APH Scarlet Magic 23

Arthur and Alfred simply lay there on the damp earth; the rain now passed leaving everything glistening in the pale sunlight that had replaced it. Like diamonds shimmering in the rough. Alfred held Arthur close, tracing senseless little circles into his pale shoulder, occasionally pressing in sort kisses, and uttering sweet nothings. Arthur didn't say much, only offered the occasional twitch of a smile or a hum of contentment. It was nice. They didn't need much; just a place to lye together, air to breathe, and each other's arms to cuddle in to. Several minutes passed before either of them uttered a single word.

"We ought to be heading back soon…. " Arthur mumbled though there was no motivation behind his voice.

Alfred merely sighed, burying his face in his partner's wild locks of golden hair. "There's no rush." He hummed. "Let's just stay here a little longer…" He held Arthur closer to him and nuzzled his hair affectionately.

A chuckle rumbled in Arthur's throat a moment before he sighed and allowed his body to relax into his partner's once more. "I suppose another minute or two can't hurt. Though I fear we're going to catch our death out here lying on the wet grass positively soaked to the bone."

"Don't worry," Alfred reassured. "I'm sure we'll be fine. Besides, if we get sick we can just nurse each other back to health."

The elder man rolled his gleaming emerald eyes, "Idiot, how can we possibly take care of each other if we're both sick as dogs?" The wizard had a point, but Alfred just ignored it and only enjoyed how good the brightening sunlight felt warming up his damp skin. He deserved a few more moments of rest. They both did. After the stressful events of these past few days, a couple extra minutes of relaxation would not harm anyone. "… Tonight's your last ceremony…" Arthur hummed thoughtfully, breaking that silence that had once again settled between them.

Alfred's blue eyes opened slowly, looking to the distance past Arthur's wild locks of gold hair and into the emerald leaves of the nearby foliage. "Right…. I almost forgot…." He honestly had. His mind was so preoccupied with Arthur and the time of passion that they just shared that he didn't even think for a moment about the ceremonies. It just seemed so unimportant now. Alfred had Arthur now and nothing else mattered; not the ceremonies, not learning magic… not getting revenge. If Alfred said he didn't care about avenging his mother any longer would that make him a bad person? Would his mother forgive him if he just let her killer go on unpunished…?

Arthur must have sense Alfred's discontent for the elder man wrapped his arms more snuggly around the vampire's broad form, rubbing small, soothing circles into his back. "Don't fret, love. The last ceremony is indeed the most difficult one, but the benefits that come with it are most definitely worth it." Of course he would say that since magic was something very near and dear to him. But that wasn't what Alfred was worried about. The pain wore away soon enough as there was only so much he could bear before his body merely shut down to avoid it. There was his mother, sitting in his mind's eye with her hands folded neatly in her lap, a half sewn shirt resting on her thigh, and her eyes looking off to some far distant place Alfred never knew. Would she forgive him if he just let her die…?

"Master Arthur!" A sudden cry came from the nearby path. It was amazing how fast Arthur sprang up, snatching his partially dry clothes and pulling them on to cover his naked form. Alfred just barely managing to trip his way into his pants when Reginald came bounding through the garden, hurtling past the rose bushes and toward the scrambling couple at full speed. The dog looked as panicked as a dog possibly could as he screeched to a halt before them.  

"R-Reginald? What are you doing here? I asked not to be disturbed and-!" Arthur was cut short.

"Please! I do not care what has happened between you and Alfred right now. There is something else that is of much more importance!"
The Briton's face grew grave. Any sign of a blush that had crept into his cheek flushed away in an instant. "What's the matter? What's going on?" The urgency in Arthur's voice made him sound harsh. He didn't even appear to be the slightest bit embarrassed any longer, but then again this didn't seem like the time to be so.

"It's him." Reginald answered gravely. "He's here. I am not sure why, but he is at our front door and Francis is doing his best to keep him at bay."

Arthur's eyes grew wide in alarm. Those eyes flickered towards Alfred a moment. Alfred furrowed his wheat colored brows, ceasing his attempts to button up his shirt as hastily as he could. Arthur blinked once before turning away, "I will deal with him." He said as he stalked towards the path leading out of the garden. "Alfred you stay here and do not leave garden."

