Between Good and Evil . . . are many sins . . .

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(Author's note : Written in the Dasarian setting. The male (main) character represents a servant of Coloth. To help with the context on what Coloth represents : Coloth as a deity is vengeful, spiteful and chaotic. He actively plots the destruction of the other deities, and drives his followers to destroy the order of the theocracy their communities are based on. His followers actively seek to undermine the order within a community through whatever means they have at their disposal.  Followers take these studies very seriously and view powers achieved through other means as misguided and wasteful. Those drawn to the Dark Lord do not answer a direct calling. Often, it is nothing more than a feeling that is acted upon which sets them on the path. Some have claimed to have answered an inner voice, the call of Coloth, though this is treated with suspicion and sometimes contempt within the order. ... Needless to say that the character is cruel, his story... nasty. This was my second attempt to experiment a bit of writing about an evil character. Started around 2014. Unfinished. But a Colothian's work is always unfinished... >.> )

Theme song : https://vimeo.com/3554226

18+

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Prologue - PACTED


Candles with small flames like raindrops of yellow heat slowly consumed their wax-like fuel. Sinister, pitch black shadows on the posterior wall lengthened and melted along with the soft, flickering lights. However… there was no fear of horrific things that may be lurking in the dark corners of the room, there was no pulse beating in his ears, nor a chill freezing the back of his neck. Not at all since... he could play the very incarnation of fear if he wanted.

The boy who had become a man stared at the darksteel throne decorated with scorched black skulls and other sickening attributes. To any other the object would have looked cursed and clearly an indication of evil, but to him it seemed a thing conducive to wealth and prosperity. Sweet, silky smoke curled through orbits and various cracks of the spherical bony structures. Tendrils of it, shifting like icy ghosts, swirled up and flirtatiously beckoned him to take a seat.


Go on…


Delicate, metallic chains jingled softly against a complexly designed, silver-black chestplate as he took a step.


Claim what is your rightful future…


A black, silky boot took another soundless step and paused a moment on the first stair.


That’s it… your legacy awaits you…


There was no hesitation in his step. Just… he seemed a man who liked taking things slowly… while beholding the gift given to him with squinted eyes black as inky pools. There was a brief, small vibration at the corner of his lips.
Another gift.

Wisps of silver grey smoke sensually curled and danced their way in his direction, seemingly full of expectation and thrilled to welcome him.

A cold, sinister smile distorted the handsome face somewhat, wrinkling the smooth, facial skin, yet not in the least diminishing the hardened expression. Slowly... he bridged the gap between an old and new life, the smile on his face as if frozen in a rictus of death. Anyone who would have seen him like this would at least have sensed a strong inner feeling or notion of future misfortune.


Become acquainted and let it accommodate you…


He turned around and with a slit-eyed expression took a seat. The smokey fingers hurled once in excitement before they were retracted towards the throne where they wrapped themselves around his wrists and fingers, caressing his skin sensually.


Now… invite me…


The only thing changing in his stance was his head leaning a little to the left. But on his inside more things happened. A presence, familiar to him, seeped through his skin and poured itself into his being. His lips parted slightly as he gave a sigh of deep contentment, like when sexually aroused but without the expression of warmth and joy.


You feel it… the combined power…


It wasn’t a question, more a statement of the fact since the presence felt and sensed what he did. Nonetheless he provided an answer.
“Yes….”


Two red eyes, lighting up in a dark corner of the place, preceded the coming of a woman. Not just any woman, but a stunningly, beautiful and attractive... demoness, a succubus. Where he only had looked evil, she simply oozed it. One who preys, leeches on and devours mortal souls, especially men’s, only to leave just an empty shell behind.

He watched the woman originating from the fiery, eternal depths of hell and who now had adopted her human-like form for this special occasion. Her body seemed to crave sex as perfect shapes and curves coated by clothes that didn't leave nearly enough to the imagination swayed alluringly while she moved towards him.

Except for that vague cold smile, he watched her arrival expressionlessly. As if her appearance couldn’t touch him.


She stopped right in front of him and inclined her head some,” Excellent. The throne of your father and all the ancestors who preceded him is now... yours.”

He inclined his head a little in return. Was that gratitude?

“And now it’s time for your final gift. One that will enkindle the heritage slumbering in your blood.” She placed her delicate hands over his before leaning in. She closed her eyes and her glossy, voluptuous lips approached his face. “Close your eyes, my handsome…” she whispered.


You know why I’ll never betray you...


He had turned his hands to grab hers and now the smile on his face widened by less than half an inch as he did what she requested.

A pair of warm, moist lips was pressed on his forehead while her nails pierced his wrists till he bled. He did the same to her and soon their blood got mixed and united as they brushed over each others wrists.

She broke the kiss on his forehead and withdrew her head before observing the wounds.

He turned his gaze to the blood as well and both witnessed how their skin closed itself rapidly and within a few seconds eyed flawlessly again.

Then she looked up at him and watched how his facial features started to change before his entire face slightly transformed. His jawline and chin became a bit sharper and while his skin turned otherworldly beautiful, giving him a slight feminine look, his nails grew into cruel, razor sharp yet elegant claws. Blood started to fill his sclerae, and this time his smile turned diabolic when he sensed awakening powers coursing through him.


The woman patted his hand,”That’s it… good boy.”


He looked up at her,” Thank you…, Grandmother…”

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She looked at the man who has been under a demonic covenant even before birth and who was her very own Offspring. No… not just her Offspring but also her creation -and- the result of what she once had with the one man she spared in her entire existance, now so many generations ago. Only one man had been found worthy to enter into relation with her. Not that it had lasted long since the life of a mortal was over in a heartbeat compared to her own lifespan. Nonetheless she had enjoyed him and allowed his seed taking root deep within her demonic uterus.

With the tip of her tongue she wettened her lips as she noticed a certain resemblance to her late lover. If she wouldn’t have known who this young man was, if she wouldn’t have nurtured him and secretly raised him to what he had become this very day… she would have lured him to her bed instead of all the others. But no, he was Offspring, the second male in five generations and way smarter than his retarded father. One thing that man had done well though… he begot the wonderful Offspring sitting right in front of her. And he deserved her attention, in every meaning of the word.

She smiled somewhat proudly as she noticed his eyes lighting up. He, had even seen her in all her glory and he was now able to behold her without batting an eye. She had made sure his body was hardened, swift and agile. She had kneaded his brain and ladled her own views, beliefs and attitudes into his mind. And finally, she had sculpted his soul until his immaterial entity, his essence was as close to demonic as she could wish.

He would have no problems resisting temptations, especially the ones leading him to his doom. Additionally, any girl would find her attempts to melt his heart without result. She shrugged a bit, not that she really minded but she would be somewhat jealous as she simply couldn’t have him. That was the only rule she held herself to. Protect Offspring, don’t breed with it. Though, the least she’d expect is being able to watch when one day his path crossed with his destiny. Just like she once did. Perhaps a prospect that didn’t look that bad after all. She would love to watch but in particular it would be guarding. She could sense her tongue exploring her own mouth, looking for a absent taste.
Bah… soon she would have to ‘feed’ again…



He looked up at the being who had been in charge for his upbringing and who made sure he one day would reach his full potential. She had mentored him and led him through a wide range of educational experiences. She had shown him how to pulverize a life, whether that was by force or deception and even used certain methods upon him. Other kids would have hated her as torture and likewise trials had never been far around the corner whenever he forgot a part of her lessons. But he was a quick learner, especially with the rewards in place when he transcended her expectations totally.

His cold smile widened a little. The number of rewards had exceeded the sanctions by far and he loved it each time he saw that proud expression in her eyes,... just like the one now. She was and always would be the only creature he would remain loyal to. She had been cruel to him, most certainly. But at least she had made him see where he was heading and what he would be capable off.

