Drip

Drip

Drip

His hungry gaze quietly followed the hot blood oozing out of the gash inflicted upon the centre of a dirt ridden palm, forming a thick crimson trail that bifurcated further as it reached the junction of a scarred index and middle finger. Several tiny round drops born out of those small trails dipped down one after another into the crimson pool gathering beneath, igniting an insatiable burning in the pit of his gut. The faint metallic smell lingering in the air around him made his throat burn raw with an unquenchable thirst whilst his elongating canines impulsively tore their way out of his aching gums, poking their glinting tips out of the small space present between his parted lips

It was taking all his will to stop himself from grabbing the wrist of the man sitting in front of him and shoving the blood pooling out of the open wound directly into his own mouth.

"Argh!"

Another torturing minute had passed with much agony before he eventually moved his head away from the man collecting his blood in a bowl,

"Just some more moments..."

He kept chanting those words under his breath like a mantra until a scruffling sound reached his ears followed by a flat monotonous voice,

"The bowl is full."

Gleaming emeralds lifted up to stare at the man standing with the bowl in his hands looking back at him with a blank gaze.

"Place the bowl on the floor and come here."

As if under a trance, the man robotically followed the commands thrown his way. His hands securely put the bowl near his lord's feet while he trudged wordlessly to sit down before the said vampire.

As soon as the man lowered himself down in front of him, Ares rushed forward to grab the back of his neck with just enough pressure to bring the man at eye level with him.

"Forget whatever you saw and did in here. Only remember that you helped a merchant with his luggage and you hurt your hand in the process. He gave you this money in return for your hard work."

The man's pupils were dilating and contracting with rapid alternate movements as if his body felt unable to decipher the situation he had currently landed himself into. The reigns to his thoughts and actions were being subjected to an uncanny game of tug of war.

"Go."

Soon after Ares was done speaking, the man stood up from his spot, turned around and without sparing another glance behind, started walking mechanically towards the stairs leading to the entrance, in order to move out of the dungeons.

"He is gone."

Ares sighed before leaning his head back to support it against the rough texture of the stone wall. His ears were still able to detect the light crunching of leaves produced by the man as he took larger and larger steps into the steep hills in order to put as much distance as possible between him and the the medieval castle.

"It is done."

Creak

His eyes opened suddenly as his senses detected another sound in the background. A door was being carefully rotated around its hinges, followed by small footsteps that padded lightly against the ground above him. The green in his eyes started glistening with an unnatural glow as he directed all his attention towards the source of unexpected sounds.

They seemed to be getting closer to the dungeons beneath his castle, the place he currently occupied.

Upon focusing some more, a light lavendar scent wafted into his nostrils,

'It is her.'

His unblinking gaze slid down to the bowl placed beside him before once again, lifting up to stare at the dimly lit stairs.

'I have to feed him before she gets here.'

Whirling around rapidly, his pale hand disappeared inside his black coat before emerging out again with a shiny pair of keys clutched tightly in it. Wasting no time, he inserted the lustrous metal inside the big lock securely guarding the door in front of him. After a bit of jingling resounded through the empty dungeons, a light click followed in succession.

Slowly, the door moved away from its frame, parting the red sea of pitch black darkness inside to let the light coming from the sconces in the hallways, pave a dimly lit path on the entrance of the deadly silent cell. Glimmering emeralds moved from one side to the other, scrupulously examining every nook and cranny of the gloomy prison until they stopped midway, trained on an unusually darkened space in the far corner.

Despite the newly casted dull glow, normal human eyes would have easily failed to see the rapidly moving figure inside the deeper parts of the cell, the figure his glowing emeralds were fixated on at that moment.

Hunkered down uncomfortably against a stone wall, the boy peered up at Ares with an uncanny mixture of hazel and crimson tinting his eyes. He was digging his nails into his own arms causing fresh blood from the wound to ooze out and cover the already dried patches of scarlet lacing his pale skin.

'He seems to be in an enormous amount of pain.'

The urge to turn his head away from the gloomy scene was hitting him hard. He couldn't bring himself to face the sad reality staring up at him with an emotionless gaze. He wanted to storm out of the suffocating cage but the fast approaching footsteps in the distance kept him frozen at his place.

'I wish I could've stopped this from happening.'

He clutched his hand resting at his side into a tight fist, making several veins pop out on his arms,

'I have to do it fast.'

Reluctantly, he stooped down to pick up the bowl neatly placed near his feet before straightening himself up again. His gloved hand reached forward to further open the gate allowing more light to illuminate the black space causing the huddled figure in the corner to crawl back instantly.

'Light must be hurting him.'

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Ares forced his legs to step inside the room. His sudden motion formed small ripples into the dark liquid of the bowl causing it to almost spill over the bent corners yet it was prevented from happening every time as the steady hands gripping the utensil tightly, carried it in such a fashion the surely provided the preservance of every single drop swirling inside the bowl.