"W-wait…" Alfred sputtered in his confusion. "What's going on, Arthur?" He demanded, chasing after Arthur and snatching his wrist to cease his movements. Arthur jerked his hand away with such force and swiftness that Alfred lost his grip. Arthur glared up into Alfred's eyes with such intensity that the vampire believed he may burst into flames at any moment.

"Alfred. Just do as I say. Stay in the garden and do not leave."

Alfred felt himself to be paralyzed and even though he wished to chase after Arthur when he turned away his legs felt as if they had been filled to the kneecap with lead. The vampire was not sure if the feeling was the result of an unspoken charm or a result of gazing into those blazing emerald eyes. Within a few moments Reginald and Arthur were gone; disappeared into the thick foliage of Arthur's Eden. The feeling of lead in Alfred's legs eventually faded, but he still felt as though he couldn't move. A thousand questions raced through his mind, but there was no one around to answer them. Who was this man Reginald spoke off and who could he possibly be to make the usually calm, collected dog so panicked? Was he a friend? An enemy? Who could possibly pour that amount of fire and intensity into Arthur's eyes? The wizard has specifically instructed that Alfred not leave the garden, but… well, when had Alfred ever obeyed what he'd been told?
The young vampire proceeded with caution, not sure when or if Arthur would be back soon. He didn't want to be caught just quite yet. His blue eyes darted back and forth, watching for any signs of life other than his own. No one was around. The flowers and fruit were his only company and it wasn't as if there was much they could do to him. He had an awfully bad habit of being wrong, didn't he? Just as he was about to cross the threshold of the exit of the garden something rather strange occurred. There was a small rustle and a flash of something out of the corner of his eye and before he knew it Alfred felt his legs swept out from under him. The vampire groaned in pain; the wind having been partially knocked out of him. He reeled for a moment before glancing down to find some thick and green wrapped around his right leg. A vine? His eyes traveled along the thick, green cord and found it was, indeed, attached to a nearby shrub. "What the…?" The shrub had caught him? That was impossible. Yes, plants were alive, but not so alive that they could capture people in their green clutches. Then again, this garden was one of magic and anything could be possible with magic.

Alfred grunted as he ripped the vine from his leg, jumping up to run for the exit only to have his legs taken out from under him once more. More vines had caught him this time. The ivy ropes coiled around both his legs all way up to his waist, slowly dragging him back towards the inner sanctum of the garden's walls. "Oh come on! Fucking kidnapping plants?! Really?!" Alfred shouted in frustration as he reached down and tried furiously to tear the ivy bindings from his lower half. It was to no avail for every one vine he ripped away two more coiled back in its place. It was like the legendary Hydra… except with a shrub. That wasn't exactly the most glamorous thing. One thing was certain, though. Whoever was just beyond the walls of the garden was most definitely someone he did not want Alfred to come in contact with otherwise why would he go to such great length to prevent him from leaving? Alfred still wasn't sure, but this person had to be dangerous in some way. There was no way he could let his new found lover face such a thing on his own.

Determined to leave, Alfred furiously tore away at the vine, dragging himself towards the exit whenever he could only to have himself dragged back once more. Within a matter of a few moments Alfred was completely immobile. Vines had snaked and snuck their way all the way from his ankles to his shoulders leaving him as helpless as a butterfly trapped in a spider's wed. He wriggled and thrashed as best as he could in his restraints, "No! Let me go! Arthur needs me!" He cried. If the bush could attack him why couldn't it hear him as well? "He's your master, isn't he?! He could be in danger!" But it didn't seem to care, only dragged Alfred along the dirt path away from the exit. Alfred didn't know what to do. No matter how hard and struggled the bindings didn't loosen and grew a tad tighter if anything at all. He was desperate now, screaming profanities and continuing to thrash even though it was in vain. He was not one to give up easily.

As he fought and struggled he felt something building within him. It was hot like fire and grew in the pit of his belly. It slowly seeped into his bloodstream, circulating over his entire body. It continued to spread until it could spread no more and encased Alfred's skin in a searing heat. With nowhere left to go the heat kept building anyway. It pressed against the underside of his skin as if it were trying make him burst, begging to be set free. What was happening to him? Was this a result of the shrub's magic? Alfred wasn't sure, but it was agonizing. He felt as though he was being burned from the inside out. If there was any time he really felt as though he were going to burst into flames it was definitely now. The young vampire cried out, wanting nothing more for than for himself to burst and be done with it. It would be better than feeling himself roast like a piece of meat beside the fire.

