Shining Light of the Volstir (The Light of the Volstir Book 1)

by Brian Carmen

  “Has Olivia contacted you guys recently?” Nia asked as both women shook their heads. Ebony seemed particularly annoyed by the lack of contact. She explained that they were still taking care of Olivia’s Polong; a white fox named Sheila. It seemed odd that Olivia wouldn’t have spoken with them. Everyone knew that Ebony was her favorite and tended to speak with her on a regular basis. Nia was surprised that Olivia would have ignored Sheila as well.

  “Where has she been anyways?” Nia asked as she remembered that the Polong hadn’t been at the house when they arrived.

  “She’s been relaxing at Polong World for the last two weeks. Ever since we received the note from Lauren announcing that she would soon be arriving. Sheila apparently thought that she would need to build up her strength” Venus explained before suddenly freezing on the spot.

  They all stopped and looked at the fear that was on her face. Nia had never known Venus to be afraid of Lauren in the past. Ebony was also surprised as she began waving her hand in Venus’ face. She was trying to get Venus to speak however the words came soon enough.

  “Lauren will be arriving in two days and we don’t have the extra bedroom set up!” Venus cried in fear as she ran off.

  Ebony thought for a moment and then ran off after Venus. She called back towards Nia and Victor and said that she would see them back at the shop. Nia looked at the strange expression on Victor’s face. She had to try and stifle a laugh before he could notice her.

  “Ebony reminds me of Olivia. Wow it’s already three in the morning?” Victor said in shock as he looked at his watch.

  Nia chuckled as she turned towards him and began dancing around. The drinks they had in the coliseum seemed to have had alcohol in them. Nia hadn’t noticed that she had consumed eight of them as their effect began to take hold.

  “Of course Ebony reminds you of Olivia. She was raised by her since she was a baby. As for the time, you don’t really get tired unless you go without blood. Volstirs only sleep when they want to be lazy or pass the time” Nia explained as she grabbed onto a light pole and began to swing around it.

  “I forgot how much fun it could be. Being home with your family. The twins are always fun to have around” Nia said with a laugh as she flung herself from the pole and into Victor’s arms. “That blood was good” Nia added as she looked up at Victor.

  “I only had one glass but you had about eight” Victor said as he realized that all three girls had been drinking quite heavily.

  It took him an extra half hour to help Nia back as she became more intoxicated. Nia started trying to give him lessons about being a Volstir as they walked home. The current lesson seemed to involve Blood Liquor and its effects. It was able to get a Volstir drunk by how slow it moved throughout the body. Unfortunately the drunken effect would only last a couple hours and then disappear.

  When they arrived at the shop they found Ebony trying to fight with En. Venus was struggling to clean out one of the extra rooms before Lauren arrived. The upstairs had four bedrooms and one bathroom. The kitchen was located in the back of the shop with a small elevator for delivering breakfast. It also had a laundry room next to it that was located directly beneath the bathroom.

  Nia and Victor were currently using the normal spare room. The other room typically held a bunch of junk that the twins had collected over the years. Nia had figured out why Venus was panicking however Victor seemed confused. En scrambled away from Ebony and ran towards Victor for some protection. The cat seemed to understand that Victor was the only sober one currently in the house.

  “Volstir’s don’t have to sleep so why are you so worried?” Victor asked as both Nia and Ebony started giggling.

  “The bed’s not for sleeping. Lauren has a human boyfriend that she’s planning on turning next year” Ebony said while she continued laughing with Nia.

  Victor’s eyes widened as he realized what they were talking about. Venus seemed even more worried as she went back upstairs. She returned several minutes later with more items from the other bedroom. Venus was taking them into the back of the shop while Ebony and Nia started dancing around the room. It was odd seeing Nia act in such a way, she was normally always in control.

  “The last time they were here. Olivia was here so their room wasn’t ready. They started messing around all over the shop including my room!” Venus cried as she ran back upstairs.

  Nia and Ebony stopped dancing and went back to laughing. Ebony explained that it had taken Venus two months to get everything back to a condition where she could enter the room again.

  “I forgot about Edvin” Nia said as she chuckled even harder.

  She looked at Victor and decided to give him a bit more details. “Like I did for you; Lauren’s been the only person in Edvin’s life since she found him in Russia as a small boy. Nine years ago she started teaching him a bit more extracurricular activities in the bedroom. They‘ve been together ever since” Nia said as Ebony began yelling vulgar names for Lauren.

  “Well you have to admit he enjoyed turning fifteen a lot after she started teaching him. Edvin‘s alright however Lauren is a bit self-centered” Venus explained as the rest of the group began laughing even harder.

  Victor however seemed to be slightly more embarrassed. Ebony grabbed onto him and asked if he wanted her to teach him how to ‘please a woman’. Ebony laughed at the look on his face but didn’t notice the pan as it flew and hit her hard on the back of the head. Nia turned and saw the look on Venus’ face as she seemed torn between being angry and hurt.

