Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Let’s see, what would be best…”

It was an early morning but Noé had found it impossible to stay in bed any longer. He arched his back in a stretch before leaning over to get a good look at the wildflowers before him. It was strange for him to be up so soon; he usually loved sleeping in.

Still, he had to admit there were benefits to getting up a little earlier, such as the pale sunlight and the dew still glistening upon the flowers in the field. Noé smiled softly at the selection; each flower seemed to whisper to him softly, gently encouraging him to choose it.

Today was the day Noé had chosen as a day of remembrance for his grandparents. He steadfastly picked out flowers for them on this day every year and spoke to their gravestones, letting them know what their grandson was getting up to. They’d left him when he’d still been so young that he had a hard time remembering their faces but he never forgot their kindness. It was an old ache but one he’d nearly come to accept at sixteen.

Suddenly, he heard a sound. Noé focused on it but attempted to continue to look nonchalant as he picked through the flowers. Most likely it was just a squirrel or something similar but the woods hid many creatures and Noé had had to deal with wolves not too long ago. Thankfully, nothing had come of it. They’d merely been curious about the area and his person judging by the way they’d sniffed him for several minutes before wandering off. Noé supposed that, much like most humans, the wolves had never seen a vampire before.

The sound stopped. Likely just a squirrel as he’d suspected. He relaxed minutely and finished picking out the flowers. He’d go into town later. He did some work for the local blacksmith to support himself, making tools for farming and the occasional weapon. After his grandparents had passed he’d gone into deep mourning and had refused to leave the house for a week. Eventually, some of the other villagers had come to investigate why they hadn’t come into town for so long and things had been handled from there.

Life had been difficult after they’d passed. He kept the house and had a basic idea of how to tend a few things but he’d had no idea how to truly care for himself. No one in town wanted another child, so he’d been forced to work. He thanked Mr. and Mrs. Bonhomme every day for giving him a chance as an apprentice blacksmith. He likely would have starved if they hadn’t. When he wasn’t helping with the smithy he assisted Mrs. Bonhomme with the cooking. Noé was certain that the only reason he had any useful skills whatsoever was because of them.

Still, he lived apart from everyone. He wasn’t sure why his grandparents had liked to live so far away from the village, they weren’t running a farm, but it meant he never had any company. The villagers liked him well enough but they knew he was an outsider. He looked far too different from everyone else and they knew he had been brought in from some other place due to his grandparents’ generosity.

It wasn’t hostile but Noé knew he was apart. He tried not to let it bother him but every now and then he longed for some semblance of real companionship. He’d considered getting a dog for that purpose but ultimately he feared he’d have too hard a time taking care of the poor creature.

Needless to say, Noé never told any of them he was a vampire. His grandparents had told him that while he shouldn’t be ashamed of his ancestry most humans would be frightened of him if they found out. It was difficult to maintain such a secret but he wanted to live a peaceful life, so he never disobeyed the one firm rule he’d been given. His grandparents had asked for so little; it was the least he could do.

Eventually, Noé finished putting together a bouquet that he was satisfied with. It contained daffodils and rosemary along with a few flowers he couldn’t identify. He’d need a ribbon of some kind to keep them together. He fingered the flowers carefully. They smelled lovely. He’d often noticed his sense of smell was better than that of his neighbors. They’d often marveled at his ability to distinguish scents or how he’d know what was being cooked on the other side of town. Right now the scent of flowers was overwhelming; it was a calming sensation.

But then there was that sound again. It was nearer now.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” said an unknown voice. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he spun around.

He was confronted by a small group of strange-looking men. The one nearest him was barely a pace away and was eyeing him hungrily. He wore a single golden earring and a loose shirt with billowing sleeves. The rest were dressed much the same. Noé blinked in consternation. When had they gotten there?

“He looks like he’s an able-bodied sort,” growled another. This one’s only remarkable feature was a tattoo of a bird snaking its way up his neck.

“Is there something I can help you with?” Noé said. A tendril of dread wrapped itself around him but he ignored it. He didn’t have any overt evidence that these men meant him harm but he’d never seen them before and they were dressed very strangely. Furthermore, their posturing and the way they were sizing him up made him uneasy.

“Lives far away from that village we passed by. Doubt he’d be missed.”

Suddenly, their eyes turned red. Noé blinked stupidly. He’d never seen any of his human neighbors do that before.

When the one with the golden earring suddenly lunged forward he found himself twisting to get away. He stumbled hard and fell to the ground. Just as he was about to lift himself upward he felt hands grip his own and pull him upright.

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Although, it’s more fun if you struggle.” His breath was hot against Noé’s ear and he suddenly knew he had to get away. Something terrible would happen if he didn’t.

Noé kicked blindly backwards. The man let out an oof and he was running away.

“Get him!” he cried.

They’re vampires. They must be, Noé despaired as one of the vampires that had most certainly been behind him before leapt in front of him in a disturbing display of strength. He turned to switch directions but it wasn’t fast enough. The vampire lifted a club and brought it down hard against the side of his face.

“Ah!” He landed on the ground and immediately clutched at his head. It pierced through him and he could feel warmth trickling down the side of his face.

“I think he’s one of us, Boss,” the one with the mace said. “He’s moving too smoothly for a human, don’t you think?”

“So? If he’s a vampire he might fetch a better price.”

He felt a hand grip his chin tightly and turn his head. He could make out the golden earring hazily but pain obscured most of his vision.

“Although, if he is a vampire… Only one clan looked like this.”

“An Archiviste? Would fetch a good price. No guarantee that’s what he is though. Might just look like one.”

Archiviste?

“I think The Shapeless One was wanting one of these… We should get in contact with him.”

Noé wasn’t given any time to sort it out any further. His vision was getting blurrier and blurrier and then it slipped into darkness. His hand went limp and the flowers he’d chosen so carefully fell to the ground as the vampires took him away.

 The world was rumbling beneath him. Noé bit back a groan. He felt … strange. He must have been sleeping but he didn’t feel a pillow beneath his head. In fact, he was fairly certain he wasn’t even lying down. What on earth?

 An earthquake? Those were uncommon but it might explain the constant rumble that was vibrating through his body.

Whatever it was it was sending spikes of pain all through his head. It was blinding. Had he fallen out of bed? It wouldn’t be unusual for him but he’d never hit his head this hard before.

A low moan of pain escaped him when he tried to open his eyes.  It was like a nail had been jabbed through his left eye. The pain made it impossible to maneuver the one on the right. Something was terribly wrong.

His breath came out in ragged gasps. He didn’t know what was happening. He should be at home like normal but nothing felt right. He tried to reach a hand to feel his eye but something cold held him in place, keeping his hands above his head. He let out au unrestrained cry of alarm.

 “You really have rotten luck,” a soft voice whispered a little ways away from him. He flinched away. What was happening? Why was someone in his home? Why was the world moving like this? “Not that mine is much better.”

“Wha-?”

He tried to open his eyes once more but the pain was too intense. It was like being struck by lightning only it was entirely focused on his cranium.

“Don’t move too much,” the voice continued. “You’re hurt pretty badly. They’re not gentle, are they?” Now the voice sounded scathing but it was still speaking softly as though it were afraid of being overheard. Noé felt a spike of fear. No, he wasn’t home. There was no other explanation.

“Why can’t I see?” Noé finally managed, his voice wavering only slightly. “Rather, I can’t seem to open my eyes.”

“Your left eye was damaged when they took you. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say they hit you with a blunt instrument of some kind. They like to do that. As for the other eye, it appears fine.”

Noé’s mind was racing. He’d been struck? So, he really hadn’t fallen out of bed. He felt incredibly foolish. Of course he hadn’t.

“I think I remember a … club?”

“Sounds about right.”

Noé took a moment to collect himself. His breathing was starting to quicken but he knew he couldn’t afford to panic just yet. He still wasn’t sure what was happening. He needed information.

“Try opening just the one eye,” the voice suggested.

Noé made an attempt but everything swam when he did that in an uncomfortable fashion.

“It’s … difficult. Where are you? This is…” A nightmare, he thought. He refrained from saying it out loud. No need to give his captors the satisfaction if they could hear.

“I’m across from you. We’re both shackled to the wall. At least they’re not making us stand.”

It was quiet for a moment while Noé tried to make sense of the information he’d been given. The voice was teeming with restrained anger, he could determine that much, but it wasn’t directed at him. Whatever was happening they were in it together. That made Noé feel marginally better though not by much.

“I wonder…” The voice began thoughtfully, as if studying him.

Noé tried to steady his breathing with difficulty. His world was nothing but darkness and everything seemed so much more ominous than it had in a long time.

“Relax,” the voice continued. “I’ve been here long enough to know when they’ll check up on us. If you can stay quiet, I’ll let us out of these bonds for a bit. What do you say?”

Noé bit his lip. How would he do that exactly? And what if they were caught by whoever had kidnapped them?

“All right,” Noé said. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. His arms ached along with everything else and letting them rest a bit would be nice. He heard an odd sound, something like a zap and then he heard the individual scoot a little closer to him. A hand gripped his shoulder lightly.

“Hold still.” The voice was much closer now and Noé wanted to sob in relief. He held perfectly still though and he heard the same zapping sound as before and then the shackles were loose. Noé carefully lowered his arms and held them close to his chest. His wrists felt raw.

“So, tell me, what’s your name?” The voice said as it withdrew its hand. Noé wanted to grab it, hold onto it for dear life, but the moment was over too quickly and he missed his chance.

“I’m Noé,” he said simply.

“Noé? That’s a good name,” the voice mused. “I like it. I’m Vanitas. Not as good of a name, I’ll admit, but there you have it.” Something about having a name to identify the voice made him seem real while only moments before he could have almost passed as a figment of Noé’s imagination. But Vanitas? It was an odd name. Noé thought he’d heard it somewhere before, long ago.

“It doesn’t seem so bad,” Noé said politely. “It’s beautiful in a way.”

Vanitas snorted in disgust. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew anything about it. But it matters not. We have bigger things to worry about.”

He was curious, he wanted to ask, he nearly did ask but instead he merely said, “What’s happening? I don’t remember why I’m here.”

He wasn’t even sure what he’d been doing before he woke up to all this. He felt as though it had been important, something he would have cared about a great deal….

“I guess that’s to be expected; you were hit on the head after all. We’re being held as slaves. You’ve only been here about thirty minutes.”

Noé nearly exclaimed in disbelief. Surely he’d been unconscious longer than that!

“They’re going to sell us on the black market.”

“Why would they do that? Slavery was made illegal not too long ago,” he exclaimed. Vanitas made a shushing sound and Noé immediately quieted down. None of this made any sense. Why would anyone want to force someone into slavery? Furthermore, what was the point of kidnapping him?

“It’s against the law,” Noé finished weakly.

Vanitas let out a strangled sound; it took Noé a moment but he realized that Vanitas was restraining his laughter. Irritation welled inside him; there was nothing amusing about their situation or his question. This person was strange.

“My, you’re an idealistic fellow!” Vanitas finally said. “So what if it’s illegal? Do you really think that’s enough? Besides, you’re thinking of the human world. We’re being taken to Altus. Not that it would make much difference, I think. France has been a little wishy washy in its attitude toward the whole thing.”

“Altus?” Noé said hesitantly.

“The world of vampires.” It was said as though it was common knowledge and Noé immediately felt disoriented all over again. He wished he could see Vanitas. Surely, that would make this conversation easier. He knew he was sitting before him, huddling close so they wouldn’t be heard, but it still felt like he was talking to a void.

“Vampires … allow slavery?” His grandparents had never told him that. Granted, his grandparents didn’t know much about vampires or vampiric culture. It had never bothered him much until now.

Vanitas heaved a sigh and Noé got the impression he was rolling his eyes.

“No, they don’t. But some members of the aristocracy enjoy hunting us or they’re in need of more ‘servants.’ It’s not so different from the human world, really.”

