Somewhere deep down inside him, Vax knew this was wrong. He knew that his friends, his sister, were trapped and he wasn’t. He knew they were stuck on the other side of the glass wall, green acid flowing steadily, threatening to melt them all into bone. He knew he needed to get them out.
But then—
Don’t fret, we’ll take excellent care of him.
Sylas Briarwood was at his back, promising to take care of him. And Cassandra— poor Cassandra, left for dead and in the grasp of the Briarwoods for years… but even she said they were her new family, that they transcended death. Vax, well, he couldn’t help but like the sound of that.
He didn’t understand why Vex was pounding at the pane, yelling at him, trying so desperately to wrench him away from his family. He wanted her there by his side as well, of course he did, but why did she sound so angry? Didn’t she want what was best for him, for him to be happy and get what he wanted?
Because right now, what he wanted more than anything was to please Sylas and Delilah. He wanted them to accept him.
So when Delilah said something about her husband needing to keep his strength up, Vax was ready to give him all he needed. He remained unmoving as the taller man caressed his cheek, tilting his head to the side for easier access to the neck.
The sudden pin pricks of pain lasted only a second as fangs broke through his skin, the feeling of blood flowing out of his body barely registering. Vax watched his friends throw everything they had at the wall separating them: weapons, fists, threats.
Again, somewhere within him, he found himself thinking he should move, resist, do… something! But he also thought Sylas wouldn’t like that very much, as the man was holding onto him pretty tightly, drinking more than he probably needed, but Vax was ok with that.
There were a lot of other things swirling through his mind now, at the brink of death.
He felt he was letting his sister down, dying like this in front of her, like their mother.
He felt sorry that he wouldn’t get the chance to follow through with Keyleth, whatever they could have been.
He thought it was a shame he’d never get to even out that game of ball-tag with Grog. The goliath could be such an idiot at times, but he was sure going to miss the fun loving brute.
He was upset at the fact he wasn’t going to be able to ask Pike about what happened with the Everlight that made her so much stronger now, so confident.
And he was definitely going to miss hearing about the adventures and sexual escapades of Scanlan Shorthalt… even if they were incessantly sung at him. He would miss his bravery and his willingness to throw everything he had into any situation they found themselves in.
Most of all, he felt sorry that he wasn’t able to help Percy get his revenge. If anyone could have the chance to avenge their family, he wished it could’ve been Percival de Rolo. He hoped everyone else would still be able to help him achieve that.
A few more moments passed, then Vax’ildan’s body went limp in the vampire’s arms, dropping to the ground, empty.
*****
Vex stood at the opening where the glass divider had disappeared just a second ago. As everyone rushed forward to Vax’s prone form, she remained, fixated on the body 15 feet ahead. His eyes, once bright and sparkling with mischief, now dull and lifeless, stared up at nothing.
She watched Pike and Keyleth clamor over him and each other, trying all the spells they had to help, to bring him back. She saw Scanlan frantically strumming his lute, the words failing to come to him in his distress. Percy knelt nearby, the loss of Cassandra, and now Vax, weighing even heavier on his heart. Grog was next to him, almost whimpering at the magic users to do something.
And in the middle of all of it, Vex’ahlia broke.
“Stop!” She nearly screamed as she pushed everyone away, falling to her knees in front of her twin. “Just stop.”
Hesitating for just a moment, she leaned down and gathered him up in her arms, holding him tighter than she ever had before. Burying her face in the feathers adorning his shoulders, the tears fell fast, absorbed quickly by the material.
“Vex, I- I can do something else, there’s gotta be—”
“Keyleth, please!” Vex cried out in response, still in the embrace. “He’s gone. He was gone the instant Sylas sunk his teeth into him. There’s nothing any of you can do.”
Silence followed as each member of the group caught up to that reality, any words of solace dying on their tongue.
Vex laid her brother’s body back down soon after, closing his eyes and moving his arms across his chest. She didn’t want to leave him, gods, that was the very last thing she wanted to do.
