“I'm sorry
your princess is in another castle!”
The Iliad
and the Odyssey*
Today's the
second “episode” of the Vampiric Talents series of flash
fictions. As I said it would be posted nice and early. I know not all
of you read this daily so be sure to read episode 1 that was posted
yesterday or re-read it if your unfamiliar. Here's a link to a page
with episode for email subscribers who deleted/lost/didn't get
episode 1 or anyone who can't scroll down to it.
http://langdonflashfictions.blogspot.com/2012/08/todays-flash-fiction-vampiric-talents.html
I'll post links
to pages with all previous episodes whenever I post a new one.
Vampiric
Talents Episode 2: Cordell Meets The Werewolves
I sneaked back
into the place where the violinist had performed. Someone had taken
the map to The Diox Cross. It was hopeless. I didn't know where to
go. And a vampire can't simply ask for directions. Many humans wonder
how much they can get for a vampire head when see one where they
live. I wasn't fortunate enough to be inside political borders. I
left vampire country awhile ago. I was afraid because of my stupid
mistake of draining the violinist's talent with my vampire fangs I
wouldn't be able to drain the ability I needed to save her.
I couldn't just
wander around. If I went the wrong way I would get even further away
and I knew if I went the right way and made good time I could get
there in a week. If I don't then I'll be there when the moon is
much larger in the sky. Worst case scenario being a full moon. Which is
the most dangerous time for vampires. Because of the werewolves.
“Oh Sir
Werewolves, thank you for coming here!” I heard a human woman's
voice say from my hiding place in the alleyway. Werewolves? I didn't
even have to speak about something to jinx it? I just had to think
about it? Crap. “There's a vampire here! He's already stolen
someone's most valuable talent. She was a marvelous musical prodigy.
It was horrible.”
“Don't
worry.” I heard a gruff voice say. I could hear the dog-like
spittle in his speaking that accompanied werewolves speaking even in
human form. “We will kill him. What did he look like?”
The human voice
responded. “He was a young vampire. Couldn't be more than twenty
two or twenty three sir. He's got black hair and bright green eyes.
I'd say they were nice but I'd hate to compliment a vampire. Oh, he's
wearing a thin, white jacket and blue pants. Yeah. That's the weird
part. The jacket was just buttoned up completely. I don't think I saw
a shirt underneath when I saw the jacket collar. Why?”
The werewolf
responded to her, “It's all heat and sunlight regulation. Believe
it or not the beasts are delicate monsters. Even if a vampire is
damaged by sunlight we're comfortable with they need their own amount
of heat and exposure to light. He can't tear open and sow back a
shirt, but he can unbutton and button a jacket all day. Thank you for
that detail ma'am. That will help us identify him better.”
I didn't know
how many werewolves the human was talking to. But it didn't matter.
One or a million werewolves are always bad news. They hunt us
vampires for a living and fun. They get stronger the moon is exposed
in the sky. They get more hair and they get their own fangs as it
becomes full. Well not technically. It doesn't magically appear. It's
already in their body. The hair that “grows” out is already in
their body. It just sprouts out. The fangs are also are just
elongated incisors. Growing hair actually requires the werewolf to
grow through puberty. (And female werewolves have less hair come
out). Really their “power” comes from an adrenaline rush of sorts
that changes their body temporarily. Werewolves don't actually have tails. Except for the few more savage cultures in the far, far northern parts of the world that sow ones taken from real wolves onto their lower backs. When I heard about that I couldn't sleep for a week.
My father tried
to explain it too me that the werewolves are supposed to be nocturnal
and their body uses the amount of light in the sky to trigger their "transformation".
