Son of the Serpent

by Vashti Quiroz-Vega

  Satan described his cave in great detail, which made it easy to find. It had many tunnels and cavities. Asmodeus, Gremory, Sila, and I hiked to the deepest and darkest corner of the cave. Far away from Heaven’s prying eyes, we first got to know each other.

  Sila’s father was a fallen angel who fought in my army during the war in Heaven. Her mother was a fallen angel who, upon arriving on Earth, was transformed into ifrit jinn. Sila was an intelligent and cunning creature with the ability to shift into human and animal forms, with the exception of wolves. Wolves were her foes. They have the power to vanish jinn to oblivion.

  Gremory was a fallen angel who also fought by my side in the battle in Heaven. He was a four-winged cherub, like me. When he landed on Earth he changed into a vile creature—half demon, half wolf.

  Asmodeus was a fallen angel who had also fought in the war in Heaven in my legion. He, like Gremory, was a loyal four-winged angel. Asmodeus was beautiful, powerful, and capable of flying and running at high speeds in Floraison. Upon crashing to Earth, he transmuted into a creature so hideous to look upon that doing so made tendrils of terror curl in your stomach and bile rise to your mouth.

  Each had their uses, so I kept them close. After a few years, we decided to allow mankind to grow and multiply. Destroying the few humans alive would not be an intelligent move. Besides, the happiness inside me when tormenting these beings was indescribable, so we slept a sleep lasting centuries.

  When we awoke we were mightier than we had ever been, and the world, as we knew it, had changed.

  Adam and Eve’s descendants increased in number and spread throughout the lands. We set out to explore this world and its inhabitants and soon discovered we were gods among them. Mankind both loved and feared us for our powers and abilities.

  The humans gave me many names—mother of demons, queen of the damned, witch-goddess—and still many knew me by Lilith. Humans enjoyed creating labels for what they feared and did not understand.

  Mother of demons? I had to laugh at that one. My desire was to bear many children, to populate the earth with my offspring, but with all my godly powers, I had yet to conceive a single child since I murdered my son, Dracúl.

  One of my visions revealed that only with a being whose powers rivaled mine would I be able to procreate, but did such a creature exist? I experimented with both Asmodeus and Gremory on many occasions, but they were not powerful enough to help me conceive. Many of the fallen angels had been destroyed or imprisoned in other dimensions for wreaking havoc on Earth. Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Esar, Hashmal, and other archangels made certain.

  Of the ones who remained in this realm, some reverted into beings no more powerful than wild animals, while those who remained powerful preferred to mate with less dangerous, human women. Others were too hideous to look upon and remained hidden, and the majority of those despised me and became my enemies. The rest were unremarkable and weak-minded and served as my minions. Yet such a being did exist, someone made exclusively for me. My determination to find him knew no bounds.

  There were thousands of them now, humans. Many of my kind walked among them. At first, Asmodeus, Gremory, Sila, and I hid and observed the humans to learn their strengths and weaknesses. They were like children. I hated them, for they reminded me of God. I thought the corruption of Adam and Eve had quenched my craving for vengeance against Him and everything holy, but the opposite was true. Watching their suffering brought out in me an unfathomable craving to watch mankind suffer for all time.

  I presented myself as the goddess I was, and they worshipped me. They created marvelous edifices and sculptures to honor me. I walked amongst them, towering over them with my massive black wings spread before them, the eyes on them watching the humans’ every move.

  I kept watchful for he who would be my companion. I employed many of my demons and human servants to be on the lookout for a powerful and beautiful being, but no word had come to me. Was it possible this being lived in another dimension?

  In the known world there are many realms separated by dimensional portals—other worlds around us. In my visions I have seen several of these portals linking Earth to these other worlds. What if I was meant to visit one of these worlds? Perhaps it is my destiny to cross one of these planes in order to find he who was meant for me, but I had to be sure.

