#esial

Another spike of adrenaline and fear shot through him, and he closed his eyes. He could face the sun. It had looked down on him every day for close to 5,000 years and he hadn't died. He would be fine. And it wouldn't last forever this time. He had moved to the end of his tether, to the closest spot he could find where the canopy's shadow would cover him the soonest.

He took another deep breath, opening his eyes to look at the horizon. The clouds were lit up in a wide array of pinks and oranges, but he did not take pleasure or hope in them. In the desert, the clouds would burn off before they could do any good, and there would be no shade to enjoy. Still, the clouds on the horizon offered a small delay in sunrise, and he was perfectly happy with that.

He looked out over the sands again and was surprised to see movement. He narrowed his eyes, leaning forward slightly until he could see what was going on. There were trucks driving out over the sands, and people walking along behind them in the direction of Esial's amulet.

That explained where the workers were. They were likely setting up camp closer to the site. He wondered when they would come get their supplies from around Esial's sad little shelter.

He looked back at the horizon, tensing as the light began to take on a clearer quality. He decided he didn't dare wait any longer and hunched forward, setting his shirt on his head and spreading the bottom with his hands to cast as much of a shadow as possible. He just needed to make it a few hours. He could do that.

He folded his legs under him, trying to protect his feet and shifted to keep the chain of his collar taut so he didn't accidentally burn his back on the silver.

He saw the light flash through his shirt, and he looked down, making sure he was as covered with shadow as possible. He only had about half a minute before he started to burn if he left anything out.

There was a beam of light coming through to his navel, but no matter how he shifted and twitched the shirt, he couldn't make the light shift off of him.

Panicking slightly, Esial put his shirt down, ignoring the weight of the sun rays on his skin as he tried to sort out the tattered ends of his shirt so they would protect him.

He felt the burn setting in, heat growing in his skin until he desperately threw his shirt back over his head.

"No!!"

His messing with the shirt had left two gaps, one focused on his stomach, the other on his upper arm.

He twitched the shirt again, trying to at least protect his arm. If that started burning it would be so much harder to hold up the shirt and protect the rest of himself.

He gasped as the heat building up on his stomach reached a painful level and he twitched the shirt again, happy to see the light getting to his arm blocked. He's also managed to shift the light on his stomach over a few inches. He figured it wouldn't be too difficult to shift his shirt every so often and prevent any serious burns. Maybe if there didn't seem to be anyone coming to help, Esial would dig a hole to curl up in and hide with the shirt over top of him to protect him in the evening.

He stayed there, neck aching and stomach slowly roasting in a line as he shifted his shirt back and forth to keep anything from becoming too painful. Sweat trickled down his neck and over his shoulder, and he cursed every drop that left him. He had no idea when he would be getting water next, and he needed everything he had to stay inside.

As he shifted his shirt again, he thought about what he was supposed to do. Surely it wouldn't take the men long to find the amulet. Once they had dug it up, Esial needed to be sure he knew where it was at all times. If he could get his hands on that, it would mean complete escape. Running would be more difficult with the trucks and whatnot the humans could come after him with, but gas and water would run out at some point, and Esial would be able to get away. He was stronger than the humans and with the amulet he would even be able to outrun Amon.

He would have to time it right, getting the amulet in the day or right before the sun came up. He couldn't give Amon any time to catch up to him and take the amulet away. Esial didn't even want to think what Amon might do to him if he was caught again.

Esial licked his lips, wiggling his nose as a drop of sweat beaded there.

After an eternity, he felt the shade slowly cover him. He lifted his head first, careful to keep his shirt open in front of his chest and stomach, slowly following the shadow down with achy arms.

When the shade settled on him completely, he felt like a doll cut loose from its strings. He collapsed to the hard packed dirt and relaxed, watching carefully for the spots of light that could get through the canopy. He would need to try and repair parts of his shirt soon so he wouldn't have to slow cook his stomach again. Or dig a nice hole, but after picking at the ground with his nail for a moment he decided that would be too much effort to go to when he didn't know how long he'd be here. Perhaps he would have another go at the knots on the canopy and see if he couldn't at least get something down to protect him in the evening.

Later. He would do it later. He was hot and tired and he needed a little break.

He smacked his lips, rolled over and away from a sun spot and avoiding catching the chain on his arms before he curled up and closed his eyes.

............................................................

Esial was startled awake by a hand on his arm. He grunted and rolled over to see a surprise familiar face.

"Khalid?" he croaked.

The boy nodded. "The sayidi told me to bring you water and to lower the tarp for the evening."

Esial's eyes landed on the cup offered to him and sat up eagerly.

Khalid startled back a little, but still offered the cup which Esial took with a soft thank you.

"Did you burn this morning?" Khalid asked curiously as Esial finished his water.

"A little," Esial replied. "I was mostly able to protect myself with my shirt. I couldn't get the tarp down myself."

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. But I do appreciate the sympathy," Esial replied, handing the cup back to Khalid. "Last night you were not sent to feed me. Does that mean I have 4 or 5 more meals?"

"I do not know. The sayidi has not said," Khalid said with a little shrug. He looked out over the sands at the group for a long moment, the marks on his arms from Esial's feedings stark in the daylight.

"You should go," Esial found himself saying.

Khalid looked down at him in surprise. "You do not want company?"

"No, it's not that, Khalid. You should leave this place and find your mother and your sister. Do not come back. Amon is dangerous, and I do not know what he plans to do when he gets my amulet.... well, I suppose I have an idea of what he might do, and that is what is scaring me. You should go."

"Are you asking me to help you escape?" Khalid asked, brow furrowed.

"No. Leave me here. I.... I do not know what he will do to me, but that is not your concern. You have a family to take care of, and you shouldn't be here. You should go home."

"But I am unclean. And I have not fulfilled the sayidi's wish-"

"I'm sure there is a priest in your village who would be able to purify you," Esial said urgently. "I know that you need to make money for your family, but surely there are better places to do so. I do not want to see you hurt."

