What Lies In Me

Chapter 24

"You were right, Zahrim. He doesn't remember anything. Nebiru must have overdone it. He's so weak."

"The boy is more human than demon now. It will be simple to use him."

Irkingu and Zahrim. Their voices are the first things I hear as my consciousness creeps in. I feel like I'm strapped down with some sort of restraints, lying on my back. I still haven't opened my eyes, or changed my breathing. I am calm. I am Namtillaku. I hardly feel like I am that same being that was attacked by Irkingu earlier, but all of Brian's memories are still affecting me. I still think like him. I am just so much stronger, now that I remember what I am capable of. I am no longer as weak as a human. I know what I am.

'The boy wakes. I can feel the heat from his veins, rising and flowing. He can hear us."

I open my eyes. A stone ceiling enters my vision, stories above me. The walls curve downwards, forming a massive cavern. I am lying on a table, in the middle of the cave. The sound of ice splintering and cracking comes from my left, and I turn my head to see both Zahrim and Irkingu. Zahrim is slithering towards me, almost gliding, and Irkingu, who has resumed human form, casually walks alongside him.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, human." Irkingu takes a seat on a nearby outcropping of stone. "I apologize for kidnapping you and all, but you are a very important person. And you could do me a great deal of good!"

I snort and turn back to face the ceiling. "You can't just kidnap somebody and apologize for it. That's not how it works."

"Well, you don't have to accept my apology. You don't even have to agree to work with me, for that matter." Irkingu chuckles, the guttural sound in his throat contrasting with the sliding of icy scales on the rocks. "All I need is your blood."

"Why?" I ask, retaining my nonchalant attitude. "The only times you've contacted this blood, you were banished by it."

"And that's what I need it to do now!" Irkingu triumphantly exclaims, overcome with excitement.

I raise an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"Did you see what I just did, out on that pine-covered hill? I, in one solid blow, took out a demon, three humans, an entire squadron of agents trained to stop demons, and you. I have only you to thank for this."

"But ho-"

"And Nebiru, I suppose. He is a part of this as well." Irkingu smiles smugly. "How did I do this, you ask? How did I change my form? I'll tell you. I learned something when you sealed me away for a thousand years. You see, when demons come into this world, they accept a form and are outfitted with the power that their form provides. Of course, some are more powerful than others. According to Nebiru, we gain this power when we pass from one realm to the other, picking it up from the innate power of the fabric that holds our realms together. That fabric I have passed through three times now!"

I attempt to sit up, shocked, but my restraints inhibit me. "That's a loophole!"

"A loophole I am happy to exploit! For you see, Namtillaku, I have the combined power of all of the forms I have taken! I have learned to shapeshift, to recreate myself anew! And now, I will use your blood, and I will come back from the abyss again and again and again! I will become more powerful than Asarualim and his forces, more powerful than Marduk himself! Who knows, maybe I will even surpass the master!"

"That's blasphemous! You can't!" I yell, but that only adds to the volume of Irkingu's ego.

"I can and I will. Your blood will be the source of my power!"