1 THE FOOL

INNOCENCE && NEW BEGINNINGS && FREE SPIRIT

***

Don't go out after dark

The Bael will gobble you up

It will lure you out and steal your soul

The Bael will gobble you up.

***

The people of Umbra have not seen the sun for as long as they could remember. Days always had the appearance that a terrible storm was rolling in. In the evenings, torches can barely pierce the dark to allow even the most basic of visibility. The people have become so accustomed to it that they no longer yearned for the sun. After all, how can you wish for something that you have never even seen?

This was a modest city. There were separate districts for shopping , homes, and a town square for the events. Umbra is surrounded by a vast forest and not many people know what lies beyond. The Robertson's, who were considered the founding family of Umbra, lived on the far outskirts of the city far from the people within. By carriage it was about a three hour ride into town and no one ventured within without an invitation.

The only thing that separated the city from the forest and whatever else outside was the large stone wall that extended all the way around. It was a plain stone wall covered in writing. The Umbra city gate was a giant mirrored piece of steel covered in the same print. There was only one trail that led out of the city. The people within had no knowledge of other cities outside of their own, they had no reason too. Guards employed under The Robertson watched over the gate night and day. They were not there to protect from outside invaders, but from the monsters that lived in the forest.

The writings on the Umbran wall have kept The Bael and other monsters out of the city since its foundation. The stories of this monster have been passed down for so many years that there were some people that actually believed it was all rubbish. That was until each time when an unlucky soul strayed off the path that led from Umbra. Their mangled remains turned up at the front gate the very next day. Yes, there are some people that doubt that demons and other monstrous beings exist as well as the magical spells that provide protection from them. However, there are others that say there must must be magic in the words on the wall. The wall has been in place for hundreds of years and not a speck of moss or any other plant life has ever been seen. There have been storms that decimate the trees around the city and not one of them have touched the surrounding wall. Fires have broken out due to lightning striking a tree and will stop feet within the city. The words of protection also line the trail leading outside. So as long as you do not stray, you will be safe.

The Bael is a creature that preys on souls and flesh. The residents of Umbra sometimes speculate that the creature is responsible for the sun never reaching the city. According to the old stories, The Bael has lived in this forest long before Umbra was built. The city was said to have been built by demon hunters to protect the people of an even older civilization that was decimated by the demonic. These stories have been passed down for so many years with so many changing details they were just pieces of fiction thrown around at bedtime to scare children. Everyone always doubts the existence of the Bael until bloody parts are found at the gate.

Despite the demonic forces that live outside of the gate, the people within lived quite peacefully.

In fact, on this day it was especially happy. Nevinny Caldwell was getting married to none other than Mikel Robertson, the only son of the founding family. This meant quite a bit to her family's social status and future income. She came from a middle class family and she has never wanted for anything, but they were quite obsessed with how they were seen by the community.

At only nineteen, Nevinny is a beauty who glowed with innocence. She is pale like most people in the city with large brown eyes. Her nose is small with a slight upturn and her cheeks always appeared to be flushed. She is thin with a medium build which makes her larger than average breasts appear awkward on her body. They always seemed to grab the attention of men no matter what she was wearing. She has long light brown hair that hung passed her waist in tight curls. In only a matter of hours, she would be Nevinny Anne Robertson and she could not believe it.

At this very moment, she stood in a bedroom in the Robertson estate surrounded by three maids helping her get ready for her big day. Two of them were on the bed fussing with a basket full of sewing supplies. The third, named Mary was putting the finishing touches on her hair.

Her light brown hair was in an elaborate bun on top of her head. A few of her tight curls hung in small tendrils on the side of her face. There were pearls strung through the up do, with a single white rose on the side. The rose came from her garden which she had tended herself and reminded her of peace.

Nevinny's dress is white, made of lace of silk. The top half of the dress was corseted and hugged every curve of her upper body. If it had not been laced so tight, her breasts would have spilled out of the front. Now they were just emphasized and would really draw attention. Hopefully that of her soon to be husband. The bottom half of her dress seemed to go on for miles and flowed smoothly with her movements.

