Max: Well here is my shot at a one shot Halloween story. Enjoy.
P.s. It's not about vampires. Alot of those stories going around. No offense to those who have written them. I have just about read each one and wanted to do something unique.
It had been nearly a millennium since the world regeneration, of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, occurred. The names of those brave souls were now only known by the summon spirits and the Castagnier family line. That was what was believed. In a secluded house a lone woman had been scouring a book for hours. At first glance the book looked like any normal leather bound book. After closer inspection the leather was made with human flesh and the words had been written with blood. A crude laughter filled the hut as the woman found what she was looking for. "Good" a voice echoed out of the dark corner of the house.
"So if I do this for you, you will grant my wish?" the woman said facing the darkness.
"As we agreed." a tall figure said as he stepped out of the darkness. "I have gotten the necessary items." he said this as he held out several dark spheres. Each sphere seemed to be screaming as it sat there.
"Then let us begin" the woman held out the book and started to read aloud. As she spoke dark runes appeared beneath her feet and formed eight circles around the house. Dark shadows slowly emerged from the center of each circle and started to take a human shape. In the air mana gathered into small spheres and shot into the shadows. With a twisted smile the dark figure approached each shadow and forced one of the dark spheres into each shadow. The woman let out a cry as she burst into flames and disintegrated.
"Now all we do is wait" he said as he sank into a shadow that sat on the floor followed by his creations.
Emil Castagnier had experienced many things through out his life. He had fallen in love, he found out that he was actually a summon spirit, he had a family, he had seen the small town of Luin transform into a large city, he had seen his wife and his closest friends age and die, but nothing could prepare him for what he was currently facing, parent teacher conference. About every century he had changed his appearance, currently he has brown hair and had changed some of his features to look kinda like Lloyd, with elven features. He was currently sitting in an empty classroom with his family's 11th generation sitting next to him.
"Good after noon Mr. Castagnier you do understand why I asked you here?" the teacher said as she entered the room. She held a large stack of papers with plenty of red marks on each page. Emil gave a slight glare to his relation as he continued his meeting with the teacher. In the midst of the meeting Emil stiffened. He had sensed a new mana signature enter the city. Which was weird. Every since he had rewritten one of the laws of life, no creature would have a mana signature. The exception of being his family, since they were part summon spirit. He didn't recognize the signature since it was not one of his family. But it was still familiar, like something he had forgotten long ago. His thoughts were interrupted by an explosion coming from out side. Being a hero for so long you would have certain reflexes hardwired into you. Emil being one such hero rushed outside after asking the teacher to look after his relation. Amidst the chaos of people running and screaming there stood a person covered in blood holding a sword, walking after the crowd of people.
"Stop where you are!" one of the local authorities said to the blood soaked person just before his head was cut off. Emil could just watch as several guards appeared wielding guns. After shouting several warnings they had opened fire upon the person. Emil started to head back into the school thinking that the matter was taken care of, until he heard the screaming of the guards. He had turned in time to see that one person slaughter the guards in an instant. Emil finally had gotten a good look at the person and from what he saw, memories flooded his mind.
A burning city, bodies scattered everywhere, a person with two swords killing people in cold blood. There he was Lloyd Irving his body riddled with bullet wounds and soaked in the blood of his victims. Even with all the wounds his body had he didn't even flinch when he was shot. After a moment a dark smoke emitted from his body as his wounds healed. With a smirk he turned towards Emil and pulled out his second blade.
"Its been too long Emil" the tone of his dark disembodied voice sent chills throughout all the people in the area.
"Who are you" Emil shouted as he held his hand behind himself.
"Whats wrong? Don't you recognize me? It's me Lloyd." as he said that he shot towards Emil at blazing speeds. For a moment in time it looked like Lloyd was going to strike down Emil, but his attack was blocked by the sword Emil had relieved. It wasn't any man made sword but one made of pure mana. It was harder then any metal and impossibly sharp, as Lloyd found out when his swords split in two from his own attack being blocked.
