Chapter Nine

“You are nothing, a worm of an demon,” DeMerral spit out at Dirk.

The two fallen demons slowly circled one another slowly beating their wings.

Qwantar watched in amusement his tail rhythmically tapping on the floor beneath his throne. He always enjoyed a good fight. He needed his minions to constantly prove themselves worthy, worthy to be joined with him.

Dirk smiled at DeMerral then gave one quick flap of his wings and lurched twenty feet above his adversary. His trajectory carried him behind DeMerral. He paused briefly, preparing to dive at him with all his might.

DeMerral quickly turned and faced his airborne opponent. He waited for the mistake he knew was coming. Only a incompetent fool would try this move on him. The Dirk folded his wings in close to his back and pushed them out with all his might.

DeMerral watched as Dirk descended directly at him like a missile.

“Too slow you fool!” DeMerral shouted at Dirk.

Leaping directly up DeMerral shoved a talon into the soft flesh of Dirks back right between his folded wings. He hooked it in as deeply as possible and jerked Dirk down and under him. DeMerral quickly twisted his body around and straddled Dirk as he crashed into the floor. With a talon still in Dirk’s back DeMerral slashed Dirk’s left wing ripping feathers and flesh from the bony frame. He slashed again as Dirk cried out in pain.

DeMerral pulled the talon out of his back and flapped his wings once, rising above the crowd of demons surrounding them.

“I told you Dirk was an idiot to challenge DeMerral,” one demon shouted to another across the circle.

“Did you see that move,” another shouted.

“It was classic. DeMerral never even flinched,” another said.

“Get up Dirk. DeMerral awaits your next big move,” another taunted.

Qwantar rose from his throne and descended the stairs and slowly walked up to Dirk trying to get up. Qwantar slowly circled him evaluating the damage to his back and wing.

Dirk’s left wing hung limp, blood coating the feathers left on the frame. The wound in his back prevented him from being able to push himself up, pain shooting down his spine and through his shoulders and arms.

“So pitiful,” Qwantar said.

“Master, master,” Dirk pleaded.

“How did you fail yourself so completely with only one move?”

“Master,” Dirk pleaded.

“You disgrace yourself. How did you ever manage to enjoin yourself to my, my legion!!”

“Master,” Dirk pleaded.

Qwantar bent down next to Dirk.

“You have no place here. You never had a place here.”

“Master, please,” Dirk pleaded again.

“You dare seek mercy from me? You dare beg for your pithy life!!”

Dirk began shaking uncontrollably. His damaged wing randomly flapped sprinkling blood on the floor beside him

“Master,” Dirk pleaded.

The crowd of demons surrounding the two grew quiet in anticipation of Qwantar’s next move.

“Does he beg his life of the mighty Qwantar?” Anselrio mocked. “Master, master. Please, please. Master. How pathetic.”

Qwantar looked up to see Anselrio pushing the crowd aside as he approached flicking the ears of smaller demons with his bony finger.

Qwantar eyed Anselrio with contempt. How dare he come into my chamber unannounced. Turning his attention back to Dirk, he slowly gripped him by the back of his neck, wrapping his fingers slowly around till they pinched into the soft flesh of his throat. He pulled Dirk’s head back and leaned over to his ear.

“Shut up you fool. You are not worthy to be with my legion.”

He pulled Dirk’s head back further exposing his throat. Qwantar gazed at the circle of demons directly in front of him. He stared into the eyes of a medium sized demon. With his free hand he beckoned him one finger at a time to come forward.

Anselrio snickered as he watched the demise of Dirk unfold before him.

The demon came forward and stood in front of Dirk and Qwantar. Qwantar stood and offered Dirk’s neck to the demon. With one swift swing the demon slashed Dirk’s neck ripping it wide open. Dirk gurgled drowning in his own blood. Qwantar dropped him life a wet rag to the floor and slowly approached Anselrio.

“How dare you enter my chamber’s unannounced,” he said staring him straight in the eye.

Anselrio did a quick dance to the left then back to the right.

“And your point?”

Qwantar leapt on Anselrio slashing his cheek with one swift swing of his right claw. Anselrio tumbled backwards and tried to flip Qwantar over his head. Qwantar anticipated his move and was able to leverage his length and shove Anselrio down on his back and straddled his torso.

Qwantar pulled his right fist back and prepared to pummel his head. Anselrio shoved himself up with his wings lifting both of them several feet off the ground. He leaned to his left and Qwantar scrambled to get his feet beneath him before Anselrio could toss him to the ground.

The two began wrestling in a standing position, arms locked in a fiery embrace. Finally they both pushed back hard and let go of one another. Each took a few steps back and began circling.

“Why are you here!” Qwantar shouted.

Anselrio laughed and smiled at him.

“It was a choice.”

“A poor choice at best. You will not leave here alive.”

