Location: Lower Town of Le Havre, France
'Safe House 98'
Once a city of nearly 300,000, it had been reduced to less than 10,000 in just over a year. Many humans and vampires alike had attempted a mass exodus, spreading out through Europe after the Great Britain Massacre. Because of its location near the ocean Le Havre had become a blood soaked ghost town. Not to mention the location of one of the many human bases that manned the coast lines of countries and continents around the world. Everyone believed that this city was emptied of vampires, but they could not be more wrong. Le Havre's ville basse, or lower city, was home to many 'safe houses' where vampire-friendly human inhabitants lingered. The pair of shadows slipping into a lone house in the former marshland knew the secrets that lie inside.
Safe House 98 was one of the few, with a 'Special Addition': the entrance to a series of complex tunnels created by vampires in case the war turned against their favor. These tunnels would lead to an underground stronghold, a place for the vampires and their human supporters to re-group and come back strong against the human elitists. Moving through the simple house, two human-like shadows moved quietly down into the basement. Occasionally a stair would creek, causing them to freeze for a split second before moving on. Eyes wide in the darkness they groped their way to the base of the stairs. Only once they had reached the bottom did they dare to turn on the single light that illuminated an empty, packed dirt floored room. The walls were made of stone and if one wasn't looking closely, they could easily miss the perfect outline that betrayed a hidden door.
In the light of a naked bulb, the pair of shadows became a pair of men. Both were slighter, a little thinner, and a little more worn down from years of fighting and being on the run. One, Raj Singh, was dark skinned with straight black hair that was cut to brush his ears. The other, Arthur Kirkland, was pale with unruly blond hair and bright green eyes. Two hours ago the message had come in that the vampires, against what everyone had anticipated, were withdrawing and retreating. The humans had the upper hand and if all vampires and the humans loyal to them didn't get out now, well Raj didn't even want to think about it.
They settled down on the floor of the basement to await the arrival of other retreaters and to be allowed into the tunnels. Raj fished into his bag, pulling out a blood packet. "Are you hungry?"
His friend looked down at the small bag and grimaced, "No thank you."
Arthur was always stubborn. When the vampire masses had been forced into feeding off of packets of blood to survive the English vampire had outright refused. Rather than degrade himself he chose instead to starve, or feed off any of the humans unfortunate enough to attack them as they made their way to the safe houses.
Just over five years ago, the vampires had come out of hiding. For some humans, like Raj, had already allied and made friends with the other species, it had not been a shocking, or unwelcomed, turn of events. The rest of the world did not share their feelings. It was foolish not to expect a war, many people even planned on it. Stocking up their houses. Arming themselves. The vampires had been planning longer than a couple years; they had been preparing for their coming out and the consequences of doing so for centuries. That was why they'd selected certain families to join alliances with. These humans should the war turned south, as it unfortunately did, would serve as feeders. Feeders were humans that provided blood for vampires. Though some casualties were expected, no one believed that the vampires could be beaten… And for the first three years of war it seemed as though the fanged species would be victorious.
That was before blood blocking. A human scientist from America had developed a serum that acted like a vaccine; it triggered something in a vampire's system, like the weak strain of a virus. A Blocked human's blood was inedible. Once the serum became mass produced it was over. Vampires were starving to death, their numbers dwindling. Slowly, humans began to take back the world. North America first, followed by most of Europe, Africa, and then Oceana. Whole countries were wiped of their vampire populations.
Thankfully, there was a series of knocks from behind the wall, pulling the two men out of their heads and back into reality. After answering the pattern, the panel slipped open, revealing a taller man with his blond hair pulled back. Looking around, the man glanced at Raj and his companion in the other corner.
"Oh, are only the two of you left, cher?" The French vampire didn't bother to address the human right away; his only concern was the other vampire in the room. "Are you ready to go? I need to seal this place off unless you'd rather take your chances."
Arthur, the other vampire, replied with a hollow tone. "Yes, I believe it's time to... make our escape." He hated it. Hated the way things were for them now. He glanced over at the French vampire, expression never changing. He turned to Raj, expression softening for just a moment before saying, "Well, let's gets going, then."
