[Mini-WWYP 4]-Bargaining Chip (Completed)

I have done alot of research for this WWYP and I hope it shows in the writing and characters. My ultimate goal of this was to create a miniature epic for a miniature contest. I hope this finds you well.

Word count: 9,666

The Leviathan​

-1-​

The light flowing from his ivory wings served as the only guide through the casket black darkness. Bare feet sounded against the cold floor of the narrow path. The angel had to be sharp if he was to reach the end. The slightest stumble would result in perpetual plummeting for all eternity. A dangerous and desolate road was fitting for the trek to Hell, but the loneliness hardly fazed the angel. He walked this path many times before with messages to deliver.

In his arms the angel carried a small orb, no larger than a world globe. It pulsated a white aura, hardly visible in the surrounding shadows. Sweaty fingers held the orb tight against his chest. He could feel its warmth on his chilled flesh.

At the end of the path rested the Arch of the Underworld, a colossal stone threshold marking the entrance to the city of the damned. Within its center stood iron gates that locked out the unwanted visitors. This was the main gateway of Hell. Very few ever had the pleasure of walking through the archway despite the consistently growing population of the city. Carved on the surface of the archway were two magnificent symbols. To the left was Eve, holding an apple in hand, while a serpent spiraled around her body, covering her breasts and womanly slit. To the right stood Job, crouched on his knees with his head thrown back in a silent scream of agony as boils blistered and spread across his skin. These were just a few of the Devil’s most renowned works.

The angel was greeted by two guards who watched over the gates. Carrying shields and spears in their callous fingers they watched as he crept closer. Fiery eyes squinted as the brilliant glow of the light came into view. The demon guards hissed and readied their spears. They were trained well to deal with the likes of the trespasser.

“Allow me to pass. I am here to speak with your king,” spoke the angel.

“Be gone from this place,” the first demon hissed. His spear thrust forward, but
fell short of the angel’s throat.

“Let him through,” said the second demon. “If he speaks the truth then no harm will come to him.”

Flapping their leathery wings, the demons lifted the latch on the gates granting safe passage for their visitor. They cackled in a sinister tone as the gates closed behind the angel. There was no turning back.

Passed the gallows and the geysers of fire, the angel trekked through the chambers and corridors of Hell. Above, an open wound in the sky spilled shades of maroon across the black clouds. The steam from the flaming crevices and cracks in the ground burned his eyes as tears ran down his cheeks. He choked and coughed as the smoke filled his lungs.

The sun was always setting in realm of sinners. Perpetual twilight and darkness fused together to create the sunless void of the environment and architecture. The only light to be found was that of the judging infernos that ranged from the mountainsides and their pinnacles. It was mere myth that Hell laid below the surface of the Earth in some cavernous setting. Truth be told, Heaven and Hell could be traveled to on the same dimensional plane. The human consciousness was unable to comprehend such veracity as the bibles of the world spoke of Heaven ruling above Hell, God above Satan. To think that the great creator ruled on equal grounds as the great destroyer was unimaginable.

The screams of the tortured rang loudly in the angel’s ears. His wings tried to shield him from the horror, but it did little good. There was clawing at his ankle. Looking down, a hand, charred and skeletal, stretched out from its grave. It did not have to speak to make its desires clear. Reaching down, the angel took hold, and pulled with all his strength. What he discovered was far from what he expected. At the other end of the hand was an arm that led to a woman, whose mouth spewed glowing embers and from her nostrils poured ash. Her skin had become desiccated and fell from her like bits of gravel. Ignoring the plea for help, the angel shook her off, returning her to the punishment of her sins.

Further down the path sat a flock of vultures. They sat arranged across the crucifixes, which held the bishops and priests who worshipped themselves more than their heavenly father. The vultures pecked and fed on their organs and fluids in a never-ending cycle of torment. And like every other creature corrupted and twisted by the laws of the land so were the vultures. One half of their figures appeared as a full feathered fowl, alive and well, but the other half exposed the workings of the dark and disgusting ways of the nether world. Decay and dark solutions consumed one side of the vultures, exposing their guts and rotting hearts.

Slipping past the gruesome buzzards, the angel went on trying to block out the sights and sounds following him. Every journey through Hell became more burdening for the messenger. The Devil always treated him kindly, but the sense that every trip would be his last never left his thoughts. He feared the horrors dwelling in the madness of this sadistic kingdom.

The path twisted and spiraled until it led the angel to an open marsh. Foul odors drifted from the straw-like grass. The water, thick as sludge, bubbled and boiled like vile broth. The angel did not fear the surface of the murk waters, but what lay in wait beneath. It was the first of the Devil’s watchdogs, a creature so wretched and deformed that it was believed to come from the seeds of Satan himself. It lived to served its master and devour all those, angel or demon, who dare try to dethrone the Prince of Darkness.

Stepping lightly on the petrified patches of grass and muck, the angel began to cross the marsh. He listened for the rumbling stomach of the hungry Leviathan. The beast was well aware of the angel’s presence. It smelled the blood that pumped through the messenger’s heart. More and more the marshlands simmered and smoked with each step taken by the angel. The ground began to quake, the beast was ready to show itself.

Blazing lights appeared high above. These were the eyes of the Leviathan. So brilliant and blinding that the common men could not gaze upon the creature without tearing their eyes from their skulls. Countless miles in length, the Leviathan lowered its scale covered face in front of the angel. Its black tongue curled around the tip of its beak calling for the taste of fresh meat, its gills flapping against its scaly body. From its mouth poured putrid breath, wilting the grass and burning the water. Slowly, the soft feathers blackened and fell from the angel’s wings.

