“A demon hunt?”

“Yes. We know it is unusual to request this of a Guardian Exorcist, especially you, but so far our other exorcists have failed, so we are resorting to more drastic measures. We also request you go alone. Do not bring along your kin. As powerful as Wisdom, Courage, Grace, Piety, and Justice all are, it is believed that this would best be done alone.”

“And what exactly constitutes that report? You know that I work best with Wisdom at my side.”

“The demon is shown to have senses that can detect large groups from far away, but it can’t seem to locate a single exorcist by themselves without the exorcist making a large rukus. Thus, we request you go alone. Slay the demon. Your pay will be quite high for this job. The village is offering a hefty reward for the removal of the demon.”

A young woman in a green cloak tapped her chin with a pen, considering the proposition carefully. Her bright brown eyes scanned over the contents of the open file in her lap. She moved a stray earthy brown hair from her face and adjusted her glasses to make sure she was getting all of this. The notes that had been taken down in these reports were… erratic at best. The descriptions made no sense and everything seemed sort of conflicting. Only one thing matched across the report, silver insect wings. The woman frowned and glanced at the holes in her hands. Even just thinking about those wings caused her stigmata to sting. How bothersome. The woman sighed and closed the file. Tucking the folder underneath her arm, she brushed off her brown pants.

“Fine, but only because you seem desperately out of options.” The administrator seemed relieved. He thanked her profusely before the woman left his office. Adjusting her cloak at its collar, the woman began to walk down the long hall in the French headquarters of the Crucifixion Council, otherwise known as the Exorcist Organization. Fingering through the various rosaries clipped to her waist band, the woman unclipped a blue one. She narrowed her eyes, thoughts traveling through her head as she raised the rosary into the air. “Lacus,” she whispered. The space in front of her split open, revealing the destination she had in mind, her home in New Orleans. Stepping through, she appeared in the small front yard of her home. The woman scanned her yard before returning the rosary to its holster. She checked to see if the gate was still locked before heading inside.

“Gardia! You’re home!” a small female voice shouted as the woman entered. The woman scanned the inside of her house to see a younger girl sitting on the couch. Gardia smiled and walked over to the young girl. She pat her head gently, making sure to be gentle on the blonde curls. The young girl’s skin was pale, almost matching the white clothes she was wearing, but it made her icy blue eyes and blonde hair stand out much more. This was Gardia’s younger sister, Piety.

“Indeed I am, but only for a little while. I have to set out to a small village in France for a demon hunt. Is there anything I can do for you while I’m here?” Piety’s eyes lit up at the mention of a demon hunt.

“A demon hunt! You haven’t been on one of those in a long time, right?” she asked excitedly.

“Not since I was initially training to become a Guardian, no. It’s been a long time. But it’s nice to try something new. It’s a welcome change of pace. So, do you need anything else?” Piety paused, thinking it over for a moment before asking her sister a question.

“Do you have a boyfriend yet?” Gardia’s face flushed with color.

“What? No. Quit asking me that. You know how flustered I get!” Piety merely snickered before turning back to her work. Gardia looked over her sister’s shoulder. Piety appeared to be drawing something, but with her hands shaking and her loose grip on her pencil, it was obviously difficult. Gardia sighed mentally. She blamed herself for that. Doctors speculated that when Piety was less than a year old, she had been infected with a demonic disease not unlike that of Parkinson’s Disease. Her motor skills were severely hindered and it was obvious from how Piety struggled to move around the house that the disease was acting fast. It had taken a while for the disease to manifest properly, but it wasn’t until Piety was doused in Holy Water a few years ago that the disease really started to kick in. It had been part of her exorcist training, and because of the water, now she could never be what she had always dreamed to be. Gardia felt her fingernails digging into her palms. She took a deep breath and exhaled, before leaning in closer to her sister.

“I’m drawing a Kitsune.” Gardia nodded, despite the drawing looking nothing like a proper Kitsune. Piety knew it too, but Gardia was going to be supportive nonetheless.

“That was the demon you always wanted as a familiar right?” Gardia asked her sister. Piety sighed and looked at her sister slightly.

“Yeah. When they let me back into the exorcist program I’ll summon one for sure!” Gardia smiled and ruffled Piety’s hair.

“I know you will. You’ll be the best demon tamer they’ve ever seen.”

“I won’t be the best.” Gardia raised her eyebrows in confusion. “Because you’re the best!”

“Hardly. I can summon a Byakko demon and that’s it, and even he’s a bit tempermental about listening to me because I’m not an actual Tamer.”

“You’re still the best in the family. You’re the only one who can summon a familiar right now. That’s pretty impressive.” Piety paused before asking, “When is everyone getting back home?” Gardia glanced at the clock and thought it over.

“Wizzy has a class for thirty more minutes, but he’s giving his students as test today so he might be home earlier than usual. Judy is still on her expedition with Coro in Eastern Asia, so they won’t be back until the end of this week I believe. And Gracie won’t be home until Wizzy picks her up from school.” Gardia looked around and noticed someone was missing. “Where’s Pace?” Pace was an exorcist that Gardia’s family hired to watch over Piety when no one could be home. His usual hours were late at night so he usually had no problems with babysitting. But now he was absent.

“Ah, he was tired so he went into the guest room to nap. He was out late last night chasing a lead on Lucifer.” Gardia rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. That makes sense. Pace was a Hawker class exorcist. This meant he was a demon hunter, the type of exorcists that usually went on the missions that Gardia was about to embark on. Currently, most Hawkers were on high alert to search for Lucifer. The demon prince had been spotted early this month in a very large display that truly hard to miss. Destroying part of the Great Wall of China was kind of hard for anyone to miss. Lucifer had even claimed the act on live television. And thus, the hunt was on. Hawkers from all over the world were after the Demon Prince to kill him. To make matters worse, it was still unknown what was Lucifer’s fatal saint. Every demon had a saint that opposed them, that was meant to defeat the demon. The demon Astaroth, for example, was opposed by St. Bartholomew. While many were unaware, this was the true reason for Catholics taking a saint. Once they took the name of the saint, not only were they protected from that type of demon, but if they became an exorcist, they could access the powers of that saint and have a heightened fighting ability against that particular demon.

