The optional training began, and Alice’s favorite subject, by far, was magic theory.  The most fundamental rule of magic was that one could only cast a spell over something they had a measure of authority over.  You could cast spells on yourself, for instance, or something you’ve made with your own hands.  If someone transferred ownership of an object as a gift or a sale, one could cast a spell on that.

            There were ways around it, however.  Witchcraft, also known as black magic, was the practice of consorting with evil spirits, giving something up in exchange for power.  This was strictly forbidden, as such spirits would start to demand higher and higher prices until they required one’s soul.  While the hunters couldn’t say with certainty what the soul was, the practical effect of an evil spirit demanding one’s soul was the complete and total surrender of one’s willpower.  Once you gave that up, you were effectively no longer human and as dangerous as any supernatural creature the Night Hunters fought.

            For this reason, witches and warlocks were treated as supernatural monsters, no matter how far along they were.  The evil spirit would do everything in its power to force you to give up your willpower.  Consort with one long enough, and it was only a matter of time until they twisted you into what they wanted.

            Of course, with magic fading from the world, the kind of spirits one could consort with had difficulty manifesting in our world, and any would be witches and warlocks had drastically reduced power since medieval times.  There was a safety in knowing that modern practitioners of black magic could do little more than hex you with a cold or a headache.  Overall, Alice found magic theory a fascinating subject.

            Werewolf taming, by contrast, was downright terrifying.

            Alice found herself sitting face to face with a curly haired, blonde woman wearing a long, simple robe.  This woman had dimpled cheeks and wore a perky smile.  Alice looked her over just a little nervously.  Apparently, werewolves were dangerous enough that each meeting like this had to be given a single room to reduce accidents, which didn’t make Alice feel better about the situation.  Captain Wagner stood behind her, and to the side stood a stern looking middle aged woman with frizzy brown hair and scars on her face, including her lip.  This woman had been introduced as the head of the werewolf division, Captain Stella Reinhardt. 

            “This woman is a werewolf?” asked Alice.

            “Yes,” said Captain Reinhardt with a raspy voice.  “This woman is a werewolf.”

            Alice looked back.

            “Hi,” said the other woman.  “I’m Hayden, Hayden Pierce.  Nice to meet you.  And yeah,” she sighed.  “I’m a werewolf.”

            Alice shook her hand, unsure how she should feel about this.

            “What’s with the robe?” asked Alice.

            “This suit is specially designed to facilitate the transformation,” said Hayden.  “You know, so I don’t just rip clothing every time I change.  Robes are easier to construct like this.  You’ll see when I transform.”

            “Fair enough,” said Alice.  “So, how does this work?  Do we only work together during the full moon?”

            “That’s how it used to work, back when the Night Hunters first started taming werewolves.  Since then, we’ve found better ways of making this work.”

            Hayden then reached to her neck and pulled out some sort of small silver amulet dangling from a chain.

            “Inside this amulet,” said Hayden.  “Is a piece of moonrock brought back from the lunar landings and encased in silver.”

            Alice’s eyes grew wide, “Moonrock?  Seriously?”

            “Yes,” said Hayden.  “Seriously.  By pressing this button here, or the button on a controller my partner will carry, the amulet opens, exposing me to the moonrock, and the transformation begins.”

            “No kidding?” said Alice.  “So, what then?  Can you control yourself when you’re a werewolf?”

            “Sadly, no,” said Hayden.  “I basically become an animal.  I can remember bits and pieces of my time as a wolf, but honestly, the wolf might as well be a completely separate entity from me.  It’s like any other wild animal.  To tame it, you have to show it who’s boss.”

            Alice gave a small, nervous laugh.  She remembered how big the creatures at her Uncle’s farm were, even if she hadn’t gotten a good look at them.

            “I know,” said Hayden.  “Sounds crazy, right?"

            “We find it helps if the tamer and the werewolf have a personal relationship,” said Captain Reinhardt.  “We suspect that the wolf has some of the human’s memories, and thus some feelings will transfer.  Of course, that means we must avoid pairings where the feelings run too strong.  If the affection runs deep enough, the werewolf tends to bite that person and turn them into a werewolf so they can spend time together as both humans and as wolves.

            “Such relationships include close family members, and in some cases close friends, though that is rarer.  The relationship we must absolutely avoid under any circumstances is a romantic entanglement.”

            “So,” said Alice.  “We have to be friendly, but stay professional.”

            “Correct,” said Rinehardt.  “And don’t date any of the werewolves unless you’re willing to risk becoming one.”

