Chapter 16 : First Night Out - First Revelation
Caesar: "!!!"
Zion: "??!!" Shocked and surprised filled Zion's eyes. Her brain blank and she stared at this newcomer with wide eyes.
Cedric, on the other hand, rubs his reddened nose. Though he was not hurt, this action is a subconscious reaction. He glanced at the little girl up and down, as if examining goods, which made Zion shivers in fright.
After her initial shocked, she finally pulled her wits together. She focused her attention to the newcomer and the first thing she noticed were his eyes. He has the same frightening black eyes that glow red light on the center of the Iris. Just like hers and like that creepy woman who turned her into a vampire.
Afraid of her own speculation, Zion stopped thinking all together. F*ck, she really wanted to cry. What's wrong with the world?! It always digs a pit for her!
First there were those shadowy creatures that looked like ghouls, then she was swallowed by creatures with many eyes. And now, Zion just wanted to curse everything. This is a vampire! A vampire!
The very same being that sucked her blood!!
Just as Zion is thinking of what to do, the vampire started talking.
"Don't look at me like I'm going to eat you. I will feel very troubled." Cedric said breaking the ice. But Zion still didn't say anything nor did she feel assured. Zion won't believe someone who speaks for themselves! It's like a scammer saying, he's not here to fool people!
The black cat who was ignored from the very beginning, finally couldn't take it anymore. His useless master just doesn't know how to treat a child, more so a girl at that.
Though Cedric's face couldn't be any more than being called gorgeously handsome, the black cat who knows more about human common sense than its master, knew how scarily creepy it's master looked right now.
Humans worship good looking people, they always do. But not every is like that. Zee is the kind where she will choose to watch behind the screen, then took an opportunity to watch her idol live. Moreover, with Zion's experience with Guinevere, she would likely choose to stay far away from good looking people. Especially with those that have red eyes.
The black cat understood this, so it guessed that their little friend here was even more frightened than when she faced the Night Walkers and the Night Owl earlier. After all, the vampire was the reason why she was in this kind of situation.
The black cat really guessed it all. Right now, Zion was so scared she almost peed on herself. Thankful, she wasn't human anymore. This kind of humanly behavior, Zion was detached from it three days ago.
This kind of anxiety and fear, she really hated it.
Suddenly, while she wasn't paying attention, a black bundle of fur walked towards her. When Zion discovered it, the black cat was already by her side, rubbing it's nose and forehead onto her hand.
The black cat, as it's master is not that reliable, finally stepped up and volunteered itself to calm down this little girl. Humans like cats, it knew it too well. And in today's age, they never care about the color of the cat's fur anymore. Moreover, not only did Caesar comfort the little girl, it could feel good as well.
It's Master's hands were so hard and heavy. Everytime, he went to stroke this black cat's fur, it always had an inkling that it's beautiful fur would get plucked out of its skin. However, girls are clearly different. They not only have soft and small hands, they are also gentle. Caesar really likes being caressed by girls the most.
"Tsk." Seeing how his cat acted, Cedric felt that it was ridiculous. How could this lazy cat act like this to strangers but not to its master? Whenever Cedric wanted to pat and stroke it's cute little ears, what did he get? Scratches!!
Now, Cedric was seriously thinking hard whether he should shave this thing bald, when they go home. 'Let's see if you still have the nerve to act coquettish to others, other than your master.'
Meanwhile, Zion completely gets VIP treatment from the black cat. Caesar let Zion stroke it's chin and caress it's cute ears. It purrs with its eyes closed, savoring the wonderful feeling of being stroked by a girl.
The black cat's fur is black, and it almost blends with the dark. The cat was big, bigger than normal cats, but it looks the same, and even more cuter. Seeing the black cat, Zion, a cat lover immediately felt a lot calmer.
She hesitated a little at first, but she still reached out her hand to caress the black cat. And the cat responds to her and it even purr happily under her palm. Though Zion was curious, and had many questions chaotically banging her head, wanting to come out, she stayed silent and obedient, while serving the black cat.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Cedric at the side, watched as these two; cat and little girl pair played together. He endured and endured until he can't take it anymore. He interrupted.
"That's enough." He grabbed the black cat's naughty tail and dragged the cat back to his side. "We didn't come here to play, Caesar."
Caesar hissed at Cedric, with its black fur puffed up, it almost rushed and attacked Cedric with its sharp claws. But before Caesar could take action, Cedric already let go of its tail. Glaring at Cedric, Caesar pitifully looks at it's tail fur that was ruined by Cedric. Caesar hopped on top of the wall, and there it lay and turned to groom it's ruined tail fur.
Without any cat to distract Zion out of her fears, she stiffened up in front of Cedric. So, Cedric without any other choice assured her over and over that he didn't not came here to hurt her.
Seeing Zion look unconvinced, Cedric doubts himself. He glanced at Caesar, who is still licking its tail fur, and asked with his eyes. Did he look like someone who would just attack anyone he sees on the street? And without giving face to it's master, Caesar meowed in confirmation.
Cedric frowns. Really? He thought hard, is he really like that. However, no matter how he digs his memories, he can't find anything that could provide his innocence. It seems that he was really like that.
Who can blame him? Blood is Vampire's food. And fresh blood that just came out of the veins is the most delicious.
Cedric stared at Zion again. Isn't this little girl already a Vampire as well? Why is she still afraid? He coughs, trying to gain Zee's attention.
"Vampires belong to intelligent races which forbids internal killings." He stated. Cedric wanted to let the little girl know that she doesn't need to be afraid of him, since she is a vampire as well. "Punishment for hurting or killing a vampire is severe, nobody wants to try to experience it. That sin could also result in eternal sleep. You know what it means right." Cedric won't, and can't hurt her.
