Chapter 21

Over 300 years ago

A castle, situated in the woods, was in a state of celebration. A party was being held late at night, in the ballroom. People were arriving in large numbers, entering and exiting the great door.
In the woods outside, Deceit watch patiently. He hid beneath a thick tree, his bestial form concealed by the shadow it cast. After a while of waiting, another figured joined him, dressed in a fancy suit, with his long red hair curling about his shoulders.
"What'cha up to?" Siline asked, stretching his fanged smile farther that should have been possible.
"Nothing that concerns you," Deceit growled back.
"Let me guess," Siline said. "You're doing your usual schtick. Waiting for everyone to fall asleep so you can whisper your lies to them."
Deceit said nothing, ignoring Siline as he continued watching the humans.
"This'll take a while," Siline said. "With a party like this, I doubt anyone will be going to bed any time soon."
"I'm patient," Deceit muttered.
"Hey!" Siline said, smiling even broader than before. "Here's a thought; why not join the party?"
"What?" Deceit said.
"You can shift, can you?" Siline asked. "Why not blend in, pass the time among the mortals. That's gotta be better than sitting out here all night, right?"
"You're an idiot," Deceit replied.
"Whatever," Siline said, stepping out from the shadows and walking toward the castle. "I'll be inside when you change your mind."
"I doubt I will," Deceit muttered.
Several minutes passed before a drop of water hit the ground. Then another, and another. Soon, the rain was pouring down quickly. Deceit looked to the skies, scowling.
"God dammit, Siline," he growled.
He rose to his feet and stared up at the castle, trying to make up his mind. He sighed deeply, and made use of a talent he had never used before. Shifting.
It started with his structure. His skin loosened slightly, and fatty tissue formed to fill some of the space. His muscles and bones changed shape slightly, becoming more human. His hair came next, shortening from his waist down to his shoulders, and becoming somewhat lighter. Though it was still dark, it was no longer the void-like shade of black it had been before. His eyes, once solid black orbs, turned into more ordinary eyes, with irises nearly as black as the pupils they surrounded. The claws on his hands and feet shrank down, to be replaced entirely by human nails, and the spikes protruding from his knees and elbows vanished entirely. Next came his clothing.
Although the shifting has allowed him to take a human form, it could only do so much. He was still unclothed, which was where his next trick came in; Conjuring. With an effort of focused will, he created a garment out of nothing. A replica of a suit he had seen earlier that night. Both Shifting and Conjuring were a set of powers that only a few Terrorspawn possessed, and he was one them. Though the powers had their limits, they were useful when a disguise was necessary.
Deceit took a moment to examine his reflection in a puddle of rainwater which had formed, and, deciding it would suffice, he headed inside.
The ballroom was massive, and crowded with numerous people. Almost as soon as he entered, a young servant girl bumped into him, and the place of Hors Deurves she was carrying fell from her hands. Deceit's Lightning Thought took effect instinctively. Time itself slowed down, and he moved just as quickly as his thoughts. He picked up the tray from midair, making sure none of the appetizers on it fell off, and grabbed the girls wrist before she could fall. Time resumed its course again as his Lightning Thought shut off. He pulled the girl to her feet and handed her the tray.
"You should be more careful," he said, failing to hide the annoyance in his voice.
"I- I'm so sorry sir," she stammered. "I was just in a hurry, and- I'm really sorry."
"Keep your eyes opened," he told her, before walking past.
Deceit had only been walking for a couple minutes when Siline called to him from the center of the ballroom.
"Hey! Come over here!" he called.
Deceit sighed and approached him.
"What?" Deceit demanded.
Siline gestured to the elderly gentleman standing beside him.
"This is Lord Defresnes, the King of this castle," Siline said.
"Hello, son," the Defresnes said. "What's your name?"
Deceit just stared at the king for a moment before turning to Siline.
"This is a bad idea," he said.
"Oh, just introduce yourself, Siline said.
"Fine," Deceit grumbled, before turning back to the Defresnes. "My name is Dece- er... D'Ceil. Alexander D'Ceil..."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. D'Ceil," Defresnes said, lighting a cigar.
Deceit stared at the cigar for a bit. He had never seen one of them before.
"Would you like one?" Defresnes offered.
"Um... sure... I guess," Deceit said.
Defresnes lit one for Deceit, who took a short puff of it, before coughing violently.
"What," Deceit sputtered, "the hell is that!?"
"I take it this is your first time trying a cigar," Defresnes said.
"Here," Siline said, grabbing a bottle from a nearby table and pouring a large amount of it into a glass. "This should help."
He passed the glass to Deceit, who swallowed it all in one gulp.
"Oh my," Defresnes said, watching.
"This tastes horrible," Deceit said, eyeing Siline. "What did I just drink?"
"Um," Siline said, sniffing the bottle. "Some kind of whiskey, I think. Or maybe scotch..."
Deceit's vision began to swim.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me...," he said, anger biting his words.
"Sorry," Siline said. "I wasn't expecting you to chug it that fast."
