Chapter 4.: From the cradle to enslave
Five years later...
Sabaody Archipelago...
"As I wear my heart on my tongue, so I wear love right under my skin. As I carry my soul in my eyes, gazing closely from the inside out as it would be thinned glass. You are so very bright, so colorful. You are the light while I`m extinct. And so you are so buoyant cheerful while I`m the contrary ... Why are you so grey when blended into another...".
The words wouldn`t come out right that night, no matter how hard she tried to think of new lyrics for a new song , she could not express in words what she really wanted to say. One paper after another they had been ripped out of her notebook just to start all over again and again. Normally it was easy for Nihilia to find good words for a new song to sing, but this night the weariness from the path she walked had overwhelmed her with the waves of mental exhaustion and physical strain had taken their toll.
Maybe it was the archipelago. The brightness of the surrounding area was blending out the stars in the sky. The light pollution was too high to see beyond the darkness; the sounds of people cheerfully wandering around enjoying their time with various attractions and the buoyant happiness around her couldn`t have been a greater interruption for her own creativity. The past five years she had to spend fleeing from one island to another, meeting her brother constantly chasing after her over and over she wondered how he was doing it. It seemed like no matter how much she tried to hide he always found a way to get to her. By now his insanity had become a viscous circle of bedeviled ambitions. Every time she saw him he had grown in physical strength and fortitude. His facial featured had become a howling terror running after her no matter how much she tried to escape.
The Sabaody Archipelago had become her best hiding spot . The navy was close in case something happened, though she herself needed to lie and keep her distance. When her brother would attack her next time she would have greater chances of diving between the masses of people. He worked just as secretly as she did so he wouldn`t cause too much of a scene in this area. Though Nihilia got annoyed by the brightness of this place she needed to admit the irony of the situation. Darkness was her comfort and now she needed to search for it in a place where only light seemed to be. Even in the blackest nights this place lit up. Someone always seemed to be walking through this place.
Leaning back against a wall her eyes went up from time to time to look at the faces of people passing by. Families holding the hands of their children smiling vibrantly. Couples sharing an intimate moment with one another so openly. Walking merchants constantly yelling loudly for the newest offers of food, clothes, jewelry and such. The difference between "normal" people and her became all too visible. Their skin was rather toned, or just of a normal color, their expressions held life and jolly enthusiasm. Their clothes come in so many shapes and colors and their eyes ere filled with so much rosy, joyful optimism. While Nihilia... she was wearing a long black rococo dress of her mother, a long hooded cape draped over it to cover her face, her skin near white while her face couldn`t hold more unemotional numbness. For others she must`ve looked like death sitting in a corner which was to her advantage since the tiny desk in front of her was visited from time to time. She must`ve looked like an attraction to people sitting down and paying coin to let her read out of their hands, to lay down tarot cards or to look into their future.
Blasphemy... Nothing but blasphemy since her usual style and way of dressing was not of a gypsy so people assumed she possessed some form of supernatural. Whenever someone sat down she would speak in a dark, gloomy voice with a bit of accent and start something like a tiny show for them. Her mysterious behavior, her way of speaking mistaken as the vision of a fortune-teller. Letting out a long sigh she packed the table up and put it aside storing it in the next shop, to continue her work the next day. For a few more minutes she would sit there and gaze into her notes. Taking a pencil she tough of more words to express the tone and atmosphere for her lyrics...
"For I am tied to the Labyrinth and the beast, the one way track of eyes...that recap then rend my stanzas...".
She shook her head once more and got up. I wouldn`t make sense to try to force the right words out when they would come earlier or later to her like an echo pulsing back between the walls of a cave. Making her way back to the inn she picked up the daily newspaper and some wine she could effort since this was a good day for business. She either made money by singing, putting spells with her voice on people or acting like a fortune-teller. The innkeeper greeted her with the usual soft nod as she passed by and made her way up the stairs to her room. Dropping her bag onto the ground she pulled off the cape and gazed into the mirror for a long time. How dead her eyes were...
