Private Tales Unholy War

[Elise Darkwater]

Elise sighed. There was so much she needed to tell Syn. There was so much left for her to learn...but Elise knew there was much for herself to learn as well. It astounded her how often she forgot Syn was just a girl. A powerful, masochistic, killing machine loyal to one master? Sure.

Deep down however, she was just a blind girl that had been driven from her home by murder and abuse that bordered on torture. She pulled herself up from the ground with a weak groan as she stood and limped her way to her mistresses side.

She wrapped her arms around the sniffling ball and held her close. “I know child. I...I apologize..” She said softly. Her heart rate was beginning to slow as she spoke. Her blood slowing as well as her breathing. She sounded tired.

Like every year of her service was suddenly weighing on her all at once.

“My job...is your protection.... No matter the cost...” She struggled out. “But I can’t protect you from what comes next...” She coughed and a black blob of blood splashed onto Syn’s cheek. Elise dropped her gauntlet from her left hand as it’s needles retracted and the gauntlet slipped off clunking to the ground.

She then gently brushed it from her cheek. Her hand shaking as she did so.

“I.. can’t even... protect myself...” She said struggling through sobs she tried to keep quiet, but because of their closeness Syn could surely fell them. They weren’t sobs of sorrow, but of frustration.

“I have never cared for anyone like I care for you sister.” She said gently resting her cheek on Syn’s shoulder.

Elise began to play with her hair. Gently stroking it. Her breath and heart beat slowed to almost nonexistence as her stroking slowed.

“And I feel I failed you...but as for today... I’m not mad...It just scared me... Syn...” She said finally planting a black bloodstained kiss on her pupil and lovers smooth cheek.

She moved Syn’s hand up to her own mouth so she could feel her smile.

It was a gesture she hadn't done in a long time before she slumped against her.

No breathing. No heart beat.

 

[Syn Ba'al]

Syn felt Elise slump against her, all signs of life but the barest minimum were gone. She lowered her hand from her now limp face, the smile gone. She looked up into the sky, blood rain soaking both of them and everything around.

She can hear the low rumble of hoofbeats in the distance, the result of the few who escaped to bring reinforcements.

She looked up at the sky, at the red cloud above them. She called out, her voice full of anguish, "Okay Bastellen! Where is she? Where is Maywynn? Elise is about to die and I don't know how to save her... Where the fuck are you!"

However, she was not answered by a familiar voice in her head, but something new and alien seemed to be listening. From a pool of blood in front of her a vaguely humanoid shape bubbled and rose up, as if it were swimming up through a lake of blood with only its head and shoulders breaking the surface. Again the shape was humanoid, but the face was formless and the visage comprised solely of blood.

The thing whispered at her like a corpse, barely audible even to her highly tuned ears...
"Go... To... Blackrock... Keep... Maywynn... Is... There..."
With that the little creature dropped back into the puddle of blood.
Syn Set her jaw and lifted Syn up on her back, even though she was strong enough to carry her, Elise was larger than her and was pretty unwieldy to carry around.
She grunted in frustration as they began their journey, "Did your butt get even heavier while I was gone?... Damn!... or is it your boobs that are your heaviest attribute now!"

She grumbled as they began a long and painstaking journey.

 

[Elise Darkwater]

Elise had seen better days. The wound that had almost taken her life refused to close or heal undoubtedly due to the holy magic imbued by whatever god their enemies served. On the third day of the journey she finally awoke.

Everything hurt.

Her head hurt, her eyes hurt her skin hurt, her joints hurt and her insides hurt.

She had relieved Syn of her carrying duties some what opting to limp beside her with an arm over her shoulder. She was getting weaker but at least she was awake.

“So. Who told you.” Elise asked simply. As soon as she had awoken she had known where they were going.

“Was it her?” She asked though not in the same accusatory manner as before.

Something had changed when she had passed out. Her eyes held a hint of scarlet they hadn’t before.

Whatever had happened however she seemed content to keep to herself for now, but for whatever the reason she seemed slightly more at peace with this new entity that had resurfaced in Bastellens absence.

 

[Syn Ba'al]

She woke up and was able to walk with assistance, that was a good sign. Syn helped her as best she could and they walked in silence for the most part, until Elise asked her how she knew where she was going.

She sighed, "I listened to the only voice who answered me, sister... We are going to Blackrock."

She went quiet again as they walked. They made good time in spite of Elise's injuries, as the sun rose they took shelter in a cave hidden among the old ruins of some ancient watchtower. Not that they were particularly harmed by the sun, although their racial abilities seemed to be less effective during the day, but because the wound in Elise's chest seemed to flare up and burn in the light of the sun.

She laid Elise down and gathered grass and moss to put under her, making a nest for her comfort. As the day dragged on she would watch the road for travelers to slake their thirst and possibly treat the wound. But altogether they would not be moving far until darkness fell.

 

[Elise Darkwater]

Elise’s eyes snapped open as night fell. She jerked awake clutching her chest.

Thankfully it seemed she wasn’t strong enough to even upset any bindings placed on the wound. She rolled over on all fours. Her eyes glowed a slight red as her fangs extended.

“H...hungry..SO HUNGRY!” She screeched with her claws extended she pounded on Syn sinking her fangs savagely into her neck drinking as deeply as she could before a snap of a twig made her drop Syn and bound off after it with incredible speed.

Sinking her fangs into the deer that had drawn her attention draining it to a husk in moments.

Her appetite was no where near fulfilled but it was enough to let her gain control of her self as the tiredness and pain returned.

“Sorry ch-child..” She said weakly sinking to her knees as they slowly gave out from under her.

 

[Syn Ba'al]

Syn rubbed her neck, the holes already healing over. So that was the savagery of a starved... Vampire? She got up with the blanket and came out, catching Elise and wrapping the blanket around the two of them.
This wasn't unexpected, just surprising in the moment. She knelt with Elise in the open under the stars.

She looked up at the night sky... Or at least, the direction she knew it to be.
"Are the stars shinning tonight... Elise?"
She asked like a child would... For some reason losing that haughty and arrogant tone in her voice and reverting back to how she spoke before her life changed. She was a full year older from then, but up to now her maturity was forced.

"Do you... Do you sometimes hear it? the voice from the blood?... I sometimes do... I did in that fortress..."

 

[Elise Darkwater]

Elise began to relax further as the blanket was thrown around the both of them. “Yes child..” Elise said ruffling Syn’s hair gently before giving her a playful boop on her nose with her unarmored hand.

“Like a jeweled tapestry..” She finished pulling her closer. Then Syn’s next question set her back on edge. This time was different than last time however. The tension didn’t seem to be directed at her this time.

“Y-Yes..” She said slowly. “She’s been speaking to me since our masters disappearance.” She struggled out like the words physically hurt her to speak them.

“And she began to make sense..” She said finally like she would rather eat bugs buried in shit than say it again.