CHAPTER 12 - "A NEW RIVAL FOR DAMASCUS"

The weather was cold in this barren desert plateau, but for two demons even cold didn't affect them - their "internal body heat" warming them. Regardless of this fact, they both wore thick cloaks and clothes their minds invented and manifested in preparation for the winter winds in this part of the world.

This was a seemingly unknown part of the world in what would latter be known as North America, just on the cusp of the bridge that lead to its sister continent to the south.

Damascus, now of the chronological age of seventeen, had allowed himself to grow from the boy he had been. He was tried of being a child. He had been given demonic powers and developed them as a twelve year old boy, but he wanted something more. With his new skills and powers, he wanted to "grow-up", and advanced his age to that equivalent of how he felt.

His master repeatedly chided him for being reckless, like that of a human in his later teenage years. So Damascus advanced his appearance to give himself a look suited to his recklessness. This, however, was not what his master wanted from him. Belial wanted him to grow mentally, but Damascus was having too much fun with his powers to give into responsibility just yet.

Surrounding them were rock dwellings of an advance civilization that carved their homes into bedrock and into volcano tuff. This was beyond anything that Damascus could have conceived humanity in this primitive part of the world could achieve with stone hammers and rock chisels. But it had been achieved and with wonderful, artistic results. It looked much like a palace in this state.

And there were many other similar dwellings in and around these cavernous, isolated indigenous surroundings, all exhibiting advanced prowess in construction and ingenuity. And they visited every one, taking in the sights. But there was one thing missing: people. Each "community" was abandoned for some unknown reason, their jugs, pots and dwellings, untouched by further inhabitation. Few skeletons were found, but most had been lain to rest ages ago, preserved only by the lack of moisture in the area.

However, it was cold here now. This area of the world was known to be close to a warm area of the planet - a planet so many species resided on, but were ignorant to the circumference of it, its largeness and its countless landmasses and civilizations unknown to others, separated by large bodies of water. This area of the planet was in a cold spell of sorts but without falling snow.

This is where a people called the "Anaasází" once lived. It was native for "Ancient Foreigners", whom they learned from a wanderer in the area - a wanderer whom Damascus devoured his soul and obtained his memories of these people, a new trick he learned. Instead of just "eating" souls, he could now absorb their minds, their memories and their experiences, thus increasing his intelligence of the world's people.

And how ironic that they were now the "ancient foreigners" to this part of the world, approximately 1,200 years from when Damascus's journey into Demonhood had begun. In those years, he had witness countless civilizations and cultures vanish into dust from the height of their power, traveling all around the world. He saw the bitterness and the hate of humanity, especially that of Christians, religious heretics in their rite, "cleansing" the world of every other "god" but their own, using violence and massive uprisings against all those who refused to see the light of God, and everything was done in His name, and He accepted it.

But unbeknownst to each follower that killed in God's name, maimed or committed violence against their fellow man, they all went to Hell for their sins. So in the fight against Heaven, Lucifer was indeed winning the war…

"Why are we here, Master? This area is abandoned of life. There's no one to eat."

"Another lesson and an important one, seeing how you cling to your reckless ways of late," Belial stated.

"I am enjoying my new existence, Master, nothing more." Damascus gave his Master a mischievous grin. But Belial did not appreciate the playfulness of the response. Damascus stopped. "Forgive me, Master."

They were in the centre of the cavern that housed the palace of stone and Belial gestured to one aspect of it. "The lesson for today and henceforth, my apprentice, is very different from attacking your prey and devouring their souls. This you have mastered. And I am pleased. But now we enter a new phrase of your development. You learn quickly, but I was given instructions to not present this new lesson until now."

"What can I learn here? It is lifeless."

Belial smiled thinly. "No, my apprentice. In truth, it is teeming with life. This is how a demon obtains his nourishment when life seemingly doesn't exist and there will be times when this lesson will benefit you. Your lesson is to seek out life, forge for it. Reach deep into the bowels of this place and pluck it out."

Damascus gave Belial a disbelieving glance. "Do you mean animal life?"

Belial smiled, as if finding Damascus confusion amusing. "No, I mean other life. What is one of the most important lessons of existence?"

Damascus thought for a moment. "Life is eternal," he said with confidence.

"Precisely. Even when a body is stripped of its spirit, the soul of the individual remains lucent for many years, its energy used to fuel all those around it before it ascends to a higher plain of existence."

