《Vampire's Apprentice》


 prologue

    As Ellise looked up at the huge, overtly creepy mansion, she couldn¡¯t help but question her life decisions.


    She needed to develop some skills that would enable her to support herself but as an orphaned gutter rat, she had no notable qualities except her ability to manipulate mana. Of course, the only thing she could do with that talent was to become a mage. Which is all fine and dandy except to be accepted to one of the magic schools you have to complete an apprenticeship with a full-fledged mage. She had been searching around for weeks asking every mage she could find if they would take her on as an apprentice. Every single one had told her the same thing.


    No way will I have a plebian commoner become an apprentice of mine.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Ok... so maybe they hadn¡¯t worded it quite like that but that was what their flowery words had boiled down to. Mages tended to be of noble birth and they had no interest in teaching someone they deemed beneath them. They would much rather teach some noble brat whose parents would pay a pretty penny for their beloved son to learn a bit of magic before he had to take over the family business. A few of them had been more sympathetic to her position but since mages willing to teach commoners were so rare, they already had a waiting list a mile long.


    Which is how she ended up here. One of the more pretentious mages had mockingly suggested she go ask the vampire mage, as "she had more chance with him than any of the other mages in the city". She had originally laughed it off as an impossibility but as more mages denied her, she became more desperate. Besides she had nothing to lose by asking. There was a small possibility of him eating her alive, but that hadn¡¯t happened in years. The rumor was that vampires had converted to consuming the mana stones mages produced.


    She had no other options left; he was the only mage in the city she had not asked and she was determined to ask even if he also denied her. So, she took a deep breath and approached the ominous building.

 Chapter 1

    Ellise approached the giant double doors that blocked the entrance. They were twice her size and had metal skull knockers. She paused just before knocking when the hair on the back of her neck raised. She was being watched... but when she looked around her there was no one she could see. She turned back to the door and forced herself to take slower breathes so she could listen to what was on the other side of the door. She heard nothing even when she pressed her ear against the door.


    Well... this was it. Once she knocked there would be no turning back. Ellise took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders back. She had learned very early on that regardless of how she felt, if she presented herself as confident then people respected her more. Her confidence and tall frame had kept her out of many a difficult situation.


    Deciding she was ready, she extended her hand and knocked, shivering slightly when she heard the empty house echo and amplify the sound. Ellise realized she had scowled at the door and wrestled her face into a neutral expression just as the door opened. Standing before her was the very embodiment of the word butler. He was an older gentleman with snow-white hair and a perfectly ironed suit. Not a single blemish or wrinkle in sight. She looked at his face and found gleaming, sky blue eyes.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± He asked with a flat tone that matched his unmoving face.


    ¡°I wish to talk to the mage that resides here.¡± She said matching his tone and blank expression. She had a bad habit of copying the disposition of those around her which tended to annoy nobles but had worked rather well when dealing with other street dwellers.


    He raised an eyebrow at her before walking into the house and motioning for her to follow him. As she followed, she couldn¡¯t help glancing at the paintings and gleaming amour that littered the halls. She noticed that several of the decorative tables held real weapons with no sort of covering. She would have to keep that in mind if she found herself in a dangerous situation. They came to a stop in front of an opened door and he motioned her inside.


    ¡°I will inform him of your presence. Please wait here.¡± He said sticking with the flat tone.


    Ellise found herself wondering about the mage as she waited. She had heard many a rumor about vampires but they were incredibly rare and she had never heard of a vampire mage. Could he make mana stones for himself? That would be a helpful skill for a vampire to possess. Perhaps she could offer to make mana stones in exchange for an apprenticeship.


    "What business would a child have with me?"


    Ellise nearly jumped out of her skin as the words interrupted her thoughts. She had always prided herself on being able to detect those around her by sound alone. Yet this man had managed to walk right up to her without making a single noise.


