The Vampire Sword

by T. L. Cerepaka

  “Just touch the handle,” said Dad. “If it hurts—even just a little—I will put it back in the Treasure Chest and teach you other ways to defend yourself.”

  Finally, I nodded and said, “Okay. But if it feels like touching a stove top, then I’m out.”

  Focusing all my willpower on moving forward, I walked toward Dad and stopped in front of him. Domination lay silently in his hands, but again, I felt like I was about to pet a very angry rattlesnake. I almost turned and ran away, but caught myself at the last second and looked down at the holy weapon, which seemed scarier and scarier the longer I looked at it.

  I didn’t want to touch it. I didn’t want to be anywhere near it. But I had no choice, because I’d already agreed to touch it and I was practically obsessed with the idea of having such a powerful weapon in my hands.

  So I raised my hand and reached out, with one finger, toward Domination’s handle. It seemed to take ages for my finger to touch it.

  Then my fingertip brushed against the solid surface of Domination’s handle … and nothing happened.

  I looked up at Dad, a smile on my face. “It doesn’t hurt. At all.”

  Dad’s face broke into a surprisingly wide smile, as if he had been waiting for me to say that all along. “Just like I thought. Your human half must be protecting you from Domination’s negative effects. That means you can wield it like a normal human, which means we need to get you trained right away.”

  Dad lowered Domination and said, “Come with me. The attic is a bad place to train. We’ll train in the basement instead.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Domination hung by the waist of my jeans in its leather sheath, as secure and snug as my pants. Dad had showed me how to attach it securely to my belt, but it was still awkward the way it hung at my side. Although Domination wasn’t a very heavy sword, it still added extra weight to the left side of my body, forcing me to stand very stiffly in order to avoid falling over. It helped that my vampire side made me stronger, but even then, I knew it would be a while before I became fully comfortable with Domination.

  “How does it feel?” said Dad, standing across from me in the space we cleared in the basement for this purpose. “It’s not to heavy, is it?”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. I adjusted my belt. “It’s just a little different from what I’m used to, that’s all.”

  “Understandable,” said Dad. “You’ve never used a sword in your life, but by the time we’re done with our training, you will be a pro. After all, you’ve got the best sword teacher in the world right here.”

  I could not help but smile when Dad said that. “Dad, isn’t humility supposed to be a Christian virtue?”

  “True, but there’s nothing wrong with being honest about your abilities,” said Dad. “Before we begin, however, I want to teach you about magic.”

  I frowned. “Aren’t we supposed to learn about sword dueling? I thought that’s what you were going to teach me.”

  “I am, but it just occurred to me that you don’t know anything about magic,” said Dad. “Lucius has already taught you a thing or two about your vampire abilities, but no one has taught you anything about magic. So we’ll start with that and move on from there. Plus, my fighting style incorporated sword-fighting and spell casting, so you need to learn both.”

  “Well, I’d rather learn about magic than how to stab someone anyway,” I said. “It sounds less violent.”

  Dad smiled in a way I didn’t like. “Yeah, blowing up someone’s head with a flick of your finger is definitely a lot less violent than stabbing or slashing them. Glad you’re ready to learn.”

  I probably should have seen that coming, but now I couldn’t get the mental image of someone’s head blowing up out of my head. It made me think that maybe swords weren’t as violent as I thought.

  “All right,” said Dad. He held up a hand and a small fireball suddenly appeared in the palm of his hand. “This is a basic demonstration of my magical power. A simple fireball, which is one of the easier spells to do and one of the first I’ll be teaching you.”

  I looked down at my own hands, which were cold and pale. “How am I supposed to conjure a fireball in my hands? Do I need a wand or something?”

