The door swung open and Ahsoka nearly gagged when the full force of the stench hit her. She hadn't smelled anything this foul since she had been a wee little girl of five years old and a raging city fire had consumed all that had stood in its way. The stank of burnt flesh had polluted the air for weeks afterwards, and it was an aroma of which she could never get used to. When Ahsoka finally overcame the initial wave of the horrid smell, she was taken aback at what she saw and she nearly became sick all over again.
Dangling from the ceiling in the centre of the small, dangy room was a frail looking boy. For a split second, her thoughts went back to her initial speculation of the vampires torturing humans for their own sadistic pleasures, however, that didn't seem to be the case. If it hadn't been for the aura surrounding the beaten boy, she would have never taken him for a vampire. But this couldn't possibly be the spawn Maul spoke of...
The vampire she had been expecting was someone strong and menacing. Someone that had the eyes of a killer similar to those of Maul - yellow pupils gleaming with madness. Ahsoka had imagined a large beast of a man that would attempt to rip her into two with his bare hands all the while laughing. What she hadn't been expecting was a small, terrified boy bound in chains, stripped bare of any decency.
Even for a vampire, Ezra appeared fragile, too fragile . His ribs were prominent under his thin, sickly skin that had turned greyish in hue. The skin around his wrists had been flayed raw from being continuously pulled against his restraints, to the point that not even his vampiric healing abilities could keep up. The same could be said for the deep lacerations, obviously inflicted by a whip, that embellished his body and were now at an early stage of infection. The torn skin around them had become red with large blisters and puss, and there was only one substance that could inflict wounds of such caliber on a vampire.
The venom of Silver Bane Spiders. They were rare but immensely dangerous creatures that lived deep in the forests and caverns of the far North. Ahsoka had never personally come across the spiders or their venom due to its scarcity, only having read about it in old books, but it was said that the damage and pain they inflicted was worse than that of silver. It inhibited healing as it slowly ate away the body's tissues, which would explain the rancid smell of burnt flesh and acid. She had no idea as to how Maul had gotten his cruel hands on the venom, but it sickened her that a vampire would do such an atrocious act to their own kind. A vampire master to their own spawn, no less! That was as close to a parent and a child such a species could achieve!
However, what repulsed her the most were the boy's eyes. Or, more accurately, their lack of.
Where she had imagined fierce, murderous golden orbs were nothing but soulless pits of black. Ezra's eyes had been gouged out by a blunt object, the work being too messy to have been done by a scalpel, and the edges of his sockets were still stained with dried blood. Never in her many years of vampire slaying had she come across a vampire doing such heinous acts to their own offspring, but given what Maul had done with the Silver Bane venom, Ahsoka shouldn't have felt surprised. It was then that she realised that Maul had been a lot more cruel than Obi-Wan's stories could ever have let on. She couldn't help but wonder, was there more to this situation than met the eye? Or was this just Maul's sick idea of training?
Ezra flinched upon hearing the door slam open, weakly rattling the chains that bound him and he let out a low whine. The wounds on his wrists burned painfully and the scabs began to peel open as a result. He forced himself to stand as still as he possibly could to prevent any further injury, his exhausted body quivering from the stain of such a simple task, and he waited for his master's next move with dread.
"P-Please… Master…" Ezra whimpered out, his voice hoarse and barely louder than a whisper. "I'll be good - I-I'll be loyal… I promise… pl-pl-please…"
Something stirred within Ahsoka upon hearing the boy's pleas. Never had she ever thought she would feel something close to sympathy towards a vampire, and yet, there she stood, feeling those exact emotions. Ezra sounded as frail as he looked, and too scared and weak to even notice that she wasn't Maul - unless the eyes weren't the only senses that horrid vampire had taken away from his spawn.
She didn't move from where she stood by the door, feeling uncertain as to what action to take next.
"I'm not Maul," Ahsoka said, surprising herself at how gentle her tone was. Despite the sympathy she felt for the boy, he was still a vampire and she had a job to do. Ezra panicked upon hearing her voice, now pulling desperately at the chains. It felt as if his wrists were on fire and his wounds tore open even more, exposing the bone beneath. Blood began to trickle down his thin arms, the red bright against his ashen skin.
