Chapter 6: Conversion

Phoenix sat alone in her tight little cavern room feeling sour in her stomach. The entire cavern was so uncomfortable that she felt that it would cave-in at any time. She wasn't claustrophobic either. She had no idea why, but being inside the cavern made her feel she was in a new world – she was a convict of these disgusting creatures, these traitors. She didn't know how much longer she had to wait. Grottos had led her to a large tunnel in the back of the main throne room of the waterfall caves. This tunnel spiraled erratically, deeper and deeper into the depths of the earth. Popping from random walls of the tunnel were even more passageways that may have led to different, tense rooms like the one she was in. She felt sick just thinking about how deep that tunnel went. When Grottos had led her to the room, he told her to wait for a while and the "conversion process" would begin. He did not mention any descriptions, not even an estimated time when it would happen – he merely left her in the room to rot and left the room.

The atmosphere was uncomfortably thick, and the air smelled slightly of old blood. Not even the dirt smelled like dirt should smell. It was so unbearably warm, and she felt a drop of sweat run down her face. That drop of sweat did not even make her feel any better. She dragged herself over to the bumpy wall and hit her back hard on it, slumping on the floor and panting. She was becoming very impatient, and was ready to leave the cave. Perhaps coming here wasn't a very good idea.

Before considering her departure, she heard a strange scuttling sound echoing in the distance. Phoenix fixed her eyes on the entrance, her heart racing and keeping her fully aware. She couldn't blink – it was almost like her brain was forcing her to remain aware, as if something terrible was just about to happen. In a matter of seconds, the scuttling sounded like it was just right next to her, and then it stopped. Phoenix felt like the thick air around her was compressing against her. It was almost too much to handle. She felt the need to retch, but she couldn't even do that in her current state. In a couple of seconds she managed to sing a few weak echo beams into the opening and a silvery figure lit up so suddenly that she fell back in fright. Simultaneously, the figure jumped into the small room with an unearthly screech, landing heavily on top of Phoenix. She sent out echo beams silently at the creature's face and saw two huge, hideous eyes glaring at her. His face was torn and bloodied, and his mouth hung open, saliva dripping from his chin. The creature's teeth were a fearsome sight – they were horrifically sharp and some were awkwardly crooked. Phoenix noticed that his left cheek was torn open from the left side of his mouth, and strands of flesh held tight against the fur to keep the flaps of his cheek together. She looked down at his lower body and the flesh from his chest all the way down to his belly was torn wide open, mangled flesh and organs revealed disgustingly. Strands of sinew and flesh also made a somewhat patch-like formation across the torn cavity. Phoenix couldn't believe that this thing was still alive. He had wings, but she could only doubt he used to be one of her.

When the disgusting creature bent down closer to her, Phoenix felt a terrifying vibe inch its way speedily across her spine. She felt cold, as if staring into the eyes of Cama Zotz himself. There was no way out for her. Even if she could maybe fight the beast, her arms were numb with fear, and there was no way she could make any kind of maneuver.

The creature bent down further until his bloody snout was just an inch away from Phoenix's mouth. He then started to sniff her face and then down her neck and eventually her breast. He growled what seemed like a satisfying growl and his snout reached back to her neck. His mouth started to creak open threateningly and Phoenix immediately knew what he planned. She flinched, but the creature thrashed both his powerful arms down on hers and pinned her down. The creature bent down, sitting on Phoenix's belly as if she was useless carrion. He then started to nibble delicately on her right cheek. The stinging pain shot through Phoenix's nerves and she only knew that it would get worse. She started to shed angry tears as she shamefully accepted her fate – the creature was too strong. Suddenly, the creature let out a horrifying snarl and sank his teeth into Phoenix's neck. The Vampyrum screamed pitifully, warm blood spilling from her neck as the monster tore and swallowed the flesh ravenously, not bothering to chew. It was almost like he hadn't eaten for a month. Phoenix felt trickles of blood flowing down her mouth, and her eyes were wide open with horror. She could no longer scream, and she only felt immense pain as the hungry monster tore hunks of flesh out of her chest and swallowed them whole. She felt like a defenseless pigeon being eaten by one of her own. Phoenix tried to not think of the pain, accepting her inevitable death – she was surprised that she wasn't dead yet after the creature had torn a huge chunk out of her neck. She could still feel the blood flowing. After swallowing another hunk of flesh, the beast crawled closer, his bottom dragging against her upper body. He bent down again and started to tear at her left eyelid – it was effortlessly ripped off of her eye socket and Phoenix felt the blood running against her eyeball. How could she feel so much pain and yet live through it. A fire burned in her mind as she struggled not to think of pain. It was hard, and she only suffered worse. The hungry creature then bent back down to her abdomen and started to sink his teeth in, ripping more flesh out. Phoenix wanted to just die already. Was Zotz keeping her alive? How could he? She started to curse him in her mind as the creature proceeded gulping down the bloody flesh. Phoenix finally started feeling her mind passing away, her heart wearing out. She finally blacked out as the monster kept feeding on her ravenously.

