Justice for the Fallen

The streets in the slums were dark and desolate. The houses were clumped together so closely that it was often hard to see the sky from the ground, not to mention the stars. But I knew the moon had already started its way down the western sky, so I had to make haste.

I knew paying a visit at night was inconsiderate because most mortals were asleep, but it was an emergency. I didn’t hesitate and knocked firmly at the door of the familiar dilapidated building and kept knocking until I saw the faint candlelight and female voice grumbling curses.

“What the Hell is going on?” Milla huffed, her grey hair escaping wildly from under her nightcap and her eyes throwing daggers at me.

“I need your help,” I said without preamble. “Sanna is in trouble.”

The angry frown was replaced by surprised worry. “Come on in then.”

It took a while to wake Ina and give her time to make herself presentable, so Milla served the tea in the meantime. But I was too anxious to sit still, so I kept pacing the dining room length, considering all possible solutions.

“Could you please stop doing that?” Milla asked, crossing her arms. “Just looking at you is making me dizzy.”

“I apologise, but I just─” I didn’t finish because the door opened, and Ina came in.

She stopped when she saw me and then hunched her shoulders and closed her night robe tighter, trying to make herself as small as possible. She scuffed towards the closest chair and sat down, avoiding my eyes.

Milla poured tea into the chipped cup and gently held the girl’s shoulder. “Ina’s here now, so can you finally tell us what happened?”

“Angels found Gallagher’s body.”

A surprised whimper escaped Ina’s mouth, and she quickly covered it with her hand, eyes widening and finally looking at me.

“Oh gods, I knew it would happen sooner or later,” Milla mumbled and sat heavily on the chair next to Ina, hiding her face in her hands.

I gave them the moment for the news to sink in and continued. “Sanna is in angel’s custody now, but it may not be too late to save her.”

Milla straightened and looked up at me. “What can we do?”

I looked at Ina, and anger inside me rose at the thought that anyone could try to harm this innocent child. “Sanna’s trial will be held here, in the city, today at noon. She… told me everything that happened.” The girl visibly winced. “Ina, I need you to come to that trial and stand as a witness.”

“M-me?” she stuttered, her peculiar yellow eyes widening even more. “I-I don’t know if I can. N-no one will listen anyway.” She trembled and looked away. “Since I’m a monster and all.”

I treaded forward and crouched in front of her, careful not to touch her or get too close, not to startle her even more. “You are not a monster, Ina. Nor is any child living here or Sanna. The only monster was that horrible man. I’m going to defend Sanna, but I need your help.”

“But there will be so many people there. And angels.” She fumbled with the belt of her robe, her hands shaking. “Bad things happen when people see me. I’m too much of a coward to go out in public like that.”

“You are not. Sanna told me you were the one who brought her back from… her demon rage. You risked your life to do that. I don’t know many people who would dare to tackle an enraged Fallen.”

Ina laughed briefly and sniffled, wiping the tears with her sleeve. “It was that, or she would kill all those innocent people there… I wasn’t thinking.”

“But you still put your life on the line to do this. I know I’m asking a lot, and if I could spare you from going through that traumatic experience again, I would. But there is no other way. The only chance to prove Sanna killed to protect innocents is to tell the truth about all of Gallagher’s crimes. It’s her only chance.”

Milla wrapped her arm around Ina’s shoulder. “I’ll be there with you.”

The girl closed her eyes and nodded shakily. “I’ll do it. If it helps Sanna, I’ll do it. If she hadn’t come for me that day, I would… I…” The sob escaped her lips, and Milla hugged her tightly, patting her gently on the back.

“It’s all right, love. It’s all behind you now.”

I waited till Ina calmed down again and asked, “Do you know about other victims? I need as many witnesses as possible.”

“I don’t know many names,” Ina mumbled. “There wasn’t much time to get to know others….”

I sighed and rubbed my jaw. I knew it was a long shot, but I needed more than one witness to make the testimony credible. If I couldn’t do that, the trial was lost before it began.

“There might be someone who can provide you with all the information you need,” Milla said reluctantly.

I looked back at her. “Say the name, and I’ll be on my way.”

She sighed. “It won’t be easy, mind you. But if one person in this city knows everything about illegal deals, it has to be him.”

The clogs in my head clicked when sudden realisation dawned on me. The most important person in this part of the city was the owner of multiple semi-legal business ventures.

“Zurgrun,” I said through gritted teeth.

Milla nodded. “Yes, him. But his help doesn’t come cheap. If you even be able to see him at all.”

I got back to my feet. “Don’t worry about it. I think I have something that might get his attention.”

***

A sudden silence filled the room when I opened the door to Parlour of Dreams. I wore a basic glamour that hid my angelic features from simple mortals, but it certainly didn’t fool demons or sorcerers. I didn’t wait until everyone recovered from their initial shock and headed straight to the back door.

“Hey! Stop right there!” the bartender shouted, but I ignored him. Two hulking demons guarding the stairs perked up and cracked their knuckles.

“Get out of here, feathered weakling, before we throw you out,” growled the one with tusks sticking out of his mouth.