His hands dropped over the sides of the armrests as he relaxed and allowed the ancient entity to settle within, to entwine with his own being. Black magic some called it, or a bending of the Weave for ‘deviating personal purposes'. That was taking moonshine for sunlight of course. His type of magic was just different from others and with the appropriate rites could reign supreme. However. Although he would share and practice the craft with a few select others, he would preserve and champion some of the mysteries he had unlocked.

Next to his body, his very core started to fill with energy now. Energy which later on would help him to fuel those rites. Soon the connection would be firmly made and not even death itself would manage to disrupt this pact. The ritual performed had now also awakened the incubus within him and only now he could fully comprehend why he once had to pass certain trials. For instance, watching the succubus in front of him while she became physical with several men without… without being allowed to do anything himself. How well he remembered that first time and how she punished him by presenting a girl he wasn’t allow to touch. His rewards however had been of a whole different nature and afterwards he had been allowed to pleasure himself if he liked to. Under strict supervision,... of course...

Many and likewise lessons had deprived him of all sensations until he had the feeling he grew numb to physical temptations. But it wasn’t because he became indifferent to sex, he wouldn’t have it anymore. Just not because of a woman who desired it.
Now however, he had become fully aware of the nature of his demonic blood coursing through his veins and understood if he hadn’t been… ‘educated’, he probably would have started to generate Offspring. Too much Offspring.
Undesirable Offspring…

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The demoness took a seat on the armrest of the throne, her curves and the rest of her body at a display due the sheer clothing she was wearing. What already could barely pass for a dress fell open as she laid her arm around him and she glanced to see if he peeked at her appearance.
Right now however he seemed engrossed in something again. The binding was close to completion. She closed her eyes and reached for the connection they had, the connection through the bond they just had established.
And there she sensed the surge of power he was garnering from her, he was sucking on her energy and she was giving it to him like she was breastfeeding him. She sensed how his body responded with a surge of heat and desire at the idea of feeling a perfect naked body beneath his. She sensed... if she hadn’t prepared him... how he would have been unable to quell the surge of lust now running through his veins…, and how he wouldn’t have been able to control the surge of adrenaline at the thought of merging his body with a female, including hers.
It was almost… animalistic.

One of her nails traced over his cheek. It made her feel adored and worshipped, yet she knew better. What he was still going through were the dormant instincts of the incubus being released within his blood and attempting to drive him up the wall. She was so proud of him as on the outside she couldn’t detect anything of the temptations being ‘proposed’ to him. The demoness licked her lips. He eyed delightful, a man with such power of controlling himself. Many females would fall for that. Oh, and he still would be lustful enough, but she would watch over that aspect as he was destined.
There also was something else in his mind, something she had already assumed it would be there, something even more dark than their bond. He was becoming powerful and even though she had had some mixed feelings about those ‘shadows’ before, she supported him but above all protected him.

Open your eyes, my handsome… you are near ready.

He did and he looked up at her, ignoring the female body so close next to his.

“There is one thing missing… one armrest remaining empty,” the demoness glanced over at the other side of the throne.

He did the same and when he looked back at her, he found her leaning towards him with a cleavage that simply couldn’t have been larger. But he ignored it. He ignored the sight of the body of the grandmother of his grandmother. He was totally in control over the incubus within him.
The young man offered her a crooked smile,” And that is…what?”

The succubus in human form took his head between her hands, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs before she replied softly,” A Queen…”



He closed his eyes as he felt her lips on his forehead again. A small time warp in his mind made him recall his old life. A life that actually would never fully fade since the memories from time to time fed his dreams and nightmares. And since they kept developing all the time, he assumed Lord Anshar (aka Coloth) had plans with him. Soon he would ask for an audience with the Council of the Black Sphere after his grandmother had finally supported him to do so.

He opened his eyes and studied the woman sitting next to him on his throne yet failed to see the old crone she once pretended to be, and who always had seemed around during his upbringing. To his fellow gypsies she had claimed to be some sort of an distant aunt, someone who had been concerned over a family member. A mentality highly approved by the gypsies…
And of course his father probably must have known about her and their heritage. But since he got himself killed before his son turned six, the knowledge about this heritage was something he learned later, much later.

And thus the ‘old aunt’ had taken over care. In the beginning it was making sure he was fed, and that he received proper training. At night she sat next to his bed, educating him discretely about some gods, and particularly about the two dream gods, Nanna-Sin and of course Anshar. He rather quickly developed a curiosity for the latter. Whether that had been mainly due her influence or just a his personal interest driving him was hard to say. He recalled telling her his dreams and nightmares which suggested him to try and do… ‘things’. And again his curiosity made him do some. Small stuff at the start… a weak smile… bigger things when he grew older.

The woman at his side never really had disapproved many things. On the contrary, she supported him back then by obscuring things as well as covering his rear end. Never really had he been caught whilst sometimes yielding to his darkest of dreams, or rather… Lord Anshar’s wishes.
Once there also had been a girl who did the same as his aunt. A girl who had been willing to take the fall for him on a certain occasion. Unfortunately with it their ways parted and that probably had been for the best. Still, a shame. He shrugged off the memory and her image. He would see her again more than enough in the dreams plaguing his nights.


“A Queen… someone…” he looked at the demoness pensively,”... someone who shall receive my seed.”

He saw how she shivered when he mentioned the sticky substance responsible for sexual reproduction, a source of life if you will.

She nodded slowly at him.

He offered her a crooked smile,” Psh… go on… let him enter. I’ll just… watch. Which isn’t… a sin.”

She chuckled softly and got up, her dress sliding off her shoulders and falling to the floor as she walked towards the altar before the throne. As she leaned on it, she peeked over her shoulder at her Offspring and noticed how he relaxed even further. The pact warded him and now also enabled him to protect his mind from too intrusive ‘callings’. Unlike his father, he wouldn't self-destruct...

She turned her head. On the other side of the throne room a door opened, and she perceived the silhouette of her prey. Her lips parted expectantly, her gaze now focused solely on the shape of the man entering her realm as her tongue swept gently across the soft fullness of her upper lip...

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(Written by B. and Admin)

Years later...

He was too aptly named. Eyes watched the male from the shadows as he held court in a tavern. The sinfully handsome male had a female on each arm and a few more waiting to take the others places. And they were no more than ornaments to him, baubles to distract as he did business. In the past year, this scene had played out numerous times a week. The small changes to his appearance had only made him more compelling, that dangerous aura he always cultivated had evolved to something so wicked that most females could not resist. He was a walking trap, a flower that was poisonous, a gem that would cut the fingers, an inviting pool of water that would drown any foolish enough to dive in for a swim.

Fingers caressed a blade as the prey was observed. His body was encased in suede and silk, his clothing almost too elegant for the tavern. His fingers were adorned with rings, rings that held secrets. A needle in one, poison in another, a sleeping powder in a third, a means to create smoke in another. A year of watching, waiting, learning his tricks and at times using them against him. The inky black hair had not changed, though his eyes now gleamed with garnet glints. A trick of the light perhaps, the blacks, reds and purples that he wore perhaps causing an illusion. His body had been honed, youthful lankiness replaced with whipcord muscles. His face was more sculpted, the high cheekbones giving him an elegant look, the lips holding a wicked promise, an almost cruel curve to them that spoke of danger.

He whispered in a female ear, her pouting lips making him smirk, his hand patting her rear as he dismissed her with an utter lack of regard for her feelings. Soon, he would pay for that and for every other time he had acted with no regard for the ones who worshiped him.


Tonight…

The unseen voice echoed in his mind, the warning given and heeded. His eyes swept the establishment, he could sense the eyes upon him, had sensed eyes upon him for almost a year now. Being watched was almost flattering...almost. The interference to his business was not. Nor were the subtle warnings found each time a mark was lost or a deal was broken. It was beginning to piss him off. This person was making him look bad and thus measures would have to be taken.

