Return of Memories

For days, Steve's eyes looked glazed and sullen. His face wasn't really expressionless; rather it was sunken as if a spark of life never entered his body.

Cal, the demon, looked upon on the human wondering how he came to hold the man's life in his hands. A chance to rid himself of a master, once more to be a demon without the taint of masters.

An illusion, he reminded himself. Until Mother dies, we are never without masters.

It would only be a matter of time before she called Cal to her service. The reason she didn't need him was only due to the fact that she didn't know Cal existed. Brahana realized this and consequently delivered Steve to him, daring to take the chance that Cal would not choose to kill Steve instead.

How am I supposed to help him? He's vicious with my servants. They hate him so much, that I can't bear to let them near him. Deep down, he feared for their lives. Steve was so violent now. Any touch would send in into a rage, and he would pummel any living thing with bare hands. The servants had been with him for so long, he couldn't imagine losing a single one of them. Better to let him die, he thought. I should just kill him. He always told me, he'll be reborn as a demon. A side of him worried, possibly that Steve would be worse as a demon. Why else would Mother torture him to keep him in his place rather than send him to his death? A permanent death would be preferable unless, perhaps, she couldn't kill him permanently.

Once more the demon cringed as the man raised a rock and swiped at a girl as she passed him. He peered into Steve's mind, hoping for a glimpse of intelligence, for a glimpse of a thought. All he found was wild panic, and confused imagery that Cal could not make sense of.

He felt his way along a tether and tried to feed upon the man's soul. Though he was gentle, the man howled in pain and fought, sending back a great deal of agony. The feeding stopped and Cal retreated. The man's spirit was too tattered to repel any demon however the false retreat had no effect whatsoever. The notion of victory never entered his mind. The chaos within Steve was impenetrable.

How do I rebuild him? Mother's slaves broke the man badly. Cal knew nothing about humans aside from his servants. I tried to break him once and he in turn destroyed me. How then does someone knowing as much as I, can possibly heal a broken mind, a broken spirit. The man that defeated me no longer exists, not even a shadow. All I see is violence, a rebel without a mind.

A thought then occurred to him, to seduce the man physically. The females hated him, so using them was out of the question. It would be too much to ask them to touch the man when he could transform himself. What sort of woman would Steve find attractive? When they met, Steve was alone without a companion, at least without a human companion. He sneered at the memory of Bala, the little demon that believed she could defeat him. Where is she now? he wondered. She was as loony as he was. Taking on a human form in order to take a human lover. Humans are much too emotional. I rather not feel than be driven to madness by human feelings.

He slipped along another tether and slowly found his way to a memory. The brain differed much from his servants, for all the bits were small and scraggly, as if starved and shrunken. He sent a burst of energy and slowly the neurons bloomed. Cal almost missed the new expression that fell upon the man's face. Steve looked shocked.

Cal beamed and quickly withdrew himself. Perhaps seduction could wait.