1089 ‘-you’re the Reaper, take us to the end.’
Drinks on drinks. Rather, jug after jug if it were to be within the heavenly realm. Igna and Lucifer drank till the stock bordered its limits. There was a breeze of fresh air, the air-conditioning system. The dance floor remained silently save its light – part of him thought it was motion control, a theory with no rit to test. ‘Now that I sit here with him, just who is Lucifer anyway?’
“Did you say sothing?” the fallen angel turned, “-you have a strange look about you,” he uttered with a visible alcoholic stench, “-your face asking to tell my secrets,” he lit a cigarette then sighed, “-I wonder man, what is wrong with or you. We sit here as if nothing happened. Suppose things do end up this way when you are faced with the haunting reality of never dying. Immortality is not sothing to play around with, well, it’s depressing at best and saddening at worst.”
“Isn’t it the sa thing?”
“Ah,” he rose his finger, “-you’re astute,” returned sarcastically, “-Igna, want to hear part of my story?”
“Your story?”
“Yeah,” he paused. The mont of silence brought a sense of euphoria. Nothing mattered, or so it seed – class, na, rank, prestige, who cared? Igna certainly never paid attention, but here, faced with Lucifer, there was a palpable distance, an unseen border between the two. ‘We’re from different places, totally opposite realms. He and I, we’re like oil and water. Still, we share a drink like old comrades.’
“You get a sense for your enemy,” he added, “-it evolved from animosity to admiration. A strong rival,” he blinked and stared, “-you, Igna, are soone I admire very much. I hated Staxius, the previous incarnation, he was too powerful and aloof, blasé, reckless. He killed and won without so much showing expression. There was no satisfaction… then again, it doesn’t matter. I grew to like the tenacity, the hardship, and eventually, my loss. I’m relieved,” he smiled openly, “-freed, thanks to you.”
“Took the words out of my mouth,” Igna returned, “-you, Lucifer, as big of a pain as you were, are soone who I could expect to bring the worse out of or my family. Always a thorn in my path, it did make things interesting albeit at the expense of my sanity.”
Lucifer slipped into another few seconds’ respace. He puffed and sipped, taking both his elbows over the bar counter and leaning his head back so that he stared at the ceiling. The latter changed with a snap of his fingers, the uninteresting ceiling turned a lighter color, specks of white flickered followed by ambers of differing hues. “-the stars,” he exhaled, “-it’s not that bad if I end everything here,” a solemn expression echoed onto Igna. Chills rushed up his back, ‘-this feeling,’ he gulped with a sensation of prinks within his nose and throat, ‘-Lucifer’s done. He’s made his peace, this is the sa feeling I sensed with people who fulfilled their last wishes… he’s going to die, no question…’
.....
A casual, ‘-heh,’ escaped, “-I see it, Igna, you see it, don’t you, my end?”
“…”
“Well, if I go, I go. Igna, will you do a favor?”
“Depends.”
“Will you take care of my children?”
“Children?”
“Yes, my children. The Aapith nation which I will also refer to as Hell, consider them the sa, might interchange the terms but they’ll be the sa here. It’s a foul place as you can imagine. The stereotype of humans being punished and burnt goes way back. Before Lucifer, I went by the Samael, an angel serving our father, the great god. Truth be told, I never t the great god, he was no god, I never saw him and only heard about his power and was shown the devastation he could impose if angered. I wanted to see him, I wanted to get answers to why I felt different. I never bothered with feelings, I thought about what could do best for the realm. In a way, I wanted to get as close to my father as I could, he was the reason I grew impatient. In the end, my needs betrayed my reasoning, I staged a revolt so that I could see him once and for all. He’d only speak in riddles, give signs, and remain silent. What kind of father could do such a thing, tell … I felt betrayed. Before I realized it… my wings darkened and I found myself falling into the lower dominions. It angered , oh it very much did. I grew fiercer and filled with thoughts of revenge. Father never cared and I wasn’t one to falter from my beliefs. So, it was told in stories, ‘-upon the fall of Samael, the cruelty of Pride and its blindness to openness grasped the hearts of humankind. The prince of Darkness found the throne within the lowest part of hell, the deepest region wherein the dented screeched and the fallen pleaded,’ the hums were right, I embodied evil. I lost myself in my sches, I set about ruining the heavenly realm, and I destroyed my father’s influence bit by bit. I beca god in his stead, he was always present in the human mind, and my brothers and sisters died – I killed them. I buried my father’s legacy with my own hands. I changed the world and beca the one and only god – Lucifer, and so, it was the birth of the Wracian Empire’s state religion. We ruled and I grew powerful – the power of belief, the prayers, the worship, my heart, and beliefs strengthened. I got my revenge,” he smiled, “-I reached my goal, I was happy, the brief mont of elation – seeing my ho, the old heaven, crash and burn, to see the demons lay siege and overwhelm its gates. I loved every mont of it, my mother’s death, my father’s inability to act, and my brothers and sister’s helpless cries. Yes,” he squarely stared Igna, “-I’m evil, there’s no questioning that. With that, my seat as Pride, one of the Kings of Hell was assured. I had help from Satan, Belial, and Leviathan, fellow kings ruling domains of their own making. One day, it changed. All the power and influence were