It was fear. After all that work I had finally found the weapon that would destroy the demon. But we had gotten split up and I was alone. My friends... I didn't know if they were dead or alive. And the next thing I knew I was looking up at the beast. My heart beat faster and my palms grew moist. The weapon in my hand felt heavy and I didn't know what to do with it. How do I use this? Can it even be used by me? And all the time my eyes were locked on the hideous demon that had appeared so suddenly as if waiting to catch me in the act of defying his laws. My mouth was dry and I flicked my tongue over my lips to try and rid myself of the leathery feeling parched lips causes. The cave around us was dark and a thin layer of water covered the floor.
He started to come towards me... And I couldn't take it. The fear... it was too much for me. I hated myself for the coward I was even as I fell to my knees, groveling and begging him to spare my life. I'll do anything.. anything, just please.. don't kill me. Tears streamed down my face and my lips were so close to the waters edge I could have tasted the foul fluid. "Here," I said, "Take the weapon, take anything, just don't kill me.. please.. please.."
The demon grinned, if you could call it that. Looking up eleven feet into a mouthful of sharp teeth and then quickly averting my eyes, I could almost feel his breath on me. One hand reached down to help me up. Claws extending from each finger... It was ironic. I had always taken pride in my smooth skin and now I was more than willing to touch what just may burn me. But his massive paw was cool to the touch. "I will spare your life, but you must live it as my servant. Prove to me your loyalty... destroy the weapon."
I nodded as much to myself as to him and began ripping pages out of the book and dropping them in the water to be soaked through and the ink smeared until the words were illegible. Now I had no way of hurting him even if I had been brave enough to try. I looked up at him and trembled. Surely my friends wouldn't blame me... surely... But I knew even as I thought it that they would. I had betrayed not just them, but also the world I had just doomed to eternal slavery to this thing that crawled out of the pits of hell. I didn't know whether I was more disgusted at it or myself.
"Come with me now," He said, pulling me along behind, and to my amazement my legs moved along behind him even though my knees felt like jelly and both legs shook as if I had just done too many laps around the gym.
He moved through the tunnels as if he had been born in this place instead of in some other dimension. Suddenly the cavern widened into a large room. Stands were naturally formed out of the rock face and I noted to my horror that all seven of my group had been lined up in chains. Their hopeful expressions turned to resigned despair as they guessed that we had failed. And then the demon turned to me and smiled evilly.
"Prove to me your loyalty, slave. And I will give you your life." He gestured to an elaborate altar in the center of the room. "Take those wet clothes off before you catch a cold,"(Chuckling to himself),"And go lay yourself down on the stone."