This one was based off a prompt. Enjoy!
With blades at his back, Leon jumped, pushed off the cave wall, and barely somersaulted over the swords which imbedded into the rock with ringing thrusts. Turning, he saw the vampire he fought floating off the ground, three more swords circling menacingly.
"Here!" the vampire shouted, flinging one purple-clad arm out.
Leon darted around, fending off the blades with strong strikes of his whip. They had been fighting for several minutes, and Leon's muscles were burning from all the acrobatics he employed to avoid the various attacks sent his way.
"Are you just going to dance, feeble human?"
Leon blocked a few more blows before speaking. "Joachim! We don't have to fight. You and I share the same goal."
"Killing Walter?" the vampire asked with a sneer. "What makes you think I would need the help of something as pathetic as you?"
During his last words, he flung his arms up, and Leon had to sprint closer to avoid streams of fire which appeared from the floor. With the distance between them shortened, Leon managed to get in a few hits on Joachim before the vampire's swords caught up with him. One caught him with a glancing blow to his arm, and Leon could only be glad his enchanted glove had caught the worst of it.
The fight continued in that manner, both participants growing more tired. Leon noticed he had a couple advantages though. For one, his whip-granted power with alchemy-had already grown stronger due to the monsters he had battled throughout the castle. Each blow he struck against Joachim bit into him with more force than any normal weapon would have, leaving the vampire spitting and growling out curses at each one.
Further, one detail, a weakness, had caught Leon's eye. Each time Joachim threw the swords he employed all about the room in an effort to skewer Leon, he had to take the time to call all of the blades back. It gave Leon precious few seconds between vicious attacks. So far, Leon hadn't the time to counterattack during the brief reprieve, instead gulping down healing potions he had gotten from Rinaldo.
Even so, it had given him a significant advantage in stamina. Leon only had rumors and tales of vampires to go off of, but their healing and other supernatural abilities had always been said to be powered by human blood. Though he had been injured throughout the fight, Leon had never let the vampire near enough to feed from him. And it seemed Joachim was, in fact, slowing down.
With that comfort in mind, Leon dodged all the swords aimed at him-and they were definitely moving slower-then moved in, landing several strong hits. Joachim screamed, a snarl on his face and something like desperation in his red eyes.
He threw his arms up, bright light the only warning before sharp golden blades burst forth from the ground between the two. Leon was forced to dodge around while keeping his distance, the vampire summoning more blades each time he tried to dash closer.
Finally, Joachim seemed to tire, hovering back across the prison. Leon raced after him, determined to take advantage of his temporary weakness. Joachim dodged the first few strikes before he got caught.
The whip wrapped around his leg, and a firm tug slung him face down on the ground, howling in frustration. Surprisingly, he didn't immediately get up, as Leon had anticipated. Instead, when Leon loosened the whip and sent it at the vampire with a solid crack, it landed squarely on Joachim's back, drawing a pained yell. Leon stood in shocked stillness.
He didn't wish to torture the-man?-monster, so with his enemy still facing the floor, harsh breaths rattling his lips, Leon barked out his question. "What is the Ebony Stone?"
Silence. Then a giggle which grew into unsteady laughter. Leon felt the heat below him and nearly cursed. He would not be deterred, not when he was so close. He dodged forward, escaping the gout of flame and landing on top of the vampire, his knee digging in to his lower back and drawing a painted grunt.
Like this, close to his enemy, Leon knew his whip was at a disadvantage. Reluctantly, he removed a silver knife from his belt, placing the tip above the back of Joachim's neck.
"I don't want to ask again," Leon said.
"Get off me, filth," the vampire spat. Leon pushed the knife further to still his struggling.
Leon waited, patient. As a knight, he had learned silence and steady pressure often broke men before demands did. Soon enough, his patience was rewarded.
An unsteady laugh rumbled through the vampire. "Do you think yourself strong, worm? That you can kill Walter this way? Walter has the Ebony Stone," he spat.
"Walter..." Leon recalled that to be the name of the vampire who ruled the castle he currently traipsed through. "It is a source of power, then."