This battle with the Leviathan was new for the angel. Placing the orb on the path, he spread his wings and positioned his arms in the shape of a cross. Quietly, he mumbled some incantation known by all angels. An equally dazzling light illuminated from his wrists and rushed forward on to the slimy forehead of the Leviathan. Like a branding iron the light seared the monster’s nerves, the cross insignia shining brighter with each passing moment. The Leviathan shrieked in pain, flailing and convulsing wildly, before plummeting back into the sanctity of its liquid nest.

With a sigh of relief, the angel marched on, with orb in hand. But he should have known that the battle had just begun. The Leviathan returned, airborne and enraged. With a swing of its whip like tail, the revenged inspired beast knocked the angel to the marsh, the orb floating above the waters. Similar to quicksand, the waters pulled on the angel, wishing for him to join the remains of all the feasts of the Leviathan.

Finding the strength to free himself from the marsh, the angel took to the sky, where the Leviathan waited, willing to continue the battle. Even hungry beasts savior the joy of a hard-earned meal. With another loud rumble of its stomach, the Leviathan roared, and advanced on its prey.

The angel dove low, narrowly escaping the jaw of the beast. He flew across the gray underbelly, scratching, kicking and punching, but the monster snickered at such a futile attempt. The bastardized fusion of all birds and reptiles clawed at the angel, licking the blood from his talons.

Through gritted teeth the angel cursed his enemy, and then himself for such a foolish display of heroism. There was a way to conquer this creature, but the possibility of death was great. The angel hovered in place as the Leviathan readied for another attack. He positioned his arms in the form of a cross once more. This would be his final stand against the Leviathan.

With its jaw wide and teeth sharp the Leviathan prepared to end its famine. The angel now shouted the incantation as the monster neared, the light holding steady on his wrists. He felt the beak closing around him. He was inside the mouth, exactly as he planned. And when the Leviathan tried to swallow and seal its victory, the angel unleashed the mighty magic. The cross of light scorched the beast’s palette, expelling the angel and crashing to back down upon the marshland water. Sluggishly, the Leviathan sank into the sludge, wounded and defeated.

“You will return guardian of the swamp. I am sure of it.”

Unwilling to see his prediction through, the Angel scooped the orb from the marsh and landed on the other side. There he decided was a good place to rest. He tended to his cuts and bruises and then examined the orb. It remained a perfect sphere, no scratches or imperfections to be found.

He sat at the foot of a hill, which led over the mountains of fire and closer to the Devil’s throne. Weakened by his battle, he chose to rest his wings and body. Unwise to slumber, the angel laid on his back with both eyes wide. No telling what demons may come and try to claim him a slave and no telling what beasts may consider him for food.

The journey was far from complete. Many miles lay ahead and much more danger was sure to come. The Leviathan was but one of the guardians setout by Satan to protect his empire. A rare mistake of creation, God banished the monster to Hell, where the fallen angel took him in and gave the Leviathan a reason to live. Feeling accepted by the Devil and rejected by God, the Leviathan became a thankful pet of Hell as did many other damned beings. How many discarded creations did Lucifer make his own? The angel refused to ponder such ideas. His lids grew heavy and soon, against his better judgment, he slept in the land of the lawless.



Well deserved sleep had done little to mend the angel’s injuries, leaving little choice but to walk the uphill climb. With the flaming debris reigning down from the mountaintops, the ascent would hardly be easy. Staring at the orb, the angel remembered his purpose and forgot about the burden of the climb. It would all be worth his trouble should Satan accept his proposition.

He wondered why this venture through Hell had been so full of obstacles as compared to his previous visits. The Leviathan had never attacked before, and he assumed that if one watchdog was hostile, the others would follow suit. Had he known of such hostilities, the angel would have armed himself appropriately.

The mountains were filled with jagged rocks and bones of those who failed to reach the other side. The air was thick with fumes of burning matter. Soot masked the clear complexion of his face, but he grew tired of whipping it clean. The orb took on no soot and stayed luminous and pure.

Sweat dripped from his forehead with each step. His thoughts attempted to persuade the angel to end the adventure here, but his heart said otherwise. But the voice that spoke the loudest came from the muscles, who begged for just one moment of rest. The danger in resting was too much to risk, and the angel forced his body to obey him, marching up the mountains.

Turning to see the progress he made, the angel saw the archway in the distance. It was so far away now, the details vague to the eyes. Seeing the miles he had covered, the mind ended its plea to return home. There was no other option but to finish the quest.

He spun back quickly to see a few small rocks tumbling the path. Something had caused them to fall, but the angel had not seen any demons since he first entered Hell. He would have sensed someone following him. Nervously, he crept up to the mountaintop and peered over the edge.

Against the far side of the mountain wall was a giant brute, equal in size and loathsomeness of the Leviathan. Part bear and part bull, the creature sat in an open field, plucking men from the ground and demons from the sky, shoving them into his mouth. The angel choked back his urge to vomit listening to the sound of the bones crushing between the giant’s mighty teeth. He was a sick monster, sometimes biting his prey in half at the waist before killing them, and other times he would place them on his tongue and swallow them alive.

“Where have you come from?” asked the angel quietly.

Never before had he dealt with such a creature in any of his previous times down the path. Apparently the war summoned vile beasts from their hiding places. Impossible to fly pass the Behemoth without being seen, the angel searched for another path around the mountains.

The great bear-beast sniffed at the air curiously. He had found an aroma attractive to his snout. The angel watched as the Behemoth smelled each of the captives before tossing them aside. He followed his nose in the angel’s direction. Quickly diving behind a pile of ruble, the angel held his breath hoping the beast would pass over him. The scent of his sweat had undoubtedly baited the Behemoth, whose nose was most reliable of all the monstrosities. Through a hole in the ruble, he could see the flaring nostrils seeking out the source of the enticing odor. The metal ringlet piercing banged the outside of the ruble as the Behemoth inhaled and exhaled. The angel kept his mouth shut and his eyes closed, hoping that the danger would be over. Soon, there was quiet.

