Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/9704708.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      F/M, M/M
  Fandom:
      Shingeki_no_Kyojin_|_Attack_on_Titan
  Relationship:
      Levi/Eren_Yeager
  Character:
      Eren_Yeager, Erwin_Smith, Levi_(Shingeki_no_Kyojin), Shingeki_no_Kyojin_|
      Attack_on_Titan_Characters
  Additional Tags:
      Demons, Alternate_Universe_-_Modern_Setting, Religious_Themes, Angst
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-02-14 Chapters: 30/30 Words: 70744
****** Tears of a Demon ******
by Song_of_the_Black_Wolf
Summary
     What happens when the fate of the entire world rests on the shoulders
     of a depressed demon? Levi finds himself a demon expected to inflict
     pain and suffering on others, but he defies expectations and chooses
     to abandon his kind in favor of staying in the human world. But there
     is a terrible price to pay for his defiance. Depressed about never
     having had a chance to begin with, never mind having a second chance,
     Levi still manages to make several unorthodox friends. Will he ever
     realize that this is his real chance for redemption? Will he be able
     to get past his pain and free the world from a terrible evil?
***** Prologue *****
                               TEARS OF A DEMON
                                        
                                   PROLOGUE
                                        
Rain pelted heavily against the large windows.  The only illumination came from
the frequent strikes of lightning.  But he didn’t need light.  He could play
the grand piano before him from memory alone.  Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’
echoed through the empty church, occasionally drowned out by the roar of
thunder.  It was a perfect night to die.
 
A knife lay abandoned on the floor beside the piano.  Blood dripped audibly
from his elbows onto the floor and down his fingers onto the ivory keys as he
played.  He should have done this years ago.  He should have rid himself of his
pain and freed himself of the shackles of this life a long time ago.  But
instead, he’d held out hope that maybe . . . just maybe, something would
change; life would get better; someone would want him; somehow he’d be given a
chance.  That hope lead to nothing but more pain.
 
Life had been nothing but pain, torment and grief since he could first
remember.  His parents had been good enough to him, if he recalled correctly. 
He remembered little of them other than he always had food, clothes and a
comfortable place to sleep.  One day, however, they simply never came home.  He
never knew what happened to them.  All he knew was that he was abandoned and
alone.
 
He couldn’t quite remember how the man he ended up living with got a hold of
him.  In fact, he didn’t think he even wanted to remember.  It wasn’t so bad at
first, but the way the man touched him made him very uncomfortable.  It didn’t
hurt though, until one day the man decided touching wasn’t enough.  The poor
boy felt like his body was being split in two as the man raped him.  He had
screamed in pain, and with it came a burst of tears.
 
The tears . . . they were the bane of his existence.  He did everything he
could nowadays to prevent himself from crying.  Any rush of emotion that
produced a sudden burst of tears, also produced what were known as tear gems. 
Tear gems were exceptionally rare and as such, exceptionally valuable.  People
who could produce them were extremely rare; the last person to have the curse
had lived nearly a thousand years ago.  Most tear gems were created in moments
of extreme sorrow, anger or pain.  Rarest and most beautiful and highly prized
of all, were the tear gems formed from tears of pure joy and happiness.
 
He’d never had such luck.  It was too easy for the greedy to get tear gems from
pain and grief to bother with making someone happy enough to cry.  From the
moment the man had seen the boy’s tear gems first scatter across the floor, the
man went out of his way to inflict as much pain as he could on the boy.  Worse
still, the man was the worst kind of criminal.  The man forced him to learn
everything from extortion, forgery and theft, to torture and murder.  Golden-
brown gems of guilt rained down as the child committed his first murder.
 
He wasn’t sure if it was a survival mechanism to retain his sanity, or whether
it was because his sanity was lost, but over time, he began to enjoy the power
he had to inflict pain on others; to give out what he had received all of his
life.  Maybe he was just taking out his pain and frustration on his victims. 
His victims were usually other murderers, molesters and rapists.  He was a
monster, pure and simple.  The man who raised him never let him go.  The man
kept him close to beat and rape and steal from.  The man continued to force him
to inflict suffering on others.  There was only one way to escape the nightmare
called life.
 
The music slowed and the occasional sour note could be heard.  His eyelids grew
heavy.  He was so tired . . . Tired of the pain and humiliation and suffering;
tired of the constant guilt he felt; tired of being hated; tired of being
reviled even when he protected someone; tired of living in fear; tired of
living, period.  The church was a fitting place to leave this life, he
figured.  It was the one place he had ever felt safe.  He continued to play
slower as his vision narrowed, and the music began to sound distant.  At long
last – sweet oblivion.
***** Oblivion is a Lie *****
                                   CHAPTER 1
                               Oblivion is a Lie
 
 He awoke with a sharp intake of breath, as if it was the first breath he’d
ever taken.  In fact, it was the first breath he’d ever taken – in this life at
least.  He looked around, trying to get his bearings.  The last thing he could
remember, he was in an empty church playing ‘Moonlight Sonata’.  Suddenly he
looked at his wrists . . . there wasn’t a mark on them!  I know I slit both my
wrists!  I remember playing the piano as I was waiting to bleed out!  And why
the fuck am I naked?! 
 
He sat up.  Being naked was not the only oddity.  His fingers were tipped with
short, yet vicious looking black claws, and so were his toes.  What the fuck? 
Am I dreaming?  Does this mean I’m  not dead yet? He regarded his surroundings
a moment.  It was dark, dry and cold.  It was barren, grey and rocky as far as
the eye could see.  The sky - if you could call it that – was flat and sunless.
“Where in the hell am I?” he asked aloud.
 
“Hell would be a pretty accurate description!” the reply came from behind him.
 
He spun around and leapt to his feet to see something that he didn’t think
existed.  The tall man that had spoken had short, light brown hair, light blue
eyes and a disarming smile beneath a thin, neatly trimmed moustache.  The thing
that was alarming about him were the black claws on his hands, the sharp fangs
in his smile and the large, black, bat-like wings on his back.  “So tell me,
newbie, what’s your name?”
 
He looked at the strange creature uneasily.  Everything the creature wore was
black except for the red cuffs and collar of his shirt and the red belt from
which a black sword hung.  “Levi,” he finally answered hesitantly.
 
“What?  No surname?”
 
“No.”
 
“No matter,” the creature laughed.  “Welcome to the Underworld.”
 
“Wh-what?”
 
“You’re dead,” the man laughed.  “This is the Underworld.  Don’t know what you
did to get sent here - don’t  much care - but, here you are.”  The creature
laughed loudly.  “You’re one of the lucky ones!  You’ve become a demon no
less!”
 
“A what?!”  Levi’s light grey eyes widened as he regarded the creature in front
of him.
 
“That’s right, Levi.  You’re now a demon, just like me.  Name’s Argo Wethers. 
I’ve been sent to show you the ropes of what we do around here!”
 
Levi shook his head and backed away a few steps.  “No.  That’s impossible. 
This is just some fucked up dream I’m having as I bleed out.  After death comes
oblivion.”
 
“Bleed out?  Suicide, eh?  Hate to break it to you . . . okay, love to break it
to you . . . but oblivion is a lie.  No such thing.  There are four ways to go
when your life ends.  One is you go to Paradise until it’s time to
reincarnate.  Two, you come to the Underworld to suffer until you reincarnate
for a second chance.  Three, is you go to paradise as an Arc to protect humans
and Paradise.  Four, and my personal favorite, is you come here as a demon and
attempt to drag as many humans here as possible and torment those who are sent
here.  You must be special, because suicides usually get cycled right back into
reincarnation to live their lives over and over again until they can get
through it without killing themselves.”
 
Argo sized up the newcomer.  Levi wasn’t very large.  He was only about 5’2”
tall, but had a sharp and well defined muscle structure.  He had cold grey eyes
that looked like polished silver and short, jet black hair fashioned in an
undercut and parted just off center.  The small demon fell to his knees in
shock as Argo laughed at him.
 
“This can’t be!  I’m supposed to be dead!”
 
Argo laughed harder.  “You are dead, dipshit!  That’s why you’re here!  You
should be happy!  You don’t have to go through life again, and you don’t have
to suffer here until you reincarnate.  You’re a demon!  You’ve got the best job
in the universe!  Oh, but don’t get yourself killed – yeah, we can still die. 
We all don’t get the option of reincarnation.  If you die . . . well, let’s
just say we don’t get rewarded for being demons!”
 
Levi was sure he didn’t like Argo.  The demon smiled and laughed and seemed
friendly enough, but there was no mistaking the malice in the eyes.  The same
malice he had seen in the eyes of his tormentor during his former life.  He
stood and took a step back.  He could feel a weight on the back of his
shoulders, and looked to see a pair of large black wings just like Argo’s.  He
stretched them out to their full length.  They were like a second set of arms,
complete with five extra long fingers, between which was stretched black,
leathery skin, and at what could be called the ‘wrist’ was a vicious looking
claw or spike.  Strange.  Argo doesn’t have a spike on his wings. He ran his
tongue against his teeth to find a pair of sharp fangs set in his upper jaw. 
Fuck!  This asshole’s not kidding!  I really am a demon!
 
He began to feel a knot of fear and dismay forming in the pit of his stomach. 
This can’t be! I don’t want to live anymore – at all!  I don’t want to live!  I
don’t want to be human.  I don’t want to be a demon.  He sank slowly to his
knees again.  This is what comes of being such a monster in life!  I made so
many people suffer as I suffered that I’m not even allowed to truly die!  This
is my punishment for having ever existed at all!
 
“Wow.  You really don’t get it, do you?” Argo said with surprise.  “This is a
good thing!  The universe couldn’t have dealt you a better hand!  We demons are
the rulers of the world!  Come on!  I’ll show you the ropes!  But first, maybe
some clothes, not that the view is bad, mind you, but we’re supposed to be
punishing people here, not giving them a nice view!”
 
Levi blushed, suddenly very uncomfortable with his nudity.  He didn’t like
being looked at like that.  He’d been used far too much as it was.  He looked
down at himself.  Shit!  I guess this means demons have sex.  Fuck!  That’s the
last thing I want to have to deal with!
 
Argo produced a set of clothes seemingly out of thin air and handed them over. 
Levi wasted no time pulling them hastily on, relieved to be covered again. 
After pulling on the boots, he looked at the sword that came with the outfit. 
“What’s the sword for?”
 
“Arcs,” Argo replied.  “The bane of existence!  Their laws state that the
instant they even see a demon that they are to kill it or die trying.  They’ve
got a bazillion stupid rules!  We only have two rules.  One, never associate
with an Arc; they are the enemy.  Two, never, never attack another demon to
defend a human or an arc.  Breaking either rule will get you exiled.  Ain’t
nothing worse than being exiled!”
 
They began to walk through the empty wastes, but the next thing Levi knew, they
were standing in a large, cold, dimly lit cavern.  The screams of the tormented
echoed off the walls.  Levi felt sick.  I killed myself because I was sick of
making people suffer!  Why?  Ironic that my punishment should be to have to
continue to cause suffering. 
 
As Argo began to explain the way things worked in the Underworld, Levi let his
mind wander.  He couldn’t look at the eyes of the tortured.  He couldn’t shake
the feeling that he should be one of them.  “Hey, don’t feel sorry for them!”
Argo chided. “These people deserve what they’re getting!  Cheaters, molesters,
murderers, thieves, terrorists – every one of them!  And we’re the lucky ones
that get to torment them!”
 
“What about when they reincarnate?”
 
“Eh? Oh, they’ll just up and disappear.  Human’s can’t escape from here until
they’ve suffered sufficiently for their crimes and reincarnate.  We demons, on
the other hand, are free to come and go between the world and the Underworld as
we please!  The more idiotic people we con into getting sent here, the higher
the rank we receive.  Oh!  And that’s not even the best part!  Check it out. 
JARVIS! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!”
 
An exhausted looking, naked human male came running up.  “This here’s Jarvis. 
He belongs exclusively to me!”
 
“What?  How?”  Levi was already reeling from this nightmare.
 
“Contract,” Argo explained.  “Ever hear the saying ‘making a deal with the
devil’?  Well, when a human gets desperate or thinks they’re desperate enough,
they will summon a demon to ‘help’ them.  It’s real easy pushing them to the
point of desperation.  Then all you do is offer the contract.  They usually
want something like revenge against someone whether they deserve it or not. 
Others want fame and fortune – so stereotypical – no matter what they want, the
price is always the same.  Once the contract is fulfilled on the demon’s end,
the human then belongs to the demon for all eternity – no chance for
reincarnation.”
 
Levi was now feeling really sick, unable to look at Jarvis.  That could so
easily have been me!  “What happens if the demon is unable to fulfill the
contract or is killed by an Arc?”
 
“First of all, don’t get killed by an Arc.  But, if it does happen, all
contracts are null and void.  Humans both dead and alive are freed from the
contract and can reincarnate again,” Argo explained.
 
“But humans can’t kill demons, can they?”
 
Argo laughed loudly, the sound echoing throughout the cavern.  “Hell no!  They
couldn’t hurt us if they tried!  Arcs are the only thing you gotta watch out
for.  You either kill them, or they kill you.  It’s as simple as that.”
 
The larger demon then pointed to a spot far below and on the other side of the
cavern.  “That there’s Ran Mau.  She’s the second highest ranked demon in the
underworld.  She’s second only to the Demon King himself.  She’s as old as time
itself!  I don’t think there’s a demon here that hasn’t fucked her at some
point.  She has a real liking for newbies!  I guarantee you, when she notices
you, you’ll be in for the best sex of your life!”
 
“Watch out for the dude beside her, though,” Argo warned.  “Karda’s the third
highest ranked, and he’s just flat out ruthless!  Don’t ever cross him!”
 
Levi hadn’t thought it possible to feel any sicker than he already did, but
he’d been wrong.  The very idea of having sex, with a demon no less, made his
skin crawl.  There was nothing pleasant about sex.  He’d never been able to
understand why people wanted it and enjoyed it so much.  It was a violent and
brutal act filled with pain and humiliation.  Can my existence possibly get any
worse?
 
***** Revenge Lost *****
                                   CHAPTER 2
                                 Revenge Lost
 
Levi had hated life before.  He hated it more now.  The passage of time had no
meaning.  Life was now an endless cycle of inflicting pain on others and as a
result, on himself.  He had always been a bit of a lone wolf, but now, he
wanted nothing to do with others.  He didn’t trust them.  They all were as evil
and monstrous as he was.  He was notoriously unfriendly and abrasive, refusing
to form alliances or pacts with anyone. 
 
Once he learned he could go to the human world, he began spending more time in
the human world than in the Underworld.  Usually, only the older and stronger
demons came to the human world due to the threat of encountering arcs.  Levi
didn’t care; maybe an arc would kill him and put an end to his misery.  Thing
was, demons couldn’t die except by an arc’s sword.  They couldn’t kill
themselves or each other.
 
It had been years since he’d become a demon after committing suicide.  He sat
on the back of a park bench watching the world go by.  He never interfered with
the lives of humans.  He had no interest in them.  He had no intention of
inflicting his own fate on some unsuspecting person.  Demons could not kill a
human directly either.  Frighteningly enough though, they could convince a
human to murder and/or commit suicide. 
 
The people in the park seemed oblivious to the dark creature’s presence.  It
was why Levi liked being in the human world so much.  Humans couldn’t see him
or consciously hear him unless he wanted them to.  It meant that he was left in
complete peace while in this world.  They went about their daily lives unaware
that the demon was watching them.
 
Out across the green, Levi saw three humans arguing.  His demon hearing was
sharper than it had ever been as a human.  It was an opium deal going sour. 
Idiots!  They have no clue how pointless it all is.  Money won’t mean shit once
they get to the underworld! He then noticed Argo, standing just behind one of
the human’s shoulder, whispering in his ear.  While the human may not be able
to hear the demon consciously, subconsciously, every word the demon spoke was
influencing him.  Levi growled, his lip curling back slightly in a snarl.  He
wouldn’t interfere, however.
 
“Hey!  You!  Demon!”
 
Argo must have jumped six feet straight up in surprise.  Striding confidently
across the green towards Argo was what Levi could only assume was an arc.  The
creature was tall and strong, with broad shoulders supporting massive white
feathered wings.  He had blond hair and sky blue eyes beneath large blond
eyebrows.  His was dressed entirely in white with gold trim.  His white boots
were up to his knees, and from the gold belt around his white pants, he drew a
gleaming sword.
 
“You’ve deceived your last human.  Today you die,” the arc told Argo.
 
Argo showed no fear.  He knew Levi was there and assumed the smaller demon
would back him up in this fight.  He drew his own black sword and strode
towards the arc.  “I don’t think I’ll be dying today, you blond asshole!  I’ve
already killed 102 arcs in my time.  You’ll make 103.”  Argo charged
confidently at the arc, but his step faltered just as he was about to strike
when he saw the Levi had not moved from the bench.
 
Levi watched dispassionately as the arc took off Argo’s head and cut the black
sword in half with a single swift blow.  He watched in open fascination as
Argo’s body simply evaporated into nothing after it hit the ground with a dull
thud.  His own presence had not gone unnoticed, however.  The arc turned to
look the raven haired demon in the eye.
 
“It’s not uncommon for demons to abandon their comrades to their deaths while
they flee in terror, but to have one just sit there and watch as his fellow
demon is struck down is just a little disconcerting, to say the least,” the arc
told him.
 
The demon smirked.  “Next time I’ll be sure to stand instead of sit while I
watch.”
 
The arc’s eyes widened with surprise before he burst out laughing.  “Very
funny.  But you’re assuming there’s going to be a next time.”
 
The smirk intensified as he stood.  “There will be, I’m sure.  Regardless of
whatever dogma they beat into you arcs’ heads,  not all demons are created
equal.  You’re no enemy of mine.”  Without another word, he turned, spread his
powerful wings and took flight.  He was actually a little disappointed when the
arc didn’t follow him.  Looks like I really set that blond jackass off
balance,he thought as he glanced back at the befuddled expression on the arc’s
face.
 
 
As he’d expected, no one in the Underworld was in any way concerned about
Argo’s fate.   Levi seemed to be the only one that even knew he was missing. 
In spite of how big Argo had talked, he was still a very low ranked demon. 
 
Levi still couldn’t figure out the hierarchal structure of demon society.  It’s
like this big, half-assed version of an army.  I know that Ran Mau bitch is at
the top and Karda’s her right hand.  Everything below that is based on how much
ass kissing one does and who you ally yourself with.  And the loyalties are
changing constantly!  It’s just as fucked up as the human world is!  Kinda like
the mobs and the mafia.  I killed myself to get out of that shit!  Now look at
me!  Trapped beneath it all again!
 
He wasn’t in the Underworld very often, as he preferred to take his chances in
the human world.   He wasn’t sure why he was there this time, walking along one
of the many caverns of the Underworld, but as he walked, more or less oblivious
to what was going on around him, a familiar face caught his attention.  Levi
froze in his tracks, momentarily terrified, until he realized that the man was
a prisoner, and he was the prison keeper. 
 
The demon sneered as he approached the very man that had been his tormenter in
his human life.  “Finally decided to die, eh?” Levi snarled.  “It’s been
entirely too long!”
 
The man looked up and instantly recognized the demon in front of him.  “Levi! 
You have to get me out of here!  Tell them they have to make me a demon like
you!  I would make a perfect demon.”
 
Levi laughed bitterly.  “Perfect demon . . . what an oxymoron!  And that’s not
how things work here.  We don’t decide your fate.  We just carry it out.  If
the Fates wanted you to be a demon, then you would have been the moment you got
here.  But you seem to be doomed to punishment.  And the Fates seem to have
smiled on me, because I get to be your punisher.  All the bullshit you put me
through as a child; all the abuse;  all the pain; all the humiliation and
degradation; all the despair;  I get to pay you back for all of it now!”
 
The man’s eyes widened in horror as the demon approached him.  “No, please,
don’t!  I’ll do anything!”
 
“Oh, I know you’ll do anything.  You’ll murder sick old men.  You’ll steal the
last penny from the destitute.  You’ll sell drugs to a suicidal teenager. 
You’ll beat the crap out of anyone who cannot fight back.  You’ll even fuck a
seven year old boy.  You’ll do anything all right!”  Levi stopped directly in
front of the man chained to the wall and leaned in so their noses almost
touched.  His cold grey eyes bore deep into those of his victim.  “And now I’m
going to make you feel every last bit of pain you inflicted on humanity while
you were alive!”
 
The man shook with terror as Levi began to look over the various instruments of
torture available to him.  But Levi was beginning to get that familiar sick
feeling in his stomach again.  I can’t believe that the idea of torturing even
this fucked up piece of shit turns my stomach!  This is revenge, damn it! Then,
as he picked up and examined a vicious looking cat-o-nine tails whip with sharp
barbs on it, an idea struck him.  He dropped the whip and spun to look at the
man with a devious smile on his face. 
 
“Yes!  That’s perfect!” He said as he strode over to the man and place his
hands on either side of the man’s face.  “I’m literally going to make you feel
every last bit of pain you’ve ever inflicted on humanity!  I don’t normally
like great long explanations.   I prefer to just get to the point.  But, in
your case, I’m going to make an exception.  I want you to understand fully what
I’m about to do to you.”
 
He silently watched with great satisfaction as the man grew more and more
terrified.  He let the man sweat it out for several moments while he watched,
almost salivating with anticipation.  “You see,” he finally said.  “we demons
each have unique abilities.  Like humans – call them talents, if you will. 
Some of us have more and/or better talents than others.  I happen to be gifted
with a number of particularly good talents.  One of which I am going to
demonstrate to you momentarily.”
 
“In spite of what you may think, demons are living breathing organisms just as
humans are.  We break, we bleed, we need to eat, we need to shit.  Kinda sucks,
really.  But at the same time, we heal much faster.  We can’t be killed by our
wounds.  We can’t even bleed to death.  I should know.  I’ve tried.  But that’s
beside the point.  It would seem that with demons, just as with humans,
telepathy of any sort is rare.  I happen to have a couple of forms of
telepathy.  One form enables me to always know when someone is lying.  One
would think all demons could do that, but . . . well, there you have it.  I
don’t make a habit of telling other demons about that one.”
 
“My other telepathic ability enables me to take the emotions of one living
thing and transfer them directly to another.  Works on all living things – even
demons.   The weird part, is that, in the case of humans, the person need not
actually still be alive to have their emotions transmitted to another.  I can
transfer emotions through time from the past.  In other words, I can take the
emotions of every person you ever hurt directly and the emotions every person
that was ever hurt indirectly as a result of those you hurt or killed and
transfer them all to you.  You will literally feel every emotion of every
person you hurt.  All the fear, pain, sadness, grief, anger, hatred – all of
it.”
 
Levi paused and let the scale of what he was about to do sink in.  The man
couldn’t have looked any more terrified.  “No,” the man whispered weakly.
 
The demon’s eyes narrowed.  “Yes.”  Within and instant, every pained emotion
from literally thousands of people past and present that had been caused by the
man, flooded into his soul.  What Levi had failed to tell the man, was that
while doing this trick in the human world had no real consequences, performed
in the underworld, there was a backlash to be dealt with. 
 
Even as the man screamed in anguish, Levi’s own soul was flooded with
everything the man had felt in his lifetime.  He felt the fear, pain and
rejection of the man as a little boy being raped and beaten by his own father. 
He felt the sorrow of the man being rejected by everyone he met.  What
surprised him the most, was the genuine remorse he felt from the man.  The man
was truly sorry for all of the pain he had inflicted on Levi, as well as
others.   He could feel the man’s grief and sorrow for the wrongs he had done.
 
 
A single tear ran down the demon’s face.  He’s exactly like me!  How can this
be?  How can he have done such evil in his life while it tore him up inside to
do so? But . . . he never was evil.  He did evil things, but he wasn’t evil
himself.  He was . . . broken.  Another tear made its way down.  Why am I
feeling this way?  Why am I feeling sorry for him? Why can’t I hate him?
 
Then, in a split second, everything changed.  The man suddenly vanished.  Once
Levi recovered from the initial shock of the man’s disappearance, he realized
that the man had already reincarnated.  “What?!  NO!!  The bastard just got
here!  He can’t have served his just punishment yet!” Levi shouted angrily. 
“IT’S NOT FAIR!!!”  I’m stuck here as a demon and he gets to reincarnate?! 
After what he’s done he gets a second chance?  Why?  Why? “WHY!?”
 
***** Death is as Unfair as Life *****
                                   CHAPTER 3
                          Death is as Unfair as Life
 
Levi wandered the desolate rocky plains of the underworld in utter despair.  He
eventually fell to his knees in the middle of the barren nothingness, tears
running down his face and began talking to . . . well, he wasn’t entirely sure
who.  “I don’t understand!  How can a monster like the man who raised me be
worthy of a second chance while I am not?  Why am I not allowed a second
chance?  What have I done that was so wrong that I must spend all of eternity
suffering for it?  I just don’t understand!  IT’S NOT FAIR!”
 
“Did you really think that death would be any more fair than life?” a sultry
voice asked.
 
Levi jumped to his feet as he spun around, taking up a defensive position, his
hand on his sword and his wings raised.  His heart skipped a beat when he saw
who the voice belonged to.  “Ran Mau,” he said in disbelief.
 
“My reputation precedes me,” she said as she approached him and placed a hand
on the side of his face.  “You have me at a disadvantage.”
 
He instantly recoiled from her touch.  He hated being touched.  Touch always
meant pain. “What do you want, Ran Mau?” he bit off testily.
 
She laughed with an unsettling gleam in her red eyes.  Ran Mau had been born a
demon.  She had never been human.  Her eyes were a vibrant dark red with slit
pupils and surrounded by long, voluminous eyelashes (a human-born demon, such a
himself, had round pupils, while a demon-born had slits).  Her jet black hair
was straight and long.  Her lips were full and red.  By any standards, she
would be considered beautiful, but Levi could only see the hideousness of her
blackened heart and soul.  “I’m just trying to be friendly,” she chuckled with
a playful pout on her lips.  “You’ve only been a demon for a couple of decades,
but I hardly see you here in the underworld.  I’m accustomed to greeting the
newcomers personally within a few days of their arrival.  So what’s your name?”
 
Levi had all he could do to suppress the growl forming in his throat as she
walked around him, sizing him up.  “Levi.  Now what do you want?”
 
She laughed again.  “My, my!  Aren’t you the abrasive one, Levi!”
 
“I’m a demon, aren’t I?  I don’t think ‘friendly’ is in the job description.”
 
Ran Mau laughed even harder.  “I like you!  You’re funny!  Can’t say as I’ve
ever met an honest demon before.  ‘Honesty’ isn’t exactly in the job
description either.  Are you sure you really know who I am?”
 
“Ran Mau.  Second only to the Demon King himself.”
 
“Most demons go out of their way to be on my good side, or out of their way to
avoid me out of fear,” She explained, continuing to circle the smaller male. 
“They go to great lengths to suck up to me because they know I am a powerful
ally to have and a devastating enemy.”
 
“You’re point being?”
 
She chuckled again.  “I’m guessing you don’t suck up to anybody.”
 
“No.”
 
“Not even for pure carnal ecstasy?”  She suddenly stopped behind him, wrapped
her slender arms around him and with one hand, began stroking his crotch. 
 
Levi forced his wings open and tore himself from her grasp, spun to face her,
regaining his defensive posture.  “WHAT THE FUCK!?  I don’t give a flying fuck
what your rank in the Underworld is!  NOBODY touches me without my permission!”
 
“Oooh.  Don’t tell me you’re gay.  I haven’t met a demon of any sex yet that
could resist my charms,” She taunted.
 
This time, Levi failed to suppress the growl.  His silver eyes burned with
rage.  “I find nothing charming about you . . . or any demon for that matter. 
In fact, the whole concept of ‘carnal ecstasy’, as you call it, is completely
repulsive to me, regardless of gender.  If you have so many demons lusting
after you, then there’s no need for you to sidle up to me!”
 
Her smile vanished and the laughter stopped abruptly.  “Remember what I said
about me being a devastating enemy?  It would behoove you to rethink your
options.  The Underworld is no place for lone wolves.  We devour them here. 
Besides, if you don’t change your mind soon, my powers make it easy for me to
force you.”
 
Levi snarled again as he turned and walked away.  “Then that is what you’ll
have to do, because I will never willingly submit to another.”
 
Ran Mau raised an elegant eyebrow.  “Oh really?”
 
Levi suddenly stopped in his tracks as if grabbed by a giant hand.  He
clutched  his chest, gasping for air.  He felt so hot, even in this cold,
desolate place.  He fell to his knees, shaking, unable to comprehend what was
happening to his body.
 
Ran Mau again was laughing.  “You see, Levi, one of my many powers is the
ability to make any living thing aroused and lustful.  That means I can make
any demon have sexual need of me.”  She knelt down in front of her victim,
placing two fingers under his chin to turn his face to look at her.  “And only
I can relieve that need.  But only when I feel like it.  Your presumptuous
statement is going to cost you dearly.  I’m not going to relieve your need
until you are begging me to.  And with each passing moment, that need is going
to increase until all you can think about is begging me for relief.  It will
all depend on my mood at the time as to whether or not I help you.”
 
“I will never give you the satisfaction!” Levi snarled angrily.  “I’d rather
die!”
 
“Oh, but demons can’t die.  You know that.  And my power will prevent you from
leaving the Underworld until you give in to me.”
 
“NEVER!”
 
“You will, Levi.  You will.  They all do!” Ran Mau chuckled as she vanished.
 
 
She hadn’t been kidding when she’d said it would get worse.  He had been fucked
with alarming frequency when he was alive, but sadly, had never felt sexual
pleasure or even been aroused.  Now he found himself in the unfamiliar, and
unenviable state of constant and painful arousal.   He had watched men relieve
their own arousals, so he decided he’d better try that.
 
Masturbating only made his problem worse.  I thought this was suppose to
relieve the problem!  Shit!  Is it really possible that only Ran Mau can
alleviate this?  He continued to feel hotter as the days passed, and he was
soon unable to eat or sleep.  Who the fuck makes a demon that needs to eat and
sleep, never mind fuck?  As near as he could figure, a demon’s body was
physically identical to a human’s but for the claws, fangs and wings.  He noted
that a demon’s body could heal much faster than a human’s.  What would take a
human weeks to recover from, a demon could recover from within a day or two, if
not hours.
 
But this – this wasn’t going away.  He felt like a human with a terminal case
of the flu.  He refused to bend.  He refused to give Ran Mau the satisfaction. 
He held out for almost a month before the lack of food and sleep combined with
his continuously aroused state began to breakdown his mind.  He’d reached a
point where he could no longer even think other than to somehow relieve the
terrible need that was consuming him.
 
Levi lost all thought other than his need and who could alleviate it.  He
sought out Ran Mau.  He wasn’t at all sure how he got there, but he found
himself in a room of red.  Lounging on the pillows against one wall was Ran
Mau, surrounded by several other demons catering to her every whim. 
 
“Well, well.  Levi.  How nice of you to come visit me!” the she-demon taunted. 
“You don’t look well at all!  In fact you look quite miserable.  Tell me, is
there anything I can do to help?”
 
Turn around and walk away, Levi!  Don’t give this bitch the satisfaction!But
his body did not listen to his mind.  He fell to his knees in front of where
she reclined.  “Please. . .” he said weakly, his eyes gazing unfocused at the
floor.
 
“Please what, dear?”
 
“Please . . . I need you . . .”  Levi pleaded pathetically.
 
“Ohhhh,” she responded with a mock pout.  “But you said you’d never need me.”
 
Just shut up now and walk away! “I . . . I was wrong.  Please.”
 
Ran Mau smiled wickedly.  “I think not.  I don’t think you’ve truly learned
your lesson, yet.”
 
Levi  whimpered involuntarily.  “please . . .” he whispered.
 
She stood over him and placed her hand on the side of his face.  “Oh, darling. 
I could listen to those delicious pleas for days.  Quite frankly, I’m impressed
that you lasted so long.  Everyone else I’ve used my power on succumbed within
hours.”  He leaned into her touch and whimpered again when she quickly withdrew
it.
 
She left him there, trapped in her private room to suffer.  She delighted in
his pleading every time she returned.  She relished every moment he spent
reaching out for her as he lay helpless and eventually naked on her floor while
occasionally stroking himself in a vain attempt to relieve his desperate need. 
She reveled in the hot, writhing mess she had reduced him to.
 
Finally, even his thoughts of resistance were eroded to non-existence. 
“Please, Ran Mau.  Please . . . let me fuck you . . . l need . . . I need to be
inside you.  Please.”
 
Ran Mau smirked.  “Very well.  But you’re going to have to do it my way, or
I’ll leave you to suffer some more.”
 
Levi nodded pathetically.  “Yes . . . yes . . . I’ll do anything you say. . .
just . . . please.”
 
Her red dress slipped to the floor as she approached him.  Whether or not she
was a beautiful woman (and she was very beautiful) was a moot point to Levi as
he stared at her with nothing but wanton need.  He did nothing to stop her as
she laid him back on the floor and ordered him not to move or she would stop. 
 
His mind could focus on nothing but the overwhelming need for release.  No
thoughts, no emotions, no pleasure;  just need.  He let out a moan as she
settled onto his painful erection.  She held him down by the wrists as she rode
him, pleasuring herself on him.  She cruelly used her power to disable his
ability to release.  Over the next several hours – or was it days – she
pleasured herself with him, occasionally getting off and ordering him to lay
still while she took a break and reveled in the pathetic whimpers he gave in
response. 
 
It wasn’t until she began to get bored, and it became increasingly difficult
reach her own orgasm, that she finally allowed him to release.  With an
unrestrained cry of relief, he finally released his need into her body.  
 
Levi would have preferred to not remember what had happened.  He knew that
there had been several other demons present, watching as Ran Mau shamelessly
pleasured herself on him.  He still couldn’t figure why sex was so
pleasurable.  By the time he finally released, his painful need was so great it
felt no better than taking a piss to relieve and overfilled bladder.  Days
later he still felt sick to his stomach.  If I never have sex again, it will be
too soon!  Time to make myself scarce and stay in the human world.
 
***** The Arc *****
                                   CHAPTER 4
                                    The Arc
 
Levi had no intention of returning to the Underworld.  He was better off taking
his chances with the arcs in the human world.   Not that he had any real
trouble with them.   He knew that arcs could sense his presence every bit as
well as he could sense theirs, but, for whatever reason, as long as they didn’t
see him, they let him be.  Maybe it’s just because I don’t interact with the
humans at all.  As long as I leave the humans be, the arcs should leave me be.
 
He was currently spending his time in the Vatican.  The supply of forbidden
reading material was endless!  At least the idiots didn’t burn all these
books!  The vast archive included hundreds of ‘pagan’ texts that included
spells and magic rituals.  Most were just nonsense, but some were the real
thing.  Levi soon found himself practicing some of the incantations and other
forms of magic.  One massive codex included instructions on creation portals
between locations.  He discovered he could even travel between the human world
and the Underworld with this new ability. 
 
The demon was careful keep these abilities to himself and not let anyone see
him using them.  He was certain that he would one day need to use this power to
protect himself.  He had also spent some time in far east, learning their
fighting techniques as well as their spiritual beliefs.  Deep within his mind,
barely acknowledged, was the intuitive need to prepare for war.  He couldn’t
explain this drive,  since he certainly didn’t intend on fighting against the
arcs or interfering with the humans.  The only reason he could think of was
that he wanted to be prepared to take on his own kind.
 
It was a warm spring day, and Levi sat high atop a cathedral roof, reading
another large, ancient codex.  At first he was so engrossed in his reading that
he didn’t even notice the three arcs conversing  over in the bell tower.  This
was the Vatican, after all, so there were arcs everywhere.   He was used to
constantly sensing their presence.
 
“I still can’t believe the demons actually captured Heron.”
 
That sentence got Levi’s attention.  Captured?  I thought demons and arcs only
killed each other, not capture . . . what would be the purpose?  Levi now
focused his attention on the conversation.
 
“Neither can I.  I mean, he is . . . or was one of the best.”
 
“Nothing like this has happened since Coran was captured over 1500 years ago.”
 
“Worst part is that no one can get into the Underworld to rescue him.”
 
Levi took a horrendous chance and landed on the edge of the bell tower where
the three were talking.  “Help me understand something here.  Arcs can’t enter
the Underworld any more than a Demon can enter Paradise.  So how is it that an
arc can be taken to the Underworld once captured?”
 
One arc immediately drew his sword and charged at the demon.  Levi calmly held
up his right hand and erected a barrier field that the arc collided hard with. 
“What the-?”
 
“Calm down.  Just answer my question.  How can an arc possibly be taken to the
Underworld?”
 
One of the others answered angrily.  “If we knew that we’d’ve gotten Heron back
by now!”
 
“So you’re saying you have no idea?”  If an arc can be dragged down there . . .
What if Ran Mau gets a hold of him?  The demon paled at the thought.  He placed
his hand on the bell tower wall beneath him and muttered an incantation under
his breath.  “This will wear off in about five minutes.  By that time, however,
I’ll be long gone.”  With that, he spread his wings and flew off across the
city, leaving a bell tower of three angry arcs yelling after him.
 
 
Levi was very uneasy being in the Underworld again.  He blended in easily
enough.  He was just another demon, after all.  The only thing that bothered
him was the possibility of running into Ran Mau.  He shuddered at the mere
thought of her.  He wasn’t too keen on encountering any of her cronies either. 
At first he was worried that it would take forever to search the vast
Underworld for one arc, but luckily for him, an arc stood out like a beacon in
this dark, frigid place.
 
He waited until he was sure there were no other demons around the arc before he
created a portal directly to where it was being held.  What he found made him
sick.  The arc’s large, once white wings were stretched out to their full
length and held to the cold wall with three massive spikes each.  Blood stained
the feathers dark red.   The arc was otherwise unrestrained, and his entire
weight hung off his wings.  He was barely able to lift his head enough to see
Levi.
 
“You’re Heron, right?” Levi asked him.
 
Heron looked shocked.  “How do you know my name?”
 
“Overheard a trio of arcs talking about you in the Vatican,” the demon replied
as he contemplated the best way to get the spikes out of the wings.  “Get ready
to drop.  I’m about to remove the spikes.”
 
Heron managed to get his feet securely under him before Levi finished muttering
the incantation that made the spikes vanish in thin air.  “Why are you doing
this?”
 
Levi smirked at the confused arc.  “Because I can.”
 
“What about him?”  Heron pointed to a heap of dirty feathers over in the
corner.
 
Levi’s silver eyes widened.  “What the . . . how did I not sense him?!”
 
“Because he’s broken,” Heron replied.  “I mean he’s completely shattered.  I
don’t know what Ran Mau did to him, but she is all he can think of.  He’s
literally been lusting after her for 1500 years.”
 
Levi felt his stomach knot up.   He’d only been under her power for a little
over a month.  He couldn’t imagine suffering like that for 1,500 years!  “I
know how he feels.”  He gathered the broken creature up in his arms, then
opened a portal back to a spot just outside of Rome.  “Go!” He told Heron. 
Heron staggered through the portal and Levi followed behind with the other
arc.  The portal closed as soon as the demon was through. 
 
Heron sank to his knees on the grass in relief.  “I thought I would never see
light again.”
 
The demon ignored him as he set down the as yet unresponsive arc in his arms. 
The creature must have been a large person at one point, but now weighed almost
nothing.  Sallow skin hung from a clearly visible skeleton.  “This is Coran,
isn’t it?”
 
“You have to ask?  He’s only been down there for one and half millennia!”
 
“I couldn’t even sense his presence down there!  The only reason I know who he
is, is because that trio I overheard mentioned him.  So don’t go getti – HEY!” 
 
Levi was startled by a hand grasping his wrist and a weak voice pleading,
“Please . . . kill me.”
 
The demon’s eyes widened in horror.  “What?  You can’t be serious!”
 
“He’s very serious, demon,” Heron responded.  “Ran Mau will never ease his need
for her.  He doesn’t want to live through eternity lusting after a demon.”
 
“I can’t say as I blame him, but he’s free now.  You people surely have a way
to reverse the effects of her power on him.”
 
Sadness showed in Heron’s eyes as he answered.  “I’m afraid we don’t.  We’ve
been trying to find a way for tens of thousands of years.  Killing him will be
a mercy.”
 
Levi jerked his hand free of Coran’s weak grasp and took a step back.  “You
can’t be serious!  You can’t be telling me you actually want me to do as he
asks!”
 
“Please . . . end my life . . . end my suffering.  Please!” 
 
“No . . . I can’t . . . I won’t kill an arc,” Levi said quietly, backing away. 
“You’ve done nothing to deserve death.”
 
“Please, demon.  He’s suffering terribly,” Heron pleaded.
 
“So I should just put him down like some human’s pet?!”
 
“Yes!  There is no other way to end his misery.  Ran Mau has condemned him to
be like this for all eternity!  You said you knew how he felt.  She released
you from your suffering, but Coran will never be free of his!  Would you want
to live if you knew there would be no end to it?”
 
Levi continued backing away.  “I-I can’t do it.  I can’t take another innocent
life.  I just can’t.”
 
Heron tore off his shirt and wrapped around his right hand.  “Then give me your
sword.”
 
The demon froze.  “What?”
 
“Did I fucking stutter?  Give me you goddamned sword!”
 
Levi still hesitated.  Heron reached out and grabbed the black sword from the
demon’s side and approached Coran with it.  Coran looked up into Heron’s eyes. 
“Thank you.”
 
Levi turned away.  Though he couldn’t see, he still visibly flinched when the
sword beheaded the unfortunate arc – the sound would haunt him for the rest of
his life.  Heron watched in stunned silence as the demon fell to his knees and
vomited.  What the hell is wrong with me?the demon thought.  You’d think I’d
never killed anyone before.  Okay, so I wasn’t the one who killed him, but,
shit!  I’ve seen so many deaths over the years!  I didn’t have a problem when I
watched Argo killed.  Why is this so different?
 
“It was the only way,” Heron insisted.  “I thank you for your help.  I don’t
even know your name.”  The arc attempted to hand the sword back to its owner.
 
Levi stood and glared at the weapon.  “Destroy it!” he snapped angrily as he
turned and flew away.
 
***** Contract Terminated *****
                                   CHAPTER 5
                              Contract Terminated
 
Levi spent the next several years  entirely in the human world.  He saw no
reason to return to the Underworld if he didn’t have to.  His existence was a
lonely one, but it was better than the abuse of having others around.  As long
as he didn’t interfere in the lives of humans, he remained off of the arcs’
radar. 
 
He observed humans, often envious of their lives, but at the same time, he was
developing a deep contentment with his own peaceful life.  Much of his time was
spent raiding libraries and learning everything he could of humans, arcs,
demons, reincarnation, God and the Fates.  He found out that humans don’t know
much.  Even church archives had a great deal of misinformation.  He was able to
ascertain that humans, demons and arcs were actually very similar species.   He
also learned that the angels and demons mentioned in the holy texts (many of
whom were forbidden texts – it paid to be demon that couldn’t be seen raiding
the archives!) were a separate species of pure energy.  Unlike the arcs and
demons who had physical bodies that could be damaged and could die, the angels
and demons of the holy texts could not die at all.  It was also impossible for
a human to become either one due to the souls being of separate species. 
 
So humans cannot become angels or spirit demons because the soul is of a
different species.  That means the souls of humans, arcs and demons are of the
same species, whether born as one or the other or reincarnated as one. 
Technically, that means if an arc or a demon were to die, they could just as
easily reincarnate as a human.  So, the question is, how did one species get
split up into three?  And, how is it that we are in charge of the afterlife
like we are?  Who is deciding what fate each of us has?  Is God really letting
us call the shots?  All we can do is fuck everything up!  There is definitely
something missing here.  I need to find a way to talk to the Fates.  Maybe they
can give me some answers.
 