There was nothing in them, but pain and numbness at the same time. Crossing her arms behind her back she began to untie her corset. Once it came off the odd feeling around her torso started to throb. She was so used to wearing it that it felt like something was missing when it was gone. Her waist had become so slender and tiny due to the pressure the corset had put on it that it had formed the unnatural curves of a sand-clock which stayed fixed by now. Taking off her dress she dropped herself onto the bed before closing the curtains of the window above. The sun would come up soon and she despised this light so very much. Simply lighting a candle she began to read the newspaper. Nothing special seemed to be going on this day; that was until a certain article made her heart bump into her chest and caused her to actually smile for the first time in years. A new warlord of the seas had been chosen and the title of the worlds` greatest swordsman was officially granted...
Dracule Mihawk. His picture was printed on the paper right on the article. She felt she was being hold as a captive as she gazed at it with a bigger and bigger growing smile. She knew he would achieve his goal and by now and the short moment of feeling so very happy and proud of him was set aside by the sadness once more. A year ago after the latest conflict with her brother she needed to escape in all due haste causing her to loose some good money, a few of her mothers dresses she kept with her since all those years and his vivre card. There was no way now for her to find him since he could be anywhere in the world, but on the other hand, since Mariejois was close by she may have the best chances of meeting him in Sabaody passing by. This thought was then overwhelmed by another. A rare moment of emotions she only showed when nobody would see her. Tears blurred the picture of him, then they fell down her face and dropped onto the paper. How could she ever face him when there was no way she ever could become a songstress. How could she face him without being able to keep her part of the promise they gave to each other and if he would see her like this... what would he think of her? She felt like a disappointment, like a disaster... Broken.
Broken beyond repair she curled up and silently cried herself to sleep and in her exhaustion it wouldn`t take long till the very welcome unconsciousness would wipe off her mind from this day.
Her Life had become a devils circle of running, surviving, fleeing and deceiving. Day by day since about half a year now she woke up in the late evening, picked up her table and her shield from the shop and sit on the same spot all night trying to get some coin for a living to pay for food and rent. Night by night she would tell fortunate lies to people that asked her all sort of things. "When will I marry? When will I die? what does the future hold for me?". She couldn`t be farther away from her dream...
A couple of days later though the routine would change. Crossing by the theater she listened to a conflict. Apparently the diva of tonights` show had become ill and wasn`t able to sing. The two men discussing this matter seemed to be quite agitated by this since the orchestra was booked, everything was set up and people would be waiting soon enough in front of the theater to get entrance. Nihilia didn`t noticed herself that she was starring at the man, moments passed, and she continued to stare. Until one of them yelled at her, "What are you looking at? Unless you can sing mind your own business!".
She looked away and walked a few steps but somehow she suddenly felt like she was struck by thunder. Why... why not just try it? It was a masquerade in the theater so no one would never notice who she was and it wouldn`t look wrong if she would cover her face. She thought once more about Mihawk who had reached his goal and she knew that all it took right now was a bit of courage to get a little step closer to hers. And even if this wouldn`t be a huge step, for this one time she might be able to feel what it would be like if her voice would was heard. Her feet stopped carrying her forwards as if an invisible force was holding her back. Turning around she then decided to answer the mans` indirect question, "In fact I am a singer. It does depend on what you expect though."
The two men then looked at her and approached her with a somewhat wondering gaze. "You can sing? Really? You do not really look like the typical diva."
"If it`s an opera you need to vocalized I am sure I could help out.", she replied with a soft voice and a calm tone but avoided eye-contact.
"It is an Opera indeed. We are performing the Grande Laguna tonight. If you could sing it for us the divas payment would go to you of course.".
She knew that being on a stage required her to be more openly dressed than she was now so she decided to pull off her hood and reveal her face to those two men with a subtle smile, "The Grande Laguna is one of my favorite pieces. If you`d allow me to come with you backstage I can prove you that I`ll be able to perform. The only thing that need to be taken care of is the correct attire because I know how to handle the etiquette of nobility very well."
