“The history of House DelSegugio is written in blood and gold.”

-The motto of House DelSegugio

House DelSegugio

The sun glared down upon the courtyard full of bodies unaware of the contempt infused within the glowing warmth they enjoyed. The sun was a force that could destroy anything, and yet with that power to reduce anything to nothing it provided the most basic resource that everything under it needed. Light. Even I and my kind were dependent on its infinite assault on the Earth.

“Hot today,” Donovan said, his face hidden in the shadow of his coat.

“Summer hasn’t fully broken yet,” I said in response. While Donovan wasn’t threatened by the sun as I was, he still preferred the dark and chilled. Likely that was why we became friends so easily. It certainly wasn’t for a sharing of common interests. The only thing we shared was a sense of patience, which greatly aided in our friendship.

A whistle cut through the air. Its ringing whine echoing in my ears as Coach Sarge called out, “Donovan, Argento, tag in.”

“What?” Donovan said to himself. We were sitting under a sun awning sheltered from the summer sun. Donovan tilted his face toward me, “Is he serious?”

I remained silent as the mundane girl Melissa yelled, “Come on Coach. We don’t need them. Besides, they can’t be in the sun.”

“Wrong Ms Odinson.” Coach shot back, “They have excuses saying that they don’t have to participate. Not that they can’t.”

“But Argen is literally a vampire. Won’t he die in the sun?” Samantha called out.

“Not according to his file.” Coach answered, “Mr DelSegugio has a resistance to sunlight, and Mr McFuil has no excuse at all. Now come on, your team is getting creamed. Only one worth a damn is Mr Star.”

“Hey. I’m doing good on defense.” Semy Largge said as he showed how his bulk was capable of guarding the goal.

“Come on.” I said rising from the bench and started out to the field. Donovan followed soon after. As soon as the sun touched the ghostly tone of my face it made itself clear that it didn’t want me to be. Yet it couldn’t unmake me like it could to many of my kin. That took more that a casual stroll.

“Alright, Melissa, Jennifer, take the bench.” Coach ordered, “Jericho, Samuel, you tag in for Amanda and Abraham.”

All the bodies called moved to their new position. The game was between my Team J-Two and Team J-Three. We were playing the recently invented sport called basketball. Well, it was decades old, but anything trending under a hundred years wasn’t worthy of the adjective. It was a simple sport too. All the good sports were. A ball and two goals with teams of five. The ball had to be bounced, or dribbled, and every goal was two points. There were more rules, but the basics were all you needed to play. Coach stood in the center with the ball in hand. I took the center position against Alice.

“Are you really going to play in a full business suit?” she asked noting my attire. A full three-piece suit and tie.

“Of course. House DelSegugio always dresses for business.” I answered her hoping she would set me up.

“Why?” She asked, setting me up with perfect timing

“Because,” I started just before Sarge blew the whistle and threw the ball straight in the air, “We always mean business.”

Jumping up the whole way I grabbed the ball at its apex and tossed it to the goal across the field. It bounced and circled the goal before falling in. I landed holding my smile inside my mouth. Alice’s head was turned to the goal her mouth agape and I finished my barb adding, “So we always dress for business.”

I allowed a smirk to cross my face as Team J-Three shifted around. We stayed in our positions with me in the center, but now Brick was towering over me. The demititan looked down at me and smiled, “You jump good.”

“Thank you,” I said as the ball was launched into the sky again. Brick launched himself after it equally to its height grabbing it and returned to the ground with a violent shake. He looked for me but was confused as I had disappeared by moving to be near our own goal. I took my default stance next to Semy. Which was to simply stand with my feet next to each other and my hands at my side.

“Wow, you’re fast.” Semy complimented me. “I barely saw you move, and I was watching you.”

“Thank you,” I said watching Donovan steal the ball from Brick and pass it to Carl. Who in turn passed it to himself by throwing the ball across the field and running to catch it. Shooting for the goal he sent the ball to the rim only to have Samuel slap the ball away. Then Coach blew that whistle again.

“Foul. No flying!” Coach yelled pointing to Samuel who was still in the air, his backpack spouting streams of energy out of wings it had extended.

“Am I not allowed to use my tools?” Samuel asked, “I’m not very mobile without them.”

