Again, a dark little songfic from yours truly! Again, the song from my favorite local band, Wolfgang, this time from their first album, Wolfgang. Their music is just sooooo kewl! Sorry if it sounds too much like The Devil's Advocate at the last part. And as for the mumerous references to blood, I've been getting into Vampire Princess Miyu - Larva just looks soooo kawaii! - and been listening to my friends talk about Vampire: The Masquerade. Cool stuff! This is from Xerross' point of view, in contrast to my dark Zelgadiss fanfic. On with the show.
I, I am the night, I am the day
I am the light gone astray
I rise from the slumber of death and feel the touch of the evening breeze. It has been nearly a full twenty four hours since I was ... reborn. I watch the sun set, still the same sun that I saw when my Lady and Lord tore out my throat.
I touch it, feel the smooth, warm skin of my neck and smile ferally. I remember the warmth of my own blood as it spilled...and the ecstasy that came with it. I shudder, recalling it, the best orgasm I've ever had. I sinuously slide into a sitting position, reveling in the inhuman flowing grace of something more... I stretch and run my tongue over my teeth, feeling how slightly my canines have grown more pointed. I am a predator.
I grin, as I catch my reflection in the mirror. Still wearing my white and blue priest's robes, the mark of Ceipheed upon them. But I know that I, while still a Priest, am no longer his. I am a predator, the deadliest kind, because I wear the mask of beautiful humanity, and the robes of purity.
I am Mazoku, and as I was powerful with white magic, so am I now...with all the arts. And I have my master to thank for this.
The fear that's in your bones, that is I,
I am the taker of souls
I smell her scent long before I see her, a heady mix of cigarette smoke and a fresh kill in the forest. Zellas Metallum. The Beastmaster. Then she glides into the room, her golden hair like silken mist around her, clad in the lightest of gossamer veils. "Awake already, my priest and general?" I shiver, her voice is like the low sensuous purr of a great cat, warming my blood. I smile in reply. I rise from the bed and kneel before her in servitude. I feel her kneel before me and gently cup my face with one hand, a hand with long delicate fingers, with long sharp, eagle-claw sharp nails, painted a delicate iridescent pearl. I remember that same hand cupping my face similarly when she had tilted my head sideways to reveal my throat, the caress of tenderness and a near bestial hunger, hinted at when her lips touched my skin - revealed when her sharp, rending teeth ripped out my jugular.
Shout my name at the heavens
And be cast in fire
"Master..." I murmur. "How may I serve thee, Lord?" She chuckles.
"I have no need of your services right now, my dear little Priest." Her hand drops to play with my layman's collar, her red lips parted in a feline smirk. "This is a good guise to wear, my dear Xerross... You are deadly, and powerful. I feel it. Do you wish to see?"
I only open my eyes in reply. Then I close them again as she kisses me passionately, pulling me close, her tongue claiming mine. I clasp her back, but it is I who melt like ice in her embrace, as a fire like none I have ever known suddenly rages through me, physically and otherwise. Suddenly I am in the astral plane, and I see myself though her eyes - a being of fire, blazing white, purple-limmed with touches of red. I know what the colors mean. She is right, and I am powerful indeed, more than I was before.
Hold my hand as we roam with the pack
Cause evil is our lair
The moment passes. I sit once again on the floor of my room. Lady Zellas stands near the balcony, gazing out at the last rays of light. It makes a silhouette of her beautiful body, revealing it in the shadows she casts. Then she turns to me. Her eyes glow a feral golden, and her teeth have grown so sharp, lupine in aspect. She holds out her hand to me, an invitation, a gift, an offering, in her empty hand. I take her hand and we both leap from the balcony. Landing in the forest below, we change...
Cause evil is our lair
Her form is powerful, sleek and silver. Beautiful golden eyes glitter back at me, seemingly hungry for my soul. She bares her teeth at me, and I present my throat to her in submission. Firmly, she takes it into her stalwart jaws, and I feel her fangs just nip into my skin under my fur.
Cause evil is our lair
My form is like hers, a monstrous wolf. We run from the glade, howling in wild abandon, and the joy is like nothing I've ever felt before. The moon rises, and I catch a glimpse of my own reflection in the stream as we spring over it. My fur is gray, purple-tinged, but my eyes are still the same jewel color. My first urge is to hunt, to taste blood in my mouth, the feel of flesh rending in my teeth, the smell of fear from my prey and the look of death in their eyes.
Cause evil is our lair
But that is not our purpose tonight. My mistress leads me into a cave, and the next thing I know, we stand in a great spaceless audience hall, before a single obsidian throne. Upon the throne sits a tall man, whose ruby eyes glisten from beneath the shadows of his hair. I do not have to be told who he is.