Noé didn’t know what to say about that. He hadn’t experienced much of the world but he’d always imagined it was a wonderful place, full of possibility. Vanitas sounded like he’d seen a great deal of the world and found it severely lacking. He certainly knew more about it than Noé, but he found himself hoping Vanitas’s assessment was incorrect.

Noé wished his head would stop hurting so he could consider it all properly. He wished he could see Vanitas’s face.

He wished he were back home, flowers in hand, talking to his grandparents’ tombs.

His grandparents.

Suddenly, he knew exactly what that important something was. He had gone to place flowers on their grave or he had been in the process of selecting them. What happened after was hazy but … did he ever finish up?

At that it finally hit him. He’d been taken away from everything he knew and loved. If he hadn’t done it then he might never get to place those flowers on their graves. No one would mourn them or remember them in his stead.

The back of his throat burned and it felt as though something were lodged in it. His eyes stung with unshed tears. It made his left eye hurt all the more and then he really was crying.

He had never felt more alone than he did now.

All Noé could see was darkness but he could feel Vanitas shift awkwardly, no doubt wondering what on earth he was supposed to do in this situation.

Noé could smell all manner of unfamiliar things. There was the occasional whinny of the horses pulling them along. Were they in some kind of cart? He could feel every bump on the road as they went by. He could smell blood and sweat and possibly petrichor. Had it been raining?

“Is it your eye? It’s hurting?” Vanitas finally said awkwardly. “I don’t think crying will improve the situation.”

“Could you … move a little closer?” Noé said. The darkness, the perceived isolation, it was too much. Noé couldn’t bear to continue like this.

There was a pregnant pause.

“I’m already right in front of you. Can’t you tell?”

“Yes, but…” Noé couldn’t see him. Just hearing his voice wasn’t enough. He was still leaning against the wall as though it were a lifeline because he was too afraid to move; the darkness might claim him if he did anything.

“You’re scared.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” There wasn’t any reason to lie. Noé had never been more terrified in his life.

Vanitas sighed but it didn’t seem to be out of irritation. It was some unknown, soft thing Noé couldn’t place.

“All right. Come here.” Before Noé could protest, say he didn’t really know where “here” was, he felt a hand grip his own and gently tug him forward a bit. Noé complied without question. As long as he knew something was there he could continue on. Then he felt slim arms wrap around his shoulders and he was pulled loosely against Vanitas’s chest.

It was a little awkward; Vanitas clearly wasn’t the type of person who was used to giving physical affection but it was enough. Noé listened closely to Vanitas’s steady heartbeat and breathed in deeply. Underneath the smell of grime Vanitas had a good scent. Noé thought he was probably human. That knowledge steadied his nerves. He was used to humans. All of a sudden, vampires seemed dangerous—they were an unknown that Noé had never really dealt with and now that he’d met some he found he wished he hadn’t.

Noé wrapped his arms about Vanitas’s waist tightly. It had been ages since anyone had hugged him. He’d always missed it. He wished he could be receiving it under better circumstances but he banished that thought from his mind. No, it was better to just focus on Vanitas. He was a little bony, clearly he hadn’t been eating properly, but he was still soft and he was warm and Noé found that was all he really needed at the moment.

Vanitas gently brushed a thumb across Noé’s cheek, wiping the tears away. He took care to avoid the side of his face that was damaged. It was a strangely intimate moment to be sharing with a near stranger but it felt right. Judging by how tense Vanitas was though it might be best to bring up something else.

“When do you think I’ll be able to open my eyes?”

Vanitas continued to brush his cheek idly in consideration. Noé wondered if he realized he was doing it.

“I really think you should be able to open your right eye now. I think it’s a psychosomatic response. One eye is damaged, so part of you thinks you need to protect both eyes. Just focus on the one.”

Noé supposed that was likely correct, so he focused on just the one eye and tried to shut out the aching throb that continued to plague him. If he just focused on the uninjured side of his face, forced the pain to just one side, maybe… At last he managed to get it open a sliver. It wasn’t terribly bright out but it hurt all the same. He flinched at the sunlight filtering through cracks in the wall and ceiling; it seemed terribly inappropriate.

He blinked it a few times. It still hurt to have it open but he could finally see again and that outweighed any discomfort for the time being.

“There you go,” Vanitas murmured.

Noé shifted to get a good look at their surroundings, though not so much he dislodged himself from Vanitas’s embrace. They really were in a cart of some kind. It was made of wood and there was nothing in it save the two of them, a barrel in one corner, and some hay, presumably for the horses. Suddenly, all the odors that had been bombarding his nose started to make sense.

Noé could see that there were several shackles attached to the wall as well; clearly the cart was designed for more than just two slaves. It left his stomach curling in disgust. This really was those vampires’ livelihood.

After he felt as though he had a solid grasp of his surroundings he shifted his gaze to take in Vanitas’s appearance above him. When he did so he wondered how he hadn’t noticed him the moment he opened his eyes. Vanitas was … striking. He was as thin as he felt but despite the frail look of his frame Noé suspected he had strength. He was younger than he’d expected, probably around his own age. He had an odd haircut and his hair was greasy but Noé could tell that if it were taken care of properly it would probably be quite silky. His eyes had an unnatural glow about them but they weren’t red like the vampires had been thankfully.

Vanitas was studying him with an equal intensity. He’d stopped caressing his face but his hand still rested on his cheek. He looked concerned and then a little frightened in turn but he didn’t push Noé away despite how rigid his body had become.

“You’re a vampire,” he said stiffly.

Noé’s mouth went slack. “Eh? You can tell?” Outside of his grandparents no human had ever figured out he was a vampire before.

Vanitas frowned. “Of course I can. Your eye is … you have a ring around the pupil.”

“Is that something only vampires have?” Noé was fascinated despite himself. For a moment he forgot all about how he’d come to be there in favor of marveling that someone actually knew what he was and actually seemed to know something about vampires. Maybe he could finally learn something about his heritage that wasn’t a wild story concocted by well-meaning humans who didn’t really believe they existed in the first place.

“Of course it is.” Vanitas’s brow furrowed. “How can you not know that?”

“I’ve never been around vampires,” Noé admitted. “I grew up with humans.”

Vanitas stared at him, his mouth hanging slightly. “Y-you’ve never been around vampires? Ever?”

Noé shook his head in confirmation. “I grew up in Auvergne with my grandparents. The humans that adopted me, that is.”

Vanitas’s blue eyes stared at him in disbelief. Noé let him. Vanitas’s eyes were very wide at the moment, which allowed Noé to inspect them to see whether he had a ring about his pupils or not.

“You’re right,” Noé said.

“I—about what?”

“You don’t have a ring,” Noé said. “I never looked very closely at the villagers’ eyes but I don’t think any of them had one either. Why do vampires have one?”

Vanitas stared at him in bemusement, as though he weren’t entirely convinced Noé wasn’t just pulling his leg. “It represents their connection to the world formula. Tell me you at least know about that.”

“A little bit but my grandparents died long ago and they only told me a little. The other villagers never talked about that kind of thing. I think they thought it was devil worship.”

Vanitas’s lips twitched and then suddenly he was cackling uncontrollably. It rumbled through Noé. Despite the uncontrolled nature of Vanitas’s laughter he still kept his arms gently wrapped about him. It was a bizarre dichotomy. Noé looked warily at the door. It didn’t seem like anyone had noticed.

“You—what are you doing here?” he laughed. “Are these vampires just stupid? What’s the point of enslaving one of their own?”

“I don’t know. Were they only taking humans?”

“It’s why they’re kidnapping people from the human world, wouldn’t you say? I doubt they expected to find someone in your situation.”

“Perhaps, but…” Noé thought back. It was still a little hazy but something didn’t seem quite right.

“But?”

“Well, surely my scent would have given it away. I can tell you’re human by the way you smell. Shouldn’t they have noticed the difference?” Yes, that’s right. They must have known that. There was something teetering on the edge of his memory, something significant but it refused to make itself known to him.

Vanitas studied him once more. “I smell human to you?”

“Well, yes.” Vanitas was wearing such a strange expression, as though he were lost. “Are you not?”

“No, I suppose I am it’s just… Never mind that. You make a good point. Not all vampires have such good noses, so it’s possible they didn’t notice but … could they really not care who they sell?” The last was said in a murmur and it was clear to Noé that Vanitas was speaking to himself now.

“At any rate, that explains why the blow didn’t hamper you more severely.” Vanitas nodded toward his eye. “Vampires regenerate faster. I have half a mind to just let you drink some of my blood so we can speed it up a little more…”

“No!” Noé exclaimed. Vanitas hushed him immediately. Noé thought that was a little hypocritical considering he’d been laughing manically moments before.

“Why ever not?” Vanitas snapped. “You’re a vampire. It’s what your people do. Your people did that frequently during the war as a method of survival because of how effective it is at healing wounds for your kind. It makes sense.”

“It’s … that seems wrong,” Noé said helplessly. “I don’t want to do that.” Although part of him was curious. He’d never tried it before and now that the subject had been raised he couldn’t help but wonder what it might be like.

Vanitas met his eyes skeptically. “You’re not human, Noé. This is a concept you need to become familiar with. Someday you’ll want to and right now you need to.”

“I know I’m not human,” Noé frowned. He’d always known that more than anything else. “But if I’m going to heal faster already what’s the point of doing that?”

“So we can escape!” Vanitas looked at him incredulously as though Noé were incredibly dim. Noé was starting to feel as though he might be and it grated on him.

“We don’t need to do that to escape,” Noé mumbled into Vanitas’s chest.

“What, am I unappealing to you or something?”

Noé blinked up at him in confusion. “No, I think you smell very nice indeed.”

Vanitas flushed at that. Noé was beginning to think Vanitas suffered from severe mood swings. He couldn’t get a good read on what was going through his mind.

“Then what’s the problem?” Vanitas said, not quite meeting his eye.

“It’s just … I’ve never tried that. I don’t think it would be … I just don’t want to.” He remembered the villagers. He was sure that if he’d ever done anything like that they would have seen him as a monster. Vanitas was infinitely more aware of vampiric culture than they had been, far more than even Noé was, but he didn’t want to risk being seen as a monster by the only company he had.

He could feel Vanitas’s heart speed up and it caused his scent to explode around him. Noé let it enwrap him like a blanket. It was strangely relaxing and it drowned out all the other, less pleasant, smells surrounding them.

Vanitas opened his mouth, closed it, tried once more, and then seemed to give up.

“I never thought I’d see the day I was trying to convince a vampire to drink my blood. It’s never been a problem before,” he said dryly. “You know, a lot of people would be rather offended by this turn of events.”

“Why?” Noé was feeling more and more lost.

“Never mind. If you don’t want to then we’ll just … think of something else for now. It wouldn’t solve things right away regardless. They still have the book and I suppose they would notice if you healed so suddenly.”

Noé blinked curiously, ignoring how it sent waves of pain through him. A book?

“The Book of Vanitas,” he explained, as though hearing Noé’s thoughts. “I suppose you don’t know about that either. I was traveling with a woman before all this. She was a vampire and her name was Vanitas. I got my name and the book from her, you see. She’s something of a … legend, among your people.”

“Truly?” So Vanitas really did know more about vampires than Noé. He’d been traveling with some kind of living vampire legend.

“Oh, yes. I killed her. Well, as much as you can kill something like that.”

Noé stared. Well, that was just a turn he had not anticipated. Vanitas gave him a feral grin. “I do hope that doesn’t offend your sensibilities too much.”

Noé wondered if it should but there was too much happening around him for him to care all that much.

“Why do you go by her name?”

“I have my reasons. Regardless, the book is quite powerful. I can’t leave without it.”

“Hmm, where are they keeping it?” He didn’t see how a book would be powerful but for now he was willing to accept that it was and that they needed it. Perhaps it was unwise to trust Vanitas so thoroughly after just meeting him but Noé wanted to escape and Vanitas had been here longer than him.

