forum “Hinder me no more. Or so it says, at least” (OxO, Mature, Closed)

Started May 26 by @Serpentess health_and_safety language

tune

Nok didn’t bother answering Marc’s question, simply going straight to his announcement. He then chuckled at Marc’s response.

“Indeed it is. And, you are right that I didn’t kill him. Our battles were harsh, but I would always escape or knock him out or some such. I had considered killing him, but I believe my initial reasons for not doing so was timing and location. Then, as he continued to pursue me, his skills drew my attention. He was unusually precise with his aim and tactics. It fascinated me. I couldn’t bring myself to kill him simply because I wanted to see more of his skills. Though, after months of being in an impasse, he decided to call a truce and left. He went back to his family and I never bothered him,”Nok said.

He left out the part about how he stalked the older Malone and his children for years. Nok had only stopped because he had decided to be a nomad again. That was also why he had forgotten about them, until now.

Marc nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Nok’s side of the story. A part of him was proud to hear about his family history, and perhaps a bit smug that this vampire had faced his ancestor. Though that arrogance was quickly muddled. Nok had survived his ancestor just as his ancestor had survived fighting Nok. Of course, the vampire would have been five centuries younger and, most likely, less powerful than he was now so the fights would have been more balanced. It was an odd relief to know that he wouldn't have to make this hunt personal by swearing revenge.

“You did?” he pressed with a raised brow. “How old were you back then? It’s just been my experience and stories from training that once a hunter has tried to kill them, most vampires don't stop attacking until either they manage to kill the hunter or end up dead themselves.” he explained. Then again, Nok had let him live too instead of killing him in the alley. How different was this vampire from the others? Was he like this even back then? … How much did he remind Nok of his ancestor from five centuries ago?

“Of course. Your ancestor was smart enough to time his battles wisely. Attacking before dawn meant he could strike quickly, and allowed a greater chance of his own survival. After all, I have yet to meet a vampire that is immune to sunlight, even at my age. And, at the time, I didn’t have the greatest control of my telekinesis. By the time I would get close enough to him, the sun rays were too close for me to do much more than run,”Nok replied with a shrug.

Though he’d just revealed his vulnerability to sunlight, Nok wasn’t worried. It was already an obvious threat to him, and he wasn’t stupid enough to get caught in it. Besides, he didn’t say how much sunlight was needed to actually hurt him.

Nok hummed in thought, looking at the journal entry and its date to calculate his age.

“I was… three millennia, seven centuries, and sixty two years when I met your ancestor. Give or take a decade. And, in regard to that ‘kill or be killed’ attitude, I’m not most vampires. Now, I won’t deny that I have killed many hunters in my time, but I find I care less and less these recent centuries. I barely cared when I met your ancestor,”Nok answered.

Marc nodded at the logic of attacking before dawn but was never really able to do it much himself because he, like most of his targets, was something of a night owl. Early mornings were not something he was often able to do unless he stayed awake all night. “Neither have I. But, as I’ve said before, I prefer to face my opponent on more… even ground for a fight and only use things like that when it becomes necessary.” he explained with a shrug, unfazed by Nok’s weakness as it was fairly common knowledge.

The blond hunter tried to keep the surprise off his face at the vampire’s exact age but perhaps was only able to minimize it. “I… I’m sorry. I know you already told me how old you are but… it's going to take me some time to wrap my head around it.” he apologized, before smiling slightly as Nok pointed out the obvious. “Indeed, you are not. Other wise, I would be dead in that alley.”

Nok hummed thoughtfully at the hunter’s remark.

“A mostly fair fight with a vampire is not a common theme with hunters. That denotes honor. Also not a common theme with hunters. Intriguing…”Nok said his thoughts aloud.

He immediately noticed Marc’s surprise, and had honestly expected it. For a hunter to encounter a peaceful vampire, especially a rogue, was extremely rare, but to encounter a peaceful ancient was almost inconceivable. It always took a few times of explaining his age for the knowledge to actually sink in.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it. In another eight centuries, I’ll be almost godlike to the vampires that can comprehend such an age. That’s if I last that long… or keep my sanity. What’s left of it, in any case,”Nok replied, sighing.

