Castlevania: Of Darkness and Light

Fight and Flight

Vampires heal fast.

Even half human vampires like Alucard healed faster than regular humans. He'd had gotten scratched during a scuffle with demons and after we destroyed the pack, I tended his wounds in the infirmary. "How's it possible for this thing to get infected so fast?" I cleaned and disinfected the wound on his arm.

"Bites from Night Creatures are naturally plague ridden." Alucard grunted as I treated him. "You'll need to leave the wound open, stitching it will only trap in the bacteria."

"I know." I nodded. "That's why I'm going to wrap in in a bandage with antibiotic ointment. I'll change it every few days until it's fully healed."

Alucard smiled. "Understood. You've become quite talented at this. Who would've known the stranger barging through my door would become a natural healer." He stroked a hand through lock of my hair straying from the braid. My pulse up ticked and I drew away, turning my head concealing the light blush on my face. "Yeah....Don't do anything crazy. Let it heal."

I heard Alucard's footsteps as he followed me through the castle halls. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend on making you uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about it." I chuckled. "I'll be in the Library if you need me." I booked it out of there before the blush overtook me.

Later that night I heard Alucard stir beside me, grunting in discomfort. I smelled the infection before I could see it. "Son of a bitch." I growled after unwrapping Alucard's bandage. His skin had fully closed up, trapping the pus filled infection inside. "Alucard." I nudged him. "Alucard wake up!"

The hybrid grumbled and turned. "What's wrong?"

"Your wound closed itself up and sealed the infection. I'm going to have to cut it open and clean it out."

"Do what you must, my darling." Alucard murmured, lifting a lid. I blushed, he never called me darling before.

I collected the medical supplies I needed and brought them to our bedroom, setting them up on the night table. "Alucard, listen to me." I heated the knife with a fire spell. "I'm gonna cut open that wound with a hot knife. It's gonna hurt a little so brace yourself. Once that's done I'll clean it out and bandage it like I did before."

"It's okay. I can handle a little pain." He answered half awake. I nodded. "Here. Grip this rock." I sat on the bed and got to it.

The moment I pressed the hot knife against inflamed skin, something snapped in him. The instant he saw what I was doing he lunged and pinned me against the cold hard floor. His claws dug into my throat and his entire form changed to a pallid grey, fangs sharpened, and a ragged snarl rippled from his throat. His eyes turned demonic, staring me down with the full intent of killing me.

I screamed and kicked him in the groin, startling him off me as I scrabbled against the wall clutching my bleeding throat. Alucard came to his senses and lost his demonic appearance. His eyes cast upon me in dread when he realized what just happened.

He hushed my name, eyes wide in remorse seeing me crouched miserably in the corner up the room with bloodied hands around my throat. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I stared at him in rigid terror, and though my throat was barely scratched it didn't matter, nothing mattered in that moment. "I swear I didn't mean to.." He slowly approached me. I was so terror stricken I did what you never should do when faced against a supernatural creature; I ran from a vampire.

I didn't know where I was running and I didn't care. I needed to get out. Fear and instinct propelled me to run as fast and far from the castle as possible. I didn't notice I was running barefoot through the forest in the witching hour in only my nightclothes. I ran until I felt the numbing cold burn into my feet. Snarls echoed through the darkness of the woods. Night creatures appeared from the shadows, snarling and growing with envious jaws. Only now did I realize what an idiot I'd been, running through the forest with a bleeding injury and no magic staff.