Schemes and Dreams
Hey everybody.👋 Welcome to my second story. I'm hard at work on getting things ready for this one. I thought I would go ahead and start the thread and give you an idea what's going on. I'll post occa...
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Chapter Five: Salvation
It was Inna's job to watch over the servants as they moved Rayvn and Judith back to the house they were staying at. It wasn't the first time she'd been here doing this very thing. Leading one of Elle or Lilith's victims to whatever fate those two had chosen for them. The leaden sky was the perfect match for her mood. This never got easier. How many victims had she watched become prisoners in Forgotten Hollow? How many times had Elle or Lilith put her in this position? For that matter how long had it been since she was the one being led away to life she had not chosen? Time had no meaning to the immortal residents of Forgotten Hollow. Most people either go mad or they give in and go along. Inna existed somewhere in between. "Keep a close eye on these two" Lilith said. "I will return when Elle and I are ready to perform the ritual."
https://i.imgur.com/scqag3A.png
Deep within the Castle De Vampiro, Elle and Lilith lounge in front of the fireplace as they discuss their next moves. The two powerful women enjoyed a goblet of wine as they talked, and plotted.
"What shall we do with the older one?" Lilith said, "I think we should contact Andre and Serge and see what they can discover about her. I know you want to punish her for her impudence, as do I, but I think wiping away her memories of us and Forgotten Hollow and sending her back is the best solution."
"Possibly. I'm starting to think we should toss her in with the others we drink from and when her usefulness is done, drain her. What about the young one?"
"She is strong. She is the strongest woman yet. Her vitality is unlike any we have ever encountered. I believe we have found the third woman to rule with us. Even if we send the old one back I say we keep the young one. I have already discussed it with Caleb, and he is happy to take her for a wife. Not that I was going to allow either one of them any choice in the matter. The children she and Caleb will produce are destined to be very powerful vampires. With her beside us there would be nothing and no one we would have to fear."
https://i.imgur.com/uj96hWQ.png
Inna and Rayvn spent the morning talking about life in Forgotten Hollow. The day was cloudy so Inna was eager to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. "I've spent the best part of two centuries having to avoid sunlight. Before I came here I used to love to go out in the sunshine and feel the warming rays. Now," she looked up at the overcast to where she thought the sun might be, "I can't even remember what it was like."https://i.imgur.com/TvCDd77.png
She gave a small laugh as they settled on a bench in the square. Rayvn was beginning to feel sorry for Inna and it helped to divert her thoughts from her own predicament. They left Judith behind. She was being difficult and they really needed a break from her. "I remember watching movies and tv shows where the cast wore clothes like this. I always wondered what it would be like to wear something like this. It's fun but I would love it a lot more if I wasn't here. Sorry Inna, I shouldn't have said that."
"No need to say you are sorry Rayvn. It is true. I would love to go home but who knows if Pest is still there anymore. It has probably changed so much I would not recognize it, and even if I did I would not know how to live in the modern world." Inna's gaze slowly took in the village and then fixed on a spot somewhere far away. "This is my home now. I've come to accept it."
"Pest is still there" Judith said, her voice suddenly ringing out. "It's actually called Budapest, now that the two cities have combined into one. I followed you two because I wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I was out of line. I'm accustomed to being the one calling the shots and being adored."
https://i.imgur.com/UXDWPcN.png
"That must have hurt to say. Apology accepted" Rayvn said.
"You have no idea child. And if we make it back to Del Sol Valley, you will not breathe a word of it to anyone."
https://i.imgur.com/fiOCPQs.png
"I understand your feelings. You have been through a lot in a very short time and it is all very overwhelming. I accept your apology as well. Please join us."
As they sat and talked Inna noticed the ravens fly away from the castle towards Windenberg. She knew this meant that Elle and Lilith were sending messages to their contacts in the outside world. They were the only ones allowed to have contact with anyone outside of Forgotten Hollow or any of the tiny villages that were nestled in the valley nearby. Those villages were nearly as isolated and forgotten as Forgotten Hollow. It was where the vampires went to feed. It was by arrangement, if the villagers agreed to allow vampire invasions and kept their secrets they would be watched over by Elle and Lilith and the village coffers would be well funded. Inna began to wonder if this might provide an opening for Judith and Rayvn to escape. On occasion, after the ravens flew towards Windenberg men like Ivan and Andre would arrive in their strange carriages. What did these women call those things...cars?
