The air whipped against Cain's skin as he and Despair pelted across the valley floor. The half-breed leaned forward, urging the horse to move faster. His mind wandered back to the mask tied on his belt. A piece of his father's soul, trapped in it for eternity, or at least until the mask broke. A high-pitched growl alerted him to the predators intending to make a meal out of him. He craned his neck to see the creatures his mother called 'hellcats' gaining on him.

Now was the perfect time to test out Retribution.

Despair whinnied and sunk into the ground; Cain had already leapt off of the ghostly equine and landed a few yards away, clutching Retribution in each hand. One of the hellcats pounced at him. When the predator was only a foot away, the intended prey delivered an uppercut. The blade of Retribution sang through the air and cleaved the beast's skull in two.

"Woah," Cain whispered in awe. He stared at his weapon for only a second, before the rest of the hunting pack descended upon him. He dodged a set of claws, ducking underneath and slashing the attacker's stomach open. Another beast tried to eat his head, but Cain caught the massive fangs on one blade and ripped its throat out with the serrated curve of the other. A series of modified punches was more than enough to dispatch the rest.

The corpses of the creatures decayed rapidly, until they were nothing but dust on the wind. Cain summoned Despair, and was on his way again.

It took the better part of the day to reach the northern wastelands. Cain dismissed his horse and trotted up the cracked and broken set of stairs to the jagged tower at the top. Cain was somewhat excited; he'd never seen a demon before. And when he walked inside the tower, he wished he never had.

As soon as he was over the threshold, a symbol on the ground started glowing, and the ugliest thing to ever exist appeared over it. Huge bull-like horns framed an ugly, wrinkled, warped face.

"So, you are the half-breed that everyone's so concerned about," Vulgrim giggled. He glided around Cain, not noticing the disgust in his eyes.

"Glad I'm so popular," Cain grunted.

"Oh, but you shouldn't be. There's a price on your head, Son of Death. If one were to bring your corpse before the Charred Council, they would receive all the power and station that your father once held," the demon clacked his claws together.

"The Charred Council?"

"My, you really are sheltered. The Charred Council are the beings appointed to maintaining the Balance between worlds, and you-" Vulgrim glided closer "-are a threat to that Balance,"

"So do you intend to turn me over to them?"

"Oh, no, I am but a humble merchant, dear boy. And if I recall correctly, your father made a deal with me shortly before his untimely demise,"

"Yes, that's why I'm here," Cain's voice became eager.

"Yes, yes, of course. But I need you to do something for me first,"

'Of course,' Cain thought, but said nothing.

"Retrieve the head of the Behemoth, who lies beneath the very ground we stand on. The entrance to its lair is behind me.I will reward you greatly for this simple task, half-breed,"

"Very well. I suppose a small detour won't affect my quest all that much."

'Very well, I said,' Cain mocked himself as he blocked another incoming blow from the hundred-limbed beast.

'I suppose a small detour won't affect my quest all that much, I said,' he dodged to the right, landing against the wall. He stayed attached to the wall for a moment, Retribution stabbing the stone and keeping him up against the effects of gravity. The Behemoth roared, its head-splitting vertically in two. A long, sticky purple tongue shot out of its mouth and wrapped around Cain's stomach.

"Oh, gross."

The half-breed was ripped away from the wall and into the beast's mouth. He braced his hands and feet against the wide spaces between the creatures teeth, straining to keep them open. He was also being covered in viscous, foul-smelling saliva. Cain lifted his feet from digging into the overgrown centipede-dragon-thing's gums and kicked it square in the back of the throat. This caused the beast to drop him twenty fleet onto the floor, where he landed squarely on his feet. His triumph was short-lived, for his actions also caused the beast to regurgitate the contents of its stomach.

All over poor Cain.

"OH GODDAMNIT THAT'S DISGUSTING!"

He wiped the bile from his eyes and launched himself at the creature's neck, grabbing onto a tendril of skin hanging from the Behemoth's neck. In a flash of steel, head was separated from body, and the beast was defeated.

And now Cain was covered in spit, vomit, and blood.

Fortunately there was a deep pool of water surrounding the large dais. Cain pulled the dark green tie from his hair, causing a vomit/blood/spit covered strand to flop into his face. He made a disgusted noise and dove into the pool of water. A cloud of filth rolled off of him as he dove to the very bottom. He had learned long ago that he could hold his breath indefinitely and see clearly underwater. It was uncomfortable, but he could manage.

Something glinted in the corner of his vision. There was a chest half-buried in the silt. He swam over to it and pried it open. A black, spiked pauldron rested inside. Cain grabbed the armor and swam to the surface fast enough to propel himself out of the water and onto dry ground. Surprisingly, the shoulder guard was just his size, and fit snugly. As soon as the armor was secured, Retribution began to glow and change shape, becoming more vicious looking and black in color.

"Neat."

The head of the Behemoth rolled at Vulgrim's feet, or whatever it was hidden underneath that robe. Cain really didn't want to know.

"Ah, that was much faster than I anticipated, faster, I think, than your father slayed the Leviathan," Vulgrim sounded genuinely impressed.

"Hm. What about that reward, demon?" Cain was starting to feel impatient.

"Ah yes, here," the merchant tossed him a glowing green amulet in the shape of a skull with short, forward pointing horns on its forehead.

"It doesn't help me if you don't tell me what it does," Cain looked from the amulet to the demon.

"Ohoho, but of course. You see, the Nephilim blood coursing through your veins grants you a very unique ability. You possess the ability to take on a far more powerful form, though your human half is... unable to handle the transformation on its own. The amulet will allow you to access the full range of your abilities without destroying your human side,"

"Where did you get this?" He asked as he placed the amulet around his neck, pulling his ponytail out from underneath the chain.

"Your father gave it to me to give to you, as per our agreement,"

"Then why didn't you just give it to me earlier?"

"A word of advice, boy," Vulgrim floated dangerously close to the half-breed's face, "Either get used to being manipulated by the older and wiser, or learn to know when it's happening," he returned to his place over the Serpent Hole. "But now for the other side of the bargain."

Vulgrim waved his hand, causing a portal to appear. A realm of ice and snow quivered in its center.

"This will take you to the realm known as The Veil. What you will find there, I do not know." Vulgrim cocked his head at the young half-breed stepping through the portal. He was far easier to manipulate than his father. A devious smile crossed Vulgrim's features. He wondered what Death had in store for his son.

Chapter 1 of the sequel to Cult Following. Tell me what you think plz kthnxby.