by Joe Fowler
My time in the fights had been much different but I didn’t want to think about that too much. My gift stirred up so much chaos that it is best left in the past. That is why this group of friends meant so much to me. They helped me through some rough times and I would always be grateful for that. I turned my attention back to the conversation around me.
“…My gift is teleporting.” Jade was saying.
“There was a fuss after your fight. We were on the other side of the arena so we couldn’t see what was happening.” Speedy said, with a questioning tone.
I knew even before I saw Jade’s nervousness that she wouldn’t want to explain.
“Torch, her old one is how we found out about the illegal fights. We got him away from the arena and took him to Lorac’s holding rooms.” I told them. It was close enough to the truth. I hated lying. I could sense Jade’s appreciation for my leaving out her part.
“What happened to Torch? Is Lorac bringing him to Feng’s?” Apollo asked.
“Torch is dead. Lorac killed him. Believe me, it was justified. The world is much better off with him gone.” I told them plainly.
“That could be said for most vampires, especially the old ones.” Speedy added.
We all nodded in agreement.
“What will be expected of me? I have no idea what happens now. You guys went through the fights so you understand how little they tell us. Arria agreed I could work for her but what do we do?” Jade asked.
I saw Apollo moving to answer. He seemed to like Jade. I did my best to stay out of my friends’ heads. I owed them that much. I was tempted, but decided not to look.
“For this group, our job is mainly security and helping the security at each venue. We don’t really do much. The old ones have the system perfected so that the teams of fighters really can’t get too out of line. Others have jobs like procuring donors, maintenance of the facility, travel arrangements, and a whole bunch of other things. I don’t know whether you will be assigned to our group or not. It isn’t likely since we already have this group of five pretty well set. Besides, with Titan as Arria’s second in command, security is pretty much assured.” Apollo offered as explanation.
“I heard your name whispered while we were in training rooms but I never found out why you were such a big deal.” Jade looked to me to see if I would enlighten her.
“So far as I know, I am only the second vampire who can acquire other gifts. When I drink the blood of a vampire, I add his gift. I can do most all the things you’ve seen so far. Invisibility, incorporeal, mind reading, mind control, and a whole lot more.” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into the details of what my trip through the gauntlet was like.
“The uproar he caused was insane. Some of the old ones tried to kill him while others wanted to use him to attack the council. It was chaotic for weeks all through the vampire world.” Loki smiled as he spoke.
“Why didn’t you try to kill the council? They make us fight to the death just so we can live. It looks like it would have been the clear choice.” Jade said. I was a little disappointed in her response but I knew she would see the truth with a little explanation.
“As it is, each new vampire must fight ten fights to the death to earn their freedom. All those humans in the galleries would love to become vampires but they are scared of the fights. The council constantly watches to make sure no new vampire can avoid the gauntlet. That is the only thing keeping thousands of humans from being turned. Any vampire who makes a newbie on the side is put down. You can see how many more humans would die if the fights weren’t mandatory. This system has worked for nearly two thousand years. More problems are arising now because of the number of old ones out there and the limitations the council puts on them. I agree with the council and understand why they stay on top of things the way they do. Also, I was in love with Arria.” I added that last bit with a smile.
Jade went into deep thought mode. I could see her mind processing what I had said. She wasn’t guarding her thoughts so I could follow her through her deliberation. I needed to find out her frame of mind and see that she wouldn’t become a problem. She had seemed nice enough so far but it can be hard to tell sometimes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have listened to her thoughts.
I guess he’s right about how many more vampires there would be. Most vampires drain their donors which would cause a lot more humans to die. There has to be a less brutal way though. I can’t accept that fighting in an arena is the best plan. What are the limitations he was talking about? What are the rules that I don’t know? How free are we even after the fights…?
I listened while she thought things through. Her anger was clouding her judgement somewhat. I felt confident she would come around to the truth eventually. Since she only won her freedom last night, not to mention the whole rape thing, she wasn’t yet in a good place in her mind to see things clearly.
“I will explain more of what goes on as we go. For the next few days you can acclimate yourself to this new situation. Feng was trying to decide between holding a closed event for the council’s fighters and just having the meeting without the fights. Either way, there won’t be the huge crowds to deal with while we are there. Relax, you will have all the time you need to think things through.” I assured her.
“One question first. Can a vampire live outside of the old ones camps? Can we go out into the world and live on our own?” Jade asked. I could see how appealing that thought was to her.
“Yes and no. If you have shown that you can be trusted enough not to start making new vampires or announcing yourself to the general public, then you can live out in the human world. You would still be watched somewhat and you would still be subject to the council rules. I know it sounds like the council is overbearing but you must realize how many lives are at stake. That means both human and vampire lives.” I told her.
She warmed to the idea of living among the humans. She was sure she would never turn a human or announce to the world that vampires were real. Any other restrictions couldn’t be too awful in her mind.