“I don’t know,” Vanitas snapped. “That’s the problem. I imagine their leader is either keeping it on his person or they’ve stashed it somewhere. Worst case scenario, they’ve sold it and then I’ll really be in trouble but I don’t think that’s likely.”

“So, not only do we need to escape, we need to find this book when we do so?”

“Yes, and we need to do it before we’re sold. You’re not the first person they’ve put in here with me but they sold all the others before I could make anything work. Hopefully it won’t be the same with you.”

Noé hoped so too. Vanitas was a strange individual but Noé didn’t want them separated so soon. He wanted to escape and he wanted Vanitas to be there with him.

Suddenly, he found he didn’t feel so frightened anymore.

“All right, we need to put together a plan then. What do you propose?” He extricated himself from Vanitas’s arms and sat cross-legged in front of him, leaning forward eagerly.

Vanitas raised an eyebrow in bemusement. “You’re suddenly lively.”

“Well, I understand the situation much better now and … I know we can escape, Vanitas, if we’re together.” He beamed at him, feeling a rush of determination.

Vanitas blinked. He looked a little vacant, a little confused. “That’s … good. I envy your optimism.”

Suddenly the cart came to a rumbling start. Vanitas tensed immediately. Noé closed his eye to focus on listening. He could just make out footsteps starting to come around the back.

“They’re here,” Noé said, barely restraining his worry.

“Put your arms back up. We can’t let them know we can free ourselves from these bonds.” Noé hastily obeyed even though raising his arms once more caused a bolt of pain down his spine. Once Noé was shackled once more Vanitas dashed to the other side of the cart and snapped the shackles closed with a quick jerk of his wrist. It was just in the nick of time for the door burst open.

It was the man who had kidnapped him, the man with the golden earring. Vanitas refused to look up but Noé glowered up at him. He refused to give this man any sway. He’d never been the sort to hate anyone but in that moment he found he almost could.

“Lost none of your fire, I see,” he drawled. “I wonder how long you can keep it up? That brat couldn’t maintain it,” he gestured at Vanitas who refused to look up. His face was wan, clearly anticipating the worst.

“At any rate, we need to pretty you up. Your eye will lower your price if we’re not careful. Hervé wasn’t supposed to rough you up so much.” He let out a low tutting sound, clearly annoyed by his subordinate.

“A pity,” Noé said. “You’ll have to excuse me for not having much sympathy.” Vanitas shot him a look of horror.

“Ha! You do have fire. Part of why we’re keeping you lot separated from the rest. Here are some supplies.” He tossed a bundle at Vanitas.

“I’m going to let you out,” he said to Vanitas, “and you’re going to patch him up. Don’t try to escape; it won’t end well for you.”

Vanitas nodded. His meek demeanor struck Noé as wholly wrong. He barely knew him but he knew this was not who Vanitas was.

The vampire strolled over and unlocked the shackles and Vanitas carefully picked up the bag. He moved over to Noé and began to unpack it. Noé didn’t know much about the healing arts but judging by the way Vanitas’s lips thinned it wasn’t nearly enough for the kind of injury he had. There were some bandages, a cloth, and some kind of ointment.

He took out a rag and dipped it into a bucket of water the man placed at his side with a loud thud. He towered over them, watching Vanitas work with a careful eye.

The silence that engulfed them was deafening. Vanitas worked slowly and with great care. He dabbed carefully around his eyes, cleaning away the blood that had crusted around it. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be a great deal. It took Noé a moment before he realized Vanitas was working primarily with his left hand, keeping his right carefully tucked under the cloak. Was something wrong with it?

He dabbed some ointment on his eye, which had a pleasantly cooling effect and began to wrap the bandages around it. Only then did he put his other arm to work and it was clearly only out of necessity. Something blue flashed when his sleeve fell away. Noé tried to get a better look but he had to hold his head still. The man frowned in disgust at whatever the mark was.

“How long till it heals?” he finally said, gesturing at Noé sharply.

“It’s swollen shut, so I can’t tell what kind of damage happened to the eye itself. Probably a month or more if it’s minor.”

The man harrumphed and gestured for Vanitas to return to his side of the cart. Vanitas obeyed quietly and said nothing as he was locked back in place. The man left without another word.

“Vanitas?” Noé said quietly. Vanitas was frowning still. “What’s wrong?”

“That wasn’t nearly enough to treat your kind of injury.”

“Well, they did just say to make me pretty, not work a medical miracle.” Noé smiled sardonically as Vanitas stared at him, stunned.

“You do realize you could lose your sight in that eye, don’t you?”

Noé shrugged. “At least I can see out of this one. So, what are we going to do?”

Vanitas sighed and slumped a little. Noé couldn’t imagine it was comfortable but Vanitas didn’t seem especially bothered.

“I’m so tired,” he murmured, ignoring his question entirely.

“How long have you been here?”

“Perhaps a month? I thought I was finally free when I escaped her but look at me now…”

Noé didn’t like the vacancy in his eyes at all. “You can’t give up now, Vanitas. Just moments ago you were talking of escape. What of that?”

“What of that indeed? But no, do not fear. I fully intend to get us out of here I’m just … more tired than I’ve been in some time.”

For a long while no words passed between them. Noé considered their situation and listened intently. He thought he could make out the faint sound of another cart. The wheels made similar creaking sounds as their own. There were many horses though. Most likely their abductors were many. Noé remembered about five when he’d been taken. Would they need more than that? How was this sort of thing typically handled?

Noé had no idea. His eyes began to close. Despite the circumstances he found the rumble of the cart gently lulling and he hadn’t slept much; lying unconscious surely didn’t count and there was nothing else to be done until Vanitas was ready to make a move. It was impossible to get cozy but soon he was drifting off.

“Noé?”

“Hmm?” It was Vanitas again. He opened his eye back up to discover that at some point Vanitas had freed himself from his shackles once more. It took a moment longer to realize that Vanitas had done the same for him. Strange, that should have been enough to wake him on its own. The sunlight that filtered in was fierier than it had been before. Sunset.

“How long was I asleep?” He didn’t feel rested at all. If it weren’t for the shift in sunlight he would have thought only a few minutes had passed.

“Awhile. Several hours.”

 “What of you?”

Vanitas smiled wryly. “I didn’t sleep a wink.”

“You should really get some rest yourself then,” Noé murmured. “You were saying you were tired before.”

Vanitas hesitated a moment, eyed him consideringly, before settling at his side. He leaned against him stiffly, as though he expected to be pushed away.

Noé was about to ask what was wrong but stopped himself when Vanitas rested his head against his shoulder. Every muscle in his body was taut and it occurred to Noé that Vanitas was frightened as well.

Of course he is, Noé thought shamefacedly. He’d spent so much time worrying about his own predicament he hadn’t once considered that of his fellow prisoner. Vanitas had been here for a much longer amount of time than he had. Who knew what he’d been subjected to?

Noé carefully wrapped his arms about him and brushed a hand through his hair. Vanitas stiffened and then relaxed all at once. Noé adjusted his position that it was a little more comfortable for them both.

“It gets cold at night,” Vanitas said by way of explanation but he didn’t quite meet Noé’s eyes. Noé had no doubt that it did get cold but he knew that wasn’t quite the reasoning.

Noé held him a little tighter.

Privately, he decided Vanitas wouldn’t have to be scared anymore. Together they would escape this place and return to their lives.

What was everyone doing back home? Did they realize he was gone? Surely they would.

But there was doubt in his mind. He liked his life back home but he was forced to admit that he didn’t have a place there. He’d felt that more and more as the years went by and he still lacked friends.

Even so, the Bonhommes would surely take note. But they didn’t need him. They had four children to care for. No doubt most people would chalk up his disappearance to him venturing off into the woods. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done so; his natural curiosity often led him far into the woods and he would lose track of time or, frankly, simply get lost. It was always an adventure but now it meant no one would suspect something had happened to him. Noé frowned in consternation. No one would worry about him.

“Stop thinking so loudly,” Vanitas murmured in his ear. Noé looked down to meet his eyes. He barely looked conscious; his eyes were clouded and he seemed more relaxed than he had just moments before.

“Sorry. Get some sleep, Vanitas.”

“Keep an ear out for anything. Wake me come nightfall,” Vanitas said before his eyes slipped closed entirely. His breath evened soon after. Noé wondered if he had decided they were taking turns taking watch. Noé rather wished he had informed him of this decision but he supposed he didn’t mind. While he didn’t feel rested he had apparently gotten at least some sleep. If his estimation was correct, Vanitas would be getting even less sleep than he had.

Noé let out an internal sigh. For now there was nothing to do but wait for shadows to lengthen and for the air to grow chill. Then, perhaps, they could make their escape.

Chapter Text

Nightfall came all too soon and Noé gently shook Vanitas until he woke with a groan and a halfhearted jab at his side. Noé took it with grace; his companion looked utterly exhausted and Noé knew how hard it could be to get out of bed on a bad day.

This was a particularly bad day.

Vanitas rubbed at his eyes furiously as if it might wake him up a little faster before moving to the locked door of the cart, crouching before it as he analyzed the seal. For the most part it appeared relatively mundane but there was a soft glow about the edges. Perhaps it was astermite.

The village he’d grown up in hadn’t made any use of it but they spoke excitedly about larger cities putting it to use. It was some sort of panacea stone that could do anything. It aided technology but was rumored to have magical purposes as well. Noé knew it had sprung about around the same time vampires had but Noé hardly felt like a magical creature.

Pale moonlight seeped through the cracks of wood around them, highlighting Vanitas’s hair as he mulled over the lock. His skin practically glowed. Noé wondered how they would sneak around when he stood out so much for surely that was what they were about to do. He curled a finger through his own hair, which was all but gleaming save for the blood caught in some of it. Perhaps he wasn’t much better off.

Vanitas had his ear pressed to the door in question listened intently. He wore a small frown. Noé crawled over quietly.

“What can you hear?” Vanitas said quietly. “Your senses are better than a mine.”

Noé closed his eyes and pressed his ear to the door and allowed the world to melt away as he focused on the unknown outside.

Slowly, the sounds of wilderness became discernible. There was the chirp of crickets, the sound of branches swaying as the wind gusted against them,—must be another storm approaching, Noé could smell it in the air—and then there was the sound of gentle snoring. Their captors were asleep.

“I can’t sense that anyone is awake,” Noé finally said. “Shouldn’t there be a guard?”

“I’m sure there is,” Vanitas said. “But if he’s being so quiet you don’t notice it likely means he drifted off.”

“What now?” Knowing all this was nice but it hardly aided their escape. They were still trapped.

Vanitas’s eyes were sparkling mischievously. He raised a finger to his lips. “Just watch, my dear Noé.”

He raised a hand in front of him and focused on the lock. Noé watched intently. Suddenly, a small zap flew from Vanitas’s finger and the lock sprung open.

Noé clapped a hand over his mouth to suppress his gasp of shock. Vanitas brushed his hands against his coat smugly.

“So that’s how you were freeing us earlier! How did you do that?” Noé finally managed in a strangled whisper. “And if you could do that, why not do it sooner?”

“The Book of Vanitas allows me certain abilities regardless of whether it’s on my person or not and I did try this before,” Vanitas’s brow furrowed in anger, “but it went poorly. Quickly now, Noé, we need to get an idea of the layout of the camp and see if we can find the book.”

Vanitas slipped out the door followed closely by Noé who took a moment to take in their surroundings. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting but for some reason he was still taken aback at what he saw. It all seemed so … normal.

There were three carts including theirs arranged in a circle forming an enclosed camp. There were tents set up a little further off, dark and quiet in the gloom. The remains of a fire were in the center of the carts with a spit. No one was still seated before it and it was no wonder; he’d been correct in assuming a storm was coming. The wind whipped their clothing to and fro and he worried for a moment that the sound would give them away. He glanced over at Vanitas who had his arms crossed and was hunched over slightly.

“It’s freezing,” Vanitas whispered.

Noé just nodded. It didn’t bother him very much but Vanitas’s garments were thin and, he supposed, if a vampire’s senses were superior to a human’s he might just have an advantage. Still, he had to admit he’d like to be at home in front of the fireplace right about now.

