Chapter Text
Avid almost can’t believe that Shelby held her word and came to meet him at the beacon. Well, no backing out now. If he wants a chance at making it out of here alive, he’ll have to come clean.
„Shelby look, I’m uh I’m just going to get right to it. I’m sick.”
Shelbys always present smile fades and is replaced with a frown.
„What?”
„When I was a kid, uhm, my friend and I went into the woods. You know, as kids do. And uh before we knew it, we were lost. We were screaming and crying for our parents and uh were just met with crickets.”
Avid can feel his throat closing up.
„My friend, her name was Elle, uh she heard something and she told me to duck. She was screaming and, uhm, I turn around and that’s basically the last thing I remember.”
He chuckles awkwardly.
„When I woke up, I- I was just covered in blood. It was mine. But I could hear my parents. Uhm. Somehow, Elle had dragged me out of the forest. But, uh whatever scratched me left a wound on my neck-”
Avid didn’t even realize he was rubbing his hand along the wound, hidden underneath bandages, until he felt it sting from aggravating it too much.
„-that, uh, to this day has not healed. It’s been forever.”
His voice is starting to tremble now.
„Uhm and it’s getting really bad.”
„Did you think it was a vampire?”
He sighs.
„I did, but now that I’ve seen what vampires are like, I don’t think it was.” He was talking faster and faster, his words slurring together. „I don’t know what it was. I talked to pearl. She said it could’ve been a werewolf. I don’t know.”
„Did you show Legs? You know, he’s a doctor maybe he could help?”
„I don’t want to bother him any more when he’s trying to find this vampire cure…”
A bewildered look flashes across Shelbys face.
„Wait but this is more important.”
„I don’t know how much longer I have, and he’s busy and I can’t figure this out.”
„No, you’re more important. He can put the cure to the side! They don’t even want it.”
„I need to ask you a favour.”
With shaking fingers Avid unwraps his neck and tilts his head to the side, closing his eyes.
„Do it.”
Shelbys eyes widen.
„Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you serious?”
Tears gather in Avids eyes.
„Please. I’m gonna die, or worse, turn into something feral! I would rather be this.”
He gestures at Shelby.
„Than dead or worse.”
Shelby really wants to help her friend, but the words of her Sire gnaw at the back of her mind.
„You know, I- I’m not gonna lie to you. They really do not want you to be a vampire-”
„Then don’t tell them! Don’t tell them. I’m not going to tell anybody. I just-”
„Oh man… I would get in so much trouble.”
Shelby paces back and forth, trying to make up her mind about this.
„I know, I know. So don’t tell them and I won’t tell anybody. And I’ll just go back and- and then I’ll help find the cure. And if you wanted to, I could give you some of the cure?”
„I mean- this is what I told them: We should only turn people that-”
Avid grabs Shelby’s arms and shakes her a little to get her to listen to him.
„I know. I- look, I don’t want it forever but I just-”
The vampires racing mind stops and she looks Avid straight in the eyes.
„You know, they might not find a cure. It might not work. And if they can’t, you have to accept that you will be that way forever.”
Avid tries to shove down his anxiety at the thought of forever being a vampire, not really succeeding.
„You’ll have a thirst for blood. You can’t go in the sunlight same as before.”
„I know, I know. I know. It’s okay. I- I’m alright with that.”
Shelby looks at the hunter for a little longer, then replies.
„Alright then uh. Shoot, we should do it quick and then you should get back quick.”
Avids anxiety spikes again as he gets Shelbys agreement.
„Please just… just do it like in a way that doesn’t hurt? Like, are you- have you done this before?”
„I don’t know what I’m doing Avid!”
Shelby takes a deep breath.
„Okay I’m gonna try. The thing is I don’t think I can’t make this not hurt I’ll do it as fast as I can though. I- you just have to trust me on this.”
„Okay. Okay. Alright.”
„Alright, just turn your head to the side and close your eyes. I can’t…”
„Okay. Yeah…”
Avid does as he’s told, revealing his neck to the vampire before him.
