Madame Macabre: Familiar Oblivion #4

Inside, the well was not as it should be. It was now a large cave, completely hollowed out, and dozens of skeletons littered the ground.

In front of her, a blonde-haired woman in a green gown stepped into the light. "At last, I have you," she said. It was Aleria's voice.

Macabre had seen many things, but never a greater demon turning back into a human. "So you did this," she said. "I should have known."

"You think you can stop me?" Aleria said, a wicked grin on her face.

"That's the plan." Macabre bared her fangs, hissing at her.

Aleria raised her staff, and Macabre watched in wonder as the column of sunlight above began to move. It soon shone directly on her. Though it was true sunlight had an effect on vampires, diminishing their powers during the day, it barely affected Great Ones.

"What do you hope to accomplish?"

Aleria raised the priest's staff again, and the light intensified. "To take your stone," she said.

"Ridiculous. If you really have such a death wish, I'll kill you now."

Attempting to move forward, Macabre realized she couldn't. The light that shone on her intensified and her skin started to warm. "What trickery is this?"

Aleria grinned again. Though human, she still smiled like a demon. "Your Achilles' heel."

Incredulous, Macabre called on the full power of the stone. The wind around her kicked up, and her eyes began to glow red, but this quickly faded away. She couldn't move, or use her powers; she was a prisoner.

"Give me the stone now, and I will spare your pitiful life," Aleria said, now inches from Macabre's face.

"Soon enough it will be night and your little trick will end," Macabre spat.

Macabre felt cold steel run through her belly. She took the pain in stride, she'd been hurt worse. But this time it didn't heal nearly as fast as it should have.

"The day is long, Madame," Aleria taunted.

Silent Hill: Sense of Life #2

Lisa took a long look in the mirror in the small bathroom. This used to be the director of Alchemilla Hospital's room, so it afforded her some privacy. She didn't look like she belonged here; she just looked like a normal woman. Though she checked time and time again, no parasite grew on her back like the others. Whatever kept her alive all these years must have been something else.

She wanted to see the sun again, to talk to someone who was kind, to help people like she used to. She didn't need the drug anymore, and now her life could be hers. But how would she get out? Harry had, but the creator of the world wanted him to leave. But no would be saving her, not after all this time.

She looked down at the sink in resignation. Maybe she deserved this hell. On the right side of the sink sat a loaded pistol she had found on one of her few excursions around the hospital.

Clenching her fists, she had a surge of bravery, or maybe it was stupidity. She grabbed the pistol, unlocked the front door, and found herself standing out in the hallway.

Silent Hill: Sense of Life #1

Lisa woke up in total darkness, save the red, heart-like pulsing that glowed through the holes in the dilapidated wall. Like so many things here, that light had no reason to exist and yet did.

Sitting up from the stained and dirty mattress, she put her heels on the rusted, metal chain link floor. Her nurse's uniform and skin were clean, other than a few residual blood stains. She had managed to clean them, and her face, at the sink when it didn't run red with blood.

She didn't want to be awake again, forced to live out this nightmare again. True, she was safe for the most part and never grew hungry, or tired if she didn't want to. But she was stuck in this hell, stuck in this room. Even if she was one of them, she feared the monsters outside. She knew some were malicious, and didn't care that she was one of them, especially the red-helmeted one she'd been seeing of late.

Leaning back to look up at the chain link ceiling, dilapidated furniture and God-knows-what-else visible in the room overhead, she began to think how easy it would be for this to end. She had a choice, she knew, to live in the real world. She could live a normal life, if only she did the town's bidding when it asked. She would even have little to no memory of what she'd done. But she didn't want to hurt others, didn't want to be transformed into something horrible like she had back then. And she didn't want to be hurt. And, so, she was doomed to this hell.

Madame Macabre: Familiar Oblivion #3

The two walked through the empty town, the wind the only sound. Ahead of Macabre, Aleria walked silently. Holding her priest's staff, Macabre wondered how the ceremonial rings that hung on it never made a sound.

"So, how did you come in possession of a priest's staff, Aleria? And how are you able to hold it for that matter?"

Aleria stopped and turned her head to the side. "The Lady prefers her followers know the holy arts to better protect her kingdom against evil that would seek to destroy it."

"Even if her followers are demons?"

"Everyone knows greater demons are loyal to the Great Ones. The Lady trusts us with her life and her kingdom."

If this was true, what a fool the Lady was, Macabre thought. Even if they were loyal to the Great Ones, greater demons' true purpose was always to serve the forces of evil.

"You should know that such a feat as wielding holy power is not beyond the power of a Great One."

"I suppose not," Macabre said, not entirely convinced.

The two soon made it to the center of the town. In the middle was a small well, where Aleria now stood.

Aleria stopped.

"What is it?"

"The source of the evil," Aleria said, her eyes focused on the well.

"Down there?" Macabre wondered. She couldn't sense anything.

"Yes. Come on," Aleria said, and with that jumped into the well with demonic speed.

Madame Macabre: Familiar Oblivion #2

The next morning, Macabre made it to Titan's Heel. It was a small village, made up of just a handful of buildings. Like the name implied, it sat in a large round depression in the otherwise flat plains, while the rest of the "foot" was a larger valley to the northwest, that also had a small lake.