  “You can be a bitch sometimes Ebony” She said coldly as she walked out of the room. The pan was nothing compared to what Venus had said. For a moment she looked like she was going to yell at her. Instead it seemed like she figured that she had done something wrong. Ebony got up and ran into the back as she tried to get Venus to stop being mad.

  “Come on you know that little white boy isn’t my type” Ebony called out as she left a giggling Nia and a very confused Victor alone in the room.

  “Registration won’t open for another six hours so how about I start teaching you the rules for Stratosphere while we wait?” Nia asked causing Victor’s eyes lit up.

  Nia had never spoken a lot about anything that had to do with Volstirs and their culture. Victor wasn’t about to let the chance to learn slip through his fingers. For the rest of the night she explained several of the different teams, rules, and past victories that her team had back when she played the sport.

  Victor kept his eyes on her the entire time as he seemed like a kid listening to someone tell him about a video game. “I’ve got to play it!” Victor said out loud before Nia shook her head and explained that he was too young.

  “You can participate in the Arena Fights but you have to be at least fifteen before your allowed to play Stratosphere. Too many newborns died when they tried to play. It‘s a very dangerous sport and you have to know how to use your ability” Nia explained.

  The game was exciting but could also be dangerous even for experience Volstir. There were too many things that could end up destroying a newborn if they weren’t ready. Victor seemed disappointed that he wasn’t allowed to play however Nia reminded him that he would get the chance eventually.

  Venus and Ebony eventually returned just as Nia and Victor finished showering and getting dressed for the new day. Nia and Ebony were no longer intoxicated and were already starting to calm down. Ebony started helping Venus with cleaning however Venus still seemed a bit frosty with her.

  “When you get back we can have lunch” Venus said to the both of them. Nia told her not to worry.

  “Victor and I are going to be walking around Loc Moines for a good part of the day. It was long past due that I start teaching my progeny about being a Volstir.” Nia said brightly as Victor and En walked out the door.

  Today was the day that Victor would finally be recognized as a true newborn. He would be registered with the council. Nia had a suspicion that they would have a lot of things to do. She also felt
the stone Utaru gave her in her pocket. Both Nia and Victor were dressed in black slacks with dress shirts. They were ready for a new day in the Volstir city of Loc Moines.

  Chapter Eleven: Registering and Sanguine

  Nia and Victor walked to the main Registration Building that was also the home to one of the thirteen council members. Thereon Solbid‘s house was connected to the Registration Building by a series of tunnels. They were lucky that there were only five other newborns to be registered. Two hours passed before a woman with bright red hair and a crisp black dress appeared and took them into a back room.

  “Good morning, my name is Alicia Richard. I will be your registration agent” Alicia said in a strict tone that meant business.

  She took them into a polished metal room that was empty except for a large desk with a computer on it and three chairs. Walking around the desk she took a seat as she before typing very quickly on her computer. Nia sat down in the right chair while Victor took a seat in the left. Silently, they sat and waited for over thirty minutes before Alicia finally spoke.

  “Helaina Olivia is your maker. From now on you will be referred as Victor with a surname of Helaina” Alicia explained to Victor.

  Victor’s eyes widened by the name as he looked at Nia who seemed quite embarrassed for forgetting to mention this fact. When a Volstir was registered they often took the surname of their maker. A Volstir could request to have their surname changed however it was rarely approved. All of the council members had their own surname that their progenies also took.

  Alicia rolled her eyes as she looked at Nia with a cold glare “I assume you will be living in Loc Moines for the two years?” she asked as Nia quickly shook her head.

  “No, I will be using my right of abjection” Nia said as Alicia seemed a bit shocked.

  It only lasted for a split second as she began typing on her computer again. She seemed to be looking at a few of the rules along with Nia’s information. Alicia was a woman that was obviously dedicated to her work.

  “You are over a hundred so you are granted your right of abjection” Alicia said after a few minutes.

  She looked back at Victor like a school principal inspecting a new student. She started printing out several documents for both Nia and Victor to sign. Without any hesitation she placed the documents on the desk in two perfectly neat stacks. Nia had a suspicion that Alicia had been working at her job for more than a few decades.

  “Victor Helaina, you are required by Volstir law to stay in the custody of Helaina Olivia for a period of ten years. Should Helaina Olivia wish to abandon you; she is required to find a replacement of the same age or older. They will then have to inform the council of the custody change. If she does not wish to find replacement custodian for you, then she is required to euthanize you immediately.

  “Once she is finished she is then required to report back to Loc Moines with proof that you no longer walk among us. In front of you are several documents that both of you must sign. The first five pages merely repeat what I have just said.” Alicia explained as she pulled out a couple of pens for the two of them.

  “Furthermore you are forbidden from attempting to turn a human into a Volstir. This is until you reach the age of thirty and only with the presence of your maker or a suitable custodian. Once you are fifty you will have the right to turn anyone with their consent and with a suitable witness. This can be performed without the company of your maker. Both you and your maker will be held accountable for any actions that could result in any type of revelation amongst the humans.

  “If such an event occurs and the council is required to intervene then both of you will be executed. You may reveal yourself after the ten year probation period to any human that you have the intent of turning. If for any reason you decide not to turn them than you are required to destroy them” Alicia said as she pointed for the both of them to begin signing and initialing on the paperwork.

