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thecyrulik · 2 years

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Deep

Here is the second chapter of this fanfic story for @whumpy-writings's Of Vampires And Men! There's gonna be at least 2 more, I think!

Chapter 1 here!

Content warning: institutionalized slavery, some dehumanization, environmental whump, fear of drowning, blood drinking, drugging (vampire venom)

Hooves stomping angrily on puddles of mud just outside the tent woke Arek up. It took him a moment to realize it was not yet fully dark out, and so he breathed out a sigh of relief. He didn’t know those two vampires very well and had no idea how they might react to him sleeping in or giving the impression of being lazy. If he were bitten, they might have been more lenient – he wasn’t sure about the black-haired one, but the older one seemed to know a thing or two about how humans reacted to feedings. He would be okay with Arek sleeping a little longer – if only he were bitten. Not that Arek enjoyed the bites, of course, but there was safety in being so out of it due to being drained, they just left you alone.

He sat up unhappily and noticed he was the only one still inside the tent. The other two sleeping bags were rolled up already and all the blankets folded neatly, military style. The chain on his ankle was also gone, which surprised him even more. For a little while he just sat there, thinking about the other night and what might happen to him soon. The young vampire seemed normal – or rather not normal, but pleasantly non-cruel. The older one, in the rank of a captain, was odd. Arek had yet to decide if it was a good kind of odd, though.

Guess he’d figure it out soon.

Not knowing what else to do, he crawled out of the tent to see the captain sitting by the smoldering firepit, about to start shaving. The vampire was clothed only in breeches and a plain shirt. Arek shivered, jealous of the leech's immunity to cold. After a careful glance to make sure neither of the vampires wanted anything of him yet, he got into the tent again to fish out his thin jacket, then put it on. After a thought, he folded his sleeping bag and the spare blanket, doing his best to copy the way the vampires did it. No need to risk getting in trouble for petty reasons, after all.

“Evenin’, 218,” the captain’s voice welcomed him. Arek figured he had no other choice but to go with his strange attitude towards humans, and answered, “Good evening, sir.”

Sure, let’s go with that. If the vampire wanted to play buddies, Arek was fine with that, as long as it kept him in a good mood. He didn’t dare hope it would last – it almost never did, they always got bored with being friendly pretty fast. Still, it was nice while it lasted. He only had to survive 2 or 3 weeks and then he’d probably end up in another feeding tent. Such was life.

The younger vampire, Briggs, was tending to the mule – the one Arek had nicknamed Betsy to help himself bear the journey easier. The animal was, as always, completely focused on eating all the green parts of plants she could reach, not caring much for the vampire’s warning pulls on her reins. Arek stood there for a second or two, trying to make sure the mule was treated right. It’s not like he could do anything about it, but it seemed like those particular vampires treated their livestock right, considering how both Betsy and Arek were still in a rather good shape.

“We’re getting going as soon as I finish shaving and the corporal packs us up. As far as I know, you guys eat much more often than we do, so grab a snack if you want to, because we’ll be walking all night soon,” the captain said, noticing Arek’s staring at the mule’s packs and misinterpreting it. He also adjusted his position to better see the left angle of his jaw. The razor shone in the fire, almost ominous in the still-red of the evening sky.

Arek stopped at the tent again, taking the sleeping bags and the blankets with him to the mule. Unbothered by the younger vampire, he put them in the sacks and grabbed some dry provisions, slipping some dried meat inside his pocket, in case the captain was being literal about walking all night. He returned to the dying fire, eager to warm himself up before the trip and analyze the vampire a little bit more. The captain reminded him of someone he used to know, but he couldn’t put a finger on it – not even narrow it down to vampire or human.

“Ready for another night of wonderful trekking?” the vampire smiled at him and Arek decided to check the waters just a little bit.

“As I’ll ever be,” he answered, eyebrows rising as he sat at the fire. Captain didn’t seem offended by the not-so-humble answer, so Arek relaxed and focused on his breakfast. Soon enough, the vampire finished shaving and got up. Arek tried to rise too, but the captain ordered him to stay where he was with a gesture.

“Finish your meal. I’ll help Fabian with the tent. I’m sure he’ll need it.”

Arek had no choice but to nod.

***

The captain had finally lost his patience. After another dead end, a body of water that was impossible to cross on foot, he ordered Briggs and Arek to stay behind while he did what he was a master of – scouting. They would follow him slowly, saving their strength, as he bravely got through the marshes, seeking the best way to get through the worst part of their journey.

Arek had no other option and so he just followed Briggs, dragging Betsy behind him. The younger vampire wasn’t nearly as chatty as the captain and Arek started missing that pointless babbling that kept his boredom at bay. The corporal wasn’t exactly a funny guy, though he seemed nice enough, considering he was addressing a human.

Not long after the older vampire had disappeared between the trees, they started hearing intermittent shots. They sounded like lazy practice shooting and not any genuine fighting, but it made them both tense, Briggs more than the human. Arek kept thinking about the Torins being so close by, and about which units he hoped would be there. He even considered making a run for it, but the swamps were dark and dangerous, and he was pretty sure he’d drown before he found anyone, human or vampire, if he were to travel alone.

Besides, he felt pretty safe in those two’s possession. He’d rather keep them around until he was ready to run.

Neither the vampire nor the human said anything about the shots as they walked slowly through the swamps. Arek stayed behind the corporal, weighing his options carefully. The two of them being oddly devoid of cruelty for now, the uncertain terrain, lastly the fact that they apparently intended to chain him every day when they made daytime camp – it all made choosing the best option very hard, as he didn’t know what the best option actually was. He also wasn’t sure what military units there might be around. Sure, he had some ideas, both from what he heard in the Lucian commander’s tent and from before that, but still, it all came down to the fact that he wasn’t willing to risk it, considering the… more dangerous possibilities, in case he was wrong.