When the sun is out that's too much light. Complete blackness like a
dark room is too little. But the moon provides the degree that body
says “this is the right amount of adrenaline” from the amount of
light from the moon. The full moon hits the adrenaline limit. I've
never seen it but apparently there are little photo sensors on a
werewolf in their skin. Hit them right and it's supposed to hurt them
a lot. The sensors distinguish between natural and artificial light
too. He told me they also have something at the bottom of their neck
that detects the pull of the moon's gravity so that they don't change
if cloud cover or something else makes it as dark as night. He said
if you hit the neck you can mess with their transformation. That's
all I remember that my father told me.
Sure a vampire
can go out a night. But that's when a werewolf gets their power. So
take your chances. That's why we go out during the day despite our
weakness to intense sunburns. It's when the werewolves are weaker.
It's easier to see too of course. We have about the same sensory
abilities as you. Though I think vampires have better taste senses I
think. Lotta good that'll do you fighting werewolves though. Honestly
I'm surprised evolution created something as odd as us vampires and
that we lived through it.
Although we
can time our travels right we can avoid the moon cycles how we want.
I want to get to The Diox Cross on a night without a large moon. Or
even worse...a full moon. Werewolves actively hunt us to the point of
recklessness. The adrenaline rush can really go to their head. They
only get real good self control when their adults and that's if they
try. But during the daytime they're just like humans and vampires in
physically. However their truth strength then comes from their
ruthlessness.
“I know I
gave you a description. But... how do we know you'll get the
vampire?” asked the human voice.
The werewolf
then responded. “Simple. We'll do a fang check. I'm not sure if you
know citizen, but vampires grow their fangs in places different from
even us werewolves when we change. We'll check the mouths of every
person in your lovely little town until we find the vampire. We'll go
day and night until we find him. Then we'll shoot him. Simple as
that.”
Crud. Crud.
Crud. Crud. Even if I tried to hide my fangs while talking they would just
force my mouth open. I'm dead. Dead! If only the map was still there
when I checked earlier. I would have already left this town before
they even finished this conversation! But no! Now I'm stuck and
probably dead!
“Finally!”
someone said from behind me. I jumped. “I've been looking for you
everywhere vampire! Your my ticket out of this crummy town.”
I turned to see
a human. It was a teenage girl. Her skin was a mellow bronze. Her
tin-gray irises looked painted on her eyes and her brown hair had
been so lazily done it looked like a mop had been dumped on her head.
She looked innocent at first in her long green skirt and simple green
shirt. But she was confidently holding a pistol. And anyone holding a
gun is a problem. And when your a vampire humans do not have the same
issues they have with humans.
“Are you
going to kill me for the vampire bounty?” I asked. Vampires in
general had a bounty. And now that the town wanted me I think I must
be worth even more than a normal passerby vampire.
She laughed.
“No. I have a much better plan. A way to get much more money. For both of us.
You're going to pretend to take me hostage. Demand 100,000 in cash in
a nice aluminum suitcase. Then say that you're going to release me
when we leave town. I saw your map. Take me to where your going and
we'll split the cash when we get there.”
I looked at her
awkwardly. “You've really thought this through haven't you? But
couldn't you get a job a instead?”
“I did think
this through. This is get out of crummy town plan #54. And I'm not
getting a job here. For a teenager like me in this little town all
we've got is farming. Carrots. And only carrots. People call this
place Ashenburg. But I call it the Carrothole. If you go north all
you will find is our carrot fields for miles and miles.” She looked
tired just talking about them. I think she must have lived her entire
life around carrots. “And don't get nervous. The gun isn't loaded.
But that I can always scream for the werewolves and tell them it
isn't loaded if you don't play along.”
I sighed. “You
really thought this through.”
She shrugged. “I
really don't like this crummy town.”
“Right...”
I pulled out my umbrella and opened it. “Well it is the only way
I'm going to get out of this mess. Hand me the gun.”
“You really
are that sensitive to sunlight?” She handed me the gun and I
grabbed her by the forearm. “Really? By the forearm? Are you some
politically correct kids cartoon where a girl can't get hit by a
stiff breeze? You're the evil vampire taking me hostage.