Suddenly, a scream echoed through the ballroom. Several creatures, seemingly composed of green and black shadows, crashed through the windows. They were about 12 feet tall each, and resembled four-armed, winged women, with writhing tendrils for hair. One of the castle guards drew his sword and charged at one of the creatures, but it was a hopeless effort. His sword clattered to the ground as the monster devoured his body.
"Lir'vetch," Deceit said. His sense of balance was beginning to waver.
"Well, now," Siline said. "That's just terrible timing."
Damn it all," Deceit said, shifting into a fighting stance.
Siline turned to Defresnes. "Get somewhere safe," he instructed.
Defresnes turned and fled quickly.
Siline turned back to Deceit. "You sure you're good to fight?" he asked.
"Let's find out," Deceit said, as his hands began to shift back to their true form.
"Hold on!" Siline said, running to pick up the discarded sword. He tossed it back to Deceit, who caught it easily. "Use that."
"Are you kidding?" Deceit slurred, walking shakily over to Siline. "I can't use a sword! It'll just get in my way."
"We can't use our true forms right now," Siline said. "We're masquerading as humans, so we need to fight like them."
Deceit thought about that for a moment.
"So... no speed?" he asked.
"Some speed," Siline said. "Just keep the powers to a minimum."
"Perfect...," Deceit muttered.
Without another word, he charged at the first monster, slicing off one of its legs, bringing it falling down. As it did, Deceit thrust the sword skyward, stabbing into the creature's chest as it went down. Siline, meanwhile, produced a repeating crossbow from seemingly nowhere and unloaded three bolts into one of the monster's chest. It didn't seem to be harmed by them, but they got its attention. It turned to Siline and tried to charge at him. Before it could make it to him, it spontaneously began choking on its own swollen throat and collapsed at Siline's feet. Siline walked to the side and aimed his weapon at the creature's temple.
"Nightwillow Pollen," he said. "Sucks, don't it?"
He fired his bolt into the creature's brain, then put a fifth round through its neck for good measure. Deceit cut down another monster, rather sloppily, and turned toward the windows. More of the beasts were entering.
"How many of those poisoned arrows do you have?" he asked.
"Crossbow, buddy," Siline said. "Their called bolts. As for numbers, I have about two trillion, six hundred and thirty-four billion, three hundred and seven million, five hundred and forty thousand, one hundred and twenty-two. Granted, I left most of them at home, but I should have enough for this party."
A woman shrieked, and Siline and Deceit both turned in time to watch her get ripped apart by one of the monsters. Siline quickly fired three rounds into its skull. He turned around and addressed the entire ballroom in a booming voice that echoed throughout the entire chamber.
"ANYONE WITH THE WILL TO FIGHT, TAKE UP ARMS!" he bellowed. "EVERYONE ELSE, FIND A WAY OUT! GET OUT OF THE BALLROOM AND INTO THE CASTLE IF YOU CAN! IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO REACH THE EXITS, TAKE SHELTER WHEREVER YOU CAN FIND IT!"
Siline Stenophylla was no kind, but the authority in his voice got the attention of every mortal in the room, who immediately did as commanded. Most either fled, or began searching for an effective hiding place. A handful of men took up whatever improvised weapons they could find and charged into the fray.
"What now?" Deceit asked.
"Go  nuts," Siline said.
"With pleasure," Deceit replied.
They continued fighting for a while, cutting down every fiend they could. Deceit's attention was soon drawn toward a girl on the far end of the room, with one of the beasts towering over her. Instinct took over. Deceit charged toward the monster. As he did, his form shifted back to its bestial state, and his clothes dissolved into nothing. He leapt into the air, toward its back. He let the sword slip from his grasp as he did. He had trouble holding the hilt with his clawed fingers. It wasn't his preferred weapon either. He spread his claws wide, and swept out at the monster's neck as he sailed past. He landed on the ground in front of the girl, as the monster dropped dead, its head rolling cleanly off of its shoulders.
The girl took a step back, gasping. Deceit could now see her clearly, as he was up close. It was the same girl who had bumped into him earlier. They locked eyes for a moment. Deceit to see the fear there. But there was something beyond that.
The girl broke from his gaze to look above him and shouted "Behind You!"
Deceit turned around, already activating his Lightning Thought as he did. Another of the monsters had appeared, swinging one of its arms at him in a deadly swipe. Deceit calmly avoided the attack and dragged one of his claws along the inside of the monster's forearm, leaving a deep, vertical gash. He slashed at its other arm as well, before letting his thoughts return to normal speed. The creature recoiled in pain, and as it did, Deceit darted between its legs, slashing at its calves as he did. He then leapt up at shredded its wings. The creature fell over, writhing in agony. Deceit calmly approached his fallen sword, which had landed only a couple feet away. He reached for it, shifting form as he did so. In few moments, he stood over the monster, in his fully clothed human form, with his sword leveled at its throat.
"Bleeding out is a pain, isn't it?" Deceit said. "Don't worry. It will only last a few more seconds."
