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The drive to the border was of course much shorter than going all the way to Little Rock, but just knowing that there was trouble waiting for us made it hard to enjoy the trip.

"This better not end up messy." I grumbled.

Levi glanced over at me. "It's day light, Babe. It'll be fine."

"I'm not talking about getting jumped up here. I'm saying, what if they follow us back? This clan is nothing to sneeze at and they are already just a little bit pissy with us."

"They won't cross the border and get all up in Robert's territory just to kill one cannibal. He's our problem once he's in Louisiana."

I sighed. "Exactly, what are we supposed to do with him? What about Vanessa and Kevin?  Vanessa might be able to handle herself , but Kevin? He's all puppy-dog-eyes and cuddles. We might as well put frosting on him."

"Dani, the man just ate. I doubt he's just running down here to eat your brain-damaged pet vampire."

"Well, you just remember that you're responsible for your new boyfriend." I snapped.

He rolled his eyes at me and pointed up ahead. "We're here ,Sunshine."

The Arkansas Welcome Center appeared on the horizon. As we got closer I could see tire tracks cut across the median. We pulled into a free parking spot. I hopped out and looked around.

"So what is he supposed to be driving?"

Levi leaned over the top of the car. "He said a 70's dodge van."

I turned in a circle before stopping dead in my tracks. "Oh sweet Jesus." I muttered when I spotted the puke green and orange pinstriped monstrosity. The back windows were all blacked out. "You can't say another damn word about my Oldsmobile. Ever."

"Let's check it out." Levi muttered ignoring everything I'd said.

We trotted over to the old, ugly van and Levi tested the passenger side door. It clicked open, but at that sound we were rushed by snarls and teeth. I yelped and Levi blocked me, but the dog stayed on the seat barking and making a fuss.

"Down, girl." A voice called from inside. "Friends."

The white muzzled Australian Sheppard immediately quieted and hopped down disappearing through a dog door on the wall the divided the cab from the rest of the van. It was definitely something Marshal had put in. Levi put his hand on my chest to keep me where I was as he leaned into the cab.

"You okay in there Marsh?"

"Thanks for siccing your dog on us." I added and Levi shot me a glare.

I heard a weak laugh. "Not the worst sun burn I've had. I'm covered up you can come in. The latch is at the top."

Levi knelt on the seat and pulled up on the latch letting the narrow door open. He squeezed inside and I followed pushing the door shut behind us.

The back was rigged up fairly nicely with those stick up lights and extra curtains. He had a small heater running and an unused AC unit off in a corner. The floor was carpeted , other parts were upholstered in leather, and had wood panels. The dog had settled down on a pallet near its food and water bowls that were in a holder bolted to the side of the van and a mini fridge. We found Marshal on his own pallet under a few blankets.

"We've got it dark." Levi said taking a seat against the side door. I decided to just crouch where I was for the time being.

Marshal carefully peeled the blankets away from himself.

"I didn't mess up my pretty face too bad did I?" He face was bright red, but nothing worse than I'd seen on the beach during the summer.

"Nah." Levi said looking him over. "That'll be gone by nightfall."

"My hands and arms took the brunt of it." He held out his arms revealing cracked and inflamed skin.

"That'll probably take two days." Levi nodded. "So, what exactly did you get into?"

He sighed settling back into his cocoon of blankets. "It was just too easy. These guys must not have any competition, they don't pay any attention to their surroundings. I was here less than an hour before I got the first one."

Levi frowned. "How many total, Marshal?"

He shrugged. "Five... six? It wasn't until the third one that they even seemed to notice." He finally took note of the tired looks Levi and I were giving him. "Look, I don't get these opportunities very often. I have to get what I can when I can. There is no telling when I'll be able to feed again." He gave a little shrug. "Granted, nailing that Second probably wasn't the smartest move, but I see a scarred up vamp with a blind spot I'm going for it."

Levi and I looked at each other.

"He ate Captain Ponytail." I said.

Marshal winced. "Friend of yours?"

Levi laughed. "Hardly, that alone makes driving all this way worth it." He nudged my shoulder. "So which monster do you want to drive? The Sky or the dinosaur?"

I groaned. "I guess I'll take my chances with this rickety piece of shit."

