Author's Note: Well, that took longer than expected…oops. xD To cut to the chase: I saw some fanart on dA (linked in my profile, go favorite it and all that jazz) and thought it would make one heck of a fanfic. A one-shot to be specific. Over one month later, I suddenly have over 30 pages of fanfic. I would be the moron to sit through and read that if it was well written, but I know not everyone has the patience to do that so I decided to split it into three sections (the last being a rather lazily written epilogue type thingy). I'll try and post each chapter in a timely manner, but the time spent between each is me revising it so…might take a long time or all might be up within a week.
Just as a sort of disclaimer before I get comments correcting this: I am aware Vladimir is not a vampire, but in fact a human that controls blood. I know he doesn't actually drink it, but…really, what fun is that? xD For the sake of the story, he is one.
Language: And not a single cuss was said that day. Fanfics that spam vulgar language annoy me, so I keep it out at all costs.
Sexual content: Fun fact: In some legends, vampires are considered to be hypersexual. This makes my job so much easier. Buuuut most you'll get here is kissing.
Pairing: Ezreal/Vladimir - Mostly one-sided; there are hints toward both parties, some more obvious than others, but yeah.
The summoner yelled in pain as his body was roughly thrown against the nearest wall, then fell to the ground in a heap of cloth and blood. He never should have come here; not without proper training, and certainly not without backup…
"You were a fool to think you would make a slave of me." purred the attacker, his shadow loomed over the young mage. He crouched down to better view his target, which caused the victim to flinch slightly. "Any last words?"
'The most I can do is curse the place…curse it so this demon will never again see past these walls and no magic can be used within, but to do that…' the mages eyes water at the thought, 'To do that I have to die…' he shakes his head the best he can. He would not make it out alive anyway, this he knew for certain.
The mocking chuckle of his enemy renewed the summoner's determination. When his attacker bent down further to place his mouth at level with the mage's ear, then to his neck, the summoner silently cast his final spell. "No last words? Alrighty then."
Pain shot through him and he cried out until his cries were reduced to a gurgle by his own blood. His throat was torn apart slowly by his attacker, crimson staining the stone floor and his clothing. The creature's dark laughter filled the halls as he ripped through the mage's neck.
Despite this, the summoner smiled, he had the last laugh. The second he died, the creature would be bound to that tomb for eternity…or until the summoners came and took him to the League properly. He would be unable to use magic to escape or even dull his undying hunger. He would starve and, being the demon he was, would be unable to expire and end his torturous existence. He would never hurt anyone again unless he did so for the League.
Of course, the creature was oblivious to this and continued to devour him slowly; savoring what would be his final meal. Blood stained his cruel nails and fangs as well as the clothing he wore. Obviously the creature delighted in fresh meat as well as blood; rare for his species but not unheard of.
After one final exhale, and with a smile on his face, the summoner embraced death with open arms.
The entrance sealed shut with a crash and the tomb glowed with an eerie light that faded as quickly as it appeared. The creature howled in frustration, throwing his arms in the air only to rake his claws down the nearest wall.
He was trapped, and only his lust for blood was to blame.
A frigid breeze sweeps by Ezreal's face as he ventures further and further into the thinning woods. Vegetation is getting less common due to the ever-increasing cold, but the trees and bushes that remain make each step that much more draining on the prodigal explorer. He will have to set up camp soon, no matter how much he wishes he could carry onward. Sadly, the sun is setting and the temperatures will continue to drop to the most excruciating lows possible. He shudders. Day time temperatures in this place are cold enough, but night…night is going to be dreadful.
"How the trees manage to keep at least some of their leaves in this forest I will never know." Ezreal grumbles, plodding through the snow and brush as he tries to find a nice place for camp. Minute after minute his steps get heavier with the thickening snow, draining his energy faster than any spell could. He shakes his head to get the snow out of his hair and rubs his hands against his upper arms; things are getting worse. Fast. He sighs, his breath creating a rather large cloud in front of him before dissipating.
The sun is just about down, and still he has no ideal place for shelter. Sure he could just make one at any spot, but honestly, a shelter without a planned location is just as good as no shelter at all. At least that is the code he goes by. He shifts his goggles slightly and brushes away the ice and snow on them; this is getting bothersome. But it will be worth it, he reminds himself.
It is rare indeed that the prodigal explorer takes on a mission he finds in a newspaper, but this one is special. The fact that everyone who has searched for this tomb has never been heard from again proves that this is no easy task. In fact, it is way beyond dangerous; it is suicidal to search for this tomb.
Ezreal started packing his things right away.
Months later, here he is out in the middle of who-knows-where in the country of who-knows-what looking for something that no one is sure even exists. No human or otherwise explorer that has searched for this tomb has found it, but he knows he will. His gut tells him that this tomb exists, and his gut is never wrong. Ezreal has never, ever, ever failed to find his destination and does not plan to break that winning streak now.
Something suddenly catches his eye among the trees and he stops dead in his tracks, derailing his train of thought in the process, and turns his head to the right. There, near some trees and a few bushes, is what appears to be a rather large and out of place rock. The explorer smirks. He has seen this many times before; the rock, if moved, will without a doubt reveal the tomb he has been searching for all these months. Not to mention the same tomb so many had tried and failed to find in the past.
