Penance: LXXXIII
'Just walk.. Just walk Vaelle. Just keep walking.' She told herself. Her body shook slightly from the nervousness. Or perhaps it was due to the fact she hadn't had anything to eat in nearly two days?
"Sister.. We thank you. And we truly welcome you into the faith." The ceremony was robust and much smaller than before. Vaelle eyed the walls carefully, tens of coffins stretched in every direction. It was hard to believe they were committing this.. In the crypt. On the far wall was a makeshift altar made of wood and pieces of a coffin. In the crowd Vaelle spotted around fifteen of her fellow followers. But that wasn't included of course..
"I accept the faith fully." Vaelle snorted out trying to speak on her behalf. She looked to her left wearily seeing the reassuring smile of Holiver.. Oh Holiver.. He was so good.. So kind. This.. this was such a small thing to be part of his greater life. She looked down at her pale and bony arm.. So much further from the size it once was.
"Then our sister.. Bask in the greatness of our god.." Seffia screamed into the air. Her name was Seffia, right? Vaelle didn't.. Oh gods she didn't know. She.. had never met Seffia.. or one of her associates. Vaelle quickly glanced around the room only to stumble upon that horrifying fact. Now.. she didn't know anyone. Any of these people. They were the only remaining of Gralhunds followers. But the three on the podium were Cassalnters followers. She had done all this.. Donna, her friends, they had come with her or befriended her.. Vaelle let out a miserable sigh. They were dead..
"And." Arn at the podium spoke now. "With this introduction.. We now pray over our greatest task!" he pulled an odd looking stone from his pocket. Setting it on the makeshift altar he raised his hands over it and began to pray. "Vaelle Lurval.. You are to be reborn in our society.. We thank you.. We thank you all.." The rock on the altar resembled a stone from a river except it held ripples all along it like scales in between those scales were five large green spherical gems. Vaelle turned to her left and gave Holiver a confused look asking for an answer, however even he looked rather confused. She placed her dagger down on the altar and tried to join in the prayer, everyone in the crypt began to chant. Arn.. he had taken the stone when Yalah had her back turned, he had turned them into the Cassalanter's. That.. snake. She bit her lip trying to look away from him furiously.
"Doth.. leg.. Urniet.." She muttered a few words however, always a tad behind the others. She didn't get what the words meant.. She just remembered Donna saying them.
"We thank you for your prayer.." The second male on the altar declared. Vaelle shook her head. The red and black cloak on her body felt funny. God's she could use a nap.. She was so tired. She took a few deep breaths pushing her long black hair out of her face. It used to be so silky smooth.. Looking down Vaelle caught a small glimpse of her reflection in the dagger on the floor.. Her cheeks were a bit sunken in, and her once beautiful eyes had such large bags under them. Her full lips still persisted, she was paler. "A ritual this precise requires the utmost.. Sacrifice and devotion." The preacher continued. Vaelle kept snapping glances at Holiver, his warm honey brown eyes smiled back to her. Oh if they could only just run away.. "So we thank you all." Just go somewhere else.. "We thank you for your sacrifice." And get themselves the tastiest butter bread.. Just the two- 'Hold on what?' Vaelle barely had a second to react before the three of them descended.
"AGh!" Her attention snapped over to the group of followers behind her whom the woman.. Seffia burned with her hands. Vaelle looked on in shock seeing Seffia's hands ignite in fire. The second man she assumed his name was Solvar from earlier but she couldn't be sure slammed knives into two followers. The room scrambled.
"W-what" Vaelle panicked and began running for the exit with the others.
"Fear not!" Seffia declared. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain.." Seffia, the girl the Cassalanters had sent to come over and speak with Yalah.. Was now covered in blood. 'Screw that! I'm not-' Vaelle thought she gunned for the hallways of the crypt hearing some of the others get cut down behind her. She looked around, turning to see Holiver running to her.
"H-holiver!" She screamed, grabbing his arms and tugging him. "W-we-" Her boyfriend stopped in his tracks though.
"Where are you running?!" He cried angrily. "Vaelle we.. we have to stay we are apart of this-" She slapped him. She couldn't control herself. What on Torril was he talking about?! She peered over his shoulder to see the three approaching the followers down the hallways slowly, each of them were firing spells and knives. She saw one terrified elf girl try to run before being stabbed in the back.. Wasn't her name Greca? She.. didn't know.. And now that girl was dead. A sickening feeling piled in her stomach she wanted to vomit, she had come all the way tot he Cassalanter crypt, tasked with bringing the stupid stone to a windmill.. And now she was going to die?? The sight of blood made her nearly lose consciousness.. 'Damnit.. Damnit!" she wanted to cry.
