Contract

Several months passed and I did not return to the Human World. I was terrified of running into another Angel. I did wonder about Will, though. Did he get in trouble? I'd hate to think he would be punished because he didn't end my "miserable" existence.

I was in my room, reading, when I heard that name echo around me, growing louder and louder. She purred and then it felt like my head was about to split open. I ground out, "Open."

The ground left my feet, but I didn't fall. It was black for several heartbeats before a bright light blinded me. I nearly fell when earth was suddenly beneath me once more.

"I-it worked!" An incredulous voice cried.

I looked in front of me, blinking quickly as my eyes adjusted to the light. It was a male human, who looked like the Baker's son. His scent was different; he smelled of the stables and not freshly baked bread. He was dressed shoddily, with holes in his trousers and patches of different cloth on his tunic. He was beaming at me, positively thrilled at whatever it was he had hoped to accomplish.

"Rayi, I have summoned you to carry out my revenge."

Born demons have a being that lie dormant inside them. No one knows how these beings come to be or why they are in the mind of born demons. These beings have their own personalities and names, which they tell their host the first time they communicate. As the host matures, the being�"known as Adsecula�"eventually merges with the host until little to nothing of the original demon is left. The process is known as "Metamorphose." My Adsecula went by the name Rayi.  

I ignored my Summoner and peered at the ground beneath me. I was standing underneath a massive inverted pentacle. I was annoyed, finding Summoning to be troublesome. Humans would summon us all the time, temporarily forming a contract with us to do them some sort of service. Usually concerning their dirty work like avenging a lost loved one or helping them line their own pockets. Doing a contract hadn't been high on my to-do list that day.

At Rayi's prodding, I sighed, "And what shall you give in return?"

His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat nervously, but the determination in his eyes never faltered. "My soul."

The idea of consuming his soul was so unappealing, I made a face. He likely would not taste good: man souls often tasted rough, like chewing leather. Judging from the callouses on his hands, his soul would be especially tough. His face twisted into puzzlement when he saw my face scrunch up. "I'm not interested in that...Hey, you know what would be a good payment?"

Rayi snarled, What are you doing?! A soul is so much better than what you're thinking of!

I ignored her protest. Wordlessly, he shook his head, the fear coming off him in waves now. He probably thought I would suggest his heart or something, which was just as appealing to me as his soul was. I wasn't a Heartstealer demon. "Y'know those poppy rolls in the bakery?"

"Y-you want that?" He asked uncertainly.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. I want a whole box of those. It's a win-win situation: you get to live and enjoy the vengeance longer and I get something I can actually enjoy."

My Summoner gaped at me like he couldn't believe I would rather have rolls than his soul. "U-um, this isn't a trick, right?"

I placed my hand over my heart and bowed at the waist, not too low; he was beneath me after all. "A demon cannot lie to their Summoner when they enter into a contract with them. So long as you honor your end of the deal you have nothing to fear from me. Now, name who has wronged you and I shall avenge you."

"The bandit, Nathaniel." He replied, fists clenched at his sides. "He took my bride's life at the altar."

That was the thing I hated about humans, their reasons for summoning demons were usually petty. Calling us to do their dirty work because they were too cowardly to do so. Still, those rolls were too good to pass up. "It will be done."

He looked relieved, his smile thankful. I went over to a tree and leaned against it patiently. The human looked at me, confused. "W-what are you doing?"

"Waiting for you to tell me where to find him." I replied, folding my arms across my chest. "I am not omniscient."

He gave me this disappointed glare, as though it was my fault I wasn't all-knowing. "You can find him at Peak Tower; it's to the west, roughly a couple kilometers from here. He'll likely have guards with him; I don't care about them. You can do whatever you want with them."

I nodded and he thought of something else. "How will you find me?"

"I will smell you out once the task is complete." I added, tapping the bridge of my nose with my index finger. "You may leave."

He spun on his heel and ran in the direction of the village, their dark thatched roofs peeking over the trees.

I folded my arms across my chest and shut my eyes. I breathed in deeply, mouth open. 

There were no foreign scents quite yet, but I knew it would be best if I moved quickly. Pushing off the tree I headed west, quickly locating the trail he spoke of.

