The journey towards the famed school he would be attending was long.
The miles stretched and silence lasted ages.
The roads of the mountains they were passing harsh and unlike the smooth roads of the kingdom.
The checkpoints let them go without a word, however soon word would go out why they received the order of letting them pass without trouble.
Barely anyone was aware of his existence, those who did, where adequately addressed to keep their silence.
The Queen could be quite convincing and even he listened to his god mother quite well.
Her being his godmother was a precaution ,if something where to happen, he would have the backing of the Queen and as he later found out, his position as only born vampire in so long was valuable.
"We shall be resting over there."
Looking up at Valerion's words, he looked into the distance, Aethelstan kept his voided gaze.
There into the distance rose a village, it wasn't that big, he hadn't even heard of it from mother or father.
But it was obvious it spelled trouble.
Vultures flew over the buildings and as minutes stretched they all flooded to one direction and settled down into the ground.
As the carriage rode into the village, he could see why with a frown.
Big vultures obscured their view but as they passed them, they rose for just a second and he could see them gnawing at a body.
Male, forties.
For a second his head followed their movement, surprised and a fraction of himrealised just how dangerous this world could be.
Maybe Valerion saw the doubt in Aethelstan's eyes, who Adrian was sure felt it from him through their magic like bond as he spoke.
"It will be just for a night."
And so they stayed, entered a shabby hotel while the quards surrounded the entire place.
It was a warning for them and a deterrent for the people inhabiting the village.
Don't try anything, don't enter and don't even try to speak.
The village elder personally spoke to them, glad for their presence but even more eager for them to leave.
"Aethel, what do you think?"
Adrian relaxed within the other's presence, the only presence within his room while Valerion went over security somewhere else.
"I don't know, we must be careful."
"I know but Valerion is quite something.
His reaction was weird at best. Why do you think so?"
He feigned disinterest but he knew Aethelstan could feel his worry.
"You said so yourself, Adrian, humans are questionable.''
"True, what about the vultures.
What happened there?"
"Vultures eat the dead, it's normal, within hours the body will be gone."
"But why is he dead?"
"Illness, small villages are often invested with them."
"I suppose so."
"Valerion is coming, we will be staying here for just a night. If anything happens I will be next door, alright?"
"Yes, that's fine but must you stay in the same quarters as him?''
"The room is divided by a wall and otherwise the resting quards didn't have enough space."
"I saw but I still don't trust him, there is something off about him."
"You'll feel it if something is wrong."
"Same to you, slaap well Aethel."
"Sleep well, Adrian."
They finished their conversation just in time as the door opened and Valerion appeared with a triumphant smile.
"I swear I heard speaking, where you wishing each other good night?
Continue to do so."
"There's no need, we're done."
"Shame."
Adrian couldn't help but look pointedly at Aethelstan, the feelings portrayed in the bond as well.
"So I guess it's time for us to go next door and start adult things."
Valerion winked at the elf before he was interrupted by a scoffing teen.
"Behave child, adult business is adult and it is time for you to go to sleep.
I was updated enough to know that you stil need that even as a vampire.
So sleep well and will see you tomorrow."
And that was that, Valerion opened the door, with a bow, he mentioned for Aethelstan to go first. Wich the other did.
"Good night, child."
With that the door closed, leaving him in the shabby room, with other shabby materials.
It took a second of looking around before he accepted it.
While he may be a little spoiled at the castle, he didn't have the same luxury in his first life.
So he took it as it was and just went to sleep.
-----
He didn't wake up.
It was the same feeling that took over eight years of his life.
Eyelids heavy, breathing as if asleep but it wasn't like that.
He couldn't wake up, not even with the gentle and afterwards harsher prodding of Aethel through the bond.
"Valerion, this doesn't seem right, I didn't notice anything. I didn't feel anything."
Aethel didn't like speaking to strangers but he did for him and the words leaving where clouded with pain.
"You spo-What do you mean you didn't notice?"
"We were next door."
Valerion seemed to believe that as he commanded. "Bring me the village chief."
At first his eyelids felt heavy but with time seemingly passing it turned worse, his body felt far away.
His mana even farther away as he grasped at it's strings.
He could not lose that, not his mana, his lifeline.
His bond to Aethelstan, the thing that woke him, the thing he hadn't in his first.
Sinking further, further and further in this damp, dark like abyss. It felt like a useless endeavour.
Different from the first eight years because now he was aware.
Now he felt his soul grappling, this time he did want to rise up but nonetheless he couldn't.
Tendrils, black and slimy, grabbed his ankles and whisked him deeper into the abyss.
An abyss he had skimmed into blindly for his first eight years.
Now met him with opened eyes.