Shelby closes the distance between them and hovers her sharp teeth over Avids exposed neck.
„I’m sorry.”
She bites down, instantly drawing blood.
Avid tries to muffle his voice as best as he can but still, little whimpers escape his throat at the stabbing pain and the feeling of his blood being sucked out.
His mind is getting foggy, and he can barely feel anything other than the pain blooming across his neck.
„This- this is not fast.” He whimpers.
Avids legs give out under him, and Shelby gently guides them to the floor, sitting him against the wall around the beacon as she’s sucking the rest of the blood out of the human, who has already fainted from the blood loss.
Not even a minute later Avid opens his eyes again. His skin is pale. Even paler than before and a chill clings to him that he can’t get rid of.
Avid lets out a sigh and leans his head against the wall behind him.
„How do you feel?”
Avid opens his eyes.
„Everything is very bright.”
Shelby chuckles. „Yeah. You can see way better at nighttime. Now, you should know, if you don’t want the others to know about you, they’re gonna sense that something’s over here. So, they might come here.
You should probably… leave.”
Avid startles. „Oh. Yeah, uhm. I’m going to go home now. Uh, thank you.”
„Yeah, if you figure out how to turn into a bat it’d be faster but… well, good luck.”
Avid stands up. „Thanks.”
He was about to give Shelby a hug to thank her but before he can reach her, a bat flies between them. A bat that turns out to be Apo.
„Did you-”
The new addition to their private conversation was just about to interrogate them when Shelby quickly turns into a bat and flies away.
Avid takes that as his hint to leave and starts running.
He can hear Apo call his name from behind him. She must be following him.
Apo shouted after him. „Avid! Did they turn you, Avid?”
„What? No no no no no, no. Thank- No.”
His voice squeaks as he replies. Avid had never been a good liar.
Apo had finally caught up with the newly turned vampire. „Who turned you? Did Shelby do it?”
A second bat lands right beside the two.
Avid startles. „Who- who is that?”
Right on cue the bat turns into Cleo.
Avid turns back to Apo in favour of ignoring the other vampire that joined them. „I’m not- I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Cleo takes a step closer to the fledgling. „Avid, you got to calm yourself down.”
Avid turns to look at Cleo, just now processing that Cleo had been a bat not even a minute ago. „You’re both vampires. Are you kidding me?”
Apo scoffs. „You’re a vampire too.”
Avid quickly replies. „No! No. Look I’ve been talking to Shelby about a cure and I- I just thought I could get some answers here. No, I’m fine.”
The older vampire doesn’t buy his excuses. „I can smell it on you.”
Cleo is next to interrogate him. „Who turned you.”
„Maybe you’re smelling something else?”
Cleo was now getting into Avids face, clearly angry. „Who. Turned. You.”
Avid swallows. „Owen?”
At this Apo mumbles. „He said he would…”
Cleo agrees easily. „He said he would.”
Another bat flies close to them and instantly Avid is on edge again. „Who is this?”
„Stop acting all- you’re a vampire!”
Cleo also quickly dismisses him. „That’s a bat. Your denial is not going to work.”
Seeing that he won’t be getting out of this if he doesn’t run now, Avid just completely ignores any and all questions. „I’m going to go back to town and I’m going to help out my friends.”
Clearly that was the wrong move as Apo goes to grab his wrist so he can’t escape. „No, you’re going to stay here and talk to us Avid. And you’re going to tell us what they did.”
Avid yanks his arm back before he could be grabbed. „Why? Was there an agree- okay wait that seems like a bit extreme.”
He goes for a different approach while slowly backing away.
„Why- why does it matter?”
Cleo doesn’t seem too pleased with that.
„I’m not gonna let you hurt anyone Avid.”
Avid is appalled at their insinuation. „I’m not gonna hurt anybody.”
Apo tries to de-escalate the situation. „Avid I care for you.”
„Okay, fine. Fine. Fine! I’m sick, I was sick I-”
„Did you ask for this?”
