'Seed of Chaos' System

A/N: The contents of this chapter may not be suitable for all audiences. Please read at your own discretion. (trauma recollection, panic attack)

"I want you to take both Drain skills, but to start, please see if choosing the skill to plunder is possible by trying to take HP Drain," the King said. 

Alesha looked at the dirty, sweaty, bloodstained vampire chained to the wall. She had no desire to bite him whatsoever. Her germophobia, which had been quiet for a long time, was now drowning out her vampiric instincts. The man himself was filthy, as was the whole room. She didn't want to even get near him; the very idea of it gave her shivers. So gross!!

"Your Majesty," she asked, feeling a bit hesitant, "This might be rude of me, but is it possible to get some warm, soapy water so I can wash him off a bit first?"

The King blinked, then laughed heartily, startling the prisoner awake. "Haha, I wouldn't want to bite into such a dirty meal, either! My apologies, Hero, I'll send for some." He waved a hand and the guard signaled another to carry out the order.

Drowsy and confused, the prisoner didn't dare speak when he saw the King. 

The minutes passed somewhat awkwardly until a guard came, carrying a bucket of warm, soapy water, as requested. When Alesha went to grab it herself, the King stopped her and had the guard wipe the prisoner's neck and shoulder, as well as kick away the dirty hay near him. The king then gestured for her to begin.

"Hey, what? What are you doing?" The prisoner asked in a somewhat quiet voice, as if he was out of practice using it. 

"Don't move and don't protest, Leland," the King said softly. "She's a half-vampire Hero. She won't kill you, it will be over soon. We're just testing something."

Leland seemed to calm down a bit. Evidently, though a prisoner, the vampire trusted the King's words.

Alesha approached, fighting against the discomfort that proximity to so much filth was bringing her. She hadn't been anywhere nearly as dirty as this in quite a while. Elantris was a clean world, and she'd only visited relatively nice places during her other Summonings. Was it appropriate to use that in the plural sense? It probably didn't matter; it was simpler to think of it that way for now. She took a deep breath, focusing on the vampire's neck, trying to bring up her vampiric instincts to distract her from her gross surroundings. 

The prisoner helpfully moved his neck away from her and the wall, giving her a convenient spot to bite. She muttered her thanks, then latched on, fangs piercing his skin and sending blood sweeter than she'd ever tasted flooding into her mouth. She drank greedily, momentarily losing her purpose in the sensation. This was amazing! His blood tasted as good as, as good as --

Coughing, she stumbled backwards, flashes of unpleasant memories appearing in her mind. She recalled the divine taste of a particular red meat, being fed to her by handsome hands. She remembered eagerly devouring chunks of beyond-delicious food in a frenzy. Hazy memories of licking blood and raw meat juices off of an evil man's shirt assaulted her and recollections of Flynn's unwanted advances filled her mind to the point where she could think of nothing else. Breathing shallowly, she clutched her head and crouched down, panicking. Blood dripped unnoticed from her chin onto her knees. "No, no, no, no, go away! Don't do that! Get away from me! Stop! Please!" She mumbled, as if reliving the scene.

No one in the room had any idea how to react. "Do you know what happened?" The King asked the Guard, noticing the scared and confused expression on Leland's face. The Guard shook his head in the negative. 

Hesitantly, the King approached Alesha, leaned down, and rested one hand on her back. "Alesha? Are you alright?" He asked gently. She didn't seem to hear him. He rubbed his hand slowly across her shoulder blades, asking again.

That time, she heard him. She met his gaze with a desperate look in her eyes, then grabbed his shirt fiercely in one hand, looking forward and closing her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. The Guard shouted in alarm and started to approach when she grabbed the King's clothes. When the King waved him away, the Guard stood down, backing away and returning to his post in the open doorway. 

A few minutes passed like this, with the King slowly moving his hand across her shoulders and Alesha breathing in a controlled pattern. She breathed in as deeply as she could, then further, and further, before holding her breath for one second and releasing as much air as possible, then more, and more, before holding it for one second and repeating the cycle.

Alesha's grip on the King's shirt gradually relaxed. After that, she sheepishly apologized, explaining that she'd just recalled some bad memories. The King nodded, remembering stories of war-torn veterans who sometimes responded to harmless stimuli as if they were life-threatening. He hadn't expected such a young girl, and an otherworlder at that, to have already accumulated memories harsh enough to make her like those old soldiers. Wasn't the world they came from supposed to be peaceful? This could be a problem.

"Will you be able to continue the experiment?" The King asked. What if she couldn't Plunder skills directly? Would he have to execute the boy after all?

When Alesha nodded, a firm resolve in her eyes, a wave of relief washed over him.