Surumajn's Prologue

"He will try to dissuade you," Master Tai had said. "He will use his powers of speech and charm to make you give up and give in. Make sure you don't."

Funnily enough, Mling never noticed any kind of charm in the devil's speech. Sure, like every evil protagonist he had a tendency to dive into monologues, but the more he zoned into his speech the more sense it made. But Mling was told to not listen, not pander to his powers.

"Your words shall have no effect on me, Surumajn;" Mling yelled. "I know what you're trying to do."

"Do you now?" Surumajn asked lazily. He looked unbothered, and possibly even pitiful. "Let me guess. You've been told that I possess powers of seduction, charm speech and assertiveness and I shall inexplicably use them to deter and demotivate you,"

"And seduce me too!" Mling said, shaking.

Surumajn looked disgusted. "Believe me, I have no intention to touch you, bar to kill you of course, if you insist. I shall do that with weapons, I don't like getting my hands dirty. So please."

"FIGHT ME, AND LET'S SEE WHO KILLS WHO," Mling barged ahead.

The battle was short lived. Within a few minutes Mling lay there, bleeding from every limb, blood oozing from every orifice Surumajn had opened. Gasping for breath, as his life ebbed away, he groaned and wept.

"Shhh, it's alright," Surumajn said, bowing down to him. "You've fought beautifully and as a warrior I'm proud of you. But that's enough now. It was cruel of Tai and others to make you fight me - you could've never won. It's not your fault."

Surumajn may have had a calm and gentle face as he spoke, but he was livid, not at Mling, but at Tai and the Bastion of Elders, for continually sending rookies and young warriors to fight their battles.

Surumajn looked at the writhing Mling. He had slain countless heroes before, but this one seemed to have a finality about it. No more shall young and promising warriors be sent on quests to defeat and kill him. It's about time he left his den and met Tai face to face.

The sun was about to set, and so was the rise of Surumajn's darkness.