Chapter 116: Vampiric checkup and chocolate delights

I am the first to get up from my comfortable sofa. I can hear the noisy drone of snoring beside me. The exact thing that woke me up. Sighing at my misfortune, I get up and stretch. Feeling my muscles loosen; filled me with a sense of relief and peace.

I slip into my vampiric skin. Night has long since fallen, may as well dress for the occasion. I write a small note for Cassie. A simple, where I went?

It’s more polite than disappearing. Which would likely get me a punch. And let me tell you, she packs a punch.

Feeling the nick of thirst on the throat, the thought of drinking from Cassie briefly passes. I shake the thought away; it would be disrespectful to do so without asking.

Heading to my hunting ground, I begin my prowl. With my powerful vision, I spot a few shadows lurking. “Seems a few vampires are out for an evening meal,” I say to myself.

To satiate my idle curiosity, I follow one agile little shadow. An unfamiliar face flashes into clarity occasionally. Seems some new vampires have been turned – interesting.

With scary precision, she finds a single guard. Grappling his waist with her legs, she drinks from him. Quickly meeting his eye to erase the moment from his mind before slinking away. Efficient, if a little terrifying.

I leave the little one to prowl, looking for my own prey. Either I am very good at my stealth, or these vampires have become confident, complacent perhaps. Not anticipating a shadow of their own.

I quickly find my own prey, a lone man walking the streets. Making sure to check my own shadow not to become a hypocrite. I move past him like a shadow, mesmerizing him as our eyes meet. His limbs go limp, and his face droops at the compulsion. Guiding him to a secluded spot, I drink a small amount from him. Enough to satiate my thirst; while not making him ill.

Slipping a silver into his breast pocket in thanks; before disappearing. Opting to walk towards the secret room rather than teleporting. Enjoying the scenery in the process.

1 day ago:

Helt brings the room to attention. He lightly coughs until the vampires are looking upon him.

“Hello, not to keep you from your meals, but it’s tradition to welcome new blood’s.” Nodding towards the new faces among the crowd.

“Hello, welcome to the family. Good hearts trapped behind damaged bodies or weak fists; I hope you are all settling in well. Becoming one of us has brought upon you a massive change. Any questions? Please seek your senior brothers and sisters. Today marks the first day you shall hunt for yourselves; good luck.”

Light applause follows the speech.

Helt felt he did well with his speech. It’s hard speaking in front of other people, but he must learn quickly. Aeternum having placed his trust in him, as annoying as it is. “That mysterious fellow really knows how to dump his jobs.” he muttered scrunching his fists in slight annoyance.

A young man approaches Helt. From his face, a new member.

“Hello, Roberto.”

“Sir Helt.” He responds in politeness.

“What can I do for you, young one?”

“I… had a few questions.” He says with his head down

“Of course, spit it out,” Helt says, deflating the dark atmosphere.

Visibly eased by Helt’s lax tone, he speaks. “First, any advice for my first hunt?”

“Go for someone asleep. Many times easier than one awake. Personally, my first hunt was some slumbering.”

“I see, thank you.” He says in a slight bow. “I also wished to ask of our origins.”

“You have been a part of a sermon; we are all children of Lilith.”

“More specifically.”

Helt sighs, “I should stop turning intelligent people.” He says in exhaustion. “That damn vixon won’t stop digging info out of me as well.” He says in a barely audible whisper than the first.

Roberto interjects, “the seniors speak of an elder above you.”

“Yeah, he turned me. Imparted what little wisdom I gift you all.” Helt says off-handedly.

“Who is he?” Curiosity in his eyes.

“I don’t think he would want me to say anything. He is powerful, though. He visits sometimes; speak with him if you wish. He doesn’t bite.” Helt says with a chuckle.

“Very well, thank you, Senior.”

“Helt is fine.”

Robert just nods lightly; before disappearing.

Smiling, “now it’s my turn to pawn off work towards my youngers.”

Aeternum enters the secret room. Signs of foot traffic mar the floor. Displaced dirt leaving tread marks; “I wonder how many new vampires have been turned?” Said out loud, lightly stroking my chin in curiosity.

Placing my hand on the teleporter, I disappear. Enjoying the weaker nausea, thanks to the vampiric biology.

Mentally wondering how different our biologies actually are. It is a difficult question to answer; without vampiric dissection. Which is most definitely outside of what I am willing to do.

Walking through the short hallway, I come into the main room. Finding it abuzz with activity. I see at least 3 new faces among the crowd. And I would imagine, several are out and bout.

It doesn’t take long for a room full of hunters to spot me. They whisper among themselves at my entrance. Slightly silly given are enhanced hearing.

I put the thought out of my mind. Spotting a familiar face among the crowd, Helt.

“Hey, Helt.”

“Hello, Aeternum.”

“I see we have some new members.”

“Great observation.” He says with slight sarcasm. “You would be surprised how much faster it is to find candidates when you have a lot more people. More people, more connections, more people to search; it’s incredible, really.”

“Impressive.”

“Thank you.”

“Honestly, if we worked hard. We could have an army with great haste. We haven’t done so; it’s not the goal. How fast vampirism can spread is terrifying. I now see why we stop people from maturing. Great wisdom on your part.”

“It is terrifying, truly. I suppose you have no plans to spread further at this point.”