  They began doing as they were instructed while Alicia continued printing out more paperwork. She then started explaining more laws that if not followed, could possibly result in execution. Nia tried not to listen to what Alicia was saying, she’d already heard this three other times. Olivia was lucky that she wasn’t required to register in the normal process due to her age.

  Victor was exhausted from the three hours of signing paperwork. They also had to listen to Alicia Richard talk about the many violations that could result in their deaths. Nia however seemed to take it all in stride. She explained to Victor that he didn’t need to worry since she would be able to watch him and keep him from messing up.

  “Most of those laws were made for newborns that didn’t have makers to watch over them properly” Nia explained as she began telling him stories of Volstirs that got into a lot of trouble.

  “That’s where the legends of Vampires, Ghosts, Aliens, and other supernatural creatures came from” Nia said as they finally began walking outside.

  They decided to look for a place to get a drink. She saw a small corner stand and pointed that it would be a good place. Walking towards the stand, Nia had to turn around because Victor had stopped suddenly. She saw him staring at a small line of children as they went inside of a plain building.

  It was very close to the registration building. All of the children were being closely watched by a couple of Volstirs along with a few adults that were clearly human. Nia didn’t say a word as she grabbed Victor by the arm and pulled him away. A few of the Volstir guards watched the both of them carefully. Nia didn’t want them to suspect them of anything so she pulled Victor to the drink stand.

  She ordered a couple of glasses of blood but watched the color fade from Victor. He looked at the blood with fear in his eyes. It was obvious that he had connected the constant blood supply to the children.

  “I guess now is a good time to tell you about the Sanguine” Nia said quietly as she looked down at her own drink.

  Victor looked at her with a shocked expression as he asked about the children and what was happening with them. He was worried about how the Volstirs in Loc Moines survived. It wouldn’t be easy for Victor to understand that it was a practice that had occurred for hundreds of years. Nia wanted to kick herself for not telling him about it sooner.

  “It’s a bit difficult to explain but I’ll try my best. Then we can go look and you can see for yourself what it’s all about. Keep in mind that we are Volstir; we live by drinking the blood of humans. In the past horrible things have been done to acquire blood but now we’ve tried to come up more humane ways” She said with apprehensive.

  Victor nodded that he understood what she was telling him. He didn’t seem any more willing to drink the blood that was in front of him. Nia hoped that he didn’t actually believe the blood was from the kids. It was taboo to drink the blood of children and he knew that.

  “The children you saw were likely orphans taken in by the Volstir. Adults and teenagers are also taken in and live in different areas. Children are never get drained however the teenagers and the adults may sign a contract. They have their blood taken in return for payment” Nia said simply as she took a sip of her glass.

  She felt bad because she could see the look in Victor’s eyes. It was a look that many newborns had when they found out about the Sanguine. She often wondered if that was the reason why the school was located so close to the registration building. The council had no shame when it came to the way blood was gathered. It was a sensitive issue with the Volstir however the council saw it as black and white. Volstir survive off blood and humans have it, this was the most humane way to acquire it.

  Nia finished her drink and ignored that Victor didn’t even touch his. She paid the three dents and began leading him towards another building a few blocks away. They walked inside as a human woman quickly greeted them and offered to give them a tour. A few others had already made an appointment. The woman did not appear to have been drained however Nia felt that she was like other humans.

  She was tan with blond curly h
air and light brown eyes that looked very kind. Nia could see that the woman was very intelligent. She was obviously a good choice to conduct the tours. The woman wore a green top and skirt that looked very nice with her natural curves. Both brains and looks, Nia was sure that she was popular with the men in Loc Moines.

  The others turned out to be two of the other newborns and their makers. They had apparently had the foresight to arrange the tour for their progenies. One set was a white man that was a bit older as his black hair had silver in it. Accompanying him was a young Latina woman in her mid-twenties that had tattoos over her arms. She seemed a bit out of place with her maker beside her.

  Looking at the two, Nia thought that they both seemed serious. It was that connection that had probably brought them together. He was dressed in a grey suit that gave him a classic look. The woman had on a pair of black jeans and a blouse with vibrant colors all over it. Nia then looked at the others that had showed up for the tour.

  The other pair were both of African descent and seemed to be around the same age. They held hands and were easily long time lovers by the casual demeanor both had. Nia could see that the other makers were younger than she was however they seemed more adept at their responsibilities. It made her feel a bit uncomfortable as she stood next to Victor.

  The tour guide waited a few extra minutes for any others to arrive. She then took them into a room with five squishy couches and a chair in the center. It was empty in the room as she asked for everyone to sit and make themselves comfortable. They all followed her instructions while she sat in the chair.

  “I like to start the tour with a little biography; my name is Claire” she said with a smile as she looked at all of them.

  “I am thirty-two years old and I was born and raised inside Loc Moines as a Sanguine. I am human but I am not afraid of Volstirs. Even though some of you are newborns I am trusting you and your makers with my life” she explained as she looked at Victor.