Chapter Six - Initiation
#1 of Malachai Backstory
Chapter Six - Initiation
D inner turned out to be more satisfying than what he had at The Hideout the previous day, Julius quickly stating that it was fresher, before Malachai could even mention it. He wondered why he would be cut off in this manner, something he kept to himself for the time being. Once they had finished, the two of them, plus Vlad and Yap, headed, back through the main hallway, turning right and up a spiral staircase. At the top Julius unlocked an old wood and steel framed door with a hefty skeleton key, leading the group into what turned out to be his bedroom.
T hey were on the second from the top floor of a tower, the room being big enough for twice the body count now occupying it, without being crowded. It was perfectly round, with no windows, and on the opposite wall from where they entered was an oblong shaped bed, big enough for two, and somehow contoured perfectly as if a part of the wall. There was a couch on the right hand side of the room, while on the opposite wall sat an old wooden desk, older than he could guess. In the center was a round glass table, with a vase of different colored roses in it. Above that, in the center of the ceiling, was what looked like a round door.
E veryone took up places on the couch, Malachai and Julius near the bed, Vlad next the then with Yap on the end. Malachai took this separation from the rest of the castle as an opportunity to ask, Earlier, why did you cut me off when I tried to mention where we were last night? Julius hesitated momentarily, before answering, The three of us, me Vlad and Yap, are the only ones who know of The Hideout, keeping it a secret from the rest of the clan. Those who patronize it are either unaffiliated with any clan, or are with a small, neutral one. We use it not only as a source of income, but also a place to get away from the hectic, stressful environment here.
M alachai nodded, agreeing that everyone needs a place that's only theirs. Satisfied, he then asked, This place is beautiful, and I can't wait to be able to see it during the day. Speaking of, do you have another room, with windows? Julius nodded, I do, right above this one, if fact. The round door in the ceiling leads to it, but I'll have to wait to show you, at least for a few days. Now, we should go over what to expect in the test tomorrow, since you haven't had the opportunity others had to study. We'll start with theory, and later go down to the great hall to practice some abilities.
W ith the help of their friends, Julius went over a basic version of Vampiric history, with plenty of first-hand recounting from all three. Turns out Vampires had a hand in the history of mortals, fighting alongside them in every war, being the ones who started a few. They also created a large amount of bloodshed during the dark ages, during which a clan tried to wipe out the Christians who hunted them years before. The hunting continued, though, well into the twentieth century. It was because of this that, years after they had met, Vladimir and Yap joined a group who took advantage of the mass migration to America.
V lad was already a vampire when he met Yap, a young child whose parents had been killed by assassins, luckily sparing his life. He would have died of starvation if he didn't end up in the town Vlad lived in at the time. Years after this, when he was old enough, Yap was turned, becoming fiercely loyal to his savior, and also a bodyguard of sorts. The hunting of Vampires was forbidden in America, since they helped overthrow the tyrannic British king, and also contributed to the creation of the states as they are today. Many battles over land, against the natives and Mexicans, were made easier with supernatural assistance.
A nother aspect that they hit on was the constant small fights between clans, usually low ranked soldiers proving themselves to their commanding officers. There were also larger scale fights every so often, usually once a millennia, over pieces of land that were unclaimed, of held by smaller clans. Sometimes these smaller clans hold their own, gaining the respect of the older clan. They then get approached with an offer for an alliance, which is how some of the older, bigger clans were formed, after the smaller clan leader overthrew the larger. Once this last bit was covered, Vlad and Yap retired to their own room, allowing Malachai and Julius to get some rest.
A fter the rest, the two headed back to the dining hall, for breakfast, where they were the only ones awake. They took their time, waiting for Vlad and Yap to join them, leaving through a set of doors opposite where they had entered. Heading down another hallway, at the end they headed right, going partway down another, before entering a room twice the size of the dining hall, with steps slowly twisting their way around the room, ending at a door many stories above. After taking in the grandness of the place, the group started training, beginning with one of the abilities Malachai couldn't wait to learn; Super speed. He realized, during the demonstration, that this is how Julius avoided being seen the first time they met, and how he got away so quick.
I t took a few tries, and after he had obtained quite a few bruises, but once he got the hang of it, he was speeding around the room like a natural. After that They tested his hearing control, each moving to different levels of the stairs, whispering different things, and asking him to repeat everything. This didn't take nearly as long to master, since he had plenty of practice. The last thing they practiced was some hand to hand combat, which was quite difficult, even with Julius and Vlad holding back, Yap standing out, not able to control his strength. All this training took quite a few hours, enough for everyone to build up quite the appetite. They went back to the dining hall, joining the same crowd from the previous night for lunch.
W hen they had all finished, they all headed to the great hall, which is where the test will take place. Once there, Malachai was led to a table set up near the far wall, where the first part of the test will be taken. It consisted of a multiple-choice, twenty-five question piece, covering everything he was told about the night before, with some practical stuff, that were common sense. He completed it with time to spare, to double check everything, and after that the proctor took the test. The proctor is the one who teaches the new recruits everything, in detail, as well as oversaw the training which was done by a group of Commanding Officers.
T he proctor quickly checked the answers to the test, giving it a passing grade, and motioning for the next part of the test to commence. An obstacle course was quickly assembled, through which Malachai had to move through, with super speed, within a time limit. He passed, just barely, moving onto the last part, an exact copy of the hearing practice, allowing him to pass it easily. Being praised by the proctor for his quick grasp on all knowledge, he indoctrinated Malachai into the clan, giving him the rank of Soldier, and passing him ever to the High Mages.
T he pair, John and Daniel, were easy to get along with, speeding the ring sizing along, but not being too pushy about it. After that, the pair headed out a side door, and coming back with a complete ring, and helping Malachai put it on. It fit perfectly, and was then spellbound, with a drop of Malachai's blood dropped on the stone. He thanked them, saying he hoped to speak with them at a later time, to which they agreed, saying they'd be happy too once things settled down. Julius then took him back out the way they came, heading back to their room.
I'm so proud of you, passing on your first try. Now, let's head up into the loft, and watch the sun rise. Julius said, to which Malachai agreed. The door in the ceiling lowered down, with a ladder sliding down with it. Climbing up, with Julius in the lead, the pair came out into an open air room, with the top of the tower above them, to protect them from rain. Sitting down in two of the cast iron chairs, the only things up there besides a pair of small tables, they leaned towards each other, waiting for the day to begin.