He heaved a long, saddened sigh as he took one last glance around the area. Clenching his hands into fists, he silently cursed the humans. Cursed them for what they had done to his species. Not Raj, of course. Raj supported them. But... everyone else... ugh, he did not want to think about it. Instead, he turned back to the French vampire and asked, "Well, are we getting out of here or not?"
"Of course, of course..." Francis said, motioning for them to follow him back down the tunnel. "Follow this path. I'll catch up with you."
Glancing at Arthur, Raj nodded and started down the tunnel with the green-eyed vampire close behind him. Francis sealed the opening behind them and he could hear the other man doing something to the wall. The Indian glanced over at Arthur, eyes worried, and asked, "Are you all right?"
Nodding his head, Arthur replied tersely with, "I'm fine." A bit of a lie, really. He felt sick to his stomach over all of this, and as each day passed, more hatred had built up inside the restless vampire. He turned, trying to be a bit more polite as he asked, "What about you, Raj? Is everything okay? It can't be easy, defying the other humans like you are." Yes, he definitely respected the man walking beside him.
He continued walking, eyes traveling all over the tunnel. Not because there was anything interesting to see, really, but because he wanted to distract himself. He did not want to get too upset, after all. Not when they had to focus everything on getting out of here.
Raj sighed, worrying his lower lip between his teeth as he thought this question over. Was he all right? At last he nodded, "Yes... yes, I'm all right. I know that I'm making the right decision." Human or vampire, they didn't deserve to be oppressed in any way. This war was destroying everything.
Arthur smiled at the other. "I'm glad you've made this choice, Raj. We need as much help as we can ge, human or vampire. Having someone like you on our side is probably the only thing keeping me sane at the moment." Indeed, for the past few days he had been having the urge to just... go on a rampage, really, killing as many humans as he could get a hold of. It would end badly, he knew, but he was just so upset. Having someone like Raj - a human that actually believed in his species - with him certainly made things feel a little less hopeless.
"It's nothing. I couldn't stand seeing your species harmed this way," Raj said. "You guys aren't animals." He added, knowing that it was a struggle for Arthur to control his anger. Raj had seen that during his time with the vampire... they'd come across a troop of humans before finding the safe house. It was because of Arthur that they'd managed to get out alive.
Sighing again, he heard Francis catch up with them. Grinning, the blue-eyed blond said, "Don't worry, I'll get you guys out of here." The other vampire then asked Arthur, "Not to pry, but your relationship to this human is?"
As the other vampire showed up again, Arthur turned. What sort of question was that, anyway? Such a nosy vampire... "We're... friends, I guess." Was the British vampire's rather awkward reply, a slight redness appearing on his face. He was extremely glad it was so hard to see in the darkness of the tunnel they were walking through.
"Friends?" Francis said with a chuckle. "Interesting... I hope you understand that our food supply is short, Arthur... Raj... right? I need to ask you if you could handle becoming a feeder?"
Arthur smiled at the other. It was a relief, really. Being with a human reminded him that not all humans were... monsters. The vampire chuckled at this thought. And the pitiful humans often called them that? Ha! At least the vampires had not driven all of the other species out of their homes. "Cowards," spat the Brit. "That's what they are. All of those bloody humans are nothing but a bunch of damn cowards."
At Francis's question, however, he tried to stay a bit more cheerful, smiling lightly as he said, "Yes, Raj. It may be a bit... much to ask of you, but it really will help our cause." He licked his own lips a bit. It had been awhile since any vampires he had spoken to had really had any sort of good food. Blood packets could be compared to eating spam instead of steak.
Raj was silent for a while longer before looking between the two vampires. "I'll... I'll do it." He nodded, the idea settling in his mind. He was worried that they might drain him, but at the same time saw that this could be an opportunity to help the cause in a major way.
After a while, they reached a fork in the path where the tunnel on the right got wider. Francis paused, "We'll wait for our ride here." And sure enough, not long afterward a truck arrived, driving them down the tunnel. The vampires in the truck were silent, but Francis said, "You might as well rest... we'll be driving the rest of the night."
Raj glanced at Arthur from his seat in the back, wondering if it was okay to sleep like this.
Noticing the other looking slightly... out of place, really, Arthur smiled kindly. "Go ahead and rest, Raj. You need sleep. You've done a lot for us already, and will hopefully be doing even more in the near future. The least we can do is provide a safe place for you to rest." He sighed. Safe? Yeah, right. Nowhere was safe when you were a vampire on the run, and. things were even less safe when you were a human assisting a vampire on the run.
