Beast of a Thousand Torments

[RandomRabbit]

The Call

Bellindra stretched and breathed the air her wings stretching as a spade tail swished.  There was a tangy quality to it.  Being summoned to the material world in ways was like awakening from the dream that was the drawn out existence of eternity.  It had been a while so the moment felt particularly real to the purple skinned woman of a fiend.  She tucked some black hair behind a curled red horn as she got ready to give her usual proclamation of who dares summon the beast of a thousand torments when the voice of one of her summoners spoke up, "Dude!  It worked!  Holy shit!"

Bellindra cocked a brow as she took in her surroundings more.  Television playing a random video.  Beat up couch.  An herbal smell in the air as well as that tangy odor from before, a trio of stunned young men staring at her.  "Dude it's purple babe!"  One of them called out. 

Bellindra was torn between being disappointed or just amused.  This was hardly the sort of welcome she expected from a summoning.  She stooped down and inspected the circle she was standing in.  Expertly drawn in a red fluid, Ketchup.  Only the summoning circle, no binding circle.  The juxtaposition of skill and ignorance was refreshingly jarring.  Bellindra stepped out of the circle.  The trio gasped, shrinking away from her. She smirked as she explained, "If you do not include a binding circle around the summoning circle, the demon can walk right out and do whatever she pleases to you."  The color drained from the men's faces as they shrunk against the corner.  Bellindra relished the looks of abject terror on their faces, another Rookie mistake, not having the exit behind you.  The thought crossed her mind about how easy it would be to do anything she darn well pleased to them, live up to that moniker of hers.  But her heart just wasn't in it.  Kill them, go back to lurk in hellish ruins?  Maybe some simple pleasures were in order.  Bellindra flicked the nose of the central man, presumed leader, pale, black hair.  He yelped in surprise more then pain. "There's your torment.  Now get me something to eat."  She said.

"That's it?"  Said the leader.

"I mean I could kill you and make you feel agony every step of the way if you prefer." She responded wryly.

The man backpedaled quickly on his statement, "No no no!  This is alright!"

"Excellent," She said, striding over to the beat up couch and throwing herself into it.  Despite appearances it was precisely the right levels of soft and comfortable.  Bellindra stretched again with an indulgent grunt, letting herself sink in, "I need a change of scenery, and his couch is rather comfortable.  How about in return for me not visiting unspeakable horror to you, you provide me with room and board."

The men were starting to step out of the corner, still breathing a little quickly from the earlier scare.  She could see the wheels turning in their head as they were coming to grips with their capricious fortune in all this, "S-So you'll help us against those creepy Helion cultists ganger people?"  This was one of the others speaking, red headed lad with freckles.

Bellindra turned her head to glance at him, "Don't press your luck."  The three suddenly started back as if struck.  Bellindra smirked with an amused internal heh at the reaction and softened a bit, "You can discuss things around here with me and if anything sounds fun I might get involved."

[RandomRabbit]

Joy Ride

Unlike the boys these people really knew their wards.  From what she had gathered this place was known as The Zig.  The gentleman aiding the jailors in confining her to this room was some druid known as Simon.  While the situation was far from ideal Bellindra was somehow finding amusement at the confusion between the officials and the Simon.

"That's Bellindra; The Beast of a Thousand Torments, The Lament of Tyrone, The Mistress of Agony.  She relishes pain and destruction.  We can't be treating her lightly."

The officer shook his head, "She did surrender when the office approached her.  While it was just a fender bender, she was driving without a license."

"She's just biding her time.  Fiends can be insidious with their plots.  Don't trust her."

Bellindra spoke up, "That is generally good advice when dealing with demons though."

The ritualist glared at her, "Silence fiend!"  Bellindra responded with a fanged toothy grin.  He peeered at her, "How are you even here?"

She shrugged, "Some amateurs summoned me hoping to fight fire with fire against Hellions.  It would have been an awful good summoning if they hadn't forgotten their warding circle.  And so I decided I'd rather just stick around, stretch my wings, and take a vacation in Paragon.  The kids aren't bad, just foolish."

The mage harumphed, "I'll determine that fiend."

The officer though, spoke up, "Look, you can argue nature all you want, but without any actual crimes we can't just hold her.  Though the lack of paperwork for you."  He spoke, looking at Bellindra, "When things are sorted out I'm sure they're going to let you back out.  But we will be keeping an eye on you."

