Angel Tongue

decem

Isaac turned another page of Demons Moste Dark with an audible rustle, that from the friction of old parchment on itself. The sweet, aged earth scent wafted up to his nostrils and into his body, just as it had been doing for the past two days.

"Now, you'll see that there are different types of demons," Filippa told him, not even bothering to look at the book, just as she had not bothered with looking at the books for the past two days. "They are classified into groups depending on the extent of their power, and also on their specific natures."

He had been stationed at the library to learn 'as much as he can' on the lives the Manus Dei led. For the past few days, he developed a routine of waking up (though not very quickly) at the alarm, and getting to work, doing his daily preparations before traversing the winding path towards the Athenaeum. He would seat himself at one of the tables, a different one each time he went, while waiting for his 'tutor' to arrive, and when they did, they would get to work, poring over the large volumes and trying to go over as much of the Manus Dei way of life as they could.

So far, he had discovered the origin of the Manus Dei (scientifically, they had appeared not long after the first mortal men, mutated in one of their life threads), learned some of the most basic lines of their Doctrine ('He judges, he sees/ He takes and he frees...So who are you to be like He?' from the Song of Michael, attribution unknown), and learned some tidbits of their history (the separation into Sanctuaries, the subsequent Colloquium, a time when representatives of all Sanctuaries came together).

Isaac looked down onto the page, greeted by large titular text. The Evanescent, it read.

"Evanescents are the first type of demon," Filippa supplied as Isaac's eyes flew over the text below the title. "They are distinguished from the other demons through their lack of an absolute physical form. Therefore, they may manifest in different ways, depending on their kind."

As Filippa paused, Isaac continued reading the entry, going onto the specific types of Evanescents. Perhaps the most ubiquitous of all the kinds of Evanescent demons are the Plagues. Though they are created in the presence of dark acts, the same way as most other demons, they most commonly prefer to fester in the dark and damp. They are the foundation of many of the major illnesses known to mankind, ranging from common colds and fevers to the most deadly of epidemics, including but not limited to the widespread Great Flea Plague of 1043 Post-Manus Dei (PM) and the numerous Blue Plagues that have occurred throughout human history. When encountered, they have been reported to take the shape of a cloud of smoke, or sometimes of insects.

Isaac gazed at the drawing beside the text, of a man with dark rings on his skin. The man's eyes were filled in with the color red, his ribs were visible and deeply shaded through his skin, and on his tongue were sores that oozed blood. He shuddered, noticing that the symptoms were that of the Flea Plague that had swept through the entire land, killing off much of the population years and years ago.

The second type of Evanescent are the Shapeshifters. True to their name, these demons can take the shape of any living thing at will, within the confines of their power. According to research undertaken by Manus Dei specialists, the complexity of the transformation greatly influenced the probability of transformation. This meant that the more specific the creature they set out to be, the more energy the shifting expends for the demon, and the weaker they become. Due to their fleeting, ever-changing nature, the true appearance of Shapeshifters is not currently known.

The last of the Evanescents are the Temptations. Of all demons in existence, these are one of the least-known denizens of the third dimension. They seek to induce violence and savagery among the Earth Dwellers, through manipulating their thoughts to their ends. They are also one of the most elusive demons, as the act of a human under their influence can be mistaken for true intentions. The most telling symptom of the work of a Temptation is a sense of disorientation on the side of the victim of the demon right after a violent act.