Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pyro didn’t want to admit it, but he might have gotten a little bit lost on his way to Oakhurst. It didn’t help that he’d dropped his map into a puddle several miles back, rendering it nothing but a pile of useless mush, but he thought he’d had the route memorized- well enough to get him to town at least. Only, the one etched in his memory had led him off a beaten path, and now all the trees seemed to be leading him in circles, the faint morning fog making every scene look the same. 

He groaned, continuing to trudge through mud and peat, wrinkling his nose at the mess it was making of his shoes. He certainly didn’t feel as though he was getting further from his destination, although there was little to prove that notion besides a hunch that drew him in like a puppet on an invisible string. Pausing to catch a break, he opened his notebook to reference the hasty mockup he’d made of the map, but it did little good where he had no idea where exactly he was.

As the noise of his own breath became quieter, he froze, perking up at a faint hollow sound that echoed through the woods besides the birdsong and rustling of trees.

Tok. Tok. Tok.

Somewhere, it sounded as though someone nearby was chopping wood.

Relief flooded through his chest as he strained his ears and began making his way towards the source of the noise, knowing that if someone nearby was gathering resources out here, then surely they knew their way back to town. The foliage became less dense, allowing more sunlight to peek through the trees, and his heart sank as the sound ceased, although luckily it wasn’t a concern for long.

“Hello?” The voice of a woman called, and he stumbled out of the brush to find where she was chopping up a tree she’d felled, her shoulders squared and her eyes keen, the axe held at her side.

“H-hi, hello!” He replied, dusting some leaves off his coat and smiling in a way he hoped looked harmless and friendly. “Sorry, I don’t mean to trouble you or anything, I just seemed to have gotten a little… turned around.”

Upon making himself known, the woman visibly relaxed, her eyes softening as she chuckled a little. “Yeah, these woods’ll do that to ya. You heading to Oakhurst?”

“Yes, actually!” He laughed, meeting her at the centre of the small clearing. “Are you a local here by chance?”

“Who, me?” The lady blinked owlishly before shaking her head. “No, no- I only got here a couple weeks ago, myself. I do live there though, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Well then, you’ve been here longer than me.” He smiled, before holding out a hand for her to shake. “My name’s Pyro, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Pearl,” She returned with a toothy grin, shaking his hand with a firm grip and calloused hands. “Nice to meet you too! If you give me a moment here to gather up some of the wood I’ve just chopped, then I can lead you back to town, if you’d like.”

“That would be greatly appreciated,” he nodded with gratitude, watching her pack up the logs onto her back with a practiced and efficient precision. “Ah- would you like some help carrying all of that?”

Pyro wasn’t the strongest by any means, but it felt rude not to help out when she was already doing him a favour. 

“Oh, sure!” She smiled, dumping a bundle of logs into his arms, which he nearly dropped from the sheer weight, wheezing slightly in disbelief at the fact she was somehow carrying about five times the amount she’d given him. Clearly, she was much stronger than she looked. 

With that, she began marching off into the trees, and he struggled to keep up, careful not to lose any of the bounty he’d been trusted with.

“So, what brings you to Oakhurst, Pyro?” She asked idly as they walked, not a twinge of strain in her voice as she jovially bounced along. “Besides the lovely scenery, of course.”

“I uh-“ He panted a couple of times, his arms starting to burn. “Well- I came here to study- study the culture… and history here! F-for my thesis.”

“Ah, you’re one of those academic types, huh?” She ribbed playfully. “I should introduce you to Shelby then, she’s doing a similar sort of research on the folklore around here. Said it was some sort of personal project, I think?”

“Oh- that would be lovely actually,” he said breathlessly. He wasn’t expecting to run into anyone else trying to document the strangely absent history the town seemed to have here, but he would take any help he could get. Perhaps they could even compare notes.

The rest of the walk continued with similar small talk, although near the end Pyro was only grunting out short responses in an attempt to keep his breath. He was baffled at how effortless Pearl made it look, the woman not even breaking a sweat as they finally made it to a quaint little tavern at the edge of town.

His arms felt like jelly as he finally heaved the lumber down by the side of the building, stretching out aching joints as his companion simply shrugged it off like it was nothing. Her unnatural strength was starting to make him feel a little insecure, if he was being honest.

She was still friendly as ever though, so he tried his best not to let it show as she invited him in, glancing at the sign above the door that read ‘The Red Crown Tavern.’ 

“I work as a waitress here most of the time, but I end up doing a lot of the other chores Martyn is too lazy to do.” She explained, leading him inside.

The tavern was quite cozy inside, a homely and rustic sort of charm that he imagined made it quite popular for townsfolk looking for a place to hide from the brisker nights. It didn’t look particularly busy at the moment- besides a group of sketchy looking fellows sitting at a table in the corner, which his gaze quickly glanced over in hopes to avoid starting trouble. Apart from them, there was only a person with brilliant orange hair sitting at the bar, talking to the moustached man behind the counter.

“Cleo!” Pearl beamed as she came into view, and the stranger turned to her with a similar expression of delight.

“There you are,” They smiled warmly, paying little to no attention to Pyro whatsoever. “Was starting to think you got lost or something.”

“Me? Never.” Pearl grinned, and he was starting to think she’d forgotten he was here.

“Whose yer new friend there, lassie?” The man behind the bar asked in a thick and unfamiliar accent, finally bringing attention to him.

“Oh, right!” Pearl laughed, shaking her head. “Ren, Cleo- this is Pyro. Found him stumbling around the woods at the edge of town, said he got lost.”

“I-“ He gawked, his ears burning a bit as he scoffed. “I was not stumbling. You make me sound like some sort of drunk!”

She giggled. “Sorry, just teasing. This is Ren, he owns and runs the pub here, was kind enough to offer me a job when I first got here. And Cleo…”

“I do what I want.” Cleo replied dryly, earning a snort from Pearl. 

“Yeah, true.”

“I work for hire as a farmhand most of the time, but I pick up work wherever I can find it.” They elaborated with a casual shrug.

“Well, what brings you to our wonderful town of Oakhurst, Mr. Pyro?” Ren smiled, the wrinkles and the edges of his eyes crinkling. His warm presence truly made the place feel complete, like a home away from home.

Pyro opened his mouth to give the same response he did to Pearl, but was quickly distracted by the sound of the suspicious group from earlier all getting up and leaving the tavern. A few gold coins were left on the table, but aside from that they left with nought a word, only a couple of grumbles and grunts.

“…Who were they?” He asked instead as Pearl trotted her way over to collect the payment, counting them in her palm before slipping it in her pocket.

“Ah, them.” Ren sighed, shaking his head. “Just another wee group of monster hunters, don’cha know? Prolly after some sort of bounty.”

“…Huh?” He squinted, struggling to decipher the man’s words.

Cleo rolled their eyes, leaning against the counter as Pearl returned to the conversation. “Monster hunters. Some idiot started going around stirring up trouble, saying there’s monsters in the woods. Now everyone and their mum is coming around here looking for them.”

“Who, the author?” Pearl asked, assumedly referring to the idiot Cleo spoke of. “He’s not that bad. I mean hey- the publicity is good for business.”

“I suppose.” Ren nodded, cleaning out a glass with a rag. “Just hope they don’t go hurtin’ no one with them fancy silver swords o’ theirs.”

He saw Pearl shudder in the corner of his eye, and blinked at the three of them in shock.

“You’re saying they’re the real deal?” He gaped, his interest instantly piqued. “Hang on I’ll- I’ll be right back. Thank you for uh- everything!”

“Be careful, Laddie!” Ren called after him as he was out the door in less than a moment, chasing after the unusual group on a sudden impulse.

He’d heard this area had many tales of strange creatures and happenings, and if he wanted a good source of information to draw from, genuine monster hunters seemed like a chance he just couldn’t let go to waste. They weren’t typically known to be the most sociable of folks, but he’d be damned if he didn’t at least give it a try.

“Wait!” He cried, running up to the cart they seemed to be stocking with weapons, and an older man with a wide brimmed hat and shaded glasses rose a brow as he approached, eyeing him up and down skeptically.

“…You’re late.” The man grunted before Pyro could even catch his breath, earning him a puzzled stare.

“-What?” 

“…Yer the apprentice that was supposed to be comin’ along, right?” The old hunter grumbled, and Pyro did his best not to gawk.

“Um- y-yep! That’s me,” He lied quickly, afraid hesitance might give him away. “R-reporting for duty..?”

Clearly, he’d been mistaken for someone else, someone who was meant to show up, but hadn’t. He hadn’t got much of a chance to think over the consequences of assuming that person’s identity before the words had slipped from his mouth, and was now sweating in the face of his blatant dishonesty. 

“Right. Help load up the cart, would you?” The man said, seeming to either not notice or not care he was lying. “I’d like to get this over with.”

Pyro nodded frantically as he began helping, his mind running a mile a minute as he began to process what exactly he’d gotten himself into. He felt like nothing but an obstacle to the scarred and grizzled hunters at his sides, who only glanced at him with a mild annoyance. He’d never felt like more of a child beside them, and only as the cart was leaving town did he realize he had no idea what they would do to him if they found out he was lying. Oh boy.

He sat at the front next to the older hunter who’d greeted him, and looked by far the most experienced of all of them. Everyone else sat in the back as they rolled out of Oakhurst and onto the dirt roads, leaving behind a town he’d hardly spent a few minutes in. God, what was he doing?

It took some time to quell the panic inside him, assuring himself that this was fine, and he was doing it for research. Surely no one could fault him for that, right?

“So…” He started, sneaking out his journal from the inside of his coat to take some notes and begin gathering information. “What exactly are we… dealing with?”

“Probably nothin’.” The old man grunted, and Pyro blinked at him dumbly. “Some famous writer said he saw something that might’ve looked like a nest, but y’know how those creative types are. Imaginative.”

“You think he’s lying?” He balked, quickly shaking himself from his stupor. “Then why are we here?”

The hunter heaved out a weary sigh. “Our job to check it out regardless. Haven’t seen any signs of ‘em since we got here, and there ain’t no records of the castle he’s talkin’ about, but there’s always a chance there might be some sort of old magic at play. If that’s the case, then we might even have an elder on our hands.”

Castle? Old Magic? Elder? His blatant lack of any sort of monster hunter training was now coming into play, and he had no way of knowing what an apprentice should and shouldn’t know. He supposed he’d just have to play himself off as particularly incompetent.

“An elder what?” He asked cluelessly, and the way the old man looked over him had his jaw clenched tightly. 

“Did you bring any weapons, kid?”

“I uh… no,” He replied nervously, scratching at the back of his neck. “I’m uh, more into the… research aspect…?”

The hunter let out an exasperated huff, reaching into his coat before pressing something wooden into Pyro’s hand, who blinked down at the sharpened stake with a sinking dread.

“Vampires?” He all but squeaked, knowing enough about the legends for at least that. Immortal beings who feasted on blood and prowled the night, preying on the innocent and stealing their life force in order to survive. A terrifying creature that could only be slain by a stake to the heart.

“Best you keep at least one on ya,” The old man rasped, giving him a hefty pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I keep several spares.”

He considered the fact that maybe the man did know he was lying, and just telling him all this to mess with him. He honestly hoped that was the case, because the alternative was he was about to walk into the den of an Elder Vampire, with little to no idea on how to defend himself. That certainly wasn’t a very comforting thought.

Shaking away the nerves and inhaling sharply, he refused to show weakness in the face of his opponent. If it really was bluff, then two could play at that game. He wasn’t backing down until he was deliberately called out.

“You talked about not seeing signs of them before, how can you usually tell that they’re around?” He asked, determined to get at least some information out of this.

“Drained livestock. Periodic disappearances.” The man huffed. “Shouldn’t you already know this stuff?”

“Ah well-“ Pyro began to sweat. “I’m an apprentice for a reason, aren’t I?”

“…Fair enough.”

Luckily he managed to make it the rest of the ride without any more blunders, the cart stopping at the side of road in an entirely ordinary spot that he would have never assumed something was amiss, aside from the fluttering blue handkerchief tied to one of the lower branches of a tree. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d been expecting- perhaps a dark and dreary path into the woods where all the plants had died and the earth smelled of blood, but the forest looked exactly the same as it had on his way here, completely unremarkable.

Soon hunters were loading their weapons off the cart, and he dreaded carrying something heavy again, his arms still aching from earlier, but mercifully he only ended up with a small crate of bottles filled with what he could only assume was holy water, which he suspected was given to him because it was fragile. None of the other hunters exactly screamed the careful kind, covered in a patchwork of all kinds of scars, but he supposed that was a part of the job.

“I thought it’d be… more obvious.” He commented aloud as the older hunter brandished a machete to chop through the overgrowth, a silver lantern staff holstered on his back. 

“Well, we’re not exactly dealing with a new blood here.” He grunted, taking the lead as Pyro followed behind him. “If there really is something out here, then it’s gonna be smart enough not to leave a trail.”

The thought chilled him a bit as they made their way further into the woods, imagining a predator so intelligent that it might have gone hundreds- if not thousands of years without being discovered. What chance in hell did they stand against something like that?

I should turn back.

He stopped in his tracks, a strange shudder passing through him. The thought had certainly felt like his, but he couldn’t shake the feeling there was something oddly foreign about its presence in his mind. Not quite a whisper, not an audible one at least, but a gentle suggestion from what felt like the woods themselves. He yearned for the warmth of the tavern and the company of the people he’d just met back in Oakhurst, who he was starting to feel a bit guilty for running off on to chase some pipe dream. Who was he kidding? He didn't belong here.

Pyro was startled from his thoughts by a gruff chuckle, probably the first morsel of humour he’d heard from the old man since meeting him.

“Feel that?” He rasped, a hungry sort of excitement radiating off him.

What it felt like to him was that they were somehow going the wrong way, whatever that was supposed to mean in this context. Similar to the intuition that had been guiding him towards town before, something deep in his gut was telling him not to continue. There was nothing out here.

“It feels… wrong.” He said carefully, his hair standing on end as his grip on the crate tightened ever so slightly.

“Old magic,” The hunter muttered, clicking his tongue. “Looks like I was right. Best you don’t listen to your thoughts from here on out, just focus on moving forwards.”

The deeply unsettling realization that some sort of magic was influencing his mind shook him to his core. He’d heard tales of ancient and forbidden magic that could be used to control the minds of others, but it had always been more of a cautionary tale in his eyes. A myth. Anything like that should have been long extinct, nothing but a scary story to tell your children.

An elder vampire that performed such powerful sorcery set off all kinds of alarm bells in his mind, one that he knew would send the republic of magic into hysterics should they ever catch wind of it. All of Oakhurst and the woods for miles would be rendered to nothing but ash if they had their way, that much he was sure of. All he could do was stand paralyzed at the eye of this hurricane, and wonder how in the world he’d gotten himself into this mess.

Swallowing a sharp lump in his throat, he clung to the hunter’s instructions, reasoning that he had a much better chance of making it out of this alive if he followed in the footsteps of someone with experience. He focused on simply putting one foot in front of the other, although the deeper they travelled, the higher his adrenaline spiked, eventually reaching the point where it felt like every step he took was off the edge of another cliff. Sweating and shaking, he gripped the crate of holy water so tightly the wood was likely to cut indents into his palms, urging his body forwards despite every part of his mind that screamed for him not to.

Eventually, the man in front of him, who he could hardly even remember the identity of anymore- stopped, Pyro bumping face first into his broad back with a quiet oof. Stretching his neck to look around him, he caught sight of a dense thicket, a large wall of thorns and bramble that was packed tightly between the trees. It was clearly unnatural, meant to keep things out, and his brain had a hard time conceptualizing that anything might be behind it.

Pyro wasn’t sure if it was simply a product of his weak psyche, but the man in front of him- monster hunter, he reminded himself, did not seem phased by any of this in the slightest. Risking a glance back, even some of the other hunters looked unsettled, though none as much as he thought they should have been. 

“Here we are.” The old man declared, and a grim silence settled over the group. This was no false alarm or cry for attention as they had originally assumed, but a very real thing that was happening and needed to be faced.

He almost retched at the wet sound of the man’s machete tearing through the thick and thorny vines, which seemed to have a disturbingly similar consistency to flesh or meat. It didn’t help that the plants seemed to flinch and wither from the blows, slowly opening a gateway to the other side. Scrunching his nose and holding an arm over his head, he ducked beneath the dripping vines and followed the old hunter through the passage.

Passing through the threshold, an immediate weight was lifted from his chest and mind, flooding his lungs with a relief so dizzying he almost passed out. His thoughts and nerves no longer screamed for him to run, and as he stumbled through to the other side he couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh, shaking the remnants of the dark magic from his brain.

Pyro almost felt proud that he’d been able to push through the invisible barrier, although it was largely outweighed by the dread of having to return through it when he left. The thought faded quickly however, as he took in the unusual sight that met them.

The trees quickly thinned into a lush prairie of rolling hills, where a herd of cattle peacefully grazed at the long grass in the fields. There were plenty of them, and they didn’t look particularly bothered by their arrival, though it was hard to tell through the thick fur that covered their eyes. Highland cows, he believed they were called.

In the distance, beyond the fields of rippling grass and its passive inhabitants, stood a towering dark castle at the centre of the different biome. Large canopies of ancient trees shaded the base of the structure and its courtyard like a natural umbrella, carefully and expertly pruned into what could only be described as a work of art. Pyro could only stand in awe at the sight for a moment, before setting down the holy water in the grass to frantically fumble for his notebook to make a sketch. 

Thankfully, the rest of the hunters seemed similarly starstruck by the sheer absurdity of it all, spreading out into the fields that felt like something out of a dream. The woods continued around the entirety of the peculiar sanctuary, enclosing it all in a giant circle that should’ve been visible from well... somewhere at least. The fact this place hadn’t made it onto a single map was utterly baffling, especially for being so close to a town.

“This is insane,” He whispered under his breath, fear forgotten in favour of complete fascination. He could write his entire thesis on something as interesting as this, hell- he could probably fill several volumes with theories and observations alone. He’d gotten into all of this expecting silver or maybe gold- not the heap of diamonds and precious gems it had just given him. It was practically a whole mine of valuable knowledge and mysteries.

After scribbling down his findings and coming down from the euphoric glee of the discovery, he noticed the old man inspecting one of the cows nearby, taking a look at something that hung around its neck. Curious, he picked the crate of holy water back up, tucking it under his arm as he trotted over to see what he had found.

“What’s that?” He asked, hardly able to contain his excitement.

“Blood charm,” The hunter replied, turning over the strange pendant that hung from the loose rope. “It’s a real old vampiric custom. They used to make these for mortal creatures as a sort of way to ‘lay claim’ to their lives. I’ve only ever seen temporary ones before, but by imbuing an object with a few drops of their own blood, the scent can help ward off natural predators or other vampires.”

Upon close inspection, he realized there was a tiny red cross at the centre of the pendant, and as the man tilted it in his hand, he realized that it was made of glass, and sealed behind it was a red liquid that moved along with it. 

“There’s vampire blood in here?” He gasped, gently cupping it with his own hand to observe. 

“Mhm. Don’t get any stupid ideas, though.”

“Hey- all of them have one.” One of the other hunters called, a smug sort of grin appearing on his lips. “Why don’t we just take these things back and sell them? People would pay a fortune for something like that- to be protected. Chances are the money’s way better than whatever the guild is paying.”

The suggestion was a bit meat-headed, and Pyro couldn’t deny it annoyed him a little, but before he could open his mouth to protest, the old man spoke for him.

