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I've always been a fast runner.
Of course I'm not nearly fast enough to keep up with anything that flies, but this vampire wasn't a particularly fast flier, and they didn't know they were being chased. Staying a couple of hours behind, using tracking magic to keep from losing track of them, and running without breaks, I've just about managed to keep up without them realizing that I was on their tail.
I've been running for about a day now. This is the farthest I've ever gotten into the Erebus woods. The farthest anyone I know has, either. This was probably a stupid decision, but there's no way I'm turning back now. I have to finish this hunt. The monster is finally stopping to rest. This is my chance. This is it.
...
I can't be more than 10 feet from them now. I'm far too exhausted to try to take him out fighting, so I'll use garlic. I have a full clove of garlic with me, and if I can shove it down his throat, he'll be done for, and I won't have to be able to put up a fight. I'm some five feet away now. He's just on the other side of this tree. I crush the clove in my hand to get it into smaller pieces. I'm holding my breath. Now's the time. One step around the tree, garlic in hand, and I lunge. The vampire has definitely noticed me now. His eyes are locked on mine, and he makes the mistake of opening his mouth to yell. I stuff the clove into his mouth before he has a chance to react. He's stepping back, probably in shock. Within a few moments, the effects of the garlic will begin. We both are still for a moment. The vampire has tasted the garlic by now; I'm surprised he hasn't begun to try to spit it out yet.
And then I watch in horror as the vampire starts chewing.
Chew, chew, swallow.
The vampire just willingly swallowed a WHOLE CLOVE OF GARLIC.
It's been at least ten seconds since the garlic entered his mouth. The garlic should have done something by now. He should be dead by now. He swallowed a whole clove of garlic and looks fine. He is SMILING.
Humanoid, massive bat ears, claws, and his open-mouthed smile betrays the signature fangs. This couldn't be anything else but a vampire, right? This is a vampire, yet it's something different entirely. This is something of a different class. A whole clove of garlic, and he is entirely unaffected. How powerful must he be? I've seen vampires of feats that could only be described as incredible fall to a fraction as much garlic. This was something the likes of which no one has ever seen. To think that I stood a chance. He probably knew that I was chasing him the whole time. He let me come here, he let me shove that clove into his mouth, because he knew that he could take anything I could possibly throw at him.
He said something to me, but had already started running. I can't hear anything over the sound of my own heart, my body is pumping with so much adrenaline that I can't feel anything as I push my exhausted body to run faster than I can ever remember until my legs give out. I'm lucky to be alive right now. This is something uniquely powerful I've encountered.
...
"The strangest thing happened to me today," said a young vampire named Lokki, smelling of garlic.
"Oh?" Replied Kori as he closed the door, "Do tell."
"It happened not too far from here, too." continued Lokki. "I was taking a short break on my way here, and a human came, out of nowhere, shoved some food into my mouth, and ran away before I could say thanks."
"I presume it was garlic, based on the smell." Kori commented.
"Yeah. It was pretty good, too!" Replied Lokki.
Kori chuckled. "To you, maybe."