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Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)


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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

"You sound like the voices, not many of us listen to them. I try to do what they say but it's just so hard, even if I do believe in what they say. They like to say god is merciful, but why would he show me these maddening things if he's as merciful as you say." The girl said with a dejected look on her face. She actually did want Ariadne to kill her.

"It must be...almost time for sunrise...I feel so tired. If you're sure you won't kill me...would you at least...keep me safe during the day.....keep me out of the light." The girl seemed to collapse against Ariadne as though she were dead just as she finished speaking. Ariadne had no clue if it was sunrise but she knew that the sun only shone into the dungeon from one window to the far side of the dungeon.

The girl must certainly be exhausted because nothing Ariadne did seemed to matter. Her flesh was so cold, though Ariadne herself was hardly warm in this dank place.
 

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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Unsure how to respond to the vampire girl's question, Ariadne just smiled with a solemn shrug of her shoulders. God acted in mysterious ways. It wasn't for her to understand why people had to suffer. She just knew that if you were faithful and kind, things would work out.

Before she had a chance to think of an answer, the girl collapsed against Ariadne, taking her by surprise. "Oh my..." She muttered to herself as she tried to revive her with no success. Was she dead? Could vampires die? Was that even possible? Ariadne laughed at herself for thinking these absurd questions. Surely she was going insane in this god forsaken dungeon. Maybe that was the answer to the girl's question... This whole place was just forsaken. Ariadne shuddered at the thought.

Deciding she may as well heed the girl's request, Ariadne looked around the cell, then dragged her to a spot on the wall that looked well guarded from any possible sunlight. Then Ariadne sighed and buried her face in her hands. What was the world coming to?
 
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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Ariadne went through the rest of the day listening to the sounds of execution from within the dungeon. Sleep came to her once or twice but she was always awoken by the dreadful sounds of death. Truly if there was a forsaken place on this earth it was this dungeon. The girl did not move once throughout the day, she didn't even seem to breathe.

Even when Ariadne had tried to shaken the girl for the sparse meal the prisoners received she had not awoken. It was truly as if the girl were dead and always the sounds of doom and despair filled the cells. At one point she dared to look in the girl's mouth, only to find that the girl's teeth were normal. Had she dreamed the fangs or was she finally losing her mind.

Ariadne suddenly sat up as a guard shouted for her to come forth for her punishment. She had fallen asleep once more and as she looked around she found the girl was gone. Had the guards taken her for execution already. The guard called again as Ariadne stumbled around the darkened cell looking for the girl. She was gone, hopefully to someplace better than where they had both spent the last of their time on earth.
 

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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Ariadne awoke with a start and almost immediately, a chill raced down her spine. She'd been summoned. For torture or execution. Or both. She tried to pick herself up, but she had trouble moving her legs. It was one thing to be at peace with her decision, but freely walking to her doom was something else altogether.

Eventually, Ariadne managed to push herself up onto wobbly legs to get on her way. She noticed that that strange girl she met was gone and felt a pang of guilt. Had she failed to protect her like she wanted? It had been such a strange night. Almost like a dream. Ariadne had tried to revive the girl multiple times but with no luck. Now, she was just... gone. Ariadne could only hope her fate was better that what looked to be in store for herself.

With a deep breath and a soft prayer, Ariadne forced herself to go to whatever fate lay in store for her, hoping that Anna would live a long and happy life.
 
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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Ariadne felt herself being led from the dank dungeon up a flight of dark stairs. The cold night sky was all she could see ahead of her, there was little chance to escape as her hands were bound behind her back. The guards were almost sadistic as she fell to the ground several times from their shoving only feel herself roughly pulled to her feet.

Emerging from the light less tunnel she could see the raised platform where she was to die. Around the stage several poles sat arranged on which hung the spoked wheels. Half of which still held their victims, their limbs broken and their bodies left to die of slow starvation. None of them seemed to hold the girl, though Ariadne could only stand to look for a few moments before she closed her eyes.

She knew there would be people watching, perhaps even the emperor himself. Perhaps even her dearest Anna would be forced to watch and see her former friend and tutor die for treason. She felt herself led to the stage and tied to a wheel by the hooded executioner. It would only be a short time now and it would begin.
 

