All rights to the characters here are the property of Anne Rice, Knopf and anybody else who profits from what she does. Except for Astral of course. This is for the sole purpose of entertainment.
Spoilers up to TOBF
Astral (16/?)
By: Emily Jorrey
Louis wearily lifted his head. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was looking over the sky crying for Lestat to help them. Astral had been crying too whispering "It's hopeless, it's hopeless, she had us now." She had cut Astral. Splattered his blood on the floor.
He looked around, everything was dark "Astral? Astral?" No answer, he put his hand to his heart. He needed blood, he needed it bad.
A door slowly began opening, Louis drew himself back, it was Lizbetha, carrying a torch in one hand, and a box in the other. She went along calmly lighting the room. She then set the torch in a holder, and turned to face him.
"And how are we this fine evening?"
"Where is he?" Louis growled.
"You'll see him soon enough and I suggest you don't take that tone with me." Lizbetha, opened the box dumped it's contents on the floor. Rats. She laughed, "I know you've done this before, and before you refuse my offering, let me say that if you don't drain each and every one of those vermin, you'll never see Astral again."
Louis nodded his head and went to work. The blood was sickening, hollow tasting and bitter, he wondered how he ever managed it before. But soon he was done, Lizbetha smiled and said "Good boy," then quickly disposed the rats in short little bursts of flame.
"Now tell me where he is." Louis begged, only to have Lizbetha slap him hard on the cheek. "I told you not to take that tone with me! Say please."
"Please."
"Good. Astral, Astral. You can come in now my love."
Shrouded in black, with heavy chains along his hands and feet, Astral walked in. He had fed, but only a little bit, only enough to keep him alive. His head was bowed in fear and he was sobbing softly. Lizbetha walked up to him and removed the chains.
"Now go to your frightened lover." She hissed.
Louis embraced him, when he looked into the brown eyes, he saw terror.
"My lord." Astral, whispered, "I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault." He heard Astral, whimper in pain, "What's wrong?"
"She whipped me. The wounds aren't healing up that fast. There's not enough blood in me."
Louis gently reached down the back of Astral's shirt, he felt the hard, angry, marks that Lizbetha's whip had left. The cells where desperately trying to heal them, but they lacked the strength.
Louis eyes glowed with rage. "You cold, twisted monster!"
Lizbetha shrugged, "He disobeyed me. He left me. He had to be punished!"
"You have no right to keep him here. He doesn't belong to you!"
Astral whispered in Louis ear, "Please my lord, don't try to reason with her, just do as she says."
"That's right Louis." Lizbetha said, her voice like ice, "my child knows me well. Listen to him."
"But, don't you see? This is wrong, you have no right to hurt him like this." Louis stammered, trying to keep himself calm. "You can't be this cruel."
Lizbetha yawned mockingly, "Who says I can't. God?" She laughed, "He doesn't exist, so what will happen to me?"
"Lestat is looking for you. He'll find you."
"Lestat."
"Yes, there is probably no way to measure the rage he feels right now."
"I'm getting tired of this . . ." Lizbetha lunged and Louis. Louis felt a searing pain in his mouth, followed by a splattering of blood. His tongue, she had torn out his tongue! The pain was indescribable.
Astral wailed, "Mistress . . ." She slapped him.
"Shut up. Or I'll do it to you too." She drew her attentions back to Louis, "Astral's had this done to him before. Ask him, he'll tell you." Louis moaned, "Oh stop it. It can't hurt that much. You're a vampire, a weak one, but you're still a vampire. The pain should go away soon. Besides I'll give it back, when I'm ready, but for now. . ." She pulled a small box out of her pocket and placed the tongue in it."
"Don't hurt him!" Astral was begging, "Please."
"Astral, I told you what would happen if you didn't shut up. Maybe, instead of your tongue, I'll rip out your eyes. You'd be like our darling twins!"
Louis groaned, it was the only thing he could do. Lizbetha smiled and patted him on the head, "Maybe now, you'll listen to me. Huh? She leaned down and licked the blood off his face, "Don't pull back . . ." she warned. "I want to clean you up."
Louis felt hot tears flowing down his cheeks, he didn't want this woman touching him, but he had no choice. Astral had curled his knees up to his chest, his head was hung, and he was weeping.
