Major Demons (6 page)

CHAPTER 11

“Where’s Muan?”

“I sent him ahead to see what’s taking Leech and Lilith so long to get here. We should have met up with them earlier today.”

“Do you think they’re alright?”

“Leech and I did our best before this nephilim hunting quest to make sure that he was a lot more powerful than anyone would suspect. I’m sure he’s fine.”

A crow dropped from the sky and arched slightly back up before landing on its feet. It turned into Muan and stood up.

“I… don’t really have an easy way to say this.”

Sarah looked concerned. Shadow looked angry.

“Just tell me.”

“There are signs of a struggle. A large circle in the sand. Blood. Weapons everywhere… and…”

“Bodies? Are Leech and Lilith dead?”

“I don’t really have the words. I’ll take you there.”

“What direction?”

Muan pointed and Shadow teleported away. Muan turned back into a crow and started flying towards the site. He kept his speed down so Sarah could follow. When they arrived, Shadow had fallen to his knees and had his back to them. He was staring at something obscured by sunlight. Sarah changed her angle and gasped. At the top of a sharpened stick that formed part of a cross was Leech’s head, his mouth stretched wide open and his eyes still glowing a faint green. At the bottom of the cross were Leech’s guns and axe. Sarah covered her open mouth with both hands and then ran to Shadow.

“Muan.”

Muan ran to Shadow’s side and kneeled.

“Take my armies back to Hell and reinforce Murmur. He’s been worried about an attack from Nightmare and Astaroth. You can lead them if you want. I’m not a major demon anymore.”

“General Shadow, you’re the most capable of leading us into… they don’t respect me like they…”

Shadow erupted in a ball of mixed white and black flames.

“Do what I fucking say. Get out of here. Take my armies with you. NOW!”

Muan nodded, changed back into a crow and flew off. Sarah looked frightened by Shadow’s transformation but she walked up to him and hugged him.

“It’s ok to cry if you need to.”

Shadow laughed.

“I don’t need to cry. I’m ANGRY! Do you know how disrespectful it is to impale a demon’s head on a CROSS?”

Shadow erupted into flames again and Sarah jumped back. She decided to try a different approach.

“Do you know who did this?”

Shadow kneeled down in the sand and tasted the blood. He spit it out.

“It’s nephilim blood. It was Azazel. He has to be badly wounded. I don’t need my armies anymore. I’m going to find Azazel and I’m going to choke the life out of him. If I could, I would resurrect him just so I could kill him twice. He will pay for what he did to my friend.”

“You just made a spur of the moment decision based solely on your grief, Shadow. Don’t you want to take some time and think about whether you want to continue to be a major demon or not?”

“I don’t need any more time. Do you know why? I don’t belong there. I don’t belong in Heaven and I don’t belong in Hell. I’m an outcast from both places because I’m an abomination. So I’ll run around here on Earth and kill angels and demons. That’s what I
want
to do now. Fuck both sides. Neither of them is worth anything.”

“You don’t think that. You cared about Leech and he was a demon. You care about Lilith and she’s a nephilim… and you care about me and I’m an angel. If you want to hunt Azazel and Abaddon, that’s fine. Just don’t let revenge be the motivation.”

“What should my motivation be? Justice? Righteous indignation? Is that what the angels would prefer? They’re all just words. Abaddon is destroying this whole world. Angels and demons won’t admit it, but I’m the only one who can stop him. Michael could possibly stop him but he’s a weak coward. Azazel killed my friend. So what he deserves is death. I’m going to kill him. I don’t care what we call it, it’s going to happen.”

“We should go find Lilith, Gangrene, and Raven. Maybe they’re hurt. Maybe they need our help. We should check.”

“No. I’m going after Azazel.”

“Fine.
We’re
going after Azazel.”

“I could leave right now and never see you again.”

Sarah put her arm on Shadow’s shoulder.

“Teleport away then. I’ll go with you.”

Shadow went to remove her hand but Sarah got behind him and jumped on his back, locking her arms around his neck.

“I’m not leaving you. You said I could go with you.”

“I don’t think you want to watch what I’m going to do to Azazel. It’ll disturb your delicate sensibilities.”

“Oh shut the fuck up, Shadow.”

Shadow’s face clearly showed his surprise before he smiled. Sarah climbed down from his back and moved in front of him.

“What did you just say to me?”

“You heard what I said.”

“Yes, I did. I imagine Grandpa Gabriel and God did too. You’re ok with that?”

“I’m going with you. You don’t just get to dismiss me because I’m an angel. I’ll watch whatever you do to Azazel. I think he needs to die. Not just for what he did to Leech, but for what he’s done to thousands of angels, demons, and humans. He promotes war. I sent him to you a long time ago so he would either help you or you would kill him. Either way, I was fine with the result.”

“That’s really dark for you.”

Sarah frowned at him.

“I like it.”

Shadow leaned down and kissed Sarah. She shoved him away.

“No. Being evil is not hot.”

“Agree to disagree. I think it was pretty hot.”

“So I can go with you to find Azazel?”

“Sure.”

“And then Abaddon?”

“Why do you need to be there for that? It’s going to be terrible and I…”

“What?”

“I don’t want you caught in the crossfire! I can’t watch you die! I already lost Leech and I can’t lose you because…”

“Because?”

“Leech was like a brother to me. He always had my back.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Because I have feelings for you. I don’t know for sure but I think they might even be…”

“What?”

“The beginning of love.”

Sarah leaned in and kissed Shadow. He pushed her away.

“No. Being good is not hot.”

“Agree to disagree, Shadow. You used a word I never thought I’d hear you say.”

“So did you.”

Shadow grinned and Sarah laughed. Shadow decided then that he didn’t want her with him when he faced off against his father.

