Part 1 : Thirst For Revenge_Danny's Revenge

Danny is being chased, his little heart pounding as he runs through the big dark house. Danny reaches his bedroom and slams the door shut; however, it is too late. Just as he drops to the floor to climb under his bed, he is grabbed from behind. A brief burst of unbearable pain follows before Danny feels himself falling…

 <hr>

 Danny awakens with a burning anger in his chest, however the details of the intense dream he was having quickly fade away. The young man sits up, rubbing his red eyes before looking out the arched window. The blood red sky of hell greets him, A bright half-moon illuminating the dark forest that surrounds the Realm of Gluttony. Danny looks over to the nightstand where his old silver cat skull sits. Vram had given Danny the mask when he had adopted the young boy years ago, and enchanted it to protect him from harmful magic and other demonic energies. However, over the years, Danny appeared to not be negatively affected by his surroundings or others.

 As he changes into a fresh pair of under garments, Danny stops to look at his lower body. There are scars all over, including an alarming lump of scar tissue where his genitals should be. Vram had always been willing to talk to his adopted son about being Intersex, but had only dared to tell Danny what the scars were from when he finally turned eighteen. Danny’s biological father had grotesquely removed those physical traits due to his twisted beliefs on the night he had murdered him. Danny breaths out shakily. He feels grateful that he can’t remember every gruesome detail of that night.

 He goes over to his closet and slips on his usual attire, a white dress shirt, red tie, dress pants, and a black vest with little spikes on the shoulders. He then goes over to the mirror and begins to brush his long blonde hair which frames his face where a striking black marking surrounds his red eyes. The marking had started developing during puberty, and Danny had been relieved to hear that the marking was completely harmless. After untangling the last of his hair, he leaves the bedroom, makes his way through the massive castle, and enters the outside world.

 Demons of all shapes and sizes go about their business, tending to strange creatures and taking care of crops. Danny quietly greets the few who acknowledge him, but otherwise he keeps to himself. Danny walks through the gates and out of the small town. A brisk walk through the deep forest follows his departure from civilization. A few bats and birds flutter by, but otherwise his surroundings are devoid of life. An hour later, he emerges from the trees and continues down a rocky path that takes him out of the woods and into a vast grassy plain. He feels his heartbeat quicken as the path abruptly ends.

 Danny stands at the edge of a massive chasm in the ground. He waits. A few moments pass before oozing black tendrils emerge from the hole. They gently wrap around the young man and pull him downwards into the pitch-black darkness. Blue flames begin to appear around him as he is eventually set down onto the ground. The tendrils retreat as a deep voice rumbles around him. “I am happy that you have come to say goodbye before your journey, Danny.” Danny looks up at what appears to be a massive mound of oozing black wax with a deer skull like head perched on top. The mound starts to become more solid, taking on the form of a massively fat thirty-foot humanoid figure wearing a purple and yellow robe. Danny begins to climb up the figure, reaching the top of its stomach where he proceeds to lay down, resting his head on their giant chest.

 “Vram allowed me extra time before we leave, and I just can’t go without seeing you, my love.” Danny tilts his head back, looking up at the antlered head which in turn looks back down at “Your journey will be emotionally draining, I fear. but in the few years that I have known you, I believe you will succeed in this quest of vengeance.” The massive oozing creature is a Wick Demon named Abyss King. Abyss King was thought to be a legend for millennia up until a few years ago when Danny had suddenly fallen into the then hidden chasm on his way to The Realm of Slothfulness.

 Danny has very much been aware of the fact he is Bisexual ever since he was a young teen. He remembers tearfully telling Vram that he found one of his study mates attractive and admitted that they had ended up kissing once. Vram had been very accepting and understanding, telling Danny that there was nothing to be ashamed of and to always use consent. Danny begins rubbing Abyss King’s belly, and the giant demon sighs happily. “Once I get my own vengeance, perhaps I can convince my father to help you get yours on the ones who drove you away simply for how you are.” Danny says. “It has been millions of years, and I do not feel that it would be worth the trouble…” The two sit in silence, the only sound being the digestive rumbling from Abyss King’s stomach along with his crackling blue flames. Danny dozes off for a while before Abyss King nudges him awake.