Levi was currently sitting on the park bench that he frequented.  It was the
same bench from which he had watched an arc slay Argo.  One of the geese from
the nearby pond took quite a liking to him and often came and sat beside him as
he read.   At least with an amorous goose at his side, he didn’t have to worry
about anyone wanting to haplessly sit on him. 
 
The goose was right against his leg and he was idly stroking the soft feathers
of her breast as he read.  Animals, it turned out, could always see arcs and
demons, though humans could not.  This was due to arcs and demons being
slightly out of phase with the human world; just enough to be invisible to
humans, but still able to interact physically with the world.   The goose made
a soft noise that caused Levi to look up from his reading. 
 
A young man had been jogging around the park and had passed Levi several times,
but this time the man stopped, sank to his knees and began sobbing.   Other
people made a point of giving the man wide berth and avoiding him at all
costs.  Typical!Levi thought.  See another human in pain and just ignore
them. “How would you people like it if that were you sobbing on the walkway and
everyone ignoring you?” he asked aloud, though he knew no one could hear him.
 
For his own part, Levi had no intention of intervening.  It’s not like he could
do anything anyway, right?  Then he noticed a strange mark on the man’s neck. 
That’s a contract symbol!  Shit!  He’s made a contract with another demon! 
“What an idiot,” Levi sighed.  He closed his book and walked over to the
weeping human.  He knelt down in front of the man, place a hand on either side
of the man’s face and uttered a short incantation to allow the man to see him. 
 
The man was startled to suddenly see someone appear in front of him out of thin
air.  “You’ve made a contract with a demon, haven’t you?”   It was more of a
statement than a question.
 
The young man nodded.
 
“Come with me.  I want to talk with you, but not out in the open.  People will
think you’re nuts.”  I already know you’re nuts!
 
The man stood and followed Levi into a small chapel in a nearby church.  No
wonder this dipshit’s in trouble if he’ll just follow any strange demon he
sees! Levi closed the door to the chapel and turned to face the young man. 
“First of all, let me just tell you that you probably wouldn’t be in such a
mess if you didn’t agree to a contract with a demon!  Second, I’d like to know
your name.”
 
The trembling man sniffled before answering.  “My name’s Brian Wentworth. 
You’re right.  I’m a fool!  I should never have made that contract!  But I’m so
desperate!”
 
“I’m willing to bet you never considered the fact that the demon you contracted
with is the one that pushed you to this level of desperation in the first
place.  They purposely push people into desperation so people are more willing
to make a contract with the demon.  Is whatever problem your facing really
worth spending an eternity in the servitude of a demon?  You realize that you
will have no freedom; no choice.  You will have to do everything that you are
ordered to.  I’ll leave that ‘everything’ to your imagination.”
 
Brian’s eyes widened in horror as he grabbed his short hair in his fists.  “I
wish I’d never made that contract!”
 
“Tell me what the contract is for and who you made it with,” Levi instructed.
 
Brian took a long, quivering breath.  “There’s these guys at college that have
been bullying me.  The Fraternity leader is a guy I’ve known since high
school.  He was an asshole then, but he’s an even bigger asshole now.  My
sister is a year younger and in the same college.  If I don’t do their work for
them and anything else they want me to do, they’ll hurt my sister.  I’ve seen
them do it before to others.  My sister is a really good person.  She doesn’t
deserve to get hurt because of me.  I just can’t take it anymore!”
 
Brian now leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his head down and his
fingers interlaced at the back of his head.  “The jerks had just beaten the
shit out of me behind one of the college buildings when suddenly there was this
man in front of me.  He had wings and claws just like you, only his eyes were
yellow with slits.  He called himself Modral.  He said that he could get rid of
the entire gang in exchange for my soul once I died.  At the time I thought
that the price was worth it to free myself of them and to protect my sister. I
just . . .”  His voice caught in his throat.
 
The demon sighed.  “You do realize that you won’t be living out your natural
life.  Modral will find a way to either get you to commit suicide or convince
another human to kill you.”  Worse still, the asshole’s demon born.  He’s
really high ranking too.  Too bad demons can’t kill each other.  I could break
the contact easily if that were the case.  Trouble is, the only thing that can
kill a demon is a holy sword . . .An idea quickly formed in his mind.  “Listen,
Brian.  I’m going to try to help you.  You should know that the only way to
break a demon contract is to kill the contractor.  If I can kill Modral, you,
along with all other humans that have made contracts with him, will be freed of
your obligations.  Do you know if he’s carried out his end of the bargain?”
 
The man looked up into the demon’s silver eyes.  “He hasn’t.  They’re all still
alive.  But, if I have you kill Modral, then I’ll just be bound to you!”
 
Levi snorted with disgust.  “I don’t do contracts! If I succeed, and Modral
dies, you will be completely free.  The only thing you can do for me in return
is to never make a contract with a demon EVER.  I also expect you to talk other
people out of contracting with demons.  Make them understand the true gravity
of their end of the bargain.  Do we have a deal?”
 
Surprise was written all over the human male’s face.  “You mean it?  You’ll do
this for me for nothing more than that?”  Brian extended his hand for a shake. 
“We have a deal!”
 
Levi took Brian’s hand, enjoying the look of renewed hope in the young man’s
eyes.  “If I’m lucky, I’ll get that bastard before he fulfills his end of the
contract.  I’ll be sure to put the fear of the Underworld into them if they
don’t leave you and your sister alone.  It’ll be fun to do that!”
 
Brian gasped in shock when suddenly he was alone in the little chapel, shaking
hands with thin air.
 
 
Levi took to the air.  He started back to the park.  There was one arc in
particular that he was looking for.  This ought to be fun; a demon trying to
convince an arc to kill another demon to save a human . . . That’s actually
kinda funny!  After a couple of hours (Why is it you can never find a freakin’
arc when you actually want one?!) Levi landed on top of a statue at the center
of the park.  He let out an annoyed huff then began shouting.  “Hey! Arcs!  I
know y’all  are out there!  I find it hard to believe you would be hiding from
one measly demon!  I thought all of you were supposed to be anxious to kill any
demon you found!  Well, I’m right here!  All I ask is that you let me talk to
you first!”
 
“I remember you,” a voice behind him said.  Levi turned to watch an arc land on
the grass near the statue. 
 
“I remember you too.  Those eyebrows are kinda hard to forget,” Levi responded
as he jumped down from the statue.  “You’re the one that killed Argo, and
you’re just the one I was looking for.”
 
“You didn’t seem too broken up about that scum’s death,” the arc replied
shifting his white wings to settle more comfortably on his broad shoulders. 
“You surprised me then almost as much as now . . . back when you said I was not
your enemy.”
 
“I spoke the truth.”  Levi went to stand within easy striking distance of the
much larger arc.  “I know you view me as an enemy, and I understand why. 
However, I do not see you as an enemy.  I have no quarrel with you or your
kind.  That said, I need your help.”
 
The arc’s large, blond eyebrows went up in surprise.  “You just never stop
amazing me!  What could you possibly need my help with?”
 
“Hear me out all the way.”
 
“I’m listening.”
 
“I encountered a human named Brian Wentworth today.  Normally I would have
ignored him, except that I saw a contractor’s mark on him.”  The arc’s eyes
narrowed at this, but Levi continued.  “I decided to intervene.  I asked him
who he was contracted to.  He’s contracted to Modral.”  The arc hissed at the
sound of the name.  “I told Brian I would help him break the contract,
preferably before Modral fulfills his end of the deal.  However, the only way
to break a contract is to kill the contractor.  Since as a demon myself, I
can’t actually kill other demons, if Brian is to be free, then I need an arc to
kill Modral.  That’s where you come in.”
 
The arc waited a moment to make certain Levi was finished before he spoke.  “So
what do you get out of this?”
 
Levi smirked (shall I say it? . . . I shall!) devilishly.  “I get the
satisfaction of breaking a contract and knowing all humans he’s ever enslaved
will be free to reincarnate.  Modral is highly ranked too, if I recall
correctly.  It will cause havoc in the Underworld as others scramble to fill
the void.  All I have to do is sit back and enjoy the chaos!”
 
“Soooooo . . . You’re doing this out of spite?”  The arc was still thoroughly
baffled.
 
“If you like.  Will you do it?”
 
The arc shook his blond head and chuckled.  “You’re a strange one, but yeah,
I’ll do this.  Where do we find Modral?”
 
“If I’m right, all we have to do is find the fraternity members that have been
bullying Brian and Modral should be right there whispering in the leader’s
ear.  Brian at one point referred to them as a gang, so I’m going to guess that
Modral will try to trigger a gang war to kill off those covered by the
contract.”  Levi grunted.  “I’m kinda making this up as I go, here.”
 
“Pretty good for guesswork,” the arc responded.  “I have heard of a gang war
taking place sometime tonight.  I suspect that there may be two contractors
instigating this.  Both gangs get eliminated and both demons get their
contacts.”
 
Levi growled as he looked at the now setting sun.  “We don’t have much time to
find them then.  Do you know which gangs are involved?  The war will probably
be on the border between their territories.”
 
“It’s between the Cannons and the Falcons.  The Falcons are associated with the
University and the Cannons have control of the west end and into downtown.  
Chances are the rumble will take place right here in the park.”
 
“Shit!  This is still cutting things really close.  We need to kill off both
demons in order to break the contracts . . . or rather you need to kill them
both off.  I can injure them enough to allow you to kill them easily, but that
is all I can do.”
 
“That will be enough,” the arc assured him.
 
 
The sun had set hours ago.  Both the arc and the demon were perched high atop
the framework of a newly rising skyscraper.  “They certainly didn’t have
anything this big when I was a human,” Levi commented idly.
 
“Oh?  When were you alive?”
 
“Hmmm.  About . . . maybe 50 years ago?”
 
“You don’t know?!”
 
“Time get’s kinda muddled if you spend any time at all in the Underworld.  I
died in 1872.”
 
“Well, it’s 1932 now, so it’s been sixty years.”
 
“Huh.  Like I said, time gets a little muddled.  I’ve never really bothered
keeping track.”  Some movement in the empty park below caught Levi’s
attention.  “Looks like the Falcons have arrived, But there’s more than one
demon with them.”
 
“I can see the Cannons coming in from the eastern side,” the arc added. 
“There’s multiple demons with them too.”
 
“I think there’s more going on here than just a couple of contracts,” Levi
said.  “You’d better summon some backup.”
 
“No time,” the arc replied as he dove off of his perch.
 
“WAIT!  There’s too many!” Levi called after him.  Damn stupid dipshit!  Is he
trying to get himself killed?!  I didn’t think arcs could be suicidal
bastards! Levi also dove from his perch, following the arc.  Shit!  I don’t see
Modral anywhere.  Could he be possessing the Falcon’s leader?
 
The gangs had met in the middle of the park and were currently engaged in the
obligatory pre-fight shouting match.  The arc had already engaged the more than
a dozen demons that were visible.  Levi swept in and used the sharp spike on
his wing to disable a demon that was about to strike the arc down from behind. 
The arc turned and finished the demon off.
 
The arc was severely out numbered.  Though a skilled fighter, he was no match
for the numbers.  One well placed sword strike to the back of the knees and the
arc went down.  Another blow to the elbow forced him to drop his sword. 
 
Levi cursed aloud as he saw the arc fall “Shit!”  Without that sword I can’t
break Brian’s contract! “You okay?” he asked the arc as he came to stand
defensively beside him.
 
“I’ve been better,” the arc grunted.  “Sorry, but I’m out of this one.  Guess I
should have waited for backup like you said.”
 
Levi was now faced with almost a dozen demons all furiously shouting at him
about his helping an arc.  The lone demon snarled and stomped his foot down on
the hilt of the arc’s sword that had fallen against a rock.  The holy sword
spun up into the air.  Levi grabbed it and immediately took the heads of three
demons before the shocked monsters could even comprehend what was happening.
 
The remaining demons lunged at him in blind rage.  Even in life, Levi had
always been a fighting force to be reckoned with.  Now, after 60 years of
observing humans, and martial artists in particular, combined with his
increased strength and speed as a demon, he was a terrifying foe to face.  His
wing spikes and feet made for devastating weapons for disabling multiple
attackers at once.  Within seconds, another six demons were dead.
 
Levi turned to the leader of the Cannons.  He could see the demon hiding
within.  Without hesitation, Levi slashed through the man’s torso in an X form
then cut off the head.  The brilliant thing about holy swords, is that while
fatal to demons, they were harmless to humans.  The demon fell out of the human
in pieces before evaporating.  The human, suddenly free of the invading demon,
staggered back a few steps in confusion.
 
Modral lunged out of the Falcon’s leader with a roar of anger.  “TRAITOR!!!”
 
“I’m a demon, remember?  Backstabbing’s in the job description.”  Levi easily
dodged the enraged attack and swept the holy blade across the backs of his
opponent’s knees. 
 
Modral fell to his knees and screamed with pain as Levi cut off his sword
hand.  Levi now stood directly in front of the demon-born, his face
expressionless as he spoke quietly.  “Consider your contract hereby
terminated.”  Levi gave the holy sword a practiced twirl before beheading
Modral with a single strike.
 
Levi sank to his knees and hissed through his teeth with pain.  He didn’t even
remember the blow that laid the outside of his left leg open from mid-thigh to
just below the knee.  He let go of the sword and looked at the still shouting
gangs.  I still have to stop this!  But how?  If only they knew the pain they .
. . of course!  I’ll make them feel the pain they cause!
 
Levi stood and limped over to the Falcon’s leader first, placed a hand on
either side of his face, and flooded him with all of the pain, sorrow and grief
he had caused in his life, including Brian’s.  The man immediately gripped his
head and began to scream and sob uncontrollably.  Levi then turned and did the
same to the Cannon’s leader.
 
The arc watched in shock as Levi did the same to each and every gang member in
turn.  “What did you do to them?” he asked, half in horror, half in awe as Levi
came over to him.
 
“I just made them feel all the pain they have caused others.  One of my
abilities allows me to take emotions from multiple people - past and present -
and transfer it to another person.  This way, each of those idiots knows
exactly how their actions affect others.  They won’t be rumbling any time soon,
if at all.  It’s a lot of information to process.  Tell me, are you okay?”
 
The arc was stunned.  “I . . .”
 
“Well a fat lot of good you did putting a stop to this fiasco!” Levi snarked.
 
The poor arc, for his part, was just staring wide-eyed in disbelief at the
demon in front of him.  “It . . . shouldn’t be . . . possible . . .”
 
“What shouldn’t be possible?”
 
The arc suddenly started to chuckle.  “First, you tell me you don’t see me as
an enemy.  Then you seek me out to kill a demon so you can free a human from a
contract.  Now, you not only fight against your own kind in defense of a human
and an arc, but you use a holy sword to do it!”  The arc laughed even harder,
to which the baffled demon raised an eyebrow.  “Don’t you get it, Demon?! 
That’s a holy sword!  Demons can’t handle holy swords!  Your hands should be
burnt to a crisp . . . but they’re not!”
 
“And that’s . . . funny?”
 
“YES!!”
 
Levi frowned at that.  “Listen, Eyebrows, I think somebody hit you in the head
a little too hard.”
 
Said eyebrows both went up in surprise.  “Eyebrows?”
 
“Yeah.  You know.  Those big yellow hairy things over your eyes?  Eyebrows . .
. Or are those giant caterpillars?”
 
The arc’s eyes widened even further (if that was even possible), then roared
laughing so hard that he had tears running down his face.  Levi rolled his eyes
in disgust, retrieved the arc’s sword, handed it to him and turned to leave. 
“I’m assuming you have a way to contact your people to come and get you.”
 
The arc wiped the tears from his blue eyes as the laughter finally died down. 
“Yes, I do.  My name is Erwin Smith, Commander of the Arc Guardian Forces.  May
I know your name?”
 
Levi looked at Erwin over his shoulder.  “Levi.”
 
Erwin suddenly looked very serious.  “Levi, you do realize what the
repercussions of what you’ve done here today will be.  The Underworld looks on
helping humans and arcs as darkly as Paradise looks on arcs helping demons. 
Worse still, you used a holy sword to kill your own kind in the process.  You
are now a serious threat to them.”
 
“Tch!  Like I give a rat’s ass what those assholes in the Underworld think!”
Levi retorted.  “That’s why I make it a point to stay in the human world.  They
can take their so called ‘ideals’ and go fuck themselves for all I care.”  With
that he spread his black wings to take off, but as an afterthought he said,
“Thank you for your help, Erwin.”
 
Erwin watched the demon go.  “Be careful, Levi.”
 
***** Retribution *****
                                   CHAPTER 6
                                  Retribution
 
Levi was back on his favorite park bench, the goose sitting beside him preening
herself.  “Don’t you ever worry about someone coming along and sitting on you?”
a familiar voice asked.
 
Levi patted the bird at his side.  “Not as long as I have my guard goose I
don’t.”
 
Erwin sat down at the other end of the bench, received a gentle greeting from
the goose and he petted her soft neck feathers.  “You know, animals can sense
the difference between good and evil.  I’ve never seen an animal that will
tolerate a demon’s presence.”
 
“There’s always an exception to the rules, Eyebrows,” Levi retorted.  “I assure
you I am quite evil.  If I weren’t I wouldn’t have become a demon, now would
I?”
 
“Hmmmm.  Yes.  A demon that just happens to be able to use a holy sword, and
uses his powers to stop a gang war without any humans getting hurt.”
 
Levi snorted.  “Listen, if I had an explanation of my anomalous . . .
abilities, I would be happy to share them with you.  But the fact is that I’m
just as confused about everything as you are.  Perhaps someday I’ll get up the
courage to go ask the Fates about it . . . provided I live long enough.”  Levi
sighed.  “Speaking of which, aren’t you supposed to have killed me by now? 
You’re injuries have all healed and I’m unarmed, so it’s not like you’re at a
disadvantage.”
 
Erwin smiled.  “Something tells me that it would be a bad idea to kill you.  If
you’re so anxious to die you could have killed yourself on my sword the other
day.”
 
“Hmph.  Yeah, the thought crossed my mind, but considering that this,” Levi
gestured himself.  “is what happened the last time I killed myself, I’m not too
anxious to do it again.”
 
Erwin’s eyes widened.  “You . . . committed suicide?!”
 
“Did I fuckin’ stutter?  That’s what I just said.  I killed myself and became a
goddamn demon!”
 
Erwin laughed.  “You never cease to amaze me, Levi.  On top of everything else,
you became a demon after committing suicide.  That’s a first, I’ll have you
know.  Suicides always cycle right back into a life just like the one they
tried to escape.”
 
“So I’ve been told,” Levi replied dryly.  “Guess I never got the memo.”
 
Erwin laughed even harder.  When he finally stopped laughing, Levi spoke
again.  “Smith?!  Really??  An arc named fuckin’ Smith.”
 
“Smith is a perfectly legitimate name, you know,” Erwin replied defensively. 
“I can’t help it if everyone uses it as an alias!”
 
Levi snorted.
 
“At lease I have a last name.”
 
Levi snorted again.  “I think I’ll stick with Eyebrows.  It fits you better.  
So, tell me, what brings the commander of the Arc Guardian Forces to earth so
often?  Last I knew, high rankers rarely do their own fighting; they just take
the credit for it.”
 
“I’ve been doing it my entire life, Levi.  I had to start at the bottom and
work my way up.  Granted that was a very long time ago, but still.  I’ve always
fought to protect humanity.  I saw no reason to stop just because I was the
commander.  I never really  even thought about it before now.”
 
They sat in silence for a while.  It would have been a comical sight had any
humans actually been able to see them.   Levi on one side of the bench reading
his book, dressed in black with large black bat-like wings; Erwin on the other
side, arms spread across the back, head tilted back and enjoying the sun,
wearing white with large white feathered wings and – to truly set the mood –
between them sat a common white goose.
 
“I’ve seen Brian a couple of times,” Erwin said after nearly an hour of
silence.  “He seems to be doing very well.  The leader of the Falcons, Carey
Michaels, he’s left the fraternity and moved to the dorms.  He disbanded the
gang and is beginning to get his act together.  The Cannons have also been
disbanded.  All because of you.”
 
“Tch!  There’ll be another gang to fill the void soon enough.”
 
“True.  But think about it, Levi.  That’s 29 people that are still alive
because of your intervention.  31 if you include Brian and his sister.  Now,
figure in all of the people that might have been hurt or killed by one of the
gangs in the future that will never have to face them.  Figure again how many
people’s lives will be positively affected by these former gang members leading
good lives.  Say one of them becomes a doctor that saves hundreds of lives;
lives that would be lost if he was never there to save them?  Every action we
take, be we human, arc or demon, has a very far reaching effect.  Every action
we take now can effect several generations to come.  Don’t down play what you
did.  Like ripples in the water when a stone is dropped in, it will continue
outwards and affect people in ways you can’t even imagine.”
 
Levi was silent for a moment before answering.  “Hm.  Guess I never thought of
it like that before.  However, the same holds true for all of the sins I’ve
committed.  That being the case, I will never be able to make up for all the
pain I’ve caused, no matter how much good I may do,” he said sadly.
 
Erwin smiled.  “I don’t think th – LEVI!”  In a split second, the demon had
simply vanished into thin air.  The arc got a sick feeling in his stomach,
because he knew exactly what had happened.
 
 
It took Levi’s brain a moment to catch up to him.  One moment he was sitting on
a warm, sunny park bench listening to an arc preaching at him, and the next he
was standing in the cold darkness of the Underworld.  What the fuck?!  How’d I
get here??  He could hear the angry shouts of what were probably thousands of
demons.
 
“Levi!  It’s been such a long time!”  Levi’s stomach twisted when he heard the
all too familiar voice of Ran Mau.  The entire cavern went silent when she
spoke.  “You should’ve come to visit more often!  It’s a shame to have to use
Karda’s power to forcibly drag you back to see us!”
 
She sat at one end of the cavern with Karda standing just behind her left
shoulder.  “Comes in handy having a lapdog like Karda around to do your
bidding, doesn’t it?” Levi snarled at her.
 
Karda made a move to attack Levi for his insult, but Ran Mau raise her hand to
stop him.  “I’ve been hearing some very disturbing stories about you lately.”
 
“I bet you have,” Levi sneered.  He had no regret for having killed Modral and
his buddies.
 
“The rumor goes that you killed poor Modral and several other demons to defend
some humans and worst of all defend an arc.  Tell me these rumors are false!” 
Her tone was mockingly caring and hurt sounding.  “They even say you used a
holy sword to do it!”
 
“Tch!  Of course I used a holy sword!  Demons can’t die by a demon sword now
can they?,”  Levi said with an equally mocking tone.  “and ‘poor’ Modral my
ass!  I’m sure there are plenty of demons glad to see him gone so they can try
to take his place.  Modral was weak to be taken down by one such as me!”
 
Cries of outrage erupted around the cavern.  Ran Mau raised her hand to silence
them.  “Then you’re telling me that all of the rumors are true?”
 
“I see no reason to deny it.  No real point in denying it anyway.  I never
wanted or asked to become a demon.  It was forced on me.  I have no obligations
to anyone.  If I am to die for that, then so be it,” 
 
There were several moments of silence as Ran Mau’s eyes narrowed and slowly
stood and walked towards Levi.  “As you yourself said, demons can’t die by
demon swords or by demon hands.  No, Levi.  You’re not going to die.  But I
promise you, you will wish we could kill you.”
 
Ran Mau turned to the thousands gathered in the cavern.  “I doubt many of you
know this, but Levi here has a peculiar aversion to sex.”
 
Levi’s eyes narrowed and a growl escaped his lips.
 
The she-demon smiled maliciously.  “All of you know I have the power to force
any demon to need me.  I can also suppress a demon’s ability to fight. 
Therefore, as his punishment, I want every demon in this cavern to fuck this
murdering, human and arc loving shit into the ground!”
 
Levi’s heart skipped a beat.  In a split second his anger and disdain all
shifted to pure, blinding terror.  As he turned to flee, Ran Mau hit him with
her power, dropping him on the spot.  All thoughts escaped him as fear and
revulsion consumed his mind and body.  NO!
 
His clothing was torn off of him and he was pinned to the cavern floor.  A
blood curdling scream of agony ripped from his throat as the first assailant
drove their rock hard erection into his anus dry and a spray of brilliant red
tear gems born of his pain scattered across the cavern floor.  Levi knew
something was torn inside of him.  By the time the second one got to him, he
was well lubricated with his own blood.
 
It only got worse from there.  The instant the tear gems were seen, every demon
wanted them and went out of their way to try to get Levi to produce more of
them.  The arousal that had been forced on him by Ran Mau was taking its toll
on him at the same time as he was being used by every demon in the place.  The
arousal just kept getting worse, in spite of the pain he was in.  The constant
use continued for not hours, but days, possibly even weeks – his broken mind
had no way of knowing.  To poor Levi, it was an eternity – an eternity during
which, as Ran Mau predicted, he wished he could die.
 
His broken mind couldn’t tell what was worse.  Was it the erections tearing him
up inside?  Or was it the impatient demons that forced their erections down his
throat?  He could barely breathe and he gagged on every erection he was forced
to swallow.  He couldn’t vomit, as there was nothing in him to vomit up.  Sex
was still every bit the violent, painful and degrading act he’d always known it
to be.
 
After what seemed an eternity, Ran Mau finally got bored, even with the tear
gems she was collecting.   She decided it was time to take him herself.  She
nodded to Karda, and all other demons made way for them as they approached the
barely breathing, naked and bleeding demon on the cavern floor.  Ran Mau
flipped Levi roughly onto his back, and, for the second time, impaled herself
on his painful and abused erection.  For several moments she pleasured herself
there as he lay limp beneath her.  His grey eyes were lifeless and dull as she
changed position, laying back as Karda moved Levi up to his knees.  Ran Mau
continued to pleasure herself on Levi’s erection as Karda lined up his own
erection with Levi’s bruised and bleeding anus.
 
Levi barely made a sound as Karda slammed into him, forcing him deeper into Ran
Mau.  Within moments, Ran Mau was crying out in pleasure as Karda moaned
loudly, sinking his teeth into Levi’s already torn neck.  Ran Mau’s body
shuddered with ecstasy as she finally let Levi release and as Karda released
his seed into Levi’s body.  A final spray of tear gems, dark red with despair
and pain, scattered across the ground.
 
The heavily used demon was then roughly thrown aside to the ground.  Ran Mau
stood over him and hissed, “Any child that comes of my union with you will be
under the curse of being the offspring of a traitor.  They will live a life of
torment and ridicule for all of eternity.  They will never see outside the
Underworld.  They will suffer down here in your place where you will be able to
do nothing to stop it.”  She then looked at Karda.  “Exile him!”
 
Levi let out a scream of agony as an excruciating burning sensation accompanied
the mark forming on his back; a mark that would brand him an exile and prevent
him from ever returning to the Underworld.  The next thing he knew, he was
laying naked in the middle of a park lawn.  “I can never return to the
Underworld?” he asked aloud in a cracking, raspy voice.  “I can never return to
the Underworld.”  Then, in a moment of brilliant clarity, the full implication
hit him and he began laughing.  “Seriously?  You call that a punishment??  I
can never go to the UNDERWORLD!”  He continued laughing so hard he couldn’t
breathe.  “How is that a punishment?!  You dipshits couldn’t have done me a
bigger favor!!”  He continued laughing until his body collapsed into
unconsciousness from pain and exhaustion.
 
***** Jenna *****
                                   CHAPTER 7
                                     Jenna
 
 
When Levi finally regained consciousness, he was still laying out in the middle
of the park.  His body still hurt from the abuse it had taken.  He was unaware
of how long he’d been unconscious and quite frankly, didn’t care.  He didn’t
know how long he lay there, wallowing in his despair; was it hours, or was it
days?  Part of him finally began to worry about the fact that he was naked and
lying out in the open, though no human could see him.  He also idly wondered
how it was that no arcs had passed by and killed him as he slept.  He slowly
dragged himself under the cover of a large bush to allow his body to recover
and fell asleep.
 
He was shocked when he woke up again to find a sandwich and a bottle of water
just under the cover of the bush.  Can somebody see me?  That’s impossible! 
But where did this come from? He didn’t ponder the questions for long, as he
was very hungry.  He unwrapped and ate the sandwich and drank the water, then
set the empty bottle and wrapping back near the edge of the bush, grateful to
whoever placed them there for him.  He then went back to sleep.
 
The same thing occurred the next time he awoke, only this time there was an
apple included.  Levi was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth;  he
gratefully ate everything, knowing it would help his body recover faster.   He
was still unaware of how much time was passing, but after several meals from
his unknown benefactor, he finally caught them in the act. 
 
Levi opened his eyes just in time to see a small boy with red hair and brown
eyes and a face full of freckles (adorable by any standards) take away the
empty bottle and wrappings and replace them with a new sandwich, water and a
banana.  “Can you see me?”  The poor child jumped at the sound of the demon’s
voice.
 
“Of course I can see you!” the boy said with an insanely adorable smile.
 
He can’t be more than four years old!  I’ve heard that small children can
sometimes see us – but even that is very rare.  Where are his parents?  Does he
even know what I am? “Haven’t your parents warned you about approaching
strangers?  Do you know what I am?”
 
“You’re hurt,” the boy replied sadly.
 
Levi couldn’t keep the surprise from his face.  “Do you realize how much
trouble you could get into by helping a demon?  That is what I am, you know.”
 
The child had crawled in under the bush and sat down lotus style in front of
the still naked demon.  “No you’re not.  You saved my uncle!”
 
“What?”
 
“Uncle Brian!  You saved him.  He said you had black hair and grey eyes and big
black wings and that you saved him from a big mistake.”  The boy was still
smiling brilliantly.
 
This kid is related to Brian? Brian must have an older sibling as well“Well, I
thank you for bringing me the food every day.  It’s been a big help.  Tell me,
what’s your name?”
 
“Ian McFlaherty , and I’m four.”  Ian held up four fingers for emphasis.
 
“Very well, Ian.  But do me a favor.  Next time you see someone hurt, go tell
your parents, or a policeman or something.  It’s dangerous to approach them on
your own.”
 
“I did tell Mommy and Daddy,” Ian replied.  “But they couldn’t see you.  They
said no one was here.”
 
“Well, thank you for your help, Ian,” Levi said as he finished the sandwich. 
“Do you make the sandwiches?”
 
“Yup!”  Ian stuck out his chest proudly.  “Peanut butter and jelly!  I can make
them all by myself!”
 
A faint smile pulled at the demon’s lips.  “Well you do a very good job of it. 
They taste great.”
 
The child beamed with pride. 
 
“Because of your help, Ian, I’m getting better fast.  Today I’ll be able to go
. . . leave the park.  So thank you for your kindness.  Don’t ever lose your
kind heart,” Levi told him.
 
“Ian!”  The boy turned around at the sound of his name being called from across
the park.
 
“That’s my Mommy.  I gotta go.  Will I get to see you again?”
 
“I don’t think so, Ian.  I have to go far away from here.”
 
“Ian!”
 
“I gotta go.  Bye!”  The boy waved as he crawled out from under the bush and
then ran across the park to his waiting mother.
 
After a few moments, Levi crawled out from his hiding spot and stretched his
broad, black wings.  He was finally able to move without pain.  He was just
about to take flight when he heard the sound of feathered wings above him.  He
turned to see Erwin land a few feet away from him.  Levi’s unease was
immediately apparent.
 
“So you’re still alive,” the arc stated nonchalantly.  He had been watching the
entire scene with Ian.
 
“Why wouldn’t I be?”  Levi stretched his wings again, then wrapped them around
to cover his naked body.
 
“It’s been over a month since you vanished.  I know you were dragged back to
the Underworld, Levi.  Are you alright?”
 
The demon turned and glared at the arc.  “Number one; why would an arc give a
flying fuck what happens to a demon?  Number two; I’m a demon – I’m never
alright.  Number three;  you shouldn’t worry since what happened to me in the
Underworld is just punishment for the suffering I caused in life.  And finally,
I’ve been exiled . . . which is really hilarious actually.”
 
Erwin’s eyebrows went up.  “Hilarious?”
 
“Think about it.  Exiled from the Underworld?  How is that a punishment?  This
means I never have to go back there . . . ever!”
 
The arc thought about that a moment.  “I guess that does sound kind of
backwards, doesn’t it?  What are you going to do now?”
 
“Same thing I’ve always done; read, study and observe.  The world leaves me
alone and I leave the world alone.”
 
“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
 
Irritation showed plainly on Levi’s face.  “Again, since when do arcs give a
fuck about the well being of demons?”
 
Erwin smiled knowingly.  “Since you’re no ordinary demon.  Whatever you may
look like on the outside, you’re no demon on the inside.”
 
“Don’t kid yourself, Arc.  I’m a demon through and through.  There are no
exceptions.  You and I both know that.”  With that, Levi spread his wings and
flew off before Erwin had a chance to respond.
 
 
Levi lay on his back in a hillside meadow, basking in the warmth of the sun. 
His body had fully recovered from the horrors Ran Mau had put him through.  His
mind, however, was still plagued by nightmares.  What kind of an idiot makes a
demon that needs sleep??  The warm summer breeze felt wonderful as it caressed
his skin.  I suppose I should see about getting some clothes.  I know humans
can’t see me, but still . . .
 
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughter drifting on the wind. 
The meadow was just outside a small farming village, and one of the homes was
having a birthday celebration.  Levi couldn’t quite figure out why he felt
compelled to stay in places where there were humans.  It wasn’t as though he
needed them for anything – they were basically useless.  And yet, for some
reason he liked being around them.  He watched a tractor putting along the road
below him as it returned from haying a nearby field, and so he failed to notice
the small human that now approached him.
 
“Excuse me . . . Mister?”
 
He was startled to see a small girl standing just a few feet away from him. 
“You can see me?”
 
The child tilted her head to one side.  “Why wouldn’t I?”
 
The fact that she’s talking to a naked man with big black wings doesn’t faze
her at all!  You’d think this was an everyday occurrence. “What do you want?”
 
“You’re always up here and you look so sad and lonely,” she replied as she came
and sat down beside him.   “My name’s Jenna.  I just turned six today.  My
family’s having a party, but it’s all grownups and really boring.”
 
“So you came out here to talk to the naked man with the big black wings.”  He
couldn’t keep the amused sarcasm out of his voice.  “You do realize that I’m
not human, right?  You’re parents must have warned you about talking to
strangers.”
 
“I know you’re not human,” Jenna replied.  “Nobody else in town can see you. 
Granny says I have a gift that lets me see the metalfiscal world.”
 
Levi failed to suppress a chuckle.  “You mean the metaphysical?”
 
“Yeah!  That!”
 
“Then you must realize I’m a demon.  Hasn’t your grandmother told you that
demons are evil?”
 
“Yeah.  But you’re not evil.  Granny always says, ‘Animals can’t abide evil. 
They will avoid it like you avoid broccoli!’, just like that.  And I’ve seen
you petting my cat and talking with the cows across the road, and they all like
you, so you can’t be evil.”
 
Levi just looked at her in surprise.  “Huh.  So you don’t like broccoli?”
 
Jenna made a face.  “Blech!  It’s awful!  One time, I found a worm in my
broccoli!  Momma didn’t make me eat it that time.”
 
“Ew.  I wouldn’t eat it either.”
 
“How come you’re not wearing any clothes?”
 
The demon’s face turned red as he looked down at himself.  “Um . . . well . . .
because I don’t have any clothes.”  He wrapped his large, black wings around
himself.
 
Jenna ran her fingers over the thick membrane of his wing.  “Can you really
fly?”
 
“I can.”  He shivered at the touch.  He’d never realized how sensitive the skin
of his wings was. 
 
“How come you don’t have horns?”
 
“Because I’m not a cow.”
 
Jenna giggled; a sound reminiscent of a mountain stream dancing over pebbles. 
“Preacher says demons have horns and tails.”
 
“Not sure where humans got that idea.  We don’t have tails or horns.  Of
course, we aren’t the demons mentioned in the preacher’s bible either.  Those
kind of demons can’t be seen even by my kind.  I may be what you humans call a
demon, but I have to eat, sleep and breathe just like a human does.  I may
never get sick or old, but I can bleed and I can be killed.”
 
The girl suddenly reached in under his wing to place her hand on his chest and
then smiled brilliantly.  “You have a heartbeat!  Just like me!”
 
The startled demon smiled in spite of himself.
 
“Jenna!  We’re going to have cake now!” came a call from somewhere in the
village.
 
“Oo!  That’s my mom!  She made me a chocolate cake with lots of frosting!  I’ll
see you later!”  She started to run off, then stopped and ran back.  “I don’t
know your name!”
 
“It’s Levi,” he replied.
 
“Okay.  I’ll see you later, Levi!”  She waved back to him as she ran towards
home.
 
What is it with kids these days?  Are they afraid of anything?  I sure as hell
would never have approached anyone that looked like me when I was a kid! He
watched the sun set over the fields and hills.  He laid back in the light of a
half moon high above and watched the fireflies dancing across the meadow.  He
was just dozing off when he heard something moving towards him.  He then felt
something warm and furry rub against his face and purring loudly.  “Hey there,
Cat.  What are you doing out this late at night?”
 
“She’s just following me.”  Levi sat up to see Jenna standing in front of him
with her arms full.  First, she set a plate down beside him.  “I brought you a
piece of cake.  It’s really good!  And I brought you some of my uncle’s
clothes.  He was the same size as you, but he died last year in an accident.”
 
“That’s very kind of you, Jenna, but you shouldn’t be out by yourself so late
at night,” he said as he began pulling the clothes on.  Blue jeans with the
cuffs rolled up weren’t exactly his thing, but it was better than nothing.  The
boots were just the right size and already broken in and comfortable.  A little
matter/energy manipulation to create slits for his wings in the back of the
black button-up shirt, and he was beginning to feel dignified again.  “They fit
just right, Jenna,” he said as he rolled the shirt sleeves up a couple of time
to prevent them covering his hands.  “Now let’s see if this cake is as good as
you say it is.”
 
“It is,” the girl said as she watched a firefly fly lazily in front of her
face.
 
The demon nearly choked on the frosting.  The cake was perfect, but the
frosting was definitely too sweet.  “You’re right, the cake is delicious.  I
get the feeling you like frosting.”
 
Jenna flopped down to sit beside him and watch the fireflies.  “That’s the best
part!”
 
“I think the cake is the best part.”
 
“Momma makes really good cakes.  She sells some of them to others in this town
and the city.  She makes a perfect apple pie.  My Papa says it’s the best in
the whole world!   She’s teaching me to bake and cook just like her.  Nana –
that’s Momma’s momma – taught Momma how to cook.  Someday I’ll have a girl that
I can teach to cook.  Papa’s teaching me how to fish.  I caught a really big
one last week!  It was –“
 
“Do you ever come up for air?” Levi interrupted.
 
“No,” Jenna said, never missing a beat.  “It was this big!” she continued,
holding her hands about six inches apart.  “Papa says in a fish story, I should
tell people it was this big,” now she held her hands about two feet apart. 
“But Momma says it’s bad to lie, but Papa says a fish story is not a lie; it’s
a whopper.”
 
Levi was chuckling in spite of himself as the child rambled on and on.  As she
finally began to get sleepy, he walked her back to her home at the base of the
hill on the edge of the village.  As she opened the door to her house, she
motioned him to come closer.  He knelt down in front of her and she gave him a
quick peck on the cheek.  “Goodnight, Levi.  I’m glad you’re my friend.”  With
that, she turned and went inside, her cat following behind.  Levi was left
outside in complete amazement.
 
 
***** The Priest *****
                                   CHAPTER 8
                                  The Priest
 
 
Levi’s bond of friendship with Jenna only grew, though it was against his
better judgment.   He watched the child grow up.  He wasn’t always there, since
he was busy raiding the libraries of the world for new reading material.  When
he was in her village, however, she always came running to greet him.  He was
there when she went to school for the first time.  He sympathized with her when
her first love ended.  He even watched her graduate from high school and
college.  Just over a year ago, he had watched her get married.  Strange that
she’s never lost her ability to see arcs and demons. 
 
He was spending less and less time near the village, in favor of the city.  He
had taken up residence in an abandoned church in a rather run down part of
town.  It was a quiet place where the occasional worshiper would come in to
pray, but no one really looked after the building.  Better still, no demons
ever entered sacred ground – well, except for him, of course.  There were a
number of artifacts in the church, including a chalice said to have been used
by a sainted priest when giving communion.  There were also the ashes of a
martyr burned at the stake hundreds of years ago.  The one that fascinated Levi
the most, was the holy sword that was displayed prominently at the front of the
church.
 
It was the legendary Volpl.  It had been wielded by a powerful arc named
Darian.  The part of the legend that Levi was sure of was that 10,000 years
ago, Darian had been slain by Ran Mau, and the sword was lost.  It had shown up
just over 1,000 years ago when it was wielded by a Father Russo to slay Macarus
– the demon whose place was taken by Karda.  Volpl had then been handed down
through the priesthood to where it now hung.  If only I could wield such a
sword, I could easily take out contractors everywhere.  I could make them
regret my ever having been made a demon!
 
“Magnificent, isn’t it?”
 
Levi spun around and took up a defensive position, wings raised and ready for a
fight.  He then relaxed when he saw who it was that had so rudely interrupted
his thoughts.  “Oh, it’s you.  What brings you to this city, Eyebrows?”
 
“I happen to be very proud of my prominent eyebrows,” Erwin huffed.
 
“Then you won’t mind me calling you by them.”
 
Erwin shook his head in defeat.  “I just noticed you admiring Volpl.  It’s a
magnificent blade.”
 
“Why is it just left here?  Shouldn’t one of you arcs be using it?”
 
“We don’t choose our swords.  A holy sword chooses its wielder.  Many arcs have
tested to see if Volpl will accept them, including me, but it has yet to accept
anyone,” Erwin explained.
 
“Okay, so tell me this;  how the fuck does an inanimate object like a sword
‘choose’ who gets to wield it?  That doesn’t even make any sense!”
 
Erwin chuckled.  “To be honest, even I don’t know exactly how it works.  It has
something to do with how the sword is forged – the energy that the blade has. 
It’s the same thing that prevents a demon from using a holy sword and an arc
from using a demon sword.  One is forged with justice and the other is forged
with malice.”
 
“Huh.  Well that doesn’t tell me what you’re doing in this city.”
 
“Actually, I just sensed your presence as I was passing by.”
 
Levi scowled.  “What?”
 
“You have a very unique energy signature, Levi.  Very distinct from that of
other demons.  It makes you easy to identify.”
 
“I’m not sure I like that,” Levi grumbled. 
 
“It’s not a bad thing.  It’s quite fascinating, really.  You’re the only demon
I’ve ever met that was able to set foot on sacred ground, never mind live so
comfortably in a church.”
 
“Tch!  Maybe it’s just because I don’t buy into all those pre-conceived notions
and crap that you arcs have shoved down your throats.   Besides, I’m an exile. 
I don’t have to follow the rules.  If I don’t want to behave like you arcs
think a demon should behave, then that’s my prerogative.”
 
“Touchy!  In all honesty, I’m here because there’s a new priest that’s been
assigned to this church.  He’s supposed to arrive today.  I’m told that he has
the potential to really revitalize this whole neighborhood.”
 
“Okay.  Why is one neighborhood and one priest of such interest to the
commander of the Arc Guardian Forces?”
 
Erwin sighed and became serious.  “Because I know you’re here.  He’s someone –“
 
The arc was interrupted by the opening of the main doors at the back of the
sanctuary.  The man set down his bags and cast a gaze around to the church. 
“Oh, my!  It seems I have quite a lot of work ahead of me!”  The man in
question was a tall and lanky priest with the usual black attire and white
collar.  He had a short scraggly beard and dark, deep set eyes.  On his head he
wore and old, grey fedora, which he removed to reveal a barely starting to bald
head of messy brown hair.
 
