Sin's Torment
by shike77
Chapter II
"All that's Left of Yesterday"
-Evanescence, "Hello."
^_^ BWAHAHA! I'm BAAAAAA~AAAAAACK! ^_^ I know, you didn't miss me…
Oh, random note I'm sure none of you care about: I GOT A NEW KITTY! *is happy* Yeah, we named him 'Finn,' after the character from the Witches of Eileanan series. Me n' my brother suggested 'Goblin' (which was that character's familiar) and then my Mom decided to go with Finn. *heavy sarcasm* Anyway, he's just a perfect lil' angel.
Finn: *breaking something, climbing the drapes, crapping stuff that smells worse than a giant's gas-passing, and other such pleasant activities*
Oh—I know you're wondering about my Soa gender preference. ^_^;; Well, I've read the Witches of Eileanan Books, so I think Soa is an 'it.' Neither male or female but both. The God(dess) in that book is Ea, and referred to as a Goddess or 'she' although she is both Mother and Father, but neither. Get it? No? See if I care. ^_^
And another thing that's actually relevant; O.O Run like hell really fast if you're uncomfortable with flirting. There's a whore in this story (or man-whore, depending on how you look at it…) and s/he's a bit too friendly… Of course, it hints at sex… but doesn't describe it. And… it MIGHT be relevant to the plot in the future, but I can always describe it later without all the stuff that makes people feel uncomfortable.
Anyway, once a red head male appears out of thin air, skip to the next section if you're uncomfortable with homosexuality / guys shape-shifting into girls / flirting. And before you even ASK – no, I'm not gay. Actually, I'm not interested in any relationship at all. WHAT? You don't look at the Yaoi fangirls like they're maniacs! Okay, so maybe you do… I just don't have a problem with homosexuality. I know that Roman Catholics are supposed to be against it and all, but… I don't see why.
But, still… *praying her parents aren't reading this, and her brother procrastinates long enough so that he forgets about it and doesn't read this*
Anyway… Yeah. Am I the only one who noticed that Dart's hand has a twitch to it? Zeig has it, too. Can't remember which hand it is, though… Kinda cool, if you ask me.
Anyhoo… ^_^ Story time!
Derek Failcross played absently with the glowing stone in his hand, raising an eyebrow at the man tied and bound before him, held in his place by two guards—who were more brawn than brain, he thought idly. He sighed casually, signaling to the guards to leave them. The brutes obeyed without hesitation or even acknowledging the command—the faster things got done, the better.
He stood, smiling happily, as the iron door slammed shut. "Brother! You have no idea the joy it brings to see you!"
A snort. "Hmm. Let's see; you have me hunted down like a wild animal, thrown into a cell for a week, tied and brought to you like I'm no more than a regular criminal. Yeah, I'd say that I'm rather pleased to see you, too."
If Derek noticed the heavy sarcasm in his brother's voice, he didn't show it as he laughed. "The past is the past, dear brother. Whether it was a day or a year ago, let us put it behind us."
He grunted, unamused by the highly cliché poetry he was being fed as a lie. "You found her."
Derek froze. The smile on his handsome face was obviously forced as he spoke, "I know not of that which you speak. Would you care to enlighten me…?"
"Cut the bullshit, Derek!" he hissed violently, dark eyes narrowed. "You and I both know you've managed to find what you've been looking for all along! The 'Chosen One' to reap havoc upon the Soa-be-damned world so that they might repent for their fucking sins!"
His smile disappeared. Jaw clenched, eyes narrowed, the younger brother let out a deep breath. His voice was tense as the air in the room had suddenly become as he growled. His hands were gripping the stone so hard that his entire fist was white. "So, tell me how you've come upon this brilliant revelation, dear brother."
Now it was the elder's turn to laugh. "You're so predictable, Derek. You've left me alone for seven years, ever since we found these damned Spirits and I left. That enabled you to inherit this grand fortress, and that's all you wanted for a long time, wasn't it? Free Reign over your own little Kingdom, unknown to the rest of the world.
