Archive of Our Own

The crypt was as cold as they ever were, and the water from the landing pond clung to him uncomfortably. He shivered a little and pulled his surgeon’s coat a little tighter around him. Damn Martyn for running off and leaving him alone down here, and taking the torch with him. He was going to have words with that boy when they got back to the village.

He looked around the stone walls, grimacing a little at the flickering shadows on the wall. With the cloudy weather, he had to navigate his way down the hall with his hands out in front of him, grunting as he practically ran into the chest on the pedestal. He fumbled with the latch and flipped it open, reaching in blindly and groping around until his fingers traced the spines of two books, worn leather catching on the callouses of his hands. He grabbed them both and tucked them into his satchel, not even bothering with an attempt to read the titles in the dark, and then stumbled his way out of the dark undercroft and back into the bubbling shaft of water.

Up in the open air wasn’t much better and he muttered curses to himself all the while as he began trudging his way back towards the village. Martyn joined him halfway, a bundle of wheat in one hand and a pair of sheep tripping after him happily. His grin was sunny and the doctor rolled his eyes fondly - he couldn’t be too mad, he guessed, since the sheep would be very useful for the village. He did purposefully take his coat off and shake it out, beaming as Martyn screeched and darted away when the torrential wave of water shook out from the fabric on to him. 

He draped the jacket over his arm and followed on behind, making sure the sheep stayed on the path, and between them they managed to get the sheep inside the gates and into the pens Cleo had erected. The town was oddly silent for being close to evening, but he wasn’t worried. Today had been one of the days they’d decided to spread out and cover as much ground as possible, ransacking crypts for as many books as possible and bringing back what other resources they could.  Apo had stayed behind to guard the beacon, and even now he could see her wandering up and down the main street, stopping every now and then to watch the horizon. She waved to him as he passed, and he nodded to her with a smile before he tucked himself into his house.

He laid the sopping wet jacket on the peg near the door and toed off his boots, groaning with disgust when water sloshed out onto the boards of the floor. He wanted to get a look at the books but he desperately wanted to get into dry clothing - he was far too old to be traipsing around the woods looking like he’d fist-fought a school of fish and lost. He stripped out of his clothing and left it in a heap, reaching for his towel near the wash basin, scrubbing himself dry and pulling on a pair of undergarments. He couldn’t be bothered with a proper pair of trousers, and instead settled at his desk, pulling over the satchel and flipping it open.

The first book was bound with a now-familiar green leather cover and he flipped it open, fingers tracing idly over the words within. Not a spell this time, but a recipe for some kind of alchemical oil meant to allow you to hone blades even sharper than usual on a whetstone. He'd probably hand it over to Pearl or Abolish or even Sausage since Martyn and Ren already had oil on their swords. 

He set the book aside and pulled the second out, frowning at the red leather cover that was revealed - a book for vampire abilities. He'd been hoping for a purple leather cover, an ability that a human could use, or even a silver covered cure book. He brushed some dust away from the cover, squinting at the gold lettering.

“Provectus ars Vespertilio Formae.” He muttered, mulling over the translation. His non-medical Latin wasn't the greatest but...

“Advanced Practices for the Form of Bats?” The translation felt clumsy on his tongue, but he figured he'd gotten it close enough. Something to help with the bat transformation a vampire could do, perhaps it made them faster or tuned their senses to be even sharper? 

Curiosity burned in the back of his mind. He'd never actually gotten his hands on one of the red books before someone else in the village, and the Militia made sure to burn any that they got their hands on. He was one of the few, if not only, people aware of the vampires currently hiding within the village's confines, and he fully intended for this book to find its way into the hands of Cleo or Apo.

But first-

He flipped the cover open, revealing thick and discolored parchment with swirling letters in glittering red ink. At first glance, none of the letters made sense and he squinted at the pages fiercely, chewing on his lip as he tried to decipher what he was reading. It looked like it was Latin, but the verbiage was all over the place and a lot of the phrases seemed overly complicated, almost flowery.

At one point he settled to muttering under his breath what he was reading, hoping that hearing it spoken aloud would make it make more sense.

To his frustration, it did the exact opposite.

“To one of great span of wing but lacking that which becomes a vampire best, speak thusly with intent-” He groaned and slammed the book down. “Who wrote this?!” Were all the vampire books like this? If so he almost felt bad for the others being subjected to them.

Well, almost. Scott deserved it as far as he was concerned. 

He took a deep breath and picked up the book again, using his thumb to find where he'd left off, not even bothering with muttering anymore as he read aloud to himself. “O Nox Aeterna, domina sanguinis, Sub luna cruenta vocem meam audi. Sanguis mutetur, caro solvatur, Ossa fluant, spiritus surgat. Per pactum tenebrarum antiquis, Formam hominis abicio. Vespertilionem induo, Nunc sum filius noctis.” He huffed at the incantation and set the book aside, rubbing his hand over his eyes. 

He could feel the headache building behind his eyes and the prickling of an early fever crawling across his skin. Damn, he should've figured that he'd catch a chill from wandering the forest in his wet clothes. He usually took the steps up and down, preferring the slower - and drier - method of getting in and out of the crypts, but he'd wanted to be quickly in and out after Martyn had left him alone.

Well, so much for going to eat dinner at Abolish's tonight. No it was best he drank something and put himself to bed. He'd be useless if he let himself get too sick to be able to help anyone. He pulled on his pajama bottoms and made some tea with a few local herbs he'd foraged and warmed up a small bowl of leftover broth, drank both and then pulled his glass eye out, setting it in the small dish by his bedside. He crawled under his blankets, exhaustion swamping him all at once, ache settling into his bones.

Yes, sleep couldn't come fast enough, and instead of fighting it like he usually did he let it pull him under, falling asleep between one breath and the next.

~~~

Abolish gave the doctor until just after noon the day after he missed their dinner before going looking for the older man. His first stop was Martyn, who told him that they'd both come back just as the sun had set and that the doctor had seemed in a good mood when they'd separated at the sheep pen. That at least meant he'd made it back to the village. Apo reported seeing him go into his house, but she hadn't seen the light in his window like she usually did in the later hours.

So he'd made it into the village and into his house, but no one had seen him after that. It wasn't like him to be so suspicious or paranoid, but the reveal of the vampires and their increasing hostilities put him on edge. With the doctor actively working towards a cure he was a prime target for the castle residents, and therefore needed to be watched out for. Especially with whatever he had going on with Owen.

The door to the doctor's cabin was still locked when he went to check it again, but his need to make sure he hadn't been kidnapped in the night won out over his desire to respect the other's privacy, and he pulled a small kit from the inner pocket of his jacket. The locks on the doors in Oakhurst were rudimentary at best, so he didn't even need to kneel down to jiggle the lock, instead just bending briefly to tinker it open.

The door swung open to a dim room, no fire in the hearth but no signs of a struggle either. There was a mug and a bowl on the table, his surgeon’s robes near the door and some clothes hung up from nails in the wall. Everything looked so very normal.

“Doctor?” There was no verbal answer but the sound of sheets moving in the bedroom, and Abolish stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. He padded through the main area to the small closed in space where the doctor had his bed, hesitating in front of the sheet that closed off the sleeping area from the rest of the cabin.

“Are you alright? Do you need help?” More rustling and...squeaking? He pushed the sheet aside and stepped in, taking in the small room. The bed was rumpled like someone had slept in it and the blankets were bundled in the middle of the mattress.

The blankets that were moving.

He reached for the silver knife on his belt and pulled it off, palming it and cursing himself for not grabbing a stake before coming over. He braced himself and reached forward, taking a deep breath before whipping the sheet away.

There was an alarmed squeaking bark, and the form on the bed flailed after being freed. Abolish scanned it quickly, trying to assess the threat it possibly posed. 

It was the size of a small cat, with stunningly large wings. Its fur was black and its mantle a pure white, the snowy fur around its neck and down its back thick and fluffy. A silver scar bisected its face and it had white spectacle markings surrounding its eyes, which stared at him, large and scared.

Its one green eye, the other socket empty and squinted closed.

Well, fuck.

“Doc?” A squeak, quiet and trembling. He cursed under his breath, sheathing his knife and leaning forward, slowly and carefully gathering the shaking form in his arms. Well, he was certainly bigger than the other few bats they’d seen, but he couldn’t quite figure out what species he was. He wasn’t as well versed in his knowledge of bat breeds as he thought apparently.

“How long have you been a vampire?” He just managed to keep the accusatory tone out of his voice, instead managing to keep his voice calm and steady as he boosted the small furry body to rest against his chest, pulling his jacket closed over him so just his white spectacled face remained out. Legundo stopped shifting long enough to chatter at him with annoyance, scolding barks and grumbles filling the air. The doctor stopped his complaints long enough to lean forward and chew on one of the silver chains draped around the butler’s neck, and Abolish felt his brow climb into his hair as the implication sank in.

“Not a vampire?” A squeak. “How did you get yourself into this mess Doc?” Pointed ears flipped back a little, a sad little trill leaving the bat in his arms. He maneuvered Legundo to one side of his chest and stepped out into the main area of the cabin, never more glad that the doctor insisted on keeping the windows covered than now. He probably looked ridiculous, carrying around a bat tucked into his coat.

“Can you change back?” Another sad little warble, ears all the way back now, and Abolish allowed himself to close his eyes and sigh heavily. Right, the town’s doctor stuck as a bat. That would go over swimmingly, especially if the Militia got it in their heads that he was an enemy vampire. Or just a vampire in general, if he was being honest. “Right, alright, this is fine. This isn’t going to be a stack of paperwork the size of a small dog. It’s totally normal for these things to happen. People turn into bats all the time. I deserve this.” A tiny wet nose nudged against his shoulder and he brought his free hand up to press against a fuzzy back, pausing a moment before he scratched briefly.

Well, never let it be said that he couldn’t adapt. He’d keep the doctor in his own house, tell everyone he’d gotten quite ill and couldn’t receive visitors, and do his best to figure out how to get the man back into his proper form. Most would probably accept that with ease, but Cleo would likely be a problem - she and the doctor were close and protective of each other. He’d just have to be firm and pretend she totally didn’t terrify him when she crowded him into corners to stare him down while they talked. He’d take a raging vampire over Cleo in protective mode any day.

He pulled back the jacket and leaned down, letting the doctor remove his claws and tumble on to the table, watching as he awkwardly crawled along the wood. Huge wings apparently made for very inelegant travel on the ground. He quickly built up the fire and tightened the coverings on the window, turning and watching the doctor for a while longer. He was still crawling along the table, trying to get used to his new body, but every now and then he would stop and tilt his head, ears flickering or nose twitching, squeaking and barking to himself. Well, being stuck in a different form clearly wasn’t stopping the man’s habit of talking to himself or his curiosity.

“Stay here.” The flat look he got from the bat on the table was completely unnecessary, but alright fine. He huffed and slipped out of the door, making sure it was pulled snug behind him as he wandered into the village.

Of course, the first person he ran into was Cleo, and he sent a prayer to whichever god, or demon he wasn’t picky at this point, that was watching over him that he would make it through this conversation in one piece.

