by Alexie Aaron
“The demon-with-no-name chose a dark route that would eventually destroy all of us.”
“I’m sorry, he’s not in any of our literature. No, actually, he is, but not his path into cannibalism.”
“Mia, we have to hear other testimony. Can you sit still and be quiet?”
“No. Honestly, no.”
“I appreciate your candor. Sticks will escort you to get some nourishment.”
“Thank you,” Mia said and followed Sticks out the gate.
They walked through the tunnel and down the stairs. For a moment, Mia thought they were going to make a break for it, and she fought with her conscience over what would happen to Sticks if they did run for it. But it was all for not, as he escorted her to the very same café Lucifer ate at.
“Now, you may not be hungry, but you need to eat. You’re getting bitchy.”
“Sticks!” Mia said, surprised.
“Aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
A young waitress breezed over. “Hello, what can I get you?”
“She’ll have baked beans and a hamburger with mustard and onions. I’ll have the walnut soufflé,” he said confidently.
“How did you know?” Mia said, sitting back, looking over at her companion.
“I asked your father lots of questions when he visited me.”
“He did?”
“Yes. Charles walked right up to my tree and called, ‘Is there a young gentleman named Sticks about?’ His eyes got really large when I crawled out of the tree.”
“I bet they did.”
“He didn’t tell you?”
Mia shook her head slowly, trying to piece together the scant conversations she had had with her father. “I don’t think so, but I’ve had some trauma and have forgotten some things.”
“But you remembered me.”
“How could I forget a fiancé?”
“He said that you said I was a hero.”
“You are.”
“He said that I could be a hero even if I fought on the demon side of things.”
“Yes, you can.”
“So, you’re not mad that I’m one of Abigor’s squires.”
“Absolutely not. He’s brilliant. You’ll learn a lot,” Mia said.
“He likes you.”
“He shouldn’t.”
“I know. He’s got over a hundred wives and you have that fellow. He’s tall and skinny like me.”
“I seem to have a type,” Mia said.
Sticks laughed.
“So, is there a Mrs. Sticks on the horizon?”
“No! Two much work keeping a wife.”
“I can see that.”
“Mia, we could slip in the river Styx, and I could float us to the other side. I can save you.”
Mia leaned in. “I got myself into this mess. I must have faith that there will be a solution to the problem of the demon-with-no-name and a reasonable punishment for me. I have caused chaos here that I have to answer for.”
“Aosoth’s brother is on the panel,” Sticks warned.
Mia sank in her chair. “Oh dear.”
“No one blames you. You were protecting your son. Mbengar stood up for you even though he was publicly embarrassed by the pit handlers.”
“He was very kind to do that.”
“I liked talking to your father,” Sticks said, running out of conversation.
“Sticks, if something happens to me, if you run across my father in your travels, please could you tell him something for me?”
“It would be a pleasure,” Sticks assured her.
“Tell him that I didn’t understand this when I was young, but I now know how much he and mother did love me, that I love that he was my father, and hope he will want to continue to teach my sons.”
Sticks nodded. “I will tell him that.”
Their order arrived, and Mia ate as much as her stomach would hold. She didn’t want to worry Sticks.
“My friend Murphy loves eating here,” she said. “The food is amazing.”
“I thought you would like it.”
An odd-looking fellow ran into the café and over to them.
“You’re to come back now,” he said before turning into a rat and scurrying away.
“Oh my,” Mia said, wiping her mouth.
“That’s quite common. They are minor demons. They can’t hold humanoid forms very long.”
“If you’re ready, I guess it’s time to face the music,” Mia said, looking at the water. “Don’t you find it amusing that you and the river have very similar names?”
“I’ve never thought about it. I’m glad I don’t have to work on it though. That’s not water. It’s tears. It’s the tears of the parents of the children who would not listen to them. It’s the tears of the anguish brought on by evil. It’s the tears of the innocent who will never understand why they have been tortured. In short, the river will never dry up, unless things change in your world. Lately, the level has risen significantly.”
Sticks waited beside Mia at the gate. He escorted her to where she needed to stand. It took a few moments before the panel was settled. Mia searched each face, trying to figure out what was going on.
Lucifer came in and sat down. He cleared his voice.
Mia looked up.
“Mia Cooper Martin, in your short life, there have been many complaints against you. I think most of them were due to your ignorance of the way things are done in our world. You have had staunch supporters, and aside from a restitution you made at a minor demon court, you have pretty much gotten away without being punished. Many would say that you aren’t a denizen of Hell, so our rules don’t apply to you. But, Mia, you knew you were bringing a dangerous demon here without warning us first. For this, you are guilty. Unfortunately, the punishment is death.”
Mia wavered, but she didn’t faint. Sticks put a hand on her shoulder.
“Abigor reminded me that you’re a warrior trained in the art of battle. He demanded that I would be insulting every warrior in Hell and Heaven if you were given a simple execution. He’s right. I would like you to choose a fallen to battle to the death.”
“What if I win?” Mia asked.
“You’ll be exonerated by battle. You will be free to go,” Lucifer said. “But you have to kill the fallen. There will be no draw.”