Vanitas waved him over and they slowly moved to the front of the cart, crouching in case anyone was around. There were two horses that neighed nervously but whether it was because of them or the weather Noé couldn’t tell. He held his breath. Vanitas was gripping his arm tightly, his eyes wide with fear.

They crouched together like that for a time but no one came and Vanitas relaxed minutely.

“I need to check each of the seats. Keep an eye out for me.”

“Do you really think it will be in there?” Noé said.

“It almost certainly isn’t but we can’t afford to be careless with this. We must thoroughly inspect everything.” Privately, Noé thought he was being absurd. If this book was as important as Vanitas kept insisting it was it would hardly be in the box seat.

Vanitas climbed the mounting steps with practiced ease and took only a few moments to investigate. Once he was finished looking about they investigated the next cart.

As they approached Noé could make out sounds he hadn’t heard previously due to the wind. There was a low murmur emanating from the cart and it dawned on Noé that there were a great many more slaves than he had anticipated. His heart sank. So many people’s lives were being ruined by this operation. Surely they couldn’t leave it be.

“Shouldn’t we try to free the other slaves?” Noé murmured as he Vanitas stepped into the box seat. Briefly he wondered why he and Vanitas had been separated from the others. Was the cart too full? Did something like that even matter?

“No good. If we do that we definitely won’t get away,” he grunted as he stepped back down, no book in sight.

“Vanitas, we have to do something. This is wrong. There are more slaves than slavers. If we free them we can escape!”

Vanitas snorted disdainfully. “They’re all humans for one and unarmed at that. Those vampires would have a field day recapturing them. It would be a nice little sport on the way to Altus.” He waved Noé over to the final cart. Once again he could hear the sounds of life from inside.

“Vanitas—”

“Quiet.”

Noé pressed his lips together tightly but only because he didn’t want them to be caught. This wasn’t something he was going to leave to rest. He and Vanitas would rescue the rest of the slaves regardless of whatever Vanitas thought. No one should be forced to endure this.

“It’s not here either,” Vanitas said.

“Of course it isn’t,” Noé said irritably. “Why would they keep it by the slaves anyway?”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Vanitas grinned. “Do you really think I’ve returned to you with nothing?”

“Yes.”

Vanitas shrugged him off but the downward slant of his mouth implied he was more annoyed than he was letting on.

“Well, I haven’t. What do you think of this?” He held up a journal.

“So, you found the book after all.”

“I found a book. This appears to be the notes of one of our captors. It might give us an idea of where we’re headed in Altus specifically. He’s even drawn maps.”

“Rather careless of him to leave it there.”

“No doubt. Well, let’s take a quick look then.”

The notes didn’t make much sense to Noé. There was an awful lot about “The Shapeless One” and a specific type of slave. One note read:

We found an odd one the other day. Wasn’t human at all but he fit the description of what he was looking for. Dark skin, light hair. I’ve got some suspicions about him. Keep him locked up with the other one.

“They’re writing about me?” Noé leaned over Vanitas’s shoulder in an effort to get a better look.

“Yes, it seems so.” Vanitas was stiff and Noé wondered if perhaps he wasn’t fond of physical proximity despite how easily he’d held him before. He moved aside slightly but it did little to ease his partner’s posture.

“What is it about you? Well? Have you any unusual powers or anything like that?”

He was staring at Noé with something akin to hostility. Noé took another step backwards.

“Not that I know about,” he said. “I told you all that’s interesting about me. I was orphaned and I was raised by humans. That’s all that I know.”

“But there could be more. You know nothing of your heritage? Nothing at all?”

“No…” It hurt to admit even if it were obvious to anyone who met him. He didn’t like feeling like a blank slate.

Vanitas studied him a moment longer before a particularly hard gust of wind knocked his hood off. Vanitas hunched in on himself.

“Never mind that then. Apparently, The Shapeless One might have an interest in you. That doesn’t bode well…”

“Who is he exactly?” Noé whispered.

Vanitas’s frown increased. “No one’s really sure. He’s more a legend than anything else. He helped the queen from the very beginning, he’s rich, powerful, eccentric, and some vampires don’t think he really exists. If he’s showing up in notes like these he must though,” he quietly mused. “I don’t like this. It sounds like Altus would be dangerous for you.”

Noé hummed in agreement and the two returned to reading what other entries there were. The rest weren’t terribly interesting; there were simply a great deal of names and descriptions of the type of slave they desired. The whole thing left him feeling sick. People were not playthings for the aristocracy and that’s exactly what this book thought about them.

“Hm, I suppose it’s useful knowing who in Altus is utter trash,” Vanitas said with a smirk. “Judging by all these prominent names I’d say we’re headed straight for Altus Paris.”

“Isn’t the idea to escape well before that?” Noé said tiredly. “Aren’t we about to leave right now?” He strategically left out the bit about rescuing the rest of the slaves.

“I… don’t know. There’s something off about all of this. Still, you’re quite right; Altus wouldn’t be safe for either of us. Too many vampires for me and a possible problem for you.”

Another gust of wind blew and Vanitas hastily climbed up to the box seat and returned the book.

“We’d best head for the main tent,” Vanitas said reluctantly when he hopped back down to Noé’s side. “That’s where their leader is sleeping and he no doubt has the book on him.”

“Let’s get to it then. Perhaps he’ll also have the keys,” Noé added consideringly. “Although with your ability we don’t really need them.”

“We’re not rescuing the other slaves,” Vanitas hissed. “If you want to get out of here before we reach Altus we need to do it now.”

“I’m not going to allow innocent people to suffer, Vanitas, even if it means I’m back in chains.”

Vanitas stared at him in disbelief even as the wind whipped his hair about fiercely. “You’re insane.”

“It’s the right thing to do,” Noé said stubbornly.

“Oh, sure, let’s just die because you want to play hero,” Vanitas growled lowly. Neither of them said another word as they moved to the tent, hunching lower to the ground in an effort to be stealthy.

Inside the tent were several sleeping figures. Noé counted about ten and he realized the reason for the tent being so large was because all the slavers were sharing it.

You’d think they could afford something better, he thought bitterly.

Vanitas carefully tip-toed around the sleeping bodies as Noé kept watch outside the tent flap. There were two guards outside but they had fallen asleep despite the weather. Noé wasn’t certain how that was possible but he wasn’t going to argue their good fortune either.

Noé took a quick look back in the tent to see how Vanitas was doing. He was silent as a wraith but Noé could see his expression grow more and more frustrated as he moved from person to person without the book revealing itself.

Eventually he reached the far corner and a contemplative smile adorned his face. Noé restrained a whoop of joy; perhaps he had found it. But just as Vanitas reached out for it one of the supposedly sleeping figures bolted up and lunged at him.

Panicking, Noé rushed over to lend his aid, carefully sidestepping the humans, but the man in question let out a shout and suddenly everyone was stirring and Noé’s hopes plummeted.

“Noé!” Vanitas shouted. There wasn’t any point in quieting down now.

What followed was a scuffle that would have surely been impressive to an outsider but was nothing more than terrifying for Noé.

Vanitas managed to elbow the man that had him in a headlock and Noé proceeded to kick him as hard as he could, finally setting Vanitas free.

The rest of the men launched themselves at Noé, finally awake, and he went down with a pained cry.

Vanitas had tugged a sword off of the vampire they’d managed to knock over together and he didn’t show any sign of hesitation as he shoved it through his chest.

Noé could smell the scent of blood heavy in the air but he couldn’t look up as the vampires were raining blows down upon him. A few dashed over in an attempt to capture Vanitas but he agilely stepped past them and slid the sword through one. He let out a gurgle as he fell and that was where Vanitas’s luck ran out. The other vampire grabbed him and bit him hard in the shoulder ripping a cry of pain out of him before he went limp.

No, no, no. It was a mantra in his mind as he desperately tried to summon new strength. His hands had been shackled together but the sight of Vanitas, shuddering in the vampire’s clutches, unable to move, filled him with a rage that made it clear why the phrase “he saw red” existed. Only he didn’t see red, not exactly. Instead he saw … formulas overlaid on top of every living and inanimate thing in the room and he understood that if he could only reach out, touch those lines of text, he could make anything happen.

He let out a guttural cry and suddenly the vampires were launched away from him, as if an invisible force had exploded in their faces. Dimly, Noé realized this must be the world formula and he was the one manipulating it.

In the heat of the moment he didn’t care what was happening so long as he had results.

The vampire that had been holding Vanitas was staring at him in abject horror and that felt … good. He should be afraid; he had caused an undo amount of pain and suffering on innocent people.

The commotion had finally prompted the last two guards to come storming in not that there was much they could do now. They stared in shock at the bodies before them.

“Let him go,” Noé said softly. The vampire obeyed and Vanitas dropped to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He got up to his knees, wobbling only slightly, before staring about in confusion.

“Noé… How did you…?”

“Are you all right?” Noé said urgently.

Vanitas shook himself out of his reverie and promptly moved across the room to lean over one of the bodies. The remaining three vampires glanced at each other uncertainly. Should they bother getting these slaves in line?

For Noé’s part, he rather hoped they didn’t try anything. He was shaking terribly and he was only now starting to realize he hadn’t just shoved those vampires aside.

Blood was trickling from their wounds and Noé knew with mounting horror he had killed them.

“Get out of here,” Vanitas snapped at the vampires. They jolted to attention and seemed to silently agree that, yes, leaving would really be the best for everyone involved.

Once they were gone Vanitas glanced uncertainly his way. “Noé? Get over here. This was their leader. I need to ask him some questions.”

Noé nodded dumbly and crouched beside him.

“Where did you put the book?” Vanitas hissed, clutching at the leader tightly. He held a book in his hand; judging by his anger, it wasn't the right one. So, it hadn't been here after all. The man coughed, blood flecked his lips, and he moaned softly in pain.

“A-already sold it,” he mumbled.

Vanitas cursed under his breath. “To whom?”

“Don’t know…” he managed. “Sent it ahead to Altus. Would fetch… a pretty… penny.”

“Fat lot of good that’s done you,” Vanitas said furiously. “Do you have any idea of what you’ve done? Do you have any idea at all, you foolish man?”

Vanitas shook him furiously and his head lolled from side to side. Noé gripped his shoulder gently. “He can’t answer you anymore,” he murmured.

Vanitas continued to clutch at his lapels before letting out a shout of rage as he shoved the corpse away. He stormed out the tent and Noé sat there, allowing him to have his moment. For his part he felt cold. He couldn’t stop shaking and the weather certainly wasn’t helping.

I murdered an entire group of people, he thought numbly. I didn’t even think about it.

Slowly, he exited the tent to search for Vanitas. He was standing near the fire pit they’d constructed and his shoulders were hunched. It had started to rain in earnest and he was soaked to the bone. Noé stared at him miserably. They didn’t have the book, they didn’t know where they were, and now there was a large group of dead men who couldn’t tell them anything further.

Hesitantly, he moved to stand beside him. Vanitas looked up at him, his eyes devoid of tears, before saying in a croaking voice, “You may as well rescue those slaves now. There’s no point leaving them here to rot.”

Noé silently acquiesced; he’d taken the keys off the leader beforehand. It seemed he’d needed them after all.

The slaves were shocked to learn they weren’t going to be sold to the vampiric aristocracy. So shocked Noé could tell they didn’t believe him. They hesitantly followed after him all the same until finally there was a rather large group of people surrounding him in a circle of all ages and ethnicities. Several of them looked quite gaunt and he knew the slavers hadn’t been feeding them properly. Noé hesitantly explained to them what he knew, which was very little.

“I’m afraid I don’t know where we are,” he said awkwardly.

“I do,” a middle-aged man said gruffly. “These are the forests near Lyon. I know a village we can head to before we reach the city proper.”

“That’s wonderful,” Noé said with relief. “You’ll have to lead the way then.”

