This is actually a horror/thriller with a hilarious start :) Enjoy! From the depths is actually From the Depths of Hell lol

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Prologue





I know that shadows are meant to stay shadows. However, let me be the first to introduce myself. Mercia Zigor, demon hunter, at your service. My life has been extraordinary, strange. I started as a mortal. I’ll have to tell you how I became this creature another time. However, I die and am reborn. Not in the sense that my spirit returns to the Gough to be reborn into another vessel with divine assistance. No, my body dies and I go straight to hell. If I die, I try to get out of hell as fast as possible since my boss is a little pissed off at me. Actually, he’s very pissed off at me.
I am what you would consider a demon of sorts myself, a Fate. My original role was to change the timeline of human existence unbeknownst to humanity; however I successfully accomplished my job during the tenth century. I’m one that threw humanity into the Dark Ages; please don’t thank me for that. It was a learning process for all of us and I was just following orders. As the world shaped beneath my wonderful tutelage, I realized that humanity, while corrupt and without morals, still deserved a chance to better itself. So, I tried to hand over my resignation. Thus pissing off the dark overlord of hell, Satan, Lucifer, whatever you wish to call him. My choice names for him are a little harsher, which we shall not go into at the present time.
He sends all manner of demonic minions to fetch me back. For centuries, I’ve walked in shadow looking over my shoulder for the army of minions that would drag me back into the fiery eternal black abyss. The only worthy adversary that I’ve had in fifteen hundred years has been my trainer, Griffyth Edan. He’s an exceptionally skilled and cunning warrior. A demon of knowledge which is why he would be a fabulous trainer, right? However, I’ve been given new counsel and that’s not counting my watcher. For some reason, God just doesn’t trust a demon. Can’t fathom why, he created me in the first place. I was after all human first. My choices are what got me sent to hell and into the damned graces of the dark overlord.
It’s good to be popular to a degree. Though a bit daunting at times. So now, I have dedicated myself to being a demon hunter. I hunt others like myself. Trying to save what’s left of my soul, so that I never have to stand before that hideous thing again. I think he took being called a fucking asshole a little too personally, but that’s just my opinion. I’m sure if I wasn’t already dead, he’d tear me to shreds. But being in hell is like torture, day after day, the same tedium reliving the choices that got you sent there in the first place or having the lesser demons tear you apart day after day. I haven’t decided which is worse.
Back to here and now. My least favorite time on earth is the winter solstice. I hate winter. Its cold dreary, a pain in my ass since I’m a demonic creature and prefer warmer climates. The eternal flames of hell preferable over cold, wet, questionable snow. Pulling my coat a little tighter around me as I walk this long dark alley.
This is where I spend most of my time, preferably not when snow is everywhere covering every available space except where someone has tread before me. Even then it was barely enough to disturb the powdery white, wet substance. I hate the stuff; don’t even think you’ll get me to touch it.
Wait, what was I doing, I was telling you where I spend most of my time. Sorry, I get sidetracked easily. In dark allies, like this one, skulking about in shadows. Surrounded by trash, dumpsters, and rodents usually, however it’s too damn cold for them and me this night, sometimes homeless people. Nobody can ever seem to hit a dumpster, that’s a pretty big target unless you’re dropping it from the roof, which looks like someone has tried. Frozen bits of trash peeking through that nasty white stuff. Yuck!
My long black coat allowing me to fade completely into the shadows. My coloring favorable as well, being a gypsy in another life. Long black hair, deep brown eyes, a slight tan. Yes, there is the misconception that all demons are pale and hideous. I’m not; I look like… well, not a super model but pretty damn close. And no, I wasn’t a fortune teller. I can however read the Tarot. Also see things before they happen. In my line of work, that’s a favorable gift to have.
I hear the skitter of tiny feet behind me in the alley. It’s too cold for the rats to be out, but rats are like people and demons, you don’t underestimate them. Cocking my head slightly to better gauge the sound. I turn to face the noise. The little winged creature sat perched on fire escape ladder now.
“How is it you always hear me?”
Shaking my head. How indeed, I’m the only thing out here in the damn cold! “I’m gifted, Saeth.”
The creature snorts though chooses not to comment. With Saeth, I usually get some remark that is, at best, scathing. Why would god even make such a sarcastic creature in the first place? I walk slowly towards the creature. Arch a brow at it, pulling the coat closer to block the cold. Saeth kind of looks like a tiny cat with angel wings. She’s beautiful, but I’d never tell her that. It would inflate that already oversized ego of hers. She thinks that she’s better than I am because she’s served the benevolent one a lot longer than I have. I thought pride was a sin…
I look up drawn out of my thoughts as the creature speaks to me. “There’s another demon in the city. I was sent to convey the orders to eliminate the creature,” straightforward, blunt as usual. I so despise Saeth’s straightforward no nonsense attitude. Why can’t she lighten up just a bit? The world wasn’t going to end tonight. The end was still a long way off. Boy, wouldn’t humanity be surprised when that day came?
