Blood Bonds

Author Notes: Another story I am working on. Chapter I lacks any smut, regardless of my flags, However I don't believe in PWP, so if you are just here for the smut, go ahead and skip to chapter II, I won't mind =)
And please, as with all my stories, Your reviews will keep it going, even one review could equal up to ten chapters, Currently I am Preoccupied with my other story, Armada, which, due to the amount of reviews is much higher on my priority list - But I will update this story at least once a week. Thank you

The story currently stands at 6298 words and still going strong.

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Prologue

“These damned humans disgust me.” said my partner Hans as we patrolled the dark, cluttered streets of Prague. As we passed through one of the alleys he kicked a sickly homeless man who was lying, disabled on the sidewalk. I looked away, trying to ignore his cruelty. “What?” he said, noticing my gesture, “The animal was in my way.” Hans has always been cruel to the humans, ever since he was turned, but he had his reasons. “Come Andre, we don't have all night, let's hurry so we can get back to the barracks before dawn.” We continued our route through the back alleys to which we were assigned , making our way back to the palace barracks. “Why does she allow the humans to stay in Prague? I just don't understand!” asked Hans. I looked at him and answered to my best efforts “Hans, it is treason to question the Queen, but you know as well as I do that we need the humans in order to survive.” this only infuriated him further however, “Andre, I'm not stupid! I know we need the humans, but why can't we imprison them? Or drive them out of the city? There are so many tiny settlements that spot the area around Prague... These humans are a plague! Yet we protect them from their own violence...” As his rant settled into the silence of the night he looked away, obviously upset by my answer. “They probably think the same thing about us... tell me, are we not a plague? Were we not once humans ourselves until we caught this 'disease'?” He looked over at me with a stressed expression, “You were never human. You were born one of us... but me... I was a human once, why do you think I am but a liability under your command, a mere guardsman.”
“Oh, Hans, you know that I think of you as far more than a liability.” I was upset by his self-degrading speech, and remained silent.
“I... I'm sorry Andre...I didn't mean...” Hans released a drawn sigh. “I should be thanking you, rather than insulting you. That night – you changed my life, you spared me, and here I am putting you down.”
“Forget about it, let's just get back to work. We don't have time for this.” I said, I was somewhat upset.
“I know you meant no harm.”

“It's a quiet night, eh Andre?” he asked in an attempt to change the subject.
I looked at him with a tired expression and said through an almost sarcastic tone, “It's always quiet in this part of the city Hans... except the occasional purifier... but especially these dark moonless nights when we are most ferocious.”
“Yeah, you're right – the Blood Hunt will begin soon, won't it?”
“Yes Hans...”
“Andre, you don't seem as excited as the rest... What is it with you and these filth?”
“Silence Hans!”


As we continued down our assigned route the path towards the palace grew more and more silent, as if an evil aura held the humans at bay. The dark empty alleys that hid between the towering abandoned homes in the plaza around the palace held nothing but shadows and ancient echoes.
“Well there's the palace up ahead. Was a long, boring night tonight, wasn't it.” said Hans.
“Yeah... It was.”
“Are you still upset about earlier Andre?”
“No.” was all I said, even though I knew it was a lie I gestured for Hans to have the gate opened, while I was in the depths of my thought.
He looked at me and nodded before turning towards the gatehouse.
“Open the gate Pietro!” he had a very regal tone to his voice, a very familiar tone.

It reminded me of when we were both young, I remember my first Blood Hunt, we were both about sixteen in the years of the humans, though only in mind and body for us Elder, we aged at a much... different rate, even now I appeared younger than my fledgling Hans.
Yes, it was I who turned him, my father wanted to test me, he told me to choose a house for myself, and he would command the others to leave that house to me, and only me, it was a mistake, I had something that most elders frowned upon... Pity. My own father was disappointed in my actions that night, when he saw me walk out of that house with that young boy leaning on me in his weakness.
My father did nothing to the boy, I still don't understand to this day why he spared him, perhaps it was out of my father's love for me. He never spoke to me since that night; aside from matters of business.
Surprisingly the council said nothing about my fledgling, and allowed him to survive as if he were born an elder.

“Andre? You coming? You were just standing there, staring at the palace.”
Hans voice seemed to pull me back into reality, as it always has.
“Are you feeling alright Andre?” Asked Hans, but those were the last words I heard before drifting off into subconsciousness

Hours later...