It was almost scary how quickly Cleo was able to connect the dots.
„We‘re close to a cure. So, I figured…”
Cleo bars out a laugh. „We don’t know that the cure does anything!”
Apo agreed. „It could be a myth. It’s just a bunch of books.”
Avid is starting to get a little frustrated. „The books have worked so far. For all other things. Look! I got a bottle of holy water on me.”
„And you know how many books talk about fiction in this world?”
Suddenly Owen and Scott come running out of the forest next to them.
OWEN AND SCOTT ARE RUNNING TOWARDS THEM.
Avid starts panicking again. „Actually- Oh! uh-oh.”
Scott’s calculating gaze lands on the new fledgling. „What’s happening?”
Apo sighs. „Oh my god, they’re here.”
„Uuuh uh I- I’m leaving. I’m leaving!”
Avid can hear Apo asking the two if they turned him as he was running further away.
Avid keeps running as fast as he can while panic creeps up his spine.
„That did not go well. That did not go well! THAT DID NOT GO WELL! That is the opposite of what I wanted to happen! That is a problem.”
….
„I need to go home. I wanna go home.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avid can already see Oakhurst in the distance when something dawns on him.
How is he going to hide that he’s a vampire?
He’s going to need to eat at some point and he can’t just go and slaughter the towns livestock. What if his hunger gets really bad though? He definitely needs someone to know so they can hold him back if need be.
„Oooh this is bad. This is so bad. Like really, really bad.”
Before he could spiral, his thoughts were interrupted by Legundo running at him from the town.
„Avid! There you are!”
This could work. Surely the doc would help him. He trusts him. Right?
Legundo grabs Avids wrist and drags him along back towards the woods.
„You’re gonna love this new information I have. You know that little problem of yours?”
He points at Avids neck.
„I finally may have figured out something to help with that! It’s only a theory for now but it’s better than what we had before.”
Avid recognizes the way Legundo was going. He was taking him to his secret lab.
„Legs I- I don’t, uhm.”
„Just come, come you’ll be stunned when you see this!”
They soon reach the entrance to the lab and Legundo drags Avid inside. Not much has changed since the last time Avid had been here. It is a little more chaotic than he remembers though. Books and notes are scattered on the floor anyone particularly thick book lays open on the table.
„Pearl mentioned the scratch possibly being from a werewolf, right?”
Avid is very thankful for the doctor to help him look into this, he really is. But at this point he’d waste his time to continue this. He really needs to tell Legundo about his recent… changes.
„Since we didn’t really have any other theories, I looked further into this one and look what I found! Maybe this-”
„Legs I- I really appreciate all this but… I don’t need a cure anymore.”
„What? What do you mean? Of course you need a cure for this. We don’t want you turning into a monster after all!”
„Legundo.”
The doctor takes his attention from the book and looks at Avid
„I don’t need this cure anymore.”
Legundos eyes harden as realization dawns on him.
„What do you mean Avid?”
Avid‘s not meeting Legs eyes.
„It’s not a problem anymore, I- I uh”
„Did you get turned?”
The doctors voice is unsettlingly calm.
„Avid. I need you to be completely honest with me.”
Avid dares to look Legundo in the eyes and nods.
„Did you get turned?”
„W-well you see…”
„Avid! Are you a vampire?”
Avid tenses at the harsh tone.
„Yes.”
The doctor curses and slams the book next to him shut.
„How could this happen?”
Legundo is shouting now, as he throws the book on the floor.
„Weren’t you always the one telling us to always stay vigilant because of the vampires?”
He’s pacing around in the room, throwing his hands in the air.
„How could they even get to you? Weren’t you staying in town while Martyn and the others went to that beacon and I was in my lab?”
„I, uhm, might have asked one of the vampires to meet up with me and to turn me?”
Legundos head snaps to Avid scarily fast.
„So, you’re telling me you got turned willingly?”
Avid regrets ever opening his mouth as he cowers under the docs steely gaze.
