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Chapter Text

It's been almost an hour since a lone vampire began roaming the forest outside of Oakhurst. Meek sunlight seeped through the cloudy skies and between sparse leaves - not enough to burn his delicate skin. His footsteps carried soundlessly on the dry, ashy grass. The brown, dark eyes darted around nervously, looking for something... A source of nutrition. Some sort of poor, wild animal that he could catch and drain its blood. At this point, he was starving - the last thing that resembled a meal was whatever he took from a man who got turned into a vampire soon after. But that was almost an entire day ago. Since then, the taste of the thick, metallic, sweet drink filling his mouth was nothing more than a memory.

At this point, his hunger was slowly starting to drive Owen crazy. He could swear that the trees had eyes, and all were directed at him. At some point, he heard what sounded like the growling of an angry wolf - turned out it was just his own stomach. He stopped in the middle of a path, taking a few deep breaths to recollect himself.

"Come on... Anything, please..." He whispered. "Why don't my powers include something like, sensing where animals are?-"

He went silent the moment distant clucking reached him. Immediately, Owen dashed into a nearby bush, to avoid being spotted, and peeked out. A wild hen... Right when he needed it. Slowly, he scrambled out of the bush, which grabbed the bird's attention. It stayed in place, however, watching him curiously.

"Here, here..." He called out, his voice calm, but a little shaky from exhaustion. Even as he closed in, the hen did not escape... Did it feel bad for him? Well, probably wouldn't lay its own life willingly, but if he played his cards correctly... "Ha! Gotcha!"

Owen managed to grab the hen, tucking its wings so that it couldn't fly out of his hands. Immediately, the bird began clucking and screeching, struggling to free itself. Clearly, it was unused to human touch. Or, well, vampire touch.

"Shhh, it's okay... It'll be over soon, I promise..."

Then, Owen's fangs dug into the hen's chest. Immediately, the bitter, watery taste of animal blood filled his mouth. He began choking, a lot of the precious drink dripped down his chin and on his clothes. His grip on the bird lessened, allowing it to smack him in the face and run before the wound could become fatal. The terrified animal dashed into the bushes, leaving bloody marks on the grass.

"Wait! Crap..." Owen continued to cough, he fell to his knees. He didn't care about doing this whole blood drinking properly, because of his hunger - and now he was paying the price for it. He spilled half of the blood he managed to draw and looked like a total mess, his face, cloak and hands smeared with it. Not to mention, choking on blood did not feel particularly pleasant. His throat was burning, even air seemed to damage it at this moment. He curled up on the ground, waiting for the pain to go away. 

"Woooow... That was pretty pathetic!" All of a sudden, someone's surprisingly upbeat tone reached him. Unable to get up from the ground, Owen turned on his back and looked up at the sky. Soon, Scott approached him with a big, cocky grin on his face. "Two hundred years of experience? How have you not starved yet?"

"I spent most of that time sleeping," Owen explained himself, before slowly sitting up. "Where did you even come from...?"

"I was heading back home, actually. To my castle, I mean." Scott leaned against a tree, nonchalantly looking over his nails. "Didn't expect to find you here... I just heard someone choking, and I thought I'd come and finish the job."

"Well, I don't think it will work on me..." Owen sighed. His body was still shaking with hunger. Somehow, his fumble actually made the pain worse; he got just the littlest bit of sustenance, only to have the rest of his meal run away from him. "So? Are you just gonna leave me here, or what?"

"I should... But," Scott's red eyes shined dangerously. They've been like this ever since his vampiric bite turned another Oakhurst dweller, Pyro, into one of their kind. " I kinda feel bad for you, you know? If you keep messing up like this, someone is gonna find you out..."

"Yeah, they definitely will," Owen scoffed. "None of them believe in vampires. And the one that does, everyone thinks he's crazy."

"I mean, he might be either way..." Scott shrugged. "Besides, you're now living in my domain. And by Goldsmiths' customs, I should take care of you, and make sure you live up to your full potential..."

"Great. You pity me."

"More or less!" Scott grinned. Owen really wished this guy wasn't an elder vampire, because he really wanted to slap him. "Consider it an investment, if it makes you feel better. So that your incompetence doesn't rat us out."

"Wait, hold on," Owen pulled himself off the ground. The shaking in his legs had not yet stopped. "What about Pyro? Shouldn't you teach him first?"

"He needs to finish transforming first. Don't worry, I'll get to him soon enough..." Finally, Scott approached the younger vampire and wrapped his arm around Owen's shoulder. "First lesson: animals are a last resort. You only turn to them if you can't find a human to eat. Their blood is just so... Dirty, and fatty, and blegh..." He gagged in a quite exaggerated manner. 

"Well, I don't know if I'm gonna survive until I have a chance to feed on someone..." Owen chuckled bitterly. 

A thought crossed his mind at that moment. Gosh, how pathetic he was... He hated this. His life of eternal hunger and struggle. He wanted it to end as soon as possible. But when faced with the prospect of starvation, he was ready to do anything to survive... A hypocrite, is what he was.

"Fair enough... We have to keep a low profile, at least until Pyro gets better." Scott admitted, before leading Owen onwards through the forest. "Anyways... Chickens are not worth your time. They're small, their blood tastes like mud. If you have to feed on animals... Cows are not bad. Or pigs. Even wolves or dogs would do, but they are harder to catch." He smiled when he noticed Owen shiver at the idea of drinking a dog's blood. "I'll be honest, back in my hay day, I tried so many exotic animals I could really recommend... Lobster, octopus..."

"Gosh, stop... You're making it worse..." Owen whimpered, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Scott couldn't help but giggle. 

"But then again, nothing beats a tasty human. Especially when they're young. Not like, a child... Their blood is a little too sweet. But like, late teens, early twenties..." He smacked his lips. "Perfection."

"Stop... I'm gonna throw up..."

"Good luck! We vampires don't have a gag reflex."

"Wait, we don't...?"

All of a sudden, Scott's voice went silent in Owen's ears. He felt something- No, he could smell something. Something big, beefy, tasty... He turned his head, only to spot a wild cow roaming a meadow nearby. He would've dashed right at it, if Scott didn't grab him by the shoulder to stop him.

"Hold it! You're gonna waste this one, too?"

"I'm not!"

"Let me show you how to do it properly," Scott proposed, slowly approaching the cattle. The animal continued eating grass, but kept an eye on the two of them. "Without getting your hands dirty, without spilling all over yourself... As if you were a Goldsmith, too."

"Was Lewis such a posh prick too...?" Owen mumbled, slowly following behind the elder vampire. Scott's pointy ears twitched at the words. That name... It rang a bell. But not all of his memories from centuries ago had returned just yet. Maybe it meant something, but for now, he couldn't be sure.

The cow was surprisingly calm about the two strangers approaching it. Slowly, Scott pulled his hand over the animal's neck and shoulderblades, to get it to relax and calm down. Owen stayed a few feet behind, reluctantly watching. Sure, he could learn something important about hunting and sustaining himself... But it would stick with him much better if he wasn't so viciously hungry, that's for sure.

"Some vampires prefer their blood with some adrenaline... But it's not worth it, I think." Scott began explaining, continuing to stroke the cow. "It tastes a little bit different from animal to animal... And it can get you drunk, even. So if you really want to go for it, you have to be prepared for the before and the after."

"Yeah, yeah..." Owen sighed. Please, just get over it already, he thought.

"You wanna go for the neck, whenever you can. Ideally, you wanna aim for the artery, but sometimes you miss it..." Scott put two fingers on the cow's neck, then dragged them around its skin, trying to feel for the right spot. "If you're in a rush, just aim and hope you hit anything. It's not worth it to pull out, and then try again. You have to be one and done."

"Are you done?"

"Not yet!" Scott smiled at him once again. "You wanna keep your lips firmly planted, and take in quick sips, swallowing often. Don't hold it all in your mouth. If you get attacked, you risk spewing everything out. And your hard work goes to waste."

"Can I try already?"

"Let me demonstrate first... Here!"

Not even a second later, Scott's fangs struck the cattle right in the neck artery. The cow let out a terrified cry, but the vampire was way too fast. The animal's legs started shaking, and within several seconds, it collapsed to the ground. But the man wasn't finished just yet. He knelt over it to finish his meal - but he was clearly taking his sweet time. He didn't have to rush it. Even when he heard some rustling in the nearby bushes, his mind was at ease. He was older than this forest itself. He was in power here. Nobody could threaten him. Especially when he was feeding.

"Aaah... See?" Scott rose from his spot, then turned to Owen. The younger vampire looked quite devastated that his meal was taken from him so quickly. "You can always keep the corpse for snacking purposes... But if you do, you wanna keep some blood left. Otherwise, the meat gets dry."

