“What is it, Kell?” I asked in a lower tone of voice, trying to paint my annoyance and discomfort as clearly as possibly. If it was anyone else, I would’ve never let such a thing show on purpose but Kell was different.

I knew that, somehow.

“Straight to the point, I like it.” He replied with a smile, bringing me down a little with him as he pointed towards the shifting Grisile looking for a partner. “See that prick there, he called Delph a mixed blood whore in the halls yesterday and I’m more than a little excited to beat him to a bloody pulp.”

A mixed blood whore, and on the first day too, that was distasteful. Then again, I didn’t know the small browned haired girl so the validity of such a statement in a literal context was questionable, though I doubted the blonde-haired Fangless was merely acknowledging her profession or lineage. No, Just from a glance it was plain to see the way he openly looked down upon everyone else. Well, everyone other than a girl barely a head shorter than Kell who must’ve been 6.2ft, with raven black hair and features that were refined. She was the type of girl I could see my sister Cera challenging to a fistfight out of envy.

“If that’s what you want, I’m not going to stop you.”

“Yeah, I get that shorty. It wasn’t my point. You see that ten out of ten and blonde for brains are a pair. If I ask him to be my partner and beat a lesson into him he’ll never forget, there’s no stopping that beauty from doing the same to my sister.”

“Sister?”

“Yeah, Delphine.”

“Oh… I still don’t exactly see why you need me for anything, it’s either do it and deal with that possibility or leave him be.”

His grin grew far wider at my resolution, causing me to question my previous conclusion on how harmless Kell might be.

“Or, option three, you take Delph out of the equation.”

So that was his angle. Clever, assuming Vale wouldn’t let us switch partners but also wouldn’t tolerate the disrespect of declining someone’s offer to exchange blows.

He looked at me expectantly while I took a moment to internally weigh my options. Compared to most people in the room, Delphine was both less intimidating and less likely to cause me pain. Then again I could feel myself flinch back from the idea everytime I envisioned her biting into my forearm like a rabid dog.

Frankly I doubt any of these people will be any safer than her. After all that incident was most likely quite tame for a Vampire.

“Alright, but don’t push your luck. Both of them are dangerous.”

“Ha, don’t worry shorty. Ya big bro’s got some experience ringing out with tougher folks then that walking pile of narcissism.” Kell replied with a chuckle, moving past me and towards the preoccupied Grisile with a stride like a predator stalking its prey.

He’s fucked.

Despite his confidence, something told me that whatever skill Kell proclaimed wouldn’t make up for a certain quality Grisile had over us. He knew what he was doing. There was something about the way he moved, acted and just generally conducted himself that told me he had prepared for the life of an undead, extensively. In other words, his narcissism as Kell put it had a level of foundation to it.

Whatever the case may have been, it wasn’t my problem anymore. In one fell swoop, Kell had solved my problem without asking anything in return so I wished him the best and moved on to approaching the lone Delphine.

She stood alone distant from the other vacantly inspecting the weapon rack. Or at least that’s what she wanted people to think. I could tell from the sound of her heart beating like a drum that she was scared shitless and most definitely trying to act normal.

It seemed I had stumbled across another normal person, thank Sol.

“Delphine?” I asked a little hesitantly, trying not to spook the girl.

She turned around in a panic, only to calm completely the minute she registered it was me. Me who was shorter and skinnier than her, completely lacking in that intimidation factor. I won’t lie, I felt a little insulted she had such a reaction but there was nothing to be done about it.

“Do you need something… ah, what was your-”

“Vannis and yes, your brother insisted we partner up in case his challenge endangers you.”

“Mm, that is probably for the best. Fi- I mean Kell can be a bit hot-headed at times. Sorry if he’s causing you trouble.”

Her shyness had all but vanished around me, which confused me a bit. Nonetheless, all I could do was scratch my head in embarrassment at those genuine brown eyes of hers. They still held the pity from earlier.

