Terrifyingly Beautiful

by Predaliena

An artist obsessed with horror and monsters has a dream - to paint a portrait of a real monster. When the world unexpectedly is engulfed in darkness, the inhuman creatures began to roam around, she might get the chance to make her dream come true. But she ended up getting much more than she had bargained for.

CREATURES ON FIRE

Terrifyingly Beautiful (Darkness x OFC)

It was my own choice to study art. My family found this perspective doubtful though. How many times I've heard them saying that this job isn't profitable? As if money is all that matters. Well, perhaps to them it does. But not to me. I never listened to those claims and continued to pursue my dream to be an artist.

They eventually had no other option but to accept my final choice. As long as I created works pleasant to the eyes, they were fine with it.

What they didn't know was my true taste in art.

Horror. All that terrifies.

And no, I'm not talking about extreme horror and blood splattering everywhere. I've never been a big fan of this. What my heart belongs to are things that go bump in the night. In other words, monsters. Inhuman creatures that instill fear and terror into human hearts. What most people find appealing I find boring or even disgusting. No, don't get me wrong, there are things I like, too. For example, animals and nature. I've painted them lots of times, including our family cat. It felt so nice watching her sleep peacefully while I painted her portrait. But as soon as I separated from my family, the nature of my art changed, although I still continued painting sceneries and animals now and then. Now my focus was horror. Lucky for me, today many horror lovers are out there, so I could create my art without worrying it being judged the wrong way. And even if it would, it wasn't going to stop me from doing what I enjoyed.

I painted monsters. Lots of them. Different creatures, different angles and positions. Mythological and pop culture beings. Of course, I'm not the only one who loves horror genre, including monsters. Many people do. But I've never yet met any other colleague who had the same dream as mine.

I dreamed of painting a portrait of a real monster.

Unfortunately, some dreams are destined to remain as they are – just dreams. Why am I so sure? Well, I've read numerous reports of monster sightings and dared to travel to the locations they were supposedly seen. But all I got was peace and silence, not a single sign of a monstrous presence. I had no other option but to return to my place, frustrated. I guess some people write such tales just to get attention, and monsters simply don't exist. I've done such trips more than once, and each time I came back empty-handed. Yes, I risked my life in case if any non-human creature was real. I'm one of those crazy artists who would go as far as even sacrifice their own life to create an ultimate piece of art. And so far, I haven't approached my goal even for half an inch.

I've painted lots of monsters, many of which were creations of my own imagination. But now, it is not enough to fully satisfy me. Thus I was ready to accept that my dream would never come true.

Days passed one after another. I eventually managed to gain success with my paintings, and yet something was missing. There would always be a gap that would never be filled. Well, so be it. At least now I get enough income to sustain myself and fulfill my basic needs in this world.

I got another offer to get my art exhibited in one of the state museums, so I didn't hesitate to make a contract. As I returned to my town and now plodded through the streets, I started noticing that the sky was getting darker with each passing minute. I checked my watch. It showed just one hour after the noon, and even in winter it never got dark that soon. No, something was definitely wrong. It wasn't just getting dark too early. The darkness approached unnaturally fast.

Unsurprisingly, the town's inhabitants stopped their doings and froze in confusion. You weren't the only one shocked by the sudden change of day and night. Many instantly switched on the lights in their houses, and now the afternoon scenery looked like late evening scenery. Strange.

Well, darkness or not, I wasn't going to just stand there, in the middle of the street, so I continued my way home. But in the moment I unlocked the front door, a piercing scream reached my ears. I turned around, hesitating. Part of me wanted to go and check it out, but common sense told me it was a bad idea. I had to admit that common sense had always been my best friend, and this case was no exception, as I started hearing more screams around, and soon panic took over the entire town.

I didn't move, just watched the streets from the porch. Some of the screaming people were approaching my house, and then I saw a young couple running past my house. But it wasn't them that made my heart skip a beat. It was the thing following them.

As it was pretty dark, it was hard to see what exactly it was. And yet the darkness didn't look too black, so something was still visible. And I noticed the general shape of the creature running after the couple. It was anything but human.

Short, hunched, making sounds no animal on Earth could make. And it moved on its two legs, like a human. It passed my house as fast, so I had no chance to see what was chasing those people. But standing in one spot was as good as suicide. I had to find something to defend myself. I didn't own guns, but the axe from the toolshed could be useful. Closing the door, I ran as fast as I could to the shed behind my house. My cell phone provided enough light to find what I was looking for, and soon I returned to the porch, armed with an axe and waiting. If anyone dared to attack, they had no other option but attacking from the front.

