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A tall, elegant woman stood at the top of the Astronomy tower, gazing up at the constellation of Orion, draped in a long, black velvet cloak that reflected no moon or star light. In one hand she held out a small half-full phial of ice-blue liquid, matching her eyes, upon which a scarlet flame flickered ghostlike. In her other hand, hovered a very small stone, a crystal-clear jewel that sparkled in the light of the full, but unnaturally red moon. The woman waited silently for the darkest hour with patience and stillness that can be acquired only by time itself. As it approached, a stiff North wind swept up the grounds, almost trying to force her off the tower, as if what she was about to do, was against nature itself. Nothing, however, could stop her now. She stood firm and resolute as the cutting wind almost tore the cloak from her, causing it to whip up and sting her face. But instead of chilling her blood, it caused her heart to beat faster in anticipation. The time was near. It wouldn't be long now until she is restored to full health, and all its vicious power.
Swiftly, the bright moon crept across the midnight black sky, surrounded by its twinkling companions, until it appeared to be directly above the tower. Then carefully the woman, whose white, sunken complexion was the only sign of hunger, rose upon wall, still gazing trance-like at the red moon. Poised there unwaveringly, she began to wonder if the red moonlight would have a different effect on the small stone in her palm. But her fears were soon dashed when she held up her right hand to the sky and uttered seven words in a long dead language, "Let the blood of Life come forth."
As she turned to watch the colourless jewel intently, a lilac puff burst from within and spread to fill the whole crystal, as if it was hollow. Then suddenly the pale lilac puff turned into a thick, deep purple substance, desperate to burst forth. A satisfied smile flashed across her face as she made the crystal hover over to the scarlet flame flickering silently on top of the phial. After a minute in the flame, the jewel lost its sparkle and began to vibrate furiously, as if fighting desperately to hold its trapped contents. But it was not to be. With a moment to spare the woman plucked the stone from the flame and held it firmly in her fingertips. As she watched, her eyes gleaming, the small stone began to leak the deep purple fluid like someone had pierced it with a sharp needle.
The ritual was almost complete; with one more swift movement the once beautiful stone was dropped through the flame into the pale liquid upon which it burned. Carefully she swilled the phial thrice while the deep purple diffused throughout it. Then, with a grin arrayed with sharp, ivory white teeth, the woman licked her fingers of some spilt purple blood from the crystal, tilted back her head, and drained the small phial.
Feeling a thin trickle slide down the edge of her lips towards her chin, she attempted to wipe if clean, but she was suddenly powerless to move. With the North Wind still blowing wrathfully, her cloak was swept from her into the night, but she didn't care. All the woman was aware of, was the blazing heat that began to consume her from within. She knew that no ordinary human could survive this, and that for them to gain life from the blood of a Diamantez crystal, Plumsappe, for core strength, they would have to devour the heart of the primary consumer. But fortunately for her, her circumstances were different. As she teetered on the brink of balance, her eyes shot wide open. They were trying to see, but unable to. She was beginning to fight the inner Death. Flashes of evil swarmed her mind. Flashes of her memories. Blood- curdling screams resounded in her head and the faces of the innocent lingered unfaded in front of her. These were her memories, yes, but not her actions. For all her connections with the Dark Side, she had never let herself become one of them in her heart. She would never sink that low. That's why she was taking the potion. So she could live on to fight this evil that was once part of her. To destroy it. "Hypocrite" her conscience whispered. Yes, she supposed she was. But desperate times called for desperate measures, she reasoned. She needed the Diamantez tonight, and if a few relatively worthless lives had to be ruined in the process, well, that was a small price to pay for what would happen if she didn't get it. Dying in her case was only the first step.
A dreadful pain filled her heart, like the purging of venom from a closed wound. Her eyes stung, bloodshot red and watering. Her irises were different now, a change had taken place. They were rich violet and dilated. There was an unearthly glow radiating from her now fuller face. Then she felt it. The lengthening of her canines. The pain had now spread to her head, and was now so intense; she couldn't feel the tears flowing down her cheek. The tears of human blood. The phial fell from her hand and smashed on the stones, far, far below. No longer paralyzed, her body bent over into a fetal ball, tears flowing faster now. Then the moment she had been waiting for - a smooth, shiny liquid dripped from her fangs like mercury. At last, the worst was over. The fangs receded; but her eyes did not return to normal. There was more to come. Suddenly everything stopped around her. Time paused itself. The moon no longer shone. Even the mighty gale had ceased. All that remained in her was a growing euphoric feeling of being reborn.
Slowly the body of the young woman began to rise off the wall. Hovering silently, the inner screams had gone. The turmoil within had disappeared. Even gravity seemed to have no effect on her. Her mind had detached itself from her soul, so that when her eyes opened and she gazed down at the grounds 250 ft below her, she felt nothing. No fear. No adrenaline. Just bliss. Yet complete inner peace is something so rare, so fragile, that it cannot last for more than an instant, without being snatched away into the eternal darkness.
It was gone. The cold air chilled her spine and battered against her face. Her hands were blue. Her breath turned into a mist and disappeared immediately. Unless she got back into the castle soon, her body wouldn't last the night. It had been through the physical boundaries of Life and Death, Past and Future, and her strong heart still beat. But only just. Her mind had been through more, however, than even that. Thinking was agonizing. Her sight began to dull, her eyelids fell. Her mind went numb. Then the Darkness took her.
