Author's Notes

For this particular story, I used some of the dialogue from the game itself, since it seemed to fit nicely up until a point. I do not normally do this, but I felt that the limited use of given dialogue would be suiting to this piece.

Also, I offer a friendly warning regarding the mild shonen-ai (m/m) content within.

Mirrors

It had been months since he had heard the decaying metal of the door grind against the floor. Though he was curious, he remained still, expecting nothing less than a sharp attack from behind. A rusty blade in the back. Walter would have no qualms with that, surely. Years of imprisonment worked to erode any fear of death he might have harbored. Facing an untold number of centuries here was not feasible in his mind. Indeed, he had lately begun contemplating turning his swords against his own sunken veins.

The floors of this prison will run red before the fall of another moon, he had mused. And still, the moons came and went.

As the familiar silence faded, he was becoming more interested in who it was that had come all this way through the castle to his lonely room. His misty prison.

Light, guarded footsteps tapped the stone. Sensitive vampire ears heard the brisk inhalation and thunderous heartbeat as a pair of deafening temptations. But the breathing paused as a voice echoed from the mysterious form.

"Is someone there? Are you a prisoner here?" Joachim turned and stood up slowly. As he did, strands of silver hair fell over his eyes.

"Who are you?" He sneered at the stranger. Who the hell is this fool, and why has he decided to disturb me?

"My name is Leon…and you are?" The stranger stepped forward into the torchlight, and his appearance became clear. The man was young and unnaturally fair. Smooth blonde waves framed his face and curled upwards. His lean form boasted obvious strength, as well as an underlying and tempting fragility. Though his beauty was something to be noted, burning behind this man's eyes was a determination that sparked in Joachim a fleeting sense of empathy. Fleeting it was.

He glanced at Leon's coat, and the rust-colored markings upon it. This man must be a knight, a Crusader…but why has a Crusader been sent here? He too began walking forward with an ominous pace.

"My name…is Joachim Armster." As his name dripped off his pale lips, he stepped further into the weak light, and grinned slyly at the stranger. "It's too bad…you're not Walter. Hmm…but alas." This had the desired effect; with great expectation, he observed the blonde man's body ripple with shudders. He was uncomfortable, fearful, and he had made him so. Good.

"This feeling…" There was a peculiar sensation in those words. Leon seemed visibly moved by the young vampire's presence, and appeared ever more so as he watched him emerge from the curtain of shadow. Joachim himself was truly striking, with a tall, slight figure, and a beautiful visage painted a ghostly pale.A paleness fitting of a corpse. And in truth, this man had died – and been resurrected by some blasphemous hand. If only he knew, he cackled to himself. If only I could tell him, if only I could show him.

"Are you a vampire?"

"That's right, lowly human. I am…" He said this while taking a small bow.

"But, why is a vampire locked away here?" Joachim's violet eyes widened with incredulity. The question was unanticipated, cheeky, and it shattered the last bit of patience cringing within the vampire.

"Shut up! Damn Walter! I would have won were it not for his ebony stone." Tainted blood began to course more heatedly through withered veins, and Leon could sense this.

"Ebony stone? What's that?" His voice echoed with a boyish inflection, most likely embarrassing to him, but strangely enticing to the hungry vampire before him. He glided forward within inches of Leon's body, their shadows mingling on the floor. As Joachim exhaled lightly, his breath tickled Leon's face. Again he shuddered and again Joachim smiled, flashing fangs through the crack of his grin.

"You fear me. Rightly so."

"You're wrong." Leon's face was stoic. However, his body shook in spite of himself, and his uneasiness only worked to further entice the vampire.

"Oh really? How so? You're shivering…"

"I have nothing to fear from the likes of you."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Leon's eyes widened, and his body twitched. A sharp pain merged with heat that ran down his leg. The vampire chuckled quietly, and raised a sword in front him. The tip was slick and red and just barely glistened in the dim light. Leon's left hand flew to the top of his thigh and cupped the wound. The vampire had pulled a sword from the ground and cut it across his flesh as swiftly as light; he must have, for Leon did not even notice it in the creature's hand. As he watched the man finger the injury, Joachim ran his tongue over the blade, lapping up the dark liquid slowly and contentedly.

"The fear, it swims in your blood. I can taste it. So stop lying." Leon's pulse had significantly quickened, to the point that his breaths more resembled gasps.

"You, how did you…?" Joachim's grin broadened.

"Heh, I'm sorry if I move too quickly for you. You had better get used to it though."

The knight bit at his lip, his nerve unraveling with each passing moment. Joachim knew all too well this behavior and decided to make the most of it. He stepped forward once and Leon stepped back, still biting at his lip. The vampire took another solid step forward, only this time much more swiftly, and landing his boot on the ground quite loudly. This was unexpected and caused Leon to clamp down on his already reddened lip. Blood rushed to the surface of the torn flesh, and oozed slowly out. Subconsciously, Leon tried to lick away the blood and conceal the wound. But a hungry vampire would not stand by and witness this wanton wasting. Joachim glided forward, and took hold of Leon's shoulder, keeping him in place.

"You shouldn't do that. I can certainly make better use of it." Leon's own eyes widened as the vampire leaned in to his face. But he gasped as the man's lips met his; they rested on his, locked in an almost tender grip. They moved gently, and often he could feel the other's tongue break through and glide over the cut, seeking as much blood as he could thieve. Drunk on the sensation of this man's kiss, Leon's eyes drifted shut and his body loosened. Joachim understood and released him, shoving him a few steps backwards; this mishandling shook the young knight out of his brief daze.

Leon, still clutching his leg, turned around and hobbled toward the door. He no longer wished to extract information from this particular prisoner. If I stay here with him, I might lose my life. I've no idea what he's capable of, he whispered to himself. Closing his eyes again, he could see Sara's face, Mathias, his wedding and other fond memories. They were his source of strength in such stressful times. Always had been. But his eyes opened again when he felt his body sharply halted and spun around.

With one hand at his disposal, the vampire had grabbed hold of Leon's neck, bloody blade still in his grasp. Cold fingers held tightly to the knight's throat, with a force just short of crushing it. He rather liked toying with this man. No sense in being rid of him just yet, he thought. Leon squirmed under the pressure, and used his own hands to try to free himself from the grip. Please God, I can't die like this. I can't leave Sara behind. Perhaps it was the image of her face in his mind that was responsible, but a great surge coursed through his body and he was able to shake loose from Joachim's hold. He stumbled backward, nearly collapsing on the hard floor. He was careful to keep his eyes focused on the vampire. He would not make the same mistake twice. But, the vampire did not pursue him. Indeed, he merely stood in the shadows, his brilliant eyes glowing eerily. Once more, they narrowed.

"Go. Finish your little quest already. We both know he'll be waiting for you, and he won't consider this game of his over with until one of you is dead. Keep in mind that even though I let you escape now, I will never be far behind you. Don't ever let your guard down, Leon." The knight rubbed his neck gingerly and backed out of the dungeon, eyes still on Joachim. He had learned his first lesson about vampires this night: never turn your back on one. Ever. However, even as he sought to leave the unfortunate man behind, he could not stop hearing his voice repeat his name. It was a strange feeling, an odd feeling not unlike a pleasant nervousness, a fluttering in the stomach. But he did not look back.

As Joachim watched Leon disappear, he felt his chest grow heavy. He took a quick look at his swords, which rested on the ground near him.

He sighed. And then smiled.

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