Chapter 20: Black Phoenix
"You must learn to shield your mind soon, but first thing's first," Dora told Regulus as she led him from the sitting room in which he'd apparently spent a few unconscious weeks. "You won't be able to focus on much until you've fed well. Hunger is a powerful distraction."
"And I shall focus far better once I've heard from Kreacher," Regulus added. Worry for his friend was a distraction equal to the hunger, but the hunger was something he could attend to at once. Regulus followed his maker without even glancing back once at the dead body of the homeless man on the floor beside the sofa. He knew he should wonder how they were going to get rid of that, but right now he just couldn't care. It was something Dora did daily, so there was an obvious method and he would learn it soon along with so much else. There was a great deal to learn about this new life he'd thrust onto himself, but he was up for the challenge. He had nothing else to do at present, after all. Pandora led him down a long hall and out a wide front door onto what appeared to be a quiet suburban street.
"I don't eat near home, because it can draw unwanted attention," she commented. "We will head toward the heart of the city where there are always far too many people who wish to die." She moved down the street at a speed he'd have had difficulty matching as a mortal wizard. Now, though, it was far too easy to move like fluid through the air, feet hardly touching the pavement with the momentum.
"Won't people notice how fast we are," he asked, perplexed. Obviously vampires, like wizards, lived by not attracting notice to themselves.
Dora shook her head without slowing, only turning her face briefly to regard him as she replied. "They can't really see us when we move this fast. Their eyes just slide away because we're too difficult to track."
"Oh. Interesting," he replied, knowing that it would all be far more interesting when his hunger was satisfied and Kreacher was with him again. Soon they were crossing onto a busier street, and he was once more assailed by the minds of everyone around him as he had been that first day. It was oddly fascinating, because as they were now in Rome, the thoughts weren't in English for the most part yet in at least thirty percent of the cases, he could still understand the gist of the thought due to mental imagery that accompanied the words. When they were downtown, Dora slowed and led him into a dark alley where she came to a complete stop. Out of nowhere a shadow passed directly overhead then dipped and landed on his shoulder with a soft musical trill. Regulus turned his head, wondering if Kreacher had sent an owl, but the sight that met his gaze stunned him. A black Phoenix perched on his shoulder, staring calmly back at him. When their eyes met the bird gave a single deliberate nod.
"Um...You have a pet," Dora asked, obviously as taken aback by the bird's appearance as was Regulus.
"No. And I've never seen a black phoenix before," he said, awe in his voice.
"That's a phoenix," Dora practically squawked. "Those are real?"
Regulus's lips twitched. "Obviously...but they're red and gold most of the time. I've only seen mention of black ones once in a book of rare magic. One of the spells called for the feather of a black death phoenix."
"So do they kill or something," Dora asked with a mild look of concern.
"Not that I know of," Regulus answered carefully. "It is only the way they work. They draw their magic more from the side of death. Phoenixes work with death and resurrection magic. The ordinary red and gold phoenixes can heal and such so perhaps the black ones can kill but from what little was mentioned in the book, they merely work with death magic more strongly than resurrection magic. This could involve dealing with astral realms and forms of shadow magic to do their healing, for example."
Dora frowned, obviously not fully comprehending Regulus's words. In truth, Regulus's own knowledge was lacking due to the fact that Death Phoenixes were so little known. For this reason, he couldn't clarify further. Turning his attention back to the bird instead, he studied it in open fascination. Though he didn't particularly excel at reading avian expressions, he had the distinct feeling the bird was equally fascinated with him for whatever reason.
"Hello there," he greeted the Death Phoenix softly. "Kreacher didn't send you, did he?"
Though Regulus wasn't truly expecting an answer, the bird shook his head slowly in negation. Wondering who else could've sent the bird to him made Regulus's blood run suddenly cold.
"Did Voldemort send you?"
The phoenix's head shake was more vigorous this time and it ruffled its feathers in what Regulus got the impression was mildly offended disapproval.
"Sorry...It's just that...I've never seen a phoenix like you before and...well who did send you? Can you tell me?"
Dora watched on in avid fascination as the bird merely stared at him. Regulus searched his brain for another yes or no question that could help to clarify the situation. "Did anyone send you?"
