Taming The Darkness (Zynode & darkangel76)

[darkangel76]

Evelyn Bentley didn't know why she let herself get coerced into leaving school grounds as she did, her footsteps soft as she quietly made her way down the corridor of the ground floor and pushing open the front door and finally making her way outside. Normally, she knew better. But this time, Jonathan Kemp had pushed her too far, threatening her in ways where she had no choice but to show up and try her best to defend herself. Of course, she knew damned well, she'd probably turn tail and run in the end--her fears of absolute darkness being too strong. Oh yes, that bastard knew all too well he'd win, but she had to try. She had to go down with a fight.

Evie's teeth chattered as she began to walk across the open grounds, her pale face looking up toward the moon. The harsh silvery rays shone down upon her, casting odd shadows as the crisp autumn winds blew through her fiery tresses. She peered out into the impending darkness, her body trembling as her fears began to grow. Her blue eyes caught sight of the tower in the distance beyond the gates and already she wanted to go back. The darkness of the tower looming in the wastelands about a mile beyond the gates were just too ominous and terrifying that she was almost certain she wouldn't last.

The odds of her winning this bet were impossible.

The bastard!

Still, Evie pressed on knowing she had no choice. It was either go or continue to be bullied. Though, honestly, she knew it in her heart of hearts that Jonathan Kemp would continue to bully her. After all, why would he stop? He had no reason to. He had his friends, his supporters. The teachers loved him. Who was she? She was the new girl from the town of Mor across the wasteland, a tiny city in comparison to the large port city of Albast. She was the outsider, the outcast...

Finally, Evie came upon the tower, Jonathan Kemp and his cohorts already there waiting for her. The smirk on his face made it clear that he hadn't expected her to show up at all.

"I... I came just like I said I would," Evie stammered, her hands gripping the fabric of her skirt causing her knuckles to go white.

Jonathan laughed. "Mhm... and soon you'll be running. You won't last a moment in that tower." He doubled over with laughter causing Evie's cheeks to turn a deep shade of red.

"How long do I have to stay inside?" Evie then asked, not wanting to dwell on things.

"Oooh, touchy," Jonathan said as he moved toward her, causing her to step backward. His smile broadened as he watched the fear on her face grow more intense with each step he took. "Afraid of me, are you?" His grin grew even more. "Good, I like that. It'll make my winning even better."

Evie swallowed hard, her body shaking at the thought. Jonathan couldn't win. He just couldn't. She turned to look at the tower and then out into the distance. The school was so far away, nothing but wasteland between them and it. Oh, she felt so stupid.... Why did she agree to this?

"How long?" Evie asked again.

"Ten minutes," Jonathan answered, crossing his arms about his chest.

"Ten?" Evie shrieked. She bit down on her lip, her hands moving to clasp themselves together, wringing themselves as she fidgeted. Taking a deep breath, she decided not to waste any more time and headed toward the tower to enter it.

Evie stepped inside the tower, the darkness consuming her almost immediately. Just then she heard the door click shut behind her and she felt her heart begin to pound. She leaned up against the heavy door, her nerves growing by the second. Every sound began to pulse inside her mind, causing it to race and spin. Finally, she could no longer take it. Her lungs were tightening and she couldn't breathe. The onset of panic was taking over. She needed to get out.

Immediately, Evie turned around and began to pound her fists against the door. "Open it! Open it up! Let me out! Let me out now! Now! Please!" She was screaming, crying, begging. When the door opened, she moved to run, but was caught short as a large hand grabbed at her tiny five foot body and stopping her in her tracks.

"Not so fast," Jonathan said with a chuckle, his cohorts laughing along with him. "You owe me now. And I want part of my payment."

Evie's eyes went wide, her adrenaline surging as she looked into Jonathan's dark eyes as he gripped her arm, hard. She knew there would be bruises where he held her, his grasp so strong there was no way she could free herself.

"Let go. Please. Please," Evie begged. "Don't do this. Don't." Her pale eyes pleaded with him as they teared up.

"Oh, I don't think so," Jonathan sneered as his lips turned upward into a malicious grin. "I've been wanting this badly for a long time. A long time. It's about time you've given me what I've wanted."

Evie brought her free arm up and struck at Jonathan causing him to wince and flinch, his face turning from shock to anger. "You bitch!" he shouted. Just then, he slapped her and threw her onto the ground.

Evie looked up and saw that Jonathan was about to pounce, her body shaking with fear and horror. Terrified of what her fate held in store for her she curled up into a ball and suddenly began to scream, but the words she uttered were words that were unknown. A strange light began to form around her causing Jonathan to stop mid lunge. Watching, his eyes wide, he and his cohorts suddenly ran off, screaming, back towards the school.

 

[Vertaige]

Ashtaroth was not like most of his kind. Many considered him ill tempered even for a demon. Which is why when he felt something literally rip his soul from the inferno his only response was a roar of pain and fury.

He was pulled through thousands of blades and burned to his very core. At least that's how it felt as he was moved to the realm of humanity. Not used to eyes everything he saw was blurred. Demons had no bodies, such was the case of those fallen from grace.

However a warmth running through his being told him he had blood and the taste of air explained he had lungs. In short he had been summoned by a corpse sculptor, colloquially known as humans as a Necromancer. The scene before him was darkness and an old alter to his kind, long since weathered and ruined. The room still held a maleficent presence even decades after its collapse

Looking at his body and he let out a scream. His spirit had been bound by sack of meat and corrupted to look like some Gothic image of his brothers. Whirling around to see the human stupid enough to summon an archdemon, he expected a withered man or some ancient crone.

"You have got to be kidding," he spoke in a voice that sounded human.

He had spotted a huddled mass of human crying and wailing on the floor. Ashtaroth nearly disemboweled the girl on the spot but stayed his wrath...for the moment.

He walked over noting that his body was that of a human male albeit a bit more robust and corrupted. He decided to scare this child to make her send him back, before she realized he was bound to her. He grabbed her and lifting her by the front of her clothes he snarled,

"Witch! Why have you summoned me? Do you think it is a jest to provoke a Lord of the Abyss?!"

