She continued to stare into his eyes as a solitary tear fell from hers, and traveled down her cheek. Ethan broke the lock his eyes had on hers, and looked slightly down at her moist red lips, which were slightly parted in anticipation. Ethan then took his hand off her heart, placed it behind her head, then assertively pulled her towards him and locked his lips with hers. They began to kiss each other with increasing passion as the young woman tore his jacket off, and tossed it aside. She then pulled his shirt off, and aggressively pushed him onto his back, as she then climbed on top. Ethan ran his hands up her thighs starting at the knees, while she reached behind and unclasped her blouse, pulling it down to her waist. She then tore out the tattered piece of string that held her long hair back, and shook her head, allowing the independent strands of silk to fall freely over her body. Then, she quickly moved to unbuckle his belt. Before she could completely remove it, Ethan quickly sat up, grasped a handful of hair, and gently, but purposefully, pulled it back, causing Melody to arch her neck. He then gracefully threw her down and climbed on top of her, grabbing onto her thigh as he used his other hand to finish off the stubborn belt. Once he was rid it, he leaned down to kiss the young harlot, feeling as his chest met hers, creating warmth that could keep out even the most bitter of chills. The sun has nearly set, as the black silhouette of the two was outlined by the blazing red-orange glow from the burning village nearby. Melody grasped hard on his back, and could feel as he trembled with a combined sense of inexperience. As their passion climaxed, Ethan stopped and stared into the harlot’s eyes. She gently took her hands away from his back, and placed them on his face, wiping a singular tear away with her thumb. For a few brief moments, the two lingered in each other’s eyes, not saying anything with words, but everything at the same time. Ethan then rolled over onto his back as he continued to breathe hard, and blankly stared at the sky. Melody sat up and turned away as she reached behind her to pull her long silky hair to one side, then slowly pulled her blouse up.
Ethan said as he tried to control his thoughts, “That was… that was… magical!”
Melody didn’t turn around while the teen spoke, as if she was ashamed to face him.
Ethan continued, “I always wondered what it would be like to be with a girl, let alone a woman. Wow… that was just, wow.”
Melody then started to cry with her back still turned.
Ethan sat up and placed his hands on her shoulders, and asked, “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”
Melody turned around, and tears now freely fell from her still blushed face.
Ethan said, “Tell me, what is it?”
Melody finally found the courage to speak, and said, “I sorry… please forgive me.”
“What?” said Ethan, still confused. “Forgive you for what?”
Melody failed to find the next words to say. Instead, her glare turned slightly to the left, as the black outline of a fat man slowly began to come into focus behind the unsuspecting teen. Ethan continued to look at her, as the man revealed himself to be the captured captain, Krog. He carefully approached the teen from behind as he quietly picked up his escaped belt.
She quickly moved her gaze back to Ethan, as she repeated, “…forgive me.”
The unsuspecting teen continued to look confused as Krog pulled the belt tight between his two hands, and in one fluid motion, dropped the belt over Ethan’s head until it was in front on his neck. Before he could respond, Krog violently pulled the belt back backwards, constricting the teen’s neck. Ethan immediately tried to grab the belt that was tightly pulled against his neck in an attempt to pull it away. Krog pulled with all his strength, as Ethan tried to squeeze just one finger in between the leather and his neck, but failed to do so. He struggled to find any ground to place his feet, so to stand up and get leverage, but was consistently jerked onto his back. His face began to turn beet red as his capillaries exploded, causing his eyes to turn to blood. The struggling teen fought with every ounce in his body as the blood supply to his brain was completely cut off. He began to lose function in his body as he continued to claw at the constricting belt, growing weaker with every passing second. Melody watched on in horror as the life slowly begin to fade from his innocent eyes, as they stared straight back into hers. The blurry world through his eyes began to go dark as his body grew limp and lifeless. Krog held on tight as Ethan’s legs gave out a few last weak kicks into the air, then grew still. He waited until he was sure that he was dead before he released the belt, allowing his lifeless and half-naked body to roll over limp onto its side, with his bloodshot eyes still open, frozen in a state of horror.