He dashes over to the boulder, using what little moonlight available to see his path. Ezreal looks the rock up and down for any signs of a tunnel below; sure enough, right under the boulder he sees a small amount of smoothed stone. He will have to move this thing. True, he can simply use Arcane Shift, but the risk of appearing inside a wall is just too great. He needs a safer way to get in.
Ezreal backs several feet away, then charges at the boulder, crashing into it with his right shoulder. He knows that normally ramming into a rock of that size at that speed would move the rock right away, but he didn't count on said rock being frozen in place. The boy yelps in pain as his shoulder reacts to the sudden impact. Ezreal grunts, rubbing his aching shoulder. That certainly wasn't planned. Ok, mental note: check rocks in frozen areas to make sure they aren't stuck to the ground…how I didn't see that when I examined the thing in the first place I will never know.
The bitter cold is starting to wear him down fast; he has to think of a new tactic and prevent freezing to death out in the open. Wait, freezing to- fire! That's it! Taking a nearby stick, the explorer uses a bit of his magic on the wood to produce a small flame; a trick he uses very, very often on his expeditions. Using his new torch, Ezreal melts the ice at the bottom of the boulder best he can. His smirk returns once more. A test shove proves the boulder can indeed be moved, just not far. It will be far enough for him, he decides.
He walks back from the boulder again and takes a deep breath, exhaling as he hopes this time the cursed rock will just move. The explorer rams into the rock yet again, this time managing to get it moved ever so slightly. From here, he pushes the rock, his boots digging deep into the snow and struggling to keep traction. The boulder moves a few more inches.
"Almost there, come on you stupid rock!" he growls in frustration, gritting his teeth as he pushes the rock with his wounded shoulder. No sense in hurting his good shoulder, after all. The rock does indeed move just a few more inches. That is just barely enough, but he isn't picky and will take it.
He collapses with a grin and pats his shoulder, "Whew, good enough." He mutters to himself, a habit he has picked up along the way in his many expeditions. Ezreal almost jumps in pure joy, though he does let a cheer escape him. With the boulder moved, nothing is preventing him from exploring the tomb which he has searched for all this time. Though getting out of the bitter cold won't hurt either.
The prodigal explorer can hardly contain his excitement as he squeezes through the narrow opening to the tomb. Finally, after so many hours, days, months of searching, it all came to this. It is indeed worth every second.
Ezreal finishes worming through the entrance and only then realizes that it is a good few feet off the ground. Naturally, he falls those good few feet and lands on the stone stairs below, sending a rather sharp pain through his body. It could have been worse, but it certainly was not pleasant. He rubs his aching leg but shakes it off soon after, a new wave of excitement running through him. A little pain won't stop him from exploring this tomb, or even slow him down. He stands up and dusts the snow off his hair, shirt, jacket, and pants before looking down the stairway. From moment he sees the rest of the area, he knows something is off about this tomb.
Torches litter the walls of the room and downward, though not at all randomly. Each torch seems placed so that it looks pleasing to the eye while still giving enough light for its area. But…that is the strange part; the torches are lit and still burning brightly as if they were lit within minutes of his arrival. How could a tomb sealed for who-knows-how-many years support burning torches? Ezreal shakes his head, deciding to think on it later. He is thankful for the torches either way, so it doesn't really matter why they are here.
The glow off each wall is a very dull, orange-ish color which tints the entire tomb as far as he can see. Strangely, the glow from these torches is heavily calming on the stressed explorer. The boy has to admit, even he felt right at home here. He can't help but close his eyes for a few moments and sigh happily.
Ezreal never feels at home in tombs. He normally feels paranoid and or excited the second he steps foot into a chamber. This one, however, gives a calming feel. He can't quite place the feeling exactly, but it faintly reminds him of when he is actually at home, lounging on the couch drinking hot chocolate during Christmas while the fireplace is burning throughout a heavy snowfall in the middle of the night.
Okay, so maybe he can place the feeling. That is exactly what it feels like. Ezreal isn't sure whether he should feel disturbed, intrigued, or ready to snooze on the nearest couch.
While it is a nice feeling, there is work to be done. He opens his eyes again and continues his look around as he continues walking. Ezreal smiles happily and runs his hand along the wall, noting that the walls are beautifully preserved and smooth to the touch. Every wall in the hallway also has markings and symbols on them that even the explorer is unfamiliar with. Turning his head to face the descending stairway, he notices the stairs are also smooth, though not so smooth that one would slip down if they swiftly climb up or down them. Said stairway appears as if it goes on for a very long time. Oh boy, looks like this place will take awhile to completely cover…
Another odd thing he notices during his descent, possibly the oddest part of all, is the utter lack of any sort of dust or web. There are lit torches, which of course need oxygen to burn, then there should without a doubt be insects, mice, or even snakes (arctic snakes are nasty little things). Though this is puzzling, it keeps with that calm vibe he is getting from the place. Webs and dust are hallmarks of haunted houses and spooky tombs, not cozy homes. It's almost as if this place is set up to look like a house…
Like the hallways of most cozy homes, there are doors every now and then along the sides of the stairway (which smooth out as a normal floor to allow access to the door, then return to its descent downward). These will take forever to completely explore, especially if they each lead to more hallways or secret chambers or whatever else this place has in store. Ezreal is delighted, to say the least.
