Chapter Text
Scott closed the door to his shared home with Abolish. The butler had done a good job on it, it was a part of the work he agreed to, the only problem right now is that he wasn't here.
The blood moon was high in the sky, for some reason, Oakhurst seemed to constantly have a blood red moon. The manor lord's butler had so inconveniently gone missing around this time. Scott checked their house, the area around Oakhurst though not venturing out alone just yet. And still there was no Abolish in sight. Pearl, Martyn and Apo went into the mines earlier and they said Abolish wasn't down there. They wouldn't lie, especially not Pearl.
Much to the count's distress, another close to him had gone abruptly missing in the night. Thankfully Shelby returned safe the other night however Abolish... no if anything he should worry for whatever falls victim to his hands. He's competent, one of the most competent he's ever seen. That's exactly the reason Scott chose him to be his personal butler and trusted his opinion in official matters.
Even so, It was getting late. Concerningly late. It's not that he couldn't sleep without knowing the man was keeping guard. But it was strange for him to wander out alone in the night even if he could fend for himself. The only thing out there that's worth any interest in the dead of night would be those holy books but he knows both of them had a look at them today already. It couldn't be the beacons, they're all holy now. In whatever strange way they worked and whatever they did, the lumination of those brought him a sense of relief, somehow. Perhaps there was some work of essential oils in the air or such.
In any way, Abolish was out in the woods somewhere, probably all alone. He spoke to the doctor earlier despite their mutual dislike of one another, thanks to that Scott knows he didn't announce venturing out at night because the doctor's taken account of most things in the village by now.
He should wait, probably. Abolish was capable enough to defend himself and he wouldn't do anything stupid. Maybe he's just lost in the woods or is getting the biggest holy book haul of his life. It shouldn't matter much.
Or so he thought.
Scott would've just walked back on into his bedroom and slept the night away. He would've put this behind him and pushed it aside. Or well, he should have. It just didn't make sense for Abolish to be gone without notice past midnight. It didn't sit right.
"(Alright. What did you do this time?)"
Scott turns on his heel and strides to the gates of Oakhurst. His exit wasn't noticed by the townsfolk gathering in the middle of Oakhurst to talk about their findings whatnot Scott couldn't care about.
In the end, Scott couldn't bring himself to sit and wait. Not after knowing him well enough to know that this would be entirely out of reason for the butler. Most of town except for him were inside the walls by now.
Scott had his tools with him as well as some torches to see in the dark. He can fend for himself, he even taught the butler a few tricks. Even though ever since their first spar, he could tell that Abolish knew alot about fighting with a sword already. That didn't stop them from learning a thing or two from eachother.
Memories were a nice thing, but focus is what was going to get him to the bottom of this. If he doesn't act now then he won't have solid proof of whatever's going on.
Plus, he wouldn't be framed for his butler's disappearance like he was with his other roommate's (Shelby) if he was out as well.
The more he was alone outside the walls the more he felt like this was a bad idea. He was wandering the woods, entering crypts and passing landmarks to see if Abolish was there. Yet there was no such trace of the man. Hours passed but the count's search was not over.
The sun was coming back into view, that told the him how long he'd been sent on a wild goose chase. He considered going back to town, If Abolish was there he'd probably be looking around for him the same he was himself right now. Scott looked to the direction of Oakhurst...
A sound went off. It rung in his ears and threw him off balance, Scott caught himself on the side of a tree and regained himself.
The Obelisk Beacon was no longer holy.
That vaguely spoke to him, a voice unrecognisable and magical, a message from nowhere but a sensation that was more than telling enough.
A chunk of holiness left the air but it had yet to be replaced with darkness.
He knew where the Obelisk was, he was pretty close actually.
Something reversed the holy beacon at the Obelisk into a hollow shell. Something that was probably not human, judging by how humans had light in themselves to consecrate the beacons. It was something else.
Something dark. Something different.
...he was starting to sound like that psycho back at the town, but maybe it was bigfoot knocking over a beacon or something.
Scott hopped over the rocks in the water over to the pale oak, dashing through the trees towards the Obelisk. If he didn't go there right now then whatever changed the beacon would remain a mystery. Because if anything, Scott wanted to prove the skeptics at town wrong.
And there he was. The long dark stone pillar marked the position of the beacon that lost its light. Scott hid behind a tree to make an attempt that he wasn't seen. The dust and scattered webs in and around the place made it difficult to be quiet but still he held his breath.
Scott focused his eyes and in the distance by the beacon that was slowly getting dimmer and dimmer he sees a dark figure. Quite literally as the person was wearing black. Abolish always liked the monotone colors, Scott thought it a shame as he adored the vibrant shades. The more Scott startd the more he convinced himself until he left his hiding spot to see for himself.
