𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝘽𝙐𝙏𝙇𝙀𝙍 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙊𝙍𝙄𝙂𝙄𝙉𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝘼 𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙊𝙉

Chapter 15: Damascus's Experiment

Damascus said nothing, he didn't need to.

"This crusade of yours in attempting to reintegrate yourself into human society is foolish."

Damascus sighed forlorn, then said, "I lasted three years without succumbing to my urges, Master."

"And what did it accomplish? Tell me."

Damascus had no regrets for what he had just done, but he did feel a little guilty as he looked upon some of the people he had befriended over the years, one of which he had been a close, dear friend... his body broken, torn, his eyes forever expressing shock and awe. Damascus had saved him for last. He wanted to, at least, to give his man final witness to who Damascus really was.

Damascus said, "Discipline, Master."

"There is discipline, Damascus, and then there is foolishness. If we are hungry, we eat. We devour souls for nourishment when the opportunity arises. I taught you how to survive as a demon, not for you to set aside your teachings to pretend to be one of them again. Vuoi che io di inviare indietro?"

Damascus's eyes widened in shock. His Master had just spoken Italian to him, Damascus's native language when he was a boy. "Do you wish me to send you back?" he said.

His mind immediately raced back to that fateful day when Vesuvius erupted at Pompeii, where he lain dying, burned, and in agony - it was the only time he truly felt fear. And in nearly a millennia, this was the first time his Master actually threatened to return him back to that day.

To the day of his death...

And consequentially rebirth.

What Damascus was doing, then, was truly disappointing to his Master if he said this in Italian, the very language Damascus purposely avoided speaking because he did not want to be reminded of that day. His Master would not have done such if he were not truly disappointed in him. Pompeii was still a sore spot with Damascus and his Master knew it. It would only take the blink of an eye to reverse everything Damascus was today if Belial wished it.

Damascus looked astray abashed. "No, Master. I was merely experimenting..."

"I disapprove of this 'disobedience' as of late and I demand it ceases. You can not deny who you are, Damascus. You made a choice. The decision was yours, now you must live with the consequences."

"I was forced into making the choice," Damascus muttered to himself. "The mountain blew up."

But it appeared Belial had heard his low-tone nonetheless when Damascus looked into Belial's eyes, and the powerful demon simmered in anger and rage. His 'human' form changing to a sinister demonic aptitude and then back again.

Belial slapped Damascus hard across the face. "You will obey me, Damascus! I will not tolerate this insolence!"

Damascus recoiled from the impact and at the moment felt cowardice. Belial roared in annoyance, his fists clenched tight. Belial had only recently demonstrated an intolerance to all things undemon-like. He had become more hostile and angry and short-tempered as of late, he was normally a tempered man. Biblical interpretations of him were greatly exaggerated. He was a teacher, a noble-man, and a man of great wisdom. He was older than Time itself, at least older than Time on this planet.