Strahd came out of his room and shut the door quietly as others were still asleep, is been long but he could swear his short nap was the best he has had since three years ago. He slid down the dark hallway as everyone preferred to nap in darkness, only a few lit torches hung by the wall side provided light to the house.
Coming down the long spherical staircase, portraits of the great nobilities hung on the wall from the maker Absalom, to the present Urado, after that of Urado was his father. Roman was the freshest clan head initiated into the royals of the greatest nobilities. As a child he always admired them and wished that one day he would be among them, sitting on the highest seats in the court hall, passing out judgment and sentencing people to death, he hoped it would come soon, it seemed impossible, now Urado thinks he's still young and irresponsible.
He didn't doubt him though, hell he didn't even know how to use some of his abilities, he only knew how to float, telepath and use his sixth sense, he quit training for a long time, long before he was punished, in truth he was afraid, scared for the ease and safety of the people around him, one day he would become the heir of this great coven one becoming too powerful, could also turn someone into a heartless monster killing machine, that he wanted to stay clear of seeing how ruthless Urado had become.
The french windows of his father's library stood half open, he gazed inside and marveled at, how much his father loved to study why does he even need to study when they were naturally smart, studying were only for humans,he could never reason that, guess he was just the crappy, disobedient son. Everyone was so quiet, he thought as he looked up again at the innocent looking house, it looked too creepy to him, he floated down the endless step and headed to their antique blood storage fridge, pouring some of favourite juice into a glass, he held it close to his lips,
"Seems you can't sleep?" He heard a voice ask
He turned his head and gazed at the fire place, Urado sat there, staring at the flame like he was watching something
"Err...yes, I can't"
"Come, he gestured to Strahd, Strahd walked stiffly and stood beside him, lowering his hands, he brought out a small stool, sit" he motioned to him
Strahd sat uneasily on the stool, he smelled the smoke from the fire, his heart pounded in his chest, he could feel the dark aura emanating from his grandfather
"Do I frighten you that much?" Urado asked looking at him
"Err..n...no...not at all" Strahd stammered
Urado laughed, a huge burst of sound, rumbled from his belly, Strahd wondered whether the whole house were now awake,"when did you begin to stammer, you know I can tell when you lie to me" he stood up and walked to the fire, fisting his hands, he deeped his both palms inside the flame, Strahd stared, transfixed, he wasn't burnt, not even a scratch, how was that possible, he wasn't even feeling anything
"The fire doesn't hurt you?" He asked with his throat dry
"Not at all, he turned back at him, his eyes dark red, I absorb it, like a lover" he placed his palm on strahd's skin, it was cold, chills sprang out at him, it was clear
"You can....you can absorb heat and flames without feeling pains, but am sitting a single foot away from the fire and I feel hot, how is that possible?" He asked with his eyes wide
Urado ignored him" how far are you from your training? I told you that you needed to join the mountain dwellers to master your dark meditation"
"Yes you did, but I got banished remember" Strahd stated sarcastically
"Punished not banished, I could have killed you instead of sending you on exile, I can never leave my blood to wander among those useless weaklings called humans" Strahd gulped would his grandfather ever had the thought of killing him
"I....err..."
"Make sure you join the mountain dwellers at the mountain top by dawn, we don't know when we might battle anyone next, he paused and stared at the flame again, I have a feeling something terrible might happen soon"
"Yes sir" Strahd croaked and drained his glass
Urado took a deep breath" walk with me"
×××××××××
The first rhythm he became used to was the slow swing of the clouds from dusk to dawn, they were miles apart from their home, both had travelled at length, climbing cliffs and heels, crashing into bushes, and passing unique plants and animals, Strahd did not know their lands were this vast.
When he wanted floating Urado would never hear of it, he just followed him helplessly, like someone condemned to die or someone sent on a quest to forever land.
They walked for four extra miles, then gradually, the almost infinite size of the sea forced itself on his attention
"Finally some water, he raced ahead of his grandfather to the sea and began taking in huge gulps of the sea water, it would have been better if it were, you know...juice" he said and raised his eyebrows at him
"If you see any, you're welcome to be my guest" Urado said approaching him
He stood straight" well I don't see any, I'll be sucking my thumb next, he look around furtively, it seems as though no one has been here"
"Apparently, only my father and I, we usually come up here for hunting when we needed huge animals, mostly during a festive occasion, we had a cottage at the edge of the moors" he said and pointed at the far edge of the sea to a fallen pile of woods
"So what happened to great grandfather?"
"He was murdered by the werewolves, fighting for us"
"Ohh, Strahd said slightly disheveled, I didn't know about that"
"Yes, we barely talk about the dead anyways, he's dead, he's gone for decades now that's the past"
Sitting Strahd was now aware being hot for the first time in his life, he pulled distastefully at his black shirt and wondered whether Urado might undertake the adventure of him taking a quick deep in the sea
"Don't even think about it" Urado said
Strahd raised his head sharply, how the hell did he hear that
"You were thinking loudly, I can hear loud thoughts, Urado said absentmindedly, the sea water is a little warm, you won't like it, come, come here" he gestured
Strahd took off his shirt and flung it on his shoulder, then stood beside his grandfather
"Shut your eyes and listen, listen quietly, across this sea what do you hear and feel?" Strahd listened, he followed the rise and falls of the sea, the crest and trough until something of the remoteness of the sea number his brain
"Err..sea and vast land" he said lamely
Urado glared at him puzzled and disappointed, touching the space between his eye brows
"You really do have a lot to learn, after the sea is a barrier, the divider, or like I would like to call it the realm separating Jupiter from other universe, and you are to be it's protector soon"
"Isn't that what you are?" Strahd asked searching Urado's face for an answer because he didn't like where this was going
"All the same, I can't be it's protector for ever, I've done that for six hundred years now, although we are immortals our time in this universe does come to an end, when we go to join Absalom our maker and protect our children whom are down here"
"Yes I understand that alright, then let dad do it" he said quite provoked
"Never, Urado exclaimed, the protector must have our blood, the blood of the maker, Absalom, Angelica mystically does that but you are to physically guard it , your mother, my daughter, was to take over after me but,.....he trailed, you know...it hurts me, so you, he said placing a firm hand on his shoulder, are to guard the realm of the undead cold blooded vampires" he said stressing the last word
Strahd gulped" but how would I do that when I know nothing about... anything"
"Of course you are so ignorant about everything, so clueless about your universe and kind, which makes me so disappointed, Urado growled, then he took in a deep long breath, tomorrow morning, you sit with the council and coven heads" he said and turned to leave
Strahd dusted his back side and stood up" where are you going?"Urado asked him
Strahd stared at him and frowned his face" home, I haven't had breakfast yet and I could get cranky"
"Not my problem, but you're not going anywhere, you're going to sit here and learn the mind compulsion technique, then when you get back you demonstrate to me how it works" he said with an air of finality
"But...."
Urado charged at him, visibly angry" I telepathed you yesterday for two hours and you didn't reply, till I had to send for you, so sad"
_when do I...."
"You return at dawn" Urado concluded then leaped to the sky and like a lightening, he was gone
Strahd stared at him with wide eyes, "how did he leap so high?" He flung himself down on the ground and with a piercing gaze, he began searching for a snack....