  Soon, I grew weary of the role I played with the humans. They thought because they worshipped me I was their protector, and they grew comfortable and happy to have me around. I desired the complete opposite. They disgusted me. Their groveling supplication and devotion exasperated me. One day, I disappeared from their midst. My allies left also. The chaos and confusion that occurred after we left was more to my liking.

  They began to make sacrifices of the young and beautiful and invented ever more perverse ways to lure us back. Once in a while, I flew over them in the twilight skies; other times, I materialized in one of my temples for a brief moment, so a few would see and spread the word. These acts made them worship me even more, and so the atrocities committed in my name continued.

  Before long, I learned how to shift into human form. I hid my wings, diminished my divine radiance, and reduced my proportions to a more human size. I walked amongst them as simply another human woman. I enjoyed this ruse because it was easy to influence, manipulate, and bend mankind to my will. I played man against man and caused wars and other great tragedies. I grew to know these sons of Adam well—both their weaknesses and their strengths.

  I kept a watchful eye for the being to be my companion. Gremory and Sila helped me, but Asmodeus refused to take part, claiming he and I belonged together. I did not believe this, and his refusal to help me was a caprice I would make him regret.

  Eventually, man began to fill the earth. Cities and towns grew around us. I visited these metropolises, staying long enough to distinguish who the most powerful influencers were, so I could bend them to my will and cause calamity and pain to the entire city. I searched and gathered other fallen ones who had been in hiding. Upon witnessing my strength, they too worshipped me, becoming my minions and carrying out my commands to create chaos for mankind. I thrived on human misery and made sure a day did not go by without tragedy, sorrow, and deprivation.

  I searched far and wide for my companion, yet I found no such creature. During my travels I picked up many accounts of powerful beings born with the gift of sight, called Seers. I am unable to conjure my visions; they come to me at random, without warning. However, these creatures can invoke visions with incantations and contact. Their power of sight is much stronger than mine. I thought they might be able to reveal my companion or perhaps inform me where to find him.

  I summoned my allies Asmodeus, Gremory, and Sila. “I have been searching for my male counterpart for many years to no avail, so I have decided to seek the help of the Kailash Seers,” I said, measuring the others with sidelong glances.

  Asmodeus scowled at me. “Seers are cave dwellers with a taste for human flesh. It is my understanding that the Kailash Seers are the oldest and most powerful of the species. With one touch they would be able to see more than your future.”

  Gremory frowned and looked from Asmodeus to me. “I am not pleased with your decision to visit the Seers, but I do understand why you feel the need to do so, and you can count on my assistance. Still, I must caution you, these creatures are known to be treacherous. Seers are never alone. There are usually three or more together in a cave. They also have the ability to drain one of their powers.”

  I lifted his dainty, girlish chin. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that although Gremory is male, he prefers to appear in the form of a beautiful woman.

  “Gremory, I am a powerful goddess. What can these Seers do to me? Even if they stole a little of my power, I would still be the most powerful fallen angel on Earth.”

  He bowed his head and turned away.

  Sila rolled her eyes at Gremory as he walked by. “I too am with you,” she said to me. “Where you go I shall follow.”


  I grinned at her and turned my sight to Asmodeus, who was sulking in a corner. “Would you not like to know what lies ahead for you?”

  He shook his head. “You risk much for this being. Is he even worth it?”

  I raked my hands through my hair and snarled at him. “You question me? This being is worth ten of you. The significance of our union means everything to me. He shall be my mate, and together we shall procreate many powerful offspring. And you dare question his validity? Did I say he was worth ten of you? He is worth more than a myriad of you!”

  Asmodeus’s eyes flashed with fury. He pressed his lips into a thin line and crossed his arms but did not speak.

  I sneered and turned away. “We leave at once.”

  I collected three people to gift the Seers, and we were on our way. Gremory and Sila accompanied me, but Asmodeus stayed behind. I decided to deal with him at a later time. The Kailash Seers were not difficult to find, since they carried the name of the mountain in which their cave dwelling was located.

  They hissed and growled when we first passed into the cave but seemed delighted once I showed them the healthy, fetching young people I brought for them to feast on. Of course, the young woman and two young men screamed and struggled to get away from my demon servants who held onto them.