“I’ll go check on him,” Gardia suggested. Piety gave a small nod in agreement, causing Gardia to walk down a nearby hall. She reached the last door on the right and noticed it was slightly cracked. She could hear deep breathing and saw Pace’s foot hanging off the bed through the crack in the door. He was sound asleep from what it looked like. Gardia opened the door slowly, so as to not make any noise, and poked her head in. Pace was wrapped like a burrito in the sheets, his blue jeans standing out through the thin layer of whiteness. He was currently barefoot, and his blonde hair was a complete mess. “St. Elijah, please give him a good rest,” Gardia whispered, making the sign of the cross before exiting the room and closing the door behind her. She walked back into the living room to see Piety watching her expectantly. “He’s still sound asleep. He must be really tired after last night. I say we let him rest here for as long as he needs.”

“I agree. He can’t search for Lucifer if he’s sleep deprived.” Gardia looked over at the clock and sighed.

“Well I need to head out as soon as I can. Is there anything else you need? If not, I will gather my things and head out.” Piety could not think of anything and shrugged. Gardia took that as not needing anything and went to her room. She gathered her demon hunting equipment. It had been quite the long time since she had been out on a hunt, and this seemed to be a high level demon, so Gardia was not taking any chances. She collected all of her rosaries, five canisters of grade A holy water, two pistols with two extra loads of bullets, a magic circle sheet, and her foil. Hopefully that would be enough. Worse case, she could call upon her saint’s power through her stigmata, but that was a last resort.

Gardia pulled her cloak on over all of her equipment then picked up her spatial rosary again. She exited her room but stopped when she heard the door down the hall open. It was Pace, still half asleep from the looks of it. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, squinting at Gardia before recognizing her.

“Gardia! I did not realize you would be home so soon.” He looked back at the bedroom nervously before glancing at the floor. “I apologize, I fell asleep instead of watching Piety. I-”

“Don’t worry. Piety told me you were out late last night. Please, go rest as long as you would like. I do not mind.” Pace lifted his head a little and smiled.

“Thanks, Gardia. Where are you off to, if I may ask?” Gardia checked her watch and sighed.

“I am going to a village in France. But I must be off immediately. The sun will be setting there soon. And supposedly there’s a high class demon terrorizing the village.”

“A demon hunt? Wow, this must be a tough demon if they’re calling a Guardian class. Well good luck.” Pace yawned and went back into the guest room. Gardia waited until Pace had returned to the guest room then proceeded back into the living room. As she was passing through, Piety caught her attention with a wave of her hand.

“Sister! Come here!” Gardia proceeded over to Piety’s side and saw that Piety was holding a fortune cookie. It made sense, Piety loved oriental food and Pace could never say no to getting it for her. Piety held up the cookie to Gardia. “You should open it!” Gardia took the cookie and cracked it open, pulling out the slip of paper inside. “What does it say?” Piety asked eagerly.

“Try something new,” Gardia answered, handing the cookie and fortune back to Piety. “Seems appropriate, yes?” Piety nodded eagerly before taking up the task of devouring a fortune cookie. Without further hesitation, Gardia left the house and sliced open a rift in space. On the other end, a small village in France was visible. Gardia took one last look at her house then stepped through.

Gardia took a survey of her surroundings quickly and took a deep breath of the quaint autumn air. It was currently the beginning of sunset. The demons would become active soon. The village, from what Gardia could see, was only a set of about twelve buildings but there were many occupants it looked like. Intriguing. Gardia made her way down the hill she had landed on and arrived to the town in less than five minutes. As she entered, several people took notice of her. Gardia lowered her cloak’s hood and continued to walk, trying to show she was no enemy. Gardia ignored the stares she received as she walked through the town, setting her sights on the town hall. She walked calmly through the town, only pausing when she felt her stigmata sting for a split second. Gardia scanned her surroundings carefully, but she saw no sign of any demons nearby. Gardia frowned but continued on. As she reached the steps of the town hall, a man came rushing out the old building.

“You are the Guardian Exorcist the Crucifixion Council sent, yes?” the man asked. Gardia bowed in response.

“Yes sir. I am. My name is Gardia Bishop. I have read the file on this case, but I would like to request that you give me another explanation on the situation, because the reports I read seemed to contradict one another in many aspects of the situation you are facing.” The man gestured to the building behind him.

“As Town Mayor it is my duty to brief you of the situation. Please, come inside, I will explain everything.” Gardia followed the Town Mayor inside the hall. It was not very big inside either, but it smelled nice, like old wooden furniture. The Town Mayor led Gardia to his office. He gestured to the one chair across from his desk. Gardia sat down and awaited the explanation.

“It all started about four months ago. Given the remoteness of our town, demonic visits are nothing new. However, for the most part they are generally peaceful with the people. Even demons considered malicious do not act with ill intentions while dwelling here. Thus, we generally leave them be. However, four months ago, a demon was spotted in the woods by a few locals at night. It attacked them without warning, screaming in some garbled language. It dragged their bodies to the town square and left them there before returning to the woods. Following this occurrence, every night for the next six moons, a hoard of moth demons would invade, killing small animals and attacking the residents, sucking their blood unless dawn. Then it stopped until a month later, the same thing happened once again. This has repeated for the fourth time, and we wish to put a stop to it. If the cycle is to stay true to its pattern, you will have three more moons until the demon goes back into its slumber again. So I beg of you, please act fast.” Gardia stood up from the chair and bowed.