He had no idea who was behind the eyes, no idea what they wanted. Perhaps they were after his life, but if so then why hadn’t they struck yet? However, if he liked to kill someone, he would observe as well to make sure the hit would succeed. He would be unseen though, cruel and perfected. He would be masked by people so much that he looked one with the crowd and he would strike when they expected it the least. Very different from how this was going...

As his eyes swept the tavern for any showing undue interest, the one who watched from the shadows slipped out of the establishment. His schedule was set, he would soon return to his lovely abode. The lovely abode that had been vacated so that hired hands could clean. Hired hands that were well compensated to keep silent, and subtly threatened in such a way that the thought of stealing never entered their minds.

Night was falling and as the hired hands left, it was easy for the figure cloaked in black to slip inside unseen. The place was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult to judge distance but the figure’s steps were sure. Only the fireplace showed any illumination, creating dancing shadows that capered on the walls, sinister and silent sentinels as the intruder moved past the library and sitting room to the master’s own bedroom. A pause was taken, a blood red rose with numerous thorns dropped to the carpeted floor. A calling card of sorts. Years ago, he had favored wild flowers, heather that glowed lavender in the fields, wild violets that gleamed purple in the sun, tiny blue and white forget-me-nots gathered in careless hands and offered without a thought. But the roses were far more elegant and far more suited to his new life. And they came with pain.

His monstrosity of a bed dominated the room, the carved posts hung with silks the color of midnight. A bed too large for a solitary man, yet no one was ever invited to share this haven. Just a hint of the red satin bedding gleamed from the scant moonlight that intruded from the curtained windows. The figure took place concealed by the bed curtains. It would now be a waiting game, as all hunts eventually became.


Sin walked home alone as was his habit, fawning females having been dismissed with a wave of his hand or a slap to the rear. Even if his sense of self preservation had not been sending warning, the male allowed very few into his lair. While his gait appeared casual and unsuspecting, he was unnaturally alert. His body poised and waiting, the culmination of a year of games and annoyances unfolding. He was a male who did not like uncertainty, yet, he could not deny that this had allevated the boredom that had been starting to plague him.

Tonight, the little hunter should become your prey...unless of course, you fail.

The mocking voice that spoke in his mind was more than enough warning. Failure was never an option. His hand twisted the handle to his front door and his eyes adjusted to the darkness, gleaming a more sinister garnet. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so far, yet his pulse quickened with danger and anticipation.

Something once lost, shall soon be found...but I wonder if you are ready...because if you are not…

The warning was delivered in a laughing feminine taunt that had him gritting his teeth. A slow walk led him to his own chambers, the rose laying there in the doorway, taunting him. All year he had found them, at a business deal that went sour, at an ambush that cost him men or money, at a failed attempt of seduction where his prey became aware that he was not after pleasure but information. He picked up the rose, the thorn unable to pierce the leather of his glove, the very flower seeming to taunt him until he crushed it, the red petals falling like blood tears at his feet. In his own home...it was an insult not to be born.

He strode into his lair, his domain, all senses on alert yet his stance deceptively casual. Gloves were stripped from elegant fingers and carelessly tossed on a table. A suede coat was shrugged off and slung upon a chair that sat before a banked fireplace. A silk shirt was tugged out of breeches and unlaced to frame a lightly muscled chest that gleamed like pearls in the scant light.

In the shadows a hand gripped a blade that gleamed silver. Why did he not light a candle or the fireplace? Why was he being so casual? Did he not find the rose? Why was he not acting as he should? The male was utterly infuriating. This was the right time. It had been foretold, it was fated.

The shadow moved through the darkness poised to strike and realized too late the trap.

His hand closed over the wrist wielding the blade and he turned them both. In an instant he knew the blade was wielded by a female, the slender wrist delicate beneath his crushing fingers. His superior weight danced them around until the smaller form smashed against the dresser, his legs imprisoning hers in such a way that she could not kick free. The hand with the knife was painfully twisted behind her back, the fingers too quickly growing numb. The knife clattered to the dresser as his free hand tangled in hair that now hung free, the black cloth that covered it now hanging from her shoulders. Her free arm was imprisoned against her own body by his hold, his body pressed hard against hers, trapping his would be assassin against the dresser.

One single arcane word had the candles flaring to life, the fireplace roaring with flames. Both of them drew in a breath, hers due to the sudden light, and his due to the sight before his eyes.

The long chocolate colored hair had been cut so that it kissed her face and shoulders, the candlelight enough to reveal the streaks of copper and bronze. The once angelic face had become more sculpted, the high cheekbones and pointed chin becoming more pixish. Plump lips that always used to hold a friendly smile for him now were painted, the cherry red petals now forming a sultry pout that hit him like a punch to the gut.

But it was her eyes that captured him. The summer blue gaze that once looked upon him so warmly and so innocently now held a wintery chill coupled with a defiant gleam that awakened long dormant needs. He knew her, she had haunted his dreams. The one pure thing that he had known, the only good thing he never wished to tarnish. The only thing he had ever denied himself. Her name on his lips was almost a groan. “Renee….”

Whatever he would have said was lost as he heard a voice that had lost the sweetness of childhood and instead hit his senses like a shot of brandy. “I am surprised you even remembered my name, not that it will change a damn thing.” Her teeth were bared like a wild animal’s and she bucked and twisted against him, showing a wiry strength that the pampered girl he remembered would have never been able to display.

It was weird. Upon seeing her he felt a wicked sting of need within him. A need of which he had grown convinced the flame had been extinguished, the wick of the desire turned fireproof, and the fuel for the passion incombustible. But by seeing this little angel again, one he first had searched for only then to give up… his soul, that is if he still had any, whistled in surprise. This was so -not- what he had expected.

His hand twisted in her hair, forcing her head back so that he could stare into her furious visage. Those eyes...the pale blue he last seen filled with heartbroken tears were now full of fury and danger that had his pulse quickening. Her pale delicate neck was exposed, her scent stealing up to invade his senses...orange blossoms once so sweet in the sunshine, now mixed with a spicy scent that called to mind exotic desert breezes and the danger of night.

Keeping hold of her wrist he flung her towards the bed in a move so sudden that she could not recover, the back of her knees striking the mattress. His body pressed her down into the pillowed surface, his hands quickly fastening one wrist with the ties of the curtains, paying no heed as her free hand raked nails down his face. That hand was twisted above her head and also fastened, his body now straddling her as her form bucked beneath him.

Crimson eyes moved over a body that had also changed with the years. His hands traveled over curves as he searched for weapons, pulling numerous blades from cunning hidden sheaths as she spit curses at him. The leather vest she wore was tightly cinched and he wondered if she bound her breasts though a small stiletto was withdrawn from her cleavage. He could span her waist with his two hands, but his eyes were drawn to the swell of her hips encased in black leather. Her stomach was leanly muscled, the physique of the pampered girl-child that he knew had been replaced by a body that had been forged into a weapon just as lethal as the blades he was finding.

His cruel mouth curved into a smirk as he reached behind him and tugged off her boots, the heeled shoes weapons themselves. He was not disappointed when two more blades were revealed. He let his weight rest on her upper thighs as he straddled her, gazing down at her as if evaluating each and every change.

Her breathing was ragged, causing her chest to rise and fall. With her wrists tied above her head, all she could do was buck and squirm, her hair now tangled around her face and flowing over the claret colored silk. Her lush lips were parted, her eyes showing both fury and fear. Heat and desire stirred within him, a need that brought the incubus blood in him to the fore. The dominant beast within wished to conquer, the seducer wished to feel her surrender, and the collector...just wished to possess.

His head descended and he finally gave in to his only temptation. His lips brushed hers and her teeth fastened on flesh, drawing blood as he felt the sting. Rage and lust seemed to hang in the air like a heavy cloud, the kiss at once going from a careful brush to something hard and punishing. His mouth crushed her lips, her own blood suddenly mingling with his. A jolt passed through them both as the crimson drops melded. What was to be just a simple kiss quickly had become something dangerous that spun quickly out of their control. He was thrilled however by how this was going, their tongues as if there were used as an extension for some personal duel. Hers to fence off his and prevent him from intruding, his to dominate and by it win terrain.


