Pain and distance are all Aleph had to look forward to in the long road ahead carrying those who may still hopefully be his friends, who suffered for him...
Aleph isn’t even including his own near sacrifice; he merely sulks that he hadn’t died to not see them in a state lower than him.
He’s given much time as if punishment to sulk. Is all he can lament in a moment.
humans had such little time, a day among humans was a lengthy amount of time, a day among vampires in the larger scheme of things barely passes for a minute, for Aleph it was the latter.
Although he’d still seen vampires complain often to human servants.
But he wasn’t to suffer until he pondered a suicide or gave up.
He made his way to the tall walls, the well-fortified checkpoint lacking any guards, along the wide wall obvious cameras panned over, upon sighting him carrying his other three comrades.
The camera’s internal lens seems to switch and extend.
The gate seems to swing open, going outwards toward…
A blank tram on a line, low and braced for them to climb onto, it lacked a top and doors, it was like a rectangular steel cup.
Aleph fought hard to bring him in a state where he could only barely stave off what was eating them with pulses, he felt worried to imagine all other candidates had died.
He has enough strength to stop dragging Anna, he is glad she is basically out of it enough for her to be dragged foot first.
Anna and Asaph on his back like luggage.
He marched up to the tram, it was off an artificial pier with an abyssal chasm beneath, He realized the great distance ahead between him and his destination wasn’t going to be as painful as he imagined. It was very much not hours’ worth of journey.
Well, that’s great. He mouths off imagining Saiyah saying something to help the mood.
“Thank, God, we made it.” He says in heartfelt gratitude.
They are on the tram before Aleph can buy any more time, up ahead is where the real training would take place, and with it he began to see the massive facility.
Aleph pondered what this training was for, as his betters were laid out on the tram, there were benched seats he placed them off, ensuring they were safe to not tip over.
The ride lasted barely an hour, he was assured heading into this concrete facility would take long,
He does notice the interior will include much traveling see it from his place on the tram. but with it he saw it had to be as large as a town, it was an oppressive cube, likely holding many trials,
a box of hurt discomfort.
But growth, nonetheless.
Aleph reasoned if he made it, if he still had the respect of his friend’s and Anna he may be able to become worthy enough to aid them much more, not just at the lowest but maybe even as the leader.
Aleph thinks to himself, the near sacrifice he made ‘A captain sacrifices himself for his friends.’
He loathes the humanity his human-father taught him, but it’s what gave him strength to find use of his ability, to know it was a side-effect. But is the side effect of being good and honorable so evil?
Should he truly loathe his human father forever? These are things Aleph pondered.
He continued to think on these things as he approached, in a quick scan he could see hundreds of Trams, still stationed and unmoving.
“No one else made it yet?” he says this aloud in disbelief.
He had a cable line above the abyssal chasm leading to a hole in one of the walls, it was a square extrusion, he didn’t take much time examining.
Most of the facility was a brutalist, hell-scape interior and exterior, ancient like a large town-sized bunker used in the fourth world war in dark-age earth human history. Stairs and containers akin to a military outpost.
Green boxes marking ammunition.
Will I brace for facing mock humans? Will I see many things of the dark ages recreated? Imperial Japanese? The American Nuclear army of the fourth world war? He was thinking hard of what he might encounter.
More vicious fighting, more physical challenges, he lamented they hardly challenged his mind and strategy, but he hardly had much of it or else–..Saiyah and the other’s wouldn’t be as they are now.
He carried them on his back, those that had carried him, as if taking penance for his failures.
The elevator tram finally struck the top and he felt a lurch, he glanced around again.
Aleph wants to scan his surroundings, get rest but he feels rushed and worst of all he is suddenly not so alone.
He can sense a presence like him but…. ancient, like Delara.
This couldn’t be.
He’s already stepping forwards, the room is empty, simply here to accept him on, he sees a tram and weakly steps over, he remembers how he was carried.
Fists struck him the first time arrived, they didn’t believe him, he knew they felt pain too but they didn’t believe his pain tolerance was akin to a human’s. He was given ruthless beating for his initial failures that required them all to be held back.
He could only remember pain, stomping and kicking, duels where they held him down, where they stabbed him until his mind shattered from the pain, until then-.
