And damn you to this pit in place of the fires of death
Let thy cold be one’s sole companion.
Let these chains pulled taut from those mortal coils you’ve severed
Bind your mind and corpse.
In place of Heart,
In place of Soul.
Bind your mind and corpse.
And let not thy despair nor hope escape
For Good might deem thee punishment,
Well meted.
The winding hollow was painted a deep aquamarine by the flame of Sunny’s torch. She waved it slowly as she walked, appreciating how the shadows caste by the pointed stalagmites warped into different monsters. Like clouds, she found it easy to tell a story in the vague forms on the sharp stone walls. It was even easier to tell a horror, with the stalagmite’s shadows the teeth of great beasts gobbling up dullards who braved depths filled with unknown. Though quite used to such conditions; the wandering mind was a tricky fellow. Despite having Siiva to guide her this far, who informed her this hollow was too narrow for any to take up a den, Sunny had allowed an anxiousness to arrest her heart once bristling with childish eagerness.
“How far are we now?” Sunny asked.
“Having second thoughts?” The young man, a boy really, offered a glance back to her. It was the first hint he knew she was even following him for tens of minutes.
Sunny hummed to mask a shiver she didn’t like in her voice. “I don’t know. I’m just starting to worry you’ve gone and got us both lost down here. That’s all.”
The boy was quiet. The two walked for another minute before his reply came, all the while the faint echo of water cracking onto stone bouncing from both directions. “You’ll wish you’d gotten lost here. Instead of that labyrinth.”
“Aww.” Sunny cooed sweetly. “You’re worried.”
“I’m worried I won’t be getting paid for this night wasted.” Siiva hadn’t needed to ponder too long for that.
“Rude.” She jabbed the small of his back.
“Quit it!” His voice magnified as it echoed off. The outburst was well worth seeing him wave off her attack as dismissively as possible. He came to his neutral, biting tone more fit for a grand inquisitor than a streetrat. “We’re beneath the Keep now. This crack will connect to the dungeon here shortly, and then you’re on your own. I’d rather not bet on this old rock above our heads holding at even the slightest mistook breath.”
“I guess I’ll just have to hold my breath.” Sunny puffed her cheeks, knowing Siiva wouldn’t bother looking.
When he did, he seemed to regret it immediately. “I don’t know how you can be so chipper with what you’re doing. The town guard… the punishment the Church would wrought on you, or me for that matter…”
“No sense in dwelling.” The torch’s ephemeral flame flickered, seeming to extinguish and relight itself. The first runic wrapping had given out, the magelight now nibbling on the second layer. “We’ll just have to hope no one decides to take a stroll down here to reflect on how much more pain and suffering they used to cause. Maybe you could offer any snooping inquisitors your back so they can lash you. I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to resist.”
Siiva decided to remain quiet. He slowed, and halted an instant later. They’d come to a jagged opening that gave way to deeper void. Siiva’s halt told her all she needed. The dungeon belonging to the Holy Line, beneath the keep where a magic had been born in the times of the ancient Vampire wars, was all hers to plunder.
“I regret this immensely.”
Sunny wiped her brow as she righted herself off the freezing ground. A war ax hooked to a metal framework was newly embedded into a wooden pylon. Had she not ducked, she’d be a few inches shorter at this second. The worst part about all of this was how her pockets would be empty all the same. She’d found not but horribly rusty iron, cells devoid of not but the tatter-draped skeletons once chained to said shackles. Nothing! She’d known to cull her expectations at the distinction of “dungeon”. Dungeon meant dungeon; a place of torture and pain and sorrow. It wasn’t the sort of mark filled to the brim with monsters and coffers bursting to the seams with gold. Most of the time. Well: This was definitely not one of those expeditions. No, not at all.
“I must be nearing, something interesting for all of these measures. Might as well finish this route for tonight. There’s still a lot of ground to cover, Sunny. No sense in getting down from a little nicked off the top.” Sunny thought a moment, and checked the top of her early-sunset locks. “Phew…”
She went on to descend further into the winding halls, coming to a dilapidated cell of bent wood. It looked expensive and solid, once upon a time. Though a seal might once have been placed, only the shadows of the words remained. A check with a palm’s worth of force told her it’d give with a little bit of shoulder. And so she gave it. Twice. Three times. The fourth gave to the wonderful snap of ancient oak, and she was thrust into a cell unlike any other. The most catching aspect; a holy light so unnatural in its radiance, it took Sunny what felt like minutes to recognize the lithe form bowed beneath it.
