Dark Ones' Calling

A/N: Alright, gonna be trying something different with these alternate-POV segments/chapters, more similar to what I'm doing with Academy. In addition, just to avoid confusion, dialogue for one's POV will normally be handled in their native language. Let me know what you guys think in the comments! In other news, sorry this chapter is late. Having a lot of time-consuming stressful stuff in my life right now, and having trouble finding time to write. If you also read Academy (which I recommend you do), then next week's chapter of that story will also likely be a couple days late.

Leraje, Court Mage

I walk among the corpses, eyeing some of the tougher-looking ones for possible raising. All the while, the lamprey spirit grows larger, sucking what little life **** remains from my victims.

Oh, that one survived... I look at the vampiric man lying prone atop a minotaur corpse, doing a poor job of seeming dead with his hand still gripping his weapon tightly.

"I know you're alive. Well, alive as can be, for an undead." I poke him with the butt of my staff, to get no response. "I didn't expect to find a vampire here. This doesn't bode well for your queen, does it? Maybe I should pay her a visit when I return to Daemos."

I feel a pain in my shin, and too fast for me to see, I find that he's stabbed me with his dagger. He pulls back, and strikes my other leg in another swift motion. In less than a second, I'm knocked to my ass, and he rises up. "About damn time... I was wondering when you'd show up."

I wince from the pain, glaring up at him. "Another rebel thinking he's got the upper hand..."

"Thinking? Lady, I've got you, now." Once more too fast to see, he stabs into my right shoulder, forcing me onto my back. His greedy smile inches from my face, he stares with a hunger in his eyes. "And once I cut out your tongue, I'll have nothing to worry about."

I grit my teeth and smile back. "You all always think I'm just a mage..." I mentally call upon the shark, jackal, and serpent spirits, feeling each one make me just that much stronger. "None of you do your research."

His eyes widen, and he jumps back several yards, as typical of those I spout that line to. Even in the miniscule second it takes for him to do that, I can feel my legs have already healed enough for me to stand, and I do so. With now four spirits surrounding me, his eyes dart between each of them and myself. "Y-you're-"

"Not just a mage." I smirk. "Now, if you don't want to become dead a second time, you should tell me what the vampire queen has to do with this uprising."

He gulps, taking a step back and readying himself for a fight. "N-not on your life."

I cock my head. "If you say so. I'll just ask her myself." Raising my staff, I pool my magic into the focus. "Have a good afterlife."

A thick ray shoots out, and as the energy dissipates, my foe is nowhere to be seen...as is most of the earth for several hundred feet behind where he was. Twice is a coincidence, but three vampires in this series of rebellions? The vampire queen is definitely up to something...

My stomach growls. Has it been 18 hours already? I sigh, magically rising up in the air as I dissipate my spirits. I suppose I'll have to stop for something to eat...

Reala, Demon King

I throw the glass at my steward, shattering it into a hundred pieces against his chest while he doesn't even flinch. "Another one!? I just sent Leraje to deal with the last rebellion!"

The man brushes a couple glass shards off hit suit jacket, before returning his hands behind his back. "I apologize, Mistress, but the people don't respect your strength. Destroying a city here and there is not adequate enough for the nobility to bow to you. Most are capable of similar feats, themselves."

"Who's leading it this time?" My rage boils over, and I launch a fire bolt at the wall already decorated with numerous scorch marks. The maid and butler cleaning them off are frightened for a moment, before continuing to wipe the wall.

"That, I do not know, Mistress. My sources have simply informed me that another rebellion exists."

I fire another bolt at the wall. "Who are these sources? I'll have Leraje get the information out of them!"

He sighs. "And that, Mistress, is part of the problem. You have no desire to lead, only a desire to rule. In this trying time-"

I cut him off with another bolt, this one fired at him. "Enough with your philosophy!" I pause, forcing myself to calm my breathing. "Send out invitations to all the nobility. Next Saturday." I begin walking off. "It's time to show them what the Demon King is capable of..."

"Of course, Mistress." He slightly raises his voice, otherwise unphazed by my attack.

