Early the next day, on an internal porch looking over the slave population in chains, cages and other forms of imprisonment.
 Last night I had spent most of my time with Zephon, talking to others, Zephon was highly respected by everyone he came up to. I had learned much last night about the slaves and why I would need some. Zephon said it would be easier in the long run if I hand picked slaves, because you will need them to work well with you in the future. 
 I looked over the huge mass of slaves. I looked over them for a long time. What I was looking for. I wasn’t quite sure. Loyalty perhaps, not some thing you get in slaves. I had to pick twenty slaves in order to run the “cave” as I referred to it. Finally I went down, you have no idea how hard it is to turn someone that you would once respect as your own in to someone you will always view lower then you.
 The slave pits stunk of that of dead, indeed in the far corner of the room laid a pile of dead corpses, most of them died of starvation. But what was worse was that the slaves were not bathed, which even added more to the stench.
 I took my time on picking the males that I would have tented to my horses and cut and clean the blood. I put them through a series of mental test that I once used to test my men’s loyalties. I did not want to make a mistake of under estimating them, for fear they would rise up and murder me.
 As for the females I did not go through the test I just asked them a simple question that would tell me their motive. Most said “to go home” was there motive.
 By the time I was finished I had picked seven men and thirteen women. But as I walked out I heard a scream, I turned and saw a young slave girl, no more then fifteen, rush out, her chains cut free. She ran passed me and then stopped and turned around as guards came out of her supposed exit, she ran passed me again to the place she had come but found guards running to cut off her other exit. She was trapped with me in the middle. She ran passed me again, perhaps a last attempt to escape through the guards, but this time I grabbed her. She let out a little wail of fright, and tried to shake free of my grip. But I jerked her back and found her looking me right in the eyes. It’s funny you know, how you can tell so much about people by just looking in to their eyes. What I saw was a scared little girl that looked like she had seen more horrors then I could possibly imagine. I felt so sorry for her, and I guess she could see that because just then the guards surrounded her and she ran behind me holed me toward them for protection.
 The jail keeper came forward.
  “Who are you”?
 “I am lord zephons newly acquired fourth lieutenant,” I said boldly
  “Well, lieutenant or not you will have to give up that slave. Unless you are going to pay extra?”
I grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her from behind me. She looked again in to my eyes. She wanted out so bad, some how I new that if she did not get out this time she was going to get out a much more desperate way.
 “Yes” I said turning to him “I will pay extra”
All the guards looked at the jailer then with an angry grunt he left.
 After all the guards had left. The slave girl turned and hugged me, for a long time she didn’t let go, like she could not say thank you enough.
 After that she followed me wherever I went. The other slaves went down to holding cages, but when she was forced to go she began to cry. So I let her come with me. When I asked her what her name was she said “seer hah” and nothing else so I referred to her as Sara.
 That after getting her some decent human food, crackers and milk was all they had besides that slop they feed them in the slaves pits, and me drinking my fill at the blood fountain. We went to the training camp.
 Zephon said that most often they let the fledglings, or younger vampires like me, just live their life but for those who wished to become skilled fighters, they came to the training camp.
 When I got there, I was met by zephon and his lieutenant, Khalil. Who happened to be or was Malek’s great, great, great, nephew.
 “Who’s the girl?” asked zephon as I walked up to him.
“She’s my…uh personal slave I believe you said it was”
  “Humm. Niccolie this is Khalil, your fellow clan member”
“Hello” he said in sly voice
 “Nice to meet you”
“Today you will get a one day training test. It will last from now, midmorning, to tonight”
 “Well lets get started”
I would eventually regret through words, the training was demanding and I spent most of my time jumping from poll to poll the went higher and higher to beat my last best time the worst part is that if you fell you did not die, you just entered a whole new world of pain. But the worst part was the lectures that went on about vampire this and vampire that.
“…You don’t know what you can do until you try it.” I remember one saying. After swinging from rope to rope the was running miles, then climbing ropes, then fighting wooden dummies, then jumping flips and gymnastics, then endurance tests, then fist fighting skills, then bow and arrow accuracy.
I did find that my ever-physical element had been improved, but I had not had a work out like this in long time, which had drained my blood down low. Thankfully Sara would get me blood, but she had to be escorted by a guard so that she would not try to escape.
At the end of the day, I had been thought 120 courses (including lectures) non-stop with no brakes. There were about 200 more they had waiting for me if I was going to stay another day. But these were just tests and Zephon said real training would make you spend hours on each subject.
But I had but one more to finish, a wooden sword fight with Khalil.
“Your last test, unfortunately there is no chance of passing this one.” He said and passed me a wooded sword.
 “We well see,” I said.
He lashed at me with the sword I had gotten a firm grip. I jumped back and then began fighting.
 He was fast and skilled, but very careless. He lashed out without cautions was easy to play around.
 The thrust his sword at me. I dodged and grabbed his sword hand and elbowed him with my free hand he fell back, shocked.
 “I guess you haves some moves.” he said in his wicked milkiea voice.
I faked a thrust and he made guard and I sweep kicked him. He and I spent a couple minutes going back and fourth, I used more fist and body moves to tale him then actually hitting him with the sword.
 I round housed him and he scuttled back then he charged me, carelessly, I kicked him and then kicked the sword out of his hand and caught it.
 “Looks like I won” I said with a smile
Fwip!!
 He did a back flip in such a form that his legs knocked both my swords out of my hands. Then he kicked me to the ground before catching both my swords.
 He pointed the swords at me as I lay at the ground.
 “I guess you were wrong” he said.
That fight was a humiliation. But I found it was more necessary to forget about it then to ponder on it till we fought again.
  “Good fight, I thought I had you.” I said in a good tone
 “I guess you were very mistaken.” He said in a cocky tone.
We left the training grounds and went in to the blood fountain room before our departure.
  “Sara,” I said as I noticed her slowly wander away “get back here” she did just that.
 I walked up to the fountain and grabbed a cup. Dipped it in and drank.
“Zephon I….”

