rabenhorst (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rabenhorst) wrote2007-06-01 12:09 am
rabenhorst) wrote2007-06-01 12:09 am
(no subject)
Title: The thin line between fate, coincidence and stupidity; Chapter 7
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
seinen_no and fonulyn
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Die and Kaoru
Disclaimer: We own no one, only our dirty imaginations.
Comments:
seinen_no: Dears, I'm deeply sorry that you had to wait so long for this chap. I hope you still remember the rest of the fic^^ It's my fault for it was my duty to edit it first...
Well, I somehow really liked this chapter, because finally one gets to meet the master vampire and it's nearing its end. There'll only be one more chap. So enjoy^^
fonulyn: Apologies for taking so long, but we totally had so much to do that distracted from this. So I beg for forgiveness^^; Anyways, I really like this chapter somehow, its mood and everything. So I hope you enjoy as much as I did!
Previously happened: The thin line between fate, coincidence and stupidity , Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
The thin line between fate, coincidence and stupidity
Chapter 7
After thanking the monk again for several times the two left to go on with their journey. It would only take a few days now before they'd reach the hideout Kaoru's master was occupying, and they tried to travel at a decent pace, without hurrying too much.
It had begun to snow heavily now which made the night brighter, let the forests and meadows look enchanted. But it was hard for Die to stay in the saddle all night and because the days were so short lately, they could ride for longer. From time to time, he reminded the vampire of his mortality and then they stopped to eat something at a small inn or made a campfire to warm them.
Subconsciously Die staid close to his companion all the time, no matter if they were riding or having a break, eating or sleeping. The only times when he was left alone were when the vampire needed to hunt, and then he dug out the small crucifix, just in case. The monk's salve proved to be an excellent help, and it was much thanks to it that Die managed to get through the aches with so little troubles after all.
They were trying to live life to the fullest during this journey, unsure how everything would turn out in the end. Neither Kaoru nor Die dared to hope for too much, and the realization that both their end could come soon, added some desperation to their actions.
So even during the days, they slept little and 'sinned' a lot as Die called it. It had become one of his favourite words and he was always laughing freely when he used it. Despite that, they both were trying to stay awake to imprint every moment into their memories, to enjoy it and perceive it with all their senses. The vampire had never thought that it could feel so good just to lie in somebody's arms, just to be close to somebody like this.
Die had never really wasted a thought of how short life actually was and how everything needed to end eventually. But now that they were lying entangled together and just enjoying each other's proximity, it struck him how badly he wanted these moments to last, how much he was already fearing the day when they would finally reach the end of this journey.
One night, they were riding side by side, until shortly before dawn, both lost in deep thoughts. "This will be our last day." Kaoru announced sadly and stopped his horse to look at the redhead. There was something final in his words, something that again brought the realization for both that they didn't know if they would ever be together again after this; if they would live through this.
"So let's live it like that." Die looked the other in the eye, affection clear in his gaze. "Make sure it's all worth it." He couldn't help that he was terribly nervous, but still managed to smile slightly at the vampire.
That day, their shelter was an abandoned house. Usually, shepards lived there during summer, but now they had left it to go to their winter residences. It was simple, small and dark, smelled like hay, sheep and cold fire.
But neither of them cared when they slipped into one of the simple beds, exchanging feverish kisses that managed to make them forget fate for a few blissful moments. Afterwards they just laid there close to each other, trying to enjoy the last moments of togetherness.
To his own surprise, Die had to admit that he didn't regret anything they had gone through, wouldn't want to turn back time so that he could live a normal life in his hometown. This was all worth experiencing, and at least he got to know the other man.
When the night rode in and they got ready to cross the last distance, Kaoru pulled him into his arms once more and closed his eyes. "Please, please Die. Run and save yourself." He knew it was futile, but still he had to try.
"You know I won't." The redhead pulled back a bit, just enough so that he was able to initiate a deep, desperate kiss.
Instinctively, the purple-haired man grabbed a few strands in the back of his lover's head, holding him close. He didn't want to go on, felt as if his heart was gripped tightly and squeezed. But he knew that Die wouldn't allow him to back off and for some reason, he couldn't stand up against him, had no strength when it came to him. After they parted, they saddled their horses and headed towards the castle.
They didn't exchange many words during the short ride, and the silence wasn't exactly one of the comfortable kind. The melancholy was hanging heavy in the air between them, and they were taking short glances at each other constantly, like trying to memorize every second of the last journey.
They only had talked vaguely about what they'd do once reaching the castle, and so they just needed to trust each other that when the right time came they'd be able to work together instantly.
When they already saw the massive building with its four defence towers, Kaoru slowed down until their horses were going at an easy pace. "When they bring you to the dungeon and there are other prisoners as well, don't listen to them, don't talk to them and above all, don't trust them." He spoke without looking at the redheaded man beside him and only kept his eyes straight ahead.
"And Die," this time he turned his head to face the other, "don't pay attention to what's happening to them. You need to trust me. I'll try to protect you until ..." He took a deep breath, casting his eyes down. "... until the ritual. At least until then, he won't harm you and might only want to frighten you."
"Okay. So don't trust anyone and don't pay attention to what's happening, right?" Die nodded seriously, storing the information in his mind. He didn't know what was waiting for him in the dungeon, after all he'd never even left his hometown before this trip, but he was sure he could survive through it if he tried hard enough.
"I really mean it. You might see things that aren't real, only a trick on the mind and others are very very real but I don't want you to witness them."
Suddenly, the vampire reached out his hand and grabbed the redhead's wrist. "I will now bind you. We're almost there." Again, he gazed deeply into the young man's eyes, got lost in their depths for a moment. "Just trust me."
The redhead nodded, taking a deep breath, subconsciously preparing himself for what was to come. "So this is it. Now the real deal begins."
Kaoru had a bad feeling about this whole thing and if he hadn't been sure that Die would stubbornly stick to his stupid plan, he would suggest again that both of them should run. But instead, he tied the other's hands and took the rains of his horse to guide it the last hundred meters.
He knew that Die had no idea what he had committed himself to, had not even the slightest hint of what would await him. But when they approached the huge gate which seemed to open on its own, it was too late to back off.
Slowly, devoutly, they crossed the yard that was only lit by the silverish light of the moon which shone round and full up above. No living soul was to be seen, not even an undead.
In front of the entrance to a small passage that led inside the castle, Kaoru halted his horse and jumped off it. He grabbed his companion's jacket in the back and yanked him off the saddle as well, his eyes and senses directed at the dark corners and recesses. They surely weren't alone here.
Die had no idea that there was someone else around besides the two of them, but he sensed that the vampire was focused on something and therefore kept quiet and just tried to listen. He knew that if another vampire sneaked up on them he'd never hear him before he wanted to be heard, but still he had to try. The whole place made him utterly nervous already, but he tried to appear strong.
An ungentle shove in the back made him stumble forward a few steps into the passage-way. Kaoru was right behind him, kept his hand securely on his shoulder. Nobody could see that he squeezed it encouragingly when another door opened before them and they entered the castle.
Torches lit the huge entrance-hall dimly, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Out of nowhere, a small figure appeared in front of them, a blonde woman with pearly white skin and dark red lips. She was clad in a long black dress that revealed her perfect chest which didn't rise and fall with the usual respiration for a human being.
She bowed slightly in front of the purple-haired vampire, her smile cocky and once her eyes met Die's, predatory. "So you finally arrived, Kaoru. Master was very displeased about the delay."
She spoke English, and her lips didn't seem to move as the words were resonating in the air clearly. Kaoru displayed one of his secure grins. "That filthy human's more clever than one might think. He managed to escape more than once. Besides, Daria," he drawled, his voice nothing but a low purr, "I don't think the master would tell YOU anything, slave."
The woman's eyes narrowed as she glared at him through small slits. But when he took a step forward, right towards her, she backed off and made way.