~~~

Legundo sighed to himself again in frustration as his form refused again to return to its human shape. He’d been trying off and on for over an hour now, besides the brief time where Abolish had found him and practically scared the life out of him, and he still wasn’t able to do it. No matter how he tried, no matter what he imagined or envisioned, he wasn’t able to turn back. 

He flopped against the table with an exhausted chatter, pulling his wings in close around him to block out the light and the world around him. All he’d wanted to do was read the damn book before giving it to one of the town vampires and this is what he got - stuck as a bat, unable to help anyone, not even himself. He’d been stuck in those sheets for an embarrassing amount of time before Abolish had rescued him, his claws and wings tangled up in the folds of fabric. At least it had been Abolish to find him. If it was Cleo his ears would still be ringing with the lecture he would surely have received, and if it had been the Militia there was a very good chance he would have been staked on the spot.

At least as far as he could tell the book had not magically made him a vampire. He wasn’t thirsty, for blood anyway, and  the sun coming through his windows had not hurt or bothered him in any way. He’d tested himself as much as proved his humanity when he’d chewed on Abolish’s necklace, but there had been no adverse effects. So, whatever the book had done to his physical form, it seemingly stopped at being a bat. Small favors.

For now, he contented himself with curling up on the table to hide away from the world, though for some reason it wasn’t as comfortable as he may have thought or hoped, but it did leave him time to take stock of everything. His thoughts felt...smaller in this form, easier to manage, and he could feel thoughts that were him-but-not-him crowding around the edges of his mind. He pushed those aside for now, he had enough to worry about and he pulled his wings in tighter.

He wasn’t sure how long he drifted in a doze before the door opened again and he poked his head up, chattering as Abolish let himself back in, locking the door behind him. He hopped over, crooning as the butler picked him up again and cradled him close, looking haggard. “Your friends are scary, Doc.” He chittered, amusement crinkling his eyes, and settled against the other man quietly. He usually wasn’t a touchy person, but Abolish was pleasantly warm, and clinging to him was far more comfortable than laying on the table. Plus, it didn’t seem like the other minded, tossing his jacket over his body and settling in one of the chairs.

“You know we’re going to have to figure out how to get you back eventually, we can’t just nap the whole day away.” But he was already leaning back to make himself comfortable, moving his arm to cradle the smaller body more comfortably, and Legundo settled heavily against him, a soft purring noise rumbling through him. He’d have to make a note of all this, just as soon as he woke up and got a chance to.

*

They both woke up as the sun was setting, crawling back into consciousness with the ease that only came from a comfortable nap. Abolish seemed no worse for wear for sleeping upright in a chair and he rose to his feet easily, tucking the doctor further back into his coat before buttoning it up, leaving him to cling to the young man’s shirt. He flattened himself out as much as possible, listening as there were shuffling boots on the floors of his cabin, the sound of the lock being undone and the door closing. They were outside?

He stayed quiet and still as Abolish walked through town, occasionally stopping to exchange quick words with the townsfolk before the quiet sounds of town finally faded away into the noise of the forest, the wind in the pine boughs and the sound of crickets the only noise besides boots on gravel and thump of Abolish’s heart in his ear. Eventually they stopped and Abolish opened his jacket, carefully plucking him up from where he was resting, smirking at his annoyed chittering. Abolish carefully maneuvered him until he was upside down, tutting at his alarmed squeaking before holding an arm out and boosting him until his back claws gripped into the fabric of his jacket and-

Oh, this was nice. He squeezed his back claws a little tighter and relinquished his death grip on Abolish’s other arm slowly, finding himself hanging from where the younger was holding his arm up, bringing them face to upside-down face. “Better?” He asked, smirking at him, and Legundo didn’t even bother to stop the instinct to buffet the other with his wings, getting a dry chuckle in return. Abolish walked them a little further into the woods, looking frankly ridiculous with one arm held up to light the way with a lantern and the other held up at an angle so Legundo could hang from his arm and watch the trees pass.

There was none of the expected dizziness or vertigo for hanging upside down and he chattered quietly to himself. Oh how he wished he was human again, just so he could make notes!

There was a puff of smoke and two shouts of surprise, and he blinked his eye open to find himself on the ground, laying atop a very flattened Abolish, and once again very human. And also very much only wearing his pajamas.

That was it? That’s what he’d needed to do?! Just wish to be human again? He felt cheated honestly.

“You’re not getting any lighter, Doc.” He rolled off the other man rapidly, scrambling to his feet and offering the other a hand up, which he took with all the grace expected of someone who’d just been squished. Which was to say almost none at all, judging by the much put upon expression on his face. He stepped back to give Abolish a little more space, instead turning his attention to himself and taking stock of what he could see. 

His fingernails were a little longer, pointed enough to put one in the mind of claws, and his body hair seemed a little darker, and a little thicker besides. His joints didn’t hurt but his skin felt a little tight, especially across his back, and he wanted desperately to itch the sensation away. Abolish’s hand popped into his vision, thankfully not from his blind side, holding a small compact mirror in hand. Well, he could still see his reflection, which was nice, but it also revealed some complications. His canines were a little longer, again thankfully not as long as the vampires he’d seen but almost certainly enough to be noticeable if he wasn’t careful, the tips of his ears were a little less rounded and his eye possessed now a faint silvery tinge over the emerald, making it glow in the lamplight, like a cat’s eye. 

“Oh dear.” He whispered, running his fingers under his glowing eye, panic warring with academic interest.

“Seems a bit of an understatement, Doc.” He pursed his lips and nodded stiffly, mind already whirling. There was no way out of this. The second the others saw his teeth or his nails or his eye that literally glowed in the light he was going to be in Avid’s stupid vampire cell faster than he could say his own name, and that’s if he was lucky enough not to be staked or put on the pyre on the spot. It was hard to tell with the Militia some days, despite their hearts being in the right place. He could eat a whole head of garlic or dance around in a shirt of silver and they still probably wouldn’t believe in his humanity.

He stamped down on the panic, drawing on experience to try and give himself the best chance to come up with a plan, conscious of Abolish’s steady gaze on his back.

“What did you tell everyone today? I don’t get left alone often, if ever, so whatever it was worked.” Abolish hummed and leaned down to pick up the lantern from the ground, coming to stand closer.

“As far as everyone else is concerned, you’ve picked up a bad case of the flu and you think it's highly contagious, so only one person is allowed to go in and out of your house and make sure you’re not dead still.” He frowned. It was a good, short term excuse. It would buy them a few days, but not much longer than that. In a world where he wasn’t needed, where someone other than him had medical experience and they weren’t actively being hunted by the supernatural, he would amend the “diagnosis” to something highly contagious but not fatal, something that would take months or even years to heal, and then lock himself away. Had he the liberty to, he simply would have left, maybe set up a clinic in a small remote town where his new...additions would be considered oddities rather than signs of being a vampire, and continued his work.