I didn't know how much time had passed. I began thinking that maybe I would go unnoticed. But before I stepped through the doorway, I heard growling in my yard right where the gate was. I froze the first second, but I knew standing idle would be the end of me. So I flipped the switch at the front door, and the next second the whole yard got illuminated by the light fastened to the porch roof. The sounds I heard told me it was something inhuman, but I surely wasn't prepared for what I saw at my gate.

My eyes didn't deceive me when I spotted a shape chasing the couple. It was a creature that could only exist in horror movies. And yet here it was, standing before my house and looking straight at me.

Short and hunched, grey skin, large, pointed ears, and long nose. Metallic armor covered its body. Those predatory eyes stared into mine.

I stood still, with my mouth open, unable to move. My mind yelled at me, telling me to run inside and lock the door. But my body didn't obey. All I could do was to stare back at the unexpected visitor.

Was this… a goblin?

I should have acted. I should have run. But I didn't. Instead, unexpectedly even for myself, my mouth began stretching into a smile, and the sounds of guttural laughing came out of my throat.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Blix stood before a sole human with an axe in her hands, watching her. Why wasn't she running and screaming like the others? Wait… was she actually… smiling?

He tilted his head in confusion when the woman before him not just smiled. She started laughing.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"What's so funny, human?"

Oh my… The goblin could actually talk like a human! Wow, I didn't expect that. It means he's not as feral as I expected him to be. Perhaps I could reason with him.

"I'm not laughing at you," I replied. "On the contrary, I'm laughing from joy of seeing you."

My visitor narrowed his eyes.

"Is that right? What makes you think you can be happy when meeting someone like me? I could kill you in one go, you know."

Saying this, he drew out his sword and swayed its blade in front of his face. I knew what danger I was in, and yet I had to try to talk him out of killing me.

"Wait," I said, lifting my hands up. "Before you decide whether to take my life or not, let me speak. I'll explain my joy of encountering you. You see, I'm a painter who creates art. And my art is dark. I paint creatures of darkness, different inhuman beings, monsters. It's what I've always enjoyed to do. If you allow me, I will show you."

The goblin narrowed his eyes again but eventually put the sword back into the sheath.

"Fine. But if you try anything stupid, you know what awaits you."

"Follow me." I gestured to come into my house, and the goblin walked towards the front door. I turned the lights on and led him into my studio where I kept all my paintings. The goblin seemed interested by what he saw, and when he started walking among the exhibited paintings, it made me smirk behind his back. Well, so far, so good.

"Not bad, not bad at all," he mused aloud, scratching his chin. "Your fascination with darkness and its inhabitants looks promising. You are different from other humans I've encountered so far. All were disgusted and horrified when we appeared; all ran away screaming. And you didn't. You are brave, I'll give you that much. Perhaps you might become a part of the Army of Darkness."

The Army of Darkness? To be a part of it? Actually, why not? At least, I might be safe from these creatures hunting me down. Besides, my dream might finally become reality.

"It sounds… fine," I said, hesitating. "Now, let me explain why I was so glad when you came along. You see, all the monsters I've painted so far are non-existent. All were created by humans. As for mythological beings… I've heard people claiming to encounter some, so I traveled to the locations the encounters supposedly took place. I spent days there, trying to find any sign of their presence, but all was in vain. Thus I returned empty-handed. My biggest dream is to paint a portrait of a real monster. So I almost jumped from joy when I saw you. It could be my chance to finally make my dream come true."

"I've got more important stuff to do than sitting idle for a portrait," the goblin growled. "But my master might be interested."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Your master? The Goblin King?"

"Haha, no," he laughed. "My master is much more than you think. He is the Lord of Darkness, and darkness is his realm. Now he rules everything here."

My eyes went wide from his words. Lord of Darkness? Wait, does it mean…

"So you're implying that it will always be dark from now on?"

"That's right," he smirked. Boy, he sure was satisfied with it. "You humans will never see the daylight again."

Oh, great. Now I would have to rely only on electricity. And the bills would fly up to cloud nine. But what else could I do? Just like any other human being, I see little to nothing in darkness; that is, if the moon doesn't provide at least some light. Otherwise we all are like blind moles when blackness envelopes the world around us. But we still had to go on living… somehow. Eventually, people would be left no other option than to learn to co-exist with these creatures in one world.

And I surely wasn't going to abandon my job because of the darkness.

"Okay… I just hope we can still use the artificial light in our living," I told him. "We're unable to see in darkness as good as in the light."

"Yes, and that is a big loss for you," the goblin smirked, showing his crooked teeth. Then I suddenly felt a large hand grab my wrist which startled me a bit. His grip was way too strong for me to break free. Well, not like I was willing to try. I knew better.

"Enough talking. Now you will go with me to my master. I'm sure he would be pleased to see a find like you"

"S-sure… just let me grab some of my paintings," I said. "You mentioned that your master might be interested to see my work, so I'd like to take a few."