Die didn't even completely listen to the short conversation, trying to calm himself down and get used to the surroundings. He didn't show it in any way, but Kaoru's presence soothed him considerably, and he managed to suppress the instinct to fight and run. Despite knowing it'd be futile, that's what he would've done if he didn't trust the other this much.
The place looked empty, but something told him they weren't alone, that those dark recesses weren't as empty as they seemed to be. Indeed, the walls had eyes and if one looked very closely, one could see a suspicious glimmer lighting up in the shadows here and there.
They crossed the huge hall and stopped in front of a door which was at least four men high. At that moment, Kaoru wished he had been a vampire of higher rank, one who could communicate through telepathy. However, there was no chance to prepare his companion again, to tell him that he shouldn't be afraid.
The door was opened by two small creatures who bowed lowly. At the other end of the room one could see a throne and indeed it was occupied by a huge figure who sat there, his legs crossed nonchalantly while two women were at his feet, kissing his hands and obviously asking something off him.
Although it wasn't needed, Kaoru took a deep breath and made his way towards the head-vampire, his hand resting in Die's neck to guide him.
Die's eyes instantly locked at the man sitting on the throne, as he knew he was the reason why Kaoru had come after him in the first place. He was an impressive looking man with sharp features and cold, piercing eyes that seemed to see right through Die as he turned to look at him briefly. Involuntarily, the human shivered, even taking a step backwards before Kaoru stopped him.
Finally, the head-vampire's eyes were resting upon the purple-haired and his mouth curled into a wide, malicious grin. "Kaoru. I've been awaiting you a lot earlier."
Within the blink of an eye, he stood right in front of Kaoru, a claw-like hand grabbing his throat. Although Kaoru tried not to show any emotion, he couldn't prevent a shiver from running down his spine at the touch.
"You drank his blood," the head-vampire purred dangerously and ran his thumb to Kaoru's adams apple. "I had to." The purple-haired spoke slowly, not wanting to give away how much he feared the creature in front of him. "I got almost killed and would have never made it here if I hadn't taken his blood." He looked the other straight in the eye, displaying a strength that wasn't inside him at that moment.
"I know." As quickly as it had begun, it ended again and the head-vampire sat on his throne again. Relieved, Kaoru thought that the bond between him and his master didn't seem to be too strong anymore, that he couldn't read all his thoughts.
"So tell me, human." The vampire snickered and turned his attention to the redhead, his voice echoing loudly in the room. "Did you have a pleasant trip?"
"Not really." Die raised his chin defiantly, trying to keep his voice from shaking. It wasn't in his nature to just give in so easily, and although he was scared to death, he tried to act as if he wasn't.
"Not?" The old vampire arched an eyebrow and stood up, this time approaching the two slowly. "And I thought Kaoru here had made it as comfortable as possible for you. You must know, he always had this kind of compassion for the ones who are about to die."
Snickering, the master bore his long fangs and brought them close to Die's neck. "You're lucky that I chose him, the one with a soft spot for filthy human boys."
"Being in a small uncomfortable carriage and riding on a horseback isn't my idea of being comfortable in any way." The redhead shivered a bit, but didn't pull back, standing on his place like petrified.
Kaoru watched the scene, nervous because he didn't know what his master was up to, how much he really knew about what had happened, and was insanely afraid that he could just tear open the redhead's throat and drain him. However, his face didn't give away a single one of his thoughts.
"But the ship must have been comfortable. I know he allowed you to walk around freely." Kaoru jumped in, feeling the urge to say something. "Of course I did. Where should he have run? Besides, allowing the dying to see the sun for the rest of his remaining days was just a sign of my generosity."
"The ship was more comfortable," Die admitted, still not moving as he felt the master's breath on his skin, his fangs just inches away. "But the sailors were a little too friendly." His voice was almost completely steady as he somehow had got a grip of himself, the situation not feeling real anymore.
"Too friendly?" The master asked chuckling and with that scraped his teeth over the taut white skin. "They wanted you to be their girl. Who could blame them? At least I am sure that Kaoru didn't resist you either. He's too weak; falls easily for the living, for their warmth, their breath." The last sentence was spoken lowly and after he was finished, the vampire sank his teeth in Die's neck.
Kaoru almost yelped, wanted to interfere, but managed to hold back in the nick of time. Still, the other had noticed it and turned his head to face him, a few drops of blood staining his lips. "What? Still lusting after him?"
Knowing that it would be futile to deny it, the younger vampire nodded wordlessly. "Maybe I'll allow you to have your ways with him before he'll die. I didn't think about your reward for bringing him here just yet." The master took a few strands of red hair in his hand and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply. "He smells delicious and his blood is too. It will be hard to hold back and not to drain him before the ritual."
Die was biting his lip so hard that it hurt, trying to remain still and not to just run for his life. Having the head vampire drinking his blood had been somehow different from when Kaoru had done it, stirring an unpleasant feeling in his stomach as he felt like throwing up. Hearing the words about Kaoru's reward caused him to inhale instinctively, the mere thought of what they'd shared making him shiver. Quickly, he got a hold of himself again though and hoped it'd be interpreted as fear or disgust.
"I bet for you, Kaoru, he has other qualities than merely his blood." The older creature smirked, taking a step towards the smaller one. Only for a split second, Kaoru felt the warmth again which only the redhead could bring to his innermost, before he quickly dismissed the feeling, afraid his master could notice something. "He's just as good as any other human," he answered casually, not backing away.
"Really? I thought the chosen one would be better." The older vampire grinned again and suddenly grabbed Die's wrist. "At least his blood is. Never tasted something as sweet. Maybe I fall for human boys now too?"
Of course the words were meant to tease Kaoru and he knew it. With languidness, he shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you prefer more the cold and despise the heat of a warm, stained, body?" He knew the other well, had spent many years at his services, was his slave and bound to him because the other had drunken his blood and taken his life.
Instantly, the claw-like hand shot to the purple-haired's neck and pulled him closer. "You are right." The headmaster tilted his head and softly kissed Kaoru's lips. "I more prefer something like you. Cold and knowing what he wants, yet so sweetly submissive when you have to surrender to my powers."
An unpleasant shiver ran down the younger vampire's spine and he swallowed hard in disgust. He had never enjoyed sharing his bed with the other vampire and knew he only had done it to humiliate him, to show him he was nothing but a low ranked vampire amongst many others, nothing but a slave too. Somehow, Kaoru hoped Die wouldn't understand the words, wouldn't get the magnitude of the conversation.
There was something close to jealousy in the redhead as he saw the scene in front of him, heard the words the head vampire said. If he would've been able, he just had attacked the man and strangled him with his bare hands. But he knew it was of no use, and tried to calm down and shrug the words off as if they meant nothing to him. Though the images the head vampire's words brought to his mind made him shudder, an unpleasant lump rising in his throat.
If the creature had just spoken plain English, Die probably would've missed some of the conversation, but he had switched languages, apparently just to see how Die would react, and he had to hear it all spoken in his own language.
The master never left the redhead with his eyes while he spoke the words, still holding Kaoru close to himself without the other even showing a slight trace of resistance.
He had gone through this so many times already, had fought the powerful creature and tried to destroy the bond that bound him to the old vampire with his mere will. But never had he succeeded and it had taken him long until he had realized that he only pleased his master with his cat-fight, it only being something that entertained him.
After scraping his teeth over Kaoru's sensitive throat, bruises already showing where he had gripped him, he was finally released. "You must know," the old creature again addressed Die, "he still has too much of a human, yearns for it. He is tainted in mind though, as malicious and mean as a being can be. Promises his living, breathing slaves eternal love until he wins their trust. And then, when he has drained and turned them into one of his kind, he loses interest and kills them mercilessly. Be glad you're special or nothing could stop me from watching him toy with you. He's gorgeous, isn't he?"