"Your not Lloyd he's been dead for a long time!" Emil said as he lashed out at him.
"Well your partially right on that" he said as he jumped back to avoid the attack.
"What do you mean?" Emil immediately took a familiar stance as a large amount of mana gathered behind him.
"Some one had brought me back to life. With a catch." a familiar looking haze had surrounded Lloyd. Emil faltered and paled at the sight causing him to stop his spell.
"No. They didn't!" you could see the panic growing in Emil's eyes. When the haze cleared Lloyd could be clearly seen his features had changed. His red jacket was now black with red patterns emitting smoke, his trailings were a bright crimson with flaming clawed hands at the end. His hands as well were slightly clawed. His eyes were yellow and had slits adding to his round pupil. His hair was a blazing red and yellow and had four black horns sticking out of the side of his head. As he walked the earth would burn under his feet.
"You've been fused with demons." Emil said as he backed up.
"Yes I have. I resisted at first, but heh heh it felt too good to pass up." Lloyd threw what was left of his swords to the side and held out his hands. A darkness surrounded his hands as the Nebilim appeared in his hands. "Right now I have an unstoppable urge to take your head. I'm sorry Emil, but I just can't help my self." Lloyd took off with a shot strait at Emil who deflected Lloyd's first strike and blocked his second. Lloyd jumped far back and shouted "Demonic Sword Rain!" he stabbed the air in front of him countless times, with each strike a shock wave raced forward towards Emil. In a short moment of time Emil had to dodge countless shock waves. Even being a summon spirit he was unable to dodge them all and was hit numerous times. After the attack subsided Emil was left wounded and bloody. The buildings that were behind him were demolished and countless people were killed. "this should be a fitting end" Lloyd said as he put his swords together and leaped into the air. "Devil's Maw" Lloyd shouted as he came down. The air suddenly grew heavy with mana, as a bright sphere hit Lloyd and sent him crashing through several buildings.
"Dad!" a man with dirty blond hair ran up behind Emil. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm still alive. What are you doing here Edward? Your suppose to be checking on the alters of the other summon spirits."
"I have my centurions checking them" it was one of the most unexpected things that happened. Emil's son and daughter had been born with centurion cores with them. Just like his children their centurions were half human.
"Back to what's important. It seems someone has done the unthinkable. They revived one of the shepherds of regeneration, and merged their spirits with demons." Emil said as he got up and healed his wounds.
"We have to save him from the demons' control." after he said this Edward was hit by a large shock wave and crashed into the ruined building he was in front of.
"Don't think that will be happening anytime soon." Lloyd said as he emerged from the building. His body half destroyed and looking as if it were to fall apart at any moment. "That last attack kinda hurt." in that moment his body regenerated and took a stance as he chanted "Power of the void hear my call, destroy all those who stand before me! Corrupt Punishment!" the sky grew dark as strange symbols appeared on the ground. From a distance there was a dark flash of light as pillars of energy formed and started to pull everything towards it, those that were fortunate enough to not be pulled in faced another horror, as each pillar exploded sending everything that was pulled in out as deadly missiles. In moments Luin the great city on the water was destroyed. From the rubble, of the ruined city, the few survivors that were found were badly wounded. Including Emil and his son. Lloyd was nowhere to be found.
A month had passed since the destruction of Luin. Emil and his son had fully recovered and were feverishly searching through their families archives on away to save Lloyd. They were joined by Emil's daughter Maria. Maria looked a lot like her mother except for she had her fathers green eyes and kept her long hair in a ponytail. She was usually accompanied by her centurion of light, Irri. Irri looked mostly human with her yellow hair and yellow eyes. The only difference were the golden butterfly wings sticking out of her back.
"This is getting futile." Emil said as he finished his book. "We've gone though our entire library, and only found that a person being possessed by demons the body's mana will be drained"
"But dad didn't you come across this before?" Maria asked as she put away several books.
"I did but I usually ended up destroying the demon with the host." Emil grimaced at the memory.