Let thy cold be one’s sole companion.
Let these chains pulled taut from those mortal coils you’ve severed
Bind your mind and corpse.
In place of Heart,
In place of Soul.
Bind your mind and corpse.
And let not thy despair nor hope escape
For Good might deem thee punishment,
Well meted.
Excerpt from Aequitas IV, The Holy Hymns of Binding.
(Kana Note: Due to lore established after this draft's publishing, this intro's dialogue is out of date. Vampires are not known to Sunny or Siiva, but how the Keep belonged to the Savior King is known.)
The winding hollow was painted a deep aquamarine by the flame of Sunny’s torch. She waved it slowly as she walked, appreciating how the shadows caste by the pointed stalagmites warped into different monsters. Like clouds, she found it easy to tell a story in the vague forms on the sharp stone walls. It was even easier to tell a horror, with the stalagmite’s shadows the teeth of great beasts gobbling up dullards who braved depths filled with unknown. Though quite used to such conditions; the wandering mind was a tricky fellow. Despite having Siiva to guide her this far, who informed her this hollow was too narrow for any to take up a den, Sunny had allowed an anxiousness to arrest her heart once bristling with childish eagerness.
“How far are we now?” Sunny asked.
“Having second thoughts?” The young man, a boy really, offered a glance back to her. It was the first hint he knew she was even following him for tens of minutes.
Sunny hummed to mask a shiver she didn’t like in her voice. “I don’t know. I’m just starting to worry you’ve gone and got us both lost down here. That’s all.”
The boy was quiet. The two walked for another minute before his reply came, all the while the faint echo of water cracking onto stone bouncing from both directions. “You’ll wish you’d gotten lost here. Instead of that labyrinth.”
“Aww.” Sunny cooed sweetly. “You’re worried.”
“I’m worried I won’t be getting paid for this night wasted.” Siiva hadn’t needed to ponder too long for that.
“Rude.” She jabbed the small of his back.
“Quit it!” His voice magnified as it echoed off. The outburst was well worth seeing him wave off her attack as dismissively as possible. He came to his neutral, biting tone more fit for a grand inquisitor than a streetrat. “We’re beneath the Keep now. This crack will connect to the dungeon here shortly, and then you’re on your own. I’d rather not bet on this old rock above our heads holding at even the slightest mistook breath.”
“I guess I’ll just have to hold my breath.” Sunny puffed her cheeks, knowing Siiva wouldn’t bother looking.
When he did, he seemed to regret it immediately. “I don’t know how you can be so chipper with what you’re doing. The town guard… the punishment the Church would wrought on you, or me for that matter…”
“No sense in dwelling.” The torch’s ephemeral flame flickered, seeming to extinguish and relight itself. The first runic wrapping had given out, the magelight now nibbling on the second layer. “We’ll just have to hope no one decides to take a stroll down here to reflect on how much more pain and suffering they used to cause. Maybe you could offer any snooping inquisitors your back so they can lash you. I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to resist.”
Siiva decided to remain quiet. He slowed, and halted an instant later. They’d come to a jagged opening that gave way to deeper void. Siiva’s halt told her all she needed. The dungeon belonging to the Holy Line, beneath the keep where a magic had been born in the times of the ancient Vampire wars, was all hers to plunder.
“I regret this immensely.”
Sunny wiped her brow as she righted herself off the freezing ground. A war ax hooked to a metal framework was newly embedded into a wooden pylon. Had she not ducked, she’d be a few inches shorter at this second. The worst part about all of this was how her pockets would be empty all the same. She’d found not but horribly rusty iron, cells devoid of not but the tatter-draped skeletons once chained to said shackles. Nothing! She’d known to cull her expectations at the distinction of “dungeon”. Dungeon meant dungeon; a place of torture and pain and sorrow. It wasn’t the sort of mark filled to the brim with monsters and coffers bursting to the seams with gold. Most of the time. Well: This was definitely not one of those expeditions. No, not at all.
