[Jaykobell]

The Slums were one of the worst places on the continent of Barakka: filled with thieves and families so poor that nothing good usually came out of this place. It was typically a matter of survival for whoever dared to live and come here; those who were weak usually didn't last long in this place. Although some parts were better than others, the majority were filled with shady citizens that expressed no regret at stealing your belongings or stabbing you in the back.

Arguably, nighttime was the worst in the Slums. While daytime wasn't really any better, pitch-black darkness and sleeping witnesses could only hinder the victims and help the thieves all the more.

Despite that, sometimes, there was that one soul that insisted on going out at night.

A young adult man of average height, with short and messy black hair that matched equally dark clothes. The young man was slowly walking along the sidewalk, passing by the occasional streetlight; although sometimes the light had died out a long time ago, leaving him in the dark. When he was lucky, the streetlamp would flicker now and then in a sporadic fashion. It was better than nothing.

His long black vest flowed behind him as he walked, pants and shoes matching in color; the only thing that stood out was his sleeved red shirt, which was incredibly bright compared to the darkness all around him.

It was quiet all around him, and the young man was just walking in silence, seemingly with no destination or goal in mind. He would sometimes stop here and there, but every time, he would resume walking; then again, there weren't that many onlookers to see it happen.

"How much longer, Benjamin?" a voice suddenly hissed in the darkness, but despite how sudden it had been, the boy hadn't jumped. "How much more time are you going to waste?"

The slender and large body of a cobra slithered out from under Benjamin's vest, seemingly appearing out of thin air. The cobra was bigger than the young man, and so it had been impossible for it to have been hiding under the vest; it was probably the result of magic or a spell of some kind. "Whatever you're going to find here will be infected to begin with," the snake hissed, his nose curling into a snarl.

"And what do you want him to do, Carcinoma?" another voice asked, and before long, another massive cobra was slithering out of the vest, but on the other side, this time. "Drink from a human?"

The first snake, Carcinoma, who was visibly larger than the new cobra, narrowed his hollow eyes at the other as he hissed menacingly. "Why not?" the cobra asked, and with his impatience growing all the more, faint red markings were slowly starting to creep up on his skin. "Vampires need blood to live, Sarcoma! He doesn't even need to kill them." He slithered past Benjamin in order to look at the vampire's face, and also to motion for the smaller snake, Sarcoma, to look as well. "He'll be starved and weak in a matter of hours if he doesn't feed."

Sarcoma narrowed his yellow eyes and hissed back at the bigger cobra. "Benjamin doesn't feed on humans," the snake reminded his brethren, turning to look at Benjamin, as well, "or did you forget?"

Even as the two snakes argued and bickered, Benjamin remained quiet, tuning them out and instead paying attention to the empty world around him. As a vampire, it was necessary for him to find food; however, unlike most vampires who simply settled for humans no matter the consequences, Benjamin had been feeding on animal blood for years. There were many reasons why, but they were all enough to keep him from attacking and scaring humans.

In a town like the Slums, however, it was difficult for him to find something edible. Carcinoma was right in saying the pests here were probably infected with all sorts of diseases, and drinking those would do Benjamin no good. Healthy animals were hard to find, and with Benjamin's energy depleting quickly, his will to search for animals was at risk of running out. Why even come to the Slums, then? As a traveller, Benjamin's next destination of interest was Lamenolai, and passing by the Slums was the fastest route there, even if it was also the most dangerous.

"If you kept quiet," Benjamin eventually said, his voice quiet and cold, "then maybe I could hear something," he ordered the two cobras, the fact that they could eat him whole not fazing him in the least. He knew the two reptiles wouldn't hurt him; but they were hindering him by bickering when Benjamin needed complete silence in order to hear even the smallest of cries from the tiniest of things.

[Baconwizard]

Ah, the slums. It was the rare hour of the day when the daytime criminals had gone to bed, the twilight criminals were closing up shop, and the midnight criminals had yet to crawl out of the woodwork of human society and feast on whatever rotten residue was left for them to discover. Whoever dared creep out of their hidey-holes at this hour were either stupid, desperate, or brave. In the Slums, it was rarely the latter.