Aleph thought about when it all stopped, when he was given relief by someone who initially only watched but never fully went out of the way, until in a short moment they clicked together in isolation.
Saiyah stepped in then after, brought him to Asaph who rarely if ever joined in felt apprehensive. It stopped when he was among them, the strength that he would be spared even a bit of pity Aleph ponders on it all How Saiyah and Asaph carried him above eager hands that sought to punish him for failure.
He thinks something ungrateful Maybe they should’ve let me be tortured so I could be better, I’ve endured so much agony now, this pain tolerance doesn’t hold me back. Aleph was thinking about his pain tolerance as if he was stronger now and he was, he grew used to it, it never changed and hurt the same.
But Aleph was adapting to it, and that truly would make him much stronger, he could feel unimaginable pain and still fight likely.
He readjusts the three on his back, desperate to ensure they never fall.
The silence of the room is oppressive the only sound he can hear is like a faint electronic symphony and the dance of his ability and that ancient presence
‘The pulses of whatever is in me keeps us alive.’
Regarding this feeling of ancient presence, it was above.
He knows where he must head next. He steps forwards
The tram he stands on moves automatically, a drab grey room is left behind, lacking any lights.
He cuts into darkness, silence, and not even a low rumble just his purest thoughts and weaknesses.
But he hardly thinks of the latter knowing he needs to be strong enough to keep carrying others and fall by sword of failure much later. He keeps in his chest ‘I can’t afford accepting defeat now.’
He is cast into darkness and shuts his eyes thinking truly.
This humanity is a consequence of what I have.
He thinks in tandem as he almost feels his heartbeat as he pulses the suppression of the nanites in his betters.
He had realized by now what he had in the chamber before was adrenaline, human-adrenaline as if part of him was still alive and maybe it was, but the adrenaline wasn’t back.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
He was in pain greater than when the machines dismantled him in the training, he continuously failed for reason of pain yet did not buckle.
Aleph thinks ‘I’m no need of that ‘human’ adrenaline, the ‘human’ element has already done its part.’ He thinks long and hard.
He can remember the exercise he kept failing for months before reaching this far, each time a machine shot him he stumbled around and tripped unable to get up due to the pain immediately disqualified.
He’d been riddled with holes, with strange machines eating his body inside and out to defeat his vampiric nature.
My mind remains, the pain is ambient.
Aleph feels as if he has reached a threshold.
He could sense them, they were designed to feed on the undead, it’s as if he can see the programming…The Script made to hold it together.
‘Anti-Nari’ is what the Script was called as he clenched his eyes shut and read it in mind.
Aleph opened his eyes.
He stood on the tram with his comrades on his back.
Until the tram hit a stop, until there was a gate around him in the darkened space…Until it opened…
It revealed a large room, center space, a towering figure in the midst a wide rim and a view of what was a giant town but was a massive center
In it stood a vampiric man.
Like me! Aleph’s mind shouted.
Standing straight tallmassive in stature and hulking carrying a blade that was half his frame, his height measured seven-foot-eight-inches.
He had one arm folded on his right to his chest, staring outwards not facing the staircase.
Shocktrooper. Baring distinct and strange armor, Aleph marched forwards only to nearly slip with comrades on a staircase.
His armor seemed first-generation, Aleph had learned about their style, more archaic, harder and bulkier but it hardly was known to slow them down, Delara never spoke of the armor. She referred to it as a ‘prison.’
Aleph never understood, but he was focused on how the figure had a massive cloak, ending at the latter-end of where his lower torso would be.
The man was staring outwards, down below was a staircase leading to where the man was, a massive balcony with view of the rest of this massive facility, hundreds of balconies.
Like where other students were located.
Aleph marched down those steps.
There was two pits of fire ahead, bowls that burned brightly, it looked like ceremony and sacrifice was up ahead, he felt something akin to wind but found no evidence of it.
The figure wasn’t even looking his way. ‘But he sees me!’ Is all Aleph could shout to his brain.
The man stood as if disregarding Aleph’s presence.
The pits of fire seemed to cease as Aleph got closer, and it got darker on this odd balcony with seemingly only one exit.
He felt anticipation, he wanted to sweat but couldn’t– no he did, he was starved of blood and now he felt empty at his limit.