“I must be nearing, something interesting for all of these measures. Might as well finish this route for tonight. There’s still a lot of ground to cover, Sunny. No sense in getting down from a little nicked off the top.” Sunny thought a moment, and checked the top of her early-sunset locks. “Phew…”
She went on to descend further into the winding halls, coming to a dilapidated cell of bent wood. It looked expensive and solid, once upon a time. Though a seal might once have been placed, only the shadows of the words remained. A check with a palm’s worth of force told her it’d give with a little bit of shoulder. And so she gave it. Twice. Three times. The fourth gave to the wonderful snap of ancient oak, and she was thrust into a cell unlike any other. The most catching aspect; a holy light so unnatural in its radiance, it took Sunny what felt like minutes to recognize the lithe form bowed beneath it.
In the center of the room was figure of a girl, barely more than a child, knelt with her head hanging low. A loose-fitting white dress was the only thing covering her modesty, but no more than that could be made out due to her dirtied long, silver hair that hung over her face like tattered drapes.
Her arms were spread out like wings, forcibly being held up by several sets of glowing white chains that wrapped around a pair of stone pillars on opposite ends of the room. Aside from her arms, the chains stretched around her torso numerous times, and another still connected to a collar around her neck from the ceiling.
The girl did not react at all to the door being forced open, nor did she move in response to the presence of an intruder. She was completely, utterly, frighteningly still.
Her arms were spread out like wings, forcibly being held up by several sets of glowing white chains that wrapped around a pair of stone pillars on opposite ends of the room. Aside from her arms, the chains stretched around her torso numerous times, and another still connected to a collar around her neck from the ceiling.
The girl did not react at all to the door being forced open, nor did she move in response to the presence of an intruder. She was completely, utterly, frighteningly still.
Sunny took tentative steps without knowing she was doing so. Her eyes that'd been so used to straining in these depths now burned with the intense luminosity, yet she could not look away. She suddenly felt outside her own body, watching as she stumbled to make sense of it all. "Angel" was on her trembling lips, threatening to disturb the peace that felt so wrong to break. This was what some called a "Religious experience", or at least what one might feel like, Sunny thought with a strange calm. Hearing herself think broke the intense spell of wonder, and she blinked to find only a child in place of an angel.
"W-what is this?" She kept forward, more cautious for any surprises now. "Some sort of... altar? A scene recreation? This form... this light... it has to be Holy Magic." The woman knelt where the overhead light cut the dark in a neat circle. One of her gloves crossed over experimentally, and then examined. Nothing. If it were a ward, it wasn't for the living: all typical for the suspect. She turned her attention to the corpse. It looked so feeble. Yet it was so well preserved, that Sunny knew she'd only upset herself by prying any further. But... when was that ever not the case?
"Sorry this happened to you." She sung sweetly, almost in a whisper. The same glove reached to brush the dusty, fullmoon hair aside. "I wish the world could be spared of young ends like yours. Rest easy, little..."
"W-what is this?" She kept forward, more cautious for any surprises now. "Some sort of... altar? A scene recreation? This form... this light... it has to be Holy Magic." The woman knelt where the overhead light cut the dark in a neat circle. One of her gloves crossed over experimentally, and then examined. Nothing. If it were a ward, it wasn't for the living: all typical for the suspect. She turned her attention to the corpse. It looked so feeble. Yet it was so well preserved, that Sunny knew she'd only upset herself by prying any further. But... when was that ever not the case?
"Sorry this happened to you." She sung sweetly, almost in a whisper. The same glove reached to brush the dusty, fullmoon hair aside. "I wish the world could be spared of young ends like yours. Rest easy, little..."
Dull, vacant, faded red eyes greeted her between the white clumps of the girl's bangs. Her expression was just as void of life as the rest of her body, but as a fresh stream of tears gently slid down her pale cheeks to cover the dried stains, the truth became more and more clear.She was alive. Alive, but clearly broken.
