Bambi and the Duke

Vivian stood in front of the Church as she looked through the long, plain wooden doors. Leonard who had entered the church turned around to see her standing there and she hurried inside to walk beside him.

The coloured windows that were located on the walls shone no light as the weather was a dark and a gloomy one. Crows cawed outside the church like an ominous presence as they perched themselves on the trees. Inside the Church, there was no one to be seen except for them, as they walked forward to stand in front of the angel-like statue.

It was a deserted Church where Vivian hadn’t come before. She used to go to the Church which was in Paul’s village, which was a small one where men, women and children were often seen but here even though it was a big one there was no one who came to take the blessings at this hour of the day. Hearing the bell that rung from the top of the building, it brought some kind of solace to her mind and heart.

As Leonard stood there, without praying Vivian had sat on her knees to send her prayer to God, hoping everything to settle down and hoping there would be no obstacles in both hers and Leonard’s future together.

Most of the humans always had thought that vampires couldn’t enter the church which was a Holy place of God, stating how the power of holy water could burn and harm the night creature. Though it wasn’t true, it wasn’t entirely false either.

Pureblooded vampires being the first generation of vampires, they held more resistance when it came to dealing with the orthodox method the humans used to keep them away. It didn’t harm them but it wasn’t a walk in the meadow either but when the same came to the lower vampires, they were shunned from the holy places. A drop of the holiness could create blister on their skin due to which the safest haven was the church against the lower breed of vampires.

When Vivian opened her eyes after her short prayer she saw Leonard talking to a woman a few feet away from where she stood. As if feeling her eyes, the woman broke her gaze to look at her with a smile.

”Vivian, this is Sister Isabelle,” Leonard introduced the Church priestess to her. Her green eyes were the most attractive feature on her face with her black hair which parted from the middle of her head as the straight hair flowed down to touch close to her waist. By what she heard from Leo, Sister Isabelle was a white witch.

Vivian who was about to bow her head saw her smile and give her hand for her to shake. In response, she gave her hand and both the women shook their hand.

Vivian felt her vision fluctuate as if a memory was right there waiting for her to see but something stopped her from looking any further as if it were being blocked purposely. She stared into Lady Isabelle’s eyes who smiled,

”It is good to see you finally, Vivian. After the last time you visited here I thought we wouldn’t be seeing each other again,” said the lady who still held her hand in her grasp. It looked like the white witch was staring into the depths of her mind instead of her doing it, making her wonder if Sister Isabelle held similar ability like hers, ”You have a wonderful gift but it appears that you don’t feel that way,” the woman noted finally letting go of her hand.

The white witch seemed well acquainted by her name but it was the first meet for her, Vivian took time to respond as she said, ”The memories are never one of happiness. What I touch leads to the one that has death contained in them. They are painful and dark.”

Sister Isabelle made her take a seat on the benches while Leonard decided to give them some space as he took a walk inside.

”I sense that, my child. Though Leonard has already filled in with all the information, I would like you to tell me since when you started seeing them. The visions on when was the first and the last time you saw one.”

”The first time I started seeing was when we went to the snow mansion.”

”The second lord of Bonelake’ mansion?” Sister Isabelle asked in deep interest.

”Yes.”

”And when was the last time?” she enquired to see the girl shift from her shift a little.

”It was when Lady Eleanor arrived to meet me. She’s Duke Carmichael’s second cousin,” at the explanation, the woman couldn’t help but smile. Sister Isabelle then said,

”Vivian, I take it that you know about your actual nature.”

”Nature? Do you mean about me being once a pureblooded vampire?” the woman nodded her head.

”That’s right. I made a short trip to Valeria when Leonard came to visit me regarding the abilities you have come to possess. Not all but some of the rare types of pureblooded vampires are told to inherit abilities due to mutation change in their genes. They are the affected mutated pureblooded vampires that come to have special powers or abilities. Some can be useless, some very powerful. Not everyone comes to learn about them having it, some are wasted naturally because of the mere ignorance. There was a time decades ago when war was fought between the humans and the pureblooded vampires. They used the knowledge which is lost to all kind of beings who walk on these lands of ours,” explained Sister Isabelle, ”How do you think the pureblooded vampires are in the second highest hierarchy of the chain? Mutation of the pureblooded vampires usually happens due to different effects, parents or external factors.”

