A Rising Evil

[Jojo]

Prologue



A lone figure stood patiently outside a dark, looming palace, mercifully shrouded in its stretching shadows, his cloak billowing slightly in the night wind of the approaching storm. He was a rather tall man, with broad, sturdy shoulders and a toned, muscular body. His black hair, reaching down slightly past the shoulders, moved with the breeze, occasionally passing over two gleaming eyes. The man's large, callused hands rested cautiously on the hilt of his most cherished weapon - the broad sword his father left behind before he disappeared. Diamonds and green gems shined under his hand, wanting desperately to be seen.

The figure, glancing up at the highest tower in thought, sighed inwardly. He had heard of the woman who ruled this particular palace, and of the things she was rumored to have done. It did not frighten him, but merely made him more cautious as he took a step towards the ominous entrance before him. Raising a calm, controlled fist, the man paused only a moment before pounding it firmly against the oak doors of the palace, smiling slightly as the knock echoed through the halls.

There was a few moments' pause before the doors opened, revealing an elderly man-servant, his grey hair combed neatly into place, a pencil mustache perfectly groomed under an imposing nose. "May I be of service, sir?" he asked after eyeing the visitor curiously. It had been many a moon since people had wandered past the palace, and the man-servant was very interested in what this man had in mind.

The visitor bowed slightly in respect before he answered. "My name is Sherif Lupin, and I seek an audience with Lady Wilkes. Am I correct in assuming that she is in?" he asked, hoping it was true.

Nodding, the man-servant replied, "You are, sir. Please, come inside. I shall fetch my mistress promptly." The old man moved aside, holding the doors open for Sherif to enter. As the visitor walked past him, the man-servant frowned slightly. If this man, this Sherif Lupin, was seeking an audience with his mistress, he must know something about what goes on in the palace. Shaking his head slightly in thought, the old man hobbled off to find Lady Wilkes.

Sherif Lupin, after inside the enormous palace, stood passively in the lobby area, eyeing the many ancient-looking paintings on the walls. They depicted gruesome creatures, some of which having large, leathery wings; others baring impressive fangs and elongated nails. Sherif frowned somewhat, slightly anxious about meeting Lady Wilkes. These paintings seemed to confirm the rumors he had heard, heightening his anticipation.

Glancing over to his right, Sherif noticed a roaring fire in a stone fireplace, its flames dancing invitingly. Smiling slightly, the man walked over towards the smaller room, admiring at how comfortable it seemed. Two leather chairs stood on either side of a long leather couch, all of which were crimson in color. Sherif looked towards the flames again, feeling somehow drawn to the beautiful fire. The man kneeled down in front of it, smiling at the warm, comforting heat eminating from the fireplace. He then blinked, noticing something within the dancing flames. Tilting his head in curiosity, Sherif reached a hand towards the fire slowly, wanting to see whatever it was he had seen again.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," spoke a voice behind him. Sherif jumped, startled. He spun around, wondering who had spoken. It was an extremely attractive woman, her jet black hair tumbling down on either side of her face, her dark blue eyes laughing. "Unless you would like to see what happens when you stick your hand in a magical fire."

"Lady Wilkes!" exclaimed Sherif, standing quickly and bowing. The woman sighed, rolling her eyes. "I have told people time and again not to call me that. I prefer Tier." She smirked, tilting her head in wonderment. "You told one of my servants that you wished to talk with me. What about?" Tier was curious about this man, about what he wanted.

Sherif, puffing out his chest, replied, "I wish to join you and your cause, Lady- I mean, Tier." He had caught himself just in time, only having the woman raise an eyebrow instead of something more dire. Tier folded her arms at this statement, growing more and more curious. "You wish to join me? Why?" This was a common question she asked, and it sorted out the good candidates from the bad.

"Because I have the same beliefs you do, Tier," answered the man honestly. "I do not think we should be made to follow the rules of society unless we want to, and I believe in freedom of the soul."

Tier nodded, impressed. "I see. Well, in that case, tell me about yourself, Mr. Lupin." She moved around the leather couch and seated herself in one of the chairs, crossing her right leg over her left.

