dead_junebugs

The moonlight behind the overcast sky diffused into a gray haze; the lamplight sharpened the ghostly wisps of mist. The train waited as if it were dead; no station-men could be seen. An abandoned stillness hung over everything.

_____

The library was an old and grand building. Three floors of bookshelves carried the accumulated knowledge of centuries, all drawn into the heart of the city by students from across the land. This was the core of the university’s knowledge, and at this hour, there were few souls wandering its halls. Tucked in one corner of this cavern of books was a lone figure, back from his trip into the countryside. Noé Archiviste was hard at work turning that brief visit with the funeral urns into a scholarly report.

For Noé, desk work was familiar. He had already whiled away many hours by the time he decided to quit for the day. The draft he was working on was nearly finished, but he was reaching his limit. Focus was eluding him. Putting aside his report, he drew his attention to the window. Night had fallen on Paris and the streets were gently illuminated by the yellow glow of lamps. A wispy fog had rolled in, promising a chill night. He laid his pen on the desk and stood up. Nobody else was still at the library at this time of night, except for Amelia, who managed the counter for late-night visitors. She would receive them more often than not; many a scholar besides Noé worked deep into the night.

He stretched, cracking a couple joints in the process. A lot of work was put in today. This too was typical—the need to hit the books was unavoidable. He had to make up the scholarly portion of his archeology after completing the legwork a few days prior. Today, he got quite far. Really, he thought, Domi doesn’t give me enough credit. She would tease that an absent-minded dreamer like him had no business in the intellectual sphere. But Noé knew he could be serious when he wanted to be. He just wanted to enjoy the world when he wasn’t trapped in the library too long, like he was today.

This evening would be different from the many evenings similar to it. Returning from a trip to the field, Noé would typically go home to get some sleep and be reacquainted with his beloved Murr. However, he had other plans. The alchemist from that distant village would arrive today. When he did, Noé planned to show him to his hotel, as he didn’t think the fellow was familiar with the city. How strange it would seem, thought Noé, that this mysterious figure would be walking the streets of the city he called home.

“Mademoiselle Amelia, I’m heading out!” Noé called toward the exit. Having packed away his belongings, he promptly picked up his briefcase. The books would wait for him until tomorrow.

“Have a good evening, Professor.” Amelia gave Noé a gentle smile from behind the counter. It would still be some time before she could leave for the night. During this part of the year, Amelia always took the night shift. Noé wasn’t sure what she thought about that, but for his part he didn’t mind. He enjoyed her company.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to you calling me that,” Noé said sheepishly. “I can’t seem to leave the idea that I’m still working on my thesis.”

“Don’t act like that, Professor, you worked so hard. You’ve earned it.” Amelia replied, a sparkle in her smile. “I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully in the Archeology Department.”

“Thank you, Mademoiselle.” He returned her smile. “Have a good night.”

“You as well,” she said, as Noé turned his heel and exited into the streets.

The fog carried the promised chill that penetrated Noé’s coat. Pausing to suppress a shiver, he adjusted his outer layers to better insulate him. The misty streets were deserted. Noé reflected on the fact that he enjoyed these evenings, in truth. The reprieve from the daytime bustle let him return home peacefully. Having banished the cold as well as he could he started moving toward his destination. Instead of his usual route, Noé headed in the direction of the train station. Vanitas’s arrival was for the late evening. It would be soon.

It wasn’t long before he arrived. Sleepy passengers bundled with luggage wandered out of the station while uniformed men made straight paths through it, probably having important things to do. Noé asked one of these men for directions to the right platform, and the attendant quickly threw an answer back. By the time Noé got to the right place, the tracks were mostly empty. Not many passengers were taking this particular train and many of them had already left. Noé decided to stand at the platform and wait.

The stillness was broken by sharp footsteps. The sound of boots on flagstones seemed loud compared to the silence that hung before. A figure emerged from the haze on the other side of the tracks in front of Noé. Wearing his old, worn black leather boots, the alchemist now wore a velvety black overcoat that fell to his ankles, with a shorter cape reaching his elbows. At his throat gleamed a small golden pin, its shape a crescent. And those familiar, unearthly, azure eyes gazing out across the empty platforms. Those eyes searched the unfamiliar surroundings for a moment and found Noé. Vanitas gave him a smile of recognition.

Noé raised his hand to wave at him. As the alchemist walked toward Noé’s waiting place, Noé considered the oddity of seeing this strange magician, and ad hoc vampire doctor, wandering the modern and remote streets of Paris. And, with mild surprise, Noé realized he was happy to see him.

