But see, amid the mimic rout,
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!—it writhes!—with mortal pangs.
— Edgar Allan Poe, The Conqueror Worm
Border Checkpoint Soldier I: Tch. Damn vampire!
The soldier hurls the girl aside, his hand marked with two clear bite wounds.
Rubuska: Hahaha ...
She bares her teeth, fangs dripping red.
Rubuska: Look who's going to be a "damn vampire" now? Hah! Guess I'll have a little company in that cell!
Arbuthnot: Bloody hell!
Sonya: Oh, that's just wonderful! This train will be infested with vampires before long.
The gathered people form a ring around the soldier and the girl. The children are pulled close by Dorothy.
Rubuska: ...
Heat surges through her body, her heart pounding faster and faster.
She locks on him. Yes, any second now, he will pale and collapse.
His veins will branch like spring twigs, crawling into his eyes and mouth, then spray jets of blood like a fountain.
And …
Nothing happens.
Border Checkpoint Soldier I: Hahaha! I didn't feel a thing. You little brat.
The soldier raises his hand to strike her.
But his wrist is seized. A cold voice cuts in.
Corvus: Enough. Pyrrhos, this was not a part of our deal. Discipline your men, or I will.
Corvus lets go, annoyance flickering across her face.
Pyrrhos: Easy now. This fellow's just a little on edge. I'll see to it that he learns his lesson, I assure you.
Pyrrhos: But for now, we seem to have a far more intriguing problem.
He steps forward unhurried, stopping before Rubuska, sneering down at her.
Rubuska: cough Why hasn't he—
Rubuska: He should've turned by now. I-I bit him—tasted his blood.
Pyrrhos: How adorable. Still living in your fairytale world, are we, little lady?
He crouches, studying her crimson eyes.
Pyrrhos: Tell me—why would you pretend to be a vampire?
Rubuska: ...!
Her lips tremble. Suddenly she feels cold.
Rubuska: I-I'm not pretending. I-I am.
Pyrrhos: tut Come now. Those little tricks—the red eyes, no shadow? Very clever. Quite the flair for theatrics, in fact.
Pyrrhos: But I've come face-to-face with real monsters, little lady, and you're not one of them. You may be human or arcanist.
Pyrrhos: But a vampire? scoff Not a chance.
Rubuska: ...
Rubuska: What? I-I don't understand what you're saying.
Rubuska tries to shrink away, but her shadow, beneath her quaking feet, betrays her.
Little William: Look! Her shadow—it's moving!
Rubuska: ...!
Rubuska: This ... I ...
The shadow grows and warps, then retreats again into a modest, ordinary shape.
She looks at those around her, finding suspicion, distance, pity ...
Emotions that weave into a suffocating trap.
Annabelle: Boss ...
Rubuska: I—No, I'm telling the truth!
The words tumble out quick and desperate.
Rubuska: I am the youngest descendant of Dracula himself. Daughter of Arnold VI, the greatest night-ruler of our time!
Rubuska: Together, we defeated Conrad the Wicked and his monster of a son, and then ...
Rubuska: And then the war came! It tore apart our home, and only I survived! Me! Rubuska the vampire!
Rubuska: The Shadowless, the Unbleeding, the Unwoundable!
Her eyes shine with madness, cheeks flushed rose-red by fevered daydreams.
Rubuska: I crawled over mountains of corpses, waded through rivers of blood, ran between fire and screaming shells.
Rubuska: Everything and everyone's gone, except me! I lived!
Rubuska: I carry the strength of my father, mother, sisters, and brothers.
Rubuska: Their blood runs through my veins!
She falters, panting, her gaze full of near-hopeless yearning.
Rubuska: I'm pant I'm the powerful, deathless vampire Rubus—
*thump*
Her legs give way, body crumpling like her bones are gone.
The officer lowers his rifle butt without expression, hauls her up by the arm, and drags her aside.
Pyrrhos: Unbelievable. She sure knows how to give a speech.
Pyrrhos: Bring her to the warehouse at the station. Keep her in a separate room.
The unconscious "vampire" is thrown over a soldier's shoulder and carried off.
Corvus: This is too far, Pyrrhos. She is not a vampire.
Pyrrhos: No, but she pretended to be one, didn't she? And she obstructed my men's duties. Besides ...
He looks over the passengers fainted on the floor, his voice rising.
Pyrrhos: With an Infected onboard, we can't take any chances. Until we're sure there aren't more of them, the train will have to be kept under quarantine.
Corvus: This is my train. We will handle this my way.
Corvus: We must reach Budapest on schedule. We don't have time for this.
Pyrrhos: So, you'll handle it, will you? After letting a vampire slip right under your nose and still having no clue where it is?
Pyrrhos shrugs toward the whispering passengers, glancing toward the conductress with doubt.
Sonya: This is utterly unacceptable. To have all these delays and let a vampire on board of all things?
Passenger II: Maybe it'd be better if the army just took over. At least they seem to know what they're doing.
Corvus: ...
Pyrrhos: Need I say more?
He motions to his waiting troops.
Soldiers march in, quickly filling the carriage.
Pyrrhos: Listen up, everyone! My men will escort you to a safe location shortly. Just stay seated for now and remain calm. So long as you cooperate, I promise everything will be fine.
Corvus: So this is your plan? To turn my passengers against me and seize control of the train?
Corvus: Why? What's in it for you?
Pyrrhos: tut Come now, Iglika. I'm only doing my duty. You should know that after all these years.
As more soldiers press in, he murmurs instructions and flips through the passenger list.
Pyrrhos: Let's see. Nicola, Alexander, Jovan—you three come with me.
Pyrrhos: As for the rest of you ... Well, I suggest you stay put. Any risky or dangerous behavior will be dealt with accordingly.
Semmelweis: ...
Semmelweis keeps her eyes trained on the armed men but maintains a low profile.
Semmelweis: Something's not right. If that man truly is Infected, his symptoms developed much quicker than any case I've ever heard of.
She opens her palm, staring at the dull badge etched with the mark of Manus Vindictae.
Semmelweis: But he also made a fair point. With all these civilians in a confined space, if another Infected shows up, it'll be a massacre.
Semmelweis: Is this what you wanted, Manus Vindictae?