Lizbetha pulled herself up, "There. You look much better now, what is it Lestat calls you? Ahh yes, Beautiful One . . .fitting. Well I'm leaving you two alone. I'm afraid Astral will have to do all the talking. I'll be nice and leave the room lighted. Good night. We'll have fun tomorrow, I promise."
Louis gently walked over to Astral and wrapped his arms around him, trying to comfort his lover the best he could.
"Forgive me my lord." Astral cried. "Why does everyone I love always end up getting hurt? Please my lord, do not hate me."
Louis stroked his cheek, kissing him, trying to let Astral know that the only hate he had was for Lizbetha.
"Marius!" Lestat's mind roared. "Help me! Please! Shes taken him!" Silence, no one answered. "Goddamit Marius! This isn't about me! It's about Louis! A woman named Lizbetha!" Lestat had been trying this for hours, but with no luck, he was just about to give up hope when . . .
"Lizbetha?" It was Marius!
"Yes! Yes! A woman with long blond hair! Louis, Louis had been . . .he had become lovers with her fledgling Astral, and Marius . . . she took them both! Please! Help me, I have to get him back!"
"I will be there as soon as possible."
Marius in his house far away sighed, "Lizbetha, I had hoped you where dead. Apparently not. You escaped crusades, the Roman Coven, the destruction by our Queen, you've even escaped me. But this time, I think you've finally gone too far.
Lizbetha peacefully sat in front of the mirror brushing her white tresses. He had called her a monster! The bastard had called her a monster! Well maybe she was. In fact that was exactly what she was. She hadn't always been one.
"Agatha." She whispered.
Sin? What they did wasn't sin. The church was well aware of the passion that two men could experience. But women? They didn't even know that was possible. So they never even bothered with it. No, their promise was to shun men, not each other.
She could still taste the sweetness of her lover in her mouth, how the hairs tickled her face. The feel of Agatha's nipple on her tongue. Finger, breast, lips, they molded together perfectly. The time they made love in the Church, when God's blessing shone upon them. It was virginal love.
"No!" Lizbetha shook her head violently. "Forget about it. She meant nothing. It meant nothing! Nothing what so ever! You where born evil Lizbetha." She set her brush down. "Louis is the perfect companion. It's just going to take a little bit of training. Soon he'll be just like you a monster. And Astral will be a slave to you both."
Astral (17/?)
By Emily Jorrey
Historic Note: Erzs�bet (Elizabeth) B�thory, was a countess, who lived from 1560 to 1614. She reportedly murdered between 40 and 600 young virgins, so that she could bath in their blood.
For more info check out: http://members.xoom.com/Thorko/Csejthe/eblinks2.html
And cold madness wandered aimlessly about the house.
~MILOSZ
"Marius!" Lestat cried out! "Where have you been? I must find them, I haven't been able to contact either of them."
"Either of who?"
"Astral, or Louis! They're both to weak!" Lestat growled, "When I get my hands on that twisted sadistic bitch . . .I'm going to make her wish she never crossed paths with me."
"You mean Lizbetha?"
"Who do you think I mean?"
"Lestat we must act sensible about this. You must tell me everything."
Louis felt around the walls of his prison, trying to find away out. It was made completely out of stone and built in a circular design. There where shackles and various places, and he could see the puddles of blood that had long stained the floor and the wall.
"You can't get out." Astral muttered. "I've tried, I used to claw at those walls until my fingers where shredded."
The door opened and Louis stepped back, Lizbetha came in, hauling two unconscious men by their hair. "From the village," she explained, "thought I was a prostitute." Her dress was very old , late 16th century. It was probably once bright red, but now the color had dulled and many of the jewels where falling off.
Astral quickly raced up to one of the men and plunged his teeth in. He drank hungrily, desperately. Louis didn't move. He wasn't going to give Lizbetha the pleasure.
She sighed, "Not hungry?" From behind her she pulled out a whip, Astral looked up and began to creep back, but she was to fast for him, the whip struck his skin, splattering blood, Astral screamed.
Louis tried to cry out but he couldn't "Damn you! Damn you!" his mind cried out.
Lizbetha cackled, and hit Astral with the whip again, "Remember! I can read minds! Feed or I'll continue to whip this whore!"
