[nWOD: VtR] The Ordo Dracul

[LimeSkeleton]

Bluewater City always begins its nights in the same way. First, the noises of the city intensify as thousands of people make their way to Downtown and other busier areas of the city, filling the air with the throb of human interaction. Second, the sirens call out into the air, accompanied intermittently by gunshots and the sound of screeching tires. Third, the "Ladies of the Night" begin their diurnal vigil among the shadier street corners, their heavily made-up faces masking countenances worn from drugs and disease. Finally, abandoned buildings strewn about the multitude of broken-down areas of the city seem to glower with an unnerving malevolence; the source of many ghost stories and urban legends among Bluewater City residents.

Elizabeth Braden breathes in the musty air of the Bluewater Public Library as she files away the last couple of books for the night. She had stayed a little later than her usual shift, but Esther had asked for assistance so sweetly that she couldn't help but give the old woman a hand. Plus, she'd offered an extra twenty bucks. Elizabeth puts the last book returned that day to the shelf (An old book entitled "Frankie's Solace") and glances up at the clock, a cracked and dusty old thing that barely runs. Eight o'clock already? That's almost an hour later than usual, but the extra cash helps soothe the pain a bit.

As Elizabeth gets ready to depart and begin her walk home, Esther shuffles over, giving her a small smile. "Thank you so much dearie. You be careful on your way back home. Such a pretty young thing mustn't let any harm come to her." The elderly woman looks for a little while longer at Elizabeth before turning to slowly make her way towards the steps to the library's basement. Surprisingly, Esther seems to be able to make her way up and down these stairs with ease several times a day, despite being well over sixty years old.

The front door's bell tinkles as Elizabeth lets it swing softly shut behind her. Some light from the building has spilled from its large, dirty windows and pooled on the cracked concrete of the sidewalk in front of it, but the streetlights here are notoriously unreliable. Sure enough, even as Elizabeth makes her first few steps on her long stroll to her apartment, two of the lights fizzle and go out, leaving the street in relative darkness.

The stars shine brightly, and a low wind gently makes its way through the city, bringing thick, warm spring air with it. It was quiet here, even if the city itself was eternally clamorous. With a start, Elizabeth suddenly realizes she's utterly alone here...

[yellowbird]

Looking up at the rather gorgeous sky, Elizabeth sighed. She hadn't been out this late from work before, and usually, more light would have accompanied her. Nevertheless, she walked about in a seemingly typical route. Something about this night didn't feel right to her--granted, the city was rather dangerous as it was and it was not uncommon for a young woman her age to get abducted, but there was something more to the aura of the place that just didn't make sense to her. Shaking it off, Elizabeth walked at a moderate pace and paused whenever she was unsure of where to go.

"It's been a long day," she muttered to herself as she put her long, orange hair into a perfectly neat messy bun.

Elizabeth was a bit drowsy at this point. A combination of allergy medications, long hours, and the smell of the library made for a very arduous day. Luckily, she had an excellent ability of feigning normality, and her external state almost never matched her internal state, in that she always looked perfectly fine, even when illness and exhaustion consumed her. Trying to occupy her brain, Elizabeth made a mental list of all of the errands she had to run in the near future. I guess I have to buy cat food and pay rent soon, she thought to herself.

Nearing an alley, Elizabeth paused and checked her purse for any cash she may or may not have had on her. On any normal day in which she would have possessed a functioning brain, Elizabeth probably would have thought twice before taking out money near a dark alley in a crime-ridden city during nighttime. She looked up every now and then to make sure nobody was there.

"Well, I suppose I have enough for cat food and my half of the rent," she said to herself, "let's just hope Juan hasn't died from alcohol poisoning yet, so maybe he can pay off his share as well."

She carefully placed her wallet back into her floral purse and took out her lip balm. She sighed as the very evidently cheap knock-off of "Chapstick" broke in half and fell onto the sidewalk. She searched her bag for her phone, in hopes to check the time. Unfortunately for her, she had left her phone at home. Luckily for her, she knew exactly where she had placed the phone and exactly what position and state it was in. She was not one to lose things.

Pursing her lips together, she continued her walk to her apartment. A little bit of anxiety crept through Elizabeth's body as she walked. Given her state of exhaustion and the condition of the city, she was starting to worry that she would never get home. Like most fears Elizabeth had, this fear was temporary and did not last very long as soon as she recognized familiar landmarks nearby. By this time, Elizabeth didn't care very much, and just really wanted to get into her apartment.

