The Devil You know 1.3 The Demesne .1 (Patreon)

Kept punching away at this. Let me know what you think! Obviously the Chrysalis chapters are in the works, they'll be up shortly.

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Bbllizmthblilbbl, the third of his name, lived and prospered on the world of Flloloshl, an aquatic world dominated by a sapient race of crab-people, the Crutea. Bbllizmthblibbl lived his crab life as well as a crab person can, or so he thought. He may have clacked a claw in anger from time to time, but which crab didn't? He wouldn't claim that his shell was the cleanest around, the mud of life rubbed off on everyone and not always in equal amounts. 

When he passed away at a young age in a violent brawl outside the lava vent baths, Bbllizmthblibll passed onto the afterlife where he was told, much like Theo had been, that he hadn't qualified to go 'upstairs'. At first the crab had protested, vigorously at first, then violently. As a result he had been … subdued. A mild way of saying 'pinned down by a horrifying squid demon'. Then the administrator had shown him a 'greatest hits' of his life in a short film projected directly into his brain in a way that caused extreme agony. After they had reminded him of the petty thefts, that one case of insurance fraud, his brief string of write ups for grand theft shell, and a lifetime of casual public property damage (he'd had a rebellious streak, he could admit it) he was able to understand their point of view.

But 'lo! A second chance was to be granted unto Bbllizmthlbibbl! A chance for him to finally manifest his glorious destiny! As a Demiurge he had taken control of his domain and revelled in the newfound power and glory that he enjoyed. A world he could shape however he wanted. Captive souls he could treat however he pleased. Nobody to tell him what to do, nobody would could stop him from doing things the way Bbllizmthbibbl wanted them done!

This time things would be perfect. This time he wouldn't be denied.

He had expanded his demesne rapidly, coming into contact with neighbouring realms almost immediately. Naturally he had moved decisively to assert his dominance. It was important they knew who the big claw was in this corner of the Chaos, just as the entire universe would know in time.

Sadly it hadn't worked out that way. In short, Bblizmthlblibbl had been kicked right in his crabby ass. His forces scattered, his demesne torn apart and his realm stone on the verge of collapse. A dismal failure for the second time in two lives, he had reached out with both claws to the last opportunity left to preserve his life. An offer from the Administration to live on in a diminished form, giving up all claim to the demesne, relinquishing his power as a demiurge and take on a role as an advisor to the being that was chosen to take his place. 

The only catch being, if he wasn't accepted by his replacement then poor Bblizmthlblibbl would be obliterated, his soul cast into the void to languish in conscious non-existence for all eternity. So when Theo happened to accept Adelaide's proposal he had one particular crab very happy indeed.

All of this had been explained by the pathetically grateful crustacean as it clung to Theo's leg whilst he tried to calm the poor thing down. Theo himself had to deal with a the barrage of revelations that had battered him as the crab spoke, leaving him reeling and unable to process the flood of words properly.

Aliens existed. He felt that he hadn't known that before.

More specifically crab aliens existed. Living out their crabby lives committing insurance fraud and petty theft in their crab cities beneath the waves.

Then there's the existence of the void and the possibility of sentient non-existence for eternity should he fail at managing his demesne.

How is that even a thing? Theo wondered. Can you not exist and be aware of it?

When he contemplated how that might possibly feel, chills ran through his soul. Was that to be his inevitable fate? Theo didn't know how long he would live as a demiurge, he didn't want to rule out the possibility that he may in fact never age, another concept that caused his stomach to churn, but he imagined that at some point his realm would have to fail. Even if he was a wild success as a demonic despot (something he doubted very much) how long until someone bigger and meaner came along to kick his sandcastle over? A thousand years? Ten thousand years? What difference would it make if he were to be consigned to perpetual torment at the end of it! 

There was also the implied knowledge of the existence of rival demesne' and the conflict between them. He hadn't imagined that he'd be forced to make war on other demon lords, but when he considered it, he had to admit it made sense. This was hell, or, a vast collection of hells. Of course they would battle each other to the death. Theo had never been in a fight his entire life, how was he supposed to engage in conflict with literal demons?!

It was too much for Theo to take in all at once. He sat down with a thump, the broken rock beneath jabbed into his thin legs through his nondescript trousers but the thoughts spinning through his head prevented him from paying any notice.

"Are you well, flesh sack? Has my tale of misfortune and woe moved you to tears?" Bbllizmthblibbl sympathised with the soft master of his former domain. He scuttled up next to the limp creature and patted on the back with one claw. 

It must be tough to have all of your insides outside, the crab thought. How backward.

Theo didn't bother to reply, his only reaction being to sink forward until his head rested in his hands, his eyes shut as he attempted to lock out the world and think.

His mind was still so fuzzy, emotions and memories were blurred at the corners, like a photograph taken from a moving camera. The general shapes, the outlines could be made out but detail just wasn't there. When he reached for his emotions they felt like echoes of what he felt they should have been, dull, a black and white image when he knew there had been vibrant colour before.

He felt confused and upset by his inability to remember and feel but even those sensations were muted and lacked intensity. Even if he wanted to throw himself onto the ground and panic he just couldn't muster the strength of emotion to do so. 

He was sure of a few things that he was feeling, sensations and emotions that resonated with who was sure he had been.

'Who I AM' he thought to himself firmly.

If he started to second guess his consciousness, who knows what dark hole he'd wind up thinking himself into. With his head resting in his hands and his eyes closed he tried to shut out all sensory information and focus his attention on how he felt and what he thought.