            Alice didn’t see herself dating anyone any time soon, so that wasn’t a problem.  Alice did have one other concern.

            “Is she…” Alice began.

            “Vampires can’t control werewolves,” said Wagner.  “If they try to control the human, the wolf will see it as a threat and track down the vampire to kill it.  Furthermore, we know werewolves attack vampires even when the human is a vampire worshipper.  We have a case from about two decades ago where an enemy worshipper got bitten, and when he became a wolf, he instantly turned on his vampire masters.  We suspect that the wolf sees the undead as a threat regardless of the human’s feelings, which would explain why vampire werewolf worshippers are historically rare.  Of course, it doesn’t completely rule the possibility out, so we’ll keep your interactions highly monitored for the time being.”

            “Okay,” said Alice, lamenting the whole situation.  “Just one more question.  How does a werewolf kill a vampire?  We don’t tie wood to their teeth and hope they bite the heart, do we?”

            “No,” said Captain Reinhardt.  “Curses like this don’t stack but rather replace each other.  Since a vampire is essentially dead, and a werewolf is a living thing, a werewolf bite will replace a curse that animates a dead body with one that cannot.  A werewolf’s bite can be the easiest way to kill a vampire, provided you can tame the wolf, of course.”

            Alice nodded.

            “So,” said Hayden.  “Do you want to talk now?  Or would you like to meet the werewolf first?”

            Alice thought about it, “I think I’d like to see the werewolf, just to get used to the idea.”

            “Alright then,” said Hayden.

            She and Alice stood, and then Hayden walked to the back of the room.  Captain Wagner went to the wall and pulled a lever, causing bars to raise from the floor.  With bars between them, Hayden pulled up her amulet and pressed a button.  Panels slid away on the amulet, exposing the grey moonrock within.

            Soon Hayden’s eyes glazed over, and she began changing.  Fur started growing from her skin as her face began to elongate.  Her fingernails grew into claws, and she fell face forward onto all fours.  A hidden seam on the front of her robe split as the garment began folding itself.  As her body, now covered completely in brown fur, took more and more the shape of a wolf, she began growing bigger and bigger.  Soon the robe had folded onto her back, held by straps around her forelimbs.  Alice could see a tail growing behind her, and less than a moment later, Alice was face to face with a giant brown wolf the size of a horse, the amulet’s chain tight around its neck like a collar.

            Alice stood there, her heart suddenly in her throat.  The massive wolf stared at her, its yellow eyes intense.

            Suddenly the gigantic wolf barked and ran forward, making Alice jump back as it slammed into the bars.  It barked over and over again, reaching its claws through the bars.  It struggled for a moment as Alice looked on, astonished at what she was seeing, until it backed away.  Moments later, it began pacing back and forth, growling intensely.

            “Don’t worry,” said Wagner.  “It can’t get through those bars.  You’re safe, and you’ll have to get used to it if you want to tame it.  You’ll have to show it you aren’t afraid of it.”

            Alice shook her head, “I must be crazy.”

            “Well,” said Wagner encouragingly.  “I’ll be frank with you.  I think you have to be at least a little crazy to do this job, werewolves or not.”

            Alice nodded.  She couldn’t really disagree with that.  Then something occurred to her.

            “Agent Phoenix,” she said.  “Back at the farm, commanded the werewolves effortlessly.  How did he tame them?”

            She couldn’t see him making friends with anyone, and judging by Wagner and Reinhardt’s faces, they agreed.

            “He managed to wrestle a werewolf into submission,” said Captain Reinhardt.  “Jumping on his back and putting his arm around its neck until it passed out.  When we put that werewolf with the others, it wasn’t long before they all started treating Agent Phoenix with more respect.  Werewolves seem to be able to communicate with each other, after all.  However, unless you’re a dhampir or crucivire, I don't recommend that method.”

            Once again, Alice couldn’t really disagree with that.

###

Agent Phoenix, Gordon, Cora, and Jaiden rode in the windowless van, Eric Hale on the floor between them.  They left the vampire dismembered, silver cross spikes driven through his limbs to prevent him from moving, those limbs scattered on the floor.  The head lay to the front of the vehicle, the vampire snarling.  The vampire’s glamour was still down, his grey, skeletal face glaring at them with hatred.  Agent Phoenix glared back at the vampire, his glamour down to reveal his cross tattoos.

            On one side of the van, Jaiden kept his head down, feeling low from his performance.  He’d almost let Eric get away because he couldn’t hold a door closed.  Cora saw Jaiden feeling down and put her hand on his shoulder.

