The Present

“Normal people have no idea how beautiful the darkness is. How seductive it is once you finally let go and allow yourself to embrace it fully. It takes a rare type to do so, the atypical beast who cares nothing about flaunting their most devious thoughts, much to the alarm of the masses. They let it glide over their body, accepting... no... savoring it, allowing it to permeate their mind and fill them up. Their innermost beings light dimming, until there is nothing but what seems to be a void. But that assumption would be wrong, it is not a void, but a space to be filled with endless possibilities. One must first accept the dark, to see in the dark.

What fills up a man like Marf’s mind with darkness? What demons push him to present the sort of front that he shows within the XWF? Is it true darkness, or is he merely playing among the shadows edge? I am eagerly anticipating finding out for myself when we meet in the ring. Will he step forward and meet me, show that he too craves this encounter? Or will he cower in the corner, reneging on all his claims on wanting to light the ring on fire? Things have been dreadfully quiet since he made those statements. I do hope this doesn’t turn into one big disappointment Marf, I'd be terribly piqued if that were to be the case. All bark and no bite makes for a very dull adventure, especially when one had anticipated so much more.

Marf, I am quite unlike any of your opponents that you met at High Stakes. Certainly not a walk in the park like Storm. Most definitely not a laughable halfwit like Shawn Wylde. Ones who are only in it for the ‘glory’ and wins. I expect oh so much more from you than a simple wrestling match. I want you to do your best to break me. Picture wrapping your hands around my throat. Picture lifting me into the air. Picture slamming my body onto the mat. Can you feel the sensations already? Let the images burn themselves into your brain. Let them play over and over again, until you are mindless with expectancy. The moment I step onto the stage, they flash behind your eyes in a glorious sequence, your nerves tingling in eagerness for the violence.

I too, thirst for such things. For you to leave my skin blemished, my body abused. However, my yearning to eradicate you gnaws away at me with the same burning flame. And I cannot help but wonder still, will you be of the same mind? Do you envision our encounter, desirous of every blow? Rest assured, that I will not cease until you are debilitated, unable to even get to yours knees. I will not be satiated until I have taken all you are willing to give, then extract even more until your body can handle it no longer. Spent. Vulnerable. Mine. Standing over your prone and broken body, the image sends quivers down my spine. You wanted me to step up and take a bite if I dared... I more than dare. I make the promise to you, that this will be a mauling.

All your efforts in breaking me, will merely push me harder to do the same to you. Leaving you ravaged and subdued. You will find yourself flat on your back, looking into the lights and see the shadow of doom cast over you... that shadow will metamorphosize into me, landing the Berzerker. Standing over your fractured body, lowering myself down for the pin, gazing down into your eyes. Seeing the moment you realize its over, the moment you understand you have been broken, the moment that you give in. The time is drawing closer for us to dance my darling Marf. I hope you are prepared, perhaps even as anxious as I am for the day of Warfare. I leave you tonight with this admonition; I hope YOU don’t let ME down.

As for you... Tommy Romeo. Your foul flavor still permeates my mouth, despite my best efforts at ridding myself of it. You taste of cheap cologne and failure. You pretend not to be scared, but the odor of panic pours from you in waves. All your lies are delicious to my ears, because I so look forward to proving to you that you are, in fact every single thing you claim you are not. A weak. Terrified. Fool.”

Lycana sits back in her chair and contemplates her plans for the night. Cate would be pleased that she was already at it again, showing him the way of things. This plan of hers, was going well, better than she had hoped it would. When she had blurted it out to Rolfe, on a whim to get her ass out of the hot seat, she had no idea if she would be able to pull it off or not. But here she was, back in her good graces, and beyond that given the blessing to run with the Left Hand. There would be no sacrifices tonight, there would be time for that another day. He had pleased her with his lack of hesitation with the chicken. She had seen something in him, had wondered if he could be all she had hoped for, so had been willing to put him to the test but had not truly held out much hope. There were too many pretenders about.

Idly running some dried herbs between her fingers her mind shifts to what had occurred Saturday night and she cannot suppress a sardonic smile. Not only had they given that self-important twit the scare of her life –so far- they had acquired a new member. Geri Vayden would be an asset to the group. Lycana had largely admired her handling of Tommy Romeo. The two of them made quite the team as they worked to dismantle the washed up nobody. Amusing, but not surprising that he would start running his mouth the moment he peeled his carcass off the mat. His conceit nearly matched his empty brained client. Lycana had to hand it to Jenny though, she treated him like the bitch he was and he just sat up and begged for more.

