Akasha Reborn

Resemblance of Sanity

Her eyes opened to find herself alone again. She could barely comprehend everything that was happening to her. Thinking about her life before, it was like some faded painting and now she was living this passionate, bloody, vivid life, with so much detail, her mind could barely make sense of it all. She could hear voices, not her own or anyone she knew, voices talking of power and birthright. evilwillow’s influence was now becoming apparent. It was like having the knowledge of many lifetimes available all at once but how would she be able to think with this constant stream of memories, thoughts, images, demands all on her conscieness.

Climbing from the bed, her whole body ached from their activities the night before. Slowly she pulled on her slip, her corset and her dress, fastening her garments tightly, she walked from the room to find her masters. Her head began to spin as the voices started taunting her, telling her she was weak and feeble. “SHUT UP!” she yelled aloud through the corridors.

evilwillow appeared out of nowhere it seemed but her perceptions were warped and everything seemed slanted. She paused wondering now if she really saw her there or was she having visions, like those who were ill. “I am here” evilwillow answered her unspoken question. “You are weak, just as the voices say. It will take time and training. If you don\'t take control, you\'ll be useless and we\'ll have to dispose of you.” She took Akasha and led her to her room.

“We will begin to strengthen your mind. Start by focusing on one idea.” While Akasha worked on quieting the voices, evilwillow was probing her mind with thoughts and distractions. It became incredibly painful and Akasha grabbed her head and screamed out. “Quiet your mouth, you have done well for your first lesson.” And with that evilwillow reached into Akasha’s mind and put her to sleep.

She found her self at a dinner with many vampires; they were toasting Lord Vyron and his success. His lips touched the glass and he fell to the floor, writhing in pain. Fear grippeashaasha’s heart, as she jumped to his side trying to find a way to help him but none existed. His body was becoming ash. Lord Vyron had been destroyed because someone had poisoned…. “NOOOO!!” Akasha bolted upright screaming.

“What now?” Lord Vyron looked to see why Akasha was screaming again. Since evilwillow’s blood now coursed her veins, Akasha could be heard screaming often through the Château and it was becoming quite irritating to Lord Vyron. “evilwillow, when is her incessant screaming going to stop? This is taking much too long. I’m to present her at the banquet in only a month. She needs to be ready by then.” They often spoke now, as if Akasha were not able comprehend or wasn’t even in the room.

“You have said this already, do NOT repeat yourself. It’s enough trying to get her to take control of her mind without your constant nagging.” Nostrils flared as they rose to face each other. evilwillow went to strike first. Lord Vyron narrowly dodged her claws, tried to slash her and also missed.

This was just the latest of the many fights that have occurred since the night of their threesome. Most of the servants have now learned to keep out of sight, so as not to be caught in the crossfire.

“I… saw your demise.” Akasha’s words stopped them from fighting, as they both became
interested in her.

“Who’s did you see? Tell us everything you can.” evilwillow said in an unusually soothing voice.

“You don’t actually think she had a ‘vision’, do you?” Lord Vyron shot at her.

“You should know better about these things, it is possible but we need to hear..”

“I saw you, Lord Vyron, you were turning to dust, in my arms” Akasha spoke softly, as she tried to remember more of the dream.

“What else?” He asked with renewed interest.

“I... I…..can’t” She lowered her head as it throbbed.

“Come!” evilwillow walked over and took Akasha’s hand and led her outside to the rose garden. They sat and Akasha worked on quieting all thoughts, while again evilwillow probed her mind. This time though she was searching for some thread of her vision but to no avail, her mind was too chaotic still. They stayed there meditating all night and for the first time in weeks Akasha was able to walk herself back to her chambers on her own.

Her vision had been a turning point of control over her mind and its new abilities. She was able to silence the voices when needed and to funnel them into a more manageable stream of thought. Like looking through a crowd to find someone, she could listen through the voices to find the one that was providing something useful to her. It was as though she had a keen insight into situations as she approached them. Centuries of experience now hers to make use of.

