Demons Ascension - Not Dead

[Posted by Ted H]

aka-exposition dump part 1

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[Demons Ascension - Not Dead]

            There was an annoying and heavy scent of incense in the air. James placed a pillow over his face to stop from smelling it but he learned the pillow itself was also permeated with the smell. Then he realized not only was he now awake, but he was still alive. He sprung up in an unfamiliar room with a series of towel placed over his naked body. the entire bed felt damp with an odd smelling liquid. At the far end of the room in the doorway was a man in a dress shirt and sweater with black rimmed glasses and blond hair spiked up.
            "Where are my clothes?" James demanded.
            The man turned to his left and in a sarcastic tone said "Gee Matthew, thank you for saving my life!" He then turned to his left and spoke more normal but still with a slight hint of sarcasm said "No problem Blake. I sure love putting my ass on the line against Satan's minions to save the insignificant lives of people such as yourself!" James stared at him while he looked back over. "In a pile at the foot of your bed," Matthew said as he turned and left the room.
            James quickly jumped out of bed and scrambled some clothes on. He had no idea how long he was out and it didn't matter to him when he picked up his shirt and examined the hole in the back and the uncomfortable amount of blood that was around it. He reached behind him and felt the cut and some stitching. The entire area around the cut felt sensitive and raw, almost like he was also burned. He threw the shirt on and made his way out of the bedroom.
            Out in the living room sat Matthew in an elaborate armchair while sipping out of a coffee cup. James could tell by the smell that there was no coffee though. "Have something to drink," Matthew said as he motioned to the lone cup sitting on a tray on a nearby table. "No thanks, got some coffee?" James asked as he walked over to a less elaborate looking chair near Matthew. "That wasn't a question, have some," Matthew said "It helps your recovery."
            "I feel fine," James said but took the cup anyway. The drink looked like watery mud and didn't taste that far off. James made a face as he drank some. "It's organic," Matthew said "Good for you." James put the cup down. "Diarrhea is natural too, but you don't see anyone putting it into a cup to enjoy later," he said. Matthew was not amused. James took a second to look around at the vast and cluttered collection of strange books and figures strewn about.
            "Thanks," James said after a moment "Seriously. That guy came out of nowhere. Fast too."
            "That was no man," Matthew said "And he was actually moving pretty slow as far as demons are concerned."
            James waited for Matthew to smile or hint that he was joking, but he maintained a stern look. "Demon?" he asked.
            "Yes, Blake," Matthew said as he folded his hands onto his lap "I know you've pissed off a lot of people in the past, but a soldier of hell coming for you is a record even for you."
            "What makes you think it was a demon?"
            "That thing knew where to stab you; Exactly where you were shot before. That's not dumb luck either, it was right on without looking or moving your shirt. It was also the dagger it used." Matthew picked up a book from the floor and turned to a page that showed a large dagger curved exactly like the one James found in the apartment basement.
            "When I appeared and confronted the demon," Matthew continued "It broke off an end of the dagger in you."
            "Why?" James asked as he inadvertently reached around and placed his hand on his  wound.
            "To kill you faster," Matthew said, maintaining his stern look "It wasn't going to be able to kill you on the spot, so a broken piece of the blade, left to fester in you, would do the trick over time. He wanted you to suffer."
            "But you got it out, right?"
            "Not at first, but I got it. I had to heavily cleanse your spirit before I could even begin to pull it out. The demon obviously did not think I was able to do such a thing."
            "So it thinks I'm out of the picture."
            "Yes. And if you're smart, you'll avoid pissing any more demons off in the future."
            "Not possible. I have a knack for annoying everything I come across."
            "Yes, you are quite the charmer in that regard," Matthew said as he rubbed his temples.
            "How'd you even stop the demon?"
            "The magic of the old gods is still quite potent."
            "Old gods?"