"Vorador..."
The man looks up and is more than a little surprised to see Janos standing in the doorway. He coughs into his arm and moves to stand to give the vampire a respectful bow but he doesn't get very far before his head spins and he has to lean against Janos for support. His thoughts stutter for a brief moment, unused to the vampiric speed that allowed the other man to get so close in such a short period of time.
He apologizes under his breath and moves a decent distance away giving another hacking cough.
Janos frowns and reaches out for him before pulling his hand back. He waits for Vorador's coughing to cease before finally speaking again, "How have you been."
The human gives a snort and glares weakly at the vampire, "I'm dying. It's not exactly a very pleasant experience."
Janos' frown deepens and an uncomfortable silence fills the air between them. Vorador takes the chance to go back to his seat while Janos follows his lead and chooses to pull up another chair so he can sit close to the human. They continue to sit in silence the only thing disturbing the quiet being Vorador's harsh breathing and irregular heart beat. Janos examines him now that they sit so close and a sadness and grief enters his golden eyes.
Vorador as he said was clearly beginning to fall victim to death. Janos didn't need his great eye sight to see the effects sickness was leaving on the mortal. He was far to pale, with large dark circles around his eyes and a thick layer of sweat was causing his hair to stick to his face at odd angles. The vampire carefully leaned forward and with slow clawed hands twirled the man's facial hair into four sharp points, as was his preferred way to trim his beard. The action makes Vorador flinch a little at the proximity of the vampire but once he realized what Janos was up to he instantly relaxed.
Janos doesn't take the others reaction personally. Vorador was one of the few humans that had survived being caught up in the vampire hylden war and fewer still one of the humans that had survived the blunt blood lust that caused vampires to tear his village literally apart in search of mortal prey. Janos had of course been one of the vampires to attack humans blindly. None of his race was left untouched by the sudden over whelming need for blood. It was something that plagued them both. Janos for the guilt brought by the horrors he had committed and Vorador for the nightmares that still kept him up due to the slaughter he had witnessed on that day.
Janos had saved him. Had forced another of his kind free of the struggling and panicking human before the vampire could sink its teeth into Vorador and Vorador in return had kept the vampire from taking his own life when his kind committed mass suicide there soon after. Janos of all people could understand why in a mildly dazed state the sight of blue hands making a move for where his throat was would set Vorador on edge.
And that's why this was going to be so much harder.
"Vorador," Janos calls softly to make sure the human is still listening the glare he gets is enough to make him smile, "I have not come here simply to enjoy your company despite how much I have missed your presence."
Vorador gives him a wary look, "I am much to ill to forge any blade or armor but I can direct you to one of my apprentices if you are so inclined."
Janos shakes his head and scoots his chair closer to Vorador still so that now their legs touch, "It is nothing like that. You have done so much for my kind, it would be unacceptable to ask for more after everything you have given us."
Vorador shrugs weakly but Janos purists. This human had created the reaver blade, had aided them in fighting and defeating the hylden and had remained loyal and respectful even after their curse had turned them into beasts. Vorador while a gruff and sometimes unpleasant man was the best human Janos had had the pleasure of knowing and befriending. It pained him so to see Vorador in such pain the silver lining to the man's death was that he would be reunited with his wife and child both of whom had been ripped away from life many years ago.
"But ask for more we will."
Vorador frowned and rubbed at his mouth. Janos could tell he was uncomfortable perhaps the beginnings of fear were even beginning to appear the closer still the vampire got. The winged creature didn't miss the uneasy glance at his fanged mouth. Vorador had a right to be scared.
"What more could I do for you?" His voice trembles and Janos cant help but give a more devilish smirk. He was a kind warmhearted soul but he was still a predator and a hungry one at that.
"It took a lot of convincing but I was given the burden and the gift of being the one to carry out this task. Vorador, you were chosen because of all you have done for us..." Janos takes a moment to let this sink in before continuing, "You were chosen because you have given the most and have the least to lose. What I am about to ask of you Vorador is not something that is to be taken lightly. It could go horribly wrong and I can not promise that should we succeed that you might be entirely pleased with the outcome."
"What are you saying?" Vorador's tone has changed and he's gone ridged tense. The smell of fear is clear now.
"As you know humans have been born as guardians of the pillars since vampires are now unable to create new life but we can not let this be. The humans can not carry out their required guardianship as well as vampires could and it is not a human burden to bare. Our curse has made us immortal, has stopped us from being able to bare children, and has given us a terrible blood thirst... Our elders believe that it might be possible to pass on the curse...to one of your kind."
Vorador gives a short bitter laugh, "You want to try it on me. I am dying so as you said I have the least to lose but there are many others who are in death's grasp. Surely you could use one of them to see if it can be done."