"Holiver we have to go!- are you crazy they- they." She pulled him left to avoid a stray spell of light not wishing to learn whether or not it would be fatal.
"No!" He cried back. "Vaelle.. We.. if this is the lord's wishes.. We can-"
"Listen to yourself!" She screamed back. "We have to go, we can't give our lives for this. This- this is horrible!" She tried her hardest to tugg him towards the hall while others screamed for aid running away from the attackers. Weeks, maybe months of pent up fear, sadness and anger spilled out all at once while his eyes held sturdy like he was prepared to accept this. "Come!!" She cried, Vaelle felt tears flowing down her cheeks and her body shook with fear. 'Please no.' She wanted him to come with her, why wouldn't he? She went everywhere he wanted. Did everything he needed! She gave up her shop, killed people, watched others die, drank blood, gave up her life! For him.. Why wouldn't he come?
"Vae.." Holiver whispered, running a hand down her cheek "This is ok.. We can do what is only expected.. Follow our lord-" Vaelle watched Seffia get closer waving a hand down Vaelle jumped back into the tunnel glaring into the large velvet red eyes decorated with a wide grin. She stared helplessly as Solvar put a blade through Holivers chest.
"NO!" Vaelle screamed with tears still dripping down her cheeks; she howled in pain not physically but every fiber of her mind and heart shattered when Holiver collapsed to the ground with a mixture of fear and happiness on his face. 'Oh gods..' Vaelle turned and ran. She didn't care where she saw the various other followers in the hall running with her, each of them looking just as scared. First Donna, then Damien, Jeski.. The others as well.. And now.. Now.. She wanted to fall, to die right then and there, pain shook her.
"AH!" A man to her left was struck with some kind of force pushed to the ground injured. "N-no don't leave me!" He tried to scream to Vaelle, "Ah! Please no!" He tried to scream but she saw Arn jump on him stabbing him with a spear. Blood spraying everywhere. 'No no..' Vaelle started hyperventilating. She kept running more and more being cut down around her. She eyed the exit, a door! She was weak damnit she hated herself for being weak but she could escape! The place they had-
"EH!" She let out a horrific sound of whimpering pain she thought on this night.. She was supposed to finish this initiation and then go to Bones's windmill.. Now. Holiver was dead, everyone in that room was falling like flies. She watched the last five of them get stabbed or shot further down the corridor. Vaelle hugged her side in anguish, a large gash clearly made by a dagger and more. She saw burns on her right ribs. Some kind of spell. She gripped the dagger and hauled herself to the left wall trying to stay alive. She closed her eyes feeling the three attackers move down the hall. Taking in shallow breaths.. She knew she would die here.
"Arn!" Seffia cried. "Don't get so enwrapped. We have a job to do."
"Ahh! Please I-I have a fami-" Vaelle winced as one follower begged for their life and was quickly snuffed out. She stared at the entrance of the crypt, the attackers thankfully paid no attention to her as they opened the door and locked it behind them. The last thing she saw was the long brown hair of Seffia being tossed aside to reveal her bright velvet eyes with Solvar's large body shutting the door.. Sealing herself and the dead people; in the crypt.
Why? Why do this- her thoughts wondered with yellow spots of pain dotting her eyes. Oh god's that's why, they were all the Gralhunds cultists and the Gralhunds had disappointed the Cassalnters.. After that; Estral killed so many of them all. Vaelle felt the tears pour down her face nonstop as she slowly dragged her body down the hall.
"H-Holiver.." She whimpered her voice was hoarse and echoed off of the walls in a pathetic manner. How could she be so foolish! Why did she do all this.. Why did she give it all up?! She struggled to stay conscious, she dragged herself feeling blood stain the stones on the ground she reached the body. "H-Hol.. Hol.." Vaelle's voice broke. Holivers brown eyes were dull, no longer with any semblance of life. Blood stained his cloak and pooled around him. She pushed up and placed her lips against his.. Feeling her full lips touch his small ones she began to sob. "I.. can't hear you.." She whispered. Vaelle turned over to her back feeling some of the blood drip from her side. She stared at the ceiling. How did it all turn out like this? She had a shop.. A beautiful life.. A loving boyfriend.. Friends, people she cared for.. Yet, here she was hungry, tired and in so much pain. Her friends dead, and her lover.. She bit her lip and nodded, placing her head against the left wall. 'It.. it's really going to end like this.. I should have died with Donna.'
