Shadow's Fall (exerpts) *Rated R*

[Rylias Shadow]

Shadow's Fall is an idea for a pre-qual to Valley of Slayers, and I've written a few scenes. This is the journal entries of the main character near the end of the story. She is the last one living of the original Guardians, and she had been captured by the demons. Rated R for content, graphic torture, swearing, rape, ect.


September 11th, 2012
I'm not sure why I'm writing this, I have no friends that might someday read this, my only family is in hiding as he should be, my every other comrade is dead; in fact I would hope no one would ever read this and see what these creatures are truly like. I think I write it for my own sanity. No, not sanity, I lost that long ago...keep me from giving them what they want. Something to perhaps keep track of my remaining days, and if they continue this way, there are not many left. They want to break me, I know. I know not why. I am the only Guardian left alive, I had no one to betray to them if I wanted to. Perhaps they want me to swear loyalty to them. I will die before that. They killed everyone I ever loved. And they will kill me.

I have never felt so helpless in my life. They have fitted me with a collar of sorts that block my powers. I have no hope of escape from here. I will die here. I have died here already, several times today. And I will die again and again each day until my heart finally stops. Their demonic magic knows no bounds. They showed me the deaths of my husband and comrades over and over again. I was forced to feel their pain in their final moments before the relief of death overtook the. But I was not granted the relief. After their hearts stopped, I still felt the agony.

Seeing them die the first time had broken my heart. To see it all again tore my soul from me. To feel what they felt on top of feeling my own pain over it almost did what they wanted it to do. I trembled at their feet sobbing but never begging them to end it. I know that's what they want from me. To hear me beg. If I must cry, I will...but I will never beg. I have no hope of escape from here, but there is something that gifts me with a slender fantasy, though no true hope.

It is a demon who stands beside The MorningStar as he tortures me. I know the creature; his name is Bartalbe. He fought against me and escaped, he captured me and brought me here. He watches with what appears to be a cold indifference. Is it a hint of something different in this creature as opposed to the others? For there are others there, watching as I am tortured. They do not stand beside their leader as Bartalbe does, but they laugh as I writhe in my torment, The MorningStar grins like the God damned Cheshire cat...but Bartalbe's face shows no pleasure at my pain. It is the only face that does not. Perhaps he has a heart somewhere in his reptilian chest?

September 12th, 2012
Today began much as yesterday did. I was shown again the deaths of the rest of the Guardians and of my beloved. I felt their agony deep in my bones and my wounded soul. I fought back the tears until The MorningStar thrust his sword into my back and through my chest, twisting it, tearing my heart, lungs and ribcage apart.

I welcomed my death secretly, but his magic kept me living with the excruciating pain. I cried again after that, no sobs but silent tears. As I embraced my death with the Demon King's sword impaling me, I met Bartalbe's eyes. I may have imagined it, but I might have seen a flicker of emotion in his pale green orbs. Not pleasure, not pity, perhaps curiosity...perhaps I am insane.

[Rylias Shadow]

September 13th, 2012

I tried to use my powers today, alone in my cell, despite the collar blocking them. I never thought I could experience more pain than the demons were giving me, but the effect of my power being smothered back into my own body was so intense that I actually blacked out from it. The MorningStar never allows me to black out in his “time” with me, and I haven't been sleeping well in this dank dark dungeon they keep me in, so the blackness was a welcomed sight. I have decided to continue trying to force my powers against this damned contraption. For one, I will grow used to the pain, making their torture a little more than fruitless. For two, I will get all the rest I haven't been getting, which will make me stronger. For three, perhaps if the magic is pushed enough, it will crack under the strain and the spell on the collar will shatter, setting my power free. I assume that was how the barrier was destroyed in the first place. I doubt this plan will actually work to completion, however, but if it will buy my at least a few more days alive, I will do it. I will die here. But I will not die here too soon. I will make these beasts work to destroy me.

September 14th, 2012

Due to the wounds left unhealed, the heat of this place, and the filth of the cell in which I'm kept, festering boils have sprung up all over my body. They make moving without screams impossible. I was drug to The MorningStar's chambers, unable to walk in my own power, and the tears had me before we ever arrived. I was laughed at for this, and as I was, I met Bartalbe's eyes again. There was no mistaking it today. There was indeed a spark of something there...curiosity? Empathy? I know not. The MorningStar conjured knives and slashed the boils open one by one. I let the screams out and he ordered me to beg him to kill me. I vomited at his feet, coughing out that I would never give him what he wanted from me. I know not why, but I met Bartalbe's eyes again. I saw his eyebrows lift a mere fraction. Did I shock or impress him? The pain was too much for me to continue taking, and I forced my powers against the collar, the wave of fresh pain sending my deep into unconsciousness. But their demonic magic knows no bounds. I was awakened far too soon, almost like a lover. The Demon King's clawed fingers on my chin, whispering me awake, forcing me to me the black of his eyes. He licked my cheek and growled unhappily.

“How foolish you are, human...did you really think you could escape your punishment?” He asked in a deep growl. I stared back into his eyes and spoke.

“I will resist you as long as I live.”

He was infuriated at my resistance. He beat me with his bare hands, never letting the blackness take hold of me again, even for an instant, and once I was deemed tormented enough for the day, returned to my cell. One more attempt at my powers, and with luck I will sleep through the night.

[Rylias Shadow]

September 15th, 2012

I managed to sleep through the whole night, but the pain in my body was still there when I awoke. I was drug again to The MorningStar's chambers, just as I had been every day so far. There was something different in the air today, however. Bartalbe was clearly on edge, and when I met his eyes, I saw sorrow within them. True sorrow...and it was for me. The MorningStar was smiling quite a bit deeper than usual this morning, and he stood to approach me as I was thrown to the stone floor.

“I have something special for you today. It will show you the true colors of your precious race.” He said, and pointed at a tall man who had entered the room from a door in the wall behind the King's throne.

The man had eyes as dark as The MorningStar, and they were sunken into his skull just a bit. He was taller than Bartalbe, but looked a bit on the scrawny side and he had a shaggy mop of unkempt black hair. The MorningStar knelt and whispered into my ear.

“He is even more human than you. He has power, but it is far less developed than yours, you see. This human man will obey my every command. Do you see now how much you have given to save your precious race? Do you see now that this is how they repay you? Now...what shall he do with you?”

I clenched my jaw, and ignored him. This human was no doubt insane, or a murderer. Nothing I had done was in vain, and I refused to let his lies poison me. It was then I heard Bartalbe speak for the first time since coming here.

“My Lord...you will not let Alric steal your joy from you, will you?” He endowed his eyes meeting mine with a softness I had yet to see there. It told me that he was trying to save me from this human called Alric...why would he be doing that? The MorningStar laughed sharply and spoke again.

“Alric will not do what I have not. He wont steal a thing from me, Bartalbe.” He said, but Bartalbe continued to look uneasy, something that had me worried at once. The MorningStar gave the human a small nod, and returned to his throne at the head of the room just as Alric began a slow stroll forward.

He moved with a grace I didn't often see, and he was singing softly in an almost soothing voice, though not as deep or melodic as Bartalbe's. I recognized the song at once, it was actually one of my favorites...strange.

“Would you love a monsterman? Could you understand beauty of the beast? I would do it all for you, would you do it all, do it all for me?” By the time he was done with his verse, he was on his knees before me, smirking deeply and trailing a finger down my cheek.

I stared back into his eyes and felt his power...it was stronger than I had thought. He would be quite a formidable foe. As I watched his eyes, my vision changed...I was suddenly standing over him as he cut and tore into a body curled at his feet. He moved to the side, and I saw who he was torturing was me. As I realized this, I felt the pain of the knives in my flesh almost twice, as if pain in both bodies registered in my one mind. I saw myself whimpering and crying at his feet and couldn't understand why I was experiencing this at all...this was impossible, which meant only one thing.

The man was a psychic, and he had trapped my mind in a trick. It was his power, it was only a vision, even though the pain felt very real. I had poorly developed psychic abilities of my own that I shouldn't have been able to use, considering the collar...but it seemed with the man called Alric actually within my head, I could battle his psychic power with my own. I broke the vision, my true sight returning, and glared into the blackness of his eyes as I shook and ground my teeth against the imagined agony. I would not scream...being in such close contact with his mind, I gathered just enough to know he wanted me to cry out from the pain he gave me, and Id be damned if I satisfied the monster. After a moment, the human realized that I had forced my way out of his fabricated reality, and his eyes widened before he chuckled darkly, flashing his teeth in a grin.

“Ahh, a fighter, this will be fun. May I play with her some more?” The human called Alric purred the last over his shoulder at The MorningStar. The beast narrowed his eyes at him.

“Define 'play'.” Was all he said. Alric returned his gaze to me with a horrible maniacal glint in his eyes. “Not on her.”

Alric pouted at once and a small demon was drug into the room. As Alric stood and approached his new prey, Bartalbe slipped behind me at presumably a silent command from The MorningStar. He knelt, his knees on either side of mine. His arms slipped under mine and his fingers interlaced with my hair, effectively trapping me.

“You must watch...” He whispered, and used his hands tangled in my hair to keep my eyes level with Alric. I watched as Alric stared hard into the demon's eyes, trapping him almost at once in some dreadful vision as he had done me. The demon began to scream and thrash upon the floor. I tried to turn away, but Bartalbe held me fast. It wasn't much longer before the nearly pitiful creature struggled to crawl to Alric's feet, while begging him to end his torment. To see him break a creature like a demon with such speed unnerved me, and I actually felt Bartalbe shiver against my form. Alric pulled a gleaming machete from seemingly nowhere, and with a quick slash, removed the beast's head. The MorningStar chuckled deeply.

“You have hidden your power from me, human! You will not fool me again. However, I will allow you time with her another day.” He growled. Alric strolled towards me with a pleasant gait, and as he passed the spot where Bartalbe and I still knelt, a red and silver flash streaked through the air. I hissed as the tip of his blood-soaked blade bit a thin line into the underside of my arm. He smirked and walked from the room, ignoring the king demon's deep irritated growl.

“Insolent fool, how dare he mark MY prize?! He will be punished! Bartalbe, return the wench to her cell!” He snarled, and the demon behind me wasted no time. He hauled me to my feet and lead me rather quickly to my dirty cell. I faced him once inside, and as he locked the barred door behind me, he met my eyes. The sorrow for me was evident there before he swept away without a word to me.

It has been hours since Bartalbe's departure, and Alric has appeared before my cell. He sits across from the door, whistling merrily as I write, as if guarding me. I know not why. I have no hope of escape from here. I will die here.

Another hour has passed, and still he sits and whistles. I cannot sleep with it. To think such a simple noise could break my bearing is ironic.

“Stop that.” I say. He smirks.

“Why? Don't like my music?” He asks.

“No.” I reply.

“Well, that's too bad...you see, it'll be the last music you ever get to hear.” He tells me. I do not reply to him, and he lets the silence permeate. After a time I begin to hear falling rain. I have not heard the pleasant sound in weeks. I close my eyes and enjoy it a long moment before a voice within my mind, a voice that is not mine, whispers to me.

You are underground.

I open my eyes. I am not hearing rain, I will never hear the rain fall again; I have fallen for another one of his tricks. I face him with a blank look...I wont let him know how it hurts.

“You miss it, don't you? The sound of rain, the sun's warmth, the kiss of the wind...” He speaks. In a flash, he's on his hands and knees, his face at my bars. “I get to enjoy them daily.” He hisses. I flinch at his words, and hate myself for it. I get an idea, meet his eyes and force a smile.

“I enjoyed them while I could, and I enjoyed them a free being. How irritating, how...humiliating must it be for a man like you; a slave to such a creature. One you could probably best.” I say, and hate myself a little less. He glares at me through the bars, a murderous intent in his eyes of black, and I have won tonight.

“I am no one's slave.” He growls, and sits silently against the far wall. I will force my power and sleep soundly, I hope.