So right now, he just walked, sogging wet, fighting a migraine from the rotting smell that surrounded him. Betsy followed obediently enough, one creature that didn’t have full power over him or couldn’t order him around – though to be fair, she managed to prove the latter statement wrong whenever she pulled the reins and made him go another way around a puddle or a fallen tree husk. She was mostly right though, so he didn’t complain.

***

It happened quiet. One moment Briggs was walking right in front of him, either tired or annoyed, but steady; the next one he was gone, no shout, no sound except a bit of bubbling. Arek’s eyes widened, trying to find the vampire in the darkness of the night and the trees surrounding them.

“Shit,” cursed Briggs, and Arek saw him again – legs deep in the swamp, hands grasping at mud that gave no purchase at all. The dark figure of the corporal wasn’t exactly clear in the dark, but despite that, Arek was almost sure he saw terror in the young vampire’s face.

He knew there was a chance of him regretting it later – this was a vampire, someone who held him captive and would have bitten him yesterday if he were allowed to. Arek really should just let him drown; at the very worst, the captain would be sad or angry, and could possibly take it out on him. It was unlikely, though – they still had a destination to reach and the captain had to eat something on his way there. And he had already made it clear he didn’t feel like carrying a bloodbag through these swamps, so obviously…

A loud splash brought him back to the corporal, currently up to his waist in what looked like a deceitfully shallow body of muddy water. Arek ignored all his human instincts that told him to leave the vampire to die, and pulled out a blanket from one of Betsy’s sacks. He managed to grab a corner of the soft material before she ran a couple of feet away, annoyed by the ruckus.

“Stop thrashing around! I’ll get you out,” he said in a nervous voice as he walked carefully towards the corporal. The ground was slippery and he felt it swallowing his shoes completely. He stopped, his legs wobbly from fear and the mud around him. He rolled the blanket into a makeshift rope, then threw the end towards the vampire.

Another loud splash and muffled swearwords told him he missed.

“To the right!” Briggs managed to say, “And hurry up, I’m up to my chest here!”

Arek rolled the wet blanket again, thankful for the extra weight that made it easier to throw. He made a knot at one end, hoping it would help the vampire to grip it.

The force that almost pulled the blanket out of his hands told him Briggs caught it this time.

“Stop!” he screamed, “I’m not strong enough to hold it if you pull it so hard!”

Mercifully, the corporal stopped struggling quite so heavily. Having stabilized the situation for a little while, Arek started thinking intensively about a way out of it. The mule was only a few steps away, disgruntled by the commotion. He knew he wouldn’t be able to pull Briggs out of it without any help; he just wasn’t sure if Betsy was enough.

Arek realized he had no choice.

“Help! Captain, help!” he screamed, hoping the other vampire could hear them at all.

“Fuck! The Torins, stop screaming, blergh! They’ll– bleugh, they’ll hear us!”

The vampire probably wanted to tell him off even more, but the muddy water getting inside his mouth successfully discouraged him.

“Would you rather drown here than be captured? Now stop thrashing around, I can’t hold you for long!” Arek whispered theatrically to humor Briggs. To his great relief, the pull on the blanket eased as the vampire kept still for a moment. Arek was able to grab Betsy’s reins, whose disturbed snorts and huffs made it clear she was not enjoying the situation either. The man tried to tie the blanket to the reins, but the material was very slippery. Another idea came to him.

“I’m gonna have to let go for a moment! Can you grab something near you that will give you support for half a minute?”

A couple of disgusted spitting sounds preceded the vampire’s answer, “Yeah, if I have to! But hurry, I’m gonna choke here soon!”

“Doing my best,” hissed Arek through clenched teeth, tying the blanket as hard as he could, to give Briggs a few precious seconds more as he started rummaging through the sacks. His hands found the cold metal chain in the dark soon enough. He pulled it out, trying to find both ends. He ignored the burning feeling deep inside his heart, telling him to leave the drowning vampire behind and just run.

“Can you say something? I can barely see you in the dark and I don’t want to knock you out with the ankle piece,” he asked as he was looping the other end of the chain through the mule’s reins.

“I’m here,” came a weak reply, followed by some more mud spitting sounds. Arek threw the far end of the chain a little to the left from where he heard the vampire’s voice.

“Got it?”

Instead of an answer, he heard some more squelching sounds, spits and curses, and then finally, mercifully, the sound of the chain rattling. Betsy bleated, surprised by the sudden pull. Arek stopped waiting for Briggs’ answer and got a hold of the mule, slowly leading her away from the treacherous pond until there was visible tension on the chain.

“I have it!” the vampire answered, his breath heavy.

“Okay, hold tight! I’m gonna try and make Betsy pull you out,” explained the human, staying close to the mule and urging her to walk away from the pond. He was extra careful with where he put his feet and where he led the animal – he didn’t think he’d last nearly as long as the vampire if he were to slip and start drowning. Betsy trod slowly, the sound of the rain muffling the squelching sound her hoofs made on the muddied grass.

Arek was straining his eyes trying to see how the vampire was doing. It appeared that he managed to keep his chest above water for the most part, though his energy was dwindling fast. Something about the swamp, Arek figured. Just like the ocean, it drained people of their strength quickly.

