Voice 1: Is it time?
Voice 2: Yes.
Voice 1: Are you sure about this?
Voice 2: Yes. Summon 'it'

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Small wings batted against the gentle breeze and the small robin banked to the right in an elegant swooping motion towards a deep pond of clear blue water. It's round black beady eyes vividly reflecting the light of the sun as it glossed over the area. The body of water was contained in an unevenly shaped bowl, one side slopped down towards the depths in a semicircle while the other rose into a steep cliff. Looking at the pond from the slopping down part one could see the two large willows that sat quietly on the right obscuring the view of the shallow channel that fed the pond. To the left there were the remains of an old fallen tree, now a mossy rotting hollowed out trunk half sunken in the water that gently lapped at the muddy bank.

If one was to follow the channel to the source of the pond water one would encounter a very obviously but old man made bridge. It was entirely constructed of unevenly shaped stones paved together and allowed the forest inhabitants to easily cross the small stream. The source of the water itself was much more unusual in appearance. It was something similar to those stereotypical tiki-statues often shown when depicting ancient civilizations of South America. The worn out stone carving had rudimentary human-like features; a nose, mouth, hands, the remains of feet and hollow empty sockets where the eyes should have been. It was from those sockets that the water slowly seeped from to feed the stream that in turn fed the pond. The constant contact with water had allowed a dense covering of moss to grow all around the statue and it obscured some of the features of the old carving.

The ground all around the pond was covered in short but very healthy, vibrant green grass. Skinny but tall trees also dotted the area but the predominant or more noticeable species were the weeping willows that grew around the perimeter of the pond itself. Their long whiplike vines dances delicately in the breeze and it was on the branches of one such tree that our little bird made its perch. It ruffled it's feathers while shaking it's head and sinking further into the softness they provided before beginning to run its thin beak through the smaller feathers under its wings. An important ritual for all birds. A low hum suddenly broke the peace and the bird was forced to react in the only way it knows how. As it flees its newly found perch it's obvious he's not the only one as flocks of small birds lift up into the air and flee deeper into the forest.

The little robin pushed with all his strength against the air that seems to be rapidly sucking him back towards the centre of the pond. The small vortex of air, leaves and other debris was slowly growing bigger and the more he struggled the less progress he made. Small black eyes darted back and forth as a burning sensation started to sap the strength right out of every muscle fibre in his small body. He let out a small peep and shut his small eyes expecting the worst.

Silence. The small bird's eyes reveal themselves once more and he finds himself still flying, this time actually moving instead of being held in place by an unseen force. Without hesitation the robin rushes for cover having avoided certain death. The forest is left to calm down, an atmosphere full of confusion and tension still lingered heavily in the air.

Without warning a crack of thunder erupts from nowhere and everywhere at once igniting the tension into full blown panic. Every animal scrambled for safety and loud scuttling and muffled cries echoed through the trees. The vortex was once again picking up speed as it sucked in all the air around it forming it into a visible white orb floating just above the surface of the water. It's high winds causing the liquid to churn violently into a massive water spiral. The once aloof and carefree koi who resided in the pond were being dragged up and down the spinning spire. Mercifully the poor fish were knocked unconscious before long.

More thunder claps and bright flashes emanated from the strange phenomenon. Time seems to always move at different speeds depending on the situation. To the terrified inhabitants this frightening display seemed to last an eternity when in reality it was merely a few minutes before it once again abruptly ended. The water that had been pulled up by the rushing winds fell apart and flopped back down to meet the still rippling surface. A black mass now hung limply just out of reach of the liquids touch. Four limbs ending in cloven crimson hooves were tightly pressed against a well built body. The head was that of a typical white tail deer. Rounded snout with a prominent brow.

