A Little Imagination

Alisa was already waiting impatiently when Marieke finally pushed aside the lid in the evening. She was so fidgety that the maid had to admonish her three times to stay still before she managed to braid and pin up Alisa's hair.

She brushed out her dress and shook out the folds of her skirt before allowing her charge to enter the hall with the golden ceiling, where the young vampires were already gathered for the blood feast. Meanwhile, Leonarda had also finished Chiara's hair, while Joanne didn't bother to freshen up her braids. They went together. Tammo and Sören were already there when they entered with the other two. 

The fourth coffin in their chamber had also been empty in the evening. But in the hall, they saw four more young vampire girls. Chiara leaned over to her. "The two redheads are Ireen and Rowena from London. I can't say anything about them. We've barely exchanged more than three words." "And the tall boy next to them?" Alisa wanted to know immediately.

She liked him. He was well-proportioned and his movements seemed calm and deliberate. The blonde hair shimmered a little coppery in the lamplight. The features were noble and almost masculine. He must be at least three years older than her. "That's Malcolm," said Chiara. "He's sixteen and probably won't even dignify us with a glance!" Alisa had to silently agree with her.

She wanted to ask something about the Londoners, but Chiara pointed to two other students and continued with her explanations. "Look at these two dark beauties from Vienna! They look incomparable, but they are demons of the worst kind. Be warned! Although I haven't had much to do with them either, the little I have was enough for me to make sure not to share the chamber with them. I think the younger one is named Marie Luise and the older one Anna Christina." "The younger one is truly exceptionally beautiful," Alisa admitted.

"Yes," Chiara said, troubled. "And you should see her brother first! Franz Leopold. Such a disgusting guy!" Alisa raised her eyebrows questioningly as Chiara suddenly groaned. She followed her gaze, and although she was warned, she felt a strange flutter within herself as the vampire, enveloped in the warm glow of the lamps, stood in the middle of the hall. His expression was impassive, only his dark eyes scanned around vigilantly. Alisa let out a small sigh.

Chiara nodded understandingly. "Yes, but don't let his appearance fool you, and better not speak to him. He heavily offended my cousin Luciano yesterday. He is malicious and mean!"

At that moment, Franz Leopold turned towards them. Chiara lowered her eyes.

"I can hardly believe that someone can be externally so beautiful and internally such a monster, as Chiara claims," thought Alisa, feeling a dull pressure in her head. Franz Leopold curled his lips into a smile that certainly wasn't friendly.

"No? Perhaps I'm even worse than she says! On the other hand, can a rat offend an eagle? He stands so far above them that there's no reason for him to bother with the vermin in the muck."

He could penetrate into her thoughts! That was unsettling. There must be a way to stop him!

"Of course, there is. But I'm afraid this art is mastered only by the truly superior families. And I wouldn't exactly count yours among them."

The buzzing in Alisa's head grew louder. Franz Leopold visibly relished her discomfort. She felt anger rising within her. She would have liked nothing more than to pounce on this arrogant guy. Suddenly, an image formed in her mind, of her tripping over her own tight skirts and falling at his feet into the mud.

"Go ahead," his dark eyes sparkled. Had he conjured and sent this image to her? Alisa knew that there were vampires with powerful mental abilities, who could paralyze their victims with a blink of an eye or turn them into willing servants. But she didn't want to believe that Franz Leopold was such a master. He couldn't be older than her!

She tried to suppress her anger and gathered all her willpower to create an image of him as a insecure, envious boy to others. She smiled at him, and with satisfaction, she saw him flinch and his arrogant demeanor slip for a moment. Too quickly, he regained control. He stepped closer to her, and Alisa felt him delving deeper into her thoughts. She knew what he was looking for: weaknesses and embarrassments to feast on and to use against her when the time was right.

"Stop that!" she hissed.

"Why should I, when it brings me pleasure?" "Because otherwise, you force me to hurt you!" "What?" For a moment, he was surprised, then he laughed loudly. "I'd like to see that!" "You will!" she promised, jumped up from her seat, and stormed out. She would rather forgo her blood drink than stay in his presence any longer.

