was able to cover, seeking the intense heat of an active volcano. Suddenly he saw it. Passing the body of water, he crossed land. Drawing nearer he started to recognize it. “I have been here before - of all the luck!”
Circling the islands off the land mass he found several viable volcanoes. For nostalgia’s sake he glided down to a volcano he had used before. Adramelech coalesced back into his human form behind a lone tourist. This was the place. Of course it had been more active in the past. This volcano hadn’t erupted for at least a hundred years. Never mind it wouldn’t take too much to find what he needed - even if it was dormant now.
He was only here to feed he reminded himself. The compulsion to complete his task was strong. Damn the Magi and their powers. He would only be able to delay for a few minutes.
The people here he remembered were primitive. He laughed at his first memory of this place. He recalled how some natives had stood transfixed as they saw him transform from flames to look like them. Superstitious idiots, he had thought.
The Elder of the tribe had followed him to the mouth of the volcano. Ignoring him - the man was no threat to him - Adramelech walked into the red-hot lava, letting himself melt slowly, luxuriating in the creep of energy as it surrounded him.
With no compulsion, he had spent days in there. For brief bursts he could take energy from ordinary fire but a volcano was by far the best form of energy. When he re-emerged, he was curious to find the Elder was still there. He must have left and returned though because behind the little man stood a crowd of his friends.
In the days he had been gone they had built a crude camp. The tents were made with fur, surrounding a long campfire. The Elder who had originally followed him indicated for him to follow him to the fireside. Adramelech followed, bemused.
At the fire were what must have been the rest of the man’s tribe. It was a ragtag crowd of around thirty, he guessed. There were more men than women, all dressed in furs. To the rear of the group, a woman stood slightly apart. Her red-rimmed eyes showed she’d been crying heavily. Crooning to a child in her arms, she tried to ignore the signals from the Elder for her to join them.
One of the men moved to grab hold of the baby. The woman resisted, holding it tighter. Another man parted from the crowd and struck her while the first grabbed the child. It began to cry. They placed the baby on the mud floor in front of the Elder. It looked up and began to move away to the right, the light and the crackling of the fire attracting it. The Elder smiled and grabbed it. Picking it up he offered it to Adramelech with a nod.
Adramelech shook his head, not understanding what the man wanted, Adramelech looked from the man to the baby and sneered in contempt. What would he do with a human child?
The Elder’s smile faded, the God didn’t understand. He pointed to Adramelech, the child and the fire. Finally realizing that the fiery spirit was not interested in taking the baby, the Elder threw the baby at the fire. The mother screamed and ran to the edge. The men who took the baby grabbed her arms as she passed them to hold her back. She struggled, but they were too strong. She shrieked incoherently - desperate to get to her child. They held her for a few moments more before allowing her to run to the fire. Mercifully the baby died instantly, its small head crushed by a sharp branch.
These people had to be the most primitive Adramelech had ever seen.
...but he began to see the possibilities.
Those people were a pathetic malnourished group of nomads when he found them but by the time he left, they were a force to be reckoned with. Under his guidance, the camp evolved into a huge city split into two, controlling most of the continent. He reveled in the memories. The power he had wielded. He could destroy whole armies just by pointing at them with fire. The dying screams were music to his
Circling the islands off the land mass he found several viable volcanoes. For nostalgia’s sake he glided down to a volcano he had used before. Adramelech coalesced back into his human form behind a lone tourist. This was the place. Of course it had been more active in the past. This volcano hadn’t erupted for at least a hundred years. Never mind it wouldn’t take too much to find what he needed - even if it was dormant now.
He was only here to feed he reminded himself. The compulsion to complete his task was strong. Damn the Magi and their powers. He would only be able to delay for a few minutes.
The people here he remembered were primitive. He laughed at his first memory of this place. He recalled how some natives had stood transfixed as they saw him transform from flames to look like them. Superstitious idiots, he had thought.
The Elder of the tribe had followed him to the mouth of the volcano. Ignoring him - the man was no threat to him - Adramelech walked into the red-hot lava, letting himself melt slowly, luxuriating in the creep of energy as it surrounded him.
With no compulsion, he had spent days in there. For brief bursts he could take energy from ordinary fire but a volcano was by far the best form of energy. When he re-emerged, he was curious to find the Elder was still there. He must have left and returned though because behind the little man stood a crowd of his friends.
In the days he had been gone they had built a crude camp. The tents were made with fur, surrounding a long campfire. The Elder who had originally followed him indicated for him to follow him to the fireside. Adramelech followed, bemused.
At the fire were what must have been the rest of the man’s tribe. It was a ragtag crowd of around thirty, he guessed. There were more men than women, all dressed in furs. To the rear of the group, a woman stood slightly apart. Her red-rimmed eyes showed she’d been crying heavily. Crooning to a child in her arms, she tried to ignore the signals from the Elder for her to join them.
One of the men moved to grab hold of the baby. The woman resisted, holding it tighter. Another man parted from the crowd and struck her while the first grabbed the child. It began to cry. They placed the baby on the mud floor in front of the Elder. It looked up and began to move away to the right, the light and the crackling of the fire attracting it. The Elder smiled and grabbed it. Picking it up he offered it to Adramelech with a nod.
Adramelech shook his head, not understanding what the man wanted, Adramelech looked from the man to the baby and sneered in contempt. What would he do with a human child?
The Elder’s smile faded, the God didn’t understand. He pointed to Adramelech, the child and the fire. Finally realizing that the fiery spirit was not interested in taking the baby, the Elder threw the baby at the fire. The mother screamed and ran to the edge. The men who took the baby grabbed her arms as she passed them to hold her back. She struggled, but they were too strong. She shrieked incoherently - desperate to get to her child. They held her for a few moments more before allowing her to run to the fire. Mercifully the baby died instantly, its small head crushed by a sharp branch.
These people had to be the most primitive Adramelech had ever seen.
...but he began to see the possibilities.
Those people were a pathetic malnourished group of nomads when he found them but by the time he left, they were a force to be reckoned with. Under his guidance, the camp evolved into a huge city split into two, controlling most of the continent. He reveled in the memories. The power he had wielded. He could destroy whole armies just by pointing at them with fire. The dying screams were music to his
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