Master of My Fate

She breathed in, filling her nostrils with the smell of dust and age, but she didn't open her eyes. Sleep had been merciful, sleep had kept her away from the sharp edges of reality for a few precious hours. She didn't want to open her eyes now and be forced to remember that nothing was so wonderous in her life as in the images of her dreams. She didn't want to have to focus her gaze in the dim lighting of her small, cell-like room.

She didn't want to have to remind herself that there was a man in this aged, stone house just on the other side of her locked bedroom door that owned her soul and her fate.

Anna could feel the lumpy mattress beneath her back, hear the whispering sounds of the ragged sheet covering her body as she shifted slightly, rousing from sleep, and she wondered, as she did upon waking every time, how she'd gotten herself into this mess. She wondered how she'd been so stupid, so naive, to sell her soul to a demon that would see her as no more than a bargaining piece from then on. She was only one of his pawns. A pawn that she knew he hoped would one day, somehow, lead him closer to finding some item or person that he continuously referred to as "the evils".

Clenching her teeth, Anna kept her lids stubbornly sealed and rolled onto her side. She didn't have to face reality yet. She was sure the demon would come for her whenever he wanted her to leave her room.

-----

But, at the present time, Dunham had no intention of rousing his human. At the present time, he was, instead, walking through the small town of Dark Mountain, pondering his future as he often did.

It annoyed him that he couldn't take the things he wanted by force, that he would instead have to use cunning and will to wrap his greedy hands around those things. He had to use his wit and his one bribe in the form of Anna. Certainly there was some immortal out there that would trade information on the evils for a human.

Though he was slightly attached to her now. He did enjoy having a woman around to serve as a maid, as well as various other helpful household uses. His lips curved slightly, and he swallowed a laugh.

Humans were interesting creatures, he had to admit, but he was still glad that they were almost extinct. They had their uses, but they were weak and feeble creatures, and he was glad that there were less of them in the world.

But humans weren't on the top of his list at the moment, nor were any of the things that concerned them. Right now, he was merely interested in finding another soul as greedy as himself that wanted to make a bargain.

Stella embraced the sun it self as she stood atop the tree. Letting it bath her pale skin. Eternally pale the combined beauty of her fay and enhanced beauty of her vampire side combined to make her look as if she shimmered in the tree. Her eyes were shut tight against the onslaught of light.

It was strangely calm today and merely a flutter of wind ruffled her white dress. Her bare feet took a step and she plummeted from the tree. Unafraid of the height. Her wings steadied her though they looked so thin that air should have passed through them.

Her hands passed over the strap across chest. Making a mental count. The Eagle pistol, throwing knives, a large cutlass, a semi-automatic, and the large sword that she wore on her back. She was loaded to the extreme. With her kind of work you had to be or else you got killed.

She ran both hands through her long locks of dark hair. Then tied it up in a pony tail that rode high on her head. Now she looked like a warrior fay with her pointed ears. Somehow she held the peace she had had with the rising of the sun as she stepped silently across the ground.

She joined the few "people" that strode through Dark Mountain. Her looks were certainly out of place among these people but illusion quickly made her to be a chameleon. Simply part of the wall or a passing person. Easy-peasy stuff.

Stella found him quickly. It wasn't hard he did quite fit at least it seemed to her. Grabbing him by the back of his shirt she had him hauled in to an alley, "Demon." She tilted her head to the side almost mockingly. Her attacks were quick and usualy decisive enough. It was easy to pick them out here. Of course there was more then a few that had fallen in her hands.

Even so this would be a challenge. He was a demon after all and not like her mother or even a werewolf. Stella wanted a challenge so she faced him quickly enough shielding them from the crowd. No one would see him until she chose it.

Dunham was taken off guard—something that rarely happened—when he was grabbed roughly from the back of his t-shirt and hauled into an alley. He could have resisted, though the hand on him was strong, but, in surprise and curiosity, he half-stumbled, half-hopped, backward, obliging whoever had randomly decided to crate him into an alley. He was frightened by the unexpected assailant, but he was a little more than confused.

People usually left him alone. Physically, even as a human, he was a little intimidating with his broad chest and finely muscled arms.

He did, however, release an agitated growl when he found his back forced against a wall and a woman barracading him from the front.

What he saw, though beautiful, didn’t lessen his annoyance. He wasn’t manhandled. Especially by a woman. Even if she was a looker, and quite unlike anything he’d ever seen. She had the surreal and commanding beauty of a vampire, but her pointed ears rumored a different race.

Regardless, judging by her stance, and the way she had addressed him, Dunham didn’t feel like she’d swindled him into an alley to bombard him with her beauty. Underneath that pretty face seemed to be a great deal of danger.

His blood boiled in two strangely different ways as he looked upon her. He was a demon, after all, and it was only his nature to covet the beautiful and unique. Still, he had things to do, and he didn’t like to be interrupted. Not unless this woman knew something about Pandora’s Box. He doubted it. She looked more as if she was expecting something from him.

“Not much for formal introductions, sweet heart?” he asked her, grinning, though temper simmered behind his eyes. “Did you drag me back here to get to know me or to kill me? Sad to say, I’m thinking the latter.”