[LimeSkeleton]

As Elizabeth continued her walk to her apartment, she found herself shivering slightly, despite the fact the air was warm and almost palpably humid. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up a bit and she found herself breathing irregularly for no apparent reason. Elizabeth felt even more ill-at-ease than before, but found, upon introspection, that it had little to do with the fact that she was alone in a crime-ridden city at night. No- something was fundamentally wrong here. Every shadow seemed pregnant with ill-intent and malice, while every slightest sound almost began an unstoppable, irrational onset of terror. This wasn't like her, but she couldn't shake the growing sense of dread that coalesced throughout her surroundings.

These strange symptoms continued to intensify as she made her way down the darkest, dingiest portion of her path home; the way that led her past the old, abandoned church sandwiched between two immense office buildings, both of which were currently dark. Both buildings were empty and clearly locked up and closed down for the night, as usual. The church itself had been empty for as long as Elizabeth could remember, slowly rotting away and seeming to sink into the overpowering presence of the city itself.

Presently, however, its stained-glass windows seemed cleaner and more immaculate than ever, while the dirt and grime that once caked every available surface of its architecture now seemed diminished, banished. Although it had merely inspired pity or mild curiosity in the past, the building now seemed incredibly compelling; incredibly powerful. The strange emotions coursing through her mind screamed that this was not natural; that this building was more than the sum of its parts this night. Something was wrong here, and the church itself was the lynchpin about which the rest of the macabre atmosphere swirled.

Finding that she had stopped in her tracks on the sidewalk in front of the church, Elizabeth sees that one of the immense, wooden front doors sis lightly ajar, whereas in the past they had always been locked tight. Continuing to peer in its direction, she could just barely make out the words upon a sign above the doors, which she had never seen before. "St. Boniface Church". Almost against her will, Elizabeth finds her feet slowly, inexorably, making their way towards the stone steps that led to the doors, and soon felt her hand grasp the cold, iron handle as if it were the hand of another person, while she was merely a passive observer.

[yellowbird]

What is going on? Elizabeth thought. She sported an apathetic expression intertwined with a certain curiosity only heightening the beauty of her emerald green eyes. As her pale hand turned the handle, she felt a deep uncertainty, but a great impulse. This was unlike her. She always had control over herself. But what was drawing her inside this old, abandoned church? Hell, before this day, she barely acknowledged its presence.

Elizabeth felt fear. It was unlike any fear she had before. In fact, she hadn't recalled a time in which she had been as fearful as she was in that moment in time in the presence of the church. Her mouth started to dry up, her eyes widened, and her hands started shaking uncontrollably. She tried to scream, but it seemed as though letting out any sound would result in her choking on her own breath. While Elizabeth hadn't been very religious, only going to church during Easter holidays during her childhood, the way she felt the church pushing her in felt nothing short of a divine force...if that was even what it was.

"...Being ridiculous, Elizabeth," she managed to mumble very quietly.

However, no matter how much she tried to sway herself from believing that nothing was wrong, she felt everything wrong. Something was pushing her, and denying it was making it worse. It almost felt painful to hold onto the handle, but letting go of it was not an option. She was having a crisis here, and had anybody else seen her, she would have just looked like a normal person lurking the church at night. Perhaps like one of those crazy teenagers who walk about the cemetery at night, hoping to feel alive. Elizabeth, however, felt anything but alive; she felt like crying, but crying was not an option nor was she capable of it.

"I-I must," she stammered as she eventually gave herself up to whatever was pushing her to open this door. She felt insane, but she felt virtually helpless to this piece of iron. She tried to push the door open as fast as she was hyperventilating, and paused. She closed her eyes for a second. She opened it, and she was still there, in this odd, paralyzing nightmare. Helplessly, she turned the handle and gave the door a strong, forceful push...

[LimeSkeleton]

The door swung open in absolute silence, despite the apparent age of the hinges that it was attached to. The room within was not well-lit, but as Elizabeth eyes began to adjust, she became capable of making out small details of the room within.