Zion eyes waver, she opened her mouth wanting to day something, but she shut her mouth in the end. She pursed her lips as she stayed silent, while preserving her humbled posture. She spoke to Cedric from time to time, then waited for him to say something more instead.
Cedric heaved a sigh of relief, and began introducing himself. "Anyway, sorry about that young lad. I'm Cedric, by the way. You might not remember me, but I was there when Guinevere dried out your blood three days ago."
Caesar hoped it never heard Cedric self introduction. This cat never heard such terrible introductions for centuries. Only Cedric would be proud of declaring himself present at the scene of the murder, watching the murder happen, while saying it all towards the victim themself! Caesar really doesn't know whether to feel astonished at this moment.
"Oh. Guinevere is that woman preyed at you that night. The one who drains your body out of blood. That crazy looking woman, with her hair all over the place. That's Guinevere." Caesar could only paw faced at it's Master's uselessness. He can't even comfort a little girl properly. It sighs and continues grooming it's fur tail again. Out of sight, out of mind.
Contrary to what Caesar expected, Zion raised her head instead of trembling in fear. Zion understands the implication of what this Vampire, who calls himself Cedric was saying. Cedric is a vampire, and that creepy woman, who turned out to be called Guinevere is a vampire as well.
It means that she is safe...for now.
Zion looked at Cedric, she was observing him. Cedric, like Caesar proclaims, Cedric really is a beautiful man. He was tall, the tallest Zion has ever seen face to face. Nope, wrong. Zion met an American basketball player by coincidence before, when she rode a bus home from her work two years ago. He was two feet tall. He felt like a tower, so intimidating.
Cedric, on the other hand, he is tall, indeed. Nevertheless, unlike that basketball player, who has very wide shoulders and super long legs. Cedric is like those tall models with a great proportionate body. He ain't skinny like Francis, or those k- pop groups. He was tall and muscular. However, for some reason, because of Cedric's name and Cedric being a vampire, the image of Cedric Diggory, the main character from twilig– no, from Harry Potter, keeps appearing from Zion's mind. And because of it, she can't help but compare.
Blinking her eyes, Zion diverted her attention to the black cat grooming it's tail on the wall. She heard Cedric call it, Caesar. 'So, we have Cedric Diggory, and we also have Julius Caesar.' Starting from that thought, Zion's brain hole immediately began to play.
'There's also Guinevere. What about Lancelot and Arthur? This is becoming more and more like a fantasy. Don't tell me, those legends were real! King Arthur, Lancelot, even Beowolf. Those epic stories...maybe they are.'
Bowing down her head again, Zion continued. 'woah, woah, wait, wait. It seems that I'm getting something. Cedric speaks of intelligent creatures earlier, so I bet there are those without wisdom. Don't tell me, it was those guys I met earlier. But what about the eyes? Also, I feel like there's more to it that this. Like the saying goes, if darkness exists, there will always be light. No way...'
Zion's brain hole walks through adventures, digging down hell and flying through heavens. And even thinking about the moon as the origin birth place of vampires, because of the influence of a certain 'RecOrD of a FållēN Vampire'.
...
Waiting for the little girl to finish playing with her thoughts, Cedric leaned on the wall with his arms crossed on his chest. He saw this little girl always dazed within those three days.
At first, Cedric felt something was wrong with her, but when he tried peering through her mind, he too fell dazed.
This little girl's mind is so colorful and full of fun things, that Cedric won't get tired doing it for a year. Except for those times that Zee was in pain vomiting all the food she ate, Cedric, by passing Zion's privacy and would always read everything on her mind. This is why Cedric is able to remain watching her for three whole days without getting bored.
This is also the first time Cedric enjoyed having his 'Gift'. He always deem his Gift as troublesome and a pain. He suffered so many times because of his Gift, so he was not very fond of it. But thanks to this little girl, Cedric somehow found fun, when using his troublesome 'Gift'. He didn't think of it before, he really hated using his gift. People's minds are full of dirty things, and he felt disgusted seeing and experiencing them. However, it seems because he limits the use of his gift, he hasn't truly explored them well.
Fortunately, Cedric came to know this imaginative fledgeling. Now, Cedric learned to control what to see in people's mind. He can push off all the things he didn't want to see and will only see things he wanted to see.
Cedric wanted to thank the little girl, so he put a little something on her brain to intensify her hunger and planted an idea on her head, so she would go out tonight. It was all within Cedric's plan.
Smiling, Cedric looked at Zion with interest. It was rare for a vampire to be created. Nowadays, there are only pure blooded vampires– vampires are borne between two vampires after they vow a blood oath. However, newborn vampires are hard to come by. Cedric was born between his vampire parents, and it took them almost hundreds of years for Cedric to be born. And pure borne vampires are all powerful.
Nevertheless, according to history, first generation vampires– those that became a vampire after death, like this little girl were more powerful than today. At the same time, they are weak. And unlike what humans told in their stories, pure blooded vampires can't stand the light of the sun. It was deadly for them. Contrary, first generation vampires only turn weaker under it.
Cedric at first doesn't have any intention of helping this young lad. Humans, for them, are nothing but food. And this young lad is a transformed one. She was human at first, she was completely different from them– those who were from the darkness.
However, that's what makes it so interesting. As he thought so, Cedric's eyes flickered, then scoffed and shook his head, and went back to look at Zion again.
He wonders what this young lad's Gift would be, and which side she would choose in the end.