Nightfall

Chapter 17: Facing Your Demons

The proctor nodded at the waiting wizards as soon as I had given the go-ahead. They raised their staves at the signal and together chanted a series of commands in a language I didn't recognize. As soon as the last word was uttered a bolt of continuous lightning shot out from each of their staffs and connected them to one another. After several seconds of this another chain of electricity shot out from the tips of the staffs and struck a point in the air above me, forming the outline of a pyramid around me. I sat there and watched all this in wonder as it happened, but once the configuration was complete the lightning branched out to me from the tip of the pyramid and I felt a searing pain run down my spine as my body spasmed involuntarily.

I think the lightning caused me to pass out, but I'm not entirely sure. In any case, when the pain stopped and I opened my eyes I found myself standing in front of a shimmering black mass without form. The wizards had backed off and were all standing at the ends of the room, watching the mass intently. It writhed and twisted liquidly for several seconds, and as it did the indentions within it slowly grew more and more defined until I found myself sitting in front of a black, ethereal version of myself.

The demon held out its arm and looked over its body with red eyes for several seconds in silence. When it had finished it looked at me and said with a deep, booming voice, "It looks like I have been inside of you for so long that I have forgotten my own form. How shameful." It looked up at me, "Why am I here, outside of you?"

"To be honest I'm still not entirely sure myself. I think it's to see who's more powerful or something." I explained as I stood up.

The demonic me looked around the room, "I see, I have heard of this spell, but this is the first time I've had the misfortune of experiencing it for myself. Although it is not as formidable as I had been led to believe-"

"I have a question for you" I interrupted.

The demon looked into my eyes, obviously unpleased with my interruption. "Normally I would kill someone like you for interrupting me, but in this form my power has been greatly reduced. So it appears I haven't much choice but to hear you out. What is it boy?"

"Who are you, and why did you go into my body?"

"That's two ques-"

"Shut up and answer." I growled, seeing the being responsible for destroying my life had lit a fire of rage inside of me.

He paused and looked at me. "I am the sin of rage, although humans often refer to me as the original demon of rage."

Several gasps and harsh whispers emanated from the wizards in the room when he said this, but none spoke out, "the reason I took your body was simply to be able to escape from a group of very powerful humans that had been pursuing me for several days. The scum had drained me and were attempting to capture me when I was weak, so I decided to take the form of a human to evade them. However I had no idea the person I had found would be the son of him..." he paused, "I cannot say more than that."

"Why not? Who is my father?! That's the second time he's been brought up. Tell me!" I commanded him.

"You have no control over me boy. You cannot command me to do anything as you are. Just because you are able to suppress me doesn't mean that you control me."

"Then why can I use your aura?"

"Because you have considerably more power than you are aware of. You unconsciously use that power when you take my aura from me. Control takes much more than simple power reserves I'm afraid."

"You're bluffing."

"Believe what you want, when they release the spell and I get my power back we will see who is stronger once more."