Topic: Down once more to the darkness of my black despair...

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-11 03:50 EST
Part One: The DJ of the River Styx

He became aware of pain, first of all. But that was no surprise, knowing where he was. What did surprise him was that the pain stopped when the Dark One released him and stopped dragging him through rock, glass and mud alike. Wounded but unable to die again, the human forced himself to stand. The wounds were instantly healed, as if they'd never been... but his clothing was in shreds and he was covered in mud like some kind of pitiful creature. He tried to look around, but found nothing but darkness on either side of him... except forward, and back, which meant he was in a tunnel, and very possibly, he wasn't in Hell proper, yet. And the moment he even CONSIDERED trying to flee, a pair of huge, glowing red eyes blocked his path... then a second set joined them... and when the third set of eyes appeared, and the human felt that fetid stench of a canine's breath cover his entire person, he knew that exiting was not an option at this point.

"Nice puppy..." The human told Cerberus, but the creature roared with it's triple set of jaws and snapped at him, making him stumble and fall against the wall, just out of reach. This particular human was no coward... or he liked to think so, anyway... but he dared any human, sans magical power, to take on a behemoth of a demonic three-headed dog with naught but their bare hands and feet. Following that age-old adage, something about living another day, he fled down the only escape route he was offered, and found himself standing in line. Great, he thought to himself. There's red tape even down here... well, I guess it makes sense, after-all, not like God has any lawyers, heh. But the oddest thing... when he thought of the 'G' word, some of the lesser demons around him recoiled as if struck, then looked puzzled as to what caused it. This caused the human to grin, and he started humming every hymn he could remember, all to himself in his head, where nobody but he could hear it, and was rewarded with a horrible shock; Charon was approaching him, and stared at him silently. He held out a hand expectantly... and the human realized what was going on. He was causing a disturbance; thus, Charon would ferry him across early, to be rid of him... but the human had no silver.

"Sorry, bone-head, I don't have any silver for you; I TOLD them I couldn't afford to have the River Styx play for my arrival, sheesh." The human wise-cracked, causing only a few damned-souls to chuckle, which in turn caused the miniature demons to lash them with whips. "HEY! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" The human cried, and rushed to try and help, but Charon gripped his neck with a strength that should not have been possible for a walking cadaver... Charon then began to drag him towards the dreaded River... and the human began to sweat. He'd done a good job of bluffing his way through the terror and fear, but after his... incident... on Earth, he had somehow become intrinsically terrified of the water, not because he couldn't swim, he could, and quite well... but he KNEW this river was no Sunday swim. The power of that River would pull him under, and cause him to drown forever more until Judgement Day... maybe even beyond that, for all he knew.

Charon hefted him and threw him into the river, and he landed in that murky, pitch-black water with a resounding SPLASH! that sent a spray of water everywhere, for he was no lightweight and neither was he short, either, so the feat would have been mildly impressive, if the human had not become gripped in an unholy panic of drowning. "HELP!" He shouted as his head broke water, but then the rest of the drowning spirits pulled him under. However...

Just as he was about to experience the worst... a hand pulled him form the water and slammed him onto the deck of a boat. Coughing and sputtering, he had a moment to comprehend... Boat? Looking up, he saw a strange figure indeed... he was tall, and thin, and had great thick bushy hair, and a wild, untamed look about him. He stood before the wheel of the ship- the human winced, he knew it had a proper name, but unfortunately, it'd been his Brother-Friend that wanted to marry the sea, not him -and seemed vaguely familiar.

"You ar'right?" The man grunted, and the human, severely shaken, did not have the courage to make any more jokes.

"As good as I can be, all things considered." He admitted. "Who are you?" The human watched as the man gave a soft, almost sinister smirk, and the human had a brief moment to consider just what was going to happen to him now...

"First time anyone's hailed ME..." The boatman commented, which confused the human. "Never mind a name, but I have to ask you; will you join my crew? We might just get out of here if you do..." The man offered, and extended his hand. The human was very tempted- freedom, so soon! -but his intuition told him he'd better not.

"Thanks, but, no thanks... I don't mean to be rude after you just assisted me like that, but I'm..." The human paused. Waiting for someone? You fool, they won't come after you; the Imp MIGHT, but what are the odds the others would help him? And then again, why would the Imp help YOU? You were a... Human... The bitter taste of defeat soured his already terrible mood. And you know how the Imp feels about Humans... if only... if only I could have survived a little longer, explained what I was doing, who I was... but now... He had no time to contemplate about 'now', as he felt the hull of the boat bump against shore.

"S'alright, boy... I was only half serious. You're free to go to your Hell... it's the honorable thing to do, eh?" The captain(?) said. The human realized there WERE other people on that ship... and WHAT a ship it was! He had no clue what kind of ship was what, but this looked like one tough ship!

"Wow, nice ship." The human commented, very much aware that a pair of demons was coming for him, but hesitating at the site of the magnificent ship. "She must've be really tough, if she's intact down here." The captain(?) stared at him appreciatively.

"Aye, she's carried me this far, and she'll KEEP carrying me... 'til I round it." He muttered, and the human has a foreboding sense of dread overtake him.

"Round... round... the Horn?" He whispered, and the captain(?) nodded. "Then... you're... Da-"

"Nah." The captain corrected him. "Don't say it... just call me... DJ, if'n you must call me anything." The captain's lip twitched in what the human supposed was meant to be a smile... and the human, for everything that had happened to him already, felt relief overtake him...

Until the hands of a demon gripped his arms and began to drag him deeper into the Pit.

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-13 16:15 EST
Part Two: Strike One...
(Beware. Semi-graphic, moderately disturbing, severely dark. I am testing the limits, the borders of the dark imagination. Viewers beware.)

The human was dragged down a LONG tunnel that seemed endless, he gave up trying to determine how normal logistics would determine distance versus travel time... he figured time and distance worked independently down here, anyway; how else could 'eternity' take so long, right?

"Hey... did you hear?" One of the demons said to his companion. "There's a rumor... Up Top... bit stupid, really, but funny." His traveling companion, ignorant of the fact (or just that malevolent) that the human was in considerable pain that did not end, just from their very touch.

Wait... I've dealt with demon-kind before... how can their touch hurt me? Never did that before... must be something about Rhy'Din reacting with my heritage... go figure. The human thought to himself...