Samael's footsteps echoed down the alleyway, sending the rats lurking in the shadows skittering for safety. Violet eyes gleamed in the dark, the pupils slitted like a cats, and they flicked from side to side as the demon walked, not missing any detail. His silver hair shimmered in the dim lights from the streetlight beyond, and every motion was fluid, not an action wasted. Samael was on a limited schedule, after all. Samael paused at the entrance to the alleyway, his head cocked as if he was listening for something, and the dark and empty city waited with baited breath in the gap of silence.

The demon could feel it, almost smell it, in the air. Something moved in the darkness of Samael's city, and Samael intended to track it down. The Slums were his, after all. It was like the motley gathering of criminals and outlaws were gathered there just for Samael. The demon took a deep breath, inhaling the very aura of the city, then exhaled, his eyes opening slowly, showing a hard shine in them that was not there before. This was his city, and Samael would not take kindly to any trespassers on his domain.

His purpose set in his heart--if he even had a heart--Samael set off down the streets, following the trail that this mysterious stranger had left. It wasn't a demon, like him, that Samael was sure of. An incubus, perhaps? Those creatures almost were never without their host, so it was unlikely. A vampire, perhaps... Samael paused, thinking, smile beginning to curl on his face. Now that he thought about it, this aura felt fairly vampiric. But those silly bloodsuckers almost never left their enclave. However... There was the problem of the young pup banished from his clan, all those months ago. Oh, this was promising. Very promising.

His steps growing quicker, and quieter, Samael stalked through the midnight city, his excitement rising with the thrill of a hunt.

[Jaykobell]

Even if Benjamin kept on walking, nothing seemed interesting. Human food did little for him, so scavenging in the thrash would not only be embarrassing, but also pointless. Even a small street rat would feed him better than a full course of human food. The good leftovers thrown out by all those restaurants were almost tempting, but not quite enough.

Even turning around the dark alleyways earned him nothing but emptiness and silence. As he continued to walk, a little over an hour down the line, Benjamin narrowed his eyes. His stomach was empty, and his body was already suffering from withdrawal. A headache was creeping up, and tiredness was slowly starting to settle in. It was a personal rule of his to avoid pets, but if he got ahold of a plump domestic cat or a dog, he would have to ignore that rule for the sake of survival.

Everything had been normal — if also eerily empty and quiet — so far, but that came to an abrupt stop in a matter of seconds. Benjamin stopped in his tracks; and as if the two cobras were connected to his mind, they both turned behind the vampire as they hissed loudly into the dark. The pitch black bodies of both snakes suddenly became illuminated with burning marks; Carcinoma shone with bright blood-red markings, while Sarcoma's markings glowed a calmer tan and earthy color. Both snakes hissed menacingly, reading on the presence of a threat in the dark.

Benjamin turned around, feeling a chance in the air around them. Although he couldn't see anything, anything non-human could tell when another inhuman creature was around. Whether or not the looming presence was a threat to him or just someone passing by, it was impossible to tell from this far. "Do you want it to find us faster?" Benjamin asked the two hissing cobras, but despite his warning that they were attracting attention to themselves, the two snakes didn't quiet down by much at all.

[Baconwizard]

A smile crept across his face as the snakes began hissing. Samael had just caught up with the vampire boy, too; was his presence really that obvious? He would have to work on his espionage skills. Drawing in his violet aura, which was imperceptible to the human eye, Samael remained in the shadows, watching the vampire and his pets with an unblinking gaze.

The boy was young, to be sure. The untidy mop of black hair and pale skin could help him pass as a regular human, but there was no mistaking those eyes. It was hard to hold back a smile of delight. What a perfectly innocent young mind.

"Out a little late, aren't you?" Samael's voice rang out in the alleyway. His tone was soft, inviting even, and it filled up the silence. The demon stepped out of the shadows to stand underneath the street lamp, his silver hair gleaming in the light like and angels. He rested his hands in his pockets, his posture that of total relaxation. His smile could be mistaken for a true one, if it weren't for the predatory glint hiding in his eyes. Samael was often told that his eyes were what gave his intent away. Samael smiled wider at the thought, and he tilted his head at the vampire boy, his tone beginning to mock. "Do your parents know where you are, young man?"