Khalid pulled a face, and Esial got to his feet. He was shorter than Khalid was thanks to his heritage and the way people have become taller in modern times, but he was still a vampire and could call on an unnatural power to make himself more intimidating. "I am not calling you weak or young or stupid, child," Esial hissed, making sure his fangs were on full display.

Khalid took a terrified step back, and then another until he was out of range. Esial stood at the end of his tether and continued, "Amon is an ancient vampire, and he does not care for your life. I do care and I am telling you that you need to get out of here and find somewhere safe to be. Go home to your family, child. It is better to live as a wise man, than to die as a brave one."

Khalid stared at him, stark terror in his eyes, but he gave a tiny nod. "I... I cannot leave now."

"Soon?"

"I will leave soon.... and you do not want me to help you escape?"

Esial shook his head. "As I have said, I do not wish to put you in any more danger.... but perhaps you could help. If you could send word to the friends I have in America so they know where I am, they might be able to help me. Or perhaps if you alert the American embassy-"

Khalid shook his head quickly. "The embassy is not open. There is war here."

"Oh... okay." He wished he had been told that embassies could close. He supposed that the rehab center wasn't really thinking about preparing vampires for being kidnapped and trapped in a desert when they taught about embassies. "Then I will just have you send a message to my friends. When you come to feed me, bring paper and a pen."

Khalid nodded. "I will do that for you. I know a man in my village who has a phone that can make international calls."

Esial smiled, trying not to get his hopes up. "Thank you. Now you had better go. I will see you later."

Part 27

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He curled around his broken hand, gasping for air and rasping out dry little cries. He just needed the gag off. That was all he needed.

He reached back with his good hand, pressing his other palm to his head to try and steady himself as he scrabbled at the buckles.

Esial tried and failed a few more times to undo the buckle, his fingers showing no sign of healing any time soon. He was too blood starved and dried out for it. Each breath was getting harder and harder, his lungs drying with each intake. He wasn’t certain how much longer he would be able to actually consume air, especially as his vision started to fade in and out and his hands shook even more than they did before.

As the car started to slow, the sound of shouts and greetings drifting to him, Esial felt a single, tiny tear drip over his nose. He was at Amon's entire mercy now. His one chance to help himself a little failed completely. If he had more water in him, he would have cried himself into a little puddle.

The car came to a stop in the middle of a camp, the language completely unfamiliar to him with a couple of English words thrown in here and there. Someone grabbed his bag, hauling him up and over the edge, dropping him roughly on the ground. Esial arched his back, trying to get air back into his dry lungs, but nothing would come as reality started to pass from his nerves.

His body went loose as he drifted away, observing what was happening to him from under drooped lids, his brain only vaguely recording what was happening and he began to fade into a state of torpor.

His bag was dragged somewhere, and when the bag was undone, he was laying in the shade, and though it was hot and the sun threatened to burn him through the holes in the canvas above, it felt like being hit in the face with an arctic breeze.

Air eeked back into his lungs, now much easier to breath with it being a little less stifling, and he got enough back to weakly shift aching arms. His muscles felt like they were on fire, screaming out for water and oxygen. Just the day before he had been fine. He had been breathing with healthy lungs, maybe a bit hungry and thirsty, but he was fine. It made him feel even more weak and fragile than when he had been overpowered by Amon.

Speaking of.....

"There you are. My, your poor mouth looks terrible, Esial. And what did you do to your hand?"

Esial couldn't even whimper with the state his vocal chords were in, so he just closed his eyes, trying hard to get oxygen to his extremities. He couldn't even feel his feet.

"Bind him to that pole there," Amon said to a man beside him, an African man wearing dusty, sweat stained robes and a turban. Despite his state, he was better dressed than some of the others Esial had been able to glimpse.

"Now Esial," Amon said, leaning on his parasol with white gloved hands in the shade the tarp provided. He continued in a tone as though talking to a child who did not often listen to instructions. "If you move too much, the pole will collapse and you will not get another shelter. Do you understand?"

Esial slowly nodded as the worker crouched down and hefted Esial up to sit against the pole, coming around to bind his hands with cuffs that rattled with the sound of wrapped silver. Esial shivered as they were locked in place, but was unable to say anything, his legs sprawled awkwardly in the dust in front of him, his shirt slipping from his shoulders, and his mouth still wide open. The pain had been traded for tingling in his fangs, and he felt as though he was moments away from going numb all over.

Water. He just needed a sip of water.

He looked up at Amon, pleading as best he could with just his eyes. He would be good. He had to be, but he would be good. He just needed water. Not even blood. He needed to be able to close his mouth and drink some water and reconstitute his lungs.

Amon was no longer looking at him though, instead looking to the man who had tied Esial to the pole. "Faheem, you have certainly done well here. I will need you to make certain there are tents for everyone. If you have run out, I brought more with me in my plane. You will just need to get Asim to drive you there and help load them into the car."

"Ah, yes! Very prepared, sayidi," Faheem said with a smile as Amon handed him a small wad of money that Esial did not recognize. "It will be done."

Amon nodded. "Good. I will take the other truck to hire more workers. You have done well in gathering men. I believe you found 20?"

"Na'am, sayidi. Men I have worked with for many many years in the archaeology. They are very well trained," Faheem said cheerfully.

"Good. That expertise will be very useful to me," Amon said with a friendly smile as he opened his parasol and turned. "I think we may require more workers for the less skilled tasks. We will have a lot of ground to cover, especially if my brother here does not help us as much as I hope he will."

Esial lolled his head back against the pole gently, sucking in another breath of dry air.

Amon glanced back at Esial and said, "If I am late in coming back, be sure to pull down the tarp to protect him from the sun."

"It will be done," Faheem said as the two began walking off, leaving Esial on his own.

Esial looked across the camp, dazed and feeling more and more distant from his body with every moment that passed. What he saw did not give him a good outlook for escape. Past the tents and people moving about here and there, setting everything up, there was only dessert. Dessert for miles and miles, endless sand and heatwaves.

