Aiduel's Sin, page 55
‘Let them go,’ she added, ‘if you value your lives, and before whoever is attacking this place comes for you.’
‘You can’t order us about,’ stated the officer, with more confidence this time. A moment later, he frowned before saying, ‘Wait… I know you. You passed us in that village. And before that… By the Lord, I recognise you now! Nionia dei Pallere, Septholme Castle… you were a prisoner here… Lord, the one who esc-’
His hand was reaching to draw the sword from his scabbard at the instant when Allana released the darkness.
Lust. Power. Domination.
An invisible wave of corruption erupted from Allana, engulfing the party of Aiduel’s Guards. It deluged them in a torrent of ruin, which washed around and through the seven red-cloaked figures. Their leader was the sergeant who Allana had once encountered by accident in Septholme Castle. The one whose later questions had led to Aiduel’s Guards’ interest in her, and to her subsequent imprisonment and torture. How befitting that he should be the recipient of her wrath on this day.
And there was boundless fury for Allana to unleash, accumulated by a succession of events; her failed attempt to stop the brutal execution of the young woman before Septholme’s walls; her clash with and subjugation of Jarrett; her enraged response to the assault by the priestess Leanna; and finally, the humiliating rejection by Arion.
Then, in this place where she had suffered so much misery, she had come upon these imprisoned and tortured women. Following which, this sergeant had intended to attack her! It was all too much. She had passed her breaking point, gone far past it, and it was time for someone to pay a price on this day in a currency of horror.
The darkness had wrapped around the seven soldiers, and it was smothering them in its embrace. All of them were collapsed in various poses of distress, and each one had started to scream. Some had raised their hands to their eyes, in a vain attempt to shut out whatever horrors they were seeing and feeling.
Power surged through Allana, enhanced by the proximity of Arion and the woman Leanna. She used that power to tap ever deeper into the reservoir of darkness inside of herself, and to feed it into these seven victims, who were becoming unfortunate receptacles for all of the agonies which she had suffered in this fortress.
Make them pay, Lana! Make them all pay.
As she unleashed her rage upon the red-cloaked victims, there was a continuing accompaniment of the sounds of battle from inside the fortress complex. These noises were soon joined by cries of fear from some of the imprisoned women.
Allana recognised that almost everything that she had done before this had been conducted in the shadows, where others had either not seen or survived her actions. But today, she was unveiling her powers before an audience.
It’s not just Leanna of Arlais who can work miracles, Lana.
She glanced towards the cage, and saw that many of the captive women had backed away from the bars. They were staring at her with gaping mouths, their expressions a mixture of fear and horror. Allana knew that these reactions were based purely on the visible suffering of the seven victims. She was certain that only she could perceive the swirling cloud of tendrils and darkness which was enveloping the red-cloaked soldiers.
Imagine their terror if they could see all that you can see, Lana.
She stepped closer to the nearest two guards. The bulky female soldier had now collapsed onto her side, with her legs tucked into her body. The sergeant was beside her, on his hands and knees.
Allana could remember what had happened with the dowager Sillene Berun, months earlier. The woman had been ruined and transformed, after Allana had gripped her flesh and had spread the corruption by touch. What would Allana’s touch do now, with her power magnified by Arion and the priestess Leanna?
Arion Sepian was close by, inside the fortress. Arion, who had rejected and humiliated Allana, despite her declaration of love. Who had called her a fucking whore, after spending himself inside of her.
Allana’s powers were also bolstered by the nearby presence of the Angel of Arlais, a woman who seemed to have placed herself ahead of Allana in Arion’s affections and admiration. Who was worth a thousand of Allana!
The thought of the priestess added to Allana’s fury. She leaned over the two Guards and laid a hand upon the neck of each of them, then let the ruin and corruption flow directly out along her fingertips. A burning smell immediately wafted up to Allana from where her fingers were pressed against their bare flesh.
Make them suffer, Lana! As they have chosen to make others suffer.
The two victims of this foul touch began to writhe and convulse on the floor, their cries of anguish becoming ever more tormented.
The captive women were also sounding more distressed and frightened. Allana glanced briefly towards the cage, and could see that all of the prisoners were now pressed against the far fortress wall, with the exception of the lone, vacant-eyed figure who was slumped on the floor against the bars.
Allana turned her attention and rage back to her two principal victims, these two torturers, and pressed her fingers more firmly against their flesh, causing both of them to scream again. There was a definite stench of burning and corruption in the air, coming from the places where she touched their skin. But she was too far gone to stop this. She needed this release, after the events of today. Needed to make somebody pay.
Then she felt the stirrings of the transformation within these two victims.
She kept her fingers in place, experiencing a righteous sense of satisfaction as she watched what was happening. The pair’s bodies were twisting, breaking and stretching. She could see that ruinous changes were taking place within them; muscles swelling, arms extending, teeth and nails growing sharper. The clothes of these two victims began to tear, and armour straps were soon ripped apart, as the soldiers’ bodies were morphing into something different. Something new. Something dark.
