Kasia was still buzzing with energy when an exhausted Myla finally passed out for the night. She could have broken the rune, some would argue she should have done it awhile ago. Instead she slipped out of bed and out of the backdoor of the house. Bare feet sunk into cool earth and she basked in the starlight. It was odd, she had been unconscious for the last hundred years but the weight of time still settled on her like chains. Whenever that happened she always embraced the night sky. It was like centuries were lifted away, like she was reborn all over again.

  She listened to their whispers, heard their call, and felt herself drawn into the dark woods. So she followed that call, flitting and dancing to the chorus of stars above. She didn't feel the cold, never noticed rock and stone, and found no thorns to tear at her skin. She spun and danced until the first fat drop of rain fell. She slowed then, dinner plate eyes studying the clear sky as ice cold rain began to pour down around her. Wind howled through the trees, thundered down on her, bent and snapped tall pines like toothpicks.

  She slowly turned as lightning joined the rage, strikes shattering the earth one after another. She was in motion again, moving through the devastation as if it wasn't even there, only looking to her stars again before leaping fallen trees to stand next to where the lightning struck. The earth was sundered, dirt thrown about or burned to glass, stone shattered and scattered. She slowly circled the pit that had formed, the electric taste of ozone coating her tongue. The hole was deep, a void that yawned in front of her where rain fell and disappeared without a trace.

  She spoke softly, “Is this coming? A warning? Or am I meant to prevent it?” Her words were snatched away by the storm. The black shapes in the woods weren't though. They circled her and the pit, they only appeared in the lightning strikes. She heard their whispers and said nothing. When one stepped forward across from her she knew him. She said nothing. She couldn't. The storm raged all the louder, the pit grew deeper and wider, and she heard words she never wanted to hear. Then a branch snapped. Her head snapped around, the storm nothing but a dream now.

  She was deep in the woods, the noise could have come from a thousand sources. But she could hear the heartbeat, could smell the sweat and tinge of fear, lingering traces of iron, smoke, plastic, and petrol. Alcohol? Oh no mistaking that. Humans. She leapt into the trees with unnatural grace and moved through the oddly spaced canopy of the pines. She wasn't used to doing this with these odd American evergreens, but it wasn't that hard to adapt. At least well enough to hide from people.

  She found them quickly enough, a couple of young men out in the woods. They were laughing and joking, not really hiding. She could see them passing a bottle back and forth, going to a shed stashed out here. She watched them open it up, the smell of liquor, fermentation, and chemicals pouring out of it. A still then. She never did understand why Americans were so concerned over liquor and illegal alcohol and the like. She decided this was one of those moonshine stills she had heard stories about.

  Was this why it was moonshine? Because it was made at night? Or was there some cultural thing she was unaware of? She was still hungry. Then she smiled, well if this was illegal then they wouldn't be talking much about it would they? She hadn't bothered getting dressed before coming out here, not when she had planned on going star basking. And men were, as ever, as they always would be, easy. She dropped quietly from the trees and glided out of the dark. She watched them working, still oblivious to her, for a few more minutes, judging a good time to step out of the night.

  Her opportunity was when they stepped out for a cigarette break. She called out of the dark in French, “Excuse me. Neither of you would speak French would you?” The two of them almost hit the lower branches of the tree over them, babbling in English at her, first in fear and confusion, then just confusion, then with unmistakable looks of lust. Good. She stepped more into the light, “Relax, I'm not the police. Not that you two understand me huh? Well I didn't come over here for conversation.” She let them both stare as she walked up and took the cigarette from one of the twos lips to smoke herself.

  He didn't try to stop her. The other hurried inside and surprised her when he came out with a blanket. She smiled, “That's very sweet of you. I'm surprised neither of you have gotten handsy yet… and you still don't understand French so I'm talking to myself.” She grabbed the one that had brought her the blanket by the front of his shirt and kissed him. It was amazing how quickly that helped put them on the same page.

