The human rocket spent some time flying around like a balloon, quickly losing air. Mid-flight and under extreme stress, an idea formed. It was insane and likely had consequences for the future. “Screw it!” He cursed, not giving a crap.
Focusing on the clear patch of skin on his forearm, a tiny wind blade manifested. Using the air like a pencil, he sliced a diagram into his skin. Blood seeped from every cut; he winced in pain. The current situation overshadowed the sensation. Yet the pain was pain, no matter how much endurance you have.
Once finished, he began muttering in an arcane language. His words prompted the bloodied diagram to glow with iridescent light. “Seal!” He finally bellowed, just as the diagram began to sizzle and smoke.
The bloody work seared into his flesh, becoming as permanent as can be. The diagram lit for only a few seconds before winking out. Like clockwork, the gout of flames pouring out of his palm abruptly stopped. The sensation of his magic slowly faded to a trickle until nothing remained.
With his arm-based rocket now lost its juice. He began a new journey to meet the ground. Of course, he was no fool and immediately accessed his wind magic. Stabilising his fall, he expertly floated in mid-air.
“That was not the best solution, but dragon fire to the face is not any better.” He remarked to himself, before casting his gaze to the pandemonium below.
Out of his expectations, the realm below was not a den of bloodshed and killing. It was littered with corpses, yet the fighting had died down. He could see several beast-men and snake people fleeing into the forest. The sight of James holding back an irate Sally was surreal. He could hear her bellowing insults such as cowards, come back and fight.
She looked ready to run them down and pick them off one by one. Like a sick game, the sadistic rich performed on homeless people. Ignoring the blood-crazed woman, he searched the battlefield for his young friends. Smiling upon finding them safe and sound.
Promptly flying towards them and settling down. He approached Joan as she was fussing over her brother. An odd sight since, as far as he knew, Felix was an immortal day-walking vampire. Shaking his head at the funny scene, strangely warming his heart.
“Are you guys okay?” He asked, cracking his stiff neck.
“I’m fine.” Joan huffed while fussing over her brother.
The elder sister was engaged in a wrestling match to inspect her brothers' supposed wounds. Felix was trying to dodge these attacks like she had a stake in her hand. Of course, a stake could kill anyone if you shoved it into someone's heart. It remains uncertain if Felix can survive such an attack. Al just stared for a moment, unsure of what to do. He had never been good with kids, nor had he any reason to try. Alas, he must learn, the only clue towards his goal lay within this little vampire.
“Stop it, Jo!” Felix harrumphed; his limit clearly reached.
Finding the situation amusing, Al couldn’t help but watch the young man try to squirm out of a loving embrace. Thoughts of his sibling plagued his mind, regrets and musings over actions not taken.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he quickly got back to the task at hand. “It looks like the attack is over. The caravan guards made quick work of the stragglers; we should be safe now.” He reassured, trying for an uncomfortable gesture, patting Felix on the shoulder.
It felt weird the moment he did it, yet it felt like the thing to do. Felix seemed to appreciate it and smiled wryly. His face soon frowned, cast to Al's arm.
“What happened?” He asked.
Al felt the initial confusion and a moment of being taken aback. Noticing the boy's gaze, he followed along. He was glaring at the burnt flesh that surrounded the rune etched on his forearm. Shaking his head, he gestured to Felix that it was fine. Suddenly, another thought came to the surface. Looking back at Felix and then at the forest. It was like a light bulb of doom was just switched on.
“Oh, crap.” Al cursed, realising his blunder.
Turning back to Felix, he gestured for him to accompany them. Confused, Al assured him it was important, and they had little time. Joan interceded and now all three ventured into the forest. Making their way through the foliage, the trio passed by tree after tree.
Finally, the pair accompanying him reached their collective limit. They asked in unison. “Where are we going?” They questioned at the same time.
Al frowned; he didn't really want to tell them but decided he had to. “Going to track down your wayward kid.” Like that, he dropped a bombshell. The siblings stopped in their tracks, both flabbergasted. Neither really understood what the hell he was talking about. He realised he hadn't explained that very well. He stopped mid-stride, and turning around, he spoke. “So, Felix, remember that guy that tried to stab you?” He asked.
“You mean the bounty hunters?” Felix replied.
