When in Gehenna

The Blood Red Night

A young dryad was running for her life.  Her name was Ayame, and she was one of the few dryads that had been born since her people were forced from Assaiah all those years ago. She and her family had come up to Assaiah to celebrate the summer solstice in their sacred clearing.  Everything had been going well and the rituals they performed were renewing both her family and the earth in and around the grove.  She had even been given the honor of playing the role of the maiden.  Her job was to call forth the freely given sacrifice that would finish the renewal ceremony.  An ancient stag came into the clearing, accompanied by the rest of his herd.  He knew that his days were numbered, and was willing to give his life in order to help his herd continue to prosper in the land.  Just as Ayame was raising the ceremonial knife to end the noble beast's life, a shot rang out and the knife fell from her grasp as a burning pain radiated through her hand.  The rest of her family began to panic as Ayame looked down to see an iron bullet filled with holy water smoking in the grass.  Fortunately, the cursed metal had gone strait through her hand instead of remaining inside the wound and continuing to spread its poison.  She quickly realized that someone was attacking her kin and looked around to see armed men wearing the exorcist uniform charging into the clearing.  Her mother began dragging her out of the clearing as Ayame struggled to stand and run.  As the women and children began to flee, the men tried to hold off the exorcists.  Unfortunately, dryads were ill-equipped to fight, especially on a night such as this where all weapons had to be left outside of the clearing.  She could hear the men's cries of pain and anguish as more shots rang out.  Slowly, and far less often, the death cries of women and children could also be heard.  As one shot rang out particularly close, Ayame tripped over a root and fell, her hand slipping out of her mother's firm grasp.  As her mother stopped and turned around to find her, Ayame saw a blonde exorcist with a beautiful but deadly blade step out of the shadows and stab her mother through the heart.  Ayame willed with all her might to be hidden from this monster, whose blade and white coat were spattered with the blood of  her family.  She felt a slight tingling, just before her mother's corpse fell forward in a shower of leaves.  The man looked around for a minute, before shrugging and walking away, keeping an ear out for any unnatural sounds that would give away the presence of the beings he hunted.

Ayame remained motionless for hours, lying under the leaves that covered her.  Even in death, her mother was protecting her.  Eventually, long after the cries and gunshots had ceased, Ayame drifted off into an exhausted sleep.  When she woke, it was daylight.  The only sounds Ayame's keen ears picked up were the natural sounds of the forest around her.  She slowly stood up, and when nothing tried to kill her, she began to run.  Although she didn't think there was anyone or anything chasing her, she was not willing to slow down.  She remembered the amulet her mother had given her before they left Gehenna.  She had told Ayame that if anything happened and she was lost or injured, if she whispered her name to the amulet and focused very hard, it would safely lead her to someone who would be able to help her return home.  Ayame followed the instructions she had been given, and the amulet began to tug her into a certain direction.

What felt like an eternity later, Ayame began to notice signs of civilization.  Her legs and lungs were burning, but she was unwilling to risk slowing down.  Finally, a full day after she had woken in the forest, Ayame was tugged towards a large, familiar building.  She remembered her mother pointing it out to her when they arrived in Assaiah. It was the home of Samael, or Mephisto Pheles as he was also known.  A few minutes after she had entered the grounds, an armed man wearing glasses stepped in front of her.

"Halt! What is your business here, demon?" The young man was wearing a coat similar to the ones worn by the people who had slaughtered her family.  The exhaustion and stress suddenly caught up to Ayame, and she fell to her knees, sobbing and screaming hysterically.  She was certain that the man in front of her was going to kill her with the gun that was pointing at her.  However, she didn't have the energy to run any further, or even deny that she was a demon.  Her body began shaking as the man stepped closer to her, gun still drawn.

"What is going on here?" A new voice rang out.  Ayame struggled to look up, and saw a most welcome sight.  The newcomer was none other than Samael, the Demon King of Time.  She reached out a shaking hand and whispered "Help . . . me . . . " before she blacked out, finally able to relax in the knowledge that her mother had trusted Samael to help and protect Ayame.  

Mephisto smoothly picked up the young dryad, taking in her wounded hand and tear-stained face, before turning to Yukio.

"What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything!  I heard the alarm for an unauthorized being on campus and came out to confront the demon.  I told her to stop and asked what she was doing here, and she simply fell to her knees and began sobbing.  That was when you came out." Mephisto could tell that Yukio was honestly confused about the situation, and was even somewhat concerned for the young girl.

"Very well.  I just needed to make sure.  This girl is not a demon, but a dryad, one of the members of the Seelie Court.  I believe her family came to Assaiah in order to perform a renewal ceremony that would help her family and the earth to strengthen and grow.  Obviously, something happened and it appears this child has run here from wherever she was.  Since she is alone, it is safe to say that her family was either killed or unable to return for the  girl.  I can also see that she was shot by an iron bullet, as only iron would cause this type of injury in one of the Fey.  I will take her up to my office, and once she wakes up I will find out what exactly happened." Mephisto turned to leave, wordlessly dismissing Yukio.

Once he reached his office, Mephisto sat the young dryad on the sofa he transformed and placed a blanket around her.  He then wrote a message to Rin and Amaimon, asking them to come as soon as possible, since there may have been a breach of the treaty.  Then, he sat back to wait.

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Note: Sorry about the long wait.  I promise to be better about my weekly releases, especially since the story is starting to write itself again!  Thanks for all of the support from everyone.