Chapter Text
"What, again?!" Martyn exclaims, and Legundo chuckles as the boy turns to him. There is a giddy despair to the sound, but shakes it off to give Martyn his attention. "We have to go get Renhardt now–the fire could get him first." He says, and the surgeon sighs, dropping his head as he nods. "Sure. Take M with you. Apo, Pyro, do either of you have a plan or are you staying here?" Apo lifts her shoulders in a shrug. "I can do either. Do you have a plan?" She replies. From the subtle authority in the man's tone, it sure sounds like he does. Pyro is still looking up at the smoke, then takes a step away from the others. "If you stay here, then I'm probably going to join Sausage and Martyn in retrieving Ren." He offers, and while Apo narrows their eyes at him suspiciously, Legundo only dips his head to acknowledge that he heard. "Okay. Stick together, and if you run into a Castle-Vampire, do not engage. Understand? Martyn, I know you were fighting Scott yesterday, but that was risky. You cannot risk damaging your leg further or over-exerting yourself. Your mission is to retrieve Renhardt and that's it. You go, and then come straight back." He instructs sternly. The boy raises his hands in reluctant submission, having decided that it's not worth arguing about. The doctor appears to be in a strange mood, something sharp and rigid entering his gaze and speech. As far as Martyn has seen, he hasn't been one to speak merely to fill the silence, even choosing to remain quiet unless he truly had something important to say. And while that hasn't changed, he's still...off. Perhaps he's just in a funk because he'd died.
Whatever the case, Martyn doesn't bring it up as he goes to help Sausage and Pyro gear up.
"When we find Ren, you'll have to stay back, Pyro. He won't trust you at first, even less so because you're a Vampire." Sausage advises, raising his voice a little to make sure they can hear him from outside the house. "Of course. I'm primarily coming to help defend against any foes we might come across." He replies, and as Martyn grabs another lantern, they're ready to go. It's the surest thing he has against a threat. "The smoke is coming from the direction of the Castle." Pyro announces, having scaled the wall on their way over to take a look at where they are. It's been quite some time since he was last in Oakhurst, and even though Martyn has been back for a week or two now, it's still rather difficult to get a sense of direction. "Probably just setting stuff on fire again because Cleo Stormcalled." The blond speculates, noticing how the red haze begins to thicken around them. The lantern he brought along is more for himself than the other two, seeing as he doesn't have their gift of night vision. He has it attached to his cane, allowing him the use of the pairing as a guiding light and providing a bit more range upon the fiery circle he can make. It burns bright and strong, but beyond its reach, the dark is dense and impenetrable, forcing the boy to follow the lead of his Vampiric friends–well, a friend and a tentative ally.
The nighttime gloom spreads quickly, claiming its dominion without question as the sun retires in full and the filling moon rises in its stead. By the time they reach the trees, the smoke has only made the lack of visibility worse, infiltrating their lungs and making Martyn's eyes water as they begin to dry out. Vampires don't need to breathe, so while the smoke is in no way pleasant, it doesn't impede their ability to withstand it. If it gets much worse, though, it'll start affecting Martyn's ability to do so.
Being one of the only humans left in Oakhurst sucks sometimes.
It reminds him a little of how everything started, around two, two and a half months ago, now. They stick together rather closely, much like the buddy system from before it fell apart (both the idea and things in general) nearly immediately. In concept, it's useful, but in practice, it's difficult. The Vampires are naturally faster at night, and if Martyn loses sight of them, he can't even hear their footsteps to try and find them again. However, Sausage is vigilant in ensuring that he keeps the boy in his own sight, and as they get further into the forest, he even has a cloth and a water bucket to try and help lessen the worst of the smoke. It's all they can do.
"Ren!!" Martyn shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth to try and let the call carry further. "Ren, where are you?" There isn't any clear response, only the pull of wind trying to ruffle his hair and whisper secrets he doesn't understand through the leaves. Sausage adds his voice to the call, Pyro keeping a perimeter to ward off any monsters that might be attracted to the boy.
They get no answers.
* * *
There is still no sign of the Werewolf, and according to Pyro, they've been searching for two hours already. They haven't been exactly walking in a straight line, but they're still worried about ending up too close to the Castle, so they've stopped trying to call out. The smoke has only gotten worse, and Martyn's throat is starting to become irritated due to not only that but also from all the shouting. He refuses to turn around, though. If something happened to the doctor, then the Wolf could be in trouble, too. The air starts to heat up, followed by a distant, orange glow that reveals the silhouette of trees ahead of them.