“Thank you, sir. Your information is very helpful. If you do not mind, I would like to speak with some of the townsfolk before nightfall.” With that, Gardia exited the office. She needed to act fast, as the sun was almost finished setting, and as soon as the sun was down, that demon would become active. Obviously, from the way the mayor was describing the situation, they were not dealing with any normal demon here. During one of those visits demons tended to make, one of them had a child, and that child was a half demon. Generally speaking, half demons came into their powers at different times. If it was female, the latest Gardia knew of it happening was sixteen, and the earliest at ten. If it was male, the latest Gardia knew of was twenty-one, with the earliest being thirteen. This was often why females were the ones burned at the stake, because their powers culminated into being much earlier in life, resulting in the host losing control and being consumed by it. Males had a distinct advantage, with their bodies being more developed when their powers came into being, thus allowing them more control. That still did not mean they could not be consumed by their powers. Four months. It was cutting it close, but whoever this half demon was still had two months before they were fully consumed by their powers.

Gardia left the town hall only to see a small crowd gathered in front of the entryway. Gardia paused awkwardly, all eyes on her. What should she do in this situation? It was no secret that she was a hired exorcist. Then there was no reason to hide it. She should just introduce herself and get it over with.Gardia nodded slightly and took a deep breath before introducing herself,

“Good evening, citizens. I am Gardia Bellania, the latest hired exorcist for the demon plaguing your town. I assure you, I will subdue the demon, as I am one of the highest ranked exorcists the Crucifixion Council has to offer. I have been informed through both your town mayor as well as the reports from prior exorcists about the brutality of this demon and have no intentions to take this matter lightly.” There was a pause, then an old man spoke up,

“Well you better prove it. The minions are about to show themselves now that the sun has gone down.” Gardia’s head snapped to the side, looking towards the horizon. Had it really been that long? How long had that meeting taken? Gardia frowned but did not have long to ponder the question when a low buzzing sound began to fill the air. The villagers scattered quickly, each making a run for shelter. Gardia turned her eyes to the forest on the opposing side of the town and watched as a cloud of moths began to rise into the sky. Gardia’s right hand slipped down to her belt as she unclipped a ruby red rosary. She pressed the cross between her thumbs and waited, walking calmly towards the center of town. The moths rose higher into the air before diving towards Gardia. Gardia raised to the cross to her lips and whispered a word to it,

“Ignus.” Suddenly a burning sensation filled Gardia’s lungs. It seared and roared, needing to be released. Gardia lowered the cross, took a deep breath in, then expelled a large tower of flames at the moths. In seconds, half of the cloud was gone, their ashes coating the ground. The other moths began to scatter, escaping the first shot of flames. Gardia smirked, enjoying herself. Good, let them think they are safe, they will not be free for long. Gardia took another breath and shot another spout of flames at a group of the straying moths, incinerating them with ease. She then swept back and hit more of the stragglers. Gardia paused to catch her breath and survey the damage. Other than a few moths that may have escaped, Gardia had taken care of the whole cloud. Good. Gardia released the cross part of her rosary and felt the burning sensation in her lungs dull. She sighed with relief as she clipped it back onto her belt. Gardia was about to relax when a high-pitched screech echoed through the village.

“My minions!” Gardia turned her eyes back to the forest to see the shadow of a large being being projected over the forest. “How dare you! They only wanted to drink your blood and you burnt them! I will not have this! Not at all! Tomorrow night, exorcist, you will die!” Then the shadow disappeared. Gardia shook her head and began to walk towards the forest when a hand caught her shoulder. Gardia turned back to see a man about her age with a worried look on his face.

“Please, stay here. There may be more moths, and there is no guarantee you will even encounter him.” Gardia narrowed her eyes at the young man, curious as to how he was privy to such information, but let it go and simply nodded.

“As you request, I will stay.” Gardia watched as the young man sighed with relief. There was something off about his appearance. He had healthy peach skin and brown hair almost the same color as hers. He was wearing a plain white shirt and long black slacks. Gardia could not put her fingers on it until she noticed his ears. Gardia took a step back, her hand moving to her hip but it was stopped as he caught her wrist.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice so quickly,” he grumbled, more annoyed than anything else. “I’d prefer if you didn’t kill me. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“How do I know you’re not the one controlling the moths?” Before the man respond, Gardia had pulled her knife from its holster with her left hand and had it at the back of his neck. The man tensed, sucking in a tense breath. His eyes widened with panic, giving Gardia a clear view of his silver irises. Gardia felt herself growl a little as pain flared in her stigmata. “Beelzebub,” she snarled.

“Stop!” Gardia took her gaze off the demon to look at a middle aged woman running towards them. Several other villagers had exited their houses to watch the scene as well, all equally horrified. It seemed that Gardia had either made the wrong decision or this boy had managed to deceive them all. “Please, he is innocent. I promise. He’s been using his abilities to counter that of the other demon’s.” Gardia looked back down at the young man, who was currently giving her a pleading look. He did not seem to be crazed, not like a half demon consumed by their powers during their moon phase. Gardia released the young man and returned her knife to its holster, then bowed. “I apologize. I did not mean to wrongly attack someone. I was unaware there were demons and half demons living amongst the townspeople.” Gardia shifted her attention to the young man. “You are a child of Beelzebub, yes?” The young man nodded, though he did not seem entirely pleased with Gardia.

“Yes. Thanks for the reminder, exorcist. My name is Ares Talbot and I am one of the children of Beelzebub residing in this village. I have control over my powers and use them to fight off the recent attacks, but I am not very strong so I have been very overwhelmed in recent fights.” Ares paused then added, “You seem to have a grudge against Beelzebub. I see the wounds on your hands. You bear the marking of St. Francis of Assisi. You are the mortal enemy of my father.” Gardia gave a short nod.

“Your father is the reason my parents are dead and I had to assume my role as a Guardian Exorcist much earlier than I would have wished. My ultimate goal is to slay him, and I will kill any who stand in my way without remorse.” Gardia looked back towards the woods. “I assume the other child of Beelzebub is in those woods?”

“Yes. That is my twin brother. We both came into our powers four months ago, and while I learned to control them, he went berserk. He can control himself during the day, but on the nights of new moons, he completely loses control. He does not mean any harm, but cannot control himself.” Gardia crossed her arms and sighed.