Sherif nodded, although he hadn't expected her to ask him this question. "Well, I was born in a small town on the outskirts of London to a single mother; my father had disappeared before I was born, running away with another woman-"

"Why does everyone always begin with their past?" interrupted Tier with a weary sigh. "I asked you to tell me about yourself - what makes you angry? What makes you happy? I want to know things about you as a person, not your past. Do you understand?"

Sherif nodded, his cheeks flushing in slight embarrassment. "I do apologize, Lady- Tier. Well, to begin with, I do know that I am easily angered. You do not want to cross me if you value your life." At this statement, Tier chuckled slightly. The man smiled, feeling he was getting somewhere, and continued. "I am also quite adept at handling swords. It would be very difficult to defeat me in a duel." Sherif then, after Tier asked him to continue, proceeded for the next half hour to tell her more about himself. He mentioned his strengths, weaknesses, and anything else he could think of that would help.

After the man had finished, Tier leaned back in her seat and smiled. "Very good, Mr. Lupin. Needless to say, you are an intriguing man to listen to." She tilted her head, pausing for effect. "I have come to a decision, Mr. Lupin; I want you to become a member of this army."

Sherif was about to thank Tier when something in his mind clicked. Army? "Pardon me, Tier, but what do you mean by army? I do not recall anyone mentioning you wanting to create one." He frowned, considerably confused.

Tier chuckled slightly. "Let me ask you something, Sherif. Why are you so surprised that I am making an army? Surely you know what my intentions are." When he did not answer, Tier sighed. "Yes, I am making an army. This army will be the most powerful force this world has ever seen and will ever see. I am requesting you to join it. Do you accept?"

"Of course I accept, Tier," replied Sherif immediately. He had come here to join something, right? Tier smiled. "Excellent. Please follow me." She stood, brushing off microscopic dust from her emerald robes, and walked towards a shadowed door down the hall from the lobby. Sherif followed, unsure of where they were going. The door opened to reveal a winding staircase, one that descended into the depths of the palace. At the bottom of the stairs, the two came upon two other doors. Tier walked towards the one on the right, and Sherif followed. She opened the door, allowing him to enter first. Inclining his head in thanks, Sherif entered, and held back a gasp.

The room was very dark, any light drowned by the crimson curtains hanging from the walls. Waving her hand, Tier conjured a small candle in the center of the room. The light shed upon a small four-legged stool, on top of which lay a sphere covered by a thin fabric. Strolling over to the stool, Tier waited a moment before slipping the fabric off. This time, Sherif could not hold back the gasp. On top of the stool was a beautiful orb, its insides consisting of a swirling, endless black fog.

Sherif reached towards the sphere automatically, but his hand was quickly slapped down by Tier's. "Never touch this without my permission, Mr. Lupin. Never. Do you understand?"

He nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. He watched silently as Tier picked up the orb, holding it carefully, lovingly, in her two hands. "This, Sherif, is the Orb of Darkness. It allows me to change an ordinary man into something much greater, and forms a bond between me and the changed man." She held it out, still making sure that her grip on it was firm but gentle. "Place your hands on either side, please."

Sherif did as he was instructed. He placed his hands on the orb, and looked at Tier, waiting to see what he needed to do next. "Before we proceed," said Tier, "I need to ask you something: do you swear your undying loyalty to me, to this army?"

Sherif nodded. "I do, Tier." The woman grinned. "Then let us begin." She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Oh, I forgot to mention," added Tier, "that there is a substantial amount of pain involved in becoming what I am. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Before Sherif could respond, he doubled over. Pain had shot through his spine, causing him to fall to his knees in agony. Sherif yelled out, wanting the pain to end. He tried to remove his hands from the glowing orb, but found that he was unable to. I have been tricked! he thought, anger rising inside him. Just as he was about to launch himself at Tier with all the strength he had left, the pain stopped. The agony that had started so suddenly, simply stopped.