The bird shook its head. Then it opened its beak and gave another musical trill much like the one it had sung when first landing upon Regulus's shoulder. This time, however, Regulus received mental images from the bird seemingly within the sound. Without needing words he understood suddenly that the bird had come to him of its own free will. The bird had noticed him as a new wizard vampire and was drawn to Regulus's courage and strength. At that, Regulus found himself blinking back tears at the shocking validation from a complete stranger. He wasn't so sure that he felt particularly brave or strong at the moment, but if this rare and stately bird believed he was it somehow meant something. "Thank you," he said softly. The bird trilled again and Regulus understood the phoenix to be saying that he was male and that his name was Mortis. The name seemed fitting for a Death Phoenix, Regulus thought. "I am Regulus Arcturus Black," he said, feeling it was only fitting to share his name in return. "This is Dora, my maker," he added, when the bird turned his head to regard the other vampire with bright curious black eyes. "Dora, this is Mortis."
Dora nodded to the bird. "Nice to meet you," she said, and Mortis responded with a single graceful nod. "Were you able to understand what he said through his song," Regulus asked Dora. She shook her head. Regulus wondered if this meant he and the bird had a personal connection for some reason or if the communication between them was more on a magical level than a vampiric one. He'd heard of phoenixes coming to certain wizards, but the only one he knew of personally was Albus Dumbledore.
"Have you come to stay with me or only to visit," Regulus asked the bird. Mortis opened his beak and gave another soft trill through which Regulus understood that he wished to remain with Regulus if he was amenable. Awed and humbled, Regulus hastily nodded.
"Thank you. I would like that very much," he said. He wondered if he would be able to work new forms of magic with the phoenix or if the relationship they would have would simply be companionable. He knew that once his hunger was satisfied he would think quite a lot about the black phoenix and have many questions for the bird. The fact Mortis was even here in the first place was one of the most thrilling events in Regulus's life, and he looked forward to feeling more deeply about it once the hunger loosened its grip on him and Kreacher was at his side once more. Mortis trilled again, prompting him to get on with the process of feeding. The tone was encouraging and yet polite, as if excusing a friend to converse after a task was completed.
"He understands that I must feed now and we will converse more back at home," Regulus explained to Pandora, suddenly recalling that she could not understand the phoenix's trills as he could. "He wishes to remain with me and he has come to me of his own volition."
Dora nodded, tearing her fascinated gaze from the bird with a visible effort. "Yes. We need to get some blood into you. It is easier to call your food from a hidden place like this alley unless you happen to see someone that is suitable," she said, beginning her instruction. "In that case you lock eyes with them and command them to follow you. You lead them to somewhere out of the way, like this, and feed, then abandon their body." She waved a slender hand in a sweep to indicate the expanse of alley which was plenty big enough to drop a body and leave. "To call your food to you, simply open your mind and broadcast the call for those tired, sad, ready to rest to come and that you will give them peace. Of course this is a bit too advanced for you to manage smoothly at this point. Therefore, I will do it for you, but I want you to watch my mind so that you can learn to do it for yourself."
Feeling mildly baffled and a bit overwhelmed, Regulus nodded. Taking a life was complicated enough, and now there were ways to call those whose lives he would take. He focused on shutting out the distant thoughts he could hear from nearby streets and reached for Pandora's mind. She was pushing her thoughts outward, making it her will rather than just thinking private thoughts that were only hers. As a result the thoughts were louder with a further reach, but they also had an emotional pull. She projected the image of arms holding someone and allowing that person to just let go and have complete and utter peace. She broadcast words in a soothing tone (Rest... peace... end the pain.) Regulus could hear these words poring from her mind along with the images that simply inserted themselves into his mind's eye. Dora also broadcast feelings of warmth, love, peace and surrender, adding a pull that would draw those who happened to be nearby with whom that resonated. The feelings were like thoughts but without words. Regulus was shocked at how many people filled the alley in only a few minutes! There were young girls, men only a few years older than himself, and some elderly as well as five or so obviously homeless men and women. As each of the Muggles entered the alley, Pandora caught their gaze with hers. In a soft voice she told them to stand still and be at peace. "I thought we'd have dinner together," she said with a slight amused smile.