"I know what he is." Die couldn't keep the disgust out of his voice, and quickly turned to look at Kaoru, hoping the headmaster would interpret it so that the feeling was directed to the younger vampire instead of the older. The most frustrating thing for him at that moment was that he would've so much wanted to just kill the head vampire, to tear him into small pieces and watch him suffer. But he knew he'd stand no chance, and thus didn't even try.
A faint smirk tugging the corners of his mouth, the powerful vampire turned to face Kaoru. "You can go and rest now. Let's talk about your reward tomorrow."
Shocked, Kaoru opened his mouth. "But-" He hung his head though and nodded simply. "Sure. I hope my room's still as I left it." Quickly, not daring to cast another glance at the redhead, he disappeared through another door, followed by a small hunched creature.
The head-vampire turned to face Die again and with a quick, barely noticeable movement, freed his hands. "You really do hate our kind, don't you? Would love to kill me, to rip me apart and pay me back the suffering and pain I brought over mankind throughout the years."
Almost gently, the creature guided his prisoner to the throne and forced him to sit down in the seat next to his own. "I can give you all the power you want, can give you immortality, wealth, whatever you desire." He turned his head, his eyes piercing right through the redhead. "Think about it. You'd be the second most powerful vampire on earth." With a smug smile, he added. "He could be your slave, if you want. You could pay him back too what he did to you or just enjoy his services."
For a moment Die looked pondering, casting his eyes somewhere far away before turning to meet the vampire's gaze. "And why should I trust a filthy, lying creature like you?" It was hard to look at the vampire straight, those eyes almost burning his own. But he didn't look away, forcing himself to hold the gaze.
At a moment's notice, a claw grabbed his throat, threatening to choke him. "Because I could kill you right away. See, I get the power this way or the other, I don't care. I somehow felt like you would want to become one of us to pay Kaoru back." Grinning and with a wink, he added. "I'd like to see that."
However, he suddenly stood up, a silent command summoning four tall vampires who were now approaching them. "Too bad that I don't have any more time. Enjoy your stay." With having said that, the head vampire vanished without Die being able to see where and how.
Anyways, two of the four vampires grabbed his upper arms and practically dragged him away. Only when the wooden door of his cell slammed shut behind him, Die was finally left alone.
That was the first moment when the desperation hit the redhead with full force. The head vampire was far too powerful, too strong so that he could have any chance against him ever. Hugging his knees tight to his chest he curled to sit on the floor in one corner of the small, dark room, hoping that at least Kaoru would be safe.
Indeed, Kaoru was safe, sitting in his private room and thinking about his human lover. He knew how easily his master could manipulate people, could make them believe whatever he wanted, especially the living. He feared that his master would sooner or later succeed in making Die believe that he had only toyed with him, or he would make him give away more about their relationship than was good.
Kaoru could still sense his lover's presence within the walls, could clearly make out where he was located although he wasn't supposed to be able to do that. Deep affection worked this miracle and with this thought, he finally managed to get some sleep.
Since there was no window in the small room where Die was locked up, he had no idea if it was night or day. No one even came to the cell for what felt like an eternity and the silence was beginning to drive him mad, get on his nerves seriously. There was nothing to do about it though and he just staid where he was, drifting off to sleep only when he was too exhausted to stay awake any longer.
But then soft noises tore through the night, whispering, whining and crying. They seemed to originate somewhere far away and yet were close to the redhead's ear. A woman sang a seductive tune and one could hear bare feet on the cold stones outside the cell.
Suddenly, the door was opened and the creature, a girl not older than 12 or 13 years, slid inside. She crawled close to Die and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You must save me. He is coming to get me. He will kill me."
The young man had just woken up a moment ago, and at first thought this was only a dream. But the girl felt awfully real, and he just looked at her helplessly. "How could I protect you? I'm a prisoner too."
"You must not believe him, must not trust him or mankind will be gone within the blink of an eye." She looked at him with huge eyes, fear clearly visible as she pressed her small, lithe body closer to his. "He is the true evil."
"I know." Die nodded, instantly assuming the girl was talking about the head vampire. "And I don't trust him."
"Good." She seemed to be only partly relieved though and again repeated. "You must not trust him. He is the true master, the most powerful-" Suddenly, she hushed and listened. "I need to go. They are coming, coming for me." Quickly, she kissed the redhead's cheek and then left the room.
The young man stared after her with slightly widened eyes, completely puzzled by the whole encounter. Who was that girl, and how in hell was she able to run around in the castle full of vampires like that? If it was that easy, what would prevent him from walking out as well?
It didn't take long and the door opened again. This time, Kaoru slid through the gap and approached the other man. When Die opened his mouth to say something, he put his index finger over his lips to signal him he should remain quiet. In a swift movement, the vampire pulled him up and crushed their mouths together in a rough kiss.
His touch was cold as usual and he seemed very determined. Within seconds, he had undone Die's trousers and dropped on his knees in front of him, a mysterious smile dancing on his lips.
At first Die had only been happy to see the other, his heart skipping a beat as saw the one he'd grown to love. But something was amiss in the situation, although he couldn't quite place it. He only knew something wasn't right, and it made him quickly slide to sit on the ground, hugging his knees close to himself. "No." His voice was a faint whisper only, as he shook his head at the one before him.
Kaoru looked at him with something between anger and disappointment. "It's only me," he whispered, gently unwrapping Die's hands from his knees and pulling him close into his arms. "I just want to please you. We don't know what'll happen and I wanted to pay you back this way at least once."
"But we know what will happen." Determinedly Die withdrew, pushing the other a bit away. There was something in the way the other talked that bothered him, although it was Kaoru's face, his voice, everything just like it ought to be.
"We do?" The creature arched an eyebrow questioningly. "What will happen?"
"Your master will wait until it's time before getting rid of me in that ritual." The redhead replied calmly, keeping an eye on the other and trying to find out if he was right and that it really wasn't Kaoru.
"What about our plan? Our love?" The vampire reached out his hand and softly touched Die's cheek with his cold fingertips.
"You know there is no plan." Die would've so much wanted to believe this was actually Kaoru talking to him, and just throw himself into his arms. But he knew that would've just been deceiving himself. "I don't even know what you're doing here."
"Now you're betraying me? Didn't you promise to trust me, and only me?" Quickly, the vampire stood up and made his way to the door. "Now if that's the case, then have a nice rest of your life. It's short enough anyways." With that, he left, obviously hurt and fuming.
Die bit his lower lip as the other walked out, hoping his instinct hadn't betrayed him and that it wasn't the real Kaoru who'd just visited him. He knew about the promise to trust only him though, and Die couldn't help but to doubt his own decision.
Nothing else happened that night or day, at least nobody paid Die a visit anymore. Everything around him seemed to have become awfully quiet as if the whole castle had fallen asleep. Only once, the door opened again and a small tray with water and a bit of dry bread was shoved inside the room. Then again, nothing happened in what felt like an eternity.
Just when Die had managed to fall asleep, two guards stepped into the cell, signalling him to follow them. The head vampire was awaiting him in another room of the castle, a huge, luxurious bedroom.
While Die stood at the end of the bed, he lay sprawled in the middle, smirking "So, chosen one, did you make a decision?"
"Make a decision?" Die bit the insides of his cheeks for a moment to calm down, both anger and fear shaking his foundation. "As far as I remember none of this has ever been freewilling."
"Too bad that you see it this way." The vampire tilted his head a bit, the smirk still there. A door was opened and two other vampires brought a young woman inside, dressed in only a white, practically see-through, night-gown. Her eyes were wide and she was petrified, seemingly unable to scream or fight her capturers anymore.
"You could've had everything with just a wink of your eye." Although he didn't move at all for Die's eyes, he suddenly held the woman in his arms and his lips were already stained by her blood that was spraying like a small fountain out of two deep punctual wounds on her neck. She whimpered and squirmed, but was easily held down by the powerful creature.
Instinctively Die took a step forwards, his eyes widened a bit. His thoughts were racing, trying to find a way to help the woman somehow, desperate as he came up with nothing. He had never really been forced to watch while a vampire fed on someone, and it made his stomach turn.