They've found the fire.
It's enormous, stretching out across the (admittedly rather limited) range of vision the boy has like a wall of fog lit from within. Finally being able to lay eyes on it makes it abundantly clear that this isn't any crazy accident. It's grown too quickly for that. Someone is encouraging its spreading, letting it build up into the conflagration of screaming flames and deep, faraway cracks that it is now.
What if Ren's in there?
He goes to start forward.
Sausage instead puts a hand out to keep him back, reaching for his sword before hesitating and settling to use his claws instead for whatever approaches. When the blond looks up at him in question, he gives the barest shake of the head: don't say anything. Martyn lifts his lantern, his HolyWord ready on the tip of his tongue should he need to utter it. He can't hear anything, only the sound of the fire they're facing and the great winds it causes. For a moment, as all is silent and still, it almost sounds like the forest itself is breathing.
Then, the boy coughs, and something springs out from the darkness.
Sausage immediately puts himself between Martyn and the something, grunting as he takes a half-step back to deal with the additional force and weight.
The something is Avid, grinning madly and dripping black darker than a starless night from his eyes.
"Hey, guys! What brings you all the way out here? Didja get lost 'cause of all the smoke?" He asks cheerfully–too cheerfully, jumping away as the older Vampire shoves him back. There's a tear in the sleeve of his coat, but he appears to be otherwise unharmed. His gaze is troubled, however, and his shoulders rise and fall with the breaths he no longer needs to take.
If he's by himself, maybe he can be reasoned with. "Avid." Martyn says, wiping the smoky tears from his eyes to get a sharper image of the other boy. "Are you alone?" The hybrid shakes his head, still grinning with a delight that in other circumstances would be impossible to resist, but sends chills down Martyn's back now. He's regaining his old self, but it isn't for the better. "No, that wouldn't be a fair fight, would it?" He replies. Sausage looks around in mostly hidden alarm, as does Martyn, which is how he discovers Pyro facing Owen behind them. "Listen. We don't want to fight. We're just here for Ren. If you let us find him, we will go back to Oakhurst peacefully." Pyro implores, never breaking eye contact with the elder Vampire. He's almost invisible to Martyn, wreathed in shadows and dark clothes that do nothing to help him stand out from the night.
Owen snorts. "You shouldn't have come here for him. Avid sent him back to you already." He informs them. As Martyn glances back at the dark grey-haired boy, he sees him nod. "Yeah! Besides, these are our woods, you can't just set them on fire and expect us not to get upset." He adds. "Our woods?" Martyn echoes. He sweeps an arm to indicate to the trees around them. "It's a forest! It doesn't belong to anyone. It hasn't been a day and you're already talking like you've always been one of them. Besides, we didn't even do this! Didn't you?" Avid shakes his head, then turns to look at something as a third voice makes itself known.
"I would say that they're my woods, really. I mean, this is my home. I have lived here for literally over a thousand years. These trees surrounded my Castle. Oakhurst is my Capital."
Scott appears to Martyn's right, hands behind his back and slightly less perfect-looking. His hair is a little messy and his skin looks...can a Vampire look unhealthy? They're already sickly pale. His eyes are no less malicious, however.
"And as for the fire, no, we didn't start it. Why would we? It doesn't do anything for us. In fact, it's kind of annoying." He continues, then allows his red-lit gaze to drift over to Pyro. He's moved to keep both of the elder Vampires in his sight, and has a visible battle with himself to stay strong under his Sire's disapproving glower. "I suppose my warnings meant nothing, then?" He says, then moves on before his fledgling can stand up for themself. "You're looking for your mutt, but he isn't here. We are, though. And from where I'm standing, all I see is an opportunity."
Scott lunges, and by some unspoken agreement, so do Avid and Owen.
Martyn manages to pull up his shield moments before the Vampire reaches him, jabbing the metal edge forward to ward him away. It's made of silver, and he took the time to make the shiny border a little longer than normal shields. Abolish supplied him with well over enough silver to do so. Scott hisses, and in the background, the boy can hear Vampire on Vampire violence. He doesn't turn to see who, though. Scott requires his full attention.