"What's the rumor?" The demon dragging the human asked roughly.

"Some humans... mostly the little ones, the children... believe if you flip the bird three times in a row... you come down here, instantly." And the demons laughed viciously. "Oh, if only... I could have some fun with THEM..."

"You bastards..." The human muttered, startling the demons. "If I ever see you harm a child... I swear... nothing... NOTHING in Hell or on Earth will stop me from destroying you. THIS... I swear." The human snapped. The demons shared a glance... and started laughing.

"Oh, you don't like kids getting hurt?" The first demon whispered... and grabbed the human, dragging him down a tunnel that had not been there before. "So you think all kids are... pristine? Pure? INNOCENT? Have you not seen the street rats? Have you not seen the child prostitutes? The drug addicts? The child ASSASSINS!?" The demon roared happily. "Oh, children are not as innocent as you want them to be, they have the potential to sin just as much as adults... sometimes more..." The human saw, to his horror, possibly one of the most DISGUSTING sites he had ever seen... like a demonic day-care. Only in this place, the child labor laws of Earth would die of shock if they came within twenty kilometers of the place. Children everywhere of varying ages and sizes and stages of health... working, toiling endlessly in terrible conditions... a stench, a foul, terrible stench of neglect, of human waste and worse, mingled with the ever-present aroma of brimstone and depression... yes, depression had a smell... and the human... knew it all too well. But not like this... never like this... "Do you see their smiling faces, human?" The demon asked, forcing him to look by grabbing his face and forcing it to be in their direction. "They work for their food, they work for their redemption." And he laughed viciously in the human's ear, and reveled in the tears on the human's face.

"I swear... this... is... strike... one..." The human growled through clenched teeth as he was dragged away, the dirty faces of the damned youth flash-burned into his mind. Don't worry kids... I'll save you... somehow... But he knew, deep down, he couldn't even save himself... and the Imp... his Brother-Friend... his heart smoldered in the darkness of Hell, the insane laughter of torturous demons clouding his thoughts and making him flinch, infusing him with more dread than ever. Strike one, indeed...

But for the demons... or for him? He was very much afraid to find out... and certain he would whether he wanted to... or not.

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-13 16:44 EST
Interlude: Introspective

Ironically, as he was dragged through the tunnel, the human had time to think, and think he did.

The human was curious... he knew about Dante's Inferno... and things had not added up yet. Cerberus had greeted him at the entrance to Hell... but Cerberus was the guardian of the Third Circle! And the River Styx... that was the Fifth Circle, to drown the Wrathful and Sullen! What had Charon been doing there!? The River Acheron should have been at the forefront of Hell! Unless he, the human, had arrived at the Acheron River and confused it for the river Styx... but the damned souls drowning in it sure were wrathful, so it COULDN'T be the Neutrals... SO WHAT WAS CHARON AND CERBERUS DOING THERE!?

As much as he was in pain, and as much as he hated the fact he was dead... and in Hell... he found himself wondering where the order was? How could everything down here be so sloppy!? If he were in charge...

SAY WHAT?! What insanity was gripping him!?!?!? If he were in charge??? He wanted out of this place! NOW!

Besides, this was Rhy'Din... Demon Lords and Overlords of Hell were a silver a dozen. Even if he became one- God Forbid, LITERALLY! -what difference would it make? Oh, I get it! The human thought to himself, temporarily ignoring the pain. There are so many entities claiming to be Supreme Overlord of Hell that it warps to their point of view... but it's constantly changing according to everyone's views... so everyone is jumbled and confused! Maybe... maybe Hell was different for each dead person? Maybe the river WAS Acheron... for those that truly believed it was Acheron. I made a joke about it being the River Styx... and it was! Interesting, I wonder what other surprises lay in wait for me...

It would definitely be interesting to see. Unfortunately, he had just reached an antechamber, where sat several, according to him... demon judges, leering at him and smiling wickedly.

Oh, fsck... The human thought.


(And yes, that typo was intentional)

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-14 12:01 EST
Part Three: Has the Jury reached a verdict? (Human version)
(Intense emotional turmoil ahead; batten down the hatches me hearties.)

The human was roughly thrown to the smoothed stone floor and landed with a sharp exhalation of breath. Grunting, he pondered about the sensation of breathing, doing his best to ignore the glowering faces of those waiting to 'judge' him... this was Hell, regardless of who's reality he was sharing. Maybe it was his own personal Hell. That would make sense, in a strange, perverse kind of way; a Hell in which he could be hurt, even killed, and never die. A place where people needed help, and he was powerless to help them.

Just like you were powerless to help the Imp. A cruel voice muttered in his ear. The human did his best not to show he was battling- for lack of a better word, and the irony did not escape him at his choice -his own personal demons. Who had the Sword-woman been? Someone that loved Renne... very likely was blinded by that love, perhaps even obsessed, if she couldn't tell friendship from treachery... the person that started the fire had traveled with her, but he, the human on trial in Hell, hadn't realized it at first. If he had, he might've tried appealing to HIM (WAS it a Him, he pondered idly?) instead of the Sword-woman. And then... the ravens.

He liked ravens, but some people saw them as a bad omen; they gathered where death would soon take place, kind of like a miniature vulture of sorts... but he thought they were beautiful birds, with their sleek, glossy feathers and their intuitive eyes. They were also very cunning and smart, capable of learning things other birds could not. Why had he not tried harder to call to the ravens? This was Rhy'Din; surely at least ONE of them knew the Human Tongue- did they still call it Common, here in Rhy'Din? -and could have spoken for him! But alas, by the time he realized that was possible, he was already well beyond the point of no return...

The tears began to fall. Images of smiling faces began to pass his field of vision... people he had known on Earth. A short, rather pretty girl he had liked... she had been much shorter than him, but it had been that much easier for her to mold to him frame when they hugged or cuddled... She had been so sweet to him, forgiving him when he was occasionally stupid or foolish, reprimanding him whenever he put himself down, hugging him tight when he felt depressed. Her warm hands gripping his own as the day dwindled to night and tempted forth the horrors of the darkness, and she had full confidence that no matter what came at them, he would be able to protect her. She put her full faith into him... the tears were falling faster now... and she had loved him. And now he would never see her again unless he broke free of them place...