“I choose Lamia,” she said.
“But she is in spirit form,” Lucifer said.
“Does that matter? Give me my angel steel back, and I can defeat a spirit.”
Lucifer thought a moment. “Mia, you stand a better chance if you pick a fallen in their humanoid form,” he cautioned.
“Is she too afraid to face me after bearing false witness?”
“Please explain yourself,” Lucifer ordered.
“I was sitting there thinking about the questions that were asked, the supposed witness you had. I thought about Lamia, her understandable hatred of someone who took her eye and transported her lover away from her. She probably thinks I kidnapped him, that he would never leave her. Sorry, Lamia, he was looking for a ride the moment a sensitive came close!”
“Why are you shouting?” Lucifer asked.
“So, she can hear me,” Mia said. “If you want me to wait until she has developed a humanoid form, I will, but I’m fine with battling her in spirit form. I’ll present myself in the same form.”
“How?” Lucifer asked.
“OOB.”
“Can you carry a sword in this form?” he asked.
“I better learn quick if I can’t.”
“WAIT!” Altair shouted from the gate. “I want my say!”
Mia shook her head. “He doesn’t speak for me. Send him away.”
Lucifer angled his head. He had a problem on his hands. If he sent Altair away, then it would look like the chit was giving the orders. If he let him in, he would push his friend further away. “Open the gate.”
The gate opened, and Altair strode in. He faced Lucifer.
“Well,” Lucifer asked.
There was a lot of hissing from the others. Abigor stood up. “That is a very good question, Altair. Unfortunately…”
“Sit down!” Lucifer said. “Mia let you-know-who into here where he could destroy all of us.”
“But yet, you let his jailer, who defected with him, be your star witness? How does this make you and your generals look? You won’t fight Michael because he’s got a healer, but now you have the healer. Imprison her, don’t kill her. She walked right in and made no attempt to assassinate any of you. I hate to see how your young recruits apply themselves, knowing that their generals killed a little girl because they were afraid.”
“Altair! That’s enough!” Mia cried. “He’s giving me an out. I’ve chosen my opposition…” Mia stopped talking and stared at the line of generals. Before, there were only five, but now there were six.
“They won’t let you fight her because she’s already dead,” he said.
Lucifer turned to his generals. “Is this true?” he asked.
“After her testimony,” the general to his right answered, “he rewarded her with a body. She then rushed to the prison and sought out her lover. The demon-who-has-no-name cornered her and devoured her. He didn’t stop with her brain. He ate all of her.”
“Efing beast,” Mia said. “If he ate her brain, then he knows his name now,” she said, looking at each general, trying to identify the imposter.
Lucifer frowned.
Altair wavered.
“I choose to fight Ruax,” Mia announced.
“We can’t give him a sword,” Abigor said and then asked, “How do we contain him?”
“You haven’t. He’s sitting on the end,” Mia said, pointing to the cloaked general on the far left of Lucifer. “How about it, Ruax? Wanna fight a girly-girl?”
The demon stood up. He smiled, his teeth sharp. “I’d love to continue the conversation we were having when you dropped us into the pit.”
“You can fight and talk, can’t you? Or do you need to concentrate?” Mia goaded.
Ruax laughed. “It hardly seems sporting, but as the kids say, ‘What the hell.’” He took the sword away from the nearest general, decapitating him before he jumped down onto the courtyard.
“Don’t you want to eat him? He looks pretty fresh,” Mia said, taking off her jacket and handing it to Sticks. I need a sword. Abigor, where is my stuff?”
“Here,” Altair said, giving her his sword. “He knows you. He’ll not fail you.”
“Thank you,” she said, sliding the sword along her arm until it bonded with her. Mia unleashed her wings. “Altair, take Sticks to safety,” she requested. “If this goes south, they will be too busy to look out for him.”
“Why do I always get babysitting duty?” Altair teased before he extended his wings and picked Sticks up and flew him to the top of the courtyard where they settled in to watch the fight.
“I believe we were talking about courtesy,” Mia said, raising up and releasing her armor, letting the feathers hit the stone floor, causing a rapid-fire assault on their ears. “I’d like you to know, I have the ability to fly.”
“Thank you. I gain the strength and abilities of those whom I eat. That was Aosoth’s brother I killed. They have this snake thing going on,” he said as a very familiar whip was presented.
“I extend my appreciation of the sportsmanship,” Mia said, smiling.
“Before we begin, tell me, Mia, what makes you think that you can best me when they are soiling themselves in fear right now?”
“It’s because I have to,” Mia said simply.
The two walked around, keeping the other in their peripheral vision at all times.
“Who was that young demon you were protecting? Is he your son?”
“Actually, my fiancé. Ex fiancé,” she corrected.
“But he’s not more than a child, you dirty old lady.”
“I didn’t know. He was so enchanting and had made a nice nest. He’s a good provider. But Roumain pointed out that I already had a husband, and this demon was a teenager. Imagine my face. Embarrassment factor: two blushes.”
Ruax sent the whip forward.
Mia anticipated this and jumped out of harm’s way.
