The Kaiserine's Champion

"She was vampyre," Schmidt said, matter-of-factly. "She did not drink enough of your blood to kill you, therefore you are still alive, and still human. Had she drained you sufficiently for death to occur, you would now be vampyre yourself." He took off his spectacles and began cleaning the thick lenses with the end of his officer's sash. "Or, if she did not wish you to become vampyre at the moment of your death, you would have become a mindless undead zombie instead, rotting slowly until your body eventually fell apart. A far worse fate, as I'm sure you'll agree?"

I touched my neck, and detected a ridge of healed flesh which I hadn't even noticed before. She was vampyre. A shudder ran down my spine as the full implications of Schmidt's words came to me.

"Explain the gift to Herr Manfred," Thenck said.

Schmidt nodded. "When the vampyre bites its victim, not only does it extract blood upon which it feedssome of its own bodily fluids enter the victim. This exchange prepares the victim for the extraordinary physical changes which will come about if and when said victim dies and becomes vampyre. The victim's strength is increased and his or her senses become sharper, enhanced far beyond normality. This is known as the vampyre's gift. It only lasts for a period of days, and will fade completely if the vampyre does not return to finish its dirty work."
 
Given what I now knew, I had no reason to suppose he might be lying.

"I believe," Thenck said, "this explains how you were able to fend off the Duke's Wardens in the alley. When my Constables reported the incident to me, I knew there must be something special about you. I'm glad my instincts proved correct. Tell me, when did the vampyre attack you?"
 
"What? Ohtwo nights ago." I shuddered, picturing her hot feral eyes and her extended fangs only too clearly.

"You're certain?"

"I arrived in High Sazburg only yesterday aboard the coach from Guttzeig, so yes, I'm certain. Why?"

Schmidt said, "It is likely that the vampyre's gift still flows in your veins. As I have already intimated, it will fade soonperhaps tonight, or tomorrow, who can say? Fortunately, Herr Thenck arranged to have you brought here in time. I am unable to initiate the start of the transformation from human to vampyreonly one of them can do thatbut my elixir will stop the vampyre's gift from fading, and will also permit the change to continue."

I stared at Schmidt blankly, wondering whether I'd heard correctly. "May I ask what you mean when you say `continue,' Herr Doctor?" I asked.

"Come, Herr Manfred," Thenck said, "you are not a child, and can be trusted to draw logical conclusions. The vampyre's gift allowed you to defeat the Duke's Wardens. Without it, they would have cut you into very small pieces. I instructed Doctor Schmidt to give you his elixir because without it, the vampyre's gift would soon have left you. The elixir is already working, pulsing through your bloodstream, transforming you into a vampyre." He quickly held up a hand, stopping me before I could protest further. "Long before the transformation is complete, you will either have won or lost in the Arena. If you are still alive at the end of the contest, Doctor Schmidt will give you the counter-elixir he has developed. This will halt the change, and return you to your human state. Is this not so, Herr Doctor?"

"I have the counter-elixir ready," Schmidt said, as if waiting for Thenck's cue.

"I want it now," I said.