Under My Skin Ch. 06

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A look into Aksana's past.
5.6k words
4.56
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Part 6 of the 8 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 08/10/2012
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Aksana sat motionless, gazing into the crackling fire that served as the only light within the deeper darkness that was her crypt far below the the ground. Her nerves were set on edge. Her mind, a whirlwind of doubt, fear, and tormenting memories. Try as she might, the chill from earlier lingered upon her, cloying presence in her thoughts and emotions.

She had lived long, long enough to see empires fade and rise and fade again. Her eyes had witnessed the birth of many and the deaths of many more. Throughout the ages, she had traveled in search of a place of her own. She had thought she had found that place and found someone who could feed the gnawing, insatiable hunger within her.

He had returned. He who she had thought to have been vanquished many years ago. He who had cursed her with an emptiness within. He who had taken her family, her father, her sister. Worse still, she had been his slave, his weapon just for the sheer sadistic pleasure it brought him. When all was said and done he had taken away everything.

Aksana tensed, her fingers crushing the ends of the armrests as she recalled every bitter, hollow feeling one after the other. Her heart stuttered in revulsion at the very thought of the man's name. She quivered in her chair, eyes shutting tight, though that did nothing to ward off the specters of the memories clawing at her mind.

His name was Fabian, a most cursed name, and even though it was his true name, it was just one of many. Aksana cursed the first time she heard it uttered. She could remember clearly when they had first crossed paths. That day, like so many others after it, would be marred with that black name... Fabian.

Her father, Magnus who was leader of their clan was being honored by several smaller clans for a recent victory in battle. There were vampires, human thralls and servants all around . There were also those who sought favor from her father through gift or tithe or some other offering. Fabian was the latter of these.

At that time, Fabian was a mere hedge mage, nothing more than a local herb doctor. Although he did dabble in the arts, but he used words and tricks rather than possessing any real talent. Though he long had purported the ability to raise the dead and command spirits, many of his peers and those sensitive to the metaphysical doubted he had any real magic talent at all.

Whatever the rumors and whispers that flew about regarding his talent none of that seemed to deter him path toward power. Aksana frequently saw him in his drab, dark robes shuffling toward her father's end of the table in hopes of gaining his ear to tell another one of his lies. He would prostrate himself rather dramatically each time in honor of her father, proclaiming allegiance to their clan's cause and offering His aid if they ever needed it.

Magnus had heard all about Fabian. Her father was well acquainted with his kind. Men who thought to ingratiate themselves into Magnus' good graces and by proxy his power. Though her father accepted the offerings politely, he dismissed the man gently. If truth were told he saw the human as nuisance.

Each time he was dismissed, Fabian would hurry away from the halls quickly as if something were urgently needing his attending, though no one really knew what went on in the man's head. Always though before he left, He would turn and lay eye on Aksana.

His magical ability may have been doubted, but the one feature that also held power was his cold, piercing blue-gray eyes. Every time she felt him look at her, her skin crawled, and she felt a twinge of nausea. Aksana loathed him and often silently prayed to Mother Night to rip his eyes from his sockets.

As the years went by, her father rose in stature, propelling his name and their clan to higher and higher positions within the community garnering the respect and admiration of many on the Elder Council, a group specifically set up to oversee all the clans. It was no wonder that when the call came for their clan to go aboard one of the colony ships and start a new life in America, no one was surprised.

What did come as a surprise to her father and to Aksana was that Fabian had quietly slithered his way into the favor of a few of the most influential on the Council.

When Magnus' Clan was asked to undertake the journey to the new world he had oozed himself into a position to become their clan's human contact in the new world. Though a symbol of honor and pride for her father and other members of their clan, the voyage became Aksana's journey towards a pained and agonized existence.

When they arrived in America, their clan was transported by wagon train. Thirty coffins, each holding one member, sealed completely for the entire ride to lessen risk of the sun or being discovered. Aksana slept like all the rest, awakened only when they arrived safely underground below the settlement they'd been chosen to inhabit.

