Rodger's POV
I made my way to the building in the center of the island following the old, cracked road. All too soon I reached the rotting iron gates and slipped into the old courtyard. As I walked, I heard a cackle echoing off the stones around me and something crawled over the walls. In a flash a twisted and gnarled form was in front of me only kept at bay by a golden collar made from hair around it's neck. The few strings of black thread like hair swayed over the twisted and wrinkled skin that was stained grey by the dirt and blood of centuries passed. It snared a mouth full of sharp teeth at me.
"So the little worm has come back." Another cackle and another of these tall sickly things came towards me. She too wore a collar of gold hair, but her face was far younger than the first and a thick mop of silvery hair floated out on the breeze.
"Let me have him… Please let me have him this time…" I looked into the empty eye sockets and swallowed my fear.
"Sisters… I came to ask you to identify something for me." I reached into my pocket.
"Stop!" a third voice boomed and I looked to the building as the third sister finally made an appearance. She looked at me with one eye, she was neither young nor old and had grey hair that looked sickly limp and greasy. She smiled showing her toothless mouth. "I see what you brought she croaked and I want it." I frowned.
"You're not normally this demanding…" She twitched her way forward.
"You have never brought something so tasty to us." She shuddered and reached out but held her hands back just enough that the hair around her neck didn't tighten.
"Tell me what it is first." She licked her lips.
"Where did you find it?" I stood my ground.
"In the heart of a flame minotaur." A cackle went up from the three and they twitched their way over to a large caldron.
"A flame minotaur he says!"
"Like this wolf could kill something so powerful like that."
"Yet I smell it on his breath sisters. He's been eating its heart." The other two turned and drew closer as they sniffed.
"Who killed it?" I kept my mouth shut. "So be it…" The one with the eye ran her hand over the cauldron.
"Enyo, Pemphredo we summon."
"Yes, Deino." They hissed and stood around raising their skeletal arms to the sky. I could see smoke arising and the fire beneath the cauldron burst into life. The sisters walked slowly around the caldron their fingers entwined and as one spoke as shadows danced over their twisted flesh.
"From fires of hell it's born of flesh to serve its lord with zeal. But stolen by on high and bound with flesh as one with no will. Escaping death it tore apart seeking refuge in empty vessels, but whole its not as evil split left alone to wrestle. Now to take a form to know their home, for better or worse the beast is born." They cackled then Deino spoke.
"The fool has cut in two." I nodded my chest filling with dread, I hated the fact that they always spoke in rhyme. But my mind was already working on what they had said.
"From fires of hell its born of flesh to serve its lord with zeal… most likely a demon of fire that gets a kick out of serving." I shrugged. "But stolen by on high and bound with flesh as one with no will… it was summoned by force and made into a slave by the minotaur… he was just a plane Minotaur but someone bound a fire demon to his will…" I felt a chill run down my back as the sisters giggled and slowly twitched towards me.
"Such a smart and tasty man…" they cooed and left the caldron.
"Essenes pouring empty vessels may fill," I pondered on the last part. "… nope got me there." They seemed crest fallen as they backed away.
"Not so smart…" I shrugged, I knew better than to tell everything as they would then eat me. The catch with the sisters was if you got a full answer and they told you everything you needed to know they would then eat you as their price.
"Torn in two… I guess the fire and this…" Rollo whispered in my mind.
'Demon…' and I blinked at the jar.
"Hang on? Is the demon torn in half?" There was a cackle as the sisters began to circle getting closer.
"So smart… but what are you going to do with it? You need to destroy it." I frowned.
"I don't know."
"Give it to me!" One sister drew close and the hair on her neck tightened.
"No me!"
"Me!" All three were around me and I was being overpowered by the stench of decay from their bodies.
"Why do you want it?"
"There's still power in it. Even with the evil it holds." I nodded.
"Last question." They seemed to grow eager. "Well for today. I saw the anger flash over the one eye. "How would I destroy this evil?" they cackled.
"You can't destroy evil boy." They said through fits of laughter.
"Only send it back to hell." I nodded.
"To do that someone must eat it and die." I felt a shudder run over me. They were being very direct with their words which meant trouble. I began to back away.
"Ok," I nodded and turned away hiding the jar from view then tossed a glass jar into the air. I heard all three gasp as they reached for it. In that opportunity, while they were distracted, I bolted away hearing them screaming and fighting with each other.
At the lake side the boat had already begun to leave the shore. I bolted like a blue arsed fly towards it and jumped in sending us further away from the shore. The man giggled as only one of the sisters had followed me and she looked pissed.
"Little wolf!" She screamed in anger after me that one horrible eye following my movements. "What was done will be undone and darkness will come for you!" I shuddered and saw the look on the man's face.
"Creepy bitches…" He shook his head. "But born like that and never dying can make one worse." I nodded and he looked at me. "Did you give them that thing?" I grinned and pulled the jar containing the lump of flesh out. "What is it?" I sat up as he rowed back to the mainland.
"Apparently I have half a demon in a jar." The man burst out laughing.
"Where's the other half?" I shrugged. "How'd you manage to get away?" I winced and felt the pain on my back.
"I left a strip of flesh behind…" He nodded.
"How much?" I shrugged and regretted it.
"Not that much… I hope... You'll have to check my back." I frowned at the last things they had said. "They said someone had to eat it and die to send the evil back to hell." He nodded then shuddered as screams erupted on the island.
"What the fuck was that about?" Nimue appeared as we finally made it back to the shore.
"I hope you're happy." I frowned.
"What did I do?" She snarled at me.
"The sisters did not appreciate your deception." I nodded.
"But… you said not to give this to them." She nodded.
"Not give it to them and deceiving them are two different things. You could have just run." I frowned.
"I did that, but they almost got me this time, even with the deception. What have you been feeding them for them to get that fast?" She gave a little dismissive shrug.
"Let's hope the collars will still work. The strength you have given them with your flesh might mean they'll be paying you a visit if I can't hold them here." I shuddered. With Nimue you never knew if she was lying or speaking the truth, after all, she was water the life giver and life taker.
I flopped onto the muddy shore and gasped as the big man examined my back. He patted my shoulder then dragged me to my feet.
"It's not that bad. It'll hurt like hell until it heals but you'll live." I winced then staggered to my car and pulled out a silver coin then tossed the coin to the man.