Though these doors are fascinating and all, what peaks the explorer's interest is the room at the very bottom of the stairs. It looks a long way down, but the glow from all the way down there is so bright he can see it from many, many yards away. The fact that this huge staircase leads to that presumably huge room alone is curious in and of itself, but the whole bright light thing is just icing on the cake. Huge staircase leading to one room? That's definitely important.
As he continues, he is sure to note that each door has different markings and is always parallel to another door on the opposite side of the hall. About every ten feet there is a new pair of doors, he observes, and considering there have been about twenty pairs so far, he can safely say he is…a long way down. Math is not something he feels like doing on an exploration,
It seems like several minutes (and probably has been), but when he finally arrives at the bottom, he pauses. Two large torches stand to the left and right of what appears to be an entrance way with its door or doors completely removed. He can't help but sigh.
"Stupid tomb raiders!" Ezreal complains in an almost a whiny tone, wishing he could have at least seen what was on that door or doors, even if he could not read it. His eyes scan the walls as he walks slowly down the small stairway in the room.
Said markings depicted a humanoid creature in classic vampire clothing (cape, dark colors, so on) with exaggerated fangs and claws devouring what appear to be humans. A Vampire? Huh, didn't think I'd see one of those mentioned in a place like this. Ezreal checks the wall parallel to the carvings to see that same creature being locked within what looks like a rather large stone coffin. The frightening part is that there is another person, a human, depicted being locked in with the creature. Ezreal presumes this is as a sacrifice or something, but it isn't any less creepy.
Then again, what wasn't creepy about being buried alive? Erm, well, trapped alive. Forever.
More markings line the walls inside the room itself, this time they appear to be similar to the carvings from the hallway…or at least the same language. Oddly, there are several scrapes down each of the walls and even some on the floor. It looks like a cat, a big cat, that drug its claws down the wall like a scratching post. On top of this, despite the four torches standing even taller than he found in each corner of the room, this room is actually rather dark…especially when compared to how bright the area he just exited was. Then again, this is likely due to how massive the room was. Whoa…this place is easily bigger than a small house! This roof is totally tall enough to fit a three story home with room to spare!
As Ezreal's curious gaze wanders downward after having looked at the walls and ceiling, his breath catches at the sight of what is littered along the edges of the chamber. Treasure. Various coins and gems littered the floor all along the edges of the room. They are the expected treasures such as old pots and several shiny objects, but there are so many even he is impressed. Even with so many, there is still a lot of smooth floor uncovered.
"Hm, pretty nice stuff here, I must say." he mutters, picking up a stray coin from the floor and examining it. The coin, much like the rest of the tomb, appears to be centuries old. "Dang, really, really nice stuff here." He adds with a grin. Discoveries like these always make his explorations worth while. He flicks the coin in the air with his thumb like he often mimics in battle; he isn't sure why he does it, he just does. In the process of toying with the coin, however, his eyes finally set themselves on the center of the room.
The clinking sound of a coin hitting the stone floor echoes in the chamber and Ezreal's jaw drops. A sarcophagus. There it is, in the middle of the room, on what appears to be some odd and rather tall pedestal-like thing. Oddly enough, rather than the highly decorated coffins that most higher class tombs such as this one would normally have, this coffin is just black. It is a stunning black, polished well and still shining, but it is an odd color choice to say the least. It actually reminds him of the carvings in the walls of the stairway into the room…it very likely could be the same one.
Another odd thing, yet a detail pointing toward it being the same coffin in the carvings, about it is its size. It is easily seven feet long and maybe more, two and a half feet wide, and about two feet deep. Why would someone make a tomb that large for something they were trapping in it as punishment? Well, he assumes it was as a punishment…there is really no other reason for it.
"Now what are you doing here out in the open?" he mutters, raising a brow and abandoning the coin on the floor. Normally these things are hidden in secret rooms filled with traps or something, not out in the open. This baffles him just as much as the rest of the place, if not more.
Curiosity overrides confusion and before Ezreal knows it he finds himself putting his ear to the coffin and knocking on it a few times. With his luck the coffin is some horrible trap, which is what makes the job fun, but he can still hope to not get himself killed and set off any traps by knocking on the lid. When no sounds respond to the knocks, he isn't the least bit surprised. It was worth a shot. With an eager grin, the boy rests his hand on the lid; he is certain this is a trap at this point, but that won't stop him. Alrighty then, Ezreal pats the top of the sarcophagus, let's see what you have in store for me. After a deep breath, he gives the lid just one steady shove and sends it crashing to the ground with a loud bang. He jumps back and puts his arms of defensively in front of his face (though still in a position that he can see what happens), expecting some poison gas to come spewing out or spikes to shoot from the coffin, but nothing happens.
He blinks dumbly and releases his breath, "What?"
Lowering his arms, Ezreal walks over to the stone coffin cautiously and pokes his head over the top of it. The only thing inside is what appears to be dried blood on the sides and the visible bottom of it. Visible being the key word; there are several old, red silk pillows (well preserved and surprisingly un-stained ones at that) along the bottom of the coffin. "Aw man, I was hoping for a mummy or something." He pouts, lifting his goggles off his eyes (which he had forgotten about until just then, as he is used to wearing them for hours on end) to get a better look.