"Earlier we were talking about those strange carriages that move without horses, cars I seem to remember you called them"
https://i.imgur.com/Q2GMd6Q.png
"Yes, those are cars. I don't know much about them but I can try to answer any questions you have."
"Do you know how to make them move?"
"Drive them. Yes we can. We both know how to drive. Well I can if it isn't a stick."
"A stick? In your world people drive trees? I can see how those would be very difficult to operate."
https://i.imgur.com/Pzs5kEf.png
Judith and Rayvn couldn't help a little laugh at the thought, and Inna's naivety. "No Inna. We don't drive trees. A stick is a type of transmission that is extremely difficult to operate. I'm like Rayvn, I can't drive a stick either."
"You're on to something aren't you, Inna."
"Occasionally after the ravens fly to Windenberg men arrive in those cars. If they do maybe you can take the car while they aren't looking and you can escape."
"Grand theft auto? You want us to steal a car?" Judith said with a look of mild disgust. Like she had just seen a spider descend from the ceiling right in front of her.
"Well, you could always get used to the idea of staying here for the rest of eternity" Rayvn said sarcastically. "I'll take my chances on being called a car thief."
"Good point." Judith said. "I assume you know how to hotwire cars don't you? You must have done at some point."
"What in the world makes you think that?"
"Well you have a leather jacket with designs on it and you live in the spice district. I just thought you had been a juvenile delinquent at some point."
"Oh gee thanks. No. I never was a criminal. I didn't grow up there, I only moved into the Spice District a few months ago. It gets an undeserved bad rep."
"The hard part is going to be getting you into a car if one shows up and then getting you out of here before Elle or Lilith realize you're gone."
https://i.imgur.com/4NXFtxw.png
"Have you thought about coming with us if we can make our escape?"
"I can't. Elle performed the Ritual of Bonding on me soon after she turned me. I can't leave the valley."
"What would happen if you tried?" Judith asked.
"Once she binds you to Forgotten Hollow you can never cross the mountains to leave the valley."
"Have you tried?" Rayvn said
"No. It's impossible. No one has ever made it out successfully."
"If nobody has ever tried to escape then how do you know you can't. I've only known you for a day but I really don't want to leave you here with these monsters." Rayvn said. "You don't deserve this. With us to help you and teach you I think you would love the modern world. We would have to do something about your lack of sun resistance. It's sunny almost everyday in Del Sol Valley. Even if you didn't come with us and you went back to Pest, the sun would still be an issue."
"I can't leave Karoly. I know he hasn't been may Karoly in over two centuries. Not since Elle got her hands on him. He has no memory of us ever being married or even in love. But I still love him and even if we can never be husband and wife again I don't think I can just give up hope."
"That is so sweet. I can't make you leave, but after all this time if Karoly still has no memory of your life together he probably never will again. You'll be torturing yourself for Elle's enjoyment. You can mourn the loss and you can start a new life. You can live again."
"I will think about it. There are potions to grant sun resistance, and there is a cure for vampirism. I have to admit I have mixed feelings about taking the cure. As much as I didn't want to be one, I've been a vampire for so long I really don't want to stop. And how would I fit into the world outside of Forgotten Hollow if I'm a vampire? Is it acceptable to drink other people's plasma in your world?"
https://i.imgur.com/uP9KoXH.png
"No it's not. That would be a problem. Is there any other way you can exist without needing to bite necks?"
"There are notes on how to make plasma packs. And there is Plasma fruit."
"See! There are options. I just want you to think this over. I will honor whatever decision you make, even if you choose to stay here. Under that vampiric facade you really are a sweet person and I think the world would be better if you rejoined it. You are nothing like the others here. Who knows, if you got out of here it may change your mind about being a vampire. If you're not surrounded by them you will see the world differently."
"Well, first we need to keep you two from being turned. Then we need to see if one of Elle's people show up in response to her ravens. Then we may have a way to get you two out of here. If someone is coming it will be a few hours before they arrive. The ravens usually make it back here an hour before Elle's men. Keep your eyes open."
https://i.imgur.com/7lHtx8I.png
This next part is short but it's where things take their darkest turn yet. It ends badly for one unlucky sim, but it sets up our happy ending.
Later...
