Over the next few days, Kalfu began building himself a new home out in the swampy parts of the Everfree Forest. He found a nice, sizable mire to set up his home in the middle of, a two story cabin supported by steel reinforced deadheads that held the structure together rather nicely. All connected by a deck and porch which was nicely lit by green and blue everburning spirit fires on ivory torches made from bone and voodoo effigies decorating the path as well. Using his new powers to help with the building didn’t hurt his progress either, using the spirits he had gathered to help carry the supplies and sending it through portals as well to where it all needed to go.

After he had finished building himself a home, he then created a magical tunnel of sorts that was off a brand new path he had created from the main one that led into the forest. If one were to walk into this tunnel, they’d be taken through a portal that looked like a simple log tunnel and appear on the pathway in front of his home. But, the portal had a catch. Only those who are looking to make a deal or coming to visit without causing Kalfu trouble could pass through. Otherwise, it would just lead them into the labyrinth of the forest. And with a little help from one of the locals, he had a sign made that he had put up by the tunnel. While the language they spoke seemed the same, Kalfu couldn’t read a single letter of it. At some point, he was going to need to find a teacher or enroll in a school.

Kalfu was in the middle of hanging up a few lanterns around the front porch, making his home look even more pleasantly spooky when he heard the ‘VWOOM’ sound of the portal spitting out someone who had entered through it. He turned to see a cloaked figure cautiously approaching his home before stepping onto the deck. Kalfu smiled that sharp smile of his before motioning them to come closer. The figure stopped for a moment before stepping closer, now standing in front of Kalfu. From what he could see, the figure under the cloak was female, given the scent of a feminine perfume as well.

“Welcome to my humble abode, madam. Have you come to talk business with me or just to visit?” he asked as he gave her a friendly tip of his hat, waiting for her to answer him. She looked from side to side, reaching up and clutching the hem of her cloak. Kalfu could sense and see the nervousness in how she presented herself. But, he wasn’t here to judge. He levitated to ehr side and placed a hand upon her shoulder in a comforting manner, holding out his other hand to guide her closer “Whatever is on your mind, come sit here on the porch with me and tell me all about it. I will hear you out and cast no judgment on you.”

The mare stood there for a moment, but nodded in compliance as she walked with him over to the two rocking chairs. Once she was settled in, she removed her hood. She was a dark brown furred mare with beautiful blue eyes and a long, soft dirty blonde mane and tail. Right away, Kalfu took notice of scars on her neck and bruises on her arms and legs, both fresh and old. Kalfu leaned in intently, ready to listen to what she had to say.

“I..I am here to seek out your help, sir. I have heard through the slave trade that you work in…dark dealings. Am I correct in assuming this?” Slave trade? Kalfu blinked a few times before examining ehr closely again. Upon further inspection, he noticed wounds on her wrists and ankles that showed signs of constant rubbing of metal cuffs and chains, even along her neck were a collar used to hold on rather tightly. Kalfu had a feeling that he knew where this deal was going to go. And it was bound to happen sooner or later.

“Well, I haven’t really made my sales pitch about such things public yet, I do deal in darker deeds for the right price. However, it doesn’t usually involve money.”. The mare seized up for a moment before she began to remove her cloak to show off her body to him “I..I will pay with my body if that is what you desire…” she said as fear came over her face, tears welling up in her eyes. A pair of skeletal ghost hands appeared over her, stopping her from removing her cloak any further and even closing it back up.

“That is not the type of compensation I seek either, sweetheart. But first, you must tell me what you want before any goods are exchanged.” he said before making the ghost hands disappear. The mare nodded toi him before calming down again, composing herself before telling him what she wanted. “There is a noble in Canterlot. A stallion who I purchased my mother and I in the underground slave trade. He treats all his slaves like punching bags…getting off on the screams of pain and beating us all to the point where we are near death. And one night, my mother decided she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction anymore. She stayed silent and strong, even when he snapped her bones and started cutting into her flesh…”.

Kalfu could see her eyes tear up again as she seemed to be reliving the scenes over and over in her mind. But, he continued to listen to her as a man of business, his face remaining neutral even at the horrors she spoke of. “..And she just looked at me one more time with a smile before he…he decapitated her right in front of me and the others, to set an example that if we didn;t give him what he wanted, we would get a far worse fate!” she said as she started to break down into sobs. As much as he felt for this poor girl, it was strictly business at this point.

“SO, I assume that you are wanting me to end his life in a similar fashion or in a far worse way?” he asked as he got straight to the point. She nodded her head as she sobbed, affirming what he had already known from the moment she told him what happened. “In that case, the price for a vengeance killing…is your soul.” he said in a serious manner before he offered his hand out for a handshake, that same skeletal glowing hand surrounded by a light green fire The mare looked at the extended hand, then to Kalfu as she was hesitant in taking his hand.