Finding he could move again, Sherif pryed his hands away from the orb, its color fading. He dragged himself over to the far wall, leaning on it wearily. Sherif looked up at Tier, and found that she, too, had been affected. Her brow was perspiring, and her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Tier glanced at him in return, and smiled a small smile. "Sherif... your hair... it has changed." Waving her hand and conjuring a mirror, she tossed it over to him. He caught it and immediately looked into it. Sherif gasped in shock as he realized his black hair had changed silver in color.

Looking back up at Tier, Sherif realized he could not find anything to say. She smiled again, and said, "Welcome, Sherif Lupin, Lord of Illusions, to the Royal Demonic Army."



* * *

(Know that this will become more Harry Potter-ish in the next chapter, and so on.... this is a fanfic based on the RP I have done at other sites.)

[Jojo]

Chapter One




Trees… trees, everywhere. Branches stretched outward, blocking her way. They grabbed and clung and scratched her skin, her clothes. She was running from… something. She didn’t know what, but she knew she must keep running. Looking back, the woman gasped as she saw a looming, black shadow, hurrying to catch her. She pushed harder, trying to get away. But she was slowing down… it was like the ground was actually preventing her from trying to escape. The woman toppled over, tripping over a tree root that pulled itself out of the ground. She rolled on her back and screamed. The shadow was on top of her. There was a bright green light and-

Jo Gryffin woke up in her bed, screaming her lungs out. Her sheets were wrapped tightly around her body, which was in a cold sweat. She untangled herself from them, throwing her shivering legs off the side of her bed. Her hair was tussled, wild from tossing and turning. It was a nightmare, thought Jo with a sigh of relief. Just another nightmare. Shaking her head, the young woman stood up and walked over into the bathroom, waving her hand lazily. A candle immediately lit itself, the flame flickering happily. Jo looked at herself in the mirror and groaned. There were dark bags under her blue eyes, revealing her sleepless nights; her hair, as well as already being tussled, had split ends and was looking rather ragged. All in all, the woman looked sick.

Turning on the sink faucet, Jo cupped her hands and let them fill with cold water before splashing her face, sighing as it cooled her burning skin. She stood there at the sink for a moment, taking calming breaths. Jo then, after drying her face off, walked back inside her bedroom, and looked at the clock she kept next to her bed. It was two o’clock in the morning; too early for work but too late to go back to bed. Sighing, she decided to go make some tea. Wrapping her robe around her, Jo headed to the kitchen, glancing into the living room. She almost screamed again. A head was floating in her fireplace, its eyes darting around the room nervously. The woman, studying the head further, sighed in relief.

“Jon! What are you doing here this early?” she asked the head. Jon Bradley was one of the top aurors in the Ministry of Magic, under herself of course. The man turned and, seeing Jo, sighed wearily. “Sorry to bother you, Jo. I was hoping you were awake, though. We’ve had a pretty nasty raid in a muggle town on the outside of London. The Minister has asked all available officials to be on the scene. Naturally, he mentioned you.” Jo nodded at this; she was the Head Auror, and at only twenty years old. Sighing, she kneeled down close to the fire, getting a better view of Jon. “Who would have a raid at this time of night? It doesn’t make sense…”

Jon shook his head, worry clear in his eyes. “I don’t know, Jo. But get down here, and quick. You know how the Minister gets when someone doesn’t follow directions.” There was subtle humor in the auror’s voice, but only enough to lesson the gravity of the situation. “It’s in Lincoln, #642 Rivercrest Drive.“ Jo nodded, standing back up. “I’ll be there in less than ten minutes.” With a nod, Jon disappeared from the fireplace with a small pop.

Ten minutes later, Jo apparated to the address Jon gave to her. Quickly glancing around the neighborhood, she frowned in slight anger. In the middle of a cul-de-sac, in clear view, was the remains of a smoldering house. Ash covered the ground, covering everything with a black coat. Some of the officials from the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad were still dousing whatever remaining fires were left, and many of the neighboring residents had started crowding around the demolished home.

Growling to herself, Jo walked closer to the burnt house, and noticed Jon directing people around, trying to get everything under control. She ran a quick hand through her hair, getting the brown strands out of her eyes, before calling out to him. “Jon! Jon, I’m here.”

