Alex didn't know where to go, but a cracking sound behind him pushed him to dive deeper into the forest. Fear was just too strong.
He felt like he had ran for hours until something fell on top of him and brought him to the ground. He quickly realised it was a net, weighted by little stones on the sides to keep the prey down. Getting out of a net sounds easy but Alex quickly found it was not at all the case. A huge figure loomed over him and the youngster gulped in fear. It was an outlandish creature! It resembled a giant caterpillar, with many arms, but stood on four legs. It had a human-like face, a rope coiled around his shoulder and most worryingly it was smirking.
"A human. Rare. Malleable. You'll fetch an excellent price. Must be my lucky day."
The creature then lifted the net effortlessly and hoisted Alex on his shoulder. He walked some time before reaching a cart with an empty large cage. It did not heed Alex's screams, shouts, insults and then pleas. It locked Alex, still in the net, inside the cage and then got on top to shake the horse into a steady walk.
"Enough of your noise. You're actually a lucky boy. I'm selling you to a rich lord. He'll be very happy to receive you. Now shut your trap or it'll be worse."
Alex rode in the cart with his captor for a long time. As they moved from the forest environment to a mountain one. As they followed a path, two goblins stepped in front of the cart. Alex thought they were bandits but they chattered with the caterpillar monster and goggled at Alex, mocking him and laughing at him with pointed fingers. Alex had just finished a bowl of water and a crust of bread and he would have liked nothing more than kick the stupid green goblins. But the caterpillar monster just told them to stop and that they had a long road still ahead of him. The two goblins then chattered more, saying that they had raided a tavern three days ago and that the caterpillar could spend the night at their place, instead of alone in the forest. The monster agreed and the three friends made their way into the forest, leaving the path and going towards the goblins' place. They all joked and laughed, catching up and the caterpillar explaining that the rich lord in the mountains would be happy, as the human he had captured would sell well. He was exactly what the rich lord wanted and had promised a reward for. One goblin jumped and said that actually, he knew a bandit that owned a crow and that a message could be sent to the lord to meet them at the shack. Like that, the lord would take his new slave and the gold coins given earlier. They could all go to a tavern and have fun all the sooner. The caterpillar monster nodded and the goblin jumped from the cart to reach his bandit pal further in the woods.
The goblin's shack was made of stone and thatch. The monster attached the role to a pole to let it graze and seized Alex to tie him up and get him inside. The goblin set a fire in the chimney and put out beer and tankards. Alex was just attached in a corner. The second goblin returned and announced the success of his mission. All cheered and as they drank, one goblin said Alex looked stupid and made fun of him. Alex let out a string of curses and at that, the caterpillar rose and said he'd had enough of him and that he might as well get him trained for now and make his new master's job easier. He then untied the ropes on his captive and Alex, hoping to get away, bolted. Except the caterpillar was too fast. It grabbed his arm and wrapped him in his many arms. Alex's back was again the chest of the monster, surprisingly smooth. Alex struggled but to no avail. He screamed when the caterpillar ripped his clothes, sending the goblins hooting and jeering. He tried to thrash, in the nude, but the caterpillar forced his arms upwards.
"Your master expects more manners. A more docile attitude. Think you can do that, human?"
"No! I'm not a slave! And you think I'll obey a dude I don't know?"
"You are to become our vampire lord's son. Do you think he'll settle for having a bratty kid?"
"His son? You're crazy! I'm too old!" screamed Alex, horrified.
"A nice little potion will change your age. But he'll expect a bit more obedience."
"Like hell!"
"Less help you become a little more obedient and behaved, shall we?"
The goblins were snickering.
"In a manner... suitable to your soon-too-be condition. It'll be poetic," he smirked.
To Alex's relief but also mortification, the caterpillar monster then proceeded to tickle him with his many hands, happily going at it at his ribs and armpits. Alex shrieked in laughter, while the goblins made fun of him, mocking his ridiculous predicament and how it was indeed babyish and worthy of such an individual as him. They continued jeering and pushing Alex's humiliation further. The caterpillar mapped out all Alex's nerves, alternating with several fingers and one only. He tested out every rib and quickly realized light little brushings of fingers, extremely light, could work wonders in peals of laughter. The caterpillar also chucked him under the chin, uttering babyish "coochy coochy coos". This only meant the goblins were howling with their own laughter. The monster tapped Alex's belly, going into all the purees, porridge and bottles of milk his soft belly would soon be the receptacle of. The goblins decided to join into the fun. The caterpillar stopped his tickle torture, held Alex's legs firmly locked together and the goblins poked his feet gleefully. Alex could have ignored their ill-intended ministrations but they insisted in commenting and describing everything. They poked and wriggled one long finger or rubbed and scratched lightly from his arcs to his heels. One goblin disappeared to return with two feathers. They twirled and trailed the soft feathers with much pleasure, going as far as forcing the tickles on his toes and between them. All monsters called him "Tickle toes" and continued infantilizing him, describing his life in diapers and amongst lullabies and toys. When finally both goblins had enough using the feathers to discover the balls of Alex's feet, they let the caterpillar to his fun again. The monster decided to give Alex's armpits due attention to discover which method tickled him the most and that he'd stop only when Alex would coo, gurgle and speak in baby talk, all to "get him used to his second youth". Alex first refused but faced his stubbornness, the caterpillar tried another method. Still tickling mercilessly his armpits, he surreptitiously let two of his many hands trail on Alex's butt cheeks. He gently grazed and brushed them. Again the light circles that were Alex's ultimate weak point. He tried to beg the caterpillar to stop but he was just laughing too much. Then the caterpillar moved on to rubbing and tickling his testicles, adding another hand with a feather to the torture.
