Lina quickly hustled up the tunnel to the exit and pounded on the wooden door for the guard to let her through. The guard opened the door for her, and, after she told him she had permission from Asha, he lifted the rock for her.
She was surprised how overwhelming the daylight sun was. Even under all the covering, it seemed to beat down on her like a rain of fire. She walked around for a little bit, though this was just to make it look like she was doing something. The reason she’d come out was to see whether she was genuinely strong enough to lift the outer rock on her own.
After what Lina thought was a sufficient passage of time not to appear at all suspicious, she returned to the rock and prepared herself for the task of lifting it. She squatted down before the rock, rubbing her hands together and taking a few deep breaths.
After a few moments of hesitation, she put her fingers beneath the underside of the rock and began to pull upward at the weight. Gradually, from the force of her strength, the rock began to move, began to rise. It didn’t seem to float up by her strength the way the bed did, but it was achievable, with the full extent of her exertion.
When the rock was finally raised above her head, she saw the guard on the other side looking at her with surprise. He actually held out his sword in anticipation, not really sure who it was who was lifting the rock, since she was the only vampire who was out. When he saw Lina, her face red with exertion, and sweat pouring down her forehead, he dropped the sword and rushed forward to help her. With the weight out of her hands, Lina could finally take the breath that she’d been holding through her whole exertion, which was followed by many heavy breaths.
“You’re already strong enough to raise the stone?” the vampire guard said, “You’re quick.”
Lina gave a shy “thank you,” and then hastily walked inside like one embarrassed. She was soon back to her room and pulling off her heavy clothes, which felt hot and intolerable, while her body was still sticky with sweat. Dropping them to the floor and changing into the loose garments that most of the vampires wore in the cave, she was soothed and relaxed by the cool of the cave.
She looked down at the muscles of her arms and legs and thought she could really tell the difference in how they’d strengthened, how they’d almost overnight improved in tone and seemed stronger, more adult, more healthy.
She needed rest, both tired by the heat and by the exertion and she lay down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. The thought of how to acquire the keys to the pen suffused her thoughts.
She recalled a conversation she’d overheard once. Sister Elisabeta was once reproving a repentant former thief, who’d told Elisabeta about his former life. At one point he said something like, “You’d be amazed that you can just snatch a purse right off of a person. And they won’t notice because they’re paying attention to something else.” Lina was skeptical and had considered trying her hand at pickpocketing while she was in the convent to see if it worked as he said — not money, which she had no use for, but something more relevant to her, like the keys to the novices’ rooms or some food. Ultimately, she’d never made an attempt, since her fear of being caught was greater than her curiosity. Now she chided herself, thinking that it might’ve been easier if she’d tried it in the convent, where the consequences were still relatively small.
She slept first to recover her strength. She was willing to take her time. Though she felt there was a certain urgency to getting Nicoleta out of there as soon as possible, she also knew that she would get only one shot at this at this and she wanted it to be done right the first time, which required measured prudence.
When the time was right, she grabbed the basket and placed it in the hallway near the kitchen. It was conspicuous sitting there, something vampires would have to move to avoid, but she trusted no one would take it. She then took her broom and again began to sweep around and towards the kitchen.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 75
Asha continued with her story: “I imagine I was about your age when I started having to serve men as a prostitute. I hated it, of course. It was awful. The men were awful: they were ugly and they stunk, and they’re breath stunk and they would paw all over me with their grimy hands. So, from the very first one, who broke my hymen one painful afternoon, I started to make a list, an inventory, in my mind, of all the people that had wronged me: my parents, the Madame at the brothel and the other men that profited from it, and all the men that visited and had me. I memorized their faces, as well as their names and anything else about them I could learn. I still remember very clearly the very first man that broke me in: he had a bushy beard and long, greasy hair and this dull, stupid look in his eyes as if it took great mental effort even just to recall his own name. I held onto this inventory of persons because I knew, with absolute certainty, that I would take my revenge on any and all of them that I could, when the time was right. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know when. I just knew that I would. I was waiting, biding my time, until that opportunity came.
“And you know what? It did come. Our brothel was visited one night by vampires. ‘Stormed’ would probably be the more appropriate term, since they broke down the doors and start killing women. It was an utter shock to me, as well as everyone else. The vampires were completely new to the region. No one had heard a thing about vampires before, nor really understood what was going on when we were attacked. We assumed that the attackers were simply some heathen savages with a thirst for blood and we tried to repel them accordingly, with no success. Half the women were killed. I was not.
“I was deliberately spared. I was visited by Jule, a vampire already quite old by that time and he entered my room, where I was huddling in the corner, afraid, trying to hide from him. But he didn’t kill me. Smitten by my beauty, perhaps, he simply raped me. And then, when he finished, he told me, that he had a done me a favor. I thought that was preposterous. Being raped was even worse that those johns taking me for money. But he actually turned out to be right.
“I became very sick soon after, and when I finally recovered, I was hyper-sensitive to light, I was strong, I was fast, I had lost all sexual desire, and I gained a hunger that could only be satisfied with blood. I didn’t understand what I’d become, or what I was, but I rampaged and killed. I first slew the Madame, who’d somehow survived the vampire attack, and the two nobles who respectively rented out and taxed the building of the brothel. I latched onto their necks and drank their blood and then eviscerated their bodies for due recompense. Then Jule found me out and took me into his coven, this coven, though we hadn’t moved into these caves yet. And he taught me what I needed to know about being a vampire.