    He took the seat across from her and met her eyes with a challenging stare. Her blood ran cold at what she saw. Not only were his eyes an unnatural dark burgundy but they had a vertical slit similar to a snake''s eyes. She forced her eyes to take in the rest of his features while trying to calm herself. If she ran screaming from the room, all chances of an apprenticeship would go flying out the window and she had not come all this way just to run at the first hint of danger. Thankfully his eyes were the only unnatural part about him. He looked just like any other noble, short brown hair, high cheekbones, and a jawline that could cut.


    "I have come to request an apprenticeship." She said forcing herself to meet his piercing gaze and speak confidently.


    Booming laughter echoed through the room, yet his face lacked any sort of humor.


    "Realy. Which one of them put you up to this and how much did they pay you." He said resting his head on his hand.


    "I... I came here of my own free will and I have not received any payments." She replied wondering who would do such a thing. Perhaps the other nobles hated him as much as her.


    His eyes narrowed even further at her statement. "Why would you seek an apprenticeship with me of all people?" He said searching her face for any signs of deceit.


    She didn''t know how to respond to that. Telling him her true motives would be rather rude. Yet as she looked into his eyes she had a feeling that he would know if she lied. She had survived this long by following her instincts so she would not doubt them now. She would tell him the truth even if he kicked her out for it.


    "All the other mages either had no interest in teaching me or already had a waiting list of apprentices." She blurted out before she could change her mind.


    "Yes, I imagine those idiots would refuse to teach anyone of less than noble birth." He said with a hint of disgust. "Very well, if you have the proper amounts of mana control, then I will take you on as my apprentice."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Ellise couldn''t believe her ears, it had been so easy. He had just agreed to teach her! She allowed herself a moment of hope before forcing it back down. She still had to prove herself to him before she could celebrate.


    "How will you test my mana control?" She asked having to force herself to meet his eyes yet again.


    "We will see how long it takes you to fill a mana stone." He replied standing from his chair and gliding out the door.


    Ellise jumped from her chair and struggled to catch up to his fast steps. Even though she was taller than most people she met, he was a good head taller than her and had a much longer stride.


    "I don''t know how to fill a mana stone yet." She called after him.


    Noticing she had fallen behind, he slowed his pace slightly so she could catch up. "I had assumed that would be the case, this will be your first lesson... and if you cannot complete it within a reasonable time frame, It will be your last." He stated, finishing just as he turned to enter a new room.


    Ellise followed him inside and was amazed by what she found. It was an indoor garden with all different types of plants, ranging from flowers to trees and bushes. It was beautiful. She was astounded by the variety of colors that assaulted her eyes. She had never seen anything quite like it before.


    When her brain finally caught up to what she was seeing she turned to find him hovering over a desk in the corner. It was covered in rocks and crystals of many different colors, but they all seemed to be about the size of her thumb. She inspected them closer as she walked toward the desk and noticed some of them where glowing. He turned toward her holding one of the green crystals that were not glowing and held it out to her.


    "This is the mana stone you will need to fill. The green color means that it will only except plant mana. Every mage has a type of mana that they prefer but plant mana is the easiest to sense and control so it is the best to start with. If you prove able to control plant mana we will experiment with other mana types until you find one better suited to you." He explained after she excepted the crystal.


    "How many types of mana are there?" She asked as she followed him deeper into the garden.


    "It is unknown the exact number. Mana can be made by almost anything but the quantity and quality restrict us to fewer things. There are many common sources, like plants, that have been used for centuries because of the ease with which they can be harnessed. But the ease of use also comes with less power than some of the harder sources which is why we are always searching for better sources." He said stopping in what seemed to be the center of the garden and pointed to a blanket that had a scattering of pillows on it. "This is the best area to fill a plant stone, please sit."


    She walked over to the blanket but found she was too uncomfortable to sit with him towering over her. Luckily he decided to sit before she had paused for too long. She sank onto one of the pillows facing him, only to find him blinking at her, his face a mask of surprise.