He made sure to add some teeth and go out of his way to put fear in her. Despite his already stoked rage, a part of him did enjoy the flush of chemicals as his body released endorphins at scaring the human.

The last time he had been in the physical plane was a century ago, beholden to an old Germanic sage named Faust. Mephistopheles had tricked Ashtaroth into the deal.

Now he was bound to some girl, not even a woman he could pleasure himself with but a youngling. (granted his knowledge of humans made him believe anything under 5'2 was a child but demons were not known for looking at details)
He made a show of flexing his claws and pressed them to the terrified girl's throat.

"Now send me back or I spill your blood." It was a bluff but one he needed.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie had no idea what had just happened. Everything had been a blur, her mind swimming with strange words she didn't understand and could barely pronounce How they dripped off her tongue, she still wasn't sure, but when the strong hands grabbed at her and that voice filled her ears, she couldn't deny the sudden terror that filled her heart, soul and mind. Trembling, she dared to look into the eyes of the creature—no, it was a man—who held her. But as her eyes focused, she could see that he wasn't an ordinary man, not by any stretch of the imagination.

What had she done? What had just happened?

Wincing, Evie could feel her head pounding with a splitting headache, the pain so intense she thought she might be sick. But the terror coursing through her veins was enough to keep her focused on the moment, on the man-creature holding her fast and staring directly into her pale and frightened eyes. As she stared back, horrified, she swallowed hard and tried to find her voice, but much to her horror, it would not come. Trying to breathe, her lungs tightening with panic, she gasped and choked until finally she turned her head to look away.

Evie could feel the tears begin to spill along her cheeks, hot and wet, as her tiny body shook in the man-creatures grasp. He was big and strong and... otherworldly. And what was more, she had no idea how she'd summoned him nor how to send him back. In fact, she had no idea from where he'd even come.

"I... I... I can't..." Evie whimpered, the tears coming faster as she stuttered and trembled. "Please... I don't know what happened... I didn't mean any harm... I would send you back if I knew how, I..." She choked on a sob, her body quivering. Finally, she turned to look at him. "Please..." she begged. "Don't hurt me... I didn't mean any harm..." More tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked pleadingly into his eyes. "Y-you saved me and... I... I th-thank you for that..." she then replied, hoping that the man-creature would at least understand she was grateful that he'd scared off Jonathan Kemp and his henchmen. "I... I don't want to think on what th-those boys would've done if you hadn't come..."

Evie had no idea if the man-creature understood or cared what she had to say, but she had to try. At least she knew she was speaking the truth, speaking from the heart. In the end, that was what mattered. If she was going to die this night, at least she wouldn't have been mortified by the likes of Jonathan Kemp. Better to die by this being she'd somehow summoned instead than lose her sense of self to an arrogant prick. And at least such a death would give her purpose and end the constant bullying and assaults by the likes of someone who thought he could take advantage of others merely because he held a better social station than others.

 

[Vertaige]

For a brief second Ashtaroth raised a brow. Not only was his summoner a child but she was also unaware of her callings. He wanted to fling the girl off the tower but resisted.

"So your telling me that you called me here and not only do you not know how to send me back but you don't know how you summoned me?" He was angry but much of it had left him for a new emotion. Curiosity. Imps and lesser demons would have this plight, but for the girl to summon him, A Lord of the Abyss, one of the eight demon kings, was unprecedented.

He set the girl down gently and thought. If he killed her his soul would be trapped here but if he let her develop maybe she could learn her callings. He turned and looked out at the vista. His talons clicking on the marble floor and he was surprised to see that not only did he have wings but a reptilian tail swayed with his movements.

"Tell me sculptor child, what year is it? Also I will need a name to address you by. My title Is Ashtaroth Baal, Lord of Wrath and War." Ashtaroth pondered his options. No doubt he would have to explain everything to this child and play mentor but he was patient, when she would be ready to send him back it would only take a moment to snap her neck and drag her soul with him to the Inferno.

Which meant for now he'd have to play her game, whatever it was. He then turned around to see her once more, noticing that while she was clothed, he was naked. He was sculpted to the idea of human perfection and while his upper body was smooth on the chest his lower half looked saurian. Demon's didn't have modesty but his human body felt...cold.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie looked up at the man-creature, her pale eyes wide. Child? She was hardly a child, but a nineteen year old girl away at secondary school. She was a long way from Mor, Albast being large and loud and not the sort of place she hoped to stay forever. But at the moment, she had no choice. Her family had been given an opportunity to send her away to the school at cost and the price was cheaper than the schools in her own town. They'd been fortunate by being given such an offer and they couldn't refuse it. Given the times, it wasn't often such opportunities came along. To let such a thing pass on by would've been a waste and she knew it as did her family. So, with a heavy heart full of fear and anxiety, she left Mor for Albast to attend the Birmingham Academy.

Chapel was held every Wednesday and Sunday, Vespers every Friday evening. And though it was a bit much for Evie, she never once complained nor minded all the services. Her only real fear—Jonathan Kemp. Her pleas for the bully to leave her alone always went unheard and her family thought her to be exaggerating, a means to leave and come home. Eventually, she just stopped complaining, knowing she had to take matters into her own hands. It was why she'd finally gone to the tower in the wastelands a mile out from the school, had taken the bait for the bet...

"It's 2360," Evie finally answered, her body shaking. "And, I'm no child." Her fingers absently ran themselves through her red tresses. "I'm nineteen, nearly twenty," she said, her voice soft, trembling as she spoke. "And my name is Evelyn Bentley, though many call me Evie. I do prefer that, if you please."

Evie bit down on her lip as she looked at the man-creature. He truly was a sight to behold—part human, part... other. He definitely wasn't of the human realm, that much was plain and she was trying her best to understand what had just happened and how. Why. It frightened her to know that such magic could be done so easily and unknowingly and what was more, seemingly by her own hand. What that meant, she wasn't sure. But whatever it was, she was sure it was a herald of bad things to come. Certainly if such things could occur, what more possibly could as well...?