"Yes it is power, you fool." Joachim had grow very still, which unsettled Leon. "But it cannot be combated by wretches like you. No, only another vampire, with the Crimson Stone, could match him now."
A frown curved Leon's lips, pulling as he thought. Surely the 'Crimson Stone' was not the only way? If that were the case, then Sara... No.
"Where is the Crimson Stone?" Leon asked, "And why would a vampire need it?"
"If I knew that do you think I would be wasting away in this prison?" he spat. "Do you think I would choose to stay here, waiting for Walter's attention like a dog?"
Joachim began shaking, conversely making Leon still even more, until he felt like a statue waiting out an earthquake. A low sound accompanied the quivering, growing louder; Leon finally recognized it as animal-like growling.
"He has the only stone that's been found, and no one can defeat him, so he thinks he can do whatever he pleases. To humans, to his subjects, to me-" His words bit off with another growl.
Leon too a deep breath and spoke in the strongest, calmest voice he could muster. "But what do the stones do?"
"Have you not been listening maggot?" Joachim's voice grew shrill.
"I have. Yet you have not explained what makes them so special."
Joachim shrieked in fury and bucked once, though Leon held tight and pressed his knife harder to the skin like marble. Joachim stopped and said, "They are power for vampires, ancient. The Ebony Stone is how Walter maintains the eternal night around his castle. With the Crimson Stone I could- be free of this place. This watery grave."
"You- you can't leave?" Leon wondered aloud, then nearly hit himself. Of course not, the vampire had mentioned it, but he thought he'd meant the castle as a whole, not this one room. After all, he was a guardian like the others Leon faced, but perhaps not willing like the others...?
Leon needn't have worried about punishing himself for his thoughtless comment, as the vampire seemed happy to try. His swipe backwards to reach Leon was sloppy and weak. Luckily, it was slow enough for the former knight to dodge, flinging himself backwards to put distance between them as he readied his whip. Starting and stopping, jerking limbs into place as though fighting his own body, Joachim pulled himself into a crouch, one hand still splayed on the ground in an apparent effort to steady himself. The glare he cast over his shoulder burned bright, even partially hidden through strands of his silver hair.
"I believed you foolish and reckless, not stupid. How I've underestimated the depths to which humans can sink." A deep frown curved down Leon's face. "Walter taunts me with you, sending in filth to torment me with my own situation. I hate him."
Leon tightened his hold on the whip, letting it unfurl as Joachim turned to face him, still jerking his limbs like a broken marionette. Was that behavior normal for a vampire? Or a side effect of being trapped and possibly deprived of blood? Even once standing, Joachim kept up the litany of curses against Walter, each utterance of "I hate him," spoken with such intensity and venom Leon firmly believed the words would have cut into the vampire lord's soul, had he one still.
Despite that the ferocity was not aimed at him, Leon laid the sign of the cross over himself-a subconscious protective gesture.
Whether set off by the motion, the intent, or simply tired of waiting, Joachim lunged for him, clawed hands outstretched. Leon dodged, curving his whip around, but he was too close for it to be very effective. As the vampire moved in, Leon braced himself and caught one swipe on his glove, absorbing most of the damage. Surprise ran though him at the weakness of it compared to Joachim's previous attacks. On instinct, Leon threw off the vampire's balance and brought up the knife still in hand, plunging it into the dip of the chest armor. It glanced off a rib before sinking partially into the cold flesh.
Joachim screamed.
He and Leon both jerked away from each other, the knife stuck in his ribs. He looked up, eyes glowing red, but holding desperation more than anger, now. Lips curled in a snarl as he opened his mouth, then closed it. He did it again, but once more closed it, saying nothing. Eventually, murmuring low, Joachim spoke.
"I. Hate. Him." A tremble shook his words; He sounded broken. A guard dog asked to fight too many times, or a sword thrown into battle after battle with no care for condition.
Leon wondered, should he move forward? If he did, for what reason? To plunge the knife in further, or-? The vampire answered his unasked question. He reached up and grabbed the hilt, jerking the blade out, but without bothering to maintain a grip, it clattered to the floor, bright, sharp sounds stinging as it hit stone.