Lei Magnus, he who carries part of our king, Shaburanigdo, in himself.
He who is Shaburanigdo.
We've reverted back to our humanoid forms. He glances at the Beastmaster. "So this is your new general and priest, Zellas?"
"Yes, Lord."
"Shall we see if he is worthy?"
"Of course."
Sentinels of pain
On their mission once again
A long, elegant, yet powerful hand rises from the deep shadows before me and beckons. I obey. The powerful voice tells me to rise from my genuflection.
"I have a task for you, little Xerross."
"How may I serve, Lord?" I murmur. The power I feel from him is incredible, yet he does not even exert any effort whatsoever. I realize the power is him, everything that he is.
"Do you see what I am showing you, little priest?" Lei Magnus whispers.
"I do, Lord."
"Then do so. Kill and destroy the Ryuzoku, Xerross." His voice rises in command. "Prove to us your loyalty and ability. Not all, of course. That would upset the balance, and it is not yet time for that."
He sends them out to roam
Half-dog men with their knives,
Hunting your lives
I find the first one to fall before me. A young dragon-maiden with pretty green eyes and long strawberry hair. I tear out her throat with my talons and rip open her jugular with my canines. Unable to resist, I drink deeply of her blood.
And suddenly, I know. I laugh, cradling the ravaged body of the girl in my arm the way I would a child's. A beautiful secret! And even they did not know!!!
Power.
And knowledge.
Combine the two, and you are invincible.
A secret they did not know.
Pray, it's good to pray
In our masses we shall say
He no more he will be dead
I see the entire army of Ryuzoku before me. They are preparing to attack. I'd left the body with enough signs of 'Mazoku' all over it to instigate a war.
Fools all. I can hear them. They are fools. Thinking that the Mazoku will die.
Oh no. They will not.
They rise from the ground, a cloud, a horde of winged beings, beautiful and awesome to behold. One of them spots me, and dives for the attack. I swat him aside with a mere gesture, sending him crashing into the ravine behind me.
Then, as the others turn to attack, I laugh, and whisper their doom.
Die they did, as draconic hearts burst, and they lost control of their wings. Gouts of blood, not fire, erupt from their great maws as they plummet, harmless to me now.
And I feed on their disbelief and horror as they recognize their own power, twisted and perverted. It is the last thing they ever think.
Though he is laughing beside you instead
Cause evil is our lair
The blood. So much blood. I glory in it, pick dragon scales at my leisure and similarly discard them. I feel the few still living, and feast upon their death throes. They all look at me, unbelieving, uncomprehending, disbelief etched on their faces.
All of those who see me wear that mask of fear to the void that comes to engulf them. And all the while, the last song they hear is that of my laughter.
Though he is laughing beside you instead
Cause evil is our lair
I go back for the one I cut down first, the one who dared to attack me. In the ravine, lying broken and tattered, is a man, his long blond hair matted with blood, both his and of his kin. He lies upon a bed of stone, and looks wearily up at me. His eyes widen in recognition, as do mine. Milgazia, my mentor.
I chuckle as I kneel beside him. "You are fortunate. Luck smiles upon you today, my former teacher, because you live."
Again disbelief. "Xerross... how?"
I smile as he coughs blood. His ribs are broken. I bend and pick him up, carrying him out of the ravine. All this while, he murmurs relief in seeing me again. "Thought the Mazoku...got you... that ...you....dead..."
I lay him down upon a bed of soft pine needles. I fish around in my pack and find what I've been looking for. I unstopper the potion and let him drink. The potion works best on humans, for it is a human's dosage. However, since he is in human form, the potion will heal most of his injuries.
"Thank you, my pupil." Milgazia sighs, leaning back against a log-pillow. "For saving me. But now, you must go and hurry to the nearest stronghold and warn them about a new Mazoku threat! He can destroy us all!"
I laugh. He looks at me in confusion. Smoothing back the tangled golden hair from his forehead and face, I grin. "I do not think so."
"Why not?"
"You were right that the Mazoku got me, Milgazia. But they did not kill me. And as for that new Mazoku threat, I am he."
Though he is laughing beside you instead
Cause evil is our lair
I smile evilly as the realization sinks in and he realizes for the first time, what I have become. His eyes sparkle with betrayal. "How could you?! How could you do this to us? To me! I took you in when you were starving, Xerross! I saved your life!"
I smirk, shrug and get up. "Things change, O teacher no longer mine. I was sent to kill the dragons. I have done that. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
I turn from him, as the love he once felt for his little foundling turned forever into delicious hatred. "Then why don't you kill me now? Why did you let me live?" Anger now, helpless because he cannot revenge himself and his people for he is now too weak.