 “I believe it is time for you to be on your way.” Danny gets up, standing next to Abyss King’s head. “I’ll miss you, but before I go, I must ask you something…” Danny gets on one knee, pulling out a round gold medal. “Will you be by my side for now and forever?” He proposes. Abyss King stares, then he leans his head forward, butting it against Danny. “I will be by your side, now and forever.” Danny places the medallion on the golden necklace around his lover’s neck. “This medallion has a very special spell on it, it will allow you to store and extract a great amount of your body mass inside of it. In other words, you could finally leave this cave and come live with me at my father’s castle.” Danny explains. Abyss King wraps his oozing tendrils around Danny, squeezing him gently. “I will consider the offer, but for now I must practice with this medallion while you are away.” Danny feels himself smile for the first time in a long time.

 <hr>

 Back at Vram’s castle, Danny slings a bag over his shoulders as he hears and feels his father’s earth-shaking footsteps grow louder. Vram comes into view, his round belly wobbling with each heavy step. He huffs, sitting down. “The time has come for you and I to depart Hell.” The giant Sin Demon says, looking down over his protruding middle at his son. Danny looks back up at his father, feeling his heartbeat quicken. “As I told you before, I will be taking on an unassuming form so I will be able to travel with you wherever you go, and also because this is YOUR journey, I will not be assisting you with my own powers. now prepare yourself…” Danny holds onto the shaft of Vram’s cane, watching as the Sin Demon raises his soft arms. A golden, swirling gateway appears before them. Vram heaves himself back up, and together the two step into the unknown, a bright light filling both their visions.

 Danny blinks, his eyes adjusting to the new light level. He looks up, seeing the deep blue night sky and all the stars along with a bright moon. An owl flies over him as crickets chirp near a rushing river. The sound sound of a baby goat bleating next to him pulls Danny from his trance. He looks down to see a stuffed toy version of Vram looking up at him with dark button eyes. “This plushie is the form I will be in for much of your journey. Remember, I will not be able to help you with magic while I am like this, but I can still offer you guidance.” Vram’s voice echoes in Danny’s head. Danny picks up the fat little plushie, holding it close. “Where are we exactly?” He asks. “We are in the mountains above a place called Salt Lake. It will take you a while to reach the city, so I suggest you get going while it is still night time.”

 <hr>

 Danny has been walking for over six hours. His legs ache and he feels slightly sick to his stomach. Another few minutes pass before he reaches a tall hill, the sun beginning to rise. “The city is just over this hill; you may rest for a while once you reach the top.” Vram says. Danny grits his teeth as he climbs, his legs burning from the steepness. Finally, the city comes into view. The sprawling mass of tall buildings is unlike anything Danny had ever seen in Hell.

 Danny all but collapses, laying on his back in the tall grass. “I will let you rest, but just know that the quicker we make it to the city the better.” Vram says. “I know, but how will I be able to move throughout the city without drawing attention to myself?” Danny asks. “It is Halloween. The humans will be dressed in all manner of costumes and makeup throughout this coming day and night. You will be able to traverse anywhere without being singled out.” Vram explains. Danny’s eyes narrow. “Where is he?” He asks. “Your biological father is located within the inner city, more specifically next to a Roman Catholic cathedral.” Danny bares his teeth as he sits up. “I see no point in waiting any longer.” He says, a harshness to his voice. “You must be smart about how you will confront him when the time comes, he could kill you again-”

 “I’ll slit his throat before he even has a chance to react!” Danny snarls as a fiery anger surfaces. Danny clenches his fists as his heart pounds. A flash of terrifying imagery crosses his mind in which Danny sees himself viciously killing his father like a wild animal, his mouth and body covered in scarlet blood. Vram observes his son with blank button eyes, watching as the young man convulses. Dark demonic blood begins to leak from Danny’s eyes and mouth, the whites of his eyes turning pitch black. After a few more painful twitches, Danny’s body goes limp, the blood ceasing to flow as his eyes return to normal. These episodes of Danny’s were nothing new. Vram had observed the first one when Danny finally hit puberty, and he had naturally been alarmed but did not sense that his son was in any pain or danger during them, even now. Danny breathes out heavily, sitting up with a slightly dazed look. He then stands, shaking his head. Danny says nothing of his episode. “I am ready to head into the city. Shall I carry you in my satchel?” Vram nods his little skull head. Danny places the Vram plushie safely inside his bag before starting down the hill. Danny reaches the Utah State Capitol building, seeing advertisements for a gothic themed gala that would be taking place there that night. He walks down the sidewalk that leads directly down to the main street of the city and can’t help but gaze at the very different architecture of the modern Earthly city.

