Codex Vampiric: Volume 1

22. Training

Robin followed Isadora into her backyard. It was dark out now. The only thing lighting the area was her porchlight and the silver crescent moon in the navy blue sky.

"I hope you brought your dagger." She said as she slid the kitchen door closed behind them.

"Yeah, I did. It's a little dark out here though I'm not sure how well I'll be able to train."

He turned around to see her point her finger and trace a symbol. With each line she created, a glowing mark appeared in the air until a complete picture of a star was formed.

"Epekteínoun." She stated and the image began to grow larger and larger. She flicked her finger upward and the symbol began to float higher and higher. It stopped and glowed brighter, lighting the area.

Robin watched with big eyes and mouth agape. "Incredible. I didn't know you had this kind of power."

"I'm old, and I've picked up a little magic in my time. Magic is not something I use often though. I'm quite sparing."

"I see. But, wait won't people see...?" He pointed at the star.

She shook her head. "No. I have enchantments over my house. They're similar to those placed on Avalon bar. What happens in my yard is not perceivable to mortals standing outside my boundaries."

Robin smiled. "Cool. I guess I'm ready to begin training then." He pulled his dagger from his backpack, then set it down. He looked up to see she was gone.

"I should hope you're ready. I may be easy going but I've been told I'm quite the strict teacher."

He turned around to see her standing behind him pointing her dagger at him with a smile.

"Really? By who?"

"Tristan." She replied and swung at him unexpectedly.

Robin staggered backward narrowly avoiding having his throat slit.

He dropped his dagger and put his hand to his throat panting breathlessly.

"Whoa..."

She pursed her lips and ran her finger along the edge of her blade. "Hm, we need to work on your reflexes."

"But I wasn't even expecting you to start attacking..."

"Exactly. I was testing to see where you're at in your reaction time. These are important things to know. When a vampire attacks you they will make sure your defenses are as low as possible before they strike." She gestured her dagger at him.

"A vampire slayer never leaves their defenses down. They are prepared for danger at all times. Part of your training is going to involve learning to anticipate being attacked."

"I think what Tristan meant to say was you're intense."

On the outside Isadora just seemed like a sweet girl but she was pretty scary once you got to know her. This wasn't the first time he thought he was going to die by her hand.

She laughed and brushed her hair back with her fingers. "Yes, I am."

"Right, good, don't go easy on me." He picked up his dagger and pointed it at her ready for anything.

She grinned. "I wasn't planning to."

There it was again. A sweet smile accompanied by vicious eyes. Was he going to survive this training? At this point, he wasn't sure.

"First things first. We're going to work on your ability to block and dodge. Vampires are swift. They can shift into a shadow and climb along the walls and floor. Don't bother trying to attack them in this state, it's futile. But there is an advantage to be found. They have to shift back in order to attack you. But you need to become fast enough to catch them when they shift back into a tangible form."