Born or Made

Chapter 2: Fangs

When Capry finally woke it was two days later. The first thing she saw was the creature in the cloak sitting in a chair next to her bed. Except he was no longer wearing the cloak. She realized with dismay that none of it had been a dream. She abruptly sat up and scooted into her pillows.

“Take a moment to gather yourself,” the creature said calmly. He wasn’t the friendliest looking person she had ever seen. She guessed he was easily six feet tall. He was blonde and covered in tattoos and what looked like dozens of old scars. They glistened like strings of silk had been sewn into them.

“W-Where am I?” Capry asked, realizing the room she was in didn’t look like any kind of hospital she had ever been in. She was a little scared that she had been kidn*pped and was now being held captive in this man’s basement. The brick walls were damp and covered in crawling vines. Everything about the room was earthy.

“We didn’t really get the opportunity to have a proper introduction,” the man began. “I’m Athanatos and this is Vhladévara. The Academy of Blood Sorcery.”

Capry stared at him with her mouth open. She thought there might have been more of an explanation in there somewhere but Athanatos had fallen short. “I don’t know what that is. Blood sorcery? What?”

She kept hearing a strange plucking sound.

Athanatos sat for a moment while she took in her surroundings. Capry checked her wrists and feet for ropes. She wasn’t bound to the bed. She was wracking her brain trying to remember what had happened after Athanatos took her from her home. She was also thinking about how she might escape.

“I know how this might look,” Athanatos tried again. He could tell Capry was really creeped out and he couldn’t blame her. So he worked on reassuring her. “But I was only doing my job. I’m not here to hurt you. It’s actually the opposite.”

“I would like to go home,” Capry requested.

“I really wish that was an option. You were brought here because you’re undergoing a transition and you need to be here,” he said. “With your own kind.”

Athanatos wished that there was someone else here. Anyone else to tell him the right words to say. The silence in the room was so thick he could almost see it. Two students walked past the open door and paused to peer at Capry curiously.

“This is an Academy?” she asked returning their gaze. “Like a school?”

“Yes,” Athanatos said.

“Why haven’t I ever heard of it?” she asked suspiciously. Athanatos noticed that she kept glancing around the room as though she were searching for something.

“Because it doesn’t exist where you're from,” he said simply. This conversation was progressing painfully slow. “This is a school for vampires, Miss Ramos. I’m a Bloodhound. When a newborn or fledgling such as yourself begins their transition, I’m notified and I have to come find you and bring you here to complete the change safely.”

“Vampires aren’t real” Capry said, shaking her head.

“Do you remember what happened the day I came for you?” Athanatos asked gently.

Capry turned a deep shade of pink so suddenly, Athanatos became concerned. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap and wouldn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she became very interested in the creeping vines that were growing along the wall.

The plucking sound continued steadily, occasionally interrupted by a sound that reminded Capry of someone sliding down a rope. And then the plucking would resume. Capry finally met Athanatos’ gaze sheepishly.

“Yes. I remember,” she said quietly.

Pluck, pluck, pluck.

“After you were removed from that residence, I had to go in and heal your friend,” Athanatos said. Capry felt a twinge of anxiety and guilt. “You see, when vampires bite, we release an anticoagulant that keeps the wound open so we can drink. It’s a chemical that doesn’t allow the blood to clot as it normally would. At first, you release it instinctually. You get a bitter salty taste in your mouth and maybe a little tingle in your jaw. That’s your saliva glands producing the anticoagulant. It also has some numbing properties that can make the experience pleasant for your host. But what you didn’t know, is that you have to close the wound with a separate chemical, also one you produce. Or it will keep bleeding at the rate you were drinking the blood. If you feed aggressively, and don’t heal your host, the host can bleed out rather quickly. Your friend wasn’t bleeding out quickly, but she potentially could have. Those are the kind of accidents we like to prevent. Which was one of the reasons this academy was brought into existence.”