He chuckled at Marc’s comment.

“True.”

Marc shrugged as Nok called his actions honorable, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just… It doesn't… I told you that I like a challenge and those challenges give me opportunities to get better as a hunter. But I can't do that if I… take advantage of things like that all the time. It’s usually a last-resort strategy.” he admitted, rambling.

“Godlike?” he quickly questioned. “As in no other vampire would have lived as long?” he tried to clarify, since if Nok meant otherwise… then Marcus would be in big trouble. Though he raised a brow at the comment on Nok’s sanity. “You seem rational enough to me. Is it just something that happens to vampires who reach… such an advanced age? Like how humans go a bit senile when they become older?”

Nok listened to Marc’s explanation and chuckled.

“It’s not a bad thing to have honor, Marcus. It’s simply rare to find a hunter with honor. It’s refreshing if I’m being honest,”Nok said.

An amused snicker escaped him at Marc’s question. Nok then shook his head.

“No, Marcus. I would not be the first vampire to reach five millennia, nor would I become anything like a demigod or any actual god. It’s a revered age among the clans. A ‘holy’ age, if you will. Mostly, because five millennia is the oldest recorded age of a clan vampire, and because they were supposedly near-invincible and could walk in sunlight. Now, I don’t know how much truth is in that, because the clans do love to exaggerate, but I believe it’s likely another evolutionary stage, where the vampire becomes more powerful than before. Besides that, I’ll just have to wait and see,”he explained.

Nok gave a not-so-amused snort at Marc’s next words.

“Mental instability is more common among ancients, but all vampires are at risk in some way. It depends on one’s personality. When one has seen and lived through so much, it becomes hard to bear. Especially alone. History repeats itself, over and over and over. It gets tiring and boring. Life becomes just a haze of meaningless routine. Nothing changes. Nothing grows. Nothing lives. Nothing dies. Nothing…”Nok trailed off with a sigh.

He turned away, reaching to a nearby candle and sliding it closer. He slowly moved his fingers through the flame, letting the heat warm his cold skin. It didn’t burn, nor did it hurt. It was actually quite soothing to feel the warmth of the fire.

Marc nodded thoughtfully, unsure how to feel about Nok's words. He'd always thought that words like "honor" were exclusive to the elite and didn't mean much beyond that. But hearing that a vampire of all things said it was a good thing… was a bit of a shock.

"Oh. I didn't know vampires had a 'holy' age but the part about becoming more powerful at that age makes sense." he admitted, smirking at the thought of the clans exaggerating to seem stronger and/or more important. "I mean you guys already get stronger as you age. So, it's not surprising to hear that you have some kind of … myth, or something, about what happens as you reach certain ages. But I guess there's only one way to find out for sure, isn't there?"

He was stunned by the rather depressing perspective Nok revealed about a vampire's long life before sticking his fingers in the flame of a candle. He knew that vampires were naturally colder than humans and that fire didn't really hurt them but it was still quite a sight… especially after such a sobering topic. "Do you… regret living for so long?"

“Most don’t. Only the clans revere certain ages. But, it’s true that even the rogues put mythical significance to those particular ages. And, yet, even they forget that little truth that there is only one way to know if the myth is real…”Nok said.

Nok stared into the fire for a couple minutes, momentarily forgetting that Marcus was there. He heard his question and almost jumped. That was a topic he often avoided, but he didn’t want to give Marcus the wrong impression.

“Yes and no… I was… I wish I had done more with my life before my maker turned me. Sometimes I wish I had never been turned at all. But… if that bastard hadn’t…”Nok sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head as if to ward away painful memories.

“If I had remained alive, this library would never have existed. And, very possibly, many of the major events I have witnessed would have gone much differently without my presence there. Time is a fickle beast, after all,”Nok finished.

Marc hummed in acknowledgment, nodding thoughtfully before raising a brow. “Is that why they want you gone? Because you're the closest one to that age and you're not part of their clan?” he wondered. It did fit with his knowledge of clans. They wanted the power. They didn't want anyone stronger than them to challenge their… rule, for lack of a better word, and it was exceedingly clear that Nok had no loyalty to any clan.

