“Can we count on others to help fight,” asked Daniel.
“No … no, we can’t,” Juno answered. “They’ve helped me as much as they can. They won’t put their families in danger by outright defying those in power. Besides, I would not allow it. It would be a death sentence.”
Madelin and the others bowed their heads in silence. It might very well be a death sentence. Then, they devoted the remaining minutes to preparing for the upcoming entertainment.
* * * * *
Chapter 25: Unforeseen Developments
Monday, June 26th
You can never be too prepared. The night’ll come before we know it, and with it the demons…
~Excerpt from the Journal of Madelin Boatweit~
The following morning began with a savory breakfast.
“They won’t go easy on you,” emphasized Juno. “When they come, we will have to work together. I doubt any of you will stand a chance against even the weakest of them alone. So don’t get separated.”
Daniel nodded in harsh agreement and Roger chimed in, “Now hold on a sec there, Juno. Don’t you think you’re laying it on a bit thick? I mean, I’m sure me and Danny can take on a skinny or two by ourselves.”
“Not bare handed you can’t,” the teacher replied. He peered at them over the breakfast table as he continued, “That reminds me. Keep your ammunition at hand. Do not let it run out. You will need it all. And it won’t help if you run out in the middle of an attack. They are quick and strong, and will take advantage of any opening they see.”
Their heads nodded in unison. Even Roger saw the logic of Juno’s advice.
Daniel leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms. He was stuffed after the delicious meal and could not recall having felt better. “So what all needs to be done?”
“First, we have to make sure you can take care of yourselves. We also need to make preparations. Farlin is trying to find out what time they plan to attack. Then we will have a better idea of how much time we have to construct our defenses. Just to be safe, I hope to get things done by nightfall. If we’re lucky, we’ll have an extra day.”
The group nodded and cleared the table, ready for whatever Juno threw at them.
The teacher first enlisted the group in strenuous combat practice. They retreated to the shaded garden to spar. Daniel leaned against a waist-high rock wall that enclosed the nearest plant bed while the others converged on the large patio just outside the house. Juno paired the two ex-servicemen together and Jedd with Madelin. As they fought, the vampire rebel circled the groups, assessing their abilities to see how they had progressed from the previous day.
Each time Madelin attacked, she let her guard down. “Hands up, Madelin,” Juno shouted. She did as instructed, but a second later he found her repeating the problem. “Hands up, Madelin,” he reiterated.
They had no time for mistakes. Sidestepping her, he stopped the fight and instructed Jedd on a defensive technique to take advantage of Madelin’s error, then turned to the other sparring session.
Roger made use of the moves Juno had shown him. They were proving effective, but the battle veteran countered most of the Cajun’s attempts. The ex-sailor’s training was evident over Madelin and her godfather, but improvements were still needed. Seeing Roger’s knee balancing his weight, Juno shot a knifed hand into the backside and clipped his tendon. The gambler went down in a heap.
“What the hell?” he screamed.
“That’s just what I was thinking,” the vampire replied. “Did I not tell you to keep that knee in? Balance your weight. Keep it bent. Don’t lock it. It slows your reaction time. They will take advantage of it and get the jump on you.”
Roger nodded and rose from the ground. “Got it.”
Juno returned to the other pair and found Madelin’s guard dropping once again. In a flash, he leapt between the two and smacked her forehead, coming to a stop a foot away. Astonished by the blur and impact, she failed to react to Jedd’s attack. His fist glanced off her temple and sent her to the ground.
“I’m so sorry, Maddy,” Jedd professed. “It all happened so fast.”
His goddaughter peered up at them from the stone floor. “I know. How’d you do that, Juno?”
“That’s how they will move,” he replied. “Don’t let your guard down.”
“I didn’t,” she exclaimed like a frustrated child. “You’re just too fast.”
“I may be fast, but you have to stop me,” he answered. “Otherwise, you won’t have a hope of surviving.”