Pleased, the vampire noticed it and then let go off his victim. Instantly, there were other vampires, crawling on the bed, licking his bloodstained lips and begging him to leave the woman to them. Her eyes were wide and she locked her gaze on Die's, silent accusation laced into it since he only stood there.
With an almost unnoticeable nod, the master allowed his entourage to feed on her. They bit her ankles, her wrists and neck, feeding on her like a pack of lions fed on a gazelle.
"Why are you doing this?" Die had to close his eyes, not able to look at the sight before him. He knew it was of no use to say anything, and that the master vampire was just waiting for him to react, but he couldn't help himself. "Let her go."
"You think this is a show just for you?" The creature threw his head back, roaring with laughter. "This is dinner and the only purpose why she was born is to die and give me her blood. Why should I spare her? Do you want to take her place?" His mouth was dangerously close to Die's neck again and he licked it with a tongue that was warm from his victim's blood.
"Did Kaoru ever fuck you after feeding? Did you ever taste the blood and feel the heat that only then runs through our bodies, makes our hearts beat and causes a feeling which is a thousand times better than the best orgasm you ever had?"
He was toying with the redhead's shirt and ripped it open easily, running his sharp fingernails over the sensitive skin on his chest. "The human blood works miracles for us; is life itself that flows out of you and into us, eternal life."
Die turned his head away from the other, holding his eyes closed but didn't move otherwise. He knew what the vampire was talking about, had been there when the warm blood had still run through Kaoru after feeding, had marvelled how he could be so warm suddenly instead of the eternal coldness. He didn't say anything to the other about it though, only swallowing and hoping he'd draw back already.
"Not willing to sacrifice yourself to save such a poor young soul?" The master teased on, leaving a small cut on Die's chest from which instantly a few drops of blood flew. One of the lower vampires turned his head and came crawling towards them, his eyes displaying a hunger that wasn't of this world.
"Master, let me taste it, I beg you. It smells so delicious, so sweet." He hissed, but didn't dare to make another move towards the redhead.
Die opened his eyes only to look at the vampire at their feet, his eyes displaying something between disgust and fear. He couldn't stop himself anymore, and took a step backwards.
"You humans are all the same. Too frightened of death to face it and stand up for somebody else." The powerful vampire left another cut on the redhead's chest, then one on his stomach. He continued, until he was covered with a dozen of tiny bleeding wounds. "They hurt, don't they? More than one deep cut."
Teasingly slow, the master dragged his tongue over the bloody skin and then allowed his slave to taste him too. The woman meanwhile had closed her eyes, her chest had stopped rising and sinking and her heart wasn't beating anymore. Curiously, drawn by the smell of fresh, lively blood, the other predators came crawling towards Die as well, licking their lips and growling in anticipation.
Die couldn't help that his heart was racing in fear, his throat like laced up as he was surrounded by creatures of which one alone could've killed him. He tried to tell himself that they wouldn't dare to kill him, not before the ritual, but still he wasn't able to calm himself down completely.
The master took malicious delight in allowing his entourage to taste the redhead's blood, to cause him pain by sucking the wounds, by scratching the unharmed skin with their teeth in ecstasy.
Finally, he lifted his arm and demanded. "Enough." Without addressing the human again, he ordered two of his company to bring him back to the dungeon. This time, Die was thrown into a cell which was only a cage and had no real walls but was closed with thick iron bars.
There were more cages next to his and they were occupied as well. A pale girl reached her hand through the bars, moaning throatily as she smelled his wounds while in another cage next to him sat a young man who didn't move at all, only hugged his legs tightly to his chest, burying his face in his knees.
As the girl tried to reach for him Die instinctively jumped a bit away, his eyes widened in shock. He let his gaze wander around in the place he was in, and with everything he saw, he felt his heart sink. There were cages like his around him everywhere, almost each of them occupied, the smell of blood hanging thick in the air.
He settled for sitting in the middle of the cage, drawing his legs close to his chest, as this was the only way he was far enough from every other cage so that no one could reach to touch him.
Some of the people who surrounded him seemed to have already turned, some were still human but too weak to even speak a few words. There were mostly young people, some almost children and every once in a while, a guard appeared and took one of them away.
Meanwhile, Kaoru sat in his chamber since there wasn't much he could do anyways. He had tried to find out when the ritual would take place, but hadn't been successful so far. Only that it required new moon and it had to be during the day. But that, he had already known from the books they had read at the monastery.
It was beginning to be harder and harder on Die with each single moment he spent in the cage. Guards were taking people away, sometimes bringing them back bleeding and unable to move, sometimes not bringing them back at all. Every time he'd fallen asleep the girl in the next cage had managed to get a grip of him somehow, his ankle or his wrist, and had tried to bite him. This far he'd been able to always yank himself free, but it freaked him out nevertheless.
One time, a single vampire appeared and determinedly approached Die's cage. "Hey," he whispered, beckoning the redhead with a crooked index-finger. "I've got information for you."
"Yeah?" Die arched an eyebrow, but didn't move an inch, just carefully staid in the middle of his cage.
This precaution made the vampire smile. "My master has become suspicious. Come on, I show you what I mean." He opened the door and stepped aside, nodding invitingly. When Die hesitated still, he laughed. "What? Don't you think I could've already killed you if I wanted to?"
Not saying anything the redhead looked at the other suspiciously for a while, but then crawled out of his cage and stood up. His limbs hurt as he'd been curled into a ball practically in the small cage, and it took him a lot to control his legs.
Wordlessly, the vampire led him through a small tunnel, obviously a secret passage, which ended in a small room. There was seemingly no exit, but suddenly, the wall just swung aside and they stepped out into another dungeon. There were even windows high up above which, although blurred, gave away that it was broad daylight. "We're there." The vampire said, nodding towards a cell straight ahead of them. "Take a look."
"Take a look?" Die turned at the other, looking suspicious. "What do you want me to do? Go into that room?"
"Better not." The creature shook his head and opened a small window in the door. It allowed to see what was going on inside.
In the middle, his arms bound with heavy chains above his head, stood Kaoru, naked. The room was special and there was sun piercing through small gaps. Sometimes, the rays touched his skin and made him scream, practically burned him alive.
The redhead's eyes widened, and his first instinct was to break the door and get the other out of there. Still he got a hold of himself just in time, biting his lip and closing his eyes for a moment. "Why are you showing me this?" He questioned the one he was with, not even turning around to look at him.
"What do you think how master's wrath will look like when it comes to you? He Knows that Kaoru has taken you out, that he feels more attached to you than he should. This is only the beginning for him."
The purple haired vampire turned his head, looking at the small gap in the door with a pained expression on his face. His lips were trembling as he tried to form a word. "Die...?"
For a second Die just looked deep into Kaoru's eyes, his heart aching as he had to see him like that. But again there was this strange misplaced feeling as when Kaoru had visited him in his cell, and he couldn’t help but to think this was all just a set-up and nothing of this was real.
"Why should I care how his wrath will look like? I'm bound to die anyways." Collecting all of himself he turned his head away from the peephole, looking straight at the one who had brought him there.
The vampire held the gaze, looking almost casual. "Because you might prefer a painless, quick death than facing what master can make you go through. I swear, he can make you do everything he wants." There was something honest in the other's gaze, although there were no emotions hidden in the depths of his black eyes.
"I appreciate the concern." Die looked at the other honestly. "But I don't think I could kill myself if that's what you mean by quick death."
"No, all I say is that you shouldn't try to resist the master and do as he says without questioning it." Gently, the vampire grabbed Die's upper arm and led him away from the cell where Kaoru was screaming now as the sun had obviously turned. "There's nothing you can do for him anyways. Maybe master will have mercy."
