Ciaran
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Krystal's Embrace
It was a fortress owned by the only person to ever talk werewolves and vampires into cooperating. He had since died due to a sudden and very unexpected onset of sword-in-brain, but his two captains took over and they were back in business. Exactly what this business was nobody knew for sure.
A unit of paladins had attacked this fortress a couple hours ago. All but two had died. One was now on the fifth floor of the fortress, working her way up to the top where the two commanders lived. The other had long since disappeared.
This paladin's name was Krystal, and she was the youngest of all that had come here. Only eighteen years old, she had been growing remarkably in prowess and reputation ever since she first showed up in the nation's capital looking for work. Now, though...
Damn it, I need to get out of here, Krystal thought as she sliced a vampire in half with her longsword. There's no way I'll survive this. She turned to block a werewolf's slash–too late. It cut deep gashes into her right arm. She cried out in pain and clapped her left hand to the wound, which glowed white and closed itself.
They just keep coming, and I don't have time to cast a teleport. ...I'm going to die here...
Just as she severed another werewolf's arm, a vampire came from the left and sliced a long gash down her left arm, revealing bone. Krystal cast a healing spell...
...Which turned out to be a fatal mistake. Just as she finished the spell, a vampire grabbed her from behind and pinned her arms to her sides. The paladin tried to shake him off with a vampire-burning light spell, but she didn't have enough mana left to cast it.
Damn it...
"Who is it that has killed so many of our brethren?" a strong male voice boomed from the door Krystal had been fighting toward. It was now open, and two men stepped out. The one on the left had the all-black garb of a vampire, while the one on the right wore the brown of a werewolf. Otherwise, they were nondescript.
All motion in the room ceased, except for the vampire that held Krystal, who turned her to face the window. "This is her, your honor. She is one of the last of a paladin raid on our castle."
One of the last? Who else is left? I saw them all die. At least I thought I did...
"Is she now?" the werewolf asked as the two leaders made their way through the mob. There wasn't much to get through, as Krystal had almost been to the door when she was grabbed. The vampire and werewolf both looked her over a couple times, glanced at the other, then looked back at her. "And so young, too. What is your name, young one?"
I'm not dignifying you with an answer.
"She's quiet, Gerrard," the vampire commented.
"Indeed she is, Robert," the werewolf answered. "What do you think we should do with her?"
The one called Robert ran his right hand over Krystal's stomach, then up the middle of her chest to her neck, noting how soft her skin was.
Krystal fought the urge to lash out at the touch; doing so wouldn't be in her best interest right now.
"Maybe we should kill her, Gerrard."
Gerrard ran his own hand over Krystal's right arm and up to the other side of her neck. "We can do better than that, Robert."
Robert ran his hand down Krystal's back, chuckling at the expression of rage that accompanied the motion. "More so considering she has such a fine body, Gerrard."
Gerrard ran his hand through Krystal's hair, taking note of its soft and well-kept feel. "Maybe we should torture her, Robert."
Robert brought his hand back to Krystal's chin and lifted it so she looked into his eyes. "That's a good idea, Gerrard. What kind of torture did you have in mind?"
"We could always use the whip, Robert. Though I'd hate to see such a fine body ruined in that manner."
"We could turn her, Gerrard."
"An excellent idea, Robert. You first."
Robert pushed on the middle back of Krystal's hand, hitting a painful pressure point until she dropped her blade. As soon as it clanked against the ground, he took her from the vampire that was holding her, spun her around, and bit into her neck.
Krystal cried out and kicked behind her, trying desperately to damage his family jewels and break free.
...Or not. Her limbs wouldn't respond. Damn it all...
Her head felt much lighter than it should. Blurs of color dominated her vision.
"Oooh, she's panting now," somebody commented.
Who are all these people watching me? What right do they have to stare?
Something was slowly sapping her strength, until she couldn't support herself. To her surprise, she didn't fall; something icy cold was holding her up.
The room is spinning. Why is the room spinning? Rooms shouldn't spin.
She felt cold. The room finally stopped spinning... but now nothing moved at all.
What's happening to me?
Something warm, salty, and with a strong taste of aluminum dripped into her mouth, near the back of her tongue. She reflexively swallowed to keep it from blocking her windpipe. Whatever was holding her up released her, and what she assumed was the floor rushed up to meet her.
Hello, floor... what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be below me holding me up?
Garbled words... nonsense. She recognized the syllables as Common, but couldn't translate them to her native Elven. The world faded to black...
* * *
(High, high above the planet, in what some call Heaven...)
"Does she accept the embrace, Toreth?"
"Unknowingly, yes."
"Roll a dee twenty to see if the embrace works."
There is the sound of plastic bouncing off of wood...
* * *
She could hear Robert's voice. "Three... two... one..."
NO!
Something yanked Krystal back into her body. She bolted upright.
Dry. Extremely dry. Like when one's mouth has no saliva. Except through her entire body.
<b>Drink. Must drink.</b>
No, that one's too strong. That is, too. Isn't there any easy prey around here?
Help me...
Robert and Gerrard both grinned. "Bring her in," they said in unison.
A door on the side of the room opened, and a young woman, bruised and bloody, was shoved through it.
Mmm... food...
