Blood Stained Snow

Ch 9 Desire (unfinished)

There is a legend of a woman that dances in the moon light, whose body captures men's hearts, and whose power possesses their souls. Around this woman an empire is built, a religion, a cult, and an army. This woman reigns over thousands of men, and Akio shall hunt her, with my help.
Vincent and I find ourselves standing before a decent sized village full of nothing but men.
"Becoming a demon has suited you well, Kira." Vincent can't help but grin. "It took me longer to adjust to this kind of lifestyle."
"How were you changed into one?" I sit down beside him.
He laughs, "Well that is an unpleasant story, though I suppose many stories about our becoming demons are. I was one of the first ones actually; Akio changed me before the world became - well before it became 'this'." He sighs, stuck reminiscing as his story flows through his mind as he prepares to tell me.
"I was twenty-eight at the time, about two months before darkness took over. I had just gone through a tragedy in my human life," he pauses, leaving that thought unfinished. "I was lying in a hospital bed wondering how to continue with life afterward. Depressed and lost, pain ever so present in my heart. And the Akio appeared, dressed in one of his suits: pure white jacket and pants as well as his tie. The only thing black was his dress shirt and those dark eyes. I almost thought him an angel." He frowns, "how wrong I was... He smiled at me and spoke in his soothing voice, as if he could make my world start turning again. He told me, 'you seem a bit lost, or rather at a loss, but not a loss for words. Whom have you lost, boy?' Boy? He actually called me 'boy'! He couldn't have been much older than me by his appearance."
He looked at me now, surfacing from his memories, "he didn't wrong me by changing me. Don't think I regret this, Kira." He turns back away and gazes up into the dark sky. "'Who are you to judge me? What makes you think I could be at a loss for anything?' I asked him. I was intimidated by him, surely enough, but I was also so very arrogant at the time.
He smiled his most convincing of smiles, 'I am a being brought here by your pain and desperation. I can feel it calling from within your heart. Darkness has taken root deep within you. Will you allow it to consume you, or will you take control of it?' I was confused by his words. As you know, back then they meant nothing to a typical human, at least not in the way they do now.
'Who are you?' I asked him. He merely smiled even more, 'I am a demon who has come to help you, for I am afraid your god will not.' He said it so matter of fact.
'Who says I have a god?' My questioned filled the quiet room.
'Then this should be easy for you,' he told me as he walked to stand by my bed, 'now grab my hand and I'll make all of this unnecessary pain go away. I'll take that darkness that has claimed your heart and turn it into your weapon of choice. Join me.'
It was such an absurd off; I can't believe it even happened. But he saw something in me, as I did him. I took his hand and that's when everything changed. As you know, my body became alien to me, my senses became so much more. He'd turn me into a demon, just with a handshake. I immediately jumped from my bed, my body new and so much stronger. From then on I served him, did as he wished." He grinned at me. "Not much of a story, but unique, I suppose.
"You failed to tell me of the tragedy that befell you. What happened?"
He freezes, looking like he might vomit. Finally he says, "I lost my sister. She was kidnapped. I found who took her and went after them. There were six of them, all bigger guys than I was. I took two of them down before the remaining 4 took me down. I was beaten up badly. Four broken ribs, fractured skull, broken leg and arm. Countless bruises and cuts. They held me down as they each raped her then finally killed her. They left me to die next to her corpse." He gritted his teeth in anger as the pain began to reach him, "Akio helped me track them down. This time I took all six down, then tortured each one slowly; breaking every bone before I tore off a limb. I wanted my revenge. And becoming a demon had brought it to me. Thanks to Akio, I was able to move on, and not feel sorry for not being strong enough for my sister."
Vincent stand and we head for the center of the empire; his past remaining buried in the snow behind us. Soon we find ourselves wandering through a maze of buildings while each man turns to stare at us; not horrified that we are demons, no they stared at us as one would stare at an object that did not belong; that puzzle piece that refused to fit.
Immediately I realized what was happening; they knew what we had come to do and they will move to stop us as soon as we act out. That is to say if we haven't yet already acted out of their script.
"Vincent," I whisper quiet enough that only demon ears could hear me, "You realize what's happening right?" We head left attempting to keep on a straight path toward the castle at the center; it remains in view but seems to move farther and farther as we get closer.
"Yes, keep moving, Kira. The faster this is done the less of them we'll have to kill; so unless you're in for some target practice I suggest we pick up the pace." Vincent says as he takes off in a sprint with me falling in step behind him.
"Better idea," I shout as I watch the men snap and start launching themselves at us from all over. "The roof! We can move faster and out of reach from the rooftops!"
Without question he jumps from wall to wall sending himself three floors up to the roof; I remain right behind him till we are on the roof. We race over each rooftop and road, practically flying as we sprint toward our destination. We find that our progress has grown compared to when we were below; a spell must have been cast to keep intruders from making it to the center of the empire.
"I'm going through the front door!" Vincent calls, "You start from the top, and we should be able to corner her that way!" Vincent yells over the wind as we continue racing at extreme speeds. He leaps down as I spiral up into the air, my wings already spreading as I take flight. Once I have my angle right I fold my wings and dive colliding with a window at the top floor. Glass shatter as I roll into a room lit dimly by candlelight.
I straighten and look around to find a bed draped with scarlet red silk bedding; atop this sat a gorgeous woman with long blonde hair that fell down her bare back. She was dressed in a red dress that left her back open and very little coverage for her cleavage.
She smiled at me unfazed by the events that resulted in my being here. Her face cool and collected; the smooth water's surface of a vast ocean. I could almost become lost in this woman and forget everything.
Almost.
"Might you be the woman who possesses the ability to control mankind?" I ask her nonchalantly.
"Well now," She frowns, "Not quite the conversation starter a beautiful woman might have hoped for when addressed. Not even an introduction or names, just an inquiry of whether or not I am this peculiar object you seek? How rude."
I am unmoved by these accusations, but realize that keeping this woman happy will keep me from slaughtering an entire city. "My apologies, madam, I meant no disrespect. I am Kira from the demon empire of the north; the one that is under Lord Akio's reign. Might I ask for your name?"
I see a muscle in her jaw twitch in annoyance, "I am Marie Valentine," her eyes turn blood red as she stares me down.

