After Haven wiped the grease and blood from her lips and hands, she stood up. She first took the plate and glass to the kitchen before escorting John to the underground training area.
When the young vampire and the maid arrived, three unfamiliar figures were already standing in the middle of the ring.
Reina appeared next to John and lightly smacked him on the side of the head.
"Ouch! Aunt Reina, what was that for?"
Reina folded her arms and gave the boy an angry look. "What took you so long? You took your own sweet time getting here. But do not worry, I brought you some presents."
John smiled and scratched the back of his head. He looked at the three men. All of them had an evil look on their faces. The hybrid boy noticed that one of the men was missing an eye. For some reason, he was not afraid this time.
"Aunt Reina, if I beat these guys, can I take the rest of the day off?"
Reina looked at her nephew for a moment. She had thought the sight of three prisoners would finally put some fear in the young vampire. She was surprised that he did not complain. "Sure thing, kid. But you know that you have to fight all three of them."
John sighed. "Figures." He looked at the three men and cracked his knuckles. "Let's get it."
Caden walked over to the prisoners. "Do not think of the boy as weak. We are training him, so I expect all three of you to give it your all."
The man with the missing eye gave Caden a light bow. "As you command, My Lord."
Caden smiled and walked up to John. "Are you ready?"
The young vampire did not say anything. He just nodded his head.
Caden yelled, "FIGHT!"
All three prisoners knew not to underestimate the young boy standing before them. They looked at each other and nodded their heads together before beginning to surround their target.
"Come on, guys, take it easy, would ya," John joked, but he was already moving.
One of the prisoners quickly rushed from behind. He wrapped his arm tightly around the boy's neck, trying to put him in a chokehold. However, John grabbed the man's forearm and tucked his own chin deep into the crook of the elbow to protect his throat. Using his vampire strength, the hybrid boy bent his knees, dropped his hips below the attacker's waist, and flipped the heavy man right over his shoulder.
The prisoner crashed hard onto his back. Before the man could even realize what had happened, John drove his heel down into the attacker's face. The brutal stomp knocked him out instantly.
Caden whistled from the sidelines. "That was splendid. Where did you learn that?"
The second prisoner saw his partner stomped into unconsciousness. He rushed forward and threw a heavy right hook.
Pow!
The punch caught John on the cheek and sent him stumbling backward. The young vampire was dizzy for a second. It was just enough time for the third prisoner, the man with the missing eye, to step in and deliver a sharp punch deep into the boy's stomach. If the target were an ordinary fourteen-year-old, this brutal combination would have ended the fight. But John pushed the one-eyed man away and scrambled to a safe spot to catch his breath.
Huff, huff.
"Okay, that was good," John panted. "But I am gonna give you two a good ass-whipping now."
The hybrid boy began his assault. He charged straight at the prisoner with the visual impairment. John threw a fast punch directly at the man's only good eye. The veteran fighter saw the attack coming and quickly caught the boy's wrist, stopping the fist just inches from his face.
John just smirked. His hand was already exactly where he wanted it. Without hesitation, he opened his trapped fist and flicked his fingers forward, snapping them right into the prisoner's remaining eye.
The man screamed and grabbed his injured eye. John used the distraction perfectly. He quickly kicked the prisoner hard between the legs. The man bent forward in agony, dropping his head right into range. The hybrid boy immediately swung his leg high into the air and brought his heel straight down in a brutal axe kick. The strike slammed into the back of the man's head, knocking the one-eyed prisoner completely unconscious.
Reina was thoroughly impressed by the young vampire, yet she showed absolutely no emotion on her face. Caden, on the other hand, could not help but clap his hands. "What has happened to this child? Where is he getting this fighting knowledge?"
Haven, who was also standing on the sidelines, was amazed by the skills this fourteen-year-old was displaying. Even though she was far stronger than the boy, she was deeply impressed. He was taking out his opponents so quickly and efficiently with only a fraction of her strength.
John turned his attention to the third and final prisoner. The man was visibly shaking with fear after seeing how easily the young vampire had defeated his two partners.
"Come," John said. He curled his fingers, gesturing for the man to attack.
The prisoner hesitated. He looked frantically at Caden, who was standing outside the ring.
"Fight or die," Caden commanded. His cheerful smile was completely gone.
With no other choice, the last prisoner charged. He threw a wild, looping punch at John's head. The boy easily stepped inside the wide attack. He caught the man's forearm, slid his own arm right underneath the prisoner's armpit, and quickly spun his body completely around. With his back now against the man's chest, John pulled the trapped arm forward, bent his knees, and flipped the heavy prisoner right over his shoulder. The man slammed hard onto the stone floor. Before he could recover, John dropped down and landed a final, precise punch squarely on the prisoner's jaw. The man went completely limp.
John walked up to Reina, breathing heavily but smiling. "How was that, Aunt Reina? Are you impressed? Tell me you were impressed."
Reina looked down at the young vampire with a stern, cold expression. "That was average."
"Wait, what! You buggin', Aunt Reina, I went crazy out there!" John protested, waving his hands wildly.
Caden appeared next to the boy. "What do you mean, crazy, John? You are not mentally ill."
"No, going crazy can mean many things. But in this case, it means doing something at a very high level. It means putting in great effort or something like that," the young vampire explained.
Caden nodded his head in understanding. He turned to his mother. "Mother, he did go crazy."
"Shut up," Reina snapped at her son.
"Can I go now, Aunt Reina?" John asked.
"Go. Get out of my sight."
John smiled. He knew that was the closest thing he would ever get to praise from her. The boy then looked at the blonde maid waiting nearby. "Come."
"Yes, Young Master."
Haven and the hybrid boy walked together through the massive castle. They were looking for a specific person. They went down to the library area and saw a beautiful, slender female using a duster to clean the tall shelves.
"Elena!"
Elena turned around. The moment she made eye contact with John, a lovely smile blossomed on her face. "Young Master John."
John walked right up to Elena and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tender and tight hug. The vampire maid was caught off guard. She shuddered for a moment, but she quickly returned the affection by putting her soft arms around his neck.
After they finally separated from each other, John introduced Elena to Haven.
"Elena, I want you to come with us to town."
"It would have been nice, Young Master John. But unfortunately, this one is busy at the moment."
"Oh, come on, Elena," John begged. He genuinely wanted to hang out with her. He had not seen her for a long time because he was always busy with training. Elena also wanted to go, but she knew she had duties to fulfill.
The young vampire did not want to force Elena to come with him. He knew how serious the servants in the castle were about their work and their duties. "Okay, but will I see you tonight?"
Elena smiled, her expression warm. "Yes, Young Master John."
John was very happy. "Okay then, let us go, Haven." He ran out of the library with Haven following closely behind him.
When the hybrid boy and the blonde maid stepped outside, he ordered one of the guards to bring a carriage to take him to town. He was bored of being cooped up in the castle and training all the time. While John was waiting for his ride to arrive, another, much grander carriage pulled up. The door opened, and none other than Carlos Decker stepped out.