Post by Stardrifter on Oct 28, 2012 12:59:44 GMT -5
by
Stardrifter
#1 - Corruption of the Soul Pt. 1
Power
"Diana, queen of night, in all your beauty bright, shine on us here, and with your silver beam, unlock the gate of dream."
The words are whispered quietly in the cramped dorm room at Gotham University. Candles flicker and incense fills the room with an overbearing scent that the three girls had long since gotten used to. They sit in the a small circle, legs crossed, on the floor. Holding hands, they sway back and forth as they chant together.
"Rise bright and clear, on earth and sky and sea, your magic mystery, it's spell shall cast, wherever leaf may grow, wherever tide may flow, till all be past."
The three girls throw their heads back, dropping the hoods of their cloaks off their heads. Together they lean back, still holding hands, eyes closed as they face the ceiling.
"O secret queen of power, at this enchanted hour, we ask your boon. May fortune's favor fall, upon true witches all, O Lady Moon!"
They shout the last line, gripping each others hands so tight their skin turns white. All at once they drop their heads down and open their eyes to the large, black candle that sits in the middle of their circle. In silence, they watch it flicker, breath caught in their lungs. After what seems like a lifetime, one of the girls audibly sighs.
"It didn't work," she whines, letting go of the others hands to pulls her long brown hair back into a ponytail. "It never works."
"Maybe because you never believe in us, Jessica!" the girl to her left spits back at her, her eyes burning from behind her thick glasses.
"I believe plenty!" Jessica yells, tensions rising. Before another word can be said, the last girl raises her voice to them.
"Enough!" she shouts with authority. "It didn't work because we're not in unison with each other. You two need to get over this." She leans over to put a hand on each of their knees, her long white hair spilling dangerously close to the candle between them. "April, I know you're still upset over Jake and you-"
Her words are cut off as the flame on the black candle flickers and grows. It's so sudden that no one notices until a ball of fire erupts and engulfs the white haired girl's head. She screams, reflexively falling back onto her elbows. She reaches up and grabs her face as the other girls jump to her side. They fight to pull her hands away as the girl screams. When they finally get her hands away, tears streaming down their faces, they stare in surprise to find nothing wrong.
"What?! How bad is it?!" the white haired girl yells at them, frightened by their silence.
"You're fine," April whispers, her tone more surprise than happiness. When the girl breaks free of their grasp to touch her face again, she puts a hand on her shoulder and assures her more firmly, "Dawn, you're fine. You're hair isn't even singed."
Dawn, still not believing, jumps to her feet and runs to the mirror on the wall. She flicks the light switch and closely inspects herself. She's right, there's nothing wrong with her face. Not even a missing eyebrow.
"What the fuck was that?" Jessica asks. She looks back and forth between her two friends, still in shock. "Did...did we do that?"
"I have no idea," Dawn tells her, finally turning back to her friends. A hand clutches her chest as a small burning sensation surrounds her heart. She doesn't mention it. "But I'm fine," she smiles. "I'm fine."
****
-Three Days Later-
The morning air is chill as Jason Blood walks down the city street. Not cold, but chill enough he brought his trench coat with him. He looks into the sky to see the sun shining bright on the horizon, foretelling the warm day that will come.
Cars fly past on the busy street as Gotham City prepares for another day. Pedestrians begin to build up along the sidewalks, all heading to their destinations like worker ants, single minded. Jason alone appears to be aimless, walking without haste or purpose. There's a world-weariness about him, shoulders slumped as he watches the people about him. He looks like a man in his mid to late twenties, tall with dark brown hair and a short, stubbly beard. Yet to look into his eyes you would see a man far older.
His walks have become something of a ritual, though he's no longer certain why he does it. Every morning he drives downtown to walk the busy streets. Observing the city inhabitants going about their lives. Always the observer, never more. He's been cut off for so long it's about all he has left.
A newsstand catches his attention. The attendant is shouting about another murder. A dark smirk comes to Jason's face, his first thought that in Gotham that's barely news at all. Still, morbid curiosity is enough that he pays the man for a newspaper. Scratching the stubble on his cheek, he sits down on a nearby bench to read. An older woman in nurse's scrubs sitting on the bench scowls. He offers her a weak smile. She scoffs and goes back to texting on her iPhone.