  Dad shook his head. He started tossing the fireball from hand to hand like a tennis ball, which I thought was rather dangerous because of the possibility of him dropping it and setting the basement on fire. “Nope. While some sorcerers do use wands to channel their magic, it’s not necessary, and wands really aren’t the best way to channel magic anyway. Anything can be used as an object through which to channel magic, even Domination. But some objects are better for the job than others, so a wand specially designed to withstand the stress of magic would be a better tool than a stick you picked up off the ground.”

  I rested my hand on the hilt of Domination. “So what is magic, anyway? I still don’t really understand it. I know you said it was passed down by blood, but I still don’t get it.”

  Dad stroked his chin, apparently lost in thought. “Magic, broken down to its most basic nature, is the ability to alter the laws of physics in order to affect change on the universe through sheer force of will. The light of the Origin is what enables us to do this, though we still need proper training in order to utilize that light effectively.”

  “But isn’t magic, well, sinful?” I said. “The Bible speaks against witchcraft, doesn’t it?”

  “There’s a difference between magic and witchcraft,” Dad said. “Magic is a tool, one that can be used for good or evil, and it is nothing at all like the magic described in the Bible, despite the similarities. Witchcraft, however, is always evil and should never be practiced by any true Christian.”

  “Witchcraft exists?” I said. “Does that mean witches exist, too?”

  Dad nodded, though he wasn’t smiling. “Yes, though I would rather not talk about it at the moment, because that’s a whole other can of worms that will just distract us from what we need to do. All you need to know is that witches exist, but are not our friends and are never to be trusted no matter what.”

  I had to admit that I was curious to learn about these witches and how they differed from sorcerers, but Dad spoke so authoritatively on the subject that I decided I would ask him about them later.

  “Where was I?” said Dad. “Oh, right. Training. Yes, magic is inherent and is passed down through blood, but like any other talent, you need to put effort into actually developing it. Over the centuries, the sorcerer community has developed a six step training regiment for new sorcerers. This method has been developed and honed by thousands of sorcerers ever since the first sorcerer walked the Earth and is applied, without exception, to every new sorcerer.”

  “What’s this six step program called?” I said.

  “It’s called the Six Steps,” said Dad. “The ‘Steps’ refer to the progression each sorcerer makes, with First Step being the lowest and Sixth Step being the highest. Each Step also has a title, which are Apprentices, Journeymen, Acolytes, High Sorcerer, Magus, and Master Sorcerer.”

  I nodded. “Where am I on the Path? Apprentice?”

  “That’s where you would be, once you officially begin,” said Dad. “But remember, this only refers to your current level of training, not to your raw power or potential. Some Apprentices start out with a lot of magical power, sometimes more than Acolytes or even High Sorcerers, but the point of the Path is to help you refine your magical abilities in order to make them useful and constructive.”

  “Can you increase your magical power at all?” I said.

  “To some degree, yes,” said Dad, nodding. “It’s a bit like training at the gym. You will get stronger over time, but everyone has different limits and not everyone makes it all the way to the Sixth Step. The vast majority of sorcerers only reach the Third Step, because that level of magical understanding and skill is usually enough for most work that sorcerers do.”

  “What Step did you reach?” I said. “Let me guess, Mast
er Sorcerer, right?”

  Dad chuckled. “You guessed right. It’s unusual for twenty-four-year-olds to reach Master Sorcerer at such a young age, however. Most Master Sorcerers are in their sixties and seventies, sometimes even older, because it takes a long time to reach that rank.”

  “How did you progress so quickly?” I said. “Are you just really magically talented or something?”

  Dad stopped tossing the fireball between his hands and looked away. “Yes, you could say that, I guess, though it helps that I had a lot of help.”

  “A lot of help from who?”

  “That doesn’t matter.” Dad looked at me again, this time with a more determined expression. “I want to get you started on magic as soon as possible, so let’s start with your first lesson.”

  “Wait, don’t I have to be, like, inducted into the Six Steps or something first?” I said. “We’re not just going to jump in immediately, are we?”

