Meier Link

It had been quite some time since the noble and stoic vampire known as Meier Link had left his castle in pursuit of distraction and company despite the latter found wanting. On a whim, he had decided to indulge the lesser nobles' request to accompany them on their hunt in his own land after the traveling vampires had grace enough to pay him homage and respect. It would have been suicide for them not to had they feasted on the town without his permission and he caught wind of it.

As a Greater Noble, Meier was one of the more rare breeds considered a human sympathizer, yet he would not intervene in his kin's need to feed for survival. Together, they moved at inhuman speed through the night, the moon high and full as it bathed his land with expansive meadows and forests both in a nocturnal vista. His black cape fluttered about him like massive wings akin to a bat before they settled just on the outskirts of the modest little town, most abodes locked up and darkened for the night, unaware of what was about to befall them.

Meier showed no emotion even as there was a slight anticipation in his chest, standing imposing and tall in the middle of the lesser nobles and their freshly-turned coven. The same old trope of eager little vampiric lords and ladies wanting to create a following to give them a sense of status and power, yet had sense enough to remain humble around the Baron.

"Master Link," one of them murmured then, lifting a hand in supplication. "Are you certain you will not join us on this hunt? I understand you house a magnificent lab that creates synthetic blood, but you must admit nothing will ever replace the real thing. Indulging here and there among your precious humans would be completely understandable, not to mention—"

The vampire was silenced with a single look, Meier's red eyes flashing with a rare moment of emotion. Of impatience that had them all shirking back.

"You presume much," Meier growled, his voice deep with a slight rasp from sometimes going years without ever speaking a word to anyone. "I am merely here to observe, to make sure you and your coven do not overly indulge as you say."

Without moving his head, his crimson orbs glanced around him, taking in the faces of the freshly turned, his eyes narrowing, memorizing each of them instantly. "Should I find any of you gluttonous in your endeavors, taking more than you need, you will find the action highly regrettable. Do not make me intervene."

"O-of course, Master Link," the first vampire offered quickly with a deep bow, his underlings mirroring him. Good, they had sense enough to not even tempt to confront him despite their twenty to his one. They could sense the difference in power and knew they'd be ripped to shreds before they even comprehended their end.

And with that, they suddenly leapt away to take to the shadows the little settlement's buildings offered in the bright moonlight, Meier remaining in place for a moment before he too sought a better vantage point. He knew many would die this night despite his warnings, yet such was the price to pay for peace, he thought with grim resignation. To allow his kin to sate their hunger now in order to prevent greater bloodshed later.

Meier observed with a calculating gaze as the vampires began to descend upon the unsuspecting townspeople like a plague of locusts. He remained stoic, his expression impassive as he watched the carnage unfold. The screams of the townsfolk echoed through the night air, carried on the wind to his sensitive ears. It was a discordant symphony of terror and agony, underscored by the snarls and growls of the vampires as they fed with reckless abandon. Meier's hands curled into fists at his sides, his nails digging into his palms with enough force to draw blood, a physical manifestation of his inner turmoil. He reminded himself once again this was necessary, yet the thought rang hollow, a flimsy justification for the carnage he had enabled through his inaction.

After a time, he found himself wandering into the town as the screams began to die out. Some humans had managed to flee, but most had met a grisly end or were moaning and writhing as they bled their last. The coppery aroma of blood filled the air like a overpowering miasma.

Just as Meier made his way down a back alley, his cape swirling around him like ink of blackest night, a figure suddenly rounded the corner, running right into him. He didn't budge an inch, the human stumbling back as if they had ran right into a wall. They were injured, he instantly realized, the scent of blood wafting from their wounded form stirred an instinctual hunger within the ancient vampire, a primal urge he had long suppressed through sheer willpower and synthetic blood. Yet something else about this human's presence intrigued him, a fascination he could not quite pinpoint.

He caught their wide, frightened but defiant eyes gazing up at him, Meier giving the slightest inclination of his head in return. How curious...

Could it be the defiant spark in their eyes, even in the face of such terror? The way their heart hammered frantically, pumping that tantalizing crimson essence through their veins? Meier mused to himself, his gaze intense and assessing as it raked over their form.

As they swayed on their feet, clearly on the verge of collapse, Meier moved swiftly, catching them in his powerful arms before they could crumple to the ground. He cradled their smaller frame against his broad chest, the contrast of their fragility against his towering strength striking.

I should leave them to their fate, as I have done with so many others... The rational part of his mind argued. And yet... Something compels me to intervene, to spirit this human away from the slaughter...

"Shhh, be still," Meier murmured, his deep baritone voice low and soothing despite its slight rasp. His eyes flashed with an eerie red glow as he exerted his vampiric will, lulling them into a temporary state of unconsciousness. "You need not fear me, little one. For now, you are under my protection..."

With inhuman speed and agility, Meier gathered their limp form fully into his arms and leapt into the shadows, his black cape billowing behind him. He moved through the night like a wraith, unseen by the other vampires too lost in their bloodlust to notice his departure.

What madness drives me to spare a single human life, when I have stood by and allowed so many others to perish? He silently questioned himself as he raced through the darkness towards his castle looming in the distance. Is it mere fascination? Misplaced compassion? ...Or something else...something darker?

Meier shook his head, his long white hair streaming behind him. There would be time to ponder his motivations later. For now, he needed to get them to safety within the confines of his ancestral home, tend to their wounds, and ensure they were hidden from the other Nobles until they moved on from his lands. Only then could he begin to unravel the tangled web of emotions and impulses that whispered through his ancient heart, a phantom ache he had long believed vanquished.

As they approached the sprawling gothic castle, Meier focused his power and the massive gates swung open of their own accord. He carried them across the threshold, the entryway seeming to shimmer and vanish behind them, sealing them inside the ever-shifting labyrinth of his domain.

And so it begins... Meier mused darkly as he strode through the candlelit halls with his precious cargo, the shadows seeming to flicker and dance in his wake. A dangerous game, fraught with temptation and the risk of unearthing long buried emotions... But perhaps, a game worth playing, if only to feel the thrill of something beyond mere existence once more...

With a thought, Meier commanded one of the castle's many doors to open, revealing a lavish bedchamber. He carried them inside and carefully laid their still form upon the plush bed, his eyes roving over their blood-streaked skin and tattered clothing with a mix of hunger and concern.

Rest now, little human, he projected the thought into their mind, his mental voice a dark velvet caress. We shall see what the night brings, and if you prove as intriguing as I suspect...

And with that, he left the room to let them sleep undisturbed. His castle was like an extension of his own mind. He would know when they would awaken no matter where he was, his ancient heart quickening with anticipation for the first time in untold centuries.