The room glowed red as the fire reflected off blood and the stone prison was quiet. I picked blood from my finger nails with my golden knife and let the silence build anticipation in my victim. I hated torture, even doing it to demons brought back painful memories. Not a single pang of sorrow was saved for any demon, I simply hated remembering my past. The memories tried to force themselves into my head but I'm kept in the present by the blue light of a hex that chained the demon to the stone wall, it wrapped around his neck, wrists, and ankles. The magic was held there, continually getting stronger as a priest prayed from behind the bars.
"A phenomena happened a few weeks ago. Loud screams echoed throughout the land and the entire realm heard it. During this time a demon rift opened and out popped a creature. I've never seen magic that powerful, not a single text book can identify it. The demon that possessed this power called himself Mnakaraneh."
The demon instantly reacted, but not in a manner I expected. It seemed as if it twitched nervously.
"Mnakaraneh…" It grumbled.
"Where is he?"
"How am I to know? That demon hides in the shadows. For all you know he could be hiding in your guild," he nodded his head behind the priest holding the spell book. "In that shadow over there perhaps?"
"I would know he was here." I said confidently.
"Would you?" He scoffed. "I'm no idiot. Since the event that broke the dimensions you've been on the road constantly. Closing rift after rift with only a few breaks in between to torture demons and imps for information."
The demon looked to the floor, staring at his reflection in his own blood.
"Besides, the only way to tell that he's near is people start acting... Unusual."
"Unusual?"
"He can turn honorable men into abusive assholes, loving mothers into murders..." The demons serpentine eyes pierced through me as he smirked, "saints into sinners."
His chapped lips widened into a sinister smile.
"Mnakaraneh met me… He ran away like a little bitch on our first battle. He doesn't sound so intimidating to me."
The demon burst out into a hearty laugh. The spear that punctured his wounds turned that awful laugh into a painful cough.
"Mn-Mnakaraneh is too puny to fight. Mnakaraneh breaks apart ones will. He might've let you escape but he'll come back in unexpected ways."
"What power does he possess?" I asked. It took it a minute to reply but I knew the answer already.
"Go to hell." He said.
"Why are you demons protecting him? I've tortured your kind for hours trying to get a small sliver of information and yet you all keep quiet. I've broken each knuckle in your toes, ripped your wings off, peeled your fingernails out and yet… You still won't speak?"
"What can you do to me that the god and goddess hasn't already? Living each day is torture. The god and goddess cursed my soul to a body with skin that feels as if it's bubbling in boiling water. You think your burn scars are painful, try stepping into my skin for a day… My horns are so large the weight will break my neck if I turn my head too fast. Torture is expected from someone that follows a cruel god. Even during agonizing torture, at least I have my mind. I'd rather die by your hands then descend into madness by Mnakaraneh."
"So be it." I turned to the priest behind the bars. "Kill him."
He flipped the pages of his spell book and began to chant a spell. I left the dungeon before the demon convulsed until dead.
~~
"Nothing again?" Xanthius asked quietly. Felicia lay asleep on his lap, he brushed hair out of her face. They sat on a love seat that was positioned around a coffee table. My office was arranged for meetings, there were plenty of furniture around the room. The walls were one big bookshelf, the wall behind my desk was decorated with hundreds of gifts from the people I've saved.
I placed large spell books back onto the shelves in alphabetical order. When I'm not on the road I studied magic.
"Yes… They fear him…"
"All of them?" Xanthius' face looked as puzzled as I felt. "This doesn't feel right, Shi."
"I don't know what to do. None of them seem to know where he is. None of them seem to know anything about him and the few facts they have they choose torture and death."
"Maybe death is too good for them?"
"What else am I to do? Damn them back to hell so they can be unleashed on us again and again?" I said. Xanthius shrugged. "Keep an ear out. If anyone hears anything about a shadowy thingy then tell them to report to me personally."