None of those were really options, unfortunately, and he could feel the strange tightness of his skin morphing into the rising prickles of anxiety and he started rubbing his hands up and down his forearms, an old self soothing habit he’d never quite been able to kick, even all these years later. 

“Stop for a second.” Abolish’s voice cut through the rising ringing in his head, and he turned his body properly to face the younger man. “Break the problem down. We need to figure out how to safely keep you in the village without getting you murdered. Given some of the residents, that’s going to be...complicated, at best. If this was Pearl, or Drift or someone else not you, how would you do it?” He latched on to the words, biting his lip as he thought, pulling his thoughts into some semblance of order.

The biggest thing was making sure he appeared harmless and as not-vampiric as possible, at least in the beginning. He could file his nails down and make sure never to show his teeth when he smiled, but unless he could grow his hair out rather quickly, there was no good way to hide his ears, and he wouldn’t be able to avoid any kind of lighting that would make his eye glow, so it wouldn’t do much good anyway. He could just come clean, hide behind Abolish and hope enough people liked and trusted him enough to stop Avid and the others from hurting him until he could explain what was happening. 

No, that was too dangerous. If the Militia thought they could overpower whoever was protecting him, they would try and someone was bound to get hurt. He’d rather be staked at that point than risk his friends.

His other option was just to go back to town, pretend like nothing was happening and then, if anyone brought anything up, deny, deny, deny. Lying felt wrong, but he could probably get away with it, to an extent at least. Make sure to touch as much silver as possible, to eat the garlic that was offered to him, maybe spill a bottle of holy water on himself? 

He groaned, scrubbing his hand across his face. None of those ideas was great, honestly. But what was his other option, just live the rest of his life as a bat? He froze, pulling his hand down enough to stare at Abolish who stared back, simply watching him wrestle with himself, eyebrow raised in anticipation.

Best of a bad situation, right? Maybe a bit of plan three and a bit of plan bat. Spend a few nights in his bat form, endear the villagers to him, and then in a couple of days make a “recovery” and step back into town as himself, wave off the physical changes as much as he was able. The longer he could pull it off, the more he could make them associate his bat form with “cute and harmless”, the easier it would be for that to transfer over to him when he eventually came clean. Well, maybe not the “cute” part of that but the “harmless” portion of that was very important.

Oh gods.

Was he about to try and cute his way out of this situation? 

Yes, yes he was.

Abolish looked less than impressed as he stood there, hands on his hips and staring him down. “I thought you were supposed to be one of the smart ones? What’s smart about this?” Legundo crossed his arms defensively, staring him down.

“You got anything better then, mister butler?” He hissed, lip curling in a derisive smirk when there was no answer.  “No, I didn't think so. So unless you’ve got something in the coat of yours that is going to be able to make it so neither of us has to deal with this, this is what we have for the moment.” He and Abolish stared each other down for an amount of time that would probably be embarrassing to admit out loud before the younger heaved an explosive sigh and tossed his arms up in the air.

“Fine, fine! Why not, this makes perfect sense. Can you even turn back or was that a one time deal?” Legundo froze at the question, thinking hard for a moment. Could...could he even turn back? Surely the spell hadn’t been a one time use that then proceeded to, you know, irrevocably change the way he looked?

Right?

Right?

He drew in a breath and closed his eye, thinking again. Well, if wishing to be human had let him transform back, then surely wishing to be a bat would work the same way? He evened his breathing and tried to remember what it had felt like to be a bat - the quieter thoughts, the warmth of his fur, the soothing darkness of the cocoon of his own wings - and tried to sink into the feeling.

There was another puff of smoke and when he opened his eye he was on the ground, the increasingly familiar feeling of fur and the awkward drag of his wings on the ground meeting him. Abolish looked pleased with his success and leaned down, scooping him up and then holding out his hand so Legundo could grab it with his back claws, letting him hang. The butler raised his hand up so they were face to face, dark grey eyes meeting silvery emerald before he nodded contentedly.

“Well, at least you seem to have the hang of shifting now. You wanna try something else?” He tilted his head, ears flickering before he squeaked an affirmative, regretting it almost instantly at the broad grin that spread across Abolish’s features. Before he could voice any protests, Abolish lifted his arm and wound it back, took a deep breath and then swung.

He screeched as the force dislodged him from his perch and sent him tumbling through the air, his wings snapping out on instinct to catch him, beating frantically. He managed to keep himself from careening face first into a tree, a gust catching the underside of his wings and lifting him into the air and suddenly he was up, up-

He was flying!

His screech this time was one of pure excitement, instinct taking over as he flapped his wings to carry him into the clouds, tucking them close to dive and twist. His wings were huge in comparison to the other vampires that they’d seen, nearly the size of a person’s height, and the cool air felt amazing on the velvet of them between his bones. 

And everything was so bright and colorful! He could see so much, and he swore he could hear more than he’d ever heard before. There was a clicking-trill coming from his throat, and that only seemed to make the world all the clearer and he reveled in being able to dash between the trees. Maybe being a bat wasn’t so bad. Think of all the notes he could make, all the research he could do on the difference between bat senses and human senses. He might even be able to get published!

He snapped his wings out, letting the wind catch him and spiral him higher and higher into the sky until Abolish was little more than a small spot of light in the clearing before he tucked his wings, diving with a speed that had the wind screaming louder than he was. At the last second, he flashed his wings out, the sudden air resistance slowing him down enough for him to safely crash into Abolish’s chest, getting a hearty grunt and a staggered step back for his efforts.

He was panting, shaking with the thrill and cold, purring loudly as he clung to heavy black fabric and Abolish rolled his eyes at him even as he wrapped his arm around him to support him. “Enjoy yourself?” In response his purring kicked up another notch. He’d be embarrassed about this later maybe, but for now he was only too happy to bask in the adrenaline and happiness. Abolish shifted him around again until he was clinging to his arm and hanging upside down, his wings wrapped around him warmly. 