Back in her sleeping chamber, she opened the lid of her traveling trunk and rummaged through her treasures for some items that could be useful in the fight. If only the Ridikul was not so small! "Just wait, Franz Leopold, you will get to know me!" she called out her threat into the empty space before heading to the main courtyard where they were all supposed to gather after the meal.

As Alisa entered the courtyard, she was greeted with a strange sight. Almost all the students and their companions were gathered, as well as the most important members of the Nosferas, but while they stood closely around some covered objects, the guests from other families formed a large circle with as much distance as possible from the hosts. Yes, it almost seemed like they were afraid. Alisa approached her brother Tammo, who was nervously biting his nails.

"What's wrong with you?" She hadn't finished her question when she could feel it too. Something painful pierced her body and consumed her. Alisa looked around. She took a step into the open ring and immediately felt the agony intensify. It was a feeling of slowly being dissolved in mind and body. Alisa glanced over at the Dracas. It satisfied her to see that the Viennese clan huddled closely together in a corner. The arrogant expression had vanished from Franz Leopold's face. The rough faces of the Pyras from Paris were also contorted in pain. The guests from London, on the other hand, were managing to maintain their composure quite successfully. Alisa looked at the eldest of the four English students, who had caught her attention in the hall with the golden ceiling. Malcolm's expression was also tense, but he stood upright and kept his gaze straight ahead. He looked masculine and strong.

Luciano and Chiara, on the other hand, were evidently relaxed, although they stood with the third Roman student Maurizio quite close to the covered objects. A fat black cat rubbed against Maurizio's legs and meowed. A little further back, the venerable Giuseppe sat on his padded chair, which his so-called shadow, now motionless behind his master, had presumably carried out of the hall. The old man waved his bony fingers until Conte Claudio approached him and leaned down to him. He nodded as his grandfather had explained his concern, straightened up again, and stepped into the middle of the courtyard. He rubbed his hands with his short, thick fingers in front of his chest, dressed in violet today, and looked over the assembled.

"Welcome once again to our Domus Aurea. Come closer!" he urged the guests, but no one moved. The two burly men standing with the children from Paris bared their teeth and hissed. Conte Claudio laughed and winked at them. "Since we couldn't agree on a location or a headmaster at our meeting in Chillon, we decided that our heirs will be taught by a different family each year to have the opportunity to acquire their specific abilities. The draw has decided that the first year of school will take place in Rome under my guidance."

Baron Maximilian snorted contemptuously, and his sister said audibly, "How unfortunate that our children must waste their first year like this."

Despite the insult, the Roman vampire smiled even wider. "Waste? Ah, my dear, I'm sorry to hear that. May I invite you to come closer? You shall have the best seats for our little presentation!" He paused for a moment, but the Dracas didn't budge.

The Conte shrugged and turned back to address everyone. "What can you young vampires learn here with us?" "How to stuff your belly?" Tammo mocked quietly, so the Conte couldn't hear it. His sister gave him a rib jab. "Something that strengthens your powers, increases your might, and strips your enemies of their most dangerous defenses!" exclaimed Conte Claudio, throwing his arms theatrically into the air. "Let's begin!"

Two servants approached, removed the cloth from the largest object in the courtyard, and revealed a cuboid stone block. "Very impressive," Franz Leopold scoffed, but there was uncertainty in his voice. The Baron and Baroness bared their teeth. Someone groaned. "Is that an altar?" Lady Elina asked. Conte Claudio nodded brightly. "Oh yes, a consecrated altar from a church nearby. I had it brought here by two of our shadows." "Are you telling us that your impures not only entered this church but also managed to steal a consecrated altar from it?" Her otherwise cool voice almost faltered.