That didn't mean it was him though, right? Anyone can wear black anyway.
Not to mention how the distance made it hard to see, the daylight and shadow coming from the towering pillar made that small spot too dark to make out anything but a silhouette...
The thick fog overcast the sky, it was more apparent in this decayed forest. Still, the daylight just barely illuminated the figure to make out some details.
Black hair that reached around the neck. A long black coat that blended in with the shadows. Soon it made sense who it was, but not why it was him or how he did that.
"(Is that... Abolish? How would he have uncleansed the beacon, what-)"
Scott decides it's best to stop thinking and start moving. It'll be better if he gets answers himself. The decayed grass crunched under his foot as he stepped closer to the Obelisk.
The Final Stand has been broken. Darkness pushes against the light.
That ringing sent through his head makes him stumble but moreover he feels fear.
Scott looked up towards the Obelisk again, dread creeping up on his senses.
Abolish was standing beside the corrupted beacon. The blood red color lit the shadows of the Obelisk and more importantly his face. Abolish took his hand off the beacon.
"Oh." The butler paused, "Hi Scott."
There was red in his eyes, a deeper shade of crimson replaced the calm amber of his pupils.
"A-Abolish?"
The Count stuttered, taken aback by the sight of his butler and the red surrounding him.
"You shouldn't be out here alone." Abolish said, his voice was flat. He hopped down from the structure.
Scott stepped back. "What did you do with the beacon." He knew it wasn't a good idea to be so blunt but he didn't care about talking his way through this.
"You... shouldn't pay attention to that." He stepped forward, covering more distance than the step before.
"Why not?" Scott asked warily, making distance with every step Abolish covers.
"Why are you backing away?" He moved forward.
"Why aren't you answering me?" He stepped back.
"...Stay still." Abolish commanded and ran towards Scott.
"Nope!' Scott took off sprinting in the direction to town.
The runner ran across the pale forest through the thicker parts, hoping to lose the other in the process. Lifeless branches snap and leaves scatter as his feet kick them aside in his escape. Scott was running out of breath, the dry air in the area wasn't helping at all.
"Stop running, Scott." Abolish called from behind, his speed remained intact and consistent as he chased after his lord.
Scott doesn't reply, he focuses on getting to a safe distance at the very least. But he's getting slower.
"I just want to talk." The butler slowed his pace so his lord would feel safer, he was ready to lunge if needed.
"Mmm I don't think so!" The count sped up his pace the best he could.
"Why are you running?" Abolish asked in their chase.
"Wha- I don't know! Because you're chasing me?!" Scott answers as he makes a sharp turn and jumps over a large rock.
"We can just talk if you stop for a second." Abolish held back a laugh he got from remembering how Scott would run like this avoid some of his duties.
"I don't know if you're going to hurt me or not!" Scott skipped past unstable ground and ducked under trees with particularly large and sharp branches.
"I haven't done anything to you, you're the one that's running without reason." Abolish pointed out.
"Don't go using what I taught you against me!!" Scott yelped spotting Abolish at the corner of his eyes, still running.
Scott jumped to grab a thick branch, he uses it to swing towards another tree and climb a hill.
Abolish sighed as he watched the count make the acrobatic feat. He's tired of chasing him, not physically. Physically, he's completely fine. Emotionally though? It's getting a little annoying.
"Ha! Haha!" Scott laughed after reaching the top of the hill. His clothes were dirtied but atleast he gets to breathe for a little. He levers himself up by using the tree beside him.
Scott slowly peered over the edge to check if his butler is still there and whatever he's doing if he's not chasing him down.
Abolish met his eyes from below the hill. The feat was impressive, even if the butler already knew his lord to be good on his feet. That didn't mean it helped him though. It was a good attempt though, really.
Abolish lunged upwards, landing swiftly on the grey patches of grass. He pulls out the bundles of string he made by breaking spider webs in the pale oak.
Scott's hope was crushed in a second and before he can slip away again he's pulled into a wrap of string binding him to the nearest tree.
"Ugh- goddammit." Scott groaned at being caught, chills poured down his spine as he realized what situation he was in.
"Sorry, I kinda had to do that because you wouldn't stop running." Abolish secured more of the string around Scott, making sure he doesn't break free and go running again.
"What was THAT about?!" He asked, bewildered by his butler's strangely new level of athleticism.
Abolish averts his gaze from Scott, wondering if he should let his secret out. The moment is short as he realized there definitely wouldn't be any escaping this and if he did he'd get pestered about it non-stop.
"...You know, I really hoped it wouldn't come to this." Abolish snaps a line of string and pockets the rest for future use.
"What does that mean." Scott's expression hardened, he shifted in his binds uncomfortably.
Whoops. That wasn't Abolish's intention.
"No, no- I'm not going to hurt you, Scott." The creature of the night assured, "What makes you think I'd do that?"