[Rylias Shadow]

September 16th, 2012

I awoke the next morning to find myself almost completely healed. I examined myself surprised but not ready to complain. I could move in ease again. Alric was nowhere to be seen, not that I would complain about that either. All things considered, today has been one of the easiest days of torture I have yet to endure here. I walked into The MorningStar's chambers in no pain with a powerful stride.

I didn't know how or why I was in such great shape, but I enjoyed the feeling while I could, certain it wouldn't last. When we got into the room, I spotted Alric among the small audience of demons, and there was a strange feeling on the air. No one spoke as I stepped into the center of the room as I had been doing every day, expecting The MorningStar to step down from his throne and begin my torture. I took a soft breath, but the demon king didn't move, he simply stared down at me with a wicked grin.

Without warning, I felt claws shred my back and my clothes, the torn and bloody cloth falling from my form in tatters. I covered my exposed chest and tried to ignore the jeers and laughter that had erupted around me. So they would try this method, would they? The claws returned, slashing the jeans away and the flesh beneath them, and a sharp kick sent me to my hands and knees. I was invaded suddenly, a hand heavy with claws that were wet with my blood forcing my face into the cold stone floor.

I heard the laughter increase, the jeers becoming sexual and vile. My attacker withdrew himself from me, tossed me roughly onto my bleeding back, and thrust back into me. I closed my eyes with a cry of pain and suddenly felt familiar lips upon my own. I opened my eyes to see my late husband smiling down at me as he thrust into me.

“Miss me, baby?” He whispered, but before I could even think to reply, he had his hands around my neck, cutting off my airway. “No, you wouldn't, would you?!” He snarled. I coughed that he was wrong, tried to tell him I'd done everything I could as I fought to pry his hands from my throat. He shook me as he drove himself into me roughly.

“Lying bitch, that's all you ever did was lie to me, fuck around behind my back, and then you fucking murdered me?! I can't believe I thought I loved you...” I almost cried at his words, his violence, his cruelty. I hadn't murdered him, I'd tried to save him. Above me somewhere across the room, I heard Alric's voice.

“This won't work, you know.” He drawled. I blinked, then looked back up at “Bryan” to find that small details of his face were incorrect. I knew his face, and that wasn't his.

“You're not my husband.” I fought to say, and he slapped me hard, his guise falling to reveal a Hell demon above me, inside me, choking me. I heard The MorningStar snarl viciously at Alric.

“You idiot, you ruined it!” He yelled. I turned my head to try and see them, but my angle was such that I only saw Bartalbe. I didn't meet his eyes and listened to the conversation.

“Duh. She would have guessed it soon enough. She can fight her way through MY visions, and I am much better at them than any of you are.” Alric retorted, and I heard footsteps, indicating that he'd left the room after his announcement. Bartalbe spoke and I watched his face as he did.

“Perhaps the human is right...we have gone about this improperly.” His eyes dipped down to mine, and I saw a heat in them I'd seen in men before, but never in his eyes. I shivered at the sight, and even the furious snarl of The MorningStar couldn't break the gaze we held.

“This no longer amuses me...get the slut out of my sight!” He roared. The demon invading me finished within a few thrusts, grabbed me by the neck and proceeded to drag me back to my cell. Upon arriving, we came across Alric, sitting on a cot he had presumably set up himself, reading a leather bound book. I was tossed in roughly and left naked with the human male. I curled upon myself in the far corner, trying to cover what parts of me I could. After a few long moments, I decided speaking to him was probably the best way of get rid of him.

“What is that you're reading?” I asked with feigned interest. Alric blinked and spoke without looking up.

“ 'Through me you pass into the city of woe, through me you pass into eternal pain, through me among the people lost for aye. Justice the founder of my fabric moved, to rear me was the task of power divine, supremest wisdom, and primeval love, before me things create were none, save things eternal, and eternal I endure. All hope abandon ye who enter here'.” He closed the book after reading the passage I recognized. It was from my late husband's favorite book.

“La Divina Comedia.” I said softly. Alric smiled, set the book down and swept from the cell without another word. I moved to the cot at once and opened the book he'd left. On the inside cover was scrawled in my own hand a note to my beloved, telling him to enjoy his birthday and his new copy of Dante's Inferno. I cried then, cried for him and all we could have been, all we could have done, everything that was taken from us. I was drying my tears when I heard a sound outside my cell. I was surprised to see it was Bartalbe stepping up to the bars. He looked at me with eyes full of mixing emotions, and an almost playful smile upon his lips.

“You enjoyed today much more than you should have.” He said. I scowled.

“I did not enjoy it.” I snarled at him.

“I could smell your arousal earlier, see it in your eyes, and I smell the lies you tell me now. You should have tried to appear more tormented. With your less-than-hurt reaction, I do not believe they will “gift” you this again.” He told me rather calmly. I snarled at him for what he was insinuating, but I caught the message of his words.

“Why are you offering me 'helpful advice'? Aren't you one of them?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. He leaned his forehead against the bars and grasped them in his fists, his eyes locked on mine.

“Yes I am. But I am also swayed by strength. No one has ever suffered his torment for this long before. No one has gotten through Alric's visions before either.” Bartalbe explained.

“Is that right?” I replied snidely. He nodded.

“The strongest lasted a mere twenty-seven hours, thirty-five minutes and a few seconds.” He said. “Everyone Alric has ever trapped has died. It has been days for you, and yet you refuse to give in. You suffer so deeply, I see it when our eyes meet, you know death is your only way out, but you do not give into him. I have grown to admire you for it.” His deep melodic voice was softer than I'd ever heard it. He admired me, did he? Clearly. I watched his eyes drink in my naked form, and I began to growl at him. He closed his eyes at once, his face tinged a light pink in embarrassment.

“Forgive me.” He muttered, and waved a hand towards me. At once I was clothed in black slacks and a soft black silk blouse patterned with white Celtic wolves who appeared to be dancing. I examined the clothes and met his eyes seeing in them the light of the admiration he had spoken of.

“...Thank you, Bartalbe.” I said softly. He gave me a kind smile that brightened his eyes further. I glanced away, daring to speak my mind.

“If you admire my strength so, allow me my full power. Remove this collar, and I can overthrow The MorningStar.” I stated shamelessly. He turned his head to the ground, his shoulders dropping.

“I cannot. I have not your strength, and it shames me.” He whispered. I got to my feet, grasped the bars under his hands so we almost touched, and put my face a breath from his.

“You're a demon...your kind does not tolerate weakness. If your weakness shames you, change it. Please Bartalbe, I know you can be greater than a mere slave to The MorningStar.” I told him, and he snapped furious eyes to mine.

“If I could, I would. How dare you assume I have not tried to grow stronger to defeat him.” He snarled down at me. I lowered my eyes.

“I only meant, I...I'm sorry. You'd better go back before they find you down here.” I said, and turned to make my way back to the cot. I was stopped by his hand grasping my wrist, his demon strength making me gasp. I met his emerald eyes again, and saw the battle in them. The struggle between heeding my request, and tearing me apart for my insolence, between his growing admiration for me, and the hate he still no doubt held for my kind.

“I...I will try harder for you...Maria.” He breathed, slowly letting my hand slip from his, and he forced himself to leave without a backward glance; at least that I could see. I laid on the cot in the nice clothes he had conjured for me, wrote these events, and read some of Dante's Inferno before drifting off into sleep.

[Rylias Shadow]

September 17th, 2012

I was roused from my slumber the next morning by a demon I recognized as the one who'd raped me the day before. He stopped when he saw me clothed and laying on a cot. I ignored his fuming and got to my feet as he unlocked the door.

“What the—who the hell gave you that cot?! And where the hell did those clothes come from?!” He snarled, throwing the cell door open and yanking me out. I didn't respond to him, instead glared into his red eyes. Infuriated, he backhanded me without heed of his demonic strength, and easily shattered my jaw.

“Answer me!” He roared, shaking me as I cried out in pain, blood filling my mouth. I forced my breathing back to normal, spitting blood and probably teeth to the stone floor instead of his face as I'd wanted. He seemed like one with a short fuse, and antagonizing him would only cause him to break more of my bones.

“No answer? Hmm...it must have been the human my master keeps around. You'd sell out a demon, wouldn't you? But not that human; you're loyal to your pathetic race.” The demon spoke more to himself than to me, and I decided not to correct him, not that speaking was something I could really manage at the moment. He led me down the hall and I was forced to endure his wandering hands and lecherous words the entire walk to The MorningStar's chambers. Before he pulled the doors open, he grabbed me by the throat, ran his rough tongue over my blood-soaked lips and spoke.

“I will get my master to let me use you over and over again...and you'll enjoy it, won't you, slut?” I responded only by growling deeply at him with a mouth brimming with blood, around my sharp and red-stained teeth. He snapped his jaws in my face, before throwing the chamber doors open and thrusting me inside. The usual audience sat in wait of the day's events. As I stumbled in, The MorningStar stood, a scowl set deep in his face.

“Who gave her those clothes?” He snapped. “And why did you shatter her jaw, you fucking idiot?! She won't be able to scream.” The MorningStar growled, snapping his fingers at Bartalbe. The demon behind me gave a sharp kick to the back of my knee, sending me to the floor and pressed his foot down on my calf, as though I'd try to get away.

“My Lord, I asked the same question, and got nothing but disrespect...I had to give the bitch a reason not to answer me. Also, I found a cot in her cell; I think your human pet is trying to spoil her.” He stated smugly, his scaly tail thrashing from side to side. The whole while they spoke, Bartalbe had knelt before me and healed my jaw, doing his best to look as disgusted with the act as he could, but his eyes showed me the admiration he showed me the night before. The MorningStar snarled angrily just as Alric strolled into the room, in much the same manner as the day I met him. He held a half eaten bagel which made my stomach rumble in jealousy, and I spat the rest of the blood out of my mouth, relieved that my jaw was in one piece again. The Demon King whipped around to the human with a mighty roar.

“You left her a cot?!” Alric shrugged, unafraid.

“Why, yes.” He replied matter-of-factly. The demon behind me snorted, and lifted the foot from my calf to take a menacing step forward.

“Your human has grown feelings for the little slut, My Lord.” He laughed. Alric's eyes flashed, and I saw a coldness and an anger I'd seen in them before.

“You've lost your talking privileges, you insect.” The human stated in a voice of ice, and at once seemed to vanish. The next second, he appeared beside us as I stood and slashed the demon's throat, killing the beast. I chuckled, and spoke without thought.

“How irritating it must be for you...servicing these beasts that are so easy to kill. Beasts you don't even fear.” I said to Alric over my shoulder. I expected him to grow more angry at my words, but instead he chuckled, and I felt him leaning into me as he stood at my side.

“It is...I keep debating killing them all.” He whispered in a voice that sent a strange shiver down my spine. I turned to face him, and our noses almost touched.

“Take off my collar, and I'll help you.” I replied with a grin.

“Don't tempt me.”

“Consider yourself tempted.” I retorted just as soon as the words left his lips.

“Enough!” The MorningStar roared. He stomped towards us, snarling threateningly.

“Who gave you permission to leave the bitch a cot, human?!” He snapped down at Alric, who lifted his eyebrows.

“Are you questioning my loyalty, Your Wretchedness?” He asked, a hand on his chest. I fought back a snort of laughter, and Bartalbe did the same, disguising it as a cough before speaking.

“Coming from the human who betrayed humans?” He asked, coming to stand next to The MorningStar. Alric fixed Bartalbe with a cold look.

“Touche`.” He replied. The MorningStar continued to glare at Alric.

“It has become necessary to prove your loyalty to me, human.” He thundered. From the door was drug into the room a young human boy of about nineteen, fighting his captors as ferociously as he could manage. A defiant youth who clearly had not tasted their pain yet. He didn't look like one to survive a session of torture here. Alric stepped away and The MorningStar returned to his throne. As they walked, Bartalbe stepped behind me.