The floor was wooden and had a very thin layer of dust over the entirety of its surface, which made it possible to make out a fresh set of footprints leading deeper into the musty room. Several rows of pews adorned the main floor of the church, most of which had cobwebs spun between them or were riddled with holes from boring insects. Some of the pews were even turned on their sides or collapsed entirely, giving an impression of immense age. A balcony surrounded the main floor on three sides, excluding the far wall directly across from the door, upon which hung a large, wooden cross. An altar stood a few feet in front of this wall, its intricately-carved surface bearing designs of biblical scenes, such as Noah's Ark and the parting of the Red Seas.

What was much more surprising, however, was the two people standing behind the altar, staring at Elizabeth with evident surprise.

One of them was a tall, dark man with a head of thick, curly hair that lay in a casually messy array about his head, seeming at once precisely organized and effortlessly splayed about. The moonlight streamed in such a way as to make light glint off of his glasses, masking his eyes entirely. His face had a thin layer of stubble, intensifying around his chin and sideburns, but not quite thickening enough to be considered a beard. His clothes were strange; he dressed somewhat like an eccentric university professor, with a tweed jacket, dress pants of exquisite shoes. Despite his casual, unorthodox appearance, his mere presence let Elizabeth know that this man was powerful; his poise was both elegant and immensely dangerous. It almost reminded her of the greatest politicians in the history books; this was evidently a man accustomed to power and respect, and Elizabeth could not help but feel the slightest desire to serve this man; to perform any action that he wished, if only to stay in his good graces. The feeling passed, however, as she took in the woman standing next to him.

The terrible, foreboding feelings she had been experiencing suddenly faded for a moment as she gazed helplessly at the woman. Elizabeth had always thought of herself of being fairly attractive, but this woman, well, she put Elizabeth to shame. Everything about her was so gorgeous, so sophisticated that it almost hurt to look at her. Her pale skin was marvelously set off by long tresses of blonde hair, and her tight, form-fitting white dress merely added to her near-supernatural appeal. As the woman's expression changed from surprise to curiosity, Elizabeth spotted the strange book on the altar in front of them, and felt the horrible sensations from before return in earnest.

Before she could move, or speak or so much as register much more than the fact that these people were before her, the woman opened her mouth and spoke. "Do not be afraid, child. Tell us, why did you choose to enter this building tonight?" With a terribly sweet smile, the woman beckoned Elizabeth forward, her words containing an irresistible air of charm and melody. "Come here." As the woman spoke her command, Elizabeth suddenly realized there was nothing she would so much desire to do as to approach this woman, and please her in whatever way was possible.

The man's brow furrowed as Elizabeth drew nearer. "Do you recognize her, Diana? Whose Ghoul is she? I wouldn't put it past the Lancea Sanctum to make such a clumsy attempt at espionage." He looks disdainfully upon Elizabeth once, before stepping purposefully to the church's door, shutting it was a quiet thump.

As Elizabeth gets close enough to touch the woman, whose name seems to be Diana, she realizes the woman smells faintly of roses and some trace of fruity scent; an intoxicating aroma that briefly clouded her senses further. As she looks into the woman's eyes, she sees that they are such a crystal-clear and radiant shade of blue that they almost appear to glow in the darkness. A soft hand reaches out and grips her grin softly, but Elizabeth finds that the woman's grip is stronger than she would have thought, and she soon realizes she is incapable of moving her head to look anywhere but at this beautiful, beautiful woman.

[yellowbird]

Mesmerized by the woman, Elizabeth's mouth opened slightly and her eyes widened. She looked rather foolish in that moment, but she was in awe. She wanted to touch the woman, she wanted to admire her, she wanted to feel her, she wanted all of her. It was not the type of admiration that made her lust the woman--it was a strange sense of incomprehensible devotion that overcame Elizabeth.

"I-I-I'm," she paused, giving herself a chance to blink before falling again before the eyes of the beautiful woman. "Who--why--who are you?"

Realizing that she had failed to introduce herself, Elizabeth tried again, but she was again too captivated by her eyes. Something about this woman drove Elizabeth crazy. There was more to her beauty--this woman had power. She was simply too dumbfounded by the beauty of this woman to even function properly. She's a goddess, Elizabeth thought, ...But goddesses aren't real.

"M-my name's Elizabeth, Elizabeth Braden, I'm 23 years old and I'm barely making enough to pay rent--and God, you're beautiful," Elizabeth said quickly and anxiously.

Her thoughts were not collected, and she did not know why she was in this building with this man and woman. Elizabeth felt great discomfort being around these people--if they were even people. They didn't feel like people--they felt old like a grandfather clock, but new like a sapling. The dichotomy of their existence baffled Elizabeth and hurt her head.