Bellindra tried to avoid making her grin look too malicious as she drank in the rancor that was bubbling up from Simon.  She was a patient fiend.  She had all the time in the world.

When night time came though, all hell broke loose, and none of it was Bellindra's fault.

Simon returned, with friends, all dressed in similar color coded uniforms.  She later learned they were a secret order known as Legacy Chain.  They tried to attack her while she was still contained, and she fought back like a fury.  She actually relished the struggle, a good fight would set her blood ablaze.  The jail security eventually mobilized through all of that and they targeted both Bellindra and Legacy Chain in a chaotic three way Melee.  As she was weighing surrending to them or going down with cathartic ferocity the additional explosions came.  Blackened ships descended on The Zig as Arachnos had chosen this hour to stage a jailbreak.  As the men in fearsome black armor swept through suppressing guard and Chain alike Bellindra decided that was the one option that wouldn't result in further incarceration for her and that is how she ended up in the Isles.

[RandomRabbit]

Dial-A-Fiend

The name of Mercy Island was so ironic that it amused Bellindra.  The island was anything but.  She heard originally Arachnos would dump off abducted ne'er do wells in Darwin's landing and force them to fight through snakes Hellions and Skulls to make it up to the upper areas.  Darwin's Landing was an apt name for it, for the social Darwinism Arachnos engaged it.  Bellindra was sipping on a bloody Mary from Larry's Tiki Bar, an establishment in the upper areas of Mercy.  It was a run down looking place, but at least it wasn't the ruins down below.  Despite the run down appearance she rather liked the Tiki Ambience.  But her concentration was more on the lad before her.  Mid-tone skin, short cut hair, wearing a T-Shirt with some game emblem she didn't recognize.  The locals simply called him J and he was good at hooking people up with electronics.  "So this phone should be clean.  Using this won't get traced like some of the standard fare you'd buy around here.  No tracking software.  This is the cellphone number.  Do you want me to show you how to dial again?"

Bellindra Nodded, the boy was hesitant to work for someone looking at devilish as her, but she could tell he had worked with a few freakish sorts before in Mercy and by keeping a pleasant demeanor she was able to keep him cooperative.  More flies with honey then vinegar and all that.  Sometimes being nice was the easiest way.  That's when the call came from behind her, back towards the door, "At last I found you!"  It was a rather beefy man hefting an axe, "Bellindra, the Beast of a Thousand Torments, I have come to send you back from whence you came." 

He purposefully strode down towards her Bellindra held up a hand, gesturing a stop, "Wait, can we do this outside please."

The man stopped, laying his axe over his armored shoulder his brow furrowed beneath his wild brown locks and his square jawed mouth turned to the side in thought, clearly taken aback at the lack of aggression in the reply, "Why?"

Bellindra gestured to the occupants, "There are people here, the staff are terrified.  And there is a lot of furniture that can be damaged.  I rather like the Bloody Marys here and I'd rather they continue serving me."

The man nodded, seeming to agree with the plea to limit collateral damage, "Fine, you shall face me in the street."  He walked back out.

Bellindra looked to the kid, "Sorry Jay I'm going to deal with this quick and then I'll get back to you."  She walked away from him and the table, towards the door.  She barely noticed the two men dressed in grey going by until one of them rudely bumped her in the shoulder, pushing right past her.  They had skull masks which clearly spoke of their gang affiliation.  They were both carrying baseball bats.

Bellindra glanced at the two men approaching Jay, she saw Jay's face go pale as the Skulls approached him, "Took us a while to find you, squirt, you think you could do business in our turf like that without paying the fee?" 

Bellindra scowled, "HEY!  That kid's my tech support.  Hands off if you want to keep them."

The Skulls turned about, glowering at Bellindra through their masks, "Stay out of this Hellion bitch!  We'll clip those wings later!"