Every single scream that reached his ears made Die flinch inwardly, as he could just pray that he was right and that it wasn't Kaoru who was being tortured like that. If he'd been sure it was really the purple haired vampire he knew, there would've been nothing to keep him from at least trying to help.
Author:
seinen_no and fonulynRating: NC17
Pairing: Die and Kaoru
Disclaimer: We own no one, only our dirty imaginations.
Comments:
seinen_no: Dears, I'm deeply sorry that you had to wait so long for this chap. I hope you still remember the rest of the fic^^ It's my fault for it was my duty to edit it first... Well, I somehow really liked this chapter, because finally one gets to meet the master vampire and it's nearing its end. There'll only be one more chap. So enjoy^^
fonulyn: Apologies for taking so long, but we totally had so much to do that distracted from this. So I beg for forgiveness^^; Anyways, I really like this chapter somehow, its mood and everything. So I hope you enjoy as much as I did!Previously happened: The thin line between fate, coincidence and stupidity , Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
Chapter 7
After thanking the monk again for several times the two left to go on with their journey. It would only take a few days now before they'd reach the hideout Kaoru's master was occupying, and they tried to travel at a decent pace, without hurrying too much.
It had begun to snow heavily now which made the night brighter, let the forests and meadows look enchanted. But it was hard for Die to stay in the saddle all night and because the days were so short lately, they could ride for longer. From time to time, he reminded the vampire of his mortality and then they stopped to eat something at a small inn or made a campfire to warm them.
Subconsciously Die staid close to his companion all the time, no matter if they were riding or having a break, eating or sleeping. The only times when he was left alone were when the vampire needed to hunt, and then he dug out the small crucifix, just in case. The monk's salve proved to be an excellent help, and it was much thanks to it that Die managed to get through the aches with so little troubles after all.
They were trying to live life to the fullest during this journey, unsure how everything would turn out in the end. Neither Kaoru nor Die dared to hope for too much, and the realization that both their end could come soon, added some desperation to their actions.
So even during the days, they slept little and 'sinned' a lot as Die called it. It had become one of his favourite words and he was always laughing freely when he used it. Despite that, they both were trying to stay awake to imprint every moment into their memories, to enjoy it and perceive it with all their senses. The vampire had never thought that it could feel so good just to lie in somebody's arms, just to be close to somebody like this.
Die had never really wasted a thought of how short life actually was and how everything needed to end eventually. But now that they were lying entangled together and just enjoying each other's proximity, it struck him how badly he wanted these moments to last, how much he was already fearing the day when they would finally reach the end of this journey.
One night, they were riding side by side, until shortly before dawn, both lost in deep thoughts. "This will be our last day." Kaoru announced sadly and stopped his horse to look at the redhead. There was something final in his words, something that again brought the realization for both that they didn't know if they would ever be together again after this; if they would live through this.
"So let's live it like that." Die looked the other in the eye, affection clear in his gaze. "Make sure it's all worth it." He couldn't help that he was terribly nervous, but still managed to smile slightly at the vampire.
That day, their shelter was an abandoned house. Usually, shepards lived there during summer, but now they had left it to go to their winter residences. It was simple, small and dark, smelled like hay, sheep and cold fire.
But neither of them cared when they slipped into one of the simple beds, exchanging feverish kisses that managed to make them forget fate for a few blissful moments. Afterwards they just laid there close to each other, trying to enjoy the last moments of togetherness.
To his own surprise, Die had to admit that he didn't regret anything they had gone through, wouldn't want to turn back time so that he could live a normal life in his hometown. This was all worth experiencing, and at least he got to know the other man.
When the night rode in and they got ready to cross the last distance, Kaoru pulled him into his arms once more and closed his eyes. "Please, please Die. Run and save yourself." He knew it was futile, but still he had to try.
"You know I won't." The redhead pulled back a bit, just enough so that he was able to initiate a deep, desperate kiss.
Instinctively, the purple-haired man grabbed a few strands in the back of his lover's head, holding him close. He didn't want to go on, felt as if his heart was gripped tightly and squeezed. But he knew that Die wouldn't allow him to back off and for some reason, he couldn't stand up against him, had no strength when it came to him. After they parted, they saddled their horses and headed towards the castle.
They didn't exchange many words during the short ride, and the silence wasn't exactly one of the comfortable kind. The melancholy was hanging heavy in the air between them, and they were taking short glances at each other constantly, like trying to memorize every second of the last journey.
They only had talked vaguely about what they'd do once reaching the castle, and so they just needed to trust each other that when the right time came they'd be able to work together instantly.
When they already saw the massive building with its four defence towers, Kaoru slowed down until their horses were going at an easy pace. "When they bring you to the dungeon and there are other prisoners as well, don't listen to them, don't talk to them and above all, don't trust them." He spoke without looking at the redheaded man beside him and only kept his eyes straight ahead.
"And Die," this time he turned his head to face the other, "don't pay attention to what's happening to them. You need to trust me. I'll try to protect you until ..." He took a deep breath, casting his eyes down. "... until the ritual. At least until then, he won't harm you and might only want to frighten you."
"Okay. So don't trust anyone and don't pay attention to what's happening, right?" Die nodded seriously, storing the information in his mind. He didn't know what was waiting for him in the dungeon, after all he'd never even left his hometown before this trip, but he was sure he could survive through it if he tried hard enough.
"I really mean it. You might see things that aren't real, only a trick on the mind and others are very very real but I don't want you to witness them."
Suddenly, the vampire reached out his hand and grabbed the redhead's wrist. "I will now bind you. We're almost there." Again, he gazed deeply into the young man's eyes, got lost in their depths for a moment. "Just trust me."
The redhead nodded, taking a deep breath, subconsciously preparing himself for what was to come. "So this is it. Now the real deal begins."
Kaoru had a bad feeling about this whole thing and if he hadn't been sure that Die would stubbornly stick to his stupid plan, he would suggest again that both of them should run. But instead, he tied the other's hands and took the rains of his horse to guide it the last hundred meters.
He knew that Die had no idea what he had committed himself to, had not even the slightest hint of what would await him. But when they approached the huge gate which seemed to open on its own, it was too late to back off.
Slowly, devoutly, they crossed the yard that was only lit by the silverish light of the moon which shone round and full up above. No living soul was to be seen, not even an undead.
In front of the entrance to a small passage that led inside the castle, Kaoru halted his horse and jumped off it. He grabbed his companion's jacket in the back and yanked him off the saddle as well, his eyes and senses directed at the dark corners and recesses. They surely weren't alone here.
Die had no idea that there was someone else around besides the two of them, but he sensed that the vampire was focused on something and therefore kept quiet and just tried to listen. He knew that if another vampire sneaked up on them he'd never hear him before he wanted to be heard, but still he had to try. The whole place made him utterly nervous already, but he tried to appear strong.
An ungentle shove in the back made him stumble forward a few steps into the passage-way. Kaoru was right behind him, kept his hand securely on his shoulder. Nobody could see that he squeezed it encouragingly when another door opened before them and they entered the castle.
Torches lit the huge entrance-hall dimly, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Out of nowhere, a small figure appeared in front of them, a blonde woman with pearly white skin and dark red lips. She was clad in a long black dress that revealed her perfect chest which didn't rise and fall with the usual respiration for a human being.
She bowed slightly in front of the purple-haired vampire, her smile cocky and once her eyes met Die's, predatory. "So you finally arrived, Kaoru. Master was very displeased about the delay."
She spoke English, and her lips didn't seem to move as the words were resonating in the air clearly. Kaoru displayed one of his secure grins. "That filthy human's more clever than one might think. He managed to escape more than once. Besides, Daria," he drawled, his voice nothing but a low purr, "I don't think the master would tell YOU anything, slave."
The woman's eyes narrowed as she glared at him through small slits. But when he took a step forward, right towards her, she backed off and made way.
Die didn't even completely listen to the short conversation, trying to calm himself down and get used to the surroundings. He didn't show it in any way, but Kaoru's presence soothed him considerably, and he managed to suppress the instinct to fight and run. Despite knowing it'd be futile, that's what he would've done if he didn't trust the other this much.