The auror glanced over his shoulder, and Jo could just imagine the tension and anxiety disappearing from him. “Jo,” he replied, beckoning her closer. Jon pulled out a small handful of parchments, many of which were covered in tiny, scrawled handwriting. “According to the neighbors, this house belonged to Henry and Gabrielle Chisholm. We have found bodies inside the house, but we’re waiting for further confirmation to find out if it’s them or not.” The auror paused, flipping to another parchment. “They have one thirteen-year-old daughter, Danielle. She was at a friend’s for a sleepover, so we know that she is safe.” At this, Jo exhaled slowly, deliberately. She was imagining what would have happened if Danielle had not gone to the sleepover, deciding instead to stay at home with her parents. She shivered at the thought.

“We need to get Danielle to a safe place,” instructed Jo, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she continued to process the situation. “We need more information, and I’m afraid she is our only lead.” Jon nodded, pocketed the pieces of parchment, and ran off towards a large crowd of Ministry officials.

The young woman walked closer to the demolished house, folding her arms in wonderment. Stepping gingerly inside the burnt framework, Jo frowned. Some of the scorch marks were not made by wands, and certainly did not have the same pattern as regular fire had. Something else had destroyed this house. Pulling out her own wand, Jo leaned down and waved it over a small pile of ashes. They disappeared, heading over to the Ministry for analysis. Standing back up, the Head Auror glanced at the crowd around the house, all of whom had shocked and fearful looks on their faces. Jo shook her head, stepping back out into the street. Eyeing one of the Obliviators on-scene, she then disappeared to the Ministry, knowing that, when the sun came out, none of the muggles would know that they had seen any type of magic whatsoever.

Jogging through the second level of the building, Jo passed by several cubicles, most of which were empty because of the recent raid. She slipped into her own, the one furthest from the lifts, and started rummaging through the many manila folders that were on her desk. One of them was from Jon, probably including a summary of the crime scene; another was from the Head Obliviator; the last one was from the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad. The woman skimmed through each of them and, finding nothing more of use, shoved them into a drawer under her desk.

“Excuse me,” said a quiet voice behind her. Jo spun around, slightly surprised. A young girl was standing passively at the edge of her cubicle, her hands clenched tightly together. The auror frowned slightly, recognizing her. “You’re Danielle, aren’t you?” she asked.

The girl nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Mr. Bradley said you wanted to see me?” Jo inwardly cursed; she did not say that to Jon, and never would. She did not like children very much. Putting on a small smile, Jo nodded. “Yes, I did. I just wanted to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?” She pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment to write on as Danielle nodded.

“Alright,” continued Jo, offering the girl a seat. Danielle slid into the chair, looking frail and confused. “I assume you go to Hogwarts, correct? What house are you in?” The teenager smiled slightly in pride. “I’m in Ravenclaw.” The auror smiled, this time genuinely. “Some of my friends were in Ravenclaw when I went there; I was in Gryffindor.” Jo failed to mention that most of her friends back then had been in Slytherin instead of Gryffindor. Continuing, she then asked, “Do you know of anyone that might have had a grudge against your parents?”

Danielle thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. They were involved in something called ‘imp,’ I think.” Jo could have laughed if it weren’t such a difficult time for the teenager. “You mean I.M.P., or ‘Investigative Muggle Protection,’ right?” The girl nodded. “Yes, that’s the one. My mum and dad were always doing one thing or another for them. It got rather lonely at times.” At this, Jo frowned slightly. She understood what this child meant about being lonely.

Shaking her head to rid her mind of the past, Jo smiled. “Thank you for your help, Danielle. I know this is a troubled time for you, and you have my sincerest condolences.” The girl nodded and stood up, running a shaking hand through her long blonde hair. “Er… where do I go now?” she asked, blushing slightly. Jo smiled, standing up as well. “I’m going to take you to a good friend of mine. She’ll take care of you for a while.”

Walking Danielle down to the Atrium, Jo noticed a woman with red hair standing by the Fountain of Brethren. “Luna!” she called. The woman, turning around, smiled as she saw the auror. She walked up to the two, and looked down at Danielle. “This is the girl?” she asked Jo politely. Jo nodded. “Yes, this is Danielle. Danielle,” she said, looking at the teenager, “this is Luna. You will be staying with her for a couple months.” The girl shrugged, staying silent.

