Beast
Her Majesty's presence is resilient after all these years. It permeates the ancient walls of this forsaken temple. But no matter her location, the goddess will fall within my grasp. In turn, my master's power will become all the more impressive. I will not allow my plans to be spoiled once more. If it weren't for that servant of the goddess, for her name lacks importance, the world would already be spiraling to its final moments.
My steps are light on the dusty floor of Skyview, my feet leaving vague marks on its surface. Only the heavy laden steps of beasts leave imprints on its floors in this age. As I move through the structure with ease, I breathe in the thick air. The scent of misted leaves as well as dark, dank spaces fill my lungs. Light will not enter here. It is afraid to do so.
Greedy vines crawl over every available surface, violating the cracks in the walls without discretion. It is a tortured landscape. Humans no longer control this secluded world. Instead, insignificant mortals are forced to their knees in such a wild place. The cycle of time has ceased, locked in perpetual silence and eternity.
Yet, this place has remained for hundreds of years in a state of reticence, a beast sleeps within. Its heartbeat echoes through every crevice. This beast leaves a stranger wandering in uneasiness – apprehension. This beast is fear. While I am partial to the suffocating influence chaos which is far removed within these walls, the disquiet will satiate my taste – at least for now.
Every place, every individual has a beast that stalks their inner darkness. But just as every place and person is different, their beasts are called by different names. Jealousy, pride, lust - all are different titles of our inner selves. As for myself, I possess a variety of beasts. I see no need to keep their blood-lust and cravings for domination in a state of deprivation. Their hunger is insatiable and as such their mirth should be ever indulged. It is fortunate I suppose that no single individual has experienced all their appetites at once. Pity.
I continue walking through the dew filled rooms and corridors, the strength of the girl's aura growing with every movement. Excitement courses through my veins; a drug that fills me with an endless stream of energy, not that I have ever wanted for such. In any case, it only serves to enhance my enthusiasm rather than detract from my present goal.
I serve my master without hesitation. I, Ghirahim, Demon Lord to the great Demon King will fulfill his wishes. With the blood of every living, creeping creature, even down to the last child, I shall paint the world with their sacrifice. Their life source shall act as an aid to create a world of which a goddess-child does not rule, but a King.
The beast of the temple groans, the shivering of leaves as quiet as a whisper. My senses tune in to the most inconsequential detail; the squirming of spiders' legs, the trembling water, the growing vines...
Another presence enters upon my solitude. I stop. I want to analyze this new essence.
It is not unlike the feeling I sense with the goddess. It rings with innocence and an unadulterated freedom of spirit. However, this individual is unlike the goddess in one unique way. A determination unlike anything I have felt penetrates my mind. This resiliency is coupled with an unyielding will that intrigues me. This fool could be none other but the goddess's "chosen hero."
The sky-child.
I vaguely remember this youth. Perhaps it was when I riled the winds of the sky to pluck her highness from her nest. I had no idea then that this boy would become the chosen hero of destiny as proclaimed from ancient times. It is strange how fate weaves individuals together in a web of intermingling fates.
"Hmm..." I utter to myself, running my long fingers through my smooth, pale locks. Very interesting. What beast could this child be concealing within himself I wonder.
The child was moving fast, his aura becoming difficult to distinguish from that of the girl. He arouses a new brand of excitement within me. I feel a pressing and urging need to indulge my beasts. They require satisfaction. But once they are released, I find that I am unable to restrain them. They continue until they are fed – until I am fed. But the needs of my master far outweigh that of my own. But perhaps there is room for both if the opportunity arises.
"Do not keep me waiting, Sky-child. I am…impatient."
With swiftness, I make my way to the goddess. Her essence is diminishing. My window of opportunity this time around will only be open for so long. It takes only moments for me to find the heart of Skyview. She is near. I pass through the chamber's threshold.
