The Sacrifice (Lady Hecate & Cosmic Knight)

[Lady Hecate]

Annalise Morthorn


Age: 19
Race: Human
Personality: Anna is seen as stubborn and strong. She does not easily fall into the room of a housewife as she wants to explore the world. Even so, she is caring for those around her and will not let harm come to any.
History: Anna's parents died when she was four, leaving her in the care of her aunt. She grew up in this family with five cousins and was always seen as the outcast. She enjoyed hunting rather than cooking.
Other: Annalise does not believe that the demon actually exists. She has always figured the girls to have gone crazy and fled into the woods or that the townsfolk killed them in order to continue the demonic pretense.

Annalise sighed softly, lounging on the sofa in the family room. The entire village was in a buzz as the annual celebration began in honor of the so called demon that haunted the bordering forest. Decorations to appease him hung from every rooftop. Anna chuckled softly to herself, amused how loyal the entire village claimed to be. No one had actually seen this creature, so it was impossible to understand why they felt such loyalty to him.

Many years ago, he was said to terrorize this very village with famine and disease, demanding a young and pure maiden to sate his hunger. And eventually, the will of the village caved. And so, since that day, every seven years, a maiden was released into the woods fated never to return. One life for many, it was an easy decision.

Annalise turned a page in her book, startled as a loud banging and shouting began at the family door. She could hear her aunt's voice rising shrilly, pleading against the platoon of men. Anna rose and set her book on the table, screaming as the men came into the room and grabbed her roughly by the arms. Her lithe body was no match as she was dragged from the house, blindfolded, drugged, and tossed into a carriage.

She awoke slowly, her head spinning as the forest swirled around her. She moaned, attempting to stretch, but found that her hands had been chained to the trunk of a large tree with a pentagram carved roughly into its bark. It was apparent the villagers did not want her to run. Annalise pulled on the chains but her strength was too weak to muster more than a rattle of laughter from the ancient metal. Defeated, she leaned against the tree and gazed upward into the moon's glow.

[Cosmic Knight]

Name: He goes by Dantalion, but his true name is hidden from all.
Age: He has existed since time immemorial, but he appears in his mid thirties
Race: Demon Prince
Personality: Dantalion is a thoughtful demon, the keeper of a multitude of secrets. Although he is very capable of raw feats of power and intimidating displays of magic, he considers such gross displays as gauche. He much prefers guile and trickery.
History: Dantalion has claimed this particular stretch of countryside as his domain for the past several hundred years now; although the mortal authorities and the church would deign to disagree, their opinion is of little consequence. From an ancient cathedral, hidden deep in the Forest of Shadows, he plots and plans to gain power, influence, and above all else, persons of importance for his elder masters.
Powers: Like so many of his race, Dantalion is capable of assuming a perfectly human form. He has a mastery of the control over hellfire, and is very accomplished at more subtle arts as well, such as telepathy. As a demon, he is not subject to petty mortal concerns such as sleep or oxygen. The only such conceit he harbours is that at least once every 89 and a half months, he must devour the heart of a young maiden.
Appearance: Dantalion's chosen human form is tall, just over six feet, and compactly muscled.  His mussed black hair and the casual air with which he wears his very expensive clothes contrast with how well he pulls off the look, but there's just something unsettling about his red eyes.

******

Silently, Dantalion approached the tree to which this cycle's sacrifice.

[Lady Hecate]

Annalise sighed softly, her eyes wandering the sky above her. She wondered how long it would take before the wild animals came after her. She did not fear the forest as the other sacrifices before her had. This forest was forbidden to those of the village, but that had never stopped Anna from doing anything. She loved the silence of the forest, the soft rustle of the breeze.

There was a crack in the distance, causing Annalise to to turn quickly. She narrowed her eyes and rose from the cold ground, watching the man as he crept closer. "Who are you?" she asked sharply, blue eyes wandering his frame. He was definitely not from the village. She paused upon his ruby eyes, blinking quickly as if not believing what she saw. She pulled at her wrist quickly, the chain still holding her tightly in place. 

[Cosmic Knight]

((OOC: Sorry about that exceedingly tiny post; my job has an internet filter, so I'm trying to post from my phone. Obviously it's not working as well as I'd hoped.))

Arms crossed, Dantalion approached the chained young woman with a curious glint to his eyes. Gods below, but she was beautiful. Perhaps it couldn't hurt to talk to her before the time came. No, it was always considered too impolite to play with your food, wasn't it? Still, his eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her lithe form. He frowned slightly at the feel of the magical emanations coming off of the magical sigil inscribed in the tree bark. The villagers always got that wrong. He'd have to take her back to the cathedral.

