"...Huh."

"Vampires are similar to humans but immortal and sustained by blood. And with a few other alterations."

"...so like not very immortal the way elementals are."

"Oh. No. I wouldn't need to put as much effort into wards if I were very immortal. Elementals are truly immortal?"

"I think so."

"Convenient."

"Yeah. Why were people trying to kill you?"

"Because I was a vampire, because I was a 'witch,' because I was a threat to my half-siblings' inheritance..."

"People don't like vampires? Or - people with magic?"

"Most people these days don't understand that they're real. Most people a few centuries ago did, but knew very little that was accurate and quite a bit that was wrong and abhorrent."

"Gotcha. - What's your name?"

"Kanimir."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Do you happen to have a place we could crash at least until Penumbra can move us on?"

"Certainly. I have a guest wing."

"Wow."

"I house and feed people in exchange for their blood."

"Oh, I'd been assuming goats or something. I guess that works."

"Animal blood doesn't work very well."

"- doesn't work? Not, doesn't taste good -? Work at what function?"

"It keeps us alive, but it has--degenerative mental effects over time. From what I can tell the effect is roughly that drinking a creature's blood as a vampire pulls one closer to the creature in mind and body. With humans the effect is utterly negligible. With animals--well. The mind goes first."

"Eesh."

"Yes. I avoid it."

"Although now I'm sorta curious what an elemental's blood would do."

"Um," says Penumbra.

"You don't have to try it," Maurabel assures her.