Mecanimus
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69. Trial
🕑 Added 2020-04-11 04:12:56 +0000 UTCFAIR WARNING this chapter justifies the traumatizing content tag. I am not kidding. I will provide a summary to those who ask for it.
We make our way to New-Orleans without incident. I remove a silver bullet from Metis’ flank though she did not appear to be bothered, after which she trots off while munching on an arm. Jimena informs me that only a Nightmare and vampire with a true bond could call on each other like that, and that I must have been an exceptionally talented and domineering owner for her to be so subservient. When I inform my sister that Metis is anything but subservient and that the haughty, overgrown pony has a tendency to wander off when she feels like it, I am faced with a complicated expression.
“Somehow, I am not surprised,” she declares after a while.
Whatever that means.
We take shelter for the day inside of the building that had hosted my fateful duel against Jimena. I learn that it acts as a sort of embassy, inn and government office rolled in one for the local vampires and their visitors. There, the Knights relay the situation to a representative of the Roland and Ekon clans who quickly dispatch mercenaries to the location of the fight. When they arrive, both the White Cabal and the Order are long gone. A night later, we take a ship to Boston with Melusine, who is to be interrogated about the whole disaster and her role in it.
We settle in another boat ride which leads to yet another case of boredom. There is only so much coast I can watch before it becomes tedious. I occupy my time by drawing some of the things I saw like Jonathan’s half-smile, the old woman sacrificing her life to save Sola, the albino nurse herself facing me despite her fear but before too much snot drips down her nose etc. Anatole stops harassing me and I get to practice guessing cards with Aisha’s help, something she assures me I am moderately talented at. In addition, I exchange a few words with Melusine on occasion. Our conversations are usually like this.
“Oh, Ariane, I thought it smelled like sweat, mud and sugar cane around here.”
“Is that you Melusine? I thought it was someone important.”
And so on.
I am so beyond ennui that I wouldn’t mind a pirate attack. I would scream the random words that Dalton taught me and have somebody, anybody really, walk the plank afterward. Alas, the days of the dread pirate Ariane have not come yet. I pester a sailor until he informs me that we sail at a speed of seven knots, then pester him further to learn that it is equivalent to eight miles per hour which is apparently really good, for a sailboat. After a week of travel and at sundown, we come in view of Boston harbor.
The sea is covered in ships, warships, steamers and rowboats of all sizes. White sails and dark hulls contrast with the muddy green of the ocean. The flurry of activity does not stop, even at this late hour. We pass a few islands before our destination comes into view. An elevated landmass covered in buildings sits here, surrounded by waterways.
“Water on the other side as well,” an old sailor comments laconically.
Rows upon rows of warehouses and factories start from the shore and continue out of view. The uniform mass of their dark roofs is broken here and there by the spire of a church, or by the white columns official buildings. Columns of smoke rise into the night air like so many snakes, and the air is charged with the perfume of brine and burnt sugar under the overwhelming stench of raw sewage. I scrunch my nose with distaste.
It doesn’t take us long to moor at a pier where several carriages drawn by lesser Nightmares await us. We disembark and climb in without a word, and mortals soon lead us through the city.
I look out the window as we pass by. I have never been to the original colonies, so this is quite exciting! We pass endless rows of factories, herds of animals led through the street and a few markets smelling of meat, rum, and tobacco. The population here is so… white, compared to New Orleans. And the richer denizens sound weird, with an accent I have never heard before. I drink the sights until finally, we reach the Southern part of the city and nature makes a reappearance.
I return my attention to the interior of the ride. Jimena, Anatole and Melusine ride with me. I cross eyes with the red-haired harpy.
She smiles lightly and her lips spell the word “bumpkin.”
Perhaps I should look outside more, it wouldn’t do to slay her while she can still be of use.
Cut stone and painted wood gives way to maple and birch as we ride South. After a few more minutes, we follow deserted trails until we enter a forest of tall pine trees. The scent of their sap and dried needles soothes my increasingly nervous mind, until we leave their cover behind.
The path we follow leaves the forest behind and descends into a small expanse of flatland covered in vegetation. There, hidden from view, greenhouses and patches of greenery alternate with small homes lit by lanterns, with a few larger barns casting darker shadows. On the sides, the land falls abruptly into the sea so that an intimate valley is formed. In front of us and after the flatlands, a large mound of sheer cliff dominates the landscape, with the road dug into its stony flanks. Light shines from its summit and I can already see the edge of a slated roof. The carriages do not stop, and we slowly make our way up, past two security checks whose guards wave us forward. Soon, we reach the top and a manor comes into full view.
We first travel through a last gate and a garden designed to look natural. Rows of trees block the wind and create hidden paths where revelers would have the illusion of intimacy. Behind that, the road ends at the foot of a majestic U-shaped edifice with the main body parallel to the sea. Its walls are of pink sandstone with only light decorations. Three wings, each more than sixty yards long, shelter in their embrace a French style garden centered around a fountain. A straight path leads from the entrance to a monumental set of stairs decorated on each side by columns separating the garden proper from a covered promenade. French windows on the left give me glimpses of a ballroom that could easily fit a hundred, and the entire second floor is adorned by one uninterrupted balcony. I can tell that there is a third floor and attic, and I expect that as in most vampire strongholds, a significant part of the structure will be buried.
The most striking thing is not the architecture, however, but the vampires. A dozen of them cross the garden at a sedate pace and lean from the balconies in small groups of two to three. They affect indifference, but I can feel the weight of their attention on us. Their auras are deployed yet peaceful, and I can tell that most of them are Masters with at least one Lord thrown in.
Jimena exits first and takes my side as I follow. We walk in behind Anatole, and I thank Sinead’s harsh training for without which my aura would have betrayed my stress.
Instead of a standard hall, the entrance leads to a lobby with the opposite windows offering a view of the sea and beyond that, the mainland. Tables and couches set on thick rugs form a harmonious rest area around a hearth in which a fire burns quietly. Light is provided by multiple candles though it remains subdued. On each table, pots filled with dried flowers and herbs perfume the air.