It was Inna's job to watch over the servants as they moved Rayvn and Judith back to the house they were staying at. It wasn't the first time she'd been here doing this very thing. Leading one of Elle or Lilith's victims to whatever fate those two had chosen for them. The leaden sky was the perfect match for her mood. This never got easier. How many victims had she watched become prisoners in Forgotten Hollow? How many times had Elle or Lilith put her in this position? For that matter how long had it been since she was the one being led away to life she had not chosen? Time had no meaning to the immortal residents of Forgotten Hollow. Most people either go mad or they give in and go along. Inna existed somewhere in between. "Keep a close eye on these two" Lilith said. "I will return when Elle and I are ready to perform the ritual."
https://i.imgur.com/scqag3A.png
Spoiler
"As you wish Lady Vatore" was all Inna could muster. It had been all she could bring herself to say as soon as she saw Ivan's strange metal carriage arrive at the castle. She knew what was about to happen even if she had no idea who it was about to happen to. Lilith turned back to regard the sleeping figures and said over her shoulder, "Yes, the young one is going to make an exquisite addition to our little village." Lilith turned back to Inna. "She will make Caleb a most agreeable wife, in time, don't you think?" Lilith purred.
https://i.imgur.com/RMDdJOh.png
"Yes Lady Vatore, she will indeed." Lilith gave a subtle sneer and then disappeared in a cloud of inky blackness. Inna pulled up a chair and waited for the women to stir. This gave her time to think. Inna knew she didn't want to see these women come to a bad end, but could she finally muster the courage to disobey Elle and Lilith? Could she help them escape without those two knowing she had a hand in it? Yes. She had to find a way to help these women get out of here.
https://i.imgur.com/4FvOOY3.png
Soon the women began to slowly come back to the waking world. They were about to learn that in this case waking up only made the nightmare worse. Inna knew there was only the slightest of chances she could help them escape, the odds were overwhelmingly against them. A quiet fear gnawed at her. There was something about Lilith's sneer that felt odd. She put that aside quickly as Rayvn began to stir. "I would bid you good evening but I fear it has already been anything but good" she said from her seat across the room.
Rayvn let out a small scream as she finally registered the dead red eyes staring at her. "Who the hell are you? Oh you're that Irene...no, Iris... Aine.."
"My name is Inna Cents."
https://i.imgur.com/AjJu3cd.png
"What do you want? Haven't you monsters done enough? You tried to kill us and for what!" Rayvn said, her voice steadily rising as she regained her strength.
"I did not attack you or harm you in any way..."
"So! What did you do to stop what was happening? Nothing!" Judith chimed in.
"Ladies, please accept my sincere apologies. I agree you were treated quite shabbily and you did nothing to deserve it. But in this world, Elle De Vampiro and Lilith Vatore are the rulers, and they are ruthless. Your fates were sealed the moment you got into Ivan's...car? I seem to recall him using that word to describe the strange carriage that he brings victims here in."
"You don't know what a car is? Seriously? This is 2023. Cars have been around for more than a century" Rayvn said.
"2023? As in the year 2023?"
"You're just playing dumb now. Not even you can be that clueless" Judith said acidly.
"There's no need to be mean. I was once in your place. Let us go down to the sitting room and continue our conversation. We shall all be more comfortable there."
https://i.imgur.com/9GeVwrv.png
My husband and I were headed home from Windenberg. The trip to our home in Pest from Windenberg takes several days. On our first day after leaving Windenberg our coachman became lost in these mountains, or so we thought. He said we needed to find an inn to stay the night and he conveniently found the inn here. This very place in fact. That was it's purpose once. As you can see, we never left. Not because we didn't want to. Like you we never wanted to stay but once you come to Forgotten Hollow, Elle will never allow you to leave. No one ever has. Some have tried, but none have ever succeeded that I know of. I would like you two to be the first."
"Give me one good reason why I should believe you" Judith said. "I think you're just as bad as those other two. You're playing with me and you have some cruel game in mind. I will not be a plaything to torment. You will let me go."
"Hey! What's with all this 'I' and 'me' stuff!" Rayvn said.
"What? Oh seriously, I'm not going to leave you behind, but I'm going to handle these negotiations."
"I believe the both of you would do well to mind the way you talk to me. Despite your doubts, which I grant you are understandable as I am a vampire and a stranger, but I truly wish to help you. If I can't get you out of here at least we can possibly form a friendship. You cannot imagine what it's like to spend eternity in the same village with the same people. I really do wish to help you escape. Now can we please keep our conversations civil? If not, I'll summon Elle or Lilith and let them take care of you."
https://i.imgur.com/pkZn657.png
"That's fair enough." Rayvn said shooting a glance at Judith who still looked on the verge of a meltdown. "I'm sure you can understand how we feel though, waking up to learn we're being held hostage by a village full of vampires. You said you were in our place once Inna."
