Vampire: Dark Ages - Scene 2: Harrowing: Alina

[Goatkiller666]

Before she can take two steps, Casmir's hand is again around her arm. But this time, instead of pain, she feels pleasure. Pleasure unlike any she has ever felt. It is what she had always imagined Gan Eden to be like.



Alina collapses to her knees, Casmir's hand still upon her arm.

[Alína Nyárí]

"Shechinaaahh," Alína breathes, invoking the name of the Mother as wave after wave of joy and sensation washes over her. "Aaaahhh, Baruch Hashem..." she whispers, her eyes beginning to roll backwards as all her muscles give way and she begins to collapse into a writhing mass of exquisite release.

Her body overwhelming her senses, the child's scream suddenly echoes within her mind. The Mother reminds me of my duty, Alína slowly realizes. "Yes, Shechinah," she murmurs. "In return for your blessings upon me, I answer your call."

Lifting her head back up towards her tempter, the Jewess draws upon her inner strength and resists. "Release me from your seduction, Samael!!" she spits, as she attempts to stand and wrench free of Casmir's grasp.

[Goatkiller666]

Casmir cackles as he released Alina's arm. He steps back from her, and farther away from where the scream was heard. "Go to the child, if you wish. There's nothing you can do to stop her pain. I won't stop you from trying. But know this, you will never know that bliss again, if you do."

[Alína Nyárí]

The release was sudden, if not unexpected. Nearly, Alína leans back towards the warlock, already craving the bliss she had felt. No! she sternly tells herself, and forcing herself to rise, grabs her evening satchel again and flees towards the source of the scream...

[Goatkiller666]

Alina can hear Casmir's cackling retreating behind her as she crosses the large room to the doorway leading to the hallway from which came the scream. [Wow, that was a really awkward sentence.]

She gets through the door and finds a narrow hallway. There's are several doors off of the hallway, in either direction. (We know from previous threads that two lead to a salon, one to an exterior courtyard, and one to a stairway. There are others. The doors all look the same from this side, though.)

[Alína Nyárí]

Away from Casmir's influence, Alína shifts her vision, and attempts to see the essences of those behind closed doors, seeking a child in pain and distress...

[Goatkiller666]

Alina's vision is as mundane here as it was in the main hall.

[Alína Nyárí]

[ooc]~move edited and changed with StoryTeller permission~[/ooc]

"Shteyner dir afn hartsn," Alína mutters in frustration and fear at her own loss. Calming her need to hurry, she walks to the window to her right, between the first and second doors on that side of the hallway. Scanning the well lit skies, she sticks her head out the window, and calls out "uh-Hu! uh-Hu!!"

[Goatkiller666]

Alina spots a large owl circling high above. At her call, it hoots in response, then dives towards her. Shortly before coming below the level of the walls, the owl banks sharply upwards and does not come within the castle. It repeats the same kind of pattern a few times, then just continues to circle above the castle.

As she's watching the owl, the door to the hallway opens behind her. "Forzare!" says Casmir, the echo of power making itself known to Alina.

She feels herself lifting off the floor, though Casmir is standing far away from her. There is no touch of hands upon her, she is simply floating now. She reaches for the wall, but is pulled towards the first door slowly and forcefully.

Casmir reaches past her and opens the door, which leads out to the courtyard where Gabrin and Taduz are standing. Her floating body follows him outside, though she attempts to hold onto the doorframe. Once outside, she finds herself floating up higher and higher. She is within five feet of the elevation where the owl would veer off, some 30 feet above the ground, even with the tallest tower in Claudio's castle.

Casmir calls up to her, "Now knowest thou a taste of true power, witch. Not only the mystical power I command, but the power to choose life or death for another. How will I choose in this matter, thou must be wondering."

[Alína Nyárí]

"You said you would not stop me from trying to stop the child's pain, though you believe there is nothing I can do for her," Alína spits towards the warlock as she first rises off the floor. "Let me down so I may try!" Reaching out, she tries to anchor herself against the wall, but suddenly finds herself pulled towards the door Casmir had opened.

Upon entering the courtyard, she can hear Dara's distress as her familiar continues to try to approach, yet seems unable to do so. Rising higher and higher, panic as the ground recedes further from her makes itself known, and she resists whatever is lifting her as best she can. For a brief moment, she feels herself entering an uncontrolled fall, and realizes she would crash against the pave stones of the courtyard unchecked if she persisted.

Pikuach nefesh, Pikuach nefesh, Pikuach nefesh...

"Dara, forgive me!" she calls out towards the still darting owl. Looking at the gloating warlock below her, she addresses him once again. "The sanctity of life overrides all else. I do not know why thou hast chosen to torture me this way. But allow me to try to help the child, for she is but a child!!! And I will accept thy offer of tutelage. Or however it is thee wishes to introduce me to thy dark road.

"Please, bahershn. Allow me to try to help the child. Then do as thou will with me," she called down from on high.

[Goatkiller666]

Casmir looks up at Alina, dangling in the air, then turns and walks back into the castle without comment.

[Alína Nyárí]

Her face paling as she sees the warlock take note of her offer, then walk off in total disregard, Alína flails in the air, attempting to get closer to something, anything she could grab on to and work her way down to the ground. Unfortunately, she remains pretty much precisely where she was left. "Set me down!" she cries out, over and over, as she watches Dara darting again and again towards her, then veering away.

Her pleas to her torturer unanswered, Alína looks towards the full moon, and calls upon her tradition instead, attempting to find solace and peace in the words as she awaits to see what comes next...

"A song of ascents. From out of the depths I call You, O Ein Sof.
Shechinah, hear my voice, may Your ears hearken to the sound of my pleas.
If You would preserve iniquities, O Ein Sof, HaShem, who could survive?
But with You there is forgiveness, therefore You are revered.
I put hope in Shechinah, my soul hopes, and for the word of HaShem I expectantly wait.
My soul yearns for Shechinah among those who watch for the dawn, those who watch for the dawn.
Let Israel hope for HaShem, for with Shechinah is kindness and abundant redemption.
And Ein Sof shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities."
~Psalm 130

[Goatkiller666]

Every few minutes, Alina feels herself drop to the ground, then jerk to a halt again. Each drop is only a few feet, and then she moves back up that same distance.

[Alína Nyárí]

As she hangs suspended in the air, Alína continues to recite tehillim when she suddenly finds herself falling. My faith resides in thee, she thinks, hoping her prayers and psalms are being answered and she will land safely. Her gown billowing around her, she tries to relax all her muscles so no matter how hard an impact as she strikes the pave stones of the courtyard, she would absorb as little injury to herself as possible.

Suddenly she jerks to a halt, Alína expelling the breath she didn't realize she was holding, waiting for the downwards trend to continue at a slower pace. "Baruch Hashem," she breaths, preparing to go racing in search of Sabine once she touches the ground.

Her rejoicing cracks asunder once she starts moving again. Instead of continuing down towards the ground, she once again finds herself floating upwards. Then not only stopping where she had started, but going through the cycle again.
...and again.
...and again.

"Ah Shechinah, why?" Alína cries out after falling then rising several times. "What lesson am I to learn from this example of frustrated helplessness? A child needs my help. No one else here seems interested in succoring her. Help me overcome this cycle!!" she cries towards the radiance of the full Moon.

[Alína Nyárí]

The Moon keeps silence.
Her brightness glows benignly
While her daughter pleads.

The devotee cries
Frustration at ups and downs
Still, a child suffers.

And buried within
a new longing slowly grows...
...for pleasure most sweet!!

[Goatkiller666]

[Here ends the harrowing.]