Leo POV - July 31, 3223 11:45 P.M

Sidnie would turn 15 tomorrow, and her first day of school would be starting a week from then. Apparently the Creator and his kind measured the days for returning to school at odd intervals, for some reason choosing the part of the year that steadily gets colder to send their children to learn.

I found it an odd method, but it must have some hidden meaning, I did fear for Sidnie’s health however in regards to this. I would remind her to wear multiple warm layers, just in case.

I focused my attention on her sleeping form, horrible sleeping habit, she was sprawled all along her bed underneath her covers, and her hair was in a wild mess about her head. It was somewhat cute to see, this is true, but it may lead to problems for her body later. I will speak to the Creator on this matter at a later date.

I turned my attention from Sidnie’s sleeping form, and focused upon Obsidians domain. I was concerned after the last time Sidnie had actively controlled and spoken to her. I had learned that the Bruiser female had meant freely giving her body to be controlled without any kind of resistance, but that could easily lead in another direction.

I would need to find a method to reign them in, I would not willingly allow Sidnie to be corrupted by their wonten natures. It also showed me that regardless of how very possessive and demanding Red was, Obsidian was likely the greater threat, next only to the one known as Specter. His intelligence had been frightening to behold, and his speed at making the connection to Sidnie.

I know that like Obsidian, he hungers for power. But I believe he wishes to actually devour Sidnie, where Obsidian wishes to use her for her own personal gains.

It was times like these I wish I could sigh. Matters had become complicated, and I could not simply get rid of them, Sidnie loved each of them, even if they were making plans to use her. Fluffy was the only one left that had not made the connection, to my knowledge, and I wish that of them all, he had been the only one. He seemed the most able to withstand his Demonic nature of gaining more power through unnatural means.

No doubt the cause of Sidnie being the most emotionally attached to him. I shook the debate from my thought process, and once more focused fully upon what was happening within Obsidians Territory.

It appeared to be an actual full blown combat between the Lion BeastKin and her people. Judging by the numbers, every House has donated several hundred Husks, and Pit Fighters with a few Bruisers to act as generals toward this battle.

I saw both Obsidian, and her brother Frag in the rear, watching the bloodbath occur. A bloodbath it was as well. They were using the weaker and far more expendable Husk forces armed with Spear and Shield as disposable shock troopers. Sending them in waves to decimate the enemy, playing on their lower intelligence, and battle lust to make them keep fighting the Beastkin without stopping.

The field was already littered in bodies, Husks, and Beastkin alike. Though the Beastkin were all Tier 2, and though the Husks had numbers, they were not being led properly enough to make any true dent in the Beastkin forces.

Confusing, really. Obsidian was a masterful Tactician, but she was simply throwing the Husks away by the dozens.

I was wondering why she was not making use of her Territories Lesser Fiends. They were about the same as Husks, strength wise, and bred far quicker than the Husks themselves. She didn’t even have any of her Lesser Fiends on this field of battle. I ‘frowned’ and took my view from the battle for a moment, hunting for them.

There they were, at the Southernmost edge of her Territory, not far from the borders between the other three. They were fighting a large flock of Eagles, large Eagles at that. Luckily the Eagles were each Tier 1 like the Lesser Fiends, but all the same, they were greatly outnumbered, and there appeared to be a Tier 2 Roc within the swarm like battle.

The Lesser Fiends were a bit quicker, smaller in size and lean along with the military training only Obsidian had been able to provide properly. One Lesser Fiend, a minute portion larger than the rest was actually airborne a bit behind the frenzied air battle, around 50 others with him that were periodically peppering any Eagle that swooped in with arrows, sending it spiraling down to its death as it shrilled it’s last cry.

Hmmm, someone capable of leading them? He was gesturing, and directing his strongest Lesser Fiends to assault distracted Eagles that had captured others with their talons. Those Lesser Fiends were long dead, but the result ended in either the pair of stronger Lesser Fiends ripping the wings off the Eagles, or decapitated them with a sword strike while flying high, and coming down hard.

It was majestic, in it’s own way I suppose. Though the ground below was littered in the bodies of Eagles, and Lesser Fiends alike, the forest bathed in crimson blood, and feathers.

The reason behind the lack of Lesser Fiends explained, I moved my focus back toward the ground battle once more.

Most of the Husks had been decimated, a few groups of fiercely fighting knots remained on the battlefield, meanwhile the Blocks of Pit Fighters with their larger Shields and Swords were marching forward in tandem. Where the Husks had been like a Barbarian rabble charging forward, the Pit Fighters were a well oiled machine moving toward the fight to deal out their trade.