“Kneel.” He breathed. I obeyed and he knelt with me, trapping my arms above my head and gripping my hair like before. He appeared to hold my head up as Alric trapped the boy in horrid visions for several long and antagonizing minutes. After enough time had passed, Alric simply dropped a straight razor before the boy, and he used it to take his own life. The MorningStar seemed satisfied for the moment, and ordered Bartalbe to take me to Alric's private torture chamber and assist the human if he needed it. Bartalbe pulled me to my feet, put my hands behind my back, and forced me to follow Alric from the room. As we walked, Alric began to sing merrily.

“Over the meadow and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go...” I could almost feel the demon's confusion as he followed behind me, holing my wrists rather gently at the small of my back. It wasn't long before we arrived in a room Alric had made his own personal torture chamber as well as living space, kitchenette included, although there was no bed or any other recognizable sleeping spot. I looked around at all the creative weapons Alric had hanging on the walls or sitting serenely in spots, as thought they were not used to take lives, and gave the human a smirk.

“Why grandmother, what large knives you have.” I told him. Alric giggled madly, and Bartalbe released my hands to stand at my side, looking between us.

“I am so confused by the pair of you.” He admitted pointing between the two of us. “Whatever this is, it must be a human thing.”

“It is.” Alric and I replied together. Bartalbe almost smiled at me, but remembered that Alric was there watching everything. We both knew he must keep up his facade.

“Well, if you are to torture the wench, get on with it. I will remain as I was ordered.” The demon said as he moved away from us, waving a hand casually. Alric glanced between us with a knowing smirk on his face.

“I wonder if you two could be any more obvious.” He stated flatly. Bartalbe whipped around to face him at once, exactly the wrong movement for someone trying to play it cool.

[Rylias Shadow]

-Continued-

“Caught ya...” Alric taunted lightly in a sing-song voice.

“You will keep that tongue in check should you wish to keep it in your head.” Bartalbe threatened in a baritone growl, and I could tell his emotions were running high, and he was much closer to his breaking point than I'd seen him in some time. Alric's eyes took on a look rather demonic for a human, and I saw him flick his wrist, a blade slipping into his right palm. He took a powerful stride towards Bartalbe, placing him a little to the left of right in front of me. I grasped his left wrist to halt his attack, and he faced me with a look of ultimate shock.

I gasped as his eyes at once glazed over, seeing through me. Bartalbe and I stared at the human male as he began to tremble hard in my grasp, and from the corner of a clouded eye slipped a tear. I jerked away from him with another gasp, stumbling against the table and Bartalbe bolted to my side, his hands on my shoulder to steady me. Alric blinked and backhanded me at once, the unexpected force of it throwing me from the demon's slack grasp to land against the wall. I held my face and growled in pain as he put his face an inch from mine.

“Don't...EVER..touch me.” Alric snared in an undertone, his eyes ablaze with hate. I smirked at him.

“Aren't I the one who's supposed to be under your knife today?” I asked. Alric sneered.

“No...not today. You're here to watch.” He growled and turned back to the table. Bartalbe and I exchanged a look before a few demons dragged a pair of human girls into the room. They looked about eighteen, and they looked terrified to be where they were, as they should have been. Alric waved a hand towards the tables with restraints attached. The demons strapped the girls to the tables, their arms over their heads and their ankles together.

“This position doesn't look fun.” One of the demons stated. “There's no access.” He added, running a clawed hand up the girl's leg.

“Sex and torture should never mix. Now get out.” Alric snapped. The two demons left with much grumbling, leaving Alric, Bartalbe and I alone with the two cowering girls. Alric's once 'pleasant' mood was ruined I could tell by my accidental discovery of his clairvoyance. Whatever vision of my past he had been force to endure must have been a horrible one, for a monster such as him to shed a tear over it. Alric turned his back to the demon and I, picked up a scalpel and strolled over to the girls strapped to the tables. As he approached, they began to tremble and cry.

“Oh, come on, I haven't even touched you yet!” Alric snapped, his foul mood worsening. The girls only continued to cry as he drummed the scalpel on the palm of his other hand impatiently. He growled, his eyes blazing, and their screams and tears only increased until Alric jumped forward and slit the throat of one of the girls, screaming.

“SHUT UP!”

The other girl gasped, but managed to stifle her sobs as her friend bled out beside her. Alric moved his face and bloody scalpel closer to her.

“I mean it, shut up until I give you something to scream about!” He yelled at her.

“Her friend's death is not an appropriate reason?” Bartalbe asked, raising an eyebrow. Alric whirled upon him at once.

“You shut up too, I'm not in the mood for your lip, demon!” He snapped. Bartalbe chuckled.

“I do not take orders from you, human.” He retorted. The two glared at each other a long moment before they seemed to decide to argue with each other another time and get on with what we were all here for. Alric turned, and his eyes locked with the eyes of the girl. Bartalbe slipped behind me and trapped my arms, but much more gently this time, with lingering touches, and his voice was almost sensual as he whispered into my ear.

“You must watch.” I fought off the shiver, and hated myself for letting his touch effect me so much. The girl, meanwhile, began to moan in pain, tossing her head back and forth. She soon was thrashing against her restraints and screaming for dear life over and over again. After a moment, she fell limp, panting for breath as Alric moved his lips to her ear, speaking softly.

“You can make it stop...just make her beg me to end your pain...” Alric released her restraints as he spoke to her, eye contact no longer necessary to maintain the visions he was giving her. He had her mind trapped. She fell from the table, crumpling to the floor.

“Crawl to her...beg her to end your pain!” He barked, and to my horror, the sobbing girl crawled towards me, begging and crying for me to make Alric stop hurting her. I struggled against Bartalbe, trying my best to escape his grasp, but he held me fast with demon strength. Under the guise of keeping me still, he bent his head froward and placed his lips at my ear. I couldn't stop the shivers that racked my form when his deep melodic voice and lips grazing my ear with every word he spoke mixed into something as powerful as a well practiced spell.

“You must persevere. Only the strong can survive. Even if you give him what he asked, he'd kill the girl.” Bartalbe whispered, and to my shame, I listened to him, and that poor girl died because of me. I ignored her cries. Alric smirked and placed a loaded pistol at her side, and she lifted it up in trembling hands. She put the barrel of the pistol under her chin, and pulled the trigger, the blood splattering up my legs and chest. Alric chuckled darkly and leaned over her corpse to put his face in mine.

“How alike you and I are...I would have been that selfish too.” He told me, and I felt my eyes blaze. He'd won today. We were even.

“You and I are nothing alike!” I snarled.

“Are you done with her?” Bartalbe asked coldly. Alric grinned.

“Yes...for today. Let her sit in her cell and think about the innocent human girl she murdered in cold, selfish blood.” He said, and Bartalbe lead me back to my cell. When we got there, I shook him off roughly.

“Why did I listen to you?!” I screamed. He sighed, closing the door behind me.

“Because I spoke the truth. You know all they want is to hear you beg for death and then deliver it to you.”

I crossed my arms and kept my back turned to him. I felt a small rush of his power, and the blood seeping into my clothes vanished from me.

“Cleaning the blood from me won't change what I did to her.” I muttered. I heard him grasp the bars.

“Alric did this because he knows you are selfless, a hero, and to not save her would hurt you the most. Do not let him win, you are too strong for that...please, Maria.” I heard him end his sentence softly with my name, a compassion ringing in his tone that I had yet to hear from him. I faced him with a heavy sigh.

“Everyone has their limit, Bartalbe.” I said.

[Rylias Shadow]

-Still continued-

“And this is yours? This, really!? I don't believe you!” Bartalbe snapped furiously.

“Why not?” I snapped.

“Because of who you are, and because of how I feel for you. My heart would not beat like this for just anyone. You are powerful, too powerful for Alric to best.” He said. I stared at him through the bars he grasped, his face between the two of them to gaze back at me. I saw the truth in his emerald eyes, the...was that love? I very much doubted it, but whatever it was it was close, and it was real, and it was for me. I almost kissed him, but I shook that thought from my mind. A demon? Even one who had so clearly switched sides? Bryan would never forgive me. I approached him, grasped the bars just under his hands again, and let our noses graze as I watched his eyes.

“I need a different plan. I can't live like this much longer. This collar has to come off, and my power will be released upon my enemies...or should I say our enemies? You are on my side, aren't you?” I asked. His hands moved to grasp mine.

“I am...and I have been thinking. I know a way to help you. I cannot remove that collar you wear if I wanted to. It is warded not against your power, but your strain of power.” He explained, letting his hands rest over mine.

“What?” I asked.

“Think of it as a human blood type, but there are vastly many more strains of power than blood types. Unfortunately, your strain of power and my own are too similar. I cannot remove it.” As if to demonstrate his point, he lifted a hand from mine and reached for the collar, only to suffer a burnt hand. As he came near, lightning shot from the collar to his hand, slightly shocking me in the process. I rubbed my neck and he his hand.

“So what's your plan?” I asked Bartalbe. His eyes twinkled as a smirk curled his mouth.

“The human has a strain much different than ours. He can remove it, but I'm certain we must trick him into doing so.”

“How?”

“I tell you this about him; he loves a challenge. He has been here months longer than you have, and always seemed to have a complaint of boredom on his lips. Now that you have arrived, his complaints have all but stopped. You intrigue him. Taunt him with how powerful, how challenging and how exciting a fair fight between you two could be, and he will succumb.” Bartalbe told me. I thought a few moments on it, and decided it was a good plan to try. What other choice did I have?

“And you'll help me?” I asked. He nodded.

“Of course, Maria. Once it's off, you and I will rise and take The MorningStar's seat of power...and we will be free.” He said softly, his eyes alight with hope. I smiled, knowing with his help and Alric's nature, the plan could work. I looked up into his bright eyes and felt a warmth crawl through me.

“Thank you for this...I'm rather glad you're swayed by strength.” I said with a chuckle. He flashed his fangs at me as he grinned.

“So am I...but I must go. I set our plan in motion tonight.” He said, gave my hands a squeeze, and left my cell. I tried to calm my heart as it sped up, but I failed and felt it pound away in my chest. I wrote my log without interruption, read more of the book, and decided to force my power and sleep.



...

I left Maria standing at the bars of her cell, walking up the corridor with a smile at how devious I was. Everything was going as planned, and now I had to continue setting up the pieces to fall once I set everything into motion. The next step was to set The MorningStar and Alric against each other, not a difficult task, but I also had to ensure that my position of trust and loyalty remained as sure and steady as it had always been. If Alric spoke to him first, I'd be the one under suspicion, and I wouldn't be left alone with Maria anymore. I hated the thought of not being near her, not being able to touch her, take in her lovely scent and grasp her hands as I had moments ago. What a woman to effect me so.

I entered the throne room to find The MorningStar there, grumbling as he pondered. I approached him and his face settled into a light smile as I knelt.

“Bartalbe. Alric did not break my prisoner, I trust?” I shook my head.

“No, My Lord. She resisted him. Her strength is endless...and quite troubling.” I added, so as not to sound too praising. He growled loudly.

“It is troubling, but not endless! I'll destroy that wench.” He snarled. I bit back a snarl of my own at his words; that would be counterproductive to say the least.

“My Lord, I came here to express a recent concern of mine.” I said. He made himself comfortable in his throne, his clawed hands grasping the arm rests as he fixed me with a curious gaze. I heard something on the other side of the chamber doors, but I ignored it. I knew it to be Alric, knew it by his scent and the sounds of his footfalls. Let him eavesdrop, it wouldn't be long before he discovered what I'd told the King anyway.

“I have made the mistake of taunting your human pet today, perhaps taking it too far.” I spoke carefully.

“I have warned you about riling the human, haven't I?” He scolded, and I lowered my head.

“Yes, My Lord, but I fear his repercussions may stretch farther than myself. I fear he may spread rumors throughout the ranks, slanderous lies concerning myself and the captured Guardian.” I old him.

