Here We Are, Again

Ethon leaned against a post in front of one of the many shops. He stood so still that he might have been part of the post. His mind wandered idly as he waited. It wouldn't be long before Aurmerle would make a reappearance.

In fact, there was his brother, now.

"Don't run," Ethon said tiredly once the younger man detected his presence. "You know I shall have to chase you, then use demon tricks to make you stay put. That won't be fun for either of us."

He stepped away from the post, moving to stand in front of his brother, regarding him sadly. "So, here we are, again."

Aurmerles gums still itched with the hunger as his fangs threatened to come through. Despite even having just fed at the strip club. Was there nothing that could quench his thirst?

Don't run, those words were enough to send fear running through his veins. He knew who it was who spoke them even before he turned to see his brother stood there. He'd been so engrossed in his hunger than he hadn't even picked up on his brothers presence. He'd just made the same mistake over and over again.

Silently his eyes swept the area looking for a way out. "Then kill me! Because there's no going back this time." He spat, his eyes following a family as they walked ahead further down the street. "Let me go and i'll walk away." Right into the arms of the humans. He added for himself. He could see the blood rushing through the families veins even from here.

"So melodramatic," Ethon drawled. It was rather uncharacteristic of him, actually, as was the eye roll with which he paired the tone.

He continued. "Even if that were possible, you know I couldn't. Blood..." Ethon gave a deliberate pause, "has always been thicker than water. Has it not?"

Ethon moved around so he was standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother, rather than facing him, gaze focused down the street. "You say there is no going back every time," he pointed out, tone bored. "You don't want to be weaned from human blood, again? Fine. But under two conditions.

"First: I want to see some self-control from you. Reckless feeding on your part in these times could endanger all of us - and none of our progeny are capable of raising from the dead.

"Second," Ethon turned to look at Aurmerle, expression unyielding and gaze hard. "You will cede control to me. I will be king of the vampires."

Ethons sudden change in attitude was enough to snap Merle out of his current staring at the humans. "What?" He asked looking at his brother in disbelief. He didn't do melodramatic at times like this.

"No you just prefer to see me suffer instead." He said turning his gaze back to the family but they had gone. "Killing me would be far too easy."

"Yet you never believe me. I've tried living your way Aethon, it just leaves me dead inside." He frowned keeping his brother in sight at all times. He didn't trust him when he was like this. "I'm no longer the kid you seem to think i am Aethon, when are you going to figure that out? I don't need you anymore... wait what?" He asked as he finally realised he might just have a chance to live as he pleased.

He nodded. "Okay... i can do that." He agreed.

"Oh no. You are not taking them from me!" He growled turning on his brother with his fangs exposed. He'd worked hard to build up his empire and he was not about to let him take that away. "They are my people! I will not just hand them over to someone who only cares about destroying me!"

Ethon's expression remained unchanging despite the barb his brother was no doubt wholly aware of delivering. Aurmerle had always been rather adept at striking a person where it would do the most damage. That didn't mean Ethon would let the other man see that he had succeeded.

"You behave like a child and expect me not to treat you as one?" Ethon returned, tone mildly taunting. "Such a double-standard. You're old enough that you ought to realize it doesn't work that way."

The more he spoke, the less he seemed like the man he had been for centuries. Ethon of old had always been patient, understanding. This man was becoming less that way by the moment, as though something had snapped, causing him to behave more like the demon to whom he often surrendered his body as host.

An expression which had no place on the elder Galenson's face, gloating and superior, triumphant and cold, spread across his features. Blue-grey eyes gleamed as his hand wrapped abruptly around Aurmerle's forearm.

"I knew you'd say that," Ethon declared, the words barely departing his lips before he translocated them right from the street. Wards snapped into place so forcefully that the air fairly thrummed with the magic, causing hair to stand on end in response. They now stood in a cool, partially lit chamber. There was a door, and a window high up on one wall.

Ethon released his hold on his brother, turning away. "I hope you've nowhere important to be," he said. "Nothing crosses those wards until a week is past. And you know I was thorough in setting them, so there's little purpose in your attempting to get around them. We'll be spending a bit of quality time together, you and I."

"Im forever frozen at 18! During this day and age I'm barely considered an adult. I got I.Ded going into a club the other day. I'm over 1000 years old and i'm still treated like a child!" He frowned turning to take up pacing with his frustrations. "I thought my people would have been the exception but not even my own brother can give me a break."

Merle stopped pacing and turned to look at his brother. His face expressions was beginning to scare him, something about them wasn't right and he didn't like it one bit. Before he got chance to question him however Ethon had taken hold of his forearm. "Wha... noo." He frowned before he fell to his knees in a new room.