Before he smiled at his good fortune, the angel was grabbed by the matted fur claws of the Behemoth. Pupil-less white eyes gazed upon the angel, taking in all his handsome qualities. The pair of horns curved out like antlers, sharp as prongs of a trident. The Behemoth brought the angel close, still scrutinizing his specifics.

“Who is this rodent?” the Behemoth asked.

“I am Ellasar, an angel and son of God!”

The Behemoth gave Ellasar a peculiar look.

“Answer me truthfully angel. How have you come this far without injury or harm?”

“Release me and I will show.”

Cautiously, the Behemoth opened up his paw, pushing the angel into the center of his palm. Brining Ellasar close to his eyes, he saw the scar from the Leviathan’s claw stretched over his chest.

“The Leviathan left his mark on me,” said Ellasar, “He intended to dine upon my bones.”

“As did I,” laughed the Behemoth, “But anyone, angel or demon, skilled enough to best Leviathan should die a much nobler death.”

“You are not allies?”

“We serve our lord, Lucifer, but that does not bind us to the laws of friendship. It is a tale I find relief in telling, but noone ever listens. I’ll offer you a deal, Ellasar. Listen to my story, every word of it without sleeping and I shall let you go free.”

“I counter your offer with one of my own.”

“Go on.”

“If I listen to your story without slumbering, you will help me to reach Hell’s great castle. Should I fail, you may enjoy the taste of my sweet meat.”

“Agreed it is then.”

The Behemoth placed Ellasar and his orb on flat stone in the center of the field. He cleared his throat and took one long breath.

“When the Lord of Creation brought forth existence, there were three mighty guardians of his paradise. The first was Leviathan, a creature to protect the seas and all its inhabitants. Second was the guardian, Ziz, protector of the skies and all birds alike. Finally, there was I, Behemoth. I was meant to guard the lands and the mountains and all the animals within. Our father gave us his blessing and set us free the Paradise he made. While we each were to watch over our own realms, father was kind and made us all equal. All were born with legs, gills and wings, so we may travel by land, sea and air.
“Because of our faithful service, father rewarded us each with a wife so the loneliness we felt would no longer plague our hearts. Ziz received his wife first, the beautiful Garuda, a winged soul mate to share the sky with. Leviathan was given his wife next, Krona, a gilled and winged partner to swim amongst the sea.
“But before I was given a wife to call my own Leviathan ruined everything! His lust for the joys of fornication conjured children. While children are great gifts of love, Leviathan’s off-spring were nothing more than monsters. Unable to control them, Leviathan watched his sons and daughters destroy the Paradise our father loved.
“Seeing this disaster, father did the only thing he could do; he killed the children and Krona. Afraid of the consequences of our lust, father punished us, swearing we would never know the beauty and happiness of a family. We were to live alone for all of our days. To make his measure clear, he killed Garuda, who had done no wrong. Ziz lost his only son that took shape in his wife’s womb.
“Angry and filled with hate, Ziz began to destroy the sky. He blocked out the sun so it could not shine. He devoured the clouds and blackened the blue with his bowels. It was only a matter of days before Ziz was sent to the underworld. Leviathan continued the destruction as a sign of revolution.
“I did not destroy the Paradise around me. I took my anger out on Leviathan seeing as how he was the one to blame. Our battle was fierce and lasted many years. In that time, the motherless mutant chewed off my wings and sealed my gills shut with his disgusting breath, so I could never face him beneath the oceans or in the skies. Leviathan thought he had defeated me, but I swore we would finish our war in the next life.
“Father sent us both to Hell for our crimes against each other and the entire world we had destroyed during our clash. We were mistakes now, nothing more than wild beasts, uncivilized and unloved. It was here Lucifer took us in and promised a chance at a new life. Serve him and we would receive the love we had lost, or never had. My hatred for Leviathan has not extinguished. I will make him suffer for all the pain he has caused me. And when I am through with him, God will feel the wrath of his secret errors.”

Staring down, the Behemoth was shocked to see Ellasar still awake and wide eyed. The angel wore a smile across his face as he stared back at the Behemoth, who had an expression of both confusion and pleasant surprise.

“It figures that the first to last the entire tale would be an angel. Well done, Ellasar. A deal is a deal and I am at your service.”

“All I ask is safe passage to Lucifer’s castle.”

“And your purpose?”

“To end the war between Heaven and Hell. I have a proposition for Satan, something I believe he cannot refuse, something that will hurt God just as much as it hurt your new king and yourself Great Behemoth, when you were all shunned from God’s good graces!”

The Behemoth was skeptical of Ellasar and rightfully so. He had never heard of an angel turning his back on God before. It seemed like a fabrication, but the look in Ellasar’s eyes and the excitement in his voice rang with a unique candor not often heard in Hell. Picking up his humongous axe, the Behemoth thought to himself if he could trust Ellasar the angel. If you cannot trust an angel, who can you trust?

“God has hurt you too then?”

“Very much indeed.”

With a nod of his great furry head, the Behemoth placed Ellasar on his hunchback. The amber hairs made for a comfortable and soothing bed. As the Behemoth marched on towards Lucifer’s kingdom, Ellasar drifted to sleep. The story he had endured was long and boring, and had he not used magic to stay awake, he would have been torn apart by the acids of the Behemoth’s bottomless stomach.

Gregor the Beelzebub​

-3-​

The forest was filled with lifeless trees. They bore no fruit or leaves and no animals took refuge in their trunks. Warped and mangled by the malevolent forces surrounding them, the trees turned gray and glum, a sign that the castle was very close.

Only one species called the Wilting Woods home: the Beelzebubs. They thrived in the forest where even the demons feared to trek. Their entire life force depended on the amount of raw and concentrated evil they could feed upon. Whether it came from the bodies of sinners or the skulls of demons, the Beelzebubs found a way to survive. When they had sucked all the wicked and villainous poison from the land, the swarm moved on, hoping to return someday to feed on the then regenerated venin.

