Halfling (editing in process)

Chapter Five

Aria's eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright, a cold sweat chilling her body. She gasped for breath and looked around, hand clutching her chest, and found herself in the clearing she called home. For a fleeting moment she thought it had been a dream; the trip to hell, the hell she had experienced at the hand of her father, Lucien carving her skin... That thought was quickly shattered when she realized she was still naked from the waist up, and saw the cuts that had been on her arm had been replaced by black lines that looked like tattoos instead of scars. Her fingers moved to trace over the symbols, a low groan of horror escaping from her lips.

"Lucien, what have you done?" She whispered.

"I transferred a bit of your father's power into you, bound you to me as a familiar, prevented you from having to be your father's new little sex slave, cut off your tail, and have another surprise for you when you get dressed."

He threw a shirt to her from inside her 'home'. Said structure consisted of tanned animal hide stretched over branches for a roof and a host of soft skins making up a bed on the ground.

"You cut off my tail?!" She wailed, willing it to appear. It didn't. "You son of a bitch." She snarled, and unleashed a bolt of electricity from her hand towards him.

"...and so, when you try stupid shit like that I can stop you with a simple word. I thought it would be much easier to work with you if you had no say in it, that rebellious streak of yours is a pain in the ass, something I learnt from years under your father. The mark I put on your arm allows me complete control of you; makes you my familiar in a way I suppose. The same would have happened if your father's mark had been carved into that specific spot; but I'm sure you don't want your dear daddy having complete and utter control of you, do you?" He commented idly, motioning around them. "This place as... untamed as it may be, is a lot better than the realm you just came from, yes?"

Aria was against a tree. Her hands were crossed and held above her head, the black ring around her finger glowing a soft red. She glared promises of death at Lucien, who was sitting on her trunk of clothes.

"Now then, are you going to be a good girl, or shall I keep you there to admire my work for a bit longer?" He questioned.

After a moment he released her. Her arms dropped and she moved them to hurriedly across her chest, giving her some illusion of decency in front of him. He threw her the shirt he had tossed at her earlier again and she hastily put it on. She paced around the clearing for a while, beginning to cast many curses but never finishing them. She came close once; a nice curse that, in theory, would turn Lucien inside out, but the knowing look he gave her made her, as well as a motion towards the tree she had been pinned against earlier, made her end the process all together. Finally, she sat in front of the fire pit, her fingers burying themselves in her hair, the temptation to rip her hair out prevalent for a few moments before calming under the rush of dread and anxiety that plagued her.

"Why me Lucien? Why now? What use do I have, you've said it yourself over and over again I'm nothing but a half-blood, I can't compete with you." She muttered bitterly.

"Payne and I have been plotting to take down your father for years now. I know no one that would want to take him down more than you Ari; when he's dead all of us will get a portion of his power." He shivered at the thought. "No more having to be your father's errand boy, and even splitting his energy Payne and I can rule our own little section of Hell, just like your father does now."

"Right, so where do I factor in?"

"We need you to collect a few things topside while we work below. You'll get a share of the power and you'll finally be free from him."