Vampire Reincarnation

It fell and rose in a rhythmic pattern, sending sparks flying everywhere as the dense material flattened under the hammer’s weight. Again and again, tempered by the heat and the force exerted through the tool, bending to Old Nick’s will. To the piece of metal, he was its God, and he could do whatever he wanted with it. Unable to resist, getting hit over and over again, changing from its cube shape to a rectangle and then to a circle, it took on the loose form of a small weight.

Kai watched it all happen. He watched as a sturdy, thick metal cube turned into a circle in a few hours under the old man’s hands. During that time he stood silent, handing Nick whatever tool he needed at the time.

“Aye kid, the first one’s almost done.” The weight sizzled as it cooled down in a chilly vat of water. “All that’s left is smoothing it.”

“How will you do that? With magic?” Kai finally spoke for the first time in hours.

“Don’t be silly, that’s not my job. Well, I shouldn’t be the one making such simple objects either, but I was fascinated by your idea. This little thing?” He picked up the newly made weight and waved his hand, opening a small hole in a wall, revealing a secret compartment. “I’ll send it to the others to take care of it. After beating into shape it needs to be smoothed, polished, and engraved, I’m beyond such menial tasks.”

Chantless and wandless magic… Kai’s pupils widened, however, he remained silent as he looked at the old man.

Old Nick didn’t speak further and instead started cleaning up the leftover scraps, placing them into a small vat filled with other such metallic pieces. “Well, while you’re here, why don't you help me clean up?”

Nodding, Kai gathered the tools lying around and placed them where they belonged. The short elf’s workshop was specifically designed for him, with most drawers being just a bit lower than himself, and some places had stepladders readily placed for him. The old man sat down and pulled out a cigar from his pocket and ignited it with the heat of his forge. “Y’know Kid, you don’t resemble your old man at all. I remember he used to yell at me for daring to ask him for help gathering materials, and only your mother could help calm him down…”

“My dad?” Kai replied, seemingly out of it.

“Haha, yeah.” Nick adjusted his position, leaning forward and placing his hands on his knees. “Such a hotheaded fellow he was, always rushing into things. Not thinking about his actions and consequences… Ah- I’m sorry, I guess I shouldn’t talk about him like that.”

“No, no. It’s fine.” Kai hurried to correct the old man. “After all… it shows that he was human.”

“Human?” The old man chuckled with a weird glint in his eyes. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“I know he was an adventurer… I’ve heard stories. Never could I have expected that my parents were such legendary figures in the hearts of these people.”

“Legendary Figures or Living Nightmares? Haha, I remember a rumor back then talking about how Ray fed on demon flesh and your mother drank their blood, oh you should have seen the expressions on their faces. Priceless.”

“But enough chitchat now,” Old Nick continued. “If there’s nothing else get out, Euphy is probably tired of waiting.”

“You said… you would answer one question I have.”

The old man raised his eyebrow, however, he didn’t say anything and instead listened attentively. “Who… am I?” Kai’s quivering voice escaped his body, his questioning tone spelling more than what he had just asked. A soft smile formed on Old Nick’s face, and an approving glint appeared in his eyes.

“You’re the cube of metal I just beat into shape.”

…

Kai walked away from the forge with a puzzled look, his silence accompanied by Euphy’s annoyed chatter as they passed from platform to platform.

“I can’t believe you looked at him turn a cube into a circle for hours! With his skill, he could have done that in five minutes. God, I seriously don’t understand this man sometimes. He basically called you over for no reason! And Mar… that guy I swear he has to have the hots for me… or maybe not, he didn’t even glance at my face, only at my sword… Yes, he’s some kind of sword pervert!”

Euphridia’s incessant complaining didn’t bother him though, instead, he thought over the old man’s words and actions. I am the metal cube? He could mostly understand what the old man wanted to say, however, he seemed to be missing a few key details for a complete interpretation. The metal cube he beat into shape… Stopping in his tracks, he closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, the chilly breeze swaying his long, unkempt hair. Euphy also stopped, and looked at him with a puzzled look, but didn’t say anything more. She stood guard over him, slightly increasing her vigilance.

“You are the cube of metal I just beat into shape.” Those same words rang inside Kai’s mind again and again as he tried to decipher them. He said that this is just the first stage… Temper the metal by mixing it with more malleable materials, heating it up, and hitting it into the desired shape. After that, it needs polishing and engraving… I must have missed some steps from his explanation but that’s the basics. Kai’s brain worked over time as he pieced together the small puzzle the old man presented him, and quickly began drawing comparisons, just like the old man compared him to the metal cube.

If I’m the metal cube that means that I am a mass ready to be tempered and shaped, becoming something better than before… Heat, shaping, and heating again - Training. Repeat this process over and over again until I become what the blacksmith wants. In this case… who’s my blacksmith? A shiver ran down his spine as his eyes snapped open, a single bead of seat racing down his skin. Blood rushed through his veins, and a soft smile creased his lips as he looked toward the boundless sky. Whoever it is… do your worst!

“You’re a weird one, you know that?” Euphridia said, her voice awakening him.

“Uh, yeah, haha,” Kai replied, walking forward while scratching the back of his head. “I just realized something, that’s all…”

“Right…” Euphy walked alongside him, this time keeping her chatter to a minimum as they rushed toward the manor. The morning sun finally made its appearance as soon as they stepped through the gate, and a small barrier quickly manifested around Kai with a flash.

“Thanks.” He said to Euphridia while rushing inside, not waiting for her to reply.

This brat has gotten more and more afraid of the sun… She sighed and shook her head, returning to her post for the rest of the day until the sun set again.