boring, I set about taking a trip in the mortal realm, you know, to see how the people were doing. I saw unspeakable things – offerings given to with the intent of calling my favor, virgin blood, the sacrificed remains of young n… it, it repulsed … a word with the arch-bishop sufficed, the practice dulled thought was practiced in secrecy by extremists. I returned like any other day – lowered to Hell and saw the hatred and pain of the sacrificed manifest in the newborn demons. Brothers killed mothers and daughters – the demons killed their own, and unfiltered violence and abuse was perating throughout Hell. The kings knew no answer, and instead of resolving the trouble, chose to partake in the very violence that threatened the safety of demon-kin. Bear in mind, the realms held differing periods… I sought an answer but nothing ca of it, nothing until I heard of an entity feared by the newer gods. The Cursed King Alfred. I staged his defeat, spreading rumors across the heavens and orchestrating his downfall. It was a must. I needed his realm and his power, the Aapith Nation, a country of new demon-kin, stronger and resolved. To save Hell, the place last inherited from my father, I needed to save them… so, it ca to war, we captured the Aapith Nation and Alfred was never heard from since, it was a long battle, God knows how long it lasted. With the kings, we forged a contract. We rged the Aapith Nation into Hell and expanded the domain. A stable foundation – stronger demons, and strong leadership. The council of Demons was born. Ranking officialized and an agreent for Kings to not interfere with the Council or other kings. And so, that was how Hell in its current state was ford. Naturally, this separation wasn’t good – the ranking slowly brought the very human emotion of class and ego into hell… I couldn’t see my people being tainted. I finalized my domain, choosing to break from Hell and its regions. You see, the scenery’s not one to be admired. There, I created a single continent and established the Dedric Academy or Lucifer’s Academy. A place for the young to train and learn the dangers of what the outside world held. Like flying from Hidros to Iqeavea or Alphia, the sa applies to Hell. The tornting place for forsaken souls is reserved for a secluded party fixed below the plane. Well, the volcanic landscape and ever-gloomy heat is our identity… anyway, Igna, that is how the academy ca to pass and why I had to destroy Alfred. He, like Staxius, was powerful on his loneso. Alfred created a foundation for the future, I guess he knew he wasn’t bound for the world… Staxius followed his footsteps, and I suppose so did you?”
“Who can say,” he exhaled, “-Alfred and Staxius created a place for generations to live and grow. My purpose is to ruin said effort – and along those lines, I’m to ruin the battle you fought to win, the academy.”
“You visited already,” he smiled, “-Igna, before my ti ends, I want a simple favor.”
“Tell .”
“Take over the Academy as Director. It will give you a foothold in Hell, you can expand from there. Us Demon folks are understanding, we’re more human than so may believe. Slaves to our desires and emotions, like humans. I know about the princes of hell, you’re their father – Sathanas, Mammon, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, four out of the seven, well, three out of seven. Sathanas’ wrath doesn’t compare to the original, Satan, a king. How you fight is your decision, I won’t interfere. Just make sure Lilith is safe. I had her endure hardships…”
“The Queen of Demon, Lilith, is she, not your mother?”
“No, not my actual mother, but I see her as a mother figure. Without her, demons would have died long ago. Well, Igna,” he exhaled, “-this is the end of my story. Would you do the honors?”
Igna knew what he ant. Lucifer leaned restfully, a half-smoked cigarette and a half-filled glass. He took one last swig, placed it on the counter then looked death in his face, “-co, Igna, will you take on my burden and lead the demons to where you’re headed?”
The request ca off strangely, “-Adjudicator, you’re headed to a place of no return. The people you’ve killed, their souls, they stay by you. The voices of the dead, you hear them, don’t you? A secret kept from even the closest of your family. Lead us to that place – to the end. You’re the Reaper, tis thy duty to lead the fallen. Take us with you, to the end.”
“To lead the dead,” he smiled, “-I never thought of it that way,” he took out Tharis and raised his arm, “-Samael,” Lucifer’s expression changed, “-you have done your job. You’ve fought hard and created a world for future generations. You fought until the end,” he cocked the pistol, “-and so, Samael, I wish you peace. Hold on to my hand when you part – I will lead you and the people you carry. The burden is mine.”
A thankful smile broadened. Tears fell from the king’s fair skin, “-thank you.” *BANG.*
Tharis lowered, the starry ceiling faded, Igna hung his head back, and a tear went down his cheeks, ‘-why,’ he looked at Lucifer, ‘-why am I shedding a tear for him?’ he gripped Tharis’ handle, Lucifer’s words echoed, ‘-you’re the Reaper, take us to the end.’
*Smack,* “-Master, are you okay?”
“Kul,” he returned a woeful regard, “-I’m fine.”
She scanned the wounded, golden fragnts turned to ash, and the body burnt, “-what happened?”
“Lucifer is dead,” he coldly answered.
‘Why’s master not happy… he killed his enemy…’ she rose her gaze, “-why are you sad?”
“Losing a rival is sotis more painful than losing a family mber,” he holstered Tharis, “-we’re done here,” he ambled forward, ‘-so long, Lucifer,’ the body vanished, an ethereal hand grabbed him, ‘-let’s go,’ he looked at the golden-orb, “-onward to the end.”
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