He smiles, attempting to put the young woman at ease. A futile gesture, perhaps, considering the atmosphere, but every little bit helped. "You appear to be in quite the predicament, young lady. How is it that someone like you came to be chained to a tree in a place like this, this late at night?"

[Lady Hecate]

Annalise frowned and took a step back from the man, a task that was impossible due to her tether. She swallowed harshly and attempted to recompose herself to hide her fear. The demon did not exist. The demon could not exist. And even so, Annalise would be a fool not to admit that something was off about this man. At his approach, the forest had silenced completely. And his appearance beyond the red eyes brought a new light to Anna's mind. She had never before seen such an attractive man. In all senses, he was out of this world.

His smile both made her want to bring backward and run into his arms. This fact alone alarmed the young girl more than anything else. "I... I would appreciate some assistance in getting me out," she said, pulling on the chains to strengthen her argument. "My village believes that a demon lives in this forest and has chosen me as sacrifice to keep him calm. I do not know if I agree with them, but I do know these chains are awfully tight. Please sir," she pleaded.

[Cosmic Knight]

Dantalion smiled just a little wider when Annalise mentioned she didn't 'agree' with the villagers. The idea that there were people who didn't even believe in his existence; it was simultaneously insulting and a reminder at how effectively he'd done his job. "Well, now, young miss, that doesn't seem very neighbourly of them." He let his gaze roam over the woman's soft, lush body as he made his way a little closer, stepping behind the tree, and takes a deep breath, letting the scent of her purity fill him for just a moment.

Running a finger along the chain, he rattles it lightly, as though searching for a lock to undo. "I'll tell you what I'll do for you, young miss... I'll get you out of these chains that your villagers have so uncouthly locked you up in, and I'll even escort you to a haven; I have a home, here in the woods. That way, when the demon comes, if he does turn out to exist, he won't be able to find you here." He steps around the other side of the tree, and looks right into Annalise's eyes. "Now, you can't ask for a fairer deal than that?"

[Lady Hecate]

"You live in the woods?" Annalise asked, meeting his gaze. She swallowed hard, wishing that the chain would simply disappear from her sight. But it was obvious that would not be happening any time soon. His touch on the chains felt like electricity as his body loomed closer to her own.

Something was off about him, something that Annalise was missing. Even so, he was her only hope. The chance of meeting another in the woods would be unlikely and she would never be able to remove the chains on her own. Is she did not accept his offer, she would become food for the forest. Even if he helped her, she could run away once freed.

"Fine," she agreed, shivering underneath his blood red gaze. "I suppose  won't be able to find a fairer deal. It's not like my village will come back for me. If anything, they want me dead." She rubbed her arm and glanced away, unable to stare into his eyes any longer. "Now please help me." She shivered again, feeling as if she had just sold her soul to the devil.

[Cosmic Knight]

Kneeling down on one knee next to Annalise, Dantalion smiles lightly, using the chain itself to pull her arm up closer to his face. Not being able to resist another deep breath to savour, he puts fingers on the lock holding that cuff so snug and secure, his hand brushing up against the skin on the captured maiden's arm. He's hot to the touch, shockingly so in the cool night air. "You haven't yet told me your name, young miss."

With a brief moment of concentration, and a very subtle bit of magic, he turns one finger, and turns the lock with it. With a light click, the secured steel pops open, freeing Annalise's arm. Widening his smile just a bit, he says, "Your other arm, if you please, young miss."

[Lady Hecate]

Annalise watched nervously as he pulled on her chain, her eyes wandering his face and body. If only he wasn't so attractive, she cursed to herself. She flinched as his hand brushed her skin, his body warmth considerably higher than the air around them. He felt almost feverous, but Anna could see no trace of madness in his eyes.

To his request, Anna blushed softly and nodded. "I hope you can forgive my rudeness. But in situations like this, it is easy to forget how to properly introduce yourself," she responded softly. "My name is Annalise Morthorn. And you, my savior?" she cooed playfully.

Annalise sighed pleasantly to the click, reclaiming her arm quickly once it was freed. After a moment of clear thought, however, she froze with questions. "How... How did you unlock it?" she asked, realizing the latch and chain were still perfectly intact. She held her other hand by her side, realizing the situation she was in as she was still chained to the tree.

[Cosmic Knight]

Dantalion smiles a little wider at that, the way that Annalise gives him the appelation of 'saviour'. He's a student of all things, to be sure, but he holds a special place in what passes for his heart for irony. "The pleasure is mine, to be sure, Annalise." Pausing for effect, he continues, "You can call me Dante."