    "I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Simeon Wallace you may call me, Mr. Wallace." He said.


    "Oh, my name is Ellise." She replied, caught off guard by his manners. She had been taught how to speak well by nuns at a church but she had not been taught much about manners. The extent of her manners was that she usually ran instead of punching anything that moved, which was the common practice of most people she knew.


    "Good, now hold the stone in your dominate hand and close your eyes."


    She had a moment of doubt at having to close her eyes. She would not be able to react quickly if he decided to attack but she knew there was not much choice. She would need to trust him if she wanted to improve and he was not likely to wait for her to become comfortable. So hoping he had not noticed her inner struggle she closed her eyes.


    "Concentrate on the plants around you, remember what they looked like and picture them in your head. Then try drawing energy from them as you would pull a string from a garment." He instructed.


    Ellise did her best to do as he said. She saw the garden in her mind''s eye and noticed every plant had a sort of aura around it. She pulled at the aura and saw a string of it detach from the plant and come flowing toward her.


    "Good, now direct it toward the stone in your hand. Switch the plant you are drawing from regularly so you do not kill it. If you are feeling confident you can even try drawing from multiple at the same time." Wallace said his voice seeming to come from far away.


    When the string of mana got close enough she pushed it into the stone. Once she connected it the stone seemed to suck in the mana all on its own. She pulled at another plant and connected the string of mana to the stone. Looking at the first plant she had taken from she noticed the aura around the plant had become much smaller so she decided to switch plants. She pushed at the string and felt an almost physical snap as the connection broke.


    "Perfect, you drained a good amount of manna without killing the flower. Try drawing from bigger plants, they will give you more mana." This time his voice seemed to come from even farther away but she didn''t allow it to distract her from the plants around her.


    She broke the second connection and searched the area for bigger mana pools. Finding a few, she tugged at them finding it a bit harder to drag the mana to the stone. Each one she attached to the stone increased the pressure she felt building in her head.


    "You are a natural. Be careful not to draw from too many at the same time and try not to kill any of my plants. I will be at the desk we passed on the way in, come find me when you have filled the stone." He said from so far away she could barely hear him.


    Ellise tried to draw from more plants but found the most she could draw from at one time was three. She watched the small strings slowly draw the mana towards her and wondered if she could make it go faster. She had a deadline to meet after all. She concentrated on one she had already connected and pulled harder. The pressure in her head increased to an almost unbearable amount but she was rewarded by the string doubling in size.


    The longer she pulled at the mana the easier she found it and she was soon able to maintain three large strings of mana. Once she got used to the process she was able to concentrate less and looked down at the stone she had been filling only to find it shining like a star. It was glowing with green light and had become warm to the touch. She looked back up at the garden and found hundreds of little glowing stars. Now that she was not concentrating on what the plants looked like all she saw was the mana. She was blown away by the sheer number and range of sizes. The mana of the plants she had been drawing from where about the size of her head but there were also little pinpricks of light scattered around. She felt like she had floated off to join the stars in the heavens.


    Her wonder was cut short as she realized the mana strings had stopped flowing into the stone. She tried pushing at the mana to force it into the stone but when that didn''t work she assumed the stone was full. It was time to bring it to Wallace and hope she had done it fast enough to earn his approval. She took one last look at the beautiful mana around her before forcing her eyes open.


    Before she could even take in her surroundings she nearly fell over from how tired she had become. While drawing the mana she had stopped paying attention to everything else and it was catching up to her. Her joints screamed at the abuse of staying still for so long and she was so tired she just wanted to fall asleep right there. She almost gave in but she needed to bring the stone to Wallace first, then she could pass out for a week.


    She struggled into a standing position and took a second to stretch her aching muscles. Then she took a deep breath and headed out to find Wallace.

 Chapter 2

    "Did you need something?" Wallace asked as Ellise approached.


