*Authors Note*
Please read, comment and vote if you like.
I didn't check the spelling, though please feel free to correct me on any grammatical mistakes I might have made. Also, feel free to ask, should anything not make sense to you.
Thanks.
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.:The Vampires Slave:.
.:Chapter 26:.
I felt something graze my arm, causing me to jerk awake violently. I turned to face whoever it was, only to see Batillus standing in the corner of the room.
"So this is what you've come to?", He asked, a sneer gracing his features. "You give up. You become a whore?"
"It's not as if I chose this-", I flinched at his glare. Though he was right. Letting the events with Eugene play in my mind, I sighed quietly. I hadn't given up. I was still a fighter, I still had hope. Or at least I hoped I did. Maybe if I told myself that long enough, I'd even believe it myself.
"What happened last night? Did you finally crack?"
"I.. I don't know, alright?", I stated, my glare matching his'. "I was exhausted. Both mentally and physically."
"Oh poor you.", He drawled, inspecting his nails in an arrogant manner. I felt anger rise in me though with every attempt to push it back down, it only grew in size.
"You know nothing. I don't have to explain myself to you. I am the way I am. If you don't like it, I don't care. I did not crack. I will get out of this god forsaken place. I will-", I broke off my anger fuelled rant as he began to smile.
"I'm glad to see the fire's back in your eyes.", Batillus stated softly. I continued to stare at him in confusion. My gaze wandered down to my hands, they were clenched. I unclenched them slowly, smiling as I realized how Batillus just gave me back the will to fight for my freedom and rights.
"Thank you.", I whispered quietly, smiling slightly as I watched him begin to fade. "What- What's happening?"
"I'm done. I'm free.", He stated, smiling sheepishly. "I redeemed myself."
"But.. Batillus, I need you..", I whispered as I felt tears begin to form at the corner of my eyes.
"You balance yourself pretty well. I don't think you need me anymore.", He murmured. "Help is on the way. Don't give up little one. Your knight in shining armour may be here quicker than you think."
"What do you mean?", I asked, not caring about my voice as it cracked. Tears slid down my cheeks freely now.
"The shaman women. I was able to talk to her. Your prince has been searching for you. He knows now where you're kept.", Batillus smiled as he raised a brow at me. "After all, you saved me as much as I saved you. We're finally even, love."
"Thank you, Batillus."
I watched him fade to nothingness, his words still ringing about my ears. What had he meant? My prince knows where I am? Leviathan? Could it be that, after all of this, I could finally go back home? He was coming to bring me back. Back to my remaining family. Back to my friends. Back to my live.
I jerked into a standing position as the door swung open, revealing an almost breathless prince. He gave an exhausted sigh as he saw me, his eyes lighting up almost instantly.
"There you've been hiding.", He murmured quietly, before he crossed the room to stand in front of me. I continued to stare at him, even as he lifted his arms and embraced me. I sighed quietly, returning the hug. Though it felt awkward, I then realized how bad I'd craved contact to another person. "Let's get you back to-"
"Home?", I asked, my face brightening instantly.
"Well, let's get you back to the castle first.", He stated, giving me a small smile as he led me out of the room. He led me through the house, out into freedom.
A small carriage was waiting at the corner of the property. I smiled slightly. At least I would be able to travel more comfortable than the other times I travelled. Leviathan opened the door of the small cabin, waiting until I was seated inside before he closed the door and began talking to an old man who approached the carriage. They exchanged few words before the man handed Leviathan the reigns of his horse. After that, the man slowly seated himself at the head of the carriage. He lifted the reigns before he brought them sharply down, signalling the two horses to walk.
We arrived at the castle before the sun set, though I was only to happy to leave the carriage. Leviathan smiled at my tiredness, lifting me in his arms. He carried me into the castle, bridal style. I couldn't help but snuggle into the warmth of his body as I yawned loudly.
