Chapter Two
Anecetus lay with the Oliki and felt his breathing become steady and slow, she glanced up and saw he had drifted off to sleep. She slipped out of bed and donned a robe. Once covered she headed back to the library to begin reading more of the powerful spell tomes.
She pulled a candle from one of the many holders placed around the vast room and moved about the shelves of books and scrolls looking and searching for what she sought. Never knowing where she would be led to or what was going to get her attention she walked and she read titles and ancient words that she should not have been able to read were as clear to her as if they were written in the common tongue. She walked and she admired the beauty of the place.
Old books newer books and scrolls of yellowed pages as well as those that seemed to move and writhe of their own accord were stacked and neatly placed all around the cavernous room. She came to a section of the room that was darker than the rest even the light of the candle she held could not pierce the permeating darkness. There was a cold feeling here a feeling of death and of the end. She stood and stared into that darkness for many moments. She watched as the candles flame flickered and danced as if caught in a breeze and yet there was no wind, no draft not the slightest movement of air.
She stood mesmerized by the cold feeling and the dancing flame. She was lost in the sensations and the visual. She did not hear anything see anything other that flame as it danced and flickered. She watched as it began to be pulled towards the darkness. She watched the flame stretch out and grow as it was drawn into the darkness of the area.
She stood and watched as a creature of unimaginable terror and horror was slowly revealed in that stretching flame, as the darkness surrounding it, emanating from it was forced back. She watched as the creature grimaced in the light, and then she saw the chains that held it in place.
She watched in awe as those chains grew in thickness and in strength, she blinked once and her eyes shifted, they now showed her the magical aura of the chains and of the creature they held. She saw the purest of evil inside of this creature. She saw hatred and death, she saw her own end in those piercing eyes.
Standing and watching not hearing not truly seeing but feeling and sensing that she was no longer standing there alone she did not turn away from the sight did not shift from the place she stood she only greeted her visitor with a simple yet revealing comment.
"It is amazing…." Anecetus said the words as if she was looking at one of the great statues of the castles she spoke in such awe and wonder that Oliki was worried he may have lost her to the creature. A creature he had created to guard his most dangerous tomes and scrolls his necromancy spells were the most dangerous spells he had and he wanted to ensure they stayed out of reach of others.
He looked at her and he saw a soft glow in her eyes a glow he knew to well and was shocked to see there. He spoke only one word and in that word was a question of the greatest magnitude.
"how?" Anecetus knew what he meant and still she did not turn to look at him, still she did not tear her eyes away from the creature. She spoke softly as she answered his one word question.
"I don't know. All I know is that I see this creature and I feel compelled to go to it, to go to its waiting arms and those long razor like talons, and yet I stand here and see my death in those waiting arms. A slow and torturous death."
Oliki let a small smile come to his lips "and yet you do not move, you stand fast beyond the reach of my pet. You resist its call. You see it for what it truly is"
"yes" her word held a new power a new strength that was yet unknown to her. She turned then and looked at Oliki, eyes still a glow, she saw the demon as a man again. But she could see the aura of power around him. She could see the weak point of that aura as well. Fear began to creep into Olikis eyes, he knew what she was seeing. He knew she could see his power and how great it was. She had resisted the beast, the keeper of death and now she could see his power. Would she crave that power for herself? Would she consume that power and grow ever stronger?
These were questions he could not answer, questions that had no answer at this moment. He watched as she stared at him and then blinked once more. The glow faded from her eyes and she smiled softly at him.
"it is a marvelous creature, what does it do? Why is it here?"
Not sure how he should answer or if he should answer he thought on it for many long moments. He finally decided that even though she had resisted its call to death she was not yet nor would she ever be strong enough to pass the creature safely.
"it is the guardian of my necromancy. It is the bringer of death to those who seek to gain my most sacred knowledge, and when I am gone for long periods of time he roams my home and keeps it safe from intruders. Too often I have come back from trips to prime material plane to find new zombies working within my home, cleaning the messes they made as they tried to destroy the creature."
