by Joe Fowler
I stood up then. I knew I couldn’t take the chance of falling asleep again before my match. I paced our little cell trying to get my mind to wake up.
One fight took place between Sweetie’s match and mine.
“Our next fight will be between Titan and Atlas! Let’s hear it for our fighters!”
I made my way into the arena and looked at my opponent. As his name suggested, his gift was strength. When I knelt on the X, I was worried I wouldn’t make it. I felt myself dozing but continued to shake my head to stay awake. One more week of waiting and I wouldn’t have made it through the betting period.
“Please stand and face your opponent…Let the game begin!”
I made the quick strike and knocked Atlas unconscious. I was almost dead on my feet. I managed to pull him up enough to drink. It helped some. I took his head and went back into the holding pen.
I made it to the bench before I passed out. I slept through the remaining fights.
Sweetie and Justin were shaking me awake. It wasn’t working very well. I finally opened my eyes and managed to walk to the donor room. No one was saying much of anything. Once I drained my donor, I woke up a little. I made it back to my room but wasn’t quite up for a trip to the showers. I laid down and was asleep in less than a month.
Chapter 21
I heard the voices before I opened my eyes. They sounded worried. It was Arria’s voice that made me finally open my eyes.
“Why is it speeding up? He’s been getting more blood and more rest than normal.” Arria was saying. “Those things usually slow down the process. Why is it speeding up?”
“This can’t be predicted. We know that.” Gray reasoned. She sounded like she was going to say more when she saw my eyes were open. Arria’s back was to me so she couldn’t see. “He’s awake.”
“Titan! Why didn’t you tell me that it was getting worse?” Arria asked.
“I didn’t think it was until last night. I drank more than usual and I still couldn’t wake up.” I told her. She leaned in and kissed me.
“We are supposed to leave soon. I had already entered another event. I can try and back out of it.” Her face showed the problems that would cause.
“No. I will be fine. I’ll just try to prepare better. It is better to get through the fights when the sleep is the only problem I am facing. Even if my gifts fade, I am stronger and faster than any of the fighters in the arena. I would rather get through this part of it as soon as possible.” I stated. I wasn’t sure it was the best option but my reasoning sounded good.
Arria and Gray were quiet. Arria had been crying. I could see it on her face. I needed to get up. I wouldn’t seem as bad off if I were sitting up or standing. I knew this.
“Why not stay in bed?” Gray was trying to push me back down.
“I would rather sit up. It won’t hurt anything.” I assured her.
“I need a minute to think.” Arria sat in the chair. Gray continued to stand by the bed. The time judgement problem had been bad. I could tell it was even worse. It was hard to place a finger on why I knew it was worse though.
There was a light knock on the door. Gray looked to Arria and got permission to let whoever it was, in. When Gray opened the door, I saw the swollen eyes and tear streaked face of Sweetie. It broke my heart.
“How are you?” Sweetie asked.
“How am I at what?” I smiled to let her know I was joking. “I will be fine. I was just too tired yesterday. That’s all it was.”
Sweetie tried to smile. She looked at me funny for a second but then she started to tear up and left before I could ask what was wrong. It took a couple of years for me to understand she might have been thinking something to me but my mind reading hadn’t been active. I usually didn’t have to be concentrating to hear when someone wanted to tell me something. This worried me. I tried to pull up the mind reading gift and got it but it was a strain.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Arria asked.
“Just worrying about Sweetie. She was doing better but still needed me from time to time.” I lied. Something told me I shouldn’t have tried to lie to Arria. I couldn’t remember why.
“What were you really thinking so hard about? Remember, I can tell when you are lying.” Arria said. She stood and walked to stand in front of me.
I looked up at her and lowered my eyes shortly, I think, after.
“I was thinking Sweetie tried to think something to me but I didn’t hear it. I tried to pull up the mind reading gift and had to strain to activate it. I may be losing the gifts soon.” I admitted.
“Then I definitely need to cancel our plans!” Arria declared.
“No. The speed and strength I was reborn with is still more than any of the fighters in the arena can face. Remember, I was a match for Cerrus without the other gifts.”
Arria stared at me. Gray was uncomfortable. I was starving. I waited for several weeks before I said something.
“Can we go to the donor room now?” I asked, meekly.
“Yes.” Arria’s eyes softened and she moved so I could stand. Once I was on my feet I actually felt a little better. “Gray would you mind going with him, just in case.”
“I will, Arria.”
Gray and I headed to the donor room. There was only three donors in place. No other vampires were feeding at the moment. I chose a middle aged woman. Once I bit into her arm, I understood what all the other vampires felt when they fed. The woman’s blood tasted wonderful. I wasn’t seeing her memories clearly which I took to be a relief at the time. I was actually sad that there wasn’t more when she ran out of blood for me to drink.
“Do you need another one?” Gray asked.
“Yes.” I said, sadly. I was realizing how wrong things were within me now.
I moved over to a thirtyish man and drank. His blood tasted good too. I drained him as well. I already knew I needed the third donor, but I would not drink from the third donor. I wouldn’t keep wasting their blood if I wasn’t going to last much longer.