"Fine. But be quick."

I quickly grabbed three of my best paintings before joining the goblin. Something inside told me he had quite a temper, so it's better not to make him wait. I switched off all the lights off and locked the front door, keeping loyal to my habits. It's not that goblins or any other creatures of darkness were interested in things people considered valuable, maybe only gold and jewels, but I still did what I always did. And off we went.

The journey took a while. The goblin led me through the fields and woods, away from human civilization. I already had no idea where I was, as everything looked the same in the dark. When I thought about asking him how long we still had to walk, we finally reached an opening with a deep ravine before us. The silence that surrounded us during the walk seemed blissful comparing to what I heard in the ravine. The unholy cacophony of growls, moans, and hissing filled the air, and at that moment I wished I could run away and lock myself inside my house and never go out again. Not like it would save me from the monsters. But this place reeked of death.

"This way." The goblin then went to the left and soon disappeared out of my sight. There seemed to be a descent leading from the top to the bottom of the ravine, and seeing the goblin walk down, I sighed and followed him.

The entire ravine swarmed with spawns of a nightmare. Demons, giants, goblins… you name it. Some ignored me when I got to the bottom of the ravine, some bared their teeth and growled, and some even tried to grab me, but my goblin guide shooed them away, and they obediently stepped away. This goblin seemed to be the ruler's right hand. So I better stick close to him for now.

The goblin led me through several dark hallways and rooms of stone until we ended up in a huge room, almost like a ballroom, and this one had some illumination thanks to a few torches and massive candelabras. I had to admit that if this place hadn't been inhabited by nightmarish creatures, it would actually have looked pretty cozy. But it wasn't what caught my attention. It was the throne on the other side of the big hall and the one sitting on it.

And there he was, sitting on the throne like a true dark king, surrounded by numerous servants. As soon as I saw him, I couldn't get my eyes away from him. The red-skinned being with massive black horns in black pants and sleeveless cape that kept his torso and arms uncovered. We were standing quite a distance away from him, and he didn't seem to spot us yet, but I still could see almost every detail. He was… magnificent, so terrifyingly beautiful.

"Is… Is this your master?" I asked, although I knew the answer already.

"Yup, the one and only," the goblin replied proudly.

Looking at this fabulous being, a part of me was glad he now ruled the world, although the common sense kept scolding me for this. Sure, it's hard to imagine a sane person being happy about monsters ruling the human world. But I was as sane as I could be… right?

But how did this all happen at the first place?

"Hey, may I ask you… um… I don't even know your name…" I started, struggling to find the right words.

"Blix," the goblin stated simply. I nodded.

"Right, Blix. So, may I ask how did this happen? I mean, how did your master end up ruling this world?"

"Well, as my master hated the sunlight, we had to think of something. But then we found the source of the light and destroyed it. Now you see the result." Blix grinned slyly. "Perhaps master might tell you the story himself if he wanted."

"Yes, sure, but…"

"Well, well… What do we have here?" the profound bass echoed in the room. "Ah, Blix, I see you brought a visitor. How nice of you."

This voice made me shut up instantly, and I turned in its direction. The Dark Lord was now looking at us.

"Come in, my dear. We mustn't lurk in doorways," he said. "Come in. It's been a while since I've had a visitor."

Blix then looked at me.

"Well, you heard the master. Let's go."

Blix led me deeper into the hall and closer to his master. The Dark Lord watched me intensely with his piercing green eyes. His glance almost made me feel… naked.

"Now tell me, my dear: what brought you here?"

I gulped nervously. Calm down. Keep yourself together and just answer his questions.

"Well, my lord. First, I'd like to say I'm very honored to be here, standing before you," I started. I hope I won't anger him. The Dark Lord grinned; his face seemed satisfied. So far, so good. "When the darkness fell upon our world, I was deeply surprised, just like any other human being. That was when I encountered your loyal servant Blix. He… well, he found me interesting enough not to attack and kill but bring me to you instead."

The Dark Lord scratched his chin. He then turned to Blix.

"And why did you find this human interesting?"

"My lord, if this human was like the others, she wouldn't be here," Blix replied. "I would have played some chasing games with her and then either killed her or kept her for myself as a toy. But she's different. Unlike the rest of mortal humans, she wasn't afraid of me or any of us. Her bravery sparked my interest. And then she told me pretty interesting things about herself, so that's when I decided to bring her here and introduce her to you. But let her speak for herself."

"Very well," the Dark Lord said, turning back to me. "Speak up, human."

I then told him everything I'd told Blix earlier about my fascination and love to the things normal humans find repulsive and are afraid of, about my job and my one and only dream to paint a portrait of a real monster. And lucky for me, the Dark Lord seemed seriously interested.