  The next stop was in town. It was early morning at this point, but she had one stop she wanted to check out. This one required pants, but this was business not hunting. The bar was still open, or at least the front door wasn't locked when she tried it. She stepped into the Fox Tales and took stock of the establishment. A bar. Just that, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing unexpected. There was one of the new televisions on a wall, set in a place of honor among the decorations. It was playing some kind of sport if she wasn't mistaken.

  One wall was lined with dimly lit booths, the other held the long bar with gleaming bottles lining the wall behind it. There were hundreds of liquor bottles up there. Round tables dotted the space between the two. The music playing was quiet and gentle, not exactly suited for a bar but it looked half closed. Only a couple people were still inside, one on a portable computer in a booth and the other passed out on the bartop. A female bartender was doing busy work. Now there was the interesting part of this place. She had three grey furred fox tails swishing behind her, tall furry ears twitched backwards to listen to the door opening.

  She was voluptuous. A true heart throb even from behind. Oh this may have been a mistake. Three tails though… she sat at the bar. The fox woman spoke in a husky smooth tone, something in English. Kasia took a fifty fifty chance and spoke in Mandarin, “I hope I'm not being presumptuous but I'm gambling on languages here.” The fox woman paused then turned to give her a strained look that didn't make her less delightful. Oh stars no. Her face was soft, heart shaped and kind. Her eyes were gleaming topaz, this was going to be so hard.

  She was grateful she wasn't a man and giving up the game at a glance. Kasia smiled, showing off her fangs, trying Japanese next, “And I may have lost the fifty fifty chance I took. Sorry, I meant no offense.” That got her a sigh before she answered in Japanese as well, “It is not the worst assumption that's been made. Most people just try English first.” Kasia shrugged, “I don't speak English.” That got her a snort, “That's why translators were made. What can I get you? The bars closing soon so I wouldn't expect to have too many.”

  Kasia sighed and shook her head, “Actually I'm not here to drink.” She caught the kitsune’s expression shift and could smell the spike of annoyance. Wrong phrasing, she hurried to recover, “I'm here because I was hoping to talk to someone that might understand me! Without walking off into the forest to try and find the Leshy I mean.” Confusion flashed across the kitsune's face before understanding replaced it, “Oh! Oh sorry, I didn't recognize the scent at first. You must be that vampire that Montok-sama mentioned might stop by.”

  She offered Kaisa a hand, “Tsuboi Miko, owner and proprietor of the Fox Tales bar.” Kasia hesitated, she had been ready to bow not shake a hand, but recovered with a grin. “Mazur Katarzyna, Scholar of Stars. It is a pleasure to meet you Tsuboi-san.” The fox was suddenly intensely focused on her, “Wait. The Star Scholar? Like, the Archivist of the Night Sky?” Kasia blinked at the sudden intensity and smiled, “Oh so I haven't been forgotten! Delightful, whatever they're saying it's all true. Especially the bad stuff.”

  The fox laughed, “Yeah? What about the story about you dying in a Russian ambush after the second world war?” The vampire shrugged, “Eh, not an unreasonable conclusion to draw.” She pursed her lips as a thought occurred to her that soured her entire mood, “I bet Bouras danced a jig at my funeral, fucking mangy jackle he is.” Miko snorted, “Actually he's one of the ones that never thought you died. I don't keep up with politics much, but even I heard about how much money he's spent looking for you.” Kasia considered it and snorted, “To kill me. So I take you stay here to keep out of the politics?”

  The kitsune shrugged, “I do yes. Though if you really are Mazur-sama, I doubt that this place will stay politically safe for long.” Kasia sighed, “I won't be inviting it if that's your concern. But then again I never did. The Shadow Guard still around?” Miko shook her head, “Yes and no. The supremacists ended up starting a pro paranormal rights group called the Masks of Life and the die hards died fighting change.” Kasia groaned, “Same leaders, new coat of paint?” Miko nodded, “Got it in one. Well, a few new faces.”

