I spent a good twenty minutes of walking before the grumbling of my new stomach reminded me that with all that had happened I have never eaten with this body before. Double checking my pockets and finding them empty I almost facepalmed myself across the street. I could have totally ripped off those gang bangers for cash. At this point I was walking down an empty street passing storefront windows when I realized another kink in my plan for food acquisition. Dam, I still look like a fucking monster from hell. Touching a hand inadvertently towards my horns, I winced. Pulling my hoody lower and shrugging deeper into my sweater I kept my head down and continued walking for any opportunities for food. A couple of hours passed like this and by this point I began to eat snow right off the street just to buy time till I could figure out what seemed like an impossible venture. Suddenly, the sweet smell caught my attention. I seemed to float like a cartoon character towards the smell and found myself behind a local donut shop. The smell seemed to be coming from the somewhat rusted blue dumpster. Taking a quick look around to make sure no one was around, I lifted the top and began to search for that heavenly smell. Mind you there were smells in there I hesitate to put to paper much less describe but in pursuit of such delicacies I hope you can forgive me for this oversight. Rummaging through I found a clear but closed plastic bag containing several dozen donuts. Some the basic glazed others filled with jelly and cream with an assortment of sprinkles and what not. Drooling at my new treasure I pulled and undid the knot. Stuffing two quickly into my mouth hole. I found a state of pure ecstasy. Sugar melted in my mouth and I could hear a chorus of angels singing. This purest of pureness distracted me to the sound of a metal door opening up behind me. “HEY! You bum! Get the fuck out of here!”

I turned to face this new enemy. Standing at maybe five foot nothing was the young lady I had seen in the warehouse I was reborn in. This time she wore a white and pink pin-stripe polo with a name tag that read ‘Hello my name is Lian’ with a pair of matching white pants. I quickly covered my face within my hoodie. Reminded by her original reaction to me I shrugged deeper into my now worn and stained hoodie. The action seemed to cool her wrath somewhat. Taking a deep breath she said “ Well… we can’t have randos in our trash during business hours. Come back at around eleven pm and I might be able to give you some of the day's leftovers.”

Nodding as carefully as I could. She seemed to be waiting for me to leave so I made my way down the alley I came from. The Last dregs of people wondering seemed to pass slowly throughout the night. I spent a few minutes finishing up the last of the stale donuts and retreated to the relative safety of a billboard I was able to scale without notice. Between the large advertisements was a dry place. Making sure to note the location relative to the donut shop and spend a few hours just watching people. Suddenly there was a small scuffle just below. Turning my attention maybe a block to my left. I saw two men and a scruffy looking man with a gun haphazardly pointed at them. The two men seemed to grab onto each other protectively. One seemed to pull the other behind him and started to search his pockets for what I imagined was his wallet. Suddenly I could feel the numbness begin to rise up on the edges of my skin. “Oh fuck no. not this again.” I quickly sprung into action. Taking a running leap from the edge I felt exhaulation filling me. The anticipation of the fight made me forget to aim correctly and I landed with a heavy thud on the edge of the building behind the mugger. Falling unceremoniously to the alley face first. I felt a couple of bricks that must have come loose from my impact land on my back and head. Shaking the birds that seemed to be circling my head. I turned to face the mugger. He was gone. Standing slack jawed were the two men. Tightly clinging to each other. Facing them, “ Where did the guy with the gun go?” Both pointed down the alley to my left. “Thanks” I responded and ran after him. Taking a more measured leap I was bounding atop the roof tops in search of the man. Within a moment I caught sight of him. Jumping once more I landed on top of him. The impact sent the man sprawling on the snow covered floor. I stood up and grabbed the back of his hoodie. His weight was minor and I was able to lift him off his feet. The man pulled his gun to shoot at me but with a swipe of the back of my hand the gun was sent flying. The man seemed to steal his resolve. His eyes glassy but face screwed with indignation, “Hey fella settle down, I think we just got off on the wrong foot. I paid my tribute to Mr. Mcnally already this month.” Catching sight of my face suddenly, his jaw dropped towards the floor. “What… what the hell are you!” He screamed. Realizing the golden opportunity. “ Hell indeed,” and gave the mugger my best impersonation of an evil laugh. “ You will stop mugging people or doing any evil for the rest of your life Mr… what's your name?”

“Eddy… Edward Barnes” he said in a whisper.

Looking deeply into his shocked face I said, “ Eddy! Know this, from now on you will live an honorable life, you will clean yourself up and get a real job.” Thinking back to all the tv specials I had watched from my hospital bed about poverty, addiction and the vicious cycle that led to creating career criminals I continued. “ If not! I will find you Mr. Barnes and I will personally drag you and everyone you love down to the pit. There you will be ripped apart by demons like me!” A shit smell seemed to fill the alley and I instantly regretted having the man so close to me. Placing him gently on his feet. The man bolted faster than he had been running before. “ That should do it.” I should really do something about the gun he dropped. I turned toward where I had dropped the gun and there she was.