More images, now, assaulted his mind. Only these images were not so pleasant... images of an older step-brother telling him how useless he was. His cruel, laughing voice drowning the sounds of his own sobs of shame and defeat. His outer shell... the one people have to protect themselves in a crisis... was violently ripped away from him, leaving him bare and vulnerable, and his brother then pounded him with fists, kicks, blunt objects and cruel words. He eventually broke free of that tyranical reign... but not before permanent damage was done. Oh, it was nothing people could SEE... mind, he still had a scar or two... it was hidden, deep in the dark corners of his mind where even HE feared to tread. A violent, retaliatory nature... one that, until he had subdued it, made him what others called... a monster. Oh, he was no monster, not really, not any more so than perhaps a berserker. But continued harsh words browbeat him- it was SO not needed to subdue him, not that they cared! -into believing their words.

His memories were playing in random order, now. They started with something wonderful that inevitably made him sad, then they traveled to something that hurt him even more, something he was unable to block out anymore. He dreaded the next memories. What would come? Could he resist it's painful nature and still stand strong? Or would he be forced to his knees...?

The memories came faster and faster, reminding him of happy times, sad times, fearful times, even a few, very rare times he was brave... and recognized for it. But finally, he reached a memory that was so wonderfully happy it was downright torturous...

The Imp.

He had watched someone that was a Brother-Friend, on Earth, grow steadily distant, until eventually, with the resounding, earth-shattering noise of thunder, he was gone. There wasn't even a body to be found, there on the pier... and the human fell into despair. He stopped going to college. He stopped eating except when he absolutely had to. He usually DRANK his meals, actually... he fell into despair, into a neverending self-destructive cycle of painful memories... until finally, he had a revelation; the Imp... he knew the Imp. The circumstances were, to say the least, strange, but he DID know him... but the Imp wouldn't know him. He didn't care... the Imp was in trouble, or so his dream told him, so he threw himself into the ocean, believing, somehow, Rhy'Din would pull him to it's shores, and he could, somehow, at last, prove his worth and save someone he loved all in one go. He would, perhaps... earn his redemption.

But alas, it was not meant to be, and now he began shaking with the tears he could not repress, great gasps and sobs escaping him. Not only had he failed to save the Imp- he was fully confident that the Sword-woman and the Fire-Person and the Ravens would protect the Imp -but he died in the process of trying... he had failed... ultimately. And now, he stood before the judges, crying, wishing beyond wishing, hoping beyond hope...

Hoping... beyond hope...

Wishing...

What? For a miracle?! That snide voice cackled in his ear again. You failed to redeem yourself. You probably made things worse. And now? Now the Imp might try to brave Hell... for you. You fool! That will kill him! Hell is almost purely concentrated negative emotions! He even THINKS of stepping foot here and he'll probably burst into flames! Face it, mortal... you... failed. And the human could not deny it. If the Imp came to Hell to save him... and died in the process... it was all his fault. ALL. HIS. FAULT.

And he could not handle that thought.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The human cried loudly, his voice echoing throughout all of Hell, the pure lamentation and agony in his voice wrenching the hearts of all that had one. The demons and the judges, however, cackled victoriously.

"Well, then..." The lead Judge asked. "Has the Jury reached a verdict?" He asked. A small selection of Damned Souls stood off to the side, chained and manacled to three very large demons, and one of the Damned Souls spoke.

"Y-yes, your honor... we, the Denizens of Hell, Domain of He That Is Brilliantly Dark..." The Damned Soul choked on his own words. "Find the Human of Earth... Guilty of five of the Carnal Sins, comprised of these following sections thereof; Gluttony, Wrath, Violence against Neighbors, Violence against Himself, Violence against God and Nature, Fraud, following which is being a Magician, a Hypocrite, a Thief, a Fraudulent Counselor, Sower of Discord, and finally, Treachery, following which is being a Traitor to Kin, Traitor to Homeland, Traitor to Guests, and Traitor to Benefactors." The human could not believe his ears! No WAY had he sinned that much! "As well as copious amounts of lying." The Damned Soul suddenly added as an after-thought. The human felt his anger boiling, erasing his fear for the moment.

"Well, that settles it, then, doesn't it?" The head Demon judge said kindly, but the human knew that creature knew not the meaning of the word, 'kind'. "Since you have Sinned SO MUCH, I can't decide where to put you! So here's what we'll do... we'll set you up with a Rotation Schedule... yes! Oh yes, yes, yes! You will be most privilaged, young master! Most are forced to remain for ETERNITY on one level but, but-but-but-but YOU, YOU get to experience most of the lot, yes, yes-yes-yes you do!" His anger was now beginning to fuse with his fear, becoming some strange new emotion he was not equipped to handle properly, and the fear overtook him.

"You call THIS a trial!? I never even got to speak in my defense!" The human shouted.

"Pity." The Demon said, and made a motion with his hands. "Such a pity. But as you are not our... typical... denizen, we feel you need an introduction to the horrors that await, yes, see the kindness our Master grants you??? How generous he is! HAIL SATAN!" And the demons chorused the praise. The human struggled against his captor, his skin burning from the contact made, his temper blazing like a wildfire. "Yes, some time with some new playmates might just snuff that rebellious fire of yours..." The Demon said, and, cackling, he opened a door to a nearly pitch-dark room that had a yet-fouler stench that the human couldn't comprehend. "Yes... have... fun..." The Demon whispered, and slammed the door shut, enveloping the human in darkness so profound he couldn't see anything... but he could still hear.

And he knew he was not alone...

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-15 17:39 EST
Part Three: Has the Jury reached a verdict? (Demon version)
(Not nearly as intense as the Human version, but not recommended for those who think my posts are no good.)

The human was roughly thrown to the smoothed stone floor and landed with a sharp exhalation of breath. Grunting, he pondered about the sensation of breathing, doing his best to ignore the glowering faces of those waiting to 'judge' him... this was Hell, regardless of who's reality he was sharing. Maybe it was his own personal Hell. That would make sense, in a strange, perverse kind of way; a Hell in which he could be hurt, even killed, and never die. A place where people needed help, and he was powerless to help them.