“Then, with his and the other vampires’ help, we tracked down every man I could find from my inventory. I couldn’t find all of them, unfortunately. Some of them were soldiers or vagabonds who either died on their own or were settled somewhere far from here where I couldn’t find them. Those I didn’t get to. The rest, though, I found and I killed them; we killed them, together: drank their blood, desecrated their bodies and left them in the open air for the animals. Because I had remembered. I had kept track of all those that had wronged me. I knew their sins, and was prepared to dole out justice, however long it took.
“I still haven’t lost that habit. I remember. I always know how things stand. And I’m sure to bring justice to those who do wrong. Do you understand?”
Lina nodded. And then Asha told, “If you’re going to go outside, be sure and cover up. The sun will burn you up.”
Lina then left Asha’s room without a “goodbye” or a “thank you,” going directly to her room and pulling out the cloak, shoes, gloves and head covering that she would need to tolerate the daylight sun.
“And you know what? It did come. Our brothel was visited one night by vampires. ‘Stormed’ would probably be the more appropriate term, since they broke down the doors and start killing women. It was an utter shock to me, as well as everyone else. The vampires were completely new to the region. No one had heard a thing about vampires before, nor really understood what was going on when we were attacked. We assumed that the attackers were simply some heathen savages with a thirst for blood and we tried to repel them accordingly, with no success. Half the women were killed. I was not.
“I was deliberately spared. I was visited by Jule, a vampire already quite old by that time and he entered my room, where I was huddling in the corner, afraid, trying to hide from him. But he didn’t kill me. Smitten by my beauty, perhaps, he simply raped me. And then, when he finished, he told me, that he had a done me a favor. I thought that was preposterous. Being raped was even worse that those johns taking me for money. But he actually turned out to be right.
“I became very sick soon after, and when I finally recovered, I was hyper-sensitive to light, I was strong, I was fast, I had lost all sexual desire, and I gained a hunger that could only be satisfied with blood. I didn’t understand what I’d become, or what I was, but I rampaged and killed. I first slew the Madame, who’d somehow survived the vampire attack, and the two nobles who respectively rented out and taxed the building of the brothel. I latched onto their necks and drank their blood and then eviscerated their bodies for due recompense. Then Jule found me out and took me into his coven, this coven, though we hadn’t moved into these caves yet. And he taught me what I needed to know about being a vampire.
“Then, with his and the other vampires’ help, we tracked down every man I could find from my inventory. I couldn’t find all of them, unfortunately. Some of them were soldiers or vagabonds who either died on their own or were settled somewhere far from here where I couldn’t find them. Those I didn’t get to. The rest, though, I found and I killed them; we killed them, together: drank their blood, desecrated their bodies and left them in the open air for the animals. Because I had remembered. I had kept track of all those that had wronged me. I knew their sins, and was prepared to dole out justice, however long it took.
“I still haven’t lost that habit. I remember. I always know how things stand. And I’m sure to bring justice to those who do wrong. Do you understand?”
Lina nodded. And then Asha told, “If you’re going to go outside, be sure and cover up. The sun will burn you up.”
Lina then left Asha’s room without a “goodbye” or a “thank you,” going directly to her room and pulling out the cloak, shoes, gloves and head covering that she would need to tolerate the daylight sun.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 74
Lina went to door of Asha’s room to speak with her. She saw on the door, carved onto its surface, a lion standing on all fours looking directly at her, its mane bristling with pride. Lina knocked on the door and a voice told her she could enter.
Inside she saw Asha naked, face down upon her bed while two vampires hovered over her, kneading her muscles with their hands.
“What do you want Little Lina?” Asha hissed, still lying flat, without opening her eyes or turning her head, her face buried in her mattress.
“What are they doing to you,” Lina innocently asked.
“Is that what you came here for? They’re massaging my muscles. It relaxes me and feels very good. If that’s all you want, then you can leave me.”
“No, no,” Lina hastily interjected, “I wanted to ask your permission for something. I want to go up to the surface.”
Asha finally opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Lina, “Why do you want to go outside? It’s daylight out now, isn’t it?” Lina nodded, and Asha said, “I hate going out in daylight. You want to go out now?”
“I do, yes,” Lina hesitantly answered.
“Why? What do you want that for?”
“I miss seeing the sun. I miss being out,” Lina said.
“You’re a creature of the dark now. You must get used to it,” Asha vehemently asserted.
“I want to get out. I want to walk around in the fresh air. I want to do something. What do you vampires do all day? There’s hardly enough work for me to fill a day.”
“So you’re bored? Take up a hobby, then. They taught you how to read in that convent, didn't they? See if you can find a book to read. Do something creative. Even if I let you outside, what will you do?”
“I don’t know,” Lina shrugged her shoulders, “Walk around.”
Asha brought the massage to a stop by raising her hand and then sitting up in her bed. Her naked beauty was exposed to Lina temporarily, who looked up at Asha with a distinct look of envy, but she quickly lowered her eyes when Asha noticed her stare. Asha put on her light indoor clothing on and dismissed the two vampires from her presence. They left the room and waited in the hall.
