Dantalion couldn’t sleep, her body twisting and turning as she laid on her comfortable bed. Her new bedroom was darker than a dying night, the only hints of light being from the silent buzzing of Adepha’s cell phone. She tried desperately to just close her eyes and pass out, but each passing minute felt like an hour as her attempts proved futile. She had no clue what time it was, seeing her case manager sleeping slumped over in a recliner, her snores a small rustle in the darkness, like the quiet roar of a running fan.
The demon flipped herself over onto her side, her eyes staring at her nightstand. She closed them slowly, the world around her going black as she started to tune out the noise from her howling mind. Her head was aching, her body strangely numb. She rested a hand beneath her pillow, letting an abyssal song of sleep soon consume her. Her world was dark for a few moments before her eyes shot awake again, though this time, she was in a familiar place.
She pulled herself upright, looking down to see her favorite blanket covering her legs. The room was small, but cozy, with crimson walls and posters galore. Dantalion whipped her head around to see that the space she left behind was unchanged, her messy desk still covered in junk and her closet still overflowing with clothes she never wore. The girl anxiously stepped out of bed, fixing her white hair into a ponytail as she walked out into the vast hallway.
Dantalion couldn’t help but smile as she passed by pictures of herself, her father, and occasionally, her mother. It was far better than the empty walls of Azrael’s palace. She walked down a set of narrow stairs that led into the home’s gigantic living room, the walls lined with trophies of past victories. Her favorite was always her father’s sword, which hung high above the couch in a tempered glass case.
“Morning, sweetie!” Her father shouted from the kitchen, the sound of a sizzling pan overtaking his voice.
“Good morning, dad.” She answered, trying to stay calm.
“How’d you sleep?”
“I tossed and turned a bit…”
He gave her a warm smile, “Ah, well, no biggie. Happens to everyone, right?”
“I guess.”
The man laughed, “I’ve had my fair share.”
Dantalion couldn’t help herself, slowly walking over and throwing her arms around the man’s side.
“Oof!” He chuckled, feeling her hand coarse through his redheaded beard. “Dani, I’m making breakfast.”
“I know.”
“What’s got you in the cuddly mood? Usually I’m the one hugging you.”
She sighed, “I… had a bad dream.”
“Oh. I see.”
“It was kinda crazy.”
His expression soon turned serious, “What kind of crazy?”
“It was really realistic, for one thing.”
“Hmm… what was it about?”
She sighed, “I got dropped off in a swamp, and Lady Death told me that you and mom-“
He let out a sigh of his own, “Dani, I know you didn’t wanna go, but it’s not going to be that bad.”
“What?”
“Lady Death won’t hurt you, and if she even tries to, I’ll break her in half like a damned twig.”
Dantalion was very confused, “She didn’t hurt me…”
“See? Even your nightmares are scared of me! Now, why don’t I get you some breakfast? I wanna see a smile on that face.”
He sat her down at the table, which looked tiny in comparison to the rest of the kitchen. She watched him place her eggs and bacon on the plate, then walk over and place it down in front of her, giving her a bit of a cocky smile.
“I made them just how you like ‘em. Fried but not runny, crispy but not burnt.” He spoke with valorous glee.
“Thanks, dad.”
“It’s no problem, sweetie.”
The burly demon bent down and gave her a kiss on the head, messing up her hair as he walked back over the stovetop, placing his dishes in the dishwasher as Dantalion ate her dream breakfast. The girl stuffed it in her mouth like a pig, memories of her father’s cooking racing through her mind. It was far better than the slop on that ferry boat.
“Done already?” Her father said with a chuckle, “Did I not feed you last night?”
“I guess I was just hungry.”
“I guess you were.”
He smiled as she stood from the table, placing her own dirty dish in the washer and sitting down on the comfortable leather couch. She grabbed the tv remote, turning it on with a click. It was stuck on Hell’s number one news station, which was also her father’s favorite pastime. She sat there still for a moment, her mind starting to tell her that she was, in fact, still in a dream. Dantalion tried her damndest to tune out the reasonable voice in her head, wishing the dream was real like a child imagining the stars. Soon, her father took a seat next to her, giving her a warm smile.