“Someone attacked you?!” Joan cut in indignantly, ready to make another furious inspection of her brother.
Felix waved his hand to placate the tirade to come. It barely worked and shifted her seething glare at Al. The wizard just shrugged, like this was not his fault. In hindsight, it kind of was, but then again, they weren't in a better situation prior. Unless Joan was cool with selling herself like a hooker to those guards. Considering she was underage and with earth-based sensibilities, that did not sit right with Al.
Deciding the whole truth was best, he fessed up. “Well, yeah, the guy that tried to shiv you, he got back up after dying.” Al told bluntly, hitting the point on the head with a hammer. This led to the scheduled gasps of surprise from the pair. “Yes, Felix, you are now a vampire daddy, mazel tov.” He continued, with mock congratulations.
“Vampire daddy?” They both said in unison.
Turning back to the siblings, Al spoke. “Well yeah, with the vampires I met, if you make someone with your blood, they are technically your kid or progeny.” He explained, deadpanning.
Felix blinked his eyes furiously, likely trying to comprehend his words. Eventually, he spoke, trying to keep his breathing in check. “I’m a father, but I'm only seventeen!” He yelled out.
Al chuckled, finding this whole thing humorous. Thanking his lucky stars, he hadn't knocked up some girl back in high school. “Condoms where art thou.” He muttered under his breath.
Felix noticed and turned a perplexed look. “What are condoms?” He asked, genuinely curious.
“I’ll tell you when you're older. For now, we have a vampire to find.” He stated with finality, pushing them to continue.
Traversing the spooky woods, the kind that would scare any sane individual. They came upon something Al was dreading. Al recalled not seeing a bloodied corpse sprawled on the ground. He sighed dejectedly, realising this was all his fault. If he hadn't sealed away his magic, for an excellent reason. That wayward vampire would be still enjoying that tree’s hospitality.
Reaching the poor sap that got mauled. He turned his frown upside down. It wasn’t some poor farmer or hunter. It was one of the fleeing beast-men. “Thank god, it’s just one bandit or the Legion, as they call themselves.” He declared, gesturing air quotes for effect. “Guess we follow the blood. Damn kids really like to make a mess. Good luck dad, I hear the terrible twos are the worst.” He joked at Felix’s expense, though most of his terms and nuances just went over their heads.
The siblings were unsure whether to be offended or simply ask what he meant. Alas, Joan was vaguely aware of the teasing and so cut in. “Can you shut up? It’s clear this thing is killing people. You should stop him.” She stated obviously, and Al had to agree.
Restarting their forest trek in earnest, they eventually found their quarry. He was not alone and based on the view. He was having a passionate make-out session with a snake man or draining the bastard dry of all his life juice. Neither sounded like a pleasant evening, but that depends on your tastes.
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Approaching quietly as the sounds of tearing and slurping rung in the air. Another sound became prevalent, and that was the sound of a twig snapping. Looking down, they saw Felix removing his foot from a freshly broken twig. This alerted the diner, and he turned his nose to the sky. After sniffing a few times and growling, the trio realised they had been discovered.
Al quickly acted, gesturing the pair to get behind him. Not too soon as the vampire turned, finding more prey. He did not appear as desiccated as before. In fact, he looked more alive than before. He was still pale but looked human. With one significant difference: bloodshot eyes and claws. Now, with the bags of blood in sight, the creature lunged forward. Accelerating faster than any living being could manage. A slight note of fear rose in Al's mind. Flashes of the vampires he had faced threatened to paralyse him.
Stamping down that fear with a steeled-toed boot. He raised his palm and directed the wind to blast his foe back. The epic result he expected didn’t come to pass. The vampire deftly dodged the blast. Swiftly manoeuvring around Al and sending his claws at Joan. Turning to find him clutching the girl and ready to sink fangs into her neck.
Before he could even try, a slender fist hit him square in the jaw. Joan had neither flinched nor screamed. Instead, she yelled like a drunken sailor and bunched the fanged monster. “Get off me asshole!” She yelled before retracting her fist with a pained yelp.
The momentarily stunned effect granted her some time, but not much. Al readied his wind magic but hesitated, as the blast would send her flying as well. Yet before he could even act, Felix roared furiously.