“Is that right? Do not despair; I will halt such lies. I know my right hand would never stray so far from my side.” He said, placing a clawed hand atop my head. My plan was running flawlessly. So far. On the other side of the room the doors swung open and in strolled Alric, singing something I'd never heard before.

“Maria and Bartalbe, siting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g...”

Oh, if only. I thought. How I long to lay my lips on hers and discover what she tastes like. Above me, The MorningStar barked at him.

“Shut up.”

“Why? Don't like my music?” He asked in a rather taunting manner. I frowned to myself. It was almost as if the human knew of my intentions, and was deliberately going along with my plan; 'throwing himself under the bus', as he himself would say. I gave me pause for thought as the King snarled down at him.

“No. What are you doing in my chambers uninvited, human?” Alric rolled his eyes in response.

“I believe it was you who made me royal torturer; that's an invitation to me.” He replied. The Kind stood in a flash, bearing down on him.

“It is not an invitation to enter my personal chambers whenever you please! Get out!” He roared. Alric turned at once and walked from the room without further argument. As he pulled the doors closed behind him, he called out into the room.

“That's what locks were invented for!” Was followed closely by the doors banging closed. The MorningStar, enraged, whirled and swung an open hand at his throne, throwing it loudly to the ground on its side.

“Damn that infuriating wretch! I'd kill the bastard if he wasn't so damn useful, but there is no punishment for him! He fears nothing!”

I stood calmly. I knew what Alric feared, but I decided to keep that 'ace in the hole' to myself, as Alric would say. It would do me no good to hand over the information yet.

“I am sorry there is nothing I can offer to help you, My Lord.” I said. He faced me with a growl.

“Should you find something, inform me. I'll let him have the girl a few more days; perhaps that will lessen his urge to get under my scales.” He said and waved a hand at me, the sign to leave him be. I bowed to him and left the chambers unhurriedly to find Alric waiting patiently in the corridor. He was cleaning under his fingernails with a small knife.

“You beat me to it, Bartalbe.” He said.

“Of course I beat you to it, Alric.” I told him, smirking. “Not that you opposed me much; you threw yourself under the bus rather well without my help. Why was that?” I asked. He chuckled at my use of the phrase I had learned from him.

“Wouldn't you like to know?” Alric countered, his eyes flashing at me before he strolled away. I narrowed my eyes after him. What was he up to? I shook my head and returned to Maria's dark cell...I missed her already. When I arrived, I saw that she had fallen asleep on the cot, curled on her side. I grasped the bars, even now not daring to enter the cell, and simply stood there watching her sleep. I smiled and infiltrated her dreams; it was the only place she and I could be free...for now at least.

[Rylias Shadow]

September 18th, 2012

I woke with a start, and I could tell it was still very early. I wasn't sure how I could tell such a thing. I had a dream last night, the first time I dreamed since coming here. Bartalbe was walking towards me, with a fire in his eyes that made me shiver. We weren't standing in a cell, but rather a dark room lit only by a blazing fire in a fireplace.

“What's going on?” I asked him. H unbuttoned his shirt slowly, exposing more and more of his chest as he did, smirking deeply at me.

“You are dreaming, with my help. We are free, darling, but only for a short time. Let us make the most of it, Maria.” He said, letting his shirt drift to the floor, his bare chest gleaming in the firelight. I hesitated, and he waved a hand at me, causing my shirt to open and slip from my body to the ground. I blushed and crossed my arms over my chest as he chuckled, then walked closer to me, cupping my face in his hands.

“You're so beautiful, Maria.” He told me, his lips moving slowly towards my own, but before we touched, I awoke. I was both relieved and disappointed that the dream had ended. I was more aroused than I'd been in a long while, and that didn't bode well for my current situation. They would smell it on me, and most likely use it to their advantage against me. Sexual being though I was, I did not want to be used by a demon for the amusement of other demons again. I didn't even want to have sex with any demon...well, perhaps one. I shouldn't want him even though I did, and because I did I should feel guilty about it. He was a demon, and demons were my enemies. I laid on the cot trying and failing not to imagine the rest of the dream as it might have unfolded as I waited for someone to come and fetch me for my latest torment. I fell victim to my lustful daydreams, but before I could really enjoy myself, I heard footsteps approaching my cell. It was Bartalbe who had been sent to retrieve me today, a fact for which I was grateful and uneasy. He looked just as he had looked in my dream, smirk and all.

“Your scent is breathtaking.” He purred at me through the bars of my cell, a fang dripping from is lips. I fought the blush that threatened to form due to his erotic tone.

“That was more than a dream, wasn't it?” I asked him. He nodded.

“I gave it to you, and shared it with you. I was interrupted far too soon, however. Quite a shame.” He told me with a wink. I growled, embarrassed that he could effect me so easily. He opened my cell door, I brushed by him, and he whispered into my ear as I passed him.

“It's so sexy when you growl at me.” I whirled on him.

“Stop teasing me, damn it, if anyone smells us like this, they'll know something's up!” I snapped. He leaned against the bars, crossing his arms as he chuckled at me.

“Something is most definitely up, in more than one way, but you are correct. I apologize, I must restrain myself...until our plan succeeds.” He growled at me in a deep sensual tone. I narrowed my eyes at him but didn't growl. He clearly enjoyed that too much. I focused on anger, feeling it blaze to life inside me, replacing the arousal. Bartalbe straightened up, his face a mask of cold indifference again.

“Our scents are clear. Follow me.” He said and proceeded to lead me to Alric's torture chamber again. I glanced at the demon before we went inside, wondering how we'd go about tricking Alric into removing my collar. I figured it would be better if I just followed Bartalbe's lead. I also worked out a quick plan B, in case Bartalbe was going in thinking that he would follow my lead. Once the door swung open, we were hit with sights and sounds we never expected. Alric was dancing in his kitchenette while whipping up what smelled like a fantastic breakfast in jeans, a white apron and no shirt, singing along with the loud music coming from a stereo by the stove. His back was turned to us as we walked in, and I couldn't help but examine his exposed body. Low on his back was a long scar, made by a katana more than likely. I could tell by the scar that he had dodged most of the blow and very little of the blade had actually wounded him. I switched my focus from his flesh to his words.

“Banquet dining is worth dying for! At the chainsaw, chainsaw buffet, the secret ingredient screams!”

I almost laughed; I knew this song, too. It seemed he was a big fan of this particular band, just like I was. As I knew the words, I decided to sing with him.

“You're my main course at the chainsaw buffet, feed on man-eater's cuisine! At the chainsaw...” Once I sang out with him, he whirled to face us and grinned at me between the words as we sang together. Bartalbe looked at me in confusion for a bit before Alric killed the music and started to applaud me, grinning from ear to ear.

“I've never met a woman who liked the same music I do.” He said in a teasing tone. I shrugged.

“Well, is Lordi all you like?” I replied. He laughed and pulled a frying pan from the stove.

“Are you hungry?” He asked, gesturing towards a table set for three.

“I'll say, I haven't eaten since coming here.” I said. Alric clicked his tongue in his mouth and shook his head.

“Brutes.” He snapped, plating up eggs, bacon, and toast for the three of us. Taking the invitation, the demon and I sat at our plates, Bartalbe looking quite uncomfortable.

“When did you become the patron saint of hospitality, human?” Bartalbe asked him. He grinned.

“I'm always this nice before noon.” He told us.

“Why before noon?” I asked. He smiled at me.

“Can't be cruel on an empty stomach.” He replied. He placed the frying pan back on the stove and flopped into his chair, diving right into his meal. I followed suit, thinking it delicious, but after days of no food, anything would have tasted good. Alric propped up his feet on another chair as he ate.

“So their magic keeps you from starving to death, I take it?” He asked me before taking a bite of eggs. I nodded, my mouth full, and Bartalbe took the opportunity to shoot Alric a question of his own.

“What are...those things on your feet?” He asked. Alric swallowed his mouthful.

“Bunny slippers.” He answered, waving his feet from side to side. I glanced over and indeed they were. Bartalbe's eyebrows knitted as he chewed his bite thoughtfully. He swallowed and spoke.

“Are they made of real...?”

“No.” Alric cut him off. I held back a laugh.

“Then why wear them?” Bartalbe questioned. Alric leaned forward and pulled one off to pass it to the demon over the table.

“Put it on.” He said simply. Bartalbe took the slipper, looked it over, and shrugged lightly as he lifted a bare foot and rested it on his knee. He slipped it on and his face cleared of all confusion.

“Oh, soft...I see!” He said brightly, and I choked on my orange juice. The whole thing was too much to take without laughing. The males looked at me, and after a moment joined in my laughter. Once we calmed down, we settled and finished our meal in relative silence. Alric brushed toast crumbs from his apron-clad front and cleared his throat.

“I believe His Wretchedness wanted to see...Maria...before I began my time with her today.” He told Bartalbe a bit haltingly, who stood and smoothed his clothes down his front.

“Then we will go.” He said and turned his back to Alric. He smirked at me and held out a hand towards the door. It occurred to me that it was the first time Alric had ever spoken my name before. I looked into his eyes as he sat there, his hands on the table, looking at me with an odd look on his face.

“Thank you for breakfast.” I said to him, and left the room, the demon at me heels. The meeting with the King wasn't really eventful, as Bartalbe played his role and I remained defiant. I left there bleeding from taking a slap in the face. Once in the hallway, Bartalbe healed the wounds and wiped the blood from my face tenderly , apologizing in hushed tones for being unable to halt the strike. I understood and smiled at him. We returned to Alric's chambers to find a small disaster had taken place inside. Everything was overturned or tossed about, his usual obsessive compulsive neatness forgotten. We didn't see him in the room at first, but soon found him curled in a far corner on the floor, glaring into space, snarling to himself and rocking slightly.

His arms around his knees dripped with blood, a stained scalpel at his side. He was likewise surrounded by his own hair, clippers held in his tight grasp. He had given himself a high and tight, the haircut of a Marine. I realized then that he must have been one a long time ago. It would explain his posture when he walked, his neatness and how he knew how to give himself such a haircut. I remembered Santiago telling me most Marine men cut their own hair to save money on weekly barbershop trips. I was surprised at Alric's drastic switch from the “norm”, and yet at the same time I knew it was somehow to be expected...he was insane, after all. I nearly pitied him, but more than that, I wanted to soothe the beast in his mind and his heart.

“Alric?” I called out his name softly, and I realized that I had never spoken his name to him before. His eyes, wild with madness and perhaps even fear, snapped onto mine at once, and his face cleared off all emotion but mild confusion.

[Rylias Shadow]

--Continued--
“I...” He started, looking around him a moment. He stood swiftly. “I apologize.” He said in brisk, normal tones, and he began to set things back where they went. After a moment of him picking his things up, he froze and looked over at us, his eyes shimmering with residual anger.

“If you wouldn't mind leaving me alone?” He asked us. Bartalbe and I glanced at each other. I would be just fine returning to my cell and being bored but in no pain, but I was certain that would not be my luck.

“She cannot leave this room by direct order. She is supposed to be tortured. Should she leave-” Bartalbe said evenly, but Alric cut him off.

“Well I won't be doing it. I have to clean this place up...” He growled more to himself than to us. He continued his cleaning, and Bartalbe cast a simple spell on the door. Anyone who passed by the door would hear only the sounds of Alric working to break me, no matter what was actually going on inside the room. Alric ignored us as he cleaned, Bartalbe took a seat at the table, and I looked around a moment before spotting a keyboard set up near the other side of the room. My fingers twitched with the desire to play it.

“Do you play that keyboard, Alric?” I asked. He stilled and seemed to even relax a bit, glancing at me with soft eyes.

“I haven't played since before my time in the Corps.” He said.

“That's a damn shame...tell me about the Corps? I know very little about it.” I said, even thought I knew quite a bit more than the average American. He looked away.

“They recruited me right out of an asylum.” He began. “I excelled in boot camp and MCT. I excelled in my MOS school, and from there I went to Officer's school. I excelled there too.”