Jo, looking back up at Luna, shrugged also. “Give me the works, Luna. You know the drill.” Nodding, the woman walked off with Danielle. The Head Auror sighed, heading back up to the second level to take another look at the files under her desk. When she got there, however, Jo was greeted with an unexpected visitor.

A man was sitting in her chair, fiddling around with some paperclips. Jo frowned, and said, “Pardon me, but who are you and what are you doing in my cubicle?” The man, looking up, smiled. “I am Luke, Miss Gryffin. Luke Celas.” He stood, straightening his black robes in a business-like manner. “The Minster has sent me here to congratulate you on your career as Head Auror. He could not come down himself because of more pressing matters.” Luke smiled politely, flashing Jo with a set of perfect, white teeth.

Jo blinked, caught off-guard by this man’s presence. “I see,” she replied, shaking her head slightly to clear it. “Well… thank you, Mr. Celas. I try as hard as I can to please everyone who works in the Ministry.” She smiled, waiting for the man to leave. He didn’t budge. Tilting her head slightly, she asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Celas?”

Luke smiled and shook his head. “No, Miss Gryffin. Nothing else.” He slipped out of her cubicle, still smiling. “Have a nice day.” With that, he was gone. The auror frowned, even more confused. Scratching her head, she slipped into her seat once more, and began sorting through her files, wanting to know what had happened to the Chisholms.



* * *

[Jojo]

Chapter Two


Sherif and Tier, having returned to the elegant palace's main lobby, now enjoyed a glass of wine each as they sat in front of the roaring fire, its dancing flames providing some entertainment for the two. It was as if the fire knew that it was a time to celebrate; its colors gleamed almost delightedly, changing from red to orange to a light blue. This spectacle was tantalizing Sherif, though he now knew better. He glanced at Tier, grinning sheepishly. "I can't believe that I almost put my hand into those flames; looking back, I must've appeared very ridiculous."

The woman chuckled in reply. "I must admit that it was quite entertaining for some time. You seemed almost hypnotized by the fire." Tier tilted her head at the flames, smiling at them. "Of course, this is no ordinary fire. It possesses magical properties, some of which I have yet to figure out." She went silent for a moment, her mind going elsewhere. It was only a question from Sherif that brought her back to reality.

"Tier," he said, "how long have you been living at this palace?" Sherif seemed quite serious about this question, his eyes intent on the woman before him. Tier seemed taken aback by this, blinking in slight wonderment. "I... I'm not quite sure, actually," she answered, frowning somewhat. "It has been so long, and hardly anyone has visited in the past years. Why do you ask?" Tier was curious about Sherif's new interest. Did he suspect something? Surely he knew that she would never lie to him... much.

The muscular man shook his head slightly, looking back at the fire. "No real reason, I suppose. The question simply came to mind out of nowhere." Sherif was being mostly honest - the question did come out of nowhere. However, there was a reason behind it, one that he did not want to reveal until later times, when he would come to know Tier better. Sherif, quickly looking back at her and smiling, then said, "I was just curious about your place in this elegant palace, and how well you know it. I, you will soon find, am a very inquisitive man." A quick excuse for the moment, he thought.

Tier eyed Sherif for a long moment, wondering what had come over him to ask such a question. Deciding there was no real harm in telling him the answer, she shrugged and replied, "Although I am not sure about the exact amount of time I have spent here, I do know that this palace has become my refuge, and I have come to know every single area of it, inside and out. Nothing happens here that I am unaware of." The woman paused, eyeing Sherif again with a small smile. "Does that satisfy your curiosity, Mr. Lupin?"

"Aye, it does," he answered, also smiling. Chuckling to himself, Sherif brough his glass to his lips, sipping the red wine slowly. His thoughts wandered for some time before coming back to the night before, the night that had changed his life forever. "I do have something else to say, Tier, that you might want to be aware of." He turned to face her, his expression serious. "It's about what happened a few hours ago."