He raised the sword, gripping it with both hands, and beheaded the monster effortlessly.
The girl watched him in shock as he rose back up and swung the sword through the air, flicking the blood off of it as he did so. A sheath materialized across his back as he did so, and he fit the sword into it perfectly. By this time, all of the remaining monsters were succumbing to the poison of Siline's bolts. The were either dead, or very close to it. Siline approached Deceit casually, but stopped when he noticed the girl watching him. He got a look at her eyes before addressing Deceit.
"Oh, god, you shifted in front of her, didn't you?" he said.
"Um... yeah," Deceit said.
Siline sighed.
"What's your name, girl?" he asked.
"E-excuse me?" she stammered.
"Your name," Siline repeated.
"It's Elizabeth," she said quietly.
"Speak up," Siline said.
"My name is Elizabeth," she said, louder this time.
Siline stared into her eyes, and his own eyes twisted into twin orbs of horrifying wrongness. Elizabeth stepped back, letting out a sharp gasp, but didn't look away.
"Interesting," Siline said.
"What is?" asked Deceit.
"She's desensitized to the supernatural," Siline said. "Otherwise she'd be pissing herself right now."
Elizabeth took another step away from him and tripped, falling to the ground. Siline's gaze shifted to her lap.
"Oh," he said. "There it is."
Siline turned back to Deceit.
"So why the hell would you shift in front of her?" he asked.
"Well, it's not my fault my decision making abilities have been impaired," Deceit said.
"I didn't tell you to chug that entire cup," Siline said.
"You didn't tell me not to, either," Deceit said.
"Um...," Elizabeth murmured.
Both Siline and Deceit turned their heads to stare at her. She recoiled a little bit.
"W-what are those things?" she asked.
"Lir'vetch," Siline said. "Creepy monsters from the other side of the doors."
"But what were they doing here?" Deceit pondered.
"Good question," Siline said. "They don't work in packs like this. Someone must be commanding them."
"But who?" Deceit asked. "The only person who's got that much pull with the Lir'vetch has been dead for centuries."
"No idea," Siline said. "But it's worth looking into. Heads up, Defresnes is coming."
Defresnes approached Siline and Deceit from the other end of the room.
"You two... you actually manage to stop them all," he said, bewildered.
"Nope!" Siline said. "It was Alexander. All Alexander. I just helped a little bit. He did most of the work."
"What!?" Deceit all but exclaimed.
"He did?" Defresnes asked. "That's awfully impressive."
"I know," Siline said. "He'd make an excellent night, in my opinion."
"Please stop talking," Deceit hissed.
"I believe he would," Defresnes said. "Mr. D'Ceil, I would like to offer you a place among my knights. You'd make an excellent addition. I can hold an orientation  for you tomorrow morning. What do you say?"
"I think that's a bad idea," Deceit said.
"Don't listen to him," Siline said. "He's just nervous. He'll be there."
"Excellent!" Defesnes said. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
Defresnes turned to leave before Deceit had a chance to protest. Deceit angrily turned upon Siline.
"I will tie you to a boulder and drop you in the ocean!" he hissed. "Regenerate from that!"
"Hey, look at it this way," Siline said. "Now we've got a man on the inside. You can stick around here and see what you can find out about the attack."
"And where the hell am I supposed to stay?" Deceit said. "I don't know if you've ever slept in the woods during the rainy season but-"
"Excuse me," Elizabeth said softly.
Deceit turned to look at her.
"There's... um... room at my place," She offered. "IF that helps..."
Without saying a word, Deceit shifted into his true form. Elizabeth took another startled step back, but she didn't break eye contact.
"Okay," Siline said, breaking the silence. "I know he didn't actually say anything, but he has a point. He is a scary, long-haired claw monster. And your offering to be his roommate." He spread his hands questioningly. "Why?"
"He saved my life," Elizabeth said, working up some courage. "I want to make it up to him."
Siline and Deceit just stood there for a moment, before Siline leaned over to Deceit and whispered to him from behind his hand.
"I think she's mental," he said.
"I KNOW she's mental," Deceit whispered back.
"Please," she said. "It won't bother me."
Deceit sighed deeply, and shifted back to his human form.
"This might be the alcohol talking," he said, "But it's not like I have anywhere else to go right now..."
"Well, I guess that's settled," Deceit said conjuring a flower from no where.
It was a peculiar flower, resembling a rose with black petals, and sharp, razor-like thorns. A crown of silver leaves surrounded the bud, giving off a soft, pulsating glow. He handed it to Elizabeth, who took it carefully.
"What is this?" she asked.
"A Terro Rose," Siline said. "It's a very rare flower. It will bring you either luck or chaos, depending on circumstances."
"What circumstances?" she asked.
"Oh, a number of things," Siline said. "Anyway, I'd better get going."
"Wait," Elizabeth said. "Who are you two?"
Siline chuckled. "My name is Siline Stenophylla," he said. "The Terrorspawn of Stalkers. and this here is my acquaintance, Deceit. The Terrorspawn of Betrayal."
"What's a Terrorspawn?" she asked.
Deceit rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was beginning to get a headache.
"I'll explain it later," he said. "Right now I need to sleep this stuff off."