Looking down at where the still-captive maiden holds her hand protectively to her side, he replies, "You're a very sharp young woman, Annalise. Most people in your position wouldn't have caught that. The truth of the matter is, I have certain.. talents, shall we say, when it comes to delicate objects like the interior of a lock. Nothing more sinister than that."

[Lady Hecate]

Annalise chewed her lip thoughtfully, looking up at Dantalion. What such talent could a man possess? She had tried the lock herself multiple times without success. She sighed and broke their gaze, slowly bringing her other arm forward. If she did not agree to him helping here, she would be stuck tethered to this tree forever. Whatever this man may be, it was a more pleasing option from the previous.

"Thank you, Dante," she murmured, casting her gaze to the ground. She had no choice but to trust him. She attempted it subtly on her own, but groaned as the chain only creaked with what could be seemingly laughter. She huffed slightly in frustration. "Most people in my situation," she said, responding to his earlier cue, "Would be screaming their heads off to wildly to realize if the chains disappeared by their own. Their fear in this creature blinds them from anything else."

[Cosmic Knight]

Reaching down to take Annalise's hand, reticent or not, Dantalion grins lightly, but with genuine amusement.  "Well, Miss Annalise, that's more to your credit than their detriment.  I've heard it told from several reliable sources that beholding the countenance of a true demon is terrifying down to the soul."  Of course, one of those 'reliable sources' is in fact himself, but he's not about to just say that.

Repeating his trick on the second cuff, he stands, and offers his hand down to Annalise, a curious little smile on his face.  "Now, shall we leave this accursed place?"

[Lady Hecate]

Annalise rubbed her tender wrist as the cuff came off, glad to be rid of the wretched things. Her eyes skirted the forest edge, wondering if she should seize the moment and run. But to where? Surely not back to her village. She would be outcasted for ruining the ceremony. They would kill her on sight and then select another poor female as Sacrifice. Worse yet, the village would believe she had been replaced with a changeling, a fate still ending with her life. No, it would be best if she played along with their trivial fear. When they checked on her in a few days and found the shackled empty, they would think the demon captured her rather than Dante setting her free. For now, she had no where left to go.

Slowly, she accepted his hand and rose to her feet, once again shocked by the warmth of his skin. If she sensed danger, it would be easy enough to run off without the chains. But for now, Dante seemed well enough to follow. She scoffed quickly to his comment about the demons, shaking her head softly with a chuckle. "A terrifying demon? Perhaps. But if they were that powerful I don't see why they would settle for only one sacrifice every seven years. Who ever claimed a demon to be respectful of his livestock?" she said with a morbid chuckle. She shivered from the cold and looked into the sky as clouds began to build. "It looks like it might rain. How far is your home?" she questioned.

[Cosmic Knight]

Dantalion doesn't really let go of Annalisa's hand, but offers his arm to the young woman as he leads her off into the forest.  "Oh, you're quite right, I'd imagine.  Most demons probably wouldn't have the foresight to keep that much restraint."  As the pair crosses over some unseen threshold, Dante adds, almost as an afterthought, "Unless it was a really cunning demon."

The forest is an alien place at night, compared to the usual sights and sounds of the day.  Shadows twist unnaturally around the pair's path, and light has a difficult time diffusing down from the moon, more so than one would expect even considering the cloud cover.  "Oh, it's not far, not far at all.  I'm sure we'll make it there before it rains."  He seems unconcerned by the gloomy effect, and well he should, as he's the cause of it; as the master of this domain, he has a certain control over the distances between locations.  It can be somewhat unsettling to watch, if you're not accustomed to the effect.  For some, it's unsettling, at least.

[Lady Hecate]

Annalise accepted Dante's arm hesitantly as they crossed through the woods. She watched the world as they traveled, finding the growth unfamiliar. Annalise thought she had explored this entire forest, and yet she had never stepped foot into this region. She shook her head, feeling dizzy from the passing atmosphere. It felt like they were walking faster than they were, as if the forest was swirling around them unnaturally. She had heard of such experiences before, a labyrinth of sorts demons manufactured to confuse those attempting to defile their domain.

She glanced quickly to Dante, chiding herself for such a foolish thought. There was a rustle in the leaves, causing Anna to jump and press herself tighter against Dante. "Um, sorry," she said softly, casting a shy glance to the ground.

What is up with me today, jumping at rustling? she scolded herself harshly. Annalise shook herself out and looked up to the sky, shivering softly. "These woods are a bit creepy at night," she said.

