Gifts of Affection

She gasped as she the cold embrace of steel slowly biting into her flesh. Her heart beat fluttered as time seemed to slow. She could feel every nick, the smooth, cold edge pushing against her skin. Tears streamed down her tightly clenched eyes as she trembled, her fists clenched as she tried to put on a brave front. “This is the end…” She thought to herself. “I’m sorry… to everyone I let down…” She shuddered as she felt a trickle down her neck.

The weight was suddenly removed from her skin, the deathly chill of steel replaced by the unnerving air of silence. She kept her eyes clenched tightly, as if opening them might be the impetus to him returning the blade to her neck. Her body was wracked by spasms as she coughed and shuddered, the adrenaline still beating in her body. She could feel every vein in her body pumping. She wheezed as she struggled to catch her breath, her cheeks bright red as uncontrollable sobs squeaked out between her lips.

“I can’t do this…”

She could hear the sound of the blade returning to its sheath. She released a breath she didn’t even know she had been holding. She slowly opened her eyes, her bright green eyes wet with her tears as she slowly ventured looking around.

She could see the human, his back turned to her, hand on the hilt of his weapon. Vaen faced the ruined statues, the broken columns and sculptures, reflecting the soft white glow of the small lantern. His face was lost in thought as he wrestled with his thoughts.

The sound of her sniffles filled the air as they stood in silence for the longest time. Vaen’s fingers trembled on the leather hilt, slowly drawing it, millimeter by millimeter, shakingly, before slamming it back into the sheathe again. He seemed torn.

Suddenly, he whipped around. He gazed penetratingly at the girl, his piercing blue eyes watching her intently. One hand rested on the hilt as the other pushed her chin up, beckoning her averted eyes to look into his.

“You don’t want to die, do you…” He asked wistfully.

She shook her head furiously, her red, tear-stained face begging for life.

“I’m taking a great risk by keeping you alive… is it worth trusting you?” He spoke as if he pondered to wear his blue or gold tabard.

The blood elf nodded just as enthusiastically. The trails of tears running down her cheek glistened into the soft glow of the light.

Vaen sighed as he released his hand from his weapon, happy his palm was no longer wrapped around that leather handle. His fingers gently stroked her disheveled hair, parting the golden locks that obscured her red face.

“I don’t want to hurt you…” he seemed conflicted. “But I can’t let you go now, either.”

“I-I won’t tell anyone… “ She whimpered. She could feel the sting on the back of her neck, where his sword had bit into her skin, the cool trickle down her neck. He was serious.

He idly stroked her cheek. “No.” He spoke firmly. “I can’t take that chance. If anyone ever found out what happened…” There was a grave look on his face. Vaen grabbed the small Sin’dorei lantern from the altar, turning it, inspecting it. “I’m going to keep you alive. But you are mine now.” His eyes peered back at hers. “And if you have a problem with that…”

Her cheeks turned pale as she felt the sting on the back of her neck, dying the soft fabric of the back of her robe red.

“You’re going to stay here.” He could see the color further draining from her face as he spoke. “Don’t worry, it’s safe.” He hoisted the lantern as he peered around into the darkness. “It’s dark, but safe. I have to check in before people send out search parties, and I can’t have you escaping while I’m gone…”

“Wait!” She squeaked. A frightened expression crept across her face as she could see the white light of the lantern slowly moving away, leaving her in the creeping darkness. “Take me with you… don’t leave me here!” She pleaded, the desperation in her voice obvious.

He didn’t even turn his back as he jumped across the ruined rubble, making his way towards the exit. She watched as the faint light walked away from her, the silhouette of his figure disappearing into the impenetrable darkness. She shivered as her vision failed her, her lone green eyes shining through the blackness. “Please!” She cried through the darkness. “This is… a bad place. I sense something evil here..!” She pleaded in a last, desperate effort. The faint light slowly blinked out of existence as he rounded a corner.

It was all black now. The sound of his footsteps were long gone, replaced only by the burden of silence. It felt like a crushing weight on her chest, her movements slow and deliberate as she dared not make a sound. Her face was panicked and worried as she slowly dropped to her knees, her arms wrapped around the small stone altar, the last firm place he had her up against. It felt good to feel the cold, rough texture of the stone against her hands, a reminder that she was still grounded in the pitch darkness.

She gulped as she prayed for his swift return, counting in her head, anything to occupy her mind from that which she couldn’t see.

“O-One…” Her eyes flickered back and forth. Her eyes couldn’t pierce the darkness, but she felt a… presence.

“T-T-Tttwo…” Beads of sweat formed on her brow. She wanted to race through the shadows and search for the human, but it was too late now. It struck her that her eyes glowed green through the shadows. She clenched her eyes tightly. She thought she could hear something in the distance, though it could have been her mind playing tricks.

“T-three…” She curled up against the altar, bringing her knees to her chest as she tightly balled up, hoping nothing would sense her. She tried to slow her breathing, but to no avail. Her hairs seemed to stand on end on their own volition. Instinct told her something was watching her…

She struggled to control her shivering as she clutched her torn robe tightly. She needed a hug right now more than anything else in the world. She could still feel the cut on her neck. “The scent of blood…” Her body tingled at the thought. Her eyes clenched tightly, lest they betray the terror inside.

“H-Happy thoughts… happy thoughts…” She muttered to herself. She thought of her sister, her flame-red hair, her mischievous emerald eyes… how she would sneak into her sister’s bedroom at night, too scared of the dark to sleep. Her sister would tell her stories… funny stories of her adventures in the outside world, of meeting trolls and orcs and goblins. She tried to think of happy times, when her sister, in her regal, elegant Thalassian accent, mimicked a troll’s speech for her amusement…

“Wah joo wan’, elfie?” It sounded ridiculous the way her sister imitated it, crude and brutish in the refined Thalassian language. She tried to crack a smile as she thought of herself safely snuggled under her older sister’s sheets. But then, it seemed the memory moved on it’s own…

She looked into her sister’s closet, the darkness inside was black and penetrating… the rows of clothes and dresses seemed to hide a sinister face. She stumbled backwards as a hideous skeleton walked out of her sister’s closet, its yellow, rotting bones, a wicked, devilish grin punctuated on its skull…

She whipped her head away to the door, where she could see yellow, beady eyes peeking through the open door. The yellow eyes slowly emerged forward, hues of blue swirling into a mist, forming the amorphous shape of a void demon…
She yelped as her arms wrapped tightly around her sister’s waist… but it was no longer the flesh she was accustomed to. It seemed… ethereal. She looked up into her sister’s face, only to see the hideous visage of a banshee.

She suppressed a shriek as she opened her eyes, desperate to stop reliving the memory. She whimpered as she could feel her eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness. “F-Ffffour…”

She could see two blood-red eyes staring at her in the darkness. She shrieked.