After watching the vampire leave, Madalina finally started to walk briskly back towards the monastery. She wanted to hurry, since she had been talking to the vampire for longer than she could afford.
As she approached the imposing exterior walls and the great gateway, she again waited for the sentries to be out of sight before she approached the door. Then she pulled it slowly open, squeezed through, and closed it. She put the door beams back in place and finally squeezed through the hole into the courtyard.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she looked in the direction of the church, and fear suddenly spread inside of her. There was candlelight in the church, indicating that it was already time for Midnight Office, the earliest morning service. Had she been gone so long? Everyone would be in the church and her absence must assuredly have been noticed. She ran to her room to throw her cloak off and put it under her sheets, putting on her cassock and apostolnik over her pajamas. Then she ran down the hall towards the church. Of a sudden, she saw Sister Oana blocking her path and she yelped loudly.
“Madalina why were you not in your room?” Sister Oana scolded with great displeasure.
“I was just out,” Madalina said meekly and innocently, “walking the grounds, Sister Oana.”
“No, you were not just wandering the grounds,” Sister Oana shouted, grabbing Madalina by the wrist and pulling her towards the church, “I went out looking for you. I searched everywhere. Where were you?”
“I was hiding in the kitchen. I went there because I was hungry and…”
“I looked in the kitchen,” Sister Oana cut her off before she could continue, “You weren’t there. Don’t lie to me.”
“I hid from you, of course, when I heard you coming,” Madalina said quickly.
“Really, my dear? You want to continue in this lie? Just tell me where exactly you could hide that I wouldn’t see you,” Sister Oana demanded.
Madalina had seen the inside of the kitchen many times, when she had to bring food to and from it for the sisters. But it had been awhile and she wasn’t that familiar with what was in there now. She hastily tried to picture a place to hide. After a bit too much hesitation she ventured a guess and said, “Behind the potato sack.” She bit her lip as she said this, not knowing whether it was possible to hide behind the potato sack or even if there currently was a potato sack in the kitchen at all.
Reaching the large wooden double doors of the church, Sister Oana opened them and said, “You missed the service, but at least you can take a moment to pray pray, and then we are going to find out whether you are being honest or not.” Sister Oana then pushed Madalina into the church.
Madalina walked down the church’s center aisle, between the rows of pews. The nuns, on the one side, sat together as a group, while on the other side, the young novices clumped into a few small cliques. Madalina was not permitted to join with any of them. These included a clique of older girls, in their twenties and up, who disliked intermingling with the younger novices. Then there were the youngest three girls, all age ten and younger, who stuck together to protect themselves against the cruelties of the older girls. And then there were Madalina’s three roommates: Dorina, Nicoleta and Mirela. They weren’t quite old enough to be included with the older girls, but old enough to look down upon Madalina, who was only twelve. They probably wouldn’t have been so hostile to Madalina, except that they were forced to share a room with her, and always resented her for it.
The three of them were on their knees between the pews with hands clasped in front of their bowed heads. The service was already finished, and they were finishing off with a few moments of silent prayer. Their lips moved silently as they mouthed the syllables of prayer they spoke in their minds. But when they heard Madalina approaching, they all turned their heads and looked up at her with triumph. She’d been out of her room, and they’d told Sister Oana about it, looking forward to Madalina’s punishment. Madalina tried to kneel down next to them, but they quickly shuffled to the side to prevent her.
Madalina knelt down by herself and began to pray. At first her thoughts led to her immediate concerns, and she prayed that she would permitted to leave this monastery and join the vampires and her lie wouldn’t be discovered. Then her thoughts strayed to her parents, and she earnestly prayed, “God, please protect my father and mother, if they are still alive. And if they are not alive, I pray that you shall let them join you in heaven.”
Her prayers were abruptly cut short, though, when everyone stood up and started leaving. She followed them and left with the crowd. But as she came to the door, Sister Oana snatched her and said, “Now to the kitchen. We’re going to see if you were lying.”
Monday, January 23, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 12
Madalina had a way of imposing her will on others and pushing them to submit. Her voice was commanding and she spoke with an authority that demanded to be heard, if not obeyed. Such that, when she asked the vampire to listen to her, he became silent.
“I’ve been looking for you!” she boldly declared, “I want to become a vampire.”
There was a moment of silence before the vampire burst out in a haughty laugh. “People do not ask to become vampires,” he said in a mocking, derisive tone, “This is not a church. We do not baptize into our coven all comers.”
