Crystal Central presents
Otto von Aito was lying in bed, silently fuming. Nothing strange about this. Undead in general were not known for their jolly mood. But Otto was in an exceptionally bad mood, even for an undead. Technically she was a Nelapsi, Undead being a general term. She was a vampire too, but that was just by liniage.
Perhaps a description would be more helpful than a lecture on Undead genealogy. Otto had a beautiful nut-brown skin, cropped auburn hair, and hazel eyes. Her nose had a hook, and her mouth was plump and cherubic.Her mother was East African with a fiery temper and willowy figure. Otto, too, had a slim frame with long tapered fingers, perfect for holding a pepper spray. At five feet three in height, Otto was on the shorter side, but even one centimeter can make an awful lot of difference when you don't have many to spare.
Trainer Ibet Morningdew was the cause of Otto's troubles. Ibet had been on her case since day one. Ibet had decided to take offense at the fact that the first enrolled Outcast or Vyrr - what the others called the outcasts of the Great Vampire Commune- in history had been admitted to his school. He didn't think that even the high fatality Guardian squads would take her in. Well, he was just going to have to get used to the idea, because Otto had no intention of quitting for him or anybody else.
Though she'd never admit it, another possible cause for Otto's irritability were the Rankings. She was that petty. Max, her biggest competition and the only thing between her and becoming an Knight to an Ancient or Cardinal, had pushed her down a rank during the last month's Ranking battles. It happened to be her mom's death anniversary. She had been out of it. Now she stood at second. She'd been waiting for next month's Ranking battles in about two weeks to take back her throne.
The goal was the Ancient. However, with only one Ancient left to appear the competition was as high as McDonald's' and Burger King's. Furthermore, she had to hide the fact that her powers were getting out of control again. And if Ibet the Satyr found out she couldn't control her power, she'd be transferred to Aphsodel Guard duty for sure at best where she could not harm anyone. Best not to think of the worst case.
Otto rolled off her pajamas and stumbled into the shower. That was the one thing about the school she found good—the water was always hot. A big deal when your options are the Styx, Lethe, cocytus, Acheron and phlegethon. There was nothing like coming home after a long day of training, and sinking into a bubbling slime pool. Bliss. Guardian classes were no joke.
The Nelapsi suited up, zipping the black tactical jumpsuit up to her chin and donning the matching safety boots. Guardian Trainee uniforms were stylish these days. Not like that top-o'-the-morning costume the students had to wear back in the old days. Cloaks, hoods and sandals! Honestly. No wonder Hollywood got Vampires wrong all this time. Maniacs, slick-haired, mysterious, broody. But in truth this bunch could throw a party. Still, probably better that way. If the mortals knew that they had been living with vampires all this time, creatures that fed on their flesh and blood, they'd probably take steps alongside the Hunters to stamp them out. Better to stay inconspicuous and let the humans have their stereotypes.
With the moon already rising on the upper world, there was no time for a proper breakfast. Otto grabbed the remains of a blood box from the cooler and drank it in the dark and oppressive corridors of Prime Las School of Vampires. As usual there was chaos in the main thoroughfare. The usual cliques jammed the avenue like a sold-out concert. The ghosts weren't helping either passing through other undead for fun. The victims were cursing like sailors.
Otto battled through the crowds to the training grounds. There was already a Crowd in front of the amphitheater. This was the commonplace here. The non-Guardian trainees loved to come here just to watch the Guardian trainees fight.That is until one of them was invited for a spar or demonstration, then it was not. The Great Vampire Commune is one of indulgence.
Otto shouldered her way into the throng. "Coming through," she grunted. "Guardian Trainee Otto."
It was like a shoal of fish parting. This was the norm for her. Vampires were very clear about their embraces and avoids and Otto was clearly the latter. A Nelapsi. An Outcast. A Vyrr.
In the sand filled arena, a pale grey man was battling a vampire. Otto could recognize Max the even after a dip in the Lethe. She burned him a glare as she walked to the bleachers. Her fellow classmates moved away from her like a plague.
"Wow, that was so discreet you guys," Otto sarcastically remarked.
The classmates stirred and grumbled for a while but none of them rebuked. With her being a Nelapsi they already tried to have as little interactions with her as possible. Being a high ranker in a class of combat that could slap the daylights out of them and with her smooth as silk tongue no one had derisions of beating her combat wise or verbally.
"I thought I heard an Otto," a voice drifted over from the front of her just when she was mentally parting her back for the good work of shutting up these bimbos. Only one person could be so irritating. Max Gallant.
Max Gallant was a pedestal away from being called statue. He was six-foot three-inch tall Englishman. His face was outlined and he had a scalp full of short curly dirty-blonde feathery queue tousled in a fashionable I-just-got-out-of-bed-and-I-look-this-good. He was a revenant. An undead in the form of a visible ghosts that posseses a dead body. Hard to kill. Max had possesed his own body after his death hence his perfectly undicomposed body and his skin being an ash grey colour due to lack of oxygenated blood . He is technically a walking corpse, but aren't all undead? The irises of his eyes were golden. His body was lean with well defined and toned muscles.
"A cut or two would have been great Gallant. Adds colour to your life." Otto aptly responded.
"Haha, grey skin jokes. Already numb to that."
The relationship between these two was a strange one. Otto would make sure to hit Max's sore spot about his grey skin but never once did Max mention her status as an Outcast of the vampire commune or anything related. Otto had no idea why she found Max intolerable. Maybe it was that perfectly genuine smile she always saw on him compared to her fake smile and yipee-mood she used to hide her pain or was it the way he talked to her while no one else dared? Was she loosing her edge? Nelapsi should be feared.
Otto did not reply to that. She felt the usual 'of course you are numb, you are supposed to be a corpse dimwit' was getting a little old. Max then took a seat beside her. A stupid victorious smile on his handsome grey mug.
Otto was thinking 'Tough to kill, hard to not want to.'