Chapter Three
Once again, Rejal awoke in a sweat. She looked over to the floor where Styx lay.
"It never happened," she said softly. "You never came over and spoke to me. Just another dream. . ."
She blinked and yawned, then gazed to the window. "The sun is coming up. Dammit, I'm still tired and now I'll never be able to get back to sleep. . ."
But as she blinked once again, she fell back onto her pillow, snuggled the blankets close to her and closed her eyes.
Styx watched through three-quarter closed eyes. The great dane sighed, then got up and looked out the window, down to the street below.
He stalked over to the door and turned the latch with his mouth, then exited the room, carefully and quietly shutting the door.
* * *
//From a hellish nightmare, You came to me.
My life would be spared, So said you. To serve you without question, Was all I was required to do.
That was two years ago.
I've worked so hard and long, All for the pact we made. I made sure nothing went wrong, It's time your half be fully paid.
You seem to forget.
Minion, you call me. I see now what I have become. I never thought I'd be a slave, But your wishes make me go numb.
I hurt.
You put me through torture.
I've forgotten my old life.
I must be drugged,
To keep going through all of this and not look for a knife. . .
I want to end it all!
You've made me weak.
I don't blame you.
I'm easier to handle when I'm meek. Just know, one day I plan to get you.
From a hellish nightmare,
You came to me.//
Over the low valley came the whistling sound.
It was a low, almost mournful warbling. Paranormal, some would think.
But the people of Vendell were asleep. The only way they could hear it would be in their dreams.
Styx followed the whistling. Styx knew where it came from.
Styx would never answer to Styx again.
Past the willow grove and little farming field ran the dog, past the little brook and rock pile, out into the lowest valley of the outskirts of Vendell.
The whole trip took barely seven minutes. Though a good town for a party, Vendell was pitifully small when compared to other surrounding cities and suburbs.
"Ah; good to have you back, minion."
The dog looked up, ears tracking down the direction of the voice, eyes dawning on recognition.
"It takes you this long to remember me, Lyn? I am surprised! However, you shall not have to deal with this again, which should make you happy, eh?"
The dog nodded, then arched its back. A moan escaped as the dog became woman.
Fur was sucked back into the flesh as claws retracted. The once masculine paws straighted out into delicate, feminine hands. The muzzle shrank, faded back into the natural face of Lyn.
Lyn had been a simple part-time librarian, part-time bartending waitress before one night a stranger had come to her just as she was closing up the bar.
* * *
//The doors had opened with plenty of creaking, like they always had. Lyn shuddered. 'Damn chilly spring air,' she thought silently.
A man came with that breeze. He wall tall, but extremely pale.
'Definately not my type,' Lyn mused.
His black eyes swept over to her. "It is your turn," he said matter-of-factly.
"The hell?" she voiced as he stepped nearer.
"You can call it anything you want now, you are coming with me."
"You'll have to kill me first!" Lyn threw a punch at his head.
The man dodged easily with a simple movement of his neck. He smiled slightly. "A fighter. I've always liked fighters. They're good at understanding propositions."
"What's this proposition?"
He smiled again. "I knew you were a fighter.
"This proposition, now. . . Well, tonight it was stated that you were to die. A man was supposed to come and assassinate you for a wrong done to him by the car owner. The man, however, tripped and killed himself when he fell on a snake on his way here. The Cosmos are screwed up, you could say. Nothing is as it should be. Nothing will be the same.
"That damn assassin ruined everything by being clumbsy! Anyway. . .I was supposed to 'right' a wrong and have you killed anyway, but killing cold blood isn't for me. However, you still cannot be here when the dawn comes, otherwise your soul will be taken from your body by my DemonHounds, and you don't want that, do you?
"I thought not."
Lyn stared at the strange man.
"My proposition is for you to become a type of underling for me. You will be given powers beyond your imagination! You will work directly for me, following my commands and doing what I ask. In return, you will stay alive, and I will also promise to eventually give you back a life, but with a different alias.
"What do you say?"
"Who /are/ you?"
"Me?" the man asked with a grin. "I am Hades, friend to the Fates."
He asked again, "What do you say?"
Lyn did not hesitate. "I accept your offer."
This seemed to take Hades by surprise momentarily. "You accept?"
"It beats having the soul ripped out of me by Demons."//
* * *
Now, Lyn would rather be dead.
Her phsyical strength was waning down. Her mental strength was also diminishing.
'That was his plan all along.' she thought silently. 'Wear me down until I am nothing but his automaton. Eventually my soul will become his entirely anyway. I will wear down until he has to supply me with some type of steroided strength, and then I will have that debt to repay. . . And I have seen how much of a beast he can be when it comes to collecting his tributes. . .
'The question is,' she continued thinking to herself, 'why did he call me away now? What is it that he wants me to do for him now?'