“Or stay,” added his companion with snakelike eyes and a smile that looked too wide for his face. “Tazrillath could use a new feathered shawl. I bet she would look great in gold.”

“I’m here to see Zurgrun,” I said, not slowing my stride and flexing my fingers. “Out of my way.”

They didn’t move. But I didn’t have time to haggle with bouncers. When Tusk raised his hand to stop me, I grabbed it and rammed my fist into his face. I dodged the incoming punch from Snake and slammed my knee into his gut. He bent down with a painful moan, and I hit his nape, sending him to the floor. Tusk had recovered already and raised an ugly-looking club at me.

The hallway was too narrow, and I couldn’t dodge in time, so I raised my hand and summoned my power to create a shield.

But no shield appeared.

I jumped back rapidly, but the club still grazed my temple, sending me sprawling at the wall. I was dazed.

My power didn’t work.

I didn’t have time to dwell on it because stomps of multiple heavy feet announced the arrival of reinforcements. I kicked Tusk in the knee, and he fell with a painful scream. I raised my fist, ready for Snake, but a rattling chain coiled around my arm, and I was pulled back. I growled and grabbed the chain, sending a bolt of electricity through it.

But instead of frying the demon on the other end of the chain, only a few sparks left my hand with a soft sizzle. I looked down in disbelief, and then the club hit me on the back, sending me to the floor.

I tried to get up, but the Fallen were already on me, kicking and punching, so all I could do was cover my head with my arms. Without my power, I have no advantage over so many opponents at once.

“Enough,” a cold voice commanded.

I got heaved to my feet and groaned, barely able to stand on my own. That was quite a beating I got. Frankly, it was my fault for charging here like a dimwit, so I had no reason to complain. Most importantly, I just got to where I wanted to be.

“Why is an archangel here?” Zurgrun asked, raising a white brow.

“He said he wanted to see you, boss,” Snake replied.

Zurgrun strolled to me and grabbed my jaw, his claws piercing my skin. “You,” he hissed. “I knew you were not some foreign sorcerer. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

“I have some information that you might find useful.”

Pride Demon scoffed. “And what makes you think I don’t know it already? I have this whole city under my thumb. Whatever happens here, I know it first.”

“That may be true. But you certainly have no idea what’s happening above the city.”

Zurgrun narrowed his violet eyes, considering my words. Finally, he let go of my face and nodded to his bouncers. “Bring him to my office. And you’d better make it worth my time, or I make sure you’ll regret it.”

I was put in shackles and dragged towards the secluded room down the stairs. I tried to get rid of the chains, but for some reason, I couldn’t. It was as if I had the same blocker Sanna put on me at the start of our investigation, but there was no lid storing my power away this time. It was as if… it wasn’t there at all.

When we entered Zurgrun’s office, my jaw dropped. If I could use only one word to describe it, it would be opulent. Every single item here was screaming how expensive it was. A fancy, beautifully carved mahogany desk, marvellous paintings on the walls, a crystal chandelier. It felt like I stepped into some royal palace, not the tavern’s backroom.

Zurgrun sat on the leather chair and put his feet in high-quality leather shoes on the desk. He opened a small golden case and fished out a thick cigar.

“So.” He lit it up and puffed out a cloud of smoke while I was pushed into another, much smaller chair. “What business can an Archangel of Justice have with me?”

“Raphael Gallagher. I need a list of all his illegal deals, especially those for human trafficking. Also, a list of people… sold to him.”

“Huh.” Zurgrun raised a brow. “And why the sudden interest in the man? He’s dead.”

“The trial for his murderer will be held today at noon. I need all relevant documentation to─”

The demon laughed before I could try any remotely convincing lie. “So, Sannarah did kill the poor sod. I had my suspicions, but most of the evidence was inconclusive at the time. And here I thought she lost all her claws fraternising with humans. Good to know she’s still a demon, after all.”

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to keep calm, though the derisive manner he talked about Sanna was getting on my nerves. “Do you have what I need or not?”

Zurgrun brought the cigar to his mouth, puffed out a perfect smoke circle and smiled at me, making my skin crawl. “Maybe.”

I clenched my fists. “Yes, or no?”

“That depends on what you are willing to give me in return. I’m a businessman, not a charity.”

“I’m not giving you my intel until you show me you can pay for it,” I growled. I didn’t have time for word fights with this demon. I needed to find the rest of the witnesses and gather them all in time for the trial.

“Oh, well. In that case, it was nice meeting you. Get out and close the door on your way out.” He raised his voice. “Boys, we’re done here!”

“Wait!” I protested before I could stop myself. Zurgrun raised a brow again and held his hand up, stopping his bouncers in their tracks. “You know I can give you valuable information. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought me here to talk.”

Pride Demon smirked and huffed out another cloud of smoke. “Maybe I enjoy seeing a Fallen Angel? We hadn’t had one for centuries.”

My breath caught in my throat. “I’m not a Fallen Angel.”

Zurgrun cocked his head. “Are you not? Then why can’t you use your powers?”

