A deep, crazed laugh sounded through screams and burning embers as Vaskalen finished slaying all the occupants of the local orphanage. Obviously, the man took great pleasure in the orgy of chaos and death. He was a demon after its own heart, had the sword one to take. The woman continued to stand like an emotionless doll in the torrent of flame that quickly engulfed the building.

For some time now, the Hellfire sword knew she achieved some form of enlightenment during their latest time apart. However, she had yet to betray it, so it would continue to use her. But, if so much as a shadow of insubordination arise… No, this was slowing it down. It wouldn’t let the man win while it stood around thinking.

Mioska jumped into the shadows, emerging in another building, in the middle of a family huddled in fear. Their expressions shined on the surface of the blade as it cleaved flesh from bone, ripping the family of six asunder in a single, foul stroke. The white whips of their souls entered the blood red jewel on the hilt… the demonic blade began to glow.

It was like the high of highs to the sword, as it’s power grew exponentially. It had devoured enough souls to get back an old ability, and it quickly knew how to use it.

Making the wielder jump out into the middle of the street, the Hellfire Sword let out an audible chuckle at the sight of a line of police. “S-stop right there, woman!” They called out, drawing swords and bows, severely underestimating the opponent.

“She is none of your concern,” the sword called out. The sudden, disembodied voice stunned the men, quite naturally, sealing their fate. “I am your real opponent. Bow, puny mortals, before Vaskalen, the one and only Hellfire Sword!” They refused. Ah well, it didn’t want followers anyway.

The police charged to their doom as the woman lifted the sword to chest level. Twisting a section of the handle, knowledge given to her by the sword, it fired forward like a shot towards them. Propelled forward by a blast of blue hellfire, more blasts came as more sections of the blade split, quickly impaling the line of men, some twenty feet long. Many of them collapsed to the ground in pained agony, alive, but wishing otherwise.

Wish granted.

Suddenly, the line of men erupted in a burst of blue fire, incinerated, and souls absorbed almost instantly. With Snake Limbs and Blue Hellfire back, the blade could raise some real hell. Its wielder twisted the hilt of the sword, turning the blade into a bladed flail. The twenty-foot long blade cut into houses and buildings, destroying wood and stone alike as blue hellfire tickled the full length of the blade.

A welcome side effect that the sword missed was that blue hellfire set anything it touched alight, flammable, or not. This would greatly decrease the time it took to kill a person, since most would be ash in mere seconds. Indeed, it was the swords turn to laugh. Now, it had the strength and state of mind to track down one that would unleash all of its power on the mortal plain.

It just needed to become whole, and claim about two hundred more souls. Well, the easiest thing it could do now is polish off a huge chunk of villagers in one shot. But where?

The answer came almost immediately, as the blade and wielder walked out onto on of the town’s main streets. The fort! Of course. Where else would people flee to in an attack but the strongest, or center-most building in their town? Being both, Castle Bellstance would be the ideal hideaway… and the spot for a little bit of mass murder.

Unable to control the uncontrollable bloodlust, the sword pushed the woman into a run… straight for the castle. Hopefully, the vampire hadn’t gotten there first.

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(Avy by insaney, sig by an assortment of various ZUers present and past. You know who you are. =3)
Figments of my Imagination.