Arthur yawned slightly, now rather tired as well. Vampires did not need as much sleep as humans, but they did need to recover from particularly long days. And if today did not count as a long day, then nothing did. He closed his eyes and leaned against the walls of the truck. It was not at all a comfortable place to sleep in, but it was better than nothing.
Raj nodded, feeling more at ease, even if it was the illusion of being at ease, when Arthur told him to sleep. The human curled up in his seat, drawing his knees to his chest and closing his eyes. A few minutes later he fell into a light sleep. When the pair woke up, they were inside of a building's garage, Francis shaking them awake.
"Morning, mon amis, not to rush you, but the boss wants to talk to you right away. To make sure you're safe and what not." The French vampire said, motioning them to get out of the truck.
Arthur stretched slightly, back aching from the uncomfortable position he had slept in. Muttering a few words under his breath, he got up and out of the truck, waiting for Raj to do the same. He then turned to Francis. "Lead the way then." Not only did he need to confirm their safety, but he also wanted very badly to ask a few questions.
The stronghold was divided into various sections: private quarters (where the refugees slept), an archive (where records and other documents were kept) and storage, feeding rooms beside a cafeteria, a training facility, and the offices. All of the walls were a pale gray color and the lights were rather bright to substitute the lack of a sun. Small groups of people meandered about the different sections but everyone moved with a subdued air. This was obviously a group that was deeply unhappy with the retreat.
Francis led them down the hallway to the very back room, one of the offices. Inside it was bare, save for a couple of chairs, a desk, and a man leaning against the far wall. The man was a vampire dressed in a loose pale purple shirt and sturdy black pants and shoes. One of the sleeves was ripped; obviously, he had not arrived at the strong hold long before they did, as there was a bit of blood on his clothes as well, though it was dried. Roderich was the head of the West vampire resistance and one of the oldest around, partially the reason he was elected as their preator.
"Welcome, gentlemen. My name is Roderich, and I have been named the head of the resistance, granted, I am sure you know that." He said, voice measured and careful, eyes watching them from behind a pair of glasses. "I'm sure you're weary from your trip; however, I have a few questions to ask... firstly, Francis, you sealed the exit?"
The French vampire nodded, "Oui, the tunnel should have collapsed half an hour ago. I sent Alfred to check on it."
Roderich looked back at Arthur and Raj, who had taken seats on the chairs, obviously meant for them. For the next hour Roderich asked them question after question: where had they first met, how did they find the safe house, how did they get communication to Francis, and were they sure no one had followed them? And lastly, the Austrian vampire looked between the two of them. "Arthur, how do you know that Raj is going to remain loyal to us?"
Arthur blinked, mildly surprised at this question but not at all unsure of how to answer. Honestly, he had trusted the man from the beginning. There was something about Raj that made him know only seconds after laying eyes upon him that he would not waver or switch sides. He was loyal to them. "He's truly proven himself to be a loyal... follower of us vampires. I know it sounds a bit silly, seeing as he's a human, but it's true. He has helped me get out of... sticky situations in the past, and he has recently offered to become a feeder for us. I know that, for many of us, trusting any human is difficult, but you have to believe me. Raj is on our side." He looked over at his Indian friend with a rare, truly kind smile.
It was a huge relief, really, to be in a place with other vampires again. For the first time in forever he felt at least a small sense of not only hope, but security. Arthur sighed as he glanced from his human friend up to Roderich. Things were definitely beginning to get better for them. At least, that's what he hoped was the case. That was what he would tell himself until proven wrong - Things were getting better.
The kind smile eased Raj's tension even more, and he looked back at Roderich who was still addressing Arthur. In fact, none of the questions had been directly asked to Raj. "Do you have any questions? If not, then we'll let you all get some rest after Raj has a blood exam."
Arthur paused, thinking for a moment, before looking up the leader of the vampires. "What... what can I do to help?" He asked. "I... I just feel so useless, constantly running away like this. I want to find a way to actually help my species." At this point, even Raj had done much more for their cause than he had, and he hated it. While he cared quite a bit for the man, he did not want it to seem as if he was trying harder to save the vampires more than the vampire himself.