Upon their arrival the clan's human servants opened each of their coffins under the watchful eye of their contact, Fabian. He greeted each vampire as if they were royalty though most of the clan including her father ignored him and went about beginning their allotted tasks.

Aksana nearly screamed when they opened her coffin lid. Those eyes of his peering down at her above a wide yellow-toothed grin. Had she not been a vampire, she would have turned white in shock. She felt his eyes following her as she stepped out of her coffin and made her way up into the manor itself and into her new chambers.

One good turn of fortune was that Fabian did not live within the manor. Being a human and a servant, he was by station forced to live elsewhere.

Additionally when it became know he delved into dark arts and associated with dark characters, he was prohibited him from residing in town. Therefore, in order to remain the clan's daytime contact with the outside world he was forced to take up residence in a cave that was adjacent to the manor's lands.

Every night when the sun went down, Aksana would see Fabian reporting news to her father. Always before he left to attend to tasks appointed to him she would find his gaze settled upon her.

Aksana voiced her feelings of trepidation and revulsion to her father regarding Fabian and how the man looked at her, but her father dismissed them as foolishness. Magnus saw no threat from Fabian. Her father thought the man weak and inconsequential.

Though Aksana was unable to get her father to acknowledge her concerns, Aksana's sister Valera agreed and shared her concerns about the man. After each one of Fabian's visits to their manor, Aksana would tell her sister of how he looked upon her. Valera would listen and comfort her and for a time that helped quell her unease.

As time passed and their clan's influence grew in their corner of the new world, Fabian's visits became more frequent. Each time he visited his boldness toward Aksana increased. No longer did he seem content with allowing his eyes to linger over her body.

Somehow each visit he would arrange to talk to her, stroke a hand or a shoulder, making his lascivious intentions very clear. His visits became longer as the clan's influence spread.

Many times Fabian's job required him to reported news from all around the area to her father and to handle many sensitive day time jobs for the clan. During such times Fabian stayed the night at the manor in order to cover all the details. This meant that Aksana would have to endure his presence within the safe haven of the manor itself.

She now saw him not only as he entered her father's audience halls, but now in the dining area and out on the grounds as well. He had even grown so bold as to walk up and begin to converse with her without his prior pretenses.

Though at first it was polite conversation which she handled with poise and restraint, the conversations soon became more personal. She had no love nor sympathy for the man, in fact quite the opposite.

Aksana did her best the first few times to let him down gently when he spoke of his intentions toward her, but his continued advances wore her patience quickly.

This often resulted in Aksana revealing her true feelings about him She rebuffed and rejected his advances each and every time though he kept coming back with renewed resolve to win her attention and favor.

Aksana was so frustrated and repulsed by the situation that she began to lock herself in her room, not venturing out into the house proper or on the grounds whenever it was known he was in residence.

For a time, this worked. She no longer saw Fabian nor did she have to bear his unending advances. She was greatly relieved to have finally gotten rid of this nuisance.

She was somewhat happy again and could live her life in the new world without having to be bombarded by Fabian's requests for partnership or love. Unfortunately, to her sorrow this time of peace did not last.

Aksana remembered the dark night that foretold the horrific journey she would soon undergo. She received a summons from her father to meet with him within his chambers. This summons itself unnerved her since the only time anyone got summoned to his chambers was on duties or business or some other matter of importance.

It was rarely a good thing to receive an official summons from her father and it was never wise to ignore a summons or to even keep her father waiting for that matter. Even though as his daughter she was bound to answer his call promptly she raced to his chambers as anxiety nibbled at her heart.

When she entered his chamber that night, her father was already awaiting her. Trembling slightly she tried valiantly to hide her apprehension and rising terror at seeing the smiling visage of Fabian standing there.

Try as she might she could not keep a shudder from skittering over her skin as Fabian's predatory grin spread wider when she approached. Her father of course had his usual stoic look upon his face and revealed nothing as to what why she had been summoned.

