User Submitted Contest #8 Round 3 - Vote 1 (Patreon)

Pool of Pleasure by: Raymond Pirrong

There has been a noticeable amount of people that have gone missing in a cave off the beaten path. A few hunters have gone to investigate the disappearances, and have not come out yet. Mila thinks there might be another vampire hiding in the cave that could become an ally, and decides to investigate. Inside the cave, a number of hunters are seen, but most are docile, in a trance with a glossy crimson mist over their eyes. Reaching the heart of the cave is a pool of red liquid, imitating blood, which Mila is drawn to. A mermaid emerges from the pool as Mila approaches, appreciating the visit, but mentioning how the pool “hungers,” promising a reward if she helps. Mila tries to control her with her vampire power, but it has no effect. She agrees to bring three new hunters to the pool for the mermaid.

Defeating three hunters in the cave will give the option to bring them to the pool. Mila returns to the mermaid as the hunters throw themselves into the pool. The mermaid and other drones nearby experience an ecstasy effect as each hunter is thrown in. The mermaid is grateful, but says “the pool still hungers, and it hasn’t tried a vampire before.” The mermaid attacks, summoning the three defeated hunters as backup.

Option 1:  (Bad Ending)

Choosing to drink from the pool willing or by losing to the mermaid, Mila feels her mind start to get foggy. She starts to forget why she came here in the first place, as the mermaid speaks to her, easing her to join the family. Mila continues to forget things and is more willing to join the mermaid. She asks Mila if instead of becoming a drone if she would like to be like her. Mila, losing her thoughts, agrees. She is gleeful, and invites her to swim with her. Mila jumps into the pool and completely loses herself, turning into a mermaid vampire hybrid and enjoying the pool with her new sister.

Option 2:  (Good Ending)

When defeated, the mermaid sinks to the bottom of the pool, and the pool drains, revealing a treasure trove. Hunters who were in a trance leave the cave, dazed and confused. Mila is disappointed in a lack of another ally, but finds an artifact that boosts her mind control power.

Terror of the Seas By: Rosen King

Mila learns that a group of all-female pirates led by Captain Redbeard (actually named Gloria, and she hates that lewd nickname coined by drunk sailors who can only imagine what her "beard" looks like) has been causing trouble for the vampire hunters in particular, and has recently docked nearby.  Seeing the potential of having allies - or slaves - who roam the sea, Mila decides to sneak on board the pirates' ship.  Since the ship sails at dawn, she hides herself in a crate of smuggled goods as a makeshift coffin, and is brought belowdecks - although a mysterious shadow in the water also follows the ship when it takes off.  That night, a pirate sneaks into the cargo hold for some rum, but is ambushed by Mila.  She incapacitates the pirate, and after checking that her smuggled stash of holy water is intact, infects her with slow-acting vampirism.  Whether the crew remain human will depend on Gloria's response to Mila's offer.  She skulks about the ship, picking off the pirates one by one (not always through combat), until only the captain remains.  Mila confronts Gloria and offers the choice to be her ally or her slave.  Gloria rejects the offer, choosing freedom or death, and fights Mila.  When she's defeated, she reveals that she's steered the ship towards some rocks, and was only distracting Mila.  She intends to kill herself along with her crew, who she thinks have already been turned.  Mila explains that they can still be saved, but it's too late to change the ship's direction.

After the ship crashes, Mila emerges from the sea on some rocky shoals.  She spies on Gloria speaking to a mermaid named Anne who claims to be a guardian of the seas that pulled her from the water - though she usually rescues the people who Gloria makes walk the plank.  Gloria asks why Anne is nearby often enough for this to become a habit, and realizes that Anne has a crush on her.  When they spot Mila, Anne tells Gloria to head to a nearby grotto where she brought the unconscious crew.  Anne stays behind to face Mila, who's surprised to learn that the innocent mermaid's control over water extends to holy water as well, making her a dangerous opponent.

"Bad" Ending:

If Mila is defeated by Gloria, she's knocked overboard, and if she's defeated by Anne, she's dragged into the water.  In both cases, Anne pulls her into the depths, though she's lucky enough to not need to breathe.  Anne apologizes for not having a way to restore Mila's humanity, but she can still save her soul.  She enchants the water around them and kisses Mila, transforming her into a mermaid. Mila joins Anne as a guardian of the sea, and encourages her new sister to tell Gloria how she feels.

"Good" Ending:

After defeating Anne, Mila has a choice to either corrupt the mermaid or let her go.  If she chooses to let her go, Mila heads to the grotto where the crew are lying in a small pool of water, which Anne enchants into holy water.  Gloria is relieved to see that her crew is safe, and reluctantly agrees to an alliance with Mila.  Anne then promises to watch over Gloria, no matter what the future holds for them.  If Mila chooses to corrupt Anne instead, she bites her and then moves to the grotto.  Gloria is horrified to see her crew rise as the undead, and Mila reminds her that death wasn't one of the options she offered.  The furious Gloria turns and raises her sword against Mila, but the vampiric mermaid rises from the water behind her…