“If you fancy gettin’ violently dismembered, then sure, go ahead.” He snorted, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve got some sort of tracking spell on them, if the vampire can’t just up and feel where they are. You might get a day’s head start, but tryin’ to outrun an angry vampire long enough to sell ‘em ain’t gonna last long. They ain’t too fond of people touchin’ their stuff, you’ll find.”

Slowly, Pyro lowered the pendant down as if it was a bomb that was about to explode, the reality of the situation finally starting to set in. This wasn’t some sort of magical archeological find, the person who’d made them was still alive. Well, not alive- but definitely around. Likely somewhere in the castle that lay before them, which suddenly felt like a watchful sentinel with its countless darkened eyes. From this distance it would be impossible to tell if someone was peeking through one of the curtains, watching and waiting. Despite the warmth of the sun’s rays beaming down on him, he shivered.

“You can sell the shells if you’d like after we’re done with this, but the blood itself’ll likely turn to ash.” He grunted, setting off towards the castle’s gates without another word.

Feeling suddenly quite vulnerable out in the open like this, Pyro quickly hurried after him, the crate of bottles clinking as he ran. 

Approaching the edge of the shadows where the older hunter waited for the rest of the group, strange symbols carved into the bodies of the trees caught his attention. They were in no language he could recognize, and he wondered if they were more of that old magic the man had mentioned.

“What do you think they’re for?” He wondered aloud, and an oblivious grunt came from the man beside him.

“Huh?”

“Those carvings,” He said, taking out his notebook to copy all the ones he could see, which is when he realized that most of them were the same.

“Probably some kind of runes to make sure this whole place doesn’t just go up in flames.” He grumbled, shielding his eyes from the sunlight to squint them. “Practical for someone who’s used to being under siege.”

Pyro nodded, realizing the trees would have made wonderful kindling for an angry mob trying to set the castle ablaze. He doubted the castle itself would burn, pillars carved of dark stone and decorated with black metal, but he couldn’t imagine the smoke to be pleasant. Were the residents of the fortress human they would likely choke and die because of it, but he wasn’t sure if vampires needed to breathe at all. Surely it would still sting their eyes though, right?

He wasn’t given time to finish the thought before the hunters ventured forth into the unnaturally thick shadows, leaving him to follow into the dense jungle of unfamiliar plants. As his eyes adjusted to the change in light, he was surprised to find that it wasn’t nearly as dreary as he was expecting.

A bounty of colourful flowers, some of which he recognized, some of which he didn’t, lined the mossy cobble path, swaying in the dappled light from up above with an ethereal sort of glow. There were even bushes of them closer to the light where the branches didn’t quite meet, framing an elegant bridge leading towards the ivy-covered gates further beyond. The sight was like something out of a fairytale, and the sound of trickling water as they walked over the bridge really pulled it all together.

“It’s… beautiful.” He mused, placing a hand on the bridge to look down at the small fish swimming down in the stream. Even butterflies and birds could be seen fluttering about, scarcely bothered by the alleged evil presence that lay nearby. 

“For now.” The old man grunted. “S’likely an effect of magic. Once we slay the beast, I wouldn’t be surprised if it all withered.”

There was an odd pang in his chest, something that made him feel as though it was… wrong to disturb the little ecosystem that had developed here. Nothing about it felt dark or violent, and the idea of it being destroyed admittedly made him a little sad. 

“What a shame…” He murmured, and was nearly startled out of his skin when a hand came down on his shoulder.

“It’s all illusions, boy.” The hunter growled, shaking his head. “Don’t let yourself be fooled by the glamour of immortality. The longer it lives, the harder it falls.”

Swallowing thickly, he nodded, and they continued forwards through the open gate. The courtyard was even more extravagant, with bubbling fountains and well trimmed shrubs, every tree twisted in a picturesque way that made them look like natural sculptures of their own. The shadows were deeper here, and certain plants seemed to glow with a faint bioluminescence, making him wonder what it might look like at night.

He shook away the thought, knowing that if he was still here when the sun set, well… he hoped that wouldn’t come to pass. Unlike the main gate, the grand doors to the castle were predictably closed, and hardly seemed to budge when the hunters pushed at it with all their might.

“Oh well, guess no one’s home!” He joked nervously, placing down the box of holy water and anxiously searching the shadiest parts of the garden and keeping himself alert. The last thing he wanted to do was get snatched while no one was looking.

“Oh, they’re home alright.” The older hunter chuckled, pulling a piece of chalk from his coat which he began tracing symbols with at the base of the door and on its face. 

As Pyro watched him work, he recognized it as a crude recreation of a breaching spell, complete with a handful of components each placed within the white circles on the stone, including a bottle of holy water, which he didn’t recall being a part of the original recipe. The weapon was unholstered from his back, and when the bottom of the staff touched the ground, light and dust seemed to explode from all the cracks around the door, sending a powerful vibration through the ground.

Shortly after, one of the large doors creaked inwards, a faint smoke still fading from its hinges. His breath hitched at the sight of the pitch darkness within, entirely and unnaturally devoid of light. 

“Keep your wits about you, men.” The old man said lowly. “Vampires are an ambush predator, and’ll wait for the perfect moment to strike.”

Nothing inside him wanted to enter through the foreboding dark entrance, but he’d already come far enough that there was no chance of turning back now. With hunters who could crush his skull for lying behind him and the blackest pit of hell in front of him, all he could hope was that the devil might take pity on him. 

A torch was sparked, but it did little to cut through the ombre fog, only reflecting off the tightly formed group that carefully inched further inside.

Pyro clutched the stake he’d been given close to his chest to try and hide the trembling in his hands, and could hardly hear a thing over the pounding of his own heart. Like walking into the maw of a massive beast, he yelped as it snapped shut behind them, the door slamming loudly in the same moment their only light was snuffed, much like a scene from a bad horror novel. Had he not been in the situation himself it might have made him laugh- but the terror gripped him too tightly.

Mercifully, the endless dark was only momentary as the sconces on the walls began to erupt with an eerie red light, one pair after another until the entire hall was lit, revealing an extravagant chair at the far end where an unfamiliar figure lounged, inspecting long, claw-like nails.

“You know, It’s awfully rude-“ The figure drawled, and he noticed how all the hunters around him tensed, ready for a fight. “-To come barging in here like you own the place.”

Much like the garden, and the castle he resided in, the vampire was terrifyingly beautiful. A crown of white curls adorned his brow, providing a striking contrast to the piercing red eyes below, and carefully framing sharp and well defined features. He was decorated with tasteful jewelry and an elegant wardrobe, and looked no older than Pyro in age besides the ancient look in his disinterested gaze.

His brow seemed to twitch upwards a fraction as the two of them made eye contact, immediately sending an embarrassed flush over his face as he looked down in an attempt to make himself less noticeable. Pyro wasn’t sure the extent of the powers a vampire might possess, but reading his thoughts didn’t seem entirely out of the question, considering the stories he’d read. If it could read his mind, he only hoped it knew how much he regretted it. Eye contact was a challenge to those who itched for a fight, and he had no intention of making himself a target.

“Your reign of terror comes to an end, beast.” The old hunter spat, the vampire giving him an incredulous look as he spoke. “Face your end as all things do, for it is the natural order of things.”

“What ‘Reign of Terror’?” The vampire almost laughed, seeming amused by the little speech. “I’m literally just sitting here. You’re the ones who broke into my home! I keep the door locked for a reason, you know!”

Pyro blinked, admittedly thrown by the creature’s logic. The hunter had spoken of no torment to the nearby population, and from what the cattle outside suggested, it was likely the blood it consumed wasn’t human at all. Why did they need to provoke its wrath at all if it hadn’t been hurting anyone?

The other hunters seemed similarly baffled, but were able to recover much quicker than he was, raising their weapons once again as the old man spoke.

“Your existence is sin, a deal with the devil. You dare to claim innocence in the long life you have lived?” 

“As far as you’re concerned,” The vampire replied, eyes narrowing. “I have done no harm. Leave me be.”

Something about all of this didn’t feel right. Why was this conversation even happening? The vampire could have easily torn out all their throats the moment the light went dim- taken out a couple of them at the very least before they had a chance to recover. Was that simply too boring for a creature as old as he? What did he gain by speaking to them like this?

“Silence your wretched tongue and meet your end with dignity.” The old man growled, grip tightening on the lantern staff at his side.

The vampire let out a long, dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes and sitting up in his chair. “You are all welcome to leave here alive, but I’m warning you, my patience wears thin. Usually my guests aren’t this terribly rude.” He said, heaving himself from his throne and stretching his neck. 

“I’m not going to ask you again. Leave with your life, or accept your death at my hands.” 

Personally, Pyro wanted to do nothing more than turn with his tail between his legs. Unfortunately, his body had ceased responding to commands from his brain, frozen in place like a statue by the thick tension in the room. Not even words could form on his tongue to explain he held no grudge, that he hadn’t come here with the intention of killing.

He was going to die, trampled under the hooves of beasts far greater than him, fighting a battle he knew nothing about. Would anyone even look for him? Mourn his death?

“Well?” The vampire prompted, and just as Pyro believed he’d found the courage to speak, the snap of a crossbow firing beside him stole his words as the bolt hurdled towards its target of the creature’s heart.

His mouth fell open in shock, but the shot never hit its mark- instead caught inches from it in the hand of the one it was aimed for. It had been so quick that Pyro hadn’t even seen him move, his brain too slow to even process what had just occurred.

“So that’s how it is then?” The vampire sneered, twirling the bolt between his fingers, observing it closely. “Very well.”

Like a gust of wind, he was upon them before Pyro even had the chance to blink, burying the crossbow bolt deep into the shoulder of the man who’d shot it, causing him to scream out in pain as everyone else whipped around to face the threat. From there, chaos seemed to explode from that  moment, the vampire dispersing into a swarm of bats before all the light quickly vanished once again. Acting entirely on instinct, he dove out of the line of fire and began scrambling to find cover behind one of the hall’s great pillars, groping blindly in the dark before a different kind of light illuminated the room.

He cried out in alarm as a ribbon of blue flame came close to singing his coat, and only peeked his head out once he was safely hidden behind the pillar he’d been gunning for. From the lantern that swung off the old man’s staff, a brilliant orange and blue fire filled the hall, incinerating the flapping shadows and passing harmlessly over the other hunters. It took a moment for him to pick his jaw up off the floor, but he recognized it as real, genuine holy magic. 

The fight seemed vicious, but it was hard to tell when it was only lit by the occasional flashing of the flames and striking of claws. The vampire seemed to have little trouble holding his own, and moved so quickly it sometimes appeared he was in more than one place at a time, bouncing between hunters and tripping them up. From what he could tell, no one had died yet, and he was reminded of a cat playing with its food, only batting it around for entertainment- but something about it didn’t feel quite right.

After watching for a while, it was clear the vampire was fighting defensively, despite having no real reason to. He was deliberately neglecting chances to easily finish them off, although the older hunter wielding the lantern hadn’t given him any such opportunities himself.

He heard the shattering impact of glass followed by a sickening sizzle, and he heard the vampire let out a roar of fury. In the light of the fire he was just able to catch the creature launching one of the hunters across the room like he weighed nothing at all, and heard the loud crack of bone when they collided with the wall. He winced, knowing that one likely wasn’t getting back up.

One by one, the hunter began to fall to similarly gruesome deaths, although the vampire’s appearance was starting to look worse for wear in the glimpses he stole. Blood stained his clothes, burns marred his skin, and Pyro slowly started to see him for what he really was- not a monster, but a man fighting to defend his life. It was a startling reflection of himself through flame and silver weapons, the rage of someone who only wanted to be left alone. 

All he wanted was for them to leave him alone.

He ducked behind the pillar to avoid a splattering of stray blood across his face, still cowering in his hiding spot, too shellshocked to leave. Soon, it was only the old man and the vampire remaining, two titans in a world he could scarcely hope to understand, with wisdom beyond anything he’d ever achieve.

“It’s a shame really,” The vampire panted, having clearly exerted a great deal of energy. “You seem to be quite good at what you do.”

Dodging a lick of fire that came dangerously close, the vampire suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving the hunter brace for defense. 

“I have experience in dealing with your kind,” The old man growled, readjusting his staff and keeping his head on a swivel. “You might be the eldest I’ve ever faced, though.”

Claws swiped out from the cover of darkness, clipping the hunter in the leg, who cried out in pain and fell to one knee, somehow managing to keep his stance despite the pain. 

“Is that so?” The vampire’s voice echoed through the hall, sounding far and near all at once. “How many of my kind have you slain, hunter?”

“Seven.” The man spat, chilling Pyro to the bone. “Four were fledglings, but the rest gave me some scars to remember. This’ll just be one more for the collection.”

Most hunters would have claimed a far higher number. He would have expected someone so experienced to have at the very least ten or more kills under their belt; some even went as far as to claim they’d bested hundreds- but seven. Seven was real, and seven was honest. All things considered, seven whole immortal lives snuffed entirely from existence was no easy feat.

“Fledglings,” The shadows seethed, a sudden coldness appearing in it’s tone. “You’ve killed three vampires, then. Three vampires, and four children.”

“Those bloodthirsty beasts were anything but children.” The hunter snapped, the chain that held the lantern clinking as he turned. “Feral things. Ought to be glad I put ‘em out of their misery.”

The vampire came launching out of the shadows, tackling the old hunter to the floor and just barely held at bay by the silver of the staff. With barred fangs, the vampire bore the burning of the metal against its palms to push the pole down in a struggle against the hunter, the both of them trembling with effort. 

An animalistic hiss came from the vampire, and soaked with the blood of his enemies with murder in his gaze, again he looked like much more of a monster. The creature’s back was turned to him as the two of them fought to break the stalemate, and Pyro’s gaze drifted to the stake he’d never let go of, swallowing thickly. Possessed by a familiar force, he stumbled forwards, a sort of static overtaking their mind as he readied the weapon. He had to remind himself this was not a riverbed, and he was not holding a stone.

He’d done this before. He could do it again just as easily, and yet this time there was a hesitation- one that hadn’t been present the first time. He didn’t know this man- vampire, what was the difference? All he’d seen from this person so far was a desire to be left alone, something he could sympathize with deeply. What exactly made him more of a monster than Pyro?

“For God’s sake lad, just do it!” The hunter shouted, snapping him out of his trance.

The vampire turned, and he fully expected to have his throat torn from his body, leaving him to bleed out on the floor. What he didn’t expect was for the vampire to hesitate as well.

When their eyes met for the second time, Pyro felt himself falter. There was no fear in his eyes, not even anger. There was only a deep, melancholy exhaustion, a pleading he had no reason to make. Pyro had seen how fast the vampire could move. He could probably remove the human’s head in the blink of an eye if he wanted to, yet for some reason he didn’t.

‘Don’t make me kill you.’ It said, a tiredness much older than Pyro could ever understand. ‘Please.’

His stance slumped, arms falling to his side as the conviction drained out of him. He couldn’t determine exactly why, but he just couldn’t do it. He didn’t want to do it.

The old hunter had no such qualms. Taking advantage of the vampire’s momentary distraction, he struck it with that flaming staff, sending it shrieking in alarm and skidding across the carpeted floor. He didn’t even give the creature a single second to recover before he was bringing it up for another brutal swing, ablaze with holy flame. 

“Wait!” He screamed, grabbing hold of the staff in a blind panic, a searing heat running through his palms and down his veins, filling him with a dizzying power he’d never felt before.

“What are you doing, boy!?” The old man practically roared with fury as they fought for the weapon. “You-“

He didn’t get to finish, the vampire’s clawed hands grabbing his head from behind, cleanly snapping his neck with a deafening crack. Pyro let out a cry of alarm, stumbling back and falling on his ass as the body slumped lifelessly to the ground in front of him. The holy fire immediately went dim, but was quickly replaced by the light of the sconces again, this time with a far more natural, golden glow.

He could only sit and stare in shock for a moment, wondering if his involvement counted as an assisted murder and whether or not he was bothered by it. Well, he was sure it would come back to haunt him later, but the strange numbness that overtook him made him feel surprisingly calm about it. 

The vampire let out a sigh, unclipping his cloak and laying it over the slack jawed corpse of the hunter, finally forcing Pyro to tear his eyes from it and blink up at him in puzzlement. Some of the bodies that now littered the hall had met far uglier deaths than the one before him, yet for some reason it had only thought to cover the one. How strange.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” he sighed, wiping the blood from his hands with a lace handkerchief he’d magically produced. “I’m… not usually like this, I swear.”

Pyro could only blink at him in utter bewilderment, staring blankly in a way that probably made him look like a complete fool.

“Are you… going to kill me?” He rasped, wetting his dry cracking lips as he sat, entirely stunned.

The vampire’s eyebrows raised and Pyro followed his gaze as he glanced down to the stake well within the human’s reach. “…Are you?”

He shook his head, blinking rapidly. “….N-no.”

“Then I don’t believe you have anything to worry about,” He smiled softly, trying to roll up his sleeves and letting out a tsk of displeasure when he realised they were stained and torn to shreds. “Oh dear. I really liked this shirt, too.”

“You’re… not going to kill me?” Pyro asked again, just to be certain, and the vampire blinked down at him incredulously.

“Of course not! You haven’t done anything wrong. Ah!- but where are my manners?” He extended a hand to help Pyro up, casually wiping off the burn marks and scratches he’d sustained as if they were little more than dust or makeup. “My name is Scott Goldsmith, pleasure to meet you.”

Still a bit out of it, he took the vampire’s hand without much thought, yelping in surprise at how easily he was pulled to his feet. He stumbled a little, still quite out of sorts as he glanced around at the carnage surrounding them. “…Pyro. My name is Pyro.”

“Pyro,” The vampire, Scott, if he was to be believed- echoed fondly. “You’ll have to forgive me, I think this is the single worst first impression I’ve ever made on someone.”

He let out a surprised little chuckle, running a hand though his hair and doing his best to process everything that was happening. “That’s alright, I think I might’ve seen worse.”

“Really?” Scott laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “My, what an interesting life you must lead. I suppose that would explain how you ended up in such dreadful company.” He said, glancing at what remained of the hunters.

“Yeah, I uh…” he trailed off, inhaling sharply and trying to shake the unusual fog that had come over his brain. “-Sorry, this is all just so strange. Am I dreaming, perchance?”

The vampire gave him a sympathetic smile, placing a hand on his shoulder and gently guiding him out of the room. “No, I’m afraid not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re still in shock. Come, let’s bring you somewhere more hospitable in case you faint.”

The adrenaline still pumping through his veins made him feel as though he were walking on air, and he did in fact struggle to stay awake as Scott led him to a parlour and sat him down in a comfortable looking chair.

“Wait here a moment- well, perhaps longer than a moment, but I’ll try to be quick.” The vampire informed him before disappearing back through the door and leaving him alone.

Seated, blood seemed to flow though his system much easier, allowing him to breathe and come down from the mind numbing panic he’d been in only minutes prior. Somehow, against all odds, he was alive.

He wasn’t quite sure what to think about all of this. On one hand, everyone he’d come here with was now dead, brutally slaughtered in the main hall of the castle before his very eyes. On the other, he… hadn’t really known any of them particularly well. A piece of him was still obviously horrified, those hunters likely had friends or family they’d never see again, lives to go back to that had been abruptly cut short… then again, they’d been given the chance to return to that and refused.

This… Scott Goldsmith was a powerful vampire, that much was clear. He could have ambushed them and been rid of them in the blink of an eye, yet he’d chosen to confront them instead, offering the choice to leave him alone. Even after that, he’d still been giving chances, waiting to be attacked first before he chose to defend himself. It didn’t make any sense. Why did he care? Why show mercy to creatures that had caused him nothing but trouble?

