Justice for the Fallen

I stared in rising panic as Zurgrun narrowed his eyes. He was the most powerful demon out in the Human World, and a simple disguise would not fool him. If he realises an Archangel of Justice is snooping around his business and, more importantly, that I brought him here, he’ll probably kill us both. I had no chance of stopping that now.

The showdown between an Archangel and Pride Demon would surely be fun. You could wait, watch and see what happens. There would be lots of collateral damage…

I ignored the voice and quickly looked around.

What I needed was a distraction.

Without thinking twice, I unfurled my whip. My hand struck forward and the leather strips coiled around the leg of a demon carrying a tray full of tankards. I pulled back and the poor sod crushed down on a nearby table with a surprised cry, spilling ale all over the group of grumpy-looking Gluttony Demons.

The Fallen were not a very forgiving bunch, so as expected, the soaked guests roared in rage while the table flew and crashed into the crowd, aggravating even more demons. The room exploded with furious shouts and the clatter of drawn weapons.

Zurgrun turned to see what happened, and Golden Boy managed to slip away from his grasp. I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the door.

“Run!”

We dashed out of Parlour of Dreams before Zurgrun could get back to us, and I pulled Golden Boy along through the crowded streets towards the slums. Only when the tidy little houses turned into the more forlorn and weathered neighbourhood did I slow my pace and stop in a side alley to catch my breath.

“You… are fast,” Golden Boy gasped.

I realised I still held his hand, so I quickly let go. “And you are an idiot!” I hissed at him. “What were you thinking getting Zurgrun’s attention like that?”

“I have no idea who he is, but he was threatening you,” he replied, frowning.

“So what? That’s nothing new. It’s his way of saying hello.”

“But you were genuinely scared, and I thought….” He stopped himself midsentence and looked away. His ears tinted red.

I sighed and rubbed my brows. “Gods, you just have to be a dashing hero. Look, I appreciate the thought, but don’t do that again. Do you have any idea who that was?”

“No.” He shrugged. “A Pride Demon, probably.”

“The Pride Demon,” I corrected, annoyed. “Zurgrun is the most powerful Pride Demon currently residing in the city. Believe me, you don’t want to piss him off.”

“Oh.” The realisation seemed to dawn on him. But he only clenched his jaw and looked even more determined. “That doesn’t change that he had no right to treat you this way.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a normal state of affairs every month. I struggle with my quota, he threatens me, I do my bit, and then all is good until next month.”

He crossed his arms and stared at me for a long while with intensity in his golden eyes, making me nervously shuffle on my feet, so I asked. “What?”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Doing what?” I asked, confused.

“Serving the Fallen God. You hate it.”

I blinked and tried to comprehend if it was a joke. But Melkyal wasn’t smiling. His mouth was drawn in a thin line, and his eyes were full of mixed feelings: confusion, disbelief, worry.

“Because I’m a demon,” I said as if I was talking to someone of a slow mind. “I was created for the sole purpose of serving the Fallen God. It doesn’t matter if I like it or not.”

“I understand that, but that’s not all you are,” he insisted fervently. He took a step closer without breaking eye contact. “You are kind. You protect your friends and all those innocent kids. And even though you don’t want to admit it, you care.”

I took a step back because his words and closeness made my heart race. But he got hold of my hand to stop me. His grip was so different from what I was used to. It was firm but gentle, and the way his big hand was snuggling mine felt strangely comforting.

“What if you had a choice?” Melkyal continued in a soft tone. “What if you could escape the grasp of the Fallen God?”

I laugh bitterly. “Wouldn’t that be lovely? But you know as well as I do that’s impossible. The moment I refuse to do as I’m told, I’ll be dragged back to Hell.”

“Has anyone ever tried?”

“You bet they did. But renegades were either apprehended by other demons or slain by your kind.”

“I would protect you,” Melkyal said without a pause.

I stared at him in shock, a strange warmth spreading in my chest. “You are crazy….”

“Am I? I’m an Archangel of Justice. What they do to you is not just,” he said with anger, but his voice and eyes became softer. He hesitantly brushed my cheek with his fingers. “I don’t believe you’d ever hurt an innocent. You are a good person, Sanna.”