Astral cried out "Don't listen to her! I can take . . ." Lizbetha kicked him.
"You filthy little shit! I should have killed you along time ago! Louis! Feed! You'll need all the blood you can take for what I'm going to do to you!"
With tears in his eyes, Louis knelt down and fed on the still unconscious man, "You will pay," his mind roared over and over, "you will pay." Lizbetha just laughed.
Marius shook his head in disapproval, "With all your powers, you still fell for her trick."
"I couldn't help it! Marius, please! I was blinded by jealousy!"
"And because of that jealousy, your beloved is now imprisoned by a mad woman."
"How do you know her anyway?"
"I met her once, but that was enough to know that she was insane. I shouldn't mock you Lestat for I also fell for her charms, but in a much more dangerous way."
"What?"
"I let her drink from me."
"Mon dieu!" The thought of an insane vampire with the blood of Marius running through her veins, sent his head spinning. "How? Why?"
"She was . . .very seductive . . .she seemed so innocent. But the minute she sank her teeth into my neck, I knew she was not."
Louis struggled violently as Lizbetha dragged him out of the room, away from Astral. "Stop it," she cooed mockingly, "He'll be with you soon enough." Louis took a deep breath, he had to remain calm, observe his surroundings. It was a large dungeon, old and medieval. Using a stool, to get herself to his height, Lizbetha thrust Louis against the wall and shackled him to it. She then proceeded to rip off the remainder of his clothes. "Just wait right there . . . Beautiful one . . .I'll be right back."
She kept her promise, Lizbetha returned dragging Astral by a chain around his neck. He was stripped naked and shivering in fear. "Now, Louis," Lizbetha proclaimed, "You'll see how we do things in my domain!" She turned back to Astral, "Stand up!" He did very quickly, his breath was coming out if deep gasps. There was a long chain hanging down from the ceiling, Lizbetha quickly affixed his wrists to it.
Astral said nothing, his face was without hope, almost resigned to what was going to happen to him. Lizbetha went over to a small fire and pulled out a red hot poker. Louis pulled at his chains trying to yell, trying to stop her, but all that came out where strange warbled sounds.
Lizbetha shook her head, "Why Louis, Astral isn't making a fuss so why should you?" She tapped Astral's shoulder with the poker and he winced, she tapped again. "So quiet my love?" This time she placed the burning hot metal on Astral's inner thigh, producing the scream she wanted. "I missed your screams my lovely," she dropped the poker and gripped a tight hand on Astral's member and began to work it gently. "I missed this too." She began to pull at it with more violence. "You cunt. You thought you could leave me. But it didn't work, now did it?"
"No mistress."
"You love me Astral, don't you?"
"Yes . . ."
"You're lying." Lizbetha released him and went to pick up a whip. "I can't read your mind dear Astral, but I know you're lying." She brought down the whip with tremendous force, so tremendous that Louis felt some of the blood splatter on his face.
Astral screeched, "Please! Don't!" Again she struck him.
"Count! Count the hits my whip makes!"
"One! Ahhh . . .two! Three! Four!" Astral's back was soon covered in blood, but Lizbetha continued to beat him, all the while Louis struggled with his chains unable to do anything. Yet even in such pain Astral seemed oddly beautiful, his eyes glimmered in their torment, in a way that was haunting. The body moved back and forth like a broken doll. To his horror Louis realized that he was becoming aroused.
Lizbetha dropped the whip, "That's enough for now. Louis, I noticed that a while ago, you where starring at my dress. It was from a very dear friend, Erzs�bet B�thory. Wonderful woman, I should have made her into a vampire when I had the chance. We would have been so happy." She undid the buttons and laces on her dress and let it fall. She knelt down and out of the pocket of the dress she pulled the box that contained Louis' tongue.
Her body was pale, the breasts where sturdy with pinkish nipples. The hair between her well formed legs was the same colors as the hair on her head, white. She was so small, so demure looking. An evil woman-child, with dark eyes. "Louis. I thought you would be weak, but when I saw you with Astral. I realized you where strong. You just never had the chance to realize your full potential. She climbed back up on the stool, "shame I had to be to born so tiny, I don't quite fit this body. Now open your mouth."
Louis did and he felt the strange sensation of the nerves reattaching themselves, slowly he moved his mouth and then he spoke. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you hurt him like that?"