Anecetus listened to him and wondered about the power that must reside within such a creature. A power she herself craved. To be able to call to the soul of a being to make its heart crave to die in the arms of the beast. This was power, this was strength. She would have to find its weakness and use it to gain that power. Time was all she would need.
Smiling softly she ran her hands down his bare chest and traced the well defined muscles that were so shapely and so perfect. She ran her hands across the well muscled arms that showed such great strength and power in their in bulges. She felt the firm soft flesh of his human form and she craved him again. She desired him as if it was the first time she had seen him, she needed him and she wanted him.
The intent was clear in her eyes as he looked down at her, not standing much taller than she he could see over the top of her head with ease and at the same time he need only bend his neck to reach the soft succulent lips of her mouth. He smiled a soft and sweet smile as he took her hand and led her back to bed and back into his waiting embrace.
Morning on the prime material plane seemed to come too early and too bright for the local lords and ladies of the area. A young prince, who had risen early, was already about the town watching as the vendors hocked their wares and tried to get the most for their goods. He walked through the town and looked for the silk merchant who had been there only days before but had not been seen since. He had hoped to buy a large quantity of silk for a bridal gown. He had been promised to a very lovely young woman from a neighboring town and he was determined to make sure she had the best wedding dress that money could buy.
He looked for the silk merchant again this day. Standing before his shop and the closed wooden panels that protected it from the elements and the street kids in the night time hours. The shop was clearly not open again this day. He stood and wondered for a few moments what had happened to the silk merchant but gave it no further thought.
He walked on to another merchant that he had been intending to see for some time. He came to a beautifully ordained shop with a delicate hand crafted sign that read simply "Jewels of the World" the young prince opened the simple wooden door and entered the well light shop. In every corner he could see the sparkle and shine of the jewels the merchant kept out for display purposes being sure to keep the most valuable and most expensive jewels well hidden and locked away.
A small bell over the door rang as it closed, a neat little device the merchant had crafted so that it only rang when the door was closed and not when it was opened. The merchant called out from the back room of the store.
"Well met sir or madam I shall be with you shortly"
"no rush good merchant, I have time" the young price was always cordial even to the lowliest of the street urchin. He never looked down on any one and he was ever patient. The merchant recognized the voice of the prince immediately and quickly rushed out to greet and help him at once.
"m'lord I am sorry I did know it was you, forgive me. How may I help you this fine and wonderful day?"
The prince smiled a soft and disarming smile as he spoke to the man who was clearly flustered at his faux pa.
"I seek emeralds of the finest cut and quality. I need them to made into a necklace and waist piece for a wedding dress of green silk. Can you do this for me and how long would it take?" the merchant smiled wide at the mention of the wedding. All the towns folk were looking forward to the great celebration a time of feasting and of suspended taxes. For near on a tenday the people would be free of the taxation of the king and would be given much food and much drink to celebrate the wedding of the prince and the joining of the two kingdoms.
"m'lord I can do that, I have a great many emeralds in stock all of the finest cut and clarity. It will take me some time to prepare them as you have asked though, say a week maybe less"
"that will be fine, have them delivered to the castle when they are ready. You r payment will be made then as is customary"
"of course m'lord." the merchant stood there for a moment longer as the prince looked around at some of the finely crafted pieces of jewelry and selected a tiara sized for a small child. "how much is this piece?" he asked with the same soft tones a wide smile upon his face.
"that piece, m'lord, has sever diamonds within it. Of a very rare quality and cut. It is a very expensive piece, I had created it to simply make something of such beauty. I had never actually intended to sell it." again the prince smiled and looked at the merchant asking once again. "how much, my good jeweler?" seeing now that the prince did intend to have the piece in-spite of it not being for sale he gave up and sighed softly but not with contempt or malice of any kind.
