It takes a special kind of creature to flourish during war. Vultures, for instance. Foxes, jackals, crows, even bacteria.
Or vampires even. Especially vampires. War was a time that afforded them ample opportunity to glut themselves on the fountains of blood that poured from the wounded and weak.
Such a vampire was doing just that at this very moment. He held his doomed prey possessively in his arms as he drained his life force from his body in long deep draughts. It was a soldier who had been left alone to ward off his own doom as the leaden bullets inside him slowly poisoned him. He would die nameless and unmissed. Such was the way of war. But what does it matter to a vampire? In their long lives there seemed to be a war or battle for every step they took.
Rayflo pulled away from his victim when he heard the tell-tale death rattle. He licked the wound closed and unceremoniously dropped the man amongst his already dead fellows. He stood gazing at them thoughtfully for a moment when a small sound came from behind him. He wheeled around and spotted a small child gingerly trying to maneuver through the maze of bloated bodies and crumbled stone. He frowned and his eyebrows furrowed.
"Chris haven't I told you to stay at the den when I'm not there? A child like you doesn't need to see this." he scolded, retreating from the corpses in sudden shame and disgust with himself. It was already bad enough the the kid was so used to war that he was utterly unfazed by the sight of horrifically mangled bodies. He didn't need to also bear witness to his unholy profit of it as well. He picked Chris up and carried him back to the skeletal remnants of the flour mill that served as their shelter.
"It's dangerous for you out here. You know that." he said softly. Chris buried his face into Rayflo's shoulder and clutched the cloth of his shirt desperately. In the distance there was a clap of lightning.
"I got scared. I don't like the thunder." Chris said meekly. Rayflo considered the irony of the boy's astonishing apathy to the brutal deaths that followed them but something as common and natural as thunder left him petrified. Not wanting to attempt to understand Chris's lack of logic, he simply smiled warmly and held the child closer. They spoke not a word until they made it to the shelter, but not before heavy rain began to fall. Johnny cursed and pulled Chris's furred hood over his head as he ran the last few feet. They huddled inside the mill, avoiding where the rain dripped through. Rayflo watched the torrent from a hole in the stone wall. Another clap of lightning flashed and was immediately followed by loud rolling thunder. Chris whimpered and attempted to burrow even further in his master's arms. Johnny chuckled, pulled him into a tight hug, and kissed the top of his head.
"You shouldn't be afraid of thunder Chris. It brings rain."
"I don't like the rain either. I get cold and wet and I can't go out and play!" the child grumbled. He glared at the storm outside, hating the sound of the beating raindrops and the howling wind or the lightning and thunder that was growing more and more frequent.
"But rain is good for the earth. It washes away the bad things that happen. It brings life." he said. He thought of the dead soldier.
"It makes dead things beautiful again."
Chris wrinkled his nose up at his master.
"How can dead things be beautiful? Dead things stink."
Johnny barked out in laughter.
"Dead stuff stinks, huh? All dead stuff?"
"Yes." stated Chris, who added to his wrinkled nose by pinching it dramatically. Rayflo smiled.
Yes, it would be best if he didn't know his master's secret. Just let him think he was a mysterious monster who just happened to sleep in a coffin. It was a weak lie but he was going to let it live for as long as Chris's youth would let it. He looked over to the tiny spindly table that wobbled precariously on it's last three legs, one broken off who knows how many years past. A half-eaten plate of food lay on it. He frowned.
"Chris, why didn't you eat? You know that food is hard to come by. Now it's stone cold." Chris grimaced and shook his head.
"Don't turn your nose up at it. It's all we have." Johnny sighed and retrieved the plate from his spot on the floor and put it in his and Chris's lap. He stirred through it with the spoon and wrinkled his nose. He didn't need his supernatural sense of smell to detect the spoilage. His heart sank as he bade Chris to stay put and took the plate of slop out into the rain. A few feet out he tossed it towards a scraggly dog the was cowering underneath an upturned horse cart. It sniffed timidly at the scraps, his eyes always on Rayflo before he too turned away from them. Rayflo huffed.