He saw the man ahead and thought of more harsh trials. Would another shocktrooper kill me!? Delara is the only one I’ve ever known in person…
It was a strange sight, a fully fledged shocktrooper. More ancient than Delara. He sensed from it that made him run metaphorically cold.
The first generation, direct from the founders.
The man folded his fingers and only slightly glanced his hand backwards, “There should’ve been four of you–.” Prepared to scold, he stopped, grasping the blade.
He had turned to spot Saiyah.
Her lack of presence confused and intrigued him but he would have to seek questions later.
“The four of you have arrived…first among all, far earlier than all.” His words were slow and deliberate as if he was careful to not speak in a way they couldn’t understand.
He had a speech pattern that mimicked on a historical people Aleph recognized.
Compounded with the weird structural place, Aleph questioned if this place and Shocktrooper were simply from another time unknown to the entire Empire.
Aleph flinched as the heat of the barrels came back, an orange hue cast upon all, but he was darkened.
Darkened by the towering shadow of the ancient one.
He looked elsewhere for some comfort.
Down below was a town that mimicked a style akin to a hamlet from the darkest portion of humanities dark ages, a feudal society albeit one that– Had skyscrapers! Aleph recognized those must be for further training.
To make worse this strange figure sounded himself alike to a stranger of the darkest-ages of earth...
He sounded like an ancient warrior… Thankfully even Aleph knew the first generation were not such but surely have fought long enough to still hold that title.
“How could you know that from here!?”
“The others.” He spoke and didn’t continue.
Aleph paused, realizing the presence bordering on ancient was greater.
“Don’t worry, not all of us are here, you needn’t worry to be worried you’ve too impressed an entire generation.” The Shocktrooper spoke humbly.
“I’m Yervandal, and I was called to volunteer for exceptional units, for which you all must be.”
“But I see this portion of the training, one I’m familiar with has occurred within you.”
Aleph being informed by Yervandal answered “Yes but–my team is in no ability to fight. We’ve been struck by rounds carrying a nanite plague.”
Yervandal marveled at Aleph’s words in an instant. “To beg for an antidote, all but be expected.” He was slow and deliberate in words, he speaks as if talking to a very intelligent child, and by comparison Yervandal was.
Yervandal continued “Knowing them to be nanites? That is simply intriguing.” He held his hand out, as if holding out his curiosity between his fingers to showcase it as he tiddled fingers in the air.
He snapped them a spark of fire that made Aleph jump, an ancient dangerous strange figure.
“Fi-fire!?”
Yervandal didn’t answer… it wasn’t magic, he had modified the fingertips of his armor to be as matches, he often lit a smoke for a woman elsewhere…
“So-so…. what is so intriguing…Can we have the antidote!?” Aleph almost wavers before correcting himself “The Antidote!?” he stays strong as he thinks of those, he held all the way here.
Aleph didn’t answer, every test was set out to kill him, he knew not of the characters of the shocktroopers, save for Delara and he knew the brutality she went through.
If he had to fight him and die, he wasn’t going to give up any advantage.
-
Aleph weakly raised a hand “I do, my team...” He felt strong enough to answer for his team “Blood and a cure!” He exclaimed.
Yervandal answered “I Yervandal, deny your audacious demand and instead make a conditional proposal.”
Yervandal stopped for a long time, Aleph uttered something but got no answer, in a moment Aleph was dumbstruck at how Yervandal stopped speaking.
But then Aleph sensed it, he was going through data on a helmet, screens he shouldn’t be able to see he could feel vibrate into his mind through the steel floor, ornamental with the shape of a great sword underneath them in darkened steel.
Hardly ever gold even with such designs in the Empire.
“You’re the only group to be fully incapacitated save for one, so I offer you a deal according to failures.” Aleph flinched at the word ‘failures’ he had seen how hard they fought.
‘We were no good.’ He imagined other candidates going through the same they’d gone through, weak and dying filled with these harmful nanites and somehow pushing through.
“I really did hold them back.” Aleph frowned and almost sulked, holding his friends up.
It is the least I owe them.
Yervandal was considering Aleph and thought deeply ‘This boy, made leader? He hardly looks it, but he carries on his back other candidates.’