"I like to." She kissed Louis on the cheek, and began to stroke him. "So weak. That isn't right. You liked it when I whipped him didn't you?"
"No . . ."
"Liar. Then why are you hard? Listen I've searched for so long for someone who was fitting, most left me, many turned out failures, or as Astral did, more suitable as slaves. Take my blood Louis. We can have it all. If you're with me, by my side, Lestat won't dare destroy us, or Astral." She grabbed his shoulders and curled her legs around him. She nibbled at his neck, "My blood is strong, I've seduced and fed off many old ones."
"Who?"
"Why like Marius."
Louis moaned in terror, pain, and pleasure. He hated this creature, yet she was so warm, so soft, and so seductive. "I . . .I . . .can't . . .evil."
"What's so wrong with that? We are evil. You've said it yourself. Surrender to it." Lizbetha lowered herself on to him, "You can't escape me.
Astral turned his head weakly, "No . . .she can't take you too."
Louis green eyes where clouded in passion or what looked like it. His body was shuddering. Lizbetha had begun to moan too. Her legs clasped tighter around him and the sounds she was making reminded Astral of a wounded bird.
"Lestat . . ." Astral's mind raced, trying as hard as he could to reach Louis' maker, "Lestat, she has us trapped. Louis is . . .falling under her spell . . ." Nothing yet, but he had to keep trying, Lizbetha had stolen or destroyed everyone he ever loved. Not this one, not this time.
"Marius?"
"I'm trying Lestat! I'm trying!"
Lestat paced around nervously, "Try harder! You're much stronger than she is!"
"Yes but they are so weak. I don't think I can reach them."
"Keep on trying! You must! I must find out where they are!"
Lizbetha pulled herself free from Louis. "Ahh that was lovely. I'll give you time to decide if you want to drink from me." She cast a glance at the dress. "Yes Erzs�bet. So beautiful, so cruel. She taught me so many wonderful tricks. Even when she was human, she had the taste for blood. I should have taken her with me when I ran away. They walled her inside her own torture chamber. Do you know that?" Lizbetha sighed, "so many wonderful tricks. Would you like to see one?"
Louis heard Astral whimper softly, "Not that terrible cage mistress."
"Of course the cage." Lizbetha went to the wall and pulled a lever. A small cage covered in a cloth was lowered down in the middle of the room. Taking a long stick, Lizbetha knocked the cloth off.
The cage was lined in sharp knives, deadly, rusted with age. And sitting in the middle of it, was a young girl.
"Help me!" the girl cried out in Spanish, she couldn't have been anymore than 15, "Please I want my mother!"
Lizbetha pulled another poker from the fire, "Your mother is far away my dear."
The girl had started to pray. It was the rosary, spoken in quick breaths. Louis realized that he was praying too. He pulled at his chains, and began to scream.
"Let her go! God! Lizbetha! Let her go please!"
Lizbetha lowered the cage down to the point where although it still was above her, she could reach it with the poker. She jabbed the poker into the cage, the girl, in her terror, fell back on to the knives.
"No!" Astral wailed.
The girl thrashed about screaming, only succeeding in cutting herself more. Blood splattered in all directions. Lizbetha giggled like a child in the snow, trying to catch some of the droplets with her mouth.
"Oh the pleasure Louis!" She roared, "Even carnal pleasure can't beat this!"
The girls screams soon died down, finally she hung limp in the cage. Lizbetha now soaked with blood, covered the cage with the cloth and sent it back up. She calmly licked the blood off her hands, while Louis watched in horror.
"So many wonderful tricks," Lizbetha said calmly, "So many wonderful tricks."
Astral (18/?)
All dressed in red, always the bride
Off with her head, all dressed in white
Off with her head
- "Use Once and Destroy", Hole
Lestat sat on his couch with his head in his hands. He feared it was becoming impossible.
Could it be true? Louis would be lost forever? Not just lost. Trapped. Trapped and doomed to be subjected to unnamable tortures. All because of his jealousy. "No . . ." Lestat hissed, "I will search to the ends of the Earth to find him. If I have to search for thousands of years. I'll find him."
Then from out of the silence Lestat heard a voice. "Hello?" It was soft and frail, but it was there. He felt his heart tense, he called back to it.
