Chapter2 - Beneath the Full moon
Patrick looked up from his books to see his two charges still dilligently studying at their desks in the library. Alexis, now looking about 20 years old even though he was 205, was engrossed in a book about vampire history, while Lucia, who had stopped ageing when she looked about 17, was reading a book about astronomy and divination. The library was quiet, except for the occasional flapping of bat wings. Patrick did not like it. He was sure the two of them had tricked him, but with their growing skills in dark magic it had gotten harder for him to tell.
Silently, he went over to their desks, patted Alexis' shoulder and sighed. The boy did not even stir. Well, since he was a clay figure, of course he wouldn't. This was clearly Alexis' doing. Anything that warped the mind and made illusions was usually his work. If Lucia had done the trick, the two of them would have moved, but they would have gotten more transparent as time passed since she excelled more in charm magic, which didn't last as long.
Turning his back to the clay figures, Patrick got ready for a thorough search of the castle. He had a feeling they might be setting traps in his room, or even reading the forbidden books in their father's chambers. With those two, you never knew...

Lucia, flicked back her long black hair and cursed the family rule that all girls should keep waist-long hair. in this day and age earthlings really didn't care if girls had long or short hair, as long as they were hot. If her parents ever died, that'd be the first rule she'd change as the new ruler of the house.
But before that, she and her brother were planning on seeing a bit of the universe, not that anyone knew. If they asked they would probably be allowed to visit a few well-chartered planets, governed by leading vampire families. most likely they'd even set her and her brother up with a fiancé. But that wasn't what they wanted, they wished to see a bit of unchartered terrain, get into some danger, see some weird animallife. If things got bad, Patrick would be there to bail them out. Such a thing was to be expected from dependable old Patrick.
Lucia looked up. The full moon had gotten past it's zenith. Surely, patrick had figured out their trick by now. The human wasn't stupid even if he did look it.
"It should be here, somewhere...."
Pushing a few more books around, Lucia finally found the books she wanted. There were a few with maps of the stars, a few with descriptions and stories of vampires who had gotten lost, but most importantly, there was the book on opening doors into the unknown. It was a surprisingly thin book, well it did only have one subject and basically once you got the hang of opening doors, even humans could do it. Opening into the unknown needed some more preparation, but it was feasable. 
Grabbing the books, Lucia turned around and heard steps at the end of the corridor. Patrick, without a doubt, all other servants kept away from their parent's rooms (which were cleaned once a month by use of magic for conveniance). Once more she wondered why no-one had ever killed the daring fool. He really had no tact, adressing everyone in the same fashion as either missy or sonny, except for his masters whom he called Lady and Lord. To make matters worse he was dog-ugly, one half of his face had a large scar running over it from a sword-wound that had also made him lose an eye. His hair was the most drab of brown colours and he had absolutely no elegance. Maybe if he had ever learned a bit of it, she wouldn't be able to hear him coming a mile away.
Putting the books in a big sack, Lucia slid behind a curtain, gently tripping the switch that opened the secret door. Her parents were strangely paranoid when it came to their guests and servants, there were secret passageways all over the castle. Lucia was certain she and her brother had only uncovered 15% of them.Within half a minute she had found the hallway leading back to her room. She'd make a quick stop there and then go search for Alexis...

