ABOUT ME

STORIES

DIABLO 2

Arasiia Seberosa- The Devil Laid Before Us

Chapter 1 (Parts One-Three, Parts Four-Six, Part Seven)

Dragging the last body into the dimly light cellar, I shoved it into the tiny cupboard, where it joined the rest of its family.  Wiping the blood off my mouth, with the back of my hand I smiled.  It had been so long since I’d had such a filling meal.  Retracing my steps back into the kitchen, I sat down at the table, and examined the wound in my leg.  Running my finger along the inside of my knee, I felt no scare.  Pleased that the wound had healed with the intake of fresh blood, I rose, and stepped into the hallway.  Looking on my left I saw nothing.  But I did see something.  Turning around, I stared long and hard, into a reflection less mirror.  Twisting my lips into a hideous grin, I turned around, and continued my short walk to the door.  Opening the door a crack, I peered out into the empty, moonlit street.  Opening the door fully, I pulled my cloak tighter around me, and stepped out onto the cold hard street.  Pulling my hood down a little lower, I began a quick walk up the street.  Keeping to the shadows of the over looming houses, I covered the blocks of the city quickly.  Sound carries far in the night, and I was careful with my footing, as I made my way across the city.  Blocks back, I could hear the sound of searching men, as they checked each house, in their struggling search to find me.  Stepping up to the corner, I cursed the torch above my head.  As I reached up to douse it, a distant clanking noise got my attention.  Peering around the corner, I barely made out a silvery form, making its way down the street.  Light footed, I sprinted across the street, and into a dark alley.  Squatting down, I watched as the figure continued his patrol up the street.  Coming back around the corner of the alley, I set my back against the wall, and waited.  In time, the guard would check the alley.  The easiest food is the food that comes to you.

Running as fast as I could down the street, I chased after him….it….whatever that thing was.  With my heart pounding in my chest, I continued the chase.  I could just make it out, a fleeing shadow in the night.. a fleeing wraith. 

“Stop you murdering scum! YOU KILLED MY BOY!” I shouted after his fleeing body, anger seething in my eyes.

Barely recognizable up ahead, the wraith turned around, and eerily whispered back,

“I know you can hear me Eanna.  This is your time.  It is your time to join us”

“What are you talking about! JUST GIVE ME BACK MY LIFE!” I screamed back,

In my rage, I could hardly see where I was going.  Running full pelt in the dead of the night, isn’t the smartest thing to do.  Undetected in the gloom, was an uneven piece of street.  Catching my foot on the upraised block, I fell face first onto the cold pavement, knocking the breath out of me.  Of course, the bad luck happens to me.  Landing on my wrist, turned up, it instantly broke, as it collided with the hard pavement.  Screaming in pain, my vision blurred to black, as the agonizing pain set in.  Out of the corner of my vision, I saw a black shape materialize from the shadows.  Moving towards me, he smoothed my fear, “Don’t fear me, I’m here to help you.  Don’t fight it, let it be you”

With this, he leant down by my side, and moved the hair from my neck.

“Let yourself become what you are.  You can feel it already”  With this, he bent down towards my neck, and pulled back his lips, before…

“Anybody in there???” the guard asked, peering into my alley

“Ahhhh Sir Knight”, I slurred, walking towards him, “Would you like….a little of me?”

“What are you talking about woman! You’re crazy.  Why aren’t you inside like all other normal people.  I’m going to have to take you to the prison, there is a mad thing around in this town and…..”he stopped short, a horrified expression on his face.

Slowly walking towards him, I had pulled my cloak down over my shoulders, and past my breasts.  Seductively walking towards him, as he stared at my chest, I edged closer, and closer to him. 

“Like I said, do you want to share me?”

Stuttering, he replied “I, I, I. No wait! You are coming with me heathen. Now put your cloak back on and..”