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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Ariadne squeaked each time she stumbled to the ground. She could hardly even stand, but the guards made sure she didn't have any trouble getting back up by manhandling her along the way to their destination. It was humiliating, but at least it was a good distraction for what actually lay ahead. Truthfully, Ariadne would have endured this all day long if it meant she wasn't going to be torn to shreds on that wheel.

When she finally saw the big wheel up on that raised platform with bodies still hanging from the sides, Ariadne nearly wretched. She probably would have if she hadn't slammed her eyes shut just in the nick of time. All of a sudden, Ariadne felt herself trying to move back... anything to get away from this monstrous device. But it was no use. Eventually she was tied to it. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see where she was or who was watching. It occurred to her that it was pretty disturbing that someone would actually watch an execution. She'd heard about them, but never liked the idea of seeing someone die even if they'd done something bad.

Ariadne tried to think about other things as much as she could, but mostly she was just too terrified to think straight. She just prayed that everything would end soon.
 
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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Ariadne heard silence for what seemed like forever, when the wheel started to slowly spin. She waited in tense apprehension of the impending death with her eyes tightly closed, as though it could prevent the coming agony. The first swing of the hammer broke her leg at the thigh sending pain cascading to her very soul. Each spin lead to another broken limb, though she couldn't be sure as she quickly passed out from the horrendous pain of the wheel.

She had no clue what time it was when she next woke, her eyes fluttering open as a single crow perched on her arm and tried to peck at her face. She couldn't move and the first attempt she made at such caused her to pass out once more. She had no clue what time it was when she next awoke but she knew she would die up on this forsaken pole, like the others beside her.
 

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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Once the pain started, time seemed to stand still. Ariadne had no clue how long... or short a time it'd been, or how many times she'd passed out. It hurt in so many places, that she couldn't pinpoint which one hurt most. It just felt like a cloud around her.

When Ariadne awoke for the second time, she didn't know where she was. It was all white around her. Then, the bright light slowly faded to green, and she felt as if she was looking over a meadow, which she eventually recognized as a place she used to go for picnics with Anna when they were younger. There were soft voices in the background that she couldn't understand, but she could just make out her friend, sitting alone on a blanket as if waiting for someone as a little brown rabbit hopped around a little ways to the side.

"Anna..." Ariadne whispered dreamily as she hung in the air, hallucinating of meadows with bunnies. "You'll have to go without me... I'm sorry."
 
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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

The field seemed to fade further and further away as Ariadne hung in the air, her life slowly fading away. Her head hurt so badly that she wished she could hold it but nothing would move. Attempting to move only brought more pain as she stared at the distant field of grasses and flowers. Bunnies frolicked and ate the grass, chasing each other on occasion. Anna was there in the field and she seemed to understand as she waved to her friend and tutor.

Anna's voice drifted towards her over the distant field, but that wasn't Anna it was someone she didn't know at all. The field and Anna continued to fade as the voices spoke to her. They seemed to reassure Ariadne of something and to congratulate her as well. A face briefly floated before her eyes as she felt herself lifted in the air. She couldn't tell where she was anymore as the voices began to sing to her, a strange song that seemed to fill Ariadne's mind as she slowly drifted into death.
 

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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Ariadne felt as if in a daze. When Anna waved to her, she smiled and tried to wave back, but immediately gasped in pain. There was nothing she could do except watch, but at least the place around her was at peace, if the bunnies were any indication.

When the strange voice consoled her, Ariadne started to wonder what was going on, but she didn't have enough strength to think too hard about it. All she could think as she was lifted in the air with mysterious, hidden people serenading her with song, was that the angels had come to take her to heaven. Ariadne kept her eyes open as long as she could, trying to take it all in. Her strength was fading rapidly though, and she felt her eyes fluttering against her attempts to stay awake. Still, she kept trying a little while longer.
 
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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Ariadne felt herself carried for what seemed like a long time, though it was difficult to say for sure. The voices singing to her in this strange fugue state seemed to make it even more dream like. Perhaps this was heaven and the voices were those of the angels welcoming her. Wait hadn't the girl mentioned the voices, but she was crazy wasn't she.

Those who carried her eventually set her down in what seemed a soft pile of leaves and grass. A warm fire sat in the distance through her clouded vision and she could barely make out the sight of someone dancing towards her. The woman knelt as the singing voices stopped and moved off towards the fire.