“If you need the third, then drink.” Gray told me. I shook my head.
We made our way back down the dull green hallways to my room. When I entered I looked to my clothes and knew I needed to wash them before we left. I went to grab them but Gray stopped me.
“I will handle that for you. You would do better with rest.” Gray ushered me to the bed. She then turned and gathered my clothes to take to the washing machine. Sweetie was standing in the door when Gray went to leave. “Sweetie, stay with him and make him stay in bed.”
“I will.” Sweetie answered. Sweetie took her normal seat on the floor beside my bed. I half sat with my back against the wall. I heard her thoughts and answered them.
“You will find the strength.” I said. She looked up with hope in her eyes. “I can still use my gifts but it takes a little effort.”
“Then turn them off. I am just relieved you still have them. I told the others you might be without them. We talked while you slept. I explained what I had heard you say about Sleepy from before.”
The others of our group came in then. They didn’t bring their chairs. They just stood around looking uncomfortable.
“I’m not dead yet. Cheer up.”
“Won’t you have trouble in the arena now? You won’t be unbeatable if your gifts fail you.” Richard sounded almost happy about it.
“Even without any of the gifts I gathered, the old ones are the only threat to me. I was reborn with much greater strength and speed than those given the gift of speed and strength.” I explained.
“How? That is too much. Why would you already be so strong?” Patty, I mean Bloody Mary, asked.
“My gift gives to me when I drink a vampire’s blood. I drank from Arria when I was being turned into a vampire. My gift wasn’t fully formed yet or I would have her full strength and speed. The old ones are the only ones who are faster or stronger than I am. With my gifts, I might be equal to some of the younger old ones.”
“How powerfu
l are they? Everyone acts so scared of them.” Glenda hadn’t had this explained to her.
“Arria makes what I am, even with my gifts, look slow. My eyes can’t even begin to follow her when she moves quickly. It looks more like she disappears. You have to remember, I am equal to some of the thousand year old vampires, but when I saw her move like that, I was humbled. Arria could kill everyone in this room faster than you can think about it happening.” I explained it as best my mind would let me. I was thinking clearly but felt like deeper thought might be a problem. I decided not to try to find out.
“Everyone needs to get packed. We will be leaving in an hour.” Noah was standing in the doorway.
He stood to the side as the others filed out. He had a sad look on his face. He must have been told. I hated to be the one bringing everyone’s spirits down.
“So you’ve heard. I think I might still have some time left. I doubt it will be a long time but some time anyway.” I smiled and added, “It isn’t like I will be able to tell how much time it is taking.”
“Hang on as best you can. I already know of the strength and speed you were reborn with. Even after your gifts are gone, you will be able to win. Make it through the fights if you can. It would be best for you, if you died free.” Noah walked away after he spoke.
Better if I died free. I would strive for that. I figured I had a shot anyway.
I sat with Arria during the plane ride. I asked her to tell me of some of the sights she had seen during her long life. I enjoyed the sound of her voice. I knew I would fall asleep somewhere in her stories but I tried to listen as long as I could.
Arria woke me when we landed.
“I’m sorry I fell asleep. I was enjoying your stories.” I said, sadly.
“I know. I could see how hard you were trying to stay awake. It was better for you to rest. Once you are taken to your room, go to the donor room. The others can train on their own. Once you’ve fed, go lay down. You are officially confined to quarters except for when you feed.” Arria was smiling but I knew she meant it.
“Yes, Ma’am.” My words earned me a kiss.
I left the plane with the other fighters. We were led through a white shaft into white hallways. We had to wait in the lobby. Obviously, I don’t know how long we waited. A local vampire showed us where everything was. Since Gray’s mental map, I now knew which area we were in and I understood the layout of where things were. The layout was actually kind of simple. You just needed to know a few small details.
Every facility had four floors. Four floors down were the generators and water heaters and the like. The third floor down was where the fighter’s quarters were. Each group’s quarters were located in separate areas of this floor. There were actually seven donor rooms located around those group locations. Usually, each donor room served two to three groups of fighters. The hallways intersected at certain junctions. Once you knew which area you were in, the rest of the layout fell into place. The floor above us contained employee quarters and the laundry rooms. The top floor was for the old ones. Some of the larger rooms, like the training room and the arena, were based on the third floor down but extended up to the top floor. The council members had a separate wing for council business. I had traveled that wing at the Jimi Hendrix complex. That purple maze seemed endless.
Normally, fighters didn’t need to know all of this. They were shown where the primary areas were and that was all they needed to know. Thanks to Gray, I knew the whole layout now.
I wanted to stay in the donor room when we were shown where it was but I knew I needed to follow protocol. That seems to be overly important in the vampire world. The old ones were set in their ways and demanded that things be done their way.
Once we were shown our rooms, I was almost too tired to return to the donor room. Almost. My donor was a woman in her twenties that was scared out of her mind. I was almost thankful that I couldn’t see her memories too well. They were there but weren’t as forceful as I was used to seeing them. I drained her.
I made it back to my room and collapsed on the bed. Sweetie’s knock came soon after.
“Come on in.” I told her.