 

[Vertaige]

Ashtaroth nodded and stepped closer. He noticed her tiny frame shivering a bit be it from fear or cold he did not know. However seeing her look so defenseless made the demon stop. He would need to explain everything but darkness was falling and the sound of predators was caught by his inhuman ears. Evie would not survive a trip across the barrens he saw. At least not alone. He sighed and with no effort lifted the girl into his arms and began carrying her. He felt a slight reaction to his body as her warmth melded with his but he ignored it. Humans fell to temptations, demons didn't have any.

He noticed that perhaps despite his apathetic attitude towards clothes, the summoner might be a bit mortified. Even so she had only access to his bare chest and he doubted she was worried about that. He walked to the edge of the tower and with a leap his wings unfurled and caught wind. He felt his body rush with joy. Flying was something he remembered before his fall from grace. It always made him smile. Unfortunately with a mouth of razor sharp teeth his smile was more of devil's grin.

"Evie, was it? You summoned me from the Inferno, hell as you call it. By doing so you have awakened your calling...magic. I will teach you the ways of Corpse Sculpting and protect you as my ward, if you promise to return me once you are satified. Do we have a deal?"

Ashtaroth left out a good chunk such as that he had no choice on the matter and that if she wanted she could bind him to her for her natural life. Also she had a direct say in when and how he could use his own callings. But the girl wouldn't need to know all of that now would she?

It took only several minutes to reach the gates of her school and when he landed he set her down softly. He needed her to believe he was on her side if he wanted to make things work. Standing there he noticed that a cross hung from the gate and he frowned.

"I see Lucifer has still lost in this time as well. No matter, the Creator will not mind a Grogori a few centuries on earth." He then made a face while his body contorted and shifted to look less corrupted and more like a handsome young man. He had also created himself a suit of pitch black with a white tie. Overall he looked more like a teacher or buisness man and less like a demon from hell. He kept the long hair however, enjoying the look.

"So Evie, do you wish for me to teach you?" He had to lead her lest she uncover just how much sway she had over him.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie felt herself shrink back slightly as the man-creature, this... Ashtaroth... approached her, his arms reaching out to pick her up like she was a doll easily carried and manipulated. Her eyes scanned his body, naked, as the light of the moon shone down. The silvery rays cast odd shadows upon him, making him quite beautiful to her obviously human eyes. Immediately, she looked away wishing he was wearing something. Anything! But she didn't have time to let her mind ponder such details. All too soon he was upon her, his arms holding her, his wings unfurling her as he took flight above the wastelands below.

A gasp escaped Evie's lips and her arms moved about Ashtaroth's neck as they flew toward Birmingham Academy. She caught a glimpse of that ominous tower as its darkened silhouette grew smaller to her eyes as she peered over the man-creature's shoulder, the wind rushing over them both. Then, within mere moments, they'd landed beyond the gates, safely inside the walls of Albast and back to the school itself. When he set her down, she looked up at him quizzically, her earlier embarrassments about his nudity forgotten suddenly as she listened to him speak of the fallen one and then shift slightly to appear more... human. Clothed.

Evie's cheeks suddenly felt warm and she looked down at her feet. How was this Ashtaroth able to make her feel so many things all at once? It was unnerving, unsettling. Swallowing, she looked over at him again. Though this time she found it much easier to hold his gaze.

"Please sir," Evie began, before licking her lips as her mouth suddenly went dry. "I meant no harm in summoning you. I should like to learn from you if that'll help you." She looked up into his eyes then and nodded. "I'll do my best and send you back... if that is what you wish." Bringing her hands together, she began to fidget a little, her hands then moving to play with the fabric of her skirt. "I wish I knew what I'd done to summon you in the first place, I... I don't even know how it happened." She looked down at her feet feeling ashamed. "I was dared to go to the tower, that I wouldn't be able to stay in the darkest room for more than ten minutes..." Her eyes began to well with tears. "I know it sounds silly and childish, but..." her voice trailed, going softer as she choked on a sob that bubbled up. "But you need to understand, sir. You need to understand what it is like."

Evie let go of her skirt and brought her hands up to her eyes, wiping at her tears with both anger and frustration. Her cheeks were red and she let out a tiny sigh of annoyance that was clearly directed at herself.

"Damn," Evie grumbled as she wiped more tears away. "Jonathan Kemp is an arrogant ass who just won't leave me alone. I had to do something since no one else will." Again she paused, her hands moving to tuck some of her red hair behind an ear before she raised her head to look up at Ashtaroth once again. "He set the rules... I failed... somehow you showed up and... well, honestly, I'm grateful. But, you're right. If you want to go back, I'll need your help." She gave him a watery smile just then. "Will you help me then?"

 

[Vertaige]

For a split second Ashtaroth felt a small twinge in his mind, an ancient memory of a temple priestess crying before him. Him moving to embrace her then fire and pain...
He sighed as he stooped to wipe away a tear. He still wanted to kill her but for now she was just a lost girl, despite her protests.

He stood and looked once again carved from stone and spoke,
"I will teach you and if the need arises...protect you from danger." It showed in his voice that saying the last few words pained him but he needed her blood to return and the more of it in her body the easier it would be.

From nowhere he produced a pair of glasses and spoke in a cold voice,
"Until our lessons, you will address me as Sir Bale, your schoolmates will know me as a teacher and your teachers will not question why I am here." He then began to walk towards the school

"Lessons are at midnight at the tower. I will wait here at the gate to escort you at 11;45 each night. Now go get some rest." He then walked away but as an afterthought he added, "For lessons wear your bedclothes...It makes things easier."
The last part was not entirely true but Ashtaroth simply decided that if he was to teach making it interesting for him would make motivation better.
---

 

[darkangel76]

Bedclothes? Evie wondered why it would make things easier to conduct lessons wearing such attire. But no matter. She was Ashtaroth's student now and he her teacher. She would just have to trust him in this regard seeing as he was the one knowledgeable in such arts and she was not—a mere novice, if that! Finally, she just nodded, though her pale eyes were still a bit wide as she processed his strange demand.