Capry reached up and quickly wiped her tears away. “I didn’t mean to hurt her,” she sniffed a little. “I don’t even know why I did that. Or how. Or why I wanted to.”

“Which is why you need to be here. So you can better understand what you are. If you’re feeling up to it, I can show you around a bit,” Athanatos offered. “Perhaps get you something to eat?”

Capry nodded slowly. “Do you think I could change my clothes?” she asked, looking down at the thin gown she was wearing. She was further embarrassed when she remembered this man or vampire or whatever he was had found her on her roof, wearing nothing but her undergarments. The same undergarments she was still wearing.

“I’ll tell Healer Ivy to fetch you some clothing. What size do you think you wear?” he asked. Athanatos knew nothing of female attire. He didn’t want to make assumptions.

“I’m a small,” Capry murmured looking very uncomfortable. “And a 3 in pants.”

“I’ll meet you in the waiting room after you’ve changed,” Athanatos then stood and exited the room, closing her door behind him. If the doorway arches weren’t so high, he probably would have had to duck.

Pluck, pluck, pluck.

Capry looked earnestly around the room. What the hell was that noise? She tried her best to follow the sound until she spotted something black and shiny glimmering in the upper corner, partially hidden by all the leafs. Her eyes seemed to be zooming in and out at her will. She had finally located the source of the plucking. It was a medium sized spider happily weaving a web with its tiny spider paws. She watched it hard at work, building a beautiful and strong web. It almost looked like a mandala.

Now she knew something was wrong with her. Never in her life had she heard a spider before she’d seen it. Nor had she ever taken the time to examine a web thoroughly enough to critique it. Last time she checked, she needed her contacts or her glasses to see well enough to even make out people standing right in front of her. And now she seemed to have a set of binoculars for eyes. She actually felt great. Almost too great.

She paused trying to sift through her racing thoughts. If what Athanatos had said was true, then every weird thing she’d ever done in her life could be explained away. Maybe. It would even make sense. The alternative was rather concerning.

There came a soft knock on the door. A small round woman entered the room holding a stack of neatly folded clothing.

“Hello, Miss Ramos. It’s nice to see you’re finally awake. I brought you a small snack to get you going,” she said warmly handing Capry a pack of double chocolate chip cookies. Her auburn hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun and she appeared to be much younger than she actually was. She gave off the air of someone’s grandma. It was off putting. In a nice way.

“Thank you,” Capry said accepting the clothes and cookies.

“Sit, dear,” Healer Ivy said firmly. Capry sat. “I would just like to do a quick examination before I discharge you. If you'll allow me to,” she added.

“Of course, Capry complied. Healer Ivy probed her a bit. She felt around underneath her jaw much like other doctors.

“Open,” she said. She poked at Capry’s teeth and caused her to flinch a bit when she tapped one of her canines. It was loose. “I’ve never seen a fledgling’s body be so resistant to the change. Your teeth are incredibly stubborn Miss Ramos,” she said clicking her tongue. “This one in particular is hanging on for dear life."

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Capry asked worriedly. “They’re my adult teeth. They’re supposed to stay in.”

“Not anymore sweetie,” she said. Healer Ivy grasped the stubborn loose tooth and pulled down swiftly. Capry gasped as a sharp pain shot through her gums. She reached up and held her mouth, tasting her own blood as Healer Ivy held up her tooth triumphantly. “There we are,” she said proudly. “Open please,” she said again leaning forward. Capry was a lot more hesitant this time. She didn’t want Healer Ivy to start plucking out all of her teeth. “Come dear. I just want to make sure your new one came out,” she said gently taking Capry’s hand away from her mouth.

Capry shut her eyes tight, her eyebrows crinkling a bit, expecting more pain. No more discomfort came.

“You’re fine, Miss Ramos,” Healer Ivy laughed softly. “Your fangs are both present and quite beautiful if I do say so myself.”

