Demon Seer 2

by Kurtis Eckstein

  It suddenly occurred to me that the only apology I’d received from the two of them had been originally an illusion created by Ragnarok, causing me to wonder if everything I’d seen, regarding their personalities, was true. I glanced at Lilith briefly, seeing her gaze focused intently on me, recalling that she’d been the one to watch over me when I became ravenous. Though, of course, that had never actually happened.

  Miriam spoke up sharply. “Is he rejecting Michael’s prerogative?”

  Lilith broke my gaze, smiling sincerely at her. “No, sweetie. But he did try to kill your beloved as a human, even after the transformation was well on its way, so we all thought it best to avoid an unnecessary confrontation.” Her icy gaze returned to mine, still speaking to Miriam. “You know how Chrysalis can be. Michael’s perspective is still no doubt that of a human. It will take some time for his perspective to advance to that of a proper Ryujin.”

  Since she was focused on me, I decided to speak up. “Umm, he showed me an illusion,” I commented. “So it kind of feels like we’ve already met – and that you’ve already apologized.”

  Lilith gave me a warm smile. “Yes, we’re aware. After you disappeared, my beloved requested Ragnarok show us what he’d shown you. Still, I’d find it unthinkable to not properly apologize in truth.” She paused. “Speaking of your peculiar departure, if you don’t mind the inquiry, how did you disappear?”

  Miriam interjected with a believable lie before I could. “He doesn’t know exactly what happened. I found him several hours later, writhing in pain as his transformation completed.”

  Lilith maintained her smile. “Ah, makes sense. Even though Ragnarok said the boy wasn’t showing signs of pain upon your…confrontation, I’d imagine your beloved was barely thinking straight.” Her gaze returned to mine, not at all apologetic for calling me ‘boy.’ “Needless to say, please accept our warm welcome. Once Gilgamesh and Gabriel join us, we’ll commence the ceremony. I hope you won’t be displeased with my officiating the special occasion.”

  “Oh,” I replied, Miriam already beginning to answer my question in our heads.

  ‘One of them has to impart on you the rules and understanding of what it means to be a Ruler. Obviously, you already know pretty much everything from me, but as your partner I’m not allowed to essentially ‘verify’ that you have all the knowledge you require. They view it sort of as a conflict of interest, in a way. Ragnarok did so for Gabriel, and Enkidu did so for me, since my father wasn’t eligible in either case. And, being that you’re likewise associated with him, it’s Lilith’s turn to officiate the acceptance of a new Ruler. It would also be her responsibility if you lacked something and a problem resulted of it.’

  ‘But what if she sees too much?’ I wondered seriously, still holding Lilith’s icy gaze, almost no time having passed as Miriam and I exchanged our thoughts almost instantaneously.

  ‘It’ll be fine. Even if she learns the entire truth, I trust her. She’s like a second mom to me, and one of my only friends. And I trust Enkidu too. There’s only ever been one person I don’t trust. Everyone else desires to keep the peace just as much as we do.’

  I nodded at Lilith. “Sure, I don’t mind.”

  “Perfect,” she cooed. “I must admit, I’m a little fascinated by you, as well as your bond with my companion queen. I knew something was amiss with Miriam for the last few decades, but never did I fathom that it was something like this. She hid it very well.”

  Miriam had once told me that their term for Ruler was gender neutral, but the phrase ‘companion queen’ had feminine undertones, and appeared to be a unique expression Lilith had developed to classify her friendship with the only other female Ruler.

  I didn’t know exactly how to respond to her comment, so I only nodded instead.

  She didn’t miss a beat, grinning wider. “I can’t wait to get inside your head. I hope you’ll allow me to satiate my curiosity.”

  “Umm, you’ll probably be disappointed,” I said uncomfortably.

  “Oh, I think not. But don’t worry. I’ll be gentle with you,’ she added with a wider grin, and a wink.

  Again, I wasn’t sure how to respond, surprised that Enkidu wasn’t bothered at all by her words.