Evil is our lair!
I open one amethyst eye and wag my finger at him. "That is a secret."
I am the king
I need no queen nor friends
Again I stand before Lei Magnus. Arrayed behind him are the five Lords, amongst them, my own Lady Zellas. Lord Lei Magnus beckons me forward. I kneel before him.
"You have done excellently, Xerross. You have indeed proven that you are one of us. And in the way that you accomplished it, I have deemed it fit to bestow upon you a reward."
You bow before me
Because blood is my feast
And fear is my staff
Both Lei Magnus and the Beastmaster step forward. I genuflect in servitude, before I am commanded to merely kneel.
Lei Magnus hands me a golden box. "Fasten these upon you, Xerross Metallum, Beast Priest and General. I bestow upon you, the Bloodstones of Demonkind."
I look up in surprise. "Yes. Each Stone holds within it blood taken from each Demon King. A great honor, and a great treasure."
Then the Beastmaster raises her hand, and gives me a twisted staff, which clutches a clear gemstone as large as a child's ball in it's organically shaped fork. As soon as my hands touch it, taking it from her floating field of power, the gemstone immediately turns a bright crimson hue.
"The Heart of Death grows darker with every single heart that stops at your hands, my Priest. And with it, grows its power."
I feel it. It is sated, for a very long time.
Great hearts will feed it for lifetimes they should have beat.
"Thank you for these great gifts. I will use them well."
Again, I bow.
And I will come to take you and yours away
And I have still not told anyone my secret.
Take you away!
"Xerross!!!"
A silvery voice breaks my memory's journey, and I look up, shutting my eyes as I do so. Before me stands my vision of beauty, the fierceness in her ruby eyes even stronger now with her irritation.
"What's the matter with you? I've been calling for nearly ten seconds now! You look like you've got your mind somewhere else!" Lina snaps.
I smile at her. Little does she know. "Well, actually, I was wondering about something..." I grin.
"And what was that? And don't you dare say 'That is a secret' or I'll trounce your smiling Mazoku butt three ways from Sunday!"
"Oh hardly. I was wondering when and how shall we start your lessons."
I, I am the night, I am the day
I am the light gone astray
"What lessons?" Lina frowns at me.
"Magic lessons, Lina-chan." I grin at her and pull out an old leather book from my satchel. As I expect, she greedily grabs it from me, then opens it. She frowns when she realizes it is written in a runic form that she doesn't know. She couldn't possibly know it, since I created it myself.
"I'm afraid I'm the only one who can translate the book for you, Lina-chan." I say apologetically. "You see, no one speaks that language. Not anymore."
She still holds the book, leafing through it. "Why are you doing this?"
"Honestly? I'm bored. I'll teach you until I find something better to do."
The fear that in your bones, that is I,
I am the taker of souls
"Okay, fine! Teach me already!" Lina snaps impatiently, plopping down next to me.
"You'll have to trust me." I tell her. She looks up at me suddenly, wariness making crimson mirrors of her eyes. "I promise I won't betray that trust. We won't do anything that you don't want to do."
"What's it gonna cost me?"
"Oh, nothing." Nothing...except your soul, I add silently. "I told you I want to do this. Really!" I hold up my hands to fend off any impending head locks or neck throttling.
I wait for a moment, then peek to see her eyeing me impatiently. "Well? Let's get on with this! Before you decide to do anything else!" she gripes.
I smile inwardly. "Very well then...let's begin."
Listen to me my child
I feed your body, free your mind
I take the book from her gently and open it to the first page. She leans closer to me as I begin to read to her the spell called Blood Star. The first spell takes us an hour of constant reading before I decide to let her eat. I offer her some food I've kept in my bag, and she hungrily wolfs it down, unaware what I had done to the food - mixed it with dragon blood. Mixing the blood will only give her the knowledge subconsciously. She won't be able to summon the blood memories unless she wills it - and she cannot will it since she doesn't know it is there. But she will be able to call upon the power of the Blood.
They do not call me the Trickster Priest for nothing.
Come closer if you dare
To this manner of beast
She will also be bound to me...irrevocably. In time, she will long for my merest presence, and no spell in the world could possibly break my hold upon her. By the time she realizes this, she will no longer care. The Blood - my Blood, mixed with Dragon - binds her to me. And as everyone knows, Blood bonds are unbreakable.
And she is mine by her own will.
Cause evil is our lair
Cause evil is our lair
And because of that, it enforces my hold upon her.
Cause evil is our lair
Cause evil is our lair
She has slipped the manacles, the collar, the chains, upon her, with her own hands.
Cause evil is our lair
Cause evil is our lair
It was her choice.
Cause evil is our lair
Evil is our lair!
How I love free will!