"You aren't scared that you're gonna turn it into a vampire?" He asked, to which Scott answered with a chuckle.

"I don't think that's possible, actually... Although, a vampire cow would be quite an amusing sight..."

"What about humans, though? Where is the line between feeding, and turning them into one of us?"

"Oh, right..." Scott licked his lips, to finish his meal off properly. He wouldn't want to return to Oakhurst looking like a slob, of course... Something rustled in the bushes again. His ear twitched, but he ignored the sound for now. "It depends on the size. You just have to get a feel for it... Might give you a few tries, though. Too little, and they remain human... Too much, and they die."

"Gosh," Owen shivered. Good thing Lewis had experience... He could only imagine what would happen if his old friend overestimated how much blood he needed to take from him. Actually, the thought of Lewis actually drinking blood to survive... It never popped into his brain, until that moment. He shivered. He was such a nice, caring person... Who was a vampire. The fact that he could actually kill people to sustain himself did not add up in his head...

The rustling repeated once more, and this time, Owen heard it as well. Immediately, he turned in the direction of the sound. Was it another prey, waiting for him to catch it and feast? Or was it... Someone who came here from Oakhurst, and listened in on their conversation?

"Scott? You hear that, right...?"

"Huh?" The elder vampire turned to him. At that moment, he was too busy feasting on the dead cow, ripping its stomach apart with his bare teeth. "Oh, yeah, it came from these bushes..."

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

"It's probably not a big deal... Probably a hare."

Slowly, Owen approached the bushes. He could smell them, actually. Something pretty big, sweet, full of adrenaline... His hunger gnawed at him. He had to catch it as soon as he could, and he would drain the last of its juices-

"Aha!" All of a sudden, a human popped out of the bushes. Tall, with ashy hair, and holding a loaded crossbow in his hands. Owen took a second to connect the name of Avid to this face. "I knew it! I was right! I knew you guys were vampires!"

"Wooow, how perceptive..." Scott giggled, but seemed rather unbothered by the sudden arrival of the vampire hunter. "Owen, you wanna take care of him? You can have all the blood you want..."

"Oh, gladly," Owen growled in response.

"What? No, no no no!" Avid leaped out of the bushes and aimed his weapon at Owen. "Stay back! You're not getting any of my blood, you unholy fiend!"

"Listen, man" Owen sighed, taking a step in Avid's direction "I'm literally starving. We can do it the easy way, or the hard way."

"Stay back!"

The second the vampire hunter's crossbow fired, Owen's instincts kicked in. In the blink of an eye, his body morphed into that of a bat. He swiftly avoided the arrow, which otherwise would've pierced through his chest. He dashed right at the human, then turned back to punch him straight in the head. Avid tumbled to the ground with a scream. He reached to a stake attached to his chest, but Owen was faster. He fell on top of the hunter, his fangs cutting through the bandages on his neck, and digging into his soft skin. With his lips firmly planted (per Scott's instructions) he began taking quick sips, swallowing the blood often to not keep it in his mouth for too long. Avid continued to wail, but with time, his voice got weaker and quieter. Eventually, he fell limply on the ground. Owen grabbed him by the shoulders, tilting his head slightly forward so that his fangs would not leave the spot. A bit of the warm fluid dripped down his chin, but far from the amounts he lost last time. Finally, after what felt like eternity, but was probably not even a minute, the vampire pulled back and wiped his face with a satisfied grin. He couldn't recall if he had ever felt this full and satiated. And it felt so much more incredible than he expected.

"Not bad! Pretty smooth for a novice." Scott patted his apprentice on the back with a satisfied smile. "That transformation could use some practice, but other than that, you did well..."

"Is he dead?" Owen huffed. Scott's sight dropped to Avid, who was laying limply on the ground. He nudged him with his foot.

"I don't think so... I think you just barely missed it. You wanna finish the job?"

"Nah..." The young vampire couldn't stop smiling. "A vampire hunter, turning into a vampire... The irony is just too good."

"It is!"

Owen took a deep breath, then put his hand on his full stomach. He really did feel incredible... Powerful. Unbeatable. Maybe a little bit tipsy. Apparently, Scott was right with what he said about adrenaline. Even if it wasn't for everyone, he was probably going to grow to like it.

"You were right. Adrenaline does taste good."

"See? I told you! I'm always right!"

He then looked down at Avid, who started shaking and twitching, struggling to catch his breath. The vampire hunter tried speaking, but his voice stuck in his throat. Owen crouched down next to him, watching proudly the fruits of his labor - two small puncture wounds on his neck, which were now seeping blood all over his bandaids. They would have to take them off to hide evidence, and cover it up... Screw it. It was worth it, even if it was gonna tip someone off.

"Come on, man. Get up. We gotta drag you back to Oakhurst." Owen said with a cheeky grin.

"You..." Avid wheezed, his whole body convulsing as his transformation started slowly taking place. Eventually, Owen lifted him and supported him on his shoulder. "How... Could you..."

"Not gonna lie, you kinda asked for it." Scott admitted. He stood on the other side of Avid, but did not support him, letting Owen do the heavy lifting. "Eavesdropping is not nice, you know?"

"You... You're monsters..."

"And you're one of us now," Owen smirked. He then looked over Avid's head, to Scott "What did you mean about that transformation, though?"

"I'm just saying, this could’ve been a little smoother... You have the speed, but you lack the grace. But I can teach you..." This time, Scott's smile looked satisfied. Almost proud. "We have time. I'm gonna get you acting and looking like a proper vampire in no time."

"'Looking'? What do you mean? You're gonna get me a fancy, posh coat?" Owen chuckled. He started dragging Avid back in the direction of Oakhurst. Scott followed right after.

"That, too... But a true vampire wouldn't look so... Scrawny. You look downright starved, man... We gotta do something about it."

"Well, I mean, being a lumberjack paid fine, but food was always scarce..."

"It's fine. You're under my protection now. You'll never have to walk hungry again."

"I guess I can't say no to that..."

Avid tried listening in on their conversation, but the lack of blood made his head spin, and filled his ears with static. What a tragic irony... A vampire hunter, among the first to fall victims to actual vampires. He never had a chance against them, a chance to avenge his lost partner...

And now, he was going to become one of them.

Chapter Text

It's not an easy task to drag a half-dead person through the gates of a slowly developing town without raising any suspicions. It was a hell of a lot easier the previous day, when Scott and Owen had to sneak in freshly turned Pyro. As an experienced vampire, Scott knew exactly how much of his blood to take to keep him up for a while, just enough that he could get back to Oakhurst with mostly his own strength. Then, they hid the slowly transforming, sick scholar in one of the houses of the outskirts of the settlement. To get rid of any suspicion, they even allowed Leg, their local doctor, to take a look at him. Of course he wasn't going to find anything. He had no idea what vampirism did to a human body; how would he? He just declared that Pyro got a bad fever and should stay in bed for a few days. Owen and Scott promised right away to take care of him.

But Avid was not in such a good position. He lost his consciousness a few times when Owen dragged him back to Oakhurst. Sneaking what could easily be mistaken for a corpse into the town would probably not go unnoticed. For a while, the two vampires and the one in the making stayed at the edge of the forest, pondering their next course of action.

"I can hear a lot of them inside..." Scott sighed. "Great... It just so happened that everyone has to be back at Oakhurst when we least need them."

"You go ahead and try to distract them," Owen suggested. The elder vampire side eyed him.

"Why should I do it?"

"You won't drag Avid back to the house. Besides, you're very distracting."

"Oh, I guess you're right... Fine." Scott smiled, then stepped forward towards the town. Owen waited until there was a considerable distance between them, then followed behind slowly.

The moment the blue-haired vampire entered the town, he spotted most of the settlers around the ruins of the church in the centre. Most likely, they gathered to... What was the word? Consecrate around the strange beacon, one that seemingly gathered them protection. What did it protect them from, though? Definitely not Scott... Sure, his appearance disrupted the magic infused in the beacon, but the most it did to him after activating was giving him a mild shiver. Whoever created it, clearly didn't know much about vampires. Or they didn't know much about the Goldsmiths.

Shubble was the first to spot Scott's arrival. She got up from her spot, then ran up to her unlikely roommate. Scott could almost admire the excitement with which she greeted him... Oh, sweet, naive Shubble...

"Scott! You'll never guess what happened!" She called out. "Cleo and M found some strange books in the nearby ruins, and they granted them powers!"