"one moment m'lord I must check my tally to see what the cost of a piece such as that would be. I will only be but a moment"
"take you r time my good man, I have all day" the merchant walked off to the back room again and retrieved a large scroll. Returning to the front of the shop he unrolled on the counter, picking up a piece of finely shaped marking charcoal he began ticking off the jewels placed within the tiara. He counted as many as fifty diamonds and several rubies, all of the finest cut and quality, each one was worth more than most of the jewel merchants could ever hope to see in their lives.
He had acquired the jewels by chance. He counted the rubies and the diamonds the jewels totaled seventy five in all. He made two marks on a separate sheet of pyrus paper. One for the diamonds and one for the rubies. He then took and accounting of the silver that was used in crafting the tiara itself. The weight had been marked and calculated. The amount of silver was near to a life's wages for a well to do farmer. Not so much for a prince.
He tallied the silver and the jewels on the pyrus paper and then placed the tiara on a well balanced scale. He began placing weights on the other side. In total the tiara weighed near a pound. Heavy to be sure but not so heavy as to be uncomfortable.
He marked the weight of the tiara and then tallied the totals of all four marks. He went ash white as he looked at the prince. He did not want to tell the lord the cost of his finest work. He was afraid he would insult the prince and loose his business.
The prince stood and looked at the pyrus paper and the marks made upon it. He read the weight and the counts he read the totals and then smiled so wide it seemed to take I his ears. Color slowly returned to merchants face at the sight of that smile. He was begging to see that prince not only knew the cost of the tiara but was wiling to pay it.
"m'lord, the tiara is very expensive. I am not sure that you would want to pay so much as this." the prince never stopped smiling as he reached into his boot and pulled out a very heavy purse. He dropped the purse on the counter and there was aloud clang of coins as the bounced and crashed against each other.
The merchant looked at the coin purse and then at the prince not sure of what to do. "weigh it." said the prince as he continued to smile now fingering the tiara as he waited. The merchant stared at the coin purse for a moment longer and slowly picked up the heavy bag. He placed in the scale and then began to add weights to empty side. It took more weights on the scale than he had ever placed before. He soon realized he would need his heavier weights to properly weigh the purse. Clearing off the smaller weights he normally used he reached under the counter top and removed a small box containing brass weights normally reserved for the purchase of large quantities of jewel. He took out the one pound weights first, he then switched to the two pound weights and it still took five of those to weight the purse to even balance.
Ten pounds, there was ten pounds of gold coins in the purse, nearly double the cost of the tiara. The merchant was shocked at this revelation. He removed the weights and then the coin purse and looked at the prince. He was about to tell him that it was too much when the prince calmly spoke to him. "please wrap this in the finest wrappings you have. I will be taking it with me."
"m'lord there is too much money in this purse, the tiara is not worth ten pounds of gold."
"then keep the rest as a deposit on the other pieces I have ordered. Now then please have this ready by the time I return if you can not do it now."
The merchant stood stunned for a moment longer and then snatched up the tiara and headed for the back room again, he picked up a finely crafted cherry box lined with red silk and closed with a brass clasp. He opened the box and placed the tiara inside of it closing the box and latching it once again. He hurried back out to the waiting prince.
"here you are m'lord, I had this box specially crafted for this very piece. It is all ready to go. If I may be so bold as to ask, who is it for m'lord"
The prince smiled a soft smile and took the box from the merchant admiring the beauty of it the intricate detail work on the top of the box that clearly resembled the contents inside. He fingered the intricate carvings and the delicately inlaid gold fillings. He marveled at the smooth movement of the brass hinges and the firm hold of the clasp.
"it is, my good man, for the first lovely little girl I see" the prince said nothing more as he turned and exited the shop. Standing and listening the brass bell ring as the door closed behind the prince he wondered what the prince meant by that. He walked out from behind the counter and stood at the store front window. He watched as the street kids ran around the prince being sure to avoid running into him.
He watched as a little girl, very dirty and very skinny, walked up the prince and reached up to touch the wooden treasure he held within his hands. He was about to run out of the shop and chase the child away when the prince squatted down and held the box out for inspection. He watched as the smile that was ever present on the princes face grew wide and toothy.