 “This city is built on a grid system which makes things easier to locate.” Vram says. “I see, but what shall I do until night falls?” Danny asks. “There is a haunted attraction here where a rather strange demon has taken up residence around due to the humans ignorantly playing around with demonic rituals. I have a feeling that we can convince them to join and help you on this mission.” Vram explains. “Let us do that then.” The morning turns to afternoon as Danny approaches the haunted attraction which used to be a giant factory. He sees that there are people lined up out front, some in costumes and makeup waiting for their chance to be subjected to the harmless yet intense horrors inside. “Plain Humans are such strange creatures; I will never understand what appeal there is to being scared for fun.” Vram muses.

 Danny stops, suddenly realizing that this will be his first time having to interact with other humans. He feels his heartbeat quicken, anxiety creeping up on him. “What do I do?” He asks quickly. “Do not worry, you will not need to enter the attraction. The demon we will be consulting usually stays by the train tracks. I suggest you use a cloaking spell so no one will see us…” Danny does as Vram suggests before walking down the train tracks. A peculiar chill goes down Danny’s spine, alerting him to the demonic presence within the area. The ground in front of him bursts open, a skeleton crawling out of the dark Earth. Danny instinctively draws out a dagger made of dark metal with two circular gems on either side of the hand guard, poised to strike. The horned skeleton now stands at its full height. It is a foot or so shorter than Danny, its bones look like they have been scorched by fire and a tattered red cape flows around them. “What is your name?” Danny asks steadily. The skeleton looks at Danny with its empty eye sockets as their own consciousness touches Danny’s. “Stephen.” A ghostly voice says.

 “Are you hostile?” “No.” Stephen responds. Danny takes the Vram plushie out of his bag. A feeling of recognition comes from Stephen. “You are the son of Vram.” “Yes, and we are here to ask if you could aid us, or rather me, in a job that needs to be done.” “What assistance do you require?” Stephen asks. “I need your help with hunting down my biological father, more specifically I need you to scout out his house and keep him there so I can finally enact the revenge I seek upon him.” Danny explains. The Vram plushie looks up at the charred skeleton, silently conveying the address. “It is an honor to be called upon by someone of your status, I shall do as you have told me to.” The skeleton swiftly sinks back into the Earth. Danny stands in silence for a few moments. “What shall I do now? There are still many hours left…” He looks down at Vram. “I have been thinking for the last few hours, and I think the conclusion I have come to will be healing for you in a way.” Vram says. Danny’s interest peaks. “What have you thought of?” He asks. “I have decided that I will take you Trick or Treating this evening.” Vram says. Danny stares. “I’m not sure I understand.” He admits. “It is a tradition that human children mostly partake in with their parents. They go around to houses in costumes and receive candy throughout the night. There is no deeper meaning behind it these days except that it is fun.” Danny cocks his head to the side. “Will you remain a stuffed toy?” He asks. “No, I have a human form I will be using.”

 The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

 “And what about me? It does not seem right if I partake in this activity as an obvious adult.” “I will be putting a temporary spell on you that will revert you back to a child.” Vram says. Danny feels his heart skip a beat, a feeling of longing coming over him. He still clearly remembers being a very little boy, snuggling up to Vram during cold Hell nights after waking up from terrifying dreams of his murder, going on nice slow walks through the forest, and the feeling of being unconditionally loved by the very thing his biological father had screamed at him for being. Danny lets out a small sound of pain, clutching a hand to his chest. He has been unconsciously repressing the very little time he had been on Earth with his biological father for mover two decades, but sometimes memories still slip through in the form of fleeting images just within the corners of his vision or as jarring imagery within his head. All he remembered was his father, he had no memories of his mother or any siblings. Danny blinks, finding himself laying on the ground.

