:Difficult Alliances: Ch.1 How We Met

Prologue Aedus
 
          I was a tad bit messy this time around. I must work on being a little cleaner next time. It was such a hassle to clean their body's and dispose of them properly. I pulled my sword free from its sheath and prepared for the holy honors ritual cleansing. 

          I spoke aloud to the three dead that feel around my feet. "You poor fools who long ago gave away your eternal souls in greed, find peace as you pass into the next life, find peace or be damned." Kneeling down I severed the heads of the three men at my feet and began to cut from their mutilated body's the hearts. 

          I stayed true to the ritual. I spoke aloud that I Aedus accepted this to be their offerings to our father who art in Heaven in an effort to redeem their eternal souls that have gone afoul in sin. After wiping my blade clean and sheathing it, I then lit the offerings successfully preparing their souls for the afterlife. 

          After the offerings had burned to ash, I poured my blessed water over the coals, the semblance of gods love purifying their sins. Thus concludes my report to the Holy Brotherhood. 

          Standing I waited for the head priest to dismiss me. But he did not. Turning slowly he faced me. "Aedus, I must speak with you, in your endeavors against the demons, did you first sever them from their hosts?" Facing him I answered. 

          "Sir I could not, the men in question had given themselves to the demons completely. So much time had passed that hardly anything was left to show of their souls," I stared hard into his old eyes. "I had no choice but to end both the lives of the host and demons."  

          Stepping back he sighed and turned his head away from me. "You are dismissed, for now. You will be notified of further demonic activity if we need you." 

          I turned grasping the handle of the ancient door, I paused. 

          "Tonight is a cold night Father," I spoke aloud before pulling the heavy door open.  

          I stepped onto the bitter streets of a world so cold. Cabs passed me and the lights flickered due to seasons beatings, I headed to church. Knowing that I needed to spend some time with God. 

          Taking the final corner on Hollis Street I entered the front gate and paused, pulling from my coat pocket a small vile shaped like a cross. It was filled with blessed holy water. "In the name of our holy god, blessed is this fence so that it may protect the weak from the evils of this sin fill world Amen."  

          I finished my prayer by emptying the bottle around the fence. 

          "Oh father art thou ready for mine confession?" I spoke aloud to myself as I entered the church and knelt before the alter. 

          "Forgive me father for I have sinned today against my fellow brother. I withheld valuable information regarding the infamous demon host known as Puck. For no good reason I choose deliberately to withhold this information. I kneel before you father and ask that you forgive me for being so foolish to hide truth from my fellow brother. Give me yet another chance to prove to thee that my actions were not all so foolish. For in good intent did I commit them. I am positive that good may yet come forth and sprout a plant of your holy power within the host of the former demon Puck. Father guide me and give me wisdom in my struggle to bring this world out from the pit of sin it has sunken deep into. Honor thy father. Truth be said I worship thee. Amen." 

          I finished my prayer and refilled my holy vials. After blessing my sword anew in holy water I exited the church knowing that I had to find that ignorant ex demon. 
          "What was his name again... Christophe, yes that's it, Christophe." I knew that I had to find him.  

          If I could find him then I could begin to sew the seed of god within him. But that was only if he would accept the seeds. He could prove to be a very valuable ally to the church in our seemingly endless struggle against the demons. 

          "He has knowledge that I do not. I don't like that." 

          I headed to my home and began to plan my next move as I walked, no the churches next move. I know that even the tiniest slip in our fight against these atrocities is enough to damn us all. We cannot afford to be defeated. We must emerge victorious for the sake of all mankind, for the sake of this world. 

Prologue Christophe 

          I walked into the house, the mansion. It was well light, posh even, expensive art lined the walls, heavy rugs covered the floors. I found myself disgusted with the waste of money. I looked around, the servant had gone to announce my arrival. I took off my gloves stuffing them into my pocket, I unbuttoned the top button of my coat and took a deep breath. 