[Jaykobell]

The closer the presence got, the more aggressive the two cobras became. Benjamin remained quiet and unmoving, although he was keeping his guard up. It wasn't unusual for non-humans to be attacked by humans, animals, and other non-humans alike. However, his hunger and his growing tiredness weren't going to help him if this broke out into a fight or a dangerous situation. This was one of the times when he was grateful for the two snakes: if things went downhill, he knew the two would put their lives on the line to save Benjamin.

Although the presence was growing, it wasn't until some time later that someone actually appeared. Carcinoma and Sarcoma both turned to hiss at the figure under the streetlamp, and Benjamin turned slightly to look the stranger over. Whatever he was, this stranger wasn't a human; judging from his aura, he probably wasn't a vampire, either. The list of possible creatures was a long one, but honestly, that mattered very little to Benjamin.

As genuine and relaxed as the stranger looked, his unusual aura and unsettling eyes were two dead giveaways that he was no friendly figure. Benjamin quietly looked the stranger over, but he said nothing to him.

Considering the silence of the vampire, the two cobras took up speech for him. "Leave," the red snake ordered as he hissed and spat in the direction of the stranger, "before we burn you to a crisp—"

"—or break you apart," the brown snake finished, the markings glowing ever brightly. The three were on an errand, and they wanted nothing to do with this stranger; especially considering the feeling they got from his aura. "We have no interest in your questions."

[Baconwizard]

Samael's smile flickered slightly, and he drew his face up into a small frown, his eyebrows creasing slightly. "That is quite unfortunate," Samael said, his voice filled with hurt. He sighed through his nose, casting a look at Benjamin, as if the vampire boy had said those words instead of the snakes. Indeed, Samael was treating the reptilian creatures as if they were just part of the air. It was the boy he was after anyway. Samael slowly walked around the trio, giving the snakes a wide berth. One hand went to tap a finger against his cheek, the contemplative look hovering on his expression. "For I had very much been interested in your answers, Benjamin Krait." Benjamin's last name hovered on Samael's tongue, tasting as sweet as honey as the words dripped from his mouth. He smiled, stopping in front of the vampire, and stretched out a hand. "You can call me Sam, dear boy."

[Jaykobell]

Although the cobras typically listened to him, Benjamin couldn't care less whether or not they wanted to threaten the stranger. They did usually do the most of the fighting, whenever it happened; although the vampire could defend himself fine, the two snakes did have abilities that Benjamin didn't have. It was typical of the two to shield him, letting him watch a scene unfold as they took care of whatever bothered to stop them in their journey.

The situation shifted when the strange, Samael, spoke of Benjamin's full name. It was something he didn't really hear often. Those who came across him in these lands typically only got as far as "vampire" before immediately labelling him as a monster. Few spoke or knew of his name, let alone his last name. Considering this Sam character knew his full name, and considering his dark aura, this probably meant nothing good. He was no wanted man, but certain circumstances had earned him a few enemies.

Benjamin frowned when Samael approached him, blatantly ignoring the two snakes and even going so far as to extend a hand. Instinctively, Benjamin stepped back quickly, and the two snakes snapped back into position immediately, keeping closer to the vampire in order to hide him entirely; quite almost. They hissed particularly loudly this time around, and the bigger snake, Carcinoma, was ready to bite Samael if he dared to come any closer.

"If you know me," Benjamin started quietly, his voice flat, but also tired, "then you probably know my family. I wouldn't ignore my familiars," he added, looking straight at Samael through the small gaps the large glowing bodies of the two snakes left him, "since they are basically a part of me. Their words are also my own." Although he wouldn't necessarily phrase certain things the same way, the two cobras had said his thoughts exactly just a few minutes prior: asking Samael to leave, for none of them had any interest in this conversation.

"I'll bite that hand clean off," Carcinoma threatened as he got closer to the stranger, snarling and hissing wildly, jaws ready to bite onto Samael as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

"You have no shame," Sarcoma hissed quietly at the stranger as he narrowed his eyes, "calling the son of the Krait family 'boy'. Know your place, peasant."

