"Let's see, what would be best…"
It was an early morning but Noé had found it impossible to stay in bed any longer. He arched his back in a stretch before leaning over to get a good look at the wildflowers before him. It was strange for him to be up so soon; he usually loved sleeping in.
Still, he had to admit there were benefits to getting up a little earlier, such as the pale sunlight and the dew still glistening upon the flowers in the field. Noé smiled softly at the selection; each flower seemed to whisper to him softly, gently encouraging him to choose it.
Today was the day Noé had chosen as a day of remembrance for his grandparents. He steadfastly picked out flowers for them on this day every year and spoke to their gravestones, letting them know what their grandson was getting up to. They'd left him when he'd still been so young that he had a hard time remembering their faces but he never forgot their kindness. It was an old ache but one he'd nearly come to accept at sixteen.
Suddenly, he heard a sound. Noé focused on it but attempted to continue to look nonchalant as he picked through the flowers. Most likely it was just a squirrel or something similar but the woods hid many creatures and Noé had had to deal with wolves not too long ago. Thankfully, nothing had come of it. They'd merely been curious about the area and his person judging by the way they'd sniffed him for several minutes before wandering off. Noé supposed that, much like most humans, the wolves had never seen a vampire before.
The sound stopped. Likely just a squirrel as he'd suspected. He relaxed minutely and finished picking out the flowers. He'd go into town later. He did some work for the local blacksmith to support himself, making tools for farming and the occasional weapon. After his grandparents had passed he'd gone into deep mourning and had refused to leave the house for a week. Eventually, some of the other villagers had come to investigate why they hadn't come into town for so long and things had been handled from there.
Life had been difficult after they'd passed. He kept the house and had a basic idea of how to tend a few things but he'd had no idea how to truly care for himself. No one in town wanted another child, so he'd been forced to work. He thanked Mr. and Mrs. Bonhomme every day for giving him a chance as an apprentice blacksmith. He likely would have starved if they hadn't. When he wasn't helping with the smithy he assisted Mrs. Bonhomme with the cooking. Noé was certain that the only reason he had any useful skills whatsoever was because of them.
Still, he lived apart from everyone. He wasn't sure why his grandparents had liked to live so far away from the village, they weren't running a farm, but it meant he never had any company. The villagers liked him well enough but they knew he was an outsider. He looked far too different from everyone else and they knew he had been brought in from some other place due to his grandparents' generosity.
It wasn't hostile but Noé knew he was apart. He tried not to let it bother him but every now and then he longed for some semblance of real companionship. He'd considered getting a dog for that purpose but ultimately he feared he'd have too hard a time taking care of the poor creature.
Needless to say, Noé never told any of them he was a vampire. His grandparents had told him that while he shouldn't be ashamed of his ancestry most humans would be frightened of him if they found out. It was difficult to maintain such a secret but he wanted to live a peaceful life, so he never disobeyed the one firm rule he'd been given. His grandparents had asked for so little; it was the least he could do.
Eventually, Noé finished putting together a bouquet that he was satisfied with. It contained daffodils and rosemary along with a few flowers he couldn't identify. He'd need a ribbon of some kind to keep them together. He fingered the flowers carefully. They smelled lovely. He'd often noticed his sense of smell was better than that of his neighbors. They'd often marveled at his ability to distinguish scents or how he'd know what was being cooked on the other side of town. Right now the scent of flowers was overwhelming; it was a calming sensation.
But then there was that sound again. It was nearer now.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" said an unknown voice. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he spun around.
He was confronted by a small group of strange-looking men. The one nearest him was barely a pace away and was eyeing him hungrily. He wore a single golden earring and a loose shirt with billowing sleeves. The rest were dressed much the same. Noé blinked in consternation. When had they gotten there?
"He looks like he's an able-bodied sort," growled another. This one's only remarkable feature was a tattoo of a bird snaking its way up his neck.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Noé said. A tendril of dread wrapped itself around him but he ignored it. He didn't have any overt evidence that these men meant him harm but he'd never seen them before and they were dressed very strangely. Furthermore, their posturing and the way they were sizing him up made him uneasy.