Levi stood frozen.  No way!  The priest picked his bags back up and went back
to the living quarters.  “No fucking way!” Levi exclaimed as he turned to
follow.
 
“Levi –“
 
“Back off, arc! I can’t hurt him, remember?”  Levi followed the man into a
small, simple bedroom in the living quarters.   “I don’t fucking believe it! 
Of all the goddamn people!  How the fuck did a monster like you become a
priest?!”
 
“Levi –“
 
“Shut it, Erwin!  You have no idea what this asshole did to me!  This is the
fucking bastard that made me who I am!  He made me into a monster just like him
. . . AND HE FUCKING GETS A SECOND CHANCE!”  The demon was trembling with rage.
 
“Calm down, Levi.”
 
“NO!  I won’t calm down!  Why does he get a second chance when I never had a
chance to begin with?”   Unshed tears stung the corners of the demon’s steely
eyes.
 
The priest was looking about the room as if he had heard something.  “I can
feel your presence,” the man stated.  “I don’t know who you are, but I get the
feeling you are in great anguish,” he continued sadly.  “I fear that I am the
cause of your pain.”
 
“YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA!” Levi snapped angrily.
 
“I am truly sorry to have caused you such pain,” the priest continued, not able
to hear the demon.
 
“SORRY?!  YOU CAN’T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT YOU FUCKING DID!  HOW CAN YOU BE FUCKING
SORRY?!  YOU’RE A GODDAMNED MURDERING, THEIVING, ABUSIVE PEDOPHILE!  YOU MADE
MY LIFE A LIVING HELL!!  BUT YOU GET A SECOND CHANCE!  YOU GET A CHANCE TO MAKE
THINGS RIGHT!  AND I HAVE TO SPEND THE REST OF ETERNITY AS A DEMON!  I NEVER
GET A SECOND CHANCE!”  Levi fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around
himself.  “I never even got a first chance!  What did I do that was so wrong
that I couldn’t even have a chance to begin with?  I don’t even know what I did
wrong!  IT’S NOT FAIR!”  With those words, a spray of tear gems burst out
noisily across the floor.
 
Both Erwin and the priest noticed them.  Erwin picked up one.  The priest
picked up the other four of the blacker than black gems.  “These are tears of
despair; complete and utter despair.”  Tears began to fall from the man’s eyes
as he sank to his knees and held the gems to his heart.  “Oh, dear God, please
forgive me!  To have caused someone – anyone – such despair is beyond
monstrous!  Whoever you are, please know that I am truly sorry for causing you
this pain.  I know you can never forgive me, but know that I truly regret
having hurt you.”  The priest’s voice dropped to a whisper.  “I’m so sorry!”
 
Levi knelt there, arms still wrapped around himself and tears falling from his
tightly shut eyes.  “Why can I still not hate you?” the demon whispered. 
“After everything you’ve done to me . . . why can’t I hate you?”
 
“Because you don’t have the capacity to hate.”
 
Levi looked up at Erwin.  “Bullshit!  I’m a demon!”
 
Erwin knelt down.  “You may look like a demon on the outside, but your heart is
not.  Besides, I thought you said you didn’t buy into all the dogma.”
 
“I don’t.  But I should hate him for what he did to me, but . . .”
 
“But what?”
 
“I saw it all, Erwin.  I saw every bit of pain he ever went through in his last
life.  I just . . . I couldn’t help thinking that he was just like me.  He’d
been through all the same shit and all.  He became a monster because he was
raised by a monster.  He’s just like me.  All he wanted was another chance . .
.”  Tears began to flow anew.
 
“You were his punisher, weren’t you?”
 
Levi nodded.
 
“You forgave him.  That’s why he has this second chance.  You had compassion
for him and forgave him.  You are the one who gave him this second chance.  You
were the one that freed him from the Underworld.”
 
“That’s impossible.  I . . . I couldn’t have.  I was so furious when he
disappeared.  I couldn’t have . . .”
 
“And yet you did.  You are not like other demons.  You are not like them at
all.”
 
“Why didn’t you strike me down?  When I went after him, why did you not kill
me?”
 
Erwin smiled.  “Because it wasn’t necessary.  There was no hate or malice in
your eyes.  Only pain.”
 
Levi looked over at the still weeping priest.  “Father Kenneth Ackerman, you
damn well better turn this neighborhood around and make this world a better
place to live in, because then, and only then, will we be even.”
 
 
Levi couldn’t quite figure why he chose to stay and watch over Father
Ackerman.  Perhaps it was curiosity.  The demon watched as the priest cleaned
that church from top to bottom, including the bell in the tower.  Levi was, in
fact, able to interact fully with the physical world around him, all except for
humans.  Just another one of those absurd oxymoron things I guess.  So, while
Father Ackerman slept, the demon would entertain himself by polishing the
metalwork and the pews.  He also saw fit to begin fixing the roof.  
 
He would often sit in the large maple tree out behind the church and read book
or watch the priest working in the garden.  The congregation started off very
small, but Kenny – as Levi still called him – was brilliant at engaging people
and encouraging their involvement.  Within less than two years, the priest had
gotten the people of the community fully engaged in repairing the church,
singing in the choir, working in the food pantry and even cleaning up the
neighborhood.  The church had become a busy community center.
 
Not everyone was pleased to see the neighborhood changing for the better.  The
mob that held the territory was angry to be losing prostitutes and their
customers, drug dealers and buyers; not to mention the drastic reduction in
gamblers.  This particular mob had no problem with threatening a priest. 
 
Levi sat on the edge of the church roof and watched with amusement as five mob
members attempted to bribe the priest into leaving.  It was when they began to
threaten the man’s life as well as those of the parishioners that the demon
decided enough was enough.  This isn’t amusing anymore.  But I do need the
practice for some of the spells I’ve been learning.
 
The two overly expensive limousines were his target.  He rapidly expanded the
air in all four tires of one car so that they exploded.  A little over the
top.  That’ll get the cops’ attention, and they’ll get here before I’m done
having my fun!  All five men jumped when the hood of the second car flew up as
the radiator blew its cap. 
 
“My apologies, gentlemen,” Kenny said with an emotionless face.  “My guardian
angel has a bit of a mischievous streak in him.”
 
“What the – HEY!” the thug was cut off by a sudden gust of wind that seemed to
only encircle the five men in a miniature cyclone of dust and pebbles.
 
Levi laughed at the confused fear that had taken hold of the mobsters.  “Tell
your boss for me that Father Ackerman is off limits!” he called to the demon
that accompanied them.  “I know you’re there.  Are you really so scared of an
unarmed exile that you can’t show yourself?”
 
“Unarmed my ass!” a reply finally came.  “You’re using sorcery!”
 
“I make do with what I have.  Now crawl home and tell your boss that Father
Ackerman is off limits.”
 
“Rapier’ll tear you to shreds, traitor!”
 
Levi smirked dangerously.  “Let him try.”
 
 
The mob’s boss wasted no time in coming after the priest.  That very night, as
Levi returned from another raid of the local library, he saw two men shove
Father Ackerman into a car and speed off.  He also saw the demon sitting smugly
on top of the car, gesturing for him to follow if he dared.
 
Levi had learned that Rapier was a very powerful demon.  Not especially high
ranked, but powerful enough that Levi knew that his limited sorcery was not
going to be enough.  He needed a holy sword – and there was only one
available.  He strode into the church and up to the very front where Volpl hung
on display.
 
“Listen, Volpl.  Father Ackerman is a good man, and he’s in trouble, and you’re
the only one who can help me save him.  You can fry me to a crisp if you want
to, but at least wait until Kenny is safe again.  Deal?”  Levi didn’t really
expect an answer, and he wasn’t even sure why he was talking to a sword in the
first place, but he wrapped a cloth around his sword hand and lifted Volpl from
its display rack,  tied it firmly to his hand, and then flew off to get the
priest back.
 
Levi landed in a clearing just outside of the city just as the mob boss aimed a
pistol at the priest’s head.  The demon extended his left hand towards the
weapon and cried, “Tye Ichae!”  The gun flew from the astonished mobster’s
hand.  Another incantation of “Cytheros!” and all of the guns jammed.
 
“Stay out of this, traitor!”  The demon that rushed at him barely had a chance
to form an expression of shock as Levi cut him in half diagonally with Volpl. 
The demon’s body evaporated into nothing.
 
“What the Fuck?!  He’s using a holy sword!” 
 
Levi turned to face the more than a dozen demons present.  “Where’s Rapier?”
 
Ignoring his question, the entire group lunged at him.  Levi gave one well
practiced twirl of the blade (not even noticing that the blade was supposed to
be tied to his hand) before he laid into them with every ounce of skill he had
– and he was a very skilled fighter and swordsman.  As he cut them down, one by
one, Volpl slicing easily through them – swords and all – he noticed Kenny
still on his knees in shock.  “Don’t just sit there, you dipshit!  They still
have knives!  RUN!”
 
Almost as if he’d heard the demon’s shout, the priest got to his feet and began
to make his way back to the main road.  The mob boss drew a dagger and went
after him.  Soon, Kenny found himself backed against a tree with the mobster
about to run him through.  Just as the man was about to lunge at the priest,
Levi skid to a stop between them, and with another twirl of the blade – for no
other reason than to show off – he then slashed right through the man.
 
The stunned human gasped and dropped the dagger as a wounded demon fell back
out of him.  Levi began to walk towards the stricken demon with a snarl. 
“Hello, Rapier, you pitiful soul lost in the dark bringing sorrow and pain to
others.  You damned soul, wallowing in your sin; why don’t you give death a
try?”  With that, not even giving Rapier a chance to respond, Levi took the
demon’s head clean off.
 
Levi turned to see the mobster picking up his dagger and moving towards Kenny
again.  “I don’t think so, asshole!”  He placed his hand firmly on the
gangster’s forehead and used his power to transfer emotions.  Kenny watched in
amazement as the man dropped his knife, reeled back, grabbing his head and
suddenly falling to his knees sobbing as he felt all of the pain he had caused
in his lifetime.  “I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!  I didn’t know!  I’m sorry!” the
weeping man kept repeating.
 
Kenny went over to comfort the very man that had just tried to kill him. 
“That’s more than I would have done for him, Kenny.  I can remember when you
were just like him.”  The demon sighed.  “At least he won’t bothering you
anymore.”
 
Though the priest could not here the demon’s words, he still spoke the words,
“Thank you.”
 
When Levi finally looked down at Volpl in his hand, he was startled to see that
the cloth he had wrapped it to his hand with had all burned away, yet his hand
was unharmed.  Even more alarming, the sword had changed color.  Where it had
once been a brilliant polished steel blade with gold inscriptions and a gold
hilt, Volpl was now black, edged in red with polished steel razor sharp edges
and the inscriptions down the center of the blade were now red and the hilt was
silver and black.  He dropped the blade in his surprise.  Oh fuck!  I’ve just
defiled a holy sword! 
 
Once Levi released the Volpl, it again became visible to human eyes.  Kenny
heard it hit the ground and went to retrieve it.  “But . . . this is Volpl!  It
has chosen a new wielder!”  The priest was becoming quite excited.  “After
10,000 years, Volpl has chosen a wielder!”
 
“I wouldn’t be so happy about that if I were you,” Levi grumbled.  “The thing
must be broken, because it chose a demon!  Fuck!  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to
defile it!  I just need it long enough to protect you! I –“  The demon sighed. 
“I’m sorry.”
 
“My guardian angel is the wielder of Volpl!”  Kenny had tears of joy in his
eyes.
 
“I’m not an angel, you imbecile!  I’m a goddamn demon!”  Levi sank to his
knees.  “I destroy everything I touch!  Everything good in this world turns to
darkness when I touch it.”
 
“My friend, I know you can hear me, even if I can’t hear or see you,” Kenny
said softly.  “But you should know how grateful I am for all of the light you
spread in this world.”
 
Levi’s face collapsed into a look of complete shock.  “What?” he whispered. 
 
“Everything and everyone you come in contact with comes away better than they
were before,” the priest continued.  “I still have your tears – the ones of
despair that I caused you.  Even after whatever I did to you, you still have
the ability to spread light where ever you go.  Don’t ever lose that, my
friend.”
 
Levi could only sit there in open mouthed shock.
 
***** Disaster *****
                                   CHAPTER 9
                                   Disaster
 
Levi continued to watch over Father Ackerman as the man’s work and influence
gradually turned the east side of the city back into a thriving community. 
 The former mobster that had tried to kill the priest ended up putting his vast
fortune and leadership skills into furthering the community’s development –
once he’d spent his five years in prison, that is.   For his own part, Levi
also grew to know all of the people in the community and in the church’s now
vast congregation. Births, deaths, weddings, christenings – he witnessed them
all.  He unwittingly began to consider them all family.
 
The demon also kept track of Jenna, as she was wed and then had three children
of her own.  Just as she had dreamed as a child, she had two daughters to teach
how to cook.  Her town was very close to the city that Levi currently called
home – perhaps the reason he had taken up residence in that particular city to
begin with to begin with.
 
It still bothered him that Father Ackerman called him a ‘guardian angel’.  The
priest had kept the four tear gems of despair, partially as a reminder that he
was no better than other humans, and partially as a relic for the church. 
Kenny had placed the four gems on a white velvet cushion in a small glass box
that was kept on the table beneath Volpl.  They were listed with the church in
the Vatican as “Angel’s Tears”. 
 
It felt like lying, letting the priest believe that he was an angel.  Not that
a demon should be bothered by lying, but it bothered Levi none the less.  In
spite of himself, he had grown to love the man that had, in a previous life,
caused him so much misery.  The priest would talk to him while he worked around
the church grounds, maintaining the garden and the cemetery, even though he
couldn’t hear the demon’s responses. 
 
He learned that Kenny had grown up on a farm in the same village that Jenna
lived in.  He also learned that as a child, Kenny had been possessed of a
friendly, though mischievous nature.  Oh, the trouble that boy had gotten
into! 
 
For instance, one of his neighbors owned a nasty little poodle dog.  Growing up
around animals on a farm, Kenny had a deep love for animals, but this
particular poodle had bitten his sister not once, but twice.  The dog had also
bitten a number of his friends.  So, one winter, after the dog had bitten his
sister for the second time, he and his friends all got together and kidnapped
the dog and took revenge.   They brought it out to the middle of the frozen
pond, cracked open a couple of eggs and immediately stuck them to the four
paws, where they stuck as if glued, and set the dog down on the ice.  The
entire group of kids then took off and left the poor thing there slipping all
over and crying for help.  It was only a few minutes before the dog’s owner
came to retrieve it, but Kenny and his friends ended up spending the next month
grounded.
 
Levi had nearly fallen out of the apple tree he was sitting in as he listened
to Kenny tell that tale.  Many of the man’s stories were funny.  Some were
heartbreaking, such as when his grandparents had been killed in a house fire. 
The man’s family had been in shocked disbelief when Kenny had said he was going
to seminary to become a priest.  It was hard for them to picture their lovable
little rapscallion becoming a priest.
 
Levi finally got up the courage to leave a note for the priest that told him
the truth about what the demon was.  This kind of direct interaction with a
human was forbidden by the arcs, but since when does a demon have to follow arc
rules?  He thought carefully before writing out the note that he left on the
podium for the priest to find.  He had never been very good with words and
expressing himself, so he wasn’t sure if he’d gotten his point across or not.
 
Father Akerman,
 
I’m not really sure how to tell you this.  I am the one you talk to as you do
your chores around the church.  Just to alleviate any doubts you may have about
that, you once told me something that you said you’d never told another living
soul about.  You said that when you were younger, you had been in love with a
girl from your village named Arlene.  You never told her, though, and she
married your best friend.  You also told me that though you occasionally wonder
what might have happened if you had told her of your love, you have never
regretted your decision to become a priest. 
 
Now that I’ve established that I am who I say I am, I should get to the point
of this note.  You keep referring to me as your guardian angel.  I am no
angel.  I am in fact, a demon.  Not a demon as in the spiritual kind talked
about in your Bible, but a flesh and blood creature of the Underworld. You
humans erroneously call us demons and the name just kind of stuck.  I assure
you we cause every bit as much trouble and suffering as the ones in your Bible,
however. 
 
I was human once, but I was also a monster.  This is my punishment for my
sins.  I will never get a chance to make things right.  I will never be able to
make a fresh start.  I will never be able to even try to live a good life.  I
have forfeited the right to ever have a second chance, my sins are so great.
 
I apologize for giving you the wrong idea about what I am and for letting you
believe that I am something I am not.  I do not expect you to forgive me.  I
simply believe you deserved to know the truth.  I am a demon – a creature of
darkness.  Nothing will ever change that.
 
                                                                           Levi
 
Levi was reading up in the elaborate rafters of the church sanctuary as the
astonished priest read the note.  When he had finished reading it (for the
third or fourth time) he looked around the church as if trying to find the
unseen creature that had left the note.  At first he thought it may have been a
prank, but he knew that no one could have known about Arlene.  He then turned
and looked back at Volpl and how it had changed.
 
Kenny leaned on the podium in front of him and sighed.  “It’s Levi, right? 
Well, Levi, I will believe you when you claim to be what we humans refer to as
a demon.  However, I will never believe that you are a creature of darkness. 
You have done far too much good in this world to be evil.  I have seen the
effect you’ve had with my own eyes.”
 
The man again turned to look at the sword displayed behind him.  “A creature of
evil would never be able to touch Volpl, never mind actually wield it.  If you
were in any way evil, Volpl would not have let you touch it.  Instead, it chose
you as its wielder.  No, Levi.  You are not a creature of darkness.”
 
He again turned to face the empty sanctuary.  “So you are not a guardian angel
in the literal sense.   The proverb goes, ‘Speak and act with kindness,  for we
never know when we entertain angels unaware.’  You are still my guardian angel,
Levi.  And more importantly, you are my friend.  Thatwill never change.”
 
Levi watched from the rafters as Kenny carefully folded the note and left the
sanctuary.  Well if that just doesn’t take the cake!  Humans are so strange!  I
just told a priest that I’m a demon, for shit’s sake!  And he still insists on
calling me a friend?!  A deep rumble of thunder interrupted the demon’s
thoughts.  Damn!  Is this storm ever going to let up?  It’s been four days
now!  All of the rivers will be overflowing their banks if this doesn’t let up
soon!
 
 
The storm continued into that night.  The priest was in his room, sleeping
comfortably, but the demon was pacing the sanctuary.  Levi couldn’t shake the
feeling that something was very wrong.  He’d checked the church from top to
bottom as well as the surrounding neighborhood and found nothing out of the
ordinary.  He then began to sense an unusually high concentration of arcs out
near the river that flowed near the northern edge of the city. 
 
Deciding to go see what was wrong, his powerful wings fought through the wind
and driving rain to the river where the railroad crossed it.  He was shocked by
what he found.  A section of bridge had given way as a train crossed over it
and three of the back cars had fallen into the river fifty feet below.  The two
rearmost cars were on the tracks on one side of the break with a group of men
trying to pull them back, but the tracks were bowing under their weight – it
could go at any moment.  The four forward cars were on the other side of the
gap with the engine, with a fifth hanging off the edge and starting to drag the
rest of the train over with it.
 
There were dozens of arcs everywhere at the scene, and human emergency crews
were only just showing up.  There was a horrific groan of twisting metal as the
side with the two cars gave way a little more.  The human and arcs trying to
hold the cars from rolling over the edge and into the river were losing their
battle with gravity.  Staying up in the air and out of the arcs’ way, Levi
extended one hand towards the two cars on the failing bridge.  “Seraña
Malēshivay!”
 
The arcs all jumped with surprise when a magic circle appeared beneath the cars
and the cars actually became light enough for the humans and arcs to pull them
back from the edge and to safety. 
 
Another loud groan followed by an even louder bang signaled that the dangling
car on the other side of the gap had given way.  Levi acted quickly as the car
fell into the raging current to be swept down the river.  “Hiraikos!”  A blast
of energy rushed down the gorge and impacted on the heavily saturated
embankment beyond the bridge.  The resulting landslide dumped enough dirt, rock
and trees into the river to halt the downstream flow of the rail car.   Even
so, the measure was temporary.  The flooding meant that the car would be
underwater in no time. 
 
The demon folded his wings in and dove down to the car.   He shattered the
windows all along the car and people began crawling out to stand on the side of
the overturned contraption.  Those who were relatively unharmed helped the
injured, but there were also several dead.  Way to go, genius!  Now how are
they supposed to get out of the gorge??  He then saw a rescue rope fall into
the water, just missing the car.  He was able to fly out, grab it and then
shove it into the hands of one of the startled passengers. 
 
Another groan of twisting metal echoed over the noise of the raging river and
driving rain.  The engine was safely off the bridge along with part of one
passenger car, but if the bridge collapsed, the weight of the other three cars
would drag the whole thing into the river.  The arcs were struggling to move
the train as the engineer keep trying to pull the engine forward and get the
remaining cars to safety.   Levi again used an incantation.  “Seraña
Malēshivay!”  The engine immediately began to move forward, and within moments,
all the remaining cars were off the bridge.
 
Levi was still at a loss as to how to get the injured out of the gorge before
the river rose high enough to sweep them away and drown them.  The rescuers
above were working as fast as they could to pull people up using the ropes, but
it wasn’t fast enough.  If only it was possible to just grab them and fly them
out!  I have to buy the rescuers time! He took aim at both sides of the gorge
up river from the bridge.  “Hiraikos!”   Both embankments slid into the river
creating a temporary dam and slowing the flow of water.  By the time the river
overtopped the makeshift dam, all of the still living passengers were safely
out of the gorge.
 
The demon returned to the side with the engine, where emergency crews worked on
the injured.  Arcs were everywhere, trying to offer comfort and using their
abilities to ease pain as much as possible.  Levi noticed a child screaming
over his mother’s body.  “Mom, please!  You can’t die!  Please don’t leave me
alone!  Daddy died already!  Please don’t leave me alone!”
 
 The woman had a wound in her chest near the heart.  He could tell that the
artery leading from the heart had been damaged.  He had no healing abilities,
but he did have psychokinetic abilities.  He placed his hand over the wound and
created a barrier around the tear in the artery so that no more blood would be
lost.
 
“Hey! Demon!  Get away from that woman!”
 
Levi looked up to see a tall, lanky arc striding towards him with his sword
drawn.  “If I let go of this woman now, she will bleed to death in minutes. 
Right now I’m the only thing preventing that from happening.”
 
The arc paused, unsure of how to handle this surprising development.  “You’re
lying!”
 
“Is this woman’s life worth risking to find out?”  Levi challenged.  “Look at
this boy!  His father is already dead.  If this woman dies the boy will have no
one!  Please, just let me keep her alive until the doctors can fix this tear! 
You can kill me afterwards.  I won’t try to stop you.”
 
Now the arc was completely at a loss.  “Why is helping her so important to
you?”
 
“It’s not,” Levi replied.  “But it’s important to this little boy, so I’m doing
it.”
 
“You’ve contracted a child?!” the arc snarled in surprise and disdain.
 
“Don’t be stupid!  I don’t do contracts!  He doesn’t even have a contract mark
on him!”
 
The arc sheathed his blade and came to kneel beside the woman and her child. 
“I don’t believe it!  You’re actually able to create a barrier that prevents
the blood from leaking out of the artery.  The blood is flowing through as if
nothing were torn!”  He looked down at the sobbing boy, then up at the
determined demon.  “What can I do to help?”
 
“You can find someone who can tell this kid that his mother is okay for now. 
Just let him know that someone is helping her.  I’d do it myself, but I doubt
the sight of a demon would be very comforting right now.”
 
“I don’t have the ability to be seen by humans,” the arc responded.  He then
called out to another arc nearby.  “Petra!  Come here for a minute!  We need
your help!”
 
“Of course, Nile.  What is it?”  She was a little taken aback by the presence
of a demon, but she didn’t question it. 
 
“We need you to tell this boy that someone is helping his mother,” the arc
named Nile replied.
 
Petra nodded and gently placed a hand on the side of the boy’s face.  The
startled child looked up at her, able to see her.  “Y-you’re an angel!  Please
don’t take my mother!  Please don’t take her away from me!”
 
“No one is going to take your mother,” Petra soothed, stroking the side of the
boy’s face.  “My name is Petra, and I’m an arc.  I know you can’t see it, but
right now there’s an arc doing everything in his power to keep your mother
alive.”  It was a lie, since it was a demon keeping her alive, but it made the
boy feel better.
 
“Okay, Petra.  Thank you,” the boy responded.
 
Emergency personnel were applying pressure to her wound and loading her into an
ambulance, her son following along.  The arcs stayed behind to continue with
the rescue efforts.  Once in the hospital, the boy was made to wait out in the
lobby while his mother was taken in to surgery. 
 
Levi never would get over his fascination with how humans could see right
through him as if he wasn’t even there.  The doctors examined the woman’s wound
right through the demon’s hand that was covering it.   It was even weirder when
they began working on the injury through his hand.  That is without a doubt,
the creepiest albeit most interesting thing I’ve ever seen!
 
When Levi felt the doctors had everything under control, he headed out to the
lobby, intending to leave the building entirely.  But he stopped in his tracks
when he saw Nile leaning against one of the lobby walls.  He wasn’t
particularly surprised to see the arc – after all, he had told him that he’d
let the arc kill him once the woman was safe.  Levi walked over to the mildly
surprised arc.  “Well?  You going to kill me, or what?”
 
The astonished arc just blinked at him a moment before answering.  “No.  I’m
not.  Can’t say as I’ve ever encountered a demon so anxious to die.”
 
“Part of me is and part of me isn’t,” Levi replied.  “Either way, I have no
intention of fighting against an arc.”
 
“One question.  At first I thought you had contracted the boy to save his
mother in exchange for his soul, but, like you said I can’t find a contract
mark on him.  So why did you save the woman?”
 
“I just did.  Why do I need a reason?  I don’t stop to think about why I do
something; I just do it.”
 
“Fine.  Be that way,” the arc huffed.  “My name is Nile Dok.”
 
“Levi.”
 
“No last name?”
 
“Parents died before I ever learned it,” Levi answered as he scanned the
lobby.  His silver gaze came to rest on a familiar, tear stained face.  Those
eyes are hard to forget.  “That’s the woman’s son over there.”
 
“Yeah.  Apparently his father was killed instantly in the wreck.”
 
Levi walked over to where the sniffling lad sat.  The child had soft, dark
brown hair and the most stunning light bluish-green eyes he’d ever seen.  The
demon knelt down in front of him gently touched the boy’s forehead.  The child
jumped at suddenly seeing a person in front of him.  “I’m sorry,” Levi told
him.  “I didn’t mean to startle you.  I just wanted to let you know that you’re
mother is going to be okay.”
 
“Is she really?” the boy asked as he glanced at the ominous spikes on Levi’s
black wings.
 
“She is.  But it’s going to take a long time for her to get well enough to
leave the hospital and take care of you.  Do you have any grandparents or aunts
and uncles that can watch over you while your mother is healing?”
 
The boy shook his head sadly.  “Levi, it’s out of our hands,” Nile said. 
“There’s nothing more we can do.  The human authorities can take care of this.”
 
Levi ignored the arc.  “Listen, I know someone who might be able to help you. 
He’s a priest named Father Ackerman and he’s a very kind man.  Are you willing
to wait while I go get him?”
 
The boy cocked his head slightly.  “Are you the one that saved Mom?  Petra said
someone was doing everything they could to keep Mom alive.”
 
“I am,” the demon replied. 
 
“You don’t look like she did.  Her wings were white and feathery.”
 
“That’s because Petra is an arc.  I am a demon.”
 
The boy looked a little confused.  “But you saved my Mom.  And Petra said you
were an arc.”
 
“She just didn’t want to upset you at the time.”
 
“What’s your name?”
 
“My name is Levi.  What’s yours?”
 
“Eren.  Eren Jaëger,” the boy thought for a moment.  “I’ll wait for Father
Ackerman.”
 
Levi ran his hand through the boy’s hair.  “Good boy.  He should be here in a
couple of hours.”
 
As soon as the demon’s hand left Eren’s head, the boy gasped when he was no
longer able to see him. 
 
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”  Nile asked.  “And how do you know a
priest?”
 
“Long story.  Just keep an eye on the kid ‘til I get back.”
 
 
Father Ackerman was still sound asleep in his bed.  Levi envied the man’s
ability to sleep in such peace.  “I’ve been up working my ass off all night and
here you are sleeping like a baby.”  Levi picked up a rather large and heavy
old dictionary up off the man’s desk, held it high over his head, and let go.
 
The book landed with a deep resounding “WHUMP!!!” on the floor.  Kenny bolted
upright in bed. “Oh my!” 
 
“Good one, Kenny.  I would have been screaming ‘What the fuck’.” Levi said
sarcastically as he placed a note explaining the entire situation on the
priest’s lap. 
 
Kenny saw the note, turned on a light and fumbled around for his glasses.
 
***** Boys Will Be Boys *****
                                  CHAPTER 10
                               Boys Will Be Boys
 
Kenny had arranged for Eren to stay with the family of one of the altar boys
while his mother recovered in the hospital.  It was hard for Eren, since his
family had been here on vacation, so he was far from home with his mother in
the hospital.  Luckily, the altar boy in question was one Marco Bodt.  The boy
had a sweet, friendly personality and could get along with anyone. 
 
Levi remembered the first time he saw the boy. 
  
===============================================================================
 
 
Marco was four years old, and with dark brown, almost black, hair and eyes and
freckles splashed across his cheekbones, the kid was nothing short of insanely
adorable.  He was also stuck in a drainage pipe.  It never ceased to amaze the
demon as to the kind of trouble children could get themselves into.
 
Marco was just trying to follow his puppy.  The puppy fit all the way through .
. . Marco, not so much.  To the boy’s credit, he didn’t panic.  He just sat
there with his lower half sticking out the end of the pipe, waiting for someone
to find him.  The situation became even more humorous when the puppy came back
around and decided to lay down on the boy’s bottom to take a nap.  Some help
that was!
 
Levi flew down from his perch high in a nearby tree to get a closer look.  “You
know, kid.  One of these days your parents are going to embarrass the hell out
of you by telling this story to your girlfriends.  And I assure you, with a
face like that you’ll have tons of girlfriends.”
 
“Y’ really think so?”
 
The demon was taken aback to have received an answer.  “Can you hear me?”
 
“Yeah.  Can you get me out?  I’m stuck.  Pleeeeeeease? Can you get Chauncey off
my bum-bum?”  Marco wiggled his butt for emphasis.  The dog was undeterred.
 
Levi chuckled as he picked the puppy up from his comfortable bed.  “I don’t
think Chauncey likes having to leave his nice warm bed.”
 
“I’m not a bed!  I’m a boy!”
 
“Really?  ‘Cuz all I see is a pair of legs that could belong to anything.”
 
“The rest of me is stuck!”
 
“Well, let’s pull you out and see if you really are a boy.”  Levi took firm
hold of the boy’s hips (relieved that he could hold on to the human) and pulled
him back out of the pipe.  “Well, well!  You are a little boy!”
 
“Told ya!” Marco grunted as Levi dusted him off.  “WOW!  You got wings!”
 
“Yes I do,” Levi chuckled as Marco walked around him to get a better look.
 
“Can I touch ‘em?”
 
“You may.”
 
Levi shivered as the boy touched the surprisingly sensitive skin of his
wings. I forgot the skin was so sensitive back there!  Shit that tickles!
 
“Can you really fly?”
 
“I can.”
 
“WOW!”
 
“Marco!  Time to come in and wash up for supper!”
 
Marco grabbed up Chauncey.  “Bye, mister!  I gotta go eat supper.  Thank you
for unstucking me!”
 
===============================================================================
 
 
Levi chuckled at the memory as he watched Marco and Eren playing hide and seek
with several other neighborhood children.  Chauncey, now a full grown golden
retriever, was making the game difficult for the hiders since he kept giving
their hiding places away.
 
It had been two months since Eren had come to stay with the Bodts, and Levi was
here with Kenny, because it was finally the day when Eren and his mother would
be able to travel back home.  Marco was sad to see his new friend go, but happy
that Eren was finally with his mother again.  Marco had lost his ability to see
arcs and demons as he’d grown older.  But he still remembered the demon that
had freed him from a drain pipe.
 
Kenny had been enthralled when Marco had told him about the ‘angel with black
wings’ that had pulled him out of a pipe.  There was no doubt in the priest’s
mind that the ‘angel’ in question was Levi.  So Kenny told Marco all about the
demon and how he had saved the priest himself and was the wielder of Volpl and
even showed Marco the tears he had kept.  Once Marco was older, he drew a
picture (a surprisingly accurate picture at that) of the demon that had helped
him that day and gave it to Kenny.  The priest treasured the picture of the one
he considered to be his dearest friend.
 
It came as no shock when Marco got himself into trouble . . . again.  Levi was
in his favorite spot, high on the roof of the church beside the bell tower,
reading.  Levi liked high places – always had – especially rooftops.  He
noticed Kenny rushing out to his car muttering, “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! 
Will you ever learn, Marco?”
 
Curious, Levi set his book aside, spread his wings and followed the priest. 
Kenny stopped in front of an elementary school playground.  There was a large
crowd of people there, including the fire department and the police, and an
ambulance, and a news crew . . . What in the hell is going on here?  Levi
landed on top of the play set that had swings, monkey bars and a twisting tube
slide.  He couldn’t help but notice a pair of sneakers sticking out the top of
the slide.  As he looked around, he recognized all of Marco’s high school
friends, but no Marco. 
 
The demon looked once again at the sneakers, realizing all at once who the
belonged to.  He roared laughing so hard that he actually fell off the set and
onto the ground.  Levi sat on the soft sandy ground and continued laughing. 
“What is it with you and small pipes, Marco?”  The thought of the teenager
trying to go down the small slide was just too funny to contain.  “What in the
hell were you thinking?!”
 
“Jimmy dared me to do it!” the poor teen wailed from within the confines of the
slide.  “We were playing truth or dare!”
 
“And I suppose if Jimmy had dared you to jump off a bridge you’d have done
it?”  Kenny scolded.
 
“No.”
 
Levi, still laughing, decided to have a little fun with this.  He heard Marco
panicking when he heard the fire crew start up a saw to cut the boy out. 
Levi’s magic had gotten strong enough that he didn’t need incantations as much
anymore.  With a simple snap of his fingers, a large crack formed along one
side of the slide with a corresponding crack on the other side.  Then the
entire bottom half of the slide fell way.  Marco landed with a loud “OOFF!” on
the ground.
 
The teenager’s face was a brilliant red, making his freckles stand out even
more.  “Just think, Marco.  Some day your parents will be telling this story at
your wedding reception!”  Levi laughed.
 
Two years later, it happened again.  This time, however, it was because of a
sink hole.  Levi happened to fly over an open, dry waste space when he noticed
a pair of legs sticking up out of the ground.  That’s odd.  It’s nowhere near
Halloween, and this is out in the middle of nowhere, so they can’t be
decorations.  The legs were moving some as Levi landed nearby to investigate. 
Then he recognized the sneakers.  “Damn it, Marco!  What is it with you and
tight spaces?!”
 
Levi was surprised when he got a muffled response.  “Say that again!  I didn’t
hear you!” the demon called out.
 
He was able to barely make out the words, “There’s a kid down here!”  Levi
decided to take the risk and grabbed a hold of Marco’s ankles and pulled
backwards, his powerful stroking wings giving him extra pull.  Marco finally
came free, but along with him, came another small child.
 
“What happened?” the demon asked.
 
Marco turned to look at him and his mouth fell open.  “Levi!  It’s you!”
 
“Yeah, it’s me.  So what happened?”
 
Marco shook his head, then answered.  “I was out here with my cousin looking
for rocks for his collection when he suddenly just fell out of sight into this
sink hole.  I reached in to grab him, but couldn’t get myself out again.  Am I
ever glad you came along!  Uncle Ian and Aunt Carolyn would have killed me!”
 
“Uncle Ian?”
 
“Yup.  Ian McFlaherty II – my mother’s brother.  He’s named after my
grandfather.  Grandpa said he could see the supernatural to when he was a kid. 
That’s probably why I can see you,” Marco explained.
 
So Marco is the great great grandnephew of Brian Wentworth and Ian McFlaherty’s
grandson.  Small world! 
 
“Who’re you talkin’ to, Uncle Marco?”  the little boy asked.
 
“Oh, that’s right, you can’t see him, can you Danny?”
 
“You’d better get that kid home and into a bath,” Levi told Marco.  “And do me
a favor.  Don’t go getting yourself stuck in any more holes!”
 
 
Two years later, Kenny and Levi watched proudly as Marco headed off to seminary
to become a priest.  “Guess you won’t have to worry about your parents
embarrassing you at your wedding, will you?”
***** Fates and Watchers *****
                                  CHAPTER 11
                              Fates and Watchers
 
 
Levi  finally drummed up the courage to go see the Fates.  He had questions
about the origins of the arcs and the demons as well as why they were so
similar to humans.  Getting to the Fates was, according to most of what he
read, not easy.  Legend’s and myths held that only the ‘gods’ could see the
Fates.  It took Levi several years to ascertain where he needed to open a
portal to.  His first attempt got him a rather . . . amusing surprise.
 
He stepped out of the portal and was confronted with what looked like the Earth
inside-out.  He was standing inside the middle of a huge orb with the surface
of the Earth facing him on all sides.  Perhaps even more baffling was that he
could easily see everything that was going on in the world, right down to
individual lives and thoughts.  It was, to say the least, a little
overwhelming. 
 
The demon then noticed a dozen figures all watching the world around them.  Six
of them were men and six were women.  They all had plain, light grey robes,
pale faces, dark eyes and silvery white hair.  Okay.  I’ve just totally fallen
down the rabbit hole! The beings never even acknowledged the demon’s presence.
 
“Hey, uh . . . what is this place?” Levi finally asked.
 
Simultaneously, all twelve figures turned, their faces emotionless and eyes
seemingly unseeing and in unison answered, “We watch.”
 
Levi’s mouth fell open.  What the fuck?!  “Ooookaaaay.  Who are you people?”
 
“We watch.”
 
“That doesn’t answer my question, guys.  I don’t care what you do.  I want to
know where I am and who you are.”
 
“We watch.”
 
Levi face palmed.  Greaaat!  They watch!  And they have an impressive
vocabulary of all of two fucking words! “So that’s all you can say, huh?”
 
“We watch.”
 
“What a completely dull existence.  So you don’t do anything; you don’t get
involved; you don’t record anything; you just stand there like bumps and
watch?”
 
“We watch.”
 
“Yeah.  No shit.  Tell me about it!”
 
“We watch.”
 
“So sorry to have interrupted.”  The demon’s voice dripped with sarcasm as he
created a portal back to the church.  So the Watchers are real.  What in the
hell could their purpose be?  What’s the point of having someone just watch
everything but no do anything?  Another question for the Fates I guess.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
Levi’s next attempt worked.  He stepped out of a portal into what looked like a
garden.  All around were images of things going on in the world as if on
television screens.  There were threads everywhere – all lengths, colors and
thicknesses.  The threads wove and interconnected into a huge and beautifully
complex web.   In the middle of the garden, he saw three women  around a huge
codex.  One looked as a young woman, a maiden, barely adult.  The second looked
like a middle aged mother.  The third looked like an old grandmother.  Shit! 
This place looks just like the descriptions in the myths! 
 
“Welcome, Levi,” the old woman greeted.  “We’ve been expecting you.”
 
The demon blinked at them for a moment before responding.  “I suppose I
shouldn’t be surprised that you know my name or that you were expecting me. 
You are the Fates after all.”
 
“You have many questions,” the young maiden stated.  “Some we can answer;  some
we cannot.”
 
“What’s with the Watchers?  And don’t you dare tell me ‘they watch’ cuz I’ve
already figured that part out.  What is their purpose?”
 
An amused smile played across all three women’s faces as the mother answered. 
“But that is all they do.  The watch and remember all they see, but take no
action.  Even we, the Fates have no knowledge of their purpose.  It is unknown
what affect would be had on the world if the Watchers were to disappear.”
 
Okay.  That last line bothers me a bit.  Is she suggesting that something may
actually happen to the Watchers?  Better keep a mental note of that.  “Very
well then.  I was just curious.”  Levi paused for several minutes as he tried
to word his next question properly.  “I need to know what sin I committed that
was so horrific that you have cursed me for all eternity to be a demon and
never given a second chance.”
 
“Your sins are many,” the maiden began.  “But no greater than that of any other
human.  Your destiny simply requires that you be a demon.”
 
The mother continued.  “We do not decide what your fate shall be.  We merely
make certain that each person adheres to the fate they have been given.”
 
“So you don’t actually create people’s fates?”
 
“We do not.  We make sure they follow their fate so that the tapestry of the
world will not unravel.  Everything that happens is recorded in this book.”
 
“Can you see the future?”
 
“We can.  We can see many futures.”
 
“Can you choose a future to follow?”
 
“We cannot,” the old woman now spoke.  “We can guide people towards a future,
but only they can decide the future that comes to pass.”
 
“If their fate is decided, then how can they choose the future?”
 
“Having one fate does not mean having one future,” the maiden replied.  “While
a person’s fate may be fixed, the results of that fate are not.  This is what
makes the tapestry of the world so complex and beautiful.”
 
“Alright.  Now you’re just hurting my brain.”  Levi pinched the bridge of his
nose and sat down on a large stone.  “Next question; how is it that the . . .
how shall I put this . . . decision of where a soul goes after a human dies
made?  Who decides whether a soul goes to Paradise or the Underworld?  Why are
some turned into demons and arcs?  Who decides this shit?”
 
“The King of Paradise decides.  Whomever he does not take into Paradise gets
sent to the Underworld.  If sent to the Underworld, it is the ruler of the
Underworld that decides if they are to be punished or become a demon.  The
rules that guide these decisions were created tens of thousands of years ago.” 
The old woman turned the pages of the codex back to the beginning and images
began to show above it.  “When the Creator made the universe billions of years
ago, there were no humans.  He created life and evolved it along with the world
itself in a beautiful yet simple dance.”
 
The maiden continued.  “When humans were created, they inherited a world of
great beauty and bounty.  Humanity, however, has a defiant and destructive
nature.  They became prideful and thought they could decide what was best for
the world they had been given.  They didn’t like having their fates decided for
them.”
 
“One day, over 45,000 years ago, a great darkness came to this world,” the
mother now took up the tale.  “It was not from this world, but it was very
powerful.  It granted the humans their request to decide for themselves.”
 
“Wait.  Why would the Creator allow this?” Levi asked.
 
The mother looked at him with sad eyes.  “Because He is a gentle and loving
Creator.  He wants people to love Him and obey Him because they want to; not
because they have to.  It is not truly love if it is not freely given.  So when
humanity wanted exclude the Creator, He allowed them to do as they wished.”
 
The old woman took up the story again as she turned the pages.  “The powerful
darkness created three worlds within the one.  The dead no longer went to
heaven or hell.  They went to either Paradise or the Underworld based on their
deeds.  The darkness changed some of the most evil humans into demons to rule
over the cold wastes of the Underworld and to punish the souls that were sent
there.  It turned others into arcs, who watched over Paradise.  Both are now in
constant battle for the souls of humanity.  Some humans still reincarnate as
arcs or demons.  Some are born as arcs or demons.  This is currently the order
of things.”
 
“So where do you three come in on all of this?”  The demon was now thoroughly
enthralled with this new information.
 
“We Fates are charged with watching over humanity and keeping the tapestry of
the world from unraveling, as has always been our task,” the mother replied. 
“We have always been such.  We still answer only to the Creator.”
 
Levi carefully considered this new information and formed a new question.  Damn
it! Every answer I get breeds more questions! “Is this ‘darkness’ you speak of
still in the world?”
 