  “Normally, there is a ceremony all Apprentice sorcerers are supposed to go through in order to officially take their first Step, but truthfully it’s just a formality,” said Dad with a shrug. “Being a Baptist, I’ve never cared much for formal rituals and ceremonies. You technically take your first Step as soon as your training starts, so once we start your first lesson, you will officially be considered a practitioner of the Six Steps.”

  While I was interested in finding out more about this ceremony you were supposed to do, I was also glad we were skipping it. While I liked formalities and rituals more than Dad, I was more interested in learning magic than doing rituals.

  “”Now, let’s begin your first lesson,” said Dad. He held up the fireball, which still burned merrily in his hand. “We’re starting off with a simple fireball spell. It’s one of the simplest and easiest spells to learn, and once you master it, you will have the foundation necessary to learn other spells.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’m ready.”

  “Good,” said Dad. “Now, hold out your right hand like mine with the palm lying open like this.”

  I held out my hand, mimicking Dad’s pose as best as I could. “Like this?”

  “Exactly,” said Dad. “Now, I want you to close your eyes and focus hard on summoning the fireball. You must will the fireball into existence, because willpower is the method through which we channel the Origin and change reality.”

  I closed my eyes and focused as hard as I could on conjuring the fireball in my hand. It was hard to do at first, because I didn’t really know what it would feel like once I did it. Would I feel a fire burning within me? A power rising from my soul to make me feel stronger? Or would I feel anything at all? I wished Dad had said how it would feel once I did it, but unfortunately I had not thought to ask him that question prior to starting the first lesson.

  But then, slowly but surely, I felt a small heat rising up within me. It started from my waist and made its way up through my heart and chest and into my right arm. It was a pleasant warmth, kind of like sitting in front of a fireplace on a cold winter day with thick blankets wrapped around you.

  Its temperature started to rise, however, going beyond a mere warmth to outright heat. I started to sweat and felt my hand burned, which caused my eyes to fly open and see that my hand was literally on fire.

  “Ah!” I screamed, shaking my hand up and down. “My hand is on fire! My hand is on fire! My hand is on—”

  Abruptly, the fire covering my hand went out and my skin was no worse for the wear. I looked my hand over anyway, but I didn’t see any burn marks or anything on it to suggest that it had just been on fire less than a second ago.

  I looked at Dad sheepishly. “Oops. Looks like I cut off the fire too soon.”

  Dad sighed and rubbed his temples. “I’m not very surprised. It’s a common reaction for new sorcerers to panic at the sight of magic they’ve conjured. It must be even worse for you, because your vampire half isn’t going to take well to heat and light, given how those two things hurt vamps. Still, you managed to summon a fireball on your first try anyway, which is impressive for an Apprentice like yourself.”

  “Thanks,” I said, though I still spoke sheepishly because I was still embarrassed. “So, um, should I try again?”

  Dad nodded. “Yes. Now that you have an idea of what it will look like, you should be able to prepare yourself for its sudden appearance on your hand. Close your eyes again and let’s try once more.”

  I nodded, but before I closed my eyes, a loud thunk came from the door to the basement. We both looked up the stairs at the door at the same time, but the door was still and silent.

  “What was that?” I said, looking at Dad again.

  “I don’t know,” said Dad, though I noticed his hands were balled into fists. “I’m going to go up and check. You stay here.”

  Dad walked up the stairs to the basement door. I watched him go, hoping that it was nothing serious and that we would be able to resume my magical training as soon as possible.

  Just as Dad lay his hand on the doorknob, the basement door exploded.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Dad went flying backwards from the impact of the blast. He fell down the stairs, smacking his head against the steps on his way down until he landed face down on the floor.

  “Dad!” I cried out, rushing over to him and kneeling over him. “Dad, are you okay? Can you hear me?”

  I quickly checked Dad’s pulse and found that it was still active, much to my relief. Even so, I could tell that Dad was in no shape to stand up. He might have even broken a bone or two, but I wouldn’t be sure until I woke him up later and asked him.