"That's what she told me, master," Blix added. "That's why I brought her here. I thought you might find her interesting too."

"Indeed," the Dark Lord agreed. "Good work, Blix. You didn't fail me the first time, and now you brought me a pleasant surprise. I will make sure you are rewarded like you deserve."

"Thank you, my lord." Blix bowed to his master.

"Alright, you may go now." The Dark Lord then looked at the others demons in the room. "Leave us alone."

The creatures bowed to their master and left the room. The Dark Lord never averted his gaze from me. It felt as if he was studying me as attentively, as I studied him.

"So, it leaves you and me," he said. "First, tell me your name, human."

I told him my name, and he grinned at that.

"That is a beautiful name, I have to say." He rubbed his chin, never taking his eyes away from you. "Now why don't you show me your creations then? What you told me about yourself is… intriguing."

"Of course, my lord. Here, take a look."

I handled him the three paintings I'd taken with me. Each of them was a portrait of a monster: the Alien from the eponymous movie franchise, Lipstick-Face demon from the Insidious franchise, and the Nemesis from Resident Evil game franchise. Those were my favorite portraits. The Dark Lord studied each of them with his entire attention. I smirked at this. He clearly seemed fascinated.

"Impressive. I can see you truly enjoy doing this," he noted. "I like this one the most." He turned one painting around to face me. It was the portrait of the Xenomorph.

"Oh yes, this is my favorite monster ever created by humanity," I admitted. "As part of their modern entertainment, people watch movies. And this monster is from them. Although it doesn't exist in real life, I still love it the most."

The horned being tilted his head. His face expressed genuine curiosity.

"Do you really find beings like us beautiful? That is very unusual for your kind."

"Oh yes, my lord, I really do," I replied and nodded. "You see, I've always been… different from others. Not in appearance or anything from the outside, but in nature. I've always had this strange feeling… like being pulled to creations of the darkness; to the things people deem frightening and repulsive. So, when I became a painter, I knew instantly what I wanted to paint."

The Dark Lord laughed. The view of his vampire-like fangs sent slight chills down my spine.

"You humans never cease to amaze me," he said. "During my whole existence I've never encountered anyone who would feel what you feel."

Great. Keep pleasing him like that. It only plays in your favor.

"My lord, may I ask you something?" I began. The Dark Lord nodded with a smug grin on his face.

"Go ahead."

"All this time I was curious how you managed to gain the control over this world," I said. "I asked Blix about it, but his reply was somewhat evasive. He only said you found the light source and destroyed it, and also that you might tell the story yourself if you desired."

"Ah, yes, you curious little thing," he cooed. "Well, the entire world as you know it had once been a place of perpetual night, and I ruled it. But then the Light was born, and I and my minions were forced to retreat to live beneath the earth where we stayed since then… until one recent day we found out that the two unicorns remaining on earth were the source of light in this world."

Wait, what did he just say? Unicorns? Like the ones in the fantasy fiction?

"We found out that if we destroy those unicorns, the darkness would fall upon earth once again. So I ordered Blix and his minions to hunt down and kill those creatures," the Lord of Darkness continued. "The succeeded killing one of them pretty fast; the other one managed to run away. Thick snow covered everything as soon as the first unicorn was dead."

"Unbelievable…" I whispered to myself. "Unicorns… I never thought they existed. I've seen them only in books and movies."

The Darkness grunted, smiling.

"Maybe some of the humans know things most of your kind has no idea about? Have you ever thought of that?"

"I certainly have, my lord," I said, nodding. "In fact, I'm sure some people hide lots of things. Most of us surely weren't aware of your existence, and the existence of all your servants as well. And yet, here we are – I'm standing before the Lord of Darkness himself."

He said nothing to this and continued his story.

"We still had to hunt down the last unicorn. But then there was one more problem: a princess named Lili whose beauty had captivated me. I was determined to marry her, but then I realized she loved some pathetic forest boy. We captured him eventually, and Lili seemingly agreed to wed me with a condition that she'd be allowed to kill the last unicorn. I agreed, but I knew inside that something wasn't right. And that's the truth – all of it turned out to be a trap. I knew better than to blindly trust her. The forest boy was already trapped in my prison, and I ordered to finish him off as soon as I discovered the conspiracy. The princess screamed her lungs out at the sight of her loved one's demise. And then she took his place in prison. That's what you get if you deceive me. And I was merciful, as I still had feelings for her." He leaned his horned head on a hand, supporting on his elbow. I might be wrong, but I was sure I saw sadness in his eyes. It was an obviously unpleasant topic for him. "I then proceeded to kill the last unicorn by chopping off its horn. And that's when the mortal world entered a never ending age of night, becoming my kingdom once again."