“The tools you build are allowed. Flying from any source is not.” Coach explained, “You jump like everyone else.”

Samuel landed and Coach called for a penalty shot. Which had everyone lined up to watch Carl make two shots.

“A bit much isn’t it?” I asked.

“What’s that?” Jerry answered me by my side.

“We get two goals for one penalty. Even with the possibility of missing that’s four possible points just given to us.”

Jerry chuckled, “No. These aren’t worth two points. These are worth one point each, and with only two tries that’s two points if he makes both.”

“I see, so that’s how the score can be odd despite goals being worth an even amount of points.” I said. I didn’t actually care about sports of any kind, but there were always questions that having the answer to was nice.

“Or a three point shot like you did?” Jerry said, and my eyebrow raised. Pointing to a line further back on the ground he added, “Any goal made pass that line is worth three points instead of two.”

“I see. Thank you.” I said returning to our side of the field. That was actually interesting. Giving more points for better performance. Games like baseball and football didn’t do that. Thinking about it I walked to my team mate, “Carl, I was wondering, is there such a thing as a four point goal in basketball.”

He furrowed his brows, “Umm… no. Why?”

“Shame. Just curious.” I said readying another round. Now armed with more knowledge. We played for another hour when Coach Sarge blew his whistle for the last time and called everyone in.

“Alright, that was great.” He looked over the teams as he went over the results. Team J-One had beaten J-Four by three points in a rather intense game with both sides having over a hundred points each. While we beat J-Three twenty-eight to fifty-five with over half of our points being from my three pointers. Coach wrote down the score and called attention again. “Now, always remember, physical exercise is equally as important as mental exercise. So no slacking. Hit the showers.”

Short, direct, and ending with an order. The man’s style was persistent if nothing else. Most of us started to the locker rooms, but Donovan and I was not among them. I had no reason to shower as I didn’t become dirty over time. Donovan however just refused to expose himself in any way. I could smell him under the hooded long coat he always wore to hide himself and his accessories. He had worked up a sweat over the game. So I decided we would likely go directly to my own home so he could wash if he wanted.

“Are you okay?” Donovan asked, “We should head straight to House DelSegugio. You were in the sun for a long time.”

“It was nothing. I’ve seen my father stand out during the summer solstice.” I waved his concern away. “I’m more concerned about you. I imagine you’re hungry.”

Donovan huffed and scowled. I had insulted him. Claiming that he could be at risk of losing some sense of control. It was a jab that you could only hit with malicious intent or kind sincerity. It was also the same insult he had given me. Although his was the other kind from mine. Which was why I couldn’t hold it against him. We headed down to the school’s first sub-level. While the school had half a dozen floors above ground, it had many more below ground. Dozens of levels that reached deep below the surface, and further if you counted the points that fell into Otherside. The under levels were a common way for many students to come and go from the school, but they were mostly upperclassmen, or night beings like Donovan and I.

We saw no one as we made our way through the first sub-level and into a subway station half a mile away. We slipped in and by without notice from the few mundanes that were there. Except maybe for one young man, but he may have been drawn by my suit more than anything. Still, I could feel his gaze on me. Like a wild buck snapping his head to watch a newcomer to the clearing. Deciding whether to continue feeding, flee with caution, or attack with ruthless terror.

This one choose to continue on his way without alarm. Keeping his attention on me while we boarded the train. Staying a decent distance and even switching to the next car after the train was in motion.

We rode out past the city limit and up into the mountain area to where the family estate stretched across multiple mountain peaks. A domain built over two centuries by my father. We walked on a path cut through the heavy brush and into a cave that my father had made himself that exited near our destination. A simple trot for the two of us, but a continuous series of obstacles for any invading ground forces. This was supposed to be a fortress after all.

We arrived at House DelSegugio with little fanfare. The massive mansion I called home was empty except for the few staff members that lived within the house itself. They however were asleep since they had no chores to attend to with my parents gone. Donovan scanned the opening lobby with its massive stairs and archways in every direction, “Always too quiet.”

“Keep it that way.” A voice came from above, and we looked up to see my younger brother Leniargen, “The staff don’t enjoy being disturbed.”