"Wh-Where' Maul? Who are you?!" He cried out, his voice cracking as he demanded answers. Ezra could feel his chest and throat constrict with the familiar feeling of anxiety. While he feared Maul for his cruelty, he feared this newcomer even more. He couldn't even see what she looked like, or even smell her. For all he knew, Maul could have invited an acquaintance to have their turn into breaking him down.
As if the vampire hadn't already done enough , Ezra bitterly thought to himself as he bit his broken lip. At least with Maul he knew what to expect.
It had felt like forever since the night that Ezra had attempted to take Maul's life, and he could no longer keep track of the days. The first few rounds of punishment had been the worst, and he shuddered upon remembering when Maul's fingers lodged themselves into his eye sockets. The vampire had told him since Ezra had been unwilling to see the gifts bestowed upon him, then what were the use of his eyes? Even now, he could recall seeing with only half of his vision as Maul held his bloodied left eye before removing his other one. After that, there was only eternal darkness - sort of fitting for a vampire, Ezra mused to himself with the sharp tange of resentfulness. Even more excruciating than the initial heinous act had been the silver object - whatever it had been. Ezra had been in too much pain to even try to decipher the tool Maul had used, especially when it came in contact with his exposed optic nerve. It was to ensure that he would heal as slowly as a vampire possibly could, prolonging the agony and blindness. Even his nose had yet to heal properly from the night of the betrayal, the silver having eroded away all of his sense of smell.
The punishments after that had become more durable. It was still excruciating, of course. However, it became somewhat of a routine and Ezra would know what to expect. He would know when the whip would hit, when the stinging burn of the venom would ferociously attack his skin. However, the most important thing Ezra had learnt was that, no matter how much he begged or swore to be good, Maul refused to believe him. And now, Ezra had no idea as to what to expect from this stranger. For all he knew, Maul had grown tired of him, but Ezra was certain that if that were the case, the vampire would have killed him himself.
"Maul is dead," was all she offered, gauging the boy's reaction.
"Maul's… dead…?" Ezra numbly repeated the words slowly as if they were a foreign language. They felt heavy and alien on his tongue and his lagging brain couldn't seem to completely comprehend them either. It seemed all too good to be true - a trick to deceive him into a false sense of security. In a fit of anger and desperation, Ezra blindly kicked his leg out but was met with empty air. "You lie! Maul's not easy to kill! He sent you here to torture me, didn't he?!"
He sounded hysterical, his voice fluctuated like that of a yowling cat, terrified at this new threat. His throat was raw, burning every time he swallowed as he attempted to regain his calm and conserve the little energy he had left. It had been so long since he'd fought back, and his body had grown so weak over the many rounds of torture. Maul would feed him only once in a while, but just enough to prevent him from going berserk out of hunger or dying.
Ahsoka, on the other hand, shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Her mind was racing as different possibilities surfaced, and, for the first time ever, she found herself lost at what to do. The most obvious option was to slay this boy and put him out of his misery. He was a vampire, an evil that had to be removed from the world, and yet, he represented nothing of the monster that he was supposed to be. That was one of the reasons why she felt hesitant to do what was expected of her.
There was something about this particular vampire, however, Ahsoka couldn't quite put her finger on it. It pulled at her just like how the moon pulled at the ocean with calm, soothing motions. There was so much to this situation left in the dark and if she wanted answers, then she would have to take a gamble. If the outcome went south, then she would have to face the consequences and fall back to her original plan - that of killing Ezra.
"No," Ahsoka replied quietly but firmly. "I have not come to harm you, and I promise you that Maul is , in fact, dead. I watched with my own eyes as his very body crumbled away after I had slain him."
Ezra didn't respond right away, mulling over the information given to him. If he had some inkling of strength, he would have attempted to enter her mind in search of the truth. However, he couldn't and it ate away at his insides. This had to be a trick. Maul must be testing his loyalty. For all he knew, the vampire could be standing behind this newcomer, gauging Ezra's reaction to the news, deeming whether his pleas had any truth to them at all. He had to tread carefully, to not allow this person to warp his mind with false dreams.
Ezra let out a hollow laugh.
"You lie," he told her, sounding as if he was at the verge of coming undone. "Maul can't be beaten. He's testing me, isn't he? He's probably standing right behind you - aren't you, Master?!"
Ahsoka was taken back by such his fierce reaction.