Jason sighs and opens up the newspaper. The headline reads, Second Murder at Gotham University. Two nights, two girls murdered in the dorms. Each one found with their throats slit. The article goes into further detail explaining the ritualistic nature. Each girl was found naked, face down in a circle of candles. Disgusted and jaded, Jason is about to stop reading when the article mentions a symbol carved into the back of each girl. He turns to the continuation inside the newspaper and sees the artist rendition of the symbol. A triangle inside a circle, with a jagged line torn through it.
Jason slowly closes the newspaper, his mind racing. It's been years since anything like this has come to his attention. Years of peace as he's managed to avoid anything to do with that world. Now, once again, he is faced with a choice.
****
-The Past-
"Pay attention!"
Jason yelps as the pointer smacks him in the ear. He turns his eyes up to his attacker as he rubs the throbbing away. "I'm sorry, Master Merlin. I was just..."
"You were just what? Thinking the answer would come from the ladies passing by?" Merlin quips, stroking his closely cropped beard as he waits for an answer from his young apprentice.
Jason turns beat red as he tries not to look at the ladies his master is referring to. "I'm sorry," he answers sheepishly.
"If you wish to fancy the King's sisters, do so on your own time. Not mine." Merlin stresses the last two words.
It's been less than a year since Merlin came to Jason's village and brought him from a simple life of a farmer to the shining castle, Camelot. For sixteen years, knights and wizards were all just stories to Jason and his parents. While such stories interested him, all that really concerned Jason was helping his father bring in the crop, expecting one day to take the farm over for himself. That all changed when the bandits came.
It wasn't unusual for their village to be raided. While the number of attacks had lessened since Arthur Pendragon took up the crown and united the lands, the Knights of the Round table hadn't eradicated evil just yet. The village learned long ago to just let the bandits have what they wanted and they'd make it through all right. However, when one bandit who laid a hand on Jason's mother suddenly burst into flames, things escalated.
The events all seemed like a whirlwind now. At the end of it all, Merlin was called in to see Jason, only to reveal that Jason had the gift. Next thing he knew, Jason was bidding goodbye to his parents and the stories he'd always heard suddenly became very real. Now Merlin's apprentice, Jason was a fast learner, if a bit easily distracted.
Merlin had been kind to bring his lesson outside today. As amazing as Jason still found Merlin's study to be, with all it's mysterious and fascinating magical artifacts, it could be rather musty and overbearing. Sometimes coming out into the fresh air of Camelot's courtyard invigorated Jason and made his tutelage easier. It did present, as Merlin was beginning to understand, other challenges.
Merlin smacks the scroll in Jason's hands with the pointer. "Now whose symbol is this?"
Jason focused his attention back on his studies. The symbol in question was a triangle inside of a circle with a jagged line through it. Jason bit his lip as he thought hard. "Zenoin?" Jason more asks than tells. When Merlin doesn't respond, Jason continues. "A minor demon. Not very strong. It's only real power is possession?"
Merlin nods slightly in approval, letting the tension out of the air. He takes the scroll from Jason and rolls it back up, placing it inside his rob, which to Jason seems to have endless space for just about anything. "Let's put the symbols aside for now and change subjects. You've begun to experiment with your abilities..." Merlin waves away Jason's protest. "..and obviously my attempt to discourage you won't work. You are quite gifted, Jason. You've begun to figure things out for yourself before you're ready, but don't let that go to your head.
"There are many different schools of magic." Merlin begins to pace as he lectures. "Many different ways that a person can do magic. Some are more powerful than others, but all begin from the same basic principal: power cannot be created from nothing, only converted from one form to another." Merlin stops for a moment to see if Jason is paying attention. He's pleasantly surprised to find that he is.
"So when I do magic, like create fire or wind from nothing, it's not really from nothing?" Jason asks. "Then where?"
