Spiritual Battle

Chapter 2.2: The Demon

“Off to fail again?”

I knew that voice.  There was no reason for his presence here.  It must be simply to torment me as if being in this place of constant attack was not enough.  Turning, I felt rage build up inside me.  “You’re one to talk.  Their God did short work of you centuries ago.”

The massive demon who stood before me shook with both fear at the memory and rage at the mention.  “I failed, yes.  However, my name lives in infamy to this day.”

“For those who know it.  Even then, the ones who truly know are not afraid.”

“Much like their reaction to you?”  The demon sneered and shifted his weight.  His strength was fierce but the burden of his massive weight was his constant and unending torment.

Freezing, I stared into the demon’s eyes.  “You underestimate what I am capable of.”

The demon began to laugh his roaring, rumbling laugh that shook the ground around us.  “You are merely one messenger of death.  A lesser to the harbinger of the same name.  You are feared only by the ignorant.  Be glad there are so many.”

I turned away from the demon, remembering the task at hand.  Around me, there were buildings and between those buildings were congested streets full of cars and people.  Shuddering, I took it all in.  Earth, a place of uncomfortably close contact to their God, His messengers and His allies yet, at the same time, it acted as a resource to that disgrace in the pit for allies of his own.  This is why I was here; I couldn’t afford to forget that.

Behind me, the demon thundered, “The allies of that fool are your allies as well.  That pit of his is his constant torment just like our specific pains are ours.  However, if happiness exists, it is at the thought of his helplessness while I am free to roam the earth as I please in search of souls to bring to him.”

Again, I turned to face the demon.  “Have you nothing better to do than ridicule me and my thoughts?  This is my task and you are in the way.  Has your size made it impossible to move?  Leave me to my work.”

With a shifting of his weight and a snort of disgust, the demon replied, “My size is a torture but it is how I build a following on earth all those years ago.  What have you accomplished?  You have furthered the cause for good in this world by killing their God and, in doing so, freed not only the souls who stood in waiting but opened the doors for His allies to enter into eternal splendor while we rot in a pit of fire for all eternity.  Death is no longer feared by the knowledgeable.  Once again, be happy there are so few of them.”

I turned away from the demon to join the crowds of people walking the streets; an unseen force of evil ready to strike.  Behind me, I felt a rush and change of pressure and when I turned back to look behind me, the massive demon Baal had vanished.