"Come now, it's a classic." Marshal objected.

"Yeah...no. No, it's not." I said straightening up as best as I could in the confined space. Levi got up to.

"You are you all set? Ready to get the hell out of here?"

"More than ready." Marshal said with a sigh. He looked up catching Levi's attention before he could turn away. "Hey, tell me something... What's your favorite Original story?"

Levi frowned. "Why do you care about that? They all kinda suck."

"Yes, but which sucks the least?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Olen I guess. Now cover up, we need to hit the road."

Marshal pulled the covers back over himself and Levi escaped out the side door. I followed suit unlatching the door to squeeze back into the cab. "Where are the keys?"

"Floorboard I suspect. I was in a hurry."  Was the muffled response.

I found the keys under the brake and nearly got wedged under the steering wheel while retrieving them.

Once I got all the mirrors and seat adjusted I cranked up the loud and sickly engine.  I eased forward to meet the Sky at the edge of the parking lot. "Mind if I play the radio?"

"I wouldn't, but it's been broken a few years now."

"Lovely." I grumbled.

"You don't like me very much do you?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled out onto the highway behind Levi. "You're not my favorite person."

"I admit I made a poor first impression." I heard him shift somewhere behind me. "I'm also sorry for my poor timing. You must be tired of me interrupting."

I bit my tongue to keep from tearing into him. "Go to sleep. It's bed time for vampires."

"Talking helps me sleep. Maybe I can tell you a story? The one your mate likes so much."

I sighed. "He didn't seem that enthused, but if it'll eventually shut you up-"

"He doth protest too much. It's a very good story. I like it myself."

"Once upon a time..." I urged tapping the steering wheel.

"Fine." He huffed. "The youngest male of the four Originals tired of his role in vampires after only a few decades. Shortly after vampires fell from power, but before they became myth, he was at a feast. Or maybe it was more of a slaughter. The vampires went through towns and villages inviting the poor and the sick to feasts and once all the poor souls were inside the real feast began. He sat outside and listened to the screams and wondered how his creations could do such a thing, it made him sad and sick. He was tired of it all.
"Then he noticed a young man stumbling away- he'd somehow escaped. He watched as he made it all the way to the road before he collapsed.  Intrigued he investigated. The young man was covered in bites and scratches, nearly drained, and losing his battle with death. He asked him why he had bothered, what was the point? The young man replied that he didn't want to die. 'Then you shan't.' he told him and gave his life and his status as an original over to him. "

"This story sounds like a 'joyous romp' already."

Marshal snorted. "Well, this is where the stories get mixed up so, I'll approximate.  At one point or another this young man, Olen, became possessed by a powerful demon. He did terrible things, whole regions feared him. He murdered numerous families and even a few villages, then a few hundred years later the killings just stopped. Did he rid himself of the demon or was it exercised from him? I'm not sure, but in the end the demon left his body and he was left with the guilt of what he'd done.
"He took up residence near a village he had once ravaged and protected it instead. He still had to feed, but never killed again. The villagers knew of him and they also knew that he had money. Seems you amass quite a fortune while on a rampage and he only used small amounts to buy various goods from the town folk.
"One man had a great debit and he hatched a plan. He went to Olen and explained his situation, but he was not begging for a handout. He offered the vampire something that should have been priceless for a few gold coins- his daughter."

I looked back at the rearview even though all I could see was that stupid panel. "This is starting to sound familiar."

"Fairytales are often based in fact somewhere." Marshal explained. "Anyway, he took the girl, but treated her with kindness and respect, didn't even feed from her. Some versions say she feared him and ran away only to have her father beat her and take her back, but others say she slowly fell in love with him without the drama. Either way, they fell in love and got married.
"Olen's young wife complained of missing the sun and of not having a child, two things that vampires fear- burning to death and dhampirs, you know. He wanted to make her happy and sought out a powerful magic user. He paid this person nearly every bit of wealth he had, what would probably still be a king's ransom by today's standards, to give him a spell. He rushed home and just before sunrise-"

"Wait," I broke in "I thought Originals could walk in the sun. You said that before."

I heard him grunt. "I'm just telling you the story I've heard."

"That's a pretty, big continuity error, but whatever. Back to the plot-hole ridden story."

