literature

The Price of Protection

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    Arc was a long way from home, of that he was certain. He’d often been curious about the idea of exploring the “New World,” but he never thought he’d be doing so under such weighted circumstances.

    He was wandering through the northern part of the eleven-year-old region – “state,” as the people of the New World called it – known as Georgia. Dense forest surrounded him, providing his photosensitive skin with necessary cover from the morning’s aurum light. It was beautiful and verdant, but deeply ominous.

    It had been less than a year since Arc began his new life as a vampire, if one could call it a life. He had mostly adjusted to the changes, such as his heightened strength, acute senses, aversion to the sun, and most of all, his thirst for blood. The relief he’d felt upon learning he could sustain himself on animal blood was immeasurable.

    One thing he was still adjusting to though was his newest “sense,” being able to feel the auras of the people and the world around him. It was the most present aspect to his new life, other than his thirst, but it was the most difficult to acclimate to. Everywhere he went, he felt the presence of everyone and everything. Now he was feeling the aura of the forest, which was unpleasant enough to unsettle the normally cheerful and carefree man.

    He shivered, in spite of the humid Georgia heat. He was wearing simple blue trousers, a long-sleeved white shirt, and leather boots; adequate attire for the environment, though worn and tattered they all were. They’d been soaking wet an hour ago, following his swim from the ship that probably hadn’t even reached the shore yet. The run from the coast through the heat had blown much of him dry; only a slight dampness remained.

    No, the chill he felt was nothing physical. It was a chill to his soul (supposing he even still possessed one) that the forest was giving off, and he didn’t like it. He hoped against hope that this lead would be fruitful; that he could find the solution he sought and retreat home quickly. Back to Sicily. Back to his love, Félicie.

    “And what have I here?”

    Arc stopped and tensed, his mind on high alert. His amber eyes roved the forest around him, seeking out the owner of the voice. His sensitive ears should’ve picked out the direction it had originated from easily, but they couldn’t. The sound didn’t seem to come from anywhere, and yet from everywhere at the same time.

    Swallowing nervously, he worked up his nerve and called out, “Are you her?” His voice quivered with trepidation. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself with higher resolve. “Are you the demon witch, Lilith?”

    Peels of bell-like laughter surrounded him. They sounded so delighted, so innocent, and so eminent.

    “I am,” the voice enthused. “And who might you be, my delicious-looking friend. You’re far too beautiful to be a human. And you have such a cute accent.”

    A brief wave of relief washed over him. He had found whom he was looking for; so far so good. Now he just needed to get her to help him. He coughed nervously again, doing his best to keep his voice even. “I’m told you are the one responsible for modifying the Vampire Curse long ago.”

    “A vampire, of course, I knew I recognized that kind of beauty,” the voice replied around him. “Yes, I did, I did. I can still remember that hideous creature Caine who came to me in such wretched agony. I couldn’t abide having such an ugly thing walking the face of Midgard, not at all.”

    Arc wondered at the word “Midgard,” but ignored it. He needed to focus on his task so he could get out of there quickly. He’d been warned of the dangers that came with seeking out the demon witch. The less time he spent with her, the better.

    “I come to beseech your help. I am married to a human woman; our marriage predates my transformation. I have learned to live harmoniously as a vampire, without harming her or the people of our village. Recently though, she has become with child. We fear what carrying a young vampire will do to her, or what might happen after its birth. Please, is there any way to prevent my child from befalling the same fate that I have? Can its curse be lifted?”

    “Hmm… a human-vampire halfling, how interesting.” The witch’s voice was dripping with intrigue. “I think I’d rather like to see that, personally.”

    Arc ground his teeth in frustration.

    “Tell me, do you know the origin of the Vampire Curse?”

    He shook his head. “I do not; I killed my creator in a rage as soon as my transformation was complete.”

    “You don’t know, and yet you knew to seek me?”

    “A passing vampire told me you had once modified the curse.”

    “I see; how convenient. The Vampire Curse is a holy one, sent down directly by God Himself to punish Caine for the murder of his brother, Abel. He was turned into a hideous creature that stalked the fringes of civilization, fearful of the sun, unable to control his emotions, ravenous for blood. I happen to be doing a bit of traveling at the time and came upon the poor wretch. He begged me to lift the curse, but that wasn’t possible; there is no one, not even Ibibi, powerful enough to lift a curse set down by the Almighty.

    “I was, however, able to help him out. I made him beautiful, though not nearly as beautiful as you. I made it so he wouldn’t burst into flames the second he came into contact with sunlight; and, as a means of throwing God’s curse back at him, I made it possible for Caine to spread his curse to all of humanity by sharing his blood with them.” She laughed again, quite enjoying her reminiscing. “I’ve always had a bit of a rebellious streak.”