“It is,” all three women answered in harmony.
 
“Can it be destroyed?”
 
“It can.”
 
“How?”
 
“We cannot say.”
 
Levi groaned.  “Of course not!  Then tell me this; if it is destroyed, will the
world return to what it was before the darkness changed everything?”
 
“It will.”
 
Another mental note to file away.  Back to my original questions.  “According
to the rules set up by the Paradise king 45,000 years ago, anyone who commits
suicide is to repeat their life over and over until they can get through it
without throwing it away.  So why, then, was I turned into a demon?  I
committed suicide!”
 
All three Fates exchanged knowing smiles, and the mother answered.  “Because
your fate and your destiny have been decided by another.  Your fate is outside
of the hands of king of Paradise and the ruler of the Underworld.”
 
“Why?  And who decided?”
 
“That is something we cannot tell you,” the maiden responded.  “Just know that
you are on the right path.”
 
“So my sins are so great that it was decided that I needed greater punishment
than this world could inflict on me.”  His gaze now rested on the ground as a
sigh escaped his lips.  “It figures.  I never really thought I’d ever get a
second chance.  Hell, I never even had a chance to begin with!”  The demon
stood and turned to leave, creating a portal back to the church.  “Thank you
for speaking to me,” he told the Fates.
 
Most people who saw the Fates left angry with them.  This was the first time
anyone had ever thanked them.  They exchanged glances and then nodded.  “Levi. 
There is one more thing we can tell you,” the maiden said.
 
Levi paused and turned to look at them over his shoulder.  “You believe that
your parents abandoned you when you were a human child,” she continued.
 
“Your parents did not abandon you by choice,” the mother said.
 
“The carriage they were riding in overturned into a deep gully when the horses
were frightened by wolves.  Your mother’s last and loving thought was for you,”
the old woman finished.
 
Levi watched them silently over his shoulder for a moment as the news sank in. 
He then turned back to the portal.  “Again.  I thank you for talking to me. 
I’m very grateful.”  With those words he stepped through his portal and back
into the human world.
 
 
***** Holy Water *****
                                  CHAPTER 12
                                  Holy Water
 
Levi was unsure what possessed him to follow the girl.  She was a rather
ordinary college student that was returning to school after spending the
weekend with her family out in the countryside.  It was evening and the dark
clouds that had been threatening all day finally carried through and dropped a
deluge of rain to earth.  Flying in such conditions was difficult, even for a
demon.  But Levi was not above cheating and taking full advantage of human
transportation.  He landed in the back of her small pickup truck and folded his
wings up around himself like raincoat.
 
The girl was terribly jumpy for some reason.  She had been since he first
spotted her the prior evening while she was out with friends.  It was then that
he had noticed something odd about her.  He couldn’t quite place his finger on
it.   Her scent was definitely unusual, but he couldn’t see why that would make
her stand out as much as she did.  So he decided to follow her, not really
knowing why.  He just felt compelled to do so. 
 
The girl suddenly shrieked as she glanced in her rear view mirror and saw a
strange man in the back of her truck.  She slammed on the brakes, sending Levi
slamming into the back of the cab.  “Ow!  What the fuck?!”
 
“What are you doing in my truck?!” she screamed.
 
Oh shit!  She can see me! “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to frighten you.  I mean
you no harm.”
 
“Like hell you don’t!” she retorted angrily to hide her fear.  “You’re one of
those things aren’t you?”
 
“Things?”
 
“Yeah, those things I keep seeing that no one else can!”
 
“We can discuss that later.  Right now I think you’d better start this junk
heap up and get us the hell out of here,” Levi told her.  He could sense the
“things” she was afraid of approaching.  There had been demons hanging around
nearby all day, but none had approached her yet.  I’ve got a really bad feeling
about this.
 
“Excuse me?  Where do you get off orderi-“
 
“Listen, brat!  Unless you want those ‘things’ you’ve been seeing to get a hold
of you, I suggest you drive!  NOW!”
 
The girl’s greenish brown eyes widened and she turned to start the vehicle back
up.  “It won’t start!” she yelped.  “Oh, come on, baby!  Don’t do this to me
now!”
 
Levi rolled his eyes.  “How fucking cliché!  Move over!”
 
“What?!”
 
“Just move the fuck over!  I’ll get this heap running!”
 
The girl moved over into the passenger’s seat while Levi got in behind the
wheel.  That was when she noticed his wings.  “Wait . . . You’re one of those
things!”  She turned to get out of the truck, but a quick burst of sorcery
ensured the doors would not open.  “Oh my God!  Somebody help me!”
 
“I am helping you, you fake blond twit!”  Levi snapped as he succeeded in
starting the truck – with a little help from another spell.  He popped it into
gear and hit the gas.  The dilapidated white truck raced down the road.
 
“You’re gonna get us pulled over for speeding,” the girl warned glumly as she
sat with her arms folded across her chest and pouting like little kid.
 
“Number one; you’re a college student, so stop acting like a five year old. 
Number two; those ‘things’ you see, including me, are demons.  Number three; as
long as I’m the one in control of this piece of shit you call a motor vehicle,
it will remain out of phase with the rest of the mortal world and as such
remain unseen.”
 
She looked at him blankly for a moment, then spent several more trying to
articulate the large number of questions now forming in her mind, finally
coming out with a brilliant, “Wait.  What?”
 
Levi groaned.  “Let’s start this over again.  Simple like.  My name is Levi. 
What’s yours?”
 
“Andy . . . uh . . . Andria.   Andria Hemmingway.”
 
“Good.  Andy works.  Now perhaps you can tell me why those demons are so
interested in you.”
 
“How should I know?  I never even knew such things really existed.  As far as I
know I ran off the road back there somewhere and I’m dreaming all this while
I’m unconscious!”
 
“Think again, Andy.  This is all too real.  When did you start noticing demons
hanging around you?”
 
“Last night,” Andy replied.  “Um, Levi?  You’re a demon too, soooo . . .”
 
“I have no interest in harming you.  I don’t know what’s going on here anymore
than you do.  I think the first thing we need to do is get you onto consecrated
ground – namely a church.  I know a priest that may be able to answer some of
our questions.  Try not to freak out, cuz I’m going to take a shortcut.”  With
that, Levi opened a portal on the road in front of them and drove through. 
They came out in front of his church, St Maria’s.
 
“Whoa!  What a rush!” Andy yelped.  “How’d you do that?”
 
“Sorcery,” Levi stated as he got out of the truck.
 
“How do you know how to drive?”
 
“Observation.”
 
“How can you interact with a physical object like that and not be seen?”
 
“Too long a story.”  They entered the church’s sanctuary.  “Andy, I need you to
call out for Father Ackerman.  Unlike you, he can’t see or hear me.”
 
“Okay.  FATHER ACKERMAN!”  She waited a moment.  “FATHER ACKERMAN?”
 
“Goodness, child!  It’s the middle of the night!  What’s wrong?”  The aging
priest came out still tying his bathrobe around him.
 
“I’m sorry, Father, but Levi said we need your help.”
 
“Levi?  You can see him?”
 
“Yes, Father.  Just like I see you,” Andy replied.  “You know him?”
 
“Yes, my dear.  I’ve known him for many years.  I may never see or hear him,
but I know he’s there.  He’s watched over me since I came to this church. 
Now.  What can I do for you, child?”
 
“Tell him what’s been going on, Andy,” Levi told her.  “Tell him about what
you’re seeing.”
 
Andria proceeded to explain how since the prior evening she’d been seeing
people dressed in black with black wings and swords hanging around near her. 
She also told how no one else could see them.  She felt unnerved since they
always seemed to be staring at her with a terrifyingly hungry look in their
eyes.
 
“How long have you been able to see demons?  Your whole life?” Levi asked.
 
“No, Levi.  I’ve never seen a demon until last night,” Andy answered.
 
“Was there anything special about last night?” Kenny asked. 
 
“It was my birthday.”
 
“Which one?” Levi asked.
 
“20th”
 
Kenny thought about this for several moments while Levi asked another
question.  “Is there anything unusual in your family history that you know of? 
Have your parents ever told you about unusual occurrences in your childhood or
in other family members lives?”
 
“No.  Nothing.  We don’t even have any ghost stories in our family.  My family
history is downright dull now that I think about it.  I’m just a normal kid
with normal parents and a normal life.”
 
“Ask Kenny if there’s anything in the library here that may shed some light on
this.”
 
“Who’s Kenny?”
 
The priest chuckled.  “That would be me.  What did Levi say?”
 
“He wants to know if you have anything in your library that may shed some light
on this.”
 
Kenny’s brow furrowed with concern.  “I do.  If this is what I think it is . .
. come with me.”  He led them down into the basement library, went to the back,
and pulled a dusty old book off of one of the top shelves.  He opened it to a
page near the back of the book.  “I’m afraid there’s only a couple of
paragraphs on this subject and it was never discussed much in seminary.  
Basically, the reason you can suddenly see demons, and why they are all so
suddenly interested in you is because you’re what is known as a Lacriss.”
 
“Oh, fuck!” Levi said aloud as he read the indicated paragraphs over Andy’s
shoulder.  “Once every 200 hundred years or so, a Lacriss is born.  Male or
female, when that person reaches the exact age of 20, they begin to emit a
scent and an energy that will attract every demon in existence to them.  Demons
will fight to be the ones who get to . . . consume . . . the Lacriss.  That’s
just disgusting!”
 
“Wait . . . so they want to eat me?!”  Andy squeaked.
 
“I’m afraid so,” Kenny replied.  “Normally it’s impossible for demons to
directly interact with humans at all, much less kill them.  The exception
occurs only once every two centuries  when one human is born that puts off a
scent that is so alluring that demons all around want nothing more than to
consume what they consider to be the rarest of delicacies.  The Lacriss is the
only human that can be killed directly by a demon and the only one whose body
can be consumed by a demon.”
 
“I think I’m gonna puke!” Levi groaned.  “Fucking cannibals!  That’s so fucking
disgusting!  Ask him what’s to be gained by it.”
 
“Good question.  Father Ackerman, what do the demons gain by eating me?”
 
“I’m afraid this book doesn’t say.  The library at the Vatican will have better
information on this.  But you will have to get there very quickly.  This church
may be sacred ground, but stronger demons can still enter.  The Vatican has a
barrier they cannot cross.”
 
“I can get you into the Vatican.  Ask him if there is someone specific you can
talk to.”
 
“Levi wants to know if there’s someone specific I should speak with.”
 
“Cardinal Makarov.  He’s young, but his knowledge of these sorts of things and
his faith are unparalleled.  Stay close to Levi, my dear.  He can keep you
safe.”
 
“You seem awful sure of that, Old Man,” Levi grunted.  He went back up into the
sanctuary to retrieve Volpl.  He was startled to see an arc standing at the
back; someone he recognized no less.  “It’s Heron, right?”
 
Heron looked equally surprised.  “It’s you!  What are you doing here?”
 
“I live here.  I should be asking you that.”
 
At that moment, Andy came out and was startled to see the arc.  “Oh fuck!” she
yelped. “There’s already one here!”
 
Levi chuckled.  “That’s not a demon.  His name is Heron.  He’s what’s known as
an arc.”  Levi casually took Volpl down from its resting place as he spoke. 
“Heron, this is Andria Hemmingway.  She’s a Lacriss.”
 
Heron’s eyes widened in horror.  “So the rumors are true!  Rumors like this
spread faster than wildfire.”
 
“I’m afraid so,” Levi confirmed.  “I’m about to take her to the Vatican to see
if we can find out more about this and to see if we can free her from this
curse somehow.”  Levi immediately opened a portal to the Vatican Library. 
“Come on, Andy.  Let’s go.”
 
Andy stepped through the portal and Levi turned to look at Heron.  “Well?  Are
you just going to stand there and gawk or are you coming?”
 
Heron, who’d been staring at Volpl, blinked and stepped through the portal. 
 
“Idiot,” Levi grumbled as he too passed through portal and it closed behind
him.
 
Andy stood with her mouth open and her eyes wide as she looked around her at
the endless shelves of books and scrolls that filled what seemed to be and
endless underground cavern.  “Where are we?” she finally asked.
 
Levi had a mildly amused smirk on his face as he watched her.  “Vatican
Library.  I come here frequently.”
 
Heron frowned in confusion.  “First – how in the hell can you enter the
Vatican?  There’s a demon barrier around it.  You shouldn’t even be able to
teleport or portal into here.  Second – how is it that you are able to hold
Volpl without getting your hands burned off?”
 
“I’m afraid I can’t answer either of those questions, because I myself don’t
know.  I just know that I can and that I’ll take advantage of any resource
available to me whether I can explain it or not,” Levi replied.   “Your turn. 
Are you sure that barrier around the Vatican can hold?  I have no doubt that
every demon in Rome senses Andy’s presence here and are already looking for a
way in.  That number is going to increase rapidly as word spreads of her
presence.”
 
Heron’s brow remained furrowed.  “It’s never been breached before.   In the
past there have been attacks involving thousands of demons . . . but if you are
able to portal in . . .”
 
Levi sighed.  “Then it’s entirely possible that other demons can do the same. 
Please tell me there’s no way to take the barrier down.”
 
“No.  It’s permanent.  There is no on/off switch of any kind.”
 
“I don’t suppose you happen to know a Cardinal Makarov?”
 
“We should be able to find him in the council chambers beneath St. Peter’s;
Why?”
 
“Father Ackerman says that he’ll know what to do about Andy.  Speaking of which
. . . HEY!  Don’t go wandering off down here!  You’ll be lost for all
eternity!”
 
The student turned back to look at the demon and arc.  “I would love to be lost
down here!  Look at all these books!!”
 
“Yeah, but first I’d like to deny the demons their once every two century
delicacy.  Let’s go!”
 
It took them several hours to track down Cardinal Makarov.  The man couldn’t
have been more than 40 years old, but when he saw the demon walk into his
office, he damn near had a heart attack.  “So you’re one of those who can see
arcs and demons,” Levi commented with a smirk.  “So what’s more shocking to
you;  the fact that there’s a demon in the Vatican or the fact that said demon
is in the company of an arc?”
 
Heron pinched the bridge of his nose and Andy giggled at the poor cardinal’s
dumbfounded expression.  “Let’s cut straight to the chase.  This girl here is
Andria Hemmingway and she just turned 20 years old and she’s a Lacriss.  I’m
told you’d know what to do about it.”
 
Makarov’s eyes widened as he stared at Andy.  “A Lacriss!  And you’re still
alive!”  He then looked at Levi.  “How is it that you haven’t eaten her
already?  And why –“
 
“Don’t be disgusting!  I can’t think of anything more revolting than eating a
human!  I’m not a goddamn cannibal!” Levi interrupted.   “Is there anything you
can do to help her?  I would love nothing more that to see all of demonkind
denied their little snack!”
 
“Yes, there is something I can do,” Makarov finally answered after recovering
from his initial shock.  “It will take time to prepare, however.  She will need
to be purified in holy water, but there is a special blessing that will need to
be used.”  Makarov summoned his assistant and ordered the preparation and
filling of the St. John’s pool beneath St. Peter’s Basilica.
 
As they approached the room of St. John’s pool, Levi began to get an uneasy
feeling.  Andy was nervously babbling away.  “I had no idea this pool existed!”
 
“There’s a lot in the Vatican that the public knows nothing about,” Heron
replied.
 
“Heron, can you sense something . . . evil?”  Levi asked quietly so Andy
couldn’t hear. 
 
“Yeah.  But it’s not a demon.”
 
“What else could it be?”
 
“There are more unseen things in this world besides us,” Heron replied.
 
Levi raised an eyebrow.  “Such as . . .”
 
“Some of the monster stories are true;  hellhounds, banshees, harpies, trolls,”
 
“Can you tell what this one is?”
 
“No.  While they do exist, they are still very rare, and the barrier is
specific only to demons.”  Heron had his hand on his sword and was looking
around nervously.  “I’ve never encountered any of them personally.”
 
“Do you think Andy is attracting it?”
 
“It’s possible.  In fact, it seems more than likely.  No one really knows what
is so attractive about a Lacriss or what is to be gained by consuming one.  It
stands to reason that any evil thing might be attracted to her.”
 
They continued down the marble hallway and through a pair of polished heavy oak
doors into a low ceilinged room with polished marble floors and pillars and a
clear pool in the center.  Cardinal Makarov first performed a blessing on Andy,
anointing her as he did so.  He then directed her to step into the pool and
fully submerge.
 
Andy’s toes barely touched the water when out of thin air, a large, grotesque
beast lunged at her.  The vile creature was about the size of a normal horse, a
sickly grayish-green color and long, curving claws tipping each toe.  It looked
like something that was decaying (smelled that way too) and had spikes of
varying lengths sticking out over its back.  And as if four legs weren’t
enough, it had six.  It must have located via smell, for it had no eyes. The
teeth lining the jaw of its massive head were thick and sharp.
 
Levi never paused to consider what to do; he simply reacted.  He effortlessly
launched himself up to the low ceiling, pushed off again with his feet and a
powerful thrust of his wings, and slammed into the beast before it could reach
Andy.  It happened so fast that Andy had no idea what happened and Heron barely
had the chance to grab the hilt of his sword.
 
Both demon and monster hit the water with a terrific splash, soaking most of
the people in the room.  Andy fell back onto the floor and sat there in shock
as the water seemed to boil in front of her.  The water calmed quickly and
everyone in the room held their breaths.  Andy, Cardinal Makarov and Heron were
the only ones that knew what had really happened.  The others in the room only
saw a violent reaction in the water.
 
Levi suddenly stood up in the middle of the pool, coughing and sputtering. 
“Fucking son of a bitch!” he spat out as he hauled himself out of the pool as
fast as he could.  “Goddamn!!  That fucking stings like fucking hell!!”  Some
of the water had been swallowed and made his throat scratchy, while his skin
immediately developed a rash of tiny and very itchy bumps.  Then he sneezed
violently, is nose stinging from the water getting up into it.  There was no
sign of the monster at all – the holy water had destroyed it completely.
 
It took several moments for Heron to recover from his shock, his hand still
resting on the hilt of his sword.  “You’re . . . still alive!?” he finally
stammered, then finally approached the dripping wet and sneezing demon.  “Are
you okay?”
 
“DO I FUCKING LOOK OKAY TO YOU?!” Levi snapped and then sneezed again.
 
Andy finally recovered from her shock.  “Wh-what was that thing?”
 
“I don’t know,” Heron answered.
 
Levi sneezed.  “Had no idea such things existed.”
 
“They do,” Makarov said quietly.  “That was a Bukavak.  I never really expected
to ever see such a thing in my time.  I’ve never seen a monster before.  I hope
I never see one again.”   The cardinal took a deep breath before continuing. 
“We must drain, purify and refill the pool as quickly as possible.”
 
 
While the cardinal and the assistants were busy cleansing and refilling the
pool, Levi wasted no time finding a quiet room to strip off his holy water
soaked clothing and dry off.  Andy couldn’t help but laugh as he continued to
sneeze violently and itched for the next two hours.  He commandeered a robe to
wear while the ritual was performed on Andy.
 
Cardinal Makarov chanted a blessing while Andy completely submerged in the pool
of holy water.  Levi could immediately sense the difference in her energy and
her scent.  Heron smiled.  “It worked!  I can sense the demons leaving the
barrier zone!”
 
The cardinal smiled and helped Andy out of the pool.  “The purification is
complete, my child.  You are no longer a Lacriss.  It will be 200 years before
another comes into being.”
 
“I don’t feel any different,” Andy stated as she looked around.  “Wait . . .
Where did Levi and Heron go??  I haven’t thanked Levi for his help yet!”  The
instant she ceased to be a Lacriss, she lost the ability to see demons and arcs
again.
 
“And that is as it should be,” Levi said as he created a portal back home and
stepped through.
 
 
***** It Hurts to Say Goodbye *****
                                  CHAPTER 13
                            It Hurts to Say Goodbye
 
Levi was beginning to develop a reputation among both arcs and demons.  He had
begun openly hunting down contractors and killing them in order to break the
contracts.  There were humans who got wind of this and would attempt to summon
him to break contracts for them.  Many humans would rashly make a contract in
the heat of anger or despair without really thinking it out or of what it
really meant.  Once having thought about it, they would regret having made the
contract and would summon Levi to break it before the contractors end of the
bargain had been fulfilled. 
 
===============================================================================
 
 
It began with a woman that had know Brian Wentworth when he entered a home for
the elderly where she worked as a nurse.  Her name was Renee.  Brian had told
her one day about his experience with Modral and with Levi.  Though fascinated,
she didn’t put much stock in the old man’s story.  A few years after the man
died, the woman found herself in a contract with a demon.
 
When she had found out her brother-in-law was beating her sister, she was
livid.  She tried to get her sister to leave the man, but to no avail.  The
next thing she knew, a demon was offering her a contract to get rid of the
husband and she took it.  After having made the contract, she realized what she
had done and remembered what Brian had told her.  She spent the entire night
sitting in her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest repeating the words, “I
need the Contract Breaker” over and over again.
 
Levi couldn’t tell anyone why it worked, but it did.  Somehow sensing he was
needed, he retrieved Volpl from its display rack and created a portal to the
source of the summoning.  He found himself in the darkened bedroom of Renee. 
She looked at him in wide eyed hope.  “Are you the one?  Are you the demon that
broke Brian Wentworth’s contract for him?”
 
“I am.  How did you summon me?  Usually a summoning just calls whichever demon
is nearest, and I know I’m not the nearest.  This city is clear across the
continent from where I was.”
 
“I need the Contract Breaker.  So that is who I called for.  Please.  Can you
help me?  I should never have made a contract in the heat of anger.”  Tears
began to roll down her face.  “My sister’s husband beats her.  I’ve tried to
get her to leave him, but she’s so afraid.  I saw her yesterday right after
he’d beat her again, so when Norrin offered me a contract to get rid of the
asshole I signed it.  But I shouldn’t have.  It’s not my place to condemn the
man.  There has to be a better way!”
 
“Tell me your name.”
 
“Renee Loring”
 
“Well, Renee. There is another way,” Levi told her.  “I will break your
contract.  I will also do something about your sister’s husband.”
 
“You won’t kill him?!”
 
“No.  I will not kill him or try to get someone else to kill him.  He will not
be harmed.  Norrin, on the other hand, will die.”
 
“What do I have to do in return?” Renee asked nervously.
 
“Nothing.”
 
After Norrin was dead, Levi forced the sister’s husband to feel the fear, pain
and sadness he caused his wife.    He then returned home; what happened after
that was not his concern.
 
===============================================================================
 
 
Time went by, and Kenny was getting old.  Levi watched with a sinking heart as
the man became sicker and sicker.  It was made worse by the fact that since the
economy had turned for the worse, the community was no longer prosperous, so,
since the church no longer made money, the Vatican never sent anyone to take
over for Father Ackerman.  The priest still managed to keep the community
together and they all went out of their way to help him in every way they
could.
 
Eventually, Kenny was no longer able to hold mass, and the congregation sought
out other churches to worship at.  Still, no one showed to take over as
priest.  Kenny still heard confessions, even if he couldn’t hold mass.  Levi
took it upon himself to keep the church clean and repaired so worshipers could
come and pray.  An old housekeeper was now keeping up the living quarters and
seeing to the elderly priests needs.
 
It wasn’t long before Kenny was no longer even able to hold confessions at his
bedside.  Levi rarely left the old man’s bedside.  He listened to the priest
tell all of his life’s stories over again, sad to know that it would be the
last time he ever heard them.
 
“We’ve had a lot of good times together, old man,” Levi told him.  “Even though
you can’t see or hear me, it was fun.  I loved listening to your stories as you
worked around the church or in the garden.  I even enjoyed your whistling and
off-key singing.”
 
Suddenly, the old man opened his dark eyes and looked directly at the demon. 
“We have had good times, haven’t we?”
 
Levi’s eyes widened as he took Kenny’s hand up in both of his own.  “You can
see me?”
 
The priest smiled.  “I must be near the end.  I can finally see and hear you,
my friend.”
 
A sad smile played across the demon’s face.  “You’ve had a good run, Kenny. 
You really made the most of this life.”
 
“I couldn’t have done it without you, Levi,” Kenny responded.  “After I caused
you such despair, you stuck by my side and helped me every step of the way. 
Your strength of character has been an inspiration to me, and your compassion
has warmed my heart.  Don’t ever change.”
 
“What you did to me was in another lifetime.  I don’t hold it against you. 
What you’ve done in this life has more than made up for anything done before,
and I was glad to be a part of it.”
 
“Thank you, Levi.  For everything.”  The old man was fading.
 
A single tear slid down the demon’s cheek.  “I love you, old man,” he said
quietly.
 
Kenny gave Levi’s hand a light squeeze before he took his final breath.  “Rest
in peace, Father Kenneth Ackerman.”  Then, in spite of himself, Levi broke down
and cried, the stormy blue, grey and purple gems of grief bouncing along the
floor.
 
 
It was a large funeral.  It seemed as though half the city came to say farewell
to the priest.  Levi watched from a nearby tree as the man’s coffin was lowered
into its grave near the church he had spent most of his life at.    A few tears
ran down the demon’s face.
 
“You really cared about him, didn’t you?”
 
Levi never even turned to look at Erwin as the arc landed on a nearby branch. 
“I did, Erwin.  It’s funny really.  He was the cause of so much pain when I was
alive, but I still couldn’t bring myself to hate him.  I don’t even know why I
decided to hang around him and watch over him.  But I’m glad I did.  I actually
grew to love the old man and considered him a dear friend.  It’s laughable; a
demon caring so much for a human that caused his pain – but there you have it.”
 
Erwin watched as the funeral goers began to dissipate.  “I wouldn’t call it
laughable. It takes a great deal of courage to forgive someone that has hurt
you.”
 
The demon grunted.  “Whatever.  Tell me, why hasn’t the diocese sent another
priest to take over for Father Ackerman?”
 
“It may be due to the recession,” Erwin replied.  “The church wasn’t making as
much money, so the diocese put everything into the central cathedral downtown
and let the churches on the edge of town fade away.”
 
“You know, it’s really sad when even a church becomes all about making money,”
Levi observed.
 
“Too true,” Erwin agreed.  “What will you do now?”
 
“I don’t know.  I’ll probably just stay here in the church.  I can keep it
clean and repaired so that worshipers can still feel comfortable coming in to
pray.”
 
Erwin chuckled.  “It’s kinda funny having a demon looking after a church.  I’ll
see what I can do about keeping the church supplied with holy water for those
who come.  I know you can’t handle the stuff.”
 
“I think the people would appreciate that.  And you’re right.  I can’t handle
the stuff.  I’ve been burned a few times already because of it.”
 
“A few?”
 
“Yeah.  First time was because a demon had come in to the church with some poor
woman that he was tormenting.  Long story short, I kicked the basin of holy
water at the demon to get it away from her.  Some of it got onto my leg.  Stung
like a mother fucker too!  Broke out into this red, itchy rash for about an
hour afterwards.  And you know what happened at the Vatican a few years ago!”
 
Erwin laughed heartily.  “So you can handle Volpl without getting burned, but
you break out in hives from a few drops of holy water . . . how ironic!”
 
“Tch!”  There was silence as the crowd had disappeared and the cemetery workers
began to fill in the grave.  Another tear made its way silently down the
demon’s face.  “I’m really gonna miss that old man.”
 
***** Capture *****
                                  CHAPTER 14
                                    Capture
 
Levi continued to watch over the church that he had grown to consider home.  He
frequently went to visit Kenny’s grave to share all the latest news of the
happenings around the community.  He sat cross legged on the grass in front of
the gravestone.  “It’s kinda funny.  I know you’re not really here in this
grave, but just like a human, I find myself compelled to come here to talk to
you.  Heh.  I guess our roles are reversed now.  I’m the one who can’t see or
hear you.”
 
“You once said that humans come to graves to talk to lost loved ones because in
their minds, even though they know the loved one is not really in the grave,
that it still gives them a sense of connection.  I guess it’s true of demons as
well.  I’ve noticed a few arcs doing the same thing too.”
 
“People still come to the church often to pray, or just to seek some peace and
quiet.  Erwin – he’s an arc I know – keeps the supply of holy water filled.  I
keep the place clean, just the way you always liked it.  I keep the cat fed and
brushed too.  You’ll be pleased to know the cat is doing very well.  I was kind
of worried at first, because she wouldn’t leave your bed to even eat after you
passed.  But she’s doing better now.  She greets the worshipers that come in,
and they love her.”
 
“Mrs. Jenkins still comes in every morning at six sharp to say her prayers and
again every evening at six sharp to say them again.  I set the clocks in the
sanctuary by her!  Scared the shit out of me when she stopped coming for a few
days last month.  I went looking for her and found out that her husband died. 
As you know, he’d been suffering with that cancer for a long time.”
 
“The camellias in your garden are especially nice this year.  I’ve also made
sure to keep your herb and vegetable garden going.  People regularly come and
pick the vegetables, so nothing goes to waste.  People like to come and sit in
the flower garden as well.  Of course, the chickens are doing well too.  People
come by to collect eggs.  Usually leave a little money.  Enough to pay for the
feed and bedding.”
 
“By the way, I was in New Orleans a few weeks ago.  I found the grave I was
buried in.  You had had my body brought there and had a headstone placed
there.  You even gave me your own last name.  I appreciate that, and it’s a
nice stone.  Enjoy your rest over there.  You deserve it.”
 
 
Levi sat on his favorite hillside, overlooking the farmlands around Jenna’s
village.  It was late at night with a full moon directly overhead and fireflies
dancing over the meadow.  Jenna came and sat down beside him.  She was an old
woman now.  “It’s been a long time, Levi.”
 
“I know, Jenna.  I’m sorry.  I’ve been busy lately.”
 
Jenna giggled.  “Yes, I know.  Your reputation as the Contract Breaker is
spreading like wildfire.  It’s all over the internet now.”
 
“Ugh!  The internet is the worst thing to come along since . . . since ever,”
Levi groaned.  “People don’t even talk face to face anymore!”
 
For several minutes the two old friends sat basking in the moonlight.  “You
know,” Jenna started.  “This is almost like the night I first met you.  I had
just turned six years old.  I had finally gotten the courage to come and talk
to the strange naked man that was always sitting on the hill.”
 
Levi laughed quietly.  “Fine thing for a six year old girl to be seeing!  You
shared your birthday cake with me and gave me some old clothes to wear.  I
remember.  Since then I’ve watched you grow up, get married, have children and
grandchildren.”
 
“And now you’re watching Joelle grow up.”  Joelle was Jenna’s granddaughter,
and like Jenna, she could see and hear demons and arcs.  The girl had known
Levi quite literally since the day she was born.  “She’ll be starting her
sophomore year in high school this fall.  So much has changed since we first
met.”  Jenna said wistfully.
 
 
Almost a year later, as spring was just beginning to show, Jenna stood in the
hillside meadow, as she had many times before to summon Levi.  She had done
this so many times before.  When she was a child, the demon had promised her
that if she ever needed him, she need only call his name and he would hear her
and come. 
 
This time was no exception.  Within moments of her calling out to him, Levi
coasted in to land by Jenna’s side.  He could immediately see how distraught
she was as she ran into his arms, tears running down her face.  “Jenna.  What’s
wrong?”
 
“Joelle.  They’ve taken Joelle!”
 
Levi felt his heart skip a beat.  “Who’s taken Joelle?”
 
“I’m not sure.  Joelle keeps sending me images in my mind.  All I know is that
she is somewhere remote, there are multiple other hostages with her, and that
there are several demons present.”  The woman let out a choked sob.  “Oh, God! 
They’ve taken my granddaughter, Levi!”
 
The demon held her close.  “Try not to worry.  You know I’ll do everything in
my power to get her back to you safely.  Can you tell me anything else about
where she is?”
 
Jenna swallowed hard.  “Some of the other hostages are clergymen.  There are
also a couple of monks and three nuns.  The other people I can’t tell.  The
place seems run down and old.  There are no city noises, so she must be in the
countryside somewhere.  There are no windows, so she can’t look outside.”
 
“Do you know if she’s hurt?”
 
“No.  She’s not hurt.  The kidnappers seem to be keeping everyone fed and safe,
for now.  Levi, I’m really scared.  My last vision I got from her, she
overheard the demons talking.  They’ve been talking about some kind of major
offensive against the arcs and using the hostages as shields.”
 
Levi felt an all too familiar knot forming in the pit of his stomach.  That’s
not good!  But why use humans as shields?  If I understand the arcs correctly,
they will sacrifice the few in order to protect the many.  It only makes
sense.  “Listen, Jenna.  Keep in contact with Joelle.  If you can, let her know
that I’ll be looking for her.  I have an arc friend I can get to help me find
her faster, so try not to worry.”
 
Jenna nodded.  “Please be careful, Levi.  I’m afraid this is something very
big.”
 
 
Levi was getting very frustrated.  He’d checked all of the places in which he
could usually find Erwin, but couldn’t find him anywhere.  Maybe he knows what
the demon king is planning and is back in Paradise planning the counter-
offensive. In the past, if he wanted to get Erwin’s attention, Levi needed only
to fly along near the border between Paradise and the human world, and Erwin
would sense the demon’s unique energy signature and respond. 
 
This was his plan this time as well.  He was well above the clouds and closing
in on the border when his own keen senses alerted him to danger.  He dropped
into the clouds to avoid being seen by the arcs he knew to be in the area. 
Shit!  They must be increasing security.  How am I supposed to get Eyebrows’
attention if I can’t even get near the border?
 
His unease intensified when he realized that the nearby arcs could sense his
presence.  He dove out of the clouds only to find himself surrounded by arcs. 
“There he is!” a female arc shouted.  “Must be scouting for the offensive! 
Remember, Erwin wants us to catch him alive!”
 
Levi’s breath hitched.  What the fuck?!  Erwin has ordered my capture?  Why? 
Why didn’t he just come find me?  He knows where I tend to hang out!  He had no
time to think as the arcs attacked.  He easily dodged and deflected their
attacks, since they weren’t trying to kill him.  “Wait!  You don’t have to do
this!  If Erwin wants to talk with me, I’ll go willingly!”
 
“Shut up, you blasphemous scum!” the lead arc shouted as she swung at him with
her sword.
 
“You don’t understand!  I’m not your enemy!  I’m not here to cause any harm! 
I’m not even armed!”
 
“I’m under orders to capture you alive and by God that’s what I’m going to do! 
So forget the lies!” she shrieked in reply.
 
Realizing that communication was hopeless, he turned to flee.  He found himself
completely surrounded on all sides by arcs.  Shit this is bad!  I have to get
back to the ground where I’ll have some cover.  All I need is a gap in their
ranks. As he fended off attack after attack, he finally found the opening he
was looking for.  He folded back his wings and dove through the gap towards the
ground far below. 
 
The clouds made it difficult to see everywhere and they provided cover – for
the arcs.  By the time he saw the leader coming at him from below and to his
right, it was too late.  The steel net had already been launched.  The heavy
mesh impacted hard and immediately wrapped all the way around him.  He cried
out in pain as the sickening sound of bone snapping in his right wing rang
out.  He was now falling with no way to stop himself even if he could get his
wings free.  How could this have happened?  I thought Erwin was a friend!  Why
would he order them to capture me?
 
He was still struggling to free himself from the net when he felt another
impact – this one from an arc grabbing a hold of him an carrying him back
skywards.   Levi learned why demons could not enter Paradise.  As he was taken
across the border, blinding pain tore throughout his entire body, causing him
to mercifully black out.
 
 
***** I Don't Know Anything *****
                                  CHAPTER 15
                             I Don’t Know Anything
 
Levi awoke terribly confused.  It took several moments for all of his senses to
start working again for one.  For another, he was on his knees, unable to
move.  He blinked a few times to try to get his eyes working straight, but was
met only with blindingly bright white all around.  What the fuck happened and
where the fuck am I? His memory of being captured slowly returned as he finally
noticed the throbbing pain of his broken wing.  As he tried to move, he
discovered that he was much too tightly bound around his torso so that his arms
and wings couldn’t move.  Oh, FUCK!
 
“Welcome to Paradise, demon!” a sarcastic female voice greeted.
 
“What? .  .  . That’s . . . impossible.” Levi mumbled groggily.
 
“Oh it’s very possible.  After all, you demons can drag us arcs down to the
Underworld, so it only stands to reason that we can drag you worthless pieces
of shit to Paradise.”  She knelt down in front of him.  A pair of grayish-blue
eyes gazed at him from behind a pair of glasses and her dusty blond hair was
pulled up into a short ponytail. 
 
“What kind of idiot makes an arc that needs glasses?” he asked aloud before he
could stop himself.  Dipshit!!
 
“The same one that makes demons with dangerous spikes on their wings,” she
answered.  She then nodded at the other four arcs in the room that he hadn’t
noticed until now.  Two of them got a secure hold on him (I’m tied up, you
fucks!  Where do you think I’m gonna go?) while one of the other two took what
looked like an inverted pair of industrial size scissors and cut the spike off
of his broken wing.
 
Levi let out a surprised and prolonged cry of pain.  “Oh! It seems you have a
cuticle in there . . . well, had a cuticle anyway,” the female arc leered. 
Blood poured down over his wing and onto his back and shoulder.  It stood out
in sharp contrast to the white floor.  Another agonized scream split the air as
the other wing spike was removed.  “We can’t have you hurting anyone with those
spikes, you see.”
 
“Why are you doing this?” the demon gasped through the pain.
 
“Because if we don’t, you’ll never tell us what it is Arturo is up to,” she
replied.
 
“Who the fuck is Arturo?”  The question barely left his lips when a booted foot
collided hard with his face, throwing him backwards onto the floor.
 
“Don’t play stupid, demon!  Everybody knows he’s the king of the Underworld!”
 
“I never knew his name.  He’s just referred to as the Demon King.  He’s never
seen.  I’m not sure he even exis-“  He was cut off by a sharp kick to the
stomach, causing him to vomit.  He wasn’t even given the chance to finish
vomiting before three more sharp blows followed the first.  He nearly choked on
the bile.  Can’t you at least let me puke in peace?! He was still coughing and
sputtering, his airways burning with the inhaled stomach acid, when he was
grabbed by the hair and dragged back up to his knees right before a knee was
driven hard into his face.
 
His head was swimming and pain washed over his entire body as he was held in a
kneeling position by his hair and gasping for air.  “Now, demon, are you going
to tell me what Arturo is planning?  When is he planning to attack and where is
he planning to attack?  How many demons does he have with him?”
 
“How . . . should I know?  I’m a . . . I’m an exile!” Levi replied between
raspy breaths.
 
“So that’s why you’re scouting the border,” she sneered.  “You’re anxious to
get back in good with the Underworld so you can go home.  Well, demon.  I’ve
got news for you.  You will never go home again!”
 
“I’ve no fear of death.”
 
“I never said we were going to kill you.  Quite the opposite in fact.  We want
you alive, if not entirely well.  Cut the ropes and hold on to him,” she
ordered the others.  “And you needn’t bother trying to escape; though it would
be highly amusing to see you try.  You see, your powers are all completely
useless here in Paradise.”
 
All five arcs laughed as he did indeed make an attempt to break free as soon as
the bonds were cut.  He was faster than they were, but they were ready for it
and grabbed him securely, pinning him down on his knees with tight grips on his
shoulders and his arms held outstretched.  She stepped back as a sixth arc came
around from behind him.  Fuck!  How did I not sense him there?  Does being here
negate my ability to sense arcs . . . or is it because there’s so many of the
damned things that my sense is overwhelmed?  Levi’s cold, steely gaze locked on
to the much larger arc in front of him, though he was inwardly frightened to
see the arc wearing a set of heavy steel knuckles on each hand.
 
“Now, demon.  Are you going to tell me what Arturo has planned?  Or are we
going to do this the hard way?  I really do hope you choose the hard way,” the
female said.
 
Levi never flinched.  “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”
 
The female grinned viciously.  “Wrong answer.”
 
The demon braced himself for a punch to the face and as a result was caught
completely off guard when the powerful blow came down on both of his
shoulders.   The steel knuckles came with a harsh, squared off pummel on the
outside of the hands, so that as the arc swung his fists downwards, the pummels
left a cruel rectangular bruise in their wake accompanied by the sound of the
collar bones breaking.   He had no time to react before a blow to the right
side of his face sent blood spattering from his nose and mouth which was
immediately followed by a blow to the other side. 
 
He attempted to pull in a gasp of air before the next blow hit, but failed as
the steel knuckles landed against his right ear and temple.   His ear now
ringing and his vision tunneling, Levi was sure that he was about to black
out.  But the blows stopped.  “Care to tell us what we want to know now?” the
female asked mockingly.
 
Levi knelt there for a moment too long as he tried to catch his breath, and was
rewarded with another deafening blow, this one to his left ear.  “No?” she
continued.  “Maybe if we twist your arm a little. . .”  She nodded to one of
the arcs holding him down.  The demon winced as the arc on his right began
twisting his arm.  The wince turned into a whimper as the twisting continued,
and then into a cry of pain as the shoulder gave way with a sickening, dull
popping sound.
 
“I can’t tell you what I don’t know!”  Levi finally gasped.
 
“Still the wrong answer.”  She nodded to the arc on his left, and the demon let
out a prolonged cry of agony as the second arc gripped more tightly over his
already broken collar bone and quickly twisted his left arm out of joint and
both arms were pulled back slightly while twisting continued.  A spray of
vermillion tear gems scattered noisily across the blood stained white floor. 
 
“Rico, look at that!” one of the arcs exclaimed.
 
Rico picked one of the gems up and examined it.  “You look unnaturally healthy
for a demon that can produce these!  I should think you’d be extremely valuable
in the Underworld!  You must keep your secrets very well.”  She dropped the gem
back to the floor.  “That means it’s going to take longer than I thought to get
you to talk.  But that’s the way I prefer it, really.”
 
“What did they do to you, Rico?” Levi asked her, his voice cracking as he
spoke.  “Why do you harbor such hatred?” 
 
She kicked him in the stomach with all her strength.  He couldn’t even double
over in pain due to being held tightly with both arms twisted out of joint. 
Another burst of tear gems flew across the room.  “You blasphemous monster! 
How dare you ask me such a thing?  What arc doesn’t hate demons?   Do you have
any idea how much pain you and your kind cause?  Do you even care?  No! Of
course you don’t!  You vile creatures revel in the pain and suffering of
others!  Well now the tables are turned, demon, and you’re going to get a taste
of what you inflict on others!”  She looked at the other arcs.  “Use the pins! 
And don’t forget the buffers!”  Rico then stormed furiously from the room.
 
Levi’s eyes widened in fear when he saw what she meant by ‘pins’.   The long,
vicious looking things had barbs on both ends to prevent removal once
inserted.  They forced him to lean forward, and twisted each arm so that the
ball of the humorous bone was facing back.  The first pin was forcibly inserted
right through where the ligament attached to the ball and twisted through like
a screw until it came out the other side.  A scream of agony filled the room as
each pin was inserted. 
 
The ‘buffers’ were no less cruel.  They were massive screws with soft, plush
heads that were forced into the stubs of his wing spikes to prevent them from
growing back.  His body was now shaking violently, as the remaining arcs
released him from their hold and proceeded to beat him for over an hour until
he at long last collapsed into unconsciousness. 
 
 
Levi woke up in a pool of his own blood.  It looked so dark against the white
of the room he was in.  It was painfully bright and his black clothing stood
out in stark contrast to everything around him.  He lay trembling, unable to
move without sending sharp stabs of pain through his body – especially his
shoulders.
 