With one might swing of his axe, the Behemoth brought down a tree. The land shook violently as if continents collided as the trees fell one after another. This was the Behemoth’s way of clearing path so he could walk through the forest. The destructive sounds woke Ellasar, who even with blurry vision noticed that this was an unfamiliar path.

“Have you gone off course, Behemoth?” Ellasar asked.

“I am seeking help from those who owe it to me.”

“I have never been here before. What is this place?”

“Tis the Wilting Woods, a lifeless forest where the Beelzebubs dwell.”

“Beelzebubs?”

“You will see soon enough, angel.”

The travelers came to a massive hive that hung high from the branches of the tallest tree in the forest. Porous and darkly colored, thousands of flying insects entered and exited the great hive. They were much like all the other residents of Hell: giant and deformed and starved.

The workers of the colony returned with doomed souls for their queen to feast on. Their screams were all in vain and faded inside the hive. The head and thorax of these creatures resembled that of a dragonfly, long and slender. It was the abdomen that frightened Ellasar. Corpulent and parceled, the abdomen carried a vicious stinger as fine as a needle and thick like a lance.

The humming of their fluttering wings grew louder as the Behemoth neared the hive. Ellasar hid in the Behemoth’s coat to assure he would not again be mistaken for food.

“You!” shouted the Behemoth as he grabbed one of the legs of the workers.

“Yezzzzzzz?” it said.

“Tell your queen the Behemoth has come for the favor she owes me.”

The worker blinked his compound eyes and then buzzed off into the hive.

“They are in your debt, Behemoth?”

“I defended them when Ziz tried to feed upon their colony. Ziz loves the taste of Beelzebub blood, but not as much as that of an angel.”

Ellasar swallowed hard at the thought of Ziz. He knew they would cross paths with him soon and he was dreading another monster trying to make a meal out of him.

The worker Beelzebub returned and hovered in front of the Behemoth with the queen’s answer.

“Ourrrrrrr queeeeeen zzzzzzayzzzzzz weeeee owe you no favorrrrrrr.”

Annoyed, the Behemoth wrapped his fist around the Beelzebub’s throat and said, “Tell her I ask for one strong soldier to accompany me on my voyage and nothing more. And if she refuses warn her that I might not be around the next time Ziz gets the urge for Beelzebub meat!”

The worker moved faster this time fearing the Behemoth would make his threat a reality. Ellasar, unsure of what the a lone Beelzebub would be useful for, questioned the Behemoth, who was picking bones out of his teeth with a nearby tree.

“What is the need for these insects? We are wasting time!”

“Quiet up there! I will tolerate any whining!”

The Beelzebub returned, this time with a comrade. Larger than the others in the colony, this Beelzebub wore a red scar across his black and gray abdomen. A saddle was fastened to his back.

“Thizzzzzz izzzzz Gregorrrrrr. Heeeee will be yourrrrr rideeeeee.”

“Very well then. Tell the queen she can continue to look forward to my protective services.”

“Heavyyyyy,” Gregor said as the Behemoth mounted his new stead.

“Shut up you maggot or I’ll serve you to Ziz myself!”

It took several attempts for Gregor to get airborne, but soon the travelers were soaring above the lands of Hell. Ellasar was relieved to be free from the tormented regions of the underworld. The sky was the only place that had no perverse tortures or sinister servants.

“He must move faster, Gregor!” the Behemoth commanded with a snap of the reigns.

“Whyyyyyy?”

“He is coming and will be here soon.”

“Who is coming?” asked Ellasar.

“Ziz approaches from the south. He can smell us just as I can smell him.”

“I don’t suppose it’s a friendly visit he has in mind?”

“There are no such things as ‘friends’ in Hell, Ellasar. Even you should know that. Ziz knows no compassion or remorse. He will kill us all if he wishes to do so.”

“I am notttttt madeeeeee forrrrr battttttllllleeeee!” cried Gregor.

“Keep that trap shut, Gregor! Speak only when you are spoken to. How are your wings, Ellasar? Are they able to fly you to safety?”

“They are well, but tell me great Behemoth, why such concern for my well-being?”

“We made a deal and I intend to see it through, unlike some of those you live besides in Heaven!”

The Behemoth was a strange creature to be exiled in Hell. He spoke the words of man well, and his heart held moral values, the same as many of his heavenly brothers. Perhaps these were the remnants of good that God bestowed upon him during his life as a loyal and loving servant. But even with such honorable qualities, the Behemoth had sworn his life to Lucifer. The look in the beast’s eyes when Ellasar spoke of revenge against God was unmistakable. He wished to bring the pain he felt to the father that he once loved and obeyed.

“Ellasar, what is this deal you wish to strike with Lucifer?” the Behemoth asked.

“It is a proposition that will tear our father’s heart in half. All those he turned his back on will finally have the opportunity for retribution.”

Ellasar held the orb in front of the Behemoth’s eyes. He watched it turn from its milky color to a swirling blend of greens, blues and browns. Curious by the change and the mystical presence of the orb, the Behemoth took it between his sharpened claws, gazing into it.

“What is this you have brought before my eyes?”

“God has created a new paradise, which he cares for deeply. But this paradise is no home for angels. It belongs to our father’s new love: the humans. They call it Earth.”

“You wish Lucifer to destroy this Earth?”

“If that is what it takes to win back the love we angels deserve!”

The Ziz drew closer with each passing moment, but the Behemoth was worriless. Ellasar too, cast his worries aside. All that consumed his thoughts now were the dreams of God shining his love on him and all the other angels of Heaven. With the war waging and the humans need for constant care, the angels had become the neglected and forgotten. But unlike the others, Ellasar protested such thoughtlessness and sought to reclaim the times when angels were the sons and daughters of God, not careless and self-absorbed humans.