Alexis rumaged through the basement of the castle. Part of the underground lairs were dungeons of course, like every good castle had dungeons to keep and torture those who opposed the rule, but to say that that was all they were good for was selling the underground short. Some magical items did not like dry, dusty places, so damp, mouldy underground lairs were perfect for storage, as well as keeping them hidden from prying eyes, because who in their right mind would willingly dig his way through half a metre of foul-smelling residu one suspected was rotting remains of things that had died, along with whatever they had excreted in the last days of their struggle for life. 
"Anyone but me... that is." Alexis sighed. Why had Lucia gotten away with looking for books? Both tasks were equally dangerous and certainly they'd get punished if they were caught, but if he had the choice he'd rather run around their parent's rooms than through this muck.
"She must have used a charm on me..." he looked left and right, "Which hall to take?"
"I'd try the left one." Lucia said, coming up behind him.
"How did you get here?" Alexis asked, more annoyed than surprised.
"I took a chance on one of the hallways. it seemed to go down to someplace damp and mouldy."
"That's here alright." Alexis sighed.
"I'm surprised the straight A student hadn't gotten further down here." Lucia shrugged, "I was sure I'd be way behind."
"You try digging your way through this stuff while trying to stay out of the servants' way."
"Patrick?" Lucia asked.
"Haven't seen him yet, but people actually use this basement to store food in." Alexis shivered, he would never feel comfortable around fruit again, not that he had liked it before.
Following the left fork, the started reaching deeper into the dungeons, going further than most had gone before. These parts were dryer, and somewhat cleaner, but a lot dustier and more likely to fall apart. Some parts of the walls had broken down and they could look into other hallways and rooms when they past.
"It's a damn maze down here." Lucia said, "Maybe we'll have to map it to finally find what we're looking for."
Alexis pulled out an old piece of paper, "No need, I found the building plans to the castle."
"Where there blueprints when they built this castle?"
"Not really, but someone maybe wanted to find something down here as well, and drew this map as a help to get there."
"Then why didn't you use it before?"
"It only starts in the big room, the one we once got caught in and Patrick made us stay in until dawn."
"The one with the pierced ceiling?" Lucia asked and shuddered, that had been one really scary experience. She had really believed Patrick was going to leave them there to die, until seconds before the sun roise. Maybe he had intended to take the risk...
"But isn't that outside the castle?"
"I think it's right below the old inner court. You know the one that's now being used to pile the garbage."
"Really?"
"Yeah, that softy knew full well where we were, I think he also knew that the garbage is being burnt there right before sunrise every morning."
"He scared us with a fire? How lame."
"Genius, you mean. You've always been selling Patrick short."
"How nice of you to say that." Patrick's voice sounded from behind them.
"How did you get here?" Lucia called, "You couldn't have gotten here so soon when you were looking for me upstairs."
"So it was you, who was there." Patrick snickered, "Really, you two think you can get away with everything. I'm not stupid, I know very well about the secret passageways. more I have a plan, given to me by the Lord and Lady."
Patrick smirked when the mouths of Alexis and Lucia dropped open, "Yeah they knew what a burden you two would be. Why do you think those ways are there for if not to keep you in check?"
"How dare they!" Lucia called.
"So what are you planning now?" Patrick asked Alexis, completely ignoring Lucia, who was without fail trying to cast a charm on him.
"Don't tell him!" Lucia tried.
"He probably knows already." Alexis shrugged, "We wanted to go travelling."
"I don't mind you travelling, but you're at least supposed to report your intentions to me or your parents."
"They won't let us go anywhere fun." Lucia protested, "I mean, we're immortal, what can go wrong?"
Patrick sighed, "Plenty..."
"So what now," Alexis asked, "Do we have to go back or..."
"You'll be punished of course." Patrick answered in a dry tone.
"Great." Lucia snarled, "Does your room need cleaning?"
Patrick laughed. "You're not going to get away with anything as easy as cleaning this time. No, I have a far better plan."
A door opened behind Alexis who tripped and fell in backwards. Lucia looked shocked as her brother disappeared, but her eyes widened even more when she was pushed on the back and fell in as well.
"I guess their parents were right." Patrick sighed, "I'll need to be around to keep an eye on them or they'll get killed within minutes of arrival." He sighed, he had really wanted a vacation, not another babysitting trip.

It was around Midnight on Lantessama Isle on the planet of Syl'Neriss when Patrick's door opened there. The moon illuminated the grassy plains and reflected in some puddles that had been left there from recent rainstorms.
"Great." Lucia said, "I've been punished enough, I think." she had stepped in one of those puddles and know her feet were wet. 
"Your feet will dry, I think something more permanent is going to be needed as your punishment this time."
"Permanent?" Alexis asked, what was Patrick planning? hacking off a few limbs? Alexis tried to read their servant's mind, but the man had learned how to guard his thoughts long ago and it had been years since Alexis had last been able to read any thought from his head.
"Erm... people." Lucia said, pointing at two men coming up to meet them.
"Donriven, Lucas?" Patrick asked.
"That's us." the first, tall with black hair and a stern face said.
"Who are you?" the second with lighter hair and a smiling mouth asked.
"My name is Patrick, I sent a letter about the clutch."
"Ah yes, it has been a while since we gotten a request like yours. But for Halloween, this was just what was needed. So will you three be standing?"
"We will." Patrick smiled, "It's their parent's will after all."
"What is going to happen?" Lucia asked scared, frantically she tried to read the minds of the two men before her, but she kept getting sidetracked, as if she ran into a formidable wall that sheltered their minds.
"Besanth says to stop trying."
"Ensith thinks he could try reading back." Donriven smiled.
"What are they?"
"Dragons." Patrick answered, "The Lord and Lady decided I was allowed to get some help into raising you two."
"I don't like this." Alexis whispered.
"Wasn't this what you wanted? Seeing an unchartered world, no old vampiric families, and above all interesting wildlife. It's a great chance to meet other species of sentient life as well."
"You can't really call this unchartered." Lucia said, "Where is the danger?"
Donriven smiled sweetly, a very dangerous smile that made Lucia take a few steps back, "I'm sure my shadowlings will except your challenge for adventure. They've been feeling left out now that the black souls have moved away for the time being."

Continue to the Hatching  

Lucia, Alexis and Patrick are candidates at the
Lantessama Halloween Clutch 2005