Chapter Text
It was a dark and stormy night as Sarah, Lilly, and a small handful of villagers approached an old, creepy crypt in the wilderness, rain soaking them to the bone, even through their cloaks, while lightning flashed across the sky in a foreboding way. It was along this time did the Burtons realize they made a grave mistake in agreeing to any of this.
The structure was barely visible through all the overgrowth, but the villagers hacked away at the ferns and vines to reveal the dark stone underneath. Strangely, it felt as if the world got darker when they did so, and the boom of thunder that came after seemed like a warning to leave. A warning that the two brownies wanted to heed.
As the villagers slowly opened the old wooden doors of the crypt, Sarah grabbed Lilly’s hand and attempted to slip away. Sadly however, more villagers behind them subtly corralled around them, blocking escape and funneling them down into the crypt.
“Momma, I’m scared.” Lilly admitted quietly as they passed the threshold, now hugging her mother’s arm with a whimper.
“I know sweetie, but I’m here. We’ll be okay.” Sarah assured her and slipped her arm away from the hug to instead wrap around Lilly’s shoulders, hugging her to her side as they descended the stairs.
Sarah was scared too, but she didn’t want to admit that to her child. This place was wrong though, evil lingered in the air, dormant, but not gone. And as they passed deeper still, the mother noticed writing on the walls and frames of hallways. They were written in different languages, none of which she could read, but she felt certain that they were warnings.
They most definitely made a mistake agreeing to this.
It had been a normal day not unlike any other, in which the two were just passing through to sell some of their wares. But some villagefolk stopped them and politely requested a vial of their blood from each of them. An unusual request, but not entirely unheard of, for it was becoming more well known that the blood of a brownie in small quantities, and when prepared correctly by an alchemist with other ingredients, had healing properties.
Thus they agreed and gave them two small vials, one from each of them. They should have left it at that, or never stopped in the first place... But Sarah wanted to meet their alchemist and see their injured, believing that perhaps she could help further, given a small amount of information she learned from another alchemist they met in the past, Darther Morrell.
As it turned out, it was a trick. There was no alchemist, she could see that now, and she was also sure that they were now unable to leave willingly if they tried.
“What is this?” Sarah asked, aiming her question towards the leader of the small band of villagers.
“Our salvation.” Was all he answered with.
He was an older man, supposedly the Elder of the village, though she certainly wouldn’t call him wise if he thought that there was anything good to be found down here.
Even the two villagers traveling beside him looked uncertain now, eyeing their surroundings with discomfort and hesitance. Unfortunately, they didn’t voice their feelings.
The crypt descended deep beneath the ground, so much so that they couldn’t even hear the thunder anymore, though it was a minor comfort at best, given the foreboding silence that surrounded them now. Strangely enough, Sarah saw no coffins or urns down here, nor any side passages. It was just one long staircase down into the depths of what may as well have been the underworld.
She kept glancing at the walls, seeing the words carved in the stone were more frantic and desperate seeming, or threatening... She couldn’t quite tell which, and soon, she finally spotted one that she could read.
LEAVE NOW, OR BE DEVOURED.
It was... pretty direct, and certainly didn’t beat around any bush. The sight made her heart skip a beat, but luckily it seemed Lilly didn’t see those words. The child was still scared, but not anymore than she was a moment ago.
However, some of the villagers behind them certainly saw the message, and one woman spoke up.
“Uhm... A-are we sure that he will actually help us?” She worriedly asked, just as Sarah looked up, and saw more words engraved above the open doorway that led to a room. A name, and a description of the being whose resting place they now approached, written with cleanliness and respect, not like the words of warning earlier.
They were here.
“He will, one way or another.” The elder declared with devotion behind his words, and more worryingly, determination.
The name above the entrance read: Here lies Lord Ramirus, who was a loving father, a vicious warrior, and now a fearsome vampire.
A vampire... The villagers were going to resurrect him with their blood! Sarah gasped in horror at this realization, hugging Lilly closer as a result, and she must have frozen up on the stairs, because she was soon nudged along by one of the villagers behind them.