Regulus gave the bird on his shoulder a nervous glance. It was disconcerting to take a life with the stately black phoenix watching on, but Mortis made no move to depart. Reading Regulus's discomfort Pandora made an impatient gesture. "He's a death phoenix, isn't he? I doubt seeing a bit of death will bother him."
Feeling rather silly, Regulus nodded. "I suppose you're right. So what do I do now?"
Pandora gestured toward the alley full of silently waiting Muggles. "Take your pick. If you aren't full after one have another...have as many as you need. There's plenty." She frowned, shaking a warning finger at him. "And stop when you feel the heart slowing this time! You don't want to drink dead blood and make yourself ill when you're not even completely recovered yet."
Regulus nodded gravely, making a mental note to himself to slow down and pay attention even as the hunger rose. Now that he was thinking of feeding and nothing else, he could sense the pulsing blood of each Muggle practically begging to be taken. Though it was disconcerting that Dora spoke of these Muggles as if they were a tray of horderves, his hunger pushed him forward regardless. Approaching one of the men, Regulus lifted the Muggle's right arm, eagerly biting into his wrist. He relaxed when the man made no response at all. All polite restraint faded when the blood spilled into his mouth, and Regulus drew hard on the man's blood, hungrily swallowing down salty mouthful after salty mouthful. This time he remembered to pay attention and stop when the heart slowed. He allowed the man to gently fall to the ground before turning to the next in line, a woman. She nor any of the others seemed to notice the dead man fall. Each person calmly stared directly in front of themselves, gaze unwavering. He took the woman's wrist and fed until her heart slowed, then lowered her body to the ground to rest beside the man's. "I am full now," he told Pandora.
Nodding she stepped toward one of the men. "My turn." In sudden shock Regulus watched as slender nearly delicate Pandora lifted the larger man in one arm and plunged her other hand into his chest. Drawing out the man's heart, Pandora tilted her head back and squeezed the blood from the still pumping organ into her mouth. "I prefer it straight from the tap," she said, licking her lips in a way that Regulus found both sensual and animalisticly primitive at the same time. He watched as Pandora let the man's body slide to the ground then tossed the now shriveled heart beside it. The organ was still wet and red, but all the blood was drained from it.
"Do all vampires feed...like that," he asked, suddenly feeling mildly ill. He had to look away from the now shriveled heart and the man's broken, mangled body beside it.
Dora chuckled. "No. I have my own specific tastes. It's just much fresher directly from the heart," she lightly defended herself before giving another chuckle of amusement. "You should see the look on your face! I figured we're going to be together for some time so I thought to just show you how I prefer to feed and get it over with."
"Are you going to do it again," Regulus asked weakly, and she laughed.
"Not today. As it turns out I'm full." She approached each of the remaining Muggles and told them to return to their business and remember nothing of this alley. Each walked away in a daze. That seemed easy, Regulus thought. He was glad Dora had gotten full, because if he had to watch her literally tearing out someone's hart again, he may just find out the hard way if vampires could throw up their blood meal. "Do we just leave the bodies here," he asked uncertainly. Pandora nodded. "There are enough hungry dogs and rats that will have at them soon enough, and our fang marks vanish on their own due to a healing quality in our saliva," she explained.
Regulus nodded, feeling a sudden wash of gratitude toward his maker. "Thank you, Dora. I paid attention to everything you did and I am ready to try it on my own next time to see how I manage if that is suitable."
Pandora gave a pleased smile. "I figured you for a fast learner. Sure you can try it yourself next time and if you have any problems, that's what I'm here for. There is just one more thing before we leave." She reached into the black velvet evening bag she carried over one shoulder and drew out a packet of wet wipes with the hand that wasn't covered in blood. Opening the wipes she cleaned up before stuffing the dirty wipes back into the bag. "Now I'm ready to go," she said, turning to Regulus with a smile. Such a primitive, yet such a lady at the same time. Quite baffling, Regulus thought, but as they left the alley, he returned his maker's smile.