  She rested her head on her hand, “They're trying to appeal to the youths and got some new blood in for it. Scape goated the ones that couldn't keep up. The usual politics.” There was a pause and Kasia brooded on that in it. That would need to be challenged just like the Guard was. But how? No it was too early for that, she didn't even have a house. Or an idea of the political landscape. Miko studied her, “Seriously, are you really Mazur-sama?” The vampire shifted her gaze to the vulpine woman and gave her a fanger smile.

  “Sure am, but I think the only way to prove that would be a truth spell or charm.” The kitsune set a truth stone on the counter with a coy smile. Kasia picked it up and studied the rock. She shrugged and spoke, “I am Katarzyna Mazur.” It turned blue. She turned it over between her fingers, “I am also six foot seven and made of gold.” It turned pink. She quirked an eyebrow at that, “Pink?” Miko sniggered, “I like pink and no one expects it.” Kasia studied the kitsune and then slowly smiled as she held up the stone, “Wanna ask me anything else while I'm under the stone?”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  The kitsune smiled back and leaned forward, giving Kasia an irresistible look down her cleavage, “Why are you really here?” She answered without having to think about that one, “Because I wanted to find out what's happening in the eternal courts, meet a soon to be neighbor, and maybe make a friend.” She tumbled the stone between her fingers as it glowed blue, “Oh and because I heard you were hot. Which I must say, you were undersold.” She set the truth stone back on the counter and slid it to the fox.

  Miko picked it up, “Mmm you're not my usual type, but I've heard some… interesting stories about you Mazur-sama. Maybe we should talk about them sometime?” Kasia shivered, “Tempting to make it now, but I am rather close to dawn and someone is expecting me back. I'm staying with ranger Lesnik.” Miko nodded, “Mmm nice girl her. Nothing like her grandfather. The courts haven't really changed, still the same pack of ancient blowhards arguing all day and night over things they'll either never do, or were going to do anyway. Now it just has dragons too.”

  Kasia sighed, “I was hoping reintegration with the mortals would change that, but I guess I shouldn't have. I remember it took them so long to agree that having telegraphs wouldn't be the end of the world, that the new topic brought up after was that humanity had invented the radio. I kept my nose out of it all too.” Miko shrugged, “I wasn't paying attention to politics back then. These days it's all about what races should and shouldn't be allowed to integrate. Some of them think keeping certain species to legend would be useful.”

  Kasia rolled her eyes, “For the inevitable war right? They always thought coming out the shadows would cause one.” Miko nodded, “Among other reasons but that's the big one. It's a contentious topic, they're pissed at the Earlking for refusing to reign in his goblins actually. He said warriors only learn war by fighting them though, and it's not like the court can enforce it.” Kasia snorted, “What would they do? Go to his court and arrest him? Even the Shadow Guard at its height couldn't take on a fae court, let alone archfae themselves.”

  Miko nodded, “And so the gears spin but the wheels don't move.” Kasia sighed and glanced up at the ceiling, “Somethings never really change. Anyone I should know about around here?” Miko frowned in thought, “Other than the Leshy? Not really. I mean we have a werewolf pack, but they're recluses from the Popovich clan, they don't really live in town so much exist in loosely built housing in the preserve. They're uh naturalists or whatever.” Kasia clicked her tongue, “Popovich huh? Hmm.”

  She knew them by reputation, though she never had reason to do business with the clan. Isolationists with a druidic bend, she remembered hearing about them fighting industrialization up north but not much else. Probably wouldn't be a problem. She smiled at the kitsune, “Well it's been a pleasure meeting you Tsuboi-san. I would stay longer to chat, but I need to get back for dawn. I'll stop by earlier in the night next time and we can have a longer talk hmm?” Miko's grin was more sly, “I think I would enjoy talking to you longer too. Have a good day, Mazur-sama.”

  She got in just before dawn, took a long shower and laid on the couch. It felt wrong to crawl into Myla's bed after the night she had had. But at least she wasn't hungry. She stared at the ceiling as she mulled over her appetite. Roughly a liter and a half per living body. Four of them, so five total there. Then her victim from the bunker, she had bled him white. With normal wastage from her eating, that was four on its own. Five doe as well, roughly seven out of each. Weak blood certainly, she wasn't made to eat animals like that, but still.

