Archive of Our Own ^beta

Owen decided early on that the Doctor was a strange and dangerous one.

As all the little people arrived in Oakhurst, all with their own baggage and woes, the Doctor had been the strangest of all. His clothing was unlike any Owen had seen before. Which wasn't exactly saying much, as he'd never left the confines of the village all his life and unlife. Yet not even the others, as vast a distance they had traveled from, had ever seen the like. Only the brat Martyn had voiced any recognition.

Fashion of the oriental, he had said. Clothing worn by the residents of kingdoms far to the east, made of soft silks and embossed with delicate patterns throughout. The Doctor's own clothing consisted of a mix of styles from various regions. The prim and proper dress pants, button shirt, and vest that any citizen from the Capitol would wear. And layered over that simple ensemble, he wore robes of white with black stitching along the sleeves of the garment. The stitchings were not simple repairs made in haste, but rather detailed patterns that created a harsh mosaic against the gossamer white silk. It took everything in Owen not to brush his hand against the robe whenever the Doctor passed him by. It appeared so soft and delicate, far unlike the stone-like quality of the Doctor's demeanor.

He'd kept all the townsfolk at a respectful distance, merely approaching those who required aid from time to time. Owen had done much the same. Some had tried to gain his friendship. A few curt words and a harsh gaze was often enough to scare them off. And yet, there were the stubborn few that refused to let him be in peace.

The author M was tiring company, ceaseless in his yapping on some idea or other. There had been a handful of times when Owen stalked into the woods to be alone that M had eagerly stumbled along. Honestly, Owen was surprised at himself for refraining from cutting down the man early on.

A slip of his axe, a quick swipe from his claws, and it would've been so easy. All that stayed his hand from taking such action was the fact he would need to explain to the others about the missing man. That, and the ever scrutinizing eyes of the Doctor.

They barely crossed paths inside or outside of town. But Owen knew, had even caught him a few times in the act. He knew the Doctor had his eye on him. For whatever reason, he could not tell. The only other person who seemed to draw the Doctor's ire in such a fashion was Scott, yet the noble set the Doctor far more on edge.

Owen could be observant too. He'd watched with rapt interest as the Doctor's hands clenched into fists and his jawline hardened whenever he caught sight of the noble. Perhaps the two had an argument while Owen had been off somewhere else. He didn't know. And he quite frankly, didn't care. Whatever had occurred between the two, Owen could use it to his advantage. The Doctor was dangerous, and it was better to have him focused on another target rather than himself.

And that was the strangest thing of all about the man. Certainly, there were others in the town far more capable of causing harm than the Doctor. Avid ranted and raved quite a lot about what he'd do to any vampire. Lady Apo was a trained combatant, Ren visibly had the strength to take on powerful foes, and even Abolish seemed calculative and strategic in his rounds about the town. The Doctor was simply that; a doctor. A man who's very profession was tied to the care and well being of all around him. It was instinct that kept Owen wary of him. A deep feeling he could not identify that set him on edge whenever he drew near. The best he could surmise was that his vampiric nature knew something that he himself did not.

But Owen was not the only one to notice the Doctor was off in some way. A week and more had passed since they had all found themselves trapped in Oakhurst. The close proximity had allowed some of the people to grow closer to one another, to form bonds of loyalty and trust that Owen had excused himself from.

And in that closeness, peculiarities were seen and noticed.

Not long after Avid's impromptu house judging contest, the would-be vampire hunter had begun construction of a new building. The roof hadn't even been set in, yet the young man had the gall to plaster a sign on the front entrance regardless. Owen had just happened to be passing by when he spied an exceptionally irate Doctor marching towards the building. Owen ducked behind a half finished support beam and watched as the doctor used his full height to tower over a very intimidated Avid.

"Am I a joke to you?" He had huffed out, motioning with a hand to the sign that stated 'Vampire clinic'.

"Wh-what? No, of course not!" Avid had tried to stand up straighter, as little good that did him. The doctor wasn't the tallest in the town, but he did have several inches over the young man.

"Really?" The Doctor had continued, face threatening to go red. "Because this looks like a mockery of what I do."

"No!" Avid waved his hands about frantically. "This wasn't meant as a slight against you at all! I just wanted to give people an option if, you know, they get bit by a vampire!"

"And you think I'm not capable of providing care in such a circumstance?" The doctor growled low. Owen was surprised at both the tone and the sound. He didn't believe a human was capable of such a noise.

Avid must have come to the same conclusion, judging by how pale he had suddenly become. "O-okay, Doc. I can just, um, I can take the sign down."

The Doctor didn't seem eager to back down, stance still held above Avid like a waiting vulture. Drift came in to save her friend, placing a hand on Avid's shoulder and slowly moving him behind herself. "We can just go back to our original plan. To make it a game room, right Avid?"

Avid rapidly nodded his head up and down in quick agreement. "Right! This won't be a clinic at all! Nothing to worry about, Doc."

The doctor slowly seemed to collect himself, becoming aware of all the passing people who stopped to watch the show. He'd briefly locked eyes with Owen, who only stared back with a neutral expression.There was still a storm etched into the Doctor's face.

"Fine." The Doctor spat out and quickly turned away back to his own home and clinic. Owen caught him mumbling a few words under his breath, yet it was in a language he didn't recognize. Steam wafted out from the Doctor's mouth, despite the day not being particularly cold enough for such an effect to occur. Owen could smell smoke as he passed him by.

Things intensified quickly soon after the turning of both Pyro and Shelby. Owen was not overly content to follow along with Scott's plans. But their goals were aligned just enough that it was more to Owen's benefit to ally himself with the elder vampire rather than not to.

The tide truly began to shift when the four of them were taken by surprise by a small force of townsfolk at the castle. Martyn had managed to bust down a weak section of the back wall, right as the vampires were working on desecrating the beacon. There was a flurry of silver steel and sharpened claws. Shelby flew off while Scott and Pyro pursued Martyn and Cleo. Leaving Owen to deal with the Doctor. 

The Doctor surprised him. Rather than running back to the town or joining his fellows in the fight, the man had taken a much more direct approach. Sword still tucked away into its scabbard, the Doctor had instead chosen to ram forward, shoulder first, directly into Owen. The vampire saw the move coming from a mile away. Did the doctor really think he could stall him in such a way with mere human strength? Owen had allowed himself a smirk, waiting to deflect the doctor's head-on tackle. Only to be shocked by a heavy blow straight into his solar plexus.

If he'd been a normal man, the blow would have left him completely winded. Instead, he felt the full impact of his back slamming against the stone wall behind. He could hear the stone crack and break and the foundations rip partially free from their station. Before he could pull himself back up, the Doctor already had him pinned down. The Doctor only needed one arm to keep him trapped, the other holding up a curved dagger.

Owen hissed and clawed but found no purchase. The Doctor was unmoved as claws made ribbons out of the sleeves of his robe. The vampire paused when he realized he hadn't cut through any of the man's skin. Instead, his claws skimmed across the surface. He grabbed hold of the Doctor's arm, attempting to wrench it off his form. Confusingly, the skin felt cold and hard with a strange bumpy texture. The best comparison that came to mind was snake skin.

Owen glanced at the dagger, still aimed towards his throat. The blade was made of silver. It would burn, but not kill him. He did not fear the blade coming down. What he did fear was the rage in the Doctor's vibrant emerald eyes.

He felt as if he was trapped and waiting for hours, being stared down by an apex predator and unable to escape his snare. Relief finally came in the form of Scott and Pyro rushing to his aid. They ran at the Doctor, who ducked a hit aimed for his head. Owen was finally released, baring fangs that wished to sink down into the one who made him feel so helpless.

But the Doctor was already gone, charging his way across a half destroyed bridge. When Owen made to follow, Scott clasped a strong hand over his shoulder. Owen snarled back at him, and Scott responded with a deep frown and a simple shake of his head.

Owen did not chase after the Doctor, but he did watch as the man descended down to the river far below. Silently he observed as the Doctor pulled an unconscious Martyn from the waters and checked for a pulse. Then he threw the young man's body over his shoulder and trekked his way back towards town.

Less than an hour later and the vampires converged at the castle with two new members. Lady Apo and the farmer Cleo made it well known they were not happy about their new predicament. Owen cared not for their woes. More vampires meant less humans, and less humans meant less obstacles in their way of leaving.

That only left the mystery of the Doctor and how to best be rid of him.

No sane human would traverse the woods on their own, not after the revelation of knowing vampires lurked there. However, Owen was not surprised to find the Doctor out on his lonesome.

He'd stumbled across the Doctor while the man was in a clearing, carefully picking herbs and placing them into a bag with care. Owen had settled down into the crook of a tree, his small bat form easily fitting into a hollow. He could tell the Doctor knew he was there, soon as the man had paused in plucking a purple flower with green leafage. The hesitation was brief, then the Doctor continued his task, humming a merry tune as he did so.

Owen silently observed, trying to study him. For all he could tell, the Doctor was a stunningly ordinary mortal. He wore no armor or shield, and Owen could not once remember ever seeing him draw his sword. The tears in the robe had been too numerous to fix, the sleeves now cut off at the shoulders. Owen was sad to see the intricate patterns now gone from the garment. But it gave him a better view of the Doctor's arms, laid bare in the sunlight.

Dappled motes of light reflected off his skin in a dazzling kaleidoscope. The lights danced and shimmered with every movement, rays of sunlight lighting up the grass around his boots. Owen wanted to get closer, to take a handful of that light himself. Instead, he continued to silently watch as the Doctor finished up his task and made to move on to the next area.

Clouds suddenly rushed to cut off the sun and encompass the land in shadow. The light show surrounding his form immediately dissipated. Thunder rumbled a warning before a few drops of rain began to drip down. The Doctor ceased his humming and looked up to the sky, hand outstretched. Owen shook himself, fur bristling against the sudden chill. He knew this was a storm summoned by the elder vampire. He wished Scott had waited just a few minutes more.

The Doctor let out a disappointed hum, then hefted his bag over his shoulder before trudging back out of the woods. Owen followed behind, making short flights between trees. He was well aware of how much noise each landing from branch to branch made. And yet the Doctor paid him no mind. Not until he had reached the slope of a steep hill at the edge of the forest.

"Is there a reason you're following me?" The Doctor hadn't turned to face Owen, but he knew he was being addressed.

Owen gracefully leapt to the ground, standing up on two legs. He was thinner yet taller than the Doctor. Not by much, but it was enough. "Just curious. I would think you'd all be too scared to wander the forest alone."

"I'm not scared of you." The doctor replied.

Owen scoffed. "You should be."

Finally, the Doctor looked at Owen. A brief glance over his shoulder, his good eye looking him up and down. His expression was unreadable, devoid of any emotion Owen would've expected to see.

Owen scowled. "Do you think I won't hurt you?"

"You can't," came the response. "Not in a meaningful way, that is."

Owen felt that the statement was truthful.

He changed tactics, standing up straighter to gain some semblance of height and superiority over the other. "What kind of armor are you wearing?"

"I'm not wearing any armor."

"My claws couldn't cut you," Owen continued on. "You're wearing something under your clothes. It's too light to be chainmail. I doubt it's made of silver, either. Some new metal you humans have discovered?"

The Doctor chuckled and shook his head. "No, not metal. Your claws are still too dull, but your fangs might be able to pierce through."

The doctor fully turned to face Owen. His stance was relaxed, entirely at ease while Owen was the one feeling tense. He studied the man over, trying to gauge what he was planning. This was probably the most calm and level headed he'd ever seen the Doctor act, even while in town. No more clenched fists while restraining to knock Avid in the jaw. No more sad looks directed towards Cleo and Pearl as the couple leaned against each other. No more fire in his eyes whenever he passed by Scott. Just vulnerability and contentness.

"What are you playing at?"

The Doctor tilted his head, eyebrow arched high. "I'm not playing at anything."

"There's something off about you. I noticed it from the start."

"I could easily say the same about you."

Owen paused in his interrogation. Why now? Why was the Doctor suddenly being so open when all the while before, he'd kept himself closed off and isolated?

Now would be his best chance to get some solid answers.

"What are you, really?"

"You don't believe I'm a real doctor?" He frowned.

