a young Dragon-Shifter, a Vampire Rockstar
and a once in a Blue Moon opportunity...
EXTENDED SUMMARY INSIDE
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ONC 2022 Entry
Prompt 27
(every blue moon, the pack holds a festival to honour the dead. this year's festival ends up far more chaotic th...
A/n : not proofread so holler if you see any errors :")
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Aimos wanted to go home.
He wanted nothing more than to be back at the Jiara Mountains, overseeing his most crucial project to date. The sun was up on the Mountains, bringing with it cool winds and a clear sky. The caterers kept him well-fed between tasks and he enjoyed being around folks who listened to him.
That was where he belonged, where he had a say, where he was happy and comfortable.
He did not want to be here, drenched in rainwater, following Tej into what looked like a cheap setting for a Human horror movie.
"Are you going to kill some Humans?" Aimos asked as Tej walked away from the main well-lit street into a small road cramped on each side by shops that were shuttered closed for the night. Atop the shops were tall ugly buildings that seemed to be people's houses, judging from the cramped balconies, and lights and music pouring out of curtained windows. A few neon lights of dirty signboards bathed the area in an eerie dull glow, while the street itself was littered with waste hastily swept to the sides that the rain was now washing up everywhere.
Tej did not answer.
"Hey, I asked you a question!"
"And I'm choosing not to answer," came Tej's tired drawl.
Someone made a strange noise to Aimos' right and he almost - emphasis on almost - jumped. Two people were pressed to the wall, wrapped in each other's limbs, mouths clasped together. The rain and the general stink of the place hid their scents so Aimos could not tell if they were Humans. He did not really want to know. "What is this place?"
"No one's asking you to follow me, lizard."
"Don't call me that!" The rain had settled into a rhythm, gentler than before but an incessant nudge on Aimos' shoulders, as if to remind him that he was running out of time. "And I'm not leaving until we have a chat. You have no idea - hey! Where are you going?"
Tej turned left, swung open a metal door and stepped inside without a care in the world.
Aimos hesitated. Above the steel door was a sign that read Aanhi's Art and Tattoo Parlour. The styling of the letters was perfect and seemed almost odd in that dark, spooky road. Below the sign was another banner that simply read WELCOME ALL (Open Mics every Friday).
There were no windows on the building, just a brick wall with strange graffiti and the metal door Tej went through.
If there were Vampires inside to ambush him, Aimos wasn't sure how well he would fare in the battle. He was not a fighter. In dire need, he could probably take out a few but that would mean Shifting into his true form which was something he did not want to do in Human territory and in front of Vampires.