One year later

Deceit wandered the halls of the castle, with his sword drawn. Elizabeth was close behind him. She had gotten a lot more comfortable with him over the course of the past year, and had learned a lot more about the supernatural world. Deceit had agreed to let her come along on his current assignment, as long as she didn't get in his way.
As for Deceit himself, he had been handling special cases within the castle, dealing with any abnormal monsters that entered. He had little luck figuring out who was sending them. Currently, he was hunting down an unidentified creature that had infiltrated the castle walls.
He paused in the middle of the hall and listened intently. Suddenly, a loud shrieking noise sounded from down the hall, and a blurry mass of grayness flew rapidly toward him Deceit slashed through it with his blade before it could reach him. The mass of substance slit in two for a moment, then reformed itself and continued flying away from him.
"Well, shit," Deceit muttered.
"What is it?" Elizabeth said.
"A Lost Soul," Deceit said. "A rogue former servant of the Bone King."
"How do we stop it?" Elizabeth asked.
"Not sure," Deceit said. "Killing them is nigh impossible. But it's nothing I can't handle. I'll figure something out."
Elizabeth thought for a moment.
"Wait!" she said. "I think I know someone who can help."

Later that night

Elizabeth knocked on the door of a small cottage. Deceit waited patiently behind her. The door was answered by an old woman dressed in a dark gown with a gray mantle over her shoulders.
"Elizabeth, "she said. "So nice to see you again. I take it this is the Terrorspawn who I've heard about?"
"Where'd you hear about me?" Deceit asked suspiciously.
"My old master has come through a few times," she said. "He's mentioned you. Deceit, the Terrorspawn of Betrayal and spreader of lies. My name is Margaret Seraphim."
"So you're the one with the spell?" Deceit asked.
"Why yes," Seraphim said. "Come on in, both of you."
Elizabeth and Deceit both entered. Seraphim prepared some tea and gathered a pair of scrolls and a talisman. She gave Deceit and Elizabeth a cup of tea, and laid everything else before Deceit.
"This one," Seraphim said, pointing to one of the scrolls, bound in red string, "Is the sealing spell you will be needing."
"How do you know what I need?" Deceit asked.
"I know quite a bit about the goings-on at the castle," Seraphim said. "Even if I don't visit often."
"I see," Deceit said, opening the scroll and reading it.
"The spell works by sealing away supernatural beings withing objects that project a magical aura of their own, such as this talisman."
"Would a spell like this work on something like me?" Deceit asked.
"Oh, heavens no," Seraphim chuckled. "You're far too powerful. You'd need an exceptionally strong talisman to seal something as powerful as you away, and I'm afraid they just don't make 'em that strong."
"And anything with a magical aura can be used as a talisman?" Deceit asked.
"I suppose so," Seraphim said. "But it's best not to use a living being for that purpose. It would cause excruciating pain, and likely kill the vessel."
"Good to know," Deceit said, rolling the scroll back up. "So all I need to do is say the incantation while focusing the energy of the phantom into the talisman?"
"It's harder than you make it sound," Seraphim said. "But essentially, yes. I'm sure someone like you, who has had no prior experience this this form of magic, will have some difficulty casting it."
"So what's this?" Deceit asked, gesturing to the second scroll, bound in black string.
"That is a gift to you, "Seraphim said. "I created it based on what my master told me about you. I call it the Claw Grave."
"It's a spell?" he asked.
"No," she said. "It's a curse. And if my calculations are correct, you're the only one who can use it."
"Why?" he asked.
Seraphim chuckled, and lifted her right hand, which was concealed by a glove. She removed it, revealing the blackened, shriveled flesh beneath. Elizabeth gasped and recoiled in fear, and Deceit's eyes widened at the sight.
"Because a human body can't support this kind of magic," she said. "Believe me. I've tried."
"Interesting," Deceit murmured under his breath.
"Keep in mind," Seraphim said, putting her glove back on. "This is really just a rough draft. I'm trying to figure out how to make it stronger. Try not to using unless it's absolutely neccessary."
"Alright," Deceit said. "I'd better get going. I have a date with a phantom tonight."

