As I finished writing my final pages, my pencil ran out of ink, so I switched to a new one. My first pencil was red, it made me hate that color; my subconscious ended up associating it with my past. I changed it to a blue one, much more pleasing to the eye. I always made sure to ask Amalia to bring me pencils of that color, more than one, to keep writing. I felt like a writer.
Tomás accompanied Amalia to the village, but he didn't go alone; only to the landfill, as he was still not accustomed to the local language. He knew English but not the native languages. Conversely, Amalia, having lived a significant part of her life in Africa, aimed to learn as much as possible and knew many native languages of the region. It wasn't easy, given the diverse cultures.
During my travels, I only learned English thanks to Arthur. I had to adapt my ancient language, Ukrainian, to the modern local version. I knew Russian and a couple of other Slavic languages but never had time to learn any Western European languages.
My situation became complicated after Od's death, at the hands of Gonzalo and his mysterious dagger. I ran kilometers, spent time in Bulgaria, then in Finland, but I felt Gonzalo was still on my trail. I decided to run to the Arctic, where I spent many days on a small islet. I thought that swimming there would mask my scent, preventing Gonzalo from tracking me. I found a cave and nestled into a deep corner.
Trembling, I began to make sense of what had happened and tried to decipher the mystery behind that weapon and the true power Gonzalo concealed.
Summoning my memories of the fateful event, I recalled details of the weapon. The handle was black, unadorned, and had no inscriptions, but it seemed like it should hold something inside. The blade also had no engravings and was silver, almost white. It wasn't like the daggers used in my time; it was definitely modern.
If it wasn't magic, how could it pierce a vampire's body? Our skin was tougher than granite, nearly equivalent to or as tough as diamond; only our teeth could penetrate our skin.
Moreover, what was that incandescent orange glow the blade had when Gonzalo used it against Od? It was something intensely hot. Could his ability allow him to ignite the blade?
Was Gonzalo capable of turning anything into a weapon? His power affected the physical world; it wasn't a power that solely impacted the mind, unlike most vampires.
I remembered when we were together, Gonzalo always ruminated, his mind seemed to focus on something. Was he communicating with someone? Something? Whatever it was, he kept it hidden from me and lately used it against us.
"Think, Anastasia, think. How does a vampire's mind work?" I recalled several conversations with Darius, where he explained his theories about transformation and a vampire's mind.
"Based on my observations, all human's traits are significantly amplified when turned into a vampire. This includes their abilities, personality, and interests. And if a human had a natural ability, it could be magnified, surpassing natural limits and verging into the realm of almost, magic," he said enthusiastically.
During his travels, Darius experimented on humans with certain abilities or "gifts," as he called them, and turned them. His farthest experiment involved a woman with a natural talent for singing, and when turned, according to Darius, her voice sang naturally like a siren. She became such a dangerous newborn that Darius had to dispose of her to prevent her from overpowering him or endangering other humans or vampires.
"There are humans too dangerous, humans who should never be turned, for their own sake and for others."
I remember those words vividly. I witnessed it when Od turned Arthur, with whom he empathized, both being soldiers from different eras, but soldiers nonetheless. Unfortunately, for Od, Arthur's volatile personality and wartime experiences as a soldier carried over and intensified upon transformation, leading to dire consequences that eventually required us to execute him.
Darius termed those humans "Asakku," a phrase inspired by Babylonian mythology. An "Asakku," to Darius, unlike a very powerful vampire, defied any influence; they couldn't be controlled or negotiated with. They disrupted the power balance, their gift inherently linked to chaos.
"And to think the great covens still didn't grasp concepts like this, they only focused on overthrowing the Volturi," I muttered as I listened to the Arctic wind blow.
Those were some of the things that disturbed me most about Darius, his experiments. Darius fed just like us, but he tried to sedate his prey beforehand; he had taught me those sedation techniques and they were quite useful, compared to the barbaric ways Od or Arthur fed.
Could Gonzalo be one of those "Asakku"? Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but if he was capable of creating something that could kill a vampire, it was certain he wasn't defenseless. The reality now is that I'm alone, hidden on an islet in the middle of the Arctic, my only protector has fallen into the hands of the vampire I turned, who will likely hunt me for the rest of his eternity.
Huddled and staring toward the entrance, I realize that staying here alone will drive me mad with thirst. If Gonzalo doesn't find me, my insanity will. I must try to guess what abilities he probably has and how I should defend myself.
Most likely, his intelligence was increased more than I expected. His vague thoughts were probably already working to solve the mystery of his family, not focusing on his new nature or me, as I originally thought. And about his weapon. Could it be really of magical origin? And what about Arthur? Can he create magical artifacts and communicate with the "almost" dead? Is he some kind of necromancer?
"Hmm..." I pondered. "No, I don't know any vampire who can do magic." The little I know through Darius is that unique vampire abilities were of psychic origin, not magic. If he was able to communicate with Arthur, it must have been telepathy. But what explains that dagger? How did he create it? It was his invention; Gonzalo makes machines, Gonzalo is an inventor.