But there would be time for mourning. Right now, they had to return to the task at hand, because Percy wasn’t the only one zeroed in on revenge anymore.
When he opened his eyes again, Vax saw… nothing. There was nothing to be felt, nothing to be heard, he was only aware of himself occupying a suspended space.
It was a strange feeling, a new one to be sure, this— void. Was this the afterlife? Bit underwhelming.
As if in response to his assessment, someone or something else popped in, making its presence known. That was even weirder, as Vax could feel it there with him, almost enveloping all the space around him, but it was still empty. He searched through the black, the faintest sliver of white fading into view before him.
“Hello?” His mouth moved, but no greeting escaped his lips. It stayed as a thought, the presence responding in kind.
“It is much too early for you, dear.” The statement resonated through Vax’s head, The voice it came from was very perplexing, somehow managing to be loud and commanding, but soft and gently passive all at once.
“What do you mean?” Vax… said in his mind. “Where am I?”
“All will be answered in good time.” When the voice replied, a feeling of amusement sparked through his body. “I hadn’t expected this— perversion of your soul. Well, it hardly matters, merely an interesting detail.”
Vax struggled to come up with a response, stuttering, “I… wh- who are you?”
“In good time,” the voice simply said again. “Your fate and mine are intertwined, this will not be our final meeting. But there is more to be done, so for now, I ask you to take your leave.”
If Vax knew exactly where his limbs were relative to the space, he’d surely be flailing them. “Uhh, what? How?”
Wake up.
Still in the spot where Sylas bled him dry, Vax took in a breath, the memories of the void fading away, until he could no longer grasp any specifics that were said. He pushed himself up off the floor, a general confusion taking hold as he tried to remember why they had come down there. About to take off in the direction of where he saw the Briarwoods last, the sound of familiar voices drew his attention back to the trap room.
He stumbled forward, all of his friends, minus one holy gnome, coming into clear view. There was Percy, weapon trained on Delilah, both looking worse for wear. Near them, Vex was bent over Keyleth, Cassandra shoving some herbs into the druid’s wound, with a little assist from Scanlan. Wait, Cassandra? What did he miss?
“Sister?” Vax croaked out in alarm at the sight of them, especially concerned with the dark veins starting to cover Keyleth’s skin, only just starting to recede.
Everyone, even Lady Briarwood, turned to face him. They paused for a moment, stunned, Grog being the first to break the stupor. “Is that a ghost?”
Vex stood immediately, notching an arrow and leveling it at the apparition of her brother’s head. “What is this?”
“Vex’ahlia!” Vax gasped, putting his hands up in defense. “It’s me, your twin brother?”
“I saw you dead, we all did,” countered Vex, keeping her bow steady. She flicked her gaze over to the only practitioner of dark magic in their company, almost growling out her next sentence. “What did you do to him?”
Delilah, knowing full well she did not necromance that boy back to life, mused over this with not even a little sense of urgency. As she came to the only logical conclusion, she let out a derisive chuckle. “You should be happy! It seems as though my husband left a gift before you murdered him. He gave your brother power, strength, life anew!”
“Wait, is she saying what I think she’s saying?” Scanlan asked the room, anxiety increasing with each word.
And it was like a switch was flipped within Vax. Suddenly, he became very aware of all the warm bodies in his vicinity. He could sense their unease, practically feel the heartbeats in the room, and smell the blood pumping just underneath their skin. Unconsciously, he let out a snarl, running his tongue through his top row of teeth, the much sharper canines rippling through the gums. Gods, he was so… hungry…
“Brother, do not come any closer.” Vex warned, ready to loose her arrow at the slightest movement. “You can fight this.”
Grog backed her, holding his axe out. “I don’t want to kill you again, Vax, but I will if I have to!”
Vax took a step backward, shaking his head a few times. Every nerve in his body felt charged, crackling with newfound energy that was begging to be used. He couldn’t focus, split between his desire to not hurt any of his friends and craving something so deeply, it shook him to his core. Even the sight of Keyleth, having regained a bit of strength to stand up with Cassandra’s help, granted him only a momentary respite.
