C Traveling Merchant (w/secretsparrow)

[Lovebite]

"Armor."he replied,"I've been searching for over a decade now for more of it."his lips pressed together and he didn't touch the chest piece,"It's one of the only things that can kill this...beast I have been searching for. It... It killed my mother and sister... It took everything from me." His voice turned grave and he grit his teeth as he forced himself to continue,"That's what attacked me... Everytime I get close, it's always two steps ahead of me... That is why I travel, for this."he gestured to the armor, that almost glistened despite being as black as obsidian,"I search for an end to all this... An end to my sire."he looked to Aden for a long moment then away again.

[secretsparrow]

Aden had never liked the idea of revenge but he also didn't like the idea of Howard being in pain. "Maybe I could help? I know, I don't know a lot but I read a lot of book I could help you find the other pieces I'm good at finding information." He suggested slowly stepping closer. So, it was an eye for an eye if someone had done what Howard said they did then maybe they deserved what ever was coming to them. There was nothing wrong with helping. His parents would disprove they would have told Howard that it was wrong, the world always works it'self out in the end it isn't your job to fix it. But that was all wrong sometimes, you had to fix things yourself.

[Lovebite]

Howard looked to Aden, he felt a bit sick at the thought of bringing the young man into his battle and he licked his lips,"You would do that?"he asked gently, turning to face him a bit more when he came forward,"Be my little bookworm?" A small smile crossed his face and he looked away again with a sigh,"I'll have to take you up on getting you out of this town then." The other man mentioned,"If you think you can get away from here and your parents... Once this wound heals, I'm going to take you with me... If you want... I know you've been dreaming about it."

[secretsparrow]

"I'm sure I can get away from them. I'm old enough and they can hire someone to help them I'll make sure there taken care of." Aden was grinning at the thought of leaving finally getting to see someplace new. "And of course I mean it, I want to help you Howard, I trust you. I care about you." He said the last sentence softly and though Howard was looking away Aden's gaze was still resting on the man in front of him.

[Lovebite]

The other man was apprehensive, even if he was assuring him of all these things, he still felt like something was...off... He knew Aden was excited and felt almost the same himself as he nodded subtly, turning his head again to face the younger man. "I still think you're too kind for your own good."his hands came up to cup his face gently,"I'm not...as human as I used to be... I'm not as young as I look either."his thumbs ran over his cheeks gently and he tilted his head some, before pulling away,"Is that going to be a problem?"

[secretsparrow]

"What are you then?" Aden asked though he did not even tense at Howard's words. "How old are you?" Aden had always felt as if the man was older somehow but that was besides the point, he was not scared, simply curious about everything and found him self studying the man in front of him. Aden took a step back when he pulled away and shrugged. "You are kind, I don't really care what you are you haven't given me a reason to be scared of you." he said honestly.

[Lovebite]

"There isn't really a true name... Or I don't think there is, my father never really told me before he lost his mind."he looked at Aden with his eyebrows furrowed slightly and he replied,"Fifty two."his eyes searched the humans and he saw the step back, though wasn't sure to take it personally or not as he listened to his last sentence and chuckled softly, looking away now as he moved toward the couch again, dismantling the chest piece,"You're on my good side, you have no reason to be scared of me, and I pray that I never give you one or stab myself with my own sword."he added quietly, stuffing his things into his bag,"You should pack... When the storms lifted I'll spend the days stocking up for a second mouth to feed as you wait for your parents .. Be ready, okay?"he looked to him once more in all seriousness.

[secretsparrow]

Aden gave him a nod, 52 was pretty old, he wasn't sure what to think Howard didn't look 52.. but then again, he didn't look like something that wasn't human either. "I'll go pack." Aden wouldn't need much, he already knew what he would bring he had been thinking about it for months. He paused and looked back at Howard once more before heading up stairs. He didn't just do a bit of packing while he was up there he also took a shower and when he came back down he opened the shop for the day he was mostly ready and could finish the rest latter. They couldn't leave until his parents returned but at the end of the week they could go. He was so happy, Aden forgot about everything else he had been worrying about.