Still pretty much empty.
No corpse, no stolen treasure, the coffin isn't hidden, and the markings on the walls are in some alien language he can't for the life of him understand. Not to mention what pictures he does understand are about trapping a vampire. Things are getting weirder and weirder by the second.
With a groan he plops down on the floor near the coffin, his body almost screaming in relief after having been walking around for so many hours today alone. He had forgotten how tired he is. Well, since no one seems to be home I think I might just stay here for the night. He yawns loudly and looks around. The room is quiet of course and somewhat warm, at least compared to outside, so he removes his jacket and balls it up then sets it on the ground. Voilá, instant pillow. He grins again, settling down and resting his head on the crude pillow; this time with a sigh of content. Who else can say they have slept in a who-knows-how-old tomb?
I don't get why this tomb feels so…homely to me. Maybe it's the lighting? He shakes his head and then closes his eyes; he is more tired than confused. He can figure this stuff out tomorrow; it's not like the tomb is going anywhere anytime soon. With the prospect of more exploration in the large grave site tomorrow, Ezreal falls asleep with a feeling of excitement in his stomach and a smile on his face.
Morning brings a much less likable feeling in his stomach, and a loud growl coming from his belly reminds him of why. He has not eaten since leaving some random village a few days back, and that certainly was, and still is, not enough for the entire trip. Now, he normally doesn't need to stop for food, but some stupid bear (if he didn't know any better, he would have sworn up and down that it was a white-coated Tibbers with a scarf and hat) had run off with his backpack, so he had no choice but to stop for food. While he did buy a few things at the village, the food items he bought are nowhere to be found. He can only assume that they fell out of his jacket during the hike. That seems to happen a lot… he remarks mentally, sighing.
Ezreal sits up and stretches; the floor certainly wasn't comfy, but it was a ton better than sleeping outside in the cold for the night. He doesn't dare sleep in the coffin for various reasons (one being the blood and two being who knows what has been in that thing). Now, where should I search first? He ponders, looking around the room. Sure, he is starving, but food comes after a bit of exploring. There are so many doors in the hallway…maybe I should check the ones closest to this room, then work my way to the exit? Or maybe see if there are some secret entrances in here, then look at the rooms. Hm, decisions, decisions…
"Have a nice rest, pretty boy?" A voice behind him all but purrs.
Ezreal's head turns in an instant toward the source of the voice. The first thing he sees is a jet-black pair of pants, so he directs his attention upwards to meet the crimson eyes and wide grin of another, certainly taller, male. Said male wears a rather large black coat (that nearly touches the floor) lined and decorated with silver in many areas, namely the cuffs, collar, and tail; the black and white shirt under his coat matches the color scheme perfectly. His hair, oddly enough, was white and in some weird upwards curl-slash-pointish thing on his head. It reminded Ezreal of an onion or maybe an ice cream cone, almost. Hair jokes aside, this guy looks like the vampire on the wall. How odd. He of course keeps both thoughts to himself.
"Wha- how- yes I did," Ezreal shakes his head, standing up and dusting himself off despite of the lack of dust in that room, "but how exactly did you get in here?" Especially without me hearing or noticing you after I woke up.
The other gasps rather dramatically and puts his hand over his chest (which leads Ezreal to notice his rather sharp nails; by 'sharp' he means filed to a point), "Oh my, I never introduced myself did I? Allow me to do so then." He takes a rather deep bow and looks up to meet the explorer's eyes. "My name is Vladimir, and I got here…awhile ago. Quite awhile ago, actually." The man now known as Vladimir returns to his standing position, keeping his eyes on Ezreal the entire time. He offers a kind smile and adds, "You are?"
"Ezreal," he responds without hesitation, but does not return the smile; in fact, he wears quite a confused frown instead as he continues, "but you didn't answer my question." Vladimir lifts an eyebrow at this. "How did you get in here? This tomb is pretty well hidden…plus I moved the rock just barely enough for me to fit through, I honestly doubt you could have gotten in here."
Vladimir raises a finger to his chin in mock consideration, looking upward for added effect. After but a few seconds, he shrugs, "Does it really matter? Besides, I brought you something." That said, he tosses an item right at the explorer, who semi-flails to catch it having not been warned in the first place he is going to have random stuff thrown at him. When he actually looks at what he caught, Ezreal is shocked to find it's a granola bar. It looks like the same type he bought earlier, too. "I thought you might be hungry, having hiked all this way." The other shrugs again, shaking his head in an almost disappointed fashion. "The nearest village is what, three days from here? More? You must be famished."
The explorer looks at the food item, moving it around in his hand and examination it as if it were some treasure he found in a cave. That is, a potentially deadly treasure. I don't know why, but this guy is giving me a bad feeling. Stupid wall carvings are making me paranoid. "Thanks, I guess..."
Though he does not trust his odd tomb-guest in the least, he even more so does not want to go offending him (also he hasn't eaten in several days and is starving), so he finally opens the bar's wrapper. Looks safe enough. He continues looking over his new food item, even sniffing it (much to the amusement of Vladimir) to see if it smells okay. Smells great, too…I really hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the butt. Tentatively, he takes a bite from his gifted granola bar.
