"Mikael after today you shall no longer bully me!"

"This young noble will be a Devil Esquire! I shall strut around the Hudson Estate freely!"

"Little cousin, you are getting ahead of yourself."

"It's up to me to keep you focused and treading the correct path."

"If I allowed you to do whatever you wanted, there's no telling the trouble you would cause."

"You!!!"

I attacked Mikael with all my might!

Mikael easily dodged my powerful punch.

I found myself in a headlock.

One day I will best this prick!

"Little cousin, we've been here so many times."

"You're too weak. You must practice your devilry diligently from now on."

"No, a young noble need not practice devilry. I have plenty of lackeys!"

"Azon shall handle all my problems!"

I struggled to get out of Mikael's headlock.

"Little cousin, practice well. I grow tired of besting you."

Mikael tossed me on the ground and headed into the Hudson devil clan's main hall.

I pursued him. We joined the rest of the clan in the Hudson clan's main hall. Soon it filled to the brim with clan members.

Members of the Hudson clan from all over the Xertzul Abyss had come back to the Hudson Estate for this special occasion. I didn't know half of my extended family, but they always showed up today. Something about clan obligations or something. Older devils are weird.

It was apparently time for camaraderie and celebration within the clan! Devils stayed busy, but they always make it home for this special day. Today was the Fel Awakening Ceremony for my Hudson clan!

Every five years my clan had a Fel Awakening Ceremony for young devils reaching the age of maturity. Us young devils would become devilry practitioners. Young devils from ages ten to twenty took part in this ceremony.

Since it was such a crucial part of our growth and development, some young devils waited for a second awakening ceremony to be available. The righteous prick was one of those.

Fel awakening was a very special process. It was the first time we would come into contact with the fel energy of the Abyss and try to connect with an Abyssal Dao. My mother told me that a Dao is a way, a path, doctrine, principle, or holistic belief, a road to greater strength.

A Dao is the order of the universe whose character one must discern to realize their potential. I didn't understand all that, but I will get a Dao today!

The Daos in the Abyss were as endless as the Abyss themselves as the Abyss had existed since time in numeral. Fel energy would course through our veins awakening our latent potential and showing us which type of Devil Dao path was most compatible with us.

"Hopefully, I get a useful Dao," said James.

"Big brother, why does a useful Dao matter?" said Susie.

"It determines how much free fel shards we get from the clan little sister! "

"If the clan needs a blacksmith and you get a Dao that's great for blacksmithing, the clan will pay you!"

"Dad told me all about it, just make sure you don't get a useless Dao. Otherwise the clan will take away all their free resources."

"Why are they so heartless, big brother?"

"The extra resources are to improve the clan. Obviously they won't invest in something useless."

~~~

"Quiet around the hall!" said First Viscount Vollmus.

All the young devils quit their chatter.

"Today you young devils shall enter vein opening, the first official stage of devilry. You will become a vein opening Devil Esquire. A noble devil who has embraced the fel energies of the abyss into their veins," said First Viscount Vollmus.

"Devil Esquires have the fel energies of the abyss coursing through their veins at all times. They slowly assimilate fel within their veins, deepening their connection to the Abyss. Through this process, they deepen their understanding of Dao."

"It is easy to notice creatures beguiled by devils in the mortal planes. In their attempts to gain fast strength and power, they try to learn devilry."

"They go through the same process devils do to learn devilry. Willing accepting the fel energies of the Abyss into their veins, they will become corrupted and changed by the chaotic fel energies."

"They then commit much chaos, strife, and atrocities since the fel energies corrode their feeble minds."

"Creatures not born and raised in the Abyss can not properly acclimate such a chaotic power source. It would give them substantial power, but at a devastating cost."

"By willingly doing such a foolish act, they would have their souls given up to the Abyss and reincarnated as the lowest rung of abyssal demon."

"Beguiling mortal souls is one of my favorite pastimes. It is just one way for devils to increase their devilry."

"I'll cut short speaking about foolish mortals and their wanton obsession for power. This is our devil awakening ceremony. For devils, connecting with a Dao through fel energy is part of becoming a Devil Esquire!"

"Each Dao has its strengths and weaknesses. Right now the clan is looking for a good apothecary so Wood, Light, and Water Dao are the ones we hope to see."

"This Fel Awakening Ceremony will allow you, young devils, to leap over the dragon gate where you go from being an ordinary devil to becoming a Devil Esquire, a true noble devil!"

