Demons and Gods

Waves roared above the coast of the Sea of Non. Above the sea floated a white-bearded man with a conical hat, his eyes like dark, turbid waters. He was Osk, the god of water, magic, and mischief. He was currently playing about with the waves of the Sea of Non, feeling slightly depressed that this was the largest body of water on the whole of Vinetum. 'This idyllic little city lacks ambition,' he thought. ' How can I stir up this lazy populace?' He looked out at the Sea of Non. That would-be liberator had left before he arrived, or he'd have the perfect pawn to use in a grand scheme for his own glory. He spread out his arms and the stormy seas spun in a colossal whirlpool.

"Ooh, pretty." A mocking voice reverberated around the coastal scene, and from the midst of the whirlpool the Demon King Asmodeus arose, his winged arms spread out motionlessly though he effortlessly floated through the air. "I like your style, Osk. More importantly, I like the way you think, little one."

"Who are you to call me little one?!" Osk bellowed perturbedly, nostrils flaring with his oceanic eyes awhirl, and beard fluttering dramatically. The Demon King waved his hand nonchalantly, and the water god's show immediately ceased, even the whirling Sea of Non returning to its normal, slightly less turbulent state.

"Stop it, Osky. You're still too young." Asmodeus smiled wickedly, "I'm the one who can bring you what you want. Excitement, grand plans... and mischief." The dark, hollow eyes on the demon king's draconic face felt hypnotic and enticing as Osk looked deeper into them, like they were inviting him to throw himself into their darkness. "Most importantly, I can improve the power of your domains."

Celestial entities such as these gods were spawned naturally with low authority over the natural universe. However, when they reached a certain stage, they could choose particular domains within which they could exercise great power, emulating authority and increasing their overall strength. Osk, god of water, often mourned how weakly his primary element was represented on the mostly green planet.

"Go on." Osk intriguedly pressed.

The Demon King's eyes crinkled imperceptibly as he took a moment to indulge in his pride at a soon-to-be successful snare. It was good to strike while the iron was hot. "I am the Demon King, ruler of this world." He looked up like he was caught by surprise, "Oops. It looks like you have a visitor. Do think about it while I'm away." Then the Demon King Asmodeus disappeared in a flash, much more sudden than his theatrical entrance.

From the dark storm clouds emerged a small, child-like entity, with short blonde hair and pale skin, wearing a white sun dress befitting a little girl. However, her tongue extended all the way to her knees, and it was golden in color. Her eyes looked like they were carved from marble, solid and immovable, with no eyelids. She had no ears, and her lips were permanently locked in a thin, polite smile. It was Shora, goddess of sanity, sophistry, and wealth.

"Lord Osk, I have urgent news from-." Her tongue wagged as she spoke.

Osk sneered in disgust, interrupting. "Can't you change that form? It's disgusting."

"As you command, so it shall be, Lord Osk." Shora respectfully spoke, changing into a bloated, frog like creature with tiny wings, her tongue and eyes still the same.

Osk nodded, pleased. "Much better. Children disgust me."

"My most sincere apologies," The toad-like Shora curtsied, still wearing the white dress. "I have urgent n-."

"So you said. What is it?"Osk twirled his finger impatiently.

"Azazel has offered us a hand up." Shora spoke with deep implications hidden in her tone. For once she kept it succinct.

Osk trembled in excitement when he heard this. He was a clever being, and understood instantly what Shora meant. Azazel was offering them secrets and power to advance them to the next stage of existence. "How high?" He asked tremulously.

"The Most High." Shora's words came out in a near whisper.

Osk fell from where he floated for a brief instant before recovering in a panic. "That shouldn't be possible. Azazel? If he knew how, why hasn't he done it?"

"His message suggested that we discuss all the various terms and/or questions in the Armazel Military and Magical Academy, where he'll hold a diplomatic meeting to organize a contract with the six of us. I can't imagine he would make this suggestion empty-handed. We-" Shora delivered the final part of the message from the Magus' Order in her typical loquacious manner.

Osk cut Shora off with a gesture and narrowed his eyes. "All six of us? In his tower? I don't trust it." He shook his head, "Return with this message. We will meet, but at my temple."

"What should I say if they'd rather refuse?" Shora raised the natural question.