Her eyes flared as she pushed herself off the ground. With a shake of her head, she returned to the stance Juno had shown her the day before. She steadied her breathing without thought and focused on Jedd. “Okay, let’s go.”
Jedd came at her, but his moves were hesitant and she shoved them aside with ease.
“No, no, no,” Juno chided.
Jedd stopped to look at the man as he stepped closer. When his lips were next to Jedd’s ear, he whispered, “I know she’s your goddaughter. You don’t want to lose her. I get it. But what will happen when they get hold of her because you went easy?”
Jedd’s jaw firmed. Juno took a step back. As soon as he was clear, Jedd flew at her. He threw a fist high, feinting. Then he switched and threw a few at her gut.
She slipped by the first and leapt back as the onslaught continued. Her eyes were green fire. Jedd resumed his stance, but a second later he was on the move again. He circled, forcing her back against the low wall. Then, he leapt forward and went for her throat.
She was determined not to let down her guard and assessed the threat in a split-second. Her body acted of its own accord. She switched stances, lowered herself to the ground, and Jedd’s assault went high. She thrust her elbow into his stomach and spun to his back. She slid to a stop and sent half a dozen blows into his kidneys. Before he could react, she grabbed his wrist, thrust his arm behind him, and sent the edge of her foot into the back of his knees.
The force of her kick sent him tumbling to the ground and her tight grip flung his head into a rock wall. Jedd stumbled to his feet, his mind whirling from the maneuver.
Where’d she learn that, he wondered. Juno didn’t teach us anything like that.
Juno appraised her performance with pride. When Jedd attacked, the meek woman disappeared and was replaced by a trained warrior, but as quickly as it came, the fighter disappeared. Madelin’s glare vanished and she resumed her casual posture, favoring one leg with her hand propped on a hip. He had not seen those moves since his days as a youth.
“Where did you learn that?” asked Juno, intrigued.
“I...I...I’m not sure,” she replied. “There was training in the hospital, but I remember it like a dream. I don’t know the specifics. I just focused on Jedd, and my body took over. It was like it had a mind of its own.”
Juno nodded. “That’s muscle memory. Your body remembers things, even if you don’t. Once you’ve trained it to do something, it reacts without thought. It’s like a habit.”
Madelin glanced back at Jedd in apology. “Are you okay? I didn’t realize how hard I was hitting you until after I’d done it.”
“Yeah…,” Jedd replied, still gathering his breath. “Those were well placed punches though. I can barely move.”
“Good,” Juno spat. “It’s a lesson for the both of you. Madelin, you need to focus and stay in that frame of mind when the time comes.”
She nodded, still astonished by what had happened.
Juno removed a handful of fencing foils from a bag and threw one to each of them. “Now it’s time to arm yourselves. Remember what I told you.”
Roger hefted the sword in one hand. Its leather grip fit as though it were made for him. In their earlier training, it proved less difficult to use than he expected. The sword was similar to knife fighting, except for the weapons balance, but he was growing to like it.
It felt like a toothpick in Daniel’s hand, but he readied himself like Juno had shown them.
His eyes settled on Roger, but he waited for him to make the first move. The Cajun seemed to like this bit of training and often attacked before him.
Roger leapt forward with blade bared. Daniel parried and the two circled one another. Their blades met again and the older of the two spun his clockwise, wrestling Roger for the advantage. If he could disarm the gambler, he would win. Knocking the blade aside, he thrust up into the Cajun’s shoulder, but Roger dodged his attack and retreated down one of the paved walkways that meandered through the garden. Daniel followed, annoyance showing in his austere look. The gambler surprised him with a feint, then brought his blade down on Daniel’s bicep with a loud ‘thwap’. It stung, but not enough to distract him from the fight. He circled Roger again, but the sailor would not allow himself to be pinned against a wall.
Juno massaged his chin with approval, then returned to the others. Madelin prodded Jedd with strike after strike. She was no longer as timid as the day before, at least when confronted in battle, and her focus was unwavering.