He wouldn't make it.

.................................................................

Esial woke to someone nudging his leg and he jolted awake, feeling the pole behind him sway as he moved. He looked up, his neck muscles finding the strength to complain as he did so. Someone had let down some canvas as the sun set in front of him, keeping it off of him. The young man that crouched beside him watched him with intense interest.

"You are a blood drinker," the young man said eventually.

Esial stared at him, a little annoyed to have been woken up to have the obvious stated to him. Being awake was only slightly worse than being asleep, but when you were in Esial's position, 'slightly' was a godsend.

"You have fangs?"

Esial's head wobbled, but he managed a nod.

"And they are covered by the mask."

Esial nodded again.

The young man hummed, staring at him for even longer now. Esial's eyes began to droop shut when the young man spoke again. "You will not bite me. I am protected by al sayid."

Esial watched the young man, trying to figure out what he wanted, and was surprised when he reached out and grabbed the buckles of the mask, undoing them. It took the young man a moment to figure out how to release the mechanism that held his mouth open so wide, and when the young man moved to remove the device, it caught painfully on his fangs.

When it was all out, a weird tingling started up in the roof of his mouth where the metal had been pressed into where glands were supposed to be. His jaw trembled, as he attempted to close it, but gave an airy cry as the motion shot pain through his jaw.

The young man watched, staring at Esial's fangs with fascination. He looked quickly over his shoulder before he reached into his belt, grabbing a pair of pliers. Esial's stomach dropped, and he shook his head, trying with a renewed vigor to close his mouth, but there was nothing he could do as the young man grabbed him by the hair and put the pliers around his tooth.

"I just need one," the young man said eagerly. "Only one. You will have water as payment."

Esial braced himself, eyes screwed shut. He couldn't close his jaw. The muscles were too tense and blood drained. If he moved, he would lose his shelter and the sun would burn him. All he could hope was that Amon noticed he was missing a fang later and have enough pity on him to make him more comfortable.

The pliers slipped off his fang twice, but on the third time the young man got a good grip and ripped the tooth out. The cry that escaped Esial's throat was too dry and quiet to be heard past his little shelter. It didn't hurt as badly as he feared. It stung in his sinuses, but his mostly numb and dry mouth wasn't fully capable of passing on that pain to his brain. He was sure that having a simpler tooth structure and no glands made it less painful than for modern vampires.

The young man sat back on his heels, staring at the fang in awe. "Now I am a real man," he whispered. He reached into his belt and pulled out a canteen. Esial tilted his head back eagerly as the young man poured the water into his mouth. His tongue was so dry he couldn't really taste the water, and that was likely for the best, but the feeling of the water sliding down his throat was heaven. He was devastated when it ended. It felt as though the water had sunk into the topsoil of his flesh, only to evaporate the moment it ended. He supposed he couldn't complain.

The young man smiled. "I will leave this off, yes? As a promise you will not tell who did this."

That wasn't good. He couldn't promise that he wouldn't tell what had happened. Amon would surely notice, and the kindness of leaving the muzzle off would not be enough to keep this a secret.... though Esial did not know the young man's name. He could always claim to have been delirious and unable to identify the man who took his fang.

Working his jaw back and forth gently, Esial nodded and the young man grinned, saluting with the fang in hand before he scampered off, leaving the muzzle sitting in the dust beside Esial.

Part 16

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Esial tried to shake his head. He licked his lip with a shaking, cracked tongue, and did his best to speak, but an airy croak was the only thing that would come out. He shook his head again.

"Bring me some water!" Amon shouted over his shoulder. "You're going to tell me who did this, Esial, or so help me, your friend is going to taste Ashton's knife again."

Esial whimpered as someone brought a small canteen of water. Amon poured it down Esial's throat, allowing him the whole thing.

Esial gasped, leaning forward and shaking his head. He wanted more, but what he got had helped. Still, it wasn't enough. He would probably need blood for it to be enough.

Amon grabbed Esial's jaw in a bruising grip, lifting his head. "Well?"

"Dunno," Esial breathed, his throat aching as he spoke. "I... I can't remember. Couldn't breath. Too dry. Couldn't see. Too.... too many visions."

Amon growled, before shoving his finger behind Esial's lip, dragging it up so he could see the gap in Esial's teeth. "And you don't remember that!?"

"Hurts," Esial whimpered. He didn't care how pathetic he needed to look. He didn't have any dignity to lose. He lost his dignity when he became a monster and had to hunt hippos for leaders he would never meet. "Please, I don't know. Water, please-"

Amon released his face and stood, turning to his men. "Who did this!? Who took the fang?"

Silence fell over the workers who had congregated to see what the yelling was about. None of them met Amon's eye, silent as the stretching sands.

Amon's expression softened and a wicked little smile curved his lips. "The one who tells me who did this with get the fang as a reward."

Several heads popped up and people began shouting all at once.

Amon held up a hand and the shouting died down. "Asim. Do you know something?"

The man nodded. Esial recognized as the driver who had helped Faheem set up the tents. He grinned with an incomplete set of teeth as he said, "Yes, saiydi! Khalid was by him earlier!"

There was a hiss of displeasure through the crowd of workers as Amon gave a satisfied nod. "Bring Khalid here."

Esial watched in fascinated horror as the group of humans struggled among themselves, some breaking free to run after the boy who had taken off with a yelp. He watched as they grabbed the young man, perhaps not even an adult by western standards, and dragged back to be dumped in front of a monster.

Amon smiled down at Khalid who quickly got to his feet, his hand wrapped tightly around something attached to a chord around his neck.

"Vampire fangs are pretty, are they not? Especially fangs as old as his."

Khalid swallowed, and Esial could see the sweat dripping down the side of his face. He nodded, almost small enough that it could have been mistaken for a shiver.

"Give it to Asim. You do not receive gifts from me unless they are given."