 Another episode? He wonders. He touches his face, the dark blood the action leaves behind confirming his suspicion. He looks towards the Vram plushie. His heart drops as he sees a small pile of stuffing and shredded fabric where it had sat. No… Danny scrambles towards it, scooping up the pieces as the sky above starts growing darker. Did I do this? No, it can’t have been me- the sound of loud footsteps startles him. He whirls around to find an extremely fat human man with a light brown skin complexion waddling towards him, their cane tapping along the ground as he approaches. The man’s face warps, a ram skull mask appearing on his face. Danny looks in awe at what he now realizes is his father’s human form. “Your episode lasted for a while. when it appeared that you had fallen asleep, I decided to change.” Vram’s human voice is much quieter yet still very deep. Danny stands up, realizing that his father is now just over one foot taller than he is. “It is time for me to cast the spell I told you about. You will retain your adult level of intelligence, however your physical strength, speech patterns, and abilities will be limited to that of a child’s.” Danny feels warmth engulf his body as it begins to grow smaller and smaller until he is around the size of a four-year-old. The silvery cat skull mask he had worn as a child appears on his face as Vram picks him up. “I will be able to teleport us back to the avenues, now hold on, little one.” The world warps around them.

 <hr>

 Stephen erupts from the Earth, gazing around at a small garden with dead flowers and other plants. He had ended up at the wrong address multiple times, but now he is certain that he has arrived at the correct one. Stephen sticks to the shadows, however his charred bones click and rattle as he moves towards the dark house before him. The skeleton reaches towards the door, trying the handle. To his surprise it turns easily and he gently pushes it open. The house is empty, that is except for an orange cat that gives him one look before darting under the couch with a hiss. As Stephen looks around, he sees that the house is filled with religious imagery and items. Stephen draws out his rusty sword as he hears a slight creak from the floor above. Stephen finds the staircase, but before he can even get one foot up the front door opens and the lights turn on.

 <hr>

 Danny and Vram walk down the street together, Danny’s big bag of candy steadily getting heavier with each house they visit until Vram offers to carry it. People compliment their masks and outfits as they walk by, unaware that they are in the presence of true demons and magic. The sun had finally set completely two hours ago and the two had been walking almost nonstop. Danny soon senses that his father’s weight is starting to become too cumbersome for him to handle. “Daddy, we can stop and rest now.” Danny’s little voice says. The two have ended up back at the small park they had started at, and Vram immediately goes over to a sturdy metal bench, sitting down with a big huff. Danny climbs up next to Vram, snuggling up against his plush side. The two sit with each other in silence for many long minutes, enjoying the pleasant breeze and joyful laughter of other trick or treaters.

 Danny feels warmth engulf him, and he returns to his adult body. Vram turns to his son. “How did our activity make you feel?” He asks. Danny feels tears well up in his eyes. “It made me feel like something I have been missing came back, at least for a while. It made me feel genuinely happy.” Danny feels Vram pull him into a soft hug, and he wraps his own arms the best he can around his father. Danny lets himself silently cry, his tears staining Vram’s white dress shirt. Vram pats him on the back. “We can do this every year, if you would want. It can become a tradition just for us.” Vram offers. Danny nods his head, looking up and wiping his years away. “Yes, that would be more then wonderful.” Danny gives Vram one more squeeze before he turns back into his plushie form. “I have sensed great distress coming from Stephen, and it appears he has made it to your biological father’s house.” Vram explains. Danny’s eyes glow as he looks up, realizing that he too can feel negative demonic energy wafting through the air. “Is it time then?” He asks. “Yes, I believe so.” Danny puts the Vram plushie into his already stuffed bag and gets up. His vision feels sharper, his senses on high alert. “Follow your senses, they will lead you there.” Danny feels his arm hair stand on end as he walks swiftly, there is an almost electric-like buzzing in his chest that grows stronger and stronger the closer he gets to his destination. Danny feels his dark claws extend like a cat’s as he grits his teeth, and he does his best to fight off the uncomfortable feeling he experiences whenever an episode is about to occur. The house comes into view, and all the lights appear to be on within it. Danny reaches the front door.

