Oscar calls his friend Maria on the phone and begins explaining their situation to her. Meanwhile Renze explains to Mede that they both should start packing. “Packing? Packing what?” He asks. “It doesn't feel real. We might actually be leaving soon. I think I'm getting too excited. I don't really trust this idiot, but once that barrier is gone I can go anywhere with you. There's a whole world out there that you should see. You need to bring anything with you that you'll miss, because once we leave we probably won't see this place ever again.”

“I should pack important things I'll miss then?” Mede asks.

“Yes, exactly. Try to only bring light things because we don't know how far we'll have to carry them.”

“Light important things, okay!”

Renze whispers to Oscar, whose still on the phone, that he was leaving to pack and that him and Mede would be back downstairs as soon as they were done. Mede, wasn't a living being, so he had even less to pack than Renze did. He wanted to bring some stuffed animals Renze had bought for him and his favorite pillows. Renze also had very little to pack. He had to think about emergency funding that he kept in cash in his room and only a weeks worth of clothing. He could find and or buy anything else on the run.

Within 45 minutes the both of them packed everything they needed. “That was quick.” Oscar replied as they came down the stairs with their barrings. Renze sniffs the air and glares at the new woman in his house. “Who is this human?” He asks. Before he gets an answer shes rushing over to Mede screaming and fawning over him. “You must be the dagger boy Oscar told me so much about! Is it true? Of course it is, I can tell! How old are you? What do you remember about being created? What is your earliest memory?” Renze drops his bags and pushes the strange woman away from Mede. “This is my friend, Maria,” Oscar ties to explained, embarrassed by her chaotic behavior. Maria does the same song and dance about Renze, asking him 20 questions and she tries touching his wings, but he immediately puts a stop to that. Maria took a moment to pause and look at his burned faced, but pays it no mind.“Get your hands off us. What is wrong with you? Mede don't answer any of her strange questions.” Renze was beginning to get a headache.

“Maria give the two of them space. Didn't I ask you to behave around” Oscar coughs. “around potentially extremely dangerous people?”

“This is your extremely annoying friend then? That you invited into my house? A human?”

“Is it a problem that I'm human?” Maria, the witch protests.

“Yes, absolutely a hundred times yes, but more than that I don't think I've ever met anyone as annoying as you before.”

“I should apologize for my behavior. I'm usually very professional, but when Oscar told me there was a potential sentient item I had to come as soon as I could. My first time meeting a vampire would be a bonus, as well.” Maria explains.

“Don't touch me. And don't touch Mede. You can't just go touching and poking whoever you want. Now can you help me with the barrier or are you useless?” Renze asks. Mede shyly peaks from behind Renze. “If you can help Renze the both of us would be eternally grateful.”He says quietly. “Mede, stay close to me I don't trust this lady at all.” Renze tells him.

“How rude, and you want me to help you? For you information that barrier surrounding this place IS of a high level, but I am a top tier witch. It shouldn't take me too long to disable it.”

Renze rolls his eyes. “How am I rude for wanting my own personal space? I didn't even let you into my house.” Renze shivers at the memory of being so rudely poked. “I can't stand being touched. Even worse if it's a human.”

Maria sighs. “I can, almost understand. Maybe if I help you then you'll be more willing to assist in my research and answer some questions.”

“If you can help us leave I'll consider it.” Renze replies and Maria gets to work at disabling the barrier. “This will take a few minutes so try not to bother me too much. A high level barrier like this will take all of my focus.” Renze breaths a sigh of relief, hopefully that means she'll stop talking now. “Oscar, you left out the fact that your friend was human.”

“It had slipped my mind. Is it that important? She's the best person I know for any job involving magic.”

Renze crosses his arms. “I guess.. I would have liked a heads up. I hate humans and more than anything else I hate being touched by strangers. If she wasn't with you I surely would have killed her for that.”

Oscar shakes his head. “She left a really bad first impression, huh? I can't blame you for feeling like that. I'll be sure to remind her of that when she's done. I did warn you before I called her that she was eccentric. Shes a witch who throws herself into her work and research so she dropped everything to meet you and Mede.”

Moments later the light around Maria dissipates and shes exhausted and out of breath. “Water, Please get me a glass of water.” She asks.

Renze rushes to the kitchen, dragging Mede with him because he doesn't trust leaving him alone with these strangers. The two of them return and Renze hands her a glass of water. Shes leaning on Oscar still recovering her breath. After downing all of the water Renze asks the question on everyone's mind. “So did it work? Is it gone? Can I finally leave now?”

“I'm dog tired.” She says still catching her breath. “But it's gone. Whoever put that up must be just as skilled in magic as me, if not more so.”

“Oscar, why don't you take your friend to rest on the couch?” Renze suggests and Oscar quickly takes his suggestion.