*********************
A tall, elegant woman stood at the top of the Astronomy tower, gazing up at the constellation of Orion, draped in a long, black velvet cloak that reflected no moon or star light. In one hand she held out a small half-full phial of ice-blue liquid, matching her eyes, upon which a scarlet flame flickered ghostlike. In her other hand, hovered a very small stone, a crystal-clear jewel that sparkled in the light of the full, but unnaturally red moon. The woman waited silently for the darkest hour with patience and stillness that can be acquired only by time itself. As it approached, a stiff North wind swept up the grounds, almost trying to force her off the tower, as if what she was about to do, was against nature itself. Nothing, however, could stop her now. She stood firm and resolute as the cutting wind almost tore the cloak from her, causing it to whip up and sting her face. But instead of chilling her blood, it caused her heart to beat faster in anticipation. The time was near. It wouldn't be long now until she is restored to full health, and all its vicious power.
Swiftly, the bright moon crept across the midnight black sky, surrounded by its twinkling companions, until it appeared to be directly above the tower. Then carefully the woman, whose white, sunken complexion was the only sign of hunger, rose upon wall, still gazing trance-like at the red moon. Poised there unwaveringly, she began to wonder if the red moonlight would have a different effect on the small stone in her palm. But her fears were soon dashed when she held up her right hand to the sky and uttered seven words in a long dead language, "Let the blood of Life come forth."
As she turned to watch the colourless jewel intently, a lilac puff burst from within and spread to fill the whole crystal, as if it was hollow. Then suddenly the pale lilac puff turned into a thick, deep purple substance, desperate to burst forth. A satisfied smile flashed across her face as she made the crystal hover over to the scarlet flame flickering silently on top of the phial. After a minute in the flame, the jewel lost its sparkle and began to vibrate furiously, as if fighting desperately to hold its trapped contents. But it was not to be. With a moment to spare the woman plucked the stone from the flame and held it firmly in her fingertips. As she watched, her eyes gleaming, the small stone began to leak the deep purple fluid like someone had pierced it with a sharp needle.
The ritual was almost complete; with one more swift movement the once beautiful stone was dropped through the flame into the pale liquid upon which it burned. Carefully she swilled the phial thrice while the deep purple diffused throughout it. Then, with a grin arrayed with sharp, ivory white teeth, the woman licked her fingers of some spilt purple blood from the crystal, tilted back her head, and drained the small phial.
Feeling a thin trickle slide down the edge of her lips towards her chin, she attempted to wipe if clean, but she was suddenly powerless to move. With the North Wind still blowing wrathfully, her cloak was swept from her into the night, but she didn't care. All the woman was aware of, was the blazing heat that began to consume her from within. She knew that no ordinary human could survive this, and that for them to gain life from the blood of a Diamantez crystal, Plumsappe, for core strength, they would have to devour the heart of the primary consumer. But fortunately for her, her circumstances were different. As she teetered on the brink of balance, her eyes shot wide open. They were trying to see, but unable to. She was beginning to fight the inner Death. Flashes of evil swarmed her mind. Flashes of her memories. Blood- curdling screams resounded in her head and the faces of the innocent lingered unfaded in front of her. These were her memories, yes, but not her actions. For all her connections with the Dark Side, she had never let herself become one of them in her heart. She would never sink that low. That's why she was taking the potion. So she could live on to fight this evil that was once part of her. To destroy it. "Hypocrite" her conscience whispered. Yes, she supposed she was. But desperate times called for desperate measures, she reasoned. She needed the Diamantez tonight, and if a few relatively worthless lives had to be ruined in the process, well, that was a small price to pay for what would happen if she didn't get it. Dying in her case was only the first step.
A dreadful pain filled her heart, like the purging of venom from a closed wound. Her eyes stung, bloodshot red and watering. Her irises were different now, a change had taken place. They were rich violet and dilated. There was an unearthly glow radiating from her now fuller face. Then she felt it. The lengthening of her canines. The pain had now spread to her head, and was now so intense; she couldn't feel the tears flowing down her cheek. The tears of human blood. The phial fell from her hand and smashed on the stones, far, far below. No longer paralyzed, her body bent over into a fetal ball, tears flowing faster now. Then the moment she had been waiting for - a smooth, shiny liquid dripped from her fangs like mercury. At last, the worst was over. The fangs receded; but her eyes did not return to normal. There was more to come. Suddenly everything stopped around her. Time paused itself. The moon no longer shone. Even the mighty gale had ceased. All that remained in her was a growing euphoric feeling of being reborn.
Slowly the body of the young woman began to rise off the wall. Hovering silently, the inner screams had gone. The turmoil within had disappeared. Even gravity seemed to have no effect on her. Her mind had detached itself from her soul, so that when her eyes opened and she gazed down at the grounds 250 ft below her, she felt nothing. No fear. No adrenaline. Just bliss. Yet complete inner peace is something so rare, so fragile, that it cannot last for more than an instant, without being snatched away into the eternal darkness.
It was gone. The cold air chilled her spine and battered against her face. Her hands were blue. Her breath turned into a mist and disappeared immediately. Unless she got back into the castle soon, her body wouldn't last the night. It had been through the physical boundaries of Life and Death, Past and Future, and her strong heart still beat. But only just. Her mind had been through more, however, than even that. Thinking was agonizing. Her sight began to dull, her eyelids fell. Her mind went numb. Then the Darkness took her.
*********************