“So, you wanna talk about that nightmare?”
The girl became tense, “It wasn’t that bad.”
“What’s going on, Dani? It’s okay, I won’t toss you to the wolves.”
She sighed, “It wasn’t really anything… It was just me meeting her.”
“Are you really that scared of her?”
He hummed, “Trust me, she only seems scary.”
“But-“
“Dani, this will be good for you. You need something like this, all young demons do. You have great potential, sweetheart, your mother and I just want to see it realized.”
Dantalion began to feel a strange sensation from beneath her, the sounds of her own name being called from inside her mind. She whipped her eyes over at her father, who seemed to be fading away. Her vision quickly went down, staring at the black hole consuming her from below, pulling her down with its chains.
“Do you understand, Dani?” He asked, not even noticing her sinking into the abyss. “It’s for your own good, sweetheart. Lady Death will whip you into tip-top shape, and you’ll be the best descendant there ever was! I know you don’t wanna go, I wouldn’t either if I was your age, but I promise it’ll be the best thing that’s ever happened to you, don’t you believe me?”
“Dad!” She screamed.
“Of course you do. That’s my girl.”
“Dad! Help me!” The screams got more desperate, her body squirming at the feeling of being pulled. She watched her father rub her head, though now the memory was fading into the darkness of the abyss, as the sound of her own name being shouted echoed through her brain.
“Miss Dantalion!”
There was a pause.
“Miss Dantalion!”
Soon, Dantalion’s eyes shot awake once more, now back in the bedroom she had fallen asleep in. Her breaths were heavy and quick, her eyes shooting up to see the face of Leviathan looking down at her, giving her a smile.
“Ah! There you are! You had me worried there for a bit, I thought you were gonna miss breakfast.”
The teenage demon rubbed her eyes, “Breakfast…?”
“Lady Death wanted to see you before your afternoon training, she… has things she wishes to address with you.”
Dantalion groaned, forcing herself out of bed. “What kind of things?”
Leviathan shuffled, “Things… that are very personal to you and her, and I have no business repeating them.”
“Is it about my parents?”
“Maybe.”
The young demon raised an eyebrow, “Alright, tell her I’ll be there in a bit.”
“As you wish, Miss Dantalion.”
Leviathan bowed her head as she left the room, leaving Dantalion alone in the space. It seemed Adepha had left her here, but that didn’t really matter to her. It was one less voice to tell her to do as it told. She slowly stood up from her bed, her legs stiff and rickety as she half-awakedly waddled over to her closet. Her eyes wandered around the endless supply of outfits, some nice, some disheveled. She grabbed a shirt she deemed to be in the middle of that scale, a mildly wrinkled button up with a nice collar.
She put on her clothes in the same order she always did, finishing the cycle with her pants as she walked out the door and into the horrifically empty hallway. It reminded her of her dream, memories of the pictures lining the walls playing in great detail. Dantalion felt her heart sink as she kept walking down the endless corridor, finally making it to a large room with an even larger table sitting inside of it. A busy staff of Nighthounds awaited her, sitting her down at a seat and offering her coffee, tea, and various treats. She took the coffee and cakes, her eyes wandering around the room as she noticed she was alone, well, at least she thought she was.
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“There you are.” It was her case manager’s voice, though it was muffled through the sounds of her chewing.
“Gah!
Adepha stood over her, munching on a croissant. “Have a good night?”
“I guess.”
The case manager took a sip of her tea, “So, what’s the plan for today?”
“I’m not really sure.”
“I heard something about training.”
Dantalion didn’t really want to talk, “So did I.”
“What do you think that’s about?”
“Probably something about being an assistant or whatever.”
Adepha chuckled, “You sound excited.”
“I’m a bit tired, I had a… weird dream.”
