episode 3
.
Several months passed and I did not return to the
Human World. I was terrified of running into another
Angel. I did wonder about Will, though. Did he get in
trouble? I'd hate to think he would be punished
because he didn't end my "miserable" existence.
I was in my room, reading, when I heard that name
echo around me, growing louder and louder. She
purred and then it felt like my head was about to
split open. I ground out, "Open."
The ground left my feet, but I didn't fall. It was black
for several heartbeats before a bright light blinded
me. I nearly fell when earth was suddenly beneath
me once more.
"I-it worked!" An incredulous voice cried.
I looked in front of me, blinking quickly as my eyes
adjusted to the light. It was a male human, who
looked like the Baker's son from all those months
ago. His scent was different; he smelled of the
stables and not freshly baked bread. He was
dressed shoddily, with holes in his trousers and
patches of different cloth on his tunic. He was
beaming at me, positively thrilled at whatever it was
he had hoped to accomplish.
"Rayi, I have summoned you to carry out my
revenge."
Born demons have a being that lie dormant inside
them. No one knows how these beings come to be
or why they are in the mind of born demons. These
beings have their own personalities and names,
which they tell their host the first time they
communicate. As the host matures, the being—
known as Adsecula—eventually merges with the
host until little to nothing of the original demon is
left. The process is known as "Metamorphose." My
Adsecula went by the name Rayi.
I ignored my Summoner and peered at the ground
beneath me. I was standing underneath a massive
pentagram. I was annoyed, finding Summoning to
be troublesome. Humans would summon us all the
time, temporarily forming a contract with us to do
them some sort of service. Usually concerning their
dirty work like avenging a lost loved one or helping
them line their own pockets. Doing a contract
hadn't been high on my to-do list that day.
At Rayi's prodding, I sighed, "And what shall you
give in return?"
His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat nervously,
but the determination in his eyes never faltered. "My
soul."
The idea of consuming his soul was so
unappealing, I made a face. He likely would not
taste good: man souls often tasted rough, like
chewing leather. Judging from the callouses on his
hands, his soul would be especially tough. His face
twisted into puzzlement when he saw my face
scrunch up. "I'm not interested in that...Hey, you
know what would be a good payment?"
Rayi snarled, What are you doing?! A soul is so
much better than what you're thinking of!
I ignored her protest. Wordlessly, he shook his head,
the fear coming off him in waves now. He probably
thought I would suggest his heart or something,
which was just as appealing to me as his soul was.
I wasn't a Heartstealer demon. "Y'know those poppy
rolls in the bakery?"
"Y-you want that?" He asked uncertainly.
I nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. I want a whole
box of those. It's a win-win situation: you get to live
and enjoy the vengeance longer and I get something
I can actually enjoy."
My Summoner gaped at me like he couldn't believe I
would rather have rolls than his soul. "U-um, this
isn't a trick, right?"
I placed my hand over my heart and bowed at the
waist, not too low; he was beneath me after all. "A
demon cannot lie to their Summoner when they
enter into a contract with them. So long as you
honor your end of the deal you have nothing to fear
from me. Now, name who has wronged you and I
shall avenge you."
"The bandit, Nathaniel." He replied, fists clenched at
his sides. "He took my bride's life at the altar."
That was the thing I hated about humans, their
reasons for summoning demons were usually petty.
Calling us to do their dirty work because they were
too cowardly to do so. Still, those rolls were too
good to pass up. "It will be done."
He looked relieved, his smile thankful. I went over to
a tree and leaned against it patiently. The human
looked at me, confused. "W-what are you doing?"
"Waiting for you to tell me where to find him." I
replied, folding my arms across my chest. "I am not
omniscient."
He gave me this disappointed glare, as though it
was my fault I wasn't all-knowing. "You can find
him at Peak Tower; it's to the west, roughly a
couple kilometers from here. He'll likely have guards
with him; I don't care about them. You can do
whatever you want with them."
I nodded and he thought of something else. "How
will you find me?"
"I will smell you out once the task is complete." I
added, tapping the bridge of my nose with my index
finger. "You may leave."
He spun on his heel and ran in the direction of the
human settlement, their dark roofs peeking over the
trees.
I folded my arms across my chest and shut my eyes.
I breathed in deeply, mouth open. There were no
foreign scents quite yet, but I knew it would be best
if I moved quickly. Pushing off the tree I headed
west, quickly locating the trail he spoke of.