The mule stopped suddenly. She ignored the human’s urges and then he saw the reason for that; this was the end of the road as far as she was concerned. A narrow path of solid ground between two pools, not safe enough for the mule. They’d have to find another way.

“Help!” he screamed again, annoyance rising through the stress and the worry. Where the fuck was that stupid leech captain?

Stupid leech captain apparently heard his thoughts, because he came out of nowhere, trodding through halfway to his shins with inhuman speed. Figures, thought Arek as relief flooded him. He’s not human, after all.

“Here, grab this, I’m not strong enough to pull him out,” he said, putting the chain end into the vampire’s hands, “and Betsy won’t go any further, she’s afraid of being stuck too.”

Captain stared at him for a split second and Arek felt the confusion of the older vampire. He knew the reason for that, of course; it was odd for a human to try so hard to save a fucking vampire, obviously. Still, the captain’s stare made him feel weird, like he was judged, and so Arek shivered, feeling those eyes on him. He felt like he should explain himself somehow for caring about Briggs, and for… other compromising things he did that the captain might have noticed.

The vampire quit staring after a hot second and started pulling at the chain slowly, methodically.

“You’re still good, Fabian?” he asked casually, as if Fabian wasn’t up to his waist in the swamp.

An unsure mumble was all they got for an answer. Still, with the combined strengths of the captain, Betsy and Arek, they finally pulled the young vampire out and soon enough he was breathing heavily, lying on his back, entirely covered with the most slippery mud Arek had ever seen. Then again, he wasn’t much cleaner himself.

Legs gave out under the human and he just sat down near Briggs’ head, staring at his face, full of exhaustion and fear that was slowly fading. The captain kept quiet for a moment, but in the end he said quietly, “Alright, let’s move. I’ve good news for you, though.”

“Fucking finally,” rasped Briggs, and Arek couldn’t agree more.

“There’s a decent-sized hill just a few minutes from here. It’s not as wet as the rest of this wretched place, covered in trees, and there’s even a stream with water that seems mostly clear. So, up you go, Fabian, and let’s go before someone comes to investigate all those screams and splashes,” the captain explained and helped the corporal to his feet as Arek pulled himself up, too.

Their destination point really was just a moment away, but that was about it when it came to good news. The spot captain picked for them was indeed on a tree-covered small hill, but there was a wide strip of flat, uncovered land between them and the tree line at the foot of the hill, and the moon hung high. Even Arek saw the faint glow on the horizon that could only be the Torin camp. It was playing with fire in his opinion, but he didn’t have a say in this, after all. Besides, he was barely standing and the promise of dry land and clean water was too tempting to refuse that call.

They made camp silently, if slowly. Arek brainlessly pulled out all the parts of the tent from the sacks, then continued unpacking as the vampires put it up. He helped roll out the bedrolls and the blankets, well aware he was doing it mostly for his own sake. Then he left the vampires without a word, walking up to the stream that hummed nearby. The captain insisted they set camp a little away from it, in case some lost Torin soldiers came to clean themselves up – the sound of the water flowing could hide the sound of them coming, and their little team would be at a clear disadvantage in that case.

Arek was shivering as he took off his jacket and shirt, but he needed to get the mud off, otherwise he was sure he’d go mad. He managed to get his face and arms clean without his teeth chattering before he started on the shirtsleeves. Sometimes the splashes were interrupted by shots coming from the Torin camp, but he ignored them, too numb to feel anything but cold and exhaustion.

Even the sound of the captain coming up to his side didn’t make him react.

“Next time you want to leave camp, I expect you to tell me beforehand,” he said, reprimand in his voice, but it lacked any real threat. Arek just nodded, not looking up from the wet clothes he was holding. The vampire put a cool hand on his arm.

“Leave it. Go to the tent, warm yourself up. You’re shaking.” Arek nodded again and did as ordered. Corporal Briggs was in the tent already, dressed in spare clothes. There was a candle in the middle of the tent, and a map that the vampire was studying carefully, huddled over it. He looked up to stare at Arek, but the human ignored it and simply wrapped himself up in the first blanket he saw. He curled up near the candle, savouring the faint warmth, and almost dozed off, not caring about the vampire’s intense looks.

The captain entered the tent, waking Arek up.

“Okay, Briggs. Your turn.”

Turn for what, Arek didn’t know. It seemed like Briggs did, though, because he crawled out of the tent wordlessly and the captain took his place at the map. The human’s skin almost itched with anticipation and he was annoyed with the way the vampires drew this whole thing out, but it seemed like he had no other option but to wait. He shivered, half from cold, half from annoyance.

Captain must have noticed that because he folded the map and looked up at Arek. He sighed and shifted slightly so he now sat in front of the human, cross-legged and thoughtful.

“I’m Nicodem. What is your name, human?”

He almost didn’t hesitate before answering.

“Arek.” He purposefully omitted the ‘sir’ but it seemed like the captain didn’t care.

“Arek? That’s an odd name.”

“Nicodem isn’t exactly the most common one, either.” He smiled just a little, trying to make it clear that he didn’t intend to offend anyone.

The vampire bristled visibly, but Arek was now almost sure he managed to win him already.

“It’s a completely normal name for a Lucian vampire,” he said, a little indignantly.

“Well, that may be so, but I’m neither of those things,” pointed Arek. “Sir,” he added, half a second too late to sound respectful and meek. The captain just rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, don’t bother with all those ‘sirs’. At least, not with me, I can’t say it for Fabian here. But unless sticking to calling me 'sir' makes you feel better for any reason, ‘Nicodem’ or ‘Nico’ is just fine with me.”

Well. That was… maybe not a first, but it certainly made Arek reconsider some ideas he had regarding the vampire.