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He descended the stairs with a book of the family’s history in hand. He was reading on the family’s past. An odd choice as he could have simply asked the author to tell him all the tales the book held, but perhaps my brother felt this was the only way. Maybe he believed he did not have the privilege of such things despite the fact.

“And so you act as the head of staff to be courteous?” I asked seeing if he would take the insult.

“I came to greet my brother.” He said, “If that is a duty of those we employ then so be it. It’s been a year since we last seen each other”

He was counting himself as a part of the family. This was good. “Has accompanying father on his business trips finally got you to realize your place here?”

“Somewhat,” He stopped in front of me, a full-grown man in height, and a suit as fine as my own. There was a blur in his eyes though. “My father, that is, my human father, has passed away.”

“Sorry for your loss,” Donovan said reflexively.

“There is no loss.” Leniargen said, “He had no love for anything, and with him gone House DelSegugio is now my only family.”

“Why are you awake?” I asked him.

“Why are you awake?” He asked me.

“I have duties to attend to in the day. You have no reason to be up.”

“I choose to use my time constructively.”

“Resting is constructive. You must care for yourself.”

“As should you, Master Argento.” A deep, old voice spoke up. Norman, the head butler of the house, stepped out of a shadow, “I could smell your burnt flesh from the bottom of my coffin. And Leniargen, I can hear the trembles of your body. You two need to feed.”

“I am in fine condition, Mr Norman.” I strided past him and my brother. “You need not worry about me.”

“Your parents would disagree.” Norman shot back, “And so do I. You must feed now.”

“I will feed when I am ready to feed.” I headed up the stairs towards my personal chambers.

“I must insist-”

“Know your place!” I shouted looking at him revealing my true stage. At the very edge of my control. Tipped over by the kind sincerity of my family’s most loyal member. “I am the master of this house! You are the servant!”

As I regained myself Norman looked to Donovan next to me, “How could you allow this to happen?”

The question was honest and Donovan answered honestly, “It was a field day. We got put into a game, and by the time I could smell him burning it was too late, and class nearly over. Sorry.”

Norman sighed, “I thought we had settled this with those schools. Just because we can last in sunlight they think we aren’t bothered by it.”

“It’s not that. I chose to play. Knowing full well the risk.” I said speaking up. My hands were shaking as I let go of the mask I held over myself. Allowing the horrible pain to wash over my body. I grabbed the railing to hold myself up. “No one forced us into anything.”

“Why would you do that?” Leniargen stepped up, “Brother, put yourself through that?”

“Because monsters hide from the sun, Brother, and we are not monsters.” I continued to allow the agony to wash over me and finally enjoyed the sweet numbness of my blood lust to flow over it. If not for the knowledge that Donovan, my good friend, was capable of defending himself from me I would have attacked him. Seeking the refined sunlight that coursed through him. The blood made from the earth and built with that all-giving force that tore me apart.

“I will prepare a meal.” Norman said in his dutiful tone, “You will all partake, and then you will all rest. As good souls should in their own home.”

“Thank you, Norman.” I regained my composure enough to continue up the stairs and to my room. Donovan made himself available of my personal baths. I just sat in my room watching the shadows of sundown on my walls.

It was mid dusk when Donovan came out the baths washed, dried, and hidden in his coat again. He looked to me, “You know he’s right.”

“What do you know?” I snapped back.

“Nothing. Like I said, you know he’s right.” He took a seat next to my own, “My own hunger is a struggle I deal with daily, but I’m not constantly surrounded by my natural prey.”

I responded with silence, and Donovan continued in silence. Our soundless conversation continued until Leniargen came to my room to call us to dinner.

As we walked I asked my brother, “Why have you returned here? Did something happen to father?”

“No.” He answered, “Father was chaperoning me through some family business when a complication arose. The situation was handled without a problem, but father still felt the need to order me home.”

“I feel there is more to this story.”

“I don’t want to bore you.”

We got to the dining hall where Norman had set three spots. I looked to Norman, “You won’t be joining us?”

“I am but a servant.”

“You are more than a servant, Norman.” My brother joined me, “You are of House DelSegugio. Come eat with us.”

“You belong here more than I do.” Donovan chimed in, “And even I have a place.”