It is not enough to mask the cold spice I associate with vampires. The air is heavy with it, both a welcome and a warning.
A man stands in front of a front desk with his hand folded against his back. He wears an elaborate black suit with a bowtie that would look like a butler uniform were it not for the jacket being slightly too long and suspiciously heavy. Despite his obvious role as the welcome party, I find myself intimidated. His aura is powerful, probably more powerful than Moor’s, and it has a wild quality to it that reminds me of werewolf. His eyes are so dark that I cannot tell the iris from the pupil and he wears his long sandy-colored hair tied in a tail, as well as a short and well-trimmed beard of the same color. His face has a ruddy quality, as if he had been an outdoorsman before being turned. From his expression, I can tell that he is not pleased.
“The Speaker expects you in the courtroom,” he starts with a deep voice, “immediately.”
His tone makes it clear that this wasn’t a suggestion. We turn left into a soberly decorated corridor, and then right into an antechamber. There are no windows here, only an empty desk and a few chairs. A single large door leads further in, and on each side stands a sentinel.
And here the veneer of civilization falls off and the iron fist beneath the velvet glove is revealed. The pair are a battle Lord and Lady without a doubt. They are clad in a twin set of Dvergur-made enchanted armor that would cause Loth to whistle in admiration and hold pole weapons the color of the void. I realize that there is enough might in this room to depopulate a small city and repress a shiver. The sheer pressure of so many crushing auras in such an enclosed space strikes me with a claustrophobia that has nothing to do with the lack of exits. Despite their fearful appearance, they open the door in silence and let us through without pause.
This is it.
This is where my fate will soon be decided. Jimena takes my hand for a fraction of a second and releases it, for which I am grateful. I let go of a breath that I had been holding since the garden. I take a second to inspect my surroundings. The room is split in two in its middle with rows of seats on each side. The top rows have unadorned desks with partitions allowing privacy. They lead to an elevated area with a tall desk which I remember is called the bench. I can see three highly decorative seats to the left and a door to the right leading to parts unknown. Large windows set high into the wall only show the night sky.
The room is empty.
Our advance grinds to a stop and I expect the others to be at a loss. I am quickly proven wrong, as Jimena leads me to the left front seat while Anatole and his squad sit on the right. Jimena proudly takes her place by my side and I hear a single click when Anatole’s jaws lock together.
We wait for only one minute before the right door bangs open and a man in a dark magistrate robe steps in.
I don’t know what I expected from Constantine but whatever it was, I am not disappointed. North America’s only Progenitor is very tall, but also quite thin. He has a hooked nose and sensual lips as well as large chestnut colored eyes. His hair is dark and cut very close. His face’s strange features would be ugly on anybody else, but on him the arrangement is eye-catching and magnetically attractive.
His eyes immediately fall on me and I feel a pressing weight settling on my shoulders for a moment before he turns his attention to Anatole with obvious displeasure. His voice is a soft baritone that would be more fitting in a lecture hall but right now, it is dripping with sarcasm and disappointment.
“So, this is the rabid rogue you spent so much time and resources tracking down, Anatole? The bloodthirsty and barely coherent monster you promised?”
“Please, your excellence, do not let yourself be fooled by-”
My eyes widen in surprise. Seriously? That little, pathetic, ungrateful prick! We fought together!
“-her meek appearance, she-”
“Silence.”
Anatole says a single word, and his aura bursts out.
Power. Unbridled.
I gasp in surprise and pain, and even Jimena winces before the merciless display. My neck bends forward under the ominous pressure and I fight to remain upright.
This is the power of a Progenitor. And he is the youngest of them? By the Watcher, Semiramis was right. I have never witnessed my Sire take anything seriously.
“Answer my question carefully, Anatole. Is she a rogue?”
The abominable wanker licks his lips with nervousness. How I wish I could KILL HIM for the… the sheer audacity!
“Perhaps not,” he replies, “but I have proof that…”
“This trial is to decide the rogue status of a young and isolated vampire who thoroughly outplayed you, using loopholes in my carefully constructed laws to make a technically correct claim. I think the verdict is clear.”
“Yes, but…”
“But you have another litany of charges to submit against her, wasting countless more hours of my valuable time, yes?”
“Excellence, I assure you that she has shown signs of working for unidentified forces. Those earrings, for example, could never have been made by a savage as she claimed…”
I’ll kill him. I’ll fucking kill him and I will make it slow, shameful and excruciating. I will peel the skin from his back, I’ll…
“I have had enough of you and of this whole farce. Ariane of the Nirari will be thoroughly interrogated to determine if she presents an active danger to the Accords.”
I feel shock overcoming me. Don’t I have a say in that? Jimena mirrors my expression of dismay.
“Yes, Excellence,” answers Anatole with a dangerous glint. Oh no, please no…
“Not by you of course, by Ignace. If declared innocent, she will be cleared of any and all charges from her rebirth until now and her petition for House status will proceed immediately.”
Anatole scowls. Though he wisely decides to remain silent.
“In addition, Anatole, you will be stripped from your position.”
You could hear a pin drop three rooms over.
“You do not have the authority to have me removed,” he slowly enunciates. Instead of exploding, Constantine raises an aristocratic brow.
“Let me clarify. You will be banished from North America on pain of death. If this occurs, the Knights will have little choice but to have you replaced, won’t they?”
Both Jimena and Anatole stand up in protest after he is done but the Speaker’s voice covers them all.
“Enough! It is done. Take her away.”
The two sentinels grab me by the shoulders, and despite my hiss, take me away with ease. I do my best to calm down as they drag me down several steps of stairs until the coziness of the manor gives way to bedrock in dark granite.
It should be alright. I can answer truthfully to any question they have, except perhaps on Semiramis… By the Watcher I hope it will not count against me. It shouldn’t. I have done nothing to harm the Accords. Yes, if anything, I have been quiet and cautious. I think it will be fine. I will be fine.
The pair opens a heavily reinforced door at the end of the corridor and we enter a square room dug directly into the stone.
A chair of dark iron.
Heavy restraints.