    He didn''t even look up from his task. He seemed to be examining one of the stones with an odd contraption. She could not guess what its purpose might be but he was very concentrated and she was hesitant to interrupt.


    "I filled the stone." She forced out, he had asked after all.


    His gaze swept up from his task only to pin her like a bug. She found herself wanting to take a step away from his intense stare but she refused to move. He held out his hand expectantly and after a moment''s hesitation, she placed the glowing stone in his hand. Suppressing a sigh of relief as his attention was pulled away from her, she watched him inspected the stone. He looked at it for a few seconds before his brow caved into a frown and his eyes snapped back to her face.


    "You''ve never filled a mana stone before?" He demanded.


    "No." She replied unsure why he thought otherwise.


    "Then how did you fill it so quickly?" He asked his frown deepening.


    "Well, the mana was flowing so slowly from the plants so I tried pulling at it and it seemed to go faster." She replied after taking a moment to think.


    "How many were you drawing from?" He asked raising one eyebrow.


    "Three seemed to be my limit." She replied hoping that she had met his expectations.


    "Incredible!" He exclaimed startling her. "No wonder you finished so quickly. Normally it would take a beginner upwards of five hours to do what you just did in two. You have a base mana control that is rarely seen, you will make a splendid apprentice." His eyes seemed to stare through her and his lips curled into a rather sinister smile. "Yes, we will make those fools regret turning you down. With a little hard work, you should be able to outshine any student of theirs."


    Ellise couldn''t believe what she was hearing. She had always thought her mana abilities would be average at best. Every child is required to have a mana test done when they turn thirteen but only rich families could afford the type of test that told them the child''s potential. She had waited five long years to find out whether or not she would be able to become a mage and now he was telling her she would likely be top of her class! If that was true she would have nearly unlimited job options since mages of that power were in high demand. She would never have to worry about money again. She nearly burst into tears just thinking about it but she gulped them down as fast as she could. She hated crying in front of others more than anything and she refused to cry in front of her teacher.


    "Oh, it seems to be getting rather late," Wallace stated, startling her out of her thoughts. "I live rather far from town... hmm, perhaps it would be best for you to live here for the duration of your apprenticeship. It would save us a great deal of time."


    Ellise couldn''t decide whether to feel excited or nervous at his words. On one hand, she would no longer have to worry about finding a safe place to sleep every night but on the other, she would be living with a vampire. She could feel panic creeping up her throat as she considered what she had heard of vampires victims. Yet, even though the man in front of her was labeled a vampire, he had been nothing but nice since she had arrived. Perhaps rumors had made them out to be worse than they actually were.


    "If you don''t mind, then I certainly have no problems with it." She said knowing that she would never have turned down such a great offer even if he had been rude. She likely would have considered it even if he had threatened to eat her.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Ellise woke the next morning more refreshed and rested than she had ever remembered being. After the stress and hard work of the day she had collapsed into her bed without so much as a glance at the rest of the room. Now as she stretched the stiffness out of her limbs she took in her surroundings.


    The room on the smaller side but still bigger than she expected. It had enough room for a desk, a bed (very comfy), a wardrobe, and enough extra room to move in. It also had two windows facing east and south that afforded her a spectacular view of the sun rising in the distance and a side door that she assumed led to a bathroom. She loved it. But her examination was cut short when her gaze was caught by a mirror hanging next to the wardrobe.


    She had not seen a mirror in years and was almost afraid to look in it now. She had seen glimpses of herself in windows and puddles over the years but had paid very little attention. After all, she knew it would be bad. Even the most beautiful woman would be ugly after years of grime and hunger took their toll. Yet Ellise could not deny she was curious what others saw when they looked at her and if she was going to enter into the world of nobles as a mage she would have to look the part. So she walked over to the mirror and examined what she had to work with.