Vaelle wasn't sure how much time passed she kept fading in and out of consciousness one time she awoke to vomit after seeing Holiver's corpse on the ground. It was probably hours later when she heard it. The smallest of voices.
"So how do we get in exactly?" It was a quiet voice coming from where Vaelle assumed was the entrance. Shit. shit had they come back to finish her off? She struggled to her feet and leaned against the wall holding the dagger she pulled, still clutching her side to keep the blood in.
"I can pick locks dumbass." A second voice. This one was more harsh yet feminine.. Vaelle didn't recognize it.
*Ficshink*
A soft ping like something breaking could be heard.
"Oh son of a-" The second voice cursed
"Just let me break the damn thing!" The first voice came again, this time louder. It was deep and malonic like a bellow.
"No! That would be so loud." Was that a third voice? It was feminine maybe it was the second one again? But this sounded softer and more like the tavern whores.
"Gun shots?" A fourth voice said, this time in a rather thick accent.
"That's even worse!" A fifth male voice sneered. Vaelle was so confused. What was going on? Was she dead? These had to be demons or-or something.
*Klu-clunk*
A very quiet mealtic sound could be heard, in the distance Vaelle saw the door begin to glow a bit orange before the handles simply melted off. "See? That wasn't so hard. Controlling the flame is easy." The third voice repeated. The doors of the crypt swung open and Vaelle clenched her eyes closed from the sunlight that was coming from outside. She hastily hid behind a pillar clutching the dagger for dear life.
"Wow.. this is a lot of bodies.. Great sacrifices!" This was a new voice.. Another female.
"No.. just.. No." One of the group said again. A soft blue light shined down the hallway, definitely not from the sun.
"Do we take any of this?" A man's voice asked, Vaelle wasn't able to keep track of these any more.
"Yes!" One of the girls cheered.
"No! Bad Markos!" Another woman responded. "God damnit there are so many bodies.. Who did this.."
"I don't know, but free cloaks."
Vaelle wanted to snicker, it was actually a little bit funny from her perspective. But she couldn't do much in that respect. "Some of these bodies are new.. Some are older." The voices kept getting closer and closer, oh if only she was in good condition she could run away through the door they came in! She breathed heavily.. These didn't sound like the attackers but they were frightening.. 'Screw it.' What else did she have to lose? These people would either kill her or help her, and she was already going to die.
"H-hello?" She tried to speak but found the words to be difficult. She stuttered and wavered in her speech.
"Did you guys hear that?" One of the male voices asked. "Hello? Who's there?" Vaelle nearly cried, she pushed from behind the pillar and stumbled into the hallway. Faced with... The oddest group of people she had ever seen. There were six of them in total. On the left was an elven woman holding two swords at the ready, she had a gorgeous face yet hard eyes and a furious expression, she had olive skin and long auburn hair that accented her green eyes. Next to that was a girl with black hair that went just past her ears. She had a relatively thin build wearing a multitude of cloaks and tunics and what not with little things attached here and there. She had intense old looking purple eyes despite her face being so young. "Who are you?" The man in the middle inquired. He was soft and warm hearted looking with tousled brown hair and forest green eyes, on his belt hung a long sword with an ornate design. He could only be described as handsome looking, similar to Holiver. Blood dripped down her right ribs as pain gripped her.
"I-" Vaelle started "I'm Vaelle.." She whispered, she tried to say her full name but couldn't find the strength. One of them; a girl from the right, rushed over to her, placing a hand against her side.
"Cura, luna autem." The woman whispered. She was silver-blonde with piercing icy blue eyes that held flecks of gold in them. She had a pretty face with soft features. She had a small adventuring skirt with shorts, a blank top and a silver like cloak over her white hair covered shoulders.
"What's that.. Odd outfit you're wearing?" The large burly giant on the right inquired. "Wait.." He looked behind him and seemed to be thinking.