Splash!!

A female vampire caring a tray with wine glasses filled with blood hit him.

“Oh, I am so sorry” she said bending down to pickup the glasses, I picked up two and handed it to her.
 “What a waste” I said, looking at the blood covering my thick leather armor.
 “But not to me,” said zephon as he lifted his hand and all the blood rose from my armor and then went in to his mouth.
 “How did you…?”
 “Its and old vampire trick, you will learn it in time” he said walking out.
 
 

I was out side putting the harness on the black stallion, or black fire as I have named her. Sara was with me and since she had no shoes to walk with, I let her ride with me.
 Zephon was gathering the slaves into the moving carriage. We met up at the horse and black smith market to get my sword. When I got it was beautiful and was exactly how I wanted it. I paid Killian extra for the beautiful design he had put on it to fit my nature.
 That night we road back to the cave. Sara had fallen asleep and I moved her in to the carriage with Zephon who I rode beside with black fire.
 “The poor thing must have had a rough day” Zephon said, looking toward Sara.
 “Yes, I saved her from a swarm of soldiers bent on killing her or so it seemed.”
  “Probably, the slaves get four forgive lives, for each time they try to escape they take away one, on your forth they kill you.”
 “No wonder. And she also doesn’t speak.”
“ Most who are born in captivity don’t know how to speak.”
 “I guess I have to teach her then.”
  “I guess” 
The next few days blurred in to nothingness, days don’t exist, you are up twenty-four-seven, never have a thought of sleep, and you don’t know what time it is. Just what you have to get done. And eventually that blurred into weeks. Next thing I knew I was running the cave, giving orders on my men to watch the slayer trails, and to the slaves on what had to be done in the cave. But for three days each week, for five hours I would watch my past. I found that sitting at the forest edge that was across the wheat fields from my house. But soon weeks turned in to months I found that every month I would have to ride to the city for a meeting with the lieutenants. Sara accompanied everywhere on business trips, But not when I was watching my wife and Karie.  I taught her to speak most words and to ride horses, I gave her a room of her own and she kept it nice and neat. She was a good helper and friend.  Eventually months blurred into years.
 Now for three months of a year I go for training at the city leaving the cave under my first lieutenant. I need this for I had not have seen action in some time, while there I made another sword, this one longer for horse riding and weapons I could use.
 Then for the rest of the year I just watched my family and spied on the slayers.
 Then one day I was out there, I can't remember how many years went by I saw Karie, a lady of fifteen, run out in to the wheat fields with another boy. As her father I felt tempted to intervene but I knew I shouldn’t so after watching them run around and then beginning to get close I left leaving them with their privacy.
 Karie grew up fast in my eyes, I had lost track of years.
But all this time I managed to live without having to “take” blood, I had never really felt I should kill someone for blood until that fateful day I lost all my respect for humans blood.
 I was out in the field were I watched Karie. I was out there this particular day because I could not see a sight of her.
 I was on a small hill and black fire sat beside me. I wore my hood as I all ways did.
  “Here horsy, horsy, horsy” came a sweet voice that startled me.
I turned and saw Karie, kneeling next to black fire. At first I panicked and didn’t know what to do.
 Then I told myself to say clam. And try not to let her see you.
  “Her name is black fire.” I said in my best fake accent.
 “Oh my,” she said getting up all of a sudden “I didn’t see you there”
  “It’s ok”
 “Who are you?”
  “I am Marcus Hicker,” I said off the top of my mind
 “What are you doing out here.”
  “I am a poet, I was thinking of a poem about this beautiful field”
 “Poet huh? Well nice swords, and armor.”
I quickly felt my hood so that it was in place. I didn’t want her to see me for fear she my recognize me.
 “I come from the northern high lands there are Many vampires there we must be prepared whereever we go. But of course there is not vampires here.”
  “That is not true”
 “Says who??”
  “My father”
 Father? At first I thought my wife remarried. I stuttered then tried to play along
 “And who is you father?”
  “Niccolie Lehethess II”
 I was shocked and very confused but continued to play along.
  “Niccolie the great?? I heard he was murdered by murderous thieves”
“NO, he was killed by vampires, I was there I saw it all.”
I understood now. But I had to deny her, from the truth.
  “Nonsense” I said in a humorous tone “ we all know there aren't vampires out here” I lied.
 “THERE ARE VAMPIRES HERE!!! I SAW THEM THEY TOOK MY FATHER!! WHY WON’T ANY ONE BELIEVE ME!!!”” she screamed at me and ran off back to the house.
 “I’m sorry. Karie” I whispered to myself.
Then some thing unexpected happened. As I slowly walked back I suddenly had a hot sting hit my face.