"Oh, they did?" Scott raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity. Well, the matter did seem interesting to look into... Especially the origin of said books. He had some suspicions, but he probably couldn't confirm them just yet. "What powers?"

"Look!"

She grabbed him by the wrist, then dragged him towards the town square. Quickly and nonchalantly, Scott took a quick peek over his shoulder. He spotted Owen, dragging Avid's unconscious body straight to the designated building. So their plan worked perfectly... At least for now. If someone got suspicious from this point on, they could just say they found the loud vampire hunter already in bed, recovering from what was probably some nonthreatening illness. Scott then decided to actually pay attention to what Shubble wanted to show him. 

Cleo, the poor farmer, and M, a strange, but kind writer, were sitting among the field of wheat planted by the former. What was surprising, was that the grains have already risen high, as if they spent months in the ground. The two settlers were chatting about something, but went quiet as soon as Scott and Shubble approached them. The farmer glanced at Scott with reserve and suspicion, while M's face lit up.

"Scott! Look what I can do!" He planted his hands firmly on the ground. Immediately, even more wheat spread from the ground. "Isn't that incredible? And all it took was opening a strange book I found in the ruins?"

Even with his millennia of experience, that actually did surprise the elder vampire. He knew of such abilities being in possession of members of his own family... But a mere human, being able to control such powers? That was quite remarkable. And, at least so far, M did not seem to suffer any negative consequences from doing this.

"Huh... Impressive." He commented, then turned to Cleo. "And what can you do?"

"I can sense rare metals in the ground," The farmer answered in a quiet, stoic tone. Great, first Avid was on him, and now this poor commoner was not going to trust him... Or maybe it was just a matter of hating him for his riches. Which, in this situation, he probably preferred. "Not very impressive, but might come in useful if we need more silver..."

"Oh, I wish you got my power and I got yours!" M sighed dramatically. "But the moment I opened that book, it was too late to reverse it..."

"It's fine," Cleo turned to him, her voice warming up. "At least now I won't be alone on the farming duty."

"Oh, absolutely! I'll help!"

"Good, good..." Scott murmured, before turning around and stepping away from the conversation.

The door to the house of the slowly developing vampires seemed close. Scott spotted Owen in the window, peeking outside and making sure nobody was coming. Their eyes met for a second. For a second, the elder vampire actually wanted to go straight there, to make sure Pyro and Avid were not causing any trouble... But then, he turned in the direction of the house he shared with Shubbly. Nah, Owen would be fine. He needed some experience after all. Scott had already spent so much time in his life taking care of new vampires... He could leave these two to his subordinate. He'd be fine.

However, as soon as he wanted to enter his home, something bounced him off, like a forcefield.

"The hell...?" He muttered, extending his arms and pushing on the invisible wall. It didn't budge. Instead, a cold shiver went down his spine, and a feeling of numbness paralyzed his fingers for a second. He pulled back, increasingly annoyed with his situation. It took him a moment to realize what was happening. "Oh, right... Someone must've left silver somewhere in there..."

Back in his prime, silver was no longer a problem for Scott. Sure, touching it was far from pleasant, but with the sheer power Scott was in possession of, it barely hurt him anymore. However, his six centuries long nap left him severely weakened, almost to the point of matching the strength of a novice vampire. And that was incredibly frustrating... He, Scott Goldsmith, struggling with a mere piece of silver? If only his family had seen him... No, they wouldn't make fun of him. None of them would dare to do so, even in this situation.

"Hey, Scott?" All of a sudden, Shubble's voice rang right behind him. "Is everything alright?"

The vampire flinched and turned around. Usually, his instincts warned him of incoming danger... Must've been that he focused on his problem too hard.

"Oh, hey... Well..." He took a deep breath, stalling for an explanation. "Did someone leave some silver in the house?"

"Well, Avid buried some under the door... Why?"

Avid. Of course it had to be him. Well, he got what was coming from it?

"Could you be a dear and get rid of it? I have a, uh... Horrible allergy to silver. Like, really bad," He smiled awkwardly. "The second I touch it, my skin gets all itchy."

"Oh! Yeah, no problem!" The girl approached the door, then began looking for the buried piece of metal. "Avid is so weird... He just came here, mumbling something about vampires, and said to bury this ingot under the door... Apparently, it repels vampires."

"Well, it definitely repels me," Scott chuckled. "But for other reasons."

"Here you go!" They rose from the ground, holding a bar of pure silver in their hands. Scott frowned a little when she showed it off to him. "Would putting it in a chest be alright with you? Or do you want me to throw it away?"

"No, no, you can keep it. I just have to watch where I put my hands." The vampire chuckled, before entering the house at last. 

Immediately, he fell on his bed with a pleasant sigh. He could use a nap after the long afternoon of teaching Owen... Sure, he just ended a centuries old power nap a few days ago. Unfortunately for him, he was the type of person that really valued his sleep. Since he already spent over half a millennium sleeping, an hour or two more wouldn't hurt, right? That is, if his insomnia allowed him to fall asleep in this time...

"Have you explored the ruins nearby, Scott?" Shubble suddenly asked. Some sort of shuffling sound accompanied her, she was probably cleaning up their chests.

"Mhm..." He hummed in response. Then, as a surge of energy filled him, he decided to actually take his coat off and cover himself with it. The thick, wooly fabric smelled of something long gone.

"Well, me, Pearl and Drift found this place not too far from here... We want to take everyone here to explore, it's huge. It looks like the ruins of some sort of castle, or something...?"

Scott immediately opened his eyes. Did these three pathetic mortals find and explore his castle? Did they go through his things? Did they find his chambers? Immediately, a feeling of dread and discomfort filled him, souring his upcoming nap. And why did Shubble call the place ruins? Sure, when Scott left his crypt, he didn't pay much attention to the surroundings, as he was too sleepy to do that. But it clearly hasn't fallen into this much of a disarray, right? Maybe some dust covering the floors, some spiderwebs covering the old paintings or, at the very worst, some damage done by wild animals... But ruins seemed like a bit of a stretch.

"A castle? Interesting..." He hummed.

"Have you been there yet?"

"No, I don't think so..." Scott yawned, his fangs retracting in case Shubble was looking his way. He then turned his head in the direction of his roommate. "Are you sure you wanna go there, though? Might be dangerous... You might find monsters there... Like, vampires, or such..."

"Oh Scott, silly, we all know vampires aren't real!" The woman chuckled. She was sitting on her bed with a book in her hands. "Did Avid get into his head this much?"

"I'm just saying... There might be monsters there, in general."

"Well, true..." They gasped, all of a sudden. "Maybe this is where Bigfoot lives?"

"Maybe..." Scott chuckled. Then, his smile faded when he noticed just how hard Shubble was staring at him. "What's wrong?"

"Were your eyes always red? I swear they used to be blue..."

Scott flinched. Crap, he forgot about that... Turning Pyro the previous day gave him one hell of a power boost, one that started affecting his actual appearance. He thought it'd wear off if he just stopped himself from drinking any more blood for a day or so... But then he gorged himself on a cow, just to prove a point. Now, it was not going to go off for a while. He tucked his hands under his coat, in case Shubble noticed his claws as well. 

"Must be the red moon," he muttered. "It's doing weird things to all of us..."

"Maybe you got pinkeye? Want me to ask Leg for help?"

"What? No, no, I'm fine..."

The fact that Shubble actually cared about his health (not knowing he couldn't really get sick as a vampire) made him feel strange. He couldn't recall the last time someone actually asked him whether something was wrong with him... He was usually the one, making sure to keep everyone in the family in check. But it was never really reciprocated. He never even noticed that... Until now. And it made him feel weird.

"If you say so... But, if we go to that castle again, you wanna go with us?"

Scott thought about it for a second. It wasn't a bad idea... But he would have to go there first, just to make sure they wouldn't find anything too important.

"I'll... Think about it."

Soon, their conversation dissolved when Shubble began reading her book. Scott turned his back to her, facing the wall to finally take his nap. Of course, it was going to take him a while to fall asleep... But this time, it didn't feel like his insomnia was actually to blame. His mind was racing, faster than it had in the past millennium or so. Who would've thought that his decision to take a break from everything and take some well deserved rest would end up with him ending up among a bunch of humans and baby vampires. They didn't even fear him... That was definitely a first for Scott. He couldn't recall the last time he had a relationship that wasn't build on fear... Quickly, he shook off that feeling. Just give me a few weeks, he thought to himself, finally drifting off to sleep. I just need to get my strength back... And then, all of you are gonna learn what fear truly is.

"Where is this guy going?" Owen groaned, watching as Scott turned away from the house where the vampires were, and instead headed to his own place. Sure, he expected him to not help with dragging Avid back to Oakhurst, but he wasn't even going to help with taking care of them?