"I was. I should say, we were. The man, Vlad Bloodvayne, who was seated across from you...what are your names?" she asked looking first at Judith. "I have been meaning to ask and I am ashamed I have not until now."
"You really are a fool if you don't know who..." Judith began before Rayvn stepped in to stop her making things worse.
"Judith! Stop! Take some deep breaths and get a hold of yourself. My friend here is the movie star, Judith Ward and I am Rayvn Nash."
"I would say I'm honored to meet you Rayvn but given the circumstances that feels quite inappropriate. Your friend Judith, at this moment not so much. My name is Inna Cents. Or it is now. When we came here we were Karoly and Anna Eros. Elle and Lilith give everyone here new names. In my case my new name was a mockery of my personality. I have never embraced the viciousness like most vampires do. My Karoly and I were madly in love until Elle erased his memory and remade him into Vlad Bloodvayne. My love for him is the reason I'm trapped here. Instead of fleeing while I still had the chance I stayed because I thought I could save him and we could escape together and resume our life. I was wrong."
https://i.imgur.com/WfTdMur.png
"That's so sad, but oddly beautiful in a way. The things we do in the name of love. So how long have you been here?" Rayvn asked.
"We arrived here in 1768. I was born in 1747 I think. Or some time around then."
Judith's mind reeled as Inna recited the dates. It was a staggering thought to attempt to wrap one's head around. Rayvn had fixed Inna with a wide-eyed look of astonishment. When she regained her composure, she said, "There was a time not that long ago, watching shows like 'Twilight' I daydreamed about what it would be like to be swept off my feet and whisked away by a vampire. Back then I actually wanted to be a vampire. It's an entirely different story when you thought vampires were make believe, not real. The thought of actually becoming one has no appeal at all now. It might have something to do with the kidnapping and the complete lack of romance, but I really do not want to be a vampire."
https://i.imgur.com/ma5tNVx.png
"Yes. You will find that the reality of life as a vampire is not terribly romantic. Even when you find yourself in love with one. This Twilight thing you spoke of, is that something to do with the movie star thing you also spoke of?"
"Yes in a way..."
"You can stay here and talk about Twilight with your new friend for the rest of eternity if you like Rayvn, but I want to talk about how I get out of here" Judith interjected. "Sorry. How we get out of here. This Elle woman doesn't realize the mistake she's making. I am famous and beloved by millions around the world. If I go missing there will be search parties combing the world looking for me."
"You would not be the first to make threats that people will come searching. She will summon you two to the castle tomorrow and you can plead your case but I do not believe she will be worried. She has powers and she can cast what she calls a 'glamour' that hides the village from the eyes of anyone outside of it. She will know if searchers are close and she will make the village vanish until they pass. Inna continued to explain how Elle and Lilith had taken over Forgotten Hollow and deposed Vlad Straud. She hadn’t been there when it happened. That all took place ten years before she had even been born, but the history was there to be discovered. Inna explained how an entire village had for the most part ceased to exist in the minds of most people while still physically existing.
“So what exactly is going to happen to us if we can’t escape?” Rayvn asked...
https://i.imgur.com/RMDdJOh.png
"Yes Lady Vatore, she will indeed." Lilith gave a subtle sneer and then disappeared in a cloud of inky blackness. Inna pulled up a chair and waited for the women to stir. This gave her time to think. Inna knew she didn't want to see these women come to a bad end, but could she finally muster the courage to disobey Elle and Lilith? Could she help them escape without those two knowing she had a hand in it? Yes. She had to find a way to help these women get out of here.
https://i.imgur.com/4FvOOY3.png
Soon the women began to slowly come back to the waking world. They were about to learn that in this case waking up only made the nightmare worse. Inna knew there was only the slightest of chances she could help them escape, the odds were overwhelmingly against them. A quiet fear gnawed at her. There was something about Lilith's sneer that felt odd. She put that aside quickly as Rayvn began to stir. "I would bid you good evening but I fear it has already been anything but good" she said from her seat across the room.
Rayvn let out a small scream as she finally registered the dead red eyes staring at her. "Who the hell are you? Oh you're that Irene...no, Iris... Aine.."