"I don't believe you're human." Owen plainly stated. There was no reaction from the other to his chagrin. "Not a vampire either. You're.....something else entirely."

"What gave it away?" Not an accusation, or a confirmation. Just a question asked out of pure curiosity. 

Without hesitation, Owen grabbed the Doctor by the wrist and held up his arm close to his face. Now that he knew to look for it, he could see a multitude of scales. Pearlescent white, nearly translucent. Only visible in the sunlight but easily felt by a hand.

The Doctor blinked, but didn't pull away from Owen's grip. "I suppose that was an easy tell to spot."

"Sometimes you smell like smoke," Owen tacked on. "At first I thought you spent a lot of time by a fireplace. Then I realized it comes and goes based on your mood."

The Doctor fully grimaced at that. "I thought I was keeping that in check, but....."

"Avid does know how to test your patience." Owen flashed a quick, toothy smile.

The Doctor grumbled something again in that language Owen didn't know, and finally pulled his arm away.

"So then," Owen started once more. "What are you?"

"What I am is......inconsequential." The Doctor replied. "I only want to help while I still can."

Owen snorted out a breathless laugh. "Right, I'm just supposed to believe you have no ulterior motives for being here."

"True, I did come to Oakhurst searching for something. But it doesn't exist. The only thing keeping me here now is the barrier."

"And you have no plans to eradicate all obstacles keeping that barrier up?"

The Doctor gave Owen a sharp and hurt look. "That would go against the oath I took. And I take my oaths extremely seriously."

"I barely know you, Doc. How am I supposed to know you're telling me the truth?"

"What do I need to do to make you trust me?"

Owen stared at him silently. And then he grinned, fangs fully on display.

Owen returned to the castle much stronger. His brown hair now stark white and no longer chained down by his hair tie. There were still new memories trying to surface in his mind, yet he wanted to find a quiet place to properly sort through them. The Doctor had allowed him to take a generous amount of blood, allowing Owen to feel more alive than he ever had before.

The taste still lingered behind on his tongue. Burning in a way much like heavy spice and fire. He'd nearly spit it out when the taste of smoke first hit him.

He stalked right past the rest of the coven as he saw them in hallways and large rooms. He did not greet them as they did to him, simply marching quickly to an unoccupied room away from all their chatter. Finally alone, Owen sat on the floor with his back pressed against the dark stone wall. He closed his eyes and let the Doctor's memories flood his mind.

He was soaring through the air, carried on powerful wings that thundered steadily as a heartbeat. With each powerful stroke through the sky, he was carried higher and higher. The cold wind slid seamlessly off his scaled hide. Clouds obscured his vision, but did even more to hide his approach from the air.

He dove down, breaking through the cloud cover above an open plain. A herd of large beasts resembling furred elephants gathered around a small pond. They raised up trunks and tusks and bellowed out a warning to the herd. But they were too late. Powerful claws reached down and pierced into dark fur and flesh. The herd screamed and fled, leaving one doomed companion behind. He roared, staking claim to the ground he now stood on. No creature would dare challenge his might.

Owen sat up with a gasp, hand clutched to his silent chest.

Books held no interest to him in his early years. He'd grown up in a poor household, unable to afford a tome even if he knew how to read. It wasn't until Louis read aloud to him during their time together that Owen truly understood the importance of a good book. The stories they weaved became an escape from the real world. Away from the pain and boils that marred across sensitive skin. Louis offered to teach him to read, and Owen had gladly accepted the offer, even just to spend more time with the man. He learned how to read in the common tongue, and a few words and phrases of Latin as well, all thanks to Louis.

Since waking up again in Oakhurst, Owen hadn't been interested in picking up another tome. He'd collected a few of the divine texts from the various crypts during early explorations with the town residents. He hadn't any reason to open them though.

But now, he found himself scouring the remains of Scott's library. Scorched rafters and broken supports spoke to a grand room that rose up several floors into a tower-like shape. Most of it had been reduced to rubble in the 600 years Scott had lain asleep. Many of the books had rotted away or been claimed by rain and mildew. Once reconstruction on the castle had begun, the library had been largely ignored. Scott had wanted to prioritize bedrooms and the grand hall, both for comfort and image. The library was not at the front of the castle, and therefore didn't add to the intimidating visual from approaching the building from the bridge. 

Owen made the effort now to preserve what books that yet remained. He couldn't read most of them, all written in languages he hadn't heard of before. He'd brought a few to Scott, his curiosity winning out over his disdain for the man. Scott had named the languages as Scandinavian, Chinese, French, and more. There were a few in Latin as well, though Owen only knew a handful of the words.

There was one book in particular he had come across that, while partially claimed by mold and written in one of the languages he did not understand, was filled with depictions of the most interesting creatures. He'd merely been flipping through the pages, trying to determine the damage when he came across an image that had him pause. A herd of large, elephant-like creatures with massive tusks and shaggy brown hair gathered around a smaller creature of their kin. In opposition, a large cat-like creature with fangs rivaling that of any vampire faced them down.

Owen had immediately brought the book to Scott, requesting a translation.

"Oh," he had exclaimed. "You found one of my childhood favorites!"

"What are these creatures, Scott?" Owen spoke curtly, cutting off the noble before he could ramble on about something that didn't matter.

Scott gave a playful pout but soon smiled anyways. "These are called mammoths. They used to roam the earth thousands of years ago. Even long before the first vampire stalked the night. They were hunted to extinction a long time ago by mankind and other predators."

"What kind of predators?" Owen arched an eyebrow. 

Scott tapped a claw on the fanged cat creature. "Mostly by saber-toothed cats. Or at least, most people believe so. Some scholars who believed in the oldest of legends think it was something much bigger."

Owen waited for Scott to continue, only to be met by silence and a smarmy smile. He huffed out an annoyed breath and rolled his eyes. "Please, continue."

Scott leaned over Owen, his shadow fully covering the form of the other. "Dragons, of course, my dear Owen."

"Dragons?" Owen scoffed.

"You don't believe in the legends?" Scott tilted his head, putting on a show with a little pout and a hand to his motionless heart.

"They only exist in childhood fantasy and stories parents tell their children to get them to behave."

"Many people think the same of vampires."

Owen couldn't argue with that. He simply shrugged. "My parents told stories of great knights defeating evil dragons to save princesses and villages and whatnot. No knight ever came along to save Oakhurst from me. So why should I believe in any of those tales?"

"Hmm, your education was sorely lacking, wasn't it?" Scott arched an eyebrow. The statement was not meant to be judgmental, merely observational. It made Owen bristle all the same.

Scott ignored the death glares and motioned Owen to follow him over to another bookshelf. He grabbed a relatively undamaged tome and passed it over to Owen. He didn't recognize the strange symbols and writing that covered its surface, although it looked familiar. Much like the intricate lace patterns of the doctor's robes.

"Not all tales of dragons paint them as evil monsters," Scott explained. "In some parts of the world, they were revered as something close to gods. Protectors of the people and harbingers of good fortune. Yes, they could still be vain and prideful as all dragons are, but these dragons were treated with respect along with the fear."

Owen slowly flipped through the pages, pausing to study the few drawings scattered here and there. These dragons were far unlike the beasts he had heard of as a child. Their forms were long and flowing, much like ribbons in air. The drawings showed them laying peacefully before humans who bowed their heads and wrote in journals. An exchange of knowledge and reverence from both sides.

"What happened to these dragons?" Owen closed the book and passed it back.

Scott shrugged and placed the tome away. "No one knows for certain. Maybe the knights ran out of dragons in these parts and sought to hunt down all the rest in other areas. Who knows?"

Owen tapped a finger to his chin. "They couldn't....disguise themselves, could they?"

Scott tilted his head back and forth in thought. "I suppose if one knows the right spells, they could. But I wouldn't know for sure." Scott stepped forward and placed a hand on Owen's shoulder. Owen did his best not to flinch away at the touch.

"This was an interesting conversation," Scott grinned wide, fangs fully on display. "I wouldn't mind us sharing more talks like these. I feel that the two of us haven't had much time to connect much."

Owen brushed Scott's hand off his shoulder with a sneer. "Maybe some other time, then." He walked away, glad that Scott didn't try to stop him.

There was a sign by a pond. A message had been elegantly scrawled against its surface. A message that made Owen's blood boil.

He waited there for the doctor, silent and invisible up in the trees. When he heard multiple pairs of boots marching his way, he leapt from the tree but stayed hidden in shadow.

"I thought you would be alone."

The Doctor didn't turn his head to search for Owen. He simply folded his hands behind his back, gaze fixed on the sign he'd left. "I told them to stay behind. Obviously, they didn't listen."

"Well then," Owen said. "I'll be seeing you around."

"Owen, wait." The Doctor finally turned around to face the direction he heard Owen's voice from. The vampire had already moved, and he noticed the Doctor could not track him at all. He was glad to know invisibility still affected the Doctor the same as it did any human.

Owen dropped his invisibility and stepped out from the shadows. "Do the others know what you are?"

The Doctor blinked in surprise at the statement, then schooled his expression to one of neutrality. "Not entirely. But some of them are....observant. Like you."

Owen studied him over. Nothing of note stood out on the man. For all intents and purposes, he appeared as a completely ordinary human. As long as the clouds covered the sun and the night reigned supreme in Oakhurst, no hint or glimmer of scale would be revealed.

The instinctual fear he'd once felt before was gone as well. Owen knew his claws were strong enough now to pierce into the Doctor's armored hide. And he had a feeling the Doctor knew just as much.

"Why are you here, Doc? Why come to Oakhurst in this.....shape?"

The Doctor sighed and ran a hand through short hair. "This," he motioned over himself, "was not my choice. I had hoped to find the means to break it here. Although I knew that was highly unlikely."

"And now?"

"Now? I'm just doing what I can to help."

"And this is how you help?" Owen angrily pointed at the wooden sign, fangs bared in a snarl. 

The Doctor frowned. "Owen, you're not a bad person. I only want to help."

"I don't need your help," he stalked forward, leering down at the doctor. "I don't want your help. This gift was given to me freely and I won't let you take it away."

The Doctor held his hands up defensively. "I won't force anything on you. Just, you don't need to follow whatever plans Scott has for you."

Owen laughed loud and hearty. "You think I follow Scott? Everything I've done has been for my benefit."

"And what about your sire?" The Doctor dared to say. "Would Louis want you to act this way?"

"Don't you DARE speak his name!" Owen roared and lunged at the Doctor. The man had no time to dodge, being pinned under the weight of an angry vampire. He only struggled against Owen when clawed hands wrapped around his throat.

And there it was, Owen could see it now. The Doctor's eyes, blown wide in panic, revealed pupils that were shrunken down into reptilian slits. He bared teeth back at Owen. Too dull for a vampire, but too sharp for a human. Smoke wafted from the corners of his mouth and nostrils, accompanied by glowing sparks. 

Footsteps rushed towards the pair. Owen leapt back just before a silver sword could strike into his shoulder. He looked up to see Abolish standing guard over the Doctor, sword and shield held high. The shining knight come to defend him.

How ironic.

Owen glared down at the two of them. The Doctor leaned forward on his hands and knees behind Abolish, hacking and coughing to regain breath. Harmless embers drifted down and died away in damp grass. It was a while before the Doctor regained enough air to compose himself and stand up.

Abolish didn't move, didn't glance behind to check on the man he defended. Eyes as sharp as the blade in his hand, gaze unwavering from Owen's hunched form. "So, we gonna do this?"

Owen shook his head. "No, not yet," He looked past the butler, nodding at the Doctor. "You should keep an eye on this one, Abolish. He's liable to burn all of Oakhurst down."

The Doctor barely managed to cut off a growl, but it had still been heard by all present by the pond. Abolish made no reaction to the sound.

Owen hummed in thought. "Until we meet again, Doctor." And then he was gone in a flurry of bats.

The coven had grown again and Owen was exceptionally unhappy about the new additions. Specifically one in particular.

They were all gathered around the long table in the grand hall. Scott as always took his seat in the large, furnished chair that resembled a throne at the end. Pyro sat at his right while Shelby sat to his left. Owen settled next to Pyro, glaring at the two new fledglings on the other side of the table.

