The Humans of Copperwood Village

Misa stood on the dirt road just outside the welcome sign to Copperwood Village, her group's never-reached destination from five days before. The walk to the actual village entrance was still a short walk away, but Misa was feeling the effects of where she idled even now. It made her feel phony being here. A human in a vampire's clothing. 

A being that felt neither here nor there.

This is fantastic, Misa thought dryly, I don't even know where I want to belong anymore and here I am on a mission from the KING HIMSELF to earn the trust of the humans.

She sighed as she looked back at the carriage occupied by Isel and Ida who were preparing to leave her there after dropping her off. They all think it's the best shot I have at winning the humans over since tomorrow is my wedding day... And after that, who knows who I'll be.

The thought--all the thoughts, actually--had Misa shaking a little bit in her boots. From the carriage, Ida waved her forward with the back of her hand, and Misa pretended not to see her. Instead, she stared reluctantly at her, remaining as still as stone.

I don't want to goooo... She wanted to whine aloud to the elderly vampire child, but she knew she needed to do this job with no concern for her awkward feelings. The vampires were right, no matter how she looked at it.

For now, any magical wards these humans have earned from those rare successful dealings with Fae won't work on me. Because I'm still human. I'm still me. Then hopefully, later, after I'm...

Misa trailed off. Although she tried not to let it, fear punctured her heart at the very thought of it. Ida had made very clear what Misa should expect tomorrow.

"You are right, Lady Misa." Ida had confirmed right after Misa had confided in her what her major takeaway from Prince Ran's story the night before had been. "You must be turned in order to have a traditional wedding ceremony with our Prince Ran. It has been agreed upon that the prince will turn you an hour before the ceremony."

"Oh, Miss Ida," Misa had wailed softly, "what if I'm not ready? What if nothing works out?" What if I never wake back up? Her worry was tremendous.

Now, Misa remembered the words Ida had said next the most clearly. "He fought for you, our prince. He wanted to be considerate of your feelings and leave you with as much time as you could have as a human being."

This tidbit made Misa feel all fuzzy inside. Considering how negatively the prince perceives humanity, this was a lot from him.

Ugh, I'm getting distracted, Misa thought now, smacking herself on both cheeks. From the carriage behind her, Ida called, "Make sure you get on their good sides so that you are invited back to the village 'anytime'! That way, you will not face hardship returning or being invited in elsewhere. You have our faith, m'lady."

A stale smile decorated Misa's face. She hadn't felt good about this plan before, but it certainly left an acrid feeling in the pit of her stomach now.

I want to go home. She thought as Isel snapped the reins of the horses who pulled the carriage and Ida yelled out, "We will return for you around dusk!" as they rode off.

Misa walked along the dark dirt road while she thought of the number of ways this 'mission' of hers could go wrong. She had never before believed she was a pessimistic person, but since being in this land of vampires and enemies, positive thoughts knocking on the door to her brain were rare these days.

She was on her ninth way to die a horrible death when she spotted a man and horse hauling a cart of sacks ambling up the road toward her. "Oh crap." She whispered to herself, trying to fight the urge to pull her collar up around her neck (which would ultimately hide nothing, but still, it seemed to work in the movies).

The man, who appeared in his upper sixties, shouted a jovial, "Hello there, gentlelady!" as he approached and then passed her by, tipping his hat to her. His head and beard were heavily grayed, and he had the smile of the happiest man Misa had ever seen. Especially in this world. If she could judge by his crooked teeth, flashed at her as big as the shining sun, Misa assumed this man had not a care in the world.

It made her smile--but not too much! She was careful to control her fangs. Every day, she was getting better at it under Ida's direction. "Hello there." Misa returned the greeting, bowing her head a little.

She found herself looking back at the man and his horse as he continued down the road. That was... well, pleasant. She thought, surprised. It gave her just a little bit of hope that she maybe wouldn't die at the hands of angry villagers today.

When she finally stepped foot in the human village of Copperwood, Misa couldn't believe her eyes.

Everywhere she looked, from left to right, gave her something splendid to marvel at. The first thing she saw, even, gave her culture shock, having been exposed only to the dark and isolated vampire kingdom which practiced beheadings and burning rituals. In this village, she saw a violinist sawing away rapidly at his strings and creating the most uplifting sounds. Children danced without care before him while adults clapped in time with the speedy rhythm.

There were fruit stalls and clothing merchants at every corner of the immediate perimeter of the village entrance, welcoming visitors and traders who stopped and ogled at interesting items at every stall. She smelled fresh bread being baked and sold from a cute little cottage to the right of her as she walked further in. Misa felt like she was being pulled forward with an intense magnetism.

"This place is amazing." She breathed under her breath. What amazed her most was how robust with people the place was, so much that she had to creep her way through crowds at some points.

