Fiction: Lessons (Adrian Moss) [Complete]

[Adrian Moss]

They sat around the fire. Actually, Adrian sat a good way away from the lethal flames while Bernard sat close enough to warm his hands in the flame’s heat. It was the senior Kindred’s test of mental strength over the beast as well as Adrian’s failing to make the effort. Tonight was not a time Bernard felt like berating his child. Instead, it was time to open Adrian’s eyes to the greater world of the Kindred.

“Come closer, Adrian,” Bernard began. “We will not be going hunting tonight. Instead, I am going to tell you about the Vampire community beyond our little circle.” He used Vampire because Adrian had shown no aptitude for associating Kindred to Vampire. Again, he questioned his embrace of his only child. Tonight was definitely going to take some major dumbing-down of what he knew. Adrian came forward about half the distance and when his courage ran out, he sat on the floor.

Realizing he would have to physically drag Adrian over to get him close, Bernard sighed and began his lesson for the night.

“As you know, we are of Clan Mekhet. As you may have expected, there are other clans.”

The blank look on Adrian’s face showed that no such though thought had graced his consciousness.

“Anyway, there are other clans. The major ones – the minor ones are called bloodlines – are the Daeva, the Gangrel, the Nosferatu, and Ventrue.”

“The Daeva are what most people,” he said to a blank faced child, “think of as Vampires. They are strong, fast, and beautiful.”

“Fast like us?” Adrian offered. Bernard let a smile cross his face. It wasn’t often he actually felt he was engaging his dim offspring.

“Yes, fast like us, or in this case, me. You will be fast one day too, hopefully soon.” A fast Adrian would be problematic. Yes, he would show that he was learning, but it would be that much more difficult to catch Adrian when he ran away – something that was becoming a regular occurrence.

“The Daeva nickname is the Succubi. They are called this because of their hedonist …” and again Bernard was using a word that his listener didn’t understand. “Hmm … they are pleasure seekers. They are politically dominant and congregate in the political movements of our kind. If a Daeva comes looking for you, it is because he wants something for you. It could be as simple as telling them how superior they are, or it could be something much worse. Daeva lie, often for the fun of it.”

[Adrian Moss]

“Next come the Gangrel,” Bernard continued. “They are called the Savages. This is because, of all of us, they are the most likely to have a bestial demeanor. The Gangrel are notoriously good at two things. One is dealing with animal kind and the beast. The other is the ability to shape-shift.” Adrian’s ignorance of what shape-shifting entailed was clear.

“Ugh … Gangrel can alter some or all of their bodies. They can become wolves, or bats, or even a thick mist.” Adrian nodded his understanding.

“What’s it like, talking to animals?” Adrian asked.

“I don’t know. It’s not something I can do, nor a talent anyone I trust has. Why?”

“I just thought it would be nice to talk to … you know … dogs and cats.”

“Well, you should concentrate on learning to talk to your food in the clubs first,” was the sarcastic reply.

Adrian took his rebuke in stride. At least Bernard never beat him and the mental bullying wasn’t even the worst he had experienced.

“The Gangrel are normally good fighters, so be careful with them. They may not have our speed – but don’t bet on it – but they a legendary durability to make up for it. They are likely to challenge you for territory, but little else. Normally we have little in common and the Gangrel have no problem leaving us alone. Don’t’ antagonize them, okay?”

Adrian nodded his understanding and hoped that was enough to satisfy his sire.

“The Nosferatu, or The Haunts, all have a monstrous quality to them. It may be a … the smell of an over-ripe corpse, or a disturbing aspect, or even a wretched appearance. Like us, they can turn the Mind’s Eye away from people. Like us, the cling to the shadows. They are also stronger than us, more like the Daeva, but they are less graceful. Were as the Daeva have the ability to enchant the mind, the Haunts have the ability to fill the mind with fear. Unlike other Kind … vampires, Nosferatu are more honest in what they want and how they get it. You may not be able to trust one, but they are less likely to mess with you for the sake of causing you grief.”

Bernard shifted in his seat.

“Some of the Haunts – a rare few – are cruel and cunning in the extreme. Avoid these. Avoid their notice and do not come between them and their victims. It’s not worth your while.”

