The next day Nico woke up determined. He had a lot of things to do today. First he had to cure the elk meat and had to store it for sale. And for that, he needed a lot of salt and condiments.
There are two ways he knew of to cure meat. The first one is to smoke it dry and the second one is to salt it and dry it in the sun.
For both these methods, he needed condiments
The vampires here did not eat human food so they did not have it. he had to buy them from the human towns.
Raven made him a map of all the villages nearby.
Turns out they were actually on a small island close by to the river. This was the place where the river met the ocean and it was prone to whirlpools. So not many wanted to come and inhabit this land. Only at a particular time of the day, the water was calm and they can row their boats out.
The island was not that bustling with wildlife. Only a few elks lived here.
So the vampires usually never overhunted them. they waited until they bred and had broods of their own before they did.
That only meant the young vampires went without blood for a very very very long time. That really explained why they looked malnourished and underweight.
'After all, they were vampires starving for a few months would not kill them.' it was Raven's words to be exact.
Nico had a pang of guilt that he might have slightly disrupted the peaceful ecosystem. But all was done. He did not regret his decision one bit.
The young twins, hunter and Isaac were both energetically running around, Avery was chasing after them. Darius and his other sibling watched over them.
Nicolai strung up the elk and tied it to the tree branch. He started to peel off the hide. It can be used for clothes or sold for a bit of cash.
"How long do I have to wait for the whirlpools to clear?" he said as he tugged on the tough skin.
"Just when the shadow is under our legs," Raven came to his help. He easily pulled off the hide in a second. "Do you really plan to go there, elder?"
"Call me Nico, and yes I plan to go there. I'll have to buy some salt, pepper, chili flakes.. Maybe some lemons will do. We shall smoke the meat and slice it into thin slices. Even if they don't sell we should not waste food like that," he gave Raven a look.
This young vampire buried a whole elk without even using its meat. it was a disgrace to the hunt.
Raven scratched his head guiltily. "I admit I was impulsive... I just don't like the idea of going to the town,"
"It will all be good." he wiped his bloody hands.
"But how will you buy things. We don't exactly have copper lying around,"
"Oh I have some," he pulled out the small pouch carefully and showed him the two copper. "I can buy at least salt with this right?"
"You can buy a lot more for that, elde... Nico.'
"Then I'm glad," he secured the pouch inside his shirt.
Soon afternoon came around. Nico did not even feel the passing of time.
"I've prepared a small rowboat for you elder," Matt said respectfully.
"Call me Nico." He corrected him.
They walked over to the edge of the river. The shores were overgrown with mangrove trees. There were a lot of log-like crocodiles submerged underwater.
Nico trembled slightly.
"Nico are you scared of them," Raven playfully whispered.
"Of course, look at those things. It's been thousand years and yet still they thrive. Do you know these creatures have existed since the dinosaur age! They are terrifying."
"What is a dinosaur?" hunter curiously clung to his shirt.
"Well... a dinosaur is a huge a beast. It's about as tall as these trees. They come in a variety of shapes, and sizes, some can even fly. Some eat flesh and some eat leaves.... one, brachiosaurus is my favorite. It has a very long neck that can reach to the top of this tree."
All the vampires there collectively gave him a look.
"What? Why are you guys looking at me like that? Don't tell me.... do..so they exist now?! Oh my god, dinosaurs exist!!! How are werewolves the apex predators?! How..."
Raven sighed. "I have no clue what you are talking about. But please don't joke around. there are no such beasts even in our history."
"No, they lived almost ten thousand years ago. I've never seen one in real life but I've seen their bone remains. They look enormous and mighty," he explained to them.
Matt got into the water and beat the surface with a stick. The crocodiles all swam away.
Quickly he placed the rowboat in the water. "Come on elder we don't have much time,"
Nico hurriedly got in, Raven also got in with him.
"Wait I thought I was going alone?"
"Do you know the route?" he raised a brow.
Nico shut his mouth in embarrassment. "I don't.."'
Raven chuckled. "You're surprisingly childlike do you know that?"
"I'm just nineteen... I am still a teenager at heart..."
The boat slowly moved towards the calm waters. Little by little they got close by to a small whirlpool. It was not that fast moving but even so the back end of the boat was pulled towards it.
Raven swiftly rowed faster in the opposite direction moving away from the pull of it.
"it will get faster in a while.. it can swallow a whole ship…"
Nico looked at it in shock. "How did we get back home back then?"
The first day they met, raven pulled him away unconscious and when he woke up they were already close to the boat. He did not even realize the danger of this water ways.
"You were lucky, it was the right time. Or else we both would not have survived."