„All this work- Do you even realize how much time I spent looking into this for you? Just for you to throw it all away! So much time I could have put into looking for the cure for vampirism, and YOU!”
Legundo is stabbing Avid in his chest with his finger.
„Just went and threw it all away! Am I a fucking joke to you? Does everything I did for you just not matter?”
„No, of course I’m thankful for everything you did to help me, but I was losing time! I was so close to turning into I don’t know what. I felt it.”
„And you thought to go to the vampires first instead of telling me?”
„It- they could give me a fast cure. Aren’t you working on a cure for vampirism anyway? I can just turn back and this time I’d be a healthy human.”
„And what happens in the meantime? What will you do during the time I’m still figuring out how the cure works? You sure as hell aren’t gonna get any blood from me or any of the other townspeople, and the livestock we have already is very low.”
Avid swallows as the doc reminds him of the same thoughts he had just before meeting him.
„If you don’t get enough food- which you won’t in the town- you’ll what? Go into bloodlust and just slaughter us all? Did you even think about any of this before offering your neck to the next best vampire?”
„I-”
„Of course you didn’t! As much as you’re paranoid about vampires, you’re gullible to believe this would have worked out!”
„Legundo, please! I had to! I- I had no other choice. As a vampire I at least still have my morals, my emotions. I’m still me!”
Legundo scoffs.
„Of course, you’re saying that now that you are one of those monsters. But you know, you did well in making us know that vampires are liars through and through when you were still human.”
„So, tell me MONSTER, why should I believe you now?”
Avid doesn’t know what to say since everything the doctor said is just what Avid had been telling them since day one. Why should he believe a vampire. He’s right to respond this way but still it hurt.
„No answer, huh? Well, you’re still as much of a coward as when you were human.”
Legundo looked at Avid in disgust as he pushed past him.
„I’ve got to tell the others about this recent development.”
He wouldn’t.
Avid turns toward the doctor as he is pushing the heavy silver door open and reaches for him.
„Legs wait, please don’t!”
A bright glow radiates from the doctor and suddenly Avid is unable to move.
„No, I don’t think I will.”
Legundo looks over his shoulder one last time before he walks out, presumably to tell the townsfolk that Avid had been turned.
Avid really hopes he’ll get out of this spell quick enough to catch the doctor before he reaches the town.
After a short while Avid is finally let go of the doctors spell. He dashes out of the door and runs after him as fast as he can. Which isn’t as fast as he’d liked since the sun was still shining through the thick leaves of the forest as it was on its way to set.
Still, he quickly reaches the edge of the forest from where he can clearly see Legundo stood by the walls surrounding Oakhurst. And he was talking to Martyn.
Shit.
No need to panic so soon, maybe he can still salvage this. Sure, Martyn is about as fond of vampires as Avid was when he first got to Oakhurst, but they’ve fought alongside each other for so long now. Surely, they won’t just throw him aside this quickly. Right?
He walks out into the open field, leaving the last bit of protection of the sun that the trees gave. Now that the sun is shining directly on Avid, his skin is slowly starting to get a little tingly. The further he goes, the more he feels his skin heating up. It’s not hurting per se, but he can feel a slight burning sensation.
Once he gets too close for comfort to the two humans Martyn draws a stake, holding it in a tight grip while holding eye contact with the vampire. Avid gets the hint and stops in his tracks.
„Hi Legs, M-Martyn.”
Martyn scoffs at his attempt to be casual.
„You’ve got nerves coming here vampire.”
He says the last word loudly. Loud enough to draw the attention of everyone else in town. Slowly more and more of the townsfolk joins them mumbling amongst each other.
„Did I hear that correctly?”
„Is Avid a vampire?”
Everyone is staring at him. Some in betrayal, some in disgust. Drift, he can’t read. He has no idea what she’s feeling from this reveal. He expected her to feel betrayed, angry that he became what he swore to kill.
Well, there’s no way he can just come back into town like nothing happened now. They all know that he’s a monster.