Panic threatened to set in, she heard her child whimper, and they both knew they did not belong here. No one did. But the only exit was blocked, and the room had nowhere else to go. All that was here was a great stone coffin in the center of the room, surrounded by ancient offerings and keepsakes. And on the wall behind them, was a black and gold shield, somehow pristine after all this time, save for some dust.
“Are we sure it’s wise to awaken Lord Ramirus with the blood of a mother and daughter? The man was once a father himself, don’t we run the risk of it... upsetting him?” One of the frontline villagers voiced worriedly, fear lacing his voice and betraying his loyalty.
The elder openly glared at him in response.
“He is a father no longer! He hasn’t been for a thousand years!” The old man bellowed, his voice rattling through the room, causing many to openly wince.
Vampires were complex beings, very little was known about them by the general public... Save for the most frightening of basics, including the fact that their power draws from the blood of the living. Blood that must be consumed in great quantities, certainly more than the tiny vials the Burtons gave.
It was also believed that vampires were once human or elven, and there’s great debate as to whether they still are in some ways, or if they are now simply another kind of demon. As for how one becomes a vampire... That has been harder to determine. Even more so is how one slays a vampire, save for trapping it in sunlight. Something they were all far from, both in time, and travel distance.
“What do you hope to gain from awakening such a creature?” Sarah asked then, her voice slightly shaky, but she fought to keep it steady.
The Elder whirled on her next, sneering.
“I will not answer to the likes of you! The both of you will be supper for Lord Ramirus, nothing more!” The old man declared without remorse.
The rest of the room fell silent with unease, many of the villagers exchanging glances, eyebrows raised.
“B-but Elder, you said you only needed the two vials?” One of them shakily asked then.
“I did, you are correct. It is all I needed... However, he will need much more, all of it no doubt. Once he tastes their blood and awakens, he will already know who his prey is, and will not go after us.” The Elder explained with more patience now, though there was a lace of delirium in his voice.
“You believe Lord Ramirus will kill them...?” Another villager asked with a mixture of fear and disbelief. “He was a good man in his days, even after he became a vampire-”
“Enough! Help me open this, and you will all see... He will awaken, he will feast upon these outsiders, and then he will grant us his power.” The Elder demanded, and with only a moment’s hesitation, the frontline villagers helped open the coffin, sliding the large stone lid off with a mighty crash.
The noise caused the entire crypt to shudder, and Sarah was pretty sure something cracked above them. They were going to cause a cave-in at this rate!
The mother tried to back away, to head back up the stairs before it was too late, but her shoulders were roughly grabbed, as well as her child’s free one, and they were forced to stay put.
“You monsters would condemn innocents like this...” Sarah muttered bitterly, fighting back the urge to say more, to yell and scream damnations to them all.
But it wouldn’t help, they wouldn’t care and it may cause a collapse of the crypt. No, they had a better chance of survival by biding their time, not drawing attention, and waiting for a chance to slip away.
“Momma, is the vampire really going to eat us...?” Lilly asked her mother with growing fear, her tiny voice frail and threatening to break into tears.
Sarah wished that she could do more to assure her child, but only one leap of faith came to mind.
“I don’t know, sweetie... But I do know this. Becoming a parent changes you for the better. It’s a change that’s so strong and so enlightening, no amount of time can wash it away.” She told Lilly with earnest.
She didn’t exactly want to bet their lives on it, but Sarah did truly believe there was a chance that the vampire wouldn’t want to hurt them because of his experience as a father himself. It was just a matter of whether there was any humanity left in him, or if he was just a blood-sucking beast once awoken after all this time.
Regardless, her words brought Lilly a glimmer of hope, even while both of their eyes now became teared up, she saw a delicate smile on her child’s face.
As the coffin laid open, a darkness filled the air around them, threatening to chase away any glimmer of hope that sparked in its presence.
Then a voice came. Drifting towards them like mist in a bog, slow and shrouded in mystery.
“Leave me to my rest... Or suffer.”
Like the written warnings, it was pretty direct. The voice itself was masculine, but very quiet, barely above a whisper. It sounded weak, like it took all of his strength just to muster those words.
Sarah was also pretty sure that it came from the body resting within the coffin. She didn’t get a good look at it, but she saw something black and gold, perhaps armor that matched the shield on the wall.
