Grim Or Grin

Chapter 21: A Walk

Chapter 21: A Walk

We, Cole/Daemon and I, were seated in Zen's office, which was a completely plain white room. His black working table was placed directly opposite the door with an equally black swivel chair. Atop it sat a few thin files of documents and a wide, probably touch screen computer. There was also a wireless mouse and keyboard.

The room could have won the 'plainest room in the world' award, save for the crimson stains that dotted the place eerily. It looked like someone had been stabbed and the spray of blood had splattered the white surroundings. What was missing was the cadaver, weapon and the puddle of blood from the victim.

"Right, about myself. I am technically a vampire," Zen started. 'Technically?' I questioned inwardly as my brain was being invaded by ridiculous facts from vampires having no mirror images in 'Dracula' to the glittering thingy in 'Twilight'. "Technically because I only follow the definition in the crude way, as a 'blood-sucker'. Besides the non-retractable 'fangs' -" he air quoted fang" - I am essentially a human with slightly above average physique."

"What about the red hair and eyes?" I asked. His hair and irises were an unnatural shade of crimson. It looked more like he had dyed his hair and worn contact lenses.

"I just dyed my hair and wore contacts," he replied, confirming my thoughts. "It's just to make it obvious that I'm either a vampire or a vampire fanatic although the latter is more common."

"Were you designed to be a vampire?" Cole probably asked. Daemon and Cole still were not very used to a switch in... Personalities? I suppose that was the right way to describe it. Daemon would probably be taking a break now since Cole usually took charge in the day on weekdays.

"Yes. A few 'creations', so to speak, are designed by my father, Etsuko. In fact, you two have already met two of them besides me - Dee Dee and the sheep but the sheep are machines though." 'Dee Dee is a creation?' I thought in surprise. But it did make sense. A little girl of her age, ten-ish or so, in charge of this faction. She was made for the job and it probably had not stopped there. She had to be trained psychologically for the job.

"Lyla, focus!" Pam yelled, pulling me out of my recollection. Pam had agreed to mentor us with no challenge at all. It may seem like she was bias but if she was, her reason for accepting us without issuing a task - "The task is only for recruits I don't really know." - did not show that.

We were at the same place where the first stage was held at but in place of the white dome is the sky with some trees around. A field with a simple oval track was the floor and the enclosed so called fighting ring was gone. The place felt a lot like it would outside with a gentle breeze, high humidity and the warm afternoon sun. I had figured out that there were control panels to this thing, making it quite literally, a multipurpose hall.

"Sorry," I apologised and focused on my training. 'Right leg, right arm, left leg, left arm,' I chanted mentally. I had to be honest that this was hard. And what was it that I was actually doing? I was training to walk. Yes, walking. Instead of walking the usual way with your left leg and right arm and then vice versa, I was training to walk using a Japanese martial arts form that Pam had called, 'nanba akiri'.

According to her, nanba akiri was an energy efficient means of moving and it involved less twisting compared to normal walking. The reduced amount of twisting also attributed to greater balance and quieter movement, her speciality.

I completed my round of walking using nanba akiri without making a mistake finally and began to jog as per her instruction which was much harder. There were several things I needed to keep track of - how I landed my feet and moving both my left limbs and then right limbs in synchrony.