“This Earth reminds me much of the paradise I once knew. When I watched over it, the inhabitants were grateful, but now I look upon these humans, and seeing father’s devotion invested in them angers me further. You shall reach Lucifer, Ellasar, I promise you that. For if I have to give me life it will be worth the agony that pierces God!”

Ellasar smiled confidently. His days as an obedient messenger were over.


Before man there were angels, and before them were the guardians that watched over the Garden of Eden. Each was unique from one another, but none as dazzling as the Ziz. With feathers as gentle as the clouds it once called home, the keeper of the skies knew only righteous thoughts and good intentions. But those days seemed so far away now.

He emerged before the Behemoth and Ellasar with a shrill of deafening volume. Gone were the gentle feathers and in their place stood misshapen wings, with malnourished skin tightly bound against his skeleton. Physically undead, but alive with fury, the Ziz snapped off one Gregor’s many legs with its powerful claws.

All the grace and beauty was sucked from every fiber of its being. The amazing bird had lost the phoenix-like aura and became nothing more than a smoldering ghost of its former self. Shades of midnight black and overcast gray covered the Ziz from head to tail feathers. Rows of teeth filled its jaw, each rotting and permanently stained. Ellasar needed just one look to decide not to join the corpses lining its gums. With one hard swallow, the Beelzebub’s leg was devoured whole.

“Let us pass, Ziz! We have no quarrel with you!”

The Ziz ignored the Behemoth’s words and took another of Gregor’s legs. The Beelzebub moaned and began to fall from flight. The Behemoth swung his axe, but the Ziz dodged the blade. Ellasar leaped from his ally’s back, flapping his refreshed wings. He watched as the Behemoth and the stead disappeared towards the Netherworld grounds. On his own, Ellasar began to evade the Ziz. With the orb cradled in his arms, the angel flew as fast as his wings would allow. The bird beast followed in pursuit, hoping to taste its next meal. Ellasar had forgotten that he was seen as a rare delicacy.

Above the atmosphere of Hell, Ellasar saw Heaven, the golden city where the sun always warmed its citizens. Hovering there, forgetting about the Ziz, Ellasar stared at the city. It was more radiant than any human mind could ever conceive. The grass was always thick and lush, the skies were always clear and the women were beyond beautiful. It was all the more reason for the humans to be destroyed. They were unable to appreciate the majesty of what God had created for them, and thus, Heaven would be devastated under the thoughtless and careless acts.

The Ziz too was caught in the euphoria aspiring from the celestial city. The memories of Paradise came back to him. He saw his wife soaring beside him, their unborn child growing in her womb. It was the last time he ever felt such happiness. Memories kept coming and one small tear fell from the Ziz, who no longer paid attention to the angel. Lost in the days of old, the Ziz held frozen in between Heaven and Hell. Compelled to try to reach the city, he began to fly from Hell’s land. His mind spoke of the wife he vowed to love and cherish and the son he never knew. They were in the city of God, living happily, waiting for him to join them in ecstasy.

So enshrouded with evil Ziz was halted from going any closer to Heaven. The images of his family began to fade away. It was as if the Ziz was bound and shackled to the very gates of Hell. The more he struggled, the faster he was pulled back. Ellasar saw this as an opportunity to strike, and folded his arms in the shape of a cross. He closed his eye and began to speak the incantation, but the thrashing wings of his foe sent him to the earth.

Around the servant’s neck and claws were chains of smoke, which appeared as nothing more than air, but they were as heavy as iron to the Ziz, who could not free himself.

“Release me!” he cried out. “I saw my family! Set me free!”

“It is not my place to do such things,” said Ellasar.

“Please! I beg you to give me the strength to fly to Heaven! My wife and child wait for me there! I cannot suffer in this damnation any longer! Please kind angel, save me from myself and this abomination!”

“Even if I do as you ask, God will never take you into his kingdom. He does not find you fit enough to live amongst the angels. I am sorry Ziz, but you will only suffer more if I free you!”

“NO! NO! You must release me! You lie to me, angel! God is forgiving and loving! He will take me in!”

“You would have never been banished here had he wanted you by his side.”

The Ziz was speechless. He sensed the truth in the angel’s words, but he was unable to accept them. He saw but a glimpse of the joys offered by Heaven and the family he desired to be with. But was God so heartless to simply dangle the thread of hope in front of those who could never achieve it? Conflicting recollections of his banishment and the conception of his son toyed with the Ziz. This was the time to choose what he believed before it was too late.

“I’LL KILL YOU ANGEL! I SWEAR UPON THE ONE WHO CREATED YOU! I will forever feast on your heart and watch you die infinite deaths! You will never see the light of Heaven again! You will suffer just as I…”

The Behemoth struck the Ziz in the back of the skull with his axe. The blade stuck firmly in the skull, a black liquid flowed from the open wound.

“You live!”

“I am not so easily disposed of,” laughed the Behemoth.

“Is he dead? Have you killed him?”

“Nothing dies in Hell. That’s what makes this world so cruel.”

The Behemoth bent over the Ziz and peered into his eyes. Red as human blood and brimming with tears, the Ziz whispered something to his comrade.

“What did he say?” asked Ellasar.

“He says he wished to make God pay for what he has done. He wishes to destroy the city of Heaven.”

Ellasar walked quickly over to the Ziz. Climbing his beak and standing before the giant’s eyes, he took a breath and spoke of the deal he yearned to make with Lucifer. The tears departed from Ziz as he listened. Intrigued by the elements of the deal and the hope of reuniting with his family, the Ziz pushed aside the need to feed and made a decision.

“For too long I have waited for my acceptance into Heaven, but your words and wisdom have opened my eyes to the bitter truth. While the humans exist, and the war rages on, I will never see my loved ones. I must hurt my father for him to love me once again. How can I aid you in your mission?”

“Join the Behemoth and provide me with safe passage to Lucifer so that I may offer this deal to him.”