His thoughts drifted to the cattle in the field, incredibly healthy and well fed. They hadn’t been afraid of them either, docile and friendly in a way only a well loved animal could be. Did Scott tend to them himself? He hardly seemed the type, but then again he seemed to be full of all sorts of surprises.

Glancing around the parlour he’d been placed in, he found it resembled more of a study, decorated with gothic decor and a number of books. He wondered how old some of them might be, and the amount of untamed knowledge might reside within them. He recalled what the hunter had said about touching a vampire's things though, so he restrained his curiosity and filed it away in his brain for later. 

He wasn’t sure how it wasn’t the first thing he’d noticed, but on the far wall was a large window, light shining through tinted glass and onto the floor, thick velvet curtains pulled back even in the day. Even though half the room was still cast in shadow, the sight surprised him, knowing well that vampires had an aversion to sunlight. Perhaps the glass was enchanted, or the architecture was designed only to let it in at certain points. Either way, it fascinated him deeply.

While the vampire’s tastes certainly seemed expensive and macabre, nothing about the room felt particularly dangerous to him, lacking the foreboding touch that should have sent shivers down his spine. The same could be said about the vampire himself. 

Maybe he’d finally just lost his mind- or perhaps he really had just died and this was all a delusion he’d conjured in order to cope. Pinching the skin of his hand between his nails, he still felt pain, which seemed to disprove that theory. It was then, as he was looking at his hands that he noticed they hadn’t been burned.

He could have sworn he’d felt the searing of flesh when he’d grabbed the hunter’s staff earlier, but his hands looked the same as they ever did, entirely unharmed. It seemed that in a stroke of incredible luck, his genetic affinity for fire magic might have actually helped him for once.

Scott returned as he was inspecting his miraculous lack of injury, and he dropped his hands back into his lap and did his best to act like he hadn’t been staring at them. Luckily, occupied by what he was carrying, the vampire hardly seemed to notice.

Setting down a tray of various refreshments, Pyro noticed he’d also changed out of his ruined clothes, sporting a much more casual looking low necked blouse. 

“Sorry about the wait,” He smiled, fangs poking over the top of his bottom lip. “The biscuits might taste a bit stale, but they should be alright to eat.”

Pyro blinked down at the tray, finally processing its contents. Aside from the ornate tea set Scott appeared to be busy with, there was a plate of various dry fruits, cheeses, and even a couple of sweets organized in an orderly display. 

“You keep… human food?” He asked, somewhat baffled.

“Well of course,” The vampire chuckled, pouring steaming tea from the pot into a cup. “What else would I feed my guests? Perishables are few and far between for obvious reasons, but I was in quite the cheese making frenzy a couple of centuries ago. You’ll have to let me know how it tastes, considering I can’t really have any myself.”

Picking a slice of cheese from the platter, he observed it carefully and found nothing unusual about it. It looked like cheese- smelled like it too, even reminded him of the fancy sort he’d once had at home. Taking a hesitant nibble, he was surprised by its wonderful savoury taste.

“It’s delicious,” He gasped, his mouth watering and stomach cramping as he realized just how hungry he really was.

“Ah, well that’s a relief.” Scott sighed, placing a cup of tea on a saucer next to the plate. “It’d be a shame to know the cellar is filled with sub-par cheese. You’re welcome to have as much of it as you’d like.”

The vampire began to head back towards the door and Pyro quickly swallowed what he was chewing with a frown. “You… aren’t staying?”

“Oh- excuse me, but I still have some… cleaning up to do.” He grimaced, gaze drifting in the direction of the main hall they’d come from. “I won’t be long. Focus on regaining your strength for the time being, and feel free to browse my collections as well. I’ll be back soon.”

“Thank… you.”

And with that Pyro was left by his lonesome again, although the invitation to take a peek at the books around the room was a tempting offer. He figured it best to finish his food and drink before that though, lest he spill anything and cause a mess, so he went to work clearing the plate.

It was only after he’d finished that he considered the possibility this was all some sort of trap. It seemed rather unnecessary and elaborate if that happened to be the case, but something about this scenario seemed too good to be true. Was this all some sort of illusion in order to make him lower his guard? If the vampire didn’t want to kill him, what on earth could he possibly want him for? Some sort of ritual sacrifice?

Puzzled, he got up and brushed his fingers along the spines of the books on the shelf, humming thoughtfully to himself. Nothing had made a whole lot of sense the second he stepped foot in this place, all the way back at the bramble wall that had screamed for him to leave. If he played his cards correctly though, he might just be able to get out of here alive.

Occupying himself by leafing through a book he’d picked off of the shelf, he waited for his host to return, and that he did, much sooner than Pyro had expected.

“That was quick,” He commented, placing the book back in the spot he’d taken it from. “…You appear to have a lot of classics here.”

“Oh, those are just my collections. First editions and such,” The vampire smiled, and he felt his eyelids flutter in surprise. “If you’re interested in the real collection, I can show you the library if you’d like.”

Something about that charming, mischievous grin of his had a way of making him forget any potential dangers, replaced by a peculiar fluttering feeling he often felt when discovering something new. He couldn’t deny that Scott was a very attractive man, or vampire rather- but there was simply a certain air about him that Pyro couldn’t quite place. Awe, perhaps? He did have a particularly powerful aura to him.

“That… sounds wonderful actually,” He breathed, unable to fight his excitement as he followed Scott back into the hall. 

“So… I’m curious. How did one such as yourself find your way on an expedition with… monster hunters? You don’t exactly strike me as one yourself.” The vampire asked as they walked, and Pyro gave a sheepish chuckle, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“…Is it that obvious?” He laughed, shaking his head with a sigh. “No, you’re right, I just- made one too many impulsive decisions, I suppose. Originally I came here in search of a topic for my thesis, but…”

He trailed off, not sure how to explain how he’d gotten here without sounding like a complete idiot. 

“Ah, a scholarly type then?” Scott mused, nodding thoughtfully. “Well, if you’ve come in search of knowledge, then you’ve certainly come to the right place. My archives aren’t as extensive as some of the other vampires I’ve known, but I’d definitely be surprised if you didn’t find something that catches your interest.”

Opening a pair of grande mahogany doors, the vampire revealed possibly the most gorgeous library- no, most gorgeous place he’d ever seen in the entire world. Pyro let out an audible gasp at just how many shelves were stacked with books, from floor to ceiling of every wall. Dark wood stairs led up to a second- and even a third level above it, lined with ornately carved railings that looked like works of art themselves. Some shelves even held scrolls, yellowed with age and likely full of forgotten secrets.

Spinning around to get a full view of the place, his mouth fell open in a starry eyed wonder, and wondered if somehow against all odds he’d found himself in heaven. He heard Scott chuckle softly behind him, and turned to the vampire, utterly speechless.

“I had a hunch you might like it,” He smiled wryly, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. 

“This…” He could hardly think, let alone speak. “This is incredible- I- I could spend my entire life trying to read all the books here, and I feel like I’d hardly make a dent!” 

“The perks of immortality, I suppose.” The vampire shrugged, and if possible, his eyes widened even further.

“You’ve read them all?” 

“Oh heavens no,” Scott chuckled, shaking his head. “I keep a good chunk reserved for rainy days and such, although I’d say I’ve probably read most of them. Over half at least.”

“Wow,” He breathed, still reeling from the thought.

“Did you have a general topic in mind? I can try to help you find what you’re looking for, but I’m not a mind reader.” 

Pyro blinked, having almost entirely forgotten his thesis in the grand scheme of things. Here, everything about his goals and aspirations suddenly felt so unbelievably small.

“Oh- I mean, I was planning on looking into the history and culture of the area, but- I couldn’t find anything anywhere.”

“Ah, well that’s partially my fault.” The vampire laughed awkwardly, before raising his hands that glowed with a mystical power. “I’ve struck a great deal from public records in order to preserve the secrecy of my life here, but Oakhurst has a much richer history than you might believe.”

Select tomes began to float down from the shelves and into Scott’s grasp, where he began stacking them on a nearby table as he used his magic to flip though a few and check their contents. “In terms of culture, the local library still does carry a lot, although most of the historical context for it only remains here.”

When he turned, he finally seemed to notice the look of awe Pyro was giving the floating books, and smiled, raising a brow. “Of course if you have an interest in magic, I have plenty of material on that as well.”

Pyro shook himself from his trance, a light heat coming to his cheeks as he realized he’d been caught staring. “O-Oh! That’s- that’s very kind of you!- I mean, all of this is really, but ah… unfortunately I’ve never had much of a talent for that kind of thing.”

His excitement dimmed a little as he was confronted with the disappointing reminder of his inability. Glancing down at his hands though, he wondered if maybe it was worth trying again.

“What do you mean?” The vampire asked, tilting his head quizzically as if the concept was entirely foreign to him. Maybe it was.

“Well, technically I come from a pretty long line of fire mages-“ he explained, wringing his hands self consciously. “But uh… it was decided that my… potential was too low. For me to be worth teaching.”

Being the family disappointment was nothing new to Pyro. He’d lived with it possibly since the day he was born, never measuring up to the expectations his parents had for him. He thought that if he couldn’t bring pride to them as a mage, then he’d make up for it by winning awards for his research- but even that had become a spoiled memory. Now, he only hoped to live and die quietly, perhaps publish something to leave his mark on the world. 

Scott snorted dismissively, covering his mouth with his hand, but his eyes quickly widened in realization when he saw the look on Pyro’s face.

“Sorry! Sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you-“ He scrambled to explain, waving his hands in a panic. “I just- who on earth decided that?”

Pyro blinked slowly, brow furrowed. “The… International Academy of Magic…?”

The vampire let out a scoff, rolling his eyes and running a hand over his face. “Of course those crackpots are still around,” he sighed, shaking his head and mumbling to himself. “Goodness, how many excellent students have they fumbled since I encountered them last…?”

“You’ve met them?” He asked, undeniably curious.

“Unfortunately,” Scott grumbled, looking less than pleased. “They were but a simple small college back then, but even then their utter stupidity managed to baffle me.”

“They’ve managed to produce some of the most powerful mages in history though,” he said, surprised to find himself defending the institution in any way shape or form. “Surely they must be doing something right.”

His host let out an audible tsk, stepping forward and abandoning the pile of books he’d just been gathering. “Hmm, how do I explain this?”

Tapping his chin with a finger for a moment, he seemed to come to a decision rather quickly, summoning a small flame in his palm.

“Think of it like this,” he began. “Magic is not a… genetic ability. It is something more akin to a feeling or an emotion, that you can train yourself to draw upon.” 

With the hand that didn’t hold the flame, he raised it to pull another book from the shelf, which floated down the same as all the others. “Take this, for example. When I do this I am drawing upon the frustration of how long it would take me to do it ordinarily- of which I would not be able to do if I hadn’t already experienced it thousands of times. Anything can seem like magic if you’ve done it enough.”

Pyro blinked, his eyes returning to the flame Scott now gingerly held in both his hands. 

“By that logic… anyone could do it, couldn’t they?” He asked, entranced by the dancing red light.

“Given enough time and effort, yes.” The vampire nodded, holding out the flame for him to take. “Everyone has the capability, although it’s a combination of fear and belief that prevents most from practicing. Some might take to it more naturally than others, of course, but that doesn’t mean it’s a waste of time.”

Hands trembling slightly, he reached out to cup underneath it, and gasped a little as it flared slightly when spilling into his grasp, the colour taking on a more natural hue. 

“Looks like it likes you.” Scott giggled, and he blinked in confusion.

“What, the fire?” He asked, feeling a little lost.

“Of course,” The vampire smiled. “Fire lives, breathes, and eats the same as you, does it not?”

“I guess,” Pyro chuckled nervously. “I’m afraid I might drop it. I don’t want to set fire to this beautiful library.”

“Don’t be, I’ve taken many precautions to prevent such a fate.” Scott grinned in his peripheral vision. “I’m almost offended you considered me so careless.”

“S-sorry.” He stammered, not taking his eye off the flame. 

His gaze momentarily flicked to the vampire when he heard a sigh, and felt his heart pick up as cold hands were cupped gently around his own.

“Fire might have the potential for destruction and chaos, but it is a lot of other things too.” The vampire offered softly. “It can also be warmth, safety, and light. Like emotions, how you treat them can affect how they manifest.”

Looking into the flame for so long was starting to burn his eyes, but he couldn’t bring it in himself to look away, staring sombrely into its light. Using a technique he’d seen his father perform many times as a child, he carefully closed his hands around it and snuffed the fire, leaving nothing but smoke to slip through his fingers.

“I… hadn’t thought about it like that before.” He admitted, looking up and nearly startling at the proud grin the vampire bore.

“Look at you, you’re already a natural!” 

He let out a breathy laugh, wiping the smell of smoke off on his coat. “I only put it out, that’s hardly special.”

“I beg to differ, but we can work on that.” Scott smiled, tilting his head in amusement. “Now you can understand how I find it so strange that anyone speaks of ‘potential’. It’s as if discussing a person’s potential to feel, and isn’t that ridiculous?”

“I guess, wait- work on it?” Pyro paused, slowly processing the implication of his words. “You’re saying you’re willing to teach me?”

“Obviously,” The vampire laughed, as if it had easily been the most blatant course of action to him. “What, were you expecting me to throw you to the wolves?”

“I-“ his brain seemed to stop functioning entirely for a moment. “Mr. Goldsmith, I-“

“-please, just Scott is fine.”

“Scott Goldsmith, I-“ He literally couldn’t believe it. “I- I couldn’t! I literally broke into your home less than an hour ago, almost m-made an attempt on your life! I can’t just-“

“Oh, water under the bridge.” He scoffed with a wave of his hand. “It was never your intention to harm me anyways, was it?”

“Well- n-no, but-“

“Then what’s the issue?”

“I don’t deserve it!” He exclaimed, much louder than he’d meant to, slapping a hand over his mouth and quickly reeling himself in. “I mean I- I don’t understand. Why… are you being so kind to me?”

A number of emotions flashed through Scott’s eyes, none of which he was fast enough to catch besides the softness he landed on. 

“I apologize, I hadn’t meant to… rush you in any way.” The vampire smiled, a faint sadness to his gaze. “The truth is… I get a little bit lonely living out here all by myself. I enjoy my solitude to a degree, but… I don’t get many visitors who aren’t trying to kill me.”

“Oh,” Pyro breathed, stunned into stillness.

“You don’t have to stay here, I’d never force you-“ Scott said very seriously, placing a hand on his shoulder before letting it slip away. “But… It would be nice to have someone around again. Someone to talk to.”

“I see. How… long has it been exactly since you last went to town?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“Oakhurst?” He replied, before making an awkward grimace. “Well… formally- it’s been a couple centuries, at the very least.”

“Really?” Pyro gawked in disbelief. “-but it’s so close!”

“Yes, well- it’s generally much safer, for both the townsfolk and I if we remain… separate.” The vampire mumbled, looking almost embarrassed.

“What about other vampires?” He asked, “Surely you can’t be the only one.”

“No, I write old friends of mine on occasion, but unfortunately most of the vampires I’ve known- or well created, are no longer… around.”

“I’m… sorry.” He croaked, understanding the meaning between his words. The only fate that could have befallen those friends were violent murders, and he felt sick to his stomach knowing he’d been associating with the kind of people who were likely responsible. He doubted all of them were innocent, but if they were friends of Scotts then he couldn’t imagine them being much more monstrous than him.

“It’s alright. When you’re as old as I am, grief becomes quite natural.” He sighed wistfully. “There is a pair of younger vampires I mentored some time ago in the area, but they seem quite content keeping to themselves most of the time. We’re becoming rarer and rarer these days, it would seem. Maybe I should check on them.”

“I can’t imagine what it would have been like to isolate yourself for so long,” Pyro said quietly, knowing the silence would have long since driven him mad. 

“Well, I’m not entirely alone, I suppose.” The vampire shrugged, glancing out the window where the cattle could be seen grazing far below. “Caring for the herd is a good way to keep myself occupied. I depend on them, after all.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips, remembering how affectionate and sweet the animals had been. “You take good care of them.”

“Thank you,” Scott smiled. “I do have stores, but it’s important to keep a reliable source of blood handy. Cows certainly do have a lot to spare.”

Pyro chuckled. “I uh… can’t say I’ve ever really… thought about that either.“

“I’d be worried if you did,” Scott said, raising an eyebrow in amusement. 

After a breathy laugh a silence fell between them as Pyro genuinely considered the offer and everything it entailed. “…I’d be free to leave whenever I’d like, right?”

“Of course-“ He replied almost immediately, looking utterly appalled. “You aren’t a prisoner here, Pyro. You’re also under no obligation to keep an ancient thing such as myself entertained, believe me. I’ve handled far worse than a little bit of loneliness.”

There was nothing keeping him there, and knowing that dissolved what remained of his urgency to leave. After all, where did he really have to go? He had hardly any money to his name, and hadn’t had much of a plan coming here in the first place. He didn’t even know where he planned on sleeping tonight.

“I don’t know for how long, but I… I think I would be honoured if you allowed me to stay here with you.”

The wide grin Scott broke into reminded him a little too much of the cat who’d caught the canary, with his long and sharpened fangs. A part of him still worried he’d made some sort of grave mistake, but he supposed he’d just have to get used to how strange his life had suddenly become. Learning sorcery from a vampire in a hidden castle. How much stranger could it get?

Chapter Text

If you’d told Pyro he would have ended up living in a castle when coming to Oakhurst, he not only wouldn’t have believed you, but thought you quite mad. After all, there were no castles near Oakhurst, none known to the general public at least- and while the town was decently populated, an entire palace seemed out of the scope of its possible accomplishments. 

Now, he had an entire chamber to himself and free access to wander its halls, often guided by the vampire who resided within. The entire tour had taken almost entirely a full day, but even after that he still found it quite difficult to remember the layout of where everything was. He often worried about getting lost, left to wander its halls like a phantom for decades and never come across the only other inhabitant, who might easily pass him by and never be any the wiser, but luckily Scott always seemed to be there when he called. 

They spent long hours in the library chatting, Pyro explaining the many modern advancements of human technology, while receiving tidbits of knowledge about the ancient past in return. When the sun fell, Scott was able to show him the grounds around the castle as well, introducing him to the shelter where the cows came to sleep and spend the winter, the path that led around the back and across the river where paddocks of long grass grew, and the ethereal moonlit garden that resided in the courtyard. If there was anywhere to be stuck for multiple centuries, then this would certainly be the place. 

Despite his undead nature, the way Scott spoke about his home seemed so undeniably alive. He spoke of the paintings he’d made of the scenery, the plans he’d never followed through with planting an orchard, how he learned how to create so many things in order to provide for himself. Besides blood, they were all luxuries in the end, but he explained how important it was for him to appreciate the smaller joys of life whenever he could.

Something he seemed particularly excited about was having someone to cook for again. He didn’t need to eat, and apparently all food tasted quite off when you became a vampire, so he hadn’t sharpened the skill in many decades, but had allegedly become quite good at it sometime in the past.

Of course, their choice of ingredients was unfortunately limited in the isolated castle, mostly to milk from the cows and cheese from the cellar, which is what finally led Pyro back to town after about a week of improvised meals scraped together by his host. Scott’s culinary skills hadn’t been an exaggeration, but the vampire lamented not being able to display his full potential without the right ingredients, not so subtly batting his long lashes at Pyro to go fetch some for him. Not that he minded of course, considering the food was meant for him in the end.

