Realm of Monsters

“I think your pupils are reacting to your emotional state,” Loh said.

“Huh?” Stryg mumbled.

“It’s just a theory, but I think your pupils are changing shape based on how you feel, not outer light sources. The more uncomfortable you are the quicker the pupils change. I’ve never seen anything like it. The real question is how does the state of your pupils affect your vision. And why can you see in pitch darkness?” Loh released him and took a step back. “Have your eyes always been like this?”

Stryg rubbed his face, “They’ve always been pale purple, I don’t know about the pupil thing. Besides the color no one in the Blood Fang tribe ever mentioned something about my eyes being weird.”

“Did you never look at your reflection in a mirror?”

“We didn’t have mirrors in Vulture Woods. The only reflection I ever saw was in the river. As you can guess it wasn’t great, not that it mattered, I never liked what I saw in the reflection.” Stryg shrugged.

Loh knew Stryg had self-esteem problems, but she hadn’t really touched on the topic. She really needed to address the issue at some point. Nothing good would come out of it otherwise. Although, for now there was a far more interesting topic at hand.

“If you really can see perfectly in the dark, which I’m inclined to believe after your little performance, it may be that your eyes don’t need light at all. Actually, wait, you said it was bright. How bright?”

“I don’t know. Enough that it hurt, I guess.”

“You’re saying a small flame like that hurt your eyes? What about other lights? Like lamps or the sun?”

“I don’t like any of them. They’re uncomfortable. I preferred the canopy of Vulture Woods.” Stryg rubbed his eyes as if to make a point.

“Interesting. Your eyes have a light sensitivity just like vampires. Vampires don’t have perfect night vision though. Your sight could be some kind of mutation, most likely is. Probably an enhanced version of night vision, maybe from your goblin side? Still, of all the mutations I’ve ever heard of, none have referenced such an amazing ability. Most mutations are actually pretty bad. You must be the luckiest hybrid alive.”

“I don’t feel that way.” Excluding being a mageborn Stryg considered himself to have horrible luck.

A knock ran on the courtyard’s gate.

“Excuse me?” Callum voiced from the other side.

Stryg looked at Loh questioningly.

“I’m holding last minute advice sessions for the students before the final exam. I’m always training you so just count this as your session,” Loh said.

“I understand,” Stryg nodded and headed towards the door.

“Oh and Stryg, I almost forgot. You’ve gotten taller,” Loh smiled.

“No, I haven’t,” he frowned.

“You told me your body has been changing ever since last year. Is it so crazy to think that you’ve grown in height as well?” She raised an eyebrow.

Stryg looked at himself. He hadn’t noticed. It would explain why his clothes were getting a little tight. He was busy studying and training, he didn’t pay much attention to the changes happening within himself.

He recalled how he had wrestled Clypeus in the grove. Weren’t vampires supposed to be very strong? Stryg recalled how he had struggled against the goblin Jax. And yet by the time he fought Clypeus, he had overpowered the vampire. Perhaps things were changing more than he had ever realized.

He looked up at Loh, “Am I really taller?”

“You used to barely reach my hip. I’d say you're about half-a-foot taller now. Regular height for a goblin male, little taller actually. In fact, if you’re half-drow you’ll probably grow much more. I can’t promise facial hair, though. Drow men have none,” she smirked.

Stryg sighed, he always did want a beard like the goblin chief. If he grew any more than he was now, he’d tower over any goblin in the Blood Fang tribe. He would be even more of a freak.

Stryg stopped in his steps, his lips curled into a smile, he had remembered the goblin Ostroz’s advice.

