Teufelsschloßes - Chapter 12
When the woman had no more to give, Dracula slinked closer-much too close for the comfort of a normal person-and leaned in close, his cheek almost touching his fledgling’s. “Such a hungry child,” he remarked, with a tone that was a twisted parody of affection.
Hansel, however, had no clue that the affection was not pure, and, more than food, affection was what he truly hungered for. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice told him that he had never known affection in his life, but he dismissed it, telling it that Dracula cared for him. That he’d always cared for him. He had no way of knowing that, while it was indeed affection, it wasn’t as a parent to a child, but more to a favored hunting hound.
The Vampire traced Hansel’s lips, dabbing a speck of blood that remained. “Are you satiated?”
The boy thought for a moment. He was not completely full, but he knew that it would be improper of him to be a glutton. “I am well enough,” he replied.
“There is no need to lie to me. While you are young, you must take what you can,” Dracula chided lightly. “You will need your strength.”
He likely would have flushed, had he still been human. “If you will allow it, then.”
Once again, Dracula led the young man off, across more rooftops and back alleys, distancing them from the corpse. “In the coming days, I shall teach you the art of luring the flock to you. It is an essential skill, when you must feed without my guidance.”
Hansel nodded, eager to learn everything the other Vampire was willing to teach him. “I look forward to it…” His sentence trailed off. He’d been about to call him by name at the end, but he didn’t know what. ‘Master’ wouldn’t be appropriate, lest they be overheard, and though he’d been instructed to use ‘Vlad,’ Hansel felt ashamed, and unworthy to use that name.
They were still within downtown’s edge, as Dracula jumped down into the alley. Cars honked and people chattered loudly, another bounty of prey for the hunters. Hansel followed, but covered his ears. His senses finely honed, the noise bothered him. His Master, however, seemed unaffected by the noise-or made a better show of not being bothered.
“Tell me if a prey takes your fancy.”
The fledgling scanned the crowds. There were many he saw that looked tasty, but something whispered in the back of his mind that there was no reason to take them. He shook his head, both to indicate his response to Dracula, as well as to clear his head of the whisper. His Master had indicated that it was acceptable, so why was he hesitating?
Dracula, as if sensing the hesitation, shifted, placing a gentle hand on Hansel’s shoulder. The boy looked up at him. “Is something wrong?” the Vampire asked gently.
“I…” He looked down. “I do not know. Something… Something is telling me that there is no reason to hunt these humans.”
Dracula worked through his options. The innocent were most pleasurable to corrupt, so long as one could break through the morals they held as humans. “The first hunts are always difficult, but to refuse is to drive yourself into madness with hunger, turning yourself into a dangerous monster.”
Hansel kept his head low. “I… I do not want that.”
He stroked the mess of hair. Hansel leaned into it, feeling pleasure from his Master’s touch. “I can continue this for you if you so desire…” Dracula added a calculated disappointed edge to his voice. “Or perhaps we should retire early?”
The boy’s eyes widened when he heard the sound of disappointment. “We can continue,” he said quietly.
Dracula brushed the side of his hand against Hansel’s throat. “Wait here, dear child.” Hansel nodded obediently.
With that, Dracula moved into the crowd, people not responding to his sudden presence. He scanned the prey, searching for someone for his little pet to feed on, that he wouldn’t outright reject. He could enforce his control, of course, but that was inefficient, and not nearly as interesting.
Hansel watched from his hiding place in the alley, envious of how easily his Master moved, and curious as to why he would choose whatever particular human he would.
The Vampire Lord spotted a young man who had just had a taxi drive past him. ‘He will do nicely,” he thought. The young man wasn’t using a cellular phone, and seemed depressed-not the kind of person likely to be missed. He approached the young man, and spoke to him in sotto tones. The man seemed to trust Dracula, and whatever it was that the Vampire was saying.
The boy was fascinated with how easily Dracula lured his prey. He was so distracted that the small voice in his head was almost smothered. Almost. As his body shivered in anticipation, his head began to hurt slightly. This was what his Master wanted! Why wouldn’t the voice say quiet? What his Master said was law. There couldn’t be anything wrong with it.
Dracula made a gesture to the man, as if saying ‘hold on,’ and returned to his fledgling. Hansel looked up at him, nearly in tears, as he got close enough. “Why? Why won’t that voice go away?”
“A voice?”
The reply came with a nod. “It keeps saying that this is wrong. But it doesn’t feel wrong!”
He considered his options. Finally, he decided that it was just too much, to expect innocent blood to be taken in one night. “You are still not used to life in shadows, but the uncertainty will fade as you become more attuned. You are simply too tired from moving about so soon after the Change.”
Hansel thought on this. He didn’t necessarily feel tired, but his Master knew better than he did. “It will fade? You’re sure?”
“I am certain. It is the same kind of anxiety one feels after a major change in one’s life-or unlife, as the case may be.” He dismissed the boy’s concern with certainty in his tone, and the boy visibly sighed in relief.
“I am sorry I had to disappoint you.”
Dracula corrected him glibly. “No, I should apologize for pushing you far too hard so soon. Let us return to our home for now.” A nod was the response, and the Vampire released the man from his thrall. The man was confused, but no worse for the wear, as he looked around and tried to hail another taxi. A gesture was made for Hansel to move closer, and the boy did so, as he watched the man leave.
[This chapter is adapted from the middle section of this]