I listened to his story with my mouth agape, staring at him all this time. So many unbelievable things. But most importantly, this seemingly devilish being was capable of feelings. This was the biggest surprise of all.

"After the job was done, I ordered Blix and his goblins to take the princess to her family castle. I didn't want to see her ever again," the Darkness said, his story coming to an end. "They tied her up and escorted her to the castle where her parents lived. I learned a valuable lesson, and I'll make sure to never make the same mistake again."

I couldn't believe what I've just heard. How could anyone possibly resist this marvelous being's charm?

"My lord, if I may say…" I began speaking timidly, afraid to anger him. The memories of that princess still somewhat hurt him, but I had to try. "I hope my words won't arouse your anger, but I must say the princess you mentioned was indeed foolish. I mean… how could she choose some stupid forest boy instead of you? Only a fool would do something like this. And if I had to finish off that unicorn, I would not just chop its horn; I wouldn't hesitate to dismember it if that pleased you. And what a beautiful painting it would be of you proudly holding a head of a dead unicorn above your head. It's a shame though that no blood would be seen trickling down your arm due to your skin color."

"Hmm…" the Dark Lord's mouth stretched in a satisfied grin, and he finally got up from this throne. He definitely liked that he was hearing, I could tell it by his face. He then slowly walked towards me until just a few inches separated us from each other. "Yes, bringing you here was indeed a wise decision." He circled around me and then stopped before me, moving a strand of my hair behind my ear. The touch of his clawed fingers sent shivers down my skin, although I did my best to remain neutral.

"Now, about your marvelous creation… You want to paint a portrait of a monster, don't you?"

I gulped nervously. He didn't stop touching my hair while he spoke.

"Y-yes, my lord. It is my dream. When I met your loyal servant, I gave him a hint about it, but he said he had more important things to do than posing for a portrait."

"Ah, yes, I wouldn't recommend choosing goblins for this purpose," the Darkness said. "Their patience isn't something to wish for."

"I might just take photos of them. It takes just a few seconds," I mused aloud. "But photography isn't like painting. It's just one click, and that's it. To me, painting is like preparing delicious food. You enjoy the process as much as you enjoy the final result."

"No doubt," the horned devil grinned.

"After Blix rejected my idea, he told me you… might be interested in a portrait," I said, hoping for the best.

"Hmm… he might be right," the Darkness agreed. "And why wouldn't I be? It's the first time someone wants to create the image of me, so I wouldn't want to miss the chance. Besides, I have all the time in the world to sit still as long as needed."

I couldn't believe my luck. I felt I'd start jumping from joy, but I had to keep myself together. I knew I would look silly if did that before the Lord of Darkness.

They say there's never bad without good. Boy, it's so true!

"Thank you so much, my lord. I truly appreciate it," I said, bowing to him. "If you don't mind, I'd like to begin now. If you give me this opportunity, I'd like to use it immediately."

"I totally do not mind, my dear," the Darkness replied. "Just do what you need to do. I will gladly be the part of your dark creativity."

"I'm really happy about it, my lord," I said, smiling. "Now, if you allow me, I have to fetch the paint and canvas from my home. But I must kindly ask you to send someone to accompany me, as I can easily get lost on my way. I'm afraid I can't see well in darkness."

The Darkness called out to his servants, and I couldn't help but press my ears shut. His voice was deafening, considering the fact of me standing close to him. Blix appeared in the room in a second, and the master ordered him to escort me to my house to get the necessary tools to create a painting. Blix didn't talk much on the way to my house and back to the Dark Lord's lair, but he surely was proud of himself. Receiving praise from his master was a true honor to him. He waited until I fetched my canvas, brushes, and all the necessary paintings, and off we went, back to the Dark Lord.

As his lair was pretty dark, I kindly asked the master for some illumination, as it was really difficult to work in darkness. Torches and candelabras provided enough light for me to paint as I usually did. For the first portrait, I chose for the Dark Lord to stand proudly on a rock higher than the rest I could find in the room holding his cane in his right hand. I suggested extending his right arm with the cane so that his chest would be fully open to my view. I tried to keep calm when painting, but I had a feeling of butterflies in my stomach. My dream had finally come true, and I was in a process of creating a portrait of a real monster. Who could have imagined such luck?

And I didn't want to stop there. The Dark Lord was so morbidly beautiful, and it would be a sin not to paint more of him.

"Well, I'm finished with the portrait, my lord," I said finally, putting the brush aside. "I sincerely hope you like what I've done."

