Antonio Banali sat in his office. Papers were piled on his desk, his computer was on, his e-mail loaded with messages that had to be read and responded to; but his mind could not focus on any of his work duties. He was still gripped by the sense of dread he had first had when he was informed of Salazar's' death. Salazar was a member of his cult, the cult of Morgorith. And while he had no particular fondness for the butcher (in fact, had he been murdered in a simple robbery, he would have even been relieved), the fact that he had been EATEN changed the whole equation.

For decades the forty-seven year old Antonio had worshiped with the cult. He had slowly risen through the ranks to become it's Grand Priest. The cult had offered him a sense of belonging, a philosophy by which to operate in the world, and a sense of destiny. The exact beliefs and mythos behind the group had always been a bit muddy. Even ascending to the rank he has did little to clarify things for him. But he supposed that was the same for all religions.

But unlike other religions, this was a system set up to worship total destruction and evil. No other religion, not even Satanism (which merely co-opted the Abrahamic hemorrhoid of God as a symbol of self reliance and individuality), went to those extremes. In that, they had formulated the idea that everything; whether society labeled it good or evil, was ultimately done for ones own pleasure. Morgorith taught that to truly be free, to evil, one must act but receive no pleasure from their actions. To do, without want or need of reward, not even an emotional one, to even feel bad and regret what you were doing but do it anyway, was the highest form of freedom.

It also taught that to do something, even if it caused you distress and pain, was evil. Therefore freedom is evil. But freedom was the highest virtue as well. So evil was the highest virtue by the laws of transitive property. An inversion on what most other religions taught, but one that had rung true to Antonio. And as he went on, if the highest virtue is evil, then virtue must be destroyed. But since virtue is only a concept that exist in the human mind, to eradicate virtue, you must eradicate all human life.

Yes, it was not a belief system meant for the wider world. Also, with their varies rites which included all manner of nastiness, it attracted a certain type of person as well; someone like Salazar. Salazar was a psychopath who just loved inflicting pain and killing people. For him the cult was nothing more than an outlet for his own base desires. He actually acted in contrast to the cults' teachings, but he had his uses.

Had . Now we was dead, eaten alive. Antonio could only begin to fathom what that meant. Had they finally unleashed something? If so, what else would happen? Were they all marked or was Salazar just being punished for being an unworthy subject? These questions rolled around his head when his secretary buzzed him.

"Mr. Banali, there's a woman her to see you." The secretary's' voice sounded normal enough but there was a cloak of fear and concern which enveloped it.

"I have no appointments for today." Antonio said this as much to himself as to his secretary. Now the low level dread he had been feeling was becoming a mild panic.

Then a female voice he had never heard before came on and said, "Et se, tor se, morte."

Antonio froze dead. It would sound like made up Latin or pig Spanish to anyone else; but he knew what it really was - the invocation of Morgorith. "For the knowledge of pain is death" is what it translated to. The language was called Epochian. It was supposedly the oldest language there was, older than man himself. No one outside of the cult knew that.

"Send her in Ms. Harrison, please." The words came slowly out of his mouth. They felt like they were freezing in his mouth and falling out like ice cubes. His heart raced as he prepared for whatever may come through his door.

What came through was a woman between 55 and 60. Long black hair with streaks of silver through it. She was average height, attractive but not overly so, with an average build; neither thin nor fat. She wore a black dress and hat that looked like they came out of the forties. She looked almost as though she was cos playing. Under different circumstances he would have even laughed at her.

But not now.

She walked with an elegance, a regal authority, that bespoke of power and might. Had she never spoken the invocation, the energy coming from her would have let him know she was no one to trifle with. She had a smile that seemed like it could cut like a razor and her slightly obscured eyes still shone with an energy that frightening and mesmerizing at the same time.

He just watched as she walked over to his desk, pulled up a chair, and sit down. She removed her had and laid it on the floor beside her. She placed her purse on her lap. "Mr. Banali," she said sweetly but with enough menace to cause a dozen men to turn and run.

Antonio gulped once. What should he say? She obviously knew about the cult and who he was in it. He shouldn't play it shy, but he was still in fear of this woman and had no desire to provoke her.

"Alright, who are you?" he finally said as bluntly and as hard as he could.

The woman's facial features never changed. She just opened her purse and got a pack of cigarettes out.

"This is a no smok . . ." before Antonio could finished he felt himself being picked up out of his chair and being thrust against the ceiling. The drop ceiling should have gave way but it felt as hard as concrete. His entire body felt like he was being crushed.

"You'll have to forgive the vulgar display of power." The woman spoke in a calm, almost bored tone. She lit a cigarette and took a drag. She slowly let the smoke back out, it formed rings around her head. "However, from what I have learned of your species, those are the things you respond to best." She took another drag. "I am Queen Chrysalis. I'm originally from another dimension. I came here a few days ago." Another hit from the cigarette. "I met the butcher friend of yours, Ramone. He was very helpful in supplying me with information . . . and a meal." Her smile got a bit bigger as she was amused with her own joke and then returned to normal.

"I knew you were a man a had to meet. And, luckily after meeting a nice little old lady, the one who I got these clothes off of and my second meal, I decided it was time we met." She finished her cigarette and Antonio fell to the ground.

"Wha . . ." Antonio tried to speak through his pain but was cut off.

"Really Antonio, must we play games. I know about that little cult of yours. I also know that you haven't been leading it right. Not your fault, really; no one has for millennia. But I can help. You see I know what it is you have to do. And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it. So I am going to stay with you while I get your little group in order."

Antonio slowly got up and placed his hands on his desk for support. He was confused. He didn't understand what this creature was or was talking about. "I, I don't understand."

"Of course not darling, you're stupid. But then all of your kind is." Her tone was halfway between deadpan and consoling. She was stating a fact, but didn't want him to become unduly upset by it.

Antonio was getting mad now. And like most people when he got mad, he made a mistake. "What are you talking about? I, I am a Grand Priest and will not be talked . . ." just as his anger was building in his voice, he felt himself being pushed to the floor.

"As I said dear; stupid." Now Chrysalis' voice was full dead pan.

Antonio just lied on the floor as the pressure was taken off him. He realized whatever this creature was, she had the ability to force her will on him. He was powerless to stop her so it was pointless to resist. "As . . . you . . . wish."

"Good. Now let's go. I need to move into your place as soon as possible. Oh, and invite that nice secretary of your along too. I'm feeling a might peckish."