Embarrassment aside, Thad quicklyentered listen-only mode.
“You will be off leaving town andeventually start your own family,” Virgil said, as his momentarybout of anger turned to genuine care for his son and sadness thathis apprentice would be gone within days.
Thad was not prepared for thewords, which he had neither the capacity nor the nerve to consider.While he had wondered many times what the world had to offer, henever really considered leaving his parents and thislife.
Virgil could see that his son wasconfused, so he decided to show him a thing or two after he took afew steps back from the open door and the watchful eyes of a tightcommunity.
“When I do something, I want youto think really hard and do the same thing,” Virgilstated.
He figured he would start smalland turn into a pit bull terrier, which startled Thaddeus at firstuntil he felt his form adjusted to the stimuli. Virgil thentransformed into a powerful ram, followed by a massive grizzly bearwith sharp claws and then a large hawk capable of picking upswopping up both animals and foes alike with its hand-like talons.Thaddeus kept up the pace and changed into everything that he sawand felt, flying behind his father as he exited the smallbarn.
The two men soared for the betterpart of the next half-hour in what would easily be considered theirbest moment as father and son. They returned to the workshop andthen transformed back into their human form. Thaddeus was soexcited that he forgot about what his father had said before theirshort journey. And then it hit him like a ton of bricks and hiseyes welled up with tears.
“I don’t want to go!” Thad cried ashe had finally hit an apex with his father and would do anything tostay home.
Virgil put his arm around his sonand said, “I didn’t want to go either, Thad, butlook what life has brought me.”
They sat down on stools facingeach other and Virgil continued, “I was able to meet your motherand watch you grow from a young man into a man ready for thehunt!”
Thad obviously had a fewquestions, “We are hunters?”
Virgil nodded and said“Yes.”
And then Thad realized that if hewas a hunter, then he would have to be hunting something orsomeone.
“What do we hunt?”
Virgil could have tried to explainwhat vampires were to Thaddeus, but he thought it would be moreeffective to just show him. The obvious choice would be to bringhim out later that night and be properly introduced to his fangedfriend. But, that event would be too risky because Thad was still amortal and could be killed without recourse before his18th birthday. So he just touched the temple of his head to hisson’s and started the projector in his head for a shortfilm.
The old school film of a vampiretransforming into its various forms or terror certainly had itsimpact on Thad, who had a fascination for monsters but had no ideathat they really existed.
The film ended and Virgil stayedclose to reassure his spooked son.
“Everything I’ve done sinceyou’ve been born has been training for this day.” He held hishands and turned them over, palms up. “Your hands are weathered andstrong, perfect to wield a sword to separate thecreature’s head from his body.”
He reached behind him and pickedup a sword and then flipped another one to his son, who caught theweapon and then knew what to do with it instinctively. Virgilapproached Thad and swung his sword at him as Thad deflected theblow and then went on the attack. They went back and forth for afew minutes until Virgil called a stop to the byplay so nosuspicion would be aroused.
Thad didn’t realize what he had doneuntil the action stopped and then said, “How?”
“Because you are my son and youhave a higher purpose in this world other than clothingpeople’s feet.”
Thad realized his true destiny inthat moment and replied, “I will make you proud,father.”
Virgil replied, “You already have,Thaddeus.”
GARRISON
On the surface, Gary wasThad’s polar opposite in every way. His family structure wasshattered at the tender age of two when his dad was no longerpresent. He had heard stories of valiant death fighting in some warthat he later discovered existed, but was fought on a foreign soilthe likes of which his father never occupied.
Since his father was not present,Thad and his mother June settled in rural Virginia and lived andworked the same farm his entire life. His life was grounded in hardwork from sunup to sunset and he had no time or inclination fortrivial pursuits. June marveled at how her son was always on taskfrom the time he could walk.
“You always had a real sense ofpurpose that most boys your age didn’t have.”
Gary’s laser-like focus was a functionof his steadfast insistence to resist mental contact with anythingof real emotional significance. He sensed that something big washovering over his being, but his lack of maturity and emotionalinsecurity prohibited him from asking questions and diggingdeeper.
“What would you like for your18th birthday?” his mother asked him only days before he wasscheduled to officially enter manhood.
His first thought was thisresponse, “I want you to tell me what really happened to my father,because I’m going to scream if you recite that tired and sad story thatyou have been telling me for years!” But, once he calmed histhoughts he said, “I have everything I need right here.”
June Phillips knew of thepossibility that Garrison’s 18th birthday could turn intomuch more than just a sedated landmark event. She knew what herhusband was and also what he wasn’t. George Phillips was anundyingly loyal person and it crushed him to have to leave hisfamily. And since he was so loyal, George was not allowed to be afamily man because his wife did not want to move from place toplace in order for her husband to complete a ridiculous rite ofpassage that she did not believe in.
Gary was in the field at the endof the day before his birthday when he was approached by a man thathe felt he knew, but was not aware