Tier paused, taking a deliberate sip of the wine herself. It tingled its way down her throat, warming her blood. She then looked at the man before her, her eyes intent on him once again. Tier did not speak, but merely made herself more comfortable. A raised eyebrow and a slight nod signalled Sherif to continue.

The man took a breath, and spoke, every word measured and weighed before escaping his lips. "What happened... what happened was one of the most memorable experiences of my young life. I had no inkling as to what was going to happen, and that is one of the reasons that made it so exhilerating for me." Sherif paused, forming the next words in his intelligent mind. "When you showed me the orb, I immediately felt a sort of... well, a sort of connection to it. It was rather strange, to be honest. It was like the orb was calling to me, wanting to pull me closer and closer." At this, Tier nodded. She was quite familiar with what the man was explaining. She had felt it herself when she first arrived here at the palace. The woman did not interrupt, however; no, she remained quiet, wanting Sherif to continue.

He did continue, feeling more comfortable with himself now that he had started speaking. "It was when I touched the orb that I felt the most excited... and the most frightened. I was not afraid of the pain, but of the unknown. I had no idea what it was going to do to me, and that is what made it so frightening." Sherif stopped, shuddering inwardly. "Then came the pain. It was so unexpected, so intense. It..." The man stopped, not knowing how to explain his feelings and put them into words. "It felt like the orb was digging inside me; digging down, deeper and deeper, until it gripped my very soul. The orb had... it had taken my soul in its hands and... and... changed it." Saying this, Sherif blinked. This sounds insane, he thought dully. How can this possibly be real?

There was a long moment of silence, its volume almost deafening. Tier, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, had been staring at Sherif the entire time, her blue eyes never wavering. She knew what he spoke of; it had happened to her so many moons ago. Only then, she recalled, I had actually blacked out. Tier took a slow intake of breath, and sighed. "Sherif," she said, her voice calm and soothing, "I do know what you speak of. The Orb of Darkness possesses a power so unique, so unimagineable, that it would take eons to even begin to comprehend it. Do you understand what I am saying?" At Sherif's hesitant nod, the woman continued. "Now that you have experienced this... this miracle, it will be some time before you actually come to appreciate its uniqueness, its gift to you." Tier blinked at her words, surprising even herself at the truth within them. Yes, she thought with an inward smile, its gift to us.

Sherif, after hearing Tier explain some of this to him, exhaled slowly, deliberately. "I see," he murmured, closing his eyes. "After listening to your explanation, I have come to assume that the orb seems to have a mind, or something similar, of its own. Am I correct to assume this?"

Tier tilted her head, thinking on the man's question. "In a way, yes," she replied, frowning ever so slightly. "I'm not sure those are the correct words to use, but I do understand what you are trying to say. The orb, in some sense, does have a sort of hidden power that works its way into our souls, molding them to somehow serve its will." The woman paused, and chuckled to herself. "It does sound odd, I know. But it is the only way I can describe it properly." Tier glanced back at Sherif, smiling again. "Now that we have come to a sort of conclusion to this topic, why don't we head on to bed? I am sure that, given both our states of body and mind, we need our rest. Wouldn't you agree?"

The man smiled at her and nodded, gently setting his wine glass down on the table next to him. Sherif stood slowly, stretching his half-asleep legs, ignoring the tingling sensation that swept through them. He turned to the woman next to him, and bowed politely. "Goodnight, Tier. I shall see you in the morning."

"And I shall see you as well, Mr. Lupin," replied Tier, the familiar smirk now resuming its place on her face. Her blue eyes twinkled slightly, almost unnoticeably, before she turned and began to slowly climb the stone steps towards her room. She was, in a way, put at ease by the previous conversation with Sherif. It was preferrable that it was gotten out of the way as soon as possible, preventing future mishaps or misinterpretations. The woman smiled inwardly as she climbed another flight of stairs, eyeing some of the portraits on the stone walls. She knew most of the creatures portrayed were ancient, many of them over a millenia old. However, hidden among them were ones that were more recent, ones that portrayed people she had come to know and love. Pausing for a moment, Tier shook her head and entered her quarters, gently closing the door, a soft click ensuring that it had been locked for the night.


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