The Darkness then put away his cane and walked towards me until he stopped before the canvas. He studied it for some time, and I watched him intensely. I might have looked calm from the outside, but there was a real storm inside. I didn't know how he would react. Did he like it? Or would he condemn it as worthless? It was really hard to tell by his face at that moment. I held my breath, and clenched my fists, waiting for his judgment.

Finally, the horned being's serious face turned satisfied. I gave out a sigh of relief. He seemed to like what he saw.

"Well, isn't it marvelous?" he cooed. "The way you create your paintings, the way you choose and mix colors… Your boundless love for the creatures of the darkness is visible in every single detail."

"Thank you, my lord. I'm glad you like it," I said. And I had to admit to loving my latest painting no less than the Dark Lord. I'd say, it was my best creation so far. Maybe because I finally got to paint the portrait of a real monster? Most likely. But there was something else behind all of this.

It was the Dark Lord himself. He was so damn beautiful.

"I'm satisfied with the result as well, my lord," I said. "If you ask me, I think it would be a sin not to create more portraits of you. I'm not trying to be rude, but you look simply stunning."

I bit my lip, afraid he might find my behavior rude. But no, his grin grew even wider, baring his fangs. His pride definitely increased from such praise.

"Oh, don't you worry, beautiful. If I got… angry, you would've realized it before your eyes saw it," the Darkness assured me of his good mood. "Besides, why would I even get mad or upset from being praised like this? Of course, there are beings out there that would remain hostile towards you, no matter how nicely you praise them. But they are… not very sentient, let's put it that way." He giggled at this. "So, if you want me to pose for more portraits, I'm all yours."

I thanked him multiple times for this opportunity, to make my dreams become reality again and again. I painted the Dark Lord in various positions and locations, with and without different objects in his hands, alone or surrounded by other creatures of the darkness. Sometimes I even worked with goblins and other demons, but even if they agreed to sit still, they did it only for a photograph or two. As the Dark Lord had mentioned, patience wasn't their characteristic trait. Their master, in turn, was always eager to sit idle as long as necessary to create a perfect portrait. I simply loved him. I loved him for everything. I loved him for his magnificent appearance, his voice, and especially for his eagerness to be my model.

He was my best model. My perfect model.

Besides, I realized that a weird thought plagued my mind, growing stronger with each time he posed for me.

What would he look like without his clothes?

I shook my head immediately. What are you thinking? What the hell is wrong with you?

But all my attempts to push these thoughts out of my head were futile. The Lord of Darkness was the only one living in my mind. And he probably already knew it. The way he looked at me clearly hinted at that. His lustful glance left no doubts.

One night, another painting session clarified everything.

"You're a bit late tonight," the Darkness said when I entered his chamber. His voice had no hint of anger which calmed my nerves.

"I'm very sorry, my lord," I replied, bowing. "I ran out of supplies, so I had to visit the art store. Now I have everything I need. It will be enough for a while."

"Very well. Now, this time I decided to make a little change," he spoke thoughtfully. "First, I will be holding this, an object special to me."

He took an object from the nearby rock and lifted it up high. I came closer to see what it was.

It was a human skull decorated with jewels. It really looked beautiful, but why was it so special to him?

"It's so beautiful, my lord. But how is it special? It looks like regular human skull, just nicely decorated with jewels."

The Darkness laughed.

"Yes, it might look regular to you, but for me it is a symbol of victory," he explained. "This skull belongs to that forest boy, the one princess Lili chose over me. After my servants killed him, I ordered to remove his skull, clean it both from the inside and outside and decorate it with jewels. Since then, it holds special value to me."

I nodded understandingly.

"Oh, so it's like trophy, right?"

"Right," the horned monster replied, putting the skull back on the top of the rock. "Now, as for the other change… This time, I've decided to pose just with the skull and nothing else. No clothes, that is."

I choked on my saliva in the same second he said this and started coughing. I had such an idea in mind now and then, but I'd never dare to offer it to him. And now he was suggesting it himself. That's unexpected.

"Are you alright, my dear?" he cooed playfully. Damn, that voice of his… It my my heart skip a beat.

"Y-yes, my lord. I just… choked a bit," I stuttered, still coughing. "It's just… a bit unexpected when you said you'd like to pose… without clothes."

A bit unexpected? Who are you kidding?

"And why is that? Isn't a naked body what you humans like to look at?" he teased. And he wasn't actually wrong. Human men enjoyed seen a nude female body and vice versa. There were artists back in history that created the artistic nude paintings. That was nothing new. But in my situation…

I was painting a real monster. That already was something out of the ordinary. And now he offered to pose naked for me. Damn it…

"You're right, my lord. I… I just have never painted something like this before," I admitted. "Well, the truth is, I've never painted people's portraits. It's something I've never been interested in. Aside from the dark theme, I always preferred to paint the nature sceneries, but never the people. But everything happens for the first time, I guess."

