OK, two people reviewed and said it was good. Yay! I feel so inspired, that I will now give you the first chapter of Return. Please accept this lovely gift. Then I may work on the next chapter of Seductive Song because I have nothing better to do.

Also, don't forget to read Perfect if you haven't already!

Return

By Shade Spirit

Chapter 1: The Girl

"Sable! Sable, quit dreaming and get to work!"

With a glare in my eyes, I looked up at the woman responsible for the screech. It was Priestess Melane. How I loathed the woman. She was always yelling at us acolytes, mostly for imagined offenses.

She loved the power she held over us. The only thing she loved more than that was herself. And I supposed she had the right. She was a beautiful woman, with an hourglass figure. She wasn't too tall or too short. Her long blond hair contrasted beautifully with her ebony skin and her bright blue eyes; eyes of ice.

Not willing to get into another row with her, I bent down to my task of scrubbing floors. The Priests and Priestesses say that work builds up character.

Yeah right.

Once the witch leaves, I sit back on my heels and catch sight of myself in my bucket of water. I very rarely was able to see myself, and I raised my hand in shock at the yellowing bruise on my cheek. I grimaced, not wanting to remember how I had received it.

Instead, I studied myself. My hair was shaggy and blond, cut in many, many layers with the longest reaching just below my chin and the shortest just covering my eyes. My face was heart-shaped with a tiny nose resting under large, brown eyes. Dreamer's eyes, I'd heard them called before. But no longer. The eyes I saw were shuttered and closed off, covered in layers of ice.

I looked away and went to scrubbing the floor with gusto. It was much better than seeing how the rest of me looked. I already knew.

I was about 5'4, and I would have had a nice figure if I wasn't so skinny. It wasn't my fault anyway. We acolytes were never fed enough. I also didn't need to look to see the bruises that covered me.

All was inflicted in the name of Gustan anyway, or so the Priests and Priestesses told me.

I was an orphan in the demonic church that worshipped Gustan, god of darkness and despair, pain and blood, hate and fear. How I came to be here, no one would tell me. I vaguely remember another place, a place with trees and great blue skies, and friendly children.

But my memories have faded, and I don't know why. But I just know that this is not where I have been since I was born, unlike what I have been told.

I tossed my brush in the bucket as I completed my last chore for the day. I dumped the dirty water and placed the bucket and brush up for tomorrow, then headed to my room. As I climbed the tower stairs, I pondered, as I always did, why I had a room all to myself. All the other female acolytes slept in dormitories together.

For some reason, I was special. And it spread resentment through the other girls. I don't know why, more pain was inflicted to me than any of them.

Maybe it is because of what I am? I am a lycanthrope, and a very powerful one, it seems. I have been trained since the age of 12 to defend myself. I know how to change shape when needed, and I know just how deep to cut to infect another.

As most lycans, I am that of a wolf, and my weaknesses in my wolf form are that of wolfsbane and silver. In my wolf form, I think I am beautiful. I have a wonderful black fur coat, maybe the reason I am called Sable? I grow tall, around six feet and develop a lovely, full figure. I, of course, have a wolfish face, with a muzzle and everything, but I have my blonde hair still, as well as my deep brown eyes.

You may not say that is beautiful, but I do. And my opinion counts more than yours. So there. Nyah.

I reach my room and peer out of the tower window, propping my elbows on the stone and setting my chin in my hands. It's a ritual, you could say. I always look out of my window, even when its winter, and I always scan the church grounds.

I don't know, call it a stupid hope, but I've always held the belief that someone would come for me and take me away from this horrible place.

But no one has ever come, and I don't think they ever will.

I still, frowning, as I heard someone come up the tower stairs. I turn around, perfectly composed, as my door swings open to allow the Head Priest himself into my room. I tremble in fear. He was the one who beat me the worst.

But he didn't have his whip or beating stick with him, which was odd in itself.

"Sable, come, it is time." he said before turning and heading back down the stairs.

My eyes widened before I scrambled to follow him. I knew what he meant. I was to be made a Priestess of the Church of Drustan. I suppose there is bitter irony in that. I hate what this church stands for, yet I find myself inflicting pain in everything I do.

I can sometimes be wantonly cruel. I suppose it makes me perfect for this order.

I knew what was to come, and it scared me. I didn't want to do it, but no one would let me back out. The most horrible of pains would be inflicted on me. No, not beatings, but much, much worse. A woman's worse nightmare.

Some women reveled in it, taking in this pain wholeheartedly. Some never recovered and were expelled from the church, left to fend for themselves in Makai.

The Head Priest stopped before a door and quickly opened it. It was pitch black inside, and I couldn't see a thing, even with my wolfish vision. I was suddenly pushed inside and I didn't even have time to scream as a cold hand wrapped around my mouth.

I blinked at the sudden light as the door was opened. I lay in a huddled heap on the floor, my eyes red and swollen from crying. I hurt; gods was I in pain! Thankfully the man had left earlier, during the time I slept. I was glad I never saw his face.

A woman walked into the stinking room, giving me a small smile. But I couldn't manage a small smile in return, not even for Priestess Ami. She was the only person I trusted here. I was glad they sent her to retrieve me. And she had gone through this very thing, so she knew how I felt.

She gently took my hand and lifted me up before handing me a clean robe. I took it gladly, since my old acolyte dress lay in tatters on the floor.

I followed Ami and glanced out of a window as we passed. It was a few hours before dawn. I shuddered. I had only been in there a few hours, but it had seemed like an eternity.