The reassurance was nice. There wasn't a fact proving it right or wrong was the problem.
"Um- I don't know?" Scott began listing, "Maybe it was turning a holy beacon into that dark red thing? Chasing me down through the woods after seeing me?"
The more he talked, the more it made sense.
"The tying me down with this string?!?" He swung his restricted arm forward, only to be able to move it a little before the web contained him.
"...Okay, yeah, valid point."
"Thank you!"
The count sighed, not exactly satisfied with his unfortunate predicament.
"Now you're going to explain to me what that red beacon and that big jump was all about" Scott glared, it wasn't out of hatred but out of pure annoyance that his butler could hide all of whatever this is from him.
"Unless that was just you and you got more athletic, good on you for that but that's besides the point."
Abolish held back a laugh, he needed to be sincere and serious here.
"Alright, look. I'm gonna need you to believe me on this even if sounds ridiculous." Abolish straightened his expression.
"Go on, not like I have a choice." Scott rolled his eyes.
"It's not like you're a vampire or anything." Scott said with a joking grin.
The vampire kept quiet.
The human slowly gets uneasy from it.
"Right?"
Abolish facepalms, that joke of a vampire hunter back at town was turning out to be a much bigger nuisance than he originally thought.
"How about I just-"
Abolish takes his gloved hand to his mouth and puts into full view—his fangs.
"You're... You..." Scott stared wide-eyed, Abolish pulls his hand away from his mouth. "...You've got to be kidding me."
"I'm a bit surprised you didn't find out from this," Abolish points to his deep red eyes, "but I guess you didn't believe in them in the first place."
"Wait-" Scott said in the middle of processing this information, "since when have you..."
Abolish checks their surroundings, no one in sight.
"A couple hundred years I think."
That didn't help Scott process any of this any better.
His butler was a vampire, apparently for a couple hundred years which means he was one from the start of him being a butler. It explained the unexplained parts about him from before, it was strange that his butler only showed physical traits of vampires now, like his fangs and red eyes. Yet, standing before him was a vampire. He hadn't heard much of anything in detail just the basics, but he knows enough to know that he's in danger.
"Hold on, I'm a little hungry." Abolish mumbled. He turned away and brought some pieces of raw beef to his mouth.
Scott flinched immediately after hearing that comment, badly. Abolish took notice and wiped off the the traces of raw flesh.
"...Scott?" Abolish stared at his lord with a concerned expression.
Scott couldn't reach his sword all that well, his vampire butler probably made sure of that. He wasn't happy with how his fear was perceived.
He never knew this side of Abolish before. It put him in a completely different light. For god's sake he chased him and restrained him! And he just revealed his true nature as... A vampire. He'd been accused of that enough but to hear that his butler was actually one and had hundreds of years before him—It made him look so different.
"I thought I told you—I won't hurt you." Abolish turned to his lord and approached him.
"Yeah well-" Scott caught his breath, "How am I supposed to know that?!"
For once in a long time, Scott Goldsmith's face was contorted with fear and confusion.
"How am I supposed to know you're actually not going to hurt me or kill me or- drink from me??"
He wasn't too knowledgeable about vampires, clearly when his subordinate steered him away from that topic to make sure he didn't find out.
"Scott–" The butler stopped to correct himself, "Have I ever done you wrong, My lord?"
Abolish looked up at Scott with a worried look on his face. It was hard to see him as a creature that wanted his blood when he looked at him like that.
"I- no, no you haven't." Scott broke eye contact, those vampiric red eyes unnerved him.
"Everything you know about me from these recent years, all of that was me." Abolish explained, "I haven't changed. The only thing that's changed is that you know that I'm a vampire now."
Scott was debating himself in his head now. He looked down, looking inside himself to see if he's going to believe the vampire that caught and trapped him or if he's going to trust his loyal servant he's had for the most important stages of his life.
A voice broke through the arguments in his head.
"Here, I'll get these off you, I'm sorry." Abolish took out his stone sword and brought it to the tight binds of string around his lord.
"Just- please don't run. It really won't go well for you." He realizes that might sound threatening, "A-as in you'll only wear yourself out and I don't want that for you."
"...yeah no I could tell. I won't run." The lord said flatly.
Abolish snipped the sticky string off of Scott with the stone blade and Scott picked off the rest himself.
"All good?" The vampire asked, putting away his weapon.
"Kind of." The noble brushed the dirt and cobweb residue off his coat, it was looking worse for wear.
Abolish took a few steps back to give Scott some space. The lord looked conflicted, still.
Then, Scott asked a question, hesitantly.
"You're really not going to do anything to me, right?"
He was just making sure. He could never be too sure.
"No, I won't. I won't hurt you, my lord." Abolish bowed professionally, like how he would in public events of high importance. His voice stern as stone.
