The Demon Side

by Heaven Liegh Eldeen

  Shock and grief struck me. I had killed my love in a fit of anger, rage, and emotions an Arch should never feel. I would surely to be called in front of our Father for a Tribunal and would most likely be banished to Earth among the humans until I fully repented for my sin. But in my rage, I blamed Michael and wanted my revenge.

  Next to the still warm body of my bride, I got on my knees and cried as I pulled my sword from her. “You caused this, Michael. You have always coveted what was mine.” My voice trembled. I unfurled my wings, spreading them out, and with my sword cut each one off. When the second one touched the ground, I fell and found myself at Lucifer’s feet.

  As I knelt before him, he knew I had all the makings of a great Demon. My belief in God’s love had completely vanished. I vowed to serve Lucifer in exchange for vengeance upon Michael. Seeing the darkness within me, he accepted me into his fold, stripping away my angelic form and bestowing upon me my new demonic form. I no longer fought for God. Lucifer was my master now.

  With revenge fueling me, I rose through the ranks in record time, putting me at the right hand of the Devil himself. Rahovart, the Arch was gone. I was now Rahovart the Heir—heir to Lucifer’s throne—and Commander of more legions than any other Demon in the past or present. Thousands of my former angelic friends and brothers found the end of my sword in my efforts to finally have my chance at Michael.

  I would have succeeded in my quest for revenge if it weren’t for Alastor. He fell from Heaven at the peak of my reign in Hell after discovering he was more of a sexual creature than a Seraphim Angel. When he first showed up at the gates, he showed eagerness to prove himself loyal and even more eager for a seat next to our Master. I quickly came to respect Alastor for his ruthlessness as an Incubus. He showed no mercy for the unfortunate souls that crossed his path and even less mercy on a battlefield. He made his way up the ladder and finally found himself as a very important and very trusted messenger. If I was Lucifer’s right hand Demon, Alastor was definitely his left.

  So there would be no reason for me to question him when he came to me with some information about a girl on Earth that Michael had been visiting. She was supposedly chosen to be the next virgin mother. Seeing the problem in this for Master, I knew what I had to do. When I returned from my kill, I expected to be in a higher standing with Master. Instead I was greeted by my own generals with their weapons drawn, not the parade I had anticipated.

  I didn’t understand what had turned my own trusted generals against me but I wouldn’t let their insolence go without a fight. When they moved in to arrest me, I turned my blade on them. They were strong fighters but I had more seasoning than all of them combined. I had the upper hand and they were out of their league. As I went to strike the last standing general, I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head. My vision blurred. I turned to face the coward who had struck me. Shock overcame me when I found Alastor and his shield coming in for another blow, knocking me to the ground before I could react.

  As I faded in and out of consciousness, I could see Alastor standing over me. With a final blow, he banished me to Earth without trial for killing a girl who had been deemed fertile enough to carry a child for Master. Alastor had tricked me. In one fell swoop, he had destroyed my reputation and taken my seat next to our Master, and no one, not even Lucifer, was the wiser.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The vision of my past crumbled. Behind the missing pieces of my vision, I saw Etta’s room. I lay on her floor cradling my head, opening my eyes to find a frightened Etta staring at me as the millennia of memories raced around in my head.

  “Ra, are you okay?” Etta’s voice sounded frantic and shaken.

  “Just a headache,” I said, feebly.

  “You scared the crap out of me.” Etta punched my arm then sat on her bed. “What the hell was that?”

  I couldn’t answer her. I had a lot to sort through, and she seemed terrified enough. She’d come to this house for a reason and played as an unknowing pawn in a battle I would to have to finish soon.

  “Don’t lie to me, Ra,” Etta insisted.

  “It’s nothing…just a headache, like I said. Look, I’m really tired. Mind if we talk about all of this tomorrow?” Without waiting for her answer I got up from the floor and walked to the closet. Etta jumped up off her bed in an instant and followed me.