          The air was perfumed with flowers, it smelt too thick to be natural. I wrinkled my nose. This place would have looked more glorious if it were on fire. All the wealth spent on making it pleasing to the trained eyes going up in smoke. The walls blackening, ceiling beams falling to crush priceless vases underneath. That was beauty, the beauty of the destroyed. 

          "The master will see you now," the servant told me coming down the hall way.  

          I smiled at him, who used master anymore? I nodded my head, he led me down the hallway and into a very nice library. I look around before spotting a man with white hair sitting on a chair watching two young women making love. 

          I walked towards him, smiling. He looked at me, his eyes green vats of acid that burned me with hatred that couldn’t be explained. I bowed to him. 

          "What do you want Puck?" he asked turning his attention back to the women. I glanced at them, red hair and black hair, both came out of a bottle. 

          The old man liked the look of blood and darkness best. I turned away, I was not interested in their bestial acts. The old man watched with a glee that bordered on insanity. I straightened, taking a seat the servant offered me. The servant left after that closing the door softly behind him. 

          "I've come to discuss my contract," I told the old man. 

          He was the holder of my soul, in return he gave me eternal youth, and the chance to gain power beyond mortal imagination. The old man looked at me sideways, then laughed. 

          "The subject of the contract cannot be changed, surely I told you this," he said laughing at my ignorance.

          "Oh but you lied," I said quietly. 

          He stopped laughing abruptly and looked at me, "I beg your pardon?" 

          "The only way the contract can be changed is if you kill the contract holder. I would very much want to avoid killing you in front of your two playmates," I said smiling. 

          The old man clapped his hands, the girls moved away from each other, they sat on the knees looking at me. I looked at them, their eyes were empty sockets. They were demons. 

          "You threaten me?" asked the old man. 

          "I am tired of having a master," I told him simply, taking my eyes from the demon girls. 

          "The contract will not be changed, and you cannot kill me Puck. Your power is less than my own," he said arrogantly. 

          "Maybe," I said standing up. 

          I walked around the library looking at all of the books, maps, and paintings that cluttered the room. The old man collected things, it kept him sane. I looked at him, his acid green eyes and knew there was no sanity left in the man. He was nothing but an empty shell that a demon had taken over. 

          I swallowed, that was part of the reason I was here. A demon was trying to take over my body, my mind, now that my soul belonged to someone else. 

          I moved towards the old me, he watched me, but knew my power was too low a level to be a threat. I smiled, walking behind him. I stood rubbing his shoulders looking at the demon girls, who watched with little interest. 

          I stopped rubbing his shoulders. 

          "Release me from my contract and I won't kill you." I advised. He laughed. 

          I pulled a slender blade from inside my coat and slammed it through the material of the sofa he was sitting on. He didn't have time to react, the blade entered his heart, he screamed. The demon inside him screamed, I could hear it inside my own head. My demon screamed as well, for now the contract was broken. 

          I had used a blessed blade, there was no surviving that. I pulled the knife from him and stabbed him again and again. I would be free, I would have my freedom, and I would redeem my soul. When the body collapsed, blood soaking his cloths and the sofa, I looked at the female demons. 

          They waited, they followed the orders of the strongest person in the room, and that was me. I smiled at them, they smiled back. I wiped the blade clean before hiding it away again. I took out my gloves and put them back on. 

          "Burn this place, and everything inside. Let the humans go, but burn everything else, and then go back to hell demons," I ordered them. 

          They rose and left. I stayed a moment with the old man, my old master, the man who had given me endless life and youth. I smiled to myself. 

          "Rot in the pit you dug for yourself," I told him. 

          I left, watching outside the gate as the beautiful house burned down to the ground. I watched as the yellow and orange fire consumed all the evil that had been inside. I laughed. I was free, and I could stop being the evil Puck. I was now Christophe, a man, a mortal on the path to redemption.