“This is it.” Renze says to mostly himself. “I'll be the judge if it actually worked or it.” He rubs his hand and pushes it passed where the barrier would be. After his hand passes freely he falls face first into the snow. The cold biting him isn't anywhere near as bittersweet as this victory, if it could even be called that. Mede curiously pokes him. “Are you okay?” Renze sits up and brushes the snow off his face. “Yeah.. I just didn't expect it to actually work. I was kinda hoping it didn't.”

Renze had done some preliminary planning, but now he had some serious thinking to do. There would be no turning back whichever choice he made. The two of them walked back inside. Oscar was still checking to make sure his friend was okay when he noticed them returning. “Hey, did everything work out?” And then saw Renze still covered here and there with snow. “Yes, no. Maybe.” Renze rushes past him finally feeling the cold closing in on him and sits in front of the fireplace. “That was a terrible idea. I'm gonna freeze to death and be actually dead.” Mede grabs Renze and shakes his arm. “Is Renze gonna die now? Please don't die it's too soon for you to die!” Renze takes a deep breath and puts his hand on his forehead. “One tragedy at a time Mede.” He pats his back. “It's just a phrase. I'm not dying. It's an expression people use to emphasize something. I'm fine just cold.”

“So, Did it work or not? Are you able to leave?” Oscar asks again.

“Oh, that. Right. Yes. It worked perfectly fine. Your annoying friend was more competent than you. Now I have another host of problems to worry about, but you two did your job. Anyway how is your friend?” Renze would very quickly regret asking as she rushes into the room complaining about being hungry. “Why do you have such an elaborate kitchen if the shelves are empty? No potato chips? No potatoes of any kind? What the hell?” Evidently using up all that magically energy had left the young witch hungry. “No one who lives here is human, put two and two together.” Renze says calmly.

“Then what's the point in having a kitchen at all?! And why are you all wet now?” She shouted at him.

“We cook sometimes... probably. I didn't design this house. ” Renze sighs in frustration and rubs his eyes. “What a nightmare. Either way you did what I asked you to and I confirmed I can leave, so as much as I hate, really really hate, to say this thank you. For that. I think.”

“What kind of half assed thank you is that?” Maria says angrily.

“You solved one problem and left me with 40 more problems!”

“That's hardly my fault! You shouldn't have asked for help if you didn't want it!”

“I didn't ask for help you two just showed up!” Renze hisses.

“Ah..” “Right..” Both Oscar and Maria had either forgotten that part or had hoped Renze would conveniently not care after helping him leave. “I'm grateful that I can leave now but..” Renze trails off. “Mede why don't you go upstairs while I talk to them.”

“What? Why me! No way! If its a secret I want to know to.” The child protests.

Renze motions with his hands for him to leave. “Just do it alright. I'll tell you later, okay? Why don't you go double check we didn't forget anything while we were packing?”

“Buuut, aww okay!” Mede really wants to listen to the big secret discussion, but agrees to leave after being given a task, a way to be useful still.

After the child leaves Renze breaths a sigh of relief. Clear to the others, he didn't want the kid listening to what he was about to say. “As I was saying, you solved one problem and left me with even worse ones. How do you intend to make up for that?”

Maria shakes her head in frustration. “After all the effort I went through to break that barrier this is the thanks I get?”

“You have to understand.. I'm grateful, I really am, but you put me in an even more difficult situation. When I agreed to accept your help, I didn't actually think it would work. When I leave here what do you think will happen to me?” Renze's heart starts racing with anxiety. “Do you really think it's safe for me to leave here? Of course not. My father's been kind to me so far, but I've always done everything he's asked. He locked me up here for a reason, and without a doubt he'll send people to find me, and then what? He'll have me killed for sure then.”

“I think you're getting a bit worked up there. You don't have any evidence your father would kill you. I think it's the opposite in that regard, but that's certainly a valid concern. You're right if he went to all this work to keep you hidden away, then he would surely send people to recapture you.” Maria adds.

“You're right. Murder is if I'm lucky. I'm sure my father would do something worse than murder me when he finds me again.” Maria couldn't tell if Renze was just paranoid or right. “I guess what I'm getting at is if I leave here I need someone to watch my back. I'm great in a fight, but even I have limits. The both of you got me into this bigger mess, so at the very least you have to help me decide what to do next.”

“So basically, what you're asking for is a body guard? You could come live with me at my family's house until you feel comfortable. That's easy enough.” Oscar says.

Maria claps her hands together. “That's perfect! I have so many questions for you and the boy.”

Renze ignores Maria's comment. He had no intention of answering a human's questions, if he could avoid it. “I suppose that would work for now. We can figure out the details later.” Oscar couldn't help but feel inviting a man, one that he barely knew, that also lives off the blood of the living, was probably a bad decision. It also kind of was his fault he was in such a difficult position in the first place, so he owed it to him to see thing to the end.

“Are you done talking now?” Mede walks into the room complaining. He surely had been listening for longer than he should have.

“Just about. Did you double check you're bringing everything you want? We have to pack as light as possible, but take anything you'll miss badly.”

“Yes Renze I'm all ready!”

“Alright if everyone is ready let's hit the road.” Oscar says.