Melody couldn’t take her eyes off the dead teen, and slowly moved her hands over her mouth. Krog stood up slowly as he caught his breath.
After a moment, he said, “Well done, harlot. I almost thought that you were going to leave me tied to that tree forever. Now, get up!”
Melody failed to pull her gaze away from Ethan’s non-moving body, turning as white as the snow around him.
Krog walked over to her, and shook her shoulders as he said, “Did you hear me? I said get up!” He then pushed her, causing her to fall on her hands. “I hope you are not going back on your word. After all, we had a deal.”
Melody quickly collected herself, as she stood to her feet and wiped her eyes, before saying, “Yes, yes… I’m sorry yes, please, don’t hurt my baby!”
Krog smiled, as he said, “Don’t worry, your child will live as long as you do what you agreed to do.”
The captain noticed that the young woman kept looking over towards Ethan. He turned around and looked at the dead Kain, then turned back to face the harlot.
He said, “What, him? He was an unexpected obstacle, he had to die. Whose life is more important to you, his, or your child’s? You told me that if I spared the life of your son, that you would do whatever I wanted, did you not? Answer me!”
Startled by the captain’s raised voice, Melody replied, “Yes, yes! I still do, please, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it, please just don’t hurt my boy.”
Krog smiled and walked closer to the frightened woman, and ran his scaly finger down her cheek as he looked her up and down.
He then said, “You truly are beautiful, as the young Kain said. It just so happens that you have caught the attention of my master.”
Still trembling, the frightened woman said, “Your… your master?”
“Yes,” replied Krog, as he took a step backwards. “Although we were rudely interrupted by the oh-so brave captain of the Kain’s Guard, I was able to gather my master’s wishes for you. She wants to use you to help build her new army.”
Still shaking in fear, the young harlot replied, “Sshh…she? Your master? WHERE IS MY SON!!!?”
“Don’t worry,” replied Krog, “I let him go, and told him to run as fast as he could until he found some nice Kain family. He’s fine. Well, that’s if you do what I say, of course. I can always change my mind.”
Melody quickly put her emotions and anger in check, and said, “Yes, sorry, of course, um, what does your… mm… master want with me?”
Krog said nothing, and stood completely still as he stared at the harlot. Melody grew increasingly nervous, as Krog then moved to within only inches from her.
He continued to stare into her eyes for a moment, before finally saying, “The Angel… wants you to die!”
With these evil words, Krog pulled out a rusty dagger, and stabbed the unsuspecting woman in the stomach, only an inch beneath her ribcage. She gasped, and grabbed the dagger with both hands, cutting them deep.
“You must die… before you can be born again!”
The young woman helplessly stared at Krog as he pushed the blade upwards, piercing her heart. The horrified eyes of the harlot became still as Krog pulled the dagger out, allowing her body to fall to the ground. He walked backwards as he breathed harder than before with a sense of sick satisfaction.
“She is all yours, my Lady,” said Krog.
