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 F O R   L O V E   O F   E V I L E                        by Gabriel
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 For Love of Evile is (C) Copyright 1996 William R. Muench. I hereby
 give permission to transmit the story electronically as long as
 nothing in the document is changed and no money changes hands.

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Chapter 3 - "Ancestor Cult"

	Candles burned dimly in the darkness reflecting off the 
artificial stars overhead. A large white taper created a circle of 
light in the center of the room, reflecting in the eyes of Eve and 
Gabriel and burning in the space where Sylvia's eyes should have been. 
The sound of Sylvia's voice was softened by the wood prevalent in the 
room and by the thick carpets covering the bare floor.

	"The creature that did this to me," Sylvia said, motioning 
towards her scarred face, "is ancient. It has lived for centuries in 
the bodies of murderers, conquerers, and even priests. I knew it over 
900 years ago in Romania."

	Gabriel's mouth dropped open at her words. "900 years ago? 
How... how is that possible?" he asked with a slight gasp. "You don't 
look any older than thirty!"

	The blonde woman smiled sadly, "I know... please, be patient, 
I'll explain in time. In the 12th century I was a simple peasant in 
what is now Romania. My village was poor, as most were in those days, 
and I was married before my fifteenth birthday. Soon afterwards I began 
having visions, much as you are now, Eve. Visions of a dying planet, 
hellfire and brimstone. The visions were more ecclesiastic in nature 
than your own due to the heavy influence of religion, but powerful 
nonetheless. These visions persisted for years. Over time I learned of 
a powerful being coming into power in the nether realms, a being who 
wanted me to serve it." Sylvia shuddered slightly as the wash of 
memories overcame her, the terror relived and the anguish undiminished. 
With a shake of her head she dispelled such thoughts and returned to 
her narrative.

	"Why it chose me, I do not know. It hounded me for years until 
I gave in and used my visions to help it. I found that it had granted 
me the precognitive powers because it needed to know what its future 
was. When I questioned it in my dreams as to why it couldn't do it 
itself, it laughed and said that one could not tell one's own future, 
thus requiring a pawn. As time passed I realized that I was not aging 
and the creature revealed that it had granted me immortality for the 
period of time in which I served it.

	"Nearly fifty years later it had amassed an army of thousands 
from around the world, all powerful in their own respect. Legions of 
the Cynocephali, known to you as the Were, answered its call which 
invaded their dreams. Demon Lords bowed before it, bringing their demon 
hosts with them. Even flocks of vampires followed it. For it was 
insidious, pervasive and seductive. To the Were it promised the 
cleansing of the Human plague. To the Demons, the power to rule the 
material plane. The Vampires were promised herds of humans upon which 
they could sate their thirst for all eternity. In the end they all 
fell, returned to their respective domains. But for a time they were a 
power to be feared. Leading them was one of the Were from Germany, a 
superb general and tactician.

	"When the first city fell the peaceful inhabitants were 
slaughtered to every last child, their screams fulfilling the unholy 
legion's appetite only momentarily. It seemed that before the blood had 
stopped flowing the Legion was on the move again, moving against the 
next city. City, town, and village fell. I began to despair that 
nothing could stop it. After all of what is now Northern China had 
fallen I could take it no more. I was not, am not, a violent woman. I 
had served out of fear, fear for my own pathetic life, trying not to 
think of those whose lives I had helped destroy.

	"The war was horrible, devastating the countryside and laying 
waste to miles of fertile land. Forests were burnt to the ground, trees 
who had stood for centuries turned into so much kindling. Rivers 
befouled by the leavings of thousands of creatures, whole herds of 
animals slaughtered by the conquering army. After a few years of such 
destruction the general of the army, the Were, abandoned the Legion. 
The years had mellowed him somewhat and he began to work to repair the 
destruction he had visited on his Earth.

	"Without a general for his legion, the creature began to search 
for another. It found such a ruthless creature in Asia and immediately 
recruited the man to it's cause, promising him power beyond mortal 
understanding.

	"Meanwhile my despair focused on the visions forced upon me, 
images forced before my eyes by a malevolent being. In a fit of rage I 
took a dagger and cut out my eyes, trying to stop the horrible visions. 
The pain was excruciating but I did it in spite. The physical pain 
helped burn away my spiritual pain. As I finished the creature found 
what I had done but instead of reacting in anger simply laughed at me, 
at my pain. For a short time I didn't know why, but soon I found out. 
The visions never stopped... and the slaughter continued." Sylvia's 
form trembled as she saw the carnage yet again in her mind. After a few 
moments her back straightened and she continued the tale of horror.