“I…”

“Don’t play dumb. If you could use your magic, you wouldn’t be overpowered by a few minor demons. It always amuses me to observe how high and mighty angels fall.” He laughed. “And yes, they always look as dumbfounded as you right now. But it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Our magic comes from our gods. As their servants, we tap into a fraction of their power to do their bidding.” He flicked his wrist to get rid of ash from his cigar. “But if we stray from the path, let’s say… try to get too friendly with another side, or even make some under-the-table dealings with them, the power reservoirs suddenly dry out.”

My insides clenched because every word he said was my own suspicions, which I didn’t want to voice out.

“Your faith has been broken, Archangel,” Zurgrun said mercilessly and pointed the cigar at me. “And that makes you a Fallen Angel.”

“Labels are not important right now,” I said, straightening my back. It was a worry for another time. “You are a businessman, Zurgrun. I believe working together and aiding Sanna in her trial would benefit both of us.”

“How so? I couldn’t care less about Sannarah. She’s a poor excuse for a demon.”

“It doesn’t matter. The Angels will use Sanna as a scapegoat. They want to trial her publicly to have a reason to announce that the Fallen are out of control, and the Peace Treaty needs to be rewritten.”

Zurgrun scoffed. “They can’t just decide to rewrite it. It requires an agreement on both sides. And the Fallen are pretty happy with the current affairs between our realms.”

“And that’s what they’re counting for.”

Zurgrun took his feet from the desk and sat straight, putting down his cigar. “This would mean war. And with the current number of demons residing in the city, the collateral damage during such conflict would raze it to the ground.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I know. I didn’t want to believe it either, but my side no longer cares for the city or its people.”

“But all those potential souls would be wasted if we wipe out all the mortals during the war.”

“The Archangel of Wisdom… I think he got instructions to make an example out of it.”

Zurgrun rubbed his chin. He no longer smirked, and his white brows knitted. “Why are you telling me that? Shouldn’t you be in Heaven, preparing for war?”

The demon had a point. A lump formed in my throat. All my instincts were screaming that I was in the wrong place talking to a ruthless and vicious demon crime lord. Yet, he might have just enough power to stop the upcoming disaster.

“I don’t want to see the city destroyed,” I said honestly. “I don’t want to think about its people as expendable resources. If it’s the will of the Mighty One….”

I paused. I knew I could never take the words back once I said them aloud. I had been a faithful soldier of the Mighty One all my life. I struck where He told me to, and I wholeheartedly believed that his every command was bound to improve the state of the world. But after the last few days, I realised it was not entirely true. There had always been signs that something was not quite right, that His judgement was not always the only right choice. But like most of my people, I chose to ignore it, believing that gods knew better than us.

I knew saying those words would mark me a traitor to my kind and forever close the gates of Heaven. I would never regain my power, and who knows what punishment would await me if angels chose to apprehend me. I let myself grieve for the lost home I would never be able to see again and for dear friends that would undoubtedly turn their backs on me.

But deep in my heart, I knew it was the right call. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I ignored all those signs. I took a deep calming breath and looked Zrugrun in the eyes.

“Maybe he’s not the kind of god I thought he was.”

Zurgrun slowly clapped his hands, startling me. “Bravo!” He grinned. “I didn’t know you had it in you to defy your god so openly. I like you, Fallen Angel. But you know what’s going to happen now, don’t you?” He got up to his feet and strolled to the row of cabinets, opening several drawers and looking through the files. “I’m going to pass your information to the Fallen God. He’ll get pissed, no doubt, and order all demons to be ready for war and wiping those insolent angels from the face of the earth.” He fished several folders and threw them at the desk. His expression turned solemn. “Either way, the outcome would be the same. It seems the city is doomed after all. Shame. I quite liked it here.”

There was some strange nostalgic tone in his voice, and I decided to play on that. There was nothing I had to lose. Zurgrun might be the most powerful demon I’ve ever met, but he was still a slave to his own nature─pride.

“What if it doesn’t have to end that way?”

Zurgrun narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “What are you rambling about?”

“I did my research on you, Zurgrun. I know you’ve been here for a good couple of centuries. And let me say, all this you’ve created here,” I waved my shackled hands around, “it’s awe-inspiring. It would be a shame if it all went down in flames because gods suddenly got bored and wished to have another war. To be honest, since the last war, when the Fallen One was cast out to another dimension and imprisoned there, you were the one who was managing all demons, weren’t you?”

“What nonsense are you insinuating?”

I took the folders to ensure they contained the needed information and got to my feet. I looked back at Zurgrun. “Have you ever thought about our relationship with gods? Is it a mutual benefit kind? Or maybe, in fact, they need us more than we need them.”

“The gods are the ones that give us power,” Zurgrun grumbled. “You defy your god, and you’re weak as a kitten, as we all saw in your case.”

“How much of the empire did you build thanks to that incredible destructive power you keep hidden most of the time? And how much was due to your own wit, strength and charisma?”

Zurgrun scoffed. “That was a feeble attempt of flattery. You’ve got your documents, so it’s time for you to go before I change my mind and kill you myself.”

I smiled despite his scowl. “Just something to consider.”