"But, no, that isn't enough, isn't it? You have to get on Soa's good side. So, you find all the Dragoon Spirits in hopes to jump on the Dragoons who defied Soa's fate. During the process, you find Soa's pretty toy. However, you know that the Chosen one of Soa needs to be kept under control. Needs to have a reason to stay in alliance with you. So, you bring me in to keep your new 'friend' occupied while you're too busy sitting on your fat ass to be on your guard." He raised his eyebrows, closed his eyes, and sighed sadly. "Derek, you're pathetic, you know that?"
The younger brother laughed. "Well, you're smarter than I give you credit for. And I suppose you have some perfect escape plan as well?"
A snort. "Who needs a plan?" he threw the ropes that supposedly held his hands together over his shoulder and turned to leave. "I'm just smarter than your bastard lackeys." He strode towards the door.
"I still have Soa's chosen one," Derek smirked, "and I know full well how to keep her occupied, with or without you. Street Rats last only so long when they're being tempted. I'm sure this one has no morals, just like the rest of them."
There was a cold laugh from the retreating man. "Even rats have a greater sense of humanity than you do; they don't want the blood of thousands on their hands."
"You place too much faith in someone you've never met."
"You place too little."
The door swung open and closed behind the elder as the younger sat back down on his throne. He heard the guards scream, but made no move to help them, knowing they'd all die someday, anyway. Sooner better than later, those dimwitted fools. Their death was a minor setback, but not as big as them being alive. More, better guards could be hired to replace those idiots that he lost—he had all of Endiness at his disposal.
The only setback worth thought he could see was that his brother was gone. The man was not necessary, however. There were plenty of ways to keep the Street Rat busy. The girl was beautiful, and perhaps, if she was not willing to aid him on the battlefield…
His thoughts were broken by the sudden increase in the magical essence in the air around him. He sighed, leaning back in the elaborate chair, glaring at the space before him.
"You do know that trying to listen in on my conversations isn't polite."
From thin air, a tall, well-built man appeared before him, sighing as he brushed bright red hair away from pure white eyes.
((AN: You no likie aforementioned stuff people think is bad? Skip this next part, until you see the *** … 'kay?))
"We're on the same side, Derek," the man cooed, smiling sweetly, "can't I hear your pretty plans?"
Suddenly, there was a ripple of muscle, skin and clothing as the man changed shape—and was no longer a man. A beautiful, willowy woman with subtle red locks that fell far past her feet to tumble upon the ground in bountiful amounts stood there, wearing that same, sweet smile. Eyes swirled, and suddenly they were very human; a soft, pale blue.
Originally stark naked, the woman's clothes appeared on her body in a flash. A very thin, translucent pair of only partially-existent top and thong. She moved closer, purring.
She gently sat upon his lap, curled up and caressed his face. "Did your brother frustrate you?" Her voice impossible to compare with such intensity.
He smiled down at the woman, gently embracing her, playing with her hair absently. "If I said yes, what would you do?"
She laughed sadistically, running her hand along his elegant, regal jacket, fingering the clasps with soft, smooth fingers. She shifted closer, starting to whisper softly the notes of a song in his ear.
He smiled, hand caressing her face gently. "I think your answer is acceptable enough."
The woman smiled as he leaned into her, reaching for the poor excuse for a shirt she wore. Suddenly, her clothing was long, elaborate, and difficult to tell where it ended and her skin began.
"Now, what's the fun if it all happens to quickly…?" she cooed, eyes flickering as he grasped for the intricate clasps immediately. She laughed sweetly, knowing that his actions were not of his own mind. The magic she wove into the spell was too powerful for him to resist, and she wanted him badly…
Although, if her voice had not been enchanted, Derek would show no interest in her—or rather, him in a woman's body. That fact tore his cold heart apart, even as they tumbled onto the ground in a mass tangle of clothing, tongues and bodies.
***
Black.
Everything around her was black.
This was the start of a dream. They always started the same. This endless black, the preface to a deadly, dark vision of pain and suffering.