She had waited a while, true the hundreds of Husks had done their job, killing and wounding countless of the Beastkins forward number, but their were more, and it looked as though the Leader of the area was present, the Lion Beastkin Boss.

Obsidian had marched out to end a constant threat already, that may end badly in the end. She wanted to conquer the ‘others’, as she called them, and attempt to claim Sidnie’s focus for herself.

I would attempt once more to recommend stopping the lifespan increase for her, but I doubted it would work, just as it had not worked when speaking in regards to Red. One final attempt, and then I would have to begin finding countermeasures within the Demons themselves.

I watched the Pit Fighter blocks march into the battlefield, smashing aside the wounded and weary without exerting much effort on their part. Then came the second wave of the BEastkin, roaring their rage across the battlefield while they smashed into the blocks of shield and sword that was the Pit Fighter Legion.

I grimaced, slightly. The groan of the shields under the size, and strength of the Beastkin was very audible. They bent backward under the charge of the BEastkin, and several sections broke. If not for the training they had received prior to this the Blocks would have likely broken and turned to a route.

As it was, they held, at a great cost of lives, hacking and slashing their way through the break to reform the lines slowly. It was a brutal fight, bloody and violent. The screams and roars on both sides as they hacked, slashed, bit, and tore through each other was a gruesome affair, and I was very glad this was occurring while Sidnie was asleep. Even with the Censor active still, this would be obviously known as...bloody.

While the majority of both sides were locked in a melee, Obsidian had begun to move with her brother, and the other Bruiser Demons. Around 20 in all, while hundreds fought on the battlefield. The Lion beastkin Boss was joining the fray as well, easily a Tier 5 Monster, he was decimating entire sections of the Pit Fighter lines. The only real saving grace was that most of his force was destroyed in the initial assault, they had crushed their own into the shields, and swords of the first lines in an attempt to break them.

It had steadily evened the numbers out. All the same, the Boss class was a force of his own. That was also where Obsidian, and Frag were headed, along with the other bruisers, all male aside from Obsidian. Brute strength, once again. The group carved their way through the Beastkin that had passed through the main bulk of Pit Fighters, and slowly, bloodily, made their way toward the Boss.

From their it became a one sided brawl. On the Boss’ part. I felt like cringing. The Lion Beastkin Boss had just picked one of the male Bruisers up by it’s head, and cracked it like an egg within its palm, letting it drop to the ground, then spun it’s own massive great sword to hack another in half.

I doubted they would survive this, that would be troublesome for the Tribe itself, but this was hardly the entirety of the forces held within this Territory. It did constitute at least half however. Perhaps I would even get lucky and not be required to speak with Sidnie regarding Obsidians lifespan.

That was a short lived hope. After the Lion Beastkin Boss had cut down a third Bruiser, Frag had Stepped forward, taking a full frontal swing from the Great Sword with his shield. The Shield looked like it would bend in two, but held. Though Frag had been sent back a yard or so.

Obsidian had apparently used Frag as a launch board while he took the strike, running up his locked in place leg, and launching from the shoulders. She was currently coming down with her Two Handed Axe, the blades aimed for the Beastkins head.

The Boss had managed to raise his sword in a surprisingly quick gesture to block the Axe strike, it appeared to be for not. The blade was chipped, and weakened from the amount of bone and flesh, and metal it had sliced through previously. The Axe simply sheared it in twain, the metal pieces scattering beneath the strike.

From there, it ended as expected. She buried the Axe blade into the rather large skull of the Lion Beastkin Boss, and slew him. So much for not having that talk when able.

It became a route, shortly after that. They decimated the Beastkin tribe, and their beast of war that could not flew fast enough. Some managed to escape, but the majority soon became food for the surviving Demon forces.

I changed focus, not really wishing to witness the end result of that battle. They had won, and I wanted to check on the Lesser Fiends. No doubt Obsidian had sent them there precisely because of the massive amount of Eagles that had once been there.

When I returned my attention in full, the Eagles were mostly gone, and the Lesser Fiends were at half their previous number, leaving them with 50 fighting roughly 30 swooping forms, and a Tier 2 Roc.

The Lesser Fiend Leader was still alive, along with his bowmen, though they had apparently discarded the bows at some point. It appeared to be a stalemate, I doubt either side would truly win in another clash. But clash they did.