Drift fidgeted with the buttons on her coat, doing everything she could to not make eye contact with anyone gathered there. Avid on the other hand was making a big show of things. He stood up from his chair, chest puffed out and proud, eagerly voicing his thoughts on how to deal with the remainder of Oakhurst.

Honestly, Owen wasn't against the idea of going down and slaughtering those who remained. It aligned quite well with his original goal for the town. But the sheer thought of agreeing with Avid made the blood in his veins run hot in rage. The fledgling was far too brash and loud for his liking. Once Oakhurst was dealt with, Avid would likely move onto the next target. And the next, and the next. He would bring about the destruction of the coven, and likely take down Owen with it.

He looked over to Scott, trying to gauge the elder vampire's reaction. While all the others made shocked exclamations and argued against Avid's words, Scott seemed for all the world bored by the conversation. He rested his chin on one hand, elbow propped on the arm of his chair, eyes half glazed over while staring in Avid's direction. His glance flickered briefly to Owen, and then a toothy grin spread across his face.

Owen decided he didn't like that look.

Scott straightened up and clapped his hands. Avid immediately halted mid tirade, and slowly sat back down in his seat. All were focused on Scott as he cleared his throat and addressed them.

"I have been thinking as to our next plans. Our coven has grown quite a lot, even if some are ungrateful for the gift and choose to live in the town instead." He frowned slightly, looking over at the few town vampires that felt brave enough to join his summons. Lady Apo refused direct eye contact with him while Cleo glared at him straight on.

"Regardless, our numbers far outweigh the remaining humans. And yet, we are still trapped by the barrier just as much as they. We all want the same thing, to be able to leave Oakhurst. It's only the method we have yet to agree upon."

Scott stood up from his chair and stepped foot onto the table. He slowly and methodically walked his way down along the surface, making direct eye contact with each vampire as he did so. "I'm sure most of you have grown restless from the wait. We may have an eternity to wait out those mortals who remain, but even I have limits to my patience."

Once at the other end of the table, Scott turned on his heel with a flourish of his cape. "I have come to realize that there is another manner that could lead to our extrication. Another.... approach we could take advantage of."

From seemingly out of thin air, Scott pulled a book from behind his back. Its cover was a deep sapphire blue with golden script etched around the symbol of a pentagram. Owen felt a pit form in his stomach.

"It has come to my attention that a member of the Oakhurst community is not quite human, or vampiric, as they may appear." Scott opened the book and lazily flipped through its pages. "It's been some time since I dabbled in the art of magic, but I believe there's a spell or two in here that could convince our friend to play along."

All the vampires gathered at the table began to murmur to one another in hushed tones. They questioned who or what Scott was referring to, making baseless guesses as to what was to happen.

Owen did his best to school his face into an emotionless mask. He could tell that Scott saw right through his facade, that wicked grin only stretching further.

Soon as the sun rose up, Owen had made a mad dash for the town. He didn't care if Scott somehow found out about his escape. Shelby had seen him rush out the window on leather wings, panic etched into his face. He was sure the fledgling would tell Scott all about it, thinking she was doing the right thing.

The small town of Oakhurst was quiet this morning. Only one guard stood at the gate, their numbers far too small to allow any more on watch. Owen flew around to where the wall hid his approach from Ren's observant gaze. He lowered down on a roof, keeping down flat to not be seen against the bright morning sunrise.

One by one, he watched as the last humans of Oakhurst emerged from their homes and went about their day. Martyn went to replace Ren on the watch tower while the other went home to rest. The author M left the tavern, stretching his arms upwards with a mighty yawn. Cleo flew in and landed in the center of town, Pearl immediately by their side. The two leaned in close and absconded to a house to converse. Abolish was leaving the Doctor's home, closing the door behind himself before leisurely making his way to his own abode.

Owen didn't spy the Doctor anywhere in the streets. He concluded he was still inside his home, likely still recovering from their last encounter.

The vampire steadied himself before flying down to one of the many windows on the first floor. He quickly spied the Doctor slumped at his desk, a blanket thrown over his shoulders. He snored loud and heavy, head resting on top of his forearms.

Owen slowly raked a claw from his wing across the surface of the glass, a horrible screeching echoing forth.

The effect was immediate. The Doctor stood up, legs tripping over the chair beneath him and bringing him to the floor with a long string of curses. He soon was up again, now holding the chair in his hands as one would brandish a weapon. Wildly, his eyes darted around the area until finally catching sight of the small brown bat sitting outside his window.

Owen allowed himself a cheeky smile while the Doctor scowled back at him.

He set the innocent chair back to the ground and opened the window just an inch.

"I'm not letting you inside, Owen."

The bat shrugged, then morphed back into a humanoid shape. Owen remained perched on the windowsill. "I figured as much."

"What do you want?"

"I came to warn you, Doc." Owen spoke, his voice serious and unwavering. "Scott has this book. It's covered in strange symbols and he said it had spells in it. I think he plans to use it on you. To make you do.....something."

The Doctor shifted his stance, still frowning but now in thought. "I doubt his spells will work on me. That kind of magic was lost a long time ago."

"And what if it does work?"

The Doctor squinted suspiciously at Owen. "Why do you suddenly care about my well being?"

"I don't," Owen lowered his head. "But whatever he's planning, it could wipe out all of Oakhurst. Including the coven." Including himself.

The Doctor's mouth turned even further downward. He stood there, hand on the windowpane, black nails tapping away at the surface. After a long moment, he opened the window fully. "You can come in."

Owen stared at him in shock as the Doctor stepped back to give him room. "Are you sure?"

"Just come in before someone sees you, or I change my mind."

Owen ducked his head down and crawled into the house. He closed the window behind himself, standing awkwardly by the wall as the doctor bustled around the room.

The man grabbed a copper kettle, filled it with water, then hung it on a hook above an unlit fireplace. He then kneeled down by the fire with flint and steel in hand. After repeatedly striking the two objects together, the firewood caught embers and slowly lit up. The Doctor stood up and turned to see Owen staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"I'm just surprised you didn't, like, breathe fire or something."

The Doctor gave a sad chuckle and tapped a closed fist against his chest. "My fire is still there, but I don't have access to it."

"That must be frustrating."

"It is," The Doctor sighed out. "But at least it keeps me warm in winter."

While the kettle began to heat up, the Doctor went about grabbing a pair of mugs. Owen left him to it, wandering over to other parts of the large room. The fireplace sat at the back, with an oak desk nestled between it and the window he'd just entered from. On the other side of the fireplace hung herbs and dried flowers from a bookshelf filled with various plates and cups and tools.

Opposite the fireplace was the entryway of the house. Owen could tell this area was more so used as a clinic. Close by the front door was a polished table of silver. Underneath it sat crates that reeked of medicinal herbs and clean linens. Most likely the station where the Doctor practiced his craft. Owen could still catch the lingering scent of the Doctor's own blood on the table.

Owen nearly didn't see the simple ladder that led up to the upper floor. He stood beneath it, trying to catch a glimpse of what may be hidden above. Nothing of note stood out, and he didn't get a chance to climb upwards before the Doctor placed a warm mug into his cold hands.

The vampire looked down at the slowly browning water in the mug. Flower petals danced on top of the surface, bringing a sweet floral scent to the brew.

"You know I can't drink this."

The Doctor shrugged. "It's the thought that counts, isn't it?"

Owen followed him back to the desk. The Doctor offered his chair to Owen, who promptly ignored the polite gesture and sat on the edge of the desk instead. The Doctor gave a disappointed sigh and took the seat himself, his own mug placed opposite from Owen. The vampire still held onto his mug, allowing the warmth to seep into his ever frozen hands.

The two sat in silence, the Doctor occasionally taking sips of his tea. Neither knew what to say, and Owen suspected the Doctor intended to wait for him. So be it then.

"Hmm," he hummed out, vocalizing as he tried to think of a subject to discuss. "If you can't breathe fire, what can you do?"

"Ehh, I guess I'm pretty strong?" The doctor shrugged. Owen thought back to the fight at the castle and nodded his head.

"You also have your scales."

"They're not as strong as they used to be." The doctor rubbed a hand over one arm, reminding himself that yes, they were still there.

Owen tapped away at his mug, filling the silence with the delicate sounds of claws on fine china. Finally, the Doctor took a turn to start the dialogue. "The book that Scott has, how good of a look did you get?"

"Fairly brief," Owen responded. "He only showed us for a minute. I don't know where he hid it after."

The Doctor nodded his head. "And the symbols? Do you think you could recognize them if you saw them again?"

"Maybe."

The Doctor reached over to grab a notebook and pen. He scrawled out a myriad of strange box-like symbols, writing them in a line that traveled down the page rather than across. Then he slid the notebook over to Owen. "Did they look like this?"

Owen turned the notebook around, tilting his head back and forth. "Some of them, yes."

"Only some?"

"They were arranged differently. In a circle around a pentagram."

Astonishment splashed across the Doctor's face. "That's.....unorthodox." He took back the notebook and flipped to a new page. The symbols he wrote down changed style, flowing together much like cursive with many of them connected by a shared line on the top. "What about these?"

"I think a few of the symbols looked like that, yes."

The doctor tapped the pen against his chin. "What magic could possibly require both Chinese and Sanskrit text?"

"What and what?"

"Languages, ancient ones. What about this?" The doctor wrote more symbols for Owen to look over.

They went on for a while like this. The Doctor wrote short sentences in languages Owen had never heard of while Owen confirmed or denied if he recognized them from Scott's book. The Doctor drained his mug during their discussion, and even drank Owen's when his tea finally went cold.

With several notebook pages filled, the Doctor leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. "I really need to see this book to decipher what it says. I'm not sure what kind of magic Scott is playing with, but it's very old and likely extremely dangerous."

"Dangerous enough to control a dragon?"

There was a loud knock at the door before the Doctor could respond. He looked over his shoulder at the door, then turned back to Owen, only to see the vampire had disappeared. Hesitantly, the Doctor called out. "Door's open!"

Abolish opened the door just enough to lean his head in. "We're having a town meeting at the beacon."

The Doctor nodded. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Abolish nodded back before leaving. Soon as the door was shut again, Owen reappeared. "I better go, before Scott notices something is up."

As he made to move, the Doctor reached forward and gently grabbed Owen's wrist. "Wait."

Owen tilted his head, waiting for the Doctor to continue. He watched as the other's face went through a variety of emotions, finally settling on what looked hopeful and a little sad. "I'm sorry, for before."

He didn't seem eager to elaborate, but Owen knew what he meant. The vampire wasn't ready to forgive him, not yet. Owen merely nodded his head in acknowledgement.

The Doctor let go and Owen opened the window. As he changed into his bat form, he heard the Doctor speak quietly behind him;

"Be careful."

The activity from the townsfolk grew to be eerily quiet. It had the entirety of the coven on edge.

All except Scott, that was.

Owen didn't miss the way how the elder vampire carried himself with immense confidence about the castle. Avid was always at his side now, chattering off about one thing or the other. Owen was surprised to not see Pyro also following along his sire. The dynamic in the coven had shifted, and Owen wasn't sure if it was for the better.

Shelby hadn't informed Scott of Owen's morning flight. A fact that Owen was surprised by, but thankful nonetheless. It gave him time to plan and search before Scott could sniff out his intentions. 

Owen was confident that Scott kept the book either on or near him at all times. Why would he risk such a powerful tome by leaving it out in the open? Scott was well aware how loyal his fledglings were. Each one varied, and he was too smart to risk any of his potential betrayers getting access to the tome.

But if Avid was at his side all hours of day and night, perhaps he had seen something. 

Since Pyro had obviously been pushed to the side and wasn't exactly happy about it, Owen decided to recruit the fledgling for his endeavors. Pyro had happily agreed to help split Avid from Scott's side, if only to try and gain the position back himself. A few minutes was all Owen needed. And inviting Avid out to hunt while Pyro kept Scott busy gave him plenty of minutes. 

The two weaved through the forest on leather wings. The animals had been disappearing quite rapidly lately, no thanks in small part to the ever growing coven. The night was nearly over by the time they stumbled across a small family of pigs and a boar. The pigs were quickly taken down. Owen took the time to fill some bottles of crimson while Avid drained another carcass.