; Krog stepped backwards as a flock of pitch black ravens swarmed from behind him towards the dead harlot. As they arrived at her lifeless body, they began to fly in a cyclone around her. Slowly, the harlot’s body began to lift up, as if some invisible hand lifted her back, causing her body to arch. The ravens continued to swarm around her, now flying under her rising body, guiding it until she was standing up. The blurred shape of countless ravens picked up an unnatural speed as they continued to swarm around her lifeless body until they could no longer be singled out, and grew into an almost black cloud. The harlot hovered in the air as a solitary raven broke away from the tornado of black feathers, and gracefully hovered in front of the woman’s face. Melody’s mouth began to open as if by magic, and the raven slowly hovered closer. When the bird was only inches away, it opened its beak, and released a glowing, bluish-black smoke into her mouth. The illuminated fog rushed down her throat, and into her gut, causing her esophagus to glow blue. Time suddenly slowed to an almost standstill as the harlot’s silky long hair floated upwards, as if a sudden charge of static electricity was released into her soul, causing a small and intimate storm to circle around her body. Then, her eyes suddenly opened wide as the condensed static violently escaped them, and rushed to cover her entire body. Krog held his hands up to shield his eyes from the bright light. The harlot then let out the same familiar scream heard by Ayden and the Kain’s guard just a day before, but this time, the scream was layered with the guttural sound of some unholy demon not of this world. Her hair began to grow unnaturally fast, covering her entire body, radiating with electrified static. She screamed even louder as the vertebras in her back pierced through her skin, and grew into long, razor-sharp daggers of bone. The piercing spikes traveled down her back until they reached her tailbone, which then protruded through the skin as well, and began to form a long and snake-like tail, reaching almost thirty feet long. The end of the tail formed into a wide serrated dagger made of bone. The harlot let out yet another blood curdling scream as her shoulder blades also began to grow upwards several feet above her head, before tapering off into almost blade like shapes. The harlot then looked down as she raised her hands in front of her, only to be horrified as the bones in her fingertips grew into razor-sharp claws roughly six inches long. Her horror quickly transformed into a sense of awe, as fiery-hot liquid gold began to cover the extended fingers-turned-daggers. As the gold began to cool, they were left as polished golden claws. The unnatural substance continued to cover all her new boney protrusions, leaving them polished and glowing like well-smelted armor. Just as quickly as the swarm of black ravens appeared, they began to evaporate into thin air, gracefully lowering the harlot before she rested on her high-heeled boots. As she came to rest, the newly awakened harlot continued to stare at her new hands in an almost admiration-filled satisfaction. She then lowered her hands, and turned her electrified eyes to Krog.
He lowered his hands, and was stricken with a mixture of fear and awe, as he said, “Behold the power of the Dark Angel! You are more magnificent than I could have ever imagined! Tell me, what did the Dark Angel say to you?!”
The harlot didn’t speak, but instead, continued to devilishly stare at the captain as a woman whispered inside her head.
“Well?!” yelled the captain. “What does she say?!”
The demon harlot continued to pause for a moment as she looked down slightly, concentrating on the voice, then looked back up, and said, “She tells me that you have completed you task, and that you are no longer needed.”
Krog’s look of curiosity and intrigue quickly changed to a mixture of confusion and fear, as the harlot whipped her tail around to the front, and pierced the captain’s abdomen through his back. Krog gasped as she raised him high into the air. She then walked towards him with a seductive malice.
As she stopped, she pulled him close to her, and looked him deep in the eyes, as she continued, “She told me that you are of no use to her, that you are careless in your actions, and that you have grown to be nothing more than a liability.”
The captain quivered in pain as he spat up a significant amount of blood.
He attempted to clear the steady stream from his throat long enough to mutter out, “Please… my Lady… I don’t understand… I was supposed to be… to be…”
The demon suddenly folded down the outside fingers of one hand, leaving two of the newly forged spikes erect, and pierced them up through his chin, and into his skull.
The captain’s life instantly faded from his eyes, as she said, “You were from the beginning, supposed to die.”
The harlot then removed her fingers from within the captain’s skull, and pulled out her tail, causing the captain to fall heavily onto the ground.
The former harlot of Kain, Melody, was no more, for the mysterious Dark Angel possessed her body with a demonology never seen in the world. It was as if she was born anew, now a loyal and obedient servant to the evil force that bewitched her. She lost any memory of her ten-year-old son Max, and her life before him, but as the newly born demon looked at the dead body of the innocent teen Ethan, she felt a sense of remorse, but couldn’t recognize what the feeling meant, as if it was felt for the first time. She lingered over his body for a moment, before then turning away. She walked down the hill, and into the village of Deer-Run, which was still engulfed in flames. As if instructed, the harlot raised her arms to her sides, with her daggered fingers facing outwards towards the burning buildings, filled with the aroma of burning flesh. The electrified blue static pulsed off her fingers and branched into the surrounding buildings. Nothing happened at first, but then, one of the blazing doors flew open, and an almost completely burned corpse, consisting of little more than scorched bones and a few tattered pieces of singed flesh still clinging on, walked out of the house. One by one, the scorched corpses began to flood the street leading through the village, most of them still on fire. Amongst the growing crowd of corpses walked a small child, her face nearly completely burned. Her one remaining blue eye was untouched as it stared blindly in front of her, as she still clenched onto the singed remnants of a doll. They all followed mindlessly behind the demon as she led them outside the burning village, and deep into the Kastus Mountains. This dark and fire filled day marks the birth of the Skeleton Queen, as she will one day be known, and the birth of the Army of Bones.
