“What will happen if my demon kills the goat?”, Rosomil asked, his sword still drawn, and stepped casually towards Lodwin and his female companion. “Will Lodwin be free of his servitude to it?”

“Your monster won’t be able to do so!”, the woman shouted, but the panic in her eyes betrayed the futility of her words.

“Tell me, or I’ll let my demon give it a slow, torturous death. And don’t play dumb, witch. I heard you call it father.”

“As if Lod would accept you ever again! You didn’t value him enough to deny the demon you pledged yourself to! You killed him for your own selfish reason! Betrayer! Monster!”

“True. I committed these heinous acts. I betrayed him and all the others. I tortured them. Killed them. And a part of me regrets it more than you’re willing to give me credit for. But every so often you have to cut deep into your own soul and leave a festering wound if it means to rid oneself of a greater evil. The Order did no better than I, it just was more willing to hide its true face, whereas I despise wearing such a mask. In the end, once I’ve amassed enough power, I’ll be able to change everything. I’ll rid this world of all evil and rebuild what has been lost, no matter the cost or the sacrifice. Even if it means I have to end my own existence. In that, I’m more honest.”

“Honest?”, she spat at his face. “You’re less than honest! Wanting to rid the world of all evil? Start with yourself then! You’re just deluding yourself, so you don’t have to fully face the consequences of your actions!”

“Says the one who carries a Judas’ Silver around her neck”, he replied and pointed his sword to the coin. “I’ve seen what those are used for before, witch. They’re meant to make it easier for the bearer to betray someone they love.”

Shocked, she reached for the coin and clutched it in her fist. Rosomil glared at her for a moment, but she appeared smart enough not to continue her diatribe.

“I don’t know what your father has told or even ordered you to do, but I advise you to go”, he continued. “Leave this place as long as you can…”

The shiver was sudden and ill boding. Uncertain, he looked over to his demon. It seemed tense and alarmed, despite the goatdemon in its claws being still unconscious and held firmly down.

WRETCHED MORTAL!

The boom of the voice immediately forced Rosomil on his knees. Judging by the hiss of his demon and the groan of Lodwin and his companion, they too felt the oppressing force.

A heartbeat later, a bright light scorched the courtyard.

Rosomil, barely risen to his feet, stumbled backwards and shielded his eyes.

Heat permeated his clothes like a hammer and burned his face.

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Before he could be seriously hurt, he was engulfed into cool black feathers. The relief was instant, but the smell of burned feathers and hair made it short-lived.

“Let me out!”, he ordered and struggled against the wings.

“Not… now”, his demon pressed though clenched teeth.

Suddenly, the demon gasped. A mere second later, a thin blade pierced its chest and nearly hit Rosomil’s throat. The blade was forced downward, and a heartbeat later ripped out. Seemingly paralysed, his demon let go of him and dropped to the ground, where it gasped for air.

The light was still bright, but he could make out enough to dodge the thin blade coming at his chest. If it weren’t for the faster reflexes the Ravendemon had granted him, he would’ve been killed then and there.

His new opponent was inhumanity fast and the source of the light and heat. Still, despite his vision blurring, Rosomil saw enough of his enemy to identify them as an angel.

HOLD STILL, SINNER!

The boom of the voice would’ve been enough to force him to obey, but his demon's power seemed to be able to nullify parts of the compulsion. But it was barely enough for him to avoid being graced by the angel’s blade. Suddenly, another blade intercepted the angel’s. Rosomil only saw a smear of coppery hair before the air was knocked from his lungs by a punch into his stomach. A second later, a sword cut into his chest. But before it could go dangerously deep and cut into his heart, he felt his assailant being knocked away, followed by a rush of feathers.

His demon carried him a few yards before it went down again with a groan. Ignoring the pain, Rosomil pulled it up again.

“You need to flee”, said the demon, clearly in pain.

“I’m not fleeing from my enemies”, he protested, while he felt that his bleeding had already stopped and the wound healed.

“Fool!”, the demon snarled but put itself a moment later between him and another attack.

Again the thin blade cut through it, causing black, pitch-like blood to splatter on the ground, where it sizzled and burned into the stone.

LEAVEST THIS PLACE, TRANSIENT! THOU DOST NOT BELONG!

“You should leave”, it replied through gritted teeth. “Or has your master sent you?”

I AM HERE TO PUNISH THIS MORTAL FOR HIS TRANSGRESSIONS, AS IT IS THE RIGHTEOUS THING TO DO! GET THYSELF OUT OF MY WAY, TRANSIENT!

“Sorry, but that’s something I can’t do. Pacta sunt servanda! I’m ordered to protect him.”

THEN THOU SHALT SUFFER ALONG THIS WRETCHED MORTAL!

The angel pulled their sword free and swung it towards the demon's head. Rosomil reacted without thinking and jumped against the Ravendemon, pulling it not a second too late to the ground. The blade cut through the air, causing sparks to jump against Rosomil and the demon, but the pain was marginal.

Suddenly, a commanding voice echoed from the heavens, causing everyone to hold still and listen. Rosomil could only make out that it spoke Aramaic. While he could read the language, hearing it spoken was something else entirely.

The angel replied something, but the voice immediately cut them off. After the voice had finished speaking, the angel seemed reluctant.

“I can’t stand this any longer”, the angel murmured while their light grew dim, revealing their androgynous face as well as the crimson and golden wings adorned with prismatic patterns reminiscent of sun rays and eyes growing into each other and separating over and over. “To just stand by and watch this unfold…”

“There are consequences, Uriel”, Rosomil’s demon said and pushed itself up. “Retreat! For your own sake!”

NO! I REFUSE!

The Ravendemon suddenly grabbed Rosomil to pull him away, but was held back by Uriel, who swung again their sword down to kill them both by decapitation.

Suddenly, time seemed to freeze. Rosomil could see in vivid detail how the thin white blade closed in on him and his demon. Mere inches before it connected with the demon, a bell resounded, and pure white light engulfed them. Although Rosomil felt his eyes burn up, there was no pain, just absolute darkness a moment later followed by the smell of burning flesh. Then he knew no more.