FINAL ASSIGNMENT (II)

Klade cannot believe his ears. He did not see this one coming. Even if his ancestor is joking with him, his eyes and super senses cannot deny the blatant truth. This young demon, who could be mistaken for a human, albeit a very handsome one, is none other than the rumored scion of Pride, his beloved ancestor.

If demons believed in luck, he would be congratulating himself for having Mother Luck look upon him with favor. But demons detest anything that has to do with luck, more especially the demons of Pride. Acknowledging luck in any way goes against their core beliefs. A dissonance in their core beliefs can totally disrupt their essence and cause severe harm to their True Souls.

Unlike other Sins, Pride kept his scion hidden, for reasons best known to him. Thus, everyone knows that he has a son. Nothing more. Klade concludes that the rumors flying around did the young demon a grave injustice. “He is healthy. His life force seems average, but his aura is not any weaker than that of a high-ranking demon. Perhaps, it might be even stronger. Given his father’s propensity for concealed strength, I don’t think he will be any different,” Klade reasons.

“If I didn’t know you better, I would have thought that you’ve been entranced by my son’s looks.” Pride chuckles bringing him out of his reverie. “Travis is young and quite intelligent for a demon his age. He has some skill in archery and swordplay, hobbies he picked up for leisure. He’s quite strong too, as compared to his counterparts. At least, I’m quite sure of that, even though he’s never dueled them before. However, he is far from becoming the demon I want him to be.

I have appointed you to be his guard, teacher, guide, friend, and everything else he needs you to be. He has been shielded for far too long. If he remains here, he will only regress, as I have taught him everything there is to know about his heritage and identity. Now is the time for him to be exposed to the reality of other worlds. And you will be by his side in this journey of maturity and rediscovery.

I will once again reiterate that your life is tied to his in more ways than you think. You must be willing to give your life to protect him over and again, without fear or hesitation. His life is far more important than you can ever realize. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“You are excused. Tell those cowards on the other side to report to Commander Azazel for their ‘rewards’. Were it not for the war coming, I would have granted them the highest sentence. They are a complete disgrace.” Klade bows and exits through the portal Pride opens, granting father and son their much-needed privacy.

“What did you learn today, son?”

Travis takes his time to gather his thoughts together. The act of leadership is no mean feat, irrespective of level, nature, or era. Observing everyone’s mannerisms, trying his best to read their minds (and inadvertently hear their thoughts) without being discovered, and following the flow of conversations while concealing his presence is a herculean task, one that he tried to accomplish, with little success.

“I learned that leadership is not as easy as it looks.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

“It’s not impossible, but the way you handle everything with such skill and panache gives one the illusion that it’s that simple.”

“It’s that simple.” “It isn’t,” Travis argues. He cannot bear to think that he once believed he was ready to succeed his father if anything goes wrong. The clan of Pride would not even last a year before he’d be assassinated by usurpers in the name of preserving the clan. Either that or the clan would slowly crumble. He shudders to think of the legacy of Pride ending with him.

Feeling his son’s uneasiness, Pride places a hand on the younger demon’s shoulder. “I have always been proud of you, son. You might not be capable enough yet, but that doesn’t make you any less worthy than you are.”

“That’s why you d-didn’t name me your heir? Because I’m not good enough, right?” Travis tries to keep his voice detached and uninterested. This doesn’t escape his father’s watchful gaze, as evident in his response.

“I did not declare you my heir because you aren’t good enough. True. But that’s not the only reason. I also did it to protect you.”

“Protect me from what, father? What are you protecting me from?” Pride ignores his scion’s petulance, knowing that it comes from a place of anger, pain, and something else. Something deeper. Something he’d never own up to shame. Travis is ashamed of himself. Ashamed that he’s unworthy. He believes that he has failed himself, his father, his clan, and the entire demon kin.

“One day, son. One day, you’ll understand.” Travis tries to argue but thinks better of it. His father smiles at this. “You’re learning. Arguing cannot change anything. It only serves to further expose your ignorance and immaturity. Look at me.” Travis slowly turns to look at his father. He struggles to hold the older demon’s gaze.

“If you cannot look a demon in the eye without flinching, you are far from exercising control of any form over that demon. As my seed, you cannot falter. Demons must squirm under your gaze. You do not cower under theirs. The legacy of Pride is not inordinate self-esteem or an ostentatious way of life. It is the firm, undying resolve to remain true to yourself at all times, come what may.

What makes us authentic demons of pride is not arrogance alone. It is the uncanny ability to grasp the true essence of pride, nurture it into a fearsome monster and tame it, thus becoming its true master. We will resume this talk another day. You still have a lot to learn.”