Vladimir's face practically lights up at the acceptation. He gives Ezreal a large grin, "So glad you like it."
The explorer nods and takes another bite. He might have been getting a bad feeling about this guy, but he has to admit Vladimir has good taste. The room is silent after Vlad's comment, though he doesn't seem bothered in the least. He just kept his eyes on Ezreal. Silence to the famed explorer, however, is always a sign of something horrible like a trap or lurking predator, so it has never been something the boy likes. After a few seconds of horrible silence, it becomes too much. He has to start a conversation. "So, I take it you live around here?" he inquires prior to taking another bite from the bar. Vladimir just chuckles at him, almost as if sensing his unease, and takes a seat on the nearest stair; again keeping his eyes on Ezreal the entire time. I wonder if he's seen many guests around here? Something tells me he hasn't. That look he keeps giving me…I can't quite place it, but it doesn't give me a good feeling.
"You could say that, yes." He replies, unwittingly derailing Ezreal's mini thought train. He pats the 'seat' next to him in an obvious gesture and gives the boy another smile. "How about you? I have never seen you around here, are you new here? Or maybe just lost?" Vladimir looks and sounds almost hopeful at that last comment, but he keeps that kind smile the whole time.
Although every inch of him screams not to, and that this guy cannot be trusted, Ezreal takes a seat next to the strange man. Sure he's a little weird but he seems nice enough. Though…I wonder about that look he keeps giving me. He won't take his eyes off me…maybe I should be more cautious. Ezreal shakes the ridiculous thoughts from his head and takes another bite of food, "I traveled here to explore this tomb," he waves his arms around as emphasize to the room, "because I've heard quite a few people have come here looking for it, but none have ever returned. It sounded like a challenge so I started packing right away," He looks to his side to make eye contact with Vlad, but something about those crimson eyes…they just make him uneasy. Suddenly, the granola bar seems quite interesting and the boy finds himself focusing on that instead of Vladimir.
However, even that does not distract him from the strong metallic smell he keeps picking up on ever since sitting down next to Vlad. It smells a lot like blood, but what would that smell be doing in an old tomb? Normally it would be long gone by now. Plus the only blood in the room is in that coffin, so it makes no sense anyway.
Vlad lets out a low laugh, "Brave one, aren't you?" He does not have to look up to know that the other wears a huge grin. And that tone...it has a low, dark, almost seductive tone to it. "But I must ask, how do you plan to return with no compass to guide you and a vicious blizzard outside?" Now his usual tone is back, and Ezreal can't help but feel Vlad is trying to convince him to stay.
"Easily," Ezreal replies, ignoring the many strange feelings he is getting, "I use the stars as a compass. As for the blizzard…" He trails off, not exactly knowing how he is going to deal with a raging snowstorm. He didn't pack enough warm clothing, and even if he did that bear would have stolen them along with his other things. The cold before when he was hiking around was near unbearable, but that paired with frigid winds would end him for sure if he were to go out.
Without a proper plan as to how he would hike back if he leaves now, he shakes his head and decides to just answer with whatever he can think of, "I don't know yet. I'll probably wait here until the storm dies down then head back to that village to restock." That actually sounds like a good plan. He nods and takes another small bite of food. Dang this granola bar is good. It takes every bit of him not to just scarf the whole thing down. "Yep, I think I'll do that."
The other seems delighted in Ezreal's answer, but does not allow his voice to betray the same emotion as his eyes. When he replies, it is a very calm tone, "Oh, very good plan! Considering the storm and all, looks like we shall be here awhile." There it is again, that heavy, metallic smell.
Ezreal can't help but ask, "Do you smell that? That metal-ish blood smell." He looks over to Vlad again, whom still wears that kind smile and piercing gaze.
"Hm? Oh, that? That's just what this place smells like." He laughs quietly, almost darkly, and waves his hand in a dismissive manner. Though his tone is light, his eyes do not mirror that same cheerfulness. They seem almost clouded for a split second, then return to normal as quickly as they had changed. "The moment I stepped foot in this room I picked up on that smell. I haven't the slightest idea where it is coming from though."
The explorer shudders, the look in Vladimir's eyes just does not agree with him. Why it bothers him so much still confuses him…he has looked Cho'Gath and Malzahar, two of the most powerful and terrifying Void dwellers (Kog'Maw is more hungry than aggressive and calculating) straight in the eyes and felt only a tinge of fear. But this, this is different. Is it because he was in a tomb rather than Summoner's Rift or something? Why would that make a difference?
Whatever the reason, Ezreal finds himself again looking at his precious food item rather than Vlad. He has never been one to show weakness or fear…heck, he never even feels weakness or fear. Why now, on his home turf so to speak, does he feel the need to crawl into a corner and hide? Why does he feel defenseless when he has magic running through his veins? He is a champion at the League (whether he likes it or not), and he can take any challenger down with relative ease.
Ezreal yelps as a sudden pain on his neck snaps him out of his thoughts. He immediately raises his non-gloved hand to cover the area and snaps his head in the direction of where he assumes the wound came from (considering what side of his neck it is on). Nothing.