“Weird as in flashing colors and crazy shapes or weird as in bad?”
Dantalion’s eyes went down to the floor, her body seemingly shrinking.
“I’m gonna guess bad.”
“I’m fine.” The teenage demon quickly spoke, “Just… first night nerves, I guess.”
Their somber tone was quickly broken by the sounds of fanfare, a murder of crows singing their song as Lady Death herself entered the dining room. She was clad in her usual suit, her hair done nicely, the rose in her pale locks blooming as usual. She gave a sharp stare to Dantalion from across the room before taking her seat.
“Good morning.” The death demon hummed, “I see you eventually did awake.”
“I got here before you did.”
“And yet Leviathan told me you were sleeping like a corpse when I woke up.”
Dantalion rubbed her eyes, “How long have you been awake?”
“A couple of hours, I don’t sleep much.”
“Right.”
Azrael grabbed a cake off a tray, stuffing it in her mouth. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?” She gave a glare to Adepha. “That means scram.”
The case manager scoffed, taking another croissant as she left the room.
“Why’d you kick her out?”
“Why do you ask so many questions?”
“Why do you do so many things that make me ask questions?”
The death demon mused, “Fair point.” She adjusted herself, “So, I’m guessing you’d like to hear about your parents’ little white lie.”
Dantalion leaned in, “…Yeah.”
Azrael sighed, “I’m going to give it to you bluntly.” The death demon looked Dantalion in the eye, “You are not here to be my assistant, well, not in the usual sense.”
“But-“
“Let me talk.” Her expression was deathly serious, “You are one of the few living demons who are capable of becoming a reaper.”
“A what?”
“Reapers are beings that travel to the mortal realm and collect unruly souls at the librarian’s behest. There used to be hundreds, but due to time and attrition, it’s just me now.” She stared off into the distance as a plate of breakfast was laid down in front of her, “The only eligible demons to become reapers are the direct descendants of fallen angels, like yourself.”
“Why would they lie to me about that?”
“Probably because they were too lazy to explain it, that or they didn’t know how.”
Dantalion looked down at her sizzling plate, “So… I’m… I’m sorry, I’m kinda confused.”
“It’ll all make sense later. For now, eat your breakfast. You’ll need to be full for our training later.”
“Training? What’s that all about?”
Lady Death rolled her eyes, “What does ‘it’ll all make sense later’ mean?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Take that curiosity and channel it into your fork, so you can stuff that food into your mouth.”
The teenage demon sighed, stabbing her eggs with her fork and taking a small bite. It tasted pretty good, so much so that her bites became bigger and bigger with each go round, wiping her plate clean in a minute or less. A nearby Nighthound grabbed her dirty dish off the table, running back into the kitchen with its tail high in the air.
“That was really good! Who makes the food around here?” She asked half-excitedly.
“That would be Quincy, for a bipedal monstrosity he does have a very keen sense of taste.”
Dantalion smiled lowly, “I guess so.”
“I’m happy you’ve found some sense of joy around here.”
“Better than nothing.”
Azrael curled her lip, “That is true.” She looked down at Dantalion, “I presume you’d like me to get out of your hair.”
“You can stay if you want.”
“I do have some things to do before our training. I’ll see you in… let’s say, four hours time.”
The teenage demon sighed, “Yeah, I guess that’s alright.”
“Good. I’ll see you then.”
Azrael walked off with little fanfare, not even waving goodbye as she quickly left the room. Dantalion’s eyes wandered around for a moment before she decided to leave as well, hoping to explore the place a little bit more before she was put through whatever insane training regimen Lady Death had planned for her. She walked out into the empty halls of the palace once again, the blank walls staring back at her as a Nighthound cleaned the floor with a broom. It spoke to her, in its own strange way, with clicks and grunts that she didn’t exactly understand.
“Hi…?” She hummed awkwardly, waving to the beast.
“Can you… understand me?”
It clicked its tongue, then nodded its head.
The young demon made an awkward hand gesture, “My name’s Dantalion, what’s yours?”