So, here he was, again, treading through the woods in search of a road that always seemed to inexplicably evade him, back in the direction of Oakhurst. He was relieved to hear before he left that the spell that kept the castle hidden would no longer affect him since he was no longer a stranger, so at the very least he’d be able to find his way back.  

Once he was getting closer to town, his attention was quickly stolen by the sound of a frightened squealing, a horribly distressing sound that instantly drew him towards it to investigate. Passing through the brush, he came upon the source, and was baffled to find a small boar hanging from some sort of trap that kept it strung upside down to the branch of a tree. 

The poor creature let out pathetic snorts, seeming to have given up its struggle and simply lay hanging limp by the snare caught around one of its back legs. 

“Oh dear,” He murmured, reaching for his pocket knife and approaching the hanging pig, which squealed a bit in fear at his approach, but seemed to calm when he wrapped an arm around it and began cutting the rope.

It snapped and he gently lowered it down to the ground, intending to let it free and run back into the woods. 

“There you are,” He smiled, but it quickly faded when he watched the hog stumble and whine, limping on the back leg that had been caught. With a sigh, he picked it back up again, and looked around for some sort of herd or family it might have come from, but saw no traces of anything else.

Eventually he just sat down with it on his lap, gently petting its back in a way he hoped might bring it comfort. It was surprisingly small for a wild hog, likely quite young as well- and he found it difficult to shake the growing fondness he had for the animal. It settled quite contently in his grasp, giving quiet snorts that sounded almost happy. 

“Looks like you got left behind, huh?” He asked aloud to himself, feeling oddly sympathetic for the little runt. “What am I gonna do with you?”

The little pig seemed remarkably well behaved, and could easily make for a wonderful pet- although he wasn’t sure bringing a wild animal into Scott’s castle was the most polite thing to do as a guest. He wasn’t even entirely sure how to begin caring for it or the injury it had recently sustained- but handing it off to someone in town seemed like a good way to get the poor thing turned to pork chops. 

His pondering was interrupted by the rustling of the bushes, and he found himself grasping it in an almost protective sort of way as a figure walked out of the trees. It was a woman with deep red hair and a sword sheathed at her belt, who looked extraordinarily surprised to find him sitting on the ground, her hand flying up to rest on the weapon’s hilt. 

There was a tense moment where neither of them moved, and he watched her gaze drift confusedly to the creature upon his lap, her caution turning more to bewilderment.

“Is that… a pig?” She asked, brow furrowed in a puzzled stare.

“I uh… think it’s a small boar, actually.” Pyro responded automatically, frozen, but ready to defend this pig with his life. “-But uh, yeah. I… think so.”

They entered another awkward silence, neither seeming to have any idea on how to proceed in such an unusual situation. She looked far less ready to attack him, but he wasn’t going to take any chances by getting up and running from someone better armed than him.

“This uh… wasn’t your trap, was it?” He asked slowly, and he once again watched confusion flicker in her brow before she glanced up at the rope still attached to the tree, and the part he’d cut off resting on the forest floor, putting together the pieces. 

“…No.” She said, her hand slipping from the sword’s handle as her stance seemed to relax a little. “…I’m actually supposed to be dismantling traps in this area right now. Been causing too many problems so close to town.”

“Oh!” Pyro exclaimed, his shoulders deflating with relief. “Thank goodness. You had me worried for a second, there.”

Getting to his feet with the pig still in his arms, he decided to give the stranger a better look at its sweet little face. “Isn’t it cute?”

A faint smile appeared on the woman’s lips as she reached forwards to gently stroke its head. “She,” she corrected, and Pyro blinked, looking down.

“Oh, I guess you’re right.” He laughed. “Guess I probably could have noticed that earlier. She looks like she’d make a good truffle pig.”

“Is that her name?” The lady asked, and he raised his eyebrows.

“Well, I hadn’t gotten around to that quite yet. Seems like an awfully generic name for a pig, don’t you think?” He joked, but she shook her head.

“I like it. Her name is Truffle now.” She smiled, but her expression seemed to shift the moment they locked eyes again, as if remembering something important.

He was about to open his mouth to ask her what the matter was, but she beat him to it, her words sending an icy chill down his spine.

“Say… your name doesn’t happen to be Pyro, does it?”

‘They found me. Oh god, they found me.’

A thousand thoughts went hurtling through his mind all at once, and none of them said anything good. Had they reopened the case in his absence? Finally decided that he was guilty, and sent someone after him for an arrest? Was it already over?

“…What?” Was all he could manage breathlessly, with something he hoped might have passed as a weak smile on his face. 

“Some townsfolk just mentioned something about someone… matching your description disappeared a little over a week ago.” She explained, and the realization was like a sobering strike to the face.

“Ohh,” He laughed, dizzy with relief. “That must have been those nice folks at the tavern I ran into. Kind of- I mean, awfully sweet of them to worry over me like that.”

“So that is you?” The woman asked, and he nodded.

“Yes, I’m with er- staying with a friend, just outside of town. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble or worry anyone.” He chuckled, readjusting the pig in his arms.

“Well that’s a relief, I suppose.” She sighed, glancing around at the woods around them. “Should calm down those weird… conspiracy theorists once I tell them.”

“Conspiracy theorists?” He echoed in amusement, and she let out an even louder sigh.

“Yes, they’ve been hounding me non-stop about your alleged ‘disappearance.’ I swear, these small towns will take any chance to stir up ridiculous gossip.” She groaned. “I’m uh, Apokuna, by the way. I run the military outpost here in Oakhurst. Most people just call me Apo.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Apo.” Pyro smiled, hoping a nod would suffice instead of a handshake, considering his hands were sort of full at the moment. “Military outpost, huh? What’s that like?”

“I can show you, if you’d like.” She suggested, gesturing in the direction of town. “I’d… also like to get you to sign some stuff to prove you’re y’know…alive and well, if that’s not too much to ask.”

“-Oh, s-sure!” He stammered, following after her as she led the way back to town.

They entered Oakhurst from a different angle than when he’d first arrived, Apo leading him to a rather dilapidated old tower near the edge of the town’s walls, held up by scaffolding and very recent makeshift repairs.

“Wow,” he grimaced at the sight of its state, having expected something at least a little more put together.

“Yeah, it’s basically just me out here.” She grumbled, kicking a rock and scowling up at the old building. “It’s not much, but for the next six months or so, it’s home.” 

The door creaked loudly upon their entry, and thankfully the inside looked a lot more livable than the exterior suggested, even if it was clearly still under construction. It didn’t look like much of a military base, but he supposed if there was only one person working on it, then it would reasonably take some time.

“So, what is it exactly you do out here?” He asked, observing the ceiling beams, which thankfully seemed relatively sturdy. “What would the military want with a place like Oakhurst?”

He could imagine a few reasons, of course, but as far as anyone else should be aware, Oakhurst was still just a sleepy old town where not much of note ever happened. 

“Not sure, entirely.” Apo sighed, flipping through a stack of papers on a messy looking desk. “Something about protecting tourism. People around here seem to think I’m some kind of constable though, keep bothering me to help solve their problems.”

“I suppose that explains why you were in the woods looking around for traps,” He laughed, earning a soft ‘oink’ from the little boar in his arms.

She hummed out an acknowledgement, holding out a paper for him to take, before faltering when she realized he couldn’t really take it.

“-Er, here, would you take her for a moment?” He asked, handing her the pig. “-Careful, her leg is hurt, so I don’t want to put her down.”

“Oh,” She said, taking the pig and holding her gently. “I guess I could probably bring her down to the doc to take a look at it. He’s not really that busy these days, I hear.”

“Ah, well that’s good I suppose.” He replied, glancing over the forum she’d handed him before signing his name in the blanks. “You’d be up for taking care of her, then?”

She blinked at him quite comically, still holding the pig in her arms. 

“Huh?”

“Well, I uh- can’t really take her home myself, unfortunately.” He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m a guest, and I feel like that’d be a little rude. Still want to make sure she’s left in good hands, though.”

Apo sighed, holding out the pig to look into its eyes, and he watched her resolve crumble in real time.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” She grumbled, swapping to hold the pig like a baby. “Maybe I can train her to help me sniff out crime or something.”

Pyro snorted out a surprised laugh, feeling comforted by the undeniable fondness in her eyes. “Now that would be a sight to behold. Would I uh…be allowed to come and visit maybe…?”

She raised a brow at him, rolling her eyes and fighting a grin. “I mean yeah, duh. You found her.”

“You be good now, Truffle.” He smiled, patting the pig on the head. “I’d love to stay a bit longer, but I did actually come here with a few errands to run…”

“Go on, I’ll be fine.” She huffed with an amused smile. “Feel free to drop by any time though, I have an extra room if you ever need it.”

“Wow, thank you-“ He blinked, knowing he would have quickly taken the offer had he not already been staying somewhere. “It’s been very nice meeting you, Apo. Maybe I’ll drop by the tavern too, let them know I’m alright to save you the trouble.”

“That would actually… be greatly appreciated.” She smiled, and he nodded, adding it to his mental list of tasks.

“I’ll see you around, I guess.”

“See you!”

. . .

Scott had lent him a decent amount of money along with the extensive catalogue of everything requested, but unfortunately Pyro could only carry so much. He figured that surely he wasn’t expected to bring all of this back in one trip, so he only ended up filling a large paper bag he could easily carry along. The rest would have to wait until the next time he came to town, and he wondered how strong he was going to get with all the heavy lifting he’d been doing lately.

True to his word, he stopped by the same tavern he’d visited his first day there, finding it significantly busier for the lunch rush. It took him a while to locate Pearl chatting with Ren by the counter, another blond haired waiter he didn’t recognize bussing the tables. It seemed to take her a moment to recognize him, but once she did her face lit up immediately.

“Hey, It’s you!” She gasped and he gave a little wave. “Pyro, right? We thought you went missing!”

“Yeah, someone called Apo filled me in on it.” He chuckled, sitting on one of the stools and setting his groceries down on the counter. “Sorry for running out on you like that the other day, didn’t think I’d worry you so much.”

“We’re just glad yer safe, laddie.” Ren smiled, looking deeply relieved. “Happy to have you back.”

“Where’d you run off to anyways?” Pearl asked, plopping some coins in her pocket into some sort of tip jar. “Nobody’s seen you for the better part of a week.”

“-You’re the missing man?” Someone unfamiliar gasped from the bar beside him, eyes shining as though he were some sort of celebrity. “What did you see out there? Was it really vampires?”

Pyro blinked, a little overwhelmed by the man’s enthusiasm. “Sorry, you are…?”

“Oh! Forgive me, M. Sausage- famous writer and novelist. I’m surprised you didn’t recognize me!” He laughed, vigorously shaking Pyro’s hand before he’d even reached it out to do so. “So- what did you find?”

There was a flicker of recognition in his memory, remembering mentions of a writer who’d started all of this in the first place. He was surprised to find he did in fact recognize the name, although putting it to a face was a little unexpected. He was a refined, bearded gentleman, although there was a twinge of something unhinged about him which would certainly explain how he might have made it past the barrier and discovered Scott’s castle, returning to town with his extravagant tales.

“…Exactly how many rumours did you spread about my disappearance?” He asked Pearl, who put her hands up in surrender.

“Hey, I just reported you missing after a couple of days. The rumours just kind of happened on their own, mate.” She shrugged, and he sighed, gaze returning to the vibrating author.

“There was… nothing.” He lied, knowing it was far from his secret to reveal. “At least when it comes to what I saw. Just… more forest.”

“What?” He pouted, looking positively crestfallen. “No, that can’t be possible. I- I know what I saw.”

“Maybe ye were just imagining things, don ‘cha know?” Ren suggested, coming to his aid, but the writer just shook his head.

“Well- what happened with the hunters you were with?” He asked, and Pyro had to keep himself from physically flinching.

He honestly hadn’t thought much of the hunters since coming to live with Scott, or what had become of their bodies. It made him a little ill to think about, but he doubted Scott would have done anything horrible. It had been something he’d left out of sight, out of mind, but he didn’t have too much time to think about it before he knew his silence would become suspicious. 

“I… don’t know.” He replied semi-honestly. “We… stopped for a break, and I sat down to take a short nap. By the time I woke up, they’d already left me behind.”

He wasn’t sure how believable the lie was, but he was quite proud of himself for coming up with it so quickly. It still left him as the last person to see them alive, but as far as anyone was aware, they simply hadn’t come back to town. They could have easily moved on, deciding that Oakhurst wasn’t worth their time.

“Dang, that’s cold.” Pearl commented, and he shrugged, scratching at the back of his neck.

“Ah, it’s what I get for falling behind, I suppose. They seemed pretty serious about not wasting time, so that one’s on me.” He chuckled, his notebook burning in his pocket with the drawings and evidence that could easily blow his whole story wide open. “I wandered around for a couple hours before someone who lived nearby found me, and I’ve been staying with them ever since.”

Luckily, this man had no reasonable excuse to search him or look through his things, which left him with nothing but a disappointed expression.

“Well, at least you didn’t come across any beasties.” Ren nodded, looking satisfied with his story. “Puts me mind at ease to know the shadows in those woods are nothing but that.”

“B-but-“

“Sausage.” Pearl said firmly, giving the man a look that quickly shut him up. “I think you ought to be getting a little more rest, alright? You’re gonna wind up hurting yourself if you keep running around out there.”

The author let out a deep sigh, and Pyro admittedly felt a little guilty for gaslighting him like this. 

“Martyn, grab our friend a drink, will ye?” Ren called to the other server chatting to customers at a table. “On the house, laddie,” he winked at Sausage.

“Thanks, Ren.” The writer mumbled miserably, and he heard Pearl sigh.

“Guess I should let Shelby know you’re alright as well,” She mused, tapping her chin. “I think she was starting some sort of investigation with that club of hers.”

“Oh?” Pyro asked, the name sounding familiar.

“That’s right- I was going to introduce you to her!” Pearl said, clapping her hands together. “Ren, mind if I take my break a little early? Could kill two birds with one stone, here.”

“‘Course ye can.” Ren smiled with all the patience of a saint. “Don’t be a stranger now, Mr. Pyro. If you come ‘round another time I could probably give ye a free meal for all the trouble we’ve caused ye.”

“Oh, it’s no problem, really.” He smiled, picking up his bag from the counter and standing up to leave. “Thank you, though. Was nice seeing you again.”

“Hurry back will you?” The other waiter, Martyn presumably, told Pearl as he passed by back into the kitchen. “You better not be leavin’ me to handle lunch rush by my self, y’know!”

“Oh, you’ll be fine!” Pearl called back, before nodding her head towards the exit. “Shall we?”

Following Pearl out of the tavern and down the street, Pyro got his first real good look at town besides the market. The buildings were old, but well kept, a number of trees planted alongside the roads that provided it with a lovely amount of shade. He hadn’t seen many towns with a layout like this before, and idly wondered who might have had designed it. 

Eventually they came to a homely little cottage with tulips planted out front, which Pyro casually admired while Pearl knocked on the door.

“Coming!” A muffled voice called from inside, followed by a concerning amount of clunking before the door opened to reveal a girl with frizzy red hair and large lensed glasses, who looked like she’d just taken a bit of a tumble.

“Are you okay?” Pearl asked, clearly suppressing laughter. 

“Yeah, just cleaning!” She said breathlessly, smoothing down her hair and clothes to make herself more presentable. “What brings you here, Pearl? I thought you’d be working at this hour. I mean not that I’m- not glad to have you, you’re always welcome here.”

“Thank you, Shelby.” She chuckled, before nodding her head towards Pyro. “Wanted to introduce you to that missing mystery man you’ve been searching for, that’s all.”

“Is… that what people have been calling me?” Pyro asked, and Shelby gasped, not entirely unlike the author in the tavern.

“You’re alive??” She exclaimed. “Oh darn, I guess that means you didn’t get eaten by a werewolf then, huh?”

“S-sorry…?”

“Oh! Sorry,” she laughed, looking a little guilty. “We all had guesses on what happened to you, but unless you’re a ghost I guess mine was wrong.”

“Entirely corporeal, last time I checked.” He smiled, raising an eyebrow.

She finally stuck out a hand, and he adjusted his grip on the bag he was carrying to shake it. “Hi- I’m Shelby! Sorry for making bets on your potential demise and all.”

“I’m Pyro.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Bets, you say?”

“Well- there were no actual stakes, besides bragging rights I guess. I don’t suppose you went on a date with Bigfoot either, did you?”

At that, he couldn’t help but let out a full blown cackle, his resolve finally broken. “Pahah!- what!?”

“Mmm, didn’t think so.” She nodded wisely, stroking her chin. 

“I thought he might be a good fit for that club of yours,” Pearl mentioned, looking more than used to the shenanigans. “-said he was looking into Oakhurst’s history and all that. Also seems to be willing to run off into the woods looking for stuff.”

“Hey, it was one time.” He snorted, giving her a nudge.

“Really?” Shelby beamed, bouncing on her heels. “Goodness, at this rate I’m gonna run out of room to hold meetings here!”

“Well hold on- what’s this club actually about. Before I commit to joining.” 

“Oh, we investigate mysteries!” She whispered theatrically. “There’s a lot of lost history and weird things in this town, and I can prove it! …Ok well maybe not definitively- but we’re working on that.”

It certainly sounded like a group dedicated to sniffing for trouble, but considering the fact that they’d already been investigating his absence, then perhaps he had a better chance flying under the radar from the inside. He could even help herd them away from Scott’s castle if need be, throw them off the scent. Shelby did also seem like genuinely a fun person to be around.

“Well, I’ll leave the two of you to it.” Pearl sighed, squinting up at the sun. “Gotta get back before the orders start piling up.”

“Bye Pearl!” Shelby waved as she trotted down the path, leaving Pyro awkwardly standing at the doorway of a person he’d just met.

“So… how many members do you have?” He asked, not wanting to crowd.

“I mean so far it’s just me, Drift, and Avid- and you, if you do decide to join- which we’d be happy to have you, by the way.” She said, chattering on with little difficulty. “Oh, they’re going to be so excited to find out you’ve been found! What did you see out there? Wait!- don’t tell me.”

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a slightly folded and slightly crumpled piece of paper to hand to him, which he did his best to unravel with the one free hand he had available. It looked like some kind of flyer or ad, and he was surprised to find he recognized it, having seen it in his peripherals a few times when wandering the market. Most of them had been partially covered up or torn, but this one was actually legible.

It read ‘CRYTID CLUB’ in big calligraphy letters, some smaller text on the lower half of the page listing the address he was currently at and some meeting times throughout the week.

“We actually meet later tonight, if you just wanna stop by and check things out.” She suggested, clasping her hands together excitedly. “You can tell us all about it there!”

While he didn’t particularly fancy getting interrogated again like he had with Mr. Sausage, the siren song of companionship was awfully tempting. He’d never had any friends growing up, but Shelby genuinely seemed like someone who he could get along with, and might have even been friends with when he was younger. The only problem was, he’d feel awfully guilty leaving Scott at the castle all alone, despite the vampire’s constant reassurances it didn’t bother him. 

“Do you think I could bring a friend, maybe?” He blurted out without really thinking it through, and her eyes widened, before her smile grew even wider.

“Of course! The more the merrier! Goodness, I have so many preparations to make-“ She gasped with a realization, slapping a hand against the side of her face. “Oh, I have to completely reset the cork board-“

“-Sounds like fun, but I do uh… need to get these back, so…” He trailed off awkwardly, gesturing to the bag of goods in his arms.

