Demonic Revenge
Journey Begins
By: Malaca

The day started as it should. The sky rose early as a vibrant background of color splashed against the dark realities of Earth. A massive ball of fire and fury hung in the sky protecting the world as he should. The earth herself drew forward her cloak of mist and fog letting it encase her form, and permitting it to ward off the chilly afterbite of night. And far off in the wide Strata territory, a few birds chirped their songs heralding a new day of promise.

Dawn drifted closer pulling back the chilly frost allowing earth to remove its protective layer of mist and fog. Gallantly pulling herself upwards, Dawn prepared to run her sprint. As she raced forward towards the camp of the Empress, small figures shift through undetected by all eyes except, of course, her own. Dark figures twisted with age and power, undetected and unknown to the world of man. Dawn ignored them on her journey. It was not her business to mess with the Otherworldly creatures. Entering the camp of the great one Dawn paused as one sound echoes through the entire camp, a loud guttural snore.

She chuckled, and bends forward to investigate. Searching each tent carefully, she came upon a tent along the opposite edge of the camp. Chuckling to herself once more, Dawn opened the flap slowly and allowed her rays to drift in an attempt wake the young man who, at the moment, was sprawled across his bed in a haphazard manner. She smiled an omniscient smile as the figure rolled over to protect his face from her light. Dawn left then, allowing the young man to return to his business. Besides, she could lose her hearing to stay any longer, and she was already getting old.

Kenji rolled over once more, allowing his arms to fling wildly across his bed. Drool shifted down from his mouth to drip unceramonially onto his hard mattress. Starting once more, a soft snore echoed in his chest, filling with power as it moved upwards to explode into a full fledge, hold your ears and hope it'll stop soon, snore. Ransom huffed as he propped himself up to glare at his snoring companion.

Kenji paid no notice, and prepared to snore once more. Ransom looked around desperately as it began. He saw only a content Chase, asleep on his mat. Ransom cursed his luck. An elephant who could single handily destroy an army with a simple snore and a sloth that could sleep through a nuclear explosion, were his room mates. Kenji wound up once more to release it with a bello. Ransom grabbed the first thing he felt along the side of his cot, which happened to be a large, very dirty boot, and threw it at Kenji's side with all his might. Kenji merely clutched the filthy boot possessively between two hands, scratched an armpit, and rolled over. Ransom sighed before falling back to his bed to get some well deserved rest. On his passage between sleep and awake, a loud noise pushed him out of his journey once more. Ransom concealed a scream before shoving his head underneath a pillow. Kenji the elephant had struck again.

"So how are we going to wake them up today?" a soft whisper stole through the heavy fabric of the tent.

"I don't know. But I woke Chase up last time, and I'm not doing it again! I still have a bruise on my shoulder!"

"Well, I'm not doing it!" the voice raised itself up a notch.

"Well, I'm not doing it!" the other voice rose higher.

"You both are going to do it if you don't shut up!" a harsh whisper silenced the two companions.

Three creeping figures made there way stealthily around the tent blending in with the shadows. Malca was in the front of the procession leading them all to the boy's bunk. Soft giggles behind her caused her to turn her head and glare at her two friends. Cristale held her hand tightly over her mouth as Terri unwound her from the loose rope that insisted on tickling her legs. Both girls were red with laughter. Malca sighed heavily, rolling her eyes upwards in a silent prayer to God. The giggles continued. Malca huffed softly and went to her friends, destruction in mind. She gripped Cristale by the shoulders and spun her around wildly.

"What are you two doing!" she whispered harshly.

Cristale looked up and gulped. Malca looked like rendition of a hellion incarnate. Gulping again, she stuttered at the proposed question. Cristale looked frantically around for Terri to support her.

Terri stood at the side of the two, leaning against a tent post and chuckling as she shook her head at them. Terri, catching Malca's glance in her direction, motioned towards the tent flap with a jerk of her head. Malca nodded, and hauled Cristale off her feet to follow.

"Wait!" exclaimed Cristale to her friends.

They looked down irritated, "Hmmm?"

Cristale fumbled inside her cloak, searching for something deep within. Malca, on account that it wasn't the time of the month to bother her with details, muttered darkly underneath her breath about the stupidities of humans. She conveniently forgot that she was indeed a human herself, in a sense at least. Malca tapped her foot impatiently.

"We're waiiittttiinnnng," she drawled.

"Just a second, I have something that we can use to wake 'em up," Cristale explained.

"Cristale darling, I have other things to do today besides waiting in the dark!" she called back in a too sweet voice.

Terri chuckled again, placing her hand on Malca's shoulder to calm her down. Malca shrugged the hand off with a fierce grin. Terri sighed and cracked her knuckles sharply, getting a wince from Malca. It was then Terri's turn to grin at her friends distaste.

