“All of you before me are gathered here today because you have volunteered for a chance at becoming something more. To willingly cast aside your own humanity so that you may better fight for our future. For the future of your friends, your families, your neighbors, your lovers. Many of you have merely come here today to watch and observe, and I cannot fault you for this. We, of the army, have nothing to hide from you all, be it our fellow soldiers or the very people that we fight to protect. Today, ten volunteers shall be selected, if they are found capable, and will be changed. You will be granted power. The power necessary for you to fight against the threats to mankind. You will gain the power to wade through the hordes of our enemies and come out on the other side, whole and covered in the blood of those who would see your friends, your families, your neighbors, and your lovers as nothing more than prey. You shall become something more. You shall become the predators that hunt those that would prey upon those you care for. If you are chosen, you shall stand as the epitome of what it means to be a soldier. To be one who is willing to shed their very skin, blood, and bone for the sake of their nation, for their people. To those of you who have volunteered, and those who hopefully will in the future. I salute you. May you fight for humanity’s future with valor and bravery.”

General Hernando Louise stands behind the podium as he speaks into the mic before hundreds of gathered soldiers and civilians. The vast majority of them are simply spectators, here to watch after having heard the news. Those that are here as volunteers are gathered before the stage in neat orderly rows, standing at attention with their backs straight and their eyes forward. Many of the volunteers have the look of hardened warriors about them. As if they have someone they want to kill, even if they have to make sacrifices to do it. It doesn’t take much imagination to think about why it is that they are here.

They have been given a chance to become able to fight on the monster’s level.

Revenge, desperation, simply nothing else left to lose, a desire for power, etc. The reasons go on. They are here because they want the strength to be able to rip monsters limb from limb.

Regardless, this doesn’t stop me from being surprised by the amount of people that have volunteered. There are easily a couple hundred soldiers here. And I am going to have to look through all of them and find the ten that will be the first to change. Depending on how things go, we may very well gain or even lose more volunteers when the next call goes out.

Standing behind the General is Nathaniel and myself. The both of us are dressed in full combat gear, our demonic selves on full display for everyone to see. While I am standing as a lightly armored fighter, my sledgehammer resting before me a parade rest and shadows lazily moving behind me, Nathaniel is standing like a god of war before everyone with his arms crossed before his chest.

He is armored from head to toe in steel plate reinforced Kevlar armor and is looking like he is about to wade into the center of a battlefield with nothing but his fists. And yet, somehow, he is still looking beautiful. His long flowing hair is cascading from the back of his helmet – he chose to keep it long for some reason – and his dumb beautiful face is showing in a way that makes you think that a knight had just come to save a princess from the dragon. Only the dragon ended up falling in love with him as well…

Crap, I really took it way too far when I changed him. I think I might have accidentally maxed out his charisma stat. Hells, half of the people here are just staring at him like he’s a giant sex magnet or something…

Lastly, besides ourselves. There are a bunch of important people sitting in a line on the stage behind us. Some researchers like Dr. Doe, high ranking army officials, members of the counsel that I had recently been introduced to about a week ago, and some other people that I don’t know or particularly care about. Besides them is, most importantly, Sky. Who is looking like an Empress, all dressed up to the nines for this event with two Kobold guards standing proudly behind her. She has her majestic horns fully dripped out with silver chains and diamonds. And resting atop her head is a simple crown carved from the femur of a monster that the gathered tribes had made in her honor. She only wears it when she is doing official Empress business, but when she does, she wears it with pride.

I can tell that many people are looking at her from where she sits on the stage, whispers going around about the newly crowned Empress that they are now allied with. I imagine that most people didn’t take her claims to royalty all that seriously: simply treating it as something interesting or funny. But now they are all sitting in the same room as her and many of them have seen the thousands of Kobolds that now live in Sky’s little section of the base that practically worship her.

Just the other day I watched as the Kobolds busily sculpted a whole tree into a statue of her. By the end of the day, it was covered in offerings and decorations…

Many people are finally coming to the realization that they are in the presence of royalty, and not just that of a beautiful girl playing princess anymore.

Besides the rest, I choose to ignore the eyes that fall on me. Pride fills me as I see how everyone looks at Sky, and some for how they look at Nathaniel. But I don’t need the eyes of the people to fuel my ego. I see how many of them look at me and the rolling shadows that slowly dance behind me. Some are fearful, some are full of longing, desiring what I can give them, feeling the promise of power that I hold, some are even looking at me with hungry eyes as they stare at my legs and feet.

Really trying to ignore those last ones, I disregard all the looks. The attention of others means little to me right now. I am here for one reason and one reason alone.

Once the General finishes his speech, he beckons for me to come forward and speak. I don’t really have a speech prepared… I had tried to write one out, but just couldn’t decide on the right things to say. So, I decided to just wing it and say what I need to say.

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Stepping towards the podium, I notice that his left hand is covered with a glove. Probably hiding the mark of our contract that now adorns both of our left hands. Considering that he is hiding it, it makes me curious about just how many people he has chosen to tell about it. I disregard the thought as I make a step stool for myself out of shadows and step up to the mic behind the podium.

Darn tall people and making everything fit for them. Why can’t they make more things for people that are five feet tall instead of almost six?

Pushing aside my feelings on that and my short-lived remorse for my old body’s height, I speak into the mic.