No, he’s still Avid. Nothing has changed about that. He doesn’t even plan to stay being a vampire! He can just turn back once they figure out the cure.
„I- it’s not what it seems like. I’m still me, Avid!”
Drift steps forward.
„Why don’t we hear him out? We all know Avid would never have wanted thi-”
„Do not let yourself be fooled.”
The doctor interrupts her.
„He was turned willingly. Even begged to be turned. Those are his own words.”
„Wha- I didn’t say I begged.”
„But you aren’t denying that you asked to be turned.”
Avids mouth snaps shut as he looks away in shame.
„Avid? Is that true?”
He looks back up to see confusion written on Drifts face.
Avid looks down, hiding his eyes with his hair.
„Yes… But I haven’t changed at all, I swear! If you just let me back into town with you to prove-”
„And have you drain us all in our sleep? Yeah, no thanks.”
Martyn raises his stake, pointing it at the vampire.
„I’ve heard all I needed.”
He gets ready to charge at Avid, but just as he is about to take off Legundo grabs his arm.
„Now, now. Wait just a second dear.”
Martyn hesitantly lowers his weapon as the doctor talks.
„If Avid really wants to come back into town with us and prove that he’s still on our side, why don’t we let him?”
Legundo looks at Avid with an unsettling smile.
„I’m sure he’d prove quite useful actually.”
„The hell are you talking about.”
Legundo gives Martyn a harsh glare for interrupting him.
„Just consider the possibilities. Avid could help us learn so much about vampires that we don’t know yet.”
„But I’ve already told you all I know about them?”
„Oh, I’m not talking about the information from your books Avid. I was thinking of information that no one had a chance to get yet because no one has ever thought of taking a vampire in to… test some things. We barely know anything about the regenerative aspect of vampires. We know that they can only die by a stake through the heart or by being drenched in holy water. But what about other injuries?”
Martyn seems to understand something Avid doesn’t as he also starts grinning slightly.
„What if a vampire was to gain an injury that would be fatal to humans? What if they lost a limb? Would it regrow? Would they need human blood in order to heal at all?”
Avid really doesn’t like where those two are going with this.
„Would a vampire survive without a head?”
Martyn and Legundo look at Avid like predators look at their next meal. They look manic.
„I- I’m not sure about that. That doesn’t really sound safe or sane now does it?”
Avid chuckles as he tries to find the humour in what they just said. They have to be joking after all. They don’t actually want to cut his head off. Right?
As the silence drags on Avid realizes that they were in fact not joking. He tentatively takes a step back. That’s all it took for Martyn to jump into action.
Silver chain in hand, he rushes at Avid, who in turn takes a vampiric leap backwards. He stumbles a little when he lands but manages to catch himself before sprinting back into the woods.
He can hear loud footsteps and shouting behind himself as he runs as fast as he can, which still isn’t as fast as he’d like, the setting sun slowing him down drastically even through the thick leaves of the woods.
Avid doesn’t know how long he’s been running for or where he even is when he starts slowing down and hides behind a large tree trunk. He has to have gotten away from the humans chasing him by now.
But luck isn’t on his side once again as he feels a hand settle on his shoulder.
Avid is about to scream when a hand covers his mouth to keep him quiet.
„Shut up or they’ll find you.”
He looks up to his left to see Cleo crouching next to him.
How did they sneak up on him without making any noise?
…
Right. She’s a vampire too.
„They are still chasing you.”
If Avids blood could run even colder than it already is, it would.
„Go to the castle. You’ll get help there.”
Avid can’t help but ask.
„Why are you helping me?”
„You are one of us now. Vampires stick together.”
Tears gather in the corners of Avids eyes. He actually has a chance to escape this. He isn’t alone in this.
„He’s over here!”
Shit that’s Abolish.
Avid sprints into a random direction, hoping to get to a part of the woods that is familiar to him so he can figure out where the castle is.
He can faintly hear Cleo shouting at Abolish about almost getting Avid. He smirks at the knowledge of her not actually being on the humans side but still acting the part.