“That’s usually the case with half demons. It is no fault of his own. Sadly, if he cannot learn to control his powers, I will be forced to slay him. Those are my orders and I cannot simply disobey. However, since you are in control of your powers, I believe your brother will be able to control himself as well. He will return at dawn, yes?”

“He should,” Ares replied, “but if he knows there’s an exorcist here, then he may not. His return is sketchy when there’s an exorcist in town. We can fetch him if he does not return.”

“Yes. If he does return, please inform him I do not intend to harm him. I merely wish to meet with him. I believe I know of a way to help control his powers.” This wasn’t entirely true. Yes, Gardia did know of a way to help the half demon possibly control his powers. However, she did have every intention to harm him should this method fail. It had only been successful one other time Gardia had used it, and only because the candidate had managed to survive the gruesome treatment necessary to go through with it. She would present the half demon with these options in the kindest way possible, and said a silent prayer in hopes it would work.

***

Morning arrived quickly, a knock at the door of Gardia’s temporary residence promptly as dawn began. Gardia heard the woman housing her rush to the door and open it. There was a quiet exchange before two sets of footsteps approached the room Gardia was staying in. Gardia did not look up from her book until she heard a soft knock at the door. Gardia stood up and swiftly walked across the room to the door. She opened it and found a young man that looked almost exactly like Ares, except for he was slightly taller, his hair was a bright silver, and his eyes were a chocolate brown. He also appeared to have a more tortured look in his eyes.

“Gardia, this is Deimos. He said you requested to see him?”

“I did indeed. Thank you Mrs. Gallya. I appreciate your bringing him to me.” Gardia stepped out of the doorway to allow Deimos inside her current residence. “Though I must request, no matter what you hear, please do not come inside. It is for our safety as well as your own. Understand?” A look of concern flashed across Mrs. Gallya’s face, but she nodded, understanding that this was dangerous work in general. Gardia shut the door gently before turning to Deimos. “So you are the demon that is causing all of this?” Deimos swallowed nervously and tugged at the collar of his shirt.

“Y-Yes. Ares said you didn’t want to harm me but I…”

“He is incorrect.” Deimos looked up at Gardia in shock. “I have every intention to kill you, please do understand that. But I also recognize that being a half demon is not easy. I know of a way to help regulate demonic powers, but I have only successfully performed the procedure once, and the process is excruciatingly painful. If even for a second you give in, you will die. I want to give you a chance to live, but my orders are to kill you so if you refuse I will be forced to dispose of you.” Deimos took a step back away from Gardia.

“How do I know that this ritual is not some sort of trap or something and you’re just going to kill me off no matter what my decision?” he questioned.

“I’m ruthless not soulless.” Gardia walked over to her desk and picked up a small picture. She moved back to Deimos and held out the picture. “Plus, I didn’t kill my best friend.” Deimos looked down at the picture of Gardia and Pace. Pace’s demonic features were very visible, his fangs sharp and his ears tipped, with is white tail swishing behind him.

“What is he like now?” Deimos asked, obviously considering the proposition now.

“A total softie. But he has incredible control over his powers. He can even alter his appearance so that his fangs, ears, and tail aren’t visible. Though if his father is around he has a bit of trouble. Still, he’s a high class Hawker exorcist and is currently pursuing the bane of his existence so it is not like he is not doing anything with his life. He also babysits my little sister on occasion.” Gardia smiled a little, the sides of her lips quirking up. “He’s a good person, is what I’m saying.” Deimos continued to look at the picture for a moment before nodding.

“All right. I don’t want to torment this village anymore. Please, help me.” Gardia walked back over to her desk and placed the photo down. She picked up some chalk, causing Deimos to notice that all the furniture in the room had been moved aside. Gardia motioned Deimos to the side. As if she had done this a thousand times, Gardia began to draw on the ground with the chalk, creating a circle before drawing designs inside. When she was done, there was noticeably two circles open, one at the top and one at the bottom. Gardia placed the chalk back on the table and picked up a knife.

“This is an alchemist circle,” Gardia said, “stand in that circle there please.” Deimos moved into the circle as Gardia stepped into the other. “Exorcists generally frown upon the use of alchemy because it relies more on science than God, but I believe that a blend of God and science is the most powerful weapon we have access to as humans.” Gardia raised her brown eyes to Deimos, causing a chill to run up the boy’s spine at the cold look in her eye. “This circle, in particular, is a blend between a gate circle and a transmutation circle. Do you know what that means?” Deimos quickly shook his head, fear beginning to grow inside of him. “I am opening a gate to Hell.” Deimos felt his heart stop inside of him. This really had been a trap. He was going to die. “That is the only way to help you. You will cut yourself and drop your blood onto the circle. I will do the same. Our souls will be dragged into Hell and we will travel through it. We will have to find the gate out of Hell on our own, but if we succeed without becoming trapped, then you will no longer be in danger of losing control ever again.”

“H-How did you discover this?” Deimos stuttered out as Gardia threw the knife to his feet, her blood gleaming on it from her sliced open palm. Gardia smiled a little, her gaze growing sharper.

“I was young and stupid, I tried something new, accidents were made, but we were successful in our objective. Though my every attempt to replicate it has resulted in my client being lost to the flames of Hell. I do hope you will be different.” Deimos picked up the knife and looked at his palm.

“How many times have you been to Hell?” Gardia was silent for a few beats before replying,

“Enough to know my way around. We will be staying on the highest circle. I know the quickest route to the exit by heart. But that does not mean it will be easy. I will fair much better than you because I am not half demon, nor is this my first venture.”

“Why should I do this?” Deimos asked, pressing the blade against his palm.

“Try something new, Deimos, come back anew, and live in peace with your brother. I have told too many people that I have lost their loved one in Hell. I do not wish to add your brother to that list.” Gardia watched as Deimos cut open his palm. Sparkling blood began to bubble on his hand. As one, they dript their blood onto the circle. The circle began to glow and Gardia immediately began to chant aloud. “Attendite ad frigidum. Attendite ad flammas inferni. Oppositum segmentum aperire omnia, quae nos hic protegit. Vocare magistrum, ut anima nostra. Deus, ne derelinquas nos. Nos ad te convertentur. Amplecti nos Satanas. Et veniunt ad te accipere. Hodie nobis. Formam nos. Solvite nobis. Close ad oppositum, quod nos tuetur. Suscipe in igne inferni. Accipe autem cor congelatum.”

