~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~

Chapter 6

~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~

Drake entered the mansion a half hour before dawn, he had not intended to spend the entire night immersed in his senses but that was what happened, it was strange but he had the feeling that he would not do so again for a long while. "Have you been waiting for me?" He asked to what appeared to be an empty hallway."Not all the time," said Chichi as she emerged from a shadowed doorway, "but I got bored so that's all that was left."

Drake was a little surprised, he had last seen her in a catatonic state from the grief of what had happened and now she seemed to be acting almost as if nothing had occurred, "Chichi are you feeling alright? You seem different."

"Me? Sure I'm fine," Chichi answered, "I just woke up to find I couldn't remember the previous half day or so and then had it all come back in a few seconds. I only found out that I was forced into having to choose whether to kill someone I had started to know wilfully or find myself killing him slowly out of lack of control. It was only some guy called Mac who had a family and up to then had been a great guy to me, why wouldn't I be all right? After all it's not like it's a life altering experience is it?"

"Yes I see your point, I realise it was highly unpleasant but I am sure you now know why I had to do it." said Drake.

"Hmm? What so I could discover this interesting power I have or so I could overcome my aversion to harming anything human? Well yeah, I guess you could say it worked and I suppose I can understand why you had to do what you did, that doesn't make it any less painful or cruel."

"I know, I felt similarly after my 'First'." Drake said, "I suspect you will be attending the funeral I had Michael arrange and I have located the man's family; she will be well taken care of, his wife Melanie."

"I suppose that's meant to make it all right that he's dead then?" she asked bitterly.

"No, it is supposed to make the grieving process easier, it is difficult enough without worrying over financial difficulties. Michael says he will disguise it as a secret life insurance policy so that his wife will not be suspicious." Drake replied, "I do not expect you to become completely over this in such a short time or through so small a gesture, but you are now better prepared to continue in your development."

"Hmm..." Chichi thought about Drakes words and calmed herself, "I don't think I'll be of much use for training today, so what else have you in mind?"

"Not all training is done with the body." He said as he turned to walk away, "Come."

They walked down the hallways to the library where Drake quickly selected several books and then they moved on to the lounge. Chichi shuddered as she entered and wondered why, then she realised that this was the very same room that Drake had bit her, the room where she had started to die. Now that she had identified the reason behind her apprehension the feeling faded. She spoke to take her mind of it, "So what are the books for?" She asked.

"Reading, of course." was the blunt and uninformative reply. Realising how irritating such an answer must be Drake continued, "You are indeed in no shape to deal with the next stage of training just yet so I have prepared some light study for you."

Chichi looked at the five ancient looking volumes arrayed on a side table, each was a good few inches thick, "Light?" she repeated with a query.

He looked at her puzzled for a moment before looking over the books himself and looking back at her, "Is this too little? I could get some more if you like."

Chichi nearly fell out of her chair at such a comment, 'too little?' the smallest one could match a regular encyclopaedia in size, "Erm... I'm not sure how much reading people used to do in your day but I couldn't possibly read even the smallest one in less than a few days..."

"That is of little consequence, these are for me to point out references not for you to read through." Drake reassured, "Besides now that you have changed you should find that you can absorb information much quicker than you previously could.

"Well let us get started, hmm..." Drake paused for moment, "Ah yes, Chichi, can you feel a dark cloud or fluid like thing anywhere in your mind?"

Chichi thought about it and it seemed to stir in response to being acknowledged, she shuddered in revulsion and nodded.

"That is what we call 'The Power', it is what we use to help us hunt, fight, hide and any other thing we might need to do, it is usually easier to use it to influence 'living' things, so to speak, than inanimate objects and animals are easier than humans but given enough will power and training it is theoretically possible to do anything. Obviously no-one has mastered the use of the Power or the human world would be very different by now, but it is the principal that counts, you almost certainly used it in your first kill..." Chichi glared at him, but he ignored it, "...and you will have to get used to the idea that it is a highly useful if not essential tool for a vampyre. Later on, when you have rested, your training will continue there but for now feel free to ask me any questions you have and I shall try my best to answer them."

Chichi wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to know, there were many things she could ask but she wasn't sure where to start. After a pause she asked, "What other creatures exist out there besides us Vampyres?"

"That's a very broad question... technically cats are creatures too; you see what I am getting at, correct?"

"Ok, tell me about the popular myths and the undead etc." Chichi replied

Drake though about where to start then began, "Well, I suppose there are Vampires (with an 'i'), Werewolves, Zombies and Ghouls among others. Mostly the others are rare, extinct or only found in very particular places and/or circumstances so these will be what answers the question. Vampires are slightly different from us, I am starting with these because I know you were already reading about them; the book you were reading was only a fair source as it was written by a human. Vampires will, for most of the time, look like slightly sleepy humans and will usually hide themselves in jobs that require no exposure to sunlight and put them near to large groups of humans. Nurses, night school professors, office workers, bar or club workers, those kinds of jobs. They are different from us in that they are much less intelligent than us, they possess a wild sort of cunning similar to wolves and predators of that sort, but they have very little in the way of personality so obviously they do not possess the 'Power' as we do, as it requires a level of thought and will that needs a personality which they do not possess. However they are strong both in their hiding, human form and their natural form which is bigger and stronger - you have already read about the visual difference have you not?" Chichi nodded and he continued. "Holy symbols have little effect on them, like the stronger and older of our kind, but they can be killed in the same ways as humans with regard to their vital areas. Head, heart, extreme trauma to any set of vital organs but I do not mean simple wounds such as stabbing or rupture, it would take a large hole or being cut in two at any point of the main body and head to kill it. The strongest will regenerate from anything other than destroying or removing the head or heart. I do not know how they come to exist but I will add one more thing of importance to this: The 'Power' does not work well directly against them, it is better used to improve yourself or affect other things or entities around you against it." Drake handed over a book he had opened and showed her an illustration of the creature and a diagram showing annotated vital points.

