Creative Writing: Oedipus The King

He and behemoth took their seats as the far side of the large, royal family table, sitting away from the others. They weren't the last to breakfast, egyn hadn't arrived yet, and neither had Asriel, but that wasn't a big deal, those two always slept in, besides, it wasn't as if coming to breakfast was mandatory. No one cared. Iblis as always was full of energy, even in the morning and he contributed the most to the buzz of activity at the other end of the table, regaling his annoyed brother's with obviously made up tales of heroics and great feats.

Lucifer, bored of Iblis' antics got up to get what Amaimon assumed were his second helpings of breakfast, but could have easily have been his thirds or even fourths, the light King had always been

a heavy eater. Samael had been like that too, he told Amaimon once that the elder sons, and satan himself ate so much not because they were gluttonous, but because the amount of power they commanded they burnt through calories very quickly. That had also explained why Samael had always been so skinny despite eating almost twenty four seven.

Lucifer got his plate, piled high with almost everything offered at the food table, performing an amazing balancing act by keeping it all from topping to the floor.

He passed the earth King on the way back to his seat and jabbed him in the shoulder hard with his fork "hey, no familiars at the table, father's rule," he growled, causing all the others to laugh from the head of the table. Each one snickering at him. Amaimon frowned, but said nothing since it would most certainly be beyond foolish to do so. He reached a hand up and massaged his shoulder where it was now sore, keeping his eyes lowered as he felt tears well up and his appetite leave in an instant. Behemoth gave a sad warble before picking up his plate and scooting off his seat, sitting in the floor with his food next to the small King. In all honesty Amaimon probably would have gotten up to leave then and there had he not heard the distinct, deliberate, commanding footsteps of his father entering the dining

hall.

Everyone scrambled to stand at attention, the earth King along with them, all of the bowing respectfully as Satan entered the room. "Good Morning, father." They said in unison, still bowing as Satan went to get his own food, acknowledging them only with an off handed "sons." As he dictated to a servant what he wanted to eat since he didn't feel like going through the trouble of preparing his own plate.

Once it was made he sat at the other end of the table, and everyone else was allowed to take their seats and continue eating once more. For a long while, everything was fine, Satan didn't speak, Amaimon's brother's chattered, and no one bothered him...until...

"Amaimon, what's gotten you out of your room?" Satan asked cooly, pointing his fork at him accusingly.

Amaimon swallowed thickly "B-Behemoth...needed to be walked..." He stuttered quietly, feeling the food he had managed to eat rise in the back of his trout, threatening to come out due to nervousness.

Satan gave a sarcastic chuckle "you shouldn't be pushed around by your pet, you're even weaker than I remember."Amaimon kept his head low, not answering, picking halfheartedly at his food. Unfortunately his silence only seemed to goad his father on, the king of hell sneering at him "not only weak, but ugly, look at you, coming to breakfast hardly even dressed."

Amaimon winced and behemoth pawed at his leg, trying to encourage him to stay strong, but it harder than Amaimon ever thought it would be.

Eating wasn't really an option now and the fork in his hand clattered to the table, banging against his plate. A flurry of laughter rose up from the others, each and everyone of them snickering at him. Tears welled up in the earth king's eyes and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, trying not to let the tears spill down his cheeks. Shoulders shaking, the earth King focused hard on his plate, so hard that he didn't notice satan standing from the table and walking over to

him.

The child King jerked in surprise as his arm was grabbed hard. He looked up with wild eyes the the king of hell. His mouth opened is shock and his mind slowed in its panic, however, despite the overpowering panic that drowned out his thoughts, he knew very well what was coming.

"Someone's gonna get punished~" Iblis chimed playfully, laughing at the earth King. Satan scowled and snapped his fingers, causing the fire king's plate of food to flip over into his face. Satans didn't like such childish behavior from his sons.

No.
No.
No.
No!

Not again! No more punishments! Please! He couldn't take it!

Amaimon cried out, trying to pull away instinctively, which only served to make his father angrier. He was tugged from the hall in a rush, Behemoth growling and trying to run behind them before Satan stopped for a split second to let the hobgoblin catch up, only to kick him once he had "you need to teach your Familar its place." He snarled, watching the round creature tumble away win a pained cry.

"Behemoth!" Amaimon cried, reaching his hand out for his Familar in vain. He barely caught the pained, worried look in the demon's eyes as he was suddenly swept away by the snap of the demon king's fingers. He closed his eyes tightly against the rush of teleportation, knowing father had used his magic to transport them, yet when he opened his eyes he found that they were not back in the dungeons. If fact he wasn't sure where he was...he had never been in this room before...

It was obviously a bedroom, a bed on a raised marble platform taking up the center of the room. Yet, the room might as well have been a library too, the walls themselves built in selves on three out of four sides. The side not made of books, or the alcoves for desks that accompanied it, was filled with wide widows that looked out into the city portions of Gehenna's Capitol. In one corner or the room, in an alcove in the books, stood a huge mirror. Above the bed, mounted as if they were a stuffed, hunted animal, were a pair of large, golden wings.

