickled Glenn’s skin, which only added to the stimulation he felt from the bloodsucking.

I didn’t think it would go this far… He hadn’t taken the danger seriously enough. He hadn’t even considered the special bodily traits vampires might possess, like saliva to make the blood flow and intoxicate their prey. His decision to offer his own blood, even to prevent anyone else from getting hurt, had been a big mistake.

“Mmmm, mmmph! Ahhhh, oh, er, ohhh…!”

Glenn’s hand was dripping with blood and saliva, which slid down Plum’s neck, wetting her voluptuous breasts. Completely oblivious to this, she continued vigorously moving her head back and forth. She and Glenn were covered in each other’s fluids.

“Mmmph, ahh, mmmhhmm! Mmmph! Mmph!”

Plum was calling out like a beast, but Glenn couldn’t resist. The strength had been drained from him.

“Mmmphhh! Ooooh!” Slurp!

I guess I still have a lot to learn…

Glenn felt himself going went limp. He was having trouble focusing his eyes. For some reason, all he could think about was Sapphee, Tisalia and Arahnia, his fiancées. He could no longer see anything in front of him. Everything was hazy.

I’m sorry… I’ll try harder!

 

***

 

Delicious, delicious, delicious, so gooood!

Plum was completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

I never knew blood was this delicious!

Plum lived in the Deadlich Hotel, where her parents had brought her several years prior. All vampires were nocturnal and avoided excessive contact with other species, but the Murdracs were especially conservative. They honored tradition to protect their noble bloodline.

As a result, Plum’s lifestyle was rather…restricted. Unnecessary outings weren’t allowed. Modern clothing wasn’t allowed. Unnecessary fraternizing with other species wasn’t allowed.

Her father believed this was the way vampires ought to be. Her mother adored everything about her father.

But Plum…

Ever since coming to Deadlich Hotel, she’d heard a lot about Lindworm. In Lindworm, many different species all lived together. Everything about the town sounded fun and exciting. For example, the famous designer who made clothes for any monster. She’d also heard a rumor about a craftswoman who, although an extreme introvert, made jewelry on her own. On top of that, there was the town doctor who would treat anyone, whatever their species.

Plum was starved for stimulation. She wanted to be entertained. She’d lived such a sheltered life. As a lady of the Murdrac family, she’d been raised with great care, but the only world she knew was the world of night, where vampires ruled. Even after hearing about how advanced Lindworm was, she couldn’t muster up the courage to venture out into that world.

That’s why she’d dressed up in fashionable clothing. She was sure that by doing so, she would live up to the expectations everyone had of the Murdrac family. They would see her as a daughter of noble blood. By doing so, she’d finally been able to mingle with the residents of Lindworm.

But…

Mmmm, deliciousss! Ammmazing!

Plum was now completely incapable of rational thought.

The sweet, salty, metallic taste of blood might have made a human vomit, but to Plum, it was better than any meal she’d ever had.

“That’s quite…” Sapphee’s voice echoed in her ears. “Enough.”

“Mmph!”

A mixture of saliva and blood gushed from Plum’s mouth as Sapphee hit her over the head. She started coughing violently, expelling the blood that she hadn’t quite swallowed yet. She hacked and spat, trying and failing to speak.

“Plum! You completely forgot yourself! Doctor! Doctor, are you all right?!”

Sapphee was shaking Glenn’s shoulder. He was probably suffering from anemia at that point, so she had to be careful not to shake him too hard.

Glenn held a hand to his head. “Plum…how are you feeling?”

“Oh… I-I’m sorry. I…I don’t know what happened… I was in a complete daze…”

“It looks like you sucked up…an awful lot of blood, so I hope you’ll be able to control your urges now. You need to rest. Once your wings heal…I don’t think you’ll be driven by those urges anymore…”

“Doctor?!”

Sapphee rushed to catch him as he lost consciousness, breaking his fall with her breast.

Plum was distraught. She’d failed. This was supposed to be her great Lindworm debut, and instead, she’d injured the town doctor. She looked at Glenn’s face, trying to think of a way she could make up for this.

