I felt more invigorated than I had in a long time. A mere week in that cell in the Tular Plains without a constant supply of blood - I had been given the basics of what could sustain me - had made my body suffer. Ever since then I had been frugal, knowing full well what sort of creatures existed in this new world I had come to after three thousand years of belonging to someone else, and determined that I was not going to be a monster again. Oh yes, I would slaughter monsters, and I would give what damage was in my best interests, but hunting to feed … that was my old self. I wanted to either know that my food was coming from someone who deserved to suffer, or have the willingness I had just experienced. The former was possible, but it took hours, perhaps days of watching potential victims and that was time I did not have with how often I needed to feed.

Curtly I nodded as I wiped away the rest of the blood from my face. With a quick sweep of my eyes I could see that this girl was surviving better than I had hoped. The fact that she knew what and who I was had some potential in another visit, were it to come to that. I still held out hope that her … boyfriend, this Nevin, could make me a form of potion that could give me all I needed.

“I am glad,” I said to the catgirl. “Now I shall go, and leave you to your world.”

Eteri gave me a small wave. “If Coming back in the few days Nevin will be here. Can help you too! Hope to doing business with you again.”

I nodded to her, and smiled. Then I left that building, and the small strange world that Stare was part of, blood in my system and a new intrigue in my heart.