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The stone wall at his back felt cold as Vanitas leaned against it, arms folded, waiting for his squad. He loathed the cold and darkness in this underground walls that he called home for some time now, which is why he took every opportunity to get out of here. No matter how difficult the mission was, no matter what he had to put up with to get a few days' leave and no matter who he had to put up with.
He could really think of better things to do than to join Gano's men in a peace talk with Lord Ruthven in hostile territory in Altus, of all places! Just the thought of going into a world full of vampires made his stomach ache. Not as much as Astolfo, though, which was why they had gladly replaced him when Vanitas volunteered.
Vanitas and Astolfo were actually part of Roland's squad, but to maintain neutrality and because Charles apparently didn't quite trust Gano himself, one member from each unit was sent to the meeting. Even if his young age meant that he would probably only be seen as a nice accessory, it couldn't hurt to learn a little more about this strange world. Roland trusted him enough not to start a riot there, unlike a certain pink-haired comrade who sauntered towards him with a spiteful grin.
"So, are you ready to be eaten by the vampires, Little Bow?" Astolfo joked in an overly cheeky tone of voice, to which Vanitas only had the annoyed twitching of his eyebrows.
"Are you sulking because you're not allowed on the trip, you spoiled rich brat?" he replied, annoyed.
Vanitas could see Astolfo's eyes beginning to boil with anger. He had indeed inherited a considerable fortune from his parents, but you couldn't call him spoiled after everything he had been through. They were almost all orphans here. Nevertheless, Vanitas knew very well that these words would drive the younger boy up the wall. He was too easy to manipulate and therefore not suitable for such an operation, even if they didn't really take part in the conversations as youngsters.
"Just so you know, Roland only chose you because he can do without you if you die, you wannabe prodigy!" Astolfo hissed at the older boy.
"He chose me because you're completely incompetent, daddy's boy!"
The two of them could be heard clamoring all the way to the end of the great hall, where the older Chasseurs stood ready for their mission until everyone had arrived.
"Aren't they both cute? Just like real siblings!" Ogier chirped as he watched Vanitas and Astolfo from afar, crossing his arms behind his head.
"They're starting to get on my nerves, especially the older one. I'd like to play a little trick on him," Gano grinned in reply as he sharpened a small dagger. Ogier turned around in astonishment.
"Then why don't we just do it?"
"Because Roland won't let his golden child out of his sight. You can't touch those two. How that pompous blond is a pain in the ass. If only for his sake, I'd like to jump one of them."
Ogier's grin widened.
"The boy is accompanying us on today's mission, isn't he? Altus is big. It's all too easy for a human brat to get lost there. That would be a real embarrassment for both Roland and Lord Ruthven..."
Even after the diplomat-vampire had taken them all across the border to Altus, the sinking feeling in Vanita's stomach didn't go away. This was enemy territory, even if there was officially peace.
The sky was unnaturally red here in the evening, many buildings looked like copies from the real Paris and yet were somehow different, more sinister. They were only five people. He couldn't stand Gano and Ogier and he hardly knew the other two in their company, which didn't make the situation any more pleasant. He felt surrounded by enemies.
Admittedly: It wasn't that Vanitas completely loathed vampires. After he escaped from Moreau's lab following the death of little Misha, he realized that they weren't the only monsters, but that didn't mean he trusted them.
Once in Ruthven's office, Vanitas deliberately stayed in the background, even though he would have preferred to ask the vampire, who pretended to be a human friend, a few probing questions. But there was no room for that, because it made him nervous enough that Gano's disgusting eyes were on him the whole time. He and his buddy Ogier were up to something again, but he wasn't foolish enough to give himself the nerve and not be careful, otherwise they would surely have dumped him in the Seine of Altus an hour ago, those bastards. Why were these two bullies of all people leading the conversation? This could only lead to another war if he was allowed to be nothing more than an errand boy here, and only because he wasn't quite of age yet.
Before they moved on to the actual plan for the day, it was obviously polite to show the human guests around the castle, and Vanitas had to give Lord Ruthven credit for one thing: He had a keen sense of technology and science! Something that also fascinated him. Even as they left the office and explored the corridors, he could still see books with interesting names and strange equipment everywhere, paintings of members of the royal family and numerous doors that probably led to other parts of the administrative wing.