Bellindra had no patience for this with a quick gesture she snapped a whip of hellfire that hadn't existed until this very moment at the left Skull's feet.  It snatched around his ankles and she gave a sharp tug, his arms flailed for balance as he was thrown on his back, his head connected with the heavy table Jay and Bellindra had been sitting at a moment earlier with a solid thud.  The man fell to the ground knocked unconscious.  The second man ran after Bellindra with his bat.  Bellindra ran for the door.  She burst out into the open, the axe-wielding man was watching the whole scuffle curiously from the street.  He didn't impede Bellindra as she spun around just in time to take a hit from a baseball bat.  The blow caught one of her horns, she rolled with it, there was a sharp pain where it her horn met her head but she had felt far worse.  She grasped on to the pain seeping through her mind and slung it back at her assailent in the form of a fiery punch.  He fell backwards to the ground, she was upon him in an instant, throwing him into a painful lock-hold.  She wasn't called the Beast of a Thousand Torments for nothing, this man was riff-raff, it was easy contorting his body into a highly painful hold leaving him crying out for mercy.  She hissed out, "I am no Hellion, I am Bellindra, the Beast of a Thousand Torments.  Harm that kid and you'll have an awful lot of cut-throats at your throat, including me, and I will kill you, and every instant of that death will be an agony you'll beg for me to hasten to the end."

She let him simmer in a couple beats of pain before she released him, tossing his bat aside.  The thug leapt to his feet and Bellindra made a start at him, bearing fangs.  The SKull lept back in a panic and sprinted off.  Bellindra laughed and rubbed her horn where she took the hit before turning towards the would-be Demon hunter.  "So you wanted to dance?"

The man considered her a moment more, axe still balanced on his shoulder.  She could tell this man was not going to be an easy fight, and the thought just left her more eager to fight him.  She knew it would be a good fight.  "You didn't have to protect the kid."

She stretched her arms and her wings, "Sometimes being nice is the most pragmatic choice.  Are you going to fight me?"

Her shook his head, "You aren't the destructive fiend I was lead to believe you are.  I shall see what you do here.  You may call me Rogan, the Hunter"

She smirked, "Suit yourself.  Fighting with or fighting against you look like fun."

[RandomRabbit]

Amusing Fiends

Bellindra face lit up as the ice cream sundae arrived.  Her face though was a pale flesh tone, wings were missing, hair and general facial structure was the same but to all observers she looked like a somewhat goth girl with torn fishnet leggings, round rim glasses, and a leather jacket.  To her left sat the large and burly warrior who called himself Varlon, wild brown locks framing his face as he looked at the sundae with casual interest.  He had declined to get ice cream, but he did receive a hotdog.  His axe was resting on the back of his chair.  To her left sat Simon of Legacy Chain.  The arcanist was glancing at her sundae with a faint level of disdain.  He had stated this wasn't the time for ice cream.  And then, across from her sat a man named Devon, also of Legacy Chain, he patiently eyed the sundae, he appreciated the offer but he had already eaten, his brown hair and neatly trimmed beard were half way towards gray.  Past the only slightly dingy storefront and an expanse of water the Golden Giza of Saint Martial caught the light of a low hanging sun, shinning with brilliance.

Bellindra savored the first spoonful of ice cream.  The first bite was always the best, the explosion of fudgey creamy vanillay flavor delivering a spike of bliss, "The first bite is always the most divine" she said a beat later, "Thank you for letting me chose the venue.  I had read the reviews on the place and it lives up to them.  It's unfortunate they suffer on the business front because of..."  She gestured past the window, a few rough looking men with improvised cybernetics were loitering between the shop and the water's edge. "...not the best neighborhood.  Hoodlums and spiders."

Devon gave a slightly bemused smile, "I thank you for agreeing to see us.  Varlon has spoken well of you."

Bellindra glanced towards the burly man as he shifted in the seat that barely contained him, "I can't imagine why.  Though the way he's been following me since Mercy Island I suppose he sees something."  The warrior only responded with a grin as he munched on a mouthful of hotdog. 

Devon nodded, "I was unaware you could assume a mortal guise."

Bellindra shrugged casually, "I wasn't aware I could either until recently.  Makes sampling the local flavor much easier."

Devon cocked his head to the side, seemingly measuring her response, "Where do you get the budget for that if you don't mind me asking."

Bellindra idly swallowed yet another spoonful before answering, "Odd jobs.  No shortage of people paying to rough up someone else.  Whole island is at each other's throats.  And then there's people like Sgt. Schorr."  She wasn't sure if name dropping the Wyvern operative was the best choice or not.  She heard Chain and Wyvern worked together now and then.  Half the time when she was doing brute work though she'd wait until Varlon was off on one of his little side crusades, she wasn't sure how he felt about merc work, and she didn't feel like dragging him into the mud.

"Interesting." Devon responded, "Interesting indeed, to find an old fiend content with sundae's."