    Arc wasn’t laughing. It was the witch that had made the Vampire Curse transmittable. She was partially to blame for his condition and his plight. He clenched his already-white fists against the malcontented grief boiling inside him.

    “So, no, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do to lift the curse from your child.”

    It was a blow to the stomach, knocking the air he didn’t even need from his lungs. He’d known it was a longshot, but a part of him hoped that the witch would be able to help. It seemed that wasn’t the case. His child would be born a vampire, forced to live a life of shadows and secrecy like he now did.

    He squeezed his amber eyes shut, refusing to let tears fall in front of the unseen woman.

    There was a long silence, filled only by the rustling of leaves and Arc’s barely-contained sobs.

    “I could seal your child’s curse, if that would help,” the voice suddenly spoke, its tone offhand and indifferent.

    Arc looked up at the declaration. “Seal it?” he asked skeptically.

    “Yes, seal it,” the witch affirmed. “I can’t remove the curse, but I can probably make it so that it never actually manifests. The child will still be part vampire, but no one will ever know. It’ll grow up like a normal human, playing in the sun, never once tasting a drop of blood. Yes, if I seal it at such a young age, it should last.”

    Hope welled inside of Arc again, it’s growth hindered only by her use of the word “probably.” There was a chance whatever she was thinking wouldn’t work. “What do you mean ‘probably’?”

    “I mean probably,” she replied. “I’ve never tried sealing the Vampire Curse, but I did modify it for Caine. That was almost two millennia ago, and its effects still hold to this day. I think I can do it, but I have no way of knowing for sure.”

    Arc mulled that over. “Does that mean my child’s progeny would also be oblivious to their true nature?”

    “Probably.”

    That word again. It made Arc even more nervous to trust the witch than he already was. There was still one question he hadn’t asked yet, and her uncertain responses made him hesitant. He had to eventually though; might as well do it now.

    He ran his hand through the mess of his corn-flour hair, bracing himself for her answer. “What price would you ask of me to attempt such a seal?”

    Her bell-like laughter filled the forest again, louder than before. It stirred the leaves of the trees and rumbled in the ground beneath his feet. It was such a pleasant, malevolent sound, sending waves of shivers through the vampire’s body.

    “I was hoping you’d ask,” her voice replied. Not all around him as it had been a moment ago. It was distinctly behind him now – right behind him.

    Arc spun around defensively and took a step back. His eyes bulged and his jaw dropped at what he saw.

    The woman standing behind him was beautiful – otherworldly so – and starkly naked. Her skin was creamy and fair, stretched tautly over a toned frame, with full, perky breasts. From her biceps to her fingers and from her thighs to her feet were covered by a black chitinous exoskeleton, ending in claw-like fingers and toes. They gleamed like polished armor in the forest’s deep green light.

    Her hair fell in long brown ringlets down her back and chest, the tips curling around her rosy nipples, and gold horns grew extended from her temples along to the back of her skull. From her back grew a deep purple pair of butterfly-like wings as tall as her, the hind wings barely an inch off the ground.

    Her face was heart-shaped and delicate with petal-pink lips. Set into that soft visage were a pair of a rich, earthy green eyes that inspected Arc up and down with hungry anticipation.

    “Hm…” She wrapped her left arm under her breasts, lifting them up in doing so, and rested her right elbow in her left palm, letting her cheek fall thoughtfully into her right hand. “What price could I charge you indeed?” she mused playfully, pacing ever slowly toward the vampire.

    Arc remained statue-still as she circled him. He jumped when he felt her hand cup his buttocks, spinning around sharply and hissing.

    The woman was unfazed, laughing at the display. “Feisty, aren’t you?” she teased him, reaching out and running one finger down his chest. “I bet I could have all kinds of fun with you,” she invited seductively.

    Arc took an instinctual step back, half dropping into a crouch.

    “Tsk, tsk,” the witch said, her tone shifting from seductive to condescending. “Now is that any way to treat your child’s only hope? There is no one else in this realm that can help you like I can, you know.”

    Arc didn’t know; had no way of knowing. It had been merely by chance that he’d learned of the witch’s existence. He knew it was too much to hope he’d get so lucky again. He had no choice but to believe that she was his only hope, which meant he couldn’t offend her.

    He drew in a deep, calming breath and blew it out slowly, relaxing out of his stance. “What is it you want from me?”

    “Nothing too major,” she said, closing the small gap between them. She reached out and cupped his face with both hands, leaning forward so that their foreheads were touching. “Just have a little fun with me is all. I’ll let you have it any way you like.”

    Her breath was sweet and floral as it blew across his face. He’d learned in the past year how his own scent could affect the humans around him, drew them to him, and now he was getting a taste of that.