The space is wide and circular, the walls and floor embellished with designs of flora and fauna. A layer of age clings to the depicted leaves and petals like a thin coat of paint. I can sense an ancient power residing within this location; a heart indeed. The rich scent of moist soil is exchanged with the rejuvenating freshness of open air. But this clean smell could not dispel the darkness which envelops the outer reaches of the room. While hope may exist, it cannot escape the clutches of fear forever – the clutches of the beast.
The focal point of this sacred place is a sealed door. A faint glow is emitting from its golden surface, the out-stretched wings of the symbol of the sky unmistakable. I approach it, placing my hand upon the cool surface. My heart races. I summon my darkened blade from an assemblage of diamonds. My fingers encircle the hilt. This blockade will not remain closed to me.
The loud creaking of the door behind me alerts the entrance of the sky-child. Though this is his first time in my presence, I am already well acquainted with his essence. I am mildly at his speed with which he located this sacred space. While in no way does it match my own abilities, he is no mere human. Such wasted diligence. If his determination is of such a level, that can only mean his beast assumes a parallel quality.
His feet tap on the stone. They are steady and earnest. The space is practically pulsing with power though it is mingled with clear trepidation. It seems that fate is treating me to my needs.
I release a deep sigh, my back towards the human. I have no doubt that it is an impressive and pleasant view from his perspective. His breathing is labored. Fear works to infect his thoughts. He is becoming more exhilarating by the moment. So silly of me to disregard my interest. Her Majesty will have to wait. I want to break this "hero."
"Look who it is..." I say, sarcasm dripping from my words. I turn to face him.
He keeps his distance. It is a wise choice on his part. His form is blanketed in the shadows, though his silhouette gives his small form away. It hardly seems fair that we should be so unevenly matched. But destiny can be cruel depending on your point of view.
"I am surprised that the tornado I stirred up didn't toss and tear you apart. And yet, here you are."
He steps out of the inky black, his reserve a stern façade. I cannot help but observe every detail of his personage. I feel desire come over me, not only of bloodshed and dominance, but of other carnal desires as well. As I have said, I am not one to deny any inclination.
His frame is slim with sloping shoulders. His height is nothing astounding. It would make his submission easier. His face is smooth, his skin supple. His blue eyes, blue, are brimming with intensity. He is hardly a man, merely a boy. I continue.
"Not that your life or death is of any consequence."
He is silent. He is breathing heavily through parted lips. His defiance is enthralling. But my beasts will not allow such insolence for long.
"You must not be one for conversation."
His jaw tightens. He makes no move to look away though I can sense his anxiety. A smirk spreads across my mouth.
"Where is Zelda?" He asks, his blond hair cascading over his brow. His voice is deeper than I would have pictured. It is aggressive and unnatural. I wonder what other unnatural sounds I can cause him to make.
"The girl you seek is just beyond this door." His irises flicker to the glowing exit.
"We plucked Her Majesty from her perch in the clouds, and now she is ours." But even as I speak, her aura weakens. And yet, I feel no impulse to pursue her. This sky-child exerts a magnetism my beasts have not previously encountered. They covet him. I can only imagine what his own beasts senses.
"But I am being uncivil, aren't I? Perhaps an introduction is in order." I slide across the floor with a feline grace. The boy does not withdraw his eyes from my own. I move until we are feet apart. My creatures want to fill their hunger. I want him to kneel in submission – in torment.
"I am the Demon Lord of this land called "the surface." But I prefer to be called by my full title: Lord Ghirahim, though I am not fussy."
He says nothing in reply. What an insolent boy.
"It is very rude not to offer your name after I have willingly done so. But I suppose you don't need an introduction. After all, I know who you are..." I draw closer.
He cannot disguise the shock at his space being invaded. Such naivety is exceedingly pathetic in its charm. His eyes shift briefly, showing the cracks in the mask he wears. My beasts growl with ravenous gluttony. He should consider himself lucky with regard to amicable I am behaving.
"The "Hero of the Goddess,"" I stand with my arms open wide. "Quite the title for one as young as yourself."
He regards me with caution. I ponder the shade of blood that boils beneath his flesh.