Bewildered by Fabian's presence when it was she who was summoned, She asked her father what was going on. Magnus explained that Fabian had asked for his permission to wed her. She blanched at the horror of that thought.

Aksana gaped, dumbfounded at the man's audacity. She explained in very clear terms to her father that she had no feelings for Fabian and in fact would never even consider him as a wedded partner....ever!

As Fabian was human, she did not have to accept the terms of the proposed suitor like she would have if he were another vampire. Fabian distraught and angered by her so public and vociferous rejection of him, asked her father to intercede and make her join with him.

Magnus, being head of the clan, knew vampire tradition and law to the fullest measure and told Fabian that she was well within her right to deny him as suitor. Magnus also knew that his daughter wanted nothing to do with the human and shared some of Aksana's thoughts about the man. This further enraged Fabian, so much so that he lashed out to strike Aksana in a fit of rage.

Magnus, using his superior speed and agility granted to him by his vampire lineage, intervened and caught Fabian mid strike with a blow of his own. The blow caught Fabian in the face and slammed him to the floor.

The blow meant to stop Fabian and bring him to his senses was more powerful than intended due to the rage Magnus felt for the audacity of the human. Three long bloody gashes blossomed across the man's face and nose.

Magnus took great offense that a human would show such disrespect in his house in such a manner and banished Fabian from the grounds as well as all territory controlled by their clan.

Defeated and wounded, Fabian left the manor that night and fled amid curses and promises of his return to take that which he believed was rightfully his. No one saw or heard of Fabian again. Aksana could at least live in peace...or so she thought.

A year passed and the memory of that bizarre night and of Fabian faded.The human colony thrived and prospered and by extension so did her clan. On a warm night in early spring her clan was celebrating the prosperity and growth of the colony.

Vampires, human nobles, and servants alike gathered in the great dining halls to once again toast to her father's successes.

There was song and dance, food and drink. Everyone wearing their best finery, Aksana included, became caught up in the revelry of the occasion. Then her father, Magnus called everyone to his attention as he rose from his seat and began to deliver a speech.

All sat and listened intently as Magnus spoke about the colonies prosperity and growth and how pleased he was that he and his clan had been at the forefront of it. He went on to speak about future plans he wanted to put into motion for the colony as well as abroad. In the end, everyone stood and applauded Magnus while he bowed courteously to his audience.

When the applause reached a crescendo, a lone figure in ebony robes and mask entered the room. Everyone fell silent and all eyes fell upon the figure. Guards on either side of the doors moved to intercept the intruder. The cloaked figure held out his arms, palms forward towards the guards and uttered barely audible syllables. The guards stopped as if frozen a mere foot from the mysterious man's side, paralyzed. The masked man in black stepped forward to the table, each movement measured and precise though relaxed.

All the guests seated at the table watched in awe and confusion. Infuriated by the interruption and disrespect of the unknown intruder, Magnus demanded to know who he was and what business he had disrupting his celebration. The uninvited guest let out a deep rumble of laughter and pointed accusingly at Magnus.

"You have forgotten me so quickly. Pity! For such a transgression your name shall be erased from this world and all those with you shall pay!"

Every noble and human cringed in trepidation for no one had ever dared show such defiance towards Magnus before. Magnus stood livid, eyes narrowed to slits, threatening death upon his accuser. Magnus started to move around the table past his guests towards the masked intruder, but then stopped halfway.

Hushed syllables again left the lips of the masked figure as his arms shot out straight and his fingers splayed out towards Magnus and those at his table. Aksana and those seated tried to rise to escape whatever this assailant was attempting, but their bodies only froze in place. Even Magnus was halted mid step, eyes wide in shock that someone had the power to immobilize an entire room of people including a vampire lord.

A cackling bark of triumphant laughter echoed around the room as the masked figure reveled in the horrified expression on the faces frozen in place. He seemed to breath in their terror like it was ambrosia. Slowly like a predator stalking its prey, the masked assailant walked towards Magnus helpless form.