Wrap your arm around my neck leaving just enough room for me to
breathe, talk and realistically struggle if I need to. Geez. Thought
vampires were supposed to be scary.” I wrapped my arm around
the girl. I wonder how the girl would so confidently ask me do such a
thing. Is she nuts? But I could strangle her. Honestly I've never
killed a human being. So I wouldn't kill her. I was raised not to
think that way. Some vampires are.
“So if this
is 'get out of crummy plan #54 what are the others?”
She frowned.
“Many I haven't had the chance to do. I've planned more than #54.
This is just the first time a vampire like you came through so I had a chance to do it now.
Every other one I tried failed. I was so close with #30. I lit the barn on
fire. I stole the banjo. I got my cat ready. I just couldn't get Mr.
Daniels to agree to help. He's our little town's crime boss. He
agreed when I first proposed it but had second thoughts when I
explained what the banjo was for after I finished the first part.”
I looked at her
baffled. “W-what kind of plan was that?”
She then
replied, “Well see it's an insurance fraud scheme and...you know
what never mind! we need to go now before the werewolves start
searching and notice us planning. Now grab me tight! But not too
tight.” I'm glad she didn't finish explaining. I think I'm better
off not knowing how plan #30 worked.
I leaped out of
the alleyway with my, um, “hostage”. I pointed her gun at her
head. I forgot to ask where she had gotten the gun. That's a question
for later. Not sure if I would like the answer though. When I came
out of the alleyway I saw that there were five werewolves with the
human. I was glad I went along with her plan. I held my umbrella to
shield me from the sun in the same arm I wrapped around her neck.
“Alright
werewolves!” I yelled. “I don't want any trouble. I just want
100,000 in cash in an aluminum suitcase then I'll leave town and
release my hostage and you'll never have to see me again.
Understood?”
“We
understand your demands....? Sir...?” They asked. Uh, oh. The girl
never told me an alias to use to throw them off. She then whispered
something into my ear and I repeated it without thinking
unfortunately.
“Count
Genocide.” I blurted out.
The werewolves
looked at each other baffled curious they then asked. “What's your
first name?”
I just said the
first thing that came to head to make sure I didn't say whatever she
suggested. “Edward. I'm Count Edward Genocide. Now just get me the
money or this girl will become very familiar with bullets. I can
strangle her too. I actually want to do that right now.” I glared
at her.
“We
understand!” The werewolves said. I noticed they were all young.
There's a funny a thing about werewolves. No matter how ruthless they
are they have a bureaucratic hierarchy to create who is their alpha
dog. I bet they all wanted to kill me. But if they screwed up it
would reflect on their records and would risk in them becoming the
alpha dog in their pack. “We will get the money from the mayor
immediately.” They scurried away. The money came rather quickly. I
was expecting negotiations. I was expecting delay.
“Now leave. I
don't know how long it will take for me to get a comfortable distance
away. But I assure you I will be violent if I have to. Hand the
money to the girl. She will carry it so I can still keep my arm
around her neck and the gun to her too. Now if you'll excuse me we'll
be on our way out of town. Budge an inch and I may start strangling
her.”
It took forever
to scoot out of town while facing the werewolves and keeping up the
charade.
“Yes! I'm
glad that worked! We should get moving soon now that you don't have
to hold me.” She was laughing and smiling and throwing her arms in
the air. “I'm finally out of there!”
I looked at
her. “I just wonder how the money got to us so quick. It was like
it was already waiting.”
She laughed.
“Oh. It already was. Dad's in on it too.”
I then asked
her with a puzzled look, “Dad?”
