I Need To Exchange My Demon, Please

Chapter 1: An Unusual Request

Marcus sat at the table in the underworld with two of his fellow demons: Arda and Armand. After a long day of cleaning up messes, they were enjoying a few drinks before retiring to their respective caves. Behind them, the coldness of hell echoed through the sounds of tortured souls, metal clanking on metal, cracks of whips snapping, and lava rushing around like a river, somehow staying hot despite the chill that never left. The cave they were at was usually full of demons, but tonight it was quiet. That was until they all felt it. A call. A human far enough along in the process of a summoning that the call was reaching them, telling them to be ready.

Marcus was not in the mood to kill for a human. There'd been a lot of it recently, he almost did nothing else anymore and he was hoping for just a small break. At least the humans usually had a decent reason for wanting someone dead, if he did end up having to go. Though the last one he got in trouble for because he killed someone it turned out was innocent. That was another reason he didn't want to go.

Evil souls were his business, not good ones. He felt so terribly about misreading the situation, he didn't even need the scolding from the angels but he got it anyway. He stood there while they repeated the laws, humiliating him in front of the others and then enduring a lashing from Lilith afterward. The thing they didn't understand was he didn't mind the punishment. He deserved it after ending another innocent's life end. He'd done too much of it in his human life and his only recompense now was torturing souls just as evil, if not more so.

"Marcus, it's your turn," Arda said in response to the call they all felt, leaning over the table and snatching his drink.

"It's not my turn," Marcus scowled, crossing his arms. "I covered for you last summoning."

"And I covered the one before that," Arda countered, narrowing her eyes. "Why is this even a fucking problem anymore? I thought we got rid of all documents that had the right words."

"Something always slips through the cracks," Armand shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Someone still has to go."

"Arda's going," Marcus said, glaring at Arda.

"I'm not doing shit," Arda said, crossing her arms.

The call got louder. They could feel it. The human was seconds away from saying the words and someone would have to go. If none acted, one would be forcibly pushed through to the other realm, though they had no way of knowing who it would be. It was such a painful experience, not even demons specializing in torture would endure it.

"There's an easy way to solve this," Armand shrugged.

"Not again," Marcus groaned, dropping his head in his hands.

"Pick a straw," Armand said, a stack of straws appearing with a wave of his hand. He held them between Arda and Marcus, looking at them both expectantly.

"This is stupid," Arda pouted.

"Agreed, but it seems to be the only way to not make this argument go on forever," Armand said. "The human said the chant once, she's in the middle of her second time. Make it fast."

Arda went first, grabbing a straw and waiting. Marcus reached over and plucked one, cursing at how short it was. Arda waved her long one with a smug smile and Marcus growled, feeling the call. The human was almost done saying it for the third and final time.

"Fuck," Marcus groaned, standing and walking over to the rumbling Summoning Cavern. In hell, there were portals like it everywhere. Caverns that looked normal on the outside but the second you crossed their threshold, would show no form except a black void. He stepped inside and as he did, heard the human say the last words that sent him spiraling through the portal, taking him to the mortal realm.