Khalid nodded and removed the chord, entirely crestfallen as he handed the necklace to Asim, who clapped him on the shoulder as though this were some good natured game.

It wasn't though. Esial could see it in Amon's posture. The posture of a predator. There was more he wanted from this group of workers. He wanted more than respect or greed for his money or the gifts he offered. He wanted fear.

"You will be feeding Esial tonight, Khalid."

Khalid nodded. "Yes, saiydi. I am sorry. I-"

"I don't think you understand, Khalid," Amon said with a relish as the sun crossed under the horizon. He looked like a beast standing there in the fading light, his fangs on full display. There was something in that twilight hour, where vampires seemed to transform from people to monsters. Esial had seen it in himself and his friends. There was a shift as they became more comfortable. As the world tiped to favor them. Even the moonlight gave strength to them where it shouldn't be possible.

"What do you mean, saiydi?" Khalid asked in a whisper. He saw it too, and Esial could see fear flickering in his eyes, could smell it coming off of him in waves.

"You do know what we feed on, don't you?" Amon asked, flashing his fangs in the dimming light. "I brought my own blood bags, but my girls don't like his bite. He hasn't learned how to make it pleasurable."

Amon's intonation sent a shiver through Esial, never mind the workers. Some of them fell to their knees in horror, other warding off the evil eye as Amon's gaze turned back to Khalid. "Feed Esial, Khalid."

Khalid swallowed, looking at Esial, his knees visibly shaking.

Esial felt terrible about it, he did, but he was starving and he would give anything for a swallow of blood at the moment. He needed to feed on something, and if it had to be a young man who had taken his fang in exchange for some water, so be it.

"No, saiydi, please-" Khalid began and Amon cut him off by moving at that imperceptible speed, grabbing him by the throat.

"You will do as I say," he hissed.

He dragged the boy across the sand and forced him to his knees, practically in Esial's lap, grabbing his hair to twist his head and bear his jugular vein to Esial.

Esial shrunk in on himself, looking up at Amon, feeling no older than the boy who shivered and squealed right in front of his face.

"Amon, I-"

"This is your only chance to feed tonight, Esial. If you do not, I will drain him completely."

Esial nodded. He leaned as far as he could toward the boy's shoulder, his head tilted awkwardly to try and reach with the fang that hadn't been torn out. It took him a moment to get his fang to catch, his tooth scraping over sweat soaked skin, hearing a corresponding cry from Khalid with every touch. He finally caught skin and bit down, opening a wound that immediately dripped nectar onto his tongue.

Before he could even swallow, though, Khalid flailed and knocked Esial back against the pole, sending him to the sand as the pole toppled and the canvas came down.

Esial could help the wail that escaped him as he was left with only a few drops of blood on his tongue. He lay under the canvas, fearful of what this would mean for him. Amon said he would only get one chance for this meal and one shelter. Was he to burn in the sun in the morning? Would he never be fed again until Amon needed him? He felt like a coward that he worried about feeding and shelter more than Joseph at the moment.

The canvas was pulled off of Esial and he twisted, looking up at Amon who seethed. The boy had a red mark across his face, already swelling as blood dripped down his bared shoulder.

"Sorry about that, Esial," Amon said too brightly. "I will have to train my humans to be better. Are you still hungry."

Khalid, with tears welling in his eyes, shook his head desperately at Esial, but Esial nodded. "I am," he rasped.

"Good. Faheem, get this shelter put back up. This was not Esial's fault. For that, Khalid, you will be feeding Esial for the next week."

Khalid wailed in abject horror as he was forced forward onto his hands and knees.

"Hold still while he feeds, or else I will make you his blood bag for the rest of the time he is here."

Khalid nodded, his hands trembling as he forced himself to Esial, coming to kneel on Esial's other side where he still had a fang, tilting his shoulder so Esial could reach.

He trembled as Esial sat up, leaning forward freely as the pole was pulled from his arms to be set back up. He did not open the wound further, deeming it sufficient for tonight. If he desperately needed more.... well, he knew where he was getting his next meal.

He lapped up the blood already on Khalid’s shoulder before he drew more blood from the wound. Khalid flinched and let out a piteous cry for help from the other workers, but he did not move from his spot.

Esial leaned back, licking his lips. He wanted more, but he would not take any more for tonight. It would be enough for now.

"Are you sure you're done?" Amon asked with a smirk. "There is more for you to have. He is your blood bag for the week."

Esial just shook his head and Amon rolled his eyes. "So naive. You will learn soon, brother."

He swept away, the workers scattering ahead of him as he made his way to the largest, nicest tent. Esial watched, just grateful that the muzzle wouldn't go back on, though he did have to allow himself to be shifted to where they could tie him to the pole again, this time with a strong rope around his neck connecting him to the pole. That gave him a little more freedom to move, and would likely make feedings a bit easier.

He looked over to Khalid as the worker shifted in the sand, standing up with a little sway as the others left for their tents, leaving just Esial and Khalid in the full darkness.

"I am sorry," Esial whispered through a healing throat. The words were traitorous, and likely wounding, but they needed to be said.

Khalid shrugged with his good shoulder. He made no sign of leaving, however.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen summers."

"Ah...." Esial wasn't certain when boys were considered men in this country, but he was older than Esial had originally guessed. "Thank you, Khalid."

Khalid shrugged again. "I am sorry I lost your fang for nothing."

"I can grow another."

"What a waste," Khalid muttered.

"You have my gratitude, whatever that is worth. You have fed me and I am grateful. You brought me water and I am grateful. You freed me from that muzzle and I am grateful."

Now capable of producing saliva, Esial made the expensive decision to spit on the muzzle where it lay half buried in the sand.

Khalid nodded, looking half dazed. He stumbled over to the muzzle, picked it up, and wandered into the camp in the direction of his tent.

Esial sighed and leaned his head back against the pole, enjoying the feeling of his mouth and the remnant taste of blood before he closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

Part 17

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"No," Esial lied. He was lying, of course, having not had anything to eat besides Amon's blood the night before. Bland and stale as it was, it had not filled him for very long at all.

