1 When they align

"It's not fair,"

An exhausted groan escaped Emberle's lips as if she were talking to someone. She sat hugging her legs on a window-side bench in her royal-sized bedroom and stared at the city below.

Her eyes showed no sign of life, they seemed empty. It wasn't the look you'd expect from someone who just got engaged. Her partner was said to be the son of a pope, which really didn't make much sense considering Emberle carried a literal demon within her. 

Her father made this announcement at the diner table last night, he and the Queen had made the decision all on their own. Perhaps because Emberle was once friends with that young man that he thought it wouldn't do much harm. He did always want her to get married, but she hardly ever left her room, let alone meet other people. Though, was it okay to marry her off to someone she hardly even knew?

While Emberle questioned her life, there rose a man from the shadows, right out of the floor. Emberle threw a quick gaze at him through her dark orange hair, she couldn't find the strength to turn her head all the way sideways. 

The man stood with a black cane with both his hands resting on its tip. His attire blended rather too well with the eerie darkness in the room. He raised his head slightly to reveal one of his eyes from under the hoodie over his head and asked:

 "Why are you still in your nightdress?"

Emberle delayed to reply but eventually said, "...because it's comfortable." in a sluggish tone.

Her eyes turned back to the window where her forehead rested. She had opened just a crack in the curtains so her view wouldn't be obscured. The man stepped in closer and dropped a book on her blanket-covered legs, "Sit up straight, your father asked me to teach you a little more about...*ahem* your condition."

Emberle scoffed a little, "Condition?"

There was just something kind of depressingly funny about him trying to sugarcoat it. He knew what it was but he didn't want to say it, after all, he was the one who sealed that demon inside her. Now that she was getting married, it was high time she learned to control it.

"What, is he afraid that I might kill my future husband in his sleep, or maybe suck his blood dry?" she asked bluntly and it was true, that was her father's big concern at the time.

"Don't worry, Merlin, the crystal you gave me is working fine. It keeps her docile." she added.

She rolled her head slightly backward on the window to gesture at the red crystal placed neatly on her nightstand. It emitted a strange energy that Emberle could absorb by just stretching her hand toward it. The red energy-like substance would reduce the need for blood...temporarily. 

The demon she spoke of needed blood to keep at bay, it was the reason Emberle hardly ever left her room. 

"That crystal wasn't meant to last forever, Your Highness. She will eventually grow immune to its effects and feed on the capital. You need real blood once in a while." Merlin countered.

Merlin's voice was firm and serious, but Emberle's response was just as uninterested. 

"And that's why we have you, right? all-powerful Merlin, the last of the spellcasters, to defend us. Isn't that why my father made you his only advisor against the people's wishes?"

She said this jokingly as she picked up the book dropped at her feet, entitled [Genesis]. 

Without giving Merlin the chance to reply, she commented on the book as soon as she read the title: "Genesis? Isn't this one of the books Father banned from the public? It's a record of the Apocrypha, right?"

"Correct," Merlin replied, "That is what you'll be studying today."

Emberle was a little confused. "O-kay? But what does this have to do with my demon?"

"You need to first know the cause before you can understand the effect. Read for me the first pages."

And that didn't make any sense to Emberle. All she thought about was if Merlin was going to be standing so awkwardly close to her the whole time. 

Although Emberle didn't completely understand, she still wanted him to leave as soon as possible, so she began to read. 

***

Defiance, unholy creation, and the bastard son of heaven. These are the three sins that resulted in the world we see today. We once knew nothing of evil or a place called hell, all we knew was The Light. 

In the beginning, when the world was first created, six angels fell from heaven, fleeing from judgment. 

The reason for this was their attempt to steal The Apple Of Eden, a relic created by a god, Yahweh, to give one of the 500 angels he had created the power of creation equal to his own. 

This was power-defying logic, even beyond celestial comprehension. The terms of acquiring it were clear, the angels were to select a single leader. The chosen angel was Hadraniel, guardian of the seven heavenly gates. But the six angels defied Yahweh and chose to instead steal the Apple. 

Following a failed attempt, they fled to earth from their brethren. When the other angels came to fetch them, they created monstrous creatures from the darkest of nightmares to protect themselves, demons. (Unholy creation) Thus breeding the concept of black and blue. The belief that where there's light, there must also be shadows. 

Demons reproduced and grew rapidly in numbers. They had a taste for mortal souls and terrorized them in every corner of the world. The angels had to concentrate more on reducing their numbers than capturing the fallen six. However, even with their gifts not even they could save everyone. Humans also did try to fight back but against the inhumane strength of creatures born for blood, they were like moths to a flame. So, in the interest of self-preservation, the terrified mortals did the next best thing. 

If you can't beat them, join them. 

Demons were savage but they weren't mindless. Humans began making deals with them, contracts that willingly offered their souls in exchange for their lives instead. Yes, they lived, but no longer as humans. Some became shape-shifting dragons, others were bloodsuckers while very few became spell casters. 