Capry stared at Healer Ivy in disbelief. Fangs? What was this woman going on about?

“It gets easier dear,” Healer Ivy said. “You’ve got yourself a good Guardian to help see you through this transition. It can be a lot to take in, I’m sure. For those who aren’t from the veil.”

“The veil?” Capry asked.

“Healer Ivy, we need you out here!” someone screamed from outside of Capry’s room. Capry jumped at the sound of their voice.

“Sorry Miss Ramos,” Healer Ivy said moving towards the door. “Go ahead and change. Your Gaurdian is in the waiting room. You may leave.”

Healer Ivy hurriedly left the room, closing the door behind her.

Capry quickly stripped off her infirmary gown and dressed in the clothes that had been provided for her. It was a simple wine red T-shirt with the word Vhladévara printed on the back in black font and a pair of black sweat pants. Healer Ivy had also included a pair of socks, new underwear, slides, and a sweatshirt. They vaguely reminded Capry of gym clothes but the quality was much better than the shorts they provided at her high-school. They were soft and made her feel comfortable. Almost like being at home in her own sweats. She felt a small twinge of sadness. Her mother Kathy was probably beside herself with worry. She would have to ask if she could at least call her to let her know she was alright. There was also guilt because she was relieved that she might be able to escape the trouble she had gotten herself into.

There was a small round mirror hanging on the wall next to the door. Capry approached it and glanced at her reflection. She didn’t know what she expected to find there exactly, but was curious all the same. When she met herself she felt her heart quicken. Because it was very much like meeting herself. It was still her, there was no doubt about that. It was the first time the word transition meant anything to her. She looked new. The flecks of green in her hazel eyes seemed to swim against the light brown like pieces of gold floating in Goldshläger, a drink her adoptive father, Mike always kept in the home when he still lived with Kathy. She used to like swirling it around and watching the gold flakes settle at the bottom.

The color had returned to her cheeks and lips. She looked impossibly smooth. Her normally coarse and unruly Hispanic hair swam around her face in waves like a soft lion’s mane. She opened her mouth to take a look at her “new" teeth. She wasn’t sure what the hype was but Healer Ivy had seemed pretty excited when she proclaimed they were beautiful.

They were definitely something. Someone had removed her braces. Resting in her gums were two pointy teeth, where her human teeth had been only a short time ago. They sat evenly with the rest of her teeth and didn’t look like they could do much damage. She pressed her tongue against the back of one of them and was a little frightened when it slid downward and became at least an inch longer than it had been a moment ago. It reminded her of one of those scenes in an old movie. The ones where someone pulled out a switchblade in a gang fight and it made that little “chk” sound.

She shut her mouth quickly and left the room. That was enough of that for the time being. Her head was spinning.

When she exited her room in the infirmary she was alarmed to see a trail of blood on the floor beneath her. From what she could see, the large splatters led into another room. Behind the closed door, someone kept crying out. She could hear Healer Ivy trying to comfort them.

“Mind your step,” Athanatos said. She turned and found him standing at the entry way to the infirmary. She was a little relieved to see him, even though she wasn’t sure if she should be. “Are you ready to go?”

She nodded and the two of them exited the infirmary.

*********************

Athanatos and Capry walked in silence. Partly because Athanatos didn’t know how to approach or relate to a teenage girl and because Capry seemed to be in pure awe.

To say the Academy was beautiful was an understatement. It turned out that the entire place appeared to be a huge indoor garden. The smell of stone and damp earth surrounded her. She could hear water running somewhere near her and the air was cool and moist. There were numerous exotic plants bursting out of the ground, which Capry couldn't identify. The walkways were paved with large stones that were the same color as coffee beans. As they continued down the hallway, Capry saw that there was a stream winding throughout the school. They appeared to be on the second floor. She could see brightly colored fish swimming through the dark water. Beautiful shades of red, gold, orange, and white, like liquid fire. There were also trees with twisted trunks that grew all the way to the ceiling, three floors up. They reminded Capry of willow trees but were covered in pink blossoms that hung down like hair. She found herself wondering how old this place was. Somebody must have taken a long time manipulating the trees to grow the way they did. They were massive. Something about them reminded her of a Bonsai tree, but on a much larger scale. Like a willow cherry blossom hybrid. A place like this couldn’t exist in the world, yet here it was.