“You didn’t have to come out here to wait for me, Noé.” Vanitas gave him a mildly sardonic look. He pointedly glanced at the briefcase. “It looks like you’ve had to bring your work with you.”

“Nonsense. You’re not from here so I didn’t want you getting lost. It’s no trouble at all,” replied Noé. He noticed Vanitas was only carrying a portmanteau.

“…you packed awfully light,” noted Noé.

“I like to. I can get whatever I need while I’m here. You need not worry about it,” Vanitas replied.

Noé gave him a shrug. “All right, if that’s what you prefer.”

The pair made their way to the street facing the station.

“Where are you staying?”

“Hotel Chouchou.”

“The Galerie Valentine?” The archeologist raised his eyebrows. “I haven’t been there in a while. That’s a lovely place to stay. There’s all kinds of things to see there.”

“Hmmm, somehow I’m not surprised you’d describe shopfronts as ‘all kinds of things to see.’”

Noé snorted. “I’m amazed you’re so jaded for someone from the countryside.”

“Hah! I won’t be overwhelmed by just a lot of people in one place. People make too much fuss about cities. City-slickers just want an inflated sense of importance.”

Noé grinned. “Maybe you’re right.”

The pair continued their journey down the streets. The fog was beginning to break up. The splitting clouds revealed the stars and the shining half Moon.

“…still, I’ve never seen a city like this before.”

Noé looked at Vanitas, who broke the silence.

The archeologist scratched his nose. “Have you always lived there, in that village?”

“No,” replied Vanitas. “Not always. It’s not like this is the first city I’ve ever seen. I just never stayed very long in any of them.”

Noé waited for Vanitas to continue but the alchemist said no more. He kept walking along, silent but with a faraway look in his eyes.

Soon the pair reached the gates of Galerie Valentine.

“It looks like it’s time for us to part, Noé.”

“Yes.” Noé replied, digging into his pocket. He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “This is the address to my office. We should meet again and discuss our plan. If you go to the university and get lost, just ask someone for directions.”

Vanitas’s gloved fingers plucked the scrap from Noé’s hand. He waved it derisively. “Fear not, something simple as following directions isn’t likely to put me into trouble.”

He hid the scrap in his sleeve, and quietly spoke while glancing to the side, “I’m liable to get us both into trouble before the end of this week, given where my research has taken me…”

Noé silently stared at him, crossing his arms.

“I’m going to save my questions about that cryptic statement for when we next meet in the daylight.”

A bright smile, brimming with irony, shown on the alchemist’s face. “You do that. Good night Noé.”

“Good night, Vanitas.”

***

Noé left Vanitas, finally having a chance to go back home. The evening had certainly dragged out long enough. The chill in the air was growing stronger. Looking up at the sky he saw that all the clouds had broken into small fragments, and the shining light of the stars were above him. And there too hung the Moon. In the lonely night-streets of Paris these things kept him company.

He was traversing an alley when a figure with long hair appeared in front of him. The light from the building across the street turned it into a silhouette. Noé stopped suddenly in surprise. The shape was familiar, but he was not sure. He raised his hand to block some of the glare of the lamplight.

“Domi…?”

“My, my, Noé dear. Fancy meeting you in the streets of Paris in the middle of the night. What on earth are you doing here?”

“Domi!” he cried out. The last thing he expected was to run into his childhood friend. Dominique de Sade, daughter of the Marquis de Sade. Who, for some reason, was roaming the streets at night?

“Domi, I should be asking you the same!” Despite his incredulity he and Domi immediately clasped hands, happily reunited. “What are you doing in Paris?”

“I needed to be in the city on behalf of my father. My dear sister Veronica invited me to this opera. I saw a chance to escape, so I didn’t bother to stay after the first half hour.”

“Still always fighting with you’re sister…” Noé muttered to himself, but not really trying to hide what he was saying from Domi. Instead, he took a closer look at how she was dressed. Indeed, she was wearing long evening gloves and a gown, both of red fabric accented with violet. Wrapped around her shoulders was a matching shawl to keep out the cold. Domi’s hair cascaded around her in waves. The overall effect was glamorous. Keeping both her hands in his, he leaned back to better take in her entire appearance.

Seeing Domi again made his detached academic facade melt away, revealing genuine warmth. Noé’s happiness at being with Domi again showed on his face unabated.