From then on, mankind was no more than a shell of what was meant to be. 

Realizing how far mortals had fallen, the angels saw it best to cut a truce with the fallen six. The fallen knew they'd be overpowered if they refused so they agreed. Thus the celestial contract was forged, built on three agreements from all sides. 

The agreements rendered contracted humans incapable of harming the pure, demons would be given hell as a realm of their own and angels would ascend back to heaven. To make this final, Earth became uninhabitable to both demons and angels. 

Though a thousand years of war left more than a few scars on the lowly flesh bags...which Emberle couldn't care less about. 

***

She started flipping the pages like she was trying to find something missing. 

"What are you doing?"

Merlin asked her, to which she replied, "It doesn't mention what happens to the apple or say anything about the son of heaven. Don't you think we should just skip this whole back story and get to the important parts...like, how to tame a demon?"

"We have two years before you're married, there's more than enough time," Merlin said.

Emberle shut the book and dropped it on the bench, "Right, well, I think that's enough for today then."

She then got up and left the bench to her wardrobe on the far side of the room.

"Emberle, you read only two pages," Merlin announced.

"Both of which proved incredibly useless. Can we save the rest for tomorrow?" She responded from behind a curtain as she changed into a ball gown.

"And where do you plan on going?"

"I don't know, anywhere but here." She replied, stepping out from behind the curtain with a cloak over her head.

"Merlin," she said expressively. "I am six and ten years old, but I only remember the last six years of my life, nothing else. Then last night my father told me he sold me off to a strange man from a strange land whom I'm supposed to know from my childhood. But I don't, because I have no memory of my childhood. So, yeah, can I have just one day to clear my head? Please?"

Although what she said was sensitive, she tried her best to sound as calm as possible. All of this would've been easier if she at least remembered who she was when she first met this man, but the only link she had to her past were letters she kept under her bed from an unknown sender that she received when she was nine, which were apparently important enough to hide under the bed.

She dared not tell anyone about them, she did seek out the address they were sent from though, but all she found was an abandoned mansion. She'd always visit it on days she felt uneasy, and even she knew it was impossible, but she always dreamed of seeing someone walk out to the front gate to greet her and let her in.

Emberle longed to meet the person she understood she was once closest to from the letters. Who were they? What were they like? Did they still remember her?

Merlin let her off the hook, realizing that nothing he said to her would change her mind. "Fine," he said as he sank back into the ground. "Just make sure to take Aizel with you. And if your father asks why you left, I know nothing."

"Deal," she grinned a little. 

Aizel was the king's glaive who answered only to the king. Her father wanted to keep an eye on her all the time, so, Aizel never left his post by her side. He was even behind the door as they spoke. 

Little did she know that the gears of fate had begun turning and aligning the stars.

On a dirt road leading to the city of Marcos, named after the king, was a stallion-drawn cart traveling through a grass field driven by a tired-looking silver-haired boy. 

He had woken up early to make it to the capital before dawn with his little sister who slept in the back. The dark bags under his lazy eyes were evidence. His visit to the capital was for anything but pleasure. He had come looking for a contracted spell caster to heal his sister. 

"Hey, Grey," A voice reached his ears, as a little girl rose from behind him rubbing her eyes. "Why did we have to leave home in the middle of the night? I'm still really tired." she cried.

"Well, I'd like you to explain that," Grey said, trying to sound as casual as possible to not scare her. "You're the one who prophesied the end of the world in your sleep."

"I did what?"

The drowsy look on her face instantly disappeared as her eyes widened in surprise. "That's so creepy!"

"Yeah, it got creepier when you levitated off the bed." Grey looked back at her with a painted smile and watched her reaction as she pushed her long black hair out of her face, with the wind blowing it back. Sure enough, her big blue eyes lit up. 

She seemed surprisingly excited, "Oh my g-" she exclaimed. "I can fly!? That's so cool!"

"Uh, no, I said lev-"

Grey tried to correct her, but she was so excited that she didn't let him finish. She jumped on him with a wide innocent smile and added, "Do you know what this means!?" she boasted. "I could become a black knight."

"Ernid, you could be possessed."

The words just unconsciously escaped Grey's mouth which killed Ernid's enthusiasm. Her smile quickly faded, and she rested her head on his shoulder. 

"Ow," she groans. "Does that make me dangerous?"

"Absolutely not," he reassured her...partially out of guilt. "You're too cute to be dangerous. Don't worry, we can fix this."

Grey and Ernid finally reached the capital city of Marcos. A city surrounded by a large concrete wall. It was currently the largest human settlement in all of Ignatia since the era of the exodus.

Behind the walls, they found crowds of people speaking different tongues unknown to them. Shops and food stands filled the area, as merchants announced their products to passerby's, and drunk men made a scene at a nearby tavern.

" Stay close...and keep your head down," Grey said as he held her hand tighter.

"Okay," she nodded in agreement.