“Right. And I suppose you are going to destroy me?”

Qwantar lowered his head and stared at Anselrio with a rage fit for a demon. His tail twitched quickly left and right. He crouched a little lower and readied himself to engage Anselrio again.

Anselrio watched his adversary posturing himself. He tried to anticipate his next move.

Suddenly Qwantar leapt up then dove at Anselrio’s feet. Anselrio jumped straight up drawing his knees up under himself. Qwantar slid under him and Anselrio crashed down directly into his back. He spun around and grabbed Qwantar’s hair. He jerked Qwantar’s head sideways exposing his right cheek.  With a well timed slash he ripped Qwantar’s cheek open to the bone. He then slammed his fist several times into the side of his face then rolled off him and scrambled back to a safe distance and crouched low to the floor.

Qwantar jumped up and turned to Anselrio. He stared him right in the eye and prepared to attack again.

Anselrio smiled and stood.

“Qwantar,” he hissed, “Do you not wish to hear our sweet Satan’s plan? His plan to defeat the Eternal One once and for all?”

Blood dripped from Qwantar’s chin.

“You dare to come into my chamber’s unannounced?”

“Yes, yes. We all know you would like for me to call ahead, but Satan sent me specifically to you with a message. He has a little deed he needs done that is right up your alley.”

Qwantar snarled at Anselrio. The demons surrounding them began to edge slightly closer.

Anselrio waited for them to come a little closer. He took a little hop towards Qwantar.

“They sent Gabriel,” Anselrio hissed.

He relished the murmur that rose on the heels of his declaration. Qwantar focused his attention fully on Anselrio.

“Gabriel?” Qwantar replied.

“Yesssss. And a newly anointed excuse for a rival named Jeremy. From Michael’s little troop of misfits.”

“I am familiar with Jeremy. He is no threat to me.”

Anselrio scanned the crowd and grinned slightly.

“Ohhh, I don’t think Jeremy is the same little weakling you remember him to be.”

Anselrio smirked at Qwantar. Qwantar seethed at him.

“Spit it out.”

Anselrio laughed and flicked his wings lifting himself above the throng.

“I was there Qwantar. I saw the whole thing with my own two eyes. The eternal one called for a gathering. Oh, you should have seen the little automatrons worship him. How sad. I think they believe Him.”

Qwantar flicked his wings and positioned himself directly in front of Anselrio above the crowd.

“Get to the point already.”

“Oh, that is the point isn’t it. They worship him.“

Anselrio dropped to the floor and began doing a little dance and singing, mocking those who worship the eternal one. The crowd burst out laughing.

Qwantar dropped to the floor. “Your interruption was ill timed at best. Now out with it.”

Anselrio savored the moment. It have been a very, very long time since he had seen Qwantar. He had never liked him and never would.

“You’re no fun Qwantar. Really. No fun at all. Why, your little minions get it. What is the matter with you?”

“Daygron!!” Qwantar shouted.

“Oh, goodie,” Anselrio giggled. “Bringing out the big guns now. Whoopee.”

Anselrio danced around a little more just for the fun of it.

The crowd of demons quickly began backing up. Anselrio picked at his long fingernails cleaning some of the dirt out from beneath them.

The sound of a latch releasing echoed through the chamber. Demons scattered as quickly as they could move. A large door to one side began to open. The smell of damp musty dirt filled the chamber.

Qwantar slowly paced back and forth awaiting his servant. Anselrio waited patiently polishing his nails.

The door clanged fully open against a door stop in the floor of the chamber. Anselrio looked at the dark chamber beyond the doorway. He glanced at Qwantar pacing back and forth.

Anselrio could hear the sound of something scratching at the floor of the chamber.

“Release him,” Qwantar demanded.

“So it’s a boy. Congratulations,” Anselrio said.

Qwantar looked at one of the demons not cowering under something.

“Release him. Now!”

The demon slowly moved towards the doorway, every few feet casting a glance back at Qwantar.

“Now!!” Qwantar shouted.

The demon quickly passed through the doorway. The sound of a chain being drug on the floor filled the chamber, echoing off the walls. Then all went silent.

Suddenly the demon burst from the doorway and zipped past Qwantar and Anselrio. A cloud of dust wafted from the doorway as all awaited Daygron.

Anselrio could see something moving in the shadows just inside the doorway. Something racing around kicking up more dust. Then out of the dust cloud a small red, hairless monkey ran right up to Qwantar and sat at his feet. He looked up at him and began chatting at him.

“Yes,” Qwantar said to the monkey. “Anselrio has returned. I need some information he refuses to provide me. I need your, ah, assistance.”

The monkey scurried around behind Qwantar and hid behind his calves. Peering out from one side he looked Anselrio over.

Anselrio laughed at Qwantar.
 
“This is the mighty Daygron?? A monkey. A hairless, red monkey.”