Too late for him.  Close enough now to reach him, I lashed out with my hand, and wrapped my icy fingers around his throat.  Squeezing hard, I slowly choked the life force out of him.  He feebly tried to raise his sword, but I swiftly kicked it from his hand, sending it soaring through the air, only to clatter onto the street.  With my free hand, I slowly ran it up his leg, and past his groin onto his stomach.  Tracing a light line across his stomach, I began to circle it.  Closing my eyes, I began to concentrate.  My finger became a mind of its own.  Tracing designs, long lost to the mortals, I began a soft chant inside my mind.  Releasing my iron grip on his neck, so that he would live for a while longer, my finger traced the last design necessary on his stomach.  Opening my eyes, I stared straight into his, and opened my mouth in a huge smile.

“Do you have a little stomach ache?” I taunted him.  The smile wiped off my face, as I uttered a command. “This might hurt a little”

The guard clutched his stomach with his hand, and stared disbelieving as his stomach grew larger and larger.  The intense pain, forced his veins to enlarge, distorting his face, and putting pressure on the eyeballs.  Unable to take any more strain, one of the eyeballs collapsed in on itself.  Screaming in agony, he raised his hands to his collapsed eye, leaving his ever expanding stomach, open to the elements.

Waving my finger at him, I said “Tsk Tsk.  Not the smartest thing to do now was it?”

Unable to respond because he had bitten off his own tongue, the guard dropped to his knees, and gurgled one final sound, before the skin on his stomach, became so taut, that it ripped.  Splitting in two, the stomach continued to rupture, spitting out that which it held.  Dropping to the ground dead, his stomach greedily emptied its contents onto the ground.  Laughing, I stepped over the body, and back onto the street.

Now far away from the pleasurable experience with guard, I continued my little trek of the city.  Feeling a little dry, I decided to stop for some food.  Not in the mood for antics, I walked up to the first door I saw, and ran my hand over it.  Unfortunately it was locked.  I thought to myself, I have two options.  Deciding on the second, I arched back, and lashed out with my foot.  Hitting the door dead centre, it split under the force of my foot.  Crashing inwards, I jumped over the top of it, and sprinted down the dark alleyway.   Reaching the end, I peered into the last room.  Sure enough, the couple was throwing on clothes, and were about to run out of the room, when I decided it was time to make an entrance.  Stepping into the room, I grabbed the man by his hair, and threw him against the wall, instantly snapping his neck.

“O poor mortal. So frail and weak”

Screaming, the elderly woman, tried to run past me.  Grabbing her by the hair, I reached down with my other hand, and took hold of her hand.  Running my smooth cold hands along the back of her wrinkled, warm, and pink hand, I reached her wrist.  Calmly, I applied pressure, until I felt the bone snap in two.  Laughing evilly, I pushed her onto the bed.  A better idea had come to mind.  Sure enough, there was a sound in the corridor.  Stepping up to and by the side of the door, I waited.  Into the room, came a little boy, no older than 9.  Coming into the room rubbing his eyes, he cried out,

“Mommy! What’s going on”,

But mother did not reply, but instead sat holding her useless hand, and stared at my black form.  Revealing my teeth, I grabbed the boy from behind, and slammed my teeth down onto his neck.  Drinking deeply, I sucked on his neck, as I took into me, his sweet child nectar.  Taking the last drop, I let his lifeless body slump to the floor.  Licking the blood off my lips, I moved towards the lady on the bed.

.

Disgusted, I kicked the bed over, with the body.  Ugh, that was disgusting.  I need more, to wash away this foul taste.  Spitting onto the corpse of the male, I left the room, and hurried out of the house, and not a moment too soon.  Sprinting from the doorway, I set off down the street.  Shouts of alarm came down the street as the guards gave up the chase.  It would seem, that my antics gave me….some followers.  Smiling in the glowing twilight, I crossed the street, and looked behind me.  Lumbering behind, by about 20 meters, were to guards.  Looking up at the roof above me, I sprung myself off with my legs, and scrambled up the wall.  Grabbing the edge, and quickly pulling myself over, I changed direction, and jumped backwards to the building behind me.  Sneaking across the roof, I got to the edge, and looked down.  The fatter of the guards, was lagging behind, as the younger one, the more….eager to please guard ran ahead, in vain trying to catch me.  Smiling to myself, I slid off the building, and landed quietly in the dark beside the building.  Sprinting into the street, I came up behind the fat guard.  In an instant, I had my vice like hands around his neck.  Moving a little down, I cupped his chin with my hand, and in one motion, twisted his neck violently.  I howled with joy, as I heard the all to familiar snap…the snap which brings death.  The guard in front, turned in horror.

