Chapter 3 - Needles and Swords

Tereza feels very guilty and leaves the shelter early in the morning, she picks some roses and go search resources to make a new knife for Vampiresca. When she returns to the shelter Vampiresca is gone.

Vampiresca was in the sea taking a bath, until Tereza arrives, with the gift and the rose in hands. Vampiresca looks at Tereza and the gift and smiles. She quickly gets out of the water, still wearing only her underwear.

Tereza feels embarrassed with Vampiresca half naked in front of her and hands over the roses and the improvised knife.

- Sorry about yesterday, I was an idiot. - says Tereza

Vampiresca hugs Tereza, who in turn seems very surprised by the hug.

- Thank you. - Vampiresca says in a very soft and sweet tone.

Vampiresca then takes Tereza's hand and pulls her into the water.

- Let's freshen up a bit, the last two days have been intense.

Tereza laughs and agrees, feeling as if the two are creating a true friendship.

The two girls were playing in the water without realizing one thing, piranhas were coming towards both of them. Vampiresca managed to get out in time, but Tereza was not so lucky and was bitten by one. Vampiresca struck the piranhas with the improvised knife that she had won from Tereza. Tereza crawls on the sand with her leg still bitten, Vampiresca then uses shreds of her T-shirt to cover the bite in an attempt to staunch the blood, which doesn't work, so she decides to suck the blood from her friend's leg to see if it would stop dripping.

Tereza thanks her and says:

- You're really good! I didn't know you were a real vampire.

- I'm not, but I consider myself one. Blood is nutritious, but yours is...salty.

The two laugh.

However, the joy was short-lived. As they looked further to the side they saw a crocodile, which looked hungry. The animal soon accelerated its speed and ran after them, Vampiresca took Tereza on her lap, with difficulty and ran as fast as she could. They ended up falling and hurting their knees

- Are you okay? - Asks Tereza

- Yeah, yeah. Just a minute. - Said Vampiresca with a bit of difficulty to breath

They look again but the crocodile was really slow, couldn't pass 17 km/h

Relieved, Vampiresca takes Tereza again and both try to go home, fast.

On the way, Vampiresca asks:

- Hey Tereza, I know you're hurt, but do you mind if I go out and collect some leather? We need armor! Y'know, better safe than sorry.

- Do you know how to sew by any chance?

- Yes, I do! I was a seamstress when I lived on The Center.

- Really? Tell me more about yourself! - says Tereza eager to hear her new friend's story.

- Well, I had no parents as a child, so I roamed the rural areas of downtown. I slept on farms with the pigs and cows, ate their food, and when there was no food, I sucked their blood. That's why they started calling me Vampiresca. A kind farmer took me in and gave me a home, taught me how to sew, and was like a father to me. He passed away and I had to come here.

The two arrive at the shelter, Tereza lies down and Vampiresca goes on her way.

She didn't go very far, she entered a forest where there were several phiomies, easy targets with plenty of leather. Vampiresca didn't think twice, she picked up some rocks, a branch and plant fiber, made an improvised axe and went after the animal.

Vampiresca drags the corpse away with a smile on her face, not for having killed the animal but for having finally found a friend.

She then grabbed as much fiber as she could and stone chips so she could sew, Vampiresca didn't want to wait and started making the armor right there. But, was the armor gonna work without a sword? Vampiresca collected wood and did two wooden swords, one for herself and one for her friend.

She goes back to the shelter three hours later, the armors and swords were ready. Not very resistant, but comfortable. Vampiresca and Tereza were protected from new threats.

Tereza and Vampiresca gathered stones, firewood and straw, in an attempt to make a container, and with the container ready they gathered fruit and water to make dye. The two had fun painting the armor and creating different shades of colors. Vampiresca had discovered a new talent, craftsmanship.

Vampiresca painted her armor red, and Tereza painted it blue, her favorite color. Now the two were unmistakable. During the test Tereza fought a dilofosssur that was on the beach, she managed to kill the enemy without a scratch, the gear was useful!

Tereza was proud of her friend Vampiresca, it was on the moment she knew she could trust that girl. The two sat on the ground and watched the sunset, it was indeed a wonderful moment.