"please…... please it burns… everything burns…. I can't breathe someone help me…..."
...…..
I don't know how long I've been screaming out for help, but I awoke what felt like hours ago. All I could feel was my body being scorched by flames. Every time I close my eyes it happens again…. I see myself on some sort of arena fighting someone who from the memories I have. Appeared to be my brother or close cousin…. i think... i cant completely remember
"The fucker betrayed me… h h he lit me on fire…"
Every time I screamed out, I could feel my scorched body become even hotter, my skin split and puss would seep out of my wounds, only to be evaporated by the sheer heat of my body. the sizzling sound made my ears shriek in disgust but worse yet was the smell that filled the room, suffocating my nose. The whole experience made me want to kill myself.
Every now and then I would feel the touch of someone's hands, they would change out my bandages at least that's what I assume. The initial feeling of having my bandages changed out was the best I've felt in sometime. The bandages managed to calm the feeling of being burnt to a crisp while healing my wounds.
This process went on for what I assumed was months. After that the doctor had me start physical therapy which consisted of me learning how to walk and move my arms. But to me it was more about managing the pain of simply existing. As more time went by, I managed to rummage through more memories and figure out what was going on.
It seems I'm the son of a rich merchant clan, wanting to raise their status in the world. After entire generations of planning and saving up money. They decided to send me and Shadic my cousin to the heavenly demon clan a notoriously dangerous clan, but one known for power and authority in the world. After lying in bed, I began remembering Shadic, this person was the whole reason, I'm burnt up like this. Shadic, wanting to rid himself of me, and finish the mission given by the clan himself, orchestrated a plan to have me killed, so he would have all of the clan's resources focused on his development alone.
The Heavenly demon clan has a monthly fighting competition that serves as the ranking system of the clans youth. For those the "Ranked" who chose to participate they would be allowed to challenge anyone above and no more than five levels below them to a fight, the victor takes that which he wants. Whether that be ownership of land, equipment's, or the life of his enemy.
All laid at his disposal, I was challenged to a fight by some skinny boy not of any prominence someone from some backwater village in the desert lands. The fight was progressing smoothly with both sides taking it easy at the start, just showing off our skills, out of the 1000 students at the heavenly demon school within our age group I was ranked 980, this youth was rankles.
The fight progressed as everyone present predicted it would. With quick succession I gained an edge on the youth, each blow landed would deliver critical damage to his small frame. Though during a particularly savage pummeling I delivered to him, someone yelled out "now" and with that his eyes shot up fiercely, jumping back and pulling two stones from his back pocket he smashed them together and with that. A large flame erupted in the stadium.... oddly enough... I seemed to be the center point of the flame.
The boy was killed instantly by the flames, and me well as we can tell by my current situation I was left severely burned.
From what I've been told, I had something called the seekers dust upon my body, told that it was nearly impossible for anyone to have such large amounts of the dust on them.
"The stone he held in his hand severed to create a spark and well with something so flammable as the seekers dust, that one spark was all that was needed. instantons combustion."
Is what i was told by the mysterious female.
But I have to do something about the fact that I literally can't move properly without screaming out in pain.
I attempted to speak which succeeded after a while of practice.
"…. hello is anyone there…."
I knew there was someone there because I hear talking, after some time of conversing between themselves one of the I assume doctors decided to speak up…. The sound of her voice was music to my ears.
...….
"Your family has paid for special treatment for you. But ill be honest it's not looking good for you."
I wanted to laugh, maybe dying would be better than this miserable life
"How long do I have to live?"
Sometime went by, I hear her shifting around the room, though I noticed she was oddly light on her feet. Walking over to me she pulled up a chair next to me.
"You aren't in danger of dying. No something far worse, due to the severity of your burns I'm questioning if you'll ever be able to fight again…. Geez how am I going to tell your sensei about this."
After saying that she let out a large sigh… I more than anything wanted to see who this strange woman was, mustering up seemingly all of my strength I lifted my hands to my face noticing that my face was untouched by the flames, which caused me to let out a slight smile happy that I at least wasn't totally disfigured. Though I still found it hard to open my eyes wincing in pain near constantly.
"Will you help me?"
I asked
"Look there's nothing I can really do; you're currently being covered in bandage soaked in medical herbs which will aid in your recovery but there's truly only two things that can truly change what I presume is your fate of being expelled from the clan. And I find you lacking in both."
She quickly got to sighing again as though she couldn't be bothered with me, wanting to keep track of her movement I shifted in bed pain itched throughout my body.
"Wait ah what're the two things I need?... Please tell me."
"*sigh* you don't even know this much… special treatment, medical herbs of such fine quality. I'm to assume you got here solely dude to wealth huh… one of those family's."
She said her voice becoming obviously sinister… after several deep breaths I shot up in bed, opening my eyes, my face against my will twisted into a sinister appearance I stare deeply at this woman of small frame, with deep dark black hair that covered her face. Large protruding eyes that stretched out her eye sockets giving her eyes the appearance of a demon.