  Forty five liters total, just to satisfy her after the long torpor. Maybe it was the remnants of damage from the long term abuse, but even then that felt wrong. Had a hundred years really changed her that much? Hopefully it would slow after this, but if she could drink that much and only be satisfied? She chewed on her lip, this might have been building longer than she was thinking. She had spent nearly sixty years at war, constantly having to heal and replenish between fights, constantly bleeding herself to empower her company, constantly having to maintain high reserves inside herself in case she needed them.

  Going from that to starvation, who knows how that had changed her body. She would have to track how much she drank compared to how long those feedings lasted before hunger really crept in. Just another thing on the list of things to figure out. She drifted off to sleep with the sunrise. The next evening she found herself moved back into the bedroom when she forced herself to get up early. A simple timed burning rune to get her moving. Myla must have moved her into the bed when she got up. She felt a pang of guilt, it was a kind gesture.

  That she likely didn't deserve after the boys in the woods. She rose from bed and stretched, Myla wouldn't be back till eight at the earliest. That was a couple hours to execute the plan she had formed in her head as she fell asleep. Plenty of time. She started in the kitchen. Myla had made an effort to tidy up, but to Kasia it was clear she hadn't been taught this particular skill set. She took stock of cleaning supplies, carefully using her new phone to translate labels. She actually found an apron, a surprise since the other woman didn't strike her as the apron sort. Something left behind by a former lover?

  Useful anyway, she pulled it on and quickly stocked up. First the floors and carpet. A century later and that had only gotten easier with time. She found what her phone told her was a vacuum, those had been intensely expensive when she went into torpor but it seems they were common now. That was certainly faster than finding a way to beat the carpets out like rugs certainly. The windows didn't look like they had been cleaned either, but that was a quick fix. Next the bathroom and bedroom. Supernatural speed and grace only helped with some things, she was using this as an opportunity to test herself a little, so she decided to start with the things it could help with.

  Picking up clothes and trash, vacuuming, mopping, making the bed, scrubbing the tub, anything that wasn't particularly delicate was quickly done. She was tackling the dishes when she heard the truck coming up the drive. And a second car that she didn't recognize. She glanced down at the apron, the only thing she had bothered putting on, and zipped to the bedroom to pull on her pants. There, dignity was acquired. But not too much of it. When the door opened she was in the kitchen, humming along to music.

  That had become her favorite feature of the confusing little box once she found music she liked in it. She didn't understand what the commercials were ranting about, but it wasn't like she paid them any attention in the past either. She heard someone make what had to be a joke and she was fairly certain she knew who was here now. Alice and her boy toy… Luca? Something like that, she would just ask to be reintroduced. Well, if there was a point in doing so. Myla called out as she came inside, “Uh Kasia?”

  She smiled to herself and kept working a stubborn piece of baked on grease, “In the kitchen!” She heard laughter and teasing tones from the other two and spoke like she hadn't heard them, “You've been so kind letting me stay here, I thought you might like to come back to a clean home. You keep very little in the way of groceries though don't you?” Mylas heavy tread entered the kitchen behind her, “Uh… yeah I-I need to shop, you didn't need to do all this…” She sniffed the air, “Wait. Did you cook too?”

  Kasia turned and gestured to the oven, “I did, it's in the oven. Careful, the pot will be hot. There wasn't much, but I've worked with less so I made a simple stew. Oh, you're friends are here too? Well that's fine, I don't really know how to cook for one so there's plenty in there. Was your day good?” Myla was clearly processing a lot before finally nodding, “Yeah. It was. Are you… wearing a shirt under that apron?” Kasia gave her a merciless smile, “Sweet heart, I wasn't wearing anything except the apron until I heard the second car with you. Now we're both disappointed.” Myla swore.

