As the once-human sank in Richard's grip, he pulled away from that spent neck. A flick of his tongue was enough to savor the last few drops of his meal. "Time to get you home." Unceremoniously, he heaved the still form of Rick onto his shoulder. "You have a date with damnation."
Or, at least, he hoped. His last hadn't worked as well, but that was a pretty female. Maybe that was the mistake. "I just needed a normal everyman, to make a normal, everyvampire! It makes perfect sense." He was trying to convince himself, desperate to be right. He launched into the air, carrying his victim away. Flying without becoming a bat was significantly more draining, but carrying a full grown man as a bat was even less likely.
"You've already paid for this service," he grumbled with a growing smirk. The very power he had drawn from the unconscious fool would get them home easily. The castle came into view quickly, and lightning flashed ominously as it did with a clap of thunder. Fog roiled around its base, subtly warning foolish interlopers that their presence was neither wanted nor intelligent.
He came in for a smooth landing on his balcony. As he strode inside, he spoke in a booming voice, "Lilly! Prepare a new coffin at once!"
She was halfway across the castle. He could hear her distant clops approaching. Even if she wasn't what he wanted, she was loyal, at least. "And you, Rick... I will not have a servant with my name. Say goodbye to your old title." Not that Rick could respond, or even hear the declaration. Richard set the still form out on a stone slab. "Now get to turning. You're already making your master wait."
Watching a body wasn't nearly as interesting as one might think, but Lilly arrived to break the monotony. "Sir? Here's that coffee you asked for." Hanging from one of her wing joints was a steaming cup of coffee and she had a toothy smile. She had fine fangs, if she would ever use them properly.
"Coffin." Richard pointed at the body. "Get him into a coffin."
She pouted, gazing at Richard with her amber eyes. "You don't want the coffee?"
He let out a suffering sigh. "Put it aside. Thank you, Miss Candy. See to it our new guest is comfortable, in a coffin, immediately." As she went to put it down, he snatched it from her grip. "On second thought, I think I will take it."
His acceptance of her offering made her smile with joy, and she grabbed one of the spare coffins propped up against the wall, using her forehooves and wings together to wrestle it onto one of the free slabs, then she grabbed the one known as Rick up and tossed him in. "Is he like me?"
Richard frowned around the lip of his mug of coffee. "I should hope not. He will become a terror of the night, who isn't afraid to kill a man if his whim, or my command, compels him. He should be proud. Not many vampires can trace their lineage back to--"
"Dracula!" Lilly exclaimed, clopping her forehooves together. "Was he as big and scary as you can be, sir?"
"We could be brothers," boasted Richard, his chest puffed out and taking a long pull of the strong brew. "You're getting better at preparing this muck."
She held her hooves close together. "Just a little pinch of cream brings out the flavor, sir. I'm glad you like it." She was smiling radiantly. For her flaws, she really was a loyal creature.
He reached down and ran his fingers over the top of her head, his claws scraping lightly against her scalp. "Stay with me, and welcome him into our family."
She reared up onto the side of the slab and looked down at him. "He's just like me, right?"
Richard grimaced at the notion. "His only similarity to you is who your master is."
She reached into the coffin and batted at something. "Why're his ears getting fuzzy?"
His howl was greeted with a fresh thunderpeal, the room lit brightly for a moment, revealing the ruddy red-orange fur that was covering the sleeping man's ears.
Despite any amount of his fury, what was done was not to be undone. The one once known as Rick was changing, becoming far less human than his master desired. With loud pops and snaps, his face began to push forward into a decided snout. Yawning with new life, his new fangs were displayed, wickedly long and sharp.
Richard marshaled himself. Maybe his new servant would, at least, be a vampire bat pony! Yes! He could handle that. His mind danced with visions of a terrific horse that hungered for the pain and misery of his former species. There was a certain terrible grace to the vision, and he smiled wickedly with hope. "Rise, my servant. Rise..." He looked over the changing human as he began to rip out of his old clothes with adjusting body ratios and changing limbs.
"Orange Peel?" suggested Lilly with a tilted head.
"What? No, that's not an intimidating name at all."
"I... rise, master. How can Orange Peel serve you?" He was still changing, but Orange struggled to get upright despite his mismatched limbs. He stood on one hand, two hooves, and a foot. His tail was still growing in, naked and twitchy, but that would surely change quickly.
Richard threw his mug aside. It shattered against the wall, splattering what was left of the coffee. "Lilly! You have betrayed me!"
She looked like she had been struck and she fell to the floor. Tears began to well up in her eyes and she cowered, not with any fear, but with a shame for having failed her master. "I didn't mean to! I'll make it up to you, promise!"
Richard slowly unballed his fists and turned back to Orange Peel, who was growing a dark purple mane and tail. He was fighting his way out of his old clothes, but his eyes never left Richard, awaiting instructions.
"Orange, you are now a creature of the night."
"Creature of the night," agreed Orange, wincing as new wings burst free of his back, becoming the leathery wings of a bat, much like Lilly. "Your creature?"
"Yes, my creature." Richard smiled. Even if Orange wasn't in an ideal form, at least he already knew his place. "You will descend on those who dare to challenge me, and rip them to pieces."
Orange looked back at his new wings, giving them a testing flap. "I will obey, master... Do you need your taxes ripped apart first?"
Richard blinked at that, then remembered what Orange's old profession was. "I don't pay taxes. Woe unto any tax man that dared to try and enforce the laws of man on me. In fact, you, my new minion, shall prove your worth by hunting this very night."