  ‘She’s just teasing you,’ Miriam chimed automatically in response to my reaction. ‘You’re getting flustered, which is what she’s after. She finds it amusing.’

  ‘I’m not sure I like that kind of teasing. And I’m a little surprised it doesn’t bother you. Or Enkidu for that matter.’

  ‘The reason it doesn’t bother me is because she doesn’t mean anything by it. She would never do anything with you I didn’t approve of, instead just seeking out your reaction. You’re the first Chrysalis in well over a millennium, and picking on the fledglings in harmless ways has always been one of the joys celebrated by our entire race. Had I not almost lost you forever, then I’d probably be picking on you a lot more myself.’

  I recalled how my love treated me originally, wondering if her cold attitude was only partially a façade, the bullying going right along with what was culturally normal in their world. And then, the more I considered it, the more I realized that idea was actually true. Because, when she’d bitten me, she didn’t seem overly sympathetic that I was in a ton of pain – she just told me I’d have to endure it.

  And then she later complained that she didn’t get to enjoy teasing me when I was being taught how to fly, with Jericho having stolen some of her fun.

  Certainly, I had no doubt Miriam loved me, but clearly they had a unique cultural perception on harmlessly toying with Chrysalis. It was almost like a rite of passage.

  ‘Nice to know you guys are so sympathetic,’ I replied in my thoughts sarcastically, becoming more composed. ‘And what about Enkidu?’

  She paused. ‘The reason why it doesn’t bother him is because he wouldn’t care even if she did do something I wouldn’t approve of. It’s definitely not the norm for the majority of partners, but these two both play with other people, especially Lilith, who sometimes likes to go a little beyond teasing. And just so you know, neither my father and mother, nor my brother and sister-in-law, are like that. Just them, in terms of the people that I know.’

  Before I could even react to the implications, Lilith unexpectedly glanced at Miriam with a pout, possibly in response to the shift in my demeanor. “Oh Miriam, you’re no fun.”

  My beloved crossed her arms. “Oh, I’m plenty of fun,” she scoffed. “But if anyone is going to toy with him, it’s going to be me. You’ve had fun teasing hundreds of Chrysalis, whereas he’s my first.”

  ‘And last?’ I thought automatically, hoping she wasn’t planning on creating a family right away.

  ‘Of course,’ she agreed silently. ‘Unless you want to have children anytime soon, but I wasn’t even going to think about that for another millennium, at the minimum, if at all.’

  The idea of even existing for a millennium was strange to think about.

  Enkidu interjected then, before Lilith could respond, sounding uninterested in the conversation thus far. “I hate to break up this prattling, but we have some unexpected company.”

  Miriam and I both tensed automatically, wondering if Ragnarok had shown up after all.

  Lilith asked who it was, probably speaking verbally out of respect for us being in the room, only for Enkidu to refuse to answer, instead turning towards one of the stairwells that led to this massive cathedral.

  Reaching out with my mind, I could just barely detect a presence, but it was so faint that I assumed they must be intentionally trying to hide themselves, which made me even more uncomfortable.

  However, the moment the individual stepped into the open space, I realized it might not be intentional after all.

  “Greetings brother,” Enkidu said with a slight bow of respect. “It’s been too long since we last spoke.”

  The demon with a similar appearance to Gilgamesh, only larger and with brittle looking skin, greeted in kind before
focusing on the two of us. Miriam was confused for a moment, before I silently informed her of who he was, only for her to be completely shocked, having had no idea that he even existed.

  “Ah, so you truly are a new Ruler,” Adapa commented.

  “I am,” I said simply.

  Enkidu and Lilith both glanced at me in confusion, before the former replied. “You’ve met Michael?”

  “I have,” the man agreed. “And he’s opened my eyes to a new way of living.” His gaze shifted from me, back to the shadowy Ryujin. “After much thought, I would request of you to take me to the human world.”