Pliers, pincers, a brasero.
A painfully thin man with his chest bare turns as we come in. His face is dour and his dull brown eyes are lifeless.
“Good evening, I am Ignace. Should we begin?”
No…
“…”
“Ah, the issue with oaths is an intriguing one. Our minds are still surprisingly human, we are not automatons who consider all possibilities after all, yes? Sometimes, oaths may contradict each other. Take the case of a loyal knight who swore to protect king and country. What happens if he realizes that the king is insane? Would it be better to revolt to protect the country despite the destruction it would cause, or fight to defend the king? An intriguing situation, is it not? In our case, it will cost us, but we will decide or realize which oath is the most important. And so, some people could swear to withhold information before being questioned and thus be shielded from confession. That is why we should proceed this way. In the end, I will break you and learn all there is to know, and then, eventually, you will make a full recovery. Begging is useless. Bargaining is useless. It is but one hurdle to pass, but pass it you will. I am good at what I do.”
“I worked on some of your siblings, you know? They were always too far gone for us to learn anything worthwhile. It is such an unexpected pleasure to cooperate with you.”
“…”
“Oh, but this is a cooperation. I shall teach you much while we make our path together. For example, you care too much about your body’s integrity and nudity. You are no longer a mortal, yes? Your body will always recover from harm. It is just a vessel. Losing an arm is a hindrance, not a life sentence. Losing your eyes just means you need to rely on other senses while they regrow. Speaking of which…”
“The most sensitive parts of the human body are the hands, the face and to some extent, the genitals. Vampires are especially sensitive to losing fangs. You can still feed properly even if you are missing some of them. Remember, they will grow back. Now, drink.”
“To grow back selective parts more quickly, you need to focus your essence on the wound. You will know it works when the severed limb turns to ash. Try again. Faster, this time.”
“Tell me of your path up till now. You were a city master, yes? Quite the smart little trickster you are. It will be a pleasure to see you grow.”
The Master learnt that she could see into the future.
“A seer hm? You do not have the contemplative personality to make full use of it, but I am sure the intuition that will result from this practice will be of use to a warrior such as you.”
The Courtier drank the royal blood and became Master. She slew the enforcer from the enemy clan.
“You treat the Fae as a faction? Oh, this is so very precious. You are an interesting one, Ariane of the Nirari. I have not been this pleasantly surprised in a long time. Rest assured that this tale is safe with me. The sun will grow cold before I break the secrecy of the confession, it is, after all, my most precious oath.”
The Courtier followed the beacon.
“I would rather not hear this story. I know of whom you speak and would prefer not to attract her attention.”
The Courtier ruled over Marquette.
“An interesting mix of Mask and Eneru doctrines. You will undoubtedly fit well with either group when the time comes for you to visit our birthplace.”
The Courtier tracked the key and faced the Herald.
“Magnificent. And to lose such an excellent Vassal and carry on. You are a wonder. Those alliances you made will serve you well. Very few of us attract the favor of the Rosenthal, not to mention a major Dwarf clan.”
The Courtier lived and fought alongside Loth and for a time, the human Bingle as well.
“There are forces at work that operate on a different level than us. It is unusual for any of them to be so heavy handed. I wish I could have witnessed it.”
The fledgling ran through the wilderness.
“You did extremely well. Most fleeing fledglings are quickly caught by simply following the trail of bodies. It takes cunning and caution to survive on the run.”
The fledgling served the Lancaster as their ward and their slave.
“It is not unusual for covens to pick up errant Fledglings and Courtiers from other clans. The way you were treated is an anomaly, however. Only the arrogant and foolish sharpen the blade that will be used against them.”
The fledgling struggled to remain herself after waking up.
“A most difficult situation. I understand that most Masters carefully select and nurture those they will sire over a long period of time. It has been so for the past half a millennium.”
The girl…
“Go on.”
She…
“I said, go on.”
Third night. The naïve girl swallows air in big dry gulps between two cracked lips. Her body is but one large sore covered in scabs from which blood slowly seeps. Broken bones and failing organs. She is dying and knows it. She wants the embrace of death, to just make it stop. It will not come. Something dark is eating her from the inside, keeping the reaper at bay. It should not be. Her feverish thoughts are muddied. Demons crawl from the walls and from under the cot she was dumped on to scratch at her mangled flesh, to gnaw on her shattered digits. Please, just let it end. Please.
Heavy footsteps. The monster is coming back. She tries to scream. Only a broken rattle escapes from her tortured throat. He bites her again. He forces her to drink the black thing. It is even more delicious than yesterday and the pain of drinking it, the feeling of violation, is even more. Her heart stops beating. Her lungs give up. Her last vision was that of the amused monster and a corner of dirty ceiling.
“Go on.”
Second night. The naïve girl wakes up with a jolt. She fell asleep in the hospital bed. This is not the hospital bed. He took her back. She panics. Then, she calms down a bit, regains control. She is hurt. Soiled. Not broken. Not yet. She slowly sits back up. The claw marks on her stomach make her moan but she endures. She makes herself fall from the bed and gasps in agony. It takes her a minute just to stop shaking. One of her arms is broken. The left one. There is just an ocean of pain between her legs. She is in a cellar, somewhere. The door is open. She sees it by the light of a lantern. It is still day. She doesn’t know how she knows it. She knows she must escape. She crawls forward. Drags herself with one hand. With each movement, the wounds around and in her core reopen. Tears fall down her eyes but she bites down and endures. Little by little, she goes on. She passes the door.
On her left, a man with dark curly hair and a muscular back sits at a desk. She freezes. He finishes writing then turns around with a smile. He says something in a language she does not understand. She screams when he picks her up, when he breaks the fingers of her right hand. He bites her neck. He forces her to drink something. It is intoxicating, the most exquisite thing in the world, but it burns everything on its way down. The pain and violation defy description, but she cannot stop. The pain makes her consciousness shatter.
“Go on.”