[Baconwizard]

Samael's eyes flickered as the snakes hissed at him, blocking the vampire from view. So they were his babysitters, huh. They didn't seem to be much of a threat. Still, Samael had to admit that peasant was a little much. He'd have to tread carefully. They, on the other hand, would do well to be even more careful. Samael smiled at the cobras, showing his teeth, retracting his outstretched hand and raising both arms in a gesture of mock surrender. "Ah, my apologies," he said, tilting his head. "When you get to be old like me everyone seems to be younger than they truly are."

Slipping his hands back into his pockets, Samael considered the vampire and his guardian snakes, an amused smile hovering on his mouth. Above them, the streetlamp flickered, casting the figures into sharp relief. Darkness, then sudden light, shadow then bright.The silence lingered for a moment, and when Samael finally spoke it seemed to shatter the quiet, sending it skittering back to the shadows. His voice was quiet, low, and for the first time he seemed to be speaking with sincerity. "In all honesty, young man, this is not a safe place. Not even I know all of the dark dealings which happen in this city. It is easy for a creature moving alone to disappear into the crevices." Samael tilted his head, the ambiguous smile absent from his face. Without it, Samael's face seemed empty, like a ghostly mask with glittering eyes.

[Jaykobell]

Samael's comments went over Benjamin's head, although the two cobras weren't nearly as passive. They continued to glare and snarl at the stranger, the two ready to spring into action if Samael tried anything shady.

Although the conversation was of no interest to Benjamin, it was Samael's unsettling aura that kept him from leaving when the other fell silent. Weak because of his hunger, the vampire had to be careful. He didn't know what Samael was, exactly, and assuming that he was a weak old non-human creature would be a dangerous mistake.

As the lights flickered and the other seemingly had nothing else to say, Benjamin was about to ask if this conversation was officially over. As if they'd had the same intention in mind, Samael spoke first, the air about him changing ever so slightly. Whether or not this was a good change was yet to be seen, and all Benjamin did was sigh internally at the fact this stranger was still talking; even if his words were supposedly out of concern. "Safe or not," Benjamin started, this time sighing just a little, "it doesn't matter. What do you want from me?" he continued, his voice seemingly weakening now and then as he spoke, as the hunger and the tiredness gradually caught up to whatever energy he had left. "I have other things to do."

If Samael knew his name, then did he have something to ask Benjamin? Or was he after something, or someone? Perhaps it was just the title? Although Benjamin was considered royalty amongst his family, the title held absolutely no ground in these foreign settings. It was virtually pointless to bring it up, since the "royalty" of Benjamin's family only went as far as the family and their affiliates. Regardless, Samael being anything but human, was it something that held value to him, in some way?

Whatever it was, Benjamin didn't feel like standing in a dark alleyway all night when the most important thing for him was to find food. "So make it quick," he added after a short pause, trying to cooperate with Samael in the hope that it would make this interaction end sooner.

[Baconwizard]

Samael's eyes flickered back to life as Benjamin spoke, his mask-like face slowly shifting into something that resembled a living, breathing expression. He smiled, folding his hands int front of him. The boy was so matter-of-fact, so straight to the point. It made it so much easier for the demon. What Samael wanted... That was a complicated question, to be sure, and Samael was certain that Benjamin could not supply everything that he wanted. However, the vampire boy would definitely be an efficient means to an end...

"I want you, Benjamin Krait." Samael said, his voice as smooth as velvet. He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling a bit at the edges. "You are the banished son of the Krait family, a promising young life that has been sent away to creep along in the shadows of this world. You, who could have been living like a king. And here you are starving in this degenerate land. It's a waste." Samael was practically spitting, his voice rough with a sudden rage, his expression twisting into anger, then flickered back into passivity. He had not realized it until now, the similarity between Benjamin's situation and his. That was an amusing and irritating revelation.

Blinking away his thoughts, the demon continued, as if he had not stopped, his voice now back under control. "There is a reason that you've come here, Benjamin." Samael stretched out his hand again, palm up, his eyes locking on to Benjamin's. "I want to help you reclaim what has been lost."