"My name is Inna Cents."
https://i.imgur.com/AjJu3cd.png
"What do you want? Haven't you monsters done enough? You tried to kill us and for what!" Rayvn said, her voice steadily rising as she regained her strength.
"I did not attack you or harm you in any way..."
"So! What did you do to stop what was happening? Nothing!" Judith chimed in.
"Ladies, please accept my sincere apologies. I agree you were treated quite shabbily and you did nothing to deserve it. But in this world, Elle De Vampiro and Lilith Vatore are the rulers, and they are ruthless. Your fates were sealed the moment you got into Ivan's...car? I seem to recall him using that word to describe the strange carriage that he brings victims here in."
"You don't know what a car is? Seriously? This is 2023. Cars have been around for more than a century" Rayvn said.
"2023? As in the year 2023?"
"You're just playing dumb now. Not even you can be that clueless" Judith said acidly.
"There's no need to be mean. I was once in your place. Let us go down to the sitting room and continue our conversation. We shall all be more comfortable there."
https://i.imgur.com/9GeVwrv.png
My husband and I were headed home from Windenberg. The trip to our home in Pest from Windenberg takes several days. On our first day after leaving Windenberg our coachman became lost in these mountains, or so we thought. He said we needed to find an inn to stay the night and he conveniently found the inn here. This very place in fact. That was it's purpose once. As you can see, we never left. Not because we didn't want to. Like you we never wanted to stay but once you come to Forgotten Hollow, Elle will never allow you to leave. No one ever has. Some have tried, but none have ever succeeded that I know of. I would like you two to be the first."
"Give me one good reason why I should believe you" Judith said. "I think you're just as bad as those other two. You're playing with me and you have some cruel game in mind. I will not be a plaything to torment. You will let me go."
"Hey! What's with all this 'I' and 'me' stuff!" Rayvn said.
"What? Oh seriously, I'm not going to leave you behind, but I'm going to handle these negotiations."
"I believe the both of you would do well to mind the way you talk to me. Despite your doubts, which I grant you are understandable as I am a vampire and a stranger, but I truly wish to help you. If I can't get you out of here at least we can possibly form a friendship. You cannot imagine what it's like to spend eternity in the same village with the same people. I really do wish to help you escape. Now can we please keep our conversations civil? If not, I'll summon Elle or Lilith and let them take care of you."
https://i.imgur.com/pkZn657.png
"That's fair enough." Rayvn said shooting a glance at Judith who still looked on the verge of a meltdown. "I'm sure you can understand how we feel though, waking up to learn we're being held hostage by a village full of vampires. You said you were in our place once Inna."
"I was. I should say, we were. The man, Vlad Bloodvayne, who was seated across from you...what are your names?" she asked looking first at Judith. "I have been meaning to ask and I am ashamed I have not until now."
"You really are a fool if you don't know who..." Judith began before Rayvn stepped in to stop her making things worse.
"Judith! Stop! Take some deep breaths and get a hold of yourself. My friend here is the movie star, Judith Ward and I am Rayvn Nash."
"I would say I'm honored to meet you Rayvn but given the circumstances that feels quite inappropriate. Your friend Judith, at this moment not so much. My name is Inna Cents. Or it is now. When we came here we were Karoly and Anna Eros. Elle and Lilith give everyone here new names. In my case my new name was a mockery of my personality. I have never embraced the viciousness like most vampires do. My Karoly and I were madly in love until Elle erased his memory and remade him into Vlad Bloodvayne. My love for him is the reason I'm trapped here. Instead of fleeing while I still had the chance I stayed because I thought I could save him and we could escape together and resume our life. I was wrong."
https://i.imgur.com/WfTdMur.png
"That's so sad, but oddly beautiful in a way. The things we do in the name of love. So how long have you been here?" Rayvn asked.
"We arrived here in 1768. I was born in 1747 I think. Or some time around then."
Judith's mind reeled as Inna recited the dates. It was a staggering thought to attempt to wrap one's head around. Rayvn had fixed Inna with a wide-eyed look of astonishment. When she regained her composure, she said, "There was a time not that long ago, watching shows like 'Twilight' I daydreamed about what it would be like to be swept off my feet and whisked away by a vampire. Back then I actually wanted to be a vampire. It's an entirely different story when you thought vampires were make believe, not real. The thought of actually becoming one has no appeal at all now. It might have something to do with the kidnapping and the complete lack of romance, but I really do not want to be a vampire."
https://i.imgur.com/ma5tNVx.png
"Yes. You will find that the reality of life as a vampire is not terribly romantic. Even when you find yourself in love with one. This Twilight thing you spoke of, is that something to do with the movie star thing you also spoke of?"