Ash Quinn had proven herself that night, shown the entire world just what embracing the dark could do. She had reached down inside herself, snuffing what was left of the light out, defying any traitorous instincts to hold back, and tumbled over the edge into the black fires raging hidden within her. She had emerged the Queen of Ashes, and nobody was safe from her wrath. Anyone and anything who got in her way would be burned to the ground. The Baphomet guided his ‘girls’ well... cultivating their atrocities, coaxing their barbarity to the surface, setting them loose to lay waste to all the simpleminded sheep. Those same dull creatures flocked together, aware of only the wolves that roamed the perimeters, blind to those who remained hidden within.

The wind rustled through her hair as she stared at Tommy Wish, who stood before her with a cocky grin on his face. He drew closer to her, causing her to have to tilt her head back to keep her gaze steady upon his. The pair stood for long moments, seemingly lost in a battle of wills before he speaks. “I told you I'd do whatever it takes.”A nudge on her hand brings her out of that memory swiftly. She looks down a Fenrir, disoriented for a second. She realizes there is a vague knocking, but not at her door. Within her mind. She carefully casts about until she understands who it is. She allows some mental walls to drop, letting the message come through.

Her face blanches slightly, wondering why he was coming all the way out here to her small North Carolina town. To ‘see how the pack was doing’ was the excuse given, but it was still very suspect in Lycana’s mind. He usually preferred going to the much larger cities that housed massive packs, where he could carouse, whore, and such openly, without concern of drawing more attention than he already did. Out here, with her small pack, there was not much chance of that going on. They were secluded, all was quiet and she preferred it that way. Hopefully the visit would be a short one, then he and Roland would be on their way and out of her hair. Keeping her dislike for Dionysis invisible was more of a chore than she cared to admit. She could honey her acerbic words, but it was her face that needed deliverance.

She huffed out a sigh. Just another thing to add to her already full plate. She would be need to be packing to get on her plane to Italy within the next couple of days, so she could shake any jetlag before her match with Marf. She couldn’t just brush this one off, not this time. And she didn’t want to. She was quite eager to see what he could dish out. Thankfully, from what it sounded like, her little visitors wouldn’t be headed her way until afterwards. It might mean a flight back to the states, and then all the way back again depending on where the following Warfare took place. Yet another box checked on reasons why Lycana disliked him. No regard for the important matters she had to handle, no inquiries to see if the timing was right, just... I'll be there. Still grumbling to herself, she glanced at the clock. It was time to go and get everything set up and be ready for her guest.

We find ourselves in the clearing that should be quite well known by now. Lycana hums to herself as she moves along, lighting her candles as the sun sinks below the horizon. Everything else sits at the ready, just awaiting her ‘students’ arrival. Patiently, Lycana moves over to her altar, crossing her arms, gazing straight into the deepening blackness of the forest surrounding her. The first faint stars were starting to twinkle overhead when her eyes catch faint movement, different from all the other shadows. She fixates on the area, and is soon rewarded with the outline of the hooded man stepping through the trees and towards her. She shifts her own body into motion, moving across the grass to meet him. She stops before him, looking up under the hood, the corner of her mouth tilting up slightly. “Come, all is at the ready.” She whirls and walks away, with him following her. She starts the lesson, carefully showing him all the different elements and telling him about all their uses, what powers they can invoke. Ones that could bring forth hallucinations. Ones that could make a person violently ill. Others still, that could kill with a single drop of concentrated liquid. She shows him how to prepare the elixirs. Upon doing so, she places her hand upon his to guide his motions. A faint jolt skitters its way up her arm at the contact, almost like a gentle electric current. She jerks her hand away slightly, her face jerking up to stare under the hood, a perplexed look on her face. Her eyes narrow slightly as she contemplates this. He makes no movement, merely waiting for her to go on. She drops her hand back to his, expecting the shock this time, but receiving nothing. After another moment's hesitation, she continues with her teaching, filing the curious occurrence at the back of her mind to revisit at a later time.