She awoke almost instantly. She found herself in a void – a space of complete emptiness. There was no sound at all.

"What –" She held her ears in pain. After that terrifying experience she hadn't talked for a while, and speaking in this soundless voice was enough to frighten her. She looked at herself and found that she was in perfect condition. Instantly, she knew this was either a dream or a dead world.

"Hello, Phoenix." A slithery whisper ran through her ears. The Vampyrum whirled and looked around, but did not find the being who had spoken. She stood still for a moment and cursed at herself. "How was your time?"

"Dreadful." She replied to who she knew was Zotz.

"Oh, I am aware. You have failed me, Phoenix."

"Zotz." She began. "What happened?"

"As of now, your intentions are wise. You have nothing left, and you have no other choice but to submit to my most trusted followers."

"You trust in those mutants?" Phoenix snapped. She was blindly angry with her own god.

"Of course. Never have I seen a group of Vampyrum so obedient, so diligent, so fervent." Zotz said coolly. "I am sure they will serve me well. Your plans for a genocide of all bats – do you not think that this will be a hard task, Phoenix?"

"Even if it was span years, I will make it happen." She sounded so determined that Zotz could not help but let out a chuckle.

"I admire your certitude."

"If I wish to raise you myself, I must do this. I must kill every bat alive to assure that nothing will plan to stop us." Phoenix paused and sighed. "Now that I'm dead, I am not sure if my plans will work out."

"You are not dead, Phoenix." This statement sent a pang of horror through her chest.

"What? I know you saw me – you saw me suffer. I was eaten alive!"

"You were." Phoenix scratched the back of her ear. She was speechless and utterly confused. "But now you are one of them."

"How would I remain alive with an eaten body?" She then remembered the terrifying creature's body. It did look like it was recently eaten. She then felt a sour pain in her stomach. "No…how?" Zotz just chuckled.

"That is a secret of the Halfwings. Now that you are one of them, you must follow the orders of Grottos. You may be his advisor, but you are assigned to be under his control. Understand?"

"What of my children?"

"They are your offspring. You handle them." This blunt statement angered Phoenix.

"This is not how I wanted it to be. I can't go on living with a body like that. This doesn't seem right."

"If you submit to the Halfwings, you become one yourself. Did you not pay attention to Grottos?" Phoenix didn't bother to speak even though she wanted to argue longer. "I am one with a lack of patience, but I hunger for the Upper World. I yearn to swallow it whole – to blacken the world under my reign. I want to 'kill the sun,' destroy the borders between life and death. If it means anything, do anything. Goth has failed me a final time, and he now dwells with me under the darkest pits of banishment." Phoenix felt a tug of sorrow in her heart. What exactly happened in that pyramid? "Follow the most powerful rituals the Vampyrum has to offer. Kill all bats if you must, but don't let that steer you away from your priorities. It would take years to accomplish, and I need you to finish the rituals as fast as you possibly can. I still have faith in you, Phoenix." Phoenix brightened up somewhat, but immediately sulked again, knowing what conditions she was under. "One more thing, Phoenix. You should probably pursue the Silverwing colony first. They roost nearby in an underground cavern. Halfwings had pursued them recently, but to no avail. Don't ignore them. I feel immense potential." At this, Phoenix felt her mouth water. The Silverwing colony – the root of the burdening scar of the Vampyrum Spectrum.

"I understand, my lord." Phoenix said, making a slight bow.

"Because you have served me well in my Underworld, I trust you will fulfill your intentions. Nocturna is once again alive, and all that are not of Vampyrum blood rest in Her celestial world, but the Vampyrum are still working faithfully under my reign. We still have potential to overcome Her. I have killed her before – I can kill her again." Phoenix instantly blacked out.