It was the season humans called autumn, the leaves floating lazily to the ground from the trees. The air was cooler than the last time I'd been there and I gave a little shiver.

Cold affected demons similar to a human, but it took us longer to die from the cold fever. I certainly wasn't dressed for the weather; I was wearing a high collared short sleeved dark blue dress. My feet were bare�"I hated shoes with a passion�"and beginning to grow numb from the cold dirt trail beneath them.

The Human World was truly beautiful, I mused, breathing in the strong scent of decaying leaves. A herd of deer grazed in the clearing to my right, the buck lifting his head to regard me. He gave a startled stamp of his foot. The others immediately stopped feeding and fled. After that, the forest was dead silent.

A decrepit tower came into view off the trail. I began to head toward it, deciding not to be tactful. The sooner I completed this contract the better. My ears perked as I heard an object whistle through the air as an arrow embedded itself into the ground just inches from my feet. I stopped walking and looked over. A man standing in front of the wooden door was holding a bow, nocking another arrow.

"Come any closer and I won't miss!" He warned, pulling the bow taut. His armor was heavy looking and stiff, not permitting him to have a traditional bow stance. He had it horizontal, strangely enough. He would be slow in firing it. I noticed the dagger sheathed at his side and predicted he would use that if I got directly in his space.

I ran forward, dodging the arrow he released. He dropped his bow and unsheathed his dagger as I got too close for him to successfully launch another arrow. I caught his wrist and throat before he could swipe at me, slamming his skull hard into the stone. His eyes rolled back and he dropped the dagger as he went limp. I released his body, pushing it to the side so I could open the door.

Silently, I crept up the stairs of the tower, pressing my side against the cold stone wall. I heard snoring up above me and smelled several indistinctive scents; they all reeked of blood and steel. Moving quickly, I leaped up the last few flights, landing directly in front of a surprised looking man.

"Intruder!" He lifted his broadsword, ready to bring it down on my head. I caught the blade between my hands and yanked the weapon away from him. It was heavier than I anticipated and let it drop to the ground, moving my foot quickly out of the way when the blade landed too close for comfort.

The other humans raced toward me, their weapons ready. I grabbed two of the ones closest to me and threw them over the side of the tower, their screams cut off with sickening thuds.

"So, which one of you is Nathaniel?" I purred, smiling lazily at the three remaining bandits.

I studied each carefully before my eyes locked with the one who wore finer armor than the other two. Fear permeated the air around him. My smile widened. "Found you."

I leapt toward him, pinning him to the wall. His two men fled, their weapons forgotten. Nathaniel stared up at me fearfully.

"You have wronged my Summoner and must pay for what you have done. Blood for blood." My blood was simmering pleasantly in my veins, the anticipation of reaping this human becoming almost unbearable.

"Please, God, no! I'm sorry!" He pleaded, his eyes watering.

 "'God?' God isn’t with you."

Melanie, stop playing with our prey. Finish it. Rayi scolded, though she was just as entertained as me.

I lifted my hand up to give him the killing blow, his head flying off his shoulders. His body slumped to the stone floor. Hot blood splashed onto my face and I licked a droplet that clung to the corner of my lips, savoring the metallic tang. I stood up, wiping my bloodied hands on the corpse's clothes.

"Now, then. To collect what is ours." I murmured, jumping down from the tower.

I landed neatly on my feet, my pads stinging slightly from the shock of my landing. I straightened up and scented the air as a precaution. Aside from the strong presence of blood, I could smell the Angel of Death coming. He was perhaps several hundred meters away, coming from the opposite direction of where I needed to head. If I moved quickly I could avoid him. I began to run down the trail, picking up my pace when Death seemed closer. He wouldn't follow me, I surmised; he'd have his hands full with the souls I had left for him.

My Summoner lived on a farm on the outskirts of the human settlement. I spooked the horses; they whinnied and pawed the ground nervously as I walked by. One even attempted to bite me, its large teeth nipping nothing but air. I opened the door, not bothering to knock, and stepped inside.

The human was standing by his kitchen table, wringing his hands nervously. Sweat was pouring down his face as he stared at me with beady, fearful eyes.