"Men, whether immortal or immoral are all the same, Kira. Always beguiled by some woman. A pretty look here, a glance there and they are powerless against us. The trick is to be beguiled by the right woman, by the one who will stand beside you, rather than over you." Marie smiles at me, her perfect face smooth and gorgeous. " You, of course, would be one of the wrong sort of woman, wouldn't you, Marie?" I glance away from that unrelenting gaze she always wears and look towards the windows opposite me. " An unfortunate power I possess. All men fall beneath my feet, whether I like it or not. It will be impossible for me to ever find the man I love. Thought I could just have my pick of the lot, but that wouldn't be the sort of love I want..." she frowns, displeased by her confession. " Is that why you've promised yourself to Akio?" She smiles at his name.
"Partly. But also because he looked at me so cold. I wonder if I could ever possibly warm that heart of his. I can't force him to love me, and that scares me. But I can do whatever I can to please him, and maybe someday win his love." She giggles, a small school girl in a woman's body. "You will never succeed, Marie. He has no such feelings within his body. He cares for no one but himself." At this she glances aside, pain evident. "He cares for you, Kira."
"Merely as a tool for his goal, nothing more, Marie; don't be naïve."

I hear the echoes of Marie's high heels minutes before she walks into the room. I continue sitting there, my eyes fixed on Aria. I refuse to leave my memories as she sits beside me. She fakes a cough as she gestures for me to speak. I sigh, "What is it, Marie?"
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" She acts insulted.
I scowl, but recover before I say anything, "Marie, this is Aria. Akio has promised to bring her back to life for me."
"I can see why you love her, she's very pretty, Kira." She stares up at Aria.
"Yeah," is all I can mutter.
She stands up at that and walk up to the crystal looking Aria over before turning towards me, an almost innocent, even childlike expression crossing her face.
"Have you thought of what you'll do if he fails?" She asks.
"I won't give up. I'm sick of a world without her in it; she is the only thing keeping me tied to this forsaken world."
"I see," she mumbles. "Do you remember much of her from when you were a human, Kira?" She asks this in a serious manner.
"Bit and pieces," I admit, "I have forgotten a good deal of my human life, but what little I do remember is of her."
"Do you remember why you love her, Kira?"
It happens before I am even aware of it, my body almost moves on its own before I am aware of the reason. Anger. I grab her by her dress and slam her into the crystal. "What business is it of yours?!" I demand. "You have nothing to do with her, nor I."
"I just want to be sure your efforts are not a waste, Kira" She whispers, almost frightened.
"Drop it!" I snarl, "This is my choice, no one else's. I choose her love over this world." I drop her and walk away. I'm nearly to the door before she speaks next.
"You're obsessed with the thought of loving her, Kira. It's not rational. Think about it," She says. "I have thought about it, for centuries. She's the only one. No one else matters but her." I leave then, leaving her leaning against the crystal holding Aria.
I will have her again.

Akio appears.

It's time for another mission.