“I can make this happen, no questions asked. But you have to [i[WANT it.” he said as his voice became slightly deeper and distorted at the end of that sentence, indicating something was truly darker at work here. “W-will I die whenever I…give you my soul…?” she asked as fear formed in her eyes once more Kalfu shook his head in response “No, you will not die. But when your time does come, your soul will become part of mine. Just think of it as continuing to live through me. ANd no, I will not try anything to hasten your death. You can live freely knowing your time will not have anything to do with me. I promise you this.”.

The mare looked down at the hand one more time before reaching out to grab it, hesitating for a moment before firmly grabbing it and squeezing as hard as she could. The fire consumed her hand, leaving a circle with a large x shaped scar over the top of her hand that healed over right as it formed, leaving a permanent mark upon her body, reminding her that her soul now belonged to this voodoo king “This is for my benefit and your future safety. But severing your hand will NOT nullify the deal. The mark will reform on your body elsewhere if you attempt to remove the marked limb. Fair warning.”.

The mare nodded in understanding. It was evident she was now terrified. But, as she had proven, she really wanted this. And there was no going back now. “Now then, give me his name, his habits, any information that would help me make his life a living nightmare before his well deserved death.”. He said as he began to write down everything she could give him. Once he got all he needed, he sent her on her way “Come back tomorrow evening. I will set the plan in motion and you can watch through my eyes.”

That very next evening, the mare returns, Kalfu sits her in front of a large flat water basin before he casts a spell upon it, she could now see what he saw. He then grabbed something from a small stone bowl and clutched it tightly in his fist before disappearing into a black and green haze. A moment later, he rose up from the stallion’s shadow as he was walking back to his home from the bakery with his wife and child. But that didn’t stop him, oh no. With a wicked smile he opened up his palm and blew the fine white power into all three of their faces before disappearing right back into the stallion’s shadow, all three of them falling to the ground gasping for air as they went into a near death state.

Kalfu returned to his home, but not before leaving an invisible wisp to remain with the family to continue to show the young mare what was happening to them “I have learned that his family believes in a burning ritual once they pass on. This zombie powder lasts for days on end, leaving them in a near death state. Enough to be alive and aware, but also enough to make their vitals undetectable. You should prepare for what you are about to witness in the coming week, madam. Return home for now.” he stated in a neutral tone of voice.

And that day did indeed come. The stallion, his wife, and his eldest son were all resting on their own separate funeral pyres, dressed in funeral garb. Kalfu was feeling absolutely no remorse for involving the wife and elder son at this point. As he learned in his reconnaissance that they partook of the torture of other slaves as well. As they were saying the final words to send them off, Kalfu reappeared next to the three of them, but only visible to their eyes as they suddenly set fire, the pyres burning slowly, the fire creeping up until it caught the clothes, then the flesh of the ponies.

Kalfu smiled down at them with narrowed eyes as he could see the absolute pain they were in. Their inner voices screaming out in agony as they saw the final face that would forever be the face of their sous’ new master. After he made sure they were dead, he watched as their souls lifted from their bodies before opening his mouth as wide as possible, sucking in the three souls to be further tormented in a dark realm of his own making. Unlike the mare who will become part of him, these souls will forever be torn limb from limb, burned, skinned and whatever brutal punishment one could think of.

Kalfu then returned to his home before the mare who ran up to him with the tightest hug she could manage, planting multiple kisses upon his cheeks in gratitude before sobbing happily “Thank you…thank you thank you thank you!” she cried out in joy before hugging him again. Now that the business was concluded, he returned the hug to her in full, a smile forming across his face before he gently cupped her cheeks, gently rubbing his thumbs over them to wipe away her tears.

“Go live your own life now, my dear. Live until it is your time to return to me. Just know, a realm of paradise awaits you when you do. I promise.” he said before he placed a bag of bits in her hand “This should help start your new journey. And don’t you worry, I set free the slaves that he had also kept. So no guilt in your heart. Now, off you go.” he said as he gently pushed her on her way. He waved to her as she turned to looked at him once more before she vanished into the dark tunnel that lead her back out.

Once she had left, Kalfu rubbed his chin in thought before coming up with the ideal kind of paradise that he would create within himself. After all, he wants the souls that he adds onto himself to be happy. And a pocket realm that would make that happen is essential. After all, he has a dark pocket realm for those who deserve it. But, none of that matters now. As he had committed his first dark dealing…he has answered his first dark prayer…

Voodoo godhood has now become one step closer.

What's this? another chapter in the same day? Hell must have frozen over!

May the darkness grant you peace.