But while the human pondered his situation, the Demon Judges watched with a keen interest. The situation was growing more interesting by the second; a human taken out of turn was one thing, but to take him in Rhy'Din when he was originally from Earth was another, and to make things just that much more perfect, he had sacrificed himself- knowingly! -to save a creature that didn't even recognize him! Under the Laws of the Covenant, this human should technically be in Limbo until a decision could be reached; after all, he had sacrificed himself for a noble cause, seeking neither reward nor praise, and that, technically, eliminated any Sin attached to his death. But the Unholy Father was a master of technicalities, and therefore, a master on how to bend them to his own will, and had used a loop-hole; the human DID die, even if he would have recovered, and when he died, Azrael, that blasted Archangel, had refused to collect him, for whatever reason, and that refusal constituted a break in the Covenant, meaning the Unholy Father had every right to take him!

And take him he did. It was tricky, and rather risky, but the gambit had paid off. The human, upon reaching the afterlife, wasted no time in utilizing his full potential. Not every soul that arrived in Hell had full capacity to move, let alone mock the demons and run at top speed! But this human was... special. They had not heard the Master use that term in many ages, but this human was special... and therefore a threat. So the Demon Judge sitting dead-center of the room, surrounded by other lesser judges, came to a decision. He used his mastery of the Nether Arts to reawaken the repressed memories in the human, and watched with malevolent humor as the human began to crack. That tough, outer exterior was faltering, revealing the frightened, nervous and scared human underneath.

The other demons shared a glance; this was highly irregular, normally they did not act without express permission from their Master.

"PROCEED." A hideous voice echoed throughout the cavern, heard only by the demons and the 'Jury', a selection of Damned Souls that had already been down here twice their 'expected' sentence. This was not something they lightly forgot, but being powerless against the lesser demons, let alone a Greater Daemon or even the Unclean One Himself. They stood ready, trembling, incapable of tears as they watched the human writhe and attempt to hold back the tears.

"Human of Earth, you have been brought to Hell to determine the placement you deserve. The evidence being you knowingly and willingly allowed yourself to die; this constitutes as Suicide. You also often blasphemed the Other One often, on Earth." The demons, of course, unable to even THINK of the 'G' word, had to use inventive and otherwise blasphemous terms. "As well as lying, swearing, and neglecting your duties. Do you deny these claims?" The Demon Judge asked, right as he knew the human would scream in protest to the memories.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The human cried loudly, his voice echoing throughout all of Hell, the pure lamentation and agony in his voice wrenching the hearts of all that had one. The demons and the judges, however, cackled victoriously.

"Well, then..." The lead Judge asked. "Has the Jury reached a verdict?" He asked. A small selection of Damned Souls stood off to the side, chained and manacled to three very large demons, and one of the Damned Souls spoke.

"Y-yes, your honor... we, the Denizens of Hell, Domain of He That Is Brilliantly Dark..." The Damned Soul choked on his own words. "Find the Human of Earth... Guilty of five of the Carnal Sins, comprised of these following sections thereof; Gluttony, Wrath, Violence against Neighbors, Violence against Himself, Violence against God and Nature, Fraud, following which is being a Magician, a Hypocrite, a Thief, a Fraudulent Counselor, Sower of Discord, and finally, Treachery, following which is being a Traitor to Kin, Traitor to Homeland, Traitor to Guests, and Traitor to Benefactors." The human could not believe his ears! No WAY had he sinned that much! "As well as copious amounts of lying." The Damned Soul suddenly added as an after-thought. The human felt his anger boiling, erasing his fear for the moment, and the demon was smirking viciously.

"Well, that settles it, then, doesn't it?" The head Demon judge said kindly, but he did not even KNOW the meaning of the word, 'kindness', and he simply LOVED being as cruel as possible. "Since you have Sinned SO MUCH, I can't decide where to put you! So here's what we'll do... we'll set you up with a Rotation Schedule... yes! Oh yes, yes, yes! You will be most privilaged, young master! Most are forced to remain for ETERNITY on one level but, but-but-but-but YOU, YOU get to experience most of the lot, yes, yes-yes-yes you do!" The humans anger was now beginning to fuse with his fear, becoming some strange new emotion he was not equipped to handle properly, and the fear overtook him.

"You call THIS a trial!? I never even got to speak in my defense!" The human shouted.

"Pity." The Demon said, and made a motion with his hands. "Such a pity. But as you are not our... typical... denizen, we feel you need an introduction to the horrors that await, yes, see the kindness our Master grants you??? How generous he is! HAIL SATAN!" And the demons chorused the praise. The human struggled against his captor, his skin burning from the contact made, his temper blazing like a wildfire. "Yes, some time with some new playmates might just snuff that rebellious fire of yours..." The Demon said, and, cackling, he opened a door to a nearly pitch-dark room that had a yet-fouler stench that the human couldn't comprehend. "Yes... have... fun..." The Demon whispered, and slammed the door shut, enveloping the human in darkness so profound he couldn't see anything...

But the demon could, and he watched as the human began to realize the terror that would soon overtake him... and felt immensely proud of himself. It was a wild gambit and the Master would likely not be pleased, but at least the Master would no longer be in dang-

"YOU THINK A MERE HUMAN CAN CAUSE ME TO BE IN DANGER?" A malevolent voice so thick with malice and pure rage whispered in his ear. "YOUR CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITIES IS MOST... DISHEARTENING."

"M-Master!" The Demon cried, and prostrated himself. "I am your most LOYAL servant! I thought only of fulfilling my duty to you-!"

"THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE DISOBEYED ME, CRETIN! FOR YOUR LACK OF FAITH, YOU WILL BE... PUNISHED MOST SEVERELY." The Dark One promised.

"MASTER! MASTER! PLEASE! FORGIVE ME! MY FAITH WILL NOT WAIVER AGAIN!" The demon promised, but soon, with a flash of brilliant, evil light, the demon was gone, and in his place, a pile of smoldering ashes.

"WORTHLESS SCUM. HOWEVER, I WILL HONOR HIS LAST ATTEMPT AND ALLOW THE HUMAN TO MEET HIS NEW PLAYMATE. IF HE CANNOT SURVIVE THAT THING, THEN HE WILL NOT BE WORTHY OF BEING MY NEW... TOY." And that voice cackled as it contented itself to watch the human in the next room...