"Yes in a way..."
"You can stay here and talk about Twilight with your new friend for the rest of eternity if you like Rayvn, but I want to talk about how I get out of here" Judith interjected. "Sorry. How we get out of here. This Elle woman doesn't realize the mistake she's making. I am famous and beloved by millions around the world. If I go missing there will be search parties combing the world looking for me."
"You would not be the first to make threats that people will come searching. She will summon you two to the castle tomorrow and you can plead your case but I do not believe she will be worried. She has powers and she can cast what she calls a 'glamour' that hides the village from the eyes of anyone outside of it. She will know if searchers are close and she will make the village vanish until they pass. Inna continued to explain how Elle and Lilith had taken over Forgotten Hollow and deposed Vlad Straud. She hadn’t been there when it happened. That all took place ten years before she had even been born, but the history was there to be discovered. Inna explained how an entire village had for the most part ceased to exist in the minds of most people while still physically existing.
“So what exactly is going to happen to us if we can’t escape?” Rayvn asked...
Deep within the Castle De Vampiro, Elle and Lilith lounge in front of the fireplace as they discuss their next moves. The two powerful women enjoyed a goblet of wine as they talked, and plotted.
"What shall we do with the older one?" Lilith said, "I think we should contact Andre and Serge and see what they can discover about her. I know you want to punish her for her impudence, as do I, but I think wiping away her memories of us and Forgotten Hollow and sending her back is the best solution."
"Possibly. I'm starting to think we should toss her in with the others we drink from and when her usefulness is done, drain her. What about the young one?"
"She is strong. She is the strongest woman yet. Her vitality is unlike any we have ever encountered. I believe we have found the third woman to rule with us. Even if we send the old one back I say we keep the young one. I have already discussed it with Caleb, and he is happy to take her for a wife. Not that I was going to allow either one of them any choice in the matter. The children she and Caleb will produce are destined to be very powerful vampires. With her beside us there would be nothing and no one we would have to fear."
https://i.imgur.com/uj96hWQ.png
Spoiler
"Did you turn her as I asked?"
https://i.imgur.com/PjHRWgF.png
"Not yet” Lilith said. She rushed on knowing Elle was going to be less than pleased. “Her plasma tasted so divine I took a larger drink than I should have. I’m afraid she might not survive if I tried to turn her now. She was especially divine after having drunk from the old one. That one tasted as bitter and nasty as you would imagine.
https://i.imgur.com/GZKy64Y.png
“Understandable. She is worth more to us alive. I value your opinion Lilith, but the older one must pay for her insults. I agree we should send word to Andre though. We will discuss her punishment after we hear what he has to say. I want to know how much trouble her disappearance might cause. In some form she will regret speaking as she did to us.”
“I believe it’s time we do something about Ivan as well. This is not the first time he has caused us problems. I say it should be the last. All the more so if Andre confirms our worst fears about the trouble she can cause.”
“Agreed. In fact send word to Ivan to come at once. Let us just have done with him once and for all.”
https://i.imgur.com/EaR5DJP.png
“I will dispose of him personally the moment he arrives.”
https://i.imgur.com/7KFtSsl.png
"You were right to distrust him. He has proven to be quite incapable of good judgement. If these women are well known he never should have brought them here. He should have refused or pretended to get lost and taken them back to Windenberg. His lack of judgement will be his downfall."
https://i.imgur.com/PjHRWgF.png
"Not yet” Lilith said. She rushed on knowing Elle was going to be less than pleased. “Her plasma tasted so divine I took a larger drink than I should have. I’m afraid she might not survive if I tried to turn her now. She was especially divine after having drunk from the old one. That one tasted as bitter and nasty as you would imagine.
https://i.imgur.com/GZKy64Y.png
“Understandable. She is worth more to us alive. I value your opinion Lilith, but the older one must pay for her insults. I agree we should send word to Andre though. We will discuss her punishment after we hear what he has to say. I want to know how much trouble her disappearance might cause. In some form she will regret speaking as she did to us.”
“I believe it’s time we do something about Ivan as well. This is not the first time he has caused us problems. I say it should be the last. All the more so if Andre confirms our worst fears about the trouble she can cause.”