"Anyway... he took the potion and was human for twenty four hours. They enjoyed the day together as a normal human couple and at the next sunrise he was a vampire again."

"Sounds like he got ripped off." I muttered.

"Do you want to hear this story or not?"

"No, but you might as well finish."

"You are no fun, what. so. ever. Fine, I'll wrap it up. She had a human baby and they lived happily ever a few years before Olen was unceremoniously killed by a vampire hunter. Being an original he reincarnates, but in his unique case he only comes back through his descendants. The end. Happy?"

"Levi was right, that kinda sucks."

"That is what life tends to do."

"Why did you ask him about that, by the way?"

I heard him shift back there again. "I like to analyze people. It's a hobby."

"Uh huh. So, what did you figure out about Levi?"

"Nothing I didn't already know. He wishes he was human, but I'm sure you've noticed."

I gripped the wheel a little tighter. Yeah, I had.

"Well," I said flatly."I guess that must be disappointing for you. Ruined all your 'hobby' fun."

"Oh, no." He said. "I still learned quite a lot back here. Just not about him." He chuckled and shifted again.

I didn't respond to his prodding and within a few minutes he began singing to himself. Kansas'  "Dust in the Wind". Soon after that he got quite and remained that way for the rest of the trip. I was glad when he finally fell asleep, hoping to have some alone time, but within the hour his dog came through the flap and eased its way into the seat. It wasn't a bad riding companion though, it mostly wanted to look out the window. I'm not sure how much the dog could see though with cataract fogged eyes. The poor thing was probably ancient.

We finally arrive back at my house. As soon as I opened the door to get out the dog hopped out (with some difficulty) and made its way to the far corner of my yard. I almost went after it, but it just wanted to do its business and came back to the van.

"So, how'd it go?" Levi asked as I helped the dog back inside.

"Fine, once he shut up." I looked back at the panel. "We just leave them in there, I guess?"

"Seems like it." He cocked his head toward the house. "Let's go rest up. I was thinking on the drive and I think we should start tomorrow."

I frowned. "Start what?"

"Your training."

Description
The drive to the border was of course much shorter than going all the way to Little Rock, but just knowing that there was trouble waiting for us made it hard to enjoy the trip.

"This better not end up messy." I grumbled.

Levi glanced over at me. "It's day light, Babe. It'll be fine."

"I'm not talking about getting jumped up here. I'm saying, what if they follow us back? This clan is nothing to sneeze at and they are already just a little bit pissy with us."

"They won't cross the border and get all up in Robert's territory just to kill one cannibal. He's our problem once he's in Louisiana."

I sighed. "Exactly, what are we supposed to do with him? What about Vanessa and Kevin?  Vanessa might be able to handle herself , but Kevin? He's all puppy-dog-eyes and cuddles. We might as well put frosting on him."

"Dani, the man just ate. I doubt he's just running down here to eat your brain-damaged pet vampire."

"Well, you just remember that you're responsible for your new boyfriend." I snapped.

He rolled his eyes at me and pointed up ahead. "We're here ,Sunshine."

The Arkansas Welcome Center appeared on the horizon. As we got closer I could see tire tracks cut across the median. We pulled into a free parking spot. I hopped out and looked around.

"So what is he supposed to be driving?"

Levi leaned over the top of the car. "He said a 70's dodge van."

I turned in a circle before stopping dead in my tracks. "Oh sweet Jesus." I muttered when I spotted the puke green and orange pinstriped monstrosity. The back windows were all blacked out. "You can't say another damn word about my Oldsmobile. Ever."

"Let's check it out." Levi muttered ignoring everything I'd said.

We trotted over to the old, ugly van and Levi tested the passenger side door. It clicked open, but at that sound we were rushed by snarls and teeth. I yelped and Levi blocked me, but the dog stayed on the seat barking and making a fuss.

"Down, girl." A voice called from inside. "Friends."

The white muzzled Australian Sheppard immediately quieted and hopped down disappearing through a dog door on the wall the divided the cab from the rest of the van. It was definitely something Marshal had put in. Levi put his hand on my chest to keep me where I was as he leaned into the cab.

"You okay in there Marsh?"