Vivian took in the information as the Sister explained to her about it, ”That should mean mine has been created due to external factors,” she saw the woman nod in agreement. The external factor had also caused her transition from her pureblooded self to a human, ”Why is it that I am able to see only some of the memories? Sometimes I touch to find nothing in there.”

”That’s a difficult question to answer. We could probably draw the theory that some objects hold a greater value than what it is known to be. For example, you might touch this bench and feel nothing,” the white witch ran her hand on the smooth wooden platform of the seat, ”But there are some places in this church if it’s strong enough that is, you will find the reading you are looking for. As sad as it is, the ones that are inked and marked with pain and suffering are the ones that stand out or are easier to pick on than the happy memories.”

Vivian asked, ”Is there no way to control it then?”

”There is. Psychic abilities are very rare, especially the kind that you have where you can tap into a person without their knowledge and see if you ask me I would say it’s a wonderful gift. And I am sure you will like it too no matter how much pain you go through with it. Right now what you see are the random memories that lie at the top of a person’s head. I can help you pick memories like picking a book from the stack of books in the library, in time you will learn to pick what you want and what you don’t,” this made Vivian excited as she heard the white witch speak about her helping her, ”But,” this got both Vivian and Leonard’s attention, Leonard who was walking towards them after a round or two came to sit one bench behind them, ”Oh, don’t look worried,” she chuckled seeing Vivian frown as she anticipated for the worst news, ”I would ask you to keep your second gift to yourself. Healing others might give you immense pleasure in the words of humanity but the more you expose yourself, the harder it will get to stay away from the evil that lurks in the council.”

”What did you find in Valeria?” Vivian asked her curiously as she had mentioned about her taking a trip after Leonard had visited her.

”Something I believe Leonard has already found,” Leo who had been looking at the other side of the Church, moved his eyes without moving his face, ”The herbs and shrubs have been destroyed but there’s another plant that is being used that none of them knows of. It goes by the name Spitfire.”

Spitfire?

”A strange name,” commented Leonard who leaned his back against the bench to sit comfortably, ”Where do you find it?”

”We don’t know yet. I asked one of source one the person has no information on where it could be found. Spitfire is the plant that is used and is an important element in the potion of what you have acquired during your time in Mythweald.”

”Are you saying the potion is useless without that plant?”

”How do I put it, Duke Leonard,” Sister Isabelle had a grave look as she tried to answer his question without trying to offend and fall into the criminal category, ”One of my sister white witch took samples of the plant before it was burnt out by your councilmen a few days ago. She took enough to create a whole bottle which was tested on a criminal vampire.”

Doing anything as sort of that was considered to be unlawful and if Sister Isabelle wasn’t helping them she would be subjected under interrogation by the council before being burnt alive.

Seeing Leonard not react to it she continued to speak, ”As expected it didn’t work. The man is still alive but was sent to the Lord of Valeria to see fit with the crimes he committed. So yes, the potion is nothing without the Spitfire churned into it but then without using the other elements this one is useless to it. All of them work together to stop a pureblooded vampire’s core. It would be hard for any of you to find it and unless you don’t both vampires and humans are in the path of ending their race.”

”Vivian is the key to it,” Leo responded to her statement which turned the white witch’s gaze on Vivian.

”Is she now,” hummed the older woman, ”I wouldn’t doubt it if it happened though. With her gift of touch and sight, she will be one of the known councillors that is if she passes the exam. Personally, I would rather not want you to take part in it, Vivian. The world of the council is too deep that once you get in, you will find nothing but dirt in there. Don’t take me wrong, I do believe if it’s anyone it would be you to find answers because of your talent.”

”I will be careful,” assured Vivian for Sister Isabelle to nod her head.

Sister Isabelle knew well about the council as she had faced the betrayal in the past. The village and the town folks trusted them but the truth was that they were not to be entirely trusted.

The white witch asked Leonard, ”What happened about the switcher?”

”He’s still in there.”

Curious, Vivian asked her, ”If pureblooded vampires are placed in the second hierarchy, who comes in the first place?” it was something that had caught her attention.