Having gleefully watched all this from her corner, Delilah decided it was the perfect time to drop an interesting tidbit. “You know, he’ll have to feed eventually. On human blood? Unless you want his body to wither away into dust. That is how it works, powered by a few measly peasants and their life-forces.”
“Shut up!” Percy demanded, that black smoke starting to radiate off him once more. “You are responsible for this and it’s time I made you suffer. It’ll only be a taste of the pain you inflicted on my family.” He cocked the gun, jamming it into Delilah’s face, about to pull the trigger.
What happened next was a blur.
While Vax heard the group shift their attention to the now rabid Percy, trying to get him to calm down, and could clearly see the shadow possessing the gunslinger grow larger, he couldn’t bring himself to care. Everything in him was still screaming hunger! Feed! He knew he should go and help his friends, who were now taking cover behind anything they could to avoid Percy’s bullets, but this new instinct for blood was overriding that.
So Vax stayed, concentrating only on keeping himself away from the group, desperately hanging onto that last shred of humanity.
And it was working, just barely so far, until a few shots finally found purchase, grazing Grog in the shoulder and drawing blood. The smell was overwhelming and Vax felt himself stepping forward with no say in the matter.
No! He told— shouted at himself. Do not eat Grog, he’s never going to let you live it down! Well, he’s a big guy, he could stand to share a pint or two… or ten.
As he was about to close the distance between him and his target, Vax registered in his peripheral Percy, primed to kill Delilah, with nothing left to stand in his way.
“Don’t forfeit your own soul!” He heard his sister cry out and before his mind caught up with what his body was doing, Vax moved, faster than he ever could before.
Grabbing Percy by his collar, Vax had just one more instant of pause, no longer able to resist. He bit down on the base of the human’s neck, the metallic taste of fresh blood taking over every other sense, a tidal wave of pleasure. He had never experienced anything like this, and even after Percy’s demon struck out a shadowy tendril, propelling Vax towards the far wall, he was still riding high.
Oddly enough, it seemed this attack was just what Percy needed to shock him out of his internal warring. He turned his weapon on himself and shot right through the palm of his hand, viscera splattering out, with the smoking gun spinning to the floor.
At least that was one problem solved.
“Vax?” Scanlan, having just tossed the pepper box into the acid, reminded the group of their other complication, inching over to where the half-elf turned vampire sat on the floor. “Umm, you good there, bud?”
Not answering right away, because he really wasn’t sure if he was or not, Vax hunched over, taking a few deep breaths. The adrenaline and that feeling of voracious hunger, though lingering, were several stages weaker now. He was still acutely aware of the number of prey surrounding him, but instead of needing more, that first taste of blood was just enough to keep him satiated. Honestly, he was kind of impressed at the amount of self-control.
With the group still wary, Vax slowly stood up, hands held out in a placating manner. “I don’t know. I don’t have the overwhelming urge to bite any of you, if that’s any consolation.”
“I may have just got you back, please… Please don’t do anything that will make me have to lose you all over again.” Vex swung her bow to her back, walking towards Vax with one hand out, as if she were taming a cornered animal. Her vision turned glassy as the tears started to collect. “It’s really you, brother?”
Hmm… mostly. “Yes. Undead, bloodsucking monster, but I’m— here,” he let out a quiet, awkward laugh. A second passed… two… then on the third, a rush of air as everyone scrambled to hug him. Vax took a moment to revel in the embrace, but it was over almost as soon as it began.
With that many people so close to him, their pulses beating against his cold skin, the instinct to rip out their throats in a hunger induced frenzy started to creep its way back in. Forcing his way out of the huddle and making it nearly to the other side of the room in a few seconds flat, Vax steadied himself, back to the wall, breathing heavily.
“I’m sorry,” he shouted to his friends, “I just— it’s a lot. I just need a minute.”
