5 Chapter 5: What Had Broken Poor Alice?

gThere was once a time that the Dark Abyss was silent as a tomb. No plots to take over the Planes nor were there any Daemons that were collecting allies for war. No, in fact, Historians recorded this time period as the Age of Beguiling Silence.

This was thousands of years ago… when peace flourished everywhere as much as how love blossomed. But it would all simply be an illusion, and even then, many had experienced their own tragedy, their own sorrow and curse.

Now the question that transcends all things: Who is the Man, and who is the Monster?

Why do people judge the things they cannot comprehend?

"We shouldn't be seen, my love," whispered Alice. It was bad enough that she was hated for her impure bloodline, now she has to know how to hide her Elven lover away from the rest of the Dark Abyss! "This could spark a war between our nations! Please, we need to go in hiding as soon as we are able!"

The Moon Elf affixed his loving gaze towards his Queen. Gently he caressed his hand on her soft cheeks, eliciting a deep blush from the Succubus. He chuckled softly, and Alice simply melted to his arms as she fell in love with his voice all over again… it was thick and tempting, like dark chocolate and rich honey.

"Seriously Jack… we need to plan now," she said lovingly to his ears, in which it twitched from the breath that touched them. It was well-known how Elven ears were very sensitive, and that they were always the erogenous zone for all elves. Even the Moon Elf King was known to shy away when a simple breeze of breath were to touch his ears.

"I know, my love… but aren't you a bit… tense? Hasty?" He planted a kiss on her forehead, in which Alice giggled lightly. "You know that my future is sealed to be forever with you."

"And mine, to yours," she replied. She held him close with a loving embrace just as he had her trapped under his strong, muscled arms.

For an Elf, even he was an anomaly. Many if not all Elves were built towards having lean body shapes compared to bulky ones. Jack was one of these Elves- buff, tall, but even these traits he was one of the best warriors of his village. In fact, he was the next in line for Chiefdom.

"I only need to leave the village by the first crack of dawn after my rise to Chiefdom," he explained. "And to make it less suspicious, I would have to plan a hunting team… and make it so that I would die at the hands of some wild creature."

"Wouldn't it be too dangerous, my sweet?" Alice asked worriedly. "There are too many creatures as of late, and I do not wish any of you or your kin to be ravaged by a monstrous beast! Perhaps, perhaps I should play the role of a kidnapper then and-"

"And risk yourself being attacked by these idiots!" Jack raised his voice towards Alice. It was one of the few times he raised his voice towards his lover. He further fuelled his words by wrapping both his arms around the Half-Daemon. "I could never- never- risk your life for this! If there would be one of us that needed to be harmed, it would be me."

Alice raised a brow on that statement. "Are you insinuating that I could not protect myself?"

Jack shivered at the cold tone. If there was one thing that they both have in common, it would be the fact that they were both stubborn and highly protective of the other. Well, it would seem that his choice of words were too… downgrading...

"Alright. If all else fails, you can do your… er, 'kidnapping', if you will. But, if there would be as much as a single cut from your body, I would tear whoever gave you such!"

"My hero," she said lovingly. "I'm sure that my Elf in shining armour would protect me…"

"And I'm sure that my beloved Queen," he gave her another kiss, on the cheek this time, "would come to save this idiotic knight of hers if I ever get myself into a dumb situation..."

They both laughed and made themselves comfortable under the old oak tree. Both the Moon Elf and the Half-Daemon Succubus watched the setting sun, one arm around each other's neck. Lovers, they were, and they each enjoyed their moment with the other. Content, fulfilled, and most importantly, loved.

The hunting team gathered at the edge of the Forest of the Unknown. Though it has a route that would lead them towards another village, it was closed off due to the reason that the Beast resides within the forest. Nobody knew of the Beast, but one thing was for sure, and that it was not to listen to it- for its other name is the Beast of Lies.

"This way!" Jack shouted as he led his small team of four towards the centre of the forest. "I know for sure that the Boar of Ages live around here."

"Excuse me, Jack, but shouldn't we just hunt for a smaller game? I mean, sure, it would be your ascension to Chieftain, but… you do realise that even if we were to get the meat, if your own life would be in danger, what would be the point of having the feast if we were to lose our would-be Chief?" One of the archers asked. His long and silver hair swayed lazily back and forth as he trudged along the dirt-paved road.

"Yes, of course I know the consequence. Do you have little faith on me? On your ability to back me up?"

"N-no, Jack!" He groaned when the tables were turned. "Jack, you idiot! I was just worried! I was showing my concern and you slapped it back to my face!"

"Leave it alone, Laz," said one of their female companions. She pointed her staff at the dark shadows of the forest and, after she muttered a spell, had the tip illuminated as a make-shift torch light. A stronger one, at that. "You know how Jack wanted to impress his secret lover, whoever she might be, with a grandeur feast."

Jack smiled at the thought of Alice being part of the celebration. A cold and aloof Alice, to enjoy a hearty party? Now that is a laugh!

They trudged along the forest further and further. For Jack's plan to work, it would require a strong beast and lots of blood. Alice would kill him for this, but in the name of his love for her, he would do most anything.