Madalina stood up and stepped forward from behind the tree. “To whom do you permit membership, then?” Madalina asked.
“You don’t understand (witless toddler), because you are a fool who can’t see the whole world outside her trivial life,” the vampire said with disdain, “I didn’t ask to become a vampire. I was infected. When I was a boy, my family was attacked. I retaliated against a vampire and he infected me when I scratched him. Because he infected me he was forced to take care of me. If I infected you, I’d have to take care of you. And I don’t want to take care of a daft urchin like you.”
“What do you want?” Madalina asked, unfazed.
“Bodies,” he said, “Living, breathing bodies. Young bodies. Like you. That’s obviously why I’m out here? Is it not obvious what this net is for? Even you can’t be that idiotic?”
“What if I brought you bodies? Living bodies?” Madalina quickly replied, “Then would you let me in?”
The vampire looked like he was about to say “no,” but he didn’t. He stopped himself, uncertain, his body swaying back and forth as if he both wanted to accept and reject the proposal. “Who?” he finally asked, “And Why should that be better than just taking you now?”
Madalina coyly smiled and said, “Because you’re not going to take me. You can’t catch me. Not alive at least,” and then paused. She then added with a sly look on her face, “And you don’t want to infect me. No, you won’t be able to get me without doing that. I won’t let you. So, here’s what we’re going to do: we’re going to meet again, somewhere near the monastery, where I live, and I’ll have someone in tow, someone young, just as you like. And you’ll bring me into your ‘coven.’”
“I do not take orders from an upstart cretin little girl,” the vampire hissed derisively.
“Alright. Then you decide where and when we’ll meet.”
He seethed, his chest rising and falling with rage and his teeth clenched as he finally admitted, “I will have to speak with my superiors. Give me two days. Meet me directly East of your monastery the night after next. You needn’t bring your companion yet. You’ll have your reply. And if the answer is ‘no,’ I’ll be dragging you to my coven in this net while you beg for mercy.” He picked up the net with the four weights on each corner that he had tried to capture her with. “And if you don’t show up, I won’t give you a second chance,” he added, packing up the net in a bag.
He then walked to the tree near where Madalina was, to pick up the other bolas, watching her the whole time, making sure she didn’t move, and then quickly disappearing into the night.
“I’ve been looking for you!” she boldly declared, “I want to become a vampire.”
There was a moment of silence before the vampire burst out in a haughty laugh. “People do not ask to become vampires,” he said in a mocking, derisive tone, “This is not a church. We do not baptize into our coven all comers.”
Madalina stood up and stepped forward from behind the tree. “To whom do you permit membership, then?” Madalina asked.
“You don’t understand (witless toddler), because you are a fool who can’t see the whole world outside her trivial life,” the vampire said with disdain, “I didn’t ask to become a vampire. I was infected. When I was a boy, my family was attacked. I retaliated against a vampire and he infected me when I scratched him. Because he infected me he was forced to take care of me. If I infected you, I’d have to take care of you. And I don’t want to take care of a daft urchin like you.”
“What do you want?” Madalina asked, unfazed.
“Bodies,” he said, “Living, breathing bodies. Young bodies. Like you. That’s obviously why I’m out here? Is it not obvious what this net is for? Even you can’t be that idiotic?”
“What if I brought you bodies? Living bodies?” Madalina quickly replied, “Then would you let me in?”
The vampire looked like he was about to say “no,” but he didn’t. He stopped himself, uncertain, his body swaying back and forth as if he both wanted to accept and reject the proposal. “Who?” he finally asked, “And Why should that be better than just taking you now?”
Madalina coyly smiled and said, “Because you’re not going to take me. You can’t catch me. Not alive at least,” and then paused. She then added with a sly look on her face, “And you don’t want to infect me. No, you won’t be able to get me without doing that. I won’t let you. So, here’s what we’re going to do: we’re going to meet again, somewhere near the monastery, where I live, and I’ll have someone in tow, someone young, just as you like. And you’ll bring me into your ‘coven.’”
“I do not take orders from an upstart cretin little girl,” the vampire hissed derisively.
“Alright. Then you decide where and when we’ll meet.”