Monica pouted. "Don't you want a little sip? I have some healing balm for it after so you don't have to worry about that.

Her hand wandered from his far shoulder to his hair, and he threw his elbow back, firmly pushing her am off of him, though he was careful not to hurt her. "Do not touch me," he muttered. "Please."

Monica huffed. "That's rude, you know? Most vampires have to ask to be fed from the likes of us."

"Yeah, and she's offering," Garcia said haughtily, leaning back to reveal similar markings on her skin as her curly hair fell back from her shoulders.

"I'm not interested," Esial replied with a huff, looking out the window again.

There was silence for a moment where he could practically hear the looks the women were shooting at one another from across the aisle.

Monica leaned in, lowering her voice to truly seductive levels. "Don't you want to be strong when you escape."

Esial turned his head to look at her. She fluttered her fake lashes at him from underneath layered bangs.

"You'll want to be full and strong to fight that bond," she said, "and human blood will certainly help with that."

"Why would you help-"

"We like it," Monica said, tilting her head so she could look up at him through her lashes, a move Esial had only seen in movies. Well, he supposed that wasn't true. He'd seen Joseph use it on Muir when he was trying to convince the detective to take him to an expensive store for whatever hobby he was working on at the time. Not that Muir had to pay for anything, just that Joseph loved the company and Muir hated going shopping.

The thought of Joseph twisted Esial's stomach. Joseph still needed help, and Muir would likely handle that, but who knew what state he would be in afterward and if Muir would be able to leave him to try and find Esial. Monica was right. He did need to keep up his strength for an escape attempt.

Esial sighed a little and turned more fully to her. "If you are sure.... I guess I won't say no?"

Monica giggled, her face lighting up with a strange sort of anticipation that made Esial quite nervous. "Where would you like a bite from, handsome?" she asked, brushing her fingers over her shoulders and arms. "I'm afraid you will need to choose from up here. The legs are only for our favorite clients."

Esial shook his head and gestured to her forearm.

She held it out daintily. Garcia watching with jealous interest as he hesitated, hovering over her arm until he gently bit through her soft skin, careful to use the proper angles he had learned about in class.

Monica tensed and hissed. "Ow."

She sat for another couple of moments as Esial gathered a mouthful of blood from the shallow wounds before she yelled with disgust and shoved him off of her.

He wiped his chin, smearing blood on the sleeve of the suit jacket, unconcerned with staining it as it was already rumpled and strained from his fight with Amon earlier. "I'm sorry, did I do something-"

"What's wrong with you!? Are you some kind of a freak?" she asked in a shrill voice. "What kind of a vampire bites and doesn't soothe it with venom!?"

"Venom? I don't have-"

But Monica stood up and flounced back to Garcia, who cooed at her and pulled out the balm to apply to the wound.

"Lost blood and I didn't even get a hit," Monica said, sounding genuinely furious.

"Well, we don't have to stay back here with this pervert," Garcia said, shooting a glare at Esial. "Let's go see if Amon is hungry."

Monica nodded and the two left through the dented door, leaving Esial on his own. He shook his head and went back to looking out the window, surprised to see they were heading over the city on the coast in a different direction, rounding back the way they came as the ground came closer and closer.

They were landing, it seemed. Esial wondered why they were landing. This certainly wasn't Africa. Perhaps to refuel? He was under the impression planes required a lot of fuel.

He tilted his head, watching the city below. If the plane was going to be stopped, there was a chance he could escape. He could lay low for the time it took for night to fall and try and find someone who could help him get home. He just had to move when Amon was distracted. Perhaps the two women now sitting with him would be distracted enough. They seemed very frustrated they couldn't get a 'hit' as they called it, so they probably wouldn't leave him alone until they got it. Esial would have to be careful and quiet, and it was more than likely he would be caught, but he had to at least try.

It took a while for the plane to land, and when it did, Esial watched the patterns of the people below with interest, not making any move from his seat as he listened to the girls and Amon.

Eventually, the door opened and Amon poked his head in, both girls practically leaning on him from behind, giggling and giving him such attention that Esial had the feeling they hadn't gotten what they were looking for yet.

"Esial, I am going to oversee the fueling of the plane. Would you like to join us?"

Esial shook his head. "No. I will stay here."

Pleased, Amon nodded. "Alright. I will be back soon."

Esial went back to looking out the window as Amon left, allowing a little smile to touch his lips. Amon seemed to be in the habit of underestimating the people around him, and Esial was included in that. Esial could see where Amon was coming from. Esial was an ancient vampire who could not last long in the sun, of course, and he had been in torpor stasis for so long, he was woefully unequipped with the knowledge he needed to get through life.

Esial was uninformed, but he was smart.

Esial stood up, digging around until he found the emergency kit, pulling out the emergency blanket. It was reflective and thin and would keep the sun off of him just fine. He didn't like how visible it would likely make him, but it was a risk he was going to have to take. Amon was an ancient vampire too, and would burn in the sun after a time, but he was very rich and probably had access to injections and serums that would allow him to be out in the sun much longer than Esial could. Still, the emergency blanket would allow Esial to outlast Amon, despite that.

Esial went around to all of the windows, looking out each one to get an idea of the layout of the airport they had landed at to make his escape plan. He didn't want to run for a building. If he ran for a building then Amon would be able to chase him down fairly easily once inside, and Amon had the money and influence to convinced the security that Esial was his crazy brother who had escaped the jet when he wasn't looking, using the bond with Esial to get Esial to do as Amon wanted to confirm that story. He needed to stay out of the areas that would get the security of the place involved, and try and make his way to a road. It would be best if he was visible to people during the process. Amon might be more hesitant to use violence with him if they were where people could see, and if there was violence someone would probably record it and that video might even wind itself back to Muir.

