It was a warm summer night. Chloe Porter stood looking up at the stars and trying to spot a single constellation that she knew. But apart from the cool jeweled moon sparkling above, the stars were indistinguishable blurs of light and dark.
She could see no pattern or order to them; they were as much a mystery to her as was the strange new world she found herself in.
The crows were still circling her overhead, watching and waiting. They had come out in their droves, and Chloe had been forced to stand guard over Velvet's body throughout the day.
Chloe’s mouth salivated as she caught the smell of Velvet's body, propped up against a maple tree. Her hair had begun to fall out and insects had started burrowing through holes in her skin. Even with this level of decomposition, Velvet's corpse smelled incredible, like baby back ribs on a barbecue.
[Hunger 4%]
She'd tried to ignore her growing appetites, but she could feel her resistances crumbling. If she left it another day, her primal side would take over and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
As if reading her mind, the chorus of crows began to croak and cry out in protest. They weren't happy about the prospect of having their dinner stolen.
"Forgive me, Hope," she breathed as her finger nail ran along the side of Velvet's head.
A red line appeared and a gentle flow of blood ran down the side of the dead girl’s head. The sight was mouth watering.
Better me than the crows.
She removed the hard cap of Velvet’s skull and sobbed a final time before taking her first bite of human brains in over a month.
It was tender and succulent, sweet and juicy. She savored every mouthful and swallowed with relish. The taste was intense, heavenly even. She sighed in pleasure as she felt her senses heightened by the experience.
[Half Demon Devoured: Progress Towards Next Evolution: 82%]
[Hunger 46%]
Chloe fell back on the grass and stared up at the night sky. Her eyes dilated and her vision blurred. She blinked several times as she tried to focus on something beyond the blackness.
Through her tears and sobs, she saw the moon hanging high in the air, surrounded by a faint aura. It looked for all the world like an eye staring down upon her.
Hope's eye. Watching and silently judging me.
And then, like a flood gate had been opened, the visions came.
Velvet sat across from an old woman with long silver hair. They sat in a cramped room beside a small table illuminated only by candlelight.
"It is done," said the old witch. "The demon is sealed inside of you."
The vision changed. Now Velvet was standing in a wheat field beside an imposing mountain. Gus and Quinby were with her.
"Did she do it?" asked Gus.
Velvet laughed, her voice light and merry.
"It is done."
The vision ended and pain rolled through Chloe's head. Tears stung her eyes as she lay curled into a ball and sobbed.
When she finally recovered, she realized she was lying flat on her back, with the crows pecking at Velvet's body. Their beaks clacked together, and their feathers ruffled as they fought over the flesh.
“You were loved, Velvet, even in death.”
She looked over the field of sunflowers, past the nearby hill, and in the distance she saw the mountain from her visions. The mountain where the witch had sealed Velvet's demon side.
She had her next destination. It was time for change.
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Chloe followed a river through a valley and up the hill leading to the witch's mountain. As she climbed, the crows followed, hoping that she would provide another meal.
Occasionally one would land on her shoulder, its talons digging deep into her skin. She ignored the birds, focusing on the task at hand. She reached a waterfall at the base of the mountain as the sun began to rise.
The water splashed and gurgled, and Chloe stripped off her clothes and climbed into the icy water. Even as an undead, she still loved the cold and the way it made her skin prick with goosebumps.
She picked up a rock and scrubbed her arms and face, washing away dried blood and the taint of the catacombs. And trying to remove the last traces of Velvet under her nails and in her hair.
When she finally emerged, the sun burned bright overhead and the air was crisp with the early onset of autumn.
She put her wet hair in a ponytail and wring it dry. Her body had changed so much in this new world. She bore an untold number of scars and unhealed wounds, and where there had once been padding on her thighs and waist there was now pure muscle and hard skin.
She sighed and wrapped her torn and shredded robes around her shoulders, covering her naked body.
With nothing better to do, she went hunting. The stream attracted all sorts of mammals, and she was able to catch a startled looking deer with little effort. She snapped its neck, ending its life swiftly, so it would feel no pain. She ate and then set off again, heading up the mountain.
She walked until the shadows grew long and the light became dim and hazy. She built a fire and roasted the deer, more from a sense of nostalgia than from a desire to eat cooked meat. She took a few bites of the meat and then tossed it aside. For some reason, her body rejected anything that was not brains.
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Pain lanced through her head and she saw an image of two armies facing each other in a valley.
The pain subsided and the vision vanished. It felt like her brain was too small to fit inside her skull.
She was tired of the visions, they were growing worse with each passing day.
She ran a hand through her short hair and as she did it she saw a man standing right beside her.
His footsteps had made no sound, and he had no scent, but Chloe did not sense hostility from him. She relaxed her muscles and studied the stranger.
He wore a peasant's garb, tied with a sash. His head was covered by a round cap, but his face was visible enough to see he had long blonde hair. A pointed beard hung from beneath his chin and matched the color of his hair.
"It's a bad night to be out alone," he said. His voice was rich and mellow, filled with warmth.
Chloe glanced up at the darkening sky and shivered in response. There was something strange about this man, but he was unarmed and seemed harmless enough.
The bearded man took another step towards her, his footstep silent on the ground. He sat down beside her and offered a flask. "Mother's milk to warm the bones."
Chloe shook her head.