“Elder, perhaps we should-” A villager began, clearly rattled by the whole thing.
“Silence! Not another word of doubt, or else!” The old man bit back in a harsh, yet hushed tone.
He then snatched the blood vials being held out towards him, though Sarah couldn’t help but notice the hands were shaky. It seemed the only person who was truly sure about this, was the Elder.
The grip on their shoulders however remained, but Sarah waited, hoping that once the vampire stirred, it would startle them enough to let go, and they could make a run for it.
Thus everyone watched as the Elder removed the lid of the first vial, the smaller one... Lilly’s blood. An ache formed in Sarah’s heart at the sight, as the droplets fell into the coffin, likely into the mouth of the vampire.
The Burtons couldn’t see, but for all intents and purposes, Lord Ramirus appeared to be long dead. He was clad in his armor, with his sword laid upon his chest just how most warriors were put to rest. His body was mummified, a mere husk of a human left behind, barely a step above being a skeleton.
“Please... leave me...” The voice spoke again with a little bit more strength, the corpse’s jaw subtly moving as the words drifted out of his mouth, even as the droplets entered him.
He sounded pleading, sad and desperate to be left alone. He didn’t want to be awakened, which added... well, yet another one to the pile. Everyone except the Elder, who ignored the plea and poured the contents of the vial into the vampire’s fanged jaws.
“The blood of a child... “ The voice soon spoke in a harsher manner, though it was difficult to determine in what way.
“Be at ease, Lord Ramirus, we have more for you.” The Elder assured, though no one could call his tone actually reassuring, it was just unsettling and even creepy.
Next came Sarah’s blood vial, which was poured in with more vigor and suddenness. The Elder was becoming more eager for his insane plan to unfold.
“A sweet mother...” The vampire said next, and Sarah wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking or not, but she could have sworn he sounded angry, just like the other villager warned. However, no-one could know what that actually meant for them, for an angry vampire didn’t sound like a very safe thing to be around either.
“Do not fret, Lord Ramirus. That is but a taste. Arise, and claim-” The Elder began, but was cut off himself this time.
The vampire did arise. However it was only enough to throw one arm around the old man’s shoulders, before the creature sank his fangs into the Elder’s throat.
Several villagers gasped in horror, while the Elder only cried out from the initial bite. Afterwards, life was drained from him so rapidly, he had no time to even fight back before he became a husk himself.
Lilly quite literally cried, burying her face into her mother’s side and letting out a muffled sob of fear. Sarah meanwhile could only stare in shock and horror, while holding a firm, protective hand over her child’s head.
Sadly, escape still wasn’t possible, as the hindering grip on them only became tighter, no doubt unintentionally, but it still kept them trapped. Even as Sarah tried to yank herself free, nothing budged.
After a short moment, the vampire shoved his victim aside, the village Elder’s body clashing to the ground in a heap of lifeless skin and bones. The Lord in return was being restored, and no longer looked like a corpse that had been at rest for over a thousand years.
It was a steady process, but as he slowly stood up within his coffin, his skin went from a husk, to a sickly grey, to now a healthy, if pale, appearance. His face sculpted back to what it once was all those years ago, now currently holding an expression of fury as he bared his bloody fangs at those present in the room.
Sarah also realized that Lord Ramirus was an elf! And unfortunately, was a bigger one to boot, easily reaching seven feet in height, if not more. His presence filled the room, both in a figurative sense as much as literal, if not more so.
As he stepped out of the coffin, he towered above everyone, and his broad shoulders were tense, his brow furrowed, and his eyes... They looked all manner of wrong. The sclera was black, his pupils gleamed red like rubies, and his irises were a predatory golden color.
“You all dare awaken me with the blood of a mother and her child?!” He roared in fury towards the villagers, with a growl clawing its way up his throat. “I should slay you all where you stand!” He bellowed after them, and even readied his ebony black and golden sword, as if he truly was about to cut them down.
That finally got the villagers to act, albeit in the worst way for the Burtons. The crypt was already shuddering under the force of the vampire’s voice booming in the small room and up the hallway, but now horrified screams and yells added to it, and the crypt most certainly cracked now.