It was the season humans called autumn, the leaves
floating lazily to the ground from the trees. The air
was cooler than the last time I'd been there and I
gave a little shiver.
Cold affected demons similar to a human, but it took
us longer to die from hypothermia. I certainly
wasn't dressed for the weather; I was wearing a
high collared short sleeved dark blue dress. My feet
were bare—I hated shoes with a passion—and
beginning to grow numb from the cold dirt trail
beneath them.
The Human World was truly beautiful, I mused,
breathing in the strong scent of decaying leaves. A
herd of deer grazed in the clearing to my right, the
buck lifting his head to regard me. He gave a
startled stamp of his foot. The others immediately
stopped feeding and fled. After that, the forest was
dead silent.
A decrepit tower came into view off the trail. I began
to head toward it, deciding not to be tactful. The
sooner I completed this contract the better. My ears
perked as I heard an object whistle through the air
as an arrow embedded itself into the ground just
inches from my feet. I stopped walking and looked
over. A man standing in front of the wooden door
was holding a bow, nocking another arrow.
"Come any closer and I won't miss!" He warned,
pulling the bow taut. His armor was heavy looking
and stiff, not permitting him to have a traditional
bow stance. He had it horizontal, strangely enough.
He would be slow in firing it. I noticed the dagger
sheathed at his side and predicted he would use
that if I got directly in his space.
I ran forward, dodging the arrow he released. He
dropped his bow and unsheathed his dagger as I
got too close for him to successfully launch another
arrow. I caught his wrist and throat before he could
swipe at me, slamming his skull hard into the
stone. His eyes rolled back and he dropped the
dagger as he went limp. I released his body, pushing
it to the side so I could open the door.
Silently, I crept up the stairs of the tower, pressing
my side against the cold stone wall. I heard snoring
up above me and smelled several indistinctive
scents; they all reeked of blood and steel. Moving
quickly, I leaped up the last few flights, landing
directly in front of a surprised looking man.
"Intruder!" He lifted his broadsword, ready to bring it
down on my head. I caught the blade between my
hands and yanked the weapon away from him. It
was heavier than I anticipated and let it drop to the
ground, moving my foot quickly out of the way when
the blade landed too close for comfort.
The other humans raced toward me, their weapons
ready. I grabbed two of the ones closest to me and
threw them over the side of the tower, their screams
cut off with sickening thuds.
"So, which one of you is Nathaniel?" I purred,
smiling lazily at the three remaining bandits.
I studied each carefully before my eyes locked with
the one who wore finer armor than the other two.
Fear permeated the air around him. My smile
widened. "Found you."
I leapt toward him, pinning him to the wall. His two
men fled, their weapons forgotten. Nathaniel stared
up at me fearfully.
"You have wronged my Summoner and must pay for
what you have done. Blood for blood." My blood
was simmering pleasantly in my veins, the
anticipation of reaping this human becoming almost
unbearable.
"Please, God, no! I'm sorry!" He pleaded, his eyes
watering.
"'God?' This isn't his work, I'm afraid."
Melanie, stop playing with our prey. Finish it. Rayi
scolded, though she was just as entertained as me.
I lifted my hand up to give him the killing blow, his
head flying off his shoulders. His body slumped to
the stone floor. Hot blood splashed onto my face
and I licked a droplet that clung to the corner of my
lips, savoring the metallic tang. I stood up, wiping
my bloodied hands on the corpse's clothes.
"Now, then. To collect what is ours." I murmured,
jumping down from the tower.
I landed neatly on my feet, my pads stinging slightly
from the shock of my landing. I straightened up and
scented the air as a precaution. Aside from the
strong presence of blood, I could smell the Angel of
Death coming. He was perhaps several hundred
meters away, coming from the opposite direction of
where I needed to head. If I moved quickly I could
avoid him. I began to run down the trail, picking up
my pace when Death seemed closer. He wouldn't
follow me, I surmised; he'd have his hands full with
the souls I had left for him.
My Summoner lived on a farm on the outskirts of
the human settlement. I spooked the horses; they
whinnied and pawed the ground nervously as I
walked by. One even attempted to bite me, its large
teeth nipping nothing but air. I opened the door, not
bothering to knock, and stepped inside.
The human was standing by his kitchen table,
wringing his hands nervously. Sweat was pouring
down his face as he stared at me with beady, fearful
eyes.