"Ah, here we go," Cristale exclaimed again pulling out a lumpy pack.

Terri stepped forward questioningly, "What is in there?"

Cristale smiled and opened the pack showing creamy white orbs, "Got them fresh this morning."

Malca picked up one of the small orbs and examined it slowly. A small grin appeared on her face. Malca tossed the object high up in the air, letting it fall to the ground. She watched as the shattered orb release an orange and white liquid from inside. Malca then looked up into her friend's eyes. Terri and Cristale winced at the site of the preditorial glee in her eyes. This was going to be interesting.

Somewhere in the back of Ransom's mind....

Ransom smelled the clean air of the ocean, flavored with the scent of salt and seaweed. He then smiled contentedly as several good looking girls rubbed oil into his skin, massaging out the sore muscles out of his back. He arched his back in happiness. Ransom rolled over with a sigh and motioned the girls to walk away. The red haired, green eyed teenager let the sun beat into his body. Just on the brink of sleep he felt a wet slimly liquid coat his face.

Back in the real world.

Ransom sat up with alarm, wiping the remains of the egg off his face. The girls were no where in site. Well, at least his tight clothed bimbos weren't. But there was a co-promise of three very hyper women laughing their heads off. Chase sat up suddenly, scratching his head in puzzlement.

"Hey its Chase the undead, finally gracing our humble abode!" Cristale exclaimed in mock horror.

Chase mumbled something incoherent, while Ransom struggled to calm his rampant anger. He shoved himself out of bed, smearing egg along his clothing and bed sheets. Ransom growled fiercely and leaped for the running girls.

"YOUR ABODE! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WITH LETTING ME SLEEP? WHAT FORCE HATES ME SO MUCH TO HAVE YOU ALL AS MY MISGUIDED FRIENDS!"

Malca ducked underneath a flying chair and glanced over at Cristale asking plaintively, "Think he's mad?"

Cristale shrugged in amusement, as she too became victim to the flying chair epidemic. Chase watched with owlish confusion. Kenji rolled over and snored once more as a chair hit him directly on target with his butt. He sighed once, and then shot up scratching his arm pit once. Looking around, he turned to Chase who was in the process of adjusting his large brain to the fundamentals of early morning wake up calls.

"What I miss?" he asked with confusion.

Chase turned towards him and blinked once. Kenji raised an eyebrow at the sight of his friend sitting there like an idiot.

"Well, answer me stupid! Should we fight, flee, or try to stop this madness?" Kenji yelled.

Chase blinked once more. Kenji sighed comically before throwing his blankets off, grabbing Ransom, and a giggling Terri by the collars, and throwing them upon his messy excuse of a bed. This was not a place you ever want to be.

An upside down Terri wrinkled her nose at the smell of his bed. A small roach crawled up and examined her face with whispery tentacles. Ransom caught sight of the crawler and smashed it with one fluid and practiced motion. Apparently him and the buggy had met once before.

Cristale laughed beneath a chair, "Let me out already!"

Chase responded mechanically by lifting up the chair in a stiff motion and throwing a short distance away. Then with a blank look on his face, Chase walked off to sit cross legged on his bed. Cristale watched with a bemused expression upon her face. He was defiantly Chase the undead.

Kenji chuckled and helped up Malca, who pat him on the back in a relaxed manner.

"Thanks for the help hard head!" she exclaimed with dire sarcasm.

Kenji rolled his eyes and then hoisted a protesting Malca over his shoulder. He plopped her down on the bed with a flopping noise that seemed to echo through out the camp. He moved to do the same to Cristale. She raised her hands in defeat before settling herself gracefully next to a raggled Ransom and Terri, and an undignified Malca. Kenji crossed his arms along his chest and gave his best attempt at a stern face. This was not successful however on the account he looked like a mix of adorably cute, and amusably ridiculous. His friends had trouble containing their amusement.

"Would you like to tell me what is going on?" he asked.

Ransom glared at the three girls, starting off angrily, "They woke me up with eggs! I didn't get a good night sleep, and was about to have a good rest when they came in and pelted me with eggs! With eggs, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

Kenji stuck a finger in his closest ear to Ransom and twitched it about to ease the ringing of Ransom's voice.

"I here you loud in clear. Why didn't you get any sleep again?"

Ransom shifted his glare to Kenji, "Because you snore like a freaken earthquake!"

"Then why didn't Chase wake up?" Kenji asked indifferently.

Ransom stared at his friend like he was stupid, "Because he sleeps like a mummy, you idiot! Why do you think my best friend with all the brains is sitting there staring at us like we are aliens from another world?"

Kenji shifted uncomfortably, "Girls, what do you have to say for this?"

The three girls exchanged glances before Malca spoke up, "Only that, that was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life!"

