Devil's Sabbath

Chapter Seven: Flower of Hell

Chapter Seven: Flower of Hell

Side A: Diamora

I came into the world tiny, weak, and helpless. I was not born from a mother's womb, rather I spawned into existence from the shadows, awakening in the sand dunes. I was small enough to be held in a demon's palm. I knew nothing of the realm I had come into, but I was forced to learn the hard way. It didn't take long for a feral demon to take sight of me and attempt to devour me. If there was one thing I was good at, it was running. I could outrun any beast that pursued me. I had to, if I hadn't been skilled at escaping from a young age, I would have ended up in a demon's belly, and I wouldn't be here now.

I was thrust into an unforgiving world from the very start. I could not see joy in a place that only sought to kill me from the moment I was born. I was more like an animal than a civilized demon, a little creature scurrying about, snatching scraps of food when I could, and constantly fleeing the clutches of hungry predators. As time passed by, I grew bigger, and I became able to fight them off with my sharp, shadowy claws. But in the Wrath Ring, I was still weak, far from being anything close to a Sin. I didn't know how to truly fight. I knew no such thing as strategy, all I could do was slash and tear wildly, claw open skin and gouge eyes out, the most basic of fighting instincts.

My life would never amount to anything, that was what I believed. I wasn't thinking about the demon wars, or the future of Arcadia. I was thankful that I woke up still alive every morning. I expected to live that way for the remainder of my inevitably brief life, until something much bigger and stronger came to take me out.

That all changed when I met him. I was cornered by a tall, well-built demon with a perpetual grin on his face at seemingly all times. He barely even blinked, so I could stare into his wide scarlet eyes like a void. He had fiery auburn hair that flowed down his back, the tips resembling wisps of flame. It resembled the bushy mane of a lion. His horns were long and thin, wrapped in barbed wire, strangely enough. He had a long blonde tail coated in fine fur that swished back and forth. He had been chasing me for nearly an hour. I had a lot of stamina, so I was able to outrun most predators that went after me, but he kept on coming. He wouldn't stop. By then, my legs felt like bricks. I couldn't move anymore. All I could do was cower in the demon's shadow, trembling. I clenched up, bracing myself and hoping the end would come swiftly. "Please...don't hurt me..."

"Aww, come now, I won't hurt you," the demon boomed. He spoke like he was announcing something, in a loud, clear voice. "I was only following you because you caught my interest. I find small things like you rather interesting, you know. My name is Sabnock, the Sin of Wrath. You couldn't be safer around anyone else, little one. What might yours be?"

I lifted my filthy dress, exposing the rune mark on my upper right thigh. "Diamora," Sabnock read. "What a beautiful name to be gifted with, Diamora. I believe it means something like 'passing love.' Are you all by yourself?"

I nodded. "I've always been by myself. Everyone only wants to eat me."

"Have no fear, for I have no desire to eat you, little Diamora," Sabnock boasted. "I simply can't leave you alone like this...you'll be coming home with me. I'll make you my apprentice!"

I didn't get much say in the decision, but I wasn't about to argue with it. No one bothered to speak to me before attacking me. Feral demons had no words to speak at all. I was still small enough- if he wanted to gobble me up,

he could have easily snatched me and done so, or he could have clubbed me in the head and put me out of my misery. But I didn't sense an aura of malice from him. Despite being the Sin of Wrath, all I felt from him was kindness.