August 17th, 2022

How long had I been looking at myself in this mirror?

From every angle I turned, I looked human there was not a mark, bruise, or wrinkle on my face. Yet I knew it was not so as I saw darkness embodying the mirror that radiated from my very heart.

My eyes shifted around the familiar dark room as I lay on the bed. Looking up at the ceiling, I saw the lion looking down on me. I was home, but where was everyone? Where was my daughter? How long had I been waiting for word of them with nothing new to go on? When I had first come home, there were signs of a battle that had taken place, but beyond that no bodies to go by. Rainbow said they were still alive, but then where did they go and how had they survived for so long? This was the safest place for her to be while the world goes to hell, here or my mother's last resting place. I would never have that place turn into ruins. I would have beautified it all, if it were not for my fear of drawing too much attention towards it. Instead, my mother would receive fresh flowers upon her grave.

But for them to leave was this Mallory doing and did she take the box my mother had given me? It had to be someone that was in that room. Why did these futile thoughts keep taking up space in my mind? That child belongs to me and what is mine, nothing or no one will stop me from taking. The box, I will know the truth of it.

A knock came to the door outside.

"Mi Lord, dinner is ready."

"Thank you, I was beginning to feel hungry," I said.

"I whil pepa the plates, shall I ge entertainment?"

"Yes, that would be lovely."

Her loud pronounced steps carried through the halls causing the house to shake slightly.

I scratched my chin. I will have to get a name for her too. These servants were nothing like Ralph. That man was just one of a kind.

What will I do with this obsessive hunger that seemed to take me? This desire for something so foreign and peculiar.

I got up out of bed and adjusted my clothes as I stepped into the hallway.

I had made many changes to the halls and the rooms in my spare time. The inspiration came from the sights of what I had seen outside and my own time spent reading. The walls and rooms told a story about a battle of the gods. Zeus and Hades clashed from heaven and the pits of hell. Each wall, each room displayed a separate battle and a different god. Human beings were also a part of this war, caught right in the middle as unwilling participants. They battled between themselves as they were forced onto different sides or caught into mother nature itself. It seemed so lifelike as if you were actually experiencing it firsthand.

All it took was to get the right people and gather the required components and equipment. Only then would my ideas come to this level of grandiose. Even then, those few that saw my idea come to fruition marveled at it as they crafted their life's masterpiece. One last fulfilment before they were gone. The last few had worked today on the last room. Still, it was lonely not having many people to show it to.

I smelt the stew in the air, it had a great aroma. Barry number two had outdone himself, it seemed. To believe the other day he didn't know the difference between a fork and a spoon. Perhaps one day when my daughter is found she would come to enjoy these new treats.

As I came down the stairs, the servants all bowed in their darkened uniforms. Some still had stains upon them from their previous meals, which they had tried their best to hide. I wouldn't reprimand them for it today. Of course, everyone makes mistakes. Besides, it was not like I had anyone important to meet or a business meeting at home.

I took my seat as the king of the house and my eyes gazed around at the large attendance around me. The staff differentiation in their heights was quite an odd sight and sometimes for me, a source of amusement.

They brought a lady forth. She stood now in front of the staff and looked like a lamb before wolves. Her body looked thin and held slight cuts on her shoulder despite being well dressed, she carried a displeasing odour. Her shoulders were sunk and her eyes went left to right from the staff towards me.

She held a flute gripped tightly in her two hands.

I guess I would have to break the ice. "Are you nervous? You can sit down if you like first. It's been a while since I had someone for dinner."

"No! I---," she fumbled over her words as she looked back at the staff and gripped her flute even tighter, "I will start playing now. What would you like to hear?"

"Ok your choice, can you play Debussy: Syrinx?"

She nodded her head.

I gave her a few seconds to catch herself before I signaled to her with my hand to begin. She placed the flute to her lips and then she played. It was a piercing noise that seemed to carry a resounding effect upon the room. Comprehending her mistake, I saw her sweating as she tried again and again with the same effect. It was met with the disgruntlement of the staff behind her.

"Wait, please!" she shouted, realizing her predicament as the staff were about to remove her.

I ran my hand over my face. "Please sit. That was awful. You can't play well if you're nervous."

Like a fish out of water, she took a seat down at the edge of the chair. In was in the mid-way line between me and the staff.

"Would you like something to eat as well?"

"I—."