"All right, Sir Bale," Evie then stated, trying to get used to Ashtaroth's new title. After all, she would have to call him that from now on until he returned to the demon realm—except during their lessons, of course, though she wondered if he'd wish her to call him by his name during those times or if he had something else in mind—so she figured she might as well start calling him by it now since the lessons hadn't officially started... yet. She wondered if he minded or even preferred that. Given his manner, she supposed he'd let her know one way or another.

In the mean time, Evie's eyes continued to watch closely as Ashtaroth tended to the final details of his disguise—a pair of glasses. She smiled a little at the sight of them. They suited him, she thought, brought his eyes when most might think they'd detract. When all seemed finished, she gave another nod.

"Will I see you before our lessons tomorrow night?" Evie then asked Ashtaroth before turning to leave. She looked up at him with a furrowed brow, her fingers twisting a stray lock of red that dangled about her pale shoulders. "And, other than wearing bedclothes, is there anything else I should bring with me or know about before hand?" She paused a moment and bit down on her lip shyly before speaking once more. "I just want to make sure I'm prepared, Sir Bale." She then gave him a smile. "And I really am sorry..." she added softly, the barest of whispers on her breath.

 

[Vertaige]

Ashtaroth walked away but heard her apology. Maybe death was too hasty but she would need to be punished. That was for certain.

The next day after a few documents and some slight charming of certain faculty members, Sir Bale was now the head lecturer on the Book of Enoch. In class he spoke of the scriptures and added insight. He spoke as if he had an affinity for the nephilim and would add other tidbits, (seeing as he was there maybe it was like looking at a scrapbook for him.)

He noticed a few females (and even some male) students would let their gaze linger on him as he would sit at his desk, reading to them. He couldn't help but feel repulsed. Humans would fall over themselves for whatever they considered beautiful, really no better then magpies fawning over shiny baubles. However one redheaded student had rapt attention to her book.
A miss Evelyn... She was paying attention to the lesson not to him. A small smile drew at the corner of his mouth as he continued,
"The small group of angels, known........"
>>>>>>>
Later that night Ashtaroth waited for his "student."
It had been a long day of repeating the old testament and stifling his own boredom. He had retired early ashis body required rest, something of a novelty he had forgotten about over the eons. The wind swept at his coat and he blinked. He mused on whether to teach the girl about summoning or just simply awareness. Either way as the morrow was Saturday, he had no intention of returning her to the school until the Sabbath. He figured his conversation with a few faculty members had "convinced" them that she was simply being called home for tommorow.
He let his body revert to its natural state, once again forgoing any human notions of modesty. ALlthough she was not yet late Ashtaroth still felt impatient.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie had rushed to her room after finishing up dinner. Per usual, she'd eaten alone. But unlike most times, this time she hadn't overly minded. It had allowed her to finish up the last of her homework for her regular classes so she wouldn't need to worry about bringing her books or anything else along with her when she went to meet Ashtaroth later on that night. Given the sort she was, she knew it would bother her to the point of obsession and probably pull her attention away from the tasks the man-creature had planned for her. So it definitely would make things easier.

Biting down on her lip, Evie's eyes glanced over at her bed and her bedclothes that were strewn upon it. She had to change into them before meeting Ashtaroth, though she still wondered as to why. As she let out a tiny breathy sigh, she set down her bag upon a chair and then went over to her bed and picked up the flimsy white garment. It was nothing but a thin, white nightgown, the material a soft cotton that fell down about her ankles. There was a ribbon near the scooping neckline and it tied down a fair portion of the front in a pretty criss-cross pattern.

"Wonder what I'll learn tonight?" Evie said to herself as she draped the nightgown over her arm and headed into her tiny bathroom. She figured she'd shower before meeting Ashtaroth. She had some time before 11:45pm and since all her homework was done, she decided she might as well make herself as presentable as possible seeing as she had no idea what to expect nor as to when she'd be back again, though she knew it would be by Monday morning at the latest.

Once Evie finished up with her shower and had her nightgown on, she slipped on her boots and grabbed her shawl. Swallowing, she then exited her room into the corridor and began making her way to where she'd arranged to meet Ashtaroth the night prior. When her pale eyes caught sight of him, she stopped in her tracks. She'd gotten used to see him as Sir Bale, head lecturer of Birmingham Academy during the course of the day. Though oddly, this more demon-like form suited him better somehow, she thought. Whether it was because it was how she'd first seen him or just because she knew better, she wasn't certain. It was honestly something she couldn't quite explain. However, she did find it suited him better.

"I... I... I'm here," Evie stammered as she approached Ashtaroth, her hands gripping her shawl so tightly that her knuckles began to turn white. Her red tresses were still a bit damp from her earlier shower and she smelled of flowers from the soaps and shampoo she'd used to wash herself with. "And I'm wearing my bedclothes," she added, her cheeks turning a deep shade of scarlet.

 

[Vertaige]

There was a second where something stirred in the demon. Not only in his loins but in his heart as well but in an instant it was quelled. he almost snarled as a reaction, but he suppressed that as well. However he moved close to his "student" and removed her shawl. Then lazily he took a ringlet of her hair and let a single claw trace down her cheek.
An ancient face was before him a girl in her robe smiling as he would do the motion to her.

He played it off as exam, a test of her will. To see if touching a demon frightened her but deep down he had just wanted for some reason to feel her.

