Chapter 5: Fast times with Frank and Adam

My finger was broken, and it really, really hurt. I was a bit angry at Cecile, but from the smoke coming from her neck I knew she had been hurt too.

“Wait here”, she said, and left the room.

She came back with a small bottle which I recognized. It was a highly potent healing potion – an elixir. Very expensive, and not easy to get even if you have the money.

I could have definitely used one, but there was more to the act: it was a peace offering. It was proof that she would make sacrifices for me when needed. It was likely this was the only elixir she had.

I drank it.

Concentrating my magical energy, I could feel the potion working. My body healed, and my head cleared. My finger straightened. It was wall done in seconds.

I looked at Cecile. There was no use in thanking her with words. I would thank her with my actions.

“Jane’s location is unknown”, Cecile said. “But most likely in underside. Someone wanted to stop her work. Someone with no connections in Veritom. Hence the human mercenaries”.

It made sense. A demon in underside. No agents in Veritom. Managed to send someone to hire mercenaries. It fit. But that didn’t mean it was true.

But did it matter? Cecile told me what she wanted me to know. If it was a lie, then it was because believing this lie would benefit mom. I didn’t like that possibility, as I didn’t trust Cecile to plan ahead well enough, and I didn’t want to act on false information. But to be fair, she was probably telling the truth.

“What can I do?” I asked.

Cecile remained silent for a long moment.

“I am meeting with the king in two days. I will tell you after.”

The king of clan Carmilla – mom’s clan. Based in Veritom, they are one of several vampire noble houses which exist around the world. Did I mention the name before? Sorry if I didn’t. Telling you everything without much preparation, I’m bound to forget certain things. Had I been a writer, I’m sure the result would have been better. But I’m just a guy, one who was raised by vampires. I’ll just have to do my best. And seeing as you’re stuck with me, it’s your choice whether to listen to me or not. I hope you do. I hope you will. Perhaps eventually you’ll talk too.

“Let me come with you”, I said.

“No. Will hurt our chances”, Cecile said.

“If you work alone, then I’ll work alone”.

“Very well”, she said.

I was naive. I told you she would never die for me, but I forgot something far more important: she will probably not die for mom, either. Her love, such as it was, was nothing compared to mine.

I couldn’t reduce myself to a mere tool for Cecile. I had to act on my own, because I was the only one willing to risk death in order to save mom. No one here, no vampire, was truly my ally; in the human meaning of the word.

“I promised my friend Frank I’d help him get laid later today. Can I use one of your people? I can pay”.

She nodded. “Consider it done, and no need to pay. If no one agrees, I will bed him myself”.

I looked at Cecile. Her deep dark skin, her short black hair, her slim vampire body. She was beyond beautiful, but she was family. It was like letting a friend sleep with my aunt – or with my second mother. A vampire didn’t care, and I shouldn’t have either. But I was away for too long, living most of that time with humans. I forgot how to think and feel like a vampire.

“Is Lily here? I need to talk to her” I said.

“In the rooms. Perhaps she is finished already.”

Going one floor down, to the rooms, I saw there was no one in the hallway. So I started peeking through the locks until I found Lily.

She was lying naked on a bed, her mouth glued to the neck of a young man. The man was clearly out of it.

I waited for her to finish. Stopping a vampire in the middle of feeding is like stopping a human in the middle of orgasm. You’d need to be a special kind of rude to do that.

And as you probably realize, if a human’s blood is about to run out before the vampire is satisfied, stopping mid-way can be tricky. These days, of course, a new vampire is always trained to control themselves. Imagine you’ve just come of age, and told you are only allowed to have sex for thirty seconds at a time. It’s rough. The main way vampires adapted was to drink very slowly, making the pleasure last longer. The desire to finish a meal quickly remained from a time when vampires actively hunted and killed humans. These days, in the civilized world, there was no need to rush. It worked best for everyone.

Once Lily was done, I knocked on the door.

“It’s Adam”, I said.

“Come in…”

Her voice sounded almost dream-like. Feeding was the only time a vampire exhibited genuine emotions. As far as I knew, of course.

“I won’t stay long. Just wanted to ask, were you here during the attack?”

She nodded. “Shot in the heart. Didn’t get any chance to see anything, not to mention do anything”.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Are you okay?”

What am I saying?

Her eyes flickered for the briefest of moments. I don’t think she intended for me to see that. Or perhaps she was signaling me that she noticed.

“It was hard”, she said softly. “Painful and scary. But I’m okay now”.

“I’m glad to hear it. I was worried.”

What the fuck am I saying???

She smiled. “Thank you. I love you, you know”.

“I know. I love you too.”

Her eyes flickered again. She must have realized the truth: I wasn’t acting.

“Adam, are you okay?” she asked. “Do you need help?”

“No”, I said. “I’m okay”.

“Are you sure?” her grin turned seductive. “I can call in Clair and we three can have some fun… I’m sure that will clear your head.”

My body was healed, but I didn’t have time. And I was surprised to discover that I wasn’t in the mood.