Once again, Rejal awoke in a sweat. She looked over to the floor where Styx lay.
"It never happened," she said softly. "You never came over and spoke to me. Just another dream. . ."
She blinked and yawned, then gazed to the window. "The sun is coming up. Dammit, I'm still tired and now I'll never be able to get back to sleep. . ."
But as she blinked once again, she fell back onto her pillow, snuggled the blankets close to her and closed her eyes.
Styx watched through three-quarter closed eyes. The great dane sighed, then got up and looked out the window, down to the street below.
He stalked over to the door and turned the latch with his mouth, then exited the room, carefully and quietly shutting the door.
* * *
//From a hellish nightmare, You came to me.
My life would be spared, So said you. To serve you without question, Was all I was required to do.
That was two years ago.
I've worked so hard and long, All for the pact we made. I made sure nothing went wrong, It's time your half be fully paid.
You seem to forget.
Minion, you call me. I see now what I have become. I never thought I'd be a slave, But your wishes make me go numb.
I hurt.
You put me through torture.
I've forgotten my old life.
I must be drugged,
To keep going through all of this and not look for a knife. . .
I want to end it all!
You've made me weak.
I don't blame you.
I'm easier to handle when I'm meek. Just know, one day I plan to get you.
From a hellish nightmare,
You came to me.//
Over the low valley came the whistling sound.
It was a low, almost mournful warbling. Paranormal, some would think.
But the people of Vendell were asleep. The only way they could hear it would be in their dreams.
Styx followed the whistling. Styx knew where it came from.
Styx would never answer to Styx again.
Past the willow grove and little farming field ran the dog, past the little brook and rock pile, out into the lowest valley of the outskirts of Vendell.
The whole trip took barely seven minutes. Though a good town for a party, Vendell was pitifully small when compared to other surrounding cities and suburbs.
"Ah; good to have you back, minion."
The dog looked up, ears tracking down the direction of the voice, eyes dawning on recognition.
"It takes you this long to remember me, Lyn? I am surprised! However, you shall not have to deal with this again, which should make you happy, eh?"
The dog nodded, then arched its back. A moan escaped as the dog became woman.
Fur was sucked back into the flesh as claws retracted. The once masculine paws straighted out into delicate, feminine hands. The muzzle shrank, faded back into the natural face of Lyn.
Lyn had been a simple part-time librarian, part-time bartending waitress before one night a stranger had come to her just as she was closing up the bar.
* * *
//The doors had opened with plenty of creaking, like they always had. Lyn shuddered. 'Damn chilly spring air,' she thought silently.
A man came with that breeze. He wall tall, but extremely pale.
'Definately not my type,' Lyn mused.
His black eyes swept over to her. "It is your turn," he said matter-of-factly.
"The hell?" she voiced as he stepped nearer.
"You can call it anything you want now, you are coming with me."
"You'll have to kill me first!" Lyn threw a punch at his head.
The man dodged easily with a simple movement of his neck. He smiled slightly. "A fighter. I've always liked fighters. They're good at understanding propositions."
"What's this proposition?"
He smiled again. "I knew you were a fighter.
"This proposition, now. . . Well, tonight it was stated that you were to die. A man was supposed to come and assassinate you for a wrong done to him by the car owner. The man, however, tripped and killed himself when he fell on a snake on his way here. The Cosmos are screwed up, you could say. Nothing is as it should be. Nothing will be the same.
"That damn assassin ruined everything by being clumbsy! Anyway. . .I was supposed to 'right' a wrong and have you killed anyway, but killing cold blood isn't for me. However, you still cannot be here when the dawn comes, otherwise your soul will be taken from your body by my DemonHounds, and you don't want that, do you?
"I thought not."
Lyn stared at the strange man.
"My proposition is for you to become a type of underling for me. You will be given powers beyond your imagination! You will work directly for me, following my commands and doing what I ask. In return, you will stay alive, and I will also promise to eventually give you back a life, but with a different alias.
"What do you say?"
"Who /are/ you?"
"Me?" the man asked with a grin. "I am Hades, friend to the Fates."
He asked again, "What do you say?"
Lyn did not hesitate. "I accept your offer."
This seemed to take Hades by surprise momentarily. "You accept?"
"It beats having the soul ripped out of me by Demons."//
* * *
Now, Lyn would rather be dead.
Her phsyical strength was waning down. Her mental strength was also diminishing.
'That was his plan all along.' she thought silently. 'Wear me down until I am nothing but his automaton. Eventually my soul will become his entirely anyway. I will wear down until he has to supply me with some type of steroided strength, and then I will have that debt to repay. . . And I have seen how much of a beast he can be when it comes to collecting his tributes. . .
'The question is,' she continued thinking to herself, 'why did he call me away now? What is it that he wants me to do for him now?'