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-15 17:39 EST
Interlude: The shortest and most redundant Interlude yet.

(This may seem inane and pointless, and normally you'd be right, but unfortunately, it double-posted my last post, and wouldn't let me delete it. Something about unspecified post method or something or another, so I decided to at least edit it and make it something semi-useful. Somehow, I think I've failed, all I can hope is that you won't hold it against me... anyway, thanks for bearing through the brief interlude. I'll make up for it with some truly impressive posting skills, aided by a dear and trusted friend. Stay tuned!)

Interlude end.

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-25 15:14 EST
Part Four: The Demon of the Copper Wire (Part One)
(Warning; not quite so violent, yet, so viewer discretion is not QUITE advisable yet...)

The human realized he was not alone, due only to the fact he'd had to, once upon a time, use his senses to grope and find his way through pitch-black caves, canyons and, occasionally, oceans.

It was due to these trying ordeals that the human prided himself on having decent senses, compared to the usual lot of human-kind he was forced to interact with. But for all his keen senses and miraculous skills at keeping calm, he could only guess WHAT was in here, and he knew fear.

"You are not alone, Human. I am here." A voice said, a voice belonging to a being one would expect to shine brilliantly and seem so fair, even the thought of looking at them seemed disgraceful... "Can you not see me? Can you not feel my breath upon your skin?" The human did not answer; the answer was no. And no doubt, this person, whoever he, or it, was, surely knew it. "Do you wish to know me, human?" Again the answer was no, but once again, the human said nothing. And suddenly, a spotlight suddenly flared up in the center of the small chamber, illuminating someone who looked human at first, and even second, glance. He appeared to be a young man, about twenty-eight years old or perhaps thirty. Most of his face was hidden behind a long, thick curtain of dark-brown hair. No eyes were visible from behind that thick web of hair. But the mouth smiled kindly at the human, as the demon- Was it really a demon at all? -moved closer in the darkness and crouched beside the human. He wore a large trenchcoat that billowed with his every step and movement, and he had an odd odor about him... a strangely, metallic scent...

The human winced; the spot light illuminated the one spot to the far side of what he now saw as a small cavern, but it was bright enough for him to see everything... and to his dismay, the room was smooth stone with round wall and a domed ceiling; no window, no crack, and only one door, the one he was unceremoniously thrown through to his new 'friend' here...

"Hello." The person said softly, his voice barely a whisper. "I am very glad to meet you. I only wish that I could've met you in some other circumstances than this. If only you were not here and I was not here... Things would've been better then. We could've even been friends perhaps. And perhaps, just maybe, we can still be friends. I will free you, Human." The man speaking to him was fair in appearance, matching his soft-spoken demeanor, but as the human too-well knew, it was the truly fair that were most likely agents of the darkness; most 'heroes' in stories were gruff, rough-spoken people that cleaned up well, but maybe even stank a little at times, but a true agent of darkness was more fair, and smelled fouler... and this person, with the cascading brown hair in front of his face, reeked of wretched deceitfulness and vile, wicked malevolence. "I will show you a way out." The demon- the human had no doubt that's what it was -said to him. "There are loopholes in the Master's law, loopholes like you can only imagine. And I can show them all to you. And you needn't repay me. No no. That won't be necessary. Because you see, I am just like you. I know it may be hard to see right now with the pain you are in. But I am like you. All my life I was mistreated. I was beaten, told I was worthless, enslaved within my own mind. I was called, 'Monster', just like you, Human..." The human's eyes widened; knowledge, it seemed, was as important here as anywhere, and these creatures had it in spades. "Yes, I know your past... of the terrible, terrible things you endured. And all for being what you were... it was the same for me, being what I was. All for being who I am. And I can free you, human. Shouldn't two monsters stick together?" The demon asked earnestly, and if the human had not had dealings with his kind before, he might've believed him.

"Go hump a crucifixion, horn-breath." The human muttered, starting to regain his senses after the psychic assault from the demon judge a few moments ago. "No, I will NOT stick together with you. Because unlike you, I wouldn't sell my soul to get back at the jerks that tormented me. I have too much to lose." The human whispered, thoughts of the Imp entering his mind... "Besides... I'm not a monster."

"No?" The demon asked, a snarl entering his voice as a sneer curled his lip. "You think you're no monster? BAH! Why ELSE would people hurl insults at you? Why ELSE would people feel the need to chain you down and make you submit!?"

"Because people fear that which they do not understand." The human replied cooly. The demon stood up and snarled.

"You do not take my offer of freedom? You do not trust my kindness? So be it. So be it human! As you will." The demon, for yes it was truly a demon, rose to its feet. The hair blew back from its face in a sudden stiff breeze. And the eyes which glittered out from under that hair were yellow, cat-eye yellow, the glittering yellow of a horror-movie monster. The fair countenence fell and revealed a truly horrific vissage. And the monster it belonged to was now laughing maniacally as it walked toward the human, grabbed him by the throat in one massive hand and jerked him from the floor. "You do not trust me? You do not believe what I say? Then I suppose I will have to indulge my natural tendencies and show you true agony!" And the demon slammed the human violently down onto the floor again, laying one hand against his ankles. Before the human could react, he felt a sharp jolt go up both his legs, up through his groin to his waist. And as he looked up at that moment, he saw that the demons body was covered in copper wiring, the kind used for conducting electricity topside. "There's something beautiful about copper wire, human." The demon whispered, "It is an excellent conductor of electricity. One coil of wire can kill a man. One coil can save a life." And the demon laughed malevolently... "Let us see what a coil of copper can do to a damned soul like yourself!" And the demon grasped the human's ankles with both hands. The human felt another jolt of pain go up his legs, through his groin, up to his waist where it stopped. "There!" Snarled the demon, "Now you can't get away from me. But since I am merciful...You still have the use of your feet... However, I do not think they will be much good without your legs. Oh, and your arms...." He laid a hand gently on the human's wrist and there was another sharp jolt of pain. The human had refused to scream out of sheer stubborness, but now he could not stop it; his scream pierced the very stone of the walls and echoed through all of Hell. Shaking violently, but unable to pass out, the human quivered, feeling an all-too familiar numbness permiate his being... only this time, it wasn't ice that froze his muscles, but electricity that paralyzed him. "Fascinating, isn't it, what electricity can do? Spot paralysis... any spot I touch..." And the demon took a step back, and punted the human against the wall. From the moment the demons taloned toes struck him, as he flew through the air, and as he crashed into the stone wall, the human felt pain beyond anything he had ever thought he knew, like his very nerve endings were being prodded by blinding-hot needles.