Daygron screeched a couple of times and started scratching at the back of Qwantar’s calves. He pulled his head back and peered out the other side of Qwantar’s calves. Then screeched and moved his head back to the other side.

“Ok Qwantar, what exactly do you want to know,” Anselrio said dropping to his knees. “Please, please don’t send the monkey. I’ll tell you anything. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Anselrio laughed again at Qwantar.

“Tell me what Satan sent you here to tell me,” Qwantar said.

“Well, if you insist. The eternal one sent Gabriel. Oh, excuse me I already told you that. He sent Jeremy with him. Oh, and I already told you that. Um, let’s see, what else is there. I know there was more. I mean, he wouldn’t send me into your chamber unless it was important. I mean after all, Satan forbid I would come here and waste your precious time.”

“Enough,” Qwantar said. He looked down at his little red monkey and nodded his head towards Anselrio.

The monkey emerged from behind Qwantar and became a red blur, circling Anselrio several times and then returning to his spot behind Qwantar.

Anselrio looked at Qwantar in disbelief. “That’s it? He just runs a few circles around me really, really fast.”

Qwantar slowly smiled at Anselrio.

“Give it a moment. I think you will get the point.”

Anselrio’s legs began to grow numb. He tried to lift them but they felt heavy, like they were made of lead. Slowly his whole body was becoming numb. He glanced down at his legs and saw small scrapes bleeding slightly. What the.

Qwantar slowly walked towards him and smiled. “Wait, the best part is yet to come.”

A slight burning began to grow where the slits cut into Anselrio’s legs. It grew in intensity then began spreading ever so slowly. Anselrio tried to reach down to rub his legs but could not bend over, his muscles slowly becoming paralyzed. His legs now felt like he was standing knee deep in lave. He knew this because he had once stood knee deep in lava. Sweat beaded up on his whole body.

“This doesn’t have to be permanent Anselrio. There is a cure and I just happen to have it with me.”

Anselrio now felt like he was standing waist deep in lava. His tongue was growing numb.

“You should tell me what I need to know before your tongue grows completely numb. If I do not hear what I need to hear, well, once the tongue is numb and you won’t be able to tell me. And I am afraid that until I hear what I want to hear, then you cannot have the cure. And just so you know, you are not going to die, this just will not cease and desist until you have the cure.”

Anselrio glared at Qwantar.

“Where did you get that blasted monkey?”

“Not what I wanted to hear.”

Anselrio held out till he could stand it no more.

“Saden sed do dell oou do go doo Darudalum.”

“I’m sorry, did you say Darudalem? I have never heard of Darudalem before. Can you spell that for me?” Qwantar said.

“Darudalum, Saden sed do dell oou do go doo darudalum.”

“Pardon me Anselrio, but did you say Jerusalem.?”

“Yed”

“Ohh, so Satan wants me to go to Jerusalem? What for?

“Gib me da cure and I will dell oou.”

“Hmm, well, maybe just a little between the check and gum for you. Open wide now.”

Qwantar pulled out a small bottle and pulled out a dropper. He placed a couple of drops of in Anselrio mouth and stepped back to wait.

Anselrio began convulsing with and fought the urge to spit the liquid from his mouth.

After a few minutes he said, “Alright, tell me what I need to know or the monkey does his little race around your legs again.”

Anselrio wet his lips and said, “That stuff tastes like crap. What is it?”

“Never mind what it is. Tell me what I want to know.”

“Satan said ‘Send Qwantar to this little priest. No, send him to his poor little barren wife. Twist her. Twist her shame. Twist her shame into her need. Twist her shame into an unbearable humiliation. A humiliation with only one escape, one way out. Then show her how easy it is to escape.’ The priest is Zechariah of the division of Abijah. He lives in Ein Kerem, just outside of Jerusalem.”

“Is this all he said?”

“He said, ‘Tell him to stir up those precious little Jewish neighbors of hers. She must hear their indignation. She must feel their stares, their whispers as she walks by. Barren, barren.’”

Anselrio finished the message and then said, “Now give me the cure.”

“There now, that wasn’t so hard was it?”

Qwantar set the bottle on the ground right in front of Anselrio. “There you are, you must take the whole bottle, a few drops at a time. Oh, and by the way, the cure is the little red monkey’s urine.”

Qwantar smiled and patted Anselrio on the chest a couple of times.

Qwantar turned and headed for the chamber doors.

“Put the monkey back in his chamber. Now!. Zarrum, Medlin, Bragon, come with me. The rest of you, get back to work,” Qwantar said.

Anselrio stared at the small bottle at his feet. He tried to bend over but he could barely move. All of him from the neck down was now burning fiercely.

“Qwantar, how do you expect me to pick up that bottle!!”

“You’ll figure it out,” he said just before he flew out the door.

© 2011 John Pearson All Rights Reserved.