It moved down towards the water and before long it was fully submerged. The water's cool embrace roused the animal from its slumber and black eyelids parted to reveal matte red orbs. Being underwater seemed to provide little to no discomfort to the being as it spread its long legs and began to swing them rhythmically. It tread water with ease and in mere seconds made its appearance from the depths. Water spray shot out of its nostrils as it released the long held breath in its lungs before inhaling the Forest's pure air. As the deer swam towards the shore it took notice of its surrounding, a lush green vastness stood before it ready to be explored. This would have to wait since its purpose here was more business than pleasure. There was a very specific task that needed to be accomplished, one this creature had done many times before.

Crimson hooves made contact with the soft mud and sunk slightly under the creatures weight as it pulled its body from the waters, feeling the mud push and deform between its cloven feet was an unusually pleasant experience. Sadly this too would have to wait as more pressing matters were at hand, or hooves in this case. It's keen senses opened up a world of possibilities , the dank smell of moss, mud and moist grass filled its nose along with the sounds of water splashing as the once knocked out koi came back to life in a frightened frenzy. They jumped out of the water in a disordered manner before forgetting the whole experience and settling back into their watery home. The black deer turned its head to the left and took notice of the strange rock carving from which the water flowed, a mental note of an interesting thing to explore at a later time. To the right was a mound with two more stone carvings, these were white in colour and clearly in better condition. Although slightly chipped the statues as a whole were still sharply defined. The creature wasn't sure what they were but their symbolism was pleasing; Balance.

With its curiosity satisfied for the moment the black animal began walking straight ahead, weaving gently through the thicket and zigzagging through the scarcely wooded area. Although the trees were not numerous the shade they provided was still impressive as only few light areas managed to reach the forest floor. The whole area was dotted by gently swaying blue flowers and the many butterfly that made their rounds collecting their nectar. As the deer walked deeper into the forest it was clear that it would require little to no effort to find its target as the stench of sulphur was very unusually for this region. It lifted its head high into the air and inhaled deeply. Many different smells stimulated its sensory organ; the musky smell of deer, the dusty and somewhat mouldy smell of forest birds, and so on. One of course stood out, the foul stench of sulphur combined with black smoke; its target had been found.

From this point on eyes were no longer necessary and would actually provide only distractions so the lids closed tightly upon the oculars. It needed only to follow its nose to find him.
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He watched with piercing blue eyes into the distance towards the water where he knew someone or rather someTHING was coming for him. They had finally found his sanctuary and had come to make him repay his debt.

Black smokey mist rose from the hoof prints left behind by the dark as night deer that had just come forth from a dimension unknown. It moved elegantly with a steady pace. Weaving gracefully through the thicket, past trees leaving them smeared in a thick black goo whenever it's body made contact with them. Bright red eyes scanned the horizon ahead with purpose; it knew very well what its target was and it only intended to claim its payment and leave the balance of this forest undisturbed.

Sacrilege's growing anxiety finally pulled the stag to his feet. He remained pinned to the spot ever watchful. The shadowy figure that he dreaded seeing ever again finally came into view. It's fur darker than anything nature could produce, large antlers adorning it's expressionless face. Sacrilege followed its movements with his eyes as a feeling of dread crept up from deep within.

Sacrilege: Nemesis. What took you so long to find lil' old me ? The shakiness in his voice contradicted his calm demeanour as the white stag stood before something much scarier and much more ancient than he was.

Nemesis: Dorian. I am here to claim what you owe. Its voice flowed from unmoving lips as if spoken directly into Sacrilege's mind. It made him shudder how emotionless it always sounded but he tried to keep his composure before this powerful adversary.

Sacrilege: I haven't been called that in a long time, I prefer to go by 'Sacrilege' now. Don't you have bigger fish to fry than me? Just let this slip and we'll both walk away from this unscathed. I've payed enough already don't you think?

Nemesis: I must maintain the ba- Yeah yeah, the balance I know the drill... Sacrilege interrupted. He looked annoyed more than anything right now but fear of the black beast before him was an ever present companion now. Sacrilege shifted his weight uncomfortably as he quickly devised an escape plan. He wouldn't be able to run forever but it would buy him some time to think of something.