At this all of the girls burst out in laughter. Kenji rolled his eyes, and Ransom muttered dark curses to ease his anger. Chase blinked once more.

A burst of light from the front of the tent drew the attention of the six friends. Cyrus and Rayne stood in the opened flap. The group stiffened as the two guards stepped forward. Cyrus dwarfed his companion by at least eight inches. Standing at about 6 feet and 2 inches tall, Cyrus towered over almost everyone in the clan. Rayne stood calmly next to his friend in silent waiting.

"What do you two want?" growled Ransom.

Rayne tossed his shoulder length white hair behind his back, "Empress Adalai wishes for you six to pack your belongings and meet her in the meadow of lost souls in one hour."

"Take only important materials, and keep your packs light! You'll be traveling far away with the Empress. Be ready to leave with your mounts. Tell no one that you are leaving," Cyrus added throwing a pack on the floor before them.

With that the two armed guards turned and left leaving the six teens confused.

"So," Ransom said with a grin, "is it time to have fun yet, Kenji?"

Kenji tapped his chin in mock concentration, "Perhaps."

Chase snapped to attention all of the sudden. He looked around the room confused, then looked back at Ransom for an answer.

"What happened in here?"

Ransom fell back with a groan.

Covering his face with a hand he muttered to his friends that had a clue, "I ain't telling him anything. You guys can explain it all to him. I'm taking a nap, and I'll see you all in an hour!"

Kenji chuckled as he led Chase out of the tent, the girls following close behind.

"What I miss? Come on guys! Tell me!"

Dawn's passing marked the beginning of a new day, but the master still controlled the day after. Hanging precariously by what seemed like a strand, he lit up the mortal world with his rays. But even his protective guard of the world would not be enough to protect his charge from the darkness that stood waiting in the distant horizon.

Adalai sat motionless upon her silver stallion. The stallion shifted slightly under her light weight. She reached down and patted her partner's muscular neck reassuring him against the pressing evil. The meadow was startling calm, unusual for spring time. Not a bird dared to move in the pressing stillness. Adalai moved one hand upward gesturing calmly to the forest. Instantly the forest came alive, trusting their Empress to protect them from the threat. Adalai frowned at unnatural rustling in front of her. Her right hand dropped to the golden hilt of her broadsword. Cocking her head to the side, Adalai smiled and dropped her hand at the familiar feeling.

The six chosen of her clan moved into the meadow and paused watching their Empress. Adalai chuckled to herself before motioning them forward to her side. Following shortly behind were the Empress' two guards, Cyrus and Rayne. Adalai shook her head in response. They circled her in a rough semi circle and waited for their leader to speak.

"Come, all of you. We must leave to meet with the remainder of your comrades in training."

Cyrus and Rayne nudged their horses to stand behind Adalai's mount. Ransom frowned.

"Wait a minute, they're coming too? You never said they were going!" Ransom demanded for an answer.

Rayne moved forward with a feral growl. Adalai stopped him with a gesture. Rayne stopped with confusion in his sapphire eyes. Cyrus shook his head in amusement.

"Adalai, you didn't tell them?" Cyrus asked informally.

"Of course she didn't tell us; why else would we be like this-," Ransom paused confusion spread across his face, "wait, did you just call her Adalai, and not Empress?"

Cyrus chuckled again. Ransom's brow was wrinkled in confusion, and his friend's faces mirrored identical expressions.

"We, are in the same fight. No formalities, do nothing for me that you wouldn't do to your fellow companions. We are all equal. Cyrus and Rayne are coming with me because they are like you. Demons knew of them though, so a disguise was needed. They are no more guards than you all are galactic fighters!"

Adalai paused to allow them to digest this information. Chase scratched his head in thought. The name Rayne sounded so familiar to him. Rayne crossed his fingers behind his back, and hoped that Chase would not remember, that would cause him to be in to much danger. Kenji looked to Ransom, and they looked at the girls who merely shrugged their acceptance.

A deep bellowing sigh emitted from the bottom of Ransom's chest, "All right, all right. We believe you."

Adalai smiled with little emotion, "I knew you would."

Chase's head jerked up as a thought crossed his mind. He glanced up into Rayne's face contemplating the possible truth.

"Where have I heard that before? Is it him, the one I knew? No, that's impossible, he was killed years ago. Mother said so, mother said so!" that thought ended Chase's puzzling for now.

Rayne cocked his head as Chase's thoughts brushed his own. Rayne hid a smile of glee. The boy was already learning his powers without knowing it. He looked heavenward.

Adalai was right as always. She knew things he could only guess. The Empress knew who he really was. A demon full breed that deserted his kind to save his brother. Rayne moved his gaze to Chase.

"My half-breed little brother, how you've grown."

To be continued.....