"Lives far away from that village we passed by. Doubt he'd be missed."
Suddenly, their eyes turned red. Noé blinked stupidly. He'd never seen any of his human neighbors do that before.
When the one with the golden earring suddenly lunged forward he found himself twisting to get away. He stumbled hard and fell to the ground. Just as he was about to lift himself upward he felt hands grip his own and pull him upright.
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Although, it's more fun if you struggle." His breath was hot against Noé's ear and he suddenly knew he had to get away. Something terrible would happen if he didn't.
Noé kicked blindly backwards. The man let out an oof and he was running away.
"Get him!" he cried.
They're vampires. They must be, Noé despaired as one of the vampires that had most certainly been behind him before leapt in front of him in a disturbing display of strength. He turned to switch directions but it wasn't fast enough. The vampire lifted a club and brought it down hard against the side of his face.
"Ah!" He landed on the ground and immediately clutched at his head. It pierced through him and he could feel warmth trickling down the side of his face.
"I think he's one of us, Boss," the one with the mace said. "He's moving too smoothly for a human, don't you think?"
"So? If he's a vampire he might fetch a better price."
He felt a hand grip his chin tightly and turn his head. He could make out the golden earring hazily but pain obscured most of his vision.
"Although, if he is a vampire… Only one clan looked like this."
"An Archiviste? Would fetch a good price. No guarantee that's what he is though. Might just look like one."
Archiviste?
"I think The Shapeless One was wanting one of these… We should get in contact with him."
Noé wasn't given any time to sort it out any further. His vision was getting blurrier and blurrier and then it slipped into darkness. His hand went limp and the flowers he'd chosen so carefully fell to the ground as the vampires took him away.
The world was rumbling beneath him. Noé bit back a groan. He felt … strange. He must have been sleeping but he didn't feel a pillow beneath his head. In fact, he was fairly certain he wasn't even lying down. What on earth?
An earthquake? Those were uncommon but it might explain the constant rumble that was vibrating through his body.
Whatever it was it was sending spikes of pain all through his head. It was blinding. Had he fallen out of bed? It wouldn't be unusual for him but he'd never hit his head this hard before.
A low moan of pain escaped him when he tried to open his eyes. It was like a nail had been jabbed through his left eye. The pain made it impossible to maneuver the one on the right. Something was terribly wrong.
His breath came out in ragged gasps. He didn't know what was happening. He should be at home like normal but nothing felt right. He tried to reach a hand to feel his eye but something cold held him in place, keeping his hands above his head. He let out au unrestrained cry of alarm.
"You really have rotten luck," a soft voice whispered a little ways away from him. He flinched away. What was happening? Why was someone in his home? Why was the world moving like this? "Not that mine is much better."
"Wha-?"
He tried to open his eyes once more but the pain was too intense. It was like being struck by lightning only it was entirely focused on his cranium.
"Don't move too much," the voice continued. "You're hurt pretty badly. They're not gentle, are they?" Now the voice sounded scathing but it was still speaking softly as though it were afraid of being overheard. Noé felt a spike of fear. No, he wasn't home. There was no other explanation.
"Why can't I see?" Noé finally managed, his voice wavering only slightly. "Rather, I can't seem to open my eyes."
"Your left eye was damaged when they took you. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say they hit you with a blunt instrument of some kind. They like to do that. As for the other eye, it appears fine."
Noé's mind was racing. He'd been struck? So, he really hadn't fallen out of bed. He felt incredibly foolish. Of course he hadn't.
"I think I remember a … club?"
"Sounds about right."
Noé took a moment to collect himself. His breathing was starting to quicken but he knew he couldn't afford to panic just yet. He still wasn't sure what was happening. He needed information.
"Try opening just the one eye," the voice suggested.
Noé made an attempt but everything swam when he did that in an uncomfortable fashion.
"It's … difficult. Where are you? This is…" A nightmare, he thought. He refrained from saying it out loud. No need to give his captors the satisfaction if they could hear.
"I'm across from you. We're both shackled to the wall. At least they're not making us stand."