He carefully placed me in a bed, pulling the blanket over my almost sleeping form as he tucked me in. The last conscious thoughts which ran through my mind then, were that I was back where I'd started at, though this time, I wasn't a slave.
I was free.
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I woke with a start, suddenly hearing beautifully played notes drift into the room. I sat up slowly, brushing my hair behind my ear as I did. I felt disoriented for a few moments. Where was I? The disorientation didn't stay long though, as memories of what had happened filled my mind. I let my gaze wander across the room again. The sun was shining beautifully, small rays shining through the thin curtain covering the window. I smiled slightly. Waking up in a bed, to something like this, was as normal as I could have wanted it right then and there. After everything, this was a nice change.
Letting my bare feet slide across the hardwood floor, I shivered slightly at the sudden cold which slowly creeped up the soles of my feet. I quickly made my way over to the door, pushing it open, before walking into the hall. The notes continued to drift about the hallway. I closed my eyes, letting my ears guide me to the source. I stopped in front of an open door, smiling slightly I stayed there a moment to watch.
Leviathan stood in the middle of the study, playing a violin. His back was to me, giving me a few extra moments of privacy as I watched him play the delicate instrument beautifully. I smiled slightly, as I padded across the cold floor. I quickly hopped onto a luxurious arm chair near a burning fire pit.
"What's that song called?", I asked quietly, after he finished.
"It's actually something I wrote myself. My mother always wanted me to learn an instrument..", He explained, grinning sheepishly. "My grandfather gave it to me as a gift, a few months before he passed away."
"That's sad.", I muttered quietly, gazing at the flames as I spoke. "I'm sorry."
"You've got nothing to be sorry about. Death is one thing that everyone has in common. Sooner or later anyways.", He stated, matter of factly. "Do you play any instruments?
"No, I don't. My sister used to play bass.", I smiled warmly at the memory. She used to play everyday.
"Did she stop playing?", He asked slowly, walking back to the wooden desk to place the violin back in it's case.
"No, she killed herself."
He turned quickly, eyeing me with a bewildered look. I gave him a blank look, before I turned back to the fire. He was right, death was something we all shared, sooner or later. No matter how different we all seemed to be, it's a trait of sorts we all share. I smiled slightly as I remembered her. There were no tears, threatening to slip. Her death wasn't something I continued to mourn anymore. Though I did remember her. The happy times, as well as the bad ones.
"I'm sorry.", He murmured almost silently. He clipped the case shut, though he left it on the desk. "I wanted to talk to you about something. If.. If you have time for it now."
"I've got time. I've got all the time in the world.", I replied quietly, smiling as he sat down across from me.
"Well, the question as to how you even came here is now answered.", He stated slowly, as he continued to study me. "We have a group of gifted scientists, who are working on a very complicated kind of research. They are puzzling together how the bloodlines of the mortal and immortal are linked, creating these-"
"Creating puzzle pieces of sorts, I know.", I finished, smiling at his loss of words.
"How do- Well, it doesn't matter now anyways how you know.", He told me, before he continued his tale. "We currently found Lucerna's counterpart. That's how we found her, and you. I actually didn't plan to bring you here. I meant to leave you there, we made sure you weren't hurt too bad. The way we planned it, it would've looked like.. like a gang fight or so. Though one of my servants with me back then, brought you here as well. That's how you got here."
"And what about me going back home?", I asked quietly.
"That is the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.", He stated. This didn't sound good. "Every mortal here, in this world. Has a.. I guess you'd call it a citizenship in our world. If they want to continue their lives in your world, then they'd have to visit their world at least once, in a 3 month span."
"What happens if they didn't?"
"Every record about, or including them of some sort would vanish, or be altered. Making them disappear completely from your world. Families wouldn't remember them. There would be no record of them ever existing in your world. It's magic, which is bound to the portals.", He explained quietly.
"How-", I felt tears rising, as my voice began to waver slightly. "How long have I been here?"
"Three and a half months."