"Who are you?" She asked nervously, still not fully composed.

[LimeSkeleton]

The woman smiles, revealing pure white teeth that manage to sparkle despite the dim light permeating the room. "A pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. I am Diana. Now tell me, why did you enter this dusty old church tonight? I can't imagine why a pretty young thing like yourself would want with such a place." The woman gives a tinkling little laugh, revealing dangerously sharp incisors that look more like fangs than teeth.

The man in the tweed jacket adjusts his glasses slightly, his eyes narrowed. "Did you sense something unusual about this place tonight? Your senses seem sharper than most of your kind." The man furrows his brow beofre turning to the woman in the white dress, addressing her as though Elizabeth were not there. "Could this mortal be sensitive to Wyrm Nests such as this? Those sensitive to the ley-lines are rare indeed."

[yellowbird]

Elizabeth stared at the woman's mouth with curiosity. Fangs? Is it Halloween? She thought. Elizabeth analyzed the odd couple with a clearer mind and tried to decipher their existence. She foolishly smiled and looked up at the woman.

"I like your costume!" She innocently stated in response to the woman's question.

Realizing that she was making a nervous fool of herself, Elizabeth cleared her throat and attempted to speak again.

"I-I don't know why I'm here, quite frankly," she answered honestly.

She then looked over at the eccentric, but oddly divine man. She bit her lip nervously and took a deep breath, unaware of what was truly going on. She was no longer exhausted, but alert. Assuming that the couple was relatively harmless, Elizabeth cleared her throat again. Maybe they're one of those freakish couples who dress up and perform weird rituals in abandoned churches, she assumed, what do they mean "mortal"? What the hell?

"I felt a strong unknown desire to come here. It was perhaps impulse, or I don't know--a force," she said recalling the events in her mind that had occurred previous to her arrival. "Esther, this elderly woman who works with me wanted me to stay after later, and the lights went out and now this..."

Elizabeth was confused by the man's words.

"Are you guys gardeners?" She asked politely. "What's a worm's nest? Worms live underground, I thought."

Feeling more and more foolish by the moment, Elizabeth scratched her head with confusion and looked at the ground then back up at the couple.

"You know, I've had a pretty weird day...I should probably get going..." she remarked as slowly backed away.

However, something about the aura of the church made Elizabeth apprehensive to leave. She felt the need to stay, but she was unsure why.

[LimeSkeleton]

The man's thin mouth slowly stretched into the ghost of a smile as Elizabeth rambled about worms and gardeners. However, it faded quickly at her mention of leaving the church.

"So soon, love? We'd barely gotten to know you. Please, stay a while." The woman made a face as if she were about to pout, magnifying her already breathtaking features to impossible heights. Elizabeth nearly stopped breathing for a moment, but quickly found the air to gasp as she bumped into a person as she edged to the church's door.

Turning around, she saw the man who had just been behind the pew a couple of seconds ago, now suddenly directly behind her. Not a sound had been heard, but looking over at the woman, Elizabeth noticed that she was now alone. The man had moved almost the length of the entire church in less than a second or two.

"I am sorry, young one. I just cannot permit such a delicate creature like you to just walk the streets alone at night. It's very dangerous, you know." Keeping the air of mixed menace and amusement, the man lightly placed his hands upon Elizabeth's shoulders, pivoting her slowly, but with strength that was impossible to resist. His smile returned, widening until Elizabeth could see the razor sharp fangs in his mouth, gleaming in the light streaming from the outside.

"I do believe you would be much safer under my wing, Elizabeth."

The woman gave another tinkling laugh. "Well it's about time you sired your own childer. Hopefully she'll be more promising than my own has thus far..." Diana's form suddenly blurs as she approaches Elizabeth and the man with blinding speed, her face suddenly inches from Elizabeth's own. "Good luck, love. I do hope to see you again." She gently presses her lips to Elizabeth's cheek, leaving a cold, burning sensation along with an overpowering flowery scent.

Feeling sluggish and heavy, Elizabeth watches as the man nods at the beautiful woman, before whipping his head toward her neck with lightning speed.

At first, there is pain. Blood pours out, making her skin feel warm and oddly...comfortable.

Then, Elizabeth's mind floats on high as she experiences the most pleasurable feeling in her life. It was like sex, but consuming every aspect of her being until she felt she would explode from the sheer ecstasy. Every orgasm she had ever experienced in her short existence paled in comparison to this marvelous plateau of pure pleasure.