“Stop!” He bellowed, his voice a lot deeper than normal.
As if by design, the vampire stopped mid-bite, freezing in place halfway between his meal. Joan was still in his grip, which hadn't slackened. She struggled within the embrace, trying to extricate herself. Al shifted his gaze back to Felix, noticing a just as perplexed expression.
An idea dawning, Al spoke. “Felix, tell him to let go of her, like you did before.” He suggested.
Felix thought for a moment, inhaling a deep breath. “Let her go!” He commanded, his voice taking on that deeper tone once again.
Promptly, the vampire released his quarry, and Joan slinked away. Clutching her wrist and giving the frozen vampire a death glare. She retreated to her brother's side, glaring daggers at her wood-be attacker.
The trio halted in their tracks, neither saying a word. They firmly locked their eyes on the frozen vampire in their midst. Breaking the silence, Al was the first to speak up. “Your kid seems obedient. That’s more than any parent can ever ask for.” He joked, prompting Felix to shoot back a withering glare.
Shrugging off the new father's indignation. Al made his way over, stopping face-to-face with the vampire. He truly felt frozen in every sense of the word, stopping mid-attack. Examining him carefully, Alistair leaned in close.
“What are you doing, are you nuts?” Joan admonished.
“So many have said so,” He replied, ignoring her protests. “Woah!” He yelled, waving his hands in front of the stone-cold vampire. No reaction, prompting Al to move in close to inspect. “You look much better, dude.” He commented, passing his gaze across his profile. “Your still as pale as the English, but you don’t look like a decomposing corpse. I guess a good blood orgy is what you needed.” He explained, critiquing the vampire's appearance.
Shifting his gaze back to Felix, he spoke again. “Tell him to stand up straight and hand me his wrist.” He requested and so he did. Once Felix had delivered the order, the vampire did as instructed. Not an ounce of defiance was clear.
The duo approached cautiously, Joan being the first to speak. “What are you doing?” She asked, reaching Al’s side and inspecting the cowed vampire.
Without turning back, he grabbed the vampire by the wrist, intent on checking his pulse. “A few routine tests. Need to check out what kind of vampire we got here.” He explained, nodding a few times. “Yep, you are stone cold dead, my friend. Looks like a steady gorging of blood doesn’t bring back your pulse.” He commented before proceeding with other tests.
Waving his hands in front of his face. He tested his ocular response, noticing a lack of pupils dilation. “Looks like he is locked in night vision.” He stated, noticing the slight shimmer in his eyes. Moved to inspect his fangs and claws, eyeing them carefully. “I don’t see any noticeable venom, but that doesn’t mean they can't turn with a bite.” He muttered before continuing his examination.
“Turn with a bite?” Felix queried, cutting in.
Shifting his gaze away from the vampire, he answered his question. “The vamps I met could produce venom that turned humans into lesser vampires. Basically, they bite you, they can turn you into something like them.” He explained nonchalantly, eliciting horrified faces. “Of course, they could control their venom, so they didn’t turn everyone they fed on.” He further stated, barely reducing their horror. “Well, this one could be different; I mean, he might be a day walker like his dad.” He stated, eyeing Felix with a wry smile.
“Can you please stop calling me that?” Felix pleaded, crossing his arms.
Al shrugged before agreeing. “Fine, but we have a few more tests to do.” He remarked, manifesting a silver cross from thin air. The duo stared; confusion was obvious on their faces. “The power of Christ compels you!” He bellowed to the frozen vampire, brandishing the holy artefact. Instead of sending the beast scurrying to the depths of hell, the vampire just stood there.
Confused, Al pondered what he did wrong. Of course, he had not expected it to work. This was merely a theory based on earth-based myth. Yet he was a bit saddened he couldn’t go full Von Helson. Thinking over the problem, he realised his folly. Turning to Felix and requesting him to deliver another command.
The vampire visibly relaxed his muscles, yet remained stationary. “The power of Christ compels you!” He said half heartily, shaking the crucifix in front of his face. As before, not even a twitch. “Damn, the power of Christ sucks. Maybe he doesn’t hold sway here.” He muttered dejectedly before another idea came to him. “Either of you got some holy jewellery or religious symbol.” He asked the pair.