"W-well?" He queried. "Did you do it?"

"Do you think I would come here had I not done what you summoned me for?" I asked rhetorically.

He swallowed loudly before giving a breathy, nervous laugh. I noticed he kept the table between us. I felt somewhat content knowing how much he feared me. It would prevent him from speaking to me as though I were his equal or inferior to him, as humans on occasion had done before.

"I have come for my payment. We have agreed on the form of my payment: a box of poppy rolls." I looked at him a little eagerly.

My Summoner nodded and pushed a box with the bakery's name on it toward me. I snatched the box up and opened it. The delicious smell of the rolls slipped into my nostrils.

"S-so, is that it?" He questioned apprehensively.

I looked up at him and nodded. "Yup, that's it. Now, all you have to do is send me back. You just say-"

His little wooden door was kicked open, the door slamming into the opposite stone wall. I flinched when the door whizzed past my body. My Summoner gave a startled cry and pressed himself into a corner of his tiny house. We both looked over at the intruder with wide eyes and I felt my stomach drop. Will was standing in the doorway, looking unamused. Internally, I kicked myself for letting my guard down. I hadn't sensed him coming because I was distracted by the rolls.

"'Not causing any harm,' my a*s. When Luke said a demon went on a rampage, I didn't think it would be you." He grumbled, glowering at me.

"It was hardly a rampage and they were bandits. If anything, I did a public service." I mumbled.

Will rolled his eyes at me and took a step near me. I stared at him before hugging my payment to my chest protectively. "Oh, no, you aren't going to destroy my rolls this time. I worked for them; I didn't steal them this time!"

Will shot my Summoner a stern look. "Tampering in the dark arts, huh? This will not go unpunished, boy."

My Summoner paled considerably, his legs giving out. He slid down to the floor, staring at Will like he had three heads. "Y-you...who are-"

"Come now, 'Master,'" I said sarcastically, "if demons exist, then don't you think Angels do, too?"

"A-an Angel?" He gasped out.

Will was only a few feet away from me, his posture tense, but with no indication he was about to attack. I presumed he had yet to do so because of the human in the vicinity. He would never risk his precious humans. He turned his attention back to me, his crimson eyes regarding me with contempt.

"I should have killed you the last time. Killing humans for your own amusement-"

I interrupted, "I'm not the type that enjoys killing humans. I did what I agreed to; I was bound by my word to avenge my Summoner."

Will snorted. "And what? You get his soul?"

I shook my head and showed him my baked goods. "Nope, I get these."

He snorted again, the snort sounding more amused than unkind. "You're a real strange one, aren't you? Well, it's not like it's going to matter; Luke should be on his way by now. He only had to take care of a few souls."

My nonchalance vanished with his words. I nervously shifted from one foot to the other. I recalled the faceless Angel of Death and felt the familiar tingle of fear.

"What's the matter, Demon? You look a little pale." Will teased, his eyes flashing wickedly.

Tell the human to send us back! You cannot fight one angel let alone two archangels! Rayi ordered, her own fear washing over me.

"Hey, human." My Summoner glanced over at me, his face still wan with terror. "I'm going to tell you how to send me back. All you need to do is say, "Rayi, I send thee back to the depths of Hell.'"

Will pointed a finger at him without looking at him. "You do that and you can guarantee a reservation in Hell. God may overlook this...blunder, but you send her back and all His forgiveness flies out the window."

He was lying, I suspected, but the human didn't know that. My face soured as I knew what the human would decide. "I-I don't want to go to Hell!"

Kill him! Get rid of the Angel and run for it before his brother arrives! She urged.

“Even if I did that, it's likely I'll be too injured to do much.” I replied under my breath, having already considered that option.

At least immobilize him!

You know how long it would take for me to power up enough to do even a little damage to him. I grumbled.

"You look like you're having an argument with yourself." Will remarked. He was closer than he was before; there was about five feet of space between us now.

I took a step back, my back hitting the wall. "You have no idea. Hey, how about we take this outside? I'm sure you wouldn't want to make the human homeless."

He hesitated, looking over at the cowering man in the corner. I opened my box and scarfed a roll down, figuring I'd get a taste. It pained me to do so, but I would have to leave the box behind.

