Chapter 1: Dawn
It was dark. The hours just before sunrise are the coolest, most silent and mysterious. However, there was a single shimmering light coming from a candle, providing light to a silent woman, reading a book. Wearing just a delicate peach colored night dress, contrasted by her russet brown skin, like a seashell. Her capulin cherry eyes sticked to the pages, as she blushed: «[...]Yoselyn was set back by Zakcarya's sudden change of tone. His voice cracking, suffering... She gave up. "I'm sorry" she whispered, before running upstairs. "Yoselyn...!" Zack called as he took her hand, in an attempt to stop her... but the bandages covering her injury fell and the scent of her fresh blood penetrated through his nostrils. Silence was absolute as he forced her down to the wooden floor, imprisioning her. "Zack...?" She asked, in shock, but he held his head down, by her ear, gasping painfully. After a moment, he began caressing her neck, kissing and licking her pale skin, leaving subtle pink marks. She was frozen, unable to speak, as cold shivers went down to her spine...» Ayla slowly brought her left hand to the low border of her soft night dress, caressing the low part of her abdomen, to fold it up, revealing her tights, gently touching her crotch with her right hand. He gasped, thrilled with pleasure, and she twisted her head in an attempt to keep reading the book on the bedside table. «She then felt his warm breathing rising, and before knowing what was happening, he pierced her flesh with his fangs. "What...?" Her eyes open wide in horror and surprise as she heard her blood being sipped by Zackarya. "Zack is a... vampire...?" She asked to herself a now stupid question [...]»
Someone knocked the door. Ayla jumped and with quick movements closed the book, blew out the candle and covered her exposed skin with the silk sheets of her bed, pretending to be asleep. "«Ailie», are you awake?" Whispered a familiar voice "Hope you didn't stay up all night reading your vampire novels." Said the man at the other side. Despite the harsh tone, Ayla could tell he had a grin on his face. She stood up, enveloping her body with her blanket and she walked towards the door of her room, her barefoot feeling the fresh and smooth surface of the floor.
"How dare you assume something that's entirely true?" Ayla cried out dramatically as she opened the door to face a tall young man with brown wavy short hair. A scar pierced through his left eye, once golden.
The lamplight in the hallway blinded her for a moment.
"Go to sleep, dumbass" Gavin responded playfully, messing her bleached hair.
"I can't" she complained "I'm just so excited...!".
"Alright. Just remember we'll be outside all day."
Ayla straightened her back and looked at him in the eye: "Yes, sir!", she parodied a serious voice as she bowed at him and closed the door.
"Good night, «Gav». I'm not going to sleep, but thank you so much for your worries!" He poorly mimicked Ayla's tone, sarcastic.
"Shut up!"
He was right, thought. It was too late to get some actual rest. She looked at the cleanly folded Guardian uniform laying on a chair beside her richly decorated bed. Ayla decided to start dressing once she finished her business.
The raising sun highlighted the training camp with a golden glimmer. The humidity of summer in Hupyrmus made the machines rust, but it was certainly pleasing to do some exercise outside. Ayla was warming up with a wooden long stick covered in wax and enveloped with a cloth. A tool that could resemble a sword in shape and weight, but designed to make the minimum damage to a fellow apprentice while training.
Ayla swinged it as she stretched and taked various positions, feeling a glow of pride that her muscles responded so smoothly.
"You know, you don't have to think about every step or movement. You're going to end up confusing yourself at the moment of truth."
She heard Gavin's voice coming from her back. Her father walking alongside him.
"Her pace and forward movement will come later with experience in real battle, but her waist is perfectly balanced," Reverie pointed out mildly, with gravel-and-syrup voice. His smoky hair and slightly wrinkled brown skin (resembling driftwood) turned in to shades of gold and colored terracota, mimicking his crown, as he came closer to his daughter. He held a sword without , which so reflected back the sunbeams towards Ayla. It was long, smoothly sharpened on both sides and skillfully decorated from the guard to the pommel with small green jewels and golden symbols Ayla knew very well. They were symbols used against dark creatures on the old times.