“Alright,” he simply nodded, deciding to think things through later.

“You did a strange thing tonight,” the vampire continued. Arek simply shrugged.

“Thank you.”

Now that surprised Arek. Vampires didn’t exactly thank humans for things. Still, he said nothing.

“I’m quite sure Fabian is grateful, too. You kind of threw his world upside down. I’m not sure what shook him more, almost drowning or the fact that he owes his life to a human now.” Nicodem smiled, hiding his fangs carefully, though Arek could still see the hint of them in the faint candlelight. “You have to give him some time to process it before he thanks you, though.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” Arek smiled sourly.

“All this talk about how we’re doing something noble by taking care of a lesser, vulnerable species that you sometimes hear from vampires – well, it’s bullshit, but it’s such a common belief it’s hard to get rid of it. Not only did you just save the kid’s life, you also changed it irreversibly. Made it worse, to be exact, due to the guilt that is gonna torment him for the rest of his life, but I’m pretty sure it will make the lives of humans he feeds on easier, starting with you.”

That made Arek smile against his will.

“I’m also pretty sure you don’t have these kinds of discussions with vampires. I don’t mean to force you to be sympathetic with us, so apologies if it sounded like that.”

Arek thought about similar talks at different camps in different places. They all seemed so far away, so long ago, even though they weren’t that distant past.

“No. It doesn’t happen all that often,” he answered eventually, keeping his voice neutral. He might not have done that good of a job because the captain stared at him curiously. Whatever he wanted to say to that had to wait, though, as corporal Briggs entered the tent again, his face tired and his sleeves rolled up.

“I brought you food,” he said, dropping a pack of bread and dried meat at Arek’s knees. Oh well. It was as much of a “thank you” as Arek could have hoped for.

Captain scuttled a little closer to the human, pulling the blanket away from his throat and shoulders gently.

“I assume you’ve been given venom before?” he asked, his voice gentle, devoid of previous snark or thoughtfulness. Arek thought of those other nights at other campfires, the brand on his arm burning as if fresh.

“Yes,” he answered, in the end.

“Would you rather have me give you a lot so you can go to sleep? Or do you want to stay awake, and maybe eat your food after we feed?”

Arek managed to suppress his eyebrows rising.

“I’d rather eat after feeding. If you allow it,” he added humbly, figuring a little flattery wouldn't harm him. Nicodem nodded and pressed his hand, palm open, on Arek’s chest. The human lowered himself obediently to the ground, hands tight in the woolen material he kept around himself until the vampire carefully pried his fingers open, making him let go.

He was now lying on his back on the blanket that formed a halo around him in the faint candlelight. The captain was hovering over him, his fingers moving up and down the column of his neck as he lowered his head.

“Easy now,” he whispered in Arek’s ear, and bit.

The pain was sharp and short. The human didn’t grunt, or wince. He was far too experienced for that. He just lay there, breathing through pain that soon gave way to numbness and calm that he knew was fake, but he still welcomed it. He heard some movement next to him and then a cool hand grabbed his left arm and pulled it straight. Fingers brushed at the brand on the inside of his arm, then closed around his forearm. Soon enough, there was another set of fangs in his wrist. Fabian Briggs drank like a man starved, but he still gave Arek an additional bit of venom. The human got dizzy, but he couldn’t do anything to stop either of them.

Mercifully, the captain finished quickly and he pulled Fabian away, too. The corporal stayed just above Arek’s wrist for a little while, licking it clean to heal the bitemarks. Then he moved to Arek’s neck, but as the human tensed a bit, expecting another bite, all he felt was a cool breath at his ear and a whispered “thank you”.

Briggs crawled away and burrowed inside his sleeping bag right away. Arek couldn’t really blame him, he figured, his thoughts floating lazily through the venom’s fog. Kid almost died tonight, after all.

The human looked around the tent. Nicodem was sitting cross-legged at his head now, staring at him with something like concern on his face. He held the food bag Briggs had brought earlier, ready to hand it to Arek if he asked for it.

“Thanks,” he whispered, holding out his hand for the bread. The vampire handed it to him and watched him start to chew slowly.

“You’re an odd one, you know that?” asked Nico, wriggling into his sleeping bag. Arek stared, his eyelids heavy.

“To you, yes. It’s not my fault, though,” he pointed out and returned to his bread. He saw the captain shrug and lay down near Briggs. Arek finished eating and saw the captain gesture towards the space between the two vampires.

“I’m not gonna chain you tonight, the lock is clogged with mud anyway. But don’t try to run,” he whispered casually in Arek’s ear as he lay down between the blood drinkers.

The human had no desire to do so, not now, but he still nodded obediently. He wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and drifted off to sleep. The last things he felt were Kern blowing out the candle and putting his arm on Arek’s shoulderblades, half protective, half warning.

Part 3

taglist: @that-sapphic-whumper @whump-cravings @thegreatwhodini

#vampire whump #vampire caretaker #inhuman caretaker #whumper caretaker #whumper turned whumpee #whumpee turned caretaker #blood tw #blood drinking #institutionalized slavery #slavery whump

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badolmen · 3 years

Text

The Botanist Meets The Stranger

Aleks leaned back in their chair, smiling at the two dark haired children running through the tall grass and wildflowers. They had their mother’s eyes, dark and curious and full of life. Occasionally a dog’s dark head would poke between the blades of green, nose twitching and soft, playful barks chasing the giggling children.

“They’ll tire each other out,” Kalina said, voice was as she set down a platter of ice water. “It will be quiet tonight,” Aleks smiled at their wife, the glint of her silver wedding band shining in the summer sun as she drank from a glass. They took a sip from their own, the water sweet and clean.