[Jaykobell]

When Benjamin had asked Samael to get on with it, he hadn't expected the other's answer. Although it sounded ever so slightly unsettling initially, as Samael continued, his words were enough to intrigue the vampire ever so slightly. He let Samael finish completely, and the more the stranger spoke, the more it almost sounded like Samael knew about his family, but also about the general community that his family was a part of. The only problem was that Benjamin couldn't tell if that was luck, or a disaster waiting to happen. Who was this Samael?

Benjamin's expression barely changed as Samael spoke, but after a short pause, the vampire slowly scratched the side of his head, seemingly uninterested. At the same time, part of him agreed: what a waste for him to be wandering around, especially when his exile had been the result of Benjamin taking the blame for a crime he didn't commit. At the same time, his family knew of his innocence, and they'd banished him solely in order to protect him; before the real culprit would try to silence him next. Then again, there was no telling what that criminal vampire was doing right about now while Benjamin was away.

Admittedly, the whole situation was extremely convoluted, and Benjamin himself didn't know the full story. The region where he came from was definitely going through some difficult times, but the extent and the real story behind those dark times were unknown to him. He'd been thrown into this whole thing not knowing what was even going happening.

Benjamin didn't speak for a while, seemingly thinking to himself and letting Samael's words sink in. "It is a waste," he finally said at some point, but so quietly that he had no idea if Samael had ever heard him. He couldn't disagree with that, but at the same time... "Regardless, I'm not sure I understand what you're promising," he added, this time loud enough for Samael to hear, since it was aimed at him. "What do you claim to know?" he asked, his curiosity piqued enough to ask, but his interest not high enough to blindly trust this stranger. "And who are you?" A strange man, clearly not human, who went on to talk about Benjamin's family and life, and who spoke as if he knew of his situation? Right, his name was Samael; but truly, who and what was he, exactly? Benjamin wasn't so gullible and naive as to fall for empty promises and comforting words; although he was hopeful enough to see if this stranger did know anything at all.

[Baconwizard]

Samael tilted his head as Benjamin spoke, leaning forward as if to hear better. He heard Benjamin's soft words perfectly. A smile twitched on his lips, and he nodded slowly, stepping forward. He stopped short of the snakes, who still formed a barrier between the vampire and the demon. Samael knew better than to goad the serpents into action. It would be an amusing game, but counterproductive.

"I am promising you power. I am promising the status that you had lost, and more. I am promising you vengeance." Samael's voice hissed on the last word, the sound hanging in the quiet air of the abandoned alley. He smiled, his eyes glittering as he stared into Benjamin's eyes. "I know many things, Benjamin, from books and from experience. I know many things that can aid your purposes."

Samael's smile grew wider, and he swept down into a bow, giving a flourish. "My true name is Samael. In this land I am referred to as a demon, and a very powerful one. I wish to assist you, in any way that I can."

[Jaykobell]

[[ Oh wow, it's me! Sorry for leaving hanging for so long. I've actually been giving Benjamin's plot a bit of thought here and there, so I felt ready to get a bit of writing going on again here. ]]

Benjamin narrowed his eyes just ever so slightly when Samael went on to casually promise things that seemed too good to be true. Power? Vengeance? They were fine on their own, even if power was a bit questionable; but to give him back his status, and what he'd lost? His eyes narrowed a bit more at that motion; how could this demon possibly do such a thing? He knew that the vampire families had ties to other typical monsters that fit in the same "category" as vampires did. But actual demons? He had never heard of such ties before.

As if sensing his hesitation and his ever-growing amount of questions, the two snakes starting hissing at the demon. "As if that were possible," Sarcoma hissed, being the voice of logic between the two familiars. "You can offer him no such things." And if Samael could offer such things, then there would be a price. There would be a terrible, horrible price, and it wouldn't be worth whatever the demon claimed he could give Benjamin.

Carcinoma said nothing, simply hissing aggressively towards the demon, as that was what he did best. He was the fighter of the familiars, and while Sarcoma would bother to talk things through, Carcinoma would be ready to lunge and bite that demon's head off at the first opportunity.