"Maul is dead." She tried again, using a firmer tone.
"Master, I'm sorry! I won't betray you again! Just please!" Ezra began hysterically, and if he could cry physical tears, he would have. He then quieted down to a whimper, his lips quivering. "So please... don't play these mind games… please…no more..."
"You, Maul's prized spawn, had betrayed him? What had you done to deserve such a punishment?"
"As if you don't already know," Ezra bit back bitterly, baring his teeth.
"I already told you, I killed Maul. Your master's dead - gone, turned to ash. How else should I phrase it to make you believe me?" Ahsoka huffed, resting a hand on her hip as she watched the boy through narrowed eyes. This was proving more difficult than she had originally thought, but she couldn't blame Ezra. He had been tortured for who knows how long, and a mind as fragile as his wouldn't be easily swayed with a few words.
"And why should I believe your lies?!" Ezra hissed, coughing as he strained his voice, leaving his throat dry and itchy. He wouldn't allow this woman to get the better of him. It was already enough to be physically and emotionally abused, and he wouldn't let Maul find a new reason to beat him up. Any sign of believing this stranger's sweet words would be taken as a sign of betrayal.
"Just p-please… please stop," Ezra sobbed. He couldn't take much more of these mind games. If they continued, he was afraid he would slip up and rejoice at Maul's demise. He would only be punished further for his insolence, and he was already in such terrible pain.
Ahsoka scowled at the unseeing boy. She was beginning to think if getting answers and figuring the situation out was even worth the effort. However, her instincts thought it was and who was she to question them?
"Fine," Ahsoka replied curtly. "Then I have no other option but to prove I've slain your master."
Ezra could hear her stalk off, irritation echoing with every footstep and then there was silence. For a moment he had been expecting for Maul to begin speaking, to mock him or hit him. But he never did and there was only tense quietness as he waited with bated breath. It wasn't long before the stranger came back and, this time, she stopped mere centimeters away, causing Ezra to flinch from the sudden closeness. A large part of him wanted to beg and cower away, expecting to be hit, but she didn't touch him.
"Open your mouth," she demanded. Ezra whimpered at her tone and he felt angry at himself for allowing a stranger to make him react in such a way.
"And wh-" He wanted to make a snarky remark as an act of defiance. He was growing tired of this game, but before he could finish, Ahsoka had stuffed something into his mouth.
Whatever it was, it was rancid. It tasted as if something had died in his mouth and the texture was similar to that of ash - soft and it melted on top of his dry tongue, absorbing the last bit of moisture from his mouth. Ezra was about to open his mouth to spit out the ash, claiming she must have taken it from the fireplace when he tasted it. It was a deep, rich taste although more tart than he could recall from the last time, but there was no denying it. This was the blood of Maul.
"How would I know Maul didn't just spill his blood over ash?" Ezra croaked out after forcing himself to swallow the ash and blood, his stomach churning from the flavour. The stranger huffed in annoyance.
"Search within yourself. Maul's dead, and you know it - you have tasted it." Ahsoka knew that if Anakin or Obi-Wan were still here, they'd tease her about her stubbornness and she knew they would be right. She was being tenacious, but there really was something about Ezra that told her it would be worth it. How? She didn't know.
Although Ezra was pathetically weak in the state that he was currently in, what little blood he had moments ago had already rejuvenated him - just enough to use his powers for a meager activity such as looking for the bond between master and spawn. He had to concentrate slightly harder than he would have liked to admit, and he clenched his fingers and the joints popped from the movement. He raked through his mind, combing over every possible corner but there was nothing. There was no bond. His head snapped up and Ahsoka smirked, knowing that the boy had finally figured it out.
"W-what…" Was all Ezra could gasp out. His tired mind searched again just to be sure but there was still no bond. And then he realised that the stranger must have been telling the truth, which meant he really had eaten part of Maul's corpse. The thought made his stomach turn, however, he pushed it down in favor of focusing on the moment.
"See? Maul is dead," Ahsoka repeated for the umpth time, but this time, Ezra didn't outright deny the words. His mind was much too numb to properly react, the words playing over and over, and when they finally sunk in, exhaustion seeped deep into his bones.
