10 Red Twilight Demon of the Flowers chapter 10

Chapter 10 Shadow over Life Part 4

Joe looks confused "you had your fortune, you drowned yourself in greed, then you let it all burn. What was your escape plan in all of this?"

"Escape was never part of the plan. I wanted to test my limits, see who I was, what I can get away with."

"I have a feeling Deces wasn't impressed by your forwardness."

"Not at all."

***

Fires burn, the warm, dry air pulls the flams from the fields to the main house in startlingly fast. Claude holds his arms out turning his eyes upwards; he awaits divine retribution. It comes soon enough. The red sky thunders into gray, Deces jumps down from his horse approaching Claude shouting "what is the matter with you! Is this some sort of perverted altruism! Fire? Really fire. Do you plan to try to burn away our life, our livelihood? I love you! You ignorant peace…"

With a strange grin, Claude commands "then punish me. Kill me for what I have done to you."

Deces thrust one hand forth expelling magical force throwing Claude to the ground without the need to touch him. "I will punish you. But you will not die. Not today, not ever. You will walk this world side by side with the thousands of other deathless ones; you will be driven mad by your hunger, your cardinal lust. You will cry for Death, but I will not hear you. You will stock the night searching for the cure to life, and the warmth of humanity to end your suffering. But no pleasure will lessen your pain for more than a few fleeting moments, and in two hundred or so years you will come to understand how short a moment truly is."

Deces plants his legs on either side of Claude knelling atop him. Deces bites on of his own hands to draw blood from it, black tar lick blood the stinks of age and decay; he tears Claude's shirt from his chest the begins to draw on his furry chest with his acidic blood working his memorial magic. Claude is paralyzed by Deces magical blast unable to struggle against Deces in any way.

A tattoo of celestial marks burn into Claude's chest then Deces lays over him resting his head on Claude's body. "I am filled with sorrow that you and I will never speak again after sunrise. Just like with everyone that I love I offered you heaven. But like everyone I love you chose hell. Just like all the loves, I feel age into the sand, so to shall everything you touch. I offer you one last gift before we part ways. Lick the blood from my palm and feel ecstasy one last time before all feeling is lost to you." Deces drips his blood onto Claude's nose, and the two of them experience an orgasmic explosion of joy.

After the redactory period, time return to normal, and Deces is gone, never to be heard from again. Almost instantly Claude starts to feel the emptiness Deces had warned of. Embers cool, the fire devourers everything in sight, the sun crest the horizon and the light seems to freeze the world underfoot. This sunrise is the last Claude will ever enjoy, as every morning after this will melt him into sand only for the moon to bring him back at dusk. Deces curse has begun.

***

"Deces had told me something important during all of this; first he used the word Deathless, giving what I am a name. He had also claimed that there were thousands of us. This would give me something to look for. A purpose. Which is something I desperately needed. The transformation into the Deathless came with a wide range of new skills and powers. You will need to forgive me for not going into detail about all of this. For you see, it would take me another hundred years to truly gain a grasp of what I am and what has transpired."

Joe rubs his eyes as he is straining to keep writing hours into the story "I need a drink," Joe whispers to himself. "what happened next?"

"I would spend weeks wandering through the night. I found I not only wanted but needed the warmth of others to keep myself well. To kiss, to love, was to feed. My touch charmed girls calling them to me, should I choose to touch them it would make me strong for a day, but would bring them illness, and should I spend three or more days with anyone it would kill them. Detachment became a requirement of my life. Every relationship lasting only a few short hours, I would take what I need from any women I could then be on my way."

Joe takes a troubled breath, "then there is only one thing worth asking. Why?"

Puzzled Claude looks at Joe with his eyes narrowed "what do you mean Why?"

"why hunt? Why tell me about it? Why go out looking for more of your kind? That is what I meant by why."

Realization flashes before Claude's eyes "ah, that is what you mean by why? That is the easy part. A distraction. Anything to keep my mind off of what I am and what I must do. I cannot say if this is a constant of what we are, but I, for one, have a hunting preference. I seem only to be able to find pleasure in the stocking and consuming of the flesh of teenage girls. Clearly, you are not a girl or a teenager. Therefore with you here tonight and me telling you my story we have saved the life of at least one child."

Joe picks up his cane resting it across his lap "and why not just close your eyes and wait for the end of time?" Joe gets up to start walking around the room, as he circles the room he pours from his pockets a gritty white powder. "the story is great, I love it. But do you know what I think?"

