After the eventful night of June 1st, Norton spent the following days quietly at home, diligently attending lessons with his tutor. His magical knowledge and skills advanced rapidly, to the point where Triss exclaimed at his "monstrous" progress. From separating the magical wind to harmonizing it, Norton's grasp of dark magic fundamentals was comprehensive.
He familiarized himself with several branches of dark magic: necromancy, represented by the color pale, which involved controlling the undead; the lich sequence, in silver-gray, focused on debuffs and enhancements; and the essence of withering, in pitch black, which targeted both souls and physical entities with direct damage spells. Norton also mastered several basic spells, such as animating corpses, creating skeleton soldiers, weakening armor, amplifying weapons, casting curses, and hurling dark energy bolts.
As the month progressed, the power of the Red Morel reached its peak. Even the most confident wizards were compelled to exercise caution. Apart from the chaos-worshipping lunatics of the wastelands, no one dared use magic during this time. Consequently, Norton’s lessons consisted of listening to Triss's stories and practicing light exercises, as no new magical knowledge was imparted.
June flowed into July, and the passing of Morel's month—a time of annual disaster—was followed by customary celebrations. On July 1st, Deckenhoff Castle hosted a banquet for all the vampires in the domain.
That morning, much to his reluctance, Norton was awakened by his sister Juana to help her choose an outfit for the evening. The fiercely competitive young lady couldn't afford to falter on such an occasion and had to look her best, which unwittingly dragged Norton into the ordeal.
Seated on his sister’s bed, Norton yawned as he watched Juana change outfits repeatedly. Initially, he thought each fitting would take only five minutes, but inexplicably, Juana spent half an hour in her dressing room each time.
For a while, Norton endured and offered detailed feedback. However, as time dragged on, his patience waned, and he yearned for the ordeal to end so he could return to his nap.
Their interaction soon turned into a repetitive cycle:
“How does this look?”
“It’s great, suits you perfectly. This should be it.”
“Hmm! You're just saying that to get it over with. Look at its flaws! I’ll try another.”
And Juana would dart back into the dressing room. Norton rubbed his forehead, deciding to change tactics. Half an hour later, Juana emerged again.
“How about this one?”
“Not good at all! Quickly, try another!”
“Okay, I’ll take your word for it and change again.”
“...”
By this point, if Norton hadn't realized the game, he'd be a fool. Juana wasn't truly trying to pick a dress; she was relishing the process of changing outfits. Although Norton couldn’t understand this, he noticed the slight variations in dresses—ornaments, fringes, or colors—that Juana insisted on scrutinizing.
“Why not just be a little more laid-back like me? You’re so pretty; you’d look good in anything,” Norton finally couldn’t resist pleading, calling Juana "sister" as a token of goodwill, hoping she’d show mercy.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
When Norton mentioned being laid-back like him, it was because he left such trivial matters as choosing clothes to his little maid Maya. Unlike Juana, who was obsessively style-conscious, Norton was content with whatever was appropriate, knowing he could always call Maya to task if it wasn’t.
Juana, as the eldest daughter of the Castine family, although she had a personal maid, took a strong personal interest in her attire and grooming. At only twelve, her dedication to these details seemed excessive to Norton, at times bordering on irrational.
Just like now.
Normally, addressing Juana as "sister" would win her over and make her happy for a day. However, this time, she reacted like a startled cat, utterly shocked, giving him a look that combined surprise, helplessness, and the disdain one might feel upon encountering a caveman in the year 5000.
Juana’s high-decibel response bombarded Norton with a lecture about "the significance of attire," "not disgracing the Castine family," and "being six years old, you ought to understand these things!" Her attitude and superiority left Norton stunned.
Realizing the futility of discussing this with her, Norton resigned himself to his fate.
By evening, Norton’s mother, the Countess, returned to the castle, accompanied by several vampires with whom she had traveled. Compared to her usual midnight returns, today was early. Clearly, the Countess recognized the importance of this celebration.
Not only in Sylvania but across the civilized world, this day marked celebrations of relief from the dread of Morel's month.
In Sylvania, vampires seldom gathered, but on this occasion, they would come together. All four Counts extended invitations to their blood relatives, branches of the family, smaller houses, and resident vampires within their domains.
Unless duties were unavoidable or distances too far, invited vampires were expected to attend, fostering camaraderie and allowing their tensions to unwind.
Norton had participated in these gatherings since he was four, looking forward to them—not because of the sweets and juice reserved for children, but for the chance to meet more of his kin. As mentioned before, vampires have long lifespans, and Norton, with a decade until adulthood, would likely interact with these individuals for many years. Knowing them early was advantageous.
Additionally, amidst the conversations, Norton could glean bits of information. Although not directly enhancing his social standing or power, he was more interested in understanding the world—a desire fueled by his generally restricted movements outside Deckenhoff Castle.
Today, however, Norton noticed something different. Aside from the usual widow’s melancholy that shaded his mother’s expression, there was an added layer of anxiety due to other concerns.
As night descended, marking the end of the last rays of sunlight, the vampire festivities commenced. The previously silent, ancient castle came alive with activity.
Vampires were always few in number in this world, even scarcer than the elusive wood elves or the dwarves withdrawing into their mountain fortresses. Yet, gathering the populace of a Count's domain made the scene appear crowded.
Deckenhoff Castle's grand hall, originally spacious at nearly 400 square meters, along with the dining room, parlor, and the rooms on the first and second floors designated for leisure, were now bustling. Nearly 800 vampires had been invited, with over 750 in attendance, making for an exceptionally grand affair.
However, considering the ages of the vampires, this number wasn't so unexpected. The eldest at the gathering was over a thousand years old, while the youngest, like Norton, was six. Collectively, they represented a millennium of vampire generations, yet their numbers were modest.
One reason for this is the vampires’ notoriously low fertility. Cases like Norton’s parents, who bore two children within a decade of marriage, are exceedingly rare. Typically, a vampire couple with even the most ardent desires might spend a century and a good measure of luck to have a single child.
Another factor is the frequent wars. Conflicts with northern barbarians, western empires, eastern dwarves, and omnipresent, roach-like green-skinned orcs plagued the kingdom. The nation’s borders were perpetually tumultuous, with minor skirmishes flaring constantly and large-scale battles involving thousands of combatants occurring regularly. From its establishment to the present, Sylvania experienced periods of strength and vulnerability, but peace... peace was never an option.