  Enkidu bowed again. “Of course, brother. Do you wish to depart presently, or might you consider attending the Princeps Ceremonia? We were just about to introduce Michael to our people.”

  Adapa’s red eyes widened in surprise. “He’s a Chrysalis?” he said in shock.

  “I am,” I confirmed.

  His brow furrowed instantly, and I knew he probably had questions, considering how I’d acted when we spoke previously, but it was obvious he would delay that conversation for another time.

  “Well, Michael, you have my eternal gratitude, and also forever an ally. I’d be more than pleased to attend the ceremony.”

  I was glad to hear he wanted to be allies, because I suspected the issues I’d face with Ragnarok would be more political from now on – which meant the more powerful supporters I had, the better. And, of course, I believed that he was sincere, considering it was difficult to not exalt the messenger when they brought life-altering information.

  Enkidu nodded. “Gilgamesh and Gabriel are finally coming as well.” He then focused on his angelic partner. “Shall we begin?”

  “Absolutely,” Lilith chimed, her mind eagerly appearing at the edge of mine.

  I sucked in a deep breath, hoping this wasn’t as awkward as I was anticipating, and then cautiously let her in.

  Chapter 30: Forever

  Thankfully, the ceremony wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. We all stood on a balcony on the top of Gilgamesh’s castle, facing the crowds of Ryujin hovering in the air below. As a human, I’d never had the experience of being presented before a large gathering, but I felt like learning how to interact with Ruth helped to give me the mindset needed to handle the publicity. Not to mention, I didn’t have to say anything.

  So ultimately, it really wasn’t that bad at all.

  And, prior to all that, Lilith mostly behaved while trying to satiate her curiosity in my head. However, like Jericho had done with giving me their language, the angelic queen didn’t have to receive anything from me in order to accomplish her task. And, of course, she had zero idea that I might be able to pull her beyond the normal superficial barrier most Ryujin faced, but there was no way I was going to let that happen.

  Certainly, the connection could be hidden from Enkidu, and it didn’t have to be inappropriate at all, but I didn’t want to chance him being offended if he discovered that I could speak to his partner no matter the distance separating us. It was one thing for him not to care if something physical did happen between Lilith and another person, but the mental connection was an entirely different situation, being something that only he shared with her.

  Thus, once she was done trying to get me flustered after I refused to divulge much to her, she finally finished up the task with a pout, silently promising to get me to warm up to her one day.

  Having gotten a glimpse into her personality, and knowing that she primarily sought out just regular teasing, I ended up telling her to go create more children so she could bully them. Which earned me another wide grin, with her loving the sudden snarky attitude.

  Still, despite my comment, it was strange to imagine her as the mother of so many, due to her only looking like a busty twenty-five-year-old human at most, but I knew her enjoyment of teasing others was why a large portion of the angelic Ryujin had been bitten directly by her.

  And of course, why half the Ryujin race looked like her, in terms of the snowy coloring of their draconic features, since her personally creating so many resulted in an exponential growth of the angelic lineage.

  Thankfully, Miriam’s father and brother arrived shortly later, having returned from making sure their Generals were finished announcing the event. Gilgamesh was likewise surprised to discover Adapa present, but he wasn’t dumbfounded like Gabriel was, who also hadn’t known previously that there was another Original, much like his sister.

  During the ceremony, people actually cheered when they introduced me, as if they were sincerely happy to have a new Ruler, although I was well aware that it could just be for show. Granted, it could also be because I signaled the coming of a new age, where new Ryujin could be created again after over a millennium of it being forbidden. If anything, they were cheering because I was Chrysalis, the first one in so long.

  It would be like celebrating the birth of a baby, after several decades of there having been no new children. Truly, something to cheer for, especially when considering the implications of how it might affect everyone else.

  However, either way, unlike what Miriam had initially done by remaining mostly secluded, due to her younger age for the majority of that time, I planned on using my connections through Jericho and Seth to branch out and slowly increase my circle of allies. Certainly, I wasn’t intending to have any kind of revolt, but I figured that when facing eternity, having lifelong acquaintances and friends was a smart idea.