He seethed, his chest rising and falling with rage and his teeth clenched as he finally admitted, “I will have to speak with my superiors. Give me two days. Meet me directly East of your monastery the night after next. You needn’t bring your companion yet. You’ll have your reply. And if the answer is ‘no,’ I’ll be dragging you to my coven in this net while you beg for mercy.” He picked up the net with the four weights on each corner that he had tried to capture her with. “And if you don’t show up, I won’t give you a second chance,” he added, packing up the net in a bag.
He then walked to the tree near where Madalina was, to pick up the other bolas, watching her the whole time, making sure she didn’t move, and then quickly disappearing into the night.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 11
Outside the monastery was a road, which inclined downward and curved in the direction of Vallaya. Madalina didn’t want to go to Vallaya, she wanted to head into the woods, the dark and dangerous woods, that only the vampires and the vampire hunters would ever dare to enter at night. This would in fact be the eleventh time in the past few weeks that she had snuck out into the woods, and she was eager that tonight would be the night she’d find what she was looking for.
Madalina was a short, plain, dark-haired girl with fiery eyes and olive skin. She moved quickly, she acted and thought quickly and she was always apt to seize opportunities with the swiftness and directedness of a frog snatching a fly from the air.
What she had recently seized upon was the idea that becoming a vampire would serve as an escape from the monastery that she had been unwillingly interred within. For this reason she had begun to, for the past several weeks, as often as possible, sneak out of the monastery complex at night, just as she was doing this night. She would then immerse herself in the vampire-haunted woods for a time, in the hope of running into a vampire and begging him to infect her.
Unfortunately, the woods sprawled in many directions and she did not know where the vampires could be found. They did not have, to her knowledge, some sort of gathering place where she could find them. They apparently lived in a cave somewhere, and they had to occasionally emerge from this cave, presumably for the purposes of feeding. Her plan was thus to chance upon one of them when they were looking for food.
Her hope was, undoubtedly, that they wouldn’t decide to feed on her, and would give her an opportunity to speak and ask them to make her one of them. Though she had never met a vampire and didn’t know they were like, she presumed that this level of decency would be common to all persons, vampire or otherwise. What she discovered was something different.
After briskly walking further and further away from her monastery for what seemed like an hour, Madalina decided to give up for the night and head back. She couldn’t stay out too long lest someone in the monastery might notice her absence.
As she turned around, though, she saw, in a flash, a blur of movement moving towards her. She reacted instantly, ducking and moving away from it laterally. A heavy object struck her arm and bruised it, but she continued to sprint away from whatever it was that threatened her in a panic.
She permitted herself a quick glance behind her and saw a large net settling onto the ground where she had just been standing. The object that had struck her was a round weight, one of four on the corners of the net that were used to drop it from above.
Then she saw, falling like a raindrop from above, a person, a vampire no doubt, landing gently on the ground next to the net. She slowed down somewhat and turned her head more to get a better look at it: it was undoubtedly a male vampire, in a black coat and pale skin.
The vampire then raised one hand and began to swing some sort of rope around in the air above his head. Seeing this Madalina increased her speed. When the vampire threw this object in her direction, she quickly darted to the side and put a tree between herself and the vampire. The object, a bolas, abortively struck the tree behind her. She then turned, taking cover behind another tree and stopped. The bolas, consisting of three weighted balls connected by a rope, she had never seen, but presumed it was meant to knock her down or trip her.
The vampire raised a second bolas in his hand and began swinging it before Madalina finally screamed out, “Stop this! I have come to talk with you.”
The vampire stopped swinging the bolas and dropped his arm and looked in her direction, where he could just see her face peaking out from behind a tree. “But I have not come to talk with you,” he said in a coarse, grating voice that carried through the night air.
“At least listen to me,” she shouted forcefully.
He didn’t move or say anything, so she presumed that she had his ear for at least a minute or so.
Madalina was a short, plain, dark-haired girl with fiery eyes and olive skin. She moved quickly, she acted and thought quickly and she was always apt to seize opportunities with the swiftness and directedness of a frog snatching a fly from the air.
What she had recently seized upon was the idea that becoming a vampire would serve as an escape from the monastery that she had been unwillingly interred within. For this reason she had begun to, for the past several weeks, as often as possible, sneak out of the monastery complex at night, just as she was doing this night. She would then immerse herself in the vampire-haunted woods for a time, in the hope of running into a vampire and begging him to infect her.
Unfortunately, the woods sprawled in many directions and she did not know where the vampires could be found. They did not have, to her knowledge, some sort of gathering place where she could find them. They apparently lived in a cave somewhere, and they had to occasionally emerge from this cave, presumably for the purposes of feeding. Her plan was thus to chance upon one of them when they were looking for food.