"Fuck." The girl on the left groaned. "Its a fucking cult.. Oh god its a cult of hell. Son of a.." The girl twirled a trident in her grasp a yellow cloak billowing behind her, she had very faint masucline like traits in her face. Wait.. was that a boy? Vaelle shook her head she couldn't tell. "The trim on the robes is infernal.." Vaelle was confused on what was going on. The next few seconds passed with noone talking she frowned looking as the group of people seemed to be listening to something but she heard nothing.
"I-I'm Vaelle Lurval.." She felt relief spread across her ribs whatever the blonde girl was doing worked. She however watched the black haired trident bearing girl get a slow enraged look across her face staring intently at her.
"That's cool. Now sit there before we kill you." One of them said, Vaelle felt a surge of panic fill her. 'What? Why!' She had just escaped death she..
"Vestus! Stop!" The blonde girl sneered. "Hi.." she turned to Vaelle in a gentle manner. "I'm Riu.. don't worry. You're going to be fine." She liked her.
"I-I do you really think I'd attack you?" Vaelle protested. "When you're six strong?" She watched a darting figure shoot out of the trident holder's yellow cloak. An odd pink and white.. Squid? Flew over her and began to circle.
"We aren't taking any chances." The man on the very right with an accent explained. He looked old, probably just over middle age with a large wooden object in his hands and a generally blue and white attire dressed in a brown winter coat. "Don't worry I'm not a man of manners." He got closer and wrapped two large manacles around her wrists binding her. Vaelle took a few deep breaths, she didn't want to pannick. She did not want to die.
"Thank you.." Vaelle whispered to Riu on her right who had actually healed her up quite nicely. She sat up straight drawing in breaths and calming herself.
"Why don't you tell me what happened here?" the man in the middle with the ornate sword and green eyes knelt down in front of her holding out a hand.
"Tell us what you know. Where is Asher?" The giant in the back growled.
"M-my fellow followers.. They turned on me and some of the others.. Slaughtered us in a ritual. I joined all of this due to my love.." Vaelle turned to Holiver's corpse but quickly turned away. It hurt her to see him like that. She just made herself cry all over again. 'Dammit Vae damnit!' She cursed herself in her own mind. Crumbling once again, unable to do anything. Now.. now she very likely was going to be killed by these 'saviours' "I.. it was a bloodbath. And here I was thinking I was joining something with purpose."
"Yeah I hate to tell you but cults don't have a purpose." The girl with the trident interjected, her voice was a tad deeper and more erratic. Was she a boy? If so this was the most confusing looking thing ever. "They're just mindless stupidity that ruins people's lives. You were stupid to join this."
It was like getting hit with a hammer, a thousand emotions filled her nostrils. She.. it hadnt been stupid Holiver and her were going to get married. She trembled even more. Who was this half-elf to tell her that??
"Like it ruined-" The man with the large wooden and metal staff tried to ask a question. Vaelle looked this boy-girl up and down. Her cloak was yellow and in tatters at its end. She had half-elvish ears and a stern expression. But her clothes were mostly black with small hints of purple along with an insignia on his shirt. This looked like a textbook cultist.
"Y-you're one to talk." She felt a little bit of her confidence begin to emerge once again. What the hell was this- thing lecturing her about?
"I am one to talk!" The half-elf got closer and stared insanely at her. "It's ruined mine." If this was a girl she was actually rather pretty, a cute kind of look in a crazy yet timid way. She bit her lip leaning in angrily.
"Well then we're both stupid arent we." Vaelle bit back. Her long black hair got a little bit in the way of her face. The cultists grit their teeth and eventually nodded. Vaelle had become so enwrapped with this odd thing she only noticed the man's reaction to the right a little bit later, he had a bewildered look on his face eyeing the cultist judging on the clothing that the others wore she could tell they were probably not in the same religion or cult.
"While I am so very envious of your situation." The giant growled. "What else do you know?" Vaelle paused and looked down realizing her situation was still pretty bad.
"Seffia.. and Solvar.. Along with Arn. They.. were performing a ritual over some stone.. Something we were supposed to deliver at an old windmill in the southern ward. I swear this was supposed to be my make up initiation ritual.. I'm not with them." She tried to reassure the others. Desperate to save her own life. The giant stood up almost as if he was ready to walk away. "I-I It's not like I knew what I was getting into! I.. my love.. Holiver convinced me to join this.. Please." She was tugging at her handcuffs realizing this was her only chance to stay alive, to escape this place with rotting corpses and the horrific cult she wanted so badly to leave.
"We should leave her." The giant muttered though others seemed to disagree.