It was always bright.  He couldn’t keep track of time here any better here than
he’d been able to in the dark of the Underworld.  He had briefly contemplated
telling the arcs about the hostages.  But if I do that, the dipshits will rush
in to save them and get them all killed in the process.  It may be too late
already . . . how long have I been here?  Joelle, I’m so sorry.  I’ve let you
and Jenna down; all due to my own stupidity!  What made me think that Erwin
actually trusted me?  I’m a goddamn demon!  Of course he wouldn’t trust me!
 
He drifted in and out of consciousness, not daring to move for fear of getting
the arcs’ attention again.  He hoped against hope that they would leave him
alone to suffer in peace.  His hopes were dashed when Rico and her entourage
entered the room.  “Alright, demon.  Now that you’ve had some time to consider
your current situation, perhaps you’d care to tell me what Arturo is planning?”
 
He didn’t move.  His gaze hardened as she crouched down to make eye contact. 
“I don’t know anything.  I can’t tell you what I don’t know,” he said firmly.
 
Rico smiled.  “I was hoping you’d say that.”
 
A quick twist of the ‘pins’ and the barbs retracted so they could be easily
removed.  His relief was short lived, however, when they were slammed through
the heels of both hands, the barbs redeployed and tight shackles were secured
to his wrists just below them.  “You won’t be slipping free of these shackles,
demon,” Rico told him as she watched the others securing another set of too
tight shackles to his ankles.  He knew he was in for a hard time when a set of
hooks were driven between the radius and ulna bones of his wings, holding them
open.
 
At a nod from Rico, the chains attached to the shackles on his wrists were
retracted, pulling him to his feet and stretching both arms to their limits on
either side of him.  Nothing was said as one of the arcs took what looked like
a simple pair of pliers, clamped onto the claw of his right thumb and slowly
twisted the claw completely off.  Levi’s screams filled the room as each claw
was slowly and painfully removed.  It was done none to carefully and resulted
in a number of broken and twisted fingers.  They’re not even asking me
anything!  What did I do wrong?  Why did Erwin order this?
 
A searing pain suddenly shot through his left forearm.  A large blade had been
plunged through his arm between the radius and ulna bone.  Rico twisted the
blade, pushing the bones apart.  His eyes were closed tight and his breath was
coming in short, tearing gasps.  “Just . . . just kill me .  .  . It’s what . .
. what you’re gonna do . . . anyway. . . just do it now . . . get . . . get it
. . . over with,” Levi pleaded between gasps for air.
 
Rico removed the blade and slipped her index finger into the wound on his
forearm, causing him to wince in pain.  “I’m afraid I can’t do that.  You’ll
just have to stay alive until I have all the information I need from you.”
 
Levi whimpered softly.  “I don’t know anything.”
 
“Too bad for you, then,” Rico replied bitterly as she scraped her fingernail
against the radius bone, earning another pained shriek from the demon. 
 
I never would have dreamed that arcs could be this cruel!  Can’t they see I’m
an exile?!  What makes them think I would know anything?  His screams continued
as Rico continued to aggravate the wound, scraping muscle from bone.   She lit
a long wooden match and held it along the edges of the wound, blackening the
skin and blood, then ran the flame down the middle causing the flowing blood to
literally boil as he screamed in agony.
 
All of the claws from his hands were scattered about on the floor where he
could see them, and the wound on his forearm fell like it was still burning as
he was then pulled up off of the floor by the chains shackled to his wrists and
the hooks in his wings.  His arms were now up and to the sides over his head
and his wings were pulled straight out.  His feet were being held about a foot
apart just above the floor by two short chains.  He was drawn out so tight that
he couldn’t move anything but his head.
 
No questions were asked and nothing was said at all as they tore the back of
his shirt open.   This was baffling to him, since they next proceeded to slowly
remove the claws from his toes.  His right pinky toe came off entirely in the
process, spilling even more blood on the increasingly red floor.  The room,
though still blindingly bright, was becoming less white with each passing
moment.  Bright vermillion and dark red tear gems lay everywhere like dropped
marbles on the floor.
 
The reason for his shirt being torn open became painfully clear as a heavy whip
slammed into him with a resounding crack, taking a strip of flesh off with it. 
He let out a shriek of pain as he felt blood slowly trickle down his back. 
“Well, demon.  Care to tell us when and where Arturo plans to attack?”
 
“I don’t know anything,” Levi answered shakily, knowing that wasn’t what she
wanted to hear.  “I’ve told you . . . I’m an exile.  They don’t tell exiles
anything.  You can see the mark on my back!”
 
At a nod from Rico, there was a clack in the walls on either side of him as the
chains on his wrists were pulled just a tiny bit shorter, which coincided with
another crack of the whip.  “Wrong answer, demon!  Try again.”
 
This continued for a while, with Rico demanding information and Levi being
unable to give it.  Each answer of, “I don’t know anything,” was rewarded with
a shortening of the chains and/or a crack of the whip.  It felt like he was
being ripped apart as his arms were again pulled out of joint.  Another clack
of the chains retracting elicited a blood curdling scream of pure agony from
Levi’s throat and an explosion of brilliant red tear gems to be left on the
floor.
 
Then they switched tactics.  “When is Arturo planning to attack?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
“Where is he planning to attack first?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
“How big of an army has he assembled?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
She nodded to one of the others.  The arc stood in front of him and swung a
heavy steel club into the demon’s lower right ribcage.  The sickening crack of
breaking bones was drowned out by Levi’s pained cry.  The arc struck him
repeatedly as the ribs were shattered and pieces driven into his lung.  He
started to cough, but that caused even more pain and changed to agonized
choking cry.  Another brutal blow collided with his already crushed ribcage. 
He began to cough again as blood began to fill his lung, but even as he coughed
another blow was struck.  He wasn’t even given a moment to clear his lung, as
the blows continually hit the same spot over and over again.  He was choking
and drowning in his own blood, and though he felt like he was going to die,
death would not come.  It just wasn’t that easy to kill a demon.  Only a holy
sword could do that job.
 
The blows finally stopped and he hung there coughing up more blood than he
thought should be possible.  Rico looked dispassionately at the choking and
sobbing demon.  His tears and blood had no affect on her.  His tear gems
remained scattered about the floor as they held no value to arcs.  “When is
Arturo going to attack?” she asked for the umpteenth time.
 
“I don’t know,” was the raspy and choked reply.
 
“Where is he going to attack first?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
“How big of an army has he assembled?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
Disgusted that she wasn’t getting anywhere, Rico turned to leave the room. 
“Maybe hanging there for a while will loosen your stubborn tongue.”  Before she
left, she whispered something to one of the other arcs.
 
Two arcs stayed behind while the others left.  Levi hung from his shackles, and
began crying softly.  This received an endless slew of taunting from the arcs,
but he couldn’t stop himself.  Finally, the sweet release of sleep began to
take him.  But, the moment his eyes closed, the whip cracked against him,
taking with it another strip of skin.  Oh, God, no!  Please don’t let them do
this to me!  He successfully fought off sleep for a while, but eventually, it
began to overpower him.  Each time his eyes closed and his head nodded, he was
brought back to full consciousness by the loud crack and searing pain of the
whip.  No words were said, and the guards were changed often.  He couldn’t tell
if it was at regular intervals or not.  He had absolutely no sense of time.
 
Eventually, much to the demon’s dismay, Rico returned, this time with a tray of
very unpleasant looking instruments.  She placed them somewhere behind him,
presumably on a table, then came closer to examine the prisoner.  His pale skin
hung off his back in shreds.  She firmly grabbed a particularly long strip and
yanked it off, and was rewarded with a loud yelp.  She then tossed it on the
floor in front of him where he could see it.  “I don’t suppose you’ve changed
your mind about telling me what I want to know.”  It was a statement, not a
question.  He could feel his pants being cut away at the knees.
 
“I don’t know anything,” Levi replied tiredly.  “Nothing you do to me can
change that.”
 
“We’ll see.”
 
The demon gasped with shock and horror as what felt like a steel rod was driven
down through his right calve, starting just below the knee and coming out again
just above the heel.  The gasp quickly became a scream as the rod was twisted
and short, sharp barbs came out all along its length.  Levi was immediately
breathing hard, as lines were attached to either end of the bar. 
 
The arcs remained behind him, where he couldn’t see them.  “Now, when is Arturo
planning to attack?” Rico asked.
 
“I don’t know,” Levi replied softly.
 
There was the clack of the chains being retracted, further stretching his
already strained body.  Simultaneously, someone jerked on the lines attached to
the rod in his calve, eliciting another yelp of pain. 
 
“Where is he planning to attack first?”
 
“I don’t know,” Levi answered a little louder this time.  Again the chains were
pulled just a little tighter and the rod was jerked on.
 
“How big of an army has he assembled?”
 
“I don’t know.”  He screamed as the chains were yet again tightened and the rod
in his leg jerked on.  Rico repeated the three questions over and over again,
and each time he answered, “I don’t know”, the rod in his leg would be tugged
on and either the chains would be retracted or the whip would crack across his
already torn flesh.
 
“You’re making this very difficult on yourself,” Rico told him.  “Just tell me
what I want to know and this will all be over.”  She attached the lines on the
rod in his leg to the wall behind him, making certain that the tension would be
constant.
 
Tears ran unchecked down his face as the barbed rod felt like it was about to
tear right out through the muscle.  “Please.  Stop doing this,” he pleaded.  “I
can’t tell you what I don’t know.”
 
She moved around to look him in the eyes.  “Damn, you’re pathetic!  I’ve never
seen a demon that was so easy to reduce to tears!”  She gestured at the gems
littering the floor.  “Just look at this mess!  What are we supposed to do with
all of these things?”
 
Levi’s sleep deprived brain then made a colossal mistake.  “How is it that an
arc . . . a protector of light and righteousness . . . how is it that arcs can
dream up so many ways of torturing and inflicting so much pain on another
living being?”  Shouldn’t have asked that out loud, dipshit!
 
Rico’s pupils dilated with cold fury.  “How dare you – the most vile and
despicable of all living beings – how dare you pass judgment on us!  You
blasphemous monsters spend your entire existence torturing other living
beings!  You demons do so much worse than you’re getting right now!”
 
She again circled in behind him.  “When and where is Arturo going to attack?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
A serrated blade was drawn up the right calf, just deep enough to expose the
muscle below and to elicit a drawn out scream.  The same was immediately done
to the other calf.  He could feel the pricks of objects being inserted along
the edges of each cut.  The objects turned out to be small rings, through which
a string was threaded, pulling them all much to tight, and then tied in front
of the leg to keep the wound held wide open and the muscle unprotected.
 
“When and where is Arturo going to attack?” Rico asked again.
 
“I don’t know.”
 
They quite literally rubbed salt into the open wounds on his calves.  Coarse
salt was pressed into the already damaged muscle and harshly rubbed in.  Worse
still it was blessed salt, which only made the burning sensation worse.  It
hurt even worse on the right leg where the rod passed behind the muscle.  They
then began rubbing the salt into the torn remains of his back.  Levi screamed
until his voice gave out entirely.  Finally, all but two of the arcs left,
leaving the salted and raw wounds held open. 
 
As before, anytime he began to fall asleep, the whip would snap him out of it. 
Each time the whip struck, the pain was doubled as his body was jolted, causing
the rings to shift and pull on the tender edges of the wounds on his calves and
the rod to shift in his right calve.   At some point, the rod was twisted to
retract the barbs and drawn out, with the arc making certain to scrape it
harshly against bone as he pulled the rod out.
 
Levi had no idea how long he’d been there.  He hadn’t had anything to eat or
drink since arriving.  His wrists and ankles were both raw from chaffing
against the tight shackles.  The constant bright light was becoming painful. 
He could barely remember how this had all started.  Joelle, I’m so sorry.  I’ve
failed,he thought in one of his few lucid moments.
 
He fought desperately to stay awake, but was failing miserably.  He didn’t know
how the two arcs behind him could tell.  He couldn’t even see them.   He tried
closing his eyes and keeping his head up, but the whip cracked against his
shredded back anyway.  There were places where the vertebrae and ribs actually
showed through torn flesh.  He could feel the fresh rivulets of blood trickling
down his back and soaking the top of his pants.  How can one living thing
possibly produce so much blood?
 
There was very little white left in the room.  His red blood and tattered flesh
covered nearly everything.  Once again the searing pain and crack of the whip
forced him back to reality.  He no longer even had the ability to cry out.  He
wanted to sleep so bad that he gave up fighting it, but the whip would not
allow him.  He went through alternating periods of fighting sleep and others of
giving up.
 
It was during one of his struggling periods that sleep again succeeded in
overwhelmed him.  It was not the crack of the whip that woke him this time,
however.  He awoke to the worst pain he’d ever felt tearing through every cell
of his broken body.  It stopped a suddenly as it started.  He couldn’t figure
out what was going on.  The pain hit him again, burning and blistering
throughout his body, inside and out.  He couldn’t see a thing and he couldn’t
move. 
 
As the pain hit him again and again and again, he began to figure out that he
was shackled – wrists, upper arms and ankles – to a metal table and that the
pain was being caused by a powerful electric current.  His screams were muffled
by a gag that was making it even harder to breath than it already was, and his
eyes were covered in a blindfold.
 
Finally, the gag was roughly removed.  “Okay, demon.  Let’s try this again.” 
It was Rico.  “When is Arturo planning to attack?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
“Where is he planning to attack first?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
“How big of an army has he assembled?”
 
Once again, Levi’s sleep deprived brain made big mistake.  “Enough to mop the
floor with you damned assholes, I hope!” he snapped angrily.  “And if you even
think about a counter attack the hostag-“  Joelle!  Shit!  I shouldn’t have
said that!  Joelle’s life is at stake!
 
Rico reacted instantly.  She jerked the blindfold from his eyes and grabbed him
by the throat.  “What hostages?  How many are there?  Where are they?” she
screamed at him.
 
Her grip on his throat was so tight that he couldn’t have answered her if he’d
wanted to.  If I knew the answer to those questions, I wouldn’t have ended up
here!  He finally got up enough blood and saliva to spit in Rico’s face.
 
She let go and backed away for a moment, wiping the bloody mess from her face
on her white sleeve.  Rage burned in her eyes.  A split second later, she had
drawn a dagger and swept the blade across his chest, leaving a deep cut in its
wake.  She raised the dagger over her head, but before she could carry through,
three of the arcs in the room managed to restrain her.
 
He could feel the blood oozing from the new wound and trickling down his sides
onto the table below him and then dripping noisily onto the floor.  How can I
even have any blood left?
 
Rico finally calmed down some, and turned to leave the room. Before she closed
the door, however, she told the others, “Make him suffer!”
 
And that was precisely what they did.  A blood curdling scream of pure agony
shattered the air, and his back arched off the table as far as the shackles
would allow as a jolt of electricity ripped through his body once again.  Every
muscle contracted painfully and his insides felt like they were on fire.  He
could detect the scent of burning flesh – his flesh as he was jolted again and
again and again.  At one point, someone used a blade to slowly open a long,
deep wound on the tender sole of his right foot before jolting him again. 
Blessed salt was rubbed into this wound as well.
 
Eventually, after countless jolts of electricity and two changing of the
guards, another arc entered the room and whispered something to the others.  A
feeling of cold dread swept over the exhausted and pain riddled demon. 
Whispering was never good.
 
The shackles were released, and his limp yet still conscious body was dragged
over to the wall.   They held him upright against the cold wall beneath a
couple of inverted, dull hooks.  The hooks suddenly snapped back towards the
wall, bursting through the flesh below his collarbones all the way back to the
ribs and shoulder blades, and holding him tight to the wall.  His screams of
agony went unheeded as spikes were driven into his wings to keep them open
against the wall.  His arms hung limp at his sides, and his toes barely touched
the floor.  So much blood . . . How am I even alive?
 
He wasn’t sure how long he’d hung there, but again, he was not allowed to
sleep.  The whip would slam into his chest, taking his breath away each time he
nodded off.  He barely registered when Rico entered the room.  “Let’s try this
again, foul demon,” she said darkly.  “When is Arturo going to attack?”
 
“I don’t know anything.”
 
She nodded to the arc beside her.  Instead of striking at his chest, the arc
aimed the whip at his left wing.  Levi had no idea his voice was even capable
of going that high as the whip tore mercilessly through the extra sensitive
skin of the wing.
 
“Where is he going to attack first?”
 
“I don’t know anything.”  Levi’s voice was almost pleading as tears streamed
down his face and scattered more gems across the bloodied floor.
 
Again the whip struck and again he screamed in agony.
 
“How much of an army has he assembled?”
 
“Please . . . I don’t know anything.”
 
By the time Rico gave up, the flesh of his left wing hung in black, bloody,
tattered shreds.  Several strips of black skin lay on the floor after they’d
been torn completely away.  He sobbed uncontrollably, knowing that even if he
survived this, he would never fly again.  He was still denied sleep as he hung
limp from the hooks in his shoulders. 
 
The next time Rico came in, he immediately begged for death, his voice a bare
whisper.  “Please . . . please just end this.   Use your sword . . . please. .
. please . . . kill me.”
 
“Not a chance, demon!” she snapped.  “Not until I have the information I need
from you.”  She nodded to the two arcs that had been guarding him and they
grabbed his arms and looped a strip of leather over each wrist – already raw
and bloody – and tied his hands up to the first set of spikes pinning his wings
to the wall.
 
“No . . . please . . . no more,” Levi pleaded weakly.
 
“Then tell me what I want to know!” Rico yelled at him.
 
Five jet black tear gems dropped to the floor, but no tears flowed – he had
nothing left.  “I can’t tell you what I don’t know.” He whispered pitifully.
 
She said nothing in response.  She pulled her dagger and created a deep cut in
his left side, cutting through skin and muscle alike – not that there was much
to go through, since he hadn’t eaten since he’d been brought here.  The demon’s
body tensed and he winced in pain, but lacked the energy to cry out anymore. 
She then picked up a large steel object that looked frighteningly like a small
club with a wire sticking out one end. 
 
Levi’s eyes were dilated with fear as she asked the dreaded question.  “When is
Arturo planning to attack?”
 
“I-I don’t know.”
 
She gazed into his eyes for a moment, her expression terrifying.  His entire
body tensed and he gasped desperately as she stabbed the club into the wound
she’d made in his side.  The sensation of the foreign object invading his body
through the bleeding opening that was just a bit too small for the object
thrust in, was beyond horrible.  He could scarcely breath with the object
taking up so much space inside of him.
 
“Where does he plan to attack first?”
 
It took him several moments to get in enough air to answer, and even then it
was barely a whisper.  “I don’t know.”
 
She shifted the object inside of him, pressing against the inner wall of his
abdomen.  He squirmed with discomfort and his pained cry came out silent.
 
“How big is the army he’s assembled?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
This time, the purpose of the wire coming out the end of the steel object
became painfully clear as a horrific jolt of electricity shot through his
insides.  Again, every muscle contracted painfully, aggravating the open wounds
on his body, and his back arced.  Dark red tear gems bounced across the blood
stained floor, but no tears fell, and his scream was again silent. 
 
“How many hostages does he have?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
She roughly adjusted the object so it was against his spine on the inside and
increased the voltage.  He felt like his entire body was about to explode and
he very nearly blacked out, but unfortunately did not.  
 
“Where is he keeping the hostages?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
The same five questions were repeated over and over and over again, each time
followed by more excruciating pain.  He cried silent, tearless sobs of pain and
despair, more dark red gems falling to the floor.  Suddenly, with no warning,
the bonds holding him up were released and his limp body collapsed into a heap
in a pool of his own blood.  So much blood . . . it’s everywhere . . . my
blood.
 
“You need  to seriously reconsider your answers, demon,” Rico told him as she
and the others all left him there to his pain and misery.  “Because when I come
back, everything up till now will seem like a gentle caress.”
 
 
***** Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire *****
                                  CHAPTER 16
                     Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
 
Levi lay there shaking uncontrollably with pain and fear, his body broken and
torn and his clothing tattered and barely there at all.  His broken mind was
devoid of thought, consumed entirely by pain and blood and the burning
brightness of the light all around him.  He had no idea how long he’d lain
there before he began to slowly register the door before him.  He initially
dismissed it as an illusion created by his fractured mind.
 
Then he heard a voice in his head.  “Levi.  You must get up.  You must get
through that door.”
 
Levi’s fuzzy mind didn’t know what to make of this.  “What?”  There was no
sound, just his lips forming the silent question.
 
“You must get through that door!  It will take you back to the human world.”
 
“Why?”
 
“You once risked everything, Levi, to free me when I was held prisoner in the
Underworld.  You created a portal to the human world and set both Coran and me
free.  I now return the favor.  I’ve created a portal to the human world, but I
cannot get to you to help you through.  You must get yourself through.  You
must get up!”
 
“I can’t”
 
“YOU MUST!”
 
He was unsure how, but after several moments, he actually managed, with a long,
trembling, whimpering sob, to get his feet unsteadily beneath him.  He was
standing, though barely.  His blurred vision locked onto the door in front of
him.  It’s so far away. His muddled thoughts held him frozen in place.
 
“MOVE!  NOW! BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!”Heron’s voice shouted at him.
 
He slowly began to place one foot in front of the other, gradually closing the
distance between himself and the door.  To him, it felt like a thousand miles,
but he finally laid his broken hand on the knob, and with the last of his
strength, pushed the door open.  The door vanished as soon as he was through.
 
The sensation of falling didn’t quite register until he hit the ground hard on
his back, knocking the wind from his lungs.  A moment later, he finally inhaled
a sharp breath.  His eyes began to slowly focus on the blue sky above him.  His
mind began to register the puffy clouds passing overhead and the green leaves
fluttering in the breeze and shining in the sun.  He felt the comforting warmth
of the sun on his broken body – it was nowhere near as brilliant or harsh as
the light in Paradise.  The smell of his own blood and bile was nowhere near as
strong as it was a moment ago.  The scent of mown grass was a very pleasant
change.
 
His ears finally began to work again, and the sound of the leaves rustling and
the sounds of birdsong and people crying began to filter through the ringing. 
He slowly and painfully sat up to take stock of his surroundings.  A cemetery .
. . how fitting, he thought dryly.  He noted a funeral taking place a short
distance from where he sat holding the wound on his left side.  Behind him, he
noticed a mortuary.  The portal had opened on the roof of the mortuary and in
his daze, Levi had stepped off.  That explains a lot.
 
His thoughts gradually began to grow more coherent.   Don’t just sit here,
dipshit!  Move you’re goddamned ass! he yelled at himself.  They probably
already know your missing and it won’t take long for them to find where you
went! He got to his feet, wincing as the rings on his calves pulled at the
edges of the wounds and as a stone aggravated the cut on the sole of his right
foot.  He reached out a trembling hand to open a portal to St Maria’s.  Nothing
happened. 
 
His heart sank.  Of course not.  I have no strength left.  He began walking,
not really caring where, just as long as it was away from where he landed.  He
needed to hide.  He needed to find a safe place to let his body heal.  Perhaps
someplace away from humans.  Arcs and demons both tended to be wherever humans
were, so someplace with no humans around seemed like a safe bet.  Besides,
Erwin knew all of his normal haunts, and they would be the first places he’d be
looked for.
 
He continued wandering aimlessly, just seeking to go as far as his broken body
would take him.  Then, out of the blue, one thought struck him as clear as
everything.  Joelle!  I still have to find her!  I still have to get back to
the church and get Volpl!  Without it, I can’t even hope to get her free!  He
looked around and realized he was already in the correct city, but on the wrong
end of town headed in the wrong direction.
 
The sun was setting as he limped painfully down a street that was still miles
from his desired destination.  The street lights were just coming on and few
people were about.  Most were in their homes sitting down to dinner.  He
continued on, his mind getting fuzzy again as the rush from suddenly finding
himself free wore off and exhaustion again took hold.
 
Suddenly there was a sound he’d been dreading; the rush of wind over feathers,
followed by the clump of boots hitting the pavement in front of him.  “Hey.
Demon.”  There was no hiding the fear in his eyes as he saw the arc standing
before him with sword drawn.  “You’ve got about five seconds to drag your sorry
ass back to the Underworld, or so help me I will end you in this pathetic
place.”
 
Levi smirked slightly.  He doesn’t know.  He thinks I’m just another demon to
kill. He collapsed to his knees on the rough pavement.  It’ll be better than
being dragged back there, at least. He started to chuckle, but the action set
off a violent coughing spell that brought up a substantial amount of blood to
splatter on the cement sidewalk.  He glanced up into the light bluish green
eyes of the arc, preparing himself for death when the thought hit him again. 
Joelle!  If I die here, there won’t be anyone to save her!  I can’t let her
die!
 
In that moment, he decided to try to make a run for it.  Right.  Run.  It was
more like pathetically hobbling.  He made it only a few steps before pain and
exhaustion finally caught him fully in their grip and he fell once again to his
knees and then to the ground completely, unconscious.
 
===============================================================================
  
The arc could immediately tell that something was wrong with the demon when he
landed in front of it.  The flicker of fear in the creature’s eyes caught him
off guard.  Don’t feel sorry for it.  It probably deserved everything that’s
been done to it.  It was holding its side like it was afraid its insides would
fall out if it let go.  Then it coughed up a considerable amount of blood.  He
was only slightly amused as he watched the male demon make a pitiful attempt to
escape.  He now slowly approached the once powerful being and circled it couple
of times.  What he saw sickened him.  One wing broken in several places and the
other shredded to ribbons; the little remaining clothing was hanging from him
in tatters; open wounds on his legs being cruelly held open; the small toe of
his right foot was missing altogether;  the skin of his back – what little
there was left – hanging in ribbons.
 
The arc didn’t know what possessed him, but he knelt down and gathered the
demon into his arms.  It looked like the poor creature hadn’t eaten in weeks
and was covered in blood and the reek of death from head to toe.  What happened
to you?  What could be strong enough to do this to a demon? The arc sighed and
came to a decision.  “I don’t know why I’m doing this – really I don’t, but I’m
going to help you,” he said aloud as he stood up with the unconscious demon in
his arms.  “Who knows?  Maybe you’ll be different.”
 
===============================================================================
 
 
Levi awoke with a start, inhaling sharply with fear.  It took him a moment to
figure out where he was.  He was looking up at a ceiling . . . Wait . . . a
ceiling . . . a dimly lit ceiling . . .He sat up, grabbing his side and wincing
as he did so.  The last thing he remembered was encountering an arc on the
street and being certain that he was about to die.  He looked down at himself
and discovered that he was wearing a light blue shirt that wasn’t his – it was
a several sizes too big.  He lifted the shirt and was baffled to find bandages
wrapped around him, blood showing through.  His fingers were all set back into
their correct positions and bandaged.  Why am I not dead?  And who would do
this?
 
The sound of a sword being drawn caught his attention.  He turned to see the
arc from earlier.  Oh fuck!  He knew his fear showed in his eyes as he looked
at the arc.  The arc was dressed like all the others – entirely in white with
gold trim: perfectly tailored pants with knee high combat boots, a simple white
button up shirt covered by a white, short waisted jacket with the gold emblem
of two crossed wings on the front breast pocket.  His white wings were raised
just slightly off his shoulders and in one hand he held a glass of water; the
other held his sword loosely, its tip on the wooden floor.  His brown hair
looked like it hadn’t seen a comb in a while, but his eyes – they were the most
striking shade of light bluish green he’d ever seen. 
 
The arc began to walk towards the demon.  Levi looked away, staring down at the
sheets that covered him.  He began to tremble as the arc approached.  “What are
you doing here?  What is your purpose?  Who did this to you?  And most
importantly,” the arc leaned in close to the trembling demon.  “Who are you?”
 
Again with the questions!  Please don’t ask me any more questions!  I can never
give the right answer!  He could see the arc from the corner of his eye, but
didn’t dare look directly at him.  His eyes were now wide with fear and his
trembling became more intense. 
 
“Who are you?” The arc repeated.
 
Levi opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.  Fuck!  My throat’s too
dry!  The demon flinched and closed his eyes tight as the arc’s hand moved
towards him, fully expecting to be struck.  The blow never came.  Levi opened
his eyes cautiously and through the periphery of his vision, he could see a
glass of water being held out to him.  Oh no.  This must be what Rico was
talking about when she left the last time.  They’re playing good cop, bad cop! 
I’ll bet that’s holy water there.  No fucking way I’m drinking that!
 
Levi turned his head away, and the arc sighed and sheathed his sword.  The arc
dipped his fingers in the water and flicked it in the demon’s face.  Levi
jumped, and would have yelped if he’d had a voice.  “See?  It’s not holy
water,” the arc assured him.  The demon turned to look at the glass warily,
before tentatively reaching for it. 
 
His injured hands were unable to grasp the glass properly, but the arc didn’t
let go.  Instead, he guided the glass to Levi’s parched lips.  With his other
hand, he reached out to support the back of the demon’s head and neck as he
drank.  “There.  Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?   Now, tell me who you are.”
 
Levi couldn’t stop shaking.  “A-an . . . an exile,” he finally answered.
 
The arc grabbed a chair, turned it around backwards next to the bed and sat
down straddling it, his arms folded across the top.  “That tells me what you
are, not who you are.”
 
The shaking demon didn’t answer.  “Who are you?” the arc repeated.
 
“Please don’t ask me anything,” Levi whispered pleadingly.
 
“Who are you?”
 
Levi closed his eyes as a tear slid down his face.  “Please . . .”
 
“Just tell me your name.”
 
Levi took in a long, trembling breath.  “Levi.”
 
“Alright, Levi.  Who did this to you?”
 
The demon’s shoulders came up to his neck and his eyes were squeezed shut. 
“Please . . . don’t . . . I can’t.”
 
“Just tell me who did this to you.  It’s not that difficult a question.”
 
Something inside the demon snapped, and his words lashed out in anger.  “You
people did this to me, okay?!   You goddamned, self righteous, holier-than-thou
assholes did this to me!”  A sob escaped his throat.  “I don’t even know what I
did wrong!  I’m an exile, damn it!  How should I know what’s going on in the
Underworld?  Why can’t you dipshits understand that?  And don’t think I don’t
know what you’re pulling here!  I know this is just a game of good cop/bad cop
and you’re supposed to be the good cop.  And when you don’t get the answers you
morons think I’m supposed to have and  you think I’m starting to feel safe and
comfortable, you’ll yank the floor out from under me and the torture starts all
ov-“  The demon was cut off by a sudden coughing fit.
 
The arc was surprised and taken aback by Levi’s sudden angry tirade, but
quickly grabbed a towel to catch the blood that he was coughing up.  He stood
by the demon’s side until the coughing subsided.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have
pressured you so much.  I’m going to get you some more water, and then I think
you need to get some more sleep.”
 
When the arc returned with the water, Levi still sat with his bandaged arms
wrapped around himself and trembling.  He could see that the demon was crying
softly, occasionally wiping away the tears with the heel of his left hand.  The
arc stood in the doorway and allowed the poor creature to cry in peace for a
few moments.  His heart went out to the demon.  He could feel a strong
compassion pulling at him.  I know I’m not supposed to take pity on demons, but
for some reason I can’t help it with this one.  I’m sorry Commander.  I know
that helping a demon is forbidden.  I know this makes me weak, but I just can’t
stand by and do nothing when I see someone suffering like this.
 
Levi stiffened as soon as the arc approached him.  He saw a hand reaching out
towards him and he reflexively braced for the blow he knew was coming.  He was
surprised when instead of a painful blow, the arc’s hand gently brushed a few
strands of his raven hair from his forehead and then continued to gently stroke
his hair.  “It’s okay,” the arc soothed.  “I’m not going to hurt you.  I know
my people did terrible things to you, but I promise you I will not.  Especially
after I spent nearly ten hours cleaning you up and putting you back together
again.”  He then offered Levi the water, which was gratefully, if somewhat
hesitantly accepted.  As before, the arc steadied the glass and supported the
back of Levi’s neck and head as he drank.
 
After setting the glass down, the arc carefully laid the demon back and brought
the covers up under his chin.  “Now I suggest you get some sleep.  I’ll be
right here to make sure nothing happens to you.” 
 
It didn’t take Levi long at all to fall asleep with the arc softly stroking his
hair.
 
***** Hostages *****
                                  CHAPTER 17
                                   Hostages
 
  He couldn’t fathom how long he’d been asleep.  At the moment, all he could
think of was how loathe he was to leave the warm, dark, dreamless comfort.  The
taste of broth lingered on his tongue.  When did I have that?  I don’t remember
waking up at all.  That arc must have poured it down my throat while I
slept. Levi slowly opened his eyes.  Sunshine poured through the room’s one
window as a gentle breeze toyed with the curtains.  The sound of children could
be heard playing down on the street.
 
He sat up and looked around.  It wasn’t a dream.  I really did escape Paradise
and an arc really did help me.  I could swear he looked just like that boy,
Eren from that train wreck all those years ago. He couldn’t sense the arc’s
presence nearby.  Must be out on patrol somewhere.  His eyes lighted on a phone
on the bedside table.  Don’t know what an arc needs with a telephone, but I’m
not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
 
He picked up the receiver and dialed a familiar number.  It was answered on the
first ring.  “Hello?”
 
“Jenna.  It’s me.”
 
“Levi!  Oh my god!  You sound awful! Where have you been?  I’ve tried to
contact you so many times over the past five weeks, but you never answered! 
What happened?”
 
Five weeks?!  Fuck! “I’m so sorry, Jenna.  It’s a long story.  Basically, I
made the mistake of trusting Erwin.  I was captured and held in Paradise.”
 
“Are you okay?”
 
“I’m fine.  Are you still getting visions from Joelle?”
 
“Yes.  She and the others are still okay.  She thinks they’re being held in the
basement of that old abandoned fortress in the Deeping Valley.  She recognizes
some of the landmarks she’s overheard her human captors mentioning.  The demons
have also said things that make her think that there are other groups of
hostages around the world.”
 
“Alright.  That’s all I need to know.  Hang on for just a little longer. 
Joelle will be coming home soon.”
 
“Please be careful, Levi.”
 
“I will.”
 
He hung up the phone and immediately stood to leave.  The pain was terrible,
but still nowhere near as bad as when he first escaped imprisonment.   It took
him more than half an hour to limp to a bus stop, where he caught a ride to St.
Maria’s.  He wasted no time in getting himself changed into a set of his own
clothes – a pair of comfortable black jeans, a black button up shirt with the
sleeves turned up a couple of times and a pair of black military boots – the
clothes fit far more loosely than they used to.  He then made his way to the
sanctuary to retrieve Volpl.
 
He turned to create a portal to Deeping Valley when he saw the arc come running
up the aisle.  “What are you doing?  You’re in no condition to be out and
about!”
 
Levi was confused by the concern on the arc’s face, but had no time to think of
that now.  Without a word, he opened the portal and stepped through.  The arc
never missed a stride and made it through the portal just before it closed.  He
stumbled out the other side and looked around to find Levi down on one knee,
sword drawn and looking down the length of a long valley.  “Levi, what do you
think you’re doi-“
 
“Shut up you idiot!” the demon hissed in response.  “Can’t you sense the high
concentration of demons in the area?”
 
The arc came and knelt down beside Levi.  The demon’s eyes scanned the valley,
alert and ready for anything.  What a difference from the demon that I spoke to
just two days ago!  He was shaking and scared to death of me.  Now he looks
confident and ready for battle!  What’s going on?
 
“Do you know where we are?” Levi asked in a whisper.
 
“This is Deeping Valley, right?”
 
“Right.  The fortress down at the end there – it’s in the perfect location
against the cliff, because it can only be approached from one direction.”
 
“Okay.  So why are we here?”
 
“I’m here to protect a friend.”
 
“Joelle or Jenna?”
 
Levi looked at the arc in shock.  How the fuck does he know about them?!
 
The arc just grinned at the dumbfounded expression on the demon’s face.  “You
talk in your sleep,” he explained.
 
Levi growled softly.  “Joelle is a friend and the granddaughter of my old and
very dear friend, Jenna.  Joelle was taken hostage along with several members
of the clergy and a number of civilians.” He paused several moments, debating
on whether to continue or not.  “From what I was able to learn in captivity,
the demon king is planning some kind of offensive against Paradise, and the
hostages are to ensure that the arcs don’t counter attack.  I have to get
Joelle out of there before all hell breaks loose.”  He then turned a glared at
the arc beside him.  “Your presence here complicates things.  On my own I could
slip in unnoticed, but they’ll sense you coming if they haven’t already. 
They’ll waste no time killing the hostages if an arc gets anywhere near there.”
 
“So what’s your plan?” The arc asked, unfazed by the scolding.  Even as he
spoke, a shadow passed over them.  He looked up to see a demon fly overhead and
towards the fortress ruins.
 
“Shit!  Well now the plan is to go right down their throats!”  Levi created a
portal directly in front of them, shoved the arc through and followed right
behind.  As soon as he cleared the portal, Levi spotted Joelle and the other
hostages.  Perfect!  I got the location right!  He also spotted three demons
charging directly at him.  Off to his right, the arc was already cutting down
two others.  Levi’s body moved on pure instinct, using movements memorized over
a century and half of practice.  Volpl cut easily through all three attackers
as it was wielded with speed that was shocking considering Levi’s current
physical condition.
 
“Levi!”  A girl of about sixteen with long shiny black hair and light blue eyes
went running to greet the demon.  She stopped short when she saw his
condition.  “Oh my god!  What happened to you?”
 
“I’m fine.  Don’t worry about it.  Are you alright, Joelle?”
 
The girl didn’t look thoroughly convinced.  “We’re all okay.  They’ve been
taking very good care of us.  There’s nine kidnappers – seven men and two
women.  The woman, Keena, is their leader,” Joelle explained.  “But, Levi. 
There are at least 40 or 50 demons here.”
 
“I know.  We’ll take care of them.”  Levi’s eyes narrowed at a cardinal that
was approaching them.
 
One of the nuns in the group spoke up.  “Joelle, dear.  Are you feeling
alright?  There isn’t anyone there to talk to.”
 
“Oh, the child is quite right.  There is someone there.  You just can’t see
them.  One is an angel and the other is a demon,” the cardinal said with a
dangerous tone.
 
“Listen to the pot calling the kettle black!” Levi exclaimed tauntingly. 
Joelle let out a shriek as Levi cleaved the cardinal in half from the head
down.  The man staggered back as the two halves of the demon fell from him and
evaporated. 
 
The Cardinal dropped the dagger he’d been about to use, grabbed his head, fell
to his knees, crossed himself and began weeping.  “Oh, Father, forgive me! 
What have I done?  I am unforgivable.”
 
“Yeah.  Nice.  Giving yourself over to a demon,” Levi grunted.  “Joelle, do you
know where the gang and the other demons are?”
 
“Yes.  They stay upstairs mostly.  There’s only one set of stairs – out the
doorway and across the hall,” she answered.
 
“Eren, I don’t suppose we’d be lucky enough for you to carry a cell phone
around?”
 
The arc reached into the inside pocket of the white, short-waisted jacket he
wore.  “Yeah.  I keep it for gaming, music and research.  But you won’t get any
reception here.”
 
“Wanna make a bet?” Levi asked as he took the phone from the arc.  He laid it
in the palm of his left hand, and holding the right just above it, he muttered
a short incantation.   He then turned the device on.  “See?  Four bars.”  He
quickly searched for a number, dialed it in and handed it to Joelle.  “Get the
authorities in here now.  Keep the others calm and down here.  Eren and I will
take care of the rest, okay?”
 
Joelle took the phone and nodded.  “Be careful, Levi.”
 
Eren was baffled as to how the demon could even stand in his condition, much
less move the way he was.  He must be running off a huge amount of adrenaline! 
Eren visibly flinched as he watched Levi going up the stairs in front of him. 
Twice he watched the demon go down hard on his knees.  Okay, there is no way
that doesn’t hurt!
 
As soon as he cleared the stairs, Levi saw a man running to go down to the
hostages.  The demon quickly grabbed the man’s head and flooded him with the
worry, sadness and fears of all the hostages and their families.  Needless to
say, it stopped the man dead in his tracks and he collapsed to the floor
sobbing.
 
“What did you do to him?” Eren asked in alarm.
 
“Later, Jaëger,” Levi replied as nearly a dozen demons attacked them at once. 
Working together, Levi and Eren made short work of the first wave of
attackers.  Eren began to worry as Levi’s breath was already becoming raspy and
labored.  It’s a good thing I focused most of my healing energy on his lung. 
He’d have dropped by now if I hadn’t!
 
They now found themselves surrounded by almost 40 demons all looking to kill. 
Eren and Levi stood back to back, swords at the ready. “Why are there so many
demons here?”
 
“Because they were expecting a large band of arcs to attack; not one arc and a
crippled demon,” Levi replied.  He then cursed as he saw three of the
kidnappers run down the stairs.   He surprised the demons by charging them
first.  Even with his severe wounds, he cut down five of them before they could
properly react.  Volpl easily cut through every target. 
 
Side by side, Eren and Levi made a devastating force to be reckoned with.  It
didn’t take long for them to eliminate their attackers.  A scream from the
basement had Levi all but falling down the stairs to get to the hostages.  One
of the kidnappers had one of the civilian women by the hair and had a gun
leveled at her face.  The man collapsed to the ground screaming, however, the
instant Levi flooded him with the pain he’d caused to others.
 
Eren barely caught up in time to strike down the demon that was about to attack
Levi from behind.  “You take out the demons and I’ll take care of the
kidnappers!”  Levi ordered.  He took down three more humans the same way as the
first, but paused with the last one.  It was Keena, the leader. 
 
“Look at you,” she sneered.  “You’re pathetic.  All wrapped up like a mummy and
trying to save a bunch of worthless humans with an inexperienced arc!”
 
A smirk played across Levi’s face.  “Huh!  So pathetic we just took out every
other demon in the place and neutralized most of the kidnappers in less than
fifteen minutes!”
 
Keena suddenly slumped forward as the demon backed out of her.  “I won’t be so
easy to take down as those imbeciles were,” he snarled.
 
“Mako,” Levi said, making the name sound like a bad smell.  “One of the weakest
of the demon borns.  Your rank is nothing more than a coincidence of your
birth.  Well ‘Daddy’s’ not here to protect you.”
 
Mako’s eyes narrowed.  “I am more than strong enough to take down you two.” 
The demon, already wielding two swords, sprouted a second and third set of arms
complete with swords.
 
“Aw hell.  I really hate these freaks,” Levi groaned.
 
It took Levi and Eren working together, and even then, Mako was not easy to
defeat.  Levi could feel his strength fading fast.  He finally managed to cut
off one of the arms, followed by Eren cutting off two more.  Volpl whistled
through the air as Levi finally took Mako’s head.  Both spun around to check on
where Keena was.  Eren burst out laughing when he saw the woman on the floor
shrieking and hollering at the pudgy monk that was sitting on her.
 
Levi sank to his knees, his strength spent.  He held Volpl point down in the
floor and leaned his forehead against the pummel while he fought to catch his
breath.  “Levi!” Joelle cried as she ran over and fell to her knees beside
him.  “Levi!  Are you okay?”
 
“I’ll be fine, Joelle.  I just need some time to rest,” he replied softly.  The
sound of helicopters approaching could be heard.  “You need to go with the
others.  Make sure you call your family as soon as you can.  You’re
grandmother’s expecting to hear from you.”  A wan smile formed on his lips as
he spoke.
 
The girl looked over at the arc who had come to kneel down on the other side of
the exhausted demon.  “You’ll take care of him, right?  Promise me you’ll keep
him safe.”
 
“I promise.  I’ll keep Levi safe,” Eren replied.
 
Joelle relaxed a little.  The other hostages were making their way up the
stairs as the sounds of law enforcement officers entering the old fortress
could be heard.  She kissed Levi on the cheek before standing to go with them. 
“Thank you so much, Levi.”
 
Eren stood to watch the teenager go, then looked down at the demon who was
still leaning on his sword, his breathing painfully labored.  Levi reached out
his hand in front of him and opened a portal.  “Go, Eren.  That . . . that’ll
take you back to . . . to the apartment you’re using.  More arcs will be
showing up soon . . . and you don’t . . . want to get caught here with me,” he
said between raspy breaths for air.
 