"I didn't agree to this Ethon!" He frowned as he positioned himself so he was sat against the wall. He knew it was pointless in trying to escape, he'd been here numerous times before. "Don't do this to me again Ethon. If you want to spend sometime together then fine just don't lock me in, please." He begged. "Amora's waiting for me."

"We remember the last thousand years rather differently, brother, because as I recall, I have given you more breaks than anyone would be willing to," Ethon declared, a faint sneer pulling at his features.

"You agreed to it when you refused one of my conditions," he said coldly. "Vampires far younger than us can easily survive without feeding for a week - something of which you might be aware had you any self-control. Your withdrawal symptoms shouldn't be nearly as severe as they were the last time."

Ethon leaned back against the opposite wall, gaze focused on the small window. "You forget," he tutted, tone hard, "I just love to watch you suffer. My entire existence revolves around seeing you in ruin. Remember?"

The man sighed, eyes falling shut. For the first time in their encounter, he seemed wholly like himself again. Raising a hand, he incanted softly, "Expecto Patronum." His patronus, the lean figure of panther emerged, circling the room once before bounding out through the window.

"I've sent Amora a message telling her that you were with me and not to worry," Ethon spoke quietly, gaze still on the window instead of his brother. "I really can't let you out, Aurmerle. The wards were set so that no being can cross them, not even myself. If you really feel you can't last the whole week..."

Blue-grey eyes finally moved to rest on his brothers. "... then, you may feed on me, instead."

"That's because no ones lived as long as we have so they haven't been given the chance." He replied back with a tone to suit that of a bratty little kid. "And what's with the faces? You're creeping me out!" He frowned bringing his knees up to his chest to rest his arms on his knees.

He snorted. "You knew i would say no, it was a smart plan." He had to admit, even he was impressed. "Shouldn't? How could you possibly know that? It's me that has to face this Ethon not you!" He growled. "But yeah maybe i should just kill you to make myself feel better. So i can watch you come back to life, at least then we'll be in pain together. Hows that sound?" He suggested remembering the pain he went through when he got burnt to death. That pain was unimaginable.

"Was that a patronus?" He asked his eyes lighting up as his memories returning back to his childhood. The last time he'd saw one of those it had been their mothers. "Thank you..." He frowned reaching into his pocket to pull out the wand he'd had since he was human but never really used. "Don't tempt me. Since you're stupid enough to lock us both in here teach me a spell." He said pushing himself to his feet.

Ethon sighed, eyes falling shut and expression growing weary. All signs of the stranger he had been were gone. "I'm tired," he stated simply. He sounded tired; tired in a way that ought to have been impossible for the vampire. As though it wasn't his body or mind that was weary, but his very soul.

He silently let his brother protest and threaten. They had both died numerous times throughout the years and returning to life was seldom fun. Oft times, it was extremely painful, especially when returning from ash or dust.

"It was," Ethon replied, his own mind going back to their mother's patronus. Hers had been beautiful. Turning his gaze to his brother, Ethon inclined his head. "Which spell do you wish to learn?"

Merle frowned, he really didn't like what he was seeing. It was only until recently and he'd never admit it out loud but he needed his brother, he always had. If he somehow managed to find a way out of their deal and did manage to get himself killed he had no idea what he'd do in a world without him. "I'm sorry." It was probably his fault after all why his brother was feeling so tired all of a sudden. Centuries of having to pick up after your reckless younger brother would suck the life out of anyone.

He shrugged, "Honestly i don't even remember what spells there are. Teach me one that will allow me to move around undetected." He requested, that would be useful in more ways than one. If he could go around invisible one way or another it would make his life one hell of a lot easier.

Ethon's eyes snapped open to focus on the other man. His younger brother - did such terminology even apply to them, anymore? They had lived so very long, surely four years were hardly worth counting anymore. Still, Aurmerle had always been his little brother. No matter how long eternity, Ethon knew he could never think of him in any other terms.

"For what are you apologizing?" he had slipped into the Old Tongue, the archaic language taking the edge off his pervading weariness. When speaking the language of their youth, he could at least pretend so much time had not passed.

"A spell to move around undetected?" Ethon raised a brow. "Even the simpler spells are concidered more advanced magic. There are several that work in specific situations, a few newer developments I haven't bothered to learn. To best accomplish what you desire, I would use celare me. It's an old spell, but sound; not as old as we are. It's not easy, especially without a sound foundation in magical theory and performance, but you're intelligent and we've time."

Ethon levered himself from the ground, standing to face his sibling. "Let us begin, then, shall we?"