They dived at each other, meeting in the middle, a flurry of Talons, beaks, Feathers, and Fangs as they mauled, and shredded into the opposite side. It was rather brutal now, both must have been exhausted, and simply wished to end it with the most amount of damage done.

When all was said and done however, the Lesser Fiends had won, with a total of 10 surviving, and the Roc’s corpse falling to the ground, battered and bloody with a missing wing. The Lesser Fiends Leader had survived the onslaught, no doubt he would become a prime figure for the time he remained alive within Obsidian’s forces.

I checked the time, 8:38 A.M, August 1, 3222. Sidnie had just turned 15. I would have to wish her a Happy Birthday upon waking. I would also need to give her a report on what had happened, though she would no doubt notice as well. Obsidian had just ensured her entire Territory would become corrupted by the Demonic landscape, and energy. The resulting mutations, and beasts would allow me a greater understanding of possible Demon Evolutions as well. Though I was curious what it would do to the Natural Spawning Demons, I would have to wait, time would tell.

I turned my attention outward, looking at the prone form of Sidnie, and awaiting the Birthday Girls waking.

Specter POV -

Hunger. My constant companion, even after becoming what I am, a Dementor, no doubt the cause of the tasty treat I felt from time to time. I remembered her fear of the ‘Ghost’, though I was not one, it was useful. It tasted of a sweet wine when I felt it. It had slowly grown less however, she was losing the fear. In its place came something warm, and far tastier to sip at. She seemed to care for me, though I knew I would not be the only one.

That was somewhat frustrating, I was sharing my future meal with others, and I disliked it. But she was ‘power’ in the most innocent sense of the word. She seemed to empower all she touched by controlling them, how I did not know. But it dealt with that warmth I felt. I knew she called me Specter, and it fit for the most part.

Afterall, prior to her first controlling of my mind, I was like a Specter to my people. As it was, I was something more akin to a nightmare among them. I devoured those she controlled aside from me. I would not allow another within my kind to feel that warmth, and gain from my food supply.

One I had left alive, but he served a vital purpose among the Troglodyte kind, namely as a mayor in one of the Ruined Towns I had forced them to occupy. He was the only one to leave his kind from this area, the rest were Dark Wisps, and Tormentors with an odd Dementor here and there.

As it was, he would provide his uses outside my ring of direct control, for now. But I would eat him, in time. Regardless of his uses. I might even gain something in allowing him to have her to some small extent as I was. It would be a delicious experiment.

The others I knew were present originated in the area the Imps had first come from, a relatively powerful kingdom if the old story was to be believed, and then they themselves had spawned from a long forgotten mountain range.

It made me wonder what tasty morsels would be there, and incited a hunger once again. I would have to find out, in time. For now, I must focus on securing my lands, and dealing with the great beast at the bottom of the lake.

I had attempted to send Troglodyte swarms after it, though aside from the tentacle that had been sighted, none returned. Next I would send a swarm of my Dark Wisps, they were far harder to kill, unless the thing possessed some form of magic that could hurt them directly.

I may have to take the field against it in time as well, I wondered how it would taste once killed? If it were tasty enough, I would eat it alone, if not I would give it to the plebeians that I lorded over.

But I must be careful in that regard, if I am too cruel, the warmth will not return, and I will hunger eternal. As it stands, that is the only thing that can even remotely sate me. I would not allow it to leave me starving. So I must be ‘good’ within limits that seemed to please the child, for a child I knew she was.

I had the time to discover how to devour her, and by then she will have aged perfectly to be devoured.

I smiled, baring the gaping maw of nothingness that was my mouth in a smile. Oh yes, it would be a meal to remember. Though if possible, I must find a way to ensure I do not eat all of her, and allow it to grow before slacking my hunger again. But again, I had naught but time to plan.

Here you are my Lovelies. Chapter 24, and the end of book 1.

I regret to say this is a far shorter chapter, and I did not fully go into Specter at this time, because I want the majority of it to remain in sections, as will each of the leader POVS, until later on at least.

We see the build up however in this chapter, the beginnings of far worse to occur within the Dungeon World. The most war hungry has laid full claim to her Territory, what shall occur from this I wonder? What will the Natural Spawned Demons become with so much Demonic Energy all around the land? Find out in book 2!

Fun part aside, I do hope you enjoy this Prelude Chapter, the hints that lead to far more later on. I will be releasing [email protected] sections later tonight, detailing some of the more fine tuned aspects that I never elaborate on, though they are brought more into focus during the school year.

And Specter is a demented, frighteningly intelligent bugger.

As always, much love and cookies