  The Seers were grotesque creatures with enormous amorphous bodies the color of coconut meat and bulbous heads with sharp, pink spines for hair. They had tiny round eyes on the sides of their heads, like blowfish, and large, wide mouths with rows of pointed teeth. I wondered what it would be like to be eaten alive by these hideous creatures.

  Three Seers sat against the cave wall, and I sat before them. The one in the middle broke the silence. “We get one of the humans first, and then we reveal your future.”

  I looked at Gremory and Sila in their demon and jinn forms and sensed no disagreement. “Bring one of the males,” I said to Gremory, who did as I commanded, handing the human to me.

  “No! Please, have mercy! Have mercy!” the young man cried.

  “Why?” I asked, though the question did not beg an answer. I handed him to the Seers. The man had been stripped of his clothing, so the grotesque creatures began eating him at once. The entire process took far too long. The Seers appeared to enjoy keeping the human alive for as long as possible while they ate him, and there did not seem to be any parts they did not like. The stench and the noises they made as they ate were disgusting.

  When they were done, they seemed eager to tell me everything they could. Perhaps they had been hungry for some time. They moved like slugs, so it was doubtful they could leave the cave to hunt for food.

  They began their incantations, a cacophony of horrid sounds, like a combination of elephants growling, a howler monkey’s sorrowful cries, and koalas barking. I wanted to cover my ears, but did not want to show weakness. One of the Seers reached toward my face. I backed away and cringed. It turned and looked at the one sitting in the middle, and they continued their ghastly incantations.

  The Seer in the middle grabbed my hand and stared into my eyes. “This first be learned: there is no need to chase after what is meant to be. One day, you shall come across an extraordinary being. Powerful and beautiful this being shall be, and only he has the seed to render you with child. You shall bloom with progenies under him, and change your life he shall. Abolish your loneliness he shall.”

  I giggled like a little girl, my smile so wide that I thought it would break my face. “Where can I find this being?” I leaned forward, staring wide-eyed, awaiting their response.

  “Patient you must be, for the one you seek shall come to you,” the Seer said before letting go of my hand. “No more to be said. Hungry we are; feed us you must.”

  I rose to my feet and grinned at Gremory and Sila. I gestured to my demon slaves to feed the remaining humans to the Seers and ambled out of the cave. I paused near the entrance to listen to the screams and groans of the lovely young man and woman being devoured by the Seers. When I was satisfied, I went on my way.

  “What could be more significant than finding this remarkable being who shall change my life and give me sons and daughters?” I said to Gremory and Sila as I twirled around with glee.

  Gremory frowned. “The Seer claimed your mate should come to you.”

  I gave an exasperated sigh. “Have I not waited enough? If I can expedite our chance meeting, then that is what I shall do.”

  Sila stepped forward and shoved Gremory aside. “Your quest is now my highest purpose.”

  I caressed her cheek. “That is why you are my favorite.”

  I walked ahead, but the anger on Gremory’s face did not go unnoticed.

  I shall keep Asmodeus, Gremory, and Sila as allies for as long as I have use for them. When I no longer need them, I shall find ways to destroy them. In the meantime, they shall help me fulfill my destiny.

  Certain of my destiny, I began to chronicle the events of my life so future generations may know how it all came to be.

  Chapter 7

  DRACÚL & CORALIA

  I have seen the sun rise high in the sky and vanish below the horizon many times and in many different terrains since I learned my mother had been the monster in my nightmares. I have searched high and low for her, becoming a drifter in the process. To find her, confront her with the truth, and take my revenge became my highest purpose.

  I have witnessed the growth of mankind. I have seen malevolence flourish along with the human race and observed the evils men do. God would not be pleased with the development of His most prized creations.