A few hours later

Deceit stood in the middle of the ballroom, talisman in hand. He whistled loudly, the noise echoing across the large room. A few minutes passed before he heard anything. The shrieking returned, and the Lost Soul, appeared, charging at him. Deceit sidestepped the phantom, and began chanting. The Talisman in his hand began glowing, and green symbols appeared on its surface. The Lost Soul turned in mid flight and charged at him again. Deceit raised the talisman and focused all of its power on the Lost Soul. Deceit suddenly found a great deal of his strength being pulled from his body, and the Lost Soul dissolved, and was absorbed into the talisman.
Deceit collapsed to one knee, panting. Elizabeth approached him.
"You did it!" she said. "Are you okay?"
"I will be in a minute," Deceit said.
"I hope so," said another voice. Both Deceit and Elizabeth turned to see a man in dark robes leaning against the closed doors, with his arms folded over his chest. His hood was pulled up over his head, and some of his black hair was visible beneath it. A scythe, with a curved and notched handle, rested in the crook of his elbow.
"Great," Deceit said. "Just what I needed. A damned Horseman showing up."
"Deceit?" Elizabeth asked. "Who is this guy?"
"Oh, of course!" the new comer said, straightening himself out. "My name is Samuel De'Athra."
"Bullshit," Deceit hissed. "Tell her who you really are!"
"Fine, have it your way," the man said, pulling down his hood. His features were pale, and somewhat sunken. His pitch black hair hung down almost to his shoulders, and his eyes were a deep green, almost black. He gave Elizabeth a toothy grin, and said "My name is Death. I am the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse."
"W-why are you here?" Elizabeth demanded. "The world isn't ending, is it?"
"The world's been ending ever since life set foot on it," Death said, casually. "But it still has plenty of time left, if that's what you're asking. And I'm here for that Lost Soul."
"You mean this?" Deceit asked, raising the talisman.
"Yes," Death said. "The Bone King wants it back."
"To bad," Deceit said. "He can't have it."
"Oh, Deceit," Death chuckled, gripping his scythe tightly. "You really don't want to do this."
"Oh no," Deceit replied. "I really do."
Without warning, Death vanished, reappearing before Deceit with his scythe raised in the air. He brought it down hard, and Deceit drew his sword quickly to block the attack. As the two weapons collided, a wave of chill erupted from Death's body, coating the entire room in a layer of frost.
"Since when do you use a sword?" Death asked.
"None of your damn business!" Deceit hissed back.
Elizabeth fell to her knees, trembling. The chill of Death was effecting her strongly, and she was beginning to enter hypothermia. Deceit looked over his shoulder at her and saw what was happening. He cried out in fury and slashed rapidly at Death, cutting through his robes and leaving several deep slashes on his chest. Death vanished, and before Deceit could react, he reappeared behind him and grabbed him around the throat with one hand. Death had grown taller, almost twice Deceit's height. His features slowly shifted. His flesh melted away, exposing the bones beneath. The tattered parts of his clothing simply melded back together. His eyes dissolved into nothingness as the eye-holes closed up and vanished. Large horns grew from his forehead, and a couple of flaming, eye-like orbs sparked to life on either side of his head. He twisted Deceit around to face him. Deceit entered his true form as well, and attempted to slash at Death with his claws, but Death's ice formed around Deceit's joints, locking his arm in place.
"Let her go!" Deceit growled angrily.
Death glanced at the shivering form of Elizabeth beside him, and laughed. He released his scythe, which hovered in the air when he let it go.
"Since when," he said, jabbing the fingers of his now free hand into Deceit's chest, "Does a Terrorspawn have a heart?"
Coldness spread from Death's skeletal fingertips, and ice began to coat Deceit's chest, both inside and out. Deceit growled in pain, unable to move.
"GAS'EO!!" Shouted a voice from behind Death.
Death turned his head to look at the newcomer. Madame Seraphim stood behind him, dressed in a warm coat, with her right hand raised.
"EDO!" she said, bringing he thumb and middle finger together, ready to snap them. He glared from beneath her hood up at the spirit of death before her.
"Oh, shit," Death muttered.
"TELTRE!" she finished, snapping her two fingers together.
A massive fireball erupted to life before her and sped toward Death, colliding with him with enough force to send him flying to the other end of the room. Deceit fell to the ground as Death involuntarily released him. The heat of the flames spread out, melting the surrounding ice. Death rose to his feet, now back in his human form, and turned to face Seraphim.
"You've no place here, Horseman of Death, spirit of the Winter and cold, preceder of Hell Itself!" Seraphim bellowed at him. "Begone!"
"As you wish, Sorceress," Death said, smiling. "I've got what I came for, anyway."
He produced the talisman from his robes. Elizabeth gasped as he did so. She hadn't seen him take it. Neither had anyone else.
"Good luck freeing it," Seraphim said.
"What?" Death asked.
"You can't free the phantom  sealed inside without the magic word," Seraphim said. "Unless you have the patience to wait for the seal to decay. "
"I assume you know the word, then?" Death asked.
"I do," she said, raising her hand in another snapping gesture. "But you aren't getting in.
"You cheeky bitch," Death said. He began laughing. "I like you!"
He vanished yet again, and the rest of his ice disappeared with him. His voice sounded throughout the room.
"Give your master my regards," he said, before his voice vanished as well.
"Are you okay, down there?" Seraphim asked.
Deceit rolled over onto his back, clutching his frozen chest and gasping.
"I need Siline," he panted.
"Oh, nonsense," Seraphim said. "I can handle this."
She placed her hands on Deceit's chest, and began chanting. Deceit growled in pain as his frozen chest began to thaw, and the wounds closed shut. He lost consciousness, as he reverted to his human form.
"Why did he change back?" Elizabeth asked.
"What do you mean?" Seraphim replied.
"The clawed form is the real him," Elizabeth said. "So why did he take his human form before he passed out?"
"I've a theory," Seraphim said. "The beast is his natural form. But perhaps his soul has embraced this as his true form."