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Rizoel was standing, and man did she look angry. Looking around me the snow suddenly began to fall much harder than it had a moment ago. Quickly becoming a blizzard. “ What did I say!” she yelled. With a blink she was before me, grabbing my neck with one hand and pulling me up. She was dressed in leather armor with golden embroidery in the shapes of snowflakes. Behind her, two massive wings twice her size flapped pushing us up into the night sky. Her eyes bore into me, and she opened her mouth to speak. “ I said do not! Provide humanity with proof of divinity!” She yelled. Each word seemed to create shockwaves that permeated my body. Causing my insides to feel like they were being shaken loose from my body. “ Sorry,” I said meekly, “ I was just trying to scare the guy a little bit. Didn’t really think about it.”

“Didn’t think about it,” she said in a whisper. “ Well is that not the crux of the issue!” She yelled, “ You do not think! What could possibly possess you to reveal yourself to a mortal. Let alone claim to be a demon.” She seemed to take a deep breath. “ Do you even know what a demon actually looks like?”

“Well… like me no?” I replied.

“No!”

Suddenly she smacked me with her fist launching me into the air. In that moment of impact my mind was flooded with horrible images of tentacles and teeth. Pictures filled my mind's eye that seemed to last and eternity. Images of women shaped creatures chewing male genitalia and thousand eyed monstrosities with human limbs growing in all directions from it’s shapeless body that could devour worlds with only a passing thought. Before I knew it I was floating in the void of space. The horizon of earth taking my breath away. Weightless and turning slowly Rizoel Came into view. Her wings had become blue burning flames matching her now sapphire hair. “You will learn your place, child or else. Let this lesson not be easily forgotten for it shall be the last you are given.”

“Come now Rizoel.”

Still turning slowly, Anapiel Came into view. He was wearing the same three piece suit.

“Let us be sensible, that homeless man doesn’t necessarily have evidence of the divine. All he has is a story of some demon scaring him straight. Anyone that hears that story will think it the hallucinations of a drug addict. No need to punish the poor boy.” He said.

“Anapiel stop interfering, the child needs to know that the stakes are quite high with that rule.”

“ True as that may be Riz, I doubt sending him into orbit will be of much help” he replied coolly.

“But it is quite impactful, no?” She said, looking at me.

“Ye.. ye… yes ma’am.”

“Good.”

“Wait, what do I tell people when they see me. I look like something out of hell.” Once the words came out I regretted them instantly. Remembering the visions that Rizoel had given me.

“You really should have more pride in your visage! It is similar to our original form as well.” said Anapiel. Instantly Rizoel and Anapiel’s forms began to change. Rizoel was covered in a snow white cloud and Anapiel’s form changed into a bright flash of blood red light. When both effects dissipated, before me stood two giants. One femine and made of the bluest of Ice with a single large horn protruding from her forehead and her body the size of a small mountain. Her center glowed a deep sapphire and her wings had become wings of Ice as well. Beside her was Anapiel. He wasn’t as large but still frighteningly larger than me. His body glowed much like Rizoel but his glow was a bright red. His body seemed to be made of red Steel. It reflected as much as steel anyways. His head sported two slightly curved horns. Much shorter in relation to Rizoel but much thicker at the base. Instead of wings he had a long reptilian tail that swished back and forth behind him.. I feel like I’m standing in front of a hurricane or a tsunami . This feeling… this power… it’s overwhelming.

Both of their faces were animalistic. Rizoel seemed to have taken the look of a wolf with the same ears but smaller muzzle. Anapiel in contrast was more like a reptile with slitted eyes.

“Take a good look at yourself” with that Rizoel flicked her wrist and a mirror of ice formed a few feet in front of me. My face was very human-like, thankfully, but the rest of me… Eyes slitted like a cat. My ears ended in sharp points like an elf from fantasy films. The skin covering my body was an off black color, somewhere between midnight black and steel grey. It had the texture of stone but was firm and bendable like skin should be. The horns that curled from my head were intimidating even to me. They framed my face casting equally curling shadows across my face. Suddenly I looked around me. I was surrounded by a sea of stars. Wow… My heart began to lift in realization. The enormity of it all. Left me…almost speechless.

“This is my new reality isn’t it.” I murmured

“Yes youngest one, your life will never be as it was. You must change your way of thinking. Mortal you are not and simple mortal morality will not suffice anymore.” Rizoel said solemnly.

In a flash I couldn’t keep up with, Anapiel shot forward in front of me. His smile was more terrifying than when Rizoel launched me into orbit. “Try not to fuck up again my boy”, with a wink he slapped me with his right hand at full force. Face first I shot like a bullet towards earth. What the hell! That old fuck! Remembering all those films with space travel I realized a painful truth. Reentry is gonna be a bitch…