the man in front of her. The darkness that surrounded him seemed to confound her vision and, while much of his face was hidden, her fear increased as she focused on the two black eyes that pierced through the shadows.
Trying to calm her, Clifford raised his arms above his head to show he meant her no harm, but she viewed it as a threat and ran towards her village. He could only make out one word that escaped her lips. “Daemon, Daemon!” she yelled.
Clifford stood shell-shocked, wondering what to do next, the word daemon ringing in his ears. From the nearby village he heard yells, and saw a group of men carrying sharp sticks and bows sprinting down the path in his direction.
Angry at their response to his presence, he considered fighting them, but knew he would easily kill them. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, so he used his newfound speed to rush back to the safety of the forest and easily outran them, their cries fading away as day turned into night.
Through the sleepless night he considered the woman’s description of him. Daemon . Maybe that’s what he was, an evil demon from the depths of Hell. Surely his condition was not natural and therefore, maybe he didn’t belong in this world. But why not? He was entitled to life just like any other creature on the planet.
A darkness grew within him and he began to embrace the title of demon. It’s what he was. He made the decision to further develop his abilities and then put them to use against any who would not accept him back into human society. He was not ready for a major battle yet, but he would be soon.
Training began immediately, as he focused on those abilities that he did not fully understand. Meditation helped him harness the power of his mind and sync it with his enhanced body. A breakthrough occurred when he was able to reduce the darkness that surrounded him to a gray shadow by intently thinking about it. It took some concentration, but with time he was able to maintain this reduction of his darkness. He could never remove the shadow completely—it had become a part of him—but he could lessen it to such a degree that he could escape detection.
Just as he was able to minimize the darkness around him, Clifford found that he could expand it. On a sunny day, he could cover the forest in a shroud of darkness and cause the wind to whip through the trees, ripping off branches along the way. Once he even caused a dark cloud to appear and lightning to strike amidst heavy rain. He was ready.
Chapter Fourteen
N ow fully in control of his powers, Clifford made his way through South America and back into the United States. He used his speed to avoid all human contact until he had crossed the border into southern Texas, eventually stopping in Dallas.
His first contacts with humans were wonderful. Most people assumed he was an outlaw, his dark, mysterious look fitting in with many of the rough-edged villains that roamed the desert. Liking the way people regarded him with fear and respect, he adopted the outlaw lifestyle.
He joined a small gang of bandits and quickly took over leadership, as his abilities served him well in his new life. He gained their respect by drinking hard, winning fistfights, knocking off banks, and eventually by single-handedly winning shootouts with cowboys and lawmen.
With the territory came the adoration of women, and his good looks made him the center of attention in this respect. Clifford had a different girl every night, many of whom became pregnant and bore his many children. He witnessed the birth of his first child, a boy. The first thing he noticed about the child: his deep, dark eyes.
When he used a small knife to cut the boy, to his astonishment his skin healed within seconds. Clifford was joyous. He could pass on his powers to his offspring! From that day forward he kept the births of his children a secret and took them away to be raised in a hidden camp in the mountains.
Once his children were of age, he
Trying to calm her, Clifford raised his arms above his head to show he meant her no harm, but she viewed it as a threat and ran towards her village. He could only make out one word that escaped her lips. “Daemon, Daemon!” she yelled.
Clifford stood shell-shocked, wondering what to do next, the word daemon ringing in his ears. From the nearby village he heard yells, and saw a group of men carrying sharp sticks and bows sprinting down the path in his direction.
Angry at their response to his presence, he considered fighting them, but knew he would easily kill them. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, so he used his newfound speed to rush back to the safety of the forest and easily outran them, their cries fading away as day turned into night.
Through the sleepless night he considered the woman’s description of him. Daemon . Maybe that’s what he was, an evil demon from the depths of Hell. Surely his condition was not natural and therefore, maybe he didn’t belong in this world. But why not? He was entitled to life just like any other creature on the planet.
A darkness grew within him and he began to embrace the title of demon. It’s what he was. He made the decision to further develop his abilities and then put them to use against any who would not accept him back into human society. He was not ready for a major battle yet, but he would be soon.
Training began immediately, as he focused on those abilities that he did not fully understand. Meditation helped him harness the power of his mind and sync it with his enhanced body. A breakthrough occurred when he was able to reduce the darkness that surrounded him to a gray shadow by intently thinking about it. It took some concentration, but with time he was able to maintain this reduction of his darkness. He could never remove the shadow completely—it had become a part of him—but he could lessen it to such a degree that he could escape detection.
Just as he was able to minimize the darkness around him, Clifford found that he could expand it. On a sunny day, he could cover the forest in a shroud of darkness and cause the wind to whip through the trees, ripping off branches along the way. Once he even caused a dark cloud to appear and lightning to strike amidst heavy rain. He was ready.
Chapter Fourteen
N ow fully in control of his powers, Clifford made his way through South America and back into the United States. He used his speed to avoid all human contact until he had crossed the border into southern Texas, eventually stopping in Dallas.
His first contacts with humans were wonderful. Most people assumed he was an outlaw, his dark, mysterious look fitting in with many of the rough-edged villains that roamed the desert. Liking the way people regarded him with fear and respect, he adopted the outlaw lifestyle.
He joined a small gang of bandits and quickly took over leadership, as his abilities served him well in his new life. He gained their respect by drinking hard, winning fistfights, knocking off banks, and eventually by single-handedly winning shootouts with cowboys and lawmen.
With the territory came the adoration of women, and his good looks made him the center of attention in this respect. Clifford had a different girl every night, many of whom became pregnant and bore his many children. He witnessed the birth of his first child, a boy. The first thing he noticed about the child: his deep, dark eyes.
When he used a small knife to cut the boy, to his astonishment his skin healed within seconds. Clifford was joyous. He could pass on his powers to his offspring! From that day forward he kept the births of his children a secret and took them away to be raised in a hidden camp in the mountains.
Once his children were of age, he
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