Deimos felt wind rush around the room, as if they were in the middle of a large storm. Gardia’s voice grew louder with each word. The room began to grow darker, but Gardia did not fade and neither did Deimos. Gardia’s eyes were now white, standing out in the darkness as words that he did not understand fell past her lips. Suddenly, as the last words were uttered, Deimos felt as if he were being yanked from his body. He looked to Gardia to see if something were wrong, only to find her body collapsed on the ground. Floating above it was a shimmering white image of herself, except it was broken and fragile, with pieces missing. Her left eye, her right hand, a piece of her stomach, her left leg below the knee, and a small sliver right below her right hip. She was also naked, Deimos noticed. Immediately he looked down at himself. He was glowing the same white, and he too was naked, his body on the ground below him, but unlike Gardia, he was whole. Before Deimos could begin to question this, the whole room began to shake and a blue flames sliced across the circle. They opened to reveal a giant eye. It looked over Gardia and Deimos before opening again, this time into a mouth. It sucked in, pulling in Gardia with Deimos with an irresistible force. Screams filled Deimos’s ears and sulfur became the only thing he could smell. There was blackness everywhere for an undeterminable amount of time before suddenly he and Gardia plummeted into a grassy plain. Deimos laid still on the ground, trying to process it all. Gardia moved into his plane of vision, a hand extended to him.

“It is best not to think it over too much,” she said simply. Deimos took her hand and stood up. He stared at her, looking her over. Gardia made an annoyed face and crossed her arms but did not protest as he looked her over. When he returned his gaze to her face, she sighed. “You done?”

“Sorry, I just…”


“I get it’s probably your first time seeing a woman naked but it’s rude to stare.” Gardia paused then filled in Deimos’s unspoken question. “Why am I broken?” Deimos nodded. “Every time a living being that is not a demon enters Hell, they must follow the law of equivalent exchange. A part of them must be taken in order for access to be granted.”

“You are sacrificing your soul for this?”

“Indeed. If I do this too many times, I will be damned to this plane forever and not be permitted to leave. Any reasonable person would not risk it, but I think that my sacrifice is worth the slim chance at a good outcome.” Gardia turned her back to Deimos and motioned for him to follow her. “Now come, we haven’t much time. Soon the demons will notice our presence and come after us. Since we do not belong, they will come after us to make us belong. And that is not something you want.” Gardia and Deimos ran across the field, reaching its edge in a short amount of time. Before them laid a large wasteful with seemingly no life at all. It was barren and untouched due to the lack of wind. Deimos was hesitant to enter, but Gardia proceeded without stopping, causing Deimos to follow her. After a bit of walking, Gardia held up her hand, stopping Deimos.

“So, Francisca, you have returned? Escorting another half demon? We will see just how successful you are. But first, your toll.” A figure rose from the ground of the wasteland, tall with gray skin and a white suit. He wore a cap with a long gray feather sticking out and held a cane with a skull on the top. Two large wings spread out from his back, gray feathers that appeared to be made of stone. Gardia stepped forward without pausing.

“Good morrow, Mephistopheles. What do you plan to take from me today? My other hand, eye, or leg perhaps? Or are you going to steal more of my hip this time?”

“Oh do not tempt me, darling,” Mephistopheles replied, examining her soul before motioning for her to turn around. Gardia did as told, exposing her back to the demon of German legend. Without warning, his hand turned into claws and he stabbed them into her back. Gardia’s eyes went wide and she flinched reflexively, Mephistopheles pulling her claws back out with a large chunk of her back along with it. He smiled and feasted on the soul as Gardia returned to Deimos’s side. She seemed more subdued than before, as if she lacked even more emotion than before. “Do not worry about her,” Mephistopheles told Deimos, “it is a side effect of a soul collection. Every time she does that she loses part of her ability to experience emotions. Do not fret.” Deimos looked over at Gardia with worry. Was that why she seemed so cold? She lacked the strength of emotions because of her fractured soul. Mephistopheles gestured behind him, stepping to the side as he did so. “Well, she has paid her toll. Please proceed forward. I look forward to seeing you again, brother.” Deimos shivered at the word ‘brother’ but proceeded behind Gardia. As soon as they passed Mephistopheles, screams began to fill the air and the wasteland was filled with wasps and flames that attacked souls bound to the ground with chains.

“Do not stare,” Gardia stated, “do not look back. Keep your eyes on my back. This is where I lose most of my souls. If your eyes stray from my back you will turn to a pillar of salt.”

“Like Lot’s wife?” Gardia glanced over her shoulder at Deimos, something that looked like an impressed expression on her face.

“Indeed. This is where Sodom and Gomorrah were located after all. But that is a story for another time. Come, stay focused on me. Ignore the temptations to look away. Do it for your brother.” Deimos took a deep breath and exhaled, keeping his eyes trained on the gaping hole between Gardia’s shoulder blades. As they walked, the screams grew louder. The ground crunched under their feet and wasps zipped through the air. It wasn’t what Deimos would call easy, but the sounds around him made Deimos want to keep his eyes averted. It wasn’t until he noticed Gardia twitch that Deimos somewhat lifted his eyes. He saw her hand on her neck pulling away a wasp, a small hole forming in her neck. Deimos lowered his eyes again but as he did he began to note the many small holes dotting Gardia’s body.

“Gardia-”

“I said don’t look,” she replied sternly, though pain was very noticeable in her voice. “I am aware of the wasps. This happens every time. Keep your eyes on my back. Do not look away.” Deimos swallowed roughly and continued to do as he was told. The wasps did not seem to be bothered with him, only Gardia, who did not attempt to swat at them, only remove them once they had stung her. The screams were louder now than ever, but Deimos had grown used to them, or maybe he had just begun to tune them out. However, Deimos noted Gardia’s only hand lifting to her ear, covering it as they continued. She trembled and, at one point, stumbled, obviously affected by something in the wasteland.