Ami left me at my new room, in the Priestess' quarters. She said she'd come back for me after I had washed up.

I watched her go before opening the door and walking inside. It was a luxurious room, and I loved it immediately. The walls were of paneled wood, and there was a real fireplace. The carpet was an odd silvery-black color. There was a large queen-sized bed in the center of the room, the comforter and canopy the same color as the carpet. There was a shelf full of my favorite books and a few lovely pictures adorning the walls, mostly of the celestial sky.

It was obvious that the Priests and Priestesses had noticed what I liked in my eight years here.

Holding my robe tightly to me, I walked towards the bathroom. It was tiled in black and silver, with the ceiling painted like the night sky. There was even a crescent moon in the corner.

I found the shower and dropped my robe, quickly washing the blood from my body. I felt like I'd never be clean, that I had been defiled. I shuddered, using heaps of soap over and over until my skin looked red and felt raw from all the scrubbings I had given it.

Feeling clean at last, I left my shower and wrapped myself in a clean towel before walking back out into my room and to my closet. It seemed that robes had already been made for me.

I took out my undergarments, then pulled out the first set of robes I came across, studying it.

The corset-like shirt was a blood red, with draping butterfly sleeves that rested off the shoulder. Over that went a long black dress. The neck was square and ended right above my belly button with strings crisscrossing it, meant to be tied over the corset. The skirt of the dress was almost straight and did not billow out, stopping just above my feet. Black stockings went over my legs and black boots adorned my feet.

This was the outfit that the Priestesses of Gustan wore. And I thought I looked horrible in it. I suppose I'd look better once I gained some weight back. There was no way I'd be starved now. No, now I'd be able to have anything I wanted, since I was now a precious Priestess.

At the knock on my door, I turned and went to open it, meeting a smiling Ami.

"Come, Sable. You look lovely. I'm so very glad you are one of us now." she said with genuine happiness in her tone.

I nodded, but said nothing as she led me to the dining hall, where I was now allowed to sit at the head table. From my spot, I was able to look down to where I had sat only yesterday for lunch. My rumbling stomach reminded me that I had missed dinner last night.

So, ignoring the whispering of the other acolytes, I began my breakfast. And it was the most wonderful thing I'd ever had since coming here! And I was able to eat my fill. That alone would have made me extremely happy.

After I had finished my meal, many of the Priests and Priestesses came by, welcoming me to my new rank. I usually nodded in reply, not saying anything to them.

Truthfully, I couldn't wait to leave this place. Now I had the freedom to leave and wander and preach the word about the wonderful Gustan. Ha! As if. I'd leave to get away, and then slip into obscurity so that the members of my order would never find me again.

But that wasn't to happen, sadly.

I looked up as my name was called and stared into the red eyes of the Head Priest. Once again, I was to follow him. But to where, I had no idea.

It turned out to be his office, and he bade me have a seat as he sat behind his desk, observing me over his glasses which rested on the tip of his rather large nose.

"Sable. I have been contacted by a group of adventurers that are in need of one of our Priestesses. They want our strongest, and have already paid in full. I am assigning you to their team."

I studied him, frowning. Adventurers, huh? He means thieves. Why else have a Priestess of Gustan with them? I sighed and nodded, knowing I had no choice in the matter.

"Very good." the Head Priest said, smiling. "They will be by later today, so get your things together and be ready to leave."

I left the room, none too happy. Well, at least I'll be free of this place.

After I had reached my room and gathered my things together, I performed a spell taught to us. We of this order are able to create voids and fill them with things. The voids can hold much more than what we could carry on our own. It was so much easier that way as well.

I closed the void then left my room once more, walking to the courtyard. I was to watch over a group of younger acolytes today until my 'team' got here.

The children were sweeping off the cobble stones, and were doing a well enough job, so I didn't feel the need to watch them too closely. But then a fight broke out between two of the boys, and I was required to watch. Once the fight was over, I was to punish the both of them.

Despite this, fighting was encouraged. It helped us determine who would be the stronger of the acolytes. It was horrible, and I hated it. Yet I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I beat the two of them, then made them continue their chores.

Gods…I hated myself for what this place had made me become. I hated this church even more for making me this.

I straightened as I heard footsteps behind me. I turned slowly, studying my 'team'.

It was obvious who the leader was. He stood in front of the group. He was the tall one, the handsome one. He had deep auburn hair that was left long and was captured in a loose braid. He had the deepest, bluest eyes I had ever seen. He could have made any girl fall for him, I thought, if it wasn't for the cruel smile that played across his lips.

The second one of the group was a little short. He wasn't anything special. He looked very ordinary, no one you'd comment on twice. His dull black hair was in an average cut, and his light brown eyes darted this way and that in a nervous gesture. He would be the one who picked the locks and such, I thought. They were always nervous.

The third one I took a disliking to immediately. He was large and bald with golden hoops in his ears. He wore no shirt and had two axes strapped to his back. He sneered at me, and I could see that all of his teeth were filed down to points.

I didn't let him see how much he unnerved me as I went to greet them. I never even bothered to learn their names, deciding not to speak unless I had to.

And so we left, on a mission to do who knows what. No one sought to inform me, so I just followed.

We traveled for many days, and it was then that I found out what we were going to do.

We were robbing the Spirit World vaults.

Ok, I hope you liked this. It is the longest chapter I've written for any story, I think. I suppose I could have made it longer, but I decided to leave it here.

Signing out

Shade