“You wish you were beautiful like me, don’t you?” Asha said, “You will be someday. Be patient. You’ve already become more beautiful since you came here. I can tell.”
Lina blushed shyly, not because she was embarrassed by the compliment, but worried that Asha might infer her secret.
Asha continued, “I was quite beautiful even when I was a young human. But it was not a blessing, I assure you. You don’t know what it’s like to be beautiful. Being beautiful means always being seen, always being noticed. It can be quite oppressive to have eyes on you all the time.”
“No worse than never being seen,” Lina replied, causing Asha to emit a slight laugh. Not knowing what more to say, Lina reiterated her request, “Will you give me permission to go outside?”
“I will give you permission,” Asha said. Lina turned, ready to leave, but Asha stopped her, saying, “But I want you to hear a story first. I want you to hear about my life as a human.” Lina turned around and looked at Asha, who smiled in that arrogant, domineering way she always smiled and said, “It’s quite instructive.”
“You grew up in a convent as a novice,” Asha began, “left there by your parents, no doubt; perhaps motivated by some misplaced sense of piety to offer you as their devotional sacrifice to God. I grew up as a whore in a whorehouse, abandoned by my parents from their own indifference and negligence. I was born a long, long time ago. All I know about my parents is that they were nomads from the East. And, perhaps because they had too much to carry, they left me, in a small city far from here, in the care of an older woman, who, if I haven’t been misled, paid my parents to take me. She paid for me because I would earn for her far more in return. She took care of me while I was young, and I worked by cleaning the rooms of what I would later find out was a brothel. I would clean up after the sweaty sex that the other whores had in those rooms, until I was old enough.”
Inside she saw Asha naked, face down upon her bed while two vampires hovered over her, kneading her muscles with their hands.
“What do you want Little Lina?” Asha hissed, still lying flat, without opening her eyes or turning her head, her face buried in her mattress.
“What are they doing to you,” Lina innocently asked.
“Is that what you came here for? They’re massaging my muscles. It relaxes me and feels very good. If that’s all you want, then you can leave me.”
“No, no,” Lina hastily interjected, “I wanted to ask your permission for something. I want to go up to the surface.”
Asha finally opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Lina, “Why do you want to go outside? It’s daylight out now, isn’t it?” Lina nodded, and Asha said, “I hate going out in daylight. You want to go out now?”
“I do, yes,” Lina hesitantly answered.
“Why? What do you want that for?”
“I miss seeing the sun. I miss being out,” Lina said.
“You’re a creature of the dark now. You must get used to it,” Asha vehemently asserted.
“I want to get out. I want to walk around in the fresh air. I want to do something. What do you vampires do all day? There’s hardly enough work for me to fill a day.”
“So you’re bored? Take up a hobby, then. They taught you how to read in that convent, didn't they? See if you can find a book to read. Do something creative. Even if I let you outside, what will you do?”
“I don’t know,” Lina shrugged her shoulders, “Walk around.”
Asha brought the massage to a stop by raising her hand and then sitting up in her bed. Her naked beauty was exposed to Lina temporarily, who looked up at Asha with a distinct look of envy, but she quickly lowered her eyes when Asha noticed her stare. Asha put on her light indoor clothing on and dismissed the two vampires from her presence. They left the room and waited in the hall.
“You wish you were beautiful like me, don’t you?” Asha said, “You will be someday. Be patient. You’ve already become more beautiful since you came here. I can tell.”
Lina blushed shyly, not because she was embarrassed by the compliment, but worried that Asha might infer her secret.
Asha continued, “I was quite beautiful even when I was a young human. But it was not a blessing, I assure you. You don’t know what it’s like to be beautiful. Being beautiful means always being seen, always being noticed. It can be quite oppressive to have eyes on you all the time.”
“No worse than never being seen,” Lina replied, causing Asha to emit a slight laugh. Not knowing what more to say, Lina reiterated her request, “Will you give me permission to go outside?”
“I will give you permission,” Asha said. Lina turned, ready to leave, but Asha stopped her, saying, “But I want you to hear a story first. I want you to hear about my life as a human.” Lina turned around and looked at Asha, who smiled in that arrogant, domineering way she always smiled and said, “It’s quite instructive.”
“You grew up in a convent as a novice,” Asha began, “left there by your parents, no doubt; perhaps motivated by some misplaced sense of piety to offer you as their devotional sacrifice to God. I grew up as a whore in a whorehouse, abandoned by my parents from their own indifference and negligence. I was born a long, long time ago. All I know about my parents is that they were nomads from the East. And, perhaps because they had too much to carry, they left me, in a small city far from here, in the care of an older woman, who, if I haven’t been misled, paid my parents to take me. She paid for me because I would earn for her far more in return. She took care of me while I was young, and I worked by cleaning the rooms of what I would later find out was a brothel. I would clean up after the sweaty sex that the other whores had in those rooms, until I was old enough.”
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 73
After Vasile finished telling his story, there was a silence as he continued reaping the wheat and Anton sat looking up into the sky. Anton looked tired from a day’s work, but there was also something else to his harried appearance — he looked sad. So, Vasile asked him, “Do you miss your sister?”