"Laugh, little baby," he chuckled in Alex's ear. "It'll be the last sexual touching you'll feel in a very, very long time. The best you'll know will be washing and being diapered by other hands."
The torture seemed endless until the horse whinnied outside and a clatter of hooves and the sound of wheels on rocks were heard. The caterpillar let the giggling and tearful mess that was Alex on the floor gently and tied him up. In entered a tall figure, with the beginnings of a beard, longish light brown hair, a top hat, a cane and suit with a cloak. All was elaborate and dated from the 1800's, it seemed. He looked at the hovel with distaste as the three monsters bowed and then with curiosity at Alex, still chuckling uncontrollably on the ground.
"So this is the... individual... you proposed selling me?" he asked in a slow and cultured voice.
"Yes, my lord. A human male. Perfect health and handsome. We were just helping in making him obedient for your lordship and grace when you arrived."
The vampire looked at Alex and nodded slowly.
"Yes. I see. He is not ugly, I'll give you that. And any changes I require you can be dealt with easily."
"Please... No... I'm not a baby... Why?..."stammered Alex who had found his voice at last.
"Because humans are the most malleable creatures in existence. I need a heir but I cannot change a baby into a vampire for all eternity and changing an adult to masquerade as my son is not to my taste. A human can be kept young for very long until it's worthy to grow up and be raised accordingly. You just need to know the right magic and potions. Speaking of which..."
He swiftly retrieved a vial from his coat and produced it in front of the youngster. It was reddish and navy blue. He tried to move away, pleading, but with an astonishing ease, the vampire lord dipped the mixture down his throat. He spluttered and coughed and tried to spit it out but it was too late. It was in his stomach and already working its magic- literally. He shook tremendously and sobbing, he felt himself shrink and shift.
When he opened his eyes, the world seemed out of proportion. Bigger. More frightening. Looming. Scarier. Larger. The caterpillar looked humongous and a real horror. The vampire lord looked impressive just as much, merely in a different manner. The vampire then put him in a diaper, into a onesie and wrapped him in a soft blanket, always making soothing and shushing sounds. Alex was tired but oddly reassured to the extreme by the vampire's gentle touch and ministrations. The vampire lord then held him in one arm and Alex was surprised at how secure and experienced the hold was. It felt reassuring too, very much so. If the vampire had held him with a shaking arm because he lacked experience with babies, it would have been very different. Alex would have been stressed and felt even worse. All distinction and class, the vampire started talking to the monsters calmly. Alex tried to follow the conversation, there might be something interesting, but he quickly fazed out: trade, taxes, crops... it was all so BORING... The buttons of the vampire's coat looked more fun. They had bats artfully engraved on them and Alex looked at them, intrigued. They were so detailed and it would have been fun to touch them... It was like the floral motifs embroidered upon his waist-coat. They had a lot of details and colors. They were very fun to observe and the cloth sounded so soft to the touch... If only he could reach out and touch all this...
A noise startled him out of his reverie. The vampire had let a bag jingling with coins on the table. Alex was mortified. He had preferred looking at pictures and fabrics instead of listening to information that could have helped him escape his stupid situation! Like a real baby!
"I must be off. The road is long and my new son and heir must be exhausted. Staying up this late is no good for little ones," he said, taking his leave.
He turned on his heels and marched out regally, Alex held firmly in his arms, towards his black carriage drawn by four black horses. He entered the carriage and the coach swiftly whipped the steeds. They were off to the castle and domain.
In the coach, the lord kissed Alex on the nose, smiled and told him to take a nice, long nap. He deposited Alex in a fancy basket and even if Alex wanted to cry and fuss, the rocking and jostling of the carriage in fact lulled him to sleep, pushed by his current drowsiness. His last thought was that the vampire or the monsters had not even bothered to ask for his name. The vampire lord smiled. His son's mind would soon catch up, or rather regress down, to his body. He would call his son Gabriel. His own name was Raphael and it would have a nice resonance to it. He smiled to himself. The happy arrival of his son called for the opening of a bottle of good quality blood from sophisticated wine drinkers. The blood of drinkers of white and red wine mingled with spices or blackberries would do perfectly.