It took several months to dig Dominic out of the collapsed well. His blood orb had ceased to drip or ooze blood and gleamed in the sunlight like a true crystal. All was going planned and the priest was happy that he was starting to gather his people to his world.

The town that was filled with farmers, hard workers and slightly up-tight people had started to crumble into gambling, sex and sin. The darker side of magic started to flock there as well; dark witches on the out skirts of town started to appear, mean and nasty sprites started to fill the forest and ghosts started to linger just a bit longer than they had to.

Every now and then another priest or an exorcist would drop by to check on the semi-quiet town and everything would be cleaned up but no sooner then they would leave would the town fall back into its dark corner. The people built a brothel that gave money and sometimes it’s whores to the priest. A bar now stood just a few houses down the road, out of sight.

When Dominic’s orb felt air, the ground shuddered and the people went quiet.

The priest swung open his arms and shouted, “People of Drastvis, I give you your Lord and Savior! He came down here in this crystal long ago after the heroic fight with the White Devil and now needs to be awoken in the church! Quickly now!” He jumped into the hole to help the men lift it, “We do not have much time before others seek to harm Him!”

They had taken little time to lift the orb with ropes and wood, then took the men out of the pit and filled it.

“Get Him clothes to wear! He must awaken soon!” The priest ordered and several women dashed to their sewing needles and fine fabric.

A woman in the back of the group walked behind them cloaked in a dark brown robe, her hood up and had the illusion of a man. She had saw this orb in her nightmares and saw no savior, no solace for this town. Even some of the darkest witches left as soon as the orb breathed in the new air. But this town was past saving, they had dug it up even after protests of other lands. This town didn’t believe in the superstitions that came from the nobles.

Her dark hair was tied in a pony tail to help with the illusion of her being a man but small actions would’ve given her away if it was noticed; she still swayed like a woman except she had a grace of thousands of years to her, she walked lightly and the way she held her robe over her naked body was positioned like a noble trying not to break her nails. But she was a Witch of the Moon and had to warn the others of what was to come.

She tried to slip away unnoticed until an order for her to help lift the orb onto the church’s alter was shouted. Hesitating and whispering a prayer, she did as she was told and then fled to the dark hallways of the cobblestone building. The orb had broken her illusion but she was grateful that it faded completely when she entered the hallway out of eyes.

“So, you’re a woman all along,” A dark whisper from behind her stopped her, a hand slipped on her shoulder and the grip was strong. “Jason isn’t your name I guess, it is?”

The priest quietly walked around her as she looked to the floor. “No, my priest, I am one of the witches around your town.” She tried crackling her voice, trying every bit of her quiet magic to make it sound older. “I had to see for myself and the others if the rumors were true that you found the Dark Guardian.”

She’s lying! Dominic whispered to the priest, I must have her blood… But she must not die until I wake… I have no power until the… sun sets. I must have a sacrifice!

The priest found the woman’s neck with his free hand and lifted her head with slight force. “I do not have any such young and beautiful witches here,” He chuckled. The priest rumbled into a bag that he kept on him and pulled out shackles that had runes glistening, “I had been learning from my master about magic and what to do with these.”

The witch breathed in with fear as she eyed the shackles. She had to warn the others to flee, to run back into the trees and caves.

“What…” The priest gripped her fighting arms closed to his chest and pressed a shackle closed around her wrist, “Are you to make my lord so interested in you?”

She cursed at him and raised her free arm and pressed it against his face, “They will find you out and you will suffer as you will make me! Pain and pleasure we share once the sun sets! You will die laughing, Jandison!”

He laughed as she flung her hex at him, “I am immune, you whore! I was not told not to keep you pure!” He shoved the last shackle onto her wrist and dragged her to the closest room and tied her to a wall where she had to be on her knees.

Shoving the door closed he tore at her robe until her gave up and flipped her over and swung it open, looking at the witch’s soft, pure body. A star and a crescent moon birthmark hung above her belly button just between her breasts.

“A Witch of the Moon,” he ran a study hand over the birthmark, “Your Lady won’t win this war, my dear.”

He eyed her and reached back into his pocket for rope and tied her legs open to pillars on either side of the room. As the door swung open from the men that had dug the orb up, Jandison was standing welcoming them in as guests.

“My lads!” He said lifting both eye brows to them, he was holding a knife, “I was told by the Lord when I had touched Him that we had a traitor amongst us. I had kept this quiet until I knew who it was, and look! It is a woman!”

There was quiet among the dirty, dirt covered men. Jandison eyed them with a frown, “What shall we do with her?”

You could hear shuffles of feet, some whispered about killing her. Some said just banish her and some eyed her quietly as she stared darkly at the wall. She covered herself in a layer of protection, if anyone dared touch her while she laid there helpless… There was a kick against the wall, it was quiet so she could only hear it against the restless of the men. She looked up to the window and saw a flash of red hair dart by and smiled. A child of the night, a true child.

She closed her eyes and whispered for forgiveness as men descended upon her. She whimpered in weakness and after the sun had set, she thanked for the quiet before her end.

Dominic’s orb cracked and rumbled the town. Those that feared something dark was gone; Those that knew of the Dark Guardian were already gone thanks to a risk of a man had taken. The once tan hand of a man slid out of the now liquid shell.

Dominic was tall and rough to look at; he was thin and skinny but power, even though weakened, still called for attention. His face, once square and handsome, was washed of all of its color. His dark hair looked dry and made the dark rings around his eyes look endless.

The priest had locked the doors as requested and the main hall was filled with people. The people of the town were rounded up; Women, children and men stood or sat quietly looking at their new god.

In his deep booming voice, “Bring me the witch.” He turned his head to the priest.

Nodding, Jandison quickly fetched her and she looked at Dominic without remorse. Dominic frowned darkly and looked at her. She was naked and washed but he could see the bruises that would be there if she were not a witch. He also saw the hex that he could not save his puppet from.

There were more people he could turn, such a pity he couldn’t save his most loyal human.

Dominic’s dark eyes lingered on the mortals he once swore to protect, hating them all because he was now this. He turned and walked steadily to the witch and gripped her throat.

He hated witches the most.

“The slaughter of the sheep.” She whispered before he opened his mouth and revealed his fangs and pressed them against her neck.

He revealed in the fact he was getting two for one; He could taste Jandison’s blood as he shared the witch’s fate. The man screamed, cursing at the woman, at Dominic. Dominic looked at him and felt more power and with a thought, snapped Jandison’s neck as he finished both of them off.

And the town became deserted just in one night.