Near the end of the long stretch of market stalls, a handmade jewelry stand with a bright yellow canopy decorated with fat pink polka-dots caught Misa's attention. It read, 'Hiro Family Jewelry.'

"Hmm... Jewelry, huh?" She hummed. Misa could practically feel her eyes sparkle. "Maybe I'll get something!" Giddily, she hurried forward and greedily ran her eyes all over the gleaming jewelry that was laid out on the table.

Her eyes stopped on a brooch that, ironically, was the exact color of her and Prince Ran's eyes. She lingered on that one for a long time, suddenly embarrassed at the thought of actually buying it. Would that be too... cheesy? Immature? She wondered. Maybe it's weird... Yeah, he won't want it. I mean... I could get it for myself! But... Nah. It's too much. Too much.

While Misa was shaking her head at herself, probably appearing crazy to the stall-goers around her, a small but gruff voice asks her, "Lady, do you want to buy that brooch? I'll sell it to you for five hundred pocks."

"Five hundred?!" Misa shouted and then had to quiet herself. "What do you mean 'five hundred pocks'?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, lady! It's five hundred for that brooch, take it or leave it!"

"That's an obscene price and you know it."

"And you know you can afford it. Have you seen your clothes? Your hair? The accessories in your hair? I'm sure you could spare to cough up a few more pocks than people like us."

Sure enough, Misa was wearing a long, ankle-length cardigan over an equally black dress with the cute, square neckline that she liked. Her shoes, though flat, had sturdy soles and were clearly generally unworn. A couple of the female vampire attendants at the castle had swooped her hair into an attractive, low donut bun, leaving strands at the front of her hair out to curl down to her shoulders.

She looked every part a woman of nobility.

Still, Misa scoffed, "How old are you, kid?" She asked.

The girl behind the stall looked at her with defiance in her eyes. "What does it matter how old I am?"

"Fair." Misa said, shrugging. She was just about to ask the girl who seemed about twelve years of age where her parents were when a woman's voice floated into the scene, heard but unseen. 

"Doli, enough!" The woman's voice chides the girl, who didn't forget to slap Misa with a glare even as she backed off. 

Misa tried catching a glimpse of the woman, having caught the sickness present in the woman's voice. It took a minute for the woman to finally appear, and it was painfully clear that she was as sick as one could imagine.

Her skin was ghastly, a pale surface with splotches of a blush-like red. Her eyes were sunken with deep and dark bags circling the undersides of her eyes. And she walked like a creeping animal, hunched over with her left hand gripping her ribcage under her breast.

"No worries," Misa said slowly, heavily distracted by the approaching woman. She kept her eyes on her as she picked up the brooch and passed it to the frowning child. "I'll take it."

"Oh, no, miss. You truly don't have to go to the trouble. I'm--" The woman was forced to a harsh stop as repeated coughs racked her body. The girl, Doli, rushed to her aid, looping her left arm with the woman's right one. "I apologize...," the woman laboriously continued, "for my girl's disrespect."

Misa shook her head, indicating that it was fine. Busily, she reached into her coin purse and fished out five hundred pocks. "Take them," she urged when the mother and daughter looked at her dubiously. "I promise, I'm okay with it."

"Th-Thank you!" Doli exclaimed, snatching the money from Misa, probably before Misa could think of taking it back.

Misa smiled and then said, "I would like to know how else I can help." She was met with expressions that teetered between grateful and more dubious, and silence. "I have some knowledge of healing techniques." Misa tried.

Curiosity sparked in the woman's eyes. "How do you know such techniques?" She asked.

Taking a deep breath, Misa answered, "I want to be completely honest with you, but on two conditions. Please." She said and continued when the woman nodded hesitantly, "One: Don't raise an alarm, and two: Trust me. I really do have a way to help you."

The woman looked a little bit frightened now, but perhaps desperation spurred her forward. "Okay."

Damn, I can't believe I'm going to do this, Misa thought. This better not backfire on me. Here goes nothing.

"My name is Misa. I know what I know because, well, I am human today, but tomorrow, I will be married to Prince Ran--"

"The vampire prince?!" The woman interrupted with a high-pitched squeal.

Misa hurried to shush her, "Yes, yes! But you must understand, I am overwhelmingly on the side of peace. I am here to help you. I am here to help this divided world." She then admitted to helping the Fae princess escape death the night before and being rewarded with numerous healing potions as a show of thanks to her friendship and kindness.

"You mean... to use as a gift to us ailing humans? A Fae?" The skeptical woman asked.

Misa nodded, "I understand that this is hard to believe, but yes. I know there are many sick here. And more beyond. Without the proper medicine or time to get them, many may die."

The woman began shaking her head, "No! Get away, I don't trust you!"

But it was Doli who covered her mother's mouth. With firm eyes she asked Misa, "Can we trust you? Can you really heal her?"

Misa nods. "Yes."