“Right, yes! See you tonight then?”

He nodded, placing the flyer in his pocket and waving goodbye.

“See you tonight.”

. . .

“A club, you say?” Scott mused, chopping vegetables in the kitchen while Pyro sat and watched him work. The space seemed awfully large for only one person, but he presumed it was likely because it had originally been built with an entire cooking staff in mind, meant for preparing great feasts and banquets. For now though, it was only the two of them.

“I guess you could even consider it a fan club, for you.” He added with a lilt of amusement, tapping his pencil against the page of his notebook as he scribbled mindless ramblings.

“Oh?” The vampire grinned, looking considerably more intrigued.

“Well- I’m not sure about you specifically, unless you happen to be behind every mystery in Oakhurst and you’ve yet to tell me.” He replied, and Scott provided an exaggerated pout.

“No, unfortunately not.” He sighed, rolling his eyes as he swept the chopped vegetables into the pan with a loud sizzle. “Probably most of them, though.”

Pyro chuckled, shaking his head. “And how would you know? I thought you hadn’t been there for centuries.”

“Pah, it was only two.” The vampire scoffed, waving off two lifetimes with his hand like they were nothing. “I was asleep for most of it anyways. Rest doesn’t come easy to the wicked, you know.”

“You sleep?” He blinked, surprised.

“Sometimes,” Scott said, keeping his hands busy with the food. “I don’t need it nearly as much as you, but it’s good to get some every once in a while. It’s a good way to pass the time, quite comfortable too.”

“What about the cows, though? Who cares for them while you’re not awake?”

“I usually put them away before I sleep, or go anywhere for an extended amount of time,” He explained, flipping the contents of the pan. “Built rune-working into the barn a long time ago that allows me to keep them in a sort of unconscious stasis.“

“Fascinating,” Pyro breathed, flipping to another page to note the new information. “You’re saying those cows could be older than me?”

Scott laughed, shaking his head. “I mean chronologically, I suppose- but physically they’re just regular old cows. As long as there’s grass for them to eat, they couldn’t care less what time period they’re living in.”

“Huh.” He stated dumbly, the idea throwing him for a loop. Obviously if you took any person and preserved them asleep for that amount of time, they’d be horrified to find pretty much everyone they’d ever known was dead, but for a herd of cows- he couldn’t imagine they’d even so much as notice a difference. “What a strange thing to think about.”

“It actually wasn’t long before you arrived that I woke up,” The vampire continued. “Felt someone stumble past the barrier despite the fact it’s specifically designed to keep wanderers out.”

“The writer?” Pyro guessed, thinking of no one else deranged enough to try such a thing. “You met him?”

“Is that what he was?” Scott asked, not sounding particularly interested as he began plating the food. “No- not in person. I would have loved to talk with him, but he ran off before I even got the chance.”

“The castle is a bit foreboding from a distance, I will admit.”

“I mean yes,” The vampire sighed dramatically. “-but I’m nice! I just have a grandly superior taste in aesthetics, that’s all! Not my problem if people find it intimidating.”

Pyro laughed, setting down his notebook as the meal was placed in front of him, his mouth watering from its lovely aroma. “Wow, this looks incredible.”

It looked to be a nicely seared steak, topped with a delicious looking sauce he didn’t recognize, and framed nicely by a variety of fried up vegetables, a picture perfect garnish of parsley resting on top. 

“Like I said, superior taste in aesthetics.” Scott smirked smugly, and he rolled his eyes.

As he took his first bite, he soon discovered that he had every right to be smug, as it tasted just as wonderful as it looked- filling him with a warmth he’d almost forgotten. Pyro had spent a good couple of years only eating food to sustain himself, and had only been scarfing down stale bread and rations during most of his travels. It had been a very long time since he’d gotten the chance to sit down and appreciate a tasty home cooked meal like this.

It made him almost misty eyed, somehow easing the loneliness that always plagued him, if only a little. Someone had made this for him, not just to feed him, but to make him happy. It was delicious.

“So, how is it?” Scott grinned, leaning forwards and resting his chin on his hand, oblivious to the wild ride of emotions swirling inside him.

“Good-“ He replied, trying his best not to sound choked up and failing miserably. “It’s- It’s really good.”

“What’s the matter?” The vampire frowned, looking down at the dish in puzzlement. “Usually that one’s always a hit.”

“No- it’s incredible!” He laughed, quickly swiping his eyes and shaking his head. “I mean it, I just… really appreciate this, I guess. It’s… been a long time since I’ve had something this good.”

He didn’t just mean the food, of course. Having someone who actually wanted him around, actually listened to what he had to say, it was more than he could’ve ever asked for. It was more than he probably deserved.

“Hmm, then I suppose I’ll have to introduce you to some even finer luxuries, then.” Scott smiled, shaking off a hint of sadness that bled into his gaze. “If you think that’s good, then my pasta is going to blow your mind.”

Pyro covered up a snort with his hand, careful not to spit any sauce.

“I look forward to it,” He grinned, swallowing his bite. “Oh! I almost forgot. Here, this was the flyer I was given for the club.”

He pulled the paper out of his pocket and smoothed it out of the counter, sliding it over to Scott who looked over it in amusement.

“Handing an open invitation to a vampire, are we?” He teased, letting out a disapproving tsk. “How dangerous.”

“Well, you said you were lonely, right?” Pyro explained between bites, trying not to speak with his mouth full. “I thought it might do you some good to get out of the castle for a night or so.”

Scott’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, you were being serious?”

“I mean yeah,” he shrugged, averting his gaze and rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck. “-only if you want to, of course. Shelby said I could bring a friend if I wanted.”

Was it too presumptuous of him to call the vampire his friend? They’d only been living together for approximately a week, and to Scott that must have seemed like nothing at all. Was there some kind of ancient vampire custom he was breaking or disrespecting by interacting with him so casually? He’d never mentioned anything like that before, but then again he knew most vampires worked within the frame of a hierarchy-

“You think it wise to bring me, a vampire, to a club dedicated to investigating the paranormal?” He grinned with a raised brow, and Pyro’s jaw dropped at his own lack of consideration.

“….I-“ he balked, but didn’t get a chance to get a single word out.

“Wait no, actually that’s hilarious- let’s do it!” Scott cackled, looking utterly delighted.

“Wai- wha? Are you sure?” Pyro gaped, trying to recover from the instant whiplash of such a quick change in attitude.

“I mean, I wouldn’t want to impose…” The vampire sighed, looking the slightest bit guilty.

“N-no!” He blurted out, his heart leaping into his throat. “You wouldn’t, I just- God, I didn’t think about that, would that even be safe for you?”

Scott laughed in such a soft and genuine way that it caught him off guard, and nearly stole the breath from his lungs. “It’s sweet of you to worry, but you really don’t need to. I’ve been around a long time, and I know how to handle myself. You ought to be worried more about these new friends of yours, really.”

“I know you wouldn’t hurt them,” Pyro said with a surprising amount of certainty, causing his companion to give him a look.

“Do you?” He challenged, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve known me for a week, Pyro.”

“I-“ He felt his face flush a little, his mind trying to catch up to why his heart had been so certain. 

It was true, he didn’t know Scott all that well just yet, but never once had he considered the possibility of the vampire trying to hurt anyone in town. From everything he’d seen so far, it just didn’t seem to be in his nature to do something so unreasonable, but he had to remember there was a chance it could all be an act. Maybe it was just pure naivety on his part, forgetting that men could lie.

“-To be fair, I wouldn’t.” Scott sighed, waving his hand. “-but you shouldn’t be so quick to trust a vampire- for future reference.”

“You didn’t kill me,” he argued, a little late. “That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

“…Perhaps.” The vampire hummed thoughtfully, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “But maybe I just like you, that’s all.”

Pyro let out a soft huff of a laugh, although he didn’t miss the strange feeling the words stirred in his gut. “So, are you coming or not?”

“Oh, sure.” Scott smiled. “Why not?”

. . .

He worried they might be late, leaving after the sun had already set, but the time specified on the sheet went relatively late, so he tried not to worry too much about it. The dim glow of twilight was enough to lead them to town, although just before entering the streetlight, he saw Scott slip an opal amulet out of his pocket and hang it around his neck. He was about to ask what it was for when the vampire suddenly stepped into the soft golden glow, looking similar, but at the same time entirely different.

“Whoa,” he blinked, quickly rubbing his eyes as Scott grinned without the fangs that always peeked over his lip.

His hair had transformed from its usual snowy white to rich cyan blue, although his eyebrows and eyelashes might have been a lighter brown by the looks of things. He no longer looked as pale as death, a healthy dusting of colour bringing life back into his face and making him almost unrecognizable in combination with the red of his eyes faded to a cool blue as well. It made him look so normal, so human, that Pyro could have easily forgotten that he’d ever been a vampire in the first place.

“What do you think?” Said vampire giggled devilishly, giving a small twirl in the lamplight. “I’m partial to my usual look, but this’ll do in a pinch.”

“An illusion?” He asked, Scott seeming to drink in the attention his appearance was being given with a nod. “…It’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

“It was a gift from an old friend of mine,” Scott explained, looking down at the amulet and holding it in his hand with a reminiscent smile. “Haven’t used it in ages. Comes in quite handy though, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” Pyro agreed, taking the disguised vampire’s arm as it was offered to him. “Guess I shouldn’t have underestimated you.”

“Forgiven,” Scott chirped cheerfully, practically bouncing along the street with a radiant smile. Pyro wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him look so happy, and smiled to himself, glad he’d thought to bring him along.

They arrived at Shelby’s house not long after, although he made a mental note to show Scott around the rest of town whenever he got the chance, eager to ask him about what he recognized and what he didn’t.

After knocking on the red door to the cottage, their host came to let them in, her eyes alight with excitement. “You came!”

“Of course,” He smiled, before stepping back to gesture to Scott. “This is my uh… roommate, Scott.”

“Oh, hello!” Shelby beamed, holding out her hand to shake before her gaze drifted to what he wore. “Wow, I love your outfit.”

The vampire gasped, grinning widely. “Thank you! At least someone appreciates my eye for fashion.”

“I just told you to wear something casual,” Pyro snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Excuse me, this is casual.”

Nothing about anything Scott wore ever really screamed casual, but he had to admit the vampire had significantly toned it down per his request. He wore a frilly blouse with a warm brown waistcoat over top, a pair of black slacks, and some shining black shoes. He was still adorned with sparkling jewelry, of course, but it wasn’t the flashiest of his collection that Pyro had seen, the opal amulet disguising him tucked neatly inside his shirt.

“Well I think it looks great.” Shelby said, and he sighed, deciding it a waste of time to argue his innocence. “I’m Shelby by the way, it’s nice to meet you!”

“Scott Goldsmith.” The vampire replied, finally shaking her hand with a friendly smile. “Quite charmed.”

Inviting them inside, Shelby led them to a cozy looking living room where two other members seemed to be arguing over a cork board tangled with a complete mess of red string and paper. 

“I told you, it doesn’t make any sense!” A young man wearing a green waistcoat and bandages around his neck hissed, the woman in a suit standing beside him looking hardly convinced by whatever he was saying.

She opened her mouth to speak, but paused upon seeing them enter, a weariness evaporated from her face and morphing into something more friendly.

“Oh, you two must be the new members Shelby was telling us about.” She smiled, adjusting her monocle, ignoring the spluttering of the man beside her. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Drift, and this is Avid.”

“Wh- don’t tell them our names!” The less friendly of the two whispered, Avid, apparently.

“…Why not?” Drift asked at full volume, looking slightly bewildered by his behaviour.

“I-“ He looked at Scott and Pyro with a flicker of worry and a great deal of suspicion, and let out a sigh. “N- never mind. Which one of you is the alleged missing man?”

“I do have a name, you know.” Pyro replied with a tilt of his head, and the young man’s eyes narrowed in on him, as if locking onto a target. 

“Oh yeah? What is it?” He asked in a strangely accusatory tone, although what exactly he suspected him of, he was yet to discover.

“…Pyro?” He said slowly, put off by the stranger’s immediate hostility.

Drift sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him back a few inches. “Listen, I’m sorry about him. He’s just been a little on edge ever since he arrived in town a couple days ago.” She explained.

“Ah, you’re new to town as well?” He offered casually, hoping they’d just got off on the wrong foot.

“Yeah. You’d know that, wouldn’t you?” Avid squinted, only puzzling him even further.

“Oh-kay!” Shelby laughed, breaking the tension between her guests and ushering them to sit down in the living room. “How about we all relax for a minute, huh? I’m gonna go prepare some snacks. Scott, would you mind helping me in the kitchen?”

“Of course, dear.” The vampire smiled, and the two of them left the room as she began prattling about Bigfoot, Scott seeming genuinely intrigued by whatever she was saying.

“I feel like there’s been… some kind of miscommunication.” Pyro sighed awkwardly, turning back to Avid, who now glowered at him from across the room in a comfortable looking armchair. 

“I… feel that way too!” Drift laughed a little, shaking her head. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for all of this, though. I’m just a little confused on the timeline, is all. How’d you end up in Oakhurst of all places?”

Pyro allowed his nerves to settle a little, comforted by a far more normal and relaxed line of questioning. “I came here looking for a subject to write my thesis on, actually.” He said, threading his fingers together and placing his hands in his lap. 

“Oh, you’re here for school then?” Drift asked with interest, sipping from a drink she picked up from the table. The two of them had clearly been here a lot longer before they’d arrived.

“I suppose so, yes.” He smiled, glancing at the messy cork board set up behind her. “It certainly seems like… quite an interesting place.“

“You can say that again,” she chuckled, placing the cup back down on the coffee table. “Apparently they’ve been seeing lots of new people come through here recently, hard to keep track of everyone around.”

“I’m surprised anyone noticed I was gone, then.” Pyro blinked, knowing he hardly stood out in a crowd.

“Ah well, it’s quite the tight knit community from what I’ve gathered.” Drift nodded, stroking her chin. “People like to watch out for each other, even if they’re little more than strangers. I might even call them paranoid about people disappearing, if I wasn’t already friends with Avid, that is.”

“Hey!” The man protested, crossing his arms. “I’m not paranoid, okay? I’m just cautious.”

“What about, if I might ask?” Pyro prompted, admittedly curious as to what had gotten him so riled up.

“Vampires.” Avid replied with a chilling certainty, and it took him a moment to regain his composure enough to let out a nervous chuckle.

“…Vampires?”

“Yes- they’re here. I can smell it.” He grumbled, although from his general lack of reaction to Scott, Pyro had a feeling- or at least hoped that wasn’t the case. “Why are you acting all oblivious about it, huh? You were with the hunters when they disappeared, weren’t you?”

He felt his throat tighten a little with panic, images of brutal and gory demises flashing across his mind briefly, before he quickly shook them away. He didn’t know them. He didn’t know where they were. Not… specifically, at least.

“Right,” He swallowed subtly, making a show of rolling his eyes. “Them.”

“So you did meet them?” Drift asked, looking surprised, and he worried he might have somehow already given himself away.

“Briefly.” He started, taking a deep breath and reminded to stick to his cover story. “I wanted to ask them about their work and such, but they ended up leaving me behind while I was taking a rest. I sort of just… assumed they didn’t find anything and moved on to another town.”

“Oh,” she said, seeming to take his words at face value. “That would make sense, I guess.”

“N-no!” Avid protested, standing up and clenching his fists. “It doesn’t! Why wouldn’t they come back to town to report their findings? They- they also wouldn’t have just left you alone like that, unless- unless something bad had happened! They wouldn’t have left you behind like that!”

“Avid,” Drift warned, also standing to place a hand on his shoulder once again, giving him a look that Pyro couldn’t see from where he was sitting.

He seemed to deflate a little, collapsing back into his chair with a huff.

“I’m not crazy.” He mumbled pathetically, and a stabbing guilt pierced Pyro’s stomach, far worse than when he’d lied to the author.

“I never said you were,” she sighed gently, squeezing his shoulder. “-Listen, I know you’re going through a lot right now, but I think it’s important to remember that not everyone’s as dedicated to this job as you are. Maybe they really just… left.”

The realization hit Pyro over the head with all the gentleness of a swinging metal pipe, his stomach sinking as pieces finally fell into place.

“You’re the apprentice that was supposed to be going with them,” he breathed in disbelief, and Avid’s head jerked back up to meet his gaze.

“How-?”

“They mentioned it- well, one of them did- before we left.” He explained, struck by the unusual coincidence of it all. “I… didn’t think much of it at the time, but- I guess that must have been you, huh?”

How peculiar that he happened to meet the very person he’d set out to impersonate his very first day here. In the chaos, he’d almost entirely forgotten the absent member of the party, who now sat before him, knowing nothing about how his tardiness might have just saved his life. Knowing nothing about the fate of his alleged mentors, or how their killer stood chatting to Shelby just in the other room. What a cruel twist of fate.

“Y-yeah.” Avid said, averting his gaze and fiddling with his sleeve. “Originally I was going to come here with my- a friend of mine, but she didn’t… she… ended up passing. Quite suddenly.”

“Oh god, I’m… so sorry.” Pyro whispered, wishing he could tell the man exactly how sorry he really was. 

“It’s-“ He sniffled, wiping his eyes and quickly shaking his head. “It’s fine, I’m alright. I just…”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Drift said softly, placing a hand on his knee. “Take your time.”

“…Right.”

“I’ve got snacks!” Shelby sang, returning to the room at the least opportune moment, her whimsy dimming slightly when she sensed the sour mood that had settled over them. “Whoa, what happened in here?”

“Nothing!” Avid smiled nervously, waving his hands. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, Shelby.”

“He’s just a little bummed about the dead end, that’s all.” Drift said as their hostess placed the platter of snacks down on the table and sat down next to her.

“It’s a shame we both ate before coming here,” Scott practically appeared, sitting down by Pyro with all the grace of an elegant cat. “It all looks positively delectable.”

“Aw shucks,” Shelby chuckled, placing a hand on her cheek, before turning back to Drift. “I know the two of you haven’t eaten yet though, so uh… get munchin’!”

The rest of the evening passed by rather pleasantly, including a game of cryptid themed bingo, discussions of local folklore, and an unusual debate on whether or not Pyro was Bigfoot’s type. Save for the initial accusations, they all got along quite well, and ended up laughing enough to make his stomach and face hurt. It was nice to see Scott socializing with other people for a change, and under the illusion of the amulet’s spell, he almost seemed normal. Well, as normal as he could get.

Unfortunately, the phantom of his guilt remained at the back of his mind for most of the night, a nagging itch he couldn’t quite be rid of. It began to wear on him the longer they stayed, until Scott suddenly made some vague excuse for them to leave, which he hadn’t the energy to deny. They said their goodbyes, and promised to come visit again, before returning once more to the briskness of the night.

“…Pyro?” Scott prompted gently once they were far enough away, approaching the edge of town. It startled him from a strange haze that had come over him, one he might have felt had he been deep in thought, although his mind felt mostly blank.

“Yes?” He asked, a tiredness pulling at his eyelids.

“Are you… alright?” The vampire asked, a worried look in his eyes.

He blinked, inhaling sharply and doing his best to keep himself awake enough to have this conversation. “Y-yeah, I just…”

Trailing off, he glanced back towards the cottage they’d just departed from, and even though he couldn’t see it from where he was standing, he could still feel its warmth. What an imposter he felt like, lying to their faces like that. How guilty he was, to be the only survivor.

“It was Avid,” He mumbled, his eyes falling to inspect the cobblestones beneath their feet.