By all appearances this was a normal town, but Macabre couldn't see or sense any life. Whatever happened, this was recent; the homes looked like their occupants would be back any minute. She couldn't sense where they had gone, but knew they would never return.

"So, you seek to know what has happened here as well?"

Macabre turned around to face the harmonious, otherworldly voice, and saw a woman in a robe. Head to toe, she was a shade of pink, with a face that was not quite human. Though obviously a demon, she also held a priest's staff.

"Demon, you are brave to show your face," Macabre responded.

The demoness walked a few steps closer. "Ah, you must be Madame Macabre. I serve The Lady of Illusions, and was sent here to investigate this place."

Macabre scoffed. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that? Her kingdom is over a thousand miles away!"

She responded in the same ominous but musical voice. "The disturbance in this town is of great concern to her."

Macabre found this very unlikely, as all she'd ever heard of the Great One was that she was secretive and cared only about her own lands. "Hmph. You will find it's not so easy to trick me. But I'll play along since it seems like you're the only one alive here."

"So, it's true, you are compassionate, despite your power."

The power she spoke of was that of the Macabre stone, the large blood-red octagonal gem the Madame always wore. It was arguably the most feared among the Evil Stones, having the power to savagely destroy adversaries in an instant, leaving nothing but a trail of blood and gore in it's wake. It also fed on this blood rage, which, in turn, empowered her.

"So, what's your name?" Macabre asked.

"Aleria Mintzburg."

"A human name..."

"I chose to keep it. All greater demons remember their former lives, even if they forsake them. The Lady insisted we remember so we are more complete beings."

But they will never be complete, Macabre thought. All of the so-called "greater demons" gave up their humanity and only followed Great Ones in the service of evil.

"Well, show me what you've found, Aleria."

Madame Macabre: Familiar Oblivion #1

Year 2060 D.E. - A time of peace in The East

Two years have passed since the Dark Lord, Night, and his army were defeated by Madame Macabre and her rebel army of The East, with the help of the Lord of Sorrow, Lucantir of Ispan, and his armies. Since then Macabre has mostly slept in her hometown of Thyrencia, not entirely convinced of Night's defeat...

* * * * *

"Glad to see you're awake, Macabre!" Sienna said, a cheery smile on her face. At times like these you almost couldn't tell she was a vampire, one Macabre herself had turned.

“Good to see you, too, Sienna,” she said as she sipped the tea Sienna brought her.

"So, I guess you'll be leaving soon?"

"You've figured me out, as always," Macabre said, smiling.

Sienna didn't smile back, and instead looked away, trying to mask her concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

"I suppose you can't tell me where you're going?"

"If I did that, you'd be right along after me," Macabre said, smiling again. Sienna looked at her sternly. "You know I feel better with you here to look after the village. They need you more than they need me."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Sienna retorted, then turned away. "You know they depend on you."

"They also know I'll be back as fast as I can if there's trouble."

"Just once, I want to go with you. You wake up after months of sleeping, only to go away.”

"You know why I do that," Macabre said, some regret in her voice. Among vampires, she was one of nine "Great Ones"--vampires chosen to wield the power of one of the Stones of Evil created with the world. Though the power of the Macabre Stone made her immortal and nearly invincible, it also required tremendous amounts of blood, or long periods of sleep, for her to maintain her strength.

Sienna knew this was why her maker slept, and that she went without her only to protect her, but it did little to comfort her. "Can you at least tell me what this is about?"

"Something threatens The East. It's a power I've never sensed before, but I can tell many have lost their lives and the threat needs to be eliminated quickly."

"...Is it the work of a Great One?" Sienna said, concern on her face. If anyone could best Macabre, it would be another Great One.

"Not all the Great Ones are like Night, Sienna. I don't know what I sense; all I know is that I don't want it spreading to Thyrencia or the rest of the country."

"Then I guess you better go then," Sienna said, standing up. "I'll get your cape and sword."

"Thanks.”

She soon brought back cape, sword, and a few other items for the trip. Macabre stood up to take them. At her full height she stood well over a foot above Sienna.

As Macabre equipped herself, Sienna looked up at her with a frown on her face. "This time you better stay awake awhile when you get back! I have to do enough work around here by myself!"

Macabre laughed, though Sienna's expression never changed. She then looked around at the spotless mansion, then through the window. Outside hay was bailed neatly and white linens on lines blew in the sunset. Though the villagers surely helped her, she knew Sienna pushed even her vampiric strength to its limits to keep things running.

"Alright, two days," Macabre said as she turned toward the door.

At last Sienna's expression softened. "Good luck out there," she said as Macabre opened the door and then waved back. Though her walk was only a stride, she soon vanished off into the horizon.

Blog Art 19 - Sienna

To make up for the lack of updates, I figured I'd give some background on this character and the story she's in, Madame Macabre.

Sienna Morinn is Madame Macabre's sidekick-of-sorts. Like Macabre, she's a vampire, but not nearly as powerful since she's not a "Great One." She was willingly turned by Macabre at the age of 21 to help defend Thyrencia, Sienna's rural hometown, and to fight the Great One, Night, who was invading Thyrencia and the land of The East. Since Night's defeat, Sienna has remained the town's protector while Macabre sleeps.