Sarah and Lilly were shoved towards Lord Ramirus, and they collapsed near his feet, no doubt left as a distraction. After that, lanterns were dropped and the villagers all fled the room, rushing up the stairs and away from the horror they awoke.
Ramirus deftly stepped over Sarah and Lilly to chase after his prey, and given the secondary growl that rumbled from him, his beastly intentions for the villagers were crystal clear.
However, he was too late, and so were the Burtons. The crypt collapsed, rubble piled up at the exit, and the vampire was forced to stop his advances. Worse still, the collapse was happening in the room too, and Sarah looked up just in time to see a large hunk of debris break loose and fall down towards them.
She had no time to move, all she could do was shelter her daughter and pinch her eyes shut as a heavy weight fell upon them.
It was not the end for them though, and the mother soon realized that it was not the rubble that was upon them. Rocks didn’t growl or grunt, after all.
Looking up in the dim lantern light, Sarah found the vampire’s face merely inches away from hers, his breath smelling of the coppery tang of blood he just drank... Despite this, he smiled down at them with bittersweet warmth, even with an apologetic look in his eyes. This was interrupted as rubble fell upon his back, causing him to grimace as he braced around them, arms propping himself up to keep from crushing the brownies under his own weight.
The Burtons remained huddled under him, they had nowhere else to go after all, and the only thing all three of them could do was wait out the collapse, and hope something remained standing when it was done.
Sarah was relieved to now realize that, at least to some degree, she and that one villager was right... Being a father mattered to him, even now, after all these years. And he was at least still good enough of a person to shelter them with his own body, protecting them from being crushed.
Soon, it ended, and silence filled the room once more... as well as a heavy layer of dust, causing the Burtons to cough despite their best efforts not to. Sarah tried to suppress hers and Lilly coughed into her mother’s chest.
Darkness also filled the room, the rubble had destroyed all the lanterns that the villagers dropped, and to Sarah’s horror, they could not see a single thing now. They were trapped in a pitch dark room with a vampire, albeit one that seemed to care about their well-being. However, that could change, for there was still evil within him.
Lord Ramirus moved above them, Sarah heard it as he shifted away, likely to stand. The only thing visible in this darkness was his gleaming eyes, red and yellow as they were.
“I am deeply sorry that the both of you were taken here for such ill intentions... and that your lives were put into grave danger.” The elven vampire declared with regret, and was now taking care to speak softly.
Sarah and Lilly shifted to sit up, huddling close together even as they were unable to even see one another. The child whimpered, and Sarah knew it was because of the darkness... as well as their near-death experience.
“It-it’s uhm... It’s not your fault, Lord Ramirus. Y-you... You didn’t want this either.” Sarah shakily told him, her heart beating rapidly and her nerves frayed beyond belief. But she tried to hold it together, they were alive, they just had to get out... somehow.
“You are correct. I didn’t want this, I never wanted to walk the lands of Miroslav ever again. I was to remain here in dormant slumber for eternity, so that I would not bring harm to another soul ever again.” He declared with a sense of duty in his tone, sounding most displeased that he was disturbed, but luckily it didn’t seem directed towards the two of them.
Ultimately, Sarah wasn’t sure what to say to that, he put himself to rest here? For all intents and purposes, that is. It wasn’t exactly the terrible evil that she expected, nor felt.
“Are you going to go back to sleep, Mister Ramirus?” Her little one then inquired with pure innocence.
Even in the pitch darkness, looking at those disturbing eyes, Sarah saw his gaze soften and shift down towards Lilly. She imagined him smiling, though she wasn’t sure if that was exactly a comforting thought or not.
“I will likely try, but I fear that I have fed too much, and it will not be quite so simple... Alas, that is for me to work out. The two of you should leave, and attempt to forget what you saw this night.” He told them with a sense of authority now, not out of cruelty, but as if he wouldn’t accept anything else.
In truth, the Burtons would love to leave... if they could. In the utter darkness, they couldn’t see their own hand in front of them, and Sarah only had the vaguest of images in her head of the vampire’s face. But that wasn’t even the biggest of their issues, for that went towards the entrance being entirely collapsed in. She saw it, before everything went dark. There was no way out.