It was quiet for a moment while Noé tried to make sense of the information he'd been given. The voice was teeming with restrained anger, he could determine that much, but it wasn't directed at him. Whatever was happening they were in it together. That made Noé feel marginally better though not by much.
"I wonder…" The voice began thoughtfully, as if studying him.
Noé tried to steady his breathing with difficulty. His world was nothing but darkness and everything seemed so much more ominous than it had in a long time.
"Relax," the voice continued. "I've been here long enough to know when they'll check up on us. If you can stay quiet, I'll let us out of these bonds for a bit. What do you say?"
Noé bit his lip. How would he do that exactly? And what if they were caught by whoever had kidnapped them?
"All right," Noé said. Ultimately, it didn't matter. His arms ached along with everything else and letting them rest a bit would be nice. He heard an odd sound, something like a zap and then he heard the individual scoot a little closer to him. A hand gripped his shoulder lightly.
"Hold still." The voice was much closer now and Noé wanted to sob in relief. He held perfectly still though and he heard the same zapping sound as before and then the shackles were loose. Noé carefully lowered his arms and held them close to his chest. His wrists felt raw.
"So, tell me, what's your name?" The voice said as it withdrew its hand. Noé wanted to grab it, hold onto it for dear life, but the moment was over too quickly and he missed his chance.
"I'm Noé," he said simply.
"Noé? That's a good name," the voice mused. "I like it. I'm Vanitas. Not as good of a name, I'll admit, but there you have it." Something about having a name to identify the voice made him seem real while only moments before he could have almost passed as a figment of Noé's imagination. But Vanitas? It was an odd name. Noé thought he'd heard it somewhere before, long ago.
"It doesn't seem so bad," Noé said politely. "It's beautiful in a way."
Vanitas snorted in disgust. "You wouldn't say that if you knew anything about it. But it matters not. We have bigger things to worry about."
He was curious, he wanted to ask, he nearly did ask but instead he merely said, "What's happening? I don't remember why I'm here."
He wasn't even sure what he'd been doing before he woke up to all this. He felt as though it had been important, something he would have cared about a great deal….
"I guess that's to be expected; you were hit on the head after all. We're being held as slaves. You've only been here about thirty minutes."
Noé nearly exclaimed in disbelief. Surely he'd been unconscious longer than that!
"They're going to sell us on the black market."
"Why would they do that? Slavery was made illegal not too long ago," he exclaimed. Vanitas made a shushing sound and Noé immediately quieted down. None of this made any sense. Why would anyone want to force someone into slavery? Furthermore, what was the point of kidnapping him?
"It's against the law," Noé finished weakly.
Vanitas let out a strangled sound; it took Noé a moment but he realized that Vanitas was restraining his laughter. Irritation welled inside him; there was nothing amusing about their situation or his question. This person was strange.
"My, you're an idealistic fellow!" Vanitas finally said. "So what if it's illegal? Do you really think that's enough? Besides, you're thinking of the human world. We're being taken to Altus. Not that it would make much difference, I think. France has been a little wishy washy in its attitude toward the whole thing."
"Altus?" Noé said hesitantly.
"The world of vampires." It was said as though it was common knowledge and Noé immediately felt disoriented all over again. He wished he could see Vanitas. Surely, that would make this conversation easier. He knew he was sitting before him, huddling close so they wouldn't be heard, but it still felt like he was talking to a void.
"Vampires … allow slavery?" His grandparents had never told him that. Granted, his grandparents didn't know much about vampires or vampiric culture. It had never bothered him much until now.
Vanitas heaved a sigh and Noé got the impression he was rolling his eyes.
"No, they don't. But some members of the aristocracy enjoy hunting us or they're in need of more 'servants.' It's not so different from the human world, really."
Noé didn't know what to say about that. He hadn't experienced much of the world but he'd always imagined it was a wonderful place, full of possibility. Vanitas sounded like he'd seen a great deal of the world and found it severely lacking. He certainly knew more about it than Noé, but he found himself hoping Vanitas's assessment was incorrect.
Noé wished his head would stop hurting so he could consider it all properly. He wished he could see Vanitas's face.