This was what had happened to Sillene Berun on that night long ago. Only this time, Allana was witnessing it all, and she was resolved to see it through. Let these two experience the feeling of being tortured, and humiliated, and broken inside. Let them share in the suffering which they had been so happy to inflict upon others. On these captive women. On Allana.
The bodies of the two continued to twist and stretch, as did their faces. Mouths and noses were becoming more elongated, and their facial features more feral. Their clothes and armour were completely torn away now, and shredded rags were falling to the ground, as their bodies swelled to a length and bulk far beyond what had been there before.
These changes were accompanied by further terrified reactions from the women in the cage, and Allana heard a frightened cry of, ‘Witch!’
But she was set upon this course, and she was determined to see it to its conclusion. The ruin and corruption continued to pour into the two figures who had once been Aiduel’s Guards, and it was close to completing its work. Nails were being transformed into claws, teeth into fangs. Thick hair was sprouting through the flesh across the head and body. Taking the transformation to a stage far beyond what had been done to Sillene Berun. Creating something new and horrific. Creating beasts. That belonged to Allana. That obeyed her. That would protect her, at all costs. That would worship her?
When she finally sensed that her work was complete, she released her hands from the two figures who were now prone before her. The corruption and ruin which had been flowing into their bodies now ceased, as did the torrent of darkness which had washed through and around the other five Guards.
The women in the cage had fallen quiet, resulting in silence in the immediate surrounding area. This gave prominence to the renewed sounds of fighting from the far side of the complex, and Allana could sense surges of energy which suggested that Arion was still active there.
However, her attention was on the two creatures. After a few moments, the two beastly figures began to climb to their feet, unwinding their limbs with a graceful and deadly elegance. Raising themselves up and standing at full height before Allana. They were both close to eight feet tall, towering above her. Golden eyes observed her, and elongated maws were slightly open to display sharp teeth and fangs.
She knew instinctively that these creatures now served her, and that she was their mistress. The individuals who had owned these bodies were no more, their minds shattered into these feral beasts. Monsters which would serve Allana, and only Allana.
You are like a goddess to these creatures, Lana.
She locked eyes with the beast which had been the sergeant, before focusing on the other five Aiduel’s Guards, who all appeared to be collapsed and unconscious.
The creature seemed to understand without Allana needing to articulate her command. It sprang into action, followed moments afterwards by the second beast. Claws of the pair then stabbed down repeatedly into the five figures who had once been their colleagues, and blood sprayed up into the air and onto the monsters themselves.
The beasts turned to face Allana again, and she glanced towards the cage. The captive women inside were regarding her with horror, and none of them spoke. The creature which had been the sergeant then began to walk towards the wooden gate.
Rational thought was returning to Allana, and she was beginning to realise the implications of her actions being witnessed. The women in the cage had all seen what Allana was and what she was capable of. If they were to leave this place, they would be able to tell their story of the woman – the witch – who had done this. They would talk of it, and the tale of unnatural deeds might spread far and wide, and into dangerous ears.
And they had heard her speak her name.
What have you done, Lana? You’ve let them see this, and now they’ll talk about you! They’ll betray the secret of who you are and what you are!
She could try to threaten them into silence, as she had once threatened Nionia. But there was no realistic possibility that this many women would keep her secret in the long term. And if just a single one of them was interrogated again by Aiduel’s Guards, they would tell of everything that had happened here.
Everyone would then know who Allana was. What she was. And she would be hunted again. She would lose everything.
They’ll destroy your life, if they leave here, Lana.
She clenched her fists, feeling frustrated by her total loss of control in the midst of her fury. It was utterly stupid to have done this in front of an audience.
Why did you do this, Lana? Your actions here are going to force you to choose between their survival and yours.
As she was thinking this, the creature which had been the sergeant approached the wooden cage door, gripped it, and then ripped the frame off its hinges in an exertion of bestial strength. This resulted in a series of shrieks from the women in the cage, who clustered into the corner furthest away from the beast. The lone exception continued to be the vacant-eyed figure who was slumped on the floor by the bars.
Now that her rage was subsiding, Allana felt a moment of crisis, as if she was teetering at the edge of a precipice. She realised that she was trembling again. Her survival or theirs? Her or them? Was there any other choice?
She stared at the women, noting the terror in their expressions. None of them appeared grateful for what Allana had done to their captors. None of them seemed thankful that Allana had meted out the revenge which they were too weak to deliver themselves. None of them were in awe of the miraculous thing which she had just done.
No, all that she could see was fear, horror and disgust. Panicked eyes staring at her as if she was the monster.
The two beasts now entered the cage. They moved to a position inside the open doorway, standing upright and blocking the women’s escape. Allana knew that the creatures were awaiting her instruction.
‘Please, my Lady!’ cried out a pleading voice.