“I was thinking we could head to the village. I heard one of the young couples over there is getting engaged. Oh, who was it?”

“That hunter from the outskirts, and that quiet girl from the chicken house…Jadwiga, I think. We went to school with her.”

“Ah, I remember her. Always had someone trying to court her. Why did her mother have to give into that hunter?”

“I have no idea.” Kalina sighed, eyes closed against the warm sun. “At least poor Jadwiga can get out of the house.”

“Goodness knows how much better it will be in his camp for her.” Aleks shifted in their wooden chair. The grass had fallen silent, the laughter of their children absent as they scanned for movement. “He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and he’ll prove it sooner or later.”

“I’ll have some of the villagers keep an eye on those two, make sure he’s a good man well before the marriage.” The couple jumped at a child’s cry, one of the boys breaking through the grass with tearful eyes and a flush face.

“I didn’t mean it!” One called, still hidden by the wildflowers.

“Mama, mama Kazik pushed me into Leon!”

“No, I didn’t! Arek’s lying!”

“Inside you two, we’ll get you washed up and have a look.” Kalina said, voice firm but gentle as she knelt to Arek’s level to look at his bleeding hand. “Oh, it doesn’t look too bad sweetheart,” The small boy whimpered, eyes looking to Aleks for their input.

“You mother’s right. It will be better before you get married.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Aleks said, planting a kiss on their son’s dark curls. “Now, go with your mother.” The two boys clambered into the house, Kalina’s laughter and smile following them. Aleks waded out into the tall grass, whistling for the dog, and soon the beast bounded to their side, panting under the bright sun and covered in burs.

They knew it was a dream. It always was. But it was a dream that came to them more frequently as days in this dark forest passed, with no sun or warmth or Kalina to remind them of what was real. Would it be so bad? To dream, just for a moment. Just for a taste of what could never be.

The botanist jumped, the warmth of the light gone and the sky bleeding orange by the evening sun. But the sky’s change hadn’t woken them – something within their greenhouse rattled, a broken pot.

Against their better judgement, Aleks bolted upright, adrenaline flooding their veins. They had no weapons and no armor; they felt naked as they watched a shadow cross over the fogged windows. It was humanoid.

The fresh bruises on their side ached as they shifted to their feet, keeping low and moving slowly towards the now ajar greenhouse door. The traps were gone – not set off, not disabled, just gone. If it was a savage, it was frighteningly intelligent. If it wasn’t...they didn’t want to entertain what other creatures lay beyond their clearing.

Still, they stalked closer, peering through the door. Their axe still sat on the shelf atop their neatly folded jacket. They stepped into the greenhouse; the damp air heavy with tension as their eyes found the source of the disturbance.

The broken pot on the floor only held an experimental sterilized seedling, stunted and sickly. The same one the Wolfman had knocked over, once again broken. Perhaps it was their fault for balancing it so precariously...The dirt tracks led deeper into the greenhouse.

The figure was standing between the bean poles, the vining leaves obscuring Aleks from view – but the botanist knew every leaf and shadow in this building, and easily picked out the broad-shouldered silhouette. Shaking fingers wrapped around the handle of their axe, the blood dried on its blade now blackened by age.

It would draw too much attention and take too much time to put on their jacket – besides, this was their home. They knew every path and loop. This savage or whatever it was wouldn’t know what hit ‘em.

Aleks quickly and quietly made their way toward the figure, who seemed entirely entranced by their food storage bins, up to its elbows in the potato basket. The botanist was well hidden behind the row of tomatoes but felt the tension that coiled in their stomach relax as the figure continued to rummage between storage bins. This person was a human. Probably.

“Do you normally walk into someone’s home and take their things?” The barrier of the tomatoes made the botanist feel bold enough to address the figure with a whisper of annoyance in their voice.

The stranger jumped, hitting their head on the wooden shelf above the storage bins and letting out a strangled and muted hiss of pain. Though the person pointed a shovel at the botanist as a clear threat, Aleks felt little fear of the interloper.

“I’m judging by the lack of howling and blunt weapons you’re not one of those savages, right?” Aleks swatted away the shovel head with their axe, the clang of metal on metal a subtle message to the stranger that invaded their home. “I’m willing to share if you’re hungry,” They said, beginning the walk around to the other side of the tomato row.

The stranger have moved away from the food storage bins, now rummaging between the seed bags the botanist had hung from the selves.

“Hey, hey!” Aleks waved their hands to get his attention. They paused only a moment to process the grey and scarred skin that peeked between bandages and the stranger’s hat, his eyes shining with clear distrust. “What are you looking for? I doubt it’s pomegranate seeds.”

They swatted his hand away from a bag, eyes drawn to the blood stains on his jacket arm. They probably didn’t look in much better shape then him, their undershirt still bloodstained, and their scarred face screwed up in thought.

“You need bandages, right?”

A stiff nod, hands still tightly gripping the handle of the shovel.

“They’re over here,” The botanist beckoned, keeping an eye on the stranger to make sure he followed. He did, slowly and reluctantly, always a shovel’s distance behind. “You got a name?”

The stranger was silent, save for even breathing and a half sigh.

“Fair enough.” They crouched at the supplies shelf, hiding a hiss of pain as their stitches tugged on bruised flesh. “Sorry, was in a bit of a rush last I used these – do not touch that,” The botanist chided, already exasperated with this stranger touching their stuff.