            “Don’t let it get to you, Jaiden,” said Cora.  “You’ve got talent, but you only get experience in the field.  It’s going to take time to build that experience, but you’ll get there.”

            “Maybe,” said Jaiden.  With everything going on in that city, he had this sneaking feeling that they were running out of time. “I’m surprised he gave us so much trouble.”

            Eric just glared at him.

            “Didn’t you catch his scent?” asked Cora.  “He’s old, one of the oldest vampires I’ve encountered.  One doesn’t live that long if one can’t handle himself.  I’d say he only has a few years left before he ascends to elder status.  If he lives that long.”

            She smirked, and Eric turned his glare on her.  Meanwhile, on the other side of the van, Phoenix glared at the vampire on the floor.

“I say we interrogate him now,” said Phoenix.

            “No,” said Gordon.  “The Night Hunters have people for that for a reason.  Besides, we don’t need you getting carried away again.”

            Phoenix glared for a moment but didn’t respond, deciding to turn away and look at the van’s wall.  Gordon stared at Phoenix sternly, mulling over what had just happened.  A vampire had been revealed to a large group of people, and given what was happening in this city, it wasn’t something they could sweep under the rug.

            The Night Hunter Council wouldn’t be happy about this.

            “I hope you’re ready, Phoenix.” Said Gordon.

            “For the Night Hunter council?” asked Phoenix skeptically.  “I’m not worried.  They’ve already failed to keep all this secret here.  You saw all those crosses in that apartment building.  People are waking up to the truth, and there’s nothing we or the council can do to stop it.”

            Gordon sighed, “You’re not wrong.”

            They sat in silence for a moment.

            “How do the Night Hunters keep all this stuff secret anyway?” asked Jaiden.  “Seems like a vampire attack would attract attention.”

            Gordon chuckled, “Yeah, you think it would, but most people can go their entire lives without encountering a supernatural creature.  The rare times they encounter evidence of one, or even one directly, many will often try to rationalize it.  They were hallucinating, or it was a trick of the light…an easy thing to think when most monsters attack in the dark.  The truth is that normal people are used to thinking the world works a certain way, and when confronted with evidence to the contrary, many will reject it outright.  For the few who accept the truth, it’s easy to convince them that no one will believe them, so they usually stay quiet.  Even fewer people actually speak out, and as you can imagine, almost no one believes them, so the world at large remains ignorant of the supernatural.”

            “It’s sickening,” said Phoenix, grimacing.  “How can you protect yourself from something if you think it doesn’t exist?”

            “I agree,” said Gordon, a hint of exasperation in his voice.  “But now is hardly the time.  Maybe what’s happening in this city will be the start of that change, but for now…”

            Before he could finish, the armored car suddenly shook, making the inhabitants brace themselves.  They could hear the sound of metal scraping against asphalt for a few moments until the van they were in came to a complete stop.  Everyone looked around, wary of danger.

            “What just happened?” asked Cora.

            On the floor between them, still immobilized, Eric Hale started laughing.

            “You’re all about to pay,” said Eric.  “That’s what happening.”

            “Shut up,” said Phoenix, kicking the head and making Eric yelp.

            Gordon unbuckled, stood, and went to the front of the vehicle, tapping on the window that separated them from the drivers.

            “That felt like the tires going out,” he said.  “Make sure you’re locked in.  We’ll go investigate.” Once the drivers signaled the affirmative, Gordon turned to the others.

            Taking a moment to decide who to take with him, Gordon considered leaving Phoenix in the van.  However, he felt he couldn’t trust Phoenix with Eric Hale.  A taunt from the vampire might enrage him and make Phoenix kill the vampire.  They needed Eric for information, so Gordon ultimately decided against it.

            “Phoenix, you’re with me.  Cora and Jaiden, you stay in the van and guard Eric.  Everyone, form the link.”

            Everyone nodded, then unbuckled and stood as they formed the telepathic link.  Cora and Jaiden drew their swords and stood between Eric and the back of the van as Gordon and Phoenix left, closing the van’s back door behind them.  Locks snapped shut on the back door, sealing the van shut. 

            On their way to the Night Hunter facility, the van had reached the woods outside Saint Vivia, and trees lined either side of the road, the night sky hidden behind dark clouds.  Gordon and Phoenix went to either side of the van, checking the tires.

            “Crossbow bolts on this side,” said Phoenix through the telepathic link.

            “Same here,” said Gordon, and as one, the pair of them turned to the forest and raised their swords.

            The trees were silent.  There wasn’t so much as an owl hooting or a squirrel scampering.  Honing his senses, Gordon could detect small animals and birds fleeing the area, getting away as fast as they could, as if from some predator.  That wasn’t a good sign.

