A demon of jet black leathery wings and deathly pale skin flew before me. Horns curved around her head like a crown. And she emanated a feeling of evil that I could not begin to comprehend.

What was behind those amethyst eyes? I could see the tint of a swirling intelligence. It assessed and judged me with coldness. It tore and stretched my shape to fit its malevolent imagination. In what ways and into what shapes, I couldn’t say, but from her twisted smile, I could tell it wasn’t good.

So, I was surprised when she’d averted her gaze for my sake. But she’d just brought it right back as soon as I spoke again. Was she toying with me? I could not know the thoughts that ran through this demon’s mind. But I knew, as certain as the chill that she sent down my spine, that I could not let myself be captured alive by her.

I swallowed my fear before speaking.

“They’re dead.” I declared. “If they were that party of ‘rangers’, my companions and I watched them die before our very eyes. They were killed by the spirit.”

There was silence. The demoness smiled at me. She had dismissed the other demons to the sidelines, and they now dotted the skies all around me. And watched. And listened. It unnerved me.

I clenched my fist.

“Leave me in peace!” I demanded.

“But I don’t want to.” She said. “Our business is mostly done; I could leave.”

She brought a clawed hand to her cheek.

“But I don’t want to... Not yet. There’s more to discover, bodies to find, and... She swayed the slightest bit closer to me. “I’d like to get to know you better.”

Get to know me better? Ridiculous… Utterly ridiculous. I was surrounded by armed demons that were at her beck and call. Each of them was capable enough to bring forth a wave of desolation, in ash and flame, many times my size. She can’t be serious. I thought.

I looked back at her.

“Tell them to leave then.” I demanded.

She rolled her eyes at me.

“Standby and await further orders!” She commanded.

Her demons dispersed away, giving a more casual distance.

I eyed her suspiciously. “Is this how demons get to know each other? They bring an army and refuse to leave?”

“Usually there’s more stabbing than this, but yes.” She said.

She put her hands to her hips and declared, “I am Marzil, the 12th princess of the Blood Devil’s domain. ”

She moved slightly closer and offered me a handshake.

“I am Mevakiel, an Angel created by Ira.” I said. I moved slightly away from her. “I have companions to rescue…”

“Are these angels too? I’d like to see those ones as well.” She said.

I let her follow me. I didn’t want to fight if I didn’t have to. Despite how uncomfortable this was, I was expecting the demons to just try to kill me. They’re strange creatures… I cannot imagine what goes through their heads.

***

I was thinking things were going quite well. After giving her a little bit of room, this angel “Mevakiel” seemed to warm up to me. Though, I didn’t feel very sure of that after she’d led me into the entrance of a cavern filled to the brim with dead demons. At first a small part of me wondered if she was trying to send me a message.

But no.

I looked at her. The determined rhythm of her beating wings, her sad, exhausted eyes.

This was just where her companions fell.

I almost felt bad about not leaving her alone. Almost.

But I was greedy. I wanted to know her. To talk to her. Was that so bad?

Sure, I’m a demon; I’m a princess. I was far from home, in places where I wasn’t supposed to be. But that’s all just circumstance. Seeing her, a being so unlike myself, I just wanted to know what I didn’t. Feel what I didn’t. See what I couldn’t.

And if circumstance made it wrong, if circumstance meant that I couldn’t have it. Is it a sin to take what I’ve been deprived of? Is it such a sin to hunger? Is it such a sin to eat?

I looked at her. Her white feathered wings and halo emanated a brightness so different from my own.

My brightness was the burning fire, the sweltering ash, and the bleeding red of battle.

If I have to sin, that’s fine right? At worst, they’ll think I’m a demon.

***

The demon princess, Marzil, continued along with me as we flew across scores of vanquished demons. I had fought my way out of here. I had been weak. But I had changed my fate and won. And now I could return with my companions.

As long as she doesn’t do anything. I thought.

Part of me wondered if I should try to fight the demons. I could escape, but my companions couldn’t. And once I freed them, they would be at the mercy of this demon princess.

I could try to take the chance to kill her now… I thought.

My hand instinctively fell to my dagger.

“Hmm. The dead Rangers are probably here…” She said. “It’d be nice to have something to show my dad. Although, I would need the demons outside to help.”

She looked at me in silence for a moment.

“But I will wait until you’re done.” She smiled.

I sighed.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

She kept asking me questions about Ira and the life of angels. I tried to keep my answers terse and boring, but she was fascinated.

“So this Ira. She names you but you cannot see her? You cannot meet her?” She asked. “She gave you life just so that you could be a scout for her?”

“N-no! I became a scout much later!” I said. “There wasn’t anything for me to do for a long time…”

“I had to spend a long time alone. I had to try lots of different things. And I had to get told no over and over again.” I said.

“Huh, that’s weird. For demons, we usually just kill each other until we find our place.” She said.

I looked at her appalled.

She returned an awkward smile. “What…?”

Demons are insane… I thought.

I landed onto the ground with gentle care. Ahaviah was still there hugging my now empty shell. Simcha and Uriel still hugged close. And I walked by each of them.

Marzil eyed them with curiosity. Seemingly going over every detail in her head.