“Gardia, are-”

“This happens every time,” she answered, choking on tears as she spoke. “Living human souls are not meant to pass through even the outermost ring of Hell. We gain immense spiritual strength by doing this, if we make it through, but it’s complete torture to get through.” She paused then added, “You are lucky to not have to see this, but only because you are keeping your eyes on my back.”

“See what?”

“I’ll tell you when they are no longer a threat.”

“What kind of an answer is that?”

“The kind that protects you. Now stop asking questions.” Deimos did not like this answer at all. He wanted a straightforward answer. Deimos reached out and grabbed Gardia’s shoulder roughly, causing her to stop.

“No, tell me what I’m not seeing, right now.” Gardia looked over her shoulder at Deimos, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her eyes were filled with fear and hatred. Gardia glared at Deimos for a second then answered him in a quiet voice.

“Currently I am being faced with every regret and sin I have ever made, flashing before my eyes in constant succession. In addition, my ears are filled with the screams of everyone I have ever killed, and having your voice added to that bombardment is not exactly helping my composure.” Deimos released Gardia’s shoulder as she practically spit out the word “killed”. It was no wonder she was crying, she was being faced with everything she had ever done wrong in her life. It was a lot for one person to handle and Deimos certainly want to face that either. It occurred to Deimos that this also wasn’t the first time Gardia would have been forced to recount these memories, and something told him it was not getting any easier each time she traveled through the lands. “Are you satisfied?” she asked in a whisper before turning away, not wanting an answer.

The two ventured forward in silence, the only sounds being the buzzing of the wasps, the screams of the chained, and Gardia’s choked sobs. Deimos could not help but feel like it was a little unfair that he was doing this. Gardia was sacrificing part of her soul and her sanity by doing this. Deimos was not being forced to go through any pain of any sort, and he was making no sacrifices. Was that fair?

“You could just take a peek, just to make it even.” Gardia froze, looking around frantically. She looked over her shoulder at Deimos and shook her head.

“Do not engage with him. He’s trying to trick you.”

“Oh the girl is trying to discourage you? Of course, she knows who I am after all. She just wants to keep you from me. But I won’t let her.” Deimos felt a large hand wrap around his waist. Gardia reacted immediately, forming a sword out of her arm and slashing off all the fingers. She put the other, damaged arm around Deimos and began to run.

“Close your eyes, do not open them. He’s going to try and tempt you through anything you see. Just ignore his voice.”

“Who is that?” Deimos asked while doing as he was told.

“Mammon,” Gardia answered, “the demonic personification of Greed. He manipulates people’s desires into temptations in order to gain everything he wants. And what he wants right now is to devour your soul.” Gardia yanked Deimos to the side and there was a loud crash to their right. Deimos could still hear Mammon’s voice in his ears, but it seemed that Gardia was doing a very good job of drowning that out for now. “This is where almost all of the clients who made it through the wasteland get lost. They fall for Mammon’s desires.”

“Almost?”

“Other than Pace, I’ve had one other client escape this area, but she fell to the guardian of the gate. I’ll explain once we get there. Now is not really the time.” Deimos would second that last second. There were plenty of crashes from behind them. Just how big was this guy? The smashes sounded as if they were getting closer, but Deimos was not really sure how close until he and Gardia were sent flying. Deimos was separated and collided with what he assumed was a wall, then slid to the bottom. He was about to open his eyes out of reflex, but quickly covered them. He couldn’t do that. He could still be in the wasteland and that meant he was not safe from the visions. He was not safe from turning into a pillar of salt. Deimos held his hands over his eyes but tensed when he felt a hand start to wrap around him.

“There you are.” Mammon said, “I thought that pesky exorcist had caused me to lose you.””

“Let him go, you demon!” Deimos suddenly felt the hand jerk away and a high-pitched screech that sounded far from human filled the area. Mammon began to scream in a language that Deimos did not understand, but he felt himself get picked up and led away. “Just a little further and then you can open your eyes. Hang on!” Gardia lifted Deimos onto her back and began to run as fast as she could. She looked over her shoulder and grimaced. She had merely stalled Mammon for a moment, but if he was going to continue to be this aggressive, she would be forced to break out her trump card, which she had been hoping to save for the guardian of the gate. Gardia dove to the side as Mammon slammed his hand on the ground, sending cracks everywhere. Gardia jumped over the fissures, but it was getting more difficult to outmaneuver him the more ground was taken out, and Mammon was well aware of that.

Gardia jumped and put all of her strength into her legs before pushing off, leaning forward to adjust to the attacks easier. Even with Deimos on her back, she wasn’t going to slow down by much. Gardia ducked as Mammon’s hand swiped above them, then slid right as his hand slammed left. Gardia lept into the air and began to leap across the raised pieces of ground. She flipped off the last one and hit the ground running, giving her somewhat of a boost to get away from Mammon. Gardia could see the end of the wasteland up ahead, where Mammon could not cross. They were almost there! Gardia began to count the feet. Two hundred feet, one hundred fifty, one hundred, seventy-five, fifty, twenty-five! And then a hand smashed into the ground in front of them. Gardia and Deimos were sent flying back, Gardia barely to keep her grip on Deimos as she landed on the ground, shocks being sent through her legs as she stuck the landing.

“You won’t escape me that easily.” Mammon said, a smirk across his skinless face. Gardia took a few deep breaths, staring down Mammon. “What? No witty comeback? Don’t tell me you’ve finally given up, Gardia.”

“Like hell!” Gardia dove to the right side as Mammon swiped at she and Deimos. “I have a duty as an escort to my client. If he’s going to be stuck here, it will be decided by my hand, not yours!” Gardia shot ahead, putting all the strength she could manage into a sprint for the edge. She felt Mammon’s hand right behind her but even with the little energy she put into her jump, it was enough to carry she and Deimos across the border, Mammon’s hand colliding with the invisible border. He roared in frustration and beat against the barrier.