Nevinny, for the first time in her life, is away from her home. The Robertson's carriage had picked her up only the night before. She remembered feeling so anxious about what was outside the city gates that she did not look out of the window the entire trip.

She had never actually met her husband to be. That was the norm in Umbra. Marriage is more of a business arrangement than a partnership. An arrangement was made between the parents on both sides, and then the wedding took place. Nevinny's parents were not the type that doted on their children. She was more of an occupant in the home than a daughter. Her father had mentioned on several occasions that he was thankful that Nevinny had been born beautiful because they stood a chance marrying her off to someone wealthy. Often times, she wished her family would have spent the time with her that they spent entertaining large groups of friends. Over time, Nevinny was used to spending time alone and felt more comfortable that way. She's had quite a few suitors make offers to her parents, but they were always turned away. They had wanted 'more' for their daughter, or rather, someone wealthier that could catapult their social standing.

Although Nevinny had never met Mikel, she had seen him only once. On that day she had been walking through the shopping district that led around to the center of town. She wanted to get some fresh air. She had been passing by one of the shop windows when his reflection caught her eye. She immediately knew it was him. The young girl's at her parent's parties would always giggle and gossip about him.

Mikel immediately stood out because of his golden skin. It was almost unnatural to see anyone in Umbra with darker skin. He had eyes a shade of blue that Nevinny had never seen before. Even through the glass they almost seemed to glow. He was very tall, and knew that if he stood next to her father that he would likely tower over him. His shoulders were broad with dark hair that was kept short and clean. He had no facial hair like most men did. He wore a suit as black as his hair. He was stopped across the way looking at her. She could see this in the reflection of the window as she pretended to look at the display. Nevinny had to fight the urge to turn around and look. So she sighed, and continued on her way. She had been thinking of him the whole way back to her home. After dinner, thoughts of Mikael Robertson faded away and did not return until three days later when a man showed up at their door.

This man was a messenger from the Robertson estate and requested her parents to meet with the elder Robertson and his father. When they returned a day later, they announced to Nevinny that she would be leaving the next morning to prepare to be married to Mikael. They also announced that they were much too busy to attend as they wanted to prepare the home for the 'party of the century'. She did not even bother to be disappointed that her parents were not going to attend her wedding. This was typical for them, Nevinny was just so overwhelmed with excitement that she could barely sleep that night. The carriage arrived early the next morning and the driver opened the door for her without saying a word.

One thing that had confused Nevinny was her mother's assertion that she could not bring any of her belongings. As soon as she had left her bedroom, their servant had begun to move her things out. She knew her parents were not very attached to their daughter, but she still could not help but be hurt by all of this. Nevinny did not even catch a glimpse of her parents as the carriage left.

"That is alright, I will just create a new life for myself" she told herself. There was not anyone that was going to provide happiness except for her. It was at that point that she decided that was what she would do.

The maids had spent hours getting her ready and the gray sky outside was beginning to turn black.

" It is about time Miss." Mary said as she gave Nevinny a small pat on the back. She had a small smile on her face while the other two sat on the bed with an almost solemn expression. Mary shooed them both out and followed behind them. She looked at Nevinny with a large smile on her face.

" I will come for you in a few moments ma'am" she said with a small curtsy.

Nevinny nodded in response and sat on the bed. She sighed and laid back on the bed to relax for just a moment. Perhaps it would ease her nerves and calm her mind. When her head touched the bed she heard the rustle of paper and sat up immediately to investigate. As she looked over the bed spread Nevinny did see a scrap of paper. She unfolded it delicately to see a single word scrawled across. Her heart dropped.

RUN.

She threw the scrap of paper on the ground and started to pace around the bedroom. Something was obviously not right.

Hush you fool. Where would you even go?

