The roar of engines ripped through the quiet night. Sarah, jolted from sleep, rushed to the window. A cold certainty settled over her as she saw the black vehicles swarming the estate, disgorging masked men. Damien. It had to be because of Damien and his reckless dealings in the underground dealers. This wasn't the first time his shady business had attracted unwanted attention, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
He stood beside her, his usual arrogance replaced by a grim tension that he was clearly trying to hide. "They found me," he muttered, his eyes fixed on the scene below.
"You mean, they found us," Sarah corrected, her voice laced with a bitter edge. "Again."
He didn't reply, but the flicker of guilt in his eyes was confirmation enough.
As she followed his gaze, she saw a solitary figure standing at the gate, bathed in the dim moonlight. He looked almost ethereal with his silver hair and piercing scarlet eyes.
"Why does Palmer always have to clean up after your mess?" she hissed, her voice barely a whisper.
"Isn't that his job?" Damien replied with a shrug, his eyes still glued to the carnage unfolding below. "That's what he signed up for."
Sarah's hands clenched into fists. Her nostrils flared, and her fingers dug into the windowsill as she fought to control her anger.
"He's not a 'thing', Damien! He's not some mindless weapon you can just point at your problems and expect him to fix them without consequence!" Damien finally tore his gaze away from the window and looked at his sister, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Down below, the mercenaries advanced towards the gate, their weapons raised. One of them, a wiry man with a scarred face, suddenly stopped, his eyes widening in recognition.
"Wait!" he shouted, his voice trembling. "That's...that's the legendary bodyguard! The one they call Palmer!"
His companions scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous," one sneered. " How could someone that young be called legendary? Or you're just looking for reasons to back out, huh? Look, the boss said, no orb, no pay."
But the scarred man was shaking his head, fear etched on his face. "No, you don't understand! He's...he's a monster!" He turned and fled, disappearing into the darkness.
The others hesitated, but their leader, a hulking brute with a shaved head, barked orders, and they continued their advance. Palmer remained motionless, his expression unreadable. Then, in a blur of movement, he vanished.
The air crackled with the scent of ozone as Palmer moved, a blur of silver against the night. Gunshots, along with the sickening crunch of bone and the gurgling gasps of dying men filled the air. Sarah watched, a mixture of horror and fascination on her face, as bodies flew through the air, limbs were severed, and weapons clattered to the ground.
Within minutes, it was over. The courtyard was littered with bodies, the air thick with the stench of blood. Palmer stood amidst the carnage, his clothes stained crimson, his eyes glowing brighter than ever.
Damien let out a low whistle. "He's terrifying... We're lucky he's on our side."
Sarah, still reeling from the violence, could only nod. "He's been protecting our family for centuries without faulting after all," she said, her voice hushed.
"You seem oblivious about the history of our family. Let me tell you the story, Damien," she began. "The story about how our family came to have a vampire guardian."
As the echoes of the battle faded, Sarah's mind drifted back to the origins of their unlikely protector. It began, as all stories do, with a little boy...
The whispers followed him like shadows. "Demon child," they hissed, their voices laced with fear and disgust. Even at the tender age of seven, Elias knew he was different. The hunger that gnawed at his insides, the unnatural craving for the warmth of blood, set him apart from the other children. But Elias, with a heart full of innocence and a deep reverence for the Gods creations, vowed never to succumb to his dark urges. He would never feed on the lifeblood of another being, be it animal or human.
One day, while hiding in the depths of the Whispering Woods, he stumbled upon a boy named Josh. Josh Montgomery, unlike the others, didn't recoil in fear. He saw the loneliness in Elias's eyes, the desperation masked by a fragile bravado. Josh's village, shrouded in superstition, had outlawed any interaction with supernaturals, believing them to be harbingers of misfortune. But Josh, with a rebellious spirit and a kind heart, defied the rules. He brought Elias food, offering him companionship and a glimmer hope in the darkness.
Elias, though touched by Josh's kindness, refused the food. His vampire nature prevented him from consuming anything but blood. He was trapped in a cruel paradox, starving yet unwilling to break his vow. Being unable to die despite his condition only added to his pain.
Weeks turned into months, their bond deepening with each stolen encounter in the woods. But their sanctuary couldn't remain hidden forever. Josh's tormentors, a group of older boys fueled by cruelty and ignorance, followed him one day, their eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
They cornered Josh and Elias in a secluded clearing, their laughter echoing through the trees. "Look at the freak and his pet monster," one sneered. "Let's teach them a lesson they won't forget."
Elias, his body, though weak and hungry, had felt their presence from the distance.
" Harbouring a vampire is against the rules; you, of all people, should know better, Josh, as the son of the chief you are," the toughest amongst them said, letting out a threatening glare. " I could kill it here in its weak state and report you to the chief and earn myself a position in the village," he continued as they charged together towards the weak little vampire... or so they thought. Josh, feeling a sudden prickle on his hand, looked down to see a tiny puncture wound, a single drop of blood welling up. He looked back at Elias, but the vampire was gone. Vanished.
Confused and terrified, Josh turned back to his tormentors. But the sight that greeted him froze the blood in his veins. The bullies lay motionless on the ground, their heads severed from their bodies, their hearts ripped from their chests. The clearing was bathed in an eerie silence, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the frantic beating of Josh's own heart.
And then, he saw him. Elias stood amidst the carnage, his form shrouded in shadows, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. He no longer seemed weak or frail. He was a creature of the night, a predator unleashed.
Josh couldn't make out his features in the darkness, but those glowing eyes held a depth of gratitude and fierce loyalty that transcended words.
"From this day forward," Elias's voice, strong and resonant, cut through the silence, "I pledge my life to your service. I will be your guardian, your shield against the darkness. But first," he paused, his voice softening, " I must rid myself of that which makes me weak. Please, grant me a name."
Tears streamed down Josh's face, a mixture of fear and awe. "Palmer," he whispered, the name echoing through the silent woods. "Your name is Palmer."
And so, the bond was sealed, a pact forged in blood and gratitude. Palmer, the vampire who refused to feed, found his purpose in protecting the one who showed him kindness. He would be Josh's guardian, his protector, for all eternity.