Chichi was surprised at the level of detail and information shown on the two pages she looked at, nothing like the vague information in the book she had been reading before. As she handed the book back she asked "What about werewolves?"

Drake carefully retrieved and put aside the book before answering, "You may be interested to know that there are more were-creatures than just wolves, though they are not nearly as many in numbers. Also there are two species of werewolf but one is almost non-existent in the modern times so I will simply speak of the more common one..." and so it continued throughout much of the day. Meanwhile...

~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~

300 miles west of the city Drake had savoured the night in, a small town of about 400 people went about its regular comings and goings. The people so close and friendly from the small size of the town that everyone knew everyone. A strange modern black van pulled into a motel, the windows were all tinted black and the owner of the motel noted how out of place the vehicle seemed parked in front of his office.

The passenger door opened and a pale looking woman in a leather jacket and denim jeans quickly ran from it into the building, he wasn't entirely sure but the owner thought he saw a few wisps of smoke coming off her body as she walked from the entrance to the counter. He continued to inspect her body, it was a very nice body despite being a little pale, the woman was of average height, she had fine, slim arms and a shapely figure, her long legs lightly muscled and her face pretty as she approached smiling, her dark blue eyes at odds with her short, dark brown hair. He thought for a second that her teeth seemed a bit too long and sharp to be natural for a second but on looking again he found he was mistaken. "Hi there miss pretty, what can I do fer ya?"

"My friends and I have just come to town for a short while and are looking for a place to stay." She said, her voice cultured and smooth, "I don't suppose there is anywhere closer to the town, we are here on business?"

"I'm sorry miss but we're the closest inn or motel to the town, this here's just small town with hardly no outside business so there's not much in way of public housing, only reason I can stay open is 'cause I got regulars from the town that stay here permanent like." He replied, "But hey, I'm sure it's not so bad considerin' the price you pay and the service, I'm sure it's nothin to a well to do lookin' gal like yourself and if you need anything just give me a bell and I'll see to it personally." he smiled broadly at the woman as she smiled at his final words.

"Well I suppose that will have to do," she said with a smile, "I guess we shall stay here, I shall need 4 rooms and someone to take care of our luggage. It really is a shame that it takes a whole 10 minutes to get to the nearest part of town from here..." she commented with a smile that implied it was not a shame at all. Just as he finished putting in the entries for the rooms and the price he looked up to ask what names to sign her and her friends under and saw that her companions had entered the building as well, two men dressed like her and a business man, had entered so quietly he had not noticed their presence which was strange because one of them was a huge man that had to bend over almost double to fit inside the low-ceilinged reception area. "Erm... h-how long did you say you were staying" he asked her as he stared worriedly at the huge man, he was looking at the owner with a hungry grin spread across his face that frightened him.

"Not long, a couple of nights at most." she replied and leaned over the reception desk enticingly as she wrote down her name on the register. His attention once more on the woman he couldn't help but feel hopeful, if he didn't get killed by the big man (who he mentally noted to have a free meal sent to) he just might get lucky with this extremely lovely and apparently interested woman. "So what do we owe you?" she asked.

"Well seeing as you're all just staying for a short while and we inconveniencing you by being so far out of town and all I think I can let you and your friends stay for free, miss..." he looked down at what she'd written "...Kylara" he said with a smile. To tell the truth it was only part of the reason, really he was just hoping that by letting them stay free he might not get killed by the huge man who, on hearing the reasons and price, seemed to sigh disappointedly and look around for something else of interest. The owner sagged in relief as they walked away towards their rooms after a reminder to retrieve their bags, the other man in leathers was teasing Kylara "So we're your friends eh?" he said as he grinned in amusement, "Does that mean we can sleep in your room, 'cos we're friends and all?"

"Shut up Lutious!" the big man laughed at his companions teasing.

"...But you said we were friends."

"You are never going to be good enough for my bed Lutious and I know all about how you like to have your fun with the ladies, no thanks."

The big mans target changed as he now grinned in superiority at his fuming friend as if to say 'hah, she's mine' "What are YOU so happy about Wolf?" the smaller man snapped at him in annoyance. It seemed like the business man told them to behave because just as went out of hearing the owner heard all three say "Yes boss." in unison.

~§~§~§~§~§~§~§~

"... So you see Zombie infestations are just extremely annoying and diminish our good food supply, not useful for anything." Drake finished that segment and Chichi returned the book she had been looking through. "Now Ghouls are far more interesting, have all the same ways of spreading but can be controlled and created easily by a skilled vampyre, also they're a little faster than zombies and much stronger with just enough wit left in them to be able to use uncomplicated tools, unlike zombies which will spread and wander until they can attack something or are killed. Ghouls, on the other hand, will not leave a particular area unless tempted by living people (not just any living creature)." Drake went into the last explanation without pause, "With sufficient skill one can make fairly independent ghouls for house servants and such so long as you keep them well fed they can be almost identical to normal human servants except in a more lifeless and pale sort of manner. They are really most useful when you require a large number of units to do combat, to make a ghoul you must drain a human dry of blood and infuse them with a little of your own along with a little use of the power. You can do it almost without thinking. Some of the young, less stable vampyres create them every time they kill without even knowing... very messy and annoying, and causes unnecessary attention from police authorities." He finished and sat back in the chair, he seemed to study her for a while before asking "Anything else you would like to know come to mind?"

Chichi had been wondering this for some time and asked "Is it true our kind comes from Transylvania? Sorry I just want to know."

§ Chapter 5 ~ The Heart of a Vampire Main ~ Chapter 7 ~ Main Library Page §