For Eternity II: Clandestine Preceding (Vampire! 2p! Italy x Reader)

Extra #8 - Plague Doctor

~Voting Results in the Description~

The year was 1347 when the youngest prince of the vampire nation had run away from his home. Luciano felt misunderstood and moody constantly, which was to be expected since his actual age was the equivalent of a fourteen year old human. Besides that, he didn't want to be around his family any longer, at least not for a few years. So, he found himself packing to leave the forests and castle he had called home. He waited until just after dusk the following night to leave, being very careful to not be seen by any of the servants in the castle or outside in the gardens. He knew that leaving would scare his family, but he needed to be where people would appreciate and understand him. Luciano gave a final look at the place he had grown up in before trekking into the dense lot of trees surrounding the stone castle.

He walked for what seemed like thousands of miles, his small sack of more average looking clothing. The prince eventually stopped at a small town of humans just outside the forest. A tavern sat at its center, and Luciano made his way to it in hopes it securing a room to sleep in during the day. He paid for the room with the coins he had in his purse and stayed there until the following night. He asked the tavern owner which direction he needed to travel to reach Florence and was told to head north.

"You're taking quite the trip there, young man," said the tavern owner's wife. "Are you making it completely on foot?"

"It's not ideal, but yes," Luciano responded, being careful to not let them see his fangs while he spoke.

"What a brave boy!" she gushed. "I wish my children were as brave as you!" She pinched his cheek gently.

"You want our children to be brave and adventure out while there are so many dying of that peculiar disease to the south?" the owner inquired.

"Not right now! When it's all over, and they're older! We'll be lucky enough if we even survive it..."

"That's if it gets up to us..."

"Oh, shut up..."

"Make me..."

"I wish you all luck and good health then. I should be off," Luciano said to prevent any possible violence between the couple.

"Oh. Are you sure? You could stay another night if you'd like," the woman offered.

"No thank you. I want to get to Florence in less than two weeks if possible."

"Very well. Be safe, and do come again!"

Luciano nodded before heading off again, heading North at a brisk pace. He could have used his super speed to reach his destination long already, but he wanted to drag this trip out as long as he could, even possibly see how humans live up close. After walking for a few hours, he stopped in another town to sleep the day away. This pattern continued on for about a week before he gave in and used his super speed to finish the rest of the trip. Once in Florence, he rented a room in another tavern and slept until the following night. Luciano didn't know how long he would stay in the city, but he knew he would be there for at least a month. So, he set out to find a job. It didn't take long for that to happen.

A local doctor took him in and trained him in the field well enough that Luciano was able to open his own shop in a little under eight months. He treated the humans, but only at night. They knew what he was, but they didn't fear him. They knew who he was, but that didn't matter. They praised and loved him for his abilities to cure their ailments. They loved him for his friendliness but knew better than to take that for granted on account that he was known to have major mood swings. The women adored him for his charm, and the men loathed him for the same reason, but no one attempted to kill him because he was their saving grace. No, he never turned any of them into vampires, but he somehow had this magical quality about him that made people feel better. Some believed it was the herbs and medicine he created that healed them. Others said it was something else. Either way, the people of Florence wished he would never leave.

The year turned over to 1348, and the mysterious disease in the south had spread further up north, taking the lives of many in Italy as it contaminated more and more of the European continent. Doctors began to refuse to see those infected unless they wore what would become the signature plague doctor mask with bird-like features. Luciano, unable to contract the disease, still wore the mask and treated as many as he could with what limited medical supplies he had. He watched the humans he had befriended die slow and sometimes painful deaths. Some survived, but he wasn't sure if they would be considered lucky at all since they had to live with the deaths of their family and friends. Luciano stayed with them until the plague seemed to vanish many years later. After making sure the people were all as healthy as possible, he left them and headed back home to his family in Rome. He went the same route he came and found that many of the people he had met along the way had died. Even the couple that own the first tavern he roomed at had died and their children as well. The young prince returned home with a heavy heart and didn't speak to his family for the next two weeks, ignoring their questions and the fact that his mother grounded him for being gone for so long. He didn't care though. He only mourned for the loss of the humans, the only time he ever mourned their loss.

~Author's Note~

DreamsForDays here! I know that his update was rather short, but I have so many projects to do in school right now that I haven't had much time to write anything. I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless! Now, for what you guys have been waiting for. The results are in for voting. 2p! Italian Brothers x Mute! Reader has won with four votes! So, a week or two after this story has ended, I'll post the first chapter to that. That's really all I have to say for this update. Thanks for reading! Feedback in the comments is always appreciated! Until next time!