First night. The naïve girl and her friend Constanza flit from group to group in the prestigious New Orleans venue. The reception room itself is larger than any place they have ever been in, including the church. Smartly dressed waiters circle around richly dressed revelers, offering bubbly flutes and appetizers. The two friends have a lot of fun. They are newcomers, and the novelty of their presence as well as their pleasant appearance made them the center of attention for the young male gentry. They bask in the glow of their attention and enjoy their first outing in the big city thoroughly. The naïve girl is not interested in the men her age. They speak of parties and events and gossip about childish things. She wants someone who speaks of economics and politics, who understands market trends and treats her like more than just a pretty thing. The naïve girl has projects aplenty. She also had two cups of champagne. One man attracts her the most. He is slightly older but not by much. He is mostly silent, as if bored, yet his eyes drift around the room, seeing everything and nothing at once. She is intrigued. She should have asked to be introduced, as is proper, but she is tipsy. Her face is flushed and her heart full of bravery, so she will display a little bit of derring-do.
At first, the man seems cold but after she has talked for a minute or so, he asks questions. She tells him everything. She speaks of producing rum and the infrastructure and funds needed. She speaks of investment, of distribution networks. She speaks of the home she wants for herself and even what kind of husband she wants. She doesn’t stop speaking. He is a good listener. He knows exactly when to needle her on and when to focus her when she loses track. She feels like she has known him forever. She feels like he could be the one. She asks for his name, and if they could meet again. She wants to lick her lips and trail her hand against his broad chest, to feel it against her own. Constanza comes and bids them to go, as it is quite late. She agrees. She wants to meet the man again, later. The two friends leave. The naïve girl giggles as she speaks of him. Constanza teases the naïve girl. They walk to the inn where they stay and where they left their chaperone deep in his drinks. They pass next to an alley when it happens. A monster grabs the naïve girl. Her friend screams and threatens. The monster smiles. It claws the face of Constanza. The girl falls, cradling her head. Red blood drips from it in great gouts. They scream. The monster takes the naïve girl. He jumps from roof to roof. He lands near a deserted lumber mill. She tries to flee. He snaps her left leg. She falls and sobs. She fights, still.
“… do not need this arm anymore.”
A snapping sound. The naïve girl howls. The monster shreds her dress. The naïve girl fights the pain more than the man. The naïve girl cannot believe this is happening. The naïve girl sees herself as if she were outside of her own body. The monster moves between her legs. The monster defiles her. The monster bites her neck. The monster holds his own arm up. It stops moving. The monster slashes its wrist. It forces thick blood as dark as a winter night between her moaning lips. The naive girl drinks. The blood tastes divine. It ravages her insides. It is an indescribable experience. The monster takes the naïve girl in his arms…
In the now, a door bangs open. A human girl charges in. She is a Servant, with a hawkish nose and sensual lips.
“Ignace, you hijo de puta!”
“Meliton. You may not enter here, I have your Master’s permission for this.”
“Fuck him, and fuck you too. You think me stupid? You already know if she is a threat for sure, it has been three days!” the Servant says in fluent Akkad. Behind her, a vampire with short dark hair and a face more handsome than pretty stares at the naïve girl with guilt.
“Mierda, Ariane…” the vampire whispers.
“I still have much to ask.”
“Bullshit. She was talking to you about her change at the hands of that old beast. You can easily tell if she did anything to harm the Accords. Did she?”
“…”
“DID SHE? I swear to fuck Ignace, if you do not answer me right this instant…”
“No.”
“That’s what you were fucking asked to find out you twisted fuck. Release her, or having you greet the day will become my life’s purpose.”
“… very well, I suppose I know enough.”
“Hurry.”
The manacles are removed just as the naive girl regenerates digits three and seven. She grabs her own fingers and pulls on them, one by one. They were no longer mangled and out of position anyway, but it feels good to do so. The vampire and the Servant help the naïve girl take out the silver spikes in her body. The naïve girl removes the ones inside her nose first, then from her face and then from the rest of her body. The naïve girl has no more spikes. The female vampire smells good, like family.
“Right, let’s get you dressed. Slowly.”
The female vampire helps the naïve girl into a large tunic that falls to her knees. The fabric is very soft. It feels good. Like when the silver spikes are removed from her teeth.
The two take the naïve girl and guide her. They touch her but it is fine. The vampire is sister. The human is a Servant. Up up up they go. They come across a Lord in a black ensemble. He has sandy hair and a beard.
“I see you found your solution, Jimena,” the Lord says.
“Fuck off,” the Servant says.
She is very angry.
They climb more stairs. Up up up they go. They arrive in front of two large doors, with a battle Lord and a battle Lady on each side. The Servant walks in unopposed. The naïve girl is dragged in too. They are in a pretty office. There are many books and precious things. A man stands behind a massive desk. He is more powerful than a Lord. He, too, has a hawkish noise and large lips. The Servant screams at him in a strange language she never heard before. She is very angry. She is angry for a long time. The man tries to interrupt but she keeps screaming. The man stands up and approaches them.
“Listen Mel, I had to be sure…”
The girl screams some more.
“She will be fine! She is a Master, they always recover. Look she is already…”
The man crashes against the desk then on the ground with a trail of dark blood dripping from his flattened nose.
The naïve girl looks at her fist, still in the air.
Nobody moves, they just stare, astonished.
“Asshole.”
“Asshole,” she repeats.
“Asshole, asshole, asshole, asshole asshole,” I say. I jump on him. I punch him more.
“Asshole asshole asshole!”
“Calm down, by the Eye, not you too,” the man protests while doing his best to fend me off. I am very fast and still manage to land a blow in his kidneys.
“Oof! Enough of this. Promethean,” Constantine says.
His aura flares, Thick binding chains emerge from his hands and capture me with blinding speed. I call the power of the Herald but I am weak, it is sluggish and does not even manage to crack one link. I fight against the restraints, with no result.
“And you two, are you not my bodyguards?” the Speaker asks.
“We are not to interfere in arguments with your servant. You were quite clear,” the male Lord answers coldly. In vampire terms, this is a scathing rebuke,
The room falls silent, except for me. I am still fighting the bindings.
“I suppose I was hasty.”