"Do you mean the spirits of these people are still here?"

"Of a fashion. These people may have abandoned this place some time ago, but the "memory" of their existence here is embedded in every orifice of these grounds. The world forever remembers when we forget. Every ounce of life is recorded, not only in the 'Book of Life', but also in the world they once inhabited - and I am not speaking of their crafts and carvings.

"Humans can't see it, but Angels and Demons can, if properly trained, the spiritual essence of life that surrounds them day to day. Humans only see the surface of life, but there is much, much more to life that exists beyond their primitive comprehensive. We are proof of this. If I did not rescue you, all what you believed the world was, was all you would take into death.

"I want you draw out the life that resides here, recall the energy that fills these grounds and take it as nourishment. There isn't much, for all energy fades and is reconstituted into something else in time - the energy of life never dies - but this is not the point. It is the skill of it that is important."

A snort of laughter filled the area and both turned to see a young man sitting on a large boulder, dressed all in black, thin, with thick black hair, with one leg crooked up to his chest and the other dropping down. He took a moment to scratch an inch on his left cheek. He had a mischievous smile on his tight face.

"Teaching another one, uh, Master?" the way the man spoke the word Master was sardonic. "He is a smart one, but he won't get far. I was your best student and you threw me away like trash."

"You were reckless and disobedient, Decco," Belial chided him. "I offered you many chances to repent."

Decco laughed heartily. The area filled with it. "Repent is such a dirty little word. So, you're teaching him how to recall energy from the grounds humanity once inhibited? Such a monotonous lesson."

"May I remind you, it took you more than once to achieve its mastery."

Decco merely tilted his head. "I tired of the tediousness of it. You drummed it into me so many times that I played with you. I picked it the very first time."

"That is a lie. I was with you when you made your first of many attempts."

"I was playing with you, old man."

Damascus snapped his fingers and suddenly the boulder exploded from an invisible pressure and Decco fell down behind it, not expecting it. He emerged from the rubble, holding the right side of his head. Damascus smiled sharply, not saying a word, but it was obvious Decco knew he had done it.

Decco scowled at him. "How dare you do that, you urchin," he said with distain. "I've been following your progress over the centuries and you're not in my league. But if you wish to fight with me, I'll destroy you!"

"Enough!" Belial demanded. "Decco, be on your way. I must continue with Damascus's lessons."

"I wouldn't bother, old man. I've already sucked the life out of this place. What little life remains, I let remain. I knew you would be coming here, Morning Star told me. He and I have become quite acquainted over the years. He enjoys my company, I make him laugh. Centuries before, you took me to a similar place like this in a mountainous region for this lesson, some place where the humans have weird, slanted eyes and speak a detestable language, using odd characters to write down their history."

"They have a rich and endearing history, do not scoff them so easily."

Decco approached, and came close enough to spit on Damascus. "I dislike you already, boy."

"The sentiment is shared, old man."

Decco sneered with teeth showing, then he thrust his hands forward using an unforeseen energy push to toss Damascus a hundred meters away into one of the stone dwellings, bringing part of it down on top of him.

Damascus cringed in pain and momentarily panicked when he found himself surrounded by rock and stone and unable to move, much like the city of Pompeii was, buried under tons of volcano ash. This was his greatest fear, to be trapped in an eternal tomb. But then he steadied his breathing, he knew he could get out.

He used his powers to throw the debris off him, creating an opening for him to crawl out. He breathed heavily, but it was merely a remnant from his human life, a reaction to the panic he felt. He was afraid of enclosed spaces.

"I am indeed many years older than you, but I am much more powerful, kid. I take this young face and body because it is how I feel. So respect me."

Belial swept Decco off his feet, and the young demon hit the ground hard, landing on his back. Then he plunked the imp up by the neck, raising him high above the ground. Decco reached for Belial's arm to release him, but to no avail. "And you will respect me, youngling. For you are not infallible. Morning Star will hear about this, mark my words." Belial threw him down. Decco landed hard.

Damascus came to stand by his Master's side, as Decco looked back at them, wiping blood from his mouth. Demons could bleed, but blood for them was dark purple. Damascus was also bleeding from a cut above the left eye on his forehead, dripping down the side of his face with multiple lactations from hitting all that stone. But healing would take little time.

Decco got to his feet, but he knew when he was out-numbered. "This will not be last time we meet," he said, eyeing Damascus. "Mark my words, Damascus. You will see me again."

