Bilgewater Baptism

The command echoed through her, reverberating against the walls of her skull. His face was unbearably close, his words an onslaught of harsh reality that she could neither deny nor evade. The cold steel of his gaze pinned her in place, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop spinning on its axis. She felt the blood drain from her face, her toes numbing at the edges as a wave of sheer terror washed over her.

His arm pressed against her mouth, insistent and unyielding; a grim reminder of the choice that had been made for her. Her heart pounded in her chest like a trapped bird, fluttering desperately against her ribcage. The metallic scent of his skin filled her senses, causing a ripple of nausea to coil within her gut.

Swallowing hard, she hesitated. Her insides twisted with uncertainty and fear. She was trapped between the desire to comply and the instinctual aversion that pulled at the base of her stomach. She felt herself shrinking under his gaze, wilting like a flower under the harsh glare of an unforgiving sun. She was prey, and he was the predator.

A low whimper escaped her, as she parted her lips ever so slightly. Her teeth grazed his skin, just on the surface without applying any pressure as she flattened her tongue against her bottom jaw. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, getting louder and quicker with each passing second. The space seemed to shrink around her, the air thinning as she took shallow breaths. But as he commanded her to bite … she couldn’t do it. The world blurred around her into an indistinct haze as a stream of tears flowed down her face; the only thing clear was Caedes' cold stare. "I… I can’t…" She stammered once more, her voice choked with fear and anxiety. She quickly tried to pull back- as if his touch burned her. Pathetic sobs escaped her lips as she crumpled into herself, a shriveled husk under his dominating presence.

"Delaeni Terblanche"