A memory flashed before my eyes.

Terrified wails. Painful grunts. The warm blood on my hands.

“I am not,” I protested meekly, but my mind became hazy, and my knees felt weak. Melkyal’s closeness was intoxicating.

“I know it sounds crazy,” Melkyal continued, his golden eyes bright. “But I will petition the Mighty One to let you join his servants. Surely, He could look into your heart and see you in His infinite wisdom as I am. You have a pure heart.”

The haze suddenly evaporated from my mind, replaced by red hot fury.

And there it is! the voice whispered in my head. He thinks he can make you betray your people and become a servant to his phoney god. What a hypocrite!

I wrenched my hand and backed away, an involuntary growl rising in my throat.

“Serve your god?” I spat. “Do you think that’s what I want?”

He spread his hands wide. “And why not? He is just and kind and would never treat his servants like The Fallen One does. His virtues are not unlike yours. Courage, forgiveness, wisdom… Well, maybe honesty could use some work, but─”

“Obedience,” I interrupted him. “What do you take me for, Golden Boy? A compliant little pet that will sit at your god’s feet like a trophy? A converted demon? Another sign of triumph over the cursed fallen brother?”

“Obeying the rules prevents chaos,” he replied in a strained voice. “You can’t have a world without rules. It would not survive. And you would not be a pet. I would make sure….”

I raised my hand. “Stop it. Just stop. It’s never going to happen. You asked me if I would defy my god if it meant I could be free.” I straightened my back. “Yes, I would. Without a second thought. But being free doesn’t mean changing one mad god to another.”

Melkyal paled and looked as if I hit him. “That’s blasphemy,” he gasped.

“I don’t care! Do you think your god cares about you? Don’t be naïve. The deities are all the same. All they care about is feeding on the souls of the faithful. They don’t give a damn about us.”

“That’s not true. The Mighty One only wishes to bring peace and harmony to the world,” Golden Boy said with unshakable conviction.

I snorted. “Of course, he is. You asked me why do I live amongst humans earlier. The truth is, I envy them,” I said before I could stop myself. Suddenly, the words hidden deep inside were spilling out like a flood from a broken dam. “They have free will to choose whatever they wish. They could get their salvation by being obedient little servants of the Mighty One or be condemned for eternity. But it is their choice!” My voice shook with anger and frustration. “No one asked me what god I wish to serve. No one asked me if I wanted to have this destructive power constantly pushing me towards violence. I don’t have a choice, so I’m just… doing what I can to survive.”

I didn’t know how or when it happened, but my face was wet from tears. I turned my back to Melkyal, but before I could wipe my eyes, I felt strong arms embracing me, and I was enveloped in warmth and airy scent, refreshing like a breeze on a sunny day. My muscles tensed, but I had no more strength to protest. And to my surprise, I didn’t want to. I let myself relax into the hug, just for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” Melkyal whispered into my hair, his breath tickling my ear. “That was very insensitive of me. I may disagree with your general opinion about gods, but my offer still stands.” He slowly withdrew his arms and turned me to face him, his hands lingering on my shoulders. “When we are done with this investigation, I will help you get out of the Fallen God’s grasp.”

“You know it won’t work,” I whispered. But I wanted to believe him so badly it hurt. “It’s madness even to hope.”

“Then I dedicate my life to prove you wrong.” He leaned his forehead on mine, and I closed my eyes. “I will get you out. I promise.”

Before I could respond, a low chuckle broke the silence of the alleyway. I quickly took a step back and opened my eyes.

Albie leaned against the wall with his skinny arms crossed and a smug smile on his scaly face.

“I knew he was your boyfriend,” he said.

“Shut it, toad,” I hissed at him. “What are you doing here in the middle of the day?”

“I thought about what your friend said, you know, about asking the church for help.” He shuffled on his feet. “Maybe it’s worth trying again?”

“Albie, no,” I protested. We have gone through this couple of times already. And each time left the children heartbroken. “We’ve been there.”

“Well, yeah, maybe,” the kid said and turned to Melkyal, “but we didn’t have an angel at our side before.”