Chapter 14
I collected myself after reducing my staff and thought. I reached out, and tried to contact 'Arch Angel, ' or Michael as he was now known. I was still a little unsure of why he considered me his father.
Oh sure, I had created the original program, but it was the goddess, Ishla, who had done that, giving him a real body. Still, I was glad he thought of me the way he did, unnerving as it was.
I finally felt a return contact to my questing thought for Michael. I expressed a desire for him to come to me. He acknowledged and said he would be there shortly.
I waited in the anteroom, and with a flash of light, Michael appeared before me.
"Michael, I have to ask you. Just how powerful are you? I mean, I know the goddess gifted you when she gave you a flesh and blood reality, but what can you do?" I asked him.
He answered slowly. "Well, I have all the information that I knew prior to my separating from the data base where you created the program of me. I have a contact with the computer on earth, and if I concentrate, I can cause it to gather specific information."
"I also have a good knowledge of magic. I have access to the magical field and I am still learning that I can do things I have never done before. Sometimes these abilities present themselves when I need them, other times when I carefully consider a need, an answer comes to mind," he finished, in an amazed tone of voice.
He still looked magnificent. Taller than me by a foot, his wings, while folded and flat against his back, would have filled the room easily. His chest was bare, and he wore a white kirtle, a sort of short skirt like piece of cloth. He was magnificently muscled.
All in all he was impressive to look at. He had light brown hair, green eyes, and fine chiseled features. He was well tanned. I guess he would be, considering he didn't really wear much in the way of cloths.
I informed him of the demon visitor we had, and asked if he would be my back up if I needed help. He agreed instantly, and as we left the room, he fell into what can only be considered a guard like posture.
I made my way back to Mirwanna's side, and she looked at Michael curiously. She also noted my 'cane', but let them both pass.
"Paul, there you are. Vostich has said he will be here shortly, and he will be bringing a couple items with him. He has decided with proper limitations placed on our demon, it should be alright to release him and let him wonder around.
"I will of course, have several guards and wizards escort him, for his own protection," Mirwanna finished with a grin.
I nodded. If Vostich was convinced he could control the demon, who was I to gainsay him?
"Well, I have also done a little to keep ahead, if something does happen," I said, holding up my cane, then nodding to Michael.
She nodded and we talked a bit, with lords and ladies coming up and replacing, and being replaced themselves over the course of the next twenty minutes. Finally, both Mirwanna and myself felt the gate forming, and Vostich stepped through.
He looked around, spotted us and walked to us. Everyone who had been with us stepped away respectfully. You didn't step between a demi-god and his interest, which happened to be us.
"Mirwanna. Paul. I have a couple items with me that should restrict the demon, and also negate that feeling of evil that seems to accompany them. Once these are emplaced on his person, there should be no problems with letting him roam to his hearts content," Vostich said, patting a bulging belt pouch.
"Pardon me if I don't let him roam alone though," Mirwanna said.
I noticed Vostich looking intently at Michael. I even felt him sending probes at Michael, who politely accepted Vostich's inspection. Well, Michael was unusual to say the least.
As a group, we made our way to the niche where the demon had been confined. Elpor studied all of us as we came up. He was particularly fascinated with Michael.
"He looks nothing like the Michael he is named after, you know," Elpor said.
I gaped at Elpor. Mirwanna and Vostich seemed a bit confused, but I knew what he was talking about.
"How do you know what Michael looks like?" I finally gasped out.
"I have had the, er, dubious pleasure of encountering that entity on a couple of occasions," Elpor stated flatly.
"You have met the actual Arch Angel that I based this on on?" I asked, stunned.
"Oh yes. A very humorless being. When Michael is given a mission, he carries it out very quickly, concisely, and with no other thought in mind but to carry out said mission," Elpor said, shuddering.
Imagine that! I wanted to ask him about the real Arch Angel Michael, but thought better of it. Did I really want to know, especially from a demon? Could I really believe what a demon said to begin with?
I put it in the back of my mind. Still, I longed to hear of the real Arch Angel. I had been fascinated with accounts in the bible of the Arch Angels. They had fascinated me from the very start. Ah well, this too was something that I really didn't need to know about first hand.
