CHAPTER 3: THE COMMENCEMENT OF A NEW LIFE
As a new vampire, one has to go through many changes. Not only physical but also social and mental. My mind felt different. My senses were sharper. My instincts' presence was more intense. I almost went paranoid the first week because during the times I rested, I would be woken up by small sounds. During the night, I was more awake and my sense were even more alert than during the day.
Byron gave me a room in his house. Because of that, I was the latest gossip topic between other vampiresses. Apparently, no one had ever been given 'such honor'. Especially to a 'mere girl' such as I was. Generally, New Converts were given housing in "Vampire City". Vampire City is an underground city, right below Byron's mansion. Byron's land is very extended, but the vampire community is even more extended.
Anyhow, I was given housing in Byron's mansion. His room was practically accross from mine. I suppose he really wanted to keep an eye on me. He never came into my room without permission though, and I was given a servant to help me in whatever I needed. He was very compliant, polite, quiet, strong, and had a very strange presence. I could sense vampiric traits in him, but there were days that he didn't feel like he was a vampire. I was friendly towards him. He seemed sad sometimes, even lonely. He didn't talk much though. So I just let him be. I asked Byron about him but hejust told me that I should concentrate more on my training. He said people of my status shouldn't get too involved with servants. It felt like he was hiding something, but I just dropped the subject.
Everyday, I attended to a 'school' for New Converts. I was trained in the arts of battle, telepathy, healing, and the enhancement of my Mystical power. I also studied the history of the Vampires. Byron personally taught me about it. He also taught me some of the Ancient Code of the Vampires and how to use psychic power by summoning the Mystical power within me.
By studying the Vampires history, I learned that not everyone can be turned into a Vampire. A vampire has to choose to give "the Gift' of being a vampire, otherwise the victim of a vampire bite can't turn into one. "The Gift" manifests three degrees of power in a vampire:
1st degree: low Mystical power (magic)
2nd degree: High Mystical power and advanced intelligence
3rd degree: High Mystical power, advanced intelligence, and human traits (not often).
I am a third degree vampire. I managed to keep some human traits. I will narrate the story of how I found out about my degree later. All I have to say is that being of third degree and keeping human traits made me 'uncommon'.This made me superior and more powerful than other vampires. Keeping some of my humans traits made me a 'rare specimen'.
I found out that Byron was a 3rd degree vampire too. He told me his degree when I asked him. He also explained that the degree, along with a vampire's skills and abilities, can define your ranking. He also said that only 2nd and 3rd degree vampires can give the Gift by using rituals. They can still give the Gift in the traditional way though. He also explained that some rituals of conversion will also give a New Convert a rank. He said that those kinds of rituals are only performed by vampires of high rank, such as he and the other eleven vampires that had participated in mine. He told me that I was of high rank but he didn't specify it.
Ayhow, he talked about their government. There are eleven vampires that are councelors and help Byron to rule the area. Byron is the Prince, then there is the Head Vampire of the council and the others are councelors and judges. They call this group "The Twelve". The people can come to consult them about issues in theri communities. Byron is the one that has the last word though. He made that very clear.
I learned about the different jobs a vampire can have. Vampires of my degree could perform any type of jobs. Those who kept their human traits could be given top jobs such as spies and researchers. Most first degree vampires just did whatever they could do for their community. Many of them just joined the Vampire army to be soldiers, but they were nothing compared to the highly skilled "Elite Warriors". That's what I was being trained to be, an "Elite Vampire Warrior". Being part of this Elite group was of high rank. No one had ever been trained specifically to be part of this group. I wondered why did Byron chose it to be that way. To become a "Elite Vampire Warrior", warriors had to go through a very rigorous test. Not everyone passed it. Byron said that because my Gift was of third degree and my Mystical power was very high, I was going to pass the test. That made sense to me but what puzzled me the most was his wish for me to be part of this group.
My training involved the use of martial arts, magical spells, weapons, strategy in battle, team work, leadership, endurance, and resourcefullness. During my training in the use of weapons, I learned that the vampires had developed a better technology in them. They had designed a broad type of gadgets that they used for battle. All of them could also be combined with the Mystical power of a vampire to cast spells. Everyday I learned something new about my new home. Everyday my training grew more rigorous.
Jade_NightWarrior Community Member 
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