Fiendish words came unbidden to his lips spoken within the kiss, words that would bind her to him as the magic swirled around him. His head was spinning, his body compelled to act almost without reason as fates entwined. He looked down at her face, into eyes that were now dazed and stunned. Her lips were swollen from his kiss and as he watched, her tongue traced over them as if savoring his taste.
Then that damned voice spoke in his head.

Bring her to me.

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(Written by B. and Admin

For one brief moment, he thought to resist that call. But again, his body seemed beyond his control. The bonds holding her wrists to the headboard were snapped and she was slung over his shoulder, his arm a steal band around her legs to keep her from kicking. Yet, all the fight seemed to have gone out of her.

One hand pushed the lever to reveal the hidden door, his boots seeming to echo upon stone. As they passed, candelabras flared to life, illuminating the darkness and causing shadows to swirl. He could feel Renee now trembling and he could not blame her one bit. The smokey tendrils reached out for them, caressing the both of them, the cold stealing her breath.

His benefactor stood near an alter and swept an elegant hand in invitation. Renee found herself dumped upon her knees before the cold smooth stone, her bound wrists grabbed and held by the hand of the succubus. Her eyes widened as the sensual creature gave her a very chilling smile. No wonder he had no need for females. Defeat tasted bitter on her tongue, her eyes going defiant as the creature smiled so smugly. Sin watched as his grandmother swept the girl’s hair to the side, revealing the nape of her neck, then reached for an ornamental blade and handed it to him.

“You have a choice...choose wisely.”

He stared at the girl who had haunted his dreams for years, the innocent girl who had grown into a jaded woman who wanted to destroy him. He could still taste her on his lips, could still feel her beneath him, her scent surrounding him. She was a danger to him, he should slit her throat and be done with it. A cold rationality took hold of him.

Her eyes became ice shards as she saw the blade in his hand. “So help me, I will haunt your sorry arse until the day you die.”

“I know..” His voice was like soft velvet caressing her as she felt the bite of the blade.

Three delicate symbols were carved into the back of her neck, the blood welling as she felt the sting of the blade. The male and the succubus both stared at the markings, his name carved upon her skin. Then the succubus held out her hand, and Sin sliced into her palm. Her bleeding hand was placed upon the girl’s wounds, Renee’s body convulsing as their blood mingled and the power slammed into her, flooding her senses as both pain and pleasure ripped through her.

His ancestor watched as the girl writhed on the floor, a coldly satisfied smirk on her face. The wounds had already healed, the glyphs stained blood red upon pale flesh.‘“I did promise you great rewards if you served me well, claim your prize...the one thing you denied yourself, I give you as a gift. A pet assassin, a companion...a bed warmer, tied to you in such as way that only death will break.”

And thus, the years of waiting were rewarded.


When he reclaimed his own senses, his arms closed protectively around his limp prize. She was still breathing, her heart slowing to regular beats. He looked up at his grandmother and arched a brow.

The succubus shrugged. “Your choice, she is bound to you...and through you to me. Any fate you suffer, so shall she. If you are poisoned, she will suffer your death. If you are stabbed, she will feel the pain...shall you die, she will pass before you. And...by claiming her, the descendant of your great great grandfather’s greatest enemy will one day bear a child of my blood.” Her laughter was triumphant as decades of revenge came to fruition.

Sin, all sweaty got up from Renee’s practically unconscious body and didn’t seem in the least embarrassed over what was at a display. After all, this wasn’t the first time she saw him like this. “You never told me that her blood once crossed with ours, and certainly not that hers killed ours.” Sin looked over his shoulder at the girl who was curling up like a satisfied cat before looking at the succubus again.

“You won’t kill her, or you die yourself.”

“Heh, forget it. And certainly not after this.”

“Good, since you will produce our Offspring with this girl.”

His eyes narrowed a little,” You also knew she was the one behind the roses.”

“Yes…,” the succubus stepped forward, smirking a little as she glanced at him,”... and I never would have let her harm you. And now my handsome grandson, I’ll watch over you both….” Her own sinful lips twitched over something she seemed to be enjoying a lot. Then she added,”...everywhere.”

Sin shrugged,” I don’t mind.”

The demoness peeked over his shoulder at the practically unconscious girl and with a mischievous grin added,” Either you underestimate your own skill and capabilities… or she is gonna have to get used to you.”

He turned around and looked at her before he walked over and picked her up more gentle than he did the last time. Down here in this dungeon he also had a bed and he was planning on using it… with all facilities surrounding it.

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That same night he didn’t claim her a second time and even though he felt an urge for more, he simply resisted the physical need. However, as soon as he fell asleep while pressing himself against her, the dreams came and were quickly replaced with nightmares. If he wanted, he was able to turn off his emotions in these too, but realised he would be just as always forced to watch...


It all started with growling, dark clouds gathering before his mind’s eye, and which made the ‘world’ feel small around him as they came down. Then the wind picked up, first as a cold breeze kissing and licking the skin of his bare body but soon turning into more powerful gusts blowing in his medium-length hair. A well of anxiety loomed in these dark surroundings.
That is… if one feared what was about to come.

The temperature dropped even further until the cold seemed to envelop his body like a blanket of fine, stinging needles and turning his blood to icy sludge. Yet he didn’t shiver, his teeth didn’t chatter and his muscles weren’t clenched tight against the freezing cold. On the contrary. If there had been any tangible sound possible here and with this cold gnawing at his insides like a hungry rat, he would have expressed a moan of pain and pleasure.

Grim clouds started drifting by faster and faster. In a far distance he perceived a bright orange light that seemed to come from hell’s keep itself, it’s glow shining through the flimsy, hazy curtain. The ostensibly emotionless man who had been ‘here’ countless times just watched the scene. Like he was standing on the foredeck of a ship sailing through a shadowy darkness unnatural to the normal world while speeding up immeasurably.


Suddenly it all stopped as he reached the end of his ‘trip’. He was beholding an enormous, swirling pillar of clouds in which a force of suction seemed to operate. It was ten times as big as a tornado yet extremely twisted and bizarre. A colossal nebula of smoke and congealed hate if you will. The gigantic column was surrounded with an tempestuous ocean of rippling violet terrorised by flashes of black lightning. The incredible shaft rising up to the endless sky, incorporated a core of orange light he had seen earlier but which this close appeared more radiant… and alive.

The ‘Vortex’ he would never really understand. But when he aligned his thoughts with what he considered was a vibration of his being, perhaps even his soul, he was able to focus his mind upon it and in a way able to communicate with the slowly swirling mass rotating in a clockwise direction.


My Lord…


The whirling mass froze in position and an orange orb emerged from the belly of the smoothly flowing gasses.

He bowed his head somewhat and then looked up at the approaching orb.


What is it you wish me to see, my Lord?


The orb containing the nightmares or rather,... Lord Anshar’s demands, unfolded itself to a flat rectangle until it formed some sort of a window.

Pictures flashed rapidly, the destruction of certain established values the main feature. Suddenly the images froze and he was able to perceive a woman standing with her back towards him. She looked over her shoulder at him with a piercing gaze cold as ice, and he recognized her immediately. It was Renee and by the looks of it she was naked. The window zoomed out a little and as the woman turned around, Sin saw how her hands and lower arms were coated in a dark crimson liquid. Like she had been burying them deep within a body to rip out its entrails. As the perspective changed again, a scene of unimaginable cruelty and death was shown. A scene which would make any sane person scream and take off. Bodies of which the lives had been brutally ended in the most unthinkable ways were scattered all around her. And not just three or four, but dozens and all butchered like as if some animal had been at work.

He frowned slightly. Was this her doing? Or was this what…

Then he understood and bowed his head once more.


