Vows

Arina frowned as she knelt beside Vivien, taking in a deep breath she focused her sight upon Vivien's wound. Slowly her fingers entered the wound and she leaned in closer, the glint of silver was caught within a slowly degrading muscle tendon of the shoulder, slowly Arina pulled it out with an effort. "Is...is that all of it?" She asked.

The dark green veins that spread out along her arm and neck ceased their creeping as soon as the silver shard had been pulled free. “Yes...” Vivien said raspily. “I think that was all of it... thank you.” Resting her head against the cabinets she tried to catch her breath, but it still hurt to breath. She had no doubt the green veins had reached her lungs. “You... you still haven’t answered me about... Dorian.” She said in a wheezy gurgle, with mottled red and green blood oozing out of her mouth and down her lips.

"He...wants me to live with him, I want to...but I also like the friends I made here." Arina sat behind Vivien and allowed the half-vampire to lean against her and recover. "Are you going to be alright....that silver, and the fact that you are very weak."

Vivien smiled at Arina’s concern. “I... will be alright. Just... just remind me not to go through silver encased windows... again.” She snickered. As Arina shifted behind her Vivien worried a little, for she could hear Arina’s heart beating in her head like a drum. So much so like when she had hungered the night before. Her eyes flashed from green to red as she fought back the biting sensation in her gut and the haziness the blood loss had caused. “Lani... will be here. Bring me... some clothes please... I look... dreadful.”

As Lani left Arina's eyes looked towards the wound again, peering over Vivien's shoulder. Caressing the side of the half-vampires face with one hand Arina knew the quickest solution to heal Vivien, and it was not holy magic; such may harm her more. "Vivien..." Arina whispered as she picked the small sharp piece of silver up again, the priestess painfully slashed it across her wrist, "trust me...do it, you need to heal..."

Vivien looked at her wrist in horror, and scrambled away from her like a cat being chased by a dog to the other side of the room. She then turned to her, trying not to look at the blood oozing from her wrist. “You are mad! I will not sacrifice what I am! No!” Vivien raged as blood spittled from her lips. “Heal yourself, heal yourself now!” She demanded.

"No!" Arina replied defiantly and stood. "My place is to heal those that are without hope, to give of myself where others cannot, Vivien...you know this! You understand it!" Arina decided not to argue anymore and rushed towards Vivien with her wrist out stretched, now under Vivien's very nose.

“I will not!” Vivien shouted, though she had no real way to retaliate in her obviously weak state. “I would sooner damn myself to hell than hurt anyone I love!” But Arina seemed determined to go through with this, and placed her bloody wrist to her face. “I vowed!” Vivien growled as she closed her eyes, trying to drown out the sound of her heart, the smell of her sweet tantalizing blood. “I vowed! Do not tempt me! I VOWED!”

"As did I! I am not to disappoint Fantamek now, not after all that has been done already." Arina retorted, then sighed. "Either you drink, or the blood gets wasted on the floor, its up to you."

Vivien’s fangs came out as she spoke to Arina, and for the first time she actually got to see what Vivien’s true nature was. “I cannot!” Tears began to run down her cheeks as she fought back the urge with everything she had. “I am an abomination to Fantamek! Heal yourself now!”

"I will be the judge of what Fantamek judges to be good or evil, I will be the one responsible, you can drink Vivien, please, save yourself...these are dark days and you need your strength." That was Arina's last attempt, her wrist was beginning to sting uncontrollably and her hand shivered.

That was it... Arina would rather bleed herself dry before her than heal herself. Did she truly care for her that much? It tore at her heart... and she knew the only way to save Arina was to do what she truly hated... something she had vowed to never do... feed on the blood of the innocent and the ones she loves. Why had it come to this? Reaching up she grabbed Arina by the waist, pulling her down to the floor with her. Vivien looks deeply into her eyes, holding her close. She hated herself now more than she ever had... but what choice was she given? She couldn’t heal her... she could only do as she demanded. Sliding her hand over Arina’s arm softly she brought it to her mouth, and as gently as possible bit down over the wound.

Arina closed her eyes and gave a small stifled cry as the teeth pierced her flesh, but that feeling was replaced with a rush of blood, she felt a buzz which almost felt seductive, she breathed slowly yet loudly as if she were sharing a bed with Dorian.

Her blood was sweet and pure, and she took it in slowly so as to not hurt Arina anymore than she already was. She could feel Arina’s heart... her soul, every fiber of her being. It was beautiful and a sense of euphoria washed over her, mixed with a strange erotic feeling. Vivien’s breathing increased, and she could feel her body begin to heal, the wound slowly beginning to mend and close, as Arina’s blood began to fill the void in her abdomen.

Arina began to grow pale, her breathing slower, yet her mind did not register her growing weakness, all she could think of was how...wondrous...this felt, she almost smiled as her knee's began to buckle as the life was being drained from her.

Pulling her lips from Arina’s wrist Vivien cradled her in her arms, brushing her bangs from her face. For the first time in a long time... she had felt close to another being and she knew if she lost her now, she would lose a part of herself. Vivien knew is she lost Arina because of this she would never forgive herself. "Are you ok?" Vivien asked genlty while rocking her softly.

Arina nodded slowly, her eyes closed still, slowly she placed a hand over her bitten wrist and a faint glow could be seen as she healed the damage. "H-how do you feel?" Arina asked Vivien weakly.

"As expected." She replied as she began to stroke the side of her cheek with her hand. "But... don't ever do that again." Vivien said with a touch of anger. She was angry at her... and happy... how was that possible? Vivien began to cry. "You've opened something in me I haven't known in so long... you better not die on me silly girl."

"I...I just need to rest," Arina replied, her eyes still closed. "If...if you will have me?"

"You have to ask?" Vivien said lightly. Despite Vivien's small frame she lifted Arina off the floor as if she weighted nothing, and began to carry her down the hallway. "No one... has ever done anything like that... for me. No one..."

"th-then I guess we are even then?" Arina smiled lightly and tried to open her eyes, "Allow people to love you Vivien, allow yourself to love and you will understand why I did it without hesitation."

Carrying her up the stairs she then walked down to the room Arina had occupied when she first arrived. Pushing the door open she walks over and sents Arina on the bed gently, taking a blanket and tucking her in. "I am not... incapable of love, Arina. I just haven't found anything... worth loving. Until now." She smiled down at her. "Rest. If I catch you out of this bed anytime soon you'll find yourself chained to it."

Arina instantly relaxed into the familiar mattress and sheets, the same bed where she first felt safe in her time in Calora and recovered from her ordeals within the slave trade. "Vivien, can...can Dorian come see me?" She felt weak, and new it would be at least a day before she had the strength to walk back to the castle.

"I cannot deny you that." She replied simply. "Though he will question my... survival." Vivien stated. "It does not matter though..." It had grown apparent that her time in Calora was drawing to a close, and that she would have to return to Deligandra soon. "Rest... I will send out a messenger to inform him you are still here."

"Thank you," Arina whispered as her relaxed state quickly fell into a state of sleep, a peaceful sleep in which no shadows loomed over her soul.

Vivien touched her cheek gently, and then left the room. Walking into her own chambers she shut the door behind her slowly. Standing there for a moment she clenched her fists tightly while going over to her dresser behind the room's screen. Stopping before it she leans against it, then turns quickly, punching the screen with her fist. The wood cracked and splintered, her fist making a perfect hole through its shell etched surface. Her face was twisted in anger and she shook with rage. "Nakhti... I swear... you will pay for this..."