A warm feeling on his hand alerts him to a small amount of blood coming from the injury. Whoa what the hell? That wasn't there before! He swallows hard and tightens his grip on the wound subconsciously. He was completely unharmed just moments ago. I was fine seconds ago…how did this happen? He exhales shakily. Calm down, Ez, there's gotta be an explanation for this. He feels over the wound a bit with his hand, trying to make sense of it. It feels like…two holes over two other holes? What? Did I get stabbed or something? Must have been a small thing then 'cause these are only about the size of your average toolkit nail. He grits his teeth; it certainly hurts quite a bit, that's for sure. At least it's not bleeding too much, ergh. Thankfully his wound is just enough to draw blood, but nothing very deep.
Ezreal turns to look at Vladimir, whom tilts his head to the side curiously, "Something wrong?" he leans forward, putting his face a few inches from the boy's.
Shaking his head, Ezreal keeps his hand firmly over his wound, as if removing it would doom him, "Yeah, just a cut…probably got it in the forest up top and didn't notice it." He lies, knowing full and well he did not have this wound before, "It just reopened or something." Another lie, but what else should I say? 'Hey Vladimir, I got these four tiny stab wounds, any idea where they came from?' Yeah, that'd go over well.
With a 'hm' sound and slight nod, Vladimir easily buys the story without question and returns to his usual sitting position. His eyes, however, seem trained on Ezreal's neck. It is like a cat staring at its owner's hand and expecting a treat. Ezreal has to admit, it scares him. Honestly, he still isn't sure why Vlad's strange stares bother him. He gets glares and the like from enemies all the time as well as a few admiring glances from random fans on his travels, but…the look Vladimir gives is one he has never seen before. One would think having been with so many different people, creatures, and so on he would know all these strange glances by now. It just doesn't make sense…
"…so would you mind?"
Ezreal shakes his head. Vlad had been talking? He didn't even notice… "Erm, uh, could you repeat that?" he asks, hesitantly returning a smile. He doesn't want Vladimir to catch onto anything, after all.
"I asked if I could take a look at your wound." He repeats, still keeping that friendly smile. "Taking into consideration we are in a tomb, any wounds you have could easily get infected. I am no doctor, but I have had my fair share of injuries." His tone darkens for a moment, but changes back to his usual (still creepy) tone in no time, "So would you mind if I took a look? Maybe treat it if necessary?"
This is certainly…odd. "I uh- sure why not?" Ezreal agrees, still not entirely keen on allowing Vladimir near his neck. He is just too used to people trying to gut him alive…
Vladimir sits up and walks around to the boy's other side before taking a seat once more. Ezreal is sure to keep a careful eye on him as he does so, but knows he will have to tilt his head a bit in order for Vlad to see the wound properly. He does so, if not somewhat tentatively. He feels Vladimir's fingers (though mostly his rather sharp nails) gently trace and sometimes even press the wound and the area surrounding it. He occasionally 'hm's or 'ah's, but is otherwise silent as he examines the boy's injury. Though…it looks like Vlad is also sniffing the air near Ezreal's injury.
Turning his head proves exactly that.
"Hey, hey!" Ezreal scrambles backward up a few steps, dropping the granola bar in the process, "What do you think you're doing?!" Okay, my brain was right, this guy isn't normal. He just could not believe his luck. He finds an undiscovered tomb and of course some creep has to be in the area.
Vladimir's smile turns to a huge grin, a fanged grin, at the boy's reaction, "Me?" he points at himself, sarcasm dripping in his tone, "What are you doing? I was just helping you and then you flipped out." His grin turns to a pout, "You even dropped the food I gave you." Vlad holds said food item in his hand and offers it to the boy rather casually for what had just occurred.
Ezreal pales considerably and shakes his head in disbelief. Fangs? Okay, now everything's making sense…ugh, why didn't I see this sooner? People disappearing, the carvings on the wall, this weird guy popping out of nowhere; this is all just an elaborate trap. Just. My. Luck. He might not be the most mythology-savvy person out there, but he knows fangs when he sees them, and even he knows legends of tomb-guarding vampires. Well, not guarding so much as using.
Although rare, he recalls, some vampires will actually use tombs (preferably with a lot of treasure) to attract explorers and tomb-raiders alike. The more people that visit and disappear, the more well-known the tomb will become and eventually the vampire will be pretty much set for as long as he or she lives. The best part for them is that the grave site will just be labeled as 'cursed' and the vampire gets off scot-free. Ezreal very well near slaps himself in the face for being so stupid; even he wouldn't have gone roaming around in this place had he actually pieced together such an easy puzzle.
However, considering the carvings from before, this one has likely been trapped here and somehow escaped his prison at some point. He probably stays because lost travelers, explorers, and tomb robbers are easily found and devoured. Everything makes sense.
Finally remembering he is supposed to be moving or something, the boy snaps out of his thoughts, "Oh no," Ezreal shakes his head and gets to his feet, "you can keep that, I think I'll head back to the village for a better meal." He waves and turns around to head back up the stairs, hoping dearly the other will not follow. Okay, sometimes they let victims escape or even care for them. Yeah, maybe the explorers vanished in the forest, not here, and this guy will help me. Some vampires are quite the gentlemen, I hear.