He wished he were back home, flowers in hand, talking to his grandparents' tombs.
His grandparents.
Suddenly, he knew exactly what that important something was. He had gone to place flowers on their grave or he had been in the process of selecting them. What happened after was hazy but … did he ever finish up?
At that it finally hit him. He'd been taken away from everything he knew and loved. If he hadn't done it then he might never get to place those flowers on their graves. No one would mourn them or remember them in his stead.
The back of his throat burned and it felt as though something were lodged in it. His eyes stung with unshed tears. It made his left eye hurt all the more and then he really was crying.
He had never felt more alone than he did now.
All Noé could see was darkness but he could feel Vanitas shift awkwardly, no doubt wondering what on earth he was supposed to do in this situation.
Noé could smell all manner of unfamiliar things. There was the occasional whinny of the horses pulling them along. Were they in some kind of cart? He could feel every bump on the road as they went by. He could smell blood and sweat and possibly petrichor. Had it been raining?
"Is it your eye? It's hurting?" Vanitas finally said awkwardly. "I don't think crying will improve the situation."
"Could you … move a little closer?" Noé said. The darkness, the perceived isolation, it was too much. Noé couldn't bear to continue like this.
There was a pregnant pause.
"I'm already right in front of you. Can't you tell?"
"Yes, but…" Noé couldn't see him. Just hearing his voice wasn't enough. He was still leaning against the wall as though it were a lifeline because he was too afraid to move; the darkness might claim him if he did anything.
"You're scared." It wasn't a question.
"Yes." There wasn't any reason to lie. Noé had never been more terrified in his life.
Vanitas sighed but it didn't seem to be out of irritation. It was some unknown, soft thing Noé couldn't place.
"All right. Come here." Before Noé could protest, say he didn't really know where "here" was, he felt a hand grip his own and gently tug him forward a bit. Noé complied without question. As long as he knew something was there he could continue on. Then he felt slim arms wrap around his shoulders and he was pulled loosely against Vanitas's chest.
It was a little awkward; Vanitas clearly wasn't the type of person who was used to giving physical affection but it was enough. Noé listened closely to Vanitas's steady heartbeat and breathed in deeply. Underneath the smell of grime Vanitas had a good scent. Noé thought he was probably human. That knowledge steadied his nerves. He was used to humans. All of a sudden, vampires seemed dangerous—they were an unknown that Noé had never really dealt with and now that he'd met some he found he wished he hadn't.
Noé wrapped his arms about Vanitas's waist tightly. It had been ages since anyone had hugged him. He'd always missed it. He wished he could be receiving it under better circumstances but he banished that thought from his mind. No, it was better to just focus on Vanitas. He was a little bony, clearly he hadn't been eating properly, but he was still soft and he was warm and Noé found that was all he really needed at the moment.
Vanitas gently brushed a thumb across Noé's cheek, wiping the tears away. He took care to avoid the side of his face that was damaged. It was a strangely intimate moment to be sharing with a near stranger but it felt right. Judging by how tense Vanitas was though it might be best to bring up something else.
"When do you think I'll be able to open my eyes?"
Vanitas continued to brush his cheek idly in consideration. Noé wondered if he realized he was doing it.
"I really think you should be able to open your right eye now. I think it's a psychosomatic response. One eye is damaged, so part of you thinks you need to protect both eyes. Just focus on the one."
Noé supposed that was likely correct, so he focused on just the one eye and tried to shut out the aching throb that continued to plague him. If he just focused on the uninjured side of his face, forced the pain to just one side, maybe… At last he managed to get it open a sliver. It wasn't terribly bright out but it hurt all the same. He flinched at the sunlight filtering through cracks in the wall and ceiling; it seemed terribly inappropriate.
He blinked it a few times. It still hurt to have it open but he could finally see again and that outweighed any discomfort for the time being.
"There you go," Vanitas murmured.
Noé shifted to get a good look at their surroundings, though not so much he dislodged himself from Vanitas's embrace. They really were in a cart of some kind. It was made of wood and there was nothing in it save the two of them, a barrel in one corner, and some hay, presumably for the horses. Suddenly, all the odors that had been bombarding his nose started to make sense.