“What’s the matter young one, a little afraid of me?” I asked laughing

Putting on a brave face, and puffing out his frail little chest, he drew his sword from its scabbard, “If you think I am so afraid, why don’t you fight me creature of the night”

Without a reply, I drew the dagger from my belt, and ran my hand once again along its rubies.  Grinning devilishly, I twirled the dagger around in my hand, before in an instant, I let the dagger fly.  Spinning through the air, rubies flashing in the night, it struck the warrior, piercing his armor, and crushing his heart. 

“A quick death, for one so brave” Casually walking over, I stopped by his body.  Peering into his unseeing eyes, I felt no remorse.  It was just another body in my wake, and there were many more to come.  Reaching down, I gripped the handle, and removed it from his heart, the blade crimson with blood.  Bringing it to my mouth, I stopped, just before I ran my tongue over the blade.  Should I drink from one so young and brave?  Remember the

foul acid of the lady, I pushed this vile thought from my mind, and ran my tongue over the blade, savoring the blood of the young and innocent.  Moaning, I took every last drop off the blade, before sheathing it back where it belonged.  Reaching down, I ran my hand along the gauge that opened his heart.  Reaching inside, I slowly gripped his heart in my fingers.  Encircling it, I yanked my arm back, bringing with it, the heart of the innocent.

“Stop creature of the night. You shall not feed on the innocent tonight”

Screaming with rage, I turned around to face the speaker.  There, at the end of the street, was the knight.

“Come again to stop me have you Janus.  You cant stop me, it isn’t in your heart.”

“Leave that boys spirit in peace, or I shall strike you down”

Laughing at him, I replied “You mean this spirit?”, and with that, I took a large bite of the heart.  Savoring the still warm blood, I swallowed it. 

“You are sick, and foul mother”

“I know but you still love me”, and with that, I threw the heart with all my might at Janus, who quickly blocked the organ with his shield.  With that, I took off at a sprint down the street.  Urging his horse on Janus gave up the chase, the horses’ feet clattering on the road, as he slowly gained on me.  Realizing this, I leapt up on to the roof of a house, and continued my run by way of the rooftops.  Coming even with me, on the street, Janus followed me, with his hearing only.  The only glimpses that he saw of me, was a fleeing wraith, in the dark night, when I jumped the buildings.  After 5 minutes, the wall comes into view.  Realizing this, Janus rode ahead, and called forth the archers.  Lining up on the wall, they lit their arrows on fire, and put them ready on their arrows.  200 meters away from the wall, I still moved steady towards them.  Nothing would stop me.  With only 100 meters to spare, the archers raised their bows, and pulled back the string.  Taking careful aim, they let loose their arrows.  Deflecting one arrow with my arm, and the others missing, I continued my move towards the wall.  The archers never had a chance to fire again.  A black form climbed over the wall, and one by one, pushed the archers off the wall, to fall to their death, slamming into the pavement.  Reaching the end, I leapt clear off the wall, and rolled as I hit the grass.  Sprinting towards the safety of the forest, I noticed something beside me.  Glad in jet black robes, and head covered in a hood, a figure easily kept up with me.  It was the figure from the wall.  Upon entering the forest, I twisted and landed a sharp kick to the side of the figure, with the force to send the figure into a large tree, halting all movement, as I came back down, and continued my run.