  “Why are those down here and what happened to my ceiling?” Etta pointed to my shield and sword then curiously looked up where the attic access used to be. With a small flick of my finger, the access returned to its original place. I reached up to open it when Etta grabbed me.

  “Hey, what the hell is going on with you?”

  Her persistence was not appreciated at this particular moment. I shrugged off her hand as I retrieved my sword and shield from the closet and put them inside the attic access. She grabbed my shoulder again in an attempt to jerk me around to face her. This time I put a little more energy into my shrug, more than I had wanted to. I knocked Etta back into her bed, head first, and now she was the one lying on the floor cradling her head.

  I rushed to her side. When I tried to pick her up, I caught a fearful glance in her eyes. I had seen those eyes before. Images of Abihail flickered in front of me. Shaking off the memory of my past, I was caught off guard when Etta pushed me away from her as she pulled herself on the bed. “Just stay away from me…I knew you were a mistake.”

  “Etta?” John cried as he came running up the stairs. Etta stood up, holding her head with one hand and walked to her bedroom door. A small trickle of blood oozed from between her fingers. Before I could say a word, John opened door. I quickly jumped into the attic.

  “What happened?” John’s startled voice rang out.

  “I’m fine, Dad, slipped off my bed.” Those were the last words I heard before the bedroom door closed.

  Again, I had let rage consume me and in its wake, I’d hurt another girl I loved. I sat alone with only my thoughts and memories instead of the sound of Etta’s breathing and her sweet spring strawberry scent. I wanted to check on her, but my presence would only upset her more. I could only hope she didn’t mean what she said. I knew you were a mistake. The words hurt worse than any battle wound I’d ever received. I couldn’t check on her now, but would explain everything to her in the morning. Maybe she’d forgive me, take back those words, and that would give me time to decide my next move.

  Everyone’s plan was now clear. Master needed a mother for his child, so he sent Alastor to check on her fertility. The Arches thought with Alastor out of the picture, I would pick up where he left off. The tingling returned to my body this time, bringing a light-headed feeling with it. I tried shaking it off, but it wouldn’t budge. A burning started in my fingertips, moved to my arms, and ultimately consumed my whole body. I collapsed in a gut-wrenching shriek of pain. What was happening to me? Time seemed to stand still. I felt something lie on top of me. When I rolled my eyes open, John was positioned over me with a blanket and a frightened Etta stood behind him.

  “See, Dad, I told you,” Etta said, victorious.

  “Etta, go back down. I need to get him to your bed,” John snapped as if he were speaking to one of his troops.

  I felt my body being pulled up and dragged. As I rested on Etta’s bed, I wondered why he would be helping me. What kind of man can stare a Demon in the face and say, “Hey, I think I’ll help that guy”? Then blackness fell upon me.

  I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Blackness faded in and out. I had short visions of Etta in a chair reading. I could only hear bits and pieces of people speaking near me. Muffled sounds of excited and panicked voices filled my ears. Weakened, I had mustered up everything I could to focus on my surroundings when a burst of energy jolted me upright in the bed. Etta rose from her chair and John jumped in front of her.

  “What happened?” I asked. I was still light-headed, but relieved that the burning pain that coursed through my body had receded to a dull throb. John put his arm out to block Etta’s path to m
y side.

  “If any of these books are right, you’re starting to disintegrate, Ra.” Etta was scared, but I couldn’t imagine why. I couldn’t disintegrate into Purgatory unless I no longer fulfilled my purpose. My choices with Etta deemed me unviable. I had to get back to my world before it was too late. With my memory restored, I finally knew how to return to my world.

  I flashed to the attic to prepare for my trip to the underbelly of Hell. I wasn’t sure what I would face if I made it. I had strapped my armor on tightly when Etta and John came up through the attic access.

  “What are you doing?” The smell of Etta’s fear was just the dose of energy I needed.

  “I have to go home.”

  “Wait, you’re leaving? You can’t just leave me!”

  “Etta, I have to. If I don’t go now, I may lose any chance I have of changing his mind.” I slammed my helmet on. It had been so long since I’d donned my armor that the weight of it was almost crushing.

