MIDTERM EXAM

Luciano entered the hall, which had been decorated as if for a festival. Among ancient statues and green garlands, he also noticed some objects that must have been stolen from the surrounding churches. Although he would have preferred to hide behind one of the statues, he straightened his back and approached the commission. His deep bow was quite elegant, and he didn't stumble over his long cloak, which he had chosen today to give himself a more mature appearance. Hopefully, the wide monstrosity with its many shoulder collars wouldn't get in the way during the practical exercises. The Conte stood up, introduced him to the guests once again, and welcomed him on behalf of the clan and the other families.

He should start already, before I get even more nervous!

"Let's begin with the history of ancient Rome! From when to when did Emperor Augustus reign, and what were the names of his four successors?"

Silence fell over the magnificent octagonal hall. Luciano remained silent. His head was now a dark, empty space. He would have surely remembered the answer if he hadn't been staring fixedly at Professor Letizia, who cracked her knuckles and slapped the cane against her boots with an ominous hiss.

Umberto took over. "When did Servius Tullis reign? What do you know about Domitian? When did Constantine leave Rome? Who defeated Hannibal?"

The questions rained down on him, but Luciano didn't move. The professors fell silent, leaving the last question hanging in the air.

"Luciano? Do you know the answer?" asked Conte Claudio, as the silence stretched longer and the other examiners were already shaking their heads.

"What? Pardon me, Conte," Luciano jerked his head up abruptly, as if waking from a trance.

"Then at least tell us who ruled in Rome from fifty-four to sixty-eight AD," pleaded the Conte with a note of desperation in his voice.

"Nero," whispered Luciano.

"What? I can't hear a word," bellowed Professor Umberto. "You are a disgrace to our entire house, you failure!"

"Now that's enough!" Signora Enrica intervened. "Stop this theatrics! " The vampire in her modest blue dress with the white collar suddenly seemed more awe-inspiring than even the massive Professor Ruguccio. She stepped into the center of the hall. "Luciano, please repeat what you just said. Look at me!"

Luciano directed his gaze to her and looked into her brown eyes. Depending on how the lashes shaded them, they gleamed in a golden hue and then almost black again shortly after. Luciano cleared his throat and then said loudly, "Nero ruled over Rome from fifty-four to sixty-eight AD."

"Good," said Signora Enrica. "Do you remember answers to other questions that Professors Umberto and Letizia asked you?"

Luciano shook his head. Then suddenly he heard Alisa's voice in his mind, repeating the names over and over again. He could even see her in front of him, sitting with crossed legs on the cushion, the heavy leather-bound book from the library on her knees. The dim light of the lamp made shadows dance across the clear lines of her face, and she repeatedly tucked one of her blonde strands of hair, which regularly loosened from the pinned-up hairstyle, behind her ear.

"Emperor Augustus ruled from twenty-seven to fourteen AD," said Luciano clearly. "He was followed by Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. Servius Tullis reigned around five hundred seventy-nine to five hundred thirty-four BC. It was the time of the Republic."

Luciano didn't want to stop anymore. Names and dates poured out of him. When he finally closed his mouth, silence fell over the hall again, but this time an atmosphere of recognition enveloped him. The foreign clan leaders and their companions nodded approvingly at each other, and the Conte beamed openly. Signora Enrica, too, wore a look of satisfaction on her face.

"Very good, Luciano!" The professor turned to the other members of the panel. "So, now that we've finally gotten through this part, let's move on to the really important things that the students have learned and practiced here over the past few months."

One of Conte Claudio's loyalists, with the build of a wrestler, brought in two chests at her gesture and placed them in front of Luciano on the floor. The professor waited until the helper had left again before announcing Luciano's task.

"In these chests are two objects that possess sacred powers. First, I want you - before you open the chests - to tell us which object is more powerful. Then, examine the objects and determine from which time they originate. Lastly, take them out and present them to our esteemed panel of examiners." She grinned wolfishly, baring her sharp teeth. "Understood?"

Luciano nodded, and the professor stepped aside. The young vampire resisted the urge to clutch his ruby. He just needed to concentrate and gather his powers. Luciano approached the first chest and reached out his hands. For a moment, he stood still, his palms hovering a few inches above the lid of the chest. The aura he sensed was weak. Either the object was not old yet, or it was made by someone who did not hold the true Christian belief within. Relieved, Luciano turned to the second chest, but he had not approached within three steps when relief and confidence vanished in an instant. The church magic that hit him was paralyzing! This would be tough. If he could manage it at all without fainting.