“Alright, let's get set up to get murdered by Avid and the Militia.”

~~~

Abolish sucked in a deep breath, uncharacteristically unnerved by what he was about to do. He still wasn’t sold that this was the best course of action when it came to the doctor’s altered physical form, but the older man was also right in that he had no other ideas. The plan, in its most basic form, was a good one: get the town used to him in this form, drop a few hints that he wasn’t a vampire but still more than a normal bat, and then eventually have the doctor reveal himself. If nothing else, it should throw them off enough to not end up trying to stab them immediately, buy them at least a minute or two to talk.

They could see the village from here, several forms wandering the stone streets beneath the lit torches and he exchanged a quick glance with the bat on his arm before getting a tiny nod. He returned it with a nod of his own and reeled his arm back and tossed it forward, watching as the creature’s wings caught the air and took flight, skirting around the village. 

He dusted himself off and made his way inside, carrying the bundle of kindling he’d quickly gathered as an excuse for his absence under his arm. He waved at Ren near the gates, nodded to Sausage and Martyn who were talking about something or other near the fountain and he’d almost made it to his cabin when the screaming started.

“VAMPIRE! VAMPIRE!” Avid’s shouting quickly had the whole town in chaos, people flooding the square from the spots where they'd been conversing or from their houses, clutching weapons as if the sky was going to begin raining vampires on their heads. Abolish heaved another sigh, and he’d been doing that a lot tonight, and stepped into the town square with the others after abandoning his burden, not even bothering to pull his sword from his sheath. Instead he held up his arm and let loose a piercing whistle, watching with a tiny smile as a large shadow banked over the church, hurtling towards them.

Cleo stepped forward to pull down Martyn’s bow, watching Abolish with something sharp and inquisitive in their eyes, watching as the shadow resolved into a bat, a large one, and caught itself on the butler’s arm, coming to rest upside down with its wings wrapping around itself.

The silence in the square was heavy, almost deafening, but Abolish seemed entirely unbothered, reaching out to pet the creature hanging from his arm. Cleo took the time provided to examine the creature. It was indeed a bat, easily four or even five times the size of the other vampire bats they’d seen, including her own form, with black fur and white markings, including what looked like white glasses markings on its face. It seemed docile, content to hang from the young man’s arm and watch all the people around it. But there was something about the eyes that were throwing her off. One green, the other hidden behind a squinted eyelid. Something niggled at the back of their head but they bit their lip, content to see where this was going for the time being. Abolish was trustworthy not to purposefully bring trouble into the village.

“What’cha got there, Abolish?” Pearl was leaning close, purposefully angling her body in front of Avid, who looked like the only reason he hadn’t sprung forward with the stake in his hands was the frozen state of everyone around him. Abolish lifted his arm a little higher so she could get a look.

“A friend.” Came the flat answer and Cleo choked on a laugh, watching indignant and horrified looks appear on the Militia’s faces. 

“That’s not a friend, that’s a monster! What are you doing Abolish!? Kill it!” Abolish thinned his lips briefly, what amounted to a scowl for him.

“If not friend, then why are they friend-shaped?” Avid’s splutters were quickly drowned out by the laughter of the others at the deadpan response and, content that Martyn would keep his bow down for the moment, she stepped forward and leaned close to the bat. It blinked up at her, eyes soft and round,  a purr rumbling from its chest. It seemed friendly enough, unalarmed by being surrounded by humans, and she reached a cautious hand out.

The creature leaned forward to sniff, wings ruffling and a happy squeaking filling the air. It had large canines and flat molars, but seemed entirely uninterested in causing any harm, instead settling for chewing gently on her fingers.

“Doesn’t seem very monstrous, Avid. Seems pretty human-friendly if you ask me.” Avid squawked in furious denial, waving his arms violently.

“That’s how they get you! They lure you into a false sense of security and then BAM! You’ve got holes in your neck and all your blood is in the belly of the beast. And look at the size of it! That’s a powerful vampire! It might even be Scott!” The Militia murmured in discontent, some of the anger and violence creeping back into their expressions.

“Enough.” Abolish’s voice cut through the tension, still looking as placid as ever even as she could see the corners of his eyes creased with frustration. “It's a bat, Avid. The region is full of them, and not all of them are vampires. Yes, it’s large and oddly colored, but it's clearly tame to human handling. It could have just as easily escaped from a zoo or circus.” He pulled his arm in and Cleo watched as the bat curled up to get its wing claws into the man’s shirt, back claws letting go to swing around so he was clinging to the front of Abolish’s shirt.

Right over the silver chain he wore.

Abolish’s dark gaze bore challengingly into Avid’s eyes, but the younger didn’t appear ready to back down.

“Oh so just because it’s cute and friendly just automatically means it's safe yea?” She snorted, Pearl shaking her head along with her.

“Of course not, it's still clearly an animal. It could bite just as much as Truffles or any of the livestock. But seriously, Avid, look at it.” Pearl pointed to where the bat was cuddled, dozing in Abolish’s arms. “It's laying on a silver chain, and it's sleeping. If it's a vampire, it's one that one of our biggest tools doesn’t work on, so which is preferable?” Avid subsided with irritated growls, stomping away, and Cleo couldn’t help but roll their eyes. He was so touchy since the reveal of the vampires; instead of settling and being helpful, using his knowledge and supposed experience to help them, it seemed to have stoked his paranoia to a whole new level.

Of course, Cleo had their own suspicions about the town’s seemingly newest addition, but she wasn’t too worried for the moment. 

With Avid gone the rest of the Militia seemed to settle, most of them putting away their weapons to press forward and take a look at the bat. Martyn traced a hesitant hand down a furry back, a small smile cracking across his face as the purring kicked up in volume under the ministration, and Pearl leaned in to scratch under its chin, cooing when she got several pleased squeaks and happy squirming in return.

“Does it have a name?” Drift asked, leaning forward and giving a delighted little laugh as a small nose nuzzled against her chin. Abolish shook his head, opening his arms so the bat could climb into Pearl’s arms when she held them open. It was an awkward shift, but both person and bat seemed pleased with the situation.

“Awww he’s just a little sky puppy. Lookit his little face!” Pearl laughed as her fingers got licked when she went to poke a soft nose and they spent a few minutes discussing names. While the others were occupied naming their new addition Cleo grabbed Abolish by the back of his jacket and yanked him away into the church tower, throwing an excuse over their shoulder as they closed the door behind them.

Abolish suddenly looked hunted, looking for exits in what he thought was a surreptitious fashion, and to be fair to him if she hadn’t spent the last however many decades learning to read the body language of vampires he’d have probably gotten away with it. As it was, she could see through him so very easily.

“Found a friend out in the woods huh?” She asked leadingly, arms crossed and foot tapping. Abolish gave her a flat look, nodding his head placidly.

“Yes. Friend in the woods.” She clicked her tongue at him.

“And I assume you know your friend is safe to have around?” His left eye twitched, almost imperceptibly, and she caught the very faintest glances of a grimace on his face, quickly squashed and replaced by a look of faint annoyance.

“Perfectly safe, of course.” She rolled her eyes but nodded, relaxing her stance and holding the door open for him. They weren’t going to push it any more: Abolish was obviously protecting the identity of wherever he’d gotten the bat, or whomever it was, and she wasn’t about to go and try and poke holes in it to satisfy her curiosity. It would come out when they were ready, but she was putting good money on a certain bet.

Outside, still standing around the fountain in the town square, Pearl was still cradling the bat with her right arm, rocking back and forth while she fished in her skirt pocket with the other. On the edge of the fountain were the remains of a strip of jerky, a chunk of raw meat, some bread and even a broken carrot, all of them abandoned as Pearl pulled out a few slices of dried apple from her skirt pocket. These she held up and they were duly devoured by the ravenous creature clinging to her. Everyone cheered at the success and Pearl whirled around, grinning brightly as she caught sight of their return.

“He’s a fruit bat!” She beamed, holding up another slice of apple for him. “I thought I recognized his breed, but I wasn’t too sure since I haven’t been home in a long while. He’s a spectacled flying fox, they’re actually native to the area around my town.” Her thumb traced along the strange glasses-like markings on his face, unheeded as the bat happily munched on the apple slice it clutched in one claw.

An Australian bat in the wilderness around a European village, one as far north as Oakhurst? Well, if she wasn’t sure there was something afoot before, she sure would be now. Abolish’s claim that the bat might have escaped from a zoo or circus was still possible, but no self respecting establishment would risk losing an animal from another continent, one that would cost thousands and thousands to replace. 

She shoved that all aside for now and took her place in the circle again. They’d managed to narrow it down to a small list of names in the brief time they and Abolish had been talking. It was currently a toss up between Sunny, Shades and Johnny, the last a late contender from Drift.

“Tell me ‘Johnny Appleseed’ isn’t the perfect name for a fruit bat. Look me in my eyes right now and tell me that.” She jokingly challenged and Apo seemed to be of her mind as well. Sausage, Ren and Martyn liked Shades, for his “little sunglasses” and Pearl, bless her, was staunch on her stance that he should be named Sunny for his personality.

“Sorry Pearl, girls, I have to agree with the boys. I think Shades is perfect for him.” There were theatrical groans of defeat but the bat, newly christened Shades, seemed very pleased, especially when he was handed another apple piece. As the moon got higher in the sky Abolish wrestled Shades from Pearl's grasp, but not without some playful fighting from the woman, and tucked him against his chest. 

They bid each other goodnight and Cleo watched him walk away, mindful that he paused briefly outside the doctor’s cabin, making a show of leaning in the door and shouting to check on the other man before closing the door tight again, walking now to his own house.

The show was entertaining but Cleo was tired and she wanted to crawl into her bed, so she looped an arm around Pearl, knocking their heads together as they headed home for the night.

~~~

Legundo chattered happily as his wings sliced through the air, enjoying the breeze through his fur. His, or rather Shades’, introduction to the village had gone better than he could have hoped. Avid had jumped to the expected conclusions but the rest of the Militia had settled once he'd left to cool off. The power of the cute animal struck again. Not even his platoonmates had been immune to it, when he was a younger man, and he had a few fond memories of his men stopping to fawn over the colts of cavalry horses or stopping to give some of their rations to mother dogs and their puppies. Oakhurst was no different.

Being town mascot was easy. So long as he was sweet and cute, everyone nearly fell over themselves to hold him or pet him or feed him chunks of fruit. He'd almost certainly end up rather rotund if he wasn't careful. And while the human part of him was a little uncomfortable with all the affection, the bat part of him, the part at the forefront while he was in this form, loved it. 

Being honest with himself, he did like it, even though it made him a little itchy. It was...easier to accept it as a bat, and it soothed a part of his human brain even as another part rebelled. It was just another thing to add to his list of “things I should probably figure out after I put out the seven forest fires currently happening around me”.

Now though he was having what Pearl called “enrichment time”, flying around the village to stretch his wings. He'd spent most of the morning asleep in Abolish’s house, hanging from a branch the man had wedged in the corner of the room, but he'd gone out after lunch and left him with Drift and Pearl. Drift was only too happy to let him cling to her back while she worked with the sheep, chatting all the while. 

She talked about her cases and her life before Oakhurst and he was only a little shamed to admit he'd not known any of this from before. As it was he made sure to squeak and chirp, to make it seem like he was listening to her, and sometimes when she was taking a break she'd pull him off her back and cradle him close. She looked tired and very briefly he could see flashes of fear and uncertainty in her gaze.