"Picky son of a bitch, aren't you?" he grumbled at it before stomping through the mud back to Chris. The boy was huddled in the corner, drawing in the dirt with a stick. The vampire watched him. He noticed that the child indeed looked thin. He felt a pit of guilt begin to gnaw at his gut. If he was at least attempting to eat something that a stray dog wouldn't touch, then he had to be starving.
"I'm sorry Chris. You still hungry?" he asked, not knowing why when he already knew the answer. The boy shrugged, then grinned and stood up, pointing excitedly at the ground.
"Look! I drew us! Look look!" he stated proudly. Johnny looked at the crudely drawn stick figures holding stick hands in the dirt. Chris had made his hair so curly he looked like a powder wigged fop from a few centuries back. He burst out laughing.
"You'll be the next DaVinci, kid." he mused, ruffling Chris's hair. The boy's echoing giggles were suddenly interrupted by an irritated gurgling of his stomach. They both frowned. Chris looked up at him hopefully, rubbing his protesting belly. The vampire sighed and looked outside into the storm. It was late, the clouds turning a brighter grey. If he hurried he could leave Chris here as he searched for food, but then he ran the risk of the child becoming hypothermic in the cold and damp November air. If he took him with him then the dangers multiplied rapidly. It would be safest if he stayed and waited until the next evening when the rain would most likely let up. But at the same time...he couldn't bear the thought of Chris going the day on an empty stomach. After all, he himself was full and well fed. An idea occurred to him, disgusting and repulsive as it was, but it would buy him time. He glanced from Chris to the table and back, and made his decision.
"We'll go to the village again tomorrow, and find something better. But for now it's time for bed. Go wait for me in the coffin. I'll be along in a moment, ok?" he smiled sadly, giving his charge a quick hug and a pat on the shoulder. Chris nodded and scampered off towards the trapdoor that led to the underground basement where they slept. Rayflo watched him disappear, his smile fading as soon as he heard the trapdoor click shut. He stalked to the tiny dinner table and snatched the handled cup from its surface. He washed it outside in the rain and shook it to wring the water from it once it was clean. He stared at it for a few moments, hesitating in his decision before grudgingly bringing his own wrist to his mouth and sinking his teeth into it. He held it over the cup and let the small stream of his enchanted blood pour forth inside. He filled it barely a third of the way-and in a cup it's size it would barely equal out to a few swallows- before removing his wrist and rapidly closing the wound with a hurried swipe of his tongue. Then he too rushed down to the basement, where Chris already sat in his spot in the coffin with a quilt wrapped snugly around him. The child's eyes lit up when he saw him. The vampire quickly handed him the cup.
"Chris, drink this-no, don't look at it! Just drink it." he said.
"What is it?" the child held it in his hands, staring at his master.
"It'll help you feel better. But you must drink it before it gets cold or else it won't work."
"Oh..." he obediently gulped it down. Once it was empty he grimaced and coughed.
"Master, that was yucky!" he whined as he blew raspberries, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.
"I'm sorry, Chris. Now come on, time for bed." the vampire soothed. That little bit of his blood had returned some color back to the child's cheeks, nor did he look quite as sunken in. It would strengthen him long enough to find better food tomorrow. Chris sat up in the coffin as Rayflo got settled in before curling up on his side underneath his master's arm. He twined his small fingers through the wavy black hair, tugging slightly, and let sleep take him.
Johnny however had too much on his mind to sleep. If he couldn't find proper nourishment tomorrow then he didn't know what he'd do. He could give him more of his blood, enough to get him through weeks without food...but he didn't want to. Giving vampiric blood to a human was dangerous. If it didn't downright poison them then it could drive them utterly insane if they were exposed to it long enough. He'd have to travel further than before, maybe find a new spot to relocate to.