“Thank you, General Louise. As he has stated, today, ten of you shall be selected to become Demons. You will be given the opportunity to become like Nathaniel and myself. Many of you here have seen firsthand just what it is that I am capable of. Many of you were there with me on missions to push back the monster threat. Many of you have been with me to the city in our quest to reclaim what is rightfully ours. And many of you have seen what it means to be a Demon. You have watched me in the field. You have heard the rumors. And some of you have even become my friends. I am here today, not just to select those who will be changed, but also to offer you the chance to turn back now and remain human.”

I stop and look across the gathered soldiers before continuing.

“As a Demon, there are things that you will need to learn. Parts of your new life that you will have to come to accept. First and foremost is that we are emotionally driven creatures. Much more so than humans. While I cannot speak for Nathaniel as of yet, I myself am now a person that is quick to anger and is very possessive of anything that I perceive as mine. This is not something that can be restrained as easily as a normal person could control themselves. As a Demon, this is a part of me now. And as I continue to grow as a Demon, this is becoming even further engrained into my own being. This, with time, will happen to you as well. To be a Demon is to learn to manage your heightened emotions, though as soldiers, I am sure that you will be able to manage with time…”

I look across the gathered people, noting that no one is leaving yet.

“Secondly, on the subject of time. My blood does more than simply change you and make you strong. It extends the limits of your lifespan beyond that of a normal mortal. I cannot say with accuracy how long you shall live. It could be hundreds, if not thousands of years, but you will live for a very, very long time. For some, this is a blessing. For many others, this is a curse.”

I look to where I see my own parents sitting with Anna, and I have to hold back a tear as I speak.

“You will live to see everyone that you know and love eventually die around you. As you remain young and whole, your friends, your family, your neighbors, and your lovers, will grow older and older until the day comes that they will eventually leave you. And you will have to watch as it happens, wholly unable to stop it from happening. You will experience this time and time again should you choose to remain around mortals. This curse is something that shall remain with you till the day you die in battle. Because, even if life gets to the point where it has lost all meaning and you desire nothing but death, to finally be reunited with those you love in the afterlife, this is a choice that will forever be unavailable to you. This curse is one of life, and after you sell yourself to me, your life will never be one that you can take. For it shall belong to me, and I forbid you to kill yourself.”

I finally rip my eyes away from parents, tearing myself apart on the inside as I see my mother start to cry for me. No one leaves the gathered group as I continue.

“For those that choose to go down this path, I must warn you of the price. You will be selling yourself to me in your entirety. Your mind, body, heart, and even your soul will be mine. In exchange for the gifts that I offer; you must give me your everything. For the gift of Life, your life shall belong to me. Till the day, you fall in battle or to nature, your soul is mine. You will desire to worship me as if I were your Queen. In exchange for the gift of Power, you shall use your power in service to me. My order shall override even your deepest desires and wishes. If I so willed it, I could order you to do anything that my heart desires, no matter how your own will kicks and screams in the back of your mind. In exchange for beauty, I will have your descendants. Every Demon, no matter how pure their blood, so long as yours runs through their veins, they shall belong to me. Your children and your children’s children, till the day your blood fades to nothing but dust shall serve me. From the moment they are born, they shall know me as their Queen. This is the future that we are moving towards. Regardless of how I personally feel about the matter…”

I wet my lips, fighting down the urge to look at my parents or to run over to Sky and ask her to hold me. I have to push through and finish my speech.

“But, thankfully. I am not a monster. I am not a person so blinded by power that I would be tempted to accept these conditions in their entirety. I do not desire slaves, but people!” I exclaim. Taking a deep breath, I hold out my left arm for all to see.

Covered in the scars from when I nearly died over a can of beef stew, I stand before everyone as they watch. I move my shadows.

With a force of will, I command my shadows to move, and they obey. Before the watching eyes of thousands of people, soldiers and civilians, my own family, my shadows form blades and carve into the flesh of my left arm as I grit my teeth. Blood flows as everyone gasps and watches as I carve away at my own arm. A puddle of black blood quickly forming at my feet and staining the foot of the podium black. Some people in audience scream, but I ignore them and continue, pushing through the pain of tearing my own flesh.

“I declare this before all of you here today!” I shout through the pain, my voice flooding the area and silencing everyone, continuing to speak as the shadows do their gruesome work. “I make these three promises, not just to myself, but to the world. Carved into my very flesh for all to see and to know as truth! First. I shall always guaranty the freedom of those I turn or create! I shall not make slaves!” I declare.

The first line is made on my arm, the wound filled with shadows as my flesh fights to heal itself.

“Second. I shall only turn those who volunteer, knowing full well what it is I offer and the price that must be paid. I shall not force my gift on those who do not truly desire it!”

A second line is made on my arm and sealed with shadow. Blood continues to pool at my feet, but I do not stop as the words are etched into my very flesh.

“Third. I shall never regret my creations. I shall give you, my love!”

The third line is carved and filled. And as the final words leave my mouth, I unleash my Field into the world. My words and my promises carried out, over, and into every person that I can touch. Something inside of me shifts into place as a weight settles over my soul.

“I bind these three promises into my flesh, into my blood, and into my soul! All who shall inherit my blood and be called my child shall share in these promises and inherit my will! I make this declaration here today and may the world itself know my words to be true!”

In response to my declaration, the world shakes.