Chapter 2 Reunion

The words of Mundus resonated through Sparda's head as he walked down a clouded pathway in Hell:

We will overthrow him….

I already have a following of my own, steadfast in their loyalty….

However it would become unstoppable with your sword….

You must gather support….

I'm sure it will not be difficult to instill the same hate you have into them….

With your abilities, you could be most persuasive….

As he continued down the pathway, Sparda passed various hordes of demons, some gathered in small groups, others alone; all were basking in the pleasure and misery of their own existence.

Unlike humans, demons are proud to be what they are because of their sheer purity. Humans must justify their existence and look upon frivolous things such as beauty and money, forsaking their own purity as human beings. Demons are proud to be demons because they are just that, unadulterated in all their unrighteousness; a stark difference, and one that will eventually lead to the near doom of all human kind….

Sparda, a demon as well, was not very different from his peers; he too was prideful and just as arrogant as the next demon however he did not covet his own demonic power as other demons did. He did not know why this was……

The many demons stared and snarled at Sparda as he passed, some in envy of his apparent power, some acknowledging it as if they were proud that one of their own could attain such abilities. One demon, a female, looked on with lustful eyes. As Sparda walked along the path she approached him without fear:

"My you are a handsome devil"

This red haired, pallid demon was covered from her torso to her feet in live bats that seemed to make her float along the ground gracefully as she moved. Her eyes were deep and dark and as she spoke, vampiric fangs gleamed in the darkness. If it were not for her apparent demonic features she probably would look like a beautiful human woman. She circled around Sparda, brushing her hands across his back and shoulders but he remained stationary, not saying a word.

"So sugar, you seem to be in a hurry. No need to rush, I'll treat you nicely." Her words came out seductively and in an echo similar to that of a sirens song.

A slight smile ran across Sparda's face as he was clearly enjoying this demons attention to some extent.

"Thanks, but no" Sparda's words came out coldly and sternly.

"Mmmm, my you're sweet, but don't you want to be treated like a king? Like a god…." The demon ran her fingers across his rigid chest very gently but he suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and threw her down hard to the ground.

"No," Sparda doesn't even look at her and begins walking along the path again, the demonic vixen still lying on the ground.

Even in utter rejection the seductress taunts Sparda, "Oh you'll come back sugar….and you'll like it so much, you'll never wanna leave…" Her words fall on deaf ears as Sparda disappears into the red cloud of fog.

Violent screams and monstrous growls pulsed in the air as Sparda entered what appeared to be a wasteland; red slime and broken down structures littered the area. A crowd of demons were gathered around some kind of battle going on in the center. This was common in most parts of Hell; demons fighting each other to test their strength and clout and sometimes just for the experience itself.

Neatly packed pieces of land and rock made up what were apparently seats for observers. Sparda took a seat and focused in on the spectacle.

In the middle of the wasteland were three monstrous, gigantic demons battling it out; one was a huge spider-like creature covered in a hard gray shell under which flowed lava instead of blood. It had a tail like that of a scorpion which flung around wildly as it tried to pierce its opponents. The other was a large bird-like creature appearing like some kind of mutilated eagle whose head was segmented into four parts and whose wings spread out almost twenty feet. The third demon was gigantic but more human-like in its build than the others. It had two arms, two legs, and torso but that was the extent to which it mimicked a human. Its color was a palette of dark grays and browns, its legs, from its calves down to its feet, were more lizard-like than human with three toes, all equipped with thick black claws. Its forearms were lined with what seemed like radiant white light energy that pulsated involuntarily. Its head was similar to that of a bulldog, only with a thick horn right at the top of it, and glowing red eyes. It also apparently could sprout two pairs of small white feathered wings and had a tail the same consistency as its feet.

These three demons battled in the center of a very large circular platform, lined with sharp spokes curving inward through the bars of a black iron cage. The ground directly around the bottom of the platform had eroded, revealing a river of blood coursing around it. This almost made it appear as if the platform was floating.

The battle itself was fierce, each demon demonstrating its own unique abilities. The spider-like creature spewed balls of lava out of its mouth and leaped high into the air, trying to crush the flying demon. The aquiline demon flew around the arena and shot out waves of red lightning that temporarily stunned the other two demons. It quickly flew in to strike the spider-like demon but was blind-sided by the more muscular, horned demon. A bright burst of light filled the wasteland as he smashed the ground hard with is clawed fist, creating a powerful eruption that sent the spider flying through the bars of the cage, and disrupted the flight of the eagle-like demon. However, the flying demon quickly regained it composure and flew back in for another strike. Abruptly, it was halted as the horned demon grabbed it right out of the air. It was thrown, by both of its wings, through what remained of the cage and onto the blood red ground.

The horned demon roared and screamed to proclaim its victory, further humiliating its beaten opponents. Suddenly the platform lowered back down to ground level, the shattered cage crumbled into the river of blood, and the masses began to clear out; the spider and the eagle creature limped off in defeat. All that remained of the crowd was Sparda who just sat there, glaring at the horned demon without blinking.

As the monster stood on the platform, nursing its minor wounds, Sparda spoke, "So it seems you've grown slow over the years"

The demon looked up, trying to place where the voice was coming from and his eyes fell on Sparda. The look on his face turned from a grimace to a look of camaraderie as he began to slowly approach Sparda. In comparison, Sparda was much smaller in stature than the other demon, the top of his horns peaking just below the other's waist. The demon looked down at Sparda, who slowly flew upwards to look at the demon face-to-face.

The burly demon then spoke in a raspy, deep voice, "I see you've finally grown wings."

Sparda hovered in the air with his arms crossed and grinned. Suddenly the demon swiped at Sparda with his thick claws but Sparda quickly deflected his hand with his sword, chipping off the front of one of the demon's talons. Sparda re-fastened his sword to his back and crossed his arms again, smiling as if he had just passed a test.

"It has been a long time, Beowulf"

"Yes, yes it has. What has brought you back into these parts? If my memory serves me, I can remember you declaring yourself destined for greatness and leaving these wastelands in search of something more…"

"And that is exactly why I am here now. The dream is not dead, this is only the beginning….old friend" Sparda's hushed tones were rife with implications as he explained to Beowulf his treacherous intentions. Sharing the same feelings towards Argosax as Sparda, it did not take long to convince Beowulf to join the cause. And thus, the formation of a new army began…

The demon realm was not the only place where agents of change were setting in motion events that would change their world forever; the human realm also had its own movers and shakers, however they were not as benign in their intentions as one might think. A malevolent force flowed throughout a select few who began to lay out their devious plans….

The huts and small fires of the town blended in perfectly with the dark blue night sky. Its residents were clothed in ragged brown clothes and wore sandals made of wicker. Its marketplace stood open, fish dangling from awnings and fresh bread right below it. The faces of the people were happy, and even those who had just put in a hard days work managed to enjoy themselves. A quaint town, yes, but in its darkest corners, past the village and into the woods, this place would lose its innocence.

A group of hooded men and women sat around a fire as two more hooded men entered the light.

"What will we do?" one of the women said in a soft yet mischievous way.

"Yes, master, how will we end our unjust oppression?"

The hooded man remained standing and did not speak. He was holding onto a parchment that apparently had something on it. He threw it to the ground, allowing the others to see it. They looked on in confusion and shock.

"Wha-What is it?"

"I've never seen such a structure…"

The hooded man slowly began to talk, in a very low voice, "This will be the key to ending our oppression……the key to obtaining our deepest desires…."

Still confused, the others looked at him, waiting for further explanation but only one word came out, a name; a name that would strike terror into the heart of mankind for generations to come.

"Temen-ni-gru…."