Norman grinned and nodded and set a place for himself. He brought out a large double magnum wine bottle with a faded label. The liquid inside was dark and rich.

“Norman, please. That’s for special occasions. Get a cheaper bottle.” I protest his choice.

“This is a special occasion.” He ripped the wax seal on the bottle neck.

“Norman, please-”

“Know your place, Master Argento.” Norman removed the rest of the seal and popped a finger through the cork dropping it into the liquid below. Grabbing three wine glasses and setting them he poured, “I am the manager of this house’s resources. You are merely the occupant. Enjoy the meal.”

Deciding not to challenge my elder, I did so. A selection of fine steaks with a range of sides that Donovan ignored as he downed a pound of meat. I ate with more restraint until I took my glass and put it to my lips allowing the delicious flavor to flow over my tongue. Instantly my mind started to realign. My senses returning to their default equal sharpness of everything around me. I had to pull away not to shallow the glass whole and spilt some on my suit.

“Oh dear,” I noted grabbing a napkin.

“Forget about it.” Norman said, pulling his own away without mistake, “I’ve seen far worse from far better men than you. It’s not a problem at all.”

“Still, I can’t be so clumsy. I’m a DelSegugio after all.” I set my napkin down and went to continue my meal, but that was when a knocking came from the front door.

We turned our attention to the front door. Norman rose, an expression of caution on his face, “Was anyone excepting guest?”

We answered with silence as we all rose. There was nobody in the world who should be knocking at the front door of this house. The only ones who know how to get here would not knock. I made a quick mental scan of the armaments stacked throughout the household and heard the metallic sound of a pistol racking in the hand of Leniargen. Norman went to the front door and opened it.

“Oh hey!” The voice of Semy Largge called out, “I’m looking for the home of my friend, Argento DelSegugio. Do you know him?”

Norman stared just a moment, “This is House DelSegugio. Home of the DelSegugio Family.”

“Awesome! Is Argento here?” Semy asked.

“Do you have business with Master Argento?”

“Oh no.” Semy laughed, “I just came by to check up on the guy. I’m Semy Largge. I’m teammates with Argento.”

“What prompted this concern?” I said opening the door more to reveal myself.

Semy’s face stretched into a massive smile, “Argento! So this is your house?”

“Yes, this is House DelSegugio.” I answered him, “How did you find this place.”

“Oh damn, that’s a story.” He said laughing, “Mind if I come in.”

“Course not.” I stepped aside and invited him in. I gestured to Leniargen who had hid his weapon away. “This is my brother, Leniargen. And you’ve met Norman already.”

Norman made a slight bow, “If you need anything, please let me know.”

“Food would be nice,” Semy answered with a grin. “It was a trip to get here.”

“How did you get here?” I asked him.

“By walking, climbing, and even jumping a few times.” Semy sniffed the air, “Oh man, that smells great. I hope I didn’t interrupt dinner.”

“Of course not.” I answered first, “Merely added to it. Norman cooked plenty, and we can always make more. There is always enough for all at House DelSegugio.”

“Awesome!” Semy smiled again and we returned to the dining hall. Norman set him a place and we ate while he told us how he had to climb to the top of a few mountains to spot the clearing of where the mansion was. “School record only had the address as House DelSegugio with a zip code to give me a general area.”

“How were you able to access Master Argento’s records?” Norman asked

“I just asked. As teammates, we’re supposed to know where the others live.” Semy answered, “Argento knows where I live.”

“How did you make the trek up the mountain? Even a skilled sportsman would struggle.”

“Mutant biology.” Semy slapped a bicep. “I’m able to incredibly increase my physical limits. The only downside is that I get incredibly hungry.”

“That explains the appetite,” Leniargen commented. Semy had managed to down three steaks and cleared multiple side dishes in just the short time he had been seated.

“Oh yeah!” Semy laughed, “You should see my family during the holidays. We make a king’s feast look like a midnight snack.”

“Is all of your family so gluttonous?” Leniargen asked with a tone between annoyed and contempt.

“Nah. Just me and my dad.” Semy answered but then pursed his lips in an expression of confusion, “Hey Argento, you two are brothers, but you said you were the eldest son. So what’s that about?”

“I am the eldest son and heir to House DelSegugio,” I said between bites. “Leniargen is my brother.”