“You were good at being a Marine, weren't you?” I asked, impressed.

“I was. It got me recruited into Black
Ops training. I didn't excel there.” He spoke in a voice just above a whisper. I knew then how much not being the best must have disturbed him.

“What was your first mission?” I asked, my tones much softer. He turned to face me, and his eyes were wild and his lips were slightly twisted.

“To assassinate the vice president.” He told me. We stared at each other in silence a long moment. I saw his eyes clouding again, could almost fell his mind slipping, tricking itself into believing one of his own visions.

“Alric?” I called his name softly. He shook his head curtly, and when he met my eyes again, they were clear.

“I excelled in that again, too.” He concluded, smirking. I cleared my throat.

“Well listen, I know you don't like anyone touching your things, but would you mind if I played?” I asked. He nodded.

“Go ahead...good for you for asking.” He added, casting my a wink and a smirk. I smiled and returned to the keyboard, glancing at Bartalbe as I went, and he looked a bit shocked. He met my eyes and smiled at me. I smiled back at him and sat down at the keyboard. Behind me, Bartalbe spoke up to Alric.

“I sat riveted by all the great many details in your brilliant storytelling, Alric.” He said.

“Oh, you do better.” I laughed. I started to play a few notes, fiddling with some settings and getting used to the keys. As I did, Bartalbe wove a tale of his own, rising to my rhetorical challenge.

“The MorningStar has a young son called Asar; simultaneously the name of Osiris when he became the god of death, and an Egyptian verb for 'to create or manufacture'. As I am the King's right hand, it was my place to raise the boy. I taught him everything he would ever need to know, how to fight, filled him with my morals and ideas.”

“What morals?” Alric asked.

“I do not believe I interrupted your tale.” Bartalbe retorted. “You see, I raised the boy to believe in beauty and freedom as much as power and control. I wanted to appeal to the King's flesh and blood more than his own sire appealed to him.”

“You wanted his loyalty.” I said. Bartalbe nodded at me. It was then that I knew that Bartalbe was no “reformed” demon. He had been born a deviant, a rebel, he had always been strange, and always he had been on our side. On my side. Alric yawned loudly, causing Bartalbe to cast him a glare.

“Riveting.” Alric said. I chuckled lightly and turned to the keyboard again. On a hunch, I guessed that Alric liked Iced Earth, and I picked my favorite one to play on the piano, “Burnt Offerings”. I started the music, and a chill filled the room as the notes formed their eerie melody. After enough measures, Alric began to sing the words that paired the music.

“ 'In one last breath, you'll feel this damned old soul, you'll see the things I see...' ” I continued to play, grinning deeply. I loved it when people added their music to my own, and his voice was more beautiful than I expected it to be. It got harder to play as the song continued on towards the end, but we kept up and finished as strong as we had begun.

Once it was over, Alric paused a moment before gazing at me with a look of exhilaration; the same look he wore when his victims succumbed to his visions, the look he wore before the killing strike. I met this look fearlessly and even gave him a smile. Bartalbe spoke suddenly, standing at Alric's side in the blink of an eye and staring hard at him.

“You are armed.” He growled. Alric turned his face to his and showed him his teeth in a grin.

“A little bit.” He admitted, and he proceeded to pull easily ten knives he had hidden on is form into view, setting them on a nearby table.

“This is only a little armed?” Bartalbe asked. Alric nodded at him. The demon narrowed his very green eyes and held out a hand before him. In it was conjured his black claymore in a flourish of smoke. I realized then that the two were showing off, a thought that set off a blush and a flurry of new questions within my head about Alric. Did he feel something romantic for me? Before I could ponder on this strange thought, I decided I'd better stop these two from regressing into petulant children.

“Girls, girls, you're both pretty.” I told them, causing them to face me.

“But he stole my ribbon.” Alric stated in mock seriousness.

“What?” Bartalbe asked, confused and nearing laughter, which caused both Alric and I to laugh.

That moment, the door swung open and in strolled in a pair of demons. One was rather young looking, with a long black ponytail, golden eyes, elvish ears and sharp features, the other a massive powerhouse of a Hell demon. The younger one had a handsome face, and I could tell by looking that he was a demon-animal hybrid. Everyone froze as they barged in, looking around at each other, and the larger one picked up one or two of Alric's scalpels and examined them critically. Alric's eyes flashed at him, and Bartalbe grasped the shoulder of the younger demon and yanked him out of harm's way. A mere moment later, the huge demon fell dead, several scalpels protruding from his throat.

“I just cleaned, damn it!” He screamed down at the corpse. The young demon's eyes were wide as he watched the human.

“What is wrong with you?!” He cried.

“Asar, silence!” Bartalbe snapped, shaking him lightly. Alric whirled to face the two demons.

“Excuse me?” He snarled at them.

“The youth meant no offense.” Bartalbe said, but just as the words left his mouth, he noticed that Asar and Alric were still, their eyes locked. Bartalbe covered Asar's eyes, growling at Alric.

“Stop that, you.”

“Well, who is he, and why is he in my room?” Alric asked grumpily.

"This is the Demon Prince, Asar." Bartalbe said.

"Oh, so this is Asar?" I asked, breaking my silence. The two demons faced me as I spoke.

"Yes, the very same." Bartalbe said, a spark of pride in his eyes. Asar looked up at Bartalbe, pleased.

"You spoke of me to her?" He asked.

"Of course. I speak of you often. Now kiss her hand like the gentleman I know you are." Bartalbe said, and Asar obeyed, taking my hand n kissing it softly.

"My Lord Bartalbe speaks of you often as well." He told me. I couldn't stop a giggle. Alric stepped up behind Asar, and tapped him on the shoulder. The demon turned, looking worried, but Alric held out a hand.

"I'm Alric, one of your father's torturers. Sorry for scaring you, I just don't like people barging into my room and touching my things." He explained. Asar looked slightly ashamed.

"I apologize, I was looking for Lord Bartalbe, I...I was bored." Asar said to the floor.

"Have a seat." Alric said, waving a hand casually. "She was just about to entertain us." Alric said, fixing me with an expectant look. He seemed to be avoiding speaking my name aloud, which I found amusing. I cleared my throat and spoke.

"Well Bartalbe and Alric have both told stories; shall I tell one or shall I play?" I asked the trio before me.

"I vote play." Alric said.

"You can play? Oh, I've always wanted to see a human play music live!" Asar gushed, making me have to stifle a snicker. Bartalbe didn't bother stifling his, and shook his head.

"I had hoped for a story, but I am outvoted. Please, Maria, play for us?" He asked.

"What other instruments do you play, woman?" Alric asked suddenly. I smiled at him, and thought I saw something come to life in his eyes.

"I play piano, guitar, flute and I've dabbled in violin." I said. Asar looked star-struck, Bartalbe both pleasantly amused and surprised, and Alric got to his feet with a wide grin. He slipped into a closet, and after some banging around, came out carrying a guitar, a flute, and a violin. I laughed as he set them down at the kitchen table.

[Rylias Shadow]

--Still Continued--

"Take your pick." He told me excitedly. He was certainly a lover of music. I smiled and picked up the guitar, testing the strings a moment before playing a song called "You And Me". The song was peaceful, gentle and more importantly romantic, and if it did what I hoped it would, it would further my plan. I made sure not to lock eyes with anyone during the song as I played and sang, and as the finals notes approached, I glanced at the three captivated faces, looking for the spark I needed to see. Asar was gazing at me, his golden eyes aflame with awe and promises of everlasting loyalty. That's one. Bartalbe's eyes were aglow with a light, a love, a feeling he'd clearly never experienced before, and it was all for me. That's two. Alric met my eyes, his own ablaze in a way I'd have said was killing intent, all but for the glitter that had crept into the gaze and somehow softened it; his lips curled in a true, kind smile. That might have been three.

"Can you play anything harder?" He asked a bit tightly, breaking the silence of the room. I guess he didn't like soft romantic music. I laughed softly, and played the chorus of "Would You Love a Monster-man" to silence him, grinning over at him. He sang half the words with my music, then applauded me again once it was over.

"You're amazing, Lady Maria!" Asar cried, causing me to blush.

"I'm no Lady, I'm your father's prisoner." I said.

"You don't deserve to be imprisoned, I'll speak to my father!" Asar decided loudly. Bartalbe grasped his shoulder.

"You'll do no such thing." He told the youth, who seemed to deflate.

"Lord Bartalbe?"

"She is an enemy of your sire, going to him and demanding her release will do nothing but get her killed. As well as you. He will deem you a traitor, and show you no mercy." Bartalbe told him sternly. Asar sighed.

"Yes...yes you're right."

"Not only that, but you have now shown your true colors to the head torturer. How certain are you of his bonds of loyalty?"

Asar paled, realizing he could have just killed me, and himself, by being unable to hold his tongue around Alric.

"He's right, you know; I'm crazy." Alric said, suddenly at Asar's side, a scalpel dangerously close to his face. He jumped a bit, and Alric howled with laughter at the Demon Prince's caution.

"Be nice to me, and I won't reveal your growing little coup." Alric stated rather pompously.

"Define nice." Bartalbe replied. Alric paused thinking a moment.

"Hm. Let me get back to you on that." He said. Bartalbe chuckled, but Asar remained nervous.

"Please keep this quiet, Alric? We'd be in a lot of danger if that got out..." Alric glanced at him, grinning.

"Maybe."

"You're not very nice for a human." Asar stated, raising an eyebrow. Alric and Bartalbe laughed. Asar glanced around at the glimmering weapons, leaning in to take a test sniff of some of the blades.

"What?" Alric snapped at him, looking edgy that the youth was so near his things.

"I smell no blood on these weapons; either you clean them expertly, or you don't use them." Bartalbe stepped to Asar's side, answering.

"He uses them to intimidate, not to cut." He explained. Alric smirked.

"Any fool can break a body. It takes true talent to break a soul." He replied, twisting a blade in his hands. "Like hers." He said sharply, pointing the blade at me with a grin. "He who can break this woman is truly a master of the art." He said, now strolling towards me. I faced him with a blank look. Hadn't I sparked anything within him? Before I could despair, I remembered the nature of the man's character. He, like a demon, wouldn't let his heart feel for anyone unless they were worthy of such affections. I still had to prove myself in his eyes. He was a few steps away before Bartalbe leaned into Asar and spoke in a mock whisper.

"He believes he's the one who can achieve this...if he were to, it would demonstrate his only skill." Asar snickered and Alric whirled to face them, his eyes displaying his irritation, but nowhere near his rage.

"I have plenty of skills, demon." Alric snapped. Bartalbe raised an eyebrow and curled a smirk.

"Such as?"

"Lots of things; I can play piano, I can sing, I can dance-" Alric began, but Bartalbe stopped him.

"I have never once seen you dance, for one so musically inclined." He told him. Alric scowled and started a rapid Irish dance, causing Asar to fight back more laughter. Bartalbe rolled his eyes.

"With a partner, I meant. Two beings who can make one sequence of beautiful movements together...that is a skill." He said.

Alric glanced at the ground, and in that instant, Bartalbe met my eyes. They held a glimmer of mischief and of urging. He knew Alric would rise to his challenge, select me as his partner, and I was supposed to go along with it. Alric raised his eyes to the demon, who was already returning his gaze, then faced me, holding out a hand.

"What about your, ah, power?" I asked. He didn't move an inch but to speak.

"It comes and goes. Don't worry, I won't strike you if it flares up this time." He said, giving a smirk perhaps meant to be charming, but was only creepy. I took his hand smiling lightly, and his other hand slipped to the small of my back to pull me very close to him. He smirked down at me and led me in a waltz, the movement at once sending me deep into a memory of one of the few waltzes I'd ever danced in my life. It had been the Marine Corps birthday day ball I'd attended with Santiago, my boyfriend at the time. Sunk deeply in my own memory, I met Alric's eyes, and suddenly my memory had come to life. There I was all over again, no demons, no powers, in love with the man I danced with. I knew Alric had trapped me in a vision, but I didn't care enough to fight it, even when I noticed my dance partner was still Alric rather than Santiago. I heard the music leading our steps, felt his hands on my form and felt the love I'd held for Santiago even as I saw I wasn't dancing with him. Looking into Alric's eyes, I saw they were clouded as he gazed back into mine.

