Vampire Side Story: Gasper (Patreon)

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Commissioned by  quiteadapperlass

Word Count: 1053

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“Well, aren’t you a little hero. Letting yourself get kidnapped, so you can get strong enough to rescue your crush.” Scary. The man sitting before me was scary. I smelled a human. A powerful, capable human, but a human. I shouldn’t be afraid. Vampires should be above any human. Yet, my heart raced and my legs shook in his presence, when I could stand before Father without shaking. “How adorable.”

The Preservers are everywhere on the news. They’re mankind’s new hope against all the dangers of the newest age. Whether that be the Aspect of Destruction, which turned a continent into a wasteland, or the Chimera, who endlessly come forth, they were supposed to be heroes. However…. However I feared this human called Miyakuro Kita more than I’d ever feared Father.

“That’s because I can crush your father into a sphere the size of my fist. And, maybe upgrade my eye with one of yours. Right now, without your consent… or you putting up any sort of a fight.”  He can read your mind. He is ruthless. He has powers well beyond your ability to detect. He is in the same room as you. Is this how a human feels in the presence of a Vampire? Is this some sort of penance for all those people your father brought into the court, as they screamed and wailed? This sort of power, with this malice, belongs to the Preservers? “Wrong. I belong to me, and I happen to like my current lifestyle, so I fight with the Preservers. For the sake of air conditioning and convenience, I will save the world.”

You almost laugh, but it dies in your throat.

“Fear does that. I have to admit I’m disappointed though. That was pretty good.” Miyakuro’s Kita’s one-eyed gaze is lazy, but you know that he sees more than you can ever hope to hide. And, his cane… it’s laid on the table in a way that reminds of you a sword. But, it’s infinitely more deadly. You’re sweating. It’s almost difficult to breath. But, you bite your lower lip, and continue to listen. “Now, now, even though it would be easier, I don’t make all the decisions nowadays. I just take a good, long look at someone, then I report my findings. I’m just your average, regular Preserver, without any control over your life or death… unless you give me a reason to be, of course.”

I could hear every beat of my heart.

“Is that clear, Gasper Vladi?”

It was.

“I want [i]to hear you [b]say it[/b][/i], Gasper Vladi.”

“I-it is.” I choked on my words, and that increased my terror a thousand fold. I almost thought that simple mistake would see me dead. I was surprised that I was still alive after I made it. “I-I won’t give you a reason, M-Miyakuro-san.”

“Very good. That settles a lot of problems. Both mine and yours. I won’t have to deal with you ever again, you get to get stronger, and everyone wins.”

What went unsaid, of course, was what would happen if everyone didn’t win.

And, the only one who can possibly lose is me…

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“Would you like male clothes?” Sitri was easier to talk to. He was precise, logical, and conclusive. Already, he had my room laid out, my logistical needs met, and had given me my new lifestyle, as well as explained what was expected of me. I was to be evaluated, processed, and then the decision would come to see whether or not the Preservers would deign to deal with me.  Handling smaller matters efficiently helped deal with my nerves… “Or, perhaps, you prefer dressing as a girl? And, if so, would you like to be recognized as a male or female?”

“M-male, please. This is… just a hobby I’ve grown accustomed to. I’ll grow out of i-it.” Back home, it was only me and Valerie. And, before everything went wrong, she used to dress me in these clothes. Now she’s like a doll who only does what she’s asked to do. But, sometimes she smiles when I wear these clothes around her. She wasn’t around now… but… I didn’t want to get out of the habit before I was sure that I could bring her back. “And, I’d like some male clothes, please. I-If you can manage to sneak some past the maids, I would appreciate it very much, Lord Sitri.”

“It will be difficult. But, I’ll manage.” I didn’t know whether Sitri’s dry tone was for my doubts, or his utter disregard for the maids ability to stop him. It was probably for me. No one who’s been tended to by maids would ever underestimate them, and Sitri was of a Pillar house… “I suggest getting plenty of rest. You’ve passed the cursory evaluation, but even with your Sacred Gear, it’s questionable whether you’ll meet the standards expected of the Preservers. Our weakest member is the wielder of Canis Lykaon, and he’s a career soldier trained in North America. At least that much would be expected of you. Understood?”

“I understand.” I did. There was no doubt about that. Right now, I had to prove myself. The Preservers were amazing. In terms of power, one or two of the weakest members could take on a whole military and win. The strongest of their number could utterly destroy humanity. Then, there’s Li Song. Everything is at his mercy, and everything is better because he’s good and kind. If I could reach middling point of the group’s strength, then I will surely be capable of righting all the wrongs my family has done, and save Valerie. “I will do my best. T-thank you.”

Some part of me wished that I could do this more quickly, that I can escape the pretense, and start becoming stronger.

Every day I was away was another day where my Valerie was alone, and being used like a tool.

But, as I was now, I couldn’t hope to rescue her, let alone do anything about the rest of my family.

If I had to be perfect, if I had to do everything anyone said in the Preservers, I would, for her sake.

With the Preservers, I will become stronger.

And, maybe… maybe save what’s left of my people.