I walk through the halls of the castle- my castle. I rightfully earned this position! They're all the fools for agreeing to those bargains in the first place!

Arriving at my room, I enter, immediately crossing it to the balcony, overlooking the entire city of Daemos. This...this is my kingdom, now. They'll all pay for trying to take it from me...

Halicarnassus, Carnation Seneschal

"Honey~ I'm ho~ome!" I joke as I enter my house, finally back in Daemos. Small-town Riverbend isn't too bad, but it'll be nice to be 'me' again, not to mention all the amenities, here. I set my oversized bag down next to the door, taking off my boots. "You won't believe all the juicy info I got from Riverbend!"

I head into the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a can of soda. Didn't think I'd miss this so quickly... After gulping down half of it, I notice my protégé still hasn't come down, yet. Strange... He's normally much more punctual... "Anord! Get your sexy ass down here!"

I hear a *thump* from upstairs, followed by some footsteps. There he is. Settling down on the living room couch, I wait for Anord to come down to discuss his strategy. He was probably masturbating as me again... Damn, I might've broken him a bit too much. Oh well, monsters gotta fuck, after all.

Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs, I turn to look at...a busty young succubus? "Welcome back, Carn!" That's not what I look like. How did he... "I found this weird mask upstairs. Why didn't you-"

My eyes widen. Leaping up from the couch, I run over and grab 'her' face, yanking back and tossing the hard, wooden mask to the floor. Instantly, the 'succubus' returns to my own form, a human-looking devil with pink hair and horns that come up from the back of my head, bend forward, and then up.

"Hey! What was that for?!" 'Hali' pulls back, falling into a sitting position on the stairs as 'she' rubs 'her' face.

"You idiot! Who said you could look through my stuff like that?! You could've been stuck like that forever!"

His eyes widen as he looks as me. "Wh-what do you mean?"

I take a breath, pinching my nose. "That's the Mask of Many Faces. If you wear it for too long, it'll swap your body with the one stored in it, and you'll never be able to get your own body back. Some idiot tried to use it on me a couple decades ago to take advantage of my station." I sigh. "Of course, it wouldn't have worked forever, but he'd have probably gotten a few good months of luxury before I proved I was the real seneschal."

"So...it can swap bodies between people?" A mischievous smile creeps onto 'my' face.

I sigh. "You're missing the point." I snap my fingers, and suddenly my apprentice is wrapped in leather straps, hogtied, and gagged. "Gonna be honest, never thought I'd do this with 'myself', but I think I'm gonna like it." I give my own smirk, Anord's face showing a mix of panic, fear, and arousal. I hum. Looks like he's not tooo broken. "Now let's make this quick. We still need to get ready tonight for whatever plans you have in Riverbend."

Diana, Hornet Empress

I rub the nub of my left arm, once more feeling the pain of having it cut off. This was many cycles by now. Why does it still hurt at times?

My thoughts are interrupted by the children. "[H] Tag! You're it!" Violet giggles, buzzing her wings to get away from the fox boy. Connor... A horrible influence on the children with how careless he is around them. Although, this hunting game...'tag', he calls it. I sigh. I must admit it's useful. I'll ensure to utilize it in the future with other larvae.

Daisy is particularly adept at this game, and seems to have gotten a grasp on flying as well, able to keep aloft far longer than expected. Most hornets at their age are still crawling and need to be taken care of. I smirk. Of course, the progeny of a god would be better than that.

Despite her having an advantage, she insists on 'playing fair', flying close to the ground. It costs her, as Connor swiftly jumps against a tree, then leaps again to tap her foot before she can fly away. "[H] Tag! You're it!"

Violet doesn't seem to be able to fly for as long, more using her wings in quickly change her trajectory or gain a short burst of speed. Too much like her father, in both appearance and tactics.

Daisy dives down to her fellow queen, unable to 'tag' Connor per the rules of this 'game', at least as far as I've observed. Yes! Hunt her! Violet buzzes her wings, deftly diving to the side. No! Daisy lands on the ground, quickly lunging after the purple hornet. Violet leans back and to the side, buzzing again to sidestep another 'tag'.

