The young man stood up slowly. Ola was a fairly tall cordon but he was taller. His shoulders were broader and he had brown fur like his creator. His eyes were red too. He had become a taller bulkier version of Ola.
He growled.
“I think he’s hungry.” Ola said.
“As far as he doesn’t eat me, I frankly do not give a…”
The newly turned cordon’s loud growl stopped Kenneth from completing his statement.
Ola shrugged and changed to her cordon form. She walked towards the cordon and led him out of the house.
“Don’t you think it’s unwise for you to let people see two hell hounds walking down the street in broad daylight?” Kenneth asked, slowly going back to his unconcerned attitude.
Ola stopped. She led the young cordon back.
Ola shrugged again and turned to her human form.
“But he has to feed.” She said.
“Go out there and get a belly full of bullets,” Kenneth replied sharply.
Ola thought for a while. She bit herself and pressed her bleeding wrist against the other cordon’s mouth.
She winced as his fangs dug into her wrist.
“Vampires are not supposed to feed on vampires.” Kenneth said.
“Shut up!” Ola yelled, wincing.
After Ola felt like the cordon had enough of her blood, she gently pulled away.
“I’m his creator,” she explained, “my blood may not completely satisfy him, but it should be able to hold him for a while.”
“You’re still bleeding.” Kenneth said.
“We cordons don’t regenerate like you vampires.” Ola said.
“And yet you are supposed to be stronger.” Kenneth said, smiling mockingly.
Ola stared daggers at him and went to get something to treat herself with.
“We don’t easily get wounded you know,” she said, wiping the blood off her wrist.
The young cordon held his head and growled. Still crouching on the ground, he changed to his human form. The only difference between him and his creator was that his eyes changed back to their normal colour when he was in human form unlike his creator’s which remained red.
He stood up slowly.
“What… what happened?” He asked in a slurry voice. He was still holding his head.
His eyes fell on the bodies of his friends. He screamed and ran over to them.
He noticed Ola and Kenneth watching him so he stood up sharply and glared at them.
“Who are you?” He asked with more confidence than he felt.
“I’m just like you,” Ola replied calmly.
“You killed my friends!” He yelled and lunged at Ola.
She dodged him quickly. The young man jumped towards Kenneth who stood up quickly from the chair he was sitting on and backed away.
“You killed them!” The young man yelled, unconsciously turning to his cordon form.
He growled and lunged at Ola again. She turned to her cordon form and met him mid-air, pushing him down.
He fell on a table and smashed it to pieces with Ola landing on top of him.
Kenneth looked at them one last time and decided that it was time to leave. He was the one who had killed his friends, Kenneth did not want the young cordon to find out, at least not when he was still present.
Kenneth soon found himself on his street.
At the door of his house, he took a deep breath before stepping into the house.
He saw Nella sitting on a chair quietly reading some spell books. Theo was looking out the window, thinking and Evan was still sleeping, or dead, it all meant the same to vampires.
“Where were you?” Nella said when she spotted Kenneth.
“I had to leave,” Kenneth replied, “you guys were making a lot of noise.”
“So knocking us out was the solution?” Theo asked angrily.
“Actually, I didn’t knock all of you out,” Kenneth said calmly, “I killed Nella and Evan.”
“Oh much better.” Theo said sarcastically.
“Why were you guys screaming like that anyway?” Kenneth asked.
“That’s what we’re trying to find out.” Nella replied, “but really Ken, did you have to do that?”
“Do what?” Kenneth asked.
“Knock us out?” Theo said , glaring at him.
“Do you have a better idea Theophilus?” Kenneth asked.
Nella knew it was time to let that argument go. Kenneth had started calling people by their full names, a sure sign that his patience was wearing out.
“Ok let’s leave that aside.” Nella said, raising the hands, “we’re trying to find out what happened to us remember?”
“And he’s doing that by the window?” Kenneth asked, pointing at Theo.
“I was thinking about something.” Theo defended himself.
Kenneth merely nodded, he would save the sarcasm for later.
“Nella have you tried to use your magic since you regained consciousness?” Theo asked.
“No, I didn’t need to.” Nella replied.
“Try using your magic.” Theo said.
Nella shrugged and stretched her hands towards a cup which was on the table.
She muttered a few arcane words, expecting the cup to float in the air.
The cup did not move.
Nella looked puzzled. She said the words again, this time louder than before.
Still, nothing.
Upir felt someone trying to use magic. She sensed it was a trivial affair, someone was trying to test if his – no her (she felt a female aura) – someone was trying to test her magic.
Well she would show her who had the power. Upir smiled. She would not let her use it, well at least not yet.
Nella stood up sharply and shouted the words.
She felt a struggle, then a ceasure. Her magic, she could not feel he magic!
Upir felt Nella’s frustration as well as the frustration of all the other witches and wizards who were trying to access their powers.
“It’s starting Lehi.” She said.
Lehi looked up from the book he was reading.
“What’s starting?” He asked.
“My reign ,” Upir smiled, “i can feel them trying to use their magic.”
“Are you going to let them?” Lehi asked.
“Not until they know who’s in charge.” Upir replied.
She closed her eyes and tried to connect to the people trying to access their magic. Their minds were confused so Upir found it easy to send her ‘message’ to them.
Your power is now mine she said to them.
She felt a barrage of questions being thrown at her. By no small effort, Upir managed to shut the questions out of her mind. The communication would only be from her to them and not vice versa.
I am Upir she said to them again, guessing that they must want to know who had taken possession of their magic.
You use your magic only when I see fit. Upir told them.
She snapped out of the mental messaging and sat on a chair, her energy sapped.
Nella stared at her brother in horror.
“I just heard a voice in my head.” Nella said, alarmed.
“You heard it too?” Theo asked.
“What did you hear?” Kenneth asked.
“It was Upir,” Theo replied, “she has control of our magic now.”
“We can’t do magic without her consent.” Nella explained further.
Kenneth folded his hands behind his head and leant back.
“We’re done for.” He said drily.
“How are we supposed to fight her if we can’t use our magic without her permission?!” Nella shouted, picking up the cup and throwing it against the wall. It shattered to pieces.
“I hope you intend to pay for that.” Kenneth said to Nella.
“It’s all so frustrating!” Nella yelled, “what exactly does this Upir want?!”
Theo shrugged and looked intently at the floor.
“And why are you guys still so calm?!” Nella yelled.
“Because we don’t see how smashing cups and shouting like a mad woman is going to help anyone.” Theo said firmly, “sit down Nella.”
Nella sat down.
Kenneth took the opportunity to tell them about the cordon he had met.
“I just thought of something,” Theo said when Kenneth had finished his story.
“What’s that?” Kenneth asked.
“The cordon turned a human to a cordon right?” Theo asked.
“Yes, and so?” Kenneth asked again.
“If a creature from the abyss can change a human to be like it then it means that abyssal magic can also be passed from an abyssal creature to a human.” Theo said.
“Are you saying…” Nella started.
“I’m saying,” Theo interrupted, “that if we have more or less lost our natural magic, then we have to get another one. We need abyssal magic.”