His eager attitude was not missed by Raj or the West Resistance preator. However, their reactions were different. Internally, the human wished that his friend wasn't so eager to fight again. Though they were close Raj found himself hoping that something could change the other so that he no longer saw humans as horribly creatures worthy of extermination.
Roderich thought this over for a few minutes, eyes looking at Arthur carefully, sizing him up. "Currently, we are trying to save as many vampires as possible and get them into the strong hold from different safe houses. If you would like, I could add you to one of our teams to seek out safe houses and bring back who you can. Or... if you feel more able bodied, we are in need of spies. We need to see how the humans are progressing now that we have withdrawn."
"What about me?" Raj asked from his chair, "I would like to help, too."
The vampire leader turned to look at him. "Unfortunately, loyal though you may be... many of our kind would not react well to any human taking a prominent role in the resistance. For now, we must try to band as tightly together as possible. We need all the humans that can be persuaded to provide blood. That will be taxing enough on you without sending you into the field."
It seemed unfair, but in such an environment, Raj didn't dare complain. Instead, he meekly nodded.
Thinking, Arthur wondered exactly what would be best for him. He wanted so very badly to do something for the other vampires, something that would actually help. However, he also did not want to leave Raj behind, which Roderich seemed to be implying would be necessary. The human had done so much for him, he hated the idea of just using him as a food source from here on out.
Emerald eyes darting over to Roderich, and he asked, "I'd like to take a moment to think through the possibilities." He then turned to the Indian man, asking, "Do you think I could talk to you alone for a moment?" The more he thought about it, the more intriguing the idea of going out and taking action seemed to be. Just the idea of being a spy or a prominent member of a rescue team sounded exhilarating. Still, the thought of Raj being stuck behind was not a pleasant one. Yes, he would need to talk this over with the human himself.
"Go ahead." Roderich said, nodding to Francis and they left the room.
Raj turned in his chair to look at Arthur. "What is it?" He knew that Arthur would want to be in the thick of the action and despite his own misgivings; he wasn't going to try and get in the way.
Arthur looked at the ground for a moment, silently figuring out what to say. Finally, he started with, "L- look, lad, I don't want you to be left out of everything. After all, we sort of got into this together and I probably would not be alive right now if it weren't for you." He smiled kindly. "But at the same time, I really need to do something." His eyes narrowed and his tone suddenly became almost a hiss. "I feel like I've been losing my mind, hiding like a coward these past few days. I don't think I can make it much longer if I do nothing but sit around and watch others work to save my species."
"I need to do something! I need to at least feel like I'm doing something for the good of my kind. I know you may not know the feeling, seeing as you're sort of doing the opposite and fighting against your species, but..." He groaned with annoyance and confusion, not even sure where he was going with this anymore. "I just don't know what to do. Err... what would you do, in my situation?"
Tilting his head, Raj thought it over. "To be honest... I would do the same thing you are, trying to help out in any way I can." He managed to smile at the other, "Don't worry. I'll still be here when you get back." In a lower tone he added, attempting to make light of the situation, "They have to keep me alive at least for food right?"
Arthur's eyes narrowed, glancing in the direction Roderich had been in. "They better treat you just as well as us vampires. You deserve it. You've probably done - and are continuing to do, might I add - much more than many of them have." He rolled his eyes. However, his expression turned into a small smile as he muttered, "So you really wouldn't mind, then? Letting me go off and doing... something to help the others?"
This statement made him think of Leon. He had lost contact with him not long ago and had not heard anything of him since. He wondered briefly if he had been caught and killed... no that could not be the case. It was just too awful a thought to be true. He shook his head, trying to snap his thoughts back to reality and the matter at hand.
Raj shook his head, "I don't mind at all." The door opened again, after a couple of short knocks, and Roderich came in.
"If you don't mind... we'd like our answer now. There are a couple of vampires who need blood. Of course... if you'd like, we can make Raj be your main feeder Arthur?"
Surprised by this question, Arthur shrugged. "I guess so. Yes, I would like that." His stomach growled slightly at the thought of food. It had been quite a while, now that he thought about it, since he had actually felt like he had had enough food to be healthy. "But don't hurt him, of course. We don't want to take too much blood away."