	"For another fifty years the Legion conquered. Those who were 
defeated were given a simple choice; surrender and be enslaved or die 
by beheading. At the end of this fifty years the creature had conquered 
almost all of Asia. At this time however the creature was losing its 
grip on the material plane. In order to gain a foothold in our world it 
had bonded itself with its new general. It should have been able to 
keep the man alive for centuries but the combination of the General's 
intense passions and the raw energy from the creature was slowly 
killing him. In 1227 the creature's pawn died. Your people know this 
general as Genghis Khan.

	"The death of Khan led to a halt of the conquest and the Legion 
was defeated by a group of psychics, vampire hunters and Were led by 
the fugitive Were general. Those from the Legion who lived were 
scattered to the four winds and never reformed that unholy power. But 
the creature did not die. If it had my visions would have disappeared 
and I would have died. Instead I have lived on, enduring more than 40 
generations up until the present day.

	"I have been in hiding for the past 400 years and only recently 
emerged in search of you, Eve. For the creature is about to emerge from 
hiding and begin another conquest."

                              ---/--/@

	The rain pounded down, seemingly able to soak a person to the 
skin in seconds as a mass of humanity stumbled out the doors of The 
Vertex. Loud music blasted from the momentarily open doors, quickly cut 
off as the insulated portal closed. The mass of bodies staggered up the 
concrete steps and arms began to untangle as the group separated. 
Silhouettes moved away from each other, returning to the melancholy 
places which each called home.

	The rain revitalized Amos as he began moving down the darkened 
street, washing through his hair and running in rivulets off of his 
wool cloak which he gathered close around his body. The rain was
letting up for the first time since early that morning, and Amos could 
see the moon glowing silver in the sky, a disc of pale light.

	After walking for a few minutes Amos saw a reddish glow coming 
from an alley ahead, giving off more light than any barrel-fire should. 
Wisps of smoke could be seen rising above the old brick buildings and a 
faint crackling came, carried on the wind. As Amos neared the mouth of 
the alley the smoke became more intense and he could begin to feel heat 
on his exposed skin.

	Amos reached the mouth of the alley and stepped around the 
corner to be confronted by a conflagaration straight from the pits of 
hell, consuming the trash littering the alley and beginning to stretch 
towards the clouded sky. Falling back with his hand raised as if to 
protect his head from the fire, Amos saw the silhouette of a person 
within the flames. The flames seemed to caress the figure's form which 
writhed as if the fiery touch imparted ecstacy. The silhouette stilled 
after an interminable time and its form grew larger as it approached 
Amos.

	Details began to appear as it came closer, revealing itself to 
be a tall woman, nearly six feet in height. With a shock Amos realized 
that she was nude, and moreover, that the flames didn't harm her flesh, 
instead coiling around it. Amos felt a stirring as her form became more 
distinct, a model of female perfection. Her legs were long and rounded, 
tapering up to a narrow waist below a softly rounded stomach. Perched 
high upon her chest were twin breasts, perfectly formed. A long neck 
led to an angelic face surrounded by hair the color of fire, seemingly 
spun from molten iron. Green eyes peered out from under an unblemished 
brow at Amos.

	The woman came within arm's reach of Amos and placed a hand 
alluringly on one hip, the other reaching out to caress his cheek. Pain 
screamed across his cheek at her touch of velvet fire, causing him to 
recoil in pain. Her eyes glinted mischeviously as he reached up and 
touched his burnt cheek, backing away slowly.

	"What are you...?" Amos stammered out quietly as his eyes 
widened in fear.

	The woman's face split into an evil smile as she reached 
forward with two perfect arms and gripped his head in a lover's grip. 
His eyes screwed shut and a small cry escaped his lips at her touch as 
he tried to pull away to no avail. The flesh near her hands began to 
blister and suddenly a pillar of flame rose from the pavement to 
consume him. His form was consumed in an instant and the flames winked 
out, leaving a small pile of ashes on the ground.

	In the flickering light of the blaze roaring in the alley the 
shadows seemed to liquify and flow across the ground towards the woman. 
The darkness flowed up her body, encasing it in a suit of blackness. 
Shifted slightly, the darkness solidified, leaving the woman encased 
in a suit of black plate armor. She stretched luxuriously against a 
backdrop of flames, the armor moving like a second skin.

	A dry breeze from the fire began to scatter the pile of ashes, 
leaving a small deposit on the woman's shoulder. She reached up and 
brushed away the vestiges of Amos, watching as it was blown away on 
the wind.

	"What am I?" she repeated to the ancient stars. "I am Lilith."

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