“Oh yeah! My
Dad's the mayor. The good ol' sneaky mayor that screws over people
and rigs elections if he can. I help him get pity votes whenever I
get sick. He taught me all the tricks and helped me come up with a
few of my schemes. He's the one that introduced me to Mr. Daniels the
crime boss for plan #30 too.” She smiled. “He says he wants to
teach me to be ambitions like him. I told him plan #54 when I came up
with it a few months ago. He even knows the name Count Genocide. No
loss on us. It's the taxpayer money. He convinced the people to make
a ransom fund a long time ago. It's got a million in it
though. So no need to worry. We didn't take everything. It can still
be used for actual incidents. And even though Dad is corrupt he
promised he would never embezzle more than 20% himself.” Then she
mumbled, “Though did he mean 20% before or after we have taken from
it? Guess it doesn't really matter to us.”
“You are an
evil, evil person.” I told her.
She huffed.
“Says the monster that steals people's talents and abilities.”
I yelled at
her, “That's only because I can't learn anything on my own!”
She looked at
me confused. “What do you mean?”
I then said to
her, “Vampires can't learn anything on there own. We have long term
memory problems. We can remember things like addresses and names and
events. I'll remember the events of today but I can't learn things on
my own. I stole my ability to play violin. I stole my ability to
paint. I stole my ability read. I stole my ability write. I stole my
ability to tie my shoes.” I clenched my fist. “Everything
I have has to be stolen by my fangs. At least you can choose to be a
thief.”
“I didn't
know.” She frowned. “I'm so sorry.”
“I'm not
surprised.” I told her, “It doesn't benefit the human leaders if
you pity us. Now you wanted to head with me to where I was going. I'm
going to The Diox Cross.”
“I saw your
map.” She smiled. “To be honest I'm the one who stole your map
after you left!”
“Y-you!” I
clicked my fangs. Maybe I should take a talent from her out of spite.
Then again I could be tainted by her rottenness.
She smiled even
wider. “What can I say? I really wanted to get out of this
crummy town. Besides I already know the way there from a few
political trips Dad took. He took the longer way so I'm not sure I
can take the shortcuts your map had before I tore it up.”
“You tore it
up!?” I yelled at her.
She sighed. “I
really wanted to get out of this crummy town. I couldn't have
you leaving without going along with my plan no matter what. And it
worked!” She said as she held up the 100,000 in cash in its
aluminum we got from the werewolves.
“This is just
a game to you isn't it? I need to get there as quickly as possible
and that map had the quickest way!” My rage was building.
“What's so
important that you need to get there so quickly? Besides getting away
from the werewolves that is?” She asked me.
“There's this
girl. No she's not my girlfriend. She's more than some girlfriend.
She's my best friend that I've had since I was four. We're like
brother and sister. No. We're more than brother and sister. And
there's a talent in that city I need to save her. And your little
game could have just gotten her killed!”
“I-I didn't
know.” She replied awkwardly holding the ransom money.
“Of course
you didn't! You humans never know. All you humans and werewolves know
is bullets and how to fire when you see fangs.” And I wanted to
sink my fangs into her just taking every talent of worth out of her.
Maybe I should take her talent for scheming. Just to make sure she
can't use it again. Though I wouldn't want to be tempted to use it
myself.
She cried a
little. “I feel so stupid now. Let me help you. I'll still go to
The Diox Cross. But instead just setting up my own place with my part
of the money I'll help you get that talent. We'll use the money to
help you get it. Not sure how much it'll help. Let's keep the gun just in
case you need to take me hostage again. Nobody told me those things
about vampires. Then again I can see why they wouldn't want us
pitying you. Let me make up to you destroying your map.” She then
gave out a weak smile. “What's your real name Count Edward
Genocide?”
“Cordell.
What's yours?” I asked her.
“A-” She
then stopped herself. “I'm sorry I really don't like my real name.
Could you please just call me Jennifer?”
I smiled at her
showing both my fangs. “Alright Jennifer. I expect you to work hard
to make up for tearing up my map.” My best friend always told me to
give people second chances so I'll give Jennifer one. And maybe
she'll make my journey getting to The Diox Cross easier than it would
have been alone with just some map
Tomorrow:
Vampiric Talents Episode 3: Cordell Meets The Vampire Hunter
This work is
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