“I will protect you, angel. You have my word.”

And so Ellasar walked with two grand mistakes at his side. One by one, God’s mistakes were coming back to haunt him.

The journey to Lucifer’s citadel became uneventful. The Ziz flew above, devouring and ending all demons and banshees trying to delay the inevitable. Ellasar, fearless with his new found minions, sat proud atop the Behemoth’s hunchback. Nothing could stop the angel from reaching Lucifer. The Ziz smiled down on him as he chewed on another demon. He felt the same satisfied sense in his blackened heart.

“The Lake of Fire is close. I can smell the sinners burning its heat.”

“Behemoth, what obstacles lie before us?”

“None at the moment, but I am curious to see what hidden troubles come our way.”
“Let us pray none reveal themselves before we reach the castle doors.”

The Ziz landed on the edge of the path, where it ended and revealed the fiery
lake. Through the heat haze stood the floating island in the distance.

“I can take you across the lake safely, if you wish.”

“No, this is my responsibility. I will see it through.”


The ocean of lava and magma crashed against the cliff, dissolving portions away with each wave. Every swirl of red and yellow held a damned man or woman who died in the fires day after day. Some tried to pull themselves free, but the molten liquid held them down. Their fate to feel the burden of their actions forever was sealed.

At the other side was the sought after realm of Lucifer. All Ellasar had to do was cross the lake. And the only way to do that was to walk the thin, unstable jetty that lay between him and the Devil. Clenching his fists, Ellasar took one careful step onto the jetty. A few loose pebbles fell into the magma below.

Seeing the danger and unwilling to chance his life, Ellasar called his wings to fly him one last time to the other side. The orb rocked slightly in his trembling hands as he neared the castle. It was the same nervous sensation felt every time he approached the presence of Lucifer. Countless time he walked this path with an uneassy stomach.

An all too familiar blood curdling roar echoed from high above. Ellasar braced the orb and waited for the mightiest of the guardians to return. The lava pit began to spin and splash uncontrollably. He dodged the flaming waters as the great beast landed before him. The Leviathan returned.

No place to run and no place to hide. Ellasar stood alone to face the beast he barely managed to fend off the first time. Beginning to call on the magic of the incantation used many times before, Ellasar halted and uncrossed his arms. Wounding the Leviathan would only enrage him more. Perhaps the time finally arrived to convert the Leviathan to his cause.

“Leviathan! Hear my words and hear them well! I have not come to fight you, for I know I am no match!”

The Leviathan replied with a growl Ellasar interpreted as agreement.

“I travel to meet with your king to offer him a proposal. I come on my own unbeknownst to those who rule the kingdom of Heaven. The deal I carry with me rests in this orb. If Lucifer should accept the deal, it will end the war between our two lands, once and for all!”

A fierce and disagreeing roar erupted from the Leviathan’s lungs. He leaned his face close to Ellasar, revealing all his teeth as a sign of what was to come.

“Hold steady Leviathan! All has not been explained!”

The beast landed on the jetty, his mammoth weight crushing and sending it the bottom of the magma pool. The heat of the lava never phased the Leviathan as it ran over his legs. He learned to adapt to the flesh melting waters since being sent to Hell.

“Silence that pestering tongue, Angel! I have heard all I needed to hear!”

Shocked that the Leviathan held the intelligence to speak, Ellasar closed his mouth and stared at the beast, praying this was not the end of his days.

“The war will continue so long as I breathe in the putrid scents of Hell! No deal you offer can replace the children and the love I lost! No deal can replace the hatred I hold within myself for my father! I am nothing more than a bastard son of a God who knows no meaning of love or forgiveness! He will learn to lose everything like I did, and he will suffer!”

The supremacy of the Leviathan faded quickly when the axe sunk into his spine. The Behemoth and the Ziz followed Ellasar, for they predicted such an attack might occur. The angel watched the three beats tussle and turn, punching and clawing, swearing to tear each other apart.

“Don’t you see, Leviathan? This deal will be our revenge we always desired!”

“NO! This angel has deceived you both! Can you not see he merely lies?”

“No Leviathan, you are wrong! You have trapped us here, but the angel wishes just as much as Lucifer to see us free on all God has created!”

But the words of the Ziz went unnoticed and the Leviathan continued to battle. Ellasar did not blame the beast for his reaction. Those of heavenly descent betrayed him and all his trust dissolved ever since. The fighting continued between the three slaves. Perhaps it was their destiny to forever clash in the afterlife, an eternal struggle that served as their punishment. Ellasar was grateful for what the Ziz and Behemoth had done for him, but it was time to move on and finish what he came to do.

Parting ways with his allies, he reached the other side of the magma ocean and approached the castle.


The floating island which the castle foundation sat was the true epicenter of Hell. It was the home of all the angels that turned their backs on God and followed Lucifer when he was cast out of Heaven. And even though they were loyal followers, they were treated only slightly better than the sinners and the damned. The castle was the root of all the evil creatures and inhuman torments.

A colorless void, the towering castle was centered on the island, and far from where Ellasar landed. Resting his tired wings, the angel gazed at his former friends. The melancholy expressions draped across their faces looked as if they had aged a thousand years. The youthful vigor once running through their veins vanished and in its place stood advancing depression and near lifeless bodies. The light of their wings extinguished, with only shades of black and gray radiating from them now.

Ellasar walked passed some that tried to inhale the rich scent of the flowers, but they were odorless. This was the most haunting aspect of Hell. Life and energy emptied from the surrounding environments and tangibles within the borders of the floating island. Fresh air and flowers were odorless, color reduced to shades of gray and all happiness suppressed by sweeping depression.

