The Vampire's Harvest

179

You wrap your hand around the top of the water skin with intent to swing it at his head, however, he notices your bulky weapon and tightens his grip on your arm. He then leans down and sinks his teeth into your neck, sucking the blood from you with a vicious pull. The pain spreads like fire, your limbs going numb and your head floating as if it bobbed just above the water. Your lungs tighten as you begin to drown. Your vision clouds and darkens, only colorful blotches remain. Soon you feel nothing except the cold grip of impending death.

Yet death never comes.

Instead, a switch is flicked and your senses regenerate. You feel the cold cobble pressing into your palms and see the dark sky looming above you with crystal clear clarity. However, when you rise up on stiff legs, it is not from your command. You are handed a weapon and urged to slash the side of the nearest wolf. You do everything you can to stop your actions and withdraw from the fight, but your voice goes unheard and your body moves with unflinching determination. You come to the chilling realization that you are a drone and that your consciousness is forced to remain present in a body you no longer control.

You watch like an audience member watches a play—engrossed by the world unfolding before you, but utterly incapable of altering it.

You scream and cry as the battle reaches a stalemate and Gianette limps off into the woods, looking back over her shoulder to watch you with mournful eyes. You beg your body to at least shed a tear, to give you some sort of release for this pain, but instead, the shell of who you once were follows your new master to his carriage. From there, you march along with his other drones and off to some castle or manor where you will serve without rest until some stroke of mercy sets you free and welcomes you into the loving embrace of death.

***

You've found one of the unsuccessful endings for this branch of the story... Why not go back and try a different weapon?