“Have you heard from Sweetie lately?” Apollo asked.
“It’s been a couple of weeks. She is enjoying her time with Ares. Truthfully, we might not get her back. I will miss her but I want her to be happy.” I answered as honestly as I could. Sweetie was missed but being with Ares seemed best for her in the long run.
“I never understood her too well. She looks so tiny and helpless but her opponents would scream until she took their head. She was a paradox. She was very sweet and scary as hell at the same time.” Loki said, laughing.
“She had chronic nightmares. She used those to scare the crap out of the vampires she faced. I saw some of her illusions and I’m glad I didn’t have to face her.” I told them. I think they laughed more at the thought of me being worried about facing someone in a fight.
The rest of the flight was filled with good natured small talk.
We got everyone settled in without any delays at Feng’s facility. It was only after the employees and fighters were in place and knew the locations of the donor room and training room that I could go to Arria’s suite.
She wasn’t there when I arrived. I knew she would need to check in with Feng. I briefly wondered how I would spend the time waiting. That decision was made for me when my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Titan, come to the council chamber. All of the members aren’t here yet but we would like to begin getting everyone up to date on what we know. You saw almost as much as Lorac. Do you know the way?”
“Yes, Arria. I believe I can find it well enough. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Good. See you then.” Arria said, before disconnecting.
I took a deep breath and left the suite.
While this trip was a much better situation, I felt a little uncomfortable heading back to that chamber. My life was on the line the first time. If not for Arria, Cadoc would have killed me. I would be safe this time around but it wasn’t helping m
y nerves.
I made sure not to take too long. I thought of running but decided against it. I would be there soon enough. I spent the time trying to organize my thoughts on what I had seen in Torch’s mind. I wanted to be as prepared as I could be.
I rounded the last corner and was once again faced with the gold double doors with a guard standing to each side. I wouldn’t have minded a few more purple hallways.
“I am Titan. I was asked here by the council.” I told the guards.
“Hold one moment.” The one on the left said.
He went inside the door, shutting it behind him. The other guard took up a position centered where the doors would open. They definitely took their job seriously. Personally, I would be the same way knowing what failure would mean. It only took about thirty seconds for the guard to reappear. He left the door open and motioned me through.
The council members were standing close together instead of sitting in their chairs this time. Lorac and Agda were not present. I guessed they would be here soon. This had been put together on short notice. I approached slowly until Arria smiled reassuringly.
“At least this time no one is trying to kill you. Come, Feng is ready to find out the details.” Arria thought to me. I walked at a normal pace for the remaining distance.
The size of this room was the only delay. I glanced around at the nine throne like seats sitting in a semicircle formation. The one in the middle, Feng’s seat, was slightly larger than the others. The room was built in a square pattern with the chairs being the only decoration. I thought the room oversized but I guess they wanted the intimidation factor of making you feel smaller.
“It is good to see you again, Titan. I was pleased to hear of your healing, though the thought of Ares still being alive is disconcerting.” Feng said, as a greeting. I relaxed further since it was obvious Feng was being sincere.
“I am glad the circumstances are slightly better for this meeting. At least I believe I will live through this one.” I smiled to let him know I was trying for lighthearted. He seemed to appreciate my effort.
My attention was drawn to the two new members of the council. I knew the male was named Dmitriy and the female was named Sabina. The only other thing I knew was that Arria didn’t like them too much. Dmitriy had short black hair and was sturdily built with a well-trimmed beard. Sabina had black hair as well. She was tall and slender. Pretty but not beautiful was the best way to describe her.
Feng saw me looking at them. I caught his smile out of the corner of my eye. He moved slightly toward the two new members as he addressed the introductions.
“Titan, you haven’t met Dmitriy and Sabina yet. These two were next in line. You were present the day they became needed.” Feng tried to hide his smirk but failed. He then turned to the two new members. “This is Titan. I’m sure you’ve both heard a lot about him. Thankfully, his gift doesn’t show itself very often. Titan possesses a great many gifts now. He has agreed not to drink from an old one. He made sure we knew he would not follow the path of Ares.”
“It is nice to finally meet you. I have heard a great deal indeed. The most shocking thing was that you killed a two thousand year old vampire before you were even through the gauntlet. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you explain how this was possible?” Dmitriy asked. He had a Russian accent.
“Pyro attacked me in a hallway of one of the facilities. He was faster and stronger than I was at the time. I suffered through many broken bones but was able to trick him in a way. I knew my illusions and mind control wouldn’t work since he was more powerful than me. The first extra gift I acquired was a simple spike that shoots out of the inside of my wrist.” I held out my arm and activated the spike to show them. It jutted out about a foot or so beyond my hand. “I swung at Pyro but he caught my fist before I made contact. I was counting on that. With my hand in place, my spike went through his neck. I tore off his head before he could recover.”