As Conte Claudio nodded, murmurs rose among the vampires. "But yes," he said proudly, placing his flat hand on the polished stone surface without the slightest sign of discomfort. "There must be some trick to it," Tammo speculated. "He couldn't possibly do that!" "I don't know," Alisa replied. "Maybe he can." As the whispering subsided, the Conte continued. "That was just the beginning." He beckoned the stern-looking vampire who Alisa had seen in her sleeping chamber yesterday. "This is the esteemed Professoressa Enrica, who will teach our students in Roman history and the early Christians' history.

Through her studies of this early history, she has become a master in combating the forces of the church." Signora Enrica approached an object that reached above her knee. She lifted it up and pulled down the cloth. The murmuring seemed endless. "A crucifix," some moaned.

Baroness Antonia fanned herself frantically with her fan, and the Viennese students seemed paler than usual. Alisa couldn't suppress a gasp and pressed both hands to her aching chest. Her head seemed to want to burst into a thousand pieces. She had to look away.

"That's impossible," groaned Tammo, crouching beside her on the ground. Sören also looked disturbed and huddled behind Hindrik.

Alisa glanced at Lady Elina. She still held herself upright, but it was evident how much self-control it was costing her. Signora Enrica casually placed the crucifix on the altar and produced a small vessel. It was made of gold and silver and adorned with precious stones.

They probably stole it from a church as well. She lifted the chalice and tilted it so that a bit of liquid dripped into her left palm. It hissed and steamed, but when she showed her palm to the guests, it was unharmed.

"Holy water!" The word flew reverently from mouth to mouth. "You now know the master. Now, let me introduce you to the master in warding off church forces: Professor Ruguccio."

A tall, bulky man in an elegant evening suit stepped forward. His shiny patent leather shoes squeaked with every step. He lifted the last cloth and took a small, cube-shaped box in his hand, also an intricate piece of goldsmithing. He opened the lid and took out something colorless and flat. As he held it up for everyone to see, some of the guests screamed. "A host!" A wave of panic swept through the courtyard. "That can never be a real host," the Baroness exclaimed. "No?" Signor Ruguccio replied in a deep, booming voice. "You are welcome to examine it up close." She screamed as he approached, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, you believe me now? Good." And to the horrified looks of the guests, he put it in his mouth.

Baroness Antonia had a screaming fit. The excitement only subsided when Conte Claudio ordered a few of his shadows to remove the holy items, and they were no longer visible. "I demand silence!" He waited a few moments until the guests had calmed down, then continued speaking.

"Well, I believe we have dispelled the doubts some of you harbored. Our students have a busy and often painful year ahead, but when it ends and they return to their families for the summer, they will have learned to defend themselves against the powers of the church." He looked around.

Alisa followed his gaze. She recognized doubt and rejection, but also enthusiasm and the budding of hope. A conflict of feelings also raged within her. If it were possible! She knew the stories told to young vampires on Wandrahm Island. Many members of her family had been brought down by vampire hunters over the past centuries. With crosses, holy water, and hosts, humans had surrounded and then destroyed them. Now they would learn to fight back! It was astonishing that the Nosferas had found a way in a city that until a few years ago was ruled by popes like emperors and had hundreds of churches.

Conte Claudio concluded his speech and then nodded to dismiss the assembly. "And now I invite my esteemed guests for a nighttime stroll through Rome. Get to know our wonders - and our sweet specialties!" With vigilant eyes, he watched the groups following the members of the Nosferas to the main exit, which was always guarded at night. Only the young vampires and some of the servants had to stay behind.

"And what do we do now?" asked Tammo, looking at Sören. Alisa didn't even want to know if the question included her. After all, the two of them preferred to stick together, just as they usually avoided company. So she walked away alone, lost in thought, through stone chambers and dark galleries.

Well, maybe it wasn't so surprising that it was precisely the vampires in Rome who had acquired these extraordinary abilities. Perhaps the omnipotence of the church here had left them no other way out. Otherwise, they would probably have perished long ago.