Suddenly remembering the conversation that had just taken place, the British vampire exclaimed, "And I would like to help! I don't care where I'm placed, a rescuer or a spy or whatever you need. But I'll do anything to help my kind." He smiled at Roderich. "Where am I needed most?"
Roderich thought it over for a moment, "We need spies to check out a human base a few miles from here. Rumors have been going around that they've managed to capture a few vampires and are holding them ransom. We'll need help there."
Looking over at the human, he added, "Of course, we'll take good care of Raj for you. The team will leave tomorrow morning, so if you need to eat now, you can. And I'll have Francis show you two to your rooms and have some human food brought for Raj."
Arthur smiled, nodding. "Good, good. I'd love to join in on the mission!" It had been awhile since he had done anything active other than fleeing; being able to actually do something against the humans would feel wonderful. He turned to Raj, smiling at him. The two of them then followed Francis down the hallway that he assumed would lead them to their rooms. As they walked, Arthur asked Raj, "And you really are okay with this? Me going off as a spy, I mean." He looked down, uncertain of himself yet again. He never had been too good at being certain about things, really. All his life, he would make a decision and then later change his mind for no real reason other than uncertainty. "If... if you'd rather I stayed behind...?"
Raj was quiet they reached a pair of doors beside one another. Sighing, the man ran his fingers through his dark hair before managing to look at the vampire. "I feel... selfish... that way..." He smiled a little, though this one was more forced. "I wouldn't ask you to hide in a hole underground with me... You should do all you can to help."
Smiling, Arthur knew he looked much happier than he felt. He really was unsure of all of this. However, hearing Raj speak like this, honestly telling him that it was okay... well; it made him feel at least a little better. "Thank you, Raj." He turned to Francis. "So, what should we do now, then? Just... wait?" He really was starving by now; it had been so long since he had last had anything to eat.
"Oui." Francis said, "I'll have some food brought around for Raj and we'll head out in the morning. You should rest for now, sleeping in the truck couldn't have been comfortable..." The French vampire left them and Raj turned to look at Arthur.
"You... you haven't eaten in a while..." He motioned for the other to come closer, "Err... since I'm supposed to be feeding you... go ahead."
Arthur's emerald orbs widened with surprise at this. "Oh! Um..." he had done this to so many others, a countless number of times. However, now being faced with a close friend of his, it felt... different. "Ah, I... are you really comfortable with this? Or would you prefer... uh..." he really was not sure anymore, about all of this. Ugh, why was he such an idiot sometimes?
When his stomach growled with hunger, Arthur realized that he really was rather close to starving. Moving forward, he came close enough that he could practically smell the other's blood. "You're... you're sure this is all right, then?" The vampire tried to be a gentleman, even in times such as these.
Swallowing hard once, Raj nodded. It must be hard for him to keep asking and to have such manners even though the human was sure his vampire companion was starving. "Yes... go ahead, Arthur." It was a little embarrassing for him, but Raj was not going to say no to Arthur. He was fine with it, after all.
Arthur smiled slightly, fangs barred. Leaning in a bit closer still and trying very hard to be cautious, not wanting to hurt the man more than he absolutely had to, he gently placed his teeth against the other's neck, sinking them down until he could taste blood. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt alive again, beginning to suck slowly…
Location: Upper Town of La Havre, France
Human Base
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a small band of humans climbed out of a truck. They were towing a human sized bundle that wriggled and writhed with every step. Once inside the base, they pulled open the bag, revealing the vampire trapped within. He was young with dark hair and pale gold toned eyes; his name was Leon Kirkland.
Leon hissed as he struggled against the arms holding him. However, three days of not eating had left him feeling week. The humans dragged him into a room, and he was thrown to the floor of it. The vampire hissed, glaring up at them.
One of the humans in the darkened room chuckled. These were the creatures the other humans had been fighting with for so long now? They were so... pathetic, really. At least, that's how it looked to Wang Yao, the man who had managed to capture the vampire who lay before him. He looked to be in his early thirties or late twenties with long brown hair, pulled over one shoulder in a ponytail. "You know, you look rather silly, hissing at me like that, aru." Yao mumbled, staring down at the other.
Leon frowned, struggling as one of the humans tied him up. It was just simple rope, if he could just get a little bit of blood, then it would be easy to snap them and make a run for it. One of the humans turned to Yao.