Why was he here, he wondered, browse furrowing, turning to his father, but he was given no answer. Amaimon was suddenly tugged across the room, to one of the doors on the other side. He was led into a large bathroom. It was nothing like his own, where everything was shiny and white, no, the dark marble from the bed room continued into the bathroom. Everything gleamed coldly, even the tub was a dark shimmering metal. Amaimon wondered why he had been brought here.

He was lifted up quickly and place on the sink counter, Amaimon froze up.....what was happening?

"Tsk, you're filthy," Satan grumbled, starting the bath. Amaimon scrambled back against the wall, eyes wide, what was happening!? Satan had never shown any parental behavior towards him, the only person who had ever given him a bath was Samael, why would his father?

Satan pulled him back in a less than gentle manner "you need to get cleaned up." He stated mater of factly.

Amaimon cringed, tensing up, shaking out of fear. Whatever was happening the earth King was more than positive it wasn't good "I-I don't want...t-to take a bath..." He stuttered quietly, tugging to try and get away. He received a swift slap to his cheek, making him whipper in pain, his attempts of escape stopping as he realized such attempts would be swiftly disposed of. He was plucked quickly from his spot on the counter, lifted up for father to tug off his shoes, pants, and underwear, leaving his lower half bare. He yelled and crossed his legs, hands scrambling to cover himself. Father chuckled softly and something about his reaction filled the earth king's veins with ice.

His shirt was quickly removed as well, leaving him bare and whimpering, small body quivering with a mix of nude shame and fear. He was picked back up easily and he squirmed in his father's grip. This wasn't the way Samael had ever done it, undressing and carrying him carefully, no now he was held up with one hand, dangling above the floor like a cat picked up by the scruff of its neck. It hurt his arm to be cared this way, the whole of his weight pulling on his shoulder as father lifted him up by the wrist. He twisted about fruitlessly in Satan's grip, legs kicking, growling lowly, every instinct inside of his screaming to move, to run, to fight, but he couldn't. He was tossed roughly into the bathtub, water sloshing from the sides and splashing to the floor. He cried out, trying to get out of the bath, but satan's hands pushed him down, making him scream.

The water was much too hot, turning his skin an instant angry red, burning him to the point where he could of sworn he felt blisters forming on his back where his skin touched the hot metal of the tub. Amaimon bit back tears, the absolute worst thing to do in a situation like this was to cry. Father would punish him even more if he did. Satan gave a snap and Amaimon felt a brush in his hair, tugging roughly through the knots. The earth King winced, this was also not how Samael had done it all.

Everything was rough and fast, the brush pulled and tugged, pulling out chunks of his hair, making the earth King jump every time. Satan would hit him over the head with it whenever he cried out too loudly though, so he tried to stay as quiet as possible. It ended quickly enough though and then the demon lord's hands were in his hair, washing it. Soap got in his eyes and he tried to brush it away, only to have father push his hands roughly back down. The soap made his eyes water, encouraging hose tears to come, Amaimon hoped against hope that father just thought they were water.

Father washed all of him, not speaking throughout the whole ordeal. Amaimon wondered why he had not just commanded a maid to do it. He was not gentle in any interpretation, scrubbing his red skin raw, hands all over his body, even as he tried to hide and cover himself, not wanting Satan to see him. No one but Samael had ever seen him nude before, and to be naked in front of father was beyond embarrassing, it felt extremely wrong.

His hands were everywhere, scrubbing so very roughly, turning his skin even more red than than the scalding water had caused it to turn. Amaimon worked hard to stay quiet and sir press his tears, any other efforts had fallen away completely, leaving him laying limp in the tub, defeated. Eventually father broke the silence, his voice a quiet, soft murmuring "...you should grow your hair out, I remember when it was long..."

'Long hair?' Amaimon had never had long hair, sure it wasn't the shortest, but it wasn't long. the earth King tilted his head, he did not understand why father had said such a thing.

"I remember how beautiful you used to be."

Amaimon looked up, even more confer now, no one but Samael had ever called him beautiful. Besides his looks hadn't changed all that much in his life, he was still very young, what was the difference, what was the need to point those differences out. However, as he looked up at the lord of demon's more questions were asked than answered.

Satan's eyes were different, his glazed over stare swimming with memories of the past. He wasn't focused on the earth King any more, that much was very clear.

"Oh, but you never were too fond of me, no matter how beautiful I told you, you were."

Fond of father? Of course not. How could he ever be. He was a monster. He hurt him every chance he got. He'd ripped out his eyes not a month ago...and what war thing about telling Amaimon he was beautiful, that had never happened at all.

"But, there are other ways to change your mind. I've been thinking, Lilith, perhaps you don't like me because we just never got the chance to really get to know each other."

Amaimon froze, Lilith? Who was Lilith? What was father calling him her..? What was he carrying on about? Didn't he know who his own son was?

Amaimon didn't have much time to dwell on these questions as he was plucked from the bath, carried much more gently this time, pressed to father's chest. He squirmed about, he would rather be carried by his arm than be this close to the demon king. However, just as before getting away was clearly impossible, Satan's grip still iron.

At least it was for a moment until he was spilled unceremoniously onto the eldest demon's bed, giving a surprised cry as he was dumped onto the blankets. He scrambled back against the headboard, not daring to run. Amaimon kept his legs closed tightly, not wanting to expose himself, tail wrapped tightly around his small quivering frame.