She heard Ramirus walk away, large boots stepping with intent as he went off behind them, to the other end of the room and near where his shield hung on the wall. She guessed that he could see perfectly well, being a predatory creature of the night and all. But that raised the question of how he didn’t notice that they had nowhere to go.
Sarah and Lilly turned their attention to each other, and the child spoke first.
“I guess he doesn’t want to eat us...” She murmured with sheepishness.
Sarah exhaled with what could pass as relief, though she didn’t really feel relieved. Especially when Lord Ramirus spoke once again, because apparently he heard the child’s tiny voice, even as quiet as she was.
“Make no mistake, small one. There is a part of me who would be delighted to consume you, your blood tastes like that of honey and sugar, and you would warm my stomach like a fresh biscuit from the oven. However, I pray to The Mother and her Feathered Children that I do not taste you ever again, which is why you must depart immediately.” He told her with gravity in his tone. It was not a joke or a taunt, but a spoken fact that he hated.
Sarah decided to answer then, even as her ‘fresh biscuit’ let out a soft giggle from the analogy.
“We would leave, Lord Ramirus, b-but... We can’t, the way is blocked.” She told him with nervousness, hoping he wouldn’t be upset about her pointing out the obvious, but he seemed to not know, for some reason.
“We also can’t see anything, it’s all dark and scary...” Lilly informed him afterwards in an admittedly pitiful manner. Sarah was grateful that he was a fair distance away.
Despite that distance however, a deep growl rumbled in the small, partly collapsed room, reverberating off the walls in a way that was almost oppressive. Afterwards, silence replaced it, and the two brownies felt even more nervous as they huddled close to each other a bit more tightly.
That silence remained just long enough for it to be unsettling, before it was broken by the vampire.
“... Forgive me, I have been forcing myself to not gaze upon the entrance, for I may be tempted to take it. You are correct, the way is blocked, and it is the only exit from this room. I made sure of this.” He told them with a regretful edge in his tone.
Sarah’s heart sank to that, having hoped that maybe there was a secret side exit or something... Lilly also whimpered again, and she knew the poor child would no doubt be in tears soon. They were currently trapped here after all, and while it’s something she didn’t want to mention to Lilly, their ability to breathe was perhaps on borrowed time if they were truly sealed up down here.
The mother tried to think fast, to come up with any solution before hopelessness set in.
“Lord Ramirus, is there anything you can do to help us get out of here...? Please?” Sarah asked him with a mixture of respect and desperation.
She didn’t really intend for that ‘please’ to come out, but it did and she hoped it didn’t sound too pathetic to his ears. They were in a desperate situation though, and even though the mother felt uneasy in his presence, the vampire was now their only chance of survival.
A hum echoed in the room, long, deep and thoughtful. Then he walked towards the entrance, she could hear his heavy boots again as he made his way past them.
“I could move this rubble and clear the path...” He began, though he sounded worried about something, even troubled.
Lilly stopped whimpering then, and tears ceased before they properly came, at least for the time being. Instead, she made a curious, hopeful noise and both brownies waited for him to continue.
“However, moving anything in the crypt runs a risk of causing a second cave-in. I am not certain that I could shelter you both in time if that were to happen.” He declared next, though his tone wasn’t cold despite his words and formal way of speaking. No, he sounded genuinely regretful about it.
Sadly however, all of this caused that spark of hope they felt to be snuffed out. It wasn’t like they had any other options, but Sarah knew he was right. The chance of survival seemed to be a rapidly closing gap, threatening to seal them in figurative darkness alongside the literal.
The mother reflexively hugged Lilly for comfort, her thoughts once again trying to scramble to gather up some solution or encouraging words, but it was the child who spoke before anyone else.
“What if you sheltered us first?” She asked innocently, like it was a simple solution, and in a bubble, it was. But there weren’t really any means for a shelter here, the entire room was equally at risk of collapsing, so what was the child thinking?
“But how will he do that?” The mother asked before she could stop herself, though she felt a pang of guilt afterwards.
“I dunno...” Lilly murmured afterwards, sounding deflated again, which stacked that guilty feeling.
The vampire didn’t answer right away, but she heard another thoughtful hum from him, before he then approached. Unlike before, he didn’t just walk by them, for this time they were his subject of attention.
