Of Angels and Demons

Chapter 1:

The sound of wings beat against the wind, bushes and grass blowing every which way below him.

A pair of feet hit the ground, wings calmly folding behind him, before slowly fading away within him.

The angel tilted his head from side to side, joints cracking as he did so.

He hated flying.

One would think that was the best thing about being an angel.

Not to Richie.

It was night, he stood in the middle of a garden maze, crickets and fireflies surrounding the premise.

He was sent down to find a demon that was terrorizing humans and destroying anything that got in his way.

Richie closed his eyes.

Demons had a foul aura that came from them, making them an easy beacon for angels to find.

So far, he sensed nothing.

His head snapped up when he heard the sound of a dog approaching him, barking, teeth visible.

Richie closed his eyes again, a light slowly overcoming him, and the dog's barking faded.

When he opened his eyes, he was in the middle of a large city, standing at the top of one of the buildings, having a full view of the area.

It was quiet, except for the occasional passing vehicle, horns echoing in the distance.

Richie sighed. Why couldn't they send him to the demon's direct location if they had a somewhat pinpoint on it?

He teleported through the town, searching for any activity out of place.

Nothing.

It was nearing dawn and Richie was exhausted.

Sleep or hunger wasn't a problem to angels, however, the longer they stayed on earth, the more the impact had on them.

He was planning to find a safe place just outside of town to rest before he heard a cluttering sound below him.

His wings bristled from inside.

Got 'em.

His wings sprouted and they took one aggressive sweep of air before he swooped down into the alley.

A male figure was spotted, casually walking deeper into the alley, seeming to have no notice to him.

With one more aggressive flap of his wings, he had the figure by the shirt and they were sent flying back to the back of the alley.

The demon let out a loud groan as his back met with the brick wall.

Richie kept himself pinned to him, pulling out a short blade, putting it to his throat.

It wasn't just any knife. It was enchanted and created by angels specifically for these circumstances.

It was silent for a long time.

Richie had expected the demon to panic, to beg for his life, to say something. But they just stared at each other.

Finally, "Well, aren't you gonna do it?" The demon spoke up.

There was no fear in his voice, and his features remained unreadable.

Richie didn't realize how long they'd been standing there, how long he had to finish the job.

"If you're not here to kill me, what brings you here, angel?" He spoke up, still wary of the weapon at his throat.

Richie glared, jabbing the knife further, lightly pricking the demon's skin.