Luciano forced himself to step closer and stretch out his hands. They trembled violently, but he counted to ten and then pulled back, panting. He reported aloud what he had found out.

Signora Enrica nodded. "Good. And now, open the chests."

Luciano hesitated. He opened the lid of the first one and discovered a small painting depicting some saint, at least a disc of gold leaf was placed around his head. Luciano took it out and walked along the tables of the examiners with it. As he presented the painting, he spoke of his suspicion that the painting was not very old and that the faith of the painter could not have been upright and deep.

"That's correct," confirmed Signora Enrica. "It comes from a workshop that produces images and other objects for the devotional traders who then sell them as saviors to travelers in the Vatican and the city. I suspect it was painted in the forties or fifties."

She fell silent and looked at Luciano expectantly. Now he had no choice but to turn to the second chest. How would he manage to open it and then even take out the object that caused him pain already at this distance? Luciano tried to collect himself once more. He must not think about the exam and the foreign vampires here in the hall. He needed all his strength to withstand this powerful artifact. He closed his eyes and began to hum softly until he had completely focused his mind on the contents of the chest. The object was small and shapeless, rather colorless. What could it be? Luciano was drawn closer as if pulled by invisible threads. It roared and throbbed in his head. His body seemed to vibrate. And then came the pain. Luciano gasped, yet he reached out his arm and grasped the handle. With a jerk, he tore open the lid. A hot wind blew back his hair. The visitors from the other families groaned, and some of the Nosferas recoiled. Only Professor Enrica stepped a bit closer, as if she wanted to support him - or prevent him from fleeing head over heels, which Luciano would have preferred to do. Instead, he approached even closer and grasped the small object. His skin began to smoke as he lifted it into the light. A bone! A tiny bone!

"It's real," gasped Luciano, staggering toward the examiners. "This is the bone of an early martyr!"

Some jumped from their seats. A few of the examiners screamed, the Seigneurs from Paris overturned their chairs and pressed growling against the wall. Lady Elina from Hamburg groaned and clutched her chest. As Luciano approached the two visitors from Vienna with wooden steps, Baron Maximilian screamed, while his sister collapsed silently and slid lifelessly under the table like a doll.

"Well done," commented Professor Enrica. "You can put the bone back into the chest. Your exam is over. You have passed!"

The night progressed. It was close to midnight, and half of the hall was already empty when Franz Leopold was called up. He rose as calmly and composed as possible. What could happen to him in an examination before the stout Count in his ridiculously colorful robes and the professors? However, Baron Maximilian and Baroness Antonia were also among the examiners. But what did they understand about repelling church forces?

His name had faded in the hall, and he was already approaching Signora Enrica when she called out another name. "Alisa de Vamalia."

Franz Leopold shot her a quick glance. Rejection was evident in her eyes as she stood up. With an impassive expression, she approached Signora Enrica, yet in her thoughts, he could read anger and disappointment, but also uncertainty. Franz Leopold would have preferred to be examined alone, but it could have been worse. They walked side by side, their gazes fixed straight ahead. Even as they stood before the tables of the examiners in the hall, they did not look at each other. The old Giuseppe began with questions about the more recent history of Rome, about Mazzini and Garibaldi, and about the unification of Italy into a kingdom. They both performed quite decently. While the venerable continued to ask questions, Franz Leopold's thoughts wandered. He remained indifferent to it all. What did the political squabbles of humans matter to him? Borders shifted here and there, sometimes there was a king, then there was a republic. What did he care? As long as humans were there, living and celebrating and foolishly giving their warm blood!

The examiners allowed Giuseppe to continue for a while, then Count Claudio interrupted the questions about history and called Professor Ruguccio into the middle to explain the practical exercise.

"We will go down to the Colosseum later," began the professor. "I have hidden a box there tonight, which outwardly resembles this one here. Follow my trail and find the box. Do not open it! Bring it here and show us what it contains. I will accompany a few selected examiners to the Colosseum, so they can observe your search from there. You may begin."

Franz Leopold headed toward the exit, but Alisa stopped and examined the box from all sides. "Come on! What do you think this empty thing can reveal to you?"