He studied Avid and his behavior. The fledgling had still been reluctant to try out his full vampiric potential. Just convincing him to take his bat form to hunt had been a pain and more. But he was all too eager to drink blood and strike down living creatures. Not in such a savage manner as most fledglings tended to start with, but the bloodlust was definitely present there.

"Avid, I've been wondering."

The fledgling wiped a small dribbling of blood off his chin as he stared up at Owen. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Why do you want to wipe out Oakhurst? You were so adamant to save them all before, no matter how crazy they thought you were. Did being turned really change your mind?"

Avid gave out one of his patented nervous laughs, trying to buy himself time to formulate his sentence. "Haha! Well, it's not like they wanted saving in the first place. They're not really my friends, either."

"Oh?" Owen feigned a look of curiosity. "I thought there were a few you had gotten close to."

The fledgling shrugged. "The only people I really care about are Drift and Shelby, and they're both vampires too, soooooo."

Owen nodded, thinking carefully. Obviously, the threat to the village wouldn't win Avid over. But it wasn't just the remaining humans who were under peril.

"I have to admit, Avid, I'm a bit worried for their safety." Owen said, leaning his back up against a tree. "Drift and Shelby, I mean."

Avid seemed to perk up a bit. His stance shifted to something more cautious, face filled with worry. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Owen attempted to reflect the same look of worry back to Avid. He truly hoped he was doing a well enough job of it. "Well, I'm mostly worried about what Scott plans to do with his book. He may think he can control and do whatever he wants with it, but what if he can't? What if he summons a monster of some kind and once it's done with Oakhurst, it turns its sights on the castle?"

Avid shook his head, but the scared tone in his voice remained. "Scott wouldn't let that happen, would he?"

Owen pushed himself off from the tree and stalked closer to Avid. "Magic is very dangerous and unpredictable. Anything could go wrong, no matter how prepared one could be."

"Oh, that's! That's not good...." Avid shrunk downward away from Owen. "M-maybe we could have a chat with him?"

Owen shook his head. "I'd doubt he'd want anyone else to know what he's up to. Probably wants all the control for himself."

"That's not true!" Avid blurted out. "He told me all about the plan! The whole thing!"

Owen arched an eyebrow. "Did he now? I find that hard to believe, you being the newest fledgling and all."

"Yeah? Well, Scott trusts me!" Avid yelled out. "I even know where he keeps the book!"

Owen laughed in his face. "He probably told you a false location, just to keep you happy."

"Nuh-uh! He showed me where he put the book away by the fireplace! I know where the secret lever is and everything!" As soon as he said that, Avid slapped a hand over his own mouth, eyes immensely wide.

"Oh no," He whispered out. "Scott's gonna be so mad."

Owen took the opportunity to saunter up to Avid, placing a very gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry," he smiled. "I won't tell if you won't."

"Do you promise?"

"I swear on my heart."

Owen easily kept to his word. However, he hadn't made any promises not to seek out the book himself.

The lever was easy to find, once he knew to look for it. Owen felt that it was suspiciously simple, and thus waited a few nights before flipping it. A few bricks in the wall slid aside, revealing a small space in the wall. It held a number of trinkets such as jewelry and a handful of diamonds. Owen disregarded it all and went for the book nestled in the back.

He checked over the tome, being sure it wasn't a hastily made copy. He then flipped the lever once more to cover his tracks and flew off into the night.

By the time he had made it to town, most of the buildings were dark. The only light peeking through windows was that of the tavern. Owen passed it by and went straight for the Doctor's domicile. He wasn't sleeping at his desk this time, and there was no bed downstairs. Owen flew upwards, perching on the top floor window.

Inside was less of a proper bed and more of a pile of blankets, pillows, and skinned furs. Short stacks of books and journals were scattered around the perimeter, a few having toppled into the bed pile. Moonlight glinted off metal shapes that resembled scraps of shoulder pauldrons, mismatched gloves, and even a leather boot or two. None of them seemed to be in the Doctor's size.

There was a lump in the blankets that slowly rose and fell with heavy snoring. The lump shifted, revealing the Doctor turning over in his sleep, clutching what appeared to be a golden dagger in an opulently decorated scabbard.

Owen frowned, unsure of how to proceed. The bedding was against the furthest wall away from the window, and he doubted a few taps on the glass would wake the Doctor from his slumber. He carefully opened the window, surprised to find it swung inward. His arms dipped forward as he did so, revealing no barrier to his entry. The Doctor had apparently kept his invitation intact.

Owen looked down at the floor beneath the window. There was nary an inch of floor visible among the various baubles and items scattered about the room. Some of it did seem organized in little ways. To his left sat a pile of trinkets that shone with a polished copper gleam. To his right, a separate pile of thicker books with various dried flowers sticking out between pages.

"Where did he even get all this?" Owen whispered to himself as he cautiously set foot down on the floor. He tensed up as he heard the Doctor grumble in his rest before flipping over again.

"Pssst!" Owen hissed out in a shouted whisper. "Hey! Doc!"

"Zàiguò wǔ fēnzhōng." The Doctor growled out, clawing at his blankets and pulling them in further.

Owen stared at him in confusion, no longer keeping his voice quiet. "What?" 

There was a very loud groan of annoyance, a pause, and then blankets frantically being thrown upward as the Doctor sat up. Eyes wide and searching, he clutched the fancy dagger close as he peered into the darkness beyond. Owen waited patiently for the Doctor's gaze to finally fall on him.

The Doctor squinted out at him. "That better be you, Owen, and not some other vampire." 

"Have you been inviting any other vampires in your home?"

"No," he ground out in a tired and gravelly tone. "Not recently."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Owen began the slow work of making his way across the room and over to the Doctor's bedding. He caught on to a low rumbling coming from the Doctor any time he got close to accidentally stepping on anything but oak flooring. 

Owen leaned over the pile of blankets and linen, his form blocking the moonlight cast from the window. "Perhaps we should take this downstairs?"

"Yes, perhaps." The Doctor grumbled out. Owen wasn't all too surprised at the other man's grumpiness, especially after waking him from his sleep. Though the hostility did seem a bit much, in his opinion.

Owen made his way to the ladder leading down while the Doctor took his time getting up. By the time Owen made it to the bottom floor, the Doctor was still struggling his way out of the furs and blankets. Owen decided to light a few candles while the other slowly descended, a thick blanket wrapped around his shoulders. The vampire was surprised to see the dagger still clutched in the other's free hand.

"Why do you have that?"

"It keeps me calm."

Owen looked him up and down. "You look anything but calm."

"That's because you woke me up in the middle of the night and walked through my hoard without permission. Don't do that again, by the way."

Owen gestured wildly back at the ladder entrance of the upper floor. "That? All of that is your hoard?"

"Yes?" The Doctor shuffled his way over to his desk and sat down, pulling the blanket as tight around himself as he could. "Were you expecting a pile of gold or something?"

"Actually, yes?"

"Gold is too heavy to travel with. I never really cared for it myself, anyways."

"You travel with all of that?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Not usually. I don't tend to stay in one place long enough to build it up so high. But the others keep giving me things and I keep adding them to the pile."

Owen looked out the window towards the tavern. Shadows danced back and forth in front of the tavern windows. He could hear the distant off-tune singing of what remained of Oakhurst's militia. "Do they know?"

The Doctor nodded. "I had to come clean at the last town meeting. Apo and Cleo told everyone about Scott's book."

"How did that go?"

He shrugged. "A few suspected something, but didn't know the specifics till I told them. And Apo and Cleo didn't get as good a look at the book as you did."

Owen hummed out an acknowledgement. He then turned away from the window and reached into his cloak. "Speaking of Scott's book."

The Doctor immediately perked up in his seat, eyes now wide awake as he reached out to take the book from Owen. He gently traced his fingers over the surface, reading the symbols carved into it. Owen watched the Doctor mouth the words out loud, unknowing of what was being read.

"Well?"

The Doctor didn't verbally respond to Owen. Instead, he flipped open the book and thumbed through the pages. He stopped at a section near the back, a disappointed scoff pulling from his throat.

"What is it?"

The Doctor held up the book for Owen to see. There were a number of pages torn out, leaving scraps of parchment behind.

"I should've known," Owen shook his head. "Scott didn't hide it very well. I suspected he was waiting for someone to take it, so he could catch them in the act. Didn't think he'd keep a few pages on himself."

"This isn't a total loss, at least." The Doctor closed the book and placed it on his desk, resting the ornate dagger on top. "Chances are, there could be something useful to us in here that Scott overlooked. It's going to take me time though. And I don't know how long Scott plans to wait. Or Oakhurst, for that matter."

"What do you mean?"

The Doctor nodded towards the tavern again. "The town has been getting riled up lately. There's been plans going around about making an assault on the castle. Largely for the beacon. Most of them don't want to hurt anybody, though."

"That won't stop Scott and the others from trying to kill them." Owen scowled.

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

The doctor made a wide, sweeping gesture with his arms. "People are picking sides. Are you going to as well?"

"I don't fight for any side." Owen crossed his arms. "I only fight for myself."

"Right," The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "You're helping me because you only care for yourself."

Owen scoffed indignantly at him. "And what about you? You clearly care more for the little humans still running around than the rest of us."

"I don't see any of us as humans versus vampires," he shook his head. "It's those who wish to cause harm, and those who defend against that."

"If only it were that simple," Owen rolled his eyes and walked over to the window.

"You don't have to leave, Owen," The Doctor spoke up, stalling the vampire in his tracks. His voice was soft, hopeful. "You can have a place here."

"I've burnt too many bridges for that." Owen shook his head, refusing to look back at him. "You may be fine with it, but none of the others will accept my presence here."

"If you gave them a chance, maybe they would?"

"Hmm," Owen hummed and smiled to himself. "That's a nice thought, Doc. But I think I've already given them plenty." He opened the window, changed into a bat, and flew off.

The next time Owen saw the Doctor was when the entirety of Oakhurst's remaining populace stormed the castle.

The humans had been methodically reclaiming beacons all about the region. Their split groups had forced the vampires to split as well, desperately flying out to take the beacons back. This left the castle undefended, save for Owen who had volunteered to stay back.

Silently he watched the bridge, invisible in a tree. But it wasn't the bridge the humans came from.

Owen didn't know they had entered the castle until he felt a shudder of holy light pierce through him. Immediately, he knew it was the castle beacon. Without dropping his invisibility, Owen rushed back into the building. He was honestly impressed by the  quick yet sturdy defenses the small group had erected. Most definitely orchestrated by their resident butler.

Owen made no move to stop them from leaving, simply side stepping before any of them could run against him. His eyes lingered on the Doctor as he lagged behind, making sure everyone else was out before himself.

The group rushed their way across the bridge, back into the forest beyond. They made careful haste, taking care not to slip on loose tiles or cracked stone before making it to the other side.

About halfway across the bridge, the Doctor yelled out and collapsed to his knees.

Owen dropped his invisibility and made a mad dash across the bridge. He saw Abolish and the rest rushing back from the other side, swords drawn. The butler must have seen the panic on Owen's face though, because he stopped short from the Doctor's side, holding out a hand to keep Ren and Martyn from charging forward.

"Doc!?" Owen called out as he made it near. "Are you alright?"

"Stay......back!" The Doctor struggled to get his words out. "Magic.......circle!"

Owen studied the form of the fallen Doctor. He was on his hands and knees, head bowed down, shoulder muscles straining to keep him from fully collapsing against the stone. The very air seemed heavy with weight, pushing down the entirety of the world on top of the Doctor's back. His sword and shield, discarded to the side, were crumpled flat by an impossible force.

"What is this?" Owen hissed out.

"A gravity spell." A smarmy voice piped up as Scott revealed himself. Owen stepped back, haven't had sensed the elder vampire nearby at all.

"Honestly," continued Scott. "I wasn't sure I'd manage to catch you in it. I had to draw the chalk on the underside of the bridge, just so you wouldn't see it."

The Doctor cried out as his arms gave out from underneath him. He fell to the ground, face-first into the stone. Smoke wafted heavily from his mouth and nose.

Abolish took one step forward and Scott raised a hand and wagged a finger at him. "Ah ah ah! I wouldn't get too close if I were you. That spell is strong enough to flatten any regular old human to nothing but paste. We're rather lucky our good doctor here isn't any regular old human."

