They spent most of the night working with the girl, Derek calling her and Claude dismissing her. Derek was stunned that she did not seem to remember what was happening. Around 11PM, they decided to stop and do what they had come here to do. They approached the bar, and spoke to the barkeep whom Derek had known for years.
- “Hello Richard,” Derek said
- “Good Evening, My Lord,” the man said from behind the counter, ” I heard of what happened at your estate and I offer my condolences, Sire. Your father was a great man” he said.
- “Yes he was,” Derek said quickly trying to change the subject, “But as you know, we lost many servants in that. I will have to travel to London in 2 weeks. I need someone to come to work at my Estate now and someone I can trust to keep things in order once I leave”.
_ “Oh yes Sir,” the man said with a smile, “I understand Tom was looking for work, Sire and I am sure he would be delighted to work for you. Shall I send him to see you tomorrow morning?” He asked.
- “Yes”, Derek said with a smile almost without thinking. He looked up at Claude who had a raised eyebrow at him and then he realized that this would not work. “Erm no.” He said, smiling, “I will be out tomorrow during the day, please have him come late afternoon – after 6PM”.
- “Very well, Sire,” he said, “and if there is anything you need Sire, during this difficult time, please ask – I am glad to serve your family as always, My Lord”.
- “Thank you, Richard” he said, “But this is all I require for now” he said.
Derek and Claude both left the establishment and started back towards the horses. Claude stopped halfway through and said, “You know, this is an excellent time for you to learn to hunt in the city” he said.
- “Hunt in the city? But this is a village” Derek said
- “Yes, but its better to learn here before we go to London. You will need to know this before we go there, Derek.”
A wave of panic came over Derek. Claude was talking about hunting people – drinking human blood. Derek felt sick, “No thank you” is all that he managed to say back to Claude, as he turned around and started to mount his horse.
- “Derek”, Claude reached up and touched his arm, “I know this is difficult, but you must learn it”
- “Another time, Claude” Derek said trying to hide the panic in his voice, “I think I have learned enough for one night, don’t you?”
Claude smiled at him, he could see the panic in the boy’s eyes. Yes, he had made some strides tonight, although he was still afraid the boy would not be ready to go to London in 2 weeks, but perhaps he had done enough for one day. “Alright, he said – if you are sure?”
- “Yes,” Derek said almost immediately, “I am more than sure – I am extremely sure – as sure as I can ever be of anything” he said, almost rambling, “Now, let us go”.
Claude laughed and mounted his horse. Derek was already halfway down the path, trying to get out of the village as fast as possible before Claude changed his mind.
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The next evening, as promised, Thomas came to call. Derek had not seen Thomas since he was a young boy and now he had a wife and a child with him. Derek got them settled in one of the servant cottages on the outside of the Castle. He told Thomas at this time, he did not want anyone but himself living in the castle. He explained to Thomas that he had many matters to tend to during the day and would not be about.
- “Well this is going to be a problem,” Derek said to Claude when he came back into the house.
Claude was sitting by the table in the kitchen, with all the weapons out that they were planning to use for the night. He was finishing up polishing one of the swords.
- “Why?” Claude asked
- “Well,” Derek said as he approached the table and sat down accross from Claude,”I sleep in dungeon right – what am I going to tell them when I rise in the evening from there? They may not ask, but they will wonder why that is.” Derek said.
- “Well,” Claude said, “We can do one of two things.” he continued, “We can dig out an exit that leads from under the castle to outside,” he hesitated for a moment, “or you can ghoul them”.
Derek looked confused, “Ghoul them? Whatever that is, it sounds horrible.” he said.
- “Well”, he said, “it is one way that Kindred interract with mortals who help them.” Claude said, “If you trust them, to work for you and to tell them what you really are, there is a reward in it for them.” He said.
- “What kind of reward?” Derek asked
- “Well,” Claude responded, “so long as they remain in your service as a ghoul, they will not age, they will not get sick and they may in time – only after a very long time – even start to develop some powers themselves.”
- “Do they have to drink blood too and do they burn in the sunlight?” Derek asked
- “No” Claude continued, “They are still human, Derek. They are just ‘in your service’ so to speak”, Claude explained.
Derek paused for a moment, “Well, that does not sound too bad,” he said finally, “but I would have to tell them what I really am – that I am a vampire? What if they become scared? Can I just not tell them?”
- “They will not be scared – they will accept it without fear” Claude said, “and they will know Derek.” Claude stood up and started to pace, “you see the thing is,” he said, “in order for them to be a ghoul in your service,” he looked at Derek hesitantly, “well,” he said… “they have to drink your blood” he said finally.
- “WHAT?” Derek asked in complete shock, “but you said they wouldn’t need blood to survive!”
- “That is correct” Claude said, “they do not need blood to survive, but they need your blood about once every moon cycle in order to maintain the bond with you.”
Derek got up and started to pace, “that is the most horrible thing I have ever heard – and this is in a long line of horrible things I have heard and seen – at least so far.” He sounded frustrated, “I am going to have to MAKE them drink my blood? Because I highly doubt that anyone would do that on their own.” He said.
- “Yes” Claude said, “you can use your powers of domination of the mind to make them drink. Once they drink from you, they are bound to you. They will never betray you, they will do everything you ask them to do and they will give their life if needed to protect you.” Claude said, “if you plan to live among mortal soceity, you will eventually need the service of Ghouls to assist you with tasks you cannot complete during the day.” Claude said.
