The Fallen Vampire

Chapter 202: Cold feet?

Taira and Aveena passed through the doorway and stepped into the training hall, one after the other.

Taira wore his standard blue gi with a simple belt around his waist. Aveena wore a thick set of bandages around her chest, forearms, knuckles, and feet, with a pair of baggy black pants.

Before he could even close the door behind them, the cultists inside were greeting the pair loudly.

"WE GREET OUR DAI-SHI!"

Aveena was known by her family for having a very playful personality and a general unseriousness surrounding life.

So can you imagine Taira's surprise when she suddenly put on a very stoic, no-nonsense personality?

He had but one single thought on his mind at the moment.

'That's...hot.'

Even though he wasn't currently using telepathy, Aveena still could hear Taira's thoughts loud and clear judging by the subtle redness of her ears.

Truthfully, she was quite nervous this morning when she woke up. It had truly set in that she was going to be a leader to a group of people.

Aveena had a senior sister that she practically idolized before her sect fell to ruin.

She was strong, diligent, virtuous, and incredibly upstanding.

Aveena thought that was the kind of person who should be leader of a sect.

She could not emulate the wisdom of the abbess who was like a mother to her, but she could atleast put on the act of a hard-nosed motivator.

But who knew her little stint in acting would rouse her husband's sexual interest as well?

It was like the gift that just kept on giving!

""Xuéshēng."" Aveena and Taira greeted the disciples in unison.

Robotically, the disciples all resumed their normal posture.

Aveena spoke first, with Taira stealing discreet glances at her hips and chiseled back.

"As it's the first day, I'll be going over the method of your instruction aside from your independent study.

On the first and third days of the week, I will instruct you in body tempering and soul nourishment.

On the second and fourth, Taira will instruct you in hand-to-hand and qi growth.

You will spar as part of your training everyday, but on the fifth day it will be from sun up to sun down. If you aren't paying close attention, you will fall behind quickly.

That said..."

Aveena glanced at Raymond out of the corner of her eye. "I highly recommend that you do not skip breakfast. Or neglect proper rest for that matter."

The big guy lowered his head in mild embarrassment.

Aveena continued her briefing without losing her rhythm.

"Now, I'm sure you may wonder why we're having those of you who use arcane participate in body tempering, and those of you who cultivate must participate in soul nourishment."

Even if they hadn't said anything just yet, the cultists were indeed wondering about that, since it was an extremely uncommon practice.

Except the humans who didn't know what was going on either way... they were kind of just along for the ride right now.

Taira held out his hand and 'something' swirled around in his hand.

It wasn't tangible or visible, but the room full of cultists knew that it was there.

"It's a school of martial arts on earth."

"...Oh?"

Taira suddenly dropped Sawyer onto his head in the middle of the hall.

"Get back."

Without needing to be told twice, every cultist inside of the hall put their backs against the walls.

Vaal and Shakti were seething.

As Banes, they were responsible for making sure that those underneath them were on their best behavior. Especially in front of their Dai-Shi.

The continuous disregard for honorifics, the sheer lack of humility, the gall to question methods of instruction, the list went on.

It reflected poorly on their positions, and that could absolutely not be tolerated.

Perhaps they had not given the humans proper motivation.

It was an error that they wouldn't repeat.

Sawyer scrambled to his feet and found only Taira standing above him.

He had removed his belt so that his gi was hanging open, and draped it over his neck.

"This is so unlike me... but maybe I'm just in a good mood this morning."

He bound his hands and feet in thick blocks of black ice that restricted all movement he could've made.

"You want to distinguish yourself? You think yourself adept enough to stand among the race of people who've lived in the wild since birth? That's fine..."

Taira gestured to the belt hanging around his neck like an Olympic medal.

"I won't move from this spot. Nor will I use my techniques. If you can take this from me, I'll grant your request."

Sawyer still vividly remembered losing his eye without even being able to perceive what happened.

But if Taira couldn't move, couldn't use his hands, and Sawyer only had to grab a single belt from his neck, he thought it may be doable.

And yet, he still had cold feet as to whether he should actually try his luck.

"It seems that I haven't made myself clear."

A bitter chill engulfed the room; causing icicles and frost to form along the ceiling.

"You have interrupted your Dai-Shi's lesson. Spat on the honor of your brothers and sisters to distinguish yourself as 'head of the pack'.

Since you were bold enough to make the statements, you will prove their validity yourself."

"L-Look, I was just-"

"If you do not, I will break every bone in the left side of your body. Twice."

Sawyer's face paled; causing Taira to show an uncharacteristic smile.

"Why the cold feet? Show me those impressive earth martial arts of yours."

Aveena had been leaning against the wall and watching this entire display with a narrow gaze.

She had a great many thoughts on her mind at the moment, but one of them was undoubtedly more prevalent than the rest.

'He's so fucking hot...'