Leon's attention had been so focused on the weapon, he barely caught the high pitched whine building from the vampire in front of him. When he heard it, he looked up from the ground and locked eyes with Joachim. The red slowly flickered, revealing a roiling, storm cloud grey beneath.
Voice small and breathy, barely breaking from his throat, the vampire said, "I... I h-" before it transformed again into a whine. As he sank down to his knees, the sound grew louder, pulling and pulling until he was shrieking pain from the depths of his being. Leon swallowed, transfixed.
Fighting was... probably over and done with. Joachim hunched over on the floor, wailing incoherently in a manner of someone who lost everything. Leon felt uncomfortable with how desperately human it sounded. He was surprised how well he understood.
With the grace of a fighter, but the tenderness of a soon-to-be husband, Leon moved towards the distressed vampire.
Joachim made no moves towards him, did not even acknowledge his presence. Lashes showed from beneath the torn fabric of his arms and legs, burns and bruises not healed. Thick, dark red blood dripped slowly from the knife wound, already congealing. Leon coiled his whip and hung it from his hip.
Once, twice he opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but thinking better of what he was about to say. Eventually, he crouched down, wanting to be eye-level if Joachim decided to look at him.
"Joachim...?" he said, hushed, afraid to make a sound louder than the distraught vampire. The wailing continued unabated.
With the care he had only shown children before, Leon reached out one hand. Since he couldn't see Joachim's face, long silver locks hanging down like bed curtains, Leon brushed a small portion aside with his fingers. The wailing stopped temporarily as Joachim's breath hitched. Did vampires even need to breathe? Surely not. But then, it meant Joachim was... startled?
"Joachim?" Leon asked again, but received no answer beyond some ragged breathing. The vampire wasn't looking at him. Leon moved his hand to a shoulder, squeezing it in an attempt to get a reaction. "What... did you mean? About Walt-"
Leon jerked at the plaintive whine which pulled itself from Joachim, low, and mournful, and... scared. Yes, Leon realized, between the subtle shaking under his fingers and the hunched position, the vampire demonstrated fear. It looked similar to the fear and despair Leon had seen in some captives of his company's conquests. He had always wished he could help them, somehow, but he was their enemy, the reason behind their defeat and capture; He could not console them. Here though, he was not. Walter was.
Shoulders sagging with a great weight, Leon felt disappointed in himself for not putting it together sooner, though he supposed he had been drawn into battle quickly upon entering the room. Walter ruled the castle and surrounding lands. He kidnapped people and turned them into vampires. Joachim was trapped here, forced to fight, by Walter, and clearly hated him. Walter had turned this man.
Moved and dismayed by his discoveries, Leon threw caution to the wind; He wrapped his arms around the melancholy man in front of him.
Again his breaths hitched, but soon-sooner than Leon expected-Joachim was moving further into his hold. His weight pushed Leon to a sitting position and Joachim crawled into his lap before settling down, practically melting in Leon's grasp. The hitching breaths grew in intensity until Leon held a sobbing vampire.
When he felt cold skin against his neck, he stiffened, sure he was about to regret his choice.
How could I be so foolish? Even when I fought this vampire not minutes ago, I practically offer myself up. Mathias has always chided me my soft heart and oh- Mathias. He will lose another friend, and Sara will be alone in this place-
No bite followed.
A few awkward moments passed, the tension in the air matching that in Leon's own body. By his sudden responding rigidity, Joachim noticed. The vampire quieted, still hiccupping, but muttered apologies as he pulled away. Leon saw his face, and his heart twisted.
Rather than the watery tears of humans, it seemed vampires cried blood. Crimson red carved thin paths down Joachim's face, the salty scent lighter than the blood Leon smelled from wounds, but undoubtedly too coppery for tears. Though he kept his eyes and face downcast, Joachim's expression-pinched eyes and trembling lips-was perfectly clear to Leon. His stomach twisted. It was an expression Leon had never ignored.
When Joachim made to push completely out of Leon's embrace, the former knight sighed, steeled himself, and gently pulled the vampire back towards himself.
Surprisingly, he resisted, whimpering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The wounds from the battle must have taken more out of Joachim than Leon realized; His vampiric strength had been reduced to that of a tired human man. Leon was easily able to fold the vampire back into his arms. Determination broke through his hesitance, and he ran his fingers through silver hair in soothing strokes, just as he did for Sara.