“It’s ok, Vax!” Keyleth assured him, though he could hear the waver and uncertainty in her tone. “Hey, let’s get out of here! You know, maybe Pike or Gilmore, they might have some insight into… this whole thing!”
With all the currently living members of the group keeping a short, but respectable distance away from Vax, they started to make their way out of the underground. Back at the spot in town where they entered the tunnels, after everyone filtered out, Vax stopped short of exiting the doorway.
The sun was shining bright up over their heads, dividing the penumbra covering the terrain in an almost perfect line. If he were to take another two steps, he would no longer be in the protection of the shade. “Uhh, guys,” he called out. “I think I may have an issue here.”
Vex turned to him questioningly at first, seeing nothing wrong with him or their current location. Then she followed his gaze to where the shadows ended. “Oh, right… shit.” She looked up at the sunlight, then back to him, then to his feathered cape, gesturing to it. “Maybe you could just— cover yourself with that? Or, Percy, give him your jacket, it’s longer!”
“No, no, I got it!” Keyleth piped up, running over to a nearby tree, snatching up its thickest vine, a large leaf growing out from the top of it. She presented it to Vax after determining the radius of shade it provided would be more than enough to cover him. “There we go!”
“Oh, huh,” Vax took the vine, moving out from the doorway to no ill effects. “Thanks, Kiki.”
“Yeah, it’s no problem! Come on, let’s get you home.”
*****
Sequestered in a corner of the kitchen, with most of the blinds drawn shut, Vax sat sullenly near Trinket (not too close), listening as Pike read through a borrowed book on creatures of the undead. The rest of the team were elsewhere in the keep, trying to maintain some space and not spoil him with a meal of choice.
“Ok, here’s some good news,” Pike announced after a solid 10 minutes of flipping through pages. “Vampire spawn are compelled to obey their masters, that’s whoever turned them, but obtain free will once their masters die! So… there’s that, at least? It also says you can’t make any spawn of your own, unless you live long enough to become a vampire lord. Whoever you eat won’t come back to life!” The silence that followed prompted her to add, “Which is great! Like when you feed on animals or whatever, they’ll just… die?”
“That sounds good, Pickle, thank you,” Vax said. At least he could take comfort in the fact that an army of undead bunnies was not going to be a thing in their immediate future. Hmm, a bunny, that sounded delightful right about now.
“So how are you feeling exactly?” Pike shut the book, swiveling her chair to face him. “How’s the— the thirst?”
“At the moment,” Vax paused, taking stock of his body and all its… sensations. “It’s, uhh, nothing I can’t control. Though, I do think I might have to feed on something substantial at some point later today.”
“Freshly turned, only a small amount of blood in the past couple hours, and hunting is just an afterthought?” Percy remarked, appearing in the kitchen, tugging on a brand new glove. His eyes were downcast, not quite able to look at the brunette directly. “You’re exhibiting some phenomenal self-restraint, I must say.”
Vax snapped his head up at his arrival, curiously feeling a tiny sense of kindred spirit between them. “Oh. I appreciate that, Percival, especially coming from you. Same to you, what with defeating your inner demons and all that.”
“I’m sorry, Vax’ildan.” The gunslinger said quickly, taking a few paces into the room. “I’m sorry for dragging you and everyone into this in the first place and what happened to you—”
“Wasn’t your fault,” Vax finished for him.
“But it—”
“No, seriously, I don’t blame you and I don’t regret going to help you. Besides, the person whose fault it actually was is dead and gone so… that’s the end of it.”
Vax could see his white haired friend trying and failing to hide his guilt, but there wasn’t much he could do about that, short of forcing him to forgo that feeling. At the least, he could try and make it seem like his new vampiric nature was more an inconvenience; it could very well come in handy down the road.
“I should thank you, by the way,” Vax revealed, pointing to Percy’s general neck area. “For providing me with my first taste of blood. Bet you haven’t been anyone’s first before.”
Though still distraught, Percy finally looked up at him, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Uhh, no comment?”