“Noé, I’m willing to thank her for dragging me out here as it meant running into you. Come, you must tell me about your latest discovery. Ever since you returned you’ve been so holed up in that library that I haven’t had a chance to talk to you until now.”

Dominique let go one hand but kept the other in his. The two slowly strolled down the alley together as Noé recounted his discovery. She didn’t know all the historical details about the urns, but she happily listened to him as he got lost in the excitement of his research. Eventually, however, Noé’s thoughts returned to that event. That dreadful discovery.

He became quiet. As he walked he looked down at the ground, watching his feet and Domi’s step upon the cobblestones, his booted and hers in fine satin shoes. Dominique looked at him questioningly, noticing how Noé fell silent suddenly. He eventually stopped and looked up at the Moon.

“Domi, something else happened while I was there that I don’t know how to explain.”

He let go of her hand and turned to face her. Her eyes showed confusion but she waited patiently for him to continue. Those familiar eyes of pale amber steadied him.

Once again, he thought, the blunt path would be the only one that could avail him.

He sighed but smiled a little. “What can I say? Domi, I woke up one night and I was a vampire.”

Noé waited for Domi’s disbelief, but none came. Instead, her face showed no doubt. She accepted his words exactly as they came. Noé was surprised.

She turned from him, seemingly considering the drab brick of the building walls. She looked thoughtful.

“Well, Noé, this makes it easier for me to tell you this. I’m the same way.”

Noé could not believe his ears. What are the chances that not only he was cursed, but also Domi? He didn’t want to think the Ram could reach into his life further.

Domi saw the doubt in Noé’s expression and calmly took his hand again. Noé was wearing gloves as well, made of pale kidskin and given as a gift to him by her some years before. She slipped her fingers under the leather, pulling it up to reveal the skin of his palm. Her face was shadowed against the moonlight, and within that shadow he saw red eyes and gleaming fangs. In a smooth motion her fangs sank into his hand and Noé felt a sting when they pierced his flesh.

Noé was now having his blood drunk by a vampire.

But, he reflected as he watched her, this scenario didn’t resemble at all the myths about contact with vampires. It was only Domi here with him, and, after the initial pain, he only felt a kind of warmth in his veins, slowly traveling up his arm. He briefly wondered if this was how Vanitas felt when he drank his blood. He didn’t know. Vanitas reflected nothing within himself at that time. He kept his thoughts a mystery.

Domi lifted her face, and those fangs and red eyes remained. Noé brought his attention back to her. She gave him a wan smile that, despite the blood on her face, the fangs, and the crimson eyes, was still completely that of the girl the archeologist knew from his earliest memories.

***

The earlier clouds diminished to nothing during the night and sunny days followed. On one of these days Vanitas left Galerie Valentine to meet with Noé and one other. Noé had written him since his arrival and said there would be another member of their quest.

For this visit Vanitas decided to dress a bit more in line with current fashion, so as to not draw attention to himself. He got his hands on the clothes without a hitch. Donning a gray suit with a black ribbon tied around his neck in a floppy bow, he concluded he looked ordinary enough to fit in with the rest of the crowd, and left for the university. He did not, however, consider removing his hourglass bracelet. He would go straight to the university, having memorized the note Noé gave him. They would meet in Noé’s office.

Vanitas arrived just before noon. Walking down a poorly lit hall, the alchemist clasped his hands behind his back while he looked at the doors lining the walls. This long hallway constituted the wing housing the offices of the faculty. Nothing set apart the archeology departments from the others, from what he could see. However, the alchemist perked up when he realized someone was waiting by one of the doors. A fool could put the pieces together easy enough. The fellow visitor was a gorgeous woman with flowing black hair, wearing a suit of her own and patiently waiting with her back against the wall.

Vanitas quietly made his way over a few feet from her, and leaned against the wall too.

“Monsieur, I take it you are waiting for the professor as well?” She asked.

“I certainly am,” replied Vanitas. Unbeknownst to him a bit of a smirk was on his face.

“And how do you make his acquaintance?” Domi asked, her suspicion creeping into her voice.

“Business,” replied Vanitas nonchalantly. “Purely related to his last trip and of importance to his current research.”

“Huh!” Said Domi, jolted. This strange man with the untrustworthy look has a legitimate reason to be here?

“And what of you, Mademoiselle? Why are you visiting the professor?”

“I too have business with him. It’s strictly confidential, I’m afraid.”

“My, my, what a surprise,” said Vanitas. “I didn’t think there was anything top secret about archeology.”

Domi glanced sharply at the alchemist. He gave her an unreadable smile in return.

