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Pyro trembles as footsteps slowly approach his location.
He's curled up against the base of one of the tall trees surrounding his Sire's hunting ground, though he knows it won't keep him hidden for long.
The hunter hums quietly to himself as he stalks towards Pyro's hiding place, carefree despite having staked Pyro's Sire mere moments earlier.
There was no way that Pyro would be able to defend himself. His Sire was a strong vampire, much more powerful than Pyro himself, and this human had taken him down in minutes.
Pyro had only just been turned. He stood no chance.
He was supposed to be able to protect himself now. His Sire had promised that he wouldn't have to be afraid anymore.
He was afraid. He was going to die a second time, only this time it would be permanent.
“Well, well. What have we here?”
Pyro flinches, his eyes darting up to the man staring down at him.
The human is tall, a wicked smile twisting at his lips. His bright blue eyes gleam in amusement at Pyro's cowering form.
Pyro flinches back again as the human grabs his chin. Pyro tries to pull away, but the man's grip is unrelenting. He pushes his thumb up against Pyro's lip, forcing his mouth open.
The hunter presses his finger against one of Pyro's fangs, his smirk widening. The look sends ice through Pyro's veins.
He shrinks back, pulling his face away from the man's hands. The man's eyes narrow, though his smile doesn't falter.
Pyro swallows hard.
The human shakes his head. “You already know that you aren't getting away from me, don't you?"
Pyro presses his back against the tree, curling up as small as he can. “...Please let me go.”
The man laughs, not looking remotely sympathetic to Pyro's pleading. “That's not going to happen.”
Pyro's eyes burn. “Please. I swear I haven't hurt anyone. And– and I won't! I'll stick to animals–”
“I don't care about that.”
Pyro freezes, his eyes widening. There wasn't anywhere he could go to get away, and he was too afraid to fight back when he was sure to lose. Pyro could see the outline of a stake in the man's coat, and he knew that if he couldn't convince this human to spare him, he would soon meet the same fate as his Sire.
The man leans down, tilting his head. This close, Pyro can see the glint of a thick silver band around the man's throat. Another thing that prevents Pyro from defending himself.
“You're young, aren't you? A fledgling.”
Pyro winces at the observation, but slowly nods his head, unsure what else he can do but answer.
The man hums in consideration, though what he's considering, Pyro doesn't know.
“What's your name?”
Pyro hesitates before speaking. “...Pyro.”
“When were you turned, Pyro?”
Pyro shifts nervously in place, trying to think back. It had been a blur of fear and desperation, and then he had fallen into place right by his Sire's side, clinging onto the older vampire to try and hold onto some semblance of normalcy.
“A few weeks ago…?”
The man raises an eyebrow. “You don't sound sure of that.”
Pyro shakes his head, forcing his voice to come out steady. “A few weeks ago.”
The man taps his nails against his cheek, long and well manicured. If Pyro didn't know better, he would have said they looked like claws.
“Hm. I guess I could find a use for you.” His gaze lingers over Pyro's face. “You seem smart enough not to fight me.”
They weren’t sure they liked the sound of that.
The man reaches back, pulling them up to their feet by the back of their coat. His hand holds firmly onto Pyro's collar, keeping them in place.
Pyro tries to step back anyway as the man pulls the stake out of his coat, but the man is quicker. He presses the sharp point against Pyro's upper back, between his shoulder blades.
“As long as you do what I say, I'll have no reason to use this. Do you understand?”
Pyro swallows hard, nodding their head.
The man leads them through the trees and down the muddy dirt path. Pyro considers asking where they're going, but decide to keep their mouth shut when they see the scowl on the hunter's face.
It's not long before they come up towards a horse, tied up to a fence post just outside the tree line. Pyro finds their steps slowing as they're forced to approach. Pyro had seen horses before, of course. They had been required to learn to ride when they were young.
But this horse was big, tall and sturdy. Not to mention that they could hear the roar of blood flowing in the animal's veins. They hadn't eaten recently, and the last thing they want to do is look bloodthirsty in front of someone who could stake them at any moment he pleases.
Pyro doesn't get a choice. The hunter keeps them moving with no regard to Pyro's nerves. They swallow again as they're made to stand beside the horse, trying to rid their mouth of the saliva that's pooling on their tongue at the two heartbeats.
The human rummages through a large pack on the horse's back, pulling out something that glints in the moonlight.
When he turns back towards them, Pyro freezes.
A muzzle.
“No,” Pyro stumbles back, raising their hands. “I'm– You aren't going to put that on me. I'm not a dog.”
The man only stares at him. “Come here. Don't make me chase you down.”
Pyro can't tear their gaze away from the muzzle. It's metal, though Pyro doesn't think it's silver. It would be a whole other thing, if it was.
They glance behind them, but fear makes them compliant. They slowly step back in front of the hunter, flinching when he moves closer to them.
“If you bite me, not only will I stake you, I'll pull your fangs out before I do.”
Pyro's eyes sting, dread coiling inside their chest. They keep their mouth closed as he fixes the muzzle onto their face, the same unnerving gleam in his eyes from before as he does so.
When the human does back away, Pyro wants nothing more than to sink into the ground.
What would mother and father think of them like this? Muzzled like a feral beast.
They would probably think it fitting.
The hunter coos, tucking the stake back into his coat. “Don't look so unhappy, Pyro. It isn't a permanent addition so long as you can prove you're trustworthy.”
With the way the muzzle is adjusted, Pyro can't open their mouth to respond, so they don't. They let the hunter pull them up onto the front of the horse, settling on the saddle behind them.
It's more than humiliating, but it isn't as if Pyro can say anything to oppose what's happening. Even if they could speak, arguing with the vampire hunter doesn't sound like it would end well for them.
The man gets the horse moving, riding with an ease that speaks to years of experience. Pyro holds onto the horse's neck, uneasy with the hunter at their back.
“I realize I haven't introduced myself yet, even after you so cooperatively gave me your name. You can refer to me as Scott.”
Pyro glances back, nodding their head once. It wasn't as if they were going to be able to use the name much, but if the hunter, Scott, stuck to his word, he would hopefully remove the muzzle once Pyro proved they weren't a threat.
They had no way of knowing what would become of them once Scott decided they weren't dangerous, but Pyro clings onto hope that the human won't kill them anyway.
It was all they could do.