Chapter Text
"You're one of those hunters, right?"
A growling voice replies quickly, "What gave it away?"
His bloody lance beside him, Estinien Varlineau sits in the back corner of the local tavern, drinking a pint of the cheapest ale on tap. His last job paid shit for all the work he had to do. A small dungeon of thralls turned into a full siege against two young vampires. Just his luck.
He leans back in his chair, feeling the ache on his right side from being thrown against the wall during the earlier fight. He deserved it, he brought only his lance for a fight where his crossbow or a whip would have served him better. No matter how many times he goes out on these hunts, he still is surprised at times.
Nature continues to be an absolute bitch. Vampires are already fast, strong, and have sharp senses; who thought it was a good idea to give some of them wings? No God that Estinien would think fondly of, that's for sure.
"-are you listening to me? I said I have a job for you."
Estinien finally looks up, the man glaring down at him is obviously well off and certainly doesn't belong in this tavern. Well, at least the pay will be better than the backwater village he came from. He couldn't ask those people for more money considering the losses they'd already suffered, however this man looked like he hadn't seen hardship a day in his life. He won’t feel bad about taking every bit of gold he’s owed.
"I'm listening," Estinien says. "What do you need to be slain?"
The logistics are simple, a vampire has been loitering in a small cabin deep within the woods for a while now. People within the town are beginning to grow nervous as blood drained carcasses of animals are being left on the doorsteps of several outskirt residents.
“Has he killed anyone yet?” Estinien asks.
“No. I don’t think he has the balls to do it. But isn’t the thing existing enough?”
For enough gold, it certainly can be.
Estinien thinks of his strategy and target carefully.There are many hunters that choose to kill their prey quickly and quietly with poisons, something that outright kills or makes the target weak and slow. It easily coats an arrow or a knife, and leaves little cleanup compared to a large-scale battle.
Estinien finds that method dreadfully boring.
Instead, he spends a few days watching the vampire he's set to kill. He gets an idea of the location and the personality of his hunt. Also, the heinous things he often sees give him reason enough to go through with the job, money withstanding.
When a gorgeous dark haired man exits the small shack in the heart of the forest at sunset, Estinien sits up. It would seem this vampire is older and of powerful blood, as anything of diluted blood is unable to last long in sunlight.
The man carefully sniffs the air around him before freezing. Estinien worries for a brief moment he's been caught out, the potion he bought for scent suppression faulty. However, the vampire makes no movement towards him. Instead, a small smile crosses his face as he starts to walk deeper into the forest.
Estinien follows carefully, jumping silently amongst the trees and taking care to not snap any loose branches or twigs.
He catches up just in time to see the man clutching a small animal in his hands. Estinien hears the soft apology before the vampire’s fangs extend and he bites down on the neck. Perhaps the man paying him is right, maybe this vampire is faulty somehow.
Intrigued, Estinien continues to follow the odd man. The bloodless animal is carefully deposited on the doorstep of a run down home, and the vampire bends down to speak to the creature. "There you are. I'm so sorry but I know that the Dufours will appreciate your coat and meat. They just had a baby, you see." The vampire smooths the animal pelt down before knocking and turning around to run back in the direction of his own home.
Estinien watches the house for a few moments before a young woman exits the home and startles when she sees the creature. However, the soft smile and excited yelling to the inside of the house lets Estinien know that the delivery is not unwelcome like he was told.
These townsfolk are playing a dangerous game though, who knows when the hungry vampire will no longer be content with the blood of animals. He’s never met one that’s lasted as an animal drinker. Their instincts always prevail, and they go back to the tormentors they are. Estinien grimaces but knows he’ll need to protect these people, even if they don’t realize they’re in any danger.
~~~
Estinien inches to the door, making sure that his footfalls remain silent. He bends and examines the worn iron lock on the front door of the small shack. Unlocked.
"Well, I suppose one can be pretty and dumb," Estinien muses to himself as he carefully opens the door, crossbow ready at his hip.
Estinien has experienced many vampiric lairs, and has seen a myriad of traps in his time. He's fought off fledglings, thralls, hounds-all in a day's work. However, he isn’t prepared for the welcome he receives.
"Would you shut the door? It's rather cold outside," a smooth voice calls from across the room.
Caught off-guard, Estinien obeys with a hand still on his crossbow. "I don't see why you care, your kind doesn't feel cold."
A slight breeze is his only warning before a hand is on his shoulder, fingers tracing the collar of his worn traveling cloak. Fury, he's quick.
"I do not. However, I so rarely have guests and I'd hate for you to catch a chill. May I take your coat?" The cloak is swiftly stripped from Estinien before he can even process.
Enough.
Estinien unsheathes his dagger, "You know why I am here, vampire– pick up that blade I see in the corner and fight me."