"Is that so? Well... uhm..?", one of the man, a smaller one with blonde hair and a fine doublet looked at the other bigger one wearing similar clothing. They both seemed stunned for just a moment. Nihilia had become a most beautiful woman and her pale skin and special eyes would certainly be a good appearance on stage. He then nodded and smiled at her, "We do not have too much time. The backstage entrance is right over here. If you can convince us with your voice we have a deal."
She bowed politely and followed the men backstage. A sensation of smells and sights floated to her mind. Scents of perfumes, make up, clothings and food. Sounds of people from the orchestra tuning their instruments and the noises of haste from people who fixed quickly dresses or costumes for the event. The smaller man gestured to a more quiet corner telling her she could start singing there.
Nihilia always thought she would feel nervous at a moment like this, when her talent would be rated and even criticized by professionals. But she wasn't, instead she felt incredibly calm and serene. Taking off her cape one of the men commented that a new wardrobe might not be necessary since the dark blue and purple gothic dress suited her quite well to the theme of the Grande Laguna.
Once again she smiled at him in her own subtle way and took a deep breath while closing her eyes for just a second to get her into the right state of mind. As her voice echoed she noticed a bigger growing silence around her and with each phrase of her vocals people seemed to calm down and some of them even abandoned their work to listen closely for just a moment. The expressions of the people and the two men who where the managers of the Theater were already proof enough for their liking of what they heard. But as one of the men suddenly started crying Nihilia knew that her voice had reached his heart and it gave a welcome warmth. "This is how it must feel like...", she thought as she finishing the last of the lyrics. Silence dominated the backstage hall for a couple of moments but eventually was broken by cheerful applause from the listeners.
"THAT! That my dear was absolutely amazing! Today must be our lucky day! Your voice is absolutely magnificent!", one of them said.
"I think we all could agree that if you manage to perform like this tonight we may be able to get you a permanent position here. We have weekly shows but our general diva is usually ill.. Well maybe not even ill. She is a diva in all terms. As professional singer though you have to perform even when you`re not in the mood for it!", the other man cheerfully added. They both seemed to be so open and happy now and the aggression from just a few minutes before had vanished into nothingness.
A smokey chuckle escaped her as she replied, "I would love to perform more often. And yes... I agree with you. You cannot simply abandon a show just because you`re not in the mood for it. Music is supposed to reach people and to carry them into the lands of dreams. Without it the world would seem so very empty."
"Well chosen words my lady. Magnificent!", he agreed with her. "Very well then, the opening is in less than half an hour, feel free to get comfortable with the stage, we also provide food and drinks if you need anything. As for the masquerade you can just choose any from the costumes right over there. And after the show... when successful we may talk about a contract?".
Another smile crossed her lips and she bowed again in a formal way only nobles would do then she made her way over to the costumes and make up wanted to give her some facial color for the show, but Nihilia declined since she could agree with her in the end that the contrast of her eyes and a simple mask would be more than enough. The time passed by quickly and shortly before the show on stage started she fixed the bag with the grimoire under the huge skirt of her dress. There was no way she would let this bag lay around somewhere backstage. It had become some sort of habit due to the circumstance to keep it close to her at all times. Even if it meant she had to sleep with it.
As the show started she still didn`t felt the nervousness she expected, the lights in the huge ball room were dimmed and only a bright spotlight was shining upon her. With the first tones of the orchestra the opera began. Nihilia expected some of the people to dance but all of them seemed to be captured by her voice. All eyes were resting on her and somehow she could feel the incredible calm and peace her voice brought to the people hearts. It was some sort of magical moment and she knew by then how badly she wanted to experience this as often as possible. Effortlessly she sang line after line, some tones higher, others lower and everything went together in perfect harmony with the instrumental company. Once the show was over after two hours of singing the hall exploded from an explosion of cheers and applause. The crowd was excited, some became emotional and cried in happiness, others seemed to be overwhelmed by a mysterious sensation. The lights shined brighter once more and Nihilia left the stage to be greeted with loving and impressed compliments about her talent. As agreed the two managers had set up a contract with her so she could sing weekly in the theater...
