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Deep down, under the earth, where the light of Heaven is a mere dream, a king stood in the center of a large, stone room. Carved into the stone, a part of the very chamber itself, was a large pentagram. On each point of the star, one person sat manacled to the ground, thrashing and clanking as they tried to escape in vain. One point, the one the king stared directly at, held two people instead. A man and a woman, staring around with fearful eyes. They were the only two in the room who knew each other already, siblings, they are. Something necessary for the spell to work.
The king held an open leatherbound black book in his hands and readied his lips to read from its pages. “Please, we’re innocent!” One of the unimportant people yelled behind him and the king scoffed. None of these people are innocent, they’re all criminals who were on the way to the ax. At least this way, they’ll help the future of the kingdom, or more importantly their king.
He ignored them and commenced the ritual. “I offer these six bodies to the great Monarchs In Black.” His voice rang throughout the room and suddenly, all writhing ceased, the room became deathly quiet. “Pokotho, Demon Of Song, steal this voice and speak with it.” One star point started glowing blue, washing part of the room said color. The person sitting inside the point keeled over onto the ground, gasping for air.
Everyone looked at him with wide eyes, a scream escaping a few of them, as the king continued. “Bliklotep, Demon Of Sight, steal these eyes and see with them.” Another star point gained a color, this one purple. The woman inside’s eyes were filled with purple and yellow as she keeled over as well, head throbbing in pain.
The woman sitting next to the man started breathing harder, more desperately thrashing against her chain. Her brother elbowed her and her attention shot to him. He discreetly showed her something in his hands as the king went on. “T’noy Karaxis, Demon Of Time, steal this mind and think with it.”
Same as the other two, a point gained a yellow light and the person collapsed, face sliding on the harsh ground. The room was now covered in the different colored lights, clashing with each other and flickering as if they were flames. The brother started fidgeting with his chains, no longer thrashing hopelessly but with intent. His sister watched him desperately as the king went on.
“Nibblenephim, Demon Of Hunger, steal this mouth and devour with it.” A point turned bright pink and blood started spewing out that woman’s mouth. With a series of coughs, she fell to the ground as well. The king let himself smile. Just one more and he’ll gain the power of six ancient demons, all under his complete control.
“Wiggog Y’Rath and Webbine Y’Weave, Demons Of Wrath, steal these hands and slaughter with them.” With a click, the man’s bindings came undone just as he felt as if his hands were lit aflame. They shook wildly as he yelled in pain. His sister did the same, face contorted in suffering as they were both lit by green and white light.
Acting as best he could, the brother brought his hidden lockpick over to his sister’s chains. His hands protested and screamed at his actions but he persisted. She weakly shook her head as he started trying to free her. “No… run…” She said between gasps of breath.
The brother’s fingertips started turning a faint green as he continued. “I’m… not leaving… you.” Clicking the small stick inside the hole, turning it around wildly, he desperately tried to save her. The green staining his hands grew more and more vivid and traveled farther and farther down his hands. The pain grew too much, trembling grew too great, and he dropped their salvation on the stone with a quiet clack.
“No!” He yelled. As quick as he could, he reached out to grab the pick but it was too late. His vision grew blurry, head feeling as if it were filled with lead, heart slowing to silence. His sister slumped over as he fell onto the ground, same as the rest.
Deep down inside the pits of Hell, where the only sound is screams of the damned, the only warmth comes from the eternally burning flames, the air reeks of the rot of the earth, Webby saw something new inside the large web she calls home. Delicately tapping the strings with her thin limbs, she moved over to study it. When she saw it was an offering of a body in the mortal world, her chelicerae spread apart in the approximation of a smile.
Jamming her spindly spider legs onto the visage of her new body, a bright white glow split off of it. Her current form started sinking into it, each part of her slowly filling it out. Legs transferred to hands, many eyes squeezed into two, tough exoskeleton melted away into thin skin. Once she was settled in nicely, she shot her new eyes open.
It was still dark but now she didn’t hear the screams, didn’t smell the stench of blood everywhere. With a shaky, unnatural smile, she started stretching out her fingers. First, she tapped the cold stone. She’s never felt that before, cold. It feels nice. Her face was already pressed against it and she was reluctant to move away.
Second, her fingers grazed the chains binding her hands, making them clink noisily. She groaned at the sound, not her favorite. Everything felt so sensitive now, she noted as she slowly rose up. Stretching her neck, she saw her brothers adjusting as well; all groaning or stretching, Blinky seemed content to just be laying on the floor over there, however.