Quickly, he shook off the thought. He also didn't get any help when transforming. Lewis helped him get to a safe place, and then left him... Maybe if he stayed with Owen, he wouldn't be found by the angry mob of Oakhurst. And he would still be around. The vampire flinched, then looked back at his unlikely companions. Both of them were in deep sleep, one only disturbed by cold shivers and incoherent mumbling. Avid was especially disturbed, while Pyro was handling his transformation quite well. If someone found them here, and clocked what was happening... 

History could potentially repeat. This time with Owen at the pyre, and these two bringing on yet another massacre upon the quiet town.

"It's fine, it's gonna be fine..." He whispered to himself, approaching Pyro's bed and putting a hand on his forehead. It was warm, but not to a point that it seemed dangerous to him. 

Another reason why he wished Scott joined him... He had so much more experience. As a Goldsmith, and an elder vampire. He would know whether their symptoms were dangerous, and what they could do... But instead, he decided to leave everything to Owen, and just watch from a distance. And that infuriated Owen. Was that on account of him being an elder, a rich nobleman, or just an asshole? He only met two Goldsmiths in his life, and they couldn't be further apart.

Pyro shifted under the touch, pulling his blanket more tightly over himself. Owen had no idea how long it would take him to finish transforming. It took him three days, but he had no other benchmark. Did he finish quickly, or did he actually take his time? Then, he turned to Avid. From how much he was flailing and grunting, he could tell the vampire 'hunter' regained his consciousness. Upon inspecting his forehead, he found it to be scorching hot.

"Oh, great..." Owen muttered. "How are you, Avid...?"

"Owen... Why...?" He sounded as if he didn't even hear the question. "Why... Did Scott... Did this to you...?"

"Huh? No, no. I've been like this for a while." The young vampire sat down at the edge of the bed. "You want a cold towel? You're burning up..."

"But... But... You said you... You didn't believe me..."

"Well, duh! I wouldn't just sell myself out like this, you know?" Owen chuckled, making sure the soon-to-be vampire was comfortable by tucking him in. "You're gonna like it, I promise. You'll have me and Scott, and Pyro, to keep you company. We won't leave you behind."

"Pyro...?" Still a bit shakily and clumsily, Avid turned on his back and sighed. "Great... So I saved no one..."

"No," Owen confirmed, his voice suddenly quieter and colder. "You didn't."

Soon enough, Avid was out again, his body struggling against the transformation. Was he fighting back...? If so, Owen wondered whether he could actually succeed. If not for the fact that he was a vampire hunter, and that he now knew the identities of all local vampires, he'd cheer on him. But if that really happened, it would be up to Owen to finish the job, to save Scott and Pyro. Even though he just met them not long ago... He felt strangely attached to them. Or maybe 'attached' was the wrong word. There was this sense of kinship they shared, ties bound with blood. 

Once upon a time, Owen knew a vampire. He lost him, but made everyone in Oakhurst pay the ultimate price.

And now, in place of the one, three more appeared. And one was actually of his own making.

Were they going to make up for the tragic loss of Lewis? No, definitely not. That wound was like a stake to the heart, it was never going to heal. But maybe, just maybe, he could find solace in building a new community, focused on making sure a tragedy like this would never happen again. So, despite Avid's lack of answer, Owen got up from the bed, then left the house. A wet, cold tower was going to do wonders for his fever.

Chapter Text

Shubble's off-handed comment kept gnawing at Scott for the rest of the day. Even when he did fall asleep, he found himself briefly waking up, swearing he could hear or see something that wasn't really there. Almost as he had a dream - but his dreams, albeit rare, have never been this... Fleeting, and vague. Someone his age could manipulate them freely - for example, if he lost something, he could influence his dreams to guide him. But this time... It was different. It lurked at the edge of his consciousness, not letting him put his head to rest for all too long. He spent the rest of the afternoon, and a serious chunk of the night tossing and turning, struggling to stay asleep for more than several minutes at a time. And every time he woke up, falling back asleep seemed more and more impossible. Eventually, he just found himself laying aimlessly in bed, staring at the ceiling and waiting for this torture to end. The only sounds that surrounded him were the quiet rustle of the wind outside, and Shubble's peaceful breathing.

If only his head was just as quiet... That was another new thing for him, one he couldn't exactly recall ever being a problem. He was always the tidy one, the one who had everything sorted out and figured. He had to, considering his position within the family... But all of a sudden, this sense of control of his own mind was gone. Was it because he was also far from in control of his life at that moment? Surrounded by so many humans who didn't respect him, didn't fear him... And it was driving him insane.

Still, he knew one place where his thoughts should quiet down.

Just before the sun rose over the horizon, Scott lifted himself from the bed and put on his long coat. In total, he slept for two and a half, maybe three hours. It would usually be enough for him... But despite that, he was strangely exhausted. Maybe he was just hungry... He definitely had to stop on his way to grab himself breakfast. Hopefully, some poor, unassuming cow or wild sheep would bump into him... Otherwise, he would have to reconsider making his roommate his meal.

It would've been a lot faster for Scott to transform into a bat and fly straight to his old castle. Despite that, he found himself actually walking most of the way there. He remembered the way hazily - he crossed this path so many times, even before Oakhurst got its name... And yet, as he looked around, he couldn't stop thinking just how much this place changed since he was active. The vast majority of the trees grew after he decided to sleep into his centuries long slumber. Even the types of greenery changed, now a lot meekier, a lot more ashy... Ironically, the paths through the forest remained mostly unchanged. They were considerably more overgrown, but apparently people living in these parts of the world used the same roads for hundreds of years. Every time he noticed some sort of change, it made Scott feel a bit unsettled. Six hundred years of sleep was quite long, sure, but it couldn't have been that long... He had affairs that lasted longer than that.

Why did he feel so out of his element then? What was he missing?

Finally, Scott arrived at his destination. The castle of the Goldsmith family.

Or what remained of it.

Shubble wasn't exactly wrong when she called it ruins. Heck, that was probably even a stretch. Out of the whole, giant, stone castle covering a serious part of a mountainside, remained a few broken down walls, fallen pillars and a bridge, spliced in two. Scott stopped for a while after making his way across the chasm that opened. All of a sudden, his mouth felt completely dry, as he took in the sight of his castle. When he woke up from his nap, he was still quite sleepy and his hazy mind did not exactly clocked the state of the castle. 

But now, Scott felt more awake than ever.

He pulled his hand over the hollowed out, mossy arch that was once the main gate. The stone was cold to touch, sending shivers down his spine. Just past this gate, there should've been a foyer... But now, all that remained of it was a pile of rocks, and a half-excavated floor. Where the dining hall used to be, all that remained was a bottom part of a giant doorframe. The stairs leading to upper floors were gone, with only a few pillars remaining - none of them even half their original size. Where Scott expected to see the wing of the castle where children lived, he only witnessed weeds poking through the last remaining floor tiles. All that was left of the master library were a few random, scattered pages, rotting on the slightly moist grass. The usually overwhelming scent of blood and warmth was nowhere to be found. Scott inhaled deeply, but the cold air itched in his lungs. After holding his breath for a little too long, he started coughing, to the point where his eyes got teary.

"How...?" He whispered, hugging his arms in a self-soothing manner. "No, no no no... It can't be, it's just..."

His hands fell to his sides, and he rose his head up high. With a deep breath, all of the emotions that threatened to overflow, were tucked nicely back into place. It must've been some sort of misunderstanding... The Goldsmiths probably migrated from this place, in search of prosperity and power. The castle could've gotten damaged by the elements, but they took their valuables and were now living their lavish lives somewhere far, far away.

But... They left him behind. They left behind their grand duke... 

No, no no no no no, it wasn't true. Another deep breath. The bitterness and betrayal got squashed into a small, sickly cube, which then landed in the farthest corner of Scott's mind. There was probably an explanation. Maybe someone came here every now and then, to check whether Scott had already woken up? And once they found him, he could leave with them? All he had to do was wait. Sure, this place wasn't perfect for waiting, and he would've appreciated having at least a bit of a roof over his head. But if that's what it took...

They won't come back.

The thought made Scott flinch, almost as if someone whispered it straight into his ear. He even turned around, to make sure that wasn't the case. But no, he was all alone... 

All alone.

From a lack of any better ideas, Scott went back to the entrance to his crypt. Moist, sickly scent permeated the air closest to the stairs down. He remembered the catacombs themselves very sparsely, as he never liked going in there. The only time he did, was when any of his family members needed burial. And that was not a common occurrence among a family of vampires. So, when he made his decision to leave everyone for a while, take a nap, let everything settle without his influence...