He gave her a once over, wondering what she had that made her confident enough to think that she could confront and handle a demon in this manner. He could only think that she was lucky he was curious enough to allow her to explain herself.

Stella shifted her weight a fraction and gripped the handle of her sword. Drawing it out slowly as if to show it's great length. The sword moved with a smooth sliding noise out of the sheath. Along it's very blade was ruins. Dancing across it like sped up seasons. Blooming and dieing away and then repeating.

She smiled slowly her eyes glittering red rubies. Her vampire nature instantly wanted him. Taking in his strong form. He was impressive even in this form with rolling muscles that looked as if they could snap bones. Plus being a demon they were known to be fierce in bed. The smile widened a bit.

Though the other part that was concentrating on shielding them seemed to hold her grounded. Know what she was doing and still be able to see him with her own forceful nature, "I apologize. I had no idea that I would have to greet prey. Stella is all you will know me by."

Killers sometimes had this thing that they wanted everyone to know the name of there killer. It seemed pointless in many ways. Afterward who's going to say that they killed me if there dead? Maybe if you let survivors but she never took that. Even people she might have called friends died when she attacked the village.

They were nothing now but a small marker on her path to power. Stella was quite thirsty for blood to be spilled. The clash in her own body making it so that she was half crazed most of the time. Any mind reader would pick that up instantly but this made her dangerous. Her thoughts could be extremely divers in any situation and she had a knack for being able to concentrate on strange things.

Like the way the light fell in through here. As it was a small town anything that could be called an "alley" led almost straight to the forest and plus people really didn't have to be afraid of the alley. Unless of course she was standing in it but then again at the moment there appeared to be no alley at all. A weak illusion as you would only have to touch or step through it to find out it was a simply illusion.

"It's a pleasure to meet you though I forgive you if the feeling isn't mutual," She smiled again in such a way that it showed her sharp canines though her back shimmered briefly as she shifted again. Showing the see through wings. She was everything in one and sometimes she felt lucky for it. At least in this kind of work.

Lifting a brow, Dunham's eyes were drawn down to the sight of her blade. He wasn't frightened by the sight, as he'd seen plenty of swords in his time, but he was beginning to feel mildly confused. Obviously, her intentions were becoming clearer by the second, though he still wasn't truly certain as to what had brought about this rather hostile meeting.

He knew, without doubt, that he'd crossed plenty of people in his time, but, offhand, he couldn't randomly pick anyone that would have wanted him dead recently. Not that he wasn't flattered by the gesture. It meant he'd gotten under someone's skin, and he did always love doing that.

"It's a pleasure to meet you though I forgive you if the feeling isn't mutual," She smiled again in such a way that it showed her sharp canines though her back shimmered briefly as she shifted again. Showing the see through wings.

Dunham became only more puzzled, though a small, devious grin had worked its way across his darkly handsome face. He had to wonder, again, what exactly it was that he was facing. He'd never seen anything quite like her.

Though his life was quite possibly hanging in the balance, Dunham could hardly be anything else but intrigued as he studied her. Beautiful face, but definite, unique characteristics. As if there was quite a lot to her that had been blended into one.

"I assume you've come to kill me?" he deduced. "That's all fine and well, but..."

Quite suddenly and without warning, his demon tail snaked around his side, hovering around his ankles and then coyly twisting around one of hers. It was only a small example of his full demon form, but, with no more than a thought, Dunham could easily shift into his natural form. He'd keep that in mind if she tried to attack him prematurely.

"May I ask as to what I owe the pleasure?" he questioned. "Who, by chance, have I peeved into making a hit against me lately?"

His eyes were sparkling with dark amusement, and though he knew she might wield that sword against him at any given minute, Dunham was as of yet unpeturbed. He wouldn't hold a grudge against a good fight, but he wanted to know exactly why he was fighting first.

Stella didn't even look at the long tail that wrapped around her ankle. It was kind of uncomfortable. Just like how you exactly don't want a snake to be wrapped around your ankle even if it's poisons or not. Though she watched his face instead. It seemed intrigued by her appearance but confused about that or simply her attacking him out of no where.

"May I ask as to what I owe the pleasure?" he questioned. "Who, by chance, have I peeved into making a hit against me lately?"

She thought about that. Obviously he pissed off people on a regular basis. Perhaps it would be better for her that he just thought that it wasn't a random attack. Then again she wasn't sure if that would help her. Often times they seemed fiercer with the paid bounty hunter then with a random attack.

"Well, as I would love to tell you that I'm afraid I can't possibly answer it. You see I don't get paid for my job," Stella did an unusual thing instead of pulling away from his tail she wrapped her ankle in it once more. It was an easy movement. Lifting her ankle and wrapping it around the tail. It was almost a lovely movement as if she was trying to draw him closer to her.

Stella's mind seemed to work ahead of fright. With a yank The tail tightened around his own ankles as she pulled back. It wasn't exactly a smart idea of him to wrap it around his own ankles however loose it was. Truthfully it would probably just startle him a bit not really enough to hurt him.