"By all circumstances, the girl should have fallen into our hands already,"
His eyes narrow, his body taut like a rope. He contains his beast well, whatever it may be. But getting him to submit is part of the enjoyment. I want to break his inner bonds.
"She was nearly ours when that loathsome servant of the goddess snatched her away..." Her Majesty's presence is even less than before. My voice lowered to a dangerous level; the calm before the storm.
"Do you have any idea how it made me feel?"
The boy swallows hard, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Uncertainty reflects in his eyes. But his will remains intact. He is in far greater control of his beasts than I originally supposed. Before he could blink, my form vanished from his sight. I am done toying with my beasts' appetite.
Jerking his head from right to left, the boy searches for me. Beware, my sky-child. Fear is toxic.
I appear behind him, placing my talented hands upon his shoulders. I can feel him stiffen like a stone at my touch. Leaning into the crook of his neck, I express my intentions as hushed as ripples in a pond.
"But it hardly seems fair to take out my anger on you," his mortal aroma fills my lungs. Its effect is like an exotic stimulant. It sends a shock through my extremities. My fingers are tingling.
His pale flesh is dotted with moisture, the salty fragrance fusing with the tension in the room. I breathe in deeply. The perfume fills my mind with visions of towering trees, their woody odor imbued with the wild wind. I feel the softness of his hair caress my cheek. What a perfect specimen to exact my voracity upon.
"And yet..." I muse, meditating over fragrance of his blood. His flesh prickles. He will be mine before long.
"Tell me, sky-child," My hands slide down his arms like silk. "Do you feel a connection to me, as I do you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." He mutters coarsely. I do enjoy the sound of insecurity. I trace circles over his arms, longing to puncture through to the bone.
"Oh, I think you do. My inner beasts have awakened in response to you." I envision his battered, broken form. "They beg for release..."
He darts from me, his long cap whirling about his face. His composure is tossed aside, revealing a truer expression beneath. I have clearly found a sore spot.
"Stop!" He gasps, driving my beasts further into insanity. I deliberately lick my lips, my eyes locked with his. His eyes widen as a warm shade of red tints his cheeks.
"You must be new indulging yourself in darker pursuits..." I chuckle, standing to my full height. He turns away in embarrassment. His stance remains defensive. Simply delightful. I draw closer to the discovery of his beast's identity.
"Stay back!" he responds, removing his sword and his modest shield from his back. His lower lip trembles some. My creatures are practically bursting from their confines. "You won't go any further."
"Do you dare draw your sword, boy?" I say. He calculates me as best as he can. His cheeks become rosier.
He lunges at me with all the strength he can muster. He has no other choice in order to determine my strengths. Predictable. Only a novice would fling themselves so haphazardly into a fight. Risking retaliation without any foreknowledge can be a fatal mistake. But it certainly requires courage.
Courage...
I catch his blade gracefully between my fingers. The force of his assault pushes hard against my steady base. I had my doubts, but he has the potential to gain substantial skill, but only if I let him. With the gentle flick of my wrist, the human is disarmed. His sword clangs to the floor some paces away.
"Do you want to push your luck, my little sky-child?" I sigh though my insides growl. He dashes to reclaim his lost weapon. I'm afraid I have other plans.
My fingers reach out and encircle his fragile neck. I drag him near to me. His hands grapple at my forearm, attempting to pry it away. His struggling arouses the violence within me. His chest rises and falls. His shield drops to the floor.
"When you fight," I start, toying with him as loosening my grip. I allow my fingers to feel the pulse in his neck beneath his now bruised skin. The movement is sensuous and drawn out. I feel his pounding heart, his beating blood. I moan inside. "It will only drive me further into madness." I trace his Adam's apple with my thumb, aware of his neck's fragility in my hand. He does his best to keep eye contact. Fervor does not depart from him.
I lean into his face, pressing it to the side. I do not wish to snap his neck so soon though I long to hear the sharp crack of bone. After all, we have only begun to play. I whisper into his pointed ear, fueling my own inferno.
"I want to know your beast. I want to awaken it inside you."
"I won't give you that satisfaction," he says. Contemptuous, but courageous once again.