“Return to me, runt! I will have your souls!” Gardia put Deimos down onto the ground and sighed.

“You can open your eyes now.” Deimos lowered his hands from his face and finally opened his eyes. His vision was very blurry but he could make out Gardia’s shape against the darkness of Hell. “How are you?”

“Scared, no, terrified, but also numb.” Gardia nodded slightly and looked ahead.

“That’s normal. That barrier is meant to prevent demons like Mammon from crossing so technically you shouldn’t be able to either but since you are only half demon, you are able to cross. It’ll just turn off her nerve sensors for a bit, nothing too major.” Gardia stood up and offered her hand to Deimos. Deimos took it and hoisted himself up, looking around.

“So, what now? There’s one more trial, right?”

“Indeed. Though it is arguably the hardest. Only two other clients of mine made it to this point. One lived and one is now trapped here. Hopefully you will not join her.” Gardia motioned for Deimos to follow her. Everything was dark now, only fifty meters of visibility around them. Shadows danced just out of view, and every time Deimos tried to look directly at them they would disappear. Were they demons? Should he alert Gardia? Was this the threat that Gardia had warned him about?

“Gardia, the shadows are moving.” Gardia nodded a little and glanced to the side.

“Yeah they do that. It’s nothing to worry about though. Those are souls that have fallen victim to Geryon.” Deimos paused, the name of the demon sounding familiar. Why did it sound familiar? “He’s a demon from Greek mythology, but he is also referenced in Dante’s Inferno. The Inferno got his role in Hell much more accurately than in Greek mythology but still not entirely correct. His test appears to be easy, but is actually very deceptive. When we reach the edge of the canyon ahead, Geryon will greet us. He will carry me across first to the gate on the other side. I must go first because I am a living human and therefore need to be sent away by Geryon’s standards. I will also be forced to enter through the gate before you cross, so I will not know if you make it across unless the gate closes after I have exited. Then, once I have entered the gate, you can cross. Geryon will carry you across, but only if you trust him. If you have doubts, such as that he will drop you or eat you, he will do exactly that and turn your soul into one of the shadows we are encountering. Steel yourself, do not doubt, and I will see you on the other side.”

“I will do my best,” Deimos replied, knowing that was all they could really ask for. He would admit, he was worried though. He had made it this far because of Gardia’s help, and now she would not be able to aid him in the final trial. That was somewhat nerve racking. Then again, Gardia had already shown Deimos that it had been done by another half demon, and they were close friends. If that half demon could do it, then certainly Deimos could. The two reached the canyon sooner than Deimos would have preferred, but he felt he was ready. Just as Gardia had said, a figure emerged from the canyon. But something was off about this person. They were not large nor did they have wings, which Gardia had led Deimos to believe he would. Deimos turned to Gardia, only to see the confusion on her face as well. This was not who was supposed to greet them!

“Good day, travelers. I must apologize, Geryon has taken a sick day, for the rest of eternity. I am-”

“Leviathan!” Gardia shouted, almost snarling out his name. “What did you do to Geryon?”

“Well, I was informed by one of my fellow demon princes that you might be on your way, so I thought you might need more of challenge this time around, given you almost got another half demon through last time. So this time, I will be your final challenge, not Geryon.” Leviathan looked over at Deimos and smiled, showing his gnarled and misshapen fangs. “Hello, son of Beelzebub. Welcome to Hell. How do you like it here? I hope your stay has been pleasant, because this will soon become your new home.” Before Deimos and Gardia could react, Leviathan shot out and grabbed Gardia by her arm. “Time for you to go home. Have a nice trip.” Without giving Gardia a chance to react, Leviathan threw Gardia across the canyon. There was a bright flash and the ground shook hard enough to knock Deimos off his feet. “Now that she’s out of the way, I get to deal with you. The game is simple. I’m going to fill that canyon with water. If you can get across the water without dying, then you win. If not, I hope your soul tastes delicious.”

As Leviathan turned away and walked towards the canyon, Deimos felt panic beginning to surge through his body. He wasn’t prepared for this! He was going to fail and never see his brother again. At least up until now Gardia was coaching him, but this round he was on his own. Deimos started to hyperventilate as his brain frantically scrambled to find a solution to the situation. Deimos put his head in his hands then hit his face with both hands. What was he thinking? Gardia would be so ashamed with him. There is a solution to this, Deimos just had to think of it. He paused and closed his eyes, analyzing the situation. Obviously Leviathan is the demon that people often refer to as the Kraken or the giant squid. That meant any crossing through the water would be suicide. So the water path was off limits. Deimos also realized that Leviathan just said Deimos had to cross, not swim. A smile played at Deimos’s lips. He had the perfect idea.

Deimos glanced at his back and sighed. His wings had not formed in his soul form, but he had seen Gardia form a sword from her hand earlier, so he could possibly materialize his wings. Deimos closed his eyes and focused. He wasn’t sure how to do this, but he decided to just go with what felt natural. He imagined his soul and his body back in the physical world, then slowly moved the images together. Deimos could feel something changing about his soul, his back tingling and changing in shape. Slowly the image faded, revealing his soul with a pair of dragonfly wings. Deimos opened his eyes and looked at his back again. He broke into a smile when he saw the wings had formed. Good, now they were cooking. Deimos stood up and walked to the edge. Sure enough, the canyon was filled with water, but contrary to what Deimos thought, it was not a kraken in the water, but a large sea serpent. Deimos mentally rolled his eyes at his mistake in mythology.

“Finally come to meet your doom? Good, I welcome you! Come, try to cross!” Deimos glanced back at his wings and they began to buzz at his command. Deimos lifted himself into the air, high enough that he was out of reach of the waves and began to zip across. He made it about halfway without disturbance, but then Leviathan began to laugh. “You think I did not consider your little trick?” Deimos barely moved out of the way as the giant sea serpent shot up out of the water and snapped its jaws. “I know who your father is; do not think I will be so easily fooled.”