  “Change whose mind?” Etta panicked as she rushed to my side.

  “You know who, Etta. I’ve been deemed expendable. If I don’t go now, there will be nothing of me left in forty-eight hours.” I slid my sword into my sheath. Etta pulled and tugged at my shoulder, desperately trying to face me, but I had a mission. She had led to my demise. I had chosen her over my purpose and for that I would be punished. I had to fix it. I had to rid myself of her and forget of her existence. I had to prove my worthiness of Master’s love again. As she gave another tug, I unleashed my fury upon her.

  “Leave me be, girl, or your life will pay for your annoyance,” I roared.

  John charged at me, giving me a shove into the rafters. As easily as I could have destroyed him where he stood, I had to admire a man who would fight a Demon for his daughter without regard for his own life. Plus, I couldn’t waste my energy on him right now. I pushed passed the duo. Standing in the center of the attic, I could feel their eyes studying me. As I glanced back, Etta’s pain gave one last tug at my soul. I lowered my head, clasped my hands and in my tongue spoke the words I hoped would get me home.

  The blackness swirled around me like a dust devil, flames rose at my feet, and I was on my way. I should have done this the moment Etta walked through the door of that house. I had to put her out of mind. I had to save myself. I materialized before the first set of Iron Gates. I slowly walked toward them, expecting the first two guards to give me resistance when I commanded them to open. They gave me none. As the gates slowly lifted, I became overwhelmed with the smell of rotting corpses, brimstone, and burning flesh. Just beyond the gates lay the real entrance into Hell, a stone and dirt labyrinth filled with distorted and deformed souls trying to find their way to the intake room. It’s widely believed there are more souls in the countless tunnels than in Purgatory; it was a Purgatory all in itself. Lucifer’s idea of a test. Only the loyal, faithful, and strong could find their way. If your heart knew true darkness then it would be a short journey, but the lost could spend centuries aimlessly wondering around.

  Since I became deemed expendable, my abilities no longer worked here. I would have to travel on foot, and I knew the way well. Lucifer always had a good laugh when I would take my relaxing midnight strolls through Hell, surveying every possible security risk or battle strategy the walls held, including its labyrinth.

  I swatted the wisps of souls like mosquitoes out of my face as I made my way down the left tunnel. It wasn’t long before I came to the landing above the inner city, a giant hole larger than any of Earth’s metropolises—the true realm of Hell. Lava flows and pools of liquid iron ignited gas vents, sending flames shooting upwards of two hundred feet, sometimes more, throughout the city streets. I’d forgotten the intensity of the heat here. Looking down thirty stories, I watched as millions of Demons below enjoyed their daily routines of fighting, raping, and stealing from one another.

  Illuminating the skyline towered Devil’s Peak, a large, active underground volcanic mountain range. Inside its base was another series of corridors that adjoined thirteen caverns. The last of those caverns would be the throne room where I would find Lucifer. First, I would have to make it through the sea of rejects below. I readied my hand on the grip of my sword as thousands of eyes made notice of me. Most didn’t know who I was but the ones who recognized me watched my every movement closely as I walked down through the entrance of the city.

  My feet crushed the corpses of weaker Demons as I marched through the city. Shoving my way through the crowded streets made me angry. Before my banishment, the whole city would drop to their knees, bowing their heads when I entered. Now I had half-breed bastards begging me for scraps of food, street mongers trying to peddle their poorly made crafts, and Succubae throwing themselves at me to distract me from their pimp trying to steal my shield and sword. Grabbing the failed thief by his neck, I slammed him down on the street. I rested the tip of my blade on his throat when I heard someone call out, “Rahovart the Heir has returned! The Heir has returned!”

  Everything quieted around me. The city came to a complete stop and everyone stared in wonderment as they parted a path for me. If I wasn’t expected before, I definitely would be now. I sheathed my sword and swiftly made my way to the entrance of Devil’s Peak. Again, the guards stepped aside and opened the gates without question. The corridor to the first cavern was a short one. I stepped into the first cavern, the intake room. I was taken aback a bit when I entered. Usually the place would be packed with souls looking for acceptance into the fold.