The question brought some quiet tears to Anton’s eyes, which he wiped away with the sleeve of his shirt before he replied, ”Every day.” He then asked Vasile, “Would it sound foolish if I said I think she’s still alive? Is it false hope or is there something to this feeling I have?”
Vasile shrugged his shoulders and said, “I wish I could tell you you’re right. To be honest, I don’t know what goes on in those vampire caves. I do know they need food, and no one’s ever come back. So, it seems to follow that… ”
“I know,” Anton said. Then there was a long silence as Anton stared off into the distance.
In the pen, Constanta was bored. Living on her father’s farm had meant, since she was old enough, a life of nearly constant work from morning to evening: rise in the morning, eat, work all day, eat in the evening, sleep. Sunday service, some holidays around the year and a lighter workload during the winter were about all she’d known of idleness since as long as she could remember.
The life in the pen, on the other hand, was almost entirely idleness, and Constanta was not the type of child that had learned to entertain herself. To stave off the boredom most of the people of the pen, besides sleeping and eating, gambled and had sex. Others were more creative with their time: organizing entertainment such as singing and theatrical performances; others carved designs and pictures into the wall; others sought ways to access previously inaccessible stalactites that lined the ceiling, hoping make their fortune; some fruitlessly plotted ways to escape; many told stories; and many simply sat around and talked, gossiping and complaining. None of this was for Constanta, though.
She sat and watched several men carving a massive crucifix and altar into one wall of the arena under Sister Oana's direction. Oana had begun her planned work and was employing the labor of several men to carefully chip away at the rock with crude stone tools. She paid the men, but they were mostly just glad to have something interesting to do.
Constanta turned at the sound of Dragomir's approach. He limped towards Oana, flanked by an entourage, including two intimidating thugs that he used to punish and intimidate recalcitrant dissenters, and two of the women from his harem, both pregnant. Oana stood at the foot of the wall, overseeing the work and relaying instructions when he announced, “Oana, I have to speak with you.”
Oana turned around to face Dragomir and looked back at him impatiently as he prepared to speak, “Oana, I am concerned that you have made no effort to impregnate yourself since you arrived.”
Dragomir acted as the hand of the vampires within the pen. The persons of the pen, some three quarters of whom were women, adamantly resisted pregnancy, none wanting to bring a child into the world of the vampire’s pen, such that great force had to applied to overcome this resistance.
“I am not going to break my vow of virginity,” Oana told him, “So you can quit being concerned.”
Dragomir's two thugs, started to step forward, but Dragomir stopped them. He had been reluctant to use physical force on a woman of God, some residue of piety still lurking in him somewhere.
“Then you will be marked,” he threatened, referring to the red X stained on the wrists of those ready to be slaughtered.
“So be it,” Oana replied with indifference, “Better to be dead than break my vow.” She turned her back to Dragomir and his entourage and shouted at the men who were working for her to get back to work.
“I’ll give you another week. That's it.” Dragomir shouted at her, red with ire. What he didn't want to openly admit, though, was that her unique popularity as a preacher made dealing with her particularly delicate, but he told her with perfect earnestness just before he walked away, “I won't wait forever.”
The question brought some quiet tears to Anton’s eyes, which he wiped away with the sleeve of his shirt before he replied, ”Every day.” He then asked Vasile, “Would it sound foolish if I said I think she’s still alive? Is it false hope or is there something to this feeling I have?”
Vasile shrugged his shoulders and said, “I wish I could tell you you’re right. To be honest, I don’t know what goes on in those vampire caves. I do know they need food, and no one’s ever come back. So, it seems to follow that… ”
“I know,” Anton said. Then there was a long silence as Anton stared off into the distance.
In the pen, Constanta was bored. Living on her father’s farm had meant, since she was old enough, a life of nearly constant work from morning to evening: rise in the morning, eat, work all day, eat in the evening, sleep. Sunday service, some holidays around the year and a lighter workload during the winter were about all she’d known of idleness since as long as she could remember.
The life in the pen, on the other hand, was almost entirely idleness, and Constanta was not the type of child that had learned to entertain herself. To stave off the boredom most of the people of the pen, besides sleeping and eating, gambled and had sex. Others were more creative with their time: organizing entertainment such as singing and theatrical performances; others carved designs and pictures into the wall; others sought ways to access previously inaccessible stalactites that lined the ceiling, hoping make their fortune; some fruitlessly plotted ways to escape; many told stories; and many simply sat around and talked, gossiping and complaining. None of this was for Constanta, though.
She sat and watched several men carving a massive crucifix and altar into one wall of the arena under Sister Oana's direction. Oana had begun her planned work and was employing the labor of several men to carefully chip away at the rock with crude stone tools. She paid the men, but they were mostly just glad to have something interesting to do.
Constanta turned at the sound of Dragomir's approach. He limped towards Oana, flanked by an entourage, including two intimidating thugs that he used to punish and intimidate recalcitrant dissenters, and two of the women from his harem, both pregnant. Oana stood at the foot of the wall, overseeing the work and relaying instructions when he announced, “Oana, I have to speak with you.”