Even as her lifeblood slowly drained away, falling prey to the sharp fangs and hungry mouth of the man in the tweed jacket, Elizabeth continued to experience utter and seemingly endless pleasure, until at last she felt herself drifting away peacefully. The restlessness of her spirit dampened as she slowly, slowly lost consciousness and her heartbeat itself came to a stop. With one final, peaceful breath, Elizabeth Braden died.

Suddenly, a yanking, horribly unpleasant feeling. Her very being torn from some warm, wonderful salvation and thrust into the mortal shell that was her corpse. As faint feeling returned to her body, Elizabeth realized that her heart had not begun functioning again, and her skin felt cold and clammy. Her mouth tasted sweet and some last drops of liquid made their way down her throat. It tasted coppery like blood, yet somehow even the tiny quantity she detected seemed to radiate power and vitality; as if she were drinking pure, unfiltered energy. Very few sensations made it to her half-aware brain, but a muffled, throbbing pain seemed to emanate from her neck.

Before fading to unconsciousness once more, a comforting and commanding voice echoed:"Welcome to the never-ending night, my child. Enjoy what little calm you will have now. When you wake, you will feel naught but hunger."

Then, blackness.

[yellowbird]

"Elizabeth, be kind to your brother," Scolded her mother.

Elizabeth suddenly awoke in a surreal state of mind. Elizabeth looked down and realized that she was naked. Embarrassed, she ran into the house. Her father stood at the kitchen staring desperately at the clock as though he was anxious, and then he turned around and looked towards her direction.

"Lizzie, did you do your chores?" he asked curiously.

Frightened, Elizabeth covered herself with the navy blue curtains that elegantly dressed the windows. Elizabeth looked to her left and saw a younger child with lots of freckles and very curly red hair.

"Yes, daddy. Can we go out for ice cream?" the child asked.

"Yes, my dear. Let daddy take a sip of his wine though. It's been a rough day." Her father took more than a sip of the rich, strong liquid and walked over to the door where is young daughter stood.

"I don't think I really want ice cream anymore. I don't think you can take me, daddy," the young girl said to her father.

Elizabeth stood in between the two, still naked. Both the people in front and behind her unaware of her presence. She shut her eyes, and opened them.

"C'mon, babe, it'll be fun!" A voice called. Elizabeth stood in a crowd of drunken teenagers, her slender and long body still naked and cold. She looked behind her and saw herself once more, as a teenager.

"Johnny, I'm really not liking this. I just want to go home," the younger Elizabeth asserted. "I don't think we're working out; I can't do this anymore."

Her long, wavy orange hair draped itself on her in a messy, but flattering manner. Her breasts were starting to develop more and she was blossoming into a more developed woman. The young teenager sitting in front of her looked at her angrily. He was well built, and probably slightly stupid.

"I'll tell everyone you're prude, you little bitch, I did everything for you," the guy said threateningly.

Elizabeth merely rolled her eyes, grabbed her purse, and walked out. Older Elizabeth looked at the young man and snickered before she felt a chill run through her body.

What's going on? She thought. Closing her eyes again, she felt as though she was falling into a hole in the fabric of space.

Her screams were inaudible and her existence slowly fading.

[LimeSkeleton]

Elizabeth's eyelids slowly flutter open, her whole body feeling lethargic and somewhat painful. She looks up and is momentarily blinded by a very bright light, which is recognizable as a hanging chandelier after a few seconds of staring.

Sitting up, she looks around the room, spotting lavish decorations, from cushy armchairs, to a beautiful mantelpiece with a fire going to a what looks to be an authentic Rembrandt. However, these visions of wealth and decadence are swiftly swept from the foreground as she realizes she feels...hungry.

It's a quiet sort of hunger at first, barely noticeable. But it quickly grows to a crescendo of ravenous panic, and Elizabeth begins to feel some strong, animalistic force begin to take her free will. Seething with a strange mixture of starvation, rage and terror, Elizabeth is able to climb shakily to her feet.

A desire to kill, destroy, run, hide, and most of all, feed, consumes Elizabeth's rational mind, as bloodlust pushes her to act.

A single wooden door across the room appears to be the only exit. No other people are currently in the room, and Elizabeth is far too distracted to telll if anyone had been recently.