Demons did not fair well in those confrontations. The devil, Satan, Lucifer, Morning Star, whatever you called him, retained great power after his fall from grace. At least, this was what the Earth I had lived on most of my life believed. Arch Angels were said to be powerful enough to counter the devils power.
While I knew about the Creator of All, I was not about to chide or blame him for his decisions. You just don't have the experience to judge someone who created everything.
That we humans were tasked to take greater responsibility in defeating these demons, if we could, was due to our own stupidity that we were in this predicament to begin with.
While I had been doing this heavy thinking, Vostich had explained the two items he had brought with him to the demon. One would negate his fear aura and the feeling of evil that seemed to roll off him, and the other would severely restrict his ability to do magic.
The demon agreed to wear these items. Vostich passed in the ring that canceled the evil feeling. The demon placed it on his finger, and grimaced. Next he was passed an arm band, which he looked at with seeming disgust, but placed it on his arm, next to his skin.
He shuddered and stumbled a moment, but recovered quickly. He looked at Vostich.
"I have done as requested. Will you now keep your side of the bargain?" Elpor asked.
Vostich nodded, and made a pass, and then held his right hand out in front of him, very close to the shield. When he dropped his hand, the shield went down.
The demon bowed. "Thank you. I appreciate your treating me thusly," he said, and stepped forward.
Mirwanna waved several people over.
"These gentleman will accompany you where ever you go. Yes, they are guards, and wizards. As long as you are free to roam, you will accept these people. If you harm one, we will take this as an act of war, and respond appropriately.
"Do not try to loose one. Do not hurt them in anyway. Your freedom while you are here is hinged on their ability to provide proof to me that you have done nothing untoward," Mirwanna finished a bit grimly.
The demon nodded and bowed to her with a flourish. Damn, but he was good. He made bowing into an art form. I felt like a bumbling fool next to him, at least in the art of bowing.
"Now then, if Paul would content himself to guide me, I would enjoy having conversation, and trying to convince him to be the ambassador to our new city in Morwan," Elpor said smoothly.
"First, we don't recognize your right to be in Morwan to begin with. The city you are occupying is only yours due to invasion. As for Paul becoming an ambassador, why do you want him?" Vostich asked curiously.
"Come now, good Vostich! Historically, invasion has always been an accepted form of increasing holdings. Take your own land of Landkur. Is it not true, that your own ancestors increased the size of Landkur by invading and winning battles?" The demon asked.
"Certainly. But you and I differ in that I don't think you will be keeping your conquest," Vostich replied with a smile.
"Well struck sir," Elpor said, bowing smoothly again.
Vostich nodded, and moved off, leaving me and a small entourage of guards and wizards surrounding Elpor. Elpor looked around, and started moving off towards the buffet table. He sampled several items with obvious enjoyment.
"I must say, your food is much superior to anything most of us get. The flavor of your foods is a delight to the tongue," he said sighing and getting another helping of baked chicken.
Where ever we went, the crowds parted and seemed nervous when ever we approached. The word had circulated quickly that the demon had free reign and was on the move. Even with assurances from Mirwanna, they were all nervous.
For two hours, the party continued and the demon actually spoke with several people, but usually on general things. Still, I memorized who he came into contact with. You never knew when that information might be useful.
The demon tried to engage Michael in conversation, but failed. Michael just stared at him, and remained noncommittal. I actually think the demon's feelings were hurt, if he had feelings. Michael only said early on he had nothing to say to the demon, and there was nothing he wanted to hear.
I was wondering how I could excuse myself and not bring down the wrath of Mirwanna. She had been very particular that I stay with this demon, and I could think of a lot of other things I would rather be doing.
I noticed Mariel coming in my direction. She actually looked quite fetching in her court dress, and I was also pissed that she was coming. I didn't want her to be anywhere near this demon.
As Mariel came up to us, the demon moved forward, gently took her right hand in his, and bowed over it, and kissed it.
"Might I say, you are lovely this evening. You will make a very nice addition to the city we are building here. As the wife of the ambassador here," he paused and gestured at me, "I can guarantee that you will be well received and honored," he said with a flourish.
Ok, he was really pissing me off. I watched both of them, and Mariel had blushed a little. Elpor seemed to be doing everything he could to ingratiate himself on my wife, and it was making me very angry.
I walked over to Elpor and quietly said to him so no one else would
hear, "If you don't leave my wife alone, I am going to do my best to
kill you."