"Then there's no deal and we walk away the same as we are now. No harm done." Osk nodded sagaciously, "Now swiftly, deliver my message." Shora vanished like the wind, and Osk smirked. Shora was great for delivering messages because her verbose manner that would run over any other speaker like a freight train. Osk was the only one she allowed to interrupt her, and would even do her best to restrain her talkative nature in his presence.

Osk looked to the skies and mused, 'What could I accomplish if my water domain was really augmented?' The Demon King's offer spun about his mind incessantly. "Perhaps I could even control the waters of The Deep beneath this wretched surface." Osk dreamt aloud of wielding power over the rumored, near mythical underground ocean that few on the surface believed in. Osk was one of the rare individuals who could confirm its existence.

"Such large ambitions. I do admire your courage." The Demon King appeared from nothing, directly in front of Osk, making him jump. "So, have you thought it over?" A devilish smile played across Asmodeus' scaly lips. Hearing the words of the water god before, he knew Osk took the bait.

"Just what would you have me do?" Osk asked, confirming the Demon King's certainty.

His grin spread scarily wide across his toothy snout, and the Demon King conjured a pair of floating ebony chairs, gesturing for Osk to sit as he did the same. "Azazel wants you to draw the wrath of improbability and the Most High." He got straight to the point, knowing he no longer had to string Osk along. The god of water, magic, and mischief was securely caught in the net. "You will play his game however. He wants you destroyed, but if you abide by the principles I lay out, the Most High will allow you to live, even if he disrupts the ceremony."

"You mean the ceremony to ascend to the Most High is real?" Osk gasped. There was only one Most High. This was the incontrovertible Truth since the beginning. Even with the advent of Time and then Death, the Most High remained firm, immovable from his position. To have a ceremony that didn't unseat him from his throne, but raised multiple up to the same level should be a universal impossibility.

"It is." The Demon King smiled, but he felt deep disdain talking about it. Even with his madness, he wouldn't use such a pathetic method to the top. It could hardly count as being the best if you had to share the position, and some indelible truths should remain indelible. The Most High was supreme in part because He was solitary. "The path has been carved through every spiral in their ridiculous-" Asmodeus violently cleared his throat, "-ornate... tower. You'll hear all that nonsense from the King of Fallen himself." The King of Nothing spat out the words King of Fallen. He loathed the implication that he, a fallen star technically, was under the domain of a mere (former) blue star.

Seeing Osk mindlessly daydreaming of foolishness like being on the same level of existence as the Most High, Asmodeus scowled. "Snap out of it!" he barked, making Osk jump. If he hated the humans for daring to exist on a level above himself, how could he possibly abide these comparative insects that dreamed of becoming an eagle soaring above all? "There are two friends of mine... well, subordinates," The Demon King chuckled, face snapping back to polite neutrality after his outburst, "You will go to those beloved slaves of Triac-"

"Aiih!!" Osk squealed like a pig when the Demon King spoke Triac's name. "Are you trying to bring him upon our heads?"

"Silence." Asmodeus impatiently huffed, "What happened to your ambition and boldness? Were you not just dreaming of ruling The Deep and sitting at the place of Most High?" He drew the frightened Osk back into the net. Osk swallowed and nodded, his pride and lust for power winning out over his fear. "Good." The Demon King unveiled a wicked grin, "You will show yourself as a sympathetic deity to the slaves of Ischuros. Afterward, you will introduce my two subordinates to them as brothers, and gods who can deliver them."

Osk nodded with a knowledgeable smirk, "And they will stab them in the back when least expected?"

The Demon King snorted in derision, returning the smirk. "Is that the extent of your imagination, oh god of mischief?" he mocked. "What pleasure is there in bringing the low lower before they've been raised up? They will indeed give the tribes in slavery prosperity and power to satisfy their desires... at a cost of course."

Osk's eyes widened as he finally understood, "And who are these subordinates that you trust so?"

The Demon King waved his hand with an expectant smile, and a black vortex opened up in the air. As the two horrifying demons stepped through the void, Osk's face hung open in a silent scream, his oceanic eyes going completely still in irrepressible terror.

"Aauugghaahaa!" He both screamed and cried at once. Demons taking shape, as new an event as it was, was petrifying even to celestial beings.

"Say hello to M'lak and Ramfa." The Demon King delightedly introduced, pleased at the reaction he hoped for.