"That's the question!" Merlin smiles, glad to see his apprentice is catching on. "There is power all around us. Energy in every living thing and the very Earth itself. When you fumble through things, doing magic without really knowing how you're doing it, you're just blindly grasping at any energy you can. From the world around you or from inside yourself. That's why it can be dangerous. With no control over where you take that energy from, you may very well take all of the life energy out of yourself to cast a spell, killing yourself in the process. Or someone else.
"Worse yet, there are other places you could pull energy from. Other...worlds, you might say, besides our own. To take energy from such places could open a doorway to something far worse. Something you-"
"Master Merlin!"
The two look over at the interruption. A knight in full, gleaming armor strides toward them. Young, yet bold and full of confidence, Jason can't help but feel a slight resentment toward Sir Lancelot. Leader of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, bravest and most skilled of the warriors, and most sought after by the ladies of the court. Being Merlin's apprentice might afford Jason a level of status and respect, but it certainly does not bring him the adoration of women.
"Good day, Lancelot," Merlin greets his friend warmly. When he hears nothing from Jason, he clears his throat loudly.
"Good day, Sir Lancelot," Jason mumbles.
Lancelot is all smiles, his blond curls glowing in the midday sun. "I'm sorry to interrupt your teachings, Merlin, but His Majesty has urgent need of your assistance."
"Urgent? Indeed," Merlin strokes his beard in thought. Jason has deduced that Merlin often strokes his beard when he's using magic to "see" things. "What about?" Merlin asks idly.
"There has been some trouble to the south. Reports of a winged beast terrorizing local farmers. Some say perhaps even a dragon!" Lancelot says the last with excitement. Jason can see the gleam in his eyes at the prospect of slaying a dragon. It just annoys him more.
"Dragon? There hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a century," Merlin says to himself more than the other two. He starts walking briskly, Lancelot and Jason rushing to keep up. "No, no not a dragon. Perhaps a griffon? No I don't think..." Merlin suddenly stops and turns back, noticing Lancelot and Jason following. "What are you doing?" he asks Jason, a confused look on his face.
"I'm coming with you," Jason answers nervously, unsure what to say.
"No. No, boy. This is none of your concern. Go back to my study and brush up on your symbols. We'll take care of this."
Before Jason can even protest, Merlin turns and rushes off. Lancelot gives him a quick, pitying smile before giving chase. Left alone in the courtyard, Jason kicks a rock in frustration, turning to head toward Merlin's study. Not paying attention, he slams into someone else, his lip catching on something sharp. Blood flows from his wound. He reaches up to feel it, then looks to find the two ladies he was watching earlier.
"My...my apologies Lady Morgaine!" Jason stammers, his heart in his throat.
****
-Present Day-
Why am I doing this? Jason thinks to himself for the hundredth time as he walks through the doors of the Gotham City Morgue. He walks with a purpose that hasn't been in his step for some time. It's just a lesser demon. Probably just a fluke. An accidental crossing that will sort itself out when the host is burned out. What do I care?
Nevertheless, he finds himself inside the morgue. As soon as he enters he can sense the demon's stench left behind on the victims. He follows it through the large hallways, his footsteps echoing loudly. He casts a quick obfuscation spell with little effort. It makes him all but invisible to the people he passes, unless they know what they're looking for.
"Like riding a bike," he whispers to himself.
When Jason reaches the end of a hallway he notices the demon's scent goes in opposite directions. They must have the two bodies in different places. He chooses to follow the weaker of the scents, leading to the first body. When he enters the room with the lockers, the deathly silence is enough for the one mortician to notice the sound of Jason's footsteps. His obfuscation spell failing, Jason raises his hand and sends a wisp of magical energy toward the mortician, putting him to sleep. Jason rushes over to catch the man, placing him gently on the floor.
He opens the locker to the body. A young brunette girl, barely out of high school. He pulls the nearby file. Her name was Jessica Hillock. Freshman. Crime scene photos show in gory detail the state in which she was found, including the symbol of the Zenoin carved into her back. With cold detachment, Jason closes the locker and moves on.