Without warning he rushed the red-antlered creature. Sacrilege's muscular body quickly reached that of the now wide-eyed black demon. Nemesis pushed its own body to the side trying to avoid the incoming white mass but being caught off guard threw off its balance and it staggered on its feet giving Sacrilege the perfect opening to shove it to the side as he ran past. A smirk upon Sacrilege's face as he made his escape was contrasted by the lack of expression painted upon his adversary as it watched its quarry escape its grasp once again.

Nemesis: You can't run forever Dorian.
its voice reached Sacrilege's ears even as he put physical distance between them. He knew Nemesis was right, he couldn't keep running but he also didn't want to die. Not now. Not when he was finally moving on and living again.
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With a frozen gaze it watched as Sacrilege became smaller and eventually disappeared from view. Surprisingly enough the new comer moved slowly in the opposite direction of where it's target had gone. Deciding it was a good opportunity to get to know its temporary residence and hunting ground it walked silently opening its senses for the first time to this forest.

The gentle breeze carried many voices with it. The many colourful songs of birds filled it's ears and the voices of the unfamiliar inhabitants of the forest puzzled the new comer. They spoke a language that although it understood perfectly was not familiar to it. The grass felt soft as it brushed against the dark legs of the creature, it's deep red hooves disappearing briefly from view as they dipped beneath the sea of green only to reemerge again a little distance away like a dolphin dipping beneath the wake of a friendly boat only to jump out excitedly. The sunlight that seeped through the canopy hit it's black fur and made it shimmer and dance in a most unusual manner as it's muscles and bones propelled its entire form forward.

It watched curiously as the green grass gave way to yellowing fields of blueberries and the ground went from a rich brown to a dirty yellow. Rocks dominated this landscape; a more familiar looking place. A low pleased rumble escaped it's muzzle once it set eyes on the massive rock formation and immediately it knew this is where it would set up it's temporary home. Very effortlessly as if floating through the air the deer propelled it's body forward and landed on the largest boulder. Turning its head to the right then to the left the landscape looked barren and devoid of all other life except for small birds that had decided to perch upon it's red antlers, this suited it just fine.

As far as it was concerned the less interactions it had with the inhabitants of the forest the less of an imprint it's presence here would have. With one smooth motion it plopped itself down onto the smooth surface, eyes half-closed letting the sun warm and dry it's fur as its new found avian companions sung in its ears the many stories they had witnessed in this forest. There were many, varied and interesting. Some tragic, some inspiring, some wicked and unspeakable acts, some amazing acts of bravery and selflessness. A good balance, this pleased it greatly.
It's hard facial expression softened into a subtle smile as it relaxed.
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He finally understood why the forest had been called by many "Endless" as he felt his legs begin to quiver with exhaustion. To his luck however he had managed to find himself in a rather peaceful area. The massive oak tree with it's hollowed out trunk would provide him with a safe heaven where he could regain his strength and think.

The tree had stood there for many millennium as it was obvious from it's aging bark and immense size. This one tree could have possibly fathered all other oaks in this forest. The canopy was far too high up to be able to see but the ancient guardian was still very healthy as was obvious from all the leaves that littered the area. New foliage must have replaced the old and very quickly as the shade it provided was exceptional. Very little if any sunlight ever reached the ground here and that suited Sacrilege perfectly.

As he stepped into the cavernous opening he felt his heavy breaths reverberate and echo all around him. A strange yet pleasant humming filled his head and calmed him. He found a suitable spot in which to lay down and rest his tired body and without hesitation plopped down into the barren ground. This part of the forest had very little grass in it but the ground was always somewhat moist and cool to the touch. It was instant relief the second his flesh made contact with the ground, the cooling sensation rippled through his aching muscles making them feel supple and relaxed.

As his body was soothed his mind was free to sink deep into thought. Memories to be more He finally understood why the forest had been called by many "Endless" as he felt his legs begin to quiver with exhaustion. To his luck however he had managed to find himself in a rather peaceful area. The massive oak tree with it's hollowed out trunk would provide him with a safe heaven where he could regain his strength and think.