Even now, she was still. Her eyes remained locked on the floor in front of her, unblinking. It was clear the light had left them long ago, but there was no mistaking the very slight rise and fall of her chest.
The collar around her neck was also more apparent up close. It was thin, but clearly made of a strong metal - the same material as the chains - and also glowed the similarly. Inscribed on the front under her chin was a strange cross that resembled the symbol of the Inquisition, though much more primitive looking and less polished.
The girl suddenly twitched, her nose wrinkling slightly as Sunny's wrist passed close to it.
"YeAAH!" The realization struck Sunny to the floor, her arse meeting the disgustingly dusty tile with a rough thud. "She's..." She stammered like a serpent warning off predators. "She's... You're... alive?"
The possibility seemed stupidly obvious to her now, even if she couldn't understand exactly how it was so. Anything being alive down here was something she hadn't even considered minus any nasties left to cull exactly Sunny's sort of intruder. But a chained, immobile little girl? No, none of this was a trap. It didn't smell right.
She didn't like it. If you were ever spelunking in the depths of an unknown, ancient castle, the last thing you wanted was not knowing what you were dealing with. Holy Magic was a mysterious work despite its wide-spread use. It dated back two centuries, that was several generations of Purcells who never could get in close with the clergy presiding over all of it. As she examined the chains, she tried to recall how this could ever be related to that which healed the sick, exorcised the soul of wickedness, etcetera. It seemed familiar in the way some were escorted by the church's knights; their wrists glowing thinly at their backs: Bound. Yet, this was perhaps less efficient? This set-up was overblown by comparison. So much length of the spell was wasted from wrist to pillar, meanwhile all that light evidence of the magic radiating out and away from every link. Whatever it was... it was as ancient as the decaying structure itself; this primitive seal surely falling apart in much the same manner. And that meant... what, in the girl's regard?
Sunny righted herself, coming to kneel again. She brought her blade to bare, angling it to the chains. There was an explosive spark, and she had to harden her grip to not let the longsword fly off. "Alright. It doesn't like that..." She tried to find the girl's eyes through her bangs again. "Can you hear me? Can you tell me your name, little one? Can you speak at all?" As she did so, she began to unclasp one glove's studs, slipping it off to rest on the floor.
The possibility seemed stupidly obvious to her now, even if she couldn't understand exactly how it was so. Anything being alive down here was something she hadn't even considered minus any nasties left to cull exactly Sunny's sort of intruder. But a chained, immobile little girl? No, none of this was a trap. It didn't smell right.
She didn't like it. If you were ever spelunking in the depths of an unknown, ancient castle, the last thing you wanted was not knowing what you were dealing with. Holy Magic was a mysterious work despite its wide-spread use. It dated back two centuries, that was several generations of Purcells who never could get in close with the clergy presiding over all of it. As she examined the chains, she tried to recall how this could ever be related to that which healed the sick, exorcised the soul of wickedness, etcetera. It seemed familiar in the way some were escorted by the church's knights; their wrists glowing thinly at their backs: Bound. Yet, this was perhaps less efficient? This set-up was overblown by comparison. So much length of the spell was wasted from wrist to pillar, meanwhile all that light evidence of the magic radiating out and away from every link. Whatever it was... it was as ancient as the decaying structure itself; this primitive seal surely falling apart in much the same manner. And that meant... what, in the girl's regard?
Sunny righted herself, coming to kneel again. She brought her blade to bare, angling it to the chains. There was an explosive spark, and she had to harden her grip to not let the longsword fly off. "Alright. It doesn't like that..." She tried to find the girl's eyes through her bangs again. "Can you hear me? Can you tell me your name, little one? Can you speak at all?" As she did so, she began to unclasp one glove's studs, slipping it off to rest on the floor.
Her questions were met with the same silence as before, but the way the girl's body tensed every time her voice filled the stillness of the room proved they were being heard.
And a moment later, her nose twitched again, sniffing experimentally. And a moment after that...
She blinked.
There was a certain clarity to her gaze as her head turned ever so slightly in Sunny's direction. She definitely looked more alive than when she'd entered the room, but she was wincing at her, practically a grimace, like one would do when trying to make something out after having just woken up.