The stranger reluctantly moved his hand away from the Amanita mushrooms that grew in a cluster from their pot. He crouched next to the botanist as they flipped open the medical kit’s cover, the bandages mussed and slightly tinged red by blood and water damage.

Slowly he pulled bandages and antiseptic from the kit, shadowed eyes watching Aleks like a nervous animal as he tended to the gashes on his arm – no doubt from a savage’s club. The botanist tended to their smashed pot and sickly seedling. This time, they put the pot on a shelf far from the entrance.

#ra does shit #darkwood #darkwood fic #the stranger #the botanist #kalina #everyone else’s ocs: we would be tempted but we would never submit to the being! we have a support network!#the botanist: hahaha unrealistic romantic fantasy go brrrrr :’D #I wanted to write about their fantasy provided by the being. I wanted to write about them meeting up with the stranger. this is the result.#listen as the stranger you just...loot random ppls homes and that mechanic in games is just the funniest shit to me I’m sorry #‘this is my stuff.’ the protagonist of p much any survival game: ‘you mean our stuff.’

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starsmaligned · 4 years

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starters masterlist all open starters are open to mutuals and non mutuals, and always open to anyone!

capricorn / zeki ( taehyung of bts ) : neighbour abuse, aquarius / enoch ( doyoung of nct ) : lazy morning, cooking mishap, pisces / llyr ( rocky of astro ) : love language, park living, aries / kristofel ( seonghwa of ateez ) : love language, jealousy, taurus / thelonious ( sejun of victon ) : love language, gemini / yves and cy ( jun of a.c.e, seoho of oneus ) : / club, cancer / sauveur ( leeteuk of super junior ) : saviour, leo / othniel ( s.coups of seventeen ) : virgo / arek ( zico ) : college lecturer, tattoos, libra / septimus ( bangchan of stray kidz ) : move in day, scorpio / victorien ( dean ) : beaten up, sagittarius / evander ( bobby of ikon ) : paint in the sky,

#open starters #starters masterlist

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adventuringforbeginners · 4 years

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“Hand holding, huh? Some pinky promises? Dinner dates?”

Nash coughs quietly and puts her head between her knees to hide her face that must be dark green by now. She feels terribly sweaty and would love for nothing more than a hot bath, but there is no time for such luxuries when you’re on the run through an unfriendly swamp.

Gods, she misses her house. She misses the kids and Lorilla’s baking and Vamir’s soft smiles and Arek’s loud, well-intended life lessons.

She also misses her grandfather.

It hurts that she couldn’t even tell him goodbye after being back for such a short amount of time. Maybe she’ll never see him again. Maybe they’ll catch her and drag her back to Anvaadil, into one of those hellholes--

“Hey, ashka. Breathe. ‘s gonna be alright.”

Urog’s voice reaches her ears through what feels like thick wool. Nash is sure that she has forgotten how to breathe.

“Intwa og, del ta. Intwa ert. There you go, hal-mi.”

His tone is gruff, but there is a softness to it and Nash listens to his words while she tries to calm her breathing.

“No worries, they won’t find you out here.”

“What if they do”, she asks. Her voice sounds like sandpaper. She wishes Zamira were still here while also being relieved that she’s gone so she doesn’t have to see Nash like this.

She must look like a complete mess.

If only she could walk through life with a confidence like that. A confidence like a rock that breaks ocean waves. Damn, she’s got it bad.

“You think my swamp will not take care of red cloaks? You learn nothing from Ishkari Orla?”

Nash breathes in. She breathes out. She raises her head and looks at his old, bearded and wrinkled face. He carefully takes out a pipe and starts putting dried herbs in there. They smell like Ulag. And they remind her of her mother.

“I know it protects us. But I’m not as good with its language as you are. It’s scary.”

Urog grunts and lights up his pipe.

“Is scary to protect you, no worries, ashka. You’re child of the swamp. The swamp knows.”

Nash looks at him while he turns his head to gaze up at the barely visible sky.

“If they do find me, will you tell Ovak that I love him?”

Urog cocks his head and blows some smoke towards the sky. Then he turns to look at her.

“Thought you are not allowed to die because of dinner date.”

Nash groans and hides her face in her hands.

“I really said that, didn’t I?”

“Sure did, ashka.”

“Do you think she thinks I’m really desperate?”

Urog snorts so hard that his pipe falls out of his mouth and into his lap. He picks it up and shakes his head.

“Dunno about that, ashka. Young love is far behind me.”

“Not forgotten, though”, Nash says softly. She can see it on his face and in the way his eyes softened.

“Not forgotten, no. That’s what job is for.”

Nash nods. Then she follows his gaze upwards.

“Promise me, please? That you’ll tell him?”

Urog glances at her before he finally nods. Nash closes her eyes and breathes and tries to calm herself with the thought of gentle fingers in her hair and a soft, small hand in hers.

#nash #urog #npcs #nash x zamira #enor campaign #ficlets

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wildishmazz · 4 years

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Picard, S1 E6

#Star Trek: Picard #Star Trek: Picard spoilers #Picard spoilers #the impossible box

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arty-artified · 5 years

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Sky Areks by NibelArt

#digital art #concept art #fantasy art #fan art #photography #sketch #sketches #nature #animals #sci-fi #fantasy #landscapes

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skylovesducks · 1 year

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While Ghost already realises that you are death, König goes insane. It should never have hit you. Never.