"Yes, you see the beauty, and simplicity of it all..." The demon snarled victoriously. And the human knew the true onsalught... was just beginning.

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-27 13:46 EST
Part Four: The Demon of the Copper Wire (Part Two)
(Warning! Warning! Imminent graphic violence! Viewer discretion is now advised!)

"Yes, you see the beauty, and simplicity of it all..." The demon snarled victoriously. And the human knew the true onsalught... was just beginning.

And so it began, in ways the human never knew possible. His hands and feet worked perfectly; he felt them and he felt them working properly. But past the wrist or ankles, and it was virtually the same as being dead, the same irritating sensation you sometimes awoke with after sleeping at an awkward angle, where one hand is completely numbed, so that if you gripped your own hand, you'd know what you felt like, without feeling it... this was similar, but worse. Much, much worse, and more sinister. For as the human lay there, whimpering and silently begging for mercy he knew he would not receive, he was forced to watch as blood gushed onto the floor... from his arms, where the demon burned him with both electricity and his touch, from his stomach, where the talons of the demon had caught him and tore viciously at his innards, and from his face, where it collided with the stone wall, chunks of stone embedded so deeply into his face he was surprised he still had sensation there.

The demon came over and gripped him by the throat, cutting off his airway instantly. At this, the human saw some slight hope; if he remained suffocated long enough, he would pass out to blissful, merciful darkness, sweet, glorious, unknowing, uncaring, unfeeling darkness. He WANTED that darkness now, as he had never wanted it before.

"Oh." The Demon of the Copper Wire said. "It's not going to be that easy..." As if he could read his thoughts, so did the Demon speak. "You can't pass out now! You'd miss out on all the fun things we're going to do!" The demon cackled, and took a taloned finger and jabbed it in the humans eye.

The human, all at once, tried to inhale to scream, tried to scream, cry, and stem the bleeding, but without arms that moved and no air to scream, all that he managed to accomplish was to writhe in agony and begin convulsing, gagging on his own bile and blood and worse, feeling a certain amount of despair he had never felt before. From his now-empty eye socket, he cried tears of blood and fluid undefinable to himself, the 'goop' inside the eye. Even on a better day he'd never be able to remember what it was called, let alone NOW.

The demon laughed, and thrust the eyeball back into the empty socket, as if like a child trying to put it back together again despite the obvious evidence it was broken.

"Aww, did that hurt? I'm SO sorry, let me show you a little trick to take your mind off that eye..." The demon whispered sweetly, and lifted the humans hand, and released his neck. The human dangled there, reflexively trying to bring his free hand to his eye, and once again, meeting nothing but frustration at being unable to do so. Rage filled him, as the blood filled his mouth, but even now, even here...

...he refused to be the monster he knew he could be.

The human had a secret, as every creature that ever new sentience did, but his secret was one most other humans would never condone or even believe. The key was blood; not even necessarily his. For many years, he had a violent temper that ofter got him into trouble, so for years, he fought it, pushed at it, locked it away, and finally, mastered it.

But this demon was SORELY testing his resolve.

"Now pay attention." The demon said, slapping the human hard in the face, which sent the punctured eyeball flying. "I'm showing you a trick to forget about that eye!" The human, with little choice remaining, looked at the demon with a pitiful glance, unable to muster up the fiery rage to glare. Even if he wanted to... he couldn't call the monster out. It was slumbering, exactly how the human wanted it. Never did the human think he'd willingly try to call it... "I said..." The demon snarled, and sent an electric jolt through the human, causing him to gag and scream. "PAY..." And the demon took one of the humans fingers, the middle one on his right hand... the human had a sense of foreboding that was soon answered. "ATTENTION!" And the demon bent the finger so far back that there was an audible crack and a snap, and fresh pain shot straight to the humans brain, screaming in agony with a shrill voice he never knew his own body could produce. The demon then proceeded to break all of the humans fingers, bending them backwards in a manner that should not EVER happen... but it didn't end there. The demon then used that painful electricity to undo the paralysis to the corresponding arm as the broken fingers. "What's the matter, still worried about that eye?!" The demon cried in mock concern, and the human unable to even protest now, simply cried. "Well then, here's the NEXT trick!" And the demon literally CRUSHED the humans forearm, shattering the bones within to dust. The human simply moaned and cried for mercy, unable to bear it any longer, unable to even comprehend the pain he was in, unable to know left from right, up from down, unable even to know light from dark. But he, the human, still had a touch of defiance. He still sought the darkness he knew would never arrive and claim him.

"Buh... bugger... off... rump... roast." The human whispered haltingly, panting and doing his best to push himself to a better sitting position. His buttocks tingled in pain, the numbness from his legs was starting to creep into his waist. Using inertia and basic body movements, he used his shoulders and buttocks to force hismelf to sit the barest amount straighter. Bone fragments jutted from his right arm, blood gushing and squirting like an obscene fountain. The human did his best not to act how terrified he really was...

"Rump roast?" The demon whispered curiously. "First it's humping the cross, then it's bugger off rump roast?" The demon asked rhetorically. "Wow, so you still have an ounce of defiance?" He asked.

"Got... enough def... defiance... tuh... to fill... a... castle." The human whispered, wincing as the vicious magicks of Hell forced his body to start reversing the damage done to his body. But suddenly it stopped, which startled the human.

"I'm not through with you yet. I won't let you heal until they have to clean you away with a rag and water. I'm going to reduce you to a stain on the wall. And I'm going to enjoy it." The demon promised. The human began to lose his confidence again, which had started to regrow with his body. He was almost afraid to ask, what more could this demon DO to him? What kind of pain was this demon... capable of?

"Don't worry." The demon said, once again reading his mind. "You'll find out soon enough. I'll let you take a five minute breather, gather your wits... I want to hear the ANGUISH in your voice when you beg for mercy." The demon informed him mildly, as if he might've been talking about the weather... but the intent behind that voice might have made even God Himself shiver in fright.