Oana turned around to face Dragomir and looked back at him impatiently as he prepared to speak, “Oana, I am concerned that you have made no effort to impregnate yourself since you arrived.”
Dragomir acted as the hand of the vampires within the pen. The persons of the pen, some three quarters of whom were women, adamantly resisted pregnancy, none wanting to bring a child into the world of the vampire’s pen, such that great force had to applied to overcome this resistance.
“I am not going to break my vow of virginity,” Oana told him, “So you can quit being concerned.”
Dragomir's two thugs, started to step forward, but Dragomir stopped them. He had been reluctant to use physical force on a woman of God, some residue of piety still lurking in him somewhere.
“Then you will be marked,” he threatened, referring to the red X stained on the wrists of those ready to be slaughtered.
“So be it,” Oana replied with indifference, “Better to be dead than break my vow.” She turned her back to Dragomir and his entourage and shouted at the men who were working for her to get back to work.
“I’ll give you another week. That's it.” Dragomir shouted at her, red with ire. What he didn't want to openly admit, though, was that her unique popularity as a preacher made dealing with her particularly delicate, but he told her with perfect earnestness just before he walked away, “I won't wait forever.”
Friday, May 4, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 72
The sun was just above the horizon as Vasile walked across the expanse of Josif’s fields in the direction of Anton, who he saw in the distance, submerged shoulder-deep in the sea of wheat. Anton was bent down with crescent blade in hand, reaping the grain with long, flowing swings that gathered the stalks into his hands.
As Vasile got closer, they greeted each other, and Vasile asked, “Where’s your dad?”
“He’s been having to work Mihai’s crops,” Anton responded, with some bitterness, “It’s that time of year, to fulfill our serf’s duty.”
“Is he happy to have you back?”
“I don’t think that’s the word I’d use. I don’t think anything makes him happy. Though, I feel like he’s pleased that he turned out to be right about me trying to be a vampire hunter, and he’s resisting the urge to gloat. To him, things are better off staying the same as they’ve always been, I suppose.”
Vasile grabbed the scythe out of Anton’s hands, and took over his job while Anton rested.
“I’ve decided to stop taking the vampire wares,” Vasile said. He squinted under the light of the sun. Ever since he’d started taking the vampire medicine, so many years ago, the sun had gained an overbearing quality, and now was, gradually, beginning to lose that overbearingness. “I guess it’s time to start growing old,” Vasile continued, “I’ve been trying to reschedule my sleep so that I’m actually awake through the daylight. It’s impossible for you to understand how long I’ve been a vampire hunter and how many nights I’ve been out in the forest waiting alone in the trees for a vampire to cross my line of sight. Almost every day, for decades, alone at night: in summer when nights are warm and in winter when over half the day is left to the vampires. I’ve seen a great many sunsets and sunrises, but not so much of the day in between.”
“How did you ever become a vampire hunter?” Anton asked.
Vasile shook his head when Anton asked that. “I can barely remember life before becoming a vampire hunter,” Vasile said, taking a deep breath and throwing some extra long swipes at the wheat to give himself some time to gather his thoughts.
“I was young when it happened. You see, I grew up with my mother, living in the woods. My father wasn’t there. He was some highwayman who’d gone away or been hanged or something. She wasn’t clear on the details. My mom would poach game and gather fruit and roots for us at day. At night, we lived in a tiny room made out of the hollow of a tree. We had to keep it well camouflaged, since the vampires were out at night. They weren’t then like they are now. They would be out every night, prowling in packs. And they have powerful noses, so we’d have to spread over the entrance of our little hollow whatever pungent flowers and plants we could find to mask our smell.
“But eventually they found us, probably because our cloak of scent wasn’t very good that night. They only got her. When she heard them approaching, she hid me under a blanket in the corner. I heard the sound of her being dragged away, and was just waiting for them to find me. Waiting all night for them to notice I was there in the corner under the blanket. They didn’t. But I was all alone from then on, without my mother, or anyone.
“I didn’t know how to do anything but hunt. So I became a vampire hunter. It wasn’t vengeance that drove me. I didn’t know who the vampires that actually took her were, and I wasn’t going to find out. I just wanted to earn money. At the time there were a bunch of vampire hunters, all young. Some of them deserters from one of the armies, some of them bandits and highwaymen, some farmers’ kids. They were a reckless and cavalier bunch: they didn’t care if they lived or died. And they took in huge hauls of dead vampires. I was consistently the least successful, because I was the most cautious, took the fewest risks. But that kept me alive. As they all got killed off, one by one, I survived. We’d take our kills to Andrei, or to Dragomir. He was an apothecary that also made vampire wares, but the vampires eventually succeeded in breaking into his home, destroying the place and dragging him off for food. Now, I guess it’s finally completely over. No more vampire hunting. No more dragging my kills to Andrei’s. No more waiting up all night in the trees. Just living a normal life again.”
As Vasile got closer, they greeted each other, and Vasile asked, “Where’s your dad?”
“He’s been having to work Mihai’s crops,” Anton responded, with some bitterness, “It’s that time of year, to fulfill our serf’s duty.”
“Is he happy to have you back?”