“Are you half brothers?”

“No.” I downed another glass of the too-good drink. The table went quiet. Semy looked around the table as all of us.

“Is this a sensitive subject?” Semy asked apologetically.

“No.” Leniargen answered, “It’s not. I am the younger of the two of us. It’s that simple.”

“But you’re a full-grown guy.”

“Not in the way that matters.”

“What way is that? Vampire years?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Semy said with a tone of shock, and then asked, “So how old are you in vampire?”

Leniargen sighed, “Where my brother was born fourteen years ago as a vampire, I turned into one only eight years ago. I was a man of twenty-four at the time, but that meant almost nothing after.”

“Why? I mean other demihumans don’t reset their ages like that. I mean, I was eight before my power awakened, and Carl was a full mundane for he turned demihuman. Didn’t reset the clock for him.”

“We are different.” Norman chimed in, “We have an entire culture separate from the rest of humanity. A legacy of tradition and rituals that we maintain to keep hold of our place in the world as warriors of our Lord.”

“Your lord?” Semy raised an eyebrow, “You mean Argento’s father?”

“He means The Lord Above.” I took over, “The Heavenly Father whom we of House DelSegugio serve before all others, and The Messiah who grants salvation in this life and the next through The Great Spirit.”

Semy continued to stare with a raised eyebrow.

“They’re catholic.” Donovan spoke up, apparently sated, “They have a bunch of weird rituals that give them a bunch of perks. Like being able to walk in sunlight.”

“You make it sound so nonchalant,” I said.

“So, you go to church every Sunday, and so you’re immune to sunlight and crosses and don’t need blood.” Semy said, “Is that right?”

“Absolutely not.” I answered, “We only have a significant resilience to such things, and still need blood. And to answer the next question you have, no. It doesn’t have to be human blood. Any mammal will due.”

“I see.” Semy said and set his silverware down, “So you were suffering today? After class.”

I maintained my composure, “It’s nothing to worry about.”

“The hell it ain’t.” Semy said scowling, “You put yourself in danger for no good reason.”

“Wrong.” I dropped my fist and looked to Semy, “I did it for the honour of House DelSegugio. My family are noble warriors who do not turn down challenges for being difficult, dangerous, or inconvenient. My family’s honour is more important than your concern.”

Semy huffed at that, “Fine. I get that, but that doesn’t excuse just running off after without a word.”

“I don’t have to justify my every action.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t, because I know why you ran off.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, Argento.” Semy hardened his face, “I know what blood smells like, and more importantly, I know what human blood smells like.”

I stared back at him. My anger was cold in my chest and on my fangs. I kept my eyes on Semy, and returned the glare. “What’s your point?”

“Running off because you needed blood is not-”

I shot up and slammed a fist down, “I, did not need… to feed. I was well in control of myself and I will not take this insult.”

“It’s not an insult to care about my friend.” He said in a calm tone, “And needing to care for yourself is not a vice. I don’t know what exactly you’re feeling or why, but when I’m hungry, I eat. When I’m tired, I rest. When I’m hurt, I get help. I don’t hide my weakness, and neither should you.”

Some of my anger left me and I relaxed dropping my gaze, “It’s different.”

“Is it different enough?”

“Yes.”

A moment of silence followed that. Until Semy stood up, a smile wide on his face, “Well alrighty then, if you say so. Still, don’t think you can’t count on me, man. Now I got to get going. Mama probably setting the second course and wondering where I am.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Norman said and rose to do so.

I was stunned. I didn’t know how to react. I just stood there until I heard the front door close. Donovan lifted the old bottle up to me and I looked at him. [3 liter bottle, double magnum]

“I agree with Semy. You need it. Now take it.” Donovan said flatly and swirled the bottle of blood wine. A stored and preserved form of the lifeblood my kind needed. The bottle was still near half full. I had drank the most, but I had been pacing myself. Controlling myself. Not allowing the hunger to decide anything, and I had done well. I could feel the maddening craving numb inside me as it became sated. My control was unchallenged. I had won. But a meal did not end simply because one quiets their stomach. A meal can be joined until one is stuffed fat. So I took the bottle from my friend, put it to my lips, and raised it downing the rest of it. It was most delicious.