            “You gonna call for backup?” asked Phoenix, his lips never moving.

            “There are already Night Hunters nearby,” said Gordon.

            Agent Phoenix groaned in exasperation, “They’ve been tailing us?”

            “Keeping their distance,” said Gordon.  “Letting us do our thing, but yes, keeping an eye out.  The vampires attacked an innocent woman to try and get to you.  Of course we considered that they’d target you directly.  You can complain about it later.”

            “Fine,” said Phoenix.

            They spent about a minute or two scanning the dark, silent forest for enemies.  As the woodland creatures retreated further and further away.  Soon, the only sound was a gust of wind rippling through the leaves.

            Then, a moment later, they both saw the glimmer of nocturnal eyes in the distance.  From both sides of the van, they heard the sound of crossbows firing.  Gordon and Phoenix raised their sword as crossbow bolts sped through the trees, sparks flying as the pair deflected the bolts.

            Soon after, vampires poured out of the forest, swords drawn.  They carried every historical sword imaginable.  There were cavalry swords, rapiers, basket hilted broadswords, and swords from China, Japan, and Africa.  The only form they didn’t carry was the cruciform sword from medieval England, a shape they wouldn’t tolerate.  The monsters didn’t bother with glamours, letting their hideous vampiric forms show through.  Behind them, the crossbow bolts kept coming.

             Gordon and Phoenix deflected more bolts and then found themselves surrounded by vampires.  However, before the monsters could attack, one of the Night Hunters in the driver's seat pushed a button, and pipes underneath the van unleashed holy water mist that went past Gordon and Phoenix’s feet.

            Some of the more experienced vampires held back, but many were caught in the mist, shrieking as their feet were burned out from under them.  Without their feet to support them, they fell right into the mist, writhing on the ground as their skin burned.  A few vampires fell back and crawled away, their feet raw and blistered, but quite a few were killed by the holy water pouring out of that van.  The unburned vampires stood there, watching, their red eyes gleaming hatefully.  The mist stopped, ready to go again should the vampires attack.

            “That should buy us some time,” said Gordon, though he worried about how much time that would be.  He knew the mist machine burned through a tank of holy water quickly.  If the vampires attacked repeatedly, it wouldn’t take long for the van to run out.

            “I hate waiting,” said Phoenix.

            Gordon sighed as he heard Phoenix run past the range of the mist, attacking the vampires head on.  For a moment, the elder dhampir considered leaving him to his fate.  Why not let him pay the price for constantly rushing into things?  Of course, he knew that wasn’t an option.  The vampires were likely after Agent Phoenix specifically, and there was no telling what they'd do if they captured him.  Gordon sent a mental message to the others to guard Eric and ran to join Phoenix in battle.

            While one group of vampires surrounded the two fighters, another group surrounded the van.  Pressing close, the van released the mist again, but the vampires were wary this time and stepped back just before the mist reached their feet.

            Inside, Jaiden and Cora listened to what was happening, and Jaiden felt himself sweating.  He’d fought one or two vampires but never a group this big.  He sensed Cora sending positive thoughts his way through the telepathic link, but that did little to allay his fears.  He gripped his sword tightly, waiting for vampires to burst through the door.

            Outside, Gordon and Phoenix practically danced with their swords.  Sparks flew left and right as they deflected sword strikes and cut through their opponents, cutting off heads or going through the torso to hit the heart.  At the same time, they had to take cover behind trees with the crossbow bolts coming from the darkness in the woods.  As they darted around to keep from getting surrounded, bolts shattered the wood of the trees, and blood spilled, turning the ground beneath them red as Gordon and Phoenix sliced down vampires left and right.  Some vampires turned into week old corpses, some decayed further, and many became skeletal, depending on how long they’d been vampires.

            Watching them fight, standing high in a nearby tree, were two elder vampires, Axel and Cassandra, their black goth attire practically disappearing into the darkness.  Cassandra, in particular, stood with her muscles tense.  She wore a pair of knives at her side, while Axel wore a survival knife on one hip and a one handed Scottish broadsword on the other. 

            “Now?” she asked.

            “Not now, babe,” said Axel.  “Let’s give the young blood a chance to shine, and if the crucivire kills them all, then we can capture him safely when he’s tired and weak.”

            “Oh,” she said wistfully.  “That seems rather unfair.”

            They looked at each other seriously for a moment and then burst out laughing.  The pair laughed for quite a bit before they started to calm down

            “But seriously,” said Axel.  “I’ll deal with the crucivire when the time is right.   Think you can make sure our friend Eric doesn’t squeal?”