Her hope was, undoubtedly, that they wouldn’t decide to feed on her, and would give her an opportunity to speak and ask them to make her one of them. Though she had never met a vampire and didn’t know they were like, she presumed that this level of decency would be common to all persons, vampire or otherwise. What she discovered was something different.
After briskly walking further and further away from her monastery for what seemed like an hour, Madalina decided to give up for the night and head back. She couldn’t stay out too long lest someone in the monastery might notice her absence.
As she turned around, though, she saw, in a flash, a blur of movement moving towards her. She reacted instantly, ducking and moving away from it laterally. A heavy object struck her arm and bruised it, but she continued to sprint away from whatever it was that threatened her in a panic.
She permitted herself a quick glance behind her and saw a large net settling onto the ground where she had just been standing. The object that had struck her was a round weight, one of four on the corners of the net that were used to drop it from above.
Then she saw, falling like a raindrop from above, a person, a vampire no doubt, landing gently on the ground next to the net. She slowed down somewhat and turned her head more to get a better look at it: it was undoubtedly a male vampire, in a black coat and pale skin.
The vampire then raised one hand and began to swing some sort of rope around in the air above his head. Seeing this Madalina increased her speed. When the vampire threw this object in her direction, she quickly darted to the side and put a tree between herself and the vampire. The object, a bolas, abortively struck the tree behind her. She then turned, taking cover behind another tree and stopped. The bolas, consisting of three weighted balls connected by a rope, she had never seen, but presumed it was meant to knock her down or trip her.
The vampire raised a second bolas in his hand and began swinging it before Madalina finally screamed out, “Stop this! I have come to talk with you.”
The vampire stopped swinging the bolas and dropped his arm and looked in her direction, where he could just see her face peaking out from behind a tree. “But I have not come to talk with you,” he said in a coarse, grating voice that carried through the night air.
“At least listen to me,” she shouted forcefully.
He didn’t move or say anything, so she presumed that she had his ear for at least a minute or so.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 10
Madalina’s slept in a bare, four-walled stone room she shared with three other young novices like herself. While they slept, she listened, listening to make sure that her three roommates were asleep, and listening for any of the sisters. The last thing she wanted was to run into one of the nuns and have her evening adventures brought to an end. Not hearing anyone, Madalina quietly sat up from her bed, put on her shoes, and wrapped herself in a riding cloak.
She stepped down from her bed onto the stone ground very quietly and walked over to the door. The door was locked, but Madalina had figured out how to push open the lock with a small twig that she fitted between the door and the wall. There was a slight clicking sound of metal hitting metal, but she kept it as quiet as she could and checked on the other girls to make sure they were still asleep. Then she slowly stepped through the creaking door out into the halls.
The hallway, led out into the courtyard, which was surrounded on three sides by the three main buildings: the novitiate, where she came from, the nun’s residence and the church. On the other side was the wall, where there was the gateway leading out of the monastery. Madalina spied upwards to check the wall-walk atop the wall where two armed sentries perambulated throughout the night. When they both walked out of sight Madalina quickly ran in the direction of the gate.
Getting out through the main gates was the most difficult part of the evening, since there were quite considerable fortifications for a monastery. The fortifications were necessitated not by the armies, which, though a very real threat, had not been seen in these valleys in many generations, but by the vampires, which clambered regularly to enter the confines of the monastery whenever thirsty.
The front of the monastery was secured by a thick wall, with the exit being a single large gateway. The gateway was secured by two layers, first a heavy iron portcullis, which had been added to the gateway at a later date, and a large wood double-door. The portcullis could only be raised and lowered with significant difficulty and noise, but, fortunately, Madalina had found a small hole, which she could squeeze through to reach the gap between portcullis and outer door.
The outer double-door was braced by two large beams, which Madalina pushed aside. The two large beams retracted into recesses on either side of the door, and she started to pull open the door, when she heard a sound. Madalina froze and looked back towards the courtyard. A dark figure crossed the courtyard, clearly identifiable in the moonlight as Sister Oana. Sister Oana would sometimes wake for an extra evening prayer, and pass through the halls of the novitiate to check on the girls. Madalina froze in the hope that Sister Oana wouldn’t look in her direction.