The man chuckled and pressed the flask to his lips instead.
"I miss the way liquor burns as it goes down the throat," he said, almost as if he was talking to himself.
Chloe's hand tightened into fists, but she remained silent. She'd had enough of death and killing. She'd be glad if she could get out of this without bloodshed.
The man tilted his head towards her and smiled as if reading her mind.
"I can smell your rotting flesh,” he said matter-of-factly. “And I can hear the hunger in your stomach. How do you stand it, undead creature?"
Chloe crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, but who the hell are you?" she asked.
He smiled, "The name's Owen. Belgemine sent me to find you."
“I don't know that name,” Chloe said, as she unfolded her arms.
The man stretched his hands out in front of the fire and then rubbed them together.
Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you scared of me?"
The man tilted his head to watch her, "You can't kill what's already dead," he said.
"What are you?" she asked. "Clearly you aren't human."
Owen shrugged. "What I am does not matter. You should rest now, even the undead need their sleep."
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Chloe laid down, her back against the log and her hand gripping her amulet tight. She could sense her familiar Onyx nearby. He was foraging for leafy greens down by the stream.
She told herself that she would not sleep, but sometime during the night her eyes had drifted shut, and her body had surrendered to its exhaustion.
When she woke, Owen was still there, sitting in the exact same place as where she'd left him.
As she stood, she brushed off some dirt from her robe and noticed that the fire had gone out.
"Would you like to hunt before we leave this place?" he said.
"How do you know where I'm going?" she asked.
"If you weren't looking for Belgemine, she would not have sent me to find you."
"How does she know I was looking for her? I've never met her."
"It's not my place to question her,” he said. “It's not wise to meddle in the affairs of witches.” He stood up. “She asked me to find you, so that is what I am doing.”
"Do you work for this witch?" Chloe asked.
"You could say that, but enough questions we should leave. Belgemine's impatience is as legendary as her power."
Why does it feel like I'm walking into a trap?
But it was not like she had much of a choice. She needed to see the witch and find a cure for being a zombie. She just didn't like the fact that the witch knew she was coming.
"Ok, let's go," she said.
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They headed up the mountain, over rocky outcrops and along narrow footpaths. The mountain seemed designed to throw people off. Footpaths split in multiple directions, with some ending on the edges of cliffs and others going in a circle.
Chloe kept her eyes peeled, but she caught no signs of danger. Every time she looked over her shoulder, Owen was always there, walking along silently behind her.
After following a narrow footpath for over an hour, they came to a clearing. There amongst the wheat fields was a small hut.
Just like the one in my vision.
"This is it," she said, and when she looked back, Owen was gone.
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There was a strange scent in the air. Like herbs being burnt in a fire, it made Chloe's head spin.
As Chloe approached the hut, she saw an old woman wearing a gray sleeveless dress sitting on the porch weaving a straw basket.
The witch didn't look up as Chloe approached.
"Belgemine?" Chloe asked, and her words came out slurred.
The old woman peered at her with bright blue eyes that looked very much like sapphires. "Yes, dearie, you've come at last."
Chloe stepped closer. "I need you—" she stumbled and felt the earth rise up to meet her.
She hit the ground hard, and it knocked the wind from her lungs. She groaned as she tried to stand up again. Her arms and legs felt like limp spaghetti and refused to obey.
"Help me!" she cried.
The old woman appeared next to her and placed a wrinkled hand on her arm. "Aren't you a strange one?" she said.
"Please help me," Chloe begged. "I came to see you."
The witch had a burning smudge stick in her hand, and the smoke muddled Chloe's thoughts. It was obvious that the smoke was the cause.
Chloe exhaled as hard as she could and held her breath. She was a zombie, she only breathed out of habit and as a way to maintain some sense of her humanity, but this time trying to be human had gotten her in trouble.
"I sensed someone was seeking me out," said the witch. "You can imagine my surprise when I saw it was an undead.” She raised Chloe’s chin with a bony finger and peered into her eyes. “Who told you where to find me?”
"Velvet," Chloe mumbled. "I saw you in a vision... you helped her... please help me."
The witch clicked her tongue loudly and waved the smudge stick in Chloe’s face as if she were performing a ritual.
"Is the child still alive?" the old woman asked.
A dangerous look crossed the witches face. She raised a hand, and a green flame streaked from the smudge stick and into her palm. The flame grew until it consumed her entire hand.
Chloe focused her mind and tried to move her toes. They were numb, but after a few seconds of trying, she finally felt them respond.
There's no point lying to a witch.
"She's dead," said Chloe. "They all are."
As the witches eyes widened, Chloe stretched her hand and gripped the woman's leg. Her fingers dug deep into the witches flesh and tore at the skin.
"No!" the witch screamed as she tried to push her away. Chloe's hands were covered in blood, but she did not let go.
The old woman hit the floor and the chair tipped over as she landed.
Chloe pulled herself up by grabbing hold of the chair.
The witch lay still on the floor, the flickering light from the flame turning her skin a sickly green.
"You shouldn't have done that," Belgemine said in an icy tone.
The jade fire erupted outwards, engulfing Chloe in a vortex of green flames. By the time she realized that she was on fire, it was already too late. It burned hot and fast, like she was being wrapped in molten lava. She felt her body collapsing under the strain, and darkness closed around her.
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