As they stood in the tower several moments later he noticed a wind had picked up and Evie would be hard pressed to focus if she was shivering, so Ashtaroth snapped his fingers and a small fire appeared before the girl.
"Necromancy is the art of raising the dead. It also is used to summon demons...The amount and strength of either is dependent on your will and your body." He took the opportunity to let his eyes trace her young form again.
"The best way to learn the art is by meditation and...other pursuits." He had decided to stray away from the art of pleasure, lest she learn something he could not control.
"However since you are still a novice I will teach you to focus your mind." Approaching her he barked, "Remove your boots and sit before the fire! The less you wear the more your primal and carnal being can commune with the darkness. Sin is a conduit to the Inferno and being immodest helps the mind feel at ease, unbound by morality and modesty." Ironically he was being honest, which was why many female necromancers wore very little and tempted demons with flesh. However his "student" would have to be trained to obey him, the opposite of a true demon/summoner rapport.

Ashtaroth then sat beside her his own legs crossed as he spoke again,
"You have to feel the not only sin and evil but the spark of creation. it is akin to raindrops. Feeling them is the first step to summoning them. I will know when you can sense my spirit." Ashtaroth would take glances at her swelling bosom and body as she began to meditate. He may have hated her but her body was a gift from the Creator, something even he had to admire. However his eyes only showed the same look of apathy they always had.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie did not wince when Ashtaroth reached out to touch her, not this time. There was something oddly comforting seeing him in his true form as opposed to the disguise of 'the lecturer'. And the way he touched her was hardly with the intent to frighten, not like it had been the night before when she'd accidentally summoned him. She knew it was probably strange for her to think as she did, but perhaps it was knowing what he was that made the difference there, that and having experienced the wrath of his awakening. Regardless, she was glad he didn't seem angry any longer and that he seemed ready to both teach and help her in the ways of Necromancy.

Once situated at the tower across the wastelands, Evie stood there looking over at Ashtaroth. The air had grown considerably colder. Then again, it was full on autumn and winter would soon be upon them all, bringing with it the snows and bitter cold. Suddenly, the wind blew and she felt it move through the thin fabric of her white nightgown and move across her pale flesh. Immediately she could feel it reacting as it tightened, forming goose bumps all over her tiny body. Just as she began to shiver, Ashtaroth summoned a fire and she couldn't hide the smile that suddenly crept upon her lips.

Evie moved closer to the dancing flames of orange and red, crackling warmly and invitingly. As she did so, she listened intently to Ashtaroth as he spoke, his words going into detail about Necromancy itself. He mentioned meditation and 'other pursuits'? She wondered what those might be. Though she supposed that didn't matter for the time being since meditation was what he wanted to focus on now so she gave him a nod and then moved to sit down by the fire. First, she removed her boots, setting them aside, as he'd ordered. Once done, she knelt down, though her blue eyes remained fixed on the man-creature for several moments until he was finally sitting next to her.

Ashtaroth had told Evie to think about sin and creation, to reach out and sense his spirit. She wondered if she'd be able to do that. If she could. She knew she had to at least try even if it seemed the impossible. After all, he was knowledgeable of such arts while she was not. She had to trust him, had to try, had to... At that moment, she closed her eyes and let her body relax, letting go of all tension. She focused on her breathing first, the rise and fall of her chest with each inhale and exhale. Next, she tried to clear her mind, letting all thoughts leave before she began concentrating on those which Ashtaroth said were pertinent—sin and creation.

When Evie finally felt her mind clear, she thought of sin first since it was the first thing Ashtaroth had mentioned. She thought of all that sin encompassed—lies, stealing, murder... just then the faintest glimmer of what he'd meant of 'other pursuits' entered her mind and her brows began to furrow. Her lips turned into a frown. She hadn't expected such thoughts to enter her mind.

Lies, stealing, murder—those were sins Evie could grasp much better.

But again, the lurid thoughts of pleasure entered her mind. Try as she might, Evie couldn't push them away. With them came the onset of creation. She couldn't deny that. From sin came creation. Was that possible?

It was.

Evie couldn't deny that if she tried. It disturbed her on some levels, but...

Suddenly, Evie's mind filled with pleasures of the flesh, her breaths quickening as she tried to meditate and focus, her body reacting to that. She became keenly aware of Ashtaroth sitting next to her, could feel him, sense him, could...

Just then, Evie let out a loud gasp and her eyes snapped open. She looked over at Ashtaroth with reddened cheeks and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not very good at this," she said softly. "Perhaps we should start with something simpler."

 

[Vertaige]

Ashtaroth felt her will tug at him, a soft pull towards her with desire laced through it. Her gasp also drew his attention, and as he looked over to see her breathing a bit heavier and her face blush he felt again the same way he had almost a millennia ago, confused.

However he did not have time for that, it was clear having a body was affecting him. He was beginning to feel...a dangerous thing for one of his kind, soon he'd be no better than a human. Ashtaroth moved to behind his pupil and without a second thought cut a bit of her nightgown revealing one of her supple thighs and a quick slash in front of her chest lowered the neckline to reveal more. Why he did not simply make her meditate naked crossed his mind but something, whether it be fear or kindness, kept him from defiling all of her modesty. Then he wrapped his own legs around her letting his arms encompass her own. His wings also encircled her cocooning her with him. Feeling her soft warm body made his mind haze a bit, he chalked it up to the fact that she was his summoner and merely causing interference.

The soft rhythm of her heart soon was the only thing he heard and despite his mask of apathy he felt his body and heart react.
"Now focus...reach out with your spirit, feel the motes of creation and sin . They surround you everyday cascading in the air like dust waiting for you to shape them."

Ashtaroth kept his own desires in check but it was not easy, despite his lingering hatred his mind thought of many ways to "punish" her, each more detailed and kinky...A stray thought brushed past and he had to watch it,I could stay with her...be with her, just like- He almost roared from the sudden pain in his chest. The old feelings of loss and remorse flooded in and after eons of not having to feel them they cut worse than anything.

 

[darkangel76]

Feeling confused and unsure, Evie just sat there quietly, waiting for Ashtaroth to either speak or do something, anything to break the deafening silence that was growing between them. But she hadn't expected him to move so that he could make slashes at her nightgown, tearing at the fabric and exposing her skin to his view, his scrutiny. Her first reaction was to try and hold the torn edges together—as if it would mend them somehow, hide the flesh that was suddenly exposed. But she knew it was pointless and finally let go of the material, letting it drop and fall where it may.