The fair face grimaces as he hangs Estinien's cloak on the coat rack. "Could we have tea first? Again, I so rarely have company. Would you indulge me in that?"
What in the actual fuck?
Once again, Estinien is caught off-guard as he's led to the worn table and chairs set up in the far corner of the room. In all his years of killing monsters, never has he encountered a being that has caught him so off-guard. He has fought hoards where he's felt more in control.
"How do you like your tea? Sugar? Milk?" The raven curls hide the vampire's eyes, making the figure in front of him appear normal with his fangs hidden behind a polite smile.
"Uh…milk?" As per usual, Estinien's instincts were spot on, this vampire is unlike any he's ever seen. He might as well humor the beast before putting him out of his misery.
"Oh, I've been terribly rude," a teacup and saucer are pushed into Estinien's hands delicately. "I'm Aymeric de Borel…but I suppose that title doesn't suit me anymore. Just ‘Aymeric’ then. Might I have the name of the man who has stalked me for three nights?"
So he did catch on? "My name doesn't matter," Estinien says before burning his tongue on the tea.
"I believe I have the right to know the name of the man who will put me in the ground," the voice is oddly cheerful for such a macabre statement.
"Estinien Varlineau, though my name carries no importance. I come from no great pedigree, like yourself."
"A name is important no matter the stock. Though, I must ask-" Aymeric puts his teacup down and leans forward in his chair, "most hunters come from long lineages. I may not be a scholar, but I consider myself well-read. What brought you into the business?"
"Business? What I do is no 'business'," Estinien snarls.
"You receive money for ridding the world of…abominations? Monsters? Filth?" Aymeric takes a sip of his tea and mutters, "not the same as it used to be" before continuing, "that sounds quite like a business to me."
Seeing the scowl on Estinien's face grow harsher, he holds up a hand. "I mean no offense, I find your craft honorable."
Estinien's laugh is sudden and harsh, "you know I'm here to take you out, right? What honor is there in killing a man that so obviously wants to die?"
Aymeric's eyes widen before a deep melancholy passes over him, "I cannot long to die when I have been dead for nearly a century." He takes the last sip of his tea before leaning back in his chair and unbuttoning the top of his shirt. "This will make things cleaner, yes?"
Estinien suddenly feels nauseous, and it's not the tea that's done him in. He has hunted creatures for nearly two decades and never in his life has he felt dirty on a job.
A hunt for a powerful vampire is a thrill and the fight afterwards is rewarding.
Staking a beautiful man to death who is leaning back in his chair, bare chested and at peace feels…wrong.
"Thank you for the tea," Estinien mutters as he grabs his coat and leaves. He needs to think.
~~~
Aymeric stares sadly at the slightly ajar door through where the hunter left. For a moment, Aymeric tasted something other than the copper tones of blood. He tasted release from this perpetual hell of killing and craving.
He stands and shakily buttons his blouse back up, despising the feel of his waxy skin. Animal blood is enough to keep him alive and lucid, but his body craves the vitality of more sophisticated blood. His tongue yearned for the more complex notes of human emotion. His teeth ache to bite and latch, holding prey close and not letting go till the body is satisfied.
Aymeric rushes out of the shack, desperate for fresh air. The deep sadness over Estinien's disappearance turning into a boiling rage: How dare Estinien spare him? How dare he "grant mercy" to him? A monster.
He'd felt peace for only a few moments before it was ripped from him. Ripped from him as his mortality, innocence, and agency was all those years ago.
With a growl of anger, Aymeric punches the tree at the front of his shack with all his might. Mortal bones would break with the strain. But, as a final reminder to his condition, the tree instead yields; breaking with a sickening crack and collapsing onto the forest bed.
He takes a few heaving breaths before embarrassment over his outburst catches up to him. Yet another mess to clean.
The Dufours may appreciate some firewood alongside the meat and fur, with the new baby and winter approaching.
Aymeric channels his frustration and gets to work.
~~~
"Varlineau, we paid for his head."
"I don't know what to tell you. The fucker got away from me," Estinien growls while trying to enjoy his drink.
"Fucking finish the job, or we'll have problems."
Estinien waves them off, fucking noble pricks. Leave it to the rich of the town to take out a harmless man for the chance at some potential coin. It is well known that many vampires have hoards of wealth, but one living in the backwoods of a small town certainly didn't. Their secret hopes for profit will be moot.
"Absolutely useless. I can see your reputation is naught but lies, Varlineau." The Noble glares before leaving the tavern, confirming to Estinien that Aymeric is not the only one that needs to watch his back tonight.
He finishes his tankard and sets a few coins on the table before heading up for a shitty night of waiting for the thugs hired to rough him up. He really should warn the vampi-Aymeric. Besides, perhaps one more meeting with him would ease his mind. The tea was quite good.