Chapter 2 - Training

"No going back now…"

"I WANT TO GO BACK!"

"You cannot Larten…you will live in this torture forever…"

"NO! It's not real this is just a dream!"

"No. It is real, this is your life now! Get used to it!"

Larten Crespley woke with a start. Cold sweat ran down his head. He looked up and saw the hard wood of the Coffin he was sleeping in. He sighed, He'd been a vampire for 3 months now…was that it, he'd been worked had by Seba, even though he didn't have to learn everything from scratch.

He slowly reached the side of the coffin and looked out. The night had come. He jumped out and looked around the place. It was all clear and ran over to Seba's coffin to wake him.

Though Larten hadn't aged, if anyone he knew from his hometown saw him know they would gape. He was covered from head to toe from bruises and scars caused by Seba's vigorous training methods. He had a red cloak round his shoulders, which had belonged to Seba, and was to big for him. Underneath the cloak was a black T-shirt and black trousers, he walked in bare feet to make them ready for the dangerous trek to Vampire Mountain. Larten had a lot of boundless energy, and apparently according to Seba, had a furious temper and was one of the most stubborn men he'd ever met.

Apart from Seba Nile, he had not met another vampire yet, he'd complained about it, but Seba his mentor reassured him that he would meet plenty soon enough. Larten knocked three times on the coffin door, then the elder vampire sat up and smiled at him.

"Evening master Larten…" said Seba and as agile as his student had been got out of his own coffin.

"Seba…" said Larten politely. "How shall I be tortured in the ways of vampirism today?" he said sarcastically.

"Funny…" said Seba smartly. "How about we feed first…then we'll do some more sword training."

Larten nodded weakly. He was not in his hometown, but he still found it hard to feed off other human's blood even though he was no longer fully a human himself.

Seba noticed the discomfort, "I know you don't like it…but we haven't got a choice, soon you will learn to understand it and be able to just take the blood with no question...the grief passes…"

Larten nodded. "I know…" he said. "I just need to get used to it!" he said and sighed.

Seba smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Come Master Larten…Lets go…" and the two vampires headed to get there most reliable energy source…blood.

***

The feeding had long gone passed and Seba watched Larten in his training, the man was good, no doubts there, he was a born vampire it was obvious, it was as though destiny brought the man to become one of the vampires. Seba sighed though as he watched the man in the moonlight trying to hit the target on the tree he had personally set him.

"I see your struggling." Said Seba worriedly as he watched the sweat pour down Larten's face as he looked at the tree he was using as a target to slice in half.

"I'm fine." Said the boy determinedly facing the vampire.

"Do you want to learn to fight well or not?" said Seba honestly. Larten smirked.

"I can fight just fine…" he said stubbornly.

"You're hitting everything but the target. A very human way of sword fighting." Laughed Seba and Larten nodded fairly.

"Well we were all human once!" Said Larten laughing as he watched Seba walk over.

"Let me show you the vampire way…" said Seba.

"You mean your way," said Larten smugly.

"Pretty much, but I have taught many, and many have used the technique."

"So show me then." Said Larten smiling. "How do you fight the "Seba Nile" way"

"A style of it's own, just like you." Seba then placed his cold hands on Larten's and moved them up the sword. He let go.

"That is where you should hold your sword. They are not light. Now close your eyes and twirl it steadily."

Larten nodded without argument and did as he was told. "Don't speak at all just twirl the sword and listen don't stop twirl the sword listen."

Seba remembered being told the words years ago.

"To wield a sword is a hard task. Some people say that a sword is just the weapon that saves you.

That's a lie. That is what a sword does. That sword in your hand is your lifeline; it's your best friend and your worst enemy. It could be your servant and obey your every move. It could be your master taking you on a journey, your only hope or your final chance.

However, that still does not answer the question what is a sword. A sword is the weapon that gives you freedom. Don't speak at all just twirl the sword and now when I say and I want you to move spin your sword round and hit me.

NOW!"

Larten had a thud as his sword sliced through the air. He opened his eyes to see Seba standing beside the tree, which he had sliced clean in half.

"I did it!" said Larten happily. "How the hell did I do that?"

"Yes you did good. You'll get much better the more in touch the more you feel the sword in your grip in your control. Then you'll be able to do it without pause like I could."

"You are very arrogant aren't you!" said Larten and Seba went to whack him round the head but Larten ducked and laughed "OK! OK! I will try to get this right… thanks Seba," said Larten.

"You are my assistant, it is my vow to teach you until you are ready for full vampirism."

Larten sighed. "Will I ever be ready."

"In time and training you will…" said the mentor and he smiled. "Come on boy…we have a few hours. I want you to do what you just did again!"

Larten groaned and then smiled. "Whatever you say…so once I beat you can I call you my assistant…"

"I can hurt you…" growled Seba,

"I can hurt you too!" said Larten spitefully and then without warning Larten was attacked in a flash by the stronger vampire, and being tickled was not laughter when your being tickled by a vampire with long sharp nails…

"NO STOP! STOP IT SEBA! NO IT HURTS!" He cried out in a mixture of pain and laughter, which rolled through the night amongst the sounds of Seba's booming laughter, till the very midst of dawn.

***