#call of duty #cod #call of duty modern warfare #simon ghost riley #ghost #call of duty modern warfare ii #skylovesducks #sketch #my art #sky areks #doodle #König #Konig #konig x reader #ghost x reader

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delectablywaywardbeard-blog · 11 months

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MILIK: "Il k.o contro la Moldavia? Mi vergogno, dobbiamo svegliarci se vogliamo andare agli Europei"

SKY SPORT – ATTESO PER OGGI L’ANNUNCIO UFFICIALE DELL’ACQUISTO DI MILIK E’ ormai fatta per l’acquisto di Arek Milik. La Juventus ha trovato l’accordo con l’Olympique Marsiglia per l’acquisizione definitiva del cartellino dell’attaccante che arriverà a Torino per circa 6 milioni di euro più un milione di bonus. Secondo le ultime indiscrezioni di Sky Sport è atteso per le… JUVENTUS.COM – PLAYER…

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#Juventus tutte le notizie in tempo reale

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thecyrulik · 2 years

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Once

Third installment in my fanfic to @whumpy-writings's Of Vampires And Men story (Kay, I'm sorry if you see the notif and feel false hope it's something new XD)

Part 1 Part 2

Content warning: institutionalized slavery, some dehumanization, environmental whump, blood drinking, mild risk of fainting

Let me know if I should adjust my tagging and/or warnings

Nicodem woke up with a start. Something was off, he felt it. The sun was still up, although dusk was near. He looked around the tent; everything seemed in order. Briggs was still sleeping soundly, exhausted with last night’s events, and… Fuck, he thought. The human was gone!

Before he allowed panic to get to him, he looked around to find his suncloak so that he could go search for Arek before Fabian woke up. Just a second of calm thinking made him realize he could smell the human just outside the tent. From what he heard and smelt, Arek was okay.

Nico put on his cloak carefully, then got outside. It took him a moment before his eyes adjusted to late afternoon sun, shaded by thick branches, yet still burning just a little. Arek was sitting in the biggest patch of sunlight, his pale-ish bare chest and face covered in light. The blanket he was given the night before was still wrapped around his shoulders and back.

He must have heard Nico coming towards him because he opened his eyes, a little startled. He shifted uneasily, pulling the blanket tighter as if to protect himself. Nicodem sat in front of him, staring, thinking of the right words to say. Arek didn’t look like he was about to bolt, so he supposed he had time.

“I had hoped I’d get back inside before you woke up,” the human whispered, breaking the silence. Nico nodded. That made sense; they were all tired enough not to wake unless danger was coming.

“And you didn’t run away,” he said it like it was just an observation – which it was, actually. The human seemed smart enough.

“Run away to where?” asked Arek quietly, looking around, trying to make a point. Nicodem didn’t bother trying to see it through the branches, but he was sure the sky was covered in smoke from the enemy’s artillery stationed just on the brink of the swamp region. “There’s no human settlements nearby – there might have been, before the armies came, but now they’re all destroyed and the humans all part of the feeding supply. Best I could do is go find the Torins and hope they treat me better than Lucians do.” There was a bit of provocation in Arek’s voice, as if he was asking Nico to start the discussion about his country’s treatment of humans. Nicodem ignored it and asked instead, “And you don’t think they will?”

“In general, they might. But not right now.”

It was painfully obvious that what was an annoying, ungrateful task for Nico, the human considered a nice break from the torment he was subjected to in regular feeding grounds. The captain didn’t feel like taking the blame of the whole army’s fault for that on his shoulders.

“When we reach the 37th, I’ll make sure you’re treated well,“ he offered instead, feeling a little stupid for worrying about a human he’d known for less than 3 nights. Still, it was what it was and he felt the need to help a bit.

Arek raised one corner of his mouth in a half-smile. It was not a happy one.

“I appreciate it. I really do, but you cannot promise anything. They’ll tell you anything you want to hear, then do as they’ve always done.”

Nico had no idea how to counter that, so he asked instead, “You belonged to the Torins once, right?”

Arek scowled at that, and the vampire wasn’t sure if it was at the bad memories, his nosiness or maybe some sort of nostalgia, if that was even possible.

“Yeah. Once. Not anymore though,” he answered and absentmindedly touched the inside of his left arm, where the Torin brand marked him as their property. Nicodem’s nation used a different method – they tagged their humans’ ears. Arek was also sporting a flat metal rectangle with the number 218 stamped on it, just like every other Lucian human that managed to survive their first couple of weeks in the vampires’ captivity.

Arek caught himself rubbing the brand and stopped. He readjusted the blanket, a little more relaxed now that he knew he didn’t get in trouble for leaving the tent.

“You should go back to sleep,” he said eventually. “I’m not sure I can, and I’d rather catch some more sunlight instead. I won’t run, I swear. Actually, I don’t even have the strength to do that.” Arek shrugged, baring his throat just a little, showing the faint bite marks from last night. Right, Nico should have remembered that tiny detail.

The vampire stared at the human for another moment before speaking again.

“Shouldn’t you at least put your shirt on? You guys get cold at the faintest breeze, it would seem, and I told Fabian to finish cleaning it and hang on a branch. It ought to have dried thorought the day.” He pointed to Arek’s bare chest, covered in pale bite scars near his collarbones. The human actually smiled at him, a little devilishly, like a promise of future trouble.

“I’ll do that when the sun goes down. Sunlight actually makes us less likely to get sick, you know. I’d rather get as much of it as possible,” explained Arek. “If you allow it,” he added, as if he had just remembered he was supposed to act like a meek blood slave.

Nicodem sighed, thinking about the best way to reply that wouldn’t encourage the man to be insolent, then just smiled, his eyes half-closed.

“I’ll allow it. Catch your sunlight, Arek.” He stood up and walked towards the tent. Just before getting inside, he turned back to the human and said, “Actually, do you know how to start a fire?”