As Evie tried to relax a little, accepting what had just happened, she noticed that Ashtaroth's expression was still just as cold and apathetic as it had been earlier in the night. Perhaps, what he'd just done hadn't affected him in the same manner as it did herself. Then again, he didn't seem to have any care for his attire, or lack thereof, either. So perhaps he didn't think in the same way. Maybe all demons thought differently...?

Just then, Evie let out a tiny breath as Ashtaroth moved his body about her own. And though his apparent apathy made things a bit easier, she could still feel her own tension rising as her heart began to pound again, her breaths quickening. She watched his wings furl about her, covering her in a protective manner and she immediately closed her eyes, trying to focus once more on the things he'd said were most important.

Sin and creation.

Both needed the other and without one, the other would cease to exist.

Breathing, concentrating, Evie felt a sheen of sweat form over her skin as it reacted to the warmth of Ashtaroth's body as he held her. But still, she kept her eyes closed. Thoughts, so many thoughts swam through her mind—sin, creation—and each one made her feel things she wasn't sure she should be feeling. Her breaths became heavy and again, she became very aware of the man-creature holding. She could feel every hard angle and contour, every pulse, every...

Again, Evie gasped, her eyes clamped shut. The things running through her mind were enough to make her want to hide, but she found she was unable to do so. No. She had no choice but to face the things in her mind, to see the things that were hidden in its darkest recesses. They were so vivid, so real as she sat there, practically writhing, in Ashtaroth's arms. But... so much... so much... gasping, panting heavily, her eyes finally snapped open.

Evie looked up into Ashtaroth's eyes, her own blue heavily glazed and so very confused. "I..." she stammered as her body shivered, reacting in ways she was trying to understand. "I'm not sure what happened, I..." She wanted to pull away, but she knew she could not so she stayed put. So many things she didn't understand. So many things terrified her... and yet oddly, she found herself wanting to experience them again, to better understand what they meant.

 

[Vertaige]

Ashtaroth felt her will rise like a leviathan from the deep. Her raw ability was astonishing. He felt something snake into his mind, her desires and for a brief moment he felt compelled to serve her in every way but her concentration broke and for that he was secretly grateful. He slowly unwound hiimself from her.

Stepping back he looked at her, an unassuming vessel with the strength to channel almost any demon. If he contiuned to teach her she would dominate his own will within days... This lead to a severe cross roads...should he continue to teach to ensure his release or stop and not risk losing his freedom?

Either way he had seen into her thoughts, the fuel for her concentration. 19 years of repressed sexual desires had made her into a match for even a demon's cravings...Something he might be able to use. He spoke as he summoned a slip of cloth to wear around his waist,
"We are done for now, you have glimpsed the forces that you can call. You will practice each night until calling upon them is second nature." He moved to the fire and plunged a claw in drawing an ember that sparked violet and turned into a charcoal pendant. He hhanded it to her. "This is a piece of my esscence, should you need assistance it will seem as if I am holding you as long as you hold it."

He noticed that the night had grown heavy and she would need rest. An oppurtunity to manipulate not only her desires but confuse her to delay the inevitable time when she realized how much sway she had over him.

Lifting her in his arms he carried into the interior of the tower, his own magic causing it to come to life with an errie violet glow. Gears and cogs hummed as they descedend into a room furnished after her own dorm. He set her down and spoke, "Rest. Tommorow I think we can begin to learn of those thoughts you had when trying to meditate." He said almost charmingly.

He then left her, the pendant throbbing like a heart. Outside he heard the call on the wind. he was no longer the only demon on this plane as scent and a green spark of fire in the distance infromed him that Lillith had somehow arrived here as well, called by another Necromancer hidden in the academy walls. He growled, knowing that soon the Creator would send one of his pets to dispatch both of them and chain them in Purgatory.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie felt a great sense of loss when Ashtaroth pulled away from her, standing up and suddenly moving—oddly—to cover himself. She arched a brow as she watched him, her eyes looking up at him in both wonder and confusion. Had she done something wrong? She must have... Either that or the man-creature was sickened by the tug her spirit had on his, if she'd truly managed to even broach that.

Ugh! It was so hard to tell. She was so confused, feeling so many things that were new and strange.

Again, the wind blew and Evie felt the torn parts of her nightgown move with the breeze, the frayed edges revealing more skin that had gone rosy from the exertion of her meditation—thoughts gone wild as her mind had filled with dark things causing it to stir and spin to heights she'd only just begun to discover. She looked at Ashtaroth's arms, his wings. To think the other night they'd looked so ominous, but now they just looked warm. Her hands moved up to rub at her arms as she shivered slightly from the breeze, her body shifting a bit to get closer to the crackling fire as it laughed and mocked.

Evie then nodded as Ashtaroth spoke. "All right. I will," she said softly, her eyes looking to her lap.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Evie saw Ashtaroth reach into that laughing fire and, immediately, she felt her heart skip a beat. Surely, he'd be burned! Just as she was about to reach out, she stayed her hand, realizing she was being foolish again—a silly and naïve schoolgirl. She saw the stone he now held within his grasp, glowing violet as he pressed it against her palm. The moment the cool stone made contact, she felt a warmth spread throughout her body, causing it to react suddenly as a tingling jolt coursed through her veins and along her skin. She had to stifle the gasp that wanted to roll off her lips lest she embarrass herself in front of him, so she bit down on her lip.

When Ashtaroth moved to pick her up suddenly, she didn't move from where she was. Instead, she leaned against him, letting him take her where she needed to be and that was indeed somewhere where she could rest. After everything that had just happened, she needed it and she most certainly needed the time alone to think on what had just happened, what she'd just learned. She just hoped her dreams weren't plagued with these strange thoughts for she feared what that just might mean about the sort of person she was or very well could be.

Evie was set down very gently by Ashtaroth and, once again, she felt that loss. "All right," she said in response to him, though she wondered what exactly he meant by his words.