“Will you let us leave?” I asked.

She thought hard for a moment. “These angels… what are they doing?” She asked.

I looked annoyed at her.

“They’re hugging, trying to protect each other.” I said awkwardly. “They have names you know…”

“Ahhh… that’s just so perfect. You don’t see things like that among demons very often.” She said.

“Can we do that?” She asked.

“No! Absolutely not!” I refused.

“Ahhh… angels are such defensive creatures.” She said, wounded.

“Will you let us leave?” I repeated myself, this time with a little more anger slipping into my voice.

She gave a complicated expression. “I’ll consider it.”

Anger boiled within me. I had just finished fighting the spirit for my freedom.

I had tolerated her unwelcome presence in the hope that I wouldn’t have to fight. But it didn’t matter. She was going to make me fight anyways.

Awful. Awful. Awful.

“I will not let you keep us here.” I said, gritting my teeth, “I will kill every demon here if it means that we can be free.”

I began circling her.

“But there’s still so much I don’t know!” She said. “I just want to know…you…them.”

“No!” I said. “No! Let us leave. Now. I want to go home! I have fought an existence far beyond me, just to stand here already. And I do not care.”

“I care for the days I lost, I care for the captain that died before my very eyes, I care for games that we played together, the things they taught me,” I yelled, “and I do not care for someone that refuses to let me go!”

She stumbled back a few steps. “Hm… I see. I think I understand. I will let you and the other angels go. I’ll leave you all be.”

And she flew away into the distance.

A small part of me felt bad. But I did not regret any of my words. Not at all.

I took a final look at my companions.

I had made a sacrifice to see them again. Something I hoped they would understand.

I put my hand against the crystal casing of Ahaviah and it shifted away towards the ground until she was free. She coughed and fell, disoriented and crying.

“Shhh shhh, It’s ok Ahavi.” I said, hugging her.

“You know I hate that nickname.” She said, hugging back. “What happened?”

“I defeated the spirit…” I said.

“—What!? How in the wor—”

“And I made a pact with it.” I said. “To be able to free you all. And to be able to fight the demons outside.”

Crystal dust materialized sparsely in the air around me and gathered together into my palm. It self organized into the small shape I imagined, a black obsidian blade.

The spirit’s power was different in my hands, but I could still do much of what it did beore. I could grow the crystal flowers beneath my feet, vines, and shift them into many shapes.

“Mevakiel…” She said in a worried tone. “How did you even defeat that thing?”

“I learned to… I had to.” I said.

I phased out of existence in front of her and reappeared behind her as another example.

“You’re so different now…” She said.

“I’m sorry…” I hugged her. “I’m still the same in what matters.”

“Mhm..” She hugged back. “I just feel disoriented is all.”

I went on to free Uriel and Simcha too. They fell on top of one another, still hugging, and seemed really flustered about it. It distracted them from asking too many questions about my new abilities at least.

“I’m worried for you, Mevakiel.” Uriel said. “I don’t really know how Ira treats things like this. She is very hostile to the demons though.”

I shuffled my feet nervously.

“I guess we’ll just have to see when we finally get home.” I said. “But I didn’t really see another way. I was surrounded by demons and when it offered the pact, the spirit told me the cavern would’ve otherwise collapsed on its death.”

We sat in a nervous silence.

When we realized how severely damaged Simcha and Ahaviah's wings were, we panicked a little. They were darkened and hard from charring, and they couldn’t even unfurl their wings. They couldn’t fly. We would have to carry them.

I moved to the entrance of the cavern for one last look at the demon princess. She hobbled around in the air, talking to others of her kind, waving her arms, and overall just waiting.

It was horrible. But we would have to trust her. Otherwise they may lose their patience and just move into the caverns to look for their dead rangers.

I held onto Ahaviah and Uriel held onto Simcha. Neither of us were really the size or build for this task and it must’ve looked comical to see us carrying those two. Still, we flew.

We flew from the cavern to the skies, braving the demons, and braving the Dygarlands. They looked on at us with a mix of glares, curiosity, and boredom. The princess had a more complicated expression, but it wasn’t hostile.

“They’re actually letting us go..." Uriel said, amazed.

***

I watched the angels fly into the horizon. She was gone.

“Freedom” huh.

I thought back to the fiend in my pocket space. The thought of just setting it free seemed foolish. It would thrash about, thinking only of killing, as it always had. And in a matter of days, it would be ripped into pieces by its own kind.

I knew better; of course I knew better. But I had doubts now. For the first time in my entire life. I had doubts. Maybe I was wrong, like how I was wrong about her.

No no no. “Wrong about her” isn’t quite the right wording. No. I just felt wrong, hurting her like I was. I didn’t want to hurt her.

Is this the power of angels? I wondered. How fearsome…

My subordinates searched the cavern for the ranger bodies and they didn’t take long. They’d met some fascinatingly gruesome ends. There was still one unaccounted for though.

I wonder what brought them out here so close to Ira’s kingdom and so far from home. Were they following this spirit? For what?

Suddenly, I had a realization. Could there be a key of the Demiurge here?

“Search the demons for any weapons or items of interest! Crack them open if you have to!” I demanded.