[Cosmic Knight]

Dante smiled a little as Annalise pressed herself against him. It helped his fiction slightly, to think of himself as a Dante. Drawing Anna just a little closer, he replied easily, "Oh, you have nothing to be sorry for, young miss." He couldn't help but take another deep breath, drawing in that delectable scent once again. When he does, though, the deepening shadows flicker a little, almost becoming lighter for just a second before drawing in again.

Frowning slightly, he shakes his head just slightly to clear his thoughts. What was that all about? In response to Anna's shivering, he replies, "I suppose they can be. If you live here long, well.. it's something you become used to." As he steps around another tree in their path, all of a sudden there's the beginning of a path. "See? We're almost there." Despite the path, the deepening gloom and the arch of trees above the path look very ominous, belying the bare hint of a glimpse of a building in the distance, at the end of the long, straight passage.

[Lady Hecate]

Annalise blushed softly as he drew and arm around her, offering protection from the melancholy forest. Her eyes narrow as she attempts to peer deeper into the forest, but she sees only dark coverings. It feels as if the woods only want her to notice the particular area they stand in. She sighed and shrugs this thought away, aware of the slight and quivering light that breeches the leafy canopy upon occasion. She follows his gaze down the path, surprised by how far off the building seems to be.

"How long have you lived here?" Annalise asks softly. "It seems lonesome." She looked up to him, truly curious. It was a shame for such an attractive man to live in isolation. She grew accustomed to his warmth and no longer attempted to pull away as she leaned softly against him.

[Cosmic Knight]

Dante took yet another deep breath as he pulled Annalise closer.  He shivered slightly at the feeling of Anna pressed up against him.  It was beginning to get a little difficult to concentrate properly, the shadows wavering in their intensity again before he could get them under control.  The walk towards the Cathedral was deceptively short.  "I have lived here a goodly portion of my time on this earth.  It does seem lonesome from time to time, this is true.  However, the isolation helps focus the mind." 

The Cathedral, as he liked to think of it, was actually constructed out of the ruins of an older, actual church, converted into a manor house with an additional wing.  Curiously enough, however, the only way in or out of the building is either through the main cathedral doors, or one of the rare upper floor windows; there were no additional doors, or ground level windows.  Drawing Anna a little closer to him, he pushes open the heavy-looking doors with the fingertips of one hand, and they swing open, surprisingly easy.  The interior of the building is gloomy and dark just as it is without.  "If you'll come this way, we'll find you a room, yes?"

[Lady Hecate]

"This earth? You make it sound like there are others you have lived on," Annalise jested softly in attempt to sooth her nerves as they continued their walk. Her eyes darted warily around the building as they approached, Annalise's caution only increasing as the door was pushed open. She glimpsed a portion of a stain glass window in the high ceiling from the trickling moonlight and was surprised by its beauty. "This place must be something with the sunlight streaming through," she murmured thoughtless as they stood in the entry arch. However, with the nighttime eerie, it is not somewhere she would want to be left alone. Perhaps even during the day, she realized as her stomach flops slightly with a morbid feel.

"A room?" she stuttered, turning to look up at him. "I don't want to be a burden, I mean you did help me out of a tight situation, but I couldn't possibly impose on your generosity," she said, attempting to wiggle from his hot grasp. She suddenly had a bad feeling of everything going on, fearful of where this man had brought her.

[Cosmic Knight]

Somewhat amused, Dante lets Annalise wriggle free of his grasp.  Now, at near the heart of his domain, she starts to get cautious.  Not that there was much she could do to change her fate now, but it would be interesting to watch her try.  "Oh, it would be no imposition at all, young miss.  The room would simply lay empty if you were not here.  And I couldn't possibly let you travel through such a dangerous forest at night, escorted or not.  It is simply not a safe place to be."  Almost as if on cue, the howl of a wolf cuts the air, echoing through the gloomy night.

Reaching just inside the door, he picks up a small lantern; which he lights with a brief snap of his fingers.  "As I'm sure you're aware, the forest can be a very dangerous place at night.  If you spent the night, and left in the morning, well, that would be much safer."  It was interesting to him, this game that he enjoyed; although his face is the very picture of sincerity, double meanings hide within his words.  And yet, even given those double meanings not one thing that he's said has been a lie.  It's something he prides himself on.

[Lady Hecate]

((OOC- so what's going on with your account?))

Annalise's gaze flickered about the area, jumping to the howling wolf. She shivered softly and brushed her arm as if to brush away the fear. It was a ploy that did not even begin to work. Shaking her head softly, she nodded and took a step forward. "I suppose you are right, Dante. With the forest this dark, I don't think I could even find my way out. But I can only stay one night," she warned, jumping to a small creature that skirted over her foot.

Annalise bit her lower lip and followed him, her eyes darting every way and back.