Three years later

There was a loud banging at the door, and Deceit rose from the pad on the floor which he used as a bed. He opened the door grouchily.
"What?" he asked.
"Sir Deceit!" said the young knight before him. "Something's happening with the other knights. They've gone insane!"
"You seem a little crazy yourself," Deceit said.
"What's going on?" Elizabeth called from another room.
"Apparently everyone's snapped!" Deceit called back. "In today's economy, I knew it'd only be a matter of time." He turned back to the knight. "Let me get my sword. I'll be right out."
A few minutes later, Deceit and Elizabeth were being led to the knight's training room. It was a very large chamber set up with everything the soldiers needed to practice combat. And it was filled with a dozen knights, flailing swords around wildly, screaming bloody murder at the top of their lungs. A dozen more men lay dead on the floor, and two knights, seemingly the only sane ones, continued to resist the ones who had gone berserk. They didn't last long. The two of them were struck down, just like the others, in moments. Then the berserkers turned their attention to Deceit.
"Elizabeth, stay back until it's clear," he instructed. "What's your name, kid?"
"Jonathan," the young knight who had brought them there replied.
"Well, John," Deceit said. "Get ready to fight. I don't think we're getting through to these guys."
What happened next, happened quickly. Deceit and Jonathan stood up against the mindless knight, and struck them all down. Deceit and Jonathan stood over their bodies, panting. Elizabeth came in and crouched over one of the corpses, wiping some blood from its brow.
"What happened here?" she asked, horrified.
"I don't know," Jonathan said. "But I don't think I can face my wife and kids after what I just did."
"You won't need to," said another voice, and a second later, Jonathan's head fell from his shoulders, and his body fell to the floor.
Behind him stood a man dressed in dark black robes, with a hood pulled over his face. There was a sword in his hand. It was dark black, and there was a symbol inlaid on the crossguard, resembling a scale.
"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked.
"I have been known by a  umber of names," the man said, stabbing his sword into the ground and resting his hands on its pommel. "Many knew me as Pestilence."
Deceit took a step back, realizing who this was.
"Many more knew me as Famine," the man continued.
 He let his hood fall, exposing his dark eyes, and short-cropped black hair.  His mouth was curled in a ferocious grin.
"But my true name," he said, "Is Strain. The third Horseman of the Apocalypse."
"You're dead!" Deceit exclaimed.
"No," Strain replied. "The Horsemen never killed me. They did worse. They stripped me of my power and condemned me to life as a mortal! And then they replaced me with that meathead Rage! But though they took my power as a Horseman away, I have found a new strength. The same strength you possess."
It dawned on Deceit.
"You're a Terrorspawn," he said.
"That's right," Strain confirmed.
Everything clicked into place.
"You've been sending monsters here," Deceit said.
Strain nodded, still smiling.
"You enthralled the Lost Soul and sent it here," Deceit said.
"That's right," Strain said.
Deceit gazed at the corpses littering the ground.
"You did this," Deceit said.
"An experimental venom I've been working on," Strain explained. "It drives a person completely mad in a matter of minutes. What's more, once one comes into contact with the infected blood," he turned his gaze to Elizabeth, "It seeps in, rather quickly."
Elizabeth gasped and looked down at her hand, covered in blood.
"No!" Deceit exclaimed.
Elizabeth fell to the ground, breathing heavily. Then, she started chuckling. Then laughing maniacally. She grabbed a nearby axe and rose to her feet, giggling madly, with a wide smile spread over her face. She swung her weapon at Deceit, who parried with his sword.
"Elizabeth!" he said. "Get a hold of yourself!"
"Oh, I'm afraid it's too late for that," Strain said, as he watched Elizabeth assault Deceit. "You see, you made the right decision by killing all these men. They wouldn't have stopped until they were dead. Neither will she."
At that moment, Defresnes arrived at the door. Deceit turned sharply to him and told him to stay put. Elizabeth continued swinging wildly at Deceit, driving him back.
"Oh, yes," Strain said. "One more thing. The venom gradually enhances the physical strength and speed of the victim. Good luck with that."
Elizabeth raised her axe, preparing to bring it down. Deceit raised his sword, in an attempt to stop it. As she swung down, the axe cleaved straight through his sword, shattering it, and chopped down into the collar bone of Deceit's right arm. Deceit screamed in pain and pushed her away from him. She regained her footing and turned back to him.
"Stop... me...," he whispered, between insane giggles. She raised the axe again and began charging.
Deceit's Lightning Thought kicked in immediately. She moved slowly, and he could see everything. With the way she was attacking, her chest cavity was completely exposed. Her heart was vulnerable.
Tears began to fall from Deceit's eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, as time returned to normal.
He focused the fingers of his left hand, giving them all the strength and tension of his bestial claws, and he stepped toward her as she charged. His hand shot forward, and pierced straight through her chest, coming out the other side. Her axe clattered to the floor, and her body slumped over. Deceit pulled his arm from her, and lowered her to the ground.
As he did, something fell from her belt and landed on the ground. Deceit glanced at it. It was a black flower, with silver leaves and sharp thorns. The Terro Rose.
"Ho cruel," Strain said. "For you to kill a woman who's done so much for you. You truly are a monster.
Deceit rose to his feet, with his right arm dangling limply to his side. His eyes became pitch black as he focused his glare on Strain.
"I did kill her," he said, fury touching his voice. "But you're the one who ended her life!"
In a blur of motion, Deceit rushed at Strain, entering his true form as he did so. Defresnes gasped, and ran off, crying for help. Strain lifted his sword and began deflecting the attacks from Deceit's claws. The two of them clashed for several minutes, but with Deceit's damaged arm, Strain easily had the upper hand. He easily got in a kick to Deceit's chest, with enough force to send him sprawling to the ground.
"Well, it's been fun," Strain said. "But it's over now.
"Like hell," Deceit said. He began muttering under his breath, and gathering power into his left hand.
"Oh, but I'm afraid it is," Strain said, drawing a gun from his robes and aiming directly at Deceit's face.
Before he could pull the trigger, Deceit leapt up, pushing the gun to the side. Bright green light engulfed the claws on his left hand, and he prepared to slash.
"Claw Grave!" Deceit shouted, swiping his arm at Strain's face.
Strain tried to pull away, but Deceit's middle claw gouged the cheek under his right eye. Strain bent his gun  arm back toward Deceit and pulled the trigger. The shot sent Deceit sprawling backwards, hitting the ground hard. Strain grabbed Deceit by the throat and lifted him into the air. The curse he had used had cost Deceit most of his strength, and he couldn't resist. And on top of that, the poisoned bullet was now spreading toxin into his body.
"Is that all you've got?" Strain demanded.
He tossed Deceit across the room, where he crashed into the wall. Deceit didn't know what to do. His curse had failed. He had little strength left. He could fight. Strain lifted his gun again.
"It's over," he hissed.
Deceit closed his eyes, waiting for the worst, but it never came. Instead, he heard Strain roar in agony. He looked up to see green light engulfing Strain's head. His flesh was beginning to fester and dry out, and boils began to sprout. His right eyes became off-colored, and his skin grew tight over his skull. He fell to the ground, clutching his wounded face. Deceit rose again, finding new strength. He leapt through the air, prepared to take Strain's head off.
"Satanic Seal Fourteen," A new voice cried. "Barrier!"
A solid disc of dark symbols appeared before Deceit, and he crashed right into it before falling to the ground. He fell on his back, stunned. A man dressed entirely in red, with red hair and satanic symbols covering his body, stepped out of the shadows, and kneeled over Deceit.
"I still need him alive," the man said, locking eyes with Deceit. Glowing red pentagrams were seemingly engraved on his pupils. "For the time being, anyway. I can't let you kill him yet."
The man's eyes burned into Deceit's mind, as glowing red symbol began to cover Deceit's body, halting his movements.
"Satanic Seal Eighteen," he said calmly. "Bondage."
He then walked over to Strain's body. The wound had stopped glowing, and he had fallen unconscious. The man lifted Strain up effortlessly.
"Satanic Seal Twelve, Transit," he muttered, as a glowing portal appeared. He stepped through it, and vanished.
Deceit lay there on the bloodstained ground, as the sounds of footsteps approached. Defresnes and his personal guard arrived at the doorway, swords drawn.
"There he is," Defresnes said. "This monster infiltrated our castle, in the guise of one of our own. Seize him."
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," Siline said.
Everyone looked to the window, where Siline stood upon the sill, with his crossbow drawn. He dropped to the floor and approached Deceit's body.
"Step away from that beast, Mr. Stenophylla," Defresnes demanded.
"Yeah, no," Siline said.
Without warning, Siline's eyes shifted to their horrific state, and everyone recoiled in horror.
"You're one of them!" Defesnes said.
Without another word, Siline lifted Deceit and fled out the window.