Vanitas finally joined them, looking magnificently put out as he did so. “You said Lyon?”

“That’s right.”

“Blast,” he muttered. “It will take days to get to Paris.”

“Why do we need to go there specifically?” Noé said in confusion. Vanitas simply shook his head, which Noé interpreted to mean “Now now.”

“I’m afraid we won’t be going with you,” Vanitas said. “Take some of the slavers’ supplies so you can make it. We’ve already got what we need.” He gestured to a bag of supplies. Noé wondered when he’d managed to put that together.

With the situation now well under hand Noé allowed himself to be drawn to the side of the camp. They sought refuge under one of the trees but it did little to warm either of them up.

“For now, we’ll need to sleep in one of the carts. The tent isn’t much of an option.” He didn’t need to clarify why. “I imagine that’s what everyone else will do, too. This weather is too much of a hindrance,” he muttered irritably.

“Vanitas, you’re soaked to the bone. Let’s just get inside.”

He shook his head. “We’ll be sharing and I don’t want anyone to know what we’re planning.”

“’We?’” Noé said uncertainly.

“You’re not coming with?” Vanitas said looking visibly surprised.

“Where are we even going?” Noé said in exasperation. “I had thought initially I would return home.”

“Of course,” Vanitas said in the tone of voice of one who had never even considered that as an option. “But… wouldn’t you like to see what’s out there?”

“I don’t know,” Noé admitted.

“Don’t you want to know why someone was looking for someone like you in the slave market?”

“I’m sure there wasn’t a specific reason…”

“Don’t you want to know why any of this had to happen?” Vanitas said bitingly.

“…Yes,” Noé admitted reluctantly because he did. He’d never had such intense curiosity before in his life and he didn’t really even want to return home. He wanted to know more about this strange human who spent time with vampires and seemed unfazed by death. He wanted to know about his people and why they’d tried to enslave him.

He wanted to know.

Vanitas must have seen something in his eye because he gave him a victorious smirk. He knew he’d won.

“Fine, fine, but where are we headed?” Noé said reluctantly.

“My dear Noé, we’re off to Paris and after that Altus Paris. I know of a gate we can use to get in.”

“And then what?”

“We look for my blasted book,” Vanitas hissed angrily. “Sold it. Sold it! As if it were something so common. I can’t believe the utter bullheadedness that decision required.”

“We’ll find it,” Noé said. “For now, let’s get inside. My eye is starting to hurt.” Whatever medicine Vanitas had applied earlier was losing its potency and the cold was starting to bother even him.

“Right,” Vanitas said almost guiltily. “I think I found something for that, too. Come on.”

They hopped into the cart that seemed least occupied not that that was saying much. It was still quite a bit more crowded than either of them was comfortable with but no one bothered them with conversation. They simply acknowledged their presence and went back to talking among themselves or trying to find a comfortable enough position to sleep.

Vanitas ushered him into the corner and crouched beside him. He carefully dabbed at his eye with some ointment and changed the bandages with as much care as he had before. Once again, Noé could make out a mark on his right arm and he remembered the vampire that had bit him so harshly.

“Vanitas, does it hurt still?” he said indicating his shoulder.

Vanitas shrugged grimly. “I’ve dealt with a vampire’s bite before. I’m just glad he didn’t mark.”

“Mark you?”

“I keep forgetting,” Vanitas said with a curious mix of bemusement and fondness. “You really don’t know anything about any of this. A mark is… It’s this.” He finally moved his cloak so Noé could see the shimmering blue web that covered his arm. Carefully, Noé reached out and traced it with his fingertips. He thought he could detect a gentle hum emanating it. It felt powerful.

“It’s a way of marking property,” Vanitas said as he covered the mark back up. “It’s a mark of possession.”

“Vampires do that too,” Noé murmured dejectedly. “Before all this I knew nothing about my people. I rather wish I still didn’t. You haven’t told me anything good about them yet.”

Vanitas hesitated a moment before reaching out and cupping his cheek. “You’re not so bad though. What you did back there—“

“Was terrible,” Noé whispered. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I didn’t think I could. I know they would have sold us or killed us or worse but … it was wrong, Vanitas. I shouldn’t have taken their lives.”

“Maybe not,” Vanitas said neutrally. “But for my part I’m glad you did. Think of it like this, not only did you free yourself and me but all these people. They won’t suffer now because of you.”

“But how did I even do that?”

“You must have a powerful connection to the world formula. To think, you did it with only a singular eye. I’m glad we’re working together,” Vanitas said wryly.

Seeing his dejected countenance Vanitas sighed before tugging him a little closer. “You did the right thing, Noé. Trust me.”

Noé nodded dismally. He didn’t want to argue about it anymore. He didn’t even want to think about it. “It’s cold,” he said instead.

“Don’t I know it. I’m completely soaked.”

“You should take your cloak off. It will only make your chill worse.”

Vanitas hesitated but finally obliged, folding it neatly beside them. He held his right arm close, shielding it from view of any of their bunkmates. Noé inched downwards until he was lying flat on his back. He was tired but more than that he was weary. The world seemed much darker than it did before.

Vanitas gazed down at him, his brow scrunched up in consternation before finally settling beside him and propping his head on his shoulder. He rested his hand on his chest as if to ascertain Noé was still alive, his eyes scanning his face looking for the slightest indication of discomfort. Noé didn’t say anything. He wasn’t uncomfortable with sharing his space with Vanitas if that’s what he really wanted. They were both freezing but hopefully their combined body head would do something to sort that out. Besides, it was nice to have his weight at his side. It was reassuringly real and as far away from captivity as he could get at the moment.

He wondered what Paris would be like. He wondered what Altus would be like. Distantly, he wondered if he was making the right choice. He didn’t have to go with Vanitas. He could return home and lead a perfectly normal, carefree life.

But deep down, he knew that wasn’t true. He may not have had to go with Vanitas but he wanted to and more than that, with his grandparents long gone, there wasn’t anything tying him to Auvergne, not really.

He wrapped his arms about his waist and held Vanitas a little closer. For better or for worse his mind was made up. He would help Vanitas find his book and maybe he’d get some of his own questions answered along the way.

Chapter Text

Several days had passed since they’d said their final goodbye to the freed slaves and by Noé’s estimation they didn’t feel like they were even remotely nearer Paris. Unfortunately, they hadn’t brought any of the horses; neither Noé nor Vanitas knew how to ride one and it had seemed more prudent to allow the rest of the group use them for their own journey. They would need all the help they could get. Vanitas had been hesitant about leaving the horses and had sulked for a while afterwards, but he’d largely overcome it since. The one thing he and Vanitas had been in complete agreement on was that they would take the bulk of the slaver’s money. The rest of the freed slaves had agreed; they were only leaving for a short journey to Lyon while Noé and Vanitas were headed all the way for Paris. Yes, they would certainly need money at some point. It wasn’t as much as Vanitas had hoped, but it would tide them over.

At any rate, their journey was taking ages. As far as Noé could tell they weren’t following any path that he could make out; it appeared to be nothing but an endless expanse of wilderness. If they had intended to go camping he would have found it lovely but after the storm the soil was still soggy and his feet kept landing in puddles and he was more than ready to find some real shelter; sleeping outdoors was downright unpleasant.

“Are you quite sure you’re going the right way?” Noé asked once again. Vanitas claimed they were headed directly for Paris, but Noé had some reservations on how accurate his sense of direction was.

Vanitas let out an audible groan of irritation. “We’ve been over this. It’s going to take time. We weren’t exactly close to Paris to begin with, you know.”

“I realize that,” Noé said calmly, “but it would still be nice to have some sort of estimate. About how close do you think we are?”

Vanitas considered that momentarily as he studied the length of the shadows before them and the angle of the sun in the sky. Noé waited patiently as he did so, carefully dodging a few wayward roots as they continued.

“I suppose another day or two should do it,” Vanitas finally said.

“We should be able to manage that then,” Noé said with no small amount of relief. “It will be nice to have a warm bath.”

“What makes you think we’ll be lucky enough to manage that?” Vanitas said with a laugh.

“Well…” He stopped midsentence and realized he had no idea how they were supposed to find lodging. Their funds would cover food, but board? Unlikely. “I suppose we’ll need to get work. But we’ll need to be presentable for that as well… I suppose we could bathe in the river.” There was, in fact, a river not far from where they were; the slavers had made sure to travel near one as a matter of practicality and Vanitas had continued to follow the same one.

“An icy cold river bath. Sounds marvelous. You know, we’re already soaked as it is; how is a bath going to help?”

“We’ll smell better for one,” Noé said, ducking under a particularly low oak branch. “And that would make me happier at least.”

Vanitas glowered but didn’t say anything to defend himself. They both knew it was true; it wasn’t a judgment so much as a statement of fact.

“Fine,” he muttered. “We can take a break for a bath if you’re so hung up on it.”

“Thank you,” Noé said simply. It was easier to get his way with Vanitas if he didn’t push too much he’d found.

The shoreline was marked by several willow trees, oaks, and a few elms; the river forked off into a deep pond covered in water lilies. The air smelled of greenery and life and if they weren’t in such dire straits, this would be an absolutely magical adventure.

Noé hung his clothes on a low branch before carefully dipping himself in the pond. It felt strange and a little unsafe, but he supposed that was simply because he was unused to it. It was also positively freezing as Vanitas had said it would be.

Speaking of Vanitas, he hadn’t yet undressed fully. He’d taken his shoes off and had dipped his toe into the water before withdrawing it with a frown.

“You get used to it after awhile,” Noé offered.

“There are probably tadpoles or something equally disgusting in there,” he frowned. “How can you stand it?”

“All of that is true,” Noé admitted. “But the flowers smell nice. Come on, you may as well.”

Tentatively he began to unbutton his shirt. When he saw Noé watching him with overt curiosity he flushed red and exclaimed, “Don’t look so closely!”

“Oh, sorry…” Noé turned away. They were about to bathe together; he wasn’t sure it really mattered if he saw Vanitas undress or not and they were both men anyway. Maybe Vanitas had some scars he was embarrassed about.

That thought immediately made him feel sorrowful because he realized how true it might be. Vanitas had been with the slavers for much longer; what if they had done something horrible to him?

Despite Vanitas’s initial embarrassment, he settled near Noé with a hiss at the cold and without any apparent shame. Noé carefully kept his eyes clear of him until Vanitas apparently had had enough, poking him hard in the shoulder.

“What was that for?” Noé asked, annoyed as he rubbed the ache away.

“I didn’t mean you can’t look at me at all,” Vanitas explained in irritation. “I just mean I don’t want you looking at me like I’m some kind of puzzle.”

Noé had no idea what that even meant, but he simply nodded before allowing his eyes to take in Vanitas’s appearance. He could make out the mark of possession, glowing slightly under the water, as well as a scar on his opposing arm that was jagged and cruel looking. It was old, though, so it couldn’t have been from the slavers. He didn’t stare at it for too long, wary of upsetting him once more.

“Bedraggled” was probably apt enough for both of them, he supposed, but he felt as though Vanitas was going to have a harder time clearing away the grime on account of how long his hair was.

“I wish we had soap,” Noé sighed.

“So do I,” Vanitas admitted. He suddenly dipped himself entirely under the water and began scrubbing hard at his scalp. Noé figured it was a good enough method, held his breath, and followed suit. The water was surprisingly clear; he could make out rocks and lily pads and, yes, the occasional fish, but it was otherwise clear of anything nefarious. Vanitas’s concerns were unwarranted.

When he emerged, he felt much fresher and he took a deep breath of relief. “This is much better,” he announced.

“If you say so,” Vanitas mumbled. He had emerged right into some lily pads and he was eyeing one that had stuck itself to his head with utter disdain. Noé couldn’t help it; he let out a loud laugh.

His laughter came to a quick halt when Vanitas flung it directly at his face with unnerving accuracy.

“Hey!” he sputtered.

Vanitas bore a mischievous grin. “You look good with flowers in your hair,” he announced.