Fortunately, Sister Oana continued right on into the hall of the novitiate, and Madalina recommenced her escape. She slowly pulled the large door open, which creaked with age and weight, until she could just pull herself through. The door opened inward, and with the portcullis closed, could only be partially opened, but it was enough for Madalina to squeeze through.
She closed the doors, so that no possible invader would realize they were unlocked and then waited. She was listening to the sound of the sentries’ footsteps. When they grew distant after another circuit, she ran in the direction of the forest.
She stepped down from her bed onto the stone ground very quietly and walked over to the door. The door was locked, but Madalina had figured out how to push open the lock with a small twig that she fitted between the door and the wall. There was a slight clicking sound of metal hitting metal, but she kept it as quiet as she could and checked on the other girls to make sure they were still asleep. Then she slowly stepped through the creaking door out into the halls.
The hallway, led out into the courtyard, which was surrounded on three sides by the three main buildings: the novitiate, where she came from, the nun’s residence and the church. On the other side was the wall, where there was the gateway leading out of the monastery. Madalina spied upwards to check the wall-walk atop the wall where two armed sentries perambulated throughout the night. When they both walked out of sight Madalina quickly ran in the direction of the gate.
Getting out through the main gates was the most difficult part of the evening, since there were quite considerable fortifications for a monastery. The fortifications were necessitated not by the armies, which, though a very real threat, had not been seen in these valleys in many generations, but by the vampires, which clambered regularly to enter the confines of the monastery whenever thirsty.
The front of the monastery was secured by a thick wall, with the exit being a single large gateway. The gateway was secured by two layers, first a heavy iron portcullis, which had been added to the gateway at a later date, and a large wood double-door. The portcullis could only be raised and lowered with significant difficulty and noise, but, fortunately, Madalina had found a small hole, which she could squeeze through to reach the gap between portcullis and outer door.
The outer double-door was braced by two large beams, which Madalina pushed aside. The two large beams retracted into recesses on either side of the door, and she started to pull open the door, when she heard a sound. Madalina froze and looked back towards the courtyard. A dark figure crossed the courtyard, clearly identifiable in the moonlight as Sister Oana. Sister Oana would sometimes wake for an extra evening prayer, and pass through the halls of the novitiate to check on the girls. Madalina froze in the hope that Sister Oana wouldn’t look in her direction.
Fortunately, Sister Oana continued right on into the hall of the novitiate, and Madalina recommenced her escape. She slowly pulled the large door open, which creaked with age and weight, until she could just pull herself through. The door opened inward, and with the portcullis closed, could only be partially opened, but it was enough for Madalina to squeeze through.
She closed the doors, so that no possible invader would realize they were unlocked and then waited. She was listening to the sound of the sentries’ footsteps. When they grew distant after another circuit, she ran in the direction of the forest.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 9
After Andrei closed up shop for good that day, he retired to his workroom where he had to commence the long work of processing the vampire that Vasile had brought him early that morning.
After dressing again in his cloak, gloves, mask and hat he entered the workroom and began the butchering. He smothered the fire and then fished out the body with two hooks, dragging it out and dropping it onto a large worktable. The wooden worktable was a large, rectangular surface, pocked with knife marks and stained dark with blood. Around the edges were grooves that captured the flow of any liquids and channeled them to a reservoir at one end of table.
Andrei put on his red-stained apron, pulled out his great knives and began to dig the knives into the vampire’s flesh, pulling apart the separate parts, pulling out the panoply of organs, peeling off the skin, pulling out the bones and cartilage, and on and on.
Each of these parts would have to be separately treated, some ground, some dried, some dissolved, and so on. From these parts came the various medicines he carried: for the kidney medicine, he would take the vampire’s kidney and ground it, wrap it in a sheath of skin and dry it; for the vampire’s bone, he would dry the vampire’s bones and grind them into powder; for the skin, he would chop it up and dissolve it in alcohol; and so on. Over time he had refined a number of techniques for making the vampire’s parts both preservable and consumable so that he could store them on his shelves until his ready customers came and so they could ingest the beneficial materials within these vampire parts and improve their health.
While Andrei worked, Vasile entered – rested and ready to begin the evening’s hunt. Andrei had Vasile’s cloak, gloves and hat, sanitized and cleaned, and ready to be worn.
Vasile sat down on a chair and pulled his boots onto his feet, strapping a backup knife to the outside of one boot, placing another knife on his belt, loading his two crossbows and slinging them around his back, adding yet more crossbow bolts to a pouch in his belt, filling his quiver with what arrows he could carry and stringing his bow
As he armed himself and dressed for the chilly evening, Vasile said, “You know I am the only vampire hunter and I’m getting old.”