“Hey, you guys,” Keyleth interrupted, popping her head in to inform them of Uriel’s summoning. “Come on, we gotta go!”
“Don’t worry, Vax, I have your giant leaf with me!” Grog declared to the whole party, marching out the door with the overgrown plant trailing behind him.
Vax exchanged a glance of repugnance with Percy, who ushered him forward, promising, “I’ll work on building you something a bit more… unobtrusive.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it,” Vax defended his apprehension, “it’s just so big! You know, it’s cumbersome…”
“No, I know, I know. I understand.”
“You know, you would think being a rogue and a vampire would mean you were good at sneaking around,” Gilmore announced to his empty shop. He had just finished closing up and was in the middle of replenishing his shelves when his alarm spell silently tipped him off to the presence of another.
He spun round, the long ends of his purple dress robes disturbing the many vials of health potions behind him. Scanning the dark corners of the store, his eyes instantly settled on a slight disruption in the shadows. “And yet, I’m always finding you so easily.”
“Uh, first of all, you definitely cheated,” a tall, lanky figure claimed as he stepped out into the dimly lit foyer, his feather-clad shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. “But I never could get anything past you, Gilmore!”
“Vax’ildan,” the wizard greeted, flinging both arms up for an embrace and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
From behind his back, Vax pulled out a woven wicker basket, its contents concealed by a thin terry cloth. A tall bottle of some sort of alcohol peeked out, the only thing visible in the assortment. “I believe I said I owed you dinner, didn’t I? I’ve come to pay my debt.”
Gilmore snapped up the bottle, a sound of satisfaction escaping him as he read the label, and pulled up a corner of the sheet. “Ooh, I am always a sucker for fancy finger sandwiches!”
“Made with only the best stone-ground mustard Percy’s money can buy!” Taking Gilmore by the hand, Vax led them upstairs where he had spread out a blanket earlier. Upon seeing the wizard’s perplexed expression, who swore this floor was wooden and bare just before closing, Vax smirked as they sat down, revealing, “Perks of inhuman speed! I do still have some surprises up my sleeve.”
“Don’t I know it?” Gilmore returned the smile, reaching into the basket for a neatly cut triangle sandwich. With a flick of the wrist, a spectral servant floated by holding a tray of cups. He picked up two glasses by their stems, handing one over to his date, before shooing the spirit away. Uncorking the bottle, he poured them both a hefty glass of wine. “Cheers,” he signaled with a tip of his glass, the following clink reverberating through the vacant space.
They settled into a comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the variety of picnic foods. Well, Gilmore was enjoying it at least, Vax more just nibbled on one strawberry the whole time, in between small sips of red wine.
Slowly chewing on a spear of pineapple, Gilmore swept his eyes over his handsome half-elf, a twinge of unbeckoned sadness blossoming into his chest. “How are you, Vax? Really?” He asked, placing the yellow fruit down and scooting closer.
“Oh, me?” Vax snapped to attention, barely preventing liquid from sloshing out of his still full glass. Better to set that down. “I’m… fine! I’m good. Why, how- how are you?”
With a tilt of his head, Gilmore stayed silent, doubling down on his stare, waiting expectantly.
“I… I’m adjusting.” Vax sighed, fixing his gaze to the quarter of strawberry left on his plate. “No reflection, so Vex'ahlia lets me know if I look presentable most of the time. No sun, but Percy made me this huge, black umbrella that retracts into the size of a pen, so at least going out hasn’t really been much of a problem. Sometimes people stare, but it’s not like they didn’t before, we’re an odd bunch.” He chuckled, fiddling with a braid in his hair. “We’ve shifted into finishing more jobs at night, though, it’s just more convenient now. Plus, with less people around, it’s much easier to go about our business.”
The fact that it was also considerably easier to quell the blood lust was left unsaid.
“And, uhh, I have some blood stashed away for those times when I don’t feel like hunting down a cute animal! So, all in all, yeah, I’m… great!” Vax finished with a smile so plastered on, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable to think it was modeled off a statue.