Many hours later as the rising sun peeked its familiar head over the distant mountains cloaked in a thick and near motionless fog, a small white hare burrowed its twitching frost-kissed nose through many layers of cotton-like snow. The hare vigorously pushed away the powdery nuisance with a tint of ease, until his sensitive nose collided with an unexpected frozen barrier. The cold winds that blew furiously throughout the night caused the uppermost layer of snow to freeze, allowing a foundation for numerous drifts, some reaching ten feet tall. The tenacious little hare recruited his front feet, and surprisingly sharp claws, to help fight the battle against the frozen nemesis. After several minutes of excavation, the determined hare finally reached the surface he so desperately strived to reach. His small brown eyes squinted as the new sun overwhelmed them. He continued to climb out of the newly created tunnel deriving from his deep and cozy burrow until he rested on the hardened shell. With a few subtle blinks, the hare’s eyes began to adjust to the sunlight from which he had been deprived of for several days. Shortly after they were completely adjusted, his nose returned to work as it scoured its surroundings for any clue that would lead him on the trail to his next snow-buried meal.
The small hare gracefully pitter-patted around the snow in a zigzag motion in his feeble search for food. He then suddenly stopped as his nose ran ramped with a distant, yet familiar smell. This smell was the one thing the hare desired more than anything else, a plump, orange carrot. Awe, yes! He could smell its quality and purity as if he was examining it with his own eyes, and the chase for the mystical carrot began. The hare was filled with an unexpected rush of adrenaline, causing him to ignore everything else around h
im as he desperately searched for the source of the intoxicating aroma. Finding no time to pull his occupied head above the snow long enough to see where he was going, the hare was suddenly stopped by an unexpected barrier. He shook off the sudden shock to his small furry head, and looked forward to seeing what the barrier that so suddenly stopped him was. Lying in front of him was a large, forest-green sack made of strong cloth. He sniffed the mysterious pack up and down until he finally reached the destination of the carrot’s origin. He frantically searched for a way in so that he may claim his well-deserved prize. And there is was! The entrance into the cloth fortitude was right in front of him! All he had to do now was enter the enchanting pack, and he would be rewarded with the vegetable envy of all hares! The hare flexed his hind claws in preparation to leap towards the entrance, but as he looked a little higher, he froze in terror, for he had been discovered. Just a few feet away, two frozen brown eyes stared at the hare from the pale white face they rested in.
The hare prepared to bolt towards his nearby burrow, before he realized that the frozen eyes belong to a body that no longer had life within it. The eyes belonged to a young human. His shirtless body laid on its side, facing the hare, and was completely covered in snow, but the drift behind his back stopped the snow from reaching over. The hare grew less terrified, and more curious at the sudden sight. He slowly hopped over to the frozen body to further investigate the situation to ensure that he was safe to claim the prize that awaited him inside the green cloth sack. He was just about to reach his face, but was rudely interrupted by the hoof of a horse, which threw itself on the ground directly between the hare and the man’s face. The hare knew that he had no choice now but to turn back towards his burrow, and bide his time until the prize he so desperately hungered for was once again left vulnerable for him to claim.
The mighty hoof belonged to the Trueborn Brethany, although she is now known as Talliel. At a young age of two, a dark buckskin filly was led out of her stable. Two men walked the unexperienced filly down the shed row, as her mother ran back and forth in her paddock, kicking at the stall doors, which echoed throughout the stables of Riverton. The nervous filly began to panic as the realization of her situation came into focus. The stable hand leading the filly quickly reacted, and pulled back the slack in his lead rope until his hand was right against her halter. The other hand tried to calm her down by talking calmly to her, and stroking his hand up and down her neck. The hands continued to lead the scared filly out of the stables to a man of Kain, and his young bride. The married couple anxiously awaited as the two men led her to them.
The Reclaiming: The Keepers Saga: Volume Two Page 44