LORE: End Game (MATURE)

[Emora Deen]

"We know what we're doing you pathetic excuse for a human!"

They ripped the bag from his head. He was chained up in the brig, down at the lowest level of the ship. The brig was the same room that the grain and seed was stored in.

"Welcome to your home for the time being," the soldier said, placing his hands on either side of two barrels of grain. "Sorry this is going to be inconvienent, but this is for our good as well as yours. What are you thinking... doing that... with that thing? You got issues, man." It seemed he had started out on business by soon his curiousity and the fact he still couldn't get over what he suddenly knew had happened. His mind couldn't get around it, and whether it was because he thought it was down right intruiging or frightening he couldn't tell.

"We're going to keep you locked in here to make sure she turns herself in without so much as a snap at us."

* * *

Tenele pushed herself into a sitting position, already bored out of her mind. She paced around in circles, hungry, but not really wanting to eat. She sat back down after a moment and thought

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad snarled at the man who'd just announced they were going to capture Tenele. "Turn herself in? She's hurt no one, what do you expect to do with her?" he shouted. Perhaps too loudly, he noted as a wave of dizziness temporarily numbed his sharp tongue. He tried his best to finish his rant by glaring. Even with human eyes, the look he gave the man was rather intimidating.

[Emora Deen]

The soldiers brows furrowed. "This is for the good of the ship, the crew, and the both of you." He took a seet on a crate that was covered in a long leather tarp. "Go get her." He nodded to two men who turned and left the room. After a moment the soldier stood up and stepped towards Vlad, taking Vlad's chin in his hand and tilting his head over to the side to admire the deep bruise and slight puncture marks. His face twisted in disgust.

He was forgetting what Vlad used to be. For, he couldn't understand how a human could let a demon use them in such a way. His eyes narrowed. "Do ya treat the human lady like this? Bite her whenever ya please? Disgusting. Wretched. And I surely thought those myths about the castle were just whispers. Its wrong. Humans should stay with humans, and demons should just burn."

He reached to his side and drew a long curved dagger. "She won't attack us if she thinks we'll kill you..."

* * *

Tenele was resting, bored out of her mind when she heard feet coming towards her door. They were not Vlad's, and there was more than one. A knock sounded, both gentle and urgent. "You really shouldn't be down here," Tenele answered as she stepped towards the door. Smelling such a lovely sent.

Damn, she hadn't eaten.

"My lady, Lord Dracul seems to have fallen ill. He passed out while accompanying the captain to the lower decks," one of the men said softly, almost apologeticly.

If she had a heart, it surely would have fluttered to a stop. The memory played over in her head of the night. He had lied to her? He had said he as fine. How much blood had she taken?!

Tenele opened the door in a hurry, and the men jumped in startled fear. "Where?" she asked quickly, crimson eyes darting back and forth between the both of them.

"Down on the bottom deck."

Tenele could have gotten there in a second, but still not remembering she had the ability to poof anywhere she pleased, she took off in a quick sprint down the hall. She had meant to gently push the two men out of the way, but sadly her slight shove had sent them hard into the wall. She was so distracted, that she didn't even notice them as they tried to pick themselves up off the floor.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad twisted his head out of the man's grip. "Of course I don't do this to her! She can't help herself, she's New. I'm the only one that can help her; you have no idea what you're doing," he growled. He managed to suspend his weight on the chains at his wrists, draw his legs upward, and kick out at the man's stomach full-force. The former vampire smirked tiredly as the man flew back and skidded across the floor.

"Why you good for nothing..." the man grumbled and gripped his dagger as he staggered to his feet, coughing. "You're all tied up, so bring it on. I'll just return it," he said throwing a sharp kick into Vlad's chest, "right back to you!" He brought the blade up against Vlad's neck a bit too hastily, and a thin trickle of blood squeezed down the blade. "No more funny stuff."

Vlad glared at him, but he couldn't draw enough breath for a retort. He wheezed and sagged against his restraints. Being human was so dull. He vaguely thought he could hear commotion on the other side of the door, or maybe that was his blood rushing in his head.

[Emora Deen]

"He's in here?" Tenele asked as she stepped down the hall towards an open door. She turned to enter, but froze in her tracks.

The room was dimly lit by oil lamps and several soldiers could be seen in various places about the room. Three came from the end of the hall she had come from, and four from the other. But, this is not what caught her attention.