The place looked empty, but something told him they weren't alone, that those dark recesses weren't as empty as they seemed to be. Indeed, the walls had eyes and if one looked very closely, one could see a suspicious glimmer lighting up in the shadows here and there.
They crossed the huge hall and stopped in front of a door which was at least four men high. At that moment, Kaoru wished he had been a vampire of higher rank, one who could communicate through telepathy. However, there was no chance to prepare his companion again, to tell him that he shouldn't be afraid.
The door was opened by two small creatures who bowed lowly. At the other end of the room one could see a throne and indeed it was occupied by a huge figure who sat there, his legs crossed nonchalantly while two women were at his feet, kissing his hands and obviously asking something off him.
Although it wasn't needed, Kaoru took a deep breath and made his way towards the head-vampire, his hand resting in Die's neck to guide him.
Die's eyes instantly locked at the man sitting on the throne, as he knew he was the reason why Kaoru had come after him in the first place. He was an impressive looking man with sharp features and cold, piercing eyes that seemed to see right through Die as he turned to look at him briefly. Involuntarily, the human shivered, even taking a step backwards before Kaoru stopped him.
Finally, the head-vampire's eyes were resting upon the purple-haired and his mouth curled into a wide, malicious grin. "Kaoru. I've been awaiting you a lot earlier."
Within the blink of an eye, he stood right in front of Kaoru, a claw-like hand grabbing his throat. Although Kaoru tried not to show any emotion, he couldn't prevent a shiver from running down his spine at the touch.
"You drank his blood," the head-vampire purred dangerously and ran his thumb to Kaoru's adams apple. "I had to." The purple-haired spoke slowly, not wanting to give away how much he feared the creature in front of him. "I got almost killed and would have never made it here if I hadn't taken his blood." He looked the other straight in the eye, displaying a strength that wasn't inside him at that moment.
"I know." As quickly as it had begun, it ended again and the head-vampire sat on his throne again. Relieved, Kaoru thought that the bond between him and his master didn't seem to be too strong anymore, that he couldn't read all his thoughts.
"So tell me, human." The vampire snickered and turned his attention to the redhead, his voice echoing loudly in the room. "Did you have a pleasant trip?"
"Not really." Die raised his chin defiantly, trying to keep his voice from shaking. It wasn't in his nature to just give in so easily, and although he was scared to death, he tried to act as if he wasn't.
"Not?" The old vampire arched an eyebrow and stood up, this time approaching the two slowly. "And I thought Kaoru here had made it as comfortable as possible for you. You must know, he always had this kind of compassion for the ones who are about to die."
Snickering, the master bore his long fangs and brought them close to Die's neck. "You're lucky that I chose him, the one with a soft spot for filthy human boys."
"Being in a small uncomfortable carriage and riding on a horseback isn't my idea of being comfortable in any way." The redhead shivered a bit, but didn't pull back, standing on his place like petrified.
Kaoru watched the scene, nervous because he didn't know what his master was up to, how much he really knew about what had happened, and was insanely afraid that he could just tear open the redhead's throat and drain him. However, his face didn't give away a single one of his thoughts.
"But the ship must have been comfortable. I know he allowed you to walk around freely." Kaoru jumped in, feeling the urge to say something. "Of course I did. Where should he have run? Besides, allowing the dying to see the sun for the rest of his remaining days was just a sign of my generosity."
"The ship was more comfortable," Die admitted, still not moving as he felt the master's breath on his skin, his fangs just inches away. "But the sailors were a little too friendly." His voice was almost completely steady as he somehow had got a grip of himself, the situation not feeling real anymore.
"Too friendly?" The master asked chuckling and with that scraped his teeth over the taut white skin. "They wanted you to be their girl. Who could blame them? At least I am sure that Kaoru didn't resist you either. He's too weak; falls easily for the living, for their warmth, their breath." The last sentence was spoken lowly and after he was finished, the vampire sank his teeth in Die's neck.
Kaoru almost yelped, wanted to interfere, but managed to hold back in the nick of time. Still, the other had noticed it and turned his head to face him, a few drops of blood staining his lips. "What? Still lusting after him?"
Knowing that it would be futile to deny it, the younger vampire nodded wordlessly. "Maybe I'll allow you to have your ways with him before he'll die. I didn't think about your reward for bringing him here just yet." The master took a few strands of red hair in his hand and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply. "He smells delicious and his blood is too. It will be hard to hold back and not to drain him before the ritual."
Die was biting his lip so hard that it hurt, trying to remain still and not to just run for his life. Having the head vampire drinking his blood had been somehow different from when Kaoru had done it, stirring an unpleasant feeling in his stomach as he felt like throwing up. Hearing the words about Kaoru's reward caused him to inhale instinctively, the mere thought of what they'd shared making him shiver. Quickly, he got a hold of himself again though and hoped it'd be interpreted as fear or disgust.
"I bet for you, Kaoru, he has other qualities than merely his blood." The older creature smirked, taking a step towards the smaller one. Only for a split second, Kaoru felt the warmth again which only the redhead could bring to his innermost, before he quickly dismissed the feeling, afraid his master could notice something. "He's just as good as any other human," he answered casually, not backing away.
"Really? I thought the chosen one would be better." The older vampire grinned again and suddenly grabbed Die's wrist. "At least his blood is. Never tasted something as sweet. Maybe I fall for human boys now too?"
Of course the words were meant to tease Kaoru and he knew it. With languidness, he shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you prefer more the cold and despise the heat of a warm, stained, body?" He knew the other well, had spent many years at his services, was his slave and bound to him because the other had drunken his blood and taken his life.
Instantly, the claw-like hand shot to the purple-haired's neck and pulled him closer. "You are right." The headmaster tilted his head and softly kissed Kaoru's lips. "I more prefer something like you. Cold and knowing what he wants, yet so sweetly submissive when you have to surrender to my powers."
An unpleasant shiver ran down the younger vampire's spine and he swallowed hard in disgust. He had never enjoyed sharing his bed with the other vampire and knew he only had done it to humiliate him, to show him he was nothing but a low ranked vampire amongst many others, nothing but a slave too. Somehow, Kaoru hoped Die wouldn't understand the words, wouldn't get the magnitude of the conversation.
There was something close to jealousy in the redhead as he saw the scene in front of him, heard the words the head vampire said. If he would've been able, he just had attacked the man and strangled him with his bare hands. But he knew it was of no use, and tried to calm down and shrug the words off as if they meant nothing to him. Though the images the head vampire's words brought to his mind made him shudder, an unpleasant lump rising in his throat.
If the creature had just spoken plain English, Die probably would've missed some of the conversation, but he had switched languages, apparently just to see how Die would react, and he had to hear it all spoken in his own language.
The master never left the redhead with his eyes while he spoke the words, still holding Kaoru close to himself without the other even showing a slight trace of resistance.
He had gone through this so many times already, had fought the powerful creature and tried to destroy the bond that bound him to the old vampire with his mere will. But never had he succeeded and it had taken him long until he had realized that he only pleased his master with his cat-fight, it only being something that entertained him.
After scraping his teeth over Kaoru's sensitive throat, bruises already showing where he had gripped him, he was finally released. "You must know," the old creature again addressed Die, "he still has too much of a human, yearns for it. He is tainted in mind though, as malicious and mean as a being can be. Promises his living, breathing slaves eternal love until he wins their trust. And then, when he has drained and turned them into one of his kind, he loses interest and kills them mercilessly. Be glad you're special or nothing could stop me from watching him toy with you. He's gorgeous, isn't he?"
"I know what he is." Die couldn't keep the disgust out of his voice, and quickly turned to look at Kaoru, hoping the headmaster would interpret it so that the feeling was directed to the younger vampire instead of the older. The most frustrating thing for him at that moment was that he would've so much wanted to just kill the head vampire, to tear him into small pieces and watch him suffer. But he knew he'd stand no chance, and thus didn't even try.