Those unnatural eyes fell upon them again, and try as Sarah might to not look at them, it was nearly impossible, given how they were the only thing visible to them in this seemingly eternal darkness. Lilly met his gaze without fear, somehow, but Sarah just felt small, in every meaning of the word. He was a noble after all, and even if his time may be long in the past, there was still a layer of natural respect to be felt in the presence of nobility.
“You are deceptively wise, small one.” He declared with warmth, and Sarah could even see his gaze soften towards her again. Those fatherly instincts of his were still strong in his heart, even after all this time.
“I am?!” Lilly asked with lifted spirits and an excited gasp.
“You are indeed.” He confirmed with sincerity, before Sarah saw his eyes flick to her. “It appears our circumstances have now changed, I’m afraid to say, and all before I was able to make that prayer...“ He trailed off, sounding slightly troubled, and Sarah felt her heart leap into her throat.
The only prayer he mentioned making was in reference to consuming them. So what did this mean for them?
“Don’t let your nerves get the better of you, madam. As previously established, I will not harm either of you.” He assured her respectfully, and Sarah’s eyebrows raised, yet she just listened as Ramirus continued. “However, I am going to harmlessly swallow you both, and shelter you within my stomach while I move the rubble."
He stated it so calmly and so factually, like there was no room for debate. She supposed there wasn’t, not when they were trapped here with him in complete darkness. But it still wasn’t exactly something Sarah wanted to just accept without question.
Lilly however, thought differently.
“Ooooh, really?! You can do that?!” The tiny brownie child asked with excitement, her mind and heart both completely void of fear at the idea of being stowed away in the vampire’s belly.
In hindsight, it had happened before, minus the vampire part. The aforementioned alchemist they met had swallowed them safely, as did another fellow, a seer and mercenary by the name of Sokhayan Mar. The main difference was, both of these men did not have evil dwelling within them. One was a half-evuna, and the other was a werewolf. The latter was plenty frightening, but the origin of werewolves are a blessing from Rhoda, the Goddess of Nature.
Vampires on the other hand... Well, they have much more sinister roots. Most scholars theorized it to be a demonic curse put upon someone, turning them into an immortal and undead creature of deception and bloodlust.
It’s true that Ramirus hadn’t shown these qualities all too much... Save for his attack upon the Elder. A mere glimpse of the terror that a vampire can reap, being able to pass as an average member of their race before striking. Sarah wouldn’t be surprised if his eyes returned to some form of normal rather soon, once he was fully awakened and recovered from his deep slumber. Then he truly would pass as a perfectly typical-looking noble elf.
“I can indeed. It is not a very noble thing to do, I admit. But I trust that the both of you would prefer a second chance at life, rather than have this crypt become your final resting place.” He told them with gravity, not as a threat, but with truth all the same.
Sarah found it difficult to argue with that, and it was unlikely that he was lying, vampire or not. There was no reason to deceive them, they knew what he was, but furthermore, they were also effectively blind and helpless down here.
“Y-yeah, we do.” Sarah hurriedly stammered out, before realizing she should add more to that. “We-we’d like a second chance, I mean. L-Lord Ramirus.”
An amused chuckle echoed out through the chamber, largely quiet so it wasn’t a danger, just strong enough to show the lord’s amusement.
“I understand, madam. I realize you have many reasons to fear me, and I don’t fault you for it. But I ask for your trust so that I may do one good thing with my... awakening.” He declared, his tone taking on a gentle edge, yet the final word was laced with disdain... towards himself.
It was difficult not to feel sympathy for that, the vampire clearly hated what he was now, and if it weren’t for them being trapped in this oppressive darkness, it would have been tempting to try talking to him about it.
“I trust you, Mister Ramirus!” Lilly chirped with encouragement then, followed by a quiet ‘tee-hee’.
Sarah sheepishly laughed to that, a small part of her hoping that didn’t seal their fate, she wanted to decide with a bit more thought... and with any survival instincts at all. The elven lord meanwhile snorted quietly with amusement again towards her tiny child’s antics, but it was with warmth all the same.
“Then you have reserved your spot within my stomach, young one. However, it’s your mother that I am most concerned about.” He admitted to her, his voice now taking on a parental edge as he addressed Lilly.