“I don’t think that’s the word I’d use. I don’t think anything makes him happy. Though, I feel like he’s pleased that he turned out to be right about me trying to be a vampire hunter, and he’s resisting the urge to gloat. To him, things are better off staying the same as they’ve always been, I suppose.”
Vasile grabbed the scythe out of Anton’s hands, and took over his job while Anton rested.
“I’ve decided to stop taking the vampire wares,” Vasile said. He squinted under the light of the sun. Ever since he’d started taking the vampire medicine, so many years ago, the sun had gained an overbearing quality, and now was, gradually, beginning to lose that overbearingness. “I guess it’s time to start growing old,” Vasile continued, “I’ve been trying to reschedule my sleep so that I’m actually awake through the daylight. It’s impossible for you to understand how long I’ve been a vampire hunter and how many nights I’ve been out in the forest waiting alone in the trees for a vampire to cross my line of sight. Almost every day, for decades, alone at night: in summer when nights are warm and in winter when over half the day is left to the vampires. I’ve seen a great many sunsets and sunrises, but not so much of the day in between.”
“How did you ever become a vampire hunter?” Anton asked.
Vasile shook his head when Anton asked that. “I can barely remember life before becoming a vampire hunter,” Vasile said, taking a deep breath and throwing some extra long swipes at the wheat to give himself some time to gather his thoughts.
“I was young when it happened. You see, I grew up with my mother, living in the woods. My father wasn’t there. He was some highwayman who’d gone away or been hanged or something. She wasn’t clear on the details. My mom would poach game and gather fruit and roots for us at day. At night, we lived in a tiny room made out of the hollow of a tree. We had to keep it well camouflaged, since the vampires were out at night. They weren’t then like they are now. They would be out every night, prowling in packs. And they have powerful noses, so we’d have to spread over the entrance of our little hollow whatever pungent flowers and plants we could find to mask our smell.
“But eventually they found us, probably because our cloak of scent wasn’t very good that night. They only got her. When she heard them approaching, she hid me under a blanket in the corner. I heard the sound of her being dragged away, and was just waiting for them to find me. Waiting all night for them to notice I was there in the corner under the blanket. They didn’t. But I was all alone from then on, without my mother, or anyone.
“I didn’t know how to do anything but hunt. So I became a vampire hunter. It wasn’t vengeance that drove me. I didn’t know who the vampires that actually took her were, and I wasn’t going to find out. I just wanted to earn money. At the time there were a bunch of vampire hunters, all young. Some of them deserters from one of the armies, some of them bandits and highwaymen, some farmers’ kids. They were a reckless and cavalier bunch: they didn’t care if they lived or died. And they took in huge hauls of dead vampires. I was consistently the least successful, because I was the most cautious, took the fewest risks. But that kept me alive. As they all got killed off, one by one, I survived. We’d take our kills to Andrei, or to Dragomir. He was an apothecary that also made vampire wares, but the vampires eventually succeeded in breaking into his home, destroying the place and dragging him off for food. Now, I guess it’s finally completely over. No more vampire hunting. No more dragging my kills to Andrei’s. No more waiting up all night in the trees. Just living a normal life again.”
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 71
The symptoms were so unpleasant that, as Lina stared up at the ceiling, she began to worry. Her whole body felt terrible: her muscles sore, her throat ragged, her stomach aching, her body weak. “Did I consume too much? Is my body really capable of handling that much? Is it more than a young vampire can handle?” she asked herself as the overriding feeling that she'd polluted her body with something deeply unhealthy dominated her thoughts. After a long stretch of unpleasantness, she finally let her abused body plummet into a sleep from which it felt like she would never rise.
In her sleep she began to dream. It was a moderately pleasant dream, of being back at the convent (always of the convent) with Sister Elisabeta instructing her in theology and Sim there to protect her whenever Oana should overstep her reprimands. If there was one thing that she truly lacked when she was at the convent, it was someone there to protect her. And when she stepped outside and watched the sun high in the blue sky, she thought to herself, “It doesn't burn so bad.” In fact, the sun felt warm and she felt happy to be back at the convent.
It was at this moment when she woke up again, back in the darkness of her room, lying in her bed, her sheets wet with sweat and her body shivering from the cold. She opened her eyes, oblivious to how much time she'd lost to sleep, but she suspected that it’d been a great many hours, since her sickness was gone. In fact, the sickness wasn’t just gone; her body felt revitalized.
As her mind began to slowly open itself to wakefulness, she stepped out of her bed and moved her body about. Her body moved as if it was something new, like her arms were recently acquired appendages that had just grown in. There was a strangeness, an unfamiliarity to her movements. She went to look into the mirror, and noticed she looked different — subtly but noticeably different. Her face was quite beautiful, for one. She became enrapt in her own appearance, feeling for the moment like a person savoring the beauty of a new and attractive stranger. She turned her face in the glass to observing it from every angle, inspecting the different facets of her newfound resplendence, her bright eyes and smooth skin.
A dark thought crossed her mind, as she feared that it would be a bit too obvious to the other vampires how beautiful she’d become and how quickly. It might raise questions, suspicions. But then she thought that none of them had really paid her close enough attention before to notice a difference.