Two lovers embraced to feel the pleasures of the flesh, but no amount of love making could reverse the effects of the floating island. Passionless fornication spread to all betraying angels, as if rampant disease stretched to every indulgencing nerve inside them, denying sensual desires and leaving only misery. Beyond them, others drank from a fountain. Fine wine and liquor spilled from its orifices. Holding out their open hands and mouths, the angels caught every drop of the misty alcohol. Much like the lovers, they suffered endlessly, never finding intoxication. Sobriety eternally doomed them; the treasured sensations of alcohol dissolved before reaching their blood. Hell for these angels was hope. Clinging to the hope that some day intoxication would return, they sat at the fountain always drinking, always waiting.

Bland fruits and vegetables grew from the trees and grassy meadows. Grayed and flavorless like the fountain liquors, the angels farmed and gathered the food, fooling themselves that this food was different from the rest of the crops. Still, the inhabitants gorged their stomachs. But Hell finds a way to conquer all fascists and this food was no exception. Unsatisfied hunger ruled and commanded the need to eat, even if the food never served its purpose.

Ellasar respected those who gave up the bliss and harmony of Heaven for Lucifer’s cause. While he himself never considered leaving it all behind, Ellasar understood why they did it. To denounce God and his kingdom required immeasurable bravery and willingness. Ellasar lacked both those qualities.

The castle architecture compared closely to a citadel. An inclining stone staircase stood over a fiery river many miles below. Marked with blood and urine, the granite facing had seen better days. Cautiously, Ellasar took the steps one by one, feeling the swaying of the unfastened stones. Much like the initial darkened path, the staircase of the citadel was equally narrow and treacherous. Angels find morality burning in Hell’s flames. Any misstep certainly spelled the end for anyone, angel, demon, or human.

With exhaustion setting in, Ellasar fought to climb the stairs. It was normal to feel fatigue at this point in the journey, but the events of the day were far from “normal.” The messenger choked back the call for sleep and continued to pursue the citadel. Several times he nearly lost the orb to the river, but soon he finished his ascent.
The wooden doors were slightly parted, letting an orange light shine onto Ellasar’s nose. He entered the hall buttressed by prison chambers filled with alluring human women. Shackled to a concrete slab, they became nothing more than concubines for the incubus creatures. No larger than chimps, the incubus took turns fulfilling their sexual desires. The woman scream as a frozen member entered her forbidden fruit. The trademark of the incubi drained beauty and life from women. And when she passed away, her womb expelled more incubi new-born.

While Ellasar saw the incubus creatures as nothing more than winged baboons, those that resided outside the castle walls envied the sex-craving brutes. The incubi felt what the melancholy faction could never feel and it drove them to the edge of insanity. Regardless that the sex was meaningless, it had excitability Lucifer’s angels hardly remembered.

The orange glow came from the torches hanging from the walls and ceiling. All senses returned to Ellasar the further he walked. Lucifer sealed all the bliss inside the citadel. It was no surprise to see the dark prince resting upon his throne, surrounded by promiscuous fallen women. Brunettes rubbed their naked bodies and lips over his penis, while blondes fed him meat, and redheads delivered wine. Delicious food, intoxicating wine, and attractive mistresses, the bliss of Heaven altered to suit the Devil’s liking. He called them off when Ellasar approached his throne, taking to one knee.

“Your explanation for interrupting my time with my angels,” he said, running his fingers through one of the blonde’s hair.

“My apologies dark lord, but I have come on business and hope not to be long.”

“Speak quickly, angel, Ellasar is it?”

The messenger nodded.

“Very well, Ellasar. Say your piece and be gone with you. I’m sure father’s message is nothing more than an empty promise.”

Ellasar tried to force the words from his throat, but he stood speechless before the Devil. So handsome and flawless was his face that the messenger’s eyes stayed fixed and his mouth open in wonderment. Even in the prison God established for him, Lucifer still remained the most beautiful and perfectly made angel. All that changed was his eyes, the ocean blue had given way to scarlet red. The skin on his hairless body shine brilliantly with clarity equal to a cloudless sky. The long, dark hair that draped across his shoulders matched his black feathered wings, a style that fit only Lucifer.

“Ellasar! Speak, or leave before I am tempted to give you over to the Succubus!”

“I…I have come to offer you a proposition.”

“Unless it is the keys to the gates of Heaven there is nothing you can give me I do not already have!”

“Lucifer, please listen! What I offer you is something that can hurt the one you hate the most! I offer you a chance at retribution, a change at revenge!”

Ellasar pushed the orb before the Devil. Lucifer’s curious eyes watched the orb change to reveal the Earth, the new human paradise. Perplexed by the sight, Lucifer took the orb into his hands and gazed up its colors and warmth. He spun it on the tip of his finger nails to find the trickery behind the messenger’s magic, but there was none. Turning back to Ellasar, he saw a smile of elation blended with a sense of dread beneath the angel’s eyes.

“It is the newest creation of our father. He calls it ‘Earth’.”

“Seems losing one paradise wasn’t enough for the old man. Tell me Ellasar, why have you shown this to me? Why are you here?”

"My proposition, my deal to you is this: End the war between the Kingdoms of Heaven and Hell and instead hurt the one that cast you out by destroying the one thing he loves!”

Lucifer rose from this throne and gracefully descended down to the messenger. He studied the orb; his concentration never broke from it. He circled Ellasar, whose visible fear took the form of chills up his spine. Then he felt the warm breath against his ear.

“Listen to me, and listen well boy. I started this war and I will be the one to
decide its end. You want God to love you? Do not waste my time with your petty needs.”

“Lucifer, wait!” pleaded Ellasar, tugging the Devil’s mauve robe.

Lucifer shoved a long-nailed finger in Ellasar’s face, “To test Satan is to test Hell itself!”

“You don’t understand! God’s new paradise is home to new humans!”

Lucifer eyed Ellasar suspiciously, “Continue.”

“It is these humans God loves more than any angel! He loves them more the Heaven itself. War is not the choice method to scarring father. If you truly wish to defeat God, take the one thing he loves the most from him!”