Scott leaned forward, almost in a mock bow, bringing his face closer to the Doctor's. The trapped man glared back, teeth bared. The outpouring of smoke grew thicker, accompanied by angry red flecks of embers.

"Scott," Owen spoke up. "What are you doing? What does this accomplish?"

"Everything, my dear Owen." Scott grinned, polished fangs catching on the sunlight. With a flourish, he reached into the inner pocket of his cape and pulled out a few neatly folded papers. He opened the papers in hand, making a show of smoothing out the creases. "I suggest you step back for this."

Owen did the opposite, baring his own fangs and stepping closer. "You're playing with forces you don't understand, Goldsmith."

Scott laughed. "And you do? I know you can't do anything to stop me. Why else would I let you take the book?"

Owen lunged forward, claws stretched for the pages. He felt a kick from behind followed by a body slamming him down to the ground.

"Sorry, Owen," He heard Pyro speak up. "But what Sire wants, Sire gets."

Enraged, Owen clawed against stone, trying to lift his way back up. He didn't get a chance to throw Pyro off before a silver blade was plunged straight through his hand, pinning him in place. Owen screamed in pain and anger.

Scott rolled his eyes at the display. "So dramatic! Honestly, I would think you were but a fledgling." Scott waved his hand dismissively, held up the pages, and began to read.

There was power behind the words. A power that rippled the space around them all. The wind began to pick up. What sounded like thunder rumbled across a clear blue sky. Color seemed to drain away from the world itself, shades of grey overtaking it all with the occasional pop of red.

Owen watched as Abolish's eyes grew wide, the most emotion he'd ever seen on the stoic young man. He turned to the other humans and shouted at them to leave. Abolish followed behind soon after, giving one last look to both Owen and the Doctor.

Owen turned his attention to the Doctor as Scott continued his chanting. What he saw had him freeze up entirely, time beginning to slow down to the beat of his silent heart.

The Doctor was terrified. Absolutely raw, primal terror, the likes that Owen had never seen before. Not even those two centuries ago, when he slaughtered all of Oakhurst.

The Doctor was trying to mouth words to Owen, all sound cut away by the chanting. He was repeating one word, over and over again.

Run.

The second the chanting stopped, an explosion of smoke and ash rocked the foundations of the bridge.

Cracked stone fell away underneath all those still remaining. Owen felt himself falling downward, unable to shift into bat form with the blade still through his hand. He frantically pulled it free just mere seconds before hitting the cold waters of the river below. The waters were thrashing him about, forcing his head under again and again. He didn't need to breathe, yet the water swelling his lungs felt uncomfortable and worked to weigh him down. Owen clawed outward until he grabbed a hold of the soft river silt. He buried his hands and feet into river muck and rocks, using it to anchor himself as he crawled his way to the shore.

His head broke through the river's surface. Immediately, he expelled all the water in his lungs onto the sandy shore. Owen crawled forward, soaked and bedraggled and extremely aware of how pathetic he probably appeared in the moment. He didn't particularly care, merely flopping over on his back and staring upwards at the sky.

The bridge was completely destroyed. A massive cloud of smoke still hung where it used to be. Ash fell over Owen, much like snow. He tried to recoil from its touch, but he was too exhausted to move.

There was a mighty roar and a thunderous beat of wings.

A massive shape, far larger than Scott's castle, rose upward from the smoke. Large wings spread outward, cutting a silhouette against the sun, leaving Owen too blinded to make out more details. Another roar split the air, this time much more shrill. Filled with agony, and rage, and sorrow. The shape rapidly descended onto the castle itself, just out of Owen's view. He could hear the rending of stone and timber in its wake.

"My castle!"

Owen whipped his head around to see Scott not much further down the shoreline from himself. The noble was clutching at his hair, screaming indignantly at the destruction being wrought on his home.

In a flash, Owen stood up and stalked over to Scott. He grabbed the elder vampire by the lapels of his jacket, baring fangs as he hissed into his face.

"What did you do!?"

A meeting was being held in the tower of Oakhurst.

Thirteen individuals huddled around a beacon, each trying their best not to brush shoulders with those beside them. Owen had found himself wedged between Abolish and Shelby. Of all the humans present, the butler seemed the least likely to stab him without reason. And of all the coven, he trusted Shelby the most to not stab him in the back.

Darkness had fallen over the land and in the silence of the night, the occasional roar could still be heard over the horizon. The dragon hadn't moved from the area around the castle, but the townsfolk were still on edge. Not only could their home be destroyed at any moment, but now they had to house the coven while the vampires' home was torn apart. Nobody had been exactly happy about the situation. But they all had agreed that a united front was the only way to solve this problem.

"So," Abolish folded his hands behind his back. "Crown of Madness, huh?"

All eyes immediately zoned in on Scott, who actually seemed to preen under the attention. "I'll have you know, that was an exceptionally difficult spell to pull off. Only true masters of the craft can manage such a feat."

"Right," Said Cleo as they nodded their head to a window. "And this is proof of that exceptional skill." Another strained howl rang through the night as if proving her point.

Scott waved a hand in their direction. "Exaaaactly~! Besides, everything's fine. All we have to do to break the spell is speak his true name."

Pearl crossed her arms. "And you know Doc's true name?"

"Of course not!" Scott rolled his eyes. "That's where Owen comes in handy."

All the attention suddenly shifted again. 

".....what? Why me?" Owen's voice pitched upwards. "Why would I know his name?"

"Because of all the time the two of you have spent canoodling." Scott smirked.

Owen bristled as he heard a soft gasp come from the author M, followed by mad scribbling of pen on paper. "What are you talking about? Canoodling? I don't even know what that means!"

"Besides the point," Cleo waved their hand. "Does anybody know the doctor's name?"

Everyone exchanged glances with each of their neighbors.

"Seriously? Not a single person here asked for his name?"

"Maybe he wrote it down?" Drift piped up. "He's got all those journals."

"He doesn't write them in English," Abolish supplied. "Unless anyone here can read Chinese."

"It wouldn't matter anyways," Scott chimed in. "What we need is his true name. For as long lived as I suspect our doctor to be, he could have used any number of names up till now."

Martyn frowned and crossed his arms. "So we're looking for his first name?"

"No, laddie." Ren shook his head. "It was said once by me Mama. All living creatures have three names, doncha know. The name they were given by their parents. The name that others call them by. And their true name, carved into their very soul the day they were born. Know a creature's true name, and you have control of them."

The room was silent for only a moment. And then Apo dropped her hands to the side, making a percussive sound as her palms smacked against the sides of her legs.

"So we definitely can't let Scott know the Doc's name then."

Shouting erupted between them all. Avid arguing with Pearl, Scott shouting his innocence in the whole affair, Ren and Martyn rallying against the 'evil' of the vampires, and much more that Owen did his best to tune out. He shared a look with Abolish, who simply appeared far too annoyed with the situation. Owen was about ready to leave when thunder rumbled above.

The very tower they all hid inside trembled, the sound from dark skies above shaking the very earth. Panic filled the room. Bodies of human and vampire were jostled against one another, clinging to those nearby for stability.

Suddenly, the shaking stopped. The room went silent. Then the slow patter of rain could be heard against the rooftop. It began in short stops, then quickly grew into a cacophony of sound.

Owen glanced out the window to see rainfall so heavy, it appeared as a wall of water. Instantly, all torches and lamps lighting the streets were doused. The streets began to flood and run deep with mud. Thunder continued to rumble above, accented by flashes of lightning.

Slowly, the thirteen gathered there recovered their wits as best they could. All were fearful, but no longer of each other.

Owen looked to Scott, who seemed just as scared for once as the rest of them. Scott noticed Owen staring him down, and schooled his expression to something akin to aloofness. "I didn't call this storm, if that's what you're thinking."

"No," Owen shook his head. "I just had a crazy idea. I'm not sure how it could be accomplished though."

Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for Owen to speak his case. He drew in a deep breath, held it a few seconds, then let it out.

"I can see the memories of those I drink from. The Doc once allowed me to drink his blood, and I did see one of his memories. If we can somehow get more, maybe I can find one with his name."

Avid let out a screeching laugh. "Yeah, uh-huh! We'll just ask the big scary DRAGON for a little sip of blood! Nothing could go wrong at all, right?"

"I didn't say I knew how we could do it. It's only an idea."

"It's a step in the right direction." Abolish spoke up with an air of authority. "Scott, can you do that gravity spell again, but on a bigger scale?"

"Of course I can!" Scott dramatically flipped a lock of hair over his ear. "The hard part will be to get him to step in the circle."

"Then we'll need bait. Cleo? How many cows do we have on hand?"

"Not many. But we can make do."

"There's still a few animals in the forest," Pearl said. "Some of us can form a hunting party, add to the pile."

Abolish nodded his head. "We'll also need a way to break through the skin. I doubt vampire fangs will work now."

"Oh! Oh! I know!" M raised his hand. "I have a few fountain pens that have emptied out!"

Apo grimaced. "I don't see how your obsession with writing romance is relevant at the moment."

M shook his head. "I'm not talking about that! In order to refill the pens, you simply push the nib at the end into an inkwell. And it sucks it right up! Could probably do the same with other liquids too, like blood?"

Shelby snapped her fingers and pointed in his direction. "And the nib is small enough, it could probably slip between the scales!"

"But how much can it hold?" Owen asked.

"How much do you need?" Abolish returned.

Owen studied his face. That stoic expression was back, but not as blank as before. Determination and confidence were mixed in. Abolish believed this plan could work. Owen looked around and saw a similar resolve in most of those gathered.

He gave a short nod back to him, steeling himself with as much faith he could muster in himself. "As much as we can get."

Soon as the storm broke, Pearl led a group of humans and vampires out into the woods. Cleo and Pyro worked to gather what remained of the town's animals while Scott and Avid worked to prepare the spell. Owen found himself unsure of where to help, instead wandering back to the Doctor's home.

For the first time ever, Owen entered through the front door. The interior of the home and clinic felt cold without the presence of its resident there to greet him. The fireplace was unlit, no lantern set to provide light, and no tea kettle warming up above a fire. The spell book sat innocently on the desk, a number of loose pages sticking out, likely from written notes.

Owen picked up the book, quickly flipping through it. All of the doctor's notes were written in Chinese, just as Abolish had said. Owen growled in frustration. If there was anything useful to be found here, he wouldn't be able to read it anyways. Scott may be able to, but Owen was aware of how little time they had to prepare.

He tossed the book back on the desk, only for the damned tome to slide right off the other side. Owen chased after it, unable to stop it from dropping to the ground and scattering all the loose pages about.

"Damn that man!" Owen stooped down and gathered pages together. "Too worried about everyone else, forgot to look out for himself!" He angrily slammed the book and the crumpled handful of papers back on the desk. A few stuck to his hand, his claws having accidentally pierced through. He growled and began vigorously shaking his hand. Shredded papers flew about his head much like oversized confetti. Owen let loose a yell of frustration, fists held upward in a tragically dramatic display. The embarrassment only hit after all the papers had settled to the ground and he could be thankful he was alone.

Once again, Owen kneeled down to collect pages. He paused when he came across a single one written in English. A few punctures had damaged the surface, but the writing had been unharmed.

He immediately stood up, disregarding all the rest of the pages. Owen couldn't help but feel as if the writing felt uncoordinated, much like a child's first attempt at penning. The quality of the paper felt much different from the rest, yellowed by age.

I Am Called Legend. I Am Called Myth. I Am Eternal And I Am Alone.

Owen frowned at the short amount of words scrawled across the page. It told him nothing, if that maybe the doctor had always been quite morose.

"Oh Doc," he sighed out. "I'll get you out of this mess, somehow." Owen folded the piece of paper and tucked it into his vest.

A night and a day passed by until the residents of Oakhurst put their plan into action. The red moon above brought added strength to the vampires, and gave just enough light for the humans to see without torches.

At the center of a large, grassy clearing stood a handful of cows, sheep, and pigs. All were tethered to a post at the center. They pulled against their leads, uneased by the smell of blood and alcohol that coated the grass.

Pearl, Drift, and Pyro were still placing down a few chunks of meat from their hunt when the cows began stomping their feet. The sheep's cries rose in pitch while the pigs lifted their eyes skyward.

The dragon was close.