"What should we do with him sir? The bosses would like us to take care of him as quickly as possible and go after the group spotted at the edge of the city."
Leon hissed even louder, struggling as another of the soldiers put a stake over his heart. "Let's just get rid of him now."
Frowning, Yao thought for a moment, glancing from the stake to the vampire's face. After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head. "No, aru. Keep him alive for now. I think... I think he could help us." He knelt down so that he was face to face with Leon, his human eyes piercing the others. "It's not easy, you know, to catch a vampire in a state as weak as this one is in." But then again, with the times like this, that was quickly changing. "Who knows what will happen if we keep him here."
Yao smirked. "Would you like that, vampire? To be able to stay alive for a bit longer in exchange for helping me?" For a moment he considered reaching out and touching the other, but decided against it. He did not want to get attacked, after all. Even if the other did look rather helpless, Yao knew that they could be very dangerous.
For a long time, Leon stared at Yao weighing the options in his mind. Survival... that could mean he could escape at some point. And as such... "I'll help you…" Leon's voice was soft, tone serious. His gold toned eyes, just a few shades darker than the human in front of him, flashed with anger before calming again. "I'll help you," the vampire repeated, a little louder. "So feed me."
The smirk widening on Yao's lips, he could not help but chuckle at the other. Yes, he was right. Extremely pathetic. These creatures were nothing more than animals, doing anything another wants as long as they can keep their life. "Good." He turned to one of the men working with him. "Go get him something to eat, aru." He commanded.
One of the soldiers dragged Leon to a corner of the room and got a blood bag for him, which the vampire greedily drank down. Licking his lips, the short haired vampire asked Yao, "What... what do you want to know?"
After answering the questions, he was taken off to a cell and locked up for the rest of the night. While it gave him plenty of time to think, it also presented a new problem. He'd been here for so long and with the other vampires retreating... even if he got out... where would he go?
Chuckling, Yao walked down the hallway back to his own room. That idiot of a vampire was locked up for the night, so he had nothing to worry about. At least, not for now. In the morning he would have to deal with him. He would need all sorts of help with this. His goal, really, was to get rid of any vampire that refused to leave like he had commanded. Those who disobeyed would have to face the consequences- in this case, a stake to the heart.
Yao got to his bedroom and sat down on the bed before him. He had no guilt, no regrets. The vampires were not even human in his mind; they were just pathetic animals that had gone a bit too far. With these thoughts, the rather tired human lay down, eyes closing.
Leon was awoken the next day by another soldier who led him to the same room he was held in yesterday. He was placed in a chair and chained to it; after all, he had been fed. There was no need to take chances.
The Asian vampire looked at Yao as he walked into the room, frown firmly in place on his lips. "Well... are you going to ask me anything today?"
Greatly amused by the other, Yao responded in a tone one would use on a child or a misbehaving dog. "Yes, I think I will ask a few more questions, aru. Some very important ones, as a matter of fact." He paced around the other, eyeing him up and down, studying him. Strangely enough, the vampire reminded him a bit of himself. Appearance-wise, anyway. This thought, however, sickened him a bit. Why in the world was he comparing himself to one of... one of those creatures?! He shook his head in disgust.
Finally stopping and turning back towards Leon, Yao asked, "Where are the others hiding? I have been confirmed that other vampires are still nearby. Where are they?! I know you know!" His eyes narrowed.
Leon growled at Yao, "Don't talk to me like that, human!" He hissed, fangs flashing in the dim light. "And for your information... I don't know anything about that. I was left behind!" He returned the glare that the human was giving him; it was startling... how this human looked like him a bit.
Yao folded his arms, amusement turning to annoyance. However, his tone did not change. He patted the other on the head, making sure to be cautious as he did so. "Now, now, vampire. I understand that you enjoy looking big and powerful, but this is simply not the right occasion for such... ferocity." He chuckled.
"And do not lie to me, aru. Even if your story is true, even if you really were 'left behind', you must have some sort of clue as to what happened to them." There was no way Leon could be telling the truth. He had to just be making it all up to protect his species, right? Yao rolled his eyes. Idiot, thinking his species was worth protecting like that.