"You saw what happened with Lloyd. His body completely regenerated. I don't think it will be easy for us to destroy him" Edward said as he approached with a stack of books.
"No one is destroying any one. There is no telling on what will happen if we killed Lloyd. He is still the name giver of the tree." Emil was instantly lost in memories.
"Ratatosk. Your life is mine!" a dark figure said as he charged the spirit. Ratatosk let out a bored sigh as he grabbed the figure and threw him onto the floor. The figure let out a hiss as he stood up and charged the spirit, only to be thrown down again.
"I've had enough of this." Ratatosk said as he started to cast a spell. The figure had desperately lashed out towards the spirit but was blocked as some one else struck him down.
"Are you done yet?" Richter said as he pined down the dark figure. When Ratatosk had finished his spell, several tendrils of mana shot out of the seal that was placed on the door to Nefilheim
and wrapped themselves around the figure. Where the tendrils wrapped the figure's body started to burn and hiss. He let out a cry of pain as he collapsed onto the floor. After a moment the tendrils started to retract and drag his body towards the seal. The figure started to violently struggle against the tendrils, but found it futile. As he started to disappear into the seal,his final words echoed throughout the Ginnungagap.
"I'll be back and I will remember this!" his body was then fully engulfed in the seal as he was dragged into Nefilheim.
"Hello. Gnome to Dad" Maria said as she waved her hand in front of Emil's face.
"Sorry I was just think-I've Got it!" Emil said as he shot up and ran out of the room. Edward and Maria just looked at each other and shrugged. In a different part of the house/temple Emil had opened a magically sealed door and entered the room. Inside were several items, some had sentimental value to Emil as others contained magical properties. Emil searched through the shelves and came across a medallion. "Here it is" he grabbed it and resealed the room as he exited. Emil and his family traveled a distance from any settlement, be it monster, human, or other.
"Dad what is that?" Edward said as he looked over the medal.
"This is how we remove the demon from Lloyd" Emil held out his hand as a gateway opened before them.
"Dad what are you doing?" Maria and Irri appeared next to the portal.
"Luring Lloyd to the Ginnungagap. That is where we shall exorcise the demon from him." as they entered the portal to the Ginnungagap Emil placed an item in front of the portal that he knew no demon could resist its temptation, Devil's food cake. After several hours and countless lesser demons, Lloyd had appeared next to the cake. He was about to take a large bite, when the portal opened up and pulled him in. Lloyd landed with a thud as several mana tendrils constricted him. As he was constricted the mana started to burn his flesh and he let out a cry of pain.
"Don't worry Lloyd it will all be over soon." Emil said as he held out the medallion. Emil chanted a quick spell as five golden tendrils shot out of the medallion and bound Lloyd's arms and legs. There was a cry as the mana tendrils started to pull on Lloyd some towards the Ginnungagap and others to the medallion.
"You Bastard!" Lloyd shouted through the pain. There was a ripping sound as a dark shadow started to get pulled out of Lloyd's body towards the door. There was a roar as a flaming head appeared on Lloyd's back. Suddenly an arm appeared on the head holding a black spear. With out warning it threw the spear at Emil. His children stood there in shock as the lance pierced it's target. Emil held his bloody hand as the medallion shattered and it's power released back into the world. With its influence gone, the other tendrils had no resistance and had pulled Lloyd into the seal.
"Lloyd No!" Emil shouted as Lloyd slowly passed into the seal knowing that it would be a one way trip.
"Don't worry about me Emil. You did your best." Lloyd said with his normal voice and goofy smile for last time. "It was good to see you again." then his tone changed back into the demonic type "I'll be back." and his dark laughter echoed throughout the chamber as Lloyd disappeared into the seal.
"That's one down" a dark figure said from the corner of the Ginnungagap as he melded into the shadows.
Max: How was that? I know it needs a little work but I had wanted to finish it before the end of Halloween. Should I make this into a series? Tell me what you think. And I shall see you next story.