Even if she did manage to get away to the trail, the guards would surely come for her. She was obviously not welcome back home. Her only other option would be to run into the forest to be food for the Bael.

"Nevee just stop. Everything will be fine."

She thought that hearing her own voice would some how calm her down. It definitely did not. Nevinny continued to pace until Mary returned. She was smiling of course.

"Are you ready miss?"

Nevinny nodded and followed her out of the bedroom. The wedding was to take place on the other side of the grounds. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts to worry about who may or may not be present. The scrap of paper had even made her forget her nervous anticipation of meeting her husband to be. Mary let her outside of the home and out to the grounds. Nevinny was still swimming in her thoughts when she realized Mary was leading her towards the forest. It was the rustle of the trees that snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Mary where are you going?" she asked urgently.

She turned to Nevinny still smiling.

"Just stay on the trail miss and you will be okay."

Nevinny was still stopped.

"Is the wedding not on the grounds?"

Mary shook her head.

"No miss, weddings are sacred and are held in a place where people may not peek."

Nevinny was feeling very apprehensive about going into the forest with Mary. The apprehension from her trip was starting to return. At least with the ride in the carriage she had walls around her. However, it was the feeling of what was to come that far out weighed the fear of the Bael. Mary motioned her to follow and that was what she did. It became darker as they entered. They would see the moon soon and it was the only light that could pierce the darkness. It was still light enough to where they could see the path ahead. Even though she had an overwhelming sense of impending doom, Nevinny felt relaxed by the forest. The rustling of the trees and the cool breeze was calming. If she did not have to fear being ripped apart than a nap underneath one of those trees would have been divine.

It felt like they had walked for miles, until they finally reached a clearing. The clearing looked like a large circle had been leveled out in the middle of the forest. This space was indeed away from prying eyes. It was lined with the same magical inscribed stones that were on the trail. One only had to step on the other side to no longer be protected from the demonic that lived on the outside. Nevinny was not even surprised that where she had been led was obviously not a place for marriage. The moon had risen and partly illuminated the clearing. The many candles and torches provided additional visibility. There were no pews for wedding guests , but there was a stone altar in the middle of the clearing. There were three men around it. One, who she recognized as Mikael was standing silently wearing black pants and a loose white shirt. He gazed at her from his place at the altar with an expression that was devoid of emotion. On the right and the left of the altar were two hooded figures. She could not see the face of either. They stood silently, like ghosts looking at each other. Mary grabbed her arm and led her towards the altar. Nevinny tried to jerk out of her grip but the maid was stronger than she looked. She still had a hold on her when she was dragged to the altar.

When she let go, Nevinny had to resist the strong urge to run, but where would she go? She stood up straight and looked into Mikael's almost glowing blue eyes.

" What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Mikael laughed lightly like he was not surprised by her reaction.

"Well dear, your parents could not tell you I was planning to sacrifice you and still expect you to come willingly."

Her heart was pounding at this point. She saw Mikael's eyes trail down to her breasts.

"That dress looks lovely on you. Mary you have lovely taste."

Nevinny saw Mary curtsy out of the corner of her eye as she wandered back to the trail that led towards the estate. It was like nothing was wrong, like she had led numerous women down to this very clearing.

"Sacrifice?" she said simply.

She was still numb from the shock of it all.

He came closer to her until she could feel his breath on her hair.

"Have you ever wondered dear girl how the magic on this wall is sustained?"

Nevinny said nothing.

"Magic such as this requires blood to sustain, and not just any blood, but innocent blood...You sweet girl are the most innocent, naïve thing I have found in a while."

His grin was wicked.

"But before I spill your blood, I am going to defile that beautiful mouth."

He grabbed her chin forcefully before pushing her to her knees with a strength that could not have been possible for a normal man. Her knees hit the dirt so hard she could feel the pain in her hips and could feel the deep indent into the ground that her kneecaps made. Mikael's eerie blue eyes were indeed glowing. She did not know what he was, but there was no way he was a man.