The little girl traced the delicate carving on the top of the box as the prince knelt there. He could see the smile that crept onto her face as she ran her slight hands over the wood work. He then heard something he never expected to hear in all his life. The prince spoke to the girl.
"do you like the box little one?" the girls smile faded slightly and then returned very big and very bright, she nodded heartily to the prince as she continued to run her fingers over the design.
"how much do you like the box? You have to tell me now, use your words. Tell me how much you like the box." the little girl stood there and stared at the prince. No one just spoke to the prince, it just was not done. She was street child an urchin not good enough to talk to the prince and yet he told her she had to. She never let her smile falter but she did hesitate starting and stopping not really saying anything.
Then she spoke all at once fast as the wind the words flew from her mouth.
"I love it, I love it, it is such a beautiful box so pretty not like me." the princes smile widened even more. "would you like to have the box, to keep for yourself?" her eyes lit up and her face beamed as she spoke once again more slowly this time. "do you mean it?"
"yes. If you want the box you need only ask me for it." the girl stood in stunned silence not sure what to say, the other children who had since gathered around the prince and the girl all started to encourage her greatly to ask for the box, one even shouted out that with a box like that they could eat for a month on the money they would get for selling it. The princes smile faltered only slightly at those words, the little girl stood and traced the design one more time she wanted that box so much but to keep not to sell. "I do want the box, I really do, can I have it? Can I really have it?"
The princes smile returned full force as he stretched out his free hand and took the free hand of the little girl he placed her hand on the side of the box and wrapped her fingers around it. She mimicked the movement with her other hand and the prince let go of the box.
Surprised by the weight she almost dropped it but quickly clutched it her chest holding it tight. She was smiling so wide and was so happy she forgot who she was talking to and quickly leaned in a kissed the princes cheek leaving a smudge of dirt and grime there. Realizing what she had just done her smile vanished and a look of fear entered her eyes.
The princes smile, on the other hand, never once faded. In fact he returned the kiss to the little girls cheek. He stayed close to her and whispered into her ear. "if you want to keep the box, then you have to give up what is inside, or you can keep what is inside and I will buy the box from you, for two pieces of gold."
"wow! Two pieces of gold" she exclaimed without thinking. The other children around her and the prince all gasped in shock. Two pieces of gold would feed them all for months and months, they would feel like kings with all that money. Shouts of, do it, do it, were coming from the kids. She looked at the box the prince had given her and thought about all the food she could ever eat.
She turned the box around flipped open the clasp she had to set the box down to open it but what she found inside made her nearly faint away. The prince held her up so she did not fall. he reached into the box and removed the tiara, placing it on her head, a perfect fit. The little girl reached up and felt the tiara on her head. She looked at the beautiful box and then took the tiara from her head and looked at. It was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen.
She looked back and forth from the box to the tiara. It was not a hard decision for her. She placed the tiara back on her head and picked up the box closing it again as she went. "two pieces of gold, that is what you said." the little girls face was as serious as a merchants smile. He knew she had chosen the right one. She had found that feeling like a princess was more precious to her than the simple little box.
"two gold pieces that is what I said." reaching into his side purse her removed four coins and slipped them into a smaller pouch that he hung around the girls neck. He made sure the tiara was firmly on her head. He stood and looked at all the towns people that had gathered and made an announcement to all within hearing range.
"listen to me towns folk and know my word is law. I will see this child again and if she not wearing this tiara that I have given her, or if she is not in possession of this tiara. I will find the culprit and I will see that they are hung in the town square for all to see. This child is here by under the protection of the crown."
Everyone in earshot passed on the word to all those who were not, the word spread like wildfire and soon every one knew that the girl child, the street urchin who was wearing a fortune in jewels and silver was not to be touched or harmed, she was to be treated like a princess. No one would dare go against the crowns word.
The prince patted the little girl on the head and headed home satisfied and yet still disappointed. He had not yet gotten the silks he so desired.
