Home was Cetus. It had always been, even when Erasmus had not known the name of the cave and had called it their territory instead. But it had become a home with memories of Alek, with memories of raising children here.

The Crags were where the vampire, now lightly armored thanks to dear Alek, and strongly enchanted with a protective spell thanks to friend Onyx-Three and kind Yanyue, tended to linger most. Where shattered chrysalises that had once housed their children existed, as well as the chrysalis that was Alek’s still unhatched child.

But everywhere amongst these mists was home for the vampire. They moved through the mists with ease when they heard the sound of a crack, a sound that meant life, they realized.

Erasmus hesitated until their too-keen senses, so keen as to overwhelm, caught the familiar hint of blood in the air. Then they hesitated no more.

A thump and a cry, they noted distantly as they ran. Then they paused, as the mists cleared enough for them to see the frightened child.

Instinctively, their attempt to soothe rose to their throat, a rough croon that was raspy as the rest of their voice, but trying to soothe regardless.

They wished, right now, that they had Alek’s musical tones, far better for soothing a child.

”Child,” they murmured as gentle as their raspy tones could. ”Child safe. No need scared,” they reassured, or tried to. They took off their helmet holding it under an arm, and their face was revealed.

Uncannily beautiful, humanoid but not at all when one looked close, with eyes that were like a viper’s in a vivid shade of green before they were hidden behind hair. ”Won’t let child hurt while am here. Erasmus able to protect,” they added, trying to sound more confident than they felt. They could keep a child safe, but they hated needing to turn towards violence. But they would, for a child so young, so in need of help.

”Name is Erasmus,” they added. Hopefully their speech was decipherable to the child. They knew their way of speaking was different, but they had lost speech from disuse and relearned it and while they generally could make themselves understood and were comfortable with their speech, right now they were anxious.

Anxious to help.

@Aerys

Erasmus did not smile, because their mouth was full of sharp teeth and for all that they were a humanoid, they were a predatory humanoid with all that meant. But their face softened kindly, relaxed some from former worry, at the child voicing a word…

No, not a word, they realized quickly. A name, they thought. ”Child is Aerys?” their raspy voice asked to clarify, not wishing to misunderstand. Misunderstandings hurt, after all. It was better to be sure than to assume.

The child walked towards Erasmus on her shaky legs, and Erasmus became very still, then slowly crouched down, making themself smaller than their height. Erasmus safe,” they quietly offered. ”No harm Aerys.”

A thought occurred to them, a reminder of their own children’s hatching. ”Aerys hungry?” their voice was gentle despite the constant rasp to their voice as they asked their question.