Tomorrow; he also decided, he'd force himself to rise before sundown so that Chris could have at least a few hours of sunlit play before they set off. How long had it been since he had seen the sun? No child should be nocturnal.
With great difficulty he managed to rise an hour before dusk. They had also been blessed with a southernly breeze, blowing away the asphyxiating scent of rotting flesh from their hovel. Johnny skulked in the shadowy mill, yawning away sleep and watching Chris play in the fading sunlight. The dog from the night before had come out from hiding and had taken a great liking to the small human child. Johnny chuckled as Chris squealed with glee, splashing through puddles and rolling in the mud with his new canine friend, whom he had lovingly christened 'Bobo'. They took turns chasing each other, Bobo more often than not succeeding in tackling his opponent to the ground and covering him with slobbery licks. After the sun disappeared over the horizon Johnny joined in their games for a little while, their laughter echoing through the countryside. It wasn't until the first few twinkling stars came out that the vampire reluctantly ended their fun.
"Come on, Chris. Let's get that mud off your face before we go, ok?"
"Awww..." the child whined. He waved to the dog. "Bye Bobo! See you tomorrow!" he called.
Within a few minutes they were ready to go. Johnny picked Chris up and looked sternly at him.
"We are going a little further than we usually do. I need you to sit still so I can concentrate on where I'm going. Understand?" he warned. Charley nodded eagerly, bright-eyed. His master smiled.
"Good boy." he said as he began to dissipate. This was Chris's favorite part, watching his master turn into bats. He never went all the way when he held him, just enough to be able to take flight. But he had seen him do it before, this one man become a massive swarm of bats. He had asked him to teach him how to do it once. His master just laughed and never answered him.
He watched the countryside pan out before them, fields and forests flying by as they soared above it all like birds.
Wait, no. Not like birds. Like bats.
They passed the village where they usually stopped without a second glance from his master. Despite being somewhat disappointed, Chris was curious as to what was beyond it's walls. His eyes grew wide as they passed over a lake, startling a flock of geese into flight. He giggled and waved at them as they passed.
However, just like any normal child, he began to grow restless in the arms that held him. He was now wanting to be back on the ground, eager to run around. Thankfully he soon spotted the lights of another village, this one larger than the last.
Johnny circled above the bustling town, trying to spot a likely place. It look untouched by the war, so he felt that perhaps it would be safe enough to search on foot. He touched down in the cemetery behind the church where he was least likely to be seen. No one visits cemeteries at night in this day and age.
"How are you? Was that fun?" his master smiled down at him. Chris answered with a grin of his own. The vampire nodded as they made their way towards the church. As they approached Johnny's skin began to crawl. He desperately hoped there was an open door or window somewhere. He didn't want to be there any longer than he had too. It was only because of the child that he was here at all. Churches almost always had food for a small boy, if not food then a warm place to rest and the occasional child to play with. Thankfully the front door were open, a steady stream of people entering. Johnny melted in with the crowd, grinning at his good fortune. It was warm inside, so he led Chris to a pew and bade him to sit.
"I'll be back. Listen to what the pastor says."
Chris scowled, but obeyed. He didn't like when they went to a church. The old pastors would always drone on and on and on. It was boring.
Johnny slipped into the back, again blessed with another open door. He followed the smell of cooking food to the kitchens. He grinned and looked around, seeing the room empty, before snatching bread that lay stacked in a basket and shoving them in his pockets. Then he moved to some vegetables, grabbing whatever was within reach.
"May I help you?" a voice behind him made him pause. Stupid, letting his guard down like that. No mortal should be able to sneak up on him like that. He slowly turned around with a small handful of onions still in his fist. There stood a middle-aged priest in the doorway. The vampire didn't speak, just glared. The priest just smiled good naturedly, as if he were simply greeting an old friend, instead of having caught a supernatural thief red handed red handed.