“Bit of a strange one, that.” Scott hummed, stepping closer to bump their shoulders together. “He didn’t say anything awful to you while I was gone, did he?”

“No, no-“ Pyro shook his head and sighed. “It’s just… he was the apprentice that was meant to be with the monster hunters that day.”

A cold breeze blew through him, rustling the leaves of the trees before falling into a heavy silence. After a moment, he finally got the courage to look up, and saw such a devastated look on the vampire’s face.

“…I’m so sorry, Pyro.” He whispered, his eyes falling into that same sadness he’d seen so many times before.

“Wh- for what?” He blinked, confused.

“Well… I’ve put you in quite the terrible situation, haven’t I?” Scott smiled sadly, reaching up to hold Pyro’s hands in his own. “…I’ve forced you to lie, made you an unwilling accomplice to my crimes.”

“You haven’t forced me to do anything,” Pyro laughed softly, automatically doing his best to wrap his fingers around the other’s hands to try and warm them. “I could’ve told anyone everything, at any time.”

“…Why haven’t you?”

Their eyes met, and he found that if he looked close enough, in the direct light of the street lamp, he could see the gentle shimmer of the spell that rested over him. It was only from a certain angle, but the images of him seemed to overlap slightly, turning his irises a brilliant purple, a mix of the two colours his eyes were trying to perceive.

“…You were just defending yourself,” He said quietly, a faint ache inside his chest. “-and if that makes you a monster, then I suppose… it would make me one as well.”

“You’re not a monster.” Scott said, with a similar certainty to what he’d felt before. 

“Then neither are you.”

The vampire shook his head and smiled, chuckling softly to himself. He didn’t quite look like he believed Pyro’s words, and while they might not have been true in the literal sense, he disliked the idea that Scott might think of himself that way. Not when he’d already been so kind to him.

“What am I to do with you?” He sighed fondly, tilting his head.

“Mm… taking me home would be a good start.” Pyro suggested, fighting a yawn. “I’m beat.”

Eased by the melodic sound of the vampire’s laugh, he felt the tension in his mind slowly begin to melt away. He thought to himself that he might be alright with lying from now on, if it meant he got to hear it again.

“If you insist.” Scott smiled, taking his hand and leading him into the dark.

He couldn’t see a thing as they trekked through the woods, but Pyro found he didn’t feel a single hint of fear as he allowed himself to be sleepily pulled along. His instincts must have been particularly poor to feel so safe wandering into the woods at night with a man he’d met only a week ago- a vampire no less, but he found that he didn’t really care. Should his death be a kind embrace, then he would take it over the cruelty of life any day.

. . .

Somewhere else in the woods, somewhere very far away, a demon was being hunted. She knew not who she was or why, only the familiar scent she desperately pursued. She had no way of knowing where she was going, who she would meet there, and what she was leading to them in the process. Some tragedies, after all, cannot be avoided.

Chapter Text

Pyro ended up thinking a lot about his past in the following couple of days. The life he’d lived, the actions that haunted him, and the shadow he’d been running from ever since he could remember. Self-reflection was far from one of his favourite activities, often preferring to bury himself in a book or his studies to distract himself from the dimness of his reality, but there seemed to be a strange relevance to his history lately that was becoming hard to ignore. 

What exactly made a person a monster? Was it their actions? Their nature? Their past? Where did that leave him on the scale of things? Despite having seen Scott use his monstrous qualities to defend himself, he found it quite difficult to think of him in such a way at all. He showed more remorse than most humans he’d ever met, and seemed to worry for Pyro in a way no one else ever really had- treated him with a gentleness he wasn’t sure he deserved. If Scott believed himself to be unforgivable, then what chance did he stand?

He shook the thought from his mind with a sigh, anxiously flicking his thumb against his index finger- an old habit from his younger days he’d never really shaken. It had been a while since he had done it, having replaced it with squeezing his thumb in the worry it might come off as a tell when he lied. He remembered doing it so often at one point that he’d made the tip of his finger bleed.

Looking at his hand, a wave of nostalgia overtook him, followed by a heavy grief of the life he’d left behind. A spark of anger followed, a largely illogical feeling he had nowhere to direct but himself, cursing his mind for remembering things in a better light than they’d been. To be treated kindly by so many people here in Oakhurst really put into perspective the misery of his childhood and the abuse he’d endured. A pain that had beat him into a corner again and again, begging him to lash out, begging him to do something. 

‘What could a failure like you ever hope to achieve?’

With a frustrated growl, he flicked his thumb sharply again, hoping it might get rid of the ugly feeling inside of him. Instead, he was shocked to see a small flame flicker to life, gently balanced against the tip of his thumb as if his nail were the wick of a candle. It sent a rush of memories flooding through him, a barrage of something long forgotten.

After closing his hand around it and snuffing it out, he left his room and rushed through the halls of the castle with a familiar franticness, his hands trembling with something that could have been excitement or fear, he wasn’t quite sure. He burst into the library, startling Scott who was reading by the window, and he was suddenly struck by a horrible shame and crippling dread that crept over his skin and settled deep in his bones.

“-Pyro? What’s the matter?” The vampire blinked, looking slightly alarmed.

“I-“ His throat tightened up, and it suddenly became difficult to speak.

‘Speak, boy. You’re wasting my time.’

“Are you okay?” Scott asked, instantly putting down his book and standing to come check on him, ruby red eyes darting about, searching for any sort of injury.

He could only nod, but again simply couldn’t find the words. There was only a lightness in his head, a tightness in his chest, and the pounding of his heart, which felt deafening as it hammered against his ribcage. Unable to speak, the only thing he could think to do was demonstrate, holding up his hand for Scott to see, before flicking his thumb the same way as before, summoning the small flame which just barely seemed to burn.

Despite the dismal display, Scott’s eyes widened in realization before crinkling in delight, a wide smile appearing on his face.

“Oh my god!” He exclaimed with a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “Pyro, that’s incredible! I honestly wasn’t expecting you to progress so quickly- I don’t even remember teaching you that technique, I-“

“You didn’t.” Pyro replied stiffly, allowing the small light to burn a hole in his vision.

Scott seemed to notice his withdrawn demeanour, his ramblings falling quiet.

He’d done this before, a very long time ago. 

“When I- when I was young,” He spoke, a lump in his throat. “I used to practice it for hours. I did it so much that my hand would cramp and my fingers would bleed.”

Inhaling deeply, he did his best to keep the swirling storm of emotions welling up inside him under control.

“I did it because I wanted to be a great fire mage like my father,” he admittedly quietly, feeling as though his soul had been stripped raw and laid bare. “…But when I finally managed to do it, he didn’t care.”

He could remember the look of utter disdain the man had given him that day, shattering the dream he’d tirelessly worked towards in an effort to be the perfect son. He hadn’t even been aiming for pride from his family’s gaze, only satisfaction at the very least- but even his best hadn’t been enough for that. For anyone. What an utterly soul crushing thing to tell a child. No wonder he’d forgotten it.

“He said- that if I were his proper son, then I wouldn’t have needed to practice at all.” He whispered, the tiny flame flickering out as a tear rolled down his cheek. “…That it would have already come to me naturally.”

Pyro flinched as cold hands came up to cradle his face, the vampire’s thumbs carefully wiping the tears from under his eyes and gently tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. He sniffled loudly, gently placing a hand on Scott’s arm and wiping the rest of the wetness away with the heel of his palm.

“Sorry,” He chuckled shakily, refusing to meet his gaze. “-I guess I must have… blocked that from my memory or something.”

“Pyro,” Scott said with such a tenderness he could look away no longer, meeting those ancient, yet terribly sad eyes that were beautiful in ways words simply couldn’t describe. In combination with the soft way the vampire held him, he felt like his knees might give out completely.

“I can’t tell you how unimaginably proud I am of you for telling me this,” the vampire said quietly. “-for your progress, your survival, for everything.”

Fresh tears welled his Pyro’s eyes, his lip trembling and his hands shaking. What really broke him though, was when Scott wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace, resting his chin over the shoulder of his coat.

“-and how sorry I am you had to experience all of that.” He whispered, and the dam broke all at once.

Sobs wracked his chest, ugly and uneven. The tears that streamed down his face felt hotter than any fire he’d ever felt, like magma burning streaks in his skin. When was the last time someone had held him this way, hugged him? Was it pathetic that he couldn’t remember? God, what a mess he was.

Like letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, the tightness was expelled from his chest, released like a suffocating smoke he’d been inhaling for most of his life. It hurt, but not in a way he was used to. The relief was so dizzying that had Scott not been holding him, he would have easily toppled over. Sharp claws gently carding through his hair, and by stroking his scalp made his whole body shudder and his mind grow numb.

Eventually, he managed to catch his breath, pulling away from the embrace to wipe at his face and allow himself to be guided to a seat, his head feeling lighter than air. 

“S-sorry,” He choked out again with an anxious laugh, feeling quite silly for having reacted so strongly.

“Don’t be,” Scott reassured him, squeezing his shoulder and sitting down next to him. “You remember what I said about magic and emotions, don’t you? This is progress too, probably the most important kind. Remember to breathe.”

He watched the vampire inhale and exhale deeply, distractedly amused by the fact it was entirely unnecessary for him. Still, it did help calm his breathing, as if his brain found it easier to synchronize with what he was watching, which had likely been Scott’s intention.

“You’re too good to me, you know that?” Pyro smiled wearily once his nerves had finally calmed. “Thank you, for that.”

“I don’t think I am,” Scott replied, ignoring his thanks. “The world’s simply been too cruel to you. I’m hardly a saint for treating you with decency.”

He closed his eyes with a hum, sitting back in his chair. “You ought to give yourself a little more credit. You’re hardly the monster you think you are.”

When the vampire didn’t reply, he peeked one eye open, before sitting up again and opening them completely. There was a rather haunted look in those crimson red eyes, a guilty tightness in his jaw as he stared off into nothing. He looked conflicted about something, almost… afraid.

“…Scott?” He asked reluctantly, and the man quickly snapped back to awareness, blinking rapidly.

“Sorry, I just…” He sighed, shaking his head. “I worry I might have fooled you into believing I’m a much better person than I actually am.”

It was as if Scott had put into words exactly what he was feeling, and he let out a startled breath, wondering just how deep this reflection between them went.

“I’m serious!” The vampire frowned, likely having taken it for a laugh. “I don’t want you to- create… some sort of idolized version of me in your head. I don’t…” he trailed off, his nose scrunching in thought as his claws drummed rhythmically against the arm of the chair.

Pyro could only watch him, for once able to recognize the consequences of his prolonged isolation. Having lived as long as he had, he imagined there were many things Scott had seen or done he could never hope to understand, not in a way any mortal ever could.

“…I don’t know if I’m doing this right.” He admitted, his voice barely a whisper. “You hardly know me, after all, I… wait, that’s it-“

The vampire stood suddenly, as if coming to a realization. He looked at Pyro who blinked up at him in surprise, with a determined furrow in his brow.

“I think I ought to show you something. The truth.”

Following him out into the hall, Scott requested that Pyro meet him down the path that led around the back of the castle, before rushing off into the darkness in the form of a bat. Still a bit dazed from his prior breakdown, he hesitantly obliged, honestly a little excited to learn something more about his mysterious host. In the time they’d spoken, he’d always been intentionally vague and avoidant regarding his past, or at least the more personal aspects of it. 

He’d speak of the things he’d seen or learned in his many years, but there were always certain topics he’d seem to dance around, or become uncomfortable about when Pyro inquired too closely. He’d never wanted to pry, but it was clear the vampire was hiding something from him.

Lit by the silvery light of the moon, he watched waves of grass ripple in the rolling fields surrounding the castle as he waited for Scott, the gentle night breeze brushing pleasantly against his skin. It was so peaceful out here, accompanied by nothing but the faint buzzing of insects.

Watching the glittering mosaic of stars spilled across the sky above him, he wasn’t quite sure how much time had passed there- it could have been minutes or hours, but he found that he didn’t particularly mind. Eventually Scott did come down the path to meet him, no longer a bat, holding something carefully in both of his hands.

As the man approached, Pyro identified it as an urn, his eyebrows raising, but keeping his lips sealed. Scott nodded for him to follow, and they continued further down the path that wound alongside the river and into the hills. Hidden by the bend and carefully tucked away was a small but vibrantly lush spot, where a small pagoda shielded a single blank gravestone from the elements. 

It resembled more of a shrine than a grave, small bells chiming in the wind, and many melted candles at its base. The stone where the wax was piled had even been worn away, as if they had been cleaned out and replaced many, many times. Some dried flowers rested just below the featureless stone, and Scott very carefully swept them away to replace it with the urn, producing a fresh candle from his cloak which he tilted towards Pyro.

“Would you mind?” He asked, and it took him a moment to realize what Scott was asking of him before it clicked in his mind, and he flicked his thumb again to summon the tiny flame.

Using his own hand like a portable lighter, he lit the candle, which was placed carefully at the base with the rest, just below the urn where they watched it slowly burn.

“I never realized this was here,” Pyro said after a comfortable amount of silence, breathing in the scent of the many flowers that grew there. “I saw the cows never wandered in this direction though, and I always wondered why.”

The vampire huffed out a soft laugh, the light of the candle reflected in his eyes. “It’s a similar spell to the one that suggests for people not to come near the barrier- only it appears animals seem to be much better at following their natural instincts.”

“Sorry,” He chuckled sheepishly, and Scott only shook his head with a smile that slowly faded the longer he stared at the stone.

“…May I ask who it belongs to?” Pyro asked, knowing whoever they were, they must have been deeply important to his companion to be mourned so dearly. He hadn’t truly considered the concept of grief in relation to immortality, but the thought was certainly sobering. 

“It belongs to a lot of people.” Scott murmured, that grief-haunted look dancing in his eyes once again. “So many. More than I can count.”

A monument then? A commemoration of gathered loss, so deep and ancient he could scarcely understand it.

“I’m… sorry.” He whispered, knowing the words would never feel like nearly enough.

“Don’t be,” The vampire said, a coldness to his tone as he stared holes into the unblemished stone. “I’m the one who killed them.”

An involuntary shiver passed down his spine as he slowly began to understand the true purpose of this visit.

“Originally I only made it with one person in mind,“ Scott explained, oddly casual. “-but eventually the guilt got to me. After all, I couldn’t make graves for every single one of them. There wouldn’t be room.”

The fields surrounding the castle were vast. He’d seen the way they seemed to endlessly stretch on, despite the pines that always seemed to be just on the horizon. The idea that even they were not enough to house the cemetery necessary for such an occasion was frankly quite disturbing, and even down right chilling. Just how much death stained the soil he stood upon? Could he even begin to imagine?

Scott finally looked at him, his expression deadly serious and his eyes devoid of any emotion, an unsettling sort of glaze over them that truly exemplified the lack of humanity behind them. 

“I need you to know what I’ve done. What I am.” He said, his words slow and deliberate. “I need you to understand that I haven’t always been the way that I am now. I used to kill hundreds- thousands, for little more than my own entertainment. I would make them so afraid that they would sacrifice one another just to please me. I’d hold people’s families hostage and kill them anyways when I got what I wanted. I was selfish, I was horrible, and I was straight up evil.”

Pyro swallowed, but despite it all, he felt he wasn’t nearly as afraid as he should have been.

“…What changed?” He croaked, and Scott’s shoulders deflated a little, the blank mask he wore slipping a little as his face twitched in annoyance.

“I don’t think you’re quite getting this,” The vampire grumbled through clenched fangs. “-but I need you to understand, Pyro. I need you to see me for what I really am.”

“Why?” He breathed, feeling as foolish as a man facing a storm.

“Because it could put you in danger!” Scott exclaimed, desperation bleeding through the cracks. “Every moment you’re here, every moment you know of my existence- it is putting your life at risk. You’re putting yourself between forces that would easily tear you asunder, and I do not like making the same mistake more than once! If at all- if I can avoid it.”

“What do you propose I do, then?” Pyro asked, resisting the urge to argue he’d already known the risks. 

“I…” Scott sighed, placing his hands on Pyro’s shoulders. “I want to give you the option. To leave, to forget about all of this. I could do it… send you back to Oakhurst with no memory of this place.”

He looked at the vampire and could easily tell that he spoke the truth. Out of all the ancient magics Scott practiced, he knew that altering Pyro’s memories would have been probably quite easy for him to do, which again, should have made him far more afraid than it did. The fact that he held so much power, and had yet to use it on him directly was likely part of the cause.

“Do you want to?” He asked quietly, and he caught the flicker of pain in the vampire’s eyes.

“I… it’s not about what I want.” He murmured, his gaze falling from Pyro’s.

After a short silence, Scott approached the grave again, taking the urn and spreading the ashes inside across the flowerbed, where they were either taken by the wind or sank into the earth to nurture the plants. They must have belonged to the hunters, he realized, watching the hunch of guilt in the vampire’s shoulders. He gently placed it back down once it was empty, before returning to stare at the blank stone in front of him.

“What changed?” He asked again, and Scott chuckled wearily.

“…You’re awfully stubborn, you know that?”

“You’re the one who wanted to tell me the truth,” Pyro argued, keeping his feet firmly planted. “If that’s the case, then I want you to tell me all of it.”

Scott sighed, nodding as he settled down on the stone bench beside them, covered in a blanket of lichen and moss. Taking the spot beside him, Pyro watched those ruby eyes stare at the grave once more, seemingly lost in thought.

“The person I originally made this grave for…” He started, before quickly losing his words and falling silent.

“Who were they?” Pyro prompted gently, and the vampire took a deep breath.

“No one, really.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “-and I mean that. He was a nobody... a stable boy. Just some… random mortal I happened to grow particularly fond of at the time.”

Scott’s melancholic tone told him that was anything but the truth, but he kept his mouth shut as the man continued to speak.

“I thought it would be fun to mess around with him. Pretend to be human, and concealed my identity from him as the monster that tormented his village.” His words were steeped in a deep sadness that told Pyro the end of this story before it even began, but nevertheless he quietly listened.

“He was a funny sort of man,” The vampire smiled fondly, resting his chin against his palm. “A dreamer. Wanted to be the hero that set the town free from my horrible reign.”

“I entertained him for a while,” Scott explained, his eyes never leaving the featureless slab. “Let him believe he was helping.”

The smile faded, snowy eyelashes fluttering downwards as his shoulders heaved with another sigh. “I don’t know what I was expecting to happen. Eventually I realized that I actually liked making him happy, and I think that’s where everything went wrong.”

“The townsfolk didn’t appreciate his efforts nearly as much as they should have, so I killed them all.” He said simply, and Pyro could certainly imagine that hadn’t gone over well. “I was so impatient, so… disconnected that I thought he would be thrilled to join me. That he’d be grateful to spend the rest of eternity with me.”

He went quiet for a moment, pulling his legs to his chest to rest his chin upon his knees. “I don’t think I had ever felt so alone before, when he looked at me the way he did. He tried to explain to me the horror of what I’d done, but I didn’t truly realize it until he was already dead. I don’t even remember killing him.”

He imagined a younger Scott knelt in the midst of a bloody massacre, finally realizing violence couldn’t give him what he wanted. Having killed the one person he’d cared about because it had been his first and automatic response, a habit programmed into him over hundreds of years. Knowing there was nothing he could do to fix it.

“He made me realize what a monster I’d been.” The vampire muttered. “-and how precious the lives I’d been taking really were.”