  In my travels I have lent an ear to many storytellers who told tales about Lilith, Satan, Samael, Dagon, and Gadreel. Some said my mother is a demon, a goddess, a witch. The one thing everyone agrees on is, she is evil and dangerous and causes calamity everywhere she goes. Others said those who died are yet among the living. Horrid stories have been told about me, Dracúl, the son of the devil, which is why I no longer speak my name aloud. Most of what they say about me is lies, distorted truths and exaggeration. Sometimes, I am blamed for the atrocities others have done in my name. Therefore, I go by a different name now, Prometheus, and only those who truly know me know my real name.

  Men have told many stories, but I have trouble believing anything they say anymore. In spite of their flaws, I still believe most people are good at heart. I bear fondness toward the race. However, at times I wonder which has the most capacity for evil—my kind or theirs.

  I have come close to finding my mother on several occasions, but she always seems to elude me. Of course, she does not know I search for her or who I am. She is always on the move.

  Most recently, a wise old man I met in my travels spoke of a city called Shuruppak, where he said she had been when he visited. If she is no longer there, I may still be able to find answers to her whereabouts. So without hesitation I traveled a great distance to find this city. The trek was long and arduous. Had I remained in my red fiend form and flew the entire way, the voyage might have been much shorter and less strenuous, but this was impossible due to the number of human villages along the way.

  One day, still many miles from the city of Shuruppak, I picked up a vibrant, melodious voice as I walked along a white, sandy beach. I stopped in my tracks and listened. I recognized the singing almost immediately. I dashed toward the melody, stumbled on a rock, scrambled to my feet, and ran again until I fixed my gaze on her. It was Coralia. She held herself above a smooth, flat rock, her lower body remaining in the ocean except for the end of her tail, which she flapped over the surface of the water as she sang.

  “Coralia! Coralia!” I cried out. It had been so long since I spoke to someone who knew my true name, and I was eager to spend time with her again. Many years had gone by since we last saw each other. Like me, she had not aged; in fact, she had not changed whatsoever, except to become more fetching. She stopped singing and turned her head in my direction. When she caught sight of me she gasped and slipped into the water.

 
; “No, please do not be frightened. It is I, Dracúl.”

  My true name felt foreign on my tongue. It seemed Coralia did not hear me, because she swam away. I raced through the water, calling out her name, but she continued to swim into the distance. I dove in and swam after her at great speed. After a while, I realized catching up to her was impossible. I was weary from my journey and had not yet fed, but I was compelled to go on treading water. I was far out in the middle of the sea, and I had lost her. A deep ache in my chest wore me down further, for I had longed to interact with her again. My bottom lip quivered, and my limbs felt heavy. I began my long swim back to shore.

  It was not long before the muscles in my arms, thighs, and lower legs twitched and tightened in a painful way, robbing me of my energy. The coastline seemed miles away. I made an effort to move on, but my body trembled uncontrollably and I began to sink. I moved my feet and hands, trying to keep my head above the surface of the water, but my limbs, paralyzed with fatigue, would not cooperate.

  Sinking, I reached toward the surface but kept plummeting. My pulse raced, and I was overwhelmed by a sudden sensation of fear so strong that it prevented rational thinking. I lost control and inhaled water. The pain was intense, like swallowing fire. My lungs burned. I was unable to think or act with clarity; I lost my sense of direction. In my last effort to survive, I transformed into the red fiend, but a whirling sensation in my head took me away.

  I awoke on the beach. Through blurred vision I distinguished Coralia’s captivating brown eyes. My head rested on her thighs. “You saved me,” I croaked.

  “Dracúl, what were you doing in the middle of the ocean? Do you wish to die?” she said, something akin to pity in her eyes.

  I sat upright, retched, and coughed. Then I gazed into her eyes. “There have been many occasions when I wished to take my last breath, but this was not one of those. I spotted you from afar and desired your company.”

  She reached out and caressed my face, and then she kissed me on the cheek. Her lips were soft and warm on my skin. A strange, but pleasant, sensation coursed through my body, and bumps formed on my skin. When I caught sight of my red arm, I realized I was in my fiend form. I hurried and changed into my human form. She screamed and recoiled.