I nod slightly. “What kind?” It wasn’t as if I couldn’t sense this creature’s presence. I was headed that way myself without the order. If anything to find out what this darkness weighing heavily on me was about. I’d dreamt of darkness last time I slept, which was about two weeks ago, nothing but darkness as it swallowed me whole. Demons don’t need sleep to survive, but I enjoy it. It’s like a mini vacation away from the reality that is my life.
Saeth’s elegant paw lifted as she began grooming her shiny white, almost metallic, coat. It shimmered slightly as she moved. Taking her sweet time in answering my question, thus causing a frown to settle on my lips. “What kind of creature did Raziel say it was?” Mumbling to herself. Raziel is the archangel that governs my actions, he documents me to see if I am worthy of changing sides. Basically, my supervisor.
An unintelligible sound left me somewhere between frustration and anger as Saeth continues to mumble to herself. I lift my hand to wave the creature off, turning for the street. “You’re useless. Divine creature my ass,” I mutter walking away. My frown merely deepens hearing those wings take flight. She’s going to follow me, watch me as if I haven’t a brain.
My footsteps are light in the snow. As if walking on top of it. I have mastered many things. One, only being seen when I truly want to. Silence being another, unless an annoying messenger of God decides to herald me with its presence. My eyes lift skyward. Forgive me, Lord, but give them better personalities.
Hunting these demons, not much different from myself, I sometimes pity them. But then, I’m considered a traitor and they could very well be hunting me in the same manner. Some had. Some are.
I pause at the end of the alley. Leaning back as headlights flash across the street from a roving police cruiser, not willing to risk myself by being seen by mortals. I was arrested once. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. Since then I’ve learned to carry necessary identification so that it wouldn’t happen again. And I avoid leaving a mess if at all possible. However, some of these demons preferred making a huge bloody mess. Literally.
I do have a contact with the police department in this city. Luc Maddox. A slow smile spreads on my lips just thinking about the sexy, come hither detective. I can’t live in sin if I’m the devil’s prodigy, can I? The only reason I work for the other side now is because I want to save what is left of my soul and avoid hell in all respects. I can’t stay on earth indefinitely and fight every single minion of hell, which would be stupid there are nearly twelve thousand demons for each human on earth. And that’s just a guesstimate.
Searching for the symbols I know are there in the other alley. A satanic sanctuary for demons in this world. Some humans are just stupid, in my opinion. Letting in any demon off the street without knowing it’s intentions. Narrowing my eyes slightly, my vision is kind of like looking through telescopic camera lens though with a panoramic view, I spot the symbol about a hundred yards away down the alley on the other side of the street. That one looks just as bad as this one. Don’t they ever clean? Now, comes the fun part. Searching for a means to get there from here undetected. Tapping my fingers restlessly against the brick. I could run it or… leaning forward, my eyes move over the building beside me. Or I could jump it.
Saeth is merely sitting on the dumpster watching me curiously. Trying to gauge my motivation, I’m sure. I prefer to live as a shadow, except where Luc is concerned but at the moment he has no idea I’m in town. I arrived a few days ago. It’s been at least three years since I’ve seen him. I hope he hasn’t gotten married. I’d hate to tempt him into breaking his vows thus pissing off my new boss.
I jump up grabbing the rung of the ladder and pull myself up. Climbing up onto the fire escape. Rounding the stairs quickly, though making sure I don’t trip and fall in the snow, I make my way to the top of the building. Saeth is now sitting there on the edge of the building watching me as if I’m an idiot. I walk slowly to the edge of the building. My black boot resting on the side knocking snow off into the street. I lean forward on my knee to look down on the street. Some innocents milling about though it seems nothing else.
Boy, that’s a long way down. Too bad Satan didn’t give me wings. “Are you planning on killing yourself?” Asks Saeth quite seriously.
Rolling my brown eyes, I simply shake my head walking a good distance across the roof. I push the buttons through their holes on my long leather trench coat leaving one in place towards the top so I don’t loose my coat when I make this ridiculous jump. I don’t want to get caught up in it and trip confirming I’m a demonic fuck up.
I tuck a few stray wisps of the jet black hair behind my ears. Please, don’t let me damage my sword either in this jump. The retractable sword attached to my left forearm is my weapon of choice. Made it myself. The worst thing that could happen is if I jam the mechanism and it doesn’t come out when I need it to. Had that happen before, it wasn’t pretty.