"Bring me something suitable for her to eat and also a glass of wine for the lady. Don't be picky and choose from one of the many that I have catching dust."

Two of the servants bowed and went to fetch and complete what I had asked for, while the rest remained.

It seemed they were all waiting to hear my remarks upon the meal. They had probably worked hard to capture it and then preparing it as such to my own specifications, knowing that I had such a particular taste.

I looked at the woman as her body shivered by the table, noticing her head was positioned down.

"What's your name?" I asked.

There was no response.

Did she not hear me?

What's your name? I asked again, causing her to jump.

"My name? My name is Maria."

Then there was silence again.

The servant who had gone for the wine had returned. He now poured her a glass of red wine.

She didn't even touch it or look in its direction. Such superb wine wasted on someone who doesn't understand it.

"You know it's common courtesy to ask someone's name in return."

"Sorry—I just...Don't want to displease you... Sir. What is your name?"

"My name is Domenic and I am already displeased. I wanted to have a conversation with you and talked to you about your life and your experiences and we could sit and laugh. Maybe even have some sort of common ground and then, eventually, you would be relaxed enough to play that sound I wanted to hear, but it seems all of that was just wishful thinking. With your company, I would rather dine alone."

"I am sorry," she said as she dropped herself like the dead upon the floor.

"Now you have a mouth?" I pointed at one of the staff in particular, "You can take her back with the rest."

"Please give me one more chance!" she shouted as they removed her from the room.

"Apologies for the poor entertainment, your servants will try and do better in the future," one of the servants said as the rest kept their heads bowed.

I made no response as I turned to the kitchen to see Barry Two peeping his head as the food was brought out and placed before me. It smelt wonderful as I closed my eyes for a moment and took in the aroma of the feet. A glass was placed beside me, already filled thick red with my favourite drink, blood. I grabbed my spoon and played around with the stew. It was a combination of human eyes, the feet, shredded ears, and fingers, it was delicious. With each sip I took, every other monster around me watched with glee as they felt happy to see me happy.

"Was it to your liking?" a servant asked.

"Yes, it was fantastic," I said as I placed my spoon down and the bowel was taken away.

To believe before I didn't think that they could talk, oh how wrong I was. I just wasn't saying the right things. Every monster here already had their names.

Xalmaxok, Geth'tonech, Jagith... these names were all hard to pronounce and didn't roll off the tongue. I always thought from the old books and movies that demon names held power to them and were only ever known to their master. How wrong I was, but truly I still didn't understand how it worked, but I would never let them know that especially the ones that actively sought me out.

They had ranks and distinctions and recognized themselves from one another, a hierarchy of sorts. It seemed almost like five distinct lines of ranking distinctions, but it was all my own theory. One thing I knew was that the turn't humans were at the bottom, the grunts of this society.

Each one of them held unique characteristics to their own selves. They held their own ambitions, albeit in a different way, but were similar to humans in their strive to rise up the ladder and acquire even more power by challenging each other for self-betterment.

The ones that tended my house were the embodiment of my being, in a sense. It was a strange thing for me to comprehend them still even now; they however were my own creations. They learned and could comprehend the world around them at a faster rate than a human. Some of these servants were just a month old, but each one I created took a toll on me. They seem to come more in my private moments of thought. This was probably the closest experience that I had similar to a woman giving birth. There was no pain. It was almost like I was shedding skin or mucking myself, and that formed something new. I didn't have the freedom to mold them to what I want either. They took on their own shapes. Each time, however, I had to rest for lengthy periods of time.

Two, in particular, Brad and Zikshita made me rest for weeks. The one named Zikshita I favoured more than the other. They were more than just servants to me; they were also fanatically bodyguards, or better yet, Royal Guard. Strangely, they all had names from the time they opened their eyes, unlike the rest who seemed to develop their name after becoming somewhat aware. It was nothing like raising a child. They each took a form as naked adults, one woman, and one man. It was like having a dog who turned into an adult in a month.

They kept learning me and trying their best to please me, almost as if I was their own god. Unlike all the rest, they had their own personal human form that was near perfection and could shape shift of sorts.

Higher demons? I chuckled to myself as I wiped my lips with the cloth.

I sat back into the chair. What do I do now? I wondered knowing that I don't require sleep should I spend tonight in the study doing more reading?

I heard a voice in my head. Come find me tomorrow.