"Thanks for siccing your dog on us." I added and Levi shot me a glare.

I heard a weak laugh. "Not the worst sun burn I've had. I'm covered up you can come in. The latch is at the top."

Levi knelt on the seat and pulled up on the latch letting the narrow door open. He squeezed inside and I followed pushing the door shut behind us.

The back was rigged up fairly nicely with those stick up lights and extra curtains. He had a small heater running and an unused AC unit off in a corner. The floor was carpeted , other parts were upholstered in leather, and had wood panels. The dog had settled down on a pallet near its food and water bowls that were in a holder bolted to the side of the van and a mini fridge. We found Marshal on his own pallet under a few blankets.

"We've got it dark." Levi said taking a seat against the side door. I decided to just crouch where I was for the time being.

Marshal carefully peeled the blankets away from himself.

"I didn't mess up my pretty face too bad did I?" He face was bright red, but nothing worse than I'd seen on the beach during the summer.

"Nah." Levi said looking him over. "That'll be gone by nightfall."

"My hands and arms took the brunt of it." He held out his arms revealing cracked and inflamed skin.

"That'll probably take two days." Levi nodded. "So, what exactly did you get into?"

He sighed settling back into his cocoon of blankets. "It was just too easy. These guys must not have any competition, they don't pay any attention to their surroundings. I was here less than an hour before I got the first one."

Levi frowned. "How many total, Marshal?"

He shrugged. "Five... six? It wasn't until the third one that they even seemed to notice." He finally took note of the tired looks Levi and I were giving him. "Look, I don't get these opportunities very often. I have to get what I can when I can. There is no telling when I'll be able to feed again." He gave a little shrug. "Granted, nailing that Second probably wasn't the smartest move, but I see a scarred up vamp with a blind spot I'm going for it."

Levi and I looked at each other.

"He ate Captain Ponytail." I said.

Marshal winced. "Friend of yours?"

Levi laughed. "Hardly, that alone makes driving all this way worth it." He nudged my shoulder. "So which monster do you want to drive? The Sky or the dinosaur?"

I groaned. "I guess I'll take my chances with this rickety piece of shit."

"Come now, it's a classic." Marshal objected.

"Yeah...no. No, it's not." I said straightening up as best as I could in the confined space. Levi got up to.

"You are you all set? Ready to get the hell out of here?"

"More than ready." Marshal said with a sigh. He looked up catching Levi's attention before he could turn away. "Hey, tell me something... What's your favorite Original story?"

Levi frowned. "Why do you care about that? They all kinda suck."

"Yes, but which sucks the least?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. Olen I guess. Now cover up, we need to hit the road."

Marshal pulled the covers back over himself and Levi escaped out the side door. I followed suit unlatching the door to squeeze back into the cab. "Where are the keys?"

"Floorboard I suspect. I was in a hurry."  Was the muffled response.

I found the keys under the brake and nearly got wedged under the steering wheel while retrieving them.

Once I got all the mirrors and seat adjusted I cranked up the loud and sickly engine.  I eased forward to meet the Sky at the edge of the parking lot. "Mind if I play the radio?"

"I wouldn't, but it's been broken a few years now."

"Lovely." I grumbled.

"You don't like me very much do you?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled out onto the highway behind Levi. "You're not my favorite person."

"I admit I made a poor first impression." I heard him shift somewhere behind me. "I'm also sorry for my poor timing. You must be tired of me interrupting."

I bit my tongue to keep from tearing into him. "Go to sleep. It's bed time for vampires."

"Talking helps me sleep. Maybe I can tell you a story? The one your mate likes so much."

I sighed. "He didn't seem that enthused, but if it'll eventually shut you up-"

"He doth protest too much. It's a very good story. I like it myself."

"Once upon a time..." I urged tapping the steering wheel.

"Fine." He huffed. "The youngest male of the four Originals tired of his role in vampires after only a few decades. Shortly after vampires fell from power, but before they became myth, he was at a feast. Or maybe it was more of a slaughter. The vampires went through towns and villages inviting the poor and the sick to feasts and once all the poor souls were inside the real feast began. He sat outside and listened to the screams and wondered how his creations could do such a thing, it made him sad and sick. He was tired of it all.
"Then he noticed a young man stumbling away- he'd somehow escaped. He watched as he made it all the way to the road before he collapsed.  Intrigued he investigated. The young man was covered in bites and scratches, nearly drained, and losing his battle with death. He asked him why he had bothered, what was the point? The young man replied that he didn't want to die. 'Then you shan't.' he told him and gave his life and his status as an original over to him. "

"This story sounds like a 'joyous romp' already."