The Darkness smirked.

"Shall we begin then?" he asked, licking his lips.

"Sure, just let me prepare everything," I replied. Two burning candelabras were placed on my both sides, just like they were each time when I painted the Darkness in his throne chamber. Two more were placed on both sides from the spot where he would be posing. That's when I noticed the absence of all the servants. When I painted their master before, they were allowed to be nearby, mining their business, without disturbing their master or me. But now there was absolutely no one around. I couldn't even hear any other sounds but mine and the Dark Lord's.

"Also, make sure the skull is visible in all its glory," he added and proudly lifted the skull up.

"I will, my lord. I will capture every single detail of it," I said, nodding.

The Darkness smirked.

"Well, shall we begin then?"

The horned monster wasted no more time and dropped the cloak off his shoulders, leaving his flesh completely open to my eyes. When that happened, I almost choked on my own saliva. That body… I've never seen anything like this before. He was incredibly well built, muscles played underneath his skin. Many guys work hard to get even closer to such shape, but this being was blessed with it from the beginning of his existence. But when my glance fell on his crotch, I raised one of my eyebrows and gulped.

His size was impressive, even in peaceful state. He could easily rip a human body apart with it during sex if it ever came to that.

Then I head his quite giggling and raised my eyes to his face. He had satisfied smirk on his face. Of course, he noticed me looking at his manhood. Who would have doubted?

"Alright then… my lord…" I said, trying to keep myself calm. "Now I would like you to lie here, on these rocks."

I led him to a bed of rocks where it would be comfortable to lie down. He lay down, supporting himself on one elbow and bending one knee. I ended up instructing him to take the position of the male figure in Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam, just instead of just keeping one arm up like Adam did, the Dark Lord held the decorative skull in this hand. Damn it, he looked stunning. I could admire him eternally, but now I had work to do.

I started painting from the top with finishing the part with the skull in mind. If I did otherwise, he would be forced to hold it quite for a while. But again, despite human-like body in general, he was anything but human, so his anatomy might work some other way. Whatever the case, I thought it'd be better to start there. But man, it was extremely difficult to concentrate when this was before my eyes. Each time I moved my glance to my perfect model, I felt my whole body shaking. It was hard to keep my hand still. I was afraid to ruin the portrait if it didn't stop. And it was nowhere close to stopping. This feeling only got stronger with every minute. And then a few drops of sweat began slowly rolling down my temples as an addition. Damn it…

"Are you alright, my dear?" His voice suddenly made me jerk in my spot. I quickly ran my eyes over the unfinished painting in search for any smudges. It could have happened in that second as his voice somewhat startled me. Luckily nothing was damaged, and I sighed in relief.

"Y-yes, my lord…" I mumbled.

"You look stressed," he said thoughtfully, but the smirk on his face gave it away – he only pretended to be surprised. "Why don't you take a break and let me help you deal with your stress?"

I froze at these words. What was he talking about? It couldn't be what I thought about… could it?

"Come here, my dear. No need to be afraid," the Darkness cooed and placed the skull on a nearby rock. "Don't let my frightful appearance trick you. I can be tame… when I really want to."

I gulped and put the paint and brush aside. I knew better than making him wait or annoy him. I could only imagine what he was capable of when angry. So I got up and slowly walked towards him. That shameless smirk hadn't left his face even for a second. He obviously liked watching my confusion and hesitation. Eventually, I pushed my timidity aside and approached him. But before I realized what happened, one of his hands was already on my waist, and in the next second, I was already sitting in his lap.

I gulped. My heartbeat increased with each second. Was it really happening to me or was I just dreaming? The heat his body emanated indicated to the first option.

"M-my lord… What are you…"

"Don't tell me you didn't expect this, my dear," the Darkness cooed, his claws pushing the strands of hair away from my face. "Do you think I'm blind and senseless? Did you really think I've never noticed the way you looked at me? I think even a foolish mortal would have noticed that."

Of course… Who was I kidding? He certainly knew it from the moment we met. He knew it would eventually end up like this.

Speaking of which… Was it just me or there was something hard growing underneath my butt. And it surely was no snake. Also, the absence of all the servants in the room…

He had planned everything in advance, hadn't he?

"Don't be shy, beautiful," he growled in my ear. "I will make sure you learn the true meaning of unearthly pleasure."