Lucifer grinned a devilishly. The messenger opened the door to the chance to permanently leave his mark on the one that took all from him. Like the beasts that guided Ellasar to the citadel, the Devil too, felt the same candor flowing from the angel. No tricks, no lies, he had come for the Devil’s help.

“You have traveled all this way to strike a deal, and brought with you a bargaining chip I cannot refuse. Shrewd move, angel, very shrewd. I am unsurprised by God’s attempt at a new utopia. Ruling over one land was, and still is, never enough for him. Allow me to understand the parameters of this proposition. I will halt the war and turn my attention of this ‘Earth,’ and what do you receive in exchange?”

“Nothing more than the love the humans stole from me and all other angels.”

“Willing to do anything for your father’s love aren’t you?”

“Yes Lucifer, I am.”

“Then the deal is final! If you are willing to do anything, then I am willing to destroy the Earth. Ladies, bring me the tool of negotiations!”

The women returned with a golden dagger upon a violet throw pillow. Taking it in hand, Lucifer sliced the tip of his index finger slowly, blood dripped from the cut. Pushing his hand forward under Ellasar’s nose, the devil gave an impatient look. Ellasar stared confounded at the bleeding wound, unsure of what was expected of him.

“Suck the elixir from my finger tip, and the deal will be forever sealed.”

Hesitating, Ellasar’s mind and heart argued over the proper course of action. Ellasar’s heart spoke loudest and he drank. The blood ran smoothly down his throat, like fresh waters of a natural spring. Lucifer nodded his head approvingly.

“Forever bound by this pact: the willingness to do any thing in exchange for the destruction the Earth. Keep going, Ellasar. You’re nearly there.”

Another moment passed before Lucifer pulled his finger from the angel’s tongue. With the wound repaired, Lucifer fried his finger, and pulled Ellasar to his feet. Blood dripped from the corner of his lips.

“It is legitimate now. I will take the Earth much like I took Eden and its guardians. My kingdom will expand in every direction! No realm is safe!”

“You can do it lord, I know you can,” Ellasar said, clutching his stomach.

He fell back to his knees. His heart raced, his skull pressed against his brain, teeth clenched so hard his gums began to bleed. Vision blurred and orifices leaking fluid, he called out Satan, but found only cackling laughter.

“What is happening to me? Satan! SATAN! PLEASE! HELP ME!”

“Oh, but I am, dear Ellasar! I am!”

Ellasar saw the feather falling from his wings, followed by the hair from his head. The blood formed a larger and deepening puddle around him. His tears dried up and his lungs begged for air.

“What have you done, Lucifer? TELL ME!”

Blackness surrounded God’s messenger and soon the change was complete. Ellasar died and in his place stood a new being. Gold armor covered the figure; a mask concealed his face, except for the eyes, which shined a bright pupil-less white. Long, black dreadlocks hung from the back of the mask, silky to the hand. Exposed hands revealed scarlet skin and ring with an insignia of Eve from the archway.

Lucifer circled and admired his fine work. Especially pleased with the weapons, the Devil examined the sword, its dark blade reflected in the light of the torches. A sizeable spike was centered on the face of the golden shield. The new General was strong and well equipped. He spoke only when spoken to.

“Tell me General, who is your master and your maker?”

“You are, my lord,” spoke the General in a deep voice.

“Very, very good. And who do you swear your allegiance to?”

“My master and creator, Lucifer, the true King of Heaven and Hell.”

“One final question, General. Who is your God? Who is your father?”

“Only you my lord, only you.”

Ellasar was gone forever. He made the proposition that he always desired. He now had the love of a God that he claimed belong to him and not the humans. And he would do anything to keep the love of Lucifer for himself. The deal was done, Ellasar belonged to Lucifer.

“General, a messenger angel came to me today. He said I should end the war with Heaven and concentrate my energies on this utopia-like Earth. What are your thoughts concerning the matter?”

“I am unfamiliar with this ‘Earth’ you speak of, my master.”

Lucifer turned the orb over to the General. As it rotated in his hands the General gazed deeply into the colors. He saw the humans walking amongst the planet, eating, drinking, fornicating, unaware that evil eyes watched their every action. Observing their care-free lifestyle, the General made an assessment before shattering the orb to powder.

“What do you think General Enrak?”

“Great Kings expand their empires beyond comprehendible limitations. As a Great King yourself, I advise you to take what is rightfully yours, starting with these weaklings and then on to the Golden City!”

“And what is your assessment of the time it will take to make these humans my own?”

“They are more foolish than the animals they feast upon. Conquering them will be easy, but it will take much time. Perhaps more time than you bargained for.”

Lucifer let out an echoing laugh, “Do not worry about time, my friend. I have plenty of that to go around! This calls for celebration! Bring back the whores!”

Demons led the fallen women back into the main chamber, where they proceeded to give themselves to Lucifer and Enrak anyway they could. One ***** drank the blood from between the General’s legs, but he refused to allow her from her knees. He found lust never possible within the walls of his former homeland. Together, Lucifer and he dined and seduced the whores, until they grew bored with them.

“Will you suspend the war at Heaven’s gates?”

Lucifer turned Ellasar over to his side because Ellasar needed to be loved and the Devil was the only soul that could bring him what he wanted. God never would have allowed him back into Heaven after the messenger angel’s betrayal. Ellasar believed the proposition would make God forget human race and come crawling back to the angels. Lucifer knew better for he experienced such things. There was no other home for angel that disobeyed God, but Hell itself. Lucifer did Ellasar a favor, for he admired the messenger’s valor in his continuous treks through the wastelands of the underworld. All those times God sent Ellasar messages for him to hear, but now Satan chose to send a message of his own. Lucifer finished the last glass of wine and answered Enrak’s question.

“As I told the angel, I started the war when I destroyed the Garden of Eden, and I will be the one to decide when the war ends.”