  Today it was empty. The lack of hustle and bustle throughout the caverns gave way to the beautiful gold inlaid stone carvings of famous battle scenes and falls of infamous demons—including me—which decorated the walls of the thirteen main caverns. Each scene flickered in the light of the lava seeping through cracks, giving them an animated appearance. The rough jagged rock walls in the corridors that connected each cavern prevented any enemy surge from charging the throne room. In my Demon skin, I found them to be perfect for scratching the spots on your back that you just can’t seem to reach.

  No nostalgia or comfort came from finally being home. It didn’t feel like “home” at all. I felt out of place, uneasy. As I made my way through the twelfth cavern, I couldn’t help but wonder if Master and Alastor were in the throne room laughing at me now. With me gone, Alastor was sure to take my spot by Lucifer’s side. Lucifer needed someone to do his bidding, thanks to the treaty God made him sign to never engage mere Angels and Demons in battle.

  Carefully making my way down the last narrow corridor to the throne room, I took a deep breath. I stopped and studied the scene of Lucifer’s fall from grace and consequent rise to power stamped on his enormous arched golden doors. On the other side, I was sure he would be there, waiting. What would I say? What would happen? My fate rested on these questions. I could only hope that there had been a mistake made by someone other than me, and if not, once I reminded of my unfaltering loyalty to him, he would lift his damning judgment.

  I flung open the doors and marched passed the guards standing at attention between each of the thirty marble pillars that held up the volcano’s ceiling. At the end of the room was a large wide staircase. At the top of the stairs, a bored Lucifer leaned back with one leg over the arm of his oversized, bejeweled, golden throne in front of a liquid iron waterfall, waiting for me.

  Standing at only five-foot-eleven with a slender build, blond hair, small green eyes, and sunken cheeks, you’d probably never look at him twice if you saw him. But, it was the common look that gave him such great power. He was always underestimated.

  “Rahovart! My son, how have you been?” His concern for my well-being was a charade. I knew when he was being deceitful.

  Removing my helmet, I locked eyes with him. I couldn’t show weakness. “I’ve been well, Master, until just yesterday when I noticed something had changed. I’ve come to see why I have been deemed expendable.”

  “You were never one for formalities, my son. Kneel, and then we’ll t
alk.”

  I only had to kneel before him once before. After he saw what I held inside of me, he never requested I kneel again. The dynamic of our relationship had greatly changed since my banishment. I couldn’t let my pride hold me back from what I was after. I withdrew my sword and lowered to one knee. Setting my sword close to my leg, I placed my helmet on the floor and used it to steady my other knee down.

  “There you go, my son. Was that so bad?” His cocky smirk put me on the defensive.

  “Why have I been deemed expendable?” I demanded.

  “Well, you’ve been quite the nuisance for me and my plans lately. You most of all should know I can’t have that in my ranks.”

  “I have been a nuisance? How so?”

  “With the girl you seem so eagerly possessive of. I have plans for her and you are making it more and more difficult each day for me to fulfill my goal.”

  “I’ve done nothing but protect her and your plan. It is Alastor who is the nuisance, not me.”

  “Oh, is that so? Seems he has the same to say about you. Who to believe? Quite the pickle, don’t you think?”

  “I can prove it. The girl has been pregnant more than once by him. If you look, I’m sure you’ll find the souls of his children around.” The cocky smile wiped from his smug face. He wasn’t all-knowing. Alastor hadn’t been completely honest in his dealings on behalf of our master.

  “Rahovart, if he cannot be trusted, maybe I can trust you, after all, but you will have to prove yourself once again.” Lucifer kept his face cold and emotionless. I waited to hear what he had in mind for me, putting my best face forward as he rose from his throne. Leisurely, he walked down the steps toward me, flipping a coin in his knuckles. After the third time he circled me, I could no longer hold my tongue.