The vague plan was to leave the plane through an emergency exit door, then make a run for the airport building, skirt around the outside of it, and get to the major road, screaming for help at anyone who was close enough to hear him.

It was a good enough plan. Esial went to the window where he could see Amon and the girls standing under a pavilion that had been set up outside not too far from the plane. Amon did seem pretty distracted, flirting with the girls as outrageously as they flirted with him.

It was now or never.

Esial took a deep breath and turned, putting the blanket over his head and went to the other side of the plane, farther down to where one of the emergency exit doors was. He took a deep breath, and turned the emergency handle, popping it out of place and opened the door.

He had to hang onto the blanket carefully to make sure he didn't lose it as he dropped out of the plane, and then he was running.

The glare of the sun threatened from above as the blanket rippled around Esial. The crinkling and wind rushing past his ears with his speed made it difficult to hear if he was being chased.

The airport building came closer and closer with each step, reassuring in it's solidity and the faint signs of movement behind it's window. Esial was going to make it. He was going to get away!

He spotted one of the baggage handlers, involved in his task and he drew in a breath to call to him.

He faintly heard a shout behind him, and while he couldn't understand it, it seemed his body could as his legs turned to jello, his arms releasing the blanket as he fell forward, limp limbs strewn in awkward positions as the blanket fluttered past him, landing a foot away from his head.

He felt the sun on his bare skin immediately. It didn't hurt yet, but it felt as though he was slowly being warmed, and he would burn soon. He closed his eyes, disappointment filling every cell of his body, focusing on keeping his breath even. He didn't want to deal with this. Maybe he would just pretend to be passed out for the rest of the flight.

He heard quick steps approaching him as the heat got to the point where he knew his ear and neck were starting to burn and heard Amon tsk.

"What are we going to do with you," he sighed. "You are really just making things harder for yourself and your friend, you know? Well, at least Ashton will be pleased with your disobedience. He is a bit of a sadist."

Esial tried to make himself numb to the implications of that sentence, a tear escaping his closed eye, as Amon scooped him off the ground, carrying him back to the plane without further ado.

Part 13

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"Yes," Chief Staton said softly. "As you can imagine we would like to do this without bloodshed. You can simply let go of Muir, release Esial into our custody, and do what you will. I know the kinds of strings you can pull. I have no issue overlooking this for now."

"For now," Amon repeated.

She gestured to the bodies sprawled in the ashes, all sucked completely dry of blood. "Someone is going to have to tell their families and their governments where they went. You might be lucky to get out of the mess it might bring down on you because of the civil war in this country."

"But you won't allow me to return to America."

"I'm afraid I may have to make some reports. What is done after that is up to you and your actions. You have killed a lot of people today, Amon-"

"I had to! I had to feed my Sire! This is the only way he feeds!"

Muir shook his head gently at the Chief as the knife hovered closer to his chest, Amon tensing up and shaking. This was a sore topic and they were in dangerous territory now.

"I understand that," the Chief said carefully. "And it must be hard having Isut Jeoalt as your sire, am I right?"

Amon nodded. "It is."

Muir glanced at Esial, who gave a full body shudder.

"Just let Muir go, we'll take Esial, and we'll be on our way," the Chief said. "You can take all the time you need working out a plan for what you want to do next, but we would like to go home."

Amon trembled. "My Sire needs Esial. I can't let you take him now."

"What does he need Esial for, Amon?"

Amon glanced at Esial and Esial shook his head. "Amon, my father hasn't given him what he wanted in the 5,000 years I burned in the sun. He's not going to change his mind now. I won't.... um, I won't tell them everything you did if you let me go. Please."

Muir could feel Amon trembling and made a small signal with his hand to let Granger know to take the shot when she felt comfortable with doing it. Amon was clearly too emotionally unstable to be reasoned with.

Amon stared at Esial for a long time, taking small gasping breaths. He sounded like someone who had lost everything. It made Muir nervous. Why hadn't Granger taken the shot yet? Had she not seen the signal? He made it again with his other hand.

Amon jerked around, putting Muir between himself and Granger just as she pulled the trigger.

The silver bullet cut through Muir's ear and he hissed, flinching away and raising an arm to catch the blade coming for his chest.

He thought he saw Joseph running to help, the Chief laying down fire, and he knew Granger was shooting, but Amon was too fast.

He saw a spray of ash from where Esial had been laying, and Amon and Esial were suddenly sprawled on the other side of the clearing, fighting and clawing and biting at one another like wild animals.

Muir shouted for Esial to get away, but there was a blood red rage in his eyes, and he wouldn't stop. He had something in his hand, long and pointed. After slashing his claws across Amon's face and grabbing his throat, he was finally able to get the stake down into Amon's chest, hammering it in with his palm.

Amon's mouth opened and he let out a scream that sent Muir, Joseph, and Grander instinctively running for cover.

In an instant, he puffed to dust and Esial keeled over on the ground, gasping for air and coughing as old ash kept getting into his lungs.

"Esial," Muir breathed, getting across the clearing when his instincts would let him. He scooped the man off the ground and into a bone crushing hug. Esial returned it with shaking arms, burying his face in his shoulder.

"He's gone," Muir murmured. "He's dead. He's gone and you've killed him and I'm so proud of you, Esial. I'm so, so sorry."

He ignored the sigh he heard from the Chief who muttered about paperwork followed up by a discussion with Granger and Aaron to weigh the pros and cons of just pretending Amon left on a trip and never came back.

Joseph knelt in the ashes and wrapped his arms around both of them.

"Esial I am so glad to see you," he breathed.

"I'm sorry!" Esial gasped after another coughing fit. "I'm so sorry!"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Esial."

"I got us caught cause he wanted me and the amulet," Esial gasped. "And the amulet isn't even here anymore! It's gone! And I misbehaved and fought him and got you hurt, Joseph, I'm so sorry!"

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You were having a normal reaction and they took it out on the both of us," Joseph said gently. "And we're both safe now and everything will be okay. We're not mad at you."