Another nod.

“The Ventrue see themselves as political masters, though the Daeva scoff at the idea. Were as the Daeva are majestic and attractive, Ventrue are controlling and clever … perhaps too clever. Their special gift is to rule the minds of those weaker than they are. It’s a potent gift and not one you want to see yourself on the receiving end.”

“They are called the Lords, but that’s not because of their great fighting prowess. The Ventrue are not the fighters Gangrel or Daeva are, but make this up for this with the favors they garner, the ghouls that serve them, and their own persistance. If you are ever in combat with a Ventrue, attack him or her quickly and soon, before they can gather their strength.”

Bernard regards Adrian.

“On second thought, avoid them as you would avoid any of the others. You don’t have the strength to overcome any of the other clans, nor the cleverness to put them a disadvantage.”

Adrian looked at the floor.

“So … basically, the Day … Daeva are faster and stronger, the Gangrel are better fighters, the Nosferatu are scarier, and the Ventrue have more connections. It doesn’t feel like much has changed.”

He didn’t sound rejected, but resigned.

Bernard’s anger rose, but he chocked it down.

“This is for now, Adrian. What you have … what I have gifted you with is an Eternal Night to learn. You will get stronger. I already feel you are becoming smarter, and that is the way of our clan. We, the Mekhet, keep the shadows, watching, waiting, and learning. That is our strength. It is your strength. We have supernatural senses, unnatural speed, and the ability to bend the Mind’s Eye away from us so that we go unnoticed.”

“I would like to be able to win a fight,” Adrian said petulantly, “just once.”

Acting with more compassion than he really felt, Bernard leaned down and placed a hand on Adrian’s head.

“Barring a miscalculation, you and I are immortals. We will learn. We will grow stronger and slowly there will be fewer and fewer of the Kindred who … I mean Vampires who are stronger than we are. We must have the patience of ten thousand nights. Patience is the key.”

“I really can’t imagine that much time, Bernard.”

“I know, Adrian. You are just starting out on your journey. Soon I will have reached one hundred years, but I can tell you, there is still so much more for me to learn to.”

“Are we going hunting now?”

“No,” Bernard said, growing angry once more. Why must the boy always obsess with blood? “I have another lesson for you. We need to discuss the vampire covenants.”

[Adrian Moss]

“There are five major covenants amongst our kind. Three or spiritual and two are concerned with the mortal world. This is not to say the spiritualists don’t have concerns in the world as well, but it is not the root of our focus.”

Adrian shifted his position on the floor. Try as he might, he was getting bored with this and his attention was wandering. If Bernard noticed, he chose to ignore it.

“The first is the Lancea Sanctum. They teach an inhuman dogma for a predator species – us. They are God’s Chosen to be the guardians of our souls and judges of our conduct, or so they would have you believe. The Sanctified are concerned with the now. They believe we are all that we should ever be … and in this they are wrong.”

“They are disciplined and patient. Don’t antagonize them, but also don’t become caught up in their ritual and verse. They offer nothing for what our race can become. Leave them to be in the wasteland of their beliefs. We shall transcend.”

“The next is called the Circle of the Crone. They are obsessed with the mystic and legendary side of our existence. Were as the Lancea Sanctum has but one creation myth, the Crone has numerous. Don’t bother asking me how all this works out with any consistency, I don’t know. What I do know is that the Crones’ rituals are blood-soaked affairs. They devolve the meaning of being a vampire back to what it once was, ignoring what we can become.”

“Don’t go off with them, Adrian, for the might just sacrifice you for the blood in your veins.”

“Now the Ordo Dracul is the only covenant that holds real promise for us as Vampires. Our goal is transcendence – that means we get better and better until we can do things other vampires can’t. It is also a spiritual journey were we learn to master the limitations of our current state. The Ordo is my covenant, and yours until such time as I release you and you chose another.”

“Why did you choose Ordo Drac-ul?”

“Good question, Childe. I chose it after I found no … worth, or message in others. I was sired to an Invictus sire. I will mention them in a moment. I went to the Lancea Sanctum after my release, but I found them – wanting. I had the opportunity to meet with a member of the Ordo and after one night’s discussion; I know I had found a better way of existence.”

