Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3!

Part 1!

“How’d you do?”  I don’t know if the fledgling in front of me was more amazed by the fact that Simone was the youngest member of my family, yet was still older than her or that she was still living in with me, unlike her who was chasing her master across the country it seemed.

“Wait, what, you made her?” I raised an eyebrow in question, a really uncouth question.

“Yes, just over 120 years now, isn’t it?” Simone answered, I counted back, it really didn’t seem as much as that with all the bothers lately.

“I believe so, though that sounds like much more time than it appears.”  She just smiled at me, that knowing, mischievous smile.

“So, what’cha looking for here?” Simone was always the most human-like out of all of us, always on top of everything that was going on and the newest trends out in the world, though her young turning age of just 21 could have had something to do with it, though still older than the fledgling sitting in front of me which barely just hit 18 by the looks of it.

“She was looking for information on her Sire, a certain Taylor Arman, I believe you’ll recollect him.” She took a moment to think back before she let out a low whistle, as if impressed.

“Seems more and more of you are falling for him than ever.”  The fledgling looked around confused for a moment.

“More? You mean he didn’t just do it to me? There are more of them out there?” I couldn’t quite place where her disgust stemmed from though the answer came next.

“But I thought- he said he loved me, that I was only his and he would wait for me to find him!”  I shook my head at the poor child, mirrored by Simone next to me.

“Arman’s infamous among us, he’s been going round turning young women such as yourself for the past couple of decades and going back home, letting his coven run loose until they manage to get enough control to work their way back to him, saving him the trouble of training you himself.”  Simone explained gently but the young one wasn’t having any of it.

“You’re lying! He said he loved me! Not anyone else! He wouldn’t turn anyone else! He only needs me!” She practically screamed, baring her fangs at me, eyes turning a crimson shade as she stood up from her seat. Really, this was a clear overreaction. Not faltering for a moment I spoke up, not breaking eye contact.

“Miss Scarlett, sit down.” The words were innocent enough but the undertone spoke volumes, after a few hundred years of practise even Mark, my eldest, has trouble disobeying me. She recoiled as if hit and sat straight back down, this is why the youngest needed families, they don’t have the natural instincts to survive long enough to create their own families. I let her have a moment to calm down.

“I beg your pardon but you seem to have forgotten it was you who came to me for information, and acting like a wild animal inside my house is not a proper way for a guest to behave, even one as young as you.” I knew she wanted to argue back, all the young ones do, even I was the same at her age if not worse.

“Now, believe or not, these are the facts. Arman is close to ranking as a coven leader, a vampire that has created a vast amount of fledglings. It doesn’t matter how long the fledglings live for but there has to be more than 70 at any given time, though of course there are other ways to obtain the title, but this seems to be the easiest if not the most careless. Ones such as you barely make it past a decade, with no teacher you simply swarm your Sire until you’re killed off, one way or another.”  She just stared at me, having trouble taking it all in.

“Are you a- a coven leader?” she sent a glance at Simone who joined me in laughter.

“No, I’m not, I’m a little bit too old to care about titles, though I think the latest one they came up was-“ I thought back to the junction I last attended, what was it they called me?

“I think it was something along the lines of ‘Elder’, though I might be incorrect.” Simone nodded thoughtfully at me.

“Definitely something along those lines.”

“Wait, so how old are you if she’s your youngest?” this youngling really didn’t have any restraints when it came to personal questions, human I may be not but I definitely respected everyone’s privacy.

“Old enough to respect privacy little one, if you wish to know Simone’s age you’re going to have to address her yourself.” I saw no particular charm in the fledgling, probably created for the sole purpose of the title rather than attachment to the Sire, a pity indeed.

“Oh, sorry.  Do you mind me asking Simone?”  She rolled her eyes in response and answered.

“I’m just over a 120, takes a while to blow out the candles let me tell you.”  That got a laugh, short lived as it was.

“If that’ll be all?” I asked when another silence took over, information given she was still another’s untamed fledgling on my territory, and without a Sire to train her she was dangerous in the mortal eyes and a bother in mine.

“I-I don’t think I’ll want to see him then….Do you know anyone that would be able to help me?”

“Help you how, what is it you intend to do?” If she wanted to live that would be one person, if she didn’t that would be another, and even if I had the means to help her, how would she be able to benefit me.

“I was thinking, that maybe, you know someone who’ll help me erm, figure how to do stuff.” Ah, I understood what she was trying to say, though why she wouldn’t say it was beyond me.

“You wish to know the bearings of a Lamia, what you nowadays call a Vampire, correct?” she seemed really uncomfortable with the whole situation, that didn’t bode well and last thing I would want is to leave a rebelling fledgling in the hands of one of my family, creatures such as me.

“Uh, yeah.” This was turning out to be quite a bother.

“And if I offer you the help, what have you got to offer me in return?” The question visibly threw her off, obviously expecting unconditional assistance for the mere reason of being such as me.

“I don’t understand, what offer?”  This time Simone answered, saving me the trouble.

“Everyone here has something to offer, something to benefit the whole. I, for example, work as an assistant CEO of a major insurance company nearby which helps me monitor incident rate of what may be suspected vampire attacks, disguised otherwise. My brother Adam works in the police which helps him get intelligence, and so on, and so forth.” She explained slowly, it was an easy and effective system that has carried on through the ages and even the weakest link has to contribute.

“I worked as a sales rep for a sofa delivery company once over Christmas..?”  I sighed, resting my head in my hand, just what was going through Arman’s mind when he chose her, I did not know.

“Come on, give me a chance! I’m sure you can find something for me to do!” She replied, getting closer and closer to the edge of her seat.

“It shouldn’t be up to me to know what you are good at Miss Scarlett….” She collapsed against the seat, defeated.

“If you would sit up and pay attention please.” She immediately obliged, better.

“I do understand your situation however and I am willing to make a compromise. If by this time tomorrow- “I noted the time on my watch,

“ –you are able to provide me with a sufficient answer, I will consider handling you over to one of the outer laying Vampires for the time of your training, in which, should you prove yourself exemplarily then you shall be formally invited into the family. Does that seem fair to you?” she thought about the answer for a good minute before finally answering.

“Yeah, thank you.” And with a nod, I stood up, simultaneously to Simone to whom I spoke next.

 

“Simone, if you would be kind enough to find some care for Miss Scarlett for the day, perhaps ask Joshua if he needs any assistance. Now if you’ll ladies excuse me...” With a nod I left the two younglings and walked out of the study, having other issues to attend to in town.