We gave a twirl as the music ended, grinning at each other, n the next event of this memory of mine cropped up suddenly and made my heart race. He wouldn't...Alric gazed into my eyes exactly as Santiago had done, then leaned into me, capturing my lips in a firm full kiss. The moment our lips touched, the vision was broken, and Alric and I were in reality kissing right in front of Bartalbe and Asar, the younger of the to gasping at the sight. Alric tore away from me, scrambling backwards, and fixed me with a look of utter shock and confusion. Then the look in his eyes hardened to anger, rage in fact, but by then those eyes had turned to Bartalbe. Had he done something?

[Rylias Shadow]

--STILL Continued--

Alric moved too fast for me to catch his exact motion, but in the same second, Asar moved a hand to catch a scalpel in midair, an breath from his nose, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. Alric moved again, this time he was throwing a roundhouse, and the movement was impossible to miss. Bartalbe caught his foot by the ankle just before striking Asar, who was still staring at the scalpel in his grasp as though he couldn't believe he'd actually caught it. A drop of blood was pooling in a nick on his nose from where the tip of the small blade bit his flesh, but he had halted any further damage by stopping it when he did. Alric growled impressively at Bartalbe, who narrowed his eyes.

"What's the meaning of attacking him?" Bartalbe asked.

"His death would devastate you, and I want you devastated." Alric snarled at him, yanking his foot from the demon's grasp. Bartalbe smirked.

"What if I offered you an explanation, hm? Would that spare his life?"

"I'm listening." Alric said quite coldly. Bartalbe nodded and began.

"First of all, Alric, you were trying to trap her in a vision, yes? What vision?" He asked. Alric spoke quietly.

"A dance I remember." Was his short reply. Bartalbe then turned to me.

"Now, what dear, were you thinking of as you took his hands?" I smirked lightly. I could almost see where this was going.

"A dance I remember." I replied. Bartalbe faced Alric again.

"She as you might know has mind powers of her own, infantile compared to yours, but enough to fight you once you were in her mind. The to similar abilities and memories forefront in your minds caused a...hiccup in your power, trapping you in Maria's memory instead of her being trapped in yours." He explained. Alric narrowed his eyes.

"I can get out of my own mind tricks. I couldn't this time." Alric growled at the demon, who grinned.

"I thought it would be most entertaining to keep you both there a moment." Alric's eye twitched, and he turned to his counter top to open a drawer. Inside was a wide rectangular pan filled with water and a steak knife. In the next second, Alric had grabbed the knife and swung it at Bartalbe, who clearly didn't expect a serious blow and took the slash in the chest. At once he was howling in agony, Asar was on his feet and they tore Bartalbe's top away from the wound. The cut was neat, but it spilled blood freely down his pale chest, and the edges of the cut were searing as though the blade had been red hot.

"Holy water!" Asar cried. Bartalbe caught his breath, holding the torn remains of his shirt to the wound. Alric stepped up to the bleeding demon and put his face an inch away.

"Stay out of my head. Next time, I'll kill you." Bartalbe returned the stare and nodded gravely. He knew as well as I did that he was lucky to be alive. An inch deeper, and a blade soaked in holy water would've been cutting in2 his heart, which would've killed him. His chest would be scarred for life now; no amount of demon healing would ever cure it. Bartalbe straightened up, eying Alric as he wiped the blood from his chest with his ruined clothes.

"Asar." He said in a soft but commanding tone.

"My Lord." He replied, bowing at the waist to the older demon.

"Take the lesson you just witnessed to heart. I underestimated my opponent, and he has scarred me for it. Don't make my mistake." He said to his little protege, staring at Alric all the while.

"Yes, Lord Bartalbe, the lesson is learned." Asar replied, standing. I furrowed my eyebrows in thought. I was certain for one wild moment that he'd force the youth to attack Alric in vengeance, but the demon surprised me yet again. I bit my bottom lip lightly; I could still taste Alric there, and I raised my eyes to his to find him looking at me with eyes of curiosity, questions, and a flicker of the joy normally felt after a first kiss.

"Bartalbe, I'm done with...her." Alric said, looking back into my eyes.

"Are you?" Bartalbe asked with a chuckle. Alric glared at him at once, his hand tightening around the still bloody knife. Bartalbe stifled his laughter and apologized, saying he'd take me back to my cell if he desired. Alric nodded and looked at me one last time before Bartalbe took my arm gently, called Asar to follow us, and led me into the hallway. As we walked toward my cell, Bartalbe leaned into me and whispered into my ear.

"Well done. I've never seen him look at another living being the way he looks at you." We came to my cell, and Bartalbe pulled the door open to Asar's soft groan.

"What is it?" Bartalbe asked him.

"She doesn't deserve this, Lord Bartalbe, and you know it." Asar said quietly. Bartalbe nodded.

"You are right, youngling. We are working to rectify all the wrongs in our court." Bartalbe told him in an equally quite tone. "Now go to the dojo, you will train before your other tasks." He said.

Asar bowed to Bartalbe, kissed my hand again and left us standing at my cell.

"He's a sweet boy." I said. Bartalbe nodded.

"I daresay I have raised him properly." He said, his chest swelling with pride. It drew my attention to the wound on his chest. It had stopped bleeding, but looked terrible. Unable to halt my own action, I placed a hand on his chest, just under the cut.

"Why'd you let him hurt you?" I asked. He grinned roguishly down at me, a hand laying atop mine on his chest.

"You worry for me, how precious. I was caught by surprise, it was my own fault for taunting him and expecting to remain impervious to his wrath. But there is something you could do to ease the pain of it." He added, his eyes aflame suddenly.

"What?" I asked.

"I didn't expect him to kiss you, but it worked nicely. To be honest, I am jealous of him for getting to taste you." He said, his voice a warm deep melody of desire.

"So it's a kiss you want?" I asked, that voice of his effecting me. He nodded, smirking, and I wanted to.

I thought of Bryan and hesitated. Then again, was it any better than kissing Alric? I felt I owed it to him...just this once.

As I rose on my toes, he leaned down to me and laid his lips on mine, his tongue begging entrance into my mouth. I nipped at the wet muscle, drawing a shudder and soft moan from him. I pulled back at once, refusing to sink any farther into my desire for him.

"That's enough." I said stepping from his embrace. He let me slip out of his arms, sucking his bottom lip for the remaining taste of me. He grinned, his mouth full of demonic fangs rather than human teeth.

"That was perfect." He said softly. I glanced away, I'd liked it, I'd even liked the kiss I'd shared with Alric too, and I felt awful for it. What would my love think of me now?

"Did you enjoy it?" Bartalbe asked. I sighed.

"Yes, and I shouldn't have." I said. Bartalbe had the grace to look uncomfortable.

"I should not have asked...you are still mourning the loss of your human mate." He said.

"I am. But you can't help what you want." I replied.

"No, I cannot. I will leave you in peace." He said and swept away after closing the door behind me. I sat heavily on the cot and sighed. I had liked both of those kisses, the taste of both of the men, and I shouldn't have. What Bryan would think of me...

[Rylias Shadow]

--Still Sept 18, but this is Bartalbe's POV rather than Maria's--

I left Maria upset and slightly aroused in her cell, not looking back at her as I walked. There was no doubt she had enjoyed herself, perhaps even as much as I had. In my three and a half centuries of life, I'd never kissed anyone. That to me was a sign of true affection, an emotion in me I'd worked long to kill. I had rutted of course to slake desire I could not suppressible, but never kissed. Maria had undone all my work to suppress my human emotions, and I only admired her all the more for it. I licked her taste from my lips, my instinctual and very uncivilized side of my mind going mad for more with in me. Drowning in my own thoughts and desires, I slipped into the main corridor to see Alric striding purposefully towards my master's chambers. I narrowed my eyes; was he outing us all? I followed him, keeping my distance, and he pushed into the chambers with out invitation or permission, like always, the screaming taking place inside stopping quickly after. I pressed my back against the wall beside the door and listened.

"Disrespectful as always, you filthy rat!" The MorningStar snarled, but I heard Alric stop, kneel, and address him in a way I'd never heard him do before.

"Sire," he began, though it was tense. "I came here to discuss something with u." The MorningStar growled very softly; it was a thoughtful sound rather than a threatening one. I swallowed my pulse, and tried to keep my emotions in check. I'd be detected if my heart rate or fear increased.

"What is it you want, Alric?" He asked in much calmer tones, though I could tell saying the human's name was strange for the King. I heard Alric stand.

"I've thought of a new way to torture the girl, but it's involved...I would need your aid...and permission, obviously." Alric added quite unhappily. I felt relief wash over me as well as confusion. Alric's mention of torture was tinged with a lie, but The MorningStar was far too full of himself to believe any would lie to him.

"Enlighten me." He said, shifting in his throne.

"I want to force her to face me in a game of chess...with living pieces."

"Living pieces, you say?"

"Yes. I would control demon pieces, and she human pieces. When a piece is claimed, the lost piece is killed." Alric explained.

"How would this torture her?" The MorningStar asked sceptically. Alric sighed exasperatedly.

"She's a hero to her people, that's why! Now she has to send them one by one to their deaths for entertainment." I felt cold as I listened to him. I thought he was starting to care for her...but perhaps there really was another reason for this. The King laughed heartily at the human's deviousness.

"You will command human pieces as well; I will not send my demons to die at human hands even for entertainment. She will lose this game...it will bring me closer to breaking her. If she wins, I will hold you responsible." He snarled.

When the King said he'd 'hold you responsible', it meant a death penalty, and Alric knew it as I did. Unlike me, however, Alric didn't seem to fear death, so this was no threat to him.

"But Your Wretchedness, if I controlled human pieces, the game wouldn't be as fun...you see, humans won't attack their hero." Alric said, and The MorningStar growled thoughtfully again.

"True..." He said.

"Think of it not as a game, rather another attempt on her life. She would play the king piece after all, as would I. We'll both be risking our lives." Alric added. My master thought a moment before he gave a thunderous reply.

"The game will proceed."

"Good, now we'll just need fifteen hardened human warriors for the woman to control." Alric said. "Hardened warriors? They would be willing to die for 'their hero', and she'd know that fact. It would ease the pain." The MorningStar snarled again, showing more of a brain than I thought he'd had.

"Civilian humans won't obey her commands as easily as the warriors will." Alric argued. I rubbed my chin and decided to join the conversation. My scent was beginning to permeate from standing in one place so long. I smirked; I was starting to get a reputation around here for popping into the right places at the right times. I rounded the corner and strolled into the chambers like I owned them.

"I have a compromise. Use hardened warriors for the crucial pieces; they will obey and the game will continue. For the pawns, however...civilians." I said, and to my surprise, hated myself for it. She was effecting not only my emotions towards her, but her whole race. I wondered what she would make me feel tomorrow, and kept my face a mask of devious malice at my master's deep chuckle.

"Trust Bartalbe to give out the best advice...you will get your game, Alric. It will take a day or two to round up the required pieces. You are both dismissed." He said.

I bowed as is demanded, but to my surprise, Alric did as well. We then turned and left the room silently. The chambers doors closed behind us, and I waited until we were far enough away before grabbing Alric by the shoulder and forcing him to face me.

"I thought you were beginning to care for her." I snarled. He narrowed his eyes.

"Who says I'm not?" He tested.

"Then what was the meaning of that?" I retorted heatedly. He slapped my hand from his shoulder and glared at me.

"You're an idiot, Bartalbe." He spun around and strode away from me.