“No, no plans. But if we find a perfect candidate or a family member who meets the requirement. We may turn them.”

“A good choice. I noticed you are far more confident.”

“I had to be. You dumped this role on my shoulders. It was shape-up or fail. Should I thank you or hit you?”

“I doubt you could hurt me, perhaps the former?”

“Actually, I have a way to hurt you. Roberto! Get over here and meet the Elder, Aeternum.”

A young man with black hair walks over. He nods towards Helt before Helt runs away.

I shout towards Helt, “What have you done!?”

“Turned another smart one.”

“Curses.” Turning to the bright eyes young man, my anger crumbles. “Fine, fine, fire away.”

The man almost jumps for joy. Stemming the motion with the force of will alone.

“So… So… Aeternum, right?” He says in haste.

“Slow down; I am not going anywhere. Yes, my name is Aeternum.”

He visibly relaxes slightly. “Is that your real name?”

“The one my mother gave me. I care not for fictitious names.”

“Okay, Sir Aeternum.”

“Cut the sir, I am no noble.”

“You look like a noble Sir… Aeternum.”

I just sigh, shaking my head. “What are your questions?”

“Have you met Lilith?”

“Yes.”

“What is she like?”

“Beautiful but dangerous.”

“How beautiful?”

“I am not describing that monster in human skin.”

“Is that not rude to her?”

“She knows her nature; it would be silly of her to get offended over truth.”

He was brimming with questions varying from vampiric origins. Which I delightfully informed him of our extermination. Chilling his excitable mood to the bone. A callous lesson on not getting complacent. And more mundane questions such as my origin and goals. Which I skillfully dodged with clever words. Only having to say “No comment.” Once, a new record.

After an exhaustingly long time, he finally loses steam. His mind mostly satiated. I also think he is building a terrible thirst. With thoughts of my escape finally coming closer, my hopes are dashed.

A silver-haired older woman approaches me. Approaching me politely, she speaks. “Hello, I wished to thank you for the gift you have given us all.”

“Think nothing of it; Helt turned you all.”

“And you turned him. You rightfully deserve some thanks. You unintentionally saved my life. And gave me one far better, so thank you.” She says in a solemn tone, bowing her head in the process.

I quickly lift her head, “please don’t. I don’t need thanks; it makes me uncomfortable. Just use your power wisely. It is all I ask.” Not meeting her eyes in embarrassment.

“Okay.” She says in reply. Sitting to my side, “you know, you have saved a lot of lives.” Looking over the small crowd. “That woman there.” Pointing towards a young woman in the corner. “She was forced into prostitution to pay off debt. You saved her before her heart was corrupted. Gave her the power to leave and tell them to get stuffed.” She says, like a foul taste in her mouth. Spitting to the side, “scum.” Looking behind, she looks at the young man I spoke with earlier. “The man you spoke with, he was from an abusive family. Giving what little food he had to homeless children. Great heart, bad situation. This is why I wanted to thank you.”

I nod thoughtfully. “As long as the curse does good, I am happy.”

She nods, leaving happily.

“Well, I didn’t come here today expecting that emotional bomb,” I say jokingly.

I sit for a time, just thinking. Letting the noise wash over me like the ebb and flow of waves. Before I know it, a lot of time has passed. I’ve shared small amounts of conversation with the odd person. I head off, disappearing home after saying farewell.

Admittedly, when I made a cult, I didn’t expect it to become a refuge for the suffering. The best outcome, I would say.

Finding myself in the living room. Cassie had already left, leaving a note of her own.

Got hungry, went home. Have a good evening. Sealed with a kiss. How cute.

Heading to my kitchen, I take out something special. Cocoa-pods. I have always wanted to try and make homemade chocolate, now is a great time.

Cracking the large shells of the cocoa-pods, I reveal the white flesh and seeds. Placing them inside a straw basket, I speed them up massively with my time in a bottle. They ferment almost instantly. The 8-day process was reduced to mere minutes.

I then allow the beans to dry under a heat lamp. Speeding it up again, watching as the damp beans become hard.

The chocolate beans smell rich. The whole room smells of it.

Taking the beans, I roast them in the oven until cooked. Hearing a hollow sound as I hit one.

Placing a fan down, I begin to slowly crack the beans. Breaking away the paper-like shell, revealing the cocoa-nibs. The airflow blows the papery material away, leaving only the nibs behind.

Crafting a mixer, I upgrade it into a grinder. Placing the cocoa-nibs inside, I start the machine. Watching as the nib becomes a paste – chocolate liquor. I speed the process up immensely again.

Taking that liquid, I press it. Turning it into a cocoa press cake and cocoa butter. I only pressed half of it. Grinding the press cake into cocoa powder, I add the cocoa powder back to the rest of the chocolate liquor. Adding oil, sugar, and vanilla before mixing thoroughly.

I then craft a chocolate concher. It’s pretty much an oddly shaped rolling pin that rubs the chocolate. Mixing it evenly and adding flavor through frictional heat. Speeding up the automatic concher, I now have chocolate.

Tempering it using the seeding method before turning it into bars. Resulting in a beautiful bar of chocolate. A little dark, but it’s my first attempt.

Trying the chocolate, I immediately spit it out. “Oops, I am still a vampire.”