“I know too well. What I wouldn’t give to have more hunters who could bring me more vampires. But they just don’t survive,” Andrei added.
“I say it because you mentioned earlier that I should get an apprentice,” Vasile said, with his deep and quiet voice.
“I would never think a solitary lion like you would take an apprentice,” Andrei said.
“I think I should. I want you to spread the word that I’m interested in an apprentice,” Vasile said, “Preferable someone who can shoot an arrow and that won’t get killed.”
“I can do that,” Andrei said nodding, “Are you sure?’
“Yes,” Vasile said, as he lifted his bag on his shoulders with his quiver and bow. He then waved goodbye and stepped out into the night.
After dressing again in his cloak, gloves, mask and hat he entered the workroom and began the butchering. He smothered the fire and then fished out the body with two hooks, dragging it out and dropping it onto a large worktable. The wooden worktable was a large, rectangular surface, pocked with knife marks and stained dark with blood. Around the edges were grooves that captured the flow of any liquids and channeled them to a reservoir at one end of table.
Andrei put on his red-stained apron, pulled out his great knives and began to dig the knives into the vampire’s flesh, pulling apart the separate parts, pulling out the panoply of organs, peeling off the skin, pulling out the bones and cartilage, and on and on.
Each of these parts would have to be separately treated, some ground, some dried, some dissolved, and so on. From these parts came the various medicines he carried: for the kidney medicine, he would take the vampire’s kidney and ground it, wrap it in a sheath of skin and dry it; for the vampire’s bone, he would dry the vampire’s bones and grind them into powder; for the skin, he would chop it up and dissolve it in alcohol; and so on. Over time he had refined a number of techniques for making the vampire’s parts both preservable and consumable so that he could store them on his shelves until his ready customers came and so they could ingest the beneficial materials within these vampire parts and improve their health.
While Andrei worked, Vasile entered – rested and ready to begin the evening’s hunt. Andrei had Vasile’s cloak, gloves and hat, sanitized and cleaned, and ready to be worn.
Vasile sat down on a chair and pulled his boots onto his feet, strapping a backup knife to the outside of one boot, placing another knife on his belt, loading his two crossbows and slinging them around his back, adding yet more crossbow bolts to a pouch in his belt, filling his quiver with what arrows he could carry and stringing his bow
As he armed himself and dressed for the chilly evening, Vasile said, “You know I am the only vampire hunter and I’m getting old.”
“I know too well. What I wouldn’t give to have more hunters who could bring me more vampires. But they just don’t survive,” Andrei added.
“I say it because you mentioned earlier that I should get an apprentice,” Vasile said, with his deep and quiet voice.
“I would never think a solitary lion like you would take an apprentice,” Andrei said.
“I think I should. I want you to spread the word that I’m interested in an apprentice,” Vasile said, “Preferable someone who can shoot an arrow and that won’t get killed.”
“I can do that,” Andrei said nodding, “Are you sure?’
“Yes,” Vasile said, as he lifted his bag on his shoulders with his quiver and bow. He then waved goodbye and stepped out into the night.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 8
After the vampires had left, Lucian opened up the curtains, flooding the room with light. He turned to look at Andrei and said with a small laugh, “You ought to be careful about Asha. She normally wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. Any different circumstances and you’d be dead. I was afraid for your life for a second there. I wasn’t sure if she could restrain herself.”
“If you two agree on this truce, though, she won’t be able to,” Andrei replied.
“She might be willing to risk it for your sake,” Lucian rejoined.
There was a knock on the door, and it was Beniamin, who Andrei admitted into the room.
“What do you think of this truce?” Lucian then asked.
“I don’t like it,” Andrei admitted, sitting back in his chair and looking up at Lucian.
“Of course you don’t,” Beniamin merrily chuckled, “You might as well ask Cornel if he wants to ban metal, or ask the bees if they want to forego their nectar.”
“I admit it might be good for the village. If the vampires don’t break the truce, that is. But, I don’t trust them to do that,” Andrei said, settling back into his chair and rubbing his beard with one hand. He then added, “And Vasile told me this morning that he thinks the vampires are in decline. My intuition tells me he’s right. It seems to me that with a concerted effort we could wipe them out. I think that’s the only way I can trust they’ll keep their agreement, if they’re all gone.”