"Crap crap crap!" Drift grabbed Pearl by the shoulder and pulled her into the treeline. Pyro watched them dash off in confusion. Until the wind began to whip and bend the trees and a beat similar to a heart thundered above. Whatever blood was in his system seemed to drain from the vampire's face as realization dawned on him. A splitting scream from a massive creature in agony cut through his very being. Pyro finally willed his feet to run.

A heavy weight landed on the earth, shaking the surrounding forest. The animals at the center screamed and pulled, then were quickly silenced by a clawed hand smashing down. The arm was lifted, leaving behind only blood and viscera.

From the trees, Owen stared up at what he once knew as the Doctor.

The dragon's form was long and serpentine, tail coiling and thrashing about behind it. White scales reflected the red of the blood moon in a dazzling display, painting the surrounding environment just as bloody. Thundering growls rumbled from a throat colored scarlet red. Leather wings folded delicately over its back much like a cape, while golden fur cascaded all down the length of the creature's spine.

Emerald eyes with a sheen of red clouding over them darted about.

The dragon was only still for a moment before it whined and clawed at its own face. The old scar across its snout was reopened as claws dug into the soft, exposed skin. Scales were torn away and fresh blood trickled down its long and slender neck.

"He's hurting himself!" Owen whispered to Scott. "Do something already!"

"I can't," Scott growled back. "Not until Abolish does his part."

Owen turned his attention away, finally taking note of a lone figure slowly stalking towards the dragon. Abolish's dark clothing hid him well in the shadows, approaching the dragon from the left side where he knew the creature's eyesight was impaired. The dragon made no sign of noticing him, too busy attempting to open its own skull.

Right at the edge of the shadows, Abolish readied his lamp. He threw it to the ground, shouting out "Now!" as glass and fire arced gracefully through the air. The dragon whipped its head around at the butler's shout and roared, but the man was already gone.

The flame caught onto the spilled alcohol and the grass went up in a blaze. A circle was quickly scorched into the ground around the dragon. In confusion, the monster hissed and rapidly turned this way and that. As it unfurled massive wings to take flight, Scott ran forward. "Gravitas!"

Instantly the air within the circle became heavy with pressure, slamming the dragon's wings to the ground. It screamed in rage as its head and neck followed suit, arms and legs barely straining against the force holding it down. The tail was outside the circle and thrashed madly about.

"Grab the tail!" Abolish shouted out. All the vampires ran forward to do just that. With all their vampiric strength combined, they could only hold a small portion down. The end of the tail continued to whip about, yet didn't have the reach to throw them off.

The humans took the opportunity afforded to them and joined the fray, empty pens in hand. Soon as the first pen was jabbed between scales, the dragon screamed. It was shrill and piercing, full of fear and fury. Owen nearly dropped his hold on the tail to cover his ears. He gritted his teeth and stubbornly hung on.

Some of the others were not as steadfast. Drift and Avid, the two still newest to their increased senses, yelled out in pain and clasped hands to their ears. Cleo cursed as the tail wriggled free from their grasp, colliding into their stomach and sending them flying against a tree.

The humans panicked and ran back. The vampires began to scatter while Owen stubbornly hung on. The tail lifted upward and slammed down, trying to shake him off. Owen dug his claws in-between the scales, determined to remain.

"Hurry up!" Scott shouted. "I can't hold him for much longer!"

The vampires did their best to attempt a recovery, but the tail was moving far too much for them to catch it once more. Owen watched as Pyro was slammed into the ground for his efforts and Apo was sent flying as well.

"Owen!" He looked up to see Abolish running towards him, deftly dodging every swipe of the tail. He threw an object at Owen with deadly precision, the vampire just managing to catch it before the pen struck into his eye. Owen nodded back as Abolish made his escape. And then he jabbed the pen into flesh.

The dragon screamed again, smoke billowing out from extended jaws. Scott's eyes widened as he saw an amber glow emerge at the base of the dragon's throat. The glow grew in intensity, traveling up the neck and into the dragon's open maw.

Scott ran as a jet of fire was sent his way.

His concentration broken, the gravity spell dissipated. The people of Oakhurst ran for the trees once more as the dragon swept its head across the clearing, lighting everything ablaze. Owen pressed his face into its scales, trying to block out the smell of smoke and ruin. His eyes teared up as the fumes reached him regardless. Yet his grip on the tail and the pen remained steady.

Finally, the torrent of flame ended as the beast was forced to inhale a breath of air. Flames raged all around, burning away the remains of blood and gore to naught but ash. Once again it raised its wings skyward and pushed down against gravity as powerful limbs leapt upwards. Owen continued to cling on, unsure if the dragon was aware of his presence. He didn't have to wonder long as its head whipped around midair, teeth as long as swords attempting to bite down on him.

Owen let go, ripping the pen from its hide. He shifted into bat form and dove for the safety of the trees. The dragon tried to follow, roaring in anger as its form was too large to pursue him. Owen nestled himself into the hollow of a tree and watched as the dragon twisted about in the sky. Like a ribbon on the wind, it flew back to the castle.

Most of the Oakhurst residents had been too fearful to return to the village. Ren had built a bunker under his cabin and allowed Martyn and M to stay with him. Some of the vampires had chosen to make homes in the crypt or other beacon structures. And others like Cleo and Pearl decided to make temporary homes in the natural caves hidden in the forests.

Owen had chosen to stay within the village, along with Abolish and Scott. The shadow of the dragon had passed over them a few times now, but fire had not reigned from the sky. The streets were still muddied enough from the previous night's storm that any fire would've been easy to control. Regardless, the three spent most of their time in the basement under the tavern, built for clandestine meetings away from prying eyes and ears.

"M, Ren, and Martyn gave me their pens," Abolish spoke up, handing the devices over to Owen. "They weren't able to get much blood, though."

Owen opened the pens and grimaced at the few drops in each vial. Altogether, they barely made a sip in measure. His own pen had been filled all the way, at the very least. 

"It will have to do." Owen emptied the contents of all the pens into a bottle. It didn't even fill halfway.

Scott had his arms crossed, fingers tapping on his sleeves. "How long will this take, exactly?"

"It depends," Owen shrugs. "I'll need absolute quiet to sort through the memories. It takes a bit of concentration to find specific ones."

"Do you need us to leave then?" Abolish asked. His tone was incredibly casual, as if there wasn't a giant fire breathing monster flying about just outside. Scott looked extremely hesitant to leave.

Owen shook his head. "No, I think I know a safe enough spot in town to hunker down for a bit." Abolish gave him a nod and Scott passed on a smile and a half hearted "Good luck!" as Owen climbed his way up the ladder. 

Soon as he exited the tavern's basement, Owen went invisible and quickly dashed to the Doctor's abandoned home. Despite the spell currently driving the dragon's erratic behavior, Owen believed there was enough control to keep it from attacking its own hoard. So Owen climbed the ladder up into the loft, and settled himself down into the pile of soft furs and blankets at the center. Hopefully, once everything was resolved, he would never have to admit to trespassing into the hoard once again.

Owen swirled the half bottle of blood in his hand. The color was far deeper than he was used to seeing from humans or animals. He wondered if it still tasted of firewood and smoke as it had before.

Doing his best not to breathe in the scent, Owen quickly downed the bottle's contents in one go. He laid back in the bedding, allowing himself to be enveloped by warm scents of the hearth with a bite of copper. Then he closed his eyes, and relived the Doctor's past.

He is of the last of the Ancient Ones. As far as he knows, he is the last of them. Dragons who were born upon the earth before the infancy of man. He was of the few who viewed humanity with curious optimism. They were a young lived race, but eager and willing to learn the ways of the world. And he was so eager to teach them in turn.

He brought them language, script, mathematics, science, and even medicine. He taught them the ways of logic and reasoning, and they in turn taught him kindness and patience. The humans revered him and his kind for their vast knowledge and experience. But there were those who envied his power.

He was not well versed in the art of magic. That was a realm of knowledge passed onto his brethren of other areas. Yet when he alighted upon a circle of symbols on approach for a banquet held in his honor, he greatly wished he had studied the craft more. As his form was painfully shrunk down, folded over and over again into a too small shape, all he could think of was why?

Trapped in an unfamiliar body, he looked up in shock and horror at those who claimed power over their countrymen. Rulers who thought themselves above all others they shared the earth with, simply because they had amassed wealth and power in greedy amounts.

And now, they had a dragon in their grasp.

Fear like none he'd known before had ruled his mind the first several weeks. Trapped as he was, he was barely allowed any time to relearn to walk in his new shape. To be stripped away of so much power and to know vulnerability was an alien concept to him. He retained a few of his strengths, a fact his captors delighted in when it came to war. This was not a fact he reveled in himself.

At some point the fear finally gave way to rage. A dragon's pride is integral to their being. What pride had he left when his prowess no longer remained? His impenetrable scales weathered away, his talons dulled down, and his flame utterly extinguished? For centuries, humanity had revered him and his kin as gods. He would not allow them to forget.

His captors grew docile as their wealth and lands grew tenfold. A resistance began to form, their spies finding easy access into castle walls. He had encountered one of them by chance, freely offering any and all information of the palace grounds. They were unaware of his original status, of the power he once wielded. No matter. He wished for the downfall of his captors just as much as the commonfolk did.

It was only after the castle and all its fortifications had been reduced to ash that he realized his mistake. Lost to his wrath, he had not realized the means to his unbinding laid in the many scriptures left behind in secret libraries. All manner of tome and spell had been burnt to cinders by the raging fires. In shame and regret over his haste, he realized he had doomed himself to this lower form.

Grief consumed his heart over what was taken from him and what could never be recovered.

And so, he wandered. The longer he wandered, the more he realized he would never age. He was still an Ancient One, immortal and powerful. And wholly unrecognizable as one.

Mankind continued to change and evolve, and he learned alongside them. He began to appreciate being able to stand so close to these young scholars. Before, they would always stay at a distance in both physical and metaphysical. No longer did they flinch away when he stretched massive jaws in a yawn, nor kept the depths of their personality reserved before him. He observed humans with a similar curiosity he once had oh so long ago. The bonds they created with one another, the connections with which they grew in time and trust. He craved that very connection, yet knew it was beyond his grasp. By the time he could form a lasting kinship with anyone, they would already be gone. Each human life was but an exhalation of air to his vast lifespan.

He never stopped his travels, seeing the world many times over. Barely there existed a patch of sand or a blade of grass he hadn't set foot. Ceaseless and unending, it was all he could do to keep himself occupied for the eternity that lay ahead of him.

Until a day that news reached him of a small corner of the world he had yet to witness for himself. A small abandoned village, torn down many times over by dark forces and the fear of man. Rumors abounded of impossible cures and curses unknown. He had learned to not take much stock in such gossip. And yet, the question echoed in his mind over and over; what if?

What if the books meant to release him from his shackles had been copied? And their copies scattered to lands unknown?

He was well aware it was a long shot. And yet, even if he didn't find his prize, what did he have to lose but a small handful of days? He would search, he would observe, and then he would move on.

Nothing.

Owen could find nothing useful in the memories.

He refused to move from the furs for quite a long time, rotating his thoughts over and over in his mind. With the small amount of blood acquired, all he could access were broad strokes of the Doctor's past. But he couldn't decipher any of the specifics. The faces of the men who'd captured and bound the dragon had been blurry in the memories. No names had been uttered in the brief bits of conversations Owen had grasped into. It had all been just feelings and unclear faces.

Owen slowly sat up and looked about the room. There had to be some clue, anything that could lead him to the Doctor's true name.

The vampire carefully picked his way around the hoard. He would pick up a few items here and there, being careful to place them exactly back in their spot after a quick inspection. Some of the armor pieces had Chinese characters carved into them much like a signature. He'd found a few pocket watches with Latin phrases scrawled inside. The various books and journals indeed held names, but all from authors that were obviously not the Doctor himself.

Owen abandoned his fruitless search and climbed back downstairs. He couldn't return to Abolish and Scott empty handed. Who knew what plan they would devise? Owen was sure whatever they would want to try next would likely result in the demise of the dragon, or the residents of Oakhurst.

Back on the bottom floor, Owen peered out the window at the dark skies above. Storm clouds had begun to make their way over Oakhurst once more. Thunder rumbled, and he could swear a roar answered in their wake.

