Skulduggery Pleasant and Characters belong to Derek Landy. Autumn Stone is my OC and I may throw a few more in which I will let you guys know about! :)
Please don't flame, but if you think I could improve then please review or do so if you like it too! I've changed the story line a little! Heads up!
Hope you all enjoy it!
Cora walked across the small muddy path towards the barn, the sky as black as the devil's soul. As her strides widened the world became darker than the thickest velvet, the weight of the clouds straining and buckling as if it could collapse down on her at any moment. Why her father insisted on her going out to check on the horses was crazy, she's nine and if they kick off what is she supposed to do? Hum a lullaby and hope for the best? Her eyes rolled, her foot splashing into a deep muddy puddle as the dirty water seeped into the top of her wellies. "You've got to be kidding." She let out a groan as thunder grumbled through the valley, a gust of icy wind finding its way through the small gaps in her jacket. "That was... Unpleasant..." Cora shuddered jogging to reach the barn doors quicker, it was too cold to faff around. "Please be okay I want a bath..." Her hand reaching for the handle as lightning crashes down and causing her to turn quickly towards the house – her gaze landing on a large group... no army of she has no idea what, from here they looked strange, the bodies looked normal but their hands and feet seemed out of proportion... weighted almost.
"Mum... Dad...?" Cora's hand slips off the handle and she break's into a sprint, purple mist exploding from the windows of her home as she screeches in panic and fear. "No...!" Cora slips in the mud, sliding on her torso like a penguin. What the hell was going on?! Her head raised as the heavens opened and the rain dropped from the Stygian sky, it was so heavy that her clothes were drenched in seconds, her ginger hair clinging to her face and scalp as she get's to her feet. "Stop... Please!" The young girl burst's through small gap in the crowd of these, papery creatures to see a man standing proudly in front of her home of nine years, she could hear the screeches of her mother inside and in aid to help she leaped – using her small shoulder to barge into the stranger, sending him to his flailing.
"Stop it!" She screamed, her anger filled gaze looking directly at the man who seemed to cause destruction with a wave of his hand. Before he got to his feet his... things charged forward and he raised his gloved right hand, stopping them in their tracks as laughter escaped his thin lips as he stood. He was tall and he towered over her, his glittering emerald eyes narrowing as he looked her up and down. "She's just a child, she can't cause harm to me." He smiled a cruel smile and took a step towards her.
"What have you done to my family..." Cora's eyes filled with tears and she gazed into her crumbling home, the remainder of the purple mist seeping out of the buckling beams and walls.
"Oh my dear, sweet child. I freed them, their faith in my gods ceases to exist. I can't have people like them running around and corrupting the minds of other men." He looked down at her, his gloved right hand squeezing her shoulder painfully. "Can I?"
Cora shrugged his hand off and ran past him, rushing to the window and pressing up onto the very tips of her toes. "Mum... Dad..." Her eyes searched frantically and she finally found them, the parts of them she could see were coated with glistening scarlet blood and her heart stopped. "No..." She whispered as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. "NO!" She was about to climb inside before the murderer grabbed her and threw her into the dirt.
"Now now, I would be extremely irresponsible if I let a child as young as yourself inside a dangerous place like that." He nodded to his men and they surrounded her, leaving a small space for him to stand.
"If you're going to kill me get on with it!" Cora stood on her shaky legs, scowling at this man who invaded her home and brutally murdered her only family. "Who are you anyway... What give's you the right!?"
The tall man watched her with curiosity, the only sound was the thunder echoing in the distance as it passed over them. "My child, I am Nefarian Serpine and when it come's to the right? Well I don't really have one." He grinned and slipped off his black leather glove, revealing a skinless red right hand that glistens with blood and wet muscle. "I think you'll be my next little experiment." His thin lips drew into a vicious smile and all he did was point his finger and she screamed in agony causing her to drop to her knees. The pain spread through her like wildfire and she curled up in a tiny ball, her body shaking and spasming in torment. Cora let her eyes shut and just when she thought it would become too much, it stopped and her eyes fluttered open, the figures around her blurry before suddenly... everything went black.
