The Vampire's Rise

Haemon closed his eyes when she hugged him and muttered sleepily into her chest. Her scent was warm and inviting and he was almost tempted to drink from her again, but he refrained. He was afraid that he'd get sick. Light prickled at his eyelids and he grunted, waving a hand toward the window before letting himself plop back down into the bed. "It's too bright," he said with a yawn, shifting so that he was more comfortable. Then he remembered Malik and cursed. "He'll be worried about me! But...the sun!"

"Don't worry, little bat. I'll go tell him that you're not feeling well, that you suffer from a contagious malady." Lilith stood up, and hung heavy fabric over the small window. The light was blocked off almost immediately. Lilith made her way back to Haemon, and kissed him softly on the lips before she headed out.

Lilith landed in the bureau, a chill running down her spine.
"Brother Malik? Brother Haemon Donnelly has fallen ill. He lies in his bed, afflicted by a contagious disease. I will let you know of his progress." Lilith didn't wait for an answer, she raced straight back to the house.

"It's done" Lilith said softly as she entered the room. It was dark, and pleasantly cool.

Haemon muttered a tired response and tried to tug the covers further over his head, but the sweat plastering his hair to his head forced him to kick it off almost immediately. He complained about it sleepily. About how he was too hot despite the cold ice in his veins and the pleasantly cool shade that the heavy fabric over the window provided. He wanted whatever was happening to him to stop. A sudden chill swept across his body, making him shiver and yet he didn't feel gold. He felt hot. "My skin burns," he grunted, swallowing. His throat was dry. Haemon turned his gaze to Lilith, his eyes tired. "Can I have some water?"

"Here you go, little bat" Lilith said softly as she handed Haemon a glass of water. She sat on the edge of the bed, and thought quietly to herself. "There's a place where you can get all the cold, darkness, and water that you want. I go there sometimes when I need to cool off. I can take you there if you want, little bat."

Haemon drank at the water, running a hand through his sweat dampened hair before he answered her, his lips hardly leaving the glass. "Where is such a place?" He took another drink, the water cooling his mouth, which felt like it was on fire. "We're pretty much in a desert with very little oases." But the sound of it made his heart sing. Perhaps that was what he needed. Perhaps it would cool his skin and help his stinging back. He took another drink of the water before he asked her a question. "Would you remain with me?"

"Of course I will remain with you, little bat" Lilith said with a smile. In that moment, she looked so innocent and pure. "You're only thinking of places above ground. When the rain falls, the earth soaks up that water. There is an ancient cave system below us. There, the water is cold and clear. The only light comes from torches, and some strange insects." Lilith held her hair up in an attempt to get some cool air on her neck. She wasn't looking too good herself, but she never did like heat.

Haemon polished off the water and set the cup aside before his eyes rested upon her face. "How soon can we leave?" He questioned, sounding rather sleepy. "My horse, Knight, will follow anyone he knows is a friend of mine...He's a good horse..." Haemon was fighting sleep now, though his eyes kept closing.

"We won't need horses. When I said that there was an ancient cave system below us, I meant directly below us. There's a hatch underneath the fireplace." Lilith noticed how tired Haemon looked, and smiled warmly. "We can leave immediately and be there in about ten or fifteen minutes. Would you be able to last that long? You do look tired. With what you're going through, and this heat, it's understandable."

Haemon grunted in response rolling onto his side and tucking his hands beneath the pillow. He didn't know. But at this rate, he was willing to try anything. "I might be able to," he managed to say, his eyes closing for a moment and his breathing almost fell into the rhythm of sleep before he forced himself to sit up. "You'll have to carry me if I don't make it, though." He teased with a grin on his face.

"I'll carry you all the way, if I have to" Lilith said with a smile before she handed Haemon another glass of water. She held Haemon's shoulder as a sign that she was ready to go when he was. Lilith couldn't wait to take in the cold, to feel like she was back in her warrior village.

Haemon drank the second glass of water, relishing the cool liquid against his tongue. He took his time drinking it and only when he'd finished did he rise. He didn't bother with his gear. He wouldn't need it. Haemon grumbled at how hot his arm beneath his hidden blade had become and fumbled with untying it. He struggled at first, but the straps felt familiar beneath his hand and he soon had set it gently against his bed and rubbed his wrist. "That feels better." he muttered before he untied his sword. He doubted there would be danger in the cave system. He hesitated though, as though not sure if he wanted to go completely unarmed. "Have you found anything dangerous in the caves?" he asked, yawning straight after. He looked like he was about to fall asleep on his feet.