[Baconwizard]

[No worries! I'm glad your Benjamin muse is back~]

Samael tilted his head at that, then let out a laugh. A slender hand went to cover his chuckles, and he stepped back, shaking his head. "You doubt me?" Samael began walking, slowly moving around Benjamin in a wide circle. He stopped, underneath the street lamp, his face cast into shadows from the flickering light. Only his violet eyes seemed to glow, staring unblinking at the vampire boy. "That is either wise, or very foolish. You do realize what I'm offering, correct? My dear boy––Benjamin––" Samael purred, stepping forward with a kindly smile dancing on his lips.

The demon raised one hand, and snapped his fingers, the sound seeming to echo through the alleyway. The streetlamp went dark, and everything was plunged into a penetrating darkness. Samael's voice whispered through the dank air, as if the demon was leaning right into Benjamin's ear, talking only to the vampire boy.

"Anything you desire, Benjamin, it's yours."

"You wish for money? Power? The redemption you crave? I can get that for you."

"All it takes is a few words, a few little tricks of my own, and it's done."

"Come now, my dear Benjamin. Surely you won't let this great opportunity pass you by? Or would you rather just starve in the streets, like you were doing earlier?"

"What is your wish?"

[Jaykobell]

Sarcoma hissed angrily when Samael mocked him, and Carcinoma did much of the same, since the black snake could do nothing but wait for an opportunity to bite the demon's head. Benjamin continued to remain quiet, although that was only out-loud; he couldn't quite say the same for his head. Still, the way he addressed the vampire was disturbing, putting him on a fictitious pedestal and calling him sweet names to rope him in.

The manipulation continued when Samael started circling him around, and at that point, his familiars got even more agitated. And when the streetlamp went dark, along with their surroundings, the snakes started getting even more aggressive. They were now on edge, tightening their barrier around their vampire master to prevent the demon from getting to him while they were in the darkness. Just what was this demon's fascination with Benjamin? And why did he supposedly want to help him so badly? Not to mention, even if he supposedly "genuinely" wanted to help Benjamin, what his asking price? That was still a missing piece of the puzzle.

Although his familiars were getting more and more agitated, Benjamin remained relatively calm. He was on edge, but not particularly afraid; and if the demon tried to get to him, the vampire would be ready to retaliate.

But it seemed like violence wasn't in Samael's plan — at least, not yet. No, instead, Benjamin felt a chill down his spine when he suddenly heard the demon's voice in his ear, whispering. The words just flew in, and in this darkness, it was hard to tell if the demon was actually right next to him, or if this was just some kind of manipulation spell that allowed Samael's voice to just speak to him. His words consisted of more promises, and quite frankly, they left Benjamin unable to answer. He was waiting for his familiars to do the answering for him, but when neither snakes reacted to those words, Benjamin was stuck answering for himself.

Of course, the answer didn't come right away. Samael's words left him with many questions, but questions that he couldn't answer. Did he want power? Did he want redemption? It was true that he'd been exiled based on false assumptions by a vampire duke that, really, was beyond the definition of "corrupt". Did he want to...? But then doing that would lead him nowhere: going after a duke, in the vampire families, was one of the worst possible crimes. But considering the circumstances...?

It was the last words that really stumped Benjamin, because his answer would be replying to those few, yet extremely powerful words: "What is your wish?"

He narrowed his eyes in the darkness, trying to get his thoughts in order. "My wish..." he whispered to himself, trying to see what came to mind when he spoke those words for himself. It was such a specific question, and yet—

"My wish..." Benjamin repeated again, and this time, he felt Sarcoma and Carcinoma turn around to look at him, in the dark. "Can you..."

"Benjamin!" Sarcoma abruptly interrupted the vampire, hissing aggressively. "What are you saying? What did this demon say? He will curse you if you listen to him!"

"Let us kill him!" Carcinoma hissed, as that seemed like the only option with this kind of stubborn creature who seemingly didn't want to let them be.

Benjamin hesitated some more when his familiars reprimanded him, but after a few seconds, he did finally answer Samael's question: although his answer had nothing to do with what he was offering him. "Can you... revive the dead?"

[ Homg this post was so hard. x'D This is great character development, ffffff. :'| ]