Webby stared down at herself. It felt bizarre, to be in a form so different from her own. The old clothes she wore rubbed her skin in the worst way, making her want to scream. Her hands were stained white, with it sharpest at her fingertips and, as it traveled down her limbs, it went more and more faint.
She smiled to herself, this one just as unfamiliar. Her limbs. This is her body now. She has a body, a human body, a body that makes her free, that lets her walk amongst the land of the humans. Webby heard that annoying sound of chains rattling as her brother grabbed the manacles tight around her wrist. “You seem happy.” He remarked as he started fidgeting with them.
Webby let out a small laugh at hearing him speak. “That’s what you sound like now?” He sounded so much smaller now, like how you imagine an ant would sound. She laughed at the image of his previous form sounding like that. Wiggly groaned as he pulled his hands away. “You sound stupid too.” He bit back.
She chuckled as she wrapped her hand around the cold metal on her wrist. “Not as stupid as you.” Clenching her hand into a fist, the binding crumbled away under her grasp. The metal turned to dust, falling onto the ground and she did the same to the next. Wiggly stood up on shaky legs and watched the others escape their chains as well.
Pokey slid out of his with ease, as if there was nothing there at all. He likely shifted his bones to make that possible, ever the show off. Blinky simply tore his chain apart, not even bothering to get them off of his hands. Tinky blew air onto his chain and, in the blink of an eye, it was rusted beyond belief. It basically fell off at that point. Nibbly was gnawing off his, newly acquired sharp teeth making quick work of the metal.
As Webby tried to stand up, her legs gave way and she started heading straight for the ground. Her brother caught her and let her prop herself onto his side. “Ugh,” She complained. “Why are you so good at this standing thing?”
He shrugged. “Practice.” Many a time before, he has come to the human world and done some possessions, but never before has someone been dumb enough to perform this specific ritual. Summoning all six and offering them permanent bodies to control? There are faster ways to commit suicide.
“Ahem.” A cough rang out throughout the room. Speaking of fools. Everyone’s attention shot to the man standing in the center. “I am King Mathias.” His voice was a little shaky and that slight apparent weakness put a wicked smile on the face of everyone in the room. “I am the one who summoned you. You work for me now.”
Suddenly, the room burst out in chuckles, cackles, snorts, giggles, none of which pleasant to hear in the slightest. Tinky, who was already crouched low to the ground, fell over from how hard he laughed. Webby threw herself off of her twin and placed her hands on her legs to support herself as she chuckled. Wiggly wiped a mock tear from his eye. “Now, that’s funny.” He said.
“A classic tragedy.” Pokey said as he motioned to the king with an open hand. “A mighty king who meets a just and fitting end.”
The laughter inside Webby died out as she righted herself. “Nibbly.” She said. Nibbly’s attention shot over to her and he stared at her eagerly, hoping that she was about to say what he wanted to hear. “You hungry?” His face broke out in a wide, wide smile, one so large his face practically split in half.
“Always.” He grizzled out as he looked at the king, expression reading as if he hadn’t eaten in 100 years. The king started backing away from the encroaching Nibbly, drool dripping onto the floor. As it fell, it sizzled the stone, creating slight streams of steam in the air. Everyone else started filing off, walking over to the large ornate door in the corner.
Wiggly swung it open with a large creak as he shouted back. “Find us when you’re done.” They all exited, chuckles still echoing in their throats, as the deafening screams of the king followed behind them.
Webby and Wiggly strode through the bustling town together. Webby stared around at each person, every rock and store front. The human world was so fascinating for her. Before her and her brother did their thing, she liked to walk around, see what it had to offer. Wiggly couldn’t care less about them, so long as she was happy, he was fine.
After they took control of their new bodies, they’ve been slowly changing. Streaks of green and white grew in their respective hair, Wiggly’s nails grew to a sharp point, Webby’s gained a much smaller pair of her old fangs inside her mouth. Something bright caught Webby’s eye and she ran over to observe it.
She stared lovingly at the small flower growing in the middle of this busy walkway as Wiggly spoke up. “Can we get started yet?” She rolled her eyes, a new trick she’s taught herself, and grabbed his hand with a slap.
Their respective colors filled their eyes with a glow as they spoke in unison. “Fill these empty hearts with silken hate, make them lose their minds until it’s too late.” They pulled their hands away and an invisible wave of energy spilled out over the town. Suddenly, someone nearby threw themselves onto someone else, screaming about some petty nonsense.
Someone else did the same, and then another and another and another. Soon, the whole town square erupted into chaos and the twins smiled. They continued their walk as the carnage ensued, blood starting to stain the ground. “Y’know, I’ve been thinking.” Webby started.
“Oh no, don’t tire yourself out.” He replied.