    She couldn''t help but cringe as she met her dark blue eyes that held a hint of grey and brown around the center. Her eyes were almost as piercing as Wallace''s had been. Her high cheekbones and round jaw held the smallest hints of beauty but her attention was drawn to her hair. It was raven black and was tangled into ropes that fell past her shoulders. It was just as she expected, she was covered with dirt and grime to the point she was surprised the butler had even let her in.


    She sighed deeply and couldn''t stand the lump that formed in her throat when she realized she would have to shave her head. Her hair was tangled beyond recovery, the only way to fix it was to cut it off and start over. The thought was almost unbearable, her hair was the last thing she had left o-... No that was something she could not think about now. She knew she would have to face it eventually but right now she had other things to do. She swallowed thickly and turned to watch the sunrise.


    A soft knocking came from the door.


    "yes?" She called out steeling herself to face this new world she had walked into.


    The door slowly creaked open and a small round face framed by golden locks came into view. Her amber-brown eyes fell to the floor as she started to speak.


    "I... I came to help you with the bath a... and bring you some clothes. My... um... my name is Mia." She said so quietly I could barely hear her.


    Ellise gestured for her to come in and took the bundle of cloths Mia held as Mia made a beeline for the bathroom. Mia then explained as quickly as possible how to work the bath and which bottles held what before stepping aside to allow Ellise access. As she looked over the contents of the bathroom Ellise caught Mia glancing up at her, only to startle the girl. Mia stuttered out a quick goodbye and practically ran from the room. Ellise couldn''t help but chuckle, Mia was a strange one, she seemed harmless if a bit shy.


    Ellise got ready as fast as she could, excited to learn more from her new teacher but she couldn''t help soaking in the bath for a few minutes after she had refilled it with fresh water. It was heavenly. After getting dressed in dark gray pants and shirt she was faced again with the dilemma of what to do with her hair, she decided to tie it back with a ribbon and leave it at that for now. Facing the mirror once again she rolled back her shoulders back and tilted her chin up ever so slightly. She was confident. She was strong. She had convinced others that she was even if she often was not. Today she would need to be strong and so she would look confident and do her best to match it. One last look and she strode from the room ready to face the day.


    She found her way to the kitchen and pushed into a chair and served food by a busy looking cook who barely spared her a look. After she had finished eating she set out to find Wallace. She found him reading a book in the sitting room where she had first met him yesterday. She sat down across from him and waited for him to finish what he was doing. His eyes were still a bit hard to look at but he had been nice enough so she relaxed as she observed the room around her once again. She did not mind waiting but she did wonder if he was so engrossed in the book that he had failed to notice her entry. She dismissed the thought immediately, remembering how quietly he had walked up to her the day before. Any person who managed that level of stealth would be aware of everything around them. She would never be able to get anywhere near him without him noticing.


    "I see you already know the value of patience." Wallace stated looking at her as he placed the book beside him.


    "I am impatient sometimes but I have no problem sitting still." Ellise replied with a shrug. She had almost always been on the move, moments of stillness had always been valuable to her.


    "Well, I suppose we should start with the basics." Wallace said after pausing to examining her face. "To start you must choose a main source to draw from. The source you choose will determine the type of magic you can use. For instance, the plant mana you collected yesterday can only be used to control plants. The sources you are compatible with will be unique to you, you will be able to use all of them but you will have to choose one to focus on. Light and darkness are very popular for their abundance and power but it would be better to find something unique that is closely tied to you. Not only will it be more powerful but it will ensure you stand out and offer something no one else can."


    "Why do I have to choose one if I can use others as well?" Ellise asked when he paused.


    "You will be able to develop those talents later but you must have a strong base knowledge before you branch out. If you switch between sources without understanding them individually you will not be able to control them properly and will likely hurt yourself. So, I would like to start by finding a source for you. I have found that emotions are very important. The more emotionally attached you are to a source the more power you will derive from it. So examine yourself, what is important to you? What comforts you? Take your time and think about this. Come to the garden when you have some ideas for a potential source." Wallace said before sweeping out the door.