There was so much pain in his eyes, so much guilt, that Pyro found it difficult to bear, and the memories weren’t even his. He wiped tears from his face he hadn’t realized he’d been crying, and Scott blinked over at him in surprise as he sniffled quite loudly.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying-“ He laughed, rubbing his face with his sleeve. “God. I’m- I’m so sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?” The vampire asked, looking completely bewildered.

“I- I don’t know,” he admitted, feeling utterly spent.

The night was quiet, blissfully so. After a minute or so of sitting side by side, Scott shuffled a little closer to him, pressing their shoulders together. Pyro tiredly allowed himself to lean on him, bumping their heads together as they watched the fireflies dance in the grass.

“You should be afraid of me,” he said quietly after a while.

Pyro snorted, closing his eyes. “…Probably.”

“…And you’re not?”

Strangely, he was the safest he’d ever felt. Pyro had met monsters, had been one for even the briefest of moments, but what really made a monster besides a person who didn’t know any better? Who hadn’t understood what they were doing was wrong? All that created was tragedies.

“No.” He replied, knowing he was every bit a fool for it. “No, I don’t think I am.”

. . .

Pyro had considered Scott’s offer, of course. It was comforting to know he had the option of returning to something normal, even if that wasn’t really what he wanted. He could go and live with Apo for a couple of months, write his thesis on something boring and inane, and leave Oakhurst none the wiser to everything that lay beneath its surface. It would be the most reasonable course of action surely, but due to recent revelations, he wasn’t sure he was anything of the sort.

So, he came to the decision that he would in fact lie for this. For this new life he’d been given. The opportunity to learn and a home to protect, he would do whatever it took to keep it all safe. It might have been selfish, and he was sure there would be ugly parts he’d have to face sooner or later, but he was comfortable now knowing that he’d made his choice. 

Which is why he made it his number one priority to gaslight Avid as much as humanly possible. Well, perhaps that was a tad harsh. He just needed to gently nudge the young monster hunter in the right direction, which was away from Scott being connected to the idea of vampires at all. If he forged enough evidence through magic and trickery, it was possible he could get the man to eventually give up, which was really the best case scenario. 

Luckily for him, Avid hadn’t seemed to clock anything strange about Scott at all so far, but unluckily it was because his focus was entirely on Pyro. Which is how he ended up with an entire bulb of garlic in his palm, the man’s violet eyes boring into him with a great intensity.

“I just- feel like we got off on the wrong foot the other day.” The vampire hunter smiled with a feigned cheeriness. “So… I thought I’d bring you a gift!”

They’d gathered at the park near Shelby’s house, all except for Scott who remained sheltered at the castle from the sun’s bright rays. It was a lovely day out, and they planned on going for a hike around the woods to look for strange tracks. Pyro had subtly suggested they look down the river, which conveniently led them away from the direction he knew the vampire resided.

“Oh… thanks…?” He grinned awkwardly, turning it over in his hands and giving it a quick sniff. Yep, it was definitely garlic.

“It’s got a nice smell, don’t you think?” Avid prompted, and he saw Drift suppress a sigh in the corner of his eye.

“I suppose?” He chuckled, raising a brow at the detective, who gave him a shrug and a look that told him to just humour it.

“Why don’t you take a bite?” Avid suggested impatiently, and that was probably the moment he fully realized that he thought Pyro was the vampire.

“Whuh- raw?” He asked incredulously, as just about any sane person would.

“At least put it on some bread or something,” Shelby piped up, and he nodded in agreement. 

“That does sound nice. Maybe Scott and I can have some garlic bread for supper.” He said, knowing he’d throw it away the first chance he got.

He wasn’t entirely sure how a vampire’s alleged aversion to garlic worked, or if it was even true, but he didn’t want to risk bringing it near the castle in case the reaction was particularly severe. He might even rinse his hands in a stream on his way back, just to be sure. 

“Where is Scott, by the way?” Avid asked, his tone blatantly suspicious.

“Why, are you interested?” Pyro teased, and the girls giggled as he spluttered with embarrassment.

“I- i-interested in his safety, of course!” He stammered, his cheeks flushing red. “I just want to make sure… he’s okay! Y’know?”

“Suuure you do.” Drift laughed knowingly, and if it were possible Avid’s face got even redder.

“Sh-shut up,” He grumbled, crossing his arms. “I’m just trying to make sure no one gets abducted by vampires in the night!”

Pyro rolled his eyes a little, letting out a little huff.

“He’s fine. He just lives out of town, remember? He can’t be bothered to walk all the way for every meeting we have. Too much of a hassle, apparently.” He explained, aware it wasn’t too far from the truth.

“Oh.” Avid frowned, looking a little disappointed.

“Oh yeah, he didn’t really strike me as the athletic type.” Shelby nodded, tapping a finger against her chin. “Must be a pretty long walk, huh?”

“It is, but I don’t mind. Lots of lovely scenery to look at on the way.”

“Speaking of scenery, didn’t you say we might stumble across some kind of ruins today, Shelby?” Drift asked, and Pyro’s eyebrows raised.

“Oh yes, there’s lots of old ruins out in the woods! Some of them even lead underground, but I’ve been too scared to go down there by myself.” She explained in a hushed voice.

“Sounds like the perfect place for a vampire lair,” Avid squinted, clutching a stake he pulled from his bag.

“Shouldn’t we be avoiding that then?” he asked, hoping no one would be getting lost in some old and musty caves. It sounded like the absolute last place Scott would want to be, but that didn’t mean it was safe for them.

“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Trying to hide all your… devious- plans.”

“My… devious plans?” Pyro smiled, amused by Avid’s persistence and blatantly incorrect convictions. 

“I- I don’t know! I don’t know what vampires do! Besides- suck blood and be evil, I guess.” He huffed, and Shelby giggled.

“I thought they were afraid of sunlight. How would Pyro be here right now if he were a vampire?” She mentioned, and a spike of nervousness punched through his gut. He worried about them making the connection that while he was obviously here, someone else wasn’t.

“-It’s fine, we can go poke around some creepy caverns if you want.” He said a little too quickly, waving his hand. “Just make sure you don’t get lost… after all, who knows what’s down there?” He added in a spooky tone.

“Mole people!” Shelby exclaimed, happily distracted.

“Y-yeah, sure.” Avid grumbled, giving Pyro a look. “Mole people.”

. . .

As they left town and trekked down a small trail, Avid and Drift took the front while he and Shelby walked a little farther back, Pyro occasionally making eye contact with Avid as he anxiously glanced behind him. He sighed, wondering to himself what the best course of action was. 

There were a number of ways he could easily prove himself undoubtedly human, but he wasn’t sure he should be so quick to jump at the opportunity just yet. On one hand, this was all very entertaining. The idea of messing with Avid just a little longer was so incredibly tempting- even if on the other, he knew realistically that probably wasn’t the greatest idea. Everything he’d done so far had been relatively harmless, but that didn’t mean things would stay that way. 

It did, however, pull suspicion away from Scott, which seemed far more valuable in comparison. If push came to shove, Pyro could always shoulder the burden of blame, and find a way to fake his death to keep them away from the truth. It wasn’t exactly his first choice, considering he’d have to live the rest of his life in hiding, but it seemed like an interesting card to keep in the back of his pocket. 

“Sorry about Avid,” Shelby said, stirring him from his thoughts and striking up conversation. “I really hope he isn’t making you feel uncomfortable or anything.”

“Hah- no, no. If anything I find it a little funny, to be honest.” He chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets. “I mean I know I’m pale, but really?”

She snickered, adjusting their glasses and glancing forwards. “Do you think he’s right, though? About there being vampires in Oakhurst, I mean.”

Pyro shrugged noncommittally, not wanting to display an opinion. 

“I mean I haven’t really seen much evidence to suggest it,” he hummed, kicking a rock along the path. “Seems like a pretty nice place so far.”

“Right?” Shelby whispered, looking up at the clear skies with a frown. “It seems much too sunny here for vampires, I think they’d settle for far rainier areas than this.”

“So you do believe in them, then?” He asked, surprised she’d put so much thought into it.

“Well, of course!” They nodded vigorously. “I believe in everything! All myths and creatures of legend, I just know that they’re real. How else would so many cultures across the world create stories of such similar entities?”

“That’s a good point.” Pyro nodded, having been similarly fascinated by the phenomenon himself at one point. 

“What do you think, Pyro?”

“Hmm?” 

“About the supernatural. Do you believe in it?” She asked, and the question caught him a little off guard.

Did he believe in the supernatural? I mean, he’d certainly seen it with his own eyes, technically produced it with his own hands. Some would argue magic was a more scientific practice, one that was still being mapped to this day, but the way Scott had explained it certainly made it feel more like the latter. People still got burned alive for doing it sometimes, especially if they didn’t work under the thumb of the capital. Culturally though, he wasn’t sure if it qualified. 

Regardless of his own abilities, the magic Scott could perform certainly seemed far more supernatural in nature, and that didn’t even include the existence of the vampire himself. Before coming here, he wouldn’t have said he was sure, but these days the impossible seemed to make itself more known.

“I’d say I’m… open minded, regarding the subject.” He answered hesitantly, deciding on what he would have said prior to meeting a vampire. “If shown compelling evidence then I’d love to believe there’s mysteries out there we’ve yet to discover.”

“Fair, fair.” Shelby nodded, looking satisfied with his answer.

“What about you? What made you want to start a club for all of this in the first place?” Pyro asked, genuinely quite curious. If vampires were real, then who said Bigfoot wasn’t as well? “-Did you see something?”

“Sort of!” She grinned excitedly. “Well- not exactly, but I uh… hmm, how do I explain this? My dad got murdered by a werewolf, I guess.”

“O-oh?” 

They chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry, don’t mean to trauma dump on you like that, but yeah. He- he left one night looking for one, and he never came back so… I wanted to prove that he was right. That he wasn’t crazy.”

“I see,” Pyro nodded with sympathy. “This club must be pretty important to you, then.”

“It is!” She smiled, the brief sadness in her gaze melting away. “I’m so glad that all of you wanted to join and come with me! It was so lonely just wandering the woods and doing this all by myself. I mean sometimes Apo would find me and drag me back to town, but that’s different.”

He chuckled, imagining the military woman scolding Shelby for running around the forest unsupervised. “Well, glad to be of service. It’s probably a lot safer with more of us, too.”

“It’s too bad Scott couldn’t come along.” She pouted, swinging her arms. “He doesn’t think I’m weird or anything, does he?”

“No, not at all.” Pyro laughed, shaking his head. “From what he told me, he actually had a lot of fun last time. I’m sure he’ll come along for the next meet up.”

“Oh good,” She sighed in relief. “I was worried I made a bad first impression or something.”

Of the three other humans in the Cryptid Club, Scott had actually seemed to enjoy Shelby’s company the most. He had honestly expected things to be more awkward and stilted than they had, the centuries old vampire likely out of conversational practice, but the two of them got along surprisingly well. They reminded him of two gossiping old women when they talked, and the thought alone was enough to amuse him.

They wandered aimlessly for a while, mostly led by Avid’s indecisive intuition until they eventually stumbled across one of the ruins Shelby had mentioned. They approached cracked, mossy stone steps that led to a yawning entrance in the hill, framed by two crumbling pillars and leading down into the earth. After climbing the stairs, they stood at the top, staring into the darkness.

“…It looks like some kind of Crypt.” Drift shuddered, although if that were the case it was likely long abandoned.

There was a pair of unlit torches in rusted holds at either side of the foreboding passage, one of which Avid reached up to grab, rummaging around in his pockets for something to light it.

“Whoa- should we really go down there, if that’s the case?” Pyro blanched, admittedly surprised he had the guts.

“If that’s the case, then- then there’s nothing down there but bones and dust.” Avid said, sounding less than certain as he lit the torch, holding it out for Pyro to take. “-Unless there’s… another reason you don’t want us going down there?”

Letting out a scowl, he snatched the torch and held it up to the shadows. At the top step though, he paused, when he saw the light didn’t quite cut through the darkness as it should have. Dimly, it reminded him of the strange, unnatural black fog that had been in Scott’s castle the first time he’d arrived, eating up the fire and smothering its light. He also remembered Scott mentioning that there were other vampires near Oakhurst, and while he couldn’t imagine they were outwardly hostile, he wasn’t entirely sure on the rules of entering their territory uninvited, with a self proclaimed vampire hunter, no less. Just because he’d been spared the first time didn’t mean the next vampire would be anywhere near as kind.

“Scared?” Avid taunted smugly, and he whipped around to glare at the man with a scowl.

“I’m sorry, do you want to lead?” He hissed, and the smile immediately fell from his face, replaced by a wide eyed fear. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Taking a deep breath, he held the flame out in front of him and began shuffling down the steps, the rest of the group trailing not far behind. The air was tense, and every sound seemed to echo, darkness enveloping them the deeper they travelled. In the worst case scenario he might be able to manipulate the flame of the torch and at least buy them enough time to escape, but ideally Avid would be right, and they would find nothing at all. After all, he wasn’t entirely confident in his abilities or what he even planned on doing.

Surely no vampire was foolish enough to leave such an obvious entrance to their lair, right? Then again, perhaps they’d made it that obvious on purpose, thinking no human would be so colossally stupid as to try and enter through it. Swallowing nervously and clenching his teeth, he inched further into the crypt, the sweat crawling down his neck feeling like the legs of a thousand tiny bugs. 

“Bah!” The cavern was suddenly filled with a variety of different shrieks and screams as something leapt out of the shadows, and Pyro fumbled with the torch a moment before he realized the figure was startlingly familiar.

“Sausage!?” He shouted, the eccentric author looking almost as startled as him. “What- what the hell are you doing down here?”

“Oh my goodness, you gave me quite the fright there, my friend!” The man laughed as if he hadn’t just scared them out of their skins. 

“We scared you? What in the world were you doing down here, skulking around in the dark like that!?” Drift exclaimed, still clutching her heart in shock.

“Ah, you see- I was doing research for my new novel!” M beamed, and Pyro was now awfully glad he hadn’t tried to incinerate the man as his first reaction. “Really wanted to get into the mind of a vampire, y’know? See what they see- do what they do!”

“Oh my god,” Avid wheezed, bracing himself on a nearby pillar. “I think you just- I think you almost just gave me a heart attack.”

“Jeez, you can’t just sneak up on people like that! Someone could have gotten hurt!” Shelby frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

She didn’t know how truly close to that they had been. God bless his abysmal survival instincts for once, without them he might have accidentally seared the man’s entire beard off.

“Sorry, sorry,” the author pouted, scratching at the back of his head guiltily. “I didn’t think anyone else was gonna come down here. Why are you here, anyways?”

“We’re looking for vampires,” Avid replied solemnly, still clutching his sharpened wooden stake.

“Oh. Well, there’s none down here unfortunately.” The writer shrugged nonchalantly. “Trust me, I checked.”

“By yourself?” Pyro asked, and Sausage froze like a child caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. “Dude.”

“I mean it would have been the perfect opportunity for a hot and sexy vampire to come and turn me, but no.” He said loudly to the cavern, petulantly disappointed.

“…I’m telling Apo you were out here by yourself again.” Shelby deadpanned, and he instantly began howling for forgiveness.

“Noooo!” He wailed, clutching her sweater. “Please, don’t tell her! She’ll make me clean the outhouses again! I’ll be good, I swear!!”

Pyro let out a tremendous sigh of relief, glad there hadn’t been anything dangerous. He really ought to ask Scott some advice on how to keep them all from hurting themselves somehow- and what spots he should avoid in the future.

“Guess we should head back,” he said, glancing around at the small cave one more time before turning towards the exit. “Looks like this was a bust.”

“Aww, well at least we can cross it off our list.” Shelby sighed, ignoring the weeping author begging at her feet. “C’mon now, let’s get you back to town.”

. . .

After visiting Truffle and dropping off Sausage for Apo to deal with, Pyro decided he was sufficiently worn out, and bid the club adieu to start heading back towards the castle. While the trip hadn’t been particularly productive, it had certainly been good fun, even if Avid had almost passed out in fear. Maybe it had been fun specifically because of that, now that he considered it.

He chuckled to himself, stepping off the beaten path to the overgrown one that led deeper into the woods. He really did enjoy the hike to and from town, feeling a connection to nature he’d never really felt in his younger days, cooped up reading in his room all day. He was certainly getting a lot more exercise, eagerly fuelled by Scott’s wonderful meals-

The thought of food stuck him, and he stopped, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the bulb of garlic he’d sufficiently forgotten. With a smile, he held it up to the light to look at it for a moment, before tossing it into the bushes for some wild animal to eat. Fortunately, he’d remembered before passing the river, and could still take the time to wash his hands on the way home.

It was only when he was rinsing his hands in the icy water of the babbling brook did he get the feeling that he was being followed. Not much could be heard over the rushing of water, but there was an odd sort of prickle at the back of his neck that came with being watched. He also could have sworn he’d seen a faint reflection of sunlight amongst the trees earlier, but it was brief enough that he’d brushed it off as part of his imagination.

He didn’t know who was stalking him, or what they wanted, but the longer he walked the more convinced he became. Quiet rustles from somewhere behind him, the gentle snap of a twig every so often- there was no doubt about it. While a part of him wanted to flee back to Scott as quickly as possible, embraced by the safety of the vampire he knew, he also knew that leading someone back to the castle was a terrible idea. 

Taking a small detour, he decided to try and lose them around the corner of a cliff, ducking and hiding behind a fallen log to try and get a peek at whoever was following him. It didn’t take long for them to stumble obliviously around the bend, looking around frantically from having lost sight of him, and when he saw who it was, it certainly explained some things.

He caught the undeniable glimpse of Shelby peeking around the corner, and he had to stifle a sigh, supposing it could have been worse. It would be getting dark relatively soon, and if he took the time to guide her back to town, then he’d be travelling in complete darkness on his way back. He supposed he could try summoning a flame to guide his path, but he didn’t entirely trust himself not to set any of the foliage ablaze.

“Shelby,” He sighed with all the disappointment for an exasperated mother, and she yelped, jumping a little as he approached from behind her.

“Ah! Pyro, f-funny seeing you here!” They said, awkwardly placing her hands on her hips as though she didn’t know what to do with them. “Small world, haha…”

“Why’re you following me?” Pyro asked, getting straight to the point.

“Wh- me? Following you? That’s, pff- that’s crazy.” 

Crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow, he gave her the best unimpressed look he could give them, and she deflated a little.

“Okay, I’m sorry- I wasn’t planning on following you all the way home, for the record-“ she started, holding out her hands to explain. 

“Just most of the way?” He countered with amusement, and her mouth scrunched up sheepishly.

“No! I just… I wasn’t planning on following you very far at all really, honest- but Avid told me he thinks you’re a vampire, and I… I did see you throw away the garlic.” They admitted, and his blood went cold.

He should have been paying more attention. He should have caught on earlier he was being watched, or waited longer to throw it away, god he was so stupid- No, no this was fine. He could still fix this.

“I uh… wasn’t entirely convinced he hadn’t poisoned it or something, to be honest with you.” He laughed nervously, and he saw the certainty in her gaze falter a little.

“He’s not that crazy,” She frowned, looking a little disappointed in him. “I thought you said you were fine with him. Besides, why would you need to wash your hands?”

Ah, so they’d seen that too. Teeth gritted behind his lips, he frantically wracked his brain for more excuses, preferably ones that didn’t make him seem like a total jerk, but he was coming up empty. He could double down on the poison, but even if he convinced her that’s what he’d thought, she’d still be suspicious of him. She might even tell Avid about his strange behaviour, and god knows he didn’t want to deal with that.