"Vlad..." she whispered, and reached out to him as if she were close enough, stepping into the room. Her hand entered the warded area first. In startled shock, as her skin suddenly seemed as if it would catch fire. She let out a startled gasp and jerked back, clutching her hand to her. Steam billowed up from it, as if it had suddenly turned a thousand degrees.

"What are you doing? Let him go!" Tenele narrowed her eyes, trying to seem intimidating, but worry was all she felt at the moment. Vlad did not look well at all. No, he looke terrible.

"Nope," the soldier hissed, pressing his dagger a bit closer to Vlad's neck.

"I said let him go!" Her temper was flairing, and something else. She smelled blood, but not just anyones blood. Vlad's. They had hurt him.

"Your going to do what we say now, Maiden," he muttered.

"You can consider this treason," Tenele hissed. "I am a First among Queen's Maidens. I am considered the daughter to the Queen. You are defying the very country you fight for. He is a Lord, and you should know well than to treat nobility in such a manner." Though, she was speaking rather properly, her fists had knotted and her teeth had clenched.

"In case you haven't noticed Queen's Maiden, we ain't in Ighten anymore. Its every man for himself now!"

Tenele reached out suddenly and grabbed one of the soldiers next to her with lightening quickness. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and grabbed his hair with her other hand, jerking his head to the side. "For every cut you place on him I'll take one of your soldiers." Tenele wasn't entirely sure about what she was doing. She wasn't sure if she could muster the ability to reap such carnage. However, Vlad was in danger... and she'd do anything she could to save him.

She looked down at the man in her arms. His heart was thudding out of control, and it was uncomfortable to hold him. She wanted to bend down and drink, for her lust of the blood in his veins was a bit over whelming considering she hadn't had time to eat before undergoing this issue.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad raised his head as he heard Tenele's voice and watched the scene unfold in front of him. "Tenele, don't-" he broke off as something punched him in the stomach.

"Oh, no ya don't. I won't have you two conspiring," said his guard. "It's as you can see, miss Tenele. We won't be letting this one go until we're all safe at port and you're off this ship. How comfortable this is for him will be proportional to how well you behave yourself," he said flatly.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's grip tightened on the soldier she held with her arm. Despite his struggles, he sadly couldn't get free. Her teeth clenched tighter, and her eyes narrowed on the soldier. Then, they flickered to Vlad. They scanned the room, thinking. Calculating. Wondering just what it would feel like. Just what would happen if she gave into the being that was beating at her to be set free. A beast that wanted carnage. Blood.

Wanted to start a fight.

She tilted her head, looking very worried and thoughtful. "I..." Slowly a smirk came to her lips, despite how she knew this was going to hurt., despite how she knew that she'd probably get herself nearly killed. "You know, I've never been one for just giving up so easily." Her crimson gaze fell on Vlad, and she smiled softly. It was both a loving, and an apologetic smile. He would surely kill her for this. "I guess that's why you and I get along so well." Her hand gripped the soldiers shoulder tightly and suddenly she shoved forward. It seemed like the most effortless of movements, but he flew with such a force that when he struck one of the soldiers in the room it sent the both slamming into the wall.

She stepped forward quickly, before the humans could react, and despite the pain she knew she'd feel when entering the room, she moved through the ward. Yes, it would have kept a vampire out, one who feared pain. But, Tenele had learned in a cave in Arken, that pain was only something temporary, and there was always some release from it eventually. She did not fear it, though she didn't like it at all.

They rushed forward, and she moved with a strange deathly grace that she had only ever wittnessed in Vlad. Her hand came out and, palm flat, she struck the chest of one soldier and sent him back. But, before he could even make it an inch away from her, she had grabbed hold of his sword and snatched it from his hands. She spun towards the soldier, the one who had treated Vlad so gruffly, and through it with frightening accuracy. It plunged through his shoulder and nailed him to the wall next to Vlad.

Steaming, and more than a few winces acrossing her face. Tenele hurried to Vlad. She would have said something had she not been clenching her teeth to keep any sounds of discomfort or sheer agony from escaping. She didn't look for a key. Instead she ripped them straight from his hands, as he had done many times for her. Sad that she could call it "many" times.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stared in horror as Tenele entered the room. He could see the smoke rising off her body. She was through them all and by his side so quickly that he couldn't even protest. His legs barely held his weight as she ripped the shackles from the wall and he found himself standing free. "You have to leave," he gasped quickly as soon as he was free. His eyes flared. "Behind you!"