"No. Not just any human would do. This curse could be a gift. Immortality Vorador! You could not die by age or sickness. You would cease to age and you would become more powerful in death than you ever were in your mortal life. You were chosen to receive this dark gift...should you accept it."
"...Did they pick you to be the one to do it because of our history?"
"Not at all. As I said before it took convincing. I begged and pleaded to be given the opportunity. I could not forgive myself if another vampire harmed you and should this go horribly wrong," Janos looks away and lowers his voice a bit, "than I feel it be best if you died in a friends company than that of a strangers."
A silence covers the room again after Janos finishes. He stares long and hard at the human who seems to be digesting this information. The vampire fears the mortal will get angry or violent but Vorador just looks tired. After a bit the human looks at him and gives a small attempt at a smile blunt teeth and all.
"Then I am thankful that it will be you who does the deed of my undoing," Janos cant help but give a small humming purr at the others words. He's getting excited by the rapid increase of the human's heart plus the fear of possibly failing and killing his friend is ever present and is starting to make him anxious, "Will it hurt?"
"Incredibly so. You have seen my kind feed before but I promise you I will try to be as gentle as I can," Janos doesn't miss the secondary meaning behind his words and neither does Vorador.
There's a simple quiet acceptance from both creatures as they stand. Vorador now seems awkward but definitely steady on his feet while Janos is as graceful as ever but slow in his moments. His wings move subconsciously behind his back as they are prone to doing and he doesn't miss the look of unease when he moves one around the human in a more protective manor.
"Would you like to move to the bedroom?" Janos can not stop himself from reaching out and trailing three claws down the man's cheek. He get's a tremble in response and a simple shake of the others head.
Feeling that perhaps Vorador's words have left him, a rare thing indeed. Janos sets to doing what must be done.
Hands on the others hips he pulls the man flush against his slightly thinner build. Vorador truly has the body of the ideal black smith. His body is toned with thick arms and strong hands and even though he's been away from his forge for a bit now the smell of metal and fire still clings to his skin. Janos can also smell the underlining hint of sickness and death on his scent but he doesn't dwell on those thoughts for long. Janos keeps them close together just holding the other man before he feels he cant draw this out any longer and presses his mouth to Vorador's throat.
He's met with a hand grabbing his shoulder and a sudden increase in the man's heartbeat. This wont do. The vampire instead of biting down gives the human's neck a soft kiss before he drags his tongue along the strong sun kissed skin. Sweat hits his taste buds but he expects nothing else. Slowly he moves a hand to support the back of Vorador's head and puts his attention into licking and sucking on the skin of his throat. The trembles and small intakes of breath send jolts of primal pleasure coursing through his veins. He scrapes a fang and runs his fingers through dark unwashed hair.
Vorador should have looked better for his turning but he wanted the human to be comfortable. Thus that was one of the things he had had to convince the others to let go. They had originally wanted to make it a grand a fair but Janos could only image the insult Vorador would suffer at playing the sacrificial pig in some ritual beyond his understanding. They had wanted to dress him and everything.
At least like this it could be private and Janos didn't need to control himself.
Vorador pushes weakly at his shoulders and tries to say something. Janos doesn't let up to hear him out. The vampire grinds his hips against the humans and gets a small quiet moan which goes straight to his groin. Blunt finger nails dig into his shoulders and Vorador bucks his hips weakly, "J-Janos."
Feeling the man relax in his arms Janos closes his eyes and gives a silent prayer before opening his mouth wide. He sinks his fangs into Vorador's throat and receives a soft cry in return. The human pushes at his shoulders and growls out a string of profanities but Janos does not let him go or ease up on his bite. Instead he focuses on rubbing the man's back in a comforting way with one hand and using the other he moves Vorador's head more to the side so the vampire has better access to his neck.
The blood that hits the vampires tongue is warm and rich and is better than he could have ever imaged. Perhaps it's because it's Vorador that he's drinking from and not a stranger that has him now positively clinging onto the human and perhaps its the rush of emotions that comes when his name is spoken in such a tone that makes him bite down harder ripping a scream from Vorador. He keeps his blood lust in check wanting to savor this moment for as long as he can but even with keeping control and trying to prolong Vorador's life for only a bit longer it doesn't take long before the body in his arms goes limp. Vorador's body becomes dead weight but the vampire has no problem holding the human upright. Janos continues to feed until finally the heart of his friend begins to slow and he pulls back reluctantly to watch the light fade away from the human's eyes. He licks some of the blood off of his lips before kissing Vorador and when he pulls back the corpse he holds does not make him think of death or endings but new life and endless possibilities.