“Listen, if you’re a vampire, that’s totally cool!” Shelby whispered, startling him from his thoughts. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise! Just like… let me know?”

Pyro blinked at her in utter bewilderment, trying to parse their motives, or what she could possibly be playing at.

“Let me get this straight,” He said slowly, genuinely quite puzzled. “You thought I was a vampire, so you followed me into the woods. Alone?”

The shock on their face suggested this was the first time she’d considered that, and her eyes darted around in panic a little, realizing that yes, they were indeed alone in the forest, woefully far from town.

“…Well, when you put it that way-“ She mumbled, her face flushing a little in embarrassment.

He let out a sigh, shaking his head. “God, you’re almost as bad as me. Or Sausage. Honestly probably worse, now that I’m thinking about it.”

“Hey!” They pouted, folding their arms. “In my defense, you- you’re avoiding the question! Are you a vampire or not?”

“No!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “Christ, why does everyone keep thinking that!?”

“Then why…?” Watching the gears slowly turn in her head, he knew it was only a matter of time before she connected the dots.

“Look-“ Pyro sighed, purposefully interrupting her train of thought, hesitating as she looked up at him in confusion. “I…”

He chewed anxiously on his lower lip, considering his options here. He wasn’t sure he could stand to gaslight her about this, not after everything she’d told him earlier. He didn’t know anything about werewolves, or if they were even real, but he did know someone who would be able to tell her for certain. Someone who could show her the world she’d been dreaming of, possibly for her entire life.

“…If I show you… what I know.” He said carefully, watching the way her eyes slowly lit up. “Do you promise not to tell anyone? No one- not even your own mother.”

She nodded so vigorously, he worried her glasses might come flying right off her face. “Mhm! Yes!! I won’t tell anyone anything, I swear! Not a word!”

He hoped Scott would forgive him, since he knew this wasn’t his secret to tell, but it couldn’t be helped. She knew what she knew now, and to take it away now just seemed cruel. Should it truly be a problem, he reasoned the vampire could easily wipe their memories of the ordeal- but either way they’d need to come back with him.

“…Alright then, follow me.”

While he probably should have chided her for following a man she barely knew into the woods a second time, he didn’t want to scare them off just yet. He’d never do anything to hurt her- and realistically neither would Scott, but he had no way to prove that for the moment. The allure of the truth would have to be enough, and if she did indeed turn tail and run, he truly had no idea what he could do.

“Are you… sure we’re going the right way…?” Shelby asked, stopping behind him as they travelled further into the forest, and he looked back at her and saw a familiar uncertainty in her eyes.

“Oh, right.” He laughed, holding out a hand for her to take. “Don’t worry, I’m sure. Just… trust me?”

She hesitated for a moment, but reached out to accept it, a strange shiver seeming to pass through her as she shook off the haze of the spell.

“Whoa,” She blinked, and he was relieved to find that had worked the way that it did- as he hadn’t been entirely certain it was going to be the case.

“Weird, huh?” He grinned, and she looked at him as if he were the one to cast the spell. “C’mon, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Hand in hand, he led them through the thicker foliage and towards the large barrier of thorns, which upon seeing they were predictably quite stunned.

“What in the-“ She breathed, her eyes shining and wide. “How- how long has this been here? What-“

“Before either of us was even born, probably.” He shrugged, mischievously enjoying her utter bafflement as if he hadn’t had the exact same reaction. “Let me show you something really cool.”

She let out a little gasp as he stepped forwards and reached his hand up to the sharp brambles, her grasp tightening on his hand as if to instinctively pull him away, but she stopped when the thorny vines began to move on their own. Pyro really never got tired of watching them part before him like that, shrinking away to let him pass. Shelby just stood entirely awestruck, their mouth wide open in wonder.

“Whah-?” She squeaked, and he couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle.

“Just a little further,” he grinned, almost giddy to share with her the sight that had taken his breath away pretty much every day since his arrival. 

Gently tugging them forwards through the passage, he shielded his eyes from the glare of the setting sun as the castle came into view, the sky behind it painted in brilliant shades of blazing orange and red, casting it all into a glow that made it all the more beautiful. The rolling hills peppered with wildflowers, the shimmering streams that glittered like gemstones, it was truly a sight to behold.

Shelby immediately let go of his hand to run into the ticking grass glades in front of them, her hands clutched in her hair, making all sorts of incomprehensible noises Pyro had never heard a person make before.

“Whuh- whduhagffghgkhah!?” They spluttered, her mind appearing to have been entirely blown. “Huh!?”

She turned to look back at him with eyes so thrilled and full of wonder that he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face even if he wanted to. There was something so joyful about sharing this little paradise with someone else, to finally show someone what he’d found who could truly appreciate the magnitude of its absurdity. He was smiling so hard his face began to hurt, and he trotted over to follow them into the field. 

“Pretty awesome, right?” He nudged her, and she looked utterly speechless, still gawking and letting out breathless squeals. 

“How-“ Was the first real word they managed, gripping him by the shoulders and shaking him enthusiastically. “How.”

He burst out laughing, his head getting light as he allowed himself to be shaken. “I- pff-! I don’t know!”

“This- this is incredible!” She laughed, looking near hysterical with happiness. “How- I mean, what! What!?”

“Okay, okay,” Pyro wheezed, bringing down the hype in the worries one of them might pass out. “Relax. Everything will make sense in a minute, just let me show you.”

Shelby calmed down a little, but the unabashed, childish wonder remained ever present in their eyes and in their step. Twirling and spinning down the path after him, she seemed enamoured by every little detail, gasping in utter delight when they spotted the cows.

“Oh my gosh, cows!” She squealed, and quickly looked to Pyro for permission. “Can I pet one? Can I?”

“Sure,” He chuckled, as she was already off before he could finish. “-They’re pretty friendly.”

He walked up on them babbling baby talk to the fluffy cow who sniffed curiously at her, and laughed loudly when it licked her across the face, leaving their glasses askew.

“Uck!” She giggled, wiping at her cheek with her sleeve. “Aw man, now I’m covered in cow spit.”

Silently, he handed them his handkerchief, which she graciously took to clean the last of it off their face. They continued walking until Pyro spotted a figure resting on the bridge just before the castle, a large black parasol protecting them from the retreating light. Scott thankfully looked more amused than angry, but Shelby didn’t appear to recognize him until they got right up close.

“Hello, Shelby.” He purred, and they rubbed their eyes at him in confusion before the realization seemed to hit them.

“How…? Wait- Scott!?” She gasped, their eyes quickly taking in the differences that displayed clearly what he was. “You’re- you’re a-“

“A vampire? Yes.” Scott smiled patiently, and they gave him a look like he’d told her she’d just won all the money in the world.

“You… it's real, it’s really real.” She breathed, nearing tears. “I knew it! I knew he wasn’t crazy!”

“Sorry for bringing her along so suddenly,” Pyro started, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. “-and completely unannounced. I- I messed up, I should have been more careful, and I-“

“Pyro,” The vampire said softly, and his heart leapt into his throat. “It’s alright, I’m not upset with you.”

“…You’re not?” He blinked, and Scott chuckled a little, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Of course not. I was planning on inviting them over eventually anyways.” He shrugged, looking entirely at ease. “It just ended up happening a little earlier than expected, that’s all.”

“Sorry,” He grinned sheepishly, and the vampire rolled his eyes fondly.

“-Ohhh!” Shelby interrupted, and he jumped a little, almost forgetting she was there. “I get it now! The reason you threw away the garlic and washed your hands was because you didn’t want to make Scott sick- aww, that’s so sweet!”

Pyro nearly choked on his own spit, a flush coming quickly to his cheeks.

“Garlic?” Scott echoed, raising a brow in amusement.

“I- I mean yeah, Avid gave me some- for some reason, and I uh- didn’t know if that actually affected you or not, so I-“ He coughed awkwardly, feeling weirdly embarrassed. “I uh… wanted to make sure?”

“That is quite sweet of you,” The vampire giggled, holding a hand over his mouth. “-but don’t worry. While I can’t say I’m particularly fond of the smell, it won’t do me any harm unless I actually ingest it.”

“Like a food allergy!” Shelby piped up, and Scott nodded in agreement.

“Exactlyy,” he smiled, twirling the parasol’s handle in his grip. “Speaking of, you don’t happen to have any do you, dear? I’d love it if you joined us for supper.”

“No I don’t, but- really? I mean, as long as I’m not on the menu, then sure!” They replied, and Pyro couldn’t help but let out a snort.

“Heavens no,” Scott reassured her, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, I’m not that kind of vampire, Shelby.”

“Okay, thank goodness.” She breathed out in relief, eagerly skipping after them as they began making their way towards the castle’s gates. “Just had to check!”

 . . .

Dinner with the three of them was different, but far from in a bad way. Shelby brought a liveliness to the castle he hadn’t known they’d been missing, making him rather relieved to know that he’d made the right choice. 

“So- werewolves?” She asked excitedly between bites of the mouth watering pasta Scott had made for the two of them.

“Oh yes, I’ve met a few.” The vampire smiled, sitting down to join them with a glass of blood. “Though I imagine most of the ones I knew are likely long dead by now.”

“Oh…” they hummed, staring down at the marble counter tops with a thoughtful look.

“Why, were you aiming to meet one?” Scott asked, and she shook her head.

“She told me earlier that she lost her father to a werewolf,” Pyro supplied, and she shot him a grateful smile. 

“Goodness, I’m so sorry.” 

“…It’s alright, it was a long time ago.” Shelby smiled sadly, twisting her fork through her meal. 

“Still,” The vampire frowned, placing his glass down. “Grief is not limited by the passage of time. I might still have some resources that would be able to help you find who it is you’re looking for, if revenge is what you’re after.”

“Wha-“ They startled, looking up. “Oh, no- that’s not it at all! I… I don’t think that’s ever really been what I was looking for. I just wanted to know the truth, is all. I wanted to be sure… he wasn’t the drunk everyone else made him out to be.”

“I see,” Scott smiled again, a familiar softness in his eyes. 

“Okay- what about Sasquatches though!?” She beamed, and Pyro laughed.

“Well, I can’t say that I remember having ever met one in person, but from what you told me they sound to be relatively reclusive creatures. Perhaps they did exist at one point, maybe they even still do. Anything is possible.” He shrugged, taking a small sip of his drink. “I might have some mythological texts you could reference.”

“Wow,” Shelby mused, and he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when they saw the library. “You must be pretty ancient then, huh? How old are you exactly?”

“Shelby!” Pyro exclaimed, nearly choking on his food.

The vampire only laughed, seeming to find the bluntness of her question rather humorous.

“What- is that rude?” She asked Pyro in a hushed tone, and he sighed, rolling his eyes.

“It’s quite alright,” Scott chuckled, shaking his head. “I really don’t mind. I’d give you a more precise answer if I had one, but I’m afraid keeping track gets a little tricky after a while. If I had to make an estimate though, I’d say I’m likely somewhere in my fifteen-hundreds…?”

“Whoa, you look so good for that age though!” They gasped, and Scott placed a hand on his cheek as if she were flattering him.

“Thank youuu!” He beamed, using his claws to flick back some of his hair, making her laugh. “It takes a lot of work to look this good.”

Pyro seriously doubted that was the case, considering he was well aware the vampire was still attractive even when covered with wounds and blood, but he could let the comment slide. It was probably best he didn’t mention that in front of Shelby, after all.

They all continued talking late into the night, until their new guest was fighting yawns, and practically battling to stay awake. Scott offered her one of the rooms to stay the night, and Pyro agreed that sending her back so late seemed like quite a terrible idea. She took the one across from his, and while she seemed reluctant to part with the conversation of her new discoveries, eventually they were able to convince her that it could wait until she’d gotten some sleep.

He expected himself to be just as worn out as her, but a persistent nervousness at the back of his mind still needed to be quelled. A simple conversation with Scott would likely do the trick, allowing himself the opportunity to properly apologize for his oversight. He wanted to be absolutely certain he hadn’t overstepped any kind of boundaries, and he wouldn’t be able to rest until he was sure.

Wandering down to the top of the castle’s walls for some fresh air, he figured it would be the perfect spot for a little chat, not particularly worried about the vampire coming to meet him. Scott often seemed to sense whenever Pyro was looking for him, and he doubted tonight was any exception.

The garden truly seemed to glow from up there, almost like a reflection of the stars above. It was as he was comparing the two that he noticed something about the sky was amiss, and he crossed to the other side of the wall with a growing concern. Beyond the horizon of trees and pines, a massive pillar of black smoke climbed up from the direction of town, billowing up into the clouds and faintly lit by an ominous red glow.

“Shit,” He muttered under his breath, gripping the edge of the wall. 

He didn’t know how far the fire might spread, or whether or not it had already been contained. If it was in town, it decreased the odds of the entire forest going up in flames, but didn’t eliminate it entirely, which made a deep dread settle inside his stomach. Was everyone alright? What could possibly be going on?

When he felt a presence behind him, he felt a twinge of relief, glad he had someone he could turn to for guidance.

“Scott, thank god, something’s-“ he turned to face the vampire, but stopped short when he was suddenly met with a terrible feeling.

There were glowing red eyes in the shadow of the nearest tower, but the way they stalked him, glared at him, told him they did not belong to Scott at all. The hunched figure of the stranger began to approach him, and while ordinarily he would have been paralyzed with fear, he knew that he just needed to escape them long enough for the vampire he did know to come to his rescue. So, he made the terrible mistake of running.

He flew down a staircase with the sound of animalistic snarling at his heels, panic running through him like a horrible venom in his veins. Although he tripped and stumbled, his pursuer seemed to as well, judging by the sounds that came from behind him. Fleeing into the garden, he hoped the light of the moon might allow him to better see who was chasing him, but as he frantically looked around, he was alarmed to find he’d lost sight of them altogether.

Pyro couldn’t hear anything over the heaving of his own breath and the rushing of blood in his ears, and realized he’d left himself a sitting duck, standing out in the open like this. 

A gentle snap was the only warning he got before he was violently tackled to the ground, the person attacking him ending up on top, pinning him to the grass. His nostrils were filled with the scent of burnt flesh, and he stared up into the face of his death, drool dripping down from barred and trembling fangs. He didn’t get the chance to see much more than a mess of long, curly white hair before the vampire was ripped away and tossed across the courtyard like a sack of bones, slamming into a tree so hard the whole thing shook, leaves fluttering down from the canopy.

Gasping, he scrambled backwards and looked up to see Scott, who stepped between him and the stranger with a thinly veiled anger, a tense but polite smile on his face.

“Owen,” he greeted through gritted teeth, a faint growl escaping his throat that he hardly seemed to notice. “To what do I owe the pleasure? I’d greatly appreciate it if you didn’t try and attack my guests.”

The other vampire remained a crumpled heap at the base of the tree, and Scott's fake smile quickly vanished, replaced by something that looked more like concern. Eventually, the person did stir, but didn’t get up nearly as quickly as Pyro, or seemingly even Scott appeared to expect.

Shaking, the person propped themself up on bandaged arms, and as they looked up, he was surprised to see their cheeks streaked with soot and tears. The vampire hadn’t been drooling on him, they’d been crying.

“Please,” The stranger wheezed, his voice barely a whistle and his eyes filled with desperation. “Bring him back, Scott. Tell me you can bring him back-“

Pyro glanced at Scott’s expression, and had never seen him look so utterly horrified as he did before he quickly rushed forwards, hurriedly rolling up one of his sleeves.

“Drink,” The vampire commanded, holding out his arm to the other who didn’t seem entirely all there.

“N-no, I-“

“That wasn’t a request, Owen.” Scott growled with an undeniable authority. “Drink, so you can tell me what happened. Everything else can come after that.”

Owen, as Scott addressed him, hesitated, but eventually gave in, sinking his teeth into the flesh with a feverish hunger. He drank for a long time, long enough for Pyro to stumble to his feet, his heart slowing down but no less confused and afraid. After some time, he went limp, and Scott scooped him up into his arms, holding him with great care as blood still dripped from the wound.

“Scott?” Pyro croaked, holding his trembling hands close to his chest like a lost child, and the vampire seemed to suddenly remember he was there.

“Pyro,” he started, adjusting his grip on the person now in his hold. “There should be some first aid kits in the storage room down the hall from your room. Do you think you could go grab one for me, please?”

He nodded, the comfort of a task to complete keeping him from breaking down quite nicely. Hurrying after them through the halls of the castle and then splitting off to grab the supplies, he stopped only briefly when Shelby came out of her room, rubbing her eyes sleepily. The slamming of doors must have woken her.

“…Pyro?” They croaked, voice rough from sleep. “What’s going on?”

“I-“ He paused, unsure of how to explain. “D-don’t worry about it, Shelby. Just go back to sleep, alright?”

“Are you sure?” She asked, but he was already rushing off to the room he’d seen Scott take Owen into.

Scott had already laid him down on the bed, and appeared to be looking over the wrappings on his arms as Pyro entered, frantic and out of breath.

“Here,” He said, placing it down by the foot of the bed, but Scott remained seated on the side of it, his eyes glued to the bandages with a furrowed brow. “…Is he going to be okay?”

“Yes, he should be fine.” The vampire muttered, shaking his head in confusion. “His body has fallen into a sort of comatose state, but as long as there’s fresh blood in his system, he should begin to heal with a bit of rest. What puzzles me is these bandages. They look professionally done, and I don’t know who could have done them if…”

He shook his head, turning to Pyro. “I’m sorry- I know this is…”

“It’s fine-“ Pyro insisted, too frazzled to accept any kind of apology right now. “I’m just a little shaken up- whatever he went through, I’m sure it’s much worse.”

The vampire let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes. 

“There’s smoke coming from town.” He said, and Scott nodded, glancing at the window.

“I saw. I doubt it’s unrelated. I just wish he’d been able to tell me more before he passed out.” He murmured. “Something’s gone very, very wrong.”

“I’m… sorry.” Blurted out, but he wasn’t entirely certain what for.

“What?”

“I… I feel like this is my fault, somehow. I-I don’t know how but-“

It couldn’t be a coincidence could it? Had bringing Shelby here been some sort of horrific catalyst? Or perhaps it had been something he’d done even before then- some slip of the tongue, something he’d thought entirely unremarkable at the time. Had he unknowingly doomed this stranger by amplifying the town’s paranoia with his brief disappearance?

“Pyro,” The vampire soothed, placing his hands on the man’s shoulders and tilting his head downwards to look him in the eye. “This is not your fault. You need to stay calm, the both of you.”

He blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“The… both of us?”

“Shelby is eavesdropping outside.” He supplied, nodding his head towards the door, where she could in fact be seen peeking through the crack that had been left open.

Letting out an embarrassed squeak, they sheepishly let it creak open, holding their hands nervously behind her back and scuffing her shoe against the floor. “…Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” He sighed, gently leading the two of them out of the room and into the hall. “The two of you should get some rest. I have some things to take care of, and while I hate to ask this of you, I may need your help come morning.”

Pyro nodded mindlessly, agreeing to accompany Shelby back to her room where she sat on the bed, looking small and afraid.

“…Are you okay?” They asked after a while as he stared out the window at the smoke in the distance.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” He lied, taking a deep breath. “Are you?”

“I’m just… worried.” She mumbled, following his gaze. “I wonder if Avid and Drift know what’s going on.”

“…You don’t think…?” 

“No-“ They shook their head, saving him from having to put the possibility into words. “No, they wouldn’t. This is too much, even for Avid. I just… hope everyone’s alright.”

Pyro sighed, hoping that she was right.

“…Me too.”

. . .