Noé could see that there were several shackles attached to the wall as well; clearly the cart was designed for more than just two slaves. It left his stomach curling in disgust. This really was those vampires' livelihood.
After he felt as though he had a solid grasp of his surroundings he shifted his gaze to take in Vanitas's appearance above him. When he did so he wondered how he hadn't noticed him the moment he opened his eyes. Vanitas was … striking. He was as thin as he felt but despite the frail look of his frame Noé suspected he had strength. He was younger than he'd expected, probably around his own age. He had an odd haircut and his hair was greasy but Noé could tell that if it were taken care of properly it would probably be quite silky. His eyes had an unnatural glow about them but they weren't red like the vampires had been thankfully.
Vanitas was studying him with an equal intensity. He'd stopped caressing his face but his hand still rested on his cheek. He looked concerned and then a little frightened in turn but he didn't push Noé away despite how rigid his body had become.
"You're a vampire," he said stiffly.
Noé's mouth went slack. "Eh? You can tell?" Outside of his grandparents no human had ever figured out he was a vampire before.
Vanitas frowned. "Of course I can. Your eye is … you have a ring around the pupil."
"Is that something only vampires have?" Noé was fascinated despite himself. For a moment he forgot all about how he'd come to be there in favor of marveling that someone actually knew what he was and actually seemed to know something about vampires. Maybe he could finally learn something about his heritage that wasn't a wild story concocted by well-meaning humans who didn't really believe they existed in the first place.
"Of course it is." Vanitas's brow furrowed. "How can you not know that?"
"I've never been around vampires," Noé admitted. "I grew up with humans."
Vanitas stared at him, his mouth hanging slightly. "Y-you've never been around vampires? Ever?"
Noé shook his head in confirmation. "I grew up in Auvergne with my grandparents. The humans that adopted me, that is."
Vanitas's blue eyes stared at him in disbelief. Noé let him. Vanitas's eyes were very wide at the moment, which allowed Noé to inspect them to see whether he had a ring about his pupils or not.
"You're right," Noé said.
"I—about what?"
"You don't have a ring," Noé said. "I never looked very closely at the villagers' eyes but I don't think any of them had one either. Why do vampires have one?"
Vanitas stared at him in bemusement, as though he weren't entirely convinced Noé wasn't just pulling his leg. "It represents their connection to the world formula. Tell me you at least know about that."
"A little bit but my grandparents died long ago and they only told me a little. The other villagers never talked about that kind of thing. I think they thought it was devil worship."
Vanitas's lips twitched and then suddenly he was cackling uncontrollably. It rumbled through Noé. Despite the uncontrolled nature of Vanitas's laughter he still kept his arms gently wrapped about him. It was a bizarre dichotomy. Noé looked warily at the door. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed.
"You—what are you doing here?" he laughed. "Are these vampires just stupid? What's the point of enslaving one of their own?"
"I don't know. Were they only taking humans?"
"It's why they're kidnapping people from the human world, wouldn't you say? I doubt they expected to find someone in your situation."
"Perhaps, but…" Noé thought back. It was still a little hazy but something didn't seem quite right.
"But?"
"Well, surely my scent would have given it away. I can tell you're human by the way you smell. Shouldn't they have noticed the difference?" Yes, that's right. They must have known that. There was something teetering on the edge of his memory, something significant but it refused to make itself known to him.
Vanitas studied him once more. "I smell human to you?"
"Well, yes." Vanitas was wearing such a strange expression, as though he were lost. "Are you not?"
"No, I suppose I am it's just… Never mind that. You make a good point. Not all vampires have such good noses, so it's possible they didn't notice but … could they really not care who they sell?" The last was said in a murmur and it was clear to Noé that Vanitas was speaking to himself now.
"At any rate, that explains why the blow didn't hamper you more severely." Vanitas nodded toward his eye. "Vampires regenerate faster. I have half a mind to just let you drink some of my blood so we can speed it up a little more…"
"No!" Noé exclaimed. Vanitas hushed him immediately. Noé thought that was a little hypocritical considering he'd been laughing manically moments before.