Alisa stopped to orient herself. Where was she? She hadn't paid attention to her path. There was no one in sight. She peered into a few damp chambers where coffins and sarcophagi were lined up. They were all old and partly damaged. These must be the chambers of the shadows on the edge of the west wing. Alisa turned away and was about to head back to her sleeping chamber to indulge in one of her books when a strange noise reached her from the other side. What was that? It sounded like a suppressed moan. Then a thud. Alisa gathered her skirts and turned into the long corridor that ran north along the entire west wing. It provided a quick, inconspicuous connection to all areas of the Domus Aurea for the servants and kept a little of the moisture from the soil behind the boundary wall away from the living quarters. She heard a groan again and then a malicious laugh. She ran down the corridor until it curved at the end of the wing. There, illuminated by the dim light of a small oil lamp on the wall, she could make out two figures.

"What? I can't understand you," taunted a voice she would recognize anywhere. Franz Leopold had apparently fully recovered from his discomfort!

"Step a little harder. He wants to eat a little more dust," called another voice with the same Austrian accent.

Alisa ran over and skidded to a stop beside them. Only now did she notice the third figure. She knew the wild haircut! Luciano lay face down on the floor, Franz Leopold stood on his back, while Karl Philipp pressed his shoe against his cheek and egged on his cousin. But now they turned their attention to Alisa.

"Ah, look, the girl from Hamburg wants to have some fun with us too!" exclaimed Karl Philipp. His eyes gleamed maliciously. Alisa was too outraged to feel even a spark of fear. These arrogant bastards!

"Oh yes, we will have a lot of fun together," she replied as her hand slipped into the Ridikül. "And you will think twice next time before you attack Luciano again."

The Dracas laughed mockingly. Karl Philipp tried to grab Alisa, but she ducked under his arms and retreated to the corner. She heard a seam on her skirt tear, but didn't pay attention. Her hand clutched something silvery.

"Now I've got you!" triumphed the older boy. There was even a hint of joyful excitement in Franz Leopold's expression. Alisa didn't even bother to reply. She briefly looked over at the oil lamp, then squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Her hand shot to the side and dropped the silver coil into the flame. She heard the fire hiss, then the two vampires screamed in agony. When the light pierced her eyelids, Alisa covered her face with her hands for a few moments.

As quickly as the bright flash flared up, it extinguished again, but the effect of the magnesium was even more astonishing than she had expected. Their opponents staggered disoriented through the corridor, hands pressed to their eyes, groaning. Alisa would have liked to examine how long the condition lasted, but she didn't want to risk still being within reach when the pain subsided and they could see again. So she hurried to Luciano, who was still lying on the ground, grabbed his upper arm, and pulled him to his feet.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"I'll explain later. Come on, let's go now!" She dragged him along behind her.

"I won't forget this!" howled Franz Leopold as they passed by. Alisa paused for a moment, brought her lips close to his ear, and hissed, "I hope not! Remember well that I know how to defend myself. I assure you, that's not the only surprise I can prepare for you!" She ducked under his groping hands

and continued walking, holding Luciano's hand.

"Go this way and then left," he gasped, directing her on the shortest route back to the main courtyard. He stopped, and finally, she let go of his arm.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Luciano nodded, wiping the dusty cheeks. "Thank you, that was very brave of you and very smart."

Alisa made a dismissive gesture. "Oh, it's nothing. What happened?"

"They ambushed me up there and then did what they consider 'having fun,'" he grimaced. "Just like that? Because you were the first one they got their hands on?"

"No, I wouldn't exactly call myself a random victim."

"Did you do something to them?"

He seemed a little embarrassed. "It was satisfying to see our little demonstration take the Dracas' arrogance down a notch. So, I seized the opportunity to take a jab at Franz Leopold and his cousin."

"What did you say?" Alisa asked curiously.

Luciano shrugged. "I assured them that I had thoroughly enjoyed the performance of their Baroness and offered to fetch my crucifix so I could enjoy watching her go into hysterics again."

For a moment, Alisa was astonished, then she burst into laughter. "Brilliant! But I don't think you should be surprised that they didn't take the bait."