"what are you doing Mr. Dove?" Claude ask

"First off I don't think there ever was a Deces, also I don't know if you ever got off the boat in Bostin, not as a mortal anyway. We are talking late seventeen hundred, right? You were shot, and I don't recall you saying anything about ever getting the built pulled out of your shoulder, so maybe you never did. You did, on the other hand, say you contracted brain fever. Dysentery can do that, as can scarlet fever, meningitis, encephalitis. You could have been exposed to any of them on the boat. And pre-nineteen ninety recover rates on some of those were less than stunning. Maybe you died of dehydration, internal bleeding, maybe you took your own life."

Claude's calm exterior starts to slowly melt away, his youth and beauty giving way to a phantasmal skeletal form wrapped in phosphorus blue light "what interesting ideas you have Mr. Dove"

Joe continues "you are a free-roaming specter. You contacted the Holy Order of the von Richton Watcher's Society because you are looking for a cure to death. And wouldn't you know it they just happened to send their oldest and most talented wizard."

"you make a good deal of assumptions."

"since you were nice enough to offer your age and where you landed I would be willing to guess if I went to the Boston port office of vital statistics I could trace down your remains and from there healing you would take little more than some gasoline and holy water. In the meantime, I could guaranty your safety right here."

Joe goes to walk out of the room. Claude starts to chase after but finds he is frozen in place, the powder Joe sprinkled on the floor creating a wall of ghostly flames that hold him still. Joe yells back as he vanishes down the halls "I'll stop back and check on you in a day or two."

Claude calms himself morphing back into his beautiful wolf-like shape. "Nicely played Mr. Dove. I look forward to meeting you again."

***

Notation: by Archivist Amarant Springfield.

This journal was field by active Watcher S-class Joseph Dove 08-28-01 cataloged in both soft and hard format under archival log SJD-2001.828. Follow-Up attachments have been added by Watcher's Wright von Richton class S-hunter, and private asset Tarren Del'arose, an Abit field aperitive, classification Worldwalker.

1764 S.S. Dimeter on root from Paris France to the United States Boston Massachusetts under the expert handling of Captain Crag Cook. According to the logs of the ships medical professional Dr. Larnel Snow, Scarlet Fever broke out aboard the vessel in pandemic proportions. 48 of the documented 83 passengers showed symptoms of the infection. In the 20 days at sea nine men had died of complications in the treatment of this infection as well as three crewmen in an unrelated event See attachment SLS-1760-1786.101. The office of vital statistics has been contacted in order to attempt to secure a complete personal list of the people aboard the Diameter.

On 09-05-01 Watcher S-class Joseph Dove secured what he believes to be the remains of Claude Druand. Following the disposal procedures described in the von Richton monster hunter's guide handbook, Joe Dove sanctified and burned what he believes to have been the remains of Druand. If all has gone according to plan Claude Druand should now be at rest. See attachment RVR-2001.951 for additional information and HG-B03-C10-P96.

***

Hetatsubachi stays with Natalia until rescue lights become visible before them, he offers a farewell, Natalia provides a hug in its place. The two only spent three days together from Hetatsubachi's point of view, but three days is enough time to forge a friendship, even a little passion. Natalia also sees fit to steal a kiss. But Hetatsubachi needs to be on the move. There is a monster out there looking for him, and it will hurt people to find him.

The white wolf understands well that if he ever wants to be with his family again, he needs to separate Seeker from her magic. That may mean somehow robbing all void worshipers of their power, or just killing Seeker. Finding Cilverant offers the best chance of overpowering the metal mistress.

One last smile and wave pass between the wolf and the raccoon before Hetatsubachi brakes apart into butterflies again trying to return to the Never.

***

Realm: Rogueybear

Place: Thaghta observatory

Chrono Sphere: 20-05

Again something has gone wrong, upon trying to rematerialize aboard on the Steel Rose Hetatsubachi is struck and launched back into space. But this time he had some idea what was going to happen, he can tack control of his flight, he lands on the next inhabited planet he can find to try to sniff out any other members of his cabal that may be able to explain what is going on.

Tatsu turns his head to the sky and breath deeply of the air. This is a world very not like earth, plants all around him have fleshy appendages, the ground is bubbling a blue-red slime. The atmosphere is thick with hormone but not overtly sexual hormone. On this planet, it seems many animals leave behind a scent trail that canvases all sorts of emotion.

One smell sticks out to Hetatsubachi, a scent that is sweet and sour, acidic but smooth. "Krane, the Living Hive," Hetatsubachi whispers to himself as he turns to face the smell. It will be a long walk, but at least there is a friendly face somewhere on this asteroid.