came into existence, He dispatched His servants to accomplish His purpose. With the powers given, they spread out and brought order to the creation. They labored mightily and long to bring this about. Once they completed their tasks, they returned to the Light of His heavenly realm. The Creator was pleased with their labors and glorified them."
"After the universe was brought into order, He then shared His thought with them about His second creation. He would bring humans into His creation, populating the worlds that He had made for them. Humans would be unique, creatures of both the physical and spiritual realms, and be given dominion over the worlds they lived on. The Creator told them that they were to be the guides and guardians of mankind, younger children of the same Father."
"When this was explained to them, a large minority complained about the favored place that man was to be given. Were they not the first and most powerful of His creations? Had they not worked mightily in the creation, yet their reward was to serve these lesser beings? They told the Creator that they would not help man and see their rightful place in His heart taken from them."
"As the Creator sat silent in thought, this host of heavenly creatures began to argue, something that had never occurred before. The rebels berated their brothers, calling them slaves and the arguments turned heated and blows were struck. Strife and chaos overtook the heavens as the creatures, immortal all, fought."
"In the midst of this turmoil, the Creator stood and, with a gesture, quieted the hosts. He was displeased and saddened by the disobedience of the rebels. He told them if they would not serve Him as He commanded, they would be cast out of His Light and creation forever. Some repented, but others openly defied Him. For their rebellion, He cast them out of the Light and into the Darkness."
"In this Darkness, their rage and hatred over their punishment further twisted their spirits. They became the demons we know now." Tomaris paused, taking a sip of his cup.
"So, how come they are here?" Jake asked. "How did they escape?"
"That is the question that I have given my life to answer." Tomaris replied. "What some texts indicate is that, after being cast out, the demons could still move about in the spiritual realm, seeking to influence men to rebellion and hatred of the Creator. While they could not touch the physical realm, they still had the powers given to them. Somehow, on this world, that prohibition was skirted. Some of the writings talk of a 'rift' or 'tear' between the realms that allowed the demons to escape."
"How come this place isn't overrun with demons?" Jake asked, perplexed. "If they had a way out, shouldn't they be everywhere?"
"A large number came over, Jake." Tomaris said gently. "However, understand that there are factions amongst the demons. The fact that some crossed over caused others to stay. The rebellious spirit that they took with them into the Darkness did not change. If anything, it became more pronounced."
"Also, something happened that they did not expect." He continued. "Several references in the histories were made of a 'blending' when the demons crossed over. From what I have gathered, this meant that their spirits became 'blended' with the physical bodies. They could no longer enter the spiritual realm, only sense it, and they became subject to the limitations of a physical body. They retain their power and immortality, but can die if the body is damaged enough. Unlike humans, they were not created to have a spirit separate from the body, so when they are killed here, they are destroyed utterly. Facing that oblivion, many chose to remain in the Darkness."
Jake sat there in silence, trying to absorb what he just heard. The room was quiet, only the faint sounds from the courtyard coming from the patio, Tomaris and Dominic waiting on him. Finally, he asked again. "So what do they want with me?"
Tomaris reached over to pat Jake's hand. "I believe that they seek to turn you to their side." He said gently. "This power you wield is unique. There is something about you that allows you to access it. My theory is that this uniqueness makes it possible that if you turned, unlike their half-men, you can use their dark power. That would make you a very powerful and dangerous tool." He paused as if to say something else, then shook his head slightly.
"However, do