    He shook her hands off and took a step back, looking away at the ground. “I can’t do that,” he said resolutely.

    “Aw, why not?” the witch asked, pouting. She leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees with her breasts squeezed between her biceps, accentuating her cleavage. “I won’t tell anyone.”

    Arc shook his head defiantly. “No! I could never betray Félicie that way!”

    Lilith frowned. “Oh, that’s why?” She sighed and straightened up, walking to him again. “What is it with you mortals and fidelity? It’s such a boring way to live.”

    “Have you never felt love?”

    “Love? Of course! I love my dear Ibibi, so much more than anything. But that shouldn’t stop anyone from having a good time.” She took his chin between her fingers and lifted his face to hers. “Love and lust don’t always go hand-in-hand.”

    “They do for me,” the vampire growled.

    Lilith smirked at his retort. Something flashed across her face as she looked at him, making her tilt her head curiously. “Say, have we met before?”

    The question took Arc aback. “Um… no, I don’t believe so.”

    “I feel as if I recognize you.” The witch turned his head left and right, scrutinizing him closely before giving up. “Oh well.” She dropped his chin and walked past him with a dismissive wave. “My magic isn’t free. If you want to help your son, you have to pay the piper.”

    His stomach plummeted. His only chance was walking away, and he didn’t know how to stop it. “Please, there must be something else,” he called, spinning after her. “I’ll give anything else. Just don’t make me betray Félicie. She’s all I have left of the life I once knew.”

    Lilith paused and looked back at him. “Anything?”

    The vampire gulped audibly. He didn’t like the way she questioned him, but he was desperate. “Yes, anything.”

    The witch tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Here’s how it works. To power a spell strong enough to affect a divine curse, I would need a great sacrifice from you; your fidelity, for instance. If you won’t give that up, then I there’s only one other thing I can think of: your family.”

    If Arc could get any paler, he would’ve. He hadn’t been sure what he’d meant when he said he’d give anything, but his family was something he was unprepared for. What did that even mean? Didn’t sacrificing them defeat the purpose of trying to save his child?

    “Here’s how goes,” she went on, turning back to him fully. “I set a number of years, counting from the day your child is born – that will be the maturation period of the spell. The spell will work in full during that period; however, if you come into contact with any member of your family before the spell has matured, it will be broken.”

    Stay away from his family? That was all? It seemed too simple. Unless… “How long is the maturation period?”

    Lilith cocked her head left and right, making a show of thinking. “Two hundred years.”

    Arc’s legs went weak. He dropped to his knees, then forward onto his hands as well, staring at the ground in defeat. ‘Two hundred years… that’s beyond my child’s life… and it’s children…’

    The witch’s feet appeared in his vision, but he didn’t look up; not even when she crouched down near him, her legs parted just inches from his face.

    “Quite the conundrum, isn’t it?” she asked, her tone even. “You could easily live centuries, millenniums even. You have the opportunity to see generations of your family come and go, and yet you’ll have to miss out on the ones closest to you; your child, your grandchildren, great-grandchildren… Who knows how many will pass you by. Two hundred years from now, what will your descendants – your human­ descendants – think of their vampire progenitor coming back into the picture? When that two hundred years is up, will there be any hope for you?”

    She reached out and grasped his chin again, making him look up at her once more. “Is it worth it? Wouldn’t it be better to let your child be born what it is? Would that be so bad?”

    Arc stared deeply into her earthy eyes. Would that be so bad? Could his son or daughter learn to live as a vampire amongst humans like he had?

    “Of course, your wife will die,” the witch added with a shrug.

    That brought Arc back, eyes flaring wide. “You don’t know that,” he defended, though it was weak.

    “Oh, but I do,” she told him, her pretty face pulling into a smug smirk. “I can see the future; many futures actually. And do you know what the ones with your vampire child all have in common? Your wife dies. In every single one. During child birth, trying to feed the baby, caught up in one of its tantrums… The point in the child’s life varies, but I can guarantee you that, before the boy turns three, your wife will be dead.”

    That had Arc reeling. “Boy?”

    “Yes; it will be a boy, and it will kill her.” She chuckled in her throat. “You came here seeking salvation for your son, but really, it’s your wife that’s in the most danger.” She held up three fingers to him. “You have three options. First: you let the boy be born as he is and wait for nature to take its course. Second: you “betray” her and show me a good time to fuel the spell. Third: you leave them behind to fuel the spell. That’s it.”

    She let go of him and rose, crossing her arms and pacing away. “You can take some time to think about it, if you like. Say, sunrise tomorrow?”

    Arc didn’t need to think about it. The choice was simple, because there wasn’t one. She said he had three options, but to him, there was only one.