“You don’t trust them because we’ve always been at war. They’ve never had a chance to prove their trustworthiness. If we give them a chance, I think they will show their true worth, and they will show that they are human. They are as much human as we are. And they can cooperate, especially if it for something that will benefit us and them alike,” Lucian pontificated, in his usual politician’s voice.
“They depend on us for food,” Andrei disagreed, “They are not going to give us up.”
“They can live on other meat and other blood. They can eat cattle and sheep like us,” Lucian said
“We’ll have vampire shepherds then?” Beniamin laughed, “Leading their sheep to pasture? That’ll be a sight to see.”
Andrei told Lucian and Beniamin that he had to get back to his shop. He left the town hall and approached the door to his store to unlock it. A customer was already waiting in front, an oldish woman with poor posture.
“My apologies,” he said deferentially to her as he quickly opened the door and let her in. “I just had to discuss some very serious political matters with Magistrate Lucian. I hope you weren’t waiting long. What can I do for you?”
“If you two agree on this truce, though, she won’t be able to,” Andrei replied.
“She might be willing to risk it for your sake,” Lucian rejoined.
There was a knock on the door, and it was Beniamin, who Andrei admitted into the room.
“What do you think of this truce?” Lucian then asked.
“I don’t like it,” Andrei admitted, sitting back in his chair and looking up at Lucian.
“Of course you don’t,” Beniamin merrily chuckled, “You might as well ask Cornel if he wants to ban metal, or ask the bees if they want to forego their nectar.”
“I admit it might be good for the village. If the vampires don’t break the truce, that is. But, I don’t trust them to do that,” Andrei said, settling back into his chair and rubbing his beard with one hand. He then added, “And Vasile told me this morning that he thinks the vampires are in decline. My intuition tells me he’s right. It seems to me that with a concerted effort we could wipe them out. I think that’s the only way I can trust they’ll keep their agreement, if they’re all gone.”
“You don’t trust them because we’ve always been at war. They’ve never had a chance to prove their trustworthiness. If we give them a chance, I think they will show their true worth, and they will show that they are human. They are as much human as we are. And they can cooperate, especially if it for something that will benefit us and them alike,” Lucian pontificated, in his usual politician’s voice.
“They depend on us for food,” Andrei disagreed, “They are not going to give us up.”
“They can live on other meat and other blood. They can eat cattle and sheep like us,” Lucian said
“We’ll have vampire shepherds then?” Beniamin laughed, “Leading their sheep to pasture? That’ll be a sight to see.”
Andrei told Lucian and Beniamin that he had to get back to his shop. He left the town hall and approached the door to his store to unlock it. A customer was already waiting in front, an oldish woman with poor posture.
“My apologies,” he said deferentially to her as he quickly opened the door and let her in. “I just had to discuss some very serious political matters with Magistrate Lucian. I hope you weren’t waiting long. What can I do for you?”
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 7
Asha then began to lay out the conditions of the truce that she wished to initiate between the vampires and villagers: “We will cease all of our attacks and kidnapping, hereon and in perpetuity, and in exchange you will cease to kill us.” Then she looked directly at Andrei and added, “And cease to feed on us.”
“I think that’s something all of the other villages can agree on. Most of our attacks are motivated by self-defense. If you ended any and all attacks on us, I don’t see any reason why we should continue hostilities,” Magistrate Lucian said, speaking judiciously and carefully.
“Except for your ‘vampire wares,’” Asha added, “Which ought to be destroyed. And the whole shop where they’re sold ought to be burnt to the ground.”
“Keep trying,” Andrei said, “You haven’t failed enough times? You’ve tried to destroy it before. Maybe this time you’ll succeed.”
“Did I say you could speak, maggot?” Asha screeched, standing from her chair and approaching Andrei, “I wouldn’t even deign to drink your blood if you were bleeding, it’s probably as black as ash and tastes of venom!”
“Please!” Lucian interjected himself between them, and urged Asha to sit back down. She recoiled when Lucian approached her. “Andrei you were told to be quiet during these proceedings. I don’t want to hear any more from you,” Lucian said, then turning back to Asha, “I’m sorry. Let’s continue.” Lucian then asked, returning to his seat, “Are all of the vampires in your group behind you.”
“The coven obeys me,” Asha said, “They disobey at their peril.”
“But what if one of them were to disobey? Then what?” Lucian asked.
“I would punish him severely,” Asha said with relish.