After Ashtaroth left, Evie sat down on her bed and pulled down the covers, snuggling deeply underneath them. The moment her head hit the pillow, her eyes grew heavy and sleep found her, her dreams filled with that sin... and 'other pursuits'.

 

[Vertaige]

Ashtaroth did not know where to go from here. But looking at Evie it was clear the girl was infatuated, maybe from it being her first true expierance or even genuine affection he could not tell. He had returned to her later in later in the evening watching over her as a dark famiscle of a guardian angel.

However he might try to deny it her will constantly tugged his own, despite the lack of focus it was constant and he was loathed to deny her. Finally in the hours of dawn while she still slept he silently crawled into the bed after her wrapping his body around hers protectively. Her body was soft and warm, reminding him of long ago...

He then did something that surprised even him. He gently placed his claws on her cheeks and kissed her forehead. Tenderly whispering something in a long dead tongue from a world that had long since died.

Afterwards he stopped and stood to carry her to the towers keep, lifting her easily and doing so without disturbing her sleep. He then thought of how to proceed. Lillith's arrival meant he'd either need to bond with Evie or toss her off the tower and just face the Creator. He stood looking at the dawn with her cradled in his arms, knowing that when she awoke he'd have to be apathetic once more.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie's dreams darkly swirled through her mind as she slept. Hands. Hands, warm and strong, had reached out to touch and caress her pale body—her body that somehow had become naked and strewn across a plush bed. She could feel her breaths coming short and fast as those hands touched her, learning her, memorizing her every curve. Her eyes following the trace of the arms up to the face that belonged to them so that she could see into his eyes. The moment her eyes found his...

Suddenly, Evie's eyes opened and she found herself looking up into Ashtaroth's face. She smiled up at him and nuzzled against him as he held her, his body warm. Just then, she felt a breeze blow over her body, which caused her to stir just a bit as she shivered slightly. Blinking several times, she lifted her head so that she could get her bearings. It was in that moment that she realized she was at the tower's top, that they were standing... outside.

Peculiar...

"I..." Evie stammered as she shifted a bit in Ashtaroth's arms, her body pressing against him on instinct as a tremor of fear washed over her, though she knew she had to rely on her trust in him. "Why? Why are we here?" she asked, the expression on her face one of total confusion. She looked out upon the barren wastelands and then turned back to look up into Ashtaroth's face once more.

The sky was just beginning to turn pink as the sun rose overhead, a herald of the dawn as it approached. With the oncoming dawn, Evie hoped to learn more answers to her questions, to have more mysteries solved. But only Ashtaroth could provide her such things being who and what he was and she knew it. She just hoped he'd do so.

"Am I to learn more today?" Evie then asked giving Ashtaroth another smile as the breeze picked up yet again causing some of her red hair to blow across her face. With one of her hands, she pushed it away and then blushed as she looked up into his eyes.

 

[Vertaige]

"Your lessons are over, from this point on your going to have to either rely on me or use mortal means to defend yourself." He was once more the apathetic demon, devoid of any conflict or emotion. He considered hurling her off the tower and throwing himself at Lillith but the idea was far from any merit.

He shuffled back to the still burning fire and sat with Evie still in his arms.
"It seems one o your classmates summoned a demon last night, one as powerful as myself. I don't like the implication and unfortunately-it has forced my hand.. Now you have two choices Evelyn...you either bind yourself to me or you hide and pray you can avoid this other. I must warn you either oath has acts and secrets that will hurt you and I won't be able to help. Think of me as your bodyguard but I can only protect, not attack. Unless on unhallowed ground my options will be limited. Unless we join I can only protect you body as well. Spiritual assaults may harm you."

During this entire talk his hands began to wander and caress most of her body letting a violet fire emanate from his eyes as he did so.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie arched a brow when Ashtaroth stoically mentioned that her lessons were over. Over? How could that be when they'd only just begun? She still had so much to learn and last night she'd only felt the barest brush of what she was certain she could potentially do. No. She needed him and his help. Things couldn't be over before they'd started. This just couldn't be possible. Her mind began to swim with the dark thoughts of her dreams, those hands...

"Another demon?" Evie then asked, her voice soft though full of worry as she choked back the emotions bubbling up from within.

The idea that another demon, one who was even making Ashtaroth apprehensive, was enough to make Evie extremely frightened. The fact that it caused him to want to prematurely end their lessons, to end... this... It was unfair and it upset her. And she worried not just for herself, but for the man-creature who cradled her in his arms. Already, she was finding that she trusted him. Not once had he given her reason not to. If he'd wanted, he could've easily killed her by now yet... he hadn't. He'd been helpful and patient with her and it was clear to her that he was trying, something she appreciated greatly.

"Well, if you are asking me to choose, then..." Evie began, but voice suddenly trailed a moment and her pale eyes slowly closed as if out of their own volition. She let out a tiny sigh, her body arching slightly as Ashtaroth touched her, a warm violet light glowing about her form as he did so. A smile played on her lips and she let out another soft noise as she shifted in his arms before she opened her eyes once more, her cheeks a bit flush as they did. "If I have to choose... then, I choose to rely on you..."

Again, Evie's eyes closed and she moved a little in Ashtaroth's arms. The pendant he'd given her was held tightly in her one fist, her fingers gently moving over it. She sighed softly before her eyes fluttered open, her body moving closer to his.

"I trust you. You've given me no reason not to," Evie stated, her cheeks still fairly red. "I know nothing of this Lillith. I'll need you, Ashtaroth. Please?" she begged. "Please, help me and protect me? I'll do what's needed and listen to you. I promise."

 

[Vertaige]

The demon couldn't help but give an evil grin, knowing that while the after period of being bound to her would mean forfeiting his freedom the ceremony itself was...enjoyable, especially with a virgin female as kinky as his soon to be mistress.