    “All right,” he said, sitting back on his bottom. He took in a slow breath, steeling himself, before looking up at her with firm determination in his eyes. Inside, his heart was breaking.

    Lilith blinked curiously. “You’ve decided then?”

    Arc nodded. “I have. Two hundred years… I’ll pay it.”

    The witch blinked one more time, then sighed in disappointment. “Mortal beings are so dull.” She walked back to him, arms still crossed, and indicated that he should stand. “If that’s truly what you desire, give me your wrist.”

    Arc’s eyes never left hers as he did what she said. He watched as she grasped his offered wrist and ran her nose along the underside, as if she were admiring the bouquet. Her mouth snapped open and closed then, quickly and suddenly, biting deep through his granite-hard skin with a faint crunch.

    Arc winced in pain, biting back the cry in his throat. It hurt. Nothing had hurt him in a year. The last time he’d felt pain had also been a bite; the one that changed him forever.

    Lilith moaned in pleasure as she partook of him, his blood sweet on her pallet. She looked him pointedly in the eye as she drank, her own eyes still inviting him to sway from his marital vows. He looked away from her though, making it clear again that he wasn’t interested. She shrugged it off, deciding to let him have his way.

    She drew back, licking blood from her lips as it dripped down her chin. “Ah, so tasty.”

    Arc pulled his wrist back quickly, cradling it against him. He licked the wound thoroughly, cleaning away the excess bleeding and coating it with a layer of his own venomous saliva, sealing it.

    “Oh!” the witch said as she wiped her chin. She looked at Arc with wide eyes, recognition flickering across her face. “That’s where I’ve seen you before. Yes, I see. What an interesting turn of events.”

    Arc quirked a confused brow. He knew for a fact he’d never encountered the witch before. Where could she have possibly seen him?

    “I wasn’t looking far enough ahead,” she continued thoughtfully. “It seems I have no choice in the matter.”

    “What are you taking about?” the vampire asked.

    She shook her head gently. “You’ll know soon enough. One moment please.”

    Arc watched her, horrified now, as she tilted her head back and then reached her hand into her throat – all the way into her throat. Her mouth gaped open and her neck bulged grotesquely as she dove deeper and deeper, her lips wrapped tightly around her elbow, saliva driveling like a wild dog. The shapes of her fingers were clear as they moved under her skin, swirling around and around like she was stirring something.

    After only a minute that felt like an hour, her fingers wrapped around something and she began pulling her arm out. She coughed once to clear her throat, spitting excess saliva to the side.

    “There we are,” she said, holding her extracted hand up triumphantly. Clasped in it was a tiny red orb, no bigger to a pebble, which she extended to the vampire. “Here; have your wife swallow that. It will seal the child’s curse, as well as all his children for generations to come.”

    Arc eyed the pill incredulously. “That’s all?”

    The witch nodded.

    “And then what? I leave her behind?”

    “Not right away. You have until your child is born. As long as you never touch him, and you leave before his first day has passed, the seal will remain intact. That’s as much time as I could buy you.”

    Relief and gratitude swelled within the vampire, bringing tears to his eyes. He still had time. Only a few months, but time. He had time to tell Félicie how much he loved her, and how much he would truly miss her. He could explain everything and make her see that it was for the best. He could set her up with money to take care of herself and their son. He could see their son, at least once, before never seeing him again.

    “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

    The witch brushed him off. “Don’t thank me; like I said, it turns out I have no choice in the matter.” She looked him up and down again and shook her head wryly. “Fate truly is a mysterious thing.”

    Arc didn’t understand, but she obviously wasn’t going to explain.

    He didn’t need her to.

    He got what he came for. It wasn’t exactly what he’d envisioned; he knew the coming months would be the most painful of his existence, but it would be worth it. For his son. For Félicie. For his entire family to come. He would protect them all from the suffering of the Vampire Curse, even if it meant he himself would suffer alone.

UnAVerse
Pre-Main Story

Oh ho ho, what have we here?

I've actually been wanting to write this particular scene in AV history for a while; really solidify the vague vision in my head. Though it might not seem like it, this is actually a very pivotal point in the AV timeline. Can anyone piece it together and figure out why it was Lilith had no choice in the matter? Post in the comments below, or send me a note if you figure it out. Anyone who does gets a cookie! ^-^

PS Rhoder : I actually proofread this several times, with a few days between even. Just try to find some mistakes! ^w^
© 2016 - 2024 MidnightDaybreak
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LindArtz's avatar
Oooh, very enjoyable reading! :D! (I found myself wishing he would deviate from his vows.  I know! So unlike me for my morals! I've been bewitched. :thumbsup:;)