The arc looked down at him in shock.  He just used the last of his power
opening that portal! He probably can’t even move now! “You can’t get up, can
you?” Eren said.
 
“Just go.”
 
Levi yelped with surprise as Eren grabbed him up, sword and all, and stepped
through the portal, which immediately closed behind them.  Eren set Levi down
on the wooden floor of the abandoned apartment he called home for now.  “Did
you really think I was going to leave you behind?”
 
 
***** Healing *****
                                  CHAPTER 18
                                    Healing
 
The demon knelt with his head down and his hands splayed out on the floor to
support him and the sword laid out in front of him.  A drop of sweat fell from
the end of his nose onto the floor.  “You should have left me.  You know what
kind of trouble you’ll be in for if you’re caught fraternizing with the enemy;
a fugitive worse still.”
 
“Call me a sap, but I’ve never been able to stand idly by when someone is
suffering.”
 
“You’re a sap,” Levi said snarkly.  “A stupid one at that.  I’m not ‘someone’. 
I’m a demon.”  He took in a few more raspy breaths.  “You were supposed to kill
me the moment you saw me.  What is wrong with you, Eren?”
 
“Call it a gut feeling.  And I can see my feeling was right after what you just
did for those humans back there.”
 
“Listen up, dipshit.  I know I tried to run from you that first time.  But now
my job is done, so I don’t have a problem with you killing me right here and
now.  It’ll be better than going back . . . there.”  Tears began to run
silently down his face.  “Please, Eren.”
 
Eren knelt down in front of him and brushed a few stray ebony strands from the
demon’s eyes.  “You remember who I am.”
 
“Those eyes are a little hard to forget,”  Levi replied tiredly.  “You’re the
kid whose mother almost died in the train wreck over the Blackwater River.”
 
“That’s right.  And you’re the demon that saved my mother’s life and then
helped me find a place to stay until she got better.  I’ve never forgotten
that.  I didn’t recognize you at all when I saw you the other night, you being
in such a mess and all, but I could still sense something different about you. 
I’m not going to kill you, Levi.  And I’m not going to drag you back to
Paradise.  Besides, I promised Joelle to keep you safe.  An arc must always
keep their word.”
 
Levi looked up into those sea green eyes for a moment before again lowering his
head, too tired to argue.  Eren glanced down at the demon’s sword.  It was the
first good look of it he’d gotten, and his large eyes immediately widened. 
“This is . . . this sword is Volpl!” the arc exclaimed.  “This is the legendary
Volpl!  You’re not just wielding any holy sword . . . you’re wielding Volpl!
That means you’re . . . The Contract Breaker!”
 
“I’m aware of that.”
 
“Dude!  Volpl used to belong to Darian more than 10,000 years ago!  It hasn’t
chosen a wielder since then!  Now it’s chosen you . . . The Contract Breaker!” 
Eren was now quite excited.  “I was right!  You are different!  Volpl would
never allow a creature of evil to touch it, never mind actually use it!  How
could someone like you have ended up a demon?”
 
Levi glanced up at the excited arc.  “You’re hurting my brain, kid.”  With
that, he carefully laid down on the floor.  “I’m too tired for this shit.”
 
“Fine.  We’ll talk later.  But you can’t sleep on the floor.”
 
“Why not?”
 
“Because the bed is warmer and more comfortable.  Besides, you need to be
cleaned up and have your bandages changed.  After that fight, I’m pretty sure
I’m going to have to replace some of your stitches.  You need to eat something
too.  Even you can’t heal if you’re malnourished.”
 
Levi groaned unhappily and made a futile attempt to get to his feet.  “Hey, let
me do all the work,” Eren said as he picked the demon up and carried him to the
bathroom.  Levi had little choice but to allow the kindly arc to undress him
and carefully remove the soiled bandages.  “I was right.  You’ve popped a quite
a few stitches.  Lucky for you I was studying medicine before I died.” 
 
The bathroom was such that no door or wall separated the shower area from the
rest of the room.   Eren set a stool over by the shower hose and turned on the
water to warm it up.  He then helped Levi over to sit on the stool.  The demon
was trembling and fear again showed in his eyes as he became increasingly
uncomfortable with his nakedness.  Less than an hour ago he was a completely
different person; confident, strong and in command.  Now he’s back to being
terrified.  I suppose I can’t really blame him, after all.  I can see for
myself what my people did to him.
 
Eren made sure to keep the water pressure low so as not to irritate Levi’s
wounds any more than necessary.  “Is the water okay?  Not too hot or cold is
it?”
 
“It’s fine.”  Levi’s voice was barely audible.
 
The arc poured some shampoo into his hand and gently worked it into Levi’s
raven locks.  The demon was trembling even harder now that he was being
touched.  Eren decided to strike up some conversation to calm his patient
down.  “You know, my mother’s still alive.  She turned 97 a few weeks ago.” 
Eren worked through the hair carefully, checking the contusions and abrasions
scattered across the skull, most of which seemed to have healed completely. 
 
“How is she doing?”
 
Good.  I have his interest. “Quite well, actually.  She recently moved in with
my younger brother and his family.  Hey, that’s right!  I was an only child
when you met me.  Mom adopted my older sister because her parents were killed
in the same train accident.  Her name’s Mikasa.  A couple of years after the
wreck, Mom married her old high school sweetheart.  They had three more kids
together – two girls and a boy.   My Stepdad died a few years ago, but my
siblings all take really good care of her.  She’s still pretty spry for her
age.  She’s a proud grandmother of twenty and is up to four great-
grandchildren.  I don’t know how she keeps track of them all.  Imagine how many
there’d be if I’d lived long enough to marry and have kids!”   He gently placed
two fingers under Levi’s chin to tilt his head back a little, then reached back
to support his head and neck as he rinsed the hair.
 
“How did you die?”
 
“The last war,” Eren said sadly as he poured a little chamomile soap into his
hand and with gentle fingers, began to wash Levi’s face.  He didn’t want to use
a cloth or sponge that might chafe the open wounds.  “I had just finished my
fourth year of medical school when I got drafted.  You’d think they’d put a
medical student in the medial corps, but they decided in their wisdom that I’d
do better with a gun in my hands.  I couldn’t kill.  I just couldn’t.   I could
see the damage the war was doing to the civilian population.  We were supposed
to be helping these people, but instead we were mowing them over to get at the
enemy. . . Close your eyes.”
 
Eren rinsed off the demon’s face, then poured more soap in his hand to work on
his torso.  “Anyway, I’ve never been able to just sit back and do nothing when
I see someone suffering.  So I set up a clinic near our camp.  People came in
from everywhere.  It was mostly women, children and the elderly.  I didn’t care
who they were – they needed help, so I gave it to them.  The army really didn’t
like it, so I was arrested and charged with being a traitor for giving comfort
to the enemy.”  Eren sighed.  “I never even got back to my own country.  I was
executed immediately after the court marshal.  Mom didn’t even know I was in
trouble until three months after the execution.”
 
Levi’s trembling had almost stopped and a look of absolute confusion covered
his face.  “So let me get this straight.  You were killed because you were
giving medical aid to civilians . . . the same civilians your army was supposed
to be protecting?”
 
“I’m pretty sure there were enemy soldiers in the mix, but I never asked who
anyone was or what their affiliations were.  I just treated everybody.”
 
“And that was a reason to kill you . . . I always knew the universe was fucked
up, but still.”
 
Eren chuckled at the demon’s response.  “If there’s one thing I’ve learned,
it’s that the universe is a real bitch and never fair.  So all we can do is
give the universe the finger and keep trying anyways.”
 
Levi made a sound that must have been a laugh, because it was immediately
followed by an, “Ow! Don’t make me laugh . . . it hurts.”
 
Eren chuckled again.  “Sorry.”  He reached back to wash the right wing, but
Levi quickly jerked it away, wincing as he did so.
 
“Don’t!  Please!”  Levi couldn’t bear even the thought of anyone touching his
damaged wings right now.  He knew how sensitive the skin was, and feared how
painful any touch might be.  It wasn’t like he’d ever be able to use them again
anyway.  “Just leave them . . . please.”
 
“I’m sorry.  I’ll leave them alone for now.”  He then noticed Levi stiffen the
instant he got down to the genital area.  The demon again began trembling.  
Eren looked up into his silver eyes and saw nothing less than pure terror in
them.  What has been done to him to make him react like this? “I’m not going to
hurt you.  I promise.  I’ll be quick about this.”
 
Levi closed his eyes tight and shook the entire time the arc was quickly but
gently washing his nether regions.  Tears began to slide down his face as
memories of the brutality he’d faced both in life and in the Underworld
surfaced.
 
“Alright.  I’m done,” Eren said as he began to wash the demon’s battered legs,
shuddering to think what had been done to remove the missing toe.  “So how did
you die?”
 
Levi refused to look the arc in the eye.  “I slit my wrists.”
 
Eren paused, looking at the demon in surprise.  “Suicide?!”
 
“Yeah.  I know suicides are supposed to immediately reincarnate into an
identical life, but apparently nobody told me that.  One moment I’m playing
‘Moonlight Sonata’ on a piano in a church while I bleed out, and the next I’m
in the Underworld as a demon.  Ironic really.  I killed myself because I was
tired of suffering and making others suffer and I ended up becoming a demon and
was still expected to make people suffer.  Let the punishment fit the crime, I
guess.”
 
“I’m sorry.  So that’s why you decided to become The Contract Breaker?”
 
“In a nutshell, yes.”
 
Eren finally rinsed Levi off completely and began to gently dry him off.  “I’m
going to need to replace a quite a few of these stitches.  It’s going to take a
little while.  I’m going to lay you on the bed while I work.”  Levi was too
tired to argue, so allowed Eren to carry him in to the bed and lay him down on
his stomach.   “Tell me, what did you do to those humans back there?  You’d
touch them and they’d immediately collapse either crying or screaming.”
 
The arc grabbed a clean towel to cover the again trembling demon’s buttocks. 
Levi was still shivering and uneasy.  “One of my abilities enables me to take
the emotions of one or more people, be it past or present, and transfer it onto
another human.  It this specific case I was transferring all of the pain, worry
and fear that the hostages and their families were feeling onto the
kidnappers.”
 
“Wow!  That’s some ability!”  After nearly two hours of work, Eren finally had
Levi shift onto his back, still using the towel to cover him, and worked on his
front for nearly three hours.  He finally applied salve where needed and
bandaged everything.  He clothed Levi in a set of soft pajamas that, because
they were Eren’s, were much too big for the small demon.  Eren stood back a
moment to admire his handiwork.  “Well, you look a little bit less like a mummy
than you did the first night,” he commented.
 
Levi grunted in response, but didn’t complain.  After drinking the broth that
Eren heated up for him, he finally drifted off to sleep.  Eren was trying to
make a go of it sleeping in the old, well-worn papas an chair in the corner of
the room.  After a couple of hours of trying in vain to find a comfortable
sleeping position, Eren heard a soft whimper from Levi.  He looked over at the
bed and saw that the demon was once again trembling.
 
He went over to check on the demon, and found that he was still asleep.  He’s
having a nightmare.  Can’t say as I’m surprised.  Eren reached out and began to
gently stroke Levi’s silken black hair.  It wasn’t working, so he did the only
other thing he could think of to do.  He crawled into the bed beside the demon,
wrapped his arms around him and held him until the trembling stopped.  Levi
shifted slightly and settled in to the warmth of Eren’s arms.  Soon enough,
Eren himself fell asleep.
 
 
                                        
***** The Contract Breaker *****
                                  CHAPTER 19
                             The Contract Breaker
 
 Levi slept like a dead thing for three days and four nights straight.  He
didn’t even wake up when Eren would prop him up to feed him broth.  His natural
swallow reflex did just fine all on its own without having to bother waking him
up.  What finally woke him up was the faint pulling on the edges of his mind
that told him he was being summoned.  He opened his eyes and moaned softly at
the pain his body was still in.  He sat up on the edge of the bed and assessed
his overall condition.
 
I’m not in as much pain as I was the last time I woke up.  Wonder how long I’ve
been asleep this time?  I can taste broth . . . Eren must have been pouring it
down my throat while I was out again.  No wonder I have to piss like a
racehorse! He hobbled stiffly into the bathroom and relieved himself.  As he
washed his hands, he glanced at himself in the mirror.  “You look like complete
shit,” he told his reflection. 
 
He splashed some water on his face, then turned to go find his clothes.  I’m
swimming in this kid’s pajamas!  As he pulled on his own clothes, however, he
noticed they still fit far looser than he was used to.  I think I was held in
Paradise for over a month, and I didn’t eat anything while I was there.  I
think I’ve been out of it for at least a week down here with nothing but broth,
so I guess that explains why I’m a little underweight.  What idiot makes a
demon that not only needs to eat, but also can starve without dying?  Tch! Levi
pulled the belt on his pants tighter to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions and
hung Volpl at his side.
 
“Oh!  You’re up.  Wait . . . What are you doing?” Eren asked as he came into
the room with another cup of broth.
 
“I’m being summoned,” Levi stated.
 
“Levi, you’re in no condition to-“
 
“I have to go, Eren,” Levi snapped, a little harsher than intended.  “When
normal demons are summoned, it doesn’t matter which one responds.  They can be
lazy if they don’t feel like answering because there’s always another wanting a
contract; first come, first served.  It’s not like that with me.  When I’m
summoned, it’s because someone needs my help specifically.  I’m the only
contract breaker in existence, so I can’t ignore a summons.  I have to go.”
 
“Fine.  But I’m going with you.”
 
Levi rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.  He closed his silver eyes and focused
on where the summons was coming from.  He then extended his hand to create a
portal to the location.  They stepped out into the darkened dorm room and found
a young student knelt beside her bed, head buried in the sheets as she gripped
them with her hands and sobbed uncontrollably.  “Please, please.  I need The
Contract Breaker!  Please!”
 
Levi touched her shoulder.  “I’m here.”
 
The young woman jumped and looked up at him with her tear stained face.  “Oh,
thank God!” she cried.  “Please, you have to help me!  I’m such a horrible
person!  I never thought anyone would get hurt!”
 
Eren, who, as yet, couldn’t be seen, leaned against the wall as Levi sat on the
edge of the girl’s bed.  So this is Levi’s job; not because he has to do it,
but because he wants to do it.  Instead of letting others and his circumstances
dictate his path, he chose this path for himself.
 
“Calm down and tell me what happened.”
 
The girl sat back on her heels and wiped away her tears.  “I didn’t want anyone
to get hurt!  I just wanted to be famous.  I wanted to be the most famous
violinist in the world.  When Mira told me she could make me famous, I thought
she was joking at first.  Then I thought maybe she was an agent.  But when she
told me what she was . . . I didn’t think I would hurt anyone!  I still didn’t
really believe what she was.  I signed the contract.  That was three weeks
ago.  My top rival, he’s under the same teacher I am, he’s really good too. 
The night before last . . . his . . . his left hand was crushed by a mugger! 
Mira told me this afternoon that now my top rival was out of the way she could
start working on getting me noticed.”  The girl let out a sob.  “She worked it
so he’d never be able to use his hand again!  I didn’t want anyone to get
hurt!  I didn’t think it was real!”
 
Levi reached out and gently touched the side of her face.  “’There are more
things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamed of in your philosophy.’ 
Shakespeare – surprisingly insightful man.  You’ve made a grave error in
judgment.  However, I will help you.  Mira is the name of the demon you’re
contracted to, correct?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“What’s the name of you rival and where can I find him?”
 
“Nick Salvatore, and he’s in the St. Sina Hospital, Room 308.”
 
Levi looked over at Eren.  “You seem to have some healing abilities.  Do you
think you can do anything?”
 
“My healing powers are minimal at best.  I really haven’t had enough time to
fully develop them yet.  I’d have to see what the damage is an go from there. 
I can’t make any promises.” Eren replied.
 
“I think I might have a way to augment that power.”
 
“Who are you talking to?” the girl asked.
 
“Oh, sorry.”  He touched her face and she jumped when Eren suddenly came into
view.
 
“Oh, wow!  You’re both so different!”
 
“Listen,  I’m going to break the contract, I can promise you that.  My partner
here is going to see if there’s anything that can be done to reverse the damage
to your friend’s hand.  I can’t make you any promises about that, though,” Levi
explained.
 
The girl nodded.  “But what do I owe you in return?”
 
“You’re going to work your ass off and become famous entirely on your own,” 
Levi answered.  “And if my partner here can heal Nick’s hand, I expect the two
of you to become famous together.  Now, tell me your name.”
 
“Sandra Parker.”
 
“Very well, Sandra Parker.  You’ll know the job is done when the contract mark
on your chest vanishes.”  With that, both the demon and the arc vanished from
view.
 
 
“So now what?” Eren asked once they were outside.
 
The night air was cool and comfortable as was the moonlight that shown down
from a just past full moon.  The soft night breezed played with the demon’s
raven hair as he knelt on the campus lawn outside of Sandra’s dorm and leaned
against Volpl for support.  “We find Mira.  I can just make her out on the edge
of my senses.  She’s not too far away.”
 
“Levi.  You’re in no condition to be fighting.”
 
“Mira’s not particularly high ranking.  In fact, I’ve never even heard of her
before.  Chances are this is her first contract and she’s probably not very
strong.”
 
“And, at the moment, still stronger than you.”
 
Levi glared at the young arc over his shoulder.  “I don’t recall having any
problems the other day in Deeping Valley.”
 
Eren sighed.  “Please, just leave Mira to me . . . I really don’t want to have
to redo all your stitches again.”
 
A smirk played across the demon’s face.  “Ah.  So now we come to the truth of
it.  Very well.  She’s all yours.  I really don’t feel like a fight anyway.”
 
Levi lay on his back with his hands behind his head in the moonlight as the
breeze danced across the campus lawn and rustled the leaves in the trees.  The
sound of the wind spoke of the coming summer.  I’m such a fucking idiot!  After
all that’s happened, I’m still trusting an arc, of all things, to help me! 
It’s only a matter of time before he betrays me as Erwin did.  I’m a demon
after all.  It’s not like they’re supposed to trust me or anything.  Eren is
still young and foolish.  His only motive right now is curiosity.  Once that
wears off. . . but where else can I go?  What else can I do?  There’s no place
left for me that’s safe.  A single tear escaped his eye.  I’ve truly lost
everything.
 
He sensed Eren’s return.  “Did you move at all?” the arc asked him with a touch
of snark in his voice.
 
“Nope.”
 
“Mira’s dead.”
 
“I know.”  Levi sat up, wincing slightly as he did so.  “Now we go to St. Sina
hospital and see if there’s anything we can do about Nick’s hand.”
 
Eren spread his wings to take flight, but then remembered that Levi couldn’t
fly.  “Get on my back;  I’ll carry you.”
 
“Fuck you.”  Levi started walking away.  I may not be able to fly anymore, but
I’ll be damned if I’m gonna ride on someone else!
 
“That was uncalled for!  I just thought –“
 
“You thought wrong!” the demon snapped angrily as he stopped in his tracks and
glared at Eren over his shoulder.  “I’ll never fly again!  I don’t need you
fucking rubbing it in!”
 
“I’m sorry,” Eren said sincerely.  “I didn’t mean it that way.”
 
It was an hour before dawn when the two arrived at their destination.   Levi’s
limp became progressively worse with each step he took, but Eren was afraid to
offer a ride again.   They found the room Nick was in.  Eren unbandaged and
examined the hand of the sleeping college student.  “I don’t know, Levi.  The
bones are in pieces and the nerve, ligament and tendon damage is very
extensive.”
 
“Just do the best you can.  I know a healing spell that should help,” Levi told
him.
 
Eren nodded.  He placed Nick’s hand, palm down, on his own right palm, then
placed his left hand over it.  He closed his eyes and began to concentrate on
knitting the damaged tissue back together correctly.  As he did so, Levi closed
his eyes and began to sing an ancient incantation; one that Eren recognized
instantly.
 
That’s the Jovis Pachem! How does he even know that spell?!  That hasn’t been
used in over 10,000 years!!  Eren dismissed his thoughts for the moment in
order to focus properly on healing Nick’s hand.  The magic circle that formed
from the spell cast a green light throughout the room.  Though neither realized
it, the circle encompassed the entire hospital.    As soon as the spell was
finished, Eren again examined the hand.  “It’s perfect!  We did it!”  He then
noticed that Levi had collapsed unconscious to the floor.
 
 
It was the third time Levi woke up in Eren’s small abandoned apartment.  “This
is getting ridiculous!” he groaned as he sat up.  “I don’t even remember
creating a portal back there!  I could have sworn we were on the other side of
the planet!”
 
“We were.”
 
Levi jumped as Eren spoke.  He hadn’t realized the arc was in the room.  “How
long have I been out?”
 
“Three days; as usual,” Eren replied.  “I hitched us a ride on a 747 or three
to get back here.”  There were several moments of awkward silence before Eren
finally asked the question burning in his mind.  “Do you have any idea what you
did back there?”
 
Levi, who’d been holding his aching head in his hands looked up in confusion. 
“What?”
 
“Back at St. Sina Hospital.  Do you know what you did back there?”
 
“Yeah.  I used a healing spell that drained all my energy and I passed out, so
you’d better tell me it worked and the kid’s gonna be able to play violin
still.”  The demon put his head back in his hands with a groan. 
 
Eren handed the demon a couple of aspirin with a pint bottle of milk (knowing
the demon’s suspicions regarding water).  “Take these.  They’ll ease the pain. 
And yes, Nick’s hand is fine.  But it’s not just that I’m talking about.”
 
Levi took the aspirin without question and downed the milk in one go.  “So
hurry up and tell me what the fuck I did wrong!” he growled.
 
“You didn’t do anything wrong!” Eren chuckled.  “I can’t believe you healed an
entire hospital of people and have absolutely no idea!”
 
Now the arc had Levi’s undivided attention.  “Wait.  What?”
 
“That spell; it was the Jovis Pachem.  It’s the most powerful healing spell
there is!  No one’s used that incantation in over 10,000 years!  How did you
know it?”
 
“It was in an ancient codex in the Vatican as well as on a few ancient tablets
in the Library of Alexandria.”
 
“That library burned down 2,000 years ago!”
 
“1,624 years ago, and no, that wasn’t the real library.  The real library never
was actually in Alexandria and still exists in secret to this day.  Even the
Vatican is unaware of it.  But that’s beside the point.  What did you mean when
you said I healed an entire hospital?”
 
“Only if you take me to that library when you’ve fully recovered.”
 
“Fine.  Just spit it out already!”  Levi’s patience was thinning rapidly.
 
“When you used the Jovis Pachem, you healed every person in that hospital. 
That spell was intended to be used for the most severe of mortal wounds as well
as for larger scale healing during plague or war.  The level of  healing
depends on the power of the individual casting the spell.  You were all but
completely played out when you used it, and you still healed more than 400
people, including 17 terminally ill, 5 trauma patients, 23 heart patients and
every other illness and injury in the building from broken bones to paper
cuts!  Imagine what would have happened if you had used that spell while at
full power!  You could have healed the entire city!  And, come to think of it,
you may have learned the incantation from the codex, but how did you know the
tune?  I didn’t think anybody knew that!”
 
Levi didn’t answer right away.  That was quite a shock to try to take in.  “I
don’t know how I knew the tune.  I just did it without thinking about it.  I
knew the spell was powerful, but I never knew I could use it on that level.  I
figured that the most a demon could do with it, if anything, was to augment
another healer’s power.  I never . . . “  He stared at his hands for a moment. 
“If only I’d known this years ago . . . back during the train wreck . . . I
could’ve . . . I don’t understand.  How can a demon use such a spell?”
 
***** Mend These Broken Wings *****
                                  CHAPTER 20
                            Mend These Broken Wings
 
 
Eren searched everywhere for Levi and finally found him sitting on the roof of
the central cathedral, Saint Rose near the abandoned apartment building.  “Have
you put any thought as to how you’re going to get down from here?” he asked the
demon.
 
“I got up here, didn’t I?  Needless to say, I’ll get down the same way,” Levi
replied.
 
Eren smiled and shook his head.  “I brought some sandwiches and ice tea.”  The
arc came and sat down beside the demon.  “It’s a nice view of the city from
here.”
 
Levi accepted the offered sandwich and tea.  “I’ve always liked church
rooftops; even when I was human.  Guess I’ve always liked churches, period. 
They’re the only places I’ve ever felt safe.  Kind of ironic, seeing as I’m a
demon.”  He shifted his wings a little as he changed position to eat.
 
“I guess it is kinda ironic,” Eren chuckled.  He looked at the demon’s black
wings.  The right wing had healed completely, the bones having knitted
perfectly back together and the spikes on both wings having grown back.  In
fact, all of Levi’s wounds had healed completely, leaving his body looking like
nothing had ever happened.  The left wing, however, remained in tattered shreds
like an old rag. 
 
They ate in silence, but Eren’s constant glances at the permanently damaged
wing did not go unnoticed.  “Yeah, I know;  it’s disgusting,”  the demon said
at length after swallowing the last of his tea.  The melancholy in his eyes was
unmistakable.  “It’s fitting punishment, I suppose.  The only good thing about
being a demon at all was the ability to fly.  Flying was the only thing I truly
enjoyed.  I’ve always liked high places, even when I was human, so flying was a
dream come true.  Now even that has been taken away from me.”
 
“This is as it should be,” Levi continued evenly but with a single tear
escaping his silver eye (which didn’t go unnoticed by Eren).  “If I am to be
properly punished for my sins, I cannot have anything in my life that I can
derive any sort of pleasure from.  It was only a matter of time before I’d be
stripped of my ability to fly.  I am to suffer for all eternity.  I never had a
chance as a human to begin with, never mind a second chance to redeem myself. 
I don’t even know what I did that was so horrible.  Maybe it’s that fact in
itself that makes me so evil – the fact that I can’t even recognize my sin as a
sin – a sin so horrific that no matter how many people I help, it will never be
enough to negate my evil.  This is my punishment and I have no choice but to
accept it.”  A few more tears escaped his eyes, a few brown and grey tear gems
rolling down the roof to the streets below.
 
“That’s bullshit, you know,” Eren responded quietly, ignoring the gems and
receiving a look of complete and utter shock from the demon.  “It’s really
never crossed your mind that this isyour second chance, has it?”
 
The demon was completely dumbstruck, opening his mouth to respond, but nothing
coming out.
 
Eren turned to look him straight in the eye.  “Think about it, Levi.  You
committed suicide.  You threw away your own life – the greatest sin of all. 
Yet, instead of being cycled back into a near identical life to live those
horrors over again, you became a demon.   Not just any demon either.  You made
a choice.  You chose to use this life and your power to help people.  You’re
abilities are astounding!  You’ve freed countless souls from their contracts
with demons, giving each and every one of them a second chance.  You’ve
intervened on behalf of humans to end conflicts without harming them and by
making them see the damage they do to others, and by doing so, you have made
this world a better place for thousands.”
 
“Levi, whatever you may look like on the outside, you are no demon.  Volpl
would never have chosen you as its wielder if you were.”  Eren sighed before
continuing.  “Chances are that you’ve done more good for humanity as a so
called ‘demon’ that you ever could have even as an arc.   You don’t seem to
realize that all of your power, all of your abilities, all of your choices have
been for the good of humanity.  You care far more than you think you let on.”
 
“Yet all you can focus on is the bad that has happened to you.  I’m not going
to play that down any.  You’ve been through hell, I’m sure.  What my people did
alone was unconscionable.  But you still keep caring.  You still keep
forgiving.  You still keep trusting.  You still keep protecting.  You still
cling to your compassion.  You can’t seem to see all the good you really do in
this world.   You refuse to see the good that is in you.”
 
“You are not evil, Levi.  If you were, I’d be able to see it in your eyes. 
Evil does not feel remorse, guilt, compassion, pity, mercy or love.  Evil does
not protect.  Evil does not try to ease the suffering of others; it seeks to
cause more suffering to revel in.  Evil does not put itself in harm’s way to
spare another pain.  Evil does not suffer in the place of another.”
 
“I know I don’t know everything about you, but what I do know, is that you are
a good person that does a tremendous amount of good, making this world a better
place.  If you were not what you are – a ‘demon’ – you wouldn’t have the powers
and abilities that you use to help others.  Because you spend all of your time
trying to convince yourself that this is punishment for some sin you’ve
committed, you can’t see all the good that has come of your existence.  Don’t
you see, Levi?  You need to be what you are in order to be who you are.  This
life is your second chance.   This life IS the life where you can do the most
good.  This life . . . it IS your redemption.  Everything in your human life
and in this life up to the moment you chose to help that first human was
preparation for your true destiny and your true mission in life.”
 
For a few moments, Levi just stared at Eren, wide eyed and open mouthed, unable
to say anything.  Then he looked away, first at his own feet, then out over the
city and finally up to the sky.  “I . . . never thought of it like that
before,”  he finally said.  “But . . . you’re right.  I actually think you may
be right.  I’ve wasted 150 years trying to convince myself that this was some
kind of punishment.  It never even crossed my mind that thisIS my second
chance.”  He turned and looked back at Eren.  “You’re right!  I’ve been looking
at this all wrong!  I’m so fucking blind!”
 
Eren chuckled.  “I think all of us at some point in our lives require someone
with an objective view to point out to us that which we think should be most
painfully obvious to ourselves.  Now – about your wing.  I know your kinda
funny about having people touch your wings, but if you’ll let me, I can repair
it.  It will take time, because I don’t have the power to do it all at once,
but if I do a little bit at a time, I can get the entire wing fully repaired
and you’ll be able to fly again.”
 
Levi looked at Eren with shock.  He was already feeling light headed, as if a
huge weight had been lifted from him, but now he was sure he’d just float right
up into space.  “I don’t deserve . . . No!  I can’t think like this anymore!” 
He balled his fists and took a deep breath.  “I want to fly again.  Please
repair my wing, Eren.” 
 
Eren smiled brilliantly.  “Perfect!  No time like the present to get started! 
I’ll start at the shoulder and work my way out over the next several days.  It
should take me about ten days to get to the entire wing . . . they are quite
large, after all.”
 
Levi was trembling slightly with barely contained excitement combined with
residual fear as the arc reached for his damaged wing.  Eren nudged the
shredded appendage to get the demon to open the wing for him.  The demon
complied.  “Thank you, Eren. . . for everything.  You have no idea what this
means to me . . . what you’ve really done for me.”
 
Once again, the arc smiled brilliantly.  “That’s what friends are for,” he
stated simply.
 
Friends?  He considers me a friend?  Even though it’s forbidden, he . . . calls
me friend.  Levi relaxed some as Eren placed the palm of one hand near the
underside of the demon’s wing at the shoulder joint, and the other at the same
place on the top of the wing.  He closed his eyes and muttered an incantation
as he drew both hands down from the leading edge of the wing to the back.  A
soft golden-green glow followed in the arc’s wake as the strips of tattered
flesh were knitted back together again.
 
 
Ten days later, the wing was fully repaired.  It was no longer solid black,
however.  In every place that the torn away flesh had been replaced, the skin
came in silver.  His wing was now solid black along the arm and fingers with
widening streaks of silver leading to a solid silver trailing edge.  It was
fascinating as he spread his wings so see the right one still solid black with
the left one black and silver.  Levi decided that he liked the look. 
 
He stood atop the cathedral once again.  Though he had been exercising the
wings over the past ten days while Eren repaired the skin of the left one, it
had been well over two months since his last flight.  A strong summer evening
breeze blew against him, and he tilted back his head and reveled in the
sensation of the wind in his hair and the resistance as it hit his outstretched
wings.  The temptation was too much.  He leaned forward and took flight.  Each
powerful stroke of his wings carrying him faster and higher.
 
For Levi, this was a new beginning.  This day I am born yet again.  I am
through wasting time being what I am not.  I will start anew and make the most
of this life and its opportunities.   I will survive life’s trials and I will
overcome its obstacles.  I may be a demon, but I am not evil.  I never was.  I
will stop wallowing in self pity and I will be the person I’ve always wanted to
be.  I will grow stronger and fight harder to protect those in need.  He
cleared the clouds and hovered in the wind, watching the setting sun.  “I am
Levi!” he shouted to the sun.  “and my life begins at this very moment!”
 
 
 
***** The Library of Alexandria *****
                                  CHAPTER 21
                           The Library of Alexandria
 
 
Levi and Eren fell into a routine working together.  Levi would help Eren with
dispatching any demons within his designated area, and Eren would help Levi
with his contract breaking jobs.  Something was still nagging at the back of
Levi’s mind, however.  “I’m going to risk going over to St. Maria’s church
today,” he told Eren.
 
“Aren’t you concerned that Erwin may be having the church watched?” Eren asked.
 
“Yes.  But I can portal in without being seen.  My most recent journal is in
the basement library there.  It has all of my most recent notes, and I need
those to help me with a theory I have about the Demon King’s attack and hostage
strategy.”
 
“I’m going with you,” Eren stated flatly.
 
“I’d argue, but I know how stubborn you are, so I won’t waste my breath,” Levi
chuckled.  The demon’s entire demeanor had changed since he’d started looking
at his life as the second chance he’d always wanted. 
 
They portaled directly into the library, where Levi quickly retrieved his
journal.  But then, they heard movement upstairs.  They cautiously went up the
stairs and were confronted by a young priest.  The man had heard them in the
basement and was just coming to check on it.   He was tall and handsome, with
dark brown hair and eyes and dark freckles splashed across his cheekbones.  
The priest startled at seeing the demon and the arc.
 
“Marco??” Levi blurted out.  “No, wait, you’re too young.”
 
The priest’s face lit up.  “You must be Levi!  My father told me about you.  He
saw you a couple of times and said you looked out for this church and for
Father Ackerman!”
 
“So, you can see us?” Eren asked.
 
“Yes, I can.  I’ve always been able to see your kind.”  The smiling priest
extended his hand in welcome.  “My name is Marco Bodt Jr. – please don’t call
me junior!!”
 
Levi accepted the handshake, as did Eren in turn.  “Wait.  Marco went into
Seminary.  How did he end up having a son?” Levi asked.
 
“He was drafted before he could graduate.  After the war . . . well, he felt he
had committed sins that would make him unfit to be a priest.  So he married my
mother and got a job as a teacher.  I’ve always wanted to be a priest, so here
I am.”
 
“So, this is your church?” Levi asked hopefully.
 
Marco smiled again.  “Yes.  I requested this church specifically, since it was
the one my father grew up in.  I see the rumors of someone maintaining the
church and the grounds are true.  I assume that I have you to thank for it.”
 
The demon shook his head.  “Not at all.  I just wanted to keep my home in good
condition is all.”
 
“Liar!” Eren laughed.  “Keeping the place open for worshippers and maintaining
the gardens and chickens so people could benefit from the food and the beauty. 
Caring for the graveyard and making sure there are always candles for those who
come to pray.”
 
“Tch!  It’s a church.  It’s supposed to be used!” Levi retorted.  “I’m just
glad the diocese finally sent a priest to run it!”
 
“I see you’re carrying Volpl with you continually now.  I noticed it hasn’t
been on display for some time,” Marco noted.
 
“I’m afraid it’s no longer safe for me to stay here, or even come here really. 
I need to keep Volpl with me for when I’m summoned to break a demon contract,”
Levi explained.  “By the way, this here is Eren Jaëger,” he added, indicating
the arc beside him.
 
The priest’s smile never faded as he reached out to shake Eren’s hand agasin. 
“Pleasure to meet you.  I seem to remember my father mentioning someone named
Jaëger when he was growing up.  Survived a train wreck and stayed with him and
Gramma and Grampa while the mother recovered in the hospital.”
 
“That was me,” Eren confirmed.  “It’s very nice to meet you, Father Bodt.”
 
“Please, just Marco,” the priest insisted.
 
“Levi!  You’re here!”
 
The demon spun around, hand on the hilt of his sword and a look of pure terror
in his eyes.  “Nile!”
 
“Where have you been??  I keep stopping by, but you’re never here!” Nile
demanded as he approached.
 
“What do you want, Nile?” Levi asked uneasily as he backed away.
 
Nile stopped in his tracks and looked at the defensive posture of the demon in
confusion.  “Levi, what’s wrong?”
 
“Why are you here?” Levi demanded, looking ready for fight or flight.
 
“I . . . don’t understand.  Why are you acting like I’m an enemy?”
 
“Why. Are. You. Here?”
 
Nile had a hurt look on his face.  “I came here when Father Marco came to take
over the church and when you weren’t here but Volpl was, I was worried.  This
church is in my designated area, so I stop by often since you haven’t been
around.  I never did when you were here because you always looked out for the
place and anyone here, so . . . what happened?  Where have you been?”
 
“Levi, I don’t think he knows,” Eren said quietly.
 
“I’m a little confused,” Marco admitted.
 
“Knows what?” Nile asked.
 
Levi remained in his defensive position.  “Don’t you have orders to capture or
kill me?”
 
Now Nile looked just plain shocked.  “Why would I have orders to do that?! 
Eren, what is going on here?”  He directed his last question at the younger
arc.
 
“It’s a long story,” Eren replied.
 
Levi finally relaxed his stance.  “I’m sorry, Nile.  I’ve had experiences
lately that have me questioning who I can really trust.”  Levi took a long,
deep breath.  “So what’s been going on in my absence ? . . besides Father Marco
coming to revive the church.”
 
Nile was still very confused.  “There have been rumors flying around about a
possible attack by the Underworld on Paradise.  It’s been said that there are
hostages involved.  There have been a number of hostage situations taken care
of around the world, but . . .”
 
“I’m pretty sure those are distractions,” Levi interrupted.  “Humans make poor
hostages in a situation like this.”  Levi contemplated the theory he had been
forming over the past few weeks.  “Nile, do you report directly to Erwin at
all?”
 
“Yes I do,” Nile confirmed. “We’re very close friends.”
 
Levi hesitated before continuing.  “Do me a favor and don’t tell him that you
saw or spoke to me.  It could get you into a lot of trouble, for one.  It would
get Eren into trouble too.  I need you to somehow drop the inference or
offhandedly ask what would happen to the world if something were to happen to
the Fates or to the Watchers.”
 
Nile’s eyes widened.  “What have you gotten yourself into, Levi?   And are you
suggesting that the Fates and/or the Watchers are the real hostages while we
run around trying to free all the human hostages?”
 
“That is exactly what I’m suggesting.  It’s just a theory, mind you.  I have
more research to do, but I think you need to get the arcs working on the same
theory if you can.  Again, don’t say anything about talking to me.”  Levi
turned to Marco, who had a frightened look on his face.  “Father Marco, I’m
glad you’re here.  Just bring this church and community back to the way Father
Ackerman had it and pray.  The arcs and I will handle the rest.”  He shook
Marco’s hand, then turned and opened a portal.  “Eren.  We’re going to
Alexandria.”
 
 
Eren had been standing with his mouth agape for the better part of fifteen
minutes.  “Are you gonna just stand there like a freakin bump catching flies or
are you gonna help me research?” Levi asked.
 
The awed arc didn’t move.  “I thought the Vatican Library was big . . .” he
finally said somewhat absent mindedly.
 
“And this is only one room,” Levi stated as he set a rather large scroll on the
nearby table.  They were standing in the middle of a huge, brightly lit
underground cavern that had been carved from solid sandstone, the roof
supported by huge Egyptian style pillars. 
 
Eren finally snapped out of his awestruck stupor an went over to where Levi was
at a massive wooden table.  “So what are we looking for?”
 
“Anything that pertains to the Fates or the Watchers.”
 
“So, um, the Watchers; are they real?”
 
“Oh, they are very real.  Had the . . . pleasure, of meeting them once.”
 
“You did?”  Eren became excited.  “What are they like?”
 
Levi suddenly developed a creepy, vacant expression on his face, turned to Eren
without really looking at him and said, “We watch,” in a monotone, almost dead
voice.
 
Eren’s mouth fell open and his light green eyes widened in surprise, then he
burst out laughing.  “Oh my god!  You look so hilarious doing that!!  Are they
really like that?”
 
“No joke, Eren.  They’re exactly like that.  They do nothing at all and they
have a huge vocabulary of all of two words.”  Then just to be funny, Levi did
it again.  “We watch.”
 
Poor Eren had tears running down his face, he was laughing so hard. 
 
Over the next few days, Eren learned that the Library had been in existence
long before the legendary library that burned. In fact, it existed long before
the city it was named for was even thought of. It contained a collection of
writings dating back more than 55,000 years.  “Wait, writing was only invented
5,000 years ago!”
 
“Wrong.  You’re thinking, of course, of the Sumerian cuneiform writing.  That
was far from the first writing.  Humans have been finding ways to scribble
stuff down since before the separation occurred.”
 
“The separation?”
 
“The evil 45,000 years ago that convinced us to control our own fate after
death and to separate from God’s will.  It’s the reason humans can incarnate as
demons or arcs.  Souls are species specific, so that means that humans, demons
and arcs are the same species divided up in a mockery of the way God had the
afterlife set up.”
 
“Why would God allow that??”
 
“Because He’s a gentleman.  He won’t force His will on us.  He wants us to
follow and love Him because we want to, not because we have to.  It’s not
really love or obedience if it’s forced on one.”  Levi paused a moment to add
to his notes before continuing.  “The library actually dates to the time of the
separation.  A group of people wanted to preserve a record of all that was
learned and how what we knew changed.  That was when the First Room was carved
out.  It still contains stone slabs and slabs of tree bark with writing on them
along with ancient paper and parchment.”
 
“This is a living library, and even today, a copy of every new book is brought
here for safe keeping for future generations.  Poetry, fiction, history,
science, medicine, religion – it’s all recorded here.  The false has been
preserved as well as the truth.  What we think of as fact changes all the time,
and this place is a record of that.  They even store music, movies and internet
information here.”
 
“So how does nobody know about this?” Eren asked.
 
“To reduce the risk of someone, namely governments, from destroying the
library.  The job of ‘keeper’ is passed down from one generation to the next. 
It’s a family affair of sorts.  New blood is brought in from time to time when
someone is believed to have enough passion for the job.”
 
“Levi!  It’s been too long!”
 
Levi smirked.  “Speaking of which . . . Hello, Ahmed.  I’m afraid it has been a
while,” he greeted the man that was approaching them.
 
“It is good to see you again, my friend,” Ahmed greeted warmly as he gripped
the demon’s hand.  “And I see you’ve brought a friend with you this time – an
arc no less!”
 
“Yes.  Ahmed, this is Eren.”
 
Ahmed smiled warmly as he shook Eren’s hand.  “It’s good to meet you.”  The man
then turned back to Levi.  “I see you’re looking up information on the Fates
again.”
 
“Yes.  And the Watchers as well.  I brought Eren with me to help – that is if
he can ever get over geeking out over this place.”  
 
Ahmed laughed; a warm and hearty sound.  “Well, if you need any help at all,
please let one of us know.  I’ll send Gabby over with some food and drink for
you.”
 
“Thank you, Ahmed.”
 
Eren watched the man go.  “He can see us.”
 
“Everyone here can.  Probably has something to do with the magic they use to
protect the place and to preserve all of the books and stuff,” Levi replied. 
“Now, if you could do me a favor and look in that aisle over there and see if
you can find anything pertaining to the Fates or the Watchers.”
 
“Uh, right!”  The overawed arc disappeared down the aisle Levi had indicated. 
An hour later, he returned with a leather bound book.  “This one has a section
on both the Watchers and the Fates.  It describes the Watchers just like you
did!”
 
Levi stifled a laugh.  “That’s because I’m the one who wrote that.”
 
“What?!”
 