Without warning, the feeling was suddenly gone. It simply left Alfred's skin leaving him feeling empty and spent. The young vampire had no idea where it had gone, but he was grateful. There was a certain… oh, what was the word… grace? Yes. There was a certain grace now. He couldn't explain why, but it was just what he felt. He heard a light crackle sound. It sounded rather similar to the hearth in Arthur's cottage always burning away with its gentle light. When Alfred's eyes opened he was shocked to find the vines that had been restraining him were now ablaze. Though they burned, the flames did not touch Alfred and his skin remained unmarred by burns. The vines shriveled away into piles of ash leaving Alfred now free to move and make his escape. It quickly took his opportunity, scrambling up and dashing for the exit without a second thought. The new vines were unable to grow quickly enough and Alfred managed to throw himself through the exit before they could reach him once more.

Alfred flew through the dark vortex before he was spewed out the other side, lying panting and breathless on the forest floor that surrounded Arthur's cottage. What… what had he done? The fire that grew inside him… was that what set the vines on alight? He'd never done anything like that before in his entire life and why would he now…? But then it hit him. He had been undergoing ceremonies that would give him the ability to perform magic. But Alfred had yet to complete those ceremonies. Could it be that he had performed magic prematurely? To be honest, he felt rather bad ass at the moment and a wide grin spread across his face. A moment later he remembered who serious the situation was and his grin faded away into a hard line. He scrambled to his feet and headed towards the nearby cottage.

Alfred was careful as he approached the cottage, keeping himself on high alert for any signs on life. There was no one lingering around outside along the forest so Alfred snuck his way to one of the windows, peering inside to see if anyone was in there. There were indeed people inside the house. Alfred instantly saw Arthur and Francis poised stiffly on the sofa. There was a cup of tea nestled in Arthur's hands, but Alfred could tell the Briton wasn't even bothering to take a single sip. Francis' usually lazy, carefree gaze was hard and cold; all sort of blithe now vanished. There were two men facing away from Alfred standing on either side of Arthur's favorite armchair and it appeared that another hulking figure was settled down in said armchair. Alfred was unsure who these men were, but… the one in chair seemed vaguely familiar and he wasn't entirely sure why…. His hair was a sort of muddled grey, like snow that had been run and trampled through too many times. He was a thick build that was playing a balancing act on the border of being overweight and being big boned. A cold feeling crept into Alfred's gut, twisting his stomach around to the point where he was almost physically sick.

Arthur's muffled voice could barely be heard through the thick glass, "I am unsure why you come here, but I assure you I am nothing more than a simple magic maker who sells medicinal herbs to the men and women of a nearby town." He said; voice steady and strong without any hint of any fear.

"That may be so," One of the men replied. Alfred was unsure of which. "But we have formed a habit of checking up on all sorts of supernatural beings: wizards, witches, shape shifters… vampires…. You understand, don't you?" This voice- whoever it belonged to- had such a sickeningly sweet sound to it, like it was coated in thick sugary syrup. It made Alfred's stomach churn uncomfortably and an unnatural chill curl down his spine.

Arthur's brows furrowed deeper, the creases in his forehead increasing, "As I said before, I can assure you, I am nothing more than a hermit. My only connections are to the few people I do business with in the local village."

"And yet here on your sofa is the Royal Magician." Replied the same voice just as the last word had left Arthur's lips.

"An old contact. We studied under the same master for some years. Am I not allowed to enjoy the company of an old acquaintance?" Arthur replied, his words dripping venom. A moment of silence filled the air. The tension grew so terribly thick Alfred could almost feel it through the thick pane of glass that separated him and the world inside Arthur's cottage.

"Very well," The same voice replied. Alfred released a breath he had not realized he been holding in the heat of the moment. "Then I believe we best be on our way. Our welcoming has been worn out." The hulking frame of the man in armchair rose like a sinister shadow. "Please do not think that this is last you have seen the last of me or my men. After all, it is humankind's best interest if beings like you heathenness magic makers are kept thoroughly in check." It was only then did the shadow of a man finally turn so that his face was visible to Alfred. The young vampire felt all the blood drain from his face, his stomach fall, and his heart squeeze so tight he felt it might implode. "After all, we are on a mission from the good Lord above." Said Father Braginski in his sickeningly sweet tone.