  A low growl made me look up the stairs. Someone stood in the doorway at the top of the stairs, a hood drawn over their head, but as soon as I looked up at him, the hood and cloak dissipated like mist in a wind, revealing the massive, muscular form of a vampire with skin as pale as death and eyes a reddish-black color. He grinned when he saw me, displaying his fangs and his black tongue.

  “Hi there, pretty lady,” said the vampire, his voice light and chatty. “Mind if I burst in? I hope I’m not too rude. I was just trying to see if anyone was home.”

  “You,” I said, my voice trembling despite myself. “You’re with Lord Taranas, aren’t you?”

  The vampire’s grin became more bestial. “I’m one of his Hordelings, yes. More specifically, I’m a Nosfer.”

  “A what?”

  “Just below Draculs in the Hierarchy, but above Bloodseekers,” said the vampire. “Which means you and I are brother and sister, given how we have the same creator. A shame, because you are indeed quite the pretty little thing that I wouldn’t mind playing with.”

  I gulped. “Sorry, but maybe you can go tell Lord Taranas that I’m not interested in working for him.”

  “But I’ve spent so much time looking for you,” the vampire said, spreading his arms. “First I went to your apartment and talked to your neighbor, who is almost, but not quite, as pretty as you. I will probably go back and bite her once I get you, but for now I’m interested in bringing you to our creator.”

  “But Lord Taranas gave me until next week to decide if I wanted to work with him,” I said in alarm. “It hasn’t even been one day.”

  “Lord Taranas is getting terribly impatient,” said the vampire. “He told me in no uncertain terms that he wants you on his side and wants you on his side now. The week deadline was probably just to make you lower your guard.”

  I should have known. Dad always said that vampires were liars, so it made sense that Lord Taranas had been lying about giving me a week to decide if I wanted to join him. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel angry, not just at Lord Taranas going back on his word, but at this unnamed vamp for attacking Dad. Even though Dad was probably going to be okay, I couldn’t stand seeing him in such terrible shape.

  “Then I’ll never join him,” I said. “You can tell Lord Taranas that I’ll join him over my cold, dead body.”

  “Lord Taranas said you might be a difficult case, wha
t with you being the daughter of the legendary Hunter and all,” said the vampire. He looked down at Dad and chuckled. “The legendary Hunter doesn’t look like much in his old age, does he? One blown open door and he’s knocked out. I imagine it would take only a couple more well-placed blows to take him out for good. And if I killed the Hunter, my name would be famous all throughout the vampire community.”

  The vampire leaped down the stairs toward Dad, but I jumped toward him instinctively and tackled him in midair. The two of us went tumbling toward the center of the basement, where we briefly wrestled before the male vampire grabbed me and threw me off him like so much garbage. I landed on the floor several feet away from him, but quickly scrambled back to my feet as the vampire rose to his own feet, dusting off his pants as he glared at me with his inhuman eyes.

  “You’re quicker than I thought,” said the vampire. “Although I don’t understand why you care about him. He’s merely a human, after all, and one who has killed more of our kind than any other vampire hunter in the world.”

  “He’s my father, you idiot,” I snapped. “Lord Taranas may have made me into a freak of nature, but he will never be my father, not like Dad.”

  “Disgusting,” said the vampire. “Is this how a half-vampire chooses to act? Defending a human who would, under any other circumstances, kill her under the delusion of divine justice? I am starting to think that Lord Taranas may have made a mistake when he had you created.”

  “Lord Taranas has made a lot of mistakes,” I said. “Like you, for instance.”

  The vampire scowled. “Very well. Lord Taranas just wants me to bring you to his lair. Killing the Hunter would be a waste of time in that regard. So I will teach you a lesson and then, perhaps, kill the Hunter afterward, if I have time.”

  I held my claws up, but my hands were trembling despite myself. “Then bring it. I’m not afraid of you.”