The tree had stood there for many millennia as it was obvious from it's aging bark and immense size. This one tree could have possibly fathered all other oaks in this forest. The canopy was far too high up to be able to see but the ancient guardian was still very healthy as was obvious from all the leaves that litered the area. New foliage must have replaced the old and very quickly as the shade it provided was exceptional. Very little if any sunlight ever reached the ground here and that suited Sacrilege perfectly.

As he stepped into the cavernous opening he felt his heavy breaths reverberate and echo all around him. A strange yet pleasent humming filled his head and calmed him. He found a suitable spot in which to lay down and rest his tired body and without hesitation plopped down into the barren ground. This part of the forest had very little grass in it but the ground was always somewhat moist and cool to the touch. It was instant relief the second his flesh made contact with the ground, the cooling sensation rippled through his aching muscles making them feel supple and relaxed.

As his body was soothed his mind was free to sink deep into thought. Memories to be more precise. He knew why Nemesis had come for him but he didn't want to remember the incident. It was a part of him that to this day caused great pain, regret and anguish. His story was one of great love followed by unimaginable torture, it left him filled with an indescribable hatred for man and anyone who dared remind him of what he had lost.

His brow wrinkled as the unpleasant thoughts filled his mind. This wasn't the time to think of that past. Sacrilege needed a bargaining chip, another demon or equally wicked creature who's soul was just as guilty as his. He could trade that one for his own and the debt would be re-payed and Nemesis' balance returned. He knew why Nemesis had come for him but he didn't want to remember the incident. It was a part of him that to this day caused great pain, regret and anguish. His story was one of great love followed by unimaginable torture, it left him filled with an indescribable hatred for man and anyone who dared remind him of what he had lost.

His brow wrinkled as the unpleasant thoughts filled his mind. This wasn't the time to think of that past. Sacrilege needed a bargaining chip, another demon or equally wicked creature who's soul was just as guilty as his. He could trade that one for his own and the debt would be re-payed and Nemesis' balance returned.
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He was a well groomed rather rich individual during a time when witchcraft was greatly feared and anyone caught practicing it would be trial, tortured and finally killed as payment for his crime. As a demon he was not allowed to directly interfere with human affairs unless he wanted to risk upsetting the balance and it's guardian Nemesis.Dorian was arrogant and drunk with the power he commanded. Blinded by this he set forth into the world. He seduced a beautiful young girl of around 16 years of age with his charming looks and mannerisms but much to his own surprise found himself becoming much more attached to her than he had planned. Some might even call it 'love'. Elizabeth was her name and she was a petite girl, not much in the way of physical beauty with her old tattered clothes, freckled complexion and wavy reddish hair but her personality was the very description of perfection.



She was patient, loving, caring of all beings, understanding and with the most ambitious and positive attitude of anyone Dorian had ever met. He found himself being more and more drawn in by her unique ways and eventually came to have very real feelings for her; his first love. Now being from a less than reputable family Elizabeth often found herself in trouble with the other members of her sparsely populated village. As far as she can remember her family had been exiled to live in the outskirts of town and very rarely ventured into the marketplace. The home where she had been born and raised was a humble one with rotting wooden walls, a ceiling that barely kept the wind and rain out and dirt for a floor. Elizabeth was happy with her life despite her hardships and refused Dorian's many offers to move with him to his vastly better home closer to town. Although her humble home was one single room with two sad excuses for beds it was immediately obvious which corner was hers. It was decorated with lovely drawings, and small animal carvings that gave it a very feminine and homely feel despite the overwhelming gloomy atmosphere the rest of the house possessed.



On the one year anniversary of their meeting Dorian planned a special evening out with his chosen human companion. He bought her an expensive dress made of the finest silk available to the small town. It was a radiant dark blue with golden sequenced accents around neck. He also bought a complimenting shawl and simple well fitting shoes to go with her new dress. At first Elizabeth felt uneasy accepting such expensive gifts but the look in Dorian's eyes made her realize that refusing would break his heart. With a smile upon her face she accepted. She washed her body as well as she could as to not dirty the new dress and did her hair for the first time in months.



