Chapter 44: Valentine's Vampiric Journey
Not being able to spend time with his family was not one of the consequences Valentine had foreseen when he chose to become a vampire. It was not that he wasn't aware of the bodily changes, and that he hadn't been aware of not being able to be in the sunlight, but he just never considered what it meant in terms of family celebrations often held on patios or sunrooms.
But the hardest part for him was his parents' reaction, particularly his mother who immediately started speaking of finding cures and alternatives to drinking blood. Within hours of his turning she was reading up online about plasma packs and plasma plants and other alternatives to, as she put it, using the maid as your personal snack bar.
Valentine would hear none of it. Why should he drink plasma when the lure of blood was so much sweeter? And it wasn't as if he'd killed the maid, or bartender for that matter even if his mother did not know about that one. His mother's arguments about the immorality of using people that way fell on deaf ears and his mother actually physically recoiled when he explained that the emotions and discomforts of mortals were things he no longer could take into consideration, and if she'd just let him turn her and dad they'd come to see things his way.
That's when he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had to leave. And so he told his mother as much, breaking her heart in the process.
As she left the room he stood for a moment, looking around it. He'd made this room his sanctuary since they've moved here, but now he was going elsewhere. At once he was saddened that his parents would not go with him on this journey, on the other hand he was excited for what lay ahead.
That night, after packing his belongings, he made sure to eat up before leaving town, travelling entirely by night, first to Tartosa, and then by car into the deep mountains to the north, finding the address he had been given by the count.
The house was everything he could dream of. Large and imposing and his host Louis Ambrose greeted him in the hallway and explained that he would be his primary teacher.
"Great! When can we start?"
"To-morrow." Louis Answered. "As you will need to rest before then. The sun is nearly risen, my beloved has already retired for the day. At dusk our training will begin."
As a loyal husband, Lois, who needs but a little to no sleep as longa as he meditates, stand gard over his wife who needs a more sound sleep than he does and have lost the ability to sleep in a bed. During the day, their bedrooms stand unused.
Not so for Valentine, who prefers to sleep in a bed still. The idea of a coffin, frankly, scares him. Before joining Lena, Louis shows him to his room. It's opulent, dark, decorated in a style that Valentine definitely approves of... and very, very blue. Valentine is not sure he likes the color palate as much as the style, but he cannot deny that he sleeps in comfort.
In the late afternoon he rises to find new clothing by his bed, and dressing in this more formal style he heads downstairs to the equally blue living room to meet Lena for the first time.
The three of them chat for a while and he learns that before they were turned, Louis was the third son of an aristocratic landowner from France, which meant he was intended for the military when he ran into a vampire who changed the course of his life, and Lena was a musician who had left her family to travel the US to perform at sold out venues, much to her parents shame and embarrassment of her parents.
"You cannot expect your family to understand the changes you are going through," she told him. "Nor to accept your choices. Your desire to turn your family, to have them join you in this life, is admirable but not likely. Not many are meant for this life, and most of us gave up contact with your birth families long before the drew their last breath."
"Lena is correct," Louis ads. "As for turning others, it should be done with discrimination and thoughtful consideration, which is why you as a novice do not yet possess the power. Your sire should have taken greater care in preparing you for the change before you and made sure you were informed of such matters."
"But I asked him to turn me."
"It was within his power to turn you down," Louis scoffed. "As you will turn down many of those who ask you. This life is not for everyone and Vatore should know as much."
"Not a fan?"
"We should never speak ill of our own," Louis said, thereby ending the conversation. Valentine doesn't prod, having a feeling that Louis would not appreciate it. He wouldn't normally care, but Louis is supposed to teach him what it means to be a vampire, and so it is in his best interest to behave and as if he could read his mind (could he?) Louis turned to him with a "Shall we begin?"
Moving out into the hallway, where there is more room, Louis begins his instructions, and over the weeks to come those instructions become more and more intense. At first it's merely a demonstration of powers, then Valentine is supposed to try them for himself, then there is sparing which leaves Valentine aching in muscles he did not know he possessed.
But at the same time, they instruct him in other matters. Lena tells him how to grow plants that might be of help to him at times, and Louis takes it on himself to improve Valentine's piano skills. "So that we are spared those horrible attempts at slaughtering music," as he puts it.