"Fine. Get your a*s outside." Will disappeared through the broken doorway. I wiped any crumbs clinging to the corner of my lips before following suit, shooting my Summoner a nasty look. He flinched and ducked his head. Rayi grumbled something about just taking his soul when I had the chance.

After being in the dimly lit house, the sun seemed twice as bright. I blinked rapidly before rubbing my eyes.

"Does the demon not like the sun?" I heard Will sneer.

"More like the demon is used to darkness." I answered, moving my fist from my eye.

I sniffed discreetly. I smelled death. With a light breeze, another Angel appeared beside Will.

The Angel of Death stood before me in his achromatic glory. I could hear his heavy breathing from where I stood, his breath being filtered through the gas mask he wore, which covered his nose and mouth. From beneath his hooded cloak, I could see his white eyes glowering at me with profound hatred.

"About time you got here, Luke; I was beginning to think I would get to have all the fun by myself." Will grinned, looking down at his brother.

I stared at the two, silently calculating my chances of survival. The gas mask was in place to better control his most potent weapon: Death Gas. His scythe wasn't much better, either. I wouldn't be able to fight him at all, given I had no weapon of my own. I was already somewhat acquainted with Will's fighting style, but they were both in a league well above my own.

"This is hardly fair; two against one." I muttered to myself.

"How dare you enter the Human World?" Luke, his soft voice spat at me.

"If I had a choice, I'd be home taking a nap." I argued. I yelped in shock when he appeared directly in front of me, his scythe cutting through the air.

The blade nicked my shoulder as I leapt away. Black blood dribbled out from the thin, but deep, wound. I focused my regeneration on it, yet it didn't heal.

"Your healing will not save you. My scythe is an Anti-demon weapon." Luke said when he noticed my stunned expression.

I noticed then Will was not in my sight. His scent was everywhere, making it impossible for me to locate him.

Fight back! Never mind the Angel of Life, focus on Death!

I felt my energy surge inside me, starting directly in my diaphragm. Breathing deeply, I channeled it through my body, the atmosphere around us changing subtly enough only I felt it. Wind whistled behind me and I dodged the flame-covered fist directed at the back of my skull. Tucking my right leg up, I sent it out strongly, catching Will in his stomach. My lightning added power to the attack and I saw him cough up blood as he flew back from me.

As I faced the front again, Luke was a foot away from me, his scythe coming for me. I caught the blade with my fingers, Pain filled them and I hissed and release it quickly, my fingertips blackened by frostbite.

"Ice, huh? Guess that makes sense." My fingers throbbed as I wiggled them experimentally.

Will was getting up, having recovered from my attack. "Luke, she's a lightning type." He then addressed me hatefully, "Damn wench, you're more powerful than I'd initially believed."

"You can never tell how powerful a Damned One is. In this one's case, she is not all that strong. Perhaps on par with a Lesser Angel, but nowhere near our rank." Luke assessed, staring at me with his milky eyes. "This will be over quickly."

Try to find the portal. It's our only chance. Rayi urged.

You think I don't know that? It's not like they're making it easy! I dodged another one of Will's attacks and sent a bolt of lightning at Luke. He moved out of the way swiftly, the spot where my attack hit scorched.

I backed up, attempting to edge closer to where the forest was. It seemed they knew what I was doing: Luke flickered out of sight only to appear directly behind me, his hand reaching for my shoulder. I stumbled away from him, blindly sending an attack at him. While I was distracted by him, a powerful hand wrapped around my throat, yanking me off the ground.

My skin bubbled beneath Will's hand as he held me there. I gritted my teeth, nauseated by the smell of my own flesh burning. His grip was enough to crush my windpipe and I squirmed uncomfortably.

"H-hey, where do you think we go after we die?" I gasped out in between painful breaths.

"We disappear. That is all." It wasn't Will who answered me, but Luke.

It was terrifying and I was hoping he was wrong, but then again, he was Death himself. If anyone knew, it would be him.

"Finish her, Will."

I looked into his eyes, my consciousness withering away. Rayi was screaming with fury, ordering me to do something.

“You want to do something, come on out.” I faded out just as I felt her stir.