Courage…
Leaving his throat, I seize a fist-full of his hair, jerking his head backwards. Pain reads like a book on his face. No sound follows, however. How disappointing.
"My my, aren't you stubborn," I purr into his ear. "You require discipline."
I summon my darkened blade in my hand. I release his hair, grasping his wrist instead. I force his palm to face upwards. With precision, I cut open the skin of his hand. The flesh peels wide, ripping apart like the skin of a ripened fruit. He scream is no less than erotic. Scarlet blood floods from the wound. The shade is the most beautiful in all the material world. I cannot resist it.
I crush his cut to my avaricious lips, drinking in his liquid with haste. His life-force throbs in my mouth, the din deafening. His blood is indescribable. In this moment the floodgates open. All of my beasts burst through.
Removing my mouth from his blood soaked hand, my lips move to his wrist. The feeling is electric. The throbbing of his blood still echoes in my mind, reverberating with the efficacy of thunder. With my sharp canines, I bite down upon his wrist. The vein spills forth like wine into my mouth, trickling over my tongue. He resists me. I expect nothing less. I exert a firmer grip, the bones straining against the pressure. He gasps deliciously in agony.
He pushes his free hand against my chest, grunting like a wild creature. I release his arm, opting instead to dig my nails into his neck, my blade still in hand. A groan escapes him. What a delicious symphony.
Air rushes between us as he manages to separate our bodies. I am reeling backwards, requiring a few seconds to steady my feet. My decision to let go of his wrist was a poor one; one I will not repeat. I wipe away the saliva and blood that drips from the corner of my lips. My chuckle progresses laughter. I throw my head backwards in deranged jubilation.
He stands to my side, his sword now back in his hands with his shield accompanying. His mouth is gaping, his neck smeared with his own life-force. His hilt drips with his own blood. A steady stream makes its way to the tip of the blade. It flows like a river.
"What a waste," I comment, allowing my red cloak to vanish from my shoulders. The smooth fabric slipped away into a swirling design of diamonds. "You really shouldn't leave that wound unattended for long."
"It'll have to wait," he says. "But first I'll deal with you."
I sense vengeance in his heart, though he holds it back like a dam.
He slashes again, taking the wiser road with his attacks. His beast, though I suspect there are others, are raging within him. I block his assaults like a wall with my dark weapon, his blade unable to pierce my weakest points. However, his swings are becoming faster. He bites his lower lip in concentration. He is truly being guided by an invisible force.
The heated metal of his blade is thrust into my side. It singes my insides with a strength of fire and holy light. I cannot help but curse the boy. But I do not wish our battle to end. My beasts howl with wrath as he removes his weapon from me like I am a sheath.
I trace the wound, bringing my dripping fingers to view. My blood is richer than his, though its shade does not hold the same sway in my eyes. I wrap my tongue around my finger tips and smile with beguiling charm.
"Your skills are uncanny, sky-child. Such a surprising improvement from when you first attacked me."
"I will not hesitate if you refuse to stand down." He says with command.
"Stand down?" I question with feigned confusion. My sights narrow.
With only half my strength, I charge the human of my obsession. He is quick enough to block my initial blow with his homemade shield, the wood battered with the triumphs of battle. However, the boy is not prepared for my relentless force.
The sound of his back slamming against the nearest wall reverberates within the circular space, our figures consumed by the dark of the room's outer reaches. His shield crumbles, the jagged pieces tumbling to our feet. My blade slides over his torso, a vibrant gash stretching across his green tunic like a canyon. His hand has already begun to dry.
"Why would I ever consider standing down?" I whisper. "When I am so curious about what other divine skills you have..."
He coughs as his skin loses color.
I press my free hand into his newest wound, watching his pained face with a nefarious stare. His soaked fringe hides his shut eyelids, but the curve of his mouth tells me volumes. He bites back a scream through gritted teeth. A fresh cut has split open his lower lip.
"Now now," I scold. His new wound drips and pools into my hand. "It doesn't have to be like this you know." His eyes flash open.
