Chapter 14: Harsh Reality

Danielle finished drinking the water she had poured into an old glass from one of the cabinets, noting absentmindedly that the water was lukewarm and not cold at all. Her thoughts drifted back to the chapter page, and she felt a burning rage build up inside. How many innocents had Pious killed already? He had to be stopped before Chattur'gha returned and even more people were slaughtered. "Man, if I ever get my hands on Pious, I'll finish him off myself…"

As she set the glass down, she heard a cold voice from behind her. "And how will you go about doing that?" the voice uttered.

Danielle recognized the voice almost instantly. She spun around to face Pious Augustus, unsure of how he got here. She didn't hear him enter or anything. It was like he just popped in without a single sound. Danielle glanced at the sword he held, a Roman Gladius, and swallowed hard. He wasn't here on friendly terms, not like he was a good guy.

Pious grinned at the sight of Danielle's fear. "I asked you a question." Danielle didn't reply, trying to think of a plan. The only thing she could come up with was to fight him unarmed. It was a stupid plan, but she was out of ideas.

Danielle bent her knees slightly and charged at Pious, throwing a punch at his face. As if anticipating the attack, he grabbed her fist and raised his sword. Danielle retaliated by landing a punch on his face with her free hand. Without letting go, Pious swung his Gladius around and pressed its edge against her throat. She felt a trickle of blood run down her neck as the sword was pressed against it. "So, when am I going to start paying?" he asked menacingly.

Once again, Danielle did not reply. Instead, she brought up her leg and kicked Pious away, forcing him to release his hold on her arm. Danielle took the chance to try and uppercut him, but he ducked and went around to her back. Before she could turn around, Pious landed a powerful blow on her side with the dull end of his Gladius. Danielle lost her balance and fell to the floor. Pious kicked her onto her back and placed his sword tip against her neck. But for some reason, he didn't attack. "Why are you here?" Danielle asked.

"I have a preposition for you," he replied calmly.

"And that is?"

"Join with me. You're capable of great of great things, Danielle. Join with Chattur'gha and me, and I'll grant you your life."

Danielle sneered. "Nice sounding ultimatum, but no. I would never betray humanity to help you and that freak!"

Pious grinned coldly. "You would already," he said viciously. "Though I'm giving you your option of Ancients to pick between."

Danielle acted like she was considering this, and as soon as he relaxed his grip on the Gladius slightly, she grabbed his arm and twisted it hard. Her plan worked, but not how she wanted it to. Pious released the Gladius with a slightly pained expression, but he quickly put his foot on her chest. "You're going to help an Ancient one way or another, Danielle. I will be tolerant, which is more than I can say for Xel'lotath."

Danielle's eyes widened in surprise. "What… What are you talking about? I'm not helping any Ancient!"

His grin grew even wider. "You mean that good-for-nothing grandfather of yours didn't even tell you? My, my, I'm surprised at him."

"W-What?"

Pious shook his head. "This is quite amusing. You died at age thirteen, Danielle."

"No…" she whispered in disbelief.

Pious let out a cruel laugh, pressing his foot down a bit harder. "Yes, and the only reason you're still breathing today is because of me with the help of Xel'lotath. What better way to weaken an opponent than to force them to give a portion of their power to save their choice for Liche?"

"But… It can't be…"

"Try to cast something with a Chattur'gha alignment and see what happens," Pious said.

Danielle hesitated a moment, thinking of what to use. The only useful spell at a time like this was the Shield spell. "Bankorok, Redgormor, Chattur'gha…" she whispered. Suddenly, instead of red spheres flying around her, a burning pain shot through her body. After a few seconds, it subsided.

Once again, Pious grinned. "Xel'lotath's magick flows within you, Danielle. You're her Liche, and come time, she will be able to do what she likes with you."

Danielle winced as his foot pressed down harder on her chest. "No. I won't let her, and I won't help you."

"You think your dreams are as innocent as they seem?" Pious inquired. "Every time, she'll be harder and harder to resist, and you will do her bidding whether you want to or not."

Danielle glared at him, a burning rage building up inside. "No. I'm never going to help!"

Pious knelt down, his foot still on her chest, and placed a hand around her throat. "Choose. Help us, or die now."

Ever defiant, Danielle replied with a single word. "No."

Pious clenched his hand tightly, cutting off Danielle's oxygen. She struggled to pull his hand away, but it was impossible. Her lungs burned in their attempt to get air, and she felt dizzy and light headed. Danielle stared up one last time into Pious's cold grey eyes before she slipped into darkness.

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Flesh for the Pillar

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The wounded soldier knelt before the demon before him, staring at the bodies of fallen soldiers all around him. He was gravely injured, and he knew he would not survive long. He looked up at his enemy, the skeletal demon that bested him in battle. "Who… are… you…?" he choked, blood trickling from his mouth.

The demon clenched his fist and shouted, "I am your lord and conqueror!"

"What manner of forsaken being are you?"

The demon turned away, showing his back to the soldier. "So, you can see me in my true form. You are a gifted man…" He looked towards his two soldiers accompanying him. "Take this one, and use him as the foundation for the pillar." The soldiers immediately grabbed the wounded soldier's arms and dragged him off. He barely heard the last words of his captor. "He is special... and he should be given a special place among the suffering…"

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Alex looked down at the page she found, still sitting in front of the piano. It had been hidden inside the piano, and she had to play the same short song from Paul's chapter to open it. It was another ingenious idea from her grandfather to keep something safe.

"Maybe I should check on Danielle now… She's been in the kitchen for a while now."

Alex stood up from the bench and let the dining room. As she entered the kitchen, she let out a startled gasp at the sight of Danielle lying prone on the floor. Her skin was deathly pale, and she didn't appear to be breathing. Alex dropped to her knees beside her little sister, checking for a pulse.

"Danielle… Who did this to you?" Alex whispered, staring at her closed eyes. How long ago had this happened? There were no real wounds on Danielle's body other than a small cut on her neck. So how could she have died?

Alex choked back tears, the sadness inside she had felt since the death of her grandfather rushing out. This was a sister she had just met a few hours ago, and now Alex had to bury her just like she did Edward. "I promise you I'll get who did this, Danielle. I promise."

Picking up Danielle's body in her arms, Alex made her way out of the kitchen and into the master bedroom. There, she set Danielle down on the bed. Alex had lost everyone she held dear now, and if her hunch was right, she knew exactly who the killer was. "Danielle, I hope you gave him heck," she whispered, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Alex walked back downstairs and picked up the phone, hearing only dead air on the other end. Were the phones down or something? "That's not right. They must be working on the phones or something, but at this time at night?" She set it down, looking at the chapter page clenched tightly in her fist. "That's gonna push things back a bit. I hope I can contact the police soon." She thought about the look on Danielle's face, and she felt a wrenching sorrow deep inside. Alex hadn't been able to help her little sister, and now she was gone.

Alex struggled to hold back the tears as she returned to the study. She was now the last Roivas left alive, and it was up to her to uncover the secrets of the past.