"Why ever not?" Vanitas snapped. "You're a vampire. It's what your people do. Your people did that frequently during the war as a method of survival because of how effective it is at healing wounds for your kind. It makes sense."
"It's … that seems wrong," Noé said helplessly. "I don't want to do that." Although part of him was curious. He'd never tried it before and now that the subject had been raised he couldn't help but wonder what it might be like.
Vanitas met his eyes skeptically. "You're not human, Noé. This is a concept you need to become familiar with. Someday you'll want to and right now you need to."
"I know I'm not human," Noé frowned. He'd always known that more than anything else. "But if I'm going to heal faster already what's the point of doing that?"
"So we can escape!" Vanitas looked at him incredulously as though Noé were incredibly dim. Noé was starting to feel as though he might be and it grated on him.
"We don't need to do that to escape," Noé mumbled into Vanitas's chest.
"What, am I unappealing to you or something?"
Noé blinked up at him in confusion. "No, I think you smell very nice indeed."
Vanitas flushed at that. Noé was beginning to think Vanitas suffered from severe mood swings. He couldn't get a good read on what was going through his mind.
"Then what's the problem?" Vanitas said, not quite meeting his eye.
"It's just … I've never tried that. I don't think it would be … I just don't want to." He remembered the villagers. He was sure that if he'd ever done anything like that they would have seen him as a monster. Vanitas was infinitely more aware of vampiric culture than they had been, far more than even Noé was, but he didn't want to risk being seen as a monster by the only company he had.
He could feel Vanitas's heart speed up and it caused his scent to explode around him. Noé let it enwrap him like a blanket. It was strangely relaxing and it drowned out all the other, less pleasant, smells surrounding them.
Vanitas opened his mouth, closed it, tried once more, and then seemed to give up.
"I never thought I'd see the day I was trying to convince a vampire to drink my blood. It's never been a problem before," he said dryly. "You know, a lot of people would be rather offended by this turn of events."
"Why?" Noé was feeling more and more lost.
"Never mind. If you don't want to then we'll just … think of something else for now. It wouldn't solve things right away regardless. They still have the book and I suppose they would notice if you healed so suddenly."
Noé blinked curiously, ignoring how it sent waves of pain through him. A book?
"The Book of Vanitas," he explained, as though hearing Noé's thoughts. "I suppose you don't know about that either. I was traveling with a woman before all this. She was a vampire and her name was Vanitas. I got my name and the book from her, you see. She's something of a … legend, among your people."
"Truly?" So Vanitas really did know more about vampires than Noé. He'd been traveling with some kind of living vampire legend.
"Oh, yes. I killed her. Well, as much as you can kill something like that."
Noé stared. Well, that was just a turn he had not anticipated. Vanitas gave him a feral grin. "I do hope that doesn't offend your sensibilities too much."
Noé wondered if it should but there was too much happening around him for him to care all that much.
"Why do you go by her name?"
"I have my reasons. Regardless, the book is quite powerful. I can't leave without it."
"Hmm, where are they keeping it?" He didn't see how a book would be powerful but for now he was willing to accept that it was and that they needed it. Perhaps it was unwise to trust Vanitas so thoroughly after just meeting him but Noé wanted to escape and Vanitas had been here longer than him.
"I don't know," Vanitas snapped. "That's the problem. I imagine their leader is either keeping it on his person or they've stashed it somewhere. Worst case scenario, they've sold it and then I'll really be in trouble but I don't think that's likely."
"So, not only do we need to escape, we need to find this book when we do so?"
"Yes, and we need to do it before we're sold. You're not the first person they've put in here with me but they sold all the others before I could make anything work. Hopefully it won't be the same with you."
Noé hoped so too. Vanitas was a strange individual but Noé didn't want them separated so soon. He wanted to escape and he wanted Vanitas to be there with him.
Suddenly, he found he didn't feel so frightened anymore.
"All right, we need to put together a plan then. What do you propose?" He extricated himself from Vanitas's arms and sat cross-legged in front of him, leaning forward eagerly.