I died.

He let that thought echo in his head for a moment, let the ripples in his consciousness settle. 

Why did I die? Did I leave anything behind? What was my life like?

He had no idea. He couldn't remember. He couldn't even feel angry about it, not really. Where his past life had been there was only a void and a distant part of him yearned to fill it. He wrenched his thoughts away from the subject of his own mortal death. He could turn his attention back to it another time when he was more stable, he had to establish his mental state and his immediate path forward.

First, he felt uncomfortable with the number of things he didn't know about his current situation. Uncomfortable wasn't a strong enough word, hated, or was sickened by, felt more right but what he felt was too shallow for such strong terms. Perhaps when more of his memory returned it would be more clear but for now he could assume that not knowing was something he felt strongly against.

Second, he felt a vague but growing nausea, a twisted sour sensation in his gut that's origins felt harder to pin down. After he considered it for a time he decided it's source was a general unease at the lack of familiar surroundings and circumstances. He was in a place he'd never been, expected to do things he'd never done before, and he existed in a way that was entirely new to him. The lack of familiarity was disturbing to him.

So, if he were to apply logical thought (a process he felt he approved of), then the first thing he needed to do was secure a source of information. The crab with the unpronounceable name was ostensibly here as an advisor, but considering he was a failed Demiurge, how useful could the creature's advice be?

Adelaide had mentioned that he would be granted access to a 'market' and that he needed to learn how to manipulate his 'realm stone' from his advisor. That seemed as decent place to start as any. If nothing else he would learn something.

"Crab" Theo said as he lifted his head and beheld the crustacean who had taken to knocking a small stone from one claw to another has Theo had ceased to be entertaining.

At his words the creature looked up before he turned around to look behind him?

"Me?" asked Bblizmthlblibbl.

"Do you see any other crab here?" Theo asked, exasperated.

The crab drew himself up to his full height, about thirty centimetres.

"I am not a 'crab', whatever that may be, I was a proud Crutean of Flloloshl! I have only been reduced to this" he gestured to his diminished form, "due to present circumstances but this is not my true form!"

"Fine" Theo tried to pacify his agitated advisor before he got pinched by a waving claw. "Look, there's no way I can pronounce your name with my mouth. Can we agree that I'll call you Bbl?"

Bbl stroked the top of his shell for a moment with the point of one claw.

"I think I can live with that" the crab conceded, though privately he felt contempt for Theo's fleshy form. Can't even pronounce a proper name? Useless!

"Good" Theo pressed forward, eager to make progress, "now Adelaide mentioned that you would be able to teach me about the realm stone?"

"Of course I can" Bbl declared, "there is no aspect of being a Demiurge that I didn't master to an unparalleled degree! Utilising the realm stone? Childs play! Come this way!"

With that powerful (and frankly non-credible claim to glory), Bbl scuttled towards the plinth atop which the dark stone rested. Theo pushed himself to his feet, the shattered stone beneath him shifting as he did so and walked after his advisor.

Good thing I've got shoes on, this stone would be a pain if not for that.

Actually, how did he get clothes? Had he awoken with them on? He cast his mind back and he couldn't recall a time when he hadn't had them. From the moment he had become conscious in the waiting room he'd been dressed as he was now, plain brown leather shoes with business socks, ironed pants and pressed buttoned up long-sleeved shirt. 

Dressed for a day in the office he thought to himself but couldn't recall his office or what it was he'd done there.

The entirety of his 'kingdom' was not quite twenty metres across, so the two reached the plinth in the centre in a few steps and Theo took in the sight of his realm stone for the first time.

At first glance, it wasn't much to look at. The platform it rested on little more than a column shaped remnant of a rock, cracked in many places with parts having crumbled to nothing. At waist height the plinth appeared to have been cut, or perhaps a piece of rock had torn free leaving behind a somewhat flat surface on which the stone itself rested.

Black and smooth where the two impressions Theo developed as he gazed on it. The realm stone had no shine or gloss to it, no hint of being glass or a reflective quality. Instead, it looked heavy, solid despite being small enough for him to hold in the palm of his hand, Theo felt it was immovable. If someone were to try and smack it with a baseball bat, he felt confident without knowing why that it would refuse to budge.

At the base of the plinth, Bbl ceased his scuttle and tapped against the rock with one claw.

"The realm stone is basically your soul" he led off with.

"Wait, what?" Theo snapped his gaze from the stone to his advisor, shocked.

Bbl looked up at him and shrugged his claws.

"Look, if the stone falls into the hands of a rival Demiurge, you're done. It's the realm stone that maintains the stability of your realm here in the Chaos and it's the anchor that ties your existence to this plane. If it's gone, you're gone. Get it?"

The casual way the crab spoke meant the words hit home all the harder for Theo. He looked back at the dark stone that sat atop a broken rock platform and swallowed heavily.

My life depends on nothing happening to this stone.

Theo resisted the urge to pile a few loose stones on the top of the plinth to prevent his realm stone rolling off. It'd be fine there for the moment. No problem.

"Okay, I get that much" he said. He didn't understand it, but he could accept it, for now. "What does the realm stone actually do?"

"Everything" Bbl responded.

Theo looked down at him and Bbl looked straight back. They held this pose for a minute.

"Fine!" Bbl burst out and threw up his claws, "I'll explain it all then."

He grumbled about ignorant meat bags under his breath for a moment before he straightened to look up at his new master.

"Before we talk about the stone, let's just remember where we are and discuss what that means."