Two soldiers had come up on Tenele while she was freeing Vlad. They each had a holy talisman in their hand and were holding them out like weapons as they moved in on her.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's eyes opened wide as on of the soldiers swung the tallisman towards her, as if he were trying to smack her with it. She lunged back quickly, falling off her feet and landing on her back on the decking. Her foot swung out in a quick arch and she knocked his legs out from under him. But, just as he fell, his friend was sweeping down, bringing the tallisman down towards her harshly. She rolled to the side, narrowly missing it.

She was finding it harder to concentrate now, and she looked to her hands. The skin on her knuckles was beginning to turn black and float away like ash. She opened her mouth to let out the sound she so desperately wanted to make, but it merely came out as a hiccup of emotion. Instead she stood to her feet, before the soldier could even recoil, and punched him so hard in the jaw, that a few of his teeth shattered.

She stooped, wrapping an arm around Vlad and half-dragging him towards the door.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Just get out," Vlad protested as she kept trying to take him with her, but he could tell she wasn't in a listening mood, so he forced his legs to move as fast as possible and and staggered, with her help, out into the hallway. The hallway wasn't much better, as there were several more men there. At the least they didn't seem to be equipped with any holy items. Vlad tore his eyes away from the crew to stare at Tenele's injuries. "Foolish, that was so foolish," he scowled, but his sluggish voice didn't do justice to his anger.

"All of you, get back before someone gets killed," he snapped.

The men didn't seem impressed by Vlad's temper. What had just happened only seemed to prove that Tenele was dangerous, and now she had their prisoner. "Men, now, while she's weak," someone shouted, and the others began to move in on them cautiously.

At a better time, Vlad could have laughed at the word "weak". If they only knew how wrong they were, and how stupid they were being. "Take us back to the room," he breathed tensely, hoping he could talk Tenele into some kind of a retreat before she massacred these men. He didn't care much for their lives, but when she had her mortality back, he had a feeling that Tenele Raider would.

The two men closest to them leapt forward, one grabbing Tenele's arm and the other clutching on to Vlad's. They tried to pull Vlad away so they could get at Tenele.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele clutched onto Vlad, shivering uncontrollably as if she had just been defrosted from a huge block of ice. She was going to hold onto him tightly, but before her grip could do so she was jerked away from him. Despite her strength she was really light, and they pulled her away from Vlad with great ease. But, she wasn't finish. She jerked around and planted her foot into one of the soldiers faces, breaking his nose.

She reached around and dug her long nails into the back of her attacks neck, wanting to be free.

It was then that the priest appeared. "Bring her! Hurry! I've readied it!" And they began to drag her down the hall. She was like a wild animal, clawing, scratching, kicking. But, she was weaker than she had been momentarily. They brought her to another room, this one was filled with trunks of clothing and other valuables. In the center of the mass of trunks was a large half-circle drawn with salt. The gaurds drug her into the room and into the center of the small circle, which was about a 5 foot radius. Once inside the priest inclosed them, but tying on end of the half-moon to the other. Then he proceeded to carve ruins into the flooring of the ship while the guard tried his best to hold her down.

In the end he was tossed carlessly away, bloody and shredded for his effort. Tenele was on her feet, seeing Vlad down the hall in the distance. She tried to run to him, but bounced off an invisble wall. She landed on her side, still trembling as every nerve in her body begged for mercy. The circle flared with white light, and she realized with grim horror, that she was trapped.

[Soran Nightblade]

When Vlad realized what they were going to do, he braced up against the hands that were pulling at him and struggled desperately in the opposite direction. "You can't do this to her!" he bellowed, actually pulling one of the men over. But he felt his legs giving out, and suddenly the had him pinned on his stomach and were firmly binding his hands and feet.

"Take him to his quarters," someone said, and he felt himself being lifted. There was no bag over his head this time, but his vision was blurry enough that the effect was similar. He mumbled countless half-formed arguments to them in frustrated, incoherent batches of words before they finally threw him in his quarters and locked him there. Four men stood guard outside, looking quite shaken by the whole ordeal.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele stayed on her side, very still. Well, not completely, because her body was shaking. Her fingertips were charred, as were her knuckles. She stayed curled on her side, her head resting on her hands, the dark green dress fanned out around her. The salt ring glowed around her, casting a pale blue light all over.