“It’s like magic,” she breathed. It was unintentional. She hadn’t meant to speak aloud but at the same time was glad that there was someone there that she could express her feelings to. Athanatos smiled a bit.

There were marble statues of several men and women throughout the Academy with little plaques that had their names and their achievements. Little pieces of vampire history. From what Capry gathered, some were founders of the Academy. Some were war heroes or were honored for some reason or another. It was a lot to take in. She found it interesting that it was clearly daytime outside. She could see rays of light breaking through the thick foliage above her head, but there didn’t appear to be any windows.

“Are we outside?” she asked.

“No,” Athanatos replied. “We are in the ground. Vampires have always found healing qualities within the soil. A lot of our people have homes that are built similarly, within the city.”

“There’s a whole city?” Capry exclaimed. Athanatos led Capry down a large set of spiral steps, paved in stone. When they reached the bottom, he motioned for her to follow him into what appeared to be a large dining area.

“A whole city,” he affirmed.

There were several rows of heavy wooden tables that appeared to have the ability to seat at least ten individuals. The whole place screamed wealth and age. The only light source in the room was multiple clusters of strange levitating orbs that sat over every table like little moons.

Athanatos picked a table and sat. Capry took the bench across from him and propped her elbows up, but then awkwardly placed her hands in her lap. As far back as Capry could remember, she was always told it was rude to place her elbows on the table. Her grandmother used to tell her that she would squish the table faeries. And in a place like this she was a little worried she might.

As soon as they had settled in, a girl approached the table with a wagon. She wore a t-shirt and an apron with a V embroidered on the front. She had her dark wavy hair pulled back under a bandana. Her eyes were a soft shade of grey with a hint of green and fair olive skin. She looked to be around Capry’s age and didn’t seem to be all that thrilled to be serving them.

“Good afternoon, Valerie,” Athanatos greeted pleasantly. She blew a little strand of hair out of her eye and placed the plates on the table.

“Good afternoon, sir,” she greeted flatly.

“What have you done this time?” he teased softly. Valerie pursed her lips and tilted her head a bit as she poured them their drinks from a black pitcher.

“I may have cast a not so nice curse on the field today,” she replied. Capry saw a small hint of a smile turn up the corner of her lips.

“Did you happen to cast it on Pollux Alazonia by any chance?” Athanatos asked. Capry wondered if that was where all the blood on the infirmary floor had come from.

“Maaaaaybe,” Valerie said. “I had to give up my free period for kitchen duty because of it,” she grumbled. “For a whole month.”

Athantos shook his head a bit. “No boy is worth getting in trouble over,” he said firmly. Capry agreed but didn’t say so. “You blew off two of his fingers.” Capry’s eyes widened.

“I meant to. It felt worth it in the moment,” Valerie said. Something about her tone insinuated that she still thought it was worth it. She sighed and then turned her attention to Capry. “Well, lunch is served. You’re new?” she stated.

“Yeah,” Capry said quietly.

“Did you transfer in from a different Academy?” she asked.

Athanatos had uncovered his plate and began to eat. It appeared to be roasted chicken and red potatoes. Capry was relieved it was something normal. She half expected someone to come out and offer their veins. She thought vampires didn’t eat human food. She was glad that didn’t appear to be true.

“Um…kind of,” Capry said hesitantly, looking at Athanatos for guidance. He didn’t offer much help. He made a simple back and forth gesture with his fork as if to say, make friends, and then turned and snatched a salt shaker from Valerie’s wagon.