“I’m not a runt,” he whispered.

~~~

“Hello, Stryg. How’ve you been?” Callum asked with a smile.

Stryg walked past him, but stopped at the gateway.

“I’m fine,” Stryg said without turning around. He went on his way.

Callum shook his head with a grin. Normally Stryg would just walk by, not caring to answer. At least now he’d answer such simple questions. It was progress. Callum wished for Stryg to confide in him like he did with Plum. It would take time, but Callum was patient.

“I don’t have all day. Are you just going to stand there?” Loh called from across the courtyard.

He turned with a bow, “My apologies.”

Callum walked over, only pausing to stare at the pile of withered flowers on the floor.

“Is there a problem?” She tapped her foot.

“None at all. How may I be of service, Miss Loh?” Callum asked.

“You can’t help me even if you tried, little vampling. Like the others, I called you here to give you advice, in order to help you during the final exam.”

“Does it involve the flowers, perchance?”

“No,” Loh shook her head. “You always focus so much on your surroundings and others that you fail to see your own bloody faults.”

She waved her hand. A black tendril shot from her shadow, wrapped around Callum’s ankle, and yanked him to the floor. He cried out in surprise right before the stone-hard floor knocked the air from his lungs.

“T-that’s your advice?” He wheezed.

“Kithina told me what happened during the match at the grove the other day. Why did you lie?” Loh flicked her finger.

The shadow tendril lifted him up from the ankle, holding him in the air upside down.

“I may have underplayed Stryg’s fault in the whole manner. He simply suffered a bout of tunnel vision, is all. Happens to everyone. I’d love to tell you more but the blood is rushing to my head,” he grimaced.

“You’re a vampire, you can handle a little blood.”

“I’m only half vampire. Humans do not do great upside down.”

“Even better, hybrids tend to be quite tenacious,” Loh grinned. “Why did you lie about the grove incident?”

“I didn’t want Stryg to be in trouble. Everyone in class knows you’re… tough on him.”

“He’s my assistant, I pay him to follow my orders. Should I coddle him instead?”

“Precisely my point. I didn’t want you to fire him,” Callum tried nodding.

The students didn’t know Stryg was actually Loh’s apprentice and she preferred to keep it that way.

She frowned, “Why did you lie about the grove incident?”

“I just told you, there really was no other reason.”

“I wasn’t talking about Stryg. Earlier, Kithina told me you tried your best to defend her when you encountered the first opposing team. In the process you injured your leg. Interestingly, neither of you two, or even Stryg for that matter, mentioned you casting a single spell.”

“What did you expect me to do? You know I’m a chromatic red. I’m not very proficient in the ward spell form yet and you didn’t allow us to bring any potions either.”

“You haven’t told anyone have you?” Loh tilted her head.

“I don’t know what you're referring to,” Callum frowned.

“I think we both know what I’m referring to. I’m a professor at the academy and you’re a student at the academy. I have access to your records, idiot. I know you’re a manifold mage. You’re a chromatic red and white. I also know you’ve taken private lessons with a white mage. So, tell me, why didn’t you cast a single white spell in that fight?”

“I’m not proficient with white magic,” Callum grimaced. The blood rushing to his head was really starting to affect him.

“Don’t insult my intelligence. You are a son of House Veres. We both know your father wouldn’t have let you show your face in this academy if you were shit at magic.”

“...I was in pain. My leg was bleeding, I couldn’t focus enough to cast a spell.”

“Not even enough to cast a simple healing spell to stop the bleeding? Doubtful. No, I think you didn’t heal yourself because you couldn’t.”

“I thought you just said I wasn’t shit at magic,” he frowned.

“You’re shit at lying that much is true. Even an idiot would try to stop the bleeding of their own damn leg. So, why didn’t you? Everyone regards healers highly, so why hide it? But, then again, the answer is quite obvious isn’t it?”

Loh flicked her wrist. The black tendrils faded back into her shadow, dropping Callum right back into the floor.

“I think I might have broken something,” he groaned in pain.

“Then heal it. Oh, that’s right, you can't, can you? Not because you can’t focus, but, because you’re sorely lacking in talent in the healing spell form. Which begs the question. Why take lessons from a white mage? Why take them in private?”

Callum looked away.

Loh crouched down, “Because you are talented in the bright spell form, the combination of white and light mana. Talented enough to warrant taking one-on-one lessons. As for having the lessons made private? I can hazard a guess.”

“How did you find out about the private lessons? That’s not in any academy record.”

“I have my ways. It’s not quite relevant though, is it?”

“It’s relevant to me,” he grit his teeth. If Loh knew, then there was no telling how many others might. Had he been sold out?

“Your secret is safe with me, Callum. Are you so afraid of them? Your own family?”

“You wouldn’t understand. You’re not a vampire.” Callum glared at her, “Vampires hate the sunlight as it is. They despise those who create light even more.”

“I’m not a vampire. But, I know the meaning of hate within a Great House. The difference between you and I is that I left my House. But, I’m not telling you to do the same.”

“Then what are you telling me? What the hell is the point of all of this!?” Callum snapped.

Loh stood up, “You’re worried that your family will hate you? Well, fuck them. You don’t need their love and I know you certainly don’t have it. You’re a hybrid of the esteemed Veres, a family known for having some of the greatest vampires in history, not orcs, not drow, only vampires. I can imagine what it was like growing up in that family, the bastard born of a human mother. They have probably despised you for a long time. Except, perhaps your father, if the rumors are to be believed.”

Loh shrugged, “None of that really matters though. What matters is that you hate your family too. You only care about them finding out of your magical skills because you worry that it will affect your standing in the family.”

Callum pushed himself to his feet, “I don’t hate my family.”

“Lie to me again and I will break your legs.”

“...I don’t hate all my family.”

She made a half-smile, “Then the rumors are true. At least you have a parent who cares, consider yourself lucky. But, like I said, none of that matters. You want to have a strong standing in your family? Maybe you wish to even rule House Veres someday? You don’t need love to do that, at least not theirs. What you need is power. Enough power for them to respect you. Magic is power. You say they hate the light? Then make them fear you for it. Make them know not to cross you, lest you blind them with the power of the sun.”

“Vampires have never been able to cast bright spells without hurting themselves,” Callum muttered.

“Then it’s good that you’re not just a vampire,” Loh smirked.

“The other vampires see my human-half as a weakness, a disgrace.”

Loh held out her hand, “I think it’s time you let Hollow Shade know that there is a new power rising in House Veres and if a vampire dares stand in his way, he’ll burn the shit out of them.”