"Henry."

Standing mere inches away from the crouched figure, he called out his name to gain his attention.

The odd combination of amber and scarlet slowly lifted up to gaze emtionlessly at the dark lord. The eyes who never dared to look at him with anything other than utter love and respect were now staring up at him devoid of any expression. They seemed to look right through him as if they couldn't recognize the man standing before them. Their sole attention was fixated on the bowl resting in Ares' grasp.

Just as Ares opened his mouth to let another word out, the boy curled on the ground suddenly jumped high from his position to snatch the bowl away from his lord's hands. His pale bony fingers had almost been successful in grazing the rough texture of the bowl before the pureblood came back to his senses, moving out of the way with an unnatural speed to avoid the unexpected attack, but the feral boy didn't stop at that point. He kept pouncing on the mud bowl full of blood, trying to somehow grab it out of his lord's hands, almost scratching Ares in the process.

"Enough, Henricus!"

His deep voice boomed across the hallways, making the cold walls quiver with fright.

He hadn't even finished shouting the command completely when Henry's knees dropped down to the ground with a loud thud, causing a look of pain to cross over his stoic gaze. He couldn't recognize his master in this state yet his body still did.

The venom running deep inside him acknowledged its source.

Ares had never had a slave before, neither human nor vampire. Deborah was the only one, an exception. He treated her as a motherly figure in his bleak existence and her death had left him scarred for life. He had sworn after her demise to never take another slave again let alone make a human go through transition without their consent.

Not even in his darkest nightmares did he ever imagine that, out of nowhere, his oldest companion would be thrown his way as a transitioning nightwalker slave.

He was upset on the situation but he did not blame Faith for it. He had seen desperation in her eyes, the desperation of an honest person longing to be trusted. He didn't doubt her intention but he also couldn't turn away from the fact that Gabriel, the man who had killed two of the most important women in Ares' life even before he had the possibility to meet them, was the same man who had ruined Henry's chance at a normal life.

'Henry was supposed to live a wholesome life. He was to have a family that he grew old with. This was never supposed to happen.'

Shifting the bowl in his right hand, he let his free hand pass through his raven mane, gripping the hair at the back of his head with frustration.

'Faith must not have known, but I am sure that Gabriel was well aware of the attenuation of my venom.'

A venom which has been extracted from the vampire a long time ago loses its full capabilities. When it's introduced into a human's blood, it does not grant them all powers that a vampire holds. It mutates the person into a creature stronger than a human but far weaker than a normal pureblood's slave. These nightwalkers were considered the lowest of the low amongst vampires.

'A fate that now awaits Henry with open arms.'

For some moments, the cell was engulfed in nothing but panting noises originating from the semi-transformed nightwalker as he stayed rooted to the ground on his knees as if he were bound by some invisible chains. His abnormally coloured stare was still trained on the mud bowl grasped in his master's hand letting his inner turmoil show clearly on his face.

He had nothing but hunger on his mind.

"Here. Drink this."

Not being able to watch any further, he crouched down in front of the unrecognizable boy, placing the bowl carefully on the ground. He watched silently whilst the eager boy didn't fail in sparing another second as he leapt forward to grab the bowl, hastily bringing it to his lips, pouring its contents down his throat greedily.

'Henry..'

He had once raised this boy as his own, taught him to read and write, taught him to fight, taught him the rules of this world and the manners of living. Having witnessed his parent's murder and killing a vampire in the process had taken a toll on his little body. He was like a living corpse when he had met the vampire prince and Ares had brought it upon himself to return the boy's smile back to him. Now seeing the lips who smiled so earnestly at his wedding a few days ago, marred with another living creature's blood was tearing his dead heart into several unfathomable pieces.

Not being able to help it, he slowly lifted his hand, placing it gently on the matted hair of the boy who was busy gulping down large amounts of blood,

"Look at me, Henricus."

The slurping sounds echoing in the large cell suddenly stopped as those uncanny pair of eyes lifted up once again to stare blankly at him, awaiting his lord's next command.

Ares could sense her standing outside the stairs of dungeons now. He knew he didn't have much time to waste anymore.

A determined look overtook his expressions as his hands gripped the new nightwalker's head from both sides, forcing him to look sqaure into his own glistening emeralds,

"Remember every word of what I am about to tell you, Henricus Christensen. I, your master, Ares Aléxandros King, may not be with you to protect you when you complete your transition after four full moons. Till then, I shall try my best to ensure your safety."

He paused for a brief moment before taking a deep breath and carrying on with his compulsion,

"You, my child, will not be as strong as others in matters of agility and strength as the venom inserted within you was old, having lost the true essence of a pureblood's venom. Fear not, your lord shall leave letters in your name which will prove to be helpful in my absence. For physical strength is not always necessary to survive. Even a small creature such as an ant can defeat a gigantic elephant if it uses its abilities in the right way."

