“Arm yourself, and assist any civilians!” Aster commanded him. The soldier pulled himself up, grabbed a nearby sword off the ground, and gave a weak “yes, sir” before running off. Aster took a brief moment to examine the hole in the Southern Gate that the demons were spilling in from. Wolf types, Lizard types, and even a few Gorilla types. All low level demons. Unfortunately with their numbers they could be considered a pain in the ass and a danger for the less combative citizens.
Several lizards were heading towards Aster. He readied his blade and leapt forward slashing straight downward at one of the creatures, splitting it’s head wide open. Another lizard charged him from the side. He launched a small fireball at it, momentarily stunning the demon, and then slashing at it with his blade. A pack of wolves ran by him, chasing a couple civilians. They wouldn’t reach them, not if Aster could help it.
He dashed after them, readying a large blast of flame in his left hand. Once it was an incredibly large size, the Commander blasted the flames forward. Needless to say, it got the demons attention. The entire pack of four turned around, taking notice of the Commander as his flame had just burned their backs. Two of the wolves lunged forward at him. Aster tossed his blade high into the air and continued forward, heading straight for them. Mere feet away from the wolf, he threw his strongest punch aimed straight at the demon’s face. The wolf flew back, defeated.
The next wolf was already upon him, mouth wide open for a bite of Aster. The Commander caught it by the jaws and proceeded to rip it apart. With a little bit of effort, the bottom jaw tore right off. The demon dropped to the ground, weak from blood loss. While all this was going on, another wolf spotted and was moving in on a small child. With perfect timing, Aster’s blade came falling from the sky. He leapt up, grabbing it in midair, and fell to the ground slashing at the wolf’s hind legs.
Suddenly finding himself without hind legs, the wolf tried to turn around to confront Aster. It was already too late for the monster, as Aster planted the tip of his blade in its gut. The child was frightened, and rightfully so.
“Are you alright?” Aster asked the boy. The boy didn’t reply, but instead looked even more scared and pointed at something behind Aster. He didn’t get the chance to turn around and look before a large Gorilla demon gave him a devastating punch to the back of his head. Aster flew back several yards and collided with the wall of a house. Now the child was defenseless as the Gorilla moved in on him. Aster scrambled to his feet, but it was no use. He wouldn’t make it in time.
Luckily, he wouldn’t need to, as a gigantic fireball smacked into the Gorilla demon sending it flying backwards and burning it to a crisp. Captain Archen stood on the nearest building top, looking down on the scene. He leapt down to join his Commander on the ground. Aster rushed over to make sure the child was okay.
“Get this kid to safety, Archen,” he commanded him.
“What about you, Commander?”
“I’m going to push them back,” Aster said, picking up his sword. His men were trained and ready to contain the invasion should demons ever enter the city. Already, they were surrounding the area and closing the demons in. Eventually, the demons would try to exit the same way they came in.
“Alright men, let’s close in on them!” Aster ordered, and everyone obeyed. Slowly, the men with their swords and spears and fireballs began pushing the demons back towards the opening they’d made in the gate. The lizards, being the weakest, were easily pushed back. The wolves resisted, but eventually caved when the men began prodding them with their spears and small fireballs. The gorillas flat-out refused to budge, and required much more persuasion.
After much struggle, the men had closed in enough that the demons only had one place to go: outside. It was the devil’s victory, as the demons fled the city. The soldiers began to cry out in shouts of success, happy at their victory. But Aster did not share their joy. He was relieved they had forced them out, no doubt about that. But he was not happy those demons got away. In his mind, if they had invaded once and gotten away with it there was no reason why they wouldn’t return to try again another day. He hated them. He wanted them dead. He was going to track them down and kill every last one of them. In his mind, that was the only way to ensure everyone’s safety.
Aster clipped his blade to its holder on his back and brought out his wings. “Make sure all civilians are alright,” he called to Archen.
“Where are you going?” Archen asked.
“Out there,” Aster pointed out the hole in the wall, “don’t follow me.” Before Archen could raise a rebuttal, Aster was gone through the opening. Venus arrived just in time to see him go.
“What’s he doing?” she asked, concerned.
“Being foolish,” Archen replied.
Aster followed the demons far out into the desert, dropping massive fireballs on them like bombs from an aircraft carrier. The fireballs weren’t intended to kill them; they were intended to only cripple them. After he’d hit enough of them, stunning and crippling them, he dropped to the ground and drew his blade. They were now sitting targets for him. He rushed from demon to demon, slashing at them with no compassion. Their dying cries summoned even more demons, which Aster continued to slash through without hesitation.
Something took over. His usual calm, polite demeanor was temporarily gone, replaced by seething hatred. He had become even more ruthless than the demons he hated. If they attacked, he slashed even harder. If they ran, he hated them more. He lost track of time. He was covered in blood. He was out of breath from swinging his blade, but couldn’t stop. The sun was completely gone now, and he was left in the darkness with only the demons and his own murderous intent.
And there, in the distance lit by his own flame he saw the sword in the sand again. He hadn’t even realized that he had cut his way out there. He was alone now. Not a demon in one piece remained, the sand dyed red with their blood. Suddenly, he didn’t feel like killing anymore. His arm dropped limp at his side, his blade now dragging in the sand behind him as he approached the sword in the sand. He’d finally made it.
He plunged his own blade into the sand next to the other sword. It had been a long time since he’d last seen his Commander’s sword, and truthfully he never thought he’d get it back. But there it was. Gripping the cold hilt, he removed it from its resting place. Sand drained from all the little nooks and vents, as if the sword itself were finally breathing again. The sight of Commander Clarus’s sword instilled a long-forgotten sense of peace within Aster.