A faint smirk tugging the corners of his mouth, the powerful vampire turned to face Kaoru. "You can go and rest now. Let's talk about your reward tomorrow."
Shocked, Kaoru opened his mouth. "But-" He hung his head though and nodded simply. "Sure. I hope my room's still as I left it." Quickly, not daring to cast another glance at the redhead, he disappeared through another door, followed by a small hunched creature.
The head-vampire turned to face Die again and with a quick, barely noticeable movement, freed his hands. "You really do hate our kind, don't you? Would love to kill me, to rip me apart and pay me back the suffering and pain I brought over mankind throughout the years."
Almost gently, the creature guided his prisoner to the throne and forced him to sit down in the seat next to his own. "I can give you all the power you want, can give you immortality, wealth, whatever you desire." He turned his head, his eyes piercing right through the redhead. "Think about it. You'd be the second most powerful vampire on earth." With a smug smile, he added. "He could be your slave, if you want. You could pay him back too what he did to you or just enjoy his services."
For a moment Die looked pondering, casting his eyes somewhere far away before turning to meet the vampire's gaze. "And why should I trust a filthy, lying creature like you?" It was hard to look at the vampire straight, those eyes almost burning his own. But he didn't look away, forcing himself to hold the gaze.
At a moment's notice, a claw grabbed his throat, threatening to choke him. "Because I could kill you right away. See, I get the power this way or the other, I don't care. I somehow felt like you would want to become one of us to pay Kaoru back." Grinning and with a wink, he added. "I'd like to see that."
However, he suddenly stood up, a silent command summoning four tall vampires who were now approaching them. "Too bad that I don't have any more time. Enjoy your stay." With having said that, the head vampire vanished without Die being able to see where and how.
Anyways, two of the four vampires grabbed his upper arms and practically dragged him away. Only when the wooden door of his cell slammed shut behind him, Die was finally left alone.
That was the first moment when the desperation hit the redhead with full force. The head vampire was far too powerful, too strong so that he could have any chance against him ever. Hugging his knees tight to his chest he curled to sit on the floor in one corner of the small, dark room, hoping that at least Kaoru would be safe.
Indeed, Kaoru was safe, sitting in his private room and thinking about his human lover. He knew how easily his master could manipulate people, could make them believe whatever he wanted, especially the living. He feared that his master would sooner or later succeed in making Die believe that he had only toyed with him, or he would make him give away more about their relationship than was good.
Kaoru could still sense his lover's presence within the walls, could clearly make out where he was located although he wasn't supposed to be able to do that. Deep affection worked this miracle and with this thought, he finally managed to get some sleep.
Since there was no window in the small room where Die was locked up, he had no idea if it was night or day. No one even came to the cell for what felt like an eternity and the silence was beginning to drive him mad, get on his nerves seriously. There was nothing to do about it though and he just staid where he was, drifting off to sleep only when he was too exhausted to stay awake any longer.
But then soft noises tore through the night, whispering, whining and crying. They seemed to originate somewhere far away and yet were close to the redhead's ear. A woman sang a seductive tune and one could hear bare feet on the cold stones outside the cell.
Suddenly, the door was opened and the creature, a girl not older than 12 or 13 years, slid inside. She crawled close to Die and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You must save me. He is coming to get me. He will kill me."
The young man had just woken up a moment ago, and at first thought this was only a dream. But the girl felt awfully real, and he just looked at her helplessly. "How could I protect you? I'm a prisoner too."
"You must not believe him, must not trust him or mankind will be gone within the blink of an eye." She looked at him with huge eyes, fear clearly visible as she pressed her small, lithe body closer to his. "He is the true evil."
"I know." Die nodded, instantly assuming the girl was talking about the head vampire. "And I don't trust him."
"Good." She seemed to be only partly relieved though and again repeated. "You must not trust him. He is the true master, the most powerful-" Suddenly, she hushed and listened. "I need to go. They are coming, coming for me." Quickly, she kissed the redhead's cheek and then left the room.
The young man stared after her with slightly widened eyes, completely puzzled by the whole encounter. Who was that girl, and how in hell was she able to run around in the castle full of vampires like that? If it was that easy, what would prevent him from walking out as well?
It didn't take long and the door opened again. This time, Kaoru slid through the gap and approached the other man. When Die opened his mouth to say something, he put his index finger over his lips to signal him he should remain quiet. In a swift movement, the vampire pulled him up and crushed their mouths together in a rough kiss.
His touch was cold as usual and he seemed very determined. Within seconds, he had undone Die's trousers and dropped on his knees in front of him, a mysterious smile dancing on his lips.
At first Die had only been happy to see the other, his heart skipping a beat as saw the one he'd grown to love. But something was amiss in the situation, although he couldn't quite place it. He only knew something wasn't right, and it made him quickly slide to sit on the ground, hugging his knees close to himself. "No." His voice was a faint whisper only, as he shook his head at the one before him.
Kaoru looked at him with something between anger and disappointment. "It's only me," he whispered, gently unwrapping Die's hands from his knees and pulling him close into his arms. "I just want to please you. We don't know what'll happen and I wanted to pay you back this way at least once."
"But we know what will happen." Determinedly Die withdrew, pushing the other a bit away. There was something in the way the other talked that bothered him, although it was Kaoru's face, his voice, everything just like it ought to be.
"We do?" The creature arched an eyebrow questioningly. "What will happen?"
"Your master will wait until it's time before getting rid of me in that ritual." The redhead replied calmly, keeping an eye on the other and trying to find out if he was right and that it really wasn't Kaoru.
"What about our plan? Our love?" The vampire reached out his hand and softly touched Die's cheek with his cold fingertips.
"You know there is no plan." Die would've so much wanted to believe this was actually Kaoru talking to him, and just throw himself into his arms. But he knew that would've just been deceiving himself. "I don't even know what you're doing here."
"Now you're betraying me? Didn't you promise to trust me, and only me?" Quickly, the vampire stood up and made his way to the door. "Now if that's the case, then have a nice rest of your life. It's short enough anyways." With that, he left, obviously hurt and fuming.
Die bit his lower lip as the other walked out, hoping his instinct hadn't betrayed him and that it wasn't the real Kaoru who'd just visited him. He knew about the promise to trust only him though, and Die couldn't help but to doubt his own decision.
Nothing else happened that night or day, at least nobody paid Die a visit anymore. Everything around him seemed to have become awfully quiet as if the whole castle had fallen asleep. Only once, the door opened again and a small tray with water and a bit of dry bread was shoved inside the room. Then again, nothing happened in what felt like an eternity.
Just when Die had managed to fall asleep, two guards stepped into the cell, signalling him to follow them. The head vampire was awaiting him in another room of the castle, a huge, luxurious bedroom.
While Die stood at the end of the bed, he lay sprawled in the middle, smirking "So, chosen one, did you make a decision?"
"Make a decision?" Die bit the insides of his cheeks for a moment to calm down, both anger and fear shaking his foundation. "As far as I remember none of this has ever been freewilling."
"Too bad that you see it this way." The vampire tilted his head a bit, the smirk still there. A door was opened and two other vampires brought a young woman inside, dressed in only a white, practically see-through, night-gown. Her eyes were wide and she was petrified, seemingly unable to scream or fight her capturers anymore.
"You could've had everything with just a wink of your eye." Although he didn't move at all for Die's eyes, he suddenly held the woman in his arms and his lips were already stained by her blood that was spraying like a small fountain out of two deep punctual wounds on her neck. She whimpered and squirmed, but was easily held down by the powerful creature.
Instinctively Die took a step forwards, his eyes widened a bit. His thoughts were racing, trying to find a way to help the woman somehow, desperate as he came up with nothing. He had never really been forced to watch while a vampire fed on someone, and it made his stomach turn.