Cora was now twenty four years old now and she paced the castle corridors, the castle she had hidden after finding a strong enough sorcerer to cast a cloaking spell. When the sound of her footsteps kept bouncing off the large brick walls she stopped and stood as she waited for notification that the quest had been a success. Serpine had been gone now for some time and she'd been ordered to wait until his return. The horror of last nights nightmare still chilled her core and she pushed it back into the corner of her mind, locking it up again before another few weeks when it slips through the cracks.
"Autumn!" Serpine yelled as he walked toward her, a smug smile on his thin lips as his emerald eyes glistened with excitement. She wasn't sure if he was actually glad to see her or he was just pleased to be home.
"Master," Autumn bowed her head slightly "I guess by the childish look on your face you got what you wanted?" Autumn Stone was her taken name, when Serpine took her... Well abducted her, she was taught to fight, taught magic which was terrifying because if she couldn't do it she would have been killed in an instance. When her magic was too strong for him to control she was experimented on for weeks, months she wasn't even sure anymore and the end result? Her mind was his and only his.
"You are correct. I lost around one hundred hollow men but need's must." He waved his hand passively and Autumn stood there, her eyes empty – her face emotionless. "You could be slightly happier, this little trinket is the first step of bringing our gods back." He watched her as she nodded.
"As you wish Master." Autumn forced a face smile and Serpine rolled his eyes and walked past her.
"Yes that's quite enough."
Autumns face dropped and strode into step beside him, her ginger waved locks bouncing along her shoulders as she blinked at him.
"What do you want?" Serpine growled, "I have things to organize."
"My sources have notified me of an update on Mr Pleasant and Miss Cain."
Serpine stopped, his interest peaking. "And what of them?"
Her head tilted slightly as her golden eyes squinted in fake concern. "You do remember what happened the last time he got close to you?"
Nefarian turned away, resuming his walk. "No."
Autumn blinked again and caught up with him, "No? Well he turned the book of names to dust, ruined your scheme to return the Faceless Ones to the world and..." She paused, licking her lips, "Nearly killed you."
He growled again as she looked at him with her emotionless, cold eyes. "Yes I'm aware Miss Stone."
Autumn nodded and stopped bowing her head. "Of course you do Master, please forgive me." She kept her head low before he grumbled something and walked off, when she could no longer hear his footsteps she straightened and turned on her heal, her phone vibrating in her pocket before she pulled it out and brought it to her ear.
"Yes?" Her voice was toneless and the person on the end of the phone was speaking frantically. "I can't understand what you are saying Graves, speak clearly."
"Skulduggery and that... girl..." He took a deep breath and Autumn stopped walking, standing by a large hole in the castle wall. "He know's what you've taken..."
"Master said he wouldn't take long to figure it out."
"Damn you! I might as well be speaking to a brick wall!" He shouted causing her to move the phone away from her ear an inch or two.
"I wouldn't see how a wall could hold a conversation?" Her eyebrows furrowing in confusion at his comment. Why would someone talk to a wall?
"Stone... Listen, he's coming for you. He's coming for Nefarian." Graves voice was filled with fear and she looked out over the green, gazing at the thick forest before speaking again. "Stop worrying Graves, all your squealing is making my ear hurt." He started shouting and she hung up, flexing her fingers before slipping her phone into jacket pocket. Autumn wasn't that weak little girl anymore, her body was strong and toned – her magic was largely underestimated and this was something she'd been preparing for, for quite some time.
"I'd like to see him try." Autumn stepped out onto the ledge and dropped into the shadows, getting ready for a fight that she knew she would win. Tonight was the night she would meet the famous skeleton detective and tonight would be his and his little partners very last.