A shrill alarm and a strobe light awoke me suddenly. I bolted upright, or tried to, and bashed my head on the lid of my coffin. I pushed the button to open the lid and crawled out, rubbing my head. The sleep had been anything but restful, owing to the fact that I was mildly claustrophobic. I changed into a fresh uniform and headed for the surface. Just before I climbed the steps, Alucard, or rather Alucard's head and shoulders, floated upside-down from the ceiling. I yelped and jumped back in shock.
"Did you sleep well, Freshmeat?" Alucard asked.
"About as well as anybody can in a box," I replied timidly
"Well, sleepy-time is over. My master has ordered me to oversee your training since Police Girl is out on a mission." The rest of him appeared from the ceiling and he righted himself before touching the floor. "Follow me to the practice range."
We got to the target range and stopped at a weapons closet. Alucard flung open the doors and I was greeted by the widest array of weapons I had ever seen.
"Go ahead and choose whatever you want," Alucard ordered.
The room was roughly fifty feet square with every available space occupied by tools of war. One wall held pistols, another had rifles, and the other boasted assault weapons. Scattered racks held other weapons like explosives and swords. I browsed for a bit, awed by the variety that would put any collector to shame. I finally decided on a .50 caliber semi-automatic pistol, an 8-gauge shotgun, and an enormous greatsword.
"Interesting choices, Freshmeat," Alucard commented.
We set trudged to the target range and I loaded the pistol. I took careful aim and squeezed the trigger. What Alucard had neglected to tell me was how to brace myself for recoil. As the bullet left the barrel, the force of the shot launched my right hand, gun and all, directly into my forehead. I grunted in pain and dropped the gun. Alucard laughed out loud.
"Freshmeat, if nothing else you're good for a laugh," Alucard snickered.
"Forget the pistol then. I'll try the shotgun instead," I grumbled.
I flipped the break action open and loaded both barrels with a shell. I closed the gun and nestled it snugly against my shoulder. I was somewhat skilled with shotguns so I did better with this weapon. After I had practiced for half-an-hour, I started practicing with the greatsword. Alucard told me to attack him, but no matter how hard I tried, he kept evading my strikes.
"Come on Freshmeat, at least try to hit me. I don't have a sword to parry and you still can't connect. What's your problem?" he barked.
"How can I hit you if you're always three seconds ahead of me?" I asked
"You still attack like a human. Move like a shadow, not a man," he ordered.
"What's that supposed to mean anyway?"
"Well, I suppose you need to be more familiar with your vampiric nature before you can fully understand what I'm talking about. Let me show you what I mean; Releasing Control Art Restriction System to level five," Alucard intoned. The sky turned red and I could feel hundreds of eyes watching me. Once I got used to the general creepiness of the situation I looked back at Alucard. "Now, attack me again Freshmeat."
I dashed forward in a zigzag pattern and slashed at Alucard's chest. Before the sword was even close, Alucard simply disappeared. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around just in time to see a gloved fist smash into my nose.
"You rely on your eyes far too much. Illusion and enchantment are two of a vampire's greatest strengths. Use your sixth sense to predict where I will be. Sight is still important however, use your Third Eye to look for ways I can get there," he instructed.
As soon as I could see clearly again, I picked up my sword and attacked again, trying, in vain, to sense my teacher. Time after time I was struck down by a blow I couldn't even sense coming. My biggest achievement was avoiding Alucard's last punch before he called the session to a close.
As I replaced the weapons in the room they came from a pleasant feeling came over me. I didn't know what it was but it suddenly came to me; Mistress was coming back! I dashed back through the mansion as fast as I could until I got to the main hall. When she finally trudged in the door, I could see and sense that she was incredibly fatigued. I rushed over to relieve her of the enormous case she was carrying in her right hand.
"Mistress, are you alright? Are you hurt?" I asked worriedly.
"No, I'm fine; I'm just exhausted," she replied.
"Well, let me help you back to your room so you can rest," I offered.
"No, I'm fine," she refused.
She marched to the staircase that led to the cellar and marched down. I saw the sky beginning to lighten and decided it was time for me to rest as well. I opened the door to my room and walked towards my coffin. I looked at my table and saw a bucket of ice much like the one Mistress had the previous night. I looked inside and saw a small pouch labeled MEDICAL BLOOD nestled inside. I reached for it hungrily. My door clanged shut and I awoke as if from a trance. Realizing what I had almost done, I threw the bucket against the far wall. I almost drank human blood! And what's worse, I think I would've enjoyed it!
"You would've. You're just like Police Girl; refusing to accept what you have become. She hardly ever drinks; that's why she was so fatigued. The same will happen to you if you insist on this idiocy," Alucard's voice reverberated through the room.
He stood in front of my door with a look of scorn on his face.
"Can you read my mind too?" I asked hotly.
"A blind human could see what you were thinking Freshmeat."
"Can you really blame me? It's just so . . ."
"Shut up and go to sleep. What's with today's vampires?" he trailed off and marched through my door without opening it. I shook my head, climbed into my coffin, and fell asleep before the lid was closed.