Retracing his steps to the branching path, Jason follows the other scent. As he gets closer, the scent gets stronger and stronger. In fact, Jason thinks, it's far stronger than it should be. As he rounds a corner he begins to hear crying from the room at the end of the hall.
"That's her!" a girl's voice chokes out through sobs. "That's April! Oh my God..."
Just outside the door, Jason knows something's wrong. The demon's scent is so strong, the only conclusion is that the demon is inside the room. He reaches out with the tiniest bit of magic, not wanting to alert the demon to his presence, and senses the two other life essences in the room. Not knowing who the demon is yet, Jason gathers his energies slowly to begin forming an entrapment spell. Best to immobilize them all and sort it out after.
"Do you have any idea who might have done this, Dawn?" a gruff male voice asks.
"N-no idea. Who would do such a thing? What kind of sick, twisted monster could do this?"
Finally having gathered enough power, Jason throws open the door and rushes inside, his right hand glowing with green energy. He unleashes the spell, which covers the three in a skintight green energy field. It shimmers in and out of view, leaving the three as still as statues.
The situation contained, Jason inspects the captives. One is a middle aged mortician. Short, moderate build, with horn rimmed glasses and a receding hairline. The other man appears to be a detective. His dark brown suit is slightly too small for his pudgy frame. The last is the girl, Dawn. She's staring right at him, unable to move. Her white hair falling in waves over her shoulders. Her eyes red from crying. Eyes filled not with sorrow, but with hate.
Jason can immediately tell that she's the one the demon is possessing. It shouldn't be that difficult to exorcise the Zenoin. He walks over to her, never taking his eyes off her. There's something about her nagging at him. Something he feels he should know. Standing in front of her, he gently pushes her chin up to get a better look in her eyes. He realizes what it is he's missing a moment too late. Power.
A burst of magical energy tears across the room, knocking the detective, the mortician, and Jason back against the walls. Jason is able to muster a small magical defense, by reflex, keeping him from being knocked unconscious. Dawn, now free of Jason's spell, jumps up onto the table displaying April's dead body. She crouches on the corner like an animal and hisses at Jason.
Using the wall behind him to balance himself, he rises to his feet, never taking his eyes off Dawn. She lashes out with her hand, sending a blast of raw magical energy at him. Jason raises his hands and creates a glowing blue shield. The blast hits him like a truck. There's nothing to the blast really, no finesse. Just brute force, but such brute force he can hardly believe. He's barely able to block a second blast before trying a more powerful entrapment spell. Dawn shrugs it off.
"I don't know who you are, misfit!" Dawn screeches in an inhuman voice. "But you won't stop me! I'll never leave this body! It's perfect!"
Jason dodges another blast. He doesn't want to hurt the girl, but he's decided he's had enough. With a dismissive motion of his right hand he summons a gust of wind that throws Dawn slightly off balance. With his left, he throws a more powerful blast straight into her chest, knocking her from the table and into the wall. He moves forward to continue the attack when Dawn screams, sending out a spherical blast of magical energy so strong it sends everything, furniture and all, flying. The wall behind her crumbles and she rushes out the hole.
It doesn't take long for Jason to collect himself. Standing up, he quickly checks on the detective and the mortician. Still breathing. Realizing help will no doubt arrive shortly, Jason hastily searches the ruins about him. He crouches down and collects two strands of long, white hair.
That shouldn't have been possible, he thinks to himself. Zenoins are among the lowest form of demons. Possession is the limit of their abilities.
Hearing shouts from down the hall, Jason quickly rushes out through the hole Dawn created. Rather than pursue her, he decides he should learn more about the girl first.
****
-The Past-
"Its quite all right, Sir Wizard," Morgaine says softly, a warm smile on her face.
"Sir..." Jason stammers, confused at first. "Oh I'm, I'm no wizard. Not yet, anyway. I'm just an apprentice."
"Just an apprentice? I've heard you can work magic. Only wizards can do magic," Morgaine says with certainty. Her long, dark hair flows straight down past her shoulders, framing her beautiful, teenage face. Her dress is dark red and ornate, befitting the sister of the King. Behind her, trying not to be noticed, is her younger sister, Nimue. Dressed just as richly, if not as well put together, Nimue is not even ten years old yet and very shy.