That doomed you, and everyone else.

"Quiet!" Scott yelled out loud, punching himself straight in the temple. Now it made sense... Someone was close. Some other vampire, who connected with him telepathically, was telling him things that weren't true. But why? What was their reasoning? And why did they target Scott, out of everyone?-

All of a sudden, a high-pitched screech reached the vampire. Something small, fluffy and brown circled around his head, then transformed into a human before striking a landing. A pretty hard, clumsy landing. Despite his earlier insecurities and worries, seeing Owen struggle always put a smile on his face. Was that him who connected with Scott? No, that seemed unlikely... That was a pretty high-level technique, definitely out of Owen's league. Unless he didn't know something...

"Told you we need to work on your flying," Scott commented dryly.

"Shubble told me you left before she woke up... I've been looking for you! Why didn't you come help me yesterday?"

Scott snickered, amused by Owen's frustration. The negative thoughts vanished in an instant, replaced with his usual persona of the cocky nobleman that everyone else saw him as. And this time, it felt even better than usual.

"You know I don't do manual labor, Owen. Besides, you did just fine, didn't you?"

"Well, uh, yeah... Avid had a pretty bad fever, but I think I got it under control..."

"See? You didn't need my help," Scott answered with a smirk.

"Still, it would've been nice if you helped... You have a lot more experience than me. You could've at least, I don't know... Watch over me, make sure I'm doing everything right..."

"Awww..." Scott smirked, suddenly grabbing Owen's chin and pulling it closer. "Does the little baby vampire need the validation of an elder?"

"Ugh, stop it!" The lumberjack pulled his face away, clearly bothered by Scott's behavior. He was either cold and distant, or uncomfortably touchy, and no in between. "I'm just saying that if you helped, you would have no reason to complain afterwards! It wouldn't kill you to not be a prick for once, you know?"

Scott squinted. Oh, this one had some nerve... A surprising amount, considering that he recalled the Goldsmiths' last name. He should know better than to speak out against any of them, let alone the grand duke...

But if he was going to be feisty, Scott would teach him to behave. In a way he wouldn't wish upon anyone.

"Why were you even seeking me in the first place?" He scoffed. "Just to complain? And where did you leave these two little vampires?"

"Pyro and Avid are still where they were. I just asked Leg to check on Avid."

"You what?" Scott's eyebrow twitched.

"Oh, calm down... We already had him check up on Pyro, and he was none the wiser. This one won't be any different."

"I hope so. If not... You'll be handling it, if someone goes wrong."

"I guess I will..." Owen rolled his eyes. "I was looking for you to... Ask for advice. How long will it take for them to transform? Are there any chances they could not make it? And if so, can we prevent this? You know so much more than me, I'd really appreciate help..."

Owen truly was a strange one, at least in Scott's eyes. The way he was willing to put his own pride aside to ask for help and advice... And the way he didn't just leave the little ones to fend for themselves... Losing someone due to their transformation not going well was not rare in Scott's circles. Nor was it seen as something negative. If someone didn't make it, it meant they weren't strong enough to be one of the Goldsmiths after all. But Owen actually cared, and wanted these two to make it... It was actually quite remarkable. And amusing.

"Sure, the fever is not the best sign..." He finally gave in, deciding to share his knowledge with someone a lot less experienced. "The worst that can happen to him is tetanus, probably. Or his body fighting off so much, it just destroys itself from inside."

Owen shivered at the idea. The idea of his body rejecting vampirism, to the point that it shut itself off... It was just a bit too much to think about.

"How long did it take you to transform?"

"Three days."

"Oh!" Scott laughed, even though a strange sting hurt him somewhere in his heart. "Three days? Woah! That's impressive!"

"Well, how long did it take for you?"

"It's rarely under four days... And never over seven. Depends on a lot of biological stuff I don't really care about," He admitted with a grin which showed off his teeth. "So, if you want to keep playing nurse, you're gonna have a blast for the next week or so..."

"And I can't count on you for help, can I?"

"I wouldn't advise it."

Owen wanted to add something, but he eventually went quiet. There was no arguing with Scott... As an elder, any rational arguments flew over his head if they were said by someone lesser than him. And Owen was, unfortunately, just that. Lower than him. Not the first time he was seen as lesser, weaker... He could only wonder whether Lewis would've treated him with this amount of superiority. Well, at least when Pyro and Avid are done, he wouldn't treat them the way Scott treated him, that's for sure.

"What is this place?" The younger vampire suddenly asked. "I don't remember ever seeing it back when I lived in Oakhurst..."

Scott flinched, but not enough that Owen would notice. 

"I used to live here... Many, many, many years ago. With my family."

"The Goldsmiths?"

The elder vampire agreed. He still wasn't sure how Owen knew that name... But he would get that out of him soon enough.

"Where are they now?"

"Respectfully, it's none of your business."

"But it's yours, isn't it? Why do you hang out around a bunch of humans, instead of being with your family?"

Scott slid his hands deep into his pockets, where his claws started scratching at his own skin. Truly, this little one was too nosy for his own good... No one in their right mind would barge into a Goldsmith's personal matters. This one clearly wasn't taught well... Whoever was that turned him, the burning pyre was probably what he deserved.

"The less you know, the better you sleep at night, little one." Scott smirked, his finger poking Owen in his forehead. The man scoffed, unamused by how Scott was playing off the situation. 

"We don't sleep, Scott. We're vampires."

"Well, if you took time to get your beauty sleep, maybe you would stop being so grumpy all the time!" The elder vampire smirked, then repeated the poking. He could tell that his subordinate was lacking sleep. The circles under his eyes were darker than before, and overall, he looked like a mess. It almost made Scott appreciate his well deserved nap even more. 

"You still haven't answered me-"

"Let's head back," Scott decided. "Since you were so smart to leave two developing vampires alone, let's see if they'll make it. And if not... Well, I'm already pretty hungry..."

Owen shivered when the true meaning of the other vampire's words hit him. Of course, someone as detached as Scott would have no issues consuming a human he talked to just a day or two earlier. For a second, he wondered whether he was going to become like this one day... One day, when his humanity is nothing more than a vague memory.

Because if so, he had to cling to it even harder than he thought he did.

Scott appreciated that Owen followed after him without a word more. Finally, some authority... He missed it. He missed the times when all he had to do was raise his voice, and the peasants of local towns knelt in front of him, offering sacrifices at his feet. Well, that wasn't the same, but at least it was heading in the right direction.

If only the annoying thoughts and insecurities pestering him just went quiet... Instead of getting louder each time Scott tried to squash them and hide them deep, where he would never find them again.

Chapter Text

During their entire trip back to Oakhurst, Owen could not stop watching Scott, who walked in front of him. There was just something so... Strange about him. Well, strange was a tame word considering their circumstances. Both of them were vampires, but Scott was just so... Different from him. Of course, he was older, ancient even, but that came off as him being incredibly distant. Detached from reality, as if he wasn't actually participating in the world around him. And the way he danced around each of Owen's questions... It made him less and less willing to ask him about anything more. But he had to, if he wanted to learn something about his own predicament. If Lewis was still around, he would probably be much more eager to explain all the ins and outs of vampirism to him. But he wasn't around. And now, the only source of knowledge for Owen was this old, detached, unsettling man who clearly liked toying with him.

The moment they approached the gates of Oakhurst, Scott stopped and gestured to Owen to do the same. He sniffled the air, as a scent he didn't expect reached him. A very, very faint scent of blood. Even he could barely feel it, with the amount of blood that was likely spilled. But it still caught his attention. Something wasn't right...

"What's wrong?" Owen asked.

"Something happened," Scott whispered. "Something... Bad."

"For us?"

"For them." The vampire stalled his answer, taking in the scent once more. He even stuck his tongue out in a not very seriously looking manner, as if to feel it better. "You go investigate what happened. I'll check on our... Friends."

"Why do I have to investigate?" Owen immediately protested.

"You attract less attention... Just a poor, sickly lumberjack, a societal outcast. Much less distracting than someone like me." Scott smirked, before pushing Owen in front of himself. "Besides, you wanted me to help, right? Well, I'm doing that."

"You're the worst..." Owen sighed, but finally entered the Oakhurst first.

A few of the settlers were sitting in front of one of the houses. It took the lumberjack a moment to make them out. There was Martyn, Cleo, Apo and Leg. And as he closed on, he noticed the last one wrapping a bandage around his forearm. Immediately, Owen felt his stomach turning with dread. He didn't know what happened yet, but Scott was right. Something did happen. Bad for them.