A stupid, impulsive thought crawled into his brain. The kind he would have expected from the Doctor and not from himself.

"I swear he's become a bad influence on me." Owen said to himself between clenched fangs. No other plan came to mind though, and he was far too reluctant to recruit the trigger-happy duo still hiding out in the tavern. Without another thought, Owen shifted into bat form and flew out the window.

He had a dragon to find.

The castle had been utterly decimated. Not even the foundations remained, all the banisters and flooring reduced to broken cobblestone and blackened ash.

The dragon did not lay within the wreckage, nor did Owen believe it would hide its coiled form within the catacombs below. Owen could only guess it was flying about the area, keeping watch of its newly claimed territory.

His assumption was soon proven right as he heard a screeching call echo behind him along with the heavy beat of wings through air. How such a massive creature managed to see him in such a small form, Owen wasn't about to question. Instead, he made haste to dive down as quick as he could, barely dodging the outstretched maw that snapped shut on empty air behind him.

Owen used his small size to his advantage, dodging every bite of tooth and swipe of claw aimed his way. But his wings were so small in comparison and his form so tired from the strain. He had no hope of outpacing the dragon.

Frantically, Owen spiraled downward towards the entrance of the catacombs. He flew as far down where the steps ended, then shifted back to vampiric form. Above, the dragon continued its pursuit. Its long neck snaked down the opening, its chest and arms just narrow enough to fit through. Yet its wings, folded tightly against its back, scraped against the cold stone walls. It screamed in rage, shaking back and forth to unlodge itself. Whether it was trying to back out or continue downward, Owen couldn't tell. He was just glad it couldn't follow him further.

"I know you're still in there, Doc!" Owen called upwards, hands around his mouth to amplify his call. "You need to fight it! I know you don't want to hurt me!"

The dragon paused in its thrashing, locking its eyes onto Owen. For a split second, Owen thought he saw a flicker of recognition in its eyes. And then it passed, and a bright glow began to light within its jaws.

Owen ran deeper into the catacombs as fire chased after his heels. He could feel a searing heat latch onto the legs of his pants and the edge of his cloak. He yelled out in fear, smoke rising up and clouding his sight and senses.

He could hear screaming from a body black as charcoal on the pyre.

Owen dove down a side hall, the flame harmlessly passing him by. He quickly removed his cape and stomped out the flames, using his hands to douse the fire on his pants. Some of his leg had been burned, angry and red across his marbled skin.

Owen propped his back up against the wall, unable to stand while pain wracked his form. He hissed out small breaths of air, instinctively breathing through the pain as if his body craved the oxygen. The torrent of flame soon ended and the corridor was silent. The stone of the halls glowed a bright red. Owen could feel the heat radiating off it from his hiding spot.

"You stubborn old fool!" Owen yelled out in the silence. "What happened to your oath? Do no harm my ass!"

The dragon roared, shrill and angry. Another bout of flame shot down the hall.

Owen inched away from the corridor hot with flames, clutching his cloak desperately to his chest. The fire died out, and near silence reigned alongside the sizzling heat of the stones in the hall.

Owen internally berated himself for being so stupid. What did he think would happen? That the Doctor would see him and just magically snap out of it? All of this was beyond Owen's admittedly small pool of knowledge. But what was the alternative? Trust Scott to not abuse the power of a dragon? Trust the humans to not kill the Doctor the first chance that they got? No, Owen couldn't trust any of them.

But did the Doctor trust him?

Owen hadn't given him any good reason to. Yes, the Doctor had allowed Owen a sip of his blood, and what had Owen done in return? Nearly killed the man for saying His name. Owen still didn't feel guilty for the anger, yet there was remorse for the way he handled it. The Doctor didn't know the full significance of the name, how could he know?

There was a strained scream and the falling of rocks. Owen peeked around the corner. He could not see the dragon from his vantage point, only the thrashing of its shadow as chunks of stone rained down the stairs.

He leaned back into his hiding spot. Owen didn't know if the catacombs held a second exit. Scott would know for sure, but Scott wasn't here right now. And Owen would be damned to rely on that snobbish noble's help.

If the dragon was trying to further make its way in, he needed to move. Yet Owen felt himself loathe to do so. Instead, he used the wall as support to stand before wrapping his cloak back over his shoulders. He took the time to wipe the dust and bits of ash off his clothing that had managed to settle on him. His hand brushed over a tiny piece of paper sticking out of his vest pocket.

Frowning, Owen removed the paper, finding it was the small note written by the Doctor he'd placed there not long ago. 

I am called Legend. I am called Myth. I am Eternal and I am Alone.

Owen read over the scrawlings a few times. If he had to guess, this must have been one of the Doctor's first attempts at writing English. It made sense the man had to start somewhere in learning a new language, but the choice in words mystified Owen. Not to mention the obvious capitalization errors. Even Owen was aware that not every word in a sentence needed to be capitalized, unless it was a-

Owen blinked down at the paper. It couldn't be so easy. It just couldn't.

He only had one way of knowing.

Owen shoved the paper back into his vest and stepped out into the corridor. The shadow above the stairs had grown much larger, the sounds of breaking rock much louder. Owen stood and waited, seeing long whiskers drop down. A bearded snout followed soon after, clouded eyes immediately pinning to Owen's form. A deep growl echoed forth, reverberating in the very earth surrounding them. Owen could see the start of a flame begin to glow in the dragon's throat.

Owen took a deep breath, willing his feet to root themselves into the ground. He closed his eyes, and spoke.

"LegendMythEternalAlone."

He waited for the searing heat to encompass him whole, but it never came.

Owen opened his eyes.

The dragon was rapidly blinking, staring straight ahead into nothingness. It shook its head, golden mane reminding Owen much of a lion. A few soft growls escaped its throat, the creature sounding lost and confused.

"....Doctor?" Owen quietly tried. The dragon quickly returned its attention to him. Green eyes were no longer clouded in a haze of red.

"Doctor, are you with us?"

The dragon squinted at Owen in confusion. Then its eyes went wide as a sense of realization dawned. It tried to move backwards, only to find itself thoroughly wedged in tight. Sparks jumped from its teeth as its breathing became rapid with panic.

Owen rushed forward and placed both hands on either side of its snout. And Owen had to steel himself as he realized just how big this creature was. Gods, the dragon's nose was just slightly bigger than Owen's face!

The touch seemed to do the job as the dragon stilled its movements. Simply breathing heavily while large eyes with slitted pupils stared down at Owen. The vampire did his best to ignore how scorching hot the breaths were and the embers that flew out with it.

"You're going to be alright. Just, stay calm."

Something similar to a growl escaped the dragon's throat. It cut off halfway, then started again in a slightly different tone. The sound cut off a second time, before finally, words emerged.

"Did I.......did I hurt anyone?"

It was the Doctor's voice, certainly, but so much louder and deeper than Owen had ever heard it before. He chalked it up to the close proximity. "No. Well....not too badly, anyways. Let's just say Apo, Cleo and Pyro are lucky to be vampires."

The drago- the Doctor looked over Owen. "You've been burned."

"I'll be fine." Owen responded. "Let's try to get you out of here, first."

The Doctor gave a slight nod in agreement. He slowly lifted his head from Owen's hands, gazing about at their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"The catacombs under Scott's castle. Or what remains of it."

The Doctor winced. And what a strange expression that was to see on such an inhuman face. "I think I remember a bit of that. Was trying to pull myself away from chasing after you and the others."

"Well, I appreciate it." Owen said, then smiled. "The look on Scott's face was rather good too."

The Doctor rumbled a short chuckle.

Owen stepped around the dragon's head and peered up the blocked stairway. Sunlight pierced through a few gaps that the dragon's body hadn't fully covered up. Likely small enough for a bat to fit through.

"I think it's your wings that have you stuck," Owen relayed back. "I may be able to fly through to the other side, gather the others to pull you out?"

"Being stuck like this is embarrassing enough." The Doctor grumbled.

"You have any better ideas?"

The Doctor tilted his head back and forth. Owen noticed his arms and shoulders twitch, likely trying to shrug. "Yes and no?"

"Want to elaborate?"

The Doctor seemed a bit hesitant to speak, but with a withering look from Owen, he finally did. "I found something in Scott's book. A spell similar to the one that bound my form, but with less restrictions."

Owen's face morphed to something unreadable as memories not his own flickered through his mind. "You'd willingly go through that again?"

"Like I said," he replied calmly. "This spell has fewer restrictions. He won't have any control over me through it. But I can't cast the spell myself."

Owen let out an annoyed groan. "Fine, I'll grab Scott and his book and drag him back here." Abolish would likely come along too, but he didn't need to tell the Doctor that.

"Owen, wait."

The vampire hadn't made a move to leave yet. All the same, he relaxed his stance and looked the Doctor in the eye. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry," He rumbled out. "About everything. And.....thank you."

Owen gave him a slow nod. Then shifted forms and flew out of the catacombs.

Scott had done enough berating on both of their behalf at Owen's reckless behavior. In fact, the elder vampire had not stopped listing out the many ways Owen was a dimwit the entire trek from the town to the castle ruins. Abolish had said nothing because he simply did not need to. Owen could tell he agreed with most everything Scott had said.

The missing bridge was an obstacle that affected the lone human in their company more than the two vampires. Begrudgingly, Owen and Scott helped with the laboriously slow task of building a stable enough bridge to walk across. It was thin and extremely precarious, yet the butler didn't falter in his graceful walk along the surface. 

Once all three of them had come across, Owen led the way to the catacombs' entrance. He tried his absolute best not to laugh at the sight before them. Scott held no such reservations. 

Half the length of the Doctor's tail was sticking out from the catacombs. It was draped over to the side, twitching up then flopping back down at Scott's bark of laughter. And then it wiggled madly around for a bit as the sound of a struggle resonated from the stone depths below. The noises stopped abruptly, and the tail flopped back down again.

"Some assistance would be greatly appreciated!"

Scott snickered a bit more before responding. "A please would do nicely!~"

The Doctor growled.

Scott laughed some more until Abolish cleared his throat. The elder vampire rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "Fine! Fine. Just let me do my thing." He held out a hand to Owen. 

Owen glared at him a while before pulling the spell book from his cloak and passing it over. Scott smiled, flipped open the book till he found the page he needed, and began chanting.

The effect from this spell was much subtler than the one on the bridge. The wind picked up slightly, followed by a floral scent that Owen didn't recognize.

He kept his attention on the Doctor, trying to assess if the spell impacted him in any negative way. At first, nothing was happening. And then, what was visible of the Doctor's tail began to shrink. It was slow but steady, and the Doctor didn't make sounds of pain or complaint. He did however speak up as the tail began to rapidly slip down the underground entrance.

"Wait wait whooaaAAAAAAHHH!"

The Doctor's voice cut off with a loud splat.

Owen rushed over and peered over the edge. He could barely see a small form laid out flat at the bottom of the stairs. He wasted no time in leaping down, finding the Doctor now back in a human form and face first in the ground.

"Are you alright?"

The Doctor groaned.

Owen reached down and helped him to stand. The Doctor stumbled a bit, but soon righted his stance. "I should've asked for a cushion to land on."

Owen looked him over, seeing no major injuries. Small cuts still littered the Doctor's face, the wounds clogged by dried blood instead of leaking freely. Otherwise, the man looked unharmed by the fall. "How do you feel?"

The Doctor rubbed a hand over his face, seeming surprised by the dried blood on his hand. He looked over his fingers, finding his normally blunt nails still long and sharp. Not to the extent of a vampire's, but well enough to do some damage if he so chose.

"I'm uh, I feel....," he frowned, trying to put his thoughts together. "Before, being like this felt like......it felt like wearing a really tight shirt."

"And now?" Owen raised an eyebrow.

"Now it feels like a loose fitting shirt?"

"Great analogy," Owen shook his head. "Can you walk?"

The doctor looked high up at the top of the stairs. The barely perceivable shape of two heads peered down. He grimaced. "Well, I'm going to have to."

Owen allowed the Doctor to lean against his side as the two slowly ascended the steps. It took forever and a half to reach the surface. They were greeted by warm sunlight and the smell of fresh grass. Owen winced as his skin burned against the light. The Doctor gave him a concerned look, but Owen soon found himself distracted by how the light refracted off the Doctor's pale hide.