"This is the sword I used when I was a vampire hunter" The king lowered his voice, making it sound like it was coming from a cave "Now, I trust it to you, so use it to protect both vampires and humans, so peace remains and we're able to live in peace". He declared, solemnly.
Gavin couldn't stop himself from blurting out, "As if we could".
Ayla whipped her head around and fiercely glared at him. The King straight up murmured to her ear with a chuckle "That's why I trust YOU!". She smirked with amusement, taking the blade; it was surprisingly light, and even more pretty up close. She admired it for a moment, before bowing rapidly towards Reverie. "I humbly accept this gift, your majesty. In exchange I swear I'll do my best to fulfill my duty as a Guardian" she smiled, excited. Gavin handed her the scabbard, made of wood, covered with hardened leather and protected with pieces of metal, richly decorated the same way as the sword. Ayla took it, respectfully nodding at him. She put the sword inside the scabbard and placed it on her waist, held by a leather belt that was part of the uniform. She felt the weight of that responsibility, yet she was filled with pride.
Gavin raised hand to his forehead, saluting someone behind her. "Good morning, Danica" Ayla turned around to see Gavin's patrol partners. A handsome young woman was leading them and Ayla assumed she was Danica. Her straight charcoal black hair waving on a ponytail with the morning breeze as she greeted back "Good morning, Gavin" with mellow and firm voice.
Ayla was stunned by the aura she and the rest of the patrol had. Even though they were wearing the same clothes, the other three Guardians were definitely more experienced and confident than Gavin and her. Two of them had scars piercing their faces, but Danica's clear white skin was immaculate. Only her almond black eyes reflected her wisdom as a warrior. Ayla made a reverence towards her superiors.
"Raise your head, your majesty, princes of Hupyrmus" Danica commanded and Ayla did so.
"I beg you to call me by my name" she responded "I shall not hold any privilege towards a more experienced guardian".
"Week, I wasn't going to say anything" A man from the patrol interrupted. He had a heavy low voice. His features suggested he was the oldest one in the patrol, but still bold enough to give a battle, "but you clearly have known nothing but softness." Ayla listened carefully to the warrior, determined to get everything right. Contrary to what she expected, he didn't continue speaking.
The leader of the patrol ignored him a she kneeled in front of the King "I deeply lament my rudeness towards your majesty, but we should be going now." She apologized "It's going to be a long day and we've got to show Ayla the place." The king nodded "Do as you wish, captain Danica". "Thanks, your Majesty".
She stood up and started walking. The rest of the patrol followed, Ayla and Gavin in the end.
Gavin looked down at Ayla. Excitement burning through her eyes. He let her enjoy herself (since this would be the first time she left the castle and visited the city) before asking "Did you have any sleep?". Ayla looked back at him "No. I would've overslept." She responded. Gavin looked worried for a moment before Ayla gave him a playful pat on the head "Are you worried?" "I am", he admitted, "I still remember how tired I was after my first patrol... and I'm not even a warrior". Ayla remembered when he told her of his first patrol. They were out all day, he saw many things and they even stopped a beer fight. Gavin was a medicine man, so he would help when a warrior or mechanic was injured, but he wouldn't fight unless it was absolutely necessary, since his blind eye won't let him defend himself at the same time.
"That's why by rule we have two days of rest before the real work comes" Said third guardian. They were basically covered from head to toe from the sunlight, wearing an oversized version of the guardian cape that covered even part of their face and a hat with the widest brim Ayla had ever seen. The neutral tone of their voice didn't made clear anything about them. Only a pair of eyes showed some kind of good-natured intentions. Ayla wondered if this person was a vampire. "My name is Tasmin, by the way" they sayed, noticing Ayla's fixed stare "And I'd recommend you to avoid listening to our dear senior warrior, Aonghus Fernandez, he's a little bit grumpy today" Tasmin giggled.
Aonghus glared back at them, but sayed nothing. They walked along the limits of the palace, passing through the training camp and some of the gardens. Now they were heading the main hall.
Ayla catched a glimpse of the other side before Almos' tall figure caught her gaze, reaching out to them with a gentle smile.