"Of course we're not, Esial. We can let you into our bond if you need that reassurance-"

"No! No more bonds. I can't do anymore bonds!"

"Alright. No more bonds. Here, how about we get up and get going, hmm?"

Esial nodded into Muir's shoulder. They stood and Muir took off his jacket, tying the sleeves off at Esial's hip so his front and back was covered be the main body of the jacket. Aaron came over and gave Esial his jacket to wear as well and they took up a circle around him, carefully walking down the path through the trees.

"It's a bit of a walk," Joseph warned Esial. "Do you think you can handle it?"

Esial nodded, staring into the middle distance.

................................................

Dawn was beginning to break by the time they got back to the cars, and Kyle was so jumpy he threw a hatchet at them as they approached.

"Woah," Aaron called out, his deep voice carrying soothing notes even at longer distances. "What's up?"

"Sorry," Kyle breathed, trying to steady his shaking hands. "There was something that approached us last night and tried to speak to Khalid."

Khalid, who had been asleep, woke at his name and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and glowering at the coming sun.

"Did it say anything?" Esial asked, scaring the group. He had been dissociating for nearly the entire trip back to the cars.

"Not really. There was a sort of hissing noise, and I thought it was the wind in the trees, and then this shadow came up and dropped this in through the window." Kyle held up Esial's amulet and the vampire lunged forward, grabbing it and holding it to his chest with a shaky breath.

"I thought it was an explosive or something so I threw it back out of the car, but it didn't do anything and I finally went to grab it and have a look at it. It really freaked me out, though."

"I bet," Muir said sympathetically. "Let's get out of here while the sun it up, then."

They piled into the cars, and Esial nearly put the amulet on himself after stringing it on a piece of paracord he found under the front seat. He stopped, glanced at Khalid and down at the amulet.

"I... I want this back, but you can have it for now," Esial said softly, handing it to Khalid. "It will keep you from burning."

Khalid stared at it for a moment before he smiled and sat up, hanging it around Esial's neck. "I'm just planning to sleep under a blanket. I'm tired."

"And hungry?" Granger asked from the front seat where she sat next to Aaron who was driving.

He nodded and she offered her arm to him. He hesitantly bit in and drank.

"I should be feeding him," Esial mumbled.

"Not after what you've been through. Besides, we have no idea what they did to you in there. It might hurt a fledgling so we'll want to wait until we're sure you're safe to drink from."

"And you've been through enough as it is from what I understand," Aaron said pleasantly.

Esial nodded, looking down at the amulet. When the sun came up, he closed his eyes and enjoyed every moment of the warmth on his face and neck as they started the drive to Khalid's village.

..........................................................

Khalid slept the entire way, his soft noises and the way he nuzzled against Esial as he snored endearing him to everyone in the car. Esial was surprised to find himself seated next to Kyle for the ride. The human had been avoiding him for a long time, and while neither of them started a conversation, it didn't seem like Kyle really minded sitting next to Esial. Then again, he could have just been sleep deprived.

"I'm glad you're alive," Kyle said when Khalid's village finally came into view in the distance.

"Mm?" Esial said, coming out of his doze.

"I'm glad you're alive."

Esial sighed and leaned his head back against the seat. He wasn't so sure. There was too much to worry and think about. He missed the person he was at the start of all of this. When he was simply a zookeeper and working to rejoin society as an ancient vampire. Where his only worries were getting his assignments in on time, remembering how a phone worked, and keeping up with the new words that seemed to develop overnight. He felt a strange sense of guilt as he realized he hadn't thought about his crocodiles in days, if not a week. He had to stop thinking about them, he supposed. There was a good while there where he thought he would never see them again and thinking about them just hurt.

"Thanks," he murmured, when he realized he had taken too long to respond to Kyle. He got a weak smile in response.

He made it out the other end. He survived.

He huffed as thoughts of his crocodiles came back to him along with memories of Matt. Stupid Matt.

Those were simple thoughts and simple feelings. Comforting and nothing like the complex emotions that seemed to eat through his spine when he thought of Isut Jeoalt and his father....

His father was still out there. He was.... maybe not alive, but aware. Conscious. Still here. And attached to that monster. What in the world had Torash done to anger Isut Jeoalt like that? What had Esial done to deserve all of this? Or was it all his father's fault? His wonderful, loving, doting father who had made an amulet for him and promised to teach him magic and patched him up whenever he got a scrape while playing.

Esial leaned his head away from Kyle and closed his eyes, attempting to doze again and get away from his thoughts and feelings.

Chapter 38

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He waited patiently, fidgeting with his little stones and rolling his shoulders slightly to see how much they had healed. He was also careful to keep his feet off the ground as his soles prickled with pain. He looked forward to eating and having his injuries heal up like there had been nothing there.

Where was Khalid?

It was fully dark when a shape padded out of the darkness. Khalid did not look well, like someone who had not been able to get any sleep for a couple of days now. He kept his eyes down and stopped at the edge of the canopy, hovering like someone who was trying to convince themself to step into a river of crocodiles.

Esial missed his crocodiles.

The camp slowly wound down around them as Khalid stood there. Esial waited. He could wait. Khalid would have to feed him eventually unless he wanted to be fed from for weeks. Besides, Esial knew his bite was painful, and he wouldn't begrudge the human some hesitation over it.

Finally, Khalid stepped forward and knelt down, scooting the last foot.

Esial waited until he was settled.

"Where would you prefer I bite?" he asked softly. Khalid shuddered and proffered his arm.

Esial nodded, hesitating before wrapping a gentle hand around it and guiding it to his mouth. He did his best to keep the bite shallow enough it wouldn't hurt too bad or take a long time to heal, and started to drink. Beside a couple of shivers, Khalid didn't really react.

Esial had a couple more swallows before he licked at the wound and leaned back, pressing his palm to the cut to get the bleeding to stop. Khalid sucked in a pained breath and Esial flicked his eyes to the boy's face. "Sorry," he murmured.