"What's going on here?" He asked, approaching the small gathering.

"You! Don't go near that house!" Martyn frantically rose from the ground and pointed at the edge of the town. Owen raised his eyebrows, noticing he was gesturing right at the building where Pyro and Avid were... The pieces of the puzzle were clicking into place, and he dreaded seeing the full picture.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"You told me to check on Avid, and I did..." Leg confessed, tightening his bandaid. "He does have a high fever, and I tried giving him medication... When all of a sudden, he woke up, leapt out of the bed and bit me." The surgeon raised his arm. A bit of blood already seeped through the clean gauze.

"Shit..." Owen hissed quietly, his pupils contracted. He turned to look the doctor in the face, to try and make out any signs of upcoming transformation. He didn't look much different than he usually did - not that Owen paid much attention before. He was maybe a little bit paler, but that could be blamed on the shock of what happened. "I'm sorry 'bout what happened, I-"

"You think he has rabies?" Apo suddenly suggested, drawing everyone's eyes to her. "I mean, the fever, biting..."

"I hope not, rabies' a bitch..." Cleo muttered, crossing their arms and shuddering. 

"It is a nasty disease..." Leg agreed, putting his hand on the covered wound. "I didn't see any signs of where he could get infected, but the symptoms seem about right..."

Immediately Apo, Cleo and Martyn moved back a little bit. Owen stayed in place. He was almost impressed with how calmly the surgeon talked about this possibly fatal disease, that now he also risked... Or at least he thought he did. 

"Ugh, don't even tell me this stuff..." Martyn retched. "What if we cut your arm off? Would that help?" This time, all of the stares travelled to him. "Hey! You wanted to cut off my foot! Apparently you're cool with amputations, when it's on someone else!"

"Ignore him," Cleo rolled their eyes. "He has something worse than rabies. The stupid nobleman disease."

"Hey! And you have the, the... Poor disease, ha!"

"Leg, I..." Owen weighed his words for a second. For some reason, he really, really wanted to tell the doctor that it wasn't actually rabies... But the truth was considerably much worse. And that would eventually rat out him, Avid, and Pyro as well, most likely. He had to keep a low profile, at least for now. "Can we do something for you, man?"

"I'll keep an eye out on the symptoms. But try staying away from Avid for now. If it's rabies, you won't be able to help us either way."

"Yeah, right..." Owen slowly nodded, before turning back in the direction of the aforementioned house. He wished the other bystanders could just go away, that he could ask Leg more details, figure out the situation... 

All of a sudden, he felt horrible for leaving the two developing vampires alone. If he was there, he could've stopped this... And negate the possibility of their secret getting out. But alas, Avid seemingly doomed them all. He didn't feel bad for Leg, no, not at all. But the more their numbers would grow, the harder it would be to protect the ones he actually wanted to protect.

Scott observed the conversation from the window. He couldn't hear anything, but the second he saw the bandage on Leg's arm, it became clear to him. Someone had bitten him... It's a good thing developing vampires are not strong enough to turn someone just yet. Still, the audacity to go against his word, and try to turn someone... 

"Who did it?" He asked, standing over the two beds. His voice weighed heavily in the air, his red eyes lit up with fury. 

Pyro was sitting up on his bed, his body trembling as his transformation continued to rock his body. He couldn't keep eye contact with Scott, clearly shaken and terrified by the fury of a powerful, elder vampire. Avid was still laying down, wincing from pain and clutching his blanket tightly. His hair was sticky from sweat, the fever had not let him go just yet. But only then, Scott noticed something.

A small stain of blood on his chin.

He approached the young vampire and pulled his finger over his chin, to smear the blood off. The touch made Avid's eyes shoot up and look straight at Scott. There was panic and terror in his stare. As if the emotions that accompanied the moment when he was bitten had not let him go yet. Scott pulled his finger up to his lips, then licked the blood.

"Did you bite Leg?" He asked. His voice remained surprisingly calm, despite the blood red shine in his eyes. 

"He did," Pyro confirmed quietly. "Leg came to check up on us... And Avid bit him..."

"Let me ask again," Scott leaned over the bedridden vampire hunter. His tone changed; it was oozing hostility, as if a wrong answer could cost Avid his already fleeting life. "Did you bite Leg without my permission?"

"I..." Avid gasped, struggling to catch his breath. A stinging pain in his chest and in his stomach made it hard for him to focus. 

He did, he panicked and lunged at Leg... He didn't even know why he did it. The hunger was just so hard to quell... And it's not like he hurt him bad, right? It was just a small bite, he barely drank any blood... It was fine, right? Oh, the irony of his situation... At this point, Avid was praying he would just succumb to his fever. That at some point, he would close his eyes, and never open them again.

"Get up."

The vampire hunter didn't move. He could barely feel his legs, and if he tried to stand up, he'd probably collapse right away. And Scott did not look like he would help him get up. Why did he even want that, anyway...?

"Get. Up."

Scott's eyes lit up a dangerous, flashing red. In an instant, Avid's body obeyed. His muscles began moving, forcing him into a standing position. They contorted, convulsing in agonizing pain. His legs and arms felt as if they were on the brink of snapping. Pyro shivered and covered his eyes, but Avid's pained whining still reached him.

"Did you bite Leg without my permission?" Scott repeated the question once Avid stood in front of him.

"Y-y-yes..."

A sharp, throbbing pain shot through Avid's cheek. A powerful slap left deep, dark claw marks on his skin. He collapsed to the ground, clutching the sore spot, gasping for air and trying to drag himself away from the vampire. He had no weapons on him, he was defenseless, he had to run, to get help, to-

"Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you."

A strong kick was delivered to his chest. And then, to his stomach. The vampire hunter curled up, shielding his head. But the kicks continued. Each had the potential to break his bones, but just barely missed the mark. He wanted to cry, to scream for help, to beg for forgiveness. He didn't. He could barely breathe, let alone cry for mercy.

"How dare you go against me?!" Scott raised his voice. His eyes were still burning with the most primal fury, with desire for revenge in something that was not even about him. "I am your elder! You are to obey me! You're nothing without me! A pathetic worm, squirming in the ground, only driven by its hunger! How pathetic..."

Finally, the kicking stopped. But Scott wasn't done just yet. He grabbed Avid by the hair and pulled him up. Their faces were inches apart, Scott's bright eyes glued to his terrified, teary, purple eyes.

"I will say it once, and it better get through your thick skull." 

Avid wished he could look away. But he was unable to. Completely helpless. Small and meek, in the light of the powerful vampire that held him in his grasp. If he wanted to, he could crush him in his hand like the worm he was.

"You only feed when I tell you to. If you go against me again, I will pull your insides apart, and consume them before your eyes. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes..."

"Great." 

Scott let go of him, making Avid fall to the ground once more. The haze that came over his mind vanished. His eyes were still glued to Scott, as if he was looking up at a god. Someone so much greater than he could ever hope to be. If only his body listened to him, he would probably fall to his knees, begging for forgiveness. But his legs felt numb, his chest was tight, his cheek burned with unbearable pain.

"And how are you, Pyro?" Scott turned to the other developing vampire. In the blink of an eye, all the anger and bitterness vanished from his face. His features softened once more, his red eyes no longer glowing with such raw strength. Still, after what he just witnessed, Pyro did not feel any sort of reassurance by his much calmer demeanor.

"I- I'm... I'm fine," He whispered. "Just... Tired."

"Well, transforming does take some time to finish... But by the end of this week, you both should be done!" The elder vampire sat down on a chest between the two beds. All of a sudden, his nonchalance returned. His voice was once again calm, maybe even a little peppy. Well, of course it was, since he was turned in a way that he didn't even look at Avid who tried to get back to his bed. "You're gonna love it! You just have to listen to me, mmm, okay? I know a bit more about this stuff than you two, like it or not. You'll be safe with me! As long as you don't cross me," He added, giving Avid a side eye. The vampire hunter shivered at the gesture. The trauma of what just happened, together with Scott's voice and glowing red eyes getting imprinted in his brain, made him cower with fear. "I'll teach you everything! How to act, how to suck blood, how to transform into a bat..."

"A bat?" Suddenly, Pyro's eyes lit up with excitement. "We can do that?"

"Sure thing! It's not easy, but it's pretty useful for moving around. You just have to be careful, not to-"

"Scott?" 

The doors swung open, Owen standing in the entrance. He looked genuinely concerned.

"I figured out what happened..."

"Oh, so did I," Scott shrugged it off. "Don't worry, I took care of everything."

"You... Did?"

