On the plane of Hell, Qing turned from the angel and looked to his friends, frozen like statues.

“Let them go,” he said, feeling as if he’d chewed a bag of flour. “I need to speak with them.”

“You have five minutes,” the angel said, and with a wave of its hands, it unfroze his friends, leaving the sailors and captain frozen, before turning to stare at the fortress, hands clasped behind its back.

Qing rushed over to Ghida, who tumbled sideways onto the ground, free once more. “Did you hear?” he asked, helping her up.

“Yes,” she said, nodding, and throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him close.

The fear of her lashing out, calling him a traitor, or worse, demanding he stay, evaporated, and he hugged her back.

“What do I do?” he asked, nuzzling his face into the side of her neck, letting her dark hair cover his face even as he felt the others gathering around.

“That is for you to decide,” Ghida said, whispering.

“Seems the heavens have come to take your measure,” Queen Ruqiya said, and Qing tensed. “Time to show my daughter who you are. Will you run away or stay and help us fight?”

“Mother!” Ghida said, stepping back to face her mother. “This is not his fight. You cannot ask him to sacrifice his family to help us save ours.”

“Of course we can.” Morgana said, turning her back on the angel. “You know why? Because that’s who Qing is. Screw this guy.” She pointed a thumb over her shoulder. “Qing is a real angel. The saviour sent here to rescue us all. I’ve been saying it since the desert. Back me up here, Knut, Jenny.”

“Blessed be,” Jenny said, shaking her head, while Knut shrugged.

“You guys can’t be serious,” Qing said. “You know me! I’m just a regular guy.”

“Maybe,” Rowan said, stroking his chin. “But first tell me, is that thing an angel?”

“If it flies like one,” Aria said.

“And it glows like one,” Jenny added.

They looked at each other.

“Then yes. It is probably an angel,” they finished in unison.

“God damn it, guys,” Qing said, glaring at them. “This is no damn joke.”

“No, you are god damn right it ain’t,” Morgana said, walking right up to Qing and poking his chestplate. “My entire life I’ve lived as if heaven and hell didn’t exist. It didn’t need to. Hell was my every day, and heaven? That was for other people. Then you came along. Gave me a shot at redemption. To feel I’m doing good for the first time in my life. And you convinced me hell is real.”

“The demons you let into our village didn’t do it for you?” Aria asked.

Morgana closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, ignoring her. “And you know what? With hell real, then maybe heaven was too. And if I did enough good, maybe I could make my way there someday. But now we are in literal hell, and some being tells us heaven is filled with beings who wants to let demons slaughter us?” She looked at the angel before shaking her head. “If heaven won’t help us, then it ain’t filled with angels after all. But you are here. You are real, and I’ve seen what you can do. How could we stand to send away our only hope?”

“Hear, hear,” Rowan said, rapping knuckles on his shield. Aria, Jenny, and Ruqiya all nodded their heads.

Yet Cedric’s eyes hadn’t left the angel’s back for a second. He stroked his chin. “Qing, you must do what you deem best. I trust you, boy. We will always find another way.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Aria stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder, spinning the wizard around. “Are you out of your mind? We can’t let Qing go. He’s our only chance for success!”

Knut, his arm protective around Ruqiya, sighed. “Much as I hate to admit it, what if we are doomed and this is an impossible task? Qing is our friend, and he has been offered not only a way out, but a way to save his family. Should we not support him?”

“As much as it pains me, I agree,” Ghida said. “He has sacrificed so much for our world already.”

Morgana turned, her voice icy cold. “Push him to leave us to die? Leave Cleo to her fate? Have you lost your damn minds?”

As the others continued arguing, Qing let their words wash over him. He looked at the angel.

Suddenly, Qing noticed something odd. Nestled among the angel’s pristine wings hung a single dead feather, black as those beneath their feet.

He raised his hand, silencing the others. “If you yearn so to see the devil free, why haven’t you done it before? Why wait all these years? Know that if you lie, I will know.”

“Why would I lie?” the angel said and turned. “That is for humans. And demons.”

“Then answer the question.”

“What humans have done, only humans can undo.”

Qing and Cedric looked at each other, eyes going wide.

The wizard spoke first. “This is why the angels stopped appearing in our history books. There are writings detailing how they used to guide humanity to greatness.” He whirled towards the angel. “You were using us as toys!? Setting us up as wooden soldiers to be used as canvas for your battles with the demons?”

The angel ignored him, so Qing repeated the question, rage starting to boil inside him.

“Yes,” the angel said, and Qing saw his miniature version in its mirror-like eyes. “That is one way to view it. Though most see it as their chance to break free. If they are unable to resist the demons’ invasion, they are not strong enough to stand on your own. When you make a vase, do you not test the clay for strength?” It shook its head. “Better to tear it down and start anew with a stronger base.”

“Oh, so you are letting the demons ravage Elrydisan for humanity’s sake? How magnanimous of you,” Qing said, glaring at the angel.

Ghida walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. “At least now we know why the angel works to stop us. It cannot free the Devil himself. Some law must forbid them to actively work against humanity.”

Cedric nodded. “If true, it means angels can only strike against demons, while demons can strike against angels and humans both.”

“Why don’t you fight the demons here instead, then?” Rowan asked. “If they are trapped here in hell, invade them! You’ve shown you can enter.”

The angel ignored him, so Rowan turned to Qing and scoffed.

“Who knew heaven was filled with cowards. They’re scared to fight the demons in hell, I bet my last bottle of booze on it.”

The angel’s wings flapped off beat.

“Can’t blame ‘em, can you?” Knut said. “I’ve never seen anything closer to a chicken before in my—.”

The angel snapped his fingers with a crack and Qing’s friends froze once more.

That seemed to hit a nerve. Typical of Knut to antagonize the all powerful being. But, isn’t there any way for me to change this?

“What would happen to you if humanity resisted the demonic invasion?”

“We do not know.”

“Has it ever been close?”

The angel laughed.

That’s a no.

“Can’t we work together to find a way for your existence to have meaning without dooming Elrydisan?”

“You think too highly of yourself, Earthling,” the angel said, lazily fluttering its wings, drifting closer. “We live forever. Do you know how boring it is to live the same day, one after another, for centuries?” Then it smiled to itself. “Heaven used to be…heavenly. We trained and crafted, sculpting ourselves into the finest warriors this reality has ever seen. Our every day, filled with meaning. Preparing to once more beat the demons back. We were worshiped as heroes.

Time after time, saving humanity. But then…” The angel’s voice rose to a crescendo. “your arrogant predecessors spoiled everything!”

As it screamed the last word it held up its fist and squeezed.

Cedric burst like an imploding submarine filled with ketchup.

Qing screamed and raised his glaive, his mind going blank at the shock. But before he could act, the angel waved a hand, and like a glitch in the matrix, Cedric was back where he had stood, still frozen.

But, his blood remained, painting them all.

Qing stood shaking and hyperventilating, warm liquid running down his face.

“Damn,” the angel said and gingerly plucked out five black feathers from his wings. “But enough of this, Qing. If you stay, you will be but another casualty, dooming these souls. They will be slain to a person. Tortured as the devil is freed to once again wreak havoc on Elrydisan.”

It smiled at Qing.

“But if you go, I promise I will send your friends to the next bastion of humanity, giving my forces explicit instructions to protect them. Not only will they survive this apocalypse, they will get to help in rebuilding this world. Everyone you care for will live. Your sister. Your friends. What more could you want?” It flapped slowly towards him. “Just give up your quest and let me return you home.”

Qing stared at the angel, biting his lip. Indecision reached for him, threatening to overwhelm his resolve.