 A burst of clarity chases away Danny’s growing fury. My biological father may be old, but I will still need to catch him by surprise. Danny looks up and sees that the window just above the door is part way open. Danny looks around quickly before scaling up the building with ease. The window opens with a small squeak that seems all too loud to Danny, but he crawls inside anyway. His eyes dart around, looking for any potential hiding spot in case someone was to have heard his entrance. He is in what appears to be the laundry room, dirty clothes stacked on top of the washer and dryer. There is nowhere good to hide… Danny creeps towards the door, carefully turning the handle. He opens it just a crack, the bright yellow light from the outside hallway leaking through. He waits a few moments, listening carefully. A wave of demonic distress washes over him, making him slightly dizzy for a moment. Stephen. Danny steps out into the hallway. He feels painfully exposed and frustrated that turning off the light would most likely alert his father to his presence. An idea pops into his head. Danny shuts his eyes, reaching out towards every source of light in the house. He curls his hands into fists and suddenly all the lights simultaneously burst and go out, the house instantly becoming pitch dark. Danny hears a muffled cry of fear from the floor below him. He feels empowered by the dark shadows which he moves through with ease until he reaches the staircase. He crouches and peers between the bars. He sees that Stephen’s skeletal body is in pieces on the floor below, every bone individually surrounded by a circle of salt.

 Then his eyes land on the couch where he sees the back of a man’s head. Danny moves down the stairs in silence, not making a sound as he stalks towards the couch with cat-like grace. The man does not move as Danny draws out his black dagger from behind the couch. The fury in his chest that he has been fighting down erupts fourth, but this time it feels very different. Danny leaps in front of the couch, wrestling the man off the couch and down to the floor. Danny raises his knife but stops mid stab. Confusion fills him. The man looks only a little like Danny’s father, in fact they look more like Danny himself if a little older and with long brown hair. Danny’s mind reels. Why isn’t he reacting? Danny awkwardly climbs off the man, realizing that his eyes are staring off at nothing. No, he isn’t dead… Danny reaches out with his own conscience. He immediately hits a barrier that prevents him from probing their mind. He is drugged-

 Danny hears someone running up the stairs behind him. His hair stands on end as he leaps back up and takes chase, his red eyes wide as dark blood starts to drip from his eyes and mouth. Danny just barely sees his father attempt to close a door to one of the other rooms and he lunges, flinging the door back open with enough force to leave a dent in the wall. Danny tackles his father to the ground, snarling like a wild animal while the man screams as drops of Danny’s demonic blood burn his skin. Danny realizes with a start that he has forgotten his knife downstairs. It does not matter. Danny viciously fights to keep his dad down, the old man surprisingly strong for his stature. Danny yelps as he is abruptly flung away with incredible force. He is then grabbed from behind before feeling something cold and sharp being drawn across his neck. Danny chokes and grabs at the arms holding him as dark blood flows out of his slit neck. “I knew you’d try and come for me, one day.” Danny’s vision starts darkening, his legs losing their feeling. “I’m sorry I had to do this again, son…” The voice of his father grows farther and farther away until darkness completely consumes Danny.

 He feels himself falling, then he sees a ball of light which wanes and brightens as it floats towards him, a sound like wind chimes echoes around him. The light warps into a feminine figure wearing a glowing white robe, a snow-white ram skull mask with golden horns covering their face. “I am The Spirit of Justice.” A calm female voice says. Danny suddenly feels inferior and impure now that he, both a human and a demon, is in the presence of a Divine Spirit. “Let go of the lies that you have been fed regarding how us divine one’s view mortals and those from Hell. Without our realms, there would be no balance.” Justice says. Danny feels tears in his eyes. “I have failed to carry out what I went to Earth to do. Now I cannot go back, nor can I enter the spirit dimensions due to what I am.” Danny feels the tears falling down his face. Justice looks at him deeply. “Do you not know what you truly are? Have you never considered who you must be?” she asks. Danny freezes up. “I have always wondered why I have my episodes, and I have also always felt like Vram has been keeping a secret from me…” Danny admits. A golden scale appears in Justice’s hand. “Then I shall show you all things.”

 Danny feels himself falling again, then he is floating above a figure with a horned wolf skull which he had constantly seen depicted in Hell history textbooks during study time as an older kid. It is Ira, the Sin of Wrath. Ira sits upon a dramatic throne, and Danny can hear her internal thoughts. He listens to how much she longs for true love and how much she resents only being feared. The scene before him changes. He sees Ira entering a gateway to Earth, then sees her in a beautiful human form seated in a bench at the same park he and Vram had just been to. A man, Danny’s biological father, approaches Ira. The scene flashes forward to them kissing, then to their marriage, and finally to her in the hospital holding him as a baby. Danny sees a young version of the man he had attacked earlier standing next to the hospital bed, and with an offhanded realization he puts together that they are indeed his older brother.