  Kasia thought English swearing lacked heft, but it made up for that with a certain punchy simplicity that appealed. The taller woman sighed and pulled something out of her pocket, “I ran into Montok. He wasn't sure if he would make it over here tonight so he asked me to let you know that your paperwork is filed and in the system, it just needs time to be processed. But he also wanted me to give you this.” She held out a charm on a bracelet, Kasia took it and looked it over. There was a rune on it, Arthurian design was easy to recognize by design.

  And this one was… Myla smiled and watched her face, “It's a translation rune. Anyone that can see and hear you- oof!” Kasia wrapped her arms around Myla's neck laughing, “Days of effort saved! Hours of research! This is exactly what I needed!” She kissed the other woman then dropped back to the floor. She hurried into better light, looking at the finer details of the rune work. And ignoring the laughing behind her from Myla's friends. She had been terrified that it would take her weeks or longer with just a handful of people to talk to in the whole town.

  After weeks of isolation in the woods, the idea of being isolated by just not knowing English or Spanish… she would have to learn them anyway. And every other major language she didn't know. Rune or no rune, this wouldn't happen again. She found nothing unusual in the rune, and seemed to be solid wood without seams, so she fed a string of mana into it while carefully watching for secondary activations. When none came she grinned. She would tinker with it later to be safe.

  In the meantime she focused on the three changelings in the house, catching the end of Alice's comment, “...Uhaul?” Myla was beet red, "It's not like that, and she's still not my girlfriend.” Kasia opened her mouth to speak as Luca? Luke? The boy grinned and quipped, “Oh yes because every guest greets you coming home basically naked.” Myla actually sounded upset as she snapped back, “As if either of you have anything to say, mister and miss just friends.” Alice blushed now too, embarrassed.

  Kasia spoke quickly before it went further, “To be fair he does have a point, I’m still not wearing a shirt after all.” The awkward silence was far better than the one that would have come from a much longer argument. She stepped forward and cleared her throat, “On that note, we have not been properly introduced yet despite your help the other night.” She stuck out a hand to Alice first, “Call me Kasia. It's a pleasure to actually be able to tell you that.” She smiled in good humor as the younger woman shook her hand and avoided Kasia's eye, “Alice. It's a pleasure to understand you too, but you don't need to thank us for helping before. It was just the right thing to do.”

  She shook the boys hand next, “Lucas. Sorry about the arguing, we mighta been teasing Myla too much about you staying here.” Kasia grinned at him, “It sounded to me like you two are just jealous you don’t have a pretty vampire greeting you in an apron when you get home.” He laughed, “Yeah? And what would it take to fix that?” Her eyes shifted over to Alice who was rolling her eyes and looked annoyed at him for asking. Well well. “That depends on how pretty you are. For you? Dinner and some good gifts. For her? Just a smile would do.”

  Alice flashed her a shy smiled and didn't answer. Still not looking her in the eye. Interesting. She smelled heavenly too. What was she? Kasia grinned, “Myla has first dibs on me tonight though, so both of you will only be stuck trying to picture it.” She looked up at the woman in question and caught the tail end of an uncomfortable look. So she hadn't been imagining it last night, she didn't like Kasia flirting with other people. She would have to rein that in then, until they could talk properly about what sort of relationship they did have.

  “Oh but the hicks out in the woods were fine? Come now Dove. You're a loose woman. A whore. Embrace it like a good slut already.” She restrained a shiver as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She focused on the two young people in front of her, ignored the all too familiar black shape stalked into her peripheral vision. Not now. Not here. “Oh please Dove, you know that just makes this better. And this one does have a nice ass.” A cruel chuckle turned her stomach as she bit her tongue. She couldn't answer him. That was the trap.

  He laughed boldly, “You're right. Both is better, let him pound away at your useless pussy while she fucks your face. Or let them have turns gambling with your fangs! That could be fun. Then, after you've rung every drop of fun out of them, drain them dry. Post sex bliss, I bet one wouldn't even notice the other was dead before-” A hand grabbed her shoulder and panic tried to consume her whole.