The remaining weeks evilwillow worked closely with Akasha, constantly testing her. Making her capable of cloaking her thoughts and emotions. Using the same mind control that Akasha had learned to handle the voices and memories could be amplified to cloak her own thoughts and emotions from any capable vampires of detecting her.

“She is ready” evilwillow told Lord Vyron.

“It’s about bloody time too. We need to pack and leave in two nights for the coast. The banquet will be there and we will need to time to finalize our strategies.

Lord Vyron and Akasha walked into the Great Hall and he threw her at the feet of his enemies. They looked her over, smelling her and taking special notice of her not having any human blood left within her. “She will do nicely Lord Vyron, and none too late, for the planets and moon are almost in place for this very magical event.” Taking Akasha by the nape of the neck they led her into a room filled with their kind and set her at the feet of a high priestess. She reached down and pets Akasha’s head, looking at her in an almost adoring way.

“Hmmm. She is not dressed appropriately. Stand up!” she commanded Akasha. Doing her bidding, she knew what was next and willingly submitted herself to the forthcoming humiliation. Her cloths were stripped from her and the High Priestess began examing her body closely. Holding her breasts and pinching her nipples, she watched them become taut. She then smacked each breast and observed their bounce. “Nice,” she smiled. Turning Akasha to face the rest of them, Akasha could feel their eyes upon her body, examing her form. There were murmurs of approval through the crowd of vampires. She bent her over and pushed her legs apart, then pushed her fingers in as deeply as she could and pulled her open, looking up inside of Akasha, she smelled her. “You will need a bath, to cleanse away his odor.” Akasha worked fervently to calm herself, lest she was over come with anger and lashed out against her captors.

Two priestesses came up and led her away to a marble room, where a huge basin filled with hot water, stood in the center. They pushed her in and scrubbed her body with hard bristled brushes. Across her face and scalp, they started and moved down her neck and across her back. Pouring bowls of water over her head, they stood her up and began scrubbing across her breast and belly. They were removing the top most layer of skin, as they scrubbed so harshly. Then to be sure they removed the ‘offending odor’, they took a special rounded bristled brushed and pushed it up inside of her. Several times, going inside and twisting it, till blood coated the brush. Then to finish her they scrubbed her arms and legs, till finally she was completely scoured of all her upper layers of skin and spots of blood rose over her body for a second before her dark natured healed her. They dried her with a light silk cloth and dressed her in a shear linen dress, that draped over her shoulders in two thin pieces that was not more than an two inches wide, across her front and down between her legs in a ‘v’ shape. Around her waist they clamped a metal shackle with a chain that they held as the walked her back to the Main Hall.

The High Priestess turned and looked her over. “Much better. Now take her to the Temple and secure her to the Alter. We wouldn’t want her to get a mind of her own.” She smiled wickedly, as she placed a kiss upon Akasha’s forehead. “Yes I think our queen will be very pleased with you.” With that, Akasha was led away through many corridors, walked outside and up a cliff side.

Her guards stayed close to her side, and helped her up over the many rocks, along this narrow path; to be sure she didn’t get scuffed up along the way. Finally ascending the cliff, Akasha eyes were met with a magnificent temple of six milky white marble columns forming a circle and with the sky as its ceiling, the moon shown brightly within. Inside the columns was six polished white stone slabs, for the clan elite to sit and at the very center was an oval shaped altar. Upon the altar they laid Akasha down backwards and secured her wrists and ankles with silk ropes.

It was hours later, before the priestesses and the clan elite filed into the temple to sit and begin the ceremony. Lord Vyron was last to enter and sat just within Akasha’s view. Though she was a little stiff after lying so long in the cold air, on this stone alter her body started to buzz with anticipation of what was to come. She closed her eyes and listened to the voices within, which all chimed for patience. The strongest of the clan was sitting next to Lord Vyron and the high priestess approaching Akasha was the next strongest. She knew the moment had to be right and she would wait for Lord Vyron to make his move.