Oh, how he wanted to get up off of this chair and knock some sense into the human in front of him. And maybe knock out a couple of walls with his corpse in the process. Dammit... no matter his insistence, Yao refused to believe that he had no idea where the other vampires had gone. Huffing, the small vampire glowered before saying, "I know some rumors, but there is nothing... concrete."
Leon looked at the soldiers surrounding them. "But I want them to leave." He nodded at the group, "If I have to tell someone... I'd prefer it be the man in charge... and that man only."
Yao thought over this request. The man in charge? Well, that would work for now. Besides, if the answers Leon gave were correct, all of the other soldiers would hear about it anyway. "Very well, aru," he decided with a nod. He turned to the men working for and with him. "Please exit for the moment. I need to talk to this... thing alone for a bit." Before they left, however, he added, "But keep a close watch on the room. If our friend here does anything drastic, I want to have backup immediately."
Once the soldiers did as they were told and left the room, Yao turned on Leon again. "No, where are they?"
Leon was silent for a few moments longer before speaking again. "There were rumors of a stronghold underground. I don't know where it is, but they have human connections that are letting them in and providing blood."
Smiling with triumph, Yao replied, "Oh is that true? An underground stronghold?" Mind racing, he thought through the other's words. Human connections? There were still humans dumb enough to want to help these creatures? The thought made his expression turn into a slight frown.
"Now, another question," the man suddenly said, expression still a bitter frown. "Why aren't you with the others, anyway? Why were you left behind?" He leaned in towards Leon a bit as he interrogated him, making sure to keep enough distance that there was no chance of being injured.
Leon could almost see the blood moving through Yao's veins and he wondered if the other had been made inedible? The packaged blood had kept him from starving, but nothing was as filling as drinking from a live human. Leon wished the other wouldn't lean in like that, but he wasn't about to back down.
At the question of his own abandonment, a faint flush came on to the small vampire's cheeks. "The hierarchy in our species is very... important... those who were too young or those without their Sires to vouch for them were left behind." He explained and the latter scenario was true for himself. Arthur had vanished a week before he was captured along with one of their human allies.
Yao thought for another long moment, wondering how true the other's words were. He did not trust this monster at all, he knew that. Still, what Leon was saying did sound extremely believable. He nodded tersely and pulled away. "So either the rest of your species decided that because of your age you weren't worth saving, or your Sire didn't care enough about you to make sure you made it out alive." He scoffed. "You vampires are such primitive creatures."
Glaring, Leon hissed, "My Sire does care about me!" He shifted in his chair, the chains holding him to it clinking together. "If anything you all are the primitive creatures." He muttered, fangs protruding a bit. "You have to keep me tied up. Can't take me on your own?"
Eyes widening at this challenge (and in mild fear as he stared at the sharpened fangs of his captive), Yao took a step backwards. "We... we feel as if it's only safer. You're monsters, after all. My reason to keep you locked up here is not weakness, its sanity. No sane man would ever go near one of you freaks without knowing you were unable to attack, aru."
The slight step made him feel a bit better. Leon actually smirked. "Isn't that the definition of cowardice?" He sighed, "But since I am trapped here... haven't I told you good information?" Leon watched Yao carefully, "I need more blood..."
Folding his arms, Yao stayed silent for a moment, studying the vampire in front of him, frowning at his comment. He was not a coward, and he knew it. He simply would not allow himself to get torn to pieces by the freak before him. "Fine," he snapped. "But you seem pretty strong, aru. You don't need much. And we definitely don't want you strong enough to escape, do we now?" He smirked slightly, walking over to the door and opening it, coming face to face with one of his owns guard.
"Ah, good. Get him some form of sustenance, will you?" He could not at all bring himself to say "get him some blood". The very thought made him sick. What sort of creature survived on the blood of another, anyway?
The guard got another bag of blood for Leon, though this one was much smaller. Leon fed off of it, sighing when the bag was empty. It didn't seem to be enough, being such a young vampire he ran through blood much quicker rate. The guard left them alone and for a few moments silence fell between the pair of them. Glancing over at Yao he asked, "Are you done with me?"
Yao thought for a moment. Really, he was done with him (for the day, anyway). But still, he had nothing better to do with his time than to talk to this creature a bit more. And he was still extremely upset by the other's comment on cowardice earlier. He smirked. "How would you describe your species, anyway?" he asked. "Surely you don't think of yourself as... superior, aru."