Noé stared down at the lily pad in consternation. He supposed the flower upon it was lovely, but…

“There is something that concerns me,” Vanitas continued without preamble, shaking Noé out of his musings.

“Hm?”

“This is an odd location,” he explained. “Very memorable.”

“I suppose so,” Noé admitted. He was trying to decide if he wanted the flower to remain in his hair or not.

“I don’t mean that we’ll remember it later,” Vanitas was looking at their surroundings with something approaching melancholy now. “I mean that I think I remember it. We’re quite close to Paris if so.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Noé asked hesitantly, finally setting the lily pad aside. “We need to reach Paris after all.”

“I wonder if we should have just gone to Lyon. We could have gotten transportation there,” he sighed. He sunk lower into the pond until it went right to his chin; he was the very picture of petulant destitution.

“That’s what I said at the time,” Noé reminded exasperatedly. “You said it was a bad idea. Why was that anyway?”

“Well, for one we’d have to spend money on that transportation, no doubt,” Vanitas mumbled. “But mostly… if we did that, we’d be known.”

“Won’t we be known in Paris as well?”

“Not like that,” Vanitas explained. “If we’d gone to Lyon with them, we’d be legends. You singlehandedly took out an entire slave ring.” There was mild awe in his tone. “They’re going to spread the word regardless, but it’s best if they don’t see they physical proof.”

“I see…”

“Furthermore, the more people who are involved with us, the more people we have to wonder about. They’re tangentially related to our affairs. That’s dangerous.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little paranoid?” Noé pointed out carefully. “We can’t avoid people forever.”

“If only we could,” Vanitas said contemplatively. “It would make life a good deal easier.”

And a great deal lonelier, he left unsaid.

Vanitas’s eyes slid over to him, tracing him carefully in the sunlight. Noé had a feeling this was the exact behavior he’d told Noé not to do, but he didn’t mind the scrutiny, so he let it go.

“How’s your eye?” he finally asked, his tone oddly gentle.

“It still hurts,” Noé admitted. Dunking in the water had certainly stung briefly. “But I think it’s healing.” He could open it without any trouble now and the red around it had gone, though it was still a little puffy.

“It’s healing swiftly,” Vanitas noted. “But I could make out that much for myself. I meant… what can you see?”

In that regard, progress wasn’t going well. “Not much,” Noé admitted softly. “Just … movement, I suppose.”

“Movement?”

“It’s like everything is made of shadow. Hazy, no detail. Things only stand out if they move.”

“Almost complete blindness,” Vanitas muttered to himself. “I had hoped you would recover your sight as well with how quickly the rest of it was healing.”

“I suppose even vampires can suffer permanent injury,” Noé mused. “I hadn’t realized even this much would recover.”

The sadness in Vanitas’s eyes left him feeling uncomfortable; he wasn’t trying to be some kind of martyr. He was simply trying to accept the way things were now and if he only had one fully functioning eye, well, better than none at all, he figured.

“Noé,” he began softly. “I think...” He paused.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s not gone, you know,” he finally finished, his gaze fixed on one of the lilies. “The vampire I was traveling with, Vanitas.”

What an odd and frankly alarming admittance. “You said you killed her,” he reminded apprehensively. “Is there something else to it?”

Vanitas nodded reluctantly. “You might remember I said I killed her as much as something like that can be killed. This place… I think I may have dragged you into something you had no business being involved in.”

“It’s much too late to change that now,” Noé pointed out. “You asked me to come and I wanted to come. I’ve decided I’m staying at your side.”

“Mm,” Vanitas looked away, seeming softer than he usually did. “I suppose you have.”

They finished their bath shortly after that and dried themselves as best they could (not an easy feat all things considered) and got dressed. Their clothes were markedly drier now that they’d had time to simply hang.

They took off after, and Noé wondered about what this area had been like when Vanitas had been here last, and what had caused his sudden melancholy. And how could someone be killed, yet not entirely dead? He wanted to ask, but was it all right to? Vanitas had so many boundaries, most of which Noé was still learning. Furthermore, whatever had happened between him and the other Vanitas had taken a toll on him that much Noé could tell.

The following days went by much as the previous had until they finally reached their destination. Noé all but wept with relief; his feet hurt and he wanted desperately to lie down in a proper bed.

Vanitas’s reaction to Paris was decidedly humdrum in contrast, though he’d been quite amused by Noé’s awe. “Welcome to the city of flowers,” he’d said with a wry grin.

“There’s so much here!” Noé exclaimed. “Vanitas, there are so many people!”

“Yes,” he answered bemusedly. “You really haven’t stepped foot out of that human village of yours, have you?”

“Never,” Noé exclaimed as he allowed himself to survey the marvels that surrounded him. Flower shops, bakeries, mimes, there was so much he thought his eyes might pop right out of his head from the sheer excitement of it all.

He may have gotten a little carried away; there was so much to see and his feet kept taking him towards the excitement rather than wherever Vanitas was trying to lead him.

“As glad as I am to see you having fun, we really need to find someplace to stay,” Vanitas pointed out wryly after having to drag him away from yet another shop. “Window shopping must surely lose its appeal at some point,” he continued as Noé stared longingly at the fine suits.

“I’ve never cared much about clothes,” Noé admitted. “But I would like a spare set right about now.”

“We just need a launders,” Vanitas sighed. “Now focus up: what skills have you got? We need to find some manner of employment.”

“Mm, I baked sometimes,” Noé said musingly. “And I helped with blacksmithing.”

“Those aren’t even remotely similar,” Vanitas said in confusion.

“I just did whatever the Bonhommes needed,” he admitted.

“So, you’re a handyman,” Vanitas mused.

“I guess so.”

“Well, that’s certainly better than no skills,” Vanitas smiled.

“What about you?” Noé asked curiously.

“Me? I can cook.”

Noé had seen that much from their travels. Considering they’d been working with pretty much nothing, Noé thought his dishes (if they could be called that) had turned out pretty good.

“I’m also extremely good at theft.”

That took a couple of seconds to sink in, but when it did Noé exclaimed, “That isn’t a job!”

“Oh, isn’t it?” he said with a wicked grin before dangling a few wallets before him. “I’d say my skills have saved us a significant amount of time.”

“Vanitas!” he wailed, panicking. “We must return those! What if the constables—“

“Relax,” Vanitas sighed. “I’ve never been caught once and the people I swiped these off of are extremely affluent. They’ll be annoyed, not on the brink of poverty. Besides, do you want to sleep on the street or in a hotel?”

Noé tripped over his words, feeling quite certain Vanitas was manipulating him, before admitting, petulantly, “A hotel.”

“Exactly, and why shouldn’t you? You’re a great hero, after all,” he continued teasingly. “And heroes deserve good beds. Now come on!”

Noé trod after him, sulking, and wondered why he’d even bothered to ask about his own skill set if he was just going to go around stealing anyway. Maybe he was hoping I could help, he considered. Well, Noé would still rather get a more honest job if at all possible. He wasn’t sure how long they would be staying in Paris, but more money could only be helpful both in the short term and the long. He’d rather not rely on Vanitas to find appropriate victims as well.

The hotel Vanitas ultimately chose was a rundown little place that promised room and board and very little besides. Certainly not comfort, as far as Noé could see. It was on the outskirts of the city, and Noé had a sneaking suspicion that was why Vanitas had chosen it. Furthermore, he’d struck up a deal with the owner that Noé would help him with his side business of making horseshoes.

“Voila!” he announced when the door closed behind them. “A roof over our heads, some food, and you have a job.”

“You’re very industrious,” Noé stated glumly. “But why am I the only one helping with the horseshoes?”

Vanitas gave him a look. “Because I’ll be finding money my own way.”

When it looked like Noé was going to object, he continued, “Also, one of us needs to situate himself in the underworld. That means dhampirs, information, sleuthing. Unless I’m gravely mistaken, I don’t believe you have those skills.”

Noé didn’t even know what a dhampir was, so he supposed Vanitas was right, but he still felt incredibly put out. “I want to help,” he said, finally taking a seat on the singular, large ratty bed. He supposed it wasn’t that bad, but surely they could have afforded something a little nicer.

At that, Vanitas almost appeared fond. “You are helping. I might be the one to handle the initial connections, but you’re going to come along eventually; don’t worry about that.”

Noé nodded, accepting that for now, Vanitas was the expert on these matters. “But why this place?” he finally couldn’t help but ask. “It’s so…”

“Awful?” Vanitas offered with an amused twinkle in his eye. “Yes, it is, but do you know what this kind of place won’t do?”

Noé did not know.

“It won’t rat us out. This place is cheap, and clearly aimed at those questionable members of society that need a little privacy. Well, that’s us, wouldn’t you say?”

“I wouldn’t, actually.” Noé did not feel like a questionable member of society.

“You’re a vampire,” Vanitas pointed out bluntly, “and I’ve been marked by one. We just escaped some slavers and we’re looking for a legendary book. We are questionable, nay, even nefarious in most humans’ eyes by these standards.”

“Oh.” At least Vanitas hadn’t felt the need to point out what had happened to the slavers. They may have been vile people, but Noé knew that taking a life was wrong and… he was no hero, regardless of what Vanitas said.

“When do I start?” Noé finally asked as he flopped backwards. The bed was bouncy and his movements sent a little ripple through it.

“Tomorrow morning. It’s only a few hours; you’ll do fine.”

Noé nodded tiredly. At least he was lying down on something soft; he had to admit that it felt exquisite. “When will you start making your … connections?”

“In a few days’ time. I have to scope out the dhampirs in question and refamiliarize myself with the city.”

“You keep mentioning dhampirs,” Noé said, turning over to face him. “What are they?”

“Right, I keep forgetting.” Vanitas lied down next to him, crossing his arms under his head. “They’re half breeds,” he said bluntly. “The product of a union between human and vampire, held in disregard by both groups. They generally stick with each other and work as information brokers, a bit like a gang, I suppose, although they like to see themselves as an organization.”

Noé hadn’t ever thought of a human and a vampire having a child, but he supposed there wasn’t any reason they couldn’t. This bit about them being outcasts sat uneasily with him, though. Once again, he was discovering there was far more bigotry in the world than he’d been raised to believe.

“Why do they work as information brokers?”

“Ah, that part is simple,” Vanitas said nonchalantly. “They’re unwanted, outcasts, all of that. They’re also a fairly large group. As such, they all but rule the underworld, which means they have easy access to information. Lots of people are willing to pay a great sum of cash for that information.”

“I see.”

“While you’re working tomorrow, I’m going to fetch us those new clothes you were so keen on.”

Noé wisely decided he wasn’t going to ask how Vanitas was going to acquire these clothes.

“I’ll just need your measurements.” He waved a measuring tape in front of him. Noé had no idea where he’d gotten it. Regardless, it took him no time at all to wrap it about his arms, waist, and everywhere else. Noé had never felt so much like a doll about to play dress up.

“That should do it,” he mumbled with a yawn. “I’ll have it taken care of tomorrow. Be up by 6:00 and talk to the clerk and he should have your directions.”

“So early,” Noé moaned before turning on his side, burying his face in an old pillow.

“Hm.” Vanitas sounded amused as he settled next to him. Noé wasn’t even surprised this time when he wrapped his arms about him and rested his chin on his shoulder. “Don’t complain so much; by all accounts, I should be the one who’s unhappy.”

“Because of your book?”

“I should think so.”

“You don’t have to get up at 6:00.”

Vanitas snorted at that before letting him go, rolling onto his back. “I doubt I’ll be sleeping much.”

It was true that Noé hadn’t observed him getting all that much rest. It was actually somewhat worrying, but he’d had so much else on his mind he hadn’t thought to bring it up.

“What’s keeping you up?” he asked, turning to face him.

“Mm, nothing much,” he lied easily. Noé frowned. “Don’t look like that,” he sighed. “I’ll try, all right?”