Nevinny could not move, some unseen force had frozen her in place. The two hooded figures by the altar were now facing her with their arms outstretched. It was at this point that she realized that they were faceless. Underneath their hood was just a swirling void of dark. She was sure that whatever force was holding her down, they were responsible for it and Mikael controlled them both. Mikael was looking at her with a wicked hunger in his eyes. In one move, his pants fell to his ankles leaving his thick member exposed. He moved closer still to her and the hardness of it touched her mouth gently. The warmth of it seemed to pulse across her lips.

"I'll give you two choices" He whispered.

He had backed up just barely and was now stroking himself.

"You can open your mouth on your own, or I can have them force it open. You may blink if you would like one more opportunity to control your body."

Nevinny was terrified to say the least. She knew what was about to happen. Even though a man had never entered her did not mean she never experimented with her suitors in the dark. She wanted to get away, but knew that she would not have a chance if she did not control her body. These dark figures, whatever they were, followed Mikael's every command, she did not have a choice. Nevinny would pretend her way out of this just like she did with the boys in the dark.

She blinked in response.

The force on her lifted immediately and the figures returned to their spots at the altar.

Mikael was still stroking himself and the head was already red and swollen. Nevinny had a plan and she was going to take control of the situation. She looked Mikael directly in his glowing blue eyes and beckoned him towards her. He obliged. She grabbed his cock tightly never breaking her gaze. He moaned.

"I would take you this very moment, but I need you intact."

She released her hold on him and slipped the head of his cock into her mouth and the sound he let out was guttural.

Men were too easy. She started to feel angry. Nevinny pulled her mouth off of his head and looked up at him with the most wide eyed look she could muster.

"Do you know what I learned by playing with all of those boys in the dark?" she asked.

His eyes were dark, but it was at this time she knew he was under her spell. He grabbed her hair tightly.

"Show me."

Nevinny shoved his whole cock into her mouth feeling it in her throat. The movement was harsh and as forceful as she intended and could tell it surprised him. His body immediately tensed up and his grip in her hair tightened. He grabbed both sides of her hair and groaned as he forced her head up and down. His cock was shoved into her throat over and over as the saliva poured out of her mouth. Mikael showed no mercy as he fucked her face. The pearls in her hair came undone and her hair spilled out of the bun that had once held it in place.

"You're going to swallow every ounce of me."

His thrusts were becoming shorter and Nevinny knew he was close. As she squeezed his testicles, Mikael let out a scream as he started to come in the back of her throat. She used this moment to bite down on his cock as hard as she could until she could feel the blood mix with the fluid in her throat. Mikael dropped to his knees and she did not relent. Blood mixed with saliva on her face. He was shaking but he appeared frozen. It was at this moment that Nevinny released him from her mouth and ran outside of the clearing and into the dark that was the Bael's home. She ran as fast as she could not bothering to look back and see if anyone was chasing her. The branches were striking the exposed parts of her chest and she could feel them stinging. Nevinny did not stop running until her heart felt like it was going to give out. Her skirt must have ripped at some point, it was in tatters and was at her knees now. The rational part of her knew that she was not being followed by Mikael and the mysterious hooded figures. They were too scared of the Bael to come after her.

Nevinny collapsed against the large tree next to her and just started to sob. She had no home, no one she could go to for comfort and here she was in the home of the monster Nevinny had been taught to fear since birth. Despite all of this, she would rather be ripped apart by the Bael then touched again by Mikael. She no longer felt the need to be alive and wished very much for the monster in this forest to take her away from all of this.

It was then that she heard the voice. It was calm and sounded like that of an old woman.

"Child I would not take you unless you truly wanted me too."

Nevinny looked up and could see what was indeed an old woman standing in front of her. She wore a cloak, and her face was weathered with age. She had warm brown eyes and Nevinny was immediately comforted.

"Who are you?" she asked not knowing what else to say. Her voice was hoarse and her throat was aching.

The woman chuckled lightly before she responded.