“Why do you want me to be in the Ordo Drac-ul?”

“If ever there was a vampire in need of bettering himself, it is you,” Bernard said sternly. “I have lived many years now in this convent and I know it to be the one true path. I also see it as the only path of salvation for you. If you leave it, I fear you will perish. The others will find you unworthy and dispose of you as they see fit.”

Adrian was speechless with worry.

“Now where was I?”

Adrian shrugged fearfully.

[Adrian Moss]

“Yes, the political convents. First there is the Invictus. They are the Old School of Vampiric politics. They are modeled on the feudal system of the middle ages, with Princes, officers, and their status games.”

It was clear that none of that made any impression on Adrian, so Bernard paused. He took another track.

“Image the Invictus are a gang. Their leader is the toughest, smartest, or most ballsy member of the gang. The people he likes, he gives things to. That’s called status. The rest of the gang plays along hoping that they will one day have status, or even be a leader in their own right. That is how they feel the political game should be played, got it?”

Adrian nodded his understanding.

“It works because Vampires want the things status brings. The vampires with status pound on – one way or another – other vampires to keep them in line. The lesser vampires accept this because they want to prove themselves and get the status. They get the status by proving to the gang leader that they are strong, smart, or ballsy. Also, if a lesser vampire pounds another lesser vampire, the bigger vampires come down on the vampire who started it, because that upsets their order. Understand that?”

Again, Adrian nodded.

“Now do you understand how status is gained?”

“Umm … you get strong, right?”

“That, but there is also other ways to gain status; you can learn secrets of other vampires. You can also do favors for other vampires, earning their respect. Because the leader wishes to keep most of his lesser vampires happy, he will honor one how has the respect of others.”

“I think I understand that. It’s good to be useful. The more people you know and who know you as someone useful, the better off you are.”

“Very good.”

“Now the Invictus like to hold the age of a vampire in great account in the awarding of status and position. A young vampire can go only so far, but the older vampires are also willing to make the effort to support you because you help support them in their status. The Carthians do it differently.”

“The Carthians use status, but they award it based more on popularity and merit, and less on age and reputation. It appeals most to younger vampires and that is because vampires crave power in all things. Popularity shifts and a powerful Carthian one day may be alone the next.”

“In the gang motif, Carthians award status more on their clique and their loyalty to the system they are in. It is an exciting place for young kindred with ambitions, but understands that power can slip away overnight too. It is a movement of energy and idealism, but I don’t think it is for you.”

“Lastly,”

“Isn’t that five already?”

“Yes, but …” Bernard sighed, “it is also worth discussing vampires who aren’t in any of the above. They are not a group, but a collection of those vampires that are not in any group. They are called the Unaligned.”

“Like the really small gangs, and users, and hookers without a pimp.”

“Yes. Good analogy.”

“There are vampires who chose to go alone in the world. Either they don’t want to belong with a convent, or they have been exiled from one in such a way that no other will take them.”

“While being independent may seem like a positive option, you should understand how lonely and dangerous such a life is. We need others we can talk to, relate to, and who see an advantage in working with us. Covenants provide that. Being Unaligned is to be with such a safety net. Trust me; you will need the help of other vampires if you are going to survive.”

“Sort of like when Sally got killed and the cops didn’t even do anything?”

“Exactly,” Bernard said. He didn’t know about the incident, but he could well imagine a lone prostitute of drug user found dead in the territory Adrian had called home. No one cared, and why should they. Those people were expendable, by the Kine’s own reckoning.

Bernard left it there. He would quiz Adrian on this over the next few days, and weeks …and months. It was enough now that he had a foundation to build upon.

Deep, dark predatory eyes regarded Adrian and the younger kindred turned away.

“Now we can continue working on your hunting techniques. Let us go back and go over your pick-up lines.”

With an effort, Adrian pulled his eyes up from the floor and regarded his sire. Eye contact was part of the lesson, after all.

“Hey Momma … you look … tasty?”

Bernard felt like putting a palm to his face. It was going to be a long, long night.