"I just want to imprint it in my mind. Who knows, maybe there are several hidden boxes there. I can't say what our examiners have come up with!"

Franz Leopold scoffed disdainfully and then added more quietly, "Let's just get started so we can get this farce over with soon!" He felt her struggle with herself, but then she swallowed down the retort she would have liked to throw at him and hurried after him through the gate into the night. The path was familiar to them, and so they had already reached the north side of the amphitheater when the examiners were just leaving the Domus Aurea.

"By the time they get down here, we'll have found the box," Franz Leopold said confidently, but before they had even picked up the professor's trail, they were stopped. The librarian stood in their way.

"You can't go in here until the examiners have taken their seats," Leandro said with his deep, calm voice, which brooked no contradiction. The two young vampires shifted uneasily from one foot to the other as the examiners descended the hill. It was no surprise to Franz Leopold to see the baron and baroness, and also the tall lady from Hamburg, Dame Elina. They were, of course, interested in how their heirs were faring. The other clan members had probably opted for their soft seats. Except for the count and Professor Ruguccio, only the venerable Giuseppe and Signora Enrica had come along. The examination commission disappeared into the Colosseum. Finally, Leandro stepped aside and let them pass. They moved a little away from his scent to find the professor's trail.

"He went in there!" Franz Leopold stated decisively after they had circled the towering arches once.

Alisa nodded. "Yes, I would say so too. But did you also perceive the other aura?"

"He was alone!"

She nodded. "That's true, but there's still something strange that I can't place."

"Do you want to stand around here for a long time? Then go ahead! I, for one, will fetch the box!"

Her composure was almost admirable today! She pressed her lips together and followed him into the corridor, which led down a few steps and then branched off into the inner area beneath the arena. Alisa remained silent, but her thoughts still revolved around the strange scent. Franz Leopold focused on the trail, although he couldn't deny that she was right. There was something else. Not a vampire and certainly not a human. Perhaps something emanating from the box? But he refrained from voicing his suspicion. Instead, he intruded into her thoughts again. They were remarkably clear and structured for someone belonging to the Vamalia family and then also of the female gender!

"Stop it!" She suddenly stopped and glared at him. "Get out of my thoughts! If you want to know something, then ask, but stop secretly intruding into my mind!"

"Please," said Franz Leopold, shrugging. "There's nothing interesting to read there anyway."

He felt her anger rise, then she managed to close her consciousness to him and push him out. She stomped ahead angrily without waiting for him. Franz Leopold watched her go, but then decided to follow her. Baron Maximilian would probably not be pleased if he didn't finish the exam because of a small quarrel with a Vamalia. At the next fork in the path, he caught up with Alisa. She sniffed to the right, then to the left, and then to the right again. Of course, as soon as she had to follow the trail alone, she stumbled!

"I'm coming!" he said patronizingly. "The trail is so clear that you can't lose it - you'd think!"

Alisa snapped at him. "But yes! And it leads in both directions, Mr. Know-It-All! So what do you say now?"

Franz Leopold didn't take long to realize that Alisa was right again. He checked the trails twice, then said, "The one to the right is stronger!"

Alisa nodded. "Okay, then let's go left."

"What? You want to follow the weaker trail? Is this now the famous logic of women?"

"Yes, exactly, but I can try to explain it so that even a Dracas can understand!"

Ah, here we go. Her eyes were practically sparking, and she would have liked to grab him by the neck and shake him. Franz Leopold smiled. He couldn't resist the temptation to keep challenging her until she lost her composure. "I'm listening?"

She breathed in and out a few times until she had calmed down a bit, then said through clenched teeth, "What explanation could there be for the double trail? He went into one passage and came out of the other on his way back. So the trail going in is a little older and therefore weaker."

That wasn't a dumb thought at all, Franz Leopold had to admit, and he told her so. "On the other hand, the other trail must also lead to the same destination," he argued.

"Yes, but didn't Professor Ruguccio's instruction say to take the same path as him? Maybe he'll consider it a mistake if we approach on his way back?"

Franz Leopold raised his hands. "The thought processes of professors are probably even stranger than those of female brains. Okay, then let's go left."

They passed by a few more chambers, then the trail veered into a shaft where one of the pulleys might have been located to move the gigantic sets of the games.

Alisa stepped into the shaft and looked up at the towering walls. She ran her palms over the smooth stones. "We can't climb up there," she said with a sigh.