The girl looked...confused? No, with how tense her frail body had become, it was more likely apprehension, like she was trying to decide between reality and fantasy by staring long enough, but was for some reason afraid of the result.
And a moment later, her nose twitched again, sniffing experimentally. And a moment after that...
She blinked.
There was a certain clarity to her gaze as her head turned ever so slightly in Sunny's direction. She definitely looked more alive than when she'd entered the room, but she was wincing at her, practically a grimace, like one would do when trying to make something out after having just woken up.
The girl looked...confused? No, with how tense her frail body had become, it was more likely apprehension, like she was trying to decide between reality and fantasy by staring long enough, but was for some reason afraid of the result.
Sunny gave the best smile she could. "Good." With a fair hand, she unbuttoned the top of her collar and wrestled within the coarse linen shirt. She pulled a curiosity of implements into the light. It was a knot of leather strands all looping into a thicker band around her neck. Several strings of thin leather carried a half dozen symbols; all sculpted in varied shapes, not all resembling anything recognizable. She sifted through a crescent of black onyx, thought long on an ivory tooth too large for a human mouth, and eventually settled on one: the symbol of the Savior.
She brought it to the midpoint of the chain shackling the girl's right wrist. "If you can hear me, let me know if this hurts at any point." She brought it closer, nearly kissing the symbol to one of the links. "I'm going to try some... old... prayers... it's been a while since I've attended any kind of service." She laughed despite of the situation. Or maybe, precisely because of how peculiar this all was; including what she was doing. Yet it was all she could think to do. "It'll be okay." After a breath, she began with firmness starkly different from the sweet singsong she gave to the girl.
"My King, I seek thou's guidance. I seek to save a soul of Man as you once did all. Grant thee not judgement from on high, for I have deemed this little one worth your light..."
Several minutes passed with just the sound of Sunny filling the chamber. The recitation of the half forgotten prayer came to its natural end. When nothing had come about it; she began again.
"Savior King, I pray to thee. Grant mercy to that which is bound unjustly. Let thy word sever this spell. Break what surely..."
Another several minutes passed. Nothing.
"... and we, who eternally thank thee, beg forgiveness. I beseach thee..."
Nothing.
"... please... I pray in earnest, and seek to repay tenfold in my long life. All for your name and house of Man alone... I shall repay..."
Nothing. Sunny's throat was hoarse. Sweat made the implement slippery between her fingers. The idea of having to leave alone wracked her mind, motivating her to try another. All the while, she kneeled by this strange girl, collar askew to flash the pale of her neck.
She brought it to the midpoint of the chain shackling the girl's right wrist. "If you can hear me, let me know if this hurts at any point." She brought it closer, nearly kissing the symbol to one of the links. "I'm going to try some... old... prayers... it's been a while since I've attended any kind of service." She laughed despite of the situation. Or maybe, precisely because of how peculiar this all was; including what she was doing. Yet it was all she could think to do. "It'll be okay." After a breath, she began with firmness starkly different from the sweet singsong she gave to the girl.
"My King, I seek thou's guidance. I seek to save a soul of Man as you once did all. Grant thee not judgement from on high, for I have deemed this little one worth your light..."
Several minutes passed with just the sound of Sunny filling the chamber. The recitation of the half forgotten prayer came to its natural end. When nothing had come about it; she began again.
"Savior King, I pray to thee. Grant mercy to that which is bound unjustly. Let thy word sever this spell. Break what surely..."
Another several minutes passed. Nothing.
"... and we, who eternally thank thee, beg forgiveness. I beseach thee..."
Nothing.
"... please... I pray in earnest, and seek to repay tenfold in my long life. All for your name and house of Man alone... I shall repay..."
Nothing. Sunny's throat was hoarse. Sweat made the implement slippery between her fingers. The idea of having to leave alone wracked her mind, motivating her to try another. All the while, she kneeled by this strange girl, collar askew to flash the pale of her neck.
Throughout the whole chant, the girl stared at Sunny. Her face was slowly becoming more expressive, and now seemed to stay the same for only moments at a time.
Confusion, uncertainty, disbelief, fear, and confusion again.