Owen's eyes travelled to Avid, who only now managed to climb back to his bed. His cheek was badly cut, the wound darkening slightly around the edges. Fresh bruises covered his arms. He struggled to breathe, his eyes still glued to Scott, as if seeking his attention.

"What happened, Avid...?" He asked quietly.

"Oh, we just had a little chat! It's all good now, right?" Scott turned back to the vampire hunter. Just one dangerous flash of his eyes was enough for Avid to nod his head. "We just had to sort things out!"

"Did you beat him up...?"

"I just taught him some respect, is all!" Scott shrugged again and stuck out his tongue in a playful manner. "Someone had to, right?"

Owen flinched, terrified at the confession. But he stayed silent. He couldn't fight Scott on this. Not yet. He would never listen to him. He just had to hope he could help Avid when Scott would inevitably turn his back on them. He just gave Avid a sorrowful look, one that said 'I'm sorry for him'. As far as he could tell, he didn't notice that.

"Well, anyway..." Scott got up from the chest, then stretched his arms with a big yawn. "I really need a nap now... I forgot that executing authority over others took this much energy, you know?" He smirked, before heading towards the door. His shoulder bumped into Owen's. "You can let them rest... I'm sure they'll be nice from now on."

"I... I'd rather stay with them."

"Suit yourself..." The elder vampire snickered, before stepping outside of the house. Owen watched after him for a minute, before turning back to Avid.

"Hey, Avid? Are you alright?" He whispered.

For some reason, he couldn't help but feel guilty. If he didn't turn Avid, he wouldn't have to suffer right now... But then again, if he didn't, he'd never let them go. Owen couldn't exactly explain it, but the fact that his decision pulled this man into this new life made him feel responsible for his safety. Did Scott feel the same way about Pyro? Did Lewis feel the same way about him? He shook his head, not letting the memories seep in again. He was here now. And he had to make the best of what he had here. Or at least try.

"I'm... I'm fine." Avid eventually answered, his voice quiet, almost pained. He kept his eyes open - every time he closed them, two terrifying, red lights flashed in his mind. "Why do... Why do you care?"

"Because I..." Owen went silent for a minute, raising his eyes. They met with Pyro's, as if he was also waiting for it. The vampire grimaced for a second. "Because I just do."

Owen stayed there for a while, sitting at the edge of Avid's bed, making sure that he could finally calm down. Even if he couldn't stop Scott, he wished he would at least try... 

Once upon a time, someone reached out their hand to him. And now, it was his duty to reach out his own hand. Even if, deep down, he knew that both of these were, in fact, his own fault.

Chapter Text

A loud thud against a cold, stone floor.

A thump accompanying a strong kick. Quickly followed by the sound of cracking bones.

The sound of dry heaving, not followed by actual vomiting.

Another kick.

A pained cry, followed by a shaking voice.

"Stop, s-stop... I yield..."

"You yield?" The responding voice is sharp, full of anger and pride. "Not only do you challenge me, but now you yield? What sort of Goldsmith are you?"

Silence. The darkness is so overwhelmingly thick, one could fill buckets with it. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

"You know how this should end."

"Yes, father."

"You should die."

"Yes, I should."

"But you're choosing to yield... Like a coward..." Another kick, followed by even more broken bones. "You never stood a chance. Is this how your parents raised you? If so, none of you are true Goldsmiths."

"...yes."

There's no point in arguing. All of these words are true. If this fight continues, he'll die either way. This is the only way to save his skin. Even if the label of a wimp and a coward will follow him for the next centuries. All he wanted at this point was to survive. To live.

"I will spare you. But let this be a lesson for you. And to make sure you don't forget..."

Another thud. Something grabs him by his wrists, something pins his legs, preventing him from flailing and running. A heavy, warm breath touches his neck. Close, too close... Then, a pair of glowing, red eyes light up the unbreakable darkness.

And then, a wave of agonizing pain hits his chest. Two rows of razor sharp teeth grab his skin, pulling and tearing as if aiming to rip his heart out. He screams, and cries, but nobody hears. Nobody hears. Nobody's listening, nobody will come to save him-

Scott shot up from his bed, barely covering his mouth before his scream became so loud that it’d wake up Shubble. His shirt was completely wet from sweat, his body shaking from the horror of his own making. The vampire's hand slowly travelled to his heart. It was just a dream, he thought, it was just a dream, calm down...

But then why was the pain still so real?

Immediately, Scott pulled his hand back. Even millennia after that fateful night, the wound burned him anew every time he remembered about it. They say a vampire's healing abilities are unmatched, as they're able to heal almost any damage done to their bodies. What many don't know, due to lack of experience, is that damage done by another vampire is permanent. A burning reminder to not rise above one's station, unless they're absolutely sure of their advantage. And Scott made a mistake by overestimating his abilities... Or rather, overestimating just how much his opponent would want to crush him.

But he survived. Like a coward, he did. His hand travelled up once more, but he slapped it away. No point in reminiscing about it. He was long gone. Everyone was gone. Maybe he could establish himself anew, and make sure no one would cross him.

Slowly, and still shaking, Scott sat up on his bed. All of a sudden, sleeping no longer felt so appealing. The moon was high in the sky, still... Maybe a walk was in order to clear his mind.

While on his way to Avid and Pyro, Owen sighed with relief seeing the latter shakily stumble outside. Clearly, the transformation took a toll on him... But it was finished, at least. His fangs stuck out of his mouth - clearly, he didn't know yet how to retract them. His skin got a little paler, his frame thinner. Owen even noticed a grey streak appearing in his dark brown hair. For a second, he wondered whether he had a similar one, but couldn't check for obvious reasons.

"Hey, careful!" He approached the young vampire and supported him. "How are you feeling, man?"

"Hungry..." Pyro muttered, to which Owen chuckled. 

"Yeah, I can imagine... For a while, you're gonna always feel hungry. Get used to it."

"What do you mean by, a while?"

"Like, fifty or so years..." Seeing Pyro's face go white, he added with a smirk "I'm joking! Well, I'm not really sure how long... I missed out on that part. I just know it happens. But it will pass."

"Oh, great..." Pyro supported himself against the wall and sighed. He winced, his tongue sticking out to touch the tips of his fangs. "How do you guys live with these? I feel like I'm gonna bite myself all the time..."

"Oh, they're retractable," Owen explained. 

For some reason, as much as he hated his own vampirism, helping other people with it made him feel... Better. More secure with himself. He had to figure out everything by himself, mostly through spontaneous bloodshed... So it felt nice to be able to introduce someone to all the ins and outs of their condition. Even if he didn't even know everything himself... He now had a reason to learn. If not for himself, then for someone else.

"Like this!" He opened his mouth, showing Pyro how his own fangs retracted. When hidden, they looked like normal human canines; maybe a little longer, but not enough to draw attention.

"Uhhh... Yeah, I don't know how to do that. Some help? Ouch!" He winced when his right fang accidentally pierced through his lip.

"Oh, right, let me think..." Owen pondered their situation for a second. Pyro wiped his hurt lip, but shivered when noticing no blood coming out of the wound. "It's hard to explain... Here, this is how I do it. You put your tongue against the back of your front teeth, like this... And then you slide it back. Sorta like snapping your fingers."

"Oh... Wait. Like this?"

Owen could barely hold back a chuckle as he watched just as hard Pyro tried to repeat that. His fangs kept retracting and extending again, and his face was incredibly serious, like a kid who was trying really hard to hold a fork by themselves. Did he also look this pathetic when he first learned it? Well, he had to figure it out himself, and that worked for him... But, if Scott noticed how they do it, he'd probably scold them for not doing it 'properly'. But if it worked, it worked.

"Careful... You don't wanna hurt your jaw. It happens if you keep flicking them up and down like that."

"I'll be fine, I just..."

Then, a loud, low growl interrupted him. Owen knew exactly what it meant. Still, he wanted to toy with the baby vampire a little.

"Would you look like that, the wolves really are migrating east at this time of year..."

"I'm pretty sure wolves don't migrate," Pyro winced, wrapping his arms around his stomach. "That was me... I told you, I'm starving."

"Oh, right, of course you do..." Owen smiled. "Come on, we gotta do something about it. Someone has to teach you how to hunt..."

A sounder of wild pigs roamed a hillside, digging in the ground in search of something to eat. Most of them were quite young and small, their parents surrounding the meadow to watch out for predators. Little did they know, two of them were hiding in nearby bushes, one of them explaining the process to the other.

"...if you don't strike the artery first try, don't redo it, just roll with whatever you get. Then, you put your lips against the skin, and start sucking. Small sips, and swallow often." Owen paused, seeing the horror in Pyro's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, it just... It didn't sound so gross in the books," He explained with an embarrassed smile. "I guess I never imagined doing it myself..."