As my Lord desires.


The window disappeared and the Vortex started to swirl again, only this time counterclockwise…


His eyes opened slowly. His body had curled around hers in sleep, his arm draped around her as if anchoring her at his side. In repose her face was angelic at first, peaceful and almost innocent as she dreamed. But then it changed subtly. The innocence becoming wicked enjoyment, a subtle parting of her lips that became sensual, the cadence of her breathing changing.

His arm pulled her even closer into the cage of his body, his face burying in her hair as he inhaled deeply. A long dorment emotion suffused his senses and for the first time in years he knew true contentment.

[Admin]

(Written by B.)


One night and everything had changed. She followed him through the underbelly of the city, sewers, back alleys, hidden lairs. They fought side by side, his expression becoming very thoughtful and impressed when he saw her skill with traps and locks and the quick, efficient way that she killed. They did not yet speak of the night before, or the sensual way he woke her and fed her a meal from his own hand. In fact, outside of his home, he treated her almost coldly.

It was as they battled the kalem that his coldness started to spark her anger, and it was there, during a fight when a burst of magic ignited from her hands to strike the one she was fighting. Sin watched her, a hint of a amusement in his features as she looked at her own hands in near horror.

“What the hells have you done to me?”

His laughter made her grit her teeth. “Made you mine.”

He refused to discuss this more as they made quick work of the thieves and got paid.

For hours they worked various jobs together. She saw his skill with magic, he watched her dance around using both blade and bow to dispatch marks. At times, he dared to tease her. Other times, he assured her that the strange power she was now channeling would be explained. Questions remained, questions she refused to ask, questions that he may not wish to know the answers to, but finally as they took on a retrieval job for a local farmer, it all came to a head.

He learned that she was jealous still, she learned that he was not as much of a womanizer as she believed. He played a role and refused to give that role up. She had developed a prickly sense of pride and placed up walls to keep people from getting too close. She would not be dictated to or meekly surrender to his whims, she was no longer the sweet adoring girl he once knew. The past was brought up, his betrayal, her sacrifice. She revealed she had killed some of the women in his past, women who would have seen him harmed in some way. He learned how deep her hate went and how the young girl he lost used her hate to survive and thrive. Even killing some of his enemies out of spite because he was hers to torment.

And still they both carefully danced around the mutual need that they shared. He brought her home, this time willingly. The creature who had pacted with her was revealed as his grandmother, the succubus seeming more than pleased at what was happening between them.

It was then that the true nature of the bond was revealed, and it was then that they both faced facts. He had hurt her, but he had searched for her. She had wanted to hurt him, yet she refused to let another bring him harm.

“You know nothing...you see but you do not see…”

The words were true for them both, they would have to learn each other all over again. Bonded and pacted, she was his and he was hers. It was unforeseen by them and a lot to get used to. The dangerous side to her seemed to intrigue him and he hinted at things he wished to show her in time. Power thrummed between them, so new for her, so different. He spoke of fate, of destiny. She could not deny undeniable attraction he held for her or the dreams that they seemed to have shared. In the end, only one question truly remained.

“How will we make this work?”

“I have not figured that out yet…but I am not letting you go.”

The words both excited and terrified her.

[Admin]

(Written by Admin)


One night he took her out...

“Where we be going”, she had asked. Just in order to get dressed properly.

“To the theatre and meeting some friends at a party”, his reply came. He also suggested her to put on her most sexy outfit.

So she got dressed to kill...the dress she wore was made of Cuhannan silk. It draped her body closely, cut so that her arms and back were left bare. She had started favoring red, but tonight the silks were of lustrous black, only small hints of red in the embroidery. The silks were so sheer that though they cloaked her body, in certain light one could just make out the creamy skin concealed. The dress became a game of hide and seek, revealing and then concealing.

Her hair she pinned up, piling the mass in careful dissary. She left long curls to dangle, calling attention to the nape of her neck and the pale satiny shoulders on display. A jeweled belt was cinched beneath her breasts, glints of garnets flashing in contrast to the black silk. It was a dress that was cunning in its simplicity, highlighting the body it adorned. Arm bands incircled her biceps and her wrists, and a delicate chain flashed at her ankle when she walked.

Only Sin would be aware that piled within her long tresses was a long thin blade, hidden within the belt was a strange needle-like weapon, that the jewelery could become spiked and that if all else failed, her belt itself could become a whip like weapon.



That evening two cloaked figures passed the gate north of Cear and crossed the farmlands where the shallow mist started to thicken into a dense, impenetrable fog. For a while it looked as if they were going to get lost but Sin flawlessly and without hesitation seemed to follow a certain direction. Like something was beckoning him…

Half an hour later the heavy fog started to dissipate and turned into a simple mist again allowing a minimum of horizontal visibility. The contours of what appeared to be a farm emerged from the silky, hazy clouds. They had reached their destination.

Sin took out a key and opened the sturdy, wooden front door, motioning her to enter the place, the fumes of a wood fire welcoming them. It was quiet inside the rather dark farm and it looked as if the residents were sleeping deeply since no one showed up. A low glowing fireplace was sending a minimum of warmth into the room. Pots and pans, some of iron and others of copper, hung from the rafters. The fireplace was surrounded with solid oak and some painted family portrait stood on top of it. The flames crackled softly and as Renee looked around all she could perceive made her think they were in some ordinary farm.

“Theatre?”

The hooded man dressed in fashionable, dark red clothes making him look attractive, relaxed and confident, simply nodded. He mumbled a few occultic words which sended weird, tingling sensations along her spine and made her being vibrate intensly. For a moment she could sense his life energy permeating every form and shape in the room, including her own. Without even have laid a finger on her she noticed he had her sexually heated. The atmosphere was loaded with a strange energy and which seemed to be the cause of her unusual physical sensations.
Was this due the bond?

But before she could say anything out of the energy a portal materialized in the shape of a yellow-red disk. It flashed a couple of times on and off in the middle of the room and ended her very pleasurable experience. He glanced at her and smirked a bit,... knowing.
He got behind her and whispered near her ear,” Don’t worry, and there is a lot more to come.” His hands caressed her lower belly before he motioned her to step in the portal.



On the other side the first thing her senses picked up was music, laughter and voices just before her visual turned normal again. But this wasn’t some ordinary party…

It seemed she ended up underground and in the room in which she had arrived some orgy seemed to be taking place. And by the looks of it, it was far from ‘just erotic’ and sweet, but rather greedy and almost desperate… as if the ones present tried to achieve or prove something.
The moment she entered and realised where she was, she could sense how men turned a moment from their women to stare at her with lust, their gazes stripping her of her sexy garment. There was a vague scent of flowers filling the room but that was greatly overpowered by the smell of sex, of testosterone brought to boil by her appearance. But though they would long to taste her curves and feel her underneath their thrusting hips... none would dare to touch her. Cause a few seconds after her, Sin appeared.

The men realised quickly he was the only one whose fingers would drag the fabric from her bosom while his lips stirred her sensual skin. As they quickly turned back to their own preys, she turned to look at him, questioning.

He managed a twisted smile and shrugged,” Next room I guess.”



As they left the room and moved through a long, shady, subterranean corridor filled with shadowy and whispering figures, they could hear how the music increased gradually in loudness. There were many openings left and right where once doors used to be . Now it looked like they removed them all as if they didn’t needed any privacy at all around here.

A sinister looking group of colorful dressed men clearly experimenting with some intoxicating stuff in a room on the left. A tanned, naked girl wearing some sort of a collar and shackles attached with chains to the wall, being punished by a man displaying a perverse behaviour in a room on the right. And in another room, two nearly naked men were fighting to the death for the pleasure of well dressed ‘ladies’ who were betting on the outcome and calling for more blood.