Just then, a thought occurred to him. He waited for the proper timing and leapt into the fray as Jedd stepped forward with his own attack. Madelin batted Jedd’s sword away with a practiced hand and switched her attention to Juno. The blunted tip of her fencing sword stopped at his neck, bending under the pressure of his rapid advance.
Her swiftness stopped Juno in his tracks. The tension in the bent sword threatened to snap the blade. “Very good,” he croaked and stepped away. “That’s quite good.”
After an hour more of practice, the group went into the house to assess their ammunition stores and construct defensive measures.
“Got anything explosive?” asked Daniel, spotting the collection of jars.
Juno quirked an eyebrow and a glint of mischief fluttered in his eyes. “Why, yes I do.”
“Good, then we just need something to make them stand out at night.” Daniel scanned the yard and paved walkways.
“How about these,” Juno added, pointing at a cluster of mushrooms at the far end of one soil bed. He plucked a midsized specimen and cupped it in his hands. In the darkness, a blue luminescence filtered through his fingers.
“Yeah, that’s perfect,” replied Daniel with an appreciative smile.
Their host gathered large masses of the fungus, leaving nothing behind, and began harvesting other plants from the garden. “But what is it you’re planning?”
“You’ll see. Got any scrap metal?”
“Behind the house, next to the animal pens. They’re just beyond the tree line.”
Juno finished gathering the herbs he needed and went inside to concoct Daniel’s explosive powder. The others followed, their curiosity getting the best of them. Juno roasted the fresh herbs in a small bowl and ground the ingredients with an adeptness gained through centuries of experience. Less than an hour later, Daniel appeared pushing a wheelbarrow laden with hand crafted nails and other shards. The two men worked to create Daniel’s invention, eventually sealing the jar with wax.
Daniel grinned at Roger and Juno. “Field test?”
“You bet,” Roger replied with a knowing smile.
He lifted the jar from the table and deposited it on the other side of the yard. The sun was beginning its southern journey and the jar glowed under the shade of the tree line. Daniel leveled his pistol on it from the doorway when Roger had retreated to safety. The roar of his gun echoed through the cottage and was joined by a shattered blast as the bullet tore through the container, spewing metal shrapnel across half the yard.
“Shoot, that makeshift mine’ll take out anything within twenty feet,” Roger commented with admiration.
“It won’t take them out at that distance, but if some are close enough the shards might pierce their hearts. Could get a couple with each jar if we time it right. Remember, they’re like me. It will take a lot to bring them down.”
Roger shrugged, but the dread in his eyes overshadowed his uncaring façade.
“Okay, let’s get started then. We’ve got a bunch more to make.”
Daniel sprung into action, gathering ingredients for as many as they could construct and directing his friends. The light outside was waning by the time they finished, but there were only enough mushrooms to fill half the jars. Jedd remembered his own discovery and retrieved the mushrooms he had gathered days earlier. They still illuminated the area in a foot radius, although the glow was somewhat muted compared to the day he found them. Juno smiled when he saw the large fungi and scattered them within the remaining jars.
After they added the last of the chemicals from his stocked shelves, they admired their progress. The desk in the converted dining room sat covered in dozens of large jars, each glowing in the dwindling light of the sun. Before the daylight vanished, Daniel and Roger placed many of the jars throughout the yard, within sight of the windows. By nightfall, the motley group was ready and waiting.
* * * * *
Chapter 26: Unreasonable Propositions
Monday Night, June 26th
I’ve never seen anything like what I experienced that night. How can so many people do what Juno does? And how in the hell have we survived this far...?
~Excerpt from the Journal of Madelin Boatweit~
While expected, the knock on the door set everyone’s nerves on edge. It was just after midnight. Juno recovered from the shock first, lifted himself from the armchair, and went to the window. The others rose in preparation of what stood beyond it. Juno recognized one of his messengers and waved the group back to their seats. A local boy of seventeen years stood at the door, but anxiously peered over his shoulder.