The pale Vampire lashes out with claws, making Martyn step back and swing his sword, pivoting to follow his opponent. He can't use the lantern while he's this close to the others, but he also has no idea where anyone else is. If he's triggered his HolyWord, it'd only leave himself and Avid free to move. Scott tries to hook his claws around the shield, but the boy moves even further back to keep the object, pivoting as Owen and Pyro tumble past. The two are locked in a fistfight, both sporting various cuts from the other. This is made clear by the streaks and dark lines the boy catches a glimpse of on their necks and faces. Martyn turns around and retreats closer to the inferno, ducking behind a tree to give him a moment to scarf down a couple carrots and look for Scott's next move.
When he appears around the side of the tree, Martyn triggers his HolyWord, hoping he's far enough away. That buys him another minute, enough to shove garlic down his throat and catch his breath. It doesn't do much; the smoke steals what oxygen he seeks and fills his lungs. He coughs some more, glaring at the way Scott smirks at him. It isn't a victory for him yet. All he needs to do is put a stake through him.
Recovering and wiping his eyes, the blond pulls out the wooden tool, approaching the Vampire and holding eye contact as his enemy registers the new weapon. He's searching for a flash of fear, but is disappointed when he doesn't get one. All that reflects in Scott's eyes is the blaze at Martyn's back and a cold challenge.
He raises the stake, levels it to Scott's stone-cold, non-beating heart, and pulls it back.
"No!!"
Something cuts through his shoulder, a sudden blossom of pain that surprises the boy enough that he drops the stake, and then his time is up.
He only sees Avid, outlined by smoke and flames, with a bow raised and aimed at him. The wound stings with the betrayal.
Then Scott takes his vision once more and he pulls up his sword. The elder Vampire shoves him back, pushing his arm down and causing him to stumble. He can't get his sword up in time to parry if Scott is already right there; the best he can do is duck behind his shield. "What'd you do to Avid?" He demands, jumping away as Scott tries to bear weight down on his shield. That allows him to finally pull out the lantern, whipping around and letting the flames spew out like a dragon's, as was depicted in the books. Scott manages to avoid the worst of it, however has to pat out some flames at the edges of his coat, scowling as he recovers. "I did nothing. I gave him free will. Unlike you, his 'friends'." He answers, using air quotes on the last word. The special effect that keeps Martyn safe from flames doesn't help to lower the heat, so while he was already heating up due to the sudden exertion and the very temperature of the air itself, the closer fire makes it worse. He can feel the flush in his cheeks, and his head throbs in tandem with his heart. "You're not looking too well, Martyn. Should have stayed back in Oakhurst." Scott informs him, then lunges over the fire, tacking the boy before he can respond. Their lunges are frighteningly fast, so Martyn discovers earth pressing into his shoulder blades before he realizes that the Vampire has gotten past the flames.
His ruby-lit gaze glitters with satisfaction, pressing a foot into his arm to keep him pinned as he kneels over him. He takes the boy's other arm, pulling away the sleeve. "I'd like to savour your fear some more, but I've wasted far too much time already. I think it's time to get to the good part." Scott says, and lifts it up, frozen grasp tightening as the blond tries to pull away.
Another shape leaps into view, interrupting Scott before he can bite down on Martyn's wrist, causing him to drop his arm instead.
It's Abolish.
Decked out in full silver and swinging his axe in practiced, controlled arcs, he pushes the Vampire away, refusing to give him a moment or an edge to retaliate. Cleo shows up next beckoning Martyn forward. Their arrival is timely, the actual fire only a few minutes away–he can see the flames dancing and shimmering from here, now, not just the glow. "What are you doing out here?" They demand, watching Abolish return. There's a strange energy about him, one of excitement and reluctance at the same time. "We're looking for Ren! He could be in the fire!" Martyn answers, now scanning about for Avid, Pyro, and Sausage.
Avid is gone–as is Owen, but Pyro is being helped along by the author and Pearl.