I growled low and soft in my throat wondering if it would reach his human ears and not caring if it did. I stood there until he was out of sight, thinking of what he was planning. If he said there was another reason for it, than there was. Simple as that. Our code of mutual respect for one another dictated we didn't lie to each other...but our code of mutual disagreement with each other dictated we never told one another the direct truth if it mattered. I walked to the end of the corridor and raised my nose to the sky, trying to pinpoint his location. I followed his scent trail all the way down to the dungeons where I was able yo sneak up on him where he stood.

There he stood directly in front of Maria's cell at...I believe the stance was 'attention'. I remained still and silent, watching him watch her as she slept. His face was a mask of neutrality other than his eyes; they appeared to be a touch wide. He also appeared to be retraining himself from making some movement. Suddenly, he wet his lips in a quick stroke of his tongue, and spoke in a hushed voice.

"We'll see about you." He said...and his lips curled into a smile. A true smile that lit his eyes with the light I felt when I looked on her.

He walked off in no hurry, watching the door until he was forced to round the corner and tear his eyes from her at last. I took his place at once, but I leaned my forehead against the bars and grasped them, watching her with no mask over my heart. She shuffled in her sleep and curled up on her other side, a lock of her autumn red hair falling over her closed eyes. I felt my insides melting with her light, her warmth, and the strength of her heart, her will, and her love. It was simply a shame that the recipient of her love was no longer of this world...a shame that it wasn't me.

"What have you done to us? We are monsters, your enemies, everything you've ever fought against...and yet you have wooed us into shams of our former glories. What else are you capable of?" I asked her.

She shuffled again, but didn't otherwise move, giving a soft sigh as though in response to me. I couldn't fight a chuckle at that. I wanted to barge into her cell and wake her by kissing her senseless...what that woman did to me...but I settled for entering her dreams again.

[Rylias Shadow]

September 19th, 2012
That night I dreamed I was racing through a beautiful green forest as fast as my feet could carry me, laughing and gasping for breath as I ran. All around me, a pack of wolves ran with me, yipping and barking, their voices mixing with mine like it was meant to be. I was chasing one, the one I recognized as the wolf I'd charmed in order to attain his power. He seemed to like the gift of youth I'd given him. He glanced over his furry red shoulders as he ran from me, his tongue hanging from his open almost grinning jaws, his eyes alight with life and joy meeting mine. We yipped playfully at each other until the ground sloped downward, making us move all the faster.

Suddenly, the wolf's eyes took a devious gleam; he jumped to land on a boulder at what looked to be the bottom of the hill and sprang left. I tried to mimic the movement, but I was moving way too fast and ended up barreling up and over the boulder, right over the edge of a cliff. I saw the ground rushing up at me, then from my right there came a flash of black. It was a strange sensation to be flying forward and then suddenly be flying to the left. It took mere seconds for the creature who grabbed me to land gracefully, still holding me bridal style against his chest. I looked up to see Bartalbe grinning wildly down at me, demon fangs in his human mouth.

"I take it all this was your doing?" I asked, glancing up at the cliff to see the wolves gathered there, still making their playful cries.

"I wanted you in my arms again." He told me, and swooped down to kiss me. It was just like the real kiss had been, gentle but passionate. Once our lips touched, the wolves erupted into joyous howls, as though congratulating us. I awoke slowly, the howls fading into screams of pain as I left the green forest and Bartalbe's embrace and returned to the dungeon of the demons.

I wondered who was doing the screaming a moment before I decided to ignore it. Pitying them would only agitate me, and I was in no position to help them. A demon that wasn't on my side was the one to fetch me, making my heart sink. This most likely meant The MorningStar would be in charge of me today. He pulled the door open, and out I stepped, following him as he lead me to Alric's room instead. I felt a small twinge of relief, but only a small one. Alric was unpredictable at best.

The demon knocked first; smart beast, and from inside came a curious yell of, "Who is it?"

"Prisoner delivery." Was the reply from the demon at my side. The next moment Alric pulled the door open and smirked at the demon. He was wearing his bunny slippers, jeans and white apron covered in ancient blood stains.

"A human teaching you manners, you should be ashamed." With that, he pointed at me, and beckoned me inside. I slipped past him silently, my silk clad arm brushing against his bare side.

"Go away." Alric said sweetly to the demon and shut the door in his face. We faced each other behind the closed door and I met his eyes and gave him a small smile. He returned the gesture and waved a hand at the kitchenette.

"Breakfast?" He asked.

"How could I refuse?" I answered, my smile widening.

"I ask only one thing in return." He said brusquely as he walked towards the stove.

"What's that?" I asked. He looked over at me with a toothy grin.

"Play for me?" He asked, nodding over at the keyboard. I chuckled, and decided it was a fair trade. I thought of a song he might like, but it would sound better on an electric guitar. I figured I'd ask.

"You don't happen to have an electric guitar, do you?" I asked. He nodded at the stove, flipping bacon in a fry pan.

"Just inside that closet." He said, jerking his head towards it. I retrieved it and the amp it went with, set it up, and held it in my lap as I began the song on the keyboard. It was soft, melodic, and sent dark chills down one's spine. It was called “Wolf Moon”. I saw Alric stiffen as the notes hit him, his face a mask of serenity and pleasure. I sang along as I played the keys, and switched to the guitar after the first few measures. Once the guitar started, Alric sang with me, confirming my guess. Another inch of common ground between us.

We sang as I played and he cooked, and by the time the song ended, he had plated up the food on his small table. I set the guitar down gently and took my place across from him.

"It looks great." I told him, and he smiled at me again. I was actually growing to like it.

"That song sounded great, I'm glad you picked it." He replied, taking a bite of eggs. I blushed lightly and began my own meal. We ate in silence that grew more and more awkward the longer it stretched, at least for me. If he was uncomfortable, it didn't show. I tried to think of anything to say to break the silence between us. The only thing I could come up with was the typical chick question.

"What are you thinking of, Alric?" I said, and his hand twitched, dropping his fork onto his plate with a clink. He looked up at me and smirked.

"I was thinking of singing something for the sole purpose of seeing if you'd sing with me, but now it's all about how much I like the sound of my name on your lips." I glanced down, fiddling with the cloth napkin in my lap.

"I'll...have to say it more." I said quietly.

"You will." He replied. I lifted my eyes and met his, a crooked but kind smile on his face. I returned a shy smile and felt a very familiar feeling in my chest, a feeling that caused a cold chill to shoot down my spine in response. Before I could even face the feeling, a knock sounded at the door. We both looked over at it, the moment broken.

"I'm not sure where everyone's manners are coming from today, but I like it." Alric told me with a laugh as he stood. He walked to it and called out, "Who is it?"

"It is Bartalbe." Came the demon's response. Alric pulled the door open at once, smirking at him.

"You missed breakfast. Tough break, demon." He told him. Bartalbe swept in, closing the door behind him, chuckling.

"Will I ever be the same again?" He asked mockingly.

"Nope." The human replied, causing me a small laugh. Bartalbe turned to me and smiled deeply, a gentle hum in his chest.

"Maria." He greeted me. I smiled back.

"Bartalbe." I returned. I noticed Alric standing rather still behind Bartalbe, his face a mask of neutrality, but his eyes held a spark of anger...why? He blinked it away quickly, and walked past him to my side, silently offing to take my empty plate. I gave him a small nod and he took it away, along with his own, and started to clean up his kitchenette. He cleared his throat and spoke to the sink, but in a voice loud enough to carry over the running water.

"Bartalbe, be a lamb and cast that spell from yesterday, would you? I have no intention of hurting...Maria today." He said, glancing at me as he spoke my name. Bartalbe chuckled heartily and snapped his fingers.

"It is done. But how does that make me a lamb?" He asked, causing Alric and I to laugh loudly.

"It's another human expression." Alric explained, gasping for breath between bursts of laughter. Bartalbe took a seat near me at the table, looking a bit confused and contemplative. I could tell he was trying to pinpoint the origins of such a strange phrase.

"It is odd of you, however, to pass up the chance to cause harm to another being." Bartalbe said to Alric slyly, examining his small claws in an attempt to appear nonchalant. Alric faced the demon, a hand on his hip and an eyebrow arched.

"Do you want me to hurt her?" He asked playfully. Bartalbe laughed and waved a hand.

"You should have guessed by now that I do not...I am merely pointing out that it is strange that you do not." Bartalbe said, smirking at the human. He blinked.

"I'm shocked and appalled that you think that way about me...hurt, even!" He expressed, and continued cleaning the dishes while I muffled my laughter.

"He was being sarcastic." I told Bartalbe, who looked more confused than ever. He pondered this a moment as Alric finished up the dishes and dried his hands on a white cloth.

"Well if you are not going to harm her, what are we going to do to occupy ourselves while left alone in here?" Bartalbe asked conversationally. Alric opened his mouth to reply, but another knock at the door cut him off. Alric faced it blankly before bursting into uproarious laughter once again as he approached it.

"Who is it?!" He called out through his mirth.

"It's Asar." Came the reply from the other side. Alric pulled the door open, grinning at the young jackal demon spawned from The MorningStar.

"Come in kid, you missed breakfast; just like your mentor here." He said, pointing to Bartalbe, who shrugged.

"I am certain I'll live." He assured the room.

"I already ate anyway." Asar told Alric. Behind the human, Bartalbe gave Asar a knowing glare, and Asar at once added.

"But thank you for the offer, Lord Alric, perhaps another day." Bartalbe passed me a relieved glance, and I stifled my giggles. Alric, who hadn't seen Bartalbe's gesture behind him, smirked at Asar.

[Rylias Shadow]

"Lord, huh? There's no need for that...but maybe Bartalbe isn't a total loss to have raised such a polite youth." Alric said with a white grin. Asar raised an eyebrow.

"Youth? I'm a man by your human standards, L- Alric." He argued, managing to stop himself from adding the honorific. Bartalbe chuckled.

"But to our kind, you are still young, barely viewed as full grown. You are only a hundred and fifty years old."

"A hundred and fifty-seven." Asar grumbled, moving to sit at my other side. He beamed at me.

"Lady Maria, nice to see you again." He said, taking my hand from the table to kiss it. I laughed lightly.

"I'm not-" I started, but he cut me off.

"Don't say you aren't worthy of the title; you have the favor and admiration of Lord Bartalbe, not an easy feat. You also have the favor of Alric over there, who my Lord Bartalbe respects deeply. You are more than you think you are." He told me grinning. I chuckled; I remember when Santiago said that to me mere months ago. Alric planted a hand on the table and leaned over to glare into Asar's face.

"Who says she has my favor? I won't hesitate to kill her should the need arise." He growled at the jackal demon, who gave him a look of innocent curiosity.

"You fed her, didn't you?" He asked. Alric blinked, but Asar continued. "You let her play yesterday after you spent the day not torturing her as you were ordered...right? Lastly, what do you plan to do with her today?"

I kept my eyes lowered, and cast a glance at Bartalbe. He looked a bit pale, his eyes wide. We both knew Asar had directly challenged Alric with his words, which was a dangerous idea. Alric turned his head slowly to look up at the clock, which read 11:57am. He returned his gaze to the golden eyes of Asar.

"You're lucky it's not noon yet, you mischievous little imp." He grumbled and Asar grinned at him. Alric kept his bearing a moment before I giggled lightly at the stare down. Alric faced me and grinned widely.

"She could play for us again." Alric suggested, his eyes glittering a bit as he looked at me. I met his eyes and upon not being dragged into a vision, I simply studied his eyes. They weren't as black as they had seemed before; they looked rather on the chocolate side, and they had a light in them I wasn't used to seeing. I felt a light blush creeping into my face as his intense gaze never faltered. Bartalbe cleared his throat loudly, and Alric gave him a death glare that lasted only half a heartbeat.