“Not the first fucking time either. I told you, brother, if you can’t be arsed to get off your fucking books to rule properly then give the throne to someone who cares.”
“There isn’t anyone I would trust with this responsibility.”
“Then how about biting the bullet and doing your fucking job, since you committed to it? Huh?” the Servant retorts, unamused.
The Progenitor clenches his jaws but does not answer.
“Very well. Since Ignace found nothing so far, I declare you cleared of all wrongdoings, including your… most recent attack on my person. Do not do it again. Appearances must be preserved, and I would be forced to take drastic measures.”
“Asshole!”
“I heard you the first ten times, Ariane of the Nirari. Mel, find her a room in the left wing and stay away from the right one. The Lancaster delegation is there. The Hearing will begin tomorrow. Now, go.”
The others take me somewhere as I desperately pull on my fingers but no matter how often I do, the phantom pain remains. Come on, cold mind of mine. Do your thing. Push the memories in the background where they lose color and intensity. Make me forget.
Please.
“In there,” Jimena whispers, “Lie on the bed, Ariane. It’s over now. I’ll stay with you. Mel, I’m calling Aintza to me, can you get Wilhelm to send up something? Jasmine would help.”
“I’ll go now.”
Jimena caresses my head and I touch my fingers, one after the other. They’re all there. They’re fine. All there. All straight. Fine. Fine fine fine. Yes. Fine. All there.
The door opens once more and Aintza comes in. She looks a bit older now, older than Jimena in any case but not shockingly so. She lies by my side, so I am between them. The covers are comfortable. Aintza is very hot also, so the feeling of her warm body next to mine is strange and rather comfortable too. A few minutes later, Meliton returns and lights a few candles then starts a fire in the hearth. The perfume of jasmine takes over the room. It is nice. Jimena smells good, the room smells good now as a result. And safe. I slow down on touching my fingers but I do not stop. I move my toes, also. Sometimes I move my arms because I can. The pattern of the fire is fascinating. The fire dances and rolls without pause, never twice the same. I watch it. At some point, the room grows darker because they close the shutters.
Dawn comes.
Comments
Zir
you are super overreacting, besides the auther using canon instead of cannon way too many times this is one of the best stories ive ever read. have some faith.
Chad Hagner
Well the Bingle is back! So obviously her torture isn't over yet lmao.
Mecanimus
It's ok, I managed to convince most people that this wasn't gratuitous with the following chapters.
Chad Hagner
I see a lot of ppl leaving complaints about how the author spent the last 40 chapters building up the character and her personality and how it doesn't make sense for her to just be tortured and have it all rehashed but let's not forget the story is supposed to be about vampires from a true perspective not some fairy tale. Life is cruel and good people get s*** on all the time this has been a theme that has been rehashed in this story over and over why would Ariane be immune to this now just because she's our protagonist?
SunderGoldmane
Well done!
Mecanimus
AaahaaAH a talking scarecrow!!!
Fiddle Sticks
Thanks for the chapter! I do not believe that all of the backlash is warranted, though.
Mecanimus
Glad you liked it, the traumatizing bits included.
Svensonsen
Good chapter:)
Svensonsen
The "Go on" will hount me
Svensonsen
I think the chapter was really good. I was just thinking that some of her memorys should not have been reveeled like her bond with the watcher or her encounter with the queen. These are really powerfull moments that define her as a special character and it somehow destroys these moments (shouldnt there be some powerfull magic of the rwi that interferes with the torturer so that she can not speak about it?). The other memorys are just fine to be tortured out of her because it brings depht to her character.
Mecanimus
It is not a regression and her abuse was never truly addressed. You will have to trust me on this, I am doing this for a reason. There will be no rewrite. I merely ask you to be patient.
Mecanimus
You won't have to hope for too long ;)
ParoxysmDK
Sorry, but what's the point of that? We've spent the last 40+ chapters getting to know Ariane, her personality, her strengths/weakness', we've seen her evolve as a character, and we've seen her on a path of personal healing after getting raped and turned by her 'master'. You don't get better by getting forced against your will; to confront your mental instability/wound you've spent the past 30-40 years trying to get over, trying to forget, and trying to heal from. By getting tortured in an even WORSE way than the initial trauma, getting forced to see how weak you STILL are; even after all you've fought for, getting your personal pride and accomplishments stomped on, and made inconsequential. All because of some idiot's unnecessary whim? Why are you going to address something that was frankly unnecessary; in the upcoming arc, when we've already spent 40+ chapters and multiple arcs addressing a very similar theme and/or problem? Imo it makes no sense, it's like a *theoretical* author writing a book series, and then 3 books into the story, after multiple character shaping arcs, experiences' and powerful and emotional situations; the MC gets reduced back to how they were in book 1 before everything you've read has had time to happen. Just because? Sorry Mec, but do you see my point? Also i'd like to clarify that this is the first chapter i've felt so strongly about (in a negative way unfortunately). I think everything else you've written up till this point has been amazing, and i've really enjoyed your writing. But this chapter just doesn't do it for me. It's your story so i can't change anything, nor do i have any right to. Unfortunately this chapter might just be a 'deal breaker' for me. I simply can't see how this is going to be salvageable going forward, not without a rewrite. :-(
ParoxysmDK
This would be true if Ariane was still a courtesan (is that the title? i forgot the exact name tbh), but she's a master now, and she's one out of 3-4 vampires -in the entire world- from the most feared and powerful clan, she's achieved things that most of the characters find shocking, why would you torture an individual like her? There's no way that will result in anything but creating another enemy, one who might become a very dangerous threat, very very quickly, which can be seen in how FAST her personal power has already grown. Not to mention her being the only vampire from the nirari clan in the usa (from what we know so far, with the progenitor being an exception), could give constantine a massive political ally since nobody else are on friendly terms with the Nirari. But instead he creates a nemesis because of a stupid whim, and like i said, he seems like a scholarly type, so he should've been able to deduce what would happen by doing this to her. There are multiple ways that could've given him a political ally with massive potential, magic, blood magic, just asking? Reading her aura, get jimena to 'interview' her, make a legal contract by vampire law that forces her to answer truthfully, seriously.. this was the worst possibly way to go about it, and it feels forced tbh, like it's only in the story to force the plot. And i didn't misunderstand you, no. Ariane getting political power in the vampire society, with or without revenge as a goal, as a result of this chapter; is a positive outcome.