When they looked into the next room, Sin motioned her to stop and watch. A fluorescent substance against the wall seemed to produce a red dim light plunging the room in a mysterious twilight. At first sight, nothing special was going on in here.
A man sitting on a long couch was bending over a girl on his lap. It looked as if they were just making out. They couldn’t see their faces as they were covered by the male’s long hair, but at some point her feet and her legs started to tremble vigorously and dangerously until she was shaking over her entire body. She jolted and seemed to experience an intense tremor for a moment due the kiss or whatever it was.

At some point her body spasmed hard, cries of inexplicable joy escaping from her lips and betraying a pleasure beyond description. This man had to be an expert and Renee glanced at Sin before looking back at the scene.
Suddenly the female’s body seemed to stiffen for a short moment, before going fully limp. Renee saw how the male slowly lifted up his head and away from the female to look at her. Now Renee could perceive the female’s eyes had turned glassy and when she looked at the male she saw blood steadily dripping from his chin and creating a small pool of crimson on the girl’s belly. A pair of intense, violet eyes looked questioning at her but Sin next to her shook his head.

“Don’t even think about it.” He wrapped his arm around Renee and they continued their journey through the dark corridor towards the music. He whispered softly next to her.

“What you see here is the chaos that can be sown in Lord Anshar’s name . The ultimate act is total destruction of what one believes is good. That girl you saw gave herself to the vampire and asked him to help her experience and realize her ultimate nightmare. The ones you saw in the first room were fighting what others consider to be moral standards. They betray their wives, their family and what is considered their honor in offering to Lord Anshar...”

They could hear people laughing and clapping in their hands. By the sounds of it the show had started and they were running late. Once again the music resumed and more and more people started clapping and whistling.

As soon as they cornered the wall to the final room, Renee could see they had really ended up in something that could pass for a theatre. Gentle flickering lights spread by candle chandeliers on the ceiling provided a minimum of light to find their seats. A few of the spectators had to get up in order to let them pass. Somewhere in the middle of the crowd they took place.
Renee looked around.The walls all around here were decorated with carpets diverse in style, rich in color and unfamiliar ornamental motifs were depicted on them. At one side a huge fire had been set up and was used to cook meat as a whole carcass, turning on a spit. Next to it large tables had been prepared for a meal later after the show. A composition of wines, fruit and various sweet pastries completed the wide range of food. It almost looked too normal compared to what she had seen in the corridor.

“...You see, here… it is important to keep feeding the nightmares…”

Renee turned her gaze a moment to him and then looked at the stage watching how figures had started playing a certain role. At first she wasn’t really paying attention as Sin next to her whispered a few other things. Suddenly she leaned a bit forward and focussed her gaze on the scene in front of them. She had noticed the actors were moving rather woodenly. But then... she perceived fine strings from above, attached to their wrists, elbows, head, knees and feet. By examining their eyes and skin Renee could tell the people on the stage were actually dead bodies. She blinked slow as it dawned on her what they were watching at. A life-size spectacle of marionettes performing a macabre puppet dance.

She looked at Sin.

He turned his head to face her and shrugged,” The final act.”

[Admin]

Sleeping naked as always but now with his entire body and face covered in sweat, Sin got up from the bed, for a moment ignoring the real blood on his hands and stretching the perfectly sculpted muscles of his swimmer’s body. He looked over his shoulder at his sleeping 'Queen', her marvelous shape barely covered by the sheets. Yet, it didn't beckon him.

No, instead he turned around and entered his secret realm behind the bookcases. Between the racks he continued his path to the throne room where he without hesitation sank down on his darksteel throne. His hot, wet skin got kissed by the cold, dark grey metal and boosted his blood circulation for a brief moment. He leaned back and slowly rubbed his forehead as if in an attempt to manipulate the mental representations of his earlier nightmare. Meanwhile he sensed how his being reconnected with his legacy and how his mind was put at ease.


"My lord,... what is it you wish me to see?" Sin mumbled the opening line he always used whenever he thought his god had reached out for him. Only now he wasn't dreaming and he didn't expect any answer either. At least not now...

The warlock devoted to the Lord of Nightmares, glanced around in the empty throne room, his little Underworld, his own dungeon in a relative darkness. Black stone walls absorbed a large proportion of the torch light flickering against them. Chains hung down from the walls, with hammered metal shackles unused on the floor. Grandmother didn't seem to be around as the ancient altar was empty and clean, and the ironwood chest filled with gold in offering to her seemed untouched.
Perhaps she was still downstairs.


The warlock leaned over the left armrest and reached out for a small bag. His hand took a little of the powdery substance it contained and without hesitation he snorted it into his nose, inhaling what seemed something like a drug in to his body.

He relaxed even further. Now with this product enabling him to relive his dreams he might be able to see it all over again. And this time he would focus on that face although it could be just a symbolic representation of anyone else, or anything else. Like an encrypted message from his Lord for instance, presented like this to him in order to grow.

For a moment the idea of another possibility arose. But it was highly unlikely as he was protected by his Own Blood and warded by the Craft granted through it. And... due his absolute dedication by Lord Anshar Himself,... who... without doubt wouldn't allow anyone else to mess with His committed Follower's dreams.

Sinclar leaned his head against the backrest of his throne and closed his eyes, waiting for his Lord to take him along once more… and to be able to watch his own death again.


----------


Days later Sin found himself on his throne again, this time with Renee at his side, sitting on the right arm rest with her scantily clad body at a display. Grandmother sat cross-legged on the altar right before him, her eyes locked on her Offspring.

She leaned her head a little to the left,”... I agree it could be some sort of trap, but if she wanted to kill you, or turn you in… I think she already would have by now. Are you sure it’s the same girl?”

Renee now also turned her head to look at Sin and saw he nodded.

Sin sideglanced and he just could sense the brief flare of cold hatred and burning jealousy again. He was almost convinced it was one of her nightmares, the idea of another girl after him. He almost snorted. Hells, there had been hundreds of girls after him and he had denied them all but a very select few.

A small smile of satisfaction crossed over his face as he recalled what he did to Renee a few days ago.


* * * * * * * * * *

As they entered the secret area, like a flash of lightning torches had bursted with a sudden and transient flood of flame and light before turning into something that looked like flickering embers painting the walls with mysterious, aureate hues.
Despite the fact she was here before, Renee had creeped in as silent as a cat in the night, careful, cautious but inevitably curious. The kitty didn’t panic however, not even when the “trap” behind her closed. Neither did she when he seduced her to lie on the rack and when she had sensed how three out of four limbs were fastened and thus immobilized with the use of cold iron. And she was blindfolded.

From that moment... she depended on him as he had turned her into a... submissive. On that moment he had owned her and he could have done with her whatever he desired for. Well, almost… since he had left one leg free, on purpose. When he secured her other ankle, he had told her she could push him away, or... do something else with it…
Then, he had moved away and his departure was swapped with a silence that seemed to last eternal. For a moment her surroundings must have reminded her of a neglected cemetery.

Suddenly a hand had touched her ankle and slid up under the fabric of her dress all the way to her knee. She had swallowed and asked with an uncertain voice,” Sin…?”

There was no reply, just a warm hand which had halted on her knee cap.

Probably frightened by the thought of a prison and someone else but him touching her caused goose bumps to rise all over her skin. “Sin?” she had called out.

He had perceived the slight physical sensation of fear when no response was given. The only thing she probably was able to hear was her own pulse beating in her ears as her heart started to race. He had witnessed how she held her breath for a moment and waited anxiously. All her senses seemed focussed on that single hand and he almost could hear her think.
Was it his? Or someone elses? But if so, no one else had access here but his Grandmother.
He watched her bit her lip. She could have sensed the hand was definitely male as the skin just was a little rough.

The game which followed next had been clearly meant to offer her an experience between nightmare and pleasure. Nightmare because someone else might have been touching her and pleasure if it was him indeed, turning her on in his own unique and wicked way.