Even Ezreal is not buying his own story. What choice does he have though? He continues walking up the stairs and trying not to look back; his heartbeat at this point is louder than his footsteps in his ears. On top of that, his wound is really starting to bug him. Let's try a little Arcane Shift to get me at least a good few yards closer. The glove on his left hand glows as it always does when summoning magic from its crystal, he feels magic course through him as the spell begins…then it all leaves. Nothing more happens and that little glow dies out as quickly as it had started. What?! Oh, no, no, no-!
The explorer is suddenly stopped by an arm around his upper body, which then pulls him against Vladimir's chest and back downwards into the room from before. The boy struggles best he can, but to no avail. It took Vlad just one arm to hold him back, much to Ezreal's dismay. Okay, maybe not so gentlemanly…then again I just tried to leave. Ezreal tries pushing the other's arm away, his blood smearing on Vladimir's sleeve as he pushes against it, but sadly no matter how hard he tries the other's arm does not even budge. It was to be expected, but he had to try anyway.
Tsking is heard from behind him and the strong, metallic scent of blood fills his nose again, "No, no, I would rather join you for breakfast. No need to head out alone, yes?" Vladimir whispers into the other's ear, adding further to the potent smell and sending a chill down Ezreal's spine.
"Oh, no," the boy laughs nervously, desperately trying to think of something, anything he can do, "I got here on my own, so it's no big deal. I can just head down to the village and get us both something! No need for you to make the trip." Come on, just let me get out of here!
Unfortunately, his captor has different plans, as the boy can hear as well as feel Vlad's chuckling, "No, I mean we are staying here for breakfast. No need to go out in the first place." He purrs, bending forward a bit to inhale deeply near Ezreal's neck. The explorer attempts to push Vlad's head away with his gloved hand, but his arm is snatched and held by the other with ease. He certainly isn't worried about being subtle anymore. Just how long will it be until Ezreal finds himself drained of blood? This creature is obviously hungry, and of course with his open wound (and maybe even without that) he must smell beyond appetizing.
Appetizing in more ways than one it seems when Vladimir's free hand finds itself up the boy's jacket and feeling over his chest.
"Hey-" Ezreal's complaint is immediately cut short by something warm and wet sliding up his neck that is obviously not blood, effectively silencing and stopping him from resisting. Pure shock and fear seem to just freeze him in place and override every other feeling; it is a sensation alien to him, and one he never wants to feel again if he escapes this. That thing is tasting him, and he cannot resist it. He can't fight back, he can't run; he is stuck and completely at its mercy. This new feeling of utter helplessness terrifies him more than anything he has ever felt. If he had not been held up by Vlad at that moment, he most certainly would have collapsed on the spot.
Vladimir, on the other hand, appears happy as can be. In fact, he seems to sense Ezreal's discomfort and is sure to run his tongue over the wound several more times for good measure…he is hungry anyway. The boy tenses under his touch; he can even feel Ezreal's pulse quicken under his tongue. After a short while, he makes a sound not unlike a moan and lifts his head up, "You, pretty boy, taste wonderful." His wide grin returns, "And that is just your blood, it makes me wonder what your meat tastes like…and yet…" he trails off, his eyes traveling downward to look the boy over. He frees the explorer's arm and uses his now free hand to turn the boy around toward him and tilt his head upward, Vladimir's hungry eyes now staring straight into Ezreal's terrified ones. Ezreal gets the sinking feeling that he is being examined for some sort of use…be it as food or otherwise.
From the looks of things, sadly for him, Vladimir has not eaten in awhile. Ezreal hasn't read of any recent disappearances (then again he has been hiking around for months), meaning he is the first in a long while. However, Vladimir seems to also have…other interests in mind judging from the look in his eyes and his previous behavior. Ezreal isn't sure anymore if he is going to become lunch or a plaything.
This is getting nowhere fast for the prodigal explorer other than downhill, he has to think of something to do. Fast. If he can just get Vlad talking, or stall him some way or another, he could think of more later. Ezreal opens his mouth in an attempt to get a word in about his situation or at least something to get the other talking, but is quickly silenced again by Vladimir's tongue. This time, however, it is in the boy's mouth and practically down his throat. Ezreal can taste nothing but his own blood at this point. His captor keeps crimson eyes staring into his, just waiting for some sort of reaction. Vlad isn't disappointed either; Ezreal naturally makes quite the astonished look and freezes in place awhile before snapping out of it and resisting the creature.
On the other end of things, Vladimir seems to enjoy this thoroughly and quickly takes it upon himself to taste every inch of the boy's mouth; subconsciously pushing his body forward and causing Ezreal to lean back in response. Again, Ezreal hears that sound bordering a moan and a growl along with being pulled closer to the creature, if even possible. This certainly is not what he planned.
The quick transition from exploration trip to finding himself pressed against a vampire and locked in a rather vicious kiss definitely does not go over well with Ezreal. He tries his best to resist Vlad, using both arms to push against his aggressor's chest while trying to move his head back in a desperate attempt to break their kiss. Sadly, that one right arm across Ezreal's back is able to keep the boy from escaping backward or downward, maintaining a firm grip and still pushing him toward Vladimir. On top of that, Vlad's left hand keeps Ezreal's head up and locked in their kiss.