I pull back from his searing injury. I purse my lips. I grab his hand once again and drag it over the fresh wound he so graciously bestowed upon me. His palm is coated in crimson. He sought to cause me pain that it is only right that his beasts deserve to feed on his success.
"St-stop!" he chokes. His words command me to cease. However, they are unable to disguise the change in his tone. No fragrance can mask the odor of a foul stench. A new beast is born. Deviance spreads from my chest. And as domination presses on, I will drag this new beast into the world – out of the shadow, and into the light.
"So you aren't so pure after all, my little sky-child," I tease. I taunt him like I would a helpless animal.
"No!" He yells. What audacity.
"You are letting your honor keep you from what you want," I say.
Releasing him once more, my hand slams his skull into the wall with a resounding crack. He cries out helplessly, his vision undoubtedly spinning. I want him to know what I taste – the unsullied ambrosia that only wrath and bloodlust brings.
"Why keep your beast of rage contained?" I murmur. "Submit to it...courage will bring you nothing."
"I can't – I won't..." he replies. The sword in his hand however, doesn't move.
I hiss. I want to hear him scream, not the mumblings of a courageous spirit.
Laying my hand flat against his chest, I tear at the skin that protects his heart. With the force of a lion's claws, I rip into his flesh again. His muscle corrugate over his ribs, rolling beneath my fingertips. His craving is palpable, residing just beneath the surface. His screams gush from his mouth like the blood of his wounds. The heavenly voices of the otiose goddesses themselves could compare to the celestial despondency personified in this boy.
My thoughts, my beasts are overcome. Images of this human assail my mind, his body writhing as I shatter his bones beneath my feet, sever his limbs with my malicious blade. His cries and screams are too numerous to count, their melodious sound infused with his bane no longer held back. His form is decorated with deep perforations that will never heal over; scrapes and scratches that will scar until the end of his mortal time. His scent of trees is drowned in the deluge of crimson. His life departs before my very eyes. I will know him better in his final moments better than all who have walked beside him in his life. He is the servant and I the master.
Shattering.
My thoughts are broken. Visions of the present barrage imaginings as if I were asleep until this moment. I see the boy create a dance with his swordplay. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal slashes thrash my body. My arms, legs, and torso are bedecked with vivid stripes – a deadly work of art. I am unable to focus my attention. I am unable to calm my beasts. The chaos of which I crave consumes me and not my prey.
Courage roars through every fiber of the sky-child. His beast is overtaken with goodness, not rage. He is no longer doubled over in agony. His countenance is draped in nobility. He no longer appears as the child who entered this temple, but the man of destiny. The hero of past, present and future.
I stumble back, though I do not fall to the floor. He ceases his assault. Is he showing mercy? Such weakness. The corners of my mouth turn upwards.
"Well, you put up more of a fight than I would have thought possible." I say. "But do not clap for yourself just yet..." I suck on my fingers, relishing in whatever blood remains there.
He is exhausted, having used up his last bit of strength. My heart pounds in my chest. It beats against its ribbed cage. Courage cools the fury in his eyes, their watery blue submerging his beasts in control.
"I fear I have spent far too long toying with you, though I cannot deny my enjoyment."
He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He stands taller than he did before. Valor has grown within him, but so too has the seed of licentiousness been planted.
"The girl's presence has all but faded from this place, which leaves me no reason to linger." I toss my smooth hair from my face. Sky-child lowers his weapon, his garments splattered with red. My beasts recede further within my being. They have been fed, but only for a time. Their next awakening will require an even greater feast.
"Goodbye, my little sky-child."
He watches me. He feels that undeniable connection between us.
"Run and play for now...if we meet again, I will take what I seek."
"Never," he replies coldly. I scoff.
"Take care of your courage, as well as the other beasts that have been brought to your attention." I swing my sword counter-clockwise, taking one last, possessive look. "I don't want anyone else taking what belongs to me."
As I entered Skyview with little more than a trace, as do I depart. The human is left with a sea of diamonds in the empty room. Until next we meet, "hero." My beasts will be waiting.