"I shall have my victory this night." whispered the ebony figure, "You who have denied me what is mine shall no longer. I shall take from you what you hold dearest, Magnus."

He began speaking in flowing syllables, tracing characters across Magnus' forehead. The figure went around and touched each guest's head in the same manner save Aksana. With each new individual he touched as he rounded the table his chanting grew louder and louder. HIs voice menacing and vehement.

Then he spoke one final word of power and everyone he had touched disintegrated into black ash. Aksana's eyes were wide with horror as she was forced to watch her father and everyone around her become nothing more than finely powdered dust.

The masked man cackled and howled in victory over the remains of his victims then strode over to Aksana's still paralyzed body. He spoke more words of magic, strange words with interwoven syllables. Aksana felt something pull on her very life force as if a hand wrapped tightly around her around very inner being and anchored itself there.

"You denied me once, but not again my Aksana," he rasped into her ear. A wicked laugh slithered insidiously over her skin. "You are bound to me now. Come! We shall leave this place like your father...in ashes."

Gobsmacked, she recognized the man now by that horrifying whispered threat. It was Fabian!

Aksana wanted to scream, to wail to let out her sorrow at the loss of her sister and father. The humans and nobles she did not care for, but those two were dearest to her. She tried to focus her will to resist him, but her body was not her's. It moved on its own, following him like a puppet on invisible strings out of the manor and into the night.

Fabian took her far from the lands controlled by their clan and the colonies to a crumbling wilderness fort that he had turned into his stronghold. Taken deep below the earth into his lair, she was helpless as Fabian used his dark magics to bind her body and soul to him, trapping inside her own mind helpless to do anything but his bidding.

It soon became readily apparent to her that in the short year of his absence Fabian had grown stronger, crueler, and more twisted. That very night he made her his concubine and night after night took her body, forcing himself into her body as well as her mind and soul. When he was not defiling her body he made her go out into the night and hunt any innocent unfortunate enough to cross their path.

On his more vile nights he would watch as he commanded her to feed off of and rape any human that at they came across whether it be a traveler on foot or a wayward carriage carrying women and children. She was forced to obey him as he commanded her to do these merciless acts though in her mind she screamed and cried for her life to end.

When she slept within his crypt during the day, Fabian would scour ancient tomes and scrolls seeking to unlock and master more dark power. If Aksana thought his previous actions unforgivable and heinous, the power that he soon discovered would be the worst yet.

One moonless night when she arose, he as before, began chanting and drawing his circles of power over her, commanding her body to stand still while he completed his ritual. Forced to watch, she once again bore witness to the monster he truly was. Not satisfied with the dark power he possessed, Fabian professed to her his search for immortality. That night he had found it or so he had told her believing her enslaved body no threat to his secrets.

As he drew chalk circles and magical runes around her and himself, he told her of his quest and discovery of how he could cheat death. He explained that he was going to turn himself into a lich, an undead mage, by storing bits of his soul in receptacles he called phylacteries.

Fabian went on to describe to her how through lichdom he could prevent his spirit from dying even if his entire physical being was destroyed somehow. Throughout this whole explanation all Aksana could was listen, a prisoner in her own body, unable to do anything to stop the man who controlled her.

Fabian continued explaining how planned to eventually create a large phylactery for himself. Something grand befitting his perceived stature, but for now he would need to start small.

Until he could amass the knowledge and power to construct something larger, he had to settle with something more practical, so he chose his mask. The new mask covered his battle scars from Magnus, but left his mouth and chin visible similar to the normal mask he preferred to wear. However, the new mask held a blood red gem centered in the forehead. This most treasured mask would be hidden and only his most trusted acolytes would be know its true location.

The most horrible part of the process was its power source.Turning someone from living into an undead lich required power of death and life itself. To power the creation of his phylactery, he intended to use her life force, the essence that was her.

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