“Maybe later, when I return. Thanks, Li”.

I left before she could respond.

I had to regain my composure somehow. I always cared for Lily, didn’t I? Then why did it feel strange to say it without acting? And how could she tell the difference, unless there really was one?

What I felt for her, was it not love? And if it was, did it use to be something else?

I had to stop thinking, at least for now.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I saw Frank sitting on a couch in the club lounge, his body close to Rachel’s. They were talking. Frank looked like he was having fun.

“Frank, lets go”, I said.

He looked disappointed.

“We’ll come back later, and you could talk more with Rachel”. I gave Rachel an inquiring look, and she gave me a series of brief facial expressions, telling me she didn’t mind talking more with Frank, or doing other things. I nodded to her.

Frank got up, looked back at Rachel, then followed me reluctantly.

“Do you like Rachel?” I asked Frank once we were out of the Argaman.

Frank turned green. “She is very smart. And very pretty”.

“Would you like to sleep with her?”

Frank turned even greener. “Frank scared to ask”.

I gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder. “Nothing to be scared of. I could tell she liked you. If you want I can ask her, and I promise you she will agree”.

Frank seemed worried. “Frank asked many girls. They did not want”.

I wasn’t sure how to approach this.

“Vampires aren’t like us mortals. They…”

Well, it was less about Rachel being a vampire and more about her being an escort. It’s true many (if not most) vampires had sex for blood, but most of them had the privilege of choosing one target and refusing many others. It was possible most vampires would have refused Frank, on a regular day. Vampires were always in high demand, and in our sexually-open modern world, they had no issue finding partners.

Once one becomes a vampire, their body changes. They become slim. Their skin becomes smooth and loses all acquired tan, if it had any. Their movements become more fluid, their bodies far stronger. It happens during the first weeks to months after becoming a vampire. They need large amounts of blood the first year, and their hunger is monstrous. But after that they calm down somewhat.

“Rachel is an escort” I decided to come clean with Frank. Though if he missed that fact somehow, that was entirely on him.

“It’s her job to sleep with people. And she said she’d be happy to do that with you”.

“She did?” Frank asked.

“Yes”, I said. In practice, she did.

Enough about my sex talk with frank. I’m sure you don’t want to hear it, either.

“Where are we going?” Frank asked.

“To Jack’s. The bar. I need to ask some questions, and maybe break a few things. If it gets bad I’ll need your help fighting.”

Frank seemed worried. Again.

“Frank don’t like fighting”, he said.

That was great. Just great. The huge troll guy doesn’t like fighting. Marvelous.

I could make him do it, if I wanted. But for some reason I didn’t. Even though it was for mom, I didn’t want to do it to frank. Something was seriously wrong with me.

“You don’t have to come. You can wait for me at the Argaman. I’ll come see you later.”

He shook his head. “Frank is friends with Day-walker. Frank will help”.

I wasn’t trying to guilt him into it. At least, I don’t think so. Did I broadcast my disappointment, so he’ll feel guilty? I wasn’t sure.

I began chanting the first spell my mother ever taught me. It wasn’t a real spell, rather a mantra. As a child, I used to cry when facing the frightening coldness of the vampires. I told my mother I wanted to be a vampire too, so I wouldn’t feel this pain. She refused, of course. But after seeing me suffer, or perhaps simply not wanting to see me cry, she offered to teach me a spell she claimed would turn me into a vampire:

Blank my face and blank my heart

I am alone within the dark

I feel no pain, I feel no fear

I make no sound that one could hear

I see it all, hear every thing

My movement fluid as a stream

My eye made onyx, my heart topaz

The world is mine. It always was

The words filled me, sank into me – cleansed me. The world became still. And in my mind I became a vampire.

I popped one “fuck it” pill and two “yer a wizard” pills. Seeing as my body was restored by an elixir, there shouldn’t be an issue.

We entered Jack’s. It was more than half full. I saw humans, vampires, two demons, a dryad, and an orc. It was very rare to see orcs in these parts, but they did have a small community in one part of the city. They weren’t too bad as individuals.

Jack stood behind the bar. His eyes examined me carefully.

I came closer.

Jack lied to me. He hid things he knew about mom. And as mom told me once, those who harm our family will suffer the pain of our vengeance.

“I hear rumors of a secret war”, I said.

Jack lowered his eyes. He was easy to read: suffering. Regretting. Weak.

“Do you remember what I told you the last time I was here?” I stared into his eyes, projecting my intentions as clearly as I could.

“I know nothing of a secret war”, he said.

I pulled a blade from my belt and stabbed him in the chest. The old man gasped before collapsing on the floor.

He wouldn’t die from it, most likely. I might still need him later.

The others were almost on me. The people sitting in the bar. Most have started to move before my hand even touched the blade.

I pumped magic into my ring of lightning as I chanted a magical enhancement spell.

Lightning crackled all around me. It gave my attackers pause.