After a while, Avid finally recognizes where he is and joyously notes that he’s running in the right direction. It seems that luck is finally on his side after all.
The trees are thinning around him as he gets closer to safety, and he can already see the bridge at the end of the woods leading to the castle. Avid could cry of joy. He’s so close, just a little more.
A sudden burning pain in his left leg stops any and all of the joy he felt just moments before. He falls to the ground with a cry.
His arms sting slightly from where he fell on them but that’s nothing compared to the agonizing pain in his leg. He looks back at himself to see what the cause for this pain is and sees a silver dagger embedded in his left calf. A thick, dark red, almost black ooze is steadily pouring out of the spot he has been impaled.
A dark chuckle accompanied by Martyn emerging from the trees rings through his ears.
„To think you almost got away! What a waste that would have been.”
Martyn slowly walks closer to Avid.
„The others have already given up on catching you, but me? Oh no, I knew I could do it. I mean just look at how pitiful you are.”
Truly, Avid is pitiful. Fear radiating off him, tears rolling down his cheeks. Wide eyes stare at the human towering above him in fear. He’s going to die… or worse.
He needs to get away.
With all his strength practically being sucked out by the silver stuck in him, Avid pulls himself forward, using everything left in him to get closer to the castle. To safety.
Avid doesn’t get far before the burning pain in his leg increases tenfold. Shouts of pain leave his mouth as Martyn is stood on the hilt of the dagger, digging it further into the vampires flesh until the blade emerges on the other side and is plunged into the dirt below, pinning his leg to the floor.
Martyn leans forward, resting an arm on his knee.
„So, what will it be now vampire? Are you going to come back with me willingly or do I have to drag you back?”
Avid can barely hear what the human is saying as he’s panicking to the point of hyperventilating. Even though he doesn’t need to breathe, his body still remembers the panic of not getting enough air and responds accordingly, which is even more panic.
„Truly pitiful.”
Martyn grabs Avids wrists and pulls them behind his back, tying them together with a silver chain before looping it around his trembling Form a few times.
„Please… please don’t do this!”
Avid can barely get any words out between his heaving sobs, but the noble man only seems slightly annoyed by his begging.
As Martyn gives the chain a testing tug Avids mind finally gets a coherent thought again. He is so close to safety, he has to get the attention of another vampire somehow.
The vampire screams and shouts for help as loud as he can, but this only seems to make his captor mad.
„Shut the fuck up! No one will come to help you.”
Martyn takes his chain again and pulls it over Avids open mouth, successfully gagging him as Avids fangs get caught in the loops of the chain and his tongue gets trapped behind the silver, burning it at the slightest contact.
Loud whimpers still stream out of the vampires mouth but far not as loudly as his screams.
Martyn regards his work for a moment before another thought enters his mind.
He kneels down behind Avid and sharp pain blooms across his leg again as the dagger is pulled out of it. It only lasts for a short moment though and Avid sighs in content as the burning pain is finally gone.
Avid wonders what Martyn is going to do now. Drag him back to town and throw him into jail? Go through with those „experiments” he was talking about?
He certainly wasn’t expecting Martyn to take his shoes off. Well, there’s nothing to do but wait out this pretty uneventful moment.
It doesn’t last for long as once both shoes are off, he feels pain so excruciating that he almost passes out and a quiet snapping sound rings through his head. This time the pain comes from further down, right above the heel of his foot. A muffled scream echoes through the woods. Avid doesn’t even realize he’s screaming until Martyn hits him into the back of his head telling him to shut up.
„I’m sure you understand that I want to take some precautions. I can’t have you running away now after all. You don’t mind having your feet be useless for a little while, right? After all you won’t need to walk for a long while.”
That same pain shoots through Avid a second time, again accompanied by a sickening snapping sound. This is when Avid realizes.
Martyn had just cut his Achilles tendons.
Avid vomits from the realization and unbearable pain.
As the sun finally sets, Avids vision plunges into darkness, like the night falling around them and he can finally rest.