“Mom never loved you.” She snarked back. Technically speaking, their mother, a physical representation of Hell itself, has never loved anyone, not even their father. He was actually an angel, a fact that the monarchs have hated since they found out. Granted, he was a fallen angel but still… horrible…
“Anyways.” She continued. “I’ve been thinking. Do you ever wish we were something… more?”
Wiggly’s face contorted in something that was possibly confusion, he still hasn’t gotten facial expressions down. He scoffed. “What do you mean, ‘more’? We are literally in charge of an entire state of being.”
She waved her hand dismissively as a rogue sword was flung past her, landing directly inside someone’s chest. “I mean, doing something more than just making humans kill each other.”
He shrugged. “I’m fine with it…” There was a brief pause at the end of his sentence as he eyed her up and down. “Are you?”
She groaned as she rubbed her arm. “I mean, it’s fun, don’t get me wrong, but I’m sick of just being the other demon of wrath, y’know?”
He patted her shoulder. “I get it, you wanna do things on your own, don’t you?” Webby’s face moved in thought and she brought her hand to her chin. Did she?
“Huh, guess I do.” She replied as she dropped her hand. He pulled his own hand away and snapped his fingers. “What’s the harm in it? You go do your thing in that direction.” He pointed behind her. “I’ll do mine this way and we'll see what happens.”
She shrugged. “Ok.” Webby whipped around and started walking off as her brother did the same. She continued through the bloodshed, bodies started piling up. Everyone seemed to ignore her completely. All except one little girl, barely older than 8, with bright red hair.
A small hand wrapped around Webby’s wrist, catching her completely off guard. She jumped as she pulled her hand away from the little girl. The audacity. The little girl pointed at where she came from. “My mama.” She said, voice wavering in fear.
“She’s all angry, I don’t know what’s wrong with her.” Webby ignored her words and crouched down to be at eye level with the girl. Bizarre, the spell didn’t work on her. Granted, on his own, Wiggly’s version of the spell doesn’t work on kids but that’s what Webby’s for. Hers works only on children.
“Why are you not angry?” She asked, mostly to herself. The girl grabbed Webby’s hand again and tried tugging her away. “Please…” She begged. Webby, curious as to the situation with this child, pulled her hand away again and motioned forward. “Lead the way.” The girl beamed at the offered help and ran as fast as she could.
Webby followed and they swerved past fight after fight. They ended up at a very small house and the little girl tentatively grabbed the door handle. She held her hand on the knob for a long time, staring off into space. After around one minute of nothing, Webby groaned and opened the door for her.
Barging in, she saw what was to be expected. A woman frothing at the mouth in rage. Strange that she hadn’t left yet. The girl hid behind Webby, eyeing her mother worriedly. The woman remained merely standing there, twitching every now and then. Webby strode forward and grabbed her face. She stared at her, trying to see what could be wrong.
Webby noticed what it was almost immediately. She held too much of the spell inside her soul, practically a double portion. It was melting her mind, holding all that anger. Chances are her heart will give out in a minute or so. Interesting , Webby thought.
She let go of the woman and went back over to the child. “Can you help her?” She asked as Webby stared at her. “I could.” She answered as she analyzed the girl’s soul. “But why?” Webby asked, not fully expecting a reply.
She found out the girl’s name. Jean Holloway. Inside her soul was a bright light and once she saw it, everything clicked. That’s why it didn’t work.
Jean took a deep breath. “Fine, if you aren’t going to help, then I’ll do it myself.”
Webby raised a skeptical eyebrow. “How?” Jean ignored her and grabbed her mother’s hand tight. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to force the anger out of her mind. It’s something she’s done before but it’s never been this hard. A small chuckle escaped Webby. Cute, a child trying to break the wrath curse. It’s like watching a squirrel try to push a boulder.
Webby expected her to give up after 30 seconds but minutes have passed and she’s still trying. Something felt weird in Webby’s chest and she had a sudden compulsion to try to help the child. At first, she shut the idea out as ridiculous but as Jean persisted, she wanted to help more and more. What is wrong with me? She thought as she grabbed Jean’s hand.
Webby offered her a small spark of her power and suddenly, the mother snapped out of it and fell onto the floor with a thud, curse gone. Jean gasped in surprise and ran over to check on her mother. Webby started walking out, still feeling something weird in her chest, as Jean spoke up. “Thank you.”
She jumped at the words. No one’s ever thanked her before. She gave an awkward smile. “Cool.” With that, she ran out, feeling even weirder. Webby zoomed through the streets, thinking hard. “ Why did I help that kid?” was the most prevalent thought.