Prologue: Condemned

Judge Aramanth's emerald green eyes regarded the courtroom intently. Her face was stony as her eyes first fell on the jury. Twelve men and women in suits. Expressionless, colourless and soundless, like mannequins in a store window. Hair combed immaculately and clothes spotless.

Secondly she looked at the large group of people sat in the seats above, those waiting to see their crimanal brought to justice. They too, where immaculately cleaned, but their eyes were filled with tears and were red and bloodshot. A sense of misery hung in the air and Judge Aramanth swiftly averted her gaze.

Finally she looked at the defendant, a small, scrawny man dressed in a brown tweed suit. His face was red, but from sweat, not tears, his handkerchief in constant motion around his face. His eyes were a muddy brown, his hair also brown, though greying and balding in several places.

Aramanth let out a barely audible sigh as she pushed her vividly red hair out of her eyes and began.

"Lifter Malexi!" her powerful voice boomed across the courtroom and the man jumped. "You are charged with two counts of murder, the unlawful killing of Sarah Tallfeather and Timothy Deeth, by burning. You have pleaded insanity, claiming that Miss Tallfeather cheated on you and ran off with Mr Deeth, driving you to violence."

Lifter nodded frantically, praying his hastily made story would hold.

"However..." Judge Aramanth smiled, the smile of a predator that has cornered its prey. "Evidence from family and friends of the couple states that the two have been together for several years, and in fact, Timothy was engaged to Sarah. What was she Mr Malexi, a high school crush?"

A burst of laughter rose from the crowd gathered. It wasn't mirthful laughter at the joke. It was mocking laughter, laughter that Lifter had been insulted in the joke.

When the laughter died down, Aramanth looked at Lifter. "Under such overwhelming and, quite frankly, crushing evidence, do you retain your plea of, hmmph, insanity?"

What else could he do? Plead guilty and his fate was sealed. Plead innocent and the evidence would condemn him. No; this was his only choice.

"I-I do your honour," he whispered, barely audibly.

A mutter of dissent rose among the group, which quickly became angry and within moments screams of fury and rage.

"How dare you lie!" screamed a woman, her face red with anger.

"You know you killed my son!" roared a man, new tears trickling down his face.

The roars of fury continued to rain down on Lifter.

"There will be silence in my court!" roared Judge Aramanth, banging her mallet.

The court slowly fell silent. Judge Aramanth sighed and looked around at the court again.

"The jury will retire to discuss the verdict. This court is adjourned!"

The mutter of conversation resumed as Lifter stood to go to the defendant's rooms.

He looked at his lawyer; tall, blond, beautiful Melody Chalmers. Rumour had it that she had never lost a case, but judging by the look on her face as she shook her head and left court, that was all about to change.

"Well?" Lifter looked desperately at Melody as the door of his rooms slammed shut.

"I'm sorry Lifter," Melody said in her silvery voice. "I can't save you. The evidence is too great."

"B-but you're my lawyer Melody," said Lifter, a slightly hysterical smile coming to his face. "You can reduce the sentence to life, or, or twenty years! I don't have to be-"

"No, Lifter!" yelled Melody, swinging around to face him. "You are going to be entombed and there is nothing you, I or anyone else can do about it!" She turned on her heels and opened the door, gliding out.

He stood there for a moment, stupefied, before running out after her.

He saw the tail of her long red dress take a corner and gave chase.

As he rounded the corner, he saw a large man open the ten foot court doors and Melody stepping out.

"Have a nice day, miss," murmured the amn as Melody swept out. She didn't respond.

Lifter ran after her, calling her name, but she ignored him. He made to leave the door, but a meaty, muscled hand blocked his way.

"Not a chance, murderer," smirked the guard.

"But I have to get past!" Lifter cried, trying to push the hand away. It didn't budge.

The guard sniggered and prodded Lifter with a short, stubby finger. To the huge, muscled guard, it was nothing more than a small poke. To Lifter's, small, weak body, it was a mighty push that sent him crashing painfully to the ground.

Lifter, with the little dignity remaining to him, picked himself up from the dusty ground and walked away, to the jeering laughter of the guard.

"Guilty!" roared Judge Malexi, smirking. "Lifter Malexi, I sentence you to an eternity in the Dungeon of Agony!" She banged her mallet.

As the guards grabbed Lifter, cheers rang out from teary relatives of the dead people; the people Lifter had indeed murdered.

He didn't resist; let them lead him away.

He now stood, after a night in a cold cell, at the centre of the Hive, the Warden headquarters. He shivered, though there was no cold, as a female Warden stood up from her spot on the stone ground.

She smirked at Lifter as a light glowed on the floor. When it faded, a trapdoor was revealed.

With an echoing creak, the door swung open. Lifter gasped. Only darkness was below.

The Warden gestured to the darkness with a mocking bow.

Lifter slowly lowered himself down the rope ladder and let go as his feet touched stone. The ladder was pulled up and the trapdoor was closed with a huge clang!

"Another one?" a woman's voice asked. "They're coming in thick and fast today."

This woman's voice held power. It made Lifter want to go out to her, to talk to her; to hold her, tell her all of his dep secrets and make her love him.

A male sigh. "The tenth today. I'm exhausted."

This man's voice also held a power, though a less subtle one. It made Lifter... want to run and hide.

Lifter crouched in the darkness, his breath seeming too loud, his heartbeat seeming to pound against his chest.

"I'll get him. You rest your weary head," said the woman teasingly.

That did it. Lifter bolted like a frightened animal. He was gasping as he fled.

The woman sighed. "They always run," she said, and gave chase.

Lifter could barely see. Every time he hit a wall, the woman caught up a little. She seemed to be able to know exactly when to turn in this labyrinth.

The woman was perfectly fit. She was breathing quickly and rythmically. Her footsteps were light and quiet.

The same could not be said for Lifter, unfortunately for him. His breath was ragged and he was exhausted, a painful stitch in his side, which he was clutching as he ran. The waman wasn't even out of breath.

He cried out as a sudden burning pain struck his legs, agony ripping through his limbs. It was as though his legs were being sliced to ribbons; like he was being flayed alive. He opened his mouth to scream out his agaony to the world-

But the pain stopped as suddenly as it had come, but his legs went numb, senseless. He fell to the stone ground, the breath knocked out of him.

He heard footsteps as the woman approached, the clacking of her heels sounding as she came closer.

She stopped when she reached him. Lifter could see red high heels.

Then an agonising pain assaulted his chest. This time he did scream, writhing on the ground as the pain continued, on and on.

Then it ceased, and he stilled, his vision blurred, his breath rasping and painful on his broken lungs.

A second step of footsteps approached, slow and almost silent on Lifter's hearing.

"Done?" asked the man's voice, sounding bored and tired.

"Yes," said the woman, stepping back. "He'll be dead in a minute."

Lifter reached his hands up to his heart. It was a great effort. The beat was irregular and fading.

The last thing Lifter Malexi saw was a small blue cloud and a pink heart of smoke vanish into the shadows. The shadows spread, encompassing his vision as his pain ended.

So! :D You now have the oppurtunity to submit a character bio! You can submit a main character in the form of the star signs (Saggitarius, Capricorn etc.) for the good team and the Seven Sins (Pride, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, Envy and Sloth) for the evil team, in that order of power from strong to weak. I'm having Virgo and Aquarias (Sorry!) but all others are up to you. You can also make a seperate character; a warden, someone on the side of good or evil. The choices are endless! Have fun!

Include: Name, age, appearance, clothing, powers/weapons/abilities and history and personality. Have fun! :D