Marshal snorted. "Well, this is where the stories get mixed up so, I'll approximate.  At one point or another this young man, Olen, became possessed by a powerful demon. He did terrible things, whole regions feared him. He murdered numerous families and even a few villages, then a few hundred years later the killings just stopped. Did he rid himself of the demon or was it exercised from him? I'm not sure, but in the end the demon left his body and he was left with the guilt of what he'd done.
"He took up residence near a village he had once ravaged and protected it instead. He still had to feed, but never killed again. The villagers knew of him and they also knew that he had money. Seems you amass quite a fortune while on a rampage and he only used small amounts to buy various goods from the town folk.
"One man had a great debit and he hatched a plan. He went to Olen and explained his situation, but he was not begging for a handout. He offered the vampire something that should have been priceless for a few gold coins- his daughter."

I looked back at the rearview even though all I could see was that stupid panel. "This is starting to sound familiar."

"Fairytales are often based in fact somewhere." Marshal explained. "Anyway, he took the girl, but treated her with kindness and respect, didn't even feed from her. Some versions say she feared him and ran away only to have her father beat her and take her back, but others say she slowly fell in love with him without the drama. Either way, they fell in love and got married.
"Olen's young wife complained of missing the sun and of not having a child, two things that vampires fear- burning to death and dhampirs, you know. He wanted to make her happy and sought out a powerful magic user. He paid this person nearly every bit of wealth he had, what would probably still be a king's ransom by today's standards, to give him a spell. He rushed home and just before sunrise-"

"Wait," I broke in "I thought Originals could walk in the sun. You said that before."

I heard him grunt. "I'm just telling you the story I've heard."

"That's a pretty, big continuity error, but whatever. Back to the plot-hole ridden story."

"Anyway... he took the potion and was human for twenty four hours. They enjoyed the day together as a normal human couple and at the next sunrise he was a vampire again."

"Sounds like he got ripped off." I muttered.

"Do you want to hear this story or not?"

"No, but you might as well finish."

"You are no fun, what. so. ever. Fine, I'll wrap it up. She had a human baby and they lived happily ever a few years before Olen was unceremoniously killed by a vampire hunter. Being an original he reincarnates, but in his unique case he only comes back through his descendants. The end. Happy?"

"Levi was right, that kinda sucks."

"That is what life tends to do."

"Why did you ask him about that, by the way?"

I heard him shift back there again. "I like to analyze people. It's a hobby."

"Uh huh. So, what did you figure out about Levi?"

"Nothing I didn't already know. He wishes he was human, but I'm sure you've noticed."

I gripped the wheel a little tighter. Yeah, I had.

"Well," I said flatly."I guess that must be disappointing for you. Ruined all your 'hobby' fun."

"Oh, no." He said. "I still learned quite a lot back here. Just not about him." He chuckled and shifted again.

I didn't respond to his prodding and within a few minutes he began singing to himself. Kansas'  "Dust in the Wind". Soon after that he got quite and remained that way for the rest of the trip. I was glad when he finally fell asleep, hoping to have some alone time, but within the hour his dog came through the flap and eased its way into the seat. It wasn't a bad riding companion though, it mostly wanted to look out the window. I'm not sure how much the dog could see though with cataract fogged eyes. The poor thing was probably ancient.

We finally arrive back at my house. As soon as I opened the door to get out the dog hopped out (with some difficulty) and made its way to the far corner of my yard. I almost went after it, but it just wanted to do its business and came back to the van.

"So, how'd it go?" Levi asked as I helped the dog back inside.

"Fine, once he shut up." I looked back at the panel. "We just leave them in there, I guess?"

"Seems like it." He cocked his head toward the house. "Let's go rest up. I was thinking on the drive and I think we should start tomorrow."

I frowned. "Start what?"

"Your training."