"You know I'm not gonna trust you if you put it like that." Scott half-smiled, giving Abolish the hint.
Abolish rolled his eyes with a smile, "I promise I won't hurt you, Scott." His tone was lighter and friendlier.
Ofcourse, over the years they'd developed a bond beyond just Lord and Butler. They were friends who relied on eachother, taught eachother new things and confided in one another, paying heed to the other's concerns and opinions. Whatever hundreds of years lied before these years with him, they probably weren't important. Atleast not as much as this.
"Oh well," Scott shrugged, "Even if you didn't mean that, you would've killed me or something a long time ago if you wanted to."
Abolish crossed his arms and shifted awkwardly, "Uh, yeah but I didn't wanna say that."
They both laughed after. It seemed the tension finally settled. The sun was quite high by now, the horizon was empty, dry, hollow and depressing. Atleast the sunlight made it look a little better despite the thick fog.
"Hm." Scott put a hand on his chin. "Abolish?"
"Yeah?"
"How do I know you're a vampire?" Scott turned to face Abolish instead of the greyed distance.
"You're still not convinced? The fangs, the red eyes—that jump too." Abolish shifted his stance to better face Scott. The sun would be burning him too right now if he hadn't been wearing clothing that covered most of himself.
"Nope, I've made myself completely deny the existence of vampires after the talk of it in the town." Scott displays distaste for the vampire talk in town before looking his butler in his red eyes.
"So prove it." He smiled, eagerly waiting to see some of the cool new tricks his butler can do.
Abolish sighed, all dramatic for a vampire that had no use of that. "Really?"
Scott nodded up and down immediately.
Abolish couldn't possibly refuse the request of his lord, so he will oblige.
"Alright, alright."
Scott stared with starry eyes as in the place of his devoted butler came a small ashen-colored and fluffy bat. It's wings flapped to keep itself from dipping below the human's sight. From the creature came the voice of his vampiric butler.
"Is this enough proof?" The bat's small mouth synced to his words. Abolish was now a bat.
Scott gasped, "Oh my god!" In excitement. "You're so tiny!"
"(As if that wasn't true before.)" The bat thought to himself.
Scott reaches his hands towards the bat and Abolish perches on his hand.
Scott is absolutely amazed at this. His butler just became a little cute bat and was flying! And now he was perched on his hand! The lord always wanted an exotic pet, though calling Abolish that was probably too much.
"This is so cool." Scott traced a finger along the edge of his butler's wings, this was very entertaining and healing after running for his life from the same person just earlier.
"You still haven't answered my question." Abolish lifted one of his wings to scratch his pointed ear, his lord watched with wonder.
"Huh? Oh, yeah I believe you." Honestly he already did, there was just a small smidge of doubt that this transformation eliminated. He only really said that to see if he could prove it through other means.
Abolish was relieved at the very least. Scott wasn't scared of him anymore, which was good. It was weird to see Scott afraid, especially of him. He always knew his lord to be a fearless force to be reckoned with. It wasn't new to see him scared, he's had his moments, it was just a little more heartbreaking this time around.
Abolish shook his small head and flew up, "Okay, that's enough."
"Aww." Scott pouted.
The lord's butler took his humanoid form again, he cracked his knuckles and faced the horizon once more.
"We shouldn't be away from town too long."
Scott put a hand on his hip, "And who's fault is it that I came out all this way?" He huffed. "I was looking for you since midnight!"
"You were?" Abolish raised an eyebrow. "Why would you do that?" He hadn't had the time to consider how exactly his lord had spotted him.
Scott knew from the moment he set out that night that it was probably a bad decision packed with risk and danger but he needed to get to the bottom of why his butler had up and gone missing then.
"I'm sorry, who was the one that decided to leave without a word and did that whole thing with the beacon?" He fixed his cravat in place.
"Personally, I wouldn't want to be framed for murder again." The noble sighed.
Abolish laughed, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
"We should go back now, Shelby's probably worried sick" with a flourish of his hand, Scott took a step forward, waiting for his butler to follow.
"Or getting framed for killing us?" Abolish joked and followed behind his lord.
"Haha! Exaactly, that's why we need to go." Scott laughed, he knew his Abolish was the type for jokes too.
"To be fair, the only reason I was out here was to turn that beacon. All of them being purified left me feeling... bad." Abolish grimaced at the memory of the piercing holiness weakening him.
"Well now you have to tell me about the beacons. Tell me in detail won't you?" His interest piqued.
"Yeah..." Abolish trailed, "What happened was..."
The lord and his butler walked their way back to town discussing vampirism and the effects of the beacon along the way.
It was a very risky decision for Scott to go out alone that night.
But it was highly rewarding.
...After being scared for his life for a good while.