“Wicked Sinclar…,” she had uttered softly yet still a little insecure…

* * * * * * * * * *


He smirked a bit by that memory but then turned his attention back on Renee and his Grandmother. Perhaps the girl who had shown up was indeed sent by his Lord. Perhaps he was indeed found worthy,... and being tested. If so, it could also mean something else.

How long had he not been waiting for the slightest sign from the Council of the Black Sphere? If he was finally fully… ‘inducted’, it wouldn’t matter anymore how fast light travelled in an attempt to remove the Darkness. People would stop seeking out monsters in dungeons the moment they realised the real monsters were actually among and inside them. But by then, it would be too late.
A crooked smile crossed over his face. After all, wasn’t it so that darkness always had beaten light simply because it was there first,... and waiting…?

He pictured a moment how he would look like when all the powers, abilities and skills were finally poored into one human form… his.

He wrapped his arm around Renee’s waist. But at the moment he could only guess. All he knew was that he had to find some Undead camp. He wondered what he was supposed to do once he found it... and what this mysterious ‘student’, the one they had seen before in the Collegium Arcanum and the one who had shown up in his nightmare was up to.

For the moment Aucklorn beckoned. And he wouldn’t go there without his her, his Queen… his… blade. Sinclar leaned to Renee and kissed her bare upper arm before looking up at her. It was almost a shame how this good and honest girl had turned into someone like this, largely through his actions. But he liked her even more the way she was now, by far. He pulled her on his lap.

Grandmother shifted on the altar...

[Admin]

(Written by B.)


The night was always where she felt most comfortable, the few hours of early morning just before dawn was when she did her best work. Now that the shadows had accepted her as one of their own, now that she had found what she lost, that relentless need to hunt had ebbed a little. The hunger was channeled into other directions, but a few times a week it would ride her hard and she would answer the call. The compulsion would become too hard to resist, a driving force that would cloud her mind until only blood would satisfy the whispering voices from the shadows. Sometimes he joined her, watching her as she worked. Other nights he had his own business to tend to and she would go out alone.

Some victims were toyed with. The ling for instance, rude and belligerent towards her betters, the shadows whispered that a lesson must be taught. A gloved hand tainted food stores with powerful hallucinogens , hidden within the shadows a hand shook the tent and whispered words playing on the female’s guilt and shame. Her time was not now, instead her night terrors would satisfy.

The shadows whispered that even such minor games would fulfill her duties, words that echoed what her mate had spoken of as well. But even the terror she could inspire was not enough some nights.

Other victims were simply dispatched. The voices in her head would claim a sleepy maid as she was headed to Empress Court and one rich household would be missing someone to dust their furniture or cook their breakfast. Or the voices would claim a drunken sailor and a ship’s crew would need a new deckhand. She struck from the shadows, her victims stunned and paralyzed with fear before hearing a sweet voice as the life ebbed from their bodies. “The Shadowlord thanks you for the gift of your life.”

What was never spoken of was how the faces of the victims would change as she claimed each prize. The sailor might become her father or the man-child who thought to claim her from Sin so many years ago. The maid might become her mother or the females of the clan who had made her childhood a living hell with their taunts. Faces of past victims who died for more personal reasons melded with current targets, new deaths aiding her in reliving the past and reaffirming new beliefs.

Each time her blade penetrated soft organs, she would feel power running through her. Each drop of blood that landed on her skin would send a shivering pleasure over her body. Until recently, nothing could compare to it. All had changed while still remaining much the same. Sin had opened her eyes to many pleasures and had gifted her with even more power. Power that she still did not understand and still could not always control.


A dog barked in the courtyard she passed and without a thought her hand opened and power flared through her. A yelp, a whine and the blessed silence was music to her ears and a child would awaken to a dead pet in the morning. She looked at her hands, perceiving a faint purple glow that ebbed as the animal took its last breath. The shadows laughed and capered near her, dancing in the cool breeze, caressing her as she made her way home to the sanctuary.

He awaited her as always, never asking what took her from him, but his eyes inspecting her for any wounds or injury. It was his hands that gently removed bloodstained leather from her body, his hands that would guide her into the waiting tub. The blood would be washed from her, his arms holding her as awareness slowly came back into the glacier blue eyes.

The world was full of nightmares, the lies told to children was that nightmares could not hurt you. Now, she knew. Some lucky chosen few became the nightmares and embraced the darkness inside of them. And some nightmares could indeed cause pain and suffering. She turned her head and kissed his lips. If she was ice, then he was heat, his fire enveloping her. But ice could burn too…

“All better?” Sin’s voice rasped in her ear.

“Much better.” He could hear the satisfaction in her voice, could feel the tension ebbing from her as they shared the bath.

His arms tightened around her, possessive and dominating. ‘If you run from me now, if you try to leave me...I will kill you.” His voice betrayed a bit more emotion than usual.

“Then do not do anything to make me run.” Her voice was teasing, yet he could perceive the truth beneath it. She did not fear death and indeed would run if circumstances forced it. Or she would kill them both without a single hesitation.

His hand tightened in her hair, her head pulled back to meet his gaze. “You now hold a power over me that no one else has...that I would allow no one else to have.”

He saw the small smirk and was not completely surprised by her retort. “You have held the same power over me since we were children…now you know how it feels…”

She could feel the puff of air from his lips as he smothered a laugh, just before he nipped her lip. “Now ask me how I feel about it…”

She just arched a brow in question, challenging him to answer.

“I love it.”

In that moment, all became clear. It was mutual, they fulfilled needs inside of each other. They challenged each other, made each other whole. Many had tried to keep them apart, yet somehow they still managed to be made whole. He was her gift from the Shadowlord, a dark demon sent to guide her and to keep her from becoming consumed by the shadows. She was his prize, his avenging angel bathed in blood, sent to fulfill his deepest wishes while anchoring him within the darkness.

“How many this time?” The question was asked as they rested in the large bed, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest. The sun was just beginning to rise, though the heavy curtains kept out most light. They were creatures of the dark, choosing to sleep away a good portion of the day.

“Six, four for pay, two for pleasure...and a dog. The dark one keeps me in business…he likes my...zeal.”

The peaceful morning was pierced by the wail of a small child and Renee closed her eyes, an angelic smile curving her lips. The neighbor brat just found his pet.

[Admin]

Sin got up from the kingsize bed, his thoughts keeping him far too occupied to catch any sleep. Images of recipes, drawings of complex joints and properties of alloys flashed in his mind during the day, but also in his dreams. He had to admit it…
As of late he had gotten far too obsessed with two things.


He left the dark dungeon and stepped into his workshop which bathed in a red dim light emanating from the forge. Metallic odors of by-products of metals reacting in different basins, some acrid and others sharp and tangy reached his nostrils.
His hand absently trailing over the hard wood of the first workbench the warlock couldn’t help but to recall the latest attempts of his experiments. He was so close to what he earlier had aimed to achieve in his contacts with the Ordo. But he probably still would need their knowledge.
It had to be something he must have overlooked, something he missed and which somehow had managed to swerve away from his unrestrained attention. Something that constantly had been slipping through his skillful fingers...

As if the science itself didn’t like to be discovered and just kept dodging this existence.


He gritted his teeth at the point where his mind started to distort his thoughts. In his imagination the cold, metal surface of the armour passing under his hand had been replaced with soft flesh. Curved metal turned into a line over a thigh towards a beautifully shaped buttocks. And the...
Sin withdrew his hand and shook his head as if in an attempt to stop the flow of incoming images caused by his other obsession. His whole being seemed to groan and suddenly he couldn’t think of anything else.

His mind couldn’t stop presenting other options of how he should use her body, one by one unique and different from things he already had performed. Yes, but that wasn’t love was it? This was using and taking and grabbing in the extreme, because normal people wouldn’t do the things he already had done to her.
A crooked smile appeared on his face. Then again, he wasn’t normal and he was far from done with experimenting.