He almost didn't notice how he fell back a little during the tour. It would be so interesting to be able to read all these books and see the rooms that were not meant for his eyes.
Just as he passed a door that was slightly ajar, he couldn't help but stop and take a furtive look into the darkness.
As he could see nothing but a dark staircase, he was about to turn away again and follow his group when he was suddenly pushed from behind. Even as he stumbled down the stairs, he could hear a spiteful snigger and someone slamming the door behind him.
The young chasseur almost fell down the stairs if he hadn't just been able to hold on to a banister. Annoyed, he knocked on the door, which he discovered was now locked. He had known that someone was after him and he had an idea who it was. If Charles found out about it...
Scowling, Vanitas looked around the narrow corridor that led to the staircase. Surely he would be left to rot here for a while before Gano drew attention to his disappearance and if he wasn't careful, he would be accused of espionage, but still... Something about this dark corridor made him curious. Only a few steps further down could he see the light of gas lamps. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a quick look at what Ruthven was storing down there. Just to be on the safe side...
The further he descended the stairs, the more the atmosphere down here reminded him of the catacombs. Out of the frying pan into the fire...
He quietly heard the sound of pumps and... water? At the bottom of the stairs, he found a cellar that looked like an engine room. There were various pipes and measuring devices, all leading to a curtain. There had to be a device underneath... Vanitas hesitated briefly. He shouldn't be here, he shouldn't be snooping around, but... If there was one thing that clearly set him apart from Astolfo, it was that he was a free spirit and a bit of a rebel.
Without hesitation, he pulled aside the curtain under which he could see light shining through and saw...
A young woman, enclosed in a tank, in strange liquid.
Vanitas caught his breath. She was wearing nothing but a short white undergarment, her eyes were closed and her mouth and nose were enclosed in a mask with tubes leading out of the tank. Was she dead?
Cautiously, the young man stepped closer to the tank in which the girl seemed to be floating. What almost took his breath away even more than the disturbing situation she was in (These kinds of tubes were not uncommon in Moreau's laboratory either.) was her beauty.
Of course, Vanitas was no stranger to beautiful women, but there was something about her that particularly fascinated him. Her long pink, almost white hair, her well-formed curves, her pale skin and somehow... The feeling of having known her for a long time. No, he would remember a woman with hair like that. Surely she was a vampire. But then why did she seem so familiar to him? As if it was fate to find her here, just as the prince found the sleeping beauty in the fairy tale.
He shook his head in irritation. Such cheesy thoughts did not suit him. Rather, he should find out why she was here and whether Lord Ruthven wasn't planning something shady. Something like this wasn't normal, even for vampires!
Hesitantly, he took a step closer to the glass of the tank. Should he tell the Chasseurs about this? He didn't even always trust his own people.
As if the glass could have burned his gloves, Vanitas slowly placed a hand on the tank and suddenly noticed a movement.
The liquid in the tank gurgled softly with air bubbles as the girl opened her eyes and looked Vanitas straight in his. Large amber, if not golden-yellow eyes seemed to capture Vanitas' soul at that moment. She looked directly at him as if she recognized him, but she didn't move. For a moment, she looked like a newborn or like someone who had awoken from a very long dream and could not yet grasp reality. The young Chasseur didn't even realize how much he was staring at her with his own remarkably blue eyes, but he felt his heartbeat begin to quicken. A strange feeling of happiness ran through him, as if he had been waiting all his life for this woman.
He would have liked to speak to her, but he realized that she would not be able to answer.
Slowly, the girl began to move and seemed to want to reach out to him when Vanitas suddenly heard loud noises. Startled, he backed away from the tank, causing the curtain to fall back in front of him and hide the girl inside.
Just as Vanitas was about to turn around, he felt a large, strong hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch violently.
"Are you lost, young man?"
Vanitas looked almost panicked into the face of Lord Ruthven, who was looking at him searchingly.
"Y-yes... The door was locked, so I was looking for another exit," the human explained with a tense smile.
"It's dangerous to walk around here in these dark rooms. Follow me upstairs. The talks should start now."
Even before Ruthven had finished speaking these words in his usual gentle tone, he was already turning to leave, as if he knew that Vanitas would follow him.
The latter looked back at the curtain one last time, carrying a strange twinge in his heart, before following Ruthven. He felt as if he absolutely needed to see the woman in the tank again. As if she should only be at his side and with no one else.