Interview with A Demon
Chapter 3
"When I was born a long time ago, the world was a very different place. Technology was almost non-existent, but we made due with what we had. Picture 15th century Europe or so if you need to get a better idea," he spoke. "Well, at least the common people, my people had no technology, nothing special. There was another race on the planet at the time, they called themselves the Cetra, we called them the Ancients."
"They had come from space to protect the planet and had the power to get in touch with the planet's soul itself, the Lifestream and manifest it in magical powers. They built great cities and temples in 4 places where the Lifestream would bubble to the surface. The cities were Ragnarok, Pandemonium, Alexander, and Midgar. They were very beautiful places, but we the common people were not allowed to enter them. The Cetra did not want us to be near the Lifestream for fear of what it may do to us, or what we may do to it," he said as he paused to take a drink. "You with me so far?"
"Okay…preindustrial society, upper class from space that can use magic, lower class kept away from Lifestream," I ran over the points. "What is this Lifestream? If it bubbles to the surface why haven't I heard of it?" I asked him.
"The Lifestream is the soul of the planet, in my time it was a massive green sea of energy deep under the surface of the planet. It changed a long time ago and now resides as a part of each person, and is a little stronger in mutants, giving them the powers they have," he explained.
"Anyway, I was born in a small village outside of the city of Midgar," he continued. "When I was young, there was a small meteor strike on the other side of Midgar. The Cetra went to investigate it and shortly after closed the cities and let no one in or out. We didn't think anything of it, we went on with our lives. I became one of the town guards by the age of 16 and the captain by 22 due to my great skill with swords and other weapons. I married at 18, as was the custom, to my wife Jenna and we had a child a year later. Life was good for a while," he sighed.
"But then something went wrong," I said as I examined the look on his face.
"Yeah, you could say that," he smirked. "Strange things started happening around our village. Livestock disappearing or being mutilated, unknown tracks on the ground, strange sounds at night, things like that. We sent runners to other villages, but never heard from them again. There was nothing we could really do, so I gave the order to fortify the town, increase patrols, and lock down the village at night."
"It was a week after our 5th anniversary when we finally started to get an idea of what was going on…" he told me of the night as I listed intently.
A man stood leaning on a fence at the edge of the village, staring out into the night. "Fucking bullshit night detail, this is the 3rd day in a row," he swore as he twirled his spear in one hand. "Stupid animals, nothing is coming close to this damn town, I should be asleep at my house," he ranted.
"Not with you being loud enough to wake the whole village they aren't Michael," Damon spoke as he came up behind his friend.
"Gee, thanks for scaring the hell out of me Damon, not to mention all the night details and double shifts too, some pal you are," Michael scowled at Damon.
"A dirty job but someone has to do it," Damon replied as he leaned on the fence next to his friend.
"Damn it Damon, we grew up together, best friends. We played out there in the woods and fields all the time. Sure there are wolves and the Zolems, but that is all, what gives with all the damn security?" Michael asked him.
Damon stared out into the darkness before speaking. "Don't you ever feel like something out there is watching you? Like there is something just out of your line of vision when you are on patrol? Shadows you glimpse, but then turn to find nothing casting them?"
"Yeah, it's called freaking out from being on patrol 10 hours a day for the last month," Michael joked. He looked at his friend who continued to stare out into the darkness. "You're serious, aren't you? Man, you need to get a grip before they demote you. All this increased security is bad enough, you start talking about weird things out there and they are gonna demote you, and I do not want to have to take over and do your job for you."
They stood there looking around, listening for 5 minutes. "Listen Damon, you understand what I am saying?" Michael asked him. "At least say something," he pleaded after another minute of silence.
"Shhhh," Damon whispered, his eyes narrowed at a spot in the darkness. "It is right there, been watching you for the last half hour. Fifty yards, in the direction of the sunrise, near where we found those tracks last week. Don't let it know you can see it," Damon warned as Michael shrugged.
"There is nothing there Damon, I can't see anything," Michael told him after a minute.
"It is there, it has been watching you for the last 3 nights. Why else would I have you and all the other guards out here on the same night shifts for three nights?" Damon explained to him before looking up at the moon.
"What? What the hell is going on Damon?"
"All 20 guard posts have been being watched by them for the last 3 days, we kept you guards in the dark on it so we could get the element of surprise. Get ready, they usually travel in pairs," Damon whispered as a whistle was heard in the village.
Immediately a fire lit in the village and raced out towards the darkness in all directions. "Come on!" Damon shouted as he drew his sword and ran out keeping pace a few feet behind the edge of a trail of fire.
Cursing, Michael grabbed his spear and chased after his friend briefly noting the smell of oil and wondering if his friend was insane. "What in the hell?" he muttered as the fire trail raced past 2 dark figures and spread out. "You circled the town in oil? Are you insane?" he shouted as he got a good look at the dark figures.
"Only way to make sure none of them escaped," Damon said as he took a battle stance.
"What the hell are they?" Michael asked as he looked at the two creatures in front of them.
Damon wondered the same thing. They were vaguely shaped like men, but the bodies were distorted, the arms elongated and the hands ending in claws. "Be careful Michael, look at the claws," Damon warned as he circled the one closest to him and left Michael to the other.
The monsters growled and attacked them. They were large and strong, but not as fast as the trained guardsmen who dodged and attacked, wounding the creatures greatly. Damon slashed at the hand as his foe swung at him, cutting cleanly through it and continuing with his momentum until he had made a 360 and decapitated the monster. Michael has used his spear like a pole vault to propel himself into the monster knocking it onto it's back, then impaled the creature, pinning it to the ground.
"You okay?" Damon asked as he studied the creature.
"Peachy, next time you plan to ambush something, tell me beforehand," Michael joked as he looked at the monster. "What the hell is it doin…" his voice trailed off as he and Damon both dove away from the monster which hurled a ball of fire at them, before groaning and falling still.
"That was magic!" Michael shouted as he examined his singed clothes.
"These monsters... The only ones that can use magic are the Cetra," Damon said as he went to examine the monster closer.
"You telling me the Cetra are sending these things to kill us? Why? What did we ever do to them? Hell, they don't even allow us in their damn cities. Why would they send monsters after us?" Michael shouted.
"I don't think these monsters were sent by the Cetra," Damon said quietly as he pulled something from the body and held it up to the light. It was a glittering metal object on a chain, a key of some kind. "I think these monsters are the Cetra…"