"For once you didn't piss any one off. Must be one of your off days. Actually not even I am really mad at you. It's simply survival of the fittest. We need new species and you are sadly just a plain run of the mill demon," Even so she didn't attack.

Instead she waited for his reaction. Judging things always turned out better in the long run. Plus he actually didn't appear that bright as he had after all made him self a bit vulnerable by wrapping his tail around her ankle. She could have easily pulled him closer and ran him through with the blade. Of course that was how much intelligence he was showing thus far.

Brawn and no brains. It was a bit sad actually. He was a bit cute after all but she wasn't about to let him have an exception to her rules. Besides being cute really didn't improve the fact that he still was a demon. Her gaze was steady on him as if contemplating what he would say even before he said it.

Dunham pursed his lips, still standing idly, listening to her speak, though her sword was only inches away from him, and could decide, at any moment, to plunge deep into his human flesh. He wasn't troubled still. The thought of a threat was still a laughable matter to him. Laughable, but becoming slightly more annoying. He had other things to be doing, after all. Like finding the box, and becoming the most powerful man in Dark Mountain, as well as the world.


"You don't get paid?" he questioned, smirking. "Why would you do something like this for free?"


He felt her shift around, wrapping his tail. It off-centered him a little, but still he didn't quite seem to see what kind of position he'd gotten himself into. As arrogant as ever, he felt all but indestructable. He was more concerned as to who she was, what her job entitled, and why she was planning on killing him, even though she claimed no one had been injured by him lately.


Dunham staggered slightly as his tail was forced to tighten around his own ankles, scowling immediately as his own weapon was turned against him. The easy grin faded away from his face, draining all humor along with it. It wasn't hard to make his mood turn dark, and Stella seemed to be pressing all the right buttons.


"For once you didn't piss any one off. Must be one of your off days. Actually not even I am really mad at you. It's simply survival of the fittest. We need new species and you are sadly just a plain run of the mill demon."

Like the icing on the cake, her last words ignited his rather short fuse, all at once, turning his face red. Survival of the fittest? Run of the mill demon? Who exactly did she think she was toying with? Some sorry excuse of a vampire? Dunham was easily angered by a lot of things, but a direct assault to his pride was the fastest way to flame his fury.

With a decisively cold expression, Dunham gave a jerk, forcing his ankles apart, though it sent a ripple of pain through his tail. Stepping out of the loop she'd created around him, Dunham's tail receded suddenly until out of sight, leaving what appeared to just be a mortal man. A supremely pissed off mortal man.

He took a daring step forward, pressing himself against both Stella and her sword, glaring down at her with the full heat of his anger. His eyes were darkened, nearly black, as if they changed colors with his mood swings. But they were truly his demon eyes.

"Plain, run of the mill demon?" he growled. "You must have me confused. A sorry mistake on your behalf."

With the confidence of a man in control, Dunham lifted his hand and momentarily cupped Stella's chin a little too firmly for comfort. His voice seemed to become lower and angrier the longer he spoke, and he could feel the tiny ripples pulsing through his body, egging him on to change. He was so much more miraculous in his anger in demon form. But Dunham stubbornly remained human. For now.

"A mistake that would lead to a rather bloody fight on usual terms. But, seeing as how you seem to be a rare species yourself," he paused, snickered, "I'm going to pretend like it didn't happen. You see, I have other, more important things to be doing. However, when I do find Pandora's box, you may not be able to count yourself so lucky."

He grinned again, finally, but the expression looked ferocious on his face as it was contorted with his indignation. Dropping his hand away, Dunham made to step around the woman.

A sorry mistake on her behalf? It didn't exactly fit with his actions as he cupped her chin a bit to firmly and tried hard to scare her. There was no fear in Stella. If anything she invited death. He breathed across her face some nonesense about a Pandora's Box.

She had heared of it. Knew of it's dangers and had also planed to hunt it down. Chop off a few heads would be a bit bloodier then she tended to like it but that's what gave her the idea.

She would try to see what he knew. Then let him leave in relative peace. Of course then she would be able to know one of the heads to chop off when the time came. The pieces were there and the time was right just as he stepped away.

"Pandora's Box?" She shiethed her sword in a smooth motion and stepped in to move beside him. The illusion fell away like smoke and they were visible once more.

"You mean the Jar that unleashed ills, toils and sickness in Greek mythology and of course finaly hope? Or is it the current human man that everyone seems to be searching for these days?" She cast him a glance but looked back to where she was walking.

She still remembered him angry. Wondered what his demon form was and if she could coax him to show her. Just to be prepared of course. It was always best to be prepared in such things.

Fighting was definatly not something you wanted to go in to with out any knowledge. She would have been dead by now if she hadn't spent time learning of things before hand.

"He has quiet a bit of evil inside of him. Probably like you, huh?" She cast him another glance this time with a smile, "All evil inside. Of course you don't have to worry about controling your self. You destroy things a bit like Godzilla. Smash, smash, smash."

In a way she was making fun of him by acting like this. Heck he still might change on her and she wouldn't hesitate in a fight. Then again she didn't plan on killing him now. Not until he had one of the evils inside of him. Heck it might teach him a lesson if it took control over the demon.