Yervandal wasn’t suggesting Aleph was more honorable, other candidates had hardly left those in weakened states behind, but this was different.
Aleph carried them all the way here ‘dying’. Others all were spared of such loss, able to mitigate the rounds they took. (The Other candidates had indeed been struck often, but either took one or two rounds compared to bursts of Aleph’s team, they fared much better, but would be here all standing.)
Yervandal decided to provide the offer and not wait…He needed to run him through this portion of the training.
He lifted a cloak, on it lie syringes, on it lie blood bags strapped to the inside of the cloak.
“Thou can take the antidote und blood and move on with strength alone. Yervandal spoke, his accent showing something akin to Persian more humanish style, albeit Aleph noticed he was ancient looking like that.
Like a strange warrior his helmet of shocktroopers lacked a filter and instead was sharply beaked at the front, it was tight a visor, so the mono-eye appeared to almost be a solo-colored visor.
“Or you can face me as you are now, weak and dying and face the end of my blade in hopes you may beat me and take all that is there for them.”
“They can’t just pass!?” Aleph grew belligerent without hesitation his voice laced with fury
The strange Shocktrooper laughed “To do what with their failure? They hardly fit her words about us, second-to-none. Without her gift of vampirism, they may as well be human.” Yervandal bit coldly.
His blade extended out from his right-side, it was a blade coated with a line of energy around the blade, dark vamp-steel, folded into a longsword.
Aleph recognized it. If he doesn’t hold back, I’ll die, I’ve been told I’m human but with my current condition I really may be no better than a human. Aleph truly thought on it, truly considered.
I could go on now, the pain isn’t holding me back and I don’t think it will but they… Aleph had never been of value in any way, but here he could do something.
What leader would he be now if he went ahead alone…
Aleph thinks of the lessons of human’s showing honor Krul showed him, he decides to take the bad example, he’ll take honor to his own detriment.
“I’ll face you.” Aleph carefully crouched and let down those he carried knowing he may lie with them, as far as he knows he will die with them.
Yervandal doesn’t show it visibly, his helmet is beaked unlike the standard helms of the first-generation.
And the singular-mono eye shoots out into a line his surprise and emotion reverberating through the helmet linked to his very-soul.
-
Yervandal and all the first generation had done this, but they resisted indoctrination, resisted all the evils the Vis-stasi sought to instill of the, the brainwashing…They proved they could be loyal and be far from vicious mindless beasts, they could be proud warriors standing above.
The fist of, HER or who many call Eternia Yervandal loathed that nickname, he knew it wasn’t one she enjoyed.
Aleph’s character had just given Yervandal hope, that this generation and any other would maintain the independence of the shocktroopers would never fall prey to indoctrination. And maybe they could learn something not even those of his generation seem to remember.
Their fathers were once all human….
-
Yervandal drew a blade, and Aleph stepped forwards weakly, his arms drew upwards to his chest.
Yervandal didn’t spare the boy, as much as he loved it but he knew he provided an impossible challenge in spite of this.
Aleph didn’t get to understand what had happened until the blade swiped across his eyes and he was blinded.
Yervandal “Torso’d” Aleph with his blade, taking eyes, arms and legs.
Aleph had no feeling but screamed “DO IT!!” He shouted in anticipation of death, but his open mouth was only filled with something that tasted vile.
An antidote!?
The Vampire gulped down what amounted to something ten times worse than bile eagerly. Then blood poured in from above, until a bag fell from above, it was covered in plastic.
Aleph went feral, his teeth slamming into the bag and drinking.
He heard the footsteps of what Yervandal must’ve been heading for his team.
This was a test!?...
It appeared to be so, but to what end...for honor? Or for Leadership?......
--------------------------
The test before had been many things, they were thrown into a scenario in which they would be brought down low, they would prove their ability beyond with what she had gifted them, but now this. They would additionally learn to strategize and leadership in a situation where nearly all are in a position gone awry, a scenario where intel lacks, a scenario in which your enemy knows what you are, knows your weaknesses and yet you must adapt even with your weaknesses exploited even as they pinch on your weakness you must prevail.
Asaph, Aleph, Anna and Saiyah all had seemed to now standing before Yervandal.. Though in darkness Aleph wonders what will become of them know.