Pleased, the vampire noticed it and then let go off his victim. Instantly, there were other vampires, crawling on the bed, licking his bloodstained lips and begging him to leave the woman to them. Her eyes were wide and she locked her gaze on Die's, silent accusation laced into it since he only stood there.
With an almost unnoticeable nod, the master allowed his entourage to feed on her. They bit her ankles, her wrists and neck, feeding on her like a pack of lions fed on a gazelle.
"Why are you doing this?" Die had to close his eyes, not able to look at the sight before him. He knew it was of no use to say anything, and that the master vampire was just waiting for him to react, but he couldn't help himself. "Let her go."
"You think this is a show just for you?" The creature threw his head back, roaring with laughter. "This is dinner and the only purpose why she was born is to die and give me her blood. Why should I spare her? Do you want to take her place?" His mouth was dangerously close to Die's neck again and he licked it with a tongue that was warm from his victim's blood.
"Did Kaoru ever fuck you after feeding? Did you ever taste the blood and feel the heat that only then runs through our bodies, makes our hearts beat and causes a feeling which is a thousand times better than the best orgasm you ever had?"
He was toying with the redhead's shirt and ripped it open easily, running his sharp fingernails over the sensitive skin on his chest. "The human blood works miracles for us; is life itself that flows out of you and into us, eternal life."
Die turned his head away from the other, holding his eyes closed but didn't move otherwise. He knew what the vampire was talking about, had been there when the warm blood had still run through Kaoru after feeding, had marvelled how he could be so warm suddenly instead of the eternal coldness. He didn't say anything to the other about it though, only swallowing and hoping he'd draw back already.
"Not willing to sacrifice yourself to save such a poor young soul?" The master teased on, leaving a small cut on Die's chest from which instantly a few drops of blood flew. One of the lower vampires turned his head and came crawling towards them, his eyes displaying a hunger that wasn't of this world.
"Master, let me taste it, I beg you. It smells so delicious, so sweet." He hissed, but didn't dare to make another move towards the redhead.
Die opened his eyes only to look at the vampire at their feet, his eyes displaying something between disgust and fear. He couldn't stop himself anymore, and took a step backwards.
"You humans are all the same. Too frightened of death to face it and stand up for somebody else." The powerful vampire left another cut on the redhead's chest, then one on his stomach. He continued, until he was covered with a dozen of tiny bleeding wounds. "They hurt, don't they? More than one deep cut."
Teasingly slow, the master dragged his tongue over the bloody skin and then allowed his slave to taste him too. The woman meanwhile had closed her eyes, her chest had stopped rising and sinking and her heart wasn't beating anymore. Curiously, drawn by the smell of fresh, lively blood, the other predators came crawling towards Die as well, licking their lips and growling in anticipation.
Die couldn't help that his heart was racing in fear, his throat like laced up as he was surrounded by creatures of which one alone could've killed him. He tried to tell himself that they wouldn't dare to kill him, not before the ritual, but still he wasn't able to calm himself down completely.
The master took malicious delight in allowing his entourage to taste the redhead's blood, to cause him pain by sucking the wounds, by scratching the unharmed skin with their teeth in ecstasy.
Finally, he lifted his arm and demanded. "Enough." Without addressing the human again, he ordered two of his company to bring him back to the dungeon. This time, Die was thrown into a cell which was only a cage and had no real walls but was closed with thick iron bars.
There were more cages next to his and they were occupied as well. A pale girl reached her hand through the bars, moaning throatily as she smelled his wounds while in another cage next to him sat a young man who didn't move at all, only hugged his legs tightly to his chest, burying his face in his knees.
As the girl tried to reach for him Die instinctively jumped a bit away, his eyes widened in shock. He let his gaze wander around in the place he was in, and with everything he saw, he felt his heart sink. There were cages like his around him everywhere, almost each of them occupied, the smell of blood hanging thick in the air.
He settled for sitting in the middle of the cage, drawing his legs close to his chest, as this was the only way he was far enough from every other cage so that no one could reach to touch him.
Some of the people who surrounded him seemed to have already turned, some were still human but too weak to even speak a few words. There were mostly young people, some almost children and every once in a while, a guard appeared and took one of them away.
Meanwhile, Kaoru sat in his chamber since there wasn't much he could do anyways. He had tried to find out when the ritual would take place, but hadn't been successful so far. Only that it required new moon and it had to be during the day. But that, he had already known from the books they had read at the monastery.
It was beginning to be harder and harder on Die with each single moment he spent in the cage. Guards were taking people away, sometimes bringing them back bleeding and unable to move, sometimes not bringing them back at all. Every time he'd fallen asleep the girl in the next cage had managed to get a grip of him somehow, his ankle or his wrist, and had tried to bite him. This far he'd been able to always yank himself free, but it freaked him out nevertheless.
One time, a single vampire appeared and determinedly approached Die's cage. "Hey," he whispered, beckoning the redhead with a crooked index-finger. "I've got information for you."
"Yeah?" Die arched an eyebrow, but didn't move an inch, just carefully staid in the middle of his cage.
This precaution made the vampire smile. "My master has become suspicious. Come on, I show you what I mean." He opened the door and stepped aside, nodding invitingly. When Die hesitated still, he laughed. "What? Don't you think I could've already killed you if I wanted to?"
Not saying anything the redhead looked at the other suspiciously for a while, but then crawled out of his cage and stood up. His limbs hurt as he'd been curled into a ball practically in the small cage, and it took him a lot to control his legs.
Wordlessly, the vampire led him through a small tunnel, obviously a secret passage, which ended in a small room. There was seemingly no exit, but suddenly, the wall just swung aside and they stepped out into another dungeon. There were even windows high up above which, although blurred, gave away that it was broad daylight. "We're there." The vampire said, nodding towards a cell straight ahead of them. "Take a look."
"Take a look?" Die turned at the other, looking suspicious. "What do you want me to do? Go into that room?"
"Better not." The creature shook his head and opened a small window in the door. It allowed to see what was going on inside.
In the middle, his arms bound with heavy chains above his head, stood Kaoru, naked. The room was special and there was sun piercing through small gaps. Sometimes, the rays touched his skin and made him scream, practically burned him alive.
The redhead's eyes widened, and his first instinct was to break the door and get the other out of there. Still he got a hold of himself just in time, biting his lip and closing his eyes for a moment. "Why are you showing me this?" He questioned the one he was with, not even turning around to look at him.
"What do you think how master's wrath will look like when it comes to you? He Knows that Kaoru has taken you out, that he feels more attached to you than he should. This is only the beginning for him."
The purple haired vampire turned his head, looking at the small gap in the door with a pained expression on his face. His lips were trembling as he tried to form a word. "Die...?"
For a second Die just looked deep into Kaoru's eyes, his heart aching as he had to see him like that. But again there was this strange misplaced feeling as when Kaoru had visited him in his cell, and he couldn’t help but to think this was all just a set-up and nothing of this was real.
"Why should I care how his wrath will look like? I'm bound to die anyways." Collecting all of himself he turned his head away from the peephole, looking straight at the one who had brought him there.
The vampire held the gaze, looking almost casual. "Because you might prefer a painless, quick death than facing what master can make you go through. I swear, he can make you do everything he wants." There was something honest in the other's gaze, although there were no emotions hidden in the depths of his black eyes.
"I appreciate the concern." Die looked at the other honestly. "But I don't think I could kill myself if that's what you mean by quick death."
"No, all I say is that you shouldn't try to resist the master and do as he says without questioning it." Gently, the vampire grabbed Die's upper arm and led him away from the cell where Kaoru was screaming now as the sun had obviously turned. "There's nothing you can do for him anyways. Maybe master will have mercy."
Every single scream that reached his ears made Die flinch inwardly, as he could just pray that he was right and that it wasn't Kaoru who was being tortured like that. If he'd been sure it was really the purple haired vampire he knew, there would've been nothing to keep him from at least trying to help.