Allana identified the source. It was the woman Esme. She was on the outside of the cluster of women, nearest to the monsters, shielding her sister with her own body.
‘Please, my Lady, please spare us. Please let us go.’
Allana was still trembling as she said, ‘I want to, I really do.’ And she knew that she meant it. ‘I only wanted to help you. To free you. But you all saw me. You saw what I can do.’
‘Please. We… thank you, for killing the Guards. And we won’t talk about this. None of us. Ever. We swear it, before The Lord. Please, spare us.’
The woman’s voice was soft and imploring. Allana felt herself becoming increasingly torn. Could she dare to let them go?
‘I don’t know what to do,’ she said, raising shaking hands up to the side of her head. She could feel tears forming in her eyes. ‘I don’t know what to do!’
‘Just let us go, please,’ said Esme. ‘We won’t say anything. We promise. Please, Lady Allana.’
Allana froze, her heart pounding after hearing those last two words. This one, at least, had taken note of her name. And how many others had done the same, now that it had been repeated?
Those ill-chosen words acted to finalise Allana’s decision, and she averted her gaze from the woman.
This isn’t your fault, Lana. They were going to die, anyway. None of this is your fault.
She had wanted to save them, she knew that, just like she had wanted to save the girl on the pyre. After first seeing these women, she had been determined to free them from the cage, to spare them a repeat of her own suffering. Her intentions had been good. But matters had spiralled out of control, all too quickly, and had gone too far for her to ever take back. She should never have followed Arion to this place.
But she could at least console herself that even if she had not come here, they had all been certain to die, anyway. Better a quick death than the horror of being burned alive on a pyre. In some ways, what she was about to do would be a kindness.
You’ll be doing them a mercy, Lana, compared to the fire.
Her body was still trembling, more forcefully now. She did not want to be in this situation. She truly did not. But she was here, and she could not take back the actions and decisions, or the rage, which had led her to this moment. And there could be no avoiding the devastating choice which she now faced. Them or her. Her or them.
The darkness beneath the edge of the precipice was beckoning to her.
You will do whatever it takes to survive, Lana.
She looked up, and through her tears she met the gaze of the woman Esme.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I have no choice.’
Allana turned away, not wanting to see the woman’s reaction, or to witness what was to come.
The instruction which followed was more a thought than an articulated word, but the creatures understood, and they acted upon it.
Kill them.
Allana was walking away from the cage, her mind falling into the midnight black of the abyss, when the screaming started.
–
The slaughter took surprisingly little time. Soon after, the two beasts returned to Allana’s side.
She had wiped the tears from her eyes, but her emotions were overwhelming her, and she was continuing to shake. She was struggling to process what had just happened, and to control the darkness which she could feel swarming around and inside her, suffocating her.
You had no choice, Lana. It was your survival or theirs. Your survival or theirs. Your survival or theirs!
She was still lost in the spiral of these thoughts when she was disturbed by a familiar sensation, which was coming from the west of the fortress. Arising from within Septholme.
The woman Leanna was drawing on power. Drawing on a lot of power. Allana could feel it, surging and swelling, although it was not being taken from Allana herself, this time. But from another. From Arion.
Allana felt certain that the priestess was using Arion to do something. This sudden blaze of power in the west suggested that the woman was working some new miracle. Something else, no doubt, to make everyone adore her. True, she was not taking from Allana, but she was using Arion. The man who should belong to Allana, but who had instead rejected and humiliated her, and had told her that Leanna of Arlais was worth a thousand of her!
How dare she do that, Lana! How dare she use him, when he should be yours! She’s going to take him from you. She must stop. She must stop!
Allana felt a renewal of the flame of her rage, and she looked up at the two creatures beside her. They would do whatever she asked of them, they had already proven that. They would do it without hesitation or question or conscience. And no one would ever know that the deed had been undertaken at Allana’s instigation.
As she considered this, the memory of the recurring dream flashed into her mind. In particular, the latter parts of that dream, which she had only recently been able to recall after waking.
ONLY ONE CAN CLAIM THE POWER.
That is what the voice in the dream had said. Only one.
KILL THEM AND MAKE IT YOURS. KILL THEM ALL!
The Angel of Arlais was of a kind with Allana, and she possessed a vast power. Could the priestess have shared this same dream, and have heard these same words? Could she soon be readying herself to act against Allana?
Allana’s instincts were telling her that the woman represented a genuine threat, and the priestess’s actions in Septholme had proven that she could be a danger to Allana’s very survival. Leanna of Arlais was too strong already, and she could not be allowed to continue to grow stronger. Could not be allowed to take Arion away from Allana.
Yes, it seemed that she was definitely a threat. But Allana had experience of dealing with threats, and of surviving them. Ronis dei Maranar had been a threat. As had Evelyn dei Laramin. And Sillene Berun. And even, at one time, Duke Conran Sepian. And they had all ultimately paid the price for being of danger to Allana dei Monis.