He countered by driving forward, twirling with his sword, coming too near her left leg.
Mia kicked out, sending the surprised demon to the ground. He brought the whip wide and snapped it back, sending the six snakes open-mouthed towards Mia.
She twisted, catching four of the six heads with the sharp edges of her armor. They tumbled to the ground, their bodies waving blindly. The two remaining snakes tasted the edge of Mia’s sword splitting them from throat to gut.
Ruax dropped the whip and rushed Mia, pushing her to the ground, their swords locking. Mia mentally pulled an armored feather from her wing, sending it behind him, bringing it back to the demon, and tapping him flatly on the head.
He reached to brush it away.
Mia took this moment to rise. She flipped over him, landed on her feet, and drove Altair’s sword upward, deep into Ruax’s body. She bent him backward, breaking his back with her knee, as she reached around and snapped his neck. She pulled out the sword, pushed him off her, and stuck it in his heart.
Ruax turned to ash. She contemplated what had just happened. It wasn’t anything spectacular, just something Nicholai had her practice over and over, eating mud each time she hesitated. She was frozen. She couldn’t look away from what she had done.
“Mia, lower your sword,” Lucifer said from behind her.
Mia whipped around and looked up into the face of Lucifer Morningstar and said, “It’s not mine. It’s a loaner.”
He smiled and took it from her hand and set it on the ground. He gathered her in his arms until the shock of what she had done had worn off.
“I didn’t want to believe it was true,” she said sadly. “I am an assassin.”
“No, you were wonderful. What I saw was a trained fighter. A bit of Victor, a lot of Nicholai. Ruax underestimated you.”
Altair landed, bringing Sticks with him.
Sticks picked up the sword and handed it back to the angel.
Lucifer released Mia. He squatted down and moved his hand, lifting the ashes to the wind. They dispersed in every direction.
The remaining generals jumped into the courtyard, Abigor leading the congratulatory group. “Mia, there are 40 legions of demons without a general…”
“Not my problem. I want my stuff back,” she said. “And then I’d like to return to what’s left of the island. I have to find Ted. I have some ’splaining to do.”
“I’ll show you the way,” Altair said. “I know you’re rubbish when it comes to directions.”
“Mia,” Lucifer said. “I hope I never have to face you in battle.”
She smiled. “No offense, but I hope I never see you again.”
“You wound me,” Lucifer said, grabbing his heart.
Sticks brought a large satchel. Inside were her boots, her sword, knife, and the chainmail gown she wore. She looked over to where Abigor stood. She nodded her head and said, “Sweet dreams.”
Chapter Seventeen
Murphy was convinced that the sea was leeching away his power. In truth, he was just seasick. The gifts of physicality, bestowed on the dead, backfired on those uncomfortable on the waves.
Mother Nature developed the GSD, Ghost Ship Dimension, when her human herd moved from the caves and fields to venture out on the water. This hidden dimension was developed so the caretakers of the herd could move unseen on the oceans and seas. Although it only exists where the oceans meet the sky, a few of the tall ships managed to be swallowed whole when there were weaknesses in the veil. In the GSD, the ships sailed on for an eternity. The men and women who sailed on them ate, drank, fought, and sometimes died in this realm. They also had the ability to cross into the wo
rld in which they were born for brief moments before returning to their life in the GSD.
Were the original sailors living or dead? This had been debated at the fires of the sages since the first sightings of the ghostly tall ships. They lived and died in the GSD, but they were most certainly dead when they crossed over to take on new crew. When the ship’s crew thinned, the captains of these ships crossed over the veil and collected those that died on the sea, pulling them from their watery graves where the light could not reach them.
It was still possible for new ships to be claimed by the GSD, although most of the crews went mad. If they couldn’t adjust to their new reality, existing in the GSD became an unending nightmare.
For Stephen Murphy’s first few days, it was debilitating. His body needed nourishment. He was served a cornmeal gruel mixed with bacon fat. The mixture didn’t stay down long. The water, flavored by the old barrels, he could barely choke down. The stale taste was too much for a farmer of the Midwest, who remembered the sweet, unpolluted waters from the wells and springs.
The ship’s sympathetic surgeon advised, “A little rum would give you sea legs.”
“I’m not used to the drink,” Murphy confessed.
“Not even in life?” the man asked.
“No, my kind did not drink spirits.”
“And now that you are a spirit, what’s the harm?”
After feeling as if he was going to die of thirst, Murphy opened an eye and crawled out of his straw-stuffed bunk and grabbed the bottle the surgeon left. He withdrew the cork and took a tentative sip. It burned. “Think of it as medicine,” he told himself, taking another drink. The second drink went down better.
The sound of approaching heavy bootsteps had him in search of his axe. The door opened and the quartermaster stood there.
“How are you feeling?”
“Bad, but surviving,” Murphy said.
“The Capt’n wants to speak with you. I brought you some fresh clothes. It looks like those have seen better days. You can wash up on deck.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Sir. I like that. Normally, I have to beat respect into the new ones. You’ve saved yourself some lashes. Stephen Murphy, you saved yourself a lot of pain.”
