Chapter 10: To Be a Halfwing
"Gather around, gather around, Halfwings young and old! Today we now welcome three new members to our alliance. Let us give them a warm welcome!" Grottos was upon his small tower made of large stones, his arms spread out. He faced hundreds of Halfwings who surely gathered before him at the bottom of the tower, hissing and grunting loudly in anticipation. Grottos looked behind him at a large hole on the wall. He was becoming irritated – it never took this long for the welcoming ceremony to begin. Eventually, however, screams were heard echoing down the hole.
"What are you doing!? Do you even know who I am?? I command you to quit dragging me around! Let go of my children!!" Phoenix's voice sounded out of the hole. A Halfwing appeared out of the darkness, one of his bloody claws wrapped tightly around Phoenix's arm. He dragged her out of the hole with great ease and then wrapped his arms around her torn up waist, her back pressing against his chest. The Halfwing then walked up to Grottos's side and mightily lifted Phoenix up so the Halfwings could get a clear vision of her. Phoenix gasped and held her breath, the sudden view of the Halfwings below shocking her. She tried to close her eyes, but both of her eyelids were torn clean off. Realizing this, she turned her head to the right as far as she could and let her eyeballs sink upwards. Just when she did so, however, she noticed both her children being dragged out as well by two other Halfwings. In a rage, Phoenix struggled madly in her Halfwing's grasp, foaming at her mouth and screaming nonsensically. The Halfwing's below laughed crazily and taunted Phoenix as she wriggled and twitched violently, trying to get to her children who were unconscious under the Halfwings' grasp. "Let me go!!" Phoenix shouted hoarsely, taking ragged breaths with each word. She lifted her head up and then sunk her teeth into the Halfwing's arm, ripping through the torn flesh. Phoenix expected the creature to yelp and release her, but the Halfwing did no such thing and stared at her with his huge, bloodshot eyes. He shifted his jaw, a sick popping noise sounding out, and blood suddenly poured out of his left eye. Phoenix released her teeth from his arm and looked away from his hideous face.
"Your always-opened eyes signify that we never sleep – we always plan, we always stay aware, and we always hunt." Grottos said darkly from behind her, making a smug smile. "Don't be alarmed by such odd behavior, Phoenix. Soon you'll be one of them." Grottos appeared from beside Phoenix. He looked out onto the Halfwing crowd and extended his wing toward them.
"No!! I won't! I will always be who I am." Phoenix said angrily. She envied how Grottos looked like a normal Vampyrum, but had an entire horde of disgusting, fierce mutants under his wing. The Vampyrum just looked at her and laughed. He extended his claw, pointing to the Halfwings.
"That's what they said." Phoenix slowly looked at the Halfwings, fear pounding in her heart. She could not believe she was actually going to turn into one of these things. Each and every one of the Halfwings looked absolutely crazed.
"Let my children go." Phoenix said. Grottos made a sharp snapping noise with his wing walking away and out of Phoenix's view. She ruefully looked to her left and at the Halfwing holding her. "If you were the one who ate me, I swear upon Zotz that I will kill you." The Halfwing immediately shoved his face onto hers and let out an ear-piercing shriek. His rotten breath blew across Phoenix's face, causing her choke and retch. The Halfwing then whipped his head upward and he sunk his teeth into Phoenix's ear, ripping a large chunk of it clean off. Phoenix screamed as loud as she could, the pain coursing through her body like lightning. Tears started to stream out of her eyes as the Halfwing swallowed the chunk of her ear, lifting his head and sounding out a terrible screech. Below, the Halfwings screeched back in amusement. As she tried hard to stop crying, she saw her two children brought forth just to her left. The Halfwings lifted them up just as they did Phoenix and the Halfwings rustled their wings and pounded on the ground excitedly.
"We welcome you three to our care." Grottos said.
"Your care!? Your little pet bit my ear off!!" Phoenix shouted in rage. Grottos laughed and rustled his wings. The Halfwings did the same.
"The conversion isn't complete, but you are one of us." All of a sudden, the Halfwing holding Phoenix screeched and tore off Phoenix's other ear with his teeth, flinging his head to the side and wresting the piece of flesh out of sight. Phoenix screamed in agony once again, the tears burning her cheeks.
"Ha ha!! Ho ho!!" Grottos laughed heartily along with the Halfwings, jumping about and pointing excitedly at Phoenix. "See that?! He likes you! That's a good start!" Phoenix angrily hissed at Grottos, her eyes heavily bloodshot. Grottos suddenly went up to her and squeezed her torn cheeks with a single claw. "You'll be glad you are among the interests of the Halfwings, lady." He pulled on a deep gash on her cheek so that they were face-to-face. "The Halfwings love to be entertained." Grottos then gently patted Phoenix's other cheek and let her go, disappearing from behind her.