But most importantly, Lena and Louis teach him where and how to hunt. He learns that the local lounge often get mortal visitors looking for an adventure, and that there is a higher chance of finding willing subjects. It's an easy way to find a fresh supply of food, and the bartender is skilled at preparing plasma drinks if one is out of luck with finding willing mortals.
"Is it a rule that you always have to have permission?" Valentine asks, remembering how sweet it felt to take what was not given.
"Of course not," Lena answers, making Louis smile. "Sometimes the thrill of the hunt is sweeter than the blood they offer."
And so the three head into Tartosa, where Valentine is a little lost at yet another bar while he observes Louis and Lena hunt.
"Whether you drink in public or in private depends on the setting," Lena explains. "If what you are doing could be mistaken for seduction, people will not so much as glance in your general direction, but if you are uncertain, luring your pray to a more secluded area - or to your house - is a wiser approach."
Of course with Lena and Louis, both are so jealous that any amount of flirting, even for the purpose of hunting, lead to weeks - if not months - of arguing. The two of them have learnt to be swifter in their hunt, and find their excitement with each other. Sometimes to the annoyance of Valentine as he comes to them to ask about something he's read. Those are the days where studies are done alone, in whatever room the two of them are not in.
As time passes, Valentine learns quite like Louis and Lena, almost as much as he is getting tired of the color blue. Must the entire house be blue? Really? But so comes the day when he is formally invited to meet the count. Finally!
He meets them outside his manor house, one large enough to put the Ambrose manor to shame.
Once inside, Valentine feels instantly at ease. Now this was something other than blue.
The count takes the time to ask him about his training, and his progress.
And when he learns of his musical interest, takes the time to teach him the basics of playing an organ, rather than a piano.
For Valentine the visit is too short, but the count assures him that he will be allowed to return on another occasion. "With Lena's condition I think it is wise if I oversee some of your training myself," he adds.
"Lena's condition?"
"She has not told you she is with child?"
"Vampires can have kids?"
"Of course! When we sire someone that is our child, but we can sometimes create them the mortal way as well," Count Vlad confirms. "But there is always a risk that the child is not of pure blood, but a mere mortal. But Lena is strong in her powers so I am sure that is a misfortune that will not fall upon them."
But the hardest part for him was his parents' reaction, particularly his mother who immediately started speaking of finding cures and alternatives to drinking blood. Within hours of his turning she was reading up online about plasma packs and plasma plants and other alternatives to, as she put it, using the maid as your personal snack bar.
Valentine would hear none of it. Why should he drink plasma when the lure of blood was so much sweeter? And it wasn't as if he'd killed the maid, or bartender for that matter even if his mother did not know about that one. His mother's arguments about the immorality of using people that way fell on deaf ears and his mother actually physically recoiled when he explained that the emotions and discomforts of mortals were things he no longer could take into consideration, and if she'd just let him turn her and dad they'd come to see things his way.
That's when he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had to leave. And so he told his mother as much, breaking her heart in the process.
As she left the room he stood for a moment, looking around it. He'd made this room his sanctuary since they've moved here, but now he was going elsewhere. At once he was saddened that his parents would not go with him on this journey, on the other hand he was excited for what lay ahead.
That night, after packing his belongings, he made sure to eat up before leaving town, travelling entirely by night, first to Tartosa, and then by car into the deep mountains to the north, finding the address he had been given by the count.
The house was everything he could dream of. Large and imposing and his host Louis Ambrose greeted him in the hallway and explained that he would be his primary teacher.
"Great! When can we start?"
"To-morrow." Louis Answered. "As you will need to rest before then. The sun is nearly risen, my beloved has already retired for the day. At dusk our training will begin."
As a loyal husband, Lois, who needs but a little to no sleep as longa as he meditates, stand gard over his wife who needs a more sound sleep than he does and have lost the ability to sleep in a bed. During the day, their bedrooms stand unused.
Not so for Valentine, who prefers to sleep in a bed still. The idea of a coffin, frankly, scares him. Before joining Lena, Louis shows him to his room. It's opulent, dark, decorated in a style that Valentine definitely approves of... and very, very blue. Valentine is not sure he likes the color palate as much as the style, but he cannot deny that he sleeps in comfort.
In the late afternoon he rises to find new clothing by his bed, and dressing in this more formal style he heads downstairs to the equally blue living room to meet Lena for the first time.