He wished he could transform back, offer her words of comfort to soothe away her stress, but he couldn’t risk blowing his cover, not yet. Or, at least, that’s what he kept telling himself. Instead he settled for curling tighter against her in those moments, nuzzling her cheek and purring. It seemed to help, if the tight hugs he got in return were any indication.

At one point he’d been passed off to Pearl, who took extreme delight in throwing him off her arm and watching him catch the air, letting him fly about until she would whistle for him, holding up an arm or a branch or even holding out her arms for him to land on her chest, laughing with delight when he rocketed into her. At dinner they’d taken turns tossing fruit into the air for him to catch, getting great entertainment when he’d have to land awkwardly to be able to eat, sometimes hanging from one foot from the edge of the table or laying on his belly to chew on a whole apple.

He was always hungry it seemed, so maybe he shouldn’t have been so worried about weight gain because it hardly seemed like he could get enough food in him. At one point, as the villagers were settling in the tavern to wind down for the night, Ren had set him on the bartop with a whole apple, and he’d barely let the man get his fingers out of the way before he’d fallen on the fruit with a voraciousness that would probably be alarming if it weren’t, well, a piece of fruit. He couldn’t help but wonder if the other bats, the vampire ones, struggled with the same issue, their bodies being so small but using up so much energy.

After sharing a few drinks with the others Pearl had scooped him up and taken him to the village edge, told him it was time for him to do “whatever it is that bats do - I’unno fly and stuff” while she slept, and tossed him into the air. 

He was patrolling at the moment, flying loops of ever increasing size and simply enjoying the freedom. The forest was quiet and still save for the occasional bleat of a wandering sheep or the low of a feral cow. There were other bats flying about, but none that stuck out to him, seemingly normal denizens of the woods. The moon was only just now reaching its zenith and he wasn’t tired in the slightest, and so he made an executive decision to go and be a bother. Perhaps he could hear something at the castle, or fiddle with something. Despite his size, no one would expect a bat to be anything but, well, a bat. 

He tucked his wing to turn towards the castle, gliding low through the trees to try and cover his approach. What would have normally been nearly a thirty minute trek on foot was barely a five minute flight and soon he was alighting on a window sill, looking into what he thought was the great room. Or a dining hall. He wasn’t sure, and judging by the way the decoration appeared so far, neither were they.

The vampires had made decent progress since they’d been sent away from the village, but there were still plenty of openings for him to crawl through. Inside was warm and he managed to flap his wings hard enough to get up into the rafters, ears twitching as he listened. While the room below him was empty for the moment, it likely wasn’t going to remain that way for much longer considering he could hear the sound of several pairs of boots and heels approaching. Sure enough a few minutes later and the door opened with far more force than he thought was strictly necessary, admitting the castle’s residents.

They were dressed resplendantly, as they often were, save for Owen who was in his usual dark linens, chattering amongst themselves about building progress. Shelby dropped two bottles on the table the Pyro pried open with a long claw, pouring out the viscous fluid within into a set of goblets. They lounged and drank, talking about nothing in particular, and he’d like to say he was able to sit patiently through the whole thing, but eventually, perhaps a few hours later, he’d grown bored. He’d heard far too much about Pyro’s appreciation for Scott’s form, everyone but Shelby’s distaste for Avid, Owen describing in detail what he’d like to do to the town, and he knew more about cryptids than he could possibly ever need to - nothing of worth to the village, and certainly nothing of worth to him.

He wriggled his body and peered down, nose twitching. Well, if he couldn’t gather any information, maybe he could have a little fun. He should be fast enough even in the enclosed space of the castle so long as he just-

He tipped over the edge of the rafter he was perched on, screeching loudly as he dove at the first vampire he could see, which just so happened to be Pyro. He buzzed over his head, wings throwing his hair all astray, and banked so hard his wing briefly ached, the tip catching both a  goblet and bottle and sending them clattering to the ground with a great crash. He pumped his wings once, twice and flew straight at Scott, the elder vampire seemingly so stunned for a moment he didn’t even attempt to stop his assailant, allowing Legundo to grab the high collar of his cloak and pull it up over his head and face, managing to grab the shiny blue and gold broach from the front in one wing claw.

He cackled and barked, banking again to briefly brush his wings against Shelby before he pumped his wings again hard, gaining as much altitude as fast as he could. On the table below him Pyro was snarling, trying to leap and lunge after him, Scott was trying to untangle himself and Shelby was caught between laughter and surprise. Owen was watching him with gimlet eyes and he chattered loudly, a bright laughing sound, tucking his wings and going for the dive. Owen’s hands flashed out, and the thrill he felt as the tips of the vampire’s claws skimmed against the tips of his fur was probably way more than he should have felt. He managed to drag his back claws long enough down the man’s arm to grab the hair band that had been loosely hanging from long fingers, screaming triumph with his prize.

“Get him!” Scott’s enraged hissing was followed closely on by the scrape of chairs and several poofs of smoke, the flutter of many pairs of wings. But they were smaller than him, not as good at flying as him, and he felt all the human thoughts crowded out of his head by the thrill of the hunt, the scream of the wind and the chattering of his pursuers. He snapped his wings three times, catching enough air to go sailing clean through the window at the front of the hall, the night air and freedom making his blood sing.

He could feel them behind him, but they couldn’t hope to keep up, not with someone like him as an opponent. He’d had his wings less than two days but it felt like he’d been born with them, an extension of his new body that felt like they’d always been there, like he’d been born to fur and fang

He screeched again, barking and cackling encouragement and derisions both until the flicker and flutter of wings and leather gave way to the thump of boots on the leaf litter. He banked again, wheeling through the air until he could crash into and clutch the thick branch of a tree, panting with exhilaration, his ill-gotten prizes still clutched in his claws. Below him the vampires looked up at his branch, expressions varied, eyes alight in the moon. Scott looked intrigued and a little miffed, Pyro and Shelby looked as exhilarated as he felt, and Owen watched him with all the focus of a predator who knew he’d been outdone and both hated it and was challenged by it.

He took another deep breath, thinking carefully, before releasing his hold on the branch and dropping into the air, swanning in lazy circles over their heads and just out of reach, chirping and barking playfully. None of them made a move to grab him, but he could see the calculation, the recognition in the older vampires’ eyes. He wasn’t too worried, there was no proof, and what were they to say to the villagers? That bat is actually your doctor and he made us all look like fools? 