Paul Wirtz
Wrote that just after reading that line. Now it's more Dread Ariane is almost assured, a pirate not so much
Paul Wirtz
In some ways I think I get that is torture of a master vampire not a human. as was said this is just the vessel and it will heal. I would say the body is already healed. You did a very good job of implying what happened. Silver spike to the teeth (fangs?) as a memory not as it happened. Now the Mental effects have not been revealed other than she was shattered and is still growing back. Back into what is the question. Was being placed in the fire and pounded while white hot remove impurities (humanity) leave the correct amount to make the finest steel? or was it too hot or slag left in making her brittle or with a hidden flaw? we shall see. one thing is true is IS changed
Paul Wirtz
Alas, the days of the dread pirate Ariane have not come yet. we can always hope :-)
Thorlol
Oh yes, even though I already left a comment about the stuff I didnt like, I never said how well written it was. It kinda left Ariane broken and also me as a reader. Its a weird feeling to look forward to the next chapter but also not. So yeah, I can only applaud your writing skills :)
Blake
I think you're misunderstanding something here, I never said that this would be a positive experience for her, I just said said that it would probably be a catalyst for her to gain political power. This all happened because to Constantine's eyes, she's nothing but an independent and relatively unconnected vampire, who is smart and powerful for her age, but what does that mean to him when he's an older progenitor with all of the Americas under his domain as well as multiple battle lords and ladies. To him, Ariane was a nonentity in his eyes. Sure she would probably grow much more powerful in the future but what vampire doesn't? If Ariane had actually been somebody important to a faction and not just some city master of a random frontier town, Constantine wouldn't have dared to treat her so rashly and I'm sure Ariane knows this. This is why I believe that this will eventually inspire her to become much more politically focused in the future so that way she can't just be treated like a nobody ever again.
Mecanimus
Thanks, I hope I convince them with the next chapter that this was not senseless.
Ruben
This is quite a heavy chapter and while i think you did a great job in leaving out the more "descriptive stuff" i can see why people are a bit shocked. Thus i wanted to say that you are doing an great job in writing these chapters and keep your chin up. Love the story even if it can get dark sometimes. And hey now you learn what your audience can and cant stomach. Ps. Cant wait for the time that ari will tear people like this a new one no matter how far off.
Mecanimus
I read your other comment. I agree that it breaks character progression and should leave a lasting mark and the next arc will deal with this. It was also necessary for her to face her trauma (or relive it) due to events that will make sense soon. I understand that you are frustrated but I do not regret writing this chapter. I do, however, regret writing it and then letting people swallow in bad feelings for a while. I should have withheld chapters so that readers get closure.
ParoxysmDK
Some people get therapy their entire lives after experiencing captivity, and/or torture. And this is most likely on another scale since she can regen entire limbs and teeth because of her vampiric heritage. At least from a physical perspective i mean.
ParoxysmDK
Your logic is kind of flawed imo. How often would a person who have experienced haunting and soul crushing torture turn it around into a positive thing? Like becoming a political mastermind? That's not how the psyche works. Ariane has had what? 3 or 4 decades to heal from her first ordeal with her progenitor? And she STILL hasn't recovered fully from that. Now she's had to re-experience it vividly, almost like it happened again, but even worse, she's had it forced upon her, while getting physically tortured, and mentally tortured in a way that was even WORSE than her first ordeal. Especially since this has happened after she's amassed personal power throughout 3-4 decades, and in just 3 days all that mental fortitude and healing of her mind; that she's bled, trained, and suffered for, gets broken down at the whim of some idiotic (which is unrealistic) progenitor (for the second time no less). There is simply no way someone comes back stronger from something like this. Especially not for the second time, and especially not when her hope also got crushed; she went along on this journey because she had hope for a brighter future after suffering for decades in exile and hiding. And the first thing she experiences after all she's fought for, is unspeakable torture that is worse than anything she ever imagined? I don't buy it sorry. *Edit* I forgot to mention: This also a matter of pride, Ariane -and all vampires from what we've read so far- have a large amount of pride in themselves, and Ariane has spent 3-4 decades compounding and strengthening her self esteem, pride, personal power both mentally and physically; she's been trained by a natural grand master of mental warfare/manipulation, she's been trained in statecraft, engineering, and combat, not to mention she's bound a nightmare, spoken with the literal queen of all vampires (and survived), and her progenitor praised her collection of rare essences in her mindscape. She's also most likely one of the youngest vampires to rule a city for so long, and attain the rank of master in such a short period in centuries/ever (just a guess ofc). ALL of that, just got teared down, and got portrayed as a meaningless illusion, -again- in 3 days, at the whim of a retard with centuries of experience/knowledge, who should REALLY have known better, or had a easier and cleaner way to go about it. And to make matters even worse; he seems like an aloof scholarly type no less, so his way of tackling it makes even less sense. On top of all the other stuff i already mentioned.
Blake
I disagree, I can see this whole experience as being a catalyst for Ariane to start amassing real political power of her own in order to get revenge. Sure there were tons of better ways Constantine could have handled that but he just made a dumb decision in his anger at Anatole without thinking. Later both his bodyguards and his sister make a rather large point of that by allowing Ariane to even get anywhere close to him as weakened as she was. Also it's not like Ariane broke right away, Mec just skipped over the details of the torture including the time, all we know is that she broke sometime before 3 days was over. I mean this was full blown torture here by an expert torturer on someone who can literally regenerate everything that gets damaged but has no ways to mitigate the pain. Of course Ariane would break from that, anyone would unless they had some way to dissasociate themselves from the pain.