This time—the pain wasn't her own. A young woman—sixteen, seventeen—stood with her arms held straight out, head rested against her chest. Flames poured from her hands and feet like rivers, and flickered from the corners of her closed eyes.
She looked up, suddenly, slowly, her eyes opening just so. It was impossible to avoid that gaze, yet hard to hold. The deep blue in the center of the iris was lined with a bright ring of red, although it could've been the flames that now poured from her eyes that made the illusion.
Golden hair cascaded down her shoulders and fell to her waist as she let out a shuddering sob. Her muscles tightened as her gaze fell to the ground once more, eyes closing.
"It hurts… make it stop…"
She blinked. That voice… hauntingly familiar, but so filled with pain, longing for rest, anything that would stop the agony, that she couldn't recognize it.
Who, in their right mind, would hurt this poor child?
Suddenly, she let out a mighty scream. The flames poured freely, burning so bright and hot they were white. The holy fire vanquished the darkness that clouded the rest of the dream.
And, suddenly, a million faces were lit up, their shock at the wonder of the suffering child before them etched permanently into their faces as they were consumed by the fire. Screams filled the dream—not only the girl's, but countless voices joined in on the chorus, a haunting sound that reached and screamed through the night.
Just as the fire was about to consume her, Shana woke up without the breath to scream.
Gasping, she glanced about her, shuddering at the feel of cold, sticky sweat covering her body. In the dark of midnight, she couldn't see any thing save for a tiny stream of faint starlight that entered the room through a partial opening in the curtains.
She heard the sheets rustle beside her and saw Dart's bright eyes highlighted by the faint luminescence outside a moment before she felt his arms around her, and then heard him whisper soothing phrases into her ear, gently running his fingers through her hair to calm her.
She returned the embrace, burying her face in Dart's bare chest. She felt his hand twitch, as it had always done, as he gently kissed the top of her head.
"It was just a nightmare," he assured her, "It's okay."
She shook her head, pulling away from him a bit, a thought suddenly hitting her. White fire? She'd given off white light before, did that have anything to do with it?
"Dart… do you think I passed on any of the…?"
As she sat in silence, trying to figure out the words, Dart merely pulled her close again.
"No," he replied, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "She didn't get any of it."
Although he seemed positive in the matter, Shana wasn't so sure.
@_@;; Phew… done… Took me long enough, ne? Anyway… to the reviews!
Striker — Yeah… the Rose death thing kinda pissed me off. *eye twitch* Eh, not like we weren't expecting that, though. She was OBVIOUSLY on a Kamikaze mission, there.
Shadow Wolf — *blinkblink* Eh… Am NOT a great author. And I'm NOT being too hard on myself, either! I know I'm bad, and I tell everyone else that. ^_^ Y'see, I'm horrible, everyone else is brilliant. Quoth my Friend: "You are in SERIOUS self-denial…" To which I just nodded, grinning. 'Twas amusing.
Fifi — Talent? *peeks inside empty box labeled 'Ta|eNt' sitting beside empty box labeled 'BrAAnz'* ^_^ Nope! None here!
Aer — *hands Aer a moose* ^_^ Enjoy! Anyway… Yeah. And Soa is… I dunno. I don't like Soa much.
Shade — o.O;; eh…? HEY! No worshipping aloud!
Saer: Look who's talking.
*cow-sacrificing shrines are littered across shike's basement*
shike: Bah, the Alberta government's killing 'em of anyway, might as well have some fun while I'm listening to all this shit about cows being angry.
Anyway… Yeah, I agree with you. There's a REASON Shana's the perfect character who everybody likes, you know. I get into that later on in the story. ^_^ There's a REASON it's Angst, y'know.
dark dragon24 — You got more! Happy!
Anyway… @_@;; Meep. *hides under a box* I'm gunna get SHOT for earlier on this chapter, aren't I?
If so… ^_^ Go ahead. I'll sick Miki on you.
Miki: .- DAMNIT! I'm a fucking DRAGON, how the HELL do you get the name MIKI out of that?!