He loved it to overhear how her breath became shallow gasps,... no matter what he did. He loved it when her hands reached out for him, touching his tightly corded arms, and searching for the dance of muscles along his back,... no matter what he did. And somehow nights just had become too short to do all he wished to achieve. During those times he just couldn’t restrain himself,... no matter what he did.

Thanks to Lord Anshar his imagination was immeasurable and inexhaustible. That also applied to the other things he did. His designs for instance...


And suddenly it was all gone. Not due years of training in ignoring these carnal temptations. Not due the fact he already had used the warm body waiting for him in the other room.

No, as he inhaled he could sense how a new flare of inspiration expanded and quickly turned into advanced ideas with state-of-the-art products as a result.
This could be the ace up his sleeve if these interviews with the Magisters threatened to fail…

A wicked, contented smile appeared on his face as he started to clean various parts and components laying on his workbench in some particular form.

As a designer you just had to dare…


Thank -you- for educating me, Grandmother. And thank You for guiding me and for keeping me a moment away from Your realm, Lord Anshar, so that I was able to get these ideas...

[Admin]

Sin trembled a bit. He had just finished copying the text of the pages he had seen in what appeared some necromantic tome. Sadly he would never have the full version as the book was now in the hands of the Magnus. Given the circumstances back then he had but no choice to return it. That Lightbringer really didn't allow a single piece of darkness to circle around freely, did she?
He grinned wickedly. At least he had learned quite easily what frightened her.

Paladin my butt ...

At the time of the attack on the docks and the discovery of the tome he had 'introduced' himself as Dennis and he had had no wish for them to learn that in reality he was Sinclar Mardröm, a starting member of the Ordo Magica. And he really wanted to keep it that, for now...
He flipped a few pages back, his fingers trailing down over a some lines. Under normal circumstances necromancy was not his thing but after seeing the tome and inspired by the body pieces being gathered back then at the temple of Rammam, he came to think of it this form of the Weave actually might help him reach his goal.
Well, only one way to find out.
With... practice.


Unclothed as usual Sin left his workshop and moved towards the dungeon below his mansion. He entered the throne room and with the passionless face of an executioner he looked at scene on the altar. Good, she was done with feeding... but, where was she?

The torches flickered against the walls as Sin entered and picked up the now abandoned shell they called a body from the altar and tossed it unmoved over his shoulder. It appeared still warm and the first symptoms of rigor mortis hadn't occured yet. When he turned to walk out he heard her voice.

"So... what is it you expect from me now?"

Sin looked over his free shoulder at his Grandmother who leaned back on his throne, nude. Her facial expression made him think of a cat who had just fed. But as she reclined further on his throne until she had to spread her legs and place her feet to prevent from sliding out, it looked as if she would never be satisfied. He had to admit it. Everytime he saw her he thought she was still amazingly attractive and couldn't imagine one man who would deny what she seemed to offer. A mistake of course, cause once they did...

He adjusted the weight he carried, lifeless arms dangled limp over his shoulder.

She licked her lips," Cause you now, as my Offspring I will grant you most of your wishes." She squeezed her inner thighs a moment together.

Sin smirked a bit," Fair enough. Anyways... I need a soul..." he patted the body he carried. "This guy's... think you can give it to me through some ritual?"

She narrowed her eyes and agile like some acrobat she jumped up from the throne. It was such a nice sight to see her like that. Not old, and everything still looking in peek physical condition.

"Oh, this better be good Sin. What will you offer me in return though, after you took my fuel?"

Sin leaned his head, watching how she approached him," As we speak my Renee is getting you another one."

"Mmmm.. I suppose I could without for a small moment." Her nails scratched over Sin's bare arm. She bumped him as she passed him, skin to skin. Then, show me what you are up to. Where do you need me?"

Goosebumps rose up all over his skin but the sensations he experienced were of no sexual origin.
Since, tonight he could perhaps have 'One' started.
"The workplace should be fine."


Moments later, when the dead body was in place on a table and covered by a weird layer of silkish material, they both heard the front door opening and closing...


Renee walked in, clad in all black leather, her curves on display along with a generous amount of cleavage. She smelled of wine and spice and she giggled in a way that Sin knew was contrived.
She led the blindfolded male into the room, spinned him about so he was dizzy. "I promised you one far more lovely than I...and one very...ahhh skilled and creative...."

The blindfold was tugged off as she moved to Grandmother's side and nuzzled the other woman's neck.
The 'offering'... was a young man, a sailor but one still wet behind the ears. Not innocent, but not jaded.

"All yours, sweet." She then stalked over to Sin and tugged his head down, giving him a sensual kiss, her hands wandering over his form, as the sailor blinked at his surprise.

He whispered against her ear," You did well, my love... and I promise you get a surprise tonight after all of this is over." He tugged on her clothing, indicating how he wished her around her. Her vest was opened further until her belly... He offered her a hungry kiss and with a hoarse voice whispered," Discard the pants but keep the boots..."

And as Sin deepened their kiss a moment, one eye looked over her shoulder to Grandmother who made 'acquaintance' with the sailor.
But she was just too sweet...

He narrowed his eyes and with his free hand he jerked the mysterious material from the dead body on the table.

Moments later, a scream erupting from the young sailor filled the room followed by his Grandmother saying in a stern and reproachful voice," Sin, was that really necessary...?"

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Tonight the stars in the sky were nonexistent and the Lady of the Night had to fight clouds stretched over the entire sky. As if someone -to their advantage- had made sure no light at all from above would reach the earth. There was no twilight, only a vast blackness that would provide any simple being -as there were only such to be found here in the farmlands near Tristan- a sense of claustrophobia. Any superstitious soul wouldn’t even dare to leave his home at this time of the night under these circumstances.
As if the world outside had turned into one hungry cavernous chamber...

All the better for the secret meeting taking place between the hills which were nothing more than a layer of poor soil over rock. Their slopes were clothed in scrubby grass which was too poor to even put flesh on a goat. Each of the attendees had found his way down here despite the lack of landmarks or even a mud trail. The surrounding atmosphere had turned several degrees cooler which each new arrival and if you listened carefully it was as if every form of life had been squeezed to death. Yes, almost a perfect and authentic graveyard silence. Every new arrival happened without a word or sound, the presence of dark deep hoods and the lack of light masking any expressions.


Sinclar nodded when the last shade mutely materialized in their midst. One of the others turned to him and broke the silence,” My… my, -Dennis-… this is an impressive gathering you have summoned here. What is it you need? Communication with a particular deceased, delving into old forgotten lore, employ certain mortal remains as a weapon, or…” the man threw back his hood, revealing a bald scalp and offering Sin an amused smile,” … or the resurrection of a loved one in the best way possible?”

The warlock glanced in the direction of the hill to his left. Out there his Shadow Blade was standing guard while overhearing every word. He cocked his head and turned back to the bald man,” Our own death is the last intimate thing we’ll do, and not one without the other.”

Somewhere in the darkness someone looked over at that, caressing the hilt of her blade, looking in his direction with that sexy, evil smile….

The bald necromancer he knew since childhood chuckled soft,” Your soul, if you have one left, has conceived such a wickedness that I would call it passionate evil.”

Sin shrugged,“ Heh… anything that gets my blood racing is probably worth doing. And if you don’t have talents you will just have to be curious enough.”

From the darkness a kiss was blown in his direction...

All the five men standing in a half circle around Sinclar chuckled now.

He just offered them a half smile,” Right, to business gentlemen. I happen to have copied a few pages from this book I’ve seen. I need some more insight on them for that little project I am working on…”

The bald necromancer arched a brow,” So you have not given up on the idea of it. Why don’t you just do like we do. It’s much easier and it comes without the difficulty of tossing a soul into it. What possible benefits could your way have over ours?”

Sin grinned some and had that wicked gleam in his eyes,” Among some... another way of eternal, indestructable passionate evil perhaps...?”

More chuckling rose up from between the hills...

TBC...

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