Are You Virgin?

A Stranger From Far

*Unknown*
The sound of a distant door slamming echoed across the place. It caused a few of the hooded figures around the room to look up instantly before returning to the drawing on the floor. Beyond the black cloaks and robes they wore, there was nothing really distinct about them. They were all more or less the same height, with their cloaks covering their entire figure, hoods covering their heads and concealing their faces in shadow. The only exposed part of themselves was their hands, a pale red colour with long black nails. Human-like in every way but they were far from mortal. The ones focused on the drawing had blackened hands from the coal, using raw pieces of it to make the shape of the ritualistic symbol. Some of them rubbed the colour onto their hands to smear it across the floor to fill in specific spaces in a darker colour. They busily set to the task to finishing the summoning symbol and carving sacred latin words upon the floor. As the last few points of the shape were rubbed on, the black lit to a blush red.
As this occurred, I slipped past the cloaked figures to one of the small alcoves in the sides of the room. The alcove I retreated to had a leather bag with a variety of candles in all shapes, sizes and forms. I looked over my shoulder to be sure none of these figures had followed to supervise me before bringing my chained hands up to open the bag up. The instant it opened, the smell of it all overwhelmed me.
    You see, every candle has its own purpose. Most are simply meant to light the way in the dark or comfort the lost and lonely. Yet, some are meant for summoning, some for spells. There are a few that were born to take life while others give life. And for every purpose comes a distinct smell and feeling that overcomes the body and soul of the users. Even if these stone cold creatures surrounding me wouldn't show it, they too could definitely feel and smell the difference in the air.
    As I shuffled through the contents of the bag looking for blood candles, the icy grip of a hand grasped my shoulder, causing me to shiver and freeze in place. For a few moments my entire body was freezing cold, the only movement I could make being the tremors taking over my body. Then, where the hand was still grasping my shoulder, there was an icy warmth that started to leave my body, very slowly. With this feeling, there was a numbing sense of pain coming from my chest and I could feel my heartbeat slowing. Just as the edges of my vision began to smudge together, the cold feeling left me and I sat upright in the corner of my alcove, shuddering and gasping for breath.
As my senses slowly came back to me and the numbness of my body began to fade, I became increasingly aware of a conversation between them.
"But she's our prisoner! It's only............she suffers."
"It doesn't matter..............we need her alive! No one else has.........as strongly as she, and you.............master to get angry. You recall what occurred last time...............was 'accidentally' killed?
"Yes, yes. He had...........head on a spike. Doesn't..........can't taste her soul...."
"Shush! It's................to think that way, lest you lose................"

As my eyes watered and hearing began to clear up, I lifted my head to see one of the red cloaks arguing with a white cloaked figure. I could instantly tell the red cloak had been the one to pull part of my soul off, as one of its hands was slightly glowing blue, a small grey fragment pulsing in its palm. I let out a low growl at it, without any thought, and was met with two icy stares. Their diamond shaped eyes peering into my eyes, swirling with anger and dark colours.
"Return what you stole to her. She needs to be at her best to do the work," white cloak stated simply. I figured she was the one in charge here, as the red cloak listened to her immediately. One hand lifted me up by my throat, choking me once more while the blue glowing one centred itself in the middle of my chest and pushed down hard, taking the air from my lungs. The numbing feeling pulls through my body as the greyish fragment was absorbed back into my body, before I was flung back, hitting the wall.
It took me a moment before I was able to sit up, still slightly fazed by the abuse I had been subjected to. By the time I had recovered from it all, I realized that I now had a collar fastened to my neck, which was attached onto chains that lead to the alcove I had originally picked out. I pulled at it and scratched, but only managed to pull at my skin and cut my fingertips. The material almost seemed to fight back at my attempts to remove it from my skin.
"There is no escape from this, witch. You have been caught and are bound to this cause, bound to me. No use in struggling against what has been set in motion. Help us willingly and you may receive some mercy." The voice of the white cloak was softer than the rest, alluring and wise. It was a very old being, to say the least.
"Now, off to your work magrint. She will be here soon, and everything must be set in place."
"So in other words, if this fails I die?" I smartly remarked to her. Her glaring eyes told me all I needed to know, so I turned and crawled back to my bag. I took a cream candle and inhaled its sweet, comforting scent of honeysuckle and sweet flame. I need to get out of here, back to Wild Country.
After a moment, I ruffled around the bag until I found the dark rucksack at the bottom. Death smell clung to it, and I shivered even touching it. For these ones were to only be used for dark things; and this was to be a dark curse indeed. Unfortunately, all I could do was aid in their dark act and watch....
Forgive me, Theresa.