  And I was definitely thankful to have someone like Adapa in my corner, an outcome originating from simply sharing with him a new method for him to feed without harming anyone. Although, I knew it was more than that – Miriam and I both shared his overall perspective on life, valuing humans as more than just food, so it was really a matter of the compatibility of our ideologies.

  Gilgamesh and Enkidu weren’t inherently evil by any means, but they definitely perceived humans how a hunter might perceive a deer.

  Once the ceremony was over, Miriam and I went back home to celebrate in our own way, before deciding to finally make another trip to Earth.

  In the last time loop, I hadn’t spoken with my sister at all, nor had I made a scene at the command center with the Lieutenant General, which made me wonder which pieces of truth ended up making it into the final merging of the timelines.

  Especially since the conversation that occurred with Bradbury had actually happened in almost all of them.

  Now that I felt emotionally stable, in the sense that I didn’t have this massive burden hanging over my head, I found it amusing to think how funny it would be if the video recording was somehow still present on his phone, even though the event itself might not have happened.

  I could just imagine the look on Bradbury’s face if he stumbled across it randomly.

  Granted, I sincerely doubted that was the case, but that just made me wonder if I should reenact those events again in order to establish where the humans were in the hierarchy of power. It was unlikely that Gilgamesh or the other Rulers would approve of such actions, but if the military refused to leave my family alone, then I’d probably do it anyway, especially since we weren’t a secret anymore whether I did or didn’t.

  Really, that was the biggest point – they had evidence of our existence.

  However, the reason why the other Rulers wouldn’t approve was because, in their perception, it would be like taking the time to pick up an ant, hold it close to your face, and explain the nature of your existence…to an ant.

  Pointless to them, even though the intelligence capacity of humans was much more comparable to the Ryujin, despite the prevailing opinion.

  Either way, my ultimate decision depended on the military’s actions.

  Thus, I was leaning towards ‘maybe not’ when we arrived above my dad’s place and discovered that the military didn’t appear to be watching the house anymore. The last handful of days had all happened in such a blur that I initially wasn’t sure how much time had passed, not to mention I forgot to ‘
check the time’ by paying attention to the movement of the planet Venus around the sun.

  But Miriam had been paying attention, and quickly informed me that it had been nearly a week since I’d first vanished and this whole mess started.

  A week, where my sister was left worrying incessantly, having no idea if she’d ever see me again, never mind my parents who I definitely had to stay away from.

  I shouldn’t have been so surprised by her reaction when I reached out to touch her consciousness.

  ‘Michael! Oh, Michael, I was so worried! I was afraid you were gone forever!’

  Her thoughts quickly became incoherent after that, her body plagued with sobs, her mind overwhelmed with relief.

  It was the middle of the night here, so once she calmed down a little, she agreed to sneak out of the house and meet us in the woods. Thankfully, she hadn’t woken our parents up with her crying, who were surprisingly sleeping in the same bed together even though they were divorced. It made me wonder if they’d end up getting back together after losing me, though ultimately I only cared about how it would affect Amelia.

  Either way, I still hoped I’d be able to be there for her, even if from a distance.

  Miriam and I landed in the middle of the woods behind my dad’s house while we waited for my sister, standing just past the part where a ton of trees were knocked down from the fight that occurred a week and a half ago during the first attack – when my sister revealed she had psychic powers. Most of the leaves on the other trees had fallen by this point, the bony fingers of the bare branches doing little to hide the bright waning moon. I knew it was likely chilly, but the cold breeze did nothing to bother my exposed skin.

  And sure enough, Amelia came crunching through the fallen leaves wearing a thick winter coat over her pink pajamas, her brown hair partially hidden with a hat, picking up the pace once she spotted us. I stepped forward to greet her, allowing her to throw herself into my arms and hug me tightly.

  Being conscientious of my strength, I was careful with returning the embrace.