Franz Leopold stepped beside her. "Why would we want to go up there?"

"Because the box is up there in the wall. I can feel that vibration again."

He was about to make a sarcastic remark, but then he felt it too. Somewhere up there, hidden in a niche, the box must be. "If the old professor managed it, then we can too!" he announced and pushed his fingertips into a crevice between the stones. It was so narrow that not even his fingernail could fit. He tried another spot, but he couldn't even take a step off the ground.

Meanwhile, Alisa slowly stroked along the wall to determine the position of the box. After the second round, she stopped. "It must be right above me. Can you see anything?"

Franz Leopold abandoned his climbing attempts and backed away to the other wall. Tilting his head back, he scanned the masonry. "Yes, I think the box is up there. It blends in like a brick, but the color is slightly off."

Alisa stood next to him. "Yes, you're right." They both fell silent and thought the same thing: It's damn high up there!

"Stand on my shoulders," Franz Leopold instructed Alisa.

"I don't think that will be enough."

"If you don't try, it definitely won't be!"

Alisa stepped onto his bent knee and skillfully climbed onto his shoulders. Franz Leopold grasped her ankles and stood up. "And?"

"No! It's still almost a step away. We have no chance this way. Let me down again. Maybe we can find a rope and try from the opening of the shaft."

"But that wouldn't be following the professor's trail," Franz Leopold reminded her.

"So what? It's better than coming back empty-handed!"

"There must be a way to pass the task as it was set," insisted Franz Leopold. "I hope for both of us that you have a good sense of balance!"

"What? What are you planning?" 

"Don't fidget! Stand on my palms."

Her feet stepped onto his hands, and he closed his fingers. Slowly, he lifted her up. She tightened her legs and abdomen, balancing with her arms so that he could lift her steadily. It was easier than he had thought. Soon, he stood with outstretched arms against the wall.

"And?"

He felt Alisa stretching. She stood on her tiptoes. "I can touch it with my fingertips. Just a few centimeters more!"

"And how am I supposed to do that?" He had no choice but to also stand on his toes. Alisa let out a triumphant cry, and her relief flooded over him.

Franz Leopold lowered himself to the flat of his feet and brought his arms down until his elbows were at the height of his shoulders. Alisa slid gracefully to the ground. "There it is!" She held the box in her hands.

"Let me see! What's inside?"

She pulled the box away. "Let's return it first before we open it."

"Why?"

"That's the instruction. And besides, I have a bad feeling!"

Franz Leopold put on his contemptuous expression, but he nodded. He knew what she meant. He ran his fingernail over the lid and felt a shiver run through his body. The aura emanating from the box was not particularly strong. And yet...

They hurried back. The examination committee was already waiting for them at the exit. Lady Elina nodded approvingly at Alisa, and even the Dracas wore satisfied expressions. Together they returned to the Octagon Hall of the Domus Aurea. Once the noise and chair scraping had subsided, the faces turned expectantly to the two young vampires who placed the box in front of them on a table.

"What do you think is inside? What kind of object?" Professor Ruguccio asked. Franz Leopold could clearly feel his tension, which did not match the weak aura emanating from the small box. He reached out to Alisa with his mind.

I told you to stop that! Get out of here!!

Alisa, listen to me. Open your mind! The insistence of his thoughts loosened her resistance, but the mistrust remained.

Why? What could you want that justifies this intrusion?

I think I now know what's wrong with the box. You felt it too! The object inside is very, very powerful. That alone tells me the nervousness of our professor, who refuses to leave our side, to be able to intervene at any time.

And why can't we feel the aura more clearly then? While Alisa silently asked the question, the answer formed in their minds. There must be something hidden in the lid and walls of the box that shields the aura. Almost shields. There was a slight shift when the two forces met. That was what they had felt besides the vampire's trail.

I suspect we'll burn our fingers badly if we just open the thing, thought Franz Leopold. If it stays at the fingers! I don't think I want to do that!

And what do you suggest we do instead? Just tell them what we suspect?

Oh no! They should get their spectacle! Watch, I have an idea. 

Alisa listened to his thoughts and then nodded. A suppressed smile played around her lips.

"Well? What is it?" urged the professor.

"The aura is weak and is supposed to deceive us into thinking that we are dealing with a harmless artifact," said Franz Leopold coolly, looking around at the clan leaders, who were somewhat confusedly getting back on their feet.

