Sid : the Devil's secretary

31. Luci

31. Luci

In human world, king Lucifer was almost at the end of his search for the chalice commonly known as Stingy Jack. He had followed the immortal trail along the California coastline north to the city of San Francisco, a beautiful bay side city as with L.A and San Diego. The immortal trail seemed to finally stop in the city's vibrant Chinatown, beside a dense cluster of restaurants and family businesses on Stockton street, with a view of the bay area further downhill. Lucifer snuck past the back alleys, where the trail intensified, until he came to the yellow front of an antique store that ran below street level from a flight of stairs. Lucifer walked down into the store, the scent still as strong as ever. Inside he saw numerous brass and jade artifacts sold or collected from within the community, ready to sell to the highest bidder. Lucifer then went up to the front desk and rang a small bell, notifying the owner of a potential customer.

"hello there. Welcome to Yang's shop. How can I help you?" a short figure in a tapered suit and a colorful dragon mask walked out from a back room.

"you must be the Purgatorian antiques dealer I presume" Lucifer examined.

"how do you know that?" the dealer tilted his head.

"it doesn't concern you, as long as you give me what I need. A chalice with gems on it. I believe it is somewhere around here" Lucifer scanned across the shop, searching high and low amongst the antiques for the chalice, like a needle in a haystack.

"that may be. The demons who gave it to me asked a high price for it. Must be valuable" the dealer spotted the chalice of the same description on his front desk, glossed over by Lucifer.

"it is worth more to me than you know of" Lucifer turned back to the dealer.

"of course, then it must be worth a chase" the dealer threw a mantled china plate at Lucifer, grabbed the chalice of his desk, then darted out the backway, through a door to a second flight of stairs taking him to the street level alleyways with an easy shot of the humming streets. Lucifer was quick to break through the door and pursue the dealer, who continued to run. The two were soon sprinting down to the bay at mid-afternoon, before Lucifer bundled the dealer into another alley near the bay side street.

"just hand me the cup and you will be spared" Lucifer kept the dealer on the ground until he was given the chalice. Grasping the scruff of the Purgatorian's suit in one hand, Lucifer threw the dealer back out onto the busy sidewalk to blend back into the crowds.

"a wise choice indeed" Lucifer mentioned to himself. Putting the chalice on the floor in front of him, he clicked his fingers, transforming the chalice back into the smelly baggy mess that was Stingy Jack. The Devil's five day goose chase was now over.

"Christ... where's me booze?" Jack shook himself.

"don't worry, it's fine. Just got a little side-tracked, that's all" Lucifer rested a hand on Jack's head.

"side-tracked my arse, you turned me into a fucking mug" Jack swatted the hand away.

"actually, it was a chalice, but who cares?" Lucifer continued in the alley.

"are you helping me?, why in the flying clusterfuck would you help me?. I thought you hated me" Jack jabbed at the air.

"of course. What do you take me for, a miscreant?" Lucifer looked displeased.

"I take you for something between the F-word and the C-word, probably a made up word" Jack looked out onto the streets.

"do you want the curse to be broken?" Lucifer's voice echoed in the empty alleyway.

"meh, that means whatever in idiot" Jack turned back.

"then follow me" Lucifer led Jack out of the alley down to a small dock on the bay, the sunlit waves making tiny ripples against the support beams.

"where are we going?" Jack finally asked.

"we have to meet my guy at the Alamo" Lucifer looked out onto the water.

"but that's toooooo far" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"I know. Hold on!" Lucifer grabbed Jack by his arms and lifted him up into the air for an epic cross country endeavor.