Looking up at Yao, Leon muttered, "No... I don't..." He waited until the guard had closed the door again before adding, "... Your name is Yao right?" Watching golden eyes so close a color to his own, he murmured, "I remember what it was like... to be human."
Yao was honestly taking aback by this statement, his own eyes widening quite a bit. "I... how?" He had heard the stories of course. Apparently if you were bitten by a vampire, you would become one. However, the idea of it actually happening to someone, and that "someone" being the creature in the room with him, shocked him. And terrified him, really. The idea of being turned into one of these monsters was a truly dreadful idea.
Not wanting to disclose exactly how vampires are made, for it is a long process, a mixing of bloods back and forth before a person can complete the transformation along with other unpleasant actions. Or else all feeders would become vampires... Leon looked up at Yao with a serious expression, a small voice in the back of his mind was screaming at him to hold his tongue. Talking like this was too personal. But, he did so anyway. Perhaps, he needed someone to know and Yao was offering. "I was attacked, but one of them decided to have me turned instead of killed."
That was Arthur and, while he was grateful, happy even, to the other vampire for saving him... at times he hated him just as much as the others, maybe even more. Because, Arthur hadn't just let him die, he'd made him into another creature...
"Then maybe we can relate to each other a bit," Yao muttered, hating himself even as he spoke. He sat down in front of the other, on the ground. Looking at his own feet rather than making eye contact with Leon, he asked, "So how do you really feel about your species, then?" After all, he had not exactly answered him directly before.
Although he was not exactly happy about it, the Chinese man found himself warming up to this thing a bit more. Still, he did not at all think of him as equal, let alone anything more than an animal. It was something equivalent - at least in Yao's mind - to growing attached to a dog found on the streets.
Leon sighed, looking down at the human seated on the floor before him. What was it about this human? How could he possibly feel comfortable talking to him about this? "My opinion on vampires... is complicated..." Leon murmured at last.
"Complicated?" Yao repeated, eyebrow raised. It was such an alien thought to him, really. He was so used to just... hating them. Hating everything about them, their lifestyle, their almost-human appearance, and the way they acted. Hearing this... thing that actually belonged to the species he was thinking of express his uncertainty was quite... interesting, to say the least.
The vampire nodded, "Yes... since I can still remember what it was like to be human, some things about being a vampire still seem strange to me." Leon sighed, "Does that explain things a bit more for you?"
Blinking, Yao nodded. "Yes, I guess so, aru." He looked up, staring at his captive in a much different manner than before. For the first time, he was actually curious. Some of his rather cold-blooded hatred for the species had turned into... confusion, really. He wanted to know more. Wanted to know a bit about how these creatures lived. This revelation scared him a bit. He could practically feel his personality being twisted and changed by this vampire.
Standing up, he sighed. "Well, I guess we're done talking for the day."
Leon nodded and shifted in his chair, feeling the chains, "So... how long are we going to continue this?" He was curious more than anything, "Are you just going to keep asking me questions or are you going to kill me eventually, hmm?"
Thinking for a moment, Yao shrugged. He was not really sure himself, at this point. Honestly, the idea of killing Leon now was... rather grim. He frowned. "Your name is Leon, right?" he asked, before continuing, "I... think we'll wait and see. At the moment your help is still greatly needed, so you are safe for now, aru." He felt his lips involuntarily twitch into a half-smile for a moment, before quickly returning to a frown. No way was he going to smile at him. He was still a monster, after all.
Yao then let the guards back in and told them of what he had been informed, of the vampire's underground hideaway. "We'll need to send a group out to look for them. No vampires will be left in the area once I'm done, aru."
Leon gave Yao a blank stare; however, inside he was much more confused. Had Yao just smiled at him? Before he could think on it any longer, he was taken back to his cell by the guards.
Standing in place for a moment, Yao sighed, confused by his own actions. His emotion turning into anger, more at himself than the creature he had just been speaking to, he turned and left the room. It was not exactly late in the day yet, and there were plenty of things to still be done. He focused his mind back to the idea of an underground hiding place for the vampires.
Turning to a nearby guard, the Chinese man asked, "When do you think the best time to send out a search party will be? I don't want the vampires staying hidden away for too much longer, aru." Especially if it meant actually growing attached to Leon...
~End of Chapter One~