"I suppose I could play something." I said, my gaze turned from them all to spot the keyboard again. I walked over to it and seated myself at it, the electric guitar still sitting nearby. I smiled to myself as I decided on the first song I'd play. I doubted Alric would like it much, but I liked it, and I knew the demons would like anything I played. I played “The Rose”. It was beautiful, touching and short, and it was one of my favorite songs to sing. Alric walked over to stand in front of the keyboard, leaned on it and watched me with a small smile. I alternated between watching my hands and his eyes until the song ended, and the trio clapped a bit for me. I rubbed my neck shyly.

"What next?" Alric asked. I grinned up at him, causing his eyes to shimmer a bit, and I started a cheery sounding tune on the keyboard that he recognized almost at once. He laughed and let me sing through the piano opener, coming swiftly around to scoop up the guitar. Once the guitar kicked in, he played flawlessly, a feat for the particular song. It was "Where Dragons Rule", from a band notorious for some of the fastest playing in the world. It impressed the hell out of me that he could play on the level of Dragonforce, and I was sure the demons were just as floored.

"In this land we have defended from all things dark and cruel, now we are defenseless in a land where dragons rule!" We sang over the instruments together until the guitar had to stop and allow the piano the last few measures alone. Alric set it down, laughing to himself.

"That was exhilarating; I didn't know I still had it in me." He admitted as the demons applauded the performance.

"That was amazing!" Asar praised. Alric gave him a smirk.

"Of course it was." He said simply, glancing at me again. It warmed me through to my core to see him smiling at me that way, but was it supposed to? I saw the corner of his mouth threaten to lift even higher, but yet another knock sounded at his door, causing him to whirl to face it, groaning loudly and angrily.

"Damn it! Who the hell is it?!" He yelled at his door.

"It's me, Furry Tull!" Came the cheerful call from the other side, as if the speaker knew Alric wouldn't cast his rage on him.

"Oh, shit, it's Jethro!" Alric cried with palpable relief, even joy. He threw the door open at once and pulled the very strange creature standing there into a one-armed embrace.

"Ah...Jethro." Bartalbe added, not sounding pleased at all. Asar chuckled and rolled his eyes at me. I had to laugh at the Jethro Tull reference, and the fact that there was actually someone named Jethro. Alric stepped back from Jethro and let me have a good look at him. He was a demon-animal hybrid like Asar, but his whole humanoid form was covered in dark gray fur. He had a cat's features, bright blue eyes, and looked rather like an anthropomorphic cat rather than a demon, his long tail swinging by his huge cat paws.

"This is my furry Tull friend, Jethro." Alric introduced him to me, chuckling at the reference again. The cat demon grinned at me, flashing his cat fangs at me. He slid over to kiss the back of my hand. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing in a dark, dank place like this?" He asked, winking one of his baby blues at me. I laughed as Alric bent down to put his lips next to my ear.

"He's a notorious flirt, watch out for him." He whispered, sending obvious shivers down my body. Jethro looked up at him, offended.

"Free love advocate, sir." He corrected, waving a thick finger at Alric. "By the way, I came here to tell you that-" Jethro started, but a sudden death glare from Alric shut him up at once. He stumbled a bit over his words, recovering.

"Uh, shall we talk outside then?" He asked, jerking a thumb at the door. Alric nodded, and the two slipped out and into the corridor, leaving the demons and I to look around confused at each other. Bartalbe met my eyes and laid a finger against his own lips. He could probably hear the two outside with perfect clarity, and I was betting Asar could as well. Either Alric forgot this fact, or whatever he and Jethro were discussing was to be kept from me. I was certain it was the latter; I doubted Alric would simply forget about their extraordinary hearing. I frowned; what did he want to keep from me? Could I get Bartalbe to reveal it to me? A mere moment later, Alric stepped back into the room, Jethro poked his head inside and gave everyone a wave.

"I'll see everyone tomorrow." He told us brightly before heading down the hall and away from us. Alric closed the door with a sweep of his foot. Bartalbe rolled his eyes and gave a heavy sigh.

"Good, the rascal is elsewhere." He growled, causing Alric to chuckle.

"What's wrong with Jethro?" Bartalbe raised his eyebrows at Alric, and Asar stifled his laughter.

"He's rather annoying, narcissistic, self-centered, and mouthy. He's out to drive everyone he meets mad." Bartalbe explained, counting on his fingers. Alric waved a hand dismissively at him.

"No he's not, that's ridiculous."

"To each their own." Bartalbe stated darkly. About this time, Asar got to his feet and sat on the other end of the little keyboard bench, putting him on my left. He looked down at me, and I up at him, his eyes searching mine.

"There is something odd about you, something I have yet to put my finger on. It seems familiar to me, but I know no human would sense it, because no human has heard of it, if it what I believe it is." He explained, catching the attention of the others nearby. He grasped my chin gently, keeping my face upturned to his.

"What is it that you bear that no other human possesses or recognizes?" He asked. I blinked at him and smiled lightly.

"You're a very observant creature, and it's no surprise to me that you'd notice it first." I told him, smiling at him again.

"Notice what?" A voice asked of us at once. I chuckled as I looked over at Alric, who looked back with eyes of concern, confusion, suspicion, and the edge of anger I expected from suddenly revealing a secret to him. He was very much the sort of man who would hate to be out of the loop on any information, especially concerning someone he might care about. That thought almost made me blush, but I remained composed.

[Rylias Shadow]

"I'm not entirely human anymore." I said, returning my eyes to Asar. His smirk deepened and his eyebrows furrowed slightly for a moment.

"So what are you now?" He asked me, leaning over me a bit, grinning playfully.

"Yes, do tell." Alric added quickly, his eyes growing slightly angrier. I blinked again, taking in a small breath before I spoke.

"When the barrier broke and I learned of my powers, I read every text I could find on Earth and on the demons we killed, looking for ways to increase my power. I found a spell to gain the power of an animal, but it was complicated; it was an adaptation of a demon's spell that a human could perform. I performed it, and it worked. I'm the only human who's ever successfully performed the spell." I explained to the room. Alric stared me down a moment, then grabbed the back of a chair and set it at the right end of the bench I was on. He sat at my right side and looked over at me.

"Is that right?" He asked, his voice thrumming with interest. "You sought power, so you performed a spell that has never worked, and it actually worked?" He questioned, his head canted slightly to the side, a twinkle in his very brown eyes. I smirked at him.

"It worked perfectly. I became the first and only human-animal hybrid." I told him. His eyebrows shot up, and a smirk curled his mouth at once.

"Do explain. Spare no detail." He commanded in a very Marine-like way, shifting into a comfy position in his chair, his hands clasped in his lap.

"Yes, this is most interesting." Asar added, grinning. I smiled at him, Alric and Bartalbe, and I cleared my throat to begin my tale.

"The spell was written out and several steps. This was no ordinary spell; it was written in the text that for the spell to work, one had to make an epic quest of it. The first step was for find the animal in its natural habitat, the longer you have to travel to get there, the better. It shows your devotion to the task." I began to explain. Alric straightened up in his chair and set his left hand palm up on his left knee. I glanced at it, then turned my eyes to him. His eyes darted from mine to his hand and back to my eyes.

"Take it." He said softly. I raised my hand hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" I asked him. He nodded.

"With you talking through your memory, you could guide my clairvoyancy." Alric explained. "I'd like to see what happened." I searched his eyes a moment, and laid my right hand over his. He interlaced his fingers with mine, holding me tightly, but not to crush me...more like as though he never wanted to let go. I couldn't fight the blush, but luckily Alric had stiffened up, his eyes drifting closed.

"Talk." He whispered into the air. I absently rubbed his hand with my thumb as I spoke again.

"I borrowed my father's Jeep Wrangler and drove into the mountains, left at six AM and didn't stop until easily midnight or one AM. Once I got where I was going, I backpacked into the woods until four or four-thirty AM when I found the right spot for the task." I said, glancing at Alric again. His eyes had opened, but they were clouded, meaning he was sunk into my memories, but a pleasant one this time. His face was serene and calm, a good sign. I smiled lightly, my hand tightening around his.

"I had brought with me a wooden flute and a few slabs of medium rare, unseasoned meat in plastic bags. The next step was to charm the animal with out causing it harm, I figured music to lure it and meat to feed it was a good start. I sat under a tree, playing the flute until the sun began to rise, giving the world a soft gray glow. The rays hadn't broken the horizon yet. Finally, over a hill before me, a few wolves came to investigate the odd noise."

"Wolves?" Bartalbe asked. I nodded.

"Wolves."

"Humans greatly fear wolves; why would you chose this animal to fight against our kind?" Bartalbe asked.

"I happen to love wolves, Bartalbe, I've always had a connection with them, as you might have discovered." I said, pulling at the blouse he had conjured for me. His emerald eyes danced over the wolf designs, causing him to smirk and nod.

"Ah, yes. That explains it all." He added thoughtfully.

"There were three of them, and only one came down the hill towards me. He was clearly old, his eyes weren't as bright as they should have been. I kept playing, and the wolf even seemed to dance to the music I played." I said, and out of no where, Alric began to hum the tune I had played for the wolf. I bit back a giggle, and continued my story.

"After the song, I shared the meat in my pack with him, taking bites of the meat before offering it to him."

"A sign of good faith, proof it wouldn't hurt him." Asar said, nodding enthusiastically.

"Yes. He soon nuzzled my hand and licked my face, and I decided it was time. The last step was offer the animal a gift in exchange for their essence; a piece of their thought process, their instincts, their power, their physical traits. This wolf was old, and as I searched for what I wanted from him, I found out that he feared growing old. He was Alpha of his pack and he wanted to stay Alpha for the good of his wolves. I granted him his youth and a slightly extended life. He was grateful enough to mark me as his own pack once I took on wolfish physical traits that I learned to hide with another spell." I ended my story, looking around at the to impressed demons. I glanced at Alric, who's eyes were clearing as I watched. He blinked and let out a heavy breath before turning to face me. He smiled at me brightly, the brightest and most genuine smile he'd ever given me, and he gripped my hand all the tighter, reminding me that he still had it. I felt my heart stop at the sight, my cheeks burning with a blush. His eyes searched mine in a way that made my heart race.

"Um...I'll be back." Alric told the room smartly, promptly stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him. I looked on, confused, and trying to remind myself that he was crazy...or played it well. I looked over at Bartalbe, who shrugged.

"He must need a moment alone." Bartalbe suggested. Asar nodded thoughtfully.

"He must." He added. "It would be unwise to follow after him; we'll remain here." Bartalbe said mostly to Asar, who nodded at him. Bartalbe glanced at me and smirked.

"You seem to have charmed him rather well, Maria." He teased. I rubbed the back of my head shyly.

“I should like to see these wolfish features you possess, Lady Maria.” Asar said with a teasing grin at the use of the title.

“I had a spell concealing it active before they put this collar on me, but it should have ended when they put it on. I don't feel my magic around me.” I told him.

“I was the one who had to place the collar on you, and I felt you wanted such a secret kept. My spell hides your features from all eyes.” Bartalbe told me, and raised a hand. I felt the spell he spoke of fade, and my animal features were revealed. I slowly wagged my tail, letting it wrap around my legs so I could see it.

“Beautiful.” Bartalbe said smiling. Asar nodded.

“Yes, I agree.” He said.

It was about then that Alric came brusquely back into the room. He resumed his seat beside me, looking over my wolf ears, tail, small claws and pointed fangs. He was silent for a moment.

“Well you can't argue if someone were to call you a bitch.” Alric stated flatly. I raised an eyebrow.

“Was that necessary?” I asked. He shrugged.

“Probably not, but I'm through being nice today. To anyone. I have some things to think about, so everyone go away.” Alric said calmly. Bartalbe and Asar glanced at each other.

“Well, we should go then.” Bartalbe said, and held out a hand to me. I took it and stood, and he lead me to the door, Asar following behind me. I looked over my shoulder and into Alric's eyes before I left the room, and they held a strange look in them. The door was pulled shut by Asar, and I was taken back to my cell.