Instead of Sister Isabelle, Leonard was the one to answer Vivian’s question, ”Hybrids. Am I right?” he asked the witch for her to stare at him for a second more before she nodded her head.

”There are hybrids, hybrids of witches, pureblooded vampires conceived from thick blood.”

”Lord Nicholas?” blurted out Vivian for the witch to smile.

”You have been well informed. Vivian, you’re ability is so rare that you can use it to your whole advantage but know where and when to use. It will lead you to the place where you want to go,” listening to this, Vivian wondered if there was any deeper meaning to what the white witch said, ”We can start honing and testing your skills from tomorrow. You have two weeks before the second exam takes place. It should be enough time to get you started.”

”Thank you very much, Sister Isabelle,” Vivian bowed her head with a lot of respect at the woman for having taken her time to see her and for the promise of help they received.

”I forgot to ask, how is your leg?” the woman leaned to her side to look at the leg which was hidden behind her dress, ”I hope you’re doing better.”

”It has gotten better.”

”That’s good to hear. The Duke did an excellent job by stitching your wound himself than wait for the doctor. You would have only lost more amount of blood before nearing death,” saying this she stood up and so did the couple who had come to meet her, ”I will see you tomorrow, Vivian. I need a few minutes of yours Leonard,” taking it as a cue, Vivian bowed her head again before walking towards the front of the church and heading out where it had only begun to drizzle lightly.

It had been a while since Vivian had found the opportunity to drench in the air. The last time must have been when she had hurried out and behind the mansion to pull out the clothes that had been hung to dry. After she was turned to a lady did she come to realize why Charlotte complained about the life of being an elite. There were a lot of things expected by an elite from how to sit to how to talk and behave. The housekeeper always rectified the minimum mistakes which she tried to avoid but then Vivian was a fast learner.

Taking one step after another, Vivian looked up at the sky where she could see water droplets coming steadfast at her from the sky like millions of meteor crossing in the sky. Closing her eyes, she opened it with a smile until she heard Leonard interrupt her joy.

”Vivian.”

Twirling around she found a grumpy man who wasn’t happy with her standing in the drizzle that was slowly approaching to rain with heavier droplets of water. His smooth blonde hair which had been fluffed before had begun to stick to each other until water droplets dripped down from the ends of his hair.

Vivian couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her lips, which dragged long and wide. Leo was never fond of the rain and now that she thought about it she found it strange. For someone who had grown and belonged to the land of Bonelake disliked being drenched in the rain yet, she who came from the land where the sun shone loved the drops of rain on her skin.

Soon it started to pour but they stood there, the rain making them disappear behind the countless number of raindrops that fell from heaven. He pulled her in his arms without any hesitation, ”You’re going to get the bandage wet. What are you smiling at, Bambi?”

She shook her head with the continued smile, ”You look handsome drenched in the rain.”

”Do I now,” she didn’t nod or answer to confirm further of what she thought of him. Behind the dull background and weather, his red eyes stood out. Leaning forward, he captured her lips with his and she kissed him back with the same vigour.

The church being away from the village, most of the village folks had taken shelter in their homes. Both Sister Isabelle and father Connor who had come out to bid them bye saw the couple kissing in the rain.

”Huh? Isn’t that the Duke?” reacted father Connor looking at them standing in the rain, ”Must be really nice to be young.”

Sister Isabelle stared at the couple, her eyes green eyes gentle and a small smile on her lips, ”You aren’t that old father Connor. You can quit church and live a life of love.”

”I don’t know the works of men, the only job I am good at is exorcising which I sometimes failed to do it right,” admitted the man with an embarrassed smile, ”They should go to their mansion. He seems to like her a lot. Miss Vivian that is. Have you ever loved someone, Sister Isabelle?” the woman took a deep breath before exhaling out the cold air.

”I did.”

”Why did you leave him?” the man next to her tilted his head while holding his hand above his head as the wind was bringing drops of water to where they stood.

”I was forced to leave him.”

”Why not go to him? You’re a renowned priestess of the church. It is one of the high value in society.”