The wee brownie let out a quiet ‘yippie’ under her breath, and excitedly wiggled in Sarah’s embrace. She was always so happy and content to snuggle away inside of others, and it just so happened that they kept meeting people who are both delighted and able to shelter them in such a unique way. Especially Sokhayan... Darther was always a bit more reserved about it, and Sarah could tell Ramirus was not so unlike that either.
Sarah held nothing against the seer, but she was grateful that the vampire was not as impulsive as him. However, that did remind her of something...
“I uh... I have a question first, if you’ll hear it?” Sarah asked carefully, trying not to seem as wary as she felt.
His eyes shifted to her then, but still held benevolence that reached his voice when he responded. “Speak your mind, madam. I will hear you.”
She nodded once, and took a moment to gather her thoughts. She didn’t want to offend him, and elves could be rather prideful. He was kind and patient for the time being, and she didn’t want to break that.
“Alright... Earlier, you mentioned that you really didn’t want to taste... us? Our blood? Again. Is there a chance that swallowing us could cause a... reaction? A vampiric one?” The mother asked, hugging Lilly closer to her side out of reflex at the end of her question, which left them little more than a tight ball of anxious brownies.
A brief moment of silence passed, perhaps so he too could consider his own answer. That offered her some relief as that hopefully meant that he wasn’t offended by her worry.
“It’s always a risk that I may lose control. It is the reality of what I am, and the unlife that I lead. However, the chances of me losing control before both of you are safely nestled away is very slim, and I dare say that the risk of a secondary collapse harming you instead is much higher.” He explained calmly and with empathy towards Sarah for her lingering fear.
His answer was truthful, and while it wasn’t the most comforting answer, the fact that it was honest made her feel better. He also had a point, everything was a risk, life in general was a risk... but which had better odds? Currently, trusting him was.
“Furthermore, I despise tasting the blood of the innocent, especially children. The evil within me would argue otherwise, but it doesn’t matter... To willingly drink the blood of the innocent is to give into that evil, and I would see myself truly dead before that happens.” The lord said now with a bit more vigor and pride, though he sounded sincere all the same.
The two had little to say to that, especially Lilly who just made the softest of noises, sounding sympathetic towards the vampire. Sarah couldn’t deny that she felt the same kind of sympathy, and was more than convinced now that he didn’t choose to be what he is now. It was a curse he was trapped living with.
“With all that said, my brave guests... To swallow you whole isn’t the same, especially in the situation we now face.” He began, and at the same time, Sarah both saw and heard him approach closer, crouching down before them as his eyes neared, and his voice became closer. “My ability to shelter you both is but a utility, a crude and uncivilized one, but I will not have my awakening cause indirect harm to you while it remains in my power to prevent it.”
Ramirus’ words left no room for argument or debate, he was giving Sarah time to accept what was going to happen, but she could tell that he had already decided upon swallowing them. It wasn’t necessarily a bad or malicious thing, though expected from a noble elf all the same. They had only one option to ensure their safety, and he saw no reason to do otherwise.
“Thank you, Mister Ramirus.” Lilly suddenly said in a soft, delicate voice of earnestness.
The vampire blinked towards her, his determined gaze softened once more upon sight of the innocent girl, and Sarah imagined him smiling again.
“Your gratitude is endearing, but whatever for?” He asked her with delicateness in return.
“For wanting to help us. Even though we’re just... little people who woke you up when you just wanted to sleep.”
The vampire leaned closer then, and Sarah tried to tell her nerves to stop being so anxious. Not being able to truly see made it hard though, but that would only get better if she just let him help.
“Ahhh... That isn’t your fault, young one. The one who was at fault had already paid the price, although I am not proud of it... his lifeforce is what now allows me to assist you and your mother. And assist you I shall.” He declared with a sense of benevolent finality, and Sarah knew that it was time.
Those eyes drew closer still, and at the same time, Sarah felt large and strong hands gently picking them both up, still huddled together as they were. Shortly after this, they also heard a subtle groan call out to them from within Ramirus, as if inviting them. It was nearly missed, but not quite. Instead, it made Sarah realize that perhaps there was some form of life still in him.