“It’s not a bother,” I replied, trying to sound as apathetic to it as possible without letting my voice crack. In truth, he had sort of done me a favour but it was best to let them form their misconceptions with this one.

Both Delphine and I made our way along the weapon rack doing our best to not trip or bump into anyone else. Unlike what I had expected Delphine paused for a moment when she came across a set of straight-edged daggers with curved edges. Like most of the weapons present, they had unique engravings carved onto their hilt’s which radiated a gentle deep red hue.

Looking at them, I felt a sense of calling and pride.

“What do you plan on trying out first Vannis?” Delphine queried, twisting the two small blades between her fingers like they were another limb.

“I… umm, maybe this.” I stammered trying not to look a fool, picking up the closest thing in sight.

It was a small standard sword with an asymmetrical cross guard made out of polished bronze, inlaid with similar runes to Delpine’s daggers. Its glint was so reflective I could clearly see my two striking yellow Iris staring down at it, a trademark inherited from my father. Too short to be a bastard sword, too long to be a dagger.

Should be a short sword, If I have my terminology right.

“I tried using one of those once, too big for my tastes. My hands just couldn’t move the thing swiftly enough.” Delphine commented, still twirling her blades with commendable dexterity, “Then again, these barely weigh more than paperweights now. Feels a bit overwhelming, don’t ya think? Such a sudden change.”

You have no idea.

My face might’ve betrayed the certain hopeless distraught such notions brought on, killing the conversation between us as Delphine realised she had hit a sore spot. We walked over to the nearest clear pentagon in dead silence, a background of clashing metals melodically playing in the background. I was surprised to see how quick everyone here had caught on and how skilful they seemed. Even the ones at risk of wetting themselves seemed to have found a proper groove between blade and bow. Maybe there was something simple about it that just spoke to them.

We arrived at the small hexagon and both took our sides as Vale had shown. Delphine took my lack of movement as a push of initiative, letting her daggers flow across her as she executed small and precise slices and cuts, tied in with the occasionally stabbing motion. Once done she had a look saying something had clicked within her, but I was still just as confused.

I attempted to do as she had done, only I knew nothing of how to use this damn thing. My motions and swings came from what I vaguely recalled my father and sister practising, except mine, which could barely be called a poor replication. All I ended up doing was performing a selection of crude, unoriginal swings like a brute.

“So… do you actually know how to use that?” Delphine asked me as politely as she could.

“Truthfully, not at all. I figured something might come to me.”

“Did it, or did my demonstration do nothing for you?”

“It looked impressive.”

Apparently, Delphine found my obliviousness hilarious and began giggling like a crazed hyena. Thank you, dearest Delphine, I hope my embarrassment amuses you. As luck would have it her laugh was overpowered by the background noises and a subtle commotion I could hear brewing up. I didn’t need to look to know who was responsible.

“You’re quite the little charmer aren’t you Vannis. Did no one ever teach you how to defend yourself?”

While she looked at me like I was a puppy I struggled to find a way to express how little there was to defend. Up until a day ago, I couldn’t use my legs without a crutch and I struggled to even lift that.

“No. Frankly, I’m surprised everyone here seems to know at least one or two relatively well. Is that one of the conditions for… turning?” I asked, digging for some information.

From the passing comments, I deduced that most Fangless had struck a bargain of some kind with another vampire. In exchange for their transformation, they would give something or be of use in some way. What exactly a vampire looked for in potential Fangless, however, still eluded me. Especially considering that one would willingly turn someone like me.

“Not at all. Kell said that most of what my sire asked had to do with either grunt work, or how compatible we were with the blood. I don’t know about the others, but most in Vorken pick up a trick or two, particularly when you’re more on the more kidnappable side.”

“Vorken? That’s the port city at the southern border of Pora’s eastern district right, how could it be so dangerous when it’s one of the main points of contact between continents? It should be heavily fortified with little crime.”