But the moment she caught sight of her exposed neck, the girl's entire demeanor changed. A sense of lust seemed to wash over her as her eyes locked onto the soft skin. Like a predator watching its prey, she watched the vibrations of her throat silently, now hyper-aware compared to her earlier dazed expression.
Sometime during Sunny's chants, a small breath escaped her, the only warning before her mouth suddenly latched onto the side of her neck below her ear, her small lips making contact first before a sudden stab of pain as teeth sank into flesh. Her whole body instantly shuddered in ecstasy from the sensation alone, but she only bit down harder.
Any attempts to forcibly free herself would be forfeit against the pressure of the girl's bite. It was clear she was using her full force, as if she was attempting to rip her entire throat out - and if it wasn't for their difference in statures, that might even have been the case. But after a few moments of painful chomping, her grip eased.
And Sunny could feel the extremely uncomfortable sensation of her blood flowing out of her neck as the girl suckled on the wounds she'd made. Seconds turned to minutes as she continued without pause, uncaring for the older woman's state in the slightest.
And after who-knows-how long, the chains supporting her arms snapped like twigs as the girl reached forward to wrap them around Sunny's shoulders, locking her in place while simultaneously pulling herself closer and craning her neck for a better angle at the red liquid.
And like that, the process continued for what was likely a minute or two but felt like hours. Just as dizziness began to overtake her, the girl suddenly stopped. Rather, the telltale glow of her collar suddenly gleamed even brighter and the girl practically threw herself away.
The remaining chains still attached to her snapped just as easily as the others, if not more so, as she crossed nearly the entire room in a single bound. The moment her bare feet touched stone, she collapsed and writhed while clawing at the collar before eventually ripping the whole thing right off. Body fidgeting, she tried to stumble to her feet, only to trip and collapse once again, this time accompanied by a harsh choking fit.
Moments later, and the girl fainted right there. The sputtering and retching ceased as her body went still, lips still stained red with Sunny's blood.
Confusion, uncertainty, disbelief, fear, and confusion again.
But the moment she caught sight of her exposed neck, the girl's entire demeanor changed. A sense of lust seemed to wash over her as her eyes locked onto the soft skin. Like a predator watching its prey, she watched the vibrations of her throat silently, now hyper-aware compared to her earlier dazed expression.
Sometime during Sunny's chants, a small breath escaped her, the only warning before her mouth suddenly latched onto the side of her neck below her ear, her small lips making contact first before a sudden stab of pain as teeth sank into flesh. Her whole body instantly shuddered in ecstasy from the sensation alone, but she only bit down harder.
Any attempts to forcibly free herself would be forfeit against the pressure of the girl's bite. It was clear she was using her full force, as if she was attempting to rip her entire throat out - and if it wasn't for their difference in statures, that might even have been the case. But after a few moments of painful chomping, her grip eased.
And Sunny could feel the extremely uncomfortable sensation of her blood flowing out of her neck as the girl suckled on the wounds she'd made. Seconds turned to minutes as she continued without pause, uncaring for the older woman's state in the slightest.
And after who-knows-how long, the chains supporting her arms snapped like twigs as the girl reached forward to wrap them around Sunny's shoulders, locking her in place while simultaneously pulling herself closer and craning her neck for a better angle at the red liquid.
And like that, the process continued for what was likely a minute or two but felt like hours. Just as dizziness began to overtake her, the girl suddenly stopped. Rather, the telltale glow of her collar suddenly gleamed even brighter and the girl practically threw herself away.
The remaining chains still attached to her snapped just as easily as the others, if not more so, as she crossed nearly the entire room in a single bound. The moment her bare feet touched stone, she collapsed and writhed while clawing at the collar before eventually ripping the whole thing right off. Body fidgeting, she tried to stumble to her feet, only to trip and collapse once again, this time accompanied by a harsh choking fit.
Moments later, and the girl fainted right there. The sputtering and retching ceased as her body went still, lips still stained red with Sunny's blood.
The chamber fell unto silence again, just as it had long before.
Sunny woke with a start. Her head, no, her entire body was freezing. She rubbed at her temples, and found it queer how a trickle of red ran to her fingers, and that she had only one glove. She spotted its form by the weak blue of the discarded torch, along with the severed metal which aided in her recollection of events. The spot where the girl'd been chained was now empty, and that drove a deep fear into the blurry malaise of awaking.