L Pedersen
Basically what I thought. Ultimately it's Mec's story and he can write it the way he wants but I think it's important for us who read the story to give our honest feedback. I think this chapter is throwing the baby out with the bathwater, if he wanted her to go through torture for some reason then that is what's going to happen, I just think that it was poorly written and poorly thought through.
ParoxysmDK
I'm kind of disappointed about this chapter, i honestly don't see how this chapter progressed the story in any meaningful nor positive way, it wasn't tough for me to read, since i'm not squeemish. But what did we get out of this chapter? Ariane gets tortured an entire chapter> loses her sense of self almost instantly>offers no resistance even though the last 40+ chapters have established her as a strong willed woman/vampire with better than normal control over her emotions and mental faculties>we learned NOTHING about vampire society which i personally have been waiting forever to read about> the lack of logical reasoning of a literal progenitor; with centuries of experience and wisdom makes no sense? He decides to have her tortured in mindbreaking ways for 3 days straight, to learn something he could've and should've had NO problem asking about in the first place. I mean seriously, shouldn't he (or someone else?) be able to read her aura to see if she's lying, or something similar? or make some kind of binding with her blood/contract to learn what he needed to learn? Instead he jumps straight to antagonizing her and breaking her with torture, without even thinking about what consequences there might be from doing so on a spawn of nirari? The single most dangerous clan/race of vampires in existence, that ALL others fear? Yeah that would NEVER backfire on him right? I also feel this chapter undid a lot of character progression of Ariane, i have a hard time seeing how this was at all necessary, whoever wrote that long msg about you putting yourself into a corner; i have to agree with almost all he wrote. No matter how the next few chapters are written, something like this experience is NOT, something that just gets undone or forgotten in 2 or 3 chapters. Ariane literally had to re-experience the worst thing that ever happened to her again, vividly, while also getting tortured physically, and getting broken mentally. And getting raped all over again by having someone else show her how weak her mind is (by completely crushing any mental powers she's gained through the decades, through training, and through tough life experience) without her being able to resist. Something like this would change her personality on the fundamental level (for the worse in every way), and any kind of recovery or healing she's going to get/face will most likely seem insincere and unrealistic by comparison going forward. Jeez... i'm sorry to say this, but this is the first chapter of the story i've disliked, (not just a little either) and it wasn't even for the same reasons as a lot of people are 'pissed' about. Imo this should be an entire rewrite.
Abdou Cissé
It might be due to her being a Knight too. I don't believe she would have been able to oppose Constantine at all without his sister.
Mecanimus
I was trying to get that kind of answer. I still think I made a mistake by stopping where I stopped so that people emerge from reading feeling horrible. I won't give up on the dark stuff but I will try to manage it better.
Pierre Steiner
Was probably kept away from Constantine's sister by the Lancaster, or by a scheme against Ariane of some sort
Thorlol
Too be honest, I didnt think the chapter was bad or traumatizing in any way. It was written in a way in wich I didnt suffer with her. We know she was tortured but it was never described. In the end she was retelling what happend to her from the beginning until now. Then Jimena came to get her out and Ariane was in a state of confusion and detachment. But overall it wasnt a hard read because the way it was written. The only thing Im asking myself is why the hell Jimena waited for 3 days to get her out of there. She obviously knew that they were going to torture her or knew of the possibility so I kinda expected her to be there for her in a way.
Randee
A lot of people are pissed about this. No matter what anyone says, just know that I think that, from a fundamentals of writing standpoint, this chapter is very good and necessary. A lot of them seem to be saying they don't see the point of the chapter but without chapters like this in stories then there is no tension or drive to the characters, they're arguing for a measurably worse story. This was a good climax to the rising action stage that the story has been in since The Herald was defeated, and it is a good hook and motivation for all involved characters for the story still to come. It's very well done from a Doylist and Watsonian perspective. So, what I'm trying to say is, don't feel bad about criticisms regarding this when the reader just feels uncomfortable seeing the main character suffer. I don't believe they really understand what goes into making a compelling plot. All around a good chapter. You're a very skilled writer.
Mecanimus
To be fair I will totally torture my male protagonists as well.
Mecanimus
:/ I don't think I'm making a habit of it.
Mecanimus
:/
Dominic Falcon
Jesus. I need to pet a puppy or a dozen. Seriously, what is it with writers of female protagonists always feeling like they need to torture them? Are the protagonists so strong that authors feel the need to go to such lengths to make them seem vulnerable and in need of our protection? This isn’t just aimed at you, M, as I’ve seen other professional authors take the same paths. Anne Bishop subjecting a 13 yo girl to a Seven “Lust” styled rape, Patricia Briggs with her skull-needles, Illona Andrews and an aneurism... But fuck, this chapter follows in their tracks a bit too well.
Jacob A Smith
I don't like this chapter. I felt awful reading it (which I guess is what you were going for). If the main character just gets tortured over and over again whats the point.
S. Nutter
Not too uncomfortable. If you never feel uncomfortable you never really grow. It was just a very emotional chapter, it made the characters feel very real to me in a way they haven't before.
L Pedersen
Oh you think you've got me over a barrel don't you? Think again! I'll just start writing fanfic! muhahahahahaha
Mecanimus
Answers soon ;) You readers suffer because you need to see what's next and it is not written yet, but on the other hand, you follow me because you want to see what's next and I haven't written it yet... Ho ho ho.
L Pedersen
High points and low points are all well and good, the world isn't fair sure. But there has to be consequences to this. I cannot for the life of me see how they could be positive. And I maintain that this could have been handled better, without burning bridges. What is Constantines sister going to say after Ari rips her brothers heart out for what he did to her? There is nothing that can be done or said to absolve him of responsibility here, and how long would she had suffered if his human servant hadn't stepped in? Would he even have remembered? "Oh yes, there was that spawn of nirari that I ordered interrogated, whatever happened to her? That was years ago"
Aapjuh
The way Constantine dealt with this situation should make more then a few heads turn and question his leadership.
Mecanimus
Now to answer. The reason I wrote this chapter like that is because I want to get emotional answer from you. You are not here to see Ariane just grow, You are here t see her live and sometimes it means horrible stuff like that, stuff that you knew happened but I did not deal with yet. This world is not fair and there are down time so that there may be up times too. That is why this chapter exists to begin with. I do not intend to turn the story into a torture fest though so don't worry in the future.