He could see Henry's mutated pupils contracting and relaxing with alternate patterns, a clear sign of his compulsion setting into act.

"If on the fourth full moon your lord does not come for you, leave this burning castle along with those letters and do not look back for even a mere moment. Survive and I shall join you again one day as your proud mentor."

A crimson liquid that resembled a diluted drop of blood trickled down Henry's emotionless eyes as Ares muttered his last words to him for the night,

"Survive, Henricus Christensen. Survive."

With that, he stood up, letting his hands drop back to his sides. Henry was still staring stoically at the place his lord once occupied. The tear dripping down his chin was telling that his brain had clearly absorbed the message his master had left for him. It was a sign that the Henry he had fed and raised for years, still existed deep within the monstrous shell clouding his judgment at that moment.

"Drink."

Not being able to stare at him anymore, with one last command, Ares left his vassal in the rusting cell, swiftly moving out of it to lock the door behind him.

Just as he was taking the key out of the iron lock, he sensed a presence entering the hallway, unfurling a strong scent of lavender intermingled with a faint trace of petrichor that cocooned the underground dungeons in a warm comforting embrace.

'My other self's scent on her has become weak.'

He kept his back facing her, refusing to turn around as slow careful footsteps gradually became louder and louder to his ears, drawing his focus solely to the woman nearing him with each passing second.

'A beloved granted by magic.'

His hand fisted around the keys tightly clutched in his hand in order to control his emotions one way or another.

'It's dangerous. Why did she even come down at this time?'

He hadn't fed since the day she had arrived. Her scent had gradually driven him to the edge, rendering every other creature's blood tasteless to his tongue.

The fear of not being able to control himself due to his emotional uncertainty was like a sword constantly hanging over his head. Weeks long hunger along with emotional uncertainty was never a good combination for a starving pureblood.

Vampires needed a bit of their beloved's blood every now and then to keep functioning normally, but he couldn't bring himself to force her for it and now it had become too late. Every creature's blood was calling out to him and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop once he started, killing the other person in the process. Morover, Henricus needed fair amounts of blood every day and accidentally sucking someone dry in the town would only create more problems in this path.

His train of thoughts stopped abrupty as he noticed the soft padding produced by her light footsteps had halted whilst a warm feeling crawling over his cold back had taken its place, indicating that she was now standing right behind him.

Realisation made his suppressed hunger come back many times stronger, hitting him like tides washing over a broken piece of flank floating in a deep abyss of a sea. Much more than the lavendar scent of her skin, his mind was going wayward with the metallic smell of her blood swooshing in the veins hidden deep inside her flesh. Her wildly thumping heart was the only sound that filled his ears rendering him enable to focus on anything but her.

'Control...'

He was sure if he applied any more pressure on the keys, the skin on his hand would split from the impact.

"Stop! What are you doing?!"

In his haze, he hadn't noticed the blood escaping from between his fisted fingers, dripping down to taint the ground near his feet.

'So it indeed broke the skin.'

Warm hands suddenly made contact with his tightly clasped fist, fumbling around with the bloodied mess to somehow make him lose his hold on the metal digging into his skin.

'She is so warm. Is her blood just as warm?'

"Ares!"

Constant jingling of keys accompanies by her alarmed voice caused his attention to shift back towards her frantic state. His little wife was still busy prying his hand open with a wide panic stricken gaze.

'I am scaring her.'

Those large fearful eyes along with the pain shooting up his arm from the wound helped him clear his senses for some time as he closed his ruby eyes, taking a deep breath in the process before opening them again to reveal gleaming emeralds in their place.

"Do not worry. I am fine."

Not liking the worry creasing her brows, his uninjured hand moved forward to rub the skin resting between her brows in order to free it of the frown forming there.

"Look."

Slowly, to calm her anxiety down, he opened his wounded hand to uncover a set of iron keys laced with a sticky scarlet liquid, hiding a deep laceration underneath.

"Oh, God..."

He watched as a look of astonishment crossed her widened eyes as she witnessed the skin repair itself with a remarkable speed. In mere seconds, only a scar was left at the place where blood was oozing furiously out of the injured tissue before.

"You.."

Her low mumble brought his gaze back towards the small female clinging dearly onto his hands. He could see her lips quivering before she pressed them together to stop their undesired movement.

'Is she cold or upset?'

His eyes travelled down to take in her disheveled state. Her untied black tresses were scattered on her exposed shoulders streaming down her back resembling a dark stream reflecting a moonless night resting in its core. Patches of dried tears were covering her rosy cheeks narrating the story of what she had been doing since he had left her in the room alone. His brows scrunched as he noticed that she was still wearing the same night dress he had unbottened himself that evening.

"Tsk."

He clicked his tongue lightly before removing his coat hurriedly only to drape it on her small shoulders. It covered her more than the dress itself.