Chapter 24

As the days passed by we were no closer to escape then we were when first got captured. Kalastrovax had been silent through it all. Once a day the vampires would come in and their human slaves would provide water and oatmeal to the prisoners. I had been looking for an opportunity to try something but the way they went about bringing us the food made it nearly impossible. They made us turn around and go to the far end of the cage. Then one of the humans would be sent in to place the food and water down. Another thing that I had forgotten to mention was the bucket that was in the corner. I will leave to your imagination what that bucket was for. That was also taken away every few days. Time passed by at a snail's pace. Idle conversation was the only thing that kept Sora and I in higher spirits. Without any of our gear there was nothing else for us to do. We rested as much as we could. We still had injuries that were starting to heal up and we wanted to be in the best shape possible if there was any chance to escape.

Days turned to weeks. It seemed as though there had been more preparation necessary for this ritual then we had originally realized. Another surprising thing was that a few new prisoners had also been added to the cages. Showing that they may not have the right amount of sacrifices just yet. That was both good and bad. It was good because it meant that we had more time to prepare. It was bad because it meant the more innocent people were getting caught up in this and that there was probably no one looking for them. One thing that gave me hope that we might have some small hope of a rescue was the human captives we had released. If they had managed to get out of the tunnels and make it to the surface perhaps they could send for help and some more seasoned adventurers could come and rescue us. The only problem with that was that the capital was far away and it would take time for them to get there and for a party of adventurers to be sent out to look for us. Though it was a small hope I still thought it could be a possibility. I just didn’t know if we were going to be afforded enough time for them to get here.

The next day they started taking people from their cages. At first it was one at a time and then they started taking groups. It seemed as though our time was running out. This had to be the beginning stages of the ritual. They had taken quite a few people but still many more were left in their cages. It seems this ritual would not be prepared quickly so maybe we still had time to hope for a rescue. I would not however hold my breath. Things had not been favoring us as of late. We could use a bit of luck. Though it didn’t feel like my mother would be supplying any to us this time. We would have to figure a way out on our own. Just as I thought that a voice appeared in my head and it wasn’t the one I was expecting. “Hello dear. It’s your mother Moria. I’m happy you're thinking of me and I would love to help you but I just can’t this time. All I can tell you is that this ritual requires a willing sacrifice. They have chosen you and the girl to be the final victims in this ritual. Unlike these other poor souls whose lives will be taken without their consent you two must willingly submit to being the final sacrifice. As long as you can hold strong and not give in to the temptation of death there is a chance you will survive this. If I can swing the odds in your favor I will but don’t count on it. I have broken more than one rule just talking to you in this way. I must go before I am discovered. Take care and hold strong Alex.”

With that the presence around me disappeared and I was left with just myself and Sora alone in our cage once again. I told her what my mother had told me and she nodded with a grim look on her face. “I understand. Only if we willingly submit will we die. I guess we will have to do our best to hold out.” I agreed with that sentiment. We would need to stand strong and hold out as long as possible. We couldn’t give in no matter what. As long as we were still alive anything was possible. I was surprised that Kalastrovax had not come forward with any information as of yet. I would prefer a different method of escape over being the center of some ritual. I was sure whatever this ritual entailed would not be pleasant and some may even wish for death if things got bad enough. I liked to think that I had been through enough in my life that I could stand up to whatever these vampires threw at me.

My life had been hard up to this point. I had been basically a slave to the church of Laluna as a child. I was beaten and abused for most of my life. Things hadn’t been fair for me up to this point so I shouldn’t expect anything different now. I had put up with a lot of adversity in my life. I didn’t think some vampires were going to get the better of me but only time would tell. That was when I felt another presence wash over me. This one was less powerful than the one before but not by much. To know that Kalastrovax was nearly at the level of a god was frightening. It also helped alleviate some of my fear. Surely he would have some advice on how to deal with this situation. With his words my dreams were shattered. “I thought I could come up with some plan to help you but alas I can not. I am of the same opinion as your mother. Your best hope at this point is to try and hold out and hope for a rescue. I can see no way to free you from these cages. I have spells of great power but no way to teach you at this moment. Your body is also not ready for magic of that level. It would burn you down from the inside if you even attempted them. I have searched through my memories and libraries but I have nothing you can use. I have things that could free you in an instant but they would also kill you. They are all items that are designed for people at a much higher power level and knowledge base than you. I wish I could be more helpful but this time it is truly up to you. I wish I could use my powers to rescue us from this situation but too much of my power has been restrained. If we survive this and you manage to get me that stone of blood I will be of more help in these kinds of situations but I’m afraid that for now at least it is all up to you.”

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

With that the voice disappeared and my head lowered. This was not what I had been hoping for. I had been holding out hope that he would have something that would save us from this situation but it turned out to be up to us. We were the only ones that could help our situation. I told Sora the bad news and she took it better than I had. It turned out she hadn’t held out much hope in us finding an easy way out and had already steeled herself for the trial that was to come.We did as we usually did in the cage. We rested as much as possible and looked for any opportunity to escape though none presented itself. Throughout the day the number of people in the other cages had dwindled. Even the mayor had been taken away. It was almost time for the ritual to begin. I was as prepared as I would ever be. When the last of the others were taken I knew it was time.