"Gonzalo created a machine to talk to Arthur! Just like how he created that dagger!" If he can create devices, surely he devised the means to track both Od and me in the same way, just like that recorder who accused me of the crime I committed against his family. So, I'm up against an inventor vampire, and there will likely be more weapons and ways to track me.
But staying here won't accomplish anything; I need protection, I must find a vampire who can protect me, a replacement for Od. Who? Where should I look? I thought as I paced in the cave, over and over. I need to find a way to stay one step ahead of him, or I won't survive.
"The Baba Yaga..." I murmured. I had only seen her twice, but I hated how she spoke so cryptically. Still, she had helped me and given advice on dealing with Od and taking charge of my coven. Sometimes I understood her, and other times it seemed like nothing she said came true.
I finally emerged from my dismal lair and swam towards Finland. Upon reaching the bay, I climbed to the peak of a great mountain, where there was a cave filled with ancient-looking bones scattered around.
The cave had what seemed to be cave paintings and hanging bones. I saw her at the back of the cave, almost imperceptible. Her eyes were as black as coal; she hadn't fed in years, and her pale, flawless skin contrasted with her hair, black as night, which was dirty and disheveled.
"If she cleaned up, she'd look like a princess. It's a shame; she could easily compete with me," I thought as I approached her. I could see her observing me, and with her melodious voice, she said:
"The cold Princess. How many centuries has it been since I last saw you? It seems your Khan has fallen."
I noticed a hint of malice in her voice. "Od has died, Baba, I need your help..."
Baba Yaga hardly ever opened her eyes; she tended to speak without looking, only opening them to view the new guest in the cave. Not many really knew about her existence or if people came to visit. At some point in her history, she had been turned; I imagine she must have been some sort of oracle or seer. She never told anyone her name, and since I didn't know what to call her, that nickname seemed fitting to me, I made it up.
After an uncomfortable silence, she stood up and contemplated the cave wall, where there were four figures, four animals, one behind the other.
The first was a black wolf, biting a lamb's neck. Next was some sort of eagle trying to take the lamb, now horned, using its sharp claws grasped around the lamb's body. Baba gestured towards the third animal, a kind of snake, which had the lamb wrapped up while swallowing a rodent-like creature with its large mouth.
When Baba reached the fourth animal, she murmured, "Vidar." The mural depicted a raven, with a fixed gaze toward the observer, holding what seemed to be a laurel branch. Then, Baba began her usual discourse.
"Tyr, Baldr, Loki, and Vidar... The four gods that governed your destiny, in that order, from the moment you were born. This will be my last prophecy for you, cold Princess, as the era of Vidar has begun, along with my advice for you." She smiled, with a tone of sadness.
I took a breath and asked frustratedly, "What does that mean? I haven't even told you what my problem is."
While Baba Yaga, with her closed eyes and melodious voice, murmured things I couldn't understand, leaning against the wall, I took another breath and raised my voice in frustration.
"A vampire is after me, seeking revenge for his family's death! I wanted to turn that human for myself, and now he's turned against me! What do I do? Tell me!"
Baba Yaga turned around, finally opening her eyes, and said to me, "The god of silence wears a leather boot made from all the strips left by men; humans are the source of his power. If you wish to fight back Vidar, you must prepare for Ragnarok, as he does, day by day."
While I tried to understand all those metaphors and visions, my gaze remained fixed on the raven, which continued to pierce me with its steady stare, holding the laurel branch in its beak. The first time I had come here was almost by chance. Od was out hunting, and I was seeking shelter, and there she was, speaking about me, my family, and cryptically discussing my abilities. It took years for me to understand what she said back then. The second time I came, I asked her for advice on finding a partner. She gave a phrase that I never could understand:
"In the era of Talos, an arrow, soaked in a magic elixir, will come towards you with the force of the wind; that will be the first test the gods will have for you. The path of roses will have many thorns, and your will shall reveal your desire."
Since then, I didn't want to see her again, and now, in my desperation, with no one else to ask for help, she tells me this will be her last prophecy. We will see how this unfolds.
"Thank you, Baba," I simply told her.
"Don't forget, princess, bring me a little one. It's all I ask; I need to ease my loneliness. A deal is a deal," she finished, before heading down.
I descended to the village below the mountain and looked in front of an orphanage. I let a child approach me and gave him a soda I had bought from a store.
"Do you want to go on an adventure?" I asked him, pointing towards the mountain.
"Cool..." the boy said.
"It'll only be for a moment, okay? Then you'll have to go back, so your aunts don't worry, okay?" I clarified.
The boy gave a thumbs-up while not taking his eyes off me. He held onto my back, and we climbed up to the peak. There, waiting at the entrance, was Baba, this time with a big, beautiful smile. The boy was amazed at how our skins sparkled in the sunlight.
After leaving both of them there, I quickly went west. Though the encounter was quite extravagant, my instinct told me that I needed to find someone strong enough to face Gonzalo or buy time until I found a coven that could provide protection and persuade Gonzalo not to attack me.