He lifted her up a bit closer then kissed her on the lips his own demonic tongue snaking into her mouth, playfully prodding at her own tongue.
He also let his claws trace the length of her soft form. She tasted like any human but with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. The kiss lasted for several minutes as he enjoyed her taste and very essence as the ceremony was initiated. In a way the kiss was the opening offer to the pact they were about to make, meaning that while in earth he belonged exclusively to her. In a dark and perverted manner it was akin to a marriage to a demon.

After he broke the kiss he whispered in her ear very softly,
"To bind me to you your going to have to commit alot of those sins your dirty little mind conjured up." He then bit her ear playfully as he set her down on her feet. With slight rip he was once again nude but now his arousal had caused his demon member to rise and stir from its sheath. The violet organ throbbed with need and desire and lust was the only thing in his eyes as he looked at the girl before him hungrily.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie could feel her heart beginning to beat faster beneath her breast as Ashtaroth smiled, leaning closer to her until his lips suddenly made contact with her own. Immediately, she felt a tiny jolt, a strange heat as they connected. The gesture had been somewhat unexpected, but she found that she didn't find it unwelcome. In fact, it had been strangely the opposite. Her body somehow called to his, moving toward him as if his beckoned for it to come to him.

Just then, Evie felt something warm and wet pressing against her lips, prodding them apart. Without hesitation, she obliged and in an instant her mouth was being explored by Ashtaroth's tongue. As their tongues darkly danced, she took the moment to take in his taste and the feel of him as he held her close.

Something was happening. Something Evie couldn't explain and was only just beginning to understand. She could feel her body begin to stir with those thoughts she'd had the other night, during her dreams... they'd disturbed her on so many levels.

Was she... capable of that?

Suddenly, Evie felt Ashtaroth nibble on her ear and she heard herself whimpering at the sensation—a sound she didn't know she could make. Just what was happening to her? What...? Her eyes closed for a moment as she arched toward him, closer, her body igniting in ways she didn't know possible. She could feel her skin growing warm as other parts began to react and swell, stir and tighten. Just then, she let out a tiny gasping groan.

When Evie opened her eyes once more she noticed that Ashtaroth had torn off the cloth he'd been using to cover himself from the other night. He was naked, aroused, his eyes... hungry. She swallowed hard as she looked up into his eyes, her own body responding to his in ways she knew she couldn't deny and in ways she knew he already could sense. Knowing she couldn't hide that, she bit down on her lip and reached up with her hands to work at the ribbon of her nightgown.

With slender fingers, Evie untied the ribbons until they were fully loosened. Her nightgown hung limply about her shoulders, just starting to fall about them. Gasping a little with both a need she could feel rising along with nervousness, she let the garment finally slide along her pale form and pool about her feet. She then brought her fingers about the hem of her panties and pushed them down about her thighs and slid them off. Once fully unclothed, she looked up into his eyes, her body now just as naked as his. She felt so vulnerable, so exposed... she wondered if he even liked what he saw.

Evie had the urge to move her arms about herself, to cover up. But she somehow knew that wasn't what Ashtaroth wanted. Not now. They needed to do this to help each other. Besides, she trusted him completely. "What now?" she then asked. "I'm yours, Ashtaroth."

 

[Vertaige]

Upon seeing her body exposed Ashtaroth could barely surpress his lust, the pale slender form before him causing him to almost surge forward with inhuman speed. When she uttered those words however he felt an old memory seer into his thoughts clear as day...

It was 1000 years ago in the old lands, Lucifer had been tempting him and his brethren for the last few nights promising gold, power, almost anything they could think but he was resolute. Then Lucifer showed him the temple's priestess. He had never wanted anything more. He would come to her at night and preform the act of creation filling her with his holy seed. Soon however she gave birth to their "son" a beast that devoured her moments after leaving her body. Ashtaroth had then realized the Creator had punished him for falling for the daughter of man. It was then he entered into his service to Lucifer...

He moved to Evie slowly letting his claws come to rest on her hips, her young flesh warm to the touch as he once again kissed her. He let his claws trail along the small of her back as his wings encircled her. She was his and his alone, no one would see her like he would and this excited him. He wanted to shove his throbbing member into her depths but another dark idea entered his mind as it rested on her abdomen. Stroking her cheek he smiled as he whispered,
"Now my little darling, maybe a kiss down there?" He accentued the words with a slight thrust letting his organ prod her stomach.

 

[darkangel76]

Evie's pale eyes widened slightly as her cheeks darkened to a deep shade of crimson. She could feel the heat rising from them just as it was rising from her core, her body stirring in ways she'd only begun to understand. Biting down on her lip, her eyebrows furrowed a little, she gave Ashtaroth a hesitant nod.

"If... if that is what you wish, Ashtaroth," Evie then whispered, her eyes glistening slightly. She then shifted her body so that she could kneel down before him, her body sliding against his as she moved downward.

Once Evie reached her knees, she looked up into Ashtaroth's eyes. The moment they connected, she let one hand reach up and rest on his thigh while the other rested on his hip for balance. Swallowing, she let her eyes drift down to his throbbing member that swelled in front of her for her to see. He wanted her to kiss it, no doubt to lavish it with the most attentive kisses she could muster. And for him... she would.

Licking her lips, Evie then moved forward. She let her lips press gently against the weeping tip as it twitching wantingly in front of her. She then kissed it more firmly, allowing her mouth to move upward along the shaft and back again. Unsure if she was doing right by Ashtaroth, she kissed him more fervently, as if this was the only time she'd be allowed, as if she'd never get the chance again. And so her kisses became a bit more desperate, tiny whimpers escaping her as she kissed along his shaft, her tongue gently caressing and licking as she did so.

"Mmm..." Evie whimpered as she kissed along Ashtaroth's erect cock, her tongue swirling about the tip. "Mmm..." The more she kissed him, the more she felt her own body responding, awakening. Just then, she felt something pooling between her legs. Curious, while she still kissed and licked at Ashtaroth's cock, she reached down to touch herself between her legs and felt the strange wetness, not to mention the... at that she gasped, realizing that she was also aroused.