Daisy continues to give chase, staying close enough that Violet can't rest, but never quite-! I squint at the purple hornet, having just been tapped on the arm by Daisy. She LET her tag her! I grit my teeth together, furious. She LET her win! My face heats up, frustration like this not felt since he beat me.

"Enough!" I lower myself to the ground, the three children coming closer. "We're done with 'tag' for today. It's time to start teaching you how to fight."

Orchid, Kyūbino Warlord

I watch the smoke rise in the distance, reminded once again of my origins. It's become something of a ritual, by now. Each town and city I conquer, I burn as many of the unused buildings as feasible. It's not the same as when I was a kit. No, that was different. That was cruel, malicious, unnecessary. Now, just like the legendary pheonix-

"Commander." Speaking of, I turn to the large red bird, him having just landed on a tree branch nearby. He bows, reverently.

"Stand, Fen. Are you finished?" I gaze back to the flames of the coastal village.

He does so, in the corner of my vision, but still hesitates to look me in the eye. "Yes, Commander. I cannot identify any additional disused buildings."

"Good. This town too, will rise from the ashes, and become stronger than ever. The women and children?"

"The troops are escorting them to the former mayor's house, as ordered."

I nod. "Excellent." The best way to convince a man is through his family, after all. "As always, you've met my expectations, Fen."

"Thank you, Commander." He bows his head again. "Do you have any further orders?"

"No." My ear twitches, as I suddenly hear another bird soaring toward me, this one carrying a message tied around its leg. I raise my arm, the falcon landing and digging its talons into it. It doesn't bother me. Such meager pain is akin to a mosquito, and it would be a waste to retaliate.

I untie the knot and unroll the small scroll. My eyes widen, and I need to read it again to confirm. "Fen. Accelerate the plan."

He looks to me, surprise in his eyes. "Commander, do you mean-"

"Do not question me, Fen." I shift into my fox form, instantly feeling more comfortable. "But yes. The island of Jikan has appeared once more. We cannot waste this opportunity."

Ancient Dungeon Core

I lean back in my chair, looking up at the screen. On it is a picture sent from one of the machine dungeons in the Human Realm. You really do exist... I double-check the signal, only to find that particular dungeon running on a wireless Local Area Network, instead of being connected to the Machine Dungeon Network. ...and he knows programming...enough to change the loyalty of the dungeon...

I clench my fist. When Melanoche had told me about the nephilim, I had struggled to hold myself together. Now that I know she wasn't pulling my leg...

"AAAAGGGHH!" I lift the console up, flipping it into and shattering the monitor, probably destroying both.

"Is this a bad time?" A deep voice rumbles from behind me. Calming my breathing, I turn to face him. In a human form, he's not that intimidating, but the aura he emanates betrays his godly nature.

"I was actually on my way out." I pace toward him, aiming for the door he leans next to.

He raises an arm, blocking my path. "Do not let your anger cloud your judgment. It is unwise to confront him directly while not within your home."

I pause, looking him in the eye. "Why didn't you tell me the nephilim returned?"

He sighs, though it sounds more akin to the distant rumbling of storm clouds. "I did not want you to relive your struggle. You still have not moved past it."

I lightly grab his arm. "I'll move past it when I know the nephilim are gone for good this time." I find no resistance as I push his arm aside, clearing the way. Despite that, I pause. "Is there anything else you haven't told me?"

He smiles. "Nothing that would be relevant to your objective. Go, destroy the nephilim. Then, we will discuss moving past this business."

Walking past him, I rise from the depths of my dungeon - my home. The one that I had made after completely disconnecting myself from him.

I will destroy the nephilim if it's the last thing I do.

A/N: Me again! I thought it was about time to actually give some characterization to these 'big bads' that Dusk will need to confront at some point. And here is where I remind you to take part in the Strawpoll that I posted a while ago, regarding which darkie/lightie Dusk should encounter next. You're even able to redo your vote if you changed your mind!