She next wanted to see whether her strength had made any dramatic improvements. She approached her bed: a sturdy wood frame with a heavy feather mattress and several layers of sheets. As a novice, she would’ve barely been able to raise it off the ground. As a vampire, just a few days ago, she’d been able to lift it fully off the ground with only some difficulty. Now, as she tried to lift it, it seemed to float up into the air, like a piece of driftwood rising to surface of a stream.
The great rock that covered the entrance, that had been beyond her strength only just the previous day, was now, she was sure, within her strength. She was one step closer to freeing Nicoleta.
Lina now only needed to figure out how to get into the pen and then figure out how to sneak Nicoleta out. Neither of which she knew how to do. She had seen the key that was used to open the door to the pen: a large black key. Both Mir and Tor appeared to have a copy. How would she get a hold of it without being caught? She didn't know. And how could Nicoleta be taken through the halls of the coven without anyone seeing her? She didn't know the answer to that either, but she felt that there was a good place to look.
A few minutes later she was in the cache with a flame in hand. This was one room that she was sure the other vampires would not be worried about her visiting unchaperoned. What exactly she was looking for, she wasn’t sure. Something that would be big enough to conceal Nicoleta and that she could carry in her hands. There were clothes aplenty, but she suspected these wouldn't really conceal her enough. There was a chest that looked suitable, but not ideal. Even better though, she noticed, a basket, a tall storage basket, perhaps pilfered from some large estate nearby.
The outlines of a plan began to shape themselves more distinctly in Lina’s mind.
In her sleep she began to dream. It was a moderately pleasant dream, of being back at the convent (always of the convent) with Sister Elisabeta instructing her in theology and Sim there to protect her whenever Oana should overstep her reprimands. If there was one thing that she truly lacked when she was at the convent, it was someone there to protect her. And when she stepped outside and watched the sun high in the blue sky, she thought to herself, “It doesn't burn so bad.” In fact, the sun felt warm and she felt happy to be back at the convent.
It was at this moment when she woke up again, back in the darkness of her room, lying in her bed, her sheets wet with sweat and her body shivering from the cold. She opened her eyes, oblivious to how much time she'd lost to sleep, but she suspected that it’d been a great many hours, since her sickness was gone. In fact, the sickness wasn’t just gone; her body felt revitalized.
As her mind began to slowly open itself to wakefulness, she stepped out of her bed and moved her body about. Her body moved as if it was something new, like her arms were recently acquired appendages that had just grown in. There was a strangeness, an unfamiliarity to her movements. She went to look into the mirror, and noticed she looked different — subtly but noticeably different. Her face was quite beautiful, for one. She became enrapt in her own appearance, feeling for the moment like a person savoring the beauty of a new and attractive stranger. She turned her face in the glass to observing it from every angle, inspecting the different facets of her newfound resplendence, her bright eyes and smooth skin.
A dark thought crossed her mind, as she feared that it would be a bit too obvious to the other vampires how beautiful she’d become and how quickly. It might raise questions, suspicions. But then she thought that none of them had really paid her close enough attention before to notice a difference.
She next wanted to see whether her strength had made any dramatic improvements. She approached her bed: a sturdy wood frame with a heavy feather mattress and several layers of sheets. As a novice, she would’ve barely been able to raise it off the ground. As a vampire, just a few days ago, she’d been able to lift it fully off the ground with only some difficulty. Now, as she tried to lift it, it seemed to float up into the air, like a piece of driftwood rising to surface of a stream.
The great rock that covered the entrance, that had been beyond her strength only just the previous day, was now, she was sure, within her strength. She was one step closer to freeing Nicoleta.
Lina now only needed to figure out how to get into the pen and then figure out how to sneak Nicoleta out. Neither of which she knew how to do. She had seen the key that was used to open the door to the pen: a large black key. Both Mir and Tor appeared to have a copy. How would she get a hold of it without being caught? She didn't know. And how could Nicoleta be taken through the halls of the coven without anyone seeing her? She didn't know the answer to that either, but she felt that there was a good place to look.
A few minutes later she was in the cache with a flame in hand. This was one room that she was sure the other vampires would not be worried about her visiting unchaperoned. What exactly she was looking for, she wasn’t sure. Something that would be big enough to conceal Nicoleta and that she could carry in her hands. There were clothes aplenty, but she suspected these wouldn't really conceal her enough. There was a chest that looked suitable, but not ideal. Even better though, she noticed, a basket, a tall storage basket, perhaps pilfered from some large estate nearby.
The outlines of a plan began to shape themselves more distinctly in Lina’s mind.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Vampire Wares pt 70
Tor huffed with frustration when Suma left. Then he saw Lina and felt suddenly thankful she was there, ordering her, “Go fetch Mir, little Lina.”
Lina's first impulse was to obey, but instead she simply shrugged her shoulders and said, “Who?”
This was more annoyance for a single day than Tor could take, and he huffed with frustration again, even louder this time. With a great display of effort, he dragged himself to his feet and lumbered ponderously across the room. “How can you not know Mir,” he said as he passed her. Then, as he stepped out the door, he reminded her, “Don’t touch anything while I’m gone.”
As soon as he was out the door, Lina saw the opportunity she'd been waiting for. She ran over to the separate pot that Suma had used to fill the single final bowl, reasoning that the single final bowl must be going to Asha and that this separate pot contained the remains of the deceased vampire.