Deimos zipped back a little bit and watched as Leviathan fell back to the water. He noted that it seemed to take a while to jump up and down. Deimos should have enough time to dodge and weave. With that in mind, Deimos shot forward, keeping an eye on Leviathan. He watched as Leviathan dove under the water, then shot up. Deimos looped through the air and dodged Leviathan’s attack. As the sea serpent fell back to the water, the half demon continued forward. He watched as Leviathan repeated this attack, and Deimos responded the same. In no time at all, he was across the canyon and on the other end. Deimos landed softly on the ground and saw the gate up ahead. He took a deep breath and sighed with relief.

“Congratulations, you get to go back to the human world. I hope you enjoy yourself,” Leviathan said as he approached Deimos from behind.

“Why did you let me cross?” Leviathan gave Deimos a strange look, prompting Deimos to elaborate. “You’re much more powerful than how you just portrayed yourself. Why?” Leviathan smiled a little and shrugged.

“Well, many many years ago when another half demon traveled through here with an escort, your father, Beelzebub, let them pass. That half demon was my son, so when I saw you were his child, I felt it was time I returned the favor. Just don’t abuse it. I won’t be going easy the next time we meet.” Deimos smiled a little, satisfied with this answer. He walked forward without hesitation, hand stretched out as he reached the gate. A bright light filled his senses, causing Deimos to flinch. When the light faded, he could hear a familiar muffled voice and what appeared to be a blurry inside of a house.

“Deimos! Deimos! Come on, wake up!” Gardia shouted, shaking Deimos. Deimos groaned and blinked a few times before covering his eyes with his arm.

“I’m here. Sorry for worrying you.” Deimos heard Gardia suck in a tense breath, then he was yanked up and pulled into a tight hug.

“You made it,” she whispered, “I’m so happy.” Deimos let Gardia hug him for a few beats before a smirk crossed his face.

“You? Happy? I thought you were supposed to be a ruthless demon slayer.” Gardia paused for a second before pushing Deimos off her. Deimos opened his eyes a little and caught sight of Gardia covered her mouth as she tried to hide her laughter.

“Okay. You got me. Nevertheless, I can’t I wasn’t really worried. I did not expect to see Leviathan out of the possible demons to guard the gate. How did you get past him?” Deimos paused, recounting the demon prince’s words before replying with,

“He spared me. He said his son had been spared by Beelzebub once before in the same situation, so he thought it was high time he repaid the favor.” Gardia’s eyes widened and she stared at Deimos. One of her hands rose to her hair and she had a far away look in her eye. “You know who that is, don’t you?” Gardia nodded slowly.

“Pace, the only other half demon I’ve successfully escorted through the underworld. We’ve never known who his father was. This… this changes everything. I have to tell him right away.” Gardia stood up then held out her hand to Deimos. Deimos took it and then stood up. He surveyed the room around them. Other than the furniture having been moved to the side, the room looked untouched, as if they hadn’t just opened a gate to Hell in here. Deimos followed Gardia as they exited the room, only to find Mrs. Gallya, Ares, and the town mayor waiting outside. “Ah hello there,” Gardia said without missing a beat. Ares looked up and joy spread across his face when he saw Deimos behind Gardia.

“You’re alive!” Deimos smiled and gave his twin a thumbs up.

“I apologize,” Mrs. Gallya interjected, “I heard the screams and thought it best to contact the mayor, just in case.” Gardia waved the comment off.

“No harm, no foul. Deimos has returned and I will be staying an extra night, just to be sure the ritual worked. He did very well. We had an unexpected bump in the road towards the end, but Deimos handled it very well. He’s very good at following orders. If he’s ever interested in becoming an exorcist, be sure to let me know, I will put in my best words for him.”

“Gardia?” Gardia looked behind her at Deimos, an eyebrow raised slightly. “Why did you do this? I know you said it was because of your friend, but when you first encountered Ares, you nearly slaughtered him because he was a half demon. But then, not even twelve hours later, you’re risking your soul to escort me through Hell. Why?” Gardia closed her eyes and nodded her head from side to side.

“Well, I guess you could say I wanted to try something new. This was my first true demon hunt in years, and I came very over prepared for the mission. But when Ares told me that you never meant to harm this town, I realized the Crucifixion Council was taking the wrong approach to this situation, and possibly many others. I thought, maybe I could change that, starting with you.”

***

Epilogue

Three years later...

Gardia watched from the rooftop of the town hall in a village in France as children played in the streets, people walked around with a purpose, and peace settled over all its inhabitants. The place had not changed one bit since she departed three years before, and yet, it was vastly different now. Now half demons were about half the population, their tails, wings, and other appendages out in full view. Truly the whole village was at peace. Gardia felt a smile cross her lips as she saw two brothers, one with dragonfly wings, and the other with moth wings, carrying four cases of various fruits. The two laughed and chatted with their fellow town members, the memories of when one of them attacked the village in the past far from everyone’s minds.

“So that’s the boy my father spared?” Gardia looked to her left, Pace sitting beside her. He, too, was embracing his half demon side and letting out his demonic appearance. His fangs poked out just past his lips, fins sprouting from his cheeks and arms, and a tail of a sea serpent poking out from his pants. His eyes no longer seemed icy blue, like Gardia once remembered them being, but now they sparkled like the ocean, as if being able to embrace his true self had unlocked some part of Pace that neither individual had ever known about. Gardia turned her gaze back to the village and nodded.

“Yeah, Deimos. He and Ares are good people. I think that’s the reason I got sent on this mission.” Pace turned his head to Gardia and raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation. “So many qualified exorcists failed to take down a half demon when they could have easily done the job. Yet, they all failed in accomplishing that feat. I went in knowing he was a son of Beelzebub, and had planned to take out my pain and rage against Beelzebub on his son. But once I realized that neither of them were like their father, just like you are not like yours, I knew that slaughtering him would be unjust if I did not attempt to help him first.”

“So you tried something new?” Pace asked, recalling the advice Piety’s fortune cookie had given her older sister that day. Gardia smiled a little, remembering the cheesy conveniently timed fortune.

“Yes, I tried something new.”