Once he was sure the bleeding had stopped, Esial licked his palm clean and sat back with a little sigh. Khalid stayed there for a long moment, just staring at the sand.

Esial watched with growing concern before he cleared his throat. "Are you.... are you alright?"

Khalid started and looked around, glancing over his shoulder with some fear, as though he was expecting Amon to be standing behind him. It made Esial nervous in turn.

"I... I do not know. I think......"

Esial waited for him to continue, but Khalid did not. Esial cleared his throat. "You do not have to stay if you do not want to."

Khalid shook his head a little. "I'm.... You are the first to speak to me since the sayidi ordered me to feed you."

"Oh... how come?"

"I am..... I am cursed. I am unclean."

"Because I've been feeding from you?"

Khalid nodded. "The others will not talk to me until I have finished feeding you and have been cleansed."

"Oh. Well, you only have a few days left, yes?"

"Yes.... I should not have come here."

"Why did you come?" Esial asked. He had no idea if it was a good idea to be talking to Khalid. It would likely put himself and the boy in danger of Amon's wrath, but he was bored and facing a cold night ahead. He would like to have something to think over as he tried to sleep rather than thinking about his crocodiles and how they've probably grown to love Matt more than him. Or about how much his friends might blame him for all of this.

"There is a war," Khalid sighed. "If we do not stay employed with Amon, then we will be forced to fight in the war.... I have a mother and sisters who need help and money. If I go to war, I will die like my father, and they will have no one to take care of them."

Esial's heart ached. Khalid had a mother, and he was here feeding a vampire instead of there with her. Esial had never had siblings so he did not know exactly what it would feel like to need to provide for them. He had faint memories of his parents talking about other children with longing, but they never had any others beside Esial. Unless there were ones before him who had died. That happened often enough.

"I am sorry," Esial said eventually. "I wish that you could go home."

Khalid nodded vaguely before some light came back to his eyes and he turned to look fully at Esial. "Why are you here? I know that we are going to be searching for something, but I would like to know what."

Esial closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the sounds of the camp. No one was nearby, though that didn't mean that there wasn't anyone listening. He just hoped there wasn't and that Amon was far enough away that neither of them would get in trouble for talking about this. If they would get in trouble for talking about it. It was difficult being trapped within the whims of an angry man in the desert.

He opened his eyes and sighed softly. "I am... I am very very old."

"How old?"

"I killed hippos in service of the first pharaohs," Esial said softly. "I think there are even carvings of servants like me in some of the temples.... But I am older even than that. Amon says that I was the first vampire turned by the first. I.... I do not know if I believe him, but I have not met anyone older than me, so it might be true."

Khalid's soft breath of awe spurred Esial on. "My father was a magician. A sorcerer. The monster wanted him. Maybe to help him stop being a monster, but my father did not come, and I was turned. My father did help me, though. He could not turn me back, I do not know why, but he did make an amulet for me. One that would protect me from the sun and make tasks easier despite my new form."

"That can't be. There are no sorcerers!"

Esial shrugged. "Maybe not now. There were then. I do not know where they have all gone. But he gave me an amulet I watched him make, and it worked. Amon wants it, but I lost it a long long time ago. I do not even know if it still exists. He wants me to help him find it, but the land has changed so much and I ran so far from the place that I lost it that there is little hope we will be able to find it again."

"Why does he want it?"

"He thinks it will keep the first vampire's attention. He wants his sire's attention again to learn more from him, I think," Esial said. "I think he is stupid for wanting to learn more from a monster."

"Are you not a monster yourself?"

"I do not think I am a monster. I have not killed anyone. And my father cast spells of cleansing and protection over me when I came back from being first turned. I think that has protected me in some way."

Khalid watched in stunned silence. "I am not certain that spells should help with that," he said hesitantly. "It is not of Allah. Unless he was a prophet of Allah many years before."

Esial thought back hard. Memories like this were faded and slippery. He had learned about religion from the Egyptians and found it strange and fascinating. When he had come to the modern world and learned of history, he learned even more about religion and the wars fought over it. He had no idea what it all really meant and he didn't really remember what his parents believed or what they taught him.

The ghosts of words floated past his ears and he concentrated hard, trying to hear them clearly.

We are here to work the will of the embers.

There was nothing else to the memory, and what he did have did not make any sense.

Esial shook his head. "I do not think we had a god back then. My village.... I do not remember. It was a very long time ago. It had been burned away by sunlight."

Khalid considered this, and looked at the wound in his arm. The ones on his shoulders were beginning to heal, the scabs mostly undisturbed. "I am sorry you have become a demon."

No one had really ever said that to him. No one had given him sympathy like that before. His parents had not talked about his turning beyond finding more comfortable means for him to go about life. The villagers had not spoken of it, the priests and mathematicians of the Egyptians only mentioned it when they needed to check what things he thought he would be able to kill, and everyone in the modern day had promised him that it was fine to be a vampire, and fun in some ways. That there were many paths for him to follow and many things he could do and try. They implied that he was lucky to be a vampire and to have survived long enough to see the modern day.

There certainly were good bits. Good food, interesting sights, wonderful animals, fascinating videos, and plumbing was certainly a blessing, but he wasn't fully certain if it was all worth how much pain and suffering he had been through to get here. It touched something deep inside of him to have someone tell him it was okay to dislike what had happened to him.

"Thank you," he said softly. "And I thank you for feeding me, again, even if you have to because of Amon."

Khalid shrugged a little and looked almost embarrassed. "You aren't as bad as I thought a demon would be. Maybe your father was a prophet or a holy man. I am glad you are gentle."

Esial nodded. "I will be glad for you when the week is over."

"Then what will you eat?"

Esial shrugged. "Perhaps I won't, but I can go for a long time without food if I need to."

Khalid looked a little uncertain, but nodded. "It is late. I must go rest."

Esial nodded and murmured a goodnight as Khalid left.

He had certainly found things to think about.

Part 23

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