 “Ahhh!!” I said putting my hand over it.
I felt it, it was wet and burned.
 “Water!!” I screamed in my mind, “rain!!!” suddenly a cold fear gripped me.
  “HA!!” I yelled as I stabbed my spurs in to black fire. 
Srooommm!! We speed out in to the woods, I herd a crackle of thunder, and I dug my spurs deeper.
 But we were to far way from home. As I ran through the forest I saw a small carved out cave in the side of a wall of rock. I made a quick decision to stay there, then risk running back home, which was three hours of hard riding.
 I quickly tied black fire up and took all the supplies I had with me. And ran in to the small but sheltering cave.
 I quickly got set up, and waited for the down poor of pain. I waited one… two… three… four minutes It didn’t come. I walked out of cave and looked up at the sky.
 SHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Came the rain poring down. I shot into the cave.
  It was pouring. I figured I would all be over in a few hours. But as time dragged on the endless hunger of the vampire came to me.  So I drank whatever blood was in my Blood Vial, but the rain dragged on in to the night. And slowly I began to starve, but it rained and rained. At first I thought I would starve to death, but then I thought of my crossing of Karie. I thought how she ran off crying because she thought everyone thought she was crazy. I didn’t want to die with out letting her know of his true fate, a least I wanted her to have the decency to know I was killed by vampires.
 I so I lasted through the night in a crouched position holding my arms to my stomach, trying to ignore the throbbing pain. But as each hour passed until morning it become more then just a pain. I began to feel something take over, an urge to feed, to kill and take the watery life of the living. I started thinking of blood, fresh just opened from the wound blood. Blood that was still blue. Just blood. My mind, soul, and body demanded blood.  A sense of predatorness, of animal like behavior deep inside of me told me to go out there and kill something.
 I grew anxious and eager to go out but the bars of rain held me back. At least I still had my self-preservation.
 It continued raining all the next day until finally a little after midday.
I rushed out and whipped the saddle on to black fire. The hunger was strong almost overwhelming. Every movement I made seemed to be just too slow; I just couldn’t go fast enough. It was like I was at the bottom of a pool with barely enough air trying to swim to the top.  I rode hard to one of the three villages on the way to the cave. There I saw a young woman going to the creek, which was a good distance from the village, and she was alone.
 My urges wanted me to jump off my horse and tear her to pieces. But I held them down as I remembered Zephons warnings. So I followed her until we were out of sight from the village. Then I looked left and then right. No one in sight. Then I reared black fire up and charged down oh her. She saw me and let out a scream, but we were too far from the village to heard. She dropped her bucket and began to run but she was too slow, I swooped down with black fire and picked her up. My heart was pounding, my mind screamed “eat, must eat, kill, the blood take the blood!!!” I closed my eyes to hold down the thoughts. She kicked and screamed. So I muzzled her with my hand. And I road deeper in to the forest. Then, when the village was about a mile way, I threw her to the ground and jumped off black fire. She screamed and I came after her. She was to slow everything in my body seemed to have exploded to extreme speeds. I had her in my grasp and she began to beg for her life. But I did not hear her. I held her from behind and pulled her head to the side. There it was a smooth, warm stretch of neck. Then all by instinctively I stabbed my fangs into it making two holes perfectly on the main vain. Then I sucked the warm, delicious liquid out of it. I was incredible my body wanted it all, I wanted it faster then I could suck it out. My body went calm and we stood there. Like we were joined. Her blood was hot and bubbly. All her screaming had warmed her blood to the peak of taste, and the adrenalin in her blood stream made it even better. She and I stood there for I don’t know how long. I sucked and sucked, until the blood grew cold and ran dry.
 I stopped and let go of her; by this time she had been dead for a while and flopped down on to the ground. But I had lost some thing, like those days you just wake up and you have lost your sorrow of a loved one that die. Then I realized I lost my humanity. I didn’t care for her, she was just meat. I took her body by the leg and dragged it to my horse. I flopped her on top and road to the lake that the river emptied in to. I knew it was deep, to deep to explore. I poked a bunch of holes in the body, so that it would sink and not float on the surface. Then I took a boat and poked some holes in it too. And I put the body in the boat and let it set sail. It went about a good two hundred feet out and sank, the body drifted for a little bit but then sank down in the dark unknown depths of the lake.
 Then I got on black fire and road, back to the cave.