But even just looking at his face…

“Er…”

She could feel her tongue tingle in anticipation of drinking more blood.

 

***

 

“Technically, you weren’t wrong.”

Glenn could faintly hear his mentor’s voice through the haze.

“Considering the potential fallout if her urge to drink blood grew even stronger, and taking the patient’s health into account, allowing her to suck blood from you directly was the correct decision. But you were careless. Your abilities of observations and analysis were lacking. At least you’ll have plenty of time in this hospital bed to reflect on your negligence.”

Glenn had lost too much blood. As he drifted in and out of consciousness, he couldn’t see what sort of expression Cthulhy had on her face.

But he was sure she was disgusted by how hopeless he was.

 

***

 

This was the second time Glenn had been admitted to the Central Hospital. Last time, it had been for overworking himself. This time, it was for anemia.

“Doctor, are you all right?”

It was the vampire, Plum Murdrac, skillfully using her claws to peel an apple. Her clothes were as showy as ever, but her expression showed nothing but concern for Glenn.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

He was still lightheaded. He’d been in the hospital for half a day, so he hadn’t replenished all the blood he’d lost yet. He could still hear Sapphee’s shriek, and his mentor’s lecture, after seeing the state he was in.

He had a terrible headache and was feeling nauseous—classic symptoms of anemia. He couldn’t think straight, but he was grateful that Plum was here.

“Um… I’m really sorry for all this. You know…sucking your blood until you passed out.”

“It was my own negligence. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Mmm… Your blood is just so delicious, Doctor. But I’ll make sure this kind of thing never happens again.” Plum smiled bashfully.

Glenn didn’t know how to respond. The way she looked at him made him feel like some scrumptious prey. He hoped they’d would be able to avoid a repeat of last night’s incident.

“Ah, and this is from my dad,” Plum said, taking out an envelope. The paper was expensive, and the text on the seal was an ancient monster script. The whole presentation was so ostentatious that it made him nervous to open it.

“What is it?” Glenn asked.

“Well, it’s a letter of appreciation, but…”

“But?”

“When Dad writes a letter of appreciation, he always adds in this condescending line about granting one favor in return. Shouldn’t he be more genuinely grateful? He has this vampire pride that makes him act all high and mighty. I hate it.”

“O-oh.”

She’d been dejected the night before, but the Plum that stood in front of him now was the Plum he’d met in the city that first time.

Maybe they were both the real Plum, just one version with her confidence shaken.

“I may be biased,” Plum continued, “but my father’s a good person. He loves me a lot. He said this is appreciation for taking care of me—the webbing and bloodsucking and that. Other monsters would kill for such special treatment. Something about it being necessary to bring a species together…”

“Ahh…”

Glenn remembered his conversation with Hephthal, who’d had the backing of the vampires to assume a position of authority among his own species. Murdrac gave letters like this to people to whom he felt a debt of gratitude.

“Doctor, will you become a great leader of humans?”

“No…”

That would be impossible for Glenn. This letter had no authority in the human realm, where they drove out monsters, and it wasn’t what Glenn wanted anyway.

“Plum, what’s written here… Will your father listen to a request of mine?”

“That’s right. It’s just that most monsters ask for the backing of the Murdrac family. But you can ask for whatever you like. Now, say, ‘ahh,’ Doctor.”

“Hmm?! Mggu.”

She pushed a piece of apple into Glenn’s mouth. He’d been so preoccupied with the letter that he’d let his guard down. He felt Plum’s hard claw touch his tongue.

“Hey, Plum.”

“Hmm?”

She tilted her head cutely to one side, looking like she was trying to find an opportunity to feed Glenn a second piece.

“Then, since I have this chance, I have a request for Lord Murdrac.”

Glenn had gotten more than he’d bargained for with Plum’s condition, but as a result, he could now solve one of the problems he’d been struggling with.

 

Lindworm’s harvest festival.

Even though the entire town had been proceeding with preparations, there was a real possibility that it would never actually happen.

However, only a few short days after Glenn was released from the hospital, there was an official announcement from the city council that the festival would go forward as planned.