"That's exactly the point."  She said, pointing with her spoon, "Do you know what eternity is like?  The years blend together.  The past is a blur.  I just simply was.  I existed the beast of a thousand torments in some ruined ramparts where at one time I had a legion before I stopped caring about much of anything.  This though."  She pointed at the ice cream with her spoon, "This life of momentary pleasures.  The now-ness I am experiencing."  She gestured in a circular fashion with her spoon.  "I was wrong about things.  These simple pleasures, living day by day.  The charm of it grows on me."

"Very interesting."  Devon said as he leaned back in his chair.  He stared right through Bellindra pondering. 

It was clear to the demon he was measuring her worth.  She was honestly surprised he wasn't more defensive around her.  "You are aware demons are rather good at lying and manipulating people yes?"

"Yes."  Devon responded with a smirk.  She could feel Simon eying her with a bit more suspicious intent, but Devon remained relaxed, "Your actions speak quite loudly for you though."

"You never went out of your way to cause needless anguish."  Varlon offered, having long finished his hotdog.

Devon nodded, "Your actions can be rather, capricious."  He added, she got the feeling he was more aware of all her activities then Varlon, "But you aren't very maliceful."

She shrugged, "What's the point of it?  Where does it get me?"

"You tell me 'Lament of Tyrone.'"  Devon shot a sly smile at her.

Bellindra shifted uncomfortably.  She remembered that one through the fog of her past.  It was her best coup on corrupting and seizing a soul, turning a crusader from a warrior of god to a malice filled man by playing on and encouraging his sadistic and vengeful qualities.   Though in time that which that soul earned her in hell passed, like all things did, and her actions felt hollow in retrospect, "My how low the mighty have fallen."  She offered with a smile, "I have wondered if I am me or simply the concept of me as imagined by someone summoning me.  I appear to be me though... how else would I remember things like that."

"You are most definitely Bellindra."  Simon shot back with some vitriol in his voice.

She shrugged, "Surely you didn't request this meeting simply to probe my worth?"

Devon nodded, "Are you familiar with the Wheel of Fortune?"

She looked up from the sundae she was picking apart, "That green with the boardwalk and the circus?" 

"Yes" Said Devon, "Are you familiar with that circus, the Carnival of Shadows."

"Not deeply.  I saw some masks that reminded me of Venice."

"Venice?" Varlon asked.

"Yes Venice." Bellindra responded, "Venetian carnivals have been an occurrence for centuries.  The Italians have much prettier costumes though.  Actually, it's a little jarring how much flesh they expose compared to how little Venetian carnival costumes do."

Devon looked thoughtful, "You sound familiar."

"An Italian magician had called upon me... I forget how long ago, the past is a blur.  I do remember his name 'Uriel di Inferno'.  I wasn't the only one mind you.  Got bored with demons when he found this woman, I forget her name.."  She shook her head, "Probably unimportant.  They are all long dead.  What of this Carnival?"

Devon, "They sprang up in Paragon city and spread to other places, like the Isles.  At first it seemed like some ribald Carnival that catered to the rich.  That's when people started dying.  After various mystics and heroes of Paragon probed into the matter it became apparently the life force of people was being supped upon.  Tried stamping them out, but they moved to the shadows.  Various powerful and rich people answer to the Carnival.  We're pretty sure they're up to the same here.  We're more interested in getting a better reckoning of what they have there and what they are doing.  Legacy Chain is a known rabble rouser in these parts.  You, less so."

Bellindra nodded, "I see, before you get offering payment I got something in mind already."

The older mage raised a brow, "Oh?"

The demon nodded, "Can you arrange the paperwork that would let me enter the United States without having to duck legal scrutiny."

Devon smirked at that answer mulling the thought in his head, "I'll see what I can do."

She nodded, "Then I'll see what I can do."



It was well into evening when she arrived.  Masked entertainers were offering fliers, promising an evening of entertainment.  It was hard to miss the circus tents.  In any other city a Carnival with this rep wouldn't operate so openly.  Then again St. Martial wasn't most cities.  Bellindra wasted no time acquiring a funnel cake.  She feasted upon the sweet treat as she drifted from tents to shows.  As a demon who dealt with souls she had a feel for such things.  All the performers were gnawed upon in some fashion, at least spiritually.  All of them had souls weakened as if something had been nibbling away at them.  A few of them were little more then hollow shells acting out someone else's will. 