“Agreed. In fact send word to Ivan to come at once. Let us just have done with him once and for all.”
https://i.imgur.com/EaR5DJP.png
“I will dispose of him personally the moment he arrives.”
https://i.imgur.com/7KFtSsl.png
"You were right to distrust him. He has proven to be quite incapable of good judgement. If these women are well known he never should have brought them here. He should have refused or pretended to get lost and taken them back to Windenberg. His lack of judgement will be his downfall."
Inna and Rayvn spent the morning talking about life in Forgotten Hollow. The day was cloudy so Inna was eager to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. "I've spent the best part of two centuries having to avoid sunlight. Before I came here I used to love to go out in the sunshine and feel the warming rays. Now," she looked up at the overcast to where she thought the sun might be, "I can't even remember what it was like."https://i.imgur.com/TvCDd77.png
She gave a small laugh as they settled on a bench in the square. Rayvn was beginning to feel sorry for Inna and it helped to divert her thoughts from her own predicament. They left Judith behind. She was being difficult and they really needed a break from her. "I remember watching movies and tv shows where the cast wore clothes like this. I always wondered what it would be like to wear something like this. It's fun but I would love it a lot more if I wasn't here. Sorry Inna, I shouldn't have said that."
"No need to say you are sorry Rayvn. It is true. I would love to go home but who knows if Pest is still there anymore. It has probably changed so much I would not recognize it, and even if I did I would not know how to live in the modern world." Inna's gaze slowly took in the village and then fixed on a spot somewhere far away. "This is my home now. I've come to accept it."
"Pest is still there" Judith said, her voice suddenly ringing out. "It's actually called Budapest, now that the two cities have combined into one. I followed you two because I wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I was out of line. I'm accustomed to being the one calling the shots and being adored."
https://i.imgur.com/UXDWPcN.png
"That must have hurt to say. Apology accepted" Rayvn said.
"You have no idea child. And if we make it back to Del Sol Valley, you will not breathe a word of it to anyone."
https://i.imgur.com/fiOCPQs.png
"I understand your feelings. You have been through a lot in a very short time and it is all very overwhelming. I accept your apology as well. Please join us."
As they sat and talked Inna noticed the ravens fly away from the castle towards Windenberg. She knew this meant that Elle and Lilith were sending messages to their contacts in the outside world. They were the only ones allowed to have contact with anyone outside of Forgotten Hollow or any of the tiny villages that were nestled in the valley nearby. Those villages were nearly as isolated and forgotten as Forgotten Hollow. It was where the vampires went to feed. It was by arrangement, if the villagers agreed to allow vampire invasions and kept their secrets they would be watched over by Elle and Lilith and the village coffers would be well funded. Inna began to wonder if this might provide an opening for Judith and Rayvn to escape. On occasion, after the ravens flew towards Windenberg men like Ivan and Andre would arrive in their strange carriages. What did these women call those things...cars?
"Earlier we were talking about those strange carriages that move without horses, cars I seem to remember you called them"
https://i.imgur.com/Q2GMd6Q.png
"Yes, those are cars. I don't know much about them but I can try to answer any questions you have."
"Do you know how to make them move?"
"Drive them. Yes we can. We both know how to drive. Well I can if it isn't a stick."
"A stick? In your world people drive trees? I can see how those would be very difficult to operate."
https://i.imgur.com/Pzs5kEf.png
Judith and Rayvn couldn't help a little laugh at the thought, and Inna's naivety. "No Inna. We don't drive trees. A stick is a type of transmission that is extremely difficult to operate. I'm like Rayvn, I can't drive a stick either."
"You're on to something aren't you, Inna."
"Occasionally after the ravens fly to Windenberg men arrive in those cars. If they do maybe you can take the car while they aren't looking and you can escape."
"Grand theft auto? You want us to steal a car?" Judith said with a look of mild disgust. Like she had just seen a spider descend from the ceiling right in front of her.
"Well, you could always get used to the idea of staying here for the rest of eternity" Rayvn said sarcastically. "I'll take my chances on being called a car thief."
"Good point." Judith said. "I assume you know how to hotwire cars don't you? You must have done at some point."
"What in the world makes you think that?"
"Well you have a leather jacket with designs on it and you live in the spice district. I just thought you had been a juvenile delinquent at some point."
"Oh gee thanks. No. I never was a criminal. I didn't grow up there, I only moved into the Spice District a few months ago. It gets an undeserved bad rep."
