David Goodson

BACKSTORY
As David was growing up, he never really paid much attention to the world and what was going on in it. His idea of a happy life was a simple life.

Wake up, work and make an honest living.

He was working in a local inn with an acquaintance but nothing out of the ordinary in his life. He doesn’t really believe in the God’s and never wanted to go on adventures like he overheard many of the visitors talking about.

In a world of magic, war and dragons he was happy with just being adequate.
One day, the strangest things started happening around the inn. As he was closing one Friday night a hooded figure appeared just outside the window of the inn. Uneasy in his stomach David decided to go outside to ask the stranger to leave but when he came outside, the figure was gone.

He looked around a little but no sign of the figure. He shrugged it off as a coincidence and went on with his shift.
Cleaning tables and putting up the chairs went as normal but as he was dimming the lights and covering the fireplace it with a woosh lid up with the wildest flames he’s ever seen. The fire climbed
up the chimney, up over the roof. He turned to call the fire brigade and get water to stop the flames but as soon as he turned the flames vanished. The fireplace was covered as he intended. No fire.

Nothing.

That very night he had the wildest and weirdest dreams, everything from slaying dragons, saving cities to more sinister dreams such as raping women and hurting people.

He felt this guilty pleasure in his stomach. Uneasy, not normal. What is going on?
He woke up in the middle of a very vivid and terrifying dream, sat up in the bed, opened his eyes and there.
The hooded figure right in front of him. Snarking “DAVID!”
David jumped up from the bed, struggling to light the lamp. As he finally did it, the figure was again gone.
Shaken to his core, he tried to stay up the remainder of the night. Unsuccessful.
As he woke the Saturday morning he decided to go to the nearby cloister and ask for advice. He knew the priests where God fearing idiots but nonetheless, good to talk to.

Walking towards the cloister he could almost see or sense, he is not really sure, the hooded figure following him. Not walking but almost as if he’s appearing all around him in different spots.

He sees the cloister getting closer and closer and the closer he gets the heavier his legs become. The heavier they become the warmer it gets and as he is no more than 20 feet from the cloister, he feels his legs burning, flames from underneath his feet. It’s painful but not as you would expect. Painful as in taking another step will hurt, getting closer to the cloister will hurt but not painful as in he feels like screaming even though it looks like he’s being burned alive.

Flailing, almost panicking. He looks around. No one is looking at him, he tries to call for help. No sound comes out. As light as it is outside, as fast the light disappears. It’s pitch black around him.
A deep voice “David! I will give you a gift. The gift of power”
David responds:
“I have no desire of receiving any gifts, any power”
The voice:
“Hah, I know you David. I know your deepest and darkest desires. I know your deepest secrets. I know
everything about you”
David more firmly
“Leave me alone! I have no interests in what you have to offer. I just want to be left alone!”
The Voice:
“I know what you did to the rats behind the inn David. *snarl* I know what you did to the girl across the street David”
Panic in his body. David refuse to let the memory come back to him. He knows what he did. He knows what he does. He knows what kind of person he is. How can this person whoever it is, this
entity, know about it? What is he? Who is he!
David responds angrily:
“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!”
The Voice:
“But David, all I want is for you to thrive. You are the perfect vessel. I want to help you. I want to help you live out your desires. I want to help you become who you are meant to be.”
As the voice explains to David his mission, visions appear in his mind. Visions of happiness, of full control over himself. Visions of a world in peace. He feels peaceful, a sense of acceptance.
The Voice:
“I am Asmodeus. “
David responds.
“If I let you use me as a vessel, will you give me control. The power you talk about. Will you let me be my own man? I know you do contracts; I know you are the most evil of all the demons. Why would I accept anything you say when I know you will simply trick me?”
Asmodeus responds:
“I will let you live until you die of old age or war. I will not interfere unless asked. You are too important to me. I will grant you my blessings and my powers. My curses and my prowess. As you are
my vessel, you are under my protection. I will guide you and lead you.”
The darkness disappears. Still in the town square in front of the cloister. The flames gone from his legs. David whispers
I accept