“I told you.  They preserve every book here, including my journals.  You’ll
also find huge amount of stuff written by arcs.  I’ve never known demons to
write anything down.  I never saw anything even remotely like a library in the
Underworld.  I think my writings are the only samples from a demon.”
 
Eren’s eyes widened.  “Wooooow!”
 
“Actually, I do need that book.  See if you can find some others . . .
preferably written by someone other than me this time.”
 
 
Levi always went into the nearby city of Alexandria when he took breaks from
his research and knelt atop one of the many mosques.  He especially liked to do
this in the evenings as the sun set and the prayers were sung out across the
old part of the city.  He reveled in the sights, sounds and scents of the
ancient and now Muslim city. 
 
“Can’t find a church so you’ll settle for a mosque, eh?” Eren asked as he flew
in and landed beside the contented looking demon.
 
“Any house of God will do,” he replied.   “I love the sound of Muslim prayers. 
They sound so ancient and timeless.  There’s something so . . . comforting
about them.  The hot desert evenings, the red sunsets and the sound of Muslim
prayers being sung just stirs something in me, I guess.”
 
“May I touch your wings?”
 
Levi looked at Eren through the corner of his eye over his shoulder.  “Well
that wasn’t totally random!” he said sarcastically as he shifted and opened his
wings slightly.  “But, you have my permission.  I trust you.”
 
Eren smiled and placed his hand firmly on the sensitive skin.  It felt like
fine satin to the touch. 
 
A soft moan escaped Levi’s lips as Eren’s hand ran firmly down his right wing. 
He’d never felt anything so wonderful before.  Come to think of it . . . I’ve
never really let anyone touch my wings before.  I mean I’ve had a few children
touch them, but that was always so light and ticklish.  This is something else
entirely!  Levi opened his wings fully to allow and encourage Eren to touch
them more freely.
 
Eren’s hands began firmly rubbing the sensitive flesh of his wings and Levi
knelt there, now on both knees, and leaned forward to support himself with his
hands.  His head was down and his eyes were closed as he reveled in this new
sensation.  Another soft moan of pleasure escaped him as Eren focused on the
right wing, placing one hand on one side and the other hand opposite it, and
ran them both down the wing from leading edge to trailing edge. 
 
For the next several minutes Eren stroked and rubbed Levi’s wings and was
rewarded by seeing the demon completely relaxed for the first time since they’d
met.  For Levi, it came as  a surprise that being touched didn’t have to mean
being in hurt.  He’d never truly realized that touch could feel so wonderful. 
“Are your wings this sensitive?” Levi asked once Eren finally stopped.
 
“Not as sensitive as yours,” Eren replied.  “No more so than our arms, anyway.”
 
“To bad, really.  I’m gonna have to let you touch my wings more often.”
 
 
A week later found Levi again sitting high atop the mosque.  Eren had joined
him as they watched the last light of day fade from the sky.  The city remained
alive even after the last light had faded in the west and a crescent moon still
hung in the sky.  The sound and lights of traffic and night markets filled the
rapidly cooling desert night air.  “This afternoon, you seemed to have come to
some kind of conclusion.  I gather you’ve been sitting up here mulling it
over.”
 
Levi smirked as he looked at Eren out of the corner of his eye.  “You’re
right.  I’ve concluded that the Fates and the Watchers are definitely the
targets of the demon king.   My research leads me to believe that the Fates are
more than capable of protecting themselves.  The Watchers, on the other hand,
will do nothing.  That, as far as I know, makes them extremely vulnerable. 
Even the Fates don’t know what would happen if the Watchers were harmed in any
way.”
 
“So what do we do?” Eren asked.
 
“We go see the Fates to confirm or disprove my theories,” Levi answered as he
stood up and opened a portal in front of them.  “and now is as good a time as
any.”  He drew Volpl and held it at the ready while Eren did the same before
they both stepped through.
***** Fates and Destiny *****
                                  CHAPTER 22
                               Fates and Destiny
 
 
Levi stepped cautiously through the portal with his sword drawn and ready for
anything.  He fully expected to be attacked the instant he came through.  Eren
came behind, also with his sword at the ready.  To Levi, everything looked
exactly as it had the last time he’d been here.
 
“You need not your sword, Levi,” the old woman informed him.  “Nor do you, Eren
Jaëger.”
 
Levi sheathed Volpl, but Eren very nearly dropped his sword.  “How . . . ?”
 
“They’re the Fates, dumbass!  They know everything.”
 
“Almost, but not quite everything,” the maiden giggled.  “You’re fears,
however, are justified.”
 
“The minions of the Underworld have indeed attempted to take us hostage and, in
fact, believe they have,” the mother continued.
 
“What did you do to them?” Levi asked with a mirthful smirk.
 
The old woman replied with an equally mirthful grin.  “They are currently
trapped in copy of this place, unaware that they are in an illusion.”  An image
appeared before them of a garden just like the one they stood in, only full of
demons that had tied and were tormenting the Fates.  “They are trapped there
and can never escape until we will it to be so.”
 
Levi chuckled.  “Serves the assholes right.”
 
“We can see that you have at last acknowledged and accepted your destiny,
Levi,” the mother stated with a smile.
 
“I have.  Eren here pointed the obvious out to me, since I couldn’t seem to see
it myself.”
 
“That is good,” she continued.  “For now you can truly walk with confidence
down the path that has been put before you.  There will still be obstacles to
overcome, but you have already overcome the worst of them.  You are strong and
determined and you are a true warrior for God.”
 
Levi nodded to them in acknowledgement. “You three are safe, but what about the
Watchers?  Have demons attempted to take over there as well?”
 
“They have,” all three Fates replied.  “and they have succeeded.”
 
“Shit!  Do you have any idea what could happen if the Watchers are harmed in
any way?”
 
“We do not,” the maiden said.  “The Watchers are beyond the realm of our
influence and are as much a mystery to us as they are to you.”
 
“Only God can say what could happen,” the old woman added.
 
“Yeah, and He ain’t tellin!”  Levi contemplated the situation for a moment. 
Now what do I do?  We have to free the Watchers without anything happening to
them.  But how?  If the demon king even suspects that . . . wait . . . the
demon king . . .“Tell me something.  Does the demon king really exist?”
 
At that question, Eren’s mouth fell open.  “What kind of a question is that?! 
Everybody knows about Arturo!”
 
“Really?” Levi replied.  “In what time I did spend in the Underworld, I never
saw hide nor hair of the bastard.  Furthermore, no one else ever had either. 
Ran Mau seemed to be the one running everything.  Until I was captured by your
people, I didn’t even know the demon king had a name.  So my question stands. 
Does the demon king really exist?”
 
“He does not.”
 
“Wait.  So who does rule the Underworld?” Eren asked in astonishment.
 
“Ran Mau.”  It was Levi who answered the question.
 
“You are correct, Levi,” the mother confirmed.  “There has never been a demon
king.”
 
Levi was fast putting the puzzle together.  “Ran Mau is the evil that separated
our worlds 45,000 years ago, isn’t she ?”
 
“Again you perceive correctly,” the maiden replied.
 
“Wait.  What?  You’ve lost me,” Eren griped.
 
Levi’s mind was spinning.  Somehow, none of this really surprises me.  What’s
scaring the shit out of me right now is that if Ran Mau is the one that created
Paradise, then she is more than capable of entering it!  Furthermore, it stands
to reason that she can get the rest of the demons in as well!  Fuck!  This is
far worse than I’d thought it was!  First things first, however.  We need to
free the Watchers. “How many demons are with the Watchers right now?”
 
“3,000,” the mother said.
 
Both Eren and Levi practically choked.  “But . . . I can’t handle that many,”
Levi finally whispered.  “Not by myself.”
 
“I have to get to Paradise immediately,” Eren stated.  “I have to let Commander
Erwin know what’s happening.  We have to mount a rescue operation immediately!”
 
“Very well.  I’ll take us back to your apartment, then you can go from there. 
Use your cell phone to call your apartment phone to let me know when the
operation is taking place and also to let me know if you people can even get to
the watchers,” Levi instructed.  “If not, I’ll have to take the risk and open a
portal to the Watchers for you.”
 
“Right.”
 
“And, Eren.”
 
“Yes?”
 
“It would be wise, for your own safety, to not tell Erwin that you have been
anywhere around me.  You can just tell him you got the information from the
Fates.  It’s honest enough,” Levi warned.
 
“We will provide you transport directly to your commander, Eren.  Tell him that
our garden has a thistle with no thorns, and he will know you speak the truth,”
the old woman said. 
 
“A thistle with no thorns; right.  Got it.  Thank you very much for all of your
help.”  Eren bowed to the amusement of the Fates, and he then disappeared as he
was sent to his commander.
 
Levi bowed his head.  “I thank you for your help, Fates.  I will never be able
to repay you properly.”
 
The old woman smiled even more broadly than she already was.  “Your gracious
gratitude is enough, Levi.  Stay your course and never let go of your
compassion.”
 
“Believe in yourself and the strength that you have,” the mother added.
 
“But you must also believe in others and the strength they can lend you,” the
maiden continued.
 
“Most of all, you must believe in God and the destiny He has laid before you. 
In His wisdom, He will not put you through anything that He has not given you
the strength to handle,” the old woman finished.
 
Levi created a portal back to Eren’s apartment, then looked back at the Fates
with his head held high.  “I do believe and I will fulfill my destiny.”  With
that, he stepped through the portal.
 
***** Battle and Forgiveness *****
                                  CHAPTER 23
                            Battle and Forgiveness
 
Levi paced the wooden floor of Eren’s apartment like a caged animal, waiting to
pounce on the phone the moment it rung.  With the exception of the silver skin
where Eren had healed his once tattered left wing, the demon was now exactly as
he had been before being captured and held in Paradise.  No scars marred his
flesh and even the silver streaked wing was smooth and flawless.  His clothing
finally fit him as it had before and his muscle tone was back to the way he’d
always maintained it.  To look at him, one would never know he’d been
practically torn apart just a few months ago. 
 
The six hours of waiting felt like an eternity to him as he swore he was
wearing a hole in floor with his pacing.  Pounce was exactly what he did the
instant the phone rang, not even giving it a chance to finish its first ring. 
“What’s the plan?”  Levi didn’t even offer a greeting or question who was on
the other end.
 
Eren chuckled.  “What – were you sitting on the phone?  Someone’s generating a
portal to the Watchers for us now.”
 
“Alright.  I’m on my way there now.”  Not giving the arc a chance to answer,
Levi hung up the phone and immediately drew his sword and opened a portal to
the realm of the Watchers.  At first, the demon’s present thought nothing of
another demon showing up.  Levi had half expected the entire horde to instantly
recognize who he was. 
 
3,000 demons were scattered about the . . . room? . . . realm? . . . whatever –
they were looking at everything going on in the world and laughing at the
misfortunes happening everywhere.  Like a bunch of goddamn teenagers rotting
their brains in front of the television!  The Watchers were all gathered in one
spot, tied together.  Perfect!  This couldn’t have worked out better!  With
them all together like that I can easily shield them from the other demons
until the arc forces get here!  Speaking of which, what the fuck is taking them
so long???
 
The entire defense was made even easier by the fact that the Watchers were
against one . . . wall? . . . side? . . . whatever – so that Levi didn’t have
to worry about defending his back.   As he strode over to the Watchers, every
last one of them turned to look at him, and in that all too familiar, monotone
note they said, “We watch.”
 
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Levi snapped.  “I know that already, so just shut the
fuck up and watch already!!”
 
He quickly cast a barrier with a sweep of his hand just as several demons had
figured out that he didn’t belong here and were coming in to attack.  Several
of them quailed at the sight of Volpl, and others reacted in greater fury once
they realized who the intruder really was.  As far as they were concerned, the
Contract Breaker was nothing more than a traitor.
 
The barrier around the Watchers remained in place while Levi used smaller magic
shields to fend of individual attacks while striking down others with Volpl. 
I’m not going to be able to keep this up for too long . . . Where the fuck is
Commander Eyebrows and his army?!  No sooner had he thought it when multiple
doors appeared everywhere and opened to let in hundreds of battle ready arcs. 
 
Something went wrong, however.  With less than a thousand arcs having gotten
through, the doors suddenly collapsed and vanished.  Levi sensed the pulse of
power that caused the doors to collapse.  Shit!  They were prepared for this! 
He stayed by the Watchers, striking down every demon that approached.  It
didn’t take Levi long to figure out that they were fighting a losing battle.  
He was outnumbered to a point that one demon was able to get a blow to
connect.  The demon died seconds later as Volpl separate its head from its
shoulders, but Levi’s left leg was laid open from the outside knee ligament
down to just above the Achilles tendon.
 
In desperation, Levi lashed out with a burst of pure energy that sent all of
his attackers flying back away from him (without the aid of their wings, mind
you).  He scanned the battlefield, and knew instantly that things were going
badly.  Not enough arcs had been able to get through the doors; arcs were dying
everywhere without making a dent in the numbers of the demon legions.  An idea
came to him.  If the Jovis Pachem had worked for him, perhaps this one would
too.
 
Levi was down on one knee as a result of his injury, so he turned Volpl and
drove the tip into the . . . ground? . . . floor? . . . space? . . . whatever –
gripping the hilt with both hands, closed his eyes and began to sing another
ancient incantation that he had found in the ancient Alexandria tablets.
 
Domineo Veniteo
Sacramentum Eo deo
 
A burst of power pulsed out from Volpl’s tip and a magic circle formed that
encompassed the entire area that they occupied – more like a magic orb,
actually.
 
Domineo Veniteo
Sacramentum Eo Deo
 
A second pulse, more powerful than the first radiated out from the chanting
demon and the circle was continually changing design and color.  His eyes
snapped open, and the silver irises were glowing brilliantly.  Every demon
suddenly froze in place as if caught in trap and began to scream as if in
agony, and every arc paused, for though most had never heard the incantation
before, all of them recognized it immediately.
 
Athai ar Neamh Dia Linn
Athair ar Neamh Dia Liom
 
Even as he chanted this new line, the first line continued repeating in the
background as the spell continued to weave.
 
Athair ar Neamh Dia Linn
Athair ar Neamh Dia Liom
 
Dominae Venitae Sacramentum Eo Deo
Dominae Venitae Sacramentum Eo Deo Eo Deo
 
Suddenly everything became quiet as Levi moved on to the next lines of the
incantation and the circle remained in one shape and colored a vibrant blue.
 
Omnem Crede
Diem
Tibi Diluxisse
Supremum
Omnem Crede
Diem
Tibi Diluxisse
Supremum
 
There was another pulse of energy and the circle began changing shape and color
again and the demons began to scream again as they began to evaporate like
steam.
 
Athair ar Neamh Dia Linn
Athair ar Neamh Dia Liom
 
Dominae Venitae Sacramentum Eo Deo
Dominae Venitae Sacramentum Eo Deo Eo Deo
Song:  Pax Deorem by Enya
 
There was a final pulse of power as the last of the demons vanished from
existence.   It radiated outward and then collapsed back in at the demon who
cast it along with the magic circle.  As the collapsing pulse hit him, Levi’s
eyes opened wide and his entire body went rigid before he collapsed to the
ground, unconscious.
 
He wasn’t out for long.  His head was still swimming as he pushed himself back
up onto his knees, using Volpl to lean against.  He then heard a voice that
instantly made his blood run cold.  “One of them is still alive!” 
 
Levi looked up to see Rico storming towards him.  He couldn’t even begin to
hide the fear in his eyes as she approached with murder in her eyes.  “Rico,
please!  I’m not your enemy!”  Before the panicked demon could say anything
further, someone stepped between him and the furious arc.  Everyone present was
shocked into silence, for completely surrounding the lone demon were all twelve
Watchers, their arms extended out to their sides protecting him.
 
“Stand aside!” Rico finally demanded.  “How dare you protect such a blasphemous
creature?!”
 
The Watcher standing directly in front of Levi inclined his head.  “He is the
One.”
 
Levi couldn’t decide what was more shocking;  the fact that the Watchers were
doing something besides ‘watching’, the fact that they were protecting him, the
fact that only one spoke (they’d always spoken in unison before), or the fact
that he said something other than “We watch”.  What the fuck is going on
here??  They didn’t even do anything to protect themselves, but now they’re
protecting me?!  And what does he mean I’m ‘the one’?  The one what??
 
“Levi!”  Eren came running up, and the Watchers let him pass before again
closing their ranks around Levi.  “Levi, are you alright?”
 
“I’m fine.  A little confused – okay, really confused, but fine.”
 
Rico was now livid.  “What is the meaning of this?!  How can you Watchers
defend a demon?  More importantly, how can you, an arc be concerned for a
demon’s well being?  It’s forbidden!  He’s the enemy!  That monster doesn’t
deserve our concern!  What is wrong with you, you traitorous bastard?!”
 
“Levi is no monster!  He’s not the enemy!” Eren protested.
 
“Eren, you have to get away from me now,” Levi warned quietly.  “You don’t
realize what they’ll do to you.”
 
Eren ignored the demon’s plea.  “I know he looks like a demon, but I can assure
you that he’s not one!”
 
“Have you lost your mind?” Rico hissed.
 
“He speaks the truth!”
 
The Watchers stepped aside as Erwin approached, looking the injured demon in
the eyes.  “Levi is no demon.  If you don’t believe me, then believe your own
eyes.  Look at the sword he is holding.  Do you really think Darian’s sword
would allow a creature of evil to wield it?  If that’s not enough, then think
about what he just did.  The Sacramentum hasn’t been used in over 10,000
years.  No one has had the power necessary to use that spell.  Not only has
Levi survived the ultimate spell of purification, but he himself cast it.  It
would be impossible for anyone with evil in their hearts to cast such a spell.”
 
Levi was looking up at Erwin with hurt in his silver eyes.  “And yet you
ordered me captured and tortured just a few months ago.  How could you?  What
did I do wrong?  I thought you were a friend.”
 
Erwin looked at the demon in shock.  “You were the one they captured?!”  A look
of combined horror and sadness fell across the arc’s face and he knelt down in
front of Levi.  He took Volpl from Levi’s hands and set it aside, then wrapped
his arms around the small demon.  “Forgive me, Levi!  Please believe me when I
say that when I gave the order to capture a demon for questioning, it never
crossed my mind that you would ever be the one they captured.  Why didn’t you
ask to see me?  I would have come and I would have set you free.  If only I’d
known!”
 
A few tears escaped his eyes as Erwin held him.  “They made it sound like you
had ordered my capture specifically.  I thought I had done something wrong . .
. I assumed they knew who I was and that you knew I was there.”
 
“Forgive me, Levi.  I should have known.  I should have gone to check on things
myself instead of leaving it entirely up to Rico.  I should have known
something was wrong when I sensed you approaching the border of Paradise but
then suddenly disappeared.”  Erwin pulled back and looked up at Eren.  “I
presume you have been with him for the past few months?”
 
Eren stepped forward.  “I have, Commander.  I came across him shortly after he
escaped.”
 
“Commander, I don’t understand.  Why are you defending this demon?” Rico
finally managed to ask.
 
“Because he’s the Contract Breaker, you idiot!!” Eren yelled.
 
Rico’s face collapsed into a look of complete horror and remorse.  “No.  It
can’t be.  I can’t have . . . No.”  She brought her hand up to cover her mouth
as tears began to spill down her face.  In a split second she went from hostile
to grief stricken.  “No. . . the one demon I truly wanted to meet and thank and
I . . . Oh my god!  What have I done?!”
 
Erwin stood up and addressed all who were present.  “Let it be known by all
that Levi, though looking like a demon, is in fact the Contract Breaker and the
wielder of Volpl.  He is the caster of the Sacramentum and a warrior of God. 
He is a protector of humanity and an ally of the arcs.  No arc is to harm him. 
Spread the word so that all will know this!”
 
Levi looked up at Erwin in shock.  For once, the demon had absolutely nothing
he could say.   Eren knelt down beside him and gently rubbed his back.  Levi
glanced up as Heron and Nile approached the group.  “Forgive me, Commander,”
Nile started.  “I’ve seen Levi since his escape and I kept that information
from you because I too, believed that you had ordered his capture.  Had I told
you, this might have been cleared up all that much sooner.”
 
“I too must ask your forgiveness, Commander.  I was the one that gave Levi a
means of escape from Paradise.  I too believed that you had ordered his capture
specifically, and I owed him for freeing myself and Coran from the Underworld.”
 
“No forgiveness is needed.  You both did right by your friend, and I cannot
fault you for that.  In fact, I am grateful to you both for protecting him,”
Erwin replied.
 
Levi visibly tensed as Rico now approached him.  Eren scowled at her as she
knelt down in front of the now trembling demon.  At first, she couldn’t look
him in the eye.  She finally did, though, as she began to speak.  “I am so
sorry, Contract Breaker.  I honestly had no idea who you were.  I . . .” tears
again spilled down her face as she began to cry.  “I thought you were just
another demon.  I let my hatred consume and blind me.”  A sob escaped her
lips.  “I’m so sorry.  You’re the one demon I wantedto meet.  The one demon I
wanted to thank.”  She wrapped her arms around herself and curled in on
herself.  “My husband was destroyed because of a demon contract he made.  I
hated them for that.  They destroyed my entire family.  My daughter was the
only survivor in the end.  Then the same demon contracted to my great, great
granddaughter because her sister was being abused by her husband.  You were the
one that killed the demon and freed both my husband and my great, great
granddaughter.  But you didn’t stop there.  You also did something to my other
great, great granddaughter’s husband that made him change.  After that, their
marriage was beautiful and they lived so happily together.  My family was saved
because of you and look how I  . . .”  Another sob.  “Look how I thanked you!” 
Rico began to sob uncontrollably. 
 
Tears slid silently down Levi’s face as five light bluish green gems of healing
fell from his eyes.  “I remember them.  Your descendant was my second contract
breaking job,” he said softly.  He reflexively reached out and touched her arm.
 
Rico looked up into his eyes, then threw her arms around him, sobbing.  “I’m so
sorry!  You didn’t deserve any of it!  I’m so sorry!”
 
Levi’s ability to forgive and his overwhelming compassion took over.  He
wrapped his arms around her shoulders.  “It’s in the past.  I hold nothing
against you.”  Rico sobbed even harder.
 
The Watchers, satisfied that no harm would come to Levi, took up their usual
positions and resumed their watching.  Then all twelve said in unison, “He is
the One.”
 
“The one what?” Eren asked.  There was no answer.
 
 
***** A New Leaf Turned *****
                                  CHAPTER 24
                               A New Leaf Turned
 
 
With the Fate’s and the Watchers safe, and misunderstandings cleared away, Levi
felt safe in returning to his home at St. Maria’s church.  Marco had greeted
the demon warmly and was relieved to hear that disaster had been averted. 
Erwin had seen fit (for reasons Levi wasn’t entirely sure of) to switch Nile
and Eren’s territory, so that Eren now also took up residence at St. Maria’s.
 
Levi had to admit;  they did make an awesome team.  Contract breaking jobs were
much easier with Eren’s help.  He also had to admit (though never out loud)
that he rather enjoyed the young arc’s companionship.  When they weren’t
working, they were raiding the libraries of the world.
 
It had been nearly ten years since the battle to save the Watchers.  Neither
Levi nor Eren were surprised when Erwin dropped by St. Maria’s for a visit, as
he did so frequently.  This time, however, he had a bald old man with him.  
Nile, Heron, Rico and several other arcs were with him as well.  Levi was
baffled when Eren, upon seeing them, immediately dropped down on one knee,
placed his right fist over his heart, his left arm behind his back and bowed
his head.  “Your Majesty.”
 
Levi just looked at Eren kind of funny and Erwin laughed.  “Levi.  Let me
introduce you to the King of Paradise, Pixis.”
 
Levi looked at the old man in shock.  “Who makes an arc that’s old??” he
blurted out.
 
Pixis roared laughing.  “Good question!  Arcs and demons that get hungry,
thirsty, sleepy, need glasses, need sex and some that are older than dirt like
me!  I never did get that!”
 
Levi raised a slender, ebony eyebrow and smirked.  I think I’m gonna like this
guy.  He reached out and shook Pixis’ offered hand.  “It’s good to meet you.”
 
“Oh, stand up, Eren!  You know I hate all that formal shit!” Pixis chided.
 
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Eren stood up and remained at attention.
 
Pixis groaned.  “Ugh!  It took me three millennia to break Erwin of that
habit!  Please.  Just call me Pixis!”
 
“Whatever you say, Pixie Dust,” Levi said.
 
Pixis’ eyes grew wide, Erwin face palmed and the rest just fought to suppress
their giggles.   Pixis again roared laughing.  “I like you, Levi!  You’re so
down to Earth and unpretentious!”
 
Levi’s smirk intensified.  “And you’ve got one hell of a sense of humor.  So to
what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?”
 
“I suppose I should have visited long ago,” Pixis started.  “I’ve long been
curious about the demon that can get into the Vatican, was chosen by Volpl as
its wielder, speaks with the Fates, breaks demon contracts and can cast both
the Jovis Pachem and the Sacramentum and can even garner the protection of the
Watchers!  You are one fascinating individual, Levi.”
 
Erwin nudged the old man.  “Sir, the uniform.”
 
“Ah, right!” Pixis exclaimed.  “The real reason for our visit today.  While it
is beyond my power to give you access to Paradise, I can still acknowledge you
as one of us.  I hereby decree that associating with Levi, the Contract
Breaker, is not forbidden.  In fact, I encourage it.   Levi, I would like to
offer you the official position of Eren’s permanent partner.  As such, I have a
new uniform for you.”
 
One of the other arcs stepped forward and offered Levi a plain wooden box.  He
opened it and took out the clothing he found.  There was a pair of black jeans,
similar to the once he was already wearing, only with silver trim on the
pockets and the hem.  There was also a plain white, button up shirt and a
black, short waisted jacket with the same cross winged crest on the pocket as
was on every arc’s jacket, except his was silver instead of gold.  There was a
new silver trimmed belt with a new scabbard for Volpl and the boots were black
and up to the knee.
 
Levi was stunned.  They were actually going to let him wear the crest of the
arcs?  “I don’t know what to say . . .”
 
“Just say you accept,” Pixis replied with a grin.
 
Levi smirked again.  “I accept.  Thank you.”
 
 
Years went by without anything more that the usual breaking of contracts and
putting down the occasional intruding demon.  St. Maria’s and its surrounding
community again flourished under Marco’s tender loving care. 
 
Levi liked how he looked in his new uniform and was quite proud to be wearing
the crest of the Arc Guardian Forces.   Jenna had told him more than once how
good he looked in the uniform.  She was now over a hundred years old and she
once again summoned her long time friend to the hillside outside her village. 
The old woman was sitting in the grass, gazing out over the fields with a
wistful look in her eyes.  “Hello, Levi,” she greeted as he landed beside her.
 
Levi sat down at her side.  “Hello, Jenna.”
 
“It really is a beautiful place here.  I’ve lived here my entire life, and it’s
still my favorite place in the whole world.  I’ve been sitting here
reminiscing.”
 
“It still seems like just a couple of years ago you were a six year old girl
giving a naked demon a piece of birthday cake,” Levi chuckled.
 
Jenna laughed as she took his hand and squeezed it.  “We’ve had a lot of good
times since then.  You’ve been my best friend ever since that day.”  The old
woman sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.  “I’m tired, Levi.  I don’t mean
sleepy or sick of living or anything like that.  I’m just tired.  Kind of like
how one feels after taking a long and wonderful journey.”  She turned and
looked the demon in the eyes.  “I think my time has come, Levi.  I’ve had a
long life, and it’s been a very good one.”
 
There was no hiding the bittersweet sadness in his eyes, though he smiled. 
“I’m going to miss you Jenna.  You were the first true friend I ever had, and
you’ve been my best friend since the day we met.”  He leaned over and kissed
her on the forehead as he put his right arm and wing around her shoulders.
 
Jenna leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.  “I just
wanted to see you one more time before I left so I could say goodbye, old
friend.”  Levi kissed the top of her head as she continued speaking.  “I wanted
to be in my favorite spot with my best friend here to see me off,” she sighed,
a smile spreading across her face.  “I love you, Levi,” she whispered.
 
“I love you too, Jenna.”  As soon  as the words had left his lips, he  could
feel her spirit departing her body.  A single tear ran down his face as he held
her lifeless body that still held a happy smile on its face.  “And I’m going to
miss you.”
 
The entire village along with Jenna’s extensive family turned out for the
funeral.  Her ashes were buried in the meadow atop her favorite hill.  Levi sat
by her grave and watched the sun set for one last time by her side.  He left
only when the full moon was high overhead and the fireflies danced thought the
meadow and surrounding fields.  “I will miss you, Jenna.  But I will never
regret having known you.”
 
Scattered about in the grass by her grave, lay several purple, blue and grey
swirl tear gems.
 
 
Over the years, Levi had learned that arcs, just like humans and demons, were
highly sexual creatures.  No real surprise as their souls were all the same
species.  And, like both humans and demons, they could be heterosexual,
homosexual, bisexual or, like Levi, asexual (not interested in sex at all). 
When Pixis had stated that associating with Levi was no longer forbidden, Levi
hadn’t realized that this made him fair game as a potential mate.  Erwin almost
immediately expressed his interest in the diminutive demon, but Levi made his
own feelings very clear.  He was NOT available.  Luckily, Erwin respected
Levi’s choice and the two still remained very good friends.
 
One evening, Levi was sitting atop St. Maria’s roof, as he so often did, when
Eren came and sat beside him.  They sat in comfortable silence as they watched
a full moon rise over the city.  Eren suddenly seem to get rather fidgety. 
“What’s bothering you, kid?”
 
“Nothings ‘bothering’ me.  I just want to ask you something, but not really
sure if I should.  I mean, it’s none of my business really . . . I’m just
curious, I guess,” the arc nervously replied.
 
“Well now that you’ve gone and made me curious, you have to ask.”
 
Eren paused for several moments, trying to think how he wanted to word his
question.  “Well, I was wondering what happened to you that makes you so afraid
of love and sex.”
 
Levi looked at Eren in surprise for a moment before answering.  “I suppose it
can’t hurt to tell you.  The man that took me in when my parents were killed –
the man that was Father Ackerman of this church – he was a different person in
my first life.  He was hard and abusive.  He raped me for the first time when I
was only seven years old.  In my experience, sex has always been a violent,
painful and humiliating act.  My opinion was only confirmed when Ran Mau force
herself on me.  As punishment for breaking the first contract, she had damn
near every demon in the Underworld rape me before she finally exiled me.  I was
literally torn apart on the inside. Needless to say, sex is not something I’m
inclined to give much thought to.”
 
“I’m sorry.” Eren couldn’t think of anything else to say.
 
“You shouldn’t be,” Levi responded.  “You had nothing to do with it.  Besides,
it’s in the past; over and done with.”
 
“But what about love?  It’s not the same as sex, you know.”
 
Levi chuckled.  “I’m not afraid of love.  I’ll admit I haven’t loved many
people in my lifetime, but I loved Jenna, and Father Ackerman.  I love Joelle,
and Father Marco.  I even love Erwin, Nile, Rico, Heron and you.”
 
“That’s not the kind of love I meant.”
 
Levi sighed.  “I know.  I guess it’s just pure inexperience on my part.  I
don’t know how to recognize it or how to react to it.  Perhaps it is because I
still associate that kind of love with sex that makes me afraid.  I really
don’t know.  Why do you ask?”
 
“Just curious, I guess.”  Eren was now afraid to tell the demon the real reason
he’d asked.
 
“Eren.”
 
The arc wrapped his arms around his knees and looked down.  “Because I’m in
love with you.”
 
At first, Levi, though not completely surprised, still couldn’t figure out what
to say.  To Eren’s surprise and elation, a spray of brilliant, crystal clear
tear gems of pure joy burst from the demon’s silver eyes and bounced noisily
down the roof and to the street below.  Levi took a chance.  He placed two
fingers under Eren’s chin and turned the arc’s face towards him.  He then
leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on the arc’s soft lips.  “I think I may be
in love with you too, but that’s what terrifies me.”
 
Eren place a hand on either side of Levi’s face and kissed him back, this time
a slightly longer kiss.  “That’s okay.  Just knowing is enough for me.”
 
Nothing more was said on the subject as they continued to gaze out over the
city in comfortable silence.  For now, both were content to be in each other’s
company and to know that they were loved.
 
Eren later collected the five tear gems that Levi had shed, placed them in a
pouch, and put the pouch in the left inside breast pocket of his jacket.  I
will always keep these close to my heart, for I know that these are the first
gems of joy you have ever shed and I am so happy to know that I was the one who
made you shed them.  These are precious to me, and I promise you that I will
make you shed many more tears of pure joy!
 
 
For the first time in his existence, Levi saw life as being beautiful.  Having
changed his outlook on being a demon had changed his life for the better.  
Though comparatively peaceful, Levi always knew in the back of his mind that it
could not last forever.  He knew that Ran Mau would eventually have to be dealt
with.  However, since she tended to stay in the Underworld, getting to her was
impossible.  The trick would be to lure her out into the human world to
confront her, and Levi had no idea how to do that.  So he focused instead on
increasing his prowess with sorcery and eventually developed a shield that
would not only deflect Ran Mau’s power, but amplify it and throw it back at
her. 
 
Levi had stopped worrying about what he could or could not do.  He simply had
faith that he could do something and that if for some reason he couldn’t, that
someone else would.  His trust in the arcs and those he called his friends grew
with each passing year.  Most of all, he had complete faith and trust in his
partner, Eren. 
 
Together, they watched St. Maria’s grow and flourish and watched over each
priest that came to take over the leadership.  What had started with Father
Kenny Ackerman, continued and grew for many decades. 
 
***** Beautiful *****
                                  CHAPTER 25
                                   Beautiful
 
The hillside meadow where Jenna was buried was still Levi’s favorite spot to
sit and just enjoy the world around him.  He went there frequently with Eren. 
It was a warm summer evening with the fireflies dancing over the fields –
Levi’s favorite time of year.  “It’s as if this place remains untouched by
time,” Levi commented.  “It’s hardly changed at all since the first time I came
here.”
 
They lay on their backs gazing up at the stars and listening to the incessant
chirp of thousands of crickets.  Their fingers interlaced as they held hands,
which they often did nowadays.  Levi was aware of something that had been
stirring within him over the last few years, but he was still terrified of it. 
He was afraid to act on it, but knew that Eren never would because he knew how
Levi felt about it.
 
After a while of thinking about this, Levi decided that now was a good a time
as any to give it a chance.  He rolled over so that he was almost on top of
Eren and placed a firm kiss against his lips. 
They’re so soft! 
 
Eren responded by gently running his tongue across Levi’s lower lip.  The demon
wasn’t sure why he opened his mouth – instinct perhaps – but he did and felt
Eren’s tongue brushing against his own, exploring every bit of his mouth.  How
is it that something so inherently disgusting can feel so amazing?
 
Their lips parted only when they became desperate to breathe.  Levi stroked the
side of the arc’s face as he looked deep into those mesmerizing light green
eyes.  He then sat up, removed his jacket, then turned and began to unbutton
Eren’s shirt.  Eren responded by reaching up to unbutton Levi’s shirt at the
same time.  He then pushed the shirt back off of Levi’s shoulders and Levi
pulled it off the rest of the way and dropped it onto the ground.  They again
kissed until breathless.  “Are you sure about this, Levi?”
 
“Yes.  I’ll never know unless I try.  I need to know if doing this with the one
you love makes a difference,” the demon replied.
 
Eren rolled over so that he was on top of Levi.  He removed his jacket and
shirt all at once and then leaned down for another kiss.  He worked his way
down to the hollow of Levi’s throat, where he sucked on the sensitive skin. 
His reward was the most delicious moan, whose vibration he could feel against
his lips as it escaped Levi’s throat.
 
He kissed the demon’s soft lips once again, then sat up, running his hands over
Levi’s toned chest.  He took delight in the shiver that resulted from his
thumbs brushing against the demon’s nipples.  He then began to kiss, lick and
suckle one nipple while massaging the other between his thumb and forefinger. 
Levi shivered again and let out a soft mewl of pleasure. 
 
For his own part, Levi was shocked at the noises that were escaping his
throat.  This feels so incredible!  Is this really a part of having sex??  The
concept of foreplay was completely foreign to him.  Even more shocking to him
was the increasing tightness of his pants as he began fast developing an
erection.
 
Eren switched nipples and continued while Levi moaned and squirmed beneath
him.   He worked his way down the satin skin of Levi’s abdomen, making certain
to kiss each and every abdominal muscle as he went.  When he reached the top of
Levi’s pants, he glanced up at the demon’s face.  At a permissive nod from
Levi, he undid the button and zipper of the jeans and in one slow, smooth
motion, pulled both the pants and underwear off. 
 
The arc took a moment to marvel at the naked demon before him.  Though small,
Levi’s body was perfectly muscled and his alabaster skin was like satin, taught
and firm over his supple body.  His erection stood proud – and he was very well
endowed for such a small person.  Levi looked Eren in the eyes for a moment,
but soon looked away, blushing.  Eren ran his hands firmly up Levi’s legs, over
his hips, up his chest, to his shoulders and down his arms.  He leaned in and
kissed the demon passionately on the mouth.  “You’re absolutely beautiful!”
Eren told him.  The poor demon blushed even more.
 
Eren reached down and began stroking Levi’s erection from base to tip as he
undid his own pants.  Levi moaned wantonly at the contact.  Holy fuck that
feels good!  I had no idea this was even possible!  He let out a cry and bucked
his hips as Eren ran his thumb over the tip and pressed slightly at the slit. 
He backed off only long enough to remove his own pants, and once naked, he lay
down on top of the demon and began kissing his mouth again.  Levi could barely
contain himself as the sensation of another naked body against his own sent
pulses of intense pleasure throughout his body.  He moaned into the kiss and
was rewarded with a responding moan from Eren.
 
I can’t believe I’m doing this!  Moreover, I can’t believe how wonderful this
feels!  I don’t ever want this to end!
 
Eren again worked his way down Levi’s body with his tongue, making sure to suck
on each nipple before continuing.  Levi let out a yelp of surprise and ecstasy
when suddenly Eren’s soft, supple lips touched the tip of his penis.  A long
moan ensued as Eren took the entire head into his mouth, sucking briefly, then
taking in the entire length.  His tongue worked around the shaft as he pulled
back and then back down again, his hand massaging Levi’s thighs and hips.
 
When Eren pulled off again, he kissed the tip gently and then dipped the tip of
his tongue in the slit opening.  Levi bucked involuntarily again.  He could
feel Eren’s smile as the arc again took his entire length in his mouth and
throat.  It feels like my cock’s about to explode!  And that’s precisely what
it did.  Levi arched his back and let out a prolonged cry as he came. 
Somewhere in the deepest recesses of his mind, Levi though, That’s so
disgusting!  How can he do that?  However, the thought was all but completely
lost as he was overwhelmed with pleasure.  Five perfect, opalescent tear gems
burst from the demon’s eyes as his orgasm hit its peak.
 
Eren swallowed and smiled mischievously at the demon that lay writhing in
pleasure beneath him.  “Ha Ha!  Made you cum first!”
 
“Ass!” was about all Levi could get out as he panted for breath while still
riding out his first ever true orgasm.  After a moment, Levi finally had all of
his coherence back.  “I hope you don’t expect me to do that to you!  I could
never . . .”
 
“I don’t expect you to do anything you feel uncomfortable with,” Eren replied.
 
Levi just regarded him for a moment before rolling over to lay on his stomach. 
 
“Are you sure?” Eren asked.
 
“I’m sure.  I have to know.  I have to know if this can be beautiful when it’s
with someone I love,” Levi replied.  “Please.  Take me.”
 
Eren’s hands gripped and massaged Levi’s perfect, round ass.  The skin was as
satiny as the rest of his body, leaving his ass smooth, round, firm and
supple.  “Damn, you’re perfect!” Eren exclaimed, unable to contain himself. 
Levi just let out a moan of pure pleasure.  The arc continued massaging Levi’s
ass for several moments before leaning down to kiss the back of the demon’s
neck.
 
His kisses left a trail down Levi’s spine, touching almost every vertebrae all
the way down to the very beginning of his ass.  Levi grunted in protest as Eren
skipped down to the backs of his knees.  He worked kisses up to just below the
buttocks on one the inside of one thigh, then repeated the action on the
other.  Levi was already squirming with anticipation.  The demon gasped and
then cried out as Eren’s tongue suddenly ran from bottom of his crack to the
top, then kissed his way back down, his hands still groping and massaging the
cheeks. 
 
Levi pushed up onto his forearms, his head down and moaned wantonly.  Eren
smirked as he spread the demon’s cheeks and kissed the puckered opening.  Levi
inhaled sharply through is teeth as the arc kissed, sucked and tongued his
opening.  Again, in the back of his mind he thought, How disgusting!  And
again, the thought was drowned out by intense pleasure.  How can something so
revolting feel so incredible?  He again gasped as Eren’s tongue ran up between
his cheeks, over the opening and then all the way up his spine before kissing
his way back down to the opening.
 
After several minutes of tonguing the opening, Eren shifted his position,
spreading the demon’s legs open.  Levi could feel the already leaking tip of
Eren’s erection pressing against his opening.  “For fuck’s sake do it!” Levi
demanded in desperation.
 
Eren complied and slowly slid his entire length in.  Levi let out a long moan
at the stretching and filling sensation.  It hurts a little, but not in a bad
way.  Having him inside of me feels strange, but so good at the same time!  The
arc pulled back and pressed in again slowly a few times, as if looking for
something.  Suddenly, Levi’s back arched and he threw his head back and let out
what could only be described as a wail of pure ecstasy.  Another spray of
opalescent tear gems scattered in the grass.
 
Found it!Eren though triumphantly as he smiled and began to thrust at a steady
pace, purposely aiming for the same spot and hitting it each time.  Levi was
panting heavily and moaning or mewling with each exhale.  Holy fuck!  This
feels so incredible!
 
While remaining deep in Levi’s body, Eren shifted again, pulling the demon up
so that they were both kneeling.  Eren began to thrust again, one hand teasing
Levi’s nipples while the other began to stroke his penis in rhythm with his
thrusting.  Levi let out a long, low moan and reached up over his head to
stroke Eren’s hair with his left  hand and rested the other on the arm that was
stroking his penis.  He leaned his head back on Eren’s right shoulder and
closed his eyes in bliss as Eren began kissing his exposed neck.
 
Their bodies were now moving in perfect tandem with each other in a steady,
sensual rhythm.  Levi could feel an orgasm building up at the dual sensation of
his lover moving inside of him and stroking him simultaneously.  His moans
became just a little more desperate before he came for the second time.  His
wings snapped out to their full length as he shot white liquid out across the
grass accompanied by another prolonged cry of ecstasy and a spray of more than
a dozen opalescent tear gems. 
 
Eren let out a long groan as he too came deep inside his lover’s body.  He gave
a few more lazy thrusts as he rode out is orgasm.  Finally, they both knelt
there, Levi leaning back against Eren, his hands intertwining with Eren’s
around his waist and his head still back against his lover’s shoulder.  They
rested like that, panting, until Eren finally pulled out of Levi and they both
lay down on the grass.
 
The arc lay his head and one hand on Levi’s chest and Levi placed an arm around
Eren’s shoulders.  As he was drifting off to sleep, he muttered, “That was the
most beautiful experience of my entire existence.”
 
As the sun rose, no one could see the naked lovers sleeping in the hillside
meadow.
 
***** War Council *****
                                  CHAPTER 26
                                  War Council
 
 
Levi had never expected to fall in love, and yet he had – with an arc no less! 
If one had told him centuries ago when he first save thed mother of a green
eyed child, that the child would one day be his lover, he would have scoffed at
the idea.  Now he sat atop the roof of St. Maria’s, as he had so often over the
centuries, with Eren in his arms, leaning back against his chest.  He sighed
with absolute contentment.
 