The teenage demon stammered before feeling a paw tap her shoulder, which made her jump slightly. “She’s asking if you can understand her, dear.”
Leviathan gave them both a smile, waving at the Nighthound as she stepped in front of Dantalion.
The head servant looked at Dantalion, “She said her name is Chalkydri, and she thinks your name is pretty.”
“Oh! Thank you! I think your name is pretty too.”
“She says thank you.”
Dantalion chuckled, “You know, I didn’t think I’d have to learn a whole new language when I came here.”
“It’s not that complicated, really. Just a series of clicks and clacks.”
“Though, why did Lady Death only teach you how to speak?”
Leviathan’s ears shot up, “Oh… um…”
“I mean, if she could teach you, then she could probably teach the rest of them, right? They aren’t dumb.”
“Well, Lady Death had her reasons, that’s all I’ll say.”
Dantalion raised an eyebrow, “Reasons?”
“I’m sure she’d like it if you didn’t know them.”
“I’m sure she’d tell me if I asked.”
“Touché.” Leviathan sighed, “The reason is… there is no reason. She just taught me, I assume she planned on teaching the others, but death is a busy job. Can’t keep track of everything.”
“Then why’d she teach you?”
“I guess I was worthy.” The servant said with a hint of smugness.
“Shut up!”
“What’d she say?” Asked a clueless Dantalion.
“Nothing! Let’s move you along!”
Leviathan pushed Dantalion down the hall until the other Nighthound was out of sight, leading her through the desolate corridors.
“We should get you ready for your training, Miss Dantalion, her macabreness will want you at your very best.”
“By getting ready, do you mean…?”
The head servant hummed, “What do you think I mean?”
“Like… more ghost makeup…”
“No, nothing like that. Just a simple change and maybe a little bit of a warmup.”
“A warmup?”
Leviathan laughed, “You poor summer demon, Lady Death is not one to go easy on anyone, let alone a newcomer.” She clapped her hands together, “But, I wouldn’t worry. She won’t beat you too senseless, only a bloody nose. Or lip. Or a cut or two, depends.”
“Thanks for the pep talk.”
Eventually, they made it back down the spiral stairs and to Dantalion’s room, where the servant bid her adieu. She walked into the bedroom to see Adepha sleeping on her bed, barely stirring as the teenage demon’s footsteps creaked across the floor. She tiptoed over to her closet, flipping through clothes like records in a store, before finally finding an old black tank top she hadn’t worn in a while. Dantalion struggled with it for a moment, surprised it still fit, and found a silver pair of shorts to match it.
After she was done getting changed again, she walked into her bathroom, redoing her hair into a neat bun and mean-mugging the mirror before deciding to wander back out into the halls. She felt the cold air of the empty corridors breeze across her skin as she walked back up the spiraling staircase that led into the main foyer. Surprisingly, it was a bustling place, with Nighthounds running to and fro to try and get where they needed to go.
Dantalion’s eyes were soon caught by a group of humans standing by Lady Death’s door, all of them brandishing grisly wounds as they awaited their eternal fates. She didn’t want to disturb them. Then, the young demon noticed a detour down a darkened hall she had never seen before. This hallway was very different, with paintings and pictures lining the walls, and the scent of roses filling her lungs. She walked through it on her tiptoes, trying to find out where the previously undiscovered corridor led to. Soon, there was light irradiating from the ending’s cave-like embrace, dimly alighting her journey as it reached its conclusion.
It was a large room, similar to her own, but almost double the size. Dantalion stealthily stepped through the expansive space, staring at the murals painted on the violet walls. The first one she saw depicted an angel in the heavens, one who looked oddly like Lady Death. She was carrying a baby, swaddled tightly in a pristine white blanket as the woman’s fingers stayed in a state of permanent caress. Dantalion was entranced by the painting, walking closer to it like it was on display in a museum.
“What are you doing back here?” A familiar voice shattered her trance, making the girl jump.