Oliki awoke a few later, feeling well rested and very satisfied with the days events. It was not often he returned to the abyss to reside in his home. He had forgotten that time moved slower here, while only a day passed in the abyss on the prime material plane nearly a week had gone by. He needed to get back to his shop but was worried about leaving Anecetus here alone.
He looked at his sleeping human beauty and knew that she would be ok. He slipped out of bed and went into the library. He walked to the darkened area where the creature waited. He walked into the darkness and spoke to the creature in the language of the demons. Words of power flowed from his lips as he instructed the creature to ignore the woman it had seen earlier.
The creature nodded in response showing it understood. Oliki released the binding holding it in place and returned to the bedroom to find Anecetus sitting up in bed with the sheets around her waist leaving her breasts bare and open.
"well hello again lover" she purred as he walked back into the room.
"I have to go and tend to my shop. I will only be gone a day, and then I will return to you. The creature will keep you safe while I am gone. Read all the books you like and all the scrolls you wish, but remember to stay out of the dark place. The creature will not harm you unless you enter that place" Oliki made it very clear that he would not tolerate her disobeying his words. Smiling softly she showed no fear as she nodded her agreement.
Satisfied with her response her dressed and left. She sat there for a while longer and listened as he rode off in his carriage. She waited until she knew he was gone and then slipped out of bed and dressed in soft leathers and fine silks. She walked out into the library. She found the creature just begging to emerge from the shadows of the dark place.
She watched as it scanned the room looking for signs of those that do not belong. She watched as the flames of the candles stretched and grew pulled towards the beast. She watched as the flames were pulled from the wicks of the candles and extinguished upon contact with the beast.
So mesmerized was she by the sight she did not even notice as the candles sprang to life again as it passed each one. The flames seeming to leap from the creature and back to the candles. She did not see a lot of things that morning as she watched the creature make its slow and steady pace to the well lit bedroom area.
Once it was out of sight she remembered why she had come out here in the first place. She walked over the shelf that held the oldest tomes and selected a very old looking book. The pages were yellowed with age and the binding was begging to crumble, or so it seemed. Once she touched the book it took on a new life a new look and a new strength that was not apparent before.
She removed the book from the shelf and noticed it had virtually no weight at all. Taking it to the table she laid it out and undid the clasp that held it closed. She opened the book to find a warning written in an ancient language. Again she was able to read the words as if they were written in common. She was begging to understand the nature of this ability. The first tome she had opened and read when she arrived here had given her many great and wonderful abilities. This was just one of them.
The tome had to be at least a hundred pages of powerful spells an incantations, she read through the book in a matter of moments, she absorbed the information contained with in. she devoured the books imparted knowledge as if it was food and she a starving child. New spells were now opened up to her new abilities she never knew existed were now within her grasp. Ready to be used when she so desired.
She replaced the tome and felt a slight wooziness come over her, she reached out brace her self against the selves. After the feeling had passed she heard a calling in her mind. It was as if there was a small child crying out to her. She listened to the calling and she felt compelled to follow it, to find the source of it.
Walking along the shelves reading as she went looking for the name she heard in her head. She walked without looking with out thinking and without knowing where she was going. It was not long before she was t the entrance to the dark place. The creatures resting place. The place she was forbidden to enter. She stood and stared into the darkness once again.
She stood and felt the call even stronger now. She knew she had to go in there, she had to answer the call in her mind. She struggled with her promise to Oliki and with the calling in her head. Getting stronger now, getting so much stronger. She had to answer the call, promise be damned.
As soon as she stepped into the darkness the creature knew she was there. It knew what it must do. It began to return to the darkness it so craved and the place it resided when there was no trouble to contend with, now the trouble was in its place of rest, an intruder where no intruder had ever been before.
She felt the call getting stronger as she went further into the darkness. The voice in her head told her where to turn and where to step. It told her what to say and what to do always guiding her to where she belonged.