 Danny feels his heart pounding. Those sudden, powerful fits of anger that lead to his seizure like experiences all made sense now. Danny had learned that the descendants of the original Deadly Sins started exhibiting stereotypical traits of the sin they were associated with in the form of physical episodes up until they fully developed their powers, usually in their twenty fifth year of being. I am the Descendant of Wrath, that is why I ended up in hell after my father killed me, and I turn twenty-five at midnight. “You are not dead, and your body is healing as I speak. I wish you the best with your future and hope that you find peace with who and what you are to become.” Justice’s voice grows distance as Danny feels himself floating upwards.

 <hr>

 Vram, still in his plushie form, sits trapped in a circle of salt. He watches as Danny’s biological father, Patrick, covers his son’s body in a dirty blanket before quickly leaving the room. Vram watches Danny’s obscured body, waiting for midnight to strike. Vram had hated keeping the identity of his adopted son’s birth mother a secret, and he had hated trying to pass off the obvious signs that Danny was the Descendant of Wrath for the past two decades. Will Danny hate me after this? He wonders sadly. Patrick comes back into the room with a big jug of bleach and cleaning supplies. The energy in the air abruptly changes. The clock strikes twelve, and Patrick makes a cry of shock. Veins of dark demonic blood seep out from under the blanket and stain the floor. Danny rips his way through the blanket with his claws, the action reminiscent of a butterfly crawling its way out of a chrysalis. Once he is free, Danny raises his hand, commanding the veins of his own blood to ensnare Patrick who had tried fleeing the house, only making it to the kitchen before he is violently pulled back into the living room to Danny, their faces only inches away from each other.

 “What did you do to my mother?” Danny asks coldly. Patrick trembles, knowing full well that he is finally outmatched. He begins quickly chanting in a different language but Danny viciously slashes the priest across his face, ribbons of scarlet blood appearing instantly. “I banished her far away!” Patrick cries. “Once I found out what she truly was, and the impure hell spawn she had given birth to, I had to cleanse myself and this world of both of you!” Danny bares his teeth, his canines sharpening into deadly fangs

 “Once I get rid of YOU, I will go find her. And after I do, you will never know peace again.” He snarls. Patrick laughs, but its tone sounds frantic. “But I am a Priest of God! I have followed his teachings all my life! I was born with the power to heal and banish evil and-” Danny grabs Patrick by the neck, squeezing. “Your god is nothing but a myth created by power hungry mortal men thousands of years ago in order to control and abuse those they deem lower than them.” Danny hisses. “Your fake God is why you mutilated my intersex traits, isn’t that right?” Patrick stares at Danny, his face turning red from lack of oxygen. Danny lightens his grip slightly, just enough for Patrick to start gasping for air. “You are a pathetic and wicked man. You may have haunted my dreams for most of my life, but now you will be the one trapped inside a nightmare.” The black dagger appears in Danny’s hand. “I’ll see you in Hell.” With that promise, Danny slices Patrick’s head clean off. The priest’s head hits the floor with a wet thud.

 Danny watches as his biological father’s body starts melting into the floor until there is nothing left. Danny feels something heavy deep within his mind lift. He quickly gets to work, using a broom to carefully sweep up the salt surrounding Vram and Stephen’s scattered bones. Stephen’s body reassembles itself while Vram remains silent in his plushie form. “I’m not mad at you.” Danny finally says, tossing the broom aside. “But I continued to lie even when you started having suspicions about your true identity.” Vram says. “I understand why you did it, you always said you would try to give me a stress-free childhood and life. I know for a fact that if you had told me while I was still a kid, I would have most likely become withdrawn and tried to break away from you out of fear.” Danny explains. “I see; however, I am still very sorry.” Vram says. There is movement just within Danny’s line of sight, but he relaxes once he sees his older brother slowly sit up. Danny picks up the Vram plushie and cautiously moves to stand in front of his brother. “What is your name?” Danny asks gently. His brother looks up, his eyes are a warm gray color, yet hold a slightly dazed look in them. “I’m Dani.”

AliNovel

Part 1 : Thirst For Revenge