"Krystal!" she exclaimed. "Thank the gods you're alive! We need to get out of here!"
Fenara? GET OUT, NOW!
Krystal watched as "she" stood up and bolted over to her friend. Fenara took her hand, smiling.
"Krystal" put her arms around her only friend, one around the upper back and one around the waist, with strength Krystal didn't know she had. Her canines extended, and her view descended on the right side of Fenara's neck.
Peaceful bliss spread throughout her as warm, salty, metallic, wonderful blood flowed into her veins, starting with the roots of her fangs.
"Krystal!" she heard Fenara exclaim. "What are you doing?"
Krystal could only watch, an observer in her own body.
Her prey moved its arms around, but it remained trapped. It kneed her in the crotch, but there was no pain like there should've been. It even tried to kick the both of them off their feet from the side. But nothing worked.
"Krys. Let me go and teleport us home. We can get you all the blood you need there. All you have to do is let me go."
Krystal was inundated with... with experiences. Playing ball as a child... arguing as an adolescent... running off. Becoming a paladin, hoping to find direction.
The food's tone changed. Comforting, warm, tender. "They... they forced this on you, didn't they?"
A figure appeared... looking for work... She found direction. She took in this girl, and showed her the way...
Is... is that... Is that me?
Her arms found themselves supporting more weight than before. About a person's worth, in fact...
"I know this isn't your fault, Krys. You'd never accept undeath if you had a choice."
Krystal listened to her friend's voice. She silently, without thought, begged, her not to die.
The memories... were they memories? Yes... continued flowing. Teaching this new girl the ways of the paladin code... Surprise, she already followed most of them. Move on to fighting, then... Break time. Just spending time together... A feeling of fellowship, of identification. As the remembered time went by, the bond grew stronger.
It... it's me... Fenara... she... No...
"I know you're hungry. Take my blood. It's yours now."
The assault... capture...
And the onslaught of memories ended. Two drops fell on Krystal's head, and sorrow overcame her.
Don't say... Live... Find... Find a way. Please...
"Keep going, Krystal. Don't stop living just because I'm gone.
No. No...
"I forgive you, Krystal. You need to forgive yourself.
"Fare... well..."
The flow of blood stopped. Its chest ceased its rhythmic rise and fall... Yet it was still warm.
Krystal withdrew her fangs and slowly released Fenara, her body crumpling to the floor like some discarded toy. Her friend, comrade, mentor, lay there, lifeless. Like the toppled king on a chessboard.
Like a mere game piece... like she doesn't matter...
No... no... I'm dreaming... This has to be a dream... I... I just... No...
"Look at her, Gerrard. How she just stands there. Her emotions must be very powerful."
"I agree, Robert. It's amazing she became a fighter with that kind of heart. Shall I crush her further?"
Wait, what?
"Feel free, Gerrard."
Someone clapped their hands on her shoulders. She immediately tried to move--
Ouch!
A sharp pain in her left shoulder... No. Two pains. She turned to see Gerrard walk back to where Robert was still standing, pirouette, and observe, still grinning.
The world went black again, but was quickly restored. She saw her body collapse.
Don't force me to return this time, please... Just let me die...
Krystal was again forcefully pulled back into her body, cursing, and she sat up. "DAMN YOU TWO TO HELL!" she heard herself exclaim. Tears started running down her cheeks. Her body convulsed as she sobbed with enough volume to be heard throughout the castle.
Robert and Gerrard laughed. She heard Robert's voice say, "Now tear your friend's body in half."
Pushing her grief aside, Krystal immediately turned around to face Fenara's body and reached out to do just that...
What in Heaven's name am I doing?
Do it! You heard him. He gave you this power! Do what he said!
Why?
Her arms froze in place. She tried to pull them back, but they started shaking instead.
You love him! Don't deny it!
WHAT?! That's absurd!
"She's resisting the blood bond, Robert."
"That she is, Gerrard. Do you think she can break it?"
"Let's find out, Robert."
"Krystal," Robert said in a stern voice. "Rip the body in half. Now."
The shaking intensified.
Do it! You want him to be happy, don't you?
NO!
Her arms finally collapsed to her sides a few seconds later. "No," Krystal answered, with more conviction in her tone than she remembered herself ever using. "I will not desecrate the body of my comrade."
"She broke free, Gerrard."
"So she did, Robert. She'll make a fine servant with that level of loyalty."
"I will never serve the likes of you," Krystal vowed, her tone just as hard as before. She heard the two of them start walking toward her and turned to face them.
To her surprise, the two immediately stopped.
"Robert, what is that?"
"That rune wasn't there before, Gerrard."
Huh?
"Most certainly not, Robert. I would've noticed a rune on her forehead before."
Krystal opened her mouth to speak–
* * *
Robert and Gerrard looked at each other, then back where the girl and her dead friend had disappeared from.
"Do you think she cast a teleport, Gerrard?" Robert asked as he walked to where Krystal had been kneeling.
"She didn't have time, Robert," Gerrard answered. "Are they invisible?"
The vampire captain stopped where his new servant had vanished from. "No, Gerrard. They're gone."
"Think the rune was related, Robert?"
"I don't know, Gerrard. I don't know."
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