"Do you even know?!" Vaelle cried. "What's it like to lose someone you love?" She wanted to look at Holiver so badly, but her muscles froze; they wouldn't let her. The giant paused and nodded.
"Who do you think I'm searching for?" He spat back bitterly. Vaelle looked down in pain.
"Then you know.. I.. I want revenge. I want to wreak vengeance on those who hurt me! Who killed him!" She screamed with an intensity she hadn't felt in so long. How could she have been so stupid to join that cult. She was a civilian, a normal person.. She wasnt some big adventurer, god's she had been through too much for a fucking florist, 'can't I just go back? Back to all that... undo all of this?' She pondered pleadingly.
"Um." The trident holder interjected. "Does.. anyone even know you're down here? Did you even tell anyone? So far this is sounding like a pretty dumb idea you've got."
"Markos. That's enough." The green eyed man interrupted. "Hi. I'm Herod, we're going to take you out of here." He reached out and helped her to her feet. Vaelle was instantly grateful. Why the hell did the other cultist sound so very bitter? She was regarding her so fucking coldly it was harsh. Also a name like Markos? She guessed he was a boy after all?
"W-we didn't expect our own to betray us, typically cults like this.. Don't." She was purely guessing now, she had no idea how cults normally worked. Or if there was a normal.
"So did they attack you and leave you for dead, or?"
"What does it look like?!" Vaelle defended. The pack of them looked at each other and were hastily pulled aside by the giant not very far but just a few feet away facing one another. Tears continued to pour down her face.
"What do we do with her?" The giant asked. He sounded harsh.
"Vestus.. We keep her alive so we can get more info. Look at her, she's defenseless." Herod protested. She liked this Herod guy.
"I say we take her along. That's probably the best course of action." The rifle bearing man continued. "Overall I think she can find her own way when she gets out of here. But for now I think she's fine to come with us."
"She's young." Vestus added. "If we cast her out she'll be killed by the cult. If we take her in.. She may have a second chance.."
"What the hell is wrong with all of you?!" Markos raged. "Am I the only sane one? Why are we adding a cultist to our house?! Why would we take her?"
"Hypocrite!" Vaelle shouted down the corridor towards the cultist.
"Yeah yeah yeah." Markos waved his.. Her? Hand towards her flapping it like a mouth. "You know Asmodeous owes me fifteen gold right?!"
"Hold on. Markos didn't kill her. I say we take her. Adleth?" Riu started talking.
"She looks scared. I don't care. Let's take her and be done with it." Adleth replied. Oh gods, were they really going to save her? She.. she would live? Even though she felt very angry.. Everything became so light. Her shoulders and legs suddenly lifted like a weight had been taken off. She.. Oh god's was this what she was waiting for? Someone.. Anyone to save her? Would they save her? "Ok Maroks? People can change." A silence persisted for a brief second.
"No they can't!" Markos decreed. And Alekzandr repeated the cultist's madness. "D-do you have any idea how many cults I've been attacked by?! For the love of God do we really want to add another cultist? Another ticking time bomb that threw away their life?!"
"There is a crying girl on the ground right there." Herod interjected.
"She made her choice." Markos replied coldly.
"Like you did?"
"Slavery is a choice? I didn't have one."
"Holy shit." Alekzandr complained. "Can you have some freaking empathy for once?!" he sounded pissed. "That's coming from a war criminal but look at her, she wants revenge.. She can help us. Can you not relate to that.. At all?"
"Hey!" Markos turned on his heels and shouted towards her. "What was your name again?" Vaelle got a good look at his angry face.. She swore she saw wells of tears in the cultist's eyes.
"Vaelle.. Vaelle Lurval." She whispered. Markos looked down and seemed to think about it for a moment. What was going on with this cultist? What the fuck was he, and why was he seemingly so very angry?
"Va haf wzudd sarwmue Asmodeus?" Markos asked her. She frowned and shook her head, not understanding. He seemed to be satisfied with that. "Take her with us.. Carefully. If anything happens though. Be on the ready." Was.. Was this real? The fate of death she had resigned herself to not only ten minutes ago was now a thing of the past?! Vaelle began to almost hyperventilate at this incredible news. She.. she was free. The man named Herod stepped forward with Adleth.
"You're safe now." Herod whispered. Adleth offered her a hand.
"Welp. you're with us." Adleth chuckled. "Welcome to the protection.. Of the fucking Keepers of Chaos." The what?