The creature made its slow way back to the darkness, it could feel her progress as she went further into the darkness. It knew that once it reached the darkness it would move with an unnatural speed and grace. She would never reach the hidden tome the master had placed there.
The beast moved as fast as it could in the well lit room, heading for the comfort of the darkness. The safety of the absence of light.
Anecetus moved without hesitation and without concern always following the guidance of the voice. She felt it get stronger and stronger as she went. She could feel something very close now. She was almost within reach of it. She rounded a corner in the darkness and was rewarded with a well lit room, brighter than any room she had ever seen, it was as bright as a noon day field in the middle of summer on a clear day.
She heard a noise behind her close and moving fast, too fast. The room was still more than a hundred yards away and what ever was here in the darkness with her was moving too fast, she would not reach the light in time. She knew that and yet she tried any way. She ran with all her speed at the urging of the voice which now warned her that the creature was in the darkness with her, but more than that the creature was the darkness.
Reaching the dark place of the library the creature stretched out one its hands and slipped a talon into the darkness it seemed to become one with the darkness as it was enveloped by it. Fading from sight the creature and the darkness became one. Moving with the unnatural speed of its creation, the creature moved through the darkness towards Anecetus. It could sense her close to the secret chamber where the book lay, the masters prize possession. It raced along as fast it could move through the darkness, gaining speed and strength as it went.
Anecetus ran, she ran so fast she thought she might trip and break her leg leaving her defenseless, but she did not trip she did not fall, she did not falter in her run but she did not and could not run fast enough. She felt the approach of the beast, she felt death reaching out for her. She felt it as it grasped her silk shirt and jerk her to a dead stop.
The creature raced along through the darkness and was soon rewarded with the sight of its prey. The beast stretched out its gruesome arm through the darkness and snatched hold of the silk top she wore, stopping straight away it felt her jerk to a stop as it pulled her back to it.
Turning her around to face its wide pointy toothed smile, the beast intended to enjoy this one. It was going to devour her and take her power for itself. Soon it would be stronger than the demon that created it. Soon it would be free to roam the darkness on its own terms. She was strong in the art and it was going to enjoy eating her.
Anecetus saw her death in the creatures eyes, she had so much power knew so many spells and yet not a one came to mind in the face of this death with legs, this horror that had snatched her away from the calling voice, the promise of greater power. It was then that the voice spoke to her again. Told how to survive this, how to beat the creature. It told her one word, lumos. The word was unfamiliar to her, but she knew she must speak it if she was to live.
With all her strength and conviction she cried out the word, lumos. The area was filled with a bright light as one of the floating orbs in the long hallway was brought to life. The creature screamed and unearthly scream and dropped her to the ground clutching its hands to its eyes. Anecetus quickly picked herself up from the ground and ran the last few feet to the room filled with light.
The voice cried out in joy at her entry. There was only one thing in the room, a book floating in the center of the room. Closed and clasped. It was the book that called to her, the book that had helped her to escape the beast, and to navigate the darkness.
The book that had called out to her and it was the book that now cried out in joy. Standing there staring at this book and hearing the promises of power it was offering to her, she had only to touch the book to become its master. To have all its knowledge made ready to her. She stepped closer to the book and was reaching out to it when she felt that familiar cold again, she looked over her shoulder and saw the creature just outside the door.
Snarling with hatred and eyes burning with desire to rip her limb from limb it stood just outside the room, just beyond the door, and just beyond the killing light. Once it had made the mistake of reaching into the room and had lost its arm for the effort, it had taken days of healing to recover the lost limb.
Oliki had never told the creature it could not enter the room and yet he had never given it permission either. Oliki had set the light in the room to be of the prime material plane. Sun light captured and contained in an orb set in the center of the room. Sunlight was the only thing that could truly kill the beast.
Anecetus glared at the beast as she turned back to the book that waited for her touch. She took one more step towards the book and it was within reach. She stretched out her right hand and with the softest gentlest of touches. The book flared with a brilliant light and fell to the floor. She felt a new power an new strength and a new sensation flowing through her.
