Finish up.

As you get your bearings back and head downstairs, you find your party resting up. Bibi is back to work, and whenever she sees you, she gives you a look. One that makes you almost blush. You have no idea how many days it'll actually take to make up that money, so you start going over speeches in your head. Though as you do, Eva tugs on your arm.

"Hello? How did it go?" she asks.

"Oh. Well, she doesn't exactly have the money anymore."

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"I guess, uh... we're just going to have to be persuasive when we get back to Dixby."

She sighs. "I see."

Bibi makes her way over to you and gives you a tight embrace, much to the surprise of the others. "Thank you again, Kyle. I just know you can use that silver tongue of yours to get her to change her mind." She giggles. "You're a real man."

"Th-Thanks. I'll do my best, like I said. We'll come back and say goodbye before we leave town too, but it's time to get going."

"Goodbye for now." She smiles bright.

After that, your party departs the Sparrow's Swallow. It's time to make another trip out to Dixby's cottage, and hopefully she'll have something made to help you on your quest. It isn't going to be easy taking down the Vampire Queen herself. You already know she has many lesser vampires under her control as well. So all you can do is put faith in your party and the alchemy stills of a strange gnomish girl.

Once again, you reach the small door of her cottage. After knocking, she opens it up and beckons you all inside.

It's as you remember it--a mess. Though, she stands proudly on a table in the center of the room with a fancy glass flask sitting in front of her. The curvy bottle contains a shimmering cyan liquid that seems to flicker with light as it sloshes around to the shaking of the table beneath her footfalls. Though, she looks to you with a hand extended as if waiting for something.

"The money. Right," you say. "She sort of spent it all."

"Of course she did. Then what am I supposed to do?"

You take a deep breath and clap your hands together in prayer. "Please give her just a few more days. She's actually been working super hard, and she felt bad about losing track of time. She would be incredibly sad if her secret got out. She's actually happy living this life, and I think it would be cruel to take that way from her. So if you could find it in your heart--"

"Oh please stop already. I get it." She looks at you with a smug grin. "She gave you special payment, didn't she?"

Eva shoots you a look. "What does that mean?"

"What? Nothing. I don't know what she's talking about," you quickly reply.

Dixby laughs. "You'll never beat those vampires if you're so easily manipulated. But you know what? I want those things gone, and I do trust that she'll pay me soon now that more people know her secret. Here. Take the potion. Though if she doesn't pay, you better hope we don't run into each other again."

Scary. "What is it exactly?"

She grins. "It's specifically for you, Kyle. Drink it before you face those vampires. It will instil the holy power of that water into your body, and hopefully the gift will save you from a sticky situation. This is the best I can offer. Pretty pricey potion though, and all you needed to do was shake a girl down for some money."

"Please don't say it like that," you say.

"All I'm saying is I'm very generous. You didn't even do what I asked."

"I didn't say I wasn't grateful for it. Thanks." you lift it up and slip it into your pocket. "How long does it last?"

"Should be more than long enough, but still wait to drink it. Do it when you're close to your destination."

"I do have one more weird question." You reach into your pack and pull out a tied up squishy bag. As you hold it out to her, she pinches her nose and gives a disgusted expression. "Can you tell me what this is?"

She peeks inside. "Ew! Why do you have a bag of swamp mud?"

"Someone gave it to me. It must be important."

"That's just some swamp goo, dude. I don't know what to tell you."

You lift it back up and stare for a moment. "Huh? It really is just mud? It isn't like, some kind of magic slime, or a monster in disguise?"

"Did you hit your head or something?"

"Are you serious?! I was holding onto it thinking it must be important somehow."

"I think the person who gave it to you just really likes the swamp."

You deadpan stare at your gift. "I refuse to believe you," you mutter. "I'll find a use for this somehow."

"You do you." She shrugs. "So are you going vampire hunting right away?"

"We are."

"Is that really a good idea?" Eva says. "I'm just a little--"

"Scared?" Niki laughs.

"I'm not scared!"

Alice speaks up. "Kyle is correct. We must not give Mistress Catherine a moment to plan for our attack. One of our few advantages is that she may have no idea we are coming. Her over-confidence may be her undoing."

"That's right." You sigh. "As much as I don't want to die, we need to do this now. We're storming the castle of the Vampire Queen today while the sun is still up. If we're lucky, she still has the necklace. If not, I guess we'll just have to hope we can overpower her together."

Bloody Tears. Vampire Killer. It's time, though you unfortunately don't possess a flaming whip.