“I went to a regular high school before this,” Capry began self-consciously. Valerie became immediately interested.

“How old are you??” she asked. She sat down next to Capry and poured herself whatever was in the pitcher.

“I’m fifteen,” Capry replied. Her mouth had suddenly become dry and she felt nervous. She took a sip from her glass. It was just juice.

“So, you're from the human realm?” Valerie asked. Her eyes had become bright with excitement.

“I am, I guess?” Capry found herself fidgeting with her fancy cloth napkin. “This is all brand new to me.”

“You must be freaking out,” Valerie said softly. “But it’s ok. I’ll help you out,” she smiled warmly.

A woman wearing an apron burst into the dining room through what Capry assumed were the doors that led to the kitchen. She scowled when she spotted Valerie, who stood quickly.

“Valerie, get back in here!” she said sternly.

“I’ll come find you later,” she said with a wink. She then turned and hurried back into the kitchen.

Capry finally took the lid off her plate and began eating. She was starving.

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask,” Athanatos said. Capry definitely had loads of questions. She wasn’t sure where to begin.

“What did she mean by the human realm?” she asked. Capry had always been a bit different. She knew that. It had always been a task to make friends that stuck. She had a deep nagging feeling that here, she would still be different. It put a knot in her stomach.

“The majority of Born Vampires are born within the confines of the Veil,” Athanatos began. He studied Capry as he spoke. She appeared to be obviously saddened by something. “It is not entirely unheard of for a Born fledgling to be brought into life in the human realm. It’s happened hundreds of times over the course of many years. But it’s still not quite natural for our people.”

“So, what is the Veil?” Capry asked.

“It’s our little niche in the world,” Athanatos replied. “The Veil actually refers to the protective boundary we use to separate ourselves from other magical beings. And the humans. It keeps us safe from unwanted contact. There are actually dozens of different communities that have similar veils.”

“There’s other magical beings?” Capry asked. She felt herself getting overwhelmed again.

“Many,” Athanatos said simply.

“That are different from vampires?” she inquired.

“Very,” Athanatos replied. “You’ll be educated on such topics in your studies. As far as vampires are concerned, there are only two types.”

“What are they?” she asked.

“Those of us that are born this way, and then those that are made,” Athanatos spoke the word disapprovingly.

“I always thought that all vampires are made,” Capry expressed her confusion.

“Humans and their fiction. They’ve always been notorious for romanticizing monsters and giving them human qualities that they simply don’t possess,” Athanatos replied. Capry remained silent for a moment so he continued. “It is considered a sin to make a vampire. It’s not only frowned upon, it’s forbidden. Made Vampires only reside in the human realm and are spawned when a vampire, Born or Made, turns a human. The magic in their blood reanimates the fledgling’s body just before death occurs. Made Vampires are parasitic and needlessly take human lives. They don’t possess any restraint when they feed and are driven by their bloodlust. Blood, preferably human, is their only form of sustenance. They’re essentially walking corpses that can mimic human behavior and have an extreme allergy to the sun. They're unable to produce live young. They can only reproduce through the blood.

“However, there have been studies done within the Veil. It is thought that they do retain some of their human characteristics and emotions. If given enough time they may stabilize enough to regain some control over their bloodlust. But during their fledgling stage there’s no way to regulate them and it takes an unsustainable amount of blood to support their development. Because of that, they kill repeatedly and have been deemed too dangerous to be allowed to live. They attract too much attention to our kind, take too long to level out, and are now actively hunted and exterminated. Currently their numbers are manageable. It was not always that way,” Athanatos said ominously. “They have played their respectable part in our history and are a large part of why the Veil exists. In the past they have caused many problems that have landed upon our doorstep. And it took several hard bloody battles to separate ourselves from them. We no longer tolerate their instability.”

“So, Born Vampires are different?” Capry asked.

