The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Vaelle Lurval: LXXXIII

Penance: LXXXIII

'Just walk.. Just walk Vaelle. Just keep walking.' She told herself. Her body shook slightly from the nervousness. Or perhaps it was due to the fact she hadn't had anything to eat in nearly two days?

"Sister.. We thank you. And we truly welcome you into the faith." The ceremony was robust and much smaller than before. Vaelle eyed the walls carefully, tens of coffins stretched in every direction. It was hard to believe they were committing this.. In the crypt. On the far wall was a makeshift altar made of wood and pieces of a coffin. In the crowd Vaelle spotted around fifteen of her fellow followers. But that wasn't included of course..

"I accept the faith fully." Vaelle snorted out trying to speak on her behalf. She looked to her left wearily seeing the reassuring smile of Holiver.. Oh Holiver.. He was so good.. So kind. This.. this was such a small thing to be part of his greater life. She looked down at her pale and bony arm.. So much further from the size it once was.

"Then our sister.. Bask in the greatness of our god.." Seffia screamed into the air. Her name was Seffia, right? Vaelle didn't.. Oh gods she didn't know. She.. had never met Seffia.. or one of her associates. Vaelle quickly glanced around the room only to stumble upon that horrifying fact. Now.. she didn't know anyone. Any of these people. They were the only remaining of Gralhunds followers. But the three on the podium were Cassalnters followers. She had done all this.. Donna, her friends, they had come with her or befriended her.. Vaelle let out a miserable sigh. They were dead..

"And." Arn at the podium spoke now. "With this introduction.. We now pray over our greatest task!" he pulled an odd looking stone from his pocket. Setting it on the makeshift altar he raised his hands over it and began to pray. "Vaelle Lurval.. You are to be reborn in our society.. We thank you.. We thank you all.." The rock on the altar resembled a stone from a river except it held ripples all along it like scales in between those scales were five large green spherical gems. Vaelle turned to her left and gave Holiver a confused look asking for an answer, however even he looked rather confused. She placed her dagger down on the altar and tried to join in the prayer, everyone in the crypt began to chant. Arn.. he had taken the stone when Yalah had her back turned, he had turned them into the Cassalanter's. That.. snake. She bit her lip trying to look away from him furiously.

"Doth.. leg.. Urniet.." She muttered a few words however, always a tad behind the others. She didn't get what the words meant.. She just remembered Donna saying them.

"We thank you for your prayer.." The second male on the altar declared. Vaelle shook her head. The red and black cloak on her body felt funny. God's she could use a nap.. She was so tired. She took a few deep breaths pushing her long black hair out of her face. It used to be so silky smooth.. Looking down Vaelle caught a small glimpse of her reflection in the dagger on the floor.. Her cheeks were a bit sunken in, and her once beautiful eyes had such large bags under them. Her full lips still persisted, she was paler. "A ritual this precise requires the utmost.. Sacrifice and devotion." The preacher continued. Vaelle kept snapping glances at Holiver, his warm honey brown eyes smiled back to her. Oh if they could only just run away.. "So we thank you all." Just go somewhere else.. "We thank you for your sacrifice." And get themselves the tastiest butter bread.. Just the two- 'Hold on what?' Vaelle barely had a second to react before the three of them descended.

"AGh!" Her attention snapped over to the group of followers behind her whom the woman.. Seffia burned with her hands. Vaelle looked on in shock seeing Seffia's hands ignite in fire. The second man she assumed his name was Solvar from earlier but she couldn't be sure slammed knives into two followers. The room scrambled.

"W-what" Vaelle panicked and began running for the exit with the others.

"Fear not!" Seffia declared. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain.." Seffia, the girl the Cassalanters had sent to come over and speak with Yalah.. Was now covered in blood. 'Screw that! I'm not-' Vaelle thought she gunned for the hallways of the crypt hearing some of the others get cut down behind her. She looked around, turning to see Holiver running to her.