He chirruped one last time and took to the air properly, leaving the vampires in the gray light of the early dawn, content for the moment to go home and rest. He’d done enough showing off, for the moment.

~~~

The next day Legundo found himself  awoken just after lunch once more, and entrusted to the care of Cleo, Pearl and Avid. Avid did not seem pleased to be accompanied by the bat, but one stern look from Pearl had him at least keeping his muttering to a minimum. They were heading into the woods to search for more wild roots and vegetables, to try and diversify the villager’s food choices, and at one point Pearl got so loaded down with tubers she had no choice than to hand him over to Avid to hold.

Avid held him under the wings and away from his body, as one might hold a baby with soiled clothing, and Legundo resigned himself to hanging there. It pressed uncomfortably at the velvet of his wings and caused the ache in his joints, pleasant from the exertion of the night before, to take on a distinctly uncomfortable and almost painful throb. He squirmed and squeaked, trying to relay his distress so Avid would hold him better or at least let him fly away, but it only caused Avid to startle and hold him tighter.

His bark of pain caught the attention of the other two women and Cleo came over, forcing Avid to loosen his grip and take his furry form into her arms. “Avid...” She wasn’t even mad, or disappointed, just tired and unsure what to say, and that seemed to be more devastating to the younger man than the former two might’ve been. He shrunk in on himself, thin arms wrapping around his body and toeing the ground with a look of contrition on his face. Cleo’s lips thinned briefly before she simply sighed and rolled her shoulders, lifting their hands up so he could crawl out of her grip to hang from her back, small head poking up over her shoulder to rest in the crook of their neck.

“Come on, grab the basket. There’s plenty to gather here still.” Avid scrambled to do as bid, and Legundo spent the next little while swapping between watching them work, watching the forest for danger and occasionally dozing, though never falling into a deep sleep. Pearl and Cleo filled the air with chatter, and Avid chimed in occasionally, answered by the other two.

Avid continued to baffle Legundo. He was obviously a very bright young man, some of the things they’d talked about, like chemistry and alchemy and tinkering, showed him to be so intelligent that the doctor thought it a waste he was out here in the woods instead of safely tucked up in a university, getting to hone his intelligence and show off his skills. He also had the capacity to be kind, and gentle. In the quiet moments before the vampires had been revealed, in the silence between the skirmishes now, he saw glimpses of it: repairing Abolish’s window when it broke during a prank, carving small animals for people instead of stakes, sitting and listening to people talk or to hear their problems.

But all that seemed to be covered up by the mood swings, the paranoia, the overzealous desire to hunt and kill vampires without regard to who they were as people first. At first he’d entertained thoughts that Avid had perhaps escaped from some sanitarium or another - he wouldn’t be the first brilliant young man to break under the weight of his own thoughts - but the more he watched, the more he realized Avid’s whole life was ruled by one thing.

Fear.

What he was afraid of was beyond Legundo’s reckoning, but the more he watched, the more he understood. He saw in Avid a lot of the little quirks he’d seen in soldiers fresh from the trenches. Seen the way he always looked over his shoulder, saw the way he flinched at some sounds but not others, saw the way he cringed away from touch and from surprise. Like those men, that panic built and built until it seemed to overwhelm him, overrule all the good aspects and replace them with someone who knew only fear and pain and anger.

He’d been staggered by the realization when he’d had it, and then struggled with how to help the younger, struggled with his part in making him feel that fear and pain. He’d resolved to start small, to make himself available, to try and be that safe space. It hadn’t seen much success before his transformation had happened, but maybe that’s what he needed to do here.

When they stopped for a midafternoon break, he waited until Cleo was sitting down before swarming down her back and carefully crawl-hopping over to Avid. He stopped a few inches away, looking up and locking eyes with the man, heart twisting a little at the uneasiness he could already see building in his eyes. He settled for curling up next to Avid’s ankle, resting his chin on his boot and purring quietly, curled in on himself to look as small and harmless as possible.

“Oh my god oh my god. Pearl what’s it doing? Why’s it growling?!” Pearl clucked her tongue but didn’t mock the younger man, instead leaning over and scratching behind his fuzzy ears with her free hand, handing Avid a few pieces of apple with the other.

“Bats purr when they’re happy. Think Shades is tryin’ to tell ya’ there’s no hard feelings for earlier.” She drew her hand back and settled against the same tree as Avid, watching them both closely. “You don’ gotta do anything. He’ll just lay there if that’s all you wanna let ‘em do, or you can try and feed him a bit, y’know, apologize for the accident earlier.” Her tone was open, nonjudgemental, and internally he cheered for the help she was giving him. None of them moved for a while, Cleo and Pearl having a quiet conversation while he  and Avid stared at each other, neither moving.

He just laid there and kept purring, content for the moment to watch Avid slowly relax by bits and pieces until, perhaps half an hour later, Avid reached down with a shaking hand, holding a bit of apple in his fingers. Legundo was sure to be as gentle as possible as he picked up the slice of fruit, minding his canines as much as possible, and he reveled in the tiny little giggle he heard as he munched happily on his prize.

Avid quickly got more bold, even at one point holding the apple in the flat of his palm so he could eat directly from his hand, and he purred even harder. At this point he was sure he had to be vibrating with how loudly and happily he was purring. Avid didn’t go to pick him up, but he didn’t seem to mind when Legundo crawled a little closer, settling in the small hollow of his knee, instead reaching down and, after a brief pause, scratching behind his pointed ears. At one point he uncapped one of the bottles of water on his belt and held it out for him to drink and he couldn’t help the sneeze and little nose wrinkle as the taste of strong mint spread across his tongue. Holy water, of course.

Break ended shortly after that, and he squeaked and chirred as Pearl held out her arm for him to grab with his back claws, lifting him into the air and then tossing him so he could catch the air. He could hear Avid’s startled “Why’d you THROW him?!” from below and he chittered a laugh, wheeling back around to briefly buzz all three of them, the breeze from his wings ruffling their hair as he passed. He twirled through the air a few more times before Cleo whistled, holding out her arm so he could land and then passing him over her shoulder so he could resume his perch.

The rest of the afternoon was much lighter and happier and he enjoyed the atmosphere as they walked back to the village. Well, lighter until he heard the rustle of wings behind them, turning his head and making that odd click-hum in his throat, ears flickering when he spotted the form of two bats in the trees to the left of them, one snow white, the other  a dark brown. Neither made  a move to approach them, but the white one chirped and whistled, a beckoning. He turned his head and barked back, an acknowledgement but not an agreement.

All three human shaped people whirled around and he breathed a sigh of relief to see that the tree limb was empty when they did. 

“Ya see something bud, or you just making noises?” He gave another squeaking bark sound, nuzzling against Pearl's fingers when they scratched under his chin. They turned back to begin making the rest of their way home and he settled down for a nap.

So much for an easy evening.

~~~

When Abolish released him for “enrichment” time later that night, Legundo didn't waste any time heading back to the clearing where he'd seen the other two bats. The last thing he needed, or wanted, was the two elder vampires hanging around.

Sure enough they were in the same tree as earlier, and he landed on a branch on the opposite side with a thud, turning his body around to stare them down. Neither side moved for a while before the two across from him dropped to the ground, fur and wings slipping away to pale skin and white hair.

“No sense in hiding, Doc, we only wanna chat.” He rolled his eyes but let his own form melt away to his human shape, claws digging into the bark underneath him. 

Scott’s brow climbed along his brow, sweeping his eyes appraisingly over the man's form. Legundo felt himself bridle a little at the regard, at the hunger and attention he could feel in his gaze. It was the same way the generals used to look at him; like he was a prized horse, to be paraded around and admired as a status symbol. To them it had been a model soldier, a perfect killer.

To Scott? He didn't even want to think about it.

In comparison, Owen's livid anger was easier to swallow. He knew how it must appear to the other, that he was a vampire making his home amongst mortals, hiding who he was while the others were forced into the light.

“You've been holding out on us, Doctor.” Scott purr has his teeth on edge and he just barely restrained the furious bark that built in his chest. Instead, he schooled his features into a mask of haughty disinterest, holding up his hand to idly examine his claws.

“Oh, these? They’re.... a new development.” Which wasn't even a lie, he'd only gotten these om the past few days.

“For someone who claims to feel that vampirism is something that needs to be cured you sure took to it fast. Tell me, who was it? Apo? Cleo?” Venom practically dripped from every one of his words, the violence in his voice barely restrained, and he frowned at Owen, tilting his head a little.

“I'm not a vampire, Owen. Surely you can tell.” He was privately puzzled. He knew his heart still beat a steady rhythm in his chest, knew he was warm and his skin lacked the pallor of vampirism. Even at a glance it should have been obvious. It was the only reason his ruse on town was holding up, because there was no indication that he was anything other than a very intelligent bat.

“Oh I can tell. You've been very naughty, doctor, getting into things not meant for humans. What will your precious villagers think when they find out what's become of you?” This time he didn't even bother to attempt to smother the humming growl that bubbled in his chest at the elder vampire’s words.

“Oh hush. You know I'm right. It's why you're hiding after all. You know exactly what's going to happen to you when they find out. They won't care that you aren't actually a vampire, just the fact that you look like one will be enough.” Scott had come to stand at the base of the tree he was perched in, one hand resting on the bark while he gazed up, voice taking on a cold, cruel tone.

“If you're lucky, you'll get a quick death. They'll stake you on the spot, and that'll be the end. After all, a piece of wood in the heart will kill a human just as easily as a vampire, magically altered or not. But I don't think you'll be that lucky, no. I think they'll parade you around in chains first, use you to make an example to us: “Look! Look at this vampire we caught! Watch what we do to him, see what we'll do to you when we catch you!” They'll make a show of it. Something slow. I'm sure Avid has something suitably horrifying.”

When had Scott gotten so close? How had he gotten up the tree without him noticing, gotten into his space without him lashing out? Red eyes bore into silvery green, cruelty melting away to leave behind honeyed words. His touch burned like ice as he grabbed one broad forearm, rubbing his claw along his pulse point.

“You could be safe with us. Free to fly wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted. You could protect people, help us get out of here so you could help so many other people. You're already halfway there. Look at you: those claws, those fangs, they look so perfect on you. Just a little more, and you'll be everything you could ever hope to be. All you have to do is ask.” Fangs traced along the inside of his wrist and it was like being slapped back into the present with violence, slamming back into his body and awareness with a sharp shock.

He shoved with all his might, sending Scott sprawling off the branch to catch himself on the bark below, and he pulled in his bat form almost with desperation, practically throwing himself off the branch and into the air, wings seemingly barely able to catch the air enough to keep him in flight. There was none of the grace of his previous flights, and he nearly slammed into several trees before he managed to tumble through Abolish’s open window with a crash. 

The younger man sprang into action, at first to defend against an attack but, upon seeing what had caused the commotion,  set aside his weapons and leaned down, quickly scooping the bat into his arms.

He was shaking he knew, burrowing into the butler’s jacket as the past ten minutes caught up with him. Scott's voice clung to his brain like rot and mold, circling and echoing until it was nothing more than a cacophonous roar, suggestion pressing at his ears and squeezing his heart in a vice.

He threw himself away from Abolish, form flickering again until he crashed to the floor a second time, this time as a human. He tried to choke out an explanation, a plea for help, anything, but his voice seemed trapped, something keeping him from saying anything. He gripped his arms, scratched his ears, desperately trying to hold himself together, claws drawing blood with the pressure he put on his skin. Abolish leaned forward, deceptively strong hands gripping his wrist and pulling his hands up and apart, looking into his eye.

