Slowlyconsciousness washed over her, in a warmwave. Arela could hear the swirl of muffled talking around her, but that onlymade her close her eyes tightly. Fear coiled in her stomach, like a snake making her feel nauseous. But she knew she couldn't hide forever in herself induced darkness, she would have to face whatever reality was around her, and soArela reluctantly opened her eyes.
Her fingers were numb and tingles shot up her spine whenshe moved her feet, her eyes felt dry and painful to move with the blinding headache raging behind them.
Arela was greeted with the sight of a prison cell, in what looked like a dungeon. She hesitantly looked over her shoulder to see a small number of people on the right handside of the cell; they were in rags and mumbling incoherentlyto each other, hugging closely tothe cold stone of the walls.
She gazed toward the ceiling, confirming bythe height of the rockyceilings. She was most likely in a dungeon.
Arela looked around and noticeda pair of old crumbling stairs in front of her, assuming it to be the only exit. She moved her hands to get up and noticed the ground was covered in a thick layer of bones that were coated in a blackslim. Her mind jumped at the sight and immediately she knew her fate. Vampires.
Arela quickly pulled herself up. Her head was spinning fromthe rush of blood that traveled awayfromher brain, and an intense headache formed.
Taking off her Nightingale hood, Arela rubbed the back of her skull to null the pain. But realized she had a large lump forming on the backof her head. She could feel a small amount of her own blood trickling from a gash on the back of her scalp.
There was noway to treating the wound in this cell, so Arela silentlyprayed to Nocturnal that the gash wasn't too serious.
Arela turned her thoughts ontoan escape plan. She knew she needed to get out, feeling desperate she turned to the people on the other side of the cell.
She could tell some of them had been here awhile, their eyes had become sullen and dark against their white skin, their hair had taken a whitish haze over their natural color and their bright blue veins could be seen through their thin skin that was covered in tattered rags.
It might be a great idea to askthemif they knew anyway out, but she doubted it or they wouldn't still be here. But against her better judgment she walked up toan Imperial woman, and asked.
"Do you know a way out?" As Arela took a step closer she could smell the putridstench of Skooma. The girl was sodrugged that she probably couldn't even remember her own name.
But to Arela's surprise the Imperial girl turned to look at her. Her eyes were glassyand her gaze was dazed. "Where amI–?" The young girl stuttered. Before Arela could respond the girl passed out on a pile of rags. She thought bitterlyas she looked down on the woman, breathing in harsh tight breaths. this day was not going well, but Arela had been through worse.
Arela decided she wasn't going to waste her time talkingto her other cell members; she could tell that theywere all in a similar state as the Imperial girl.
As she was assessing the situation on how to escape, Arela heard footsteps, and they were approaching at a fast pace, but to her relief it was onlySerana. But Serana's expression unnerved Arela; the yellow of her immortal eyes were coldand angry, almost frightening.
"What are you doing here!?" Serana blurted out. "Do you have anyidea what they will do to me, if they find out I told you where to find us?"
"Serana help me please, you have to get me out of here!" Arela's voice cracked in desperation.
"I can't – theyare coming to get yousoon you're on trial, but I can help. Well I hope – all I have to do is explain what happened to my father." Her eyes softened almost apologetic for their cold fire frommoments ago.
"Your father?"
"Well yes, he presides over the court." Serana's expression onlybecame edgy at the mentioning of her father. "I'm sorry tosay but after we sort out the matter of how you arrived here, there is going tobe a bigger problem." Serana looked nervous, as if afraid if her location was discovered she might not see tomorrow.
"What could be a bigger problemthan being captured by a group of bloodthirstyvampires?"
"Let me explain. My father is going tooffer you a –gift as he calls it. It's a gift for the assistance in mysafe return."
"Oh, you make it seemlike receiving a gift is a punishment." Arela joked halfheartedly.
"Well this gift I'mtalking about is vampirism, a special formof vampirism, andI'm afraid you will probably have to accept it, if you wish to live." Serana muttered out awkwardly.
"What!? Wait so you're saying I have to accept this offering? Why? What will happen if I don't?" Arela couldn't keep the ferocityout of her voice.
"Well your brother, Enden, insultedmy father bynot accepting his offer... and I know my father will not take well tohaving two mortals turn down this gift in one day. I fear that he will –well essentially kill youfor your 'insolence'." Serana was staring at Arela with a look of compassionate sorrow. "I'msorry if this isn't a path you would choose personally, but I knew I had to warn you. My father doesn't take the answer 'no'lightly. I thought it was best to informyou before you decided to refuse him, youstill can if you want but at least you will know the outcome."
Arela was submerged in thought and honestly, pure and unadulterated fear. Finallyshe was able to force some words out "So what is it like to be turned, is it painful?"
"For the person being turned it is – excruciating. There is no point hiding the truth, it is the worst pain you will ever feel. But for myfather it will be quite, intimate. No mortal has ever survived his bite because intruth – he doesn't allow themto. I truly think he is afraidof the bond he will create with them."
"Bond?" Arela was tryingwith all her might to shake off a chill that had fallen uponher.
"When a vampire bites a mortal theyenthrall them; making themtheir slave whomwish to please themat all times, you know. It's similar for a vampire turning a mortal. A bond is created that is distinct, you might become attached to my father. It has different effects on different people, for some there is no bond, but for others it is unbreakable, so I have heard. Being turned is –complicatedto saythe less. Myfather, I can tell has avoided it mostly thus far." Serana's expression made Arela feel uncomfortable. "The bonding part is why my father hasn't allowed any mortal to live, when he decides to change them, bonding isn't his thing, he despises it. Trust me, I have felt the blunt effects."
Arela was gripping the bars on her cell so tightlythat Serana could see the whites of her knuckles. "I can't do this. It sounds like some lose-lose situation; no matter what I dothere isn't a good outcome." She let her hands drop fromthe bars in a defeated fashion.
"If there was any other wayI could help you I would. I just want you to know that I will think no less of youno matter what decision you make." Serana grabbed Arela's hand and held it as a comforting gesture.
"So, what did you mean by: 'I'm on trial.'" Arela asked with a shaky, desperate tone.
But before Serana could answer the question there was the distant sound of footsteps which made both of themturn their heads. "You will find out soon enough. I will cover for you this once, but you owe me." Serana smiled lightly before bolted off in a blur of shadows.
How Serana was going to get past them was beyond Arela's comprehension.
The loud foots steps were approaching; she could only guess it was two men.
Panic clouded her thoughts; she frantically slid her hood back on and ran in the corner to cover herself in a veil of shadows. Arela whirled around in time to see two male Nord vampires stop at her cell, open the door, and step in. She recognized the one vampire in dark robes from before.
The other vampire was wearing white robes; his hair was a dark brown and he had high cheek bones which cast a shadowy look over the sides of his face. But of all things the most peculiar thing was his nose; it was extremely high up on his face and look almost scrunched up.
They both locked their fiery yellow eyes on her, and before she could even make a move they had both grabbed each of her arms and were viciously dragging her out of the cell and up the crumbling stairs. "Let's not keep Lord Harkon waiting," they almost said in unison.