A soft glow seemed to emanate from the woman's forehead as her cold hand touched Ariadne's cheek. The horrendous pain in her broken body dissipating as though by magic. The bones were still broken but her pain was gone and her vision cleared, though she knew death was not far off. The woman was beautiful but she did not know any of the Romany.

"Ariadne. I need you to listen carefully. I have waited and watched you for many years. You are one of the kindest souls I know, which is why I make this offer before you pass into heaven.

I can make your unjust death painless and you will die in my arms like so many others, or I can give you the gift to heal and save the souls of even the most wicked. Which would you prefer?"
 

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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

Sweet voices filled her ears and strange sights dazzled her eyes. It was as if Ariadne was floating through a dreamworld, spiraling down the rabbit hole in the meadow, deep into the abyss of the unknown... or perhaps up a staircase to the pearly gates. Ariadne couldn't be sure.

She took it all in, everything from the singing, to the flickering fire, and the approaching beautiful woman. Ariadne squeaked softly when she felt her body crumple onto the ground. She was all too aware of her rapidly fading strength. Despite thinking she was at peace with herself, a solitary tear trickled down her cheek, thinking of all the love and joy that would go on without her.

Ariadne gasped sharply at the woman's cold touch on her cheek. She felt the magic flowing through her, washing away her pain. Even though she knew in her heart she hadn't been cured, the absence of pain, at this point, was euphoric. Ariadne stared up at the exotic woman responsible for the amazing feeling, her brown eyes filled with awe and wonder. She tried to listen to everything the woman said, but couldn't help from asking the one question swirling through her mind.

"Are... you... an... angel...?"
 
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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

The woman smiled brightly at Ariadne's question before merely shaking her head. Ariadne caught only the briefest glimpse of the woman's fangs as the light in the center of her forehead faded. She could have sworn she had seen an eye close as she lay there but perhaps it was just the feeling of being close to death playing tricks with her eyes.

"There were some long ago who used to refer to some of the Salubri as angels, but alas we are too much like the other Cainites. I believe you would know us best as vampires, though you must keep in mind that many of the myths and stories are wrong."
 

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Ariadne suddenly felt a pit form in her stomach. Not an angel but a vampire? So she hadn't imagined it after all! Ariadne might have squirmed if she had any ability to move. Instead, the Roman woman looked up at the magical person looming above her with a mix of horror and wonder in her eyes.

"V-vampire? B-but... you seem... so nice...." Ariadne whispered shakily, her voice trailing off for a long moment. "So was the girl I met in the dungeon. She said v-vampires are c-cursed. Is it... one of those.... myths too?"
 
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"Most of the kindred are just like the people we must feed from. Some are kind, some are mean-spirited, and the most are somewhere between those extremes." The woman answered softly as she went about straightening Ariadne's broken limbs. Ariadne could only watch as her broken and bleeding body went back to its original shape. There was no possible way she would survive for longer, though at least the pain was gone.

"Perhaps it is a myth, perhaps not. Each of the clans does suffer from a specific weakness or curse if you wish to think in such terms. Clans such as the Malkavian pay a heavy price for the gifts of their embrace. They are all incurably insane in return for the gift of divination. Not all of us suffer for the gift we have received. My clan, the Salubri, can only take sustenance from one who is willing to give their blood willingly." The woman had finished straightening Ariadne's limbs by this point and stopped to look Ariadne over intently for a few seconds. The look on the woman's face did not foster much hope in Ariadne, however.

"You have but a few more minutes to choose, Ariadne. You are dangerously close to death now. I realize you have many questions but we don't have the time any more. So will it be a painless death or do you wish to receive the gift of the embrace." The girl stared down at her and brushed a strand of loose hair from Ariadne's face as she waited for the answer.
 

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Re: Sweet Sacrifice (Ariadne)

"I don't think she was lost..." Ariadne whispered when the woman above her mentioned some sort of Malkavian. "She wanted to be good."

A knot started to form in the young Roman woman's throat at the thought of her impending decision. It felt like such an awful thing to have to decide. To die or turn into some sort of storybook monster. Being a vampire sounded so monstrous, so awful. On the other hand, the vampires she'd met didn't seem anything like the one's from the horror tales of her childhood. If anything, they were kinder souls than most of the humans she met in her life.