She leapt up onto the counter and knelt before the great black pot of warm red liquid. She scooped several large ladle-fulls of the thick substance into her mouth and quickly gulped them down, one after another. She tried to cram as much of it into her stomach as she could as quickly as possible, not knowing how effective it was or how much her body could take.
When she thought she heard the sound of footsteps in the hall, she dropped the ladle, jumped down to the ground and quickly picked up the broom to commence her cleaning. Sure enough, Tor entered, waddling through the entrance with loud and heavy breaths and with Mir behind him.
“Mir,” Tor said as an introduction, pointing at Mir, still clearly annoyed, as they walked by. Lina nodded at him and got out of the way of Mir’s imposing bulk. Mir went to the door that led into the pen and opened it with a thick, black key that he carried with him. The heavy door swung open and he disappeared into the pen. Tor stood guard at the door, to make sure that no humans attempted to escape while the door was open.
Finally, Mir emerged from the pen with a grey-haired woman wrapped in his arms. The woman flailed about, trying to hit Mir, trying to knock herself free, and just trying to do whatever she could to get away. Tor locked the door behind Mir with his own key, as Mir dumped the woman onto the table and then in one swift motion twisted her head on her neck, with such force and abruptness that immediately her whole body instantly went limp.
Lina immediately felt she’d stayed too long and seen more than she'd wanted to. She hastily moved out of the room, as the two vampires started to cut away the woman’s clothes and shave her.
Lina’s departure was apt for another reason, as well: she was also feeling the effects of the mixture that she’d drunk and needed to get away. She put down her broom and went directly to her room. The first sensation she felt was of wanting to vomit up the entire contents of her stomach. Her stomach was so filled with food, as if she’d stuffed herself with a giant feast until she was about to overflow. She arduously resisted the urge to throw up, not enthusiastic about the possibility of having to try to steal some of the food again. She had to lie down on the bed, and almost felt light-headed, her head spinning and her body reeling. Wave upon wave of energy seemed to be flowing outward from her body's center to her extremities. Sweat glistened on her skin, as her heart rate accelerated and her body grew incredibly warm.
“When will this be over?” she agonizingly asked herself. Her stomach felt awful; her head felt awful, and, as the moments passed, it only seemed to get worse.
Lina's first impulse was to obey, but instead she simply shrugged her shoulders and said, “Who?”
This was more annoyance for a single day than Tor could take, and he huffed with frustration again, even louder this time. With a great display of effort, he dragged himself to his feet and lumbered ponderously across the room. “How can you not know Mir,” he said as he passed her. Then, as he stepped out the door, he reminded her, “Don’t touch anything while I’m gone.”
As soon as he was out the door, Lina saw the opportunity she'd been waiting for. She ran over to the separate pot that Suma had used to fill the single final bowl, reasoning that the single final bowl must be going to Asha and that this separate pot contained the remains of the deceased vampire.
She leapt up onto the counter and knelt before the great black pot of warm red liquid. She scooped several large ladle-fulls of the thick substance into her mouth and quickly gulped them down, one after another. She tried to cram as much of it into her stomach as she could as quickly as possible, not knowing how effective it was or how much her body could take.
When she thought she heard the sound of footsteps in the hall, she dropped the ladle, jumped down to the ground and quickly picked up the broom to commence her cleaning. Sure enough, Tor entered, waddling through the entrance with loud and heavy breaths and with Mir behind him.
“Mir,” Tor said as an introduction, pointing at Mir, still clearly annoyed, as they walked by. Lina nodded at him and got out of the way of Mir’s imposing bulk. Mir went to the door that led into the pen and opened it with a thick, black key that he carried with him. The heavy door swung open and he disappeared into the pen. Tor stood guard at the door, to make sure that no humans attempted to escape while the door was open.
Finally, Mir emerged from the pen with a grey-haired woman wrapped in his arms. The woman flailed about, trying to hit Mir, trying to knock herself free, and just trying to do whatever she could to get away. Tor locked the door behind Mir with his own key, as Mir dumped the woman onto the table and then in one swift motion twisted her head on her neck, with such force and abruptness that immediately her whole body instantly went limp.
Lina immediately felt she’d stayed too long and seen more than she'd wanted to. She hastily moved out of the room, as the two vampires started to cut away the woman’s clothes and shave her.
Lina’s departure was apt for another reason, as well: she was also feeling the effects of the mixture that she’d drunk and needed to get away. She put down her broom and went directly to her room. The first sensation she felt was of wanting to vomit up the entire contents of her stomach. Her stomach was so filled with food, as if she’d stuffed herself with a giant feast until she was about to overflow. She arduously resisted the urge to throw up, not enthusiastic about the possibility of having to try to steal some of the food again. She had to lie down on the bed, and almost felt light-headed, her head spinning and her body reeling. Wave upon wave of energy seemed to be flowing outward from her body's center to her extremities. Sweat glistened on her skin, as her heart rate accelerated and her body grew incredibly warm.
“When will this be over?” she agonizingly asked herself. Her stomach felt awful; her head felt awful, and, as the moments passed, it only seemed to get worse.
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