The siblings looked back, confused as all hell. Eventually, Joan withdrew a piece of jewellery from her wrist. Bringing it up to eye level for Al to inspect. Appearing to be an old and worn hunk of metal with an indent of a swirling world pool. Attached to a string, it didn’t scream holy relic, but according to her, it was. Inheriting the amulet from her mother. They dedicated it to the water spirit.
Al thought was dubious if they were truly gods, but a religion existed, so why not give it a shot? Taking the amulet in hand, he brandished it the same way. Instead of waving it in front of the vampire's face. He pressed it against his cheek. “Behold how the beast is burned by the power of our god!” He said, pressing the holy relic against the indifferent vampire.
After realising that now searing pain or holy light was burning his enemy. He lowered the amulet, disappointed that his tests didn’t bear fruit. “I guess crosses and holy artefacts don’t do shit.” He spat before passing back the bit of jewellery to Joan.
She accepted the family heirloom, placing it back on her wrist. “What in the name of the spirits are you doing?” Joan asked, voicing the silent question lingering in both their minds.
Turning back to answer, Al explained. “I had heard vampires had issues with religious artefacts, burned them or repelled them. Turns out that was all bullshit, or these deities didn’t hold sway here.” He explained before turning back to inspect the vampire again. “You are a hearty little blood sucker. I guess that will do for now. At least you are obedient, and I guess you can tag along.” He declared, eyeing Felix and giving a subtle nod.
Felix frowned, not getting the look. Al didn’t enlighten him and instead pulled out a cloak from thin air. "I'm thankful the seal only negates rune activation." “Tell him to put that on. We need to get back to the group.” He stated before heading towards the scattered corpses.
Felix did so, delivering his command. Instead of changing, the vampire did exactly as instructed. He plopped the cloak onto his head. Before standing dumbly like a puppy, that just did a good job. Reiterating his order, they got him to wear the cloak. Draping the hood over his face, concealing the human features.
Once done, Felix cast his gaze on Al, noticing the wizard was inspecting the bodies. Cradled in his arms is the cooler that still housed his blood supply. He could hear Alistair griping about the bloodless corpses. Saying a few choice words like greedy leech or hoping the vampire got indigestion.
They lingered for a short time before Al finished his grim task. Returned to the group with two bags of blood, one full and the other barely even half. "You are a greedy little bastard; all these bodies are tapped out." He said, levelling an accusatory glare at the vampire.
In response, the vampire belched loudly before smiling. Showing a slight modicum of intelligence until his eyes went glassy and confused. The three looked perplexed for a moment. Quickly, the moment faded, and they made their way back to the caravan site.
On the way, they agreed on the story they would tell the others. Upon arrival, the convoy welcomed them back and treated many of the injured. Sally and James noticed their arrival and quickly made their way. The typical questions, where did you go and who is the new guy, came tumbling forth.
Al put them at ease with a few somewhat plausible explanations. “I found this guy being attacked in the woods. He is a bit shook up, so we have brought him along.” He explained, trying to keep the lies straight.
Both Sally and James look suspicious and not altogether convinced. Yet after a time, they accept that explanation. James steps forward, offering to guide the new guy to the triage. Al declined, explaining how they would take care of him. Still suspicious, they accepted his explanation before asking a question in unison. “So, what was up with the fire show?” Both Sally and James spoke simultaneously.
Taken aback at how in sync they are. Al was suddenly at a loss for words. Noticing their glance at each other, along with the pair of grins. Shaking his head, he thought over his answer, before deciding on a half-truth. “I have always had issues controlling my magic. It's been getting worse lately... But no worries, I am working on it.” He explained, giving a thumbs up.
Everyone present had puzzled looks, casting their gazes to his odd gesture. Even the vampire was tilting his head. Rather adorable, Al thought. Shaking his head, he quickly figured that his gesture was likely unfamiliar. Transitioning to an awkward wave finally dispersing the group. They shrugged, accepting his words, mostly because other events required their attention.
With everything now in motion, he turned to the fresh addition to his group. What was he going to do with another vampire? That was his thoughts, yet he relished the opportunity to study a new species. “So much to learn.” He muttered, eyeing the vampire with a hungry look. The act seemed to unnerve the previously stoic vampire, and he shivered.