(To be continued in the final installment of the story arc of 'Down once more to the darkness of my black despair...'! After that, a NEW story arc will begin. I won't give anything away, but if you're following this story arc, don't touch that dial!)

Duos Ora Equitas

Date: 2008-03-31 14:15 EST
Part Four: The Demon of the Copper Wire (Part Three; Finale)
(Warning! Warning! Extreme graphic violence, extreme graphic nature ahead! Those of you with weak stomaches, those of you easily disturbed, those of you who want a happy ending, please, turn back now and run away, very quickly. Viewer discretion is not just advised, but if possible, it would be enforced...)


What kind of pain was this demon... capable of?

"Don't worry." The demon said, once again reading his mind. "You'll find out soon enough. I'll let you take a five minute breather, gather your wits... I want to hear the ANGUISH in your voice when you beg for mercy." The demon informed him mildly, as if he might've been talking about the weather... but the intent behind that voice might have made even God Himself shiver in fright.

"You see..." The demon spoke softly, watching as the human gathered his wits about him. "I'm one of the worst there is to offer in Hell; I don't discriminate, I torture everyone; man, woman, anything inbetween..." The demon chuckled. "Normally, I don't get too many playmates, the Boss thinks I'm too... careless with my toys." The demon sat back, and began to stroke his crotch, making the human writhe and want to vomit. The sheer audacity and sickness this demon let off was frightening. "I generally prefer men, however. They're usually tougher, stronger... they usually last a while before screaming like a girl." The demon kept explaining, as if the human had asked. The growth in his crotch continued to pulsate at his touch, a threatening, sickening thing to watch, so the human, out of his now one eye, looked at the demon's face.

"How... could something so evil... have ever looked so... fair?" The human asked, trying to bide his time. The demon paused in his current endeavor to give his response some thought.

"I borrowed the image of my brother." The demon said. "The bastard..." The demon growled, and he slammed a fist into the floor, making the room shake as tiny fissures spread out from the point of impact. "Father's favorite toy! Always the favorite, thought he had it worse than me! He thought that just because he had some bullies at school... thought that just because father played with him... he had it rough." The demon threw back his head and laughed raucously, and the human stared with open fear now. Psychopaths, the lot of them! Except this brother of his... doesn't sound too bad... The human thought to himself.

"So... where... is he?" The human asked, and the demon resumed stroking his crotch, causing whatever the demon hid in those pants to throb excitedly.

"Probably level Nine." The demon said without pretense. "I sold him to the Dark Master, gained rank... oh how sweet it was." The demon thought fondly of how he had tortured his own brother, before looking at the human. "Well... it seems, you've got a fair handle on things in that pretty little head of yours... shall we begin?" And without waiting for an answer, the demon stood up and approached the human slowly.

The human backed away the best he could, forgetting that he could not use his legs or arms, forgetting he was already up against the wall. The demon took him by the ankle, and began to swing him around overhead like a lasso, cackling as he did so, and began slamming him into the floor and walls with all his might. The impacts would have killed anyone actually alive, but the human was a damned soul and bound to the rules of Hell, so not only was he not healing at all, but he wasn't passing out either! The demon threw him against the opposite wall, and the human whimpered...

...but he didn't scream, not once. He didn't want to give this sick freak the satisfaction.

"Do you want to know WHY Hell seems so different?" The demon asked sweetly, as he walked over and grabbed the human by the hair. "This... is... NOT... Dante's... Inferno." The demon whispered. "We have our own rules; do you really THINK we'd model ourselves after a bedtime story?! HA!" And the demon slammed the humans face into the stone floor, drawing little more than a grunt and another whimper. "Why don't you scream?" The demon asked, starting to get angry. "I WANT TO HEAR AGONY IN YOUR VOICE!" The demon snarled and slashed at the humans back, shredding the shirt he wore to nothingness, exposing a pale, smooth-skinned back. The human did not often go bare-chested, even when crossing a desert or working on the high seas, because his was not the most athletically fit body ever, quite the contrary, but he was stubborn, and strong, as an ox. "Such a smooth back..." The demon whispered, and his hands tenderly caressed the skin.

"What the...!?" The human whispered, shocked and scared.

"Oh, don't worry..." The demon said soothingly. "I think you're quite beautiful... a flabby chest and gut doesn't bother me... all the better..." The human had been introduced to many forms of pain and torment, and several different strains of fear. But now he began to suspect- nay, he KNEW -what this demon was going to do to him. And he couldn't stop it. And that scared him beyond any measure of human understanding. "Such a fine young body... smooth skin... hardly any blemishes... very little scar tissue..." The demon continued, as if talking about a lover or... perhaps a piece of livestock. "Let's see what ELSE my new toy has to offer." But now the human felt a desperation the likes of which he hadn't ever known before, and thrashed, struggling like a worm on a hook.

"No...!" The human cried. "NO!" The human cried again, and the demon cackled, drinking in the fear.

"Oh, yes..." The demon snarled, and inserted one taloned finger into the waistband of the humans pants, and began to tug them down, slowly. From his position on his stomach, the human had little choice but to be so thoroughly ashamed and violated as this demon did whatever it wanted to him, and tears began to form at the corner of his eye, the empty socket still bleeding, adding to the pain and shame the human was now enduring. Finally, the demon had jerked the pants off of the human, exposing his boxers, soaked by now with blood... "Oh, OH!" The demon cried, as if experiencing a modicum of pure, untainted pleasure. He leaned over the human and inhaled deeply with his nostrils, inhaling the blood's scent, that coppery, tangy smell.

"No..." The human moaned, unable to move to even TRY and get away. The demon then began to do something that sickened the human even further; a long, serpentine tongue began to lick at the blood, and the demon purposely did it along the groove of the humans buttock cheeks. The human growled, surging with indignancy, but the demon only took greater pleasure from this and kept at it, now massaging the buttocks with both hands. This tongue rape was horrible to the human, it shamed him to the core and made him feel so thoroughly filthy and dirty he wanted nothing more than to clean himself for eternity... but it didn't end there. If it had, the human might've been able to simply forget about it...

But what happened next, the human would never forget. Nor, I think, would anyone, had it happened to them...