He apparently didn't like what he saw, because he sighed out a quiet “oh, Doc” and moved both the older man's wrist to one hand, the other reaching up. He felt, for the briefest second, gentle fingers on the nape of his neck and then a sharp pain. He hissed and then his body went limp, crumpling to the floor flat on his stomach.

“Sorry doc. Need you in one place and not tearing yourself up while I get help. Just rest a moment, I'll be right back.” Abolish draped a blanket over him and left the house. His limbs were frozen and the panic felt briefly shoved back. He was starting to think Abolish was less a butler and more of a ninja or something.

So, unable to move or even really think clearly he lay there, breathing slowly until the door opened again, admitting Abolish and Cleo and Pearl. Abolish locked the door and pulled his window coverings before setting about gathering a few other things, leaving Cleo and Pearl to come to where he was sprawled on the floor. 

Cleo's hand was delightfully cool and soothing on his forehead and Pearl's hand was gentle as she rubbed over his pointed ears. Their touch seemed to soothe away some of the buzz, especially Cleo's, and he tried to thank them, only managing an exhausted rumble.

“Managed to get yourself in another situation again, huh?” He wanted to argue with Pearl but he really couldn't, instead sitting there as both of them explored delicately over his new features: Cleo carefully tracing his new teeth and under his glowing eye, Pearl mapping the peak of his ears and bushier facial hair, fiddling briefly with the claws in the tips of his fingers. Their explorations distracted him well enough and before he knew it Abolish was handing Pearl what smelt like black tea and Cleo a mug of warmed animal blood, settling down on the floor with them.

“So what happened? You didn't really say much of anything when you came to get us.” Abolish hummed, picking up the doctor's head long enough to set a pillow underneath him before he spoke.

“I'm not sure but I have a guess. He came crashing through the window about fifteen minutes ago, panicking. Couldn't seem to calm down and didn't want to be held. Shifted back and started clawing his arms and ears. When I grabbed his wrists to get a good look at him his eyes were ringed with gold.” Cleo hissed angrily but Pearl seemed just as lost as he was.

“Vampire suggestion. It's a slightly weaker version of hypnosis. Traps someone in a never ending cycle and forces them to think about what the vampire wants them to do. If the person is able to avoid falling for the suggestion it tends to wear off in a day or so but it can cause bad panic attacks.” Cleo nodded along with the explanation and Pearl winced since he was still frozen.

“Sometimes being around another vampire can help. I also may or may not have hit a few pressure points to keep him still and calm him down. Those should wear off in an hour, but he should probably stay with you until the anxiety dissipates.”

“Pearly and Shades time, doc? Sounds like a fun time!” His panic must've managed to come across his features despite his paralysis because she patted his head, scratching behind his ears again. “Cleo and I figured it out the first night. You're too sick for visitors and suddenly Abolish brings a fuck-off huge bat in from the woods with one green eye? Come on Doc, surely you think we're smarter than that.”

He tried again to murmur an apology through frozen lips, but both women just patted his shoulders. “Naw don't fret, we get it. Looking like this?” She tapped the corner of his mouth where a fang was just peeking out. “The others would've tried to kill you on the spot. They tried when you were a little bat. So yea, no hard feelings.”

None of them said anything for a while as he lay there, left alone with his thoughts. Living in Oakhurst, being trapped here if he was going to split hairs, had forged some interesting relationships. Honestly, it reminded him a lot of his past, though he hated to draw comparisons like that. At least he liked most of the people in Oakhurst. In the trenches, he learned very quickly not to get attached, to leave his care at the level of a medical professional. Even before he was a medic he learned not to get close, too many times coming back from a trench raid or a mission missing half a squad or more. He would’ve never imagined laying on a floor somewhere with them, letting them touch him to do something besides hand him supplies or dress a wound.

These three though, not only did he like them, he trusted them. Sometimes it felt like they were the island of sanity in the sea of chaos and murder that thrived under the dome that trapped them in the woods. In the late hours of the night, when he was poring over cure books or alchemical and chemistry formulae, trying to parse a way out for them that didn’t involve having to murder their friends, he despaired that he was going to lose them the same way he’d lost countless squadmates.

He generally did his best to quash those thoughts when they showed up. He had to, he knew what would happen if he let those thoughts take roost in his brain. Like they were right now. He grumbled and managed to pull his limbs in close, though the movements were sluggish and clumsy. Whatever Abolish had done to him was wearing off. Instinctively he reached deep, wanting to be small again, and his form rippled. It was a slow transformation, crawling over his skin, but eventually he was a bat again, pulling himself tiredly into Cleo’s lap and curled up, pulling his wings over his head.

Defaulting to speeding time in his bat form probably wasn’t the healthiest way to deal with his problems but, considering some of his previous coping mechanisms (and his current ones, being honest), spending time in bat form was probably the healthiest. 

Strong hands picked him up and tucked him under a familiar shawl, and he managed to get his claws sunk in, drifting off a little as Cleo got to their feet with Pearl quick behind, Abolish letting them out into the night and staying behind. He could briefly feel the night air, cool against  his fur, but the shawl protected him and he let himself rift, anchoring himself on Cleo’s touch. In their cabin Cleo put him down on her bed just long enough to shift into their own bat form, tucking up against his side. Pearl climbed in over them, curling around their bodies and pulling up a blanket to cover all three of them.

“We’re still going to have a conversation when you’re better, but I’ll let you off the hook for the moment.” Cleo nuzzled under his chin, nibbling his fur a little in affectionate admonishment, and he barked an exhausted affirmative, curling up tightly. He’d take a thousand lectures from an angry Cleo over being alone right now.

~~~

That day, he stayed close to Pearl, Cleo and Abolish, never leaving their side for more than a moment. When the anxiety inevitably spiked, when Scott’s voice crowded in his ear and his words clawed at his brain and the shaking started, they were quick to bundle him up, to keep him close. He barely could stomach food and considering how much he usually ate that immediately made the others in town scared for him, but they managed to soothe away their worries. He’d just gotten chill, he’d be fine in a day or two. It just happened sometimes, just like with humans.

They seemed to accept that, and he was left alone to cling to the people he chose to. They stayed in the village that day and through the night, mostly doing chores around the farm and the cabin. At one point they found Avid, Ren, Sausage and Martyn working on something under Apo’s guidance in the tavern, but they’d hidden it as soon as Pearl and Cleo had walked in, trying to look innocent.

He’d never seen a group of more guilty looking people in his life.

However, Apo assured them that it was a harmless project, just that it was a surprise so Cleo seemed content to leave it for the time being, though Pearl did pass him off so she could join in on whatever was happening. They left her in the tavern with the others, setting down with Abolish in his cabin for a while. Cleo managed to coax him into eating with a few slices of fresh pear, brought in by Martyn from the dead wood. It tasted like ash in his mouth but it seemed to make Abolish and Cleo both calm a little, so forced himself to eat a few more slices.

That night he let himself be tucked underneath Pearl’s arm again, Cleo curled up not under his wing this time but curled up on his back, grooming the fur between his ears.

~~~

The next day he was in a much better mood. His mind was his own again, his appetite returned, and with it his energy. He flew away from Cleo the second they were out the door, shooting through the air like a spear, startling most of the Militia as he went. The sun was warm on his wings as he twisted and rolled through the air, cheeping and chirping as he went. He buzzed Sausage and brushed him with a wing, landed on Martyn’s head and used him as a springboard to lift back into the air and stole a mug straight from Ren’s hands.

His energy and enthusiasm seemed to perk up the rest of the town, and the day carried that mood well into the morning and to lunch time. He heard the whistle, banking his body and chattering in surprise when he saw it was Avid who was holding out an arm for him to land on, Pearl standing behind him with steadying hands on his shoulders. He flared his wings with a loud snap, catching Avid’s gauntlet with his claws, and settled to hang there, squeaking and barking his delight. Avid looked equal parts startled and thrilled as he settled, and the smaller man pulled him close, handing him a piece of apple.

They went into the tavern for lunch and Avid placed him gently on the table between everyone, letting him rest there and eat fruit slices from various hands while others worked on their stew and bread. When they were finished, Ren picked up the dishes and Martyn and Avid both pulled small bundles from their pockets, holding them out. He squeaked and chirped, nosing at the packages and using his wing claw and his teeth to try and open them. He managed to tear the paper holding Avid’s first, letting a small square of purple fabric spill out. It was soft and embroidered with white thread, and Avid picked it up and, moving cautiously, wrapped it around Shades’ neck, tying it carefully in place. It was a perfect color against his black and white fur, the purple of the bandana popping, and he purred happily.