Vanitas raised an eyebrow in bemusement. "You're suddenly lively."
"Well, I understand the situation much better now and … I know we can escape, Vanitas, if we're together." He beamed at him, feeling a rush of determination.
Vanitas blinked. He looked a little vacant, a little confused. "That's … good. I envy your optimism."
Suddenly the cart came to a rumbling start. Vanitas tensed immediately. Noé closed his eye to focus on listening. He could just make out footsteps starting to come around the back.
"They're here," Noé said, barely restraining his worry.
"Put your arms back up. We can't let them know we can free ourselves from these bonds." Noé hastily obeyed even though raising his arms once more caused a bolt of pain down his spine. Once Noé was shackled once more Vanitas dashed to the other side of the cart and snapped the shackles closed with a quick jerk of his wrist. It was just in the nick of time for the door burst open.
It was the man who had kidnapped him, the man with the golden earring. Vanitas refused to look up but Noé glowered up at him. He refused to give this man any sway. He'd never been the sort to hate anyone but in that moment he found he almost could.
"Lost none of your fire, I see," he drawled. "I wonder how long you can keep it up? That brat couldn't maintain it," he gestured at Vanitas who refused to look up. His face was wan, clearly anticipating the worst.
"At any rate, we need to pretty you up. Your eye will lower your price if we're not careful. Hervé wasn't supposed to rough you up so much." He let out a low tutting sound, clearly annoyed by his subordinate.
"A pity," Noé said. "You'll have to excuse me for not having much sympathy." Vanitas shot him a look of horror.
"Ha! You do have fire. Part of why we're keeping you lot separated from the rest. Here are some supplies." He tossed a bundle at Vanitas.
"I'm going to let you out," he said to Vanitas, "and you're going to patch him up. Don't try to escape; it won't end well for you."
Vanitas nodded. His meek demeanor struck Noé as wholly wrong. He barely knew him but he knew this was not who Vanitas was.
The vampire strolled over and unlocked the shackles and Vanitas carefully picked up the bag. He moved over to Noé and began to unpack it. Noé didn't know much about the healing arts but judging by the way Vanitas's lips thinned it wasn't nearly enough for the kind of injury he had. There were some bandages, a cloth, and some kind of ointment.
He took out a rag and dipped it into a bucket of water the man placed at his side with a loud thud. He towered over them, watching Vanitas work with a careful eye.
The silence that engulfed them was deafening. Vanitas worked slowly and with great care. He dabbed carefully around his eyes, cleaning away the blood that had crusted around it. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be a great deal. It took Noé a moment before he realized Vanitas was working primarily with his left hand, keeping his right carefully tucked under the cloak. Was something wrong with it?
He dabbed some ointment on his eye, which had a pleasantly cooling effect and began to wrap the bandages around it. Only then did he put his other arm to work and it was clearly only out of necessity. Something blue flashed when his sleeve fell away. Noé tried to get a better look but he had to hold his head still. The man frowned in disgust at whatever the mark was.
"How long till it heals?" he finally said, gesturing at Noé sharply.
"It's swollen shut, so I can't tell what kind of damage happened to the eye itself. Probably a month or more if it's minor."
The man harrumphed and gestured for Vanitas to return to his side of the cart. Vanitas obeyed quietly and said nothing as he was locked back in place. The man left without another word.
"Vanitas?" Noé said quietly. Vanitas was frowning still. "What's wrong?"
"That wasn't nearly enough to treat your kind of injury."
"Well, they did just say to make me pretty, not work a medical miracle." Noé smiled sardonically as Vanitas stared at him, stunned.
"You do realize you could lose your sight in that eye, don't you?"
Noé shrugged. "At least I can see out of this one. So, what are we going to do?"
Vanitas sighed and slumped a little. Noé couldn't imagine it was comfortable but Vanitas didn't seem especially bothered.
"I'm so tired," he murmured, ignoring his question entirely.
"How long have you been here?"
"Perhaps a month? I thought I was finally free when I escaped her but look at me now…"
Noé didn't like the vacancy in his eyes at all. "You can't give up now, Vanitas. Just moments ago you were talking of escape. What of that?"