“Uh…!”
Lady Death approached her, her arms folded. “What makes you think you can just trespass into my quarters?”
“I… I…”
“Come on, if you spit it out now, I might not behead you.”
Dantalion anxiously shuffled her feet. “T-there were people in the lobby… and I didn’t wanna bother them! So, I went down the hall!”
“Those people are just dead humans. You could’ve easily wandered around them.”
“They looked like they were in pretty bad shape, I didn’t wanna scare them.”
Azrael hummed, “I see.”
“I’m really sorry, Miss Azrael, I didn’t know this was back here and-“
“Don’t worry about it.” The death angel said bluntly. “However, if I catch you back here again, I’ll rip the spine from your back. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am… but…”
“What?”
Dantalion nervously pointed at the mural on the wall. “I really like that painting, who did it?”
“Just an old friend. It’s nothing important.”
“I was kinda wondering who the woman was…” The young demon whispered.
“You were?”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
Azrael looked up at the mural herself, “Remember how we talked about my mother?”
“Sort of.”
Lady Death sighed, “That’s her. I told you she gave me my rose, yes?”
“Yes, ma’am, you did.”
Azrael stared at her, “She loved roses, she loved all flowers, actually. She said they were the most beautiful things God created.”
“She’s very pretty.”
“All angels are very pretty, it’s just how we’re made. She loved books, learning, reading, all of it. She was heaven’s librarian after all.”
Dantalion walked over to Lady Death’s side. “Is she…?”
“Dead? No. However, when an angel falls, their wings are removed. So, I guess she is technically dead, at least to me.”
“But-“
Azrael smiled with a dower look, “And I do miss her every single day. There are days where I wish I could just throw myself into her and feel like a child again.” Lady Death felt something in her throat, “But those days are gone. It’s best to leave them that way.”
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, Miss Azrael.”
“You didn’t, though you got close.” The death angel turned her back to the painting, staring into Dantalion’s eyes. “Your training will start as soon as I’m done with these last few souls.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Azrael put a hand on her shoulder as she walked out of the room, leaving Dantalion behind once more. The young demon stayed a minute longer, staring at the mural some more before deciding she should probably leave too. She retraced her steps back out into the lobby, where a new line of humans stood, now without gruesome injuries. They did still look sickly, a lasting presence of their various disease-filled demises.
She walked past them with a shy wave, waiting by the door as they filed into the room to meet their eternal fates. One by one, they went in alone, the muffled sounds of cries or cheers audible through the walls as they were given their sentences. The line grew smaller and smaller, until eventually it was down to one poor old woman who could barely stand on her own accord. Dantalion gave her a warm smile, though the woman seemed a bit terrified of her presence.
Finally, she entered the room, the young demon following in not far behind her to see what one of these meetings really was like.
“Gertrude Walters, Aged 93.” Lady Death read from a clipboard, sitting casually in her throne. “Cause of death is… natural. That’s good.”
Azrael grabbed her scythe, picking it up and pointing its edge at the woman’s head.
“Anything you’d like to add before I send you to your destination?”
The old woman whispered something in her ear, which made the death demon smile.
“I’m sure he’ll be waiting, Mrs. Walters.” Lady Death lined up her tool, “Now, close your eyes. This won’t hurt a bit.”
With one swift swipe, the old woman disappeared into thin air like a magic trick, leaving Azrael standing mid-motion. Her sharp red eyes looked up at the young demon watching her, her lips contorting back to a frown.
“So that’s how it’s done, huh?”
“That was a feeble old woman. She didn’t need a spiel, she lived a full life.”
Dantalion grinned, “Where’d she go?”
“Heaven. She was a devout catholic.”
The teenage demon gave her superior a sly smirk, “So… I’m guessing it’s right about training time?”
“I guess it is.” Azrael spoke as she held onto her weapon of choice, “Follow me.”
Dantalion heeded her call, anxiously following the death demon.
Hopefully she wouldn’t end up dead herself after this.