"The hard part is going to be getting you into a car if one shows up and then getting you out of here before Elle or Lilith realize you're gone."
https://i.imgur.com/4NXFtxw.png
"Have you thought about coming with us if we can make our escape?"
"I can't. Elle performed the Ritual of Bonding on me soon after she turned me. I can't leave the valley."
"What would happen if you tried?" Judith asked.
"Once she binds you to Forgotten Hollow you can never cross the mountains to leave the valley."
"Have you tried?" Rayvn said
"No. It's impossible. No one has ever made it out successfully."
"If nobody has ever tried to escape then how do you know you can't. I've only known you for a day but I really don't want to leave you here with these monsters." Rayvn said. "You don't deserve this. With us to help you and teach you I think you would love the modern world. We would have to do something about your lack of sun resistance. It's sunny almost everyday in Del Sol Valley. Even if you didn't come with us and you went back to Pest, the sun would still be an issue."
"I can't leave Karoly. I know he hasn't been may Karoly in over two centuries. Not since Elle got her hands on him. He has no memory of us ever being married or even in love. But I still love him and even if we can never be husband and wife again I don't think I can just give up hope."
"That is so sweet. I can't make you leave, but after all this time if Karoly still has no memory of your life together he probably never will again. You'll be torturing yourself for Elle's enjoyment. You can mourn the loss and you can start a new life. You can live again."
"I will think about it. There are potions to grant sun resistance, and there is a cure for vampirism. I have to admit I have mixed feelings about taking the cure. As much as I didn't want to be one, I've been a vampire for so long I really don't want to stop. And how would I fit into the world outside of Forgotten Hollow if I'm a vampire? Is it acceptable to drink other people's plasma in your world?"
https://i.imgur.com/uP9KoXH.png
"No it's not. That would be a problem. Is there any other way you can exist without needing to bite necks?"
"There are notes on how to make plasma packs. And there is Plasma fruit."
"See! There are options. I just want you to think this over. I will honor whatever decision you make, even if you choose to stay here. Under that vampiric facade you really are a sweet person and I think the world would be better if you rejoined it. You are nothing like the others here. Who knows, if you got out of here it may change your mind about being a vampire. If you're not surrounded by them you will see the world differently."
"Well, first we need to keep you two from being turned. Then we need to see if one of Elle's people show up in response to her ravens. Then we may have a way to get you two out of here. If someone is coming it will be a few hours before they arrive. The ravens usually make it back here an hour before Elle's men. Keep your eyes open."
https://i.imgur.com/7lHtx8I.png
This next part is short but it's where things take their darkest turn yet. It ends badly for one unlucky sim, but it sets up our happy ending.
Later...
Spoiler
The ravens had been dispatched to both Ivan and Andre with notes from Elle outlining her requests for each of them. Elle's message for Ivan told him to come at once for a special assignment. One that paid triple what he was used to making. Elle had been right about Ivan's lack of judgement but it was also his innate greed that would also be his downfall. A cautious man might have asked himself why he was suddenly being chosen for a special assignment, something that had always gone to Andre or Serge. All the more so since Elle and Lilith were not usually complimentary of him, even to his face. They had always paid him handsomely so the thought of even more money than usual made him eager to please. Another point which a cautious man would have realized put him at great peril was the fact that he was a loner whose disappearance would go virtually unnoticed. Ivan didn't realize that made him far more expendable than most, should he fall from favor. When he arrived at the castle Lilith was ready, and as always, she was true to her word. Ivan was half way from his car to the door of the castle...
https://i.imgur.com/XqQbQg7.png
...when Lilith suddenly materialized in front of him...
https://i.imgur.com/96SBOg6.png
For the first, and last time, Ivan's normally slow thought processes operated at lightning speed. He knew the instant she materialized, from the look in her eyes, that Lilith was going to be his end. He had left his crucifix in the car, something he had never done before. He had just enough time to curse himself for a fool to have ever gotten involved with vampires and think that he could get rich and get out alive.
https://i.imgur.com/QVFmMNp.png
https://i.imgur.com/XqQbQg7.png
...when Lilith suddenly materialized in front of him...
https://i.imgur.com/96SBOg6.png
For the first, and last time, Ivan's normally slow thought processes operated at lightning speed. He knew the instant she materialized, from the look in her eyes, that Lilith was going to be his end. He had left his crucifix in the car, something he had never done before. He had just enough time to curse himself for a fool to have ever gotten involved with vampires and think that he could get rich and get out alive.
https://i.imgur.com/QVFmMNp.png
