Dead King's Sword (Old Draft)

50. Rebirth

Erin

***

My elder sister, Odette, had returned home for my rebirth. She brushed my hair and fixed the zipper on my dress. The skirt of my black gown buried my ankles and touched the floor. We stood in front of a mirror; her deft hand locked my necklace in place, then, letting my hair fall, she said, "I thought you would wait a few more years. Grow a bit more." She was roughly seven inches taller than me. Even Zeren looked up to her. When Odette had dropped me off at school when I was younger, Zeren always hid from her, and it was a good thing she had hidden as my sister was always looking for an excuse to beat Zeren.

"Ill-mannered brat," Odette would mutter. "How dare she bully you; just wait till I get my hand on her. Just wait till I get my hands on all of them."

The decade between our births had blessed Odette, so she was big while we were small, and after a while, even I had come to feel sorry for my nemesis, Zeren, who had been a young chimp then. One day, I told Odette to let me fight my own battles.

Odette laughed for two minutes, then remarked that the little monkey thought it was big enough to protect itself. I remembered blushing furiously at the comment. Mother had laughed; Father smirked. David had looked at me, my embarrassment mirrored on his face as he poked his dinner. Odette had said, "I'll let you fight your own battle if you can spend the night in grandfather's tomb by yourself."

"Okay," I agreed.

Grandfather's tomb was lit by flaming lamps that rested on a cement floor. He lay in his black coffin, sleeping to conserve his strength as he healed after a devastating battle almost a century before. His body had been chopped into tiny bits and scattered over the country. It had taken my mother and her siblings years to find all of him.

My sister said, "Soon, he'll wake up and devour the first thing he sees to recover his energy." She pressed her hand to my shoulder and smiled. "Good luck, monkey."

She left me alone, went up the steps, and shut the door behind her.

I sat on the cold floor, hugging my knees, counting each second that passed. My heart was a drum that never stopped beating. Cold sweat streaked my skin. I heard the coffin opening in the silence that passed and raised my head. It was still closed. Sighing in relief, I thanked Shovek for looking after me. At seven years old, the room seemed a lot bigger than me; the sounds were more frightening. Ten minutes passed, and the door opened. David jogged down the steps. "Are you okay?"

I put my finger on my lips. "Shh, you will wake him."

David said, "He slept for a hundred years; he can sleep for a hundred more." The fifteen years between us made him no less kind or caring. He was always my favourite though I would never tell him that. He took out a cookie from his pants' pocket, a crime that would cost him two lashings if Mother found out. "Want it?"

I nodded. The cookie had been warm and broken into four parts with lots of extra crumbs that clung to my fingers, but it had been sweet and delicious. My brother sat with me till an hour before daylight, then raced off before Odette found him. With his support, I passed her test, and she acknowledged my mental fortitude.

***

"Are you ready?" Odette asked, watching me with her cautious blue eyes. She was our family's flower; her perfect head perched atop a well-proportioned body. Long blonde hair reached the middle of her back; her narrow waist branched out into wide hips, making a rather attractive figure. She smiled. "Once you do this, everything will change."

"I know." Sunlight would weaken me more than before, and I wouldn't be able to eat or digest anything but blood and raw meat.

Odette covered my face with a black veil. "May Shovek bless you."

***

The ceremony occurred in our sanctuary. David and Odette walked me down the aisle. David was older but hadn't become a full-fledged vampire as male vampires were sterile, and he planned to have children with Katherine first. After today, I would officially rank higher than him. On either side of the aisle sat my family and clan members. To keep him from trouble, Sir Farts' mother held him in her lap, and his face was red with anger. He talked a mixture of English and made-up words to complain till his mother covered his mouth and shushed him.

My mother waited at the front of the room by the stone bed, holding a glass of black blood; my father stood next to her, carrying the sacred blade they claimed was blessed by Shovek. I made it to the front, and the choir started singing, with low and high voices mixing to create an otherworldly feel. My brother squeezed my hand. "See you on the other side," he said.

I gave him a small smile, then lay down on the hard, cold bed.

The gathering quieted as my siblings flanked my parents. With a strong voice, my mother said, "Father, creator, we gather today to celebrate the passing of my daughter, Erin. We hope you'll accept our offering and remake her anew as your disciple of justice. Of strength." My mother's cold hand pressed against the side of my face.

Father mouthed, "I love you." He raised the sword and plunged it towards me. I felt the initial bite then a certain numbness filled the area. Blood matted my skin and stained my dress. I saw the concerned faces of my siblings and father as I bled. I tried not to think about what would happen if Shovek's blood rejected me. Of death.

David held my hand, his face a painting of concern. Mother chided him under her breath, but he didn't care if having emotions would make others regard him as weak. He refused to let go. "Please," his lips seemed to be saying. I no longer heard or felt things. I choked, unable to swallow my own spit. Blood flowed the wrong way and filled my mouth; my chest was smashed by my father's blow. Father smoothed my hair, and my vision started to blur. Then there was darkness, stillness.

'I like you.'

'I like you too. I don't want to die.'

'Then don't do this.'

'If I don't, they'll kill me. This is the way of our clan; we must submit ourselves to a higher will.'

Zeren and I were children again, standing in a black room, water up to our knees. A lilypad floated between us, carrying a candle, the only light source. A tear slid down Zeren's cheek, and her lips trembled. Before the light passed, I kissed her. When we broke apart, I took her hands and said, 'I'll be okay; don't cry."

Something wet touched my lips; Zeren and the lake faded. The stuffy feeling left my ears. My eyes opened, and I saw my family again. My father's face was almost grey from worry. My sister smiled. David's face was a teary, snotty mess, but he, too, managed to smile. I squeezed his hand.

My mother said, "She lives. Let us welcome our newest elder-in-training, my daughter, Erin Gatti."

The clan applauded.

***