Touch of Evil

Prologue

It's a scene straight out of hell; literally. A dark red cave that encapsulated a palace of blood red stone and spiked architecture, chains draped throughout as though they were party streamers. Within this palace was a large figure in a throne of scarlet rock and blood stained cushions. The figure herself was a humanoid made from crimson plasma, had six-fingered hands, and was sitting with her right elbow planted on the armrest, her head perched in her palm while her left hand tapped her fingers against the armrest in boredom. Flanking her on either side was what could only be described as demons. 

To her right, the demon had goats' legs and the horns of a mighty waterbuffalo, also bearing six-fingered hands, but with claws on the end. The one on her left had four arms, each with six fingers on the hands, but not clawed. He wore a helmet with no eye holes, leaving only his mouth with pointed teeth exposed. The rest of his form looked as though he were once insectoid, but the flesh underneath had swollen to grotesque proportions in a cancerous fashion, some of it blistering where chitin plating had once been, though some chitin still remained. The humanoid figure let out a sigh before speaking.

Humanoid; "This sucks ass."

The insectoid hesitated a moment before looking to the humanoid.

Insectoid; "... What does, my Queen Ardra?"

Ardra; "Oh, Hex... There's nothing to do! My job is to destroy Mortalis when it's deemed a failure, is it not, Nightlock?"

The final demon grunted with a shrug, keeping his position.

Nightlock; "... Yes, my liege."

Ardra; "Well, it hasn't even started to be a success yet!"

With a wave of her hand, a truncated icosahedron appeared as she straightened her posture.

Ardra; "We've only had... What, three ascensions? One left, one's dead, and the other is exiled! That sure sounds like a failure to me!"

Nightlock finally turned to face Ardra, clasping his hands in front of himself.

Nightlock; "... In fairness, my liege, it's only been 13 billions years... Give or take. This isn't something that happens immediately."

Ardra; "But I have nothing to do!"

She groaned and leaned her head against the back of the throne. Hex came around to the front of the throne, kneeling for a moment.

Hex; "My leige... Perhaps, there is something for you to do. No one ever said you can't choose an acolyte of your own."

Ardra rolled her head forward to face Hex, still dismayed.

Ardra; "But who do I pick? Where do I start?"

Nightlock stroked his chin in thought before zooming in the sphere, zooming past the Local group into the Milky Way, all the way to the Sol system.

Nightlock; "Perhaps this system? Some of the weakest species have been allowed to evolve here."

Ardra raised an eyebrow at Nightlock, resting her hands in her lap.

Ardra; "... Why would I want a selection of the weakest?"

Hex; "I see we're on the same page, brother... The weak are always preyed upon; therefore, with power, they'll be ruthless and bloodthirsty against their oppressors! Think of the fields they'll paint with blood in your name!"

Ardra stroked her chin as she looked down, sitting cross legged in her throne. She then looked up and pointed at the third innermost planet.

Ardra; "What about that one?"

Nightlock zoomed in to the planet to reveal a marvelous blue marble with the occasional patch of green.

Nightlock; "Ah... Yurth."

Hex; "Earth, numbnuts! It's home to the spawn of Prometheus; the Humans."

Ardra smirked and whipped her hand forward at Hex, a bolt of crimson flame leaving her palm and headed into Hex. The flame washed over him briefly, turning him into a Human male.

Hex; "AH! I'm a mess!"

Ardra stood from her throne and circled the shapeshifted Hex a couple times, humming in thought before returning to her throne and sitting cross legged once more. Hex shivered as a wave of flame washed over him again and he turned back into his original self.

Ardra; "I think I'd like them... But there's so many... And they all look the same."

Ardra spake this with a touch of petulance in her tone. Hex wracked the side of his helmet a couple times before looking at the European continent. He saw something red, pulsing on the shore.

Hex; "My leige... There is someone trying to contact you on Earth."

Ardra perked her head up and stood, squinting a little.

Ardra; "... How do they know how to contact me?"

Nightlock; "It's been long enough, I wouldn't put it past them to just figure it out on their own."

Ardra turned the globe so the pulsing dot faced her, and she smirked at it, giving out a low chuckle.

Ardra; "I'm going down there to say hello to our caller."

Hex; "Please, my liege... The Primordium would not permit your travel there. Let me go in your stead."

Ardra; "Normally, I'd say yes... But, I need to get out of this damned palace. Besides, if they're gonna be my acolyte, I'm gonna need to speak with them anyways."

She shivered a little and let a short cape of bloodied fur run down her back, pulling on the sides of her head to pull out horns and then cracking her fingers only to have flaming claws extend from them as she seperated her hands.

Ardra; "Nightlock, you keep the troops busy with combat drills. Hex, you're in charge of the palace while I'm gone."

They both kneeled with a hand over their chest, speaking in unison.

Hex and Nightlock; "Your will be done, my liege."

Ardra spun once in place, and a pentagram formed at her feet. She then crossed her arms over her chest and she was consumed by scarlet flames. When the flames dissipated, she was gone, as was the pentagram.