Jason chuckles nervously, not sure what to say. He's watched Morgaine from afar since coming to Camelot, always wishing he could speak to her but never having the courage. Now that he is speaking with her, he's overwhelmed.
"I don't suppose you could show us something?" Morgaine continues, giving no reaction to Jason's discomfort. "Nimue loves magic. We'd both be delighted to see something." She reaches back to take Nimue's hand and drags the girl out from behind her. Nimue smiles awkwardly and stares at the ground in front of her feet.
"Well I would but...Merlin says I'm not supposed to show off..." He stammers off when a disappointed look comes across Morgaine's face, like a cloud covering the sun. Jason looks about to see if anyone is nearby listening. Leaning in, he whispers, "Well I...I mean I could. Something small. But not here."
The brightest, most amazing smile Jason has ever seen adorns Morgaine's face. Without another word, she grabs hold of Jason's hand. Her grip is firm and the realization he's actually touching her makes Jason's face flush. He's relieved that Morgaine doesn't see as she heads off, dragging Jason and Nimue behind her.
The three race through the castle, joyful laughter trailing behind them. Even Nimue, shy as she is, manages to get into the spirit as they run about. Castle guards, knights, and nobles all take note long enough to be certain the King's sisters are in no danger, but are quick to dismiss once they're certain.
All three are out of breath when they finally reach their destination, the roof of the northwest tower. A lone guard stands at the wall, standing vigil over the castle grounds and countryside. When the three burst out they immediately sink to the rooftop to rest. The guard gives them a queer look.
Morgaine, first to her feet, turns to the guard, "Leave us." Her demeanor and tone is of a young woman comfortable with command. The guard is unsure at first, not quite comfortable leaving his post at the word of a girl. One look from Morgaine is all it takes to make up his mind.
"Milady," he bows sharply, heading back down into the tower.
As quickly as it came, Morgaine's authority and serious demeanor drifts away like a cold breeze. She smiles brightly at Jason as he gets to his feet, glowing as the sun begins to set behind her. The image stops Jason's heart for a moment and burns itself into his mind. It's this moment when he truly realizes that he loves her. A moment that will remain with him the rest of his life.
"Now then, where's that magic you promised me?"
****
-The Present-
The sun is set and the night is chill as Dawn finally returns to her dorm room. An evil cackle escapes her lips as she sits down at her desk, taking a moment to rest and reflect over what happened. The demon could sense the power that emanated from the sorcerer. Great power that it didn't quite understand. True, the demon was unable to defeat the man, but with this body it was able to fend him off. Better still, there were no signs of deterioration. This body truly was perfection.
Dawn stands up and turns to stand in front of her closet. She gazes in the full length mirror, moving with the grace of a cat as she stretches and turns, inspecting herself. She begins to slowly undress, removing layer after layer of clothing until she stands naked before the mirror. Running her hands over her body, the demon sneers at the disgusting flesh that, to humans, would be considered quite beautiful.
Dawn strolls over to her dresser and opens the top drawer. Inside, hidden under a dozen rolled up socks, she finds a foot long ceremonial dagger. More of a novelty, Dawn had never had the nerve to use it in any of her rituals. She unsheathes the blade and walks back over to the mirror.
She runs the blade up the skin of her stomach, seductively, until the point settles in the space between her breasts. Then, almost casually, Dawn cuts into her own flesh, carving the symbol of the Zenoin right above her heart. Blood drips down her pale skin and falls onto the hardwood floor. When the deed is done, she smiles at the work, gripping the dripping dagger tightly in her right hand. With her left, she reaches out to open the closet door.
Inside sits a young blonde woman, bound and gagged. She blinks back the light that floods her eyes. When the girl's eyes finally focus on the sight in front of her, she desperately tries to scream against the gag in her mouth to no avail. As Dawn reaches down for her, the only screams that can be heard are the ones inside Dawn's own mind.
-To Be Continued-