Damonculous appeared in what appeared to be a modest house. He winced slightly from the pain Cole's fireballs had made. His power was very low. It would take time to replenish his power so that he could face an opponent as obviously powerful as this demon.
It had taken nearly all of his power to block all good magic. In the old days he would have been able to block all magic if he had chosen to. No one in this time would be powerful enough to be exempt from that blocking. But the powers this demon possessed weren't good magic. And clearly the memories he had taken from the demon when he first arrived in that alley were incomplete.
Damonculous looked around him. A body lay on the floor. The body of a woman. She had an athame sticking out of her back and was obviously quite dead. Across the room, sitting at a desk going through some papers was a man. He was human but Damonculous could also sense that he was thoroughly evil.
"You must be a warlock," Damonculous announced.
The man at the desk jumped to his feet instantly. He pulled out another athame and brandished it threateningly at Damonculous.
"Who are you?" demanded the man.
"My name is Damonculous," said Damonculous. "And I have need of you."
"What are you?" the man asked. "A demon? If so you can just get out of here. The witch was my prey. I'm not sharing the spoils with anyone."
"You may keep your spoils," said Damonculous. "To be honest, they would probably do me little good anyway. But as I said, I have need of you. I need certain information. Information I'm sure you can provide for me."
"What kind of information?" the man demanded.
"First," said Damonculous, "what are you called?"
"Persius," said the man. "Persius Winthorp."
"So, Persius Winthorp," said Damonculous, "am I correct in assuming you are a warlock?"
"Yeah," said Persius. "And a damn good one too. Demon or not you won't find me an easy target."
"I am no demon," said Damonculous. "And as I said, I need only some information. In return I am prepared to repay you handsomely with more power than you could possibly imagine."
"What kind of information?" Persius asked.
"About witches," said Damonculous. "Specifically, three witches. All sisters."
"The Charmed Ones?" questioned Persius. "You want the Charmed Ones?"
"That depends," Damonculous said. "Who are these so-called Charmed Ones?"
"They're the most powerful witches in history," said Persius. "They appeared about three years ago. And they've vanquished every demon and warlock they've come up against."
"Really?" Damonculous questioned. "They must be quite powerful."
"They are," said Persius. "They have the Power of Three. Nothing can stand against that. I've had friends who learned that the hard way."
"The Power of Three," said Damonculous. "Interesting. And you say it is unstoppable?"
"So far," said the warlock. "No one has been able to find a way around it. Why are you so interested in them? If you're not a demon what could you want with them?"
"They have an Elder," said Damonculous. "He is the one I'm after. But these Charmed Ones also have a protector. A demon of black and red. A very powerful demon. If I am to defeat them, I must know about them."
"Belthazor?" Persius questioned. "Yeah, he's with them. I heard he fell in love with one of the witches. He betrayed the Source and killed the Triad. Now the Source wants him dead. But they protect him so no demon can collect on the bounty the Source has offered for his destruction."
"The Source?" questioned Damonculous.
"The Source of all Evil," said Persius. "Who are you, anyway? You don't know about the Charmed Ones. You don't know about the Source. And you say you're after an Elder. You must be extremely powerful or extremely stupid. No one goes after an Elder. That's as suicidal as going after the Charmed Ones."
"It is not an Elder I'm after," said Damonculous. "I want them all. I need their power. But as yet I'm too weak to challenge this Belthazor, as you call him. Now I understand why a demon would be protecting witches. Love is a very powerful and motivating force."
"You want all the Elders?" questioned Persius. "What, you got a death wish? With their power the Elders are all but untouchable."
"That is of no consequence at the moment," said Damonculous. "Good magic can not operate for the moment. If not for this Belthazor I would have had my first victim. And the others would have soon fallen."
"No good magic?" questioned Persius. "That's why it was so easy to kill the witch. I wondered why she didn't use her powers against me. You say you did that? Stopped all the good magic?"
"Yes," said Damonculous. "And it is only a start. Once I have the Elder, my power will begin to increase. Then I can find the other Elders. Without their powers they will be as little consequence to me as this witch was to you. And when I'm finished they will no longer be a concern for anyone."
"You don't say?" asked Persius. "You mentioned something about a trade. My knowledge for power. What did you have in mind?"
"It's very simple," said Damonculous. "My knowledge of this time is incomplete. I could simply drain what I need from you but the would not guarantee that I will learn what I need to know. I offer you a deal. You provide me with whatever knowledge you have, and swear loyalty to only me, and when I have accomplished my mission I will give you more power than you could garner from a hundred witches."
"How do I know you can make good on your deal?" asked Persius.
Damonculous stretched out his hand and flames erupted around Persius. The warlock screamed in agony as his flesh was apparently consumed by the flames. Just as suddenly the flames vanished and Persius stood at the desk unharmed.
"That is but a small taste of my power," said Damonculous. "Imagine what power I will have when I am fully restored. You will share in that power. And you will command those others who serve me."
"Keep talking," said Persius, sticking the athame in his belt and sitting back down at the desk. "You got my attention."
Damonculous just smiled. Humans had changed very little in the thousands of years since he and his brothers and sisters of the Gray Council had ruled the Earth. Most would sell their soul for the merest pittance of power.