The demon flipped the human over, and stared down into his terror-filled eyes, a lustful glare in the demons eyes. Staring at the hairy chest of the human, he leaned down and began to nibble and lick at one of the nipples. The human cried and silently begged for release from this bondage, he sent every prayer he could imagine skyward, but his prayes went unanswered. When the demon paused, the human thought the worse was about to happen, but he was wrong... so terribly wrong.

"Ah, I see how much you like it." The demon whispered sweetly, and began to pinch the nipples gently. "Your hair is so soft and fine, it moves aside at my slightest touch. And your skin... so soft... so warm... so... supple..." The demon whispered sweetly, as if, now the human was certain, speaking to a lover... "See, your body reacts to my touch, you want more of me. You want me as none have ever wanted me." The demon said, amazed, and the human simply cried, resigned to his fate. His will to get away was reduced to cinders, his desire to fight fading. Hopelessness overtook him. Despair gripped him.

The demon stood and lowered his own pants, revealing a phallus the size and length of which belonged to a horse.

"Do you see me, lover?" The demon asked rhetorically, as his phallus bobbed with a heartbeat the human doubted the demon had. "I want to pleasure you with this... my mouth and hands do not bring you the happiness you deserve..." The demon said, and for a moment, almost sounded truly worried... "Tell me... what would make you... the most... happy?"

"Go away..." The human cried. The demon acted as though he were afronted and took offense.

"Go? Moi? But I can't! Not while you remain here, yerning for my touch!" And the demon approached, and gripped the human's head in his hands, and forced the phallus into the human's mouth, shoving as deep as it could humanly go and deeper. "Take me, lover, take all of me, know my love for you!" And the human gagged, tried to bite, tried to make it as painful and uncomfortable for the demon as possible, but the skin was as hard as granite, and it burned, dear GODS did it burn! Great tears leaked from his eye as he felt muscles tear and jaw bones crack from the amount of force the demon put into each thrust. After a while, the human gave up trying, and just went limp, sagging down, hoping this would somehow dissaude the demon from continuing. Unfortunately, as he went limp, the demon began to grunt in a manner the human recognized, and squinted his eye shut to try and bear the storm, as the white hot substance filled his stomach with a nauseating, greasy, sickening sensation. The moment the demon pulled his semi-flacid member from the human, the human immediately began to vomit on himself, unable to even turn his head to aim at the floor. Blood and worse coated his chest and legs, defiling himself even further, making him feel thoroughly disgraced and vile. And he knew it was only going to get worse...

The demon instantly became hard again as the human vomited, and without waiting, began to thrust into that empty eyesocket, forcing the human's head up and down upon it. Pain wracked the human as he was forced to endure this, and now that his jaw was broken, he couldn't even protest out loud. Soon the demon finished his business, and coated the humans face in a thick white substance that made him dry heave the moment it touched his skin. Now drenched in blood and semen and vomit, the demon ripped the boxers away and exposed the human completely.

"OH!" The demon shouted joyously, and immediately fell upon the humans phallus and began to take it into his mouth, but here, the human saw some avenue of revenge, and began to urinate into the demons mouth... but to his revulsion and horror, the demon drank it! "Ah, sweet nectar my lover grants me..." The demon said, and immediately rose and kissed the human on the lips, forcing urine into his mouth, making the human gag and cry louder in horror and pain. "Don't worry, I shall repay you in kind, lover... but first..." And the demon took the humans phallus in hand... and tore it off.

At this, the human, whom had endured so much and endure for so long without screaming, lost control and roared in eternal pain and fury, which made the demon laugh.

"At long last..." The demon whispered. "THAT is the agony I wanted to hear... to think, you endured longer than most others... I am truly... IMPRESSED..." And the demon stomped with all his might upon the humans testicles, which caused another erruption of pain and fury, and the demon snapped his fingers; great lengths of copper wire descended from the ceiling and entwined the human by the arms and legs, lifting him into the air... and the human, blinded by pain, terror, agony and shame alike, knew what was next. And as he felt the demon grasp his buttocks and spread them wider than human skin was meant to stretch, the human gave a strangled cry and began to thrash to the best of his abilities, trying, TRYING to get AWAY! But the demon had him, and without pretense, the demon thrust his overly large phallus into the human. Screaming in pain and agony, the human had no choice but to dangle there like a sick marrionette, as the demon raped him totally and entirely. The demon grunted and moaned passionately as he performed his task, and whispered sweet nothings to the human as he did so. Finally, at long last, the demon looked into the humans eyes and spoke with clarity.

"Say you love me." The demon snarled. "Or I won't stop."

"N-never..." The human whispered weakly.

"SAY IT!" And the demon took his talons and pierced the left nipple viciously.

"NO!" The human cried with conviction.

"SAY! IT!" And the demon began to slash at him, gouging out his other eye, ripping his ears off, tearing great strips of flesh from his body, all the while never ceasing his thrusting actions. At length, all that remained of the human was muscle, some hair, bones and organs. The only thing untouched- besides the tears and pain -were the buttocks and everything attached. But still the human refused to ever say the words, and the demon snarled. "Fine. Don't say it. But now I get to indulge my favorite fantasy..." And at the height of his passion, the demon ejaculated into the human, and crushed the humans skull.

Hours might've passed and the human would never have known it, but in that moment, the human knew sweet, blissful darkness. When he awoke, his body was whole, he was clothed, and he was drenched. The demon was urinating on him, an endless stream of sickening golden liquid. When the human became fully aware of this, he tried to bound to his feet, but found he was chained with black chains to the wall.

"YOU SON OF A THREE-LEGGED BITCHES PILE OF DUNG!" The human roared, and the demon stopped urinating, pulling his phallus into his pants and zipping them shut.

"Awake, are we?" The Demon of the Copper Wire said softly. "Well, we're all done here... now you can go down to your real Hell." The demon said mildly, bored, apparently. "I'm tired of you. You're no fun anymore." The demon shrugged, and snapped his fingers; the door immediately opened and the same demons that had dragged the human to the room of the judges appeared to drag him away. "If you see my brother, tell him... he's still my favorite." The demon said, and the human snarled, a flash of red appearing in his eyes as he was dragged off to Hell proper...

(And so concludes this particular story arc; I will be creating another one. Thanks for sticking with me, and stayed tuned!)