CHAPTER 12

“Alright so what do we need to plan for this week?”

Jess stood and put her hands on the table.

“First, I’d like to thank Murmur for allowing Aim to stay a middle demon even though he’s a dumbass.”

Aim crossed his arms and frowned. Then he removed White Death from its holster on its back.

“I still don’t give a fuck. I got my gun. I’ll pay Murmur back for the demons we lost.”

Jess ignored him and continued.

“Second, we need to figure out what cool thing I want and how we’re going to waste hundreds of demon lives to get it. In other words, Round 2 of the Aim Clusterfuck Campaign.”

Murmur held up a hand and listened.

“Do you guys hear that?”

Jess and Aim listened and nodded. Dagon entered the room.

“Murmur, there’s thousands of demons outside. They sent in someone named Vine to talk to you.”

“Thanks, Dagon. Send him in and we’d like another round of ale. Looking at Aim the Demon Sacrificer is pissing me off again and I’d like to get wasted.”

Jess giggled and Aim frowned while continuing to clean his rifle. Vine entered the room and bowed.

“My name is Vine. I was a minor demon working for Leech. He was killed and now I command the armies of Leech and Lilith.”

Murmur, Jess, and Aim all looked deeply disturbed.

“Sit down. Tell us what happened.”

“We were in the desert hunting nephilim and we were ambushed by Azazel, Scapegoat, and their nephilim army. We fought as hard as we could but eventually had to turn and run. Leech was killed by Azazel. Lilith abandoned us and took Gangrene and Raven with her. I decided we should return to Hell and offer our armies to General Murmur. Specifically, my armies would like to work for Lord Aim and Lilith’s former armies want to join Lady Jess’s forces. Is this acceptable to you, General Murmur?”

“Lilith
abandoned
you guys? Leech took on Azazel alone?”

“As horrible as it sounds, yes to both. We were shocked. We would gladly continue to serve General Leech if he was still alive but Lilith has abandoned her post as a major demon and her armies refuse to follow her any longer.”

“Jess? Aim? Thoughts?”

Aim stopped cleaning his gun and looked up.

“Sounds like Vine made the best of a bad situation. I’ll let his demons fall in with my army.”

Jess rolled her eyes.

“You just need more demons to pay for the Clusterfuck Sniper Rifle of Asshood. I don’t really buy that Lilith abandoned her armies.”

Vine had a ready response.

“It may not be that simple, Lady Jess. She had just given birth not long before and may have fled to protect her child. Regardless, her armies no longer believe her fit to lead. You should have seen how crazy she was right before the kid was born. She’s insane. They can’t work for an insane demoness who ran at the first sign of trouble. Had she commanded her armies more efficiently, General Leech might still be alive.”

“Murmur, I don’t like the way this guy speaks. I think his story is a little…
off
. What do you think, Murmur?”

Murmur thought for a moment before giving his answer.

“Well regardless of how it happened, it sounds like Leech and Lilith are gone for now. We could definitely use the power down here. That effectively turns the odds back in our favor in a war with Nightmare and Astaroth. I think you should each take the armies and proclaim yourself major demons. What happened to the scythes of Leech and Lilith?”

Vine shrugged.

“No idea. I imagine Lilith has both of them.”

“Right. So Jess takes Lilith’s spot and Aim takes Leech’s. It’s the smart play to make right now. I don’t see another way around it. Oh and we could use the reinforcements to go get Jess her new magic wand or whatever she’s going to ask me for now that Aim got a new gun.”

Jess’s eyebrows shot up.

“Oh so it’s ok for Aim to waste our demons getting a new gun but Jess can just keep limping along with a splintering staff that she’s had for years.”

Aim grinned.

“Sounds good to me.”

“If that’s how we’re going to play it, I want White Death. I earned it more than Aim did.”

“Guys, we’re getting off topic. Do you both agree to take command of the armies?”

Aim nodded eagerly. Jess sighed and then nodded.

“Good. I seriously think it’s our only option. It’ll bring an uneasy stalemate between us and them. They won’t want to make a move if we have superior forces.”

Jess shifted uncomfortably.

“That’s fine for now but it’ll still cause some problems. What about when Shadow finds out? An angry Shadow scares the hell out of me. No offense, but I’m pretty sure he could kill everyone in this room… possibly at the same time.”

“I’ll explain it to Shadow. We go way back. It won’t be a problem. If anyone ever finds Lilith, we can talk to her too. This doesn’t have to be permanent if circumstances change.”

“Should we send someone up to Earth and confirm Vine’s story?”

“Jess… I think Shadow or Lilith will contact us soon enough. I’m not sending anyone up there to be killed by nephilim. Shadow knew my position when he went up there. Contrary to what Aim believes, I don’t have demons to waste on pointless missions.”

“You guys aren’t going to let it go… like ever. Are you?”

“Maybe at some point… but not today, Aim.”

Aim stood and started walking towards the door.

“If that’s the case, I’m going to start putting a sniper team together. I have a lot of demons to go kill to pay for my new gun.”

Jess stood as well.

“I’m going to start looking in to the legendary sorceress staff I want us to go take from the Dragon’s collection. Don’t worry. My plan won’t lose us half of what Aim’s did. I’ll get back to you once I have everything ready to go and you can review it.”

Murmur nodded and Jess left the room. Vine turned to leave as well.

“Wait. Where was Shadow when all of this went down?”

“We were on our way to meet him. I imagine he was close but he didn’t get there in time to help us. Would you like me to track him down?”

“No. No point. Like I said, he’ll contact me when he’s ready. Go down to Aim and help him get his sniper team organized.”

Vine bowed and left the room. Murmur sighed and shook his head.

“Just come back down here, Shadow. Saving the humans was never our responsibility.”