This was one step closer to her goal and seemed to be easy, then suddenly. Leaving the theater the happiness that overwhelmed her caused her to stand still in a silent corner for a moment. It was this moment she told herself that she still could carry the burden of the Grimoire and fulfilled her dream at the same time. She told herself that she would give her best and sing as loud as her voice would let her so the world may hear her voice. Over all those sensations she forgot about her caution, her dangers, her brother...
In the heat of the moment she hadn`t noticed a group of men approaching her, coming so very close. She didn`t noticed them earlier in the theater, she didn`t noticed them observing and watching her and if she wouldn't have been so careless for those few moments she had been drunk on her dreams...
She maybe could have done something to avoid what was to come...
Human Auction House.
Sabaody Archipelago.
One day later...
With a pounding headache she woke up in a cell, the only thing she could remember from last night was that a group of men approached her and that`s it. A total blackout wiped out every single memory from its existence. A collar was tightened around her neck, it was so tight she felt like she was being constantly choked. Her vision was blurry, her eyes were ringing and the only picture that could explain her current situation was a sharp sting she felt right before passing out. Had she been poisoned? Numbed with some sort of anesthetic? She couldn`t even recall how she had gotten into this cage, but she instantly knew what was going on. She heard of it and saw some of the people wearing collars like these being sold as a slave to anyone who could effort it. Usually pirates and thugs were captured this way or "curious" beings like fishmen, mermaid or even giants. And now...
Now she would be enslaved and there was right now nothing she could do against it. Instantly the Grimoire came to her mind...
The bag, it was still tightly draped around her hips and not visible under her huge skirt. It eased her mind just for a second that it was still there and at the same time she cursed her recklessness from the night before. All those years she was cautious and on permanent alert for any approaching danger or possibly unfortunate situation. She cursed deep inside since she knew if she wouldn`t had let her guard down for this very small moment of joy she might be not in this situation. As her vision cleared and the howling tinnitus in her ears slowly began to fade and she faintly heard a conversation between a few people outside the room she was held in. The conversation stated something about her being so very precious and that her pretty face and wonderful eyes would fetch a very good price. Looking around she saw so many cells and in each were sitting people with the same collars. Some where screaming and yelling. Some where crying and sobbing while others begged or sat in silence awaiting their fate. Somewhere outside these cells she heard a crowd, the muffled conversations of people possibly collecting themselves in the hall while some of the slaves in the cells where viciously pulled out and brought away. Her expression however was kept in the same way she was used to. A dead expression mixed with sadness and nothingness.
How long had she sat in that cell and tried to regain her senses she couldn`t recall. Feeling overdosed a slight numbness caused her legs not to move as they should and her arms felt like pins and needles. Cages after cages had been opened, people getting pulled out and lead to the stage. It would only be a matter of time until it was her turn to be sold to someone. She hoped silently she would just be sold to a normal being, someone who might not abuse the power. Someone who might be careless so she could find a way to escape...
One of the guards, probably a hired security knocked with a rod against her cage as she slowly approached the iron bars to hope she would get a better look around and maybe find some way to get out. "Step back NOW! Our special visitor will be here soon, I don`t want you to be too close to the bars, understood?!".
Slowly stepping back she knew that escaping was her least option since she heard about the exploding collars given to slaves or those that had been declared to be one. For a short moment she was falling. Her mind was diving down into a loop of chaos, endlessly swirling in fear and sorrow while her demeanor kept calm. Thoughts were racing fast. Her heart felt like being crushed slowly between the claws of fate...
She suddenly saw everyone kneeling down. bowing so deep their faces where pressing against the ground and she knew...