The thought had just left my mind when a group of vampires led by Isabella made their way towards us. She hadn’t graced any of the other humans with her presence and I wasn’t excited that she had made the exception for us. I noticed a couple of the guards holding what looked like dog collars and manacles in their hands and I could pretty much assume what those were for. My theory was confirmed when she spoke. “Don’t fight back. These are magic restraining devices. They will keep you from trying anything while they are on.” They opened the cage and held us down to put them on us. We tried to resist but they had the numbers and strength advantage on us. Once they were on they let us up.We now really had no way to defend ourselves. Now we couldn’t use our hands, feet, or magic.This started the thoughts of despair that I had been trying to keep out. They marched us out of the cage and then out of the room. We were led into the hall and then deeper into the main part of the complex. We were taken to a large open room. The villagers were spread out in an intricate design. Glowing red lamps the color of blood lit the area. The human servants were chanting something I couldn’t understand off to the side. There was a raised platform in the center and that’s where we headed. You could feel the energy of the ritual all around. There was something in the air and it felt wrong like it wasn’t supposed to be here. I guess it wasn’t. They were trying to summon something that should probably stay where it was. This vampire lord they had talked about seemed like very bad news. Hopefully we could put a stop to this before it was too late.

I was holding out hope that enough time had gone by that someone had managed to inform the guild about our disappearance as well as the fact there were vampires involved. The mention of vampires should get the higher ups in the guilds attention. Hopefully they will send someone soon. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me in this ritual but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be pleasant. My mother and Kalastrovax had made it seem like it was going to be bad so I assumed it was going to be torture for anyone involved. Once we were on the center platform they led Sora and I to the very center where there were two pedestals set up. They looked just big enough for a person to stand. All around the room the other people were chained in place. There was no hope that any of us were going to make it out of here. After we were put into our spots the chanting got louder. The other vampires had joined in with the human slaves. The feeling in the room grew thicker and it continued to feel more and more wrong. Isabella approached my pedestal and said to me. “It’s about to begin. Struggle as much as you like that just makes it all the more sweet for us when you finally give in. Soon the pain will stop and the only way to make it stop is to die and fuel our ritual. As soon as you die all of the others will die as well. You will feel the combined suffering of all of the other little humans here. You are the only thing standing between them and death. Try to hold on for a little while. We wouldn’t want this to be over too quickly.” She waved her hands and that was when the pain started. Pain like I had never felt before. It was so much worse than all of the beating I had received in my life combined. The feeling of a hot poker being shoved into your eye would feel better. The pain was almost indescribable.

The pain washed over me in waves. For a while I thought I had gotten used to it and then it increased to a higher level. I could see how this pain could drive someone mad. I could see why someone would choose to die and have it over with instead of standing here in tortured silence. Though I didn’t have a choice. I needed to survive so that all of these people could survive. They were counting on me and I didn’t want to let them down. I couldn’t save them directly but I could hold out for long enough for someone else to come in and save them. This was how time passed for me. Minute after minute the agony increased. Just as I thought I was getting used to the pain it would increase again. It was like ants eating me alive while being boiled in oil. I didn’t know how I hadn’t gone insane yet. Sora was on the opposite platform experiencing the same torture as I was and she didn’t seem to be handling it very well. Her whole body was shaking and I could see tears streaming down her face. Isabella spoke from the side. “Go ahead and quit, girl. It won’t be over for you just yet, but as soon as you give in all of the pain you are feeling will be put on the boys. His pain will be doubled while you will be able to relax knowing you tried your best. Just give up already.” Sora looked to have steeled herself in that moment. I didn’t know how long she could last before she broke but I’m glad she stood up to the first attack.

This was how time passed for us . Every minute the pain grew worse. Then finally with a shudder Sora fell from her pedestal. She couldn’t hold out any longer. She had survived longer than any woman should have been able to. Then the pain increased. The pain I had felt before was a warm summer's breeze or a lover's kiss in comparison to this. I understood now why people would beg for death just to be released from this pain but I couldn’t do it. I had to hold out. Everyone was counting on me to succeed. Just as before the pain kept increasing. Though it wasn’t a gradual increase like before the pain just kept spiking to higher and higher levels. It got to the point where I couldn’t think or even breathe. I didn’t know pain like this existed. A pain so terrible I wanted to call out for someone to kill me just to end it all for me. I couldn’t go on like this any more. I had to give in. What was the point? Even death was better than this existence. Just as I was about to give in I heard a sound. The sound of people charging in this direction. Isabella sent a couple of her minions to check out what was going on when the doors flew open and there stood Veronica, one of the leaders from the adventurers guild. She was surrounded by other high ranking adventurers. We were saved and with that thought the pain overwhelmed me and I passed out.