Chapter Text
Abolish wiped his forehead of sweat as he finished re-cleaning the crypt. For the something thousand time.
He's been alive for 600 years now. Yet, he still looks the very same. Everytime he glances at himself in the lake, retrieving pail after pail to keep the now worn down castle to at least some sort of clean standards. It was the least he could do for his sire.
Not his actual sire, to clarify. It was just the title that the vampire had preferred to be called when he appointed Abolish as a butler, instead of master or lord.
The day he was stuck like this, he remembers like it was yesterday. He was tending to his sire, Goldsmith. He knew his sire was a vampire, everyone in the village did.
Against what many would assume for vampires, Goldsmith was very kind. Well, for a vampire, he supposed. Even after the few massacres he's been legend to have committed, the vampire has always been welcoming of humans. He kept them safe from other vampires that have wanted to rampage the town. He knew humans who have said their families have been massacred by the vampire, but it's still the very same person that kept them all under care, was it not?
Goldsmith was taking care of them, whether they wanted to admit it or not. During the plague, he sheltered the sick and allowed the town to bury their loved ones in his crypt. The crypt was a well kept place; no vampire would accept humans into their home, yet Goldsmith did. Did that not say anything? Did the amount of times he made sure that humans had enough livestock for them rather than demanding the food be sent straight to him not say anything?
Did it not say anything when he lost both of his parents, and Scott welcomed him to live in his castle with open arms? He supplied him a job, a purpose, even if he had to donate blood for it. He didn't mind having moments of offering his wrist to his sire, as all humans of the town did as some point. Because Goldsmith-... Scott saved him.
He was not the only human who Scott allowed to live in the castle. Tailors, artists, musicians, farmers, anyone. During the cold of winters, he opened his castle to the town to rest in as it was warmer than the huts. The vampire was kind. Even if it was to preserve his own food source with the blood of humans, it didn't matter. Scott took care of them, of him.
...
And yet, he couldn't do the same.
Scott was often bored, he supposed anyone would be if they've been alive as long as he had been. He understood that better now. Abolish had climbed the ranks enough to be his personal butler, the one who had the honor of helping his sire at everything. He'd rather say that he became closer to his sire rather than proved to be the best of all the butlers Goldsmith possessed.
The vampire could defend himself, but that never stopped Abolish from training to defend his sire. The one person who put trust in him, who picked him up when he was down. If he wasn't human, he didn't care. If the whole village was against him, he would fight to the end to defend the person he was loyal to.
He supposed it was just words, in the end.
After on the search for anyone to entertain his sire, there was a women who was brought in. She claimed to be a magician, she wasn't from the town. She performed magic tricks in town, so... he foolishly assumed that he could suffice to cure his sire's boredom. He allowed her to come into Scott's castle and perform her magic.
Initially, that's all she did. He felt a part of his heart flutter when he saw his sire smile. He was distracted. Even if momentarily, and that small lapse cost him everything.
The 'magician' she claimed to be turned out to be a witch. The second she saw Goldsmith smile, she knew that he was. A vampire. That small amount of time was all she needed before she directed her staff to him. Screaming about how his kind ruined her life.
It was all his fault. Goldsmith was relaxed, he wasn't prepared to fight. He had trust in Abolish, he accepted a visitor from out of town because he had brought her to him. And as he rushed to defend his sire, it was too late. Her spell was cast, and he watched as the vampire slumped in his chair. He was so close, he felt a bit of the spell hit him, but he couldn't care. He gripped his sire's shoulders, knowing that the usual vampire would be frustrated at anyone ruining his clothes, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Scott!" He shouted, shaking the vampire on the chair, forgetting all his years of learning formality. "Scott, please!"
It was watching it all over again. His parents died and he was helpless to do anything, now... now the one who took him in.
"He won't wake up," she spat, "not for a long time. He's a monster, you shouldn't care about him. He doesn't care about you."
He glared at her, feeling angry tears in his eyes. She knew nothing about his sire, and she didn't deserve to. He couldn't do anything to avenge his parents. But, as he reached for the diamond sword that his sire had so graciously gifted him for a birthday after learning he was training, he dashed forward. Pinning the witch down and slashing at her as she screamed, claiming she was doing him a favor.
The only favor he needed was for Scott to wake up.
...It's been centuries since the night. He hasn't aged since that day. It felt like his mind hadn't changed, either. Everyday, he spent cleaning. Waiting for the day his sire will awake, because he had to. There was no way Scott would allow himself to be taken down by a puny witch that a human could slay.