"Yes!?"
"Its Astral . . .we're in Spain . . .in the country . . .help . . .my mistress . . ." Then the voice died out."
"Astral?" Lestat whispered, "Astral!"
Marius ran to his side. "What is it?"
"They're in Spain. In the countryside."
Louis tried to keep up as Lizbetha dragged him and Astral up the stairs. He was humiliated, naked and forced around in chains.
"Mistress!" Astral said, "What about the servants?"
Lizbetha sighed, "They're no longer a worry."
"What . . .Oh god no!"
Lizabeth's bedroom was splattered with blood and various body parts.
"Mistress, are they all . . .?" Astral's voice was breaking.
"Dead? Every single last on of them. I should have never gotten servants. They're to much trouble, always meddling in other's affairs."
Louis said nothing, what could he say? He recoiled at the smell of the already rotting corpses, but Lizbetha pulled him along.
"It's just death," she whispered, "nothing to be afraid of."
"Where are you taking us?" Louis asked.
"Such a demanding tone! I thought you would have learned by now . . ." Lizbetha threw him on the floor. Louis felt the blurring, sharp, pains as she beat his head against the stone.
"Never speak to me in that tone of voice!" Lizbetha roared, "I'm in control here! Everyone puts up with you! With your whining, your pathetic love of humanity and your weak heart! Well, I'm not going to put up with it!" She pulled herself off of him. "If you must know, I'm taking you to Astral's room."
Lizbetha pushed them in the room. "There's a shower. There's also some clothes in the dresser. I expect you to be ready by the time I get back." She slammed the metal door shut.
Louis wiped away the tears that where running down his face. How did he get into this? Then single word came into his mind. Astral.
He heard Lizbetha's voice, "He deserves to be hurt."
Louis felt a dark wave flood his heard, "You . . ."
Astral backed up, "What?"
"This is all your fault!" He slapped Astral hard across the face, "Before you came I was happy!"
"Happy?" Astral's voice was calm and collected. "You wondered alone in the streets. You sat alone with dark thoughts, you weren't happy."
"Don't tell me what I was."
Astral's heart was thumping in his chest. Was this really all his fault? Could he have been able to change it? No, he had no idea. He was lonely and Louis helped ease it. He would not be blamed. "Let me remind you, it was your precious Lestat who refused to come to our aid."
"He did nothing wrong . . ."
"He refused! Your precious Lestat! He refused! He would much rather see you dead than in the arms of another!"
"You lie!"
"It's my mistress! She's doing this to you! She's filling your head with angry thoughts, with hatred! She's done this so many times before. To the others I have loved."
"What others?"
Astral tossed back his head defiantly, "Don't be foolish to think that you are the only on I have ever loved in my dark years."
"Lestat was right, you are a whore."
Astral cringed what was happening? "Maybe he's right. But at least I have loved, and not wallowed in hateful self despair." He saw a blush of all to mortal shame come to Louis face, and it hurt him to see it. But he was to far gone to stop. "I loved them. Everyone who showed me kindness, everyone who whispered words of love in my ear. I loved them just like I loved you. And no matter what you say I won't stop. She can make you just like her and I won't stop." Astral kissed Louis' cheek.
Louis tried to brush him away, "Don't."
"No." Astral kissed his throat, "You can't make me."
"Please Astral."
"No." he kissed Louis right on the lips, and before he could step back a hand grabbed his hair, and yanked it hard, Astral felt tears of delight fill his eyes.
"I told you not to do that!" Louis hissed, then he released his grip. "You make me violent ."
"Many have told me that."
"There is no hope," Louis murmured, "she has us in her power. If only I could contact Lestat."
"I have." Said Astral softly.
"What?"
"He's coming Louis, I don't know how soon, but he knows where we are."
Lizbetha watched the blood run down the drain as the water washed what was left of the girl off her. "Erzs�bet, remember how the blood felt on your naked skin? You should have taken it when I offered. But no, you where too scared of losing control. And because I loved you, I granted your wish and did nothing. Hah! You already thought you where immortal anyway. But you weren't."
She sighed resting her head on a side of the stall. "Thorko. She was the reason I left. She was plotting to kill me. Expose my sleeping form to the sun. Why was I afraid of her? She was nothing but a mortal. Why did I run?"