Dmitriy nodded. He seemed impressed. I didn’t like to remember that fight. It almost made me unable to beat Achilles in my tenth and final fight in the arena.
“Impressive. You don’t always see that level of ingenuity when someone is facing a superior opponent. I must ask, how strong are you now? Would Pyro still hold that advantage?” Sabina asked. She had one of those sultry voices.
I could see her reason for asking easily enough. She wanted to know how dangerous I was and how fast I developed. Both she and Dmitriy’s mind were closed to me. I could see some of Arria’s cause for concern. These two seemed to be cut from the same cloth as the two council members they replaced. There was no proof of this and I desperately hoped I was wrong.
“While I don’t know for sure, I would think I would be equal or maybe just a little stronger than Pyro now. I grow each time I drink from a strength or speed gift.” I explained. I guessed would be a better way to say it. There wasn’t many ways to test my strength. I wasn’t going to make a habit of fighting old ones to find out how strong I had become.
I never forgot how the old ones are at reading the young vampire lies. Old ones were practiced and could get away with it. Young ones couldn’t. It was one more reason I kept to the truth so much. This conversation was simple but others might get more complicated.
“Now that everyone has been introduced, we need to get to the business at hand. Titan, please tell us what you saw in Torch’s mind.” Feng politely ordered. His words were kind but he carried an authority that you couldn’t overlook.
“I saw a total of three events. I know one of them was located in or around New York City. I caught a memory of him crossing the George Washington Bridge. Two of the fights were in warehouses and one was in a clearing in the woods. It is hard to know for sure but each event seemed to have between six and ten teams involved. I recognized a few of the old ones but most I didn’t know.” I paused in my telling. I wasn’t sure which parts of the fights they would find most necessary to know. Feng cut in to ask.
“Name the old ones you recognized.”
“Faustina, Marciana, and Silas. I saw Silas at two of the events. Lorac will know the rest of the old ones. I haven’t been around long enough to learn many of them yet.” I stated.
Each of the council members had a look of anger to one degree or another. Feng seemed to be the least upset but I knew he may just be better at hiding his feelings.
“Those three are among the ones crying out for the public facilities. They each have their own facility which is why I find that so baffling.” Aegeus commented.
“They love the action and violence the fights provide. They believe there would be a great increase in the number of events. That is their main goal.” Arria said, her disgust apparent in her tone.
“There are too many events being held now. How greatly will they strain the human population? The number of donors needed to sustain us has already become a problem. It is hard enough to hide our existence as it is now. Idiots like these will be the downfall of our race.” Alethea lamented.
I had wondered at the number of donors myself. The employees were easy enough to sustain. They were instructed not to drain their donor unless they were involved in a fight and needed to heal. They only fed every few days. The teams of fighters were the problem. They were training when they weren’t fighting in the arena. The needed a huge supply of blood since even training would use up a significant amount of their own. Arria never drained a donor. I had no clue about the other old ones feeding habits.
“I am more worried about the vampires who win their freedom from these side teams. What is to keep them from creating more vampires and not making them go through the fights? We all know how quickly our numbers can grow when this happens. The special guard is reporting that very thing in China. That is the easiest way for us to be discovered by the humans.” Feng stated his concern.
I had an idea. I could use my illusions to show them the fights! This way they could identify all the old ones I didn’t know. I was about to suggest it when I got star
tled by the door opening.
The council members didn’t flinch in the slightest. This more than anything made it clear how nervous this room still made me. My nerves calmed immediately when I saw Lorac approach.
“Sorry for the delay. I needed to wait for the last old ones to get their teams away before I could leave home.” Lorac looked around and noticed Agda’s absence. “Where is Agda?”
“She held an event last night as well. She has a longer flight from Brazil. She will be here sometime today.” Feng explained. After receiving Lorac’s nod of understanding, Feng continued. “Titan was telling some of what he saw. I expect you can tell us what we need to know in more detail. You know the information pertinent to our needs.”
“How far have you gotten?” Lorac asked me.
“Not far at all. I knew at least one of the fights was held in New York and I told them of the three old ones I recognized. That was all that was said so far.” I told him.
“Now that you are here, we should let Titan return to Arria’s quarters.” Cheng suggested with a sneer. It was the first time he had spoken since I entered the room. He was instrumental in the attempts to kill me. His fear of Arria was the only reason he didn’t go further in his efforts.
“I might suggest that Titan be required to stay.” Lorac said. He seemed hesitant to elaborate on his reasoning. I took that to be a bad thing.
“For what reason?” Dmitriy asked.
“The special guard will be busy for some time. Too long. We can’t wait for their return before we act. I racked my brain trying to see the best alternatives for handling this problem. Titan may be very useful.” Lorac still seemed hesitant. I got the strange feeling he was even afraid of something.
“Please explain, Lorac. Council business isn’t normally discussed in front of others. We are all pleased with how Titan has turned out but it would be a break in protocol.” Feng insisted.