"Why is Pyro here?" Abolish inquires sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. He's taken off his gloves, which seems odd. Why would he do that? Sausage still has his, he'd been keeping them on in town, mostly to hide his claws a little more. "Helping us. Avid's joined the Castle-Vampires, and Pyro came to warn us." Martyn explains, mindlessly running his hand along the length of his cane. He can't stay here much longer or he might legitimately pass out. That wouldn't be good. Nor should Pearl or Abolish, too–whatever he's experiencing, they must have it worse. "Alright. Where's Apo and Legs? Are they here, too?" Cleo asks. Pyro shakes his head, face etched with pain expressed by bared yet gritted teeth and fangs and narrowed eyes, paired alongside the weariness weighing down his shoulders. He's taken a lot of hits, going toe to toe with an elder Vampire was clearly rough on him. "They stayed in Oakhurst." They reply. Leaning upon his cane, Martyn looks over at Abolish again. He's oddly calm for the appearance of adrenaline that evidently runs through his system. It isn't very noticeable in his posture, but the tilt of his head and the way his gaze crackles and snaps gives it away. "Then we're taking you back. You shouldn't have come out here." Cleo decides, quelling the boy's objection with a single glare. "I understand you came out here for Ren, but he is very clearly not here and you can't stay in this smoke for much longer. Even Abolish and Pearl are struggling." They tell him, crossing their arms. "We would have been back in town already, but Shelby and Drift caught us first. That," They add upon the look from Martyn and Pyro, "can be talked about later. Ren can take care of himself, human or Wolf. We need to get out of here before the Castle-Vampires come back."
The boy frowns, knowing better than to argue, but conflicted by his urge to find his friend. Sausage steps forward. "I'm going to keep looking for him. I can fly around as a bat, and the smoke doesn't affect me. Besides, I'm in his pack, so I'll be fine when I find him." He offers. Cleo bids him leave with the wave of her hand, and Martyn gives a grim, appreciative smile with a nod of his head as the Vampire turns around and disappears into a cloud of bats and becomes part of the heavy-laying smoke. "Right." Cleo states, already moving on. "Let's get the rest of you back home."
Martyn tries to see where Sausage went, more wishful than ever(so far, at least) that he wasn't so restricted as he is. The important thing is getting Renhardt home safe. Sausage is part of his pack, despite being a Vampire, now, they've confirmed it. He's got a better chance of getting him back than the blond does, anyway. He just needs to trust.
It's all he's truly capable of doing anymore.
A/N
Have a silly meme about how Scott asked Avid to go out with him to see who set the fires(Owen begrudgingly tagged along on their way out of the Castle):
Scott: have you ever hunted a man before
Avid: uh-uh...
Scott: WOULD YOU LIKE TO???
My bestie Xaniash has been helping me with plot and lore stuff behind the scenes; major shoutout to them for the rest of the Vampire bat ideas and most importantly, HELPING ME FIGURE OUT WHAT THE FULL END GOAL FOR THIS FIC REALLY IS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE NOW. THIS IS GROUNDBREAKING. CAN YOU TELL THAT IM EXCITED
That being said I'm also gonna announce that they've been helping me edit things and so we might be getting a rewrite of DTV when it's over. The plot will be the same, but better worded and not as awkward as my writing is
Scott is a lesser long nosed bat. Also, additional lore, so was Louis. Sorta like genes from both parents in a child, a fledgeling or one of a lineage can present the same traits as their Sire or an earlier Sire of that line. It's why Owen has the muted, reddish brown color of Louis' eyes rather than the clearer, vibrant red of most of the others.
^Cleo is a Honduran White Bat.
^^Pyro is a Florida Bonneted Bat.
I like using this Antidote X song by Van Sandano(thanks, Legundo's Stream Music Playlist for all the bangers like this it keeps giving me) when thinking about the fires. It starts out as the people being like "there's smoke??" And then at around 1:26 that's when we see the actual fire itself(I imagined it from bat-form Apo's PoV at first and just seeing these huge swathes of forest burning and the smoke rising from the perspective of being in the air was really cool to me((kinda like helicopters recording actual forest fires)). The second fire in this chapter would be when Martyn, Pyro, and Sausage find it while searching for Renhardt; first bit being the part leading up to them seeing the fire).
^Oh also in a sudden need to art I quickly improvised an idea for what the fire looked like to Martyn :D
It's supposed to be a bit darker than this for him, but I wasn't skilled enough to find a way to have the fire glow through the smoke and the red haze while still leaving the trees visible the way I wanted them to be😔