" I am the Bael."

Nevinny frowned. She expected some horrid demon with horns and large teeth, not this old woman that filled her heart with comfort instead of fear. The woman continued to speak.

" The forest and everything in it belong to me. I protect and nurture every benevolent creature who chooses to make this forest their home."

"Then why is Umbra so afraid of you?" Nevinny asked curiously.

" They are dark beings that prey on the creatures that make their homes in this forest. And anyone who threatens these creatures will be ripped apart."

Nevinny did not know how to react or what to think. This night had challenged everything she had ever known. She felt overwhelmed and did not know what to do.

"Am I one of them?" she asked the Bael.

The old woman shook her head.

"No dear, these beings kidnap others to sacrifice later in life. It is how they are able to sustain the walls that keep me out. You are but one of many victims they have had over the years. These beings are the reason why the sun has not been seen in this forest for hundreds of years. They are predators, and I have been waiting to slaughter them all."

Nevinny felt an overwhelming sadness come over her. She wished someone cared about her as much as the Bael cared about this forest and all the beings within it. She ached for a home.

" I am sorry I disturbed you, I had no where else to go."

The Bael laughed lightly and touched Nevinny's dirty cheek.

"My dear, you are welcome here. But I would like to ask something of you if I may?"

Nevinny nodded.

" I have been waiting many many years for my chance to destroy those dark things, but those walls hold strong blood magic and I cannot break it. But you resided there and you have been apart of that community for years. If you move just one of those magical stones that line the path, I can come in and destroy them all."

Nevinny thought about that for a second. Was this the right thing to do? She thought she would feel guilty, but the only thing she felt was sadness. Thoughts of her parents sending her off to be sacrificed and moving her things out even before she left her home. A tear rolled down her cheek. This being, whatever she was had made her feel more at home within these past few minutes then she ever has in all the years she has been alive.

"I will do it." Nevinny said and her voice was unwavering.

The Bael held out her hand and she took it. Together they walked back towards the clearing. It took only a couple of minutes. Nevinny had not run as far as she thought she did. She could see Mikael. He was standing up at the altar with his arms crossed against his chest. Nevinny did not know what to say, clearly when she bit his cock it did not do as much damage as she thought it would. Or perhaps being an inhuman thing meant something like that would not affect him in the same way it would a human man.

" I see you found the sniveling bitch." he said simply. He looked at the both of them.

"Honestly, I'm more surprised one of your wolves did not rip her apart before you found her."

The Bael laughed. She shrugged.

"It seems as if you will not be able to use your cock for a while. Although when I rip you and your people apart it will not matter anyways."

It was Mikael's turn to laugh.

" You will rip the ones in Umbra apart, I have no doubt. I'm much older and more powerful. You will have to work a little bit harder for me."

With those words Mikael and the two hooded figures disappeared in a puff of smoke. It was as if he had never been there.

"Do not worry child. He will not be able to touch you. I'll get him another time. Come take me to Umbra."

In one movement Nevinny kicked one of the trail markers aside and stepped in. The Bael smiled as she stepped in the clearing revealing rotted teeth.

It took about four hours to walk to Umbra. Time seemed to freeze when Nevinny was with the Bael. Her feet did not hurt from all the walking. The old woman exuded so much power she could feel it like an electric charge within her. When they reached Umbra Nevinny stopped at the edge of the trail. The Bael looked at her with a smile.

"When it is done, I will return and I will take you to my family."

Nevinny nodded. She blinked and the Bael disappeared. For hours, she heard nothing but screaming. Sometime during all of this she fell asleep. Nevinny was covered in blood, dirt and saliva and had never slept so soundly in her life. She dreamt of a warmth that enveloped her body and what she imagined the sun would be like. Despite the fact that her entire city was being slaughtered Nevinny knew she was safe. Finally at home. She awoke to the Bael carrying her into the forest soaked in blood wearing a twisted grin.

"Home." Nevinny whispered before falling asleep again.

THE END.