“I don’t know if that’s enough for us,” Lucian said cautiously, “We’d have more confidence if the offender were handed over to us, so we can be sure that punishment is being meted out? Is that acceptable?” Lucian waited for a response then he ventured cautiously, “Or what if the offender were handed over to” nodding in Andrei’s direction, “to him.” Lucian waited for Asha’s reaction, though her face was quite inscrutable, “This would only be for those who killed or drank the blood of one of our villagers, of course.”
“Clever idea,” Asha said, “You placate the people who depend on this maggot’s products to keep their frail bodies from withering.” Asha then stopped, as if thinking for a moment, asking, “Would you extend the same courtesy to us? Would you give us all your condemned criminals to do with as we please?”
“That’s possible. I can discuss it,” Lucian nodded, “Any other provisions you want to suggest?”
“We just want a truce. All other provisions are inessential. I suggest you gather the other surrounding villages quickly and see if they’ll buy into it before we waste any more time,” Asha said.
“I think they will,” Lucian said, smiling, “But I’ll get right on it. I think this will be something that will be mutually beneficial and very long-lasting”
Lucian stood up and extended a hand to shake with Asha. She looked at it and didn’t move, saying, “I don’t think we should touch. I don’t want to infect you.”
“Right,” Lucian said, withdrawing his hand in embarrassment, “Beniamin will let you out.”
Beniamin who had been hastily taking notes on a sheet of paper the whole time, his nose close to the paper to try and see what he was writing in the dark, now dropped his pen and sprang to his feet, leading the vampires, whose heads were now covered, out of the room.
“I think that’s something all of the other villages can agree on. Most of our attacks are motivated by self-defense. If you ended any and all attacks on us, I don’t see any reason why we should continue hostilities,” Magistrate Lucian said, speaking judiciously and carefully.
“Except for your ‘vampire wares,’” Asha added, “Which ought to be destroyed. And the whole shop where they’re sold ought to be burnt to the ground.”
“Keep trying,” Andrei said, “You haven’t failed enough times? You’ve tried to destroy it before. Maybe this time you’ll succeed.”
“Did I say you could speak, maggot?” Asha screeched, standing from her chair and approaching Andrei, “I wouldn’t even deign to drink your blood if you were bleeding, it’s probably as black as ash and tastes of venom!”
“Please!” Lucian interjected himself between them, and urged Asha to sit back down. She recoiled when Lucian approached her. “Andrei you were told to be quiet during these proceedings. I don’t want to hear any more from you,” Lucian said, then turning back to Asha, “I’m sorry. Let’s continue.” Lucian then asked, returning to his seat, “Are all of the vampires in your group behind you.”
“The coven obeys me,” Asha said, “They disobey at their peril.”
“But what if one of them were to disobey? Then what?” Lucian asked.
“I would punish him severely,” Asha said with relish.
“I don’t know if that’s enough for us,” Lucian said cautiously, “We’d have more confidence if the offender were handed over to us, so we can be sure that punishment is being meted out? Is that acceptable?” Lucian waited for a response then he ventured cautiously, “Or what if the offender were handed over to” nodding in Andrei’s direction, “to him.” Lucian waited for Asha’s reaction, though her face was quite inscrutable, “This would only be for those who killed or drank the blood of one of our villagers, of course.”
“Clever idea,” Asha said, “You placate the people who depend on this maggot’s products to keep their frail bodies from withering.” Asha then stopped, as if thinking for a moment, asking, “Would you extend the same courtesy to us? Would you give us all your condemned criminals to do with as we please?”
“That’s possible. I can discuss it,” Lucian nodded, “Any other provisions you want to suggest?”
“We just want a truce. All other provisions are inessential. I suggest you gather the other surrounding villages quickly and see if they’ll buy into it before we waste any more time,” Asha said.
“I think they will,” Lucian said, smiling, “But I’ll get right on it. I think this will be something that will be mutually beneficial and very long-lasting”
Lucian stood up and extended a hand to shake with Asha. She looked at it and didn’t move, saying, “I don’t think we should touch. I don’t want to infect you.”
“Right,” Lucian said, withdrawing his hand in embarrassment, “Beniamin will let you out.”
Beniamin who had been hastily taking notes on a sheet of paper the whole time, his nose close to the paper to try and see what he was writing in the dark, now dropped his pen and sprang to his feet, leading the vampires, whose heads were now covered, out of the room.
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