"What of that indeed? But no, do not fear. I fully intend to get us out of here I'm just … more tired than I've been in some time."
For a long while no words passed between them. Noé considered their situation and listened intently. He thought he could make out the faint sound of another cart. The wheels made similar creaking sounds as their own. There were many horses though. Most likely their abductors were many. Noé remembered about five when he'd been taken. Would they need more than that? How was this sort of thing typically handled?
Noé had no idea. His eyes began to close. Despite the circumstances he found the rumble of the cart gently lulling and he hadn't slept much; lying unconscious surely didn't count and there was nothing else to be done until Vanitas was ready to make a move. It was impossible to get cozy but soon he was drifting off.
"Noé?"
"Hmm?" It was Vanitas again. He opened his eye back up to discover that at some point Vanitas had freed himself from his shackles once more. It took a moment longer to realize that Vanitas had done the same for him. Strange, that should have been enough to wake him on its own. The sunlight that filtered in was fierier than it had been before. Sunset.
"How long was I asleep?" He didn't feel rested at all. If it weren't for the shift in sunlight he would have thought only a few minutes had passed.
"Awhile. Several hours."
"What of you?"
Vanitas smiled wryly. "I didn't sleep a wink."
"You should really get some rest yourself then," Noé murmured. "You were saying you were tired before."
Vanitas hesitated a moment, eyed him consideringly, before settling at his side. He leaned against him stiffly, as though he expected to be pushed away.
Noé was about to ask what was wrong but stopped himself when Vanitas rested his head against his shoulder. Every muscle in his body was taut and it occurred to Noé that Vanitas was frightened as well.
Of course he is, Noé thought shamefacedly. He'd spent so much time worrying about his own predicament he hadn't once considered that of his fellow prisoner. Vanitas had been here for a much longer amount of time than he had. Who knew what he'd been subjected to?
Noé carefully wrapped his arms about him and brushed a hand through his hair. Vanitas stiffened and then relaxed all at once. Noé adjusted his position that it was a little more comfortable for them both.
"It gets cold at night," Vanitas said by way of explanation but he didn't quite meet Noé's eyes. Noé had no doubt that it did get cold but he knew that wasn't quite the reasoning.
Noé held him a little tighter.
Privately, he decided Vanitas wouldn't have to be scared anymore. Together they would escape this place and return to their lives.
What was everyone doing back home? Did they realize he was gone? Surely they would.
But there was doubt in his mind. He liked his life back home but he was forced to admit that he didn't have a place there. He'd felt that more and more as the years went by and he still lacked friends.
Even so, the Bonhommes would surely take note. But they didn't need him. They had four children to care for. No doubt most people would chalk up his disappearance to him venturing off into the woods. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done so; his natural curiosity often led him far into the woods and he would lose track of time or, frankly, simply get lost. It was always an adventure but now it meant no one would suspect something had happened to him. Noé frowned in consternation. No one would worry about him.
"Stop thinking so loudly," Vanitas murmured in his ear. Noé looked down to meet his eyes. He barely looked conscious; his eyes were clouded and he seemed more relaxed than he had just moments before.
"Sorry. Get some sleep, Vanitas."
"Keep an ear out for anything. Wake me come nightfall," Vanitas said before his eyes slipped closed entirely. His breath evened soon after. Noé wondered if he had decided they were taking turns taking watch. Noé rather wished he had informed him of this decision but he supposed he didn't mind. While he didn't feel rested he had apparently gotten at least some sleep. If his estimation was correct, Vanitas would be getting even less sleep than he had.
Noé let out an internal sigh. For now there was nothing to do but wait for shadows to lengthen and for the air to grow chill. Then, perhaps, they could make their escape.
Author Notes:
I've had this in the works for a little while but took a break to finish up The Descent. Upon rereading I found the first chapter was basically done, so here it is! The Dark Wanderer is going to take precedence as far as updates go but I'm having fun with this one as well. I hope you enjoy!
Note: Originally published on AO3 March 5, 2019.
