Dept Paid In Blood

My Cup To Belove

Who knew how long it had been since Kaveh had last passed that cell? He had been sticking to one side of the prison for the past few days gathering the supplies he needed.

He wouldn't want to torture Alhaitham anymore by standing around like a sack of fresh blood to be drunk. But he knew well that today he had to go through with it, no turning back from here on out.

Not like things mattered anyway! Kaveh was already demoted to the lowest rank possible, I'd be much longer until he could regain his hunter role. Kaveh let out a sigh, turning that corner would mean never going back.

"What am I doing?"

He whispered to himself, a hint of shame resting in his tone as he stared down at the sack he carried in one hand. Even he couldn't understand the reasoning behind this decision, sure the two had saved one another at least once.

Most of it was one-sided, but in these past few days, Kaveh has lacked sleep. His eyes mourned with exhaustion, and his mind wept in grief over nothing. He dreamt of that same day when Alhaitham was captured.

The desperate look of hope in his eyes, not to escape, not to leave. Not even to survive, but to desperately look for Kaveh. All he ever cared about was him, whether it was to kill a noble or to waste hundreds of thousands of more.

Alhaitham always expressed that he hated to share, but this was untrue. He only hated the thought of Kaveh being in another vampire's grasp, he knew well. That the only one suited for him was Alhaitham himself.

Kaveh shook his head and gritted his teeth, he stomped over and turned the corner to that same cell. He gulped down the spit sitting in his throat, behind the silver bars sat Alhaitham. His head slowly raised as he groaned.

With a devilish smile on his face, his body appeared weak. Maggots had gotten into his unhealed wounds, eating away at pink flesh. But Alhaitham appeared too out of it to care. From here he appeared like a walking zombie. His chains racked against one another as he pushed forward.

"I'm going insane, aren't I? I'm so hungry, I'm starting to see things..."

He said through bared teeth, he kept pushing and pulling on his restraints, a single lunge could risk the shatter of his wrists. Of course, this wouldn't be a problem for a full vampire, but Alhaitham had practically nothing left in him that would be irreversible.

Kaveh almost couldn't bear to say anything, so he began to silently unlock the cell. Slightly afraid of Alhaitham's state, a single wrong move could risk his entire blood flow. Alhaitham smacked his dry lips together as he stared through Kaveh's soul, a bloodthirsty sore going through his body.

"It's worse because I can smell you, even if there's nothing there. Please go away, let me die here. I can't bear to see you watch me like this..."

The cell door clicked and moved open. Alhaitham's head shot up and he became rather puzzled. His confusion nearly knocked out his hunger. Kaveh slowly approached, at a length of where Alhaitham's movement reached.

Kaveh opened the pouch and began to pour a dark sandy substance across the ground. Alhaitham stared at him with eager passion, there was a moment of silence before Alhaitham lunged out. His expression was desperate as he pulled on his chains.

Kaveh was never startled by vampires, he had dealt with them for so long. But seeing Alhaitham attempt to attack made his heart burst out of his chest. Kaveh was so startled in fat, that he hit the floor behind him in a stumble.

He stared at Alhaitham with a fearful haze swarming his pupils. Alhaitham snapped out of it, he jumped back toward the wall and coughed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I swear I wouldn't have, I didn't mean..."

Alhaitham said exasperated, he put his head down as he stared at the frigid floor. His breathing ramped then settled, Kaveh gathered himself and shook his head.

He didn't have time to talk, as much as he wanted to he continued to drag this odd sandy substance across the ground. Once he finished he looked up at Alhaitham, who was silent. He reached out carefully and began to unlock the chains with a pick.

He knew this was dangerous, but he had no other choice. He either risked this or lost everything...to be fair. If Alhaitham were to give in to his starvation, he'd kill Kaveh anyway. And if he were to just leave Alhaitham here, living would become more than just difficult. It would be suffering. He finally managed to unlock the last bit, what he expected next would strike fear through his heart, yet he couldn't find a way to fight back.

Alhaitham had finally tackled him to the ground. Pinning Kaveh to the ground, his eyes were a haze of consciousness and starvation. He flickered between them both. Fighting to stay awake, fighting to stop.

Kaveh stared up at him calmly, although he was stuck in this situation. He couldn't find himself to be even an inch concerned with his life. If he were to die here, it wouldn't have been Alhaitham's fault.

Twenty seconds went by, and Alhaitham's body shook with a terrible fever. Warm drops of water trickled bit by bit onto Kaveh's face, they slipped down his cheeks. Alhaitham was crying, unable to control himself he broke out in a painful sob. His tears glistened like crystals, and they slipped down his skin, flicking off his chin in a whirl of torment.

Kaveh reached his hand up, pressing it to the side of Alhaitham's face. He quietly sat up, he moved this hand to the back of Alhaitham's head. He pushed him down to his chest, scratching his scalp as he sobbed quietly. Kaveh embraced him comfortingly,

"It's not your fault, it was never your fault Alhaitham. Please, don't blame yourself."

Strong arms wrapped behind Kaveh's back, and he was squeezed tightly. Alhaitham couldn't bear to go through that form of pain again. He couldn't make the same mistake before, he'd rather starve and die in a cell that could hold him away from people.

Although almost all vampires equally held a thirsty passion of hate and reliability for humans. Each could agree that being starved, and sent out to kill was inhumane. Thousands of years ago, and even in particular parts of the world today.

Vampires were starved and used as weapons in war. Now it's only a form of punishment, a form of humiliation, and a show of inferior worth. Alhaitham was unfortunately a victim of starvation.

As a young child, he was turned into a vampire, unaware of his abilities. He ate and ate human food, but nothing eased his hunger. His family during this time was already poor, and having a child whose hunger never ceased was an unfortunate disability. One night, Alhaitham's starvation reached a limit.

He had slaughtered his family, forced to watch subconsciously he became traumatized by himself. As hundreds of years went by, as time grew his age slowed. Eventually to a point where he could no longer die by natural causes.

Forced to live, forced to eat, he swore an oath to never allow himself to even be hungry for a second. He couldn't endure the same pain he had witnessed as a child. Now, being faced with that same terror, to almost hurt someone he cared for. It was an unimaginable break of pain in his chest.

"Kaveh I'm sorry, that wasn't me I promise you."

Alhaitham exclaimed desperately, Kaveh rubbed his back and kissed the top of his head like a mother holding her child. He shushed him softly.

"I believe you, don't apologize."

He assured him sweetly, as the minutes passed Alhaitham had finally managed to settle his breathing and his cries. He was constantly fighting back his hunger, the two let off of one another and stood.

Kaveh helped take some of the weight off of Alhaitham's body, and they both quickly and quietly began to make their way across the building. Avoiding the guards and eventually getting up the staircase.

Kaveh reached into his pouch and handed Alhaitham a blood bag to drink. Supporting one another as they traveled up, soon the gentle light of the moon seeped through the door.

A flutter of excitement ran through both of their chests as they stepped out into the night, Kaveh took one look to stare back at the Prison. 'There's no going back.' Kaveh shook his head and smiled. 'I know.'