She wore a simple dirty grey cloth dress, with long sleeves that completely covered her arms, with thick leather of sorts as pants. Several bulging pockets could be seen on her pants. She also carried a purse like bag with her. The contexts of which I couldn't guess.
It was obvious from the look on her face that I had surprised her… though seemingly only for second.
Crossing her arms and giving me an even more so menacing look, walked over to me. Face to face she said in an emotionless voice.
"Strong will and an even stronger aura, that's how you'll clime to the top."
Reaching into the bag at her side she pulled a small container, they produced an odd sound and an even odder smell. Just being near them made me want to sleep. I quickly shook myself out of it when I noticed her sinister smile, she placed this odd container on the table near my resting bed.
"Your family paid to have this concocted, the use of it should be obvious, awh but you should know. Your things from your assigned room have been brought here…"
With that she left the room… and I could finally slump down into bed the pain causing me to shut my eyes and desperately try to make amends with my body. Anything to stop the pain, the smell from the container made the pain more and more bearable the longer I breathed the smell in.
Every part of me wanted to open it and gobble down its contents.
But I knew… what it was I knew why she placed it so close to me, for the smell weakened me gave me a feeling I knew too well. She placed such strong drugs near me after telling me I needed a strong will. After resting for some time, I turned over to look at the things she told me about. There was a sword, gloves, a shirt and thick pair of pants, with shoes near them. 'These must be the standard training gear" I thought before noticing a bag.
'This must be it' I thought if the drugs on the table where the easy path she alluded to then this must be the other path. Grabbing the bag, and opening it I first noticed another container, small but placed atop everything else. After opening the container, inside where small pea sized black pearls. 'No smell' I thought placing the container back on. And looking though the rest of the bag.
All It contained were books and other containers. Unlike the first container this container had the symbol of the heavenly demon clan, underneath which was my name printed in a language I was surprised I could read. My name 'Mikiyell kashin kojien' an interesting name I thought.
Placing the other containers to one side I grabbed several book laying each out on the bed and resting some more, for the pain had demanded that of me.
Closing my eyes and resting for about an hour I opened them again and began looking through the book. The first of the three read, 'The lesser demons' hands' this was the early hand to hand combat method of the clan. From what I read of this martial art, if it could be called that required taking different elements from the surrounding area, a trial of sorts. "Kill the Stone monkeys aged 50+ drain the beast of its powerful blood, dilute this blood with crushed life bark along with your own blood.
After mixing for ten days ingest to make one's body, internal and external as hard as stone." Is what I read in a passage of the book, one of the first. I chose to skip over the book I believed pertained to swordsmanship seeing as I was unfitted to even practice it.
"The uninitiated the hidden path of the demon" was the title of the last book. Opening it all I saw a story drawn out with writing spaced out all over the page. The drawn-out story told the beginning of the first demon.
And his meeting with a fallen creature of unknown origins. The pages weren't many, wo when flipping through them quickly. I saw a large water fall and the first demon climbing up this mighty waterfall to confront this creature.
The creature had been encountered before, long ago by the ancestors of the first demon. Now after an untold amount had passed, the meeting with creature had become an ancient right taken by his those of the "First Demons" bloodline but now it was his turn to meet this creature.
"Take my blood and be changed forever, power will flow through you like non other."
The first demon walked up slowly towards the demon staring deeply at the creature, and with a mighty quickness of his sword he slit open the creature's belly, stunned and attempting to speak, the first demon took advantage of this and with all his strength raced up the creatures body in speed beyond even the creature itself could witness, and severed the creatures head.
As the creature laid dying the first demon with a face without an expression said coldly.
"you've given us much. My father reigned as a god. So did my grandfather and those before. But they ruled over the weak and powerless… I despise the week and would… you've given us much… soo much creature. But you're no longer needed. For you've exposed your only value and you've grown weak… look as your blood flows. The beast will drink, the birds and ants every creature of this land will be changed… and with it my people will be changed..."
Before the first could finish his speech to the dying creature, the creature interrupted without a hint of fear in his voice knowing it would die soon it asked.
"How will this help you? They will surpass you, for now you've thrown away your family's only advantage over the masses foolish human. Cast down you shall be, for you've thrust yourself into the arena of power... and be warned even the lowest of beings, possess power in differing forms but power non the less."
"Will I die… demon you're but a fool. For all that matters is power and a will to be powerful. Demon I will descend and conquer not the week but the strong."
With that the fist ate the heart of this strange creature. And began his war with those who also awoke with the aid of the demons blood.
The story ends with an image of a container, inside were blood red pills, containing the same blood of the ancient creature… though this blood was very diluted it was the beginning for the uninitiated. Reaching back into the bag and pulling out the container with my name on them I opened it to find the same blood red pills.