“He said convincingly, without a hint of bitterness,” came Gilmore’s sarcastic retort.
“Yeah, well… can’t really do anything about it.” Vax shrugged. “I’ve made my peace, it sucks, no pun intended, but— I’m coping. And it’s not all bad! I move a hell of a lot faster, I’m a lot stronger… maybe not on the same level as Grog, but fairly close. Oh, and did I mention the healing factor?”
“Silver lining,” Gilmore hummed his agreement, cringing slightly at his choice of words. “Umm, what about your Charm? Have you tried that on anyone yet?”
Vax deflated a little as he shrank in on himself, pointedly avoiding eye contact. He had, in fact, tried to use it multiple times. Not on any unwilling participant, mind, but all attempts thus far had ended rather quickly with just a pat on the back for giving it his best shot.
Keyleth theorized that maybe it wouldn’t work at all on those who were already his friends, while Scanlan figured asking people before he did it might be negating the effect. But he just didn’t feel comfortable trying it out on strangers. Not only did it have a high chance of not working, but he knew what it was to be forced to do something against your will and— consent was preferable, that’s all.
“I’ll take that as a no?”
“It’s… a work in progress.”
“Maybe you just need a bit of coaching!” Gilmore proclaimed, snapping his fingers. The picnic setup tidied itself away, and he made his way back down to consult the literature he had on vampire lore. “Follow me!”
Vax leaned over the counter, skimming an entry on the weaknesses and abilities of vampires. It was mainly all things he already knew, thanks to Pike being so well-read, but there were several handwritten notes in the margins. As he read through those, he found that they were tips and tricks on how to best utilize a given ability.
This would certainly come in handy, he thought to himself. Well, if they’re not complete bullshit. And knowing Gilmore… it’s a 50/50 shot. Hmm, 60/40.
“Did you write these?” Vax queried, squinting at the flowy script in an attempt to ascertain if it was indeed the wizard’s. “How do you know so much about vampires?”
“Mm, I’m not one to kiss and tell,” Gilmore hedged, winking back.
Now it was Vax’s turn to flash him an expectant look.
The corners of the wizard’s lips quirked up as he took the book back. “Let’s just say I’ve… experimented and some of whom I experimented with were willing to dictate the experience back to me. I mean, still take them with a grain of salt. We weren’t exactly academically focused at the time…”
Vax rolled his eyes, and though there was a genuine smile on his face, it was a bit pinched. Whether it was out of annoyance or jealousy… he couldn’t tell.
“All right, so helpful hint number one,” Gilmore began, reading out the addendum written in the bump of the book’s spine. “Start small, start vague. Example: Instead of commanding someone to gather up a whole bouquet of flowers, simply suggest that you desire some natural color to brighten up the room. They will know exactly what you mean.”
“…Yeah, I don’t think that’s right,” Vax countered with a healthy dose of skepticism. “I once told Grog it’d be nice if I had something to eat and he just brought me a tankard of mead. And that was the one time I actually succeeded in charming him— for about 10 seconds.”
“I knew it, that one always sounded a bit off to me!" Gilmore scribbled over the lines, writing a note that read myth busted- Be specific? "Well, what else do I have here?… Maintain eye contact until the full command has been issued."
"I did that!"
“Uhh… don’t give contradictory commands before the first has been fulfilled?”
“I did that too!”
“Ok, let’s just forget about the book,” suggested Gilmore, snapping it closed and slipping it back into the drawer. “Let’s go back to basics! Just like learning a new spell, break it down to its mechanics.” He took a seat on the other side of the counter, resting his chin on an upturned palm, and took in Vax’s appearance.
The rogue looked pale, par for the course for creatures undead, but he seemed to be even more sallow than most. Recalling how little he ate moments ago and his earlier statement about hunting animals, Gilmore figured that perhaps Vax was just lacking the energy needed. “Were you hungry the times you tried it? When was the last time you fed?”