That same familiar voice called out to me
“Andre? Are you alright?”
I looked up to find the source, but my vision was a blur, at first all I saw was his brown hair and golden eyes, but it wasn't long before I realized it was Hans.
“You haven't eaten in days...” he said, “...but I'm glad you're still alive...”
He held me in his arms much like the day I turned him, when I held him in his arms, drenched with the stench of the blood of his family which I had slaughtered, I couldn't kill him, I couldn't watch him suffer, I remember his cries, his pleas for me not to eat him, but I didn't want to, I felt a connection. I told him not to worry, and that I could end his pain, I told him to close his eyes for only a minute and it would be over. I knew he feared the worse when I said this, but none the less, he closed his eyes squeezing out one last tear.
Running my hand along his delicate skin, I tore the handkerchief from his neck, and without a moments hesitation, I bit into him as gently as I could, and with that, his last breath as a mortal was drawn, for when he woke, he would be Elder. I watched and waited, I was at his side for hours before he woke...

As I lied there, staring up into his eyes, I had a feeling he had done the same; stood by my side until I finally woke. As I looked up at him I saw the puncture holes I had made all those years ago

“What... happened?”
“Andre... you passed out at the gate.”
I looked up at him, and as my vision became clearer, I noticed several burns on Hans'
neck and shoulders
“Hans, why are you covered in those burns?”
“Don't worry about that... you get some rest... I am going to ask the commander to give
you tonight off.” as Hans walked off towards the armoire to get a fresh shirt, I noticed several more burns covering his back... “Oh Hans...” I said under my breath.
He looked back at me and smiled before exiting our dorm, then I closed my eyes for a second
falling asleep the next.


“Commander Nikolai... I've a request.” The general was a dark, yet tolerable man. He had been in service for nearly 500 years, and he too, was once human. Due to his nature, the years have been hard on his appearance, though he was truly powerful, he looked little more than a gentle old man.
“Ah Hans, how did it go last night?” Hans looked towards the ground as he pulled the collar of his shirt aside revealing the burns
“Sir, my request. You heard about the lieutenant?”
“Young Master Andre? Yes I heard.” his expression immediately turned sour.
“That boy needs to stop feeling sorry for the humans, does he not realize they hunt us for sport? He needs to drink.” continued the commander.
“Sir, please hear my request, I wish you to allow him tonight off, if I must work extra to make up for his absence, I shall.”
“Very well, but I will ask that you rest tonight as well; those burns will only slow you down.”
“...but Sir... I”
“No buts this time Hans. Take the night off, you need rest as well, and besides, you need a clear head in order to protect a city. I can tell you are worried about your sire.”
“I am.”
“Of course you are child, we both know what would happen if he were to die.”
“No... that's not it.” Nikolai watched as Hans turned his head in the direction of the chamber.
“I see... Now go, and you should think about seeing Miss Roth about those burns.”
“I just want to rest. They will be gone by nightfall.”
“Very well Hans. Do what you will.”

I felt a hand on my forehead and woke, it was Aubrey – one of the palace handmaidens.
“Relax, They asked me to look after you until Hans returned.”
“Aubrey... Thank you.”
“Oh, don't thank me, your fledgling Hans is the one you should be thanking... If he wasn't there to shield you from the sun, you wouldn't be lying here right now. It was the crack of dawn, I don't know why you two were out on duty so late.”
Moments later Hans burst into the room, he looked somewhat riled.
“Aubrey! I told you to let him sleep! Get out of here!”
“I...I'm sorry sir.”
Aubrey scurried out of the room as fast as she could, Hans had given her quite a fright.

I looked into Hans eyes.
“That wasn't necessary Hans.” he said nothing in his defense as he strolled over to the seat where Aubrey had watched me from, and sat. He put his hand near mine.
“You should rest.”
quietly he stood up and peered at one of the blood lilies in the room.
He looked at me briefly, “Beautiful, aren't they? And the fragrance so lovely, much like blood.”
He returned to the seat and looked me in the eye.
“You can't keep ignoring the hunger Andre. If you do... you will surely die.”
“I know Hans... I know.”
“Listen to me! Andre... if you die, I...”
“You will die as well, I am aware of this.”
Hans has always had a short temper... again he was furious.
“Why does everyone assume I am so selfish? That isn't it! Don't you understand how I feel?”
“Hans... I know. I've always known.”
“...you should go back to sleep.” was Hans' only reply.
Hans looked away without another word, I knew he was right, I did need my sleep.
He too looked as though he was about to doze off. he stared blindly at the wall as though mesmerized by the ill-shapen stone that made up most of the palace.
“Perhaps you should get some sleep as well, Hans.”
He looked at me with a brief blank expression, before returning his focus to the wall.
I turned away from Hans and wrapped the fresh linens around my shoulder, falling asleep.