The six priestesses around her began to chant in a language foreign to her ears but her mind of many easily understood. “Demon Satyr take our gift” over and over. The High Priestess moved around Akasha saying some words under her breath and anointing her with mixture of oil and blood. Her head, her shoulders, her ribs above her heart, her hips, her abdomen, her palms, her thighs and the bottom of feet, all saying “This be yours, this be yours” in the strange language. Still Akasha waited, waited for Lord Vyron to do something. Finally the High Priestess raised her arms above Akasha and all became quiet. “Now we give our blood, oh queen. Know we are your loyal servants” As she said this, she slit her wrist and spilled her blood over Akasha and she could feel the droplet prickle and burn upon her skin. Each of the six priestesses walked up and did the same, and as their blood spi, a , a greenish blue flame began to ignite around Akasha.

In her mind the voices became chaotic in their ramblings, a terror was gripping Akasha’s heart. The fervor heightened and Akasha pulled upon her bindings, they did not budge, she could not escape \'was everything a preparation for this moment, for me to willingly be the sacrifice for the ancient Queen’s return? To strengthen my body and mind, so that this shell could better provide her to take over?\' This thought amedamed in her head, was it hers or was it of the many voices, many doubting Vyron’s motives, many thinking this has gone too far. Akasha took a deep breath, as the Elite were now bled letting over her, and calmed the voices with the meditation techniques evilwilllow had taught her. In the depth of her mind a singular aged voice could finally be heard \'It is almost time. Look with your mind to Lord Vyron’s posture.\' And sure enough he was poised behind the Clan Leader, a dagger in his hand, as though to bleed himself but Lord Vyron would of used his razor sharp nails for that. With the clarity she now possessed, she prepared her self for the fight of her life.

Ssssssshhhhooooot! A wood arrow with a razor sharp head sliced through two of the bindings that held Akasha’s left ankle and wrist down. At the same moment Lord Vyron had reached forward and sliced the Clan Leaders head clean off his body. Akasha jumped over off the edge of the Alter, her body still immersed in blue flame, and with her left arm caught the head of the High Priestess and broke her neck as she was about to slice into Lord Vyron with her ceremonial blades. Sssssshhhoooot! Sssshhhhoooot! Shhhhhooooot! Several more arrows whizzed through the temple, and pierced three of the priestesses turning them to ash and one last one slicing Akasha’s remaining bindings. Six of the elite ran in the direction of the arrows and two fell to ash before leaving the temple.

Freed from her bonds Akasha grabbed the ceremonial blades and sliced off the head of the High Priestess, turning her to ash. She spun around and began the slaughter she had been preparinr. r. Slipping in and out of shadows she made her way through the clan, beheading and moving. Lord Vyron moved quickly in her wake, killing any that strayed out of her reach. In the distance, the moonlight caught glimpses of the lone archer, evilwillow, drippwithwith blood, as she took out a few up close and personal. Grabbing the last elder, as he tried to escape the slaughter, she thrust her hand into his chest and pulled out his still heart. His arms flailed helplessly trying to fend her off. Laughing wickedly she tossed his heart over her shoulder, then yanked the nearer arm off of him. Taunting him with it a little, she watched the fear in his eyes grow. At just the moment the fear crested and realization of his demise was eminent, evilwillow bit into his jugular and tasted his fear. Within seconds it was done. They stood alone amongst the piles of dust and the blue flames that licked Akasha’s body finally ebbed and went out.

“Finally, I am free of them. Let us go and celebrate.” Lord Vyron said in an unusual cheerful tone for him. They walked away quietly, back to their carriage. Climbing in, they rode in silence away from the carnage. “We have killed all the strong elders of this Clan Tremere and those childer we have left, will only meet their death if they seek me out” His words echoed in Akasha’s mind, stirring remnants of her vision.

“One will come after you, my Lord. And he will strike at thee with his cowardly ways.” Akasha’s eyes were glazed over and her voice eerily deep and flat as she spoke.

“What are you talking about?” Lord Vyron demanded. Her words bothered him and more so that she seemed so distant.

She seemed to snap alive to his voice. “I don’t know, all I saw or sensed rather, was this cowardice and your death again.” Closing her eyes and turning away, she tried to bring back that vision but the harder she tried, the more difficult her mind became. Frustration of voices and myriad of possibilities streamed before her eyes till she could take no more and had to give up.