“Come, and I promise that you will see daylight once more.” The vampire said in a gentle and quiet tone, given how close they were to his face now.
Then his eyes disappeared, likely as he closed them, and instead Sarah felt humidity and mild warmth engulf them. Somehow, the vampire was consuming them both at the same time, though his mouth and throat sort of funneled them in a way where Lilly was above Sarah, thus going first.
Speaking of the young one, it didn’t take long for her to start giggling softly as they were gently eased deeper inside. And in that same moment, there was a hearty swallow, pulling much of the brownies into the vampire’s gullet. He wasted little time, seeming eager to get them down his throat as he gulped again after only a brief second.
The warmth was welcome, and while it wasn’t as much so as someone truly living, Ramirus wasn’t entirely void of life either. They could even hear his heart beating, albeit very very slowly, certainly not enough to keep someone alive under normal circumstances. But it showed that a part of him was still alive after all, even with this curse.
Sarah felt much of herself disappear inside of him, and she knew Lilly must be nearing his stomach. The slimy, muscular esophagus rippling around them made it difficult to keep hold of her though, and before long, her grasp did slip.
“Weeee~!” Lilly exclaimed with glee as she slid down deeper within on her own, the throat gently yet eagerly guiding her down into her destination, the vampire’s belly.
Right after that, Ramirus took a hefty final swallow to finish them up, sending Sarah down with her snuggly child. A ring of muscle sealed off the stomach from the esophagus, a ring that opened only enough to allow the brownies safe passage into the belly, and then sealed back up to keep them snugly tucked in.
It was, of course, still completely pitch dark inside, but with the space being nearly filled up by their presence, even curled up as they were, then there was no threat of anything lurking in the darkness. Instead, the mother and daughter just found themselves comfortably stowed away in the plush and warm chamber, which rumbled benevolently in welcome to them.
“It’s so squishy~” Lilly cooed as she snuggled the closest wall, accompanied by an innocent ‘tee-hee!’
This earned them a delicate chuckle from Ramirus, as if he was trying to stifle it but didn’t quite manage entirely.
Sarah meanwhile had to shift a bit more to get herself upright, but once she was, she tried to let go of her nerves and just relax. They were safe, Lilly was happy, and they would soon be free of this dreadful night.
Luckily, the vampire’s stomach seemed to want to help her relax, as she soon found the walls and floor tenderly cradling her, with slow yet soothing motions that were akin to kneading. It was subtle, not overly lively or vigorous, but that was actually welcome for Sarah. The threat of being overwhelmed was real, and it was nice for things to be slower and more settled down.
“You will not regret trusting me, this I promise you.” The vampire then said with a sense of authority and duty, his voice reverberating around them and through the walls.
At the same time, the Burtons felt a gentle pressure push in from the outside, about the size of Ramirus’ hand. It didn’t move from there, but just warmly pressed against them, like a reassuring squish of his belly and to the little ones snugly tucked within.
“Thank you Mister Ramirus! Are you going to move the big rocks now?” The younger of the Burtons asked, and that did cause his hand to move over them in one rotation of a rub.
“I am. You will be free of my crypt, and then...” He trailed off, and didn’t finish.
He seemed troubled, perhaps still about his awakening, and what he was going to do about that, Sarah wondered too... Would he truly just help them and then return to his rest? He hinted that it was more complicated than that, so perhaps... in needing to free them, they also set a vampire free upon Miroslav. He seemed nice, but they already knew he wasn’t harmless.
However, there wasn’t really anything they could do about that, they just had to be thankful he was willing to free them at all. For Sarah, all that mattered was that her and her child were safe. The moment she extended a lending hand to strangers, it very nearly cost them their lives. It was only through the mercy of Lord Ramirus that it didn’t.
“You don’t really have to go back to sleep, do you?” Lilly inquired with innocence, and even a glimmer of sadness as she gave the vampire a small internal cuddle.
Sarah didn’t plan on debating with him about it, she didn’t feel like it was any of their business, it was his unlife. However, now that the question was asked, the mother wasn’t going to interrupt, unless she felt like it was needed. And depending on his answer, perhaps it was worth it to provide some words on the matter.