The book had gone silent now. It no longer spoke to her. Her mind was quiet and the creature was gone. She looked out the door of the room and did not see the darkness that was there before, what she saw was sunlight streaming in, she saw a bright field of blooming flowers. She smelled the cool breezes of the summer air. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. She was no longer in the confines of the abyss. She was back on the prime material plane.
She did not recognize the land outside of the room, she did not know where she was. She stuck her head slowly out the door and looked around. She could see a lake and a forest near by. She could hear the chirp of the birds and see the flittering of the butterflies. She did not dare to leave the safety of the room. She turned instead to the book that had called to her, the book that had seemingly transported her to this place of beauty and warmth and sweet smells.
She bent down and grabbed the book off the floor. She looked at it, turned it over in her hands and felt the smooth leather binding that was not really leather but the skin of lesser demons stretched and cured, to create the cover and binding. She looked at the simple clasp that held the book closed and flipped it open. She balanced the book on her right hand and with her left opened to the first page.
Again there was a bright and unnatural light. She dropped the book to the floor and waited for eyes to clear. She was back in the abyss again and the book was talking to her once more.
She could hear it clearly in her mind now. Telling her to take hold of the book and to claim her power. She knew that she would become the owner of the book once she took hold with intent. She grabbed it with both hands and turned to leave the room. The creature was there again, snarling at her until it saw the book in her hands. The snarl faded and the creature backed off a step. The once dark area was now filled with a soft light. She could see the pain the creature felt at the presence of the light. She watched as the creature bowed low before her and spoke for the first time in its long life.
"Master" that one word told her more than she could have ever known. The creature was bound to the book, they were both crafted at the same time. The creature and the book were one. Who ever owned the book, controlled the creature. She watched as the beast backed away from her into the large area of the room. She walked out with confidence and walked down the hall with her head held high.
She walked past the creature and out into the main area of the library. She sat at the table and set the tome before her. The creature followed her out into the main area and stood behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see the beast standing there as if waiting for something.
"what do you want beast?"
"Demonia" it replied it that same raspy voice.
"Demonia?" Anecetus was slightly confused until she realized that it was the creatures name. "Anecetus. You may call me Anecetus."
"An,,e..ce..tus…" the creature said the word slowly as if it was having a hard time with it. Slowly it nodded and took a small step back. Again she asked the same question but now using its name. "what do you want Demonia?"
"want…do…" Anecetus sat and listened as the creature spoke ever so slowly forming the words with some difficulty. It took her a minute to grasp the meaning of the words. The creature Demonia wanted to know what she wanted it to do.
"patrol, keep me safe"
"yes….master" Demonia stalked away with more speed than it had previously moved. A new strength flowed through the creature and the light no longer hurt it. Watching until Demonia was out of sight she then turned her attention back to the book. She opened the book once again and found only one spell contained within. She read the spell over and over again. It was a spell of eternal life. There was only one catch, she must take the life of a new born child to gain the eternal life she so sought.
This was no surprise to her, it was a demons book after all. She made sure she knew the spell completely and was confident of her ability to cast it without issue. She would need to get back to the prime material plane to be able to use it though. She would have to wait until Oliki returned, she needed his plane walk power to get home again. She began to formulate her plan, the time had come sooner than she thought.
Anecetus was muttering to her self as she walked back down the long hallway out of the room she began to wonder about the creature again. She had known that Sun light was the only weapon against it, and yet it was standing in the light when she returned. She began to search her mind for the answer, any answer, as to why this was.
She found the answer, not in her memories but in her thoughts. Thoughts spoken to her by the book she now held. All the demons secrets were made known to her now. She learned that the demon Demonia was created in the darkness of the abyss with the blood of lesser demons. He was truly bound to the book, the owner of the book determined his vulnerability. He was no longer affected by the light, he had a new vulnerability now and it was Anecetus who must determine it.
Power coursed through her veins, filling her with a new sense of strength and new powers.