The Fallen Vampire

'Sleepy...'

Taira unconsciously yawned as he walked through the cavern corridors like a security guard on patrol.

Maybe this whole exercise was just the proof he needed of his old age. When he was a kid, he probably wouldn't have started feeling tired for at least another couple of weeks. The mental exhaustion was starting to catch up to him.

It also probably didn't help that this was the longest time he'd gone without seeing his daughter since she'd come into her life.

He knew it had to be hard for her because it was hard for him as well.

It became cemented in his mind that when he saw her again, he would make things up to her. Even if that meant he had to buy every morsel and doll within his line of sight.

*Creak!*

Taira's ears picked up a small metallic screeching sound approximately a mile from his current location.

He vanished from the place where he stood and bolted across the cavern with perfect memory recall. Even without echolocation or sight, he could walk this entire place blindfolded.

He appeared at the bottom of the staircase that led to the cavern's only entrance.

Even before removing his blindfold, he knew the individual who was coming towards him just based on her smell alone.

Up until now, he hadn't realized just how much he had missed it. No, that wasn't true... Rather, he had been intentionally trying to avoid the thought.

Because as soon as the scent of Aveena entered his nostrils, his body almost instantly responded.

"Good to know that we weren't the only ones feeling lonely."

Taira felt Aveena's arms wrap around his neck. Her scent was practically twenty times stronger.

He was almost positive that anyone in the cavern with super hearing would know the exact rhythm of his heartbeat right now. But he honestly wasn't sure if he cared.

Taira felt Aveena push her body against his with no concern for personal space.

Her thigh rubbed against his stiffening member while already knowing her husband's patience was paper thin.

"Aveena, you..."

Taira felt hands fumble at the blindfold covering his eyes.

When the piece of fabric was pulled down, Taira nearly lost all of his rationale. Aveena being the first thing he had seen in two and a half months was too great of a stimulus.

Aveena rubbed her hand against his cheek affectionately. Her beautiful smile could have lit up the entire cavern system.

"Y'know after all these years, you'd think I wouldn't forget how handsome you are, but... somehow it just keeps slipping my mind." Aveena sighed.

Taira didn't even bother to respond before he stole her lips.

The feeling of her lips was even sweeter than he remembered. He felt his mind become a fog, with his only awareness being the fact that his clothes were suddenly really, really constraining.

He had already started pulling off his gi when Aveena somehow pried her lips away from his. "W-Wait, wait..." The oni took a minute to catch her breath while she placed her hands against his chest. "Let's get them settled first... we can finish this after."

"..." Taira didn't even need to ask if it was a promise. He could feel Aveena's need was just as desperate as his own.

"Want to do the honors?" Aveena smiled.

Taira just huffed and readjusted his pants.

Nine blue flames formed on the tips of his tails.

With a twitch, they were displaced throughout the cavern tunnels. Each of them leading back to their current position.

It was around a minute and a half before they started hearing footsteps. One by one, the cultists started to make their way into the cavern.

'...You really did a number on them, huh?' Aveena thought.

Taira shrugged nonchalantly as he sat down for the first time in over two months. 'They signed the paper.' he thought back.

Aveena knew she couldn't possibly respond to that because she had plans that were likely no less trying.

"You've all done well to pass the first test." Aveena finally said. "You should all be very proud of yourselves. As we are of you."

Raymond raised a trembling hand that was clearly improperly healed. "My Dai-Shi, Umm… I'm afraid I don't understand what we did to pass…"

Aveena looked at Taira and found him staring at her behind nonchalantly. '…You didn't tell them anything?'

'No one told me anything when I did this.' He shrugged.

Aveena finally realized that her husband was serious about not doing any hand-holding this time around. No matter how small.

"…You were all able to hide for a week without being found." she informed the cultists. "Now after some rest, I will be covering the second phase of your training."

The disciples heard the word 'rest' and their knees nearly buckled right then. Mountains of fatigue and exhaustion nearly caught up to them all at once.

Aveena had actually wanted to say a bit more, but seeing the way that her disciples were struggling to stay on their feet, she decided to cut things a bit short.

"You're all dismissed. Return to your temporary quarters." She smiled.

-

Taira and Aveena helped everyone get settled quickly and were about to leave the cavern for a small rendezvous of their own.

However, they had only just taken the first step up the stairs when they felt someone following them.

The married pair looked over their shoulders and found Shakti staring back at them with her arms behind her back.

"Excuse me for my discourtesy… May I speak with you?"

Aveena's lips showed a faint smile. "I would have thought that you would have passed out with everyone else by now. What's on your mind?"

Shakti bit her lip uncomfortably as she lowered her head. Two million thoughts were swimming around in her mind all at once and she only had one mouth.

"I… am grateful that you have an interest in me. I haven't thought of a life with romantic attachments in quite a long time so this is…" Shakti shook her head to forcefully refocus. "But however excited I am… I thought I was clear about not wanting it to affect my role in the cult. I was promised that I wouldn't be treated differently."

Aveena glanced at Taira. With a single look, she instantly understood what had happened.

"…I don't believe I took anything easy on you." Taira said.

Shakti just stared at him. "You snapped Sawyer's spine in nine places when he accidentally kicked a pebble. I lost concentration and fell from the ceiling, and you only broke my arm."

Taira covered his face with his hand.

He was never the type of person who disproved evidence when it was right in front of him. He had been acting on a bias without even thinking.

"I take my role and responsibilities very seriously.." Shakti continued. "I don't want my skills to atrophy in the future when we share a bed together. Please, when it comes to training, I need you to not think of me as a woman. Just another disciple."

Aveena and Taira both nodded in unison with their respect for Shakti slowly building even more.

"You have our word, Shakti." Aveena smiled. "It won't be a mistake we will repeat again."

Shakti felt her cheeks turn slightly warm. "Oh…Thank you."

Taira and Aveena felt their hearts skip a beat in unison.

It wasn't long before they were both wondering the same thing…

"In this situation… Are we speaking to a woman or a disciple..?" Taira asked for clarity.

Shakti dropped her gaze to the floor. "…Naturally no one is here… so you may treat me however you like."

"Such a suggestive answer." Aveena chuckled.

Shakti hadn't meant it like that, but she was not fully opposed to Aveena's interpretation either.

"…I'm not that tired." She volunteered the information like it was scandalous.

Taira and Aveena stared at the woman like she'd grown a second head.

"We're not really in the best place for you to say that kind of thing lightly, dear." Aveena chuckled, intending to take her words as a joke.

Taira nodded in agreement. "You should go and rest with the others. Leave everything else for a more proper setting."

For some reason, Shakti bit her lip uncomfortably as she nodded her head.

"I.. understand."

But Shakti didn't understand.

And as she walked back towards the small cell that was supposed to be her room, there was one burning question left in her mind.

'What exactly is a 'proper' setting..?'