The three of them chat for a while and he learns that before they were turned, Louis was the third son of an aristocratic landowner from France, which meant he was intended for the military when he ran into a vampire who changed the course of his life, and Lena was a musician who had left her family to travel the US to perform at sold out venues, much to her parents shame and embarrassment of her parents.
"You cannot expect your family to understand the changes you are going through," she told him. "Nor to accept your choices. Your desire to turn your family, to have them join you in this life, is admirable but not likely. Not many are meant for this life, and most of us gave up contact with your birth families long before the drew their last breath."
"Lena is correct," Louis ads. "As for turning others, it should be done with discrimination and thoughtful consideration, which is why you as a novice do not yet possess the power. Your sire should have taken greater care in preparing you for the change before you and made sure you were informed of such matters."
"But I asked him to turn me."
"It was within his power to turn you down," Louis scoffed. "As you will turn down many of those who ask you. This life is not for everyone and Vatore should know as much."
"Not a fan?"
"We should never speak ill of our own," Louis said, thereby ending the conversation. Valentine doesn't prod, having a feeling that Louis would not appreciate it. He wouldn't normally care, but Louis is supposed to teach him what it means to be a vampire, and so it is in his best interest to behave and as if he could read his mind (could he?) Louis turned to him with a "Shall we begin?"
Moving out into the hallway, where there is more room, Louis begins his instructions, and over the weeks to come those instructions become more and more intense. At first it's merely a demonstration of powers, then Valentine is supposed to try them for himself, then there is sparing which leaves Valentine aching in muscles he did not know he possessed.
But at the same time, they instruct him in other matters. Lena tells him how to grow plants that might be of help to him at times, and Louis takes it on himself to improve Valentine's piano skills. "So that we are spared those horrible attempts at slaughtering music," as he puts it.
But most importantly, Lena and Louis teach him where and how to hunt. He learns that the local lounge often get mortal visitors looking for an adventure, and that there is a higher chance of finding willing subjects. It's an easy way to find a fresh supply of food, and the bartender is skilled at preparing plasma drinks if one is out of luck with finding willing mortals.
"Is it a rule that you always have to have permission?" Valentine asks, remembering how sweet it felt to take what was not given.
"Of course not," Lena answers, making Louis smile. "Sometimes the thrill of the hunt is sweeter than the blood they offer."
And so the three head into Tartosa, where Valentine is a little lost at yet another bar while he observes Louis and Lena hunt.
"Whether you drink in public or in private depends on the setting," Lena explains. "If what you are doing could be mistaken for seduction, people will not so much as glance in your general direction, but if you are uncertain, luring your pray to a more secluded area - or to your house - is a wiser approach."
Of course with Lena and Louis, both are so jealous that any amount of flirting, even for the purpose of hunting, lead to weeks - if not months - of arguing. The two of them have learnt to be swifter in their hunt, and find their excitement with each other. Sometimes to the annoyance of Valentine as he comes to them to ask about something he's read. Those are the days where studies are done alone, in whatever room the two of them are not in.
As time passes, Valentine learns quite like Louis and Lena, almost as much as he is getting tired of the color blue. Must the entire house be blue? Really? But so comes the day when he is formally invited to meet the count. Finally!
He meets them outside his manor house, one large enough to put the Ambrose manor to shame.
Once inside, Valentine feels instantly at ease. Now this was something other than blue.
The count takes the time to ask him about his training, and his progress.
And when he learns of his musical interest, takes the time to teach him the basics of playing an organ, rather than a piano.
For Valentine the visit is too short, but the count assures him that he will be allowed to return on another occasion. "With Lena's condition I think it is wise if I oversee some of your training myself," he adds.
"Lena's condition?"
"She has not told you she is with child?"
"Vampires can have kids?"
"Of course! When we sire someone that is our child, but we can sometimes create them the mortal way as well," Count Vlad confirms. "But there is always a risk that the child is not of pure blood, but a mere mortal. But Lena is strong in her powers so I am sure that is a misfortune that will not fall upon them."
Valentine doesn't know what to make of this information, but as Lena and Louis has not told him of the child yet, he decides it's best not to mention it to them. He wonders if he will be allowed to stay in the house once their child is born, or if he will be put up with someone else. Perhaps even the count himself? He doesn't know if that thought terrifies him or excites him. Either way he does like the prospect of learning more from the count himself. He is certain he will become stronger if he does.
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