Abolish was soon at the duo's side, patting a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "Glad to have you back, Doc."

"Glad to be back." He nodded.

"Speaking of," Scott spoke up. "Calling you Doctor doesn't quite fit anymore, does it?"

"Unless my doctorate expired without me knowing, it still fits." The answer was accompanied by a growl and a baring of teeth.

Scott held his hands up and smiled. "I only mean that you never gave us a proper name to call you by."

"You never asked."

"Well maybe I'm asking now."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Ask someone else, then."

Scott looked to Owen. Owen glared back. "Ask someone else."

Scott looked to Abolish, who stared back with an equally annoyed look. "Hey Doc, what's your name?"

The man being addressed blinked. "Wait, I never told you?"

"According to the entire town," Owen tilted his head. "You didn't tell anyone."

"Oh," He tapped his chin with his finger. "I could've sworn I told someone." The Doctor shrugged. "Well, the name I've been using most recently has been Legundo."

Owen stared at him.

"What?"

"You're joking."

"No?"

"You don't realize how close that is to your other name?"

"What other name?"

"Let me be abundantly clear-"

"I'm not sure you are..."

"The name you have been using is Dr. Legundo?"

The Doctor threw his hands upwards. "Yes! It is! Why would I lie about something like that?"

"Augh! Just!" Owen waved his arms around, unable to voice his true concerns about the name around Scott freaking Goldsmith. "Never mind!"

"Okay, I think I've had enough of...whatever this is." Abolish remarked. "Let's get back to town. Scott, Owen, think you can round up all the others?"

"I'd like to treat Owen's burns, first." Legundo spoke up.

"I'm fine, I'll heal."

"Will you be healed by the time we return to Oakhurst?"

Owen answered with silence, and the doctor sighed. "Even if you heal fast, you don't need to be in pain. I have some burn ointments in the clinic that can numb it for you."

"Fine," Owen conceded. "Town first, then we grab the others."

“Good.” Legundo replied. And then he scrunched up his nose. He leaned in close to Owen, while Owen tried to back away.

Was he sniffing him?

Legundo leaned back again with an aghast expression. “Did you go through my hoard again?”

Uh oh.

“Maybe.”

“I told you not to do that!”

Owen shrugged. “I was a bit limited on places to hide.”

“Do you know how incredibly rude that is?”

“Okay,” Abolish announced. “I'm leaving.”

Unfortunately for him, the bickering followed along all the way back to town.

A few days passed by in relative peace. The residents of Oakhurst were gathered back together in town. Houses that had been destroyed in rage and betrayal were rebuilt with renewed hope and cooperation. Vampires and humans lived alongside one another, although some remained wary of their nightly neighbors.

Ren still made his home on the outskirts of town, but welcomed Martyn, M, Apo, and Pyro to afternoon get-togethers. The militia had been reunited and they gladly added Pyro to their number.

Scott, Avid, and Shelby still visited the castle on occasion. They made slow but steady progress in rebuilding the structure. Only Scott and Avid wished to return to the castle as their domicile while Shelby preferred the town, but she wished to help her friends rebuild their home. Many of the other vampires helped on occasion, carrying over supplies in bulk.

Drift rebuilt the house she once shared with Avid, even recreating the bathtub bigger and better than before. Shelby moved in with her and the two soon became quite close.

Cleo returned to Pearl, who accepted them without any form of change. Nothing between them had deteriorated, their home life resuming in earnest as it had from their first meeting.

Abolish remained living alone, but not as lonely as he was before. Oftentimes he was dragged out of his house by an eager Martyn and taken to the tavern for a pint with everyone else. Other times he was grabbed by a vampire and regaled with tales of past glories or encouraged to share stories of his own. He always put on an air of begrudging willingness, but occasionally would let slip a smile when his walls were momentarily dropped.

Owen still treated most everyone with hostility, yet his fangs had long lost their sharp edge. Most of his hissed words and threats were met with a half amused smile or a humorous retort. Avid still appeared skittish around him, yet that had always been the young man's nature. Plus, Owen still needed someone he could scare for his own entertainment.

He never felt truly welcomed at the castle. He still helped with restoration efforts on occasion, more so for something to do. The beacons were still split evenly between human and vampire and the barrier was still in place. With no way to leave, Owen still needed to find something to keep himself busy. And chopping down trees was easy. Performing a mindless task allowed him time to think without the worry of anyone around to bother him. 

The doctor……Legundo had invited him to stay in his home. Owen hadn't decided yet to accept or decline. He didn't exactly have another place to go and he doubted anyone else would want to room with him. Well, maybe M would as they had shared a house before. Still, Owen felt inclined to be alone for the time being.

Legundo was going through something of an adjustment period. As in, the town was adjusting to the fact that their resident doctor was an immeasurably ancient and powerful being. And if he so chose to, he could rip apart his startlingly unremarkable looking form and raze the entirety of Oakhurst to ash and rubble. But he chose not to. No matter how angry he still became at the sight of Scott, or how invasive some of the questions dumped on him by the others, the doctor always remained kind.

He still hid himself away in his home for long periods of time, but now everyone was welcome to enter. As long as no one climbed the ladder without express permission (Martyn learned quite quickly not to try his luck again when black claws yanked him off the ladder by the back of his shirt).

The doctor had regained access to his fire and other suppressed abilities. He found himself hesitant to use his gifts, afraid of the fear he may unknowingly sow among the townsfolk. Those worries were put to rest one night during a full town celebration at Ren's tavern. The doctor couldn't exactly get drunk on such little alcohol, but he'd been loose enough to show off a bit by lighting the fireplace. The fire had been a bit bigger than he'd intended, and perhaps a few eyebrows had been singed in the process. Yet the merriment hadn't subsided and instead, he'd been met by cheers and uproarious laughter.

He still searched for a cure for those who wanted it. All the books had been found, yet he refused a cure that required the death of any of the friends that had been made. To save one life should not have to require the forfeiting of another.

Owen could tell when Legundo needed a break. Quite often he would barge in through the window after seeing the doctor slumped dejectedly at his desk, grab him under the arm, and drag him outside in the warmth of the sun. They had a spot in the woods, shared only between the two of them. A small hill that dipped down into a miniature valley, right into a small pond. The same pond where an oak sign was once placed with a message that no longer existed.

The trees covered up the skyline, masking the exact dip in the land where the sun would disappear into. The sunlight had been steadily fading for a while now, the incandescent ripple of light along Legundo's scales fading as shadow covered them more. The light that did remain glinted in amber hues of the sunset. Owen tried to study the ever changing pattern of orange and red and purple while the doctor hummed an old tune and used a file against his nails.

Owen had a small chunk of wood in his hands, long abandoned while he watched the doctor. He had been trying to carve something, not anything particular in mind. In the end, he'd only whittled away at the wood to keep his own hands busy while the duo enjoyed sitting silently together.

But Owen couldn't stop himself from breaking the silence any longer.

“Why are you doing that?”

Legundo looked up to him with a raised brow, his hummed song cutting off. “Why am I doing what?”

“Your claws,” Owen pointed at the file in the other's hands. “Won't you just regain them the next time you change?”

Legundo shrugged. “I don't intend to change forms for a while. Besides, having claws makes my work a little more difficult. They can get in my way when applying bandages, or holding a pen to write.”

“I don't understand.”

“Understand what?”

Owen huffed out a breath, trying to form what he wanted to say in his mind before releasing the words out loud. “You…..you were looking for a way to break your binding for a really long time. And now that it's happened, you're just choosing to remain like this?”

The doctor was silent for a moment. Then he placed the file on the ground between them and turned till he was fully facing his companion. “Owen, I've been stuck as a human for a much longer portion of my lifespan than I was as a dragon. And in all that time, I never did find another like me.” He shifted in his seat, leaning back on his hands. His head looked up at the sky above.

“The world has moved on from beings like me. I have no place in this world as anything but what I am now. And while that truth fills me with sorrow, it's not my place to shake the balance of the world for my own pride and ego.” He looked back to Owen. “Besides, I've grown to really like being around humans. I couldn't do that before, not really. I couldn't sit so easily beside you like now if I abandoned this form.”

Owen tilted his head, looking Legundo up and down. “The world should be the one to bend to your will. Not the other way around.”

Legundo sighed, letting his head hang downward for a moment before looking Owen straight in the eyes. They pierced right through the vampire, forcing him to pay rapt attention.

“Before, I wasn't allowed the choice to decide. But now, I do. And I choose to live how I want, not by the way others dictate for me.”

Owen thought back to the memories he'd gathered from the doctor. Wicked smiles cast down by men of weak standing and even weaker morals. Lives spent like coins in an effort to gain more by losing so many. Being dragged along by invisible tethers and forced to pen down strategies one day and hold a sword the next. Always ordered, never asked. No choice was ever given until those men were lost to steel and fire. And even still, no relief was given afterwards. Still held down by invisible chains, still forced to eke out a life in a lower station.

No longer.

Owen nodded, finally starting to understand. Not entirely, no. If he held the power the doctor wielded, Owen was unsure how much restraint he'd be able to show. But having the option to choose what to do with that power…..he knew that desire immensely.

Owen reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a crumpled form of paper. He passed it over to Legundo. “I think this belongs to you.”

Legundo took the paper with curiosity, delicately unfolding and straightening out the page. He read over the words, fear quickly taking over his features. He said nothing, simply looking at Owen. Whether for answers or orders, the vampire hoped it was the former.

“I found it in your notes, after Scott placed that spell on you. I wasn't even looking for it, didn't realize what that was until you had me trapped in the catacombs. No one else has seen that but me. And I haven't told anyone about it.”

Legundo only relaxed slightly, eyes shifting about as thoughts processed in his mind. He came to a quick conclusion. “You used this to snap me out of it, didn't you?”

Owen nodded. “Scott said we needed your name, your true name to break the spell. For some reason, he was really confident that you would've told me that.”

“I guess I did, in a roundabout sort of way.” He waved the paper in his hand.

“Why bother writing that in the first place?”

“Another choice not my own,” Legundo growled out. “The original binding spell allowed those who cast it some control over me. They forced me to write that, although I resisted as best I could. Wrote it in a language they didn't know yet, and cut it up into multiple sentences. They died before they could decipher it. But the binding made sure I couldn't destroy this.”

“What about now?”

Legundo narrowed his eyes at the paper before spitting out a short jet of flame. The paper instantly went up in smoke. He dusted his hands together, soot falling into the grass.

“Hm, I guess that answers my question.”

They locked eyes once more, and Owen noted the slight uptick in the doctor's heartbeat. “Owen, I know I probably don't need to say this, but-”

“I promise, doctor. I will never share your name with anyone. Nor do I ever plan to use it again.”

Legundo released a sigh of relief, tension bleeding away from his shoulders. “I trust you and your word.”

Owen nodded, and silence reigned between them again. The doctor took up his file once more while Owen continued to whittle away. Until he sharply turned his head to look at him again.

“But seriously though. Legundo? Was that really the best name you could think of?”

“What's wrong with it?”

“You don't realize how close it is to the first part of your name?”

“Legend is just a regular word. Anyone can say it in casual conversation.”

“Yet there are so many options otherwise?”

“I've been around a long time. I ran out of names at some point. And I can't really claim to have much creativity when it comes to stuff like that.” His tone was bashful, almost teasing.

“Absolutely terrible. We need to work on that.”

“I am working on it.”

“Well then, I say you need some help.”

“Help?”

“We'll come up with something better. Something you can use after we get out of this barrier.”

“We?”

“Yes! Someone needs to keep an eye on you.”

“And you're the best person for the job?” The doctor laughed.

“Who better than a vampire that could outlive even your scaley hide?”

“Dragon wrangler Owen. Is that what you are now?” His laughter grew.

Owen shrugged. “Might as well be.”

The two continued on for a while, bantering back and forth and enjoying the company of one another. The sun quickly descended and night took over, bathing the forest in a scarlet hue. It was a reminder that they were still trapped there. But they were together.

Owen knew early on that the doctor was a strange and dangerous one. But that strangeness had melted away to reveal a true and worthwhile companion. Someone who also understood loneliness and loss in great capacities.

Now, they could choose to never be alone again.