[Lovebite]

The week went by quickly for Howard at least as he moved to get as many supplies as he could fit into one more bag for them both. It was filled with food and medicine and any other bare necessities they would need on the road. He didn't see Aden that much over the course of the day as he prepared himself for the task of looking after another person. When the end of the week came, he stood out back with his horse and bags packed onto it, he was just waiting for Aden.

His parents came home with supplies for the shop, bickering over something not important and looking to their son as they passed him on the way behind the counter. His mother smiled some and his father asked,"How did everything go?"he meant over the week and not just one day either.

[secretsparrow]

"Fine.. it was good.. look can we talk for a moment?" he had known the whole time they wouldn't like this but it had to be said, he couldn't stay here he wanted to see the world. he sat them down at the table watching there gaze for a moment. "I'm going on a trip, with a friend, for.. awhile." Aden said quickly before either of them could protest. "you can find someone to help you I'm sure it will be just fine but I want to do things, I want to travel. I'll come back but..come on you understand don't you?" Aden said looking between the two of them. He didn't want to go on bad terms but he was prepared to if thats what it took.

[Lovebite]

His parents allowed themselves to be sat down and listened to their son as he begins speaking, though his mother began,"Awhile?"she looked saddened and curious at the same time, the old man held her leg gently, his eyes met his sons with a seriousness they've never held before. "I have never understood you more, Aden."He replied,"You've always been like me. I don't care if you leave, your mother doesn't either. We want this for you, we'll be okay, just write us so we'll know that you're okay too." His parents moved to stand up, or at least his mother did as she wrapped her thick arms around him in a bear hug. Jack got up to his feet as well to pat his back, gathering his family into his arms as well for a moment, then letting them go. Taking his shuddering mother into his arms" as he beckoned him off to go where he needed,"We'll see you again, right?"

[secretsparrow]

He smiled happy that they were ok with his. "Of course you will!" Aden said softly hugging them both one last time before grabbing his things and heading for the door. he had only a few things with him, cloths a note book, and the books he would need because, he had promised to help Howard find things. He had a few survival things he had picked up a knife, the first aid kit but other then that he packed lightly.

He met Howard outside giving him a smile. "Ready?" Aden asked, he was grinning clearly excited. "Lets go." he was happy to be going, anywhere that wasn't here. to be seeing new things. Who knows when he returned maybe he would have stories like Howard did.

[Lovebite]

His father watched him with a renewed fondness in his eyes, while his mother was teary eyed and clutching onto her husband while their son left for the first time in his young life.

Howard rose his brows at the sight if Aden, wondering how it went, though deciding it went well since the young man was still chippper. He returned the smile softly then climbed onto his mechanical horse before reaching back for the other. It was a months journey to the mountains where he was sure Aden would appreciate going. Just as he had his first time seeing them. There wasn't any questions for last chance as he took the reigns and started their journey.

[secretsparrow]

They were heading towards the mountains, which made Aden even more happy. They traveled for a long time the first day Aden keeping any eye out watching things as they passed. He was amazing by the smallest things, even flowers he hadn't seen before seemed to please him. Eventually however, they would have to stop for the night, it was starting to get dark and they would have to set up a fire and make camp. Aden got off the horse stretching a bit, his muscles were stiff after ridding for so long. He got some firewood while Howard set up some sort of shelter for them. They were in a wooded area so it wasn't to hard at the moment. but Aden had already guessed that staying in an inn wouldn't happen often so he hadn't planned on it. Again, he didn't really mind he rather liked being out here anyway.

[Lovebite]

His back was killing him, he had been making as much room as possible for the other man and had to scoot even more when he got excited over something, he wasn't complaining at all though. Of course not, he was having way too much of a good time to complain so early into this relationship... If you could even call it that, he guessed they were a 'thing' or whatever. He helped Aden get down, the young man was tall and walked strangely now, he had noticed even if it wasn't that much of a change,"Feel alright?"he asked after a moment of watching him, climbing down himself and grabbing his overnight bag, pulling out a shelter cube that unraveled itself into a metal hut. His mind was then focused on finding wood to keep them warm overnight and cook dinner,"Only another day until we hit the next town, you'll like it, it's bigger than your village."The man dug around in some brush to drag some twigs and dry leaves back, tossing them into a pile before taking out his lighter to start up the spark.