“Care to come in, Byron?” asked Juno after opening the door.
Byron shook his head. He attempted to meet Juno’s gaze, but disappointment weighed it down. Instead, he stared at his feet. “No, thank you, sir.” He lifted a stiff arm and handed Juno a folded sheet of parchment.
The rebel unsealed the letter. It was addressed and signed by no one, but contained the familiar scrawl of Farlin.
Dear Sir,
The family of which we spoke has chosen to select not one, but two people this month. I believe it would benefit you to know that Roger Talbut and Madelin Boatweit have been chosen for Selection. Due to an undisclosed immediate concern, the family has decided to forgo the one day transition period and will be in pursuit of those selected this evening. If I may be of further service, please let me know. Good luck!
Your friend in the field.
The choice of selecting two people was unexpected, but did not change their plans.
“Thank you for your assistance,” Juno murmured after reading the letter. “You have been a great help. You may go.”
The youth bowed, then whispered, “Thank you, sir,” before retreating into the forest.
Juno gazed at the town in the distance and watched as a host of familiar auras began gathering. We have a few minutes yet, he thought. He closed the door and handed the letter to Jedd.
“It looks like you stirred up the bee’s nest,” Juno mentioned with a smile that failed to mask his concern.
“What do you mean?” asked Madelin. “Didn’t we expect them to choose me?”
Jedd answered her after reading the letter for himself. “I believe a few of them took offense to our friend’s good fortune in the tavern.”
Roger looked up from his rapier and said in disbelief, “I’m on there too?”
Jedd nodded.
“Well, aren’t I making friends everywhere I go?” Roger added in jest.
The others chuckled at the mild attempt to break the tense silence. Just then, howls echoed through the forest, signaling the advance on Juno’s small cottage. They looked at one another and attempted to summon the courage to confront the oncoming vampires. The screams grew and the forest shivered as a crowd of pale faces flowed through it.
Daniel was the first to stand as he sensed the time approaching. He walked over and took his position next to the living room window. As though on cue,
Roger headed for the kitchen while checking the chamber of his revolver for the fifth time. He propped his sword against the wall by the back door, in case it came down to close quarters fighting. Jedd pulled out his .22 caliber pistol and knelt next to the window in the study. They opened the shutters a sliver to observe the approaching people, and attack through when necessary.
Juno walked over to the blazing fireplace. An ornate sword hung over it, the faint firelight flickering on its blade. He removed it with reverence and admired the elegant engravings throughout the pommel and up the hilt. He ran his thumb along the edge and tip of the curved blade before strapping the scabbard to his waist.
“I guess it is only right that their blood should be spilt by a Traditorian sword,” he muttered to the room. “This Grosse Messer was passed down to me by my father. As the youngest son, it was the one thing left to me.” He slid the sword into the well oiled scabbard and took his place by the front door, prepared to give his relatives the reception they deserved.
Jedd watched the line of trees surrounding the garden and back of the house. Little movement could be seen. As though sensing the oncoming chaos, the woods adopted a silence that could only be the quiet before the storm. Even the animals fled or hid. The only movements were tree limbs shivering with anticipation.
Was it the wind that caused it, Jedd wondered, or some innate knowledge of what was to come?
The nervous anticipation grew as screams and howls disrupted the silence, echoing through the forest. Jedd looked beyond the multitude of faces that appeared, searching for a familiar aura. He found it moving across the shadowed horizon. Leodenin advanced from behind to a vacant area amongst the forest. It soon became clear what their tactician had decided.
Even the subtle movement of the tree limbs stopped as the advancing army halted. A line of vampires stood at the edge of the shrouded yard. An eerie silence fell over the clearing as the pale faces peered at the small group through the darkness. Each person within the house stood in expectation and jumped when a loud knock at the door broke the ominous quiet. Juno held up a hand and stepping up to the door, revealing himself to his brother through a crack. Lord Alain stood tall and forbidding in the cramped stone archway. He even dawned an ornate cape for the occasion.
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