In his eyes she looked perfect. She glowed with a beauty unlike any other he had ever set eyes on. Being a gentleman he bowed respectfully before extending out his hand to ask her to walk with him. She blushed but accepted placing her small delicate hand in his. With a soft grip he guided her towards his awaiting carriage and they both set forth towards the town. Entering a restaurant for the first time in her life left little Elizabeth speechless as her date guided her towards their table. She even failed to notice the gasps and hateful stares of the other patrons in the establishment. Even the waiter refused to pull out a chair for the young gal, but her knight in shining armour was there to make it all better.



A filling and delicious meal and much pleasant conversation later and they were once again ready to depart. Dorian had planned a romantic excursion into the nearby woods on a path that would lead them towards the highest point of the village with a beautiful open view of the lake and town below. It was going to be perfect, he had planned it for months and finally it was all happening. He eagerly led her out of the restaurant. Completely entranced by his date's beauty and his own anticipation for what was to come he missed the signs that something was going wrong. As they left they were being followed by three strange men with spiteful looks upon their faces and bad intentions in their hearts. They eyed Elizabeth like rabid wolves as she glided gracefully next to her date.



Her face contorted in pain as she felt the first kick upon her back and she fell forth letting go of Sacrilege's hand. Elizabeth landed hard into a puddle of mud. The dirty semiliquid staining her once immaculate dress and tarnishing her face.



"That's where you belong you piece of filth!" She heard one of the men say, a triumphant smirk upon his face as he was cheered on by his friends. All the clapping and laughing drew more people forth from their homes and nearby shops to watch the spectacle.



Of course Dorian wasn't going to just stand idly by and watch as the love of his life was humiliated. Without a second thought he threw a punch that landed squarely on the grinning attacker's chin knocking him to the ground. His friends stepped in and restrained Sacrilege while their downed comrade found his footing again.The attacker punched Dorian in the gut while he was restrained like the coward her was but Sacrilege barely made a sound as his body was assaulted again and again. A trickle of pitch black blood falling from his lips. He merely stared at the ground as he was beat.



The men stopped and were confused to hear Sacrilege begin to chuckle instead of begging them to stop. The low voice soon turned into a maniacal booming laughter that barely sounded human anymore. The face that was once that of a handsome young man had all but peeled away exposing a horrid and monstrous visage underneath. The skin was chalky, eyes a bright reddish orange. They glowed in the evening darkness with unnatural brightness as soulless black pupils stared the now frozen attacker in place. Dorian's body contorted and stretched as its human skin ripped and fell away, his true form outgrowing it. A tall lanky creature with pale skin, sharp teeth and flesh-ripping claws stood where the once handsome man had been. With blinding speed he tore his attackers to shreds, their blood and internal organs painted the street and any unfortunate building that stood too close. The cheering had been replaced by hysterical screaming as people locked themselves up in their homes doing their best to barricade themselves from the monster outside.



Dorian awoke in his home. Blood still caked his hands and mouth and clung in hardened clumps in his white hair. He clutch the dress his lower had worn tightly in his fist and a sudden realization came upon him. Had he unknowingly hurt Elizabeth in his frenzy?
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A bit of a short story, set in the human world with a as of now unknown person writing about his/her encounter with Dorian also known as Sacrilege. This story is not set in the Forest but rather takes place in a scarcely populated medium sized town. Sorry if it's confusing and not very well written, it's just an experiment and practice I suppose for myself. Hope it's still somewhat enjoyable c:


"My name is Dorian and if you're reading this then I'm in dire need of your help." This urgent note was how my nightmare began. Who I am and where I'm from is irrelevant to this story, I'm just an average person, someone you wouldn't even give a second glance to if you passed them on the street. I remember the day I found that cursed letter written by a complete stranger with only a name to identify him.

The air felt heavy and musty on that chilling autumn day and I found myself once again having to walk myself home. My job isn't anything amazing, in fact it's so mundane it sometimes feels like I'm just running on autopilot. I work at a generic coffee shop but not as what you would imagine, I just clean the store in the morning before it opens. It's a crappy job but the pay is decent and I get to do other things during the day.