The priest tilted his head as he looked at her, for suddenly she seemed so calm. He took a step forward, and knelt down next to her, still safe on the otherside of the salt. "I'm really sorry about this..."

Tenele said nothing, her eyes didn't even glance his way. He leaned a bit forward, wondering if she was already to weak to move. He knew that this holy magic would eventually drain her of all the energy she had, and maybe far quicker than expected because of all that she had done a minute ago.

Silver hair had fallen over in front of her face, and he reached out to brush it away. She lashed out at him, shredding his robe and slicing his arm open. He howled, screaming in pain and leaning back, a stream of curse words flying from the holy man's lips.

"Let him go free," Tenele whispered. "He has done nothing but try and protect us all. So let him go. If not, when I escape, you'll be the first that I kill."

"You won't escape. In an hour, you won't have enough energy to keep your eyes open," he huffed out in irritation. He rose from the floor, and headed off to see if Vladimir was behaving.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's senses rushed back to him as he was dropped ungently onto the floor. His eyes swirled opened to gradually focus on what he realized was his own room. He looked around to see the door closing behind him. "Wait!" he called out, but it just slammed shut.

Damn it damn it damn it, Vlad thought, verging on panic. He lay there for a long moment just catching his breath and trying to think clearly. He'd been trapped in a holy circle before. It was not fun. They could kill her. He had to break whatever strange magic had affected them.

He shuffled on his side across the room until he made it to his bag, and rooted through it with his face, looking for something. He used his teeth to threw the clothing he'd packed out of the way, burrowing toward the bottom. There he found it. He gathered the smooth object in his teeth and lifted it carefully out of the bag, dropping it onto the ground in front of him. Shoot, Sinead had said he had to touch it. After some rather inelegant maneuvering, he managed to clasp the stone in his tied hand and whisper the words Sinead had told him to use. He felt it buzz to life, and when he rolled over to look at it, it was glowing where it lay on the floor. A moment later, a bluish haze appeared above it. Vlad saw nothing in particular in the image. "Sinead," Vlad called out. No one appeared. "Sinead!" he shouted, suddenly on the verge of panic. "Damnit, you said you'd keep this with you," he began grousing, when suddenly a face appeared in the light, like someone stepping in front of a bathroom mirror.

"Be patient, I had to dismiss my counsel to speak with you," Sinead started, before she caught a good view of his face. "Vladimir...are you lying down?" she asked warily.

"Not by choice," Vlad said thinly. "We have a problem. Your mages botched a spell on us before we left, and Tenele and I switched races."

Sinead stared at him for a long moment, taking in his eye color and the scrapes and bruises on his face and neck. "Where is Tenele?" She demanded.

"In trouble," Vlad said. "We need to break this spell. The crew isn't reacting well to her changes."

"Why are they even aware-..." Sinead might have chosen that time to scold Vlad, but the raw shock in his voice seemed to excuse him for the time being. "I'll look into it. Keep the stone with you," she said, and the connection cut off.

Easier said than done, without hands, of course. Vlad hadn't packed any weapons, but he knew Tenele had packed a dagger. A lot of crawling and awkward sawing later, Vlad finally lay spread eagle on the bedroom floor, his limbs free. He knew he had to do something about Tenele, but for the moment, he just lay there and caught his breath.

[Emora Deen]

The priest went hobbling down the hall, cradling his arms. "Get the door for me. And someone go unpin Colonel Crager from the wall," the priest muttered as he stepped up to Vlad and Tenele's room. One of his guards quickly opened the door and allowed the priest to enter.

He took in the scene of the unmade bed, with the blood stain on the pillow, and the mess on the floor. Then, he found Vlad laid out there.

The priest folded his robes up as he sat on the edge of the bed peering down at Vlad. "This has all gone about in a totally different way than I had foreseen it would. The Gods power must be lessening the closer we get, for I can't seem to comprehend how to handle this situation. Let a deadly vampire run loose on a ship full of frightened passangers, or keep her locked safely away from everyone. I hate doing this to Maiden Raider, really I do. Its just, there is no other way. I know you won't understand. But, I decided to try and explain anyway. Beasts should be kept in chains, and Sinead has her chains on you. But, this vampire is free. We are having to create our own means of bounding this beast."