The Knight in Dark Armor

Chapter 2

"Interesting choice." A sweet almost angelic voice said.
I glanced up from where I was laying. It was stone bricks almost like a bridge leading to a giant bowl, flames were burning brightly in it.
"Come here." The voice said.
I picked myself up from the ground and looked past the bowl to see a female covered in nothing at all and I felt very awkward as I took a step back. "What the hell." I said. "Where am I?"
"Come here and find out." The angelic voice said again.
I knew at that moment I did not want to approach that female at all costs. Her angelic voice was seeping with dark overtones the more she spoke.
"Alright I've had enough." Her voice changed to one of hatred. Her form flew so fast towards me that I fell to the ground again in fright. "Normally they come if I'm naked and sweet." She said suddenly.
I could only stare and feel awkward as she leaned down to me. "You're in what you humans consider hell." She said straightforward to me.
"Did I die?" Was the only thing I could think to ask.
"In a way sort of." The woman stood back up and then leaned back as if she was in a chair. Her legs floated off the ground. "You're more being... awakened? I guess you would call it."
"Awakened?" I asked dumbfounded.
"Jeez you're one of the slow ones." She sighed deeply. "I suppose I should be grateful though, not many dark ones do I get anymore." She stared me down.
I didn't say anything, rather I looked away from her as her brazenness and lack of clothing made me feel so uncomfortable and almost frozen. Was this some kind of conflict? I thought to myself.
"Get off the floor." She said. "Let's talk."
Not wanting to piss this woman off I stood up and waited for her to say something.
"Let's get something straight." She said. "I'm not going to harm you unless you disobey so stop cowering." She then smiled in a sweet way. "I'm sure you have many questions and I will try to be patient with you."
Feeling a little less afraid of her I started to speak. "What did you mean by awakened?" I tried to speak confidently.
She sat back in her invisible chair. "Okay I'll try to give you the run down of what happened." She folded her hands together. "As you thought, you sort of died, only you are being awakened as something much better."
All of a sudden a chair appeared behind me and startled me, I jumped back a little.
"Grow some balls kid!" She shouted suddenly. "Sit down please."
I sat down quickly in the chair and waited for her to continue speaking.
"I am a dark one." She said. "I watch over my subordinates and make sure they do the bidding of the dark ones that come before. Someday this task may fall to you when I leave this existence. If I choose you to be my successor."
I nodded not completely understanding what was going on but what she said made sense in a sort of crazy way. I could understand at least what she was saying.
"I was once a human like you but I fulfilled my tasks and now I'm this." She motioned to her naked form. "I no longer have the mind of my human self, mind you but sometimes I indulge in it just to see what kind of fun it brings." She laughed at this.
All I could do is nod awkwardly as she continued. "My name is Merimidon I've been passed from dark one to dark one throughout your human years. The one who's body I currently inhabits name is Anna, perhaps you will get to speak to her at some point but for now it is I who will do the talking."
"So you possess people then?" I finally found the courage to speak.
"No not at all, they welcome me. I can only be welcomed by choice." She said. "Do not worry, I am neither male or female so if you choose to welcome me there wouldn't be a female in you, controlling you."
"If that's true..." I started while my hands went to grab my legs for the support I needed to keep talking. "If they welcomed you, can Anna speak to me if she wishes? Or are you in complete control of her?"
Merimidon sat forward. "It's more like a conversation we have. She says she would like to take the wheel for instance and if I agree, then she can. Know this, with introductions rarely do I agree." She smiled again. "But normally yes I do agree with letting them take control as it is their original body and I am not a harmful presence."
"I see." I said plainly. "So you're some form of an omnipresence but you're a kind one mostly?"
"Hah." Merimidon laughed. "I am no god. I simply exist and have built a system. I live on the same basic principle as humans do in the fantastic belief of if there is truly a god or not."
"Does human thinking help with that? When you are welcomed?" I asked her.
"No my thoughts are my own." She looked at me intensely. "I do not force my own thinking on my subordinates. Yes you are basically my bitch but I will not treat you as such."
She looked me up and down. "You're a bit different..."
"Why do you say that?" I asked her.
"Normally the rough and tough looking ones love destruction and battle against the light ones. I can tell you would just run away." She laughed again.
I lowered my head and looked down at my lap. "I can't face conflict."
Merimidon smiled a devilish smile at me. "How would you like to rid yourself of that?"
"What do you mean?" I asked her hesitantly.
"In good time." She simply said and rose from her chair. "The fun part first. You get to make a choice kid."
"A choice?" I asked her with curiosity.
"Yes, as I said. I will not possess or take over your life without being welcomed. You must accept me."
"What if I don't?" I say as I rise from the chair, finding new confidence.
"Then the situation you are in will likely end in your death." She said flatly.
"So either I become your bitch." I glared at her. "Or I die. And what would being your subordinate entail anyways?"
She put her hand on my chest, causing me to step back.
Merimidon takes a step towards me. "You do things for me. Whatever I ask of you. If you do well..." her hand slides down my chest. "You are rewarded." She said with a wink.
"And if not?" I ask her outright.
She smiles again. "Then you are punished." She flicks my stomach roughly. "This is a good deal Caden, it would be wise to take it. I can not tell you everything right now but you will learn in time."
"It would help if I could talk to Anna." I said taking another step back as being close to her naked form made me uncomfortable.
"If this would help sway you, I'm sure it will be fine." Merimidon winked and her face lost its smile.
"Oh my goodness." She said suddenly. "Caden, hello I am Anna."
"Hi..." I said warily.
"What Merimidon says is true. It's a good deal as you will
leave this existence and die in the current situation you are in." She looked down suddenly. "Damn it Merimidon!" A wardrobe suddenly appeared and Anna walked over to it and pulled out a black dress and draped it over herself. "Stupid Merimidon always wanting to be free!" Anna said as she walked back over to me.
"Thank you." I said to her feeling much better about her no longer being naked.
"So really Anna my only choice is to say yes and become her subordinate..." I sighed sadly. "Isn't there anyway to get out of the situation I'm in?"
Anna shook her head slowly. "You lack the resolve needed to even put up a fight."
"My inability to face conflict you mean?" I asked her.
She nodded and with that my mind broke down. I didn't want to die but I couldn't just give myself over to what felt closely like a demonic presence. It meant death however if I didn't accept and I didn't want to die either.
"I'm really sorry Caden but my time is up, Merimidon wishes to speak to you, it was nice meeting you." Anna sort of waved to me.
Suddenly the clothes on Anna burst into flames and a devilish smile appeared again on what was once Anna's face.
"Choose boy!" Merimidon's  smile grew larger. "Have a bit of fun with me, or perish in whatever you believe is your afterlife.
This was it the final question. How badly did I not want to die that I would give my life up to this, this thing! I knelt down, my legs feeling weak and slowly nodded.
"I will be your subordinate....." I said slowly and softly.
Then my vision exploded into fire.