Of Heaven and Hell (Chapter 7) Haunting Memories

The years, decades even, passed as though they had no true essence. Falycor taught me everything he know, I was his disciple, his apprentice. I was, he said, “a staving student, one with an unquenchable thirst.” He was right, before my fifth decade, I had learned all he had taught me and was even using combinations that he found quiet appealing. Around the end of my fifth decade, I was creating new tactics, and strategies. Once a day, we would spare, practicing what he had just taught me, and to occasionally show me more.
“You have really progressed, young one, I am truly amazed. Are you ready?”
“Always Elder!” I said. Falycor, wanted me to think of him more as a friend and mentor than a master or a lord. We both decided that 'Elder' suited him most, he enjoyed it if you asked me.
“Let us see what is left to teach you.”
“Yes, Elder.” We stood, facing each other in the clearing, he was posed in my stance, and I mine. I usually always made the first move, this time, I waited. He continued to stand there, glaring at me with those milky golden eyes.
“What is wrong, young spawn? You have yet to make your move.”
“Elder, it is polite to let your teachers move before you.”
“Oh, is it? Well, if you insist.” he shouted as he raised and darted his hand in my direction, at that same moment, a swarm of shadow-made daggers flew in my direction. I held my hand firm in front of me, creating a shield in front of me. The daggers were absorbed, and I reflected them back toward him, he countered me with wedge the jetted out of the ground. They split their formation, and pierced the wall. I took off to attack him, as I ran I summoned a spear from the darkness. I held the glass-like spear and rushed towards Falycor. He again blocked my attack but then conjured a sword with the same texture as my spear. I know I needed a weapon a little stronger than a spear, with a flip of the wrist I transformed it into a scythe. It was my favorite weapon, it resembled a serpent with the blade coming out of its mouth. He lunged at me, and I blocked his swords bite, I spun and tore at his robe. He leaped off the ground and, almost like a lizard, attached himself to the wall with his feet in a sitting position. His hands still free, he sent wave after wave of slender spikes in my direction. I whirled my scythe to block the attack. I few passed through and managed to hinder me, cutting a slit into my right shoulder, and one passed through my side near the edge. I groaned in pain, but with a smile. Falycor grinned as well, we were having fun. I raised his hand again, and the slew of daggers jetted from the dark corners. I whirled my scythe again, as if to block them, but last second, I spun and hurled them at Falycor. He was caught off guard and was pinned to the wall. The scrimmage was finished, and we just burst out laughing.

“Well done, young spawn, well done.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
“The was pretty good, you could have done a lot better.”
“Well... Yes, I could, but I would not want to hurt you.”
“Oh, you probably would, but it would have been an eye for an eye.”
“This?” I pointed to my wounds from the spikes. “tis but a scratch.” And I flexed the muscles in my shoulder and arm, and the immediately healed, I did the same with my side.
“If I did not know better, you have the health of a full blood.”
“If I was a full blood, I would not be able to pass the veil to the morals reality.”
“True, though I'm a full blood and I can pass so far.”
“Was that not your making?”
“Before I was damned, yes. Now, I can only pass to the 'in-between.'”
“Speaking of which, how is Tatonya?”
“The twins are progressing well. They fight and argue like siblings do, but that is part of the reason they were chosen for the throne.”
“When can we go see them again?”
“You can go see them whenever you wish, You are not bound to me.”
“I know, but you are my Elder, my teacher, and I am your apprentice, and student.” With saying that, he smiled, and struck me in the back of the head.
“I know that, and thank you for your words, but be careful with your words. They show weakness, so know your company before you allow you tongue to move. Other demons will see you as prey if they knew you had a soul.”
“Elder, No demons has a soul, you know that, not even I.”
“That is were you are mistaken, you do not think I found you completely by accident do you? Yous essence attracted me, as did it attract those other degenerate creatures that dare call themselves demons.” Falycor had a firm dislike in guilden demons, he believed that guilds were creatures that low enough the give their souls up for a taste of power. True demons were born with power, and never felt the warmth of a soul. Falycor swore I had a soul, and I denied him every time, no demon was born with a soul, even I knew that.

I passed through the pitch black tunnel, if I had any questions either Falycor or Onyx could answer them... Onyx, I had almost forgotten him. No, that was not his true name, but he told no one, a handful of Fallen knew it, like Falycore, but not even he told me. Onyx was also a Fallen, but not for the Great War. The true reason, I never knew. Onyx was so ashamed of his sins, that he covered his entry body with black robes and forged his own cross, and the symbol of the almighty. He locked them away in a small room, and for hours a day, he would sit staring at them. The act of which, burned his flesh, charing it so badly that it looked glassy black, like the gem onyx. Falycor and I visited him often, they rarely talked. Though, any question I asked Onyx, he would answer it, truthfully and accurately. Very seldom, Onyx would actually participate in Falycor and my sparing practices. He was extremely strong and if he did not hold back, I know he could take us both on without stress.

There was a light at the end of the passage, I was nearing Falycore's settlement. The light was dull in the clearing. How many practices did we have in these cavern? How many lessons, long talks, and slaughtered demons has this piece of ground seen? How much blood caked in this dust?
I walked to the doorway, the cloth that separated the clearing from my childhood home, was worn and torn from age. I moved it aside to venture into the abode, something felt wrong. “Falycor!” I shouted, “Falycor, it is Dazen, where are you?” The more I looked throughout the compartment, it looked as though no one had been in here since the last time I had visited. I began to panic, “Falycor! Falycor please answer, where are you?!” I sprinted around the compartment, hoping he was just asleep.

“He is not here, Dazengoth,” a softly spoken voice said from the doorway. There wrapped entirely in black robes and a cloak, stood Onyx. He knew my full name, and when he said it, it demanded my full attention to him.
“Master Onyx, Where is Elder?” I asked him, already knowing the answer.
“Master Falycor is no longer here.”
“Thats not what I asked Master Onyx.”
“Dazengoth,” The power of my name made me stand frozen in place. “Listen, Beelzebub had him taken away.” No matter how you said it, if lord Beelzebub or any of the high lords took you against your will, it usually might he was assassinated.

“For what reason?” Tear were now streaming down my face. Onyx, took three steps inside form the doorway, the clothe swung back into place. Onyx turned, placed both his index and middle finger on his lips, and touched the frame. The dust from the ground flew into the air as if a strong wind was forcing it to. I flowed to the entrance and built up, solidifying and closing the room off. I had seen it done so many times before at His own settlement. He did this to force privacy. I was surprised when he took me into his arms, I began to sob. I knew I had just lost the closest thing I had to a parent.
“I a not the only being in Hell that has a forged symbol of the Creator.”
“What do you mean? If he had a symbol, I would have known, he would have told me.” I said, muffled by his cloak.
“I forged it for him, it was small, and mantled it in layers of clothe so it would not burn him. He aways carried it with him.”
“How did Beelzebub find out.”
“I do not even know if that was the reason.” He said, as he raised his mummy-wrapped hand to wipe my black tears off my face.
“I think I know why. It is all my fault.”
“There is no way it can be your fault, but we need to discuss this later. The high lords are having a gathering in a few hours. Come to my compartment afterwards.” And he turned and left, the dust fell as if rain, and he was gone.

There, in the middle of the empty room, I stood frozen, and I was PISSED!