Drawing a slow breath to quell my sudden anxieties over this impulsive decision. I’m given to those too, just so you’re warned. I can hear my heart start to thunder in my ears. One… Two… I sprint for the edge. Happy that my foot finds purchase on the little wall instead of catching a patch of ice. Wind sailing over me, my arms flailing, I land crouched on the next building. The cold has seeped in. Shivering slightly, blowing the hair from my face. Snow blanketed everything casting an eerie light from the moon in the silvery foreign landscape. Steam rising from the vents in the corner. The pigeon coop deserted this time of year. The access door. But plenty of room to do what needed to be done.
“Impressive, you never cease to amaze me, Mercia,” says Saeth.
“Impress me, Saeth, by shutting up.” I can feel the presence of the other demon. It is very close. Its essence weighing heavily on my chest, almost suffocating me and I still have no idea who my adversary is. I slowly push to my feet. Mindful of having a misstep in the snow. With a light press of the button at my wrist, the sword slides out noiselessly. The moonlight masking the blade in eerie silver light along with the powdery residue. Carvings inscribed from Gabriel himself along the blade seem to take on a light of their own in the moonlight. The sword had yet to fail me.
I pause. Narrowing my eyes to see around the roof top. The shadow materialized from near the access door. Oh, shit. “Hey, Tenebrion.”
“Mercia, how have you been?” Meeting as if we are long time friends instead of about to tear each other to shreds. Demons are hilarious, are we not?
“Can’t complain. You?”
“Not too bad either. I get a big jump in status if I haul you back.”
Impressed that Satan would attach a bounty like that to my name. “So, what exactly am I worth these days?”
Tenebrion cast a cold smile in my direction. “Mercia, you’re more than worth the trouble. I couldn’t talk you into just allowing me to take you back, could I?”
So, how am I supposed to get the spirit of darkness into light so I can vanquish him? Tenebrion had the ability to banish artificial light if it got too near him. This night is going to be a long one. “Uh, no, that would be stupid on my part, don’t you think?”
“Suit yourself, I gave you a chance.” He takes a tentative step in my direction. Think, you idiot! I chide myself. I have to direct this the way I want it to go. I can’t let him have the upper hand.
“Oh, let it be known that the great Tenebrion, spirit of darkness, is a generous individual to his former friends.” I had to smile at the scowl that settled upon his face at the compliment. It was as if I had disgusted him. I lift my arm, with the sword attached, to just in front of me. Refusing to give in to vanity and check my reflection in the blade. I can imagine how windblown I look after that jump. “I’m ready when you are, Tenebrion.”
Tenebrion just shakes his head as he watches me from across the roof. “How are you going to defeat me, Mercia? You aren’t as strong as I am.”
“Yes, Mercia, he’s darkness incarnate, how are you going to do this?” Saeth asks from her neat little perch, on top of the pigeon coop, merely observing. Tenebrion’s dark eyes go to her then to me. He merely points at Saeth.
“Don’t ask,” I mutter scowling at the divine creature for making me sound like an idiot.
I simply stare at him as he starts roaring with laughter. “God doesn’t trust you either.” The smirk on his face held his amusement for me to see. That look enough to piss me off to no end. “Have I pissed you off yet?
“No, Tenebrion, you’ve fucking pissed me off. That’s worse.”
“Mercia, no cursing,” Saeth scolds from her perch.
A hateful notion fills me and I give into impulse. Sticking up my middle finger at the damnable creature with my free hand. “Kiss my ass, Saeth.” An indignant look crosses Saeth’s face as her beady green eyes narrow on me. One smartass is bad enough, now I’ve got two to contend with and one has the intentions of taking me back to my least favorite place.
Tenebrion came towards me the sword materializing out of the darkness into his hand. The metal met with a clank. His dark eyes staring into mine from just inches away. He was a lot stronger than he looked. His body not bulky as I’d seen of some demons. He pushes me. My boots causing me to slide backwards in the snow as I crouch to remain on my feet. Though careful not to touch that stuff instead using the sword. Sparks at the tip of the sword as it slid along concrete to stop the momentum.
Light, I need light. The alarm on my watch decided to go off just then coaxing a smile to my lips. I can do this. Hoping he doesn’t kill me before the sun rises in the next hour. He might be able to vanquish light, but not sunlight. It was too encompassing.
I push to my feet. His eyes narrowing at my confident stance. He probably has the idea that I was up to something. He just doesn’t know what. “So, how many legions of minions is he going to give you for me?”
His eyes narrow on me as he stalks me around the rooftop. As soon as I see the sun crest the buildings to the east, that’s when I’ll take my chance to strike. Plotting the attack carefully in my mind as I move around him keeping his back to the eastern sky.