~~~

"Sister foolish common devils can practice devilry without participating in a Fel Awakening Ceremony," said James.

"They have to train arduously and attempt to gain insights into an Abyssal Dao."

"This path is stupid, who is foolish enough to work so hard when a ceremony could solve your problem. Noble devil clans ensure all young devils take part in one. Even the weakest of our descendants can be Devil Esquires."

~~~

"James stop interrupting my speech with idle chatter!" said First Viscount Vollmus.

"It cost the clan a lot to hold this Fel Awakening Ceremonies. Take heed young ones, not every young devil is fortunate enough to take part in one."

"Those commoners must work hard to step into the Esquire realm! Where you get to step into it with a simple ceremony paid for by your elders."

~~~

"That's just the way of the Abyss grandpa, there is no place for the weak. Noble devils rightfully lord over the commoners!" said James.

All the devilish youths gathered around the meeting hall, listened intently to First Viscount Vollmus. They all wished James would shut up and let First Viscount finish his speech.

~~~

I was the center of attention as I was the son of the Hudson clan patriarch. A leading figure of the younger generation. A veritable paragon of knowledge. It was my duty to enlighten the masses.

My parents had given me much knowledge and preparation for this day. I had trained since youth slowly acclimating myself to the fel energies of the Abyss.

I had even reached the peak of mortal devilry. Noble devils didn't consider mortal devilry a real devilry realm. It was too weak, having no connection to a Dao!

Only by becoming a Devil Esquire would I have any standing in the Abyss. My parents had assured me that if I could connect with a useful Dao, a bright future in the clan laid before him.

I was nervous, but my blood was boiling. I hoped to make my parents and the Hudson clan proud!

~~~

"We hope to have more and more pillars to our clan. You all know our clan is still young so work hard." said First Viscount Vollmus

"We, the noble devils, are the upper echelon of the Xertzul Abyss. The Xertzul Abyss is a place where the law of the jungle prevails, however, noble devils are the chief enforcers of the law of the jungle! Only noble devils or noble devil backed organizations can own land."

"My father Kogthoz, Devil Ancestor, worked tirelessly for the Rez'gal Empire for us to have this large fief. You must not disappoint him, young ones."

~~~

The Abyssal realms were endless, Xertzul Abyss itself spanned countless miles. Fiefs rewarded by Empires were mostly long-term reclamation tasks on frontier lands. Noble devils would have full executive powers when on their fief. Upstart devil clans would have to work hard to claim properly the natural resources of the frontier lands the Empire bequeathed them.

These dangerous lands were abounding with resources that would require generations of effort to claim properly. The Empire would then gladly send down Uncle Sam to take his cut for our clan's hard efforts. All-powerful devils in the Abyss hailed from devil clans. Even when they went out and made their marks in the Abyss, they still held their clans dear.

Devils were a species that valued filial piety, blood ties, and familial bonds highly. It was part of our culture and society. So the nurturing of strong blood decedents was of paramount importance to devil clans. Only through the work of many strong blood descendants could they properly manage a devil clan's lands and natural resources.

My grandpa First Viscount Vollmus presided over the ceremony. Our first lineage was the ruling lineage of the clan. My father, Samuel, was the current patriarch. The patriarch's seat was a position held by the strongest faction in charge of general management, distribution of resources, and negotiations with other powers.

The clan voted every 20 years on who they thought best would serve as patriarch. No one at grandpa's level wanted this position as they would be more concerned about improving their devilry or helping the clan secure valuable resources. The highest strength of the clan was our great Devil Ancestor at the Count level.

As devils we were addressed by our lineage and devil title within the clan unless we held a special position. With so many members of devil clans, this was the easiest way to know a devil's standing in the clan. An example would be Fifth Viscount Targmonik.

He was a talented descendant of the fifth lineage, the same generation as my father. He was a Viscount however and garnered the same respect as First Viscount Vollmus, a member of the older generation. The strong would always find a place in devil clans. What mattered most was a devil's strength in devilry.

I hoped to find my place in the Hudson clan!