"Come here," he said. "It's alright." He made small comforting sounds as Joachim's breath hitched again, and allowed the vampire to nuzzle back into his neck. "Just don't bite me."
Joachim nodded, and croaked something which could have been assent, if it had been intelligible.
When he continued to shiver, Leon grew worried. A vampire couldn't die as easily as a human, right? But Leon had never fought vampires as a knight; He knew little to nothing about them, and his lack of knowledge worried him. Not for the first time, Leon wished he had Mathias at his side. Still, he wasn't, so Leon would try his best to work the situation out on his own.
"I don't want to kill you, you know?" Joachim held deathly still. Was he listening? "We... we both want to see Walter dead. You should work together with me."
A full body shiver ran down the vampire. Otherwise, there was no response.
Leon frowned. What else could he do? As much as he was willing to attempt to comfort the man, and even work together with him for both of their benefit, he had to leave to find Sara soon. Every second was crucial. As he debated on his next action, wiggling in place to get more comfortable, he felt Joachim tense.
He moved again, and the vampire tensed further. What...? Then the realization hit him: his whip was right against Joachim's leg.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Leon asked, more to himself than anything.
Joachim did not respond.
Several thoughts ran through Leon's mind, like, 'What if this is all a ploy to remove my weapons from me?' And the contradicting, 'But what if I'm really hurting him?' Eventually, Leon decided to take the risk, but keep the whip close enough for an emergency. If he wished to make an ally, he had to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Joachim tensed as Leon took hold of the whip and did not relax until Leon placed it on the floor, on the edge of his reach.
"Is that better?" Leon asked. "I promise you, that wasn't intentional. I would truly prefer that we ally against Walter."
The relaxation of the vampire's muscles seemed purposeful, as though he had to force himself to do so. Before Leon could ask about it, or reassure him he didn't mean any harm, Joachim began to move.
It took a few moments for Leon to recognize what Joachim was doing, but the small hips thrusts clued him in. Warmth rushed to his face-and lower in his body-as he fluttered his hands, unsure where to place them. Confused and embarrassed squeaking sounds and grunts spilled from his lips as his brain fried in his body's sudden heat. It didn't help that Joachim was firmly latched onto him, arms circled around his shoulders and back; Leon was trapped, though not in the way he'd expected.
"J-joachim?" Leon squeaked.
"I won't betray you," Joachim said, voice low but intense. "I promise. I promise."
"That's good-?" Leon bit his lip. His body had started to take notice of the gentle grinding, and it took concentration not to respond. He, he shouldn't enjoy it, for several reasons.
The only man he had been physically close to was Mathias, but they both knew dedication to their future wives would take first priority. In fact, Leon had come to save his betrothed, so he couldn't get distracted with- with a vampire! He finally settled his hands on Joachim's shoulders, meaning to push him away. However, he could not contest with the desperation the vampire put into holding on. His complete turn around confused Leon, but he did not have to heart to keep pushing when Joachim started to whimper.
"Please, I promise," he said. "I don't want to be here anymore."
Leon swallowed, a question bubbling into his mind even as he held it behind his teeth. How long have you been down here?
Joachim was clearly upset at Walter, and to have such hatred towards his lord, presumably the one who turned him, it had to have been a long, long time. Leon tried not to think of it; The image of this man wasting away in the dark-unable to leave despite his powers, a pawn in a game he wanted no part in-threatened to consume his heart in boiling rage. His emotions felt scalding, and he had to take several deep breaths to keep them from appearing as holy magic.
"I... Joachim I would like to take you- to help you out of this prison I just... not yet. I don't think it's safe-"
Joachim's whimpers grew louder, turning into pleading whines as he tilted his head. Something soft and wet met Leon's neck; Teeth scraping along his skin made him jolt.
"Joachim-!" Leon choked back an undignified sound as the vampire mouthed up and down his neck, sucking and teasing, but never breaking the skin. Still, it went beyond the boundaries Leon was comfortable with-and he worried about his body responding without his direction-so he grabbed a fistful of silver hair and pulled as gently as he could.