She woke up at the second she had blacked out. She breathed the air around her hungrily and noticed that it was cooler and more abundant than the air in the other room. She was truly alive, and she felt the sensation of her lifeblood coursing through her body. She felt a bit numb in various places on her appendages, but she could move. Phoenix swished her arms across the dirt ground softly and noticed something strange. Her body felt "loose" in a way – it felt as if she was lighter than before. Her vision was very blurry, and even sending out echoes didn't do much good; however, as she sat up, her vision started to gradually get better. When she succeeded in sitting up, she suddenly felt a violent lurch in her stomach, and she fell onto her knees. After coughing hoarsely, she started to vomit blood. She sat down against and took deep breaths, wiping the trickle of blood from her chin. That's when she felt something even more strange. Rubbing her lips with her fingertips, Phoenix felt a deep cut ranging from the side of her lip down to her chin. She felt around the rest of her face and felt even more of the deep cuts – some were across her eyelids, some were on her cheeks, and the other side of her lip even had the same kind of wound. Phoenix felt absolutely no pain as she touched these areas. Her heart beating fast, she slowly looked down at her body and screamed with a mixture of anguish and grief. Her entire body was torn up. Her chest area was cut wide open, exposing her organs and muscle flesh. She could see her own heart beating. Phoenix dared not to feel her gaping wound and felt tears burning her cheeks. She quickly wiped them off, but just could not stop crying. She should be dead, but now she had to live as a walking corpse.

Phoenix looked around her to find her two children reclining as well. They were both on their bellies, snoring lightly in their slumber. She then looked at her surroundings. She was inside a large cavern with a large hole gaping in the ceiling to let fresh air seep inside. She breathed heavily, trying hard to not believe what happened to her.

Phoenix kneeled down and crawled to her son. She nudged him softly and whispered in his ear to wake him up. Her throat felt dry and she could barely talk. Shadow shuffled around and slowly lifted himself up with his powerful arms. Once he groggily looked at his mother, all Phoenix could do was gasp. He was the same as her – torn up, bloody, and morbidly hideous. Phoenix shuffled back in horror as she stared into the face of her deformed son.

"I look that bad, huh?" Shadow said. "You don't look any better, mother." Phoenix creased her brow.

"Wh – what are you talking about? You know your condition?"
"Yes. I have accepted my fate. I should know what I look like."

"But then you must have been – " Phoenix stopped and did not say another word. She curled up in a fetal position. Shadow shuffled to his mother and shook her.

"I knew you wouldn't have been so keen on what we had to go through."

"It was torture. How could you act the way you are after what happened to you?"

"Now that I think about it, it was pretty terrible."

"Is…Selene – " Phoenix was interrupted by Shadow's slow nod. She looked behind her and nudged her daughter. Selene snapped her eyes open and shouted in agony as if waking from a horrible nightmare. She pressed against her mother immediately and started to sob. Shadow sighed during the awkward moment and got on his feet.

"Females." He snorted. Phoenix shot him an angry glare and nuzzled her daughter's cheek. Phoenix felt a pang of sorrow when she felt the gash across Selene's cheek. She separated herself from her daughter and saw the same hideous appearance as her son.

"It's going to be okay." Selene's mother could only speak out, embracing her again.

"I don't want to be alive." Selene said angrily, her voice choked with tears.

"But you have to." Phoenix whispered into her ear. From behind, Shadow folded his wings in embarrassment. Phoenix lifted a wing soundly, catching Shadow's attention. She gestured her wing towards herself, commanding Shadow to approach. He walked over to his mother and knelt beside her. Letting Selene go, Phoenix laid her claws on Shadow's shoulders gently.

"No matter what we will have to go through in this terrible place, we must always be together. We must never separate. If we do this, we will see through Grotto's rule and will raise Cama Zotz once and for all." Phoenix explained. Shadow made a smug grin.

"I know, mother. You don't have to tell me." Shadow replied. Phoenix brought her son closer to her and nuzzled his cheek tenderly. For once in a long while, Shadow felt the warmth of family inside of him and nuzzled back. Phoenix let him go and stood on her legs. The numbness was gone and somehow her entire body felt very energetic.

"Children, let us hunt. When we return, I will gain more information from Grottos about this…incident." Both her children nodded at the same time.