…

“Welcome back.” Aina greeted Kai as he rushed into the living room, where she sat on a couch, reading a book written in Elvish. “How did it go?”

Kai quickly looked around, locating Aina’s graceful figure sitting on a carefully crafted purple couch, its frame constructed out of an ebony wood. The pillows were made out of an incredibly fluffy and comfortable material that seemingly took the shape of whoever laid on them. Behind the couch, tall and grandiose bookshelves filled to the brim with books covered the wall, putting the library Kai had around his neck to shame in comparison. In front was a simple coffee table made out of similarly dark wood, with the top made out of glass, and inside it laid a layer of coffee beans.

The table itself sat on a red carpet with shining golden embroidery, in the middle of which was engraved a tall, gigantic tree. The floor, made out of a lighter shade of wood, perfectly complimented its contrasting environment, combining into a serene mix that brought peace to one’s mind.

“Hum, it went well. Old Nick is a really… how do I say it…? Interesting fellow.”

“You called him a dwarf, didn’t you?”

The question stunned Kai, and he turned around with a look of incredulity. “What’s with that face? He explodes every time someone calls him that because of his size. Your father did too when they first met, ever since then they never really liked each other.”

Kai coughed lightly as he sat down next to her, melting on its puffy surface. “Where’s Onyx?”

“Ah, he should be outside playing or something. It’s not good for anyone to sit too much in one place.” She slowly and carefully turned the page, the sound of it ringing like a melody unlike any other in her ears. “Elizabeth is out making potions at Ms.Burleanu’s clinic.”

“Ms.Burleanu? Is she the only doctor around here?”

“Well, not exactly.” The turning of the page accompanied Aina’s voice. “There’s me and Elly, but also Dr.Petrescu and Dr.Mihael. They’re each located in one corner of the First Gate City. Ms.Burleanu is more like a local witch, you should visit her sometimes.”

A peaceful quiet descended upon the two, with only the sound of fluttering pages accompanying them in the silence. Kai closed his eyes and felt as the blood rushed through his veins each time his heart pumped.

“Do you not want to ask about your father?” Aina broke the silence, gently putting the book down on the coffee table, right next to an encassed candle that released a pleasant fragrance in the air. “I assume Old Nick started blabbering about him…”

“Haha, yeah. However, the more I find out about my parents, the more I feel like I don’t know them. Besides, why is everyone focusing on my father? What about my mother? Wasn’t she just as important?”

“Elena… was a very gentle person. She did her best to never hurt anyone even if they wanted to cut her head off. The first time she came to Evicario wasn’t uneventful either… Back then, Elly was much more reserved and adventurous, and would often find herself in trouble. You can imagine my shock when I saw my bleeding daughter in the hands of a vampire, of royal blood no less. And the masked man behind her… even with my strength I couldn’t help but shiver.

Now, you can’t imagine my surprise when I see that vampire kneeling in front of me with tears streaming down her face… I wasn’t sure what to think. Turns out Elly got hurt by a demon running away from those two. It took her hostage and sliced at her belly before Ray took its life. They panicked and rushed here as soon as they could… thankfully it wasn’t too late and I was able… able to save her in time.” Aina’s voice quivered as she recounted the events, her pupils trembling as she recalled the image of her half-dead daughter.

“I-”

“I didn’t blame your parents. Not back then and not now.” She cut off Kai before he could say anything. “Unfortunately there isn’t much to say about your mother. She was a reserved person, always keeping to herself, following your father in whatever dumb situations he got himself in. We did find out she could use healing magic and decided to train her. She outshone most of my pupils at the time, and definitely saved your dad’s ass more than she should have.”

She leaned back with a sigh, seemingly exhausted from remembering such old memories.

“How long ago was that?”

“Oh… a few centuries” Replying casually, she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep, leaving the shocked Kai alone in the living room.

…

Aina’s blurry vision turned clearer as she slowly woke up, stretching and smacking her lips quietly while making sense of her environment. Looking around, her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Kai, who lay on the floor with multiple books lying around him, silently reading them. “What are you doing?”

“I’m teaching myself Elvish. Might as well since there’s nothing much I can do during the day.”

A smile creased her lips as she took advantage of the leg room, and laid horizontally on the couch. She watched Kai like a mother would at a child playing with their toys, and couldn’t help but admire the young man before her. “How do you suppose you’ll learn?”

“Well, I’ll just read the simple manuals until starts to make sense, I guess? There are illustrations present in the books so eventually I’ll get the hang of it.”

“That is… very inefficient, kid.”

“I… I don’t wanna bother you or Elly too much, you’re already doing so much for me.”

“I could just call over a tutor you know…?”

Kai stopped in his tracks, smacking himself on the head with a book. “Careful now, they’re fragile… and old.”

“Ah, yeah sorry,” Kai said as he picked them up and gently placed them in a pile.

“What got you to learn anyway?”

“Well… I want to fill up my free time during the day, and besides, knowledge is important to temper myself. The elves have one of the richest collections of books known to man, so… I should take advantage, right?”

“I suppose you’re right,” Aina said with a smile, standing up and picking up the books Kai laid on the ground.

“Theory of Relation, Medical Science, Pythomas… None of these books are for beginners. Not to mention I barely understand them well. Aye, the things my ancestor left behind still make me question whether or not he was a genius or an idiot.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Kai’s ears perked up, intrigued by Aina’s seemingly blasphemous act.

“Ah, nothing don’t worry about it.” She said as she gathered the books and placed them in their place before walking into a different room, signaling for Kai to follow her.