The tent Bellindra was currently in had a mesmer in a lovely dress making audience members behave like barnyard animals and other tricks.  As she sat there taking in the show she couldn't help but feel like she was in some vast spider's web.  All the soul-worn entertainers were like flies stuck in that web.  Even the audience members caught up in the show.  The heightened emotion, the link of control, something was taking a nibble right in front of her.  She didn't know what though, but she could feel that presence permeating the air, hanging about the masks acting like tethers for its web, feel it's idle gaze passing across her and the rest of the audience. 

She left the show taking a breath of the cool evening air as she tried poking more towards the back tents.  Burly men were guarding them.  Their bodies bore wounds and bruises, what took her aback though was she sensed no spirit within those men.  They were little more then meat puppets.  Bellindra turned to leave back towards the more crowded areas of the event, a woman in a mask dressed in a licentious jester's motley blocked her way.  The woman cocked her head, "Nosy little devil huh?"

Bellindra wasn't sure if she was digging at her nature of just using an expression, she flashed a disarming smile. "I don't suppose you know where a woman can relieve herself?"

The woman drew a rapier, it glint with more light then what the evening lights were casting upon it, she held it with the grace of an olympic fencer, "If you are looking to relieve yourself of some of that demon blood, I think I can arrange that."

Bellindra put her arms up disarmingly, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  I'm not looking for a fight."

"I am though!"  Cried out the fencer as she lunged at Bellindra, it was a graceful jab that would have found purchase in Bellindra if she hadn't stepped aside at the last moment.  Catching the woman's arm with a hand wreathed in hellfire.  The woman pulled free with surprising strength.  He arm was singed but she scarcely paid the injury any heed as she came in for another strike.  Bellindra knew this behavior, it's just like when she'd suppress pain and empower her allies to power through their injuries.  Except this woman was naturally in this state.  Bellindra let out a shrill cry, the sound jostled her assailant to her core, forcing her to recoil as her body recalled what pain was, a barrage of hellfire from the fiend later and the girl's bravado melted to an anguished cry as she dropped to the ground, rolling out the flames.  The soulless hulks were starting to move her way, she noticed a shift in the entertainers to her other side, they were beginning to throng her way.  Bellindra snatched the fencer's dropped blade, removed her jacket, and leapt the railing, wings sprung from her back as her skin took on a violet tone, horns rose from her head as she stopped suppressing her fiendish nature and flew off.



The second meeting with Devon was far less involved.  Meeting at a street corner.  Bellindra was back in her goth human disguise, "The whole lot of them is like a spider web writhing with flies all partially drained.  From my experience, passion makes the soul burn bright and flare up, makes it easier to sup from the essence.  That's why the Carnival, the fear and passion both work to make the crowd susceptible to a sip.  I tried getting towards some of the back tents but they started coming at me.  Had me pegged as a demon through my disguise.

Devon mulled it over, "I suppose if someone is dealing with souls they'd learn to feel out a demon."

Bellindra nodded, holding out the blade, wrapped in canvas.  She handed it over, "Swords of this craftsmanship are not easily made.  Even in this day and age, you might find something tracking the source of this down."

Devon took it but shrugged, "Probably another addled craftsman who doesn't remember why they are making these blades or who they are sending them to."

Bellindra cocked her head, "That common?"

Devon nodded, "Not the first time tracing their supplies ended like that."

Bellindra, "The brutes are soulless."

"Tracks with what we've heard."

Bellindra nodded, folding her arms thoughtfully, "And the servants are... hard to described, they are cranked up, pain suppression, adrenaline, these are things I do to comrades in arms in short bursts to help them power through combat.  If this is done constantly however, this will greatly shorten their life spans..."

"Their own do tend to turn up dead.  It would explain their prowess while they live."

She nodded again, "Honestly the whole thing infuriates me."

Devon glanced at Bellindra a moment, "Not the sort of reaction I expect from a demon."

"Yeah, my recent time on earth has been a whirlwind of new experiences.  I don't think I expected to be in this position."

"How do you feel about it though Bellindra?"

"You can't improve if you don't change.  I'm happy with where I'm going.  I'm not aiming to be anything grand, I'm just living life one step at a time."

Devon smiled faintly, "Not a lot of information, but I think I can get you enough papers to enter the States.  Be aware though, if you play loose with the law there you'll regret it in short order."

She nodded, "I'm aware."