“I ate a pigeon a few hours ago,” Vax replied, biting his lower lip as he gave it some more thought. “And all the other times, I… I had at least some from my reserves beforehand.”
“Ok, what about human blood?”
“Uhh, I haven’t had— Not… since Percy.”
“You haven’t had— since you were turned?” Astonished, Gilmore’s jaw dropped to form an ‘O’. The half-elf was right, he did still have some surprises left. He quickly cleared his throat, schooling his expression into one more fitting for a wizard of his stature. “I’m shocked at the self control. Your resilience never ceases to amaze me, but I think that might be your problem right there.”
“What do you mean?” asked Vax, though he had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly what.
“A vampire’s power is fueled solely by the consumption of human blood, Vax’ildan, you know that. Animal blood may do well as… as supplement, but not as a complete replacement.”
Vax bristled at that. He knew full well Gilmore was merely stating a fact, but it was one that he had so painstakingly tried to avoid. He just didn’t understand! Blood was blood, what did the source of it matter?
“I’m not feeding on a person,” he said, an air of finality around his words.
“And why not?”
“Because!” Vax stopped there, his mind providing a bevy of excuses. Because what if I can’t stop? What if the hunger overtakes me? What if I kill someone? What if I like it? He said none of these out loud. “I’ve been getting along fine with the local wildlife.”
Gilmore huffed out a laugh, sounding a bit more condescending than he had meant for it to. “I’m sorry, but come on, you must be able to feel it! Are you truly satiated by a few rabbits from the nearby forests?”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone!”
“And what about your friends, your sister? You may not be weak by any means, dear, but it does no one any favors if you’re never operating at full capacity.”
“I…” Vax trailed off. His friend was right— obviously, he was right, there was no refuting that vampirism had its perks and he’d be a fool to not take advantage.
“I know you’re scared that you won’t be able to stop,” Gilmore said softly, “but practice does make perfect!” He stood up, angled his head to the side, baring his neck, then beckoned the raven haired rogue forwards. “So feed on me.”
“What?” Vax yelped out in response, backing up a step. “No! What’re you—”
“I offered to coach you, didn’t I? Consider this hands-on training.”
“No,” repeated Vax, turning and stepping further away from the counter. “Gilmore, I won’t do that.”
In lieu of a spoken response, there instead came the unmistakable smell of blood. Immediately, Vax froze in his spot, cursing at himself as he couldn’t stop from turning back to see the drop of red collecting at the pad of the wizard’s pointer finger. “Stop it,” he muttered, swiftly dropping his gaze.
“Make me,” Gilmore told him, twirling the needle he used between his fingers. “I’ll be completely honest with you, being friendly with the person you’re trying to charm should make it infinitely easier. And I’m giving you my express permission, if you still can’t do it, well…then you need this blood.”
“Shaun…” Vax warned, following a full body shudder, still facing the other way.
“Ooh, bringing out the first names,” teased Gilmore, walking out from behind the counter and sliding up close to Vax. Placing a hand on the other’s shoulder, he pulled his body tight against his own.
Vax’s breath hitched in his throat. There was a distinct ba-bump echoing in his ears. The sound of Gilmore’s beating heart was so near, he could’ve mistaken it for his own if he still possessed one. The warmth emanating from beneath the human’s skin, the light pressure of his fingers, and his intoxicating scent toyed with Vax’s heightened senses. He wanted him… gods, he wanted so badly. But—
“I can’t,” came his refusal again, though he didn’t sound quite so sure anymore. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Gilmore let out a sigh laced with amusement; the half-elf could be so stubborn sometimes. He drifted in closer, dropping his voice low to whisper into a pointed ear, “Then don’t.”
Oh, did that do it.
In a whirlwind of black cloth and feathers, Vax spun and grabbed the wizard’s wrists, all but slamming the both of them into a display case, the weapon inside wobbling from the force of the impact. Despite this, it didn’t really hurt, affirming Gilmore’s theory that Vax was perfectly in control, he just needed a confidence boost.
