𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎:
Women must learn to defend themselves
(1831)

IF BARBARA IS WATCHING HER DAUGHTER FROM THE HEAVENS ABOVE, she would be fainting again and again.

Then she'll scold her for doing inappropriate activities, such as learning how to fight.

Eloise can hear her mother's screeching from a mile away.

Young lady, what have we done for you to do something as rebellious as this? Foolish! A lady, such as yourself, should not learn how to fight! You must be learning how to be a prim and proper lady!

And all Eloise could do was laugh mentally. as much as what her mother called her 'rebellious.' She loved the idea of learning how to fight and defend herself.

Not that she needed to.

No human could harm her now. With her newborn strength and lightning speed, she could snap a person's neck in the blink of an eye.

Women should know how to defend themselves.

That is what came to Eloise's mind when Maria told her that she'd be teaching her how to fight.

Too much time is spent in tearooms, gossiping, and spreading nonsense rumors about women unfit to be introduced to society instead of learning how not to be a victim of such horrors as their husbands having a hard hand.

Eloise is quite determined to learn.

If anything, her traits are being dedicated and persevering.

Samuel admired this trait in her daughter, claiming that Eloise inherited it from him and his bloodline, being a hardworking businessman and all.

"To begin with, your stance is awful," Maria says as she circles around Eloise with a hand on her chin. "You'll get knocked off with just the first punch," Maria continues.

Vampires and humans fighting each other are vastly different from each other.

While humans are much more decent, vampires are vicious and ruthless. They will rip off one's head the moment the person is distracted.

But everything must be learned from the basics.

So, Maria is going to teach her how to fight-the mortal way.

"Then tell me the right stance," Eloise eagerly says.

"Impatient,"

Then Maria positions her feet, extending her non-dominant foot towards where the opponent should be positioned.

She rotates her leg slightly towards her body so that her toes and knee point just to the side of her opponent. She is extending her dominant foot behind her, about shoulder width apart from her dominant foot.

"There," Maria says, "With that stance, you'll be able to move swiftly, and-" She then continues to look at Eloise's hands, which are currently mimicking a fighting stance.

"The placement of your arms and hands is important. Your arms can be your defense. Your hands are for attacking."

"Where do you think your strength goes? Left or right? Or which arm are you more dominant at?"

"On my left,"

Maria hums and says, with a mischievous glim in her crimson red eyes, "Let's test that, shall we? Take a hit."

Eloise then blinks in disbelief yet covers it up with a shrug. She then goes forward, her movements swiftly as Maria avoids her, and finally, she takes a hit on Maria's stomach.

With the Maria being launched across the field yet landed gracefully on two feet.

"Impressive. For a first time, you have a hard hit," Maria compliments with a nod of improvement and Eloise's grin.

"Now, you're done with the human way of fighting. Let's continue with our kind of fighting," Maria says, walking towards her, and continues, "Fighting is in our nature. It is our natural gift per se."

"Fighting among our kind is gruesome, vicious, messy, even horrifying if seen by humans. Our kind does not offer mercy as mortals do; they simply do not care,"

Eloise frowns yet listens intently to her every word, mentally taking notes.

Then, suddenly, Maria disappeared. Eloise frowns in confusion, looking around her surroundings. She calls her out.

Out of the blue. An arm is suddenly wrapped around her neck with a hand on both sides of her face.

Then she hears an imitation of a neck cracking. "Just like that, you are dead. Your body is being burned into ashes," Maria says as she lets her go.

"I wasn't even prepared," Eloise mutters, and she hears Maria scoff, "That is your first mistake. It would be best if you always were on guard. We have our heightened senses in the first place, so use them to your advantage,"

"Be attentive, listen, and be prepared. Our kind revels in surprises,"

"Okay," Eloise simply says, determined, and she fixes her posture and readies her stance. "Then let's give it a try, shall we? A spar?"

"That behavior, I like," Maria says as she goes into a fighting stance. So, they did. They spared for hours.

With Eloise observing and memorizing Maria's hits, movements, and tactics.

Eloise took advantage of her small height, moving quickly and calculatedly.

That often earned a hum of approval from her mentor.

"Well, well. Would you look at that, Nettie," A voice that made them abruptly stop their sparring Eloise tensed until Maria held her shoulder.

Then Eloise recognized the features Maria briefly described to her of what Lucy and Nettie looked like.

Lucy has white-blonde hair, and Nettie has black hair and a pixie cut.

"Back from the hunt, ladies?" Maria says, "That took a while." Three days.

"Well, we hunted in another town; we can't have humans become extinct in our territory, can we?" Lucy says with a grin and then moves her crimson-red eyes toward Eloise's direction.

"A quick learner, is she?" Lucy continues as the two women move towards them in sync.

"That she is. We'll be able to do what we intend to do." Maria boasts with a proud grin on her face.

Eloise thought that her statement was cryptic.

"Don't stop on our account; we'll like to see your precious prodigy fight," Nettie tells them, and Maria nods in agreement, then says, "Why not let her spar with one of you? She can learn a thing or two,"

"I can see why not. No harm in it, eh?" Nettie says as she moves in front of Eloise, with a challenging smile on her face.

And what Eloise liked even before she was a vampire. Is a good challenge.