"Well, there's gotta be a first time for everything, right? You'll do great!"

"Wait, you want me to do this right now?"

"Um, yeah?"

"I- I thought you'd catch them for us!"

"What? If I do that, you're not gonna learn! You need to be sustainable, man," Owen put his hands on Pyro's shoulders. "Believe me, you still have an easier time being taught this stuff then I did."

"I imagine Scott is a bad teacher, huh...?"

"He is... I mean, I knew some things before I met you, but he-"

"Wait," Pyro interrupted him, finally sitting on the ground instead of crouching. He was hungry, sure, but his hunger for knowledge was apparently stronger. "Scott didn't turn you into... This?"

"What? No!" Owen chuckled, but his laughter quickly faltered. "I had... A friend, who did this. But he's... No longer here. It's been two hundred years..."

"Two hundred?!" Pyro gasped.

"I spent most of that time sleeping," Owen admitted with a silly smile, also sitting down. "It's not even that long, especially compared to Scott... That dude is, like, properly ancient. Told me he just woke up from a nap that lasted six hundred years."

"Geez... No wonder he's such a freak," Pyro shivered at the memory of what the elder vampire did to Avid. That was more than enough to make him learn - do not cross him under any circumstances.

"He is... But I think he's just-"

Once again, Owen was interrupted. This time, by the terrified cry of a wild pig, and the thud of steps on grass. Then, it was followed by the sound of frantic sucking and slurping. Soon, they also heard an accompanying crack of breaking bones. Both of the young vampires shivered at the sound. What was that? A predator? A bear? A migrating wolf?

"I can smell you, by the way... What are you two yapping about?"

Worse. That was Scott.

Owen emerged from the bush first. The elder vampire was sitting on the ground in a not very nobleman-like position, his coat tossed aside on the grass. He already finished drinking the blood of a large boar, and was now ripping the meat from its bones. Blood was smeared all over his face, but he seemed unbothered by it. 

"Great job, your prey is gone," He pointed out nonchalantly.

"Yeah, because you scared it away! Ugh, sorry, Pyro..."

"It's fine..." The baby vampire emerged from the bush. "Oh, um, hi, Scott..."

"What are you two doing here, by the way?" Scott chuckled, before frowning. "You did not teach him to hunt, did you, Owen?"

"Well, someone had to, he's hungry..."

"You don't know how to teach," Scott argued, ripping a boar's leg off and taking a big bite. He was already past breakfast, so taking a whole pig was a bit gluttonous of him... But having a full stomach always made him more comfortable, more secure about himself. "Didn't you say yourself that I have more experience?"

"You do..." Owen rolled his eyes. "But you also taught me. And I can pass that knowledge down. So that you can save your stupid sassy remarks."

"Oh, but you love my stupid sassy remarks! But, if you think you're such a great teacher..." Scott wiped the blood off his face. Pyro winced, as the sight of the other vampire gorging himself made his hunger even worse. "Fine. We can test how well you taught Pyro. We'll check how well he does with hunting."

"What- Me? I didn't even try yet!" The youngest vampire immediately argued back, but went quiet at once sharp glance from Scott.

"You'll be fine... Owen is such a great teacher after all, isn't he?" Scott asked, shooting the lumberjack a sassy, prideful smile.

Just several minutes later, after Scott finished his second breakfast, they managed to track down and find the rest of the sounder. The pigs had seemingly calmed down and returned to searching for food. The two older vampires sat down on a big, flat rock nearby, while Pyro stood right under it. His exhaustion after the finished transformation definitely didn't help his hunger, and he could only imagine how much of an idiot he could make himself into.

"Good luck!" Scott waved at him in an overly friendly gesture (which, of course, was meant to mock him). Then, he turned to Owen. "What about you? Aren't you hungry?"

"Huh? No, not really..." The vampire shook his head. "I'm used to not eating much."

"Well, you shouldn't!" Scott smirked. "You gotta eat more to get big and strong, you know?" He put his head on his own stomach, as if to emphasize his point. Only then, Owen made a strange observation. He hasn't met all too many vampires, but all that he did meet were very skinny, almost sickly. But not Scott. Not to mention his strangely colored hair... No wonder this guy was so detached. He barely even looked like a person from their own times. "Besides, even if we run out of animals, Oakhurst will soon be populated again..."

"Ugh, stop it..." Owen flinched and turned away from him. He also abstained from looking at Pyro, as if to not jinx his attempt at hunting. "You're such a creep..."

"Clearly, you haven't met many people in your little life" Scott pointed out, nonchalantly looking at his claws. The tips of his fingers got slightly darker, with a red tint, and smoothly transformed into small, but incredibly sharp talons. "And no Goldsmiths, aside from yours truly."

"I did," Owen retorted, making a pause before continuing "The guy who turned me... Lewis. He was a Goldsmith."

Scott sat a bit straighter. That name again, Lewis... He could swear he recalled it. It's been over two weeks since he woke up from his slumber, but it was still hard for him to recall most details. And the ones he did recall, were not pretty. The burning in his chest returned.

"He used a different last name as a mayor, but told me that-"

"Oh, look!" Scott suddenly changed the topic by pointing at Pyro. He managed to catch one of the smaller pigs, which now wriggled in his arms. "Well, that's almost half of the job behind him..."

"Scott?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you beat up Avid? That... That scratch on his cheek will not heal, you know that, right?"

The burning continued. Scott squinted, his eyes now glued to the baby vampire who struggled to get his fangs to click open. If that was also something Owen taught him, he'd probably have to reteach him the technique...

"It will make him remember. Pain is a powerful teacher." He tilted his head back and turned it, so that his glowing, red eyes turned to Owen. "Did your parents not beat you up over small mistakes?"

"No... No, they didn't," Owen muttered. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie... They couldn't really beat him, if they died before he could even remember them. "Did yours...?"

"He will remember now," Scott repeated. The other vampire noticed in surprise that this time, he did not dodge the topic as gracefully. "You gotta teach them young, you know? If you don't, they're gonna disobey. And then, you have a problem for life."

"But Avid's not a child, he's a-"

"Is he?"

Owen rolled his eyes. He knew what Scott meant... But he felt like his point still stood.

"He's an adult. You can just talk to him."

"You spent too much time among humans," Scott snapped back. "That's your problem. They try to talk things out, but by the end, they still end up killing each other. We just skip the pleasantries and get straight to business."

"I just..." Owen sighed heavily. "Okay, listen. I know you think I'm an idiot who doesn't know anything about anything. But... At least cut them some slack. You don't have to be such a detached asshole all the time, you know?"

Scott wanted to argue, but instead, he went silent. He just watched as Pyro finally dug his fangs deep into the pig's neck and began sucking its blood out. A little bit of the scarlet liquid dripped down the dying animal's skin. The baby vampire looked completely still and focused, immersed in his first bloody meal in his life. And from what it looked like, he was enjoying himself. Even despite what he told Owen earlier.

"You're in no position to command me, fledgling," Scott commented coldly. "But... I'll think about it."

"That's already a lot..."

"So? How does it feel?" The elder vampire slipped down the boulder and approached Pyro. The vampire pulled away from the dead pig, then looked up at Scott. He did not seem angry, or resentful, he looked... Amused.

"It wasn't that bad..." He admitted with an embarrassed smile. "I mean, I'm still hungry, but-"

"You can always eat that pig too, you know? You should never waste your food. Not in our circumstances, at least."

"Oh, um..." Pyro looked at the body in his hands and flinched. "Maybe next time... You want it?"

"Oh, gladly."

Pyro fell on his back, resting after his meal and looking up at the sky. It felt a lot better than he expected... He felt a little bit bad admitting it to himself, but maybe getting turned by Scott was not all bad. Back home, he had no idea for his future - just a degree in making, a family that already wrote him off as an incompetent idiot, no savings and no hopes... And as weird as it was, this was a fresh start for him. Sure, it wasn't all sunshines and rainbows, but... Maybe it wouldn't actually be all bad...?

Scott watched the baby vampire for a moment, before digging into his third breakfast. He was already full halfway through the previously hunter boar, but the warm, safe feeling of stuffing his face was just too good to pass up on. Maybe he should've shared it with Owen... Nah, he'll be fine. Clearly, he knew how to take care of himself. And, he knew how to pass his knowledge down.

Owen watched the two of them from up at the large boulder. He didn't expect to see them like this - in the middle of a forest, in a pretty picture-perfect situation (minus the blood dripping down Scott's chin). For once, no arguing, no violence, no anger... A strange thought crossed his mind at that moment.

Is this what having a family feels like...?