“If you need me to go, I will.” Sweetie sounded like she needed me but was too worried about me to admit it.
“Come on in. Leave the door open. I am tired but not as sleepy as usual.” I was lying but Sweetie was too important to me. If she needed me, I would be there for what time I had left. It didn’t look like the healer would be found in time.
We were quiet. Neither of us were the talkative type. She went into an illusion while I tried to empty my mind. The thought of trying to see nothing brought back the two invisible guardians I had been protected by lately. Gray was working out fine for Arria. Noah was making me think too hard.
He wasn’t the lackey, guardian type. I wondered why he put up with this. He raised questions that my mind wasn’t prepared to answer anymore. If only Ghost were here! I missed my old friend. The mind that couldn’t rest. He would have the answers to pretty much anything he thought for long about.
I began to wonder how much longer I would find the answers I needed. I had proven myself to be fairly intelligent. If my mind degenerated to the point of confusion, I hoped death would follow quickly. I already felt like deep thought would be hard. How long before any thinking would become difficult?
“What do you think about Noah?” Sweetie asked.
“I like him. He is very intelligent and seems to be as honorable as they come. Whyyy?” I asked in a teasing manner.
“Stop it. It isn’t like that…most of the time. I just wonder at him. Something feels different about him. I don’t know how to explain it better.” Sweetie sounded perplexed.
“I felt it too. Lorac said that some vampires just have that feel to them. He said it was rare but it happens. It made enough sense to me. The bottom line is, I trust that Noah is good. I have spoken with him enough to believe he has good intentions. I am tired of questioning everyone’s motives and agendas. I am just going to accept what I can see now.”
“Makes sense.” Sweetie sounded calm. That made me feel good.
I could see that I was still rational and could think. Maybe not at the highest of levels but still, well enough to function. I started to feel a little better about myself then. I must not be too far gone, right?
I decided to quit fighting sleep and expected to go under immediately. It didn’t happen. I became more alert the longer I tried to sleep. I was beginning to wonder what was happening when Bloody Mary stopped by.
“Hey, Titan. How are you?” She asked.
“Surprisingly alert. I have actually been trying for sleep and seem to be more awake than before. I wasn’t expecting that.” My face must have shown my confusion. Both Sweetie and Bloody Mary were looking at me funny. They were a little hopeful, which was surprising coming from Bloody Mary. “Maybe yesterday was just a bad day.”
“Do you think that can be the answer? Maybe you will be alright for a while longer?” Sweetie asked. I wasn’t trying but I heard the same question in Patty’s head. They had different emotions tied to the validity of the statement, though.
“Well, I had my gifts mostly shut down and now they are working like they normally did. I wasn’t expecting that.” I actually felt my own hope rising within me.
“We can hope, anyway.” Bloody Mary said. She walked off. I had seen that she was hoping for worse not better. I could also see her walls in her mind. They were up and reinforced now. I hadn’t seen any walls like that in her before. Damn.
Back to the spy game. She must be working for one of the old ones. One of the lessor old ones if I had to guess. I had hoped that was over.
My energy level stayed high. I didn’t push my luck by getting out of bed. I hoped to surprise Arria later and wouldn’t be able to do that if I was up and wearing myself out all over again. I began to wonder over the chance it really was just a bad day.
I tried to think back to when I would feel the most exhaus
ted. I almost always felt better right after I fed. It was usually later on that the drowsiness would hit me. It wasn’t as bad with the donors as it was with other vampires when I drank from them. Could the extra gifts be what’s causing the problem? I drank in two strength gifts and could barely function afterward. I hadn’t drank from a vampire since and was recovering. Maybe that was the key. I really needed Ghost right now. He would figure this out.
I stayed in bed for a while, I wasn’t better to the point of judging time, with my hopes improving steadily. Gray came in to check on me.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” Gray asked.
“Good question. I have a bad theory. I think I should stop drinking from vampires now. I may be wrong but the adding of gifts might be what is wearing me down. I have been only drinking from humans since the last fight and have been slowly recuperating. I added two strength gifts within what I guess was a short period of time. I am starting to think that is what wore me down. It makes sense in my head. My gifts are back at close to full strength and I’m not even trying for them.” I explained.
“Arria will be so happy!” Gray’s face lit up. There were times when Gray’s emotions seemed contrived, like this time. She wasn’t genuinely happy. I had the impression that it was frustrating to her. I hoped I was wrong.
“Maybe we should wait for a bit to get too happy. My theory is becoming clearer but I don’t know for sure. I would need to talk to Ghost to know if I’m right. That man could figure out anything if you gave him time.”
“Your improvement now is a good sign though. Arria will want to know. I would risk a lot if I kept this from her.” Gray sounded worried. I remember what being hit by Arria was like and she had been taking it easy on me at the time.
“Tell her I’m better. Or maybe I should go and tell her.” I smiled at the thought of seeing her.
“She is about to meet with some other old ones. She wanted me to check on you and give a report before her meeting. I will tell her you are feeling much better.” Gray stated. She smiled and turned to leave. I started to stop her to tell her about Bloody Mary but figured I could talk to Arria about it later.