Now my day starts very early in the morning, I wake up at around 4:45am and leave my house at about 5:15am. I usually walk the 15 minutes or so to the bus stop where I get on and ride to and from work. I had forgotten my bus pass that day because let's face it, we're never 100% there on Monday mornings after being out all weekend with friends.

I got in a bit late that morning and had to haul ass to finish my work just before the doors opened to the public; I'll admit I didn't do the best of jobs that day but I wasn't in the mood. I grabbed my coat, hastily said goodbye and rushed out wanting to get home and away from the oppressive atmosphere outside. I remember thinking how gloomy that day looked with the cover of grey clouds hovering over the town threatening to split open and drown us in a downpour of rain.

I was basically speed walking my way home, not even giving the alleyways that served as bathrooms for all the homeless a second glance, I mean the smell alone was enough to drive anything away from them. As I passed one of these unremarkable alleyways I began hearing a soft voice whispering indistinctly which was weird because I had my earbuds in at the time and was listening to music. "Great a corrupted file just made me question my sanity." I remember thinking to which, and I swear this is true, the voice responded with a "No" yeah I know, sorry to disappoint but my name wasn't called and I wasn't picked up and dragged to hell the second I question the voice's existence.

Anyway yeah I thought that was pretty weird but whatever, I kept walking admittedly much faster now that I was nearly scared shitless by the voice in my head. I guess I wasn't doing what it wanted because it became louder the further I got away from that alley. I decided to just take my earbuds out because I was starting to get extremely nervous at this point. Even with the damn things out I could still hear the strange whispering in my head that just kept growing and growing with every step I took away. Since it was morning and not many people were around at this hour I decided to just investigate, maybe I was picking up some weird radio signal of something. So I walked back to the alley and the whispering became less urgent sounding.

Snooping around didn't really turn up anything aside from the usual disgusting sites and smells that are at home in these isolated dark places but at least my curiosity was satisfied and, although it didn't notice right away, the whispering was also gone. I shrugged the whole thing off popped my earbuds back in and got the heck out of there.

As I got home I finally was able to let out the sigh that was stuck in my throat. I laughed at myself for being so stupid and put my hand in my pocket fumbling around for my keys. The familiar click of my door unlocking flooded me with relief. I stepped inside my darkened apartment still littered with empty beer cans and pizza boxes, I ignored the mess and threw my coat on the couch on my way to my room. I distinctly remember there being nothing on the small stand in my hallway because I put my keys there.

This is a rough layout of my apartment: It has two sets of doors, the front door which has two sets of locks, a deadbolt and a regular doorknob lock. Once you step in from outside you're greeted by the second set of doors, glass decorative type door with no locks at all. Once you step in through the doors it's my living room, my couch is roughly in the center and to the left facing the wall to the outside because my tv is right up against the wall. There are two large windows on that wall aswell. From the front door the kitchen is directly straight and a small hallway right before the kitchen leads to my bathroom and bedroom, these two rooms are right across from each other. My kitchen has a large window where the sink is and a door to the dining room which is part of the living room. There is a one large window in the dining room.

I'm not great as describing but I hope that gives you a good idea of what the place looks like. Anyway like I said there was nothing unusual sitting on the stand when I made my way to my room that morning. I changed from my work clothes into something more comfortable and made my way to my living room to waste my day doing nothing productive. When I walked past where my keys were there was a sealed envelope under my keys; one that hadn't been there before.

"What the hell..?" I said as I picked up the unusual thing, it was old looking and sealed with wax out of all thing. Who the hell uses wax to seal envelopes anymore? Honestly at first I thought it was one of my friends messing with me but after a thorough search of my small apartment turned up nothing I forced myself to believe I had simply missed the thing when I came in, even though I'm sure I didn't see it there beforehand.

I broke the seal and unwrapped the letter, again it looked old. Written in ink.

To be continued.
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