Martyn ended up opening the second package for him, revealing a small pair of tinted goggles. They were made of carefully melded copper, painted black, with little black pieces of shaded glass. Cleo slapped their forehead with a muttered “oh my gods” while Abolish’s lips twitched with a barely suppressed smile while the others cheered. Martyn laughed as he placed the glasses on Shades’ snout, fastening them in place with a small piece of leather strap, and the villagers made much about him.

He had to look a little silly, but he was touched that they’d gone through the effort to make him a tiny bandana and sunglasses, meant specifically for his bat form. It was sweet, a moment of kindness in the nonsense that was their lives at the moment. He preened and puffed his chest out, striding around the table to the best of his ability to show off until Avid whistled for him, holding his hands cupped for him to crawl onto, holding him against his stomach so he could watch the world around them.

Outside the sun was shining for once, bright and warm still, and he could even ignore the four bats watching him from the tree. They weren’t very good at hiding, especially when Scott was bright white and Shelby was dark red, but thankfully none of the villagers seemed to notice. He tipped out of Avid’s hands and managed to catch the air before hitting the ground, flapping into the air and heading towards where they were posted up, watching. He landed heavily in the tree, sitting up high on his wing claws so he was properly staring them down, his posture all defiance.

It was hard to tell on their faces, but Legundo could see the rippling of Owen’s fur with his anger, could see the way Scott’s nose wrinkled, even as his little blue eyes sparkled with something like grudging admiration. He curled his lip back and flickered his ears, the closest he could get to a smirk in this form, wings fluttering briefly. He could see the younger pair shifting uneasily, watching Scott and Owen for what was going to happen next but Legundo took the choice from the elder vampires,

He didn’t know what possessed him in that moment, what sparked the desire to prove them wrong to their faces, to trust in the people he’d literally put his life in the hands of, especially in the last few days. This was either going to go amazingly or his whole life was going to blow up in his face, but he was ready. 

Besides, if it went badly it's not like he would be alive to hear the mocking in the aftermath, right?

He threw himself off the branch, streaking towards where the villagers were gathered in the town square and flared out his wings, slowing his descent so he could land, but not as a bat. Rather, his bare feet hit the cool earth, green eye watching the gathered people nervously, clawed fingers rubbing at his palms. He was only glad that Abolish had been reminding him to switch into clean clothing, so he was standing in his dark blue button down shirt and back trousers rather than his pajamas from the first day.

No one moved. No one seemed to even breathe for a moment, and he readied himself to take to the air again, or defend himself. He could feel Cleo and Abolish and Pearl staring at him, clearly waiting to see what the others would do before making their own moves. Apo was watching him with pursed lips, Sausage seemed to be coming around very quickly, Martyn, Avid and Ren were watching him with wide eyes, and Drift was simply nodding knowingly, arms crossed as a self-satisfied expression crossed her face.

Suddenly the group burst into noise, but it wasn’t the calls for his head that he feared. Rather Ren and Martyn were both groaning theatrically and fishing out small handfuls of coins to hand to a grinning Avid, while Drift cackled with delight. He blinked, mouth dropping open as he watched the two split the coin between them and high-five each other. Sausage already had his notebook and pen out, pressing forward with a hundred different questions on his tongue. Cleo and Pearl were laughing at his bewilderment, and Abolish seemed to be breathing a sigh of relief.

At one point, Pearl leaned on his shoulder, reaching up to idly flick the tip of one of his ears. “When I asked if you thought we were all the stupid, I meant all of us. Drift had you figured out the same time I did. Avid figured you out in the woods that second day. Granted, the only reason he didn’t flip on the spot was because you drank holy water, but it was a near thing. I could hear him and Drift get into a big ol’ row that night.” She hummed and steered him to sit on the edge of the fountain, laughing at his stunned face. “Apo had her suspicions. The others didn’t believe Drift and Avid. You just made them about fifty gold pieces lighter, so you better be careful Martyn doesn’t slip you a sour apple at some point.”

Avid came to sit on the ground by his leg, patting his knee awkwardly. “Sorry for trying to murder you that first night. Drift says I have to get better about talking first and stabbing second.” Avid made a face and Drift clicked her tongue, leaning over from where she was playfully arguing with Martyn just long enough to shout “And I’ll get a newspaper to whack you with if you don’t!” before going back to her verbal spar, leaving Avid laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his neck.

He leaned down to place a hand on Avid’s shoulder, pausing briefly at the now-familiar vampiric cold he could feel under his palm. Avid noticed, his smile getting a little brittle around the edges, his eyes taking on a hunted look briefly. Before he could panic or say anything Legundo simply squeezed his shoulder and smiled, making sure to pour as much understanding and gentleness into his expression as he could.

“I forgive you, Avid. I’m sure we were all a little scared that night.” Avid seemed to understand the weight of what he was saying, because he leaned over and knocked his head against Legundo’s knee before laying there, seemingly content. The, not-so-shocking, revelation out of the way, Legundo let himself relax against Pearl on his other side, watching the town’s ebb and flow resume around them.

There were more secrets in this town, more things that would need to be revealed in due time, but for now, things would settle. Avid, Cleo and Apo would tell the others when they were ready, and he would do everything in his power to make sure they had the space and safety to do so.

In the forest on the edge of town, he watched four forms fly away, content for the time being that the threat was managed. For now anyway.

------------

Two Months Later

------------

Legundo hissed, ruffling his wings to try and shake out the soreness. They’d been flying for days straight now, desperate to get to safety and it was starting to take a toll on even him. It didn’t help that he was carrying several of the others on him at any one point when they needed a break and got too tired to continue. Their wings were small compared to his own, and he could carry more than they could.

But that time was passed. They’d made it over five hundred miles away, far from the threat of the other vampires and the haunted village painted red and gray with ash and blood. They were resting in an abandoned farm building, and tomorrow they would be able to go into the city and get tickets to leave the port, to leave the last six months behind.

Oakhurst had ended in flames, and nearly took most of them with it. Pyro and Owen tried to murder Avid, and it was only the quick intervention of Abolish and Pearl that saved the young vampire. Scott had taken claws to Legundo himself and tried to turn him by force after he turned down the elder’s third offer of vampirism. Cleo had chosen to side firmly with the village after Scott and Pyro tried to turn Pearl against her will to force Cleo to their side. Drift had been attacked and turned during a battle.

Shelby had fled to the village once the violence started taking on a whole new and terrifying face, not wanting to be part of the slaughter of people she considered friends, and the betrayal had spurred Scott, Pyro and Owen into new heights of villainy. And that was saying something, considering his past deeds.

They’d turned the beacons all in their favor besides the town, kept them penned within the walls, burned their fields and salted the waters in the well. Were he living alone, he would have thought it a just punishment, a recreation of what he’d done to others being done to him. But he didn’t live alone, he had people to protect, people to care for.

It had been a desperation act. They’d never found the last cure book, after they’d been trapped within the village’s walls, but Legundo still had the book that had given him his new abilities. The spell hadn’t disintegrated like the others had, probably because the book itself wasn’t magical. So they’d waited until the next blood moon, and each person had said the ritual in turn. If nothing else, they would be able to fly up and away from the village and to safety. 

With Avid, Cleo, Apo and Shelby already being vampires, it took them only an hour for everyone else to perform the ritual and attain their new shapes. None were as large as he was, not by a long shot, but Pearl and Ren and Abolish were all a little bigger than the rest, if not by much.

They’d managed to get up into the window he’d opened and fly out, away from the village. It didn’t take more than an hour for the last beacon to be turned and with that the barrier had fallen. Despite not being vampires, apparently the magic of the beacons considered them dark enough to consider the land lost to the vampires. 

They had fled. 

Apo had quickly departed, heading for their love, though they promised to stay in touch. None of the others had anywhere else to go, really, and so they decided to stick together. The plan was to head to the port city clear across the country and get a ship to England, where they could rest and determine their next steps.

And so they’d flown, high and fast, barely stopping to rest and eat. The vampires and the insectivores were fine, able to find food on the run, but Legundo struggled. He was the only fruit bat amongst them and with the winter now well and truly set in there was very little fruit on the branch for him to eat from. They’d had to resort to theft on a few occasions just to keep him fed. What little coin they had on them in their human forms would only just be enough to get on the ship away from there, and even then it was likely they’d have to hide a few of them as bats to cheapen the fare a little.

Now though, they were in the home stretch. The port city was a leisurely flight away, and with it freedom. He sighed contentedly, hanging upside down from the rafter of the building, stretching his wings out briefly to check on his passengers. Avid’s tiny gray form was tucked up near his wing joint with Shelby’s red fur and Drift’s tawny brown, little white and yellow Martyn clung to his belly with silvery Sausage a little further down. Cleo was tucked up near his head and Ren, Abolish and Pearl were sleeping in a heap between his back claws, near enough that he could feel their puffing breaths against his toes. 

He curled his wings back around himself, tucking everyone away from the chill in the air, and let himself drift off to sleep.