Lizbetha heard a noise. "Erzs�bet?" She stepped out of the shower, and looked around. Then something in the mirror caught her eye.
It wasn't her Erzs�bet, it was someone else. A woman in a nun's habit stood before her. The face would have been lovely but it was burned and scarred. It started at her with sad eyes.
"Agatha . . .no . . .go away . . ." A memory flooded her brain before she could stop it.
They where in the kitchen, cooking and laughing, when they heard the noise. First it was the sound of horses, that slowly grew louder and louder. Then came the sound of gate crashing. Along with everyone else they ran outside.
It was a lord, finely dressed and with his soldiers at his side. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"Where is who?" The Mother Superior asked
"Her." To Lizbetha's horror, she realized he was pointing at her.
"Lizbetha?" Mother Superior asked "What has she done?"
"Nothing expect be beautiful. I want her. I want her to be my wife."
Lizbetha moved back, she felt Agatha's hand gripped tightly around hers. Then she spoke, "But sir, my devotion is to God and his Son."
The lord just laughed "Get her."
"No!" Agatha, grabbed a sword away from one of the soldiers. "You will not take her! You will not make her break her vows!"
Agatha tried to use the sword but it was too heavy, they disarmed her with ease. She continued to fight them, clawing and scratching.
"I tire of this." The lord strolled over to her and with his heavy boot kicked her in the stomach, she fell on the ground with a moan of pain. Lizbetha tried to comfort her, tried to take care of her love, but she was violently hoisted on a horse. Her screams where cut off by a hand over her mouth.
The lord looked at Agatha, "Burn her."
Lizbetha pulled her head away from the violating hand, "No! Not my Agatha! No! Lord God, help her! Jesus Christ my savior free her!" She prayed to everyone, the Holy Mother the Saints, the angels. No one came her aid. No one.
They built a prier. Right in the middle of the courtyard. They tied her precious Agatha to a stake. They lit a match . . .her Agatha was no more.
Lizbetha roared, picking a small glass bowl from the counter, she heaved it at the mirror,
It shattered, dissolving the face in the mirror. "No! You bitch! Why did you have to try and fight them?" She collapsed to the floor, sobbing. "Why didn't you just let me go? Why?"
She gasped trying to regain control. "Evil." She hissed, "You are evil. You must go, Louis and Astral are waiting."
Lizbetha went to her closet and put on her finest clothes. First the under things: a tight corset, garters and stocking. Then came the bright red ruffled petticoat. Then the dress: it was tight and low cut enough to leave the tops of her nipples slightly exposed, it spilled out when it came to the waist, and the material, was blood red. Finally came the finishing touches. Rubies on her fingers, neck and in her ears, black eyeliner and dark red lipstick. Lizbetha looked at herself in the mirror. Yes, she was beautiful. "Louis, you will bow down to me or pay the price."
Lizbetha opened the door. There they where, huddled like two fawns in the grass. Wearing plain black clothes.
"Louis, come here," she giggled. Of course he didn't obey. That didn't matter. She swayed up to him. Christ he was beautiful! Erotic to his very soul. The limber body, the skin, the hair. And of course those eyes! She grabbed his arm and pulled him close. "It must be wonderful to be Lestat, and to hover over you, hold you down. Of course I can hold you down, but it's not the same."
He was struggling in her grasp, "Please Madame . . ."
"Shh . . .Louis. You like my little Astral don't you? You like controlling him, hurting him."
"No . . ."
"Yes . . . If you take my blood, you can have him completely. Or do you not want him? Look at him Louis."
Louis turned and went over to Astral. Perfect! They where touching slightly, exploring. Yes this was lovely. She heard Louis whisper "You are beautiful."
Such wonderful creatures. Astral was becoming dazed in Louis embrace. He had never looked at her like that. They where kissing now, and Louis was caressing Astral's neck. Far to gentle for her liking.
"Hurt him," Lizbetha's mind whispered, "hurt him."
Astral cried out as he was thrown right into a wall and his head was slammed repeatedly against it. Louis expression had changed, she knew it very well. She saw it all the time in her mirror. That sweet smell of blood filled the air again. Not as lovely as human blood, but good enough. Lizbetha quietly came over and placed the whip in Louis hand.
"Do what you will with him." She hissed.
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