It was odd. This wasn't how he had expected to feel when Maul had finally been laid to rest. Ezra felt… empty. However, it wasn't a bad empty that weighed down on a person, but rather one from having too many emotions to sieve through to truly decipher how he really felt. Relief, disbelief, disappointment all clouded his mind. He had, of course, hoped that Maul would have died by his own hands, but the fact that he was dead at all was already a great comfort.
"Why…" Ezra began softly, weariness taking hold of him. "Why are you telling me this?"
Why indeed? However, Ahsoka wasn't going to let him know that she had no idea as to why. She was merely following her curiosity and instincts.
"I thought you'd be ecstatic at the news." She sounded slightly disappointed.
"Just to then kill me?" When she didn't answer him, Ezra continued, albeit more hesitant. "You're a vampire hunter, aren't you? But not… Kenobi…?"
It was a shot in the dark, but it was one way to find out who this stranger was. Maul had only ever spoken of that vampire hunter: Kenobi this, Kenobi that. His arch nemesis that he'd sworn to kill one day. Ezra supposed he wasn't the only one to fail at fulfilling his revenge and that satisfied him. At least he would die knowing that his tormentor and the murderer of his family was dead.
"No, I'm not Kenobi," she replied with a smile, not that Ezra could see it. "My name's Ahsoka Tano, I'm a sorceress and a vampire hunter, as you have guessed."
Ezra nodded weakly and waited for the killing blow to come. He hoped that she would be quick about it, he was already in so much agony as it was but was still wary of Ahsoka. She could very well be telling him all of this to make him feel false relief before torturing him to death.
"Has your master always treated you like this?" Ahsoka asked and Ezra began to feel slightly irritated. He wondered if asking these irrelevant questions was just to prolong the inevitable, luring him into a false sense of security. However, he wouldn't fall for it. Ezra had dealt enough with Maul to see through such manipulation.
"Does it matter? Just - just k-kill me already." He inwardly cursed himself for stuttering and sounding scared. It wasn't as if he was afraid of death itself, but more of the awaiting pain before eternal sleep could take hold of him.
Ahsoka, on the other hand, felt as if she had come at a cross point. This vampire was obviously expecting to die, and perhaps even embraced the idea of death. She wouldn't blame him for that. Ezra was in obvious pain. He was starved and weak, and his body was most likely damaged beyond repair. However, unbeknownst to her, she wanted the vampire to live. But first, she required more information. What made this vampire different? Was it only his state and circumstances or was it the way he weakly and silently begged for death? In all her years of vampire slaying, these creatures have never sought death. In fact, they laugh death in the face, flaunting their immortality even in the direst of situations.
"Earlier you said you wouldn't betray Maul again, would you mind telling me more about that?" Ahsoka inquired, wanting to lean back against the wall but thought better of it. Who knew the last time the walls of this filthy room had had a good scrub. Ezra's lips tugged down and the muscles of his jaw twitched, his mood darkening considerably.
"I despise Maul, he took everything from me," Ezra grinded out, his breath hitching with emotion. "Made me into this… this monster."
The last words were spoken so softly that Ahsoka's ears strained to catch them. She was lost for words. She couldn't offer comfort for that would be nothing but empty lies. Ezra was a monster, a creature that fed on the blood of the living and shunned by the universe and all the gods alike.
"I had once lost my older brother to vampires… I know what it's like to lose a loved one in such a way. That's why I ended up following Obi-Wan's path and became a vampire hunter," Ahsoka told Ezra, her soft eyes shifting to the floor as painful memories came flooding back. Anakin had always been there for her, and it had been excruciating to see what he had become in the end. So much in fact, that her heart still quivered even after so many years. She then looked back at Ezra. "You could do the same."
Ezra barked out a laugh. The kind of laugh that was hollow and humourless. At this point, he felt empty, void of any future goals and aspirations, leaving him exhausted and drained. He had nothing to lose or gain, and now he was merely waiting for the final chapter to come to a close. The notion of becoming a vampire hunter, however, was just down right ridiculous.
"And protect those whom I feed off?" Ezra commented. He doubted that other vampire hunters, if there were others, would accept him as one of them. How could Ahsoka offer such a life to someone like him - a monster? "You don't even know me…"
"You don't need to feed off humans," Ahsoka countered. She knew that this was a child's dream. It hadn't even been her initial idea, but it had felt right at that moment. And the more she thought of it, the more it made sense: what better to hunt vampires than with a vampire? However, Ezra was right. She didn't know him, but she was starting to get a better picture of the boy. He didn't seem to be particularly fond of what he was, nor did he seem proud of the fact that he had to feed on humans.