Alice waited outside the forest, and felt a wave of uneasiness for every passing minute. Jack and his group could have been lost and nobody would have been the wiser! Jack was strong, that was true, but still… the Beast…

She waited, and waited, and waited. Time crawled as if an eternity had passed by with no news. Nothing. Nobody entered the forest, and nobody came out. This made her truly unnerved. Afternoon came, and still, nobody came out of the forest.

Alice wanted to reach out for Jack, but being a Half-Daemon, wards were placed that prevented her from even entering the forest.

That is, until she saw something from the corner of her eye…

Her beloved Jack!

She carefully hid herself in case another Moon Elf had seen her- and both their plans would be all for nought. Alice watched carefully, this time in great detail, that Jack was… injured? Her restraints of not appearing towards others were broken and Alice flew by his side.

The wounds… were nothing short of a mockery of defeat. Jack was almost beyond recognisable at his state.

"Jack, my love, what happened?" She asked as she used her Magyk- Daemon Magic- on her fiancé. She tried to close his wounds. "Where were your companions?"

Jack, who was unable to speak, tried to write something at the ground. Alice patiently waited whatever her lover has to write, and gasped as she read it.

"D-dead..? But how? What had- it was the Beast, wasn't it?" She looked at him straight to his eyes, and Jack nodded.

"Oh Jack, I told you not to get yourself this injured!"

But before she could lament, a horde of Moon Elves appeared. Several Archers and some Mages, opposite to where the entrance of the Forest had been.

"A Daemon! A Daemon had caught Jack's hunting group!"

"N-n-no!" Jack mustered up his energy to shout. "S-she sa… saved me!"

"Jack has been poisoned by this wench!" Shouted one of them. Several other Moon Elves agreed to that point.

"Then let us kill her! Archers, launch the first volley!"

The Moon Elf Archers ignited their bows and shot them forward, with each arrow pointed towards Alice.

In fear, she was frozen in place. She raised her hands as if it were enough to protect her and closed her eyes… if Jack were to die due to loss of blood, then she, too, shall follow.

But the arrows never came.

Alice opened her eyes and, not much of a surprise, it was Jack, who protected her with his whole body. Gasps elicited from the other Moon Elves, unable to comprehend that their would-be Chief protected a being from the Dark Abyss.

Without a second wasted, Jack fell down, now limp and nearly lifeless; the prior wounds and new wounds made it too painful for even him to bear.

"Drink… my… blood…" he said to Alice, who was still apprehensive.

"I made a vow not to, my love! I promised not… not to use my Blood Magyk again!"

"Do it… for me… I-"

Blood spewed out of his mouth and, without further ado, died. At the very least, he died at his lover's arms.

The spectacle was too much to bear for the other Elves and made up their mind: kill Alice.

As the Half-Daemoness saw no other choice, she bit her fangs on Jack's neck and drank his blood. Power and strength found their way to her whole body, and any signs of fatigue were removed as well. She let go of Jack and watched him turn to dust- as all of those whom she drank blood were destined to be.

Alice focused on the crowd of Elves that were ready to slay her without any remorse. The Succubus' eyes burned with righteous fury. Could they not see that she, too, was suffering? With her new-found strength, she summoned her Flowing Blood at the group, and then teleported herself at the heart of the crowd before, causing many to panic at the sudden assault. Finally, before she unleashed her Blood Ode, she has to stun them. Alice released an energy shock force around her, planting them in place. With their movements restricted, she unleashed to them her most devastating Magyk.

As agile as the Elves were, it was nearing dusk, so of course even the guards that had been helping for the feast got tired. She watched impassively at the Elves that crippled and died under her power, but she was still under the spell of confusion, hurt, and loss of her lover.

Centuries had passed since then, and like the flow of the river, memories were washed away with new ones but, just like the river, traces of the old lingered.

And of Alice? She disappeared. Gone like the wind, they said.

That is, until she resurfaced once more.

Everyone had then begun to fear the Queen of the Apocalypse... the Mistress of Seduction… the Lord of the Blood Daemons. One could see the madness that twinkled in her eyes as she sets her sights on Moon Elves. For some reason, she found them the most… delightful…

Gone was the forlorn lover. In place of her, a ruthless, bloodthirsty Queen… one of the Generals of the Dark Abyss…

For nobody was safe when she roams around the dead of the night.

Nobody could escape the maniacal laugh that she escapes her lips as she laid her enemies to waste and dust.

But, every once in a while, somebody could see the hurt in her eyes just as somebody could see the madness within.

Or, perhaps, it was the guilt?

Nobody could say for sure, but for some reason, despite her ice-cold tone, one could feel a certain warmth in her voice. An old flame that needed to be rekindled anew.

Like that of a lost lover, forever in search of her lost love…

"Do you know someone named Jack?"

The result of broken hope, created a Monster of all things. Who was once the victim, not the terror none could ever imagine. Though question still hangs, even by its hinges: Who is the Man? And who is the Monster? Was poor Alice a Monster? Or was she the victim of this tragedy?

But one thing was for sure: never do sneak up late at night, especially for the Moon Elves! Three cold words would be the last thing you would hear...

"Watch your back..."

Sneak Peak:

The brunet stranger smirked at him and replied cockily, "And what about it?" He twirled his knife and readied for another attack. One arm caught means nothing if the other was free, after all.