It was midnight by the time Sarah had left the bar to go back to her apartment. She took a shortcut up a darkened alley–a choice she would not have made had she been sober.

There was a shady looking man, with his hood up, standing at the far end of the alley. Sarah was too intoxicated to notice him. Until it was too late. The man pulled a knife out and held it up to her face…

"Give me your purse!" The man said, threateningly.

Before Sarah could hand over her purse, something dropped down from above, landing behind the mugger.

Sarah screamed.

The man slowly, and nervously turned his head around to see what was standing behind him, and before he could let out a scream, the creature decapitated him in one swipe of its clawed hand. The muggers head rolled over to Sarah's feet.

She recoiled back with fear, as the winged gargoyle-like creature approached her…

"P-please don't hurt me!" Sarah said.

The creature paused, and looked her in the eyes before speaking…

"Don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Dorian."

When Sarah looked into those serpentine eyes, she saw gentleness and affection. And suddenly she didn't feel fear at all anymore. She felt safer than she had ever felt in her life.

Timidly she reached out her hand, and Dorian gently brought down its bloody maw and nuzzled her.

"wha-who?" Sarah asked, barely able to form words, trying to avoid looking at the grimacing head by her feet.

Dorian looked up at her, it's eyes glowing…

"Not too long ago, a young girl very much like yourself was brutally raped and stabbed in this very alley. Do you remember?"

Sarah thought back–oh yes, it had barely warranted a tiny paragraph in one of the local news sites–Maddie something, nineteen years old.

Dorian continued…

"This alley is on the site of an ancient shrine dedicated to purity and virginity. Maddie's rape and murder aroused furies dormant for thousands of years, and now they will seek revenge on those that have defiled this holy site."

It was still speaking in a calm, affectionate voice, which made its words even more chilling.