Inner Demon: The Dark Bloods - Book I ✓

Chapter 24 - Playing with Clay - Part I

24.

Playing with Clay

Reyna woke up in an unfamiliar bed. The mattress was lumpy with a huge hole in the middle where her body awkwardly folded into it. The blanket slightly smelled of mildew. Counting the bed, there were only three pieces of furniture, all wooden, inside the room. A heavy five-drawer dresser stood up against the wall, next to a curtained window. On the other side by the closet door was a four legged stool.

“Haste! Out of bed with increased haste!” Mundus greeting came once he sensed her awake.

Reyna sighed at his words, but it was the logical thing to do. Her bare feet touched the cold tile of the room. She was still in her pink with white polka dots pajama pants and tank top. Before venturing out, she browsed the closet for something to wear over her sleeping wear, but there were no clothes to be found.

Defeated, she stepped out into the hallway. The room was at the end of it. There were three other closed doors, two to the right, one to the left, to choose from. Instantly, Reyna knew which room her uncle was in. It felt like an internal game of hot and cold where the closer she got to her uncle the warmer she felt. He was at the last door to the right.

“You sensed him,” Mundus explained as Reyna opened it and walked into the room where Amon had his back turned towards her. This room was emptier than the last. Up against the upper left corner of the room was a huge wooden trunk. Amon was knelt in front of it. He turned around and was not surprised to see Reyna, having sensed her approach as well. His attire was a surprisingly different. He sported his usual worn out jeans, but they were accompanied with a simple dark brown T-shirt. Several old scars decorated his skin like small, pink worms.

“Reyna. Good thing you’re up. We have a lot to do,” he said. In his hand was an object he had just scavenged out of the trunk. It was a small but thick-chained necklace cradling a round silver pendant.

“It’s a Containment,” Amon explained as he gave it to somewhat bewildered Reyna. “Your Initiation has totally awakened your Magika, yet it is raw and wild.”

Reyna thought about the blue substance that had manifested around her without her understanding, much less command. Even her body, jumping and gliding at incredible speeds, had been out of her control.

Amon continued speaking, “For what you’re about to do, we can’t allow you to pour out more of your powers than necessary. That is what this necklace does. It filters out only the required amount you need for your abilities and spells to work properly. It also serves as a training tool. It helps you feel and recognize how much energy to use when trying to do a specific thing.”

Reyna gazed at the necklace on her palm. “It won’t hurt Mundus, will it?”

Amon smiled. “It has no effect on him.”

She nodded and put it on. Though it fit like a chocker, it reminded her of the necklace Dante once gave her. Mundus gave a warning growl. “So what do I have to do?” Reyna quickly asked to drown him out.

“Two things,” Amon said. “One, you will make Mundus a temporary body so you may accompany him into Demon World to help him find his real body. And two, you need to Summon open the portal to Demon World so you can actually enter.”

Without waiting for a response, Amon walked past his niece and into the hallway. It lead him to a sparsely decorated living room. The only furniture, two mismatched couches –one fashioned with brown, cracked leather, the other a faded flowery pattern– faced a white, undecorated wall. The glass sliding door leading to the backyard was located on the wall adjacent to that one. The creak of it opening was heard as Amon stepped outside.