The two went off searching for a contractor/sorcerer around the city. They spent hours asking around the markets but had no luck until Grey finally decided to come to terms with his options and go for a healer instead.

Of course, healers couldn't use magic and may prove useless in this situation but then again, what choice did he have?

He found one and they exchanged a few words for Grey to eventually agree to leave Ernid with her for a few hours or so for a quick exam, and to negotiate the price. He currently didn't have much on him at the time.

Left with nothing to do, he decided to just stroll around town. His small walk took him to the former Harrison mansion where he found a girl wearing an expensive-looking cloak to cover her face.

He casually stood beside her and silently looked at the huge mansion through the locked gate of a wide brick wall. It been overgrown by vines and grass on the front yard. The walls looked as though they were ready to grumble, showing cracks even on the outside...but to Grey it looked as welcoming as he had eft it. It was home. There was a moment of silence between the two.

"...did you know the residents?" Grey finally asked but received no response.

"I heard they were something of an aristocratic family, one of the high-ranking pigs too" he continued, and a purple flame flickered at the girl's fingertips, yet she remained silent.

"... speaking of which, you don't look so humble yourself, I don't suppose you have a few coins to spare. I'm afraid I left home in a hurry and forgot to bring enough coins for my lunch" he smiled but was met with a single-word rejection "No" as the girl turned to walk away.

"Yeah, didn't think so."

With that he held out her pouch filled with gold coins. Realizing it was missing, she cliqued her tongue as he dashed off.

Grey quickly ran back to the town square hoping to lose the girl in the crowd but to his surprise, he was pursued by two men in dark hooded coats.

He hopped on a barrel and jumped to a rooftop, but one followed while the other went through the buildings. The man behind him pulled out two blades and jumped to Grey's back.

"Ah shit, they're glaives!?"

He was able to avoid the attack but as he stopped, the attacker followed up with consecutive slashes that left him with no choice but to keep dodging and backing away.

Nearing the edge of the roof, he threw the pouch high and blocked the man's attacking left arm then kicked the back of his knees forcing him to kneel. He kneed the glaive's right attacking arm and punched him to the ground, but he got up quickly and headbutted his balls.

"Ugh! ...really?"

As Grey stood there trying to comprehend the pain, the glaive caught the pouch of gold and landed a heavy kick on his chest that threw him to the next roof.

He then leaped to him with his blade held out to stab him from above, but Grey met him halfway in midair with a kick to the stomach that threw him back and caused him to drop the gold.

After landing in the alley below, Grey picked up the gold and prepared to leave, but a knife came spinning at his head. He crouched to avoid it and ran out the opposite end of the alley where he was met by a heavy punch to the face, and he fell over. Clearly what the attacker had wanted.

" ugh, dammit Grey. You just HAD to rob the rich kid! fvcking moron...!"

As he tried to raise his head, a foot pinned him to the ground and the glaive held out his hand.

"The gold. Drop it. Now."

" uh...sure"

Grey raised the pouch slowly toward the glaive but as he leaned to grab it, Grey dropped it on the ground and instead pulled the glaive's arm as he kicked his back foot, causing it to slide and the glaive to fall right next to him.

Both of them rose fast and charged at each other, engaging in hand-to-hand combat while fighting for possession of the pouch. Their movements are swift and well executed with every hit on the other being met with a fast counter.

Their brawl soon aroused the crowd at the market, resulting in everyone whispering and watching as a nomad went toe to toe with a member of the strongest force in the city.

At one point, Grey took a kick on the abdomen that pushed him back past that alley where this time, he met the girl (Emberle) with her hand held out to him.

"Well, shit."

In her palm the purple flame gracefully surged and exploded, blowing away her hoodie while shooting him through multiple shops and food stands until he finally crashed against a wall at the far end of market square.

At the sight of her, the eyes of the masses changed from curious awe to pure fear as their murmurs grew louder. This made her uncomfortable as threw her cloak back over her head and walked up to Grey's wounded body to pick up her pouch.

"Sorry I had to kill you, but you chose the worst possible day to get on my nerves."

She said as she leaned to pick up the pouch, but he tightened his grip.

"R-Really? 'cause this day was going pretty good for me ...until this exact moment right here."

, "Wait...How are you- "

Before she could finish talking, something inside her whispered as she fell to her knees with a dry cough. The smell of Grey's blood had reached her nose. Within Emberle, Eve had awakened.

"I want it!" Eve said.

" No!"

Emberle tried to fight the urge but it was no use.

" GIVE IT TO ME!"

Emberle's red eyes turned golden as her lenses divide with her small open mouth revealing her sharp growing fangs. Having lost her mind, she advanced towards Grey.

"A vampire?!" Grey exclaimed, "Come on man, there's no way my luck is that bad. Emberle, you don't wanna do this! I've been told I'm toxic!"

Though Grey's plea fell on deaf ears. Emberle crawled up to his neck, as her hair turned from dark blonde to pitch black, and slowly sank her teeth in, further giving the masses a reason to fear her.