Later

Deceit stirred. He was resting on Madame Seraphim's bed, with Siline standing over him.
"You okay?" Siline asked.
"I think," Deceit said. Than he thought for a bit. "No. I'm not. I... I..."
"Out with it!" Siline snapped.
Deceit took a deep breath.
"I think I loved her," Deceit said.
Siline stood staring at him for a while. Then he rested a hand on Deceit's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, man," he said.
"It wasn't your fault-" Deceit started to say.
"Yes it was!" Siline interrupted. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the Terro Rose. "I should never have given her this..."
Deceit lay there, staring up at the flower for a minute.
"It brought her chaos," Siline said, sadly. He handed the flower to Deceit, who took it gingerly in his claws. Realizing what form he was still in, Deceit shifted to his human state. "Maybe it will bring you something different," Siline said.
Deceit sat up and tucked the flower into his suit.
"It's a flower," Deceit said. "It didn't kill her." Deceit looked down at his hands. "I did..."
"Oh, you're awake," Seraphim said, entering the room with a wet clothe in her hand. She aproached the bed. "Thank goodness. Are you all right?"
"I killed her," Deceit said quietly. "She was the only thing I ever gave a shit about. And I FUCKING KILLED HER!!!"
Both Siline and Seraphim drew back at his sudden shouting.
"Strain's right," he said. "I am a monster."
"Strain!?" Siline gasped. "You saw him?"
"yes," Deceit said. "He's the one behind all of this."
"Shit," Siline said. "Well, guess what."
"What?" Deceit asked.
"You figured out who was doing all this," Siline said. "And I figured out why."
"Really?" Deceit asked.
"Yes," Siline said. "He's been trying to cause as much chaos as he can in one area, in order to draw something out."
"What do you mean?" Seraphim asked.
"Hell," Siline said.
Both Deceit's and Seraphim's heads shot up.
"He's trying to summon Nyasient'e?" Deceit asked.
There was a sudden ripple of dark energy in the air
"What was that!?" Seraphim asked.
"Not just trying," Siline said.
"He succeeded," Deceit said.
Deceit rose to his feet, and immediately collapsed.
"Careful!" Seraphim said. "Your wounds aren't fully healed yet. And the strain on your body that the Claw Grave put on you was too great!"
"Can you make me better?" Deceit asked. "Speed it up?"
"What?" Seraphim asked.
"I need to be in top condition to stop him," Deceit said.
"Are you fucking crazy?" Siline asked. "You can't stop Nyasient'e! That's suicide!"
"Damn right it's a suicide," Deceit said. "But I'm the only one who has the knowledge and strength to pull this off."
"Wait," Siline said. "You mean..."
"I have a plan," Deceit confirmed. "But I need to be at full strength for it to work. So can you help or not?"
"I can," Seraphim said. "But it won't be easy. Or quick. It will take me a half of an hour, at the least."
"I doubt we have that long," Deceit said.