"Boss?" The Halfwing holding Phoenix suddenly said, his voice ragged and thunderous.
"Take them back to their chambers." Grottos responded. The Halfwing let out a horrifying screech and let Phoenix out of his grasp. She hit the ground hard on her stomach and coughed hoarsely, turning her head and looking at her children who were both unconscious. She felt the Halfwing's claw wrap around her arm and she immediately tore into his arm with her teeth, ripping away the flesh with great desperation. The Halfwing, as she expected, made no response of pain and started dragging her carelessly across the stony ground. The Halfwings carrying her children also did the same. Phoenix gritted her teeth in rage – she hated seeing her children being treated the way she was being treated. Suddenly she tore away from the Halfwing's grasp and tackled him to the ground. She was on top of him now. Phoenix thrust her head at the Halfwing's neck and started to tear into the bloody scruff with her teeth. She was filled with sick joy as the Halfwing actually started to shriek in pain. Phoenix was taken aback when the Halfwing gave a mighty push that sent her careening into the wall. The blow to her back was hard and blood started to pour out of Phoenix's mouth. She did not notice it, however, and started to run madly at the Halfwing. Once she pounced within several wingbeats from him, the Halfwing moved to the side, causing Phoenix to land heavily on her face. She got up again, strangely not feeling as much pain as she should be feeling. The Halfwing had enough – he leaped on Phoenix, his weight forcing her on the ground. Before Phoenix could cry out in anguish, the Halfwing started to beat her skull mercilessly with his claws, knocking her out before he stopped swinging his arms. The Halfwing breathed in deeply, satisfied at the bloody mess he left sprawled on the floor. Lifting her up onto his shoulder, the Halfwing disappeared into the hole which led to the tunnel chambers. The Halfwings carrying Phoenix's children followed behind, sneering and laughing wickedly.
Phoenix woke up with an unpleasant pounding inside of her head. She shouted both in pain and in rage. She remembered the fight as if it happened just a second ago, but she had no idea how long she had been out. She was back in her own chamber, reclining on her back. She stretched her limbs, hearing several satisfying pops. All of a sudden, the familiar scent of fresh blood wisped across her nostrils. She sat up and saw the dried blood stains on the ground left from when the Halfwing feasted on her. Phoenix then ran her thumb claw across her chin and felt the warmth of blood oozing down her mouth. She moaned in disgust. Aside from her death, this was probably the worst thing that has ever happened to her in her entire life. She hated the Halfwings and this sick cavern they dwelled in. The air was so thick she could hardly breathe right, although she did not know if that was a problem with the air itself or her own lungs.
Phoenix spat on the ground, wiping the blood off her mouth. She heard a scuttling from afar and hissed in response.
"I see you no longer enjoy my presence." Grottos stated coolly. He appeared from the darkness and entered her chamber.
"You stay away from me." Phoenix said nonchalantly, grooming herself to make it seem like she did not have a problem.
"I apologize for your injuries." Grottos said. "I can assure you it's all in good fun." Phoenix eyed Grottos angrily.
"You're sick!!" Phoenix shouted. "You – you think - !" Grottos nodded.
"Yes, I am aware, but you can't blame the Halfwings for wanting to be playful at times. Don't think this is the end of it all, Phoenix. Look at your claws." She couldn't believe she had not noticed it before, but her claws were long, decomposed, and bony. Even her wings started to wither away.
"How am I supposed to fly like this??" She whispered out.
"We don't fly. Our mutated bodies enable us to do many things we could not. We are more nimble – we can climb faster than we ever could before – we can jump farther than any flying squirrel! Don't think that you will be left with nothing in this new body of yours, Phoenix. We are hunters of a new generation." Phoenix did not say anything and started to groom herself again. "So, this plan of yours – do you really think it will work?"
"It's a precaution. Don't think that we can raise Zotz without interference. We cannot take any chances."
"Ah, yes. I know what you are talking about: Nocturna's beloved Chosen Ones, yes?" Grottos asked.
"Of course. I know they are still around, and they are our first targets." Grottos just laughed in response. "Don't underestimate them either."
"You don't have to worry about that. We'll do whatever we can to take the advantage. We have spells that you cannot even imagine."
"Spells?" Phoenix said, looking at Grottos once again. He just chuckled.
"If we have to tear this whole forest apart, so be it. We will search for the Silverwings hiding around the area for as long as we have to. They sleep, but we don't." Grottos turned and started crawling out again. "You might want to eat up as well, lady. You don't want to commit genocide with an empty stomach, do you?" With that, Grottos left the chamber, his deranged laughs echoing down the tunnels. Phoenix shivered and looked away.
"Spells." She whispered to herself as if having learned a new word.