"There isn't any other way. I've already tried to feed on animals and failed," Ezra bit back bitterly.
"What about vampires?" Ahsoka inquired. She hadn't thought of the possibility that vampires couldn't live off animals, not that she ever had this kind of conversation previously. Her prey never lasted long enough anyways. However, there was also another way, one that required magic and she had used it quite a few times to help people suffering from blood loss. "I can also make human blood magically. It's pretty much the same thing, although I cannot guarantee the taste."
Ezra remained quiet as he pondered. He had no valid argument regarding blood, because she was right. He could feed off vampires - if he could even defeat them. He never even stood a chance against Maul, he was so weak and helpless against the older vampire. How could he stand a chance against other vampires? And what bothered him more, was the burning question that had yet to be answered.
"Why…?"
Ahsoka blinked slowly. It took her a moment to realise that Ezra wasn't asking a question regarding the blood.
"I don't know," she answered finally. It was the truth, Ahsoka really didn't know why she was so keen on having the vampire live. There were no words to express her instincts or how Ezra was unique when she, herself, didn't quite understand it. Perhaps it was something they would both come to discern over time. However, for Ezra's sake (and hers), she had to try. "There is this… feeling," Ahsoka began rather awkwardly. She had to pause to gather the right words. "A feeling that you deserve to live, to have a purpose. I can't quite explain it, for I do not fully understand it... But I want to take you on as an apprentice."
A vampire hunter's apprentice. Ezra would have laughed if he weren't already so exhausted and for the fact that he knew Ahsoka was being serious.
"And if I'm not that different from Maul…?" He asked quietly. It was one of his biggest fears, to become the very monster he so despised. To bring harm to those around him to feed his own sick pleasure and lavish at the blood spilled.
Ahsoka smiled knowingly. She didn't think the boy had it in him to be someone as viscous and sadistic as Maul, but it was still a real possibility.
"I don't think you could ever be him," She told him. "However, if you do, I will have to kill you."
Ezra nodded in acceptance, he wouldn't have it any other way. And his thoughts stopped when he realised that he had actually been considering her offer. He felt stupefied at how quickly he had allowed the comforting words to wrap around his brain, easing it into a state of temporary peace. He didn't deserve opportunities as such to live. He was a monster, an abomination that was wanted for murder - the murder of his own family, his classmates, that worker and the people at the clinic. Their blood stained his hands and he doubted it could ever be washed away.
A gentle, slender hand cupped his right, scarred cheek, causing him to flinch from the sudden touch. Ahsoka's hand felt hot against his contrasting cool skin, and he could feel blood pulsing beneath the skin. However, he pushed down his hunger in favor of leaning into the warmth with a soft sigh. The touch emitted comfort and security, and he couldn't help but to imagine he was back home, back with his family. For a moment, Ezra imagined it was Hera's hand that held him, smiling lovingly as she reassured him that everything was going to be okay - that he was going to be okay.
"You don't need to suffer any longer… don't need to suffer alone," Ahsoka spoke, her gentle voice shattering the dreams of Ezra's family. However, the warmth didn't vanish like he had expected. Her words felt so genuine that he wanted so desperately to believe them. It had been so long since he had received the love from another being, the months with Maul had been colder and more cruel than any winter he'd ever lived through. Ahsoka was like spring.
Ezra felt a sudden selfish desire to experience more of this sensation, to latch onto the warmth he hadn't even realised he so desperately craved. He let out a broken sob, but no tears fell, for he was no longer capable of such a feat with his injuries. At that moment, he didn't care any longer whether Ahsoka was lying or telling the truth, whether it was a trap before she killed him. In that moment, he wanted to pretend that he was safe, that he could be whole again and that he could do good to somewhat redeem himself.
"But you'll have to make the choice now, Ezra." Ahsoka was a patient person, but she knew she couldn't leave the exposed boy here in the cold, dangy torture room. However, she could only unbind him when he gave her his consent. She felt Ezra give a faint nod in her palm, the blisters on his face grating against her skin.
"I'll go with you…" He croaked out.