My eyes open, and everything has become clear. Not all my memories are back, but at least my time with Theo is there. However, I feel massive disgust at what I have done. I had a scandalous relationship with my student! I even used him to relieve myself of a clawing desire for my Duran mate!
I am frustrated! However, when I shift my attention around, I realized that I lost consciousness for a while. I missed some things and now, everything is covered in ice. It is freezing and I am not sure how much time has elapsed. Some of the human warriors are also lying on the ground.
And in my peripheral vision, I see one creature about to bite one of the warriors. I dash towards him. I am too fast that even before his fangs touch his neck; I am already touching the creature's head.
I am as surprised as the creature. He withdraws from me and I shield the human warrior. I feel strength welling up from my body. I am strong. Now that some of my memories return, I know how to tap into my strength. I also have a bit of magic. Like what Lorant has been saying, it feels weird. The primary source of it is not the same as what humans are using. And not the same as what I was using before.
"You turned back," the creature hisses. "How is that possible?!" he asks while wiping his mouth.
I count the casualty. Three warriors are dead. One creature is sprawled on the ground.
"You have drained some of our warriors."
Instead of answering, ice magic envelops it. Ice forms around its feet to its fingers. Then it snakes towards me. My magic activates at the first touch of cold on my feet. My fire magic is of blue fire, with electricity crackling around its edges. It's easier to control, especially now that I know how to use it properly.
"Who is your leader?" I ask, remembering how the one who bites me acted as if there is a leader.
"I am the leader," he answers. "I am guessing you are the leader in this group of humans, she-wolf."
"I am just one of their warriors," I admit. "What are you called? You are no longer humans. Not werewolves like me, too."
"Why are you unaffected? You are turning into one of us when I arrived."
"I asked you first."
"You must force me."
Within seconds, like how fast Klevon and Theo are, I am already on him, with my claws out and pointing at his neck. I can no longer see the veins in it. No blood pumping either. But I can smell him–acutely. He is of blood, rot, and piss, and nothing more.
The leader fights back. His head pulls back. He is about to bite me again when I push against his head. I activate my magic. Not the one that Klevon taught me, but the magic that I remember during my time as Theo's teacher. Before I became a hunting park slave.
The magic smells different. It also has the smell of blood, but with the smell of old mixed in. There's the smell of wind rushing in from the sea into the land. There is a bit of warmth and nothing else.
Sensing that I already activated my magic, the creature did the same. We are trapped in a magic battle for a while. He is pushing against mine while I explore this newfound strength. The intensity keeps on changing, the smell wavering, and sometimes, I lose control. But every time I do, I remember skills and knowledge that I have forgotten to use.
In a need to use more of the abilities that are swimming in my head, I shift from fire magic to wind. The only difference is that I make it as cold as his magic is. Soon, my wind is already kissing his skin. It's peeling off his skin, mutilating his limbs, and soon, he can no longer use his magic because of pain and injuries.
When he finally kneels, and his ice disappears, I walk towards him. "Are you more willing to tell me what kind of creatures you are?"
He looks up at me. The fight is no longer in his eyes. "The god calls us vampires."
"God?"
"The villagers succeeded to call on the God of Blood."
"And?"
"It just so happens that we are around."
"Stop lying, filthy creature," comes Klevon's voice. He is wiping his face as he stares down at the creature. "You fooled these villagers into calling the gods so their sickness can be healed!"
"The filthy creature's name is Gezer, mage hunter. And no, that ain't correct. If it is, then their ritual won't succeed. We could have all died."
"There are only three of you now, liar Gezer. And you are about to die too."
Gezer turns his attention to me and asks, "How can you endure this creature?"
"Hey!" Klevon snaps. He takes a hold of the creature's neck and asks, "Do you want to follow your other vampire creature friends?!"
"Klevon!" I scold and to Gezer, I ask, "I heard there are over a dozen of you who visited this island when this happened."
This time, General Lorant and Theo are already close to us. They are listening to our conversation while the remaining warriors are taking care of the dead.
"Three became vampire food. Two didn't want to feed on blood, so they died of starvation. You and your comrades killed two. The blood god drained three before we fought back. The rest are killed as a result of that battle. And as what the mage hunter counted correctly, there are only three of us."
"Stand back, Kaiya. We need to kill these creatures," Klevon threatens.
"No," I respond.
Klevon glances at me, confused, as he shifts his attention between me and Gezer.
"These three are blood-sucking demons. I've seen it created before. Soon, they will lose control."
"We've been here for months and no one has lost control so far. What you are familiar with are just results of failed rituals."
"And you are the completed ones?! After the rituals I've seen this done, why is it that you are the only ones successful then?!"
"We were to look for a herb, a medicine. But we came in at the wrong time. The villagers are sick and dying due to an epidemic. We became their saviors, but we got their sickness as well. It was in the middle of the night when the villagers start to do the rituals. The screams and dead villagers walking around woke us up. We were only saved because mountains surround the village. They need to traverse for hours before they can reach us. It's a different matter for the Blood God. He can reach us in a split second. So, after devouring the remaining villagers, he came for us. He needed to devour humans who didn't know about the ritual. He called us pure."
"Each god manifests differently," Klevon interjects. "Then, why is it always the blood god that's been called for the past few years?!"
"Only because the Blood God wanted to get out for a while," Gezer answers. "However, every single time he tempts humans to free him is a failure, except for these villagers. And now, only three of us remain."
"How did you know that?" I ask. "How did you know that the Blood God wants to get out? And from where?"
He smirks at me before answering, "Because we are the same as you, before the Moon Goddess abandoned you. We can communicate with him, the same way the werewolves have a connection with their Moon Goddess."
"You can communicate with the Blood God now?"
"He ain't happy that we rebelled and returned him to where the gods reside," he answers instead. "He is still screaming and having massive tantrums. The waiting game is something that he dislikes, even if it's a requirement for his goal. So, we learned how to shut him out of our heads for a while."
"That might be true, but the Moon Goddess is not that kind of god. She won't devour her children," I defend.
Gezer laughs. "If she's not as bad as our god, why are you the only Moon Goddess Vessel existing then?"