“I am Adam Day-walker, son of Jane. I am here to let all of you know: I will find her, and I will free her. Anyone who helps me will be rewarded. Anyone who stands in my way will die; be it Council, the Throne, the wolves, the sewer dwellers, or the trees. I will fight you all. You say you don’t want a war, but you remain silent when one of you is hunted down. The war is already here. Anyone who tries to hide it is in service of the enemy.”

For a moment there was silence. I expected an immediate attack, which didn’t come. It was true after all: Veritom’s spirit had been broken. Or perhaps it was just the opposite; perhaps a new flame had just been kindled. This was my chance.

“Join me”, I said. “Help me take Veritom back. Help me make it strong once again. A city that fears neither Council, nor the Throne, nor the underside. A city that fights for all its races against anyone who would do us harm, be him the devil himself.”

A demon stepped forward. About one and a half times the height of a human being, his skin red, and two horns on his forehead. His mouth was large and full of sharp teeth, his nose was merely two holes in the middle of his face, and his eyes two glowing yellow flames.

“You speak the truth. Now prove your strength.”

The demon attacked. Several of the others joined: some humans, vampires, and the other demon. The rest moved to the back exit.

I activated my strength ring, my thumb ring, and my shield. I activated my bracelet – a storage of magical energy, siphoned every day from the excess of my own magic. It was a trump card, one I spent four years charging. But I had no choice. I released one year’s worth of energy into my body.

Lightning arched from my left hand as I chanted, striking into the crowed.

The demon charged at me only to crush into Frank, who had jumped in between us.

A warlock was readying a long rage spell. I chanted my magical enhancement spell, directing it into my shield.

Spirit spirit, lift thine head

fill my veins with gold from lead

A flaming spear hit my chest, nullified by my shield.

A vampire made it past the lightning, lunging at my throat.

Burn, burn, O light of my life

My thumb ring radiated light into the vampire’s face, burning it to the bone.

Another vampire made it to me. She had a long silver blade in her hand, engraved with runes that nullify magic.

I pumped more energy into my strength ring.

I feel no pain, I feel no fear

I moved aside as the blade sliced through the air. I grabbed the vampire’s wrist with one hand, and with the other I thrust a small silver blade into her neck, charged with a little light from my thumb ring. I grabbed her blade in my left hand as she fell.

Something hit me hard. My shield stopped most of it.

My eye made onyx, my heart topaz

The world is mine. It always was

There was a warlock on me, his fists glowing. I took a hit, but gave one back, right on his nose.

Another warlock flew past me, having been kicked in the stomach by Frank.

A wounded vampire tried to attack me. I sent him flying with a lightning bolt.

It went on for a few seconds more. Then there was silence.

All were wounded. A few died: Two warlocks and one vampire, from what I could see. The rest were still alive.

Those who left the bar earlier came back inside. Slowly, first, then with haste, tending to the wounded.

I sat down on a tall chair and poured myself a glass of whiskey. Someone was on the floor healing Jack, who grunted loudly.

“You okay, Frank?” I called over my shoulder.

“Frank is alive, Day-walker”, I heard him say from somewhere in the room.

All undersiders are violent to some degree, just like all animals in nature are. The underside is more dangerous than any jungle on our earth, an every creature living there had to find ways to survive.

Language is indispensable for conveying complex information and for conscious cooperation, but those require both that the other side is capable of understanding the information and that the other side wants to act on it. Violence, part of the “carrot and the stick” I told you of earlier, is a language understood by all. If you want an undersider to respect you, you have to prove your strength. The same goes for many animals. The same goes for many human beings.

Once first-aid was administered to all, a group came over to me: a warlock, a vampire, a demon, the orc, and the dryad.

“What is your plan?” asked the vampire.

You can tell a vampire means business when he drops the pleasantries in front of a stranger.

“We march on the Throne and we march on Council, demanding answers,” I said. “If we don’t get answers, we make a new Throne and a new Council.”

The warlock gave a faint smile. “Great speech boss, but you can’t win a war against either of them, and definitely not both. No one here will back you on a suicide mission.”

“And who is ‘them’, exactly?” I asked. “They are ‘us’. They aren’t an occupying force. Council has its leaders elsewhere, and the Throne has it’s leaders in the underside, but the ones in Veritom are a part of us. If all of us come together, not to fight but to demand answers, They will be forced to decide between complying with a rightful demand or murdering their entire constituency. As long as we stand together, there will be no war”.

“They might call your bluff”, the warlock said.

“There is no bluff. Which is why they cannot call it. If they try, each of you will have to decide: do you fight and perhaps die for the sake of your city, or do you give up on everything. You may not see what this city has become, but I have just returned after many years away, so I can see it clearly: the city is dying. The community is dying. We never liked each other, but we always knew that our strength lied in working together for the benefit of all. Had Jane been kidnapped twenty years ago, all of you would have taken up arms. You would have fought, together, until she was found. Our spirit is almost gone, but we can take it back, rebuild what we lost. It’s not too late”.

The warlock nodded. So did the vampire, the orc, and even the fucking demon. The dryad didn’t move, but that was normal for their kind.

What do you think? Was it a speech worthy of a vampire? I think it was good enough.