"W-well?" He queried. "Did you do it?"
"Do you think I would come here had I not done
what you summoned me for?" I asked rhetorically.
He swallowed loudly before giving a breathy,
nervous laugh. I noticed he kept the table between
us. I felt somewhat content knowing how much he
feared me. It would prevent him from speaking to
me as though I were his equal or inferior to him, as
humans on occasion had done before.
"I have come for my payment. We have agreed on
the form of my payment: a box of poppy rolls." I
looked at him a little eagerly.
My Summoner nodded and pushed a box with the
bakery's name on it toward me. I snatched the box
up and opened it. The delicious smell of the rolls
slipped into my nostrils.
"S-so, is that it?" He questioned apprehensively.
I looked up at him and nodded. "Yup, that's it. Now,
all you have to do is send me back. You just say-"
His little wooden door was kicked open, the door
slamming into the opposite stone wall. I flinched
when the door whizzed past my body. My
Summoner gave a startled cry and pressed himself
into a corner of his tiny house. We both looked over
at the intruder with wide eyes and I felt my stomach
drop. Will was standing in the doorway, looking
unamused. Internally, I kicked myself for letting my
guard down. I hadn't sensed him coming because I
was distracted by the rolls.
"'Not causing any harm,' my ass. When Luke said a
demon went on a rampage, I didn't think it would be
you." He grumbled, glowering at me.
"It was hardly a rampage and they were bandits. If
anything, I did a public service." I mumbled.
Will rolled his eyes at me and took a step near me. I
stared at him before hugging my payment to my
chest protectively. "Oh, no, you aren't going to
destroy my rolls this time. I worked for them; I didn't
steal them this time!"
Will shot my Summoner a stern look. "Tampering in
the dark arts, huh? This will not go unpunished,
boy."
My Summoner paled considerably, his legs giving
out. He slid down to the floor, staring at Will like he
had three heads. "Y-you...who are-"
"Come now, 'Master,'" I said sarcastically, "if
demons exist, then don't you think Angels do, too?"
"A-an Angel?" He gasped out.
Will was only a few feet away from me, his posture
tense, but with no indication he was about to
attack. I presumed he had yet to do so because of
the human in the vicinity. He would never risk his
precious humans. He turned his attention back to
me, his crimson eyes regarding me with contempt.
"I should have killed you the last time. Killing
humans for your own amusement-"
I interrupted, "I'm not the type that enjoys killing
humans. I did what I agreed to; I was bound by my
word to avenge my Summoner."
Will snorted. "And what? You get his soul?"
I shook my head and showed him my baked goods.
"Nope, I get these."
He snorted again, the snort sounding more amused
than unkind. "You're a real strange one, aren't you?
Well, it's not like it's going to matter; Luke should
be on his way by now. He only had to take care of a
few souls."
My nonchalance vanished with his words. I
nervously shifted from one foot to the other. I
recalled the faceless Angel of Death and felt the
familiar tingle of fear.
"What's the matter, Demon? You look a little pale."
Will teased, his eyes flashing wickedly.
Tell the human to send us back! You cannot fight
one angel let alone two archangels! Rayi ordered,
her own fear washing over me.
"Hey, human." My Summoner glanced over at me,
his face still wan with terror. "I'm going to tell you
how to send me back. All you need to do is say,
"Rayi, I send thee back to the depths of Hell.'"
Will pointed a finger at him without looking at him.
"You do that and you can guarantee a reservation in
Hell. God may overlook this...blunder, but you send
her back and all His forgiveness flies out the
window."
He was lying, I suspected, but the human didn't
know that. My face soured as I knew what the
human would decide. "I-I don't want to go to Hell!"
Kill him! Get rid of the Angel and run for it before his
brother arrives! She urged.
'Even if I did that, it's likely I'll be too injured to do
much.' I replied flatly, having already considered
that option.
At least immobilize him!
'You know how long it would take for me to power
up enough to do even a little damage to him.' I
grumbled.
"You look like you're having an argument with
yourself." Will remarked. He was closer than he was
before; there was about five feet of space between us
now.
I took a step back, my back hitting the wall. "You
have no idea. Hey, how about we take this outside?
I'm sure you wouldn't want to make the human
homeless."
He hesitated, looking over at the cowering man in
the corner. I opened my box and scarfed a roll down,
figuring I'd get a taste. It pained me to do so, but I
would have to leave the box behind.