Mecanimus
I'm pissed off. It's really hard to offer good critique for web serials because they are their own brand of story, they're really not like books because of a number of reasons. It's also hard when you get chapters that you did not like because for all you know the following chapter will cast the previous ove in a different light, you'll get a new perspective. That being said I don't think I can convey how displeased I am with this chapter in more than just an emotional sense. I'll get the emotional out of the way since it's easy to pin down. WTF MAN! Who the hell wants to read about this? We're all here to follow Ari as she grows and masters the world around her, that's why we're all here. Adversity is good for growth but this wasn't it. She didn't fight, she had no recourse to resist. Words fail me. But it isn't just emotionally I think this chapter was bullshit, storywise this wasn't just unnecessary but actively bad for future storylines. First of all, Ari has already faced all of these things, she has suffered greatly since becoming a vampire and we've been there with her. All this serves is to ensure her emnity with the torturer who overstepped his mandate and Constantine who is either incompetant enough not to know what he ordered or just indifferent about it. For this to be made right then they both have to die. Ariane literally cannot forgive this, she did her outmost to follow all the rules and this is how they dealt with her? And this is also a problem. Ari can't do anything about it. She's too weak, and even though she is gaining power faster than your average vampire she still won't be able to do anything about this for centuries. As a reader I don't want to wait that long. Beyond that there is the actual writing of it all and then we've got the psychological and emotional impact on Ari. As unpalateble as that was to read it was also pretty simple. Ari just broke and told them everything, she didn't resist at all, didn't even seem to try. She held nothing back and they hollowed her out completely. That is the impression I got from the text, whether or not that was the intent. And you don't just bounce back from that. I don't care if you're a master vampire, you are asking too much of my disbelief if you want me to believe that Ari was able to even raise a pinky after that experience. It's not about the physical wounds, it's the mental aspect of torture that destroys you. If she had been able to keep back something of herself, to resist in some manner, things might have been different but that isn't what happened. It takes years to recover from that even if it's even possible to recover in the first place. This is the kind of thing that changes you as a person, and not in any constructive way. The reason that all of her other traumatic events helped her grow is because she overcame them, here she's just made to suffer. And not just because the world is cruel, she's made to suffer at the will of another. And now, a mere day later she's supposed to have her hearing for house status? It's preposterous, she shouldn't even be able to speak or walk at this point. Now given the tone of this you might think that I'm just angry and I am very angry but I have given this a lot of thought and try as I might I simply can't see how this isn't just writing yourself into a corner. Oh and that ending was foul. Here she is suffering as horribly as is possible and then Constantines human servant shows up and has the gal to be angry on her behalf, and Constantine himself acts like a absentminded scholar. Is it all supposed to be okay now? THIS ISN'T THE KIND OF SHIT YOU CAN JUST FORGET! This is how you make enemies for life. If Constantine had any brain at all he would cut Arianes head off now rather than have her become a threat to him in the future. There are many more things to say but I lack the will to write a book about all the terribly sins commited here. Though I want to make a few things clear. As I prefaced this with, I don't know what you have in store for Ari and the story, just because I cannot see a path out of this that doesn't end with Ari being exactly the kind of monster her Sire is doesn't mean you can't surprise me. I also do not believe that one fuck up erases a whole bunch of good things so this chapters doesn't mean I'm gonna stop reading or lower my opinion on the story, I still think it's one of the best vampire stories I've ever read. I'm simply trying to offer honest and useful criticism.
L Pedersen
Where did my comment go? :S
Mani
Take your time if you need it! I don't mind waiting, as long as it's good (no pressure lol)
Mecanimus
I'm writing as fast I can emotionally afford it!
Mecanimus
Added a comma aftere Eye.
Mani
Super intense stuff, I love it and hate it at the same time, if you know what I mean. Someone has to pay for this as well, i need the catharsis 😩
Mecanimus
Then I succeeded,
Mecanimus
Will do. Also, YOU DARE QUESTION ME?!
Mecanimus
I hope it didn't make you too uncomfortable. I did hint that her change had been a horrible experience though and I need her to face it.
Mecanimus
Kind of risky and painful to write.
Blake
Good, I'm glad she was spared that kind of misery here.
Randee
There's something weird about the punctuation around this sentence. >“Calm down, by the Eye not you too,” I thought you needed a comma before ending a sentence with "too" but looking it up says you don't absolutely need it. I do think a comma after "Eye" is absolutely necessary though because I think "by the Eye" counts as an interjection.
Mecanimus
No she wasn't.
Mecanimus
Patience...
Parker Groseclose
More like forced to relive her rape while getting bits and pieces cut off. So not fun times either way
Blake
I hesitate to ask... but was she raped again during this time?
ThisThatAnd
I really hope her response towards Constantine (and the torturer) is more than just calling him an asshole and punching him in the nose!
Randee
This is really good. Really well done climax for the tension that has been building up for awhile.
Mecanimus
Yeah it's Constantine. My bad.
Johannes Oest
“Silence.” Anatole says a single word, and his aura bursts out. Shouldn't this be Constantine? And the Chapter is pretty dark. It is fine i guess but torture is one of the things i personally really don't like so it is maybe just me. Still good chapter and ty for your hard work.
Seri
That was very dark but I enjoyed it a lot. I think you hit a nice balance between showing us enough of what happened to Ariane without getting too far into the gory details.
Jed Wolfgang
This chapter was fucked. So she was tortured for three days because Constantine doesn’t know wtf he is doing or is a lazy ruler? FFS. That seemed so....senseless. Just senseless suffering. Makes me feel bad for her. This is how villains are created.
Bunny Waffles
Hell. That was fantastic. If ever I were to question (For some insane reason) why I follow this story and you, I will remember this chapter. Dark and impactful in just the right way. Keep on being amazing.
S. Nutter
Damn. That was intense on a whole other level.
Andres Montemayor
Woah