He knew he had just asked a very personal question but he couldn't take it back now. The way Nok answered was, admittedly, half-expected and yet not completely. The term ‘maker’ was unusual. He’d heard vampires refer to the one who turned them as parent, mother, father, or even brother or sister before. Bastard wasn't a new one either nor was hearing any of those ‘titles’ used with disdain but…

“I guess that makes sense. But I have no plans to live longer than any other human so I’ll have to take your word for it.” he admitted with a light shrug, knowing the risks and possible consequences of his profession.

Nok shrugged,”That is probably a contributing factor, but I doubt it’s actually the main reason. Otherwise, every other clan I’ve encountered through the millennia will have tried to kill me. However, I did beat one of their brats to within an inch of his worthless existence. Considering the reaction, I suspect that the little worm was a royal, and he ran to ‘Mommie’ to have me killed.”

Nok rolled his eyes at the thought. He hated dealing with royals.

Something about Marc’s words saddened Nok for a reason he couldn’t quite explain. He hid it well, but it still bothered him. Was it the knowledge that Marcus didn’t want to be a vampire? His desire to live only as long as his mortality allowed, which was a life likely shortened by his profession? The reminder of Nok’s own death and the unwanted life afterward?

He said nothing in reply, instead going back to sticking his fingers in the candlelight. He hated thinking of his early vampiric life, and yet all it seemed to want to do was resurface. Hindsight could be so annoying.

“I hadn’t thought of the other clans, but you make a good point.” Marc admitted, before raising a brow at Nok’s suspicion about vampiric royalty being involved. “That would explain why the clan was so tight-lipped about why they hired me. I’ve always heard that royals have… unique abilities that separate them from other vampires. If fighting you was that hard, I don't think I would stand a chance against one of them.” he shrugged, though there was an unspoken ‘yet’ that hung in the air. As far as he knew, no hunter had ever succeeded in killing a royal vampire, and no one had ever even claimed to try to fight one.

Marcus knew how naive his comment sounded. It only took one wrong move, a simple miscalculation, or an act of stupidity for his life to end or change. He had thought about the irony of suddenly going from a hunter to the hunted as a werewolf or a new member of a vampire’s thrall. A part of him did wonder about how his skills would change, or even improve, with such a transformation… but the other was filled with shame and guilt for letting his family down by such a failure. Not to mention the fact that he hadn't… continued the family line yet.

Nok hummed in contemplation of Marc’s words. His ignorance explained much, and his speculation even more.

“If royals do have unique abilities, then I don’t know about it. I tend to avoid them anyway, but, in all my experience, I have never encoun…”Nok abruptly silenced as he remembered a matriarch he had once known.

She had been the only royal, let alone clan monarch, to actually pay attention to him. For a day, at least. Her hospitality had quickly turned to flirting. Then he lost an entire week’s worth of time, and not in a fun way. She had done something akin to making him a thrall. She had seduced him, muddled his mind, and nearly enslaved him, then let him go to stumble almost blindly back home.

It had taken him a week to wake from the haze, and it took months to fully recover from it all. In that time, she had nearly burned down his library with him in it. If it wasn’t for a mortal friend of his visiting regularly, Nok wouldn’t have survived or recovered.

“Actually… I have. One time. But… I don’t know what it was. Well… I… I do. But, I also don’t. It was… odd, simply put. Though, I’m not really sure if it was because she was royal, or just because she… I don’t know…”he stammered.

He shook his head. A few times. Thinking of her always reminded him of the dark times surrounding their meeting. He had nearly thrown himself into the sun because of the stress and grief of that time. That whole century had been nightmare upon nightmare upon nightmare. And, it had only been a few centuries ago.

The candle and its warmth didn’t soothe him this time. So, he instead waved his hand, using his abilities to shut all of the books in front of him. He then raked his hands through his hair.

“Let us change the subject. Tell me something about yourself, something outside of your hunts,”Nok requested.