And Decco vanished in a puff of smoke.

Damascus took a moment to heal his wounds, but he knew healing his fear of enclosed spaces would take a lot longer. He turned to his Master. "What is his problem?"

"Jealousy," Belial simply said. "He was one of my apprentices. I have trained many over the years and he dislikes sharing things with others, namely me. And he also fears you, Damascus."

"Me? Why should he fear me?"

"He would not have been watching your progress all these years if he did not fear you as a rival." Belial put a fatherly-like hand on Damascus's shoulder and smiled. "And he fears you for what you can become."

Damascus knew he was most assuredly not in Decco's league. He was not an all-powerful demon and was still an apprentice. And he knew without his master here Decco would have destroyed him. But he nodded to his master's belief and confidence in him nonetheless and vowed to grow stronger.

Much stronger.

"Let us return to the lesson," Belial said.

Damascus nodded slowly, but now wondered about Decco. He had made an enemy.

But he put it out of his mind.

He shared his master's gaze. Belial was looking up at the stone palace structure carved into the bedrock. He gave his master a look of "what-should-I-do?" But his master said nothing. Damascus knew how to "feel" energy, although Decco obviously masked himself when he appeared. Demon's can do this, so they can remain undetected by other demons if wanted. But what was here for Damascus to feel here?

He closed his eyes, spread his arms out in front of him towards the stone structure to "feel" the little remains of the energy his master said was here.

And he felt something. He felt something big!

He dropped his arms and opened his eyes, and looked at his master with utter shock and disbelief. "Master, the power I feel here is massive. You told me - and Decco said - that there was very little energy left."

"I masked it. For I did not want Decco to feel it or take it."

"The power I feel is beyond anything I have ever felt! And Master, it's unlike anything I have ever felt. I can not but wonder what thing left this 'feeling' behind, for it is not human in origin."

Belial smiled. "That, my apprentice, is the next lesson. For not everything that exists or once existed is in our current knowledge. There are things beyond even angelic and demonic beings are commonly privy too. This place is a conduit to this knowledge. It is a gateway to this knowledge."

"How do we obtain this secret knowledge?"

"It is not secret knowledge, Damascus. The knowledge is mostly misunderstood and misinterpreted. And has often been misused with dire consequences. But I will show you how to harness it, when I deem you ready. When you are not so reckless."

Damascus smiled, then bowed at Belial's feet, looking down. "I will endeavor to impress you, my Master. I heed a vow this day forth, never the reckless one I will be. I will take care in everything I do."

Belial put what felt like a caring hand on Damascus's left shoulder. Damascus looked up into the demon's eyes, with their dark redness, but felt something of a different sort from him as of late. Belial was indeed an old man in his own rite, he had trained many demons and lived countless eons - fighting next to Lucifer during the Great War in Heaven, long before Damascus's time, and Belial chose to reside by Lucifer's side for all eternality. Lucifer had the utmost respect for Belial and had assigned him to train Damascus after recruiting him. From rumors Damascus had heard, Belial requested Damascus as his apprentice.

New demons were to be trained by lessor teachers with a firm, more ruthless grasp of what it was meant to be a demon - to scare, kill, and devour souls for pleasure. At first, this is what Damascus's training had consisted of, of a sort, but Belial wished to impose in him why a demon must do these things and not just be a prisoner of a demon's carnal desires. And he repeatedly attempted to convey this lesson.

Why.

And as Damascus continued to bow and gaze into his master's eyes, he finally, at this moment, understood the lesson. And his own words had meaning for him. He must learn to become a leader and not just a follower like other demons. To succeed, you must sacrifice and learn, to advance.

He must also learn to follow.

But he must also learn when not to follow.

But it was not that time yet. He still had so much more to learn.

"You do me proud, my son," Belial said.

"Son?"

Belial blinked and his face folded in slightly as if taken aback by his own remark. "Forgive me. I have many children, your loyalty to me is very much like a son's. Someday, you will also plant your seed's and have children of your very own. Like humans, we demons don't just manifest out of thin air."

Damascus smirked, recalling that he had been recruited. "I know some eunuch demons."

This made Belial laugh. "Pray you never become one, Damascus. Only those who defy the will of Morning Star directly become one. Enjoy all the pleasures given to us, especially copulation."

And Damascus hoped one day, he will.

To be continued…