Noé gave a stern nod. Then he stretched out, allowing himself to finally relax completely. Well, this was to be their room from now on, and things were certainly more situated than they were before. Maybe some good would come of this after all, even if Noé had some concerns about Vanitas’s plans. It seemed to involve a lot of underhandedness that Noé had never once contemplated in his life, but he could allow for the fact that he had never lived in a city. Perhaps this was the norm.

Still, even with his reservations, he was very excited to be in Paris, to have Vanitas at his side, and a new job that would provide some structure, if only for a time. With luck, it wouldn’t be long before he was helping Vanitas with the search more directly, and he’d be one step closer to understanding who The Shapeless One was and why he’d been taken away by slavers to begin with.

Chapter Text

Getting up at 6:00 in the morning proved just as difficult as Noé had feared it would. He’d had a difficult time falling asleep the night before, largely thanks to how unfamiliar everything was. He’d thought having a proper bed might help, but the bed was springy, loud, and Vanitas was sharing it with him, which wasn’t a problem by itself--he’d gotten used to his presence on the road--but it was yet another thing that was different from his home back in Auvergne. So, rather than get the sleep he would need for the next day, he’d spent most of it trying not to toss and turn too much lest he jostle Vanitas.

And really, he wasn’t sure why he bothered because he knew Vanitas wasn’t actually asleep. He’d barely slept while they’d been traveling and he’d barely slept in captivity and it didn’t look like that was about change now that they were free. But perhaps that was why Noé tried so hard. He was lying on his side, blankets brought all the way over his head, and he was pressed to Noé’s side even if he wasn’t facing him. It was a sign of trust, Noé knew that much, and if Vanitas could finally get some shut eye, well, he wasn’t going to be the one to interrupt.

Not that that helped him much. By the time he’d finally begun to doze, Vanitas was gently shaking him, telling him it was time to get up. 

“Already?” he groaned into his pillow. “I don’t want to…”

“I promised the owner,” he reminded, shaking him a little harder. “You need to be the honest counterpart to my duplicitous undertakings.”

Noé groaned a little louder. Being reminded of how insane their circumstances were in such blunt terms was not helping his morning headache. He forced himself up, shivering as he did so. There was no furnace in the room and the morning air was chill.

Vanitas watched him as he stood up, stretching the kinks out of his back. The bed was soft and he’d relished in that, but it was, possibly, a little too soft to provide any kind of support.

“Hmm, who would have guessed it?” Vanitas said, his voice teasing. “You really aren’t a morning person. I half expected you to wake up fully refreshed despite your complaints.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Noé sighed. “Evenings are much nicer. Besides, you’ve seen me in the mornings plenty on the road. I didn’t like them out there either.”

“Just living up to the stereotype, aren’t you?” Before Noé could protest he continued with, “But it’s nice.”

Noé stared at him uncomprehendingly. “What is?”

Vanitas shrugged lackadaisically before sitting up to get his shoes on. “Seeing you so put out. It’s a good face.”

“You want me to be cranky?”

“I said ‘put out,’ not ‘cranky.’” He stood, shoes tied. “It doesn’t matter.”

“I think it does,” Noé muttered as he tightened the ribbon about his neck. It figured Vanitas would be difficult in the morning when he was least prepared to deal with it. He blinked in surprise when he felt a hand wrap about his wrist.

“Allow me,” Vanitas said with a wistful smile. “You’re not doing it right. I always had to help M-- Well, lots of men have a hard time with ties,” he corrected.

Noé considered this as Vanitas brushed his hands aside and set to doing the tie himself, careful to make it snug but not uncomfortable. It was also obvious that Noé hadn’t been doing anything wrong, but he had a feeling Vanitas was working up to saying something and since he could never be an upfront individual he had to come up with an excuse to get the words out. Noé waited patiently as he finished the tie and then took a deep breath.

“I just think it’s nice to see you be honest even about this,” he said. “I’ve never met anyone so foolishly honest or so trusting and… I thought you’d at least have the good sense to hide when you’re put out.”

“Vanitas,” he said with mild confusion, unsure whether he was being complimented or not. “It’s just getting up early. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Maybe,” he allowed, ducking his head, suddenly elusive once more. “I just thought you should know.”

“Thank you.” He’d mull it over later. For now, he doubted he’d be getting much more out of him. He was frankly surprised Vanitas had told him this much already.

“Be careful when you work,” Vanitas continued as he headed to the door. “Your vision is impaired; you could misjudge the distance between hammer and steel.”

Noé couldn’t help an amused smile at that. “Are you worried?”

“No!” he exclaimed, looking disgusted. “I’m just… Don’t go smashing your hand or something. I need you in working order for what we’ll eventually be doing.”

“Of course,” Noé replied, though he couldn’t keep the good humor out of his voice.

“Impossible vampire,” he muttered, reaching for the doorknob. Then he paused. “And don’t let anyone know what you are!” he barked before finally shutting the door behind him.

Hm. That was a good point. Noé hadn’t planned on telling anyone he was a vampire, but, well, he probably needed to be extra careful to keep it to himself all the same.

Noé hastily finished getting ready, which mostly entailed getting his hair in working order. Unfortunately, until Vanitas procured their change of clothes, there was very little he could do to make himself look presentable. While he’d bathed, his clothes still bore the wear and tear of travel; dirt was caked about his trouser’s knees, the seams of his sleeves were torn slightly, and there was the faint odor of rain and grass on all his garments. Glumly, he accepted he would simply have to hope whoever he was working for wouldn’t mind his state of disarray too much or else Vanitas’s efforts in getting him a job would be for naught. 

The clerk at the front desk gave him directions just as Vanitas said he would. It wasn’t all that far away, although considering how much walking he’d done recently, most things probably wouldn’t seem all that far in comparison. 

Once he was out, alone, he realized he would have to be diligent not to get distracted. Excitement coursed through him; he was in Paris, the capital of France, making his way through the world. He’d never dreamed he would actually get to do something like this. At some point, he’d simply accepted that the outside world wasn’t for him; he had to stay and help his village. He’d never considered that maybe, just maybe, there was something more out there for him, that he could do something else.

He couldn’t say he was glad he was kidnapped and sold into slavery, though. That part had been terrifying and chilling in its inhumanity, but the adventure afterwards? Meeting Vanitas? Seeing all of this? It could almost make up for it.

The smithy wasn’t on the outskirts of the city as he’d half expected. Instead it was amid the rest of the bustle of the city. Noé supposed this made sense; there were carriages everywhere and people would need their horses cared for and that meant horseshoes. Briefly, he wondered how well he’d do at this. He’s helped the Bonhommes as a blacksmith, not a farrier. 

How hard can it be? he wondered.

The owner of the inn and the smithy--named Geoffrey--greeted him excitedly, proclaiming he had a lot of shoes to get through. He didn’t even seem to notice the state of his clothes, which was a relief. Although, hadn’t Vanitas said he ran an inn for “questionable” sorts? Maybe he just knew better than to care. 

“It’s not easy running two businesses, you understand,” he said in a low tone. “But it pays the bills.”

Noé nodded understandingly. “How long would you like me here for?”

“Hm? Oh, your friend was quite strict about that,” he said, sounding cross. “He said no longer than four hours.”

So until about 10:30 or so in the morning. Hm, that certainly left Noé a lot of free time afterwards. As he was ushered to the anvil and shown where the tongs, chisel, hammer, and shoeing box were along with numerous other tools, he wondered if Vanitas had set the time in an effort not to overwork him or because he needed him for his own purposes later in the day. What was particularly frustrating was that he could see that going either way.

Luckily, the job wasn’t particularly difficult. In fact, Geoffrey seemed frankly amazed at how good he was at it.

“Are you sure you’ve never made these before?” he asked in bewilderment. “Even if you’ve been a blacksmith, this is a little different.”

“It really is the first time,” Noé confirmed, but offered no other explanation for his skills as he hammered away. He’d made a few mistakes at first--Vanitas had been right about it being a little more difficult with the use of only one eye--but it hadn’t been anything significant. Indeed, within an hour he’d all but mastered the craft. He worried this might mark him as “unusual,” but Geoffrey was pleased, not suspicious. It should be fine.

Things drifted into a comfortable pace from there. It was nice to have something to do to get his mind off of more unpleasant thoughts. While there was plenty to be excited about, there was even more to worry over, and worry had never been something Noé had dealt with well.

At the forefront of his concerns was Vanitas’s book. He didn’t fully understand why it was so important, but he got the impression that it could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Vanitas had said it gave him certain powers, even when it wasn’t nearby. Could someone else put those powers to use?

Come to think of it, there was an awful lot about this book he didn’t know. He’d have to correct that if he was going to spend a significant amount of time looking for it.

The hours went by at a peaceful pace. He lost track of time, content to focus on the constant hammering of metal until it formed a perfect shoe when he heard a soft shuffle  to his side.

When he looked up, it was to Vanitas leaning against the building frame--it was a large, open section in the back that opened to the alley, no doubt to prevent overheating--, but he looked different. For one, his posture was more relaxed than he’d seen it so far, and for another he’d found his change of clothes. It was a striking transformation from rags to a fitted waistcoat, a decidedly un fitted black coat with enormous sleeves, and a big, blue bow about his neck. He had an earring in the shape of an hourglass on now as well; it seemed noteworthy in that Noé doubted it was something he’d bought. It must have already been in his possession.

“You look nice,” he said sincerely. 

Vanitas couldn’t quite hide how pleased that made him, but he walked over at an even pace and leaned down to inspect his work. “How did it go?”

“It was fine,” Noé said with a yawn. “You were right; it wasn’t very difficult.”

“Good. You’ll be happy to hear I picked you up a change of clothes as well.” He hesitated. “I wasn’t sure what you might like, so I just picked out whatever would fit.” He held out a bag, refusing to look at him as he did so.

Curiosity piqued, Noé grabbed it and took a look inside. Every article was carefully folded and he didn’t want to touch any of it for fear of getting grime on it, but from what he could tell Vanitas couldn’t have possibly picked any old thing. The material looked nice, and the colors were fashionable, if somewhat subdued in tone. It was a gentleman’s outfit, not the eccentric piece Vanitas had put together for himself for which he was grateful. He wondered if he could really wear this while working on horseshoes. Probably not; he’d have to sort out his old clothes for that.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile. “It will be nice to get into it.”

“Ready to leave then?” he asked, appearing almost awkward. “I figured I’d give you a more thorough tour of Paris.”

He’d said the magic words. 

“Truly?” Noé exclaimed, all desire to be diligent about his work gone. “What will we look at first? On the way here I saw this cafe with this incredible staircase leading to it in an alley--”

“Wait, wait,” Vanitas interrupted. “We can’t go off exploring every cafe you find interesting.”

“Oh,” he replied, disappointed.

“Instead I will show you the major landmarks so you can get yourself about. Then you can go to whatever cafe you like.”

“And you’ll come with,” Noé clarified.

“I… I suppose so,” Vanitas mumbled. “If you like. Now come on; your shift is over.”

It was so strange that he was already done with his workday. Even the Bonhommes had worked him longer than that. He looked curiously at Vanitas as he walked at his side and wondered if it had been difficult to convince Geoffrey of the short shift or not.

“How did things go on your end?” Noé finally asked when it became apparent Vanitas wasn’t going to offer the information of his own accord.

His demeanor immediately changed, becoming more pleased. “Quite well, actually. I made a contact that I think should prove trustworthy. His name is Dante.”

“He’s a dhampir?”

“That’s right.”

Noé tilted his head. “What are they like?”

“What, dhampirs? Like anyone else I suppose.” He frowned at that. “People are all the same, regardless of their race or creed.”

“How do you mean?”

He began walking faster. Noé wasn’t sure if it was conscious or not, but something about the topic was bothering him. Just another mystery, he thought to himself.

Just as he was beginning to think Vanitas wouldn’t answer, he finally said, with absolute conviction, “They’re all ugly, selfish creatures. Whether they’re human, vampire, or dhampir doesn’t matter. That’s what I mean. You’ve seen it.” That last bit was proclaimed almost defensively, as if he were anticipating Noé’s disagreement.