“Yes. We’re almost the exact opposite of Made Vampires. But they have existed just as long as we have. It’s just incredibly crucial that you understand why we do not pass our blood on to turn a human.” Athanatos said. “Many a great love has ended in tragedy because a Born has wanted to keep their human spouse. I personally believe that loneliness is the only reason Made Vampires exist. There are now strict rules about crossing the Veil into the human realm. And many prejudices regarding mixed vampires.”

Athanatos looked sad for a moment. It wasn’t lost on Capry but she chose not to ask. Mostly because she didn’t feel she knew him well enough to pry.

“Then what am I?” she asked.

“You are most definitely a Born Vampire,” Athanatos replied.

“No…I mean, I just don’t know anything about my birth parents. My adoptive mother, Kathy said I had a closed adoption. So she doesn’t know who they were. I guess what I mean is, do you know anything about me?” Capry asked.

“Unfortunately, dear, I don’t,” he said. “All I can tell you is it’s likely one of your parents were human. That’s usually how fledglings end up in the human realm.”

Capry felt a tinge of disappointment and worry. What had he meant by prejudices?

“Is there any way to find out?” she asked.

“There is old advanced magic that may be of some assistance to you. You would likely need an Elder to assist you. Most fledglings don’t have the skill to perform that kind of blood magic on their own,” Athanatos said slowly. “In the city there is an Elder who tends to the Sacred Forest. She keeps records of all the major bloodlines in our lineage. If your birth or the birth of any of your relatives was recorded there, all you would need to do is make an offering. Your blood will find its home there. But you can’t just wander into the Forest. She has to allow you to enter. And these days it is said that she’s hard to track down.”

Capry gave a discouraged sigh and pushed her plate away from her.

“Would you like me to show you to your dorm? I think I’ve told you enough for one day,” Athanatos said. The two of them stood and left the dining room.

“Why is it called blood magic or blood sorcery… instead of just magic. Or sorcery?” Capry asked while they walked. Students began to fill the walkways around them. Every so often they would glance at her curiously. The hair on Capry’s arms was standing on edge as the students passed by her. The only way she could explain the sensation was as though she had stepped into an electrically charged mine field and little explosions were happening all around her. It was as though every individual around her was touching her at the same time.

“In order for vampires to do magic we must use our blood,” Athanatos replied. “Many spells require you to spill a little blood here and there. It’s considered an offering to the Great Father. And other spells use the energy from the magic in the blood to push the magic physically out of your body as a force. You will learn all of these skills, as long as you possess the ability to use the dark gifts.”

“How will I know if I do?” Capry asked.

“You should know soon enough,” Athanatos said confidently. He didn’t bother to tell her what would happen if she didn’t have the gifts. The girl seemed stressed enough as it was.

He led her off of the main path where all the students were congregating during their break between classes. “This is where I leave you dear,” he said motioning to a set of double doors. “Your room is in Hall D, room thirty. I have some business to attend to at the moment, but if you need me, just reach out,” Athanatos said tapping his temple. “It’s a good opportunity to flex your mind. I’ll be back for you later. Our Grand Sorceress wants to meet with you this evening.”

Capry had no idea what a Grand Sorceress was but she sounded intimidating. After parting ways, Capry was left on her own to find her room. The students were all in class so there was nobody around to ask for directions, if she needed them.

When she found her way to Hall D, she was surprised how spacious the living area was. There were tables for studying, recliners and couches for relaxing, and even a small kitchen.

Capry located her room at the end of the hallway. When she entered, there were two twin sized beds spaced quite a ways away from each other and a dividing wall to section off the room and allow privacy. It didn’t appear that anyone else stayed in the room. There were no personal items or clothes in the closets. So Capry picked the side she liked best, and laid down. She felt mentally exhausted. There was still so much she didn't know, but for the moment she felt she was safe. As she laid there deep in thought, her eyelids became heavy and before she even realized it, she had fallen asleep.