Though he appeared mostly calm, there was something off about his eyes as he gazed at Marcus. The subtlest of pleas glimmered in their silver depths, as if he were desperate to distract himself from his dark thoughts, but didn’t want to openly admit it.

Marc started to give a half-nod, agreeing with the practice of avoiding vampiric royalty, and was even about to say as much when he noticed a strange look pass over Nok’s eyes. He carefully walked towards him, not wanting to startle the old man when he came out of what he assumed were unpleasant memories.

He was about to ask if he was ok to try to snap the vampire out of his daze when Nok started talking again. But the words only confirmed that whatever he had been thinking of was definitely not good.

“Yeah, sure.” he nodded at the request. “Outside my hunts… that's… actually a tough one. When I’m not actively on a hunt, I’m sharpening my skills or trying to research any new information about what I might come across.” he admitted with a shrug. “I know that probably makes me sound… boring and maybe a little obsessive about it but, I just take hunting seriously.”

(Thank you for being understanding. I really appreciate it. Luckily, today is one of the better days, so here you go lol)

Nok wasn’t aware that Marcus had moved closer until after he requested a subject change. Then, he finally noticed the man’s new proximity. It was somewhat startling, and Nok almost shifted into a defensive posture. However, Marc’s words distracted him before he could move. The courtesy Marcus was showing him… Had he been approaching out of concern?

Nok listened to both his words and his heartbeat, seeking any lie, any deception. None. Even his scent confirmed it, and confirmed that he had actually been worried about him. It was… odd, to say the least. When had a hunter ever been concerned about his quarry?

After a brief moment, Nok forced himself to consider Marc’s words. His dedication was admirable, if a bit confusing.

“Honestly, such commitment to your work reminds me of myself. I built this library and have tended to every plank and page in it for most of my life. Though, I have endless amounts of time. You, on the other hand, do not. So, why obsess over a calling that will more likely kill you than serve you?”Nok couldn’t help asking.

Marc held his hands up in a peaceful gesture when noticed the nearly reflexive movement. He didn't mean to startle Nok and knew how dangerous that could have been but… it just didn't seem right to let him spiral like that. Marc never used mind games, often thinking that they were a cheap tactic, so he was usually upfront with his intentions.

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.” he smiled as Nok made the comparison, but the expression faltered at the follow-up question. “I… have a few reasons,” he admitted thoughtfully. “I guess the first is that it's my family's legacy. I’ve been taught this stuff all my life and… well, I’m pretty good at it.” he added with an awkward chuckle. “And there's something about… I’m not putting myself on a pedestal, I've got too much blood on my hands to think of myself as someone good, but when I’m able to protect someone from an attack…” he trailed off unsure how to explain, especially without making it sound egotistical. “Anyway, it's not like I can just change careers now.”

As Marc rose his hands, it further confirmed Nok’s suspicions, and confused Nok even more. A hunter showing he meant no harm to a vampire. When had that ever happened before? That thought actually made Nok genuinely curious if it had happened before, but he’d have to research that later.

Nok nodded and chuckled,”It is a compliment.”

He listened closely to Marc’s reasoning. At least the man wasn’t so arrogant to believe himself a saint in a world without saints.

“You will not insult me by saying you like preventing vampire attacks. There are many vampires that prefer to kill rather than feed. Admittedly, I am not innocent of that, but I long ago decided that, if can help it, I would avoid killing those I feed on. With age, it becomes easier to do that, as I need to feed less and less. Though, my daily feasts don’t properly reflect that. It’s just… routine. Truthfully, I could probably exist without issue if I fed once a month, maybe even once a year,”Nok said.

He then hummed in contemplation.

“True, your skills are exclusive to your kind of work. But, don’t limit yourself. Every skill can be modified to fit a new course. I learned that the hard way long ago. You still have a choice in the matter. A little food for thought, so to speak. You can ignore me though if you are truly satisfied with being a hunter. I wouldn’t want to muddy any of your passions,”he added.