"There's nothing dangerous down there. There's just some sharp, pointy rocks in on corner, and the odd slippery spot." Lilith took the glass and set it down beside the jug of water. She was so relaxed. "Let's get going before you actually fall asleep" Lilith said with a laugh before she made her way to the kitchen.

Haemon grunted and laid his sword next to his hidden blade before he tottered after Lilith, fighting sleep the entire way down the stairs. He felt like he was drunk, but he knew he was just tired. He leaned against a wall and rested his head on his arm, his eyes closing in preparation for sleep again.

"Come along, sleepy head" Lilith said with a laugh. She had already opened the hatch that led to the ancient caves. She leapt into the hole, and grabbed a torch from the wall. She looked up at Haemon, her eyes shining in the firelight. "I'll help you along the way. Trust in me, I will not let you fall."

At her voice, Haemon jerked awake and followed her into the cave system. He wobbled for a moment on the unfamiliar stone before he looked up, squinting at the harsh light of the house before he looked back at Lilith. What cool air there was right here washed over his skin, despite the fact that it still burned like hell. The sensation of a cat scratching his back dulled to a tingle. He took a breath, which soon turned into a yawn and he shook his head to try and wake himself up, brushing a hand down against his hair. He looked awful, as though he hadn't gotten enough sleep during the night.

Lilith shut the hatch, and wrapped an arm around Haemon to support him.
"Come on, little bat. It's not that far to the pool" Lilith said softly before she began to move. As they walked, Lilith lit the torches along the walls. The path was rather twisting.

"Here we are, little bat" Lilith said softly. She left Haemon's side for a brief moment so she could light the torches in the room. The cave was beautiful. "Come on, let's get you in the water."

Haemon squinted against the light of the torches, but didn't object. Their light was slightly better than that of the sun. The air here was moist and much cooler than the surface. It soothed his burning skin and calmed the tingle in his back. For a moment, he wanted to just curl up on the cool stone and sleep. But Lilith's voice swam through the black haze that was sleep and lifted his head above the waves, urging him to fight it. "In?" He muttered sleepily, confused. His head was swimming and felt like claws were digging into his skull.

"The top pool is really shallow, so you can lie down and not drown. But, you can always just lie on the stone. Either way, the water will cool you down much faster." Lilith sat on the edge of the top pool, took off her boots, and put her feet in the water. The water was so cool and refreshing. She breathed a sigh, and lay back on the ground.

Haemon dropped to the stone beside her and scooped up the water with a shaky hand before splashing it onto his face and the back of his neck. He breathed a sigh at how cold it was and closed his eyes for a moment before he scooped up more and dumped it over his hair and ran the water through his dark locks. After a moment of feeling the water drip down his shoulders and down his spine, Haemon made himself more comfortable, taking off his shirt and boots before dipping his own feet into the water. With a soft moan of relief, he sank back onto the cold stone, his back still tingling as it touched the stone. There, his eyes closed and then he was spiraling into darkness.

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep. But when he awoke, he felt more awake than he had earlier. He took a guess that the sun was out of the sky. He sat up slowly, his hair dry and his skin cooler than it had been earlier that day. Haemon glanced at Lilith and smiled before he leaned over and planted a soft kiss against her lips.

"Feeling any better, little bat" Lilith asked softly as she edged her way closer to Haemon, before curling up against him. The cool of the stone reminding her of her home back in Ireland. She planted a soft kiss on his lips before she rested her head on Haemon's chest.

"A bit." Haemon said as a yawn escaped his lips. "I certainly feel less sleepy than earlier. My skin still burns and my blood still feels like ice. And my head still feels like someone cleaved it open." He said quietly, wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her close to him. He closed his eyes, though his breathing was as steady as a wakeful person. He must just want the darkness.

"Then might I suggest a dip in the water? It'll cool your flesh nicely. I have some herbs that will help with your head." Lilith rested her head on Haemon's shoulder, smiling softly. She closed her eyes, and savoured the moment. She was at peace.

Haemon couldn't help but chuckle as the ice in his veins made him shiver involuntarily. "Do you also have something to melt the ice in my veins?" He asked, leaning his head just slightly to rest against hers. "I've never even heard of that happening. Your skin burns but your blood feels like it's ice."

"Only two things I can think of that will warm your blood. Alcohol, and physical exertion." Lilith thought for a moment, and let out a sigh. "There's also fire weed. But that's not the most desirable option."

"What's fireweed?" Haemon asked, curious. Though he thought that any of the other two options would be better. Was it night time outside? Would he be able to run across the rooftops to warm his blood? He didn't know, but he wanted to know what fireweed was first, before he made a decision.