Feint touches of red began to creep into the sky, as the oncoming dawn approached.  Struggling through the vines, and weaving my way elegantly between the ancient trees, I plodded along through the vast forest.  Continuously looking at the rising sun, I made my way towards the lifeless rock face.  After breaking through two vicious vine bushes, leaving cuts and droplets of blood on my arms and legs, I reached out, and ran my hands over the bumpy rock face.  Following the cliff I began to move faster as the sun began to reach higher and higher, revealing more and more light.  After struggling on for five more minutes, I knew my time was running out.  Breaking through thick leaves, I walked into a small clearing.  Without taking the time to study this perfect circular clearing, I moved my way towards the clumped vines, hugging the base of a large ancient tree.  As I made my towards the tree, I looked up, and watched the tree….breath.  With great groans, the ancient tree swelled out, and then in, continuously letting the tree live.  Reaching the outer ring of vines, I reached out to part them so as to reach the tree.  Just before touching the vines, the earth beneath my feet shuddered, and then collapsed in on itself, and taking me with it.  Falling down after what seemed like hours, but was only seconds, my feet touched ground steadily.  Standing to my full height, I peered into the gloom surrounding me.  Taking a step away from the hole, I decided to explore my new environment.  And not a second too soon.  Light began to pour through the hole in the forest floor above, lighting up where I was stood.  Looking back over my shoulder calmly, I set out into the cave. 

The sound of crunching earth filled my ears, until the tips of my fingers, were laid on the bare wall, the back of the cave.  Looking around me, I judged the size of the cave, to be that of a small house.  Disheartened that I hadn’t found anything useful, I made my way back again to the centre of the cave.  Staring at the round spotlight of light, I began to feel my luck.  Hidden from the sun, and any pursuers, I decided it would be time to rest.  Making my way back towards the rear of the cave, I put my back against the cold earth, and closed my eyes.

“Out of the corner of my vision, I saw a black shape materialize from the shadows.  Moving towards me, he smoothed my fear, “Don’t fear me, I’m here to help you.  Don’t fight it, let it be you”

With this, he leant down by my side, and moved the hair from my neck.

“Let yourself become what you are.  You can feel it already”  With this, he bent down towards my neck, and pulled back his lips, before…he was violently kicked in the stomach and sent rolling across the pavement into the side of a house.  With the last of my strength, I looked up, and saw a black robed figure, landing softly on his feet.  My eyes traveled over the figure, before I saw the cold pavement looming up to my eyes, before my mind shut off.  The only sense that worked, was my hearing.  The only sound that filled my ears, was that of fighting, grunting, and the trade of blows, before finally even the sense of hearing was lost to my aching mind.

Slowly, my mind fought off the drowsiness, and slowly, one by one, returned my sense to me.  Slowly and painfully shaking my head, I began to take in my surroundings.  Trying to move, I realized my hands were tied to the bed frame.    Struggling against my bonds, I cried out in pain, as the callous rope cut into my skin.  Kicking wildly on the bed, I tried to snap the bed post and pull myself free.  Slumping in defeat as the ropes wickedly sliced my flesh, I lay in wait for the sickened soul who had chained me here.

After laying there for what seemed like an eternity, I heard a voice in the distance,

“Seems I am here once again….”

The sound of earth hitting earth slowly awoke me up.  Fluttering open my eyelids, I peered into the foggy gloom.  Slowly standing up, I shuffled my way towards where I thought the hole in the forest floor to be.

Through a muttering of laughter, I heard a voice say “Tsk tsk, over here Eanna”

Quickly straightening up at the mention of my name, I spun around, trying to pick out the speaker.

“Up here Eanna.  Stop spinning, and move towards my voice”

Slowly I stopped searching for him, but relied rather on my hearing.

“Keep talking fool, or I won’t be able to find you”.  As he started to whistle, I slowly began to move towards him.  Finally, I looked up, and saw nothing.  Then a shape moved, and the stars were revealed to me, but were quickly lost again to a black shape.  Suddenly, a rope landed beside my feet.  Looking up, I could see the thick coil falling from the hole above.  Once again I could see the stars.