"Fine. Get your ass outside." Will disappeared
through the broken doorway. I wiped any crumbs
clinging to the corner of my lips before following
suit, shooting my Summoner a nasty look. He
flinched and ducked his head. Rayi grumbled
something about just taking his soul when I had the
chance.
After being in the dimly lit house, the sun seemed
twice as bright. I blinked rapidly before rubbing my
eyes.
"Does the demon not like the sun?" I heard Will
sneer.
"More like the demon is used to darkness." I
answered, moving my fist from my eye.
I sniffed discreetly. I smelled death. With a light
breeze, another Angel appeared beside Will.
The Angel of Death stood before me in his
achromatic glory. I could hear his heavy breathing
from where I stood, his breath being filtered through
the gas mask he wore, which covered his nose and
mouth. From beneath his hooded cloak, I could see
his white eyes glowering at me with profound
hatred.
"About time you got here, Luke; I was beginning to
think I would get to have all the fun by myself." Will
grinned, looking down at his brother.
I stared at the two, silently calculating my chances
of survival. The gas mask was in place to better
control his most potent weapon: Death Gas. His
scythe wasn't much better, either. I wouldn't be
able to fight him at all, given I had no weapon of my
own. I was already somewhat acquainted with
Will's fighting style, but they were both in a league
well above my own.
"This is hardly fair; two against one." I muttered to
myself.
"How dare you enter the Human World?" Luke, his
soft voice spat at me.
"If I had a choice, I'd be home taking a nap." I
argued. I yelped in shock when he appeared directly
in front of me, his scythe cutting through the air.
The blade nicked my shoulder as I leapt away.
Black blood dribbled out from the thin, but deep,
wound. I focused my regeneration on it, yet it didn't
heal.
"Your healing will not save you. My scythe is an
Anti-demon weapon." Luke said when he noticed
my stunned expression.
I noticed then Will was not in my sight. His scent
was everywhere, making it impossible for me to
locate him.
Fight back! Never mind the Angel of Life, focus on
Death!
I felt my energy surge inside me, starting directly in
my diaphragm. Breathing deeply, I channeled it
through my body, the atmosphere around us
changing subtly enough only I felt it. Wind whistled
behind me and I dodged the flame-covered fist
directed at the back of my skull. Tucking my right
leg up, I sent it out strongly, catching Will in his
stomach. My lightning added power to the attack
and I saw him cough up blood as he flew back from
me.
As I faced the front again, Luke was a foot away
from me, his scythe coming for me. I caught the
blade with my fingers, Pain filled them and I hissed
and release it quickly, my fingertips blackened by
frostbite.
"Ice, huh? Guess that makes sense." My fingers
throbbed as I wiggled them experimentally.
Will was getting up, having recovered from my
attack. "Luke, she's a lightning type." He then
addressed me hatefully, "Damn wench, you're more
powerful than I'd initially believed."
"You can never tell how powerful a Fallen is. In this
one's case, she is not all that strong. Perhaps on par
with a Lesser Angel, but nowhere near our rank."
Luke assessed, staring at me with his milky eyes.
"This will be over quickly."
Try to find the portal. It's our only chance. Rayi
urged.
'You think I don't know that? It's not like they're
making it easy.' I dodged another one of Will's
attacks and sent a bolt of lightning at Luke. He
moved out of the way swiftly, the spot where my
attack hit scorched.
I backed up, attempting to edge closer to where the
forest was. It seemed they knew what I was doing:
Luke flickered out of sight only to appear directly
behind me, his hand reaching for my shoulder. I
stumbled away from him, blindly sending an attack
at him. While I was distracted by him, a powerful
hand wrapped around my throat, yanking me off the
ground.
My skin bubbled beneath Will's hand as he held me
there. I gritted my teeth, nauseated by the smell of
my own flesh burning. His grip was enough to crush
my windpipe and I squirmed uncomfortably.
"H-hey, where do you think we go after we die?" I
gasped out in between painful breaths.
"We disappear. That is all." It wasn't Will who
answered me, but Luke.
It was terrifying and I was hoping he was wrong, but
then again, he was Death himself. If anyone knew, it
would be him.
"Finish her, Will."
I looked into his eyes, my consciousness withering
away. Rayi was screaming with fury, ordering me to
do something.
'You want to do something, come on out.' I faded
out just as I felt her stir.