He could no longer hold it in, as tears began to flow from his eyes. He never did properly mourn the loss of Commander Clarus Honore as he should have, and being there in the place where he died, holding his sword brought him the closure he needed. But Aster was no fool, and knew he had to get a move on. It wasn’t safe this far out of the city, and it’d only be a matter of time until a new batch of demons found their way to where he was. He left behind his blade in the sand as a grave marker and carried the sword known as Infernos back with him.
He made haste back to the city, bringing with him not only a sword but also a renewed sense of duty. He was resolved to lay down his life for his Lord and the city. He was determined to protect the lives of the people. He was motivated by the memory of Commander Clarus, a great man and a loving father. His father.
Part Seven: Satan’s Dream
When Aster returned an hour later, he found the hole in the Southern gate in the process of being repaired. Extra men were patrolling the area, and all was well. As it turned out, there were no casualties during the demon’s attack. Aster tiredly made his way back to the castle to make sure all was well there. The night was quiet, and the streets were deserted. Quite a contrast to the day he had been through. At the castle, it was much the same. The halls were devoid of any life, save for the night patrol guards.
Aster made his way to the barracks, his mind already made up that he would spend the night there. He was far too tired to trek all the way back to his house. As he entered
the barracks he saw a familiar face waiting for him: Venus Fayth. She was sound asleep, head down at one of the tables. She had two plates of food prepared for them to eat together. It was a sight that made Aster feel terrible about turning her down so often. For a moment, he even allowed himself to imagine what it’d be like if they were together. It felt good; so much that he had to stop himself immediately, for fear of finally giving in to it.
He quietly made his way into his office to retrieve a spare blanket he kept for occasions like tonight where he planned to stay over. Instead of using it himself however, he wrapped it around the sleeping Captain. Once she was covered, he grabbed a few select items off the plates of food and retired to his office. The next few minutes were a mix between taking off his heavy armor and eating. He leaned Infernos up in the corner of the room where he could always see it. Finally ready for sleep, he prepared to climb into his tiny hammock in the back corner when he heard a door close. It could just be a night patrol guard coming and going, but he thought he should check anyway.
Before he could reach his own office door, he heard a light tapping followed by the door cracking open slowly. He expected to see Venus pop her head in, but was caught completely off guard by Lord Satan instead.
“May I come in?” he asked, as if it were even possible for Aster to say no.
“Yes, come in my Lord.”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t wake your sleeping friend.” Satan said with a friendly smile. His eyes were immediately drawn to Commander Clarus’s blade, Infernos, standing in the corner. “I had heard you disappeared into the desert again. I’m glad to see you found your way back safely, and with your father’s sword none the less.”
“Thank you, my Lord. I think…I can move on now.”
“It’s okay to have feelings, Commander. I know you have a large heart. Commander Honore and I were good friends. Your father spoke very highly of you.”
“Really? I thought he didn’t know I existed...”
“Who do you think recommended you to be his replacement? We’ve both lost our families too soon, Aster,” Satan told him, “lots of people have. It’s the one thing we devils can not escape here in Hell.”
“It’s all God’s fault!” Aster shouted, the sleep deprivation and hunger finally making him lose his temper.
“Why do you think that?” Satan asked.
“So what if a few angels rebelled with the original Satan? We had nothing to do with that! He can’t keep holding us responsible for the sins of our ancestors! But he marooned us here in this world, where we’re constantly living in fear of demon attacks! I hate him…I hate God!”
A strange thing happened: Satan suddenly looked depressed. Aster had never seen him with such a dire look on his face, even at his father’s funeral. “My boy, what you have said is true; it is certainly God’s fault that we are here. But consider this: We are here.”
“What?”
“If God had simply decided to execute the first Satan and his followers, none of us would be alive today. Had you ever thought of that?”
“No, my Lord, I hadn’t…”
“Your father and I shared the same dream; did he ever speak of it to you?”
“No, my Lord.”
“Your father and I had always dreamt of restoring our relationship with God.”
“Why,” Aster scoffed, “so that he ‘forgives’ us and invites us all back to Heaven?”
“No,” Satan answered firmly, “our place is no longer in Heaven. This is our home now. I simply want to feel the love of our Father again.” Aster thought his dream was incredibly stupid, but could never openly mock his Lord. Instead, he posed a simple question.
“How do you intend on doing that, my Lord?”
“The only way I know how: by continuing to lead a good life, be a good ruler, and lead my people to prosperity. Do you find my dream foolish, boy?”
“It is not my place to question my King,” Aster said. “I will merely continue to do as you command me to.”
“Perhaps one day you will understand,” Satan smiled.
“Perhaps.”
“I can tell you need your rest, so I’ll be taking my leave now.” Aster gave a weak bow as Satan headed for the door. Before he exited, he turned around and said one last thing to him. “I’ve always felt that you will play a large role in making my dream come true.” Unexpected, and Aster hadn’t a clue as to what he meant by that. Instead of replying, he simply stared blankly, waiting for him to say more. “Goodnight,” Satan said, exiting the room with a smile on his face.
Aster crawled into his hammock and wasted no time succumbing to sleep. And so this workday was done, but tomorrow would be more of the same. Indeed the future held many tough battles, life threatening situations, and strong opponents for him to face. And even though he didn’t believe it, Satan was correct about him playing a large role in repairing the devils relationship with God. In fact, the fate of not only Hell, but Earth and Heaven as well was highly dependant upon Aster’s future actions.
To him though, it was just another devil’s workday.
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About the Author
Mitchell Olson lives in the cold-as-Hell state of Minnesota. He enjoys anime, video games, and comic books, as well as punk rock music. He has two demons of his own, a dog-type named Charlie and a cat-like creature named Bob.
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Thank you for reading!
Devil's Workday (Devil Aster Days Book 1) Page 3