Before I could say something, his lips touched my neck, nipping the sensitive skin playfully. It made my whole body shake almost like with fever; the heat inside started to rise fast. I felt his fangs, but he was incredibly careful not to puncture the skin. His mouth moved up to my chin and finally claimed my lips. I wasted no time and kissed him back with fervor which he definitely enjoyed. I thought I would melt into a puddle right there, although this was just the beginning. I felt his clawed fingers crawl underneath my shirt and slowly life it up, so I decided to help a bit. I quickly removed my shirt and bra, bestowing him the full view of my bare flesh. The Darkness licked his teeth, his yellow eyes full of lust. He moved his palms up and down my torso, indulging in the view and feeling of my skin. And he gave special attention to my breasts, massaging them and using his tongue on the nipples, creating hard and very sensitive buds. I squealed quietly and almost jumped each time his teeth touched my nipples, but it was never painful. On the contrary, it sent sparks of lust and desire through my entire body, making me want nothing more but to feel him inside me. So I decided to take courage and explore his body. I was always curious to know what the body of a monster felt like. And unlike humans, each type of a monster is different. Some could be covered in fur, some were scaly and fish-like, some could have tentacles and be similar to octopi. The options are endless. The Dark Lord's skin felt leathery to the touch; it almost felt as if I touched a leather handbag. It felt pretty tough, but as his torso had always been half-open, tough skin seemed logical. I wasn't sure whether he even felt anything, but he seemed to like the feeling of my soft palms on his skin.

I shifted in his lap, wanting to move and see what was hidden between his muscular legs. The Darkness didn't mind, and just as I crawled off his legs, my eyes went wide. I expected him to be pretty large, but now, in an aroused state in looked even larger. I wasn't sure whether my insides would remain intact after he's done with me.

"No need to worry, my beauty," the Dark Lord purred. My confusion hasn't escaped his attention. "As I've already told you, I can be gentle whenever I want to."

"Well, my lord, I certainly hope you want it now," I smirked.

"Oh, you have no idea how much I want it," he growled lustfully. "More than ever."

That was enough for us to give in to passion. He helped me get out of my pants and underwear, leaving me completely naked and ready for him. I sat back in his lap, and his hands immediately moved between my legs, discovering what I was already fully aware of.

I was wet down there. Very much so.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he cooed while his fingers massaged my private parts. "Now you are completely in my power. Does it arouse you so much, hm?"

"Oh, my lord, it's impossible to describe in words how much it arouses me," I replied, although I was pretty sure he already knew the answer. Then I looked at his stiff manhood, aching for attention, and smirked. "May I?"

"Go ahead, beautiful," the Darkness said. "I was waiting for some action from your side."

I needed no more words to act. Giving him hand job seemed like a good idea. Taking his member in my hand, I started pumping it generously. His member felt as leathery to the touch as the rest of his flesh, so I thought I could apply a bit more strength to my hand movement. The Dark Lord didn't seem to mind; he looked pretty much satisfied. Thus we continued pleasuring each other manually for some time until he made me understand it was enough; he couldn't wait to finally claim me. I couldn't agree more. All I wanted now was to bang me until I was totally out of breath.

The Darkness then held my waist and lifted me higher so he could enter my body. His size was indeed impressive; I felt myself being stretched almost to the limits, but it still wasn't as bad as I thought. He allowed me to adjust to his size, and I started moving my hips when I felt comfortable enough. The horned monster licked his teeth at the sight of my body swaying before him. This wasn't something he could enjoy on a regular basis before, and now he really had to control his inner beast and not to delve into barbaric sex. I could understand this, as he had to hold it back for God knows how long. So I had to do my best not to disappoint him. And by the looks of it, he was satisfied. So far, so good.

The Darkness and I moved our hips in one synchronous rhythm, matching thrust for thrust; and each time he hit the sensitive pot inside me, making me moan loudly. I didn't care if any of his servants heard it; I was so deep into the passion burning inside me. And his lustful growls only added an extra spark of fire to our coition. I hadn't been with a man for quite a while, so I felt getting close pretty soon. I wish I could hold more, to prolong this unearthly pleasure, but no such luck. My insides clenched around his member with all might, and at that moment, I experienced such a whirlpool of feelings like I've never done before. This is what the true orgasm felt like, nothing like I've had before. Not like I've had much experience in sex, to be honest.

The Darkness made a few final and powerful thrusts and finally roared, releasing his own orgasm and spilling his seed into me. I totally understood how he felt, staying alone and lonely for so long. He had hoped to have his luck with that princess he told me about, but it ended up in failure. And now he was finally happy and not lonely anymore. I tried my best to grand him that, and I succeeded.

Now I had something to be truly proud of, beside my beautiful paintings of the creatures from the dark. I wanted to continue with the portrait, but I was totally out of energy. I had at least to get my breath back.

"So, my pretty, I think we finish the session tomorrow?" the Darkness cooed, caressing my back while I put my head on his chest to rest. I really felt exhausted and now wanted nothing more but a good nap. I nodded at his question.

"Yes, my lord," I replied, closing my eyes. "Tomorrow."