The few short minutes she had left felt like an eternity as she wrestled with the fears evoked by either choice. Each choice filled her with fear. It felt like each one was terrible, but there was one that seemed to at least offer hope. Eventually, Ariadne looked up at the woman above her with a mix of fear and admiration in her brown eyes.

"I don't want to.. d-die..." Ariadne stammered with ever widening eyes at the thought of her impending death and the choice she was faced with. She tried to grab the vampire woman's arm if she could. Ariadne felt herself fading, but she held onto her consciousness for dear life.

"P-please. I want to h-help people. P-p-promise me that I will help people. L-like that M-M-mmmm-maltese girl you mentioned. I want her to be h-happy... And o-others... Promise..."
 
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Ariadne's arm was to broken for it to really move though she managed to grab the woman's cold arm weakly. The kind smile on the woman's face never left as she leaned in closer to hear Ariadne's rapidly fading voice. She nodded as Ariadne made her choice and said.

"That's why I offered this chance, Ariadne. I know you want to help people and while I can't promise that you will save anyone. I can promise that you can try to save them though and I hope you succeed. Now rest and when you awaken I will tell you everything you need to know."

With Ariadne swiftly drifting away the woman leaned in and pressed her fangs to Ariadne's throat. There was no pain, just a small bit of pressure as the teeth pierced her throat and the woman began to drink. Ariadne soon found herself in a state of utter pleasure as the woman fed from her. The feeling was so intense she hardly noticed as she quickly passed from the world. The very last thing she recalled was the feeling of blood being forced past her own lips and flowing down her throat.
 

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The grip Ariadne had on the vampire's arm became like her last physical link to life. It was comforting just to know someone was there with her, protecting her from her pain. She watched the mysterious woman loom down close to her, her brown eyes widening in wonder as those fangs descended. Ariadne was prepared for more pain like she'd endured for what felt like an eternity the previous night. To her surprise, it wasn't too bad. It was wonderful actually. Whether being bitten was supposed to feel this way, Ariadne didn't know. After experiencing so much pain, it was like everything went in reverse.

It was too much for the Roman woman to fathom. Her body went out of control. Everything except her hand that still desperately held onto the vampire's wrist. Ariadne's mouth gaped. She was vaguely aware of the woman gorging on her neck, but she just stared up at the sky with dazzled, wide eyes. Her body squirmed every which way.

It could have been ten seconds or ten years. Time seemed to stand still, but eventually Ariadne's body didn't have any energy left to spend. The last image she saw was a picture of Anna smiling at her when Ariadne finally let go of the vampire's arm and closed her eyes. Her cold and lifeless body slumped to the side into death, but also into a strange new afterlife that she could never have imagined.
 
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Ariadne's eyes snapped open with a start as she tried to sit up, but she couldn't move far as she was bound tightly to the ground with stakes. Her arms and legs were amazingly perfect and though she felt stronger than she ever had before she couldn't budge the stakes. Her thought seemed to battle with something inside her head that seemed to want her to feed. She had an incredible craving for blood, the thought frightened as her thoughts raced through her mind.

Then the woman appeared from the darkness a few feet away as her vision cleared. A soothing song floated to her from somewhere in the darkness making it easier for her to fight the creature in her mind. The woman smiled and spoke calmly from the distance.

"It's good to see you awake, Ariadne. Are you in control or does the other yet hold sway over your mind, my childe?"
 

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As soon as Ariadne awoke from her slumber, she let out fiery growl and pulled at her binds. She hissed with fangs bared and pulled at the binds some more. Then suddenly, a look of horror swept over her face as she realized what was happening. She was acting like the monsters from Anna's grim fairy tales!

She wanted to stop. To get a hold of her self and act like the usually kind and civilized woman she was. If only it were that easy. Ariadne found herself growling under her breath even as she tried to get control. Whatever creature she'd be living with, it wasn't happy to be bound. It wanted to be free, but Ariadne also knew what was likely to happen if it did. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't. Even though she could already tell that this would be a life long battle.

The soothing song helped somewhat, but Ariadne still struggled for control as the woman appeared over her. Happily, she managed to stop from hissing in reply but she probably still looked pretty fearsome, staring up at the vampire with drawn fangs but with concern in her eyes.

"I'm trying. I want to be nice, but it's fighting so hard. It wants to be free. I'm so hungry..."
 
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