"Wha," The voice in her dry throat was a poor impression of her grandmother. Her throat felt like a numb thing, something separate from the rest. She idly massaged the skin, kneading the flesh back to her control. "What is..." She found two scabs that flaked from her touch. They were paired holes; punctures. Sunny poked at them, and then stopped at the thought that they'd be hurting well enough once the numbness subsided without irritating it further.
Standing, she gathered the glove and torch with lagging muscles. The ordeal of walking felt like swimming in a cauldron of thick mud. If anything were to descend on her here, now? Well, Sunny took solace that nothing had yet, besides who was found crumpled near the exit. It was all there. All Sunny needed to know. A trail of dried blackness was dribbled all the way from where'd she been chained to where she lie now, right up to the small of her red-stained mouth. Sunny couldn't know why, or how, or to what end besides fueling whatever had allowed the spell's breaking. It wasn't in her expertise. Maybe it was someone else's?
The girl was light. Sunny could sling her into a bridal carry with just one arm, while the other paved the path with the dwindling torch. It was like that, they left the chamber.
Sunny woke with a start. Her head, no, her entire body was freezing. She rubbed at her temples, and found it queer how a trickle of red ran to her fingers, and that she had only one glove. She spotted its form by the weak blue of the discarded torch, along with the severed metal which aided in her recollection of events. The spot where the girl'd been chained was now empty, and that drove a deep fear into the blurry malaise of awaking.
"Wha," The voice in her dry throat was a poor impression of her grandmother. Her throat felt like a numb thing, something separate from the rest. She idly massaged the skin, kneading the flesh back to her control. "What is..." She found two scabs that flaked from her touch. They were paired holes; punctures. Sunny poked at them, and then stopped at the thought that they'd be hurting well enough once the numbness subsided without irritating it further.
Standing, she gathered the glove and torch with lagging muscles. The ordeal of walking felt like swimming in a cauldron of thick mud. If anything were to descend on her here, now? Well, Sunny took solace that nothing had yet, besides who was found crumpled near the exit. It was all there. All Sunny needed to know. A trail of dried blackness was dribbled all the way from where'd she been chained to where she lie now, right up to the small of her red-stained mouth. Sunny couldn't know why, or how, or to what end besides fueling whatever had allowed the spell's breaking. It wasn't in her expertise. Maybe it was someone else's?
The girl was light. Sunny could sling her into a bridal carry with just one arm, while the other paved the path with the dwindling torch. It was like that, they left the chamber.
"Hoh~" Not a moment after the chamber became empty did a pair of feet as bare as the girl's had been tap against the stone floor, right under the spotlight that she'd been knelt under up until then. A white cloak fluttered gently against a lithe form, the hem flapping down to rest on both sides of their body.
"It seems she was right this time. So my little pet was finally freed from her cage. Interesting~" A male voice filled the silence of the room, the words sounding as light as his steps as they playfully danced off of his tongue. "I was starting to lose hope with that one. It would've been such a shame if no one ever found her~"
Light-green hair whipped around as the figure twirled into a series of graceful motions, trotting around the room before coming to a sudden stop within the spotlight once more. He raised a hand up towards the only entrance and exit, as if beckoning some unseen force.
"Now then, my dear Miss Vampire. I've waited two-hundred years for this day. Please become the strongest you possibly can for me, okay~?"
"It seems she was right this time. So my little pet was finally freed from her cage. Interesting~" A male voice filled the silence of the room, the words sounding as light as his steps as they playfully danced off of his tongue. "I was starting to lose hope with that one. It would've been such a shame if no one ever found her~"
Light-green hair whipped around as the figure twirled into a series of graceful motions, trotting around the room before coming to a sudden stop within the spotlight once more. He raised a hand up towards the only entrance and exit, as if beckoning some unseen force.
"Now then, my dear Miss Vampire. I've waited two-hundred years for this day. Please become the strongest you possibly can for me, okay~?"
Moderators: Estella (played anonymously) Sunny (played anonymously)