And disagree Noé did, but more than that he hated the sudden shift in his companion. Before this sudden anger he’d been about as cheerful as Vanitas ever was, almost excited. Now, it was like looking at a different person, one who surely wasn’t capable of the kindness Noé had seen throughout their time together.

Noé stopped in his tracks. Vanitas reluctantly paused as well, turning toward him from where he’d sped up ahead.

“I don’t like that face on you,” he announced without preamble.

“What?”

“I don’t like it,” Noé insisted. “And you’re wrong. That isn’t what everyone is like.”

At that, Vanitas’s ire, previously undirected, honed in on him. “Oh? And I suppose you know all about people seeing as you’ve spent so much time around them?”

“I know enough,” Noé replied, undaunted. “If everyone were as you say, there wouldn’t be anyone left in the world. Not everyone can be like those slavers.”

“Enough of them can,” Vanitas replied bitterly. “And they’re hardly the only problem with the world. If you think otherwise, it’s only because you haven’t seen enough of it.”

“I could just as easily say that about you. Seeing nothing but the worst in the world is just as slanted as only seeing the best.”

Vanitas huffed and crossed his arms. He looked very much like he wanted to continue the argument, but instead he shook his head. “Whatever. Keep your delusions if you must. It’s not my job to educate the country bumpkin.”

Noé’s eye twitched. “You have a very difficult side to your personality.”

“Look,” Vanitas began, anger hot all over again, “I don’t need you here.”

“I never said you did.”

“And I definitely don’t need some holier-than-thou attitude either!”

“That’s not what I intended,” Noé replied tiredly.

“Then what is your point?” Vanitas exclaimed, face red and hands trembling.

“The only point I’m making is that there is good in the world, and I don’t like seeing you believe otherwise.”

“What I do or don’t believe is none of your business,” he said angrily. “Like it or dislike it, it’s the truth. You can’t ask for more than that.”

Noé glanced away, almost guiltily. He didn’t think he was wrong, but maybe Vanitas had a point. Neither of them said anything after that. Eventually, Vanitas led the way and Noé followed awkwardly behind. The tension could have been cut with a knife.

Is it wrong to correct someone about this? It didn’t seem wrong. In fact, Noé felt pretty certain it was worse to let someone believe there was nothing but evil among him. And yet, Vanitas was clearly angry, much angrier than Noé had ever seen him.

Maybe the problem wasn’t Noé’s own philosophy. Maybe, unintentional though it had been, he’d been dismissive of Vanitas’s own life experience. While they’d both been slaves, Vanitas had been one for much longer. Furthermore, he’d implied his life before that hadn’t been so great either. Noé had trampled all over that life experience; how could he expect him to change his tune simply because Noé thought the world could be kind?

Granted, Noé hadn’t seen much of the world being kind of late, but he knew it could be. How else could a vampire be taken in by humans and raised with nothing but affection otherwise? Especially when, as he was learning, there was a great deal of tension between the species?

“Vanitas,” he finally said. Unsurprisingly, he was ignored. He repeated himself and this time Vanitas did stop in the middle of the road. His shoulders were stiff, but Noé knew he was listening.

“I shouldn’t have berated you,” he said quietly. “That was unnecessary.”

Vanitas was still frowning, but he didn’t seem as angry as before. His eyes slid away before closing. “You’re so difficult,” he said, but there wasn’t any bite to his words this time. “Perhaps I was also… misguided. Trying to convince someone the world is an ugly place… Hm, what a thing to do,” he finished wryly. “Though I must confess, I still think you’re wrong.”

“That’s all right,” Noé replied easily. “I think you’re wrong as well.”

At that, Vanitas barked out a laugh. “I guess we’ll see. Regardless, we’re at the first stop of our tour.”

Noé glanced up at the sign adorning the building. It looked quite well-to-do and everyone about them was dressed in the latest styles. This was a place the aristocracy went.

“The Galerie Valentine?” he asked. It wasn’t an obvious touring spot as far as he could tell. He’d never heard of it.

“Indeed. It’s relevant mostly because of what you are,” he said pointedly. “While most humans treat vampires as ‘things that exist somewhere,’ the government doesn’t have the luxury of holding that stance.”

“I see…”

“This is where Count Parks Orlok works. He’s from Altus and he handles vampire affairs in the human world.”

Now Noé was decidedly curious and peered in through the windows more intently.

“Dante seems to think we should meet him, make contact. You understand.”

“How come?”

“Hmm, what do you think?” Vanitas asked, crossing his arms. 

“Because I’m a vampire,” Noé began consideringly. “Furthermore, if he has contact with other vampires, he might know something of the book. If he does, he might be able to give us a lead or we might be able to do something for him to earn this information. Either way, we would have a valuable connection.”

“Not bad,” Vanitas said approvingly. “You’re much better at connecting dots than you let on. Why ask me if you already have the answer?”

“Because I’m curious what you think. Besides, I’m new here; I could be missing something obvious to everyone else.”

“You could, but I wonder how likely that is,” Vanitas said contemplatively. “You get side tracked by right and wrong, but you’re quite efficient at making connections and retaining information.”

“Thank you?”

“Perhaps you should come along on some of these escapades sooner rather than later,” Vanitas continued to himself. “You’re a skilled fighter… Could be a shield…”

“I must disagree,” Noé said stiffly. “Contrary to that… one event, I have never fought anything.”

Vanitas arched a brow. “With what we’re going to be doing, you’ll likely see a lot more of that sort of thing. You should consider whether that’s something you want.”

It was hard not to feel exasperated with Vanitas on occasion, especially when he was essentially repeating himself. He was the one that asked Noé to come with, but he had also dropped several hints about how dangerous the undertaking would be without giving any real information on why or how it was dangerous. He needed to make up his mind.

“I’ll do what’s necessary,” Noe replied with a shake of his head. “Shall we introduce ourselves to Count Orlok now?”

It truly was a beautiful building and contained the most finery Noé had ever seen. It was also very quiet. It was hard not to feel awkward in his rundown clothing. 

“Vanitas, maybe I should change?” he asked hesitantly. On the one hand, he really didn’t care about clothing that much. On the other, he knew basically everyone else did. 

Vanitas blinked in surprise, then had the decency to look abashed. “Yes, you’re right. I should have thought of that. Let’s see, there must be a washroom somewhere…”

Noé found himself being ushered about, Vanitas taking on an almost paternal role as he pulled him along, giving instructions to ‘leave the hat; we’re indoors’ and ‘make sure the waistcoat is snug.’ Noé would have been annoyed if Vanitas wasn’t being so earnest about it. He may have grown up in the countryside, but he knew what was expected of him when it came to making a good first impression.

Once he was in a stall (Vanitas waiting impatiently outside it) he got to changing as swiftly as possible. The waistcoat was, indeed, snug and fit perfectly along with everything else. Everything was black, the trousers, coat, and hat, save for the waistcoat and cravat, which were more of a mulberry. Vanitas had even picked out shoes, which he hadn’t measured for, but somehow still fit well. He placed his old clothes in the bag. With some washing and a bit of sewing they’d do fine for day-to-day work.

When he stepped out, Vanitas lit up with what Noé could only describe as delight. “Everything fits?”

“Yes,” he acknowledged. “You chose well.”

“Yes, I thought that color would bring out your ey-- Well, I thought it would suit you,” he finished with a sniff. “Now that we both appear as proper gentlemen--” Noé wasn’t sure Vanitas’s getup counted actually-- “we can make our introductions. Come along.”

Their footsteps echoed throughout the hall. It was hard to contain himself now that he looked like he was actually supposed to be here. He wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the place, but Vanitas kept a firm grip about his arm and wouldn’t permit it. Perhaps it was for the best; it was quite a large building. Afterwards, he promised himself. Once they’d taken care of their task, he could explore to his heart’s content.

Unfortunately, Count Orlok proved to be difficult to reach. The door to his office was locked.

“Ah, that’s unfortunate,” Noé sighed. “I suppose we’ll have to try la- What are you doing?” he asked in alarm as Vanitas crouched, inspected the lock, and then, with a coy look tossed at Noé, proceeded to zap the lock open just as he had back with the slavers.

“You shouldn’t do that,” Noé chided. “We’re trying to make a good first impression and-- And of course you’re opening it now…”

“Good morning!” Vanitas exclaimed as he flounced through the door. “My name is Vanitas, no, not the vampire, but rather a regular human! With a specialty!”

Noé stared at him in disbelief. Who was this gregarious person?

“Get this man out of here!” The red-faced angry man with the scars was presumably Count Orlok. His two servants were definitely vampires and they looked outraged. Their fingers had turned into very lethal-looking claws.

Ah, Noé realized with mounting horror. We’re going to be sent to jail at this rate.

“Pardon us!” Noé exclaimed, shoving Vanitas aside. He let out a disgruntled oof as he hit the floor. “My friend is a little overzealous.”

Completely unexpectedly so! Noé thought in shock.

Count Orlok blinked suspiciously, but he held up a hand to stop his servants. “Red eyes,” he said a little more calmly. “You’re a vampire.”

“Yes, sir. We came to introduce ourselves. We were told it would be wise to make ourselves known to the … vampire authorities?” Good God, it sounded insane now that he was saying it aloud.

Vanitas sat up with a glare. “That’s what I was doing,” he said with annoyance.

“Vanitas, I don’t know what you think you were doing, but that was not an introduction,” Noé replied in exasperation.

The two servants glanced at each other uncertainly. No, they were not making a good impression and those two were no doubt wondering how long they’d have to listen to this before they could remove them from the premises. 

“My name is Noé, and this is Vanitas. We have lost an item and we were hoping either for your help or an equitable exchange for the information.”

“Hm. Your manners are a lot better than this human’s. I assume you’re his guardian?”

“Absolutely not,” Noé exclaimed. The last thing he wanted or needed was to be responsible for Vanitas, who was clearly someone that did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted and whose moods bore no consistency whatsoever.

“If anything, I’m his guardian,” Vanitas ground out, frustrated at how he was now being completely ignored.

Orlok didn’t deign that with a response. Noé had a feeling he didn’t believe either of them.

“And what kind of favor are you hoping for?” he demanded. At that, Noé glanced at Vanitas. While he wasn’t keen on him making another scene, the truth of the matter was that this was Vanitas’s request and he didn’t know how to explain it to this man.

Vanitas sighed, dusted himself off, and stood back up. He was significantly calmer and more like himself when he replied this time. “We’re looking for The Book of Vanitas. ”

Everyone in the room gaped at him. Orlok sputtered in renewed anger. “Absolutely not! For one, it doesn’t exist and for another, if it does, it ought to be destroyed!”

“Is it really that dangerous?” Noé asked, mystified. Vanitas shot him a despairing look.

“I-Is it really that dangerous?” Orlok asked faintly. “Of course it is, you fool! You know what it can do to our kind!”

Now did not seem like a good time to admit he did not. Internally, Noé cursed. Yet another “obvious” factor to vampire society eluded him. He swore the second they returned to their hotel, he was grilling Vanitas until he told him everything he knew.

“Listen,” Vanitas said seriously, “this book was given to me by the vampire whose name it bears. If I don’t find it, someone else will and that will mean all kinds of trouble for your lot. I don’t plan on using it to hurt anyone. I can’t say the same for anyone else.”

“As if I’m going to believe something like tha--” Orlok gasped in shock as Vanitas removed one of his gloves. Noé hadn’t said anything about it, but it was quite unusual. It was long and black and had claws built into it. He wasn’t sure he liked it all that much.

With it gone, his mark glowed unhindered. Noé could feel the power emanating from it even at a slight distance. Apparently, so could every other vampire in the room.

“My God,” Orlok breathed. “You really are kin to the blue moon.”

The light-haired servant quaked slightly and glanced at his partner. She shook her head, whether to tell him to remain still or to express disbelief, Noé wasn’t sure.

“I am,” Vanitas said darkly. “And the book is missing.”