Derek felt sick. The more he learned about his new “condition” the more it made him ill. He looked at Claude after a long while, and said, “very well” he said, “we dig a tunnel entrance then. I am not making anyone drink my blood.” he said.
- “Derek,” Claude said in a fatherly tone, “it really is not that bad, and you must start getting used to things such as these, and furthermore,”
- “NO” Derek interrupted him, “No, Claude. There are some things that I will not get used to – and this is one of them.” he said as he started to make his way out of the room. “I will tell Thomas to get settled and to not come up to the castle until next week. That will give us a few days to dig – do you believe that will be enough?” He asked with his back to Claude.
Claude sighed, “Yes, that should be plenty, but you know we will have to find a way to…”
- “Then its settled,” Derek interrupted him, “tomorrow night we dig again” he said as he walked out of the room. Derek just couldn’t bring himself to look Claude in the eye right now.
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The next night Derek told Thomas to go get settled. He said for him to come in to work the following monday. Thomas had a wife and child to get settled into their new cottage and appreciated the time – he saw it as a gesture of kindness from his new lord. In the meantime, Derek and Claude dug every night in silence. They created a tunnel that led out from under the castle and disguised it with some vegetation. Claude was concerned as for him, this was a point of vulnerability. They had dug in silence for 3 days now.
- “Alright, I understand you are upset with me, but I am sure I do not have to tell you that this tunnel is far from ideal,” Claude said to Derek as they worked to disguise the tunnel entrance.
- “I know” Derek replied flatly
- “I will leave you vulenerable during the day, Derek” Claude said
Derek had not been able to look him in the eye for the last 3 days. There was no training, no conversaiton just digging. Derek thought about everything that had happened to him – about this creature he had become and he wished now that he had died along with his family. He thought about how alone he would be – how different than eveyone else. How he would never have a family or do any of the normal things that people were expected to do. Even a trip to London had taken them over a month to prepare for it. He had a feeling that things would get worse from here on instead of better. And it was all because of Claude – because Claude thought he had saved him. He did not. He had dammed him forever is what he had done, and right now at this very moment, Derek hated him for it.
-” I do not care”, Derek said without looking at Claude, “it is better than the alternative” he said.
- “Derek, I know you are upset right now, but just think about it for a moment,” Claude started to say.
Derek threw his shovel down and looked at Claude in anger.
-” Think about it for a moment?” He asked in a quiet and angry voice, “Did YOU think about it for a moment before you did this to me? Or did you just do it to make yourself feel better?” He screamed, “LOOK AT ME!” he said, “I am a monster thanks to you – I feed on the blood of others, I create ghouls and I do God only knows what else! ALL THANKS TO YOU!” He screamed, “THIS IS YOUR FAULT YOU BASTARD – ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? DO YOU FEEL BETTER? WHAT IS THERE TO THINK ABOUT?”
Claude just stared at Derek with a blank look on his face. The child was right – everything he said was right. Claude did create him probably out of guilt – for feeling guilty that he arrived too late to save any of them. For feeling that he had somehow brought this evil upon his family. That maybe he had missed his own family and he had been tired of being alone and wanted some company. All of the reasons that Claude had been afraid to face, the child knew and the threw them back at him. This boy was so angry with him and he had good reason to be. Claude remembered how he felt when he was turned – the anger and the feeling that something had been stolen from him. He felt violated – and he had now done that to another person. He had truly become the monster he had hated and despised for so long. There was nothing he could say back to the boy – he was right – everything he had said was right.
- “You are right” Claude said to him finally, “and I am sorry.” he said quietly and he walked past Derek, picked up the shovel that he had thrown down and looked back up at him, “I am truly sorry” he said again, “I will finish here – why don’t you go inside and get settled for the day.” He said and he started to finish the work they had started to conceal the entrance.
Derek turned around and started to walk towards the castle. He was so angry, although thankfully the skills he had learned from Claude helped him to keep his anger in check and not the rage control him. Even through his anger, he felt a little bad about the look he saw in Claude’s eyes. A look of a father deeply hurt by the words of his son. He wasn’t sure how to react to that.
———————————————————————————————-
The next couple of days were spent in silence. Claude kept to himself and Derek couldn’t bear his company. Claude finished the outside tunnel on his own and Derek spent most of his nights either in his room or tending to the horses. It was not only days before they were due to leave for London. Derek checked on Thomas and made sure he was settled in. He gave him a list of duties started to make preparations to leave. He told Thomas he was expected to be in London for a month at least.
- ‘No need to worry, Sire – everything here will be taken care of – I will see to it” he said.
- “Thank you Thomas,” Derek replied, “I appreciate your work during this difficult time”
- “And the large man, will he be going with you or will he be staying here?” Thomas asked
- “Unfortunately, he is coming with me, Thomas – once I am gone the castle will be solely in your hands” Derek explained.
- “No problem Sir, I take care of everything for you.”
Derek walked upstairs to his old room. The room felt larger than before and Derek started to pack some of his city clothes. Normally he would have had a servant to do that for him, but now there was no one. He was not even sure what to pack, since he had never given this a second though. He stood at the window of his room looking out – thinking about all of things that had changed in his life up until this point. He thought about all the people he would see in London – about how they were all going to ask questions, tell him how sorry they were, and bring up the subject of his family’s death over and over again. He was in pain just at the thought of it – but he knew he owed it to his father to put his family’s affairs in order.
- “We need to talk before we leave” Claude said from behind him, “this cannot go on, Derek”.
Derek turned around to face him, “Alright then – talk” he said.