Ælf's Garden

Silax walked into the training chamber attached to his room. There were lamps powered by orenda along the walls of the chamber.

The chamber itself spoke of dedication. On the walls were hung faded tapestries depicting famous elven battles, their colors dulled with time.

Three worn practice dummies stood sentinel at the center of the chamber, their surface was marred with countless sword blows. 

At the corner of the room next to the door, were the barrels of blood and two flasks.

He picked up one of the flasks and uncorked it. The book had stated that fledglings only fed once a week, but it had only been two days since he drank from the well.

Silax wanted to see if he could handle feeding more frequently. He felt that a year was too long for him to wait to get to the next stage as a vampyre.

He placed the flask to his lips and poured all its content down his throat.

The taste was intoxicating making him gulp the whole thing down in no time. His whole body seemed to scream in joy.

He roared out in elation.

The veins on his body began to swell as his muscles bulged. It was as if there was too much vitality for his body to handle.

His fangs and claws protruded without command from him. He fell to the floor and began to thrash around uncontrollably. Scratching at the floor and leaving claw marks in them.

After a few minutes of flailing around, he was left panting and drenched in sweat.

'That wasn't so bad, but also not optimal. Maybe I should make it one feeding session every four days. Two days seems a bit much. If feeding once a week should make the average fledgling become an elite in a year, that would be fifty-two feeding sessions. If I feed every four days, that would take me about seven months.'

Silax picked himself up from the floor. He took off his sweat soaked shirt and threw it aside.

'That's still too slow for me, but I can't risk losing control because of an addiction to blood. Slow and steady Silax, direction is more important than speed.'

He decided to train so as to get use to his new strength. He walked up to the rack which held practice blades and picked one of them up, then he approached the training dummies. 

He began to move with the grace of a summer breeze, his movements were honed to a deadly edge.

His practice blade was a thin object of elven steel, it sang a soft song in the air as he twirled it with practiced ease. Each thrust and parry was imbued with a power that belied his slender appearance.

Beads of sweat glistened on his brow as they caught the light like scattered diamonds. A grunt escaped his lips as he parried a particularly vicious imaginary attack.

His golden locks which he had tied back meticulously, had come loose, a few strands of hair escaping to dance around his face. He barely noticed it, his mind was on an imaginary enemy, a faceless threat he knew he would one day face.

His quest for power was not one he would go through without facing challenges.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement in the corner caught his eye.

He whirled, his blade held high, as a surge of adrenaline coursed through him, but it was only the light playing tricks on him.

He looked at the dummies he used for practice, they were shredded and destroyed. They laid scattered on the floor.

He had been so lost in the feeling of wielding his blade, that he didn't notice the damage he had inflicted on them, or the amount of time that had passed.

He let out a frustrated sigh, lowering his weapon.

'I'll need to get dummies made of stronger materials to practice from now on.

He went over to the rack and picked up another blade. He would continue his solitary dance and wait for nightfall when he could finally explore the city as a vampyre.

After hours of practice with his blades, the dirk, his dagger, and his throwing knives, the floor was slick with sweat.

Silax decided it was time to end his training, he had been in here for eight hours straight. Usually, he couldn't last this long making such vigorous movements, but his stamina had gotten a huge boost from his transformation into a vampyre.

He left the training chamber and stepped into his bathroom. He spent a few minutes freshening up and getting dressed.

A few minutes later Silax was standing in a courtyard that was built in the center of Ælf's Garden.

Ælf's Garden was a sight of unexpected geometry. It was built in a sleek rectangle of polished marble, and it rose four stories high, each level of the hotel was adorned with detailed carvings that symbolized each of the four tribes.

The carvings flowed with orenda and they shimmered faintly, they were part of what powered the runes, appliances and the structure of the building.

Yet, the true charm of Ælf's Garden lay nestled in its heart.

Carved into the very center of the rectangular building was a sunken courtyard, a vibrant oasis defying the clean lines of the exterior.

Here, nature reigned supreme. There were lush ferns climbing the sheer marble walls, creating a living tapestry.

A meandering stream that was fed by a hidden spring, cascaded over smooth stones, its gentle murmur filling the air.

Ethereal desert willows with their branches weeping gracefully, provided shade, and created natural archways.

The air hummed with the soft buzz of swallows and the flitting of iridescent butterflies; it was a symphony of life that pulsated within the heart of the hotel.

Despite the seemingly stark contrast, the hotel and the courtyard existed in perfect harmony.

Light streamed through skylights strategically placed above the courtyard, bathing the flora in its glow.

The rooms themselves, boasted floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the haven of nature below. Waking up to the gentle chirping of birds and the soft murmur of the stream, nature's embrace mere steps away from your comfortable bed.

It was a pleasing sight to wake up to, that is if you weren't a vampyre.

Inside the hotel, the atmosphere was one of quiet elegance.

Elven staff, with their ethereal beauty and soft-spoken demeanor, catered to needs of the guests with discreet efficiency.

Communal areas, open to the gentle sounds of the courtyard, offered comfortable seating and low tables carved from living wood. Here, elves from all walks of life gathered to share stories, play soothing melodies on hand-crafted instruments, or simply enjoy the peaceful ambience.

Ælf's Garden wasn't just a place to stay; it was a celebration of the elven connection to nature; it was a marriage of modern convenience and the ancient reverence for the living world.

Here, in the heart of a geometric marvel where nature thrived, elves were offered a sanctuary of tranquility and a reminder of their homes far away in the regions.

Silax adjusted the hood of his cloak, making sure his face was properly covered. It was time for him to head out.