She just gave a sad smile, tossing the daggers in my direction. I responded in kind though I had learned nothing, gently throwing the short sword at her with as minimal force as possible. I felt a little bad knowing that I hadn’t shown her anything like the others had. Best to write that off as payback for the bite to my arm.

“That’s the upper docks. In the lower ones, the struggle to eat by day turns even the kindest of souls into monsters. Hunger does scary things to everyone, regardless of race.”

“Mmm.”

Her words were a bitter reminder of the brutalised corpse etched into my mind. Could humans stoop to things like that because of hunger? I honestly didn’t know.

“Hey Vannis, might be a bit unfair but do you mind making stakes on this little bout?”

I wondered what made her feel so familiar as to gamble with me, a stranger. For someone that seemed shy and frightened she acted rather calm and collected around me. Was it the coven thing?

“I’d prefer not to.”

“Oh come on little Vannis, scared your senior is gonna take you for all your worth?” She giggled again.

I’m older than you.

I thought in annoyance, though again I kept it to myself. No point in taking away the girl’s fun when she was definitely gonna need it. Something told me the days to come for both of us would not be joyful.

“Fine, as long as your request is nothing major.”

She readied herself at those words, twisting the short sword in a manner akin to her daggers that while rough, was still much better than what I’d pulled off.

“I want to know why you look so afraid when you sleep.”

…

I too drew my two twin daggers ready to hopefully fend off my partner when a horrible feeling of pressure assaulted me. In a moment it felt like my body had gone into fight or flight unprovoked as a question etched itself across my thought space, echoed from the thing beneath.

Alive or Dead.

Alive.

I answered the same as before, recalling the horrible feeling from when Sven was almost attacked by Delphine.

Why I answered alive? Maybe because of my morals or maybe because a part of me desperately wanted to undo what I had done earlier, seeing good as a means to right the wrong. It could’ve also been my own selfish desire to be seen as good as a hero or because I lacked validation in my current existence.

Whatever the case may have been, I didn't attack or defend myself against Delphine like expected. Instead, my body acting by itself tensed both calves till they were bursting with blood then shot off the ground heading back towards where the chatter had been.

I could see the bodies of other Fangless done with their exercise surrounding something but I didn’t care. There was something wrong in the world, something I needed to fix before it spiralled. Before it was too late.

Small as I was I bulldozed through the crowd, slipping or pushing them out of my way like the filthy weaklings they were. Something was going to break what was mine.

They needed to be stopped, they needed to be PUT DOWN.

Air whiplashed against my face as I finally came upon the scene I had dreaded. Kell, lying down in a pool of rot stained blood, starring up with a single shaking cutlass in hand at the pompous and incensed Grisile, holding onto a now doubled edge variant of his bo staff.

I had to stop him, had to break him, had to…

A grip strong as iron like it was forged, cooled and moulded onto my very shoulder stopped me from going forward. Thick strong undertones of undeath radiating from the one behind me. What little sense I had told me to give then and there but my body was in control, manic and crazed.

It swayed and slashed against the restraint, refusing to buckle and using pitiful swipes of black sharp claws to try and escape. My captor, probably Vale, didn’t take kindly to his clothes suddenly finding claw marks in them.

What happened next, I couldn’t be sure.

All I felt was a burning pain in my lower abdomen and a strong thrust of motion that sent me tumbling across the black tile ground. Pain, bleeding. Everywhere hurts. My head was banging so loudly it sounded like an orchestra for one, a headache overtaking me while agony rocked my body. I felt mangled and broken in too many places to count.

It was like a sea of molten rock slowly flowing over my body causing me to cry out in torment.

My lower abdomen in particular though was beginning to numb, something that scared me more than the pain. I wanted to do something but the pain became a cage that restrained all action. Anything I did would bring an excess amount. Every single inch of me screaming in protest but also hoping for salvation.

Too scared to act but still internally pleading for someone to save me. Such a disgusting parasite on this world.

My last thoughts were of the echoing loud male voice, swearing like a sailor as if he’d messed up a captain's order big time.

Then, like the day before, darkness took hold.