The discussion was interrupted by a sharp sound, like a shoe hitting a wooden desk from inside the office.

“Ah! Damn it,” said a voice from the office. Noé’s voice. Quick footsteps were heard and then the office door swung open.

“Domi! You’re here already!” Said Noé. He turned his head and spotted Vanitas. “Vanitas? Then you two have spoken already. Good, good…”

Noé was nodding his head as he turned around to go back from whence he came.

“Please come in, both of you. It’s a little messy in here but I can make space.”

Domi gave Vanitas a surprised glance before shrugging. She gracefully strolled into Noé’s office. Vanitas laughed a bit at Noé’s clumsy greeting and also went in.

Noé’s office was small but felt more cramped thanks to the intrusion of Noé’s research. Stacks of papers and books were left in disarray, and Noé was not the meticulous type. He did not relish fighting the chaos of red tape his work entailed, and so there was no organizational system that tamed it. Instead, he let whatever he had to do pile up around him, and attacked it one document at a time. In the midst of this were knicknacks of various origins. Old skulls, ancient pottery, and hidden treasure from tombs decorated the shelves, but also bizarre cheap oddities. Themed coat hooks, doorstops in the shape of mushrooms, tiny portraits of cats in evening dress. The students who visited this professor’s office hours could only leave concluding Noé Archiviste was an odd individual.

Two cushioned chairs were unearthed from poor Noé’s paperwork. The brunettes slotted themselves into them. Noé shoved some stacks and books on his desk toward the other side of it, and then sat on its ledge, facing them with legs stretched out.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“All right,” said Noé. “I want to start by getting us all up to speed. Vanitas, the lady you have spoken to is Dominique de Sade, daughter of the Marquis de Sade. She is also my friend from when we were children.

“Charmed,” said Vanitas.

“Domi, the man you have just met is an alchemist named Vanitas. Now, last night I learned that I won’t have to convince you he is a real alchemist, and not some quack out to mislead the superstitious. I want you to know that he knows I’m a vampire. He even proved it was the case, to myself.”

Domi leaned over the wooden arm of her chair, looking at Vanitas with interest.

“Well now, you are the supposed savior to the condition Noé and I have? I’m curious about what you think we need to do to address our… ailment.”

Domi’s smile revealed fangs and red eyes. It was safe, since the office door was closed and no one would be able to see the three through the window.

“I’m surprised you’re taking your vampirism so well.” Vanitas wrinkled his brow.

Domi tossed her hair. “Not all of us get in a tizzy about the unexpected like Noé dear.”

“I do not!” Noé protested.

“Don’t take it so harshly, darling. I’m just saying you sometimes obsess over problems. I’m simply explaining to the alchemist that I prefer to face the unexpected directly.”

Vanitas lazily leaned his head in his hand.

“Is that so?”

Domi flashed a glance at him, wondering if she detected a hint of sarcasm. But she quickly put that aside.

“In any case, gentlemen,” said Domi, leaning back and crossing her legs, with a touch of drama. “I would like to get down to business. We all know the main point: Noé and I are vampires. The question is what we should do about it. Do you know, alchemist?”

Vanitas obligingly told Domi what he had told Noé so far.

“I see, there is an mastermind behind these strange events,” said Domi. She placed a delicate finger under her chin in thought. “I am of one mind with Noé on this. We can’t let him get away with it, nor let him pull more unfortunates into his web. I will do all that I can as a member of the de Sade family to put a stop to it.”

“There is one more thing I wanted to mention, Lady Dominique,” said Vanitas. “We have a fourth member. She’s not among us, but she is a fellow vampire and also wants to put a stop to the Ram. She’s in the city now but doesn’t have a place to stay yet. I wanted to ask you if you would give her shelter for the time being?”

“Ah, Jeanne is here?” Noé perked up.

Domi gave Noé a wondering glance. “Certainly I will. Where is she?”

“She’s at the train station. At the moment she’s waiting at the front entrance. If you go to her and say I sent you, she’ll go with you.”

“I better leave now in that case,” said Domi, standing up. “Noé, I understand you and the alchemist agreed to do research on the Ram together. I won’t be of help here, so I’d like to meet Jeanne sooner rather than later. You know where to find me. Jeanne will be given a room in the de Sade’s residence in Paris.”

With a swish of her coattails she strode out the door. She briefly turned back to face the young men.

“When we have a plan, let’s meet again.”

Noé gave her a gentle smile and waved as she took her leave.

“See you soon, Domi.”