A Master of the Night

The thought of being the king of the world sparked a fire in Julius's soul that urged him not to refuse such an offer. He was born for this exact purpose, and he lived to free the world from the darkness. Julius also had this feeling that Harald has a secret that he has been hiding from him since his birth, but he never shared it with him. He then had no choice but to go up to the dark creature and make a deal with him. No god of earth or sea could help him on this path he has made as he stood before the Demon Wolf.

Then Julius takes the chalice, and he takes his time and looks upon it as midnight continues. It appeared as if no time had passed, and time must have been broken as he stood before the Demon Wolf.

"Drink," the wolf said. He spoke as if he had dominion over the knight and wondered where his fate would take him in the later years of his life.

Without hesitation, Julius drinks the blood and gulps it from top to bottom as the creature stares at him. The creature's eyes were getting much broader and more intense every second. He stared at the descendant of the king of Midland. At first, he was hesitant, but he was feeling fearless against all the odds which might stand in his way. He drinks the last sip of the blood and drops the vessel as he looks at his hand; he saw so many changes to his body and felt like he was going to struggle to get out of there. Julius sees nothing but his veins appearing before his eyes and his flesh, acting like it's ready to crumble.

For a moment, Julius saw his life flash before his eyes and witnessed many things that might happen. The Demon Wolf's power was not one to be taken as a joke; his dominion is twenty times stronger than the power of the demons. At first, the process seemed painful, but it took a bit of time to get used to after a few minutes. Julius's veins would reappear, and his new power will take full effect only in the night, and he will be back to his plain self again in the daytime.

"What now?" He asked. Before the wolf could answer him, he started having smoke revolve around his body and leaving his fur, and he released a howl.

But it was not some ordinary howl a normal wolf would have no problem making, it was a howl combined with shrieks and rouses up from all different angles. His face was no longer visible to Julius; his body was now a circle of black smoke, ready to dissolve and appear some place else. Then, the smoke charges towards Julius's body and enters his soul, and the knight could not withstand it. The smoke was clear enough to tear through someone's body and remain attached to them forever. Julius felt pain for a long while, but it seemed to subside as the night was still before him.

Then the Demon Wolf answered and said to him, "Now... I belong to you. Now, I am bound to you. You carry my blood, and you are now more powerful than your brother. Together, we will take the world for ourselves, and the people will notice that it is by our hand that we will rule over them as their king. And I promise you that one day, you shall reign forever and usher a new era for the world. Your people will bow to your sword, and they shall fear you as they fear the demons."

Julius felt his chest burning up and his physical nature changing, but he still appeared and remained a human. He had other plans for himself, and only he needed to be a part of it; he did not want the beast inside of him to interfere.

"I... want to go home," Julius said.

"So be it," the wolf said. In a blink of an eye, Julius immediately found himself down to the long road which led back to his house.

He needed just as many questions as any man would ask a person of higher knowledge and strength. Julius looked up and noticed the highest peak of the mountain was up in the sky. He then noticed it had been three hours past midnight, and everything that has been done cannot be undone. He walked back to his house as he felt his chest burn his entire body, and he felt like a full-on thermostat. Inside his body, the wolf found many things to talk about and so much more to discuss with him.

"I see you like to think a lot about your daughter. Soon enough, she will be out of your house and live on her own. One day, she will pick a man to be with, and both of them get married and have children," the wolf said.

"My daughter is not your business, creature. You came inside me because we would do something great in the future. If I want your opinion, I will ask," Julius said.

"Fine, no need to get your breeches in a twist. I'll let you know that it won't be long until your brother does something treacherous against you. That is when you do the right thing for protecting your people and your kingdom. You got the job, and I'm here to make sure you do the job right."

"I don't need your opinion on such matters. When you're inside me, I feel disgusted. I feel as if you're messing with my head and not having the balls to tell me. I'll let YOU know that I'll still be with my wife and daughter. And if you make me act against my will, I will kill you myself."

"Oh, don't make me gag, Julius. I already know everything about you. Ever since you walked before me, I knew there was something in you that proved you to be much better than any other human that stood before me. You may not know this, but I will make sure you stick to the plan, even if I have to force you to do it."

"Ha. You told me you belonged to me. Now, that makes me your master. I have already done what nobody has ever done, and there shall be no other. I've killed more demons than I could ever count, and I will go to the pits of Hell, and I will be the victor amongst all who tried and failed. You are mine, and I will decide when you can gain some freedom in death."

Julius had no choice but to make the dark creature believe everything he is saying and must not doubt him. He was strong enough to make a will full of iron, and magic tricks would not work on him since he never considered himself a traitor. Then, he saw his house from a considerable distance, and it was about two miles away from where he stood. The Demon Wolf is now bound to Julius's mind and soul, but he is powerless to corrupt it and make him turn to the demons. All he could see was great darkness in the night, but the moon's light could give him an unobstructed view of how far away he is from the house.

"Ah, you don't want to tell your wife your greatest secrets. Why hide things from the woman you took as your wife?" The wolf asked.

"Why are you asking me this? I know I told you I could not be turned. I got enough power to turn this world inside out, but you won't care once I do it," Julius said.

"That's not your ultimate desire in life. You are protecting your wife and child from the darkness. But look where that will lead you? Remember, you have the power to kill all the demons, but there is one more who is mightier and powerful than any demonic beast you've ever faced before. I'm talking of Bael, the ultimate demon. Power like mine... you will be victorious. But you must be prepared."

"There's going to be some changes, demon! I am now your lord and master. You will listen to me and not speak a word! You will not talk while I'm with my wife and my daughter. I would rather die a thousand deaths than watch you harm them! That is something you will understand, and I will do unimaginable things to you if you get in my way."

And so, the Demon Wolf remained silent for the rest of the night and stayed inside Julius's soul as he went back to his house.