Fight It

The Assignment from Hell

I grunted as I hit the ground for the fifth time in an hour. "Watch your feet." I lurched to my feet and swung at his head. Miss. I took a blow to my side—"Arms in!—my head, "Pay attention!" A jab to the chest with the shaft of his sword and I was on the ground again. "You need to focus! Where's your head? If I was a vampire you would've been dead two hours ago." Gabriel said exasperated, "You weren't even this bad your first session."

"I was hardly off the floor my first session."

"My point exactly," he said the golden glow fading from his eyes as he sheathed his sword and hung it on the wall, "I don't understand what's up with you today." He crossed to the door and gripped the handle.

Ashleigh snorted from where she sat studying in the corner, "I wonder." I had been out last night with my best friend, Micah at the race tracks and an after party. I knew I shouldn't have been out so late before training, but I didn't think I'd be out until six in the morning. Gabe wasn't up, unfortunately Ash was. I shot her a death glare, but Gabe was walking towards the door and didn't notice the exchange.

"We're done for today." He said letting the door swing shut behind him.

I waited a few seconds for him to get down the hall, "Are you trying to get me killed?" I said glaring at her. "I'm just tired. It's not a big deal. If you tell Gabriel, he'll give me a curfew like Rachel."

"You shouldn't be sneaking around with Micah all hours of the night. You should choose your company more wisely. He's a human." She said. I hated when she tried to sound like she was oh-so-much more mature than I was.

"Coming from the girl who dated a vamp? Don't act like anyone approved of that. Did you listen? No. Not until he had you by the throat. You're lucky Gabriel came home early from that Germany Assignment!" I countered. My mind went back to when all this had happened. It was about eight years ago, a year after I came to train with Gabriel. I had heard of vampires, of course, but they had never really been real to me until that night. Now they were very much a reality that fueled my hatred. We had all been put in danger when she began removing the wards from the house to let Rafael in.

Ashleigh's face flushed, her lips pursed.

"So, when I need your opinion I'll let you know." I snapped.

"Callista you are a member of the Sage. You are on this earth to protect it. You need your head here. Not at those stupid races you go to." She put down the book she had been holding. It was true. I was a Sage. We were here to keep humans alive and vampires in their place, but Gabriel had been cracking the whip a lot lately. I'd been in training everyday for hours on end. I figure I was entitled to some form of fun every once in awhile. I rolled my eyes.

"How much has he had you training?"

"Not too often anymore. He's been focusing on you a lot lately. Maybe he thinks you'll be requested for an assignment soon. Besides I'm going to be a Serrati apprentice."

"I hope so. It's been awhile since I've done anything but cover ups and patrols." Every once and awhile a vampire would leave a mess somewhere inconspicuous and I would make it look like some sort of accident. I was one of the best fighters Gabe had, so I did patrols regularly to look out for any vampire activity. We did our best to protect the humans. Vampires could feed in the sadistic viper clubs where humans fed themselves off. If it was wiling we did not get involved, but not many people would risk their lives like that and deaths were not acceptable.

There were three vampire nations. Marocoi were the least despicable. They fed off animal blood, and slept at night. Nirgoshia generally drank from humans, didn't need to sleep, but it helped to refresh them, and respected human life, but saw themselves as superior. Most of them only fed off of corrupt humans. Then there are the Demontari. They are vicious killing machines with no respect for human life. They often prey on beautiful men and women. Most of the time, when there is a problem, it's a Demontari that I have to hunt down.