Eren had kept three of the tear gems from their first sexual encounter, for
they were as precious to him as the tears of joy Levi had shed when he’d
learned that Eren love him.  He had never expected to fall in love with a male,
never mind a demon, but he wouldn’t trade their relationship for anything.  The
arc was more than content that they had all of eternity to revel in their love.
 
Ran Mau, however, was furious with Levi’s good fortune.  Her ‘punishment’ had
resulted in the greatest threat to demons ever known since she’d killed
Darian.  She was now wishing she had never exiled him.  “I should have kept the
little shit down here writhing in agonizing need of me!” she told Karda.  “I’m
beginning to think maybe Darian reincarnated somehow and now he’s trying to get
his revenge.  How else would that miserable little pipsqueak be able to wield a
holy sword?  Especially Volpl!” 
 
Karda said nothing as he had listened to her rantings, off and on, countless
times over the past several centuries.  There were some that wondered if he
even could talk.
 
“He’s the one person that could get in the way of my plan to turn the world on
its ear again.  He really fucked things up for me last time!”  She let out an
enraged shriek, balling her fists like a child throwing a fit.  “And now he’s
even a member of the Arc Guardian Forces!  Think of it, Karda!  A demon wearing
the crest of the arcs!  I want that traitorous little fuck dead!  Karda, I want
you to kill Levi if it’s the last thing you do!  I’m placing an enchantment on
your sword that will enable it to kill a demon, including him.  It’s taken me a
long time to create this enchantment, so don’t fuck this up and don’t come back
until he’s dead!”
 
Karda merely bowed silently and solemnly to his queen after she’d placed the
enchantment on his sword and then disappeared into the human world to hunt down
his prey.
 
 
Finding Levi wasn’t a problem.  Every demon knew where the exile called home. 
Finding Levi alone, however was a problem.  Eren and Levi were almost always
together.  Karda had no issues with killing the arc too.  He just wasn’t one to
take unnecessary chances.  Furthermore, unlike his queen, his patience was
endless.  He was nothing more than a puppet – a minion to do Ran Mau’s
bidding.  He was truly cold, emotionless – without hate, compassion, fear,
anger or mercy.
 
Rumors in the Underworld were that he wasn’t even a true demon.  He was third
in rank, but he had no familial links and was rumored to be nothing more than a
creation of Ran Mau herself.  Other rumors were that he had been an arc that
Ran Mau had turned into a demon.  Fact was that no one really knew where he
came from except Ran Mau and Karda.
 
Karda did not have to wait long to catch Levi alone.  Karda had many of the
same powers as Ran Mau, which included the ability to shield their presence
from arcs, demons and humans alike.  Levi, however, had, over the centuries,
overcome this ability.  He sensed Karda’s presence the instant the demon
entered the human world.  Levi also knew exactly why Karda was there.
 
Levi conned Erwin into summoning Eren back to Paradise for a meeting.  “I don’t
care what you come up with to discuss with him!  Just get him out of my hair
for a few hours!”
 
Once a very confused Eren had left for his “meeting” with Erwin, Levi left the
church and headed away from the city, knowing that Karda would follow.  He
didn’t fly far.  He landed in an abandoned field and waited for his enemy.
 
Karda landed several yards from where Levi stood waiting.  The exile stood in
full uniform, the crest of the Arc Guardian Forces proudly displayed on his
jacket.  His wings remained slightly raised off his shoulders, showing very
clearly that while the right was solid black, the left was black and silver
streaked.  Most of his weight rested on the left foot, his left hand resting on
his hip, and holding Volpl resting on his right shoulder.  His dry expression
gave the distinct impression that he was downright bored.
 
“Took you long enough to get here,” he drawled.  “You can’t mask your presence
from me like you can others.  In fact, I think you’ll find I’m immune to most
of your powers now.”
 
Karda merely looked at his quarry emotionlessly.
 
“What’s the matter?  Didn’t Ran Mau think to give you vocal chords?”
 
Karda drew his sword and charged without warning at speeds too great for the
human eye to follow.  Levi, however, was no human.  He easily deflected the
attack.  Karda’s strikes came fast and furious, his emotionless eyes never
changing.  Levi blocked every strike with seemingly no effort.
 
Eventually, both jumped back from each other.  “I’ve improved over the years. 
I have no reason to fear you anymore.  I’m guessing right now that Ran Mau is
regretting her decision to have me exiled.  She’ll regret it more in a few
minutes when I destroy her precious puppet.”  This time Levi was the first to
charge.
 
He feinted at the last split second, just as he reached Karda, and as Karda’s
sword swung out to deflect the blow that never came, Levi proceeded to cut the
demon in half from the right hip up to the base of the left ribcage.  Karda’s
red eyes widened momentarily.  “I can’t believe you beat me.”  Those were quite
possibly the only words the demon had ever spoken in his entire existence. 
 
“Such inspiring last words,” Levi sneered as he spread his wings and headed for
home.
 
 
Eren was, to say the least, more than just a little miffed that Levi had
purposely left him out of the fight with Karda.  Even Levi’s explanations of
how powerful a demon Karda had been and how he didn’t want to risk losing Eren
did anything to sway the arc’s mind.  Levi finally gave up and just let the arc
sulk all he wanted.  Erwin just chuckled at their “lover’s spat”, to which Eren
immediately turned on the commander and chewed him out for being in on the
whole thing.
 
The moping arc perked up, however, when Levi summoned Erwin and several other
arcs to a meeting at the Vatican Library.  Erwin, Nile, Heron, a tall quiet arc
named Mike, Rico and a few others were seated around one of the tables in the
library when Levi and Eren arrived.
 
“Good afternoon, Levi.  Eren,” Erwin greeted.  “I’m assuming this has something
to do with Karda hunting you down a couple of days ago?”
 
“It does,” Levi confirmed.  “This was the safest place I could think of to
meet.  Albeit lately, I’ve begun to seriously question whether the barrier
would actually ward of Ran Mau if she decided to come here.  None of you  are
going to like what I have to say, but it needs to be said and it needs to be
dealt with.”
 
The demon was met with silence before Erwin finally spoke.  “Please proceed.”
 
“Very well.  This is gonna be more than three centuries of research in a
nutshell . . . from a very large nut,”  Levi shifted uneasily as all eyes were
focused on him.  I hate being the center of attention!  “Basically, about
45,000 years ago, a great evil – as the Fates call it – came to our world and
convinced us to take our afterlives into our own hands.  The evil then created
Paradise and the Underworld and set up a king over Paradise. The evil also
created the arcs and the demons from humans.  I don’t know how many of you are
aware, but there is no king of the Underworld.”  A murmur went around the
table.  “Arturo is a fictitious character created by Ran Mau to disguise the
fact that she was, in fact, the one in control.”
 
“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me much,” Heron said.
 
“It gets worse,” Levi continued.  “The evil in question is none other than Ran
Mau herself.”
 
Another murmur, a little louder this time.
 
“This raises a number of disturbing facts.  Souls are species specific.  In
other words, a human cannot reincarnate as a dog, for instance.  This means
that arcs, demons and humans are all the same species since a human can
incarnate as either a demon or an arc . . . and, so I’ve discovered, vice
versa.  The demons were created from existing humans with blackened souls and
evil hearts.  The arcs, on the other hand, were created from humans that had
strong protection instincts and loving hearts.”
 
Levi let that sink in a moment before continuing.  “Perhaps most disturbing of
all, is the fact that since Ran Mau is the one who created Paradise, along with
its barrier, there really is nothing to stop her from bringing in a horde of
demons by simply removing the barrier.  Even the barrier around the Vatican is
likely her creation.”
 
The tall, lanky and quiet arc, Mike, actually spoke at this point.  “What would
be her goal in creating such barriers in the first place?”
 
“This is a game to her.  She derives her pleasure in pitting people against
each other.  She also enjoys lulling people into a sense of security before she
yanks the rug out from under them.  Chances are, when the Watchers were held
hostage, her intention was attacking Paradise directly.  The bitch wanted to
leave you unwilling to fight back so she could watch everyone die in absolute
despair.”
 
“How is it that you know that Ran Mau is the ‘evil’?” Mike asked.
 
“In short, the Fates told me.  Eren can verify this.”
 
There were several minutes of silence while those present mulled over this new
and frightening information.  Suddenly, Erwin’s eyes widened.  “I see.  So
that’s why Karda’s attack has you concerned!”
 
“Commander?” someone asked.
 
“Think about it.  The only reason we found out about the Watchers being the
real hostages was because of Levi.  Furthermore, Levi is the only reason we won
the day.  Ran Mau knows this.  Levi is the one who ruined her plans.  He
figured out what she was planning last time, and she fears he’ll do so this
time as well. The reason she sent her puppet after him was because she doesn’t
want him interfering with what she has planned now.”
 
“That’s right.  But, it’s backfired.  Now we all know she’s up to something and
we can work on figuring out what it is and how to stop her, just like last
time,” Levi explained.   “The question is what her target will be this time? 
Will it be Paradise, or the human world?”
 
There was another thoughtful silence, before Mike again spoke up.  “So what
happens if Ran Mau is destroyed?”
 
“Damn, Mike!  You’re talkative today!” Nile exclaimed.  “But I agree with his
question.  What are the ramifications of destroying the one who made the world
the way we know it?”
 
“According to the Fates, the world will return to the way it was before she
fucked everything up,” Levi replied.  “Basically, there will be no more
Paradise or Underworld – the worlds will no longer be separated.”
 
“And what of the souls in Paradise and the Underworld?” Rico asked.
 
“I’d have to ask the Fates, but I would presume that the souls of the dead
would be back in the hands of God.  He will decide their fate as it always was
before we chose to forsake Him  in favor of Ran Mau’s evil.”  Levi paused for a
moment.  “I still have some questions to ask the Fates before making a move
against Ran Mau, but seeing as that bitch is going to be forcing our hand soon,
I figured it was best to bring up the subject now.”
 
“You’re right, Levi,” Erwin confirmed.  “I’m beginning to think that this may
actually have something to do with the increase in wars and the unnatural crop
failures that have been occurring around the world.  There have also been a
number of unnatural forest fires in places that have had plenty of rain, and a
sharp increase in volcanic activity in volcanoes that should be quiet.”
 
“There’s also those freak tsunamis in the southern hemisphere that aren’t
linked to any earthquakes or winds.   There’s another major crop failure in
Asia going on right now.  There isn’t any drought, flood or pests.  The rice is
just dying.  Does Ran Mau really have that kind of power?” Nile added.
 
“Another question for the Fates.  But, based on my research, yes, she does have
that kind of power.  Think about it – the Fates call her simply a great evil –
pure evil.  It would make sense that her mere presence would be able to destroy
any living thing from plants, to animals to humans – that includes us.  Fact
is, none of us really knows what she’s truly capable of.  I called you all here
to give you all a heads up on what may be going on and to see if any of you
have anything to add that I may not have thought of.”  Levi finally sat down,
all eyes still on him.
 
Erwin sat for a moment, elbows on the table in front of him, hands folded in
front of his mouth.  “King Pixis, do you have anything to add?”
 
Everyone looked at Erwin in shock.  Pixis came out of one of the aisles,
holding an open book in his hands.  “Levi’s theories are correct.  I’ve been
going through your journals and am amazed by what you’ve been able to figure
out.  I can’t answer many of your questions, but I can tell you that the ‘evil’
of which you speak is indeed a female.  She gave me no name when she placed me
in charge of Paradise.”
 
“Tell us what you do know, then,” Levi demanded, but with no harshness or bite
in his tone.
 
Pixis smiled.  “45,000 years ago, when the evil separated the world, it was at
the human’s own request.  I knew it was foolish, but she convinced so much of
humanity that it was a good idea, and mankind’s pride so great, that she was
given her way.  I think she chose me as the king of Paradise because she
thought me little more than a foolish old man.  I’ll admit, I’ve never truly
been equal to the task.  Erwin here handles most of the actual command of the
arcs while I am stuck trying to decide who goes to Paradise and who goes to the
Underworld.  I make many mistakes, Levi, for as you say, we are all only human
regardless of outward appearances.  Levi, if you are truly able to destroy the
evil, then I, for one, will be eternally grateful.”
 
Levi was leaning back in his chair, arms folded across his chest.  “I’ll be
going to speak with the Fates someday soon, but in the meantime, we need to
come up with a way to lure Ran Mau out of the Underworld and into the human
world.  Otherwise, we won’t be able to touch her, and she knows it!”
 
“What, you don’t think killing her precious puppet pissed her off enough to
come after you personally?” Rico asked with a chuckle.
 
A smirk played across the demon’s face.  “It pissed her off alright.  I swear I
could hear her scream from the Underworld.  However, Karda was just that – a
puppet.  He’s easily replaceable.  We’re gonna need something far more
creative.  I may be good at figuring things out, but creative planning is not
my forte.”
 
 
“Challenge her directly,” a voice spoke up.
 
Everyone turned to look at the arc, who had been completely silent up to now. 
He was a small, delicate looking male with blond hair pulled up into a neat
ponytail and large electric blue eyes. 
 
“What?” Levi asked in disbelief.
 
“Please elaborate, Armin,” Erwin encouraged.
 
Armin swallowed visibly and nervously adjusted his glasses on his nose now that
everyone was looking at him (What is it with arcs that need glasses??).  “Well,
uh, I mean that Ran Mau is basically a bully.  Regardless of how evil or
powerful they really are, they are all inherently the same, but there are two
distinct types.  There are those that will back down when confronted – which is
most – because they are insecure and cowardly by nature.  Then there are those
few that are so confident that they cannot ignore any challenge to their
supremacy.  I believe that Ran Mau is one of the latter.  If challenged, she
will accept for no other reason than to crush the challenger and prove her
absolute strength.  It’s a source of pride, really.   It takes a lot of courage
to walk away from a fight, but in the eyes of the majority, it’s never seen
like that.  If she were to ignore a challenge, it would be seen as a sign of
weakness, and could undermine her authority.  She can’t afford that.  So, if
you want her to come to you, you need only challenge her directly and she won’t
be able to refuse.”
 
“You know, I think the kid’s right,” Levi said after a few moments of thought. 
“If I can challenge Ran Mau directly, she’ll come after me like a dung beetle
after a pile of shit.”
 
Everyone sat in shocked silence, not entirely sure how to respond to the crass
comparison – all except Pixis, who roared laughing.
 
“Not quite the way I would have put it,” Erwin started.  “But that’s basically
how it should work.  Do you think you’re ready for this, Levi?”
 
“I’m not sure.  I’ll have a better idea after I’ve spoken with the Fates.  Once
I’m ready, I’ll let you know, Erwin.  Then, I think the best way to get her
attention will be for all arcs to start spreading the word that I’m challenging
Ran Mau to a one on one fight so I can destroy her.  It will seem so laughable
to her that she won’t be able to resist.  That said, she won’t come alone, so
all of the Arc Guardian Forces will have to be ready for all out war on a
global scale.  She’ll probably kick up disturbances around the world to
distract as much of the forces as possible.”
 
“This is gonna be ugly,” Eren commented after having been silent through much
of the meeting.
 
“Yeah,” Levi agreed.  “No shit.”
 
 
 
***** What the Future Holds *****
                                  CHAPTER 27
                             What the Future Holds
 
 
“It has been a while, Levi,” the Fates greeted him as he and Eren entered their
garden domain.  “We have been expecting you both.”
 
“It has,” Levi agreed.  “I really should just stop by sometime for no reason at
all.  You know, just to shoot the shit and all.”
 
Eren sat down on a large stone and began to sketch the scene in front of him.
 
“An image for posterity?” the maiden asked.
 
Eren blushed as he continued drawing.  “Kinda.  Just my own small contribution
to the Library of Alexandria.”  He suddenly paused in his work.  “You don’t
mind, do you?”
 
“Of course not,” the old woman smiled.  “I look forward to seeing the result.”
 
“You have questions for us, Levi,” the mother said.
 
“I do,” the demon confirmed.  “I’m not really sure where to start.  I guess
I’ll start by asking if Ran Mau is the cause of the disasters and wars starting
up all over the world.  I mean, does she really have that kind of power?”
 
“She is, and she does,” the old woman replied.
 
“If Ran Mau is destroyed, the world will truly return to as it was before the
separation – I mean, will Paradise and the Underworld cease to exist and what
will become of the souls within?”
 
“If Ran Mau is destroyed, the world will return to how God created it. 
Paradise and the Underworld will no longer be.  The fates of the souls within
them will return to the hands of God.  This is as it should be,” the mother
explained.
 
Levi sat down on an old log and contemplated his next question.  “Is it even
possible for anyone other than God Himself to destroy Ran Mau?”
 
“Why do you think God created you?” the maiden answered with a question of her
own.
 
The demon sat in shocked silence for several minutes, digesting this new
information.  “What will become of the arcs and demons when Ran Mau dies and
Paradise and the Underworld are no more?”
 
“You are living breathing beings,” the old woman began.  “When the three realms
are again fused into one, the living beings of all three will again live in
one.”
 
Levi’s brow furrowed at this.  “That’s not good – all those damned demons
running around.  They’ll destroy humanity.”
 
“You forget something, Levi,” the mother said.  “Arcs, demons and humans are
all one species.”
 
“Understand this, Levi,” the old woman continued.  “Once Ran Mau is no more,
not only will the world again be one, but the powers Ran Mau bestowed on the
arcs and demons will also cease to exist.”
 
“You see, Levi,” the maiden added.  “there is a price to be paid.  If you
succeed in destroying Ran Mau, you will forfeit all of your demon powers as
well as your immortality.  All demons and all arcs will be mortal again.  You
will all age, grow old and die just as any other human.”
 
“Though your physical bodies will not change, all of your psychic and
supernatural powers will be gone,” the old woman elaborated.  “Furthermore,
your physical attributes will not pass on to the next generation.  When the
last arc and demon die, the ability to fly will die with them.”
 
Levi scowled at the Fates.  “Do you really think I give a rat’s ass about
losing my powers?  Do you really think my immortality means anything to me?  I
never wanted immortality to begin with!  And my powers – they are nothing more
than a means to an end.  Once Ran Mau is dead, I won’t need them anymore!  I
may be hated and reviled by the other arcs and demons for the loss of powers,
but it will be indeed worth it if the world is again in God’s capable hands.”
 
All three Fates smiled.  “You’re heart is pure and your resolve unwavering,”
the old woman responded.  “You will indeed be reviled by some, but not most. 
However, Ran Mau’s death will not be the end of your trials.”
 
“You and the arcs will still have a great deal of work ahead of you to rebuild
the world and the relationships with humanity, but the humans will help you as
well,” the mother added.
 
“I presume this means that all the holy swords will also lose their power,”
Levi guessed.
 
“They will,” the maiden confirmed.  “All but the one that was created before
Ran Mau came to this world.”
 
“Volpl,” Levi said.
 
“Correct.”
 
“I have heard rumors that I may be the reincarnation of Darien.  Is this true?”
Levi asked.
 
“It is not,” the mother answered.  “Darien was as guardian of light from
another world, just as Ran Mau is a shadow from another world.”
 
Levi’s brow furrowed deeper, but he decided to take the answer at face value
and not press for details.  “What is Ran Mau planning?”
 
“Destruction,” the old woman replied.
 
“Grief and sorrow,” the mother added.
 
“Pain, suffering and strife,” the maiden finished.
 
“The evil thrives off of the pain and suffering of others.  She will allow
humanity to forget the horrors of the past, and then she shall inflict even
greater horrors to send humanity spiraling into the depths of despair,” the old
woman explained.
 
“Such has been the cycle for 45,000 years.  Each disaster reduces the human
population to the edge of extinction before she allows the population to
recover again so that there will be more people to suffer each time she
destroys the world as they know it,” the mother elaborated.
 
“By tricking humanity into supposedly controlling their own destiny, she has
assured that the same souls will be made to suffer over and over again.  She
has also assured herself a guaranteed supply of souls to make to suffer,” the
maiden finished.
 
“So she’s gradually building up to a new disaster that will leave humanity on
the brink of extinction.  But, even if humanity did go extinct, the souls will
still remain and she can use arcs and demons to start the population again if
needed,” Levi concluded.  “Please tell me what it is Ran Mau plans to do to
destroy the population this time.”
 
The Fates exchanged saddened glances.  “We are sorry,” they said in unison. 
The mother then continued.  “What she has planned is beyond your power to
stop.  It is already begun.”
 
Levi’s expression went blank with shock as he felt his stomach drop into his
boots.  “No,” he whispered.
 
Eren, who had been sketching throughout the whole conversation, suddenly
paused, as the color drained from his face.
 
“Destroy her, Levi.  Put an end to this cycle,” the old woman told him.
 
Levi sat, his eyes closed and a sickening knot in his stomach as he
contemplated all that he had learned.  He finally looked up and looked each
Fate in the eye as he stood.  “I will.   One more question; when Ran Mau dies,
will I finally be rid of these damnable tear gems?”  The question came to
Levi’s mind out of the blue, so he asked it.
 
“No.  The gems that are born of your tears come from your soul.  They will
always be a part of you, no matter how many lives you live,” The old woman
answered.
 
“I am to be cursed with these things forever?”
 
The old woman smiled.  “They are only a curse if you choose to see them as
such.  They will not attract attention in every life you live.”
 
Levi looked at the ground and sighed.  “Very well.”  He turned and raised his
right hand to open a portal back to St. Maria’s.  “I thank you, Fates, for
everything.”
 
Eren grabbed up his sketchbook and pencils to follow Levi as he left, but
before Levi opened the portal, the old woman called out to him.  “Wait, Levi. 
There is more that you should know.”
 
The demon lowered his hand and turned to face them.  “I’m listening.”
 
The mother was the one who spoke.  “Levi, Ran Mau is by no means the first evil
to try to invade this world.  Nor will she be the last.  In another 500 years,
another will attempt to ruin the world.  You will again be called upon to
defend this world and destroy the evil.”
 
“In other words, I’m going to reincarnate at that particular time,” Levi
surmised.
 
“Yes,” the mother confirmed.  “You will reincarnate many times and will meet
the same souls many times in many different relationships through the
millennia.  You will never be alone. You will always be able to call upon your
friends to help you.”
 
“However, Levi,” the old woman continued.  “as always, there is a price to be
paid.  2,500 years from now, another evil will come to this world and will
raise a horror unlike any other.  You will again be called upon to destroy the
evil and save humanity from extinction.  The obstacles you face in that fight
will be far tougher than the ones you have faced thus far.”
 
The maiden now took up the telling.  “The price you must pay for the power to
defeat this evil, will be your mortality.”
 
Silence reigned as the full gravity of what the maiden had said sunk in.  “My .
. . mortality?”  The demon’s eyes dilated in horror leaving only the slimmest
ring of silver around jet black pupils.  “You mean I’ll become immortal . . . I
won’t be able to die?  Ever?”  His answer was the sadness in the eyes of the
Fates.  “I don’t . . . I don’t want to live . . . forever,” he finally managed.
 
Eren placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder.  “But you said he’d never be alone,
right?  That means someone else will have to be immortal alongside him.   I
will be that one.  I will stay by his side no matter what.”
 
Levi looked at the arc in surprise.  “Eren!” he exclaimed softly.  “You would
do that for me?”
 
“Of course I would!” Eren replied.  “I love you.”
 
“That is not for you to decide,” the maiden said sadly. 
 
“You two are indeed soul mates,” the mother stated.
 
“Neither is truly complete without the other,” the old woman finished. 
“Perhaps it will be so.  But that is not for us to tell.
 
Levi, who had been staring at the ground, lifted his head to look each of the
Fates in the eyes.  “I will go forward with my destiny regardless.  I will pay
the price necessary to ensure humanity’s safety.  I may not like it, but I will
pay it.”  The demon turned and created a portal back to St. Maria’s before
again turning to the Fates.  “Again, I thank you for everything.”
 
“You are welcome, Levi,” the Fates answered.
 
As he stepped through the portal, Levi heard the maiden call out.  “If you have
questions in the future, you should ask the trees!”
 
He had no idea what she meant, but he still filed the advice away in his mind
for future use.
 
 
***** Final Battle *****
                                  CHAPTER 28
                                 Final Battle
 
 
There was no warning.  People simply began dying by the millions.  No one could
figure out why.  The Black Plague had nothing on this.  The natural disasters,
wars and famines had already taken a toll on the global population.  This new
disaster took the human population from over 10 billion, to just under 1
billion in less than one year.  The remaining population was left reeling.  The
bodies piled up faster than they could even be burned, much less buried.
 
Cities lay abandoned along with the rotting corpses if the residents.  The
remaining humans gathered in small cities and towns together to attempt to
survive.  Abandoned crops and livestock either died or went wild.  Humanity was
back to fearing the night when large bands of thieves and raiders would attack,
stealing, raping and murdering with very little capable of stopping them.  It
was so easy for the demons to convince people to commit horrors against each
other and easier still to get humans into contracts.
 
Levi knew that it was now or never.  The Arc Guardian Forces were trained
fighters, and they could be the law and the defense of the innocent.  If Ran
Mau died, the demons would lose all powers, and the arcs, though without
powers, would still be a fighting force to be reckoned with.  Moreover, her
death would instantly negate any and all demon contracts, freeing all souls at
once.
 
The arcs began spreading the rumor that Levi was going to challenge Ran Mau to
a one on one fight to the death.  They added fuel to the fire by betting that
Ran Mau would be too much of a coward to accept.  At the same time, the arcs
were working very hard to find and eliminate every demon that they could before
the worlds were reunited.
 
After another ten years passed, and the population was somewhat stabilized at
just over 950 million, Levi paid one last visit to St. Maria’s.  The city was
abandoned.  Only the bones of the citizens that not so very long ago had
thrived here remained.  Levi hadn’t had the time to maintain the grounds, so
the gardens and cemetery were all overgrown and wild.  Chickens ran loose and
wild in the streets.  The demon cast a sorrowful eye at one very old tombstone
with worn lettering.  “Well, old man, I guess this is the last time I’ll be
coming here.  Everything’s gone.  All the people are dead.  When I visited
Jenna’s hill the other day, it broke my heart.  It’s changed so much.  All the
people are gone and the fields are returning to forest already.”  A tear ran
down the demon’s face as he cleaned off the grave stone and began to clear away
some of the weeds. 
 
“You’d think that I, of all people, would know better than to think anything
can last forever.  But I still can’t help mourning the passing.  I feel such a
horrible ache in my heart seeing this city and this church so empty and
lifeless.  It’s been my home for centuries, and to see it all crumble is just .
. . it hurts.”  More tears escaped his silver eyes, this time accompanied by
blue, purple and grey streaked tear gems of grief. 
 
“It’s a beautiful world, Kenny.  And life is beautiful too.  It took me
entirely too long to realize that.  Now that I do know, I will fight to
preserve it.  I figured this was the most fitting place to finish this.  After
all, this is the church where it all began – the church I spilled my own blood
in.”  Levi extended his hand over the grave marker and uttered a short
incantation.   “Chances are, when this is finished, your grave will be the only
thing left.  Seems silly, I know.  What’s the point of protecting a single
grave stone?   Because I want the future to know that you were important to
someone.  You were important to me.  You taught me a lot about myself.  You
showed me that I could forgive and that I could love.  I will be forever
grateful to you for that.  So, until we meet again in the next life, I bid you
farewell.”
 
With those last words, the demon dried his tears and flew up to the very top of
St. Maria’s bell tower.  He balanced there, at the very peak atop the cross,
Volpl drawn and his wings partially opened.  “Alright Ran Mau, you insufferable
bitch!  It’s time to prove you have the guts to take me on head to head.  Just
you and me,” he called out over the desolate city.  “I know damn well you can
hear me!   I have no fear of you anymore!  I have all the power I need to take
you out once and for all!  But, of course you know that already, which is why
you’re not here facing me now!  You’re afraid I really can beat you!”
 
“Oh really?” a taunting voice responded.
 
Levi looked down at Ran Mau, who stood on the ridgeline of the roof below him. 
“Really,” he replied as he smirked down at her.  “No puppet with you?   I
really thought you’d’ve replaced Karda by now.”
 
“Don’t get me wrong, Levi.  I’m really still quite angry with you for killing
my poor Karda.  But, like you said, he was just a puppet.  Easily replaced.”
 
Levi moved faster than even most demons could see as a streak blasted by where
he’d been standing but a split second earlier, destroying the steeple as it
went.  He landed on the roof of the adjacent community center and turned to
look back at Ran Mau.  Beside her stood a rather imposing looking demon that
looked an awful lot like . . . Shit!  He looks almost exactly like me!
 
The demon beside Ran Mau was a little taller than Levi, but the resemblance was
unmistakable.  The creature’s eyes were heterochromatic, with one being silver
with a round pupil and the other red with a slit pupil.  He was dead eyed, just
like Karda had been; cold and emotionless.  “I’d like you to meet Ranai.  This
is actually his first time outside of the Underworld.  I’m willing to bet, from
that look on your face, that you’ve already figured out that this is your son.”
 
He had figured out that the new demon was his son, but Levi’s heart skipped a
beat none the less at hearing her say it.   “I figured he’d be the perfect
replacement for Karda.  The son of a traitor.  The one who has borne the anger
and hatred of all demons for you.  He’s been through such hell that he doesn’t
even seem to feel anything anymore.  He used to tell me all the time how much
he hated you for putting him in such a position.”
 
“Tch!  Considering you were the one who raped me, I think the blame belongs
with you, not me,” Levi scoffed.  “That you would treat your own offspring with
such disregard shows just how evil you really are.”
 
Ran Mau laughed.  “Oh, but it is your fault!  If you hadn’t betrayed all of
demon kind by siding with the arcs and defending humans, none of this would
ever have happened!”
 
“Twist it around however you like, bitch.  The fact remains that today you
die.  And, sadly, so does he, since he is half shadow, like you.”  Levi’s heart
clenched at hearing his own words.
 
“You would kill your own son?” Ran Mau said with mock horror in her voice.
 
“If his soul is human, he will have a second chance in his next life,” Levi
replied, showing nothing of what he truly felt inside.  “If his soul is shadow
. . . well, it will all be in God’s hands anyway.”  Through with talking, the
demon lunged at Ran Mau.
 
The shadow immediately hit him with the same power she had used on him in the
Underworld to make him need her.  She was shocked when it didn’t work.  He kept
coming anyway, completely unfazed.  Ranai move between them and blocked the
blow.
 
Levi jumped back.  “Impressive.  You’ve given him a sword that can’t just be
easily cut through by Volpl.  It’s not going to help, however.  You’re not the
only one that can use sorcery.”
 
She let out a shriek of pure rage as she again tried to hit him with lust. 
Levi erected a magic circle that absorbed that power, amplified it and fired it
back at her.  Again, Ranai stepped in the way.  Unfortunately for the poor
hybrid, his sword could not deflect the attack and took the full force of Ran
Mau’s attack.  Just as his father had before him, Ranai dropped instantly, his
need overwhelming him.
 
Levi took advantage of the situation and with no hesitation, rushed in and
decapitated half-breed in one, swift stroke.  Even as he struck, a terrible
pain clutched at his heart that he ignored, but an explosion of brown and amber
tear gems of guilt flew everywhere.
 
Ran Mau let out a scream of pure hatred.  She picked up the fallen sword.  The
sword immediately grew and changed shape as her power flowed into it.  “I
regret exiling you back then.  I should have left you trapped in the underworld
pining for me for all of eternity instead!”
 
She lunged at him and their swords clashed between them.  She attempted to send
her power through the swords, but Levi was ready and blocked even that attack. 
The resulting explosion blew them apart.  St. Maria’s was now nothing but a
pile of dust and stone.
 
The furious shadow wasted no time in attacking again.  Levi had just enough
time to erect a barrier.  He decided to attempt the Sacramentum , to which she
immediately began laughing as she again lunged at him and laid his torso open
from right shoulder to left hip.  He cried out, barely jumping back in time to
avoid being cut in half.
 
“Did you really think that spell would work on me?!” Ran Mau laughed.  “I’ll
admit that I’m impressed you can use it, but it’s useless against me!”
 
Levi glared up at her, hovering in the sky above him as he tried to hold his
bloodied chest together.  Shit!  She damn near got me!  Any deeper and she’d’ve
hit bone!  With a powerful thrust of his wings he lunged at her.
 
After more than an hour of fighting, using magic and physical attacks, Levi was
beginning to slow down.  The city, as he had predicted, lay in ruins, little
more than a pile of dust and stone and twisted metal.  Ran Mau laughed at the
panting demon that stood holding his wounded chest.  “How pathetic!  You really
thought you could beat me, didn’t you?  Even if you did somehow defeat me, you
do realize you would lose all of your power and your immortality.  Not just
you, but all demons and arcs.  You would have been the most hated and reviled
person in the world.  There’s just one thing you failed to consider.  You get
tired.  I do not.  ”
 
Levi’s grip on Volpl tightened.  She’s right.  I have to end this now.  All
I’ve been able to do for the past fifteen minutes is erect shields to block
her, and I can’t keep that up for much longer.  This has to end now.  His eyes
narrowed as he watched her striding confidently towards him.  He held Volpl in
front of him, the hilt in his right hand and the broad side of the point
against his left palm and closed his eyes.  “God. Grant me the power to slay
this evil and to save humanity.  I will pay any price you ask of me.”
 
As he opened his eyes, he saw Ran Mau rushing at him, ready to cut him in
half.  Levi gave a much practiced twirl of his sword, and with movement that
was faster than any eye could see, he struck.  He slashed Ran Mau through with
a pair of swift X slashes, then removed her head with the third.  The residual
shriek of rage echoed across the demolished city as the shadow evaporated from
existence.
 
Levi dropped down on one knee, supporting himself with Volpl and feeling the
irrepressible need to go clean himself.  Suddenly the whole world seemed to tip
over on its side.  His vision blurred and he saw double.  He felt horribly
dizzy and nauseous as he felt as though his soul was being ripped from his
body.  As quickly as it started, it stopped.  The demon shook his head and then
looked around to see a number of startled arcs and demons that hadn’t been
there before.  They were in Paradise and the Underworld . . . the world has
been fused back into one!  Paradise and the Underworld are no more!  It
worked!!
 
Almost immediately, the arcs and demons attacked each other.  Levi knew this
would be the same thing that was happening around the globe.  I can’t let this
continue!  Humanity could still be destroyed by this!  God, please . . . I have
almost nothing left.  I need your strength to stop this.  Please, help me!
 
With that silent prayer, Levi straightened his back, still kneeling, placed
both hands on Volpl and began the Sacramentum.  The pulses of power radiated
outward at tremendous speed, and the magic circle seemed to have no end as it
covered the globe.  As he sung the incantation, his voice could be heard around
the entire world.  The voices of the arcs and humans that knew the incantation
raised their voices to sing along, intensifying the power of the spell. 
 
All demons everywhere screamed in agony as they evaporated from existence.  As
Levi finally completed the spell, the final pulse raced outwards and, just as
in the realm of the Watchers, raced back inwards to the caster.  Levi’s back
arced and he let out a blood curdling scream as several brilliant white tear
gems exploded in all  directions.  He then collapsed unconscious. 
 
 
Eren found the demon laid out beside the grave of Kenny Ackerman; the very
grave Levi had sought to protect;  the only object that remained untouched in a
destroyed city with its small camellia bush blooming beside it.  He was
horrified to see the bloody tears in Levi’s clothing; especially the one across
his entire torso.  As he fell to his knees beside his lover, Eren was shocked,
albeit relieved to see that there was no corresponding wound beneath the rips.
 
A glint of light caught the arc’s eye as he knelt down beside his lover. 
Picked up the small, clear glass box with a small, white velvet cushion upon
which rested four jet black tear gems.  The inscription on the small metal
plate said “Tears of an Angel”.  Eren smiled as he remembered what these were,
and he placed the glass box at the base of Kenny’s grave before gathering the
unconscious demon up in his arms.  “You did it, Levi.  You saved us all.”
 
 
Levi awoke 48 hours later.  He was terribly disoriented and could not figure
out where he was.  Then he saw Eren, kneeling on the ground beside his make-
shift bed.  “You’re finally awake,” Eren greeted with a soft smile.
 
Levi sat up, with Eren’s help and looked around.  They were in what looked like
a glorified tent and Levi could see Erwin, Nile, Rico and Heron all sitting
nearby smiling at him.  “What happened?” he asked.
 
Eren blinked.  “You don’t remember??”
 
“Last thing I remember was casting the Sacramentum.  I remember completing the
spell and then . . . nothing.”  Levi felt his chest, then looked down in
surprise.  “What happened to my chest wound?  How long have I been out?”
 
Eren chuckled.  “Only two days.  You had no wound when I found you.  There was
the tear in your shirt and blood everywhere, but no wound.”
 
“If the wound was created by Ran Mau, it probably had a great deal of evil in
it, therefore, the Sacramentum would have purified it and, by default, healed
it,” Erwin explained.
 
“What about the demons?  And the humans?”
 
“We’re slowly getting reports in from around the world.  So far, no demons have
been sighted.  I think your spell encompassed the entire globe.  As for the
humans . . . well we’re all human now.  Current estimates are that the
population is 1.5 – 2.25 billion people;  original humans and former arcs
combined,” Erwin answered
 
“So, Paradise and the Underworld as we knew them no longer exist.”
 
“That is correct,” Erwin confirmed.  “While we can still fly, we no longer have
any of our supernatural powers.  We are all quite human now.  That’s why I’m so
amazed that you were still able to cast the Sacramentum.”
 
“That wasn’t my power,” Levi replied.  “I prayed to God to give me His power.”
 
“Is that so?”
 
“It is.”
 
Suddenly, tears began to spill from his silver eyes.  A group of brown gems
fell to the ground.  “Levi, what’s wrong?” Eren asked him in alarm.
 
“My . . . son,” the former demon choked out.  “I . . . I . . . I killed him!” 
Levi began sobbing uncontrollably. 
 
Eren wrapped his lover in a warm embrace.  He didn’t understand, but he
patiently waited for Levi to get the tears out of his system before asking,
“Tell us what happened.”
 
Levi took a long, trembling breath before explaining how he had been punished
in the Underworld centuries ago and that the result had been the birth of Ran
Mau’s and his son.  “He was punished in my stead after I was exiled.  He was
the son of a traitor, tormented and hated.  I never even knew he existed until
I saw him standing in Karda’s place by Ran Mau.  I never even had a chance to
talk to him.  I just . . . I struck him down without hesitation.  He paid the
price for my choices and I killed him for it.  I always used to complain that
I’d never had a chance.  Well, he really never had a chance.  I never even told
him I was sorry.  I just killed him . . .” Levi’s voice trailed off as tears
began to run anew.
 
Erwin came over and placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder.  “It wasn’t your fault. 
You did what had to be done to save all of humankind.  That the bitch would
create an offspring only to punish you is unconscionable.  I know that nothing
I say will ease the hurt you feel, but you have nothing to feel guilty about. 
He is free of her now.  Take solace in that knowledge.”
 
Levi nodded weakly.  “Thank you, Eyebrows.”
 
The others present gasped in shock, but Erwin just laughed.  “That’s the Levi I
know!”
 
They spent the next several moments of silence, each lost in their own thoughts
of what was to be done now that the world was unified.  Eren was looking at a
picture in his sketchbook.  Levi could see it was the drawing that the former
arc had done when they’d visited the fates.  It showed Levi sitting on a stone
in the garden, surrounded by the web of threads.  The three fates stood over
their massive codex that rested on a large thistle with no thorns.  “It’s very
good,” Levi told him.  “Guess we’ll have to go forward without their help from
now on.”
 
“So,” Eren said with a big grin.  “Now we start rebuilding the world together.”
 
Levi looked fondly at his lover and took a hold of his hand.  “Together.”  He
leaned in for a chaste kiss as a single tear gem of joy escaped his eye.  I
don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I know we’ll always be together,
no matter what life we’re in.
 
 
***** POSTLOGUE *****
                                   POSTLOGUE
                               2,500 Years Later
 
 
Life had been tough; very tough.  But he had chosen to live a tough life.  Levi
had trained his entire life to fight and destroy the giant, twisted and
disfigured humanoid monsters that threatened to eat all of humanity.  In less
than a year, the human population had gone from approximately 7 billion to less
than 100 million.  And that was only a hundred years ago.  Three great walls
had mysteriously appeared and most of the human population was contained behind
those walls.  Those walls were the only thing preventing the titans from eating
every last human.  But some humans sought to escape their prison, and that was
what the Survey Corps was for; destroy the titans and gain new territory for
humanity to safely live in.
 
Church bells rang out across the city.  The entire Survey Corps (all 286
members) waited just inside the gate of Shiganshina, waiting for the gate to
open so they could depart on next expedition beyond wall Maria.  It was the
first full expedition in over a year.  Those goddamned bells again!  Every
fuckin’ time we go out and come back in.  What do they think this is?  A
goddamn show? Levi sat astride his large, black horse, Firestorm, near the
front of the column at the head of his unit, listening to the murmurs of the
crowd lining the street as they waited for the gate to open.  The sick part is
that they’re right.  We aren’t making any progress!  But, dammit!  That doesn’t
mean we want to hear it every single time we go out and come back in!  Give us
a fuckin’ break! 
 
Levi was currently in command of the largest unit in the entire Survey Corps. 
Twenty people – the best of the best, all formerly under the command of Old
Tom.  The man was the first scout to die of old age, and he left his command in
the hands of the now nineteen year old Levi.  Many of the crowd’s murmurs today
were about the noticeable absence of Old Tom.  Just shut the fuck up, people! 
He only died a week ago! My unit hasn’t even had time to mourn properly!
 
Just then, some movement near Firestorm’s feet caught Levi’s attention.  A
small toddler had wandered up and stopped directly below him.  Levi scanned the
crowd for any sign of a panicked parent.  The brat probably just learned to
walk.  Geez!  You’d think the parents would keep a closer eye on him!  He’ll
get run over at this rate! He looked back down at the small boy, who was gazing
up at him with large, light bluish green eyes that were filled with wonder. 
Levi glanced toward the wall, and seeing that it would still be a few minutes
before the gate was raised, he slid off his horse to address the small
problem.  The innocent child immediately reached up with chubby hands and said,
“Up!”
 
Levi sighed and picked the child up, resting him on his right hip.  The child
had a big grin on his face as he promptly began touching the man’s face and
giving a slight tug on his jet black hair.  “I’ll thank you not to pull my
hair, you little imp!”  Levi was transfixed by the child’s eyes.  The large
eyes were a strange mix of light greens and blues with flecks of gold near the
pupils.  Why the fuck do I feel like I know this kid? He returned to scanning
the crowd for a panicked mother.  “Somebody’s got to be looking for you.”
 
//Cute little thing, isn’t he?//  Firestorm said as she turned around and
nuzzled the boy in Levi’s arms.  The boy squealed with delight and grabbed the
horse’s nostrils, then petted her nose.  “Soft.” 
 
“Yes, she is.”  A faint hit of a smile showed on Levi’s face.  “That’s my
partner, Firestorm.  She thinks you’re cute for some strange reason.”  The boy
only giggled in response as the horse tickled him with her lips.
 
“EREN!”  Levi finally heard the one thing he’d been listening for; a panicked
mother.  A young woman with long brown hair drawn into a loose pony tail came
running up to him.  “Oh, thank God!”
 
“Mama!” the boy greeted happily.  He put his chubby little arms around Levi’s
neck and kissed him on the cheek.  “Bye, bye.”
 
“Thank you so much!” the woman said as she took her toddler back.  “I had no
idea a one year old could run that fast!”  She was out of breath from trying to
catch the wayward boy. 
 
Levi only nodded in response and mounted his horse as the call to open the gate
went out.  He watched the woman go, the boy (Eren was it?) waving to him as
they went.  I still have the strangest feeling I’m supposed to know that kid .
. .
 
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