30 minutes later

The town and castle were in ruins. Nyasient'e stood among the wreckage, tentacles protruding from its back. Its head was turned up to face the sky, as small droplets of rain began to fall from the clouds.
"So hey," came Deceit's voice, from across the courtyard. "Why do you think it always rains at times like these?"
Nyasient'e turned around to look at Deceit. Seraphim was watching from a safe distance. Nyasient'e stared for a while, before acting. its tentacles lashed out, and Deceit dodged. Deceit entered his beast form and began circling Nyasient'e. The faceless being continued lashing out, and as it did, Deceit began chanting. Glowing green symbols. Seraphim immediately caught on to the plan.
"He's using his body as the talisman for the sealing spell!" she gasped. "But I warned him what could happen if he used a living being for this! But... he might be the only thing strong enough for this."
Nyasient'e's arm morphed into a sword, and it slashed at Deceit when he got close. Deceit dodged it and stabbed all of his claws into Nyasient'e's ribs. Bright green light engulfed Nyasient'e, and Deceit let out a cry of pain. Nyasient'e also wracked Deceit's mind with a noise that sounded a lot like screaming.
Why try so hard? Nyasient'e's voice sounded inside of Deceit's head. Why would you risk your own life to seal me away?
"Elizabeth," Deceit panted. "She'd want me to stop you!"
What? Nyasient'e asked.
"She wouldn't want me to do nothing while you wreak havoc on the world around you!" Deceit roared. "So I won't just stand there! Even if I die, I will stop you!"
Nyasient'e turned his invisible gaze down to Deceit's face.
"As a matter of fact," Deceit said, "I kind of deserve to die."
The light glowed brighter. Nyasient'e's body dissolved, and Deceit inhaled all of it into his mouth. He screamed in agony agony, and green lightning danced around his body. Then, it all stopped. The light faded. Deceit fell to the ground.
"It's over," he mumbled to himself. "This... is my penance..."
He then lost consciousness.
Seraphim approached him, and stood there for a full five minutes. Then she spoke.
"Master," she said.
A new figured entered the courtyard. He was covered in a dark brown cloak, with the hood pulled up. He stood over Deceit's body for a little while, before a silver energy sword materialized in his hand.
"Master!?" Seraphim gasped.
"If we end him now, it will destroy Nyasient'e," the man said.
"But you can't-" Seraphim started.
"I'm kidding!" the man exclaimed, as the sword vanished. "Apparently, we still need him."
"Will he be okay?" she asked.
"The seal will eventually decay," he said. "And it will likely cause him great pain. But I think he'll make it."
"The first time I saw him lose consciousness, he returned to his human form," Seraphim said. "I thought it was because he subconsciously thought of it has his real self. But since her death, he's remained like this. Why is that?"
"Because he's stopped kidding himself," the man said. "He's accepted that he's a monster."
"I see," Seraphim said. "So what happens to this place now?"
"We get rid of it," he responded simply.
"You can't mean- "Seraphim said.
"All of it," the man said. "The town, the castle, and the memories of both. This place. Never. Existed. Do you understand, Margaret?"
"Yes," she said. "Ho long will this take?"
"You can't unmake an entire kingdom overnight," the man said. "It'll take a while, so be prepared to work hard. Get started. Find other sorcerers to help out. I'm gonna go fetch Omni."

The next night

Deceit sat at a table across from Siline, at a pub in a nearby town.
"You gonna be okay?" Siline asked.
"I don't know," Deceit said.
"I'm sorry, "Siline said. "About everything."
"Don't be," Deceit said.
"If it makes things any easier..." said another voice.
Deceit and Siline both turned their heads to see Death watching them from a few feet away.
"I spoke to the Bone King," Death said. "He won't bring her back, but he's gonna take good care of her soul for you."
"Really?" Deceit said. "You mean he's not mad about the talisman thing?"
"He thought it was kind of funny, actually," Death said, taking a seat with them. "So, how are you feeling?"
Deceit's mind wandered momentarily to the night he had first met Elizabeth. The attack of those monsters. The beginning of his Knighthood. The harsh smoke entering his lungs. For some reason, his mind hovered over that memory for a while.
"I think I need a cigar," Deceit said.
Death chuckled a bit, and drew one from his robes and passed it over.
"Enjoy it, big guy," Death said.
Deceit stared at it for a full minute before looking at both of his companions and asking "Got a light?"

Present Day

Deceit hung from the ceiling by chains. The ground surrounding him was covered in magic circles, binging all of his powers. He was utterly trapped. Strain entered the room, with his scarred face left exposed.
"I must admit," Strain said. "I'm impressed with Glasp's work. After all this time, you've finally been put out of commission."
"Enjoy it now, jackass," deceit said. "It won't last. Either I'll escape, or you'll kill me before I have a chance to."
"We'll see," Strain said, turning to leave.
"Did you feel it?" Deceit asked.
Strain stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Deceit again.
"Feel what?" he asked.
"Magister opened the door," Deceit said. "The kids are on this side now."
"What?" Strain demanded.
"You heard me," Deceit said. "You'd better get ready for a party. Because they're bringing the punch."
Strain just stood there for a moment, before saying "You suck at making puns," and walked out.
"Whatever," Deceit said.
His eyes turned to the corner of the room, where, for a second, he could have sworn he could see her face.
"Don't worry, Elizabeth," he said. "I'll find a way to help them."