Marc hadn't quite given up on his hunt but he certainly wasn't going to attack Nok now. It would be rude. It was like there was an unspoken truce in play.

“Honestly, it's not just vampires… but I’m glad you’re not offended.” he admitted. “I don't like seeing innocent, unsuspecting… casualties. Even though I know they happen.” he shrugged with a brief sigh. “I know it sounds silly but, contract or no, I’m relieved that you try to avoid killing needlessly. … And I can go a couple of weeks without food or sleep too. But I usually only do that on hunts. So, that probably counts as something else we have in common.”

He chuckled a little before nodding “I like to think I’m satisfied with what I am. In way… I’m honoring my family’s past by continuing their work. If or when this job slows down, I’ll take your advice into consideration. Or maybe if I live long enough to retire and continue my family line… either way.”

Nok nodded in understanding at Marc’s admission. He then gave a small smile, which was quickly replaced by bewilderment.

“I understand and respect your need to protect the innocent and vulnerable. It’s a chivalrous task that is, like honor, rare among hunters. But, to go so long without food or sleep… How are you still sane? For a human to go weeks without either is also quite risky to your health,”Nok couldn’t help asking.

Unless Marcus was exaggerating in some way, there had to be something to explain his body’s ability to function so long with little sustenance or rest. Though, the only explanation that came to mind would be that Marcus wasn’t completely human. But, Nok wasn’t going to bring up that thought just yet.

“A respectable philosophy. However, a vampire hunter’s work will never slow or end. Life is a precious thing often taken too swiftly from the young. Though… now that I think of it, exactly how old are you?”

“Depends on your definition of sane. I’m from a long line of people who willingly chase after… creatures that could kill us as soon as look at us.” Marc pointed out with a rueful smirk, though his face held a red tint. “And just because I've been trained to be able to go that long without, doesn't mean that I make an actual habit of it.” he admitted.

He chuckled a little but nodded at the fact that there was no way of knowing the exact number of vampires, werewolves, and other “monsters” that were in the world. “Nice pipe dream at least.” he quipped. “I’m not that young anymore. I’m 35.”

“Humans hunting vampires is logical, as it keeps us at bay. But, starving yourself in order to continue hunting a vampire… That doesn’t make sense. And, that is coming from an ancient vampire who has questioned his own sanity for, at least, a millennium. I am glad you do it infrequently though,”Nok replied.

Nok chuckled, but otherwise didn’t respond to Marc’s quip. After all, the end of a hunter’s work would mean the end of everything that wasn’t human. And, when or if that happened, the world would weep.

“You are young in my eyes. Though, if you only count living years, you are actually older than me. I was twenty-seven when I was turned. I never had the chance to have a family, to settle down, or even be in a serious relationship. My only living relatives are very distant descendants from my brother, however my family name long ago died out. Take it from me, settle down while you still can or you will regret it,”Nok said.

Marc shrugged. “I think it was supposed to be a way to make sure you don't lose the trail.” he explained.

“Considering the number you told me for your age… my ancestor was “young” when you first met, old man.” he pointed out, teasing Nok again with the nickname. Though he was surprised that Nok had only been twenty-seven when he had been turned. “Well… can't say that‘s the “youngest” I've seen. The ones who were turned as teenagers are the most irritating to deal with.” he admitted a little awkwardly.

Nok rose an eyebrow at that, shaking his head.

“I understand the thought behind that, but it still doesn’t make sense to essentially weaken yourself in order to find and battle a creature that is almost always much stronger than an average human,”Nok commented. He then shrugged, not sure what else to say on the matter.

“True,”he replied thoughtfully, an unamused frown briefly crossing his face at the continued nickname.

Nok snorted,”The teenagers always are. Their bitch ‘mothers’ are worse though. However, most of them are volunteers, too young and stupid to realize what they’re losing. My turning was… not so voluntary.”

Memories seeped into his mind, bit by bit, reminding him of the odd creature that had turned him. The man that… Nok quickly shook those thoughts away, avoiding that time at all costs. It had been the gravest of mistakes to trust that vampire, a mistake that had turned him into an unwilling spawn of blood and death.