Of Home Coming and Heart Ache

"Are you alright?" Frankenstein asked his vampire companion. They had hitched a ride on the back of a cart and Raizel was wrapped in so many layers of clothing he couldn't see. Some sun light could still get to him; by nature cloths were woven and had holes throughout.

"I'm fine." Came the muffled response from the bundle that was Raizel. After getting dressed from crown to toe the vampire had donned his cloak giving his exterior the appearance of a preacher. It was slightly ironic but for the best; Frankenstein hadn't needed to come up with excuses for Raizel.

They were almost halfway through the journey, almost at Frankenstein's old home. Old...no, his real home. When this foolishness of dwelling on Vampire Island came to an end it was where he would return. Feeling unsettled Frankenstein returned his gaze to the passing fields. They would reach town in an hour and Frankenstein needed to decide if he would invite Raizel into his home or let him suffer outside until nightfall.

There wasn't much of a choice in the end Frankenstein had converted part of his house into a treatment room and medicine store. Even if the domestic area would be left alone other people still used his home for shelter, Frankenstein could risk himself but not them.

It was a very good thing there was still day time when he returned, by the way everyone was recreating to his sudden appearance Frankenstein was believed to be dead. They also completely ignored Raizel's covered figure trailing behind him.

Without prior direction Raizel continued on passed his house when Frankenstein stepped inside the shop front. It was no surprise for Frankenstein to see Tesume his shop assistant and medical apprentice at the counter; the same could not be said of the other.

"Professor, your back. Everyone was saying you were arrested and executed for misconduct! Who took you away? Will you show me how to make..." Tesume trailed off as he noticed Frankenstein holding up his hand. The lad could ask one hundred questions if you let him.

"I am not at liberty to say who took me away and I'm not back for good." Frankenstein sighed, "I take it that if they thought me executed the property has been distributed according to my will?" He had left the house and shop to Tesume but his hunting gear was to be delivered to the cadet section of the Hunter association. His small fortune was to be split up over a multitude of people who could use it well...

"Almost, your belongings have been split as requested but the money is still under debate. You could get that back if you asked." It would take more than asking to wrestle money off those foolish enough not to accept what was willed to them as is.

He wouldn't be able to return here truly would he?

"Do you mind if I collect some keep sakes? Not much it is your inheritance."

"Of course you may! They were yours to begin with." The realisation started to set in, "You're really not returning?" The lad looked a bit lost but he was seventeen now and capable of looking after himself. That hadn't always been the case.

Frankenstein went upstairs and was slightly irritated to realise that his room had been left alone to the point of gathering dust. Habitually he made the gesture that would have the spells in Raizel's mansion hurrying to clean it up before he realised they didn't exist here.

Shaking off a sense of loss he pulled out all the prepacked bags he had encase of emergency, one for each type. He settled at his desk where he had spent many an evening researching, medicine, vampires and other things. All things he could do in Raizel's house alone with magic and runes and...

It had been good to see the people he knew were still alive and well even if the flinched when they noticed him as if a ghost had come back from beyond. It was good to be surrounded by his positions even if they were no longer considered his in the eyes of the law. Sailors were given seven years lost at sea before they were considered dead, Vampire hunter only had a month.

The time it took to become a thrall.

In Lukedona he had plenty of time to learn about the specie he still called Vampires and they were not undead, dammed by God. While the ones he had hunted here were rabid and needed to be put down that was not all there was to them.

Did he not live with proof of that? These were not ideas he could carry with him outside Lukedona, moving to the human settlements there was an option but leaving all together? No, it was little wonder that most of their youth elected to return after their coming of age ceremony.

Packing another bag, this time with sentimental superfluous things. Raizel and he could spend a night in tents just outside the city; it would be for the best. Until then he would go threaten the court to reclaim his fortune if it was not divided as he willed it and buy some Lukedona contraband from the hunter association while it was still light.

He went downstairs' to see Tesume closing shop early and could not bring himself to object when the lad insisted on spending the rest of the day with him. This was someone he wanted Raizel to meet.

XXX

Frankenstein was so proud when he pointed out Raizel Tesume had pulled him to a stop and immediately checked for the signs of a thrall. There were none to be found, even if Raizel exhibited many signs of a vampire for anyone who cared to look.

Tesume could doubtless see it on his face that he knew exactly what kind of creature Raizel was; it was a true act of faith that the lad decided to let Frankenstein introduce him to the vampire. Then stay with Raizel as Frankenstein dropped in to the courts and the association.

The lad finally begged his leave after seeing Frankenstein direct Raizel through setting up a tent; he seemed to have dropped the idea of reporting Raizel to the hunters association. So shortly before sundown they were left on their own. After declining Raizel's offer to put up wards Frankenstein prepared for a busy night acting as bait.

It wouldn't do to leave without reducing the number of mutants about.

What interconnecting one shots? This is basically a chapter story, they don't make sense on their own or get regular updates or have a planed plot line or any of the other things I associate with chap stories... Yeah, still calling it interconnecting one shots.