Luciano shook his head seriously, then a smirk tugged at his lips, and he joined in her laughter. "No, I'm not surprised at all. But I simply couldn't resist the temptation! Anyway, everything turned out fine in the end - thanks to your help." He placed his hand over his chest and bowed again with a serious expression. "I am in your debt, and I will never forget this."

"Oh, nonsense, I was happy to help. Besides, I also had a little score to settle with Mr. Arrogant," she said.

She bid farewell to Luciano and made her way to the Owl Hall. She was about to collapse into one of the comfortable chairs when she heard the voices of Franz Leopold and his cousin. No, maybe she should let some more time pass before crossing paths with them again. With her skirts gathered, she silently slipped away.

Before she reached the courtyard again, she heard voices from one of the feudal guest rooms and, driven by her curiosity, approached. The nasally tone was unmistakable. Another one of those arrogant Dracas! They were becoming a real nuisance. She was about to continue on when the next words from the Baron made her pause.

"You've been avoiding me!" Baron Maximilian said angrily. "Have you found your lost uncle or not? You've sent enough of your Unclean to search."

"We have indeed found something - not him, but... something."

Baron Maximilian sharply inhaled. "Are you saying he was destroyed?"

"Let's say he no longer exists. It happens."

Alisa covered her mouth in shock. The voice of the Conte, however, betrayed none of his emotions.

"Does that mean this isn't the only case?" the Baroness's voice chimed in. "That you have a problem with vampire hunters here in Rome and didn't see fit to inform us?"

The dreaded word had been spoken. Vampire hunters, armed with all sorts of defensive spells, setting out to track down vampires and then destroy them forever.

When the Conte responded, his voice remained emotionless. "Throughout history, there have always been people who believed in vampires and those who did not. Among those who perceived us, vampire hunters emerged time and again, some successful, others not. It's like with human plagues. They come and claim victims. And they must be fought. But that doesn't mean Erado succumbed to an attack. Don't your venerables also eventually depart voluntarily, weary of their existence? Some sooner, some later. We need to verify this."

"That's nonsense! Don't deflect. You're trying to deceive us! He voluntarily left? At his age? That's nonsense! It must have been an attack! How can you assume that we would leave the most valuable thing we have, our last descendants, here in your care, if we have to fear that they might fall victim to a vampire hunter?" The Baroness was now almost shrieking.

"Don't worry, your children are safe with us," Conte Claudio replied. "We have the situation under control."

"Oh really? I believe you simply don't want to allow the power that fate has handed you to be rightfully taken away from you now. I immediately demanded that the academy be in Vienna, and for good reason. With us, our heirs would have the best opportunities!"

At the thought of Franz Leopold's family being at the mercy of the situation, Alisa felt a chill run down her spine. Anything but that!

"I will repeat my demand tonight before the other clan leaders, and I tell you, Claudio, I won't give up until all the students are on their way to Vienna!" Her skirts rustled. Alisa managed to slip into an empty chamber just in time as the Baroness stormed off down the corridor with her billowing crinoline.

Conte Claudio gritted his teeth. "We will hold this school year here in the Domus Aurea, as we decided in Chillon, and then the students will travel to Ireland." Now Alisa could sense the Roman's suppressed anger.

"Wait and see. The last word in this matter has not been spoken," the Baron retorted. Then he followed his sister, leaving Conte Claudio alone. Alisa heard him sigh and then the creaking of a chair as he let his massive body sink into the cushions.

Lost in thought, she returned to the students' quarters. Some of the others had now gathered in the common room and were sitting in the padded armchairs. However, Alisa was not in the mood for conversation. Who could she talk to about what troubled her? So, she retreated to her sleeping quarters, opened the lid of her travel chest, and took out the stack of old newspapers she had brought to Rome. It calmed her to open the pages and flip through the crackling sheets. It helped her to think. As her eyes skimmed over the articles dealing with the fortunes and misfortunes of humans, her thoughts returned to the words she had heard. She suspected that it was about more than just an elder vampire who had grown weary of his vampiric existence and decided to end it.