”He doesn’t live anymore,” she replied to him calmly. A murmur of sorry escaped Father Connor’s mouth, ”Circumstances sometimes don’t allow us to stay and live together for a long time,” she looked ahead at the couple who had their forehead pressed against each other.

Sister Isabelle missed the man she had fallen in love with and even after his death, she continued to love him. She had known their story would end up somewhere in tragedy where they wouldn’t be able to live the love they dreamed of yet she was happy to have spent the years with the man who had died for her sake.

Maybe if she were careful she could have prevented the unfortunate event so that she could have him alive where they could live to see the dreams they have dreamt of. She looked at the Duke and the girl named Vivian who walked to their carriage, disappearing behind the middle of the rain.

What she said to the girl was the truth. If there was anyone it was her who could shed light but she could only that it wouldn’t burn Vivian the way it did to her.

At the Carmichael’s mansion, a man came to knock upon the door when both Leonard and Vivian weren’t in the mansion. The housekeeper opened the door slightly, only his face peeking out as he stared at the stranger who had come to stand in front of the door.

”Is Lady Charlotte in here?” asked the man for the housekeeper to narrow his eyes in suspicion.

”No.”

The man had travelled a long distance from Mythweald to Bonelake, his long journey had been dire that he had bruises and marks around his face and the rest of the body. When Vlass had left Mythweald, he had expected to reach Bonelake in three days, worse to be four days but the human hadn’t considered the possible accidents that could take place during his travel here.

Not only had been robbed but also captured by the black witches which took him a while to escape to only end up in another witch’s hold before running from there.

Finally after a lot of searches did he come to learn where he could find his friend in the name of the girl but it seemed that it hadn’t got any reaction by the housekeeper. Before he could drag himself out of the mansion, the housekeeper opened the door wide.

”Which Lady Charlotte are you asking for?” Vlass looked at the housekeeper as if he had grown another head. Hadn’t he asked if she was there?

”Lady Charlotte Easton,” he answered the housekeeper’s question who seemed to have come out from hiding behind the door.

”She will be back in a while. Why don’t you come to sit inside until she and the master arrives?” if Vlass didn’t know the truth that Charlotte has passed away by confirming it with his own two eyes, he would have taken the polite words of the vampire and stepped in but that wasn’t the situation. He was sure he got to the right mansion of Duke Carmichael but the invitation didn’t seem one of being kind but rather he found it suspicious.

He took a step back, keeping it casual as he said, ”It’s okay. I shall see the lady tomorrow as I am in a hurry right now,” but what Vlass didn’t know was that the vampire who was a housekeeper was a smart one.

”It wouldn’t take to long,” said the housekeeper stepping forward to see the human take a step back.

”It is really alright. I will be back here tomorrow,” the vampire saw through the lie and just when the man turned ready to leave, he didn’t make it far to two steps before he was pulled by the arm and his head was smashed to the nearest pillar in force to make him loose conscious.

The next time Vlass woke up after a few minutes of getting back to his conscious state, he was tied to a chair, bound to it by thick ropes which stopped any movements of his legs or hands. He struggled, pushing and pulling but nothing seemed to work except for the ropes biting into his skin to form red marks. The more his chair rattled, the more it made sounds on the muddy ground of the room where he was held.

He couldn’t believe his luck. He must have had the worst luck, thought Vlass to himself.

Since he had stepped out in search of his friend hoping to meet and see what happened as only the vampiress’ body was found hanging in the tree. Somewhere he felt it wasn’t his villagers but the vampires doing to instigate a possible feud in the lands of Mythweald as it was already sensitive with the brawl taking place before he had left.

But after leaving his town he had only got into trouble. First, it was the robbery when he got into the local carriage. Women had no shame for stealing the little goods from a poor man like him!

After he was thrown out of the carriage came the two witches who had bound him in a worse condition than he was in now. He had been kept for days like an animal waiting to be butchered. When he finally did manage to escape, a beautiful black witch captured him right away and he could only say he was lucky to have run away when she had forgotten to lock the cage.

Feeling the bite of the rope which had begun to sting, he looked around before he called out to whoever could hear him, ”Help! Help me, please! Help!” as he shouted the door to the room immediately opened for the housekeeper to step in with a dull expression.