At this point he is tempted to just bite down on the other's tongue, but he doesn't want to risk angering Vladimir, especially when his…affections seem to be the only thing keeping him alive and uneaten and or completely drained of blood. At least, that's what it looks like to him. No matter what it is, Ezreal is not liking the situation, and even more so the lack of oxygen he is receiving. He is getting extremely lightheaded and is sure to pass out soon from lack of air, and he wouldn't put it past Vlad to have planned that.
He is dizzy and still tired from the day before. He can barely keep himself up, much less Vlad. So when most of Vladimir's weight is leaning forward on Ezreal, it comes as no shock to the explorer when he ends up falling flat on his back and sprawled on the floor. What does shock him is that Vlad falls down with him, which of course causes him to land on Ezreal. He must have been caught off guard.
Though a part of this works in Ezreal's favor, as Vladimir breaks their kiss (though just barely; his face is not even an inch away from the boy's), a larger part works against him. Now he is stuck under his overly-friendly host and has both of said host's legs on either side of his hips. Not to mention, once Vladimir decides to move his arms, both of the other's hands on either side of his ribcage.
Not that Ezreal notices right away as he is too busy gasping for air.
"Oh no, it seems I forgot that humans actually need to breathe." He sighs, leaning his head downward to graze his teeth along the boy's wounded neck, "Things were just getting good, too. Shame you creatures are so fragile…" He licks his lips to clean the blood off them and casts another hungry look Ezreal's way, whom has his head turned in the opposite direction and fails to notice.
Seeing as his little plaything is currently panting, Vladimir decides it best just to let him rest. With apparent regret, Vlad gets off his smaller guest to allow easier breathing and sits down next to him instead. He decides to busy himself with thinking about what to do next (this is obvious from the smirk on his face, even if he is looking toward the ceiling) and idly toying with his new playmate's hair.
Ezreal for one is feeling relived by the break and finally getting some air in him. He knows it will not last, but he will certainly enjoy it and use this time best he can. It does not take him long to piece together that Vlad is only leaving him alone because he wants the explorer alive. This creature might have acted clueless earlier, but Ezreal would bet his glove that Vladimir knows full and well that if he draws too much blood from the boy now, he will no longer have someone to fool around with. Humans of course need oxygen for the whole body to work, and blood is what delivers it. No blood, no oxygen, no plaything; a simple equation that Vlad is without a doubt going by.
That or he is trying to decide how much blood he can safely take from Ezreal right now without killing him. Either way, the boy opts not to think too much into it.
Now the hard part is figuring out what he is going to do from here. He could run, but vampires are much faster than humans. Ezreal is not at all good with hand-to-hand combat, much less against a monster, so that is out as well. The only thing he could hope to do is outwit the creature, but that would be difficult, nigh impossible, to do considering Vladimir is likely well over a thousand years old. This is not looking good at all for him.
The sound of shifting clothing next to him snaps Ezreal back from his thoughts. I'm not panting anymore, am I? Oh great… Not wanting to be pinned under Vladimir again, the explorer sits up. This, sadly enough, also aggravates the wound on his neck (which he is now certain is a bite from Vlad), which brings a bit more blood to the surface. That will not go unnoticed, this he is sure of.
Rather than end up without a word in on the situation yet again, Ezreal turns to face Vlad and pipes up the first thing that comes to mind, "What are you planning to do with me?" If there was a wall near me, I would slam my head into it so hard-
The other simply grins, "Not kill you, if that is what you are concerned about." A sigh of relief is heard. "But I have much more planned. Considering I am letting you live, you will be staying with me for awhile." He leans forward again to put his face right in front of Ezreal's, again giving off a strong metallic smell. However, the smell is in the very back of his mind seeing as Vlad's fangs are bared in his usual grin. Subsequently he feels one of Vlad's sharp nails under his chin, coaxing the boy to look upward and meet Vladimir's eyes.
Ezreal backs up and shakes his head, "You know, on second thought I'll take my chances outside thank you, bye!" He gets to his feet in an instant, turning around and running full speed up the stairway. He won't make it far. He can't make it far. He is tired, low on air, and starving.
But he will try anyway.
Maybe he would get lucky, maybe Vladimir is weakened at least slightly from lack of food (then again so is he). Maybe Vlad would give up and let him go. It's not in a vampire's nature to give up but…then again this guy seems like a one in a million anyway.
He had makes it farther than he expected, half way there at the least. His footsteps sound like thunder to him, but his heartbeat overpowers even that. Where is Vlad? Is he going to chase or let him go?
His answer is a weight suddenly on his back, forcing him to the ground in front of one of the few remaining pairs of doors. The pain from this weight on his back and the fall is pretty excruciating, but not as painful as his heart sinking from being so close to 'freedom'.
Ezreal feels what is obviously Vladimir straddling his lower back, then a hand on his upper back pushing him against the stone floor. He feels the other's breath on his ear and shudders. "That was fun and all, if not too short, but I really can't have you running out on me like that." Vladimir purrs, lifting his hand off Ezreal's back so he can run it along the boy's side, "Now why don't you sleep for awhile so I can plan in peace what to do next, hm?"
The back of Ezreal's head suddenly explodes with pain, then there is darkness.