As soon as they centered the village completely, they could see that it was even worse than they had thought.
Not a single plant or flower was blooming in the hard earth that was way too dry. Visible patches of a fire that had brought carnage on the land, a neverending carnage.
Smell was even still hanging in the air as they all covered their noses, eyes swirling over the rundown houses and the frail figures they could barely make out.
Bones visible and arms way too thin, apparents was the fact that there was little to no strength in either woman or man alike.
They could barely lift the broken fabrics that seemed to be curtains.
They were curious yet death followed them around...flew around them. Waiting for something and there was no need to guess as to why.
"Seems like humanity did a great job of helping their people.''
Still sulky, his temper flared up. "Better mind your business, elf!"
Few seconds passed as they stared, until Aethelstan moved without even answering him. Instead he watched the passing buildings, buildings filled with holes, patched up with the scarcest of materials.
No doubt when the weather was bad, there was rain inside.
It was small in comparison to everything he has ever visited but there were still at least a few hundred lives.
Each one more forsaken than the others, even the vampling had already looked away. Sight too gruesome for the boy. At Least the elf was actively researching as magic pulsed underground.
He was strong but noticing things was Avery's strong suit, so there was no way he could hide the controlled way the elf used his magic.
Like there was something he needed to be careful of, not too much. Just enough so he could map out the village and track the breathing beings.
The coach reached a staggering halt when they reached the center, a middle aged man standing outside.
"Welcome to our small village. I am the village chief Kwana.
Please step out and inform me about your reason of visitation.''
The elf was the first to step out, his voice soft when he asked for a place to sleep away the night and no sooner were they escorted to an all black colour.
"Forgive us, for the state but this is the best building I can offer.
I hope you have a nice stay, I shall come to wish you goodbye tomorrow.
As soon as the village chief left, everyone curtly said goodbye and went to their given rooms, the sleep welcome after the long ride.
* * *
* * *
It wasn't even dawn when Aethelstan's eyes snapped open.
He wasn't used to sleeping much but now it was the familiar aura coming his way that woke him up.
"Three hours." How surprising, he had been tense and had thought he wouldn't even be able to close his eyes, in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Aethelstan knew way too well why it had been..five days since he had slept?
Whenever it had become obvious he was pulling all nighters, the whole castle would work together to get him to sleep. It was quite nice if it wasn't for the fact they took away his equipment and even pulled him away from his tests and projects.
A threat that actually made him get sleep and by no means did his body not need it.
Luckily they only stepped in when they deemed it serious, otherwise he would never be allowed to do anything.
And other moments it was Adrian who sneaked in and demanded that they go to sleep together, every time his hand curled around his silver strands and they rapidly fell into a deep sleep.
He could have said no but much to his own surprise he always said yes. His own need for sleep, warmth and the child's love went against his desire and need to work.
Beside that was the fact that the child was way too mature for his age, always had been. Grasping concepts without anyone ever having explained.
Even with magic, the understanding and foundation formed rapidly, so fast that he even experienced making it already.
Dissuading didn't work so Aethelstan started helping with the research.
Frowning he realised the lack of anything from Adrian, his side silent and dark.
"Did something happen?"
Dawn's frantic face appeared and before he knew it he was in front of him, watching shaking fingers write down.
He won't wake up. I tried.
"Adrian? Adrian won't wake up?"
Scratching of paper continued.
Yes, Adrian won't. He fell asleep really fast yesterday and now he won't wake up.
They reached the door, Aethelstan had purposely taken a room farther away, to create the illusion he didn't care all that much about the boy.
He hadn't felt anything through the bond until he had taken a closer look and noted the silence. It needed to evolve, he needed to know when something was wrong.
Honestly...it looked like Adrian was sleeping peacefully, breathing stable and even.
So when his fingers slightly graced the skin and with it he pushed magic through the boy.
More than once their magic had closely reached out to each other and connected but now his back thudded painfully against the wall as a powerful wave of magic threw him there.
Shocked by the violent reaction, he still created a protective shield around him in seconds.
Cracks had appeared and it shattered as soon as his limpish figure crashed down on the floor.
That was unexpected.
Side ached and throbbed while Aethelstan took in the broken wall behind him.
Coughing, he was interrupted. "Would you look at that? Who did a number on you, elf?"
Avery, with three of his quarddogs and another three waiting outside.
"So what? An assassin?"
Briskly he stood up, walking right back to the other side of the room. Where Adrian was still lying.
"The vampling?"
''Mmmh, yeah. His magic reacted way out of the ordinary."
"Really now?
Let's see." Avery's eyes glinted and Aethelstan was aware he had sparked his interest somehow.
Avery did the same as he did, hands down and magic slowly flowing. "No, no, no stop!"
Turning, they saw the village chief being held back by Avery's goons.
"Let him in, he is the village chief. Show some respect.''
"I didn't think I allowed you to make demands, elf." Sparks flew as the two stared, Avery's eyes were confident until he saw the unmoving stature of Aethelstan.
"Fine...let him in.'' he kept watch as he saw silver orbs roll before once more getting ignored as he turned to the village chief.
"Do you know what's wrong?"
"This-''Kwana's eyes glanced around, before landing and staying on the three imposing guys in the room."-I can only speak of when the guards remove themselves.''
They waited until Avery decided. "Leave us, close the door behind you and make sure no one even comes close. If they do, kill them!"
With a yes sir, they left.
"Little extreme, no?"
This time he was the one who ignored the elf, before glaring at the chief to explain, patience running thin.
"If you continued...to use magic on him, you uhmm would have been taken into the dream."
The voice, albeit from a forty year old male, was cracked and sounded way older.
"What do you mean?
I would have fallen in the same state yet when the elf did it for longer the only consequence was him getting slammed away. How do you explain that?"
"I-I don't know how to explain that. It has never happened before.''
"Then elf, explain." Aethelstan understood why Adrian's magic had lashed out.
''I don't even know what's going on. Besides, what did you mean by dream?"
The chief's face fell, resigned to his fate.
"I'm sure..you have seen the state of this village?"
"If you could even call it that."
"Ever learnt manners? Some humans ,don't mind him chief."
Aethelstan ignored the hissed elf, more interested in the explanation of what happened.
"After years of the same awful conditions, we finally had a stroke of luck.
We found and made a drug capable of letting grown ups deal with trauma, accept it and even move on.
Exceptionally handy when it came to warriors, mages and so on.
Moving on would mean their magic, fighting skills and prowess would grow with them.
So we started operating in secret and in this way gathered necessities that the village desperately needed and still needs."
He paused, eyes trailing over the three. Dawn, as always silent and far to the back, merily watching.
Avery ,who stood right next to Aethelstan, spoke. ''You said grown ups. Doesn't that mean it only works for grown ups, adults."
Hesitating, Kwana voiced his opinion. "Yes, that has always been the case. So I don't know why he fell into that state.
"Who handles it?"
"Excuse me, noble elf?"
Avery's eyebrow tilted at the words but nonetheless maintained his silence.
"Only adults get affected, nevermind the fact that Adrian isn't an adult right now.
If all adults get affected as soon as they even come in touch with it.
Then who makes it and distributes it?"
''That's-"
"He asked you a question and a very good one. One where even I would like to know the answer too.
The chief felt like he was once more twenty-four, surrounded with all races looking down on his village as they searched for clues as to why the vampires had disappeared and their kingdom had closed off completely.
The reason?
The obvious vampire child, now stuck in a reality like dream.