            “Sure,” she said.  “I’ll shut him up.  Have fun, babe.”

            “You too, sweetblood.”

            Back at the van, a few younger vampires tried jumping, soaring through the air.  Other vampires tried shouting warnings, calling them idiots.  Still, the vampires landed on the van’s roof, and then small vents atop the vehicle unleashed holy water mist, burning their feet and making them fall into the mist coming out of the bottom of the van.

            Inside, Cora and Jaiden still gripped their swords.

            “How much holy water does this van have?” asked Jaiden.

            “It’s gonna run out soon,” said Cora.  “We’re going to have to fight after all.  Don’t worry.  Reinforcements should be here soon.  We just have to hold them off until then.”

            Jaiden took a deep breath.

            Outside, the vampires tested the van again, and this time the mist began to slow.  The vampires approached slowly, but the mist came out less and less.  Vampires tentatively tested the water on the ground, but it ceased to be holy water once it touched the dirt.  For this reason, they could walk across the wet earth with no problem.  Finally, the mist from the van sputtered out, empty.

            The vampires rushed to the van, surrounding it.  The two humans in the driver's seat made sure to lock themselves in, metal bars going across the bulletproof glass of the windshield and doors.  Some of the vampires, driven by hunger, pounded on the glass in the front seat, but most had more self control.  Their target was in the back, so a vampire in a welder’s mask brought up a welding torch to break into the van.

            Jaiden and Cora could see the light and sparks as the vampires outside cut through the locks.  It wouldn’t take them long to get through that.  Jaiden, sweat pouring down his face, swallowed nervously.  Sure enough, the locks snapped after just a minute or two, and the door came open.

            The next few moments in that van were chaotic.  Swords clashed in a confined area as Cora and Jaiden had to block sword strikes and kick vampires back.  They couldn’t get surrounded, but they were getting overwhelmed.  Sparks flew, reflecting in the vampire's nocturnal eyes.  Cora and Jaiden could barely cut down their foes until something glinted as it flew past them.

It turned out to be a crossbow bolt, the metal arrowhead piercing Eric Hale’s chest so the wooden shaft could impale the heart.

            Eric Hale’s head looked astonished, and then the vampire’s eyes rolled back as his body decayed, his flesh turning to dust that spilled across the floor, leaving nothing but the pieces of a skeleton.  The silver cross spikes through the limbs fell with no flesh to hold them up.

            Jaiden looked back in frustration for just a moment, but that proved to be a mistake.  A sword went right through his arm, letting blood drip to the van’s floor as he cried out in pain.

            “Jaiden!” cried Cora.

            Cora couldn't help him, however.  She was busy blocking sword strikes left and right.  Poor Jaiden was stabbed in more places, his limbs growing weak.  Soon, vampires grabbed him and dragged him away, Jaiden struggling in a futile effort to break free.

            “Jaiden!” Cora shouted again.  “Hold on!”

            But it took everything she had to keep from getting cut herself, even as she cut down vampires left and right, vampire corpses in various states of decay littering the ground behind the van.

            Out in the woods, Gordon and Phoenix had reduced the vampires to just a few, but the remaining vampires were starting to back away, afraid.  When the first vampire fled, the others followed, including those who’d been shooting crossbows from the darkness.  Phoenix made to chase them, but Gordon held Phoenix’s shoulder.

            “Would you stop and think for a moment!” said Gordon.  “While we were fighting, the van was attacked, and Jaiden was taken.  We need to go back.”

            Phoenix looked irritated but didn’t question it.  Before they could leave, however, something ran out at them, moving incredibly fast.  Phoenix blocked a sword strike, sparks flying, but whatever it was got inside his defenses and cut his left arm.  Phoenix, his face contorted in anger, had to jump back as his left arm flopped to his side, useless, blood running down his hand.

            Gordon attacked this new attacker, but the enemy just blocked a few strikes and jumped back.  When they got a good look at him, it turned out to be the vampire elder Axel, with a knife in one hand and a sword in the other.  The type of Scottish broadsword Axel carried normally had a metal basket around the hilt to protect the hand.  This sword, however, protected the hand with a metal skull, the blade coming from the top of it.

            Gordon and Phoenix watched the elder, their faces wary.

            “That cut looks nasty, Crucivire,” asked Axel, grinning.  “How does it feel?”

            “Better than you’re about to feel,” said Phoenix, glaring hatefully.

            The crucivire rushed the elder, and Gordon, reluctantly, ran in to help.  Axel raised his weapons, gleefully anticipating the coming fight.