“The rope is secure, come on up Eanna, Ill be waiting” he laughed

Testing the rope, I found it secure.  Shrugging to myself, I began to climb it.  It wouldn’t matter if he was playing a cruel joke on me, I had nothing to lose.  I wouldn’t be able to make it out in my weak condition.  Climbing hand over hand, I quickly made my way up the rope, until I could grasp the edge of the hole, and slowly pull myself up.  After crawling my way out of the hole, I lay on my back, and gasped for air.  Laying there for about a full minute, I slowly stood up unsteadily on my feet.  Adjusting my eyes to the darkness of the forest, I cautiously moved toward the ring of trees surrounding the clearing.  All senses on their highest peak, I steadily moved towards the trees.

“I think I owe you something Eanna” a voice said out of the darkness

Instantly stopping, I attempted to throw myself to the ground, but unfortunately I was to slow.  Out of the darkness came a shape, flying towards me.  The blow caught me in the chest.  The force of the blow sent me flying backwards, where my flight was stopped suddenly by the ring of trees.  My back crashing into the tree, I slumped to the ground dazed.  Slowly feeling my way in front of me, I began to stand up, shaking my head, in the attempt to clear the cobwebs from it.

Laughing harshly, the voice said “I think you need to feed Eanna, you were never this slow”

My eyes burning angrily, I rolled to my feet, and turned to face the speaker.  Spinning around, searching the forest, I spied a large shape moving towards me.  Jumping out of the way, only seconds before the object struck the ground where I was stood.  Moving over to inspect it, I realized that it was the body of a town guard.  A clean guard at that.  Quickly dropping to my knees, I punctured his neck with my fangs, ad began to drink deeply, enjoying the rush of new life inside of me.  Feeling new strength, I continued to drink the blood of the free.  With the last drop gone, I threw back my head, and screamed with delight.  Licking my lips, I stood up, and savored every last drop off my teeth.

“Mmmmm, that was good. Give me more” I murmured into the night.

“Ask and you shall receive Eanna” the night replied chuckling.

Another body landed with a THUMP next to my waiting feet.  Once again, I hungrily fed off its blood, feeling stronger and stronger with every drop.  Body after body fell by my side, as I greedily took the lives of those I hated.

“That is enough Eanna” the night snapped

Taking the last few drops from another guard, I stood up, savoring the delicious and delightful taste of life in my mouth.  Laughing evilly at the bodies that lay drained around me, I said “Come out creature of the night.  I would like to give you a proper thank you”

Slowly but distinctly a shadow emerged from the line of trees in front of me.  Slowly but purposefully moving towards me, the shape began to become distinct.   It was the robed figure from the city.  Stopping about 3 meters from me, it just stood there, with its hands in the sleeves of its robes.  After 2 whole minutes of silence, the figure removed its hands from the sleeves, and slowly pulled back the hood.  Two bright blue glowing orbs became visible, ever so slightly moving, as they studied my every detail.  My eyes stared back, taking in every detail of my guest.  A flawless face, devoid of any scars or markings, and one that could show any or no emotion, was framed by long beautiful silver hair that flared in the moonlight.

“Long time no see is it not Eanna?”

“Returned for me have you? Returned to finish what you could not?  “, I fired back angrily

Laughing, he replied, “No no my Dear Eanna, I am here to help you.  But my my, your temper hasn’t improved”

My face flaring, I snapped back, “it was YOU who created this temper Sialis”

Eyes burning with anger, his hands snapped from their hidden position under his robe, to snap coldly around my throat, squeezing harder and harder.

“Do not be a fool Eanna.  I was stronger than you, and I still am stronger than you.  Do not make me prove it to you, you are but a child” he hissed

Furious at his treatment of me, I attempted to lock my own hands around his throat, but he quickly released one of his hands, and knocked both my arms to my side, repeatedly beating down my offensive attacks.  Realizing I couldn’t even reach him, I slowly let his hands crush the life out of me.  Just before my last breath was wrought, I felt the pain lessen, as he released my neck.

“Remember this Eanna.  Do not seek to cross my back.  Now, let us set out, we have a far way to go”, and with this last statement, he moved into the trees, leaving me with the only option left.  To follow him.