Giving into the feral instincts clawing their way to the surface, Vax brought Gilmore’s hand up, sticking the index and middle fingers into his mouth. His tongue traveled the length of both, teeth biting down at the first knuckles, then the tips, coaxing out fresh droplets of blood. Ghosting his lips over the other’s arm, Vax moved up to his chest, leaving a trail of soft kisses on the tanned skin.
A gasp passed through Gilmore’s lips as he subtly bared his throat once again, the act spurring Vax on even further. Still a little apprehensive, however, he took it slow, just licking at a spot on his neck.
Keeping the one hand in his and intertwining their fingers, Vax let go of the wrist he still had pinned, moving to the wizard’s back to support him. Honed in on pulsing veins, the hunger grew steadily and he was soon rendered helpless, unable to stop his grin from spreading or the fangs from peeking out.
This time, without the frenzied state he’d been in with Percy, Vax carefully broke through the skin with all the tenderness of a gentle lover. This time, he wouldn’t describe it as just being a tidal wave— No, this time, he was enveloped in a whole damn ocean of pleasure. The wizard moaned softly from under him.
The sweet scent of pineapple and sour tannins of the wine lingered on Gilmore’s breath, mingling perfectly with fresh, warm blood. It washed over his tongue, coating his throat, and Vax was left figuratively, and literally, weak in the knees. It was… euphoric.
After a minute, he paused and lifted his head back, exhaling sharply in contentment. He ran his tongue over his teeth, then over the two pinpricks he’d left behind, licking up every last drop.
Then, surprising only himself, Vax stopped. He had never felt more alive, nerves screaming out in ecstasy— it reached down to his very bones . This was a high easily 50 times stronger than when he had first fed. And… he didn’t feel the need for more. He was… full.
Releasing Gilmore, Vax stepped back, keeping a hand on his elbow to help steady him, as he fished out a healing potion from behind the main desk.
Drinking not even a tablespoon of it, the tiny twin wounds on his neck instantaneously stitched themselves up. Then, leaning back on the counter, Gilmore swept his gaze down the newly rejuvenated vampire’s frame. “Now, don’t take this as an insult… but you’ve never looked better!”
Stifling a laugh, Vax happily bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet. “Well, I feel— really good.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it. I knew you had it in you… but I do apologize if my methods were a tad bit— aggressive?”
“I don’t mind a little aggression,” Vax told him honestly, not missing a beat. He put a hand on the other’s shoulder, giving it a small shake. “Thank you, Shaun, truly.”
“Well, don’t thank me yet! With all that power coursing through you, we should test it!” Gilmore pushed off from his desk, once again getting within a hair’s breadth away from the rogue. “Try charming me.”
“Heh, I don’t know,” Vax hedged, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his neck. “Are you absolutely certain you want me to do this?”
“My dear Vax’ildan, allow me to be explicit. Whatever you want me to do,” Gilmore clarified in an almost purr, flicking his gaze down for a fraction of a second. “I would be more than happy to oblige.”
Vax blinked. Oh- Oh.
Suddenly overcome with newfound courage, he closed his eyes and dug deep, searching for something. His thoughts were crowded with the new sensations from the past few minutes, and yet it had never been easier to concentrate on one specific goal. Opening his eyes, the rush of power blazed outwards from within his skull and a golden glow rapidly surrounded Gilmore’s irises.
Vax smirked as he growled out the one word that would be his first successful command.
“Kneel.”
* * *
Now, while curled up with Gilmore on his fancy, purple couch on the second level, Vax had come to the realization that this particular use of charm hadn’t actually taught him much of anything. The wizard had already wanted to do it, he wasn’t exactly influencing him to do something against his will. Who knows if he got the hang of the ability at all?
Ehh, that was fine. He probably wouldn’t even be using it that often, his friends could be plenty persuasive without it.
And anyway, he’d figure it out eventually, what with all the tutoring sessions in his near future. He was especially looking forward to learning how to summon swarms of rats. Think of the havoc.