Between Heaven and Hell

Explanation

The strength festival

The festival of strength takes place every year from August 2nd to August 4th and is an important ceremony in which every 15-year-old demon and angel must attend. Every 15-year-old undergoes an exam in which his or her strength is tested. The examinee must master every force perfectly, at least so well that he has it under control. Because every demon or angel who does not control his power becomes a problem for the community. Then he is put under observation and after a year he will take another exam. If by then he has neither got his powers under control nor has mastered them better, he has to give up his powers. That means it will be withdrawn from him and he has no chance of getting it back.

It is a very important festival and every family celebrates the day individually. Depending on how the exam went, the examinee receives smaller or larger gifts, which primarily have no material significance but are of family value.

Niam's strength festival

Alone I make my way to the Great Hall of Demons. Mother is dead, I killed father. Mistral had stayed home distraught. It was now exactly a year since I killed father. Mistral has been so quiet and withdrawn since then. Well, I wasn't quite alone after all. Dougal accompanies me, in human form. I now have to concentrate fully on passing the exam. I try to block out all thoughts in order to concentrate fully on the exams. I enter the hall after being called. My ceremony is already on August 2nd. As with every ceremony, the council consists of the chief demons and a god from the underworld. From year to year God can change. This year Tyr, god of struggle and victory, is one of the examiners. "Niam Ashoka, son of the legendary Cadmus, this year it's up to you to take the exam. Maybe with a better result than your father back then. "Inside I feel how I start to cook. They always talk about my father, THE great demon, THE mighty demon, THE terrifying demon. Nobody knows what he really was like.

"Fear projections, touch of death, shape change and force field, are my powers." Tyr looks expectantly at me and I begin to show my powers. After I've demonstrated everything, I get an appreciative nod. I leave the hall and step over to Dougal looks at me encouragingly: "And?" At first I seem sad and angry, but then it lights up my face: "Pass!" We clap and go to the dark forest to celebrate a bit. I don't need any big presents, it's enough for Dougal to give me his time.

When I get home in the evening, Mistral is waiting for me. Suddenly he seems so changed. A cupcake is waiting for me in our salon. "I made it for you. It's an apple pie. "I look at him speechless and want to take him in my arms, but he shrinks back." I'm sorry. " I mumble. Mistral tries a smile: "Congratulations on passing the exam.

Aideen's strength festival

A week or so before the ceremony, I turned 15 and right now I'm terribly nervous. I am wearing a blood-red dress that is trimmed with black embroidery around the neck and hem. Today it depends. Any forces just have to work now. When it comes to the demonic powers, I don't really care. But with my angelic powers? Do the upper demons know that I have light angelic powers? I don't want my powers to be taken away from me. Do they even know that half-demons and -angels even exist? There aren't many who are like me. Maybe they never revealed themselves and I escape the system by only showing my demonic powers. It seems as if the moon knows what is going on here today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. It seems darker and fuller than usual. Its red light is even more threatening and frightening. I feel very comfortable because the light gives me a special feeling. The festival lasts from August 2nd to August 4th. We young people are called by last name and therefore I have my ceremony on August 3rd.
The time has finally come and the wait has come to an end. I am called and enter the Great Hall of Demons. All ceremonies take place here. The council of chief demons sits in the middle of the room in a semicircle, which I now enter.

"Aideen Kevala, daughter of the Demon Lord. Now your test begins. "The voice of the Council Elder Demon can be heard. He has white, longer hair and horns that lie next to his temples. His eyes sparkle in a murderous black." We want you to tell us your powers and practice them. Then we will determine whether you have passed or not. ", Continues the only goddess who is present at this strength festival. Her name is Durga and she is the goddess of vengeance. I nod nervously and close my eyes for a moment. I think of Jaro and feel my pulse calm down a bit. I hear his voice softly in my thoughts: "You can do this and no matter how it all ends. I will always be proud of you and will always be proud of you."

Then I think of my father. He always gave everything for me and I want to make him proud. Then there is nothing left in my head. I don't think about anything, only about my strength. I open my eyes and hope to look determined. With a firm voice I tell them: "My powers are as follows: impulse, shape change, aura choking, fear projection and touch of death." A nod goes through the semicircle, the testing demons and I begin to practice my powers I've exercised my last strength, a wave of applause sounds. I look nervously to the advice. "Aideen Kevala, that was a perfect execution of your strength." When I hear the voice of a demon, I cannot sort it out straight away. "You can be very proud of yourself." Durga looks at me and I feel so light. I leave the hall and run to my father.

"Passed!" I smack around his neck with a beaming smile. We spend the rest of the afternoon at our house in the castle and I received a beautiful necklace from my father that I passed. "Jaro chose it." Aideen, in curved letters, as a pendant. The icing on the cake is a raw diamond.

Mistral strength festival

The festival of strength, August 2nd. I am called and go to the great hall of demons. The Council of Demons this year consists of a few fewer demons than usual. Many angels and demons no longer obey the rules and the mood has been a bit tense for a while. Many demons were called in to take care of the rule breakers. However, this time there is also a goddess of the underworld, this year it's Selene, the moon goddess. Actually, she looks more like a goddess of the sky. But everyone knows that if there is to be a war, she will be like a fury and it becomes very clear: this is a goddess of the underworld.

"What are your powers?" I am asked kindly by the said goddess, even if her eyes shimmer with a murderous glow. "Invocation, chronokinesis, energy beam and resuscitation." "Then begin," another head demon whispers at me.

A few minutes later
Excited, I leave the hall and rush to Niam, who is waiting for me outside. "Passed" I call from afar and come to him beaming, but out of breath. He proudly takes me in his arms. "I have a little present for you. Come with me." Together we go to our castle where Isra and Dougal are waiting for us. In my mind I already told her how it went. We enter our castle and Niam gives me a present. I tear off the wrapping paper and ... "Oh wow, Niam! But that wouldn't have been necessary! "It is an old book that mine had once written myself. I thought it would have been lost at some point, but Niam must have found and saved it." Thank you. " I have tears in my eyes.

Calandra Force Festival

My strength festival is waiting for me on August 4th. I've spent the last few weeks nervous and excited training my strength and taking on myself hard. My mother accompanied me on the way to the elven clearing. After I have been called, I make my way to an isolated piece of the clearing and approach the council of elders, consisting of the upper angels and, this year, the goddess Maat. She is the goddess of wisdom and is always accompanied by her soul animal, an owl that shines gold in the sun. This year my mother was excluded from the ceremony as an examiner because she was her daughter. "If she doesn't control her powers, she could still pass the test through you!" Was the reasoning of the other council members. Well, it's kind of understandable. On the other hand, I know very well that my mother would be ashamed of me if she did I don't pass this test. It is very run-in and very strict. "What are your powers, Calandra Sushila?" asks me the aforementioned goddess. "Beaming, conjuring, deflecting and flying", I prefer to hide my demonic powers from them.

A few minutes later
I have just presented my flying power and am now waiting for a result. "Well Calandra, you presented your powers with absolute perfection. You can be very proud of yourself. "Beaming happily, I leave the clearing and rush to my mother." Pass! " Happy I fall into her arms. Together we go home and celebrate the exam we have passed in a fitting party. As a small present, my mother gave me a gold chain with an emerald in the evening after the guests had left. "This necklace once belonged to your great-grandmother. From generation to generation it was passed on to the next generation on the day of the festival of strength. "I look at the necklace in awe and marvel at it in the mirror after my mother put it on me." A truly wonderful gift. " I thank my mother.