[secretsparrow]

(Insert random time skip)

It had been a month sense that first night they made camp in the woods and now they had reached the base of the mountain. Aden, grew increasingly anxious his belly was still growing, it hadn't stopped in fact as the month went on the speed in which it grew only seemed to speed up. He somehow, had still managed to keep it pretty hidden from Howard picking up oversize cloths in towns when they passed. He could feel things moving around inside him though he tried to tell himself he was just imagining it. It kept him awake a lot and made it hard to sleep. His back also bothered him and he wasn't fast like he had been before. He was also, the last few weeks hot, all the time but it wasn't as if he could take off his shirt. he was sure he had Howard convinced he had some sort of bug or something the smell of some of the food he brought with had made him sick. Still, he tried to brush all of this off as nothing. This, it was fine there wasn't anything wrong with him.

Currently he was sitting away from the fire he was to hot even though it was actuly pretty cold at the base of the mountain a human should be shivering but here he was in his oversize T-shirt and pants away from the fire, and he still seemed hot. like it might have been 90 out.

[Lovebite]

That month had been...strange to say the least, Aden had been acting the strangest he's ever been, and tonight was the most weird he had noticed as he looked over at the young man while keeping watch over their dinner. If he didn't eat some of this, he might actually try to force some other kind of substance into him, it made him extremely worried that he hadn't eaten that much in so long. The little bites he forced down didn't satisfy his need for his partner to take care of himself more. The older man had thought this would be a bit...different, he guessed. Howard hadn't planned on taking so much care of the other man so early in their journey, he was almost 100% sure that something...unnatural was happening to him and he almost blamed himself for it, he hadn't know that it was actually his doing that made Aden this way.

"You're going to have to force down something."Howard had pushed himself up to his feet, he found it strange for the human to not be suffering from hypothermia and he would have forced him to sit near the fire if he wasn't sweating buckets. He was stuffed inside of a fur coat he dug from inside of his horse, needing to regulate his own body temperature so it didn't get too low. He didn't do that well in the cold, though he had wanted to see the look on Aden's face when they finally got here. Yet he was too sick, he took a seat beside him, though not too close as he knew he was burning up,"Come on, eat this."He offered the bowl of soup, it was a classic, chicken noodle, it's lasted for centuries. "You have too, or I'll take you right back to town for a doctor."

[secretsparrow]

Aden looked up at him eyeing the soup carefully before taking it in his hands. He had no intentions of going home no matter how crappy he felt and so he did try to eat, and he managed to eat some but he really wasn't that hungry. He finished half of it before setting the bowl to the side of him. There it was, that feeling again like something was moving. It had been happening a lot now days. He tried to remain relaxed he didn't want to worry Howard any further, Aden was sure he was just going crazy. There was a logical reason for all of this, there had to be, but he couldn't find one no matter how hard he tried. You have to stay next to the fire you'll get to cold over here won't you? He still didn't know exactly what Howard was but he knew the man was sensitive to cold tempature.

[Lovebite]

Howard relaxed slightly when Aden took the soup from him, while he ate he used a piece of cloth to wipe his forehead gently and remove the sweat from his face. He nodded in approval when he had got down most of the soup, then finished the rest himself in a few gulps,"What is it?"He saw the slight tense of the other and didn't know what to do, his mind was brought off of him when he spoke,"What? No, I'm fine... I'm more worried about you than anything."He looked him over with deep concern furrowing his brows, as he watched him,"Didn't you bring a medical book with you? Maybe I could go and find some roots for you to chew on-"he bit his lower lip before shaking his head slightly, he wanted to get him to a doctor and soon, though he knew it wouldn't happen without a fight. "How are you feeling? Tell me your symptoms."

[secretsparrow]

"That book isn't going to help you I've already looked threw it a few times. I'm ok really." as he said that he felt pain move threw his lower back and wrap around his belly. Aden tried to keep a straight face, this wasn't the first time this had happened over the last few days it had happened randomly but Howard had never been sitting so close to him when it did. He kept speaking he hated looking weak, he should be fine "I'm just tired, and hot, my back hurts, I just need to sleep I'll be fine in the morning I promise." He didn't lie at least about his symptoms all of things were true. "Really, I'll be alright.."