"That was very good," praised Professor Ruguccio, tucking the dangerous box under his arm. "I have no further questions. I will now take this treasure back to a safe place."

The two young vampires watched him. "I wonder what would have happened to us if we had simply opened the box," murmured Alisa.

"I suspect we wouldn't have passed this test," Franz Leopold replied. "Not this one and none other either!"

Alisa looked at him astonished. Then she began to laugh. "Let me at least believe that the professor would have intervened in time!"

Franz Leopold turned away. "If you like, then I won't spoil your illusion. Anyway, this test was more exciting than I expected." And with these words, he left the hall.

The Count smiled jovially at the group of clan leaders and their companions. "Now, after all the students have shown that they knew how to make good use of these months and have strengthened their powers, I would like to end the night with a special drink. My faithful have prepared everything in the great courtyard. Follow me, settle down on the lounges, and experience how the Nosferas know how to enjoy! I promise you, you will not forget this taste experience!"

The visitors looked at each other questioningly. What could the Count mean?

"He will have arranged for a few young girls and boys from the theater," speculated Lord Lucien.

"I hope not," replied Lady Elina, offended. "That would be barbaric!"

Lord Thibaut shrugged. "But usually very entertaining and unmatched in taste! I assume that our Austrians also know how to celebrate their orgies!"

"Raucous parties and balls and even court performances, indeed, Seigneur Thibaut," the Baroness retorted affectively. "But certainly no wild orgies like you obviously indulge in in the labyrinths under Paris!"

"How do you know what goes on with us? However, we would be happy to invite you to one of our parties!"

"No thank you, I quite like my imagination in this case!" She opened her fan and waved fresh air into her face, as if she needed to dispel a foul odor emanating from the Seigneurs. The two Pyras gave her a disdainful glance and then sat far away from the Baroness and her brother.

When everyone had taken their seats, Count Claudio stepped into the center. He had draped a velvet coat embroidered with golden runes around himself, which made him look like a Roman emperor of the past. Perhaps even like Nero, in whose house he now celebrated his parties? Dramatically, he raised his hands and let the servants enter. However, they did not bring dancers or actors. They carried heavily laden trays into the courtyard and distributed them on the low tables. On the trays stood corked bottles. Most of them were cloudy and dusty. Some even had remnants of cobwebs clinging to them.

"What's this about?" asked Lady Elina, surprised, turning to Lord Milton, but the London clan leader looked just as bewildered.

Count Claudio glanced over his guests. "As you all know, not all blood is the same. It nourishes us and gives us our powers, but it can be more than that. The blood of animals keeps us alive, but the blood of humans is always a new sensory delight. Every human smells and tastes different!" He paused and looked into the expectant faces of those present.

"Humans have a similar enjoyment. It's wine! Have you ever watched them when they are served a special wine or drink a glass of champagne? This is not granted to us, but one of our servants, who was the cellar master of three popes over a hundred years ago, gave us the idea of mixing blood with a few drops of exquisite wine or champagne. We started our experiments and were thrilled! The taste of blood can be enhanced even more, it delights and intoxicates! No, don't look so skeptical, taste it and let yourselves be convinced by the unknown palate pleasures!" He waved his servants over, who filled and distributed the first goblets.

"We start with a Champagne vintage sixty-two from the house of Nicolas Ruinart, mixed with the blood of two dancers from the ballet ensemble of the opera."

The Count waited until everyone held a goblet in their hands, then he raised his. "Well then, to our children. May they lead our families to new greatness!"

The guests cautiously sipped their drink. Soon, a smile appeared on many faces. The two Seigneurs clicked their tongues, and even Baroness Antonia emptied her goblet in one go and demanded more.

Count Claudio smiled. "Ah, I see, I have already convinced most of you with the first glass. Then let's continue with one of the four great red wines from Bordeaux: the Haut-Médoc Château Latour, mixed with the blood of strong, young Swiss guardsmen." He looked over to Lady Elina, who still seemed somewhat skeptical.

"It's amazing," she said, "but I fear that one loses one's clear head quickly with this enjoyment."

The Count bowed in her direction. "That is true, but that is also intentional at such parties, dear Lady Elina! Let us move on to an excellent wine from the Duchy of Burgundy and then continue to Savoy before we turn to the wines that the now united Kingdom of Italy has to offer."