“Yeah. I do,” answered Arek simply.

“Can you start a tiny one, hopefully smokeless, just around sunset? It’ll help us get moving faster, and it’s safer to have a fire when it’s not fully dark out.”

“Got it. Tiny fire, around sunset. No smoke. Put on my shirt. Don’t run. Any other orders?” Arek was making fun of him, now Nico was sure of that. It didn’t feel like mean-spirited fun though, and he was too tired and sleepy from sunlight to force himself to discipline a human he already liked a lot.

“No. Just don’t go anywhere, and try not to die, or we’ll starve in this swamp.”

Arek nodded solemnly, the smile gone from his mouth but still visible in his eyes.

“Oh, I wouldn’t let you starve for sure.”

Nico got inside the tent and found Fabian sprawled over his spot. Without saying a word, he pushed the kid away so that he had enough space to lie down. He managed to get himself comfortable before the corporal scooted close to him again. Nico had no desire to fight the young vampire about it, so he just relaxed and let Briggs push his head somewhere between his arm and side.

***

A full day’s sleep did wonders to all four members of their little expedition. The human made fire as ordered, tidied up the camp, collecting all the dried up clothes from before, he also claimed to have had eaten before either of the vampires woke up for good. Nico didn’t want to admit it, but the smell of human food made him just a little nauseous, so he was glad about this turn of events.

As the captain started studying the map again, trying to find the best way to catch up on their schedule without getting themselves into even worse mud or Torin hands, Arek started taking down the tent, unprompted. His movements were slow, deliberate, and Nico was reminded that they took quite a lot of blood from him last night. He summoned Briggs, ordering him to help the human while he finished setting their route. It pleased him to see the young vampire do that without complaint, especially since he had to work side by side with a human.

Soon enough, they were on the road again. Nicodem decided against leaving the two of them alone like last time – the terrain was getting more solid and dry, though still scattered with dozens of narrow creeks and ponds behind every other alder tree. The march wasn’t pleasant, but they weren’t as miserable, except for Arek, who lost his strength quickly. He didn’t say a word of complaint, holding the mule– Betsy, Nico recalled, Arek had named it Betsy– holding Betsy’s bridle to help him keep up. It worked for a little while and Nico was glad the human was this determined to walk on his own, but after another stumble, they just had to change something.

“Let’s take a short break,” he said and walked towards the mule and the man. Arek watched him with careful eyes, surely wondering if he got in trouble for slowing down the group, so the captain decided to ease his worry.

“Go sit down. Rest, maybe eat something.”

Arek nodded, then wordlessly pulled out a small bundle of food from the sack, then sat down under the nearest tree. The contrast between his relative chattiness in the early evening and now was unpleasantly obvious. Kern took one of the mule’s bags off and gave it to the surprised corporal.

“We’re going back to my original plan. The human can’t walk much longer, not before he rests some more,” he explained quietly. “So we’re gonna carry our baggage and he’ll ride the mule.”

Briggs seemed unhappy, a tiny scowl that disappeared after half a second, but he didn’t say a word, putting the sack down and unstrapping the other one.

“Stay here and keep an eye on him and your surroundings. I’ll go look around to make sure it’s safe to stop here,” Nicodem said, then, not waiting for an answer, he disappeared between the trees. A quick look around told him there were marks of a small group of people passing through recently. It’s been a couple of days at least, though, and from the marks he found, he guessed they came and went without stopping or returning, so as long as they don’t decide to go back, Nico and his tiny team should be okay for a little while. He made a mental note to stay away from that trail if he could help it, though.

He returned to Fabian and Arek to find them sitting opposite to each other in silent companionship. He didn’t want to pry, but he was wondering if they used that time to discuss the last night’s events. Surely Briggs didn’t enjoy holding a debt to a human, even if technically he didn’t owe him shit, considering how Arek was just army property, human no. 218. Lucians didn’t exactly believe in any duties or responsibilities towards their cattle, no matter their designation.

But it looked like they just sat there, the vampire wary and the human simply tired, eyes half-shut. He finished eating already and now shivered slightly in his thin jacket, though he clearly wanted to hide it – every now and then his shaking almost stopped and a determined expression showed up on his face.

“We’ll have to change our route again. This one isn’t safe. It’s good that we’ve stopped, I wouldn’t have looked around this closely otherwise,” he lied. “You know how to ride?” he asked Arek, who opened his eyes wide with an effort.

“A mule can’t be much different than a horse, right?” The human stood up slowly and leaned on the tree trunk. “Gimme a sec so I don’t get dizzy,” he asked quietly, looking between Briggs and Kern. The corporal sighed as if wanting to say something, then decided against it and just got to the mule. Nico had just remembered he had asked Jonas for a bareback pad but never checked if it was packed. It seemed that Fabian did though – he pulled it out of the sack that was supposed to be his for the next couple of hours and put it on the animal. Betsy showed indifference as he did so, grazing on some feeble plant instead.

Without Nico needing to ask for that, Fabian lead the mule next to the human. Arek smiled faintly, then stopped himself.

“I’m just tired, not crippled. Not my best physical form, you know,” he explained as he got onto the mule. Betsy shook her head, displeased, but he pet her on the neck and she calmed down easily.

And with one vampire in front of the mule, one behind it and one human riding it bareback, their merry little company resumed the mission none of them particularly cared about.

taglist: @that-sapphic-whumper @whump-cravings @thegreatwhodini @ceph-the-writing-spook

#vampire whump #vampire whumper/caretaker #nonhuman whumper #human whumpee #institutionalized slavery

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