Claws of Eternity ✔️

Chapter 31: Fear

GISELLE

An exceptionally warm day destroyed the white cover of snow and allowed the green grass to appear. Sun shone in the clear, blue sky, attracting the birds and flies that have gone into hiding when winter began. Giselle stood on a field beneath Bran Castle, watching disciples train. When the weather got better, disciples left their philosophy books and began training for the inevitable war.

Two weeks have passed since the ball and since the word of the Border falling in Edinburgh reached Bran Castle. Once Vlad learnt this, he pressured Andryj to train disciples harder.

Ever since the ball, Giselle has been feeling better. Luciana taught her magic, but they hadn't practiced yet. Giselle first had to learn the basics of sorcery theory, she had to learn the spells and what they do, how to evoke magic, how to harness it. She read thirteen books exactly, reading all through the nights. Finally, she felt the benefits of being a vampire and never being tired. During the days, she trained with Vlad. He taught her the basics of battle tactics and how to swing a sword. She wasn't any good at it, but she was strong and it gave her certain confidence.

Strangely, all this work made her feel better. She emerged in the world of magic and knowledge during nights and physically trained during days. Now, the energy she usually put into overthinking her life was better spent.

Giselle instinctively wanted to go through her hair with her hand and smiled when she found it braided tightly to her head. She even wore pants, which she thought she never would.

"Ready for the day?" Alacaris ran towards Giselle, she was covered in sweat and her skin shone in the sun, reflecting it like the remains of the snow that still lingered.

"Luciana will finally let me practice magic." Giselle smiled.

"Where?" Ala seemed excited.

Giselle nodded towards the field and all the disciples practicing. Exercises were interesting, Giselle thought as she watched them.

Vampires carried rocks, bigger than themselves, from one side of the field to the other repeatedly until Andryj told them to stop. She watched thirty or so vampires, with huge rocks in their hands threatening to crush them if they let go for a moment.

"Why are they carrying them around?" Giselle asked Ala.

"Vlad is teaching them stoicism. Well, one aspect of stoicism. It's an exercise between the fighting, it's meant to teach them self-control, discipline and modesty. You may be a powerful, immortal vampire, but a rock will kill if you if you become too arrogant and think you can carry it with ease." Alacaris explained.

"I wonder what I will do." Giselle mumbled and Luciana approached her in that moment. Her black hair fell loosely over her beige dress with flaxen shapes embroidered in the fabric. She had a thick, dark red robe over her. Giselle remembered she was a mere witch and cold bothered her.

"You will make it harder for them. You will make rocks appear heavier or lighter, you will shatter them into little pieces with your mind." Luciana said.

"Shouldn't I practice this with smaller rocks?" Giselle asked, feeling her heart beat. This would be the first time she actually got to use magic and she was nervous.

"No, that would take all the pressure away. If a war is coming, you need to learn how to use magic under pressure, while your life and the life of others is depending on it. So you will practice on them, while they're carrying rocks, knowing full well that if you make a mistake, one of these rocks might crush a vampire." Luciana said.

"That's really risky." Alacaris commented.

"We want it to be risky." Luciana looked them dead in the eye and Giselle couldn't stop her loud heartbeats from deafening her. "Come on." Luciana turned around and walked away from Giselle towards the middle of the field.