The ease with which Leon detached Joachim was explained when the vampire moved to expose his neck. An offering.
Oh, merciful Lord. Walter didn't-
But he did. There was no other reason for this behavior, for Joachim's imprisonment, for how weak he was after just one battle. Smoothing down the hair he'd grabbed, Leon placed both of his hands alongside Joachim's face.
"Joachim. Please, look at me."
He did. He did, and his eyes were red, red, red and half hidden under his lids, like the sun as it set. Leon stared back, but the only thing he saw was a quiet emotion. Joachim was waiting, listening, but with an unnatural calm, as though nothing could shake him. Acceptance. Probably trained for it no matter what he heard. Shivers ran down Leon's spine.
Ignoring the slowed thrusts, Leon spoke, deliberate but soft. "Joachim. I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you. I- I swear I'll get you out of here."
He didn't think anything had changed at first. Red eyes still stared back at him, but the hands still on his back tensed, claws just barely pricking at the cloth there. A smile would not come to Leon, not with every discovery still whirling through his mind, but he hoped his sincerity showed through his eyes.
"If the water is a problem, well, I've altered the flow, but I'll carry you out if I have to."
Blinking, red bled away from Joachim's eyes; Leon's shoulders slumped in relief.
"I. Yes. I'll come. I'll help you with Walter." The way the vampire spoke sounded questioning, as though he was offering something he wasn't quite sure of.
"No," Leon said, then stroked Joachim's cheeks as he tensed. "I'll kill Walter. You don't have to face him again. You have my word."
"Y- you-" Joachim squinted his already slanted eyes, hands now grasping desperately at Leon. "You don't know what you speak of."
"I mean it. I promise."
Lips curling down, though still shaking with an unknown emotion, Joachim spat, "You haven't listened to anything I've said, hunter. You cannot kill him."
Leon felt his own frown pulling at his face. "I will not make you face him."
Laughter spilled from Joachim, condescending, except for the fear in his eyes and hands as they refused to leave Leon. "Make me? You think you could stop me from obtaining my revenge on that, that bastard?"
"What? I don't intend to stop you on any-"
"Good, then it's decided. I will rest, and then you will-" Joachim glanced away, looked back, and swallowed. "You will free me and then accompany me to fight him."
After opening his mouth, Leon saw the determination in the vampire-in the hard look of his eyes and the tightening of muscles-and shut his mouth. He nodded.
"Alright. But I know of a better place for rest."
"Show me," Joachim demanded, or tried to. His voice wobbled, the same as his legs when he attempted to stand.
Leon caught the man around his shoulders. "Just hold on." It took effort, but Leon stood himself up while supporting Joachim's weight.
"I do not need this," Joachim hissed. His body betrayed his weakness when he attempted to pull away, but could not even remove his arm from around Leon's shoulders.
"Relax. I said I would carry you if need be, didn't I?"
A moment of grumbling was abruptly cut off as the vampire sagged. Leon adjusted his stance to lift him more easily.
"Very well," Joachim said. Though his eyelids drooped and head lolled against the man holding him, he still attempted to command, "Go then. Let's be gone of this wretched place."
Leon chuckled. "Agreed."
As he walked, worries about his decision pounded at him. Nothing in the castle had shown kindness, only proclivities for violence and killing. Yet, just looking at the vampire in his arms as he attempted to stifle a yawn, fangs glinting, Leon could not regret his decision.
Perhaps there was humanity to be found in dark creatures, if one was kind themselves.
Is Leon taking him to Rinaldo's or a 'safe room' in the castle? You choose!
Ugh, this month has been... difficult, to put it mildly. So have a one shot I'd been fiddling with on and off for the past... six months? Yikes. (#｀ε´# )ゞ Well, at least that's one small project off my plate. Accomplishment!
And this is the first thing I've posted for Leon or Joachim, how exciting! I love Lament of Innocence. It has such overeager writing and voice acting, and it's honestly beautiful. xD I certainly hope I wrote better than that though, haha.
Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed this! I'll be back with Leon again for a different fic, promise. ;3 Until then, thank you so much for your support. It helps a lot.