Heaven and Hell

The sun had begun to set across the Arabian sky, making it an orange and pinkish hue. The temperature was dropping rapidly; a chilling breeze whispered by. Of course, none of this concerned Serin. The cold meant nothing to him. It didn’t even effect him. For that matter, neither did the heat. He wasn’t as limited as the humans were. He was superior to them in every way, and he knew it.

He was in a small cave, not too far from the village. It was dark and damp, and well out of the way. To be sure, Serin had used his power to conceal the entrance. Anyone who looked at it would think it was a solid rock face, but that was but an illusion.

He stood at the mouth of the cave, observing the sunset. His grey eyes never blinked. Another breeze blew by, gently caressing his face. His headband waved with the breeze, until it had passed.
From behind he heard a whimper, then a growl. He turned to the monstrous form of Diego, who was cradling his severed arm. The bleeding had ceased thanks to Serin, who had used his power to cauterize it. His face was expressionless as he studied the creature. Never before had he seen a human/demon hybrid, though he had heard tales of them before. They were very rare, only a handful have existed throughout history.

Despite what his outer appearance suggested, he was greatly intrigued by this new monstrosity. It had such potential for his plans, but he needed to test it. He needed to know the power of the hybrid and Diego would make the most excellent test subject.

“Who are you?” Diego demanded. “And why did you take me out of the fight? I would have killed that weakling Arab and the priest!”

“And what about the girl?” Serin asked. Diego bared his teeth in a strange fashion. He figured he must’ve been smiling.

“I would have taken my time with her,” he replied, licking his lips. He let out a deep chuckle. “Now, answer my question!”

“I am called Serin. I saved your life and for that you are in my debt.”

“You did not! I could have handled all of them by myself,” he protested. Serin let out a cold and mirthless laugh.

“I highly doubt that. The Knight is at least as strong as the priest and the girl...” his voice trailed off. Diego tilted his head to the side.

“The girl is...unusual.” Serin admitted finally. “I doubt you could defeat them in your current form.” Diego let out a growl.

“I am ten times more powerful than any human!”

“And yet you aren’t more powerful than 3 of them, Diego. Not yet, but you can be. I can help you.” Diego opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again.

“I am good at giving people what they desire. It is the nature of my race. Tell me what your desire is, Diego, and I shall grant it,” Serin spoke in a seductive whisper. “It can be anything, anything at all. You have but to ask.”

Diego seemed to consider for a moment. Serin could tell he was entranced by him, but also wary. He was used to it. He waited patiently for several long moments. His patience was unfathomable, except when it came to Ragar.

“How do I know this isn’t some trick?” he asked. “And am I to believe you do this purely out of the goodness of your heart?” Serin flashed a stunning smile.

“This is not a trick, nor are there any strings attached. I am just interested in seeing what you desire, and what you will do with it. Granting desires is what I live for after all,” Serin replied. He waved his hand casually. “Tell me your desire, and I will grant it. You have nothing to lose, but so very much to gain.” Diego grew silent again, thinking long and hard.

Finally, Diego answered, “I want you to grant me full power over the Demonic Whip. I wish to tap into all its power, and control a greater demon. With that I will be able to unleash the full power of the whip and complete my transformation!” Serin’s thin lips twisted into a smile. It was exactly as he had predicted. He gave a bow.

“As you desire, Diego.” In a wisp of smoke, Serin vanished. In his place stood Ragar in his human form. He dropped to one knee before Diego.

“I am Ragar the Mighty, and I am here to serve you, Master,” he said. Diego stood there, astonished, as recognition filled his eyes. A fiendish smile flashed across his face as he began to bark out his laughter, which grew louder and louder. The Demonic Whip began to glow as he struck Ragar with it, putting him fully at his disposal. Ragar never flinched as the whip wrapped itself around his body. His free will was now gone and his power was now Diego’s to control. The sound of his maniacal laughter reverberated off the walls of the cave. The sun had set over the horizon, a quarter moon glowed in the sky.

Serin, now invisible, smiled broadly as he watched Diego submit Ragar to his will. Everything thus far was going as planned. Both Diego and Ragar were oblivious to his machinations, which is how he liked it. Now, he would find out which of the two was to be more worthy for the next step of his plan. Either way, the power of the whip was now his, even if Diego didn’t know it yet.

After all this is concluded, I can proceed to the next step. And afterwards, I can finally release the Fiend, he thought to himself. Quietly, he floated out of the cave, letting the breeze carry him. Higher, and higher he climbed until he was able to see the entire landscape. He watched and waited, for he knew he was about to see what the Demonic Whip could really do.