(Archived) Poth Short Stories and One-Shots

Eternal Vow - Chapter 5

The alabaster brickwork of the athenaeum stood tall against the grays and browns of the buildings it towered over, but that was a given; such a building required plenty of space to house all the archived knowledge of vampire-kind and their centuries worth of heritage.

Touching down to dispell his transformation before the ornate doors, Goth rushed through the doorway into the softly lit reception area. An elderly lizard monster-like vampire looked up from her reading, adjusting her spectacles as she greeted him, "Why, young master! What a pleasure that you would visit; have you need of my assistance?"

"Pardon ma'am, I'm only here to check on something," the young vampire bowed his skull in reverence before taking off down the closest aisle. While the athenaeum was expansive and comprised of many levels, Goth was no stranger to the location; finding the required section with timing that would make many an elder envious. Gliding a finger along the dusty shelves as he browsed the titles, he caught sight of the book he needed.

Slipping it off the shelf, he carefully pulled the worn book open to its table of contents, dragging his finger in search of the relevant chapter. Flitting through the pages once he found a page number, his eye light skimmed the text until he found his keyword. Slowing his pace to absorb the information, the vampire faintly registered his back pressing into the shelf behind him as he let himself slide to the floor in dismay.

He read and re-read the same sentence over and over, hoping the words would somehow change. 'Tight, tingling, trembling, and/or pinching sensations, noticeable reaction to and/or elevated desire for contact with a specific individual, temperature spikes, increased hunger, and longing in absence' were listed as a few symptoms among others.

In all the time he spent around Palette; with how flustered he would become over compliments and encouragements, the embarrassment he felt at the mere thought of being exposed around the skeleton, the joy he felt when his companion smiled at him, the sadness he felt at the idea of losing them... how did it take him so long to realize what it all meant?

Goth's instincts were reacting to Palette; he was in love.

"Why?" Goth groaned softly, pressing his hands against his face, "Why did it have to be him? I can't have him; I know that. Only vampires can marry other vampires and he's happy as a mortal. At least, I think he is."

The only time the skeleton had ever asked about becoming a vampire was the first day he met Goth, and that was more out of curiosity than anything. Palette said he enjoyed spending time together, but that was because they were best friends. As far as the vampire knew, his servant had no desire to turn or be anything more than a servant and their master.

It wasn't even a matter of what Goth or his soul desired; he could never force his companion to turn for his own sake. To turn a mortal without consent was considered a grave crime of their kind, punishable by life imprisonment or death. What made things so much worse was that the vampire knew for a fact if he asked Palette to turn, his servant would agree without hesitation; regardless of their own feelings on the matter.

Palette's loyalty ran deep; he would do just about anything to make Goth happy, even go so far as to damn himself to eternal misery.

The vampire couldn't bear to do that to Palette; which meant that he had to deny his instincts. Completely avoiding his servant would raise too many suspicions and increase the likelihood of probing questions, so he would have to settle for avoiding direct contact until the feelings passed.

Placing the book back on the shelf, Goth shuffled back toward the entrance, As he passed the receptionist desk, the elder's voice called out, "You look troubled, young master. A penny for your thoughts?"

"I...," Goth paused, regarding the older vampire while trying to decide whether he should really say anything. She was wise and could provide useful advice, but at the same time, she would see right through him if he didn't tread carefully. Concluding that he had no better alternative, he began warily, "A friend of mine found their instincts reacting to their servant today, but the servant is mortal and has shown no desire to turn."

"Hmm, that is quite the problem," the elder mused, leaning back in her chair while stroking the spikes running along her neck, "What has the servant said regarding the matter?"

The smaller vampire sighed, "That's part of the problem, I-... my friend is afraid if he reveals the truth, his servant will agree only for the sake of appeasing their master. My friend doesn't want to push the servant into a relationship they don't want too. He is contemplating not saying anything in hopes that the feelings will disappear on their own."

"Instincts are not something to take lightly, young master," the woman warned with a furrowed brow, "Keeping his servant in the dark regarding his feeling will only serve to blind them both from the truth and cause confusion. That blindness will inevitably drive them apart, making both parties suffer.

"If I were to make a suggestion, I would tell your friend to have a discussion with their servant regarding their feelings. Once everything is laid before them, the servant can make an informed decision."

"But what if it's not what the servant truly wants; that would surely make them unhappy, wouldn't it?" Goth asked.

The elder countered, "Whether the servant agrees to turn for their own sake or that of their master, or they decide to remain mortal, the decision is theirs alone to make; it cannot be made for them for fear of a poor choice. Also, if it were a choice the servant truly did not want, they would simply not choose it."

"... I see...," the smaller absorbed the advice and rethought his plans, "I will relay your words to my friend; thank you for your guidance."

"Good day to you, young master, and good luck to your friend," the elder vampire smiled with a small nod before returning to her reading.

Stepping outside, Goth transformed once more and made his way toward home. While he felt it would be too much to simply reveal his feelings, probing the other for their feelings was a viable option.

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Word Count: 1,085