The town had gained people and lost. He put up the keep out signs because humans that didn't know his sire didn't deserve to see him. After the people of the village he was raised in died, new ones coming in, he made sure none of them crossed the bridge. He destroyed parts of it himself. Around 200 years, he saw the carnage of smoke arising in the forest where the village should lie. He went to see what happened afterwards to see the town destroyed. He didn't know who did it, but... he supposed his sire wasn't around anymore to scare off any other vampire that wanted to massacre the village.
He didn't care, they weren't his problem anymore. He had a castle to tend to. The next 200 years, the same thing happened. He didn't realize vampires had selected times they massacred, but whatever. Other vampires weren't his problem. Although, he did notice some beacons ended up being placed around in the world around them. He had no idea what they were about, but they didn't seem to be any danger...
Well, in case they were, he had chests full of stakes and silver, just in case. He wouldn't set them up, because they would hurt his sire. But, they were there if he needed to defend him. He will this time. He will not fail.
He cleaned the coffin room everyday. He carried the vampire to his coffin himself. Admittedly, after crying for awhile, begging his sire to wake up. The other didn't need to breathe, nor did he have a heartbeat, so he didn't know if the vampire was dead dead. He had to hope off of the words of the witch saying he wouldn't wake up for a long time. He didn't care how long that time was, he'll be here. And, the fact that he was still alive said something, right? He wouldn't age. He doesn't know if whenever the spell wears off, would he die? Rapidly age to how old he should be and wither away?
It didn't matter what happened to him, he finalized. All he wanted to see was his sire wake up. He'll wait eternity if he has to.
He came back from the woods, as he still needed to hunt for food for himself.The castle was big and quiet, but for some reason, the forest wasn't. He was used to it being quiet after a few years, but... it turns out humans are back. Just fantastic. He'll need to touch up the signs more to make sure they stay away from the castle.
He re-entered the castle. Doing his routine checks down at the coffin in his room. He came back with food most of the times, just in case, but he hear see any movement from the coffin. So, he signed and left to the kitchen to cook it. After eating, he made his way back down to the coffin. He needed to make sure to dust and wipe down every surface again. His sire would never want to live in filth.
He got lost in his chores. So much that he didn't hear the coffin shake. Or, it opening until he heard a groan. He almost flinched, ready to wield his sword on whoever could dare to enter his sire's resting place before realizing...
"...Scott..?" His voice shook with surprise.
The... teal hair, hair he wasn't used to. Blue eyes. What...? His sire had white hair and red eyes, but... this looked like his sire otherwise.
The person looked back at him. "...Abolish?"
"Scott!" He dropped everything and quickly came over to the vampire, helping him out of the coffin. "You're awake!"
"..Yes...," the other sleepily answered, "...what... how long have I been asleep?" He looked around.
"...600 years."
The vampire looked at him. "...How... are you-"
"The witch..." he answered quickly. "...She... hit me too, when she cast her spell."
"...Did she now...?" The undertones of anger obvious to Abolish.
He just felt so happy to hear his voice again.
"She's dead, Sc-... sire. I killed her."
"Oh," the blue haired nodded in approval, "good."
He internally preened at the praise.
"...I'm really thirsty," Scott admitted.
"Oh," right, of course he would be. "Here-" he unbuttoned his collar, pulling it down. "Take as much as you need."
The vampire didn't hesitate to lean into his neck and sink his fangs into him. Abolish closed his eyes, forgetting the feeling after waiting for so long. But, he also felt... happy at it. His sire was awake, he wasn't dead. And he was actively helping him. That was more than he could do for his parents.
Scott drank from him until he felt himself becoming dizzy from blood loss, but he didn't tell the other to pull away. The vampire only did after a little bit longer, wiping his mouth. His eyes once again turned red, and he couldn't help but stare at the beautiful eyes he's been missing to stare into for centuries.
"Thank you."
"Of course," he responded, "I'm still here to serve."
"...You stayed. All this time."
"Of course." Where else would he go? He didn't have a purpose anywhere else but than with his sire.
The elder smiled, fangs showing. It made his heart flutter more, he missed him.
"...There's humans back," Abolish reported, "the town has been empty for many decades. But, some are coming in today, I think."
The vampire nodded, "well. We should go visit them, right?"
Abolish nodded, clearing his throat to fall back into his role. A butler for his sire.
"Whatever you need, sire."
Scott only smiled at the title.