She knew what was meant by special visitor. It couldn`t be but it must`ve been. A Celestial Dragon was approaching the halls. No one would dare to look at him, no one would dare to say anything unless asked and everybody would obey since the World of Nobles held all the power one possibly could possess. The obligation to kill and claim anyone anytime without be contradicted. There was nothing she could do against it, if he would choose her, her life would be officially over. She wouldn`t be able to talk back in any way without getting shot, no way to escape, no way out... not forward nor backwards. Only the presence, of the Noble in white robes with a glass bubble surrounding his head so he wouldn`t need to breath the same air as the commoners in the room, made her feel like she was being crushed like a bug. She knew that he was accompanied by two others and she knew all to well that the tiniest trouble could lead to the summoning of an admiral. It was a force to be reckoned with.
He pointed with his finger to a few cages, only picking the young girls who were pulled out and handed over to him, their collars fixed on long iron chains and as he walked by her for a very short second she felt like he was going to ignore her, that was until the words "And this one here!" fell and she heard her own cage being opened. That moment...
In that moment she knew she would die. It could be a quick or a long torturing and agonizing death. Giving up was never an option for her so she had to endure and survive.
"Look at me. I wish to see your eyes!", she was ordered by the man who was known as Saint Marquis. She did as he said, her eyes gazing at his for just a moment. Expecting some sort of comment at first she then felt his fist in her face. "I wanted to see your eyes, I did not allow you to stare at me!". A throbbing pain cursed in her jaw as she gently held it in trying not to spit blood she swallowed it so she couldn`t provoke anything else. The surroundings, the happenings, everything just seemed like a nightmare. It was blurry, her senses numb and she felt like all of this was just a nightmare become true. The time went by so quickly that she couldn`t tell where it had been gone and as he pulled her behind him out of the Human Auction House she saw that the dusk had her in her embrace. How embarrassing, ashamed, unworthy and insulted she was in her pride she couldn`t tell. It was like a cradle. From a cradle of pride to a cradle of filth to the cradle of the enslaved. The currents of time around her were disturbed and she started to weight out what she would choose as her own fate. Endure and eventually survive or getting killed right here, right now and nobody would say anything against the corrupt, unjust abuse of power those Saints held...
Following on an iron leash, being watched distantly by people with either worried or grinning faces she shook her head over and over. The Saint lead her through the city along with his other new possessions. The girl next to her tripped over her feet, a wound was visible on it and looked horribly painful and infected.
"Are you to stupid, walk?!", he yelled at her kicking against her ribs as she laid on the ground rolling over and over. The cracking of rips had become audible while everybody around them just watched, walked another way or bowed down. Nihilias` breathing became heavier, faster and more dramatically grasping for air, she felt her heart pounding in her chest with such a power that it started to hurt. Should this be how it ends? Should this be how she will be treated as well? No... No...
Her hand reached around her necklace, pulling the glass pearl of it out of her cleavage. Closed inside her hand she growled silently, her hand trembled. No matter what she would do, there was no way out. She would either be enslaved and killed, or she would be found earlier or later by her own brother and probably die as well. As her eyes fiercely watched the girl on the ground spitting blood she thought intensively about taking the blood and become a vampire. She could not only survive but also kill that bastard without fearing the consequences since she would be dead already.
The kicking stopped as the girl dropped dead and the Saint laughed at her misery. He then turned around to looked at Nihilia pointing down with a finger, "I have her blood on my shoes, lick it off!".
Her eyes narrowed, her eyebrows frowned. "NO!", she would not obey any order from a man like this and if it meant she needed to die right now right here she would die grinning at him so she would not give that despiteful Noble the satisfaction of her suffering.
"WHAT was that?!", he pulled out a gun pointing at her.
Grasping the necklace tighter around her chest she shook her head and simply replied in a stone-cold tone, "I rather die than live one more second as a slave for a piece of shit like you!".
The eyes of the saint widened with wrath and anger but at the same time the most devilish grin crossed his lips, "Is that so! I should shoot you right now for those words. But it could be fun breaking you and since you clearly have a wish for death I will not fulfill it!". He wiggled with the point of the gun and narrowed, "What do have in your hands bitch!?".
"That doesn`t concern you. Either shoot me now or let me go!".
"Show it to me!".
"Are you deaf?!", she spat onto the ground.
The Marquis came close to her, telling two other male slaves to fix her in place while Nihilia provoked him more and more to pull that trigger. Her face showed those rare emotions for once, disgust and hate was clearly written into it as her gaze was fixed onto the Saint. The two male slaves fixed her while the Celestial Dragon stepped closer to her, taking the pearl out of her hands. "What is this!?".
"Poison!", she replied shortly while fighting back in some way.
"Take it!".
"I need that back!".
"Take that poison! Open her mouth!", he ordered while the dirty hands of the two males fixing her grasped her jaw to open it slightly.
"NO! Shoot me. I told you to shoot me you bastard, I will not take this! If I die make it quick so I don`t need to see your ugly face anymore!", she yelled back at him, kicking onto the feet of the men that kept her fixed.
"Do you think I take orders from a slave? You are my toy and I can do whatever I like and when I say you take this poison you will take it. I certainly hope I can watch you laying on the ground kissing my feet while you suffer!". His voice was filled with arrogance, every word showed how much he looked down on others. Fighting back over and over, biting the fingers in her mouth that kept it open she screamed and yelled at him and just a moment after her struggle she felt him pressing the pearl into her mouth while ordering the two others to keep it fixed. "Swallow!", he simply said with a most terrifying grin.
Only muffled sounds where echoing as she shook her head and tried to contain the pearl safe so it wouldn`t break but no matter how much effort she gave, he would not easily shoot her after the things she said. He wanted to see her suffer and made sure of it by punching her face which let to the breaking of the pearl. The cracking was audible and the two men who had held her let go, Nihilia fell to the ground and spat out the tiny glass pieces along with her blood and the blood of the vampire, "What have you done!".
"I can do whatever I want!", he looked down at her waiting for an reaction which would be instantaneous. Inside of her she felt something tickling, than everything started to go numb for just a moment and then... pain. There was only pain while she spat onto the ground and threw up. Blood started to run down her face coming out of her eyes and her nose and even her ears. Her breathing turned into hyperventilation followed by the horrible sounds of someone suffocating as her hands punched the muddy ground underneath. Her finger curled in pain burying themselves into the dirt and her muscles tensed up letting her body twist and twirl around in shocking ways. The only thing she heard was the laughter of the Saint who then ordered one of the men at his side to remove the collar. "Tell you what. I will be good to you today. Do you see the light over there? If you can reach it in less than one minute I will let you go and you may find someone who can give you an antidote. If you don`t, THEN I will shoot you!".
The pain inflicted on her was so intense it numbed everything, she coudln`t even hear the words the Noble said while screaming echoed through he street. She hadn`t taken in all of the blood, there could have only been a drop inside of her system which probably invaded by a small wound from the broken glass pearl. She thought she had spat it out fast enough to avoid contact with the virus that was now overtaking her body. Pulses and shockwaves of agony wouldn`t let her move one single inch and the time was ticking forwards. This minute however was seemingly as long as an eternity. This was nothing but a game for the World Nobles and she was the toy to be played with.
"Times` up!", he laughed pulling the trigger of the gun followed by a bang and the exploding suffering in her chest. The last thing